Photography by Ewen Bell
Photography by Ewen Bell


EWEN & LUMIX

Ewen's resources and guides for LUMIX G and S series cameras.







EWEN & LUMIX

   

In recent years I've been lucky enough to explore the world of LUMIX cameras in great depth, so I've gathered up a range of my articles and videos to put my LUMIX bits in one place. I shoot with both the S Series and G series bodies for my commercial work.

LUMIX S5II Custom Settings

Kick start your new LUMIX S5II with my pre-built file of custom settings to help you make the most of the custom dial feature, and make the most of a really great camera.


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Sigma 105mm F2.8 DG DN Macro Art

I spent a week in the desert looking for macro level inspiration, and this lens did not disappoint. Excellent value, remarkable optics and a dreamy bokeh make this a uniquely creative lens for your kit.


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DxO PhotoLab for GH6 and S5II

DxO PhotoLabs is a genuine alternative to Capture One and Lightroom, delivering excellent value and professional features, plus timely support for LUMIX cameras. It's not as polished or featured as Capture One, but it's worth a look if you want something lighter and offering better support for LUMIX RAW files.



Auroras in The Arctic

Big auroras with a very small camera. The key is choosing the right lens, something ultra wide and ideally with fully manual operation.



Make The Custom Dial Work For You

One of the most powerful features on any LUMIX G or S series camera is the custom dial. C1 and beyond. This is a short primer to put you in control of the custom settings, and start working your own baseline towards better captures.



10-25mm f/1.7

Very rarely a new lens comes along that changes how I think about photography. This is one of those lenses. The DG Vario-Summilux 10-25mm f/1.7 ASPH by Panasonic+Leica is not only a great lens for MFT systems, but may well be good enough to tempt full frame owners to look seriously at adopting the smaller mirrorless format of the LUMIX G series.



Full Frame Himalayas

It's been a long time since I travelled in Nepal with a full frame system. This time I returned to the Annapurnas with a pair of LUMIX S5 full frame cameras in my bag, and loads of lovely spring sunshine.



SD Cards Explained

Shopping for an SD card is frustratingly hard, with so many brands, standards and price points to navigate through. Especially when speed is a necessity rather than a luxury. It's also possible that the best value SD card is a MicroSD card, if you have the right adaptor.



New Life for EF Lenses

Not only does the AF system on the LUMIX S5II deliver amazing results for native L-mount lenses, but the performance of EF lenses is exceptional to the point of giving Canon owners a legitimate upgrade path at an affordable price.



Viltrox EF-L Pro

Adaptor for the L-Mount to bring your EF lenses back into the game. This model is designed with a positive-lock mechanism instead of the regular latch release.



EF to L-Mount by Fotodiox

This is an alternative to the Sigma MC21 that lets you mount Canon EF lenses onto your new LUMIX S-series bodies such as the S1R and S1H. The short version of this review is that they work just fine and offer excellent value.


LUMIX GH6 Custom Settings

If you're new to the GH6 or new to the custom dial on the camera, this primer will get you moving quickly to set and reset your baseline and access a wide range of this camera's features.


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Custom Settings for Lumix G9

Kick start your new LUMIX G9 with my pre-built file of custom settings to help you make the most of the custom dial feature, and get started with some great settings got shooting wildlife and editorial.


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Two weeks in The Australian Outback in a private plane to explore some of our very best photographic experiences. Captured on the LUMIX GH6 with no gimbals, just a wide angle zoom and a telephoto for wildlife.

The Best 35mm Lens for My LUMIX

If you appreciate the value of a 35mm prime lens, you’ll also appreciate that there are a good many 35mm designs to choose from now. Here are my favourite two 35mm lenses from Panasonic and Sigma, both for full-frame L-Mount bodies, and why they appeal to such wildly different photographic styles.


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Full Frame Himalayas

It's been a long time since I travelled in Nepal with a full frame camera, having enjoyed the LUMIX G9 and its mix of power and convenience in recent years. This time I returned to the Annapurnas with a pair of LUMIX S5 full frame cameras in my bag, and loads of lovely Spring sunshine.


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Good Gear




My Other Birding Lens

Most of the bird shots on this website are captured with a 100-400mm telephoto that gives me the equivalent of 800mm reach. My other lens is not quite as long, but does offer some beautiful results.



G9 in Kenya

Where my journey with the LUMIX G9 first began. Kenya.



Malachite Sunbird

Kenya is full of magnificent birds, but you don't always need to be out on safari to find them. In fact, for photographers the very best vantage ppint may be the easiest of all.



Lamington NP

Two hours drive from Brisbane or the Gold Coast is Lamington National Park and a patch of highland rainforest surrounded by valleys of eucalyptus woodlands. Shot on the LUMIX G9.



Learning to See

Walk with Ewen through the Annapurnas, shooting with the LUMIX S5 and a few prime lenses, as he reconnects with the joy of shooting in Black & White.



Taking It Slow

Last week I shared a series of stills from the Queen Victoria Market, from the reopening of the Night Market. This time I've gone back with my very modest video rig to capture a slow-motion series using the high-speed ability of the LUMIX G9 and a single lens.


Stars Over Uluru

I've written a few articles on the basics of star trails, but the finer details on making your trails look as lovely as possible are often where photographers struggle the most. This article explores the finer points from my annual visit to Uluru to chase the stars.


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Photographic Field Guides



Sigma 14-24mm F2.8 - Long Term Review

This is a hard lens to leave at home. It delivers quality and sharpness for landscapes and the night sky, plus has a neat party trick with rear pocket for ND filters. Worthy companion to any full-frame mirrorless camera. (Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG DN)


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Our travels in the Himalayas with the LUMIX S5, with no tripods and no gimbals – Just a pair of 50mm and 24mm F1.8 primes captured hand-held. Shot in 4K for Be Your Best Tours.


One minute teaser from our kitchen in Melbourne, shot on the S1H and featuring some lovely recipes.

BIRDING WITH LUMIX

In September 2021 I held a live stream on bird photography with Panasonic Australia. Meet a few of our amazing birds, both in the Outback and the city, plus find out what makes the LUMIX G9 such an amazing bit of kit for bringing the joy back to bird photography.


Replay on YouTube






   

Feathers of the Dragon





In 2019 I instigated a project to raise awareness for habitat conservation in the Himalayas. Thanks to generous sponsorship from Panasonic Australia I was able to gather a team to visit Bhutan and curate an exhibition titled "Feathers of the Dragon". It was displayed at the 2019 Ballarat International Foto Biennale. See below for the archive of that exhibition page, and a video featuring Ray Martin who was our celebrity guest for the project.






Photo Essays





Winter Light

Winter is wonderful in the Himalayas. The days are rich in sunshine and the weather is dry, both in Kathmandu Valley and in the Annapurnas. We're surrounded by snow-capped peaks, but in the valleys of the Kali Ghandaki we are baking in the sunshine. The nights are very cool but comfortable, especially with a good curry in our guesthouses. Have a look at what two weeks in Nepal looks like :)



Kathmandu in Spring

Kathmandu Valley is a great place to be in Spring. It hasn't got too hot yet, the forest is blooming with flowers and the birdlife is amazing. This journey was a research trip for Be Your Best Tours, and the images below were captured on the new LUMIX S5. Enjoy!



Easy Annapurnas

This series of images was captured while travelling on a Be Your Best Tours 'slow travel' adventure in Nepal. I love being in the Annapurnas. I love the views of snow capped peaks that greet you from every direction. I love the local dal bhat for lunch. I love the sunny skies and tree blossoms.



35mm Nepal

This series is taken by my wife, Shellie Froidevaux. We recently ran a walking tour in Nepal, and this was our first time shooting with the LUMIX S5. We had a variety of primes lenses, plus the 20-60mm kit lens. Shellie gravitates towards the 35mm anyway, and to make life simple she spent most of the trip with the 35mm in hand. Every so often I would grab it for some video :) This series of images was heavily styled in editing, leaning into the dusty and sun-soaked vibe of Nepal.



Maji Moto

Meeting this group of Maasai Warriors was a truly special part of our Kenya journey. To come and visit them in their home, in their country, was wonderful. You gain a unique appreciation for the depth of culture from spending a few days learning from the men of the Maasai. The camp is very basic, and very wonderful. The comfort goes down a little but the experience goes up a lot. A big thank you to Tianguali ole Ntutu and Parsaloi Nguruma especially for sharing your songs and joyous spirit up in the hills.



Sulmac Village

The shops at Sulmac Village exist for a community of Kenyans who work in glass houses along Lake Naivasha, that supply flowers to Nairobi. This village has an abundance of tea shops, beer halls and fresh fruit. Our presence in the town made a bit of a stir. Travellers in Kenya don't stop here. They drive between parks and hotels. These people were lovely. The kids were just kids, wanting to get in front of a camera lens.



Nong Khiaw

There are two things they have plenty of in Nong Khiaw, rice and cotton. Traditional weaving skills have been brought to market in recent years with the help of Ma Te Sai. The Taileu villages near Nong Khiaw have grown in confidence, as their textiles gain better appreciation and stronger markets. You can visit these parts of Laos yourself with the help of Emi at Ma Te Sai.



Spring Cockatoos

Spring has arrived in Melbourne and the Sulphur-crested Cockatoos are back in town. Some mornings they rumble our apartment block in the middle of the CBD, and other times I have to walk down to the Yarra River to see them. They're friendly and gentle and such a joy in the middle of a pandemic!.



Birds of Kenya

Many of my favourite moments on safari in Kenya happen when relaxing around the lodges. In the shaded forests and gardens of a tented camp it's possible to enjoy the company of dozens of birds, without needing to drive all over the Masai Mara and without having to worry about a lion eating you.