Category Archives: Report

Nikon Release a Stunning New Model… The D3200

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Damon (Editor) | Comments Off

The new Nikon D3200...

New full featured DSLR sets a new standard

Today Nikon announced the release of a new model. It is an advance on the popular D3100. While it is primed for the family and amateur market the D3200 is no lightweight. Boasting a 24 megapixel sensor it matches the ‘pro-photography’ market and could fulfil a niche as a light and flexible camera for the photographer on the move. It is priced to meet the same market that the Canon Rebel/D550 series cameras fill. However, it looks to leave the Canons standing.

The stylish design comes in two colours – Red and black. The advances are not skin deep. Below the surface is a slick imaging machine. The sensor is a 24.2MP DX-format CMOS with great colour fidelity, sharpness and tonal variation. The EXPEED III image processor provides a range of in-camera image manipulation facilities as well as superb picture quality and HD 1080p video. There is a large, 3inch LCD screen which allows bright clear framing, playback, menus and controls as well as ‘Guide Mode’ settings. The menu navigation is intuitive and clear as well as friendly.

The lens mount is suitable for a wide range of Nikkor lenses. The bundled ‘glass’ is the versatile AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6G (Vibration Reduction) lens – a mid-range lens with superb optical quality and stabilization. The camera houses an eleven point auto-focus system using phase detection to ensure the quick focus response.

Modern cameras have great ISO and noise reduction systems. The D3200 is no exception. The top level of the ISO range is 12800 and the noise processing is reported to be of high quality. This looks like a great system to meet the full range of light conditions any photographer will encounter.

While the camera is probably best suited to the amateur and family market the large sensor size, excellent video specifications and ease-of-use make it a great opportunity for entry-level users to buy a camera they can grow into. On top of that there is the added bonus of wireless.

The D3200 looks like being the first truly mobile enabled DSLR. A small plug-in accessory is going to be available that will enable the camera as a mobile device. Called the WU-1a wireless mobile adapter the unit will automatically connect with your smartphone for upload. It will even let you use your phone to control the camera to take shots and video. There is an intuitive app. to help the process along on your phone. Get the shot and share it all in one! That beats hands down the limited and geeky Canon wireless offering on the Canon IXUS.

Combined with the other features of this camera, the wireless will be a big boost for sales. In the mobile world of today the camera manufacturers have lagged behind. Nikon have obviously decided to take a leap with this camera and it is aimed at the right end of the market. Great news. Lets hope the likes of Canon and others will follow suit. At the moment the camera manufacturers are looking decidedly behind the times in terms of wireless access and facilities. Nikon is clearly determined to break the barriers.

Another feature that will excite the mobile generation is the in-camera editing features. Mobile phones have got streets ahead of cameras on editing. Well the D3200 is fighting back. The camera features a ‘Retouch Menu’. It offers a whole range of post processing features… Resize, Color sketch, Selective colour and other process tools. The traditional ‘red-eye‘ correction, and Monochrome (Black-and-white, Sepia and Cyanotype), is available along with Filter effects (Skylight, Warm filter, Red intensifier, Green intensifier, Blue intensifier, Cross screen and Soft). Other features include: Color balance, Image overlay, RAW processing, Quick retouch, Straighten, Distortion, Fisheye, Color outline, Perspective control and miniaturisation. It is also possible to edit your video clips in the camera too.

It is looking like European distribution and sales will begin sometime in May/June. Of course we will keep you posted on that and ensure that you get the latest on this camera as we know more. In the meantime this looks like being the most forward looking DSLR to come out for some time and it smashes the preconceptions of recent times about DSLRs. if you are looking to get your first DSLR and love to share your pictures this could be the mean machine you are looking for to do the right thing!

The Nikon D3200... stylish and a new standard in size and power!

The Nikon D3200... A new standard in wireless connectivity.

The Nikon D3200... High resolution and 24 megapixel - A market breakthrough for the amateur, family and mobile generations. The camera has pretentions to the professional photographer market too. The 24 megapixel sensor will allow large print sizes.

The Nikon D3200... great facilities and intuative menu navigation and use.

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Posted in Equipment, Information posting, Report, Review, Technology

Tagged Accessories, Buying equipment, Camera, Image Editor, News

Google Honors an Early Photographer

Posted on April 9, 2012 by InCamera | Comments Off

Todays Google Doodle honors Eadweard J. Muybridge who is celebrated for his pioneering photography using stop-frames.

Todays Google Doodle honors Eadweard J. Muybridge is celebrated for his pioneering photography using stop-frames.

The Google Doodle today is an animation of a famous study of horses in motion. The photographer, Eadweard J. Muybridge, is best known for this work. Muybridge was engaged by race horse owner and breeder Leland Stanford. Artists had depicted horses running with all four legs off the ground. Stamford, a californian business man and horse breeder, wanted proof of this locomotion. Muybridge deployed 24 cameras to take detailed film sequences capturing the motion of horses legs throughout the galloping cycle. He produced a film strip that showed the whole range of leg positions.

Muybridge did his work for Stamford in 1872. The sequence he produced proved that all four legs did indeed leave the ground at once. Artists had depicted the legs streched out to the front and behind when this happened. Muybridge showed that the legs were all tucked up under the body at the time they were all off the ground. The position is shown in the Google screen capture above in the first column.

Muybridge was born in Kingston on Thames, UK, on 9th April 1830. He later lived in the United States. While recouperating from a serious stage coach accident he became a committed photographer. He initially focused on landscapes establishing his career as a photographer. After his success with the horse film sequences he continued to investigate human and animal movement. His work was associated with academic papers and popular books. He died of a heart attack in 1904.

His work on the film sequences is widely regarded as a precursor to modern videography. Muybridge invented the zoopraxiscope during the course of his work on movement. The moving-sequence invention was one of the earliest attempts to animate film into moving pictures. His early popular insights into movement in film are said to have contributed to the later developments leading to motion pictures and eventually cinema.

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Posted in Background Info., Opinion, Report, Review

Tagged History, News

Photoblogs

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Damon (Editor) | 1 comment

'tumblr' is one of the top photoblog sites - an extraordinary range of photoblogs.
Click to go there...

There are many different ways to blog. Of course photoblogs are right up there with the most popular. Here is a definition from our glossary…

Definition: Photoblog

Photoblog

Photobloggers predominantly post photographs rather than text posts. In many cases words are not used at all. Although Photobloggers can add text if they wish. There is normally space for comments from viewers of the photoblog. On some photoblogging sites the photoblogger may also be able to add video and music.

Photoblog sites differ widely in their format. Some are difficult to distinguish from an ordinary text blog. Some concentrate on a constant stream of photographs. Usually the design of the photoblog allows for the photographs to be displayed more prominently than the text. Some photoblogging sites have been keen to show that they are able to host blogs of a wider scope than just photographs. So the lines are blurred between a text blog with pictures and a photoblog with text. However, photoblogs normally have a proportionately higher photo posting than text posting.

Photoblog sites and independent photoblogs rely on their followers, friends and links to be successful. In that respect they are a part of the wider social networking phenomenon on the Internet. How the networking between blogs occurs is different according to the blog platform or site where the blog is hosted. However, photoblogs all have one thing in common – the goal is to get your photographs seen by others. In general, the bonding between posting photobloggers is the comments they make about each others pictures.

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One excellent way to improve your photography is to practice, practice, practice. A daily posting of your photos is a way to ensure that you do a little photography every day. You could work within a daily posting on a structured site like one of the 365 projects. These generally encourage you to do a photo-posting every day for a year (or longer if you wish). On the other hand a photoblog, or a photo-sharing site, gives you scope for a daily posting or to have gaps between your postings. To improve your photography it is just great to be able to get some pictures posted. Others on the site may comment, or you can get your family and friends to comment or just look at your shots. The important thing is that you take photographs. Photoblog sites give you the chance to get your shots out there. This gives you a reason to take more!

tumblr is predominantly a site for creative people although many of the users are photo-centered.
Here is what Tumblr have to say about themselves…

Tumblr lets you effortlessly share anything.
Post text, photos, quotes, links, music, and videos from your browser, phone, desktop, email or wherever you happen to be. You can customize everything, from colors to your theme’s HTML.

I spotted one blog over there today in which all the pictures were (at time of writing) in black and white. In the http://dilke.tumblr.com/ blog the monochrome theme gives the whole procession of pictures its common element. There are some pretty eclectic things to look at, some shocking shots and some brilliant art. I have rarely been as captivated by a single set of pictures. This is a great photo-stream and one that is full of iconic and different, ‘out-of-the-box’ ideas. A large number of the pictures are art works. Even if you don’t like the whole picture stream, you have to admire the style, art and insight.

The Tumblr site allows you to ‘reblog’ – to post-on blogs by other people. It is one of the ways to spread the word about other bloggers shots. So the pictures may not all be from one person on each site. However, the collection is worth viewing in its own right.

Tumblr has a huge number of page views every month, numbered in the billions. As with any popular site you get the good and the bad. But in general the people who use the site are all creative people. A great place for inspiration and insight if you are a photographer.

Why not take a look at Tumblr yourself. You might want to try it out. Its free and you can design your own blog space to suit your style once you join up. Of course you don’t have to join. You can just look over the blogs that are there to see what is happening. It is an interesting site and well worth a look.

There are a wide range of other photoblogging and photosharing sites. We will be reviewing a few of them in the future so keep your eyes open here for more information.

Take a look at Dilke on Tumblr: http://dilke.tumblr.com/

Here is the ‘about’ page from Tumblr.

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Posted in Report, Review, Things to try

Tagged Approach, Photoblog, Vocabulary

Going Off-Camera with the Latest Flash…

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Damon (Editor) | Comments Off

The new innovative Canon flash - new dimensions in flash technology. Click to see the article on the Canon website.

Off-camera flash is one of the most liberating aspects of flash technology. The idea is to get your camera to capture light that is controlled by you. You set up the flash so you can design how viewer sees your shot. In recent years flash units attached to DSLRs have become very sophisticated. This latest release from Canon has a range of high quality control features and in-built radio technology.

Syl Arena is a well known author in the field of flash technologies. In this article he reviews the latest offering from Canon. It is a rounded and informed view.

See the article:
Syl Arena examines Canon’s new radio Speedlite flash system.

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Posted in Background Info., Equipment, Opinion, Report, Review, Technology

Tagged Creativity, Flash, Off-camera, Technology

Focus on Imaging 2012

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Damon (Editor) | 2 comments

Focus on Imaging 2012
The UKs largest photography show.

This week the largest photography show in the UK was revisited upon the NEC in Birmingham. It was a good show this year! Amid the hype of new cameras, lenses and other electronic goodies was a great range of seminars, and of course, retail interests of all types.

This year Canon had a major stand back on the main concourse. They have released a number of great new products recently. This week marked the release of the new Canon 5D MkIII. I was firmly informed that this is a ‘new breed’. Apparently it is NOT to replace the Canon 5D MkII, which will continue in production. As impressed as I was with the 5D MkIII the differentiation between the two models was only one of a technological generation. Of course, its a great step forward – the new Digic 5+ chip looks like a powerful system. Nevertheless the new MkIII model was not a ‘hybrid re-invention’ – the representative failed to convince on that one. A big improvement is the contrast recognition. This allows auto-focus functions to work better in low light. Also, the much needed focus point improvements in the focus system looked great. Significant improvements in processing speed allow a number of software enhancements. These include HDR processing in-camera and faster frame capture at six frames per second. The remodelled body felt great, and the quieter shutter/mirror system was welcome. Even so, it is difficult to see how Canon can justify keeping the two models running side by side. For 5D first time buyers the big price lift is probably not justified unless the new features are right where you want your business to be focussed. With prices falling for the 5D MkII the differentiation into a new ‘5D range’ is questionable. Canon are no strangers to quirky strategy – it may prove an interesting route. The scheme worked with the flagship 1D range. A number of stands at the show were selling MkII bodies for around £1400! That represents a big price drop. Will the differentiation stand up between these two? Only the market will realise that story.

Elsewhere in the show were some great stands. As always the Sigma stand impressed. A great range of lenses for the major mounts – beautifully marketed and supporting some superb features. The somewhat odd Sigma SD1 flagship camera was on show, but did not seem to be a centre piece. It seems a great camera. A little under-designed in its looks, it boasts a 46 mega-pixel sensor. I was at the busy stand for about 20 minutes and it did not come out once. It was hidden in a side-counter under a pile of brochures all day. Perhaps Sigma do not believe in this product? I would like someone to prove otherwise to me. Something needs looking at there Sigma.

The Lowepro stand showed an astonishing range of bags and accessories. The great range of sling bags is in my opinion unbeatable. Sling bags can be carried over one shoulder but worn like a rucksack until wanted. Then it simply slides down into a side opening bag. A great idea and a comfortable way to carry equipment and be ready for the quick shot. Worth a look at this range for bags to suit almost every type of photographic equipment.
More after the jump…

As usual there were, aside from the main players, a wide range of side stands. They were showing all sorts of innovations, additions to ranges, specialist operations, services and discounted goods. Too numerous to mention these stands make the trip worth while. Every photographer loves a nifty piece of equipment or the quirky accessory. Several happy hours in these stands provided some interesting finds.

If you love photography, technology and accessories then this is the place to go. It was a great show with many new releases as icing on the cake for the technology buff. I was absorbed the whole day. I am already looking forward to next year.

By Damon Guy (author and Photokonnexion editor)

Damon Guy (Netkonnexion)

Damon is a writer-photog and editor of this site. He has run some major websites, a computing department and a digital image library. He started out as a trained teacher and now runs training for digital photographers.
See also: Editors ‘Bio’.

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Posted in Opinion, Report

Tagged Business, Buying equipment, Camera, News, Technology

The start of a new year!

Posted on January 1, 2012 by InCamera | Comments Off

Pretty cold day for the annual charity swim in Cornwall

Happy New Year to all my readers! May this be a happy and productive year for you all… I have just got back from taking photos of a “New Year Swim” event. It is a fun thing to do and gives you the chance to flush out the cobwebs from a New Years Eve party!

This morning it was wet and windy on the beach. Photography was difficult. But the swimmers were keen and ready to go. Most of them were there to raise money for charity. Hundreds of spectators were there to support them and watch the fun. It was pretty cold. So it was a bit of a challenge just to get to the beach! With so many spectators there is little chance the swimmers were going to wimp out once they arrived. Everyone wears fancy dress to make it more fun!

I did this swim myself five times. I have to say it was fun – but also bitterly cold some years. Well, you have to get your kicks somehow. In recent years I get my kicks photographing these events. Some of the shots are rough and ready – especially when the weather is poor. Here are a few photos of the event from the last few years…