Thoughts about tech and gadgets

So, yesterday I was not able to overheat HVL-60M indoor, using E-TTL HSS mode. But it overheated in when I provoked it, using full 1/1 power. Today I performed two tests: (1) out-door shooting, using HVL-60M as fill-in flash in bright daylight at 15 meter (16 yard) shooting distance and (2) indoor test, where I just fired flash in manual mode at 1/2 and 1/1 output levels.

Test 1, outdoor photography

My hypothesis was that using HVL-60M as fill-in flash at sunlight from long distance is pretty hard task because it has to compete with the highlight created by Sun, to fill in shadows.

So, I mounted Carl Zeiss 135mm F1.8 to my Sony SLT-a99 in order to provide space between the subject. Longer distance will stress HVL-60M even more, was my thinking. I abandoned to test the flash in real shoot, saving models. Instead of that I shot a tree :)

I shot mountain pine from 15 meters (16 yards). My camera was in P mode with fill-in flash, 1/160 sec, F4, ISO 100. I had camera in Drive/Lo. I just pressed the shutter button and waited. This as not a real-world situation. Camera just continued and continued, HVL-60M didn’t skip any flash. At least I did’t notice that. I shot 380 continious shots from the 15 m distance in sunshine until I overheated HVL-60M. So, it’s theoretically possible, but I really don’t believe that it ever occurs in my practical use.

Test 2

People from DPreview forum asked to count flashes-to-overheating at lower power levels. Due to time limits I did this test at 1/1 level two times and 1/2 leve also twice. For some reason, I had slightly different numbers, but here are the results:

at 1/1 25-41 flashes until overheating
at 1/2 58-64 flashes overheating

Conclusion

HVL-60M is not going to overheat in real-life shooting scenarios. You are able to provoke overheating, shooting 25-41 flashes at full power or 58-64 flashes at 1/2 power. But it’s not worse than Nikon SB-800, about 25 frames at 1/1.

Guide number 60 is an advantage and disadvantage at the same time. In most cases you need only 1/32 or so and the flash is very capable then, able to shoot 10 fps endlessly, no problem. But flushing all huge energy at 1/1, stresses output electronics and batteries. In this case heat is your enemy.

Would I buy it? No, but because of too high price. At 30-40% lower price, I’ll take it and will trust it in my shoots 100%.

I’m keen a99 shooter and I love my camera. I do lots of low-light-fast-movement performance shooting and my camera does excellent job. I never use flash, but one has to keep it in the bag. As there is no 3.-rd party flash units for new a99 ISO shoe, only Sony flagship HVL-60M left to my shopping list. Still, forums repeadetly warned about overheating. I decided to test that.
Yesterday I got HVL-60M from local Sony Concept Store for 3 days testing. These are my initial observations.

Summary: does it overheat?
Answer is Yes and No. If you really provoke it, then it does. Turn power to 1/1 and it overheats in 24 shots or so. Holy crap, you might think. No. In regular TTL use I was not able to overheat it.

How did I test

I charged my Panasonic 2100 mAh AA Li-Ion batteries. They were pretty warm, when I installed them into the flast unit, but this is real-world scenario.

I mounted flash to my a99, turned both to Manual. I selected 1/1 flash power from HVL-60M menu and started to take heavily overexposed photos:

Flash recovery is painful 5 seconds (or so) in 1/1 mode. But keep in mind, that it’s a powerful flash, with guide number 60. In real world you rarely or never need full power. After 24.-th shot, overheating icon appeared to LCD.

So, I waited 5-7 minutes or so, until flash cooled down and overheating sign disappeared.

In the second part I switched HVL-60M into TTL mode, letting flash determine power needed and started to shoot in Drive/Hi mode. HVL-60M did’t skip any single frame. Then I switched camera over to super-hi-speed 10 FPS drive mode, so called Tele-zoom Cont. Priority AE. Again, flash kept up with the pace. I shot 250 shots like that and got bored. There was no overheating whatsoever.

Tomorrow I take my camera/flash to outdoor photo-shoot and write about it.

Google promotes Chromebook as “Computer for Everyone”. Price-wise it might be, as prices start from $250 or so. It’s sleek and light, it has plenty of battery-life. But what is it and is it really for everybody?
Quick and short answer is — NO, it’s not yet for everybody.
Longer answer is — YES, it for everybody, who looks for lightweight second computer. ‘

Consider Chromebook if
- you are already Google ecosystem user
- your main task is e-mails, documents, spreadsheets, calendar event planning, social media, web browsing
- if you have other (may be stationary) powerful PC or Mac for photo/video editing
- for second computer

Don’t consider Chromebook
- as your only computer and you have to edit photos, videos, do graphic design on that
- to use Skype (here is no Skype on Chromebook)
- you happen to be Google-hater for some reason
- you a afraid of cloud (there is no local data storage any more, everything is kept in the Internet)

So, if You spent all day only in Explorer, Safari, Chrome or other web browser and mail client software, Chromebook might be your choice of computing platform.

Why Chromebook is good?
- software is so lightweight, it boots fast and operates smooth;
- easier to create content than on tablet;
- good battery life;
- 3G-WiFi connectivity is easy and fast — you really are always connected;
- documents are saved in real time, you can’t lose any, even if computer crashes (highly unlikely) or when running out of battery;
- Google Docs is so refreshingly simple and practical
- No messing with drivers, updates etc

What Cromebook to buy?
My recommendation:
Medium/Low budget: Samsung Series 5 Chromebook (model 550), based on Intel Celeron processor and GMA 3000, enough to run HD movies with absolutely no problem; About $400 with 3G+WiFi
Big roller: Go for Google Pixel

Tip of a Day: Don’t buy WiFi only version. 3G gives such a freedom.

I was kind of stuck with my SanDisk Extreme Class 10 35 MBps SDHC card. But lately I bought new UHS-I class 95 MBps Extreme Pro SDHC cards from SanDisk. And I was really surprised about their speed. Therefore by current blog. I collected my random collection of 4 SD cards and measured their real-life speed by copying and reading 1.67 GB directory of 4 video clips and 62 RAW photos. Here are the results:

That’s how much faster is UHS-I compared to older Class 10 and Class 4 cards. Don’t forget to use USB 3.0 reader.

My conclusion: Go for it NOW!

Bought it. Used it. If you are demanding, then don’t consider it. Too soft in 200mm. I think that you should buy 100-300 if You really are in M4/3 world.

Here is my bird gallery, all shot with 45-200 and Lumix GX1

Science below…

Notice how contrast and resolution lines are dropping much faster on 45-200.

My valuation: mediocre