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Sony 70-200mm GM F2.8 lens at Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (21 July 2023)

Read More Sony What I am eyeing, is the rather expensive Sony 70-200mm G-Master Lens. It retails for $2,500, but I have seen it as low as $2,000 during the Black Friday/Christmas sale. I know the price is way more expensive than the …

I’ve had my Sony 70-200mm GM F2.8 OSS lens since March 2023 and had wanted to do a photo shoot at the Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley when I first got it. Unfortunately, Minnesota suffered from one of the worst and longest winter this year that I had to delay my semi-annual trip to the park until now.

While this was a nice nature photo shoot, it was extremely hot on this day (80°F) and I wasn’t really prepared for the heat… so I attempted to head back to my car half-way into my hike. This was a disastrous decision, as I ended up accidentally going on a long loop off the map.

Also, there were mosquitos eating me alive, making it miserable. I’ll remember to bring bug spray the next time.

The Sony A7 IV has three autofocus subjects: humans, animals, and birds. I set the camera to birds for the most part and I find that the autofocusing is still not that great on animals. I feel like the camera should be smart enough to switch from humans to birds, without my interaction.

On the lens side, the weight of the lens does hurt a little, since I’m hand-holding it throughout the hike. Is it worth the extra $700 to buy a lighter version of the 70-200mm F2.8? I don’t think so, I would rather suffer a little and save that money.

I love this G-Master lens, despite the weight. One of the best features of the lens is that it has optic stabilization in the lens. While most current cameras have body built-in stabilization, it works even better when the lens is also compensating as well. This works best for video, if that is important to you.

I also used the manual focusing ring today. While 99% of the time, the autofocus works in the center… sometime, it focused on the wrong thing. So, with the manual focusing ring on the lens, you can help guide the camera to the right focus subject. This works best when there are subject in the foreground, but what you’re really interested in is in the background.

In my opinion, the 70-200mm GM lens is the best of the best. It’s very sharp, and it’s very fast. It’s the best lens I’ve ever own.

I’ve previously mentioned before that I wish the lens started at 24mm or wider, so I was in the market for something in the 24-70mm range. I did the research for lens in this class, but I’m currently on pause on buying until I have a need for it (most of my shoots are in the 70-200 range - as I don’t do close up photos).

I am also eyeing on another lens, the Tamron 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD for Sony E-Mount Full Frame, but at $1,900 … it’s a tough pill to swallow.

Sony 70-200mm GM F2.8 lens at Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (21 July 2023)

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Sony A7IV at Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (01 Aug 2022)

Read More Sony I’m in the market for a new high end camera, so I was debating on buying the Sony A9 (used) and Sony A7 IV, as they were about the same price. For non-Sony camera enthusiasts, let me break down …

It’s been one year since we did a photo shoot with the Sony A7C at the Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley… so I thought it would make sense to do a test run of the new Sony A7IV camera at the same location, on August 1, 2022.

A7IV and A7C

Even though Sony called the A7C “the world’s smallest full frame camera”, playing around with the A7IV, I didn’t really think the A7C was that small. It is smaller, but looking at the camera, side-by-side, they look similar to each other, in terms of size. You will only notice the differences when you hold the A7IV. It’s bigger and it’s heavier. You noticed the bigger grip, which I find too big.

You also notice a ton of extra dials and buttons. Power users will want to assign certain items to certain buttons and dials, which is simply a better experience. You see the A7C can do many things, but you have to dig through Sony’s menu, which is slow and cumbersome. With the A7IV, you just assign that feature to button.

Sony also revamped the camera menu, which is found in newer cameras. It’s color-coded and looks good. I am looking forward to having Sony update all their cameras with this new menu system.

All the photos on my hike through the Springbrook Nature Center were taken with the Tamron 28-200mm lens, which is still my favorite lens. I still somewhat wish I could reach just a little further, maybe 400mm… but those long lens tend to be very pricey and has very limited usage. You basically will want a long lens for photographing animals and sports. For everyday use, I think the 28-200mm range is just perfect. Of course, I did debate on getting a 600mm or 500mm lens last month, but weighing all my options and its usage, I am going to put purchasing that lens on pause. Companies are always coming out with new lens option, so I will wait it out. Right now, 28-200mm is perfect for me.

The A7IV uses a new auto-focusing system… which I’m not quite used to. To be honest, I felt the A7C did a better job on auto-focusing, but I’m still learning to use the A7IV, so perhaps it’s just a matter of figuring it all out.

Birds at the Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (01 Aug 2022)

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Sony A7C photos at Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (2021-08-12)

Read More Sony So, anyway, my next camera is the “Compact” Sony α7c. I have wanted this camera since it was announced in September 2020. It’s basically an α7III, but smaller (and slightly cheaper). A lot of reviews …

I finally got my Sony A7C camera! I had ordered it from Amazon, and I didn’t know it at the time of ordering, but Amazon requires a signature upon delivery. This was a problem, as I’m not home in the daytime. After the camera was routed to a locker, I had it re-routed to a UPS Access Point for an additional $6. I’ll never order another high priced item from Amazon. That was awful. I’m just happy that the nightmare is over.

Full Frame vs APS-C

So, a quick comparison between the A7C’s full frame vs my old camera the A6000’s APS-C lens. The image on the left was taken with a Full Frame lens (50mm) and the image on the right was taken with an APS-C lens (210mm). What we’re missing is nearly 50% of the field of view in the crop lens! It’s obvious to me, that in order to take advantage of the full frame, your lens has to also be full frame… and those lenses are simply not cheap.

Although they are expensive, at least you can use those lenses on other e-mount cameras. The lenses hold re-sell value (providing it’s not broken), while older Sony camera bodies simply do not.

Also, a couple of upgrades, going from the A6000, the new A7C has incredible auto focus using Auto Eye focus! Eye focusing is an evolution of Face Focus, but obviously much smaller focus area tracking the subject’s eye. The new camera also has Animal Eye Focus, but I haven’t used it yet (you need to toggle between Human and Animal Eye).

The LCD screen is very versatile. You can use it as a selfie screen, you can use it as a vertical shoot, or you can use it viewing it from underneath. That last part is incredibly important when a tall person is in front of you, but you can still take photos by holding the camera up and viewing the frame from the bottom. Amazing.

The new Sony Z Battery took a long time to charge… but once it’s full, it will last you days on one battery charge. I also love the fact that the new camera is weather-sealed, so you don’t have to worry when shooting in the rain (although I won’t recommend it).

Finally, the new camera won’t overheat and shut down, compared to the A7III of A6000. I don’t know how Sony did it, but the new camera design exhaust heat efficiently.

There’s probably a ton of other upgrades and improvements, but those are the ones that came to me immediately.

Now for some negatives. Since Sony designed this as “the world’s smallest full frame camera”, there are some sacrifices that they had to make. For example, removing some buttons and making the grip smaller. I personally don’t care about fewer buttons, and I think the grip is just fine. If I can hold it, I’m not complaining. I will complain that Sony removed the eye cup on the new A7C. That sucks. Fortunately, there are third party eye cup makers that addressed this problem. You’ll need to use your hot shoe, but since I don’t use flash, that won’t be a problem for me.

Anyway, earlier today, I took a quick hike at the Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley and took some test photos with my A7C. For the first time, in a long time, I’m very excited to take photos and frame things. I was hoping for some wildlife, but unfortunately, I only saw a squirrel, a bird, and some grasshoppers.

I was happy to see that there is a small amphitheater at Springbrook Nature Center. It has a seating capacity of 150 on concrete seats, but if guests don’t minding sitting on the grass, the total capacity could be as much as 250. This is perfect for a daytime local show or gathering.

Trees at the Springbrook Nature Center, Fridley (2021-08-12)

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BulletBoys, Gunzo and Killer Bee at GB Leighton's Pickle Park, Fridley MN (26 July 2015)

BulletBoys Setlist Born To Breed Hard As A Rock Hell On My Heels Rollover Symphony Guitar solo/THC Groove For The Love Of Money Tsunami The Bitch Is Back Switchblade Butterfly Smooth Up In Ya Gunzo Setlist Rip And Tear I Don't Know Bad Motor Scooter The Ballad Of Jayne Crazy Train Rock Candy Killer Bee Setlist Scream It Children Of The Evolution Step into My World Doctor Doctor All Night Long A Little Too Old From Hell and Back Tattooed Millionaires Setlist Heat Motorbike Freedom to Rock Too Young to Die Hong Kong Blonde Come and Get It Drivin' Rip It Out Star Spangled Hammer Tour Dates 08/15/15 Cathouse Live At Irvine Meadows 08/27/15 Melbourne, FL "80's In The Park" 08/28/15 Tampa, FL Brass Mug 08/29/15 Jacksonville, FL 1904 09/19/15 West Hollywood, CA Viper Room 10/16/15 Green Bay, WI Phat Headz 10/17/15 Cudahy, WI The Metal Grill 10/18/15 Pekin, IL Hat Tricks "Rock 'N Skull" 11/08/15 Sutton The Diamond 11/09/15 Edinburgh Bannerman's 11/10/15 London The Underworld 11/11/15 Evesham Iron Road Rock Bar 11/13/15 Wakefield Snooty Fox 11/14/15 Cardiff Fuel Rock Club Read More BulletBoys This double-headline bill of BulletBoys (featuring lead vocalist Marq Torien) and Tracii Guns (who originally formed L.A. Guns) will be taking place at GB Leighton's Pickle Park in Fridley, Minnesota. ...

Bullets, Guns, and Bees…?!

It was all of that and more in friendly Fridley just outside of Minneapolis recently, as the Armed Alliance Tour featuring BulletBoys, Tracii Guns’ Gunzo, and Killer Bee came to town, to rock a venue with the strange name of Pickle Park.

Tattooed Millionaires Set

A short set by locals (that look like LA rockers) Tattooed Millionaires opened the evening, with Johnny Jetson- vocals/guitar;  Skip Parot- bass; and  Johnny Strutt- drums fitting right in with the evening, playing tracks from their Minne-Apple Records release, Armed and Hammered, as well as Jetson’s recent solo album, The Father, The Son, and the Ghost of Rock and Roll with their blend of modernized low-fi, straight ahead rock and roll.

Killer Bee

Next was the best Swedish-Canadian hard rock band you may of have not heard of- Killer Bee.  Chief songwriters Anders "LA" Rönnblom and Brian "Bee" Frank have been at it since the early ‘90s, with this tour (their 1^st proper tour in 17 yrs!) being extra special with the addition of Paul Chapman from UFO on guitar.

Rock Another Day is their newest album (on Mighty Music) and that’s exactly what the band did during their brief 38 min. set, as the five-piece opened with the driving ‘Scream It’, and Chapman’s distinctive chops on display from the very beginning.

Morgan Evans with flaming sticks

Chapman took center stage for the 1974 UFO classic, ‘Doctor Doctor’ shredding the intro and often facing his massive stack of speakers. ‘All Night Long’ had echoes of Nugent’s ‘Stranglehold’ and Soundgarden, while ‘A Little Too Old ‘ featured the most exciting club solo we’ve seen all year - drummer Morgan Evans playing with flaming sticks-  and the band ended solidly with the title track of 2012’s From Hell and Back.

Gunzo

The band many had been anticipating to see, Gunzo, played an all-out 42 min. set, drawing from their past, as well as showing a small glimpse of their future.  The supergroup of sorts features LA Guns’ Tracii Guns, legendary bassist Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy, Whitesnake, Quiet Riot), and lead singer Keith St. John (Montrose) and opened with a no-holds-barred LA Guns classic, ‘Rip and Tear’.

The band’s formation was announced earlier this spring, with the Gunzo name being adopted later (it wasn’t even on the event posters) with this being their local live debut.  Ozzy’s ‘I Don’t Know’ was next, with bassmaster Sarzo anchoring the song (often licking his fingers of course) and Guns filling the Randy Rhoads role, as well as anyone we’ve seen.

Dedicating ‘Bad Motor Scooter’ to the late Ronnie Montrose, Guns revved his guitar like a motorcycle engine, while a tease of The Rolling Stones’ Angie gave way to the LA Guns ballad, ‘The Ballad of Jayne’.  The band re-launched into overdrive for Ozzy’s ‘Crazy Train’ and ended with a stretched-out Montrose classic, ‘Rock Candy’, showcasing solos and the vocal range of St. John.  An impressive debut and hope they return soon with new music.

BulletBoys have effectively dodged the pitfalls of so many late ‘80s hard rock bands, and are still making vital music today.  Their latest, Elefante (Cleopatra/Deadline Records) came out in June, and even features a re-worked cover of Elton John’s ‘The Bitch is Back’ which was featured during their hour headlining set, which worked in a few new songs as well as the crowd favorites.

BulletBoys: Marq Torien

Though the original lineup has briefly reunited, mainstay singer/guitarist Marq Torien is the only founding member of the current lineup, with Torien even taking most of the lead guitar solos.   Best received songs of the night were from their 1988 debut album, including ‘Hard as a Rock’ and their crunchy cover of The O’Jay’s ‘For the Love of Money’.

The Sunset Strip version of ‘The Bitch is Back’ was turned upside down with an LA street vibe added, to make the song very different than the original’; then after turning down a shot from an eager audience member, Torien (who has been sober for 28 yrs) played a tender solo acoustic ‘Switchblade Butterfly’ before closing with biggest hit, ‘Smooth Up in Ya’.

BulletBoys continue their road trek with a few fall dates and a UK tour, while Tracii Guns and co. goes to Mexico in October with Ratt’s Stephen Pearcy and joins the guitar heavy Axes & Anchors Cruise, leaving next February from Miami.

BulletBoys at GB Leighton's Pickle Park, Fridley (26 July 2015)

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