James Shackleton's Blog

Flying Kites in Hangzhou

jamesshackleton — Sat, 05 May 2012 15:07:21 +0000

The “Look”

jamesshackleton — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 04:54:36 +0000

View of a Playground

jamesshackleton — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 14:32:55 +0000

My first words in ages!

I had just been to see a rather curious art installation in the city (Beijing) and was walking back vaguely towards the subway, when I saw this. I am always curious about abandoned or disused places – I think it is because of their Marie Celeste quality. So I had a look throught the gate and there this was.

On a technical note, I was using my Fujica G690, which is a 6×9 rangefinder camera.

From My Window

jamesshackleton — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 12:06:32 +0000

In Hangzhou

jamesshackleton — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:39:43 +0000

West Lake - Hangzhou

Spring in Sanlitun

jamesshackleton — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:12:52 +0000

A Few More Thoughts on the Sony NEX-5n

jamesshackleton — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 16:18:03 +0000

I have been using an NEX-5n for a few months now, so it feels time to write a little more about my experiences with it.

I love the size and weight of it compared to a DSLR. Walking all day with a bag containing the NEX and a few lenses holds little fear for me. My 50D with a few lenses is a different proposition.

The NEX has a great sensor. 3200 isn’t really a problem – 1600 is fine for everyday use. With my 50D, 1600 is as far as you could really go – and then things were getting messy. I did quite a lot of auditorium photography in the past and the only way to get descent results was to use fast prime lenses, like a 50mm f1.4 or my 85mm f1.8. And that isn’t always practical.

With the NEX I have been able to use the 55-210 at f5.6 at concerts and most of the time come away with reasonable results. Incidentally, I am quite happy with the 55-210, it is a really useful lens and I love its light weight and range, but it isn’t even close to my 70-200 L USM optically. But it is a fraction of the size and weight.

The other thing I don’t like about the NEX-5n is the lack of a PC socket, which (at the current time) means you can’t use off-camera flash without some pretty impressive Heath-Robinson work.

More from the Weekend

jamesshackleton — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 14:23:06 +0000

Roxette at Wukesong Stadium, Bejing

jamesshackleton — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 13:45:42 +0000

Roxette on Stage, Wukesong Stadium, Beijing, China 12.03.12

Death Cab For Cutie – Tango, Beijing

jamesshackleton — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 03:58:16 +0000

As you can see, last night I was at Tango, which is a venue in Beijing. It was a good night. Death Cab For Cutie were very good, playing a mix of old and new tracks.