Hasselblad H3DII-50
Posted on July 18, 2008 - Filed Under Digital | Leave a Comment
Hasselblad H3DII-50 Medium Format Camera : The Hasselblad H3DII-50 camera system has been specially designed to meet the most exacting demands of high-end commercial photographers who require the ultimate in both image quality and performance. Featuring Kodak’s 50 Megapixel 36×48mm CCD sensor, the Hasselblad H3DII-50 provides unprecedented resolution, making it ideal for commercial shooters who demand ultimate image resolution or for any extremely discerning photographer who demands both creative flexibility and ultimate image quality. In addition to the increased resolution, the new sensor also provides the foundation for the development of advanced lens performance and optical corrections.
Superior image quality with the Hasselblad H3DII-50
Achieving superior image quality with modern digital photography means finding a way to get the most from camera hardware, advanced optics, massive sensors, processing software, and the computing power of today’s computers. The H3DII’s unprecedented interaction between the various system components combined with increased lens performance and an unprecedented level of image sharpness to outperform any professional digital camera system on the market today, delivering outstanding pixel resolution, better colors, and improved detail rendering.
Hasselblad H3DII 50 DSLR camera system
By providing a true integrated DSLR experience in a Medium Format camera, the Hasselblad H3DII50 enables photographers to combine the full benefits of professional medium-format digital capture with the ease-of-use found in the best 35mm DSLRs. The Hasselblad H3DII-50 represents the 4th generation of the Hasselblad H-system, the ultimate high-end DSLR camera system. The H3DII-50 brings all the advantages of a truly integrated DSLR to the large sensor format, enabling all photographic parameters to be optimized and resulting in an unsurpassed level of image quality. The Hasselblad H3DII 50 provides improved controls and functionality, better sensor cooling, a new and more intuitive user interface, and a bright, 3” display.
Viewfinders for the Hasselblad H3DII-50
The Hasselblad H3DII-50 camera system is made for the high-end commercial photographer with high demands on both ultimate image quality and flexibility. With the H3DII-50 you can choose between eye-level and waist-level viewfinders, the choice of combining point-and-shoot and tilt / shift functions, the ability to work tethered and un-tethered to get the most of your camera system both on location and in the studio, choice of storage medium and image processing system, and much more. With its unique large and bright viewfinders, its wide range of HC and HCD lenses, matching the best of Hasselblad icon lenses from Carl Zeiss, and its wide choice of accessories the Hasselblad H3DII-50 is an ideal camera choice for a professional photographer.
Hasselblad H3DII50 ; World’s most advanced camera system
The Hasselblad H3DII-50 combines the advanced digital communication and optimization of the best DSLRs with the quality and versatility of the Hasselblad system. The Hasselblad H3DII-50 represents the combination of decades of photographic expertise, a keen understanding of digital photography, and the experience we gained from developing the world’s most advanced camera system. Hasselblad has always been motivated by a true passion for photography. Our tradition has always been one of innovation, advance, and unflagging dedication to quality. At Hasselblad, we will never settle for “good enough”. So photographers won’t have to do so either.
Dream Figures and Daylight Moon
Posted on July 18, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
“By the River Arno in Florence (Firenze)-a scene from a dream”. Taken by Rich
Pixel Density: when Moore is less
Posted on July 17, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
We’ve added some new information to our product database to make it easier to understand the characteristics of camera sensors. The idea of megapixels is generally well understood but, mainly because of the way they’ve historically been presented, sensor sizes aren’t.
We feel that relating these two pieces of information gives a clearer understanding of how they interact. To achieve this, we’ve added the new field: "Pixel Density" to our database, to help when comparing cameras. We think you’ll find it useful.
Up until now, the sensor sizes have been provided as slightly obscure imperial fractions that hark back to a set of standard sizes given to TV camera tubes in the 50′s. This is industry standard practice but by no means intuitive. To get around this, we’ve researched the common sensor sizes and used them to calculate a value we’re calling ‘Pixel Density.’
Pixel Density is a calculation of the number of pixels on a sensor, divided by the imaging area of that sensor. It can be used to understand how closely packed a sensor is and helps when comparing two cameras with different sensor sizes or numbers of photosites (pixels). Because the light collecting area and efficiency of each photosite will vary between technologies and manufacturers, Pixel Density should not be used as an absolute metric for camera quality but instead to get an impression for how tightly packed the imaging chip is.
Pixel Density now appears in our database and will appear when you look up a specific camera or when you conduct a ‘Side-by-side’ comparison in our Buying Guide. We’ll also add it as a search criterion in the Buying Guide’s ‘Features Search.’
In recent months we’ve made small changes to the database (such as adding viewfinder specifications for DSLRs and tweaking the value ranges that can be used for searching it). We have even bigger plans for the future so, if you have any ideas you’d like to see implemented or think you have more sensible search ranges that should be applied, please get in touch. Use the ‘Feedback’ link on the left of the page and select ‘Camera database error’ as the Subject.
Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1
Posted on July 17, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
To say the 6MP Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 ($999, street) is a breakthrough is an understatement. As we’ve said before (April 2008), and the Pop Photo Lab confirms, the F1 is a far-reaching achievement on several fronts:
• It’s an impressive 12X zoom (36-432mm f/2.7-4.6 equivalent) electronic-viewfinder (EVF) still camera with optical stabilization and Excellent image quality.
• It’s the camera equivalent of a machine gun, packing a breathtaking 60 frames-per-second burst rate (7 fps with flash) and 1/4 0,000 sec top shutter speed.
• It’s a full-HD (1920×1080 pixels at 60 fps) video camera with stereo audio, zoom while recording, and HDMI output.
• It’s a high-speed/low-resolution video camera, shooting up to a blistering 1200 frames per second.
That last quality — high-speed video — means 1 sec of real time equals up to 40 sec of ultra-slow-motion video. Scientists and sports trainers will find practical uses for this, but the “Wow!” factor is universal. Check out our high-speed videos at www.PopPhoto.com/EX-F1.
In HD mode, the F1 serves up crisp, sharp, full-HD videos on an HDTV (connect it using your own HDMI cable).
Photography campaign backed by one in three MPs
Posted on July 17, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
More than a third of MPs have now backed Austin Mitchell’s parliamentary petition on the right to take pictures in public places unchallenged by officials.
The Early Day Motion (EDM) – tabled in the House of Commons in March – has so far won cross-party support from 231 of the 646 elected members.
Austin Mitchell canvassed the support of fellow politicians following growing reports of police and other officials stopping innocent photography enthusiasts taking pictures in public areas.
Mitchell, the MP for Great Grimsby, drew on cases reported to (AP) magazine to help him compile the EDM.
Austin plans to raise the issue directly with Home Office Minister Tony McNulty and include a representative from as part of a ‘delegation’ to meet the minister.
However, Austin’s office tells us that the plans have been put on hold while Austin recovers from a broken rib sustained in a recent fall.
It now seems unlikely that the planned Home Office visit will take place before Parliament’s summer break.
Meanwhile, the EDM continues to attract interest from professional photographers, owing to rising tensions between police and press photographers.
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith last week responded to concern expressed by the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) following reports of police filming photographers and journalists during demonstrations and protests.
However, the Home Secretary’s reply is being seen as giving the ‘green light’ to police officers imposing unacceptable restrictions on the rights of photographers.
In her letter to NUJ general secretary Jeremy Dear (see letter below), the Home Secretary wrote ‘ Decisions may be made locally to restrict or monitor photography in reasonable circumstances. That is an operational decision for the officers involved based on the individual circumstances of each situation.’
Such implied restrictions on photography in certain circumstances – at the behest of local chief constables – is similar to the Home Office’s response to AP readers following complaints about treatment of amateur photographers in recent months.
In February Home Office Minister Tony McNulty wrote: ‘There is no general restriction on photography in public places, and there is no presumption of privacy for individuals in a public place. However, decisions may be made locally to restrict photography, for example, to protect children, or at organised events.’
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DxO Optics Pro 5.2
Posted on July 14, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
DxO Optics Pro 5.2 features a new RAW converter that dramatically improves noise reduction in ultra-high ISO images, plus support for three new camera bodies. The Pentax K20D, Sony-A350 and Sony-A700 DSLRs are now supported, and it also inlcudes the DxO Optics Pro Import plug-in for Adobe Photoshop. New lens correction modules have also been added for the Samsung GX20 and the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi. To celebrate the release of DxO Optics Pro v5.2, DxO Labs is extending the special DxO FilmPack free license offer until July 31, 2008.
DxO Labs Press Release
DxO Optics Pro v5.2 new RAW converter extends already important achievements in noise removal, detail rendition and color fidelity to images shot at ISOs as high as 25600. The software also adds support for the Pentax K20D, Sony-A350 and Sony-A700 DSLRs as well as the long-awaited DxO Optics Pro Import plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop®.
Paris, France – June 23, 2008 – DxO Labs today announced DxO Optics Pro v5.2, the latest version of its award-winning flagship software application for automatic image quality enhancement for digital SLR camera users, featuring dramatic improvements in RAW conversion for images shot at ultra-high ISOs. The release of DxO Optics Pro v5.2 is accompanied by support for three new camera bodies and an initial library of lens correction modules, bug fixes and improvements including the DxO Optics Pro Import plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop®, and extension of the free DxO FilmPack offer.
DxO Optics Pro v5.2 RAW conversion breakthroughs
DxO Optics Pro v5.0 marked an important milestone in the world of RAW converters by taking the lead in terms of noise removal and detail rendition. DxO Optics Pro v5.2 takes another dramatic step forward in noise removal for RAW images shot at ISOs as high as 25600, while improving the level of details and color fidelity in the photo.
“We are facing a paradox,” says Cyrille de La Chesnais, director of the photography business at DxO Labs, “as technology evolves the number of pixels and the amount of noise simultaneously increase so that RAW conversion becomes more challenging.”
Frédéric Guichard, Chief Scientist at DxO Labs explains, “Reduction of the pixel size of roughly 30% from 2003 to 2008 and the naturally increasing demand from photographers to shoot at very high ISO reveals new problems with noise related to both the manufacturing of the sensor and the quantity of light hitting it. This means that RAW converters have to cope with higher photonics noise as well as with new sources of noise due to electronic imperfections. The ability of RAW converters to reduce noise while keeping good detail rendition is clearly the key for high ISO shooting.”
The noise engine in DxO Optics Pro v5.2 has been improved to take these evolutions into account:
New chrominance noise removal in RAW format is better adapted to the characteristics of each camera body and does a better job of preserving real color nuances.
Multi-scale RAW luminance noise removal allows the software to remove larger noise spots and results in even smaller digital grain size after correction.
Compared with competing RAW converters, for the same level of detail preservation, DxO Optics Pro v5.2 provides a 2-f/stop gain in the shooting latitude at ultra-high ISOs.
Support for 3 new camera bodies
DxO Optics Pro v5.2 adds support for the popular Pentax K20D, Sony-A350 and Sony-A700 DSLR camera bodies and an initial selection of lenses.
Camera body Lens DxO Optics Pro v5…
Pentax K20D Pentax DA 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Standard & Elite
Pentax K20D Pentax smc DA 12-24mm f/4 Standard & Elite
Pentax K20D Pentax smc DA 16-50mm f/2.8 ED AL [IF] SDM Standard & Elite
Pentax K20D Pentax smc DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL Standard & Elite
Pentax K20D Pentax smc DA 50-135mm f/2.8 ED [IF] SDM Standard & Elite
Pentax K20D Pentax smc DA 50-200mm f/4-5.6 ED Standard & Elite
Pentax K20D Pentax smc D-FA 50mm f/2.8 Macro Standard & Elite
Sony-A350 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* DT 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Standard & Elite
Sony-A350 Sony 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Standard & Elite
Sony-A350 Sony DT 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 Standard & Elite
Sony-A350 Sony or Konica Minolta AF 50mm f/1.4 Standard & Elite
Sony-A350 Sony Super Wide Zoom 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 DT Standard & Elite
Sony-A350 Sony or Konica Minolta AF 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Standard & Elite
Sony-A700 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* DT 16-80mm f/3.5-4.5 Standard & Elite
Sony-A700 Sony 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 Standard & Elite
Sony-A700 Sony DT 16-105mm f/3.5-5.6 Standard & Elite
Sony-A700 Sony or Konica Minolta AF 50mm f/1.4 Standard & Elite
Sony-A700 Sony Super Wide Zoom 11-18mm f/4.5-5.6 DT Standard & Elite
Sony-A700 Sony or Konica Minolta AF 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Standard & Elite
With the release of v5.2, new lens correction modules have also been added for the Samsung GX20 and the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi (also known as the Canon EOS 450D or Canon EOS Kiss X2).
Camera body Lens DxO Optics Pro v5…
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 450D or Kiss X2 Canon EF17-40mm f/4L USM Standard & Elite
Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi, 450D or Kiss X2 Canon EF50mm f/1.4 USM Standard & Elite
Samsung GX20 Samsung 18-250mm f/3.5-5.6 or Tamron AF18-250mm f/3.5-5.6 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) or Pentax DA 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 Standard & Elite
Samsung GX20 Samsung D-XENON 12-24mm or Pentax smc DA 12-24mm f/4 Standard & Elite
A complete list of DxO Modules (body/lens combinations) supported by DxO Optics Pro v5.2 can be found on the company’s website: http://www.dxo.com
Adobe® Photoshop® Import plug-in and other improvements
The DxO Optics Pro Import plug-in for Adobe® Photoshop® is included in DxO Optics Pro v5.2. It allows users to import images (RAW or JPEG) into Adobe® Photoshop® via the DxO Optics Pro plug-in and thus benefit from DxO Optics Pro revolutionary RAW conversion, and exclusive optical and lighting corrections. Additionally, as compared to v5.1, DxO Optics Pro v5.2 brings a number of stability and interface improvement, and bug fixes.
Extension of the DxO FilmPack special offer
To celebrate the release of DxO Optics Pro v5.2, DxO Labs is extending the special DxO FilmPack free license offer until July 31, 2008. Customers who upgrade (either a free or purchased upgrade) or purchase DxO Optics Pro v5.2 and activate it before August 1, 2008 will receive a free DxO FilmPack v1.2 license. DxO FilmPack exists as a plug-in for Photoshop or DxO Optics Pro, or a stand-alone application, accurately reproducing the color and grain of traditional films onto digital images, thereby allowing users to capture all the magic of film in their digital images. Customers who already own DxO FilmPack can install the new license on additional computers.
Pricing and availability
DxO Optics Pro v5.2 for Windows and Macintosh platforms is available immediately on the company’s e-store or from respected retailers. See the company’s website for a complete list: http://www.dxo.com
DxO Optics Pro v5.2 is available in Standard and Elite versions at pricing unchanged from version 5.x:
DxO Optics Pro v5 Standard: £99
DxO Optics Pro v5 Elite: £199
(All prices are including VAT)
All customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro on or after August 1st, 2007 are entitled to a free upgrade to version 5.2. For customers who purchased DxO Optics Pro before August 1st, 2007, the pricing of upgrades is as follows:
DxO Optics Pro Standard (any version) to DxO Optics Pro v5 Standard: £59
DxO Optics Pro Elite (any version) to DxO Optics Pro v5 Elite: £75
Operating System Requirements
Windows:
Intel® Pentium® 4 processor or AMD® equivalent (Pentium® Dual Core or higher or equivalent recommended)
Microsoft® Windows XP 32 bits Service Pack 2 or Windows VISTA™ 32 bits
Macintosh:
Universal Binary (G4, G5 or Intel)
Mac OS X.4 or X.5
120 MB of available disk space
DxO Optics Pro Standard & Elite Edition: 2 GB RAM
About DxO Labs
DxO Labs offers products and solutions ensuring excellence in digital imaging. DxO Labs develops and licenses intellectual property serving the entire digital imaging chain: licensing of optics and silicon architectures for embedded still and video image processing; image quality evaluation and measurement tools and methodologies; image quality enhancement software for consumers. The company’s key customers and partners include:
Consumer electronics manufacturers such as digital camera vendors and cameraphones vendors;
Imaging components suppliers: camera module manufacturers, sensor vendors, and processor vendors;
Demanding photographers, as well as photography journalists and imaging experts.
DxO Labs’ product portfolio is steadily finding a place at the heart of advanced consumer electronics and world-class industry imaging systems where “Image Science by DxO” becomes a reference for quality.
For more information or a list of distributors and resellers, visit DxO Labs online at http://www.dxo.com.
Software Review: Strata Foto 3D 1.5
Posted on July 13, 2008 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
Strata Foto 3D 1.5 is the part of the Strata 3D product line that lets users load a series of masked pictures into the Foto 3D interface and generate a real-time 3D object. This object can then be exported VRML, to 3DS, to a layer in Photoshop CS3 Extended, or used in one of Strata's other 3D products. The goal of Foto 3D is to allow a 3D model to be created quickly and inexpensively while requiring few technical skills and no expensive hardware.
To use Foto 3D correctly the primary things that you need are a camera that takes JPG or TIFF images, a printer that is capable of printing out the special calibration mats that you need – a decent laserjet or inkjet printer should do fine – a tripod, a solid background that is different from what you are going to model, and an evenly lit space.
The first thing that you will want to do is calibrate your camera lens. Most cameras have some distortion that is not really noticeable when looking at a single image, but when you are trying to isolate, mask, and match up a series of images at different angles, it becomes more important. To calibrate the lens, you print a grid of dots onto a plain white sheet of paper. Secure the paper on a piece of card stock and take several pictures of it with the lens you will be using; more details are in the manual. You then load the images for Foto 3D to adjust.
Next thing to do is to print out a calibration mat — a specially designed printed pattern of dots that needs to be placed under the object when it is photographed. It needs to be appropriate to the size of your object and this mat allows Foto 3D to determine the exact positioning of the camera relative to the object. This can be a single page or multiple pages in size.
Now that you have everything in place, you set up your tripod-mounted camera; you might get away with not having a tripod if you have someone moving the model, but I would personally not want to try it this way. You will need to take at least 15 images from an angle that is low enough to take frontal shots, yet high enough to capture the calibration mat. You then take another four or so from higher up, and one from a top angle. If you want to take more images that is better; these are really just guidelines for the minimum to get a quality image. On my image, I moved one set of dots to the left for each of the first group of shots, then four or five from higher up, and finally the top shots.
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Chance to shoot historic steam locomotives at Carnforth Depot
Posted on July 13, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
A ‘one-off’ chance to shoot historic steam and diesel locomotives at the Carnforth Depot in Lancashire takes place on 25 July.
is giving visitors the chance to visit and photograph this famous location at a discounted rate.
An evening shoot take place on 25 July from 8pm-10pm and an early entry ticket is available on 26 July from 8am.
The event, specially set up for photographers, marks the 40th anniversary of ‘the end of BR steam’.
The Bean
Posted on July 11, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
“Cloud Gate, to give it it’s correct title is a huge stainless steel construction by artist Anish Kapoor, erected in Millenium Park in the centre of Chicago, Illinois, USA. Originally estimated at $9 million, complications during installation pushed its price up to $23 million!… It is affectionately known as The Bean, or ‘That big shiny thing in Millennium Park‘ and is 66 feet long, 42 feet wide and 33 feet high. You can walk under its middle, and because of its mirror polished surface gives wonderful images. It is great to see and one could waste hours and rolls of film or digital media trying to capture it”. Taken by Mike
Pentax Announces 17-70mm f/4 AL [IF] SDM Lens
Posted on July 9, 2008 - Filed Under News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Pentax has introduced a new zoom lens for its digital SLRs. The smc Pentax DA 17-70mm f/4 AL [IF] SDM has a constant f/4 maximum aperture throughout its 4.1x zoom range, provides 0.31X maximum magnification, and has an 11-inch close-focus distance. When mounted on a Pentax digital SLR, the 17.1-ounce lens provides an angle of view equivalent to that of a 26mm-107mm lens on a 35mm camera. Its design includes two hybrid aspherical (AL) elements for minimizing optical flaws, an inner-focus (IF) system, and Pentax’s SDM autofocus motor for achieving smooth, quiet autofocus. Other features include a Quick-shift Focus System for switching instantly from autofocus to manual, and Pentax’s SP coating, which protects the lens surface from grease, water, and dust. The lens takes 67mm filters.
The smc Pentax DA 17-70mm f/4 AL [IF] SDM lens will be available in July 2008 for a $599.95 retail price.
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