In this video, posted on my Youtube channel, I take my Pentax K70 w/18-135mm kit lens on a rural drive and brave my way through thorns and sticker bushes to grab a photo of a basketball goal on an abandoned, overgrown rural property. The deeper I walked, the stickier things got!

Using the Pentax K70 w/18-135mm kit lens, I was able to get photos of the basketball goal from many different angles, but growth was so dense that I was not able to get a clear shot of the hoop without some form of weeds or undergrowth converging in the photo.

I use manual mode typically when I shoot with the Pentax K70, but it is such an amazing camera, with great features and solid sensor, if you want to just use shutter priority or aperture priority, or even (gasp!) AUTO mode, this camera will deliver what you need. It's like going to be a permanent feature on this channel, and definitely a permanent camera in my arsenal!

In this video I show how I use Adobe Lightroom Classic to edit my Ricoh GR III RAW files after a street photography walk. I recently switched from Lightroom 6 stand-alone version (no longer available or supported by Adobe) to Lightroom Classic a few weeks ago. I like the new version, and especially the new Masking feature in Lightroom. Both the Subject and Sky selections make it much easier to use.

Some might not like the new masking feature, and yet more 'automation' to this genre, but I say if it's available, and I enjoy it, then I'm going to use it regardless of anyone else's opinion. Yet I'm always curious what others think, and how they apply these features (or not.) Let me know in the comment section below.

The dynamic range of the Pentax K70 is just another example of the excellence of this APS-C sensor camera. Using the Pentax DA 18-135mm WR lens, I took the K70 into a little small town alley near my home just before dusk. You can watch my Youtube video below, or view the images in the gallery as well.

Shooting only handheld, I was able to get some very unique, colorful night photos with 3200 and 6400 ISO, and typically shooting at 1/60 or even as low as 1/40, with the lens wide open on the aperture (f/3.5 or f/4).

While there is noticeable noise in the sky portion of the images, which can be avoided using a tripod and low 100 ISO, I find that for social media, and other non-print or non-professional needs, this works fine. I enjoy the exploring and moving around more than standing still with a tripod. Though I've used a tripod extensively over the years with great results, I tend to prefer to be on the move lately. But you have to have a camera that can handle that, like the Pentax K70.

Fujifilm X-Series cameras are far superior to many camera lines. Regardless of the model you choose, you're getting extremely good quality. In this video, I discuss my decision on whether to choose the Fujifilm X-T3 or the older, but very capable Fujifilm X-T1.

Along with the choice of these two cameras, I also take into consideration I already own a Canon EOS RP full frame camera that I won't be getting rid of anytime soon, due to the great price point I picked it up at, and the overall quality of the full frame RP vs the Fuji APS-C sensors.

To be honest, you cannot go wrong with either of these camera purchases, but factors other than tech specs need to be taken into consideration, especially when pairing the camera with another system. But I had to choose only one of these, and send the new X-T3 back during my return window, or sell the used X-T1 on Ebay.

Give the video a view, and let me know your thoughts, and if you plan to purchase, or already own one of these excellent cameras.

One thing that makes the Ricoh GR Series cameras so special is the continued updating of firmware. Whether it's the Ricoh GR II, III, or IIIx, Ricoh Imaging continues to offer new features, keeping the cameras up to date and on pace with competitors. The latest version as of October 2021 is 1.5, but this process will work with future updates as well.

In this video, I give a simple, yet brief description on how to download, install and update the latest firmware from Ricoh for the Ricoh GR III. The same description applies for the new Ricoh GR IIIx updates as well. Along with some interesting JPEG/RAW editing updates, as well as a 4:3 and 16:9 in-camera crop feature, the 1.5 firmware allows for Eye-detection (an upgrade from the previous Face-detection only feature). While the previous version usually nailed focus on most portraits I've shot with the GR III, the eye-detection is even better. I will have future videos featuring these new upgrades soon.