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Photography
Camera care
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
I’m paranoid about my gadgets, often trying to be more careful about not marring a shiny surface than putting them to their intended use in their very short technological lifespan. No gadget is more mollycoddled than my camera, and that includes, without exception, an absolute avoidance of moisture.
Most cameras should be kept out of the wet at all times, but higher end cameras have been built to withstand far more abuse than I would ever wish to see. For a great example of this see Canon Field Reviews. The description of the Canon 7D‘s weather sealing capabilities by Ole Jørgen Liodden is absolutely fascinating.
The fact that his 1DS Mark III fell into the water twice and continued to function without incident is a good indication of what these cameras are capable of, even if a story like that can bring tears to one’s eyes… In the end, it’s about using a tool for an intended purpose.
UDMA 6 – 64GB CF
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
SanDisk has produced one of the fastest compact flash cards currently available, the 64GB UDMA 6 Extreme Pro. Aimed clearly at those wanting to shoot 1080p video on the latest generation of DSLR‘s, the Extreme Pro features a transfer rate of 90MB per second.
There are only two things to consider: the price and whether or not your camera will be able to support the high-capacity storage card. First, the price. At almost USD 900, the 64GB card is still extremely expensive. Currently, 32GB cards are probably a better bet from a cost-performance point of view, though it may be prudent to consider investing in 16GB models to get the best bang for one’s buck. If the transfer speed is absolutely necessary, the cost for the Extreme Pro may be justified, though the Extreme IV storage cards work quite nicely.
The support for the 64GB card is another matter entirely: for my EOS 5D Mark II, SanDisk doesn’t seem to recommend the product, though all indications are that the card will work in that camera without any trouble. Before jumping into a purchase of this rather expensive item, you should be sure that it will work with your particular gear. Better still: wait another six months or so and get this at a vastly reduced cost. By then, 128GB CF cards will probably be the order of the day…
Leica M7 Hermes
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Since I have a thing for orange I couldn’t skip mentioning this one. Leica has teamed up with Hermes to produce a very limited edition of its M7 rangefinder camera. Only 100 cameras will be manufactured, individually numbered with a distinct colour no pickpocket could miss. At the price, this is one piece of kit one would probably prefer to keep in a very, very safe place.
The M7 Hermes is likely to be priced at a cool USD 15000, making it a rather expensive point-and-shoot. It’s not a digital camera either, relying instead on the now archaic 35mm film rolls. It’s certainly a classic. And looks really cool!
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV white paper
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Canon has made a white paper available that details the new EOS-1D Mark IV camera. The Canon white papers are an interesting read and provide a lot of insight into the capabilities and operation of various digital SLR camera models.
Interestingly, the EOS-1D Mark IV does not have a full-frame sensor like the EOS-5D Mark II. Instead, the sensor has a cropping factor of 1.3. That’s an APS-H sensor, compared to the new EOS-7D‘s APS-C sensor with a nominal cropping factor of 1.6. Since the EOS-1D Mark IV features a very high burst rate, it will likely be used extensively for sports photography where a crop factor can assist in gaining some extra length out of a zoom lens.
Canon white papers are available here.
fps change promised for future 5D Mark II firmware
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Canon has announced a firmware release for the EOS 5D Mark II that will be available sometime in the first quarter of 2010.
Aimed primarily at those who enjoy the 1080 full-frame video capture functionality of the camera, the firmware update will allow the frame rate to be set at either 24fps, 25fps or the current 30fps.
30fps is aimed primarily at video produced to be viewed on a television set. 24fps is suitable for the silver screen and allows video shot with the camera to be transferred to 35mm film for projection in a cinema. 30fps is optimized for display on NTSC televisions and 25fps is suitable for PAL televisions.
Hopefully, the firmware update will include something for ordinary photography…
Photoshop Lightroom 3 Beta
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Adobe has made a beta version of its new Lightroom software available. The download works on both Mac and Windows platforms with the Windows version approximately 135MB in size and the Mac download about 65MB. There is no requirement that any previous version be installed or that you have a license – Adobe is following a growing trend that is seeding future software to as large as possible an audience to gain a far wider range of feedback. For developers, this means a greater pool of feedback on features and bug reports, for end users it’s an opportunity to try out new software. The beta expires at the end of April 2010 and as always, you are advised not to rely on the software for day-to-day work, but rather to try it out and play around with it.
I installed Lightroom on Windows 7 and was rather impressed that the ZIP file includes both a 32-bit and a 64-bit version. I chose the 64-bit version, since G2S runs a 64-bit OS. Lightroom installs quickly and, upon startup, request images to be imported. The user interface is attractive, with chunky buttons and neat rows of thumbnails.
The screen area is roughly divided into a top panel holding oft-used functions, a left side panel with a preview of the current workspace and quick-access menus for services such as Flickr. The main workspace holds the current photo being edited or a preview of all the photos in the library. Finally, the right side panel contains manipulation tools and settings that may be applied to the picture in the workspace.
One of my favourite features is the ability to sort data with having to maintain filters – these work straight out of the box. So, for example, it is easy to filter by a specific camera and see only the photographs that were taken with it. An additional filter goes so far as to permit filtering by lens. Rather neat!
Editing tools are provided, as are many different effects filters and the ability to change almost any aspect of what the photograph will look like. A handy preview allows the result of applying a specific effect to be seen in greater detail.
I’m really impressed by Lightroom. It’s the first time I’ve played around with a copy of it, and I’m seriously considering getting the final version of the software once it becomes available after April next year. If you’re into photography, you should certainly check it out, even if you have no desire to purchase it in the long run – the fact that the software is available without charge for a couple of months without restrictions should be enough motivation to get some use out of it. My guess is that you’ll like. Give it a try!
Canon EOS-1D Mark IV announced
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Less than a week ago, Nikon announced an updated camera to replace its flagship D3 line, the D3S. That camera boasts impressive ISO performance: in standard mode, ISO 12800 is achievable, whilst in Hi 3 mode, the ISO performance reaches an incredible ISO equivalent value of 102400!
Today, Canon fires back with the announcement of its new, high-end camera body, the EOS-1D Mark IV.
Canon describes the camera as a high-speed multimedia performance monster: the 16MP CMOS sensor is supported by dual DIGIC 4 imaging processors and 14-bit A/D data conversion. The camera is capable of shooting at 10 frames per second for stills and at full high definition 1080p in video mode. Similar to the Nikon, the ISO performance has shot through the roof and is likely to put a dent in flashlight sales: the maximum ISO in standard mode is 12800 (for video) and in extended mode reaches all the way to 102400 (for stills).
The back LCD panel is 3″ in size and is high in contrast with a wide viewing angle. A 45-point AF sensor with 39 high-precision cross-type AF points updates the autofocus performance considerably.
The expected cost of the camera body in the US is set at USD 5000. More information and specifications are available here.
Canon Wild Amateur Roadshow
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Here’s another Canon Roadshow event aspiring Canon shooters may be keen on attending: the Canon Wild Amateur Roadshow will be held in major centres and is set to feature well-known travel and wildlife photographers who will share some of their secrets.
The roadshow takes place at the end of October in Johannesburg and early November in Durban and Cape Town.
Seating is limited – register here.
Photoshop Elements 8 available
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
A new version of the very capable image editor Photoshop Elements has been released by Adobe. The version number for both Windows and Mac systems is the same, which is a good thing and hopefully reflects similar functionality and capabilities in the software on both platforms.
Photoshop Elements 8 is probably more than adequate for 90% of all tasks the amateur or hobbyist photographer will want to perform. The new version builds on the capabilities of the mini Photoshop by adding a number of interesting features and capabilities. These include photo recomposition from landscape or portrait to any orientation or size without loss of quality or distortion, adjustment previews that make selection of an adjustment easy to select and a bunch of templates to spruce up photographic creations.
PhotoMerge Scene Cleaner is able to blend scenes and remove unwanted items quickly and easily whilst the Smart Brush makes the modification and enhancement of key areas on the artwork a much easier process. Various quick photo fixes and filters can be accessed with a single click to enhance and correct images without application of various brush strokes or loading of additional plugins. These features were previously available only in the Windows version and have now made it to the Mac. The Mac version supports the new Snow Leopard operating system release.
I’ll upgrade my existing Mac version of Elements to get access to the new features – though I own Photoshop CS4, I find Elements a very useful and easy tool to have at hand.
Canon EOS 7D announced
2 years ago
by manfred
in Photography
Canon today announced their new midrange DSLR, the Canon EOS 7D.
The camera brings a number of new features to table, including a new 19-point Autofocus system, a new Canon iFCL Metering System (Intelligent Focus, Color, Luminance) and a new Intelligent Viewfinder. The APS-C CMOS sensor is rated for 18MP and the camera utilizes Dual DIGIC 4 Imaging Processors. ISO speed settings range from 100 to 6400 (expandable to 12,800) making low-light photography accessible. Full HD video capture at 1920 x 1080 resolution with selectable frame rates of 24p, 25p or 30p is another feature. Stills can be shot at up to 8fps using a UDMA CF card.
A useful feature is the built-in Dual Axis Electronic Level, featuring an artificial horizon over the image on the rear LCD screen in Live View or in the viewfinder using illuminated AF points for easy leveling while shooting. The dual axis electronic level shows both horizontal roll and vertical pitch, making it easy to identify when the camera is in a fixed level shooting position and ready to take the shot.
The body is expected to retail for USD 1699, whilst a lens and body kit is expected to cost about USD 1899.
The full announcement from Canon can be found here.
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