Crop, Teleconverter, or Longer Lens: What’s the Best Option? When your lens doesn’t give you the magnification you need, what’s the best solution? Should you crop your image, use a teleconverter, or invest in a longer lens? This is a question I’ve tackled myself using several Olympus lenses, along with extensive research through reviews and... Continue Reading →
Attention Olympus and OM System Camera Users: The LightSnowDev firmware SD Card update tool is no longer operational, even via their new page. But don’t worry—there’s another way! Important Disclaimer The following method is entirely at your own risk. I tested it today on an older camera, and it worked perfectly. However, there’s no guarantee... Continue Reading →
The Olympus E-M5 Mark III: My Most Used Camera If you browse through my gallery, you'll quickly notice that the Olympus E-M5 Mark III is my most frequently used camera. And that's despite owning two E-M1 models and even an OM-1 MKII. On paper, the E-M5 Mark III seems modest: a single SD card slot,... Continue Reading →
Here's a breakdown of Olympus/OM System and Panasonic micro four-thirds (MFT) lenses suitable for bird and wildlife photography. These lenses are evaluated with their key strengths and weaknesses, along with an average new price/second-hand sorted table. The pros and cons listed here are sourced from well-known review sites, but I don’t always agree with them. If I own or... Continue Reading →
The Art of Blending In: A Practical Guide for Wildlife Photography For a while, I was quite enthusiastic about recommending military-style clothing for photographing birds and wildlife. However, I’ve realized this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Some people dislike the colors, patterns, or even the associations with military wear, and that’s completely understandable. Even hunting... Continue Reading →
The Year is Ending: Looking Back and Forward As the year draws to a close, we're just days away from the start of the final month. Before we know it, another year will have passed. What will the next photographic year bring? Hopefully, plenty of good weather! As the holiday season approaches, the pace of... Continue Reading →
In Today’s Photo Gallery: A Female Roe Deer Today's gallery features a small series of photos of a female roe deer. These images tie into topics from previous articles on Open Source Photography, such as which camera settings to use or what makes the ideal telephoto lens for birds and wildlife. While many YouTube professionals... Continue Reading →
It’s Here: My New (Second-Hand) Camera! Yesterday - Thursday, it finally arrived. The first thing I always do with a second-hand device is give it a thorough inspection to know exactly what I’m dealing with from the start. This time, I was amazed: the camera was in like-new condition. The LCD even had a screen... Continue Reading →
First Impression: I was so pleased with the SG-Image 25mm and 35mm lenses that I immediately ordered the 50mm and 12mm as well. I’ve already received the latter. So far, every delivery has come with a colorful floral-patterned strap—not really my style, but it might come in handy for someone else someday—along with a lens... Continue Reading →
The Last Friday Article : Baby Q vs Full Frame – an almost real-time story Unlike most reviews or articles I write, where weeks or even months can pass between purchasing a camera or lens and publishing my thoughts, last Friday’s article about the "Baby Q" was written almost live. Everything unfolded in less than... Continue Reading →
Intro: For any photographer, the temptation to upgrade to the latest, most powerful gear is a constant pull—especially when something as enticing as a full-frame camera like the Lumix S5 is within reach. Yet, after a lot of thought, I realized that more doesn't always mean better. Sometimes, finding the right tool is less about... Continue Reading →
The Bike: To begin with, the header photo doesn’t show a 'Moustache J All' bike; rather, it’s a high-end mountain bike that lacks a few features that would make it my perfect off-road and all-road bike. First of all, there's a major hurdle for me due to my worn-out hips, which make it challenging—and sometimes... Continue Reading →
Leica provides a rubber strap with their T, TL, and TL2 cameras, but many users are not particularly fond of it. The strap can be a bit cumbersome to use, and over time, the rubber tends to wear out, as mine eventually did. A popular alternative is to purchase the universal Leica Strap Lug Kit... Continue Reading →
Introduction: In this review, we’ll take a closer look at how the SG-Image 25mm f/1.8 lens performs in real-world shooting conditions, especially on crop sensor bodies. We'll explore whether it truly delivers on its promise of affordability without compromising precision. If you're interested in the first impression, read my article about it here : /2024/09/25/affordable-precision-first-look-at-the-sg-image-25mm-f-1-8/... Continue Reading →
Am I Going to Buy a New Full Frame Camera? No… well, I’m not completely sure. There’s a reason for my hesitation, or perhaps it’s just GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome). First off, I already own a full-frame camera, the Canon 5D Mark II. I originally bought it to experiment with and test vintage manual lenses.... Continue Reading →
What started as an unboxing and first look ended up more like a first-use review and perhaps even offers a different perspective on manual lenses and their sharpness— but that can only be a good thing for anyone already interested in this lens or looking for this focal length or manual lenses in general. The... Continue Reading →
During my search for solutions to make photography lighter/easier or to create greater stability without adding much bulk or weight, I came across this small rifle-like chest support. It was originally designed to support long and heavy Novoflex telephoto lenses from the analog era, but conveniently, it is also usable for digital setups. Its compactness... Continue Reading →
Micro 4/3 photographers are fortunate for bird, wildlife, and sports photography due to the system's compact size and lightweight nature, offering a good image range compared to APS-C or Full Frame systems. This advantage is especially noticeable at air shows, where many photographers showcase large, heavy gear. I attend air shows at least twice a... Continue Reading →
Well, I started with the Olympus TG-6, then downgraded to the TG-3, upgraded again to the TG-4, and today, I’ve reached the TG-5. It’s been quite a journey through various models and features. By chance, not long after purchasing the Olympus TG-320, I received another notification about a TG camera I had been eyeing—the TG-5,... Continue Reading →
In my article about the Leica T Type 701, I mentioned that I would have liked to get a manual TTArtisan 25mm f/2 lens because it’s almost pancake-sized, which would make the camera very compact while providing an attractive field of view. Unfortunately, I couldn't find an L-mount version available anywhere. L-mount lenses are very... Continue Reading →
In the world of photography, lighting can make or break a shot, and having the right flash is essential. Godox, known for its innovative and versatile lighting solutions, has introduced the Lux series, a range of camera flashes that cater to both nostalgic photographers and modern professionals. Whether you're drawn to the vintage charm of... Continue Reading →
Retro Flash: The Godox Lux Junior is a retro flash, and retro has been making a comeback for a while now. However, real retro isn’t always good, especially when it comes to flashes. Many years ago, I bought a Pentax K10D in a camera shop as a backup for my main camera at the time,... Continue Reading →
It was about time to create a new Gear page—a complete overview of my cameras and lenses. There are quite a few of them, but each one is part of my learning journey, and they all still serve a purpose. When I first started building this "collection," I hesitated a lot—bought, sold, and then re-bought.... Continue Reading →
About The Leica T (Typ 701) is an innovative mirrorless camera that blends high-end design with solid performance. Initially, it faced criticism for its autofocus issues and limited native lens options. However, with the release of firmware version 1.9, many of these issues have been resolved. Autofocus performance is now much improved, making it more... Continue Reading →
Sometimes, things turn out completely different from what you expected. Not too long ago, I had the chance to buy a Leica Digilux 2, a fantastic camera that I'm really happy with. At first, it felt like fireworks with just a few sparkles. However, what came afterward was completely unexpected—the real fireworks were yet to... Continue Reading →
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