Dil Roberts Photography
CATEGORIES


ARCHIVE




General

Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Tripods and Their Heads


innovaeditor/assets/Blog2/P7080002r.JPG

Some time ago I bought a fountain pen because I like writing with a fountain pen (pretty old fashioned eh?). But like everything else you have to like something to keep using it, and use it well. Because I didn't really connect with the first pen I bought, I bought another one. That was ok too but I felt there was a pen out there just waiting to be bought that would suit me to ...


full

posted by Dil on 03/01/23 19:00  under General

comments (0)  389


Sunday, December 18, 2022

Small Light Prime Lenses


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/DSCF0007r.JPG

This post is actually just to say hello again after a longish break and I plan to start posting againso there will be more to follow. Quite a few of these will be about some new hardware that has been added to my shelves during my 3 year absence. I hope will join me on my journey again.


I lost my way somewhat as well as my mojo but thankfully my interest has been rekindled ...


full

posted by Dil on 12/18/22 19:00  under General

comments (0)  413


Thursday, August 1, 2019

Sailing Around The Aeolian Islands


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/AeolianIslandsr.JPG

 

Background Information.
In 2016 the wife and myself, together with a few friends did a sailing trip around the Amalfi Coast in Italy. It was the first time for all of us to do this sort of thing except for one person who had done a similar trip in Greece a few years earlier. She argued that she really enjoyed it and we should do the same in Italy. We were actually looking for a ...


full

posted by Dil on 08/01/19 19:00  under General

comments (0)  1654


Friday, June 22, 2018

Equipment Changes After My Loire Valley Trip


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/FP120002aa.JPG


After going through all of my images from my Loire Valley trip (and deleting some 90% of the images), I have come to the conclusion that a couple of things have to change. I always tend to do this type of thing, it's the only way you're going to find out what works, what doesn't and what you have to change. I normally don't like a post-mortem, but this is exactly what I am doing ...


full

posted by Dil on 06/22/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  8319


Friday, June 15, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 14


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/09.9/P1010322_r.jpg


The day didn't look too promising and a lot of rain was forecast. We have been very lucky with the weather, not rained once really, only a few showers and we were able to go out each day. So out came my small camera bag holding the E-M5 II with the Panasonic 7-14 f4 mounted. I also threw in the Panasonic TZ101 because it takes up hardly any room. I had a feeling we were ...


full

posted by Dil on 06/15/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2799


Friday, June 1, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 13


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/08.9/P1020230_r.jpg


Today took us out to two more chateaus, the first being Chateau Langeais. Originally founded in the year 992 today's chateau has no resemblance to the original castle. The old keep itself lies in ruins. It is the second earliest knows chateau and is where the marriage between Anne of Brittany and Charles VIII took place in secrecy (1491), which bonded Brittany to the rest of France. The new chateau, what stands today, was started ...


full

posted by Dil on 06/01/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  1534


Wednesday, May 16, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 12


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/07.9/OD070261f_r.jpg

 

Chateau Villandry is worth the visit for the gardens alone (as seen in the images below). Most of the Loire Valley chateaus are in quite good condition. Of course some restoration work has had to be done over time, but still, it's easy to see where original stone still exists today. The cost of keeping these buildings in tip-top condition costs a fortune, hence the high entry fee we all have to pay.

 

...
full

posted by Dil on 05/16/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2659


Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 11


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/06.9/P1020126f.jpg


Today we moved on from Blois to a little town called Veretz. It's not too far from Chinon (which I always thought was a large town - it isn't) and planned to stay there for the day until our friends turned up later.

 


Chinon

Chinon wasn't exactly on the way to Veretz but we had time to spare until our friends came.


We stopped at Chinon (population 8000) for the day before driving further ...


full

posted by Dil on 05/01/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  1375


Sunday, April 15, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 10


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/05.9/P1010012fr.jpg


During a trip like this, where you've come to do a certain tour, you need a little break once in awhile. This is exactly what we did today and did something completely different. This is our last day in Blois before moving on.

 

Beauval Zoo

 

Beauval Zoo

From the map above you can see how large the zoo is.

 

 


Not too far away from Blois situated in the middle of nowhere is one ...


full

posted by Dil on 04/15/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2376


Sunday, April 1, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 9


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/04.9/P9041526fr.jpg

 

Today was going to be a long drive. Unfortunately it was the only day we could do it on but I wanted to see this location. It was rather cloudy and grey but there wasn't anything we could do about that.

 

Fontevraud Abbey was founded in 1101 by the hermit Roberts d'Arbrissel for both men and women and was the largest of its kind in France. It is quite large but is only ...


full

posted by Dil on 04/01/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2519


Saturday, March 24, 2018

Wide-angle Lenses


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/OD011317r.jpg

 

Was it correct to use a wide-angle lens for the above image? Does it work?

 

During this trip to the Loire Valley I have come to appreciate the value of wide-angle lenses. I am very pleased with the performance of the Panasonic 7-14 f4 (apart from the purple blob problem on Olympus cameras). My first question to myself having used the lens extensively during the last seven days was "Is there anything wider?". ...


full

posted by Dil on 03/24/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  6126


Thursday, March 15, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 8


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/03.9/P1010813r.jpg


Today, for our first visit, we did a village north of the Loire River. All, or most, of the popular chateaus seem to be on the south side of the Loire. I wonder why? Anyway, the first village we visited was Talcy. Of course it also has a chateau. I think every little village in this part of France has a chateau. We didn't visit these villages for the sole purpose of their chateaus, we ...


full

posted by Dil on 03/15/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2500


Thursday, March 1, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 7


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/02.9/chaumont-chateau.jpg

 

Today, we did Chaumont-sur-Loire. Built between 1466 and 1510. That's nearly 50 years for a project. You have to let that go through your brain a little to realize how long that really is. Wouldn't work today of course but when you think about the tools they had then, I think they did pretty well to finish it in just under 50 years.

 

Chaumont-sur-Loire

In the above map you can see the location ...


full

posted by Dil on 03/01/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  24281


Thursday, February 15, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 6


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/01.9/P1000800r.jpg

To make up for the disappointment yesterday we headed for two different locations. My shutter therapy is falling short right now!

 

Our first stop was Cheverny. Built between 1620 and 1634. All the finishing on the towers weren't completed until 1648 however. It's the first chateau to be built as a chateau without any defensive or military purposes in mind. And what a beautiful building it is. I could see me living there too, ...


full

posted by Dil on 02/15/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  1865


Friday, February 2, 2018

Battery Usage in Loire Valley, France


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/em1_batt.jpg

I have now used the Olympus E-M1 and E-M5 II extensively for four solid days. One complaint I have is battery consumption. I don't believe it's down to the cameras but to the third party batteries I've purchased. I haven't bought any Olympus original batteries because I had such good experience with the older type batteries used in their older models. I am now possibly regretting my decision to go the same route with these ...


full

posted by Dil on 02/02/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  1218


Thursday, February 1, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 5


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/31.8/OD310987_r.jpg

Today we took a break from looking at chateaus, even one chateau per day can be too much at times so we headed out for the town of Orleans. With some 120,000 inhabitants, it's one of the bigger towns in the region and offers some great sights to see. It was the capital of medieaval France until the mid-18th Century. During the French Revolution it bacame stauchly Republican. The cathedral dominates the town (Cathedrale-Ste-Croix) and ...


full

posted by Dil on 02/01/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2198


Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 4


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/30.8/P1010529f_r.jpg

Apart from being in the Loire Valley to see the great chateaus, I am also here to test some lenses which I mentioned in one of my last posts. I find it a good time to do this because I'm pretty relaxed when I'm on holiday. So today I decided to mount the Tamron 14-150 f3.5-5.8 on the E-M1 and see how things turn out. The last test I carried out with the Tamron was ...


full

posted by Dil on 01/16/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2666


Monday, January 1, 2018

Loire Valley, France - Day 3


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/29.8/OD290573_r.jpg

We headed south west in the direction of Chenonceaux which is the village that gives it’s name to Chateau Chenonceau. Aptly named as  the “Palace of Women” because over the ages only women have owned and lived in the chateau. Originally built in 1512 by Catherine Briconnet it was Diane de Poitiers who would build the bridge that spans the Cher river. Catherine de Medici then added the galleries over the bridge.

 

Chenonceau



Chenonceau ...


full

posted by Dil on 01/01/18 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2540


Friday, December 22, 2017

General Notes on Equipment - Micro Four Thirds


photoblog/php/General/bags.jpg

This is just a general note on the m43 equipment I use and a few thoughts on how that could change.

The more I use the Panasonic GX7 the more I like it. I can see why some people would find it too small but it fits my hands perfectly, which tells you something about the size of my hands. The Panasonic 7-14 f4 ( while having some problems with flare) has really surprised me by ...


full

posted by Dil on 12/22/17 19:00  under General

comments (0)  3277


Friday, December 15, 2017

Loire Valley, France - Day 2


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/28.8/OD280023b.jpg

The heat is oppressive today. We feel like taking a shower every 15 minutes. Despite this we battled our way to the largest chateau in France, Chambord.

 

Chambord Location

 

As you can see from the map above, Chambord isn't far at all from Blois where we were staying for some 10 days. The map shows where a couple of hundred chateaus are situated in the Loire Valley. That's why we chose Blois as ...


full

posted by Dil on 12/15/17 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2317


Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Feedback Request about Image Size - UPDATE


UPDATE

 

It seems people aren't all that fussy about the size of the images I post so everything stays as is: Images will still be 1200px on the longest side.

 

 

 

As of today I have posted a couple of images on my Photoblog that are 1600px in size rather than the normal 1200px I normally publish.

 

My question to you out there is: Would you rather I post images at ...


full

posted by Dil on 12/13/17 19:25  under General

comments (0)  2948


Friday, December 1, 2017

Loire Valley, France - Day 1


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Loire/27.08/P1010372r.jpg

Ten hours it took to drive from Frankfurt, Germany to Blois, France. Blois is the regional capital with some 50,000 inhabitants. After finding the flat we had rented for the next 10 days, out we went to see what delights the town could offer.


For those who are curious to know where Blois is, it's right in the middle on the Loire Valley where most of the chateaus of this famous valley lie. From Blois, ...


full

posted by Dil on 12/01/17 19:00  under General

comments (0)  10406


Monday, October 2, 2017

In Need of Your Advice - UPDATE


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/computer.jpg

Scroll down to bottom for Update.

 

All these posts believe it or not are firstly written by hand and then typed up on my computer at home. Well, that has to stop!! It just takes up too much of my time. And this is where you all come in.

What I’m looking for.
I’m looking for something small and light that I take with me on my travels. I write these posts in txt or rtf ...


full

posted by Dil on 10/02/17 12:45  under General

comments (0)  2135


Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Less is More


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/FP160002.JPG

There's a saying "Less is more". And I perceive that as being true in all walks of life but especially where photography is concerned.

One of my problems when going on a trip is deciding which system to take, Fuji, Sony or m43. I'm lucky being able to afford three system simultaneously but on the other hand it does cause some difficulty when going on trips. The question about which system with which lenses to ...


full

posted by Dil on 08/23/17 19:00  under General

comments (0)  2621


Saturday, April 1, 2017

The Ultimate Catalogue


For those interested in Micro Four Thirds or Four Thirds cameras and lenses from all manufacturers today, don't miss this download. It will give you all the data you need from lenses and cameras availble on the market today.

 

Here's the link

 

Sorry to the other system users here, I wish all manufacteres had one of these.


posted by Dil on 04/01/17 14:30  under General

comments (0)  1556


Sunday, December 25, 2016

My Outlook On 2017


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/OD100003c.JPG

It has been an interesting 2016 for all mirrorless systems ranging from Sony to Fujifilm to Olympus and Panasonic. Canon have come out with their latest model the M5 but a little late in my opinion. They have a lot of ground to make up over the established manufacturers and whether they’ll catch up is anyone's guess, but I won’t be investing in that system any time soon. Nikon have lost the thread and haven’t ...


full

posted by Dil on 12/25/16 15:30  under General

comments (0)  2849


Sunday, October 16, 2016

Sailing On The Italian West Coast With A Couple Of Panasonic GM5s


innovaeditor/assets/Blog/Amalfi/P1070118fr.jpg

You may have noticed a lack of posts in September, that’s because of a lack of time in the first half and a sailing holiday in the second. Yes, a sailing holiday. In all we were five guests on the boat and two crew members. Two crew were necessary because the five us hadn’t a clue about sailing, but that didn’t deter us from enjoying the trip. The boat was a 54 footer with 3 ...


full

posted by Dil on 10/16/16 16:15  under General

comments (0)  2186


Saturday, August 27, 2016

Cornwall - The South West of England


innovaeditor/assets/MiscImages/Sony/P1010605fr.jpg

I’ve always wanted to go down to Cornwall, but never quite managed it. Don’t ask me why I want to go there but I suppose it’s to do with it’s history and the rugged coastline I’ve been hearing a lot about. The small harbours nestling among the ragged cliffs. Sounds great doesn’t it?

Well, a few weeks ago I had a chance to do just that and my wife and myself stayed in Cornwall for a ...


full

posted by Dil on 08/27/16 13:40  under General

comments (0)  1947


Wednesday, July 13, 2016

Polarizers (Circular and Linear)


innovaeditor/assets/MiscImages/EP120017fs.jpg

I think, together with ND filers, this is the only type of filter I now use with my digital cameras. It's the only filter that cannot be reproduced in post processing.

The polarizing filter (also known as a Pol filter) can actually do more than darken a blue sky. It can take away reflections from windows or dampen reflections from wet leaves. It also lengthens your shutter speed by up to 2 stops. Those are things ...


full

posted by Dil on 07/13/16 19:45  under General

comments (0)  3050


Saturday, May 21, 2016

Photographer's Block


innovaeditor/assets/MiscImages/P5160048.jpg

I think photographers sometimes hit a spot at some stage where nothing seems to go right and the juices don't seem to flow. I suppose it's something similar to a writer's block where they sit in front of a blank page (or screen nowadays) and they just can't start writing. Or, they start writing knowing in their hearts it's total rubbish. It could be because of a lack of ideas, inspiration, conviction or even boredom.

It ...


full

posted by Dil on 05/21/16 19:46  under General

comments (0)  1674


Friday, March 25, 2016

Micro Four-Thirds Musings


innovaeditor/assets/MiscImages/P1000677sf.jpg

A lot of users swear by full frame cameras reasoning that depth of field can be mastered best with this format. True, DOF can be better achieved with this format but it all depends what you shoot. Landscape photographers try to get MORE DOF rather than less. So that argument doesn't hold up all of the time. It also doesn't mean that it's impossible to achieve a shallow DOF with other formats. I personally use ...


full

posted by Dil on 03/25/16 10:30  under General

comments (0)  2267


Sunday, March 20, 2016

Adapters - Follow-up Post


innovaeditor/assets/General/XT111036fr.jpg

 

My last post was regarding adapters for using Canon EF lenses on Sony E-mount and M43 systems. Having tested a few lenses I felt I could post again with some more information with a few images to show the results of using those lenses on the Sony E-mount.

Firstly, the Commlite adapter. I've only tested the Canon 40 f2.8 STM lens on a Sony E-mount camera as of this post so I'll probably test ...


full

posted by Dil on 03/20/16 09:20  under General

comments (0)  3370


Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Adapters for EF to E and m4/3 Mount Cameras


innovaeditor/assets/General/XT111024f.jpg

Adapters for EF to E and m4/3 Mount Cameras

(Plus some more ramblings)

 

The reason for my purchase of the Sony Alpha Axx cameras when they first came out was to have an FF sensor (a very good sensor) in a small and light package. Since my first purchase I must admit that GAS got the better of me and now I have a few of these little marvels. Each has it's own use ...


full

posted by Dil on 03/02/16 19:00  under General

comments (0)  3955


Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Fanboy...ism


Fanboy. It's a bit of a derogatory term for someone defending something to the bitter end.
full

posted by Dil on 02/23/16 09:29  under General

comments (0)  4758


Saturday, December 26, 2015

Adobe CC Keyboard Shortcuts


Adobe CC keyboard shortcut sheets.


full

posted by Dil on 12/26/15 12:37  under General

comments (0)  6553


Sunday, December 21, 2014

Some "Post" Thoughts


After finishing my first real post about some manual lenses ont he Sony A7r, I had a little break and thought about that actual post I did.

 

My admiration is growing for those bloggers that manage to get one or more posts out each day. It took me some time to get everything posted as I wanted, and I'm not taliking about hours. It took me a couple of days to get it done. ...


full

posted by Dil on 12/21/14 16:13  under General

comments (0)  2198


Sunday, November 30, 2014

Initial Blog Post


Some of you may have noticed that this is a new section I've been thinking about for some time. I already have a photoblog going so why the normal blog? Well, I find the photoblog a bit restrictive for some subjects that I would like to post about and let's face it, a photoblog is just that, somewhere to post your images and nothing more.

This blog will most definately not be a daily thing but ...


full

posted by Dil on 11/30/14 16:41  under General

comments (0)  12110



ABOUT

I'm an enthusiastic photographer who likes to tinker with manual lenses on most camera formats.

RECENT ENTRIES

-Wednesday, March 1, 2023
-Sunday, December 18, 2022
-Thursday, August 1, 2019
-Friday, June 22, 2018
-Friday, June 15, 2018

RECENT COMMENTS