Whaddaya Got?

" Whaddaya got that's new or unusual or cheap or expensive that I can write about? " That's my standard question for Camera Electronic staff in the three shops when I arrive with my portable product set and Fujifilm camera bag. I want new and lots of it...and that has been a bit of a problem for the last couple ofm years. It bids fair to get better from here on, but we'll all have to be patient. The staff in the shops are patient with me - and they do manage to find something that fits the bill if I preserve a bit of an interval between visits. Today I caught Saul carefully building a display of Panasonic cameras and lenses in the Stirling Street shop and he rose to the occasion by mentioning the Panasonic Leica DG Nocticron 42.5mm f:1.2 ASPH lens. It is one lens of which not a lot of shops have stock. It's intended for the Micro 4/3 mount and produces a short telephoto field of view with a very wide aperture indeed. The lens has a powered image stabilisation system inside it and a number of aspherical elements. Fortunately the filter size is still reasonable at 67mm. Do not skimp on any additional glass you put in front of this lens - it is sharp at all apertures and you do not want to degrade to performance in any way. Personal note: I used to put UV filters on every lens I owned until I got to the point of needing wide lenses, small apertures, and flash exposure against dark stage backdrops. Then the propensity of the flash to pick up very stray dust mote that might be on the filter meant every job was a trip to the Land 'O Retouching. I now remove the filters on indoor shoots, open up a lot more, and try to avoid really short lenses. It does help. I know I'll get a wet dog nose on the front element of a lens one day - or worse: a wet dancer nose - but I am prepared to take the risk. Actually, the risk of my fingers covered in paint and peanut butter is far more acute. The Panasonic or Olympus shooter who wants to buy only one portrait lens - ever - would do well to consider this one. It will be a fixed star in their photographic firmament because they are unlikely to ever encounter better.