Sunday, August 31, 2014

Camera and Lens News and Reviews for the Week of Aug 24

Cameras

Fuji
New Gear: Fujfilm X30 Advanced Compact Camera
The FUJIFILM X30 Compact Fixed Lens Camera
Fujifilm X30 First Look Review
Fuji X30 arrives with overhauled interface, EVF, Wi-Fi and radically better battery life
The X-factor: Hands-on with Fujifilm's X30
Fujifilm X30 Hands-On Preview
Fujifilm Packs EVF, Tilting Screen, WiFi and a Whole Lot More Into New X30 Compact

Nikon
Camera Test: Nikon D810

Samsung
Samsung NX30 Review: solid performance and image quality at a great value

Pentax/Ricoh
New Gear: Ricoh Pentax K-S1 Super-Compact DSLR
The New PENTAX K-S1 D-SLR Camera
Pentax K-S1 sports LED lights and ‘Tweed Grey’ option
Pentax surprises with futuristic new compact K-S1 DSLR
Hands-on with the Pentax K-S1
Pentax K-S1 DSLR Featuring 'Innovative Illuminated Body' Available In 12 Colours
Pentax K-S1: A DSLR Camera Built for a Generation of Beginners
Pentax Pays Homage to Star Trek with Flashy, Futuristic-Looking K-S1 DSLR

Olympus
New Gear: Olympus PEN E-PL7 Interchangeable-Lens Compact Camera
The Smart New Olympus PEN E-PL7
Olympus E–PL7 heads down to selfie central
Olympus E-PL7 arrives with restyled body, flip-down LCD, better stabilization, and in-camera Wi-Fi
Olympus PEN E-PL7 First Impressions Review
Introducing The Olympus PEN E-PL7
Olympus Announces The New PEN E-PL7 Mirrorless Camera
Olympus’ Selfie Friendly E-PL7 Wants to Woo Smartphone Photographers Away from Their Phones

Casio
Casio develops Exilim EX-FR10 two-part action cam with wireless monitor


Lenses

Samyang
New Samyang 50mm T/1.5 Cine Lens
Photokina debut for Samyang 50mm lens
Samyang announces 50mm f/1.4 UCM still and 50mm T1.5AS UMC video lenses
Samyang introduces a 50mm f/1.4 “dream” lens (and a T1.5 cine version)

Rokinon
Rokinon offers affordable manual focus fisheye lens for Nikon 1-mount

Leica
Leica launches 100mm F2 Summicron for medium format S system

Metabones (Adapter)
Metabones Officially Announces Canon EF Speed Booster for Micro Four Thirds Systems


Other

Manfrotto
New Tripods From Manfrotto
Manfrotto Launch Befree Carbon Tripod

Corel
Corel unveils PaintShop Pro X7 with new tools and a fresh design

Friday, August 29, 2014

New Security Threat You Need to Take Steps Against

Hat Tip: PetaPixel

It's been a very slow news week.  The only photography related stories I've been interested in have all been announcements on new camera, lenses or related products.

Those stories I just post links to and publish them on Sunday.

PetaPixel has one today that I feel obligated to comment on: turns out that iPhone infrared camera that was recently released poses a security threat to anyone using a passcode protected item, like an ATM.  Someone taking a picture of the buttons immediately after the buttons are used can easily tell which buttons were pressed due to the residual heat left on them.

it is also possible to get some idea as to the order the buttons were pressed based on how much residual heat remains.  The hottest buttons were used last and the buttons that retain less heat were used earlier.  This greatly reduces the amount of effort needed to determine the passcode used by the previous customer.


There is a fairly easy way to protect yourself from this threat, just rest your hand on the button panel while entering your code. This heats up the buttons evenly which prevents being able to determine which buttons were pressed.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Sony's KW1. The Camera Designed for Kim Kardashian

The rumors have been confirmed, Sony is indeed producing a digital camera that looks like a perfume bottle.

The camera portion swivels 180 degrees.  This enables the camera to be pointed toward the side with the LCD, making it a perfect camera for taking "selfies".

It has also been "blinged", sporting Swarovski crystals around the lens and flash unit.




A blinged out camera, tailor made for taking selfies?  Yep, this camera just screams "Kim Kardashian".  (And since it sports a 19MP sensor, you can see even more of her.)

She'll have to fly to China to pick one up.  It's being offered exclusively in that country right now.

Hope she reads Chinese.

Camera and Lens News and Reviews for the Week of Aug 17

Cameras

Sony A5100
New Gear: Sony A5100 Camera With Hybrid AF
Sony Unveils Compact 24MP A5100, Mirrorless, Interchangeable Lens Camera with Fast Autofocus
Sony unveils Alpha 5100 with 24.3-million-pixel sensor, touchscreen and Fast Hybrid AF system
Hands-on with the Sony Alpha a5100
Sony Officially Unveils New A5100, The Best Of The A6000 For A Great Price
Sony’s a5100 Brings a Fast Mirrorless in a Smaller Package
Sony Officially Debuts the a5100, Packs the a6000′s Powerful Guts Inside a Cheaper Body

Leica

Leica launches M-P to strip photography back to 'essentials'
Leica M-P Rangefinder Camera
Where's the red dot? Leica releases new M-P Digital rangefinder
Leica Announces New M-P, A Simple, Yet Significant Upgrade
Leica Announces the Leica M-P, a Humble Upgrade Focused on Speed and Durability

Hasselbad
Perfection for the pixel-addicted: 200-megapixel Hasselblad H5D-200c Multi Shot debuts
Hasselblad Takes Megapixels To A Whole New Level With New 200MP H5D-200c MS
Hasselblad’s New H5D-200c Multi-Shot Spits Out Massive 200-Megapixel Files
New Gear: Hasselblad H5D 200c Multi-Shot Makes 200-Megapixel Photos

Kodak
Kodak PIXPRO S-1 Review


Lenses

Lensbaby
Lensbaby announces availability of LM-10 Sweet Spot lens for mobile and Sweet 50 optic

Canon
Canon EF 16-35mm f/4 L IS USM Lens Review


Other

Metz Intros Powerful Mecablitz 64 AF-1 Flash for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Olympus/Panasonic Cameras
Metz Mecablitz 64 AF-1 flagship flash unit gets US announcement and pricing

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Does Anyone Actually Need a 200MP Digital Camera?

Hasselblad has just introduced a medium-format digital camera capable of producing 200MP sized images.

(PetaPixel and SLR Lounge also cover the camera's introduction.)


The camera actually uses a 50MP sensor.  It produces 200 megapixel images by taken multiple exposures with the camera sensor repositioned slightly between exposures.

The result is a 200 MP image, and the 8-bit TIFF file takes up 600 MB of storage.  Per image.


The method used to produce 200 MB images limits use to static subject matter.  Meaning this appears to be targeted at those looking to take product photographs with as much detail as possible.


For those interested, a 200MP image printed at 300dpi yields a 40" x 50" print.  That's over 4 feet wide at full resolution.  The image could probably be printed billboard sized if viewed from a distance.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

4TB External Hard Drive for $$129.99

Hat Tip: C/Net

One problem with the proliferation of high resolution cameras is the amount of storage space needed to store those large image files.  This is especially true when shooting in RAW mode or saving images as they are edited.

For those needing additional hard drive space, Newegg had a deal on a 4TB external hard drive.

Use promo code: EMCPBWB225 on check-out.  Deal runs through August 19th.


This is a USB 3.0 hard drive which requires its own power source.  It's not a portable device, you'll need to plug it into a wall socket.

The software included is compatible with Windows or Mac OS.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Sony Announces New Mirrorless Camera

Sony's announcement of the a5100 has dominated the photography news today.  (I had ten stories on the news release in my newsfeed this morning.)

The a5100 uses the same auto-focus system and sensor found in the company's a6000, but in a more compact body.  It's expected to be available in September for $550, body only.  A kit version will start at $700.

The a5100 will use Sony's "E" mount system.  This is the same mount used by the a6000, a7, a7R and a7S cameras.

Friday, August 15, 2014

Camera and Lens News and Reviews for the Week of Aug 10

Cameras

Camera Review: Hasselblad H5D-50C

Nikon 1 J4 review

Camera Review: Samsung NX30

Panasonic GH4 Review: A GH3 on steroids with 4K, high bitrate HD, 12fps burst and faster AF!


Lenses

Leica Reveal New 100mm ASPH Lens

Lens Test: Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC Macro OS HSM

Hartblei introduces HCam Master TS 14-24mm tilt/shift optic for Sony E-mount

Canon 16-35mm f/4L IS review: An impressive ultra-wide zoom with IS that’s perfect for your HD-DSLR

Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD: A Long-Range Tele-Zoom With Vibration Compensation


Other

Manfrotto Unveils Pro Light Photo Backpacks
New Gear: Manfrotto BeFree Carbon Fiber Tripod

SpiderPro Medium Lens Pouch and Memory Card Organizer Keep You Organized and Ready to Shoot

Lightning Deal at Amazon on Prismacolor Colored Pencils

I haven't blogged much about art related items even though I always intended that to be one of the subjects covered.

I feel compelled to mention this one: mazon has a lightning deal on Prismacolor colored pencils.  You can get 150 pencils for $116.29 for the next hour-and-a-half.  (Deal ends 2:00 pm Central time, August 15.)

Prismacolor pencils are artist level pencils, as opposed to the typical colored pencils most people are familiar with.  (These are the equivalent to those water-color sets used be school children.)  The higher quality makes them more expensive.

That $116 price is 62% off, and less than $1.00 a pencil.

Jump on this bargain if interested in professional level colored pencils.


(Amazon's lightning deals are worth monitoring.  You can see upcoming deals in advance and then keep track of when any interesting deals go live.)


Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Time To Purchase a Medium Format Digital Camera?

Hat Tip: Shutterbug

Ricoh has apparently dropped the price on the 645D 40MP medium-format camera.  It's now listed at $4,999.99

That $5,000 price tag is lower than that for many full-frame DSLR cameras, and these cameras offer lower resolutions.


There are advantages when it comes to full-frame cameras.  They tend to offer better features including higher burst rates, which can be important when shooting in high-speed action situations.  Still, there's nothing quite like shooting with a medium format camera when it comes to separating subjects from the background using a shallow depth of field.


As a broke amateur I can't provide any first-hand experience with either full-frame DSLR or medium format cameras.

If I had the money to purchase an expensive camera right now, I would certainly have to consider the 645D at $5,000.  I personally don't shoot in situations where a low burst rate would be detrimental, and that seems to be the largest drawback to the 645D when compared to the full-frame DSLR alternatives.

(It is apparently a little less robust when it comes to build quality, which might be a reason to pass.)

Friday, August 8, 2014

Printable USB Business Card Kickstarter Project

Hat Tip: PetaPixel


The inventors of intelliPaper have a new Kickstarter project: the swivelCard.

This is a business card that contains a small silicon chip containing digital information.  The card folds up so that the information stored on that chip can be read over a computer's USB connection.

It's not quite a paper USB drive as the data stored on the card cannot be changed by the computer.  (The data can be changed using a device from the company, making it more like a flashable ROM device.)



The card offers some interesting opportunities for photographers.

The cards provide enough storage space for a small portfolio of images.  This makes them well suited for promotional purposes.  (They're also fairly inexpensive.  The rate is $1-$2 a piece on the Kickstarter project.)

Each card also has a unique serial number.  This code can be used to provide each card user access to a different web page.  This could provide useful for photographers that have a large number of clients.  The photographer could have a page for each client and use the card to control access.  The cards do eventually wear out, but issuing a replacement wouldn't cost much.

Also, multiple cards could be associated with a single page.  This might be useful for wedding photographers.  They could provide the couple with multiple cards, each linking to the couple's online album.


Those are just the most obvious uses for the card.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Canon the Enter Medium Format Camera Market?

Hat Tip: Peta Pixel


Canon has been hinting that it will make a big announcement this September (including hints about a "revolutionary" sensor.)

The latest rumor concerns Canon's apparent interest in the medium format camera market.  Apparently, Canon has been asking "key users" whether there was any interest in a Canon Medium Format camera.


If true, Canon would join Pentax (Ricoh) and Sony when it comes to major camera manufacturers offering medium format cameras in addition to their other offerings.  (Leica does offer medium format as well, but they cater to a bit of a niche market.)

I'm not sure there's enough interest in a new medium format camera for Canon to actually enter the market.  Plus, the rumors are based on a recent questionnaire.  Why ask the question if you are already manufacturing one?

I'll be surprised if Canon announces a medium format camera in September.  The September announcement will apparently involve products to be released in the near future.  A medium format camera would probably be too far in the future to be part of that announcement, unless the announcement covers more than near future plans.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Sigma DP2 Quattro Hands-On Field Test

Hat Tip: SLR Lounge

The Camera Store posted a YouTube video featuring a hands-on field test of the new Sigma DP2 Quattro.




The verdict: vast improvement over the previous model, but still needs work in some areas.

The image output can be stunning under the right circumstances.  (And according to the video, can come close to rivaling images from a full frame camera.)


The drawbacks: bad ergonomics and slow processing time.  Jump to the 10:30 mark to see how long it takes to convert the raw file into a .jpg.