Today I’m thinking about the fact that I have mixed up “work-like tech” activities with “hobby tech” activities. The distinction isn’t about whether I do something as part of my job or not. Work-like things feel like work, like they have a specific deliverable, like I have a deadline. They can feel like I’m required to do them, to finish them. Hobby things on the other hand feel like play, they engage me directly, not via their goal.
With my changes in work and turmoils in personal life, I haven’t really had time for proper hobby tech things. I’ve had some ideas, sure, but I mostly ended up speccing them and having them built (badly) by AI tools, prompting and testing from my phone, in fragmented moments.
I’ve long wanted to build out a web framework or toolkit for myself that felt fun, that felt like play. It’s been a while since I worked with code properly, directly, so this would need proper, dedicated time. I can’t start this in 15 minute increments, I need to allocate a few hours regularly to refresh my skills and learn new ones.
I have a smallweb instance running on a server, that is a great basis for this kind of dev-play. I’ve set it up precisely with this goal in mind, but then life happened and it’s mostly been used for quick personal tooling projects for my dayjob.
Another aspect is the right personal computer that can feel fun. I mostly do this kind of stuff now on a Linux box, over ssh, so what I mostly need is a device with a good keyboard and decent battery life.
Of course I still have an 11" MacBook Air which would be great for this, except that the OS just gobbles up power, and the aftermarket battery I have in it is good for maybe an hour or so. I’d prefer to stick to an Apple device to retain muscle memory for the keyboard layout, so I can either figure out how to make the OS on the Air more battery friendly, or I can invest in a newer device, maybe a 12" MacBook or an M1 Air.
One more piece of the puzzle is a good way to have documentation in a terminal based environment. Regardless of the client device I use, I’d prefer to keep everything focused on the Linux box, so I’ll need some way to have API and framework and lanugage docs in text files or some similar text-based environment, rather than via the browser.
A simple solution would be to just pull the repos for the docs of each project, since most will have either a docs repo or docs as part of the project repo. A good dedicated solution is dedoc, a terminal based browser for DevDocs.
An alternate approach is using a text-based browser, although I haven’t yet found one that works reliably across modern webpages. elinks might be a good candidate I’m going to try.
I’m deep in a rabbit hole about cameras. This is a recurring fixation, that bubbles up when I’m dissatisfied or feel boxed in. Photography is a keystone of my sense of balance and satisfaction, so when life gets a bit difficult, I try to make myself feel better with taking more pictures.
Thinking that new gear will solve my dissatisfaction is not unique to me of course. It’s such a trope that it’s almost boring to bring up the fallacy of this assumption. Good pictures happen when you’re in balance and can fully focus on what you’re photographing. Stress, distraction destroy focus and pictures come out forced, sloppy. Equipment does affect mood however. There are inspiring and uninspiring cameras, and feeling good about holding your tools can help tune in to the work you’re doing.
So I am trying to figure out what camera I will get myself once I have the money to do it. This makes it even more futile, since I’m prepondering a decision I can’t yet make. Regardless, I’m thinking about it all the time.
I have a DSLR kit I’m happy with, for times I am fully in photographer mode. I also have a Ricoh GR, a pocket-sized camera perfect for off-the-cuff shooting when I’m doing something else primarily. But there is a hole between the two cameras, something in between that’s missing.
This “middle camera” needs to be small. Not jeans pocket small, but small enough that I can carry it everywhere and it doesn’t feel too serious, too professional when I point it at someone. I shoot a lot of street photography, and I’m most comfortable when I can shoot unnoticed or at least easily ignored. This also points to a small and quiet camera. While the GR fits this perfectly, it doesn’t feel controlled enough to shoot. I’m used to more decisive controls and a viewfinder. It’s also lacking in focusing speed and accuracy, especially at dusk and other dimly lit situations.
I imagine a one camera - one lens kit for this in-between kit, so focal length is also a question. I go back and forth between 28mm and 35mm, which are fairly close, but feel quite different to compose with. I do have the GR at 28mm however, so it feels a bit redundant to get another kit in the same field of view. Especially, because it tends to be a little too wide for me in the types of everyday shooting situations I would use the new kit in.
As you can see, I’ve made this question pretty complicated for myself.
I have a shortlist of cameras I’m considering: a Canon RP, a FujiFilm X-T or X-E series, or (if I happen to win the lottery) a Leica Q. The simplest solution would be the Fuji X100V, but even that is quite a bit outside my budget for something that’s not strictly a necessary purchase.
The RP would be ideal for tones and colors, it’s almost identical to my DSLR (a 5D mark III), which I love for its organic, balanced look. The best lens for that however (both in size and price) would be a 28mm, which would require more engagement with my subjects than I’m looking for. A native 35mm exists, but it’s a bit too large for the casual, secondary role I wand the new camera to play.
The Fujis aren’t the best on price, an older body and lens would cost me about the same (or more) as the RP, which has the colors and tonality I like more than Fuji’s.
Another option I’ve not yet considered seriously is a newer GR, with better low light capabilities, equipped with a grip and a coldshoe viewfinder to help me frame in a more natural way. This is also not the best option however, it wouldn’t feel as substantial and “second nature” as the other options.
The most frustrating aspect of all this is that I currently don’t have the funds to splurge on a third camera. In the past I’ve always found a way to make gear purchases work, but this time my only real option would be to sell my existing kit and go all-in on the new one. The smart answer of course is to wait and save up a bit, but that’s pretty difficult for me. Patience is not something I’m good at.
Well, anyways.