Reviews
March 15th, 2012 by D-Photo
Nikon’s V1 represents the dawn of a brand new day for the Japanese company. This new body is placed at the top of the new 1 camera system (see breakout box) and is expected to do great things at the loftier end of the consumer space. The V1 is a hybrid unit; an EVIL (Electronic Viewfinder/Interchangeable Lens) if you like, and it’s Nikon’s first foray into this increasingly popular sector. As befits a camera that’s been designed from a clean sheet of paper, almost everything about the V1 is innovative and state-of-the-art.
The heart of the camera is the new 1 mount, which is far smaller than Nikon’s F DSLR mount but refreshingly, it’s a sturdy metal to metal design, not a low-budget piece of plastic. Sitting behind the mount is a 10MP CX sensor, which is a new size for Nikon (and everyone else for that matter). Most hybrid cameras use APS-C (or DX) sized sensors, a few use the smaller Micro FourThirds size but at 13.2 x 8.8mm, the CX sensor is smaller still. This raises a number of questions around things like high ISO noise, depth of field and why the V1 isn’t ultra compact seeing as it’s got the smallest sensor in the class.
Looking for answers, I soon realised that the V1 is actually the perfect size; sure it could be smaller but that would be too small, as in ‘LCD screen with big lens attached’ kind of small. The size of the sensor and the mount means that the lenses are very compact, especially when retracted, and you can get a twin lens kit into an unfeasibly small gear bag. The V1 isn’t all that light but it’s notably well built, with no flex to be found in the body. As we’ll see, the worries I had about image quality were nullified as soon as I started looking at my test shots on a decent screen.
Some hybrids are intended to please serious enthusiasts and professional shooters, but the V1 is aimed very firmly at consumer photographers. It’s not that it’s missing anything, in fact it’s got a veritable shedload of performance and features. It’s more a case of who the product has been designed to please, and the brief here is all about simple.
From the control layout to the menu system or the automatic shooting modes, the V1 bends over backwards to be easy to use. You can’t access the manual modes or the ISO settings without delving into the menus, but the target market won’t give a hoot, because the V1 is entirely on top of its game when just left to its own devices.
Automatic modes such as Smart Photo Selector and Motion Snapshot may sound like concepts that the marketing department came up with, but they work like a charm. Motion snapshot grabs a one second video clip plus a still image and combines them with some background music. I grudgingly tried it and ended up with some highly atmospheric short clips that segued into stills; the overall effect went down very well with the subjects. Smart Photo Selector captures twenty rapid shots from the instant the shutter button is halfway down. The camera then examines these images looking at composition, red-eye, blinking and so on, keeping only the ones it considers to be the best. Instead of a blurry snap of a rambunctious child caught with his eyes closed, you generally get a good photograph.
How the V1 can shoot twenty images so quickly comes down to that aforementioned shedload of built-in performance. With its electronic shutter, it can shoot full resolution stills at an incredible sixty frames per second (fps). The EXPEED 3 image processor is fast enough to keep pace and still hand back control to the user in moments. There’s also a new autofocus (AF) system that can make use of contrast detection or phase detection AF up to 73 focus points. Tie all three together and you’ve got a remarkably responsive camera – even shooting in manual mode with the mechanical shutter activated, the V1 shoots at 10fps and tracks moving subjects with ease, which again is great for shooting the kids at play.
Image quality is as good as any hybrid that I’ve had a play with and yes, that includes shots taken at ISO ranges up to 1600, where the new sensor manages to control noise and graininess quite well despite its small(ish) dimensions. Images were very much useable straight out of the camera, with little to no intervention required in software. They’re generally sharp, thanks in no small part to the AF system and the colour accuracy and white balance were remarkably accurate.
HD video footage proved to be as good as the still images, featuring well-controlled focus, good definition and the ability to shoot full resolution stills while video is being captured. The slow motion mode is a real treat, making just about every moving subject worth revisiting.
All good then? Well pretty much. The only trouble I had from the V1 was that the top accessory socket cover had a tendency to go AWOL. It spent the review in the bag but the camera looks awkward without it. Besides that, this hybrid proved to be an amicable companion with few weaknesses. Even though the V1 is quite compact, it’s a lot of camera and it’s got a knack of making even point and shoot photographers look very good indeed. ASHLEY KRAMER
The Nikon 1 System
There are two bodies in Nikon’s 1 system – the V1 and the moderately smaller J1, which is a hybrid sans the V1’s EVF. Instead of an EVF, it’s got a handy built-in flash, which many users will appreciate in a social setting, especially at night. Otherwise, the J1 pretty much matches the V1’s specs and features, and is available in a wider range of colours including black, white, red, silver or pink. The entry level single lens kit is priced at $1129.
Four nicely built lenses are available to start with: a 10-30mm VR f3.5-5.6, a 30-110mm VR f3.8-5.6 and a 10mm f2.8 pancake. The 10-100mm f4.5-5.6 powered zoom is primarily aimed at videographers. With a 2.7x multiplier to get to the 35mm equivalent, the two kit zooms offer a range of 27-297mm, which is substantial for such a portable package.
In addition to the four lenses, there’s a good range of accessories available including a speedlight and a GPS unit for the V1, along with the all important 1-F lens mount adapter, which will no doubt please anyone who owns any F mount compatible lenses.
Specs
Effective Pixels: 10.1 million
Image Sensor: CX CMOS
Lens Mount: Nikon 1
Image Stabiliser: Lens based
Shutter Speed: 30-1/16,000 second
Image Formats: NEF RAW, JPG, MOV
ISO: 100-3,200 + H1 (6,400)
Monitor: 3-inch fixed TFT-LCD touchscreen 921,000 dots
Viewfinder: 1,440,000 dot LCD
HD Movie: 1920×1080/60i/30p
Media: SD, SDHC, SDXC
Interface: USB 2.0, mini HDMI
Battery: Rechargeable EN-EL15 lithium ion
Dimensions: (WxHxD) 113 x 76 x 43.5mm
Weight: 383g incl. battery
Finish: Black, White
CONTACT
www.nikon.co.nz
PROS
l Solid build
l Excellent all round abilities
l Image quality
l Massive feature count
CONS
l Annoying accessory socket cover
February 7th, 2012 by D-Photo
Adrian Malloch puts Sony’s new Alpha through its paces
The Sony SLT-Alpha 77 is a very serious piece of gear but it took me a while to enjoy it. I had four weeks with the review camera to form an opinion but it wasn’t until well into the fourth week that it all started coming together.
I pity would-be photographers who choose a camera as clearly wonderful as this Sony and struggle with its overwhelming array of menus, functions, modes, functions, features, buttons and dials, all with several sometimes conflicting options, then wonder why photography is so difficult.
Sony isn’t alone in creating massive complexity with feature-bloat to bamboozle photographers. The typical response from the frustrated novice is to turn on all the idiot-proof modes, dumbing down a sophisticated and elegant camera into a point and shoot lump that guarantees photographic mediocrity.
Unlike many other cameras though, the extra doodads on the a77 can be either disabled or bent to the photographer’s will. And in some cases, the photographer could be willingly bent to the camera’s will when it becomes obvious that Sony has created a beneficial feature.
The SLT a77 is a 24MP APS-C DSLR with a pellicle mirror, 2.4MP EVF, double articulated LCD, in-camera image stabiliser and can shoot at 12 frames per second.
Yum! So, what does it all mean? 24MP on a less than half-sized (compared to 35mm full-frame) sized sensor gives you a lot of data but the compromise is the size of the sensor. And it does show. Files at all ISOs show a jittery digital look compared to full-frame cameras with more modest megapixels. It’s not a deal-breaker but if cleaner, clearer photographs that hold up under low light and high ISOs are what you are striving for then this Sony is a step in the wrong direction with its sensor’s smaller light-gathering pixels. High ISO photos have a gritty look that is usually sharper than the detail, no matter what sharpening and noise reduction combination I threw at them.
The 2.4MP electronic viewfinder is the highest resolution viewfinder available in a DSLR. Even though the sensor is APS-C, because the viewfinder is electronic instead of optical, the viewfinder can be full-sized, which is a real treat. In low light you can be fooled into thinking it is an optical finder – it’s that good and in many respects, better. The actual resolution is probably higher than the traditional ground glass screen found in optical finders on other DSLRs.
The downside is that it is very contrasty, much more so than the resulting file. Highlights tend to blend into a single mishmash of light grey, and midrange through to shadows block up, giving the impression that you have underexposed the file. This is especially apparent in sunny or contrasty lighting conditions.
Worse, the histogram display, when enabled, is minuscule and not to be trusted. But wait. Flashing highlights; that pre-photo warning device that shows you areas that are clipped or blown out will stop you from committing that most heinous of digital crimes: blown out un-recoverable highlights.
Alas, no. The flashing highlights feature is only available in playback. Why Sony? Why!
There are many and varied options for the EVF and rear LCD. That’s where you make your photos and enough information, but not too much, is the goal. And of course, that varies with each photographer and their specific needs.
One of the clever things the a77 does well is the way it automatically switches between the LCD and the viewfinder as soon as you put your eye up to the viewfinder. Not so clever is how you cannot have an automatic review of the photo pop up, without it blocking you seeing what you are photographing.
On other (non EVF) DSLRs I usually set the review up for two seconds. So, most of the time I’m using the viewfinder but occasionally glance down to the LCD to make sure I’m in the zone. It’s un-distracting, informative and doesn’t disturb my flow.
Doing so with the Sony blocks your vision with the reviewing photo in the viewfinder, and yet the LCD is sitting idly by displaying nothing. Surely, it would be straightforward enough to enable an option with continuous viewing of the subject through the viewfinder and playback reviewing shown on the LCD? That should be easy for Sony to fix in a firmware update along with a much larger, clearer useful live-view histogram and flashing highlights.
The EVF wouldn’t be possible without the a77’s pellicle mirror. The SLT (Single Lens Translucent)’s mirror is fixed in place and doesn’t flap out of the way during the exposure like an SLR (Single Lens Reflex) does. This offers less vibration and quicker response results in a camera that effortlessly fires away at 8 fps, or even 12 fps if you give up any control of the exposure and preferred settings.
Pellicle mirrors in cameras have been around since 1965 when Canon’s Pellix used a semi-transparent mirror to split a third of the light to the viewfinder. But despite great quality and frame-rates topping 14 fps, pellicles were never accepted by the wider public. Unwarranted suspicion of the mirror affecting the quality of the image on the film was their undoing, along with losing a stop of light and a dim viewfinder.
The Sony SLT doesn’t suffer a dark viewfinder due to its turbocharged EVF and with the high ISOs that modern digital cameras are able to use, loss of half a stop of light at the sensor is barely noticeable.
It appears to be the right time for pellicle mirrors and I won’t be surprised if other manufacturers follow Sony’s lead.
One thing I really like about the a77 is its double articulated LCD screen. You can pop it up so it sits above the camera like a pro video setup. Or my personal favourite: drop it down with the screen facing up and use it as a waist-level viewfinder. And of course, you turn the screen inwards to tuck it away out of sight when stowing the camera.
One of the most frustrating aspects of this camera is setting up the autofocus and manual focus systems to work quickly and intuitively.
The approach I finally settled with was autofocus with the shutter button (no other button was available unlike most other high spec’d DSLRs) and with half-press, which locks autofocus, you can manually focus with the lens’ focus ring.
That works in continuous drive shooting mode until you lift your finger off the half-press. Then it reverts back to autofocus. But, if at any stage you press the AF/MF button under your right thumb, the camera switches to manual focus until you press that button again.
In practice, it works very well. As well, the a77 has focus-peaking when using manual focus. This is a display feature that shows the sharpest parts of the image as sparkly highlights (or another user-specified colour) in the viewfinder or LCD.
It works a little too effectively. Only when you zoom in the live-view display of the image to focus do you really get accurate results. However, it’s better than any other high-resolution digital camera for quickly getting a ‘close enough’ focus.
While it is easy to impress yourself with your focusing accuracy by looking at the LCD, it’s only when you open the image up on your computer monitor do you see how much you missed the focus.
Typical of every camera-manufacturer, the software that comes packaged with the a77 is effective at getting a good quality picture from the raw file. However, it could take you several hours’ work. And that’s for only one image.
If you have Photoshop already then you probably have Adobe Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw. Using those two together effectively is better than anything that Sony’s Image Data Converter could possibly do.
Better still, get Adobe Lightroom and start enjoying your time working on your photographs.
Sony puts in a lot of effort to discourage you from shooting raw files. The manual barely mentions the vastly superior file format, and when it does, it’s mostly to point out that you can’t use many of the in-camera effects or some other irrelevant limitation.
Warnings pop up on the LCD when you attempt to use some functionality, like live-view zoom telling you that raw isn’t supported. Diving into the manual and re-configuring the camera eventually gets the function to work with raw, but it’s not surprising that many photographers are being put off using raw files when it is discouraged as relentlessly as Sony does with the a77.
While on a negative note, a constant irritation with the SLT-a77 is its slow responsiveness. Every function, button and dial has a delay. Turn the aperture three clicks to the right and nothing happens, move it again and all of a sudden the aperture display rushes past your intended target.
It’s like steering a car with a three-second delay from the time you move the steering wheel to the time the wheels actually turn.
Zoom in to check your focus and nothing happens for nearly two seconds. I want to spend my time looking and taking photos. Not waiting for my camera to catch up. Fortunately the shutter response is very fast and with front-curtain mode, can be set up to be even more responsive.
I used the video mode briefly and was stunned with the out-of-camera quality. The built-in image stabiliser made hand-held shooting buttery smooth, and there is no sign of image compression with the AVCHD files. I could spend another month exploring the video capability but unfortunately it has to go back to Sony.
At the end of my four weeks with the a77 I’m genuinely disappointed to see it go. Despite the poor responsiveness and the feature bloat, I really enjoyed using the camera once we learned to be friends.
With more time using the Sony SLT-a77 I’m sure I would learn to really nail the focus, put up with the slow response and most importantly, enjoy taking photographs with it.
Pros:
- Focusing options
- Shutter response
- 10 frames per second
- Articulated viewfinder
- EVF and good looking video.
Cons:
- Slow camera response to all inputs except shutter button
- Exposure information is substandard in live-view
- Poor raw file integration and support
- Complicated and unintuitive manual and menu system.
RRP: $2299 (body only)
Design 18/20
Performance 17/20
Feature 19/20
Image Quality 18/20
Value For Money 17/20
Total 89/100
This article is an extended version of a review from D-Photo issue 46.
November 6th, 2011 by D-Photo
The Canon SX40 HS is a little camera that talks big. A 24 to 840mm (35mm equivalent) zoom, the latest DIGIC 5 processor and backlit CMOS sensor which can now do full 1080 HD video, 10 frames per second photos, and shoot in low light with less noise. All this in a mini-me D-SLR package; yours for $750.
An upgrade from the previous model SX30 IS, the camera is more of the same but better in parts. For example, the SX30’s 14 Megapixel sensor has been reduced to 12 Megapixels resulting in cleaner, clearer pictures.
Yes, folks. If you have been paying attention you know that more Megapixels are a bad thing when you are trying to squeeze them onto the sensor’s one third of a square centimetre. But less pixels means bigger pixels and bigger pixels mean more light-gathering ability, and that’s a good thing because light gathering is what cameras do.
The one thing that is missing is Raw file capability. That feature alone would make for better quality files as well as more options later to recover clipped highlights or underexposed areas of your pictures as well as true white balance in post processing.
The HS in the SX40’s name refers to High Speed and/or High sensitivity depending on which section of the media-release you are reading.
High speed because it will now shoot at 10 frame bursts per second and do full HD video. Be warned though, that 10 fps is not so easy to use and once your 8 frames are up – less than one second later – the camera locks up until it has saved them all; a wait of about 6 seconds.
Also, you can only use the high speed setting by burrowing down into the Function menu to the Scene modes to set HS burst HQ. The focus locks on the focus point set on the first frame and the LCD and viewfinder black out during the burst and save, so not ideal for action sports. And, you can’t use manual exposure adjustment while in the burst mode but at least the photos are full resolution.
Otherwise, the SX40 HS shoots a useful 2.4 fps in the standard shooting modes without any of the above fuss.
The video quality is surprisingly good. Not a lot of options but the results when shot in good lighting conditions will really please. Lower light with higher ISO settings produces visually distracting noise and the audio picks up the sound of the lens when it zooms but that’s only a minor quibble. And besides, you shouldn’t be zooming back and forth while videoing, should you!
HS is also for High Sensitivity. No, it won’t blush when you compliment it. The new backlit sensor claims to reduce noise at high ISO. And it really delivers.
Shooting at 800 ISO produced noticeable noise but the image wasn’t overpowered by it. The usual smearyness caused by heavy handed noise reduction wasn’t apparent but the sharpening was a bit too edgy in the 400 to 800 ISO range. Going to 3200 ISO barely made any difference to the image quality. Noise was a little lumpier but only just, and the noise-reduction and sharpening appears to have been backed off to good effect.
Saturated colours, especially reds are losing their punch though and the contrast is starting to drop but only when you compare side by side with lower ISO pictures.
Having useable high ISO settings is all a good thing, because that 24 to 840 zoom can be really dark.
f2.7 at the wide angle end is good, but by the time you are out into the super-telephoto territory of 840mm the f5.6 aperture has cut the light by a quarter and you really need the fastest shutter speed you can get to counteract your caffeine-induced shake that is all too obvious with the image magnified in the LCD as you do your secret-agent surveillance photographs.
Even in bright sunlight I had to increase the ISO up to 400 to ensure I had a fast enough shutter speed to counteract camera-shake. The rule of thumb is to choose the minimum shutter speed that corresponds to the focal length. So 840mm equals a minimum of 840th/sec; or 1000th/sec to make sure.
Canon has come to the party though with an improved image stabilisation system. You can see and feel it working as you hold the camera. The sharp vibrations and wobbles smooth out and the image gets floaty in the LCD as the image stabilisation motors move lenses and sensors around to compensate for movement and vibration.
I didn’t do a detailed image test of all the different focal lengths in the zoom range but I did enough to get a sense of its abilities.
Truth is, I was a bit underwhelmed. At middle apertures and middle focal lengths the image quality was ok. Not great, but not bad either. At the widest apertures, the image does show noticeable softness especially as you move away from the centre of the frame.
Even with a fast shutter speed, and image-stabilisation I struggled to get detailed photographs with the camera at the 840mm end of the zoom. With the absence of detail, the camera’s processor seems to go into overdrive with sharpening and noise-reduction.
The result can be gloopy smeary areas with jittery sharp edges. It seems to happen more at long distances and that could be more due to the softening effect of photographing through a larger mass of air. So, possibly not a function of the lens. However the over-processing pushes an acceptable image over the edge to unusable.
Like most point-and-shoot cameras the SX40 HS has a whole bunch of extras. Things like face detection and monochrome which can be useful.
Then there’s fish-eye effect, miniature effect, toy camera effect, super vivid, poster effect, colour accent, colour swap and many more, which can be fun for five minutes. However it is much better if you instead take a well exposed, well composed and well timed photo which you can open up in any graphics programme and do all those effects and much more without losing the opportunity of the original photograph.
Despite the SX40 HS looking like a D-SLR, when you do look through the eyepiece, instead of a ground glass screen, you are confronted with a hopelessly low resolution electronic viewfinder. Useless for determining focus but in bright light when the 2.7” LCD is getting hard to view, the viewfinder comes into its own, especially when you are tracking a moving subject.
Like all contemporary Canon cameras, the menu systems are consistent and logical with most regular controls accessible by one-touch buttons or at least a quick visit to the menu system.
I’ve always liked the way that Canon set up their cameras to always be ready to take a photograph. No matter if you are reviewing photos or changing a setting, without flicking a switch or escaping out of a menu, you can just press the shutter and it will take the photograph regardless.
At the same time as the SX40 HS was announced, Canon also launched the Powershot S100, the update to the excellent enthusiast camera, the Canon Powershot S95.
With the same Digic 5 processor as the SX40 HS but a bigger backlit sensor, along with Raw files, a fast f2.0 lens, real pocket-ability and the excellent handling inherited from the S95’s DNA all you really miss out on is that super long zoom lens and a viewfinder.
I didn’t have the opportunity to review the s100 but if you are considering a camera like the Canon SX40 HS I would recommend you have a look at the s100 as well. I’m sure a hands-on comparison could be very revealing.
Canon Powershot SX40 HS
RRP $750
Contact: www.canon.co.nz
Type : Compact digital camera with built-in flash, 35x Optical & 4x Digital & 140x Combined Zoom with Optical Image Stabiliser System
Image Sensor: 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor
Effective Pixels: 12.1 Megapixels
Lens: 4.3 (W) – 150.5mm (T) (35mm film equivalent: 24 (W) – 840mm (T))
Digital Zoom: Approx. 4.0x, up to 140x in combination with optical zoom
Viewfinders: Electronic Viewfinder available (Effective dots: Approx. 202,000 (67,000 x3))
Monitor : 2.7-inch TFT color Vari-angle LCD with wide viewing angle
Shutter Speed: 1-1/3200 sec. 15-1/3200 sec. (Total shutter speed range)
Sensitivity: AUTO, ISO 100/200/400/800/1600/3200
Metering: Evaluative, Centre-weighted average, Spot. Control to incorporate facial brightness in Face Detection AF
Continuous Shooting: Approx. 2.4 shots/sec (in P mode). Approx. 10.3 shots/sec (in High-speed Burst HQ mode). Maximum of 8 continuous shots per burst
Storage Media: SD memory card, SDHC memory card, SDXC memory card, Eye-Fi
Dimensions (W x H x D): 122.9 x 92.4 x 107.7mm
Weight: Approx. 21.2 oz (600g) (including the battery and memory card)
Pros
Cons
- Lacks raw file capability
Design 18
Performance 17
Feature 17
Image Quality 15 (for a small sensor P&S)
Value For Money 16
Total 84 /100
This article is an extended version of a review from D-Photo issue 45.
November 3rd, 2011 by D-Photo
La Sardina is the latest offering from the analogue acolytes of Lomography, a 35mm film camera with a super wide-angle lens and all the fine design trappings of a sardine can.
Before getting into the details of the quizzically decorated model it’s important to have an idea of the whacky world of 
Lomography which it is part of. The company started in 1991 when its Austrian founders fell in love with an old Russian compact manufactured by state-run LOMO PLC. The film enthusiasts went on to create a surprisingly successful business replicating the cheap plastic cameras of yore and selling them at inflated prices to the hip young ‘Lomographers’ of today.
The Lomography La Sardina continues in this tradition; although its paintjob resembles a can of seafood, the general shape is actually based upon a 1930s camera called the Kandor Candid. Fishiness aside, the camera is a simple plastic number with a little glass and no electronics to speak of. Lomography price tags aren’t a reflection of the gear you’re getting; it’s more the price of entry to a strange little boutique club.
Despite the marketing enthusiasm that drips off everything Lomography (it’s as much a cult as a company)there really is an authentic sense of fun and frivolity in taking that technological step backwards. I had not handled a roll of film since learning the SLR basics back in school and it really did feel like a kind of homecoming. Read the rest of this entry »
October 20th, 2011 by D-Photo
Adrian Malloch runs the new Epson printer through its paces.
When the Epson Stylus Photo R2000 printer arrived for review I really knew nothing about it, which is probably a good thing for a reviewer. However, I had read the favourable review of its more expensive stablemate the Epson R3000 (D-Photo issue 42, June/July) so at first look thought the R2000 might just be a stripped down version of that machine.
Turns out that it is unfair to compare these two printers, as they are more different than their similarities suggest.
The R2000 is an A3+ printer weighing in at 12.5kg and $1499. It needs a good-sized desk of its own once the paper-feed trays and chutes are installed and set up ready to print. Build quality is very good as is its appearance and, for the duration of the review, its reliability. Fortunately, it is wi-fi enabled so would be quite happy sitting on the other side of the room without a long USB cable to trip over.
In line with Epson’s mid-range and pro-level printers, the R2000 is able to print on a large variety of paper and media, including CD/DVD printable optical disks.
Papers from 3.5” x 5” through to 13” x 19” can be loaded in the top Auto sheet feeder –120 sheets of plain paper or 30 sheets of photo paper at a time. Read the rest of this entry »
October 18th, 2011 by D-Photo
I have to confess that I was prepared to adore this camera even before I opened the box. That’s because I’d already fallen in love with its ancestor: the Optio WP1.
The first of Pentax’s tough compacts, WP became my companion on numerous kayaking journeys, mostly around distant parts of the Hauraki Gulf accessed via a friend’s yacht. With nobody in sight and only seabirds and the odd dolphin or stingray for company, its lyrical little start-up “blooourp” helped make it a strangely comforting companion – as well as a reliable recorder of some great vistas.
I was delighted to discover Pentax hadn’t changed the start-up signature. But a lot else has changed on the latest Optio. For starters, the WGI looks a lot tougher. It took a while before I believed “waterproof” enough to take my traditional silver-bodied WP1 out snorkelling. Its black-bodied descendant doesn’t only look more waterproof, it can handle depths of up to 10m.
It’s also shock-proof, dust-proof and cold-proof down to -10degC. And, as well as the dangly wrist-strap thing (vital when being used in deep water), it now sports a metal carabiner-style strap for attaching to your jacket or pack. It also packs more digital grunt – with a 14-megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom and additional shooting modes. Read the rest of this entry »
October 11th, 2011 by D-Photo
As announced in August last year, Canon is first to introduce a new design in super-wide-angle lenses. Just arrived in New Zealand, their 8-15mm f/4 fisheye lens replaces Canon’s EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye and features a newly-designed two-group zoom optical system with a zoom range of 8-15mm.
Designed for full-frame cameras, it is an L-Series, USM (ultra-sonic motor) lens that functions as both a circular 
fisheye and full-frame fisheye when mounted with full-frame cameras. It is interchangeable with both SLR and DSLR cameras.
The lens can also be mounted on APS-C and APS-H camera bodies (non full-frame), but it’s not then possible to use the full circular fisheye option. On the barrel’s right-hand side is a switch labelled ‘limit’ which prevents vignetting, when mounted on a non full-frame camera body, set at infinity.
The lens has a 180-degree diagonal angle of view and, depending whether the lens is positioned up close to subjects or further away, produces an entirely different look. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/4 and minimum f/22.
Putting it to the test, producing a range of intriguing images, proved a lot of fun. The only downside was that I discovered peering for too long through the viewfinder at crazy perspectives had me feeling slightly seasick. I had lots of laughs trying to photograph our cat, whose face, magnified, appeared just as cats do in those abstract greeting cards where pets’ faces are completely distorted. Read the rest of this entry »
October 8th, 2011 by D-Photo
Fun, funky, nostalgic – Kelly Lynch checks the latest Polaroid instant.
Gone are the days when taking a Polaroid shot meant holding a big black contraption up to your eye with two hands. Polaroid’s 300, labeled ‘Classic Instant’ is funky and easy to handle in comparison to its predecessors.
Light and plastic, it’s easy to hold and shoot with one hand by holding a comfortable grip protruding from the front right of the camera, although I’m not sure how well this works for left-handers. The camera is turned on by pulling out the hunky lens barrel, causing flashing red lights on the camera top, signalling it is warming up. A solid green light indicates when it’s OK to shoot. The camera is powered by four AA alkaline batteries inserted into the camera’s right-hand side.
It has a focus range of 0.6 metres to infinity and the lens has a fixed focal length of 60mm, giving a close to ‘human eye’ perspective. On the rear of the camera in the top-right corner is the viewfinder, below it a thumb grip, leaving the entire left-hand side for loading film. Polaroid 300 instant film is recommended and is somewhat smaller than the traditional Polaroid size. It creates an image the size of a business card, 4.6 x 6.2cm surrounded by a white border. The film comes in packs of ten for $24.95 each. Read the rest of this entry »
October 5th, 2011 by D-Photo
Louis van Wyk finds lots to like on this SLT camera.
The Alpha 35 is the next entry-level version of Sony’s single-lens translucent (SLT) camera range – a category it effectively created with the introduction last year of the Alpha 33 and 55.
Single-lens translucent (SLT) cameras, for the uninitiated, may look and feel a lot like digital SLRs, but 
with a few fundamental differences. For one – while it does sport a viewfinder, it is electronic rather that optical. This is because the A35, like its SLT siblings and unlike digital SLRs, features a fixed translucent mirror instead of a solid mirror. Whereas the mirror on an SLR reflects an image into the optical viewfinder and then flips up to allow light to travel to the imaging sensor, the translucent mirror on the A35 allows light to travel through to the camera’s imaging sensor while reflecting a portion of light into the phase-detect autofocus sensors mounted up inside the camera body.
The same light captured by the image sensor also delivers the live image to electronic viewfinder and LCD display. The result is a camera that delivers continuous and responsive autofocus, enabling it to shoot at impressively fast speeds.
Another benefit is that you get a camera that can fit A-mount lenses, but with a body that is markedly less bulkier than traditional digital SLRs, as there is no need to dedicate real-estate to allow for the mirror movement. Read the rest of this entry »
September 21st, 2011 by D-Photo
Released by Panasonic in June, this is the company’s second premium Leica-branded lens for its micro four thirds compact camera series – and the first to use ‘nano surface coating’ for more efficient reduction of flare.
Testing it out on Panasonic’s Lumix GF3 (see previous review), I found myself mostly using this lens in preference to the 14mm that came with the camera. With a focal range equivalent to the 50mm on a 35mm camera, it seemed better adapted to shooting across a wider range of occasions – including a rash of kids’ birthday parties and a couple of scenic walks.
The 25mm lens employs nine elements in seven groups including two aspherical elements and one ultra high refractive (UHR) glass element with a rounded 7-bladed aperture diaphragm. There is certainly no problem with the optical quality, which is brilliant.
The fast f1.4 focal ratio means you can happily use the camera in fairly low ambient lighting – taking both still shots or movies without resorting to using the flash. You can also achieve a very shallow depth of field – creating a stronger focus on the main subject by blurring the background. The camera offers a ‘defocus’ control function allowing you to set the level of blurriness on the touch-screen slidebar.
The only downside is that, although both light and compact, the 25mm did initially feel slightly unbalanced on the petite Lumix body compared to the 14mm pancake lens.
That said, it feels solid and robust and the metal mount should last the distance.
It also comes with a lens hood that is very easy to just click on and its own little drawstring carrying case.
In short, this is a lovely, high-performing and adaptable lens that certainly suits a camera aimed at the enthusiast end of the compact camera market. However, the Leica-branded quality does come with a price tag to match.
It was somewhat of a surprise to discover that the recommended retail price for this lens actually came in higher than the bundled cost of the Lumix body and 14mm lens. Given Panasonic is pitching its G-series range at the lifestyle end of the market, cost is inevitably a factor.
Yes, this is a clever camera which comes with the compact’s ready portability and ease of use. That the ability to switch between lenses is now catered to with some quality options is a big plus. But if the dollar difference between choosing this or a full DSLR is too narrow, then buyers may prefer to plump for the latter.
Panasonic Leica Summilux DG 25mm/F1.4 Lens – Specifications
Focal length: 25mm
Maximum Aperture: F1.4
Minimum Aperture: F16
Image Stabilisation: No
Aperture: 7 blades
Optical construction:
9 elements / 7 groups
- 1 Ultra High Refractive Index element
- 2 aspherical elements
Minimum Focus: 0.30m (0.98 ft)
Maximum magnification: 0.11x
Filter thread: 46mm
Dimensions: (diameter x length) 63 x 54.5mm (2.5” x 2.1”)
Weight: 200g (7.05oz)
Mount: Micro Four Thirds
Supplied accessories: Front and rear caps, lens hood, storage bag
CONTACT
www.panasonic.co.nz
PROS
CONS
Design 18
Performance 18
Features 18
Image Quality 18
Value for money 16
TOTAL 88/100
This article is from D-Photo issue 44. Click here to check it out.
