Archive for September, 2008

Even better than games where you must run against the clock, where you need to stock more and more points, where there is a way to win! Here are games designed only to waste the time you have on your hand: TheCleverest.

Great! It’s Friday afternoon!

On the Canon USA web site, there are a few interesting articles about the recent Canon EOS 50D. A good way to evaluate the performance we all can expect from this nice camera for enthusiasts.

• EOS 50D: Quick Control Screen
• EOS 50D: Peripheral Illumination Correction

And remember that Full Frame cameras are for the richest of the photographers. Most of us are still interested in more accessible real-world cameras like the Canon EOS 50D.

I created on RedBubble a calendar (for 2009) that I think should be interesting for people in love with all kinds of artistic alterations.

Images taken from the Paris metropolitan railway (le Métro) in a station under heavy repair. It brought images from the past (probably 20 years ago or more) through the remains of previous decors and acts of cultural vandalism that easily make me think of the slogans of the “Mai 68″ near-revolution in the streets of Paris.

Even shooting the photos seemed out-this-world: Silently and slowly walking the station with another photographer (we did not even exchange a word), while the people around us were waiting for their train trying not to notice the flash lights. It could not have been a more troubling experience, going from an unstuck paper to a poor paint job or a hasty writing between dirty white tiles.

Sometimes a fight outcome is difficult to forecast. Now, if you take an old lady and a (too) fast car. Guess who will be leaving the spot unharmed?

Link to YouTube

This is difficult to stop a big chunk of a plane like the Airbus A380. Let’s see what happens to brakes when tested at maximum braking stress.

YouTube video link

You will probably notice a little slow down in publication of posts here in the coming days: I am travelling for a few days to Kenya in order to shoot photos in the Masai Mara National Park during the great migration of herbivores (wildebeests and zebras, mostly).

I will be there with Alain Pons, wildlife photographer, and supported by Amawanda travel agent.

Images later here.

Digital Rev prepared a video presentation of the new Nikon low-to-middle-range digital SLR camera: Nikon D90.

Link to YouTube

Here you can see the video recording feature in operation. And a lot of the other fancy features too (fish eye effect!)

Note: Video recording is not only a feature for the stratospherically-priced Canon EOS 5D Mk II.

A leak on a Pentax Germany web site (quickly plugged but collected efficiently) shows the specification of a future Pentax SLR camera.

• 10 MP CCD APS-C
• Sensor-shift image stabilization
• Continuous shooting: 3.5 fps
• Sensitivity: up to 3200 ISO
• LCD screen: 2.7″
• RAW (PEF, DNG) and JPEG
• Four AA/R6/LR4 batteries

It is difficult to extract real product data out of so little information, but it is clear that these are the features of an entry-level SLR camera that would allow Pentax to widen its customer base. A post is stating a target price of 500€ (body only) and 600€ with a 2-lens kit!

Apparently, the leak was wide since it was also describing the following bunch of lenses:

• DA super telephoto coming up later (not precise)
• new SDM 1.4x converter
• AF160 FC ring flash
• DA 15mm f/4 LTD (coming in 2009)
• DA * 60-250 SDM (1300€)

I don’t really understand if this is to be presented during the Photokina. But we can translate all this into: Pentax is going to fight hard and dirty (understand with a good ratio of features-over-price) in order to get a strong foothold in the widest part of the SLR market.

Via 1001 Noisy Cameras.

Link to YouTube

Via DSLR user.

After weeks of rumours and speculations, here is the Canon EOS 5D Mk II to replace the first successful Full frame camera (the older Canon ESO 5D).

The main features are obviously the very high resolution of 21 mega-pixels still applied  to a 35mm Full Frame CMOS sensor, and

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Features

• 21.1 mega-pixel CMOS with improved sensor dust removal
• 14-bit RAW management
• Full HD 1080-line movie recording
• Continuous shooting: 3.9 frames per second
• 3″ VGA (920k pixels) LCD screen
• Sensitivity: 100-6400 ISO (extended: 50 ISO to 25,600 ISO)
• Autofocus: 9 AF points + 6 Assist AF points

Comments

To be noticed too: Canon is simultaneously presenting a new prime lens of high-quality: Canon 24mm f/1.4 L II USM. Obviously, a pro-level wide angle lens is a good way to support the launch of a Full Frame camera and to help its differentiation from the rest of the crowd (Sony did the same with Carl Zeiss and the sony Alpha 900 a few days ago).

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This is really becoming annoying, now. After days of hearing that Canon is fighting to get an extension to the NDA of the photo press, it seems that several elements point to a further delay (compared to the previously probable launch date of 17th September).

French magazine Réponse Photo has delayed its parution date to 23rd possibly to wait for the revelation of a yet-unannouced camera (obviously it could only be from Nikon or Canon).

It is quite possible that Canon is trying to arrive after the Nikon announcement of its 24,6MP Full Frame camera (Nikon D800 or Nikon D900, maybe?), scheduled for 18th of September.

After some interesting comments seen about the age of the current EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS tele-zoom from Canon (for example, in the recent test done by Chasseur d’Images), there is now an active rumour about the arrival of a real replacement.

The Canon EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS II would no longer be a push-pull design but would have a second ring (like the recently presented Sony design). Better for managing the sealing and protection that are so important when used in difficult conditions like a photo-safari. It would also be equipped with an upgraded image stabilizer (the most critical issue with the existing zoom).

Expect a price of US$1700. If that one is true, it will be a very good price.

Announcement: Not sure, but you can bet there would be something about it on September 17th when Canon will present its new SLR body.

Via Canon Rumours.