Waterfront Night Market

Toronto has many food related events throughout the year.  Probably the largest of these events, is the Taste of Danforth, spanning many streets on Danforth for more than a mile.  And then there is Taste of Little Italy, Taste of Little India, and many others, including those in the Chinatowns. The Waterfront Night Market started five years ago by T&T supermarket, hosted on its parking lot at the Cherry Street store. This event draws a large crowd every year, and unlike other events, this one is three days long starting on Friday and ends on Sunday. It has been a nightmare for me each year because we shop there every Saturday and during this festival, finding a parking space is next to impossible.

My son Ryan joins the Lion Dance club at school and they performed the lion dance there yesterday. I went there a bit early to take some pictures before picking him up.  Even at near midnight, there was still a lot of people. The most distinctive food, either you hate it, or you love it, is the smelly tofu. In the the first year the smell almost knocked me out. I have heard of smelly tofu but actually smelling it is something completely different. I find the smell offensive to my nose, but I am sure many would consider it a delicacy. Oh well, horses for courses.

The Night Market is more than just food. There is live music performances, rides for kids, and many other happenings. It's good fun for the whole family, if you can stand the smelly tofu, which followed me everywhere I went.

All pictures below were taken with the Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 & Sony A7.

Cooking up a storm - Sony A7 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2. click for larger.

Recording a concert - Sony A7 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2. click for larger.

Corn Dogs - Sony A7 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2. click for larger.

Lights - Sony A7 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2. click for larger.

Sweeter than first love - Sony A7 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2. click for larger.

Squids on skewers - Sony A7 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2. 

Sony A7 - First Impression, Part II

Handling

The A7 is a big improvement from the NEX-6; it feels more substantial and the larger body of the A7 is actually welcomed, since it helps with a better grip on my hand. The addition of the front scroll wheel is definitely a plus.  With AF lenses, it can be used to select the aperture, and when set to Shutter Speed priority, it can be used to control the shutter speed, with both AF and manual focus lenses.  As I said before, the exposure compensation dial doesn't really need to be there; it's kind of redundant. Physically, I like the A7 much better than the NEX-6, but there are somethings that I like better on the NEX.

The magnifier button (C2) is at the same location as is on the Olympus E-M5's Playback button, which I really hate. I can not magnify the picture without using both hands, because the button is too far from my thumb without loosen my grip on the camera.  On the NEX-6, I can program the ENTER button to enlarge the picture, which I can operate with one hand and it works perfectly.

The Live-view magnify feature now takes two button pushes to activate, instead of one on the NEX-6. This is similar to how the the Olympus E-M5 works. It makes no sense to me.  If I want to magnify the area I am focusing on, I want it magnified when I push the button, not to select the area I want to focus first, because I almost always use the centre position.  Besides, I can still move the magnified area if I need to. It is possible that I haven't setup the camera correctly.

These two issues are my biggest complaint so far. I can live with them, but it sometimes drives me crazy.

Lawn Chair - Sony A7 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 @ f1.2. Click for larger.

Your Favourite Photography Place

While reading Thom Hogan's description of his current picture on his bythom.com site, and I can't help but smile.  I think most people have favourite objects/place/person etc to photograph, but don't even know or think about it. I have a few favourite places that I take pictures of whenever I go there. I am sure you see recurring pictures of the same place often in my blog.  One particular place I always seem to have an urge to photograph is the front garden across from my sister-in-law's house. I often have to pickup/drop off her kids for swimming/music lessons, and when I do, I usually bring my camera with me, in case the lighting is good.

The garden is not just wonderful to look at, but  is also harmonious with its environment. The choice of tree, shrubs, flowers, etc, arranged in a way that reflects the beauty of the changing seasons.

I am particularly attracted to the white birch.  The bark, with interesting texture, often peels and curled, creating shapes, when combined with the light, that just makes me get out of the car to photograph it. Next to the tree is an old garage with rusty sheet metal on the outside. From certain angles and lighting conditions, they look so good together. The interesting thing is that it looks different depending lighting and season, so even though I have photographed it many times, I still find that I haven't photographed it enough :)

White Birch - NEX-6 & AM [Ross Xpress] 5 inch f4 @ f4. Click for larger.

Winter Colours - Panasonic G1 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 @ f2. Click for larger.

Curled Bark - Sony NEX-5N & Schneider-Kreuznach Componon 50mm f4. click for larger.

Canon nFD 50mm f1.2L Samples

The Canon New FD (nFD) mount 50mm f1.2L is slightly larger and heavier than the normal, non-L, nFD 50mm f1.2 (see picture below). It's very well built and you know and feel the quality workmanship by holding it in your hand. I shot a few pictures with it this morning and I am quite satisfied with it. Not really a huge difference between this and the non-L nFD 50mm f1.2; if there is, you would have to pixel peek to death to find it. I promise, if I find the time and will myself to the task, I will do a comparison of the two lenses.

Three brothers - nFD 50mm f1.2L [left], nFD 50mm f1.2 [middle], and nFD 50mm f1.4 [right]

Size comparison. Click for larger

Crossing. shot through windshell - NEX-6 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2L @ f1.4. Click for larger 

Streetcar - NEX-6 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2L @ f1.4

Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 - A Couple of Low Light Samples

There are many versions of the Canon manual focus lenses that have the f1.2 maximum aperture.  I have the FL 58mm f1.2, FL 55mm f1.2, FD 55mm f1.2 and the New FD 50mm f1.2.  The later versions of the lens are optically better.  The nFD 50mm f1.2 is slightly better than the old FD 55mm f1.2 S.S.C in wide apertures, but the nFD version is much smaller and lighter with a 52mm filter thread versus the FD 55mm f1.2's 58mm.

The nFD 50mm f1.2 is what I have been using.  Love its superb optics and the small size and well built quality.  It's a lens great in day time but designed for, and excels at, low light situations.  Of the couple dozen or so lenses in the 50mm focal length, this is the lens I like to use the most in recent times.  Wish I could get my hands on a nFD 50mm f1.2L or the 55mm f1.2 Aspherical.  Those two should be even better optically, but I have never used them, unfortunately.  

Allen Gardens at night - NEX-6 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 @ f1.4, ISO 3200. Click for larger.

Lamp Post - NEX-6 & nFD 50mm f1.2 @ f1.4, ISO 1600

The Camera Pricing War Continues

I just checked Henry's Camera, one of Canada's largest photo retailer, and it has lowered the price of the Olympus OM-D EM-5 to $1100CAD with the 12-50mm kit lens.  That's $200 less than what it was few days ago.  As for the Sony NEX-6, it's now $50 less at $950 with the 16-50mm kit lens.  The difference between the two systems is only $150.  I am pulled to the EM-5 because of the in-body stabilization, but I love the larger sensor of the Sony NEX-6, and it's cheaper.  Decisions, decisions!

Colours in Winter - Panasonic G1 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 @ f2. Click for larger.

 

Camera Pricing

It seems to me that most of the camera prices are dropping.  Is it just me, or camera manufacturers are facing some real tough times that people are not willing to spend too much on cameras?  I don't know about others, I was very excited to see camera makers introduce new lenses, and then the unbelievably high prices that immediately damp that excitement.  Most of Canon's new lens prices are way out to lunch.  Every time they have a replacement for an existing lens, the price sometimes doubles that of what the current lens sells.  I am sure there are improvements, but does that warrant such price increases?  For me, I will just use my existing lenses, or get alternative third party equivalents.

One exception is Sigma.  Sigma produces some very good, but reasonably priced lenses.  One example is the new 35mm f1.4 lens.  If I had a need for a fast 35mm lens, I would not think twice buying the Sigma 35mm f1.4, which is in many ways better than the equivalent lenses from the big guns, at half the price.  

To some degree, the camera are facing similar market pressure.  With ever shorter product cycles, most of the cameras produced in the last few years are not that much different in terms of image quality.  They are still excellent today.  Shelling out a thousand bucks or more to replace one that still works perfectly is a tough choice.

For me personally, I will buy a new camera at the end of the year, but that's probably going to last me at least two to three years, unless something revolutionary happens.  I have my eye set on the Sony NEX-6, but if the price comes down on the OM-D EM-5, or the Fuji XE-1, I will have a tougher time deciding.

Ornaments - Panasonic G1 & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 @ f1.2. Click for larger.

Happy Halloween

This year's Halloween falls on a weekday, and a very rainy and cold day at that.  Consequently, not many kids were out trick or treating. Despite the bad weather, Megan and William did go out and had lots of fun and yummy candies for dad :)

House - NEX-5N & Canon new FD 50mm f1.2 @ f1.2. Click for larger

Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 - A New Favourite

Ceremic thingy -- NEX-5N & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2

After having my Canon nFD 50mm f1.2's stuck aperture fixed, I never really compared it to older brother, the FD 55mm f1.2 S.SC for image quality purposes.  But, as I use the nFD 50mm f1.2 more, I have grown to like it more then the 55mm f1.2 as a picture taking lens.  The 50/1.2 is smaller, lighter and optically slightly better wide open at f1.2.  It's really not much bigger than the nFD 50mm f1.4.  Like the 55mm f1.2 S.S.C, this one has the same beautiful picture rendering and bokeh.  I can't imagine what the FD 50mm f1.2L or the FD 50mm f1.2 Aspheric would be like.  If they are better than the vanilla nFD 50mm f1.2 then there is not much improvement on the EF 50mm f1.2L.

Megan -- NEX-5N & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2.

Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 and Its Siblings - Size Compared

Canon f1.2 Standard Lens Family - Picture taken with Panasonic G1 & Kit Lens

It seems, that newer lenses tend to be smaller for the same aperture, as seen above, but this does not apply to auto focus lenses.  The EF 50mm f1.2L is significantly larger and heavier, but I forgot to include it in the picture for size comparison.  The biggest and heaviest one is the FD 55mm f1.2 SSC, then the FL 55mm f1.2.  The nFD 50mm f1.4 is very slightly smaller than its f1.2 sibling.  Both the nFD lenses look very similar and the build and construction is nearly identical.  Both share the same 8-blade aperture.

If just for the look and feel, the 55mm f1.2 SSC is my favourite.  It's a big chunk of glass for a 50mm lens.  So far, I like the lens, but it's many times more money than the nFD 50mm f1.4, which I have used and like a lot.  If you are not addicted to f1.2, I would recommend either the nFD 50mm f1.4 or the FD 50mm f1.4 SSC.  Both are great and very sharp lenses.

Music Stand -- NEX-5N & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2 @ f1.2

Ryan

Ryan - NEX-5N & nFD 50mm f1.2 @ f1.2

Took some more shots with the Canon nFD 50mm f1.2, but haven't really done any real comparisons.  From what I can tell, image quality is similar to the 55mm f1.2 S.S.C.  In other words, it's usable for most situations but needs at least a stop down to be tack sharp.  I took a pictures of the the nFD 50mm f1.4, nFD 50mm f1.2, 55mm f1.2 SSC and the FL 55mm f1.2 as a size comparison.  Will post it tomorrow.

Winter in the City

Streetcar in the snow -- NEX-5N & Canon nFD 50mm f1.2

Today we have finally had a more winter like day with some snow.  It wasn't bad, but was the most amount of snow we have had so far in Toronto.

Finally got the Canon new FD 50mm f1.2 fixed.  It had a stuck aperture.  I intend to complete the collection of all the f1.2 Canon manual focus standard lenses.  So far, I have the FL 58mm f1.2, FL 55mm f1.2, FD 55mm f1.2 SSC and the newly fixed nFD 50mm f1.2.  I think there are two more: 55mm f1.2 Aspherical, and the 50mm f1.2L.  These latter two happen to be the most expensive and sought after versions of the fast low light lenses. My favourite so far is the 55mm f1.2 SSC, but I haven't really done any comparisons with the nFD 50mm f1.2.  Hope it will be better than the 55mm SSC, as it's a lot smaller and lighter.