THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Introduction With apologies to all, this newsletter is a lot later than I had planned due in no small part to my own laziness, but also because of a mid-spring time rumor that Canon was planning to roll out a firmware update that would address some of my misgivings about the 7D Mk II I purchased last year. I thought I would have some opportunities to test out the new firmware, but summer doesn’t always present much opportunity for action/sports photography, i.e., none! In the meantime, as I was prepping the articles in this issue, I read with interest, Oleg’s dive into large format photography. Goodness, first 35mm then medium format for many years and large format. The way Oleg is trending, in about 10 years’ time, he’ll be discussing his foray into using glass plates and will need a pack mule to haul his gear, just like Ansel Adams did nearly 100 years ago. For his back’s sake, I hope he won’t feel the need to try out the 20x24 inch Polaroid large format monsters, which Ansel Adams used to take the official portrait of US President Jimmy Carter, back in the late 1970s. Coincidentally, a couple of early summer posts on the Luminous Landscape website also had Michael Reichmann dabble with film using a new Rollei twin-lens 6x6 medium format camera. Reichmann also profiled his friend Nick Devlin getting serious with 8x10 large format photography (I provide the full URL as the link is lost when I “save as” from Word to PDF). With all this resurgence of film, I wondered, should I dust off the old medium format cameras and warm up some old rolls of 120 film still stored in my fridge?

Um, no. While I admire anyone finding their photographic selves with film, I’m a creature of the faster and more efficient process of digital photography; however, I’m fighting the trend of photography via or tablets in favor of “real” cameras. Edwin

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

The Canon 7D Mk II There was a time when I decided I had it with DX-sized sensors (aka, APS-C). After selling the D300 and using a Canon 5D2 since 2009, I figured my days of using DX cameras were over. But, here I am back to using a camera with a DX sensor like it’s 2008 all over again. What happened? Before we drill into the madness of my thought process, let me just say that I’ve not abandoned FX; not at all with the Canon 5D3 and 6D available in the arsenal (and a 5D2 that I can borrow any time I need it). And, let’s not even discuss the desire factor for the 50 MP Canon SLRs… At the risk of sounding like a broken record repeating itself over and over, it’s all about hockey photography. Depending on the arena and the size of the players, sometimes you can get by with a 70-200 f2.8 lens, but with a full frame SLR, many times, the 70-200 is too short if you want to maximize resolution and fill the frame. This is the case even when photographing in intimate local arenas, where the seats are close to the ice surface. Unfortunately, the home arena that my oldest son plays in is quite large and to get the best view clear of the protective glass, I need to be right near the top row of seats. That makes the 70-200 on a full frame SLR too short unless I want heavily cropped image files, which even with 20 MP resolution, ends up being too small for anything other than web use or 4x6 prints.

My youngest taking a turn playing goalie for his team

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

The too short range of the 70-200 lens is a big reason why I bought the Sigma 120-300 f2.8 lens a few years ago; a lens that continues to impress with its image quality. However, even 300mm is sometimes too short if, as has been my habit, I sit in the visitors’ zone and want to take photos of the home, defensive zone. The reason why I sit in the visitor’s zone is because I finally realized that always seeing the backs of the players rushing towards the net does not make for good photos. Sitting in the visitor’s end gets me more parallel to a sideways perspective of an offensive rush developing for the home team and makes for much better photos. Even when the teams switch ends in the second period, I stay put to take photos of the battles in front of the home team’s net. I’ve used the Sigma 120-300 with a Canon 1.4x TC and while it does work okay, losing a stop of shutter speed is a big disadvantage. The more I thought about the problem, the more a DX format SLR was making sense to me. With a modestly expensive investment in the Sigma lens in Canon mount, plus other Canon cameras and lenses, the logical choice is to go with a Canon camera. Even if I had wanted to go back to Nikon, the choices available in late 2014 were laughable. There has been no hint of a replacement for the D300, Nikon’s once glorious, top DX format SLR introduced with the still much-lauded D3…way, way back in 2007. Remember that great, feel- good 90th anniversary from the summer of 2007? Eight years later, what the hell happened to pro-level DX, Nikon? Yikes, in two more years Nikon will be celebrating 100 years – time flies! The D7100, which was, prior to the new D7200, Nikon’s best DX offering is a slap in the face with a too slow and a shockingly insulting and I think, cynical, buffer space. The D7100 offers 1 second of shooting before the buffer is full and the camera slows down. One second of shooting or 6 frames is about how long it takes for a hockey player to gather some speed and make an offensive rush…and often, well before anything interesting starts to happen in the play. Prior to November 2014, Canon’s offering was better, but not hugely better. The original 7D was long in the tooth and high ISO quality is far too crunchy at the ISO setting needed for hockey in dimly lit arenas (typically, IS0 3200 in a good arena and ISO 6400 in bad ones). The 70D is newer and better than the 7D, but frame rate is not that great, but at least the buffer is double that of the Nikon D7100. It seemed like the 70D would have to be the choice if I decided to buy a DX sensor SLR. Then Canon announced the 7D Mark II and that changed the calculus. While priced under CAD $2,000, I have always preferred using battery packs for better grip and stability. That would be another $400 and since the 7D2 uses a newer battery, add in another $100 so I have two batteries available. Total outlay, before taxes, was about CAD $2400 (not including a new strap and faster memory cards). During the pre-order period, Canon Canada was offering the 24-70 f4 lens in a 7D2 kit for a very good discount. I was sorely tempted but thought better of it since I already have the 24-70 f2.8 and 24-105 f4. After placing my pre-order, I had to wait and watch the first batch of 7D2s come and go from my retailer. I had to wait because I ordered the battery grip and extra battery at

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

the same time and the retailer (offering free S&H for my order) did not want to send out multiple packages. I had to wait for the second batch of 7D2s to come in before finally receiving my full order just prior to Christmas.

The 7D2 is the same size as the 5D3, but the 5D3 looks larger due to angle and the attached L-bracket

The 7D3’s viewfinder hump is a little lower and flatter than the 5D3 or 6D, due to the 7D2 having a built-in flash unit. While others like having a built-in flash, I cannot recall the last time I used one, whether Canon or Nikon, so I would have preferred dispensing with it in the 7D2 for greater structural integrity in the viewfinder. The only significant difference at the back is the 7D2 has a toggle switch around the AF-point selector.

Obviously, I could not wait to use the 7D2 and there were a couple of games left before the Christmas break for my sons’ teams. I snapped away happily, marvelling at the 10 fps speed of

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

the 7D2, the fastest camera I’ve ever used. Just a light touch of the shutter release would result in 2-3 frames taken. Prior to receiving my own 7D2, all the previews and reviews of the camera remarked about the amazing focusing engine. The 7D2’s focus engine is derived from the top of the line 1Dx and has the same abundance of user-configurability as the pro camera and as the full frame 5D Mark III that I am also using. There was a lot of hype and promise for the 7D2 with its focusing system tied to 61 cross type focus points in the viewfinder. I’m not going to break down all that the 7D2 offers, since there are many review sites that do this very well and far better than I could hope to do, so what I will offer is the user experience. Based on the hype, I expected a lot from the 7D2 for in-focus pictures of hockey action. However, my expectations for ultimate image quality was kept in check, because I knew there was only so much I could expect from a DX-sized sensor in low light, hockey arenas. Poring over the sample images from DPReview of the 70D gave me a pretty good idea of what to expect, because contrary to what so many Canon users were hoping for, the 70D and 7D2 generation of sensors offer no significant advancement. At least the 20 MP sensors are not the same, rehashed 18 MP sensors used since the Rebel T2i. Those 18 MP sensors eventually became cynical fodder for Canon users who would groan, here we go again, as yet another Canon SLR would come out using an 18 MP sensor. Meanwhile, caught up and then surpassed Canon for sensor technology, which Nikon reaped the harvest, as Nikon uses Sony sensors for almost all its SLRs (aside from and Nikon’s own designs, manufactured by other sensor fabs). While the resolution war has sprung new life with Nikon and Sony’s 36 MP offerings, and with Canon surpassing them with the 50 MP, 5DS and 5DSR, the dynamic range battle was won by Sony a while back. This is another sore point for Canon users, that Canon has not been able to match the dynamic range of Sony sensors. While there is plenty of excitement about 50 MP SLRs, you can almost hear the guffaws when Canon admitted that the 5DS variants would only match the dynamic range of the 7D2. Kinda makes sense since the 7D2’s 20 MP extrapolated to full frame should be right in that 50 MP range. I’ve never thought too hard about dynamic range, because how much dynamic range are you gonna worry about in hockey? Then again, consider that with all that white ice fooling the camera’s meter (no matter which brand you use and how fantastical the marketing claims), you need exposure compensation. Hockey photography is one where you really do practice ETTR all the time, or expose to the right. You want brilliant whites, but you don’t want to blow out the highlights. Trying to do ETTR correctly, when shooting RAW, is a bit of a guessing game, because the camera’s histogram is based on the embedded JPEG in the RAW file, rather than the RAW data itself. You never seem to quite push the histogram as far to the right as RAW allows, because the JPEG image clips highlights sooner. I always seem to be making some small adjustments to the exposure in Lightroom to get a more brilliant white from my photos, no matter the brand of camera used. Underexposing hockey makes for some very crunchy looking photos as noise

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

becomes more pronounced trying to eke out something good. So, you do want to get as much correct in-camera before editing, even if shooting RAW. It's been far too long since my last, long-term experience with a Nikon, but when I had both Nikon and Canon systems available at the same time for comparison, I found Nikon to have a warmer tone than Canon. The cooler tone of the Canon means little need to adjust the white balance, because it already looks good when I start to edit in Lightroom. The cooler tone carries on with the 7D2, where when I look at what I got in-camera and then compare to some adjustments, I usually go back to the default, in-camera white balance. Some users believe that Adobe “knows” Canon cameras better than Nikon cameras, because (perhaps) Canon cooperates more closely with Adobe, and because so many Adobe employees seem to be Canon users (Thomas Knoll of Photoshop and Camera Raw fame, is a Canon user). Hype versus Reality After photographing my first hockey game with the 7D2 and importing the files into Lightroom, I was expecting to be blown away by how many in-focused photos I would get from my new 7D2. In fact, I was not blown away and I was actually quite disappointed, which started a process of trying to figure out why every reviewer was suggesting the 7D2 is one of the best sports cameras available and reconciling those opinions with the results I received. It would take a while for me to finally sort out the 7D2 and get more consistency from the camera. However, throughout the learning process, there was something inside my head that kept nagging about the AF quality of the 7D2. At the beginning of May 2015, I came across an intriguing post on CanonRumors, which seemed to validate my nagging concern. The post discussed a new firmware to come for the 7D2, which may help with the inconsistent quality of the AF. More importantly, the comments to the CanonRumors post indicate that many users of the 7D2 were getting disappointing results, just like me. As usual on internet forums, users with no problems would comment that they had no such problems and since Canon can do no wrong, the fault is entirely with the user, who happens to be an idiot. Sigh! Of course, there are going to be many satisfied users, but just because they have no problem does not mean that there is not a problem. For users who do have issues, well the sampling rate is 100% bad and it sucks to be a statistic, e.g., out of 100,000 cameras produced, perhaps 1,000 will have issues. This is an instance where you do not want to be part of the 1%. Issues I use AI Servo mode on the Canon cameras, so that the cameras fire the shutter as quickly as possible. On the old 5D2, I always used the centre-spot, focus point, because none of the other focus points can focus with any accuracy or consistency. On the 5D3, I tended to use the centre- spot, focus point too, more from habit of how I used the 5D2. On the 7D2, I tried letting the camera pick the focus point, given all the hype about how good it is at following moving subjects. That was my first mistake; assuming that what reviewers wrote will actually be true for my specific style of shooting.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Like the older 1Dx and 5D3, the 7D2 offers a large amount of customization of the focusing modes to tailor the camera to the type of action you are photographing. From targets that move linearly (runners on a track) to targets that stop and go (decelerate and accelerate quickly) to targets that move erratically like hockey players. Adjustments can be made to the default behaviour of each of four main options. Personally, I found the prospect of testing and experimenting with every option to be daunting and really wished Rob Galbraith was still active on the internet, because it used to be Rob Galbraith was the only pro who would really dissect a camera’s AF performance and tell it like it is. Galbraith was the one who exposed the Canon 1D3’s inability to focus properly in some conditions, which led to much chest beating and rendering of cloth as the Canon faithful lost faith…and horrors…migrated to Nikon. It would have been nice to let Galbraith do the work and use his findings to guide me on how to setup the 7D2. Since I think hockey players do skate somewhat erratically, I chose that base setting. Other adjustments were set for release priority instead of focus priority and as mentioned, I let the 7D2 follow focus on the player. With 61 focus points and thanks to the DX format, the focus area is generously wide across the viewfinder. I have been using the custom function to remove AF from the shutter release and enable it on a rear button for almost as long as I have been a photographer. At the very least, this is going back to the time I shot film with the Nikon F100. Many photographers have done so to enjoy the ability to control when to AF. What I found curious with the 7D2 and its various focusing modes, when I activate the AF with the rear AF-On button, the 7D2 always chooses the focus point, as it attempts to follow focus. On the 5D3, there is a focusing mode where only the centre AF spot is used, but selecting the same mode on the 7D2 does not lock focus to the centre spot. The focusing starts with the centre spot, but then dances all over the viewfinder as the 7D2 tries to acquire focus. To add more curiosity to the behaviour of the 7D2, the camera attempts to find and follow focus even with static subjects. I could be focusing on a doorknob of a still door with me being stationary and even after initially focusing on the doorknob, the viewfinder continues to light up with a moving focus point. This even happens when I mounted the camera on a tripod and focused on a still subject. This behaviour would seem to explain why my initial use of the 7D2 did not seem to provide me with much success for in-focus photos. The 7D2 constantly searching for something to focus on was irksome and I tried various settings to stop the dance of AF points lighting up the viewfinder. I scoured many 7D2 reviews to see if the reviewer had similar issues, but none did, or at the least, none mentioned them in the reviews. I finally twigged onto the conclusion that when using the AF-On button, the AF points will always hunt for focus, even if your intended subject is already in focus. Only by using the shutter release button, could I stop the hunt for focus and now use a designated focus point to focus on the subject, i.e., the centre focus point. I’m not sure how I figured this out, as I was experimenting with various settings and probably thought, why not, let’s see how focus works

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

with the shutter release button. Now, I have AF enabled on both the AF-On and the shutter release buttons so I can select the best AF method for the subject. It took a couple of uses before I could train myself to stop always using the AF-On button and re-learn using the shutter release when I want the most critical focusing method. This habit goes back some 15 years of using cameras with an AF-On or equivalent button, so as the band Chicago once sang, you’re a hard habit to break. I also made adjustments to the focus settings to prioritize focus instead of releasing the shutter. Even after making the changes for focus priority I did not feel the camera slowed down. Once I started using the shutter release to focus, as well as using only the centre focus point, the number of in-focus photos increased. Even after going back to using the AF-On button, I felt more confident in getting more in-focus photos. However, there was still a niggling quality to the photos. Jared Polan, of Fro Knows Photo fame, lavishes much praise on the 7D2, but feels that for some of his hockey photos, the 7D2 lacks the biting crispness of a bang-on, focused image. It’s not that the image is not in focus, but it lacks bite. I think I know what Jared is talking about, because in the beginning, I felt the 7D2 lacked the biting sharpness I was used to seeing from the 5D3. So much so that I thought many of my first batch of photos were not in focus, but as I edited them and adjusted the sharpness, I found that they were in focus, but lack the bite. As I was trying to sort this out, I thought I had issues with lenses and needed to do micro adjustments, especially with the Sigma 120-300 lens. I just did not seem able to get as many in- focus images as I expected. However, mounting the camera and lens on a tripod did not indicate there were any real problems. Doing very critical reviews of the files in Lightroom revealed that photos I thought were not sharp, actually are in focus. Some judicious sharpening help to narrow the gap between expectations and reality. By the time I was near finished with this write-up CanonRumors announced the new firmware update for the 7D2, but there does not seem to be anything for the focusing issue. It appears that any improvements to the focusing of the 7D2 is a silent improvement, because Canon does not want to acknowledge that the vaunted 7D2 has issues with what it is being vaunted for. As of this writing, at the end of August 2015, I’ve updated the 7D2’s firmware, but will not have an opportunity to really test it out until the start of the hockey season in September. Summary (for now) The 7D2 offers a lot of capability in a reasonably priced SLR. I do wish Canon would make some dramatic gains in its sensor technology, because the improvements have been slow and very evolutionary instead of dramatic like Sony. The AF might still be an issue, but with a different way of setting the camera, I’ve been able to increase the number of in-focus shots and produce some nice looking photos. Just wish I didn’t have to go through all that though and would have been much happier if my 7D2 worked just like the 5D3. Below are photos of my two boys from last year’s hockey season; all taken with the Canon 7D2 and for most (if not all), with the Sigma 120-300mm lens.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

In the photo at left, Harrison is grimacing, anticipating being hit, as the puck whizzes by him (just below the #4 on his jersey)

Last season, when Harrison played to his potential, he was a speedy little player who had 2-3 breakaways most games. However, he was very linear in skating a straight line towards the net instead of weaving away from opposing players. After some spring development and summer hockey, he might actually be a bit slower, but he has significantly improved the stickhandling skills. I’m quite excited to see how Harrison will do this season, as he had a great 3-on-3 summer season, where he scored more goals than the rest of his team combined!

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

The coming season is the last one for Patrick to play minor hockey. The final year coincides with his last year of high school and the closing of his childhood chapter of life. Next up will be university, finding a job, getting married and then beer-league hockey with men (not necessarily in that order). Patrick is a small defenceman and he competes against much bigger and stronger players every game. However, he works hard and gives everything he has every shift; something noticed and said by many of his teammates and the other parents watching him play. At the year-end team party, one of the assistant coaches hesitated as he spoke with me, but he did say it to me and in front of others too, when he said Patrick was probably the overall, best defencemen on the team. Not bad for a kid who was almost cut from the team.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Blogging and Reviewing Part I Part I and II discuss similar topics with some same comments but were written months apart, however, instead of working both pieces into one larger piece, I kept them separate Seems everyone who is anyone in the online world of photography is doing . Not only do photographers and reviewers need a website, now they need a YouTube channel to continue the self-promotion and marketing. It’s not that anyone makes money from a YouTube channel (pennies per view), but it seems everyone has to do it to keep up with everyone else and as a way to flog the real money-making ventures, such as books and seminars. But, it seems like a lot of time, effort and capital just to keep the ravenous content-hungry viewers satiated. Look at Tony Northrup, who I found on YouTube earlier this year, and his dedicated studio to do live broadcasts from his home. He uses a number of video cameras and needs a technician onsite to help with the production. Not as wealthy as Northrup living in a mansion, but similarly maintaining a popular online presence is Jared Polan (Fro Knows Photo), who broadcasts from his loft residence and also needs a technician. His partner (sidekick) on the broadcasts is also his dedicated video editor. Gone are the days when a reviewer could get by with just a simple website. Now it seems, the public demands video content. However, I as a consumer, am also demanding quality video content as my own consumption of online content is evolving. I’ve got a handful of YouTube channels I subscribe to and watching all those videos every day has significantly increased my use of bandwidth. So much so that I’ve had to upgrade my internet access to include unlimited data for a relatively small increase in cost (I also have four kids who consume significant amounts of YouTube and other online data too). From my more frequent perusal of YouTube, I’m aghast at the sheer volume of garbage uploaded by all manner of people. The ubiquity of the with HD-quality video recording capability is democratizing the ability for everyone to and upload videos. However, just because you can does not mean you should. As a person approaching middle age (not yet, but alas, not so far off) I just don’t get some of the content. • Why are people posting videos of themselves reacting to a new music video? Surely a sign of the coming apocalypse and the end of Western civilization, when we in the west have so much time on our hands that we record ourselves reacting to other people’s videos. I have similar thoughts for all the unboxing videos. • Why do people post “reviews” of all manner of gear that reveal the “reviewer” to be an idiot? • Why do people post podcasts in video format? Do I really need to see you talk, because the video aspect is wasted.

So much garbage content for so little quality. The idea of a text-oriented review website seems so quaint now, because now websites are just a feeder for the YouTube channel. Do people even read anymore? Tongue-in-cheek, since you’re reading this newsletter…

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Trending the opposite way, I notice Luminous Landscape seems to be slowing down in its video offerings. The site used to pump out (paid for) videos regularly, including travel segments, reviews and tutorials on software, such as Lightroom. Today, with Michael Reichmann seeming to have slowed down and a new publisher in charge of the web content, the once formidable Lu-La appears to be on a declining trend. Update: the above comment was written prior to LuLa’s design change, which now done, is allowing for more regular content to be published with free video content thrown in regularly.

Blogging and Reviewing Part II While I must admit that my interest in photography is starting to wane (due to the high cost of trying to stay somewhat current), I still enjoy reading a number of websites and blogs about photography. Michael Johnston’s TOP still remains a favorite for a well-written blog and through TOP, I discovered Kurt Tuck, who frequently changes his gear, so always has things to say about various brands such as Nikon, Olympus, and Sony (not much about Canon though). Not as polished as TOP, but still an enjoyable read with his own rustic charm. Every so often, Tuck calls out how the industry is trending, or the various bloggers and websites for the things they discuss, or more often as not, try and flog to earn affiliate revenue. While he doesn’t name names, if you follow some of the big names and popular sites, you will recognize the authors he calls out for essentially being phonies or whores to the affiliate revenue game – some irony, of course, as Tuck also does the affiliate thing, but doesn’t flog it every single day like so many other bloggers do. I enjoyed one recent post in the middle of August, where he mildly criticizes one blogger for being infatuated with micro contrast and bokeh, and needing to stitch many high resolution files in order to meet the demands of his international clients. No doubt, so the clients could all gaze in wonderment of the superior micro contrast and bokeh of his photos. Meanwhile, Tuck goes about doing a small job in the searing Texas heat to pay the bills. While I’m sure Tuck has some big name clients (like Dell), he’s not jetting off all around the world for an international client base as some photographers claim to have. Basically, Tuck is saying there is the practical, day-to-day photography that he and other commercial photographers do to make a living, and then there are the bloggers who make it look like they lead a glamorous lifestyle that too many wannabe pros think can be theirs. There are also revieweers who go into technical minutiae and complain bitterly about artifacts ruining their photos. You go searching for the artifacts yourself and can barely see them in any normal viewing context and then you notice that the sample photo is a POS. You do some more reading and viewing and then notice that the blogger goes to the same locations all the time and takes the same mediocre photos review after review after review. To be fair though, these technical guys are taking sample photos and not necessarily claiming to make art, but geez, after claims of photographing from sunrise to sunset, would it hurt to see some good photography taken with all the expensive gear the blogger complains bitterly about having to carry?

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Add to this, the back and forth praising and condemning of Canon and Nikon for not rushing out to join the mirrorless bandwagon like Sony has done (to the detriment of the Alpha mount users who got suckered by Sony’s bait and switch move to the FE mount). On the one hand the is praised as a pro workhorse that is the hallmark of of evolution of the Nikon design gestalt, which has the goods to deliver outstanding photos time and again. In the next post, Nikon is condemned for making the D810 such a large and heavy pig with ancient technology like an OVF, while Sony is praised for making compact, full frame mirrorless cameras as the A7 series with an EVF. Next post, Sony is condemned for certain operational quirks, as well as for giving users a crippled RAW mode that is only 11-bits versus 14-bits from Nikon RAW files. And on and on it goes with this reviewer known for his very anal approach to reviewing gear. Meanwhile, whether he praises or condemns, he never forgets to provide affiliate links to a large photography store, so as to provide a kickback for any purchases through his links. Then there is Lu-La, very popular and arguably, the Godfather of all photography review sites (have not visited Photo.net in many years, so don’t know how it compares anymore and whether it’s even relevant anymore). The site’s founder changes gear pretty much every year and loves whatever is the latest and greatest in his arsenal. While I do think the founder is genuine in his praise of whatever he happens to be using at the moment, it’s also a business decision to change gear frequently, because this provides new content to keep feeding the voracious beast of an online presence. No new gear makes for a static website that people will stop visiting, which in turn will mean no more advertising and affiliate revenue. You figure that there has to eventually be attrition to weed out the lesser websites and blogs, but it seems quite the opposite, as everyone can easily blog to try to grab a slice of the ever thinning affiliate revenue. Or, as hinted by other big content producers, reviews and YouTube videos aren’t really for generating affiliate revenue from sales through B&H, Amazon and AdSense, it’s a way to sell the real money producers, such as branded clothing, books, instructional videos, prints and workshops to exotic locales. It does seem ever so hard to sift through the chaff to find the wheat for trustworthy content. Along similar thoughts is of a Photoshop guru who runs a well-known video instructional company. This guru used Nikon for years then switched to Canon, which I think is legitimate because the Canon 1Dx is a beast of a sports camera and this guru is big into photographing American football games. However, not long after switching, he produced a video in which he talks about the switch (shades of LeBron James and his infamous and narcissistic “Decision” special on ESPN) and being approached by Canon about a partnership, which smacks of an obvious monetary incentive to switch despite protestations to the contrary. Overnight, the guru’s entire staff went from using and showcasing Nikon gear to Canon in their instructional videos. Money talks and bullshit walks in a world full of people trying to maintain an illusion of purity, but just once, I’d like to see someone just come out and admit that they use certain gear because they’re paid and/or received the gear for free.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

The iPad and more Computers It did not take long after buying my first iPad (first generation) that I realized the iPad is best for consuming content and not for creating content. The on-screen keyboard is awful for anything longer than a few sentences in an email and I’m all thumbs when it comes to trying to do simple edits of photos. You’d think that with the plethora of Bluetooth keyboards now available that the iPad could at least be a decent word processor. It took a while, but decent keyboards are available now with excellent features, such as auto on and sync and auto off features. Some even come with backlit keys. The keys have also improved with decent tactile feel from Chiclet or island style keys. Which one will work best for you really requires trial and having used five different keyboards over the years, I still haven't found the right keyboard that does it all the way I want. There are three primary styles of keyboards available: 1. Cover style, which the iPad fits into, screen down, when being transported, but otherwise, the iPad is not directly connected or protected by the keyboard 2. Folio style, in which the iPad fits into one side of the folio and the keyboard makes up the other half. The iPad either rests on top of the keyboard or connects to the keyboard via a magnet, which serves to wake up the keyboard and connect to the iPad. There is generally only one angle of view when the iPad is connected to the keyboard. 3. Clamshell style, where the iPad looks and feels like a real laptop. The best clamshell is quite expensive but offers the best flexibility for angle of view.

The five keyboards I have are the: 1. Kensington KeyFolio (for the first generation iPad) 2. Logitech Ultrathin keyboard cover (for second and third generation ) 3. Logitech FabricSkin Folio - note, this keyboard is not available anymore 4. Anker Bluetooth Folio (for the iPad Air) 5. Kyasi Wireless Executive Keyboard case (for the iPad Air)

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Kensington KeyFolio • The iPad fits into pouch/pocket with a flap to keep the iPad secure • Has soft, rubber keys, so easy to clean • Tactile feel is not very good with poor key travel; find myself having to be more forceful and cognizant of how I type instead of just typing • My daughter has the current version of the KeyFolio for her iPad 2 and after a couple of months of use, we found the keyboard separating from the base - whereas my original KeyFolio has the keyboard section sewn to the base, the current version uses glue, which, as we found, is less secure Logitech Ultrathin cover • Uses magnets to secure the iPad in the closed position • Has island style keys for decent typing feel • Full complement of keys, so common functions are not shared with the number keys, as found on other keyboards • Because of the two-piece nature of this keyboard cover, not ideal for my desire for an all-in-one solution Logitech FabricSoft folio • I bought this at the same time as the iPad Air, because it was on sale - I now realize that this keyboard was on sale because it is no longer a current product on Logitech's website • Rubber keys, somewhat similar to the Kensington KeyFolio, but much better tactile feel • Not a full keyboard as the key spacing is greater than found with other iPad keyboards, but the extra spacing means some keys share functions, such as Q serving as Tab and A serving as Cap Locks • Common iPad functions for play/pause and volume control are also shared with the number keys • Viewing angle higher than I prefer for typing on a desktop

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

• While the rubber keys have no risk of scratching the iPad’s screen, the rubber appears to be leaving a greasy looking residue, similar to finger grease that will smear any touch screen – or, perhaps the rubber keys just smear around the finger grease already on the screen. Whatever the case, I have to clean the screen more frequently, because I like my screens looking pristine. Anker Bluetooth Folio • Bought for my wife’s iPad 3 • Looks like the more expensive Logitech folio keyboards (the Anker is about half the price from Amazon) - I think the Anker is good value for the money for this style of keyboard • Island style keys with decent tactile feel, but after using the Logitech FabricSoft folio for a while, I find the Anker’s keys a bit slippery now • Auto on/off with the magnet holding the iPad in place - the speed of connection seems as fast as with the Logitech FabricSoft folio, but after a few minutes of non-use, the Anker seems to go to sleep and needs to be waken up with a few presses of a key – the Logitech is much better in this regard • The silk screening of the letters on the keys does not look like it will withstand long-term use, but too early to comment any further Kyasi Wireless Executive keyboard • Bought for the iPad Air • Like the Anker keyboard, this is a relatively unknown company and the cost is half that of the mainstream brands, such as Zagg, but it has some great features and for $50, it won’t upset me if it turns out to be a bust • Keys can be backlit through the spaces between the rows of keys • Comes with a stylus if you're not one for getting fingerprints all over your iPad's screen - the stylus has a storage slot, so easy to keep with the case all the time (I often forgot that there is a stylus available) • Common iPad function keys shared with the number keys • Tactile feel is similar to the Anker keyboard, but I feel a lack of precision and often find myself having to double-type a letter • Has an on/off button, which I usually leave on, because the keyboard seems to go into sleep mode after a few minutes of non-use

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

• Speaking of sleep mode, this keyboard seems to have the shortest duration before it goes into sleep mode, which I find annoying and have to regularly jab at a key for the keyboard to wake up, as I type, stop, ponder and then resume typing...or try to resume typing • Ended up being a bust, because the single hinge broke and no longer closes properly I'm not sure that I have given all these covers a proper amount of time, but I really don't enjoy the typing experience as much as I do with my old, tried, tested and true Microsoft ergonomic keyboard. For my system, I tried using the Apple Bluetooth keyboard as well as a Microsoft Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000, but dislike the typing feel on them. Not finding any satisfaction with any keyboard I've tried, whether mobile or desktop, I bought a PS/2 to USB adapter so that the old dinosaur ergonomic keyboard can escape extinction and see life in the 21st Century. The bonus of using this old keyboard is that some of its multimedia functions work with the Mac Mini, such as play/pause and volume control for iTunes. As for trying to create content with the iPad, I think I will continue to do so here and there, as time permits when I'm not at home and ideas pop into my head, but probably not as a regular part of typing up these reviews and articles. Just too much lack of comfort for hand position and proper feel for accuracy. Instead, I bought a 13-inch MacBook Pro with retina display. No, it’s not a 2015 model, but another refurbished unit from mid-2014. This MBP13 has an i7 CPU running at 3.0 GHz, with a 512 GB SSD and most importantly, 16 GB of RAM. The amount of RAM should allow the MBP13 to remain a viable computer for years to come. I chose this model as the best compromise between size, weight, performance and cost. I’ve been carrying it with me to work on many occasions, as a test of how my back and shoulders will hold out carrying something larger and heavier than the iPad. So far, so good and nowadays, hefting the old MBP17 surprises me with how quickly laptops are evolving in a few short years. I gave the old MBP17 to my wife after she caught me with the new MBP13. Below, is the MBP13 sitting on top of the old 17-inch MBP. If you look closely, you will see a black outline between the MBP13 and MBP17. This is a new Fujitsu notebook/tablet hybrid running Windows 8 (and in line for the free Windows 10 upgrade).

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

No, no…it’s not mine, as it’s meant for one of my kids to use for school, but I’m the one that has to configure it and get it ready for use. Of course, I had to give it a trial run and it’s my first experience using a Windows laptop with a touch screen. It seems fine enough as a computer running an i7 CPU with 8 GB of RAM and a SSD. Whichever kid gets it should be happy (except Patrick, who is now of the age where he wants a gamer’s laptop). However, I just cannot get on with Windows 8, which seems to be regarded like Vista with everyone waiting for Windows 10, which will correct the mistakes made by Microsoft (like the missing Start button). One aspect of its hybrid functionality (the screen rotates 360 degrees so you can fold the screen down in tablet mode) that I don’t like is that it has a fan vent on the bottom. This requires some consideration in usage to keep that vent open, which kinda defeats the purpose of a tablet mode. And, it doesn’t seem to take much to get that fan running loud, which makes me think that a cooling pad may be needed to keep the laptop from overheating. Another aspect of the hardware that is quite poor are the speakers. The sound is thin, tinny and frankly, is unlistenable. The iPad is an audiophile device compared to the Fujitsu. Portable USB Monitor I did not buy a portable USB monitor specifically to use with the MBP13, but since I have it, it’s been quite handy for setting up a mobile, dual-screen workstation. The 16-inch AOC e1659F wu monitor is powered by a USB 3 port, but works just fine off a USB 2 port. Whether Mac or PC, a driver needs to be installed to use the portable monitor. The resolution is 1366x766 and the quality is serviceable, which is say, there is a marked difference when using the AOC with the retina resolution and quality of the MBP13. The MBP13’s retina screen offers 2560x1600 resolution, the same as my old Dell 30-inch LCD monitor; however, the visual resolution is actually half at 1280x800. There is a grainy quality to the AOC not seen with the MBP13, so call me a believer in how good retina resolution is to the eyes. The MBP13 has also been profiled with the ColorMunki Photo, so the AOC, out of the box, appears a bit too bright and too blue. However, I’m not using it for any critical photo-editing, although, I did all the primary production and photo editing for this newsletter on the MBP13 with final version produced with the AOC in tow. The reason why I bought the AOC is for work. I work outside of the office regularly and my work computer is a laptop. However, the laptop has modest resolution and I find it highly inefficient to always flip back and forth between apps, such as reading a PDF and then having to make notes in a Word document or Excel spreadsheet. Having a second monitor allows me to read on one screen and then immediately makes notes on the other screen. , I did put in a request at work to outfit my department with a pool of 3-4 portable monitors, but these requests take time with no guarantee of approval in these days of fiscal restraint. The first time I pulled out the AOC while working out of the office, my co-worker was surprised, but impressed and immediately agreed with the usefulness of having a second screen, as he cursed flipping back and forth between apps.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Below, you can see the AOC with the MBP13. To the left of the MBP is a four-port USB 3 hub in case I find myself short due to the MBP13 only having two USB ports.

Below is how small a dual-screen workstation can be compared to my desktop system with two 4K resolution monitors.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Birthday Bash This year, we celebrated a milestone birthday for my mother, who turned 80. We had a big dinner at a local restaurant with over 70 people invited to help us celebrate over a 10-course Chinese banquet. Of course, I brought my camera (Canon 5D3) to take photos. Looking around at all the guests, I honestly do not recall seeing any other cameras. Only my two youngest kids were running around taking pictures with a couple of my old mirrorless cameras I brought specifically for this use. After the dinner, when the cake was rolled out and my parents stood in front of it, many people jumped up to rush over for photos, but other than me and my kids, everyone used smartphones and iPads. I thought of this as being an astonishing thing, because of my interest in photography and recognition that good quality photos require decent quality gear. However, I think I’m in the minority in this day of smart and always connected devices and it seems to me that the traditional camera makers are in big trouble if I see users, young and old, eschewing a good camera for the mediocrity of a phone or tablet. Some family friends I have not seen for many years wanted some photos with me and my parents. I used my Canon 5D3 while our friends used their Blackberry phone. The friend with the Blackberry asked me to email my photo to her and she would send me some of her photos. While my photo has the requisite sharpness and quality expected of a good SLR camera, the smartphone photo was lacking in many ways; from focus to dimness to noise and the overall quality was just not satisfactory at all. It seems we have trended towards valuing convenience so much that we ignore the low quality of today’s smart devices. With everyone using such devices, are we at risk of future generations not knowing what a good photo should look like: in focus, well exposed and composed to highlight the subject. Some believe the trajectory of smartphone camera technology will eventually match and even exceed traditional cameras, but even if possible, this is still years away. In the meantime, there will be many billions more photos taken with smartphones, most of which will have little to no redeeming value; however, the photos that do have value, will be compromised images. While I care about this issue, am I protesting too much? I’m a dinosaur still thinking of photography in the context of prints, but today’s youth are growing up with minimal experience with prints, an actual photograph to hold in one’s hands. Everything is now on a backlit screen, which admittedly, makes for easier viewing and sharing, but also easier to commoditize and dispense with. However, with all those cat and food pictures floating around the ether of the connected world, losing a few billion of those photos would not be such a bad thing…

Wedding photography I’ve not been to many weddings the last few years and I’ve not kept track of any big name pros in a long time, so I feel completely out of touch with the industry. Coincidentally, this year, two

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

cousins from the same side of the family are getting married…or, rather, as of this writing, one is already married and another is coming up. For the already married cousin, the wedding banquet was held in mid-August. My wife had other commitments to attend to, so begged out of the dinner, leaving me to shepherd the four kids and my parents to the restaurant. With the parking lot full, I dropped off the kids and parents at the entrance, while I found parking. I strolled into the restaurant solo and greeted the happy couple at the entrance, which is the Chinese norm. They in turn asked me to pose for a photo, which is when I noticed the young photographer sporting a Canon 5D Mk III…hard to miss the freebie strap that comes with the camera telling everyone exactly what that camera is. The lens looked like the 24-105mm f4 IS. A former prime minister of Canada once remarked, there’s no whore, like an old whore, which is a reference to a political operator trying to fish for another pork barrel appointment. For me, it means that once a gearhead, always a gearhead, so I watched the wedding photographer do his thing at the recent banquet. Over the course of the 3.5 hours I was at the dinner, I saw the photographer use the one camera and lens and although I recall seeing a camera-mounted flash at the entrance way, I did not see it again for the remainder of the evening. I thought it remarkable that he did not use a 70-200 lens on a second camera for longer distance candid photos. Another curiosity to me was the lack of group photos at the end of the banquet. My father is now the only surviving sibling in his branch of the family, meaning he is the elder, the patriarch, and I thought all my cousins would want group photos of him and my mother with the extended family. However, I saw nothing happening for any group photos and with most of the guests departing, we left after finishing the traditional red bean dessert soup. That said, there were many group photos taken at my mother’s birthday dinner, so maybe the extended family got their fill. At this dinner, held at the same restaurant as my mother’s birthday dinner, there were many common guests. Similar to the birthday dinner, I saw many smartphones and tablets used to take photos and capture video. However, this time, I did see a few “real” cameras in SLR and mirrorless form. Not many mind you, probably five or six max, and most were cheaper Canon cameras. A far cry from ten years ago when many guests would sport SLRs and get in the way of the hired photographer. Now, it’s iPads obstructing the photographer’s view. For the wedding still to come, there was a hint of having me be the photographer, but through my parents, I sent along the message of my self-imposed retirement. Since then I’ve not heard anything more and I believe I will once again be able to attend as simply a guest (with no camera) and geeky observer. There should be one more wedding to come, probably in 2016, and I may be asked again to be the photographer, for which I may not be able to get away with any claims of retirement. We shall see what comes of it.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Too Much Gear and the Panasonic GX7 During my mother’s birthday dinner, my kids were going nuts taking pictures of everyone and everything and from any angle they felt like, including holding the camera upside down. In the middle of the dinner, they came to me to ask about something about the cameras and for the life of me, I could not remember how to correct some settings I had previously set. Whether it was the Panasonic GF1, GH-1 or the Nikon V1, I was flummoxed with trying to remember, as my kids are looking at me, expecting me to know instantly how to adjust the cameras. I use my mirrorless cameras so infrequently that I was a newbie all over again. Curses! For this reason, when I had to travel out of town for a week in mid-August, I decided to take one camera and one lens in an effort to get to know the camera more. Although I bought the Panasonic GX7 some time ago, I haven’t really put it through its paces. The days of CameraHobby.com and me spending weeks on figuring out every feature and function of a new camera are long gone. As it turned out, I didn’t spend much time photographing (but, maybe too much time drinking beer after work J).

The GX7 in the middle with it’s grand daddy, GF1 on the left, and the Nikon V1 on the right

As can be seen above, the GX7 has an EVF that can be tilted straight up and adjusted at any angle in between the 90-degrees of movement. The GF1 has the original 20mm f1.7 lens, the GX7 has a compact 12-32mm f3.5-5.6 lens, while the V1 has the 10-30mm f3.5-5.6 lens. I bought the 12-32mm lens for the GX7 principally to give me a 24mm equivalent field of view. However, being a modestly priced, consumer lens means the lens has pronounced barrel distortion at 12mm and Adobe does not provide any lens profiles for Lightroom.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Some minor changes in rear buttons and controls with two more function buttons available. Frankly, I’m not fond of the rear control layout of any mirrorless camera, with their too small buttons and constant, “moving the cheese” around with each new generation (to borrow a phrase from Thom Hogan). While the size of the GX7 seems okay, inline with my old GF-1, it does seem to me that we have gone a bit too far with trying to downsize mirrorless cameras. So many people complain about not wanting to haul around a big, heavy SLR, but not all SLRs are actually big and heavy. As seen at right, I can only hold the GX7 with two fingers around the main grip. Trying to reduce the size of capable cameras reminds me of how cellphones went from massive bricks in the 1980s to tiny little things that you could barely hold and use circa 2000. Those tiny Nokia and Sony- Erikson phones were ridiculous, but everyone wanted a phone that was ultra portable and pocketable. Manufacturers and users finally came to their senses and went back to making phones that were actually usable and today, we’re trending the opposite of 15 years ago with massive smartphones that are really tablets masquerading as phones. It seems some camera companies (like Panasonic) have clued in that making diminutive cameras, packed with features galore, but with tiny, unusable buttons is not the way to go. Great in theory to make a Sony RX100 size camera with 50 MP resolution, capable of tracking a Formula 1 race car at 15 frames per second, but not so great in practice to use. As Sony, Fuji, Olympus and Panasonic have likely discovered, there is only so much reduction that can be had while still making a camera properly functional. I’ve said it many times before, but whenever someone hands me a compact or mirrorless camera, I sometimes struggle, because of the lack of buttons and dials to allow for quick and easy exposure adjustments. An SLR may have a couple of dozen buttons, but I tend to use SLRs very simply and rarely need more than just the basic controls.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

GX7 compared to the 2009 GF1 GX7 with the Nikon 105mm f2.5

GX7 with a Canon FD 50mm f1.5 GX7 with a Tokina 80-200mm f4

GX7 with the Sigma 120-300mm f2.8, which becomes a 240-600mm f2.8 lens

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Using the GX7 Don’t have much to say other than some quick points here: • The GX7 only has a 3-axis available for non-IS lenses, including some oldies I have kicking around, but the IS does not kick in until the shutter is released, so there’s no preview as is possible with Canon IS or Nikon VR lenses • Focus peaking, as implemented on the GX7, is largely useless, because the best focus peaking is with the native Panasonic lenses that already have AF. For the old manual focus lenses I mounted via adapters, which are prime candidates for focus peaking, it is at best, barely perceptible and often just missing in action. • The rear screen can be pulled out and tilted up and down, which seems good for macro photography, but the GX7 is not the camera I’m going to use for macro photos – not least because I don’t own a M4/3 macro lens, but I suppose I could use either of my Canon or Nikon macro lenses • Many photographers are waxing poetic about how good EVFs are for nailing the exposure and seeing exactly what the image will look like before taking the shot. I disagree and don’t see that much of a match between what I see in the EVF versus what I will see on a large, calibrated and profiled monitor, or even the smaller screen of the MBP13. However, to be fair, I’m not likely giving the EVF a fair shot with day-in and day-out usage – kind of hard when my first impulse for grabbing a camera is a Canon SLR. • While I have dabbled with using my old manual focus lenses with the various Panasonic cameras I own, I’m just not Kurt Tuck, who delights in being able to use an assortment of old classics with his M4/3 cameras. Maybe if that damned focus peaking worked better…

Below are three snapshots using the GX7 and processed in Lightroom and GoogleNik Silver Efex Pro 2. The photos were taken while waiting for a ferry to take me to Vancouver Island, and from the ferry, as we sailed out of West Vancouver.

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

Too good to be true No doubt everyone knows this saying, but here’s a tale of me not being wise enough to think about this saying. I’ve always liked the classic and rustic looking leather briefcases; the ones where the older they get, the better they look due to the way the cow leather ages and takes on character. Step into a turn of the century hotel and look at the lounge or seating area. Chances are, you’ll see some

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

ancient leather couches and armchairs that are buttery soft to the touch and sink-in comfortable to sit. That’s what I’d like from a leather briefcase. However, good leather briefcases (or camera bags) can cost a substantial amount of money, say $500 or thereabouts. Looked at as a long-term investment, not actually a lot of money, but when one is fixated on short-term expenses, it won’t be a priority item. One day, perusing through Amazon Canada’s website, I happen to come upon a leather bag for less than $100. The bag is made of goat leather and while modest in size, it’s large enough to handle a midsized SLR and a lens or two. It even comes with a couple of padded inserts to provide compartments in the main storage area for the camera and lenses. It also has a padded slot for a small laptop. For a $100, I figure I cannot lose… The bag is not put together all that well, but for $100, I can forgive that, as the construction quality seems good enough. The size is a bit smaller than I’d like for a daily work bag, but it’s still serviceable. The color and finish of the leather is already given an aged look, so while new, it has the look of a 10-year-old bag, so that’s good. What is not so good and makes the bag wholly unusable is…the smell. Everyone has a personal perception of smell and for me, while I would not consider the bag to stink like poop, the smell is remarkably pungent in a gamey way. So much so that you cannot be in a public area with it, because the smell will offend everyone within 10 feet of the bag. When I received the package and opened it, I left the bag in the small lounging area of my bedroom (a small room within a room, where I have a chair and my headphone listening system), my wife immediately asked, what is that stink? After a few days of living with the pungent aroma, I moved the bag to the basement room, where I store the hockey equipment. It says something that the bag’s odor overwhelmed the sweaty stink of my oldest son’s hockey equipment. In that basement room, I left a window open for fresh air to waft directly through the bag. Sunlight also hit the bag in the morning and I thought maybe the sun’s rays would help rid it of its smell. After several weeks, no change in smell, so I’ve now banished the bag to the garage, which has much less household traffic. Doing a bit of internet research in goat leather bags found some disturbing bits of info, some of which seems to be conjecture, but make me think twice about ever wanting to use this bag, smell or no smell:

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 08/01/2015

• The vendor recommends spraying the bag with Fabreeze, which is a consumer product that helps masks odors from fabric, which seems damning if the vendor itself recognizes that there is a strong and pungent odor that requires chemical treatment • The vendor assures that after several weeks of normal usage, the odor will dissipate to nothing, which thought I think comes from the same mythical land of unicorns flying over rainbows • Some users indicate that the bags are constructed in India, which seems likely given the low cost of purchase and mediocre construction quality, especially around the zippers • Some also suggest that the leather tanning process uses animal urine, which accounts for much of the smell, in addition to the natural smell of goat leather - the vendor claims the use of vegetable oils in the tanning process, but given the smell, I’m rather believing that some noxious liquids are used, which greatly diminishes my desire to use the bag It’s looking like I did lose and wasted $100. Instead of immediately purchasing on impulse, I should have done some research as to why a leather messenger bag can cost so little. I still want a nice leather messenger bag, but it will have to be that $500 bag, which is now a $600 bag, because of my diversion to the world of cheap goat leather products. The vendor on Amazon Canada is Goatstuff. If you check eBay, you will see similar or identical bags for sale, but I don’t know if it’s the same vendor. Whichever the source, I highly recommend never buying any goat leather bag made in India. The bag I may eventually buy (and should have bought) is the Ona Leather Union Street messenger bag.

That wraps up this newsletter. Instead of making promises I cannot keep, I’ll just say that I’m quite happy and willing to produce more newsletters. The publishing schedule may vary though…

For the next issue, a look at a new 50mm lens that has arrived will be the main feature. Until then, good light to everyone for their photography, whether it be with a “real” camera or a smartphone. Edwin

THE CAMERAHOBBY NEWSLETTER #5 EDWIN LEONG