Of Destiny and Free will.

I don’t think everything that happen’s has a reason, but many things do. I do believe in cause and effect, and that the things we experience are influenced by the things we do and the choices we make. But in the end, most things ties back to our choices. Only a few things that happen are pre-ordained, for our life experience and learning.

But even then our choices and other people’s choices, determine HOW we experience those things, for better or worse. In the end, it is our own choices we must concern ourself with. That is how we learn.

From my experience, it is 1 part karma (destiny) and 9 parts free will. No higher power has ever wished bad things to happen to us, but those that did happen are usually the results of our life choices or soul lessons we chose to learn from.  The excepetion may be childhood, but even then, on a soul level,  we chose to be born into a situation, knowing that it could go in many different directions.

Likewise the good things that happened were the result of life choices and free will. Destiny happens in a moment. What flows from that moment we decide by our actions and choices. For better or worse.

One of the greatest lessons, though sometimes painful, is our ability to accept when things don’t happen the way we want them too. All parties involved have free will and we must accept their right to free will, as much as we want it for ourselves. – The greatest lesson of all is to walk away from our difficult experiences, not with anger or hate, but with love in our heart, no matter how things go. But then we must choose for ourselves to walk away from that which is not good for us.  

Pain passes only when we let it go and embrace our past experiences with unconditional love and blessings for all concerned. If we do not, then we are destined to repeat the lesson until we master it. And spiritual mastery only comes from unconditional love and forgiveness.

It is always our choice if we embrace or walk away from a situtation.  Ever decision has consequences.  But if those consequences are good or bad, positive or negative is up to us to decide.   Destiny sometimes happens, but how we experience it, is always up to us. If it is good or bad is a choice “we make” for ourselves.   Every life experience has lessons.  We choose what we wish to learn from those lessons.   And our choice is what decides our future destiny.   Choices made with love and forgiveness always lead to the best destinies.

Four Mile House Historic Park and Museum.

Click on images to see a larger version

Denver’s famous Four Mile House Park and Museum is located at 715 S. Forest Street, Denver, CO.  Per their website:

“Four Mile House is Denver’s oldest standing structure. The Four Mile House was the last stop coming west to Denver along the Cherokee Trail.  It was a welcome site for the weary travelers, a place to wash off the trail dust, have a drink of cool fresh water, find a home-cooked meal, or spend the night before heading in to Denver. “

The Bee House was built later by the Booth Family.

“Built in 1859 by the Brantner brothers who planned to settle in the area.  The Brantners sold the Four Mile House to the widow Mary Cawker in 1860.  Mary and her two teenage children opened the house as a stage stop from 1860 to 1864, when she sold the property to Levi and Mille Booth.

The Booths continued to offer the same hospitality to travelers, while building a thriving farm.  The arrival of the railroads in 1870 eventually ended much of the stage and freight business.  The Booth family continued to live on and work the land until the 1940s.”

“In 1975 the City of Denver purchased the house and the remaining 12 acresof the farm, designating the property a Denver City Park.  The Four Mile House, a Denver Landmark, is the centerpiece of the Park and is listed on the National Registrar of Historic Places.  Visitors can tour the historic house, say hello to our horses, goats, and chickens, learn about the craftsmanship of the historic barns and outbuildings, or just spread a blanket under a shady tree and enjoy a beautiful day.”  

An old Stagecoach.

Unlike the “big” covered wagons seen in many TV shoes and moves, this was more typical of a real covered wagon that was common in the days of the early west.  Small, narrow and not very comfortable.

The White left half of the building was part of the original structure.  The door on the lower left, opened into what was the “Saloon”  A modest affair with a crude bar, a few shelves of whiskey or other liquors and a couple of tables with chairs for sitting or gambling.  There was also a Pot Bell Stove for heat.

The saloon was open only to men (no women or indians allowed though indians could purchase liquor and drink it outside.).  The upstairs portion was a dormitory like bunk-house where a bed for the night could be had.

Around the corner to the left was another more elegant door that opened into a comfortable parlor for women only.  Over the years the house was expanded.  The interior is brightly and elegantly decorated (except for the simple Saloon).   During the summer and many peak days, they have tours of the entire house interior.  It is well worth paying a little extra for it.  Weekends in the summer may also provide a number of volunteers dressed in period garb to provide a sense of realism as they go about chores from Blacksmithing to washing and hanging clothes.   The entry fee is quite nominal ($5 for an adult) when I was there.

Above photos taken with an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II with Olympus Zuiko 12-40mm F2.8 Pro lens.  A few images were shot in HDR mode due to the very high contrast light at the time.

Below are a few older photos taken with either an Olympus E-3, Panasonic GH1 or Panasonic FZ150.  Click photos for a larger view.  Summer is the best time to visit, buildings are open and tours of the Big House, are available.  Volunteers dress in period clothing on weekends.

This was the saloon in the original building.  Not very Hollywood is it.

The rest of the saloon.

The man playing the blacksmith, is a real 3rd generation blacksmith.

The women’s parlor, behind the saloon, where they could sit and talk peacefully.

~David

Colorado Railroad Museum – Golden, Colorado

Click images to see a larger version.

“There’s something amazing about trains. The familiar whistle has always promised adventure. The gentle rock of the rails has set the rhythm of our lives. Experience it again at the Colorado Railroad Museum with over 100 narrow and standard gauge steam and diesel locomotives, passenger cars, cabooses HO Model Railroad and G-scale garden railway on our 15-acre railyard.

Also, see our exhibit galleries, renowned library, Roundhouse restoration facility and working turntable. Visit the General Store with thousands of train gifts for every rail fan. Group rates and programs available.”

(Note:  All photographs are Copyright © David Wendel Robinson.  All rights reserved.  Reproduction without permission is not allowed.) 

Colorado Railroad Museum

17155 W. 44th Avenue,

Golden, CO 80403

303-279-4591

800-365-6263

Museum open daily 9:00am — 5:00pm 

Short History

Robert W. Richardson and Cornelius W. Hauck opened the Colorado Railroad Museum in 1959. Then, and now, our mission is dedicated to preserving for future generations a tangible record of Colorado’s dynamic railroad era and particularly its pioneering, narrow gauge mountain railroads.

In 1964, the nonprofit Colorado Railroad Historical Foundation was formed to assume ownership and operation of the Museum.

The Museum has experienced many positive changes since 2000. Interpretive signs have been installed around the property, the downstairs of the Museum has been remodeled into a temporary exhibit venue, restoration efforts continue at a renewed pace and the Museum continues to add historic pieces to its collection.

If you love trains, Colorado Railroad Museum is a must see should you find yourself in Colorado.  62 years old and I am still fascinated by trains.  Guess I always will be.  ~David

All photographs taken with a Panasonic FZ1000 by Your’s truly. ~ David

Thoughts on the Panasonic FZ-1000

Panasonic FZ-1000 with the swivel LCD facing forward and up a little.

From the day it was announced, I found the Panasonic FZ-1000 to be one of the most interesting cameras in many years.  It is very much the camera I hoped for but didn’t think could be built today.  Prior to its announcement I was looking at the Sony RX10 as a possible future purchase but not quite satisfied with its 200mm limit or its high $1300 price.   The Panasonic FZ-1000 however meets my minimum desired telephoto needs while at the same time introducing some very nice features that I liked in the Panasonic GH4 and some earlier FZ series cameras.   But more then that the FZ-1000 introduces some amazing video capabilities at an excellent pricepoint.

Now before I proceed, let me state clearly that I have not had a chance to see or handle the FZ-1000 directly so this article is based solely on information I have gathered from multiple sources, my prior photographic experience with many different cameras and my personal preferences and opinion.   It is not necessary for anyone to agree with me or my thoughts.  The process of writing is every bit part of my attempt to organize and clarify my thoughts and to evaluate them as I go along, for myself.  

The more I look at the Panasonic FZ-1000, it compares well against the Sony RX10 and at lower ISO’s does very well against equivalent resolution m4/3, APSC and even some full frame. It won’t be a high ISO champ in my mind however. It is excellent at 125-200, very good at 400, good at 800, acceptable (to me) at 1600 but 3200 and above you will be better off with larger sensor cameras if detail and low noise are important to you.

PHOTO-STYLES AND CUSTOMIZATION
I do like that once again (from what I can determine) like most FZ and other Panasonic cameras, the FZ-1000 allows you to tweak all the JPEG profiles to a high degree for contrast, sharpness, saturation and Noise Reduction. You’re not locked in to Panasonic’s idea of what the style should be and can change or modify most of them easily. You can even create your own “custom” style to some degree if you like.  This means that while Panasonic provides a point and shoot solution for the casual photographer, they also allow more experienced and enthusiast photographers to not only have full manual control but also to tweak the cameras defaults quite easily.  This is a significant consideration for me, as I generally like to shoot RAW+JPEG.  RAW so that I have maximum detail and JPEG as a reference.  However since I don’t always like Panasonic’s default JPEG look I like that I can customize any Photostyle for my preference.

I currently have a Panasonic FZ-150, that I have shot with frequently in recent years.  With its tiny sensor though I always shoot RAW at low ISO and then post process to get the most detail out of it.  At lower ISO’s it is quite capable, but above ISO 400, the image deteriorates quickly.  The FZ-150 allows adjustments in steps of 2, above or below the default JPEG Photo Styles.  From what I can gather the FZ-1000 should also allow the same, but in steps of 4 above or below, the default photo style settings for contrast, sharpness, saturation and Noise Reduction, which can all be adjusted up or down. In the case of noise reduction for each photo style, a decrease in JPEG noise reduction will increase detail but it will also show more noise at higher ISOs.  So it is a compromise between detail or noise.  This is one of those choices that every photographer must make.  The best compromise for them, their style and their desired results.   At small web showings or prints no larger then 11X14, you probably won’t see the difference.  But it will show at larger sizes or on images that have been significantly cropped. I personally prefer a little noise over a loss of detail due to heavy in camera noise reduction.   Noise reduction smudging is as bad as being out of focus to me.

Imaging Resource posted their studio shots (as many already know) but on the thumbnails page (http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/panasonic-fz1000/panasonic-fz1000THMB.HTM) they have both Normal (5) and (0) settings for JPEG noise reduction. Look for files ending in NR0 for the lowest noise reduction.  I downloaded the NR0 files and compared against RX10 at lowest noise reduction and RAW as well as against some other 4/3 and APSC RAW files and was quite impressed at the FZ-1000 results.   (Don’t have software to read the FZ1000 RAW files yet)

DPREview has also posted Studio samples with their new studio setup as well and it shows both default JPEG and RAW examples.   http://www.dpreview.com/previews/panasonic-lumix-dmc-fz1000/6

After downloading the FZ1000 jpegs at their lowest noise reduction from imaging resource I compared them to the RX10 at its lowest JPEG noise setting and to RX10 RAWs.   The FZ1000 was the equal of the RX10 in overall quality and maybe just a little better in some ways and not quite as good in others.   The Sony does seem to provide a bit more sharpening and contrast with JPEG images and maybe even RAW.  Of course, the FZ-1000 photostyles can also be tweaked to do the same.    I then got bold and started comparing to other larger sensor cameras.   What blew me away there is that at ISO 125-200 the FZ1000 held its own detail and noise wise compared to m4/3, APSC and did quite well compared to a Canon 6D full frame which is also 20mp.  Mind you there are always other factors then noise and resolution, but for the most part low ISO performance is excellent.  Of course at higher ISOs the larger sensor cameras will outshine the FZ1000, especially above ISO 800.  That is only to be expected.  For me though, a recent review of my past 13 years of digital images showed me that 85% of all my images (more then 10,000) have been shot at ISO’s of 400 or less.  Fewer then 200 have been shot at ISO higher then 1600.  So for me, the Panasonic FZ-1000 looks like it is a good match for the majority of my photography.

While both Imaging Resource and DPReview provide RAW files, I don’t currently have any software that will let me directly look at the RAW files at the moment so can’t really compare RAW output which is more definitive then JPEG output.

PUSHING THE LIMITS
Okay, I don’t have the FZ-1000 and am not likely to get one until money and the camera are both available, but I do like to explore the possibilities and limits based upon the resources at hand.   Now to be perfectly honest, from all the reviews done to date, I’m not overly impressed by many of the sample images.  Mind you it is not the camera, but the actual photography which is somewhat lacking.  Still a lot of these images are quick and easy snapshots for demonstration purposes and subject matter and attention to detail, aren’t always as big a part of the plan as the rush is to get an article to press (online).

The important thing to keep in mind is that the FZ-1000 has a 1 inch sensor (okay that is the common industry reference but of course not accurate, its actual size is 13.2 x 8.8 mm with approx. a 16mm diagonal).  The sensor is almost 4 times the size of a 1/2.3 inch sensor which is the most common size used in long zoom bridge cameras until recently.  That size plus the increased 20 mp resolution makes a dramatic difference in image quality at all ISO’s but especially at higher ISOs.  It also allows for not only more resolution but a much larger pixel size which reduces noise and increases dynamic range.    I wanted to see how far I could push the Imaging Resource Studio shot in a print.  Using the lowest noise reduction file at ISO 1600 (file name FZ1000hSLIO1600NRL0.jpg) I made some prints at magnifications that would be equivalent to 11×14″ and 16X20″.  The 11×14″ prints were very good, and the 16X20 while showing loss of detail when viewed up close still looked acceptable at normal viewing distances.

So far, without having a camera to shoot with, it looks as though the FZ-1000 will be capable of producing excellent prints or large web images depending on ISO and images shot for sharing on the web/internet at less then 100% will also look very good.  My best guess is that at low ISO’s the FZ-1000 should be capable of poster size prints at 400 and below, and at higher ISO’s up to 800 decent 16X20 prints.   ISO 3200 should be usable with JPEG noise reduction set to its minimum or from RAW and still have reasonable detail at smaller viewing sizes.  6400 will be okay for documentary type images intended for small printing (news articles) or internet viewing.   In fact compared to the old film days and early digital years, all ISOs up to 6400 seem remarkable, even if not ideal.

SIZE AND WEIGHT
There have been a lot of comments in various camera and photography forums regarding the size and weight of the Panasonic FZ-1000.  Yes it is larger and heavier then most other “all in one” bridge cameras.  In size, weight and lens coverage it falls in between the Fuji X-S1 (largest and heaviest) with its 2/3 in sensor and the Sony RX10 with a nearly identical sensor.  Some think it is too big and heavy.  For me personally, comparing against other cameras I have owned and shot with (and that is quite a few) I find that it will likely fall right into my personal sweet spot ergonomically  A lot depends on the actual grip and control layout, but looking at the camera images, and numbers it is right in that range that I find ideal and looks like some of the best cameras I have used.

My FZ150, is a nice little, light weight camera, but it is actually too light, and too small for long lens shooting comfort. Sometimes a little more size and weight is better then too little.  The FZ-1000 is only a little bit larger and heavier then my old FZ-50 camera (with a 1/1.8” sensor) which was one of my all time favorites for low ISO shooting.  The FZ-50 came in at:  Weight (with batt) 734 g (1.6 lb) Dimensions 141 x 86 x 142 mm (5.5 x 3.4 x 5.6 in).  This compares to the FZ-1000 at Weight (inc. batteries) 831 g (1.83 lb / 29.31 oz) Dimensions: 137 x 99 x 131 mm (5.39 x 3.9 x 5.16″)  The old FZ-50 was an excellent street camera and long zoom in its day.  Loved its overall ergonomics with only a few minor annoyances.   It was a camera I never minded carrying.   However its high ISO performance left a lot to be desired despite its 1/1.8″ sensor.   Of course that was the technology of several years ago, and sensor technology since then has grown by leaps and bounds.

20 mp FZ-1000 on the left and 10 mp FZ-50 on the right.  Eight years difference in sensor technology. Click to see a larger version.

Fuji X-S1, Panasonic FZ-1000 and Sony RX-10.  The big dogs of long zoom bridge cameras. Click to view on Camerasize.com

From the outside, it looks as though the FZ-1000 provides me with much of what I liked about the FZ-50 and a whole lot more in advanced still and video technology.   Familiarity with the Panasonic FZ series doesn’t hurt any either.

VIDEO
I only recently in the past year started playing with video on my FZ-150.  I have found that learning the ins and outs of shooting video has had the side benefit of improving my still photography as well.  Mostly this is because it has helped me to see things differently and as more then stagant objects.  While I am only a beginning videographer, it is fun and a challenging learning experience.  Something new that does not take away from my decades long still photography but helps to improve it.   As a result I am quite interested in the video capabilities of the FZ-1000.   One can argue if 4K is needed or not, but I see it as “future proofing”.   It wasn’t that many years ago that ISO 1600 was high speed and a long zoom was maybe 300mm with an F5.6 aperture, if you could accept its optical compromises.   The FZ-1000 has some serious video abilities.  4K, 1080p, 120 fps 1080p, and much more.  Early 4K video is outstanding, even when viewed on a non 4K monitor.  The difference in quality and detail is substantial.  Throw in Stop Motion, Time Lapse, being able to pull sharp 8 mp stills from video, new cine friendly Photostyles, and more.  Even for photogaphers who aren’t interested in video in general, the FZ-1000 brings some capabilities that are beneficial to still photography through its Video capabilities.

FINAL THOUGHTS
There are a lot of things about the FZ-1000 and its features that I could write about.  But they are pretty much covered elsewhere.

The more I look and research, the more I like what I see with the Panasonic FZ-1000.  It does not replace larger sensor or interchangeable lens cameras but is a smaller/lighter overall alternative or companion camera.    Am anxious to see actual RAW results one day.  Of course, if you need a real low light, high ISO camera or a very long lens, then the FZ1000 is probably not for you. But if you want a balance of size, weight, features, and image quality that is suitable for a majority of what you shoot, then it may be worth taking a long look at.  I see the FZ-1000 as my near ideal travel and documentary camera that could probably cover 90% of what I shoot.

The FZ-1000 has lots of features and capabilities I haven’t touched on, but you can read all about them at numerous websites and at Panasonic’s home.  Link below to Panasonic UK, because the US site doesn’t have much very useful at this time.   Panasonic UK has an excellent introduction and feature page.

Will I get one?  That depends more on my bank account then my desire so not until I have the money in the bank.   Would it be my only camera?  NO!  Something small, that fits in a small belt pouch or jacket pocket like a Sony RX100 III, or maybe the rumored Panasonic LX8 would be nice for a go everywhere camera.    Then again, if money didn’t matter, something bigger like maybe a Sony A7r or Nikon 800e, maybe even a Pentax 645 digital, just for those occasional but exceptional landscape shots would be nice.   But if I could have only one camera and one lens, the FZ-1000 stands a very good chance of being my choice, providing I can afford to get it before something better comes along next year or so. But I suspect that for the majority of my photography work the FZ-1000 would be as good an answer as exists today.  My primary interest is in travel and documentary work, including historical, cultural and people.  It is in so many ways the camera that I have been wishing for and dreaming about since my FZ-50, and much, much, more.   In fact, when they first rumors on the LX8 came out, I thought “now wouldn’t it be great if they could take that sensor and put it in a bridge camera but with a longer lens then the RX and better video.    Lo and behold a few days later Panasonic announced the FZ-1000 out of the blue.

In the end, this is all my personal anticipation and expectation based upon the fragments of information I have been able to pull together and test against both real photography and personal experience.  I don’t get gear lust often, but this is the worst case of it in a very long time.   Now where is that winning lottery ticket.  Don’t need a huge jackpot, just enough for a fascinating camera and gas, food and travel money.  Oh, and a plane ticket, back to the Philippines.  There are 7,103 islands I still haven’t photographed yet along with significant parts of the 4 that I photographed some before.  If I get bored there, I can always join my cousin in Thailand.  Should keep me busy for couple of decades.   Not too much to ask!  By then maybe there will be an FZ-2000.

Ansel Adams Photo quote for today.

“A great photograph is one that fully expresses what one feels, in the deepest sense, about what is being photographed.” 

– Ansel Adams

Photograph © David Wendel Robinson “Lightweaver”

Colorado Photographers – Denver Zoo Photo Safari Test Drive with Mike’s Cameras

Hey Colorado Photographers…

Join Mike’s Camera at the Denver Zoo for their semi-annual Photo Safari to test drive some of the hottest new camera gear and lenses from the leading manufactures.  You’ll be able to try some of the most exciting new gear from manufacturers like Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Tamron, Sony, & Promaster!

Enjoy FREE camera, lens and tripod loaners from the latest cameras to exotic telephoto lenses and other photo gear from your favorite manufacturers. Mike’s Camera crew will be on site at various locations throughout the Zoo at select “Picture Point” locations to offer you tips and tricks to capture the best animal photos possible.

Registration is not required, but gear is provided on a first come first served basis, so get there early for best selection. All gear must be returned by 4:30 p.m.

Saturday April 27,  2013 –  9:00AM-4:30PM at the Zoo

The Fine Print

Participating in the Photo Test Drive is included with Denver Zoo admission fees, and does require a valid credit card and driver’s license to check out equipment, which will be kept on file until the equipment is returned. Restrictions apply. Stop by any Mike’s Camera location for more details.

For more information visit Mike’s Cameras Website. 

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Denver Zoo Photos – Animal Portraits

 Click here to view my Galleries at Zenfolio.  

 Just finished reprocessing 30+ digital animal portraits from the Denver Zoo. This is a few years worth of shots.
No longer able to get “out in the wild” as much as I used to, so I make do with zoos for much of my animal photography.  Sometimes you can get some unique images if you are patient or lucky.

Zoo photography can be quite a challenge in itself.  As much as anything it can be a test of patience, not only in waiting on the animals but also in dealing with all the zoo visitors who will sometimes get in the way, right at the critical moment.  The thing to do is to remember that they have just as much right as you do to be there.

Many zoos will have special times or early start days just for photographers.   Zoo photo safari’s can be fun and educational, as you will have guided access at special hours when the park is not yet open to the public.   Some times this may involve access to areas the public would not usually be able to get into or can only observe from afar.    Check with your local zoo, or ask them about setting up a Photo Safari if they don’t have one.

Because of costs involved, it may be necessary to seek the support of local businesses to help support such a program.  Camera and Photo shops often help or even your local media, radio or TV stations.  It is a way for them to reach out to the community and gain a lot of publicity.

For information about the Denver Zoo, and a list of upcoming events visit the Denver Zoo website.   The Denver Zoo is located inside City Park, and also has several “Free days” a year for families.

Past Photo Safaris in Denver, CO have been sponsored by Mike’s Camera, a local camera and photography retailer since 1967 with multiple locations in the Denver Metro area.  They also have locations in parts of California.

Photo Safari’s are usually setup for the summertime.  Inquire at your local zoo.  It is a great time to meet other serious photographers and learn more about our favorite hobby.

~ Lightweaver.

My 12+ years of Digital Photography. – Part I

Ilahee Park, Bremerton, WA – taken with the Olympus C2100UZ

I have been taking photographs since I was about 12 or 13 years young.  My first camera was an Imperial 127 Roll Film camera that my grandmother got for me with 3 books of Gold Bond trading stamps.   (back in those days, when you went to a grocery store, they would give you trading stamps based upon the total value of your purchases.)   I guess that would have been around 1964 or 1965.  Later I would get a degree in Photography and was a photographer in the US Navy.  That would be followed by several years in commercial, wedding, industrial, micrographics, darkroom and biomedical and surveillance photo work.   I loved photography.  Since childhood, it was what I wanted to do.

While in pursuit of the ever necessary paycheck though, I had fallen away from photography for a time. Immersed professionally deeply into the customer service industry, my last film camera that I owned was an Olympus IS1.  While it was an amazingly good quality “all in one” camera, for some reason, perhaps the nature and stress of my work in customer service I had begun to loose interest in photography or maybe it was that I just lost my sense of vision.  It may also have been in part due to the fact that after many years in chemical darkrooms I had began to develop sensitivities to some of the chemicals.   I couldn’t afford to send my work to the “Good Labs” for prints and the lessor labs always left my images “underwhelmed”.

In July 2001, I was relocated to Bremerton, WA to work at a new call center there as a Senior Care Rep (providing support and training to other care reps). Bremerton is located on the Puget Sound across from Seattle. It is a beautiful place, lush and green. Rained a lot much of the year but the entire area had a certain mystical quality to it. Being out of the big city (but only a short ferry boat ride from Seattle) I began to regain my photographic yearnings. Surrounded by mountains, forests, and the waters of the Puget Sound and the Pacific ocean, I made a decision to try something new and to restart doing photography and to test the still emerging waters of digital photography.

The Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest are a veritable Photographers Paradise.   Of course you do have to deal with 8+ months with lots of rain but that aside, it is a mystical, magical sort of photographers dream.

Olympus C2100UZ

My first digital camera was an Olympus C2100UZ, fondly nicknamed by many of its owners as “The UZI” It had only 2 megapixels but came with a good quality 10X power zoom lens. Very state of the art at the time and quite expensive even by today’s standards. That was the camera that took once and for all away from darkrooms, film and chemical processing and into the world of digital imaging. It was large, slow but amazingly friendly, and I got many months of enjoyable and fun use out of it. Eventually I longed for something better as 4-5 megapixel cameras were becoming the standard, but my “UZI” was the one that started a time of new “photographic pleasures and exploration for me. The UZI was only the first in a long line of digital cameras that I would own, most of the early ones were lower end “all in one” superzooms, or at least what passed for a superzoom at that time.

Nikon Coolpix 5700

Next up on the list was Nikon Coolpix 5700.  It amazes me that for more then a decade Nikon has held onto the “Coolpix” name for their consumer cameras, at a time when it seems that most manufacturers change their naming schemes every 2 or 3 years.   The Nikon 5700 was a 5 megapixel camera with an 8X zoom.   For its time, it really was a pretty good deal and took reasonable quality photos for its level.  While not the fastest camera around, since I had cut my photographic teeth on very old fully manual cameras, the 5700 seemed like a technological marvel.

Third up came the Sony F707.  This was a very unique model of camera with a solidly built but small body and a very large5X F2.0 – F2.4 Contax/Zeiss lens which was very fast for those days.  The lens was of excellent quality and resolution but had one serious drawback.  The Chromatic Aberation (CA) on it was horrendous at times.  So much so that it could ruin many an otherwise excellent shot.  The good shots were very good and the bad shots were bad.  But it was relatively quick compared to the first two.

In 2004, I would be relocated back to Denver, CO much against my will.   But before then I acquired the best of my first four digital cameras, a Panasonic FZ-20, still only 5 megapixels, same as the Nikon and Sony, but with an incredible 12X zoom.  By that time sensor technologies were improving and the image quality was quite exceptional on the FZ-20.   I took more photos with that camera, then any other.   It would continue to serve me well even after I returned to Colorado.    It was my first “favorite” camera.

My greatest regret, if any, was the untimely relocation back to Colorado, not because Colorado is lacking for photographic opportunities, but because I felt that I had not completed several photographic goals I set for myself while living in the Pacific Northwest, not the least of which was to photograph and document all of the Lighthouses of the US Northwest region.   A goal I only made a small dent in before I had to leave.

This story will continue in Part II of “12+ years of Digital Photography” which is coming soon.  However for now, below are a few more photos from the Pacific Northwest and Puget sound areas for your enjoyment.

You can many more of my photographs from Washington state in my Lightweaver Galleries (Washington) 

– Lightweaver (David Wendel Robinson)

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Passenger ferry from Bremerton to Seattle

Coast Guard Patrol Boat on the Puget Sound

Fall leaves on wooden deck.

Old mining locomotive wheel

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

All photographs copyright © David Wendel Robinson.   All rights reserved.

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