Notebook

Archive for the 'cycling' Category

What a camera – Sony RX 100III

Wednesday, August 9th, 2017

What a marvellous camera

About three years ago, I decided to but a small camera. While I had no complaints with my Pentax DSLR and all the lenses I had, the one limitation was the lack of portability. I had almost decided on a Micro 4/3 camera. However, I was convinced by a guy in the camera shop to check out a new model of the Sony RX100 series. It was probably the most expensive compact camera on the market but looked impressive and most importantly, I shot shoot in raw format.

I have used it extensively now for three years. For traveling it has been ideal and a couple of images demonstrate.

I took this image of the observation tower at the Helsinki Olympic stadium in October 2015. One of hundreds of images from a rail journey around Europe. I thought it wasn’t bad but didn’t think much of it until I saw a very similar appear on a website.

This image by Sebastian Weiss was short-listed in the best architectural photography year awards of 2016.

Now not for a moment do I think I am as good a photographer as Weiss – he is very good – see his website. Rather a demonstration that good photography is not about the latest and greatest and that with a “simple” point and shoot camera, great shots are possible -even almost good enough to win a international architectural competition.

My second example of what is possible with a compact camera is of the Tour de France in 2015. On a cycling trip in 2015 with two friends, we took the opportunity to see a few stages of the tour. One day required a rather arduous climb of 20 kilometres with a maximum of 35 degrees plus to the top of Mount Glandon where we had a spectacular view of riders going over the top of the mountain.

Click to enlarge

I was fortunate to capture the action. You be the judge but these images would not be out of place in a cycling magazine or on a website.

Again taken with a simple point and shoot camera that fitted into my back pocket. They was no way I could have carried a full sized DSLR up the mountain that day but the Sony RX100 did the trick.

The best pocket camera around.

Cycling through the web

Tuesday, May 27th, 2014

The growing world-wide popularity of cycling is reflected in the number of bikes sold annually, increase in number of people riding either for pleasure, competition, or commuting, television coverage of major events, etc etc. Another indicator of the growth in cycling in the number of websites, blogs and online articles.

Here are a few of interest

INRNG The Inner Ring

A site with excellent analysis of the major European races, also book reviews and other interesting insights.

Things you can do on a bike

This is not for the faint-hearted.


Great Infrastructure for bikes

Some cities are investing heavily in improving bike infrastructure. Indeed very heavily for some of the projects shown here.


Bike stunts – Edwardian style

Now for something completely different. The bike has always seemed to invite challenges for the ridiculous and extraordinary. Stunts from 100 years ago.

A cyclist’s map for Brisbane

Tuesday, April 26th, 2011

Cyclists map of Brisbane

If you think bicycle maps are a relatively new phenomenon, think again. In 1896 the Queensland government produced a Cyclists’ Road Map for Brisbane and Surrounding Districts. The above image is a detail of the map and indicates the interesting comments about the difficulties encountered on various routes.
View the complete map