Review of the book Understanding Exposure by Bryan F. Peterson.
Book review
Understanding exposure by Bryan F. Peterson
The title of this book is well chosen as it is all about exposure. So for a beginner to photography I would not recommend this as a general introduction to photography, but if you have been shooting for some time and want to take a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of exposure, this is the book.
One of the things that I learned from this book is not to be afraid of closed down apertures. Bryans range for “normality” was way into my range of extreme apertures, so I have really had to work with my own convictions here. Another takeaway is how much you can do with the white balance on your camera – here I think the book (just look at the cover) gave me some insights that gave me appetite to try a different mode than auto white balance on my camera.
Bryan has several mottos, of which “you keep shooting” is one. I think he here refers to the fact that experience and persistence is key to becoming a better photographer. Another motto is “shoot the adjective, not the noun” and here asks us to look not only at the subject but also what works with the subject, for example background or the way light is shaped on its way through a fence.
I can recommend this book – not as your first buy – but certainly as one of your more advanced books. I did not find this to be an easy read, but certainly a rewarding one, if you really dig in. If you don’t feel like buying this book, try following Bryan on Instagram – he really gives some good insights to “behind the scenes” for the images he posts.
The title is very precise when it comes to this book: photo basics. It is an introduction to the basics of photography, but a very good one, probably one of the best I have read. It strikes a very good balance between covering all aspects of the basics without diving into too much detail. However, this does not imply that it is only a book about basics – there is information for both the beginner and more advanced photographer, but it is also a condensed reading, so you may want to revisit some sections several times.
The book is divided into two parts: the basics and practicing the basics, with these two parts evenly split across the 254 pages. The book is packed with beautiful photos, and there are tips and challenges for both the beginner and the more advanced photographers.
Joel’s motto is “if it is not working for you, it is working against you” – an advice related to what you decide to put in your frame. I find that what Joel has put in this book is all working for me as a photographer, and hence I can recommend this book wholeheartedly. If I was new to photography and could only buy one book, this would be the one.
At 199 USD this is certainly one of the more affordable video lights. I do have to admit that COLBOR sent me this product for review, but they did not put any constraints on me or what I write in this review!
The build quality is not up there with the high end models, but as long as it gets the job done, I have no complaints. The buttons and dials actually feels ok.
Use
In terms of ease of use a video light is not that complicated – the COLBOR comes with a large centered dial to control the strength of the light – push it inwards once and it now controls the lights Kelvin value (warm vs cold), hit it again and you are back to controlling the strength of the light. The Kelvin steps are 10 and the power % steps are 5. You have a to turn a lot to go from one end of the Kelvin scale to the other, but I seldom do that, so steps of 10 is just fine for me.
In addition to the center dial, there is the on/off button, a mode selector, a group selector and a fan option.
The rear controls on the COLBOR CL100 Video light.
The dials on the back of the COLBOR CL100If you hold the mode selector for 3 seconds the COLBOR will enter boost mode, and for 60 seconds give you more light (120%) at the expense of running the fan at full throttle. Push the mode selector briefly and it toggles between different effects: candle, bonfire, blinking, faulty bulb, flashing and lightning. I never use any of these effect modes – if I would, I think the lightning mode is probably the most relevant as a “party trick” light.
The group selector toggles from A to E and is probably only relevant if you have more lights than one. I did not use it. And then you have the fan options to the very right – either SMART or QUIET. Strangely, I found the smart one to be the most quiet one. In general, and this is super important to me, the fan of the COLBOR is very quiet. I cannot count how many times the fan has been picked up by the microphones and I have had to edit that out in post. Not with the COLOB and that is a huge plus if you ask me!
The COLBOR mounted with my trusty soft box from Godox
I was happy to see that the COLBOR comes with a standard reflector mounted with Bowens mount. This enables me to re-use all the light modifiers I have on stock, as Bowens for me is the standard interface for light modifiers.
A shoot through umbrella.
Also, there is the option to mount an umbrella on the COLBOR as an alternative light modifier. It all works very well.
COLBOR CL100 remote control.
Currently the COLBOR comes with a remote control, and I find that it works really well. An app to replace the remote control is work in progress at the time of writing this review, so you may find that the remote is no longer supplied when you decide to order. I did tell myself that I would not be too lazy to get up and go over and adjust the light, but alas! I ended up using the remote anyway – it is very convenient, and then you just have to be a bit more active in the Gym to compensate.
Some may miss batteries if you plan to go outside for a shoot. I don’t – I stay indoor when it comes to video with light! You can get the COLBOR in an alternative version with batteries, so check that one out if batteries is important to you.
Power and warmth
I have a small studio that measures 3×4 meters and I find the COLBOR delivers sufficiently light for my purpose. My only wish is that I could have more lights to make cross light effects…
Sufficient power for my needs – here at 100%
In terms of Kelvin values, the COLBOR gives full range from 2700K to 6500K and does so with same light intensity. I have some LED panels that can only give full throttle when in the middle of the Kelvin scale; whereas the end of the spectrum they only yield half of that. Not with the COLBOR – same power irrespective of the Kelvin value – great!
Conclusion
What I like
The price
Sufficient power output
Constant power throughout the Kelvin range
The quiet fan
The Bowens interface + the umbrella mount
The convenience of the remote
That I did not pay for batteries
What I did not like
The effect modes – I have no use for these
The build quality (but factor in the price here!)
I have only had the product for a few weeks so I do not know if it will stand the test of time. So far it appears to me to be a durable product.
Review of the RAVPower PD Pioneer 2-Ports Power Bank with impressive specs.
Long name
The RAVPower PD Pioneer Power Bank actually has an even longer name: The RAVPower PD Pioneer 20000mAh 60W 2-Ports Power Bank!
The long name on the box reveals impressive specs for this no nonsense product.
And what’s in a name? Well, in this case, actually a lot! Notice the 20000mAh with can be translated to 20Ah! An impressive amount of energy, only found in batteries you would normally plug into your power tools – provided you have pro-level power tools, that is.
And further: 60 Watts! If you have ever tried to hold a light bulb back in the days long before LEDs and energy saving light bulbs were invented, you know how hot a 60 watts light bulb “classic” can get – it is an impressive amount of energy this little battery delivers!
No nonsense
4-level power indicator with blue LEDs. Here the power bank is fully charged.
The design is not very advanced: Only one button that activates the 4-LED power indicator and two connectors: USB-C and USB-A. It only comes with one short black cable for the USB-C port. The USB-C port will deliver 45 Watts when used together with the USB-A port delivering 15 Watts. If the USB-C port is used only, it will deliver up to 60 Watts using the so called PD (Power Delivery) technology! The instructions urges you only to use the supplied USB-C cable, as older cables may not be designed for as much power as the PD technology can deliver.
Two ports: USB-C and USB-A.
The power bank body design is of the no nonsense kind: a rounded black box weighing 370 grams, and with a size of 15 x 6,5 x 2,5 centimeters. (H x W x D). It is a little less than 2 iPhone 12’s on top of each other. So it fits nicely into one hand. You can also get it in white if you prefer, but that’s it!
Same height as an iPhone 12, but not as wide and approx. 2 times as deep…
Real world test
I bought this product to keep my demanding PC at work happy during the late hours of the working day. It is a Lenovo Thinkpad that requires 45 Watts power input, and it will certainly make you aware during boot if you try to feed it with anything less! Normally at 3 in the afternoon, the Lenovo battery runs flat and start to go into (intensive) power saving mode, then gives me half an hour more and dies completely. With the RAVPower attached using the USB-C connector, it keeps my PC going almost a full working day, and only towards the end of the day will the RAVPower run out, and the PC starts to make use of it’s own battery! That is truly impressive! The Lenovo charger can then stay at home, and I have the freedom to move around during the day without looking for a power plug or worry about battery depletion!
According to the marketing specs, the RAVPower can charge an MacBook Pro 13″ from 0% to 50% during an hour. I have not tested this, but I find it very likely based on my own experience with the power available in this little gadget. And with my 20 watts apple charger, I have found that in 3-4 hours the RAVPower is back from close-to-flat to fully charged.
Is it for you?
The RAVPower will set you back around 70 EUR here in Denmark, and I would imagine it can be found even less expensive in both the rest of Europe and in the US (although Amazon have removed products from RAVPower for reasons unknown to me).
I have not long term tested it and cannot say if the battery will stay fresh for many years, but the Chinese company behind RAVPower started their business based on battery technology, so I am optimistic it will stand the test of time.
So if you are in the market for a powerful no nonsense power bank , I think this option should be on your short list, if available where you live.
However, if you need more thank 2 ports, there are alternatives available with 2×2 ports, and if you need even more power, there are models with up to 26.000 mAh, but then you will also need to pay significantly more.
Thank you for reading this far! Questions and comments are more than welcome!
The Apple AirTag is as it says, a little tag that you can attach to literally anything, but most of us probably want to start with our keys. Then comes the wallet, backpack, laptop, etc. The options are endless. Thats probably why Apple offers a package of 4 with a good discount.
The leather key ring is designed to hold the AirTag and provide a key ring at the same time. It comes in many different vibrant colors, but as you can see I chose to go with a more conservative option:
Apple Leather Key Ring box to the left, Apple AirTag box to the right – combined result in the key ring in the middle.
Setup is easy
Setup is easy – hold the AirTag to your iPhone 11 or 12, and it will initiate the installation process. Select from the list of pre-defined options (in my case: keys) and you are good to go.
IPhone 12 and keys with the AirTag and Leather Key ring.
Use
The AirTag can be followed in the “Find My” app. It took me a bit to dig it out from one of the folders, as it was not an app I have used previously.
You can also just say “Hey Siri, find my keys” and it will activate sound from the AirTag and after that open the “Find My” app. It works really well.
The sound is especially useful if know the keys are close nearby, and you just forgot exactly where you left them. If distance is greater, the “Find My” app comes in handy.
The location of the AirTag is shown – the iPhone knows that it is my keys it keeps track of…
How it works
If your iPhone and the AirTag are close nearby, the the AirTag communicates with your iPhone via Bluetooth. If not, then the AirTag sends out a Bluetooth signal that can be received by Apple iPhones, iPads etc. close nearby. They listen to the Bluetooth signal, and forward the position encrypted and anonymously to you via iCloud. So provided you have “friends” nearby, the location of your AirTag can always be found. If not, then you can find the most recent location a “friend” of yours was close to the AirTag.
You can also register your AirTag as lost, and get a notification if it suddenly appears “on the grid”. It really is a clever design.
Conclusion
I cannot really find something not to like here.
Normally I find Apples prices a bit steep, but the price of 33 EUR here in Denmark seems more than fair, and you can drive the price down even further if you buy a package of 4 AirTags.
The design and ease of use is as always with Apple from the top shelf.
I cannot speak to the battery life. Apple promises that the batteries will last long as as it is an advanced version of Bluetooth that puts very little strain on the batteries, but that remains to be seen.
With regards to anonymity of the data we can only hope that Apple delivers to promise, otherwise hacking these apps would be the shoplifters dream come true! And then of course you need a lot of “friends” out there, but I guess that someone eventually will drop by your AirTag if you live in a not too desolated area of the world.
At approx. 750 EUR the Landroid M700 is certainly amongst one of the more budget friendly lawn mover robots, but will it get the job done?
Price
The Landroid M700 will set you back around 750 EUR, and hence it is one of the less expensive lawn mover robots available. You should however be aware that it comes without GPS tracking, which is an additional 200 EUR approximately. It is sold as a separate module you plug into the Landroid. You may not need it if your WIFI covers your entire lawn and if you don’t want to be able to track your Landroid, if stolen.
How it works
The Landroid needs you to install a boundary cable that defines the area in which the Landroid is to work. It is very important that you follow the installation instructions and give sufficient room between the cable and objects, as the Landroid follows the cable when it returns home to the base.
Make sure to make room between the boundary cable and objects like stones and walls – here the Landroid cannot pass the concrete block….
Compared to more expensive robots that have a so called guiding cable, which is a separate cable guiding the robot back to the base, the Landroid finds it way back to the base by searching for the boundary cable and following this counterclockwise until it is at the base. Any object along the boundary cable that stops the Landroid will be a show stopper, as the Landroid logically follows the boundary cable to find home.
Two metal arms stick out to the right hand side of the Landroid and connects to the base for charging. The green flashing light shows charging is in progress.
It is also important that the lawn is free from any obstacles like fallen down branches, apples and tools from the shed, otherwise it will impair the operation of the Landroid. This was a little new to me, it is just like having a toddler where you keep objects out of reach to avoid problems…
The Landroid has decided to battle a rake and at this point it is difficult to call a winner…
The philosophy
Maybe a big word to use about a lawn mover, but it does operate somewhat differently from the Husquarna that I also have had the pleasure to test:
First, the Landroid has only one nose wheel, and this makes it very vulnerable to holes in the lawn. I had to fix several holes that I did not know I had before the Landroid would operate without interruptions. So you may want to get a lawn mover robot with 2 nose wheels if you plan to use it in less-than-perfect lawns.
Second, the Landroid only cuts 1/2 the width of the body. You can see here in the image below that the black area is where the crass is cut (my fingers show the cut area), behind the orange area there is nothing going on! So the Landroid needs to do a lot of back and forth in order to cut the lawn, as the blade is rather small. My guess is that the advantage is that the motor is less a strain on the battery and hence the Landroid can go for much longer stints than had it needed to power the motor to drive a larger blade. And it brutally drives the battery down to 10% before returning to base – other more conservative robots do that at 30%. And the battery can be used in other power tools from Worx and the other way around. So if you have several tools from Worx, you can share battery “pool” with the Landroid.
The “mouth” where the grass is cut. It is not the full width of the robot.
Third, the designers at Worx have prioritized that the robot is not to work when it rains! I have always been told that cutting the grass in rain is a waste of time, as the grass just bends and is not cut. But the much more expensive Husquarna I have tested did not have this ability.
The Landroid comes with sensors to detect rain, and if it is working, it returns to base, and if it is about to start, you can set up how long time it should delay its work, once the rain has stopped.
The rain sensor on top of the Landroid
In contrast to the rain sensor, the cutting height cannot be controlled via an app as some of the more expensive robots offer. On the Landroid the height is controlled by a large turning knob on top of the body that determines the cutting height in mm’s. It feels a bit primitive, but when I think about how few times I have changed the cutting height, this seems to be a good place to lower the ambitions.
Cutting height is set to 50 mm here.
Operation
The Landroid is rather quiet. You can hear it working, but it is certainly not bad at all. Actually, it has several times bumped into me, as I was so absorbed in garden work that I did not hear it approaching.
The name M700 indicates that it can handle a lawn up to 700 square meters – mine is a bit smaller than that, and the Landroid seems rather relaxed maintaining the back yard of my house. In order to also handle the very small front yard that I have, I would need to install a second boundary cable, and move the robot. The front yard is simply too small for that, so my trusty old petrol driven lawn mover is still with me, and we cut the front yard in approx. 5 minutes. Notice also that the Landroid does not do corners very well, nor the area just outside the boundary wire (remember: you need some safety margin) so the good old petrol driven one also helps me out here.
The Landroid drive is pretty powerful. The two large rear wheels and a very small front wheel gives it lots of traction and it happily pushes smaller chairs around on the patio. It also detects non-movable objects such as a wall and makes recovery moves to get on with the job. In few cases have I seen the Landroid trapped, but that has been when the arms on the right hand side of the body have been caught in a branch or two, otherwise the Landroid does an pretty good job of pulling itself out of problems. But mind you that it does not like lack of space between the boundary cable and solid objects. And if holes in the lawn catches the tiny front wheel, then the Landroid gets stuck.
In terms of configuration I have simply asked the Landroid to generate a standard scheme, and made a few modifications on top of that. That works fine. You can see here in the display below that the Landroid is charging (43%) and that the schedule covers all days of the week – if no black box behind the letter of the day, then the Landroid has a day off (I’m a tough employer and it has duties all 7 days a week, but starts later in the day Saturday and Sunday).
You protect the Landroid settings with a passcode, but I am not sure how effective that is when it comes to theft – in that case you need to buy the GPS module to find your Landroid again.
The Landroid will make lines in the grass when cutting. In the image below, the morning dew clearly shows where the Landroid has been, but that quickly disappears and in general the lawn appears very neat and tidy when the Landroid takes care of it.
What is worse is that the Landroid works along the boundary cable so much that it eventually makes small tracks in the grass… Even if you ask the Landroid not to cut along the boundary wire, the Landroid will make tracks in the grass. Here I really miss the guiding cable from more expensive models…
Conclusion
What I like:
Price
Battery life / stint duration
Quiet operation
Easy setup
Good traction and trap recovery
Battery share with other Worx products
What I did not like:
Leaves tracks along the boundary cable
Does not handle corners well, nor the outside if the perimeter cable
Only one nose wheel – vulnerable to holes in the lawn
No GPS tracking (additional investment)
Vulnerable to boundary cable blunders
App does not work then WiFi coverage is missing / weak
The Fuji X-T20 is far from the latest and greatest from Fuji – the X-T30 was released in 2019, two years after the release of the X-T20. So firmware updates apart, the X-T20 is approaching it’s 5 year birthday, and in the world of technology that is simply forever! And with the X-T40 rumored for 2022, the X-T20 falls even further behind relative to the latest and greatest, not to mention the big brothers, the X-T3 and the X-T4. And that is probably also why Fuji has stopped the production of the X-T20.
So why bother with the X-T20? Well, I have 2 principles when I buy gear: I try not to buy the latest model, and I if I can, I try to get a (slightly) used copy. It’s all about budget and price/performance ratio.
Camera manufacturers will exaggerate improvements from one version to another and make it look like a revolution that will change your photography capabilities dramatically and take you to a new level. However, this is seldom the case. Camera technology evolves in fine steps, and true ground breaking cameras are seldom, more often it is minor steps like:
a bit more frames per second,
better resolution in the electronic viewfinder
slightly improved ISO performance
improved battery life
60/120 frames per second in video to replace 30/60 frames per second, etc.
But I get it – the camera industry makes a living selling new cameras. If you buy a used copy of the X-T20 over at mpb.com then Fuji makes no money from that transaction. So of course they will market the marginal improvements as giant steps, and for many professionals these minor improvements can save time and workflow, and as the saying goes: time is money, so buying the latest camera model makes a lot of sense for hard working professionals.
The Fujifilm X-T20 close up. Here in the silver version, it also comes in black.
Here in September 2021 I found a used copy of the X-T20 over at mpb.com for around 450 EUR. Compare that to a new X-T30 that Amazon.de sells for around 900 EUR. Both prices are body only. I hope that my point about (1) buying used and (2) not the latest model, makes sense now.
Why I love this little camera…
To me the Fuji X-T20 is an excellent combination of weight, size and image quality. It often competes with my Sony RX100 when I have to decide which camera to throw in my camera bag.
The Fuji is larger and more heavy than the Sony, but still small and light (830 grams body only) and it does not bother me too much when biking or hiking. If you can, see if you can get the body in combination with a kit lens, say the 18-55 mm (27-82mm full frame equivalent), and you have a really good lightweight solution. The Fuji X-T20 is a cropped sensor camera (APS-C) and I find the lenses to be really light and compact relative to full frame.
The XF 18-55mm zoom lens is an excellent first lens for the X-T20
The image quality (IQ) is really good and I find that the RAW files are of excellent quality. The 24MP sensor gives more than enough resolution. Only if you want to crop a lot, you may lack resolution, but for most 24MP is more than plenty. My trusty old Nikon D700 has 12MP and that works fine as well, just to give a reference point.
The APS-C sensor struggles in low light however – this is not a Fuji specific observation. I have had the same issue with Nikon D5600 and D7500 that are also cropped sensor cameras. For low light photography I prefer full frame and even though modern sensors can successfully crank up the ISO to compensate for lack of light to a large extend, then full frame will always come out on top. So for low light, I would not use APS-C cameras. But for just about any other situation, I find the IQ is great!
Comparing the files that comes out of the X-T20 with the ones from the X-T3, I must admit that I cannot see the difference! I think this is more a tribute to the X-T20 than it is criticism of the X-T3, as the files look great! So in terms of IQ the little X-T20 gets top score from me!
If you really want to see the RAW files shine, then give Capture One a try. I normally use Lightroom as I find the file management to be the best, but Capture One has an edge when we are talking Fuji. Some of the images – not all, but some – turn out a sharpness and contrast that I have never seen in Lightroom. I even tried to import an image in both Lightroom and Capture One, and the difference was astonishing. So if you go for Fuji, I will strongly recommend you give Capture One a try as your post editing software. Mind you however, that it is not in all images I have noticed this difference.
The ergonomics of this little camera is not fantastic, but OK. It helps a lot that it is light and small and I like it so much more than the big brother X-T3 that I found way too heavy for my liking. The X-T20 is a 3-finger-camera and you don’t need to have all of your hand engaged to feel you have control of it.
I have added a grip to the camera to improve ergonomics.
However, in order to improve the ergonomics just a bit and give me more to hold on to, I have added a grip. I also, maybe more as a gimmick, added a little red metal button on top of the camera to make it easier to switch on/off + release the shutter. It is not a must have, but a small improvement, that once you get used to it, you don’t want to go back.
Fuji is notorious for it buttons and dials that shows you the settings directly rather than some value in an LCD. I think this works fine, but also feel that this small difference from a more traditional camera is often exaggerated to a level where I think: “Hey, take it easy, it’s just a camera…”.
Shutter speed dial to the left, exposure compensation to the right.
Contrary to Sony, the menu systems are logical and well organized. And especially the quick access menu that enables you to get to some of the most frequently used parameters really works well
The Q-button over the command wheel to the right gives access to the quick menu.
Things that could be better…
Relative to the X-T3 that I have owned and sold again, the buttons and dials of the X-T20 are not as rock solid in build quality. That is what is to be expected as the X-T20 is the little brother, but going back and forth between the two, you will notice a difference. Also, the X-T20 clearly has less computing power, and to boot the camera you will notice that the X-T20 is significantly slower here. Not a big thing when you get used to it, but if these things are important to you, then you may want to look at the X-T3 or X-T4.
The rear LCD is not fully articulating…
The LCD is not fully articulating, and if you plan to use this camera for Vlogging, this could be a showstopper. Mind you that the X-T30 albeit more resolution, also does not have a fully articulating screen.
I have never missed anything when it comes to the X-T20 and auto focus. With 325 focus points I find that is more than enough for my use, but mind you that I shoot more landscapes than portraits, and for portraits eye and face recognition is vital to secure you come home with razor sharp images solely. Also, for sports and things moving fast, I would imagine the AF system in the X-T20 would struggle as the computing power is on the low end relative to more modern cameras. They do put more and more computing power into cameras these days, and the firmware updates make sure to improve the AF capabilities and use the hardware to full extend, so this is probably an area where the X-T20 will feel dated if you compare to a more modern camera.
The viewfinder is not the best I have tried – relative to the X-T3 it leaves a lot to be desired. But you will be surprised what you can get used to. And it does get the job done, but clearly the viewfinder could be better. I suspect that Fuji deliberately makes the X-T4 viewfinder so much better to give a distinct differentiation towards the X-T20 and X-T30 (+ II), but I have no evidence to back this claim.
Being the budget version of its big brother the X-T2, there is of course a number of things that you miss when using the X-T20:
The single card slot
The lack of weather sealing
The lack of a battery grip as an option
The lack of a joystick to move the focus point
Etc
But I have learned to live with these setbacks just fine. Bring an extra battery as they run down fast, wrap the camera in a plastic bag in harsh weather, use the rear LCD to move the focus point around, etc. Of course it would be ideal to have all this solved using the X-T2 or X-T3, but I am surprised how easy I find it to live without these features.
For video, I have used the X-T20 a lot, and for its age it is impressive that it gives 4K video, albeit not at the crazy high frames per second rates that are in fashion these days. I did at some point experience that the recording of image and sound got out of sync, and as I could not figure out what was wrong, I ended up not using the X-T20 for video. Also, the fact that the LCD is not fully articulating makes video framing a bit cumbersome for my video needs. So I use other cameras for video now.
Conclusion
If you are after a small and light, easy to use all round camera and you are not into low light photography or a demanding videographer, then the X-T20 in my mind is an option that should be on your short list. Find a used copy in good condition, preferably including a kit lens, and you have a combo that will give you lots of great images. The fact that it has a vintage look and that you can get leather cases that will make it look even more cool, may also fit some of the more fashion conscious. And if you decide to invest in Capture One post processing software, the image quality may sometimes go to levels new to you.
Spoiler alert: Can I recommend this lens? Yes! But the recommendation comes with 3 caveats. Let me take you through these and then review this lens with sample pictures. It will not be a scientific review with pictures of brick walls showing how soft the lens is in the corners wide open, more a does-it-yield-great-pictures kind of approach.
Nikon Nikkor 24mm f/2.8 – a gem in the Nikkor vintage lineupBuy the right used version of this lens (1/3)
The lens comes in different versions. The older ones does not have distance information (hence the name 2.8 without the D) and also the manual focus ring is very thin and plastic-ish. You can see that my 50 mm lens to the right below is the right version. The one to the left is the version you should not buy:
The Nikon 50mm to the right with the wider manual focus ring.
To my knowledge there is no major changes done to the glass from 1985 to now, so if you don’t mind the flimsy focus ring and do not miss distance information, the older ones may work well for you – bonus is that you may find a very cheap older copy on e-bay or amazon.
There is no need to buy a brand new copy of this lens. My copy is around 35 years old, and everything works like a charm and the glass is great. But make sure you check the glass well before you buy.
Make sure you need this lens (2/3)
This is a prime lens. If you plan to have the holy trinity of zoom lenses then this lens may not be for you. The 24 mm sits right between where a zoom set of lenses would shift between normal zoom and ultra wide:
The holy trinity of zoom lenses.
So you may find that the 24 mm replaces both the extremely wide zoom and the standard zoom, in which case you have saved a lot of money and weight. On the other hand, you may find that the 24 mm is an odd animal and that you prefer to use your zooms. In that case, the 24 mm probably never leaves your camera bag and is wasted. Here it comes down to personal preferences. All I ask is that you check if you think you really need this lens.
Make sure you have an AF motor (3/3)
The tin may say auto focus, the lens may say auto focus, but if you have an entry level Nikon camera, then the AF will not work. The reason you see below in the picture – Nikon D5600 on top, D7500 below:
The lens needs a motor in the camera body in order for auto focus to work.
The D7500 has an AF motor built into the body. The D5600 does not. You can see that the little split that drives the screwdriver AF mechanics is missing in the top camera. For cost saving reasons (I guess), Nikon has decided not to put AF motors in the D3x00 and D5x00 series cameras, so if you have one of these you are left with manual focus. Nothing wrong with manual focus, and maybe this will not stop you – I just point to this to avoid you get disappointed when you mount the lens for the first time.
You should also be aware that some copies have a problem with the rear glass (known as the CRC) which yields out-of-focus pictures very consistently. This could be what why this lens has received some lukewarm reviews from many respected reviewers. Make sure before you buy that your copy does not have this issue (or simply ask the seller to confirm this is not an issue). Best way to mitigate a mis-aligned CRC is to test the lens before you buy.
Specs and review
Ok, with those 3 caveats out of the way, lets look at what this lens is all about. It is an old construction, so no image stabilization and no silent AF motor built into the lens. Just good glass and a mechanical AF system.
The price I paid for my 35 year old copy was 220 EUR, but I am sure you can make a better deal if you look carefully and have a bit of patience. I bought my copy in Europe, but in my experience the prices in the US is much lower. So around 200 EUR for this gem of a lens! Notice that in this price range you also find the Samyang 14mm ultra wide lens, and it is also a great lens with lots of super positive reviews, but it is also more heavy, larger and the front glass is round, meaning that buying any kind of filter could prove to be costly. But the Samyang should definitely be on your short list of ultra wide lenses to consider, before you make your decision.
It is a relatively small lens that takes up the same space as the classic nifty fifty that I showed above. At f/2.8 it is not as fast as they come, but unless you shoot indoor in low light i doubt the 2.8 will be a problem for you. The advantage of the 2.8 is that the construction is light at 275 grams. The angle of view is 84 degrees and that is more than double the nifty fifty at 40 degrees. You can really tell the difference.
Color rendition is very much up to personal preference, but I have always been a fan of Nikon in this regard. The below pictures show a piece of art from the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art north of Copenhagen in Denmark, and the colors are reproduced exactly as I remember them. In my mind Nikons color rendition is spot on, and the 24 mm is no exception.
At 50mm
At 24mm
I have not tested the bokeh of this lens in great detail, but the example below shows that both background separation and bokeh balls are more than approved. Maybe the bokeh is a bit oval, but unless you are an enthusiastic photographer, I doubt you will ever notice:
From the shop at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
The minimal focal distance is where this lens really shines. Have a look here what you can do with this lens, where the art piece to the left is sharp and close up:
From the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
The minimal focal distance is 30 centimeters, and as you can see, you can get really close to your subject and still have it sharp:
From the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
From the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.
Another area where this lens shines how much you can include in the frame. Below an example where I have shot with both the 50 mm and the 24 mm.
50mm24mm
Wrap up
Ok, I hope the above gave you some idea about what the 24 mm lens from Nikon can do. I have not talked about distortion because these can be fixed in post, so why worry? The sharpness is great in my humble opinion, but I have only the pictures to judge from – no studies of brick walls under microscope. I think others have done that, and concluded this is a sharp lens!
So in conclusion, if you need a 24 mm in your lineup and f/2.8 does not scare you off, then the value for money you get with this little lens, makes it very easy for me to recommend this lens with the aforementioned caveats.
If you are in the market for a serious (enthusiast) camera that will deliver pictures on par with many entry level cameras but in a pocket able size, and doing do without breaking the bank? Then I think you should have the Sony RX100iii on your short list. I am not sponsored by Sony and I bought the camera myself.
The Sony next to a Nikon DSLR.
I guess we a are all looking for a good deal, and the most value for money, also when shopping camera gear. I find that the Sony RX100iii is an amazing value for money “package” and below i give you 18 reasons why this is a great pocket camera. And then some less-than-optimal features of this camera and finally my verdict after using this camera as my every-day-in-my-pocket camera for more than half a year.
Notice that the camera I review is the mark 3. It comes in later versions: Mark 4 and 5 has the same lens, whereas mark 6 has a new lens with longer zoom (and it is not so fast). Later version gives 4K, more frames per second, etc, but if you like me want to get the best value for money, the trick is to not buy the latest model, but an older model that still fits your personal preferences. So if say 4K video is important to you, the mark 3 is not the one to go for. So if you decide to go for an older camera model to get better value for money – make sure you do not compromise what is important to you. Ok, lets have a look at the mark 3…
1) Small and compact
The best camera is the one that is with you. We have all heard that statement – but although trivial, it is also very true. I throw the camera in my bicycle bag frequently, and the fact that it is light and takes up very little space, makes it an easy decision to bring it along.
The Sony RX100M3 is compact!
2) Lens cover built in – turtle mode when closed!
Maybe a small thing, but the fact that the camera has a lens cover built in and that it closes every time you shut down the camera is one of those small things that makes life with this camera so much easier. I don’t have to worry about fingerprints on the lens or what way the camera is turning when I grab it to go out the door. It is a turtle until it unfolds!
Lens cover built in!
3) Lens: It is fast!
With a minimum aperture of 1.8, this Zeiss lens is fast! Notice that the M6 version of the RX100 is at 2.8, also with a longer zoom, but it is not as fast as the M3, M4 and M5 of this camera. If you shoot a lot of available light situations with the “risk” of low light, say restaurants and other places where a flash would ruin the mood, then you will love the speed of this lens!
Ready for shooting!
4) Lens: Good all round zoom range
The lens zooms from 24 to 70 mm, and that is a classic all-round zoom range that I find is great for most situations. Maybe not shooting sports and wildlife, nor a landscape (although it has a built in panorama function), but for most other situations, the zoom range is all I need.
The Sony RX100M3 and Nikon vintage lens.
5) Lens: fast focus!
Maybe someone who has tested a lot of different AF lenses can dig out examples of lenses that focus faster than this camera does, but I must say that I am impressed, given that it is a pocket camera. I have not missed a shot due to the lack of speed in the auto focus, but of course I use this camera mainly for street photography and friends/family, so maybe I am easy to please.
6) 20 mp sensor
20 mp is a lot if resolution. It is only slightly less than Nikon’s entry level cameras D3400 and D5600 and at par with the D7500. I am impressed with the quality of the files this camera produces, both in JPG and RAW. It is truly impressive that such a small camera in terms of sensor resolution and ability to produce RAW files takes up the competition with many DSLRs and mirror-less.
Lighthouse, Langelinie, Copenhagen harbor
7) In body camera stabilization
I could simply not understand how I was able to come home with “stable” pictures shot at 1/4 of a second. That has never happened to with my DSLR – always blurry pictures! That was until I read that the RX100 has in body camera stabilization – and it works! Not that it works miracles, I can still come home with shaky pictures, but it certainly enables me to have the shutter open for longer than on my DSLR, where I would be cautious to go below 1/80. Here 1/4 is the limit in my experience.
8) Tilt screen
Camera reviewers always talk about the benefits of a tilt screen, and to be honest I think it is over rated. But I must admit that especially for shooting close to the ground, I enjoy the option to flip out the tilt screen so that I don’t have to lie on my stomach in order to see what I am shooting.
Tilt screen.
9) Viewfinder in that small camera!
I don’t know how they have managed to fit it in there, but there actually is a “pull it out manually” electronic viewfinder built into this small camera! And it is a great feature for those sunny days where the back LCD screen is of little use. Some complaint that it is a two step process to pull out the viewfinder, but I find that once you have learned it, then no problem. And the viewfinder turns off the LCD screen when you put your eye to the viewfinder – smart!
Sony RX100M3 viewfinder.
10) All the benefits of a mirror-less
You have all the benefits of a mirror-less, meaning that it is a quiet camera, you see what you get in the viewfinder prior to shooting and you have all the LCD information in the viewfinder also. I especially enjoy the level information for shooting landscapes, so I don’t have to level in post but can get it right in camera.
11) Ten (10) frames per second
This camera shoots up to 10 frames per second, and the M4 and M5 takes this even higher (24 FPS). I do not really know what you need all those FPS for in this small camera (I mainly shoot burst for wildlife with a long lens), but if you need it – there it is!
12) Consistent menus and controls
The Sony product range has as far as I can tell, consistent interfaces and menu systems across their product range. I think all Nikon and Cannon shooters that convert to Sony find the menu system terrible, but it is consistent across the product range and if you “speak Sony” then you will quickly learn how this camera works.
13) Fast startup – ready shoot!
I think the camera starts up and is ready surprisingly fast. Of course, not as fast as a DSLR where it is just a flick of a button (and where the mechanical viewfinder always works). On this camera, you have to wait for the lens to extend and the EVF to get operational, but I often find that I miss a short more because of me fumbling with pulling the camera out of my bag or pocket than the start up time.
14) ND filter
Although the ND filter “only” gives 3 stops, and maybe will not be enough for those loooong exposure where a waterfall turns silky smooth, it still comes handy when shooting into the light and the maximum shutter speed becomes a limit. Again, I am impressed that it has been possible to cram in an ND filter in this feature packaged camera.
15) Smartphone integration
Unlike the say Snapbridge software from Nikon, the software from Sony actually works every time and transfers pictures from the camera to your smartphone both fast and in a relatively user friendly way.
16) Charges via USB
Sony RX100M3 charging in camera.
You can charge the camera via mini USB, so in your car or in the office, just plug it in and it will start charging. Flashing orange light means charging – steady means done.
The camera does not come with a dedicated battery charger, which some will see this as a downside. Instead it comes with a cable and an AC adapter. As battery life is a bit shallow on most mirror-less, the option to charge in your car or at the office in my case takes some of the pain from poor battery life out of the equation.
The only minor gripe here is that the plug is not USB-C which the industry seems to adopt as the new standard – but here the fact that this camera is an older model starts to show.
17) Control ring
The control ring on the front of the camera in my mind is brilliant! Some complaint that it does not have clicks or stops, but it is not on my wish list. What the ring controls depend on the mode, but if you shoot in aperture mode, the camera will allow you to control the aperture by simply turning the ring at the bottom of the lens. I think this is a brilliant way of making an otherwise not-to-user-friendly interface a lot better.
18) Price
When you go for the M3, then you get a model that is a few years old. And it does not have the latest features like 4K video, a motor driven pop-up eve, 24 FPS or a zoom range of 200mm. If you can live with the specs of the M3, then I think you for the price (400 EUR) get a fantastic feature packed pocket camera that is worth every euro!
On the contrary
Just to complete the picture, I also want to share some of the less great things about this camera:
First of all, it is not weather sealed. A 2 euro cent plastic bag from IKEA can help a lot, but it is not sealed for rough conditions!
The zoom range ends at 70mm. If you need longer zoom, then th Mark 6 offers 200mm, but it is also at a very different price, and the lens is then 2.8 at the short end (up from 1.8)
The LCD screen is not a touch screen. As I have a few “older” DSLRs where the LCD is not touch screen either, I am used to using controls to swipe and zoom in and out. But it is annoying when you have been shooting with a smartphone for a while to come back to a screen that does not react to a touch!
Battery life is not good – but I think this is a common feature of the mirror-less cameras with all the power that is necessary to operate the EVF and the LCD screen.
Some may miss the external flash (a hot shoe), but the camera does provide a built in pop-up flash.
Others may miss a dedicated charger – standard this camera only comes with a AC adaptor for in-camera charging.
The menu system and user interface is – as it is with Sony – a bit cumbersome, but you get used to it. It is a funny mixture of features you use often and features you seldom or never use. So shooting experience is sometimes hampered by a less than optimal user interface.
Some get frustrated by the fact that the camera closes down when you close the EVF. I am now used to it and actually find it quite useful.
4K video is not a feature of the M3 (comes in later models), but I am fine with 1080p and this camera does ok video footage as far as I can tell.
The electronic viewfinder has to be “pulled” out manually, in later models it opens up motor driven. I have no problem with the manual solution. The EVF even survived that I dropped the camera on tarmac, landing on the corner with the EVF (not popped out when it happened, but still!)
Conclusion
This is a feature packed pocket-able camera that I bring with me almost everywhere I go. I love the combination of great technical features and specs packed into a very compact camera body. The shooting experience is not great – the user interface is as Sony is, and it takes some getting used to. But past that hurdle, this little camera delivers and punches far beyond its weight. And if you can live without 4K and 200mm zoom, then this value wise, as I see it, is difficult to beat. Provided what you mainly shoot is landscapes, street photography, travel pictures and friends/family. Sports and wildlife, macro and other more specialized types of photography is not what the pocket cameras out there are intended for.
My only major concern with this camera is that there is no magic or x-factor! When I shoot with a Nikkor vintage lens I sometimes get the feeling that some sort of magic blends into the equation and gives something extra to the pictures that is hard to define. Not with this one. Top level engineering. But no magic. Just technically good pictures. In pocket format. For around 450 EUR (March 2019). I find that value package difficult to beat.
Sony RX100M3 sample image.
Comparison table III to VI
Below a table with selected differences between the later models of the RX100. As you can see the mark 3 is starting to get old, but in my mind still is a very good pocket camera, considering the price point:
