Levada do Castelejo

Not all the levadas in Madeira traverse the high mountains and snake only across the pristine primeval Laurissilva forest.. Despite being born mostly that way, many quickly find their path, across gentler mountain slopes, to the lower altitude agricultural fields, thus allowing the trekkers an easier approach to an activity that could be, otherwise and in particular situations, hazardous by nature.

The Levada do Castelejo is one of that kind.

Starting the walk at the small village of Cruz, near Terra Baptista, on the Northern coast of Madeira, you can either go left or right along the levada. If you choose the right direction the levada will take you, in about one and a half hour, to its source, deep in the high valley of Faial. On the other hand, if you choose the left direction you can go all the way to Referta, Porto da Cruz and beyond, along a gentle and humanized landscape, with plenty of agriculture fields and fruit trees along the way. You choose.

The starting of Levada do Castelejo, near the village of Cruz, gives us an idea of how proud Madeira inhabitants are of their irrigation system: the locally-called "levadas". Well-kept gardens and houses abound along the way to Referta.

Contrasting with the monochromatic nature of the levadas built deeply in the Laurissilva forest, the ones crossing the humanized landscapes of the lower altitudes are, most of the times, a colour feast for our eyes.

Water is life. And Madeira is no exception to the rule. Most of the times, in the hills of Madeira island, houses are built (or more correctly... were, in ancient days) along the levadas to take advantage of the nearby fresh water supply.

A small bamboo plantation along the Levada do Castelejo, on the way to Referta. A curious sighting along this levada. And a proof that the gentle Madeira climate allows the growing of almost everything.

A small specimen of the "levadas" fauna. If they are bigger in size and appear to be free, be prudent. Sometimes they consider the contiguous levadas as their own backyards. This one, however, was trekker-friendly and luminous in nature.

All the photos taken with the Nikon Coolpix P7100 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

Hard work

Mountain huts, by definition, are located in the most remote areas of the globe. Their inaccessibility is, somehow, part of their charm.

Most of the times they can only be reached by air or walking through rough mountain trails. And that brings a problem when we think about the need of supplying them. Regarding that aspect, there are only three solutions: using helicopters, pack animals or sheer human force.

Mr. José António, the Pico Ruívo mountain hut guard, carries a supply cargo (in the old fashion way), along the trail from Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruívo.

Picture taken with Nikon Coolpix P7100 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1

Cherry season

Thanks to a subtropical climate, Madeira is also a paradise for fruit trees. And during the months of Summer we can see them all flourishing and giving us their delicious fruits. Grapes, pears, apples, avocados, annonas, bananas, mangos, figs, plums, cherries, raspberries. You name it. And all of them we can usually find by the side of the road, while we hike along a levada or a trail. Sometimes, depending of the route taken, you can easily forget your snacks at home. Just make sure that the fruit you're picking is not someone's property. Otherwise, to say the least, a digestive problem is almost assured.

In the photo: cherries for sale in a roadside vendor in Madalena do Mar. Picture taken with Nikon Coolpix P7100 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

The Silva Ranger 15T compass

The Silva line of outdoor compasses are probably the most well-known in the world. And I think one of the main reasons for such popularity is that they work. Plain and simple.

I mean: what do you really need in an outdoor compass? I can think of four main characteristics: accuracy, durability, ease-of-use and a reasonable price.

So, why, among such a noble line of different equipments, is the trusty Silva Ranger the first among equals?

Well, my guess is that part of its popularity has something to do with the military use of this particular equipment, for several decades already, in many armies over the world.

And, on the other hand, although the needle accuracy is mostly the same in every Silva compass (about 1º), you, as an observer and in similar circumstances, can always have more accurate bearings with a mirror sighting compass than with a base plate one.

The mirror and its cover has also two additional and very important functions: a) protecting the compass capsule and b) be used as a heliographic mirror in emergency situations.

My trusty Silva Ranger 15T, bought in a nautical store in Lisboa, more than twenty years ago, and still working perfectly to this day.

The Silva Ranger 15T liquid-damped compass capsule, assuring a very stable needle and, therefore, very (up to one degree) accurate readings. Its acrylic base-plate has two rulers (one in centimetres/millimeters and another in inches and 1/20 of inches). The recent models, however, are equipped with more complex rulers, giving them more versatility for topographic charts work.

On the lower right of the picture you can see, on the top of the black circular azimuth scale, the small screw used to adjust for compass declination.

The declination scale is adjusted using this small screwdriver attached to the compasse's carrying line.

All in all, a trusty and simple piece of orienting equipment that stood the test of time. Would I buy a new outdoor compass today if I could? Eventually. Which one? The latest Silva Ranger model. Certainly. Keep on enjoying the outdoors.

Levada do Norte

The Levada do Norte is not for the faint-hearted. One of the longest in Madeira, it starts in the hydroelectric power plant of Serra de Água and snakes along the middle of the thousand-meter vertical rock wall rising above the left margin of the Ribeira Brava stream, crossing several tunnels and vertiginous precipices, before reaching Boa Morte and entering in a more relaxed and man-made landscape. Five or six years ago, I was feeling courageous enough to attempt it. And so I did. But it was a scary experience (although with lovely vistas). And I'm not a person, normally, scared with heights. But the section of this levada passing right above the village of Serra de Água is enough to make (even for the bravest of "levadeiros") us think twice. It's the verticality, it's the exposure, it's the height above the far, far... away ground. If it's difficult for us, nowadays, to walk through, one can only imagine how hard it was to build, sixty years ago. Those were brave people. No doubt about that.

Well, I did it once. And, for the time being, once was enough.

However, I was missing it. And so, a few weeks ago, I decided to repeat part of it. Just a small section. Between Boa-Morte and the small village of Espigão.

With a length of 8 kilometres (sixteen in total, if you plan to return back by the same way), it's a good introduction to this levada and to the fabulous landscapes we can see along it. And you can always drink a beer or a coffee, at the beginning and at the end of the walk in the nearby friendly bar "O Pinheiro".

A sign plate, near Boa Morte, orients you to the Levada do Norte. Eastwards, it runs thru a humanized landscape of agriculture fields and small villages to Quinta Grande and beyond. On the other direction, Westwards, if you like strong emotions, the Levada do Norte will take you to its birth place, near the Serra de Água hydroelectric power plant, and after a walk along one of Madeira's most dramatic geological formations: the Ribeira Brava valley.

 

From Campanário and Câmara de Lobos to Boa Morte, the Levada do Norte mostly traverses a bucolic landscape of agriculture fields and small human settlements. A strong contrast with the more isolated, exposed and dangerous section laying upstream.

The small village of Eira do Mourão, one of the most remote in Madeira and once only acessible by a two hour long staircase walk, starting in the Ribeira Brava basin, stands isolated on top of a rocky ridge, high on the left margin of Ribeira Brava valley. Picture made from the nearby-passing Levada do Norte.

Pictures taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH2 and cheap 14-42mm plastic kit lens. Post-processing in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

Starting the Levada do Norte from its source (near the Serra de Água hydro power plant) and our walk will be mostly under the canopy of a luxuriant forest. At least for the first miles. Until the village of Espigão there are also several tunnels to be crossed, the biggest of them all measuring a good 3 kilometres. Some of them are somewhat flooded. So be prepared for wet feet. And don't forget the torch light.

The most dramatic section of this very exposed levada is this one, right above the village of Serra de Água. In Winter time it's quite often impassable, due to the waterfalls that fall right on top of the levada channel. It's simply to dangerous.

In this picture made from the valley floor, near the Serra de Água village, you can have an idea of the exposure of this particular section. And how difficult it was, certainly, to be built.

A picture of this particular section, taken right from the track, a few years ago, during Spring time. You can still see the water falling right at the exit of the tunnel. The picture doesn't give justice to the exposure and verticality of the place.
The last four pictures were taken with a Nikon FM3A and a 28-105 Nikkor zoom lens. Fujichrome Velvia scanned in Nikon Coolscan V ED and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.



Porto de Galinhas

I always have a smile when I catch a plane from Lisboa to Brasil. Don't get me wrong; I'm proud of my nationality and I like being European (whatever that may be). However, it's obvious to all of us... Europeans... that we are getting old.

The old Europe needs a breathe of fresh air. We are deep in  a crisis, that's a fact. But how much of it is a crisis of values instead of mere debt numbers? It seems that, presently, we are (almost) all drifting to the first conclusion.

Part of it, of the swamp we are living in, has a direct relation with our own (continental) age. Our tortuous History, with several ups and downs over the centuries, is not helping also. We, naturally, tend to fear the future, when looking at the (poor) examples of the past.

Eventually, we all will overcome this handicap. Europe always was and always will be a beacon to the world. And there is a common heritage that bonds all the nations and all the people in this continent.

To do so, we need to overcome this militant pessimist that invaded all our souls, from the common citizen to the government bureaus.

That capacity for adventure is in our blood, in our common DNA. We just need to vanquish fear. In a way, learn to smile again.
And that capacity for smiling, for "sucking the marrow of life" is something that we always find in the new nations of the world. At least I see it in Brasil. But I guess we can also experience that in the great plains of the Australian outback, in the vast "savanas" of Africa or amidst the great plains of the American Midwest. The sheer continental size of these geographic areas is more than enough to make us forget any symptoms of European depression we may have and turn it, instead, into a positive entrepreneurial force in our lives. In these countries there is no past. Only future. And we Europeans have a big problem: we delve to much into the past.
So, why is Porto de Galinhas a good therapy for this depressing behaviour? Well, I think I'll let the photos speak for themselves. Using the medication is up to you:

Miles of endless sands and an ocean front protected by a offshore coral reef are guaranties of perfect morning walks and relaxed baths. Must be difficult to see the red flag hoisted in Porto de Galinhas. On the background, along the dune cord, a forest of coconut trees. This beach is quite often considered the most beautiful in Brasil. I'm not surprised.

The typical rafts of Porto de Galinhas, once used for fishing and now mostly used for touristic activities, decorate a short strip of sand in front of the town. Believe it or not, this picture was made at 0630 in the morning. With the sun well above the horizon at 0600, don't be a lazy photographer and stay at your hotel room. Pick up the camera and go stretch your legs for a walk on the sand. You'll have plenty of light to shot and only the fishermen on the beach. It's the best time of the day in Porto de Galinhas. Spend a couple of hours photographing around and only afterwards return to your hotel for the breakfast.

The beach right in front of the town's promenade. Early evening. A colorful art show exhibit every day.
Just do yourself a favour.
Avoid Porto de Galinhas on the peak of the Southern Hemisphere Summer. I was there during June of 2010 (the "Winter" and rainy season) and it was simply perfect. Just enough tourists on the street to make it cozy but not overcrowded. You'll have, certainly, better service from the professionals of restaurants and hotels. And you have the sea water at a "chilling" 24 or 25 degrees Celsius... Ah! Ah! Ah!... and the whole beach mostly for you. And if it starts raining... well... just dive in. The sea water is warmer.
Enjoy it!
Pictures taken with Nikon D40X and cheap Nikkor 18-55mm kit lens. Post-processing in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.01.
 

Yesterday in Funchal...

... only two customers: the MS Albatros (IMO nº 7304314) and the MV Silver Cloud (IMO nº 8903923). A quiet and relaxed day, although a bit grey, in Funchal bay.

The Starboard side bridge wing Anschutz gyro repeater of the MV Silver Cloud photographed moments before her departure, around 1700, from Funchal. On her stern, following her on the departure manouevre, lays, still alongside, the MS Albatros.

JPEG picture taken with Panasonic DMC-FT3 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver 4.1.

The departure of the MS Albatros, commanded by Captain Mats Nelson and with my colleague Orlando Figueiredo as Pilot, from Funchal; photographed from the deck of our Portuguese-built Pilot Boat Ilhéu do Lido.

JPEG picture taken with Panasonic DMC-FT3 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver 4.1.

 

Pilot Card:

Ship's name: M/S Albatros

IMO number: 7304314

Type: Cruise ship

LOA: 205.45 mts

Beam: 25.20 mts

Gross tonnage: 28518

Net tonnage: 5123

Max draft on manoeuvre: 7.50 mts (even keel)

Propulsion: Diesel engines, two variable, inward turning, pitch propellers, total propulsion power: 15840 KW

Rudder: 2 Semi balanced rudders - Independent

Bow thruster: 2 (total power: 1200 HP)

Stern thruster: N

Saga Ruby

The Port and Starboard engines revolution counters of the MS Saga Ruby (formerly named Vistafjord and Caronia - the later as a transatlantic liner under the Cunard flag), positioned on her Port bridge wing and photographed during her latest call in Funchal, on the past Tuesday.

Picture taken with Panasonic DMC-FT3 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Vila Baleira at dusk

The Vila Baleira, the main city and capital town of Porto Santo island, as seen from the Nossa Senhora da Graça chapel. This temple is considered one of the most important in the whole island, with its origins backing to 1533. From its front yard, high in the hill, we have a privileged view over the whole Porto Santo SW coast and beach.
Picture taken with Nikon Coolpix P7100 and Sirui T-005 tripod and ball head. Post-processing of a converted NRW to TIFF file in Nikon View NX and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

Departure of the Costa (Neo)Romantica

The departure from Funchal of the Costa (Neo)Romantica, a couple of days ago, photographed from the PS bridge wing of the P&O cruise vessel Ventura.

Picture taken with Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

Easter in Porto Santo

The Porto Santo city hall decorated for the Easter, one week ago.

Picture taken with Nikon Coolpix P7100 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

Cheap wide angle and close-up lens for the Nikon P7100

I'm getting more and more fond of the Nikon P7100 over time. It's a compact, granted. But it's a serious compact, with complete manual override of its automatic functions. And regardless of what many bloggers might say, I really enjoy the (although small!) optical viewfinder. Adding to so many functions and versatility, you have also the possibility to shoot RAW (NRW) files. Forgetting the small sized sensor and the obvious problems associated with that, this camera is pretty much portable and quite capable of professional results. It's as close as you can get to the Leica M and the "decisive moment" philosophy by a mere 300 bucks.

But it still is a compact. And despite a professional-grade body build, we are limited for all the eternity with a fixed 6-42.6mm f/2.8-5.6 (optically competent, 28-200mm-35mm equivalent, lens). Aware of this limitation, it wouldn't take long for the market to come up with a few solutions to extend its optical versatility.

A kit that is, probably quite popular, is the wide-angle/macro adapter. There are several of these on the market. Nikon, particularly, has its own (the Nikon WC-E75A lens used in conjunction with the UR-E22 adapter ring). But with a price tag of about 200 Euros I started immediately looking for cheaper alternatives. And if you search E-Bay, like I did, you'll probably will find several ones, beginning at 20 or 30 Euros. These kits are basically composed of three pieces: an adapter ring (or extension tube) and two lenses. Well, in a way it's actually a single wide lens that has the ability of being separated in two. To use the kit on its basic wide-angle function, you attach both lenses to the extension tube and all the kit to the camera body (after removing from the body the camera's attachment ring surrounding the lens).

If you want to use this useful accessory as a close-up device, you just separate the lens in two components and attach just its "Macro" lens to the extension tube. And voilá... you have two useful lenses in one.

The typical wide-angle and macro lens adapter kit that you can buy on the E-Bay, made by several independent makers, is normally composed of these items: an extension tube (used to connect the lenses to the camera body) and the optical kit, generally composed of two screw-down lenses. To use the kit as a wide-angle adapter both lenses have to be connected together. But if you unscrew the wide-angle front element, you can use the Macro one as a close-up accessory. Two lenses in one. Not bad for 30 Euros.

 

Just pay attention to one detail: not all the independent extension tubes on the market are a perfect copy of the original Nikon UR-E22. Meaning that the original Nikon accessory has two "dents" that interact with the camera body and blocks the zoom lens to extend more than its 28mm position (the shorter length), thus preventing serious damage to the lens if you zoom it with the accessory lens mounted on the body.

All these wide-angle kits that you can buy are to be used with the zoom in its minimum position. Naturally. However, if you are buying an independent one (as I did), just make sure that, after being installed on the camera body, the extension tube interacts with the camera's electronics and doesn't allow the zoom range to extend. It's easy to test that. Just install the extension tube on the camera (without the front lens) and try to zoom afterwards. If the lens doesn't respond, it means that you bought a "safer" kit. And therefore you are protected from a serious damage if, by mistake, you operate the zoom lever when using the kit lens.

You can, also, always go to the camera's menu and switch on the "wide-angle converter connected" mode. That way, you will be protected no matter what. Just don't forget to switch it off after removing the kit lens, or you'll go mad trying to understand "why doesn't the bloody camera zoom? It was working perfectly until a few hours ago!".

Without the wide-angle lens...

...and with it. Although the angular difference is not that great, it can, however, in particular circumstances, make a difference. And for thirty bucks... who's complaining?

My trusty Nikon Coolpix P7100 with the wide-angle/macro kit lens adapter bought on E-Bay by a mere 30 Euros.

A cheap Swiss Made Invicta watch

A Swiss Made Invicta watch for only 100 pounds? As soon as I layed my eyes on it, I had to have it. And so far... I'm really enjoying it.

The model in question is the Invicta Pro Diver GMT, with the brand model nº 5125. It's a GMT watch, with a Swiss Ronda quartz movement. That's probably the reason why Invicta places on the dial the elitist "Swiss Made" words. Could it be assembled somewhere else, or is it a true Swiss made watch? That's probably a question only Invicta can answer.

According to the Invicta web site, these are the characteristics of this lovely watch:

Invicta Pro Diver GMT
Movement:
Components: Swiss Quartz
Maker: Ronda
Caliper: 515.24H
Case:
44mm
Screw down crown
Flame fusion crystal

The smooth unidirectional bezel, rotating counter clockwise, is numbered from 2 to 24, allowing to a thirth time zone to be read.

 

The screw down crown with the already famous diving helmet engraved, and the words "Master Of The Oceans" engraved on the case.

The fabulous clasp, identical to the one on the Invicta Grand Diver. A model with whom this watch has several similitudes. It is, nevertheless a smaller and therefore more usable (portable?) watch.

The clasp lock with the Invicta logo engraved. It closes by pressure, with an additional security lock. It works.

The case back, with some nice engraving detailing several characteristics of the watch.

"Swiss Made", the magic words that normally mean a heavy price tag. This was not the case here, since this watch is on sale on the Amazon.co.uk by a mere 92 Pounds. A nice review, made by Jon Trey, from this watch is placed here, on the BDWF.net. Since the reviews of this particular model are so scarce, I leave the link to this one here. One of the very few.

Orientation with a GMT watch

The art (or science) of orientation using a conventional analog watch is quite explained through the web, with a plethora of written pages about it. However, the process is not that obvious. If you check this page, of the GlobalSecurity.org website you'll see what I mean. Well, it's not rocket science. But it's also not a direct calculation. You'll have to point the 12 o'clock mark to the sun and then bisect a line between so and so... Nah... I'm getting tired just by reading it. So you can imagine how surprised I was when I've read this page from the Omega watches site. Granted, they were talking specifically about a GMT (or dual time) watch. But they were promising the perfect, direct and infallible system to find the North point (on the North hemisphere), using for it just a simple dual time analog watch. But... is it a reliable method? For the test, I used my Citizen GMT Ecodrive.

See the photo bellow:

Both the Citizen GMT Ecodrive and the Silva 15T Ranger compass were positioned flat on the ground. As you can see, the red magnetic needle in the compass is pointing to the (magnetic) North. The trick to use the watch to make the same job is to point its hour hand to the sun (as you can see by the shadow direction). And so I did. If the process is scientifically correct, its GMT (or 24 hour) hand will point to the North. Can you see how accurate it is, compared with the magnetic compass? So can I. I rest my case. Enjoy the outdoors.

Marina da Calheta

Contrary to Marina do Lugar de Baixo, a massive political (and engineering) flop never assumed by the Regional Government, the nearby Marina da Calheta project navigates, so far, in calm(er) waters. Although occasionally castigated by the same rough Southerly conditions, Calheta's structure seems to be on a different league and so were also (apparently) the previous hydrographic studies and surveys that led to its construction.

Evening twilight in Marina da Calheta.

Picture taken with Nikon D40X and Sigma 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1. Manfrotto tripod and ball-head.

Penha d' Águia

The SW face of the Penha d'Águia monolith and the village of Moinhos, on the North coast of Madeira, as seen from a viewpoint in São Roque do Faial.

Picture taken with Panasonic DMC-GH2 and SLR Magic 12mm T1.6 lens. Post-processing in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

Coexistence of men and mountains

I would be a very unhappy person if Madeira was a flat island. Thankfully, in such a small geographic area, Madeira is shaped by an aggressive orography, probably the highest responsible for its many natural attributes.

However, making a living in such a violent landscape is far from easy to its inhabitants. The land is prone to mudslides in Winter time and traveling on certain roads during the rainy season is, by itself, an adventure.

But when you travel by these secondary roads on a quiet and nearly-Spring day, with a new surprise every time you turn or surpass a ridge, you cannot stop to be amazed of how adaptable the human spirit can be.

Every evening time, when I remember the postcard-like landscapes that I've seen during the day, I'm always glad to be presently living in such a beautiful place.

Civil construction in Madeira is, in itself, an adventure. A tale of conquest. Of men vanquishing (adapting to?) the natural reality surrounding them. Here, a square meter of ground is important. And it has to be used properly. Either to build a public road or a family house. But, in the end, this philosophy also adds to Madeira's particular atmosphere. And enchantment. Like these houses, near Faial, with a privileged view over the Central Massif.

Picture taken with Nikon Coolpix P7100 and post-processed in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, ver. 4.1.

SLR Magic Hyperprime 12mm T1.6

Yay!

Just received my new lens. I was looking for a cheap fast wide angle alternative to the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2.0 for my m4/3's Panasonic GH2 for quite some time. Sadly, the market doesn't offer so much.

In fact, regardless of the Samyang 7.5mm f/3.5 UMC Fisheye MFT - which is also not fast enough - there is little on the market, except for the above said very expensive Olympus one. So the arrival to the market of this lens (equivalent to a 24mm field of view in 35mm photography) is certainly welcome. Sadly, the reviews about it don't abound, and most of the ones existing are basically generalistic approaches (like this one) to the lens themselves.

A few technical ones that speak about this lens performance are a bit inconclusive. Some say it's a good product, some complain about its softness.

Two great reviews (one from Steve Huff and the other from The Phoblographer) were my starting points to learn a little bit more about this much needed product for the m4/3's community.

Later on, I checked also this one (from the Kanauru Productions guys). It's a very detailed review, comparing the SLR Magic with the (expensive) Olympus alternative.

All of them are good starting points to learn a little bit about this little (really!) piece of glass. The rest of it, like everything in life (even with well-proven equipment), is a leap of faith. Particularly if you are buying, on the web, a Chinese product from a commercial house in England and you are living in Portugal. Well, sometimes we just have to make the Sign of the Cross, forget the International Warranties (if they exist!) and... clear the way. Click the "pay" button and, afterwards, make daily visits to the mailbox.

Well, so far so good. I have it with me already. And what surprised me the most was that it's really a tinny piece of equipment.

You can see the box size here, near a One Euro coin. The box measures about 9.5*6.8*6.5cms and the lens is even (naturally) smaller. So if you are expecting that 540 Euros will buy you a big piece of kit... forget it. It's a little bit more like this:

On the other hand, I guess this is the main reason why we all (under certain situations) love the m4/3's format: its size. Regardless of its small size this lens seems to be a greatly built product. It's heavy (about 330grs) and as far as my eyes can see it has a full metal construction. In fact the only plastic I've noticed on it so far is the rear (bayonet) cap. The front one (screws on the filter 58mm thread) is solid metal. I can only expect that they were not cheap on the optics. But, about that, I can only tell you later. When I start using it.

As you can see, and contrary to conventional photographic lenses, the ring order is reversed. Closer to the mount you have the focus ring and closer to the front element you can see the (smooth and clickless) aperture ring. Both rings, although well dampened, are a bit to the "stiff" side. But lets not forget that this lens was designed with cinematography (videography?) in sight. So, used under these circumstances, with the already common DSLR racks and follow-focus units, this detail is, probably, not so conspicuous.

The front element of the SLR Magic Hyperprime 12mm T1.6. The words "Cine" and "T1.6" are not there by mistake. The lens was built with cinematography in mind. Regardless of that eventual future use, I bought it because I needed a fast wide angle for night landscape photography and the alternatives were either very expensive or less luminous. The obvious drawback is that this is a complete manual lens. So, forget about Auto Focus and Auto Aperture. All manually done... and with a smile on your face, because nobody forced you to love this hobby. Keep on shooting.

Maria Emília N. de Sousa

Months ago, in a interview for the public television RTP, António Lobo Antunes - quoting the great author Miguel Torga - said that "every now and then God creates a man by His own measures". I gave up politics a long time ago but I have to say that today, while aleatorily watching the program "Portugal Português", on the Portuguese private television network TVI, where this lady was being interviewed, I had to realize that God doens't only makes a good job creating some great men, but does it so also with women. Today, in the afternoon, I felt really proud of being Portuguese.

It's so sad that these kind of people never end up ruling nations. What a great leaders they could be. And what a great world we would live in.

Maria Emília Neto de Sousa, the Mayor of Almada, interviewed by Paula Magalhães regarding the ludicrous idea, from the central government of this country "by the sea-side planted", for building a mega container terminal in Trafaria, along the South margin of the river Tagus, thus destroying the delicate ecosystem of the area and endangering a nearly thirty years social project of sustained development, a common and long-lasting struggle of all the Almada inhabitants. And all that in the name of "progress". Really?

Citizen GMT Eco-Drive

I'm slowly becoming a strong advocate for the Eco-Drive technology. Why? Usability.

What do we all expect from a watch, except accuracy and reliability? We expect it to be hassle-free. So is the case with this Citizen, model BJ9130-05E. It's an analog watch, therefore you can expect the usual corrections needed for a watch of the kind: if you live in a country with daylight saving time (DST) you know that you have to change the local time twice a year (you never change the GMT hand, naturally, since the UTC time is, by definition, fixed). And since it has also a calendar you have, naturally, to correct, sometimes, the date at the end of the months. Besides that, this watch, in the mighty words of the HAL 9000 computer, is "...by any practical definition of the words, foolproof and incapable of error.". Also, trusting on a machine powered by solar energy, it will never, ever, needs manual winding, wrist winding or a change of battery. Citizen, however, is - thankfully - not alone in this ecological approach to watchmaking. You'll find similar technologies in Casio (Though Solar) and in Seiko (Kinetic), just to name the most popular ones.

As far as I could see, while searching for a cheap dual-time watch, this is the most practical and less expensive on the market.

The GMT (or dual-time watches) are direct descendants of the marine chronometers existing on board ships for centuries. The purpose of these high precision watches was to "keep" aboard the Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and, by comparing it with the local meridian time of the ship, to give the longitude of her actual position. Curiously, the traditional marine chronometers display twelve hours instead of twenty-four, which is kinda funny if we think about the duration of a day.

So this technology migrated from sea to land, and with the advent of modern air voyages now it makes sense that the normal traveling people, and not just the professional mariners, need to have at a certain moment, simultaneously, the time in two different zones.

It's up to you to decide how to organize that dual information. If you travel often, let's say between two countries, it makes sense to have the hour, minute and seconds hands on the homeland time and the twenty-four hour hand giving the time for the visited nation.

Me? I'm traditional. So, faithful to my nautical background, I always keep the 24-hour hand on GMT time. And I change the local time (according to DST variation) twice per year.

Regarding time setting, let's give the word to "rationaltime", the moderator of the German Watches Forum, of the website "forums.watchuseek.com":

"...The movement is the Citizen B876 Eco-Drive GMT module, which has been used in other Citizen analog GMT watches over several years. The orange 24 hour hand is set together with the minute hand when time keeping is stopped and the time is set. The 12 hour hand and date are linked, and set with the time keeping still running. Some people refer to this as "true GMT". The hour hand jumps in one hour increments when the crown is turned...”.

Enough said. Enjoy it.

The Citizen Eco-Drive GMT 180 WR100 World Timer GMT, model nº BJ9130-05E (about 100 UK pounds on Amazon) photographed on its case. Arguably one of the best dual-time watches money can buy.