Gairlochy

We were working close to home at a place called Gairlochy, the point where the Caledonian canal meets Loch Lochy at its south west end.
It was a beautiful morning and as we got kit set up first thing for the day ahead I sneaked a quick couple of snaps with my wee compact. I fully had the intention of coming back at morning break in a more deliberate, tripod mounted –bracketing- fashion with the big camera. Pressure was such It just didn’t happen and as the day progressed it cooled and dampened dramatically. If you were a pro photographer you could just say this is a good time, the light is right, I’ll do some messing about with the tripod right now; the day might go to rubbish if I wait. What a nice position to be in.
In a sad way I always read about exotic kit and lenses and follow the entirely academic price fluctuations too. Some people will be aware I really like the Foeven sensor equipped compact Sigma cameras. I could sit and write a hundred bad things about them, way behind current all bells and whistles compacts, slow, awkward to use, but as a landscape camera carefully set up and triggered the detail possible totally belies the modest mp count. Anyway, last night I noticed a couple of dealers down south flogging DP1m s (and 2s and 3s) for approaching half price. I wonder if they are grey imports or if there is some other catch but people are trying to sell the same camera on ebay for near the full price. Even half price it is still expensive for a camera with a fixed non zoom lens but I don’t think there will be any disappointed buyers; as long as they know the limitations.
I believe the biggest DSLR price drop ever was of the original Sigma with Merril sensor (that’s what the M above stands for, The late Richard Merril was the Foeveon architect). When the flagship Nikon D3x was over £5000 this Sigma was being priced at half as much again. They didn’t sell many. I believe they are now selling for about £1500. To appease the handful of folk who forked out the ludicrous sum for the first release price and then saw the value of their device drop like a stone, Sigma issued vouchers which could be exchanged for lenses. The sensor of the once £7000 DSLR can now be found in a £300 compact; and the compact comes with a lens fixed ready to go.
This picture is taken with the 4.5mp, pre Merril, version. There are some more here:
Gairlochy