As another year draws to a close (where do they all go?) it remains for us at mingthein.com to wish all of our readers Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and may you either have somebody to buy you the treatment to alleviate your GAS, or have the wherewithal to buy it yourself. Lapses in judgment can be excused for at least one day a year! Thank you for sticking around and providing intelligent discussion below the line even though we continue to move away from hardware – it’s reassuring to know there are still people who are into photography for the pictures. So go on, get off the internet and social media and spend time with the special real people in your lives. Eat too much, drink too much, and don’t forget to bring a camera to record it all.
-MT, Robin & Praneeth
Ming Thein | Photographer 
Somehow belatedly, Merry Christmas to you and to your dearest and associates Ming! I am still “the man with a tripod”, but I must admit, the thing is heavy. I even tried my smartphone, but the early morning snow covered peaks with valleys in the shadows proved too much of dynamics for it (Huawei). If only there was a larger sensor in it! Preferably MF 😉 Perhaps a bit stubborn, still trying 🙂
Wish you the very best and above all, good health!
Robert
Thanks Robert, same to you too! Happy holidays!
Merry Christmas Ming (and Robin & Praneeth)! Your writing on technique and the experience of actually *using* gear is something I really appreciate in the age of ‘influencers’ and click bait.
Other than acquiring a Pixel 4 and selling off my compact (your recent article on the iPhone 11 pro may have influenced that), I was happy to photograph this Christmas with my trusty Canon 6D and a few modest primes – even as a single-shot device, that low-light monster (dinosaur?) is still the better tool to keep up with my 14-month old in the dark days of winter. The ability to use bounce flash doesn’t hurt either.
But I have to say, capturing an (almost) pin-sharp photo of stars above the cedar in my back yard with a hand-held(!) mobile phone was quite the revelation. I now have a phone adapter on order for my mini tripod 🙂
All the best for 2020!
Thanks Craig. You’ll probably find you won’t use the adaptor that much, having to be tied to a tripod at all somewhat defeats the point of a phone’s portability. I admit I did get the extended battery case thought, both because I’m using it that much now and because it has a shutter button…
That may be true, but a tabletop tripod takes up little space or weight, and is useful for the occasional group shot/video/night scene when I’m out mountain biking/hiking/camping. And it turns out the deep DoF and automated exposure stacking is actually well suited to this kind of casual backcountry photography (outdoors, mostly static scenes).
Fair points!
Wishing you and your family all the best this Holiday season. I do appreciate that this site is not just about gear. Thank you and Happy 2020!
Thank you!
Merry Christmas bro!
And wish you successes in whichever way you decided to go
Thanks, and same to you – hope you’re enjoying Tokyo 🙂
Go for broke as always! 😛
Ming, love you and what you do! Hope you and your family had a great Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
Happy Holidays Ming, and thanks for an intelligent and BS free website.
Merry Christmas, Ming! 📸 (I see your daughter got the high resolution ‘R’ version wrapping paper, eh?)
Yes, gotta start them young with shot discipline…
LOL – love you Ming! – top comment!
And I hope you and your family all have a wonderful time at Christmas and the New Year, and throughout the years that lie ahead of you.
Merry Christmas!
Leica SL2 and Nikon Z7 acquired – GAS alive and well!!
Gas Gone! (I may have made that up?) Merry Christmas Ming.
Merry Christmas!
Thank you, all. 🙏 Merry Christmas and warm wishes. Rob.
Best Holiday Wishes for you, your associates, and your family. I have learned more from your site than any I have viewed, and I appreciate the tone and professionalism of your posts. In short, I think you have this photography thing figured out. Also, good luck with your ongoing back issues. Cheers! Jim
Thanks, all the best to you too!
Sorry Ming. GAS gone too? Oh Oh! I just. rec’d an LX 100 for Christmas. My first 4/3. I didn’t make this up! Very Nice.
Congrats!
I’ve had an LX100 for several years, and love it. For the size and weight, it’s hard to beat.