2011/01/11

Player Piano



Player Piano, originally uploaded by john m flores.
Museum of Modern Art, New York
GH2 with 20mm F1.7 @ ISO1600, F1.7, 1/80s

They've got this performance exhibit at MOMA where they've cut a hole in a grand piano. Every 30 minutes a performer squeezes through the hole and plays the piano backwards while walking around this large public space. Pretty cool. Can you learn how to use your camera upside down?

So yes, ISO1600 is pretty good, especially when mated to LR3. The camera is small, unobtrusive, and works great with my old Pentax glass. I'm a big fan of the flip/twist screen, and I've more or less tuned the controls to my manual mode needs (ISO excepted). I am liking the GH2 a lot and daydream of the GH2 + GF2 as a killer ultralight two body setup for motorcycle stories. And that's even before I've touched the vaunted video capabilites.

But here's where another example where F1.7 isn't your father's F1.7. This same shot taken with my trusty old Pentax MX with the 50mm F1.7 wide open would have blurred the people in the background beyond recognition, or close to it. Not that I always want to do that - but it's good to have the choice. What's interesting is that with Pentax APS-C I've been shooting mostly with F2.8s or thereabouts (the DA Limiteds are 21/3.2, 35/2.8, 40/2.8, 70/2.4). Would I have gotten more DOF with the K20d here? My gut tells me yes, but just a little more.

I'm sure the heralded Voigtländer Nokton 25 F0.95 would give me similar capabilities, but the Panny is so nice and small. You makes your choices. I've never relied too much on DOF in my work, focusing instead on content and composition. It's an angle I am interested in playing more with, but it looks like it will be harder to achieve with M43.

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