Good morning everyone. Wow it seems the world as we knew it has changed profoundly since the last posting.

The fear and anxiety surrounding the current COVID-19 Coronavirus has gripped the world. In this current state it seems to me that doing another camera review would be trivial.

People are pretty much fearing for their lives at this point. Not only the possibility of getting sick but also the disruption to the normalcy of everyday life.

In countries hardest hit like China, where the outbreak began, people in specific regions such as the Wuhan epicenter have been under a mandatory lockdown. Italy, also hard hit with the coronavirus, has done the same. Now Spain and perhaps a few other countries.

In the USA and specifically here in New York, it’s just beginning to get bad. I’ll tell you something, in my five decades on the planet I’ve never experienced anything like this.

I thought 9/11 was the worst I’ve seen but this coronavirus pandemic may be even more scary because it’s possible to catch this virus anywhere.

We all know the theories about how this started. It’s thought that the virus was born in a Wuhan wet market where exotic animals were being slaughtered for customers willing to pay for superstitious beliefs not based in science.

If true, I say come on man! Leave those bats and pangolins alone! They were not meant to be eaten by human beings. For God’s sake stop this nonsense.

I also wonder if climate change has opened up an environment where germs and viruses could thrive.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not one to preach about the environment to you. I don’t know if human activities lead to climate change. For all we know, the Sun could have grown just minutely and even that could be enough to affect our climate.

What I do know is that here in NYC, this was the mildest winter I’ve ever experienced. I’m not a fan of the snow so I can’t really complain but I do find it very disturbing. When you think of the long term effects it’s downright scary.

I mean, back in the 80s and 90s when I was growing up, the winters were cold and sometimes brutal but there was a rhyme, reason, and predictability to the seasons that made it a beautiful thing.

Today, just like everything else it seems, the weather patterns here on Earth seem like a “play it by ear” thing. Now you never know from one day to another what the weather will be like.

To me it’s obvious the climate is changing and pretty rapidly. Friend, if you can’t see it and feel it, I think you’ve got your head in the sand.

Anyway I’ve never been one moved enough to write about it but after only one sprinkling of snow this winter I’m more inclined than ever to do my part to save the environment and to help our planet from this downward spiral.

Anyway, everybody please stay alert and be vigilant about minimizing your chances of catching this notorious COVID-19 Coronavirus. It’s so far the biggest worldwide crisis I’ve ever seen.

Technical Note: These two images were taken with the Leica M8 and 7Artisans 35mm f/2 lens which has been touted by some as a “Summicron” copy but for under $300. I’m not ready to make any conclusions but I will say the lens has been impressing me! More pics to come!