Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Apple Aperture 3

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Apple Aperture 3

Apple has announced Aperture 3, which offers a number of improvements over Aperture 2, including Faces, Places and Brushes.  Obviously, the big news for photographers is the ability to make local adjustments with the Brushes tool.  Additionally, Aperture 3 allows you to import HD video from your DSLRs and even edit it make your own movie without ever leaving Aperture.  It also includes the ability to easily export video files to Apple’s Final cut software.

Aperture 3 is available for $200 or as an upgrade for Aperture 2 users for $100.

More details at Apple.com and in the press release below. [Read more…]

 

Canon EOS MOVIE Plugin-E1 for Final Cut Pro

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Canon 1D Mark IV

The Canon EOS MOVIE Plugin-E1 for Final Cut Pro is a plug-in currently in development that is intended to allow footage from EOS DSLRs to be edited more quickly and easily in Final Cut Pro.  The plug-in will be introduced in a free Beta release in March 2010.

Key features of the plug-in includes the enabling of the “log and transfer” of footage from the 5D Mark II, 7D and 1D Mark IV.  Moreover, the plug-in converts Canon EOS DSLR footage to Apple’s ProRes 4:2:2 at twice the speed of what you get out of the box with Final Cut Pro.  Adding timecode, reel names and metadata to footage will also be a faster and smoother task.

Stay tuned for updates on the availability of the EOS Movie Plugin-E1 for Final Cut Pro.

Canon Rebel T2i Reviews and Resources

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Canon Rebel T2i

The Canon Rebel T2i (the Canon EOS 550D in markets outside the US) is an 18MP DSLR that serves as a replacement to the popular Rebel T1i.  The Rebel T2i offers a number of advancements, including an improved metering system and a number of HD video recording options.  The Rebel T2i should be available in March 2010 at an initial retail price of $899 packaged with the EF-S 18-55mm IS lens or $799 for the body only. [Read more…]

An Open Letter to Nikon re: the 50mm f/1.8 Lens

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Nikon 50mm f/1.8D Lens

Dear Nikon,

I think you are doing a great job with your cameras, lenses and accessories.  The entry-level series that started with the smaller form-factor Nikon D40 through the current D3000 and D5000 has been a real hit.  The D40 is a fantastic little camera that you have continued to build upon over the past several models in this line.  The D5000 is now one of the best bang-for-your-buck DSLR cameras on the market.

I understand that you needed to pull the AF motor out of these camera bodies in order to make them smaller.  I totally get that.  I will also say that you have done a good job with your lens selection since the D40 was introduced.  There are so many great AF-S lenses available now and you seem committed to continuing this trend.  To that end, kudos to you.

That said, we are all missing one crucial AF-S lens that is not in your lineup at this time – an AF-S 50mm f/1.8 lens. [Read more…]

Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3s ISO Comparison

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Canon 1D Mark IV vs. Nikon D3s

The Canon 1D Mark IV and Nikon D3s are the two latest powerhouse DSLRs from the respective manufacturers.  As a quick rundown on the spec sheet, the Nikon D3s offers a 12.1-megapixel FX format sensor, while the Canon 1D Mark IV features a 16.1-megapixel APS-H (1.3x crop) sensor.  Both cameras offer extreme high ISO settings, up to the equivalent of ISO 102,400.

Which one offers the best noise control at these crazy-high ISO settings?  Read on to find out. [Read more…]

Alien Skin Blow Up 2 Review

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Alien Skin Blow Up 2

Alien Skin’s Blow Up 2 is a Photoshop plugin designed to help you create images that are larger than the native resolutions coming out of your camera.  Alien Skin provided me with a review sample of Blow Up 2 and mentioned words like “presets”, “single-click” and “take the complexity out.”  I took them up on their claims and gave it a spin.

While I don’t enlarge many prints beyond 8×10, I have, on occasion, used Photoshop’s bicubic image sample method to enlarge prints up to 20″ x 30″.  I have always thought that this capability in Photoshop works pretty well.  That was, however, until I saw the results from resizing using the Blow Up 2 plugin. [Read more…]