The One-for-Everything Sony RX10 — Big Muscle, Little Brain?

The One-for-Everything Sony RX10 — Big Muscle, Little Brain?

Don’t want to sound contrarian for the sake of it. Everyone’s praising it. The Sony RX10, a pumped up P&S on steroids, is a marvel of an all-rounder camera. Not too small, fronted by a beautifully bright, fast, fixed Zeiss zoom with a 35mm equivalent of 24-200mm, this RX10 can shine as a street, travel […]

Boom or Bust? Sony’s Future Prospect

Boom or Bust? Sony’s Future Prospect

Sony produces some of the most talked-about and innovative cameras. Yet the company is worth practically nothing. Credit ratings agency Moody’s — right, one that missed the U.S. suprime housing bubble — downgraded Sony’s credit rating for corporate bond status to junk. With stable outlook. Meaning Sony cameras won’t disappear from the face of the […]

How a Single Photo Can Tell a Story

How a Single Photo Can Tell a Story

This is a writer’s golden rule: don’t try to tell a story in every detail. If a writer attempts to say and explain everything you’ll end up with a bore of a story. Use as few words as possible. Trust the reader to bridge the narrative gaps with his or her own active imagination. Otherwise […]

Fujifilm X-T1 High ISO Comparison With the Fujinon XF 10-24mm F4

Fujifilm X-T1 High ISO Comparison With the Fujinon XF 10-24mm F4

Here are some high-res ISO 100 to 25,600 sample images and 100% crops taken with the Fujifilm X-T1 and the Fujinon XF 10-24mm F4 OIS, a beauty of a wide angle zoom to be released by the end of March 2014. You’ll say that’a pretty lame lens with an aperture speed of throughout 4. Well […]

Nikon Lens Sale — Save Up to $400

Nikon Lens Sale — Save Up to $400

Nikon lens sale — save up to $400 on select AF-S Nikkor lenses. Offers expire March 1, 2014. See all the lenses available from B&H Photo and Adorama (Adorama created value added kits to make them more enticing!). Or buy together and save more: B&H Photo has the regular kit rebates still active and some […]

Fujifilm X-T1 Hands-On With High-Res Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2 Model Shots

Fujifilm X-T1 Hands-On With High-Res Fujinon XF 56mm F1.2 Model Shots

Beautiful finish, nice tactile feel and responsive controls — Fujifilm’s latest X-T1 mirrorless X series camera is certainly an as impressive as elegant photographic tool the Japanese camera maker can be proud of. Bear in mind, the X series is only two years old. Within no time the retro-styled cameras have grown into a respected […]

From Beginner to Pro — What Makes Creative Work, Like Photography, Special?

From Beginner to Pro — What Makes Creative Work, Like Photography, Special?

Nothing comes from nothing. Think an author just sits down and writes bestsellers? Think great photographers just happen to be at the right place at the right time with the right camera and lens in hand? Yes, producing creative work is a demanding process closely related to one’s creative eye and mind, but even more […]

Hasselblad HV — Finally a DSLR With Style, Spirit and Soul?

Hasselblad HV — Finally a DSLR With Style, Spirit and Soul?

Must confess I like the look of the new Hasselblad HV, a full-frame Sony A99 converted by the Swedes into a stylish, grayish and blackish “DSLR with style, spirit and soul,” as Hasselblad praises its pepped up A99 on luxurious steroids. The camera will be available in an ultra robust, special TTX01 (?!) resin case […]

Fujfilm X Series Fire Sale!

Fujfilm X Series Fire Sale!

Great Fujifilm X series specials. They include free shipping, free items and up to 6% Adorama rewards: Fujifilm X-E1 (Black / Silver), 16.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS Sensor, Compact Magnesium Body, Built-In Flash Regular: $799 Sale Price: $599 (with free shipping and 4% Adorama reward) Fujifilm X-E1 Kit (Black / Silver) with XF 18-55mm F2.8-4 R […]

James Nachtwey Shot in Bangkok

James Nachtwey Shot in Bangkok

Others bring colorful orchids and fruits back from Thailand. For the American photojournalist James Nachtwey it will be a gunshot wound. Covering the political crisis in Thailand, he got in the heat of a gunfight in Laksi, north of Bangkok. Nachtwey was hit in the leg and the bullet passed right through. This being James […]

Hot Shoe Beautification — Camera Jewelry by Todd Selby

Hot Shoe Beautification — Camera Jewelry by Todd Selby

The hot shoe is a many camera’s most orphaned spot. In how many years haven’t you used a flash? I myself try to avoid flash photography at any cost. Bounced or as a filler, yes, but the photographic deer in the headlights syndrome is a hardly flattering look. If additional light is needed then a […]

Retro Done Right? It’s No OM-D, Not a Df, It’s a Fujifilm!

Retro Done Right? It’s No OM-D, Not a Df, It’s a Fujifilm!

It boasts hints of the OM-D and has the distinct flavor of Nikon’s Df. This rugged piece of machinery resists water, dust and temperature, sports an impressive 2.36 million dot OLED viewfinder (claiming to possess world’s highest magnification for a digital camera), the shutter time lag of 0.05 seconds is absolutely negligible and a whole […]

Archive.org’s Treasure Trove of Free Photography Books

Archive.org’s Treasure Trove of Free Photography Books

What do photographers, writers and musicians have in common? Thanks to the digital age and the cynically named free flow of information, the value of creative works literally vanishes into thin air. Hey it’s all free on the Internet. It’s becoming more difficult by the day for the creative minds and artists among us to […]

Sony NEX-7 Limited Edition Kit Plus a Ton of Deals!

Sony NEX-7 Limited Edition Kit Plus a Ton of Deals!

Valid until the end of the month, from Adorama: Sony Alpha NEX-7 Camera Bundle with 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 Lens, 20mm F2.8 Lens, Carrying Case and 16GB Class 10 SDHC Memory Card Regular Price: $1,649 Instant Rebate: $650 Final Price: $999 Order here. Other fine deals from Adorama: Canon PowerShot S110 Digital Camera Kit — Silver — […]

Hasselblad to Launch World’s First Medium Format CMOS Camera

Hasselblad to Launch World’s First Medium Format CMOS Camera

This kind of confirms our earlier report that Leica this year will shift the medium format S from CCD to CMOS sensor technology, as introduced with the Leica M Typ 240 earlier on. Now Hasselblad confirms they’re about to launch world’s first medium format CMOS sensor camera, meaning medium format will offer — in the […]

Fujifilm X-T1, the More Compact Nikon Df?

Fujifilm X-T1, the More Compact Nikon Df?

Within not even two years, Fujifilm’s X series of retro-styled cameras with a film feel and manual controls was able to build up a loyal following among photographers. Quite a few Leica users left the German’s boutique camera maker camp while newbies and established photographers looking for a compact system camera with state-of-the-art imaging technology […]

Nikon Df Bundles

Nikon Df Bundles

That’s right. Nikon Df bundles. No totally spectacular deal, but hey, the Df is brand new and nonetheless you get value on top of the Df kit with the 50mm F1.8G prime lens — BTW, my Nikon Df review is in the making; honestly: one of the most enjoyable cameras I’ve used since the glorious, […]

Random Pic #5 — Protest Kid

Random Pic #5 — Protest Kid

A kid, alone, abandoned, at a Bangkok protest camp. Nikon Df with Nikkor 50mm F1.8G Special Edition; cropped, unprocessed, straight out of camera JPEG. +++ Random pic? Email me a photo you like, a photo with a special story behind it or a photo you want to share with others for any reason. Write a […]

Fujifilm Ups the Ante With Upcoming All-Weather Retro X-T1 and, Well, X-Robot

Fujifilm Ups the Ante With Upcoming All-Weather Retro X-T1 and, Well, X-Robot

After Phil Schiller, Apple’s vice president of marketing, famously told photographers to stop learning, Apple and the iPhone will do the work for you, is Fujifilm seriously trying to follow suit?! Schiller back in September 2013 said, “It used to be the way you take better pictures is you learn to be a better photographer.” […]

Is Photojournalism Really Dying?

Is Photojournalism Really Dying?

Al Jazeera explores the question whether photojournalism is dying. How real is the digitally-driven crisis in photojournalism? Newsrooms across the globe are shrinking and budgets slashed. Hardest hit are photojournalists. But… imagine stories without images. One would think that good news photography serves as an entry point to a story by providing a visual reference […]

Random Pic #4 — The Lonely Protester

Random Pic #4 — The Lonely Protester

Thailand’s in the headlines. No one knows whether Bangkok will engulf in another wave of violence and bloodshed. The protesters are decent people with good intentions, even though they applaud to some fascist hate tirades from the stages. I’m not about to go into the democracy debate. But the bustling city has come to a […]

On Sean Penn, His Trusted Nikon F3/T and the Distraction of the Camera

On Sean Penn, His Trusted Nikon F3/T and the Distraction of the Camera

The other day I posted Watching Life Through a Viewfinder — Are Photos Ruining the Experience? on the difficulty of making photographs while enjoying the moment. The article didn’t attract any attention, so I thought I’m talking about something that’s of no interest to anyone. Until I saw The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013). […]

Random Pics #3 — Nikon Df and the Violin Girl

Random Pics #3 — Nikon Df and the Violin Girl

Had a lovely encounter in the park the other day: heard from far away a violin playing. Pachelbel’s Canon in D Major. It was a girl, Chinese, enjoying playing her violin all by herself in the clear morning light and fresh air. At first hesitant, she smilingly let me observe — and photograph her playing. […]

Watching Life Through a Viewfinder — Are Photos Ruining the Experience?

Watching Life Through a Viewfinder — Are Photos Ruining the Experience?

The realization of, “Gosh, missed that shot!”, sometimes coincides with the realization that also the very experience of living that moment was missed as well. An good friend always said while pointing the finger to his head, “This is my camera.” Said he didn’t need a camera because he likes to enjoy the moment and […]

Brave New World — When a Machine Shoots What We Do…

Brave New World — When a Machine Shoots What We Do…

Who knows, a machine wanting your job? Here’s the 3D MFP — Office Photography Machine with push button simplicity and colorful, professional photography results. It’s the next generation of (office) imaging devices: Ortery’s 3D MFP studio is a one stop solution for all internal imaging needs. Machines can be set up in a centralized location […]