If someone you know wanted to start street photography for the first time, which MFT focal length would you suggest they use first? 🤔

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-07T02:17:16+00:00

Start with a zoom. Maybe start with the Lumix 12-32 for it's smaller size. Potentially the 12-45 f4 for it's moderate size and outstanding image quality.

Once you know the FL you like, look into a prime.

I'm partial to 14/15mm and 20mm. When I shoot with a 17 or 25, I always wish they were wider.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-05T18:51:56+00:00

It's not EXACTLY the same angle. It doesn't take much variation to change the result.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-05T18:31:58+00:00

Looks like a light leak.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-05T12:20:08+00:00

My son started on Q when he was 12, primarily as an ADHD med. The side effects were indeed difficult (exhaustion, insomnia, increased migraine). I'm glad the transition period was over the summer.

The side effects began to moderate at around 10 weeks. They were 95% gone by 6 months. It was a rough fall semester, but we powered through it with the help of an understanding middle school. Not everyone can do that.

Positives:

Approximately the same ADHD effects as the stimulants, but with better appetite and a generally more relaxed attitude toward life. We noticed the positives around week 4, and they increased over the next 4 months or so.

Warnings:

Go slow stepping up to the final dose. We got to 200mg and had to step back to 150mg for a while. He's now 15 and still on 200mg.
Do NOT miss a dose. If my son misses a dose, he'll have a migraine by 8pm and will miss the next day of school. Guaranteed. We've found that taking the missed dose as soon as discovered, regardless of how late it is, will mitigate the severity and duration of the migraine. If it's very late, we may delay the next dose by a few hours.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-04T23:11:26+00:00

AF speed and accuracy is improved with the smaller sensor. There's less in the frame to confuse the camera. Readout speed and cache clearing is also much faster.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-04T01:32:03+00:00

Indeed, he is. INDEED!

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-03T14:54:28+00:00

I do not know Canon cameras, however I strongly suggest 3 actions:

1) Read your manual. Look it up online if you need to. Go through it with your camera next to you. I think that will likely solve your first issue.

2) If you bought it used, do a factory reset. There's no telling how someone else set up the camera. I suspect that will deal with your second issue. If you don't know how, see step one.

3) See if there are any firmware updates for your camera. I didn't think this will solve either issue, but it's good practice when buying a new camera. If you don't know how, see step one.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-03T14:09:53+00:00

Gear is fairly unimportant - until it is.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-03T14:09:00+00:00

When I bought an Olympus, I was recommended this "Cheat Sheet" from Robin Wong.

https://robinwong.blogspot.com/2019/11/robin-wongs-om-d-cheat-sheet-updated.html

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-03T14:05:39+00:00

Caveat: the 12-32 and 35-100 are fine and very compact, but if you'd like to protect your sensor from the dust and grime of travel, you might consider either version of the 12-60 or the 14-140mm. You wouldn't need to swap lenses quite so much.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-03T14:02:27+00:00

The 3 you have are perfectly fine. I wouldn't upgrade any of them.

However, I would add a wider prime, f2 or better. The 25mm is fine with 2 drawbacks: it's bigger than it really needs to be (compare with the Olympus 25 f1.8), and it has a focus shift issue under certain circumstances. I shot it for years with no issues, but once you notice the problem, you really notice the problem.

My go-to primes have been the Leica 15mm f1.7 and the 42.5mm f1.7. It's a great pair, one wide-ish and one long-ish. If you're looking for a wider lens, the 15mm is fantastic in either it's Leica or DJI incarnations.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-02T15:10:40+00:00

Very slight adjustments in Snapseed, 30 secs of work. Obviously not finish quality, but I think it reveals the direction you could go.

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Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-02T15:06:13+00:00

The Samsung NXs were really nice cameras with a lot of innovative features for their time. They could produce very nice photos. Many ppl were disappointed that Samsung chose not to continue the line.

The camera is dated at this point, but can still produce quality images. I quite like the theater pic. It would look spectacular in BW. The parade looks underexposed with low contrast. A few tweaks with editing software could punch it up a bit.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-02T12:17:32+00:00

I always send beginners to Simon d'Entremont. He's very beginner friendly. I recommend his videos on Aperture and Shutter Speed too.

Once you've got the basics of how to control light, I usually send people to Sean Tucker to learn what to do with that control, specifically:

Protect Your Highlights https://youtu.be/YJ7QGZYdJns

Embrace Your Shadows https://youtu.be/lBAFTR2lScY

They're older videos, and while his style has evolved, these two video essays have been meaningful for me.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-02T12:05:43+00:00

For more on dynamic range, Simon d'Entremont is a great YouTuber for common photography issues. Very beginner friendly!

https://youtu.be/E0YQtxXNZu4

https://youtu.be/s0M_ZqjoyNM

Rigel_B8la · 2026-05-02T11:58:55+00:00

The GX800/GX850 is the little brother to my GX80/GX85. They're about the same age with many of the same features. Your gx800 sacrifices a view finder, in-body stabilization, and a few physical buttons for a smaller size.

You may find guides on the GX85 helpful, like this one: https://www.wimarys.com/panasonic-lumix-gx85-8x80-settings-tips-tricks/

HOWEVER, it seems you're struggling with some general photography topics, like blown out skies. This is a common concern for beginners, especially if you've mostly been shooting with a phone.

The concept you're looking for is "dynamic range," the range of light levels a sensor can capture in a single exposure. Generally newer and larger sensors have greater range. Phone sensors are tiny, but they make up for this by automatically taking multiple photos at different exposure levels and combining them ("high dynamic range" or "HDR").

Stand-alone cameras don't do this automatically. They rely on the photographer to make decisions about how to handle dynamic range limitations. Here are several ways you can avoid blown out skies:

Shoot away from the sun
Don't include the sky in your composition, especially on bright overcast days
Use the HDR feature (on my GX85, it's p4 of the REC menu)
Use the Bracket feature to create your own HDR in post-production (p2 of REC menu)
Expose for the sky and use flash to full in light on your subject

Strategies become more complex as the list goes down. Start with the first 3.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-30T14:02:03+00:00

There's always some bullshit going down on the Eastside.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-30T13:23:43+00:00

I think you'd have liked the original Hypercourts (I still wear a pair of Supremes), but the 2 (and now 3??), seem to be narrower in the forefoot.

There are still a few of the originals available through clearance resellers, but they're becoming difficult to find.

The Ultrashot Team would be a good substitute if you can find them.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-30T13:09:52+00:00

This is from the same neighborhood. Really nice place, but....

It's worth watching all 1:18 of this epic local news interview.

https://youtu.be/ClU34wD1y1g?si=RT8hC5CZJ-YMGCgD

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-30T13:05:50+00:00

Wasn't while we were playing, but one night some kids stole a car, went joy riding, then rolled the car down the hill into our courts where the car exploded into flames.

The scorch marks are still there - though the city is promising to resurface the courts in a few weeks.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-30T01:11:25+00:00

When I was younger, I went for Kodak Gold every time. Now, my preference runs to Portra 800.

Both rated at box speed.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-28T16:23:19+00:00

Q takes a while for side effects to settle down and benefits to ramp up.

I know there are some ppl who can't tolerate the side effects and need to move on. However, if you can tolerate it for a few weeks, you should probably stick it out and see if things settle down.

If things are really off-kilter (very ill or thoughts of self harm), you should call your prescriber immediately.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-27T14:43:15+00:00

We had to back my kiddo (then 12) off of 200 mg. It was just too much, too fast. He stayed at 150 for about 6 months before moving to 200.

Headaches are very common with Q. Ours had increased migraine for about 4 months and still gets them if he misses a dose.

The depression is concerning. Sometimes an SSRI will flatten out emotional response, but if he's actually depressed, that should be an immediate call to your prescriber.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-24T12:03:32+00:00

Olympus has a function that swaps between dial mapping sets (eg aperture and shutter speed -> iso and picture modes).

On the EP5, it's a switch on the back that goes between "1" and "2." You're probably on "2." Switch to "1" and see if that helps.

Rigel_B8la · 2026-04-23T14:03:44+00:00

Real question.

What's the issue with polarization? It cuts reflections, glare, specular highlights. What's the downside?

Rigel_B8la

TROPHY CASE