NatureNotions » Misc http://www.naturenotions.ch Photography by Peter Kes Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:01:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 The new Canon EOS 1D X http://www.naturenotions.ch/the-new-canon-eos-1d-x http://www.naturenotions.ch/the-new-canon-eos-1d-x#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 09:21:51 +0000 master http://www.naturenotions.ch/?p=1587 For many years I have been a reasonably happy Canon shooter. Much to my excitement I heard about the new Canon 1D X. At first glance I was really pleased with what I read. Full Frame, 12fps, 2CF card slots, etc: features promising increased usability and functionality.

Much to my horror I found out that [...]]]> For many years I have been a reasonably happy Canon shooter. Much to my excitement I heard about the new Canon 1D X. At first glance I was really pleased with what I read. Full Frame, 12fps, 2CF card slots, etc: features promising increased usability and functionality.

Much to my horror I found out that this camera only autofocuses to f/5.6! Never mind that, the announcement mentions that the 1D X will be replacing the 1Ds Mark III and the 1D Mark IV. 
What the ….

Not for me. A 1D with autofocus only to f/5.6, will never replace my 1D Mark IV.
Autofocus at f/8 is my primary motivation to consider a 1D body and provides for a fantastic range of lens flexibility, in particular for my f/4 supertele lenses. Canon says: “Stuff you. You can’t anymore. We think we know better and you don’t need your 2xTC any longer. Wait, we help you and make autofocus at f/8 impossible.”
Let me not forget to mention that the 800mm/f5.6 will also no longer focus with a 1.4xTC attached.

I really don’t understand the rationale behind this decision of Canon. Why is this necessary ? Have the dudes at decision levels a clue ? Clearly not. They applied a business decision profile that disregards the needs and requirements of today’s nature and semi-pro hobby photographers.

What struck me as well was the line in the announcement that says: “… culmination of customer feedback and requests from the field … and answered the requests of many photographers …” (apparently for the two CF slots). Well, they missed the boat here completely. Autofocus at f/8 has always been the most important feature of the 1D Mark IV for me and if they would have asked their current users what they would think about removing this feature, they would get an overwhelming response: please don’t.

Although I think this new camera has some great new features, no autofocus at f/8 is a killer criterion for me. I really looked forward to the new line, which I expected a bit later. I wish they did wait a bit and re-considered this strange move. I will either sit it out, consider a second 1D Mark IV (which I really did not want to do) or make a move to Nikon. Tbc

]]> http://www.naturenotions.ch/the-new-canon-eos-1d-x/feed 5 My interview at Radio X http://www.naturenotions.ch/my-interview-at-radio-x http://www.naturenotions.ch/my-interview-at-radio-x#comments Tue, 22 Feb 2011 21:14:56 +0000 master http://www.naturenotions.ch/?p=1199 From 7 March until [...]]]> blue-heron_pusztaszar_20100512_a23d3228 This image was taken in Hungary, on my photographic tour in Pusztaszar at Bence Máté’s Bird Hide Farm. This Heron portrait was chosen as a favorite from the interviewer at Radio X. Click on the image for a larger version. Click on the larger image to exit the large view.

From 7 March until the end of May I will exhibit some of my images at Centrepoint in Basel. Centre Point is an organisation building on the sense of community between the expat and local Swiss community in the Basel region. To give the exhibition a little boost, I was invited to come and give an interview at Radio X, the local Basel & Basellandt’s Live English Language Radio Show. Click here to see the announcement on Radio X. It was a short interview about me and my beloved hobby: photography. I had much more to say, but tonight’s schedule was packed. Come and visit the exhibition, there you can enjoy what I want to say with photography in your own time !

Exhibition_100x70_White-Rh copy
Click here to see the exhibition images online.

Location:

Centrepoint, opening times daily from 10:00-14:00 and from 10:00-17:00 on Wednesdays.
Im Lohnhof 8
4051 Basel, Switzerland

]]> http://www.naturenotions.ch/my-interview-at-radio-x/feed 0 Macro Adventure http://www.naturenotions.ch/macro-adventure http://www.naturenotions.ch/macro-adventure#comments Sun, 22 Aug 2010 20:55:52 +0000 master http://www.naturenotions.ch/?p=837 Today I attended a macro workshop, organised in cooperation with Photo Video Marlin, with the emphasis on using household items. In some distant years I ran after bugs and butterflies and photographed some flowers. Trouble with natural subjects is that they move …. duh … but that is the problem of macro. Flowers rock in [...]]]> Today I attended a macro workshop, organised in cooperation with Photo Video Marlin, with the emphasis on using household items. In some distant years I ran after bugs and butterflies and photographed some flowers. Trouble with natural subjects is that they move …. duh … but that is the problem of macro. Flowers rock in the wind. Bugs fly away when you get too close.
Going to the kitchen is something I tend to avoid, except to getting a beer. Today I learned that the kitchen stores a treasury for macro photography. Thank you Markus Bissig for teaching us to see ! Markus is a self taught photographer with a very creative eye for macro and landscape photography: click here to learn more.

redbow_kitchenmacro_20100822_img_5905

For more Macro/OOTB images, visit my Macro & OOTB Gallery.

]]> http://www.naturenotions.ch/macro-adventure/feed 2 Website & Blog Service http://www.naturenotions.ch/blog-service http://www.naturenotions.ch/blog-service#comments Sun, 25 Apr 2010 10:02:11 +0000 master http://www.naturenotions.ch/?p=704 In 2008 I started my own blog and loved the way WordPress handles content. Although working in the IT industry myself, rules I teach my customers I didn’t do myself. Sort of like the handyman not fixing things at home. Things went wrong in October last year, when my server and backups burnt down. A [...]]]> In 2008 I started my own blog and loved the way WordPress handles content. Although working in the IT industry myself, rules I teach my customers I didn’t do myself. Sort of like the handyman not fixing things at home. Things went wrong in October last year, when my server and backups burnt down. A full year’s of work was lost. The images I published I still had, but all the other content of my server was lost. It took me 3 months to get everything back and stumbled on little problems I solved before, wondering how did I do that again ?

To make a long story short, I went through the dust and learned a lot about setting up a website, in particular using WordPress.

Reference sites:

If you need help setting up a website, setting up WordPress, securing your blog or organising it, contact me on kpkes@yahoo.com.

]]> http://www.naturenotions.ch/blog-service/feed 0 Award: Swan Snooze http://www.naturenotions.ch/award-swan-snooze http://www.naturenotions.ch/award-swan-snooze#comments Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:35:22 +0000 master http://www.naturenotions.ch/blog/?p=408 Last October I entered a few images of my portfolio to the UBS Employee Photo Contest. A large number of images were submitted, total more than 4000. The jury evaluations required a bit more time than anticipated. Today it was announced that I won the second price in the category “Nature & Landscape”.

The [...]]]> Last October I entered a few images of my portfolio to the UBS Employee Photo Contest. A large number of images were submitted, total more than 4000. The jury evaluations required a bit more time than anticipated. Today it was announced that I won the second price in the category “Nature & Landscape”.

The evaluation criteria were brand management related: a large selection of the entered images will be used for advertisement and mass marketing mail.

And the runner up was:

Swan Snooze
swan-snooze_lake_constance_15-03-2009_img_0472
]]> http://www.naturenotions.ch/award-swan-snooze/feed 2