By ERWIN PUTS When you review the development of the camera technology since 1960, one can discern a 15-year cycle. The period of the full mechanical precision engineered camera started around 1950 and ended in 1966 when Konica announced the Autoreflex. The trend to automation culminated in the Canon A-1 in 1978 and found its […]
He was a class of his own: complicated, choleric, visionary, always borderline, conscious and breaking new ground. The movie director known for masterpieces such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, Eyes Wide Shut and A Clockwork Orange rewrote filmmaking, often to the horror of his bosses. First and foremost though Stanley Kubrick was a photographer. He […]
We’re not yet at the second Sony Alpha A7 generation, and look what Sony comes up with: the Alpha A7 II, a full-frame mirrorless with 5-axis image stabilization, the first of it’s kind in the full-frame market which is where the hopes of the world’s three leading camera makers lie. The A7 II embodies the […]
Still too early to write off the DSLR world, isn’t it, especially the DSLR full-frame or FX world or whatever you want to call the digital equivalent to film’s 35mm standard. Who would have thought a few years ago, when smaller mirrorless Micro Four Thirds and APS-C formats were making serious inroads, who would have […]
Could as well write: professionals never use Micro Four Thirds. There’s a lot of misinformation wandering around the business of technology. Fact is, as we all know, Micro Four Thirds, the pioneer of a truly digital imaging system, has grown into a formidable contender. Be it stills or video, only the practiced eye can tell […]
From an eBay Top Rated Plus seller: Nikkor 50mm F1.8D AF for $99, that’s 66% or $$200 off list price. Order here.
Film’s never gonna be dead. What nicer than a camera garage sale, and not just any camera garage sale, but one where the newest gear is the occasional digital Olympus Pen. Vintage retro and film cameras as far as the eye can see, that’s the photographer’s delight that just took place at the Foto-Flohmarkt in […]
Blesseth the curfew… Never had to kill more time at an airport than when checking in for a plane departing hours after the 10 p.m. Thai curfew kicks in. What better than just, well, look around. Same old Df / Distagon 28/2 combo. Now that third photo could have more easily been shot with a […]
Sorry everyone for not updating THEME daily, got way too many things at my hands these days. Awaiting a Df delivery that might not happen in time before a longer trip, then paperwork, bureaucrazy, real work, etc. The other day though I had an idea and, well, why not share it with you. You can […]
Order these fine new lenses, available for various mounts: Sigma’s state-of-the-art ART series add the Sigma 50mm F1.4 DG HSM ART Lens to the lineup — available from Adorama for Canon, Nikon, Sony and Sigma mounts ($949). Or order this 50mm from B&H Photo (Canon / Nikon / Sony / Sigma). Brand new as well: […]
By B. D. COLEN There is practically no Internet photo site on which the term is not thrown around, but oddly enough, I have never seen it defined. Yes, I see various cameras labeled “pro cameras,” either by marketers or by owners who want to be thought of as “pros.” But I have not a […]
Canonites and non-Canonites alike may deplore Canon’s lack of innovation. World’s market leader in cameras and imaging technology churns out serious gear at snail’s pace while the likes of Sony, Fujifilm and Olympus keep on innovating to gain new market share. For Canon, it seems, photography is not so much about innovation. It’s more about […]
This is one of the lucky finds that happen about once every lifetime. You may argue that photography and humor don’t mix, not to mention satire! Right, photography’s a serious business. But only if we take ourselves way too seriously. That’s where New Camera News comes in, an ingenious photography site dedicated to “the lighter […]
By KAREL VAN WOLFEREN There is no question that the Zeiss 55mm F1.4 Otus Distagon T* represents a significant optical achievement. But more than once, as I placed it on my tripod mounted Sony A7R — feeling like a ceramics collector who with one slip loses a $4,000 investment — I wondered what kind of […]
Only a year ago digital full-frame was hardly affordable for many photographers. With lower production costs for 35mm equivalent sensors and camera makers jumping on the full-frame bandwagon a large sensor camera can be yours for less than $2k. The Sony A7 and A7R, Canon 6D, Nikon D610 or the nostalgic Df, it’s no rocket […]
All from B&H Photo Video, first a Canon lens promotion: Canon EF-S 10-22mm F3.5-4.5 USM for $529 after checkout (regular price $649) Canon EF 50mm F1.4 USM for $314 after checkout (regular price $399) Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM for $334 after checkout (regular price $419) Sony E mount lens rebates: New arrival, limited stock: […]
Order versatile and stabilized Sigma 24-105mm F4.0 DG OS HSM, a standard zoom lens for the street price of $899: Canon Mount (B&H / Adorama) Nikon Mount (B&H / Adorama) Sony Mount (B&H / Adorama) Sigma Mount (B&H) It’s a full-frame lens which will also work with APS-C sensor cameras with an effective increase in […]
What a beautifully diversifying industry digital photograph has become. As much as digital cameras seem to be “advancing,” they’re also diversifying. Photographers have access to more options than ever before. We all can enjoy photography with fewer compromises. Whatever your shooting style is, it’s highly unlikely you won’t find a camera that suits your style […]
If you see the advantages of Micro Four Thirds, if you like compact gear, innovative imaging technology and all of this packed into a state-of-the-art body with cutting edge design and contemporary finishes, then you should give Olympus’ new flagship camera, the OM-D E-M1, a very good look. Not cheap at $1,399 the body and […]
Specs-wise, they got a promising lineup. Look at Samsung’s mirrorless NX300: fast AF, and I mean fast, just to mention Usain Bolt who gives his name for it. Excellent noise handling with incremental ISO steps, spot-on natural colors and tones, fantastic prime pancakes, a sleek design and don’t forget the plus of instant Wi-Fi image […]
Sony’s corporate makeover starts to pay off. Despite weak demand for its digital cameras, video cameras and televisions, Sony books the first annual net profit in five years. While Sony’s jump back into the black was largely due to the depreciation of the yen inflating the value of foreign income and a string of asset […]
By DIERK TOPP In 1955 I took my first photographs with the Agfa Box of my mother during a vacation camp. Ever since then photography exited me. My grandpa had an old wooden camera and as I was very much interested how it works, I took it apart — and tried to put it together […]
Life without fast autofocus and blazing fps is unimaginable for many photographers. Today everything’s done automatically, be it exposure, white balance, mode, whatever. Cameras have become thinking things. All a photographer has to do is to release that shutter button and choose from a myriad of seemingly identical images. That’s why I love the improvised […]
By ANONYMOUS The choice of a camera or even a camera system is a very personal decision. Functions, ergonomics and choice of glass are only some of the aspects that have to be considered. It’s safe to say that any camera today offers reasonable output. So does size still matter? Do today’s smaller sensor cameras […]
Must say I was pretty excited when I got the Canon EOS M — “M” = mirrorless? — for testing. But to cut a potentially long story quite short: Canon, this camera is nice, but so slow, please go back to the drawing board. In the mirrorless world, in my book, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 […]
So you don’t want to cough up the exorbitant amount of dollars, euros or whatever for your own copy of monopolistic Photoshop (read our piece on the Photoshop money trap). However expensive, Photoshop’s my one and main photo editing software. But there are other classics and useful softwares that shouldn’t be ignored. Some of them […]
By TIM ASHLEY Where to start? The price (great value from one angle, hugely expensive from another) or the form factor (a heaven-sent purity of purpose or an irritatingly restricted use of a full-frame sensor) or the ergonomics (so nearly right, so clearly wrong)… Nope. I’ll start with the files. These are very nearly the […]
First: all Sony RX1 photos you’ve seen so far don’t yet show off the compact full-frame camera’s full potential. Even the ones on the Sony website. This is what Yosuke Aoki, Sony general manager Asia Pacific, digital imaging marketing, tells THEME. What they’re lacking? “Maybe they’re not yet full 24MP,” smiles Aoki*. Sony headquarters Tokyo […]
Skyfall is upon us, the first of all James Bond 007 films shot entirely in digital. What camera did they use? An Alexa digital cinematography camera, made by Munich-headquartered ARRI, a family business founded in 1917. With even elaborate Bond gone digital now, chances are that digital cinematography cameras tip the film world’s scales completely […]
It’s no more secret that Sony, the probably most innovative and aggressive camera manufacturer these days, aims for the top spot in the digital imaging world. And boy are they on track, poised to steal more photographers’ hearts, first and foremost with their full-frame formula making photographers’ longed for dream of compact digital full-frame come […]
