The general quality of these in Japan (and in many warmer climates) is much higher. Last night I bought a pear and a hybrid (pair/apple). Both were much larger than their Northern European equivalents and were delicious. I wasn't expecting to finish both in one evening...but it happened!
Ok so the photo is actually from Tokyo (near Shibuya) but I did really have the fruit. I uploaded these today as I finally managed to both take out and use my dSLR and had nothing exciting taken on my phone that I could upload.
I say "both" because on another occasion I took the D700 with me for the day only for me to lack the right opportunities to use it.
Why couldn't I transfer anything from my Nikon? We're back to the old square peg and round hole. Compact Flash cards are quick and (in my opinion) reliable and robust but they aren't as compatible with smartphones and tablets as (say) SD cards.
In defence of the Nikon, my D700 is from a generation ago where "pro" or "serious amateur" models used CF.
These days I believe most high end SLRs accept a combination of the two form factors with a tendency to favour SD.
Looking forward, companies like Sony and Olympus (maybe others) are featuring WiFi in most of their upcoming models as well as the use of SD cards.
Back to today, I got some nice shots on my D700 (and 24-70 f/2.8 combo) but could have done with a *flip LCD and a **faster lens. It gets murky by around 17.30 and dark by around 18.30. A third of the weight and bulk would have been pretty welcome too!
* If I'm not mistaken, the new A7/A7R both allow WiFi tethering to smartphones and tablets. I think the Olympus EM-1 does too.
** I missed having my 24mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.4 but the 24-70mm is a good compromise, despite being slower. The main trade off is speed at the gain of not fumbling around having to change lenses when time is short.
Wow, you took a D700 and the humongous 24-70 to Japan! A friend around here has that combination, so I'm very familiar with it. Frankly, that is so far beyond anything I'm willing to carry around that even I'd resort to using the iPhone :-) Luckily I'm happiest shooting either a 35 or 50mm prime, so I slap that on his D700 if I'm ever using it.
ReplyDeleteYes, the A7 and A7R have both WIFI and NFC (I'll be able to just tap the camera and my Xperia phablet together to create a connection). Like you say, that's certainly useful when you're on the road. You mention Olympus: are you also considering the OMD-EM1?
But back to Japan. The fruits above are sold individually in their own packaging; more like expensive delicacies than bulk items. Another nice idea for a photo. I'm starting to get ideas about what I can photograph in Japan :-)
Hi Bjorn (from Amanohashidate)!
ReplyDeleteYes I have the D700 + 24-70mm with me. The combination IS absolutely a monster and I don't know what possessed me to get it back in 2008.
If anything I much prefer the primes that I have for their quality and smaller size.
I'm particularly fond of the 24mm. It's fast and wide so great when the light starts falling. Not so good when you're travelling and people don't always understand the need to swap lenses though!
I'm excited for your trip too. I hope you get some excellent photos!