I came across this excellent post today over at Andre Gunther Photography. Take time and consider these.
[tags]digital, photography, mistakes, learn, howto, photos, pics[/tags]
Archives for June 2007
Canon Photography in the Parks Photo Contest
First prize is the Canon 5D, EF 24-105 f/4 L IS USM lens and PIXMA Pro9500 Printer.
Second place is a Canon 30D and EF-S 17-85 IS USM lens.
You can enter here.
[tags]canon, contest, national parks, photo[/tags]
Sony A700 and A900 Rumor Archives
UPDATE 8/27/07: A big announcement is expected from Sony on September 4th at a press conference in Italy.
UPDATE 8/26/07: The latest images of the newest Sony Alpha in the wild.
UPDATE 7/18/07: Check out the story on the new Sony blog and the latest Alpha talk here.
UPDATE 7/13/07: Some new news on both new models:
Sony was confirmed to be working on a FF-DSLR (Alpha 300) including a high-end APS-C counterpart (Alpha 200). Information released from Japan revealed that the Alpha 200 will not be much larger in size than the current model 100, confirming Sony’s acknowledgement of female users as a major DSLR growth segment in ways identical to what Olympus had long been saying.
Allegedly, the Alpha 200 will feature a 12.8 megapixel CMOS sensor derived from Sony’s technology, which means you’re very likely to get LiveView. (Read more here . . . )
UPDATE 7/12/07: There’s some good reasons why the launch of a new Sony Alpha DSLR is imminent.
UPDATE 7/6/07: The DPReview.com forums brought us some more photos of the purportedly new Sony Alpha camera. Read more about it and see the photos here.
UPDATE 7/1/07: A forum poster over at dyxum.com says that we can expect a press release from Sony on July 9:
A big press release will be sent out the 9th dealing with the new DSLR’s coming out this year from Sony. I just spoke to the East Coast Sony Rep. here at the bike shop I work at. He wouldnt give me any details, but he said he can talk about stuff after the 9th…thats all I know right now. I want my full frame chip!!!!
It’s about time! They’ve been stringing us along for long enough. Keep your eyes on this page for an official announcement.
ORIGINAL POST: Looks like Sony will be mixing it up with the big boys soon. Sony has announced a couple of new cameras in their DSLR lineup. There will be a pro version (think Nikon D2X or D3 and the Canon 1Ds Mk II or 1D Mk III) and a prosumer version (think Nikon D200 and Canon 30D or 40D). There’s some mock-up model photos over at gizmodo (more photos). DPNow has some better angles. Keep in mind though that these models are just for show and will likely be substantially different once the production models are released. [Read more…]
Canon EOS 1D Mark III Reviews and Resources
News
Canon has identified and issued a formal statement as of November 1, 2007 regarding a focusing problem with the EOS 1D Mark III. More information (including the affected serial numbers) on this page.
In action for Barry Bonds’ homerun record:
Reviews
The per-pixel image quality delivered by the Canon EOS 1D Mark III is second to no Canon Digital SLR introduced to date. The most obvious improvement is in the high ISO noise department.
The focus problem is a tragic flaw worthy of Sophocles. We used the Mark III with a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm zoom. Those lenses should not challenge the 45-spot autofocus system, but the problem was bad enough to show up with it. After the firmware fix, we couldn’t reproduce the problem, but that’s really not good enough. It doesn’t prove the problem is fixed for more challenging conditions. Canon is in the difficult position of proving a negative: that the focus problem no longer exists.
The Mark III’s image quality at high ISO is very good. The image noise appears more like the effect of film grain than the imager noise of lesser consumer cameras. ISO 100 produces images that set a standard for what “noise-free” should be. Traces of noise appear at ISO 400 in shadow areas. At ISO 800, a barely-perceptible amount of noise begins to affect highlight areas.
The Canon 1D Mark III has become my new workhorse. It has all but completely replaced the Canon 5D I was previously shooting with, proving to me every time it is worth the extra weight and drop of 2 megapixels. Even though the 5D still produces superb high quality images, the 1D matches it in good light and is able to go that extra mile at high ISO settings.
Sure, the Canon EOS-1D Mark III is fast — but how is the image quality? Do you sacrifice quality for speed?
No, not at all. Image quality is Excellent from ISO 50 to 1600 and Very High at ISO 3200 and 6400 (with in-camera high ISO Noise Reduction activated.)
Pro Photo Home calls the Canon 1D Mk III “the best all around DSLR on the planet.” And says,
if I could have only one camera to try and cover all areas of pro photography this would be it. So, if you are a generalist, which many of us are these days, this camera is hard to beat. Read the rest . . .
Check out Cnet’s review of the Canon EOS 1D Mark III. They give the formidable new DSLR a 9.3 out of 10 (“spectacular”). C|net also gives Nikon shooters a little food for thought:
If you can afford the cost of the 1D Mark III, and are a Canon shooter who doesn’t absolutely need the higher resolution of the 16.6MP 1Ds Mark II, then this camera is a no-brainer. Nikon shooters who are reading this might even begin to second-guess their beloved brand, but with rumors flying about a possible D3, you’ll probably want to wait and see if Canon’s top competitor can match this. It’s going to be extremely difficult, though, as this is one of the best digital cameras I’ve ever used. Continue to the C|net review.
e-Fotografija Review (with lots of real world sample shots – many at ISO 6400) of the 1D Mark III:
Any way you look at it, the Canon EOS 1D MkIII is a photojournalist’s dream camera. Loads of features, intuitive settings, antidust system, liveview, and excellent image quality at high sensitivity are what make it so amazing. And it is this last thing that makes the Mk III so special.
Imaging Resource Hands on Preview of the 1D Mark III:
The Canon EOS 1D Mark III isn’t just for sports anymore. It’s a more universal camera for the vast majority of pro photographers. With the multiple improvements in the new camera, photographers will no longer need to trade off resolution, image quality, and speed against each other. The 1D Mark III now has enough of all three to satisfy a huge slice of the market in a single camera body.
Canon 1D Mark III Accessories
Canon WFT-E2A Wireless File Transmitter
Canon LC-5 Wireless Controller
SanDisk Extreme IV 4GB CompactFlash Card
PhotoBert Cheat Sheet for 1D Mark III
Canon 1D Mark III Magic Lantern Guide
Where to Buy
First off, consider going to your local camera store (and I don’t necessarily mean Wolf Camera at the mall). By going to your local camera store, you’re supporting your community and you just might build a lasting relationship with people you can rely on when you need some help or answers. If you’re buying online, I recommend sticking with Amazon, B&H Photo or Adorama. These three vendors are reliable, trustworthy and generally have the best (legitimate) prices. Additionally, purchasing your camera through these links helps support this site.
[tags]canon, 1d, mark, iii, mk, review, rating[/tags]
Photo of the Day
Originally uploaded by *Dario*.
A rather striking photo . . . or so I think.
Shot with a 5MP Panasonic DMC-FX8 at f/2.8 and 1/50s. ISO was 80. Proving yet again, that megapixels don’t make great photos . . . composition and lighting goes so much further.
The newest Panasonic FX series will be out on August 15, 2007 – the DMC-FX100, which is a 12.2MP point and shooter.
[tags]photo of the day, photo, pics, lips, panasonic, fx8, fx100, red[/tags]
Digital Camera Shopping Guide
Check out this post over at Techasaur.us for the Top 10 things you need to know about digital cameras. The first point is golden:
1) Resolution is less important than you think
There is a popular misconception that more megapixels lead to better pictures. This is not the case.
Sure, higher resolution gives you the ability to crop more aggressively or print large pictures, but only a fraction of digital photographers will benefit from this ability. If you’re a casual shooter who won’t be printing pictures larger than 8×10? or doing extensive computer editing, then a camera with 3- or 4-megapixel resolution will be sufficient.
More advanced photographers will likely appreciate the flexibility of higher resolution, but a 5+ megapixel camera is by no means necessary to create stunning pictures. Choose a camera you can understand and afford, and don’t be fooled by glitzy high-resolution specs. Read the final 9 pointers . . . .
This is great advice if you’re in the market for a new camera.
[tags]digital camera, top 10, shopping, deals, reviews, advice[/tags]
Next Generation Color Filter Patterns Deliver Higher Quality Photos Under Low-Light Conditions
Tired of the ISO/noise problem?
Kodak thinks that it has the solution. Check out their new image sensor technology that Kodak says “redefines digital image capture.”
There’s a little deeper explanation on the 1000 Nerds blog.
If you’ve got 10 minutes and are a photo geek, this is worth a read.
[tags]kodak, digital camera, sensor, high iso, noise, bayer pattern[/tags]
Flickr, Censorship and Rock & Roll
More of Thomas Hawk’s comments here.
[tags]flickr, censorship, thomas hawk, zooomr, news[/tags]
Photo of the Day
Father’s Day 50 short years ago
Originally uploaded by aka Kath.
Happy Father’s Day to all the dad’s out there. This photo comes from flickr user “aka Kath” and was taken in 1956. What’s the oldest photo you’ve got on flickr?
[tags]photo of the day, flickr, photo, pic, 1956, father’s day, black and white[/tags]
Photo of the Day
Originally uploaded by CosmicDust.
Another great shot from the strobist gang. Click on the photo to learn more about how this fascinating shot was achieved!
Shot with a Canon 300D (Digital Rebel).
[tags]strobist, photo of the day, high speed flash, photo, pic, photography[/tags]