DSLR Digital Photography, High-End Audio, Stereo Equipment

FUJIFILM INTRODUCES THE REVOLUTIONARY X-PRO1 INTERCHANGEABLE LENS DIGITAL CAMERA SYSTEM

2012-01-14T07:41:00.001-08:00

FUJIFILM INTRODUCES THE REVOLUTIONARY X-PRO1 INTERCHANGEABLE LENS DIGITAL CAMERA SYSTEM

Featuring the New X-Trans CMOS sensorTM, FUJIFILM original X-Mount and New Hybrid Multi Viewfinder, the X-Pro1 Delivers Outstanding Image Quality that Rivals Current DSLR Cameras

Valhalla, N.Y., January 9, 2012 – FUJIFILM North America Corporation proudly introduces the debut of its newest and most advanced addition to its premium, high quality X-Series digital camera line-up – the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 interchangeable lens digital camera system.

With a brand new, custom developed 16MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensorTM, incorporating a newly developed filter array and Fujifilm’s proprietary EXR Processor technology, the FUJIFILM X-Pro1 is poised to deliver superlative image quality that will rival currently available mid and high-end DSLR models. Taking another decisive step into the premium camera market, Fujifilm has taken the X-Pro1 to the next level featuring a New 2nd Generation Hybrid Multi Viewfinder and three prime interchangeable FUJINON lenses.

The FUJIFILM X-Pro1 digital camera not only promises to carve out a distinct position in the premium camera category, but it also promises to reward X-Series loyalists with a camera system that surpasses their expectations.

“Fujifilm puts great emphasis on producing outstanding image quality, and with the X-Pro1, we are proud to offer an interchangeable lens system that performs to the highest professional caliber,” said Go Miyazaki, division president, Imaging and Electronic Imaging Divisions, FUJIFILM North America Corporation. “Each element is the product of Fujifilm’s commitment to uncompromising quality. With its custom APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensorTM, unique Hybrid Multi Viewfinder and three interchangeable lenses, the X-Pro1 is poised to become the new standard for photographers.”

Setting new standards in image resolution

Fujifilm has developed a new CMOS sensor called the X-Trans CMOSTM. The X-Trans CMOSTM sensor is capable of delivering resolution that is superior to other APS-C sensors and equal to even some full frame sensors.

The new color filter array paves the way for an ideal sensor that does not need an optical low-pass filter. While the optical low-pass filter is indispensable for the reduction of moiré and false color generated by conventional sensors, it also degrades resolution. Fujifilm has developed a new color filter array that is inspired by the random arrangement of fine film grain, removing the need for an optical low-pass filter to solve moiré and false color issues. In the array, RGB pixels are arranged in 6x6 pixel sets with high aperiodicity (randomness). Increasing the degree of randomness eliminates the fundamental cause of moiré and false colors – a problem that occurs in conventional arrays when shooting stripes and other repeating patterns. The presence of an R, G and B pixel in every vertical and horizontal pixel series minimizes the generation of false colors and delivers higher color reproduction.

As a result of using a film-inspired array, a more powerful processor is required to process the image signal data. So Fujifilm has developed the EXR Processor Pro. This technology will maximize the full potential of the X-Trans CMOSTM sensor, delivering high speed and high precision image processing.

Prime FUJINON XF lenses deliver the highest image quality

FUJINON lenses have long been associated with delivering high quality images, with optics used for both broadcast TV and medium format cameras. Now the expertise borne out of this enviable optical heritage has been put into lenses for the FUJIFILM X-Pro1.

Three compact XF FUJINON fast aperture prime lenses will be available at launch. The “XF18mmF2 R” (27mm equivalent) f/2.0, “XF 35mmF1.4 R” (53mm equivalent) f/1.4, and “XF60mmF2.4 R Macro” (90mm equivalent) F/2.4 are all bright and compact and designed to deliver sharp, clear images of uncompromising quality. They offer precise control over depth-of-field and deliver excellent bokeh effects thanks to the design of the molded aperture diaphragm blades. The blades are curved to create a circular image at all aperture settings, while the very edges of each blade are meticulously rounded off rather than simply cut off, which delivers a sharper image. In addition, the solid feel of the high-quality metal barrel and detailed exposure setting in 1/3 step increments using the aperture ring fuel your desire to capture more photos with every shot.

FUJIFILM original “X-Mount” maximizes lens performance

Specifically designed to maximize the mirrorless design of the body the X-Mount has a short flange back distance of just 17.7mm. This means the rear lens elements are as close as possible to the sensor. The wide opening allows the lens to be mounted deeper within the body – up to 7.5mm (approximately) from the mount surface – reducing the back focus distance of each lens to the minimum possible, thus achieving high resolution all the way to the edge of the image.

Hybrid Multi Viewfinder – seeing is believing

First introduced in the FUJIFILM X100 digital camera, Fujifilm’s revolutionary Hybrid Viewfinder has the ability to instantly switch between an Optical Viewfinder and Electronic Viewfinder. The Hybrid Viewfinder has added a new dimension to the pleasure of composing photographs. For the brightest viewing image, and to keep shutter lag to a minimum, users should choose the Optical Viewfinder. Those wanting focus confirmation, exposure information, white balance information and depth of field indicators should switch to the Electronic Viewfinder.

The Electronic Viewfinder provides an excellent “Live View” of your composition. This fusion of technologies allows users to enjoy composing their images through a bright viewfinder, but has the option to overlay vital picture taking information should this be required.

Changing between the two viewfinders is simple, thanks to the switch on the front of the X-Pro1 body. When attaching a FUJINON XF-series lens on the X-Pro1, both the viewfinder magnification and bright frame size automatically switch to support the lens focal length. Viewfinder magnification switches to 0.37x for the 18mm lens, and to 0.60x when the 35mm or 60mm lens is mounted, letting you compose your shot with the bright, crystal clarity of an optical image. The X-Pro1 also gives you the freedom to manually set a focal distance and switch between viewfinder magnifications.

Cutting edge technology in a beautiful camera body

The X-Pro1’s magnesium alloy chassis and improved user interface is a testament to Fujifilm’s unyielding attention to quality and the photographic needs of the professionals. From the exact and deliberate placement of the buttons to the precision milled dials, the X-Pro1 beautifully encompasses all that is needed to deliver high quality photography. The top and base are made from die-cast aluminum alloy which, combined with high quality touches like precise engraving on the top-plate and hand-enameled lettering on the lenses, illustrates how the entire X-Pro1 system was designed and built without compromise.

This eye for detail extends to the shutter speed dial and exposure compensation control that is precision milled from solid metal. Details like the shutter speed dial lock mechanism and the recessed exposure compensation dial are designed to prevent accidental movement of settings. The knurled finish on the sides of the dials feature rows of minutely milled squared pyramids for superb grip and confidence.

As a well-known mark of quality, the “Made in Japan” printing confirms that every part of the construction has had to meet Fujifilm’s highest standards.
The lightweight, precision-milled lens hood (included with the lens) has been exclusively designed and machined from aluminum for the FUJINON XF lens. Its compact size delivers superb light shading performance in a design that perfectly matches X-Pro1 styling. Diameters of the aperture ring and focus ring of the three FUJINON XF-series interchangeable lenses are only slightly larger than the barrel for sleek uniformity of design. Precision machined from metal, the reassuring click of the aperture ring at each setting and the comfortable torque resistance when operating the focus ring enhances the shooting experience.

The X-Pro1’s leather-like finish is designed for a quality look and durability. The synthetic leather offers resistance to the elements and high durability, while an original manufacturing process produces a texture with the look and feel of authentic leather. The X-Pro1 has also been designed with the photographer’s comfort in mind. The natural fit of the eyepiece provides excellent shielding from light leakage, and an optional dioptic adjustment lens can also be attached.

Extending Fujifilm’s photo film legacy

In film cameras, capturing multiple exposures is the unique photographic technique of superimposing one image on another by double exposing a single frame of film. Through advanced digital processing the X-Pro1 can simulate this technique by simply selecting the Multiple Exposure mode and taking the first shot. By viewing the image via the Hybrid Multi Viewfinder or on the LCD screen, you can see how the finished multiple exposure will look and then precisely frame the second shot. Further enhancements have been made to the Film Simulation modes with the new Professional Color Negative Film Modes (Pro Neg. Std and Pro Neg. Hi) designed for X-Pro1 users working in the studio. The X-Pro1 also offers Film Simulation bracketing, along with AE, Dynamic and ISO bracketing; plus the ability to capture the colors and tonal qualities of popular FUJIFILM emulsions through the vibrant colors of Velvia, the softer skin tones of ASTIA and the natural look of PROVIA.

Replicating the effects of monochrome film photography the X-Pro1 lets you use color filters to expand your photographic interpretation. Heighten contrast with the yellow filter and red filter, or brighten greens and deepen reds with the green filter. Just as professional film photographers once selected a filter and printing paper to complement their creative vision, you can easily fine tune image quality with these filters. For those after a more nostalgic theme there is also a sepia filter.

Premium Accessory Lineup

The FinePix X-Pro1 has these additional premium accessory options that are sold separately:

Hand Grip, HG-XPro1 - Giving you more secure and balanced handling of the camera, the X-Pro1 accessory grip smoothly molds to the lines of the camera body for a uniform look. The grip helps balance the weight of the camera body, allowing for a more comfortable hold.
Shoe Mount Flash EF-X20 – Designed to match X-Pro1’s distinctive styling, a single dial lets you choose between two modes: AUTO - automatically optimizes flash for both outdoor daylight and dark indoor shots; and MANUAL - for hands-on control. In addition, the built-in flash diffuser has an easy one-touch process to soften harsh flash effects.
Leather Case LC-XPro1* - Beautifully molded to protect the X-Pro1, this leather case is designed to allow fast access for easy shooting. Attention has been given to every detail, from the color and spacing of the stitches to the use of a hidden magnet rather than a snap for closing the case. The premium case is complete with the authentic leather neck-strap and hood case.
Protector Filter 39mm and Protector Filter 52mm – These protection filters have high transmissivity without affecting the visible light, and the Super EBC coating effectively controls harmful borrowed light. The frame of the filters has a semi gloss black finish, keeping with the high sense of design, while the inner filter ring is finished in a matte black in order to minimize reflections.

Fujifilm announces X-Pro1 interchangeable lens camera | Digital Camera Resource Page News

2012-01-14T07:34:00.000-08:00

Fujifilm announces X-Pro1 interchangeable lens camera | Digital Camera Resource Page News

Fujifilm X-Pro1 interchangeable lens camera preview

2012-01-14T05:07:00.001-08:00

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/11/fujifilm-x-pro1-interchangeable-lens-camera-preview-video/

Self-Portrait in Red Ornaments

2011-12-17T23:40:00.001-08:00

Self-Portrait in Red Ornaments, originally uploaded by shaire productions.

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

2011-11-20T21:53:00.000-08:00

eBay - New & used electronics, cars, apparel, collectibles, sporting goods & more at low prices

Lounging Lord

2011-08-06T03:08:00.001-07:00

Lounging Lord , originally uploaded by Georgie_grrl.

A Most Beautiful Little Lens

2011-06-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

A Most Beautiful Little Lens: "

Lovers of the iconic and legendary "fast 50" will no doubt be delighted that the Micro 4/3 system continues to bear fruit in providing options, with the new Leica 25mm DG Summilux ASPH lens for Micro 4/3 just announced.

When I was a kid, the "fast 50" prime lens was the premium standard in every line. I tried 'em all during my "lens fanatic" days. Everyone had a good one—Nikon, Canon, Minolta, Miranda, Konica, and so on—and my favorite, the Pentax. About the only one that wasn't so good was the old 1961(?) Summilux-M, which was...decent, I guess (no hate towards users), but disappointing compared to the famous Summicrons that made Leica's fame. And also compared to Leica's highly characterful but aberration-laden earlier faster 50s like the wacky but delightful Summarit ƒ/1.5 that Johnny Deadman used to such great effect. So, in the later days of Leitz* and the early days of Leica, most M shooters ignored the 50mm Summilux in favor of the one-stop-slower 'Cron (or, in far fewer cases, the over-the-top Noctilux). Leica later made up for this with the 55mm-filter thread Summilux-R, which I very much liked and which, if I remember correctly, was the optical expert Harold Merklinger's favorite lens at the time.

Before the current 50mm Summilux-M ASPH (which I have written about extensively elsewhere) was introduced, Leica had actually been investigating the feasibility of a new no-holds-barred Summicron, but concluded that it would have to sell for so much that the cost wouldn't support the now modest ƒ/2 specification. So it decided to create an ƒ/1.4 version instead; this was the first great fast 50 for the M system—astonishingly well perfected. If a trifle clinical—gone was the "pleasing roundness" of image that Leica used to defend as being more satisfying to the eye than on the test bench.

It's amazing to consider how few cameramakers have provided a digital-specific "fast 50" equivalent. It wasn't until the 35mms for APS-C gained fashionability relatively recently—the Sony SAM and then the Nikon DX. Of course these are not premium lenses. Not that that really matters much these days, with lens manufacture essentially a solved problem.

Leica/Panasonic brought out a lovely 25mm ƒ/1.4 for the 4/3rds system (discontinued), a lens that is both characterful and excellent. It was also expensive and huge, and in these days when zooms have taken over like the rats in Hamlin, it found limited, if approving, favor.

Thank god that hasn't stopped Panasonic from creating this, the Micro 4/3 equivalent of that beautiful throwback. This Chinese website shows pictures of the lens and sample images; note especially pictures 5–8, which show the "right size" of the new lens compared to its 4/3 system counterpart. Perfect.

And the block diagram and MTF charts for this new lens reveal that it's definitely a premium lens. It's far from a classic Planar design, but nine elements with two aspheric elements and one "ultra" high refractive index element indicate an effort that was not cost-constrained to any significant degree. This will be an expensive lens when it gets here, but that will be okay with those who love fine lenses. (If that MTF chart fails to impress at first glance, note that the topmost line set is for 20 lp/mm, not 10 or 5 as on most MTF charts.)

That Chinese photographer knows how to put a fast prime through its paces to reveal its character. The bokeh—important, of course, for a lens of this specification—has all of the classic character (coherent but characterful, not fuzzy-smooth) that the best fast 50s provide. I would have no concerns about purchase on that score, except that I would want to look at the bokeh in the corners.

This new lens will doubtless not find vast popularity—primes are now the province of purists—but on the occasions you do see one in the future, you will have found a photographer who is in the know when it comes to fine optics.

Bravo, is my comment.

Here's the press release.

Mike

*The founding family of Leitz sold Leica in 1986. The underwhelming 50mm Summilux-M hunkered in the lineup unloved all the way until the early 2000s, outsold by the Summicron 10 to 1 by some reports.

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Original contents copyright 2011 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved.

Featured Comment by andy: "It should not escape the casual reader of this fine blog that now we, the superannuated former users of prime lens on rangefinders and oddball SLR bodies (think OM, Pentax) have a wealth of choices in the Micro 4/3 system in the classic lengths: 14/2.5 (28mm), 17/2.8 (35-ish mm), 20/1.7 (40mm), and the new 25/1.4 (50mm). Oly is soon to announce a 12/2 (24mm). I have the first three of these, and they are tiny, sharp, and eminently useable. And did I mention they were small? Best of all, they are not crazy-priced.

"If what you want—and it's a niche—is a fast, small kit for street and travel photography, and can't afford, or don't want to be a Leica-weenie, it's the best system around right now, IMHO."

Featured Comment by Steve G, Mendocino: "I'll be sticking to my 20mm ƒ/1.7, thanks. Love that little guy, which I use on an EP-1 with a Voigtlander 40mm viewfinder. I did purchase the Leica/Panasonic 45mm, and found it to be unimpressive—especially for the price—and wound up trading it back."

Featured Comment by Robin Dreyer: "As a user of the Nikon 35 DX I can say that there's nothing in the pictures to suggest that it's not a premium lens. I know it's really not, but it doesn't give you much reason to care. And when I take off my heavy work lens and put on the 35 and just take some pictures, it's like taking off my boots and putting on flip-flops."

The Pentax Q System

2011-06-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

The Pentax Q System: "

It's really difficult to show in a picture just how tiny the new Q really is.

I hardly know where to begin. But, since I've gotten pretty good over the years at anticipating typical web reactions to new products, I guess I'll start by saying this isn't "the Pentax mirrorless." No. Get that idea out of your brain. What it is is a premium point-and-shoot. A wee mini-digicam. You know, like the Olympus XZ-1, the Panasonic LX-5, and the Canon S95.

But it is different. It's the first mini system digicam. It has interchangeable lenses.

The sensor is not APS-C or 4/3rds size. It's a 1/2.3" digicam-sized sensor (6.16x4.62mm). So who in the world would design an interchangeable-lens premium point-and-shoot for such a small format?

Well, let me answer that rhetorical question with another question: does the Q system remind you of anything?

The Pentax Auto 110 system of 1978, world's only interchangeable-lens 110 camera. The 110 negative was 13x17mm and the film came in a cassette.

(The picture is a hint.)

So what does "Q" stand for, anyway? Quirky? Qute? (More on that in a moment.) There are a couple of trends that seem on the rise in Japan. One is, well, tininess, and the other is...let's call it "playfulness." Almost as if we are all starting to get just a bit tired of serious, utilitarian, cookie-cutter black-blob DSLRs and the everlasting pursuit of clinical perfection, and just want to have a little fun. So take a look at the system photo below:

(That clip-on optical finder, by the way, is for the standard prime lens.) So can you read the word engraved on those two lenses in the front? Here it is a little bigger in case you lost your reading glasses when you were out on the Bay in your cigarette boat today:

"Toy" lens? Whaaa?

Never fear, the standard prime lens (47mm-equivalent) and the standard zoom (27.5–83mm-e) are both top quality, highly corrected lenses. A third is a fisheye (!). The "Toy Lens Wide" (35mm-e) and "Toy Lens Telephoto" (100mm-e) are both designed with aberrations deliberately left in, like a toy camera, or a Lensbaby, or a Lomo. Each is only going to cost $79.95 (!!).

They're just for fun, in other words.

That can't possibly be for us.

Well, speaking of that, you might have noticed that in most of North America, it's the middle of the night as the embargo ends and this post goes up. Not a terribly logical time for a product introduction. You can probably guess where it's the middle of the day: Tokyo. The Q system might or might not be popular in the rest of the world, but I get the feeling it's basically a Japanese product for the Japanese market. It's all between Japan and Japan. So natter all you want about the concept: if you're not Japanese, you most likely weren't the immediate target. So chill out. You're invited to the party, you just don't happen to be the guest of honor this time around is all.

Littlest for now
I never put much store in smallest or "biggest" or "this-est" or "that-est." It doesn't seem like a real distinction. It's always provisional. Somebody can always out-do you later. Neverthless, the Q will be the smallest interchangeable-lens camera system on the market when it ships. Take that, other tiny cameras!

In any event, if I'm right and "tiny" and "fun" are both hot in Japan at the moment, then the Q system hits both objectives at least as hard as anything else out there. I don't know who can beat interchangeable $80 lomo-esque lenses and The Tiniest crown. Maybe if the camera came in paisley.

It doesn't, just black and white (both with the silver lens).

As you might expect from the foregoing, the camera will be available in Japan well in advance of shipping to the rest of the world. When it finally gets to North America next fall, it will be sold as a kit with the standard prime for somewhere in the neighborhood of $800.

So here's a few more points about the Q. As for what the Q stands for, I'll bet you've never heard this before: The original Pentax bayonet lens mount, the venerable K-mount, was called "K" because it was supposed to stand for for "king." As in, king of the lensmounts. Very early promotional material and advertisements actually featured a king playing card to play up the association. Well, so now you know what historical well they drew from to get the "Q" name:

Here's another fun fact about the Q system: Pentax engineers have actually been working on it for five years. They started the project before there was a sensor good enough for it, apparently trusting that, given the known pace of development, a good enough sensor would be along eventually. Only when Sony's latest back-illuminated CMOS sensor become available did Pentax finish the project and bring the product to completion.

I'm not going to run down all the features and settings, as there are a zillion places on the internet you can get all that. But I will just note that the camera has built-in sensor-shift image stabilization. And, I will note that I haven't the faintest idea what they're talking about with all that stuff about the in-camera "bokeh control," so don't ask me! (In fact, I'm not even sure I want to know.)

We'll definitely get one of these to test once they wend their way to these shores.

Mike

ADDENDUM by Ctein: No doubt there will be many folks upset with the small size of the sensor, but as one who did a reasonable amount of photography with a camera of very similar sensor size and pixel count (the Fuji S100), I can testify that entirely professional results are possible from that size and pixel count. By way of example, I'm selling 17x22" prints of the following photographs, and most folks do not consider my standards to be low:

Grasses in Liquid Sky
Reflections in Montreal Centre
Stairs in Montreal Centre
Mall of America Rooftop

and here are a couple of three-frame stitched panoramas:

Dam Falls
Lock and Falls

No, I don't expect the available light performance to be sterling. There's a lot of things I don't expect this camera to do. Only trying to preempt remarks of the "why waste a semi-professional design on such an amateur format" type.

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Featured Comment by Julian: "Hah! I just knew the big announcement would concern a Pentax product. My money was on a 'full-frame' DSLR to fill an obvious gap in the lineup, though."

Featured Comment by cgrab: "Great that the people at Pentax seem to have ideas of their own. First the 645 and now the Q-system. These cameras might not be for everyone, but certainly some people will want exactly that. Much better than another me-too product."

Featured Comment by John Roberts: "The price is indeed high, but kudos to Pentax for trying to keep the fun in photography (or maybe to put it back in). Does everything we do with a camera have to be 'professional grade'? Didn't we buy our first camera because we thought it would be fun to take pictures? It was only later that many of us got enslaved to the obsessive and unattainable pursuit of perfection. I'm for anything that shakes up the stuffiness of the photography world!"

Featured Comment by Aquemarropa: "No, thanks. An $800 camera with a sensor smaller than the one in the G12 or LX5? With Apple putting an 8MP camera in the next iPhone and having 1,000+ apps to customize your shooting, editing, post-production and (especially) sharing, it's clear that people can live with small sensor cameras if done right. Unfortunately for Pentax 'done right' really involves lower cost and more flexibility, not merely interchangeable toy lenses at the price of a Canon T3i. I suspect that after an initial sales flurry this system will be only slightly more popular than the niche Ricoh GXR system; and if I remember right Ricoh said they were aiming for 5,000 unit sales per month on that. I just cannot see people spending that kind of money on a camera merely for the pocketability factor considering the competition."

Featured Comment by T: "So many digital cameras, so few with a sensor the size of a piece of film."

Featured Comment by peter.gilbert: "Warning: Lenses may be a choking hazard for small children!"

Featured Comment by David H.: "The kit here in Japan (don't know which lens [kits will be sold with the standard prime —Ed.]) will be at about ¥70,000, which is might be a bit steep except for nuttier (?) enthusiasts who wouldn't mind paying that much for a halfway decent camera that is smaller than their car. Unfortunately, that price will likely never come down here, nor will much discount be found. At ¥40,000, I'd be tempted. At ¥70,000, it will need to be able to do things I know it can't. But I do know guys who might just pay that much....

"Small has always been big here, I just wonder why it has taken so long for companies to start to move to smaller digital cameras of decent quality. The vast majority of normal sane people I see taking photos are using cell/smart phones. Only old guys (and a few young women) are running around with huge Nikon D300s and such."

Featured Comment by Dave Luttmann: "$800? Dead in the water. Sorry, it's a cute idea, but overpriced. Come back at $500 and maybe we'll talk."

Featured Comment by John Eriksson: "This camera is quite capable of single-handedly murdering the premium compact segment (Canon G12), I think. I'm quite intrigued at this moment in time and might get one as soon as they are released here in Sweden."

Featured Comment by Amin: "When the rumors first emerged, I was as skeptical as anyone else. When the confirmation first came, I was as puzzled. Yet I find myself quickly warming to the idea. I like small gadgets, and this seems like good fun to me."

Featured Comment by Peter: "In sensors that small, a BSI [back-side illuminated —Ed.] sensor makes a big difference. Even though I recently got a smartphone, I still take along a Sony TX5 as my everyday camera, and it has probably the best low-light pictures out of any small-sensor digicam that I've ever used. Especially if you cheat and use the neat mode where the camera combines multiple frames to make a composite image in low-light. The technology is trickling down very quickly to the smartphone space as well.

"One odd observation: with all the talk about how the most recent Pentax DSLR's images are incredibly clean because of all the know-how they developed working around that Samsung sensor's noise a couple of generations back, you'd think they'd get more of the benefit of the doubt on their decision to finally bring this to market.

"As for the price, as many people have already mentioned, it's too rich for my blood. But that's just because I need a new camera system like I need a new hole in the head. I think when you consider the implications of interchangeable lenses, there will be a fair number of people who are willing to pay the $300 premium over a high-end, enthusiast compact. It'll depend greatly on what level of support Pentax brings to the table. Also unless demand is really high, or supply is really low, street prices will probably be lower."

Featured Comment by JohnMFlores: "In 2007 I purchased a Ricoh GX100 at a 50% premium over competing cameras from Canon, Panasonic, et al. Why? For the feel of it in my hands, the way the controls seemed to be directly connected to my mind's eye, and the way it disappeared when I tried to capture decisive moments. Connectivity—the organic kind—is important too, and if the Q offers that same feeling I'll happily pay the premium."

Featured Comment by John Robison: "What do these lenses use for light control? Rotating variable ND disc? I mean, at 8.5mm you sure couldn't afford to stop down very much before resolution suffers, a lot. I dunno, mayhaps there has been much progress in optical design for ultra short FL lenses lately. Clever idea though. I wonder if anyone else will jump on this concept.

"As for the 'toy' lenses. Well, a few years back Nikon sold (only in Japan I think) three or four lenses named 'Amusing Lenses.' If I recall correctly they were a fisheye, a 120mm that was macro or soft focus depending on how you configured the lens cells, and a 400mm ƒ/8. These were in the Nikon F mount, of course, and a full set today would probably go for one to two grand to a collector."

Ctein replies: John, first point: Focal length has nothing, directly, to do with resolution. Doesn't matter if it's an 8.5 mm lens or an 85 mm lens, it's the f-number (relative aperture) that limits resolution…if you have a diffraction limited lens. Big assumption, there.

Second point: you've never been able to stop down very far before resolution suffered, unless you were using large-format film. In a good 35mm system, with a top-quality lens and modern high-resolving films, stopping down below ƒ/4.8 sacrificed resolution. No joke. Most photographers never knew nor paid attention because they were incapable of testing this. It was my job to test for stuff like this.

Now that every semi-knowledgeable shutterbug with a large computer monitor can obsessively pixel-peep until their eyeballs bleed, you're seeing all sorts of panicky postings about how resolution degrades when you stop down too far.

Yawn. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Bottom line: you want to stop down very far to get increased depth of field or slow shutter speeds? Then you're going to sacrifice peak resolution.

Incidentally, for a system with the form factor of the new Pentax, the 'limiting aperture' isn't much different than it was for 35mm cameras. Somewhere between ƒ/4 and ƒ/5 .6. Stop down to ƒ/8 and you'll see a slight degradation in peak resolution. Stop down to ƒ/11 and you'll see a noticeable one. Stop down to ƒ/16 and it will be substantial.

As I said, same as the old boss.

Third point: short focal length lenses have been exceptionally good for many, many years. You can thank the motion picture industry for that. What's hard is making really good lenses with a wide field of coverage. But a short focal length lens for a smaller format, so that the field of coverage is the usual? Those lenses are really, really good.

Photo Editing with the iPad

2011-06-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Photo Editing with the iPad: "

A Guest Post by Chris Folsom from Studio Tempura.

Because of its small size and long battery life, the iPad represents a very compelling option for mobile photo editing. But how does it work? Well, the process can be a little slow and painful, but it can work.

I wanted to be able to make some quick edits while shooting the Preakness this year. My local paper had expressed an interest in running some shots on their website, but they wanted the images almost as they happened… so waiting until I got home wasn’t an option. I could bring my Macbook with me, but space was limited and I didn’t really want to carry around another 4.5lbs all day.

I decided to give the iPad a try. Here’s my workflow and some examples of shots edited on the iPad:

Import

With the Apple camera connection kit, this part of the process was a breeze. I used a USB cable hooked directly to my camera and imported the files to my iPad. The iPad automatically creates new galleries in the Photos app… “Last Import” and “All Imported”, making it very easy to find the images I pulled from the camera.

The 9th Race of the Preakness by Chris Folsom

RAW conversion

I spent the day shooting exclusively in RAW. Before the event, this was the element I was most concerned about… the iPad can import RAW images, but most editors don’t do well with anything that isn’t a JPG. Sure, they might let you edit the RAW file, but typically they are just using the lower-res embedded JPG within the RAW file.

Due to the subject I would be shooting (sports), I didn’t want to switch to JPG + RAW as it would lower my FPS and I like the flexibility of RAW, so I needed an application that would be able to work with those files. Thankfully, such an application exists: PiRAWhna

PiRAWhna ($9.99 on the Apple iTunes store) will search your iPad for RAW files and allow you to make minor edits (white balance, contrast, exposure, sharpening, etc) on the images before exporting them to .JPG while retaining their original resolution.

The application has had some less than stellar reviews, so I was hesitant to give it a try. I am glad I did though… I had no problems with stability on my iPad 2 and I was able to edit and export images in under a minute. The interface isn’t particularly slick, but it does the job well enough.

Women's Pro Volleyball by Chris Folsom

Edit

Once you have used PiRAWhna to convert your RAW images to JPG, you are free to use any number of image editors available for the iPad. My editor of choice is Photogene (http://www.mobile-pond.com/MobilePond/), which is about as close to Lightroom or Aperture as I have found on the iPad. Photogene will allow you to do further edits to your newly converted JPG file… crop, rotate, retouches, add vignette and more.

Pat Monohan, lead singer of Train by Chris Folsom

Send

Now that you have imported, converted and edited your image, it is ready to upload somewhere. Here too, the iPad has plenty of options. Twitter clients (and I definitely took advantage of Twitter during the event), Email, FTP clients… there are no shortage of options for getting photos out to the world. Assuming, of course, that you have internet connectivity.

Overall, I would say that I was fairly happy with my first attempt at using the iPad at an event. The editing process is certainly not as seamless as on my computer, but it gets the job done and is much less cumbersome than hauling around a laptop. So, next time you want to do some mobile photo edited, consider leaving your notebook at home and bring your iPad instead.

Chris Folsom is a Baltimore-based photographer. View more of his work at his website or on Flickr. You can also follow his photographic endeavors on Twitter.

Post from: Digital Photography School's Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

Photo Editing with the iPad

Rockport Technologies Alya.

2011-06-19T01:59:00.000-07:00

www.elfbi.com :: Voir le sujet - Rockport Technologies Alya... Singularité gravitationnelle !

Think Tank Airport Acceleration v2 bag backpack review | Cameralabs

2011-06-04T12:00:00.000-07:00

Think Tank Airport Acceleration v2 bag backpack review | Cameralabs

Fuji X100 Wins Camera Grand Prix Editors’ Choice Award | PhotographyBLOG

2011-06-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Fuji X100 Wins Camera Grand Prix Editors’ Choice Award | PhotographyBLOG

Article: 25 May 2011, Wednesday

2011-05-26T11:35:00.001-07:00

25 May 2011, Wednesday
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/00-new-today.htm#40bd8cc384e430234c751ed854852bea

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First Listen: Furutech/Alpha Design Labs GT40 USB DAC

2011-05-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

First Listen: Furutech/Alpha Design Labs GT40 USB DAC: "

Channels:

CyberListener

Blog Section:

CyberListener

Let’s get one point straight right up front. Calling the Furutech/Alpha Design Labs GT40 a “USB DAC” is like calling the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Carl Vincent “a nice secure place to store expensive airplanes.” While the statement is true, it definitely does not convey the whole truth—if you see my point.

GEC only:

not

Klipsch Image S4i Earphones Editorial Review

2011-05-22T04:56:00.000-07:00

Klipsch Image S4i Earphones Editorial Review: "

Klipsch Image S4i Earphones – What You Need To Know

The Klipsch Image S4i headphones offer both seamless iPod, iPad, iPhone control and great sounding audio reproduction. The 360 degree highly intelligible in line mic allows for voice control with the “Talking” iPod Shuffle and taking calls with the iPhone. The S4i also uses dual Neodymium magnets in each of the 8.5mm full range KG 25 drivers which increase the power of dynamic swings in the music and make for a clean and fast attacking bass.

The S4i’s come with three different sizing options. Getting the correct fit is very important because it will help to increase the isolation performance of the S4i, which in the best conditions can be up to -16dB. The plastic ear tip is also an oval shape which many reviews says is extremely comfortable and natural feeling. The cable is very durable and comes with a clothing clip to keep it in place and help reduce drag strain on the listener’s ears.

The only real complaint we’ve come across as far as design goes is that they cord can make a bit more noise than some users tend to prefer. When working out and moving around the feedback into the earbuds has some users wishing for less.

How Do The Klipsch Image S4i Sound?

Once again these popular iPod headphones are tilted towards the younger and bass centered pop and hip hop generation. Which you either love or hate. But apparently the bass is punchier than the Beats by Dr. Dre and the sound overall has been said to be better than the Beats Control Talk. The mid-range and high end lack presents and are said to come from ‘behind a closed door.’ One could argue though this is a fit issue. I’ve personally have had earphones that sound that way when they shift to a poor position in my ear.

Audiophile might want to steer clear but someone looking for bass driven sound should definitely check these out.

Do you use the Klipsch Image S4i Earphones?

Let others know how they work for you.

Use the comments below or write a full review using the below links.

More Headphones from Klipsch >>

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Popular Headphones

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FRANK ZAPPA Them Or Us Prog Rock, Jazz Rock Vinyl Record Information For Collectors & Price Guide

2011-05-15T11:31:00.001-07:00

http://vinylrecords.ch/F/FR/Frank_Zappa/Them/frank-zappa-them-us-33.html

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Check out this image

2011-05-13T13:05:00.001-07:00

I wanted to share something on Photobucket with you!

See the fullsize version at: http://media.photobucket.com/image/pinup/bperry1397/Pinup%20photos/newmiki6.jpg?evt=user_media_share

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Article: 5 Reasons Why Shooting With a Rangefinder Will Make You a Better Street Photographer

2011-05-05T10:47:00.001-07:00

5 Reasons Why Shooting With a Rangefinder Will Make You a Better Street Photographer
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/5-reasons-why-shooting-with-a-rangefinder-will-make-you-a-better-street-photographe

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Article: Man dies as Yverdon traffic police question him

2011-05-05T10:46:00.001-07:00

Man dies as Yverdon traffic police question him
http://genevalunch.com/blog/2011/05/05/man-dies-as-yverdon-traffic-police-question-him/

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Article: 10 Things You Should Know About Pippa Middleton

2011-05-04T11:09:00.001-07:00

10 Things You Should Know About Pippa Middleton
http://www.popeater.com/2011/05/04/10-things-pippa-middleton/

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Article: La Aurora Corojo – Cigar Review

2011-05-04T11:07:00.001-07:00

La Aurora Corojo – Cigar Review
http://www.fireupthatcigar.com/igar-reviews/la-aurora-corojo-cigar-review/

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Nikon Lens: Primes - Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED AF-S Nikkor (Tested) - SLRgear.com!

2011-04-29T10:02:00.000-07:00

Nikkor 24mm F/1.4

SLRgear Review
April 25, 2011
by Andrew Alexander

Released in February 2010, the 24mm ƒ/1.4G AF-S began a string of modern fast primes produced by Nikon, as it overhauled and improved its offering in this area. The 24mm lens is brand new to the lineup, the previously fastest, widest lens on offer from Nikon being the 28mm ƒ/1.4.
The lens was designed with the FX sensor or 35mm film in mind, and is also compatible with DX-sized sensors. On those cameras, the lens will produce a field of view of approximately 36mm.
The lens takes 77mm filters, ships with a petal-shaped lens hood, and is available now for approximately $2,200.
Sharpness
Mounted on the sub-frame D300s, the 35mm ƒ/1.4G produced slightly soft results wide open at ƒ/1.4. Slightly sharper performance was obtained by stopping down to ƒ/2, showing decent sharpness in the center and tapering off to light softness in the corners. It isn't until ƒ/2.8 that we start seeing very sharp results throughout the frame, with almost negligible softness in the corners; stopping down further provides only marginal improvements. The sharpest results are found at ƒ/5.6, but at that point we are seeing very slight differences between aperture. Diffraction limiting begins to appear on the D300s at ƒ/8, but it isn't until the lens is fully stopped-down at ƒ/16 that there's any practical impact on sharpness, where it still produces slightly sharper results than when used wide open at ƒ/1.4.

Nikon Lens: Primes - Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED AF-S Nikkor (Tested) - SLRgear.com!

Shutterbug: Nikon D5100 D-SLR

2011-04-29T09:59:00.000-07:00

Nikon D5100 D-SLR By Press Release April 25, 2011 — Nikon announced the new 16.2-megapixel Nikon D5100 Digital SLR. The Nikon D5100 includes features such as a new 3-inch, super sharp 921,000-dot Vari-angle LCD screen and full HD (1080p) movie recording with full-time autofocus. The 16.2-megapixel D5100 is also the first Nikon D-SLR to provide in-camera effects that can be applied to both photos and movies to deliver even more creative expression.

Shutterbug: Nikon D5100 D-SLR

New sample images taken with the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G lens

2011-04-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

New sample images taken with the Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G lens: "

In addition to the official samples provided by Nikon France (above), here are few more photographs taken with the new Nikkor AF-S 50mm f/1.8G lens by flickr member Phantomas:

AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on D700 @ f/1.8

AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on D700 @ f/1.8

AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on D700 @ f/1.8

AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on D700 @ f/1.8

AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on D700 @ f/2.8

AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G on D700 @ f/1.8

Update: all images were removed from flickr shortly after this post went online (???) Sorry, out of my control.

Update#2: some more sample images can be found here.

Posted by NikonRumors.com

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Confusion: new AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.8G lens

More Nikon AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G DX sample images

Nikon D3/D60 + Nikkor 35mm/F1.8G DX sample images

Evolution Of The Classic: The New AF-S NIKKOR 50mm F/1.8G Lens

2011-04-28T10:29:00.000-07:00

Evolution Of The Classic: The New AF-S NIKKOR 50mm F/1.8G Lens: "

MELVILLE, N.Y. (April 27, 2011) – Nikon Inc. today announced the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens, a fast, compact lens that affords photographers the versatility of the classic 50mm focal length and the benefits of a fast aperture for photos and D-movies. Whether a new D-SLR enthusiast or a seasoned pro, users will appreciate the tack-sharp image quality, extreme low-light performance, shallow depth of field and Nikon core technologies that improve upon the original to make a great lens even better.

The 50mm lens has been a staple for photographers since the 35mm film days, and this new lens enables Nikon customers that shoot photos and movies to discover the creative benefits of this traditional focal length,” said Lisa Osorio, general manager of marketing at Nikon Inc. “This f/1.8 prime lens offers exceptional image quality and control, and benefits from modern Nikon technologies to enhance performance such as the Silent Wave Motor and use of an aspheric lens – it’s a very attractive package for any shooting discipline.”

Lightweight, compact and affordable, this lens will easily become a favorite and find a home in any photographer’s gear bag. With the unique ability to mimic the focal length of the human eye, the AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens is ideal for travel, general photography, low-light, landscape shooting and portraiture. This lens continues the tradition of NIKKOR precision optics to provide photographers with sharp, high-resolution images and the ability to focus as close as 1.48 feet, with amazing depth of field control for intimate details. The integration of an ultra-compact Silent Wave Motor ensures fast, whisper-quiet AF operation, which is essential when recording movies. Optimized for Nikon FX-format cameras, this lens is also a great option for Nikon DX-format photographers seeking a fast, sharp lens for capturing images with amazing color and contrast.

The new 50mm f/1.8 lens construction consists of seven elements in six groups, with one aspherical lens element to reduce instances of coma and aberration, even when shooting wide open. A rounded diaphragm opening combined with the seven-blade aperture contributes to a substantially more circular bokeh for a more natural appearance of out-of-focus background elements. Additionally, instances of lens flare and chromatic aberration are suppressed using Nikon’s exclusive Super Integrated Coatings, which also help ensure vividly accurate color balance.

The AF-S NIKKOR 50mm f/1.8G lens is scheduled to be available at Nikon authorized dealers beginning June 16, 2011 at an estimated selling price of $219.95.* For more information, please visit www.nikonusa.com.

*Estimated selling price listed only as a suggestion. Actual prices are set by dealers and are subject to change at any time.

Press Contacts: MWW Group

Geoff Coalter | gcoalter@mww.com | 201-507-9500

Matt Kopacz | mkopacz@mww.com | 201-507-9500

7 Tips for Helping Women Love having their Photo Taken by You

2011-04-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

7 Tips for Helping Women Love having their Photo Taken by You: "

When I look at a picture of myself, I can point out a million things I hate: my hair is always flat, I hate the ptosis in my left eye, I hate the shape of my brow bone, I have a bad complexion. And I’m a photographer! How can I expect women in front of my camera to feel any different than I do when I have to endure having my photo taken? I know that some men hate having their photo taken, too, and many of them probably aren’t as easy to admit that they hate their complexion or the shape of their brow bone, but I’m sure they think these things.

As in any situation, we photographers just need to start by asking ourselves…what would we want? How would we want a photographer to treat us? It’s a pretty simple, solution, really…to behave in line with the golden rule.

Women usually aren’t afraid to offer criticism about themselves. In fact, we’re downright professionals at criticizing ourselves. So if a woman truly hates having her photo taken, she usually says so upon making the booking with you. At that point, I would first congratulate her on coming to the point of actually making the booking in the first place. That’s a big step!

I wouldn’t have a questionnaire for her to fill out about the things she hates about herself. And I wouldn’t make promises and I definitely wouldn’t mention the word ‘Photoshop’. The instant you say ‘Photoshop’, I guarantee that 90% of women instantly begin thinking of Madonna, Kim Kardashian…any and every celebrity who looks NOTHING in real person like they do in magazines. And they may expect/require you to edit every last hair on their head, freckle on their body, roll of fat on their hips. And before you know it, you’ve aged 10 years infront of your computer editing one session.

Instead, this is how I would proceed:

Upon the first conversation and placing the booking, just assure her that having photographs taken by a professional is different and if she’s never done it before, she will probably love it in the end.

Simply ask: “what do you hate about it?” This will probably lead on to things she hates about herself. But don’t let her dwell on it too long. Ask what she loves about herself. Make notes about all this and keep them to yourself.

When you start shooting, she might behave or seem awkward and uncomfortable. If so, talk to her as you’re shooting. Ask if she feels a certain side is her ‘good side’. Get her laughing. Tell her she looks great. But don’t patronize her. I mean…I know my left eye is droopy from Ptosis. If someone said it wasn’t, that would make me more uncomfortable.

When I edit, I will subtly smooth and ’suck in’ bumps and bulges. I won’t eradicate them all together because that wouldn’t be natural. But I just do a little work that she won’t even notice and I’ve never had a woman as to get her muffin top put back the way it was! Of course, I understand that this is a controversial topic and doesn’t work for everyone.

Some tips on photographing women:

For goodness sake. Please PLEASE be responsible with low shots. I very rarely see a photo of a woman taken from down low (looking up) that doesn’t make her look totally unattractive. This isn’t a good angle no matter the size or shape of who you’re photographing. Friends don’t let friends get photographed this way so beware that a loving friend may tackle you at any point should you choose to proceed with a low shot.

On the opposite side of the spectrum. shooting from above (or even a slightly down-angeled POV) can be very flattering for a lady, particularly a fuller figured one. But also beware that this is the calling card of a large lady – this trick has become so well known. Don’t overdo it or you’ll be kind of highlighting the fact that she’s larger rather than minimizing it.

Learn from the red carpet – those poses aren’t accidental. Celebrities have training for how to handle the red carpet photographers. Learn their tricks so you can guide your subjects through poses that will highlight their lovely long legs or help minimize their post-partum baby bulge. And you don’t have to tell them what you’re doing because naturally, that will make them feel self conscious.

One hour with a sensitive professional can change a woman’s view of herself forever.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

7 Tips for Helping Women Love having their Photo Taken by You

Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G

2011-04-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8 G

Finally—A way to hook your iPad to Photoshop!

2011-04-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

Finally—A way to hook your iPad to Photoshop!: "

Ever since I first saw an iPad I thought what a perfect companion it’d be to a desktop version of Photoshop. A convenient input output device with its own processor it may not have the touch resolution of the much more expensive and special purpose Cintiq from Wacom but it is certainly much more command and with multi-touch offers some unique advantages. As of the recent crop of Android tablets the same can be said for the Android platform.

So today Adobe has announced exactly what I’d envisioned.

Lens Review: Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED AF-S

2011-04-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Lens Review: Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED AF-S: "Today's lens review is the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED AF-S. Released in February 2011, this lens is the widest and fastest offered by Nikon, producing a unique perspective from which to make photographs. It doesn't come without a hefty price tag, however, making many wonder if that unique perspective is worth the money. We've finished putting the lens through its paces in our lab - click here to read our full review of the Nikon 24mm f/1.4G ED AF-S.
(read more)"

Article: Ultimate Gadgets for Grilling

2011-04-20T10:51:00.001-07:00

Ultimate Gadgets for Grilling
http://www.notcot.com/archives/2011/04/ultimate-gadgets-for-grilling.php

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Article: Jean-Marie Reynaud nous a quitté, il laissera un grand vide !

2011-04-20T10:46:00.001-07:00

Jean-Marie Reynaud nous a quitté, il laissera un grand vide !
http://alexandre-hifi.blogspot.com/2011/04/jean-marie-reynaud-nous-quitte-il.html

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Palais de Justice in Montbenon, Lausanne.

2011-04-17T22:04:00.001-07:00

Palais de Justice in Montbenon, Lausanne., originally uploaded by ayush.bhandari.

Article: 1954 Leica, 2011 Fujifilm

2011-03-09T10:50:00.000-08:00

1954 Leica, 2011 Fujifilm
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/03/08/1954-leica-2011-fiji.html

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5 Mistakes Digital Photographers Should Avoid

2011-03-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

5 Mistakes Digital Photographers Should Avoid: "

It never ceases to amaze me the number of fuzzy, low resolution, badly exposed and composed photographs that people take. Whether they’ve all been brainwashed to need to click that button as fast as possible or are just finding the reality that few subjects sit still, i.e. children, too many people forget that the camera is a tool for them to capture their life’s moments. This article explores five mistakes that every digital photographer can avoid.

Photo captured by Jamie Goodsell (Click Image to See More From Jamie Goodsell)

1. Capture photos at low resolution. Wanting to squeeze every last bit of space you can on a memory card, you select to take photos at a lower resolution. Great if all you ever want is to email them or post them on Facebook. But what if you may want to print one out, frame one, or even use them in a photobook? Setting your camera to capture photos at the highest resolution possible gives you maximum flexibility. You’ll be able to crop and print with confidence, enlarge within reason, make slideshows and even shrink to email. Memory sticks are an inexpensive investment for maximum flexibility.

2. Snap one photo at a time. This is likely a carry-over from the old film emulsion days where you only had 36 frames available. With digital, you can snap away until your heart is content — you even have a special function for it called continuous shutter. Not only will that increase your chances of getting one sharp photo, you may even get one with their eyes open, lovely smile, funny look, inspired moment, etc.

3. Fear of deleting. Oh dear. We’ve all done it. Kept a bunch of ‘well, maybe I’ll use that one day’ photos. Really, unless it’s the ONLY image of a special event/person that you have, delete the blurry, out of focus, badly composed, uninspired, dull, etc. photos as you go along. Be brutal otherwise they’ll pile up on you faster than you can imagine and make sorting and organizing a nightmare. Related to this is not uploading the photographs onto a computer. It’s very difficult to properly assess the quality of an image on that tiny screen. So please, upload them frequently (and delete the bad ones).

4. Don’t practice using their cameras. Ahhhh, the little green auto setting. Why do people assume that this will result in the best shot? While in many cases the results are good, a little extra work can take an ok picture to a really good if not excellent one. Read your manual, take an online course, practice. Find out what results you get in which conditions so you know how to best correct / take advantage. Don’t be frightened of your camera — it’s job is to capture your memories.

5. Dodgy composition. You may not be able to do anything about grandma’s floral sofa, the artwork on the wall or the dishes on the table, but you can certainly move people to other places so that they star in the image rather than compete with the environment. Having people just sit closer together, having them sit on the floor, shifting distracting objects, adding/removing some lighting, etc. are only a few ways to quickly de-clutter photographs. Extra tip for group photos: have them keep their eyes shut until you say open, then snap.

So here’s how to avoid these mistakes. First set your camera to high resolution and on continuous shutter. Then go out and buy another memory card. Next, delete any bad photos you already have (from your computer and camera). Take your camera out and practice — on anything and anyone — to see how different lighting and settings impact your results. Finally, think twice when you snap a ‘memory’ shot. A few extra moments before you click the shutter may make the world of difference to the emotion you’ll feel when you see the result.

Martine Kerr

Go to full article: 5 Mistakes Digital Photographers Should Avoid

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Article from: PictureCorrect Photography Tips

Nikon D800 rumors

2011-02-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Nikon D800 rumors: "

Several tips indicated that no Nikon pro body will be released before the summer. August/September is the time frame mentioned by several sources. Previous reports suggested that certain Nikon offices have already blocked employees from taking vacation in the last two weeks of August 2011. The CliQ show (formerly known as PMA) will start on September 6th, 2011.

This dpreview poster claims that the D800 will have a sensor carriage that can be removed by an authorized dealer. The rest of the specs: 16.4MP FX and 12MP B&W sensors, 3.3″ LCD screen with a built in collapsible hood, new MB-D10i battery grip, 1/16000sec, full HD video at 120fps. This rumor could be influenced by the recent interchangeable sensor patents filed by Nikon. From patent application 2010-258657 :

“To provide an imaging device that has no restrictions on designing, can make an accurate alignment of a light-receiving surface of an imaging element, and has a removable imaging unit.”

The German photographer Claudius Schulze reported on his blog that he was able to pre-order a Nikon D800 camera:

“Before teaching workshops this weekend in Munich and before flying to Yemen on Monday, I met with representatives of my suppliers, partners, and sponsors today. At that occasion, I was also able to (pre-)order the upcoming Nikon D800.”

After exchanging several emails with Claudius, I learned that he pre-ordered the D800 through a Nikon rep from a local dealer. Some of the mentioned specs are: around 20MP sensor, full HD video and 100% viewfinder. Availability again is set for late summer.

Parts for Nikon D800 started to show up online again, like this LCD screen for example.

Posted by NikonRumors.com

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The Joy of Standard Lenses

2011-02-27T07:17:00.000-08:00

The Joy of Standard Lenses: "

Guest Post by Jachin Mandeno

In the days of film, SLRs often came with a 50mm standard lens, but nowadays most DSLRs come with a zoom lens and many people have no idea how good a standard lens can be. Let’s find out, starting with the basics…

What is a standard lens?

A standard lens is a ‘tweener: it’s between wide angle and telephoto.

A standard lens makes things look much as they do with the naked eye. A wide angle lens will exaggerate the distance between near and far objects, while a telephoto lens will compress that space. A standard lens will make the distance between near and far objects look ‘normal’, and a standard lens is sometimes called a normal lens.

On a 35mm film camera and a ‘full frame’ DSLR a normal lens is a 40-50mm lens. Mid to low range DSLRs (e.g. Canon APS-C, Nikon DX) have smaller sensors so a normal lens is in the 25-31mm range, and if you use Four Thirds look for 20-25mm lenses.

What’s so great about a standard lens?

At least six things…

1) A photo taken with a standard lens can be very relaxing and natural because things look ‘normal’. Photos taken with a wide angle lens tend to be very active and pull the viewer into the photo, while photos taken with telephoto lenses tend to feel a bit sterile: because photos taken with standard lenses don’t have these effects the viewer goes straight to interacting with what’s in the picture. Wide angle and telephoto lenses place an optical effect between the viewer and subject, while a standard lens ‘gets out of the way’.

2) A prime (non-zoom) standard lens lets in a lot more light than a zoom does. A typical amateur-grade zoom lens set to 28mm will have a maximum aperture of f4, while a budget 28mm prime lens can let in twice as much light at f2.8 and an expensive 30mm prime lens can let in eight times as much light at f1.4. Those larger apertures (smaller f-numbers) are valuable, being good for getting nicely blurred backgrounds, working in low light without flash, increasing flash range, and improving image quality by keeping the ISO down.

3) A prime standard lens is small, light, and unobtrusive. Having a zoom lens that looks like an artillery piece mounted on your camera is not a good way to make other people feel comfortable, while a prime standard lens looks harmless.

4) Prime standard lenses give you more bang for your buck when it comes to image quality. The sharpness and resolution (ability to show fine detail) that prime lenses provide is far superior to that of zoom lenses unless you’re willing to spend very serious money on a zoom. Sharpness and resolution are often given too much importance in my humble opinion, but in this case we’re talking about a substantial difference. Zoom lenses are particuarly prone to unpleasant visual effects such as chromatic aberration [link to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromatic_aberration], while such problems are normally minor or absent in prime lenses.

5) Versatility. My personal experience is that a standard lens is Goldilocks – just right – in many situations, and that’s why one lives on my camera (more on this later). Obviously this won’t apply to you if all you do is take photos of lions!

6) I have found that photos taken with prime lenses have a little bit of magic that those taken with zoom lenses don’t. You can set a zoom lens to 28mm or whatever is appropriate for your camera and make it a standard lens, but you won’t get the magic. You really have to see it to understand it, but I love prime lenses because to my eye they produce photos that look more life-like and less two-dimensional. To put it another way, when I see a photo taken with a prime lens I’m more likely to feel as if I’m really there, a participant rather than a viewer.

What’s a standard lens good for?

A standard lens is really a general purpose lens that works well when you have a bit of room to move around and find a good position to shoot from. It’s very good for full length portraits, group photos, street photography, landscapes, and social occasions.

The photos included in this post were taken with a standard lens and, apart from the shot of the dramatic rainclouds, all were taken at f2.8 in aperture priority mode (A or Av on your camera). You can see how using f2.8 limits the depth of field, giving a nicely blurred background that reduces distractions and makes the subject stand out.

As with any lens it’s best to be at least six feet away from the subject when photographing people: much closer than that and you risk giving faces an unpleasant appearance. I just imagine a bed lying between me and the subject and that’s about six feet.

What standard lenses are available?

If you don’t mind manual focus and manual aperture control old lenses with a M42/Pentax screw mount can be attached to a DSLR with an adapter, but first find out how your camera will behave in this situation. I have done this with a Canon and it works very well with standard and wide angle lenses, while things get trickier with telephotos. Pentax prime lenses are highly regarded.

For Canon users the Canon EF 28mm f2.8 is a good budget option and I use this. My main criticism of this lens is that the autofocus is noisy and slow, especially in very low light. However, its autofocus performance is good for the price and it’s very good optically.

If you can afford it the Sigma 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM is very good and made for a variety of camera types. It offers fast, quiet autofocus that works well in low light.

I’m interested in hearing your recommendations for standard lenses that fit Canon and other camera brands, as well as your experiences with standard lenses.

There’s a lot to be said for the humble standard lens and I hope that you’ll try one out: it really is nice to be normal.

Jachin Mandeno lives in Auckland, New Zealand and publishes photos as Mandeno Moments. A dinosaur from the film age, he is particularly fond of photographing the peculiar species called Homo Sapiens. Click here to join his email list

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

The Joy of Standard Lenses

14 Amazing Photographs From Romain Laurent

2011-02-27T03:09:00.001-08:00

14 Amazing Photographs From Romain Laurent

by admin on February 26, 2011

Romain Laurent is a very talented French photographer, he has created lot of extremely beautiful and interesting photographs and artworks, in this post we have showcased some of mindblowing photographs, we hope that you will like his photographs, feel free to share your comments with our readers.

India - Editor's Choice 12/2/11

2011-02-22T10:13:00.001-08:00

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=13534

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All photographers are potential terrorists, say police news - Amateur Photographer - news, camera reviews, lens reviews, camera equipment guides, photography courses, competitions, photography forums

2011-02-22T10:10:00.000-08:00

http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/news/All_photographers_are_potential_terrorists_say_police_news_305758.html

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Article: Vinyl Record News & Notes, Did You Know?

2011-02-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

Vinyl Record News & Notes, Did You Know?
http://collectingvinylrecords.blogspot.com/2011/02/vinyl-record-news-notes-did-you-know_21.html

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Article: A traveller’s guide to digital cameras

2011-02-21T12:10:00.000-08:00

A traveller's guide to digital cameras
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/asia/travel-tips-and-articles/76160?affil=twit

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The Non-Audiophile Guide to Getting Great Sound At Home

2011-02-10T11:23:00.001-08:00

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The Non-Audiophile Guide to Getting Great Sound At Home

Audio Component and Speaker Buying Guide for Regular People

I've been asked by a lot of non-audiophiles friends, what they should buy to get great sound at home? If this sounds like you, than this is the guide to read – the "regular" person's guide to getting great sound at home.

These days it is possible to spend a couple hundred dollars, or even a couple thousand dollars, on a home audio system and not be very happy with it. Audio isn't easy like digital cameras, smart phones or laptop computers. Why isn't it as easy? Well people are much more sensitive to bad sound than to an annoying feature on a smart phone or small computer screen. Hearing is so primal an ability in humans that some believe we developed it before seeing. Plus if we aren't using our brains to constantly block out sounds, voices, conversations, we find irritating, we'd be driven mad. Our ears are extremely sensitive, and our brains are very good at analyzing sound. Ultimately, if you get a sound at home you don't like, than you've most likely wasted money because you'll never truly enjoy the music or movies you truly love.

Determine your needs

What are you looking for:
- Portable Audio Solutions – Music on the GO? – iPod – PMP	YES – Click Here
- All-in-One solution for a bedroom, kitchen, office?	YES – Click Here
- Powered Computer Speakers?	YES – Click Here
- A real stereo – CDPlayer Amplifier Turntable HiFi?	YES – Click Here
- Multi-Channel home theater system?	YES – Click Here

The Four Questions:

First – What Kind of Sounds Pleases You?

· This really is the hardest question to answer. Because if you don't know, than you may end up with a system you don't want to listen to. So lets figure this out.

· Do you like the warm smooth purr of a cat? How about the brash sound of a live trumpet? Do crystal clear chimes thrill you? Or what about bomb-blasting-deep bass? Do all these ...

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DSLR Camera Review: Nikon D7000 vs. Canon 60D

2011-02-10T11:20:00.001-08:00

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DSLR Camera Review: Nikon D7000 vs. Canon 60D

I wrote a review back in November that compared the Nikon D3100 to the Canon Rebel T1i. It was not a technical, on-the-bench type of article full of jargon and esoteric detail, but a hands-on field-test by someone who uses cameras to make a living all day long. I just tried to give my best 'first impression' of these two very similar pieces of gear, pieces that are frequently the starting point for long relationships with their respective manufacturers.

Thanks to my friends over at Bennett's Camera in New Orleans, I'm back with another review, this time between the hot, new and very-popular Nikon D7000 camera body and the Canon 60D. Once again, this will be a 'first impression' look at both of these two cameras, each of which might be considered as an upgrade from their entry-level DSLR brethren. (Maybe you already own an older Canon Rebel camera or a Nikon D90.) We'll shoot some photos with each camera and then do a bit of video.

They've outfitted me with these two cameras and their respective name-brand zooms, namely, the 24-70mm f 2.8 Canon and Nikon zooms. These are some beautiful setups! Although the lenses could be the subject of a comparison review themselves, here we're going to concentrate o...

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Landscape Photographers: Sources for Inspiration

2011-02-10T11:19:00.003-08:00

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Landscape Photographers: Sources for Inspiration

FAVORITE LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHERS

Some of my favorite landscape photographers. Each of these links to a photographer's website; you can poke around inside any of these links to see more great images.

William Neill shoots beautiful landscapes, mostly in the western U.S. The still life close-ups are also fantastic. This links to his blog which he updates regularly.

Michael Kenna. Kenna is a British landscape photographer who now lives in the western U.S. His website is chock-full of great images and he updates it often. Spend some time on this site and you'll definitely get inspired.

Bill Schwab. Schwab shoots the most beautiful, serene landscapes. He still shoots film! And he does lots of very old school printing (palladium, collodian).

Brian Kosoff. Former New York still life shooter who decided to step outside. The site is beautiful, all black and white, but not updated recently.

Rolfe Horn. Horn shoots beautiful, iconic black and white images. He used to assist Michael Kenna (listed above) and it shows in his choice of imagery. The most interesting section of the website is the 'Technique' tab in which he talks openly about his printing process.

Josef Hoflehner. Austrian photograher who has photographed worldwide.

Michael Frye. Another western U.S. shooter. Frye's blog is a lot of fun to ready and you'll learn something about shooting as well. One of my favorites to visit for all the great and varied information.

John Paul Caponigro's web site. This is the link to a scrolling set...

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Vivian Maier, Street Photographer

2011-02-10T11:19:00.001-08:00

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Vivian Maier, Street Photographer

Vivian Maier, self portrait in Chicago, early 1960s.

I had an artist friend of mine email me a link to this amazing video over at wimp.com about Vivian Maier, an until-recently unknown Chicago street photographer who was active as a shooter in that city for many, many years, all the while working in complete obscurity.

Thanks to the hard work of a Chicago real estate agent John Maloof, who stumbled upon a box of her negatives at an estate sale, she is now becoming known as one of the true American talents of the mid to late 20^th century.

Young girl in car, Chicago. (Photo by Vivian Maier)

I grew up as a young photographer nourished by the work of photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Robert Frank, whose 'found moments' out on the street did much to inspire my own shooting.

These images speak to me in similar fashion.

Girl in white dress, Chicago. (Photo by Vivian Maier)

Watch the video, admire her work, check out the related links. We haven't seen the last of Vivian Maier.

Related articles on the web:

Finding Vivian Maier at the Chicago Cultural Center opened January 7, 2011, running through March 2011

John Maloof's Vivian Maier blog at blogspot.com

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The Importance of Cropping

2011-02-10T11:17:00.001-08:00

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The Importance of Cropping

CROPPING THEN AND NOW

I find that the longer I work as a photographer, the less sure I am, the more relative things seem, when it comes to image cropping. Although I always work to find the best composition possible when out in the field, it's interesting to me how sometimes things change once I'm back with Photoshop, my 'digital darkroom.'

Early in my career, the fashion was to file out the edge borders of your negative carrier and print the resulting black border, thus 'proving' that you had printed the entire, uncropped image. This was deemed as a purer expression of artistic intent…or maybe we just really, really liked the black borders! I'm not sure. I still like black borders as a way to set off an image edge and give it definition, only these days I add the border in Photoshop. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

I view image cropping as a part of the creative process of image-making. Sometimes it's a vital part of the process.

A CASE IN POINT

The lead image for this article is a good example of how cropping can improve an image. The original composition is below.

I originally was attracted to this line of trees, and the notion of lining them up parallel to these concrete barriers. It seemed like a decent, not great composition. I shot it and moved on, not feeling particularly strongly about the shot. Then while doing the initial edit from this shooting trip, I saw the other possibility: by cropping the image up and making it a square-vertical, I could emphasize the foggy 'tunnel' through the trees, with the glowing light out in the distance:

Here's the crop I ended up using. The othe...

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5 Photo Items To Pack and 4 To Leave At Home For Your Next Family Vacation

2011-02-09T10:22:00.000-08:00

5 Photo Items To Pack and 4 To Leave At Home For Your Next Family Vacation: "

For many of us vacations, or holidays, can be a stressful time, photographically speaking. The types of trips I’m talking about here are the ones flying to a location with solid photography potential and the whole family is in tow. These trips often call for a certain level of compromise on the part of any picture taking parent. Balancing the desire to grab my full photo kit and still manage to have enough room for all the family essentials. I have been on multiple trips with my nine year old daughter and I can attest to the learning curve and how the balance can change with every trip.

Not only is gear space and weight important, the shooting potential when on a family trip can often be limited, and for good reason. It’s not a solo trip where I get to decide when and where I travel, it’s a family trip and everyone’s needs and desires come into play. Finding that balance with family time and shooting time is way beyond the scope of this post, but I do hope to help you lighten your gear load by only packing what is truly needed given the compromising structure of any family vacation.

Items To Pack

Lenses

Bring, at most, two lenses. A telephoto zoom and a wide angle zoom are all that is needed. That 400mm monster? Leave it at home. Yes, you might miss out on some great birding photos, but if this is a family trip, it’s going to be about compromise. Maybe find a simple, easy lens for a trip like this. Remember that you may be handing the camera over to other family members, depending on age, to shoot some shots. Keep it simple and easy. An 18-200mm lens works well as an all around travel lens, for those with a 1.6x crop factor camera, and there are some quality options available for most any manufacturer. If you must bring multiple lenses, try to pack them in a bag that handle double duty for daily snacks and water when out and about during your daily excursions.

Polarizing Filter

If you were to bring just one filter on a trip, bring a polarization filter. From cutting down glare of the ocean waves to removing pesky reflections on buildings to increasing contrast and saturation in other situations, a polarization filter will serve you well. I would suggest keeping it in its original container (see below when you’re not bringing your full filter wallet) for protection.

UV/Haze Filter

Chances are you have one of these on your camera already. It will help protect your lens from spray and all that sand you’ll encounter while lounging on the beach.

Shot List

Many of us travel with a shot list, be it a prescribed list for any trip or something specific for the location of intent. The most important reason to have a shot list on a family trip is to share it with everyone. This serves three purposes: 1) It lets everyone know what is important for you to see on the trip. 2) It gives others a chance to offer input and make photography more fun for everyone (ask for suggestions to help everyone feel involved, especially if your kids have favorite things they like to have photos of) 3) It helps keep you sane and limited. Don’t make the list too gargantuan, keep it limited to the most important items so you don’t feel constantly torn between family time and shooting time.

Extra Cards

Don’t run out of space!! You’ve made your checklist in the item above, but did you include all the photos of your kids and spouse playing, goofing off and just generally being a family? Not only that, if you are like me, you may hand your camera over to get a kids perspective on the world and they will surely suck down a lot of card space. On top of that, with many cameras offering video, something you may use lightly or not at all when traveling and shooting solo, it can be a great way to bring back some fond memories. But video also chews up a great deal of space. Cards are light and relatively cheap these days, don’t be caught frantically deleting photos to make room! Your time is better spent enjoying your trip.

Items To Leave At Home (And Why)

Full Tripod

A full sized tripod is nice, but the bulk and weight can be a killer on a family trip. Sure there will be times when you may want to snap a family photo in front of a scenic spot, but there are other options to a space hogging Goliath of a tripod. For instance, I prefer to carry the Trek-Tech GO! Pro tripod. It is a bit of compromise in the batter of space and weight over solid stability, but it does get the job done well for this type of situation. And it can be used as a walking stick, handed over to one of your children as a handy means of distraction when the time is right. Not only that, it will fit in a carry-on bag, possibly saving you on checked baggage fees.

Every Strobe You Own

Unless there is a specific photo you know you want to capture that will require more than one strobe, leave the weight, and the batteries, at home. If your camera has a pop-up flash, you won’t need to bring an external strobe at all. I know it may be blasphemy to some, calling for a ban on external strobes, but the weight and space saved can make the trip more enjoyable for all. Depending on the size of the little ones, you may be over burdened with snacks, toys, books or other forms of entertainment, don’t add to the stress on your back by adding in unneeded weight.

Every Battery You Own (You Know, Just In Case)

Bring one battery for the camera and one spare. That’s all you will need, really. Bring the charger as well and give the day’s battery a charge every night, replacing it with the spare. If you burn through two batteries in a day, you might be shooting too much and spending too little time enjoying your family. Depending on trip length and your shooting habits, you may be able to simplify even further and bring only the batteries and no charger. Simple = easy = more enjoyable vacation.

All Your Other Filters

You have a fancy wallet with a ton of filters. Maybe you don’t think it’s a ton. Maybe it’s only 10 or so. If your significant other thinks it’s a ton, you might want to consider leaving the wallet at home. It’s bulk, it’s (minor) weight and it is one more thing to keep track of while juggling other family gear. Simplify. Did I mention that? See what you can shoot without the filters. Sure, there may be times when you lament not bringing them all, but this is a family trip and you family would certainly enjoy you spending more time with them than the filters. Ok, bring the graduated neutral density filter. Maybe you can’t live without that one.

————

My point is packing a minimal amount of photography gear will often have the biggest impact on fun for everyone. I have over one it in the past, carried over 15lbs worth of gear and got so caught up in photos that everything else falls away. I found this isn’t always the best way to handle a trip.

One last bit of advice: Schedule time to just shoot. Work with your spouse and kids to have some time when you can get out, by yourself, and shoot until your heart is content. If the pull of photography is too great, communicating about your desire for photography time alone can go a long way to smoothing the bumps any family can have while traveling.

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips. Check out our resources on Portrait Photography Tips, Travel Photography Tips and Understanding Digital Cameras.

5 Photo Items To Pack and 4 To Leave At Home For Your Next Family Vacation

A Wedding From the Photographer’s Point of View

2010-12-31T07:42:00.000-08:00

A Wedding From the Photographer’s Point of View: "

"Evaldas & Zhivil" captured by Olesia Kliots (Click Image to See More From Olesia Kliots)

What is a wedding? For a photographer it’s nothing but business. For the bride and groom it’s the most important day of their life. A day in which two lives take a decisive turn, for the better or for the worse.

So a wedding is undoubtedly a very important even for at least two people and their immediate families. The photographer must be aware of this, even though for him/her it’s just another day at work. Why is this?

Because from him/her and from him/her alone the memories of this decisive day will totally depend upon. Unfortunately many photographers do not think of a wedding this way, but instead as just another check coming in. This is wrong for two reasons:

Because if a photographer doesn’t respect a wedding for what it is, he/she will unconsciously not perform at his/her very best.
This attitude won’t let the photographer fully appreciate the efforts made to make this day look so marvellous and therefore he/she will not be able to capture the true atmosphere.

[A brief introduction about myself: I am a wedding photographer because I love wedding photography, not because it pays well (which is debatable). As a matter of fact, I've done it for years making little or no money at all.]

For a photographer a wedding begins when a deposit is paid and therefore a specific date is booked. From that moment on there is a continuous (at times invisible) relationship between the photographer and the couple to be married. Some people book over a year in advance, but this doesn’t mean that in this lapse of time the photographer will forget about the wedding. As soon as a specific date is booked I send the couple a contract to be signed by both of them and a form to be filled in with all the relevant information, both items to be returned in good time for the wedding. When I receive the form and the contract back, I arrange for an appointment with the couple to discuss all the details of the big day. The contract, the form and the meeting are three very important steps for all parties; let’s go over them individually:

The contract:

In this world, only what is written counts. Where ever there is an exchange of money, there must be a written agreement. Other than for legal reasons, this is very important because of the fact that when people are under pressure or stress, they tend to forget things or to miss interpret them. This could lead to unpleasant incidents in the future. A wedding photographer contract will state the agreed date, the agreed amount of money to be paid in exchange for the service and what service is to be provided. A contract should also include a copy of the photographer’s terms and conditions and this must be visible to the clients before they sign the contract.

"wedding photo" captured by Konstantin Koreshkov (Click Image to See More From Konstantin Koreshkov)

The contract is also very useful when dealing with dodgy people, of which the world is unfortunately filled. Some brides and groom (I must say it doesn’t happen very often – but it does happen) plan from the start to take more than what they bargained for. Some people will look for a loophole in the contract to ask for more prints or for some money back. Imagine if you didn’t have a contract… open season to hunt down the photographer. The beauty is that a properly drawn contract works the other way just as well, so it also covers the bride and groom.

The form:

This is another very important thing, often omitted by most photographers. This form will contain all of the information a photographer needs for a particular wedding, including contact numbers for everyone concerned with the particular wedding. Even if you only have to manage one wedding (beginners) it’s a good idea to keep all the information in one place, because when you need it the most you must be able to find it, quickly.

Most photographer (and this is a very bad habit) work with notes. They take notes over the telephone, notes when they meet the clients, some more notes gathered from here and there… and in the end some crucial information ends up missing, like the brides telephone number on the day of the wedding, or a missing postcode. A sibgle form with ALL the information is the key.

The meeting:

Meeting the bride and groom before the wedding is essential. In order to get the mood of the day, you must know who you are creating this mood for. Everyone is different on this planet, there will not be two people alike. Therefore your service as wedding photographer must be tailored to the specific people you are dealing with. Even with a last minute wedding you should find some time to meet the bride and the groom. If there is absolutely no time, have a nice telephone conversation and try to understand their feelings and expectations.

After this initial contact there will be a long period of silence, as the photographer is not expected to call once a week just to say “hello”. In this period of time from meeting the couple to seeing them again on the big day (that can be long or short, depending on how much earlier they have booked), the photographer will investigate all the details of the wedding: the church, the venue, the bride and groom’s homes, addresses, routes, alternatives, etc. Everything must be investigated thoroughly, because mistakes on the wedding day are not forgivable.

"Flare dream" captured by Alyona Arnautova (Click Image to See More From Alyona Arnautova)

The preparation:

The next thing you should do as a wedding photographer is to prepare for the big day. One week before the ceremony you should go to check on the ceremony location (the church) and the reception place. Don’t do this too early, because things can change with time, including the managers. Take the light meter with you. Look for possible shots, light impediments, speak with the manager for permissions and information. Other than obtaining very good and useful information, you show a high standard and professionalism that will be passed on as word of mouth. Leave a business cart to every person you speak with. You always want to leave people impressed with your work, even if you don’t directly work for them; one day you might. Word of mouth spreads very fast when a photographer works poorly, but it spreads just as fast when he or she does a good job, so do it right and always better than the others; you will be remembered for that.

Two days before the wedding is the time to start using a checklist in order not to forget anything. This is the time to make sure that a certain number of things are available to you and that are in good conditions: check that you have a clean and decent photo bag for your equipment. Make sure that your tripod works in all positions and that it doesn’t jam. Check that you diffusion panel is clean and not broken in any part; it would be a terrible embarrassment if you were to open it in front of many people after a long time of not using it and found it unusable. Make sure you have at least three camera bodies with at least three lenses, ranging from a wide angle to a telephoto lens. Why three bodies? One for color, one for black and white and one as spare camera.

Now with digital photography two bodies are enough, as everything is shot in color (the color can be taken away in the editing process). Make sure the aperture of the lenses work fine and that every moving part moves freely. If you use them, make sure you have soft filters and accessories in your photo bag; they are the most common thing to be left behind, I’ve seen it a million times. This includes the flashes’ cables, diffuser filters and attachments. You must bring with you at least two flashes. Remember that it’s one day in a lifetime and you cannot afford to stop working just because the flash decides to break down.

Remember to change the batteries in all of the cameras and flashes, plus bring at least one refill of batteries for each item. Better have too much than not having enough. Before digital photography arrived I used to carry with me twice as much film as I actually would have needed; the worst thing that could have happened was that I would have brought the film back home. You never know what can happen at a wedding and you just want to be ready. Nowadays you want to make sure you bring enough memory cards. No, one memory card that can hold 10.000 images is not enough. Occasionally memory cards go wrong and you do not want to find yourself in the position of not being able to shoot. Take three, five, eight of them… they are neither heavy nor expensive, so bring plenty with you.

Take with you some business cards to hand out. It’s very common at a wedding to exchange cards with the venue manager, the band, the catering manager, etc; we all work with and for each other and word of mouth has proven to be the best form of advertising. Make sure your cards are clean, new and fresh; there is nothing worse than being handed a dirty and sweaty business card that has been sitting in your bag or wallet for six months. Get yourself a nice aluminum case for your cards, so that they will be handed the way they are meant to.

I always keep a chocolate bar in my bag. When you get very hungry and your stomach starts complaining, it’s very difficult to concentrate and especially to create something artistic. I have been to weddings were there was absolutely nothing to eat. The day is very long and you never know when hunger is going to hit. If you are in a place where the weather is unpredictable like in London, bring an umbrella. Nowadays there are umbrellas that can fit in your pocket, so just through one in your bag. It’s always better to be prepared.

Take out what you are going to wear and examine that everything is fine. How many times did it happen that you were 100% sure that a particular shirt was in your chest of drawers and instead it was sitting in the laundry basket? Well, you don’t want this to happen on the morning of a wedding, so do take everything out and see if it is all clean, ironed, no buttons missing and just keep everything ready.

Photo captured by Mandy Austin (Click Image to See More From Mandy Austin)

We are still two days away from the wedding, so if something is wrong you have time to fix it. Polish your shoes and keep them ready. There is nothing worse than an elegant wedding photographer with filthy shoes. That says it all about the person. Make sure you carry a watch, some emergency cash and an ID. Always carry an ID with you; this is because if you get pulled over by the police, whatever the reason, you do not want to be taken in to be identified. In most countries (including the USA) you must carry an ID at all times by law. Not many people are aware of this, but the police can detain you for up to 24 hours for identification purposes if you do not carry one. So since a wedding is very important, you want to take all precautions possible to make it go smooth.

One day before the wedding it’s the time to check your vehicle. Make sure you fill up the tank, check the oil and all fluids. Check the pressure of the tires (including the spare tire) and wash the car. Remember that first impressions count. Fully charge your mobile phone and keep it switched on from now on. Get your form with all the wedding information, street maps, alternative routes and notes and put everything in your bag. If you live in a large city, have a public transport pass, or ticket with you as well, just in case something goes unexpectedly wrong with your car. Have some coins ready for parking meters; When taking pictures of the bride and groom after the ceremony, you don’t know what ideas they have in mind and you have no ideas where they might take you.

If you unexpectedly have to park somewhere, you just want to be prepared. Tickets are expensive and coins are very light to carry in your car. Call your local road information office to make sure that everything is fine on your route. Look over the internet for the weather forecast and watch the evening news; if something big has happened, you want to know about it… it might affect your plans for the following day. Set two alarms just in case one goes wrong (you don’t want to oversleep on the wedding day) and lastly, have a good night sleep. This is important; you can’t go to bed late, you must be fully rested.

Photo captured by Tatiana Garanina (Click Image to See More From Tatiana Garanina)

The wedding day:

On the day of the wedding give yourself plenty of time. It’s way better to wait around for two hours reading the paper, than being late and not have a chance to read the comics. My assistants only have to be late once for me not to ever hire them again. There is plenty of choice out there. Time is crucial and delays are totally unacceptable in this line of business. Always plan for the unexpected, accidents do happen and they can very well happen to you, so be prepared.

As soon as you wake up you should call your assistant, just to make sure his alarm worked and he should do the same to you if he gets up first. This is not paranoia, it’s a wedding and you should not take the slightest chance. Have a nice breakfast as it’s going to be a very long day. Leave home knowing that you won’t be back before one o’clock in the morning.

The moment has arrived; the day for which so many people have been planning for over a year has arrived. Do your very best and never stop till it’s over. There is no illness, there is no hunger, there is no family or girlfriend/boyfriend, there are no excuses: you keep shooting till you drop dead. You owe it to the bride and groom that trusted you with the most important day of their lives. You owe it to yourself, because people will be talking about you for years to come and you want them to talk nicely about you. During the day it’s OK for you to have a drink or two, just make sure you don’t drink too much and especially make sure you don’t drink at all for about two hours before you get yourself behind the wheel. Fatigue, alcohol and driving do not mix well at all.

The day after the wedding is when the real work starts: the editing of all the images, printing them and delivering the final work to the clients. It has been a long and difficult journey to the end of the wedding and if the clients are happy, you have achieved you goal. As you can see there is a lot more to a wedding than just make your appearance on the day. A wedding will typically keep a person buy for about 70 hours and you must consider this in your pricing. A mistake that many photographers make is to overbook.

"Wedding Time" captured by Gagan Dhiman (Click Image to See More From Gagan Dhiman)

They make themselves available for more weddings that they can actually handle. One wedding per week is plenty of work for one person, typically 60 – 70 hours per week (7 days). If you get booked for more than a wedding a week, make sure you have the resources to handle the extra work. On average a photographer will deliver the photographs about a month after the wedding. Over two months is not acceptable.

I hope this article helped you in better understanding wedding photography. Always do your best and be proud of it.

About the Author:

Michael Valeriani from www.misposo.com. Independent free advice to find a wedding photographer in the UK, USA, Canada AND plenty of advice on countless wedding issues.

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Portrait Photography Tips Using a Prime Lens – PictureCorrect

2010-12-31T07:27:00.000-08:00

Portrait Photography Tips Using a Prime Lens – PictureCorrect

Sunset and Sunrise Photography Tips

2010-12-30T06:40:00.000-08:00

Sunset and Sunrise Photography Tips: "

"Shining Through" captured by Katelyn Wall (Click Image to See More From Katelyn Wall)

Photographing sunsets and sunrises can produce some of the most beautiful images you will take. Surprisingly, these wonderful scenes are not that difficult to photograph. This article will give you a few tips to make your sunset and sunrise images the best they can be.

First, be aware that you should not look directly at the sun when it is still bright yellow in the sky. This can cause permanent eye damage even when you are looking through the camera view finder. Wait until the sun is close to the horizon with a reddish color when the rays are not as strong. Or take the picture when the sun is partially blocked behind an object like a building.

Plan Ahead

Most of the time you will not normally be in the best place to get great shots when the sun is setting or rising. More than likely there will be buildings, wires, poles and other things in the way that would detract from the picture.Take note of the time the sun sets or rises in your area. Then choose a location and pick a day to go out and take the pictures. Get there early and try to visualize a few shots before the show begins. The most dramatic coloring of the sky and other areas in the scene only lasts about a half hour, but you should take some shots before and after the sun sets or rises. There will still be some pretty lighting around.

The best places to take the pictures would be beaches, plains, deserts, or anywhere there is less obstruction of the views. However, you can get great sunset and sunrise pictures anywhere if you are creative and know a little about picture composition. You might be able to use those “obstructions” in your picture and wind up with a picture that is more than just the sun on a beach.

Clouds

The sunlight reflections on clouds can be very dramatic. You never know what cloud formations will be in the sky from day to day. Sometimes there will be thick clouds, other times wisps of clouds. No matter what type, when the sun is setting or rising you will see an amazing light show. Take plenty of shots from various views and angles. Remember that in that dramatic half hour or so, the clouds could be moving and the sun will definitely be sinking or rising, so the tone and amount of light will vary. So don’t just settle for one or two nice shots. You could be walking away from the best shot ever!

"Timeless" captured by ian newton (Click Image to See More From ian newton)

Composition

Try to avoid placing the horizon directly in the middle of the frame. Lowering the horizon to the lower third of the frame will emphasize the sky more and make a more pleasing image. If you are at the beach and want to emphasize reflections in the water, then you might want to raise the horizon to the upper third of the frame to emphasize the water. This is a part of the Rule of Thirds principle. However, just like any rule, it can be broken.

No matter where you place the horizon, try your best to keep it level across the frame of the picture. A horizon that is too slanted wont’ look natural and can ruin a beautiful picture.

Try placing objects in the foreground and use silhouettes. Although the sun and clouds in the sky is a great stand alone picture, an object such as a tree, a bird, a boat, or a person walking in the foreground can change the whole perspective of the picture. Also, look behind you,and look to the left and right. There might also be some nice scenery around you with beautiful colors. All pictures don’t have to be take in the direct path of the sun.

Exposure

One of the best things about photographing sunsets and sunrises is that there is no “proper exposure”. First of all, pointing your camera towards the sun will automatically fool your cameras light meter and cause the picture to be underexposed. The good news is that when taking these type pictures it can actually look pretty good when the image is underexposed. Any objects in the foreground will become silhouttes, creating another nice effect. However, you will want to have a little more control than having the meter continuously underexpose your pictures. If you have a Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera, you can adjust your aperture and shutter speeds to various settings.

"Gold Rush" captured by Debra Vanderlaan (Click Image to See More From Debra Vanderlaan)

Take one or two pictures with the exposure settings the camera suggests. Then take one or two at different exposure settings to make the image lighter or darker than what the camera suggests. This is called bracketing. This will give you images a with a variety of different tones and shades to choose from. If you are using a Compact Digital Camera, you can do the same thing by using your camera’s Exposure Compensation function. After you take a couple of shots using the automatic exposure, set your camera to +1EV, or -1EV to have a variety of exposures to choose from.

White Balance

The white balance function in your camera might try to compensate for the extreme warm colors that are in a sunset or sunrise image. (It might think the colors are wrong and try to adjust them) If you have a Digital Single Lens Reflex camera, you can adjust or turn off the white balance. If you are a Compact Digital camera user, usually setting the camera white balance to a daylight or cloudy setting will usually yield colors similar to the ones you are actually viewing.

Funny thing about sunsets and sunrises is that even when colors are slightly off, the effect is usually still appealing. (that is unless the sky shows as green). In any case these picture colors can be adjusted using some of the various post processing software available.

"Sunset" captured by Ornela Pagani (Click Image to See More From Ornela Pagani)

Take plenty of shots and experiment. The best thing about sunsets and sunrises is that the scenes are never the same from one day to another, but they are almost always beautiful.

About the Author

For more easy to understand photography tutorials, please visit, http://easybasicphotography.com

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Anatomy of a Two Minute Location Portrait

2010-12-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

Anatomy of a Two Minute Location Portrait: "

Last week I posted this photo on Flickr and several of you asked for some more background on how I made it. So here goes. I had roughly two minutes with JAMILETTE GAXIOLA. She was the 2009′s Miss Cuba. Jamilette is a wonderful young woman with a big smile and a warm personality. She was hired by Albums Inc to model the new Epoca line of photo albums at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. My job was to document the party and to make a few portraits of her in two minutes with minimal fuss and little setup. Just to make things interesting, I had to do this shoot in a hotel room full of people. And those people were some of the top wedding and portrait shooters in the world. People like Tony Corbell, Matthew Jordan Smith, Lori Nordstrom, Bambi Cantrell and too many other greats to list — were all milling about. No pressure.

The first challenge was finding a decent background. I was working inside an area of about 150 square feet. I don’t like cluttered backgrounds since they often distract from the main subject. I found a spot on the wall I could use as a clean background and positioned her there. Once I found a few feet I could work with I set up a continuous light. I used a Chimera Triolet housed in a large Chimera softbox. See below.

I positioned the light so that it would feather just past the model’s face. This means that instead of pointing the softbox directly at the model, I moved the light past her face so that it just brushed her. The use of a large light source, close to the subject allowed me to create a soft, flattering light. I tried to position the light so that the catch light would be roughly Two o’clock in the model’s eye. I used a Canon 1D MK IV set to Aperture Priority with a Canon 50mm f/1.2 “L” lens. My ISO was 800 and my aperture was set to f/3.2 at 1/80th of a second hand held – with minus one stop of exposure compensation.

I had very limited time so I decided to work two simple poses. The first pose you see above is a slightly high-key shot with the model’s face turned toward the light. It was a safety shot. She was in high demand and she’d be moving on to the party quickly. I didn’t want to miss my chance to get a great image of this lovely lady so looking at her sunny disposition, I kept it light and and easy you see the result. The only thing I had to worry about from this angle was the chin merging with the shoulder. With the looking back over the shoulder pose, I generally like to keep some separation between the chin and shoulder. I would have liked to see a little more of the whites of her eyes in the corner of her eyes, but given the constraints I was working under, I forgave myself for not being 100% perfect.

For my second shot, I had the model look away from the light. This is slightly more dramatic and allows some shadow for definition. This gave me two distinct looks. In the short amount of time I spent with Jamilette I see her as a happy person so I think the first shot better represents her personality.

In both shots, I used the camera’s ability to move the focus point around the frame and made sure that I moved the focus point to the eye closest me. Working with shallow depth-of-field, you don’t want to trust the general autofocus to select the right thing to key on. I also metered off the skin directly under the eye to make my exposure using the camera’s built-in spot meter.

I made the shots in RAW and imported them to Aperture 3. Then I adjusted levels, did some minimal skin smoothing, retouched blemishes and added some edge sharpening. In total, I spent less than two minutes making both photos and less than two minutes in post on each image.

When you’re working under pressure, knowing your gear, thinking through what you’re going to do BEFORE the model arrives, and keeping calm all help improve your chances for a good result. In this case, I had the advantage of a trained, professional model to work with. I had to put out of my mind that I was photographing one of the most beautiful women in the world and focus on representing the model’s lovely disposition. I’m happy to report that the client liked the shots and my mission was accomplished with a modicum of stress.

I’d like to thank Adam @adamsilversmith and Yasmin @shalimarstudios who assisted me at this shoot and who provided me with great images as second shooters at the event. I’d also like to thank Albums Inc for not only hiring me to shoot the event but also for allowing me to share this information with all of my readers.

___

This post sponsored by X-Rite Color and the ColorChecker Passport

Best Cameras From Point-And-Shoot To Digital SLR

2010-12-26T05:00:00.000-08:00

Best Cameras From Point-And-Shoot To Digital SLR: "

I did some extensive research to find the best camera to buy in five different categories:

Best Budget Point-and-Shoot

Best Enthusiast Point-and-Shoot

Best Entry-Level DSLR

Best Semi-Pro DSLR

Best Professional Full Frame DSLR

To pick out what I think the best cameras are in each of these categories, I spent countless hours researching different websites gathering as much information as possible to find the best camera in each category. My research includes looking at customer reviews on Amazon, Adorama and BH Photo Video, reading professional reviews from DPreview, Imaging-Resource and Steve’s Digicams, and reading numerous online web forums and discussion boards. Of course I’ll add my OWN personal opinion in the mix, also.

Oh, a quick note… if there’s one thing to remember when shopping for new a camera, it’s that megapixels DO NOT MATTER. These big camera companies boast about having the most megapixels, trying to use it as a selling point, when they really don’t matter. Multiple resources on the web will say the same. Let’s start, shall we?

Best Compact Budget Point-and-Shoot

Canon SD1400IS

Canon SD1400IS

Staying under the $200 mark, and from the research I did, this little gem can take one heck of a picture, along with HD video, too! That’s right, this tiny guy has 720p (1280 x 720 pixels) High Definition video. Something that is rarely seen in a camera this cheap. From what I read while researching, this camera takes good quality photos for the price. The only drawback on it I found online is a slightly more grainy photo due to the 14MP censor.

Other than that, people love it for the ease of use, pocket-able size and good price-to-feature value. Other features include a large 2.7-inch LCD screen, optical image stabilization, a wide 28mm equivalent lens (I love wide angle lenses), HDMI output, and Smart AUTO. I head a lot of good things about smart AUTO. From what Canon says, it will “intelligently select between 22 different predefined settings.” Oh, and it comes in HOT PINK! Not that I care… After researching this class of camera for hours, the general consensus is that Canon makes awesome compact budget point-and-shoots. You will be satisfied with any of their budget models, including the SD1400IS. I have yet to find an awful one.

Best Compact Enthusiast Point-and-Shoot

Canon S95

Canon S95

Okay, now in my honest opinion, this is a no-brainer. The previous version, the Canon S90, was a massive hit. And the Canon S95 improves upon it. I mean come on! For a camera under $400, it has 720p HD video (with stereo sound!), a super bright f/2.0 lens, RAW mode (my favorite), a wide 28mm equivalent lens and HDMI output. Those are just a few features. The best part, and the part that makes the S95 the best enthusiast point-and-shoot camera, is the control ring.

This thing makes it a breeze to adjust focus, exposure, ISO, white balance, and pretty much all the manual controls. It seriously has everything a camera enthusiast would want in a point-and-shoot, and more! Let’s see… AUTO ISO, Color yRGB histograms, bracketing, a metal body, and crap tons of gimmicks and useless modes.

It also has an HDR mode. I’d never use it, but I guess it works pretty good. It takes three consecutive shots and merges them together for you. You can then edit them later on your computer. I, however, find it rather lame because all the important features are locked out, such as exposure and white balance. And HDR on a point-and-shoot? What has this world come to. Just buy this camera. Seriously. In all honesty I didn’t really do much research on other cameras in its class, because once I knew Canon was making the S95, it was going be a hit. Sure there are other good enthusiast cameras out there, but none that are nearly as awesome as the Canon S95 for the same price and size!

Canon G12? Big and bulky at a price of around $500.

Panasonic Lumix LX5? Still bigger, and still more expensive. Price? Around $450.

I think I proved my point. Of course this is just my opinion. I’m sure others will disagree with me.

Best Entry-Level DSLR

Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

The Nikon D3100 is another obvious buy if you’re looking to get a Digital SLR. At around, or under, $700, you get one heck of a camera (with lens!) that is jam-packed full of features for the price. It’s also Nikon’s first DSLR to feature full 1080p HD video. Let me explain why I picked it as the best entry-level DSLR. First off, it comes with a very good kit lens, the 18-55mm AF-S VR, which is known to be a very good all-around kit lens. It’s sharp, has VR (Vibration Reduction) can focus very close – almost macro like – and has Nikon’s Silent Wave Motor which gives it fast, quiet autofocus. Everything I read was positive, except for the occasional “bad copy.”

The images the D3100 pumps out are so close the professional Nikon D3 and D700 in good light, that you could never tell the difference in a side-by-side comparison! High ISO on the D3100 is excellent, considering it’s not a full-frame camera. I would say it’s just as good Nikon D300s I own in terms of high ISO. In other words, don’t be afraid to shoot at ISO 1600. In-fact, make it your friend! The viewfinder in the D3100 is clear and distraction free. What I mean by that is it doesn’t have as much clutter going on in the viewfinder. This will make it easier to compose shots. Also, it’s a small, ultra-lightweight DSLR weighing in at 505 g (1lb 1.8 oz.) This is a plus to some, a negative to others. For me personally, I could go either way.

Other features include a large rear 3-inch LCD, 11 Autofocus Points, AUTO Distortion Correction, and Nikon’s new EXPEED 2 image processing engine. There are few (very few) things that the D3100 is missing, though, compared to higher end cameras; You can only use lenses that have a built in motor such as Nikon’s AF-S lenses (other lens makers have similar lenses) since the D3100 has no motor drive, there’s only one manual preset WB memory position, you don’t get any depth-of-field preview, and there is no Kelvin White Balance setting. If you’re in the market for an entry-level Digital SLR, now is the time to buy. And I recommend the Nikon D3100. And so do thousands of others.

Best Semi-Pro DSLR

Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Nikon’s newest DSLR, the D7000, is also one of the best in its class. Featuring a brand new and amazing User Definable Settings (U1, U2) right on the mode selector dial, these handy shortcuts allow you to set, store and change your cameras setting without having to go deep into the menu system! I’m envious. I want my D300S to have this. Actually, I’m considering getting the D7000 for this feature alone. There are other features I, and others (from what I saw numerous times) love about this camera, too, such as:

Full 1080p High Definition video

Light in weight, yet still ergonomically comfortable

Best-in-class high ISO photos

Quiet… Very quiet operation…Shhh…

Ground-breaking 2,016-Segment RGB Meter

Superior weather and dust sealing

Six frames per second continuous shooting up to 100 shots

New EXPEED 2 image processing

39 autofocus points with nine cross-type sensors

So as you can see, this camera is a bargain for its price, which is around $1200 (body only.) My research on the D7000 wasn’t as extensive as others in it’s class, due to the fact it just got released. And people are having a hard time finding it; it’s always sold out! I have yet to read ANYTHING bad on the camera. All I could find is that it can only bracket three exposures instead of the 5-9 that some other cameras can do. People are raving about the fast autofocus, and amazing metering due to the new 2,016-Segment RGB Meter. The Nikon D7000 is already a smash hit at the time of this article. It’s all sold out. Not surprising to me, since it’s just as good, if not better than the Nikon D300s which is $300-$400 more. Now if you excuse me, I have to go buy this camera.

Best Full Frame DSLR – TIE

Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D700

Canon 5D Mark II

After hours of research, I was determined to pick either the 5D Mark II or the D700 as the best professional full frame DSLR. One or the other. Not both. Well, after those hours of research I did, I failed. My final verdict is that you can’t go wrong with either of these stunning full frame DSLRs. They both provide breathtaking photos, even at high ISOs. And they both have excellent build quality that will last you years upon years. But what are the differences?

Let me explain:

Canon 5D Mark II Advantages

Good for: Travel, Portrait, Fine Art, Family and Landscape Photography Why:

High Resolution for more detailed landscapes and fine art prints

Lighter weight for traveling

Fully loaded 1080p HD video good for family vacations and traveling

Very handy Total Recall memories with C1, C2 and C3 positions on the command dial to swiftly swap between different camera setting on the fly without pushing tons of buttons

Nikon D700 Advantages

Good for: Low-light, Action, Sports, News Why:

Superior autofocus with 51 AF points with great low-light performance

Tough body construction for the very active news journalists

Fast 5 frames per second and up to 8 FPS with optional MB-D10 grip, perfect for action and sports

Nikon D700

The research done on these two cameras came up with mixed results. Thus the reason of my outcome. The one reoccurring problem I read was on the 5D Mark II, which was a faulty On/Off switch. Few reported it though. Price is negotiable; the D700 is $100-$150 cheaper. But to me, that shouldn’t be a deciding factor. If you want an excellent landscape camera (without going to medium or large format) than spending $100 more over the D700 to gain extra resolution is fine, and in that case you should buy the 5D Mark II. Personally, I would choose the D700 since I take plenty of low-light action shots of bikes.

Conclusion

I spent a good two days researching all kinds of cameras, and these six cameras were the ones that consistently came up as being the best in their class. This is just a guide I did for fun in my spare time, so please take it as a grain of salt. I like to think my opinion matters, but it doesn’t… In my opinion, of course. There are others out there whose job is to review cameras and test them to the point of failure. I simply go online and read reviews and opinions for hours upon hours finding out what people say. So until next time, Keep on shooting!

About the Author

Have you ever wanted to take better photos? How about create awesome images with the help of Photoshop? I know I have. With the launch of my new website, I’ll let you in on some secrets to creating stunning, memorable images, and how to get the most out of your camera.

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10 iPhone Apps for Every Photographer

2010-12-25T03:39:00.000-08:00

10 iPhone Apps for Every Photographer: "

Apple’s iPhone has changed the game, providing not only a pretty decent camera and HD video camera coupled with a fully functional computer. Here are 10 iPhone apps that are meant for photographers, but don’t always involve using the camera.

Simple DoF Calculator

Simple DoF Calculator allows photographers to calculate the depth of field and hyperfocal distance for any given settings. It calculates the near limit, far limit, total depth of field, hyperfocal distance, distance in front of the subject and distance behind the subject. The app shows al those calculated values in a simple image without unnecessary information. Leave your slide rules and charts at home with this handy app.

Gyroscope Surface Level

A Gyroscope operated Bubble/Digital Level! Runs on the iPhone 4 or iTouch 4, using the internal Gyroscope for precise level measurements. Unlike other levels, this one actually uses gravity and can be utilized on all 4 axis points. While it may not seem immediately helpful, the first time you need to level out your camera or, for architecture shots, ensure the ground you are on is level, this app will seem indispensable.

Hipstamatic

While this app is not new, it keeps getting better. Never before have digital photographers wanted to re-create film types and looks, and now they can.

Digital photography never looked so analog. The Hipstamatic brings back the look, feel, unpredictable beauty, and fun of plastic toy cameras of the past! The Hipstamatic keeps the the quirks of shooting old school but gives you the ability to swap lenses, film, and flash settings all with the swipe of a finger.

iRotate Photo

This free app does just what you think it does, rotate photos. Why Apple didn’t include something like this is up for debate, but sometimes the gyroscope inside the phone doesn’t always orientate photos how you’d like them. This small, simple to use and free app will rotate photos for you and save them as a new image, leaving the original in tact.

TiltShift Generator

This wonderful app will allow you to edit in phone to create miniature, tilt shift’esque images. It’s very versatile and a ton of fun to play with. Give your photos a completely different look with this app.

Strobox

Beautiful! Strobox app is a lighting diagram creator for all types of photographers. Whether you want to repeat the same photo-shoot or share with others how you made that cool photo, Strobox app will give you just the right tools to do so. It generates PNG file that you can share with anyone as easy as by sending it by email within this app.

QuadCamera

Allowing you to configure several different layouts, QuadCamera includes a timer to help get all the photographs setup properly. A fun app with great results.

Pano

Pano lets you take beautiful, seamless panoramic photos straight from your phone, no other software necessary. No extra editing, easy to use, everything we love about well written software. If you’re into panoramas, this is your app.

Pudding Camera

Warning, almost none of this app is in English, even the name in the iTunes store, but you really don’t need English to use it. What you get is a handful of film types and cameras that all create unique and different photographs. This app creates the photos, you can’t import already shot images. You can however choose which camera you want and load whatever film you’d like, ranging from black and white, to sepia to some other fun options. Great free app that is worth installing.

DSLR Camera Remote Professional Edition

DSLR Camera Remote Professional Edition is the next-generation cable release for your Canon EOS© or Nikon DSLR camera. Just connect your camera to a Wi-Fi enabled computer and you can instantly adjust its settings, fire the shutter, review images, even get a live viewfinder preview using your Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. DSLR Camera Remote is a must have for remote shooting applications like high or low angles, self-portraits and children. All you need is your DSLR and a Wi-Fi enabled computer to start shooting now.

The iPhone has, to many, replaced a traditional paper notebook and pen for jotting down notes because it’s so much more versatile, and these apps show just how awesome your phone can be to your photography. No matter if you’re shooting on your phone, editing in it or simply using it as a reference for your photography, these 10 apps will be as valued as your camera gear.

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

Lens Hoods - Do I Really Need To Use One?

2010-12-19T22:30:00.000-08:00

Lens Hoods - Do I Really Need To Use One?

Well, you are not required to use one, but if there are some very good reasons to do so.

So, what good is the hood?

The primary use for a lens hood is to prevent light from hitting the front lens element from the sides - reducing contrast and creating flare. Pictures taken with a lens hood installed will generally have richer colors, deeper saturation.

A secondary use for a lens hood is to protect the lens. The damage prevented can range from a finger-printed front element (a minor inconvenience) to a broken lens (possibly a major expense - and lost pictures). Lens hoods are generally strong and stick out from the lens some distance. Accidental touches and scratches to the front element are reduced simply because the glass is difficult to reach. Some impact protection is gained from having a sacrificial part taking the blow. Of course, ultra wide angle lenses have very short hoods that offer very little protection.

Lens hoods on longer focal length lenses offer some front lens element protection from rain and dust. The hood helps to keep the front element clean and dry. Of course, if your lens is not weather sealed, you should not let it get wet in the first place.

But lens hoods are expensive - and inconvenient. Yes. But your lens was probably much more expensive - and you are shooting with a D-SLR because you want the best possible image quality (not because it was convenient and inexpensive).

A small convenience tip: If the lens hood fits too tightly for your liking, add a little body oil to the threads. Your body oil - from your forehead, nose ... The hood will be much easier to twist on.

Canon L Lens series lenses generally ship with the proper lens hood. Non-L Canon lens hoods generally cost about $25 and are available from many of the retailers on this site.

Get in the habit of always using a lens hood!

Advanced Tips for Tack Sharp Images

2010-12-15T10:41:00.001-08:00

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Advanced Tips for Tack Sharp Images

One very common question I get from photographers is why they can never get their images as sharp as the ones they see online. This is a loaded question, and it really made me think about all the things I go through to get tack sharp focus on my images. Sure there are the obvious tips like holding the camera properly, squeezing the shutter instead of stabbing it, tucking your elbows in, and so on. The truth is, that is just the beginning to taking sharper photographs.

Let me start off by saying that I still take blurry images from time to time. All professional photographers do. The only difference is that we don't post them online! However, I will also bet that I take far less than most other photographers, and there are clear reasons as to why. Getting sharp images involves a combination of a few different techniques, and when put together they will produce a far higher success rate of sharp images.

Back Button Auto-Focus

I can honestly say that about 90% of the photographers I talk to don't use this built in feature on almost all cameras. Whenever I ask photographers how they focus on a subject, the response is that they press the shutter half way down to focus, then all the way down to take the picture. The problem with this is that EVERY time you take a picture, your camera is going to re-focus the frame. What if your subject is a far away person and there is a crowd of people walking between you? You can't just set your focus distance and fire away. Instead you have to wait for line of site to your subject and hope nobody walks by while you focus each time.

On most (nearly all) cameras, there is a button on the back of the camera titled "AF On." Through your menu settings, you can set this button as your focus trigger. This way, you set your focus then fire off as many shots as you need to. The focus point stays the same through all shots and the shutter is free to be used as just that, a shutter.

Single Point AF

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Today’s Photograph December 13, 2010

2010-12-14T10:40:00.000-08:00

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Today's Photograph December 13, 2010

Sometimes the best photographs come when there's almost no visible 'light' left. Today's image is an example of one of those times. I was working at sunset along the southern shoreline of Lake Pontchartrain out along West End Blvd. in New Orleans, an area that took the full fury of Hurricane Katrina. The detritus of that event are still littered about: former restaurants still gone, only pilings left standing in the water, fishing piers that still stand mangled and wrecked. This is what attracted me out of the car to shoot, and the images were okay. But then in the fading afterlight as darkness descended, I spotted this scene along a small pier. A single modest work boat sat docked, its owner nowhere in sight, tied up and set off against the coming nightfall.

Now the exposures were long: I bracketed this image using shutter speed, wanting the keep the clarity and sharpness of an f8 exposure: 15 seconds, 8 seconds, 4 seconds, 2 seconds. The 8 second exposure gave me the most useable balance of foreground/background exposure, the image that I found most dramatic and interesting.

Hi, I'm Andrew Boyd, a.k.a. The Discerning Photographer, and I hope this post has been interesting and informative. Please leave me a comment about it, let me know what you'd like to see more of on the site! You can also sign up for email delivery of all future articles or my RSS feed. Thanks!–DiscerningPhotog

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Photojojo’s Gift Guide 2010, Part 3

2010-12-14T10:38:00.001-08:00

Sent to you via Google Reader

Photojojo's Gift Guide 2010, Part 3

It's the holiday home stretch!

This mid-December, may you stuff stockings, tummies, and wishlists.

And may our final installation of our 2010 gift guide assist you with 2 out of 3!

Hugz n' such,

Photojojo

p.s. We've still got your back with FREE SHIPPING before X-mas on orders over $50. But today is the last day. So hop to it!

Rare Film Gift Pack

FREE SHIPPING! Our Film Gift Set contains 3 hard-to-find, imported 35mm films in an adorable, illustrated box.

One high-speed color film, one sepia-toned monochrome, and one grainy old-school B&W.

Capture natural light as you see it with Fuji Natura 1600, warm tones with the Rollei Redscale, and gorgeous grain with Fuji Neopan Black&White 1600.

Rare Film Gift Pack

$50 at the Photojojo Store

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New issue of THE NIKONIAN now available

2010-12-14T10:31:00.001-08:00

Sent to you via Google Readerdvd

New issue of THE NIKONIAN now available

The newest edition of The Nikonian, our official nikonians.org magazine is available for free download featuring our 10th ANPAT Showcase and a hands-on comparison review of the Nikon D7000 and D300S.

Sent from my iPad

Nikon D7000 - mid-range DSLR full review!

2010-12-12T07:33:00.000-08:00

Nikon D7000 - mid-range DSLR full review!:

"Nikon's D7000 is the company's latest mid-range DSLR, successor to the best-selling D90 and packed to the brim with features which wouldn't be out of place on a semi-pro model. It sports 16.2 Megapixels and a viewfinder with 100% coverage, tracks action with its new 39-point AF system, shoots at 6fps, and captures 1080p video with continuous autofocusing. It's one of the most exciting DSLRs of 2010, so we've got something a bit special for you: our first video demonstration in almost a year, and our most in-depth yet at just under an hour across four parts! It's a new approach to our review style, but still complemented by our usual detailed results pages, comparisons, sample images and in-depth verdict. Find out which is the best mid-range DSLR for you in our Nikon D7000 review!"

This was it for 2010

2010-12-11T05:59:00.000-08:00

This was it for 2010: "

A year ago today, Nikon announced the 300mm f/2.8 VRII lens. In the past, there was never a new product announcement past this date (in 2008, the Nikon D3x was introduced on November 30th, 2008). I think Nikon is done for this year – it is too late now to bring out anything new right before the holidays. CES 2011 (January 6-9th, 2011) is the next potential date to unveil a consumer product (maybe the Nikon mirrorless camera) – Nikon has only reserved meeting rooms at the show and will not have a real booth. The Coolpix line of cameras are usually refreshed in February.

Here are all Nikon products announced in 2010:

Posted by NikonRumors.com

This RSS feed is copyrighted and cannot be republished in any way without permission.

Related posts:

Nikon D3100 Review | Digital Camera Resource Page

2010-12-11T05:55:00.000-08:00

Nikon D3100 Review | Digital Camera Resource Page

NIKON D3100

DCRP Review:

Nikon D3100

Page:

by Jeff Keller, DCRP Founder/Editor

Originally Posted: December 11, 2010

Last Updated: December 11, 2010

The D3100 is Nikon's entry-level digital SLR, priced from just $699 with an 18 - 55 mm lens. The D3100 is a very user-friendly camera, with help screens and a unique "guide mode" that literally spells out what you need to do in order to get the shot you want. It also has plenty of features to excite camera enthusiasts, including a 14.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor, 11-point AF system, a 3-inch LCD with live view, plenty of manual controls, and a Full HD movie mode.

The D3100 replaces the popular D3000, so I figured that I should probably put together a little comparison chart for you:

Feature	D3000	D3100
MSRP (with lens)	$549	$699
Sensor resolution (effective)	10.2 MP	14.2 MP
Image processor	Expeed	Expeed 2
Live view	No	Yes
Full-time servo AF	No	Yes
ISO range (fully expanded)	100 - 3200	100 - 12800
HD video recording	No	Yes (1920 x 1080, 24 fps)
Release mode selector	No	Yes
Remote control options	Wired, wireless	Wired
HDMI output	No	Yes
GPS support	No	Yes
USB cable included	Yes	No
Memory cards supported	SD, SDHC	SD, SDHC, SDXC
Battery used	EN-EL9a	EN-EL14
Battery life (CIPA standard)	550 shots	550 shots
Dimensions (W x H x D)	5.0 x 3.8 x 2.6 in.	4.9 x 3.8 x 2.9 in.
Weight (body only)	485 g	455 g

As you can see, there are some pretty significant changes between the D3000 and D3100 in the spec department. There are some cosmetic changes as well, which I'll show you when we get to the tour portion of the review.

If you're ready to learn more about the Nikon D3100, then I'm happy to tell you. Our review starts right now!

Since the cameras are so similar, portions of the D3000 review will be reused here.

What's in the Box?

Officially, the D3100 is available in just one kit, which includes the F3.5-5.6, 18 - 55 mm VR lens ($699). That said, you may encounter other kits at certain retailers. For example, my local Costco warehouse sells the camera plus 18 - 55 and 55 - 300 mm lenses for under $1000. Here's what you'll find in the box for the "official kit":

The 14.2 effective Megapixel Nikon D3100 camera body

F3.5 - 5.6, 18 - 55 mm AF-S Nikkor VR lens

EN-EL14 lithium-ion rechargeable battery

Battery charger

Body cap

Eyepiece cap

Shoulder strap

CD-ROMs featuring Nikon ViewNX 2

Quick Start leaflet and 61 page user's manual (both printed), plus full manual on CD-ROM

Since the D3100 comes with a lens, you're ready to start taking photos right away (well, assuming that you have a memory card). The F3.5-5.6, 18 - 55 mm VR (vibration reduction, AKA image stabilization) lens is well built by kit lens standards, though I'm not a fan of the manual focus ring. This lens definitely isn't the sharpest you'll find (try setting the aperture to F8 for best results), and there's some purple fringing here and there, but it's still not bad by kit lens standards. If you want to use other lenses, you can choose from almost all Nikon F-mount models, though only AF-S and AF-I lenses will support autofocus. There's a 1.5X focal length conversion ratio for whatever lens you attach to the camera.

Like all D-SLRs, there's no memory card in the D3100's box, so you'll need to pick one up if you don't have one already. The D3100 supports SD, SDHC, plus the new SDXC cards, and I'd recommend picking up a 4GB card (and perhaps large if you'll be taking a lot of movies). Nikon recommends cards rated at Class 6 or higher for best movie recording performance.

The D3100 uses the new EN-EL14 lithium-ion battery, which is also used by the Coolpix P7000 compact camera. This compact battery packs 7.6 Wh of energy into its plastic shell, which is about average for an entry-level D-SLR. Let's see how that translates into battery life:

Camera	Battery life, live view off (CIPA standard)	Battery used
Canon EOS Rebel T1i	400 shots	LP-E5
Nikon D3100	550 shots	EN-EL14
Olympus E-620	500 shots	BLS-1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G10 *	380 shots	DMW-BLB13
Pentax K-r	470 shots	D-LI109 **
Samsung NX10 *	400 shots	BP1310
Sony Alpha DSLR-A290	500 shots	NP-FH50
* Mirrorless interchangeable lens camera is live view only ** Also supports AA batteries Battery life numbers are provided by the manufacturer

How to Get Vibrant Colours in Photos Without Overdoing It

2010-12-11T05:42:00.000-08:00

How to Get Vibrant Colours in Photos Without Overdoing It: "

Before digital photography and post production on computers, you picked film for the outcome of image you wanted. For neutral, run of the mill shots any conventional color film would do the trick, but for move vibrant and saturated images, you would choose something like Fuji Velvia slide film or my personal favorite, Kodak E-100 VS, or Very Saturated. The chemical emulsion within helped produce vibrant colors. The downside of course, in addition to the cost of film and developing, is that you had to finish that roll before changing films, whereas digital will allow you to shoot all day and apply whatever effects you want in post. Achieving vibrant color without overdoing it can often be a challenge though, but here are some tips to get it just right.

Photo By pumpkincat210

First and foremost, nail your exposure. This is perhaps the number one rule in any kind of photography, but for images where you want to show the vibrant colors of your subject, under exposing can give the photo a gray-overcast look and over-exposing can blow out the highlights and kill the underlying color.
Next, set your white balance. Again, this tip applies to every type of photography and we’ve shown you how to do it already, it’s crucial to the color and tone of your images.
Moving on, there’s one more set of tools that can be used before post processing and it too stems from something we’ve already shown you how to use, color filters. Circular polarizing filters are favorites among those who want to get saturated skies, but the Cokin line offers even more choices and adds all kinds of flexibility.
Getting the best possible image to start with, from exposure and white balance to creative filters will give you a solid platform to work from when you start to post process. Since the software used to edit by each person can vary widely, I’ll simply cover a few of the more general tips that should apply to programs like Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture.

Photo By Pink Sherbet Photography

To a properly exposed photograph, adding in a touch more black will effect all colors, not just those which are black in the image, however you’ll usually have to then adjust the midtones and even the highlights. Perhaps one of the easiest ways to get your vibrant color in post production is to rely on what someone else has already done for you! The old saying of why re-invent the wheel holds true here.
There are dozens of sites that offer thousands of actions (for Photoshop) and presets (for Lightroom) that were created by others who then share them, often for free. Here are 45 Photoshop actions worth taking a look at to help increase the vibrancy. Once installed, it’s a simple click to get the desired, preset effect.
photo © 2007 Marco Bellucci | more info (via: Wylio)
What’s worth noting with these free (and even paid for) actions is that they usually and almost always should have final tweaking to the end image. No one else will be able to create a specific preset or action just for you and your tastes, which is the fun in photography. The key to knowing when you’ve overdone an effect, or saturation level is when it no longer looks like it did in real life. Additionally, over-saturating even a well exposed photograph or moving the individual color sliders too far will result in sever artifacting (even on RAW files) and a total loss of image quality. Be sure to view your images at 100% when editing to ensure this isn’t happening.
Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.
"

A tale of two lenses

2010-12-04T05:38:00.000-08:00

A tale of two lenses: "A tale of two lenses: '

The tale of two lenses: the Cann EFS 18-55mm 'kit' lens on the left, which was marketed and sold as a 'starter' lens with many consumer DSLR's; and the Canon 50mm f2.5 Macro on the right, a sharp, beautiful piece of professional glass. Both of these lenses are about five years old. (Copyright 2010 / Andrew Boyd)

CANON 50mm

I’m always preaching about how ‘it’s all about the glass,’ firmly believing that the quality of the lens you are using is intrinsically more important than the level of high tech gizzmoditry that’s wrapped up in the marketing that came in the box with that smokin’ new camera…but is this true?

I recently had a friend pose the question: if you’re on a budget (and who isn’t?), and you could only buy one item—either a new digital body or a new, professional-grade lens—which would be the right choice?

I went through my usual explanation about the importance of professional glass, if you want professional results, and about how so much of the hype around megapixels is just that, hype. But this discussion got me thinking: maybe I could devise a test to prove this once and for all.

So, here’s what I’m going to do:

I’m going to take two camera/lens combinations: a 6-year-old Canon Rebel with 18-55mm EFS kit lens, and a 5-year-old Canon Mark II with Canon 50 mm f2.8 Macro lens. The cameras and lenses have all been well cared for and are in great condition. Both of these cameras shoot an 8MP image.

I plan to shoot the same scene, at 50mm on the 18-55 zoom kit lens and with the macro, with the lenses on their normal respective mates. Then I’ll switch the lenses around, putting the professional macro on the Rebel and the kit lens on the Mark II.

I’ll end up with four photographs to study and show you here.

Caveats first though: I now have a Mark IV camera, but intentionally kept it out of the test. I wanted the camera technologies to be of roughly the same age and stage of development. Same goes with the lenses, although I think it should be less of a factor there.

Now for the results:

Well, a problem right away: when I went to bayonet the cheap consumer 18-55mm lens on my Mark II camera body, I discovered that it wouldn’t fit! The plastic bayonet on the cheapo won’t even go on the pro body. The professional-grade 50 mm macro, however, did turn out to be ‘backwards-compatible,’ fitting easily and snugly on the Rebel camera body.

So: the test results are limited to a comparison of the capabilities of the two lenses. I thought about this for a millisecond and decided that this would still work ok, since it would either prove or disprove my mantra about the glass being the all-important factor. (All we won’t really see is what the cheap lens on the good camera body produces…)

So here are the results.

The 18-55 EFS lens is on the top, the 50mm macro on the bottom. Taken full-frame like this, the cheap lens does an acceptable job. It's interesting the way the two lenses render the color in the scene slightly differently, with the 18-55 consumer lens creating a warmer tone. (Copyright 2010 / Andrew Boyd)

I first shot a blue gin bottle (no, we’re not big gin drinkers; we have a ‘bottle tree’ in our yard and the blue bottles are great for it) first with the 18-55 EFS lens and then with the 50mm macro. After that , I photographed a leaf from one of our tung trees, placed against white background paper, again first with the kit lens and then with the 50mm macro.

Blowing the same two frames up to 200% yields a strikingly different result, however. Here the cheap lens is on the top, and it shows. All crispness in the lettering is absent in this version. The professional lens on the bottom shows why it's a professional lens: crisp, clear detail, just the way you want it. (Copyright 2010 / Andrew Boyd)

Both of the ‘overall’ versions with the little plastic zoom lens look ok. But when you blow the images up, as I did in the accompanying photos, things really do start to fall apart, literally.

First, the gin bottle. The overall version with the two lenses looks roughly the same, although it’s interesting that the cheap lens renders the light much warmer than the 50mm macro lens. Blown up to 200 percent though, you really see the difference in quality: the lettering loses all edge detail in the kit lens version, with the professional lens retaining crisp detail even at the large magnification.

The inexpensive 18-55 EFS zoom is on the top again in these two leaf still lifes. Here it looks fine, again yielding warmer tones than the 50mm macro, bottom. Taken alone, you'd think the top image was acceptable. (Copyright 2010 / Andrew Boyd)

The same comparison holds up in my second test photo as well. From a distance (the overall shot), the kit lens does ok. But enlarged, it’s all fuzz.

Again both versions are magnified 200 percent. The cheapo lens is the top version, and all detail is falling apart; the Canon 50mm macro on the bottom is still holding together at this magnification. (Copyright 2010 / Andrew Boyd)

This is where you really do get what you pay for: good lenses are heavy. They contain a good bit of metal and glass elements in groups. The kit lens, on the other hand, is mostly plastic, with few elements, making for an easy, cheap product, both in terms of production costs and resulting image quality.So how do you pick out the professional lenses from the consumer junk? It’s not always easy at first glance, with the dizzying number of choices that major camera manufacturers offer. But a couple of points should help guide you.

Go online and take a look at all of the lenses your camera maker offers. You’ll notice that some of the surprisingly inexpensive options have ‘variable’ apertures: that is, the aperture will change as the zoom lens moves through its range, typically getting slower as the lens is racked towards its higher focal length. STAY AWAY FROM THIS LENS. This will be a cheapo.

Lenses with larger apertures cost a lot more to make. Consequently, lenses with f2.8 apertures (except in 50mm focal length, where f1.4 and f1.8 versions are available) tend to be higher quality.

One important tip: fixed focal length lenses are available for a big discount off the prices of their zoom lens cousins. Take a good look at a couple of fixed focal length lenses if your cash is tight. Not only will you save money, but the fixed focal length lenses are always sharper and crisper than the zooms! (It’s easier to optimize a lens at a single focal length, rather than trying to design for sharpness with lens elements that are traveling through space.) I would look at a wide angle in the 20-24mm range, and a telephoto in the 135-200 mm range, if I wanted to cover my bases with fixed glass.

I can hear some of you thinking: what about the ‘off brand’ choices? The Sigmas and Tamrons and Tokinas? Should you consider going this route to save money?

This is a tricky subject, and one that is hard to answer. Name-brand glass IS expensive. But that’s because it’s the name-brand product. Some off-brand glass is pretty good…and some of it is JUNK. Hard to tell the difference unless you can get the thing in your hands and shoot some photographs with it (which usually you can’t do). I would recommend doing some online research about any off-brand lens you’re thinking about, and proceed with caution! Here’s a link to an interesting discussion about off-brand glass in a Nikon Flickr group.

Hi, I’m Andrew Boyd, a.k.a. The Discerning Photographer, and I hope this post has been interesting and informative. Please leave me a comment about it, let me know what you’d like to see more of on the site! You can also sign up for email delivery of all future articles or my RSS feed. Thanks!–DiscerningPhotog

A tale of two lenses

2010-12-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

A tale of two lenses: "

I’m always preaching about how ‘it’s all about the glass,’ firmly believing that the quality of the lens you are using is intrinsically more important than the level of high tech gizzmoditry that’s wrapped up in the marketing that came in the box with that smokin’ new camera…but is this true?

I recently had a friend pose the question: if you’re on a budget (and who isn’t?), and you could only buy one item—either a new digital body or a new, professional-grade lens—which would be the right choice?

I went through my usual explanation about the importance of professional glass, if you want professional results, and about how so much of the hype around megapixels is just that, hype. But this discussion got me thinking: maybe I could devise a test to prove this once and for all.

So, here’s what I’m going to do:

I’m going to take two camera/lens combinations: a 6-year-old Canon Rebel with 18-55mm EFS kit lens, and a 5-year-old Canon Mark II with Canon 50 mm f2.8 Macro lens. The cameras and lenses have all been well cared for and are in great condition. Both of these cameras shoot an 8MP image.

I plan to shoot the same scene, at 50mm on the 18-55 zoom kit lens and with the macro, with the lenses on their normal respective mates. Then I’ll switch the lenses around, putting the professional macro on the Rebel and the kit lens on the Mark II.

I’ll end up with four photographs to study and show you here.

Caveats first though: I now have a Mark IV camera, but intentionally kept it out of the test. I wanted the camera technologies to be of roughly the same age and stage of development. Same goes with the lenses, although I think it should be less of a factor there.

Now for the results:

Well, a problem right away: when I went to bayonet the cheap consumer 18-55mm lens on my Mark II camera body, I discovered that it wouldn’t fit! The plastic bayonet on the cheapo won’t even go on the pro body. The professional-grade 50 mm macro, however, did turn out to be ‘backwards-compatible,’ fitting easily and snugly on the Rebel camera body.

So: the test results are limited to a comparison of the capabilities of the two lenses. I thought about this for a millisecond and decided that this would still work ok, since it would either prove or disprove my mantra about the glass being the all-important factor. (All we won’t really see is what the cheap lens on the good camera body produces…)

So here are the results.

First, the gin bottle. The overall version with the two lenses looks roughly the same, although it’s interesting that the cheap lens renders the light much warmer than the 50mm macro lens. Blown up to 200 percent though, you really see the difference in quality: the lettering loses all edge detail in the kit lens version, with the professional lens retaining crisp detail even at the large magnification.

The same comparison holds up in my second test photo as well. From a distance (the overall shot), the kit lens does ok. But enlarged, it’s all fuzz.

Go online and take a look at all of the lenses your camera maker offers. You’ll notice that some of the surprisingly inexpensive options have ‘variable’ apertures: that is, the aperture will change as the zoom lens moves through its range, typically getting slower as the lens is racked towards its higher focal length. STAY AWAY FROM THIS LENS. This will be a cheapo.

Lenses with larger apertures cost a lot more to make. Consequently, lenses with f2.8 apertures (except in 50mm focal length, where f1.4 and f1.8 versions are available) tend to be higher quality.

One important tip: fixed focal length lenses are available for a big discount off the prices of their zoom lens cousins. Take a good look at a couple of fixed focal length lenses if your cash is tight. Not only will you save money, but the fixed focal length lenses are always sharper and crisper than the zooms! (It’s easier to optimize a lens at a single focal length, rather than trying to design for sharpness with lens elements that are traveling through space.) I would look at a wide angle in the 20-24mm range, and a telephoto in the 135-200 mm range, if I wanted to cover my bases with fixed glass.

I can hear some of you thinking: what about the ‘off brand’ choices? The Sigmas and Tamrons and Tokinas? Should you consider going this route to save money?

This is a tricky subject, and one that is hard to answer. Name-brand glass IS expensive. But that’s because it’s the name-brand product. Some off-brand glass is pretty good…and some of it is JUNK. Hard to tell the difference unless you can get the thing in your hands and shoot some photographs with it (which usually you can’t do). I would recommend doing some online research about any off-brand lens you’re thinking about, and proceed with caution! Here’s a link to an interesting discussion about off-brand glass in a Nikon Flickr group.

Hi, I’m Andrew Boyd, a.k.a. The Discerning Photographer, and I hope this post has been interesting and informative. Please leave me a comment about it, let me know what you’d like to see more of on the site! You can also sign up for email delivery of all future articles or my RSS feed. Thanks!–DiscerningPhotog

Don’t Know What To Shoot in the Rain? 25 Shots for Inspiration

2010-12-02T10:15:00.000-08:00

Don’t Know What To Shoot in the Rain? 25 Shots for Inspiration: "

Shooting in the rain is not many photographers’ ideal setting. The rain throws up all sorts of difficult and harsh lighting conditions and keeping your gear dry can be a challenge. But shooting in the rain is a valuable skill exactly because it is difficult and challenges the photographer. And if you’re really lucky, you might even end up with a great shot like one of the ones below.

photo © 2007 Rodrigo Huerta | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2010 Duncan Harris | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2008 Keven Law | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2008 Mike | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2010 Ton Rulkens | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2007 s marcu | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2009 jiunn kang too | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2006 Lida | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2008 Claire | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2009 johnny myreng henriksen | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2008 Yuliya Libkina | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2009 Helga Weber | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2007 Mohamed Muha | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2010 Jasleen Kaur | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2009 Stefan Insam | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2007 Wolfgang Staudt | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2005 Noyes | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2004 Dave Gingrich | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2009 Deb | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2007 Noël Zia Lee | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2009 J Rosenfeld | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2008 lee | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2010 Jason Empey | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2008 Victor Bezrukov | more info (via: Wylio)
photo © 2009 telmo32 | more info (via: Wylio)
Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.
"

An Introduction to Urban Exploration Street Photography

2010-12-02T09:55:00.000-08:00

An Introduction to Urban Exploration: "
A Guest post by Neil Ta.

Urban exploration is the act of accessing locations that are typically restricted to the general public. It’s also known as UE or urbex in some circles, but is often mistaken as simply the discovery of “urban decay” or “abandonment” properties. However, the broader definition also includes the exploration of rooftops, drains, sewers, construction sites, or any other location that may have restricted access.

Street Photography

Urban exploration and photography are mutually exclusive activities, though most explorers have cameras on hand to capture their adventures. I’ve been fascinated by this form of photography over the last year and have learned a great deal about this art form from a number of far more experienced people in the urbex community. To become an urban explorer is easier than you might think, but I caution, it isn’t for everybody.

There Will Be a Light

Who We Are

Explorers are not criminals. We have a great deal of respect for each location we visit, often doing a great deal of research on the historical significance and role the location once played in the community. We don’t spray paint graffiti, we don’t steal, and we don’t break down doors, or smash through windows to gain entry. We’re there to take pictures. We “take only pictures and leave only footprints”.

Man in the Middle

Research

The first question a beginner getting into UE will have is inevitably: “how did you get in there?” Well, there’s a number of online forums relating to urban exploration that can help you answer that and more; the main one being Urban Exploration Resource. This is a good starting point if you want to get a feel of what it’s all about. It will allow you to browse through the beginner’s forum, organize or meet up with explorers in your area, and to research some locations. Your area may also have its own local websites relating to urban exploration too.

Flickr is another good resource for researching potential urbex locations. If you type in a search for your city followed by “urban exploration”, “urban decay”, or “urbex” as keywords, you’re bound to find some recent images from locations in your area. Newspapers can also offer hints on locations being demolished, renovated, or preserved.

Go for a Swim

Safety

Every location will have some sort of hazard, be it unsafe flooring, fall risks, flash flooding risks, asbestos, or even irate squatters. It is up to you to do the research and prepare yourself for every possible situation. For example, if there’s rain in the forecast, DO NOT venture into any drains; if there’s asbestos in an old building, wear a respirator that filters it. Generally, be smart and take all the precautions you need to be safe. That is priority #1. Never explore on your own. Ever.

Also know what to bring in addition to your camera gear! Water, first aid kit, flashlight, and other safety equipment are just a short list of items you may want to carry with you.

Pho, Phishfish, and Phun

Learn

The best way to learn about urbex is to make friends with others who share the same interest. You can organize local meets through a number of online forums and photography websites, and once you meet a core group of explorers, you’re pretty much set! Be open to what they have to say and soak in as much information as you can. Most of them are very willing to share their experiences and to pay it forward to the next generation of explorers.

The Horror

Legal Risks

Urbex is not without some potential legal drawbacks. Depending on the location you are trying to access, urbex may be considered illegal activity (trespassing or mischief). Know the legalities of what you’re doing and always prepare for a worse case scenario. Many times abandoned locations are patrolled by third party security companies or even local police. Though arrests are rare (fines are more likely), it is still best to know all of the potential risks involved. If you are exploring with only good intentions (we’re just taking photos!), many times they will simply ask you to leave the premises. There may also be legal implications after you’ve shared your pictures online, so it is wise to look into all angles of this activity as well.

This is the Shot

Exercise Patience

When you first get involved with UE, you are filled with excitement! You’ll likely want to tear down the doors and go bonkers with your camera! The reality is far less glamorous. You will need to exercise great patience and show restraint once you’re on site. You will need to wait for the perfect time to access the area, which can take a number of hours in some instances. Just be aware that it takes a lot of patience to get these stunning images!

How to Light a Chapel

Have Fun!

In the end, all of the extra risks and precautions you take will be worth it. Urban exploration allows you to see and experience locations very few people ever have. It gives you a greater appreciation of the local history, and you feel an increased affinity with each location and its surrounding community. I’ve been lucky enough to escape all of my adventures with stunning sets of photographs and many memorable moments. Urban exploration has introduced me to a number of great people and amazingly talented photographers. It has truly transformed my lifestyle and the way I see my city.

Fresh Prince of Linseed

Neil Ta is a Toronto based Photographer, Urban Explorer, Traveler, and Gentle Lover. See more from him on his website and blog.

Post from: Digital Photography School

Just Posted: Nikon D7000 in-depth review

2010-12-02T09:34:00.000-08:00

Just Posted: Nikon D7000 in-depth review:

"Just Posted: Our review of Nikon's D7000 mid-range DSLR. Nikon surprised many people by pushing its enthusiast DSLR distinctly up-market just as Canon was doing the opposite with its 60D. The result is such a highly specified camera that it's generated almost as much interest from existing and would-be D300S customers as from the traditional D90 audience. So, after our usual in-depth testing and real-world use, what do its 16 megapixels, 39 AF points, 6 frames per seco

nd and 14-bit RAW add up to? Read our full review of the Nikon D7000 to find out.