pico Posted October 9, 2014 Share #121 Posted October 9, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Wow, is it snowing up there already? Yes, and it sucks. Six months of darkness, depression. I fear that this one will be the end of me. Enough. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 9, 2014 Posted October 9, 2014 Hi pico, Take a look here Which SINGLE fixed/ prime lens would you take on a family vacation. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
IkarusJohn Posted October 9, 2014 Share #122 Posted October 9, 2014 I'm firmly of the opinion that a dictionary should only describe how we use language since neither it, nor anyone else, has the authority to tell us how it ought to be used. Even if we wished it otherwise, where would the authority come from? A description can be authoritative by virtue of learning but prescription is a different matter altogether don't you think? I always thought the point of dictionaries was to record words used (in published work, traditionally) and to set out their meaning, pronunciation and context. A bit of history is also interesting. The does nothing t fix their use and meaning, though - "fulsome" is an example, where the original meaning of praise to excess has been lost. Now it seems to mean generous. If words lose their meaning, then the joys of Mrs Malaprop are lost. My biggest fear in the use of language is that the vocabulary used gets narrowed to the relatively limited choice of txt-speak and Internet language. Sadly, Shakespeare's beautiful use of language is pretty much lost to all but academics as no one else understands what was once the language of the common man. For first language users, I think we should make an effort to use English colourfully and accurately. On many occasions, my English has been "outperformed" by Europeans who learned English as a second language. Cheers John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted October 9, 2014 Share #123 Posted October 9, 2014 Yes, and it sucks. Six months of darkness, depression. I fear that this one will be the end of me. Enough. Here we go....... Pico, Know why you haven't left yet? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted October 9, 2014 Share #124 Posted October 9, 2014 Here we go....... Pico, Know why you haven't left yet? No. Do you know? Life is simply a day beginning with optimism and descending into hell them with luck ending with sleep. Then repeat. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeicaPassion Posted October 9, 2014 Share #125 Posted October 9, 2014 My biggest fear in the use of language is that the vocabulary used gets narrowed to the relatively limited choice of txt-speak and Internet language. Sadly, Shakespeare's beautiful use of language is pretty much lost to all but academics as no one else understands what was once the language of the common man.Off topic. Excellent post. This has happened with the use use of simplified Chinese characters instead of the traditional characters. The precision and beauty of the language has been lost. Only scholars and seniors can still read and write the traditional characters. IMHO the language has been greatly diminished. Even fewer can read classical Chinese. It is incredibly difficult to understand. It is incredibly beautiful and powerful. Four characters can convey so much. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdlaing Posted October 10, 2014 Share #126 Posted October 10, 2014 No. Do you know? Life is simply a day beginning with optimism and descending into hell them with luck ending with sleep. Then repeat. Ye I do. You are the same as me. Too miserable to leave yet. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semi-ambivalent Posted October 10, 2014 Share #127 Posted October 10, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Yes, and it sucks. Six months of darkness, depression. I fear that this one will be the end of me. Enough. You might look into sunlamps or similar. I've read of them lessening darkness depression in many people. I live in sunny Denver, but I feel elated to visit Santa Fe, NM because the sun is even brighter. Winter clouds are one reason I left the Midwest. The cold was easy. s-a Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iphoenix Posted October 10, 2014 Share #128 Posted October 10, 2014 It took 800 years for England to perfect the English Language. The Americans fixed it in only 200 years. Them's fightin' words pardner. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
NZDavid Posted October 10, 2014 Share #129 Posted October 10, 2014 ...Sadly, Shakespeare's beautiful use of language is pretty much lost to all but academics as no one else understands what was once the language of the common man... And woman. My wife loves Shakespeare. And his spelling. Off of the top of my head I would say that this is all outside of the OP, but never mind. Actually I believe American English has preserved many idioms and spellings of C18 British English. Language is evolving. Get used to it! That's the view of former English teacher Joe Bennett in any case: English is always evolving | Stuff.co.nz PS: It's still the 35. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter H Posted October 10, 2014 Share #130 Posted October 10, 2014 I always thought the point of dictionaries was to record words used (in published work, traditionally) and to set out their meaning, pronunciation and context. A bit of history is also interesting. The does nothing t fix their use and meaning, though - "fulsome" is an example, where the original meaning of praise to excess has been lost. Now it seems to mean generous. If words lose their meaning, then the joys of Mrs Malaprop are lost. My biggest fear in the use of language is that the vocabulary used gets narrowed to the relatively limited choice of txt-speak and Internet language. Sadly, Shakespeare's beautiful use of language is pretty much lost to all but academics as no one else understands what was once the language of the common man. For first language users, I think we should make an effort to use English colourfully and accurately. On many occasions, my English has been "outperformed" by Europeans who learned English as a second language. Cheers John It's in the very nature of language that words change their meaning. Even simple words like please, let, used and so on don't mean what they used to. Many linguists believe it's the result of language being essentially metaphorical and if you think about it, it is hardly possible for words to retain their meanings over long periods of time. It is also interesting that scholars from time immemorial have bemoaned the loss of precision and elegance which presumably is another confirmation that language is perpetually changing. How would it be possible for "fast" to mean the same today as it did one hundr d or five hundred years ago? But it isn't just because the world changes that meanings change I believe it's because we use words descriptively and creatively so as to avoid redundancy, to create metaphors that work better than cliches and so on. Thus cliches lose their metaphorical force and become simple words that adopt their once-metaphorical meaning, and so language changes. To try to fix it would, I think , be vain because it would be like asking people to stop communicating like people and to start behaving like auto-correct machines. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pop Posted October 10, 2014 Share #131 Posted October 10, 2014 As far as I know, both France and Iceland have organizations which decide on new words to be used in their respective languages, both taking great care to use existing words for new meanings if possible. I have been told that Iceland even uses a medieval word for "telephone" which derives from their sagas where the gods used to talk to each other over long distances. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pgk Posted October 10, 2014 Share #132 Posted October 10, 2014 It's in the very nature of language that words change their meaning. I'm reading this on a mac. I'm reading it on an Apple too;). Some shifts in meaning are relatively rapid but probably temporary, other more gradual shifts sometimes last longer. As cultures change, the words used in them must change too, or their meanings. I'd say that we've seen huge changes in communications over the last few decades which have increased the influences on language (especially English) immensely. Trying to preserve any language in aspic is pretty pointless if you ask me - it will shift as society sees fit to alter it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freitz Posted October 10, 2014 Share #133 Posted October 10, 2014 Wow, This has gone way off topic. To the OP It seems like 35 is the most popular out of the users who responded. As I said before, for a 1 lens kit 35 works for the way I shoot. I can crop to replicate the 50 or step back to create a wider angle. I think 35 is a sweet spot for travel. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
airscrew Posted October 11, 2014 Share #134 Posted October 11, 2014 M-Hexanon Dual 21-35. I have also MATE but it is too long on M8. And I like the Hexanon’s IQ, mechanics and handling are superior over the MATE. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gberger Posted October 11, 2014 Share #135 Posted October 11, 2014 35, of course. (That was my wife's choice - - - how could I disagree?) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted October 11, 2014 Share #136 Posted October 11, 2014 I have been told that Iceland even uses a medieval word for "telephone" which derives from their sagas where the gods used to talk to each other over long distances. I LIKE that! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
algrove Posted October 11, 2014 Share #137 Posted October 11, 2014 Sorry to take this completely off-topic for a moment, but may I ask if anyone has noticed this increasingly popular tendency to insert "of" redundantly in this way? Any ideas how or when it started? (No offence intended I assure you.) Of course! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hamey Posted October 12, 2014 Share #138 Posted October 12, 2014 For my M series cameras it's usually the 35mm, but I love my 50mm 1.4 asph as well. The vario's 21-35mm, 28-90mm and the 50mm f2 are my choice with the R cameras. Ken. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berth Posted October 12, 2014 Share #139 Posted October 12, 2014 If it's just one, my 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit-M Asph. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dj_61 Posted October 12, 2014 Share #140 Posted October 12, 2014 35mm Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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