Tag: photography

Photography-related posts. I talk about inspiration, settings, gear, other photographers, etc.

Patagonia MiniMass Messenger Bag

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I recently bought a Patagonia MiniMass messenger bag. I have a couple of bags already, so why do I need a new one? I don’t need one, but it is nice to have a new one that fills a specific purpose.

Multiple Bags

The other day I listened to a relatively new photography podcast called “Your Itinerary” whose focus is travel photography. In that particular episode, the host interviews a VP of a camera bag manufacturer. During the conversation, the thought that no one camera bag is perfect for all situations kept coming up. I agree with this thought, and am happy that I can now feel less guilty about satisfying my love of messenger bags and backpacks.

The Current Lineup

Before I bought my new bag, I had two main bags. The first is my REI Messenger bag, with a padded insert for carrying camera gear. The second is a North Face Router backpack, also with a padded insert. Both are good for carrying my dSLR and lenses, the messenger bag being more nimble since I can get the camera out of the bag quickly. The Router holds a lot more and since it’s a backpack, the heavy load is distributed between both shoulders. If I get really tired, there is also a waist strap so I can use it as a pseudo backpacking pack.

The Missing Link

The problem with both of these is that thye are large. Lots of times I don’t want to carry them. I mistakenly thought that I could carry either of these wherever I went and have access to my beloved dSLR (actually SLT, for you purists). But now I realize that a smaller bag would be better for an “everyday carry” and since I have my Fujifilm XF1, I don’t need to carry the dSLR for general walkabout photos. The XF1 and RAW can produce some great photos.

The New Bag

I did some research online, watched video reviews, and then went to REI to check out the bags they had in person, specifically looking for a small messenger bag. The Patagonia MiniMass stood out as the best one, and REI had it on clearance! What great timing! Unfortunately, they didn’t have the color I wanted in stock, but I ordered it online and had it shipped to the store. After a week, I had the bag in my possession.

Patagonia MiniMass
Patagonia MiniMass

So, how is the bag? In a word: Great! It’s small, but not too small, comfortable, the pockets and storage are for the most part well-thought out. I can fit everything I need into it, and in fact if I wanted to squeeze the dSLR and an extra lens in there, it could do it.

Here’s a list of stuff I currently carry in it:

As you can see from the list, there’s a lot that I carry! But in reality, it does not weigh that much. It’s a nice little kit and I can even shoot RAW, edit on my Dell Venue 8 Pro tablet, and post to Instagram all while on the go. One useful feature of this bag is that the two cover-straps also double as compression straps, so you can expand or slim down the width of the bottom of the bag. I wish I had this on my larger messenger bag and backpack!

My Daily Carry
My Daily Carry

Of course with any bag, there are a couple of things that I’d change. Well, just one in fact! There is only a single outside pocket for a water bottle. This pocket is perfect for carrying the Fujifilm XF1 compact camera, but I wish there was another pocket on the other side so I could carry my 12oz. Liberty water bottle. Since that bottle has a handle, there may be some way to attach it.

All-in-all I love the Patagonia MiniMass messenger bag. It fits into my life perfectly!

My Bag Collection
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 35mm, f/2.4, 1/350 sec, ISO100
 My Bag Collection

Fujifilm XF1

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Fujifilm XF1
Fujifilm XF1

A new camera for me!! The circumstances of me needing a new camera were unfortunate though – I lost my beloved Panasonic DMC TS-2 camera. One day I took it to the park where we went bike-riding and to the splash pad… but that’s the last time I remember seeing it. I have no idea how I lost it. I did have the Eye-Fi card in it that day, so at least the photos were copied over to my phone automatically, but the camera itself is gone. I still have a tiny bit of hope that it will be found (probably somewhere silly), but since I did give it a couple months to show up and it never appeared, I decided to go ahead and get a new camera to replace it.

My first thought was to just get the same type of camera, which would be the latest Panasonic version in that series. Waterproof cameras are great in that they are worry-free – I can get one of the rugged cameras wet, drop it, and just not have to baby it at all. But…. I have had my eye on the Fujifilm cameras for a while so I went ahead and got one of their compact cameras – the Fujifilm XF1.

The XF1 is an older model (debuting in September 2012), but has a number of features that I wanted:

  • Able to shoot RAW
  • Compact size
  • Full manual controls
  • Fast F/1.8 lens (at wide setting)
  • Silent operation
  • Available at a fraction of its original price

The XF1 also has a unique way of powering up. You twist the lens from it’s retracted position and the camera will turn on. It’s really nice since it also opens the lens cap. This lens ring also manually adjusts the zoom position so you have great control over focal length. The downside to this is that it is truly a two-handed operation, whereas the traditional power button and power zoom can be done with one hand. But, it kind of suits the camera’s retro design.

The other camera I was looking at is the new Fujifilm XQ1. A couple things I like about the XQ1 is that it has wi-fi, uses the newer X-Trans sensor, and comes in all-black. However, it doesn’t have the cool power-up and lens ring. Also, being a new camera, it’s pretty expensive.

After using the XF1 for a month now, I can say that I am really happy with it! It is a solid performer, and with the lens in its fully retracted position, can easily fit in a pants pocket. I like to carry it with me wherever I go! The only option that I wish was available is the ability to turn the LCD display off while still in shooting mode. But it’s not too big of a deal since I’m not really a street or “stealth” shooter.

One final thing: it’s a Fujifilm, so it’s kind of like my namesake! W00t!

Nice Model – Fuchiko

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Towel Fuchiko
フチ子 (Fuchiko)

My mother-in-law bought me a bunch of these small “Fuchiko” toys, which are meant to adorn the rims of glasses. They are so much fun to take photos of! During our vacation we took a lot of photos of them and enjoyed the silliness of posing them on sodas, beer, dinner plates, inside sushi, on fingertips, etc.

You can find them for sale in the little toy vending machines, but the special “Towel Fuchiko” are found in gift shops and come with a little plastic cup. These are about 500 yen, but the regular ones from the vending machine are 200 each. But, you don’t know which one you will get! Luckily I didn’t get any duplicates. The one above is my favorite, but I like them all.

There’s also a variation called “Fuchio” which is her wearing a scary mask. They are pretty funny as well. If you have a chance, pick one of these up and use as a fun photo subject!

Fuchiko Loves Ikura
Fuchiko Loves Ikura
Ice Coffee Fuchiko
Ice Coffee
Fuchiko Island Style
Island Style
Sushi Fuchikos
Sushi
Soccer Fuchiko
Soccer
Bento Fuchiko
Bento
Makapu'u Fuchiko
Makapu’u

 

First Day at the Pool

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Today was the first day at the pool for us this year. It was just Koa and I who decided to go — Mariko was out at the Farmer’s Market and Bay stayed home to read — so Koa didn’t have anyone to play with in the pool. I swam for a bit, and played with him, but I’m sure it’s a lot more interesting to play with his friends! Still, it was fun and we got some good exercise. We got there at 2pm, and there was a nice crowd of people there. Not too much that we didn’t find chairs, but at around 2:30 it seemed like the rest of the neighborhood decided to drop by. When we left at 3pm, there were cars parked on the street and no empty chairs to be found. I need to remember to arrive before 2:30!

Also, I continue to be enamored with my Panasonic DMC TS2 camera. It’s a waterproof/shockproof camera that captures some good pictures and video, and with the magic of post-processing, you can get some fun images out of it. Plus I love the peace-of-mind knowing that I don’t have to take care of the camera as much as a dSLR. I think it is definitely worth it to have one of these rugged point-and-shoot cameras in the bag at all times!

Sony A77II

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Top of the Sony A77II
Top of the Sony A77II

Sony recently announced the successor to their A77 SLT DSLR: the A77II. It looks like an incremental upgrade, definitely not enough for me to consider upgrading my A77, but there is one “feature” I really like. That would be the main control dial! I thought the dial on my Konica-Minolta 7D was fantastic and was a little disappointed when they changed it for the A77. But Sony has brought back the style of the older dial, which is cool because not only does it work well, but it goes way back to the design of the Minolta Alpha/Maxxum/Dynax 7 film SLR. I love it! In the photo below, you can see the dial on the KM-7D. It is actually a dual-dial design, while the new A77II only has the single dial.

Konica-Minolta 7D Dials
Photo info: SONY SLT-A77V, 35mm, f/2.5, 1/8 sec, ISO500
 Konica-Minolta 7D Dials

Other enhancements to the new A77II are WiFi and remote tethering, a better sensor, and better auto-focus; none of these are enough to make me want to upgrade. In fact, the new A77II loses a feature that I absolutely love on my A77: GPS. It’s very convenient to see the location of a photo, but it is also nice to have the date/time automatically corrected.

I like to think that the A77 was such a great camera when originally released that it is difficult to improve upon it. And that’s good because I really have too much camera gear already, and don’t need to spend any more money! The A77 will be my main shooter for the foreseeable future, probably until it no longer functions. Happy shooting!