One of the better options of having a camera with a superzoom lens, as in this case a Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35, is that you can still sick back on the sofa under the porch, set the zoom on the camera at its longest focal length, train the lens on the objects you can still see with your naked eye, and be creative with the potential art form with the images magnified and rendered on the 12.1MP CCD sensor.
The camera is fitted with a 12.1MP CCD sensor and a super 1:2.8~4.4 18X optical zoom 27mm Leica DC Vario-Elmarit wide-angle lens, good enough for me to pick out the images as seen in the post. This could be the beginning of better things to come. The camera, successor to the DMC-FZ28, was among the first to feature AVCHD lite format HD video recording, has a shutter speed range from 60 seconds to 1/2000th second, Power O.I.S image stabilizer, a faster Venus Engine HD processor, and a Quick AF system twice as fast than that of the predecessor.
ISO sensitivity for the FZ35 ranges from 100 to 1,600, boostable to ISO 6,400 in Hi_auto mode. Shutter speeds are automatic from 60 to 1/2,000 seconds. Metering options include Intelligent Multiple, with Center-Weighted, and Spot. The minimum focusing distance for the Panasonic DMC-FZ35 is 30 cm. but drops to just one centimeter at wide-angle when switched to Macro mode. At the tele end, focusing down to two meters is the norm, but a Tele Macro mode drops this to as close as one meter when the zoom is set from 11 to 18x.
One for the record, early morning images of a local shopping precinct, on an occasional outing where the mobile is used as the prime for recording images. Although I have had the mobile since it was first introduced in 2018, but have always resorted to my normal cameras for street shoots on outings and walkabouts. The cameras, to me, are easier to handle and the mobile has always remained a communication tool.
The HMD Nokia 3.1 has a 13-megapixel rear camera with an LED flash, and an 8-megapixel front camera, which can be set to 4:3, 16:9, or 18:9 image aspect ratios, with resolutions at 2, 3, 5, 8, and 13 MP. I have noticed that over the years I have been using the mobile, and the features of the camera have also been upgraded to what it is now with the regular updates of the Android One program. Time maybe for me to use it (the camera feature) more often.
Another update to my collection of compact travel zooms with CCD sensors, is the Olympus VR-370. The camera comes with a 16MP sensor, TruePic III+ Image Processor, 12.5X optical zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent of 24-300mm lens, built-in flash, easy-to-use zoom, easy access menu control, ergonomic grip design, dedicated one-touch video button, 3.0-inch LCD with 460k-dot resolution, and Dual Image Stabilization for sharper images in dim light and when shooting at long telephoto focal lengths.
Compact and handy to carry around, easy to use with its built-in flash, easy zoom, and menu controls, the anodized aluminum body also comes with an ergonomic grip design and a dedicated one-touch video button that will switch you from photo mode to video in an instant. Shooting Modes on the VR-370 include iAuto (Intelligent Auto), Program Auto, Beauty, Scene, Magic, and Panorama.
The VR-370 is powered by a powered by DC 3.7V 925mAh battery, good for up to 300 shots (average use) per charge. The camera weighs 170 grams with battery and card and will accept SD/SDHC/SDXC/Eye-Fi cards for external media storage. Externally, the VR-370 has a microphone opening on the front panel and a speaker on the bottom plate. A propriety USB 2.0 multi-connector port is also located on the bottom plate, which connects for Data Transfer (Storage), MTP (Media Transfer Protocol), Easy and Custom Printing, and Charging.
The Industar-69 28mm 1:2.8, the standard lens for Russian Chaika Half-frame cameras which I acquired earlier and was adjusted to fit the flange distance of a M39 LTM lens, has a new friend now, in the form of an Olympus Attachment Lens F=130m. The lens is a 22.5mm diameter unit that Olympus produced for attachment to the inner ring of the Pen EE half-frame camera lens.
An attachment lens is primarily used to enable macro photography without the need of using a specialized primary lens. They work on the principle of a magnifying glass, allowing a primary lens to be brought to focus closer to the subject, for close-ups or macro-orientated photography. While they do not affect exposure, close-up lenses do change both the maximum and minimum focus distances of a lens.
While there are hardly any details or further info on the Olympus Attachment Lens F=130cm on the Net currently, I am happy enough with just using the lens and attachment among my small collection of garden plants, with a flower that is in bloom and a couple of other subjects.
