More cactus blossoms.

February 18, 2022February 18, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

This beautiful Christmas cactus has blossomed twice this season. Once in November and again in mid-February.

This wonderful Christmas cactus has blossomed again this year which it’s never done before – what a wonderful gift!

Camera – Fujifilm FinePix S9900W

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by, and while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

Please respect that all content, including photos and text, is this blog’s property and its owner, Yashica Pentamatic Fanatic, Yashica Sailor Boy, Yashica Chris, Chasing Classic Cameras with Chris.

Unseasonably cold for Florida

January 30, 2022January 30, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

This morning at around 5 AM the temperature here on Amelia Island was 27 degrees which is the coldest we’ve been in almost a decade. I know it’s all relative to location and most people wouldn’t consider the mid-20s cold but it was cold!

Thanks for stopping by. How cold was it where you live this morning after the big East Coast (US) storm? – Chris

Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by and, while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

spools

January 27, 2022January 27, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Camera and Lens – Canon EOS R with Canon RF 70-200mm f4 L IS USM at 91mm.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

First images with my new Canon lens – Canon RF 70-200mm f4 L IS USM

January 26, 2022January 26, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

It wasn’t the best situation to try out my new lens for my Canon EOS R but I just had to give it a go.

A splash of color on a rather dull afternoon. 151mm at f6.3 1/200 ISO 5000 (no crop)

Maidenhair ferns. 200mm at f4.0 1/200 ISO 3200 (no crop)

Backyard habitat. 200mm at f4.0 1/200 ISO 2500 (no crop)

Japanese garden. 141mm at f8.0 1/200 ISO 6400 (no crop)

Although this was just a quick test of the lens in less than ideal shooting conditions the lens performed just as I expected. It is after all a quality Canon lens with the latest technology and features. Most of these images were shot through my horribly dirty outside windows so maybe not as sharp as they could be – not to mention the ISOs were a tad higher than what I typically shoot at. I’ve got my fingers crossed for a sunny day as lately it’s been rather gray, windy, wet, and cold – not typical North Florida weather even in the winter.

Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

Sukoshi 2014

January 24, 2022January 24, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

A “found” image from November 2014. We were lucky to have had her as our kitty from early 2003 to when she passed in late 2017. She was a rescue cat that we adopted from an organization known as Cat’s Angels here on Amelia Island. Both her parents were wild and although we met her as a young kitten she always had a bit of a wild streak in her to the very end which made her unpredictable and super fun. She was as soft as she looks in this “I want you to put down the camera and pet me shot”. We miss her bunches.

North Florida Whine…

January 23, 2022Chris and Carol 3 Comments

When is it going to warm up? Two days straight with highs only in the 40s! LOL

Thanks for stopping by and I hope it’s warm and toasty where you are. – Chris

Testing my new Canon EF 75-300mm f4.5-5.6 III Zoom Lens

January 15, 2022January 15, 2022Chris and Carol 3 Comments

I found a really nice and only slightly used Canon EF lens the other day and so far I’m very happy with the results. Here are a few test shots from earlier today. All images were shot using my Canon EOS R mirrorless camera. The lens new from Canon retails at around $199. No image stabilization and no IBIS on my camera so faster shutter speeds and slightly higher ISO settings when shooting handheld at this focal length.

Old fence with whale knocker. 300mm f5.6 ISO 400 1/400 (handheld)

Cirrus and Cirrostratus clouds high up in the atmosphere over North Florida.

I’m very happy to say that the performance of the lens at all focal lengths has been better than expected. Is the lens sharper than a more expensive L lens from Canon – no, but for the money it’s great. Lighter weight too makes it an easy 300mm lens to tote. When using the lens on the EOS R body an adapter from Canon is necessary as the EF mount does not directly mount to the RF mirrorless body of the camera. It’s about $99 through Canon.

Shown mounted on my Canon EOS R mirrorless camera. The Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R adds a bit of additional length to the lens. Here at 77mm.

The lens is a great value and with the popularity of the newer Canon EOS R mirrorless bodies catching on now is a good time to find EF lenses at a bit of a bargain. Thanks for stopping by! – Chris

copper rain chain

January 7, 2022January 7, 2022Chris and Carol 2 Comments

I’ve actually had this rain chain for a while and just now finished installing it. I can’t wait to see how it ages in our near-coastal environment.

Camera and Lens – Canon EOS R and Canon RF 50mm f1.8 STM ‘nifty fifty’.

Thanks for stopping by and have a great weekend! – Chris

Friday Fotos! – Dual CS 721

January 7, 2022January 7, 2022Chris and Carol Leave a comment

Made in Germany in the mid-1970s, it was considered to be one of the best turntables for the money at that time.

I purchased mine in 1977 at the Yokosuka Navy Exchange while stationed in Japan. I’ve used it for years but now it’s time to pass it along. I’ll have it in my Etsy shop soon.

As always, thanks for stopping by! – Chris