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

 

3 hours ago, Graham Butcher said:

@B33fy Impressive, but it also left the shadow of the left hand wire on the wall as well as totally changing the exposure and colour of everything else in the photo.

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.

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Edited 18 September, 20241 yr by Lady Elanore

1 hour ago, Lady Elanore said:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

My local camera store🙂 - I still recall the original shop on the opposite side of the road👍

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. 

 

 

 

Now to be fair, I took this with a crappy phone and was holding a torch with flat batteries, in my mouth for a bit of fill lighting...I failed a little   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

Edited 18 September, 20241 yr by Lady Elanore

9 minutes ago, pinkpanther said:

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. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Is that St Mary's? 

1 hour ago, Lady Elanore said:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

 

15 minutes ago, pinkpanther said:

My local camera store🙂 - I still recall the original shop on the opposite side of the road👍

 

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...

Holy **** that's not a cheap lens! 

11 minutes ago, Lee01 said:

Holy **** that's not a cheap lens! 

 

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   ❤️

Edited 18 September, 20241 yr by Lady Elanore

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  

34 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

 

 

Is that St Mary's? 

I believe so - currently undergoing renovation 👍

8 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

 

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   ❤️

Unless you are making your living with the gear then second hand is the only way to go in my opinion, someone has already taken the big hit on drop of value, all of my Canon gear is also second hand and my last purchase was a Canon 7D with some stupidly low shutter count of 500 and was clearly someone's spare camera body, it never had a mark on it and my backup body is a Canon 50D again, it looked mint when I got and both have never missed a beat.

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 

 

Edited 18 September, 20241 yr by Lee01

13 minutes ago, Graham Butcher said:

Unless you are making your living with the gear then second hand is the only way to go in my opinion, someone has already taken the big hit on drop of value, all of my Canon gear is also second hand and my last purchase was a Canon 7D with some stupidly low shutter count of 500 and was clearly someone's spare camera body, it never had a mark on it and my backup body is a Canon 50D again, it looked mint when I got and both have never missed a beat.

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.

22 minutes ago, Lee01 said:

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 

 

 

 

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

13 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

 

 

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

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. 

 

Edited 18 September, 20241 yr by Lee01

7 minutes ago, Lee01 said:

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 

 

 

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

2 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

 

 

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

 

Actual image of me looking back at them 

 

7 minutes ago, Lee01 said:

 

Actual image of me looking back at them 

 

 

 

updated a previous reaction above  

11 hours ago, Lady Elanore said:

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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

Lovely bit of kit, a mate hankers after the RF 100-300 2.8 version, he uses a Fuji..

 

Sometimes you just gotta get that gadget. Nifty fifty.. still in the box, Macro.. used once. Studio strobes.. as new. We won’t mention the R3.🤣 Better get on, got two pieces of plasterboard to put up, plasterboard gun on its way.🤣 I’m on Stovies for the rest of the year..

Edited 19 September, 20241 yr by B33fy

Interesting that most people here seem to be using Canon kit...   I've always had Nikon for years but I guess thats always been the split .    Your either one or the other.

Generally people will stick with whatever make of kit they started off with, as generally bits of kit are not truly interchangeable and the glass or lens tends to the piece of gear that sets the bar for cameras body, IMV at least.

6 hours ago, B33fy said:

Lovely bit of kit, a mate hankers after the RF 100-300 2.8 version, he uses a Fuji..

 

Sometimes you just gotta get that gadget. Nifty fifty.. still in the box, Macro.. used once. Studio strobes.. as new. We won’t mention the R3.🤣 Better get on, got two pieces of plasterboard to put up, plasterboard gun on its way.🤣 I’m on Stovies for the rest of the year..

 

 

Harrison's had a couple of used R3s going for just over £3k. Guessing some peeps will jump straight to the R1 now, but there doesn't seem to be that much difference between them.

 

I have a crazy wide APS-C Sigma lens that I haven't used in around 5 years  I can mount it on my full frame R6, but the rez drops to 8mp. Might give it a go though, just for giggles