Choosing a Camera...does it fit in my purse?

(Note: this article is supposed to be a summary of the decision process and complexities for buying a new camera.  But then I asked Herr J to "look it over" and, well, you see what happened...  Apologies to anyone who does not have an engineering PhD or permanent pocket protector!)

There are some pretty interesting technological developments today in digital cameras: mirrorless interchangeable-lens designs (the Panasonic / Olympus micro four-thirds standard, and APS-C models from Sony and Samsung), translucent mirrors in DSLRs, and even Phase One's over the top 30 megapixel medium format imaging sensor... now being replaced by an 80 megapixel version!  (For around $44,000 you could buy a car instead.)

 Alternative sensor techologies have been developed too, but are not making significant headway yet.  Fuji has a "reconfigurable" sensor, and Foveon a multi-layer sensor.  Ricoh went further out into left field, and has the GRX system which is a compact camera shell that uses interchangable units combining sensor and lens together! (pretty smart, out of the box thinking!)

Plus, there are increasingly good plain old point-and-shoot models.  The new Olympus XZ-1 has the "fastest" lens ever on a compact digital camera (at 28mm is f1.8!) and the Canon SX30IS has the largest focal range of any fixed lens camera ever made (35x, from 24-840mm!).  As always, there are a slew of proven APS-C and full-frame DSLRs that are the bread and butter of pros worldwide.

There are even innovations in accessories, such as a 3-D lens (for use on 3-D televisions!), wireless hot shoe attachments that send photos to any bluetooth device, and alien-looking lights for macro photography.  But in the end it all boils down to your camera/system working in your lifestyle & budget.

I'm a Nikon person... I love, love, LOVE my D700. It can't be beat for it's color rendition and low-light capabilities.  I'm not the only one -- one husband made a D700 birthday cake for his wife! And it's red velvet, too!!!

http://www.kenrockwell.com and http://www.woohome.com/food-drink/a-wifes-birthday-cake-nikon-d700/1984

I know many will call it heresy, but I also love my Panasonic LX3. Though the Nikon does fit in my larger purses even with a decently large lens, I just can't lug it around all the time. The LX3, however, is tiny (but built like a tank) and takes really great pictures, especially in low light.  (In fact, the LX3 actually changed the market in this regard.  All major players were forced to make a competing model in order to stay relevant: Canon S90/S95, Nikon P7000, Olympus XZ-1, and Panasonic's upgrade, the LX5). I also love my LX3 because of the awesome 10 Bar underwater housing that Herr J and my friends in TX gave me for my last birthday. Best Present Ever! It's a great set up for diving - I'd considered keeping my old D40 as an underwater camera, but the housings for those start around $2,000 and require different fronts for different lenses!!!  The 10 Bar and LX3 combo is so great that I've recently bought another (slightly used) LX3 to replace it when the camera wears out. I started diving with a Sony Cybershot circa 2001, and sadly the camera stopped working long before the housing. We did have a good 10 years together, but it just won't hold more than 15 or 30 minutes of charge anymore.

Herr J is in the market for a new camera, though he's been "in the market" as long as I've known him! It's a pretty big step when investing in a camera system. Whereas I'm already committed to a lifetime of Nikon (except for fixed lens compact cameras), he's still able to make a radical choice and go with newer systems and standards.  Is it better to invest in new models & lens mounts -- with the risk that they don't have longevity, or just stick with today's DSLRs?

Or perhaps one chooses a system based on available high-quality lenses and just gets a cheap body to start.  For example, I have some "good glass" that will last decades and I can reuse on any future camera bodies that have the same Nikon interchangeable lens mount, e.g., if I ever have/want to replace my D700.

What about the portability factor, like with my LX3 vs D700 -- should Herr J get a compact AND a large sensor camera, or just one mirrorless in-between size?  And what about the cost of getting an underwater housing for the camera as part of the total investment?  Housings can cost more than the cameras themselves!  (He loved our vacation photos with the LX3 + 10 Bar housing.)

We've had some good debates about the camera market, and enjoy playing around with different models in the local electronics store.  The current hot topic is "who buys into the micro four-thirds system?"  Ostensibly, micro four-thirds is "better quality than a compact, smaller than a DSLR".  It's an interesting concept and I'm curious to know if it ends up being a long-term market segment or just a brief stop on the way to something new. Obviously it appeals to early adopters who want the latest technology... and those who want better image quality than fixed lens compact cameras. But that's the irony...once you put a lens on it, it's not truly "small" anymore.

Here's the Panasonic LX3 compared to Panasonic's smallest mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the GF1. The GF1 has a "pancake" lens attached:

The GF1 is little taller and deeper (front to back) and might fit in large pockets -- very portable in any case.  But the LX3 has a 3x zoom capability, whereas the GF1 "pancake" has no zoom -- and most people will miss this.  Well... although the LX3 has a fixed lens, we can changes lenses on the GF1.  So, let's put a lens on the GF1 that is equivalent to the 3x zoom on the LX3.  In this case, we'll substitute Canon's G11-- a direct competitor of the LX3 and similar size (a bit bigger, actually).  Here's what we get:

Whoa.  We just added a good 2-3 inches to the depth of the camera with that lens.  It's not fitting in anyone's pocket, but still fits in purses/bags.  That's the price you pay for getting an improvement in image quality.  The GF1's sensor is 6x larger than the sensor in the LX3 or G11 -- it needs a bigger lens to cover the sensor, but puts out better photos.  Is this worth the decrease in portability?  Hmm....

On the flip side, "m4/3" cameras are somewhat smaller & lighter than a typical DSLR because of the lack of mirror & prism, a smaller sensor & matching lenses.   Here's the Olympus m4/3 camera vs. one of the smallest DSLRs on the market (also from Olympus).   

   
There is definitely a reduction in size -- both heigth and depth, plus weight.  However, with the current market offerings, the small DSLR costs the same or less and delivers higher performance (faster shooting, less noise at high ISO, and greater dynamic range.  Plus the DSLR has a viewfinder and much better external controls for those that manual control of the camera (rather than leaving it in Automatic mode)  We definitely lose performance with the m4/3, but did the reduction in size really give us more portability?  Remember, neither camera will fit in a pocket, so we have to transport it differently.  So where's the right place on the size/quality/price curve?

Lots to think about here.  But maybe it won't be decided on technical metrit.
I pointed out these issues to Herr J, but he laughed and then said, "But most importantly, will it fit in my man purse better?"

The Pope Has Been Busy

Pope Benedict XVI has been quite busy in the past year. First the he reverses his previous statements and makes a highly controversial (and unclear) statement that using condoms to prevent spreading HIV is the lesser of evils, at least for prostitutes.  Now he continues his year-long push for the Church to embrace and make use of social media, though warning against the risks of substituting a cyber-life for a real one.  

Ignoring any of the other controversies, it's pretty great that the Pope has a Facebook application and a You Tube account.  What most suprised me, however, was discovering that he also has a beer.

This Pope is Bavarian, so of COURSE he drinks beer, and it's thanks to the church that we have beer in the first place. But it still seems strange to see Pope Beer.

When we saw it in Herr J's grocery store, our initial shock quickly gave way to "we HAVE to try this!"

I'm not sure if the Pope has truly endorsed this or what legalities are involved. The Weideneder Brewery in Marktl began producing the beer shortly after Cardinal Ratzinger's election as Pope, as he was born there in 1927. The house on the label is a drawing of his birthplace, and the label at the top of the bottle proudly proclaims him "The Bavarian Pope Benedict XVI."

According to Weideneder's English site, due to the long-standing "connection between the Church and the art of brewing we consider it to be our obligation to appreciate the election of a Bavarian Pope in a Bavarian way." How very Bavarian of them!

 

More importantly, it's a pretty decent beer. It's a festival beer, similar to the Oktoberfest Märzen style of beers. It's darker and stronger (5.4%) than a Helles or Pils. It's not as strongly hoppy as a Pils, but does have a stronger hops note than a Helles and a different hop flavor than a Pils. It has a deeper flavor, but not to the Dunkelbier point of flavor. It's a good tasting, drinkable beer that will stand up well even to spicy foods. We made pomelo salad and panang chicken for dinner, and it was a great beer to drink with spicy food...a great contrast and cooling to the spice, yet it didn't lose its flavor against the spiciness as many weaker beers do.  We expected this to be a novelty beer and not very good, but we would definitely drink it again! 

Cool LEGO Inspirations

I kinda still love LEGOs.

Life-sized LEGO giraffe outside the LEGO Museum - Postdamer Platz, Berlin

In the Kaufhaus window display, near Munich Hauptbahnhof

via The Kitchn

And these adorable LEGO Bento boxes from Bento & Co

 via OhDeeDoh

And I have a special love for this LEGO style advent calendar. There are step by step instructions on making it at paper,plate,andplane, but I'm not sure if I'd have the patience to stack together all the hole punches necessary to make the LEGO blocks. Truly impressive!

via EdibleCrafts

Update on Friday, February 11, 2011 at 21:15 by Frau A

This heavy metal Norse video takes LEGO to new heights of coolness.

The video is by Matt Witham and David Pagano, with other cool LEGO animation videos here on Paganomation.

via Neatorama

Ughhh....Uggs

I hate Uggs. They're on every starlet, sorority girl, and in winter with miniskirts in LA and now Dallas. They're just awful.

Facebook and MySpace are full of I Hate Uggs groups, and You Tube has many videos of people burning them. In some cases, guys burning their ex- (or soon to be ex-) girlfriends' Uggs. And then this guy who has put together an amusing Ugg Song video:

But there is a problem living where the temperature stays well below freezing for months at a time. No matter what shoes and socks I try, my feet are in freezing agony after about 10 minutes outside. I bought some gorgeous (waterproof) thick-soled, shearling-lined riding boots a few weeks ago, and they are wonderful....except that the cold still seeps in the feet. I get cold much less quickly, but still it happens.

I've been investigating potential solutions. Wearing my ski boots will not work, for obvious reasons of not being able to walk in them. Hiking boots also are great, but hard to wear daily. So I started thinking....everyone is wearing Uggs, maybe there's a functional reason. Maybe they are actually super warm and comfortable.

But I still couldn't get past the image, or my inner voice that guides me by pondering "What would Miley Cyrus do?" and then doing the opposite.

And my feet continued to freeze.

So, I decided to ask some Ugg wearers and find out if they were really warm. Finding someone who seemed normal and wore Uggs was tough, but I did meet one who is professional, normal, and just an all-around cool person over the holidays. When I said, "I have to ask if your Uggs are really warm," she laughed and said she knew exactly why I was asking. She hated the idea of them, and wears them so much that she has to buy new pairs to replace the worn out ones. And that they were ok "as long as you don't wear them with sparkly leggings."

Quite a funny comment, as she didn't know I had been struggling with the sparkly leggings issue the prior week. I'd read about Plush's fleece-lined leggings and was thinking about getting some when in the US (though they're out of stock almost everywhere!). Then I was in the Schlecker (think CVS or Walgreen's) during the break of my German class, and saw fleece-lined leggings for only €5!!! The only problem was the rhinestones bedazzling both legs up to just above the knee. So awful, yet so soft and warm. And nothing costs only 5€ in Germany.  I decided to let function beat out fashion, and wore them (with as tall boots as possible to cover up most of the sparkles). With long underwear under them, they are super warm and comfy, I'm ashamed to admit.

So, after much internal debating and trying on, I bought some Uggs over Christmas. They're the zip-up ones, so a little thicker and more fitted than the originals. And they are SO comfy and warm! I still feel totally self-conscious and there is some residual self-loathing, but most importantly, my feet are warm and not in pain. (I do have some gorgeous brown suede boots that are warm, but their warmth is derived from the fact that the 4-inch platform heels keep my feet far from the ground....not great for walking for an hour...)

Herr J promises not to call me "Anna Montana" anymore, but for one night only, I went full Miley Cyrus for his amusement on New Year's Eve. It was cold, dark, and I took perverse pleasure in wearing my rhinestone-legged leggings with Uggs. It was surprisingly warm....between the leggings, Uggs, my Christmas Columbia fleece, and the earmuffs, the only cold part was my hands. We have to work on gloves now.... I guess the good thing about living somewhere with winter is that you have to buy a whole new wardrobe. My winter clothes from Texas were mostly thin boots, open-toed suede pumps, and sleeveless cashmere sweaters and dresses. That's pretty much summer attire here...

Enjoy!

If you're ready to brave a potential eye burning, check out Tori Spelling and her husband illustrating how not to wear Uggs...I really can't say which one of them is worse.

Gummi Penguins

Today I guess I'm enjoying winter. In honor of the snow...Gummi Penguins!

By Haribo, of course. Licorice, unfortunately. 

I read a great book last week - The Great Penguin Rescue, by Dyan deNapoli.  It's about the rescue of 40,000 penguins after a major oil spill off Cape Town.  I definitely recommend it, especially if you like penguins... though parts are sad if you like penguins. However, it's overall a happy ending of the largest animal rescue ever, and one of the most successful. In addition to dealing with thousands of penguins covered in oil, they also had to figure out what to do with the penguins who so far were clean, but whose islands were about to be hit by the oil slick. The brilliant solution was to round up those penguins and transport them by truck to another beach 16 hours away. They knew penguins usually return home to their breeding grounds, so the gamble was that they could clean up the beaches by the time the penguins swam home. It worked, and thousands more were saved (and without having to rely on already stretched resources to feed and house them).

A Menu Mystery

Last night we had a tasty dinner at my neighborhood Mongolian barbeque spot.

We ordered Vegetarian Wontons as a starter.

They were not bad.

However, instead of an appetizer, it was four small wontons atop a large salad....and the wontons were samosas....other than that, the description was spot on!

Hot Chocolate Month!!!

I WISH we were in NY right now...it's Hot Chocolate Month at City Bakery. Including both regular and adult hot chocolate...mmm...Bourbon Hot Chocolate....

These look so delicious that I'm goign to have to try to make a few similar ones. 

I'd love to be there for Caramel Hot Chocolate (3 Feb), Fresh Ginger Hot Chocolate (9 Feb), and Creamy Stout (11 Feb). Also intriguing are the Sunken Treasure (20 Feb) and Mouling Rouge (16 Feb). I can guess the Sunken Treasure has something in the bottom, but no idea what the Moulin Rouge could be!

Check them all out at The City Bakery.

via Newyorkology

If you're in Chicago, check out Hot Chocolate in Wicker Park. Their Sunday brunch is outstanding, as is their Mexican Hot Chocolate!