SimonBl
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 p.37 #4 · Sony RX1, RX1R, RX1R II and RX1R III Image Thread | |
Hi all - wow, what a fortnight! I went to Sweden for work last week and then added a long weekend in Lapland and a then a weeks holiday in Russia too. I'm currently sitting in the lounge at London Heathrow and have been madly editing photo's for the last few hours.
I took my RX1 with me, but I also took my Canon 5D Mark III as I wasn't prepared to 'risk' not getting THE shot as I feel restricted with the Sony's fixed 35mm lens.
Before I went, I wasn't sure if I would keep the RX1 and was going to use the trip to try and decide. The result? An outstanding YES.
First, the downsides - The battery life sucks in the cold. Big time. I bought a spare battery before I left, but it surprised me how quickly it gave up the ghost when exposed to around -5C. I guess I've been spoilt with my DSLR, which I have a grip on and lasts for weeks on a dual battery. Yes, maybe having it on a BlackRapid RS strap (which worked brilliantly BTW), dangling in the cold wasn't the best idea, but it is what it is :-)
Secondly, occasionally, the camera 'back focused' and totally missed the massive person standing in the frame and focused on the background. This was very frustrating and I couldn't find a way to eliminate this problem.
Thirdly, it is WAY TO EASY to accidentally change settings with gloves on, especially the exposure compensation dial. The controls need a software lock! I was always changing things accidentally...
Anyway, on to the good, but first, a story: We went Husky Dog sledding and Snowmobiling in Lapland and due to weight and handling restrictions, I took the RX1 on both events. During the sled ride, I fell off 3 times and the RX1 got dragged through the snow and ice, so badly that I thought it was history. Honestly, I should have taken a pic of it, but the lens was caked in ice, the controls were caked in ice and the leather half case was solid ice. I made sure to get as much ice and moisture off it in the hut afterwards and it emerged unscathed. During the snowmobiling, it bashed against the machine a few times as well as my leg many times and again, was exposed to raw air temp of around -10C, at night. Couldn't get much harsher, to be honest!
Some pics:
First, from Sweden
1 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/5.6 @ 35 mm, 1/100, ISO 100
2 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/8 @ 35 mm, 1/250, ISO 100
Now Lapland, Husky Dogs:
3 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/4 @ 35 mm, 1/80, ISO 500
4 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/4 @ 35 mm, 1/80, ISO 400
5 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2 @ 35 mm, 1/80, ISO 2500
Now to Snowmobiling:
6 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/4 @ 35 mm, 1/80, ISO 50
7 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2.5 @ 35 mm, 1/80, ISO 50 (it looks like I turned auto-ISO off, by accident)
8 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2.5 @ 35 mm, 1/80, ISO 50
Now, on to the pearler - The Northern Lights. The place we had dinner at was out in the sticks and was designed to be the best location for the Northern Lights if they appeared. And, they did. But, I'd made a fundamental mistake and didn't think it through. No tripod. Nada. Left my CF Gitzo back at hotel, as I was told it wouldn't be able to be carried. I should have insisted though, as the company with the snowmobiles came to collect them later and could have brought the tripod then, I am sure (if it couldn't go under the skidoo seat). Anyway. Here is my attempt at handheld:
Small, because it's embarrassing. That said, I reckon I did pretty well holding that kind of still for 0.6s! So, I was pretty depressed that I'd missed capturing it. Saw it with my own eyes for the first time ever though!
Anyway (and I'm sorry this is so long, I hope it interests someone), when we got back to the cottage at the ski resort some hour plus later, we decided to have another go. The smoker was sent outside onto the balcony, rugged up, on aurora watch. And... It happened.
9 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2 @ 35 mm, 6s, ISO 800 (This is the FIRST shot)
10 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2 @ 35 mm, 6s, ISO 800
11 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2.5 @ 35 mm, 4s, ISO 800
12 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2 @ 35 mm, 4s, ISO 800 (I'd gone inside to copy onto the computer and then took the camera back outside, put it on the trips and gave instructions to the smoker. Some minutes later, there were excited cries of "Simon, Simon - get your arse out here)
13 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2 @ 35 mm, 6s, ISO 800
14 - Photo taken with SONY DSC-RX1, f/2 @ 35 mm, 4s, ISO 800
Then, it stopped and was covered by cloud. The slightly embarrassing admission for the Aurora shots? I had set the camera to Scene Mode, night shots with tripod. I pointed the camera, pressed the shutter and let the camera do its thing. After I saw the first few, I wasn't game to change anything!
So, my RX1 is a keeper.
Edited on Mar 30, 2013 at 02:08 PM · View previous versions
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