Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

New Vanguard ABEO Plus Tripods

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ABEO Plus 323CB

One of the new products that Vanguard unveiled at Photokina 2012 was its new ABEO Plus tripod line.

The ABEO Plus models are available with sturdy legs that are either diamond-woven carbon fiber or heavy-gauge aluminum.  These feature a large lever lock that allows you to quickly adjust the height of the center column, as well as tension adjustable flip-lock legs that let you adjust the tension to counter ordinary wear that occurs over long periods of time.

ABEO Plus

The ABEO Plus also feature the same 3-in-1 feet found on the excellent Vanguard Auctus Plus tripods. Additionally, the ABEO Plus tripods feature legs that individually adjust to 25, 50, and 80-degree angles with an ergonomic release button, as well as a low-angle adaptor for macro photography.

The aluminum and carbon fiber models range in price from $219.99 to $479.99.  Check availability at B&H Photo.

 

PhotoPlus Expo Giving Away Loads of Camera Gear

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The PhotoPlus Expo kicks off next month in New York from October 25-27.  In the lead up to the show, PhotoPlus will be doing giveaways twice per week through its Facebook page.

The prizes will include products and services from exhibitors including Pentax, Lensbaby, Think Tank Photo, B&H Photo, Athentech, Creative Edge, Photobacks, Lumiquest, Shades of Paper, ExpoImaging, Tether Tools, Zenfolio, and Aperture Magazine.

You can get your name in the hat for the giveaways by hitting the Giveaways tab on the PhotoPlus Facebook page.

New Sigma 300mm f/2.8 EX DG OS HSM Slips Out at Photokina

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Sigma 300mm f:2.8

It looks like Sigma will be launching a new stabilized version of its 300mm f/2.8 lens (seen above) soon based on the lens’ appearance during a slideshow at Photokina 2012.

There are no specific details about the upcoming lens other than the name designation that appeared on a slide during an official Sigma presentation.

You can watch the full presentation in the video below. [Read more…]

Samsung Adding Android OS to Mirrorless Cameras

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Samsung NX Camera Android Rumors

Samsung dropped what looks to be a pretty exciting camera with its Galaxy Camera last month, which is a heavy duty Android 4.1 Jelly Bean-powered point and shoot.  In it, the camera is not just one of the features, it’s the whole point of the device – something that looks to become a serious trend.

Even with manufacturers that aren’t putting a full-on Android OS inside, we’re seeing a more app-like environment that extends beyond normal camera settings and mode selections (e.g., Sony’s new Apps in NEX models and the Canon 6D‘s built-in WiFi with sharing to iOS and Android devices).  So it should come at no surprise that Samsung is expected to build (at least some) future NX mirrorless cameras around the Android OS. [Read more…]

SanDisk Developing CFast2.0 Memory Cards, Not XQD Cards

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SanDisk revealed at Photokina 2012 that it will be pushing toward memory card production on the new CFast2.0 specification memory cards and will not be delevoping XQD cards.

As of today, the only camera to support the XQD memory card format is the Nikon D4.  And while it is a great camera, no doubt, the single high-end model is not enough to push the demand in the market towards XQD as “the other memory card.”

CFast2.0 is a specification from the CompactFlash Association, which also designates the specification for current CF cards and the newer XQD cards.  CFast2.0 specs offer a theoretical performance up to 600MB/s data transfer speeds.

SanDisk is currently sampling new CFast2.0 cards to camera manufacturers to see if they will bite on the new specification in spite of the overwhelming move toward the SD card standard.  Medium format camera maker Phase One has already committed to putting the CFast2.0 cards to work in new cameras due to the higher performance over other card formats.