A Bit About Me

I have been interested in photography since I was a young boy many decades ago. I had a cheap box camera and would develop photos in an old closet in the basement of my parents house in Courtenay B.C. Back then we used messy chemicals and I created small negative sized contact prints in black and white. Needless to say, digital photography was all thought of as science fiction in those days. We would sometimes hear rumors of the digital technology but never dreamed that it would develop into what we see today.

As a young man I upgraded to a film SLR camera which allowed me to gain more knowledge of how exposure and lighting worked in order to get good results. You couldn’t afford to take more than a few pictures at a time as everything was chemical based and very expensive to have developed. Most roles of film were a set ISO in lots of 24 or 36 photographs per role. You had to always make sure that your settings were perfect and that there was something worthwhile to shoot before pressing the shutter button.

There was a period for several years where I did not do photography at all. I spent a lot of time working and involving myself in other pursuits such as amateur radio. This later developed into more modern interests like computers, the Internet, and digital multimedia. Somewhere along the line I also got married and was in the midst of helping to raise a family. It wasn’t until my mid forties when digital photography became more mainstream that I started to get interested in photography once more.

My Equipment

So, this year I am continuing my journey with the Sony line of cameras and lenses.

I still shoot with the Sony ILCE-1 or “A1” as it is known in our photography circle. Its 50MP sensor has forced me to be a somewhat better photographer especially with lighting and being steadier while hand-holding. Love how it sticks to the subject once acquired and the different types of eye AF. Like any camera I have used whether it be DSLR or MILC, it still gets confused in bright sunlight or with fast moving subjects on busy backgrounds though. Noise can be a concern at higher ISO but most files respond well to third party filtering and the noise removal software continues to improve rapidly.

I upgraded from the 200-600mm zoom to the 400mm F/2.8 G-Master prime lens in August of 2022. At times I am still wondering if I made the right choice as perhaps I should have gone to the Sony 600mm F/4 prime instead. However, the 400mm has proven to be very versatile and allows me to shoot at several different focal lengths with the help of teleconverters. The focusing slows down when using the 2X teleconverter but not enough to be of any problem for my applications. As for quality, it seems to be equally as good with or without teleconverters, at least after proper filtering techniques.

New For 2025!

I have just purchased the Sony 300mm F/2.8 lens. With its compact size, light weight, and versatility, I am hoping for quality in a small package that is easier to transport in a backpack or to have hanging off of my shoulder for every day use. I still own the 400mm F/2.8 for those very odd occasions where I might need a bit more reach as it can get to 800mm with the aid of a 2X teleconverter.