Lumix G9 and GH5S Firmware updates
Yesterday, February 17, 2020, Panasonic released two firmware updates for the G series cameras. The G9 firmware is now 2.1 and the GH5s is 1.2.
Firmware updates can be downloaded from:
https://av.jpn.support.panasonic.com/support/global/cs/dsc/download/index.html
Lilac Breasted Roller
This bird is one of my absolute favorites. This avian lives in acacia country where there are well-spaced trees, bushy game lands, riverside areas, and cultivated lands. However, they do not associate with human habitation. They are about 14 in. long.
The Lilac Breasted Roller is also referred to as the Fork Tailed Roller or Mosilikatze's Roller. They typically perch at high points of trees, poles, etc. so the can spot thir prey close to ground level. they will swoop down to grab insects, scorpions, lizards and even small birds.
This specimen was photographed with the Panasonic G9, the Leica 50-200 lens with the 2X tele-adaptor. Exposure triad: f/8, 1/800 sec, ISO 250.
Tanzania - October 2019
My Tanzania photo safari was truly one of the best wildlife photography experiences. I took a pair of Panasonic Lumix S1R full-frame cameras and the Lumix G9 micro four-thirds camera. Various lenses, a tripod, and ball-head that were never used. However, I did mount a Platypod Ultra with a ball-head to the armrest of the Land Cruiser. This provided all the mounting and support I ever needed for both camera systems. Yes I was over the weight allowance but was prepared and prepurchased excess baggage coverage.
The following are a few images captured with the Lumix G9, the Leica 50-200 mm lens and a 2X Tele-extender.
Exposure Triad: f/8, 1/400sec at ISO 640.
I spent the entire time at the Nasikia KasKaz Mara Camp in Northern Tanzania. The camp is a 45-minute drive from the Kogatendi airstrip. My superb guide Moodie is both a bird and leopard expert and a great photographer too.
This next image was captured at one of the many vast grasslands of the Serengeti. These Cheetahs are brothers who stay and hunt together and rarely stray beyond their marked territory.
Exposure Triad: f/8, 1/1000 sec at ISO 640.
Northern Serengeti has an abundance of bird species. It is truly a birder's paradise. The African Fish Eagle fishing is a fairly common sight along the Mara River. Here I am not sure who is eying who.
The pink flush on the stork indicates breeding status.
Exposure Triad: f/8, 1/640 sec at ISO 200 EV -0.3.
It was late afternoon when I spotted this Little Green Bee Eater. It grabbed what you see in this beak, swallowed it and then realizing it was not what it thought it was - spat it out with a vengeance.
Exposure Triad: f/8, 1/800 sec at ISO 1000.
The last image for this post is of a pair of Nubian Woodpeckers. It is most interesting to hear the pair call in unison.
Exposure Triad: f/8, 1/640 sec at ISO 320 EV+1.3.
Stay tuned for a lot more from this trip.
The Yellow Walls of Hoi An
Hoi An Ancient town is located in Viet Nam’s central Quang Nam Province, on the north bank near the mouth of the Thu Bon River. The city of Hoi An is beautiful but is inundated with tourists. This old town has a number houses that are painted a deep yellow and make for a wonderful photographic backdrop.
Why yellow? The Vietnamise believe that yellow is a symbol of royalty. The yellow color reflects the beautiful culture of Vietnam, symbolizing luck, pride and prosperity.
We spent two days in this amazing city this March. We photographing the markets in the aery morning, fishing villages at sunrise and sunset, street scenes during the day and lots of night photography along the river. We could easily have spent a few more days here.
Hoi An has nearly 1,000 ancient houses and of these 844 houses are included on the list of UNESCO's cultural heritage. Visiting these home requires a small subscription of about $5 and is worth every penny.
All images in this post were captured with the Panasonic Lumix G9 and the Leica 12-60 lens. Please click on the images to open them in a larger window.
Elders in Vietnam
In 2019 Vietnam has a median age of only 26. But it is ageing rapidly. Currently individuals over the age of 60 are 12% of the total population. It is expected that this will go beyond 20% by the year 2040. Clearly this iforecase ids one of the quickest increases in the world. Remember, most of the would be elders today were wiped out during the long war. This image is of one gentleman who survived and at his age, he is full of humor - he would like to marry again, "in a heart beat" he says.
The people of this country are truly wonderful. They understand the devastation but accept it - "it was not the Vietnam war" they say "it was the American war" - collectively they are building for a better and stronger economy. I have yet to see a population that works as hard as the Vietnamese.
Image captured with the Panasonic Lumix G9 with the Leica 12-60 mm lens at 50mm. Exposure triad: f/4, 1/50 sec., ISO 400. Image was converted to B&W using Capture One.
Please click on the image for a larger rendition.
Vietnam - 2
Nam Cuong sand dunes were amazing - though there was not much texture in the sky the dunes were a beautiful sight. They were really pristine till a bunch of tourists started climbing the slopes. Managed a few shots before the decimation.
A local Cham cowherd had brought his bulls and a wagon that had truck wheels to help traverse the dunes. Lovely warm light on this man's made for an interesting candid image.
The Chăm Pa now a minority were dynasty that extended across the coast of central and southern Vietnam from approximately the 2nd century AD. They were absorbed and annexed by the Vietnamese Emperor Minh Mạng in AD 1832. They are the poorest people in Vietnam.
Why miss an opportunity - here are his bulls that he had unyoked from the wagon.
A young Cham girl plays with simple toys while sitting on the dunes in a pile of tires.
Vietnam - March 2019 - 1
Sitting at the airport in Ho Chi Minh City waiting to board my return flight. As there is a bit of time I have started looking at some of the images from this fabulous trip. Despite the heat and humidity (both bearable), the photo opportunities are just phenomenal.
This is a late evening view of the tallest building in Ho Chi Minh. It is not a part of the main skyline but to the right as you look across the river. Access to photograph the main city skyline was closed due to major construction.
Day three we drove past some very very large fishing villages. The image below is one that caught my eye. It was in the village of Mui Ne on the coastal route from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Rang. It was interesting to see practically all the varieties of fishing vessels you find in Vietnam.
Barred Owl - Corkscrew Swamp
The barred owl, also known as northern barred owl or hoot owl, at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Florida this afternoon. The swamp has way too much water and as a result, the number of birds is minimum. This owl remained with its eyes closed for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, when the park staff came by to say we had to leave, I stopped by to get this image.
MINWR Field Workshop
January 25, 2019 - 7:00 AM field trip to Merrit Island National
This year the number of Glossy Ibis in the reserve is exceptional. I have never seen so many flocks of 20 Ibis or more.
On the other hand, the Roseate Spoonbills are not as abundant as in past years.
Lumix G9 Hi-Res Mode - Canyonlands, UT
Despite windy conditions, I wanted to test the Hi-Res Mode of the Lumix G9 in a lighting situation where there would be a minimum shadow definition. I found this location and vantage point and returned at near high noon. The clouds were interesting but as they were not interfering with the light falling on this monolith, I set up and captured this image.
The original RAW file before any crop was 10368 px by 7776 px and approx 138 MB. One for one pixel (native resolution) at 260 DPI this image will print 40 inches wide. The image was processed in Capture One and I cropped down from the top for a better composition. The reduced resolution is a 1400px by 922px file.
No sharpening or lens correction has been applied, nor has any chromatic correction been done.
To determine the detail and quality of the image I have done an extreme crop as shown in the image below.
Fog X FLO -2
This was photographed at the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University located in the Jamaica Plain and Roslindale sections of Boston. It was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and is the second largest "link" in the Emerald Necklace. This was another test of the Lumix G9 and Leica 12-60 lens combination's weather resistance. Both camera and lens were soaked as a result of the spray from the high pressure water misters but performed flawlessly.This art exhibition runs through the end of October and is worth visiting.
Fog X FLO an interpretation
This image was captured midday on Sept 3, 2018, when the temperature was 95 degrees. This location is Back Bay Fens in Boston."Emerald Necklace Conservancy presents the first citywide exhibition of Fujiko Nakaya’s “climate-responsive” fog art, sited in dialogue with the landmarked landscapes designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (FLO)." This exhibition is to mark the 20th anniversary of the Conservancy.
Leica 50-200mm f/2.8-f/4 on the G9 with 2X Tele-extender
This is a crop from the image below. I wanted to see how well the Leica 50-200 mm performed when used with 2X tele-extender. The image was shot at ISO 16000 and as you can see the noise performance is great. The cropped image has a small amount of Lightroom noise reduction applied. Though the flash did fire the distance to the bird was beyond the flash units reach.
Focus Bracketed - Yellow Orchid
One of the greatest features of the Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 is "bracketing". Yes, like most cameras the G9 can bracket exposure. However, the G9 can bracket aperture, white balance and focus. While in camera focus stacking is possible using the "Post Focus" function, the individual images are JPEG as is the final stacked image. For RAW images and high-resolution stacks, it is best to use focus bracketing. With focus bracketing, you set the stepping distance and the number of images that need to be captured. You can also set the sequencing for how the images are captured, similar to exposure bracketing - 0/-/+ or 0/+. I prefer the second as I always start my stack from the front of the subject and work the focus away from the camera.
Hosta - flowers in color
While the intent is to create a book, using sepia or color is still a big debate. Here is an image that adds to the dilema.
Notre Dame Basilica in monochrome
This was another hand-held image inside Notre Dame. I used the G9, a camera that has the best image stabilization I have experienced. I had not enlarged a image from the G9 so tried with this one. Using On1's resizing I enlarged this to a 60 inch image at 300 ppi and saw no significand degredation in detail or quality.
Using the new Panasonic Leica 50-200mm
I received the newly released Panasonic Leica 50-200 mm f/2.8-f/4 lens yesterday. I paired it with the G9 for this image. This is the first and only image captured with this lens and I am in love with its quality. A lot more testing to do but I have no doubt it will perform exceptionally well. What is great is that the lens can be coupled with the 1.4x and the 2x teleconverters. Stay tuned for more on this piece of glass.
Botany Project - Zantedeschia aethiopica (Calla Lily)
Once done, I am hoping to get these image printed as a coffee-table book. Here is another image (right side page) that I completed last evening.
A new project
There are a number of artists who have created some wonderful flower images that I admire and appreciate. I have started a project that will take a year or more to finish but I feel it is worth the effort. Here is an example of one of the elements from the project.