Take a bike
In Inbox in AP 12 May, there was a letter titled ‘Carry that load?’ from Darwyn Sumner. Here is another solution. I use an e-bike (electric bike) with panniers which carry my equipment for the day’s shooting. Nothing goes on my back – see the photograph on the right. On that day, I was photographing bluebells miles from anywhere. The tyres are special ones: four-inches wide and with all-terrain qualities. You can control the pressure down to 5lbs per square inch to go over sand or snow. This bike has a powerful motor that kicks in when needed the moment you come to a hill or incline. I live in the Chiltern Hills and am 71 years old. This bike takes the hills in its stride.
You still have to pedal else the motor will not go, as all e-bikes are pedal assist and the motor cuts out when it reaches a speed of 15mph as this is EU law on road use. The bike folds up so it can go in the car boot or on the bus (which is what I do). The folding feature is handy for passing through kissing gates, which can be too narrow to get a bike through.
The equipment I carry is varied and includes a portable bird hide, tripod, lenses and cameras. The battery range of the e-bike is 40-55 miles depending on the terrain.
This machine has given me a new lease of life, and I hope it will give you an incentive to get out with your camera. So now us old photographers do not fade away – but we ride into the sunset. John Dennis Long may you continue riding around taking photos on your splendid green bike, John – Nigel Atherton, editor
I tried a new card, but once again the message ‘Please reinsert card’ came on the screen. I lost patience and threw my Lumix into the nearest litter bin. I also owned a Leica V- Lux 40 and a Leica C, made by Panasonic, and had the same problem with them. I took the Leica V- Lux 40 to a local camera shop and they charged me £80 to replace the card slot. It worked for a few months, then the problem reoccurred and the power-zoom stopped working. It’s my opinion that Panasonic should stick to making radios. I now use a Canon compact camera and have had no trouble with it – it works like a dream. David Norris- Kay We’ve used a lot of Panasonic cameras and had no problems with the card slots at all. For example, my nine-year- old Lumix GF1 still works perfectly. Have any other readers had similar problems? – Andy Westlake, technical editor