Picked up my new camera today....a GF1

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I'd add the caveat that I haven't quite figured the manual focusing out with it yet.
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Too late just ordered it from SpeedG.

It is many many years since I last got excited about a development in photography but this interchangeability re 4/3 is certainly causing a tingle in parts long forgotten. :)

Brian.
 
zoidberg said:
im West, in what was called the "Bradford retirement village" otherwise known as Morecambe.
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Ah, Bradford by the Sea! All the work trips from Bradofrd went to Morecambe, hence the nickname, and probably why so many Bradfordians retired there. I think a lot of Bradford children were evacuated there during the war too.
 
BrianT said:
Too late just ordered it from SpeedG.
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:D

BrianT said:
It is many many years since I last got excited about a development in photography but this interchangeability re 4/3 is certainly causing a tingle in parts long forgotten. :)
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Don't tell my wife Brian, but I'm more excited about my GF1 than I was about my D3.

As soon as I uploaded some photos I knew that it was a good, but the real surprise was just how good the images and videos were on my brother-in-law's 60" Plasma/LCD TV. Stunning is the only word I can use to describe them, even close up.
 
Barney

Re MF. I note that the new firmware 1.1 helps with manual focus, pity is I haven't got a clue what firmware is, let alone getting it and what to do then.

On this digital thing. I bought my camera on the 8th of Dec only to find that it was already 2 weeks out of date the firmware update was announced on 25th Nov...............was I sold old stock, should I ring one of these no pay no fee claims people :)


Brian.
 
A couple of things annoy me about manual focus.

I'd like to be able to select different focus points rather than just move the point about, I'd like a "home position" button and I'd like to be able to both move the focus point and access ISO, WB etc with the directional control's without having to dive into the menu and disable focus point movement.

All doable through firmware I'd have thought.

Brian, wont your friendly local shop change the firmware for you?
 
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BrianT said:
Re MF. I note that the new firmware 1.1 helps with manual focus, pity is I haven't got a clue what firmware is, let alone getting it and what to do then.
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I'll have a look at the firmware issue. It could be that I can odwload it to a memory card from whihc you can update your camera too.

BrianT said:
On this digital thing. I bought my camera on the 8th of Dec only to find that it was already 2 weeks out of date the firmware update was announced on 25th Nov...............was I sold old stock, should I ring one of these no pay no fee claims people :)
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I'd sue if I were you, and add the mental anguish you've endured without the additional benefits the new firmware would have given you (no I don't know what they are either!)
 
I'll have a look at the firmware issue. It could be that I can odwload it to a memory card from whihc you can update your camera too.
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I've actually got as far as downloading it onto a card. But at that stage the instructions appear to disappear. Maybe it's so simple none are needed, maybe it's fool proof...............great I've got news for them.

Re the TV.

GF1-card-loaded into 37" Panasonic TV- Photographed GF! great. The slight sort of Moire pattern in the light tones is'nt discernable when viewing the screen, I reckon it's something to do with the 100 Hertz refresh rate and the shutter speed. Remember in the old days of film and photographing 625 lines........1/15th of a second for a full scan if I remember correctly..

P1000291.jpg




No I have only been into my local camera shop to chat up the assistants.......but there's a thought. " How about me takinig you out, we could talk about your firmware.........or mine. ;)

Pete, Well done.. Which lens did you go for? Your waiting for your camera me for the adapter.................why do I have to keep altering my spelling of adaptor........er.

Brian
 
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BrianT said:
Pete, Well done.. Which lens did you go for? Your waiting for your camera me for the adapter.................why do I have to keep altering my spelling of adaptor........er.
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I went for the 20mm Brian, should suit as I normally carry my D700+50mm but I'm after something more lightweight and a little less in your face for day to day use.

Pete
 
icecavern said:
I went for the 20mm Brian, should suit as I normally carry my D700+50mm but I'm after something more lightweight and a little less in your face for day to day use.
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Pete, you'll love the 20mm lens on the GF-1. My only gripe is that there is no way of setting focus manually based on a distance scale. If this could be fixed in a firmware upgrade I'd be as happy as a pig in muck.
 
My only gripe is that there is no way of setting focus manually based on a distance scale
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I expect it's me being thick but why should you want to do that? The only reason I can think of is for scaling an object i.e. in Photo Recce/ Survey, but then you would need an altimeter and the camera would be fixed focus so that doesn't work ....Sorry previous incarnation. So come on....tell, put me out of my misery.

Pete I think you might fall for the 20mm, mine is permanantly stuck on f1.7 depth of field there just suits me.Mind you being a Leica user for many years I believe that lenses should be used wide open, why pay a premium then not use it.

Brian
 
For street photography. Simply to set the aperture to say f:8, manually focus at 2-3 metres and shoot away, either from the hip, the chest to to the eye safe in the knowledge that the subject will be in focus thanks to the depth of field afforded. It's not a deal breaker, but it would be nice.
 
Can't you auto focus on your chosen distance and then flip the A/F button to manual thus locking the focus? O.K you haven't got a distance scale but if you remember Blue Peter you will be able to overcome that with a bit of double sided sticky tape.. :)

I have re-read this post and suddenly thought senility has indeed caught me up. I must be getting something tangled because ,whats wrong with setting the camera to manual, focussing on your chosen distance and just leaving it ?

I still reckon the little man inside the camera can twirl the focussing ring faster than I can guess the distance.

Brian.
 
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You're right, of course, Brian, but focus rings get knocked etc etc. I have though about marking the lens in some non destrcutive way, but then I thought, 'wouldn't it be easier to have distance scale built in?'
 
Nah, come on..................Blob of Blue Tack.

but focus rings get knocked etc etc.
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Sorry I thought you came from Harrogate, not Barnsley.

Brian ( Eagerly awaiting postie................knowing the Xmas frenzy is going to upset the schedule................BAH Humbug).:thumbsdown:
 
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BrianT said:
Graham


Re cases I think this one is for me. Genuine leather and made in Dudley, £54, one third of Luigie's price. The colour shown is the one I shall order but others are available for the less flambouyant :)

BgHOLZgmkKGrHqEH-DUEsJj-1lbvBLEtkuV.jpg
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:thinking:

I'm pretty sure if it could talk that case would sound more like Jackie Chan than Lenny Henry :naughty:

Having been involved in the leather trade, I can tell you there's a huge difference between HK and Italian leather goods, so the extra £30 for a Luigi case ($140 or £86 looks to be the potential price for his "economy" case) would be money well spent imho.
 
NorthernNikon said:
Pete, you'll love the 20mm lens on the GF-1. My only gripe is that there is no way of setting focus manually based on a distance scale. If this could be fixed in a firmware upgrade I'd be as happy as a pig in muck.
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Well it looks like I'll have to wait to play with the new toy. I didn't select delivery to my work address ( the main reason for using WHE is they do ship here ) so it's going home. Assuming my wife isn't in then that means a trip to the sorting office in the morning :( Bugger...
 
Barney in another place I see you are speaking to Damien. He reports going to Panasonic re providing a square fomat on his GF1, it already has it.



Brian
 
BrianT said:
Barney in another place I see you are speaking to Damien. He reports going to Panasonic re providing a square fomat on his GF1, it already has it.
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Brian, he's talking about the G1 not the GF1. Seeing as the GF1 has it I don't think that it would too much of a stretch for Panasonic to update the firmware on the other micro four thirds models that don't have this feature.
 
I can tell you there's a huge difference between HK and Italian leather goods
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Of course you are right but as it was coming from Dudley I thought it would be British...........................perhaps it's not.

Re the price, when I asked him he said " about £150"
 
Wrong again Tompkins, 100 lines or a smack on the wrist.:)

But of more importance, where's the b*******y postman.

Brian.
 
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BrianT said:
Of course you are right but as it was coming from Dudley I thought it would be British...........................perhaps it's not.

Re the price, when I asked him he said " about £150"
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Do an international search on Ebay, Brian and you'll see the exact same pictures, with a different watermark, on at least one HK seller's listings ;)
 
Brian, have you checked your order on SpeedGraphic's website? Though I paid for next day delivery, they didn't dispatch it straight away. Rather annoyingly they had taken my card number down incorrectly and rather than call me to check it just left it.
 
How do I check the order Barney they didn't give me a number?

Brian.
 
Just checked, I didn't pay extra so no doubt it will be here before Xmas. Might as well go down the pub.

Brian.
 
BrianT said:
How do I check the order Barney they didn't give me a number?
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Ah. I logged in to the website, I must have registered and bought it on there. You'll just have to do it the old way and give them a call. I had to ring them anyway as the website wasn't letting me log in.
 
OK so it's here :)

Very nicely put together piece of kit. Going to take a bit of getting used to, haven't even figured out how to change the file mode to save RAW files yet :LOL:

Pete
 
Press the Menu Button, go to the Record Menu, down to Quality and select RAW (or RAW / JPG)

Job Done (y)
 
Press the Menu Button, go to the Record Menu, down to Quality and select RAW (or RAW / JPG)
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Or, click the "quick menu button, couple of clicks on the dial.............job's done.

I find little more than the " Quick Menu" is needed.

Brian.
 
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So, the postie came bearing the Novaflex. Nicely made, although it should be at the price Initial thoughts? Not sure.............the 12-24mm Nikkor above looks alright but in my ignorance I thought the Novaflex would take a G lens . I asked the man and he said it would, well it does.............at minimum aperture, I could live with maximum. This goes for the 18-50mm f2.8 both pretty much re-dundant. The 50mm and 85mm Nikkors are D lenses therefore alright but...............focussing is a bit of a pain, no, it is a big pain O.K. And note I haven't mentioned the terrible focussing rings on tyhe D lenses yetThen the manual lenses are a bit bulky and rather take away the very idea of small 4/3 format.. only had a 15 min play but I am coming to the conclusion that this camera with non dedicated lenses is great as a plaything, don't get me wrong-I love it and after Xmas the Nikons will probable be kicked into touch.

What this camera is crying outfor is a 12-50mm F2 to the same quality as the 20mm then we could also stop worrying.

Brian.

Brian.
 
No offence meant...but good God.:LOL:

The camera+20mm f1.7 seems just about right to me.;)
 
Thought I'd got myself a nice xmas prezzy til the OP pulled out of the sale without so much as an apology or explanation :(

Bah, Humbug!
 
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