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What ISO am I?

Lars

Active member
I was standing at the bus stop tonight waiting for the bus on the way back from my client, thinking...

Wide open pupils, my eyes are probably around f/4 to f/6, still I get extremely low noise and deep shadow detail without blowing any highlights, we're talking 16 stops or more. Not a small feat considering the sensor size, I mean we're not talking MF or even fullframe here. No color fringing from any chromatic aberration, distorsion is virtually nonexistent except when (the system has been compromised by a virus attack) and any residuals from bayer pattern interpolations are really well hidden. Considering the relatively small sensor size, it's quite remarkable, as is the wide gamut color space. On the physical side, autofocus is fast, almost instant, with no hunting and totally silent. And all in HD Live View with no jelly effects! Take that Canon. But I'd have to say the background bokeh is so-so and of course a bit difficult to judge, as everything I look at seems to be in focus.

Happy holidays everyone,

Lars
 
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Oxide Blu

Guest
:ROTFL: :ROTFL: :ROTFL:

But you know, the human eyeball is not all that you think it is. There is a lot of post processing corrections done by its supporting cpu, e.g. automatic color correction...and appropriately selective color correction, at that. :thumbup:
 

fotografz

Well-known member
:ROTFL: :ROTFL: :ROTFL:

But you know, the human eyeball is not all that you think it is. There is a lot of post processing corrections done by its supporting cpu, e.g. automatic color correction...and appropriately selective color correction, at that. :thumbup:
But the camera on it's own isn't affected by booze ... :ROTFL:
 

Ben Rubinstein

Active member
You sure? Would have thought that the muscles would be reacting slower due to slower brain instructions and as a result the focus and tracking slows down. Bit like taking that f4-5.6 lens off your pro DSLR and putting it on a digi rebel! :D

BTW why does the entire sunset bar revolve around alcohol eventually? No doubt some subconscious connection to the word 'Bar'. Nah who am I kidding, what would you expect from a forum hosted by Jack and Guy? :ROTFL::ROTFL:
 

Lars

Active member
Maybe it should be renamed to the (tequila) Sunrise Bar. :D
:thumbs: Let me look in my bar... Hard to find top-end tequila here, but I have a few bottles from my time in California.

The one that really stands out is a gift from an old friend: a 2002 release of Reserva de la Famiglia from Jose Cuervo, Anejo 100% Agave Barrel Select. The bottle came in a wooden box decorated with artwork by a contemporary Mexican artist Luis Zarate. The bottling is numbered and dated by hand, 4/11/02. I just poured one: It's very dark, golden brown. Bokeh, I mean boquet has a subtle trace of agave and a ton of oak. Flavor is on the oaky side, still with nuances and a very subtle trace of agave, to remind you of its origin. Sophisticated would be an understatement. I rate this one higher than most of my single malts, perhaps with exception for the Port Ellen and the Ardbeg 30YO.

As for my other tequilas, well they make excellent margueritas. :cool:
 
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Oxide Blu

Guest
You know in college they play games where the looser has to drink a shot of tequila?!?
Well, there is a reason why the winner doesn't have to drink the tequila. :D

You cannot compare something that is aged 6-months with something that is aged 60-times longer than that, a 30-yo single malt. Last month I was fortunate enough to be treated to some Lonach. I am now convinced this is what the gods drink, but kind of pushing the price envelope for us mere mortals.

 

Lars

Active member
You cannot compare something that is aged 6-months with something that is aged 60-times longer than that, a 30-yo single malt.
Wow, that's a bit narrow-minded if I may say so. Of course you can. It's not the years, it's the result that matters. But more to the point, sorry that you haven't had the chance to try a high-end tequila. Reserva de la Familia contains tequila from barrels aged up to 30 years, so it's no youngster.
 
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Oxide Blu

Guest
Wow, that's a bit narrow-minded if I may say so. Of course you can. It's not the years, it's the result that matters. But more to the point, sorry that you haven't had the chance to try a high-end tequila. Reserva de la Familia contains tequila from barrels aged up to 30 years, so it's no youngster.
I'm not sold on agava as a suitable vehicle for making high-quality adult beverages. It's in the same category as rice in that no matter how long sake is 'matured' after a certain point it doesn't get much better. Fwiw, I'll take a quality sake over tequila costing 10-times as much, any day.

Perhaps a better comparison for tequila is shochu. No matter how long it is aged, tequila or shochu, after a certain point to doesn't get much better. And again, I'll take imo (sweet potato) shochu over any tequila, any day.

I think a lot of alcohol, especially tequilas and vodkas, are over-hyped. There is a reason why quality malt whiskeys command the prices they do, some over $10,000/bottle. Because there is a demand for them. And there is a reason why there is a demand for them, and not tequila. And it has nothing to do with narrow-mindedness.
 

Lars

Active member
I think a lot of alcohol, especially tequilas and vodkas, are over-hyped. There is a reason why quality malt whiskeys command the prices they do, some over $10,000/bottle. Because there is a demand for them. And there is a reason why there is a demand for them, and not tequila. And it has nothing to do with narrow-mindedness.
Still a bit narrow-minded, wouldn't you say? You cannot imagine the level of sophistication that an excellent tequila can possess, since you obviously have not sampled one of the greats. Whatever you drank in college is almost completely unrelated, it's like comparing a premium Champagne to a Soviet-era Crimean sparkling wine. I'm sorry to hear that the name tequila has such negative associations for you, as you have missed out on a truly enjoyable tasting experience.
 
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Oxide Blu

Guest
Still a bit narrow-minded, wouldn't you say? You cannot imagine the level of sophistication that an excellent tequila can possess, since you obviously have not sampled one of the greats. Whatever you drank in college is almost completely unrelated, it's like comparing a premium Champagne to a Soviet-era Crimean sparkling wine. I'm sorry to hear that the name tequila has such negative associations for you, as you have missed out on a truly enjoyable tasting experience.
You are in err and need stand corrected. I have probably "tasted" more tequilas of various prices and qualities than you are aware ever existed.

From memory:

For tequila coming from Mexico, where most tequila comes from tho some is made in the US, the stuff must contain a minimum of 51% distilled agava. Anything from Mexico labeled "tequila" can actually be 51% tequila and 49% vodka or whatever else they had on hand to stick into the bottle.

"100% agava" tequila must be made with only 100% distilled agava. It is true tequila.

"Aged" tequila must have been sitting around in something, anything, for a minimum of (I forget) either 6-mons or 1-yr before it is put into the bottle. It is almost always left sitting in stainless steel vats.

All tequila is colorless, like vodka or water. There is no such thing as "silver" or "gold" tequila. Those are marketing terms. Any color that tequila has is either artificial colorant added to the product, color picked up from exposure to a wooden container, or both.

Most of your "aged" tequilas are aged in stainless steel vats and then put in wooden barrels for a few months to pick up the color and a hint of the wood's taste. The label will read "aged in wooden barrels".

Often tequila that is aged for any time in a wooden barrel is filtered to remove the color. Artificial colorant is added to create a more pleasing color and maintain product consistency, and then the stuff is bottled.

So your "aged" tequila can be, at a minimum, 51% tequila, 49% whatever else, who knows, left sitting in a bathtub for some months, had artificial colorant added, and then bottled. I guess it is possible they put the colorant in after it was bottle. The label will read "aged gold tequila". Stick a $50 price tag on it and some fool will buy. :thumbup:

Now I am not familiar with the tequila you mentioned, may have tasted it at some time. If so it wasn't memorable. But any tequila that has been sitting around in a barrel for 30-years has been doing nothing but picking up the flavor and color of the wood. The tequila would have maxed out its maturity many, many years earlier.

If you like the stuff, buy it and drink it. But I'm probably not going to be the best person for you to try and bull**** regarding tequila.
 
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johnastovall

Deceased, but remembered fondly here...
Regarding tequila, at one time Mexico was exporting more each year than it's production. That lead to their changing of labeling. A far more interesting drink than tequila is pulque.
 

Lars

Active member
Now I am not familiar with the tequila you mentioned, may have tasted it at some time. If so it wasn't memorable. But any tequila that has been sitting around in a barrel for 30-years has been doing nothing but picking up the flavor and color of the wood. The tequila would have maxed out its maturity many, many years earlier.

If you like the stuff, buy it and drink it. But I'm probably not going to be the best person for you to try and bull**** regarding tequila.
Well, I'm going to keep bulling :) All I hear is that you haven't tried Reserva de la Familia. if you google a bit you'll find that it's reputed to be one of the finest spirits in the world. First release was 1995. Perhaps you should try it, it's an eye-opener. I've had some fine single malts over the years, even older than myself (and I'm getting close to 50), and I was shocked when I sampled this tequila (as were friends who have tried it). I would never have imagined that I would mention tequila and single malt in the same sentence.

BTW most single-malt distilleries in Scotland use colorant as well, to a varying degree. Judging from the the pale color of the Lonach bottle in the image you posted, that's not one of them.
 
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beamon

New member
You guys are starting to sound more like enologists than spirit fanciers. :p

The spirits of any area are the result of the widely available fermentable products, thus the indigenous people of the area have ready access to them and tend to hold them in high esteem.

Beyond that, the 'greatness' of the products is very subjective to those outside the region and arguing those merits is futile since it depends strictly on one's taste and experience. The "best" is by your reckoning, only.
 

Guy Mancuso

Administrator, Instructor
Would someone just pass me a shot already. LOL

I just love the alcohol debates. Me let's drink than talk. LOL
 
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Oxide Blu

Guest
Well, I'm going to keep bulling :) ... Reserva de la Familia. if you google a bit you'll find that it's reputed to be one of the finest spirits in the world. First release was 1995...
Lars, Reserva de la Familia is a prodcut of José Cuervo. 'Nuff said. ... But that isn't stopping me. :D

"Reserva de la Familia is the Cuervo family's finest Tequila."

That's from the José Cuervo website.

Notice how it does NOT say that it is one of the finest spirits.
And notice how it does NOT say that it is one of the finest tequilas.
It is one of José Cuervo's finest products. And that ain't saying much.

José Cuervo is to 'fine tequila (let alone 'fine spirits') as Pabst Blue Ribbon is to 'quality beer'. It ain't! :thumbdown: And at $60/bottle (Reserva de la Familia, not Pabst) you can presume all of the nefarious tequila bottle rituals I noted above have been exploited by José Cuervo in the making of Reserva de la Familia. Especially if you consider the bottle is most of the cost of the product. It's a cheap play on the way Courvoisier bottles their flagship cognac in a Lalique crystal bottle.

But that's my opinion, worth what you paid for it. :eek:

Buy hey, if you like Reserva de la Familia, you like it. Enjoy it. And if you really do like it, you'll be tickled pink with a bottle of Patron, another mass produced, but higher quality tequila.

There are some fine tequilas out there. But none of them are made by the José Cuervo distillery. I stand by what I said above; in general, tequila is not in the same class, cannot be compare with scotch, cognac, or bourbon. Well, I guess you can compare them if you will agree the lens on a Holga camera is every bit as good as a Leica lens. :D
 

Lars

Active member
Joe,
Instead just saying you don't like the taste, you have to keep driving your point in public with personal insults. Perhaps you should consider changing your attitude a bit. I don't find this a single bit funny and I hope you try to limit your future postings at GetDPI to more factual statements.
Lars
 
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