Archive for the ‘Gadgets and Gear’ Category
A Tale of Two Lenses: A ‘First’ Each for Nikon and Canon
It was the ‘best and biggest’ of lenses, it was the worst and ‘shiftiest’ of times . . . .
Enough of the pseudo-Dickensianisms. Let’s start with the biggest lens.
Here’s a candid portrait of the new pope, Pope Francis. Shot with, say, a 70 mm? Um, no. The photographer was at ground level and the pope was on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica. As such, this ultra-long-range shot was taken with a Zoom-Nikkor 1200-1700mm f/5.6-8P IF-ED super-telephoto, PhotographyBlog reported earlier today.
PhotographyBlog calls this lens a ‘monster’ and it is – it weighs sixteen kilos! You’re not going to be taking this baby in your camera bag, right? However, it’s also a legend of a lens deserving of its own page on Nikon’s website as it, “at the time boasted the longest focal length of any zoom lens for 35mm-format cameras.”
This page discloses that this lens was made especially to photograph high school baseball games in Japan! Back in 1990 this ‘tuna’ was a state of the art zoom. If you’re inclined towards photographic history, check out the 1200-1700mm’s ‘recollections’ page for an interesting read.
On to the ‘shiftiest’ (though far from the worst) lens. This, of course, is a tilt-shift lens. And how appropriate that it is . . . a Canon!
Trevor Dayley calls the Canon TS-E (Tilt Shift) 90mm f/2.8 “My New Favourite Lens.” Interestingly, this lens too boasts a ‘first’: “The world’s first 35mm-format telephoto lens with tilt and shift movements for perspective and depth-of-field control,” according to this lens’s page on the Canon website!
If you’re not quite clear as to what a tilt-shift does, here’s one good way to look at it. Just as using the native aperture of a lens allows you to focus on one plane while throwing other planes, both front and rear of the focus-plane, out of focus, a tilt-shift allows you to focus on a very small spot on one and the same plane, throwing all other points on that very plane out of focus.
Dayley not only has an excellent idea as to just how and where to exploit this type of lens’s capability, he proves it with pictures. A 90mm T/S lens is, all-too evidently, a top choice for bridal portraits.
Soft focus, diffusion, bokeh, high key – all these have been staples of bridal photography. Given its effects Tilt-Shift is, come to think of it, another arrow from that same quiver: “if I were shooting a couple up close and I wanted nothing but their faces in focus, I could tilt the lens to blur everything in the picture but their faces creating a unique effect,” writes Dayley.
If you’ve associated T/S lenses with shorter focal-lengths, urban landscapes and trick photography, then read Dayley’s write-up and look at his striking portraits. It’s one of those how-tos in which the pictures speak louder than words.
Photography’s Eternal Rivalry: Canon v. Nikon
—Well, from the 1970s until now is an eternity in electromechanical equipment and gadgetry with so many major names having fallen by the wayside; even vanishing – anyone remember Akai and NCR? And, oh, what about Minolta and . . . Kodak?
—And here are Canon and Nikon, still duking it out with the latest face-off being brought to us by ePHOTOzine. A head-to-head of the kind ePHOTOzine have laid out is not exactly unusual but it is a little extreme to split the difference in the ‘Dimension’ category and award partial victories! Here’s how they do it:
Nikon D600 Canon EOS 6D
141 x 113 x 82mm (WHD) 144.5x 110.5 x 71.2mm (WHD)
Right – so Nikon wins on width and Canon takes it on height and depth. Okay, so this is one seriously thorough comparison job. The comparison is – as seen in the heading above – between the enthusiast or semi-pro DSLRs of each maker, the Nikon D600 and the Canon EOS 6D.
Canon’s drift towards the Cloud and connectivity and Nikon staying closer and truer to photography’s fundamentals is ‘exposed’ by what each has chosen to include and omit. Canon’s DSLR has built-in WiFi and GPS while Nikon provides optional adaptors; Nikon provides a built-in flash plus hotshoe but with Canon you get only hotshoe.
That said, these cameras are packed to the rafters with go-go features like HDR, that go-go feature from yesteryear, multiple exposure, and much more.
For the most part, they are extremely well matched with little to choose between them on any factor. For the rest of them, for every left hook landed by one, its adversary connects with a right cross. The Nikon nicks it in Switch on Time to Taking a Photo but the Canon runs away with image quality at high ISO. Canon edges it in white balance performance in different lighting while Nikon lumps its opponent in focus points.
In truth, the Nikon versus Canon face-off is not about quality or features and never was: it was and is about subjectivity and personal preferences, plus the somewhat different territory each had staked out: Nikon, with its original all-mechanical F3 flagship, was a relatively conservative brand for traditionalist pros; Canon, with its innovative electronic AE-1 hit, was a relatively forward-looking brand for with-the-times pros. Though that distinction is not quite so pronounced today, it’s still a fair one to make.
Anyone interested in this eternal rivalry should check out ePHOTOzine’s blow-by-blow account. Scroll down to the bottom for their detailed tale-of-the-tape.
A Full Review, a First Look, and a Lacy Leak
English: Candid photo of Zsa Zsa Gabor at a social function (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The Full Review
Canon’s PowerShot A810 is the entry-level compact for the layman according to Photography Blog because “prove a hit with newcomers to photography.”
At the price, this camera seems to be a just-right balance in features and specs. In fact, it “appears to be identical, if not slightly better than models we’ve seen at a higher price point.”
Though it is an ultra-simple point-and-shoot, it also provides a plethora of buttons and camera options in the Main Menu for the tyro who wants to exert some finer control.
In image quality the camera shows its low-budget colours, specially once ISO 400 is reached. But then, it “is great value for money” specially in undemanding situations where the main requirement is to get off a shot fast.
The First Look
Sony has recently released a slew of cameras, among them the ‘bridge’ H200, alongwith more modest models in their Cyber-shot range. ePHOTOzine has just published a first look. The H200 has 20.1 megapixels and a long 26x optical zoom. At ‘first look’, it is styled rather like a ‘Big Two’ DSLR.
If you’re looking for a new compact, you can choose between the TF1, WX200 and WX60. The TF1 distinguishes itself by being waterproof up to ten metres and also claims to be dustproof and shockproof whereas the other two boast superior specs in zoom, ISO, and continuous shooting. What they have in common is those shapeless shapes that are a hallmark of the Cyber-shot range!
The Lacy Leak
PhotoRumors has a ‘leak’ comprising all of three lines about the Olympus XZ-10 which they close with “No other details are available.” But when you have pictures like these, ‘details’ are irrelevant. Cameras were made of aluminium, plastic, polycarbonate . . . now they’re made of chiffon and lace! Somehow I don’t think George Schaller would have chosen this baby . . . Zsa Zsa Gabor on the other hand . . .
Regardless of whether or not this camera can even actually take pictures, it will appeal to Manhattan socialites and Nashville vixens alike.
Women have long had their ‘clutch purse’; now, thanks to Olympus, they have the ‘clutch camera’ for formal nights.
Calling All Canonistas! — Part II !
We did this only last week but no, we’re not pushing Canon or playing favourites; it’s just that Canon is making both, cameras and waves. All we wanna do is report the camera-making and the wave-making.
Looks like Canon has fallen victim to ‘The Instagram Effect’ for its new PowerShot N is . . . square-shaped!
Instagram influence is also evident in the positioning of the camera: Canon’s press release says you can add “a creative edge” using “Canon’s creative modes, including Miniature Effect, Soft Focus, Toy Camera Effect and Monochrome.” These ‘easy play’ and ‘play easy’ effects again smack of Instagram.
The Powershot N’s main claim to fame is that it allows near-instant sharing of photos on social networks. That’s because this WiFi camera can be coupled to tablets and mobile-phones.
Though the specs – such as the optical zoom range – are respectable, this gimmicky camera is one with Canon not only is making waves; it hopes to catch a wave.
Somewhat less gimmicky are three PowerShot A’s and an IXUS that Canon has announced for February launch.
The PowerShot A1400, A2600, and A3500 are progressively more expensive, each with some extra features, with the IXUS 140 topping out in price and features. Note that “price and features” is advisedly written for the difference in specifications is minimal, if any. For instance, there is no difference in pixel-count; all four are 16 MP cameras and they have the same sensor, and the same goes for other key specs like ISO range.
The minimal differences include LCD size, focussing modes, battery type and WiFi in which one or another camera varies from the other three. Is this differentiation smart or is it just overdoing it on the price points and does it muddy the waters and confuse customers? Thus far the market’s response has been to say ‘Smart!’ to whatever Canon does.
Let’s see what 2013 brings for Canon, what with the ‘new wave’ that is the PowerShot N.
Calling all iPhoneistas!
Image via CrunchBase
If you’re an iPhone aficionado, this post is for you – here are four nifty, spanking new add-ons for your camera.
GoldenPic is an app that allows you to anticipate the kind of light you can expect at a particular place at a particular time. It’s main claim to fame is that it provides four mini-charts, Sunrise, Sunset, Moon, and Weather, showing timings for Blue Hour Begins, Sunrise, and Golden Hour Ends for the first, reversing that order for the second mini-chart.
That – of course – is not all. Weather, locations, moon, timezone detection and similar support round out this app. According to ePhotozine, it’s simple and useful when an outdoor photographer wants to be in the right place at the right time but is a bit steep.
Much cheaper is the VSCO Cam. It is a ‘value-added’ picture-taking app – it has an editor with ten features, ten filters, sharing capabilities via different social media outlets, and more. Not bad for a buck!
Novices will like the way they can warm up or cool down a picture with a couple of clicks or add novel effects, like grain and the main attraction will surely be the instant sharing on offer: Twitter – or wherever.
Now if you’re worried that someone will steal your work off some social media website (cheesiness alert!) Have no fear, Marksta is here! A few hours back BJP published an article about photographer John D. McHugh teaming up with a software developer to create this app that lets you put a watermark – more like a signature – in your choice of type and style on your photos, quickly and easily.
“It’s not just about protecting the commercial value of their photographs, it’s also about protecting their moral rights. What I hope is that when you use the app, you feel it’s just easy,” he says. That should put a lid on stealing, or at least on unattributed re-use of the fruits of your skills.
Whether you go for GoldenPic or VSCO Cam, your iPhone may look a bit more stylish with Trygger Camera Clip. The clip has an integrated polarizing filter (once seen as an essential for outdoor photographers), a sharp idea. But is the $40 price tag justified? Here’s what Trygger have to say about their product and campaign and they also provide a few sample images. See if this iPhone clip is worth the price – then again, it is a polarizer lens.
Calling All Canonistas!
English: Canon EOS 5D Mark II camera, with Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens (fitted with a B+W 010 UV-Haze 58mm filter). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It’s an all Canon post today as we take in four new Canon products.
Canon is almost surely the maker that is most aggressively pursuing film-quality digital video technology in ‘cinema cameras’. Here we look at a review of their 1D C and an interview surrounding the 5D.
The 1D C’s calling card is that you can pull high-end photographic quality stills from a video clip as video can be made in such a way so that frames are blur-free are razor sharp. As such this camera is not only a video-and-stills hybrid; it is both at the same time.
Thus, the 1D C is a game changer; the article quotes an expert: “I see the biggest step forward using motion image capture the ability to record many individual moments in time, all the while silently as there is no shutter being released. This could have great benefits in situations where you may want to remain more candid. Subjects could also feel more relaxed not knowing ‘photographs’ are being taken.”
Quite a concept. Shoot photographs while you’re making . . . a movie!
Make a movie is exactly what Sachin Kabir did on a Canon 5D Mk II. Kabir said that this camera “had been well tested by now and was making waves as a pioneering technology for low budget/independent film makers,” and cited its large sensor size as the most attractive feature. He also said that its “immediate advantage is the ability to rig and shoot much faster than any other camera giving such high quality.”
While Kabir points out a few “quirks,” the interview supports the general view that Canon is reckoned to be the leader in this technology.
Canon is not losing sight of the bread-and-butter paraphernalia, however.
It has released a new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 that is optimized for video performance. Its construction, however, indicates that it is a modest and inexpensive lens. Moreover, if you think the aperture range cries out ‘kit lens’, you’d be right – it is.
The review discloses that for an affordable kit lens it has an excellent stabilizer.
ePhotozine says that this lens is a solid value-for-money when bought as part of a kit but not when bought separately.
Actually, Canon is not losing sight of anything, it appears!
Though speculation about the 7D Mk II has been floating around for a few months, take a gander at the Japanese rumour mill’s latest sneak peeks on 7D Mk II and 70D.
Sinar System from Switzerland and a Sony Award for an Aussie
Most beginners use compacts and APS-C, a few may use DSLRs. Take a gander, then, at this camera from Sinar of Switzerland. Sinar’s lanTec was announced yesterday. It is an ultra-high-end camera system for landscape and architectural photography and is the digital equivalent of ‘large format’ 8×10 cameras from the film days – its resolution goes all the way up to 80 megapixels.
Such a ‘system’ allows a photographer to use a particular ‘digital back’ per his preference. As for the camera, it incorporates tilt-shift for landscape photography and has built-in spirit levels.
Changing digital backs also changes the camera’s orientation, say from view camera to medium-format camera. Sinar’s website shows the three digital backs they make for the lanTec. Look at their eXact digital back. You will notice, among other things, that it can be used with Mamiya and Hasselblad camera systems, has a top shutter-speed of 1/10000, has a huge sensor, and can take pictures with up to 192 megapixels.
Using large-format camera systems is an entirely different method of photography altogether; though that always was the case, it is even truer now in the days of digital.
We do not know which camera Aussie shooter Palani Mohan used but we do know that the award he won was from Sony. Sony World Photography Awards is considered to be one of the more prestigious photo contests – given that the top prize is $25,000 plus Sony digital imaging/camera equipment, both of which are ceremoniously awarded at an annual awards gala at a posh hotel is held, it’s easy to see why SWPA has such cachet.
The winners for 2012 include some stunning images. Mohan’s photograph is not shown among the winners because he won third place. His award came in the Nature & Wildlife category. His common-sense advice really stands out in this Digital Age, notably, “Try to keep true to photography as after all, you are a photographer not a digital artist.”
Ed Hetherington is also a Nature & Wildlife photographer but he managed to capture a few shots he wasn’t intending to. You see, a lioness pinched Hetherington’s EOS 5D! The story doesn’t tell us whether Hetherington thought all the unusual photos ‘snapped’ by the lioness, and also the ones he took of lioness-and-camera, were fair compensation for his busted 5D.
A Mixed Bag of Three Cameras: Leica, Fuji, and Polaroid
Logo for Leica Camera (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
We know that top-of-the-line cameras can be really expensive but $2.18 million? The price of a mansion? And this is not even one of those diamond-encrusted iPhones, it’s a plain old Leica.
This Leica M3D is not a prototype or a limited edition; it is a production camera although it is “one of four that was specially customized by Leitz for American photojournalist David Douglas Duncan.” Another Leica, this one the legendary M3, also fetched $1.17 million. This near-mint piece is “the very first production M3 ever made.”
We all knew Leicas were high-end cameras; however, they’re obviously collectors’ items and museum pieces too.
The new Fuji X-E1 is a display piece for your neighbourhood camera store. Like other recent Fujis, this APS-C mirrorless has that retro look with a few manual controls which makes it stand out from the crowd of NEXes and such. There’s also a material technical difference: instead of the standard Bayer Array, it uses a new, very different, ‘X-Trans CMOS’ Array which is meant to offer improvements in “remov[ing] colour moire and false colour.”
As with the X100, the X-E1 also has digital filters that mimic the palettes of Fuji’s well-known films – Provia, Velvia, Astia – plus other filters. Another feature worth mentioning is auto-stitched panoramic photographs. All you need do is pan.
Now here’s one camera that doesn’t have a retro look, it has a custom look, thanks to woodworker-photographer Siebe Warmoeskerken and his skills. He “combine[d] his two passions.” He took a Polaroid SX-70 Alpha and designed a wenge-wood veneer around it.
Regardless of whether you go for a Leica, Fuji or a wood-worked Polaroid, you could always brush up on your photography skills. To that end Digital Photography School has compiled a list of the top fifteen photography books that visitors to their site clicked through to actually buy.
Have a look at this list and each of the books on it. You’ll probably find that the subject-area of one or another book addresses one of your weaker areas or covers an area you wanted to learn more about. Fundamentals of digital photography, composition, natural light, RAW, even HDR – several major subject-areas are represented on the list.
However, it’s probably the number one book whose title will resonate with many novice readers: “Beyond Snapshots: How to Take That Fancy DSLR Camera Off ‘Auto’ and Photograph Your Life like a Pro.” If only it were that easy! Perhaps the book makes it a little less complicated?
DPReview’s Five Best Compact Cameras
Image via CrunchBase
The folks at DPReview waded through their reviews of compacts and earlier today selected the five that, in their opinion, are the best.
The “five of what [DPReview] think[s] are the best compact cameras on the market right now” include two Panasonics but nary a Nikon, with one each of Canon, Olympus and Sony. The only surprise is that this is not much of a surprise because, despite the strengths of the P7700 and the popularity of the Coolpix, Nikon is a little behind the curve in the Compact category.
The Sony RX100 presence on this list is surely not a surprise. Its image quality and cutting-edge technology are what distinguish this compact. However, it’s nothing to look at, being very business-like and functional; all straight lines, edges and corners, it is the plain girl in the school. The Lumix DMC-FZ200 veers to the other extreme; it is an overdone medley of curves, ridges and bumps, including an awkward-looking, massive bulge for the grip.
Camera reviews pay a lot of attention to image quality, features, technology and specs while design, styling, and ergonomics, though mentioned in passing, tend to take a back seat. Sony’s RX100 and Panny’s DMC-FZ200 are cases in point. Why don’t camera makers learn a lesson or two from 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino?
As we are on the topic of design, styling, and ergonomics, we may as well point out that in these categories the Canon and Olympus are the winners; these being the PowerShot G15 and XZ-2 respectively. The Canon is a little more stylized; the Olympus, more sedate. Interestingly, in terms of features and specs the two are neck-and-neck.
Each of these five cameras ranks at the top of the class but each also has its own particular characteristics and strengths. For instance, the Lumix DMC-ZS20 is great for travel because of its GPS and database of a million landmarks and also for tyros because of its ‘iAuto’ mode. On the other hand, comparatively speaking the Olympus XZ-2 has features that more advanced users would prefer, including extensive customization.
Any of these five cameras would be ideal for that everyday second camera or to give as a present to a teen. DPReview’s compare-and-contrast will let you choose just the right one.
Taking the Plunge for a DSLR? PhotographyTalk Shows How
This image shows a Canon EOS 350D digital single-lens reflex camera with a Tamron 18-200 f/3.5-6.3 XR Di II LD lens. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
PhotographyTalk has published an excellent, don’t-miss guide, especially for novices and hobbyists. It bears the rather inapt and misleading title, “The #1 Best Method To Know You’ve Picked The Right Digital Camera For You.” An apt title would be “The Best Method to Pick the Right Digital Camera for You,” because that’s just what this guide steps you through.
In brief, the trick is to rent a few DSLRs over a weekend and take them for a test drive before you make the big commitment and get hitched.
PhotgraphyTalk’s guide is loaded with sharp advice. For example, they explain that, as you’ll be using a DSLR with interchangeable lenses and other gear, you would be well-advised to rent these too lest you encounter an unpleasant surprise later. It also contains very sound advice: spending an hour or two with the instruction manual and acquainting yourself with the camera will pay off.
‘The Comfort Test’ may be the most critical point. “You don’t want to buy a camera that you couldn’t use and carry all day” is a key rule. The camera should feel like an extension of your arm; your hand should be able to ‘learn’ it quickly. If it feels alien an unwieldy to your hand then even if it’s the best-rated camera and even if you’ve been ‘sold’ by the reviews, it’s probably not for you.
The guide also keeps in mind all eventualities – it even draws your attention to whether or not you have insurance to cover theft or damage.
As good as this guide is, it can be fleshed out. Here are a few additional points for the checklist:—
• During your tryouts, do include ambient light, low light, and night shots, including long exposures.
• Though as a budding pro you’ll be shooting in RAW, shoot some JPG with each camera. If nothing else they may be a tie-breaker – or, if particularly poor, they may be a deal-breaker.
• For all the manufacturers you are considering, look into the geographical locations of the authorized service centres and also check out that vendor’s track record with customer support.
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