Discussing the merits of one tool over another is relevant. Some lenses, cameras and other photographic tools are better than others. In some cases they are objectively better, while in others their degree of betterness will be subjetive and will depend on the specific needs of a particular photographer.
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Oh man, if only I were very, very rich. To have a full-frame professional SLR, the joy! So it looks like the upcoming 5D Mk II is going to be an interesting camera. Its detail retention at 12800 ISO is supposed to be equal to the previous 5D’s at 3200, which is fantastic and represents nearly a 2-stop advantage. This means sharper, clearer pictures at higher shutter speeds in lower light — the holy grail of sports and nature photographers.
Joseph Spina has posted several videos on YouTube showing him giving a Nikon D3 a real working over
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With the release of its new “Skin” Series of modular bags, Think Tank Photo has brought new ideas and inventions into the mix for photographers on the move. New security features include improved protection for photographer’s gear and a “Security Plate” System for the identification and tracking of lost bags. Every bag has a unique serial number that can be tracked at Think Tank’s website. Features also include a combination zipper lock, a security cable (think bike locks for cameras), and a secure laptop attache for roller bags. Also, the new “Skin” series bags are fully collapsible to maximize space while traveling.
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So I have to think the D3 is the best pro camera that Nikon has ever made and I have used them all, starting with the original F way back in 1959.
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In this month’s Amateur Photographer Informer magazine supplement we reported how Kodak consumer print film has been saved from digital demolition thanks, in part, to a burgeoning market in India, according to Kodak.
Initial predictions of the death of film have been somewhat premature, according to Joel Proegler, general manager of Film Capture at Eastman Kodak who told us: ‘Kodak has focused on the digital message for the past four years. As we come out of that transition, one thing is very clear: film is a very profitable part of the business’.
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Not sure which camera to buy? Let your eyes be the ultimate judge! Visit our Comparometer(tm) to compare images from the Sigma DP1 with those from other cameras you may be considering. The proof is in the pictures, so let your own eyes decide which you like best!
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The Sigma DPI, the compact camera with a full frame sensor we faceitiously and, perhaps, unfairly, compared to the mythical Sasquatch in a previous post seems to be real after all. Our friends over at Imaging Resource have gotten their hands on a full production sample of the camera and have posted some “first shots.”
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The D3 is Nikon’s flagship FX digital camera, if only because it’s Nikon’s sole FX digital camera. But the D3 justifies its standing in the Nikon ranks on much more than mere exclusivity. Unparalleled ISO performance, a 9 fps full resolution shooting rate, exceptional color and image quality, a superb monitor, robust construction, outstanding build quality and a full frame sensor offering wide angle and depth of field lens performance like a 35mm film camera are some of the attributes that makes Nikon’s latest pro model a must-have for serious Nikon shooters.
Designed for sports and photojournalism, I’d suspect the D3 might find an additional following among wedding photographers who prefer to shoot in natural light. The camera’s big sensor results in the lack of a crop factor for lenses, so users who can’t get close to their subjects may well do better with a DX Nikon that maximizes lens length. Otherwise, the D3 is simply a state of the art, high-performance pro camera, and few of us who’ve been fortunate enough to get our hands on one would argue that it isn’t worth every penny of that lofty price tag.
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Handcrafted by a working photojournalist, using nylon tubular webbing and Montana Elk leather, you will be treating yourself to one of the very best camera straps made.
Wapiti Straps are made by David Grubbs, staff photographer of the Billings Gazette. They come in two non-adjustable lengths of 32″ and 36″, or you can order a custom length that suits your needs.
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George Bridges:
You’re shooting a big protest and you know you will be walking many miles and there will be clashes between the demonstrators and police. It’s no place for lugging a computer.
So how do you get those images back to your office?
One part of the answer would be with the wireless transmitters made for Canon and Nikon’s top cameras: The WFT-E2a for the Mark III and the WT-4 for the D3.
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The Sigma DP1, a compact digital camera with a “full-frame” sensor, has had an even longer gestation period. It was first unveiled at Photokina 2006 in Germany to much buzz but has since been relegated to the mystical realms of the Sasquatch, Loch Ness Monster, and rumor-filled online photo forums.
Was the quest for a pocket camera that could produce low-noise images via a full-frame sensor really just so much vapor? Sigma continued to argue no.
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If you have some used equipment to sell, or are looking to purchase something that might be slightly used, check out the photo equipment classifieds. You can even post a free ad telling others what you are looking for if you can’t find it in the listings.
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The SportsShooter.com community is a large and dedicated bunch, and our sponsors have long appreciated their loyal support. As a continued thank-you from them, we’ve prepared this special page that lists the current special offers in effect for the SportsShooter.com community.
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Flipping through the latest issue of Vapors I came across this Lomo ad and it immediately made me smile. But as I was reading it, I noticed that this wasn’t just the regular old LC-A, this was the LC-A+, meaning they’ve made it better!
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I chose the iPF6100 for testing because for me it represents the sweet spot in the line. For many fine art photographers a 24″ printer is about as big as can be handled outside of a commercial print studio, and also is able to produce prints that are usually as large as one needs. Readers should be aware that these four models are quite similar, except for paper size capabilities. (The 6100 is also not that much larger than the 5100, for those that are deciding between the two, though of course it doesn’t have a multi-sheet cassette feed for sheet paper, only single feed,the same as all other 24″ and larger printers).
The iPF6100 sells for about US $3,500. It’s main competitors are the HP Z3100 at about $4,800 and the Epson 7880 at $4,000. This makes the Canon the least expensive of the three, though there are promotions available which make shopping for price a matter that you need to conduct yourself on a local basis. In any event, the major differences to be noted are that the HP, though it costs quite a bit more, has a built-in spectrophotometer and self-profiling capability. Of course another difference that separates the three models is that the HP and Canon printers allow use of either matte or photo black inks at any time, while the current large format Epson pigment ink printers (excepting the 64 ” / $15,000 Epson 11880) require that these inks be swapped, a time consuming process and one that can cost $75 or more in wasted ink.
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The jump from 2 megapixels to 4 megapixels is significant, but the jump from 10 to 12 is less dramatic. Is the megapixel race over?
Westfall: We’re trying to upgrade the entire camera. The megapixels rating is only one thing. When upgrading, you have to look at more aspects. We’re not going to go backwards.
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B&H is selling a used Canon Super Telephoto 1200mm lens for $99,000.
As for image quality, even wide open it’s quite lovely. Stopped down to f/8 and f/11 it’s actually quite remarkable. How remarkable? From midtown Manhattan we were able to read the street signs on the corner of JFK Boulevard East and 43rd St. in Weehawkin New Jersey when viewing image files at pixel resolution. Oh, did I mention that’s about 2 miles away?
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Reports are piling up that luxury camera specialist Leica is ready to introduce a new model in its M line of digital rangefinder cameras. Besides the look and feel of Leica’s classic film cameras, the M9 supposedly would have a full-frame image sensor the same size as a 35mm negative, promising image clarity similar to a high-end SLR.
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Things are still silly in the digicam field with shirt pocket cameras now up to about 12MP. This means 2.8 micron pixels (or maybe even less) which if this trend continues will begin to impinge on the size of the upper wave lengths of light. Stuffing photons into these little holes is going to start challenging the laws of physics pretty soon.
In the DSLR world sanity seems to be settling in, with pixel counts in the 12 – 14 MP range becoming the norm. The high end of the pro DSLR market seems to be at the 21 – 24 MP range, and while that leaves room for the lower end of the market to still move upward, the ceiling isn’t going to get much higher once pixel count gets above 25MP and photosite sizes below 5 microns, because noise will become too big an issue at anything other than moderate level ISOs. Photographers now want image quality above pixel count, or at least I do.
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