In recent months, the main dial on one of my Canon 50D DSLR cameras would slip when attempting to rotate it.

The slipping occurs more frequently in one direction than the other direction, and also appears to be weather-related, occurring more frequently in hotter weather.

This was particularly annoying, as most of my photography sees my camera mode set to aperture priority, and without a fully functional main dial, it was difficult to quickly adjust the aperture.

It turns out this appears to be a relatively common issue with some of the Canon DSLRs, including the 30D, 40D and 50D.

Getting the dial assembly replaced by Canon will apparently cost you about USD$150.

On closer inspection, it was clear that the rubber grip on the dial was slipping on the inner plastic wheel. Rather than sending the camera into Canon for repairs, I decided to try a DIY repair by applying some glue between the rubber grip and the plastic wheel.

water bomber dumping water

Yesterday was another very hot summer day, with the temperature reaching 40 degrees Celcius. Hot days seem to be a recipe for bushfires, and yesterday was no exception, with a couple of large fires around Perth.
A bushfire in Forrestdale in the late afternoon sent plumes of smoke into the sky, and as we could see some water bombers in action, I took two of my kids to have a closer look.

edge of Dove Lake

Cradle Mountain - Lake St Clair National Park, Tasmania
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @22mm, 1/250 sec, f/7.1, ISO200

Here is another photo from our trip to Tasmania last month. When we arrived at Dove Lake, everything was shrouded in thick fog, and we could barely see across the lake. By the time we completed the walk around Dove Lake, the fog had cleared, and there was sunshine and a blue sky.

the Interpretation Centre

Mount Wellington, Hobart, Tasmania
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @16mm, 1/125 sec, f/8, ISO160

Last month, we spent some time in Hobart while holidaying in Tasmania. Hobart is Tasmania's capital city, and is located on the foothills of Mount Wellington. Mount Wellington is nearly 1300 metres tall, and the road to the peak is a long and winding road.

Our kids were hoping for some snow on Mount Wellington, but unfortunately for them, there was none (and yes, snow on the Mountain even in summer is fairly common).

On our last visit up the Mountain, about 5 1/2 years ago, we couldn't see anything due to a thick fog. However, this time the weather was much better, and we had a reasonable view of Hobart city far down below.

Guide Falls

West Ridgley, Tasmania
Canon EOS 50D, 10-22mm @16mm (10-stop ND filter), 63 sec, f/9, ISO100

Guide Falls is a very accessible waterfall about 20km south of Burnie, in the north west of Tasmania. The base of the falls is just a short walk from a nearby car park and picnic area. Apparently these falls have water all year round, but are more spectacular in winter and spring, due to a larger volume of water flowing.

We visited these falls last month while holidaying in Tasmania, and although it was a dry summer in Tasmania, there was still a reasonable amount of water flowing over the falls.