Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Nikon D90 Goes 3D

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StereoPortraitProjectRig-nikon-d90

That’s 2 Nikon D90s rigged to be about the same distance apart as the human eyes.

The Stereo Portrait Project was put together by Alex Fry and Jamie Nimmo.  These guys assembled the custom rig shown above to capture Anaglyphic 3D images.  They’ve even put together a book featuring their 3D images.

Head over to Nikon Rumors for a full rundown of the setup and art behind the Stereo Portrait Project.

 

Joby Gorillapod Magnetic is Grooviness Incarnate

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When Joby developed the Gorillatorch, which is a combination of a Gorillapod, flashlight and ordinary magnets, Joby fans immediately started asking for a similar device to hold their cameras.  Earlier this year, Joby delivered on that request with the Gorillapod Magnetic.

Every year, there are maybe a handful of products that really “wow” me.  The new Gorillapod Magnetic is officially on the list for 2010.

It’s quite simple, really.  It’s a Gorillapod with magnetic feet. [Read more…]

Merge to HDR Pro in Photoshop CS5

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While perusing Adobe TV tonight, I ran across this nice tutorial on using the Merge to HDR Pro feature in Photoshop CS5.  In the 10-minute video, Julieanne Kost provides a pretty basic overview of HDR and then digs into the meat of the Merge to HDR Pro feature. In the last couple of minutes of the video, she shows off the power of HDR Toning if you just have a single image to work with.  If you’ve been thinking about trying HDR with CS5, this should get you up to speed rather quickly.

If the embedded video above isn’t working for some reason, you can also find the video over at Adobe TV.

Ricoh GXR System Firmware Version 1.17 Update

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Ricoh GXR

Ricoh has released a new firmware update for its GXR camera system.  The new firmware provides the following enhanced functions:

  • Noise reduction performance enhancement
    The MAX setting has been added to the noise reduction settings. When MAX is specified, the image data’s noise distribution is analyzed and the optimum processing is done for each region of the image, thereby increasing image quality in low-light scenes.
  • Auto bracketing setting change
    When shooting with auto bracketing it is possible to specify exposure variations of up to 2.0 EV. In addition, the change sequence can be specified for each shot.
  • Image trimming
    An image displayed in playback can be trimmed and saved as a separate file. It is also possible to trim an image’s proportions to aspect ratio 1:1 (square).
  • Two “incandescent lamp” settings for white balance
    There used to be just the “incandescent lamp” setting for white balance, but now there are two settings: “incandescent lamp 1” and “incandescent lamp 2.” Compared to “incandescent lamp 1,” “incandescent lamp 2” gives the image a slightly more reddish cast so it is the equivalent of the old “incandescent lamp” setting.
  • Auto shutter speed shift function
    In cases where the image will be overexposed or underexposed when in shutter speed priority mode, if this setting is on, the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to give a suitable exposure.

Additional information, download and installation instructions are available on Ricoh’s GXR System firmware website.

Ricoh GR Digital III Firmware Version 2.10 Update

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Ricoh has released a new firmware update for its GR Digital III camera.  The new firmware provides the following enhanced functions:

  • Noise reduction performance enhancement
    The MAX setting has been added to the noise reduction settings. When MAX is specified, the image data’s noise distribution is analyzed and the optimum processing is done for each region of the image, thereby increasing image quality in low-light scenes.
  • Auto bracketing setting change
    When shooting with auto bracketing it is possible to specify exposure variations of up to 2.0 EV. In addition, the change sequence can be specified for each shot.
  • Image trimming
    An image displayed in playback can be trimmed and saved as a separate file. It is also possible to trim an image’s proportions to aspect ratio 1:1 (square).
  • Two “incandescent lamp” settings for white balance
    There used to be just the “incandescent lamp” setting for white balance, but now there are two settings: “incandescent lamp 1” and “incandescent lamp 2.” Compared to “incandescent lamp 1,” “incandescent lamp 2” gives the image a slightly more reddish cast so it is the equivalent of the old “incandescent lamp” setting.
  • Auto shutter speed shift function
    In cases where the image will be overexposed or underexposed when in shutter speed priority mode, if this setting is on, the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to give a suitable exposure.

Additional information, download and installation instructions are available on Ricoh’s GR Digital III firmware website.

Fuji HS10 Review

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The Fuji HS10 is a superzoom camera that ties the Olympus SP-800UZ for the largest zoom range currently available among consumer cameras.  The 30x zoom range of the Fuji HS10 covers an equivalent of 24-720mm, which is the result of having a sensor about 1/6th the size of that found in a full frame camera like the Canon 5D Mark II.

In terms of ergonomics and usability, the HS10 performs much like an entry-level DSLR in many ways.  While the flexibility afforded by the zoom range on the HS10 is the camera’s most attractive feature, the smaller sensor in the camera is a key limitation of what the camera can do.  As a result, you should not expect to get DSLR-like image quality out of the camera’s inferior sensor.

With this distinction made, let’s get into the meat of the Fuji HS10 and who will get this most out of this powerful superzoom camera. [Read more…]

Canon Photography in the Parks Contest

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Canon Photography in the Parks

Canon has announced the 2010 edition of its annual Photography in the Parks photo contest.  This year, contestants will have the opportunity to win a number of prizes including the Canon 5D Mark II and EF 24-105mm f/4L lens, Canon 7D, Rebel T2i or PowerShot G11.

Full details about the contest can be found in Canon’s Digital Learning Center.

The complete announcement is also included below. [Read more…]