September 2012

Canon’s 1D C 4K Cinema DSLR is Simply a 1D X with Different Firmware

If you thought the design and hardware specs of Canon's upcoming 4K-capable 1D C are strangely similar to the company's flagship 1D X, you're right: the two models feature identical hardware loaded with different firmware. At Photokina 2012, DSLR filmmaking blog EOSHD spoke to Canon representatives, who confirmed this fact to be true.

Civil War Reenactments Photographed with a Wet Plate Camera

At first glance, New York-based photographer Richard Barnes' Civil War photos might look like they were taken from some museum or historical photographic archive. Look a little closer, however, and you'll begin to notice things that are quite peculiar. In one of them, there's a pickup truck parked in the background. In another, a man wears a T-shirt and baseball cap -- certainly not the fashion you'd expect to see in a mid-1800s photo.

The truth is, Barnes creates beautiful war photos that appear to be from over a century ago by using the Civil War-era process of wet plate photography to capture modern day Civil War battle reenactments.

An iPhone 5 That Can Shoot Single-Shot Panoramas and Act As Its Own Monopod

Here's something to give you a chuckle as we head into the weekend. It's a parody iPhone 5 commercial that pokes fun at the fact that the phone has been stretched out in height without any change in width. But instead of being 7% taller, the imagined phone stretches that figure out to 795%. The result is a device that has some pretty interesting photographic applications.

Facebook ‘Photo Syncing’ Uploads Your Smartphone Photos As They’re Shot

Facebook is testing out a new feature for its Android mobile app called "Photo Syncing". The feature automatically backs up your smartphone's photographs by uploading them to Facebook as they're shot, tucking them away inside a private "Synced from Phone" tab on your photos page that isn't visible to anyone but you. You can then later choose which photos you'd like to make private and which you'd simply like for Facebook to hold on to.

Nikon D600 Sensor Found by DxOMark to be “Elite” and 3rd Best Ever

Nikon's new entry level full frame DSLR, the Nikon D600, is supposed to be a lightweight camera with heavyweight image quality. DxOMark confirms it to be true. The camera equipment measurement company has announced its sensor quality results for the D600, and the score is sure to put a big smile on the faces of Nikonians around the world. Rated at an overall score of "94", the camera received the third highest score ever, and falls in third place behind the D800 and D800E -- cameras that cost roughly $1,000 more.

Dad Sends His Son’s Toy Train to Space, Creates Short Film Showing the Journey

Sending a camera up to the edges of space on a weather balloon has been done quite a bit now, but perhaps none of the projects have been as creative as Ron Fugelseth's effort. Ron worked with his 4-year-old son to give his son's favorite toy train Stanley a fun and exciting ride to space. They built a rig consisting of a weather balloon, a styrofoam box, an HD video camera, and an old cell phone for GPS. Stanley was then attached to the outside of the box using a rod, positioned so that the camera would be perpetually pointed at Stanley with the world in the background.

Fujifilm May Already Be Working on a Full Frame Camera for the X-Series Lineup

There are currently two interchangeable-lens rangefinder-esque cameras in Fujifilm's X-Series lineup: the X-Pro1 and the X-E1, both of which contain APS-C sensors. Owners are gushing over the cameras, which are actually quite similar aside from the viewfinders (hybrid vs. electronic only). They feature sleek, retro designs that are very similar to Leica's classic M-line of rangefinders. A common sentiment that I've heard is that the X-Series would be absolutely perfect if the company simply introduced a full frame body.

That time might not be too far off.

Iconic “Atop a Skyscraper” Photographs May Have Been Staged Publicity Stunts

Lunch atop a Skyscraper is one of the most recognizable photos of the 20th century. The 1932 photo shows 11 construction workers taking a lunch break on a girder 850 feet above New York City. A second photo from the same shoot shows four of the men sleeping on the beam. The images are iconic and epic, but may not be as candid as they seem.

New emerging information about the images is casting doubt on the fact that they're simple snapshots showing ordinary workers on the job. Instead, the photos were reportedly staged as part of a promotional effort for the Rockefeller Center.

Stunning Macro Photographs of Insects Glowing in the Morning Dew

French photographer David Chambon is a master of macro insect photography. An amateur photographer for over 10 years, his goal is to capture the magical beauty of nature through his imagery. All of his macro shots are amazing, but it's his morning dew series that stands out from the rest. He ventures out early in the morning, and photographs various insects perched on flowers and leaves, glowing from the tiny beads of dew that coat their bodies.

Sketches Suggest Hasselblad May Also “Luxurify” Sony’s RX100 and DSLRs

It seems that everyone has something to say about Hasselblad's new line of Lunar mirrorless cameras, with "ugly" being one of the common adjectives used. The fact is, Hasselblad is trying to pull a Leica by taking the Sony NEX-7, rebranding it, "upgrading" it with a new look and rare materials, and slapping a $6,500 price tag on the resulting camera. The Lunar's Photokina booth, brochure, and website feature concept sketches that show how the camera's design came about.

What's interesting is that not all the sketches show a modified NEX-7. Some of them appear to show a compact camera, and others a DSLR.

Lexar Unleashes the World’s First 256GB SDXC Memory Card

Lexar has set a new bar in SD memory card capacity with its new 256GB card -- the largest size offered in the SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) format. SDXC has an upper limit of 2TB, compared to the 32GB cap that restricts the SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) format.

The official name of the card is the Lexar Professional 400x SDXC UHS-I. It's geared towards photographers who need to "capture, store, and transfer a large number of high-quality photos" and videographers who need to record massive amounts of HD video.

Inside an Exclusive Leica Launch Party

Some weeks ago, I received an invitation from Leica for a special launch party they were planning to hold the day before Photokina 2012 opened. The event was titled LEICA - DAS WESENTLICHE, which translates to "The Essentials". Aside from stating that there would be product premieres and "photographic and musical highlights", the invitation did not reveal much else about the event, which went down this past Monday. Here's a first-hand account of what it's like to attend one of these Leica parties.

Be Right Back After a Brief Pause To Our Coverage of Photokina 2012

If you're wondering why PetaPixel's coverage of Photokina 2012 -- the largest photo trade show in the world -- has been so slow, here's the explanation: it isn't intentional. Getting access to the Internet over here hasn't been as easy as I would have hoped -- the Wi-Fi at the hotel I'm at has been down for two days (I hear the same is true for other hotels as well), and there isn't free public Wi-Fi at Photokina.

Hands-on with the Nikon D600, a More Affordable Full Frame DSLR

Immediately after handling the Canon 6D, we also got a chance to play around with the new Nikon D600. Unlike the 6D, Nikon's cameras were locked down to the display booth, making it more difficult to get a feel for the weight. However, based on the announced specs alone, we know that the Nikon camera is even lighter than the already-light 6D (760g vs 770g), though it is a bit chunkier in its dimensions. Despite being so light, the D600 also feels quite sturdy. It's cheap in its price but not in its build quality.

Hands-on with the New Canon 6D Entry-Level Full Frame DSLR

Canon's new 6D is the company's attempt to make full frame photography more affordable and accessible to more photographers. Our initial impression of the camera is exactly what the company is boasting about: that it's small and light. The camera's lightness makes it feel much more Rebel-y than its beefier full-frame siblings, but at the same time it doesn't feel cheap. It's not simply a full frame sensor stuffed inside a Rebel body. Canon has chosen to use magnesium alloy for key parts of the camera, giving it strength where needed, while using lighter materials for other parts to reduce the weight.

Hasselblad Lunar is a Rebranded Sony NEX-7 with $5,000 of Luxury

Hasselblad mixed things up today by announcing a new "ultra luxury" APS-C mirroress camera. Sounds like Earth-shattering news, right? Take a little closer, and you'll notice that it's not as monumental as it sounds. Basically, the company has taken a page from Leica's book by playing the rebranding game. Just as Leica -Lux compact cameras are essentially rebranded Panasonic Lumix bodies, the new Hasselblad Lunar is a dressed-up version of the Sony NEX-7.

Mesmerizing Time-Lapse Shows What It’s Like to be an Airplane Pilot

You've probably seen time-lapse videos shot looking out the side of an airplane through a passenger window, but have you ever seen one from the pilot's point of view? If not, check out the beautiful video above. It was created by pilot Jakub Vlk, who brought his Canon 600D to work and captured photographs across seven days. The video shows Vlk taxiing to the runway, taking off, floating up into the clouds, flying around, and landing.

Lensbaby Spark: A New Plastic Lens for Selective-Focus Photos on the Cheap

"Entry level" is a huge theme in the photo gear industry this year, and it's not limited to cameras. Lensbaby has also joined in on the action by announcing its new Spark lens. It's stripped-down plastic version of the company's selective focus lenses, allowing you to shoot fun "tilt-shift"-style photos without breaking the bank.

Apple’s Jonathan Ive to Design a Single Uber-Limited Edition Leica M

Do you love the design of Apple products? Do you have infinitely deep pockets? If you said yes to both questions, then I have some good news for you.

At Leica's special event last night, after the new Leica M was announced, company owner Dr. Andreas Kaufmann revealed that they've got a very special limited edition version of the camera planned -- one that's designed by legendary Apple designer Sir Jonathan Ive.

A Sneak Peek of a Messy Photokina as Companies Scramble to Set Up Booths

I'm in Cologne, Germany covering Photokina right now. It's the day before the trade fair opens, and as I was walking through the exhibition center to a press event (which I'll write more on soon), I passed by some of the main exhibition halls. Instead of the squeaky clean "photographer's Disneyland" that guests enjoy when the fair is up and running, everything was a mess, as companies were working hard to set up their impressive displays.

Since this isn't a view that most people who visit the fair see -- after all, who wants to waste time walking around a day early? -- I decided to roam around and snap some photos of what Photokina looks like the day before opening.

Leica Unveils the M and M-E: Beefed Up and Stripped Down Rangefinders

With much fanfare, Leica announced its new M and M-E digital rangefinders at Photokina today. The M breaks new ground by introducing some fancy new features that have never been seen before in an M rangefinder, while the M-E is the company's attempt at offering an entry-level digital rangefinder.

Notice that Leica has done away with its standard naming strategy. Apparently Leica is doing what Apple did with the iPad: leaving out the generation in the name entirely. In future, we'll be saying "Leica M" with "20th generation" in parentheses rather than Leica M20.

Want Cheap Glass? Buy a Vintage Lens and an Adapter

If you want a 50mm f/1.4 lens for your DSLR, you'll need to shell out at least a couple hundred bucks, even if you buy one made by a third-party manufacturer. For those of you who don't mind losing autofocus, you can get the same focal lengths and apertures for much cheaper by buying some old glass and an adapter. By much cheaper, we mean as low as $10-$20! India-based photographer Brock Whittaker recently did this after seeing an auction on eBay for an old Mamiya camera kit.

Olympus Launches a Quirky 15mm Lens that Doubles as a Body Cap

In addition to its pretty standard cameras and lenses introduced this morning, Olympus also announced something quite unique: a body cap lens. It's a pancake-style MFT-mount 3-element 15mm f/8 lens that is designed to replace your body old body cap. In 35mm terms, the focal length is equivalent to 30mm -- not bad for casual snapshots.

Olympus Unveils the E-PM2, E-PL5, and X-Z2: Two Mirrorless and a Compact

Olympus is entering Photokina week with three new cameras: the E-PM2 and E-PL5 for its PEN Micro Four Thirds lineup, and the X-Z2 as a flagship compact camera. Both PEN cameras feature a 16.1MP CMOS sensor, a max ISO of 25,600, in-body image stabilization, a 3-inch touchscreen, touch shooting, 8fps continuous shooting, photo filters, RAW files with in-camera editing, and 1080i HD video recording.

Canon Announces the 6D, Its Smallest, Lightest, and Cheapest Full Frame DSLR

The leaked photos were authentic and the specs were spot on: Canon announced its new 6D DSLR this morning, the smallest, lightest, and cheapest full-frame camera in its lineup. At 690g, it's 20% lighter than the 5D Mark III. The camera is Canon's entry in the emerging "affordable full-frame" DSLR segment, which Nikon entered last week with its similarly named and similarly priced D600.

The Canon 6D features a 20.2 megapixel full frame sensor, an ISO range of 100-25600 (expandable to 50-102400), an 11-point AF system with a high-precision center cross-type point, 63-zone metering, 1080p HD video recording, 4.5fps continuous shooting, vibration-based dust removal, a shutter rated to 100K actuations, and a 3-inch LCD screen.

Bacteriograph: Photographs Printed with Bacterial Growth

Microbiologist-turned-photographer Zachary Copfer has developed an amazing photo-printing technique that's very different from any we've seen before. Rather than use photo-sensitive papers, chemicals, or ink, Copfer uses bacteria. The University of Cincinnati MFA photography student calls the technique "bacteriography", which involves controlling bacteria growth to form desired images.

Tech Journalists’ Initial Impressions of the Google Glass Camera Glasses

Developers who pre-ordered Google's Project Glass glasses for $1,500 won't be receiving them until early 2013, but a number of lucky journalists were recently given the opportunity to take the camera-equipped, augmented reality eye-piece for a test drive. The New York Times' gadget kingmaker David Pogue writes that the device has the potential to be one of the rare devices that introduces a whole new gadget category to the world,

[...] a few things are clear. The speed and power, the tiny size and weight, the clarity and effectiveness of the audio and video, are beyond anything I could have imagined. The company is expending a lot of effort on design — hardware and software — which is absolutely the right approach for something as personal as a wearable gadget

[...] it’s much too soon to predict Google Glass’s success or failure. But it’s easy to see that it has potential no other machine has ever had before — and that Google is shepherding its development in exactly the right way.

Canon 6D Pre-Order Page Makes Brief Appearance, Confirms Price and Specs

Canon will reportedly launch its new entry-level full frame DSLR, the Canon 6D, along with a bevy of other digital cameras tomorrow at Photokina 2012. We saw a semi-complete spec list and a couple photos leak out earlier this week, but people have expressed doubt as to the leak's reliability and authenticity. If you had any doubts that the camera is in fact coming, check out the above screenshot. It's a pre-order page that appeared briefly today on Adorama.

Tough Little Camera Captures Its Own Accidental Fall From Plane

On its own, the video above is horribly filmed and some of the most difficult-to-watch footage you'll ever see, but what it shows makes it fascinating. It's a point-of-view look at what it's like to fall 12,500 feet without a parachute... and survive. Skydiver Lucas Damm was jumping out of a plane over British Columbia recently when his helmet-mounted GoPro camera smacked against the plane door and fell out of its holder. The camera, still rolling, fell the entire way down and miraculously escaped without any damage.

This is What Camera Shops Looked Like a Century Ago

Check out this photo showing the inside of a camera shop (and pharmacy) from 1910. It's the image on a postcard that's currently being auctioned over on eBay (with a starting bid of $100) by a seller named 2raccoons. Here's the description:

Up for auction is this extraordinary photograph of a woman in standard Gibson dress standing at a store counter purchasing a Kodak folding camera. The store employee is wearing a jacket and bow-tie which adds charm to the photograph. It is uncertain if the woman is actually buying the Kodak camera, or if the scene here is "staged," but $25 is about what one would have paid for the Kodak folding camera at that time, which can be seen on the cash register.

$25 for a top-of-the-line camera. Not bad. Add a couple zeros to that price and you'll get what many DSLRs are selling for these days.