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New Toy, All Change

No, I’ve not abandoned the Fuji system already! In anticipation of me undertaking more travel in the coming years, there’s now two transatlantic journeys next year for starters, I started considering other camera options, shock horror!

The Fuji X-T5 is coming on the first trip, the long planned cruise to Hawaii, because the odds of going there again I suspect are slim. Plus, aside from it being the best camera I have, and regardless of the month, the weather resistant lenses I have for it could be needed.

The second trip is back to Orlando/Disney/Universal (again, groan) with the whole family this time. Not my choice, and I’m groaning because there’s a host of other places I’d rather go before going back again; but such is life.

It’s this second trip that started me thinking about what to take, camera wise, and maybe, just maybe, being able to take one camera. I’ve enough photos of us there taken on film(!) or digitally, be that with Canon, Olympus and Nikon! So there’s no way I’m carting a “proper camera” with me, plus gadget bag etc. With whatever iPhone I might have by then, I’ll definitely manage. Moreover, it was refreshing simply wandering around with just the GoPro on my wrist mount last time we went.

My concern is, and the problem with Orlando’s theme parks in general, is water, or rather the number of rides where the odds of getting soaked are very, very good.

This of course means if you want to take video of your nearest and dearest getting drenched, you either take an action camera, hence the GoPro last time and the Olympus TG-5 ten years ago, or possibly a waterproof housing for your phone or even a proper waterproof housing for your proper camera.

The last option is a non-starter, bulky, a bit awkward and you’d look a rather odd to boot, let alone it’s expensive. I can’t say as I fancy buying a dedicated housing for a mobile that’s liable to be replaced every two years either. So it’s keep the GoPro, or maybe look at a different action camera of some sort, but one that was more adept for use as a stills camera as well.

It’s here I went down yet another rabbit hole, and started investigating options.

Top of my list was a return to Olympus or OM Systems as it is now, and the latest version of the TG-5 I had before, the TG-7. It didn’t take long to realise it’s not changed a great deal in 10 years!

The sensor is certainly the same 12MP 1 1/2.3″, though a few functions have been added via a newer processor, which also makes it a bit snappier in operation. The body has at least altered a bit, gaining more of a grip which it did need, and its switched USB C in place of micro USB, which make life easier than you might think, with everything else now using the same connector.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is PA150298-1024x578.jpg
Considering the light levels, the 12MP sensor on the old Olympus TG-5 didn’t do too bad.

However, partly because it’s generally regarded as top of the heap in the rugged camera category, and possibly because there’s not a deal of competition to be honest, the TG-7 is also quite expensive for what you get. It’s also more a stills camera that does video, as opposed to the other way around. Yes it’s got 4K output, but it’s not as good or comprehensive in terms of options as any of the action cameras.

It’s also more limited, which could mean be annoying, than you might think on the stills front. The zoom range is good and easily outperforms the action cam mob, but the aperture options are not what you’d call linear and I found it frustrating at times.

There’s also a few complaints of unreliability with the TG-7, especially after immersion in water. This doesn’t surprise me, as I had to get my TG-5 replaced under warranty, after only a few dunks in fresh water, let alone any deeper diving in sea water.

Hence, I cast my net a little wider.

GoPro’s latest offering naturally enough hove in to view, the Mission One series boasts a 50MP 1″ type sensor, shoots 8K video, works with all the accessory mounts I already have, and they’ve released a frame with a shutter button to make it more of a “normal” camera.

But the more reviews I read, the more annoyances people reported that I know full well would irritate the life me too, one crucial one being inability to save stills as a RAW file with certain options set, doubtless the ones I’d use if these creators are shooting stills. Another issue was cost, I may have been able to use my existing mounts, but to get the most out of the camera, I’d need new batteries, at least one additional lens, the new grip frame, etc.

The camera on its own, even on the used market, is also still expensive. Critically though, GoPro as a company have had money problems for a while and have just been taken over, there’s some uncertainty as to what lays ahead, regardless of what the new owners are saying. I moved it to the maybe or maybe not pile.

A couple of hours looking at other options eventually led me to several sites where the creators waxed lyrical about the Insta360 Ace Pro 2. On the face of it, very similar to the GoPro 12 I already have, or at least the more recent GoPro 13. But what became apparent was more consideration seems to have been given to the stills shooter, and into what people wanted to use the system for as a whole.

What made it the prime candidate for me though, was the availability of not one but two grips/frames/mounts, call them what you will, especially the second grip, which is the “Explorer Pro”.

System price sealed the deal! For less than an OM Systems TG-7, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Videography bundle came with the camera itself, the Explorer Pro grip (about £100), a second battery, the cinematic lens (which is £100 or so in it’s own), plus a black mist filter for the standard lens, as well as the neat flip screen hood, and handy for shooting/filing in bright sunlight, like Orlando!

Now all I have to do is get my head round getting the most out of it, and doubtless acquiring a few add-ons…..

For a more detailed look at the Ace Pro 2

Insta360 Ace Pro2 unboxing
Someone’s taken a leaf out of Apple’s book. The packaging is pretty as well.
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Now Available!

A rather heavier than expected parcel arrived today,  and I’ve unexpectedly become a hardback.

I do like the new cover scheme,  I must admit, but it looks a little odd at the side of Volume 1.

I sincerely hope those that bought the first instalment buy the second, because obviously, that was only half the story, and the second also has a couple of the biggest stories that emerged into what really was a tale of “here’s what we could have had”.

For those that buy Volume 2,  but don’t have its predecessor, they will read chapter one, and maybe not really understand the full context of the situation.  Its earlier compatriot “A Tangled Web”  really does explain how the British aircraft industry ended up the way it did, and rather point a finger at who caused it.

I’m proud at what I’ve accomplished, but also sad that none of my family’s previous generation are now around to see it completed.

 

Development Aircraft Vol 2

 

British Research and Development Aircraft, 1945-1965 Volume 2.  

Now at Key Publishing.

 

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Winter Is Coming

I had a welcome surprise pop into my inbox the other day,  “you’ve been paid”  and for a change it wasn’t something I’d sold on eBay, but from book sales!  Up to that point,  Vol.1 had sold 71 copies apparently, which is about 70 more than I expected, but a long way to go before sales have covered costs for image rights, reference material, admission costs and travel.

I’ve also had some appreciative comments back from people I know who’ve read Vol.1 , “fascinating” from someone who’s not an aircraft buff was nice,  “you’ve got all the aircraft in frame and not chopped bits off” from my ex-RAF mate who goes round taking photos of fire engines…. was also big compliment.  Whilst “how do you know so much” was also nice but funny at the same time. Seeing as I’ve been reading about aircraft for 50 odd years,  I’ve hopefully absorbed a bit,  but it was amusing in that when you’re writing a book liable to be read by others with a love of minutiae shall we say, you have to be right with dates, figures and basically everything.  As a result,  I’d had what I thought I knew corrected by my research on numerous occasions.  So every day really can be a school day.

Still no more news on Vol.2, though my rewrite is done and it’s time to go through the photos and make sure all the captions are correct, as well as ensuring where they sit in the text meets the words to pictures guidelines set by the publishers.  However, what’s really bad about having time to go back through your work a few times is that it has a nasty habit of growing in volume.   It has been handy in parts I admit,  as I’ve managed to flesh out a couple of aircraft with more info than I had, but when you start adding more, especially when it’s already the longest chapter, not so good.

Recent movements between museums also meant I decided to add an addendum to Vol.1. at the end of Vol.2.  One of these I really could have done with about 2 years earlier and it will also result in me making a trip back to Brooklands museum to see it!   The Hawker P.1121 was never finished,  work on a prototype had got as far as a most of the front end and engine intakes before it got cancelled in 1957 and the RAF Museum has had the remains hidden in storage for about 60 years!  So the fact that it’s actually  going to be restored and displayed, as opposed to scrapped which it would seem it escaped a few times, is excellent news.  Why so you may ask?  There’s an old adage in aircraft circles, “if it looks right, it is right”  and this looked the business for 1957!  It’s one that really should have been completed and flown, even though there was never an official order for it,  just to see if it was as good as it both looked and performed anything like the specs on paper.  If it had performed as expected, theres a good chance the whole shape of the RAF frontline after 1960 would have been totally different.

Model of P.1121
What could have been. How the still unnamed P.1121 could have looked in RAF colours.

The photograph of the P.1121 model is from a trip I took back in July to the De Havilland Museum near London.  Their connection to the aircraft is the engine, the De Havilland Gyron, which for a time was the most powerful turbojet built.  The cancellation of the aircraft also led to the cancellation of. the engine as no other designs had it pencilled in as a powerplant.  Its smaller offspring, the Gyron Junior powered the Mk.1 Buccaneer but it was drastically underpowered for the naval carrier role and fairly quickly replaced by the RR Spey in the Mk.2.

DH Gyron and Gyron Junior jet engines
On the left the Gyron, on the right, Gyron Junior. Pretty obvious why!

At the same time as finishing Vol.2 off, I’ve also been building a stock of reference material and links for, not so much a follow up, but lets say what’s looking like another one.  I’d  actually got more resources and references on hand than I thought I had, which has saved me time and money,  whilst the new material hasn’t as yet cost the earth.  I’ve also discovered a few places to visit for photos, which is a bonus as there’s liable to be big gaps in images across the subject in general.  But what’s increasingly obvious is  it will cost in time, lots of it, digging through it all and piecing the bits together to form the path to where I want to take it.   It’s a good job winter is coming.