Panasonic GH4 is in my bag

It's just before Thanksgiving Day in the U.S.A. and the sales are all over the place.  One of the national broadcasters mentioned that electronics would be cheaper before Black Friday, and cameras and other photographic equipment generally falls into line with electronics.

I read that Panasonic has reduced the price of the GH4 by $200.  Adorama, B&H Photo, and Mike's Camera (Colorado and California) have said that this is an instant rebate.  Mike's Camera ended this instant rebate on November 26th--today.

I braved holiday traffic to drive 30+ miles to buy the camera body.  I met with a salesperson with whom I'd previously talked.  I asked about the body, and he checked their web site, and I bought it, even using my extra battery from my GH3 to try it.  (My battery appeared to be fully charged, even though I traded my GH3 in early June.  That makes it almost six months since it was charged.)

At $1499.99, the body is somewhat more reasonable for me, and it's the same price I paid for my Olympus E-5.  That also makes it less than half the price of the Canon 5D MkIII, its nearest (hybrid) competitor in the business.  Well, actually, the 5D MkIII was the competitor of the GH3, and the expanded 4K capabilities and high bit rates at 1080p add to the differences between the GH4 and the 5D MkIII, above those between the 5D MkIII and the GH3.

The salesperson mounted an Olympus 25mm f/1.8 lens, so I could check the body.  The lens seemed almost tiny, though not as small as the 15mm f/1.7 approved by Leica, designed and made by Panasonic especially for the GM1/GM5.  The image through the viewfinder seemed improved (it has over double the density) over my memory of the GH3.  I didn't notice that much difference from the E-M1 I use regularly, or from my memory of the FujiFilm X-T1.

I used my sunglasses briefly, explaining about the blackout problem that I had with the GH3, and I currently have with the E-M1 on occasion.  It only happened on occasion, but it happened enough that muscle memory was my only way around it with the GH3.  I'm guessing that it may still occur.  Perhaps, switching to polarized sunglasses may help.  It isn't a problem with optical viewfinders.

Of course, it took a few minutes to find settings to change, to try to personalize it similarly to my GH3.  I was pleased to see many video additions in the menus, bringing up the professional specification.  I can't say enough how great it is that the GH3 and GH4 have 5 slots for settings.  I only used two slots with the GH3 and that might be the same with the GH4, although I'll be more focused on video this time, so I might use more.

The most wonderful thing about the GH4 is the instant familiarity.  Panasonic wisely chose to keep ergonomic choices almost all the same.  They added a lock to the mode button, something it has in common with the E-M1--and the Olympus E-1 from way back when.

I just checked the What Digital Camera (my go-to magazine) review for the GH4 and E-M1 and they said that the design of the GH4 was an 85 and the E-M1, 95.  In the text, they complained about the GH4 having so many buttons but appreciated the dSLR-like design.  Strangely, everyone else seems to like that you don't have to dig through menus, and the Panasonic menus are a bit less extreme than those of Olympus.  The magazine has had a complete change of staff and they seem to work toward advertisers more than 10 years ago.  89% for the GH4 vs 92% for the E-M1 isn't a huge difference.  However, I would say that, given Olympus' poor video performance and uncomfortable grip, the two are equal at least.

One of the bigger issues for me with the E-M1 was the combination of the small battery and small, angular grip.  Now that I have 3 batteries for the E-M1, I don't run out of power early, but I don't use it nearly as long as I used my dSLRs, so I'm still concerned.

With the GH3, I never had a problem where I exhausted both batteries during a long day of shooting.  Since the battery is so much bigger than that of the E-M1, there is definitely a difference.  Getting battery grips for each won't help much, as either grip only holds an extra battery, though they might help with using my Four-Thirds 35-100mm f/2.0 (3.64 lbs./1650g) lens.  I was never happy with that balance on the GH3 and I've never bothered to try it for more than a few minutes with the E-M1.  Of course, with the tripod collar attached to a tripod, the balance issue goes away.  Naturally, this was never a problem with the Olympus E-5, which is only as big as the Nikon D7100.

When mounting the Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 lens outside the store, I found that the lens operated at full speed again, in contrast to its performance on the E-M1.  I had not used it significantly since the Panasonic Repair Facility had checked it.  The few times I tried it with the E-M1, the frame rate was significantly slower than Olympus' 12-40mm lens, which made no sense, since it was very fast on the GH3.  This makes the Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 lens important for the E-M1.  I expect that the color from the lens will be equally better over the 35-100mm f/2.8 as the 12-40mm f/2.8 was.  I thought that there was a problem with the GH3, until I used the 12-40mm f/2.8 on it.  It should be interesting to see how fast the frame rate of the GH4 will be with the 40-150mm f/2.8 lens.

I'm hoping to try some skate park video soon, using the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens.  I don't know much about video but I took a few with the GH3.  I don't have an enhanced speed card to handle 4K video but learning how to handle video is more important at this time.  Responsiveness with my current SanDisk Extreme Pro card seemed much better than with the GH3.

Oh, and concerning the bag, I'm afraid that I've got to re-distribute equipment again to emphasize the smaller equipment, though I still want to use my Four-Thirds lenses through the adapter.  I hope Crumpler has something appropriate.

Update 2014.11.28: Ouch!  The firmware needs to be updated and for some reason, I'm unable to update it for various reasons.

First, the U.S. Panasonic web site ends up with only a Windows executable when I open the .zip file I've downloaded.  Perhaps, I didn't see a Macintosh-related link or the web site incorrectly detected that everyone uses Windows.

I used the Japanese web site that I'd used for the GH3 and that seemed to give me the correct file, but the camera body doesn't recognize that there is an update available when I go through the procedure.  I'm sure I'll be fine with firmware version 1.1 instead of 2.0, for a while anyway, but whatever.  Panasonic continues to be an administrative screw up.  What was downloaded was labeled AH4 instead of GH4.  I got something different tonight, and have updated my GH4.

Taking the GH4 and 35-100mm f/2.8 to the skate park, it performed well, but not with as much performance as expected.  (Continuous AF is enabled by default.)  Auto Focus accuracy was acceptable, similar to the GH3.  I'll try it with the Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 at a later date.  It didn't feel as fast or responsive as the Olympus E-M1 and 12-40mm f/2.8.  Auto Review is also enabled, which not only slows things down, as it does with the GH3, but it's also a battery waster.

Update 2014.12.01: I ordered a 4K-capable SD card from Adorama.  It's interesting that these cards were UHS-I, class 10, U 3.  Do I need such a card right now?  Probably not, but having dedicated for-video storage would be a good idea, especially on those days when I've been busy taking still photos.  I'm a little short on cards now that I have three bodies that take SD Cards.

I had a chance to buy a higher capacity SanDisk card but, after viewing several descriptions of the card, I couldn't determine the exact performance.  One mentioned 95 MB/sec., while others mentioned 60 MB/sec. and 80 MB/sec.  They were also labeled Extreme or Extreme Plus because the company changed the name at some point.

Update 2014.12.07: Part of my order was not readily available, so I ended up at Best Buy getting a 4K-capable card.  It was about the same price for 32GB as Adorama had for 64GB.  That's not the worst I've seen.  At least, it's a SanDisk card.  They had the Extreme and Extreme Plus cards, but this one is labeled Pixtor.  I've barely used it for anything.  I thought that the card would enable 4K options immediately, but that happens through the Creative Video mode on the mode dial.  Getting past the GH3 is taking time.

I'm impressed with how responsive the GH4 has been, especially in low(er) light.  I went to a skate shop with an indoor half pipe, and shot both still photos and video.  I was there a few weeks earlier and the E-M1 struggled with the 12-40mm f/2.8 lens but the GH4 didn't seem to have any problem at all.  That doesn't mean that it's great in the dark.  It isn't.  I could use more lenses at f/1.4 or wider than my older Leica/Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 from the Four-Thirds system.

The Voigtländer lenses look good.  There is a 10.5mm f/0.95 that should be available soon (okay, officially Q1-Q2 2015), and that is wide enough to get skate park shots easily, and should be good for sharp landscape shots at a less aggressive aperture.  Is US$1000 or more too much for a manually focused lens?  It depends on your wallet, of course, and whether you can make money from it.  The other three (17.5mm, 25mm, 42.5mm) have all been rated well and many people are satisfied with what they do.

Update 2014.12.31: The Panasonic card is flaky and has had general errors in both the GH4 body and the computer SD Card slot.  Almost naturally, the SanDisk card isn't a problem--I've had to have one replaced in the past, but only one.

I'm having some struggles learning the GH4.  I'm not finding it as instantly familiar as I thought I would--or at least, I'm not as successful with it as I had hoped.  As I go further with it, I'm finding little issues.  The drive mode dial has been accidentally moved.  The burst mode position is adjacent to a +/- burst mode position that allows you to take bracketed auto exposure photos.  For instance, it will take photos at -1/3 EV, +0 EV, +1/3 EV, much like HDR preparations.  Your bracketing settings will affect the latitude of the exposure range.  It is useful, although there have been times when I was getting a series of shots and naturally, it stops at three and the action continues without me.  Yes, I should be more aware of my settings.  I'm sure I saw it in the viewfinder and didn't really notice as the +/- didn't seem so significantly distinct.

The GH4 is so capable that it could be 6 months before I'm really comfortable.  It's been a little over a month that I've had it now, so getting casual photos are easy but action photos are usually more involved.  I've basically given up the use of the E-M1 to get up to speed with the GH4.

2015.01.09: The auto focus still isn't everything it should be, with continuous auto focus or not.  During video, it will lose focus completely, which is a great effect that people like, except that it will do it at the wrong time.  That's not unlike the Olympus E-M1.  Maybe, the 12-40mm f/2.8 isn't feeling well.  I was using the 35-100mm f/2.8 the other day and I noticed that the auto focus on the GH4 was similar to the E-M1, lower performing burst speed, but with better AF accuracy.

2016.12.07: It's been over two years since I got the GH4.  I've got over 100 videos on YouTube.  Most are skate park videos but I have some music performances and random things, also.  The camera itself does a very good job, except for AF.

I've got a number of Panasonic lenses and it loses focus on those, as well as while using the Olympus lenses.  It just seems too busy to bother with auto focus duties, but in this price range, it shouldn't have such a problem.  I'm not asking it to track someone.  I want it to focus on the single area I select while I move the camera.  It has predictive focus--it's always busy.

I'm still learning.  I've been learning to do time lapse photography because I wanted to try some shots while driving, to condense little road trips as I've seen someone else do.

Since the GH4, I've bought the GX8 and GM5.  The GX8 has very good 1080p video which matches what I get from the GH4, and that is so useful at skate parks since I'll have the 35-100mm f/2.8 on one and the 12-35mm f/2.8 on the other.  The E-M1 doesn't come close and I suspect that the GM5 won't match either.

The GH5 should be released in spring.  What the whole feature set is, no one outside Panasonic knows, and I'm not certain even they know at this point.  3840x2160 at 60p is one of the few things that are guaranteed to be included.  They've shown mockups of the body and it's agreeable, but nothing is much different.

The new sensor may be 18MP or 20MP, but they're not saying.  The new Olympus E-M1 Mk II has a 20MP sensor with 121 cross type AF points--both PDAF and CDAF.  Many speculate that they will use a lot of the same equipment in the GH5.

Lollipop (Android version 5.0) was installed on my 2013 Nexus 7 tablet a bit ago

An hour or so ago, I got the notice that Lollipop was available for my 2013 Nexus 7 tablet.  Despite my reluctance to embrace x.0 versions, I decided to have it downloaded and installed.


You can see visual differences here in this Ars Technica article.

Naturally, the update took a while, and there was a bit of time involved as it was "optimizing" applications.

I haven't spent much time at the moment.  So far, my most consistent experience is when I unlock it, by pressing the lock icon and sliding it, which gives me the camera.  Perhaps, they want me to see how much better the camera is.  I really don't know.

The system icons at the lowest part of the display look less indicative of their functionality.  The joined rectangles were more of a clue of the multi-tasking manager than a single square.

Google Play seems okay when updating applications.  I'm not sure it works better but it looks better.  Perhaps, that's the thing--we're to be enraptured by its new look, and will forgive any lingering problems.  Apple tried that and it didn't work.  I get the feeling that Google never tests anything with regular people who aren't directly connected with the company.  Apple does it somewhat, but things aren't always intuitive any longer.

I look forward to finding if performance is improved.  I've read that it could be smoother and faster, but until I experience it in real life, I'll continue my skepticism.

So far, the delay from booting is still there.  It may be diminished somewhat, but I need to let the tablet sit a while before I do anything.

iPad Air 2 good, iPad mini 3 pathetic

Late last year, I chose a Google Nexus 7, the 2013, revised version.  Why?  The iPad mini didn't really meet my needs.  It was too wide to be held in one of my hands, and it wasn't very powerful, but it was really expensive.  Now that the newer (second generation+) version is out, last year's model has been dropped by US$100, and it's still not a bargain for what is there.  However, the newer version isn't worth an extra US$100.  People are better off buying last year's model for less.

Why does it seem that Apple are trying to push the iPad Air 2, even more than they were trying to push the iPad Air?  That's my only explanation for the relative crapiness of the iPad mini.  It makes the current iPad Air look a relative bargain.  I'm even considering an iPad Air 2 for me.  I would consider a refurbished iPad Air, if I could get it in a 64 GB configuration at a substantial discount; however, the anti-reflective surface of the newer model would be useful.

Another problem for the iPad mini is the iPhone 6 Plus.  It is big enough, and its resolution is brilliant for the size.  It also has strong processing power.  Except for the size, it seems a great choice.  I was interested in the LG G2 and Nexus 5 last year about this time but they were so large that I thought twice about them, despite the power.

I'm sure Apple will do well enough, especially with the iPad Air 2 but who will buy the newest iPad mini?

Update 2014.11.04: There is a rumor that the iPad mini may go away, making way for the huge 12.9 inch iPad.  Someone mentioned that Apple gives poor upgrades to products that aren't selling.  Isn't that the correct strategy for a product you're hoping will lose?

I would think that an aggressive company would drop the price and improve the performance, not try to give a product one new feature and polish it a bit more.  The U.S. automotive industry was hit hard because they didn't help themselves, choosing style over functionality.

Update 2015.02.13: I've been waiting for the Apple announcement.  It should be soon, and we should expect the watch, the big iPad with a keyboard/cover, and likely a revised Apple TV box.  While Apple continues to make headway with content, until they start to resell networks or the networks' content, there will not be TV with a display.

Update 2015.04.07: Apple seem to be taking it easy, playing it safe, and any other relaxed idioms that apply.

The new 12 inch MacBook looks interesting, even though it's not very powerful.  The latest rumor on the yet-to-be-announced Apple TV replacement is that it won't feed 4K media to the TV, even though the chipset is capable.

Update 2015.11.19: They fixed the problem by making the iPad mini 4 with the same processor as the iPhone 6.  It's much more powerful having an A8 instead of an A5.  The display is apparently very good, and for color accuracy, apparently better than the iPad Air 2 and the iPad Pro.  That seems odd considering that the iPad Pro should be used by artists.

I guess the rumor about the Apple TV replacement was true--no 4K.

OS X Mavericks now, Yosemite later

I've had OS X Mavericks for a week or so.  Since Mac OS X, I've taken it a bit more slowly with my updates, upgrades.

When I went from 10.2.x to 10.3.0, things went awry.  It took until 10.3.4 until most everything worked again.  It seemed with every release, it took until 10.x.4 until it was stable enough for all that I did, so I waited, even though I had used the beta test versions for testing and programming purposes.

When Avie Tevanian left Apple, Mac OS X seemed to become even more sloppy.  I still have a PowerBook G4 on 10.5.8 and it really could have used some bug fixes.  Thankfully, they produced a number of security updates since then, and some of those helped stability.

Since 10.6.8, Apple provided (Mac) OS X on less and less media until it was only available for installation over a network connection.  When I got my mid-2012 MacBook Pro, it got 10.8.0, which required updates while connected to the internet.

So, I bought a new version of Phase One's Capture One version 8.  The only problem was that the software didn't work on 10.8.x and I didn't see anything about the system requirements ahead of the purchase, which seemed odd for them.  Obviously, I wanted the new version of the raw development software so much that I was not thinking as well as I should have.

Having spent the money, I needed the update to OS X 10.9.x.  The nearest Apple Store was okay with installing the update for me.  If there was physical media, I would have installed it myself.  Actually, I was expecting to occupy a corner of the Genius Bar with their internal network connected to my computer and I would install the update myself.  They had a local installation image of the update and they used that.

They managed to e-mail me when they finished the update, but they didn't use the phone number they confirmed three times.  Since they had my computer and I expected a phone call, I didn't check my e-mail.  I returned to the store about 45 minutes before the store would close, just hoping that they had finished.

Long story, long, I've updated and my computer is still working.  Mavericks is slightly better than Mountain Lion, so I feel okay about the changes.  I'm not finding any interesting or odd behavior.  I'm glad I did the update when I did, so that I wasn't forced to Yosemite.  The only Yosemite I want close right now is the national park.

Update 2014.10.30: Some Yosemite users are reporting WiFi connectivity problems.  That's a surprise!  (Did your sarcasm detector max out there?)  Every new release of Mac OS X in recent memory has had WiFi connectivity problems, and many iOS releases have also.  Do you wonder why I wait to update?

Panasonic GM1 vs GM5

I was looking at the Panasonic GM1 within the last two weeks.  It is an interesting camera body, having the power of micro Four-Thirds in the smallest possible body.  With an adapter, it can even use various lenses from other systems, and for me, my current Four-Thirds mount lenses.

GM1 with Four-Thirds Leica 25mm f/1.4

GM1 with Panasonic/Leica 15mm f/1.7

I stopped myself from buying it, just because the GM5 was rumored to be released soon.  Today, they made that announcement and the GM5 should be available in November.  I'm even more interested because it is an improved model, which includes a hot shoe and an EVF.

Why is this important?  I live in a very sunny part of California and using the rear display works fine in a store but not necessarily during a very sunny day.  Trying to see my smartphone or tablet display is nearly impossible, though I've become very good at taking photos using muscle memory.  Even if the EVF of the GM5 has the rainbow/tearing effect that plagues the GX7 for some people, it's better than not having an EVF at all.

The lack of a tiny built-in/inbuilt flash to make room for the EVF is okay, since they've included a hot shoe, so that you can now use the included flash or another, more high-powered model.  The GM1 has no such ability to use an external flash unit.

Being able to take 1080/60p video is a worthy enhancement, though I haven't seen anything about 25p or 50p.  Those in PAL areas may be disappointed.  It's possible the press releases I've seen were tailored for each country.

Of course, the GM5 kit is more expensive than the GM1 kit--US$899.99 vs $759.99, I believe was the price I was quoted at the store.  (I have no desire for the 12-32mm lens but the pre-orders seem to be stuck with it.  There are still no Panasonic/Leica 15mm f/1.7 kits.)

Update 2014.10.10: Adorama has the GM1 and kit lens for $597.99 and you get a $100 Adorama gift card.  Getting the GM1 for just under US$500 seems a great deal to me.  It's still tiny and functional.  The deal makes the GM5 seem more expensive but I can't (for me) discount the usefulness of the EVF and flash hot shoe.

Update 2014.11.30: I was waiting for the GM5 and suddenly, I found that the GH4 was both available and $200 off.  Since I bought the GH4, I have to postpone my purchase of the GM5.  In-between, I'll probably buy the 15mm f/1.7 lens because having a low(er) light wide(r) lens would be good, given that my only other such lens would be the Leica/Panasonic 25mm f/1.4 shown in the photo.  That works fine on the GH4, including the aperture ring,  but it's not always wide enough for skate park shots.

Update 2015.04.03: Adorama currently has deals on the GM1 in blue and in orange with a US200 gift certificate, effectively making the cost US$500.  That certainly sounds like a good deal, if you were on the fence about it.

Update 2015.10.18: Panasonic currently has a US$200 instant rebate on the GM5, making it roughly US$700 with the 12-32mm kit lens until October 24th.  I keep thinking about it, but I've taken the GH4 into a restaurant within my backpack.  I don't really go without a camera bag of some sort.

Update 2015.11.29: Currently, Adorama is selling the GM5 for about US$400 off.  That's a great deal.  There is a rumored GM7 but I believe adding 4K video to such a small body will be a disaster.  They might increase the size of the body somewhat, as they did from the GX7 to GX8, but I don't expect a minimal change to work.

I really want the GM5 but I've spent a bit of money on other equipment.  The GM1 has been reduced, as well, but in sunny environments, there is nothing better than a viewfinder, even one that isn't optimal.

Update 2016.06.19: Got the GM5 at a Mike's Camera store tent sale.  US$399.99 was a good price, and I got the 42.5mm f/1.7 Power OIS lens at the same time but with US$100 instant rebate.

The tiny battery will require that I have another 14 batteries, if I plan to do much with it.  I was looking for a way to carry it and I put it into the soft case for the 42.5mm f/1.7.

The viewfinder is unusual, but in sunny California, I'll need it and I can adapt to most any equipment.  The shutter release is not where my finger expected it.  It isn't exactly an action camera anyway.  I need to get a wrist strap for it.  Set up was about the same as for any other Panasonic camera body, once you switch it from the Intelligent Auto position on the dial.

There is more here.

GM5 with Olympus ZD 35-100mm f/2.0

Thank you, Nikon, for the D750!

(No, they didn't give me one.)  If it's not everything you think it should be, you probably don't understand reality.

This was a good surprise (and makes me think less about the D400 and D7100).  A reasonable resolution from the sensor, plus good low light performance (technically, so far to ISO 12800 within the suggested range), and an auto focus unit that goes almost as low as the Panasonic GH3/GH4, to EV-3 gives this camera body a lot of appeal for a reasonably low price.

You can say that Sony has something smaller and cheaper, but if you want great performance, you don't go to Sony yet.  I'm not saying that the Nikon D600 or D610 are great but it seems that we'll get great performance from the D750 that sports photographers would love--something that didn't quite make it all the way into the D800/D810.

The Expeed 4 processor seems to help quite a lot.  It's showing up everywhere now, and it feels as though Nikon has smacked Canon up one side and down the other, even as a replacement for the 7D is around the corner.

Is US$2299.99 a huge price?  I don't think so when you compare what else is available, even if you just look at Nikon's products.

I wonder if the use of polycarbonate will compromise the weather-proofing of the D750 body.  It's certainly a possibility for damage during a drop.  The lighter weight should be useful, though, as long as the balance with the 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is still good.

Why is this important?  That would be my main combination, especially for sports.  I'm betting for a lot of those with the D700, it's an easy switch.  Handling the file size will be the real problem, going from 12 MP to 24 MP should be a bit troubling but no more than going from 6.x MP to 12 MP, right?  Big cards are required.

I'm guessing that the pre-orders are going to be excessive.

(Oh, I've seen some comments that seem as though Nikon has done a terrible thing--that the D750 cannot be the replacement for the D700, emotionally or otherwise.  If I look at camera bodies as more than tools, I would have to say that the Olympus OM-1N was the best 135 Format film camera body ever created.  It was good, but I don't believe that it was the best.  Life goes on.  We'll survive the changes.)

Update 2014.10.15: I handled a D750 at Best Buy yesterday.  It was not as heavy or large as I expected, definitely smaller than the D810.  That said, you'll probably find it heavy and large.  I still like my dSLRs.  It felt as though it would be well balanced with any 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, though they had something of a normal zoom mounted that brought up the price another US$700.

Update 2014.12.17: I still don't understand the emotional backlash.  The body seems to be everything that it needs to be, at a reasonable price.  Some of the bundles are consumer-oriented but then, the body is almost as consumer-oriented as the poor D610 with the D7000's I-guess-I-got-it AF but impressive as a semi-professional model instead.

Update 2015.01.01: There seems to be a problem with flare in certain D750 bodies.  It's worse with some lenses than others, apparently.  Take a look at The Imaging Resource's article in the link.

Update 2015.03.22: Seeing the DPReview review, I've been surprised about the results.  It seems the image noise is lower than that of the Canon 5D Mk III, and that's impressive.   Even though the D750 is a bit less rugged, it's also lighter and smaller.

Update 2015.04.08: Having photographed a scooter competition at the indoor skate park of Woodward West recently, I'm seeing the need for better image quality at ISO 3200.  I'm not exactly what will work for me, but the D750 seems a good fit.  The Tamron 15-30mm f/2.8 lens also seems good for me, as it is weather-sealed.  The limited 2x zoom may be a bit wide in contrast to my 135 Format effective 24-80mm f/2.8 that I use regularly--24-70mm f/2.8 would probably work better, but the pricing may be too much.

Sprint is still amusing me instead of amazing me

Since I moved to a rural area of California along I-5 and SR 99, I haven't seen more success in a great network experience than I had at the last place.

In fact, Sprint doesn't even have a store here, though they have 3 kiosks in malls (two of them in the same mall) about 15 miles from here.  The Sprint reseller in this town is next to SR 99 and is on the edge of LTE and a large roaming area.  The fact that I'm on another edge of those area is frustrating.  My bedroom has LTE near the street and 3G toward the back of the apartment complex and the phone searches for service in the middle.

Truth be told, Verizon is not really great here, so I'm not getting any real satisfaction on the computer or tablet.  It's just less worse.

Occasionally, I'll send a tweet to @sprintcare.  Recently, I asked @sprintcare why their reseller didn't get good coverage (there is a roaming hole near the shopping area), and I was told that the majority of the 95336 area was in the Fair rating.  It is, but that is Sprint's rating for "Virtually unusable".  Using Yelp to Check-in often results in a time-out after 3-4 minutes.

He completely ignored the large roaming area in town and told me to go check their AIRAVE device.  The last time I looked, it was not a portable device that I could take with me.  It also required a wired internet connection, which they were unwilling to provide the last time they pushed me toward the option.

Tell me why it is my responsibility to fix their network problems by paying more to use a device to work around their shortcomings.  I'd really like to know.

That said, I can see the LTE signal becoming stronger.  In recent days, it's working in the living room.  LTE works fine in the San Francisco Bay Area (around 50-75 miles away) in most places.  I have hope.  They're just not working as quickly as I expected.  It's already September and many places are not working with LTE as they should be.

I need more patience but this is something that is stretched far too thin since say, 2008, when I moved out of a strong area, before the death grip of Nextel took hold.

Update 2014.10.29: They have increased their LTE reach into my apartment, although it too often changes to 3G when I try to use it.  Service is slowly, incrementally improving.  I still receive too many timeouts at stores.  Sometimes, even in stronger areas.  I see too many times when the service switches between LTE and 3G and it's basically unusable unless I force it to ignore LTE.

Update 2014.11.18: The hole in Sprint's coverage is now gone from the map.  They've filled it with non-existent LTE.  My apartment is covered, also, with the strongest LTE possible--none of that Fair business.

Best LTE, yet frequent time-outs

Perfectly covered, yet 1xRTT often

Obviously, all of this time I'm spending on 1xRTT is in my imagination.  The multiple time-outs are also imagined, apparently.  It couldn't be the work of simple easily flowing orange on a map, because no company would ever cheat.

The only thing making sure I don't go to T-Mobile is that their service here isn't very good, either, and they're still working over a rather insecure GSM.  When VoLTE (Voice Over LTE) becomes available, I'd be glad to jump ship, although I don't talk much, but it only takes one call to give away information that someone else can use to empty your accounts and CDMA may not be great, it's secure.

Going to Verizon would be expensive and going to AT&T would be stupid, since it's likely they will still overcharge, plus as many people here complain about them as love them.  Verizon's service for my mobile hotspot is good but not incredible.

Update 2014.12.09: I had a little chat with @sprintcare recently and they said that the roaming area is still visible to them.  When I finally Tweeted the maps I saw (like those above), they didn't reply at all.

I went to talk to someone at a Verizon store and they played a little game on the price of service, at $40 more than I had found on their web site.  I was uncomfortable giving that person a commission for withholding the best deal from me.

I went to the local Sprint reseller and said "Give me a reason to stay with Sprint." and he did but there is a still a lot of hope for the future.  However, I saw something on CNBC's app today where they finished the Stockton area and the service is much better.  That city had horrible service.  10x from 0.30 Mbps is a good improvement for 3G service.

The only real problem with the report is that they jumped over the city where I live, choosing to modify the map.  They may do more--they should do more because the Sprint reseller is also on the edge of the roaming zone.

Now that I have a three band LTE phone, it seems as though the service is somewhat better.  They weren't planning to turn on Spark (three band LTE) over here, but if they have 800 MHz and 1900 MHz, that would be good.  If the 2500 MHz band they got with Clear isn't supported here, that's okay.  If it's only 1900 MHz and 2500 MHz, that would be so-so.

2015.02.14: After a roughly 450 mile trip to San Diego and then, to Disneyland, and back, I think that Sprint still has much more to do across the state.  However, it's good to know that they're taking care of the area around their headquarters continually, since the people working for the company aren't paying as much as the other customers are.  At least, they're not blaming their customers as AT&T always do.