The Pancake with red velvet pancakes from Cinnamon’s in Kailua.

I’m not a very technical person – I leave that to my better half. Thus, I don’t want to call this a ‘review’, as I wasn’t being very careful about documenting my experimentation with the new Canon EF 40mm f2.8 STM Pancake Lens.  For me, it was a matter of “It’s so cute! Let’s play!”

I ended up renting the Pancake, as it shall henceforth be called, for a week from my go-to camera rental shop, Hawaii Photo Rental, for a mere $3/day. (One day is $12, 3 days is $15, etc.) At an estimated retail price of $200, this lens brings amazing value and quality.  It’s so light, non-obtrusive, and makes my 5D Mark II fit in my purse better than ever – perfect for a daily walk-around lens, especially when doing street photography.  Here are various random photos I took with it during the week, with original raw images next to my edits.

One of my first shots with the Pancake while inside Hawaii Photo Rental of the mister. I was immediately pleased how absolutely sharp it was wide-open at f2.8!

Continue reading “Not A Review, But I Like Pancakes” »

I knew this day was coming, so it comes as no surprise…and even though it might not be the end, I’ve already resigned myself to it being so.

My 5D Mark II has finally kicked the bucket.

AKA had an ‘Error 30′, which a brief Google Search told me meant I’d have to send it in for repair, as it’s a shutter mechanism issue.

I’m okay with it, as it has had a long, hard life over the last three and a half years or so, and it has been in decline ever since I was caught in a rainstorm without protection in May.  Since getting drenched, the on/off/aperture lock switch has taken a lot of effort to get the aperture unlocked, so I’ve basically left it in the “on” position since then. There’s also its infamous hot pixel issue with the sensor that even a trip to Canon couldn’t resolve, so it’s probably time for it to be replaced.

However, even though it’s just a piece of (thankfully insured) equipment, my 5D Mark II, has been on some great adventures with me throughout some significant times in my life.  In honor of its passing (and I may be speaking too soon as we still need to call the insurance agent tomorrow), I’d like to offer a retrospective of its life with me.

Continue reading “In Memoriam – 5D Mark II” »