In my last post that I titled a whirlwind of activity I found that I failed to mention any activity. Since the post before that one, my old computer died and I had to get a new one and start all over with installing programs, getting used to Windows 10, reinstalling programs, getting aggravated with windows 10, finding workarounds to the new “helpful” operating system, reinstalling programs again, and taking a break from it all.
My photos, of course, are on separate hard drives but I have to start my Lightroom library all over again, I think. I still haven’t transferred data from my old hard drive that will hopefully bring back some familiar items, such as my browser favorites, my Rhapsody catalog, and, fingers crossed, my Lightroom library. And the computer broke down the weekend that my home central air conditioner threw a fan blade and I had to wait four hot days before it could be repaired.
I have also been changing around some camera gear. I’m still using Fujifilm though I did spend considerable time checking out other systems. I seriously though about “full frame” (I dislike that term, by the way) but the sheer size of those monsters turned me off. I know the Sony A7 cameras are small but the lenses are still big. Besides I just don’t like the feel of them. I do like Canon and thought about the 6D but in the end I still found Fuji offered me the best all around image quality coupled with a smallish system and great lenses. It just works for me! I ended up selling my XF10-24 zoom and in turn purchased the XF 14mm 2.8 prime. The zoom was great and I kind of miss it even though since I sold it I haven’t had a scenario where I actually needed it. But I found on a recent trip that the 14mm is a stellar lens. It’s small, sharp, focuses pretty close, and in most cases is wide enough for me with that classic 90° angle of view. Plus the 14 has a marked aperture ring and that works for me as the readout of the aperture on the LCD is too small for quick glances.
Finally, as of last week, I purchased the Fujifilm X-Pro2 camera body. Although I was getting used to my X-T10 I still had some handling issues with it due to its diminutive size. I had to turn off just about every function button on the body so I wouldn’t accidently hit them while shooting. So I made a 2.5 hour drive to a store in Columbus just to hold the X-Pro2 to see if it was a better fit for my hands. It was. The larger body coupled with the left side viewfinder gave my right hand a lot of room to work with and it just nailed it for me ergonomically. The focus point toggle was icing on the cake and I bought it them and there. I’ll give a user review on it in the near future.
Okay, that’s it for the activities, now a photo. I shot this photo of an old water fountain while walking around Pittsburgh one evening. I thought it “had something” when I shot it and I tried a few different angles and perspectives to bring out something abstract. In the end I don’t think it worked out. I do like the reflections of the “cubes” in the water and the textures, but that’s about it. Maybe it’s too balanced or maybe too close. I don’t know, do you?
© David Guidas
What I Pic 