Finally got out to do some photography after taking a break. This summer has been weird for me for photography. I didn't really get out much this summer with the cameras. At least it doesn't feel like it. I've been doing a lot more video work and uploading to other micro stock agencies trying to diversify my portfolio availability.
I think this fall, I'll be heading out more to do some more landscape and wild life photography. I miss shooting my wolves, deer and foxes along with my Algonquin Park landscapes.
The Sony RX100 Mark II is a camera I had before last year. I upgraded it to the Sony RX100 Mark IV. I went back to the Mark II because I had no need for 4k video and other features of the camera were a bit gimmicky. The Mark II is just a great little walk around point and shoot. It has a 20.2 megapixel sensor and shoots raw. It's also mirrorless which has it's disadvantages such as battery life. But you can add an adapter to the front of the camera so you can filters and other devices. I have yet to attach it to my telescopes eyepiece which I'm planning on doing later this summer and this fall to get some shots of the planets Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Also I plan on doing some videos of the moon. I just wish the weather cooperates on the weekends.
So I wanted to do a review of the Canon Vixia HF G40 last week. Life always gets in the way as a friend and fellow photographer lost her life to cancer at the young age of 28. I hadn't gone shooting for a bit with the camcorder as my day job seems to get in the way.
But this past week, I got to shoot the Casino de Lac Leamy fireworks. I had missed the previous show as I totally forgot about it. And yesterdays event, let's just say, whoever went to it got soaked in the torrential downpour.
This was the first time I had used a camcorder at night. Shooting video is a little bit different than shooting photos at night. Especially fireworks.
I had set the camera at ISO 100, f1.8 and exposure of 1/8th of a second. Let's just say that didn't work out as I thought. The exposure was way too low so I increased it to 100th of a second and voila, problem fixed. So setting with ISO 100, f1.8 and the exposure was 100/1000 of a second. Problem fixed. So I thought. My external mic died about halfway thru the show. Hence no sound on the video. For this Wednesday's show, I have a fresh battery in the mic and I know what my settings have to be. I also have a better idea of how to frame the shot as I framed it wit htoo much empty space to the left.
Overall, I think the Canon Vixia HF G40 is an excellent daytime and night time camcorder. You can control pretty much any setting on it as far as exposure, white balance, mic etc. I am really happy with the camcorder.
One of the reasons I bought the camcorder was to do a lot more video work at Parc Omega where I get pretty much all my wildlife shots. I hardly go there in the summer as the animals hide in the shade of the forest because of the heat. I'm planning to go a lot more starting in September as it's mating season and the fall colours start. Also the fur on the animals thickens as they prepare for the colder temperatures of Canada's northern climate.
I was going to do a review of the Canon Vixia HF G40 today after work. That is not going to happen as this morning, I woke up to find out that one of my photography friends passed away at a young age from cancer.
As a cancer survivor myself, this hit me pretty hard. I got cancer at the age of 35 and luckily got my 5 year clearance this past December. My friend got her cancer while in her late 20's and passing away early in her 30's.
You don't know the unimaginable guilt I feel that I'm still here and she is gone. It's a total shock to the system to think that someone so young and full of promise could just pass away so quickly and so quietly. I am still in shock and it's just really upsetting that I'm still here and she's not. This is not the first friend that I've lost in my lifetime and it won't be the last.
I'm just mad that cancer took a young and promising person and not someone who has done evil in this world. Death always takes the good ones too early and leaves us to mourn.
I know she is in a good place now and the pain is gone for her. I will truly miss you my friend.
