The all seeing eye
Grandad March 30th, 2009
I’m sure you are all gagging to know what was in that parcel I had delivered last Friday.
I’m sorry for spoiling your weekend with the anticipation, but you can relax now, as I will tell you.
It was a camera.
Up to now, I have been using a Konica Minolta Dimage Z2 which was a nice camera. It was a nice camera to use, but it had small limitations.
I decided to treat myself to a new one as a sort of belated birthday present, so I bought myself a Canon PowerShot SX10IS.
The old and the new.
One of the many reasons I got this particular model was that it has an excellent telephoto lens.
Why would I want a telephoto lens, I hear you ask.
You see, I live up the mountains, which means I look down on people without fear of being accused of being a snob. Being on a height I can look into peoples back gardens and their bedroom windows. Telephoto lenses are very important to me.
I did some messing around with it over the weekend. I stuck it on a tripod and aimed it out the window, because it was fucking cold and I didn’t see why I should go outdoors. I took this photo -
Without moving the camera, but just changing a couple of settings, I got this one –
In case you are wondering, Those daffydowndillies are the little yellow blodge at the bottom of the tree in the first photograph.
I don’t know about you, but I’m impressed.
I won’t go into all the technical explanations of what the camera can do because I’m sure you would find that boring, and people who brag about their technical specifications are only trying to impress themselves, and probably suffer from Small Penis Syndrome.
So am I going to take lots of photographs?
Yes.
Am I going to publish them here and turn this into a ‘photoblog’?
No.
Go take your own.
- Rambles
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I too am impressed.
I would have been even more impressed with a snapshot of a neighbouring bedroom
Great daffodil shot..we weep to see them haste away so soon.
What I’m wondering is how dis you take the picture of both camaeras?
@King’s Bard – obviously, Grandad lives so far up the mountain that light itself is too out of breath to move quickly. So, he clicks the snappy button, then quickly shoves the camera down on the couch next to the other one before the light arrives.
Or maybe he’s a very good painter.
Stipes – Those photographs will be available shortly on one of my other sites. All major credit cards accepted. Anonymity guaranteed.
Kings Bard – Kae got there before me. I’m just a fast mover. [Also I have a tacky camera in my mobile phone
]
Well wear, Grandad. It’s a close cousin of my own camera, which I’m very happy with, and which has all sorts of nifty functions I have no idea about. The zoom is so good I can see you at your window zooming back at me.
I’ll just sit here very quietly being glad I’m not your neighbour…
Have fun with that!
Stan – I have just been out playing again. [Did you see me?] As you say – one hell of a lot of functions and a 300 page manual to print out…..
Susan – Do you not see the point of the lens? I needn’t hassle my neighbours any more as I can now go much further in search of fresh
meathorizons.A kid with a new toy.
Grandad, if the manual looks as if it was written by a team of robots, you might find this page useful.
That Canon is also a cousin of the one I got bought. Lucky for me mine has a Brianf-proof mode. I turn it on, point it at something and press the button. Then the pictue shows up on the little memory card thing. That’s all the technical stuff I know about it. I figure mine can do the zoomy thing too but I couldn’t be bothered to RTFM.
It’s a good lense alright. I have a Canon 400D and have to change lenses to get that level of zoom. Do post a photoblog. I love ‘em.
Like some of the others I am totally impressed Grandad.
But more than impressed, I am suffering a serious attack of the green-eyed monster! I have been waiting for the day that I can afford a good camera. You have just proven to me what the difference in a mediocre one and a good one is. That picture is amazing. And the good thing about it is I can take pictures of my children without them posing cos’ I can do it without their knowledge. Can also catch their other “crimes” on film maybe … hah!
Now I need to write to your advice column to see if you can help me in persuading my husband that a fancy new camera like yours is exactly what I need. (Seeing as he bought me nothing for Christmas or my birthday or our anniversary, I think you’ll probably find him easy to convince.
Enjoy!
Stan – Many thanks for that link. You have just saved about two acres of rain forest.
Brianf – The reason I need the FM is that I keep pressing things that bring up strange effects, like grids all over the viewfinder. I then have to press random buttons to try to remove whatever it is again.
Tricia – The long lens is great for capturing pictures where the subject is unaware they are being photographed. Even our Sandy didn’t notice. As for your husband – show him my article and he’ll probably buy one for himself. Then you can rob it.
Impressive tele-lens. Just one word of warning (and I might be teaching
my grannygrandad to suck eggs, here): when you’re using that level of zoom, it’s almost essential to use your tripod. Otherwise, just the smallest, almost unavoidable movement or tremor of your hands (not that I’m implying anything at all) and you get vague blurs!Grandad: Glad it helped!
Karyn: The Powershot has a no-shakey function, or what they call an “optical image stabilization system”, which is very helpful on long zooms. It’s less effective in dim or dark light, but otherwise it does a good job compensating for those unavoidable tremors. (I don’t have a tripod but I think I’ll get one someday, anyway.)
Grandad,
Great camera, I have one and use it for business, i.e. home inspections and as a general contractor. Good for documenting what you have done or not done so you can keep the Gardai away from your threshold!!
@Stan In the meantime, here’s a little trick you could try. I have found it works a treat!
Hey, Baino!! You ended up as spam, so I missed you
My photographs are exceedingly boring. They are on the web, but someone as refined as yourself wouldn’t want to go into those sites.
Karyn – I always had a lot of trouble with the old camera and camera-shake, but so far, I have found the new one to be incredibly stable. I like that tip though, and must give it a bash. It would save lugging the tripod around.