On Saturday, I got up early and went to Palo Alto prior to going to the Maker Faire. The reason: going to Keeble & Schuchat Photography to check out the new Olympus OM-D E-M5 16MP 4/3, which my friend Bill Steen had just got and was raving about. Since I could use all the lenses I currently have for my Panasonic Lumix G1, I was interested in the much less shutter lag of the Olympus.

   I’ve been dealing with Gary at K&S for years, and he bas guided me in pretty much all the cameras I’ve been using of late. During the course of our conversation, I took out my Canon Powershot S110, with which I shoot most of my pictures, and asked if there was (yet) any camera in this class. Yes, there was, and I ended up getting the new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100, a powerful and innovative little camera, about the size of the Powershot, but with significant advantages: a Leica lens, a sensor that is 4 times that of the Powershot, a great panorama function, and other features.

   This will be, as was the Powershot, the camera I have on me in a fanny pack most of the time.
I’m willing to pay a little more at a “bricks and mortar” store as opposed to Amazon. Here, I would never have known about this camera by rooting around on Amazon. It’s worth something.
Most of my photos that will appear here in the future (starting next week) will have been shot with this camera.

Mikey (the lead builder in Tiny Homes) and buddies floating through the snow with their GoPros. Check out how they film themselves with cameras on poles held out in front. Check out how much FUN they’re having.

From Evan Kahn

I’ve been driving 4×4 trucks for over 30 years. The trade-off for the weight and truckiness being that I could pick up firewood, haul lumber, sacks of concrete. and go anywhere, any time. I spent 12 years 4-wheeling in Baja. Many trips to the American Southwest (always in spring). 3 long trips to British Columbia, shooting pics for Builders of the Pacific Coast. 4-wheeling it across the river to my friend Louie’s house in Mendocino county. I’ve been a truck guy forever. The latest, for my last 10 years: a 2003 Toyota 4-cylinder, 5-speed Tacoma 4×4 with metal camper shell, pull-out canopy, all-time classic tough, dependable vehicle. 140,000 miles, good for another 140. Desert Roamer. (I may sell it, and get a beater truck for local hauls.)

But there came the time, several months ago, when I realized I was through with the long truck hauls, the 3,000-mile trips, and hauling the truck over the windy roads homewards from my weekly trips into San Francisco was a chore.

I embarked on a study of cars, and ended up settling on a Honda Fit. Other contenders (in this field of scaled-down, aerodynamic SUVs) were the Toyota Yaris Liftback, Mazda 2, Scion XD, Prius C model, VW Golf diesel. The Cube too cartoony, the Scion xB too boxy. I didn’t do extensive reviews, but in the end settled on the Fit largely because of its ingenious cargo space in the rear — 4 by 5 feet with rear seats folded down. 20 cubic feet of space vs. 15 for the other cars. 4 doors and a hatchback so you can get into the rear from all sides. Like a small truck bed. (I could get into my truck bed camper shell on all 3 sides.)

I wanted to see how the Fit did on curves, since a winding mountain road is about half of my driving. I talked salesman Murray Cherkas of San Francisco Honda into letting me take a Fit across the city and then down the winding block of Lombard Street, “crookedest street in the world.” I took the 8 hairpin turns fast, and the car behaved beautifully. Sold. Read More …

I’m learning with iPhone photography; I didn’t hold camera even while panning, and got wavy horizon line at right, but the iPhone camera is something!