Had a “Baby Fashion Show” the other day at the nearby shopping mall here in Bangkok. While enjoying the eye candy, one couldn’t stop wondering about what’s motivating these girls to behave like, or shall I say: imitate adults. Of course behind every girl there’s a parent applying the makeup and getting the high heels […]
It was one of those moments I wished for an even wider lens. 28mm were just too narrow. Trying to capture the scope of environmental disaster in the pristine Maldives would even ask for panorama format. Alas, the 28mm had to do to document the poisoning of the Maldives’ unique coral world. I’m talking about […]
Another outing with the Nikkor 50mm F1.8G special edition (the one with the silver ring), this time the Vienna Ball Bangkok. It’s a solid no-nonsense performer with buttery smooth bokeh and reasonably fast autofocus. Very light with just 190 grams, it doesn’t feel like a cheap build at all. Knurling used in manual-focus lenses is […]
Microsoft makes many right moves currently. The announcement of the smart Band for instance is right down my alley. It will smoothly interact with the first (and probably last) Nokia phone I got in a long time, the Nokia Lumia 830. I didn’t only leave the iOS ship for the Lumia’s stellar 10MP Zeiss camera […]
His site is listed in THEME’s live News Feed: Kirk Tuck’s Visual Science Lab, one of my favorite photography blogs when it comes to the ins and outs of subtle narrative, hands-on technique and the state of the photography industry. Kirk Tuck not only knows how to use a camera, he’s also a gifted writer […]
Photokina 2014, world’s biggest photography show, is around the corner. Taking place mid-September in Cologne, Germany, all major players use the stage to show off their latest and greatest gear. What’s in store for this year’s biennial Photokina? More DSLRs by Canon and Nikon? New curved and organic sensors? Compelling reasons to upgrade? Let’s have […]
What a camera. No in-camera stabilization, no sensor self-cleaning mechanism, no video. But unmatched handling, the right size and weight — and a sensor churning out velvet smooth imagery. Its a photo taking machine that looks a bit overpriced considering its specs with 39 focus points only and not even maximum 1/8,000th of a second […]
Bottom line: hear hear, competition, Sony does it again, betting the market does need a 12MP full-frame camera with fewer, but larger pixels that see in the dark. Sony is once again pushing the envelope with the A7S, a high sensitivity monster delivering ISO 50 to 409,600 with probably “unprecedented dynamic range,” as Sony promises, […]
You can turn and twist it as much as you want. In the end physics can’t be cheated and size still matters. The smaller a sensor = the more compromises you burden yourself with (except if you’re a diehard macro photographer because you’ll love the smaller sensors’ greater depth of field). These past years I’ve […]
It’s been quite a ride for the Fujifilm X series so far. Launched in March two years ago with the groundbreaking X-Pro1, the family of X cameras seems to grow faster than any of the competitors’ — despite sales being not that strong. The choice is yours, there’s the X-E2, X-A1, X-M1 and the series’ […]
Don’t get me wrong, am an admirer and fervent user of these compact new system cameras that are technological proof of Moore’s law, the law that says the number of transistors on integrated circuits doubles approximately every two years in a computer. And with cameras becoming, in fact, more and more computerized, one of the […]
In case you’ve been waiting for a Canon incarnation of the Nikon Df or something along the lines of Fujifilm’s X series, don’t hold your breath. World’s market leader in cameras has no intention whatsoever of jumping on the bandwagon of the retro hype. While other camera makers such as aforementioned Nikon and Fujifilm as […]
Not a week passes without a camera or lens being announced that seems more desirable than what’s already in our bag. Take the just announced Sony A6000 claiming world’s fastest autofocus. A hybrid phase and contrast detect system takes no more than 0.06 seconds to focus. A few days earlier the Fujifilm X-T1 was announced, […]
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 […]
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 […]
You’ve been there, everyone does it: waisting whole days without doing anything constructive. Or how often did you turn on TV only to find out that another evening could have been spent more wisely. In fact, each time you give in to laziness and apathy your body’s in passive shutdown mode. It’s your choice: either […]
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 […]
By BENGT NYMAN It’s easy for the casual camera user to have deeply felt ideas about what a camera should look and perform like. However, the technology behind a well functioning camera is hidden to most and produces a marketable product only when properly combined and perfected. To support my claim I will make examples […]
With the exception of Canon, about every major camera maker has jumped on the bandwagon of retro-styled gear. Add the many nostalgia filters and looks available. “Classic” — a trend started by Olympus and Fujifilm with the OM-D and X series — continues to be popular with photographers and camera makers alike. The Nikon Df […]
Today’s smartphones allow anyone to shoot quality images. In fact, no serious photographer refutes the advantages of portability, convergence and convenience any more. “Smart cameras” are products and services to fill or solve people’s needs. Nothing beats the look and texture of images from a high-end digital camera. But downsized to Web and personal use, […]
Yet another new model? Wasn’t the latest iteration of this camera released only a few months ago? Right, that lineup’s ready for another upgrade… What number eh name again? Improvements? Take Nikon, serving the high end, midrange, upper entry and entry level market with a plethora of similar names. It takes a mathematician’s analytical skills […]
It’s a new industry in itself: the market for what’s not here yet. The camera industry in particular plays with the hopes, doubts and expectations of photographers. In part because ever new improvements, functions and promises make believe a photographer’s work improves proportionally to the money spent and technical improvements gained. Fact is, chances are […]
+++ The File is continuously updated with the latest A7(R) reviews and hands-on reports. See further below. +++ Sony, in another bold move, raises the bar a full-frame and demolishes the status quo: its long rumored, eagerly anticipated and latest imaging device is palm-sized, takes interchangeable lenses, has a very responsive focus system, large bright […]
Here’s a selection of nice offers for these promotional days: Adorama: Olympus deals to start with, plus huge SanDisk and Samsung card sale, Sigma, Rokinon and Voigtländer specials; $100 off DJI Phantom 3 Standard Quadcopter with 3-axis gimbal stabilizer, 2.7k camera + spare battery; Vanguard and Manfrotto tripods instant rebates, plus so much more right here! […]
Pentax is a lone wolf out there, the plucky underdog. Swallowed by Ricoh in 2011, Pentax kept on churning out slowly what they always did best: solid, resilient gear, not top of the line, but innovative in its own right, practical, sturdy, and with its K mount compatible with a huge array of lenses — […]
Virtual reality is coming and transforming the way we see and learn about things. Now, you can walk through a faraway city or see a hotel room in faraway say Sydney. Without being there. All this can be done at the comfort of your home. Using your smartphone. While photos are a reflection of reality […]
There’s always a better time to buy a digital camera. Something better, faster, technically more advanced is always around the corner. Not so this time. Chapeau Olympus to the Olympus PEN F. What an iconic piece of beautifully crafted and designed precision engineering. A tribute to the original PEN F produced between 1963 to 1966, […]
Well, did a routine medical the other day. The whole program. One value was a bit elevated and required follow-up tests. In the course of more exact health screening at the hospital I came across two familiar names: Canon and Olympus. And you can also find Nikon Instruments‘ microscopes, super-resolution systems and other medical equipment […]
By KAREL VAN WOLFEREN Sony has inched closer to making it possible for us to realize even modest large format photographic quality from a camera body we can hold in the palm of our hand. Medium format quality is already within reach of its new 42MP sensor, and Hasselblad will have to come up with […]
By BENGT NYMAN Bird photography is one of the most challenging and rewarding kinds of photography. Free range, hand-held, birds-in-flight photography requires long reach, high resolution, fast and accurate autofocus and effective vibration reduction. Today this equals big and heavy equipment, similar to that used for professional sports photography. However, as opposed to sports, BIF […]
