Tag Archives: Photography

Rigu magnetic lens filter adapters and lens caps review.

by in Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hi everyone

Before I talk about the adapters a shout out for the company that supplied them RIGU and its owner Andrew Bowness. Rigu is a UK company with a great range of camera accessories. As a Brit I always try and support UK businesses such as Rigu, Bowman Leather straps and Billingham bags. I’ve experienced exemplary service, great communication, fast, efficient dispatch and excellent quality products. from all these companies. It’s refreshingly nice in today’s day and age of “couldn’t care less/kick the can down the road” service which can often feel like its become the norrn. to buy from companies such as these that actually care about the quality of their products, their reputation and their customers’ satisfaction and I’m more than happy to buy from them again without reservation. When I find companies such as these then I have and I will go back to them if I require more of their products, safe in the knowledge that I’ve been treated courteously, received quality products and efficient service from them.

Now for the review bit.

The adapters come in two parts, a ring which screws onto the lens, another ring which screws on to the filter thread and a magnetic lens cap is available as an option, all available separately which is great if one wants to buy an extra ring or cap at any time . I ordered four of each adapter rings to fit my most used lenses and filters as well as four lens caps. It’s also worth mentioning that the lens cap has a thread so it will screw onto a filter’s external thread if desired. They come in different filter thread sizes and I got the 58mm size as that’s my standardised filter size. What helps to set these aside from other makes is the very reasonable price. One can pay a lot of money for what is essentially the same thing from the leading filter manufactures. My main concern with this type of thing is, how strong are the magnets and could I trust them to hold my expensive filters securely without fretting that the filter might drop off at any minute. To test this I fitted one of my heavier filters and then held the camera above the bed and shook it about a bit and the filter stayed put so I have confidence that unless I do something stupid 🙂 , the filter will be held securely, Rigu have an excellent guide to the fitting and use of the adapters which covers pretty much all one’s questions on their website and Andrew promptly e-mailed me with helpful information which I regard as great communication, he obviously takes a pride in the goods that they supply.. I don’t have much more to add except if you’re looking for magnetic filter adapters then check them out, save yourself some money and support a small business.. With free delivery on UK orders, 14-day returns and quantity discounts it makes ordering from them an even more attractive option.

As always, this post is entirely my own opinions, not in any way solicited and I’m not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in the post and the products have been paid for out of my own money for my personal use.

Images copyright, courtesy of Andrew Bowness at Rigu.

Kind regards

Leigh

Canada Trip.

by in Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment and tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Hi everyone,

I’ve given more thought as to what gear to take with me on my trip to Canada later this year, it’s nearly forty years since I last set foot in Canada and I was substantially fitter and healthier back then. I’ve decided to pack my two lightest and smallest lenses my 14mm f/2.5 and 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 Lumix tiny pancake lenses and Olympus PEN-F camera along with 4 filters and two spare BLN-1 camera batteries and some memory cards which fit comfortably in my small and sturdy Billingham Hadley Digital camera bag. Given the principle nature of the trip is to visit my elderly father and my sister and her family I’m going to do something that I wouldn’t normally do and pack another camera, my lightest, smallest camera, my Olympus PEN E-PL8, as a backup should anything happen to my beloved PEN-F. I’m certainly not going to take the chance of being stuck for the duration of this trip without a camera. I have a small matching detachable add-on pouch for the Billingham bag which is large enough to accommodate the E-PL8 camera, two spare BLS-5/50 batteries and a few additional memory cards. As this pouch is relatively small I’ve fitted my Olympus 15mm f/8 body cap lens. If worst came to the absolute worst then any lens is better than none. It’s not a lens that I’d relish being stuck shooting with for the duration of the trip with its small fixed aperture and poorer image quality but a heck of a lot better than nothing, “any port in a storm” as the old saying goes and a camera without a lens is about as good as a chocolate tea pot. 🙂

As well as the lenses in my camera bag I’m packing three more, my Lumix 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens, my small Lumix 35-100mm f/4-5.6 zoom and an additional backup Lumix 12-32mm lens packed in my travelling tech bag alongside my usual assortment of USB camera battery chargers, charging hubs, cables, card readers, travel adapters etc. etc…The plan being that I can just take out one or maybe two small, lightweight lenses at a time to suit my requirements for the day and still be travelling comfortably light or, if I chose, I could swap cameras and use the E-PL8 for an even lighter and relatively less conspicuous carry especially of a night time. All being well I think this arrangement should work well for me. The 14mm and 12-32mm pancake lenses are, to the best of my knowledge, the smallest, lightest, multi-aperture lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system and, from experience, I’m more than happy using both. If one mounts either of them on the E-PL8 then one really has a pocketable camera.

Kind regards

Leigh

Latest thoughts and ramblings.

by in Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment and tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Hi evryone,

It’s getting ever increasingly more difficult to get the shots that I want. I’m now down to taking out just one small prime lens and pretty much the lightest of my Micro Four Thirds camera bodies. I started with prime lenses years ago and then bought several zoom lenses including my original travel zoom my Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 PRO lens which is now far to heavy for me to take out. The lens that I need doesn’t exist and in terms of technology probably won’t exist for many years to come that’s a “standard” zoom lens that covers my preferred focal length range, mid wide angle to medium telephoto, as fast, light and compact as a standard focal length prime lens It’s a bit ironical as a standard zoom is what I need nowadays as , with my mobility problems, it avoids having to zoom with my feet or maybe that should be move with my legs but it’s not adequate as a one lens solution as I need a fast lightweight, compact lens for both day and nigh time use. So, the lens that more or less ticks the weight and speed boxes the best and covers most of my requirements albeit with its limitations is my M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 35mm equivalent lens. I’m missing some shots because my legs get very achy and tired very quickly on leaving the house not to mention painful by the end of the day but at least I’m getting some shots. At the risk of sounding melodramatic I’ve come close quite a few times to considering selling up my gear but something inside always stops me short of doing so.

Filters:

I’m not a big user of filters as I like to do most in post processing but I have narrowed it down to an absolute maximum of four filters that I’m experimenting with taking out and about with me.

Marumi Super DHG circular polarising filter. Not a filter that I need that often but useful on occasions.

Tiffen FusionPOL combined 1/4 pro black mist and CPL filter. I very rarely take portraits of people but it’s handy to have the black mist effect as well as the CPL but, for me, it’s not as useful as my other two filter below for use at night.

Kenko Black Mist #0.5. This filter has a pretty strong diffusion effect and works well if one want the halation to effect the whole image. It has it’s uses in both day and nigh time but I find my last filter give a more pleasing all round effect.

K&F Concept Shimmer Diffuser 1 filter. Unlike the black mist filter this filter is much more subdued, the halation is localised to light sources and hardly noticeable in daylight. I like this filter for nigh time use as the effect it a lot more subtle that black mist filters.

Software:

I’ve just invested in upgrading my DXO PureRAW software to the latest version 6. I’m a fan of DXO’s lens correction profiles which apart from lens distortionc correction it also includes corrections for lens-specific global sharpness and, vignetting as well as chromatic aberration correction option and, in my opinion, the best noise reduction out there and now incorprorating the DeepPRIME XD3 denoising tecnnology, The latest version also includes saving as compressed DNG format.

Kind regards

Leigh

Mobile phone photography/videography.

by in Photography and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hi everyone,

I’ve never really used my mobile phone for photography except a few family shots etc. as I’m more than satisfied with my cameras. I thought I’d try using it a bit more seriously. In order to do so I needed a few accessories. First of all I purchased an Ailun Tripod Phone Mount . this mount is much better than my old one which recently broke. It allows the phone to be rotated for landscape and portrait orientations, I like the fitting which is a screw adjustment rather than those hard to work with sprung clamp arrangements. To this I fitted one of my Ulanzi Claw quick release plates. I then attached the Ulanzi Claw U-100 ball head to a compact and lightweight but sturdy SLIK tabletop tripod base. This can also double up as a chest pod. The Ulanzi Claw ball head has a useful cold shoe mount to which I fitted on of my  Godox LITEMONS LED 6R RGB rechargeable (Type C) video lights.

To complete the accessories I purchased a set of two white and black coloured bluetooth ATUMTEK Camera Remote Shutters. as well as a K&F CONCEPT 58mm Press-on Phone Lens Filter Adapter. This comes in a nice hard case with an extra mesh pocket to take a filter and with a wrist strap lanyard and they do them to fit 58mm (my standard size) and 67mm filters but you could use the 58mm one with a step up ring if required. I’ve tried this with a CPL filter and also a black mist filter and it works well and I also fitted a screw on metal lens hood. Lastly I purchased an HMKCH Wireless Microphone Kit. In the kit you get a wireless receiver that has both USB type C and Lightning connectors, two lavalier type tie clip microphones, two of each of foam pop shield and fluffy wind shield, a charge cable and a USB A to USB-C adapter. I like that both the microphones and the receiver have a USB type C female connector for charging as I’ve standardised on this type of connector. I tested the mics and receiver on both the phone and my desktop PC (using the USB adapter) and they worked. They’re not the best quality in the world but for the price and my fledgling outing into the world of mobile phone videography they’ll do for now. Move over Spielberg. I’m coming through!. I wonder how much Jeff Bezos and Melania Trump would pay me to film the sequel?, “Melania 2 – Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the cinema”. 🙂

Kind regards

Leigh

Olympus M.Zuiko 9-18mm f/4-5.6

by in Landscape, Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment, Travel and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hi everyone,

I’ve owned this lens for quite a few years now and never really written much about it. With its 18mm-36mm full-frame equivalent focal length range it makes a great travel/walkabout lens if one likes taking street shots, landscapes, architectural and interior shots. Its very small and light at 154 grams and 49.3mm when in it’s collapsed transit position as shown above. Some may not like its plastic construction, although it does have a metal lens mount, or its switch to lock the lens. You don’t use the switch to extend the lens it is used when one wants to fully retract the lens and lock it in this position. It’s also not a very fast lens at f/4 at its widest and f/5.6 at its tele setting but it is very sharp and extremely versatile. It covers the popular full-frame equivalent wide angle focal lengths of 21mm, 24mm, 28mm and 35mm. As a useful bonus the lens accepts 52mm filters and the lens hood is a bayonet-fitting aftermarket one from JJC at a much lower cost than the proprietary one from Olympus, I refuse to pay £30 for a bit of plastic when they should be included with any lens. I can thoroughly recommend this lens for any Micro Four Thirds system users wanting to get a compact, lightweight ultra-wide angle lens at an affordable price especially if, like me, you find one second hand at a good price. Here’s a few shots I’ve taken with this lens. Over the years I’ve taken some of my all time favourite shots with this lens.

Kind regards

Leigh

Billingham Hadley Digital camera bag, first thoughts.

by in Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment, Travel and tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

HI,

I took delivery of my new camera bag. The bag, is, as I knew it would be, superbly well made. It’s in excellent condition without a mark on it, a great second hand buy. One of the two internal dividers was missing but that doesn’t bother me for the price paid and they do spares if I choose to get more. A brilliant added bonus was the inclusion of the matching SP40 padded non-slip leather shoulder pad which, if bought as an accessory, is quite expensive. The big appeal of this bag, apart from the excellent quality of materials and manufacturing, is the extremely well padded plush interior with padded top, the good-sized front pocket which holds quite a bit and its weather proofing and it should be perfect for my day-to-day requirements, also no more zips, velcro and fiddling around fitting and removing rain covers!. I chose to try it for size with my Olympus PEN-F camera fitted with my M.Zuiko 12-45mm zoom with lens hood attached and it fits very well as the bag has some height to it which is another reason why I wanted it. Below a few shots of the bag and contents, if I was packing for a lengthier trip I’d probably squeeze in a small USB power bank and an extra spare camera battery into the front pocket and additionally pack one of my small, fast standard prime lenses in the main compartment if I get another padded divider.

PEN-F camera with 12-45mm lens attached, small four filter pouch, neoprene pouch containing lens brush, lens wipes and microfiber cloth, filter wrench as I’ve started to use filters more frequently of late, Tile Mate bluetooth tracker, spare camera battery plus two extra SDHC cards in a waterproof battery case, small cheap MP3 player and bluetooth ear buds as I occasionally like to listen to some music on my travels.

Kind regards

Leigh

I bought a Billingham Hadley Digital camera bag.

by in Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment, Travel and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Hi,

Back in the late 70s I bought one of the first Billingham 550 model camera bags ever made eagerly waiting weeks for it to be made and delivered as they were on lengthy back order such was their demand. It was a great bag, pretty large, quite heavy, but aged about twenty I was able to carry a lot more weight than I can now, it was really beautifully made and, at that time, it ticked all the boxes for me for a camera bag. It certainly wasn’t cheap even then given what I earned in those days but it was such a quality camera bag, it just screamed quality the second that one laid one’s eyes on it. I’ve been looking for a small camera bag specifically for a trip that I’m planning for later this year and I re-discovered their bags and I found one of these second hand at a very tempting price so I’ve ordered it. For my minimalistic requirements carrying just a small micro four thirds camera, one or two small lenses and a few essential accessories, spare batteries etc., I think that this bag will fit the bill very nicely. It’s pretty nigh impossible to find a bad review of Billingham camera bags, they’ve been making bags for fifty years and my experiences back then would bare this out completely. A quality UK product made from top quality materials, multi-layered waterproof canvas without the need for a separate rain cover, protective well padded interior and dividers with leather and brass fittings, arguably the best made and longest lasting camera bags that money can buy and the perfect stylish but still discrete companion to compliment my passion for retro-styled cameras and lenses 🙂 with the added bonus that to anyone not in the know it doesn’t look very much like your typical camera bag.

External Dimensions: W210mm (8¼”) x D130mm (5⅛”) x H210mm (8¼”) Internal Dimensions: W180mm (7⅛”) x D100mm (4″) x H170mm (6¾”) Capacity: 2.50 litres (0.09 feet³) Weight: 0.47 kgs (1.04 lbs)

Kind regards

Leigh

Analogue and digital worlds.

by in Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment and tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hiya,

Using my manual focus lenses quite a bit recently and, maybe even more so, my manual flash gun from time to time has made me stop and think about the whole analogue digital thing. I don’t necessarily mean the quality of digital vs analogue I’m thinking more about the experience. I’ve readily embraced most modern technology in all my interests but, trying as hard as I can to set nostalgia aside for a moment, there are things that I do miss. Digital gear has made my life simpler in many ways, I can play my digital drums to my heart’s delight with next to no noise and just a pair of headphones on and I can choose from a huge selection of kits for different genres and further customise them to suit my personal taste in a way that I could never afford to do. I can and have talked to other radio amateurs all over the world without having to spend huge amounts of money on transceiver equipment and having to have large external aerials, prone as they are to come crashing down in high winds, sadly I talk from experience 😦 . I still marvel at being able to get 1000 or more images on a tiny memory card and see and work on the images pretty much immediately, I can download music straight to my PC or phone and hear it immediately all of which is more than just a matter of convenience.

However, there are things that I miss, so much of the tech. seems to promote not having to be bothered to learn any theory or, to put it another way an “I don’t care how it does it, it just does it” attitude which I think is a great pity. I appreciate that not everyone wants to get “under the bonnet” and invest any time an effort in learning what makes things tick and how to get the best out of one’s gear and one’s pastimes but it’s something that’s always interested me and the learning process can be incredibly rewarding and relevant. For all of it’s convenience there’s still something enjoyable about slowing down and seeing a shot come into focus or going to a record shop and thumbing through the used (I can no longer afford new) 🙂 “vinyl” on the shelves, spotting an unexpected find and coming away with something in one’s hand. I guess that it’s things like this that have driven the recent trendy revival in film cameras and records decks etc.?.

I’ve tried my best to separate nostalgic feelings from convenience but I’ve found that it can become somewhat detached and soulless if one lets it. Talking of record decks or “vinyl decks” as they’ve now come to be known, I wonder how many people who buy them even take time to understand or bother setting them up correctly so as not to plough furrows in one’s records? or see the arm go skating off of them, I certainly would at today’s ridiculous prices!. in the same way as how many are interested in the exposure triangle and it’s importance in understanding and mastering basic photographic techniques?, how many digital cameras ever come off of full auto mode and/or auto-focus?.

Well, that’s my ten pennies worth 🙂 , we live in a digital world with all of its many advantages and I wouldn’t put the clock back and I’m not dismissing modern technology out of hand much of which has opened up interesting new possibilities but I’m glad that I’m old enough to remember and still savour technology from the analogue world that I grew up in which taught me so much and given me so many enjoyable and rewarding experiences which I feel, on balance, has enriched my life. As a slight aside it’s interesting when I’m out and about with my retro-looking camera gear observing the looks I get from people of different generations, as a generalism, Baby Boomers and Generation X seem to be nostalgically interested in the look of the gear, Millennials/Generation Y seem to think that it looks “cool” and “interesting” whilst Generation Z and even more so, Generation Alpha, largely dismiss it (and probably me) as old and crappy tech. 🙂

Kind regards

Leigh

TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 lens test shots.

by in Landscape, Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment, Travel and tagged , , | Leave a comment

Hi everyone,

I took my new TTArtisan 23mm f/1.4 lens for a test drive this morning in Chichester. All shots taken on my Olympus PEN-F camera at f/5.6 plus Kenko 1.0 black mist filter, with minimal processing for sharpness, noise reduction where appropriate, correction for converging verticals and processed with a Fuji Astia+ film emulation LUT. Not bad for an £83 lens. 🙂 I could improve more with additional processing but I wanted to keep things as basic and simple as possible for the purpose of testing. As I thought it might be this lens is a lot of fun to shoot with. Zone focus at about 7m at f/5.6 and everything is acceptably sharp from approx. 3m to infinity. The lens is a bit soft even at f/5.6 more so with the filter fitted but nothing that cannot easily be corrected in post. I only wanted the filter on for the interior shots taken inside the Cathedral.

Kind regards,

Leigh

Quality genuine leather camera strap from a UK company at a great price.

by in Leigh Kemp, Photography, Photography equipment, Travel and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Hi everyone,

I just took delivery of a new handcrafted leather camera strap for my PEN-F camera made by a UK company called Bowman Leather: https://www.bowmanleather.co.uk/ . They do quite a range of straps and I’m very impressed with the quality of materials and workmanship, the attractive “organic” cloth, and not plastic, drawstring bag inner packaging and the very fast 24 hours tracked dispatch at a very fair price. Great to see a UK company producing quality items like this. I chose their Stride – Thin Leather Camera Strap in Mid Tan colour which I think looks great on my PEN-F camera and they have several other colours available. I’m delighted to see that they use traditional manufacturing methods and sustainable materials and they offer a 10% discount for new customers as well as a plant a tree policy. This strap is comfortable, pretty supple and should last me a long time, they have a 10 year warranty policy so they must be confident about the quality of their products.

In these days when just about everything seems to come from China I’m more than happy to pay for a quality product like this from a UK manufacturer. As always, this review isn’t solicited in any way and I paid for the item from my own pocket.

Kind regards

Leigh