More camera geeking time! Here’s the Canon 24-105mm F4L IS USM (with a filter thread size of 77mm) next to the Minolta 24-105mm F3.5-4.5 (D) (with a filter thread size of 62mm). The Minolta then got rebadged as a Sony while retaining the same size.

As you can see, in-lens image stabilization, an ultrasonic motor and a constant brightest aperture take its toll on the size of the lens.

A rare 100mm F1.5 lens.

The output. Not quite optimized yet.

The Canon Speedlite 270EX next to the Sony HVL-F20AM.

It’s a fair bit primitive compared to the Sony – there’s an On/Off switch where on the Sony, just flipping it up turns it on. It’s also bigger. At least both do bounce.

What happens when you put an opaque plastic sheet behind a lens?

You get… an image!

This is the same concept that Khai used to make his SLR-depth-of-field-wielding video camera. Back before video-recording dSLRs were the rage.

The Lomography Spinner 360°.

KLCC, through my Peleng 8mm F3.5 M42 circular fisheye.

Rosly, through my Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* 135mm F1.8 ZA.

This same lens had a rattling sound in the back, so I sent it in and got the rear part changed for free under warranty. The logo was also replaced – its paint was easily chipped!

Me, through a Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC, with an F-mount to E-mount adapter on my Sony NEX-5. Thanks Ijan for this shot!

Zoey through the same setup.

I don’t remember how to get to this secret menu in the HVL-F58AM.

This is why I am not a fan of the Tamron 90mm F2.8 Macro optically.

Too much brightline bokeh and sharp donuts.

People have always complained about the Sony A100 being noisy at ISO1600. Well it really is because the A100 (like all Alphas) are prone to underexposing when there are bright lights in the picture, like so.

When I spot metered on his face, everything was correctly exposed. This is an unedited JPG from the camera, also at ISO1600!

Left column: KJ’s A700’s mirror dropped out when its mirror retainer clip broke.
Right column: My A900’s mirror dropped out when its glue gave way.

Both incidents happened after more than a year of heavy usage. I am glad that mine was still under warranty though!

Left to right: Sony HVL-F58AM, Sony HVL-F56AM, Sony HVL-F43AM, Sony HVL-F42AM, Sony HVL-F20AM. Only flash missing was the Sony HVL-F36AM!

My mirrorless, interchangeable lens, interchangeable mount, infrared-modded Fujifilm Q1 Digital!

The Opteka 85mm F1.4 is sometimes a hassle when it can only focus to 1 meter close. Reversing the lens however fixes this!

Two Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 EX DG lenses!

This is how I usually judge the viewfinder size, by putting them to one eye each.

Speaking of viewfinders, here is a beautiful viewfinder, from the Nikon F6! Note that the viewfinder is a custom one, as the regular F6 is an AF camera and thus does not come with a split prism viewfinder.

This is the only Nikon film SLR still made by Nikon. It has a very clean back!

Another rarity – a Contax G1, an auto-focusing film rangefinder camera!

The Sony Survival Kit did not survive one day with my heavy gear in it. Here, the hand strap broke. 🙁

Who says professional cameras do not have pop-up flashes? Here’s the Hasselblad H4D-50! This picture was also taken with a pop-up flash.

This camera was used to take some shots from here: Hair Hair

This is why I like the Sony 50mm F1.8 DT SAM – optically, it is more contrasty wide open and has much cleaner bokeh than the…

…Sony 50mm F1.4. Note how the Sony (as well as its predecessor the Minolta 50mm F1.4) draws the out-of-focus highlights – with a harsh border. This is known as brightline bokeh.

The only benefit then that the Sony/Minolta 50mm F1.4 offers, is that it allows a full-frame angle of view while the Sony 50mm F1.8 DT SAM does not. Both shots were taken at the same distance on the A900.