Wide angle lenses for the Olympus cameras

I consider wide angle lenses to be a basic requirement allowing you the opportunity to take broad landscapes, photograph groups of people at social functions as well as travel pictures and have two for the Olympus OM bodies I use.

In general I am not given to using standard zoom as I find the image quality falls below that which is obtainable from so called fixed length lens and many have the apertures varying as you zoom which messes up manual and spot metering readings.

As I use a tripod making small adjustments to frame the image and keeping it all level is not a big deal to me

For general landscapes I use the Olympus Zuiko 28mm F2.8 pictured below a lot liking its colour renditions and ease of use. The construction of Olympus's own lens is extremely good being all metal.

Another good feature of them is the aperture settings are at the front making for rapid focusing and metering while you are looking through the viewfinder.

 I bought this lens in September 1996 for the OM10 when I was test driving it.

My first love though is the 35mm F2.8 which I bought around 2002 from Camtech over the phone. 

I found whenever I used a zoom most of time I was using around this focal length because it's ideal for travel photograph and has less of a problem with converging verticals when you photograph buildings. Although the edges wide open are slightly soft they come in by F8 and it looks really good. Some say they found the contrast a bit low but honestly I've never found it on the films I've used (Velvia 50/Reala 100).

I got mine boxed with the case and thin front cape used and love it.

Changesonebowie

Between studying I have been listening to some music and arriving last Friday was this, the vinyl reissue of the very first David Bowie compilation entitled changesonebowie that came out originally in 1976.

It was the first album that featured John I'm Only Dancing and in the eyes of many had a seamless unity running through the selection that made it most satisfying to play from start to finish starting with Space Oddity through Jean Genie to Golden Years from his Station to Station album issued early in 1976.
The cover photograph is very iconic.

 It was reissued May 20th  in random form with half the copies on standard black vinyl an the other clear like the one I got with no indication which you'll be getting!
Although this is sourced from high resolution digital files it does sound better than the original UK album overall and is noticeably cheaper to buy compared to a used original!
Having so many of my favourite 45's from childhood playing this was a enjoyable trip through time so I'm glad to have gotten it.

Reading for me

Reading is something I do enjoy although it has to be said my reading age is like the rest of developmentally me at a more child-like one so I generally read junior fiction finding even many 'young adults' fiction goes very much over my head so it's not something you can fix by just looking the odd word up in your dictionary.
I do enjoy stories centred on home and school life finding then easy to empathize to and relate with.

I quite like this, a cartoon based on the Enid Blyton The Naughtiest Girl series where Elizabeth Allen is sent to a unique co-ed boarding school hating the very idea as she really dislikes structure being impulsive and given for saying just what she thinks.
What is so unique about this school is in many ways it's those very school children who set the rules and in effect discipline each other with the adults in the background for guidance, the idea being they'll learn to  be self disciplined more by co-opting it rather than being made to.

Return to studying

My life is evolving not least since the last few years with bits of that being said at certain sites like Angels, sometimes referenced on here but in truth it's going to take this blog in differing direction.
One part of that has been studying across weekends to tackle some of my very real problems in core areas such as everyday Maths and English which with the odd pause for weekends away or illness has been going on since the beginning of this year.
Since I had been away last weekend the resumption of studying this weekend tackling the outstanding English work taking our time was set so I don’t over do things but equally I not allowed  to get away with not doing the things I can do.

It’s always been easier to sit around not doing things either expecting an exemption, or because those who might of expected anyone else to  seem to think I shouldn’t to the point they never really saw what I could do because they never had me try it or I was feeling like being bone lazy.

So for a very long time my default was to do nothing and in so far anything like studying went  if it wasn’t going to be easy then plenty of people would just let me do next to nothing even while it may of hard going, I could of done something more.

That’s really thing that is changing both with the studying having to do things I find hard, coping with flare ups of some of my conditions which consideration is given to and even being with people where I am expected to help out, contributing in kind that people are helping me turn around those old habits being prepared to pull me over a lap for a spanking when I didn’t do it which truthfully is what the child emerging teen should of gotten apart from having some kind of agreed chores list.

Thinking over how I have dealt with my recent paw problems plus my more recent visits staying with people underscores this so much.

Flash and the Olympus cameras

One of the great strengths of the Olympus OM system was its Flash units.

There were three: The T20, T32 and T45.All offered flash metered off the film plane from the camera itself with the OM2(n), OM2SP, OM4(Ti) and OM40 bodies.This breakthrough occurred as far back as 1976 which was something many other systems were late in introducing.All the flash units take the number from the Guide number they produce (GN).

The T20 does not do manual flash (the QF310 unit was really the cheap flash for the OM10/20/30 and OM1 models) but the other two do.

The T45 was a 'Hammerhead' unit for professionals like the Metz models and can be used horizontal or vertical while still 'bouncing' the flash.

The most popular unit was the T32 pictured.

I got mine around November 1996 used with a 6 month guarantee.
The output of GN32 is ideal for group shots or for photographic models with which is help by the fact the reflector can be tilted up for bouncing the flash or even down 15degrees to get a bit more light on small objects.

You can in fact link two or more flash units using special cables and maybe mounting the second flash on a supporting column while retaining the off the film flash metering for more even illumination of small objects.

Another rather useful feature of this flash gun is you can turn around the 'calculator scale' at the back of it to change from off the film metering to manual flash so you can use it on any camera that lacks Though The Lens flash technology such as my OM10 or even the Minolta XD7 (although on the XD7 you have to set the flash sync speed on the camera).
You are give a choice of three (yes really) apertures to use with a sensor on the flashgun controlling the output plus options of full output (with a aperture scale for the film speed you are using) and 1/4 output.

You can get a Flash Extender that helps direct the flash output for lenses with longer Focal Lengths although I found it was fine as is from 28 through 105mm that covers groups and head and shoulder portraits.

In all respects I found this flash unit ideal for all my flash needs with plenty of output to photograph winter processions like carolling, family events and models with the advantage it would work on any camera I owned.

Sometimes system manufactures Flashes seem overpriced compared with independent so-called after market equivalents but this one is well worth the modest price charged. Indeed I have seen Minolta MD camera owners sporting them atop of theirs.

Being the adult child

It's another week here and having explained something in this life of mine that is both important and something that separates it and that of most of you that we needed to as this blog moves on last week we shall continue to work our way through all of this.

There is no independent  adult sense of self about me, it's one of the things that makes my life so NOT age play although I've nothing against them or sharing spaces with them on terms I'm happy with because in the main they do have well developed adult selves, relating to other adults.
I don't relate at all to you as an adult whatever the law may say about people with my age because it isn't medically possible. I look toward you for guidance, love and protection as your girl, your responsibility because while I can be helped to be more responsible it's never going to at an adult level.
I would like you to really stop a moment and actually think about that because in the everyday world you are going to be looking after me. You need to forget what you thought you knew and from now on remember you're in charge and have some responsibility for a child in an adult body and some  of your conversations will just go totally over my head having much of the vulnerability of an actual child.
It's one reason it is better where possible for me to dress a bit younger because it does at least help to remind both of us of this important and perhaps painful truth although I've been living with this for a long time
Being dressed more like the adult posed  in this picture being in a more structured relationship that may include you disciplining me works that much better and I like it.

The Olympus OM40 camera

I recently picked an OM40 body boxed with the instructions.

This model was introduced in 1985 but only remained in production for a couple of years.

It has a funny cross between a spot meter and all around (centre weighted) metering called ESP. It works fairly well comparing the centre spot to the outer areas balancing the two although it assumes the subject is in the middle of the frame.The flash is Through the lens like the OM4 which was always a good idea It also has a Program mode for quick picture taking.

The chief minus is that like all the double digit OM models the viewfinder only covers 93% rather than 97% of the OM4/3/2/1 models and it doesn't have a spot meter option al a OM2SP

It is surprisingly good given it was only really intended for amateurs.