2912 - focus on top

sony nex 7 with sel 35 f1.8 | f1.8 | ISO100 | 1/2000

both manual focusing and autofocus work well with the sony sel 35 f1.8. for the picture above i focused on the solitary flower in the upper middle of the frame. due to the focus peaking feature of the nex system and the butter smooth focus ring manual work is rather a pleasure than a step backwards in history. i really like the atmosphere of this (definitely imperfect) photograph, it might have been captured also at the mediterranean seaside.

sony nex 7 with sel 35 f1.8 | f1.8 | ISO1250 | 1/60

some hours later cold and rough friedrichshafen got us back. for this street shot i used the autofocus system, applied on the four ladies on the left-hand side of the frame. the chief difficulty in this scene was the fact that what you see in the photograph is actually a scattered reflection of the goings-on in the street, quasi an image of the ceiling of this corridor. despite that issue the autofocus didn't pump and did his work satisfactorily. 

2812 - headless

sony nex 7 with sel 35 f1.8 | f2.8 | ISO100 | 1/80

although i often rail against the dreariness of friedrichshafen, its museums are not less than first class. both the dornier museum at the airport as well as the zeppelin museum on the waterfront have straight, clear shapes and consequently message. besides huge bodies of knowledge that are presented in different modern and interesting ways - new media included - and are only waiting to be checked out by the visitors, also the photographer doesn't come off badly.

sony nex 7 with sel 35 f1.8 | f4.0 | ISO100 | 1/60

today i used the visit to the zeppelin museum of friedrichshafen as a chance to attach the new sony sel 35 f1.8 to my nex7 the first time. how shall i put it? it's gorgeous! 

sony nex 7 with sel 35 f1.8 | f4.0 | ISO100 | 1/100

what's the easiest way to shortly describe the capabilities and peculiarities of a new gadget without using technical wording and rattling out specifiations?

in my opinion the sel 35 is rather a shrunken sel 50 than a hybrid of the sigma 30 f2.8 and the sel 50. although i must confess that i haven't stopped down the lens above f4.0 yet, it seems to be obvious that the sigma will remain the sharpness champion in this competition, but the sel 35 is almost on level. however in all the other categories there is a clear decision by me - the sony is the better package. stabilisation (i love it!), much better look and feel and the low light advantages definitely compensate the plus in costs. moreover the 35mm focal length gives a bit of a more interesting angle of view, at least for my photographic eye.

  

 

i'm going to use the sel 35 continuously for at least one week now. so stay tuned to my daily updates if you are interested in further details, images and opinions about the sony sel 35 f1.8.

2612 - at the centre

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f2.8 | ISO1600 | 1/13

in winter the ordinary street lamps receive temporary support by the incandescent christmas decoration. this makes for a cosy atmosphere, for example in the narrow alleys of historic towns like markdorf. if the moon additionally appears by back-lighting the clouds, your christmas feelings get into top gear again, despite being already on the home stretch.

2312 - happy late summer christmas

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f2.0 | ISO100 | 1/200

what is the date today? 23rd? of august? or september? it's unbelievable that we already have end of december and that we had masses of snow and more than ten degrees sub-zero only two weeks ago. today is the day, the day before christmas. almost 16 degrees, a warming sunset and a walk across fresh, humid meadows. we have to like it or lump it - i think kingston has already declared his opinion.

dear readers, i wish all of you cosy and pleasant christmas days. enjoy the free time and dedicate a dose of extra time to your beloved. they will thank you most sincerely with all of their attentiveness.

1912 - crossing the cross

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f2.8 | ISO400 | 1/160

it's funny how things appear after getting multiplied with a transfer function. is the lady really walking with a luminescent umbrella? 

rain has a stimulating effect on me. sometimes when i have to wait for the end of tina's work day, i observe the people around the hospital. they often don't expect to be photographed so you can work calmly. today everybody's solely aim was to reach the rescuing entrance of the hospitals main house, except me. i intentionally stood out front and watched the hectic races of the visitors, nurses and doctors. great environment for a photographer.

1712 - waiting spread-eagled

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f2.0 | ISO1600 | 1/50

sometimes tina doesn't realise when i watch her doing anything funny in daily life. she is a great, first-rate amateur chef, not just since she prepares our dinners with much more blood, sweat and tears than some years ago. on that issue she does not even flinch from surveying the food while it is stewing in the oven, not even if she has to wait spread-eagled on the kitchen floor.

fortunately my nex7 is always ready to shoot scenes like that one.

1612 - third sunday of advent

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f1.8 | ISO800 | 1/80

the tree is up and decorated. it's our biggest christmas tree ever. it is straight, symmetric and very beautiful. now christmas is finally on its way.

1412 - half

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f2.8 | ISO100 | 1/500

taking candid pictures of people in public is about catching the right moment. you already see the scenery but you still have to wait till another object or another boundary condition is completing your image. 

in case of the photograph above the third person crossing the bright reflections of the sunlight was the key for an interesting composition. the lady - the person is carrying a handbag - causes exactly the amount of confusion i wanted to have in there.

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f5.6 | ISO100 | 1/400

(almost) perfect symmetry. even simple things can be so beautiful when you arrange them differently.

1312 - reasonable doubt

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f1.8 | ISO100 | 1/250

till today tina hasn't completely taken to the things i'm concerned with. this stands to reason, since even i by myself don't feel certain with every detailed issue of this complex topic. all the things that are made for killing bring along a very negative connotation, regardless of whether the underlying engineering achievement deserves acknowledgement or not.

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f1.8 | ISO100 | 1/500

how much sorrow had this old jet brought upon the global population before it was retired? this is definitely the wrong question. 

the evil itself isn't arising from the existence of weapons. quite the opposite, due to the incredible power, energy and force of tools like jets (today's dangerous, irregular) enemies can be thrown again and again. in the best case it's enough to deploy every weapon only in the context of show of force. i wish this could be the custom.

1112 - luff

sony nex 7 with sel 50 f1.8 | f2.8 | ISO200 | 1/1600

today strong winds were blowing from westerly direction. on the crust of the trees close to the lakeside little snow ridges were banking up.

with today's icy cold the lakeside wasn't a comfortable ambiance.