So, it would seem that it has been two weeks since my last post. I had started this blog with the intention of posting new content on a daily basis, and after a week of doing just that (almost) it seems I have drifted away from this somewhat. I have been very busy with a number of projects and my work commitments have meant I have had little time to focus on writing on here. Today, however, I will give you a brief update on what has been occurring.
Firstly, I have just purchased a new lens: an Olympus Zuiko 135mm f/3.5 in absolutely pristine condition. I had been looking at these for some time, and upon deciding to have a quick check of the very same popular online auction website that the majority of my other photographic equipment has come from, I spotted one that was at a very competitive price, the photographs suggested it was in great condition and the seller was very reputable. All of these factors led to the instant decision to purchase it there and then. My fairly hectic schedule (and the bleak English winter) means I have yet to use it, but looking through it and upon further inspection there seem to be no dust spots or signs of any fungus whatsoever. This wonderful little lens adds to my existing collection (Zuiko 28mm f/2.8 and Zuiko 50mm f/1.8) very nicely, allowing another dimension to my photography. Once I have used it, I shall assess the results and post them on here for you to see.
Another discovery I have made is that the 'cheap document printer' I purchased for £40 from Staples office supplies store around two years ago, turns out to be quite a capable little inkjet photo printer (much to my elation)! I was aware it had the capability to print photographs, but the thought to try it for myself had actually never occurred to me - the printing of colour documents in the past had turned out quite poor results. I conducted a search (simply out of interest) last night into cheap, decent photographic printers for home use, and upon reading a few reviews discovered that mine (the Canon Pixma ip1800) is actually quite a highly rated piece of budget equipment. This morning - eager to see for myself - I purchased some 6x4" glossy photo paper and new colour ink cartridge and tried a few test prints. I have not played with the printer settings yet, and will do so when I get a chance this week, but the results were actually very promising. In all honesty, there is very little difference in quality between these and the prints I have received from a number of cheaper commercial photo labs. Granted, the prints I produce are going to be a little more costly (and certainly more time consuming) than if I were to have a lab do them for me, but again the process of doing things myself comes into play and I very much enjoyed it. I will post a more detailed product description at some point in the future and possibly display some scans of prints that I have produced as examples. For £40, though, you really can't go wrong. It's very basic and does a fine job if you don't require huge quantities of prints.
Due to the poor weather conditions of late, I have not been shooting very much and am really looking forward to the chance to get out and take some photographs - particularly using the new lens I recently acquired.
Apologies for the possible lack of useful photographic information in this post, but I felt I ought to keep you up to date with what has been occurring, and the reason for my lack of recent posts. I shall try my best to stay on top of this blog and keep the posts coming more regularly.
Thanks again for reading.
Tom Parkes
London, UK
No comments:
Post a Comment