Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Archives for March 2009

Interview with Pro Sports Shooter Delly Carr

By

Sony UK was kind enough to help out with access to Delly Carr, who chaired the panel of judges for the Sony World Photography Awards, for a quick interview on sports photography, photo gear and the digital imaging revolution. I encourage you to visit Mr. Carr’s site, http://www.sportshoot.com.au/, and peruse his portfolio a bit before diving into the interview.  It’s good stuff.

I see plenty of football (or soccer as we call it) images in your portfolio; however, there are also many stellar images from swimming, tennis, and other sports. So, what’s your favourite sport to shoot, and why?

Favourite sports ……. that’s a tough one. I am the biggest armchair sportsman around, so I love shooting anything within the sporting world. Anything that has water involved tends to sway towards favouritism I guess. But if I had to call just one sport, then it would be Triathlon. Three sports in one … swimming, cycling, and running, and then throw in some guts and glory into that mix. That’s why I love it so much.

Are you shooting with the Nikon D3 now or still on the D2x?

Shooting with the D3 right now.

How has the low light performance changed your shooting with the Nikon D3 as compared to the D2x?

In sports, shoots are conducted in the whole spectrum of lighting. Sunlight, low light, nighttime, stadium lighting etc etc. Being able to shoot in low light, without sacrificing quality. without sacrificing shutter speeds, without sacrificing apertures, is an absolute blessing. I now know the reason for missing a pic lies solely with me. And that has added fire into my belly. [Read more…]

 

Nikon D400 Leak from Official Nikon Germany Website

By

Nikon Rumors picked up the above screen shot from Nikon Germany (it’s no longer on the site).  It appears to show a Nikon D400 in the lineup.  If its real, then specs would include the following:

  • 15.3 MP
  • 6 frames per second
  • 200-6400 ISO range (presumably expandable – maybe up to ISO 25,600?)
  • Full HD video capture

[via Nikon Rumors]

Stay tuned for the latest.

Win a Free Think Tank Photo Streetwalker HardDrive Backpack

By

Here’s your chance to get your hands on a Think Tank Photo Streetwalker HardDrive backpack for free.  The Streetwalker HardDrive usually runs $179, but for one lucky reader it’s going to cost $0.

Photography Bay has one (1) Streetwalker HardDrive to give away courtesy of our friends at Think Tank Photo. I gave two thumbs up to this bag in my review earlier this week (read Think Tank Photo Streetwalker HardDrive Review).

What do I have to do to enter?

  1. Be a Photography Bay Newsletter Subscriber (use the form at the top right to sign up if you aren’t subscribed already); and
  2. Leave a comment on this post saying you want to win (or something to that effect).  Be sure to use the same email to subscribe to the newsletter as you do to fill in the comment form (so I know you are a subscriber).

When is the contest over?

A random winner will be chosen from eligible entries on March 31, 2009.

When will I get my bag?

I will contact the winner via email upon selection and obtain his or her shipping information.  I will then pass that along to Think Tank Photo to ship the backpack directly to the winner.

Can I unsubscribe from your newsletter?

Sure, anytime you want.  There’s an unsubscribe link in every newsletter that goes out.  But only current subscribers as of March 31, 2009 will be eligible to win.  So, if you don’t like the newsletter, you might wait until April 1 to hit unsubscribe.

Sony World Photography Awards – Campaign Award

By

The winner of the Campaign Award for the Sony World Photography Awards had been announced. Details regarding this image by Sarah Ahmad can be found the the press release below. Check back in a couple of days for Photography Bay’s interview with pro sports photographer Delly Carr, who chaired the panel of judges in the competition.

[Read more…]

Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Review at PhotographyBLOG

By

PhotographyBLOG has posted a review of the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR.

The new EXR mode is as effective in practice as it is revolutionary in principle. The D-Range Priority (DR) mode in particular is literally a real eye-opener, recording much greater dynamic range and preserving more detail in the shadows and highlights than either the F200EXR’s own high-resolution mode, or any other compact camera that we’ve ever reviewed.

For more, visit Photography Bay’s Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR Reviews.

Canon 500D Rumor Update

By

As with the rumors surrounding the Nikon D400, the Canon 500D (or whatever it will be called) is rumored to be announced on March 25.  The buzz has been building for several weeks now of a 15MP, video-equipped entry-level DSLR from Canon.

The above image is a press invite from Canon Europe that several media outlets have been receiving recently.  The date of the press event is March 26.

The new Canon Rebel-series camera is rumored to feature a 15MP CMOS sensor, capture HD video and recent rumors suggest the inclusion of a jog wheel on the back in similar fashion to the Canon 50D and its predecessors.

Stay tuned for the latest.

Think Tank Photo Pixel Sunscreen 2.0

By

Think Tank Photo has updated its Pixel Sunscreen by redesigning it so that it pops open for easier access.  If you aren’t familiar with the Pixel Sunscreen, it works as a shade for your laptop so that you can see your screen while in the field without all the glare from the sun.

The new Pixel Sunscreen 2.0 is available for $69.00 at Think Tank Photo’s website. Additionally, the Pixel Sunscreen 2.0 is one of the items that Photography Bay readers can purchase and qualify for a free bag from Think Tank Photo.  Essentially, spend $50 or more on gear from Think Tank Photo, and during checkout, their system will automatically let you select a free camera bag (e.g., Lens Changer 50) along with your order.  Go to Think Tank Photo using this link and follow the on-screen instructions to get a free bag.

More details on the Pixel Sunscreen 2.0 in Think Tank Photo’s press release below. [Read more…]

Nikon D400 Rumor Updates

By

One of the biggest rumors floating around right now is the Nikon D400.  Rumors of this camera have been swirling since late 2008.  Rumor has it that the Nikon D400 specs will be 14.8MP, cover ISO 50-25,600, and can shoot HD video.  Last month, the rumors really picked up, particularly in light of a Nikon D400 book that surfaced on a variety of sites, including Amazon.de.

Nikon Rumors has been staying on top of the Nikon D400 buzz and uncovered the same book on the publisher’s website.  Also, a NR reader called up the author of the book and said, “He has a NDA with Nikon, that was clear to me, but his work on the book is real so we may see a D400 in summer.”

Stay tuned for the latest word on whether or not the Nikon D400 will come to fruition.  Also, you would do well to check out the Nikon Rumors site at http://nikonrumors.com/ if you are into the Nikon scene.

Think Tank Photo Streetwalker HardDrive Review

By

Over the past couple of weeks I have had the pleasure of putting the Think Tank Photo Streetwalker HardDrive camera backpack to use.  It started with a few local outings and then I headed off to PMA 2009 in Las Vegas to give the Streetwalker HardDrive a run through a couple of security checkpoints, storage areas on a few jets and a bit of jostling about the streets of Las Vegas.  Want to know how it held up?  Read on to find out.

The Streetwalker HardDrive is what I would call a normal-sized backpack.  It is about the size on the outside of the LL Bean backpacks that you see college students carrying around (or at least that’s what I saw them wearing 10 or 12 years ago).  It’s probably a little bigger than that, but it doesn’t appear to be when you are looking at it on someone’s back.  I think that’s a good I thing.

I really dislike carrying camera bags around in crowded public areas that look like camera bags.  Call me paranoid, but I would rather not advertise the fact that I’m carrying around expensive camera equipment.  The Streetwalker HardDrive is very unassuming as a camera bag.  It really just looks like another backpack – again, a good thing. [Read more…]

Sigma 50-200mm F4-5.6 DC OS HSM

By

The Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM (above middle) is a new consumer-level telephoto zoom lens for crop-sensor DSLRs like the Nikon D60 and Canon Rebel XSi.

The optical stabilization helps to reduce camera shake induced blur and allows you to use slower shutter speeds than would otherwise be possible.  The hypersonic focusing motor makes for quicker autofocusing.

The Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM will be available for Sigma, Canon, Nikon, Sony and Pentax DSLRs.

More details from Sigma’s press release below. [Read more…]