Camera choices

31 July

Yesterday my plan was to take me scooter into town so I could get some new photos. All of us keep making plans but don’t make a Plan B. As it happens, I did make a Plan B, but not a Plan C. What happened was, I got the scooter ready after I’d got changed to go out. But the scooter wouldn’t work. Two fully charged batteries were tried and although the showed a full charge, the motor just wouldn’t start moving at all. The supplier wanted £25 for a call out, so I decided that we will take it into town ourselves instead.

So Plan B came into play, or did it … The plan was to get on and do some writing. But before I began I had an hour looking at YouTube, yes, I know, I know … I had just started to close down when Jan arrived back here and surprise, surprise, Kile was with her. No Plan C of course, so we ended up watching two DVDs before they got on the Wii and I returned to the ‘puter. Today I shall be getting ready and going into town as planned yesterday but I shall either get Jan’s scooter out or use me walker. I’ll see which in a wee while.

Like I said yesterday I’m going to use my 18-50mm kit lens today. I’ve also decided that I shall have a go at mono shooting with my polarizing filter. It should be a good afternoon’s shooting. Of course, if it doesn’t work out very well, I can always alter things again. I always have my camera bag with me anyway to it won’t long to changed lens again too.

The latest edition of Nphoto has an interview with a fashion photographer who is making a name for herself, Ms Aneilia. This lass began using a simple Sony compact camera and then changed to a bridge camera before moving up to a DLSR, a Canon 5D. However, she couldn’t get comfortable with using it, so she changed to a Nikon D810, and now is comfortable and happy with her choice.

This progression is an interesting little story. When asked what camera I would recommend to others, I always now say that the best way forward is to buy some photomags and read up on what is available in their price range. Then it’s time to visit a camera dealer and try out the various models on offer. The one to buy is the one you feel most comfortable with. There’s a camera out there for everyone, it just takes a little time to sort out which one best suites you.

I’ve used many different cameras over the years. In the army I used both Pentax and Minolta models and liked them both. Then they had to be sold because it was case of sell a camera, lens or whatever because we had a choice of having the electric cut off or selling the kit. After that I used those disposable cameras that were all the rage years ago. Ultimately I bought a Konica Minolta Z5, and excellent little bridge camera. After that I had a Nikon Coolpix P5400, which was great, when it worked, but it broke down every seven or eight months. I quickly off loaded it on Ebay after its third return for repairs.

2008 saw me reaching 60 years of age and my army pension became payable, which came with a fairly large lump sum too. That was when I bought my first DSLR, a Sony Alpha 350, which I still have, Kile uses now though. After a few years I moved up to the Alpha 77, a much better camera and I loved using it, apart from one not so little thing; it’s weight. Because of neck and shoulder pain I found harder to carry around as time went one. Enough cash became available so I went out and tried a few different cameras, including a Canon. My choice though was limited by price, and that is why I have ended up with a Nikon D5200, 18-50mm kit lens. I also had enough cash to get me a Sigma 70-300 macro zoom too.

At first I was struggling with it. Simply it was after so many years of using Sony kit, the new Nikon menus and lay took me a bit to get used to. Now I am and I won’t be changing it for some time to come. It’s a great little camera and I love it. If I won the lottery I might actually buy the newer D5500, again because of the weight of it. As camera generation come and go the amount of add ons to them gets more. But that is a subject for another blog, Maybe tomorrow. But moving on … … …       

A number of my FaceBook friends have managed to download Windows 10, and most of them seem happy that their ‘puters are still working fine, if perhaps slower, very much slower in some cases. I’m happy that I made the choice to hang on and try to let them sort out the many niggles that it will have within it. It’s a Windows OS, so yes, we must expect them, no matter how much Betta testing they do.

Today’s photo … 

A herring gull on the beach.

Today’s funny …

Anyway, God made the world and then He said, "Give me some light," and somebody gave it to Him. He split an atom and made Eve. Adam and Eve didn't wear any clothes, but they weren't embarrassed because God hadn't invented mirrors, yet.   

Basic freedom of speach

30 July

Islam is a religion that is just so loving and peaceful isn’t it? I am part of Facebook group set up for ex-members of the Army Catering Corps and Royal Logistics Corps. I had a look on their first thing this morning and found this … https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=740325569411029&set=a.103698926407033.7442.100003007776715&type=1&theater    Basically it’s the usual crap about how hard done by Muslims are and how they are going to kill all ex-service men. A lot comments have been made about this but none are very favourable.

These people here in the UK, actually worldwide, are so big and hard that they resort to back stabbing and cowardly attacks on decent folk no matter what religion they are. None of them will stand and do and say what this piece of trash says will happen. No, they quietly post such things through the letter boxes of people rather than knock the door and say it all face to face. And here’s the thing folks …

In the western world they can actually stand up and say what they feel is right, and do so without sanction. Yet if they tried that in any of the areas, or publicly condemn ISIS where control they would be killed in unspeakably barbaric ways. There really isn’t any reason for any of this, no matter where in the world it goes on. It’s not about religion at all; no, it’s all about power and money in the end. To gain both they terrorise those who live and work in poverty. There is no religion that can justify this.

My plan for today was to get ready and ride into town on me scooter and potter about taking photos using just my basic 18-55mm Nikkor lens instead of my 18-270mm Tamron. However, we’ve woken up to a dull. Cloudy, grey sky that produces a flat even light; not at all good for what I was aiming for. I shall hang on and see if it brightens up a bit after lunch so I can get out then. If not, then when Jan goes out in about half an hour, I shall get down do some writing. At least the day won’t be wasted then will it.

I’m pleased with my decision not to install Windows 10 straight away. Prash, one of FB friends posted a message on there last night saying that he could downloaded, it wasn’t available in his area. Another guy then said the release was going to staggered, so that the system wouldn’t crash under the mad rush to upgrade, sensible choice that seeing as 10 is a free download. Even if it wasn’t free there are some folks who will go for it just to be up to date.

We see the same thing when camera manufacturers bring out new models. There’s a small group of enthusiasts who must have the latest up to date kit. Mobile phones is another one. Brand loyalty also plays its part too. How many people do you know who rushed out to buy the new Apple iPhone when it was released? What puzzles me is where the dosh come from seeing as money is supposed to be so tight.

Today’s photo then … 

A large house/hotel halfway up a hill right behind Barmouth.

Today’s funny is another child’s version of the Bible …

 Apparently, Adam needed someone to blame his troubles on when God caught him hiding in the garden.         

Donate your organs please!

29 July

Regular readers of my blog will know that Jan and I like to watch the medical programmes on telly. A new one began last night with the title Transplant Tales. We record it and watched it this morning, and very interesting it is too, well worth watching if you get the chance. The main thrust of programme is get over the idea that transplant donors are in short supply. However, and this one surprised us, there is an even greater shortfall in donors of good quality organs from young donors.

That is a due mainly to the use of seat belts during crashes. The result is that most donors are now elderly folk and their organs are perhaps not in the best condition. So the latest thing is that of other healthy people donating kidneys. That’s great, I’m all for it, but again there are problems with that too. Blood groups of couples may not be compatible so a system has been set up where a number of volunteer donors all give one kidney at the time. The tissue matching has already been done and then the organ taken from donor goes to one patient and so on until the agreed number of donations are transplanted into the agreed number of patients. This one works too, and takes a number of patients of the waiting list in one go.

Jan and I have been carrying donor cards right for years now, and we both now have a tattoo saying Multi Organ Donor so that if needed things can go ahead as needed. So right now I am going to appeal to as many of my readers as possible to carry a donor card and/or register with the relevant donor organisation closest to you. We were unable to offer bone marrow to a friend because we are both over the age limit. As it was, I couldn’t anyway because of my heart condition. But my kidneys and liver and so on are fine. So please my friends, register to be donors.

Tomorrow Jan is off to spend some time with a friend of hers from church. The weather looks good so I shall be going off into town on me scooter for a couple of hours. So I shall look at doing some more photos and maybe getting some writing done too. When I think about it though … hmmm … Thursday tomorrow; that’s curry club day at Whetherspoons, even more of a reason to go out eh.

One of the prime muppets mates had a fall and his wife to took him to the local hospital … opps … no A&E, and they had to drive 40-50 minutes to their nearest one. So at long last one muppets has found out what it is really like out on the streets of England. Maybe he will think a bit more about he works in London now? I doubt it though, he’s blue through and through and he’ll never admit to any mistakes. How sad that is.

Today’s photo … 

A church in Barmouth.

And today’s funny is another child’s view of the Bible – poor Adam …

God knew Adam would never go out and buy himself a new fig leaf when his wore out and would therefore need Eve to buy one for him.