the demanding traveler

photos and travels

Dust issue on the Ricoh GR : how bad is it ?

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As most regular readers on this blog know, my “every-day- carry everywhere” camera is the Ricoh GR (or GRII). The GR is exceptional in many ways :It is very compact despite featuring an APS sensor; it comes with an 28mm equivalent fixed focal length. In addition to providing great image quality, its main asset, in my view, is the very-well thought-out user interface combined with a great layout of the camera controls and dials. The first digital version of the camera dates back to 2005 (at the time with a much smaller 1/1.7″ sensor). Since this first GRD, Ricoh has introduced an updated version every other year. Ultimately, in 2013, the GRD was renamed the GR and  fitted with the much larger APS sensor. The camera has long been a favorite of street photographers and travelers  alike wanting a small carry-everywhere camera capable of delivering high quality files. You can see my reviews of both models here,here and here on this blog.

Despite this success, there have been several reported issues of dust settling on the sensor. I have  both GR models and did not notice any problems until recently when preparing my review of the GRII. I set up a test scene to compare the image quality between the GR and the GRII (by the way found a notable difference between the two-more on that in a future article). It is only then that I noticed some dust on my GR which, I had been using for about two & a half years without this issue.
As you will notice in the images, I got TWO dust particles on the sensor. One small round one, similar to dust spot I got on many of my other cameras (Panasonic LX 100 and Olympus Em1 for example) and a rather big “nail-shaped” dust spot. I suspect (without being 100% sure) that it had been recently stuck on my sensor. I thought this was almost a “study case” to show how a small or large dust spot on your sensor can affect your image file. [Read more…]

The real sleeper of the m4/3rd system ?

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There is no doubt that one of the main strengths of the m4/3 rd system is its lens line up which covers a lot of focal lengths. However, if you want to shoot at the Focal lengths of 150mm or 200mm (300mm and 400mm respectively in 35mm terms) neither Olympus nor Panasonic have a 150mm or a 200mm fixed lens. To use either of these focal lengths your only choices are zoom lenses.
You can choose either  large, bright (and somewhat pricey) pro zooms like the Olympus 2.8/40-150mm or the Panasonic 100-400mm
Or you have in Both Olympus and Panasonic catalogs , lighter not so bright zooms like the Olympus 4-5.6/40-150mm and the Panasonic 4-5.6/45-150mm.

Let s first get one thing out of the way : I am NOT a zoom guy. I always preferred single focal length. As a matter of fact, If I was to choose ONE zoom it would be one that NOBODY, outside myself, seem to want : the zoom would be like for M4/3rds  a 100-200 or maybe a 120-200 (meaning a 240-400mm in 35mm terms) because I realize that when you are photographing something far, there are times where getting closer is not an option or, in the case of a moving object, one may not have the time to change lenses to photograph a subject coming towards you.
Every time I use a zoom like a 80-200 or 80-300mm (in 35m terms) I end up  always using the longer focal lengths.
In the case of the m4/3rds 40-150mm, I use those zooms between 100 and 150mm 98% of the time. On such zooms, it is generally admitted that sharpness tend to get lower as one approached the longer end of the zoom. I have had the Olympus M 4-5.6/40-150mm for a few years now. Before that I owned his older counterpart in the 4/3rd system on my Olympus E1 & E3.
Both are supposed to be identical in terms of optical design. The lens is supposed to be very good up until mid range (100mm FOV) and get to  just good quality at the max 150mm FOV.
All serious reviews I have read tend to say that the Panasonic equivalent 45-150mm is different because it is stronger at the 150mm setting. [Read more…]

A great “on-the-go” shoulder bag for traveling photographers.

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There are many camera bag makers out there. However, despite the plethora of the supply , I find that often the products line-up is rather conventional with,too often, unimaginative, if not downright impractical designs. Fortunately, a few of these camera companies providing innovative products which fill a real gap on the market. New York based TENBA company is, without a doubt, one of the most innovative companies on the market.

Take the Tenba Packlite collection for instance : The PACKLITE is an original concept consisting of a lightweight collapsible self-stowable  “nylon envelop” which turns into a shoulder bag by adding a BYOB photo insert (BYOB stands for ”bring your own bag). This collection comes in four different sizes (labeled 7,9,10 and 13). For the purpose of this review, note that I tested the BYOB 10.
The packlite does not intend to be your main camera shoulder bag but instead supplements your larger bag and potentially save the day ! [Read more…]

(continued) the worst of 2015… and what to expect in 2016

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Different photographers have different needs and/or budget limitations. For instance, as I travel extensively overseas by planes, weight and size is a major concern for me when selecting photo equipment. A pro photographer always traveling with assistants, or mostly by car may not have the same restriction. Many “photo experts” would argue that there is no “bad” camera  per se when one considers the image quality possible even on the cheapest models.
That being said, there are each year some new products which fail to impress either by their features, or by their questionable design and/or ergonomic choices , or simply  in terms of pricing compared to their competitors.
Hence here is my “worst” list for 2015. These are two recent camera models  that I would not recommend to anyone :

Canon G5X. This product was announced alongside a more entry-level model named G9X. Canon compact cameras have been very popular for the most part and it is likely that because of Canon name and distribution network this new G7x would sell in large numbers. This model  is supposed to be the “expert”model in the product line-up (retail price is at $750) but yet does not allow continuous shooting in RAW mode. You can only make ONE picture before the shutter stops to clear the buffer. Therefore you can forget taking pictures of your kid or pet running in the garden , or simply any kind of street event. I was able to take some pictures at the fair when the camera was introduced and there is definitely a price to pay for the relatively small size of the camera. I have normal average male hands and the camera did not feel that easy to hold and operate.Image quality is unchanged from the Gx7 model.

On a different size of the spectrum in terms of size,another oddball in my opinion is the new Leica SL. this big camera body sports a relatively average 24MP 35mm sensor and use the same mount as the Leica T. But since the Leica T has a smaller APS sensor, your choice is limited to ONE zoom lens for the time being if you want AF lenses which cover the full 35mm sensor. With an adapter you can use the M lenses which are great but only in manual focus. While the camera is weather-sealed and features a very high resolution EVF, I still cannot fathom what is the market for this camera outside the die-hard Leica geeks.

Think about it : The Leica SL costs $7,450 body only and more than $K12 with its 2.8/4 24-90mm zoom lens. If size is not an issue for you, you can  get a Nikon D750 with its 24-120 zoom lens and get better image quality in a more usable body and features a long list of AF lenses in the Nikon or Sigma catalog. the Leica SL is FIVE TIMES as expensive as the Nikon D750. So even for those who believe that the Leica signature is worth extra money , it is a reach.
If you have larger hands or need ultimate quality , you can get another big weather sealed body for $500 by buying the Pentax 645Z (here).The sensor size is more than 2.5X times the surface of the leica SL and has a modern 50MP sony sensor and therefore offers MUCH better image quality than the SL, has more AF lenses options, better controls and menu organization…
This blog is about traveling light so covering the Pentax 645Z would not make much sense but there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that this model is the absolute best model for your buck for photographers who need the ultimate image quality along with great camera controls for their work.
There is also something else to keep in mind for a photographer who is willing (and able) to spend that kind of money is the lack of choices in AF lenses for this new model. Leica has now FOUR different lens systems for its interchangeable cameras : M lenses, S lenses for its manual format camera, T lenses in APS sized sensors and SL lenses in 35mm. This is a recipe for disaster and one can be sure that at least ONE of this new mount is not going to see much activity. If you do not believe me, look at how many new APS lenses Sony has been introduced for its APSsensor cameras since it developed its A7 series with a 35mm sensor.

There are however, some interesting products on the horizon. And since 2016 is a Photokina year (the largest and best fair for photo equipment which is held every other year in Cologne -Germany) one can bet that 2016 will be a more prolific year than 2015 was in terms of innovative models. At the CES show that started today there are already some interesting announcements: Along with its new flagship 35mm DSLR the D5 Nikon has finally released its successors to the D300s with the Nikon D500.
Panasonic just introduced today its new TZ100 which will be in direct competition with the Canon G5x and the Sony Rx100’s. Panasonic should announce in the spring a GM1/GM5 successor; the GM line being the “mini” line in the m4/3 rd camera system.

Stay tuned

2015 best and worst cameras of the year …

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2015 is now behind us. As always, most magazines and online review sites concoct some recap of the  products released this year and draft top lists of what they consider the most significant introductions of the past 12 months.
The camera market has been changing for several years. DSLR’s sales have been experiencing steady declines among all brands for several years in a row and compacts are engaged in a seemingly endless free fall. Sales of so-called hybrid systems have not built-up as expected, at least in several markets.

However, the two most obvious patterns  of 2015 as far as I am concerned are :
1/ 2015 was an evolutionary year not a revolutionary ones. Take the hybrid market for instance : Fuji introduced the XT10 a cheaper alternative to its Xt-1. Olympus improved its OMD-EM5 with its mark II model (although this is a more significant improvement than the name alone could indicate). Panasonic updates its GX7 and G6 models with its new GX8 and G7 models (and a replacement of its tiny GM1, GM5 models is announced for the spring).
A similar phenomenon can be observed for the so-called “expert” compact camera market. The Sony RX100 got a fourth version (here) and the GRII is only slightly improved over its predecessor.

2/ The second strong pattern of the year , in my opinion, is how far off their game the two brands dominating the DSLR’s market- Nikon and Canon- are as pertains to  the evolution of their non-dlsr line.

Take for instance the Canon G5x & the Eos M3 two recent introductions of Canon supposedly aimed at advanced users. Canon is asking a premium price for a camera (G5x) which is basically a single shot camera for raw users. Granted this is not aimed at sport shooters but how about making a picture of your kids or dogs running in the garden or simply taking pictures of a event in the street ? My site is kept alive by providing links but I cannot in good conscience recommend this new model.
the GX line now includes five models (G1X mark II, G3X, G5X, G7x, G9X) which are supposed to succeed both the classic G and the S lines but fell short in several ways. (The G1X mII could be a good camera with a better sensor and a more modern optic).

What about their mirrorless system ? in 2015 Canon updated its line with two new models the Eos M3 and Eos M10. Canon started half-heartedly its mirrorless system back in 2012 with the eminently forgettable EOS-M, followed shortly hereafter by a marginally better M2. the M line features an APS sensor and there is an adapter for Canon DSLR users to adapt their lenses on the smaller M bodies. This is good because honestly at this point in time, it is hard to imagine who else but a die-hard Canon user would choose to invest in the Canon system which features now 2 bodies and ONLY four lenses

Nikon does not fare much better. For its mirrorless system, Nikon chose to adopt a much smaller 1″sensor. There are several bodies which create some confusion about which market Nikon is aiming at with its “1” product line. The main interest of the system is to allow small bodies and lenses with very fast autofocus, making it maybe a product of interest for “soccer moms”. The lens line -up  is small with nine lenses to choose from (six zooms and three fixed focal lengths). Again , there is one adapter to mount its Nikon F lenses on the 1 bodies but the size and weight of most those lenses on the small 1 bodies make it more an emergency back-up plan than a wise choice for use in the field.

It is very clear that both Nikon and Canon are not really concerned by the competition and treat the mirrorless cameras system as an afterthought. Also abundantly clear is the fact that they are more worried that better products would diminish the sales of their own dlsr products. Whether this is true or not, I think they are making a huge mistake of underestimating the depth of the change affecting the industry.

Lots of photographers may salivate on an full-featured  expensive (and heavy) 35mm DSLR from one of these two companies. While sales of  these expensive 35mm bodies make up for nice profit margins, they do not come close in terms of volumes to the entry and mid-level dslr (generally aps-sized). To say that Nikon has been neglecting the high-end segment of its APS sized DSLR line is an understatement.

I am fully aware that lots of people like top 10 or top 5 lists. However, for me it makes little  sense to attribute scores to cameras as it mixes different aspects of the products that maybe important to one and not to someone else.I think it is more useful to list the most interesting cameras of the year. Here there are : [Read more…]