Mono-Cane

Not long ago, I went to the Philadelphia Zoo with my family. Walking has been a problem for me lately due to a very painful knee and I thought that, perhaps, if I used my monopod as a hiking stick it might make it easier for me to get around. I have a 3 Legged Thing monopod (Bob Model) that’s listed as having a 30 lb. weight bearing capacity and it comes with a foam grip and wrist strap. Unfortunately, I was wrong. The monopod had the strength that I needed, but the wrist strap is too short to be comfortable when you flex your wrist to “plant” the walking stick as you ambulate. It also quickly became apparent that, while walking on paved level ground, using it as a walking stick didn’t alleviate the pressure on my knee as I had hoped. What I really needed was a cane, but carrying a cane, my camera and a monopod for my camera was going to be a hassle – juggling three things with only two hands.

That got me to thinking that there must be a way to convert a monopod into a cane, leaving the monopod readily available to mount my camera on when I need it. Then I had a Rube Goldberg moment. I had a Manfrotto 234RC monopod head with quick release mounted on my monopod, and I had an extra mounting plate lying around. I thought, “what if I could mount a cane handle of some sort to the mounting plate? Then I could snap the handle on and off the monopod at will and quickly convert it from a cane to a monopod and back.”

By the time I left the zoo, I had formulated a plan in my head. When I got home I started looking for an inexpensive cane handle I could use, but I came up empty. Then I thought about what I could use as a cane handle and it dawned on me that a gear shift knob would work. The thread on the ends of gear shift sticks are different sizes car by car, but manufacturers of specialty replacement knobs include several different size nylon threaded insert adapters with their products to make them a “universal” product. I found an old school 8 Ball gear shift knob and I also found metal 1/4” to 3/8” screw adapters for monopod and tripod ball heads. Using the nylon adapter that came with the gear shift knob that was too small for the metal screw adapter (none of them were the right size), I first glued it into the gear shift 8 Ball and further secured it using the set screws that came with the shift knob. Then, using a tap, I created a 3/8” thread in the adapter (after the glue had set).  I then screwed the metal 1/4” to 3/8” screw adapter on the 1/4" screw of the quick release plate and then screwed the quick release plate snugly into the nylon adapter in the gear shift knob. All that was left was to snap the quick release plate onto the monopod and adjust the length of the monopod to use as a cane.  Please see photos, below.

Now, when I go urban hiking with my camera, I have a cane that converts to a monopod with the flick of a quick release lever. I love Rube Goldberg.

Here is the finished product, standing on a Benro ST1 Hydraulic Universal Three feet Support Stand. I don't use the Benro while the monopod is in "cane Mode", but I find it helpful in steadying the monopod while shooting.

                Metal ¼” to 3/8” screw

                adapter.

Underside of gear shift with threaded nylon insert fastened in place, and monopod quick release plate with metal 1/4” to 3/8” screw adapter attached.

Finished quick release cane head assembly.

Using The Cloud As A Portable Photography "How To" File

How many times have you been out in the field shooting and you can't remember how to pull off a certain kind of shot, or you're trying to think of ways to pose a subject, or even trying to remember how to set your camera for a certain situation. You probably have all this information at home or in your office, but if you store the files on your computer there is a way that you can have access to that information from just about anywhere. Whenever I read an interesting "how-to" article, I'm in the habit of saving it to a file on my hard drive. I also download the user manuals for each piece of my equipment to a file on my computer because I find it easier to find that information on the computer than having to search for the physical manual when I need it. This may facilitate my ability to find information when I need it, but it still doesn't help me if I'm not near my computer. But there is a solution. Most everybody today has access to cloud storage on their smart phones or tablets. Often, there's a fair amount of storage offered for free. I use Google for my e-mail, and they provide 15 G of free cloud storage with their Google Drive app. In Google Drive, I created a folder entitled "Photography" and I have created subfolders, as necessary, and uploaded manuals, how-to articles and other information that I feel I might need occasionally when I'm out shooting. Now I can access this information from my tablet or my smart phone regardless of where I am as long as I have wi-fi available or I'm in range of cell phone service.

Waiting For My Lens

I ordered the Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM ( S ) lens from Amazon on Feb. 24. Almost 4 weeks later and they don't even have an estimated arrival time for it. And I can't find anyone to ask at Amazon. Frustrating! We still have snow on the ground here and are supposed to get a few more inches today, so I really don't need it yet, but I'm getting spring fever and very antsy to get out to do some shooting with it.

Follow Up - Tamron 28-300 mm F/3.5-6.3 DI VC PZD

Following up on my previous post about the Tamron 28-300 mm F/3.5-6.3 DI VC PZD lens, I have some good news.  I finally had the chance put this lens through its paces on my Canon 6D full frame camera and the results were quite good. We took a trip through Florida with a stop in Charleston, South Carolina and I had plenty of opportunities to use the Tamron lens in different circumstances. My results were, in my opinion, more than satisfactory and I have gained faith in using the lens as a walk around, all-purpose lens that will give me good results. Here are some examples;

This picture of a white heron was taken at Sharkey's pier in Venice, Florida using the Tamron 28-300 mm lens. ISO 100 300 mm F/14 1/250.

Wood duck taken in Davie, Florida. Tamron 28-300 mm lens. ISO 320 300 mm F/6.3 1/320.

Double Crested Cormorant taken with Tamron 28-300 mm lens. ISO 400 300 mm F/6.3 1/500.

This is an HDR photo taken with the Tamron 28-300 mm lens on the Deerfield Beach Pier.This is a composite of three photos taken with the camera on a monopod.

The picture, below. was taken in Venice, Florida on a dreary, stormy afternoon. It is what I call a faux HDR. In fact, it was a pretty flat, uninteresting photo that was not taken with HDR in mind. However, when I got back to the computer and saw how disappointing the image was, I decided to try something. I brought up the original image in Photoshop and then made two copies of the original image.  I Photoshopped the first two stops below the original and the second, two stops above the original Photo and I saved them. Then I combined them in Photoshop HDR. With a little adjustment I came out with an interesting picture, saving the day.

Original photo, below, taken with the Tamron 28-300 mm lens, ISO 200, 28 mm, F/14, 1/160. This photo was cropped and adjusted minimally in Photoshop before being turned into the picture above.

In the end, I have to give this Tamron lens a thumbs-up. It may not be comparable to my Canon L glass lenses, but as a walk around, all-purpose lens I'm very pleased with my results and will have no qualms in the future about using it to travel light in various circumstances, knowing I will still be able to get quite good results from it.

One thing that became abundantly clear on my journeys is that I need another lens for birding, wildlife and sports. While the Tamron 28-300 mm is a great all-purpose lens, I found that I am not equipped properly for wildlife, so I have ordered the new Sigma 150-600 mm S lens. Sigma is way behind on shipping these lenses, and I don't know how long it's going to take for mine to come in, but right now I'm looking out my window at piles of snow still on the ground and I'm hoping that the lens will come in by the time it's all melted so I can go out and play with it. I'll let you know what I think when I get the chance to use it.

Tamron 28-300mm Zoom For Full Frame Camera

The one lens that I have been pining for is a good "all-in-one" lens. I have a Canon 18-200mm lens that I use on my Canon 60D crop sensor camera, and I love it, but it is a crop sensor lens and won't work on my newer Canon 6D full frame camera. I quickly discovered that there was virtually nothing available (until recently) like it for full frame cameras.

I don't expect an "all-in-one" lens to perform like my "L" glass lenses, and for specific shots and situations, I wouldn't think of using one. But there are times, like on vacation, where I just want to travel light while still having more capability than my compact G1X MarkII can give me. I got all excited last year when I heard that Tamron was coming out with a 28-300mm zoom for full frame cameras. It finally came out as model A020, and I held off buying it until I could study some reviews from users, but it suddenly disappeared from the market place (especially the Canon version). I waited for it to reappear, having heard that it was so popular that Tamron couldn't make them fast enough. After a while, I called Tamron and they said they would be available in a few weeks, but they never showed up. I couldn't get a straight story anywhere and there were still no alternatives to Tamron for this kind of lens. Then, recently, I saw that Tamron was showing another 28-300mm lens, model A010, that appeared to be a little larger than the original lens and had a platinum band around it instead of the original gold band. It was also about $100 more than the model A020. I waited a while to see the reviews and they were pretty good, so I finally bit the bullet and ordered the lens. http://tamron-usa.com/lenses/prod/28300_vcpzd.asp#ad-image-0

The Apparently Defunct Model A020                            The New Model A010
 

I haven't had much time to play with the new "all-in-one" Tamron yet, but the initial photos I took with it are promising.  I used it at a family outing, so the photos are personal family pictures that I don't wish to post on the internet, but when I get a chance to use the lens a bit more, I will post some photos taken with it so you can see the results.

On Sept. 8 I went to Hartford, CT where Tamron was holding a Tailgate Tour event and I had an opportunity to talk to a couple of Tamron reps. I asked what happened with the A020 28-300mm lens, but they either didn't know, or wouldn't tell the story, but I would guess that the original lens had some major flaw in it and they stopped making them. It took them some time to redesign the flaw out of the lens and reissue it, but I finally have my "all-in-one" lens for full my full frame camera. I have not had a chance to really put it through its paces yet, but when I do, I will post my opinion along with some photos taken with it. It won't replace my "L" glass lenses, but it will probably save my back on my next vacation.

Canon G1X Mark II

I decided that I wanted to buy a good compact camera to carry for instances where I didn't want to carry my big DSLR. I made a list of what I wanted in  the compact camera and then I started to look for cameras that fit my list. Frankly, there weren't any. I found that, as in life, I would need to make compromises and figure out which features were the most important to me.

Here is my basic list;

1. Picture quality - Since I wanted this camera so as not to miss good photos, I felt that the IQ was the most important thing to me. If I just wanted snapshots, I would not want a compact camera and would just use my cell phone.
2. Features - I wanted the basic features of a DSLR so I could control my photos and get the image I wanted. This included being able to shoot in RAW.
3. Fast lens - I wanted to be able to use as low an ISO as possible to maximize the quality of the photos.
4. Small and light - I wanted something that is easy to carry with no extra equipment needed that I couldn't carry in my pocket.
5. Good zoom lens - I wanted the best lens I could get with the widest angle to the longest zoom.

Price, while a consideration, was not initially thrown into the mix until I found specific cameras to compare.

Here's what I found;

1. Picture quality - The Canon G1X Mark II has the largest sensor of any camera in the class. AT 12.8 megapixels, it is not at the top of the list, but it is near it. But the actual sensor is almost twice as large as the other cameras in its class. Megapixels don't tell the whole story when it comes to IQ. The size of the pixel also counts and, in  a 12.8 megapixel camera with larger pixels on a sensor twice the size of the competition, the IQ would have to be better.
2. Features - The G1X has all the features I wanted, and then some. It has Wi-Fi built in, shoots Raw, JPEG or both together, is fully functional with manual operation, aperture priority mode, shutter speed priority mode and of course full automatic and the other specialty modes available in most cameras today. It has an LCD screen that folds out upwards for taking pictures at a low angle, but also can fold out downwards for taking photos from overhead. One thing that I was adamant about was having a view finder. Most of the cameras now come with only an LCD screen. I hate composing photos on an LCD screen in most situations. The G1X MII has an optional (about $250) viewfinder that mounts on the camera's hot shoe. 
3. Fast lens - The G1X MII has a lens that goes from f-2 to f-3.9. The few cameras that had faster lenses were barely any faster. The fastest lens in the class was an f-1.8.
4. Small and Light - The G1X MII isn't a pocket camera, but it is small enough and light enough to carry all day without any strain.
5. Good Zoom Lens - This is the one place where I really had to accept some trade offs. The G1X MII lens is a 24-120mm. The 24mm is fine, but the 120mm is not as powerful as I would have liked. However, my "walk around" lens on my Canon 6D has been a 24-105mm f4, so I am used to finding ways to compensate for the short focal length.

Photo taken with Canon G1X MarkII. Photo is not retouched at all, other than rotating it for viewing. It was 3:17 PM, storm clouds were rolling in and I was facing west. Shot at 18.4mm (not taking crop factor into consideration), 1/50 sec;   f/16;   ISO 100 Evaluative Metering.

The G1X MII was $799.00 and the view finder was $250.00, putting the package at $1,050.00, well above any of the other cameras I looked at. However, after much consideration I realized that it was easily the best camera in its class and it would give me the picture quality I wanted. I could have bought something for several hundred dollars (or more) less expensive, but I know I would have regretted saving the money at the expense of picture quality and functionality. As much as I hated spending that much more money, I am happy with what I got for the money and don't have regrets about making that decision.

Manfroto Monopod Follow-up

Now that I've had a chance to play with my Manfrotto 685B Neotec Monopod Deluxe a little more, I have to tell you that, overall, I like it. The ease and speed of set up and break down, as well as the adjusting while you are shooting is what makes this monopod, along with it being a really solid base even for heavy, longer lenses, is what makes this monopod. However, on the minus side, it is too long and too heavy to want to use for traveling where a compact size might matter. It is also too heavy to use as a walking stick when you are hiking and the handgrip is too big and not comfortable for use as a walking stick.  It's too bad that Manfroto didn't add another section to the unit to make it shorted when it is compacted, and a better hand grip. But it is a great monopod for places where you don't need to carry it too far and can't use a tripod. It is a great monopod for shooting sports events, like football, where you need a long lens, can't run up and down the sidelines with a tripod, and the speed of adjustment allows you to get shots that you might miss with a monopod where you have to fiddle with section after section to set up your shot.

Overall, I rate the monopod as an A+ for specific situations, but you will want something else for hiking or use as an all around monopod.