Archive for 'General'

In June of last year, I began the journey of capturing Niagara Falls using video. The goal was to use the backdrops of this magnificent place as visual stimulus for my music.

Here is the end result:

The Olympus E-M5 made it easy to capture some great footage—most of it hand-held! I have found that I can acquire usable footage all the way out to 175mm.

This short stabilization comparison between Olympus and Panasonic clearly demonstrates the ...

On Sept 12, 2012, Sony announced the RX1—a full-frame, fixed-lens mirrorless system. I say system because the camera has a Multi Interface Shoe that accepts a range of accessories. More on this later in this blog.

“The new camera’s unified lens and body design allow performance that few interchangeable lenses can match.” This is a bold statement to make; and the concept of matching sensor to lens is not new for Sony, the R1 comes to mind.

Will this be the future ...

On September 6, 2012, Fujifilm announced a lower end model in their Trans-X based mirrorless capture system, the X-E1. Now I won’t go into the details of this system, there are plenty of websites that do this. My focus will be on the merits of this device versus existing systems such as the E-M5 or the NEX series.

This new sibling is smaller—have a look here to compare the size: http://j.mp/ORn7GQ . I think there were enough cries about this aspect ...

The RPM of the rumor mill is now churning at a higher rate—the closer to Photokina, the faster it will spin!

A blog posted here http://www.sonyalpharumors.com/sr5-sony-nex-goes-full-frame/ states that Sony is close to announcing the NEX full frame system. If this comes to pass, a new king will reign in the wonderful world of mirrorless systems!

I’ve said many times on numerous discussion threads: For Sony to take it to Canikon they need to fight them on a different battleground—and FF mirrorless ...

Should I use a zoom or a prime?

There are a number of variables that affect the decision. I personally prefer primes; they tend to render greater detail—which translates into flexibility in cropping and to a more visually-pleasing image. Also, I like the idea of shooting with a single focal length; I find it helps sharpen the mental focus and enables greater success in the search for photographic opportunities.

To this end, I’ll grab a camera and one lens (a prime) and ...

Suddenly, the imminent release of the Sony A99 full frame system is going viral—Sony will soon announce what could be the ultimate hybrid.

Full frame, just as in film, is a sweet spot of image capture—stills or motion. Sony has the means to deliver an ultimate hybrid. Will the A99 be such a system? We won’t have to wait much longer now.

But let’s look at one piece of the leaked information.

It will have a translucent mirror—that means the A99′s origins are ...

If there is indeed, a new NEX-6 coming, it’s clear to me that Sony is executing consumer-based instructions. Don’t expect much for the enthusiast mirrorless market.

The NEX system needs stabilized, native lenses. It needs them because the E-M5 delivers every lens attached as stabilized! This is one of the main reasons that drove me to put all NEX equipment on the chopping blocks.

The usability factor of the E-M5 is head-and-shoulders ...

On July 23, 2012, Canon finally entered the world of mirrorless systems.

I won’t go into the details of its features; there are plenty of websites that take care of this aspect. I’ll just provide comments and analysis and the possible impact it will have to the rest of the field.

For a while, the rumors were indicating a 4/3 size sensor would be used—as in Canon’s G1X. But they chose to go with the APS-C size. Many are rejoicing at this ...

I really like the look of the image in the video clip below. This is my second copy of this lens and it hasn’t disappointed on either occasion. The lens yields outstanding resolution, color and contrast. The price paid is the weight and bulk. Not just from the lens itself, but also from the tripod required to enable a smooth and stabilized capture. And then there’s the intangible consequence: our motivation to go out with this configuration. We all tread ...

MirrorlessRumors has published a post about Pentax and the possibility of a full frame mirrorless; you can view here: http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/lets-dream-pentax-24-megapixel-full-frame-camera-coming-in-march-2013/

Pentax would do well to release a full frame mirrorless system–especially if it’s “the most compact ever made.” But I would settle with a slight reduction of the Leica’s M9 size. The overall system should be small enough to justify leaving the existing full frame reflex systems.

The aficionados of photography will immediately recognize the value. But it’s not enough to just ...