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$699 SAVE $300 = 30.0% Voigtlander 35mm f/1.2 Nokton Aspherical SE BACK IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless
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Recent posts by Lloyd at MacPerformanceGuide.com, WindInMyFace.com:
2023-12-03 Creating an Encrypted Volume for Backup or Otherwise (video How-To)
2023-11-30 Spasmodic Dysphonia: Big Tech + Big Medicine Suppress the Truth, Likely Leading to Suicides
2023-11-30 Micheal Eades MD: the Arrow #102 — How Big Pharma Crushes Medical Truth
2023-11-30 Texas Sues Pfizer for Allegedly Misrepresenting Its COVID-19 Vaccine's Efficacy
2023-11-30 Time To Boycott Elon's Boycotters?
2023-11-30 ‘Net Zero’ Fails the Cost-Benefit Test
2023-11-30 Basal Cell Carcinoma? Maybe not
2023-11-30 Modified mRNA Vaccines for Livestock and Cattle
2023-11-29 DNA Contamination in COVID-19 Vaccines May Explain Rise in Cancers, Clots, Autoimmune Diseases
2023-11-29 “Your iCloud Storage Is Almost Full” — How To Backup Your iPhone To A Mac Instead Of Paying Rent
re: panorama
re: videos by Lloyd
At my Patreon account (by subscription) in Pro Photography Workflow:
Photoshop: Assembling Panorama from Multiple Images
How-to example of assembling four 100-megapixel images into a 200 megapixel panorama using Adobe Photoshop.
TIP: watch at 4K on a 5K display for greatest ease of viewing.
re: FastRawViewer and RawDigger and Monochrome2DNG
re: FastRawViewer: Saving me a Lot of Time Organizing My Shoots Into Subfolders + video
FastRawViewer discount code for diglloyd.com readers: DIGLLOYD25
I highly recommend both FastRawViewer and RawDigger.
Valid through Feb 29, 2024. Applicable to: FastRawViewer or any FastRawViewer bundle with RawDigger and/or Monochrome2DNG. Discount cannot be combined with any other sale price.
re: FastRawViewer and RawDigger
re: videos by Lloyd
Valid through Feb 29, 2024. Aplicable to: FastRawViewer or any FastRawViewer bundle with RawDigger and/or Monochrome2DNG. Discount cannot be combined with any other sale price.
...
Many photographers resort to Lightroom just to organize — often with problematic results in the sense of not even knowing where the files reside and with counterproductive/confusing file and folder organization*. Which is also huge productivity killer when you intend to work mainly in Photoshop and/or just want to organize your work by time and place, as I do.
I frequently shoot panoramas, focus stacks, aperture series, and sometimes frame averaging or various shot variations that all relate to each other (eg a particular location or sub-location). This can get quite confusing even with fairly large previews; at reduced size, I might not be able to tell apart an aperture series from a stack unless I can see the appropriate shooting info. Or I might have re-shot the same series for some reason (wind, lighting, etc)
All of those situations means I want to group the related images into a subfolder with an appropriate name.
UPDATE: see the video Photoshop vs Lightroom — Which is Best for You? over at my Patreon account under Pro Photography Workflow.
I am not an Adobe Lightroom or Phase One Capture One Pro user. Those programs are not only an extra make-work chore for me (wasted time and storage spade), but pretty much useless , since I require Photoshop layers for just about 100% of what I need to do. So Lightroom and similar organizational programs have negative utility for me—all overhead and no benefit.
* I mean that literally; I’ve had consulting clients who had no idea where their image files even were, and with a huge mess to clean up of duplicate files and lost files (lost by Lightroom), etc. Messes so bad that it took 7-8 hours to work through.
Continues below after the video.
See also: Photoshop vs Lightroom — Which is Best for You? over at my Patreon account under Pro Photography Workflow.
Enter FastRawViewer—it does not couple file organization with raw file conversion (though it does generate high grade previews extremely fast of a size you configure). In this sense it is very similar to Adobe Bridge, only... better.
FastRawViewer thus eliminates lot of the mess and complexity that comes from commingling organizational tasks with image processing tasks—perfect for my needs, and perhaps hours.
Website for RawDigger
Website for FastRawViewer
Website for PixelShift2DNG
Website for Monochrome2DNG
FastRawViewer is developed by the same folks as RawDigger, and Monochrome2DNG and PixelShift2DNG.
What impresses me about the libRaw folks is how they think through all of their software at every level—the design and each and every feature set is done in a way that shows great attention to detail. Plus the response to issues is very fast, with most of my suggestions implemented quickly (though I don’t get everything I ask for).
The screen show below shows FastRawViewer in a simplified setup; it highly customizable as to what it displays, what is shown or not shown, etc. Further below, I show a common task I do with it.
A common operation that I need to do: is to create a new subfolder containing related images: panorama, focus stack, aperture series, particular subject, etc.
Below, the need is for a subfolder for six files of a panorama. Select the files, right-clicking and choose , entering the name and hitting ENTER. It doesn’t get any more efficient than that. Well, it does in some cases—I’ve petitioned for some kind of smart auto-organize feature based on smarts within EXIF info, but so far no luck. There is a “copy” variant as well, as well as facilities to move or copy files to other already-existing folders.
That’s just one feature—check out FastRawViewer and see what it can do for you. Be aware that behavior if highly customizable, so be sure to go through the preferences to configure to suit.
Images grouping can be done in the Finder if the images can be seen and distinguished adequately: select the images, then right click and choose .
But the feature set is a single capability (making a new folder), and there are hassles, like not being able to folderize a single file without a multi-step process. Nor can key information that may be a deciding factor be viewed, let alone customized. Plus, the Finder is far slower to preview images and it makes it very awkward because there is no file hierarchy separate from the viewing window that works in any efficient way.
Or, as shown below, there is no preview at all, making the Finder totally useless. situation persists 3 years later after I wrote this. This situation shown below has existed for 18 months now for Fujifilm GFX100 raw files, and it is a problem for other cameras too, though common ones do show icon previews.
UPDATE: this uselessness situation persists as of Dec 2023 (thanks Apple).
At my Patreon account (by subscription) see my Pro Photography Workflow section.
I’ve made these two videos below publicly viewable. See what you think, feedback welcome. I am of course learning as I go, startingwith the wrong microphone on the first video, so the sound is a little low.
See also: Creating an Encrypted Volume for Backup or Otherwise (video How-To) as well as the IntegrityChecker how-to videos.
TIP: watch at 4K on a 5K display for greatest ease of viewing.
re: remote release
I was out with my GFX100II yesterday and (as a landscape photographer, using the camera on a tripod) I found myself wondering what people use to activate the shutter without touching the camera. As I see it there are three options, although there may be more I'm unaware of:
- Self timer
- Cable release
- Fujifilm's phone app
I have been using the phone app, but it's a pain. It keeps crashing and generating warnings on my Android phone, strongly suggesting I put the app to sleep. The app constantly wants to re-establish a connection with the camera, which has me standing for minutes at a time waiting for the "remote" option to become enabled. In addition, it tries to copy camera images to my phone - which only has a limited amount of storage.
This made me consider the cable release option. I believe going from the GFX100s (which I never owned) to the GFX 100 II, Fujifilm shifted the cable release port from one side of the camera to the other. I'd have much preferred if they'd left it where it was. Then I think they changed from a 2.5mm to a 3.5mm port, presumably to accommodate microphones - which I never use.
I believe Fujifilm's cable releases all use a 2.5mm jack, although having never bought one, I can't confirm this. The manual seems to suggest we just live with it and buy some form of adapter, described as "readily available". Ideally I would prefer an L shaped male 3.5mm socket at the camera end and a 2.5mm female socket at some short distance away - especially given that opening the access door on the side of the camera is made difficult by the L bracket I use. I have not been able to find a cable fitting this description, although they may be readily available in Japan for all I know.
Somehow using the self timer seems to be admitting defeat, although I may resort to it after all.
DIGLLOYD: good summary!
Cable releases are problematic in that most “solutions” are crap.
Cable releases have to be physically attached. The mechanics of this mean constantly attaching and detaching, eventually wearing out or gunking up or otherwise damating the port. You have to carry it too, it’s one more thing to not forget, and sooner or later it falls out of a pocket and it’s gone. And being attached to the camera physically, it now becomes a risk itself in transmitting jiggle to the camera precisely when you can least afford it. Plus wind blowing on it. There may be exceptions (eg studio use), but I consider them useless for my work outdoors.
All of the above issues noted (connectivity, warnings, etc) make an app dead on arrival for practical in-the-field use. Then, digging a phone out of a pocket (and the reverse) is a constant headache. As is having to stare at a phone instead of the subject and conditions. Meanwhile, I might have to shade the front lens element from the sun, and maybe while balanced precariously. I now look down at my phone to use the phone app, and my dead body is found a week later. Phone-apps are an anti-solution devised by morons. Again, there might be situations (eg studio) where it could make sense.
The ideal solution which “pro” cameras like the Fujifilm GFX100S and siblings fail to offer is a compact and lightweight RF remote. By that metric alone they should be booted out of the “pro” designation. Then again the PhaseOne IQ4 has the same issue... whatever. Unbelievable.
The best solution is an RF remote release (infrared ones suck but are better than nothing). Sony has a good one, the Sony RMT-P1BT Wireless Remote Commander. Nikon’s suck, I am not sure about Canon, Fujifilm jackass designers apparently didn’t even consider the idea.
See: Summarizing Remote Release For Exposures.
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re: videos by Lloyd
I will be continuing to do my usual written reviews as I’ve done for the past 15 years. However, such work takes many hours and often is more detailed than some people even want. Ditto for long essays in the blog—fun but the ROI is no good.
I’ve put off having a video offering for all that time... that now changes.
My goal is to share what I’ve learned over the years about Photoshop, focus stacking, panorama assembly, capturing images in the field, camera and lens overviews, computer considerations, etc.
I’ve already posted a good number of how-to videos to my Patreon account (by subscription) in Pro Photography Workflow (see all collections). There will be dozens soon, but my internet is only 2.3 MB/sec, so it’s taking a long time.
TIP: watch at 4K on a 5K display for greatest ease of viewing.
Some of these are free samples, but you have to sign up to see them. The majority are by subscription.
Please also sign up for my SubStack, as I will begin using it also to see what it’s good for.
Some of you might know some of this, but I’d bet that few of my readers know it all. In other words, just one video might give you a valuable tip worth way more than the small subscription fee. And if it’s not worth it... it’s month-by-month so your biggest risk is $20 for the first month or even less if you want to quit early (you won’t!).
What do you have to lose? If you like this blog at all, give it a try today!
Thanks!
At my Patreon account (by subscription) in Pro Photography Workflow:
Photoshop: Transforming Color Images to Monochrome using B&W Filter Layer
Video showing how to convert to monochrome using a Photoshop filter layer.
TIP: watch at 4K on a 5K display for greatest ease of viewing.
TIP: watch at 4K on a 5K display for greatest ease of viewing. Also, 1.25X speed might be useful.
I am experimenting with my offerings.
SubStack is becoming very popular, but I don’t know if it fits well for me or not. It seems more essay-oriented from everything I’ve seen, and I’ve been thinking more about the video side. Still, they just did a major upgrade for videos, so that's something.
But I hear that X is blocking outgoing links to SubStack, a huge negative.
Yet if this writer’s take has even partial legitimacy, then I have to take a hard look at SubStack before I commit too much to Patreon. And already I’ve found that Patreon moves very slowly on improvements, and does ultra-stupid things like not being able to gift a subscription, so I can’t even give my own family or friends.
As a writer, I spent six years slogging away on Patreon, only to move to Substack and quadruple my subscriber number in under four months. I’m no mathematician, but I like those numbers.
Each platform has its issues.
As an experiment, I wrote my first SubStack post on this very topic. The first thing I found is that my 4K video is delivered as 2K (1080p), which in and of itself makes SubStack dead on arrival. Can SubStack deliver high quality 4K video?
TIP: watch at 4K on a 5K display for greatest ease of viewing. Also, 1.25X speed might be useful.
I am experimenting with my offerings.
I have done only a smattering of videos over the years, but some things lend themselves to video, and many people find video tutorials much easier than written form. I intend to continue the offerings as usual here on this site, but the videos will be a separate offering, available separately over at my Patreon account. Please become a patron and give me feedback on which kinds of videos are most usefu or enjoyable to you.
UPDATE: apologies that the sound is not loud enough on some of the videos. I think it's probably OK if the volume on your computer speaker is turned up. It seems that macOS threw away my choice of the high quality microphone I thought I was using, and reset it to the LG 5K display.
Adobe Camera Raw: Workflow using Enhance Details + AI Denoise
Adobe Camera Raw: Managing Color and Contrast, Backlit Portrait
Focus Stacking: Preparing Files Prior to Stacking
RAW-file Conversion with Adobe Camera Raw — How I do It
Focus Stacking: Introduction to Zerene Stacker
Focus Stacking: Basics of Retouching Problem Areas in Zerene Stacker
Diffraction and How to Sharpen to Counteract in Adobe Camera Raw
Photoshop: Transforming Color Images to Monochrome using B&W Filter Layer
Drag-n-Drop Data Integrity with IntegrityChecker and How-To Videos for diglloydTools IntegrityChecker
Many of you already know this stuff cold... and some might not. And maybe there is just one thing in there that might be helpful.
For those who have not mastered Adobe Camera Raw, please let me know if this is useful and what I left out or should have left out, any issues, etc.
The video applies when using ACR in Adobe Photoshop as well as in Adobe Lightroom. The controls in Lightroom are a little different, but the approach and reasoning is identical.
Going forward, I will be doing an entire series on focus stacking and panorama assembly as as other workflow topics. These will be showing up on my Patreon page, currently in development as I learn the platform (ugggh... it has lots of issues and limitations).
See also: Drag-n-Drop Data Integrity with IntegrityChecker and How-To Videos for diglloydTools IntegrityChecker
TIP: watch at 4K on a 5K display for greatest ease of viewing. Also, if the pacing of narration is too slow for you, watch at 1.25X speed.
Fantastic top-flight lens at just $749: Voigtlander FE 65mm f/2 APO-Lanthar.
The Voigtlander FE 35mm f/2 APO-Lanthar and Voigtlander FE 50mm f/2 APO-Lanthar are also superb reference-grade lenses. I have yet to find any lens that can beat any of those three or even be credible against them.
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$949 SAVE $200 = 17.0% Voigtlander 35mm f/2.0-16 APO-LANTHAR 35mm f/2 Aspherical IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless
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$899 SAVE $100 = 10.0% Voigtlander 65mm f/2 MACRO APO-LANTHAR Aspherical IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless
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Fujifilm has seriously damaged my Fujifilm GFX100S resale value—thanks Fujifilm, what’s my trade-in deal? Great way to please customers who want your Fujifilm GFX100 II at $7500.
I don’t know how a 'serious' landscape photographer can ignore this deal.
At just $4399, we’re talking just $500 more than the Sony A7R V. The A7R V is of course a much more versatile camera, but if we’re talking pixels and peak image quality, the GFX100S just walks away with the prize.
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$949 SAVE $200 = 17.0% Voigtlander 35mm f/2.0-16 APO-LANTHAR 35mm f/2 Aspherical IN STOCK in Lenses: Mirrorless
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re: external articles by Lloyd
re: articles by Lloyd for Medium Format Magazine.
These articles were written about five years ago, but are still useful today.
All articles by Lloyd Chambers at Lenspire.Zeiss.com
(a few will show up that are not mine, but reference my name).
Zeiss Lenspire articles here on this site, with higher quality image presentation, direct links below:
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The winter’s unprecedented snow (at least in recorded history) was tough on trees and tough on older buildings—60 feet of snow is a load that few of the older structures could withstand.
No retouching at all for this shot, just load up into Zerene Stacker and go with DMAP.
I don’t know how you can go wrong buying a gorgeous 5K display with a free built-in Mac.
I used the 2017 iMac 5K for years—outstanding (see review). The 2019 iMac 5K (see review) is a little faster and I still use it.The 2020 iMac 5K (see review) is a nudge faster than the 2019 but much.
Perfect for anyone for home use—student or parent. And you can upgrade the memory later if need be, all the way to 128GB.
For SSD, many people can do fine with a 250GB SSD (add something like the OWC Envoy Pro Elektron later, if need be), but 512GB is a lot more flexible, and my recommendation for photography usage is 1TB or 2TB.
Looking for a laptop deal? This one is awesome and there are other great choices too.
Apple is not making the iMac 5K anymore and has stated it has no plans to do so. IMO, the iMac 5K is the best all-around machine Apple ever made—reliable and with a gorgeous display. And with an Intel processor, which some folks still need.
As for value, the 2017 models below are just about impossible to beat—you can’t even buy a 5K display for that price.
Don’t miss the incredible $180 deal on the OWC 14-Port Thunderbolt Dock, my favorite dock.
Click through to see additional discounts up to 20% on some items.
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$290 SAVE $110 = 27.0% OWC 325GB OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress 2.0 Type B Memory Card in All Other Categories
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Over the years, there is some gear that makes the cut as essential or very handy.
Examples below— storage devices come in a wide range of capacities.
Please buy direct from OWC (macsales.com) or at least from B&H Photo.
Click through to see discounts; some have an additional up to 15% to 25% off!
Not just for your camera; see OWC Atlas Ultra CFExpress B Camera Card: Awesomely Fast, Perfect Encrypted Wallet Backup.
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$290 SAVE $110 = 27.0% OWC 325GB OWC Atlas Ultra CFexpress 2.0 Type B Memory Card in All Other Categories
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Add USB-A ports, ethernet, displays, etc.
$10 SAVE $5 = 33.0% NewerTech USB-C to DisplayPort Adapter for up to 8K Displays in All Other Categories
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$350 SAVE $30 = 7.0% OWC Thunderbolt Pro Dock with 10GbE, USB Ports, CFExpress, Audio… in All Other Categories
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I have various capacities of all of these. The OWC Envoy Pro FX makes short work of backups, far faster than any USB-C SSD, well at least until USB-4 arrives. But
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$320 SAVE $820 = 71.0% OWC 2.0TB OWC Envoy Pro SX Thunderbolt Portable NVMe SSD in All Other Categories
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$550 SAVE $349 = 38.0% OWC 4.0TB OWC Envoy Pro FX Thunderbolt + USB-C Portable NVMe SSD in All Other Categories
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I have various capacities of all of these. The OWC Envoy Pro FX makes short work of backups, far faster than any USB-C SSD, well at least until USB-4 arrives. But
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$5000 SAVE $100 = 1.0% OWC 160.0TB OWC ThunderBay 8 Eight-Drive Thunderbolt External St… in All Other Categories
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Still noise-sensitive, these headphones were so critical to my well being that I chafe at forgetting them. Which is why I keep a pair in my van and a pair at home now. The in-ear earphones work much less well, and quickly become uncomfortable, so I have abandonded them.
In Brain-Saver: Sony Noise-Canceling Headphones I discussed just how critical the Sony WH-1000XM3 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones to me after my concussion in 2018.
Flash Deal: $110 off the Sony WH-1000XM5 until midnight Nov 25.
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$228 SAVE $120 = 34.0% Sony WH-1000XM4 Wireless Noise-Canceling Over-Ear Headphones IN STOCK in Electronics: Audio
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Now using the latest model, the Sony WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones, they continue to be very helpful. I have two pairs actually, and my wife has a pair which she uses constantly, though more for listening to podcasts and such.
Sony WH-1000XM4 @AMAZON or Sony WH-1000XM4 @ B&H Photo
Noise is far more of a hazard than most people acknowledge, with studies showing damaging hits to learning of children whose classrooms are in noisy environments. Not that adults outgrow the bad effects of noise! Noise disrupts the ability of the brain to focus and learn, at the least.
See also Wikipedia: Sensory Processing Sensitivity.
I tried the Sony WF-1000XM3 True Wireless Noise-Canceling In-Ear Earphones also. They can’t hold a candle to the over-ear headphones for noise cancellation and I quickly have discomfort with in-ear things of any kind. Airpods—they’re a hit but that’s it—hipness is not performance.
I use them for mowing the lawn, long trips (Sprinter van is very noisy), noisy house stuff (vaccuum cleaner etc), inconsiderate neighbors, etc. How well something like the Apple Airpod Max would perform under similar conditions I don’t know. The Airpod Max are 75% more expensive and a lot heavier (384g vs 254g for the Sony WH-1000MX4). I’ll see about a loaner pair to test/compare.
UPDATE, initial impressions: just received—the Airpods Max definitely have better noise cancellation for some lower frequencies, such as a 20-year old IQAir air purifier with a particularly resonant droning sound. Yet on my lawn mower, the Sony’s might be slightly better, or at least as good. I find the Airpods Max less comfortable to wear and I am more conscious of them with movement that causes up/down inertial forces (eg walking), particulary on rough ground eg while lawn mowing. The top band in particular is quite annoying on my thin hair if not forced down (feels like something crawling). Also, wearing my closeup glasses for computer work, the Airpod Max cups are harder to work with. My initial take is that the Sony’s are more portable/compact and more comfortable, and just as good noise cancellation for some things, but less effective noise cancellation for lower frequency sounds. On a price baiss, the Sony’s are awesome. I’ll be comparing the two some more, but I’m not sold on the Airpod Max other than they are definitely better noise cancellation for some (and only some) sounds.
TIP: buy two pairs, one for car/travel/office, and one for home. Kids might also find them helpful for studying better.
Not an impulse purchase for me (too costly for that!). I got both (yes, it was the XM4), and listened for a few days, testing the noise cancellation particularly — wanted to go with the Sonys (price); never spent near this amount on a pair of headphones before.
(I’m mid-50s. Can still hear ‘subsonics’ — 20Hz — not sure if that’s the technical term — but have typical hearing loss at higher frequencies, ie 16kHz.)
AirPods Max are heavier, but comfortable for me — for hours of wearing. (Earpads more comfy than Sony’s.) YMMV of course.
My study is by a busy road — cut traffic noise superbly. Not my initial plan to wear them for desk work, but now I tend to, for hours — have been enjoying the quiet. Have worn them outside gardening; I’d offer to give the lawn a mow with a flymo (uk), but it’s not the season. I could try a power drill if you’d like. (Like the Sonys, they pass the running tap test with flying colours.) I take them off when it starts raining; I doubt they’re very water resistant. (They are at no risk of falling off when pruning, working on a ladder etc.) Worn around others watching tv etc; very easy to switch in and out of conversations by switching in and out of transparency.
So a real world ‘household’ and ‘general life’ test. Might be different wearing in a plane, etc.
Sony’s seemed to me very good at sound cancellation; but Apple somewhat better. (That’s what I meant by a ‘margin’; ie not by a large margin, but noticeable.) Wearing the AirPods just seemed that bit quieter. That difference might not have decided me; but add to that how much better transparency worked than the Sony's, and how effective that was for Zoom etc (I’ve been doing quite a lot of online stuff for work) or chatting for a moment in the kitchen and I was sold.
Plus — not mentioned before; volume wheel and physical button much preferable for me. And, if you’ve an iPhone and iPad — the switching between the different sound sources near seamless. Also a later discovery — really nicely tuned for a general audience listening, I think.
Reasons I can think of to prefer the Sonys: lighter, so may be more comfortable for some; may be more hard-wearing (show wear less?) by nature of the plastic (also catching things on the cans won’t be so disturbing, ie won’t generate so much noise); better to travel with (fold up smaller); they claim to run longer (though I’ve also heard that claim of 30 hours to be hopeful) — the AirPods seem to be giving something like 20 hours, though I’ve yet to run out as they charge quick; Sonys probably play better with bluetooth in general (just a guess).
No regrets to going with the AirPods; and I’m pretty cautious when it comes buying such (still using mid-2010 Mac Pro, now on High Sierra with CS6). I also do long distance riding; TCR, NC4000, PBP and stuff like that — so (?) I appreciate kit that works well.
I’d recommend you give the AirPods a go if you can get a loaner; their simple usability surprised me. Good Apple, not rotten Apple.
(Like you I can’t get on with in-ear AirPods — uncomfortable and impractical in my experience.)
DIGLLOYD: I’ve asked B&H if I can get the Apple Airpod Max for a loaner to try out an see.
Noise does more than screw up your cognitive abilities at the time, you get cumulative hearing damage that eventually shows itself when, like me, you discover you are reading lips to hear people talking. I don’t know if the damage is latent or if you just don’t notice as your hearing goes away, drip, drip, drip, but I have read that a single exposure to really loud noise may cause permanent damage. I worked in an underground gold mine for five years, so I got plenty; for instance a jackhammer is estimated to be around 130dBA, but that’s on the street, think of the same noise in a small room with stone walls (tunnel face) with a pneumatic rock drill that is a lot bigger than a typical street jackhammer. I wore foam plugs part of the time, but sometimes didn’t have time or inclination (yes stupid, youthful invincibility). all the “old” guys (40+!) at the mine were deaf.
One thing I find odd is most sources list a chainsaw at around 130dBA, but I don’t find them to be very loud. maybe it’s because my high frequency hearing ability is gone (spectrum matters).
An interesting bit of trivia, apparently a lot of older people in the US have become deaf in the left ear because, before AC, they rolled down the car window while driving.
I don’t wear hearing aids yet, mainly because the markup on them amounts to highway robbery (a device bought by millions of people that is mostly electronic shouldn’t cost $thousands). yeah, I know, this isn’t rational; maybe it’s due to hearing damage ;). I *do* wear plugs or headphones running the tractor, lawnmower, grinder, etc now, but too late.
“protect your ears!” is one bit of advice I’d give to all young people if I could; of course they wouldn’t listen.
If you can tolerate them give foam plugs a shot. they are useful sometimes because they are easy to carry, don’t interfere with your head movement and don’t lose their seal as easily by being bumped (e.g. when your head is in the bushes trimming a tree). plugs aren’t sensitive to your head shape, but the size of your ear canals may dictate which plugs will work.
DIGLLOYD: loud noise is bad news indeed.
When I mow the lawn, I use earplugs plugs the Sony noise canceling headphones. Foam earplugs can be risky—I've had way too many that don’t quite fully seat. I prefer the soft rubery ones, having ordered a number of different ones to find some that insert reliably and stay in.
I purchased the latest version of the Sony in ear noise canceling earbuds. WF-1000MX3. I had a difficult time getting a proper seal even after trying several sizes of the ear buds.
They would seal for a bit then if I moved the seal would be lost.
Even when sealed the noise canceling was not as good as the over the ear WM-1000MX3’s. I ended up returning them. They must work for some because reviews are generally good. Just didn’t work for me.
DIGLLOYD: I also have hard-to-fit ear canals. I find that even earplugs cause me discomfort within an hour or so too, Apple earbuds are awful for me, etc. And they don’t work nearly as well as over-the-entire-ear solutions.
