From around April 2004 right up to 14th July 2018 I only used two
cameras to take all the images on this site. The first was an
Epson and the second was the Canon G7. The Epson was pretty much
responsible for the bulk of the main site that you see using the
old 'Sterling Board' bench .. ie the brown background pics. These
were taken from 2004 to 2014. The camera finally died when the
battery connectors fully broke off. It was a sad day. I have
replaced the camera with another matching version but the images
are too small for the modern format. Also I could only take 11
pictures at a time before the memory ran out. Seriously.
Enter the Canon G7 which I hated. Not as much as the Lumix but I
seriously hated the thing. It has a very strange focussing problem
where on macro it will blur almost everything outside of a 50mm
radius. I have got so angry with the camera. However, when it does
take a good picture it is good. Just takes a lot of effort.
Sadly the camera suffered badly from my butter fingers. The first
when I lowered the camera too quickly and took off the end lens
cap while photographing an A1000. The second wrote the thing off
when I placed the camera on an extended tripod behind me while
I adjusted the contents of an A500 pack. Sadly I turned forgetting
it was there and knocked the thing over. The lens literally
jammed into the camera and there is a noise inside of some loose
bits. Suffice to say she was busted.
So I was forced to use the Lumix from 14th July 2018 and I guess
I have been pretty critical of the crappy rubbish camera since I
bought the thing from Jessops back in 2010. It's just so dull and
lifeless. Only the Epson brought out the rich colours in subjects.
Anyway, you may have noticed I have been playing with video. I have
been threatening for some time to open a YouTube account and upload
some stuff. So I've been having a go. To be honest not an enjoyable
process and so far has been about as much fun as levelling my Mystic
in Tera. I am guessing the whole street knows I am not a happy bunny.
The other day I opened a couple of images taken with the Canon and
I just was amazed at the clarity. The camera was a gift from work
when I left and it's like £700/£800 new. It is quite heavy and the
controls are rugged and well made. Unlike the Lumix which are crap.
So taken was I by the quality of the images I decided to have a look
on Ebay. Many of the G7s were still quite expensive though I found
one with an opening bid of £45. So I watched it. Unfortunately I was
caught up in some heavy Basilisk fighting in Tera and missed the
auction. It didn't sell so I made them an offer of £50. They didn't
respond.
The camera was put back up for auction and amazingly I won it for £45.
It arrived today and other than needing a clean it works perfectly.
It came with all the paperwork, memory card, two batteries and wires
cables and charger. Trust me when I say I have paid like £30 for one
of these batteries in the past. So I was well happy. When I slipped
in my original memory card from the busted Canon, on the card were
the last pictures I took at 12.45 on 14th July 2018.
Time to check this baby out. Given the theme of the drives on Amigas
following the blog I did on the Checkmate, I took both the Lumix and
the Canon to two of my 500 workstations and took pictures of the
kit and video.
The results were a little disappointing. I was able to score better
video with the Canon cus of shutter speeds but sadly the loss in
sharpness was poor. Less scan lines but poor quality. The bigger issue
was the size of the video and format. Dreadful. Sadly the Lumix was
even worse... to the point of being unusable. And with so little
way to vary the shutter speed made it useless.
Next up, I took a simple picture. The Canon had the same issues of
Macro focus area and lost the battle to the Lumix. However where the
Canon wins hands down is in the close up work. I am able to literally
touch the subject with the lens and still get a fantastic high def
picture. Nothing beats it.
And so what to do ? Well I am minded now to try and play the computers
through a source and record the signals direct to video. YES !! video.
This is a retro thing in the end. I'm not going to bother with YouTube
and will kinda put the video onto the back-burner. I am happy I got a
replacement for the Canon anyway, and will probably glass case it.
I have included the images of the new and busted Canon G7 plus some
samples of the videos which were less than satisfactory. The two 500s
vary insomuch that one is using an XT 590 running 1.3 and the other
is an XT 590 running 3.1 on the 3.1 ROM from a 500. Just watch how
quick that 500 runs OS3.1 on an XT hard drive. Amazing really. I
also include an image from the last time the old Canon was used.
All good fun. Like so many things here I never give up on the kit.
I always knew I would replace the camera. Stuff just has to work
here or it's just sad. And I can't be having that.
V I D E O S
Lumix - A590 1.3 booting and wider video of same.
Dreadful Lumix Workbench - Almost as bad from the Canon
Lumix - A590 3.1 booting - Plus Lumix Workbench screen
More 'Canon' Fodder
The perils of retro photography.
Enter the replacement.
Excellent close-up images.
The last images taken with the old camera
before it got destroyed ... by me !!
Lumix photograph.
Canon photograph.
Anyway I'll stay with the Lumix.
Useless load of junk. Bit like this Win7
machine that I have been using every day
since Feb 2011 and which I repaired Feb 2017
cus I couldn't live without it. But still a
load of junk. Rubbish. Or not !!
