Laowa 6mm for Micro Four Thirds
Generally I’ve stayed away from writing too much about gear in recent years, but finally it seems to be what people want to read, so while I have no interest or skill in objective testing (haha), if I’ve got something subjective to say, that might be of wider interest, why not.
So, today I’m going to write about a lens I have quite literally just received, the (deep breath) Laowa MFT 6mm f2.0 C&D-Dreamer lens by Venus Optics. I’ve been eyeing ultra wide angle primes for a while, to complement or sometimes replace my Olympus 8-25 f/4, and while the Lumx 9mm was a strong candidate, it seemed more sensible to go for something wider. I would echo what others have said - if you’re interested in an ultra wide prime for Micro Four Thirds, just stop reading already and buy this one (although finding it may be a little tricky).
So, Medium Format?
When I’m in the zone with the Hasselblad X1Dii, it’s really something else. The look of shots on the luxuriously huge, contrasty rear screen convince me that we’re really on a different level here. That yes, this is worth 4x or 6x or whatever times the price of the Olympus OM-1. Even when downloading and editing, the feeling remains, and hitting zoom at 100% reveals the incredible level of detail. I’m convinced I have photos here I could not have taken with any other camera (well, yeah, ok, there is the dp0 Quattro sitting on the shelf over there). This gear-induced high continues, urging me once again to consider the unthinkable upgraded to an X2D. And then…
…and then I compare a shot to a similar one taken on a far more humble camera 10 years older.
Is it worth it? Is it really? It is. It must be. Mustn’t it?
Square Space
I’ve been virtual window-shopping V-Series Hasselblad’s for quite some time now, but, rationally, my X1DII in square crop already does everything they can do… doesn’t it? Well, yes, but it doesn’t shoot film, and it doesn’t quite give the 3D depth of those Zeiss lenses on true 6x6 format. I thought I wanted a 503cw, since those were the last word, but they are expensive and that, luckily, stopped me. Following a bit of revision, I realised that the only difference between a 503cw and a 501cm is that the 503 has extra features for flash photography. And I really, but really, do not do flash. Shortly after this, a very nice looking, very late model 501cm popped up on a Swiss auction site. And it was black, which inevitably as it goes against the flow, I prefer. So I put in the minimum bid, and to my surprise I won.
On the road again
This is mostly a post about camera bags. I’ll leave out the standard boilerplate about never having enough bags. Actually I have 3 bags in frontline service, an Atlas Athlete for “hybrid” trips and extended hiking, snowshoeing etc, a Mindshift Backlight 26L for more dedicated photography outings, and a Wotancraft Pilot 7L for street use. I also have a battered and semi-retired Domke F803 which still sees some use. This lineup has been stable for quite some time and all these bags have racked up considerable mileage. I’m very happy with all of them. However ...
Next week I’ll be heading off to Iceland, for the first time in 4 years, and so far as photography is concerned, the first time since 2016. It was time for a refresh. My plan was to take my Hasselblad X1DII along with 3 or 4 lenses. Being a bit nervous about some aspects of using the Hasselblad in the field, I decided that I would take a minimal Olympus kit as backup / secondary system. The Hasselblad would go in the Backlight backpack, and the Olympus in the Wotancraft shoulder bag. So far so good. Loaded up the Backlight bag was still well under 10kg, including MacBook Pro. The only minor snag is that it is a bit of a tight fit, getting the Hasselblad kit in the Backlight, mainly because the camera section is a little shallow. It’s fine for short trips, but it could mean that working out of the bag in Icelandic locations and winter conditions could be frustrating. So I started poking about online for alternatives. I was restricted by the quite severe Icelandair carry on size restrictions: the Backlight 26L fits in easily, but the obvious alternative, its 35L big brother, violates two dimensions. So that one was out.
Hasselblad XCD 35-75 Review
I’m fully aware that me reviewing a high end object such as the Hasselblad XCD 35-75 zoom lens is faintly ridiculous. Even more ridiculous, not to say foolhardy, is me actually owning one. Well, I’ve gone into my reasons for the extravagance of buying into Hasselblad medium format elsewhere, and my ownership of the 35-75 zoom came about by chance. I actually had no hope or even really desire to buy this lens, but earlier this year I stumbled across an almost unbelievable offer. Coming from a very reputable dealer, it was advertised as secondhand, without packaging, and nearly half retail price. But when it turned up it was boxed, still with protective foils, and indistinguishable from new - I decided not to quibble. But I still had a touch of buyer’s remorse. It’s big, heavy, and has very limited range compared to the Micro Four Thirds zooms I’m used to. But then I used it…
Ricoh Revival
I've been using Ricoh GR cameras since 1997. In fact, the Ricoh GR1 was the first camera I bought new*, and had a significant part to play in my starting to take photography seriously. Since then, I've always owned a Ricoh GR of one kind or another, although my use of them goes in peaks and troughs.
Hasselblad X1D, one year later
It seems like only yesterday that I confessed to the Mother Of All Gear Acquisition Syndrome lapses, my entry into the Hasselblad "X System" (to be precise the second coming of the X System, the title having previously been used for the XPan).