More food photos

 

 Yes I know your bored with them but it's all I have until I can get out taking pics for myself.

 

 

Panosonic TZ80 image quality and quick overview.

 

 I got my hands on a Panosonic TZ80 for a play recently.  Heres my view.

 The camera is a smallish pocket size compact with a wide range zoom.  24-720mm full frame equivalent, there is also a digital zoom but I haven't tried this as they are usually rubbish.

The camera has the half inch sensor and 18mp, it will also do 4k video.  The camera has an electronic view finder as well as the back fixed screen, although I found the viewfinder tiny and hard to see if you wear glasses.

Image quality.  In good light it's able to produce quite high quality jpegs (havent reied raw) as the light goes so does quailty, the small sensor (still bigger than phones) starts to struggle a bit and as the iso goes up quality goes down.  The camera does have a flash so for parties it should prove fine.

As well as single shot you have bust modes up to a claimed 15 frames per second, I havent tested this but it is quick and the 15 could well be right.  It can also do 30fps in 4k burst mode, you shoot a short video and extract 8mp stills, not had time to try this either.  Theres also silent shooting.

The pictures, One is shot at the wide 24mm setting, one the pointy rock at about a 100mm setting and the wall is at 720mm, Image stablizing makes a difference at hand holding that, these were all hand held.

 All in all a good cheap camera with a huge lens range and decent quality.  Left click  photos and then right click and view image for a bigger size.

Having a difficult day

 

 My boys and I called over my mothers house the other day, just passing really and took a look to see if anyones moved in.  Maybe it wasnt a great idea.

Today I'm feeling really down, not helped by my back hurting and a headache (I get those a lot)  I still haven't really had time to get over my mothers death, not had a sit down and a proper cry.  I'm either busy or theres people around.

I've been up and down for a while now, finding it hard going, this years been a struggle if I'm honest.

Prince William end homeless campaign

  Prince William has started a 5 year campaign to end homelessness, and get houses for everybody.

 A nobile thought.... from a man with so many houses himself

 It seems our non-homeless prince has three or four of his own houses (dependng on source) and access to a lot more

Kensington palace.

Adelaide cottage.

Anmer hall.

Highgrove house.

LLwynlwernod.

Tamarisk house.

And others

So for a man who wants to help homeless people he could start by living in ONE house, let the homeless use the others.  I bet real homeless people love being patronised by a rich enabled twit.

A few pics for today

 Some random pics for today.

Doggy reflections

 Took this sunday.

Canon 90d at 6400 iso

 

 So is the Canon 90d usable at 6400iso.   Well look at the picture and decide.  I wouldnt want a poster size print off it, but at smaller size it's usable in my opinion.  Pic has had a run through photoshops noisewhere.

 

Food 2

 

 Last of this batch off food photos.

 

 

Food photos

 Yes more food photos.

Sony ZV1 What have I learned so far?

 

Well I've had it about a week, shot two videos and taken a few photos, what have I learned so far.

 The first thing I learned is the 24-70 lens (full frame equiv) isn't ideal.  The wide end crops in with stabilisation turned on and crops in again if you use 4k.  This isnt a massive issue, but it's something to keep in mind.  For me a bigger issue is the lack of a longer telephoto.  There are two digital zoom options which will help though.

 The camera seems decent enough at high iso, although I've not pushed it too far yet.  It's worth noting the camera has no built in flash for low light situations.  It does have a hot shoe, but couriously Sony dont make a small flash gun for it's compact models.  Yes you can use Sonys normal flash guns but most are bigger than this camera.

 Is it compact enough?  I'd say yes, it's not the smallest compact about, but it is pocket size if you have a reasonable pocket.  It's not light though, being heavier than it looks, mines heavier again as I fitted a grip/cage to the bottom which makes fitting the remote handle better (it will fit without this but you have to remove it to change the battery)

 Speaking of battery, you will need spares.  I shot 14 mins of film and a few stills and got a red battery warning light.  To be fair I had used the camera the day before, and there was a lot of reviewing footage and menu checking at the same time.  So in the real world you'd get longer, and it hadnt stopped just a warning of low power.

 The good news there is batteries are small, light and cheap, so carrying a few spares isn't a big deal.

 Picture image quality is very good, plenty good enough for those who are used to a phone camera, and that'll help as you have to use this camera like a phone.  These no electronic veiwfinder, just the screen on the back.  That said this camera is designed and marketed as a vlogging camera, Sony make a number of others aimed at still shooters.

 Video quality is up to 4k, and the camera does have a pretty good built in microphone, and you have a volume control.  It also has a standard mic socket so you can use a Rhode or other microphone, and it comes with it's own "dead cat" microphone fluffy cover (the dead kitty due to it's size) I've not had chance to test it out in the wind though.

 I'll give you more info when I've had time for a proper play.

 

 

Another high iso shot

 

 I was playing with the high iso today while waiting for a blood test.  This was taken at 25800 iso, yes it's had the default noise reduction in photoshop but I think it looks pretty fair for that high an iso.

 

The man in the light.

 

 A big thank you to Sam for taking these pics and  letting me post them. Yes it's ME.  Who said I like to be the centre of attention?

 

The Grand Tour, not so grand!

 

 I watched the Grand Tour Euro crash last night and while enjoyable it's a pale shadow of the earlier shows, maybe Grand is a word too far now.

 To be honest I get the impression they cant be arsed, and only do it for the money, putting on "bit of show" for the cameras.

 The same tired James May strugging to keep up, three grown men playing tricks on each other like prep school boys.  The same tired silly car choices.  The same tired challenges.

 But by far the worst moment was Clarkson pretending to be dumb about the Great Escape and mixing up the film cast with the real life escapers.  From a man who is a fan of WW2 history I would have expected better.  Lets not forget more than half the escapees were shot and killed after being recaptured.  50 men were shot, hardly a matter for joking from a man who knows the true story.  Shame on you Clarkson!

Indeed the best bit was the very end of the program, it felt and looked like the old Grand Tour/Top Gear, sadly that was predictable as well, even the fake drama of the ramp. (watch the old itialian job and see how it should be done)

 Come on chaps, I've been a fan forever, from the early Top Gear days, do one more show, a real cracker, no crap playing silly buggers, back to your roots, the stuff that made you what you are today.  

 You know the saying.  Always leave them cheering and wanting more, not finishing on oh dear they were not very good were they..

Red flowers and a bug

 

 Red flowers and a bug, both shot on my phone.  Now to be fair I did have the sony ZV1 with me, but I was in a rush and it was in a padded pouch inside a camera bag with the microphone, video light and remore grip, which was zipped and strapped shut.  So the phone was quicker!/

 

St Fagans (part two)

 

 The last of the st fagans shot from last week.