I finished packing the gear today. I leave on Monday for locations in the east and southeast part of the country. Places like Ashville, NC and Tampa, FLA and points in between. My flight into Charlotte, NC will be on a normal, big airplane but my connecting flight to Ashville will be on a tiny jet. In anticipation of baggage squeeze I've purchased a backpack from Think Tank which they call an Airport Essentials. It's about the same size as the Amazon backpack I used last year and most of this year but it's built to a more robust level. In my mind it's all about the zippers... I've been able to pack two G9s, a 12-60mm Pana-Leica, a 12-100mm Olympus Pro, a 40-150mm Olympus Pro, a Panasonic-Leica 8-18mm and a Panasonic 42.5mm f1.7 lens.
The Think Tank bag also accommodates four extra batteries, two double battery chargers, a 13" MacBook Pro, and computer odds and ends like a small, external SSD drive and a card reader/multiport dongle. It's all in a small package that, under duress, should fit under even the smallest airline seat.
I've also packed the lighting kit but talking about lights can be boring and I don't want to pester you with a laundry list of the flashes, stands and modifiers I've packed.
As I was packing I realized that I had not yet tested the newest G9 body nor the 12-60mm Pana-Leica lens (which is alarmingly pretty...). That's a bit no-no for professional photographers. Every piece you take into the field while working for a client should be tested before it goes in the backpack to make sure that you didn't get a lemon and that you aren't starting with a big glob of snot on the sensor. It's also good to make sure the lens you just shelled out mega-bucks for focused equally well ( and concurrently ) on both sides of the frame. Oh hell, it should focus well everywhere on the frame.
With these thoughts in mind I braved the horrifying Austin event (Austin City Limits Music Festival draws in 500 million people over two weekends, all of whom want to park in my neighborhood and all of whom brought a car to drive through the city in a random and aggressive manner...) traffic and went downtown to try out the camera and lens on some familiar scenes.
I used the lens at its shortest and longest focal lengths and shot mostly at f4.0 or f5.6. I am happy to report that the charming colors I experienced in the first body are exactly replicated in the second body. The newest camera is right on the money. It's going straight in the bag.
The Leica/Panasonic 12-60mm f2.8 to f4.0 is also a keeper. In good light (all I've shot in so far) it's a pretty even match with the Olympus 12-100mm Pro. They are both sharp and contrasty, even wide open, and the selection of focal lengths is great. I could do the job ahead with either lens and it's nice to know that, as of today, neither is hobbled by any visual or mechanical issues. Further, the dual I.S. of the G9+the Leica/Panasonic 12-60mm is phenomenal. As advertised, you could use this in the middle of a earthquake and get sharp shots.
Now all I have left is to throw a couple pairs of jeans, a few work shirts, a rain jacket and an extra pair of waterproof boots into some luggage and I'll be ready to hit the airport.
When the client made the reservations for my flights I had forgotten that Monday is the day everyone who came to the music festival will be scrambling to get back to their homes and to their jobs. I have a feeling that it's going to be pure chaos at the Austin airport for most of the day. I'm asking Belinda to drop me off and I'm heading over 3 hours before my flight. Before you tell me I'm crazy I have to tell you that Ben was flying back to college the day after the big music festival last year and even having arrived three hours before his (domestic) flight he almost missed boarding because he got stuck in an endless TSA line and was then pulled out for random screening. I'd rather have breakfast at the airport than to take a chance that I'll miss my flight. It's going to be a strange travel week. I guess I need to learn to embrace the chaos and government control. I'm hoping my enrollment in Global Entry will be helpful.
Get a G9 and the Leica lens. It's like the old days when cameras were really fun and cool to shoot. But do remember that there's a 30 minute time limit on the video...... I should have mentioned that before...
Click on the photos and look at them big. They are gorgeous. The G9 works really, really well. I trust it and I'm putting my money where my keyboard is..... Off we go.
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6 comments:
Based on your comments, last year I bought my wife a G85. How does the G9 compare to it? (In case I want one for myself :] )
The G85 is a wonderful camera and when purchase with the kit 12-60m lens may be the most camera anyone needs. That being said the G9 ups the game with a much nicer finder and an improvement in Jpegs. It's an incredibly sharp camera and in some situations (portraits) I think it needs to be toned down. The G9 is a step up in resolution and handling but you'll only really see it if you go big. Hope this helps.
Have a great trip! Happy landings!
Kirk...on the same lines how would you compare the G9 to the OMD-1mkII? I have the G85 and Oly glass right now...12-40 and 40-150 are incredible.
The P/L 12-60 and it's 50-200 stablemate are both pretty addictive lenses to use. I've had all three of the Olympus Pro zooms, 12-40, 12-100 and 40-150, and as good as they are, I never liked shooting with them. Maybe it was the weight and size of the 12-100 or 40-150, or the direction of the zoom rings (they go in the opposite direction of Lumix zooms), but for some reason they never felt comfortable. Then there is the way they render detail and tonality. The Olympus detail is almost crunchy in appearance, as where the Panasonic Leica lenses are more delicate in their approach to sharpness, and the same visual effect holds true for tonality. Same for size and weight, the P/L lenses feel much lighter and well balanced in the hand. Subtle differences, but that's how they came across for me. Until I got the 12-60 and 50-200 I would have told you how much I disliked working with zooms. But these lenses have made me rethink that stance. And, what you say about the G9 as far as ergonomics and image quality is right on the money. Plus the AF system is a huge step up from everything else.
I'll give the 50-200mm a try between the upcoming corporate gig and the adventure in Iceland. Thanks for the heads up.
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