Canon PowerShot N - Along with Fuji will launch new products at the Consumer Electronic Show Las Vegas, January 2013, Canon also launched its new product. Fuji launch its mirrorless cameras, Fujifilm X100s, while Canon launch pocket cameras, PowerShot N.
This time Canon introduced a super tiny pocket cameras with approximately 7x6x3 cm dimensions making it easy to pocket in shirt or pants i.e. easy to carry wherever you go. Because of its small size Canon gives the tagline "capture every moment in your life".
PowerShot N bears a CMOSplus sensor with resolution of 12 megapixels and has ISO capabilities up to 6400. With a 2.8-inch capacitive LCD display of precision and its swivel allows us when shooting from difficult angles. PowerShot N equipped with 28mm f/3-5.9 lens that has an optical zoom up to 8x.
With a pocket camera sales trend down due to attacked by advanced smartphone camera, Canon just back to basics by making the camera simple and small, but can meet the needs of everyday moments photographed.
Another advantage is the PowerShot N equipped with wi-fi, so we can directly upload the photos to wherever we want. Reported PowerShot N will begin to circulate on the market in April 2013 with prices ranging from US$ 300.
Fuji announced the launch of a permanent lens mirrorless retro style camera, Fujifilm X100s, today, January 7, 2013. This camera is the successor of the X100 and do some repairs and improvements of the previous generation. The permanent lens here means, this camera do not equip with interchangeable lens.
Generation predecessor, X100, sold quite well in the world among pro and amateur photographers who are enthusiastic with the control layout, the quality of the resulting image, the quality of the lens carries (Fujinon 23mm f / 2), hybrid viewfinder (optical and electronic viewfinder) is offered and retro style itself. But this camera has one major drawback, autofocus is quite slow.
Therefore, Fuji introduced changes to improve autofocus performance. The result is, Fuji claims that the X100s has the fastest autofocus in the world for APSC camera class with a permanent lens with focus lock time 0.08 seconds. One more additional feature is the focus peaking when we use manual focus. Focus peaking is a kind of confirmation of focus lock introduced by Sony in mirrorless camera (see examples here focus peaking). Fuji also update the sensor used. X100s using APSC sensor C-MOS X-Trans II 16.3MP resolution, which claimed fuji able to produce images with the image quality is not inferior to a full frame sensor.
Pricing and availability are still unknown, but Fuji will openly flaunt this camera at the CES show in Las Vegas in three days.
Specifications Fujifilm X100s
Here are some key specifications of this camera:
- 16.3 megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor
- EXR Processor II
- High Definition Hybrid Viewfinder (OVF / EVF)
- FUJINON 23mm f/2 lens
- Intelligent Hybrid AF (with the world’s fastest AF speed of 0.08 secs)
- Start-up time of 0.5 secs (*4)
- Shutter time lag of 0.01 secs
- Shooting interval of 0.5 secs
- High-contrast and wide viewing-angle 2.8-inch Premium Clear LCD (460K dots)
- Super Intelligent Flash
- Burst shooting rate of up to 6 frames per second at full resolution (max. 29 frames)
- Focus Peak Highlight function
- Digital Split Image display
- Artistic filters
- Full HD 1080p movie recording (60fps / 30fps)
Change DSLR Lens - One benefit of having DSLR camera is the interchangeable lens. It means with only one camera body we can use many kind of lenses to develop creativity in photography. This post I inform you how to fast and save change your DSLR lens.
Sensor camera is very sensitive with dust or micro water splash. Dirt can make some noise on the photos (See photo below), so you must change your lens safely. Care your sensor camera especially if you are in outdoor activity.
Following the fast change DSLR lens safely:
- Garland camera strap in your neck. Point camera to face downward.
- Set front-cap lens will be changed correctly.
- Rotate the lens counter clockwise while pressing lens-lock button.
- Rotate lens until slacks, but doesn't really getting-out of camera.
- Take lens will be attached, open cover lens back, and put it at the easy to reach place. Do this with one hand whereas the other hand holds the lens in camera.
- Discharge lens from camera and lets camera still face downward.
- Now attach new lens swiftly (attention to marking point, marking point camera and marking point lens must be paralleled) then turn new lens clockwise until correctly locked.
- Attached lens-back cover at old lens and keep old lens into camera bag.
Extra tips:
Activate sensor cleaning feature in your camera to avoid or reduce your photos noised.
Avoid change your lens in the windy air and or in the beach.
Canon 5D Mark II "retired" - Yes, Canon Japan has officially stopped production Canon 5D Mark II as of the date of December 24, 2012 and put it into 'Old Products List'. This marks the official end of the life of these cameras.
At launching, September 2008, this camera has a simple purpose: as a successor to the Canon 5D camera. The camera is regarded as one of the most important camera Canon, because bears some tantalizing features, among others:
- The high resolution camera with a full frame sensor cheapest in its time. With a resolution of 21 MP, Nikon D3X compared with it cost 3 times more expensive.
- Its the first DSLR camera that has the ability to record 1080p HD video quality. Nowadays, DSLR cameras with such capabilities are common, but when it is a breakthrough.
- Once the best-selling cameras, while Canon announces the launch of the Canon 5D Mark III as the more recent edition, 5D Mark II camera hasn't been discontinued yet, just lowered the price.
For those of you who are looking for full frame DSLR cameras, some of the cheapest way is to buy a new camera Canon 6D or Nikon D600 (other than entrance to the used camera market of course), but with an important title it bears, the Canon 5D Mark II still deserve to be considered along it still availables in the shop window.
Here are some of the reviews on this camera from famous reviewer:
1. "DP Review" (dpreview.com) gave badge "Highly Recommended to Canon 5D Mark II".
2. "Imaging Resources" (imaging-resource.com) conclude: “High quality is one thing, but being a camera that can deliver high quality over a wide range of lighting conditions and different ISO settings is what makes the Canon 5D Mark II such a compelling choice”.
Goodbye, Eos 5D Mark II!
About Digital Camera - Until today there have been too many digital cameras sold in market. They are divided into three type of digital camera:
- Pocket digital camera
- Super zoom digital camera (prosumer digital camera)
- Single Lens Reflex (SLR) digital camera.
Pocket Camera
90% digital camera owners have pocket camera. Pocket camera is small, simple and easy to operate it.
Pocket camera can record video, a favorite feature. And sometimes it can make amazing photos, however there are some limitation those are making pocket camera to be weak:
- Shutter lag, defined as time lag between pressing shutter release and picture recording. Time lag may be half a second only, but in the photography half a second can be fulfilled with important moments to recorded.
- Weak in low lighting condition, due to pocket camera only equipped with mini sensor. In low light condition, such as indoor or twilight condition, the photos frequently blur and tend to be noised.
- Limited zoom, pocket camera has two type zooming, optical zoom and digital zoom. Optical zoom is much better than digital zoom, digital zoom is only extrapolated pixel program.
Benefits of having pocket camera are:
- Small is beautiful, easy to carry and no need to learn how to use anymore.
- Low price, this is the economic way to have moment pitures in your life.
- Sometimes people don't be looked like photographic press or may be a paparazzi.
Super-Zoom Camera
A Super-Zoom camera is bigger than a pocket camera, and it has optical zooming much better.
Viewfinder of the Super-Zoom camera help photographer from daylight dazzling. Super-zoom camera usually has fold-able LCD, help photographer taking photos in complicated situation.
Unfortunately, super-zoom camera still equipped with small sensor, so it's one step much better than pocket camera. It's good in outdoor photography, however it has the same quality with pocket camera for indoor photography. It is not equipped with interchangeable lens, you have to use the only lens for many kind of photography. And the super-zoom camera size is not small again, you have to bring it in shoulder as an SLR camera.
SLR Camera
SLR (Single Lens Reflex) Camera is the camera that yield the best photos among all the camera types. Because of its product quality always good, SLR camera type always used by professional photographers and the amateurs always dream to have it. It's equipped with interchangeable lens, such as macro lens, zoom lens, telephoto lens or fixed lens according to your requirement.
However, as according to quality and satisfaction you can get, it's price is relatively expensive.
All types of digital cameras give us an advantage in freedom we take the pictures, because we are no longer subject to availability celluloid film. That's one of the reasons that makes digital cameras and photographic techniques to grow very rapidly.
Important Accessories for Your DSLR Camera - As increasing the experience in photography and to support your mobility, you must be thinking that you have to add some gears for your digital SLR system. There are too many choice of gears in market, but you have to choose important accessories first before you choose any other gears.
Following I inform you 7 important accessories you should have before you plan to buy another accessories:
Carrying Bag
There are several kind of bags for your satisfaction: backpack, sling-slide, waist-bag, or suitcase. If you want to carry your DSLR system and accessories completely, you should use suitcase for safety and comfort. If you want to enjoy your adventure, you should use backpack. If you plan to take city hunting or street photography for special moment such as carnival, you should use waist-bag or sling-slide. Professional photographer advise to use sling-slide bag for ease and comfort when we need to change lens or filter. The waist-bag usually too small to collect your DSLR system accessories.
Cleaning Kit
You need microfiber mop and special cleansing dilution to keep cleaning camera exterior and lenses. It's usually use blower to clean lenses, and I do not advise you to clean inside of camera. Bring your camera to the expert to clean camera interior periodically or if you need it, especially cleaning the sensor, however, the recent DSLR has been equipped with self-cleaning facility to clean the sensor.
Tripod
Tripod, monopod, or gorillapod is needed to get sharp photograph in long exposure photography. Tripod is the most popular for its reliable. You should buy strong enough tripod to support your camera and lens with telescopic feet, easy for camera installation, and has a flexible head (choose ball head tripod).
External Flash
External flash will increase your photograph quality significantly rather than with built-in flash of your camera. It is powerful, flexible, easy to control the lighting you want ti direct to.
External flash can make smooth lighting, average, and brighter than built-in flash.
Filter
Filters are essential accessories in DSLR system. There are three filters you should to consider to buy:
UV Filter (Neutral Filter) or Protection Filter - to protect your lens from dust, water splash, or your finger print.
- Polarization Filter (CPL) - to make darker sky, remove water or mirror reflection, or make trees more green.
- ND (Neutral Density) Filter and Grad-ND - to reduce light ti the camera. If you want to make water-fall photograph as smooth as white cotton (long aperture) in daylight, you need ND filter to reduce the light. Grad-ND used to gradual light reducing. It's good for landscape photography, because contrast of land and sky is too high.
Shutter Release
Another accessories to increase sharpness of photograph, after tripod, is shutter release. We do not need to press camera shutter release that can disturb camera position when we use long aperture program. Shutter release is analog with television remote control. You can choose wired or wireless shutter release.
Vertical Grip (VG)
If you more intensive in photography, especially you frequent take portrait orientation photograph, you need vertical grip (VG) for your comfort and giving you enough battery reverse.
Before Buying Digital SLR Camera - Choosing the right Digital SLR Camera is too complicated moreover there are many choices in market. By the end of year 2012 there are at least 10 camera producers around the world (Leica, Canon, Nikon, Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Sony, Samsung, and Sigma) produced more than 40 DSLR camera types.
Here are non-technical considerations before you decide to buy DSLR camera:
If your father gave heritage lens
It could be the consideration, if you have heritage lens from celluloid film era. Some digital SLR cameras compatible with the lens, so bring it to the camera store to get the compatible camera you want to buy.
Your friends' camera
If your friends or your community use Canon, buy Canon. If your friends or your community use Nikon, buy Nikon. It makes you easy to interchange many kinds of lenses freely.
After sale services
You should buy the camera at the camera store where you live. It makes easy if the camera need to be serviced rather than you have to send your camera via courier. And may be the camera store can lend you the substitute camera along the service time that can take several days or weeks. It could be good comparison rather than you buy camera from main distributor far away from your home. The next comparison is how much care the producer hear their consumer complains.
Your budget
Budget is very important when you plan to buy digital SLR camera, because digital SLR system is not just camera body and lens. The system needs some accessories, such as software photo editing, computer, tripod, filter, flash, carrying bag, reserve battery, etc.. You should make priority scale of digital SLR system planning according to your budget. Advice from senior photographer: it is better you have qualified lens rather than having good cameras with bad lens.
Your seriousness
Ask to yourself, how serious you want to enter photography world. Professional photographers will need special lenses and accessories. Flash for macro or 600mm lens, for instance, Nikon and Canon should be the producers to be considered. On the contrary, if you use the photography word just for your hobby, the ten producers mentioned above will be the consideration. Where is your position now?
