News
Photo.net have published 33 interesting facts in a new article about colour film processing:
“Fact: Freezing or refrigeration slows down all chemical changes in unexposed or exposed film. This means that curve shape and speeds among other properties remain close to when you bought the film. Fog continues to rise due to cosmic or ambient radiation. Heat induced fog is slowed down or virtually stopped depending on temperature. This varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and from film to film. Negative films seem to survive better, because the fog can be ‘printed through’. In practice, though, no film keeps forever.”
Photo.net have published 33 interesting facts in a new article about colour film processing: “Fact: Freezing or refrigeration slows down all chemical changes in unexposed or exposed film. This means that curve shape and speeds among other properties remain close to when you bought the film. Fog continues to rise…
Steves Digicams have posted the first review that I have seen of the recently announced Canon PIXMA iP4000 inkjet printer.
“For your everyday text and color document printing tasks the Pixma iP4000 is an excellent printer and it’s very fast. It’s also very quiet and one of the most versatile printers that I’ve used in some time. The built-in duplexer (two-sided printing) is great for web page or document printouts and will save lots of wasted paper. It’s also great for printing your own professional-looking photo albums, sales flyers, catalogs or whatever.”
Steves Digicams have posted the first review that I have seen of the recently announced Canon PIXMA iP4000 inkjet printer. “For your everyday text and color document printing tasks the Pixma iP4000 is an excellent printer and it’s very fast. It’s also very quiet and one of the most versatile…
LetsGoDigital have published their review of the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera.
“Coming back to the Coolpix 8700 I see a digital camera with an excellent color reproduction at which the white balance functions far above average: extremely well! The exposure likewise. The automatic exposure hardly gets it wrong, hardly any failures and shadow or bright parts are well reproduced. The detail sharpness can be called very good, the structure of certain objects is captured excellently for example the structure of a towel. The clearness of Macro images is high class after setting the right aperture.”
LetsGoDigital have published their review of the new 8-megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8700 digital camera. “Coming back to the Coolpix 8700 I see a digital camera with an excellent color reproduction at which the white balance functions far above average: extremely well! The exposure likewise. The automatic exposure hardly gets it…
Bytesector have just reviewed the new flagship model of the Canon Digital IXUS fleet, the 5.0 megapixel Powershot S500 (known as the Digital IXUS 500 outside North America), which was announced at the start of February.
“The ELPH series of cameras are all fairly small units that fit easily in any pocket when turned off. The power button is well recessed, so it is very unlikely that it will accidentally turn itself on. The matte silver finish looks good, but can be scratched if the camera is not taken care of. A case is highly recommended. The camera is easy to hold, and like all cameras, is made for right handed people. There are well placed grips for your hands, and controls are easy to reach, and manipulate.”
Bytesector have just reviewed the new flagship model of the Canon Digital IXUS fleet, the 5.0 megapixel Powershot S500 (known as the Digital IXUS 500 outside North America), which was announced at the start of February. “The ELPH series of cameras are all fairly small units that fit easily in…
If like me you tend to take several photos of the same subject, from slightly different angles and focal lengths, then you will know how difficult it can be to select the best from the rest. Alain Briot’s latest article in his “Aesthetics and Photography” series is essential reading.
“Keepers. A photographer’s term for photographs we like enough to keep them in our permanent files and print them.
But how do you decide which photographs are good enough to be kept around or good enough to be shown to others, printed or exhibited? I receive numerous emails asking me this very question. It seems that many who ask this question believe there is some sort of infallible test which allows photographers in the know to somehow ‘“weed out” the bad photographs and select the good ones, without faltering, without hesitating, knowing exactly how successful any given image will be with the public.
Well, let me start this article by saying that ?it ain?t so.? I wish it was but it is not that simple. Why? That is what this article not only aims to explain but also aims to help you with. Read on!”
Website: Luminous Landscape - How to Decide Which Photographs Are Keepers and Which Ones Are Not
If like me you tend to take several photos of the same subject, from slightly different angles and focal lengths, then you will know how difficult it can be to select the best from the rest. Alain Briot’s latest article in his “Aesthetics and Photography” series is essential reading. “Keepers…
Fazal Majid has posted a useful look at loupes on his weblog, inclduing models from Peak, Contax and Schneider.
“Loupes (French for “magnifying glass) are high-quality magnifiers, originally used to help focus images on a ground glass, and later to view slides or negatives on a light table. You can find them in all shapes and sizes, at prices from $15 for a cheap plastic model, all the way to over $300 for a Zeiss loupe for viewing 6x6 medium format slides. Slides viewed on a light table with a high-quality loupe are a treat for the eyes, because of the high contrast (1000:1) that you cannot get with prints (more like 100:1).”
Website: Going all loopy about loupes
Fazal Majid has posted a useful look at loupes on his weblog, inclduing models from Peak, Contax and Schneider. “Loupes (French for “magnifying glass) are high-quality magnifiers, originally used to help focus images on a ground glass, and later to view slides or negatives on a light table. You can…
Steves Digicams has reviewed the Kodak Easyshare CX7530, a 5-megapixel digital camera with a 3X optical zoom lens, selling for US$299.
“The Kodak Retinar 3X optical zoom lens has a 35mm-equivalent range of 34-102mm, giving you coverage from wide angle through telephoto focal lengths. At the 34mm end of the zoom range you’ll have enough field of view for most interior and landscape shots, and at 102mm you’ll be able to capture the details of distant subjects. The lens produced sharp images throughout its zoom range, with only slight barrel distortion at wide angle, and almost no pin cushioning at telephoto. The zoom is smooth, and makes no noticeable noise when extending the lens or during autofocus.”
Steves Digicams has reviewed the Kodak Easyshare CX7530, a 5-megapixel digital camera with a 3X optical zoom lens, selling for US$299. “The Kodak Retinar 3X optical zoom lens has a 35mm-equivalent range of 34-102mm, giving you coverage from wide angle through telephoto focal lengths. At the 34mm end of the…
Steves Digicams have reviewed the new 5 megapixel Sony DSC-F88 digital camera.
“The overall image quality in 2592x1944/Fine mode is good, for the most part the default settings will produce well saturated and properly exposed pictures. You can adjust the saturation, contrast and sharpness to “dial in” just the right look for your images. I found that the automatic white balance did its job well and only under some very mixed lighting did it show any problems. I was pleased with our outdoor test shots. The images were sharp, well saturated, and I noticed very little noise in high/low contrast areas. “
Steves Digicams have reviewed the new 5 megapixel Sony DSC-F88 digital camera. “The overall image quality in 2592x1944/Fine mode is good, for the most part the default settings will produce well saturated and properly exposed pictures. You can adjust the saturation, contrast and sharpness to “dial in” just the right…
Steves Digicams have reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Canon PowerShot A310, which is targeted at consumers looking for an easy-to-use camera.
“The ergonomics of the A310 are great. Controls are well placed and functional, and the menu system is easy to navigate. The LCD works very well, even on the brightest of days, and when used in low-light it “gains up” to brighten the subject. A feature of the A310 that is a Canon (not industry) standard is the Focus-Assist Illuminator for shooting in low-ambient lighting conditions. There’s nothing more aggravating than attempting to shoot a picture in low light and discovering that the camera can’t focus. The A310’s focus-assist illuminator is a big help and I wish more digicam manufacturers would take a hint from Canon who uses these illuminators on nearly every digicam they make.”
Steves Digicams have reviewed the 3.2 megapixel Canon PowerShot A310, which is targeted at consumers looking for an easy-to-use camera. “The ergonomics of the A310 are great. Controls are well placed and functional, and the menu system is easy to navigate. The LCD works very well, even on the brightest…
The Hungarian website Index Digicam have reviewed the brand new Sony DSC-P93, a 5-megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom.
Website: Index Digicam - Sony DSC-P93 Review
The Hungarian website Index Digicam have reviewed the brand new Sony DSC-P93, a 5-megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom. Website: Index Digicam - Sony DSC-P93 Review
June 25, 2004: DIWA Awards have recently been awarded to Canon Inc. for three of their high performance digital cameras. The PowerShot Pro 1 was awarded with a gold medal, in recognition of its overall qualities, performance and value. Two other Canon models, PowerShot S1 IS and EOS 300D, were both honoured with silver medals for outstanding performance. The awards are the results of comprehensive, independent reviews of different samples, made by a number of DIWA camera testing experts from Europe and USA.
The PowerShot Pro 1 qualified for the prestigious DIWA gold medal in the Advanced Digital Camera category, thanks to 8 Megapixel resolution, a powerful and high performance L-Series 7x zoom lens, hybrid auto focus, super macro and a multitude of user friendly, yet sophisticated features. The image quality proved to be among the best available, which makes the camera suitable for demanding amateurs and professionals alike.
June 25, 2004: DIWA Awards have recently been awarded to Canon Inc. for three of their high performance digital cameras. The PowerShot Pro 1 was awarded with a gold medal, in recognition of its overall qualities, performance and value. Two other Canon models, PowerShot S1 IS and EOS 300D, were…
Thom Hogan has just reviewed the Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 ED film scanner.
“Unlike Digital ICE on my old Coolscan LS-30, it works better on the Coolscan 5000. The slide we’ll look at in a moment has a faint scratch on it that the latest iteration doesn’t quite completely remove, but I also don’t find any destruction of details as I found in previous iterations. Moreover, Digital ICE doesn’t do anything about film grain (that’s GEM, which I find to be too slow for what little effect it manages). I now run Neat Image noise reduction on every scanned image in addition to Digital ICE—the grainless, dustless, mostly scratchless results are impressive to say the least. “
Thom Hogan has just reviewed the Nikon Super Coolscan 5000 ED film scanner. “Unlike Digital ICE on my old Coolscan LS-30, it works better on the Coolscan 5000. The slide we’ll look at in a moment has a faint scratch on it that the latest iteration doesn’t quite completely remove…
Thom Hogan’s latest article on the world of Nikon is a list of all the lenses that Nikon should have produced, even including a suggested delivery schedule :-)
“One common email query I get has to do with which Nikkor lens should be purchased. That’s not an easy question by itself, as to really answer it you need to learn about the photographer asking the question; what’s right for photographer A isn’t necessarily the best bet for photographer B. But many times in answering these questions I end up in the Rabbit Hole of Missing Lenses.”
Website: Thom Hogan - The Missing Lenses
Thom Hogan’s latest article on the world of Nikon is a list of all the lenses that Nikon should have produced, even including a suggested delivery schedule :-) “One common email query I get has to do with which Nikkor lens should be purchased. That’s not an easy question by…
6 more shots from inside the Lloyds Building, London.
You can click on each image to view a larger / better quality version over on my personal website, markgoldstein.co.uk
6 more shots from inside the Lloyds Building, London. You can click on each image to view a larger / better quality version over on my personal website, markgoldstein.co.uk
The 21st PhotographyBLOG Portfolio has been submitted by Katharine Hunt .
“These photos are of the flora and fauna of South Florida. I have been very inspired since I moved down here nearly 10 years ago. They were shot primarily with a Pentax ZX-5.”
Website: http://groups.msn.com/KatManDesigns/shoebox.msnw
Website: Portfolios: Katharine Hunt
The 21st PhotographyBLOG Portfolio has been submitted by Katharine Hunt . “These photos are of the flora and fauna of South Florida. I have been very inspired since I moved down here nearly 10 years ago. They were shot primarily with a Pentax ZX-5.” Website: http://groups.msn.com/KatManDesigns/shoebox.msnw Website: Portfolios: Katharine Hunt…
Tellingly subtitled “Just Wait 32 Seconds”, the latest Luminous Landscape article looks at the effect of light on a landscape photograph.
“On my recent workshops in Iceland (July, 2004), I would often drive right past potentially interesting subjects, simply because the light wasn’t happening. People would say, why don’t we stop for a shot, and my reply would be - because the light sucks. Other times I would stop to take a photograph and people would say - what do you see? My answer would be - the light is great, so let’s look around for worthwhile subjects.”
Tellingly subtitled “Just Wait 32 Seconds”, the latest Luminous Landscape article looks at the effect of light on a landscape photograph. “On my recent workshops in Iceland (July, 2004), I would often drive right past potentially interesting subjects, simply because the light wasn’t happening. People would say, why don’t we…
They were only announced 2 days ago, but DPReview already have previews of 4 of the new Panasonic digital cameras, including the DMC-FZ20 (pictured).
Website: DPReview - DMC-FZ20 Preview
Website: DPReview - DMC-FZ3 Preview
Website: DPReview - DMC-FX2/FX7 Preview
They were only announced 2 days ago, but DPReview already have previews of 4 of the new Panasonic digital cameras, including the DMC-FZ20 (pictured). Website: DPReview - DMC-FZ20 Preview Website: DPReview - DMC-FZ3 Preview Website: DPReview - DMC-FX2/FX7 Preview
Dp-Now have published their First Look at the 5 megapixel Ricoh Caplio GX digital camera.
“Alas, the Caplio GX is a frustrating disappointment. The camera is nice to use and to hold. OK, there are some irritations, like the flash system charging lock-out and the occasional reticence to shoot when ordered, but overall - the Caplio GX is a camera that looks and feels like it should take great pictures, but it doesn’t.
We always print test shots because examination on the screen can be misleading. But if anything the printed results made things even worse for the GX, showing up noise issues in an even harder light.”
Website: DP-Now - Ricoh Caplio GX First Look
Dp-Now have published their First Look at the 5 megapixel Ricoh Caplio GX digital camera. “Alas, the Caplio GX is a frustrating disappointment. The camera is nice to use and to hold. OK, there are some irritations, like the flash system charging lock-out and the occasional reticence to shoot when…
The Norwegian website Akamera.no have just reviewed the HP Photosmart 7760 photo printer, which features six-ink color printing at up to 4800-optimized dots-per-inch.
The Norwegian website Akamera.no have just reviewed the HP Photosmart 7760 photo printer, which features six-ink color printing at up to 4800-optimized dots-per-inch. Website: Akamera.no - HP Photosmart 7760 Review
The Stylus Photo R800 is a 7 colour, 5760 x 1440 optimised dpi inkjet printer that offers borderless printing at print sizes up to A4 and is aimed at the professional and amateur photographer. It uses UltraChrome Hi-Gloss pigment inks, which have previously only been used in the Epson 2100/2200 A3 printer. These pigment inks are archival quality, offering print life of over 80 years on certain papers. As if that wasn’t enough, Epson have also introduced Red and Blue inks, which create a colour gamut rivalling that of silver halide photos, and they have reduced the ink droplet size to just 1.5 picolitres. So is the Stylus Photo R800 the ultimate A4 photo printer? Read my review to find out.
Website: Epson Stylus Photo R800 Review
The Stylus Photo R800 is a 7 colour, 5760 x 1440 optimised dpi inkjet printer that offers borderless printing at print sizes up to A4 and is aimed at the professional and amateur photographer. It uses UltraChrome Hi-Gloss pigment inks, which have previously only been used in the Epson 2100/220…