It’s always fun publishing a photo essay on Tools & Toys. Álvaro’s photographic look at one of Madrid’s oldest — and busiest — markets has me scratching it down for next year’s Euro trip.
Madrid's El Rastro●
Thursday, Aug 27, 2015
Subscribe to The Newsprint
Enjoy these posts? Subscribe to get more, delivered right to your inbox.
Supported By
Cereal's GUIDED: New York●
Thursday, Aug 27, 2015
I’m not sure why it took me this long to clue in on the Cereal team’s work, but I’m officially stunned. This guide book of my favourite city in the world is en route and destined for my coffee table.
I will say, though, that I desperately wish Cereal wouldn’t print just one run of these books. I’ve now missed out on the London city guide for good. If anyone knows of a way to purchase the London book, please let me know.
Olympus Announces the OM-D E-M10 Mark II●
Tuesday, Aug 25, 2015
The OM-D E-M10 was my first mirrorless camera. I purchased the E-M10 in May 2014 and I still remember the giddiness I had when I pressed the shutter the first time.
Olympus one-upped the E-M10 earlier this morning with their announcement of the OM-D E-M10 Mark II. To me, it looks like the original E-M10 with a better electronic viewfinder, an all-metal build, 5-axis stabilization, and a rearranging of some dials. They also changed the dimensions of the E-M10 Mark II in every direction by a millimeter or two, making the current E-M10 ECG-1 grip obsolete.
These are all good things for the most part, since the original E-M10 was an incredible camera considering its retail price. The original E-M10 was so good, in fact, that my pal Álvaro thinks it was too good. It’s hard to argue his reasoning: The original E-M10 had improvements in almost every category over the OM-D E-M5 and, considering its price, was a far better purchase option than the E-M5.
But now, with the plethora of improvements to the OM-D E-M5 Mark II earlier this year, the E-M10 Mark II doesn’t surpass its bigger brother. The E-M10 Mark II feels much more like an iterative update than the expansive update of the E-M5 Mark II. And as such, I don’t blame anyone for feeling let down by today’s announcement. The E-M10 Mark II looks like a great camera, but not one which will incite current E-M10 owners to upgrade.
Even as a first purchase, I’m left wondering if the original E-M10 — at a now-reduced price — is a better buy. For an extra $250 USD, you get a better electronic viewfinder, a better build, and a better stabilization system in the Mark II. Or, if you haven’t been spoiled by an excellent viewfinder — like the one found in the E-M5 Mark II — and you don’t need an all-metal (non-weather sealed) build, I say save the cash and put it towards the Panasonic Lumix 20mm pancake lens. I still think the original E-M10 and the Lumix pancake lens are a fantastic buy.