Just before
Christmas last year whilst looking for a cheap but decent camera to keep in my
briefcase for work use , I discovered the Micro 4/3 system.
I started off with
a humble Lumix GF3 a tiny little camera
with a serious sensor and as I quickly discovered it could be used for serious photography. It was also great fun to use, almost pocket sized and weighs nothing. It is for me the modern incarnation of Barnack’s Leica camera concept ; a camera that
you can carry without noticing it too much.
I saw some large
prints done with an Olympus OMD EM5 and
I was sold on this format. The image quality was equal to what I was getting
with my bloated and heavy Nikon system.
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| Susu a Maine Coon one of my first shots with the EM% |
I part exchanged
all my old film cameras and manual focus A1 lenses that were just gathering
dust for an EM5 and the superb Lumix 12-35 2.8 lens together with a 9-18 wide angle, a 45-200 and a 100-300
zoom lens. I haven’t looked back since
to my old Nikon system.
So here is my first
year with Micro 4/3.
The humble Lumix GF3
went to Berlin and acquitted itself well in the short time I had to see Berlin.
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| Sony Centre Berlin |
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| Sony Centre Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
The EM5 is very discrete
and does not get one noticed, a perfect camera for the Carnival pictures.
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| Carnivale, Castelnovo Sotto RE |
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| Carnivale, Castelnovo Sotto RE |
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| Carnivale, Castelnovo Sotto RE |
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| Carnivale, Castelnovo Sotto RE |
The stabilization is
great for low light and telephoto shots.
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| Capriolo |
It did not get in
the way going up a narrow “Orrido” and
it took some strange photos of the coloured clay Calanchi at Biaso.
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| Rio della Rocca, RE |
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| Rio della Rocca, RE |
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| Baiso |
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| Baiso |
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| Baiso |
Trying out the EM5 I rediscovered my town.
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
The 100-300 is a
200-600 equivalent lens and being able
to hand hold a 600mm lens meant that I could shoot some architectural shots from a distance, to
eliminate foreground clutter and get the effect that I wanted.
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| Sarzana, RE |
I have found the
9-18 lens to be a fine lens.
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| Castello di Montegibbio, MO |
I enjoyed a nice long
walk along the flooded River Po without
my shoulders and back aching.
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| Dosolo,MN |
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| Dosolo,MN |
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| Gualtieri RE |
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| Dosolo MN |
The four thirds systems low weight and bulk means
that it is perfect for when I go hiking in the mountains.
I was getting tired
of climbing up steep mountains with the weight of my old Nikon system. In
winter I just carry less stuff. In
summer it is hot even at 2000 metres , so with less camera weight, I can carry
more precious water.
I caught the last
snow in May at 2000m.
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| Lago Martini, PR |
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| Lago Martini, PR |
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| Lago Martini, PR |
I got wet in a
thunder storm in the high Apennines.
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| Passo di Annibale, MO |
I finally got to
the top of the Alpe di Succiso after two attempts thwarted by bad weather.
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| Pratizzano, RE |
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| Alpe di Succiso, RE |
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| Rio Pascolo, RE |
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| Alpe di Succiso, RE |
I enjoyed the three
lakes near Prato Spilla, PR
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| Lago Verdarolo, PR |
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| Lago Scuro, PR |
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| Lago Scuro, PR |
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| Lago Palo, PR |
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| Monte Malpasso, PR |
On a very hot June
day in Piacenza, I spent a pleasant morning exploring the city without my camera equipment becoming a burden.
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| Piacenza |
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| Piacenza |
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| Piacenza |
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| Piacenza |
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| Piacenza |
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| Piacenza |
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| Piacenza |
I managed to have a
day in Berlin this time with the EM5 and the 12-35 2.8.
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
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| Berlin |
I explored the
hidden courtyards in my city.
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
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| Reggio Emilia |
Micro four thirds proved
to be a good camera system to take on holiday; everything fits into a small
camera bag and the low weight means that carrying a camera around does not
become a chore. Also taking pictures inside Italian monuments where photography
is usually banned becomes a lot easier
as you play dodge the Jobsworth
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| Roman Forum Aosta |
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| Aosta |
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| Gran Paridiso park, Rhemes Notra Dame
valley.AO |
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| Les Combes,AO |
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| Val D Aosta |
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| Aosta |
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| Monte Bianco, AO |
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| Monte Bianco, AO |
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| Val D Aosta |
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| Val D Aosta |
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| Monte Bianco, AO |
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| La Morra, Langhe CN |
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| La Morra, Langhe CN |
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| La Morra, Langhe CN |
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| La Morra, Langhe CN |
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| San Remo IM |
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| San Remo IM |
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| San Remo IM |
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| San Remo IM |
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| San Remo IM |
The IBIS in the EM5
worked well for some low light shots of a light show, I did not need to take
along a tripod to get some decent results.
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| Roman theatre Aosta |
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| Roman theatre Aosta |
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| Roman theatre Aosta |
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| Roman theatre Aosta |
Saw the Mega Yachts
at Portofino, and also saw the village at seven in the morning free of crowds.
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| Portofino |
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| Portofino |
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| Portofino |
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| Portofino |
I caught the autumn
colours of the Bluberry bushes at their best, walked along the mountain crest
with cloud on one side and sun on the other and then at the end of the walk
discussed the problem of wolves in the Apennines with a Sheppard.
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| Monte Soraggio, RE |
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| Monte Soraggio, RE |
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| Le Porraie, RE |
I bought a 7.5mm
fisheye lens to make some out of this world landscape and architectural photographs
and with the advice obtained on DPR discover some software (Huggin) to make
even more out of this world photographs.
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| Canossa, RE |
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| Canossa, RE |
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| Canossa, RE |
To end the year I
went for my favourite lunchtime walk, up to the olive Grove at Bianello Castle.
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| Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE |
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| Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE |
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| Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE |
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| Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE |
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| Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE |
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| Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE |
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| Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE |
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| Bianello, Quattro Castella, RE |
This is impressive work. Had I not already done so, I would be ready to take up photography. Excellent photographic eye.
ReplyDeleteVery good work. Had I not already done so, I would decide to take up photography. You show an excellent photographic eye.
ReplyDeleteStunning blog. Your photos make me want to go there.
ReplyDeleteInspiring photography, really great to see such fine work. You made the most of every situation, and this camera performed extremely well in your hands.
ReplyDelete