Mirrorless, St Nicholas, Dual pixel and the 7D

Again I see that ages have gone by and I've written nothing. Sorry about that.
Here then, is a "round-up" of items from the last month or three.......................

The Fuji XE2, XT1 and XE1.

I wont bore you with which or when, nor why I own(ed), any of these cameras, but I WILL easily sum up my personal perspective on all of them at once.
Nice build, outstanding lenses, brilliant noise control at high sensitivity, great colour, nice feel, small, handy, versatile, characterful. That's these Fuji cameras.
Why then, have I bought 2 more Canon EOS 70D's?
Unfortunately, there is one reason and only one reason for me. The best way I can explain it, is by an example:

I'm amongst a crowd...... In an opening between seas of folks, I see Mr and Mrs Super Famous/interesting/infamous walking through. I have 10 seconds to get focussed, set exposure and shoot one or maybe two frames. Fuji, "erm... ok, don't hassle me man.......  Ooops! missed"
......... Canon: "click"
That's why.

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What has St Nicholas night in Alcester, got to do with Plato?

Nothing really, but whilst shooting St Nicholas Night, (more later), I saw this accidental projection on the church wall. It just reminded me of this, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegory_of_the_Cave

I sent it to "Nick" who I knew would "get it" when he saw it.

Anyway, St Nicholas Night 2014  

 http://www.alcester.roundtable.co.uk/events/2558/alcester-round-table-st-nicks-night-6th-december/  Actually, I think this link is a year out of date..........

Here are a few pics:

So, there it is.

Canon 70D. Why I like this camera.

I owned 2x Canon EOS 7D's until a few weeks ago, and sold both in favour of 70D's, even though the 7D was currently  £100 cheaper. The 7D has reached the end of it's production, which is why it's cheap, btw.  (December 2014).

The 70D is a lighter, less durable body than the 7 series, lacks some weather sealing and has a slightly less complex focussing system than the 7.  It's classed as an "enthusiasts" camera, which means that if I'm working on a job I'm not enthusiastic about, I have to get a different camera. Fortunately, I'm always enthusiastic.

Anyway, first off, I actually bought a Fuji XT1. It's a fantastic camera, but you know how that story ends, (sadly). So, I bought one 70D and tried it out. I have to say that it's turning out to be my favourite Canon yet. The results are more "rounded", the handling easier, (for me, anyway). I cant really explain it without going all techno-boring, so I'll just leave the fact that I just like it, to be my reason for liking it. (Logical huh?).

Shortly after this, I bought another 70D, and the two sit playing cards together when there's no work on.

Ah, yes......... I do still own a Fuji XE2, which is great. Hesitant, but great.

I'm writing this on Friday 19th December, following a spiffing night with old friends. I actually feel like falling asleep........ In fact, I.......zzz....zzzzz....zzzzzzzz........

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Worcester Chamber of Commerce Expo 6th October 2011

Spent the day at the Expo, and was really impressed by the quantity of people, the quality of the stands and the diversity of business. Great atmosphere, lively, cheerful, dynamic.
Great to meet lot's of folks and companies, Peter Roper, Colin Foxall, Claire and Clare  from Rapportstore, Ninetyfive Creative, Radio Wyvern, Executive Training Consultants, Oliver's Army, Noah's Ark, and many more.
Can't recommend this event enough.

Photography, Parakeets and horse racing?

No, not quite!
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of working at an event at Sandown race-course again.
Though it's a few miles from home, it's a venue well worth visiting. Standing by the winners enclosure, I was amazed to see the trees full of bright green Parakeets! Really, Parakeets!  Now I wasn't in a position to photograph them, but if I had been I would. Quite impressive.

Have you attended events with seminars, where the laptop / projector / sound-system malfunctioned and held up proceedings? Yes?  Me too. Too often!
This certainly DID NOT happen at Sandown. This time the audio visual and I.T. system was provided by Mike Belham's Truelight Services, (see my links). Maybe you might try him out too if you are in business, or the business of shows and presentations? You won't regret it. He may not be the cheapest, but he's an impressively knowledgeable gent, and I suspect you will want a pro production to enhance your work.....

On the photography front, I got to make good use of my new-ish Canon EOS 7D. Don't believe the stories about poor ISO, focussing etc. This tool is great. No complaints at all.
I shoot typically with two cameras and a back-up body. This saves a lot of worry and lens changing, but certainly adds to weight. That's why I now use a Think-Tank shoulder bag.

More on the EOS 7D, Think Tank and general experiences soon.

Thanks for reading!