Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Canon PowerShot SD990 IS and SD880 IS

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The Canon PowerShot SD990 IS features a 14.7 megapixel sensor and is powered by the DIGIC 4 image processor.  The SD990 IS has a 3.7x zoom lens with image stabilization.  It will be available in October at a retail price of $399.99.

Canon PowerShot SD990 IS Reviews

Imaging Resource

Despite our quibbles about image quality from its 14.7-megapixel sensor, the Canon PowerShot SD990 IS is a good quality digital camera overall.

PC Mag

Performance was terrific indoors, too. In a dim restaurant, pictures taken with flash looked great. Subjects looked sharp, and images were noise-free at ISO 80 and 100.

The Canon PowerShot SD880 IS features a 10 megapixel sensor and is powered by the DIGIC 4 image processor.  The SD880 IS has a 4x zoom lens with image stabilization.  It will be available in October at a retail price of $299.99.

Canon PowerShot SD880 IS Reviews

Imaging Resource

The Canon SD880’s image quality minimizes the issues common to this format while delivering a sharp image in low light thanks to Canon’s optical image stabilization.

NeoCamera

The Canon Powershot SD880 IS is a digital camera that gets a lot of things right. Speed of operation is great and so are ergonomics with one minor exception, the lack of a hand-gripping surface on the front.

For more info, see Canon’s press release below.

Canon PowerShot SD990 IS Press Release

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., September 17, 2008 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced, the PowerShot SD990 IS and PowerShot SD880 IS Digital ELPH cameras. Loaded with a host of advanced features, such as Optical Image Stabilization and Canon’s new DIGIC 4 image processor, these cameras are ideal for the trendsetting techie looking for functionality or style-conscious photo enthusiasts who want their gadgets to keep pace with their style. In addition, to commemorate the 100 millionth compact digital camera manufactured, Canon created a limited-edition PowerShot SD990 IS Digital ELPH camera in red.

“The introduction of DIGIC 4 imaging processing and a variety of color creations, continues to build on Canon’s mantra of incorporating substance and style into everything we create,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “We recognize that if we continue to make digital cameras easy to use and easy to take along wherever one goes, people will carry them, not just for their style and compactness, but because of the image quality.”

Canon PowerShot SD990 IS Digital ELPH Camera
The PowerShot SD990 IS Digital ELPH camera showcases enhanced specifications such as 14.7-megapixel resolution, 3.7x Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilization and Canon’s new Quick Shot Mode for even faster shutter speed.

Reminiscent of a sporty race car, with its curved design and brilliant metallic topcoat, the PowerShot SD990 IS Digital ELPH camera is available in black or silver. Still small enough to fit in a shirt pocket or suit jacket, this compact, cutting-edge camera is an anytime, anyplace must-have.

Limited-Edition Red Digital ELPH Camera
To help commemorate the manufacture of the 100 millionth PowerShot camera,, Canon has produced a limited-edition red PowerShot SD990 IS Digital ELPH camera. This camera can be exclusively purchased on the Canon U.S.A. eStore at www.canonestore.com while supplies last.

Canon PowerShot SD880 IS Digital ELPH Camera
The successor to Canon’s widely popular PowerShot SD870 IS Digital ELPH camera, the PowerShot SD880 IS Digital ELPH camera boasts improved specifications such as 10.0-megapixel resolution and 4x wide-angle Optical Zoom with Optical Image Stabilization. In combination with the latest DIGIC 4 image processor and Motion Detection Technology, the wide-angle zoom lens has been improved, enabling consumers to capture large and small group shots with ease, while on vacation or attending social gatherings.

Available in stylish two-toned body colors of black and silver or gold and brown, the Canon PowerShot SD880 IS Digital ELPH camera functions as a fashion statement, as well as a feature-rich powerhouse. Additionally, four large and distinctive convex buttons are positioned to the right side of the large 3.0-inch PureColor LCD II screen to make camera operation and menu navigation even easier. The LCD screen’s contrast ratio has been greatly improved as well, offering more accurate color and viewing from any angle.

Canon DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor
The newly upgraded DIGIC 4 image processor, a proprietary technology, accounts for the camera’s higher performance levels, including significantly improved signal processing speed and higher image quality.

One of the most important new features made possible by the DIGIC 4 image processor is Servo AF, which is a form of continuous focus tracking for moving subjects. By pressing the shutter button half-way, the camera can track subject movement up to the instant of exposure, resulting in sharper photographs. Additionally, the processor’s high ISO speed noise reduction processing has improved substantially to enable consumers to shoot high-quality images, even in extremely dark situations without the use of a flash. The new Intelligent Contrast Correction function automatically improves image quality in high contrast shooting situations.

The Genuine Canon Face Detection technology has evolved even further, thanks to DIGIC 4. Improved features include the ability to recognize human faces at most angles. Another innovation is the Face Detection Self-Timer, which automatically takes a photo two seconds after a new face enters the scene.

Availability and Pricing
Scheduled to be available in October, the Canon PowerShot SD990 IS Digital ELPH and PowerShot SD880 IS Digital ELPH cameras will have estimated selling prices of $399.99* and $299.99*, respectively. Kit contents will include a memory card, battery, charger, wrist strap, USB and A/V interface cables, Canon Digital Solutions Software CD, and a 1-year Canon U.S.A., Inc. limited warranty.

 

13 iPhone Photography Apps

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Along with the introduction of the iPhone 3G, Apple released iPhone 2.0 software, which is available for the first gen iPhone and iPod Touch as well.  At launch, tons of new applications from third party developers were available for download.  Many of these new applications are free – most are under $10.  Below are 13 photography-related iPhone apps available at launch.  Several more are actually avaiable; however, the following apps seem to be the most worthwhile considerations for people interested in photography as opposed to simply doodling on images.

1. SmugShot – FREE – Share your images instantly on SmugMug with geo-tagging.  More Photography Bay coverage here.

2. NearPics – FREE – NearPics is a simple, fun app for the iPhone & iPod Touch that lets you easily see some photographs taken near to where you are right now.

3. Exposure – FREE – For thorough integration with Flickr, Exposure brings many of the features of Flickr to the iPhone for fast access without the need to open Safari.  You can pony up $10 to remove ads from Exposure.

4. SnapMyLife – FREE – A location-aware photo sharing application for the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch, enabling users to easily see what’s going on around them right now.

5. Kyte Producer – FREE – Use your iPhone to share photos on Myspace, Facebook, or any website, blog or mobile phone. Instantly broadcast pictures as you take them, or create slideshows from your iPhone’s picture gallery.

6. SodaSnap Instant Postcards – FREE – Using SodaSnap you can create and share electronic postcards right from your iPhone. SodaSnap gives you the ability to snap a quick picture, or browse from your photo library and instantly send it to any email address along with a quick note. Using iPhone’s location services, SodaSnap tags your geo location to your postcards anywhere in the world.

7. AirMe – FREE – AirMe will upload your photos to Flickr and add some really cool smart tags. AirMe tags your photos with your city and country – and puts them on your Flickr map. AirMe can even include the current weather.

8. Big Canvas PhotoShare – FREE – PhotoShare is a social networking application that allows iPhone users to share photos with friends and family directly from their iPhone.

9. Clowdy Photo Blogger – FREE – Clowdy is a simple way to blog your photos directly from your iPhone. It lets you share your photos easily using the Camera or your Photo Library. Clowdy is location based, so you can see what photos people have taken around you. Just take a photo, click “Post”, and it’s published on your blog at cIowdy.com.

10. Phanfare – FREE – Phanfare automatically uploads photos from your iPhone to your Phanfare account in the background while you continue to snap away or otherwise use your iPhone.  You get 1GB of store in the free Phanfare account.

11. Comic Touch – $4.99 – Add various speech balloons and captions to your photos. Choose a fun special effect to warp and bend your family and friends, then email the results to them.

12. Jade – $4.99 – One of the few applications with editing capabilities. Pick up a picture, choose the intensity of the filter, compare the original and the enhanced version by tapping the screen and then save the result.

13. Photobucket for iPhone – $4.99 – Add photos to your free Photobucket account from your iPhone.

Free Links Friday

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Below are some of the best photography links from other sites that I came across this week.  Enjoy!

Six and Two Halves Must-Read Free Digital Photography eBooks – DIY Photography – Six free photography eBooks (+ two halves) for your reading pleasure.  Good weekend reading material here.

Basic Dubai Shooting Kit: Hi Speed Sync & a Hoodman Loupe – Joe McNally – Ever think about using your flash for shutter speeds at 1/8000s?  Joe McNally shows off some awesome daylight flash usage in the deserts of Dubai at really high shutter speeds . . . with just a few Nikon SB speedlights.

Buddy, have you got a strobe? – The F-Stops Here – Keeping with the lighting theme, David Tejada shows off an awesome hack on a $5 strobe from a garage sale.  You DIY types will really dig this.

14 Blogging Tips for Your Photography Business – Black Star Rising – Sean Cayton gives some solid advice to help photographers boost business by blogging.  Amateurs would do well to follow some of these tips to take their photography to the next level and maybe even break into the pro side of photography.

Your Complete Guide To Adobe Bridge – Epic Edits – Brian Auer’s 7 part series on Adobe Bridge is now complete and available for free.  If it’s too much to digest on your monitor, Brian’s also put the series together in an ebook.

MTI Micro testing feasibility of fuel cells in digicams – Engadget – Always on top of the latest tech news, Engadget picked up this story on the future possibilities of fuel cells for digital cameras.  I wonder what that will mean for shots off a single charge . . . or fill up?

DIY Softbox

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Last weekend, my wife asked me if I wanted to shoot her brother’s yearbook pictures.  I said, “Sure,” without really knowing what to expect.  She told me they would be less formal than a traditional high school’s yearbook photos because, in his home school group, it’s up to the parents to get the photos done and to the yearbook editors.  “Something nice in the backyard,” she said. Upon my arrival, however, the in-laws wanted a more traditional/formal shot for the yearbook.

Softboxes for $0.16

I don’t really have a great portrait setup, so my next question was, “Do you have a couple of shoeboxes?”  [Read more…]

10 Tips for Breaking into Commercial Magazine Photography

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The following post on commercial magazine photography is by Atlanta based photographer Zach Matthews. Learn more about him at the end of this post.

Every amateur photographer who’s ever flipped through a magazine has shared the same fleeting thought:  I could do this.  I am this good.  And who’s to say that’s wrong?  With the advent of digital image-making, cameras have become not just tools to record and describe, but tools that teach. The mean of photographic quality has skyrocketed in recent years, as a casual perusal of Flickr or a photography hobbyists’ board will immediately illustrate.  What, then, is holding amateur photographers back?  Why aren’t they selling images to magazines and commercial clients?  Why aren’t you?

The difference between a working professional and a dedicated amateur is fairly minimal these days, and it has a lot more to do with business decision-making than talent or equipment.  A number of important differences jump immediately to mind, however.  The way I see it, there are two types of professionals: full time, and everyone else (and by that, I mean you, too).  The full-time professional starves his way to the top.  Typically a full-time pro goes to photography school, where he learns darkroom techniques, film chemistry, light physics, and the hard, cold reality of living paycheck to paycheck for decades.  Most full-time pro photographers share one thing in common: they’re broke.  But not all.  A sizable population of working professionals make a living at photography, and they do it with the same business acumen necessary to operate as any entrepreneur.  They set up a shop, build a client list, hire employees, and above all, they shoot their tails off.

Full-time pros of my acquaintance in the outdoor photography world spend as much as 40 weeks a year in the field.  In my business, that’s in far-flung locations, involving international travel, injections, passports, broken gear, and hard deadlines.  It isn’t an easy job, and it’s a long climb to the top, but eventually these pros tend to top out and make a respectable living.

There’s only one problem: chances are, this isn’t you.  Full-time professional photographers won’t be reading this article; they know the route to success, they are logging their hours as we speak, and they’re aware of the rules of the game.  But here’s the question: would you really want to be a full-time pro?  What if you could have all the benefits, including international travel (for money), access to the best locations (for money) and the respect and praise of your peers, sometimes even for money, all while keeping your day job?  It’s not a bad option, is it? [Read more…]

Canon 3D

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The clamor for a digital version of the popular Canon EOS 3 film camera has been around for quite a while.  It has continued to grow over the past 2.5 years that the Canon 5D has been around.  Leading up to PMA 2008, rumors of a 5D Mark II also brought more speculation of the fabled Canon 3D.  I’m not saying that a 3D is coming at PMA or anytime for that matter. However, there have been enough rumors floating around that I’ve decided to set up a dedicated page to follow the Canon 3D.


For now, have a look at this recent rumor for the 15MP full frame 3D:

15.1 MP (full frame)
14 bit
1 Digic III
Iso 100 to 6400(up to 12800)
AF like 1Dmk III
3 fps
3 inch screen
A sort of smaller 1D body,with integrated grip but not rear lcd panel
1 slot flash card

Additionally, more recent rumors suggest a step up from the 40D (not quite 5D level specs) may appear at PMA.  Whether this would be the 3D remains to be seen; however, based on Canon’s prior model history, the 3D should be reside in between the 5D and the 1-series.  If this rumor is true, then it would more than likely be something more like the Canon 7D.  (Read More)

UPDATES

7/6/09 – Rumors of an Summer 2009 release. (Read more)

Sony A900 Reviews and Resources

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The Sony A900 was officially unveiled on September 9, 2008. The A900 is the first 24.6 megapixel DSLR, making it a class leader at the time of its release. The DSLR-A900 body will be available in November for about $3,000.

It is available from the following trusted online retailers:

Amazon.com (A900 body only)

B&H Photo (A900 body only)

Adorama (A900 body only)

Ritz (A900 body only)

Editor’s Note:  Although Photography Bay was promised delivery of a review copy of the Sony A900 prior to launch of the camera, none has been provided and, therefore, I have yet to publish a review of the A900.  Sony has not communicated a reason why they have failed to deliver one and I’m afraid I will not be able to provide a proper review of the camera in the foreseeable future as my most recent inquiries have essentially gone unanswered.  I do hope that this situation is unique to us and does not indicate some development or shipping issues with Sony.  From what I’ve read and seen thus far, the A900 appears to be a capable first endeavor in the pro-level arena for Sony. I apologize to Photography Bay readers and, hopefully, this situation will rectify itself before long.  In the mean time, I have provided for your consideration links to a number of reviews of the A900 below.

Sony A900 Key Features

  • 24.6 Megapixel Full Frame CMOS Sensor
  • Dual BIONZ Image Processing Engine
  • Intelligent Preview
  • 100% Viewfinder, 0.74x Magnification
  • 3.0″, 921,000 Dot Xtra Fine LCD
  • 9-point Center Dual-cross AF
  • 5 fps Continuous Shooting
  • SteadyShot Inside

Sony A900 Reviews

Alpha Mount World

In the end, what the A900 does, it does exceptionally well,and in my opinion is the finest Sony camera ever made (as of todays date). I hold no reservation in that conclusion.

Buy-n-Shoot

Overall, noise is probably one of the A900’s weakest areas considering that anything beyond 400 means a visible decline in image quality as a result of obvious noise.

Digital Camera Info

The Sony A900 delivers excellent image resolution at 24.6-megapixel resolution, paving the way for substantial cropping and large-format prints.

PDN Gear Guide

No other camera aside, perhaps, from the 21.1 Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III has produced such rich, luscious, and true-to-life tones in good lighting as the A900.

PhotographyBLOG

Its viewfinder is the best you’ll find south of medium format, the build is incredibly robust, the controls are intuitive, with some of them – such as the dedicated Histogram button, the metering mode knob or the well-implemented rear joystick – being close to pure genius.

Cnet

A good first try at a pro-level camera, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 has the high resolution but unfortunately lacks some of the performance and usability you expect from a model in its price range.

Luminous Landscape

For those without major lens commitments to other brands the Sony A900 offers tremendous value for the money. In almost every objective test criteria measured on DxOMark the A900 comes in in the top two or three, and in many categories does so against camera either costing twice as much or offering half the resolution.

PopPhoto

For an experienced photographer not married to another brand’s system, the A900 deserves a look. If you have even a modest stockpile of Konica Minolta lenses, then it demands your attention.

DP Review

No doubt about it, there is much to like about the Alpha 900 – from the quality of images it produces to the extensive control over image parameters and, as I’ve already mentioned, the excellent, intuitive and uniquely user-friendly handling.

Camera Labs

There’s no doubt the Sony Alpha DSLR-A900 delivers an impressive specification for the money, and one which stands-up well against its rivals. You get very high resolution images, quick continuous shooting, a superb viewfinder and built-in image stabilisation which works with any lens you attach.

The British Journal of Photography

Sony’s first full-format camera is designed to meet the needs of ambitious amateurs and semi-professionals. JPEG compression is perfectly balanced, and input dynamic range at high ISO speeds is excellent. Tonal reproduction focuses on instant image appeal (rather than something more neutral, which you see with more pro oriented cameras), and the sharpening is OK.

Wired

Bright, vivid and spacious viewfinder. Excellent in-camera image stabilization system. Easy no-menu adjustments with Fn button and multi-selector toggle. Killer price for the highest resolution, high functioning, easy to use DSLR.

Imaging Resource

If you want the most pixels in a small package, the Sony A900 is where you’ll find it. It’s bulky, but less so than the more expensive 1Ds Mark III, and that makes it easier to bring along. I enjoyed shooting with the 24-70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss so much that I recommend it if you can afford it.

Luminous Landscape (field report)

All things considered I’d have to give this camera a big thumbs up.

PopPhoto (hands-on preview)

All told, with the Alpha 900, Sony solidifies itself as a serious player that’s here to stay. So, we can definitely look forward to Sony building out its lines of lenses and accessories as it reaches for the same footing as Nikon and Canon.

Cnet (hands-on preview)

The bottom line is that when you look at shots from a camera in this class you should have at least a few “wow” moments and that hasn’t happened yet.

DP Review (hands-on preview)

As we started to dig a little deeper, pore over the fine print and actually use the Alpha 900 we were, however, increasingly surprised – and almost always pleasantly so – at some of the decisions made by Sony’s engineers when designing its flagship SLR.

Sony A900 With New 70-400mm

Sony A900 Press Release

Sony introduces Alpha A900

The world’s first full-frame 24.6 megapixel DSLR:

A900 delivers the unmatched image quality, creative expression and performance demanded by professional photographers

  • Superlative, detail-packed images from full-frame 24.6 effective megapixel CMOS sensor ExmorTM
  • Bright optical glass pentaprism viewfinder with 100% coverage
  • Enhanced SteadyShot INSIDE offers up to 4.0 steps anti-shake performance with ? lenses
  • Ultra-sharp shooting responses and flawless, low-noise images from dual BIONZ image processor
  • Review images on High Resolution 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD
  • Fast, high-accuracy 9-point AF with 10 focus assist points
  • 5fps continuous shooting at full resolution 24.6 megapixels

The A900 digital SLR from Sony sets a new benchmark for serious photo enthusiasts who demand the unrivalled quality and creative possibilities of full-frame imaging.

The flagship of the Alpha digital SLR camera range features the industry’s first ever 24.6 effective megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor. Developed by Sony, this groundbreaking sensor’s ultra-high pixel count and large size – equivalent to a 35mm film frame – deliver extraordinary image detail and wide dynamic range.

The new-generation sensor captures flawless images with unprecedented fidelity, characterised by vibrant colours, ultra-real textures and subtle tonal gradations. Complementing the extremely high native resolution of the sensor, Exmor performs on-chip analogue/digital (A/D) signal conversion and two-stage noise reduction. This guarantees ultra-low noise image files that take advantage of the superb resolving power of high-precision ? lenses.

Realising the immense creative potential of the 24.6 megapixel full-frame sensor, the new advanced dual BIONZ processors handle massive amounts of image data at extremely high speed. Powerful noise reduction algorithms are applied prior to RAW data conversion and then again during image processing, yielding flawless, detail packed images with an absolute minimum of noise. The dual BIONZ processors also underpin the camera’s razor-sharp shooting responses, allowing sustained 5fps continuous shooting at full 24.6 megapixel resolution.

Serious photo enthuasiasts will appreciate the ground-glass optical pentaprism viewfinder that offers exceptional brightness and a field of view covering 100% of the full-frame sensor’s imaging area (approx.).

The camera’s uncompromising credentials are underlined by a fast, high-accuracy 9-point AF system to ensure fewer missed shots. It’s supplemented by 10 focus assist points to assist subject detection, improved out-of-focus detection to reduce focus hunting and a dedicated F2.8 sensor for enhanced AF accuracy with wide aperture lenses.

The A900 digital SLR camera is also the world’s first full-frame camera to feature SteadyShot INSIDE. This enhanced in-body optical stabilisation system delivers up to 4 steps of anti-shake correction with all compatible lenses*, opening up even greater creative possibilities when shooting handheld.

Shots can be evaluated critically on the 3.0-inch Xtra Fine LCD with an exceptionally high resolution (921k dot) that offers sharp, clear viewing – even outdoors or in bright ambient light. There’s a wide choice of index view options to simplify best-shot selection, plus a full-featured RGB histogram and shooting information display.

At the touch of a button, the LCD display switches to Quick Navi mode, allowing rapid on-the-fly adjustment of camera settings without disturbing your creative workflow.

A new Intelligent Preview function simulates the effect of White Balance, D?Range Optimiser and exposure level on the LCD screen without actually taking a picture. By simple confirmation on the camera, all the new settings are applied to take the next picture. This simplifies precise control over the final image in complex setups.

Shots can also be viewed on a connected HD television. PhotoTV HD mode provides optimised still image viewing with breathtaking clarity and lifelike colours on compatible BRAVIA televisions. The HDMI terminal also give acces to HD picture viewing on any compatible TV.

Built for years of unstinting service in challenging environments, the A900 digital SLR camera is ruggedly constructed from a high-tensile aluminium chassis with magnesium alloy body panels. Viewfinder, card slots, controls and other sensitive areas are protected from dust and moisture by rubber seals for worry-free shooting. The inside of the camera is also protected by an anti-dust system that safeguards the full-frame sensor from the effects of dust entering the body during lens exchange.

Allowing stable, comfortable handling in portrait or landscape orientations, the optional VG-C90AM Vertical Grip holds up to two high-capacity batteries for extended shooting time and all the major controls are available in vertical holding for easy operation. The grip has also been designed in same high quality material as the A900 with magnesium alloy and rubber parts.

There’s now wide range of compatible ? lenses to fully realise the incredible imaging potential of the camera’s full-frame sensor.

The choice of premium G series optics by Sony is joined by the high-power 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM telephoto, featuring a High-torque Super Sonic wave Motor for fast, silent AF operation.

Also from Carl Zeiss, the Vario-Sonnar T* 16-35mm F2.8 ZA SSM is a fast, high-performance wide angle zoom that’s ideal for interiors, landscapes and challenging photo-reportage applications.

The complete ? system is further strengthened by the new HVL-F58AM – a high-power flash (GN 58) featuring Sony’s innovative ‘Quick Shift Bounce’ system that offers even more creative control over lighting, flash and bounce angles. It’s unique ‘Quick Shift Bounce’ design make the flash head able to rotate instantly in portrait mode to keep the bounce direction for much more natural and beautiful subject lightning. For those using studio setups, Wireless Auto Flash Control also computes power ratios for up to three groups of flashes, simplifiying the management of complex lighting set-ups.

* Automatic crop factor is applied when DSLR-A900 is used with DT format lenses. Exposure accuracy is not guaranteed with DT lenses in certain shooting situations.

Help Save Kodak HIE-135 Infrared Film

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Kodak HIE-135Since Kodak announced its plans to discontinue HIE-135 film . . .

KODAK is preannouncing the discontinuance of several smaller running families of Professional film – EPR, EPN and High Speed Infrared (HIE) effective end of December 2007. Demand for these products has been declining significantly in recent years, and it is no longer practical to continue to manufacture given the low volume, the age of the product formulations and the complexity of the processes involved.

We will continue to ship product through the end of this year. (Kodak.com)

. . . James C. Williams has started a jihad to save it.

Important to this cause is the fact that Kodak is listening:

Below I have copied an email I just sent to Patrick Hamilton, Public Relations Director, Kodak CDG EAMER: patrick.hamilton@kodak.com

Mr. Hamilton has encouraged me to write Kodak and is aware that I am attempting to start an email campaign to save HIE-135. He has assured me that he will get the messages to the appropriate people.

You can see James’ email to Kodak, along with emails from others, on this thread over at Photo.net.

If you shoot film or have been thinking about shooting film, consider picking up a roll of HIE-135 from B&H Photo or Calumet, a couple of the few places that I’ve been able to find it online. Thirteen bucks isn’t much for a good deed this time of year (I’ve ordered a roll from B&H for myself). Also, send an email to Patrick Hamilton at Kodak if you like the stuff.

UPDATE:  Kodak has heard the voices of many and still refuses to keep HIE-135 alive.  Amatuer Photographer published a portion of Kodak’s statement on the matter:

While we very much appreciate the correspondence we’ve received from some photographers – who use our infrared film and would like to be able to purchase it in 2008 and beyond – the fact is the decline in the use of infrared film has been so substantial over the years that it is no longer practical for Kodak to continue to manufacture the film given the extremely low demand and volume, the age of the product formulations and the complexity of the processes involved.

7 Alternatives to Flickr

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flickr_logo.jpgBefore we talk about what the alternatives to Flickr are, let’s first consider what flickr does for us. Flickr is great for sharing photos for free. It’s definately the biggest photo sharing community on the web.

The community features on Flickr are very deep and part of what makes Flickr so successful. Groups are one of the easy ways to get involved in the Flickr community. Groups revolve around a general topic that’s usually related to the kind of photos that users take or the kind of gear that they use. You can share your photos in the groups’ pools or engage in discussion in forums with the groups.

Still, there are some limitations to Fickr’s free accounts that detract from its usefulness. When you have a free Flickr account, you can upload 100MB worth of photos each calendar month. This is a bandwidth limit, and not an amount of space that you have on Flickr servers.

Flickr also allows you to create sets for photos from a particular event or just photos that you want grouped together. I’ve put together sets for things like the 2007 Tour de Georgia and 2007 NORBA Showdown at Sugar. With a free Flickr account you’re limited to only 3 sets.

If you spring for the pro account at $24.95 per year, you get a whole lot more:

  • Unlimited uploads (10MB per photo)
  • Unlimited storage
  • Unlimited bandwidth
  • Unlimited photosets
  • Archiving of high-resolution original images
  • The ability to replace a photo
  • Post any of your photos in up to 60 group pools
  • Ad-free browsing and sharing

Considering what you get, this is quite a bargain. For some reason, I’ve never upgraded. Perhaps it’s because Smugmug is my service of choice. Before we get into that though, let’s take a look at the other alternatives to Flickr.

deviant-art.jpgDeviantART is probably less like Flickr than any of the other alternatives listed here. Check out what’s been popular lately at DeviantART.

As you can see, DeviantART is more of an art community than a photo sharing site. And it is a very active community with tons of chat rooms and forums to chime in on. You’ll even find a forum dedicated to reports of other’s who ripoff an artist’s work.

Part of DeviantART’s mission:

Most importantly we intend to take our time to do it right. For the first time in history there is connection and communication between artists and fans on a massive scale. deviantART represents a breakthrough for the promotion and exposure of otherwise stranded artists in all corners of the globe. Our job is to make sense of the possibility, and craft it in a responsible manner.

DeviantART offers both free and Choice memberships. The Choice membership is $29.95 per year and offers a number of upgrades:

  • Get up to 120 Deviations per page when browsing
  • Browse with No Ads
  • Browse Way Back all the way to 2000
  • Customize 20 slots on your front page
  • Download art to your Mobile Phone with deviantMOBILE
  • Make journals with Polls, Forum, Shoutbox, and even CSS

If you have crazy Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator skills or you use some other program to manipulate your photos extensively, then the DeviantART community may be for you.

Zooomr reminds me a lot of Flickr. It has many of the same photo sharing features, like SmartSets (think Flickr sets, but smarter) and Groups. Additionally, with Zooomr you get unlimited bandwidth, file storage and uploading and . . . it’s all free. One thing Zooomr does that Flickr doesn’t is the Zipline. Basically, Zipline allows you to keep in touch with what your contacts are doing, as they’re doing it. Uploading is also simpler with Zooomr. The interface is as intuitive as a Mac and you get great and simple visual feedback on your uploads, file by file.

You can also get a pro account with Zooomr. While you can’t do any better than unlimited for your photo sharing options, you’ll get some increased functionality from Zooomr’s social aspects.

Zooomr also has a more liberal stance on censorship issues than we’ve seen in the past at Flickr:

  1. Data that can identify individual users should not be hosted in Internet restricting countries, where political speech can be treated as a crime by the legal system.
  2. The company will not engage in pro-active censorship.
  3. The company will use all legal means to resist demands for censorship. The company will only comply with such demands if required to do so through legally binding procedures.
  4. Users will be clearly informed when the company has acceded to legally binding government requests to filter or otherwise censor content that the user is trying to access.
  5. Users should be informed about the company’s data retention practices, and the ways in which their data is shared with third parties.
  6. The company will document all cases where legally-binding censorship requests have been complied with, and that information will be publicly available.

If Zooomr looks like your thing, add me as a contact when you join.

fotki.jpg Fotki seems like it’s really trying to outdo Flickr, and may be succeeding in some areas. While Fotki is easy to use, it has a lot of different options that can be overwhelming at first. One rather popular feature that’s prominent on the front page is free unlimited photo hosting for websites, blogs, emails and auctions.

For sharing, the free account is a little limited with only 50MB of storage space. Move up to the $30 pro account and you get unlimited storage space for your shared photos. Additionally, premium users can use Fotki as a selling platform, and Fotki only takes a 15% cut from prices that you set. Also, it’s one of the few photo hosting sites to offer its members FTP access.

You can order your own photos from Fotki for as little as $.09 for a 4×6 print. And there’s always an abundance of photo contests going on for members to participate in. Every premium user also gets a Journal, which is essentially a Fotki user’s blog.

pbase.jpgPBase does not offer a free account option. You get 500MB of storage for $23 per year and you can get 1500MB for $60 per year. Additional storage can be added at any time in increments of 500MB. You can create an unlimited number of galleries from your photos stored on PBase’s servers.

PBase offers StatCounter, Google Analytics and Extreme Tracking capabilities for each of your galleries. There is also a PBase forum community that users can participate in. PBase users also publish a professional looking magazine, aptly named PBase Magazine, that has a pretty cool history.

I’ve never used PBase, but I see a number of users in photography forums that are PBase zealots. It strikes me as a cult-ish (in a good, “Apple” kind of way) community that you’ve got to be in to understand. If you’ve got more input on it, please feel free to drop in a comment.

Photobucket is a media management site for photos and video. It allows one click publishing to sites like MySpace, Facebook, Friendster and Xanga. It is clearly geared toward the social media user. You can use Photobucket to create slideshows of photos and video mashups.

There’s a 1GB space limit for images and video clips in free accounts. That’s not much when you consider file sizes of photos these days. Additionally, free accounts are limited to 25GB of monthly bandwidth. That’s quite a lot bandwidth for photos; however, I’m not sure how long that would hold up if you’ve got a lot of video clips on there.

Gotcha’s for free accounts:

Uploaded Image files must be 1 MB or less. Images with a display size up to 17 screen (1024 x 768 pixels) can also be uploaded without a file size limit. Image files will be resized to meet the Photobucket constraints.

Uploaded Videos must be 5 minutes or less in play length and 100 MB or less in file size. Videos longer than 5 minutes will be truncated to meet the Photobucket time constraints.

For the Photobucket strip, show, and collage Slideshows, only 10 images may be loaded at a time per Slideshow. For Photobucket stamps, users may have between 4 and 16 images depending on selected size.

That’s some pretty harsh limitations for anyone serious about photography. However, you can go pro for $25 per year, which gives you 5GB of storage space and “unmetered” bandwidth (presumably, that means unlimited). Pro users also get FTP uploading capabilities. Image size is capped at 5MB for pro users. Canon 5D users need not apply here (Converted RAW images from my Rebel XT frequently exceed 5MB).

In sum, Photobucket is a great site if you’re into posting low-res images on your social media pages or personal blog; however, serious photographers would be better served by paying their annual dues to Flickr or one of the other alternatives.

Photo.net is very different from Flickr. Where Flickr is very much a one-size-fits-all service, Photo.net will likely only appeal to serious photographers. It is a huge community of amateur and professional photographers with a variety of skill levels and photographic experiences.

You can upload your photos and submit them for comment and critique. Likewise, you can comment and critique fellow photographers’ submissions. You get your own gallery to post photos into. You get a few more features by making a $20 donation each year.

Additionally, you can participate in the very active (and moderated) forums. I’ve learned a lot from photo.net over the past couple of years. I still find myself reading the forums and asking the occasional question when I need some advice on a particular matter. If you’re new to photography or you simply want to learn more, photo.net is probably one of the better online resources out there.

smug-mug.jpgSmugMug is my personal favorite for sharing and hosting images on the web. There’s no free plan to choose from; however, it is well worth the price of admission for me. The basic user plan is $39.95 per year. Power user accounts are $59.95 per year. Pro accounts are $149.95 per year.

SmugMug keeps 4 backup copies of each photo in 3 states. You get unlimited storage in all plans. Your can see your photos without registering, and without spam. The handful of times that I’ve needed to contact support, they’ve gotten back to me with a real answer within minutes.

Pro users (I’m one) get the ability to sell photos and set their own prices. I don’t sell a lot of photos; however, I share tons. I use SmugMug to share photos on this blog and with friends and family. I can make galleries private or password protected and even limit the size of photos that are viewable by others. SmugMug also allows you to employ right-click protection to keep the pervasive use of downloading curbed. I know there are ways around it, but it’s not as easy to do as Flickr.

The print quality that you get from SmugMug is surprisingly good. Printing is outsourced through EZ Prints and you get the option to use auto-enhancing or your own true color adjustments. It’s not on par with the likes of MyPhotopipe.com, but it beats the heck out of Wal-Mart.

If you think the more polished look of SmugMug is your cup of tea, you can use this link to save a little on whatever account you sign up for. (Disclosure: I get a credit as well.)

Conclusion

This post isn’t meant to draw Flickr users away, but to share some sites that have a little different take on things. I love Flickr. I’ve had a Flickr account longer than other web-based photo account/membership. That said, I hope this post has opened your eyes to some useful alternatives to Flickr. This is by no means an exhaustive listing of all the photo sharing sites out there. If you’ve got other sites that you use, feel free to drop in a comment and give the rest of us an overview of what makes your site a good alternative to Flickr.