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When it comes to fixed telephoto lenses, something is satisfying about these lenses, while they may not always be the ideal lens in a situation. When I first picked up an SLR kit, a Minolta SR-T 102, among the lenses that I got were a Soligor 200mm f/4, and it was the first lens I used when shooting my first roll of film. And for many years, I was happy with having only the 135mm f/2.8 in my manual focus Nikon kit. Then a chance at a 200mm f/4 brought me back to my first SLR, the Minolta SR-T 102. , That lens puts theRead More →

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Heading into the big city is a rarity these days between no major events running yet and mainly shooting for review purposes and parenthood. My travel circle is limited these days, not that I’m complaining. But having a random mid-week trip into Toronto with a bit of free time allows me to get out, stretch my legs and camera gear and head out for some enjoyment of the craft. It also helped that I was again shooting for the Embrace the Grain film of the month challenge, which for March was Kentmere 100. So I packed two rolls of film, two cameras, and two lenses.Read More →

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The whole world seems to exist these days in a liminal space. Liminal space is a time between what was and what’s next. Moments of transition, waiting but not knowing the future. All transformations take place within liminal space, but we don’t know what’s next, what the future holds for us who are there. We must be patient, allowing ourselves to be transformed in this time. Allow things to move forward, let go of what was; the past is history lost forever. And while what’s next may look like the old world, it cannot and should not be what was; transformation cannot allow that. ThisRead More →

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And now for something completely different. I know I’m better known for my reviews of film-based cameras, but I have reviewed a digital camera here before, back when I got the camera that this one replaced. In fact, the Nikon D750 marks two, not three things. First, it marks a return to an SLR as my digital camera; second, it marks the return to the Nikon Digital system. And finally, a digital camera that I like using a lot. It’s not to say the a6000 was an unenjoyable camera to operate; the only complaint was that the system continued to be limited. Yes, I couldRead More →

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When it comes to wide-angle lenses, you don’t always need the fastest lens in the bunch. While an f/2.8 28mm or 24mm is a nice addition to any kit, they often come with a steeper price tag. But what if you only needed something that would get you that 28mm and were not as concerned with speed and could get away with something not as fast but the same performance. Enter the lens that opened my eyes to the more bargain focused wide-angle lens, the Nikkor 28mm f/3.5. This lens actually helped me decide to add the Zuiko 28mm f/3.5 lens for my Olympus kit.Read More →

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If there’s one thing that I have missed over the past two years, it’s a historical reenactment. And while most if not all War of 1812 events in Canada have again been cancelled, I have managed to satiate my desire for some historical reenactment and, more importantly, photography. Earlier this year I attended a small event in Milton with the 11th Swiss Rifles, a reenactment unit that portrays a typical Swiss Rifle unit during World War One. So when a larger event came up at Toronto’s historic Fort York, I jumped at the chance to see some friends, as you’ll quickly find in the hobbyRead More →

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When it comes to lenses, some out there have become a key part of many photographers’ main kit. And for me, this lens marked my first major lens purchase and investment in the Nikon system. This lens marks the fifth iteration of the 70-200mm f/2.8 series of telephotos and the second Silent Wave Motor (AF-S) of this iconic lens. First released in 2003 alongside two other f/2.8 G-Type lenses, the 14-24mm and 24-70mm, which forms the Nikon Trinity. This lens quickly became a go-to lens for wedding, event, and reenactment photography originally paired with my Nikon D300 and later my F5 and D750. It’s heavy,Read More →

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One of the great things about photography as a hobby is that you can take whatever level you want and be happy where your photography is, even if it is just snapping away with your phone. But you may eventually want to take your craft up to that next level, and while new gear can certainly help make that next step, photography is one of those things that you don’t always need that next best thing. All cameras are the same idea, a dark box that allows you to capture images, freeze time, if you will, onto some form of medium. Getting a film cameraRead More →

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If there is one lens that completely changed my outlook on photography, this is that lens. I know I usually don’t say that gear can make you a better photographer, and I’m not saying that this lens made me a better photographer. But it did help me realise and execute my vision. I use these two photos as an example of that, in the first photo, shot in 2005 on a K-M Z2 digital camera at the widest angle I knew exactly what I wanted to capture. That grand scale of the Hearn generating station, but I couldn’t with the gear I had. So whenRead More →

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I had hoped that we could have at least met in person by this point in the year, at least in a small distant gathering. But by the middle of April, such a dream had been dashed. But that doesn’t mean that we couldn’t run a third virtual event. Having skipped March because it got far too busy actually to plan something out. At the end of April, the date had been set, the virtual pub setup, and time to go. I had already decided to stick close to home for the month. With the weather improving, I booked an early morning hike at MountRead More →