Yesterday I went to a cosplay meetup that my friend organized. It was located at Edwards Apple Orchard Cosplay in Poplar Grove, IL. If you frequent this website or my Youtube channel, you probably know I’m in the process of switching out my DSLR equipment. Right now I only have the Pentax Optio WG-II, so I used that.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
You can see more images here.
This camera is, at times, more challenging to use than a DSLR. The inherent limitations of a small camera require a certain level of care to produce a decent result. I think that I was capable of extracting about 70% of the camera’s technical capability, but I did make quite a few mistakes throughout the photo taking sessions. Most importantly, the camera needs ample time to gain proper focus before I recompose the frame. Even with a small aperture lens and small sensor, this was an issue.
The telephoto end of the camera seems a lot more difficult to use properly. With the maximum aperture of f5.5 on that end, you need especially good light to make it work. I also noticed after the fact that when I cropped images, I used the APS-C ratio instead of the camera’s original.
For processing, I was able to use Adobe Camera RAW to edit the JPEG images from the camera. While functionality is limited compared to actual RAW images, it is a better interface and level of control than I would have in Photoshop itself. Overall, I’m happy with the results from the camera.
The results remind me of the Pentax K-7. Dynamic range is probably the true limiting factor of a camera like this. The large depth of field from the small sensor can be managed, but of course, it is also unable to produce images the likes of a full-frame sensor where the background is completely blurred out.
Here's a copy of my companion article on our hangout.
Yesterday I went to a meetup at a place called Edwards Apple Orchard. There are actually two places with the same name in this area, but we went to the one in Poplar Grove, IL.
 |
| Hot Cider |
We met in the early afternoon. Even so, the temperature was extremely low. The place had a small stall where they served hot cider, which was great benefit given the situation, and reasonably priced at $1.20 plus tax. After the cider was finished, I eventually went back to my car for gloves and a hat. I'm incapable of handing the cold like most people.
 |
| Some of the buildings. |
There were multiple barns that each housed different types of food and gifts. One had classic American foodstuffs like hotdogs and chips. Another had their specialties like apple donuts, cider and pie. The main building had a large gift shop with a produce section as well as a fudge shop and more access to their specialty donuts. As we had plans to eat dinner after this excursion, so we only focused on the specialty goodies.
 |
| Their specialty apple infused donuts. |
I ended up trying their donuts and lemonade. The donuts were still warm with a crispy sugar covered coating, yet the inside had a fluffy texture. I can see why people are so excited about the orchard's donuts. It's the type of food that works best with the right conditions of having them from the kitchen to the customer, although I'm sure they are good when they are cold as well. The lemonade wasn't a common store bought variety, but appeared to be made on the premises with some pulp in the mix.
The orchard also allows people to pick their own apples and pumpkins from their fields. Our group decided to use that opportunity to have our main photo sessions out there. The farm area was very busy, so we were unable to find a sufficiently decent spot to take some photos of the people in cosplay. To access the apple orchard, there is a minimum fee involved where you must buy at least one basket of apples at $40 + 3 for the basket. So whether you fill the basket or not, you will end up paying at least $43. The fun part is that you get to ride a tractor with a flat bed trailer attached to the actual orchard.
 |
| The main photographer taking photos! |
The orchard turned out the be a great location to shoot in. Each row of apple trees were pretty thick, allowing for a nice natural backdrop.
 |
| Our basket of hand-picked apples. |
I was using a simple Pentax Optio WG-2 digicam, but I am happy with the results. While I don't currently have any DSLR camera bodies, it was fun to use something small and of lesser technical quality to challenge myself.
 |
 |
Smaller gatherings and meetups can be just as much fun as conventions if you allow them to be. If you know a group of people with similar interests, I'd suggest trying to set something up. Enjoy your mutual hobbies is possible in any setting.
 |
| The only decent photo I have of everyone including myself. |