15mm

All posts tagged 15mm

Short Photo Walk: Duluth, MN in Summer!

Posted by Matthew Durr on July 30, 2019
Posted in: Travel Photography. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Michipicoten Scale
105mm, ISO 100, f/5.6, 1/200

On work trips, I make it a habit to pack my camera along every chance I can. Though performances and other logistical duties often keep me busy on most of these outings, I do sometimes find a bit of time to myself to catch a break, walk around, and take in the area. The most recent chance I got came from my time in Duluth, Minnesota while I was working as a part of Navy Week Duluth–first TV appearance here too! (with slightly questionable mic/audio levels…). As with most trips of this type, the majority of my time passed performing, liaising with contacts, and photographing/editing photos of performances I wasn’t directly involved in.

On the final evening of this particular Navy Week, I wanted to get that “Duluth Experience” of seeing the massive 1000+ ft. long (300+ meters) “Lakers” pass under the seemingly-tiny aerial lift bridge that connects Canal Park and Park Point. In fact, what you see in the above title photo is just under a third of the length of the Michipicoten ship as it shoots through the narrow strait. This instance was later in the evening, though, so perhaps I should backtrack a tad. Continue Reading

Fall 2018, Come and Gone

Posted by Matthew Durr on November 15, 2018
Posted in: General Photography. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Submerged
105mm, ISO 640, f/5.6, 1/1250

Summer and Winter may just be the easiest seasons to photograph regardless of where you may find yourself on the planet. Both seasons take some time to get through, and provide plenty of opportunity for photographs for even the busiest people. The seasons of change however, Spring and Fall, present a fast-paced challenge for many throughout the world. When I was in Japan for the past couple years, Spring was the most difficult time of the year to photograph due to not only my work schedule, but also to the fleeting cherry blossom trees almost necessary to provide ambiance for the Japanese setting. Depending on the type of cherry blossom tree, a window of 3-4 weeks was pretty generous.

Here in North Chicago, I found myself getting rushed through the millions and millions of leaves changing over the course of only a couple weeks. Due to an unseasonably warm early Fall, the landscape here didn’t begin to change until mid-late October. However, arctic air–and the high winds that accompany it–blew in so quickly that the splash of color everywhere was all but gone by the start of November. Combine that short turnaround with a couple busy workweeks, well, let me just say I was in a rush to capture whatever I could in my little corner of the Midwest. Continue Reading

Site Update: June/July 2018!

Posted by Matthew Durr on July 31, 2018
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Framed
105mm, ISO 100, T3.2, 1/640

This summer, I have searched for some local photo-friendly spots that I can use to test out lenses and other gear. There are local parks, trails, and the like in North Chicago, but little to nothing that compares to the sprawling metropolis/park areas I saw on the daily in Japan. Some of the smaller areas and bike trails are great for getting out for an afternoon of fresh air, but they don’t offer much in the way of a bonafide picturesque and scenic location. Thankfully, I did not have to search too far to come across the excellent Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, IL. Housing 27 separate gardens and four nature areas on 385 acres of land, the “living museum” has so many great places to make some great photographs. As it should be no surprise to some of my readers, I’m very excited they house an extensive bonsai collection as well as a well-manicured Japanese-style garden (that I plan to visit on my next trip!). In a summer filled with Navy Weeks and other projects, here’s a few photos made during a day trip to help keep my photographic chops sharp.

Continue Reading

Merry Christmas!

Posted by Matthew Durr on December 25, 2017
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 1 Comment

Cosmo Christmas
15mm, ISO 100, f/8, 1 Second

As it turns out, I got a bit lucky and found just enough time to briefly look through my last outing to Yokohama touring some of the winter illuminations downtown. Though the Red-Brick Warehouse had its own Christmas Market (more on that in a later post!), the tail-end of the night drew my friend and I outside Yokohama World Porters to catch the ever-colorful Cosmo Clock. Every 15 minutes after sunset the enormous ferris wheel gives a nice show, so it gave us many opportunities to attempt some time-lapse videos (and to grab a warm caramel drink from the vending machines in-between shows!) that I’ll piece together later.

As it’s that time of the season, I wanted to wish all my readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holidays to whatever else you may celebrate in your neck of the woods. As I’m taking a break myself for the end of the year, it’ll be at least early January before I can write up my 2017 website recap, and boy will there be plenty of photographs to share! Until then, take care these next couple weeks, spend some time with friends and family, and ring in the start of a brand-new year. That’s all for this quick holiday post, guys and gals. Thanks for dropping by and as always, have a great day!

Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/2 Zero-D Review

Posted by Matthew Durr on November 7, 2017
Posted in: Lens/Camera Reviews. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 6 Comments

Slowly but surely I am upgrading the lenses in my kit to be full-frame compatible. Longtime readers of my site already know I sport a deep collection of Nikkor AI-s lenses, ones that I could easily adapt to a full-frame a9000 or the like. As time goes on, however, I begin to notice the problems the old optics exhibit almost universally: low sharpness/contrast wide-open, mediocre flare performance, and relatively pronounced chromatic aberrations at larger apertures. I’m starting to see the benefits that modern optical formulas can provide where vintage lenses can rarely match.

With the Laowa 15mm f/2, I have found my wide-angle option to cement itself as part of a full-frame-ready kit. Featuring a native E-mount optical design, the compact and fast lens feels right at home even on an a6500, and performs quite admirably all-around. Does the lens perform up to its steep price point compared to the competition? Let’s take a look! As always, if you are unfamiliar with my lens review style, check this post first! Continue Reading

Site Update: October 2017!

Posted by Matthew Durr on November 1, 2017
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , . Leave a comment

Ambush
15mm, ISO 800, f/2, 1/640

Hey there! With the spookiest of days now behind us, Fall has finally arrived even in the warm Tokyo bay area. Trees are starting to turn in the north, the temperature is gradually dropping (goodbye lazy T-shirt days…), and it’s only a matter of time before ski season opens in the mountains! In the meantime, I am still catching up with my photography projects, from an end-of-year compilation of random photo trips to my Laowa 15mm f/2 review. That write-up should be ready in just a week or so, so stay tuned!

Moving over to the wide world of photography, Sony’s answer to the heavily-backordered Nikon d850 speaks in the form of the newly announced A7R Mark III. The incredibly well-speced camera shares some awesome features from the flagship A9, while sporting insanely high megapixels like previous cameras in the series. Odd we’re seeing a Mk III on the R series, given that it is about half a year younger than the regular A7 series, but I don’t run Sony’s marketing team. I do know, however, many are still (im)patiently waiting for an A7 Mk III. As long as Sony keeps the same unnecessary DSLR-style body design on their “A” series cameras, I still don’t see myself getting into the full-frame game yet. Even after all these years, I still am clamoring for a NEX-style full-frame mirrorless camera. I’ve seen the patents, Sony! I know it’s possible and that you’re probably already working on one!

*Ahem…* But, company theories aside, the A7R Mk III really does look great, especially if it performs as well in the real world as it’s performing for early impressions reviewers. For the rest of us back in APS-c land, Sigma is slowly filling the gaps Sony has left in the APS-c lens lineup, their most recent announcement being a 16mm f/1.4. Giving the same field of view and feel as a 24mm f/2 would on full-frame, this may be yet another option for those like me using the Rokinon 16mm f/2 and Laowa 15mm f/2. Since I am eventually moving to full-frame, I don’t have a reason to permanently own the lens, but depending on its asking price I may temporarily buy the lens for review on the site!

Anyways, that’s all for this quick October update guys and gals, I hope everyone out there got some spooky photos to fit the season! As always, thank for dropping by and have a great day.

Site Update: September 2017!

Posted by Matthew Durr on September 30, 2017
Posted in: Ramblings. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . 2 Comments

Cosmo Clock Sunset
105mm, ISO 100, T3.2, 1/25, 3 images stitched

Every year when September rolls around, I have little to complain about. The weather starts cooling off from the oppressive heat of the summer, oceans are still warm to explore in, and various flora are still alive and kicking to add some greenery to photographs.

In spite of some great weather and photographic opportunity, however, September is also one of the busiest months of the year at work. In addition to last-minute preparation for Navy advancement exams, this marks the second year I’ve participated in Yokosuka’s annual “American Sound in Yokosuka” concert, as well as two other “Hojinkai” jazz concerts in Miura and Kawasaki. In fact, the weekend I’m posting this website update is one of the few times I have had a couple consecutive days off this month!

Day job aside, I’m still working on writing my Laowa 15mm f/2 review, and have already made all the necessary product and technical test shots. All that’s left now is to go out once or twice more to get more real world photographs! On my first outing with the lens, I returned to a sunny Yokohama and walked around the whole day to see what I could find. By sunset on Osanbashi Pier I captured the ever-colorful Cosmo Clock with my other trusty Laowa, the 105mm f/2 STF. Due to my attempt at a quick turnaround in reviewing the lens (by comparison, my recent review of the Rokinon 16mm f/2 has select photographs from three years of shooting), I’m hoping I can still run the lens properly through its paces. First impressions, however? It’s a fine wide-angle with few faults!

Otherwise, in the wide world of photography, there isn’t a whole lot to report back on. The awesome Nikon D850 has launched and is starting to become widely available, while Sony launched the RX10MkIV, another evolutionary upgrade to its great bridge camera line. The rumor mill is still stirring for Sony’s next “pro” camera, as the A7 (as well as the A7s/A7r) is well overdue for an update. Meanwhile, I’m still just sitting over here hoping for a full-frame a9000 in the NEX rangefinder-style body. Honestly, it’s just a matter of time. 🙂

That’s all for this September update, guys and gals, thanks for dropping by! If all goes well I’ll have a couple days the next two weeks to take the Laowa 15mm f/2 out again to try and get some sample photos to do this compact optic justice. Until then, thanks for dropping by, and as always, have a great day!