On democracy (from 2019)

As I wrote in 2019...

I am very sorry for my friends in Brazil. It is hard not to despair. 

Jobs I have done

Here are all the jobs I have had, but only including those for which I received compensation or official designation. Sometimes I even managed a working wage. 

This is why I've had a hard time being middle class. Though my "standing" has supported that label, the amount of labour I've performed merely to survive has me thinking that I am "working". 

l'esprit de l'escalier

Being a collection of nonsense culled from everyday experience.

Fields have eyes but woods have ears.

As metaphors go, it doesn't hold a candle to the light fantastic at the end of the tunnel.

I may not be able to describe the processes in the heart of the sun, but I can still be warmed in its light.

Everything is a cynosure if you look the other way.

Comparing compact 85mm lenses

After obtaining a new lens I enjoy making a few quick comparisons with what I already own, so that I can determine the strengths and weaknesses of each optic. These test are not meant to be scientific, so please take with a grain of salt. Sample variation may have a large bearing on the results. 

In this article I will compare three compact 85mm (or thereabouts) lenses available (from Olympus, Carl Zeiss, and Pentax) with the native Panasonic Lumix counterpart. I find this focal length particularly useful for gig photography, since in the small places I frequent, anything longer would put people between myself and the subject on stage. Anything shorter won't have the reach needed to isolate a performer.

The banana as post-symbolic currency

This is a brief response to the hullaballoo concerning a duct-taped banana. Naive knee-jerk responses have been anticipated by both artist and buyer, both aware of their roles in this game of post-symbolic trade. 

Optical design of the Olympus Zuiko 85mm

 

In my previous articles I introduced the Olympus Zuiko 85mm and discussed the thorny problem of variants. This post will conduct a thorough examination of the optical formulas that Olympus deployed and their relationship to the classic Ernostar and Sonnar designs.

Olympus Zuiko 85mm variants

In my last article I introduced the Olympus Zuiko 85mm and compared its properties to my other two 85mm lenses. In my next article I will describe the optical formulas employed by Olympus.

In this post I'll explore a mystery that haunts this lens. Various writers claim that there are from two to four different variants. They don't agree on the particulars beyond the important fact that there were two different optical designs. Early lenses used 6 elements in 4 groups while later lenses used 5 elements in 4 groups. Photographers enjoy the original for its classic soft portraiture and claim the latter has superior sharpness and aberration correction. 

My goal is to sort out the confusion. Further information or corrections are welcome!

Olympus OM 85mm lens: introduction

 

Olympus launched their range of single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras with the M-1 in July 1972. The next year this camera was renamed the OM-1, the initials apparently standing for Olympus Maitani, honouring chief designer Yoshihisa Maitani (1933-2009). So began the famed OM System.

This article provides information on the Olympus Zuiko 85mm. The second article will examine the mystery of the different variants. I've now finished a third article that dives into the optical design.

Codec limitations of DaVinci Resolve: HEVC, 10-bit, and RAW

Note: This information has been greatly expanded from my previous article on Windows video support.

Introduction

Like any application DaVinci Resolve has limitations, especially in the free version. Some authors claim that either Microsoft Windows or Resolve (free) don’t support 10-bit video. But this is false. The limitations are more particular than such blanket statements. Read on for solutions.

Asahi Takumar and Pentax normal lenses

My interest in Pentax lenses should be obvious considering the articles on this website. One of the reasons I went down the rabbit hole of lens design history was to discover how the numerous lenses released by Asahi Optical related together over time. This article compiles the results of that research.

The format is original even if the lens data is available in numerous places. Read on to get a spreadsheet organised chronologically by lens family and optical design. 

Updated 26 November 2024 to include some lens diagrams.