Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Firmware Friday: Sony NEX Goes 3D; Panasonic ZS5, ZS6, ZR3, TS2, FP3

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Camera Firmware Update

Below you will find this week’s firmware updates.  Hit the manufacturer website links for more details and download instructions for the firmware.

Sony NEX-3 / NEX-5 firmware version .02 – “3D Sweep Panorama function has been added; Improvement of ‘normal’ 2D Sweep Panorama shooting; Decreased power drain when the camera is switched off; Quicker start-up in low-light conditions.” [Sony website]

Panasonic ZS5 / ZS6 / ZR3 / TS2 firmware version 1.1 – “Optimization of Light amount for INON external flash(S-2000/D-2000/Z-240)” [Panasonic website]

Pansonic FP3 firmware version 1.1 – “Improved reaction speed of the touch operation. Improved speed of the image forwarding at the time of the reproduction.” [Panasonic website]

 

Photographers “Banned for Life” for Taking Photos in Public Parking Lot

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In the above video, you see that Carlos Miller (of Photography Is Not A Crime) and photojournalist Stretch Ledford were stopped while taking photos at Douglas Road Metro Station in Miami – before they even got into the station and while they were still in the parking lot. [Read more…]

Olympus E-PL1 Gets Augmented Reality Treatment

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Olympus has launched an augmented reality demo for the E-PL1, which lets you demo the camera online with the help of your web cam.  When I received the email containing Total Immersion’s press release (the guys behind the augmented reality plugin), I was scratching my head a bit.  But then, I watched the below video and that better explained it (’cause it’s something you really have to see to get it – or maybe it’s just me). [Read more…]

People Behind the Gear: SanDisk CEO Eli Harari

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SanDisk Extreme Pro 64GB CF Card

SanDisk is a universally-recognized brand in the digital imaging world.  No matter what brand of camera that you own, there’s a good chance that you’ve got a SanDisk memory card somewhere in your bag.

I had never heard the story behind SanDisk’s origins until I read this recent article on SanDisk CEO Eli Harari at USA Today.  Turns out, many years ago, he was ousted by the board of directors from a company he had founded.  From there, SanDisk was born.  Now, it’s a 3.6 billion dollar company.

[USA Today]

Litepanels MicroPro Hybrid – A Single Light Source for Video and Stills

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The Litepanels MicroPro Hybrid is a new flash and continuous output light source that is geared toward DSLR shooters who crossover between stills and video.  The MicroPro Hybrid is an LED light source that draws 9 watts and operates on 6 AA batteries.  Because it uses LED bulbs, almost no heat is generated from the device.

The continuous light mode is fully dimmable from 0% to 100%, while the “flash” feature produces a 400% brighter burst.  To enable the flash feature, you just need to plug the MicroPro into your camera’s PC port.

The MicroPro Hybrid includes a ball head shoe mount with a 1/4-20 thread.  Of course, it can also be mounted off-camera for other lighting situations.

The MicroPro Hybrid delivers 5600° K daylight balanced output and includes three filters – a 3200° K filter, a 1/4 warming filter and a diffusion filter.

You can find the MicroPro Hybrid at B&H Photo.

Fuji Z700EXR Review

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The Fuji Z700EXR is a 12-megapixel point and shoot camera featuring Fuji’s popular EXR sensor technology. The Z700EXR offers a 3.5? wide touchscreen display in 16:9 format, a 5x optical zoom and is capable of capturing HD video at 720p.

To see how well this casual shooter handles, read on. [Read more…]

Canon Rebel T2i In Stock Alert

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Canon Rebel T2i

Amazon is currently listing the Rebel T2i “In Stock.”  But there are only 4 left (at the time of this post) according to the product page, and it’s just the (body only) that’s in stock.  Here’s the link:

Also, Adorama currently has a number of Rebel T2i kits in stock as well.  Here are those links:

It doesn’t look like B&H has any Rebel T2i kits in stock at the time of this post.  Of course, that could change soon, so here’s the link to B&H’s various Rebel T2i kits that you can keep checking back on:

This camera has been tough to find since day one, so I wouldn’t wait around too long if it’s on your list – or you’ll be waiting a while longer.

How to Photograph Fireworks . . . Even if You Don’t Have a Tripod

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Fireworks - Canon Rebel XT - ISO 100 - f/16 - 4 seconds

Canon Rebel XT – ISO 100 – f/16 – 4 seconds

With the Fourth of July coming up next week, a lot of folks are looking to get some great shots of some of the awesome fireworks shows around the country.  With that in mind, here are a few fundamental tips and settings to help you get it right – even if you don’t have a tripod with you during the fireworks show. [Read more…]