Sigma Corporation announce the new large aperture 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM standard lens
Posted on March 31, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
This is a large aperture prime lens with a standard focal length of 50mm, ideal for all digital SLR cameras. This lens has superior peripheral brightness even at the maximum aperture and corrects a possible sagittal coma flare. This lens is perfectly suited for a wide range of subjects enabling outstanding, sharply defined images against a nicely blurred background. The fast, F1.4 aperture makes this lens desirable for use with Digital SLR cameras. This lens effectively becomes an 80mm medium telephoto lens on digital cameras with APS-C size image sensors. The optimum optical design and molded glass aspherical lens elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations. The super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting. Superior optical performance is also ensured throughout the focusing range. This lens has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm (17.7”) and has maximum magnification of 1:7.4. It creates a very attractive blur, even when a small aperture is used.
- Standard lens with large maximum aperture of F1.4.
- It creates sharp images with high contrast and ensures superior peripheral brightness.
- Incorporates molded glass aspherical lens, perfectly correcting coma aberration and creating superior image quality.
- Super multi-layer lens coating reduces flare and ghosting.
- Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) ensuring silent, high-speed AF.
Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM
This lens incorporates HSM (Hyper Sonic Motor), which ensures a quiet and high-speed AF as well as full-time manual focus override.
Fittings: Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Pentax*, Sony*
*If the camera body does not support HSM, auto focus will not be available.
Steamy…
Posted on March 31, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
Freshly steamed baozi, Taiwan. Taken by Mark Forman
Photomatix Pro version 3.0 Released
Posted on March 31, 2008 - Filed Under News, Photo | Leave a Comment
HDRSoft has released the stable version of the popular High Dynamic Range Imaging program Photomatix Pro 3.0. Among notable new features are a Workflow Shortcuts palette and two ghosts removal algorithms. The program is available for $99.00 direct from HDRSoft and a free trial version is available. There is no upgrade charge for license holders for 2.x versions of Photomatix Pro.
For more info on High Dynamic Range Imaging and a tutorial with the 2.x version of the programs, click here.
Nikon D60 Review at Digital Photography Review
Posted on March 30, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Ratings, Reviews, Tips | Leave a Comment
DP Review has posted a review of the Nikon D60 and writes – ‘In reality the biggest challenge the D60 faces is the competition; there’s been an explosion of small, affordable entry-level SLRs in the 18 month or so since the D40 first appeared, and though I’ve never actually used live view outside the studio there’s no denying it’s a strong selling point at this end of the market, as is in-body stabilization. Cameras such as the Olympus E-410 (and its promising successor the E-420) offer a fuller feature set in an equally small (and affordable) body, and you can’t ignore the imminent arrival on the shelves of Canon’s seriously beefed-up (though pricier) forthcoming new entry-level model, the EOS 450D, not to mention the new Sonys or the Pentax K200D.’
Photography Review: “All Access with Kevin Mazur” at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum
Posted on March 28, 2008 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
A synchronized increase in negative connotations and the general gall of the paparazzi has made it difficult to differentiate the artists from the exploiters among celebrity photographers. Kevin Mazur is one of the select few who has managed to tow the artist’s line. It is this same line that has led him right into Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum as its newest special exhibit, “All Access with Kevin Mazur.”
The exhibit is currently open to the public through May in the Ahmet M. Ertegun Main Exhibition Hall, which showcases twenty-plus prints spanning his twenty-five year evolution.
Mazur’s career germinated from a childhood love of rock ‘n’ roll and a life-changing high school graduation gift, his first camera. He attended his first concert, Led Zeppelin, in 1977 by way of mail order tickets and a party train. However, it was the magnetic force of Stevie Nicks from whom he could not pull his camera away, essentially laying out his life’s ambition for him.
From there he learned to duck and weave security, funding his way through scalping tickets. His renegade techniques eventually paid off and his first published photo was of Billy Joel, appearing in People magazine in 1982. Unlike many celebrity photographers, Mazur is one of the few who is actually invited to events and welcomed on stage and behind the scenes. He describes his career as a snowball effect: You meet one rocker and inevitably you meet their rocker-friends and so on and so forth. Before you know it, you are the only one Bob Dylan will allow into the recording studio and Prince is inviting you to document his Oscar after-party.
Like many artists, the story behind the piece means as much and sometimes more than the piece itself. Meeting Mazur, I was privileged to hear the stories behind the photographs, the essence of the moment, which he revealed in an animated manner. The moments of raw talent he has immortalized through his photos is only half as intriguing to me as the portraits he is able to compose. One of the portraits is a close up of Willie Nelson. His profile dominates the left foreground with a blurred American flag in the right background. The black and white composition emulates a delicate pencil drawing. The flag is a subtle reminder that Willie Nelson is about as American as apple pie, without seeming too clichéd because of the blurred effect.
Through his portraiture, one can see Mazur has a knack for making others comfortable around him, which allows him to capture subtle nuances in facial expressions and honesty in the moment. In a portrait of Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones, the expression on his face is an understated smirk that looks as though he just heard an off-color joke and is trying to keep a straight face.
Among Mazur’s other subjects are Rock Hall inductees Van Halen, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, U2, Elton John, and Madonna.
After twenty-five years, Mazur still possesses the same child-like enthusiasm with which he began his career. Coupled with a keen artist’s eye, he has managed to take his childhood dream to the “premier place to be displayed if you are a rock and roll photographer,” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. This is hardly the end of the road for Mazur, as he stated, “When it’s not fun anymore, that’s when I stop… it’s still fun.”
Mazur’s first book, All Access with Kevin Mazur, will be published by HarperEntertainment, an imprint of HarperCollins, in 2009.
Sony launches 13.6MP W300
Posted on March 25, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
For anyone worrrying that the megapixel race was starting to run out of steam Sony has raced ahead with the annoucement today of a 13.6 megapixel compact digital camera, the Cyber-Shot DSC W300. The titanium-clad W300 also boasts a 2.7" LCD screen, HDTV output and all Sony’s clever new ‘intelligent’ technologies, such as ‘Smile Shutter’ and DRO.
Press Release:
NEW SONY CYBER-SHOT DIGITAL CAMERA IS A MEGAPIXEL POWERHOUSE
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 23, 2008 – Sony’s new Cyber-shot® DSC-W300 digital camera is expected to be among the industry’s most pocket-able, high-resolution point-and-shoot digital cameras featuring niche performance options.
The camera announced today integrates an ultra-high 13.6-megapixel CCD imager along with a Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar 3x optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD screen and an eye-level viewfinder in a compact size. With its ultra-hard titanium coating, the model offers a premium look and finish that is highly-resistant to scratches and messy fingerprints.
Enhanced Operation for Better Performance
The W300 camera newly features an “extra high-speed” burst mode that can shoot three-megapixel photos at five frames per second, ideal for fast-action shooting of sports, pets or children.
In addition to the blur-reducing effects of Super SteadyShot® optical image stabilization, the camera also has a new “extra high sensitivity” mode (up to ISO 6400 in this mode only) to help minimize blurry photos when shooting in challenging lighting conditions, such as indoors or at twilight, even without a flash.
Noise reduction is now a user-selectable option, with high, low and standard settings, for greater control over the final look of images. For example, a low setting can help reduce noise without sacrificing resolution, making it ideal for landscapes and detailed subjects.
Smart Technology to Capture Better Photos Automatically
As the top-of-the-line model in the series, the W300 camera integrates the latest “intelligent” features that help users take better pictures more easily.
Sony’s Smile Shutter™ technology prioritizes the faces of children or adults so that the camera takes the photo at the moment the intended subject smiles. Improved face detection technology can also prioritize child or adult faces as the basis for the camera to apply focus, exposure, white balance and flash color controls for up to eight faces in the camera’s frame.
The model’s intelligent scene recognition technology automatically can detect five different types of scenes and optimize the camera settings for those conditions for a better photo. And advanced mode can take two shots almost immediately – one with standard automatic settings and the other with optimized settings.
Powerful Features for Outstanding Images
The W300 model has a number of features to maximize picture quality. Among them are five color modes, including “real” for less in-camera processing and more faithful color reproduction; 12 scene selection modes with a new “underwater” mode that adjusts white balance for more natural-looking photos; Sony’s new D-Range Optimizer Plus that process picture to improve detail in photos with harsh highlights or dark shadows; and an improved auto focus system that includes macro ranges.
Viewing and image management has also been enhanced with helpful date and calendar views, in-camera search by face or date, slide show with longer music files, and high-definition component output for viewing photos on a compatible HDTV set.
Price and Availability
The DSC-W300 camera and optional accessories will be available in May for about $350. All can be purchased online at sonystyle.com, at Sony Style® retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), at military base exchanges and at authorized dealers nationwide.
Sony DSC-W300 specifications
| Sensor |
• 1/1.7" Super HAD Type CCD |
|---|---|
| Image sizes |
• 4224 x 3168 (13MP) |
| Movie clips | • 640 x 480 30fps • 640 x 480 17fps • 320 x 240 8fps |
| File formats |
JPEG (Exif 2.21) |
| Lens |
7.6-22.8mm (3X) |
| Image stabilization | Yes, optical |
| Conversion lenses |
• VCL-DH0774 Wide (Optional, requires adapter) |
| Digital zoom | 2x (6x total inc optical) |
| Focus | 9 point AF |
| AF area modes |
• Multi-point AF |
| AF assist lamp | Yes |
| Focus distance | 5cm-∞ (wide), 34cm – ∞ (tele) |
| Metering | • Multi Pattern • Center weighted • Spot |
| ISO sensitivity |
• Auto |
| Exposure compensation | +/- 2EV in 1/3EV steps |
| Exposure bracketing | Yes, +/- 0.3, 0.7 or 1.0EV |
| Shuttter speed | 30 sec to 1/2000 |
| Aperture | f/2.8-5.5 |
| Modes |
• Auto adjustement |
| Scene modes |
• Twilight |
| White balance | • Auto • Daylight • Cloudy • Fluorescent 1 (White fluorescent) • Fluorescent 2 (Natural white fluorescent) • Fluorescent 3 (Day white fluorescent) • Incandescent • Flash • One push custom set |
| White balance fine tune | No |
| Self timer | Yes, 2 sec, 10 sec |
| Continuous shooting | Up to 5fps (3MP), 1.9fps at full res |
| Image parameters | • Normal • Vivid • Real • Sepia • Black and White • Color filters (Red, Green, Blue, Warm, Cool) |
| Flash | Range 0.2-5.5m (wide), 0.4-2.8m (tele), Auto ISO |
| Viewfinder | Yes |
| LCD monitor |
2.7", 230K dots |
| Connectivity | • USB • AV – HD(1080i) (with optional accessory)/ SD |
| Print compliance | PictBridge, DPOF |
| Storage | • Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo compatible • 15MB internal memory |
| Power | • Lithium-ion NP-BG1 battery • BC-CSG Charger |
| Weight (no batt) | 156 g (5.5oz) (187g with battery and MSDuo card) |
| Dimensions | 94.3 x 59.0 x 26.8 mm (3.7 x 2.3 x 1.1in) |
Nikon D300 review
Posted on March 24, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Nikon D300 digital SLR camera review : Canon undoubtedly must have been taken aback when Nikon announced the Nikon D300 as successor to the D200. And rightfully, because the D200 was already an impressive camera and the Nikon D300 digital SLR camera exceeds its predecessor to a great extend. It is more than ever an SLR camera that is perfectly suitable for the professional photographer.
Nikon D300 CMOS image sensor
The image sensor the Nikon D300 features is a new CMOS based on the sensor that Sony are using in the Alpha 700. With 12.3 million effective pixels the resolution of the Nikon D300 is even a tad higher than that of its professional big brother, the D3. The latter has to settle for 0.2 Megapixels less. But the main difference is found in the format. Where the sensor of the Nikon D3 equals a 35mm camera, the D300 sticks to the DX-format with its 1.5 x crop factor. A filter is positioned right before the sensor and is able to shake in four different frequencies thus removing annoying dust particles.
Nikon D300 EXPEED image processor
Information coming from the image sensor is processed by a new processor, named EXPEED. In combination with the new CMOS it is expected to offer high image quality. The EXPEED can process 14 bit data which is supposed to improve the quality. ISO sensitivity ranges from ISO 200 up and including 3200 and can be enhanced from ISO 100 to very high ISO 6400. Don’t be surprised to detect some noise when using the highest ISO sensitivities. Big question is how well the Nikon D300 will perform with a sensitivity higher than ISO 400, because the D200 let us down a bit there in comparison with its bigger competitor.
Multi-CAM 3500 DX auto focus sensor
A revolutionary change is found in the auto focus. Canon are reducing the amount of focus points; Nikon does the opposite and increase them and place them more in the centre. No less than 51 selectable focus points does the Multi-CAM 3500 DX auto focus sensor offer in the D300, 15 of which are so-called cross-type sensors sensitive to both horizontal and vertical lines. The EXPEED processor can also use color data of the 3D matrix sensor for focussing. Even if a subject is out of the AF sensor’s range, it can still be tracked perfectly.
Nikon D300 Live View LCD screen
The Nikon D300 has naturally been equipped with Live View. This feature is a must on a new DSLR. The LCD of the D300 measures 3-inches and features high resolution. It surely makes Live View more useful, moreover because you can zoom in well. And for focussing with Live View, the mirror does not have to be folded down first. Focussing by means of contrast detect AF on the sensor just like compact cameras do, is also possible. We already saw this on the Panasonic L10. Contrast metering might not be as fast as phase detection but it surely is a welcoming addition.
Nikon D300 Chromatic aberration
When the pictures are stored, some calculating is still carried out. The D300 DSLR is capable of getting rid of the chromatic aberration by calculating. Wide angle lenses can suffer from chromatic aberration as we all know. Of course you can correct it afterwards using Photoshop but it does save so much time when the camera does it for you. D-lighting, known from cameras such as the D40x and the D60, has been even more refined in the Nikon D300, thus solving the high contrast problem.
Nikon D300 Weatherproof housing
The high quality housing is almost identical to that of the D200. Of course it is made weatherproof to enable the photographer do his job in deserts or during some rain showers. The viewfinder is further improved and offers 100% view at a 0.94x enlargement. Naturally the D300 works entirely with the extremely advanced Nikon i-TTL flash system. The shutter has been guaranteed up to 150,000 pictures.
Nikon D300 SLR camera review
The Nikon D300 is a very interesting digital SLR camera on paper and as far as I am concerned it is one of the most important introductions these days. We have tested the Nikon D300 to see how well everything works in practice in combination with the new AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm 1:2.8 G ED and the AF-S Nikkor 24-70 1:2.8 G ED lenses. Our findings can be read in the following Nikon D300 review.
Mamiya 645AFDIII
Posted on March 24, 2008 - Filed Under Digital | Leave a Comment
Mamiya 645AFDIII : Phase One A/S and Mamiya Digital Imaging Co., Ltd. unveiled the world’s most flexible, open medium format digital camera platform. Known as the Phase One 645 Camera or the Mamiya 645AFDIII, the co-developed platform will be sold exclusively by Phase One and Mamiya respectively. The camera platform is a modular system that offers unprecedented feature combinations, and most significantly the freedom to choose individual components from an open platform to best serve their working needs. The first pre-production units will be demonstrated this week at the Photo Imaging Expo. Full technical details, including system component options will be provided at the start of volume production shipments, expected in QY2.
Phase One 645 camera – Lens and Grip
Designed to accept all quality digital camera backs, the camera platform is also open for traditional film operation. It offers the widest choice of high-end lenses, including the complete Mamiya 645 lens range, the new 28mm aspherical and D series lenses, as well as Hasselblad V-lenses and Pentacon Six lenses. It is designed to achieve shutter speeds from 1/4000 sec. to 60 min. The camera features an ergonomic molded grip and provides direct control of critical camera settings using manual dials — both of which are essential elements for the professional photographer engaged in day long hand-held shooting sessions.
Mamiya 645AFDIII medium format – Interoperability and Quality
“Phase One and Mamiya have taken the first step in delivering a unique approach to designing camera systems,” said Henrik Håkonsson, CEO of Phase One. “We believe that equipment interoperability and personal choice are integral values in realizing the highest quality imaging results. Furthermore we have invested heavily in optimizing all elements of the camera systems reliability to maximize the photographers’ time for shooting extraordinary images.”
Mamiya 645AFD3 medium format camera – Imagination and Desires
“Mamiya and Phase One are consolidating our expertise and fulfilling our ambitions to provide the products desired by our customers,” said Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, CEO of Mamiya Digital Imaging. “We will continue to cooperate and work hard to ensure that future camera systems are limited only by the imagination and desires of the artists that use them.”
The Photograph: Composition & Color Design
Posted on March 23, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
The Photograph: Composition & Color Design explains the elements that are essential to achieving the highest level of visual design in photographs. This book is geared toward the serious intermediate and advanced photographer who strives to create outstanding images. Author Harald Mante explores the principles of line, shape, point, color, contrast, composition, and design in great depth, illustrated with more than 600 images from Mante’s own portfolio. The Photograph: Composition & Color Design is available now and costs $49.95 USD / £30.99 GBP.
Rocky Nook Press Release
The Photograph: Composition & Color Design–New from Rocky Nook
How to achieve the highest level of visual design in photographs
Santa Barbara, CA—Harald Mante, one of the most distinguished teachers of the photographic arts in Germany and an internationally recognized master of photography, brings his teaching to us in the English language for the first time in more than 30 years. In The Photograph: Composition and Color Design Mante explains the elements that are essential to achieving the highest level of visual design in photographs. This book is geared toward the serious intermediate and advanced photographer who strives to create outstanding images.
While a deep understanding of photographic techniques is required in order to master photography, technical knowledge alone is not sufficient to create outstanding images. Beyond the technical aspects, the crucial elements that determine the quality and strength of a photograph are the content of the image and its organization within the image frame. This is where the “art” of photography comes into play. Truly creative photography is based upon knowledge and mastery of design and of how the viewer perceives images. The creative photographer can exploit this knowledge and push image-making in new directions.
Mante explores the principles of line, shape, point, color, contrast, composition, and design in significantly greater depth and at a higher level than most any book available to date. He also covers a number of techniques to enhance expressiveness in a photograph to support the photographer’s intentions.
These in-depth lessons are beautifully illustrated with more than 600 images from Mante’s own portfolio, plus over 160 diagrams.
The Photograph is a unique book that is sure to become an invaluable reference for anyone involved in photography—from the hobbyist to the professional; for both the digital and analog photographer; and for those practicing, studying, criticizing, or administering in the visual arts.
Born in Berlin in 1936, Harald Mante studied graphic design and painting at Werkkunstschule Wiesbaden. He taught Photographic Design at Dortmund Polytechnic and at the European Art Academy in Trier, as well as many seminars and workshops. Professor Mante has authored numerous art books and textbooks. His photographic work has been exhibited in museums and private collections world-wide, and his books and calendars have become collector’s items.
Additional Resources:
For more information about the book, including table of contents, index, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9781933952260
The Photograph
Harald Mante
ISBN: 9781933952260, 280 pages, $49.95 USD, £30.99 GBP
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000
About Rocky Nook
Rocky Nook’s books are distributed internationally by O’Reilly Media.
Rocky Nook was founded in early 2006 in Santa Barbara, California, and is closely associated with dpunkt.verlag, a leading publisher of books on technology based in Heidelberg, Germany. The focus of Rocky Nook’s publications is on digital photography and computing.
About O’Reilly
O’Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O’Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying “faint signals” from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
Monkmarch
Posted on March 22, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
“Buddhist Monks chanting in a Temple”. Taken by jazzz.mine