New Toys — Juha Berglund

Happy $28th birthday to me (from my wife)! :D

I wrote a lengthy blog posting in which I justified my recent camera purchase by highlighting the superiority of the μ4/3 system over its rivals. Then I deleted the whole thing because I realised it was just an excuse. The real reason is that my subconscious has recently surrounded me with shiny new gadgets. It has done so to fill a void. A void caused by looming mortality: I'm getting old! After turning 0x28 I may have finally reached my mid-life crisis. Drinking is allegedly bad for your health so I quit it for most of the spring – perhaps that is why I've been so badly out of touch with my subconsciousness and wasn't aware of its shenanigans.

I became a fan of the μ4/3 camera system over the last couple of years. I might even count as a fanboy but unfortunately I am now too old for that. When Olympus introduced their latest flagship model OM-D E-M1 Mark II last autumn, I immediately knew that it shall be my next camera. Then a bit later Olympus released the suggested retail price and I immediately knew that I will NEVER pay so much for such a scrawny little overhyped toy. Fortunately Panasonic released their new top model GH5 in January with similar specifications as Olympus. In Switzerland GH5 was considerably cheaper than the E-M1 Mk II, so I decided to go with Panasonic instead (μ4/3 lenses are interchangeable).

My OM-D E-M1 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO. I love this combo so very much! — My OM-D E-M1 Mark II with M.Zuiko ED 12-40mm f2.8 PRO. I *love* this combo so very much!

Fast forward to April and just two days before our trip to Italy. Panasonic announced that I wouldn't be getting GH5 as promised, and that it would be arriving sometime in May instead. Maybe. I understand that the estimated delivery date can change on the last minute, if someone steals the delivery truck or it gets hit by a meteorite! I was so upset by Panasonic's douchebag move that the next day I already had a brand new Olympus. I may have made my mind in anger, but the reality is that I ended up with the better (albeit more expensive) still photography camera.

I also really, really wanted a drone. Until recently all the drones with a decent camera and flight range were too big, heavy and expensive. Last year Chinese DJI and American GoPro announced models that are finally compact and lightweight enough to be carried around in a hiking backpack. Since GoPro postponed their Karma, DJI's Mavic Pro was my obvious and only choice.

Mavic Pro is probably the first 100% Chinese product I've ever bought. I ordered the drone as a Christmas present for myself in November 2016. With the unparalleled efficiency only a communist system can provide, the delivery took 4 months and over 10 postponement announcements from the supplier. Well in time for X-Mas 2017. If patience is a virtue, then I'm a saint.

After 4 months of waiting, my Mavic Pro is finally home!

The drone itself is an impressive combination of brilliant hardware and AI design and abysmal software quality. The drone is solidly built and it is very easy to fly. It can hover still even in strong winds and follow a target automatically or by using pre-programmed flight paths. Unfortunately the control application keeps crashing all the time and always in mid-flight. The app errors and crashes are so common that I'm already taking the usual in-air panic in my stride. Fortunately the drone AI is able to return and land to the takeoff spot with exceptional accuracy when things go wrong. However it is important to choose the takeoff spot so that the drone can actually return there too. Until now I have almost lost the drone only twice.

Without further ado, here are some photographs I have taken with Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II and DJI Mavic Pro during April-June 2017.