Bolt LED light review By Zeke Kamm

Bolt LED light review By Zeke Kamm

Whether you use them for still photography or HDSLR filmmaking, LED lights have at last become a viable option. Quality LED lights use around 10% of the power that an incandescent bulb would for an the same amount of light. So your batteries last longer and the light doesn’t get too hot to touch. Pretty nice. But is the Switronix Bolt LED light a quality light? Read on.

The Bolt is a solid, small, and incredibly bright light for its size. Designed as an on camera light, the Bolt is bright enough to use off camera. It’s small size makes it easy to hide on set and its impressive brightness opens up more options.

Color Temperature. Most LED lights are similar to strobes in that they are color balanced to daylight temperature. Though some do come balanced to tungsten. Some tricky LED lights come with the ability to be both daylight and tungsten as well as everything in between. And that’s another trick the Bolt has up its sleeve. The Bolt comes with an array of 16 super bright LEDs, eight warm and eight cool. They are spread out every other one in a grid. The bulbs are controlled by two pots, one for the warm lights and one… that’s right, for the cool. So you can go completely in one or the other direction or fine tune the light to match any light temp in between. This does come at a price. Because the blending is achieved by turning down the brightness of whatever color temperature you DON’T want, you are making the light up to half as bright in order to change the temperature. Not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of before you go off shooting.

Out of the box it does include a power tap cable, but that’s only useful if you have a big battery that has sockets for taps. Otherwise it doesn’t come with any way to power it. It is compatible with Sony L type batteries (the manufacturer recommends only using it with quality name brand batteries of at least 6600mah). I tried it with slightly smaller aftermarket batteries and got over an hour of useable light, Switronix says a Sony 7600mah can get you about two and a half hours. I recommend getting a 12v wall plug when you buy the Bolt because this really is powerful enough to use plugged in for sit down shoots, interviews, and film making.

I love LEDs. I have an unhealthy amount of LED flashlights. It’s a sickness. But there is a problem inherent to all LED lights that use an array (over 97% of LED video lights use an array). Because the light is coming from several places at once, it casts multiple shadows. It’s not just the Bolt, and it’s something you can manage as long as you know it’s there. Again, this is down to the multi light tech, not a fault of the Bolt itself.

I am very happy with the Bolt, but there is still room for improvement. This thing is crazy bright with both color temps LEDs turned all the way up. But that makes the color temperature 4100k which is neither daylight or tungsten temperature. It would be nice if Switronix included gels that took that full combo and changed it to daylight and incandescent. That way we could use the most of the brightness, but still nail the temp. Not a big deal because I can cut some Rosco gels to get me there. But it would be nice if it was included.

The bolt already comes with a gel holder. But it’s there to “hold” the included diffuser panel that does a decent job of spreading out the light. The problem is it’s not a tight fit. If the light is held upside down, or even just south of sideways, the panel slips right out. It’s made from a hard plastic. If it falls out and hits the floor I don’t think it will ever look the same again. I recommend using a small slice of gaffers tape to keep it in the holder.

Speaking of fit… It’s very handy that the Bolt has a built in adaptor for the ubiquitous Sony L type battery. But their adaptor – unlike every other piece of gear I have that uses these types of batteries – doesn’t have a latch. It’s just a squeeze fit. The battery has no problem staying put during normal use, but if the you bump the light, the battery flies right out. Hopefully this is something they will change if they do a Bolt 2.

Quality of construction. Although the housing for the Bolt is plastic, it feels quite solid. The switch, dials, and metal ¼” 20 threaded base look and feel like decent quality. This is not some cheap, junky ebay light.

Overall I am extremely pleased with the Bolt LED video light. A set of three could make an incredibly compact and surprisingly useful quick and dirty travel kit.

If you’re looking for a crazy bright light in a teeny, tiny package, check out the Switronix Bolt LED light at B&H Photo today.

Bolt LED light review By Zeke Kamm Specifications

200W Equivalent Light Output
22W Max Power Draw
3000K-6000K Color Temperature Range
At 4100K, which is a blend of full 3000K and 6000K light, the illumination is 3800 lux at 3.3′ (1 m).
Snap-On Filter Holder & Diffusion Gel
Powertap Cable
Lamp Type 16 LED
Mount Type 1/4″-20 (includes swivel shoe-mount adapter)
Illumination Approx. 1800 lux (3200K @ 1 m)
Approx. 2000 lux (5600K @ 1 m)
Dimming Range 5-100% (separate controls for 3000K & 6000K temperatures)
Color Rendering Index 89
Power Source Powertap input for connection to a standard 14.4V brick battery
Also accepts Sony L-Series-style battery
Power Connector – Powertap cable
Power Requirements 7.2-16.8V DC
Material Housing: Black ABS plastic
Dimensions (HxWxD) Light body only: 4 x 5.6 x 2.95″ (10.2 x 14.2 x 7.5 cm)
Weight 1.15 lb (0.52 kg)

DISCLAIMER: Switronix provided the Bolt without charge for the purpose of this review.

About the author: Zeke Kamm is a veteran Hollywood filmmaker and fine art photographer as well as the best selling author of several photography how-to books. Check them out at Nice-Industries.com

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Bolt LED light review By Zeke Kamm

Olympus SZ-14 Review

This review camera dropped out of the box — in bright red! Talk about making a statement!

I’m not sure how you all feel about CICs — cameras in colours. It’s not that important to me, except for the benefit of making the control IDs more visible.

Otherwise, the Olympus SZ-14 is delightfully small, which makes the rear 7.6cm LCD screen amazingly large by comparison. It’s also surprisingly light and slim, easily tucked into a shirt pocket.

On another front, you may have noticed the newly emerging tussle between smart phones able to take half-decent photos and compact digicams such as this one. I’m betting on compacts such as this one to head the battle, bringing with it the ability to shoot still images as large as 4608×3456 pixels or 39×29cm as a print.

Lenswise, the 24x zoom is the 35 SLR equivalent of 25-600mm. Try to find a smart phone with that range! As an optical zoom!

Admittedly, your exposure options are limited to auto or Program AE but there are 16 scene modes (night portraits, candlelight, fireworks etc). Added to this is the 11 option Magic Filter array: similar to Art Filters found in upper range Olympus cameras, this collection of image effects includes a pinhole camera effect, fisheye lens, water colour, punk look etc. I have often found these to be useful in transforming a mundane scene into an image with ‘resonance’ and, for many, an easier way to be creative than to battle with the complexity of Photoshop and the like!

In movies the camera can shoot 1280×720 pixel MPEG4 clips … not Full HD but still quite useable for many purposes such as placing video clips on YouTube: I speak from experience!

The camera offers three methods of shooting panoramas: three frames are taken and combined in-camera, requiring you line up the shots using target markers … the camera does the combining; three frames are shot, lined up by the user; three frames are shot and combined later using PC software.

Macro is well treated: normal macro handles subjects between 10cm to infinity or, in super macro, 3mm to infinity.

Startup Time

It took two seconds from button press to first shot, then a surprisingly long two seconds ‘tween shots. A tad slow methinks.

Distortion

I was really surprised to find no signs of distortion at either the wide or tele ends of the zoom. This is a highly corrected lens!

Olympus SZ-14 ISO Settings

Noise began to appear at ISO 800, then further appeared at ISO 1600. Still useable.

Olympus SZ-14 Verdict

Quality: only average snapshot quality and sharpness; poor detail due to over-aggressive JPEG compression.

Why you would buy it: small and light; easy to use functions; chunky speed grip makes holding the camera an easy task.

Why you wouldn’t: you want more exposure control; you need Full HD.

Available in black, red or silver this camera will find some admirers, partly for its useful range but also for its image manipulation modes like scene modes and Magic Filters.

And the downside: this is the smallest digicam I have encountered that’s furnished with a maxi zoom and, frankly, it’s a bit of a monster; it’s impossible to shoot handheld shots with the zoom at full tele. I figure that its small size in the hand works against it. Tripod territory if you want sharp shots at (35 SLR equivalent) 600mm!

Olympus SZ-14 Specifications

Image Sensor: 11mm CCD; 14 million effective pixels.
Lens: f3.0-6.9/14.5-108mm (25-600mm as 35 SLR equivalent).
Metering: ESP averaging, spot.
Exposure Modes: Auto, Program AE.
Shutter Speed: 4 to 1/1700 second.
Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC/Eye-Fi cards and an unstated amount of internal memory.
Image Sizes (pixels): Stills: 4608×3456 to 640×480.
Movies: 1280×720, 640×480, 320×240.
Viewfinder: 7.6cm LCD screen (460,000 pixels).
File Formats: JPEG, MPO (3D), MPEG4.
ISO Sensitivity: 80 to 1600.
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI mini, AV, DC input.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, DC input.
Dimensions: 106.5×68.7×39.5 WHDmm.
Weight: 216 g (inc battery and card).
Price: Get a price on the Olympus SZ-14 at Amazon.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Olympus SZ-14 Review

Induro PHQ-3 Head and CT-214 Tripod [REVIEW]

I hadn’t heard of Induro before the PR rep contacted me last Fall. I was preparing for a trip to Peru and took one look at the carbon fiber and multi-directional head and agreed. But lingering in the back of my mind was the question, “Do I really WANT that much freedom?”

You see, the Induro PHQ-3 head has five planes of travel. I’m used to a ball head which has three. It also came with two control arms and a passel of levels, while I was accustomed to one main locking lever and no levels (except a bubble level on the hotshoe of my camera). To be honest, the unit seemed like overkill for a 13 day trip to Peru. It seemed better suited to video use.

Opening my mind to try new things, I agreed and toted the tripod and Induro PHQ-3 and CT-214 carbon fiber tripod with me from Seattle to Lima to Cusco to Machu Picchu to the rainforest and home again. Here are my impressions of their use in the wild.

Specs

CT-214 Carbon Fiber Tripod

• Material: Carbon Fiber
• Maximum Load: 26.4 lb (12 kg)
• Max Height (24° Leg Angle) w/Column Extended: 61.2 in (1555 mm)
• Max Height (24° Leg Angle) w/Column Retracted: 52.6 in (1335 mm)
• Min Height (24° Leg Angle) w/Column Retracted: 19.1 in (486 mm)
• Min Height (80° Leg Angle) w/Short Column: 5.9 in (150 mm)
• Folded Length: 20.9 in (530 mm)
• Number of Leg Sections: 4
• Leg Lock Type: Moisture and dust-resistant locking grips
• Independent Leg Spread: Yes, with three position stops
• Center Column: Grooved-Rapid
• Spiked Feet: Removable – Included
• Head Mount Thread Size: 1/4″-20 & 3/8″-16
• Weight: 3.3 lbs (1.5 kg)

PHQ-3 Head

• Maximum Load: 35.2 lb (16 kg)
• Height: 4.7 in (120 mm)
• Width Including Handles: 7.4 in (187 mm)
• Tilt Range: +90°/-15° Front; +90°/-45° Side
• Drag Control: No
• Panning Range: 360° on both fixed and variable axis
• Separate Panning Lock: Yes, two
• Quick Release (QR) System: Dovetail (Arca-Swiss Style Compatible)
• Bubble Level: Yes, five
• Head Mount Thread Size: 1/4″-20 (with supplied QR Plate)
• Base Mount Thread: 3/8″-16
• Weight: 2.2 lbs (1 kg)
• Length Including Handles: 8 in (202 mm)
• Base Diameter: 2.7 in (68 mm)

In The Real World

My reason for choosing this combination was simple: I was going to travel with it. While the CT series of tripods comes in longer lengths, the 214 was my best best for packability (I tend to only take carry-on luggage, so 22” is about my max length allowed) and over all height as I stand at 6’1” and want a tripod that doesn’t make me stoop too much. While not perfect in terms of height, I was happy to stoop a little in order to save weight and ensure the tripod could be carried onto a plane with me. I dare not test the carbon fiber strength against baggage handlers as it was a loaned item.

The PHQ-3 head is tall. As you can see above, it is practically 5” tall and for packability that’s fairly tall. Still, the arms swing in (it takes some fiddling the first couple of times to get them to line up just right while still keeping the head locked down) and can be secured with a strap or rubber band. The unit comes with a Acra-Swiss standard plate and any such plate will work with this unit.

I only tested the tripod and head of four weeks on the road and it performed outstandingly. I was satisfied with the panning smoothness after getting used to using the arms for this action with a DLSR attached. There’s not much to be said for the CT-214 tripod legs as they are standard issue twist lock with rubber feet. They work smoothly.

The tripod has a hook in the middle to attach a bag or some of the weight to help stabilize the unit as the legs are quite light (they weight only a pound more than the head!). I never had to use this hook as I was not in high winds or oblique angles. For mostly flat ground and a slight hill, the tripod felt well balanced.

The head is incredible with five levels to help ensure you get things straight. Not all are used at one time but I constantly used the base level to set up a shot. Every movement of the head has a marked scale to help make pans and tilts repeatable.

Inverting the head on the tripod was easy but did requiring removing the hook at the bottom of the main post. Once set up, the head, with full-sized camera body and power grip, was still able to clear the forest floor for me to shoot some time lapse of leaf-cutter ants in action. In this position the control arms would sometimes get in the way as I rotated the head and they hit the tripod legs. But, as you can see from the image at right, being able to fold away those arms helped.

Once in a while I had a problem attaching the control arms as the screws are slightly spring loaded. I would push them in and think the threads had grabbed, then start spinning, only to find I wasn’t quite making contact. This is a feel issue that takes a little getting used to, but it s a minor issue and won’t not detract from me recommending the tripod.

Below you will find a quick video with five pans performed with the tripod. I’m not the world’s most smooth operator when it comes to video on a DSLR, so your ability can be better or worse.

https://vimeo.com/39789317

Conclusion

Returning the Induro PHQ-3 head and CT-214 tripod tugged at my heart. In our short few weeks together, traveling through Peru, we bonded. I sorely wanted to keep the tripod around and will go the Induro route with my next tripod purchase. I appreciated the build quality I found and stoutness of materials.

The light weight of the carbon fiber tripod and its relative sturdiness wowed me. Mind you I was coming at it from a 15 year old Bogen aluminum unit with cast iron connections. Your appreciation of the weight may vary.
I may choose a different head for my own shooting situations, but the PHQ-3 is a serious contender. I can easily see picking up the head for local work where packing isn’t as much of an issue. Having to remove the head so it wasn’t damaged in transit was a minor annoyance and the control arms made it an odd size to pack. Still, the thought put into making the arms swing down (and securing them with a rubber band) worked well for me.

In use both units were comfortable and easy. It takes a while to get used to the amount of adjustment that can be made with the PHQ-3 (“Do I rotate it on this axis first or that one?”) so give yourself time to understand how to use the unit best when conditions are less than ideal, such as in the cold or dark.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Induro PHQ-3 Head and CT-214 Tripod [REVIEW]

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Review

This is how I see the game these days:

Compact digicams are the family/personal cameras used by almost everyone.

Mirrorless, interchangeable lens cameras like Sony’s NEX and Olympus/Panasonic’s Micro and Macro Four Thirds models are shooting what the bread-and-butter DSLRs used to care of.

Upper end DSLRs are quickly taking over the role of medium format (6×6cm) used by pros for magazine work.

Digital cameras like the Phase One, Pentax and Hasselblad digital backs are assuming the role of earlier 4×5 and 8×10 film cameras.

This is how I see it.

So the Micro Four Thirds Lumix GX1 is right in there, ready to eat away at the ground of many DSLRs. And why shouldn’t they?

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Features

I opened the box and pulled out the camera. It got to me straightaway!

Fitted with the Lumix G Vario f3.5/14-42mm lens it was small, compact and really tiny!

What is immediately novel is the zoom control: a tiny lever set into the top left of the lens barrel, as viewed from behind. Right finger to shoot! Left finger to zoom! OK with me! Even neater is the way the lens retracts when you power down the camera.

A few quick comments: the on/off lever is positive, although a little small; the mode dial has the PASM settings plus two custom settings, a scene mode access is there plus an interesting Creative Control mode which takes you to a choice of high key, a pop art look, retro, sepia and other ‘looks’. I have to say I like it!

And at this point you first encounter the touch screen, which works well! When focusing, simply touch the screen where you want sharp focus; re-aim the camera and the focus point follows. Tap again and you can select the location and size of the AF area: select from single-area AF, multi-area AF with 23 AF areas and even pinpoint AF.

Right next to the shutter button is the recessed movie record button; this arrangement I prefer to a rear-mounted video button: shoot stills with the big button, movies with the tiny one.

Also close by is the Intelligent Auto shoot button: this is for no-brain shooting where the camera itself decides on the settings for each scene.

The rear surface has the usual four-way jog dial plus direct access buttons for replay, menu, ISO, white balance, burst shooting, auto or manual focus, quick menu display … plus the control dial and Fn1 button. The latter is user selectable, to which you can assign specific functions, such as a level gauge, aspect ratio, flash level etc.

At this point I began to realise that this is the ideal camera for a control freak!

I was disappointed to find the rear screen was not tiltable, a feature of which I am become increasingly fond, especially when shooting bump-free movies, with the camera held at waist level.

The GX1 can capture 16 megapixels on its Live MOS sensor, leading to a maximum image size of 4592×3448 pixels, or 39×29cm as a print.

Movies? Full HD at 1920×1080 pixels in either AVCHD or MPEG4 format. Auto focus is in operation throughout this, while you can of course touch the screen to pinpoint sharp focus.

You can record stills while shooting movies by selecting a priority: with ‘movie priority; you get to shoot smaller stills (up to 30 at 2272×1704) plus video; with still picture’ priority you can capture any size still (up to eight in number). With each the video is momentarily interrupted.

A novel touch: the zoom speed can be set at any of three choices. Even nicer: the actual focal length position is displayed.
The hot shoe can take the optional tilt-shift Live View Finder which, to my mind, would neatly round out the whole kit.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 ISO Tests

Very good results all the way up to ISO 3200. AT ISO 6400 noise evident but still useable. ISO 12,800: noise up, sharpness down … but still useable. A terrific performance.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Verdict

Quality: excellent.

Why you’d buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1: ultra small; easy to use in no-brainer mode.

Why you wouldn’t: nothing to pick on.

The camera can be bought in a choice of black or silver body colour.

One of the most desirable Micro Four Thirds cameras around.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Specifications

Image Sensor: 16 million effective pixels. Metering: 144 zone multi pattern, multi-weighted, centre-weighted, spot. Lens Mount: Micro Four Thirds. Exposure Modes: Program AE, shutter and aperture priority, manual. Sensor: 4/3 type Live MOS 17.3×13mm. 35 SLR Lens Factor: 2x. Shutter Speed (stills): 60 sec to 1/4000 second and Bulb. Flash sync: 1/160 sec. Continuous Shooting: 2-20 fps. Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC cards. Image Sizes (pixels): Stills: 4592×3448 to 1712×1712. Movies: 1920×1080 (50i recording), 1280×720 (50p recording), (sensor output: 25fps) (AVCHD); 1920×1080, 1280×720, 640×480 (25 fps output) (MPEG4). Viewfinder: 7.6cm LCD screen (460,000 pixels). File Formats: JPEG, RAW, JPEG+RAW, MPO (3D), MPEG4, AVCHD. Colour Space: sRGB, Adobe RGB. ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 160 to 12,800. Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI mini, AV, remote control. Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, DC input. Dimensions: 116×68x39 WHDmm. Weight: 413 g (lens, card and battery). Prices: Get a price on the Panasonic Lumix GX1 at Amazon in the following configurations: Body Only, Body with 14-42mm Zoom Lens and Body with 14-42mm X Power Zoom Lens

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 Review

Fujifilm X-Pro1 Review

When I first heard about this little number I was sceptical: Why? Whaffor? What’s doing?

Then, when I actually held the magnesium alloy bodied, mirrorless interchangeable lens camera in my sweaty palms at a spiffy harbourside press preview, the penny finally dropped.

It comes at a time when some camera companies are doing major rethinks about the future of upper level digital cameras: like Olympus with its retro OM-D and Nikon with its bare bones N1.

It appears Fujifilm for one has done a mighty rethink about gaps in the pro market and come up with a camera that has some pretty clever answers to some profound questions.

Question 1: does everyone in the game aspire to a DSLR?

Question 2: does big always mean mighty?

Question 3: are we currently heading in the right direction?

Right now, Fujifilm appears to be answering this trio of queries in the negative!

The Pro-X1 is quite a departure for a camera with such high ambitions, although anyone who has spent some time with the earlier X10 model should have suspected something major was in the wind.

The review camera was supplied with three lenses: f2/18mm, f2/35mm, f2.4/60mm macro.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 Features

The body is all black, with text IDs very visible in clear cut white text.

The maximum image size is a hefty 4896×3264 pixels, leading to a 41×28cm print. There is also a sweep panorama function which captures images up to 2160×7680 pixels in size … and it’s unlike any sweep pano you’ve ever encountered before! As you swing the camera around (up, down or across) you can hear the separate frames of the pano being captured, followed by the (silent) in-camera stitching process. Absolutely love it!

Movies are there but you wouldn’t know it! Only a few pages in the manual are devoted to it … however, don’t be misled: the X-Pro1 can shoot 1920×1080 pixel Full HD or the lesser 1280×720 video res.

Powered up, the first chore when out and about is to choose the shooting mode: stills, movies or panorama. This obviously means you cannot shoot stills while capturing video. And let’s face it, few cameras can do this successfully!

The button (Drive) that takes you into stills or movie shooting mode also gives access to continuous shooting (3 or 6fps), exposure correction, ISO bracketting, film simulation bracketting and dynamic range bracketting.

Beneath this button on the left side/rear are controls for the auto exposure area (multi, spot and averaging) and position of the AF point.

The four way jog dial offers the main menu plus a macro setting. Above it is a button which allows you to lock exposure and focus … handy once you’ve found focus via auto AF.

Top deck: your eye is initially drawn to the largish shutter speed dial, delivering access to all speeds between 1 second and 1/4000 second plus Bulb (which runs all the way to 60 minutes), Time (varies between 2 and 30 seconds in 1/3 f stop steps) plus auto. For me, this is one of the many phenomenal aspects of the camera. Control! Control!

You can also directly compensate exposure with the help of a dial found immediately behind the shutter button.

And there is the familiar Fujifilm Fn button to which can be assigned such functions as multi exposure, ISO setting, image size etc.

The useful Q button takes you directly into ISO, white balance, image parameters, AF, self timer etc.

Overall, the controls are a delight to use. After powering up, you need only cycle through the display options, then decide whether you want to use the rear screen for viewing or the hybrid viewfinder, which is in fact, an optical finder overlaid with a display of the fitted lens’ coverage; you can also opt for an eye sensor to detect the approach of your baby blue to the view!

The advantage of using the hybrid finder is that shutter lag is minimised. Taking this track means you need only use the rear screen to check exposure info, white balance information and depth of field.

The menu list is enormous but straightforward. Fortunately, once you have set the normal parameters like image size, file format, etc you can drive the camera quite easily with the external controls.

What did make the camera sing and dance in my all too brief stewardship was the arsenal of lenses supplied with it. The camera itself is not overly large nor heavy, nor were the the three review lenses: each was a delight to snap on and start shooting with.

However, missing was a zoom. If I correctly understood the company’s brief at the launch there will be a zoom for the camera ‘in the near future’, but as to how the hybrid finder view will be implemented is not yet known.

Tech Talk

The X-Pro1 also takes another departure mostly ignored by the others: its newly-developed colour filter array removes the need for an optical low-pass filter to solve moiré and false colour issues.

In this array, RGB pixels are arranged in 6×6 pixel sets with high randomness, emulating the seeming haphazardness of film grain. Increasing randomness eliminates these artefacts, a problem found all too often when shooting repetitive patterns like cloth texture etc. This approach also removes the likelihood of false colour capture.

Even the lenses’ aperture blades have been attended to: the blades are curved to create a circular image at all aperture settings, with the very edges of each blade rounded off rather than simply chopped off, delivering a sharper image.

Once you attach the lens, the hybrid finder automatically switches the frame display and finder magnification; this does of course mean that longer focal length lenses will have a diminished frame area.

A really novel feature that will win many hearts is the camera’s ability to apply internal filtering for B&W photography. How about a yellow filter to slightly darken blue skies? Or a red filter to emphasise cloud shots? Got me!

Video

In the case of the X-Pro1 it shoots video with some limitations and, in use, you’d be advised to shoot movies with little or no camera movement or plonk it on a tripod: also, auto focus can take a few seconds to lock on. There is no internal stabiliser but the word is that the zoom, when it’s delivered, will have one.

This review is the first to include a test clip made with the test camera. Handheld, it was shot on the run to commemorate the removal of the much-hated 23 year old Sydney monorail.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 ISO Tests

Wow! What a performance! The increase in noise was only visible after ISO 6400 and then only minimal. For me, ISO 25,600 is entirely useable!

Visitors to this review who would like to see the full, untouched files shown below can request to me via this site; if I am not overwhelmed by the demand, I will send out the examples.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 Verdict

Quality: phenomenal! Razor sharp, precise colour capture.

Why you’d buy the Fujifilm X-Pro1: you want full manual control; you need access to high quality lenses.

Why you wouldn’t: maybe you want to wait for the zooms to appear! you want a stabiliser to shoot shake-free video; you want a swinging LCD screen.

A minor gripe: I found it odd that a camera with such high ambitions should stow its card slot under the camera: very tripod-unfriendly.

This camera is a wave-breaker. May the other companies take note!

Fujifilm X-Pro1 Specifications

Image Sensor: 16.3 million effective pixels.
Metering: 256 zone, multi pattern, manual, spot.
Lens Mount: Fujifilm X mount.
Exposure Modes: Program AE, shutter and aperture priority, manual.
Sensor: APS-C type X-Trans CMOS 23.6×15.6mm.
35 SLR Lens Factor: 1.5x.
Shutter Speed (stills): 60 mins (Bulb) to 1/4000 second. Flash sync: 1/180 sec.
Continuous Shooting: 3/6 fps.
Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.
Image Sizes (pixels): Stills: 4896×3264 to 1664×1664.
Movies: 1920×1080, 1280×720.
Viewfinder: Optical plus 12mm electronic (1,440,000 pixels), 7.6cm LCD screen (1,230,000 pixels).
File Formats: JPEG, RAW, JPEG+RAW, MPEG4.
Colour Space: sRGB, Adobe RGB.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 25.600.
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI mini, remote control.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, DC input.
Dimensions: 139.5×81.8×42.5 WHDmm.
Weight: 450 g (card and battery).
Prices: Get a price on the Fujifilm X-Pro1 Body Only. Also check out the lenses – Fujifilm Lens X-Pro1 35mm F1.4 Lens, Fujifilm Lens X-Pro1 18mm F2.0 Lens and Fujifilm Lens X-Pro1 60mm F2.4 Macro Lens.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Fujifilm X-Pro1 Review

imo Camera Straps: Review

I was sent 2 camera straps by imo recently in order to review them. All in all, a camera strap review is a rather difficult thing because by and large camera straps are often quite similar. So because of that, I’ll try to focus on the differences that these straps have from your typical strap that comes with your camera as well as the strap that I generally use on my SLR.

The first thing that I noticed when I opened the package was that I really liked the packaging. Yes, that might be an odd thing to say, but I’m also the kind of person who oohs and ahhs when opening up anything that’s nicely packaged. Each strap was wrapped with a piece of velcro with the name of the company on it, which I have to admit gave the packaging a bit of a special touch. Even the envelope they shipped in had a nice quality to it. No, it has nothing to do with the comfort or usability of the strap, but instead the first impression that I got.

Now on to the straps themselves. These straps are not your ordinary black woven straps. Many of their designs are bright and colourful, but there are more sedate colours and patterns as well if you don’t find yourself drawn to the rainbow ones pictured here. The two straps that they sent me were the Cheerful camera strap (which has a neoprene back) and the Water Color strap which is a cotton tape strap. The colours on both of the straps are very nice and were true to the images that I saw on the website. In terms of how they look, well, they are obviously different from your regular black strap, so there’s not a whole lot to compare to the stock strap and my usual strap in terms of that. But overall, I found the designs to be quite nice.

The fabric itself seems quite nice. The cotton tape strap is rather soft and smooth, and there is a more grippy suede-looking piece of fabric where the strap would hit your neck. I attached the Water Color (cotton tape) strap to my NEX-3 and found the size to be quite suitable for a small camera. I’ve typically left the strap off of my NEX simply because I didn’t like the included strap. I quite like the width of the strap (1.5″) as it wasn’t too wide or too narrow to be comfortable. It’s quite likely that this strap would stay on my camera. Their cotton tape straps don’t have a quick release function on them like the neoprene straps. I do find that to be a bit of a downside because I’m actually much more likely to take the strap off of my compact camera than my SLR in order to stuff it in a jacket pocket. That’s not to say that you couldn’t put one of the neoprene / quick release straps on, just that the cotton tape straps are more targeted at compact cameras.

The second of the two straps, the Cheerful one, has a neoprene back which makes it more suitable for a heavier DSLR. According to imo, the straps with quick releases (e.g. the neoprene backed straps) can hold over 120lbs. I wasn’t about to give it quite that much of a work out, so I settled for putting my heaviest lens on my camera. The whole thing tops out at around 2.23kg (or 4.91lbs), so that’s a heck of a lot less than they suggest that the strap can handle, and it’s probably a lot less than some people have on their straps at any given time, but it’s more than most kit lenses weigh, so let’s call it a decent comparison in terms of comfort. My usual strap for my camera is a neoprene Lowepro strap that I’ve had on there for a few years. Is it pretty, nope. But it gets the job done. One of the things that I really like about my Lowepro strap is the shape of it. It is not a straight line, but rather a slightly curved shape where the centre is wider than the edges. In contrast, the imo strap is a straight line. The reason that I make that comparison is because the imo strap (while comfortable) doesn’t sit quite as flat on the back of my neck. Whether or not that is important to you is a personal decision and probably also depends on whether or not you’ve used anything other than a straight line sort of strap. But that aside, it is quite comfortable. I found that the length was long enough that rather than wearing it around my neck I could wear it crossed over my chest and off to the side quite comfortably which kept the camera out of my way but close enough that I could quickly grab it to take a shot.

Overall I was quite pleased with the construction. The fabric on the Cheerful strap was quite interesting. I couldn’t quite figure out how to describe it, but the way that they do on the website suits it quite accurately: “it’s like hemp, but it’s mixed with plastic”. So it gives it a very strong texture, but it’s still smooth. It reminded me a bit of a brightly coloured poncho. The stitching was neat, I didn’t see any loose ends on either of the straps I received, and I found that the neoprene was also finished nicely. I especially thought that the extra piece of fabric on the cotton tape strap was a nice touch. Consider me nitpicky, but I really wanted to go over the items with a fine tooth comb just to make sure that I thought that the quality was good enough. And I can happily say that I am pleased with the quality.

Finally, shipping was amazingly fast. The straps made it to me from Hong Kong to New Zealand in less than a week and all of my communications with them were prompt.

SUMMARY

If you’re not happy with the standard straps that are out there or you’re looking for a neat gift for a photographer, it’s worth checking out imo straps to see if they have anything that catches your eye. The quality of the straps seems to be as good as any of the straps I’ve purchased in the past, but the colours and designs they offer are the main thing. If you think of your camera strap as an accessory then you’ll be very happy to have another place to look for something to make your camera your own.

Pros:

• Excellent quality
• Lots of choice in designs
• Reasonably priced ($22-26 USD)

Cons (or rather, a wishlist for future versions of their straps):

• No quick release on the cotton tape straps
• Straight strap means it doesn’t necessarily sit flat on your neck

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

imo Camera Straps: Review

Samsung NX200 Review

Samsung has sure rattled the cages of companies like Apple in its chase for market share in the smart phone market. The winner? Who knows.
But one thing is certain: if there had not been an iPhone to bump against in the first place, Samsung would still be happily making other assorted bits of technology. It’s called market opportunity.

And, sure as eggs, IMHO if there had not been a brigade of interchangeable lens mirrorless cameras out there for Samsung to harass, they would most likely have not moved into that territory either.

I looked at this camera’s predecessor, the NX11, about six months ago and recall coming away highly impressed. After all, it’s no mean feat to introduce a new camera, complete with an entirely new lens system.

Now we see the new model with a higher pixel count (20.3 megapixels), while the body is less than half the weight and nearly half the size. While the camera body itself is small and compact, this is countered to a degree by the fitting of a lens.

Samsung NX200 Features

The APS-C sized CMOS sensor has an enormous maximum image, at 5472×3648 pixels, enough to produce a 46×31 cm print.

Movies? How about MPEG4 video at 1920×1080 pixel resoluton? The NX200 will capture up to 25 minutes of movie shooting at 30 fps. If you want 60 fps, then you’ll have to be content with 1280×720 pixel video.

The continuous shooting speed tops out at 7fps, which should make short work of any quick moving animal or kiddy shots.

The mode dial contains the usual Program AE, shutter and aperture plus manual choices plus notches for scene filters etc.

The i-Function feature continues in this model. With this you can toggle between shutter speed, aperture, EV, WB and ISO quickly and easily by pressing the i-Function button and rolling a ring on the lens. Give this feature a bit of practice and you should find it a useful feature … but familiarity is essential, otherwise you may accidentally dial in an unwanted setting.

The review camera was supplied with an f3.5-5.6/20-50mm lens (equivalent to a 30-75mm optic). This lens had the i-Function feature, as do a collection of others, including a 30mm pancake lens, a 60mm macro, an 18-200mm zoom and a number of others.

Also, a clip on flash is supplied with the camera.

Other features include 10 Smart Filter effects, six of which are accessible through i-Function. These offer an old film look, halftone dots, a sketch look
and others.

If that’s not enough, take a look at Magic Frame, where you can add any of 13 different frames: that old album look, a ripple effect, a billboard or newspaper style plus more.

Scene modes include settings for portraits, children, fireworks, sunsets etc. And don’t tell me you haven’t messed up with any of these subjects. Most people have and I’ll bet would appreciate some help!

Sweep panorama is also in the kit: this one is an improvement on some other makers’ implementation in that it can also shoot 3D, viewable on suitable TV sets. Added to this is an easy intro to shooting vertical or horizontal panos: just wave the camera in the direction you want — no menu selection!

There is a GPS feature but you have to acquire the optional module to access the technology.

A nice touch is the self portrait AF feature: aim it at yourself, the focus sets to closeup and the camera beeps faster to tell you when the shot is in focus.

Samsung NX200 ISO Settings

The images were clean right up to about 3200. At ISO 6400, noise became intrusive. At ISO 12,800 … it’s all over Rose! Noise is high, definition low and colour is soft.

Samsung NX200 Review Verdict

Quality: excellent in general, accurate and colour well saturated.

Why you would buy it: big, big images! You want to shoot RAW (but you have to put up with Samsung’s RAW Converter format!

Why you wouldn’t: a vari-angle finder would have been the icing on the cake!

Again, I must praise the PDF of the manual: clear, concise, supported by detailed illustrations plus a number of helpful pages on photographic basics: the lens setting versus shutter speed conundrum, like depth of field, etc. For the raw beginner this is a big bonus.

But I must slap Samsung’s hand once more about the spelling mistakes which continue in the manual: “recharable”, “acces”, “fuorescent”, minumum”. Someone please fix ‘em!

Some may feel this camera is over-priced for a unit that uses a lens system with no heritage.

Samsung NX200 Specifications

Image Sensor: 20.3 million effective pixels.
Metering: Multi pattern, centre-weighted, spot.
Sensor Size (APS-C): 23.5×15.7mm CMOS.
Lens Mount: Samsung NX, optional adaptor for Pentax K-mount.
35 SLR Lens Factor: 1:5x.
Shutter Speed: 30 to 1/4000 second; flash sync 1/180 second.
Continuous Speed: Seven shots at 7 fps (continuous high).
Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.
Image Sizes (pixels): 5472×3648 to 1024×1024. Movies: 1920×1080, 1280×720, 640×480, 320×240 at 30fps.
LCD Screen: 7.6cm LCD (614,000 pixels).
File Formats: JPEG, RAW (SRW), JPEG+RAW, MPEG4.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 12,800.
Interface: USB 2.0, AV, HDMI, DC.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, DC input.
Dimensions: 117×63x37 WHDmm.
Weight: 220g (minus battery and card).
Price: Get a price on the Samsung NX200 at Amazon

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Samsung NX200 Review

Canon Powershot G1X Review

My first glimpse of this unit was just prior to Christmas. Obviously Canon was mighty proud of it and, despite the Yuletide pressures, was keen to show it off, guarded by a raft of non-disclosure tie-ups.

For some years now the G series has been the company’s compact camera tour de force, beginning with the G1 in the year 2000 and running all the way to the G12 in 2010.

However, in recent years it has faced a barrage of criticism from users mainly regarding its noise performance. Canon answered this criticism by reducing the sensor resolution whilst increasing the pixel pitch. More howls of protest, mainly from people who believe more pixels equals more picture (quality)!

This time the company figures it must have got it right (at last) in the G1X by by using a 38mm sensor (15mm in the G12) and an effective pixel population of 14.3 megapixels, tucked away in a compact body that is easily pocketed.

Canon Powershot G1X Features

My first impression of the working face of the camera is that of a serious workhorse: the camera feels solid, while the few controls are black with text IDs in white. Top deck has the power button, mode dial and, concentric with it, the exposure correction (+/- two f stops) dial plus the shutter button, surrounded by the zoom lever … and the DR (Dynamic Range) correction wheel; to the left is the flash pop up trigger. Round the back we see the swinging vari-angle LCD screen plus the usual buttons for menu access, the function button, movie record, image replay, jog wheel, metering and AF options plus an assignable S (for shortcut) button, found way over to the left of the camera, next to the optical finder.

This array of external controls is a very powerful feature of the G1X and a collection you would be very wise to fully acquaint yourself with … the alternative would be a lot of pecking and picking in the menu.

For me, there was only one foible with the system: I continually found myself rolling the exposure correction wheel while turning the mode dial. Practise boy! Practise!

As an alternative to the LCD screen the optical finder is a serious let-down, pokey and dim, with a big slice of the bottom quarter of the frame obscured by the lens barrel when set to full wide.

The maximum image size is 4352×3264 pixels, which would lead to a final print size of 37×28cm. Movies can be shot at 1920×1080 pixel resolution and 24fps.

Movies

For a still camera that also shoots Full HD movies the G1X is the ‘full bottle’ … in an odd way, the limited zoom range helps capture shake free movies very easily. Focus and exposure work smoothly, while the stabiliser handles average bumps very well.

Macro

It was only when I came to shooting the ISO tests that I found a serious shortcoming in the G1X: macro!

To fill the frame with the test orange, twine reel, can and bottle I was obliged to zoom fully wide, select macro and push into a spot just 12cm from the subject. With full tele on the zoom and macro I could approach only 75cm from the subject. Area: 26×19cm.

If you’re into shooting big, screen-filling shots of coins, stamps and the like … forget it!

Not a good look as they say.

Canon Powershot G1X ISO Performance

Quite a startling performance: all the way from ISO 100 to 6400 the image quality, in terms of noise, was flawless. Only when ISO 12800 was reached did noise become evident, but the colour was still accurate while definition still more than acceptable. One of those few cameras where the high ISO performance means you could (IMHO) use any setting for nearly every subject. Breathtaking!

Canon Powershot G1X Verdict

Quality: very, very good. The auto exposure system works well in dealing with wide ranges of brightness, as can be seen in the above beachside shots. Note: there is detail even in the foreground figures, while still delivering information in the surf background.

Why you would buy it: big sensor for a compact digicam; great ISO performance.

Why you wouldn’t: a little too complex for your personal skill set; limited macro performance.

There are plenty of people out there who would relish the burst speed of 4.5 fps — at full resolution. But, on the other hand, there will be those who hanker for a longer zoom range.

Canon Powershot G1X Specifications

Image Sensor: 14.3 million effective pixels.
Sensor Size: 38mm (18.7×14.0mm) CMOS.
Lens: f2.8-5.6/15-60.4mm (28-112mm as 35 SLR equivalent).
Metering: Evaluative, centre-weighted averaging, spot.
Exposure Modes: Program AE, shutter and aperture priority, manual.
Shutter Speed: 1 to 1/4000 second.
Continuous Shooting: up to 4.5 fps
Memory: SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.
Image Sizes (pixels): Stills: 4352×3264 to 640×480.
Movies: 1920×1080 at 24fps, 1280×720 and 640×480 at 30fps.
Viewfinder: Optical plus 7.6cm LCD screen (922,000 pixels).
File Formats: JPEG, RAW (14-bit), JPEG+RAW, MPEG4.
Colour Space: sRGB.
ISO Sensitivity: Auto, 100 to 12800.
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI mini, Motion JPEG, AV, ext micxxxx.
Power: Rechargeable lithium ion battery, DC input.
Dimensions: 116.7×80.5×64.7 WHDmm.
Weight: 534 g (card and battery).
Price: get a price on the Canon Powershot G1X at Amazon .

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Canon Powershot G1X Review

Tamron 18-200mm Zoom F/3.5-6.3 lll VC REVIEW

A Guest Post by Michael Agliolo.

• Lens: Tamron 18-200mm zoom F/3.5-6.3 lll VC – model B011
• Review Camera body: Sony A Nex 5k – Digital Camera

Got a chance to take a test drive with the new Tamron 18-200mm zoom F/3.5-6.3 lll VC – model B011 Lens.

I like to think in terms of 35mm equivalent when shooting with these format cameras, so this, all in one, zoom lens plays out at from wide angle 27mm to telephoto 300mm. With that in mind I was surprised as to how compact and light this lens felt. Weighed about the same as an orange (1 lb). The zoom action was smooth with a nice tight feel, no extra movement, very precise. You’ve got a pretty fast telephoto lens at f/3.5 in the wide mode, and with the VC (Vibration Compensation) built in, I decided to do all my testing hand held. I shot everything in high res jpeg. All images are straight out of the camera with no Photoshop adjustments.

I had a bright sunny morning with the sun at about 45 degrees. Blue skies with the temperature in the 40’s. I wanted to test this lens under difficult lighting situations, with strong highlights right next to deep shadows. This is where a lens shows its “stuff”.

I wanted to see if this lens could hold detail in both extreme lighting areas in the same exposure. I got everything packed up in my car and started heading for a location to do the testing…… as I’m pulling out of my driveway I notice my home address sign with light coming through the trees lit exactly like what I was looking for. So I never made it off of my property. There’s a good photo lesson there about “seeing photographically”, but that’s for another time.

Take a look at this image (#1).

You can see it has all of the elements that are a true test of a lens’ capability. There are deep blacks in direct sunlight as well as in deep shade, and at the same time bright whites in both lighting conditions and all of it with lots of texture for detail comparison.

These images do the talking. Picture #2 is a zoomed crop at 200%, in an area that contains deep shadows and bright highlights, again with a textured surface.

This is a tough one for any lens. You can see good detail in every area.

I then wanted to test the quality of the lens zoomed in at maximum, and zoomed out at its widest angle. I moved closer and further back to keep the image the same size for quality test at both ends of the lens’ zoom capability. Again the shadows and highlight details were excellent.

I am impressed by the results. We’ve got good detail in all of the areas in both bright sunlight and deep shade. I shot this in the jpeg setting. With these results I doubt that I would have made any adjustments if I had shot this image in RAW.

The lens, on auto focus, is fast and quiet The lens has the capability of manual focus, but since there is no viewfinder on this camera it would be tough to do critical focus just through the LCD viewer.

The lens macro capabilities were impressive. Here is a shot of an almond blossom.

I was standing three feet away from the flower and zoomed in all the way. Check out the detail of the white flower petal in direct sunlight.

This lens, for the Sony mirror-less interchangeable camera, is perfectly suited for anyone wanting a compact, lightweight, high quality zoom lens for just about any photo situation.

Get a price on the Tamron 18-200mm Zoom F/3.5-6.3 lll VC at Amazon for the following brands of cameras:

• for Canon Digital SLR Cameras
• for Nikon Digital SLR Cameras
• for Konica Minolta and Sony Digital SLR Cameras

About the Author: Michael Agliolo Photographer, Mike Agliolo Productions, www.agliolo.com COO for StudentStock.com.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Tamron 18-200mm Zoom F/3.5-6.3 lll VC REVIEW