Micael Widell Newsletter #22
Captain's log
So when you thought that the world and the internet couldn't get much weirder, 2021 kicks off in the weirdest of ways. Feels like we have entered a new era where memes and crowds on the Internet has gained a new magnitude of power to shake society.
Besides following interesting developments in the world, my January 2021 has been a lot about working really hard with finishing up the last tasks of my dayjob as a software developer, before going full time into youtube in a few days. So unfortunately I haven't had much time at all for photography. I am so much looking forward to having enough time to do several (or at least a couple!) photo walks per week going forward – I get sad when I haven't been out for weeks.
But the largest and most important event of January, by far, for me, was the birth of our baby girl, who we are yet to decide on a name for. I am so very grateful that the delivery went as perfect as a delivery can go, and that our daughter came out healthy into this world. It feels wonderful to be four people in the family now, and I cannot wait to get to know her personality over the coming years.
/Micael
Lens purchase that excites me
One lens that I have wanted to have for a long time now is the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.2 for Sony FE. I have always found 40mm to be the perfect all-round focal length for me on full frame, as it is wide enough to capture most scenes, while still being narrow enough to do nice portraits. I have been on a lookout for a very fast 40mm lens with a rendering that is a bit old-school, like a Leica lens, and with a compact format (and I am completely fine with it not being optically perfect - I value character a lot).
This lens is not only super fast, it is also lightweight, compact, reasonably priced, and it even has electrical contacts to transfer EXIF data to the camera, and even more importantly it automatically activates focus magnification on my Sony camera when turning the focusing ring, which makes manual focus so much easier.
Taken with the Voigtländer 40mm f/1.2
I have been looking to purchase this lens used, and a few days ago I finally found it in mint condition for $750 which I think is a good price. I bought it. I have only tested it for like 10 minutes yet. But already now I love the look of the photos! If you are curious about the lens, this is a great written review to give you more of a taste!
Camera that excites me right now
A couple of years ago I owned the Fujifilm X-E2, which is Fujifilm's most compact rangefinder-style camera series with interchangeable lenses. I loved it, but felt that the sensor was a bit aged and that the dynamic range could have been higher. And I felt like the X-E3 that has been around for a while now wasn't quite a big enough step up to warrant a purchase.
So I have been waiting for the X-E4 for a long time now. Recently it was finally announced, sporting some really good improvements, among them the very best APS-C sensor that Fujifilm has to offer, and a flippable screen - useful for macro photography.
Why do I want the X-E4? The answer is that I would love a super compact macro photography setup to use on days when I have to pack lightly. And the X-E4, or possibly the Sony A6000-series, are the best options for that, as they are as compact as interchangeable lens cameras come, while still having a decent viewfinder and the largest possible sensor.
The Panasonic GM5 that I also own is of course more compact, but the viewfinder is a joke. The reason I prefer the X-E4 over the Sony A6000-series is that it is more lightweight, has a better menu system, and manual control wheel for shutter speed.
So now I am looking forward to soon getting the X-E4 and to combine it with the wonderful Laowa 65mm lens to get a killer setup for compact walk-around macro photography.
My Published Videos since the last newsletter
- Editing YOUR Macro Photos Ep 03!! with Loupedeck+
- Image Stabilization in Macro Photography – How Important is it?
- 7 Best Macro Lenses to Buy in 2021 (Canon, Sony, Fuji, Nikon, Panasonic, Olympus, Pentax!)
Goodbye for now
Thank you for reading this far, and see you in a month! Feel free to follow me on YouTube, Instagram and Twitter in the meantime. And also feel free to tell your friends about this newsletter, and to reply to it if you have feedback or comments :)
/Micael