Opinions Ming Thein Why I Sold Everything for the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Photofocus John Griggs Luminous Landscapes The Phoblographer Imaging Resource Sans Mirror

Set-up DPreview guide Photo Net Tricks and Tips - DPR forum Assignable function buttons chart Adjusting AF spot size Setup for manual focus lens The role of anti-shock Photography is fun - OM-D links Pekka Potka - Configuring the EM-5 Speedlight control and here Service menu

Manual

Firmware update list

Took a quick wander down Beach Road and Walking Street with a Russian Helios 103 lens strapped to the GX1. Manual focus, ISO a lot, and F1.8. I rather like the results, an almost paint like quality with crazy bokeh. Not bad for a lens that can still be found new for less than $40.

We all have our little obsessions, and our other half has to learn to live with them. In some cases these obsessions can trigger the end of a relationship: gambling, alcohol, a need to freely share bodily fluids; the paths to ruination are many. My wife has an obsession, but I find it tolerable; she has a burning desire to acquire stationery, specifically pens and pencils.

This need can be most easily managed by keeping her away from stationery shops. But pass within sprinting distance of a counter selling writing instruments and she is in there like a scribe with a bonus to fritter and the end result is a bag full of pens, pencils and anything else that can make a mark upon a surface.

DPReview has been around for many years and is probably the biggest photo gear review and forum site on the web. This year they ran a poll for readers to vote on what they considered to be the best camera of 2012. Fifteen thousands readers voted; and in a world that is dominated by Canon and Nikon, coupled with the perceptions of most people that only a DSLR is a real camera, third place was no surprise (unless you expected it to be first):

Had contacts from two new readers over the last couple of days who say they like the site, in fact they like it so much that they have gone back to the beginning and are reading through all 1,800+ posts. This takes a certain level of insanity; but I am grateful for their interest.

The first contact was from Wolfgang who also has a blog, very similar to mine as it is awash with photos and cats, so he must be a good guy. And he shoots with the right sort of cameras (Olympus). Welcome Wolfgang and please visit often.

Wonderful Wordpress has provided me with a pretty summary of activity on Pattaya Days in 2012. If you want the gory details, you can look here. It also includes a link to 2011, but don’t bother with that because it is incomplete.

A summary of the summary: In spite of some thyroid generated downtime; some 370 posts were made, an average of about one a day, which just shows how much time I waste on this thing. 150,000 visits from 162 countries, which just shows how much time you waste on this thing. Almost double the 2011 visitor total. which just shows how many people you can snare with the word “pussy” in a post title.

Strong wind meant that, even on a tripod, long exposures gave me some shaky buildings; but the fireworks came out OK.