Much has been said and written about photography’s probably most quoted quote, “The best camera is the one that’s with you.” Or is it? This quote is a great equalizer. The image doesn’t matter. The quality of the image doesn’t matter. What matters is that a picture is taken at all cost. Shaky, blurry, highlights, […]
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 […]
Filmmaker Errol Morris caused quite a stir. We photographers supposedly understand what we’re doing, yet there comes a guy like Morris telling us that, in the end, all photographs are posed. Doesn’t mean, he says, all photographs are manipulated. But they are neither true nor false. “False beliefs,” he says, “adhere to photographs like flies […]
For once, let’s not be too serious…: Check this camera’s dynamic range. (Technology will compensate for my inability to get an accurate exposure on my own.) I’m a street photographer. (Tried portraits, landscape, sports, still life, but it’s so much easier to just shoot strangers and stuff.) Honey, where are my umbrellas? (Bounce and shoot-through, […]
As suggested in a recent rant, the Net to a large extent consists of irrelevancy and narcissism. We’re mostly fed what we already know. What we’re served is hardly about relevance, but crude attempts to grab attention. An often pay-averse and bored digital bohemia decides what’s important. It takes some mastery to find one’s way […]
You Internet junkies and gear freaks, imagine how much creative time we waste sitting in front of our computers trying to find out how nearly perfect pixels can be rendered even better. Instead of talking about photography, why not just doing it? Right, new gear gives us better images… How can we make something already […]
Must confess, I take above-average care of my gear. Don’t like unnecessary wear and tear. The lens is clean, dust is annoying, even the viewfinder eyepiece is cleaned now and then. The day I sell the camera the buyer gets good hardware. Doesn’t mean that I’m as obsessive in the field. The tools are here […]
There is no ideal image aspect ratio. Depending on the situation, each and every crop ratio has its own pros and cons. Personally I prefer the more landscapy 3 x 2 format, digital imaging’s equivalent to film’s classic 35mm proportions. To some it seems unnatural. Also, the more squarish 4 x 3 offers better corner […]
By MARTIN KALAYDJIAN Since I’m one myself, I get the impression that we camera geeks are a lot more obsessive than people who pursue other hobbies. We have raging debates here about “which is better” when the difference may not even be discernable to the naked eye. In fact, this may be the only place […]
By MARTIN KALAYDJIAN I just took a look at the CIPA shipment numbers for April 2014, and they really are depressing. CIPA reports that new camera shipments continue to fall, losing about a third of their market each year. This isn’t meant to be about doom and gloom. It is only “crying wolf” if the […]
Holy consumerism. Sometimes you wonder how much people of the first world still have to work. In some countries it’s down to a few hours a day while people enjoy lots of spare time for recreational pursuits, such as sports, outdoors, video games, smartphones, travels — and photography. Electricity lets us people of the first […]
By BENGT NYMAN This probably makes you think of a miraculous electronic device mounted in place of the lens on your camera. Maybe some day, but not today. My thought today is to take the lens correction technology offered by DxOMark and others a step further to solve a problem with long focal length lenses. […]
By JACK ANDERS For the past few months, I have been seriously considering replacing my desktop computer with something significantly more powerful than my current equipment. Although my current set up is more than capable of basic word processing and access to the Internet, it falls short of optimum performance when using photo editing software […]
By LEANNE COLE This is not a discussion about whether men or women are better photographers, I think we have proven time and time again that gender has nothing to do with it. I am more interested in the bigger picture and how the world perceives women photographers and men photographers. They have been saying […]
Photographs must provide an accurate and comprehensive representation of their subjects. Photographers and editors will not stage photographs or digitally manipulate them in a way that alters their meaning. Photographers must avoid scenes staged by them, the subjects, or another party. Artistic direction is acceptable for portraits as long as the portrait is not presented […]
By BENGT NYMAN What is taking so long? The DSLR is big, heavy and slow but takes superb pictures, unfortunately accompanied by a loud, clacking sound. The mirrorless camera is small, light, fast and in some cases totally quiet and vibration-free. However it has difficulties matching the viewing clarity and image quality of the DSLR. […]
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 […]
Current sales figures for serious cameras are troubling, to say the least. They nosedive. While we photography enthusiasts are a niche who cares about nice ISO values, good glass, proper processing speeds, form factor and accurate image rendition, most people don’t. Significant inventories of the established camera brands remain unsold, not least because a bloated […]
Really. Good manners and etiquette may very well lead to a better photography yield. Here’s the anti-photographer’s code of conduct. Quarter, tar and skin the photographers who: think shooting professional gear already equals conducting themselves in a professional manner, blabber nonstop about technique and gear while others are trying to concentrate on their landscape shot, […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]
In this digital day and age, not only smartphones and consumer cameras are booming. Surveillance is big business. As cameras become ubiquitous and able to identify people, more safeguards on privacy will be needed. It is getting ever easier to record anything, or everything, that you see. This opens fascinating possibilities — and alarming ones. […]
By RUSSELL You see it on photography forums all the time: “Look at the 13MP Samsung Galaxy Note 3 smartphone. It has the ability to record 4K video. Well, 5 minutes at a time. Why doesn’t the (Nikon/Canon/Sony…) professional still camera do this?” Really? The big manufacturers of professional quality digital still cameras should pour […]
Reductio ad absurdum? Learn new things always. Practice, practice, practice, strive for simplicity and thou shalt know the holy trinity of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. Rule of thirds, why should it matter. Break those rules of composition. Your feet — and be it your knees or your stomach! — are your zoom. Do not […]
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 […]
By BUZZ LIGHTBUSTER Call me a gullible human being. I mean no harm to anyone, am single and have not much else to do in my spare time than going out with my camera. It’s what I love to do and and want to do. Hey I have no kids to pay for, no wife, […]
By LORENZO MOSCIA We all know that what is really important about taking pictures is not the camera but what you put in the frame. Given that I still think that I like to work with tools I feel comfortable with. For example, I cannot stop thinking about my days in Cuba, Haiti or Brazil […]
By BENGT NYMAN My next camera is going to be a main brand, full-frame, mirrorless, high resolution camera. The choice of brand will be decided by DxO Labs, the presently only trustworthy source for objective evaluation of image quality. The brand decision is going to be based on camera sensor performance as well as performance […]
Politics and photography don’t mix… I’ll give it nevertheless a try. You might wonder why he got the Nobel Peace Prize, but overall he may still be the better option and lesser of other evils. Problem is, White House photographers enjoy unobstructed access while nearly 40 news organizations accuse the Obama administration of improperly controlling […]
