I Was a Primes Kind of Guy, Until I Wasn't.

I've got a bookshelf full of primes for four different systems–Pentax K, Micro Four-Thirds, Nikon 1, and Pentax Q. I love them dearly, appreciating the diminutive size (when compared to zooms), and photon gathering capabilities. And I also really appreciate their zeitgeist, a notion of elegance and simplicity made manifest in glass, metal, and plastic. In other words, I drank the Kool-Aid suggesting that primes make you a more thoughtful and considered photographer and thus wandered the Earth with a fistful of primes always at the ready. I grew quite adept at changing them on the side of the road too, balancing front and rear caps and two lenses while minimizing the change interval. And when meeting photogs with variable aperture zooms on their cameras, I could say with pride and conviction (and maybe even a hint of dismissiveness), "Oh, I don't have a zoom on this camera. I shoot primes."

Roadtrip with a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

I'm currently down in Hatteras NC (OBX) with a 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Hyundai was kind enough to loan us the car for a one week review, and our first thought was, "let's put some miles on this puppy." So we filled the tank in NJ and 13 hours and 481 miles later we were at the Seaside Inn. And the tank wasn't empty! We averaged nearly 42MPG and stopped for everything but gas - food, ice cream, bathrooms, photo ops. I don't think I've ever driven a car with that much range.

In any case, one of the bags was filled with camera gear, a rolling case from jLab (no, I've never heard of them either) that I poached from Groupon for like $30. Score! The bag's got the following:

• Panasonic GH2 with 12-35 F2.8
• Nikon 1 V1 with 10-30, 30-110, 10/28, and 18/1.8 lenses
• Panasonic LX-7
• Pentax Q with 5-15 and 01 Standard Prime
• Pentax K-01 with FA43
• Merlin Steadicam 2
• Switronix TorchLED light
• small reflector
• chargers, batteries, memory cards
• Apple Macbook Pro
• Apple iPad
• the kitchen sink

The Panasonic LX7 and Nikon 1 have gotten the most use so far; they are just so small and convenient that they always end up in our backpack. The review is for NewMotor, a digital publication, so the highest resolution that we're going to need is for an iPad with Retina Display, 2048 by 1536 pixels. The LX7 and Nikon 1 will be able to handle that no problem; heck nearly all digital cams will be able to handle that.

I feel a bit guilty about bringing the Pentaxes along, or to be more precise, about leaving them behind. They're both great cameras but a luxury for this project. I guess that it's one of those things where if you've got a big bag you'll be sure to fill it. I think I'll bring out the FA43 today; that lens needs a workout...

The Day in Which a Panasonic LX7 and Pentax Q Pretend That They are GoPros

I brought a Panasonic LX7 and a Pentax Q to a recent automotive press event where I got to test drive a number of electric and hybrid cars (along with some hooning in a Miata and wicked looking matte grey Hyundai Veloster Turbo). A Nissan GTR, Chevy Camaro Hot Wheels Edition, Cadillac CTS-V and a passel of Rolls Royce and Jaguar convertibles where also on hand but I avoided driving them. Ignorance is bliss, right?

Panasonic LX7 Goes to Lunch

Went to lunch recently with a group of folks from SeriousCompacts.com and had a fun time chatting about gear. I haven't done a lot of meetups with people that I know online, but the ones that I have done have been generally good. Having a common interest always helps to get semi-strangers talking.

Here's what I wrote about the meetup on SeriousCompacts.com. I'll plagiarize myself to make it easier!

Streets of Chinatown NYC (Panasonic LX7 et al.)

Panasonic LX7 with the Pentax K-5 + FA43 thrown in for good measure. I also brought the Pentax Q but the LX7 got the bulk of the workout. The Panny's fast zoom makes it well suited to street work, from a fast and wide 24mm F1.4 to a still fast telephoto 90mm F2.3 that lets me reach across the narrow streets of Chinatown for candid shots:

Self Portraits

Self Portrait in Red

Pentax Q with 01 Prime

Head in the Clouds (But Not Quite Magritte)

Panasonic LX7

Self Portrait on the Train

Panasonic LX7