Belated Seasons Greetings

Early Morning - 20mm f5.6 1/3200 @ ISO 100

Well it has been exactly one month since my last post. I certainly do have some catching up to do. I wish I could say it was because I was off on some exotic vacation but that simply isn't so. The truth is I have just been very busy and directed much of my free time towards enjoying the company of those dear to me. All in all it was a wonderful, relaxing holiday season.

I had an excellent christmas this year not only because it is always great to get some real time to kick it with my family but also because despite a rather dry winter, we got snow on Christmas morning. To add to it all Santa read up on his camera gear this year.

As of this season, I have am a proud member of an up and coming camera system. No, I haven't gone to the dark side...(cough, CANON!). Although, I would love a 5D mk II but shh, don't tell anyone! After much reading/lusting/deliberation I came to the conclusion that while the micro four thirds (M43) cameras may not be quite there yet, I simply couldn't help myself. The portability, superiority over traditional digital compacts, and the adaptable mount. The possibilities seem endless. Not to mention that fact, that even if the GF1 isn't the perfect solution, I feel the glass is here to stay. I looked long and hard between the GF1, the Olympus EP1, and even the newer EP2. I scoured rumor forums in attempt to glean whether something newer and further improved was imminent. Still the GF1 seemed to reign in as an excellent piece of hardware. As with any new endeavor, the m43 system is not perfect and more than that, still quite expensive in relation to the DSLR market. Not having a lot of money was certainly the only factor holding me back.

Well my loved ones did it for me. And I have to say I'm extremely impressed! I'm thrilled! While these little cameras definitely have some kinks to be worked out and by no means replace the DSLRs in terms of quality, they open all kinds of new doors in the world of photography, not imaginable since the invention of the 35mm rangefinder!

I have a lot of posting to do and catching up in terms of promised comparisons, some of which will be largely aided by the GF1. And I plan on going into more depth/practicality discussion over the GF1 in my next post. Because, to be quite honest, this camera has been out for some time. This blog isn't about the newest and latest and greatest. I couldn't afford that, haha! It is just someone else's point of view and hopefully supplementary to what you have already read.

Below are just a few examples I have made thus far with the Panasonic GF1 and the 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens. They have been bumped a tad with some curves and a bit of saturation as I find when I post these to the web, they are significantly desaturated. All were shot in .jpg as well as mostly on aperture priority and auto ISO.

Ashley - 20mm f1.7 1/60 @ ISO 640

Frost - 20mm f/4.0 1/1600 @ ISO 100

Jana - 20mm f1.7 1/60 @ ISO 800