Leaderboard

So... a little bit of a tale (please skip to the end if you are short of nibbles and tea). In the summer I tore a rotator cuff, this led me to cancel off quite a bit of work. When I did resume employment (I'm self-employed), I figured as I'm somebody who doesn't do things half-heartedly, I might as well have a second go and totally bugger up my shoulder and tear the cuff further. Mission accomplished, I then cancelled loads more work. This has led me to being a bit skint Anyhoo, this time off has led me to looking at used camera gear and in particular, Wex was selling off loads of Canon 300mm F2.8 II's - presumably ex rental stock - a lens that is now discontinued owing to the RF range of lenses coming out (boy they are expensive). They were going for a decent price and although some were a little battered, they all came with a guarantee and a claim that they were all inspected. Unfortunately, I was a bit worried about cash flow, so missed the boat on that one, actually I also missed aquatic transport on the 400mm F2.8 and 400mm DO II 😞 Still with me? A short while ago I bought a Canon R6ii, a decent camera with phenomenal autofocus (although, don't get me started on the sensor read out speed being a real bind when doing fast tracking shots and using the mechanical shutter). This new purchase really made me regret missing out on those 300mm lenses, one that I have always coveted, especially as I've hired them before and it is by far the greatest bit of glass I have attached to my cameras. It's sharper than Jimmy Carr taking down a heckler! So it came as a slight surprise to find myself in a massive set of traffic jams travelling towards Sheffield this afternoon... ...and buying a used 300mm F2.8 ii from Harrisons in Sheffield. It's in superb condition, with only a tiny bit of paint missing off the tripod foot. The travel case for it looks like it was unwrapped from its protective film, only a matter of minutes before I got there. It is mint. If anyone lives near Sheffield and wants a used lens or camera, they have a great stock of the stuff and competitive prices too. I didn't have much interaction with the young saleslady, but she was very pleasant and as helpful as she could be. I don't think she is fully up to speed with all the numerous products Harrison's sell, but I doubt anyone could be. So the end of the story is, I spent money I don't really have, to grab one of the last really nice 300mms of its type left out there. I don't regret a penny of it and will now live on grass and rainwater for the next few months Its a shame I don't really have any projects I want to shoot left this year Still I don't care. I have my unicorn lens and it is so lovely, I'm going to name it Henry I think. I might never take it outside in case it gets dirty. I'm going off now to stare at it and talk to it in a sexy manner. I think I'm in love. Updated: now with sexy photos .

Harrisons is a great store and has been around for donkeys years... I too remember it on the other side of the road and used to work just down the road before we moved offices. I still drive past every day on the way home from work and have also had kit from there in the past, albeit not quite as high spec...

Visited Seaton Delaval Hall today - apparently the elliptical spiral staircase is an architectural nightmare. All the more impressive they managed to actually construct it all those years ago I guess. Apparently it's self supporting and each landing stone weighs 1.5 ton! Lovely gardens too 🌻 https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/seaton-delaval-hall

And yet, and yet... you own two private vehicles... in a city that has just about the best Public Transport available in the UK or even Europe... Apologies - I just couldn't resist passing comment 😉

Thanks Graham. You can remove the shadows as well, though if you didn’t know there were wires there I’m not sure you’d notice unless you’re a proper rivet counter. I changed the settings on the image as the original had very dark shadows and I wanted a bit more detail. Not to everyone’s taste but I quite like the look Graham.

A Drivers Collection Show 2024 pic at Sheffield Aeroclub for the BEST CONCOURS Octavia VRs

A former (and the best of the four I previously owned) Yeti. Purchased new and ran till just shy of 100k before talking myself into trading it in for something much more mundane 😏 Never missed a beat, remapped by well known local VAG specialist after the EA189 'fix' had ruined it - sadly missed

Or whilst illegally parked in Clumber Park 🫢

Fully expected to miss the Partial Eclipse, but woke up bang on 03:30!

Currently traveling hence Km not miles. And in case anyone is concerned, I got my passenger to take the photo.

updated a previous reaction above

Actual image of me looking back at them

I think there might be a few covert government organisations around the world, all looking into you now...

They do now. I've shots somewhere of Elmo's Starlinks interfering with my pics. A growing problem with astrophotography is satellites photo bombing shots where the shutter is open for so long to capture deep space stuff This is a screenshot of what can be achieved with the lens I have. It's a labourious process that involves many hours of open shutter and processing. I have a long way to go.

Blimey, do the Russians know you have the tech to track their orbitals?!

I only got into DSLR stuff last year with a bargain Canon 250D. That led me into astrophotography so I bought the Samyang F2 135mm as it was highly recommended. And then the Skywatcher auto tracking mount. And the dew heater, and the power units and the mini PC and..... Rabbit hole I know it might not look much but this is my current setup sans mini PC and PSU

Actually, it got me thinking. Camera glass is something I almost never sell or give away. I have all my original lenses, apart from a couple of starter lenses I got many, many years ago and a Tamron 150-600mm that I swapped for a couple of bits at Calumet (I hated that lens). I sell my older camera bodies, or give them away, but glass just keeps going if you look after it. And quality glass, like Canon's 'L' glass, should last me out. Nikon and Sony have their own versions of 'L' glass too. My first proper digital lens was a Canon 17-55mm f2.8. It cost me around £500 around 25 years ago (it still makes me wince to think about the cost at the time) and I still have it today

Another sadly missed Yeti, although this one fell victim to the dreaded Pan Roof leak. Sorry the back drop isn't especially notable

I think you'll find that in the vast majority of cases car allowances have been or are being removed... there are still some areas where they are provided but generally they have been, or are being, rolled up into overall salaries. As to the comment about 'brand' etc. - that appears to be a rather elitist and snobbish attitude of it still exists. I know of many people who actually consider a supplier, or similar, turning up in a 'flash' or 'premium' marque to be a big 'neagitive' in terms of employing them, as it potentially indicates paying over the odds for their services.

There was stuff during the night on the radio about the percentage of EV,s registered now in Norway and just how much tax relief was given to get to this. Just how much the Government were wanting it and the charging infrastructure in place. How much the fossil fuel vehicles are taxed. There is just a half arsed drive to zero emission private cars or the much of Europe / EU / UK. 25% of BEV,s into Norway are from China. As to the Hybrids they are all good and well but as is pretty much the case only as long as people do keep charging PHEV,s. PS, fleets, company card, hire and agency owned, nhs, etc and how many older ones of those are more to do with 6 years or older getting replaced by BEV,s, and the light commercials. Private owners are then split through many classes, income groups. Statistics are just that. At what numbers are cars scrapped every year?

Camera phone shot of Stewart on the roof. Before and after. Removed the wires and the edge of the telegraph pole down the right side using A.I. in Adobe Lightroom. Left the wire shadow on the fascia board though.🤣

Fixed yesterday, dsg thermostat + new filter pipe + labor = 90 pounds. All temps back to normal. 84 coolant, 85 dsg oil, 90 engine in town and 95 on motorway. The dsg takes a bit longer now to reach 55C, as previously the engine would warm the coolant instantly which would warm the dsg instantly, but now can maintain higher normal temperatures. Engine now warms much faster. I think fuel economy is also up a bit, not like massively, but every bit helps.

Not much has changed, I thought I tracked down a replacement ATE part that looks identical and was fitted to 80s inline-six E23 BMWs, but when I ordered the part, the supplier's supplier couldn't find it in their warehouse ! So I went back to plan A and sent the old one to a bloke called Jay in California, who rebuilds them. https://www.jaysbmwparts.com/contact Meanwhile I got some oil and filters, it's due for a change anyway

nah, they were just hangin around in Audimaindealerland. its over the bridge from BMW island.

Visited Cragside today.............

another shot for @gotthedropshow , some amazing metal on display.

I mostly buy new, as the gear gets used quite a bit (although not so much lately 😞 ). I have a 7Dii which replaced a 7D, but it has over 200,000 shutter actuations last time I checked (need to find the prog that can interrogate that, again - why Canon, do you make it so hard? ). It still mostly works and on a bright day the 1.6 crop factor is a boon with a lens like the 300mm. In fact with a 1.4TC on it, I get a 672mm F4 Prime lens!!! I had it serviced a few years ago by the Canon guys at a job I was working on, but since then it has developed a few issues with control rings and buttons. I also have a 5Diii which works perfectly and has somewhere around 100,000 actuations on it. The biggest difference between EF/S cameras and the latest R cameras, isn't really the sensor (unless you look at the high-end cameras), it's the autofocus, which is insane. I'm still figuring it out, but it is astonishing. ie Do you want focus to snap to left eye, or right, or would you prefer it locked to the eye closest to you. It actually works too.

I believe so - currently undergoing renovation 👍

Well it wasn't too bad as it's second-hand lens and now discontinued. Less than half price Still a little expensive though, but this (and it's 400mm sibling) was Canon's sharpest lens for many years The new 300mm lens in RF guise is not out yet, but the slightly bigger 400mm version is around £13,000!!! That is so far out of my price range it's silly and even if I could afford that kind of kit, I could never justify it really. I'm happy to use the older EF lenses (like my new acquisition) as I have an adapter for my 'R' camera and it is still a world class sharp lens, plus it is built like a tank. It's beautiful ❤️

Couple I took with my camera today. The lighthouse (off Seaton Sluice) is undergoing renovation. I wonder what the yellow ship lifts? The RAF A400 was circling Newcastle earlier this afternoon.

A slightly inside out approach, although it was a glorious sunset!

Yesterday at 10:33 in Skoda Fabia Mk III (2014-2021) Location: Shropshire Model: Fabia 4 monte carlo Year: 2023 Me thinks Yes. Thanks. AG Falco

At Kildonan on the Isle of Arran. What glorious weather for my GFs birthday

You can achieve similar results by encouraging motor makers to continue developing more efficient and cleaner engines like they have been doing and by reducing the maximum engine size that cars can have, which will by sheer definition drive down the levels of CO2 and all the NOX levels at the same time as well as making public transport fit for purpose and cost-effective by using joined up thinking rather than thinking how can we shift this onto the private sector all time when profits become the governing thing. Logic dictates if the services run where and when people need them, are cheap to access, comfortable, clean, frequent services covering the largest possible areas of any city/town thus reducing the amount of walking and waiting around in all kinds of weather, then more people would elect to use it. There would be far less wear and tear on the road surfaces so they would last longer and more frequent rural routes would also have the same effect of taking cars off the road so they only tended to be used for when the whole family need to go somewhere, or at hours when buses don't operate or on longer trips. Its a no-brainer, and that is exactly how it was when the buses were nationalised, these days the school run brings traffic to a crawl, that never used to happen, schools were more common and smaller than they are now, and they tended to have a very local catchment area, just a few streets away from the school, and you would be into the catchment area of another school, so most children walked to and from school, and those who came in from rural areas would have a school bus provided for them.

Interesting, I found an article that not only confirms what I already knew that Norway is the leading country in the big EV push but more interesting is that they are having second thoughts about it. What this has achieved and the lack of achievement at the same time. In 9 years, 2014 to 2023 the levels of CO2 emissions from road transport dropped by 8.3%, so not a huge drop. Also because of the incentives given, it favours the already well off and widened the gulf between the haves and have nots as the EV cars are out of the price range of affordability for the lower income families, etc. The well off went out and purchased EV cars in addition to their gas guzzling cars which they kept and in just a decade they discovered that the car ownership per capita had increased by 10% or more as the well off took advantage of the incentives to buy a second or more cars. Cities planners don't want people to be able to drive as it prevents them building high density housing with local facilities, removing the need for many journeys, instead opting to use mass transit systems. The country now has approximately 25% of all its cars being electric. Also what is interesting is that nearly everything I see and hear anywhere, states about the whole concept is to try and reach net-zero on CO2 emissions, not the levels of NOX etc, it is predominantly this country and the cities linked to the C40 cities organisation of which the London Mayor is the chairman, are fixated on air quality (which I have long suspected was more about raising revenue then anything else). The thing with cramming as many people into a high density environment as possible is that not only will people's lives be worse because of it, it makes it far easier for any enemy or terrorists to do massive damage to lots of people and infrastructure and should another epidemic like CV19 for instance happen, enable it to move through the population like a dose of salts. Could even lead to the use of chemical warfare by potential enemies with devastating results. Why Norway is rethinking its reliance on electric cars | Vox

I thought he'd told me some rubbish and you've confirmed it. I had him check and they're 195/40R17

And of course combine that with the fact that over 60% (I think the figure is) of UK households that do not have off road dedicated parking then that’s even more have nots

The argument about haves and have-nots with regard to utilising cheap electricity are moot until everyone can have a working smart meter. There are large parts of the country that cannot have smart meters due to connectivity issues. The main reason for this is there is a private monopoly company set up by the Conservatives to control the smart meter network, known as Data Communications Company (DCC). DCC has a target of 98% coverage of population, whereas it should be 100% of the country for it to be an equal opportunity to all. DCC use O2 3G cellular in the south (south of Wigan-ish) and an O2 subsidiary running a long range radio system based on old TV masts for the North. We all know that old UHF TV didn't cover everywhere and if you have an O2 mobile you'll know there are plenty of places with no coverage. In addition, many smart meters already fitted have gone dumb with the 3G switch off or due to malfunction. Suppliers do not prioritise repairs as they are incentivised to replace old meters with smart meters. This 'post code lottery' makes any time of use tariffs only open to the smart meter 'haves', making cheap electricity unavailable to many. I'm hoping Ed Milliband will give DCC and suppliers a metaphorical kick in the gonads to rectify this and come up with a system for universal coverage. I'm sure you've worked out I am without a working smart meter

Yes I have seen it, not in my last week trip to Berlin but recently when flying in to Frankfurt and popping down to Darmstadt, it was only about 21 km test scenario, it makes certain EV truck work like trams with overhead over the cab pickups for overhead lecky power........

Sunshine and wind is in everyone's hands and not only if one has a bit of garden or roof as in many countries people are handing foldable solar panels off balconies. I bought a 200W foldable 4 solar panel (sub £90) travel array it can be put pretty much anywhere, hung from a fence etc. Germany, Spain residence without either gardens or roofs are getting on to the solar train to slashing their annual bill. Add a battery of a few kWhs and happy days and nights. I can see certain peaks in energy consumption being expensive, possibly upto or over £1 a KWh being charged by suppliers, I think I read Octopus Agile customs can sometimes be hit with costs of that level but it is a freak occurrence and increasingly outweighed by free of negative cost sessions. Flat daily rates will increasingly be bad economic choices, they are already for EV households with home charging.

Probably this one.. Waiting to hear what the Warranty people come up with as they say it's now out of production, so they need to find a different solution..

There is one really good YouTube video of the Vw branded head unit which I found the best because you could freeze it step by step because he explained each stage.

Don’t tell them about the chip, just get it booked in with a list of the problems and act dumb

Red avoid, green current setup Click on link above for details

The wiring loom between the door and body. Do a search it’s very very common

Tonight's sunset.............

Hit the first notable milestone in my (new-ish) to me Octy the other day.

With a TDI that has been doing 30,000 miles a year if it only had the oil changed every 8 months or so at 18,000 -20,000 miles that would not be unusual and not a concern to me. With a TDI that has averaged 47,000 miles a year i would not expect it to have been getting oil and filter changes 3 or 4 times a year. Unless maybe used as a taxi in a city rather than a motorway mile muncher.

Hastily taken through the windscreen shot of a 1975 Porsche, at sunset, Beachy Head last night: Would've got out and taken more/closer snaps, but he drove off the wrong way 🙄 Gaz