saneal-camera

Filter Buying

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:33:01 GMT

Buying Guide On Gear

Filters for lenses have less of a stage in the play of today's digital photography.
The reason for this is that a lot of photographers are either photographing for post production or prefer their images as pure as is possible inside their camera - unfiltered means uninterrupted.

When it comes to the classic UV filter, most people use these to protect the front of their lenses from possible impact damage especially in the great outdoors where a simple slip or an unseen object hits the front of the lens and shatters it. It happens has happened and will happen. So having a UV filter on the front does help to protect the front focusing lens to a certain extent.

So what are the pros and cons of having a UV filter on the front of the lens?

PROS:
Protects (mostly) the front of the lens from impact, protects from liquids that can crystallize (soft carbonated drinks), helps restore under-contrasted areas burnt out by UV radiation (to which extent, depends on the quality of the UV coating), and finally increase the depth of black areas and hardens grey areas a little.

CONS:
Because UV filters increase the depth of black areas and hardens grey areas a little, when using indoors or in low lighting you will lose details in the darker areas. Basically it cuts down the dynamic range of deeper darker colours. Also because you are placing a second piece of glass at the front of the lens this can cause some artifacts to occur in your photographs - aberration, refracted light - really bad for long exposures, subtle softening, vignetting of the corners on wide angle lenses.

So why is it we at Saneal Cameras always recommend that you add a UV filter to your lens purchase?
We have seen so many scratched and broken front focus glass on lenses that we prefer our customers to protect their lenses first and foremost. It is better for them in general. It also adds a touch of security so to speak.

But heres a thing, if you spend $2000 on a lens and then throw the cheapest of filters onto the front then there is a chance you will degrade the image quality. So always use top of the range filters for your top of the range lens.

We usually recommend B+W (Ralph Schneider Glass) for the more expensive lenses, and Tiffen for the normal or cheaper lenses, though we do have several other companies that run at a cheaper cost either way.
It has to be said that you do get what you pay for when it comes to both quality and contrast recovery.
So if you value yours lens, give it the best you can afford.

TIP for UV filter users is to keep the filter as clean as possible at all times, so do carry a lint free cloth with you. Also make sure your lens is actually clean before you mount any filter.

So whats your thoughts on the use of UV filters and have they helped at any time to protect your lens? If so we would love to hear your story and or experiences.

Please leave a comment below and don't forget to like and subscribe.

Lens Punking

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:33:00 GMT

What is Punking?

Punking is the practice of either using an item for something that it was not designed for, or, adapting an item to something that it wasn't designed for.

In this case I am going to "Punk" an old projector lens to use on a camera just to see if its doable.

I went through several old projector lenses that we have in the store: KODAK and LEICA; and came to the conclusion that due to barrel size the LEICA HEKTOR-P2 f2.8 85mm projector lens had a small enough lens barrel to work with.

I found the KODAK projector lenses were to thick and would not sit in any adapter I had available, and in fact, the LEICA would only fit into a set of CANON macro extension tubes and no other company would fit.

So using the above extension tubes as the body of the lens, I added an EOS-MFT adapter (as most newer MFT cameras have image stabilization built onto the sensor) in this case I used the Olympus OM-D E-M5 mk II.

I place the LEICA HEKTOR-P2 f2.8 85mm projector lens inside of the CANON macro extension tubes and added the EOS-MFT adapter and voila I have a punked out - slide-to-focus 85mm LEICA lens.

Here's what it looks like,

After many attempts to manually set the focal distance correctly to the focal plane I eventually managed to set up a minimum focal distance of about 90cm from subject. At this distance, the depth of field is super narrow - about 3-6mm only.

Even with the IBIS (in body image stabilization) I found it really hard to keep a steady focal point and had to kind of rock back and forth slightly to attain the actual focal point I wanted.

At this point I am running at a 1250 ISO and shutter speed is at 250/1 just to maintain the available indoor light.

I fired a few times but the results were mediocre to lame, and I have a reputation to keep as a photographer so I kept going until I got something very workable.

Not a bad result - with time and patience I think I could do better.

Eventually I got the image I wanted.

I found the "Bokah" was very washy, but I kind of liked that, somehow it adds to the overall feel of the image. Also that super fine depth of field had its use here too, in highlighting the name of the product, in this case the Olympus OM-D EM10 mk III.

So is it worth punking a lens together?

Yes very much so but don't expect anything for Vogue Magazine or National Geographic, but do expect to have a lot more artistic end results to your photos and a lot of fun changing the way we see everyday things.

All items mentioned above are available at our stores if you want to try out a bit of PUNK.

What Is Street Photography

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:32:56 GMT

What is Street Photography?

Often I come across individuals who like to share their photos and talk about them with me, they often use the correct terms for their photography styles as in: "landscape"; "portrait"; or even "still life"; but so often mis-use the term "Street" photography for what really is "urban" or "reportage" photography.

As we see with the Calgary Tower photograph above, often this type of photograph is misinterpreted as "street" photography when it should be categorized as "Urban" photography.

In the same sense the following image is actually "Reportage" (photojournalism) and not street photography though people are interacting with their scene.

Because the above photo is representing or supporting a story about a protest, the photograph becomes a form of journalism, it portrays a staged event and so therefore is photojournalism or "reportage".

So what is "street" photography exactly if the above 2 examples are not street?
Street photography is a form of photography where the human being is interacting with their scene or are a none con-formative subject (as a paid model would be) within an urban surrounding or scene.

To show the difference, the photograph below has also many people within the scene but it is not orchestrated, has no paid models and is a random interaction between people and place in an urban environment - hence "Street" photography.

Sometimes there is a fine line between reportage and street photography and there can be photographs that will fall equally within both categories.

Above is a clown whom has fallen off their bike whilst police look to see if the person is ok. This photo can be used for both street and reportage, why? Because it captures part of the joy and antics of the Calgary Stampede Parade Day and on the other hand captures a random event occurring in an urban environment. So it does suit both categories of photography.

A drunken fellow decides to sleep on the patio area of a downtown hotel is not news, but does make for a photo opportunity especially when the security turn up to move him on. In the above photo you see the security guard weighing up the problem of the drunken guy whom is asleep where he shouldn't be. That is an urban story, and automatically becomes a "street" photograph. There is a visual story as 2 people interact within the scene in 2 different ways with one shared subject - street sleeping.

Incorporating a little art into your street photography is perfectly fine as long as it adds to your scene.
The above photo incorporates two art techniques at the same time, Hi-key photography and Selective coloring. The original idea was to pull the viewer around the photograph whilst portraying the blandness of the urban bustle. When people are rushing around they rarely see whats around them unless it stands out or is in their line of sight. Hence why the woman in red stands out because she is being avoided by another pedestrian and the woman in the greenish coat stands out because she is in the line of sight of the man in the front right. Those indicated people stand out in the scene because others are interacting with them though the urban rush around them has become irrelevant to those interacting with them in a passive way.

Though a little artistic merit has been added to the usually bland rush hour scene, by keeping the main color of the two ladies makes for a small urban story.

In the photograph below I kept an accidental photo that captures people walking around, the blur made it feel like everyone was in a rush, so that is why I kept it.

The photograph above even though it has art aspects to it, it is also "street" photography. There is nothing wrong in being creative in street photography as long as it adds to the main visual story.

Nearly all "Street" photography is recording just random events. This was known as "The Decisive Moment" by Henri Cartier Bresson who was undoubtedly the king of Street Photography.

Knowing when to shoot as all the elements come into play to make that one superb photo is the key to great street photography.

Often "Streeters" - Street Photographers will sit by a place waiting for just the right moment for a person who suits the scene to move in and fill it at just the right time so that their pre-visualized photo comes into reality and then snap, they have the shot they wanted. Yes this is a way of orchestrating the scene but still in another sense it is quite random too as you never know who is going to come along to fill the gap.

There are no best cameras for street photography as any camera will suffice but there are some things to keep in mind if you want to do street photography seriously.

Black cameras or blackened cameras work best because they don't attract as much attention as silver or any other colored camera does.

Smaller cameras also work best as they (again) do not attract so much attention - The last thing you need is people half posing for you or flipping you a finger when you are trying to record the every day comings and goings of everyday urban life. Smaller cameras allow for discretion for the photographer.

In fact a lot of photographers will blacken out any white or red or even reflective surfaces so that they can hide their camera more. In a way unseen means for a more candid shot of people.

Never use flash, though there is a famous photographer in New York who gets up close and personal with his camera and uses flash too. Personally I find his technique invasive and most of his photos look like people who are terrified of being photographed due to his approach - not recommended.

Have a smile and some small talk - it is so important to communicate with people, I find it helps in difficult situations (where someone has misunderstood your photo-intentions) to sit with them and calm down people and show them that they are not the main subject but the whole scene is the subject of which they are a part of and explain to them the art of street photography (thank God for Digital in that aspect). For me it somehow works and people are more accepting to what I am doing then, once explained. Though I have been chased down the street by an individual who thought I was selling his photo for perverted reasons, no matter how I explained it to him he didn't understand at all - so I deleted it in front of him to show that I meant no harm.....and then recovered the photo as soon as I got home.

When it comes to equipment, some photographers favor the traditional Leica or Bessa route for their street photography and the Purists will only ever use black and white film with a manual winder, whilst the more financially normal of us will use large sensor compacts or mirrorless cameras and shoot in a black and white configuration.

Either way, no matter your tool or skill base, street photography is fun, interactive and helps you to look at the world with a slightly different eye - one that looks for chance, coincidence and timing.

In the near future, I will try to put together a guide on the different shooting techniques used in this candid art form.
Until then here is some recommended gear to consider.

Digital Cameras (in no particular order):
Leica Q2 - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/leica-q2-black-anodized
Ri c oh GRIII - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/ricoh-gr-iii-compact-camera
Panasonic LX100 M2 - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/panasonic-dmc-lx100-mk-ii
Panasonic GX9M - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/panasonic-gx9-with-1260mm-black
Canon G5Xii - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/canon-powershot-g5x-mk-ii-1

Canon M5 - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/canon-eos-m5-w1545mm
Olympus E-M5ii - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/olympus-omd-em5-mk-ii-body-black
Sony A6400 - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/sony-a6400-with-1650mm-lens-kit-black
Fujifilm X100F - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/fujifilm-x100f-black
Fujifilm XPRO2 - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/fuji-xpro-2-body-only

Bags:
ThinkTank Spectral - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/thinktank-spectral-10
ThinkTank Vision - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/thinktank-vision-13-graphite
ThinkTank Urban Approach - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/thinktank-urban-approach-10-messenger-bag
Lowepro M-Trekker - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/lowepro-mtrekker-sh150-black

Roots 73 - https://sanealcamera.com/product-detail/roots-73-flannel-backpack

What the f is aperture?

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 21:32:53 GMT

What the f is aperture?

Aperture is an opening, usually circular, that limits the quantity of light that can enter an optical instrument.

In photography aperture can be controlled to a certain degree with the aperture ring on the lens, and adjusted to predetermined "stopping" points.

Often when we buy a lens it will have a maximum aperture shown next to the lens's cross focal length (50mm f1.8)

The aperture size is controlled by the diaphragm or aperture blades via the aperture ring on lens or the aperture function in camera, the position of those blades is correlative to the aperture setting. A more closed diaphragm equals a higher "f" number (f22) which means less light travelling through the lens. A more open diaphragm equals a lower "f" number (f1.8). Oddly enough the smaller number is referred to as being a "maximum" aperture. The term is descriptively incorrect but commonly used all the same.

To be precise it should be called the "Maximum allowed light" but that's just a bit too much so people commonly refer to it as maximum aperture meaning the most light the lens can bring in. The reverse is also true too, the "minimum" aperture is the largest number (f22) or minimum amount of light coming through the lens's diaphragm based on the most closed together the aperture blades (diaphragm) can be.

I won't go into how that number is defined (because I hate math) but for those who want to find out how the numbers are derived then please visit:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number

To keep things simple, each stop number is on average half the amount of light moving through the lens. So for arguments sake lets say if f1.8 is equal to 100% of the light then the next full stop (f2.8) [actual is f2.5] will be 50% of the light passing through the f1.8 set diaphragm. f3.5 will be a 50% of the light of f2.8 (75% less overall light) and f5 will be 50% of f3.5 (87.5% less overall light).

So why does lessening the available light help in photography? It helps with the focal depth of field, or how much is in focus before and after the main focused on subject.

Again to keep things simple: the larger the f number is the more deeper the focus is. f22 will most likely make things in focus from front to back (infinity focus) whilst f1.8 may have just the face of a person in focus and everything in front and behind the person will be blurred.

Blur in the background is referred to as "Bokeh" (not always true - as this is also lens dependent) but is actually correctly named circles of confusion. This is the effect of out of focus light being recorded after passing through the lens. How much "Bokeh" and size of "Bokeh" depends on: the sensor size; length of exposure time; cross focal distance and shape of the apertures diaphragm, as well as shutter speed, sensitivity (ISO) distance of main subject from the lens, all play a part in the scenes "Bokeh".

Narrow or small depths of field help to lend a subject "pop" and separates them from the background or surrounding scene as well as forcing the viewers towards the chosen subject. Also it can be exploited for a more creative style of art photography too.

Where wide open apertures have an advantage is in Portraiture and still-life photography, whilst a more closed aperture has an advantage in landscapes, macro and photojournalism, but there are no real "must-do's" in photography even though the above are common used settings in those areas of photography.

To recap: - smaller apertures (larger f numbers) more resolved detail as well as the main subject.

: - larger apertures (smaller f numbers) more defined subject and less defined scene.

Common questions in regards to aperture are:

1= Why don't aperture settings start at zero?

A= Zero aperture would be no lens at all on the camera.

2= Does my camera have an aperture?

A= Yes (the cameras' lens mount area), but it is larger than the cameras record-able surface (film or digital sensor) and so does not play any part in general lens aperture calculations.

3= Will my photos be better with a faster aperture (f1.2 etc) lens?

A= No, Lenses don't improve a photographer, they are tools that help a photographer render their vision of the subject scene. Faster apertures are there to improve low light performance and control over depth of field. Not all f1.2 lenses or wider aperture lenses are great lenses on the contrary, there are so many great lenses that are f1.4 or f1.8 or even as much as f2.8. Lens resolving quality is more about the type of glass and lens coatings than how open an aperture can be.

4= My lens starts at f8 can I have a narrow depth of field with that lens?

A= Yes for sure, but its not so straight forward to do. Some knowledge of the "exposure triangle" is needed and a good camera with low SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio) is needed as a start. Then there is available light, distance of subject from lens, the focal distance of the lens and the fastest available shutter speed at the correct exposure value all play a part in getting a narrow depth of field.

5= Is my sensor to small to achieve narrow depths of field?

A= No, though some online-personalities will tell you convincingly that you have to have a 35mm sensor regardless. It is not so much sensor size (though a larger sensor makes it easier) it is more about the technology behind the sensor as well as the photography technique used.

For example a Canon 5D mk III with a 50mm f1.8 will not out-perform an Olympus OM-D E-M1X with a 25mm f1.8 (50mm equivilant) though the Olympus has a sensor half the size of the Canon 5D, the tech inside the Olympus is much more superior to that of the above mentioned Canon and so will easily out perform it and render much better images especially when controlling depth of field. Saying that though if all cameras were of equal technology then yes a larger sensor will have a narrower depth of field than smaller ones because more light is entering the camera thus more control of depth and more dynamic range. But (again) there are always work-arounds if you have a good grasp of the exposure triangle.

6= I need a f1.2 lens for portraiture?

A= Oh God no. no and no again. The f1.2 lens offers such a narrow depth of field so in regular studio lighting an aperture of f1.2 is rendered somewhat useless. Most studios will set the lens aperture between f8-f11 depending on the type of photo they are doing. I have never seen a studio run a portrait shoot at f1.2 ever, but I have seen urbanists and creative art photographers use the f1.2 aperture and have rendered some amazing results. An f1.2 aperture lens can really help with a much better low light performance.

In photography there are basic art rules, and there are basic guidelines to get things done. Learn them, exploit and use them, then go and break those rules and guidelines to see what happens. The results can be amazing. Especially when playing with aperture. Have fun.

The Daily Challenge

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 20:43:40 GMT

The Daily Challenge

Many new photographers will ask me about how to get started in photography, is there any courses they can take, is there websites I can recommend etc, as there is a huge amount of websites and youtube videos that one can learn from the web can be an intimidating place to the untrained eye. But don't fear, there is actually an easier way to hone your skills or get used to your camera without the chore of raking through the web until you find someone you like or a website that talks your language.

Welcome to the "daily photography challenge".

To get started on the daily photography challenge, you will need a camera, and it doesn't matter to much which camera as long as you can control aperture and shutter speed, and a calendar that you can write on and a random novel (I'll explain why you need a random novel soon).

If you don't have a calendar you can download and print a calendar from here: https://www.123calendars.com/

Firstly, what we need to do is set up our daily challenge in such a way that we ourselves are not influencing the topics of choice for photography - this makes the daily challenge a little more random and a little more tasking too.

To set up the calendar: take the book and randomly open it to any page, without looking, place your finger on any of the two open pages.

Your finger will land near a word, if that word is a verb or noun then write that word into the first available date on the calendar.

Repeat the above action again, open the book to a random page, and blindly choose a word, write it into the next blank date. And so on until the month is full of randomly chosen words.

Now you have your layout for the self photography challenge.

On each day, you have a subject that you can go out and photograph or make a set with that subject. Having set topics or subjects can challenge your photography as you are no longer controlling what you like to photograph and so lifts you out of your comfort zone and into the place of challenge. A good challenge can teach us about our camera and its functions and improve on our photography too.

Doing one photography subject a day helps to open your eyes to other subjects and helps you to look through the lens at the world differently too.

Keep in mind when doing this challenge that you should also take into account basic art rules too. Depth of field, layout, angle, perspective etc. Think on how you want to best represent your subject in the scene and where its placement should be within the scene too.

Once you are more confident with your photography and subject finding, you can then push it up another level by adding 2 word combinations per calendar square. You would enter your randomly chosen word and then an art restriction - for example: your chosen word is "car" and your art restriction is perspective. Now with that challenge you have to photograph a car in or out of perspective with the surrounding scene.

Below is a downloadable list of art restrictions that you can cut up and put in a bowl and use them to "lucky dip" them to add more randomness to your challenge.

Click here: PRINTABLE RANDOM RESTRICTIONS LIST

Best of luck and let us know how it the daily challenge works for you and we would love to see your results too.

The Vlogger Set up

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:59:47 GMT

The Vlogger Set up

In our world of online celebrity and specialist video content providers: there has been more and more attraction towards a personal video camera set-up at home (or work); be that for youtube or twitch and other likened sites. We often get people asking us about what they need to set up and usually after a 5 minute conversation nearly everyone we have spoken to requires the same basics. I use the word basics as you can go as deep into online streaming or video creation as you want to go.

There is plenty of free video editors out there be them packaged already with laptop/computer purchases, but a good one to get you going if you don’t have one is the Open-Shot Video Editor. It is simple, easy to use, and has a plenty of tutorials for it online. Yes it is very limited but at least you are getting your content out.

So to begin with you have to ask yourself are you streaming or are you producing content to be edited together?

For streaming it is always best to get an actual video camera. Yes there are plenty of so called web cams out there but the options that come with those cameras are somewhat limited. If you purchase an actual video camera such as the Sony HDR-CX900 or the Sony FDR-AX53 you will get clearer streaming video, and the ability to adjust zoom to a greater extent than PC video cams or a laptop cam can.

Remember, clarity will keep your audience attentive. There is nothing worse than pixelated streamed video. Simply put pixel artifacts are annoying. So stay with a dedicated video camera to get the best pleasing results.

When it comes to content for youtube or other online sharing platforms then usually most people are editing many small series of video footage (usually between 5-30 seconds) and splicing them together on an editing platform. So for this way of doing things the camera options are a lot more. The basic fact is that any camera that can do full HD video will do.

But saying that: for better more practical results it is better to have a modular system. Be that from Nikon, Canon, Sony, Panasonic or even Olympus. The mirrorless systems are always going to be a better choice for video, as mirrorless cameras do not get as hot as their DSLR brethren when doing video(mostly). This usually means: less heat equals less visual noise so better quality video.

Our recommended camera set ups are often within the budget of the creator. But to begin with you don’t need to spend more than a $1000 on the whole setup.

So in this sense the Sony A6000 , or the Panasonic G7 are more than enough to begin with. It is all about the lens you use and the lights that you have. For the lens, if you have a stationary set-up then its best to go with a focal length of anywhere between 50mm-85mm anything between those lengths are fine as there is very little to no distortion if a person comes close to the lens. Prime lenses which are lenses that use a single focal length are always better quality, with a narrower depth of field, and give a better representation of the scene. You could use packaged kit lenses if you wish to keep it on a low low budget but it is recommended to have at least one prime lens.

Lighting also plays an important part based on how you wish to best represent you and your scene. Near field lighting panels such as the Vid-pro LCD lighting panels (Z-96 and LED300) are more than enough light for most Casters and Presenters. They are near field though, so if you need something a little more light-flooding as such do look at the larger studio panels again from vid-pro such as the LED604 or LED1X1 panels.

For the microphone never use the on-board mics on any camera. They are the worst mics ever. They have very small frequency ranges and pick up everything in the near space around and on the camera; they also tend to have a high noise floor which means a lot of HISS noise (white noise) to get rid of in post production. A dedicated Mic is always going to be better quality and much more a clear audio support for your video. (you can have the best video in the world but if the audio is bad then the viewer wont stay with you). Again just like the camera you do not need to spend a great deal on a good mic. A few options are Zoom H1 , Zoom H2N or any RØDE camera mic will be adequate. You really do not need more than that to begin with. A TIP:- Always treat your audio independently rather than use video software to do it. A dedicated Audio editor is going to give you better results, such as the free to download Audacity which has everything you need to adjust your audio to however you want.

There after everything else needed for your set up is completely subjective but you could add backdrops, reflectors, different lenses, twin mics for more dynamic range and stereo masking, multiple cameras for one shot multi views and much much more.

This blog has been about a simple, straight forward, no more than a $1000 to spend set-up for anyone wanting to either create, or stream their content to the world.

We hope this concise blog piece has helped you and if you need more information and have questions please visit us at any of our locations for Vlogger / Tuber creator tips and gear.

OCTOBER WAS ONE FULL MONTH

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 15:18:13 GMT

This week has been a very busy week for the camera industry with several new items announced.

Nikon started the week off with the introduction of its DX version of the Z-Series mirrorless camera range, the Z50.

Nikon states:
"Meet the Z series mirrorless camera for the rest of us. Insanely small. Tough. Dead simple to use. Connected to your phone. Ready to transform you into a pro-caliber creator. Your followers won’t know what hit ’em."

Keeping with Nikon's tradition of always having the same mount across their camera ranges the Z50 is no different. The Z50 has the same mount as the Z7 and Z6 cameras and can utilize the already existing S mount lenses from the full frame range. Already have F-mount lenses? No problem the FTZ adapter will take care of that even with the Z50.

The small form factor has no IBIS (in-built image stabilization) so you will have to rely on lenses that carry stabilization which was a bit of a let down considering the FX mirrorless lenses do not have any stabilization built into them, yet the new DX mirrorless lenses do.

Click the links below for product Specs

Nikon Z50 Body

Nikon Z50 16-50mm Lens Kit

Nikon Z50 two lens bundle

Also announced by Nikon are 3 new lenses (2 DX mirrorless lenses and 1 FX lens).

The Nikkor S 16-50mm VR DX lens looks like it will be the new "kit" lens going forward with the DX (APS-C) format. Having a 35mm equivalent length of 24-75mm it has good versatility as a walk-around lens, or, the lens you always start with as such when the camera sits in the kit bag for your travel photography.

Another DX format S mount lens announced this week was the 50-250mm lens , which makes sense as it helps cover the most common zoom requirements and makes for a good lens-partnership with the 16-50mm "kit" lens.

On the same day Nikon also announced the long awaited NOCT lens: the FX S-mount 58mm f0.95 mirrorless lens. Night (Noct) lenses are always a treat to have in your kit and the 58mm f0.95 will be no different, well erhem (polite cough), as long as you have a spare $10,499 in your back pocket that is.

Considering that lens manufacturing companies such as Voightlander etc, have Night lenses of their own already available for full-frame at anywhere between $1700-$3000 for the F-mount I can see the Noct 58mm will only be for the elitist or for the financially well endowed. A very "Leica" move as such (i.e. very expensive and aiming at a very niche market place for no real obvious reason) and is something I would never have expected Nikon to ever do.

Disgust at pricing aside, I sure want to get my hands on and try out the lens once it is available, especially as low and challenging light is my [not so] secret passion.

Canon were not far behind Nikon's crop-sensor announcements with a crop-sensor announcement of their own: the EOS M200 . Continuing on from the smaller more automated EOS M100 the EOS M200 brings to the format 4k video.

Aiming at the baseline consumer Canon are hoping to woo New comers to their own mirrorless systems and are greatly taking aim at the creator profiled market.

Personally I would have to say that if you are starting fresh out of the blocks into the online-entertainment world or simply wish to share selfie vids etc then this is a great way to start out.

Also this week, Olympus announced the long long l-o-n-g awaited update to the OM-D E-M5 line of cameras: The new OM-D E-M5 Mark III . It is internally very much the same as the OM-D E-M1 Mark II in specifications but in a smaller more portable format. The OM-D E-M5III follows its predecessors design format, the only 2 main physical differences is the battery is the smaller BLS-50 and the body material is no longer metal.

Olympus state, "Seeking adventure is in your DNA. You’re passionate about photographing all the far-flung places you visit. The E-M5 Mark III is just what you’re looking for. It’s compact, lightweight and comfortable — made for roaming the biggest cities, the smallest villages or the most remote destinations on earth. You’ll feel exhilarated instead of exhausted from carrying heavy gear. And then there’s the stunning stills and video. Thanks to an impressive range of pro technology, you’ll come home with images you’ll want to see over and over again. The E-M5 Mark III. All you need in one astoundingly portable system."

At the same time Olympus also announced that all pre-orders will qualify for a free additional battery for only pre-orders up until 21st November when the unit is expected to land on shelves across North America.

In other news:

DJI have announced the Robomaster S educational Robot .

A robotics kit that encourages learning on how robots are built and it comes disassembled so that you can build it to how you wish.

Up to 46 customizable components give you unlimited space for innovation, helping you grow and learn in an exciting way that expands the capabilities of your S1, and yourself. Six PWM ports support customized accessories, allowing you to explore the unlimited possibilities of the S1 and the magic of the robotic world.

As usual, see our stores for more details on any of the above mentioned products. Stay safe and have a great week.

Staff Focus: Stephen Oliphant

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 20:52:31 GMT

Stephen Oliphant has worked with Saneal cameras for many many years. He is an avid wild life and landscape photographer. Most of his free time is spent running to various bird sanctuaries and migration paths in and around Alberta. His gear does change but is currently running with a few canon DSLRs and an Olympus E-M5 mk II.

All photographs are subject to copyright of relevant owners.

Free Software List

Mon, 08 Jul 2024 20:10:11 GMT

The following lists are comprised of useful software that are free and useful for most photographers, videographers and content creators. Please keep this page bookmarked as I will be adding more websites to the various lists below as and when I come across more. Feel free to send us your suggestions too.

Adobe Photoshop Express

https://www.photoshop.com/products/photoshopexpress

You can edit files and make collages from your device, Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, Facebook, or Google Photos.

Basics: Crop, straighten, rotate, and flip your photos. Remove red-eye and pet-eye.

Auto-Fix: A one-touch adjustment for contrast, exposure, and white balance.

Raw photo support: Import and edit photos in raw formats.

TIFF support: Edit TIFF images seamlessly.

Blemish removal: Remove spots, dirt, and dust from your photos with one touch.

Text tool: Add text with the Photoshop Text engine working behind the scenes. Choose from a wide variety of styles to quickly get professional-quality results.

Upright Photo: Easily fix perspective distortion by choosing the auto options.

Corrections: Slide controls for clarity, contrast, exposure, highlights, shadows, temperature, tint, and vibrance. Various corrections like Blacks, Whites, Reduce Luminance, and Reduce Color Noise make images look their best.

Looks: Choose from more than 45 eye-catching effects! Different categories of looks like Black and White, Portrait, Nature, and Duo Tones help find the right look.

Customization: Create and save your own looks.

Perspective Correction: Fix those skewed photos with just a click! Choose from auto (balanced or full auto), vertical, or horizontal perspective correction options.

Borders: Add a distinctive personal touch to your photos with 15 borders and frames. For a coordinated look, match the border color with the colors in the image.

GIMP

https://www.gimp.org/

GIMP is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, OS X, Windows and more operating systems. It is free software, you can change its source code and distribute your changes.

Whether you are a graphic designer, photographer, illustrator, or scientist, GIMP provides you with sophisticated tools to get your job done. You can further enhance your productivity with GIMP thanks to many customization options and 3rd party plugins.

IRFANVIEW

https://www.irfanview.com/

It is designed to be simple for beginners and powerful for professionals.

IrfanView seeks to create unique, new and interesting features, unlike some other graphic viewers, whose whole "creativity" is based on feature cloning, stealing of ideas and whole dialogs from ACDSee and/or IrfanView! (for example: XnView has been stealing/cloning features and whole dialogs from IrfanView, for 10+ years).

IrfanView was the first Windows graphic viewer worldwide with Multiple (animated) GIF support. One of the first graphic viewers worldwide with Multipage TIF support. The first graphic viewer worldwide with Multiple ICO support.

PAINT.net

https://www.getpaint.net/index.html

Paint.NET is image and photo editing software for PCs that run Windows. It features an intuitive and innovative user interface with support for layers, unlimited undo, special effects, and a wide variety of useful and powerful tools. An active and growing online community provides friendly help, tutorials, and plugins.

It started development as an undergraduate college senior design project mentored by Microsoft, and is now maintained and developed by Rick Brewster. Originally intended as a free replacement for the Microsoft Paint software that comes with Windows, it has grown into a powerful yet simple image and photo editor tool. It has been compared to other digital photo editing software packages such as Adobe® Photoshop®, Corel® Paint Shop Pro®, Microsoft Photo Editor, and The GIMP.

Pixlr X

https://pixlr.com/

Experience smarter and faster photo editing. Pixlr X is the only photo editor you need for quick yet professional edits. Designed with just the right amount of easy to navigate photo editing tools, you are about to experience the next best online image editor built with cutting edge technology.

Find all the essential photo editing tools you need to quickly edit your photos online! You can crop, resize, cut out or remove background easily, and even add your own text -- or customize a text template from the text tool to use.

Need to spice up a photo? Just draw, doodle or scribble on it using this online photo editor’s versatile drawing tool. It is as simple as creating a drawing layer over the photo or starting fresh with an empty drawing layer.

Fix a blemish, remove spots, duplicate parts of your image, or make unwanted objects (even people) disappear from your photos - without hassle. The tools are not difficult to use; just start experimenting and you’ll be editing like a pro in no time!

PhotoScape X

http://x.photoscape.org/

PhotoScape X is an all-in-one photo editing software which provides photo-related features such as Photo Viewer, Editor, Cut Out, Batch, Collage, Combine, Create GIF, Color Picker, Screen Capture, RAW images and More.

FOTOR

http://fotor.com/

Fotor is a renowned photo editor, designed to bring powerful digital editing to you. With basics such as: 1-tap enhance, resize, crop, background remover, rotate and straighten, it also has many unique features. Its huge range of filters and effects include photo effects, AI photo effects, lomo effects, cool effects, funky effects, blur effect. You can also utilize photo frames, stickers, text, color splash, mosaic, and tilt shift tools

Photos Pos Pro

https://www.photopos.com/PPP3_BS/Default.aspx

Photo Pos Pro - Complete photo editing suite support everything you'll need to enhance photos and create stunning artworks.

InPixio

https://www.inpixio.com/

InPixio has specialized in the fields of Digital Photo Software for many years. Our software helps photo enthusiasts to delete, cut out objects, create photo montages and optimize images – everything you need to retouch your photos! Our photo editing software is developed for ease of use, unlimited creative flexibility, and is highly intuitive; allowing for fast editing. We strive to fuse the fields of technology and photography within our products. Making it possible to improve, personalize and share our latest shots taken with cameras, Smartphones or tablets is a our main goal, InPixio software and applications help all of us to bring out the best photographer inside of us!

BeFunky

https://www.befunky.com/

BeFunky has an amazing collection of tools and features for photo editing, collage making, and graphic design.

Wix Photo Studio

https://www.wix.com/

Edit and enhance your site's images with the Wix Photo Studio - it's quick, easy and fun! Edit from right inside your browser. No need to download pricey, complicated software. Crop, adjust and add stylish filters to get the look you want. Easily remove and replace the background.

Canva

https://www.canva.com/

Do you want to create awesome designs from scratch in as little as a few minutes? Canva’s awesome suite of features make it easy to turn ideas into stunning designs. Simply search for the best graphics, photos, and fonts, then use Canva’s drag and drop tool to create a design. Whether your next design project is a creative collage, a social media graphic or even a web mockup – Canva’s features make it possible for anybody to create amazing designs.

Ashampoo

https://www.ashampoo.com/en/usd/pin/1357/multimedia-software/photo-optimizer-7

The secret of the new Photo Optimizer lies in its incredible image optimization technology. Every image is extensively analyzed to detect potential flaws. Dull colors, incorrect exposure settings or color temperature - Photo Optimizer's advanced algorithms finds them all! For the first time, white balance and contrast stretch settings are now auto-adjusted! Once analyzed, the program breathes new life into your images with superior sharpness and vibrant colors - just like a good photo should be. Experience the power of Photo Optimizer and make your photos shine again!

PiZap

https://www.pizap.com/pizap

Editing photos with piZap is simple, fun and perfect for any skill level. Craft the perfect collage with piZap’s easy-to-use Collage Maker. Choose from over 1000 designs. You don't need to be a Photoshop expert to have fun editing your digital photos. With piZap you can start right away without ever reading a manual or taking a class.

--- RAW EDITORS ---

darktable

https://www.darktable.org/

darktable is created for photographers, by photographers. Having developers that are also avid photographers as part of the target audience is good for understanding the real world problems, challenges, and workflows. darktable edits your images non-destructively all the way through its pipeline. Your original image is never modified! Professional color management features ensure fidelity all the way to print and GPU accelerated processing means you can speed up your workflow using your video card.

RawTherapee

https://rawtherapee.com/

RawTherapee is a powerful, cross-platform raw photo processing system, released as Free Software (GPLv3). It is designed for developing raw files from a broad range of digital cameras and targeted at users ranging from enthusiast newcomers who wish to broaden their understanding of how digital imaging works to professional photographers. RawTherapee provides a powerful suite of tools for you to produce amazing photos and showcase your creativity. RawTherapee benefits users who take the time to learn what it can do. Luckily the community is quite welcoming and helpful! Check out the Forum, read up on RawPedia, and ask questions - there's always something neat to learn!

--- HDR- ---

Luminance HDR

http://qtpfsgui.sourceforge.net/

Luminance HDR is an open source graphical user interface application that aims to provide a workflow for HDR imaging.

Picturenaut 3

http://www.hdrlabs.com/picturenaut/

You want the accuracy of HDRShop, with all the low-level control to squeeze out the maximum on image quality. But you you also want all the modern convenience features like exposure detection from EXIF data, image alignment and ghost removal? And you want a tone mapper where the final result looks exactly like the preview?

FDRTools

http://www.fdrtools.com/

An old one but still good for Jpegs.

--- Video ---

Blender

https://www.blender.org/

Blender is the free and open source 3D creation suite. It supports the entirety of the 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, video editing and 2D animation pipeline.

Lightworks

https://www.lwks.com/

Lightworks has over 25 years development in cutting some of the finest and most cherished Hollywood blockbusters. From the Wolf of Wall Street to The Long Mile, Lightworks rich heritage is in the narrative of storytelling.

We want you to work freely by cutting and telling your story. From editing mobile content, SD to HD, 4K or 8K, the sky's the limit. From your first cut right through to your first feature, Lightworks is the industries only Academy and Emmy award winning editing software that allows you to start on a free plan and offers you the widest choice of creative platform from Windows, Mac or Linux.

Shotcut

https://shotcut.org/

Shotcut was originally conceived in November, 2004 by Charlie Yates, an MLT co-founder and the original lead developer (see the original website). The current version of Shotcut is a complete rewrite by Dan Dennedy, another MLT co-founder and its current lead. Dan wanted to create a new editor based on MLT and he chose to reuse the Shotcut name since he liked it so much. He wanted to make something to exercise the new cross-platform capabilities of MLT especially in conjunction with the WebVfx and Movit plugins.

VSDC Free Video Editor

http://www.videosoftdev.com/

Use free video software to create and edit videos of any complexity from a family greeting card to a company presentation. Cut, merge video files, apply visual and audio effects, use filtration and image correction, make slideshows and add an appropriate soundtrack. Use multi-color Chroma Key and advanced parameters settings to give your video a professional look. All popular video and audio formats are supported.

Machete Video Editor Lite

http://www.machetesoft.com/home/about-machete-video-editor-lite.html

Unlike Machete, the Lite edition only supports the limited number of formats - in the current version, only AVI and WMV files. Also, the Lite edition does not support the editing of audio files, and you can't use it to add or replace an audio stream. All other features of the main edition are available in the Lite one as well: the ability to losslessly edit video files and the extraordinary ease of use which does not require any specific knowledge or previous experience in video editing. Because of Machete Video Editor Lite's simple and intuitive interface you can edit your files within a few minutes after downloading the program, even if you never edited a video file before.

Avidemux

http://fixounet.free.fr/avidemux/

videmux is a free video editor designed for simple cutting, filtering and encoding tasks. It supports many file types, including AVI, DVD compatible MPEG files, MP4 and ASF, using a variety of codecs. Tasks can be automated using projects, job queue and powerful scripting capabilities.

Avidemux is available for Linux, BSD, Mac OS X and Microsoft Windows under the GNU GPL license. The program was written from scratch by Mean, but code from other people and projects has been used as well.

HitFilm Express

https://hitfilm.com/express

Free video editing software with VFX and all the power you need to make something awesome. Take your first step towards becoming a pro filmmaker with HitFilm Express. Perfect for beginners, film students, gamers, YouTubers, or those working on a budget.

DaVinci Resolve

https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/uk/products/davinciresolve/

DaVinci Resolve 16 is the world’s only solution that combines professional 8K editing, color correction, visual effects and audio post production all in one software tool! You can instantly move between editing, color, effects, and audio with a single click. DaVinci Resolve Studio is also the only solution designed for multi user collaboration so editors, assistants, colorists, VFX artists and sound designers can all work live on the same project at the same time! Whether you’re an individual artist, or part of a large collaborative team, it’s easy to see why DaVinci Resolve is the standard for high end post production and finishing on more Hollywood feature films, television shows and commercials than any other software.

Openshot

https://www.openshot.org/

OpenShot is a cross-platform video editor, with support for Linux, Mac, and Windows. Quickly trim down your videos, and find those perfect moments. OpenShot has many easy ways to cut your video. Using powerful animation features you can fade, slide, bounce, and animate anything in your video project.

iMovie

https://www.apple.com/lae/imovie/

With iMovie for iOS and macOS, you can enjoy your videos like never before. It’s easy to browse your clips and create Hollywood-style trailers and stunning 4K-resolution movies. You can even start editing on iPhone or iPad, then finish on your Mac.

VideoPad

https://videopad-video-editor.en.softonic.com/

If you've caught the video editing bug but don't find the right application for beginners, try VideoPad Video Editor.

This is probably the best video editing tool to take your first steps in the world of multimedia video editing. It's simple, easy to use, and though more advanced users will definitely find it too basic, it's just perfect for anyone starting to play around with video compositions.

Freemake Video Converter

https://www.freemake.com/free_video_converter/

Freemake Video Converter converts video and movies between 500+ formats and gadgets for free! Convert to MP4, MP3, AVI, WMV, DVD, iPhone, Android. Convert YouTube to any format. Absolutely free. No trials or limitations.

--- AUDIO ---

Audacity

https://www.audacityteam.org/

Audacity is an easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder for Windows, Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and other operating systems. Developed by a group of volunteers as open source.

Ocenaudio

New Paragraph

https://www.ocenaudio.com/

Ocenaudio is a cross-platform, easy to use, fast and functional audio editor. It is the ideal software for people who need to edit and analyze audio files without complications. ocenaudio also has powerful features that will please more advanced users.

Ashampoo Audio

https://www.ashampoo.com/en/usd/pin/1430/multimedia-software/Ashampoo-Audio-Recorder-Free

Ashampoo Audio Recorder Free is the fuss-free voice and music recorder to capture audio from your microphone or sound card (loopback). Create voice memos or use the loopback feature to capture everything you hear, whether it's audio from your browser or any other audio source. Simply select the source, click Record and you're good to go. The highly user-friendly interface supports multiple output formats, including MP3, WMA, OGG, WAV, FLAC, OPUS and APE. And with sampling rates up to high-quality 48kHz, the program is a great choice for recording streams, podcasts and music. Recordings are neatly arranged in a built-in fully playable media library, making reviewing and renaming files incredibly easy. In addition, the integrated trimming feature ensures you get exactly the audio portions you want and in just a few clicks.

Acoustica Basic Edition

http://acondigital.com/software/AcousticaBasic6_0_19us.exe

Acoustica 7 is the perfect software application for audio editing, mastering and restoration work on both Mac and PC. The application is available in a Premium Edition and a lower cost Standard Edition. The Premium Edition offers advanced features such as spectral editing with powerful retouch algorithms and multi-channel support up to 7.1 surround. Our award winning plug-ins such as Equalize 2, Verberate and Restoration Suite are included. The new Transfer plug-in makes audio transfers between Pro Tools and Acoustica a breeze, thus expanding Pro Tools with an extensive set of tools for audio restoration and processing.

http://acondigital.com/software/AcousticaBasic6_0_19us.exe

FREE VST

http://www.vst4free.com/

Huge list of VST instruments fx and tools for audio manipulation or even sound design.

--- BUREAU ---

Open Office

https://www.openoffice.org/

Compatible with other major office suites, Apache OpenOffice is free to download, use, and distribute. Download it now, and get:

Apache OpenOffice?

Writer a word processor you can use for anything from writing a quick letter to producing an entire book.

Calc a powerful spreadsheet with all the tools you need to calculate, analyze, and present your data in numerical reports or sizzling graphics.

Impress the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations.

Draw lets you produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations.

Base lets you manipulate databases seamlessly. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, all from within Apache OpenOffice.

Math lets you create mathematical equations with a graphic user interface or by directly typing your formulas into the equation editor.

7Zip

https://www.7-zip.org/

You can use 7-Zip on any computer, including a computer in a commercial organization. You don't need to register or pay for 7-Zip.

ATube Catcher

https://www.atube.me/

Download videos from social web sites like Vimeo, Facebook, Dailymotion™, Metacafe™, Spike™, Yahoo!™, Globo™, RTVE™, etc; thousands of video sharing sites!; You can export the multimedia content to your computer or your mobile device, IPAD, IPOD, PSP, GPS devices, MP4 Players, Cell Phone, Android devices, DVD, VCD, MP3, Iphone. Plenty of formats supported including 3GP, 3G2, AVI, XVID, MP4, MP3, MP2, WMA, WMV, GIF, FLAC, WAV, PSP, MPG, VOB, OGG, MOV, AVI.

aTube Catcher also can burn in DVD/VCD your videos without use any other third party software. Among other features has a built-in Screen Recorder to capture what you see on your screen, even video chat sessions from Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, DVD movies,Webinars, Online Meetings, etc, or just create video/audio presentations. All those features and more!. 100% Freeware, safe and clean!. Multilanguage interface.

VLC Player

https://www.videolan.org/vlc/index.html

VLC is a free and open source cross-platform multimedia player and framework that plays most multimedia files as well as DVDs, Audio CDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols

Recuva

https://recuva.en.softonic.com/

Deleting files by accident is something that happens more often than you think, no matter how computer literate you are. This is why it's always a good idea to have a tool like Recuva. With Recuva (pronounced as "recover") you can restore files that have been accidentally deleted from the computer, a USB drive, an MP3 player or even a memory card from your photo camera.

GO BAG IT!

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 19:45:33 GMT

I have to confess, I physically have more bags than I do shoes. I have a bag for trekking, a bag for streeting, a bag for urban hiking, a large storage bag, small sling bags and a holster bag.

Why so many?

Having the right bag in hand when out shooting makes the experience a little more comfortable. Too big a bag and you're lugging weight you don't need, (some stores have you leave the large bag with customer service or with sales staff - risking your gear in someone elses hand...errrr No never not happening). Too small and you're having issues with stowing gear quickly if you need to and you are having to selectively choose the RIGHT lens for the day's outings otherwise you'll be regretting that you didn't bring the X or Y or Z lens etc.Having a main bag at home is sensible, it means you can store all your gear in one place away from dirt, dust, pokey fingers or curious claws.

Pelican cases are very popular for exactly that, storing all the gear in one place. Also the Pelican case can be used for transporting your gear when going out to a main shoot when you're not sure what gear you will need.

But...If you need a lot of gear and don't need a hard heavy trunk to stow your gear in then: full-gear bags are the way to go.

The Lowepro Photo Classic BP300 is the best budget and lightweight all-gear camera bag, what it lacks in ergonomics it makes up for in weight and portability. Being very light and within most air carriers on-board luggage size restrictions: this all gear bag wins hands down against bags that do the same and cost upto 5 times as much. BTW this is definitely an over all no-frills option.

Whilst on the other end of the scale you have the ThinkTank Airport International V2, which is extremely robust, has lots going on with it: place for laptop; ipad; tripod; various sleeves for cards; batteries etc.; but weighs a bit more than an average bag and is somewhat oversized for the aeroplane, saying that because it has wheels and a trolley handle, it is great for lugging your gear around effortlessly. If you need a bag that sits in-between then Thinktank comes to the rescue with their Airport Ultralight series. An all-gear bag with place for a 17inch laptop and is a backpack too.

I know I sound like a Thinktankist, but overall their gear wins out, so what can I say.

The weather maybe touch and go, cloudy, chance of rain, but that doesn't stop the avid photographer, especially if you are into street and urban photography, the flat light from a cloudy day can be very useful for street photography.

(Schooled photographers will jump up and down on that statement - "photography is all about light," blah blah blah spewing out whatever a teacher has brain-washed them with without thinking about the fact that perhaps photography is all about ---> recording what you see and how you interpret it and how you communicate your vision out to the viewer. Hence, flat cloudy days are awesome for streeting and urban because this style of photography is more about other ways of photographing (high key, low key, geometrics, candid, breaking-all-them-rules) but... I digress.

Bags. <---back on topic.

Yes: bags for urban.

As you wont be taking too much gear out (usually one fixed lens 35mm or 50mm and an all-round lens such as an 18-135, 18-140, 28-300 etc) then a small bag will be more useful. BTW a lot of streeters (keen street photographers) will not have any change of lens, no bag either, the lack of equipment actually adds to the discretion of the photographer. That aside if you do need a bag then small, non-photography looking bags usually work best.

My personal fave is the thinktank Vision 10, (middle above) it is plane gray and doesn't look like a camera bag at all. Next fave is the Sirui MyStory series of bags which are very simple bags. Roots have a nice leather/denim affair called the RG25 which apart from the senseless way the clips are done is a very good bag in all, especially if you need cheap and cheerful.

Getting out-n-'bout when the weather is good is one of Calgary peoples past times. With walks down by the river or any of the numerous parks around and in Calgary they are fair weather hotspots.

We inline skate, board, or cycle to these places usually to hang with friends or family. For this type of outing then consider sling bags. They are less restrictive, can be gone through whilst on the move without taking the bag off the back and enables you to have gear in your hand quick and efficiently.

The Lowepro Slingshot Edge is a very all round and versatile bag. A friend of mine who isn't a photog actually uses this bag as their main out-n-'bout bag. My fave though is the Thinktank Turnstyle series. They remind me of soccer boot bags from the 1970's (ahhh the school days) but are really well made and have a waterproof bag that goes over the bag in case of heavy weather.

I love getting out. I'll explore anything - sometimes I get into trouble but hey I got the shot, right. I have to move around quickly at events or anywhere where I shouldn't be (I'm not pushing this notion out there, I'm showing how stupid I can be in my efforts to get the "right" shot) whilst movement and free flow is essential to a lot of photographers having a holster bag is even more essential. Why? they take up barely any room and when the camera is stowed away you have all your hands free. The holster will move with you when attached to a belt and makes it easier to leap fences; tackle turnstyles and; climb.

Various companies have their own interpretation on what a holster bag should be but no one does it as well or better than what Thinktank does. Their holster series is simply the best for all occasions for all cameras solution there is to date.

At times I do get normal though - seldom - but it does happen. When I want to do some fine art photography - landscapes - architecture - yawn, I enjoy the challenge of standing behind a tripod for 5 mins whilst my ND filtered long exposure takes its 3X bracketed image so I can sit for an hour later to make the image work in photoshop and add LSD saturation to every image because the world "really" looks that way - [strokes chin-ponders Ansel Adams]. When I do have the will to do a landscape or two then generally there are 3 lenses I will equip myself with: super wide (not fisheye); Telephoto zoom, and a macro. Thats minimum. If I'm doing a serious shoot then I will take ND filters, colour grads, and tripod. So as you can see I would need a large bag to carry that equipment. One because I'm trekking and two, because I need the gear with me in hand.

The two above bags (Lowepro Flipside trek and the Lowepro Freeline) are superb bags for this very job. Both are well made with very durable material. Both have different places for a tripod, both have a section for sandwiches, map and water, bear spray, GPS unit, 24 hour ration pack, photo of a loved one, gun and whatever else helps you survive the few hours in the wonderness. I like the fact I can carry many things as well as camera gear.

When it comes to bags I'm not sure if you can tell or not but I'm really into clean lines so the Lowepro Freeline attracts me more, though the Flipside is a more budget friendly option.

Recently though I have really gotten into mirrorless cameras. Smaller cameras, smaller lenses (in some cases) using MFT or Micro Fourthirds means you can take a lot of gear with you without needing a caravan of U-Hauls and your spouse to get your gear from place Ay to place Zee. I like the form factor but am annoyed at the low light performance, phew I nearly almost went on a tangent. Anyway, Thinktank have a whole range of bags especially for mirrorless: the Mirrorless Movers range.

Waterproof, great material, compact and very well made. What more can you ask for?
Lowepro have a couple of bags that are also attractive to the mirrorless user.

The Trekker SH150 could even pass as urban gear if it wasn't for the very obvious LOWEPRO logo contrasting on the front of the bag. Again useful, well made bags that are suitable for the mirrorless systems especially for the MFT cameras.

So to close this blog: I often hear from customers that they don't have the right bag. Its true you will never have the right bag, because "right" bag needs to be metamorphic, being both tiny and big, as well as wide and slim, so instead of having a bag that is breaking the laws of physics and not possible, then you're just going to have to settle with the fact that in a few years time....you'll have more bags than shoes.

Oh BTW

We have LOTS of bags (more than 300 different models to choose from) and a tenth of that in personal footwear.
For more information about bags and their versatility and what suits you then see stores for details.

Common acronyms/abbreviations used in photography that are often misrepresented

Fri, 05 Jul 2024 15:48:12 GMT

Below you can find a list of common acronyms and abbreviations used in photography.

Over the (digital) years it has been found that some influential persons have photography acronyms misunderstood or has been mis-taught to them and then they themselves do teach repetitiously to others without having corrected the initial misguided information or are not knowing that the information is incorrect.

For example:
The meaning of "ISO" is the most common one heard in the photography circles, so many times we hear individuals state that the ISO in a camera is named after a Greek Goddess of light.
Though an amazing coincidence and makes for a smiley story this is very far from the truth and is the result of persons associating one thing with another and then re-representing that packaged idea as an actual fact.

To clarify by example:
Just because two items are blue in colour doesn't mean they are the same thing or come from the same source.

The above is an example of what has been done so often in photography: individuals who teach in classrooms or on-line (mainly) such as youtube etc, and have not researched correctly some of the basics and in doing so, repeat verbatim what was told/taught to them without any correction.

So to avoid those easy urban-myth traps the following is what the most common terms mean.

BTW: I have avoided a lot of the least common acronyms or abbreviations because the list would be too big for casual reading.

Common Acronyms/Abbreviations used in Photography that are often Misrepresented
in no particular order

IBIS - In-Body Image Stabilization. Also the name of a bird from the plains of Africa but the bird is not used to describe any camera term.

DSLR - Digital Single Lens Reflex. Film versions are called SLR - Single Lens Reflex. Meaning that the term "single load roll" is actually very incorrect.

MFT - Micro FourThirds. Does not mean Mirrorless Film Technology.

EOS - Electro-Optical System. (On the Canon wikipedia page, it is stated that the EOS name comes from the Greek goddess of the dawn, but the association to the name by canon came after canon had named their system. A proud Japanese company would of used one of their own folklore hero's name in that case - this is a coincidence that has been embraced as fact by some die-hards, but its just a coincidence). Also when Canon was Kwanon (original name) the logo was a meditating Goddess of Mercy within a circle of fire. So maybe that is where this association became born?

ISO - International Organization for Standardization. (previously known as ASA - American Standards Association. In Europe the DIN system was used instead). Some individuals on social media are portraying this acronym to mean Iso - the Goddess of light. This information is very untrue and totally misleading (Iso was a Nordic Warrior/Fire Goddess - Various origins). To be absolutely clear: all items electronic, carry an ISO mark of types which are used to show a standard guideline has been applied to safety in production and falls within the guidelines set by the International Organization for Standardization for an electronic product.

APS-C - Advanced Photo System, type C. A smaller sensor size of 26mm on the longest side. Film version is APS - Advanced Photo System.

CCD - Charge-coupled device. Still used in many industrial security cameras and on imaging satellites. Does not mean: creative compact digital.

CMOS - Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (Sometimes it is just called MOS ). A type of sensor common in today's cameras. Does not mean: Common mode of shooting.

CPOL - Circular polarizing filter . CP , CirPol are also correct abbreviations.

DOF - Depth of Field. The amount of in-focus field against out of focus fields.

DPI - Dots Per Inch. (not sure why a dated measurement system is used instead of the Modern metric system).

PPI - Pixels Per Inch.

HDR - High Dynamic Range. The amount of exposed spectral light recorded being greater than a normal or standard film or sensor exposure.

WDR - Wider Dynamic Range. The amount of exposed spectral light recorded being slightly greater than a normal or standard film or sensor exposure.

EV - Exposure Value. The total light value that will resolve after shutter speed and aperture have been set accordingly.

EVF - Electronic ViewFinder.

HVF - Hybrid Viewfinder. Same as what modern rangefinders have (Fujifilm X-Pro1 camera) where an overlay of what the sensor sees and the parallex view together.

EVIL - Same as MILC* Electronic Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens camera.

MILC - Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens camera.

EXIF - Exchangeable image file format. (Data file embedded into Jpegs and some other file/image formats).

F ( f ) - Demarcation of an aperture value, which is the ratio of the focal length of the lens divided by its effective aperture diameter.

FF - FullFrame - A common digital description of what is a 35mm film size equivalent sensor.

IQ - Image quality, the overall size, sharpness, light balance and rendering of an image in camera be it: Jpeg; RAW or TIFF.

LCD - Liquid crystal display.

MC - Multi-Coated. Pertaining to lenses and filters that have protective coatings and other forms of light correction coatings.

IF - Internal Focus.

OVF - Optical viewfinder. Usually with DSLR, SLR and some rangefinder cameras.

MTF - Modulation transfer function. Also known as image resolving, basically how an image resolves after passing through the lens, (detail lost, resolution of edges, dynamic range recorded, refraction artifacts such as aberration etc).

OOF - Out Of Focus, different to OoF.

Oof - Out of Frame, Mediums that interfere with image quality that are not directly photographed, such as latent light, objects causing shadow fall, stray light rays, intense out of field colors that cause the subject to be some what colour shifted or cast-on or tainted.

PDAF - Phase-detection autofocusing. A distance defining focus system.

CDAF - Contrast-detection autofocusing. An edge defining focus system.

SooC - Straight out of the Camera. Referring to a non-edited/manipulated image. Sometimes referred to as a "soc-shot".

TCA - Transverse Chromatic Aberration, the worsening of colour separation from the optical centre of the circular lens to its edge.

TLR - Twin Lens Reflex. (A type of 120/220mm box 6x6 (1:1) medium format camera with 2 lenses on top of each other so that the view finder focuses at the same time as the main lens).

TTL - Through The Lens, also known as iTTL or eTTL. Through The Lens. The measure of the available light that has passed through the lens and reaches the observer. Most commonly seen when dealing with flash settings in-camera or on flash, etc.

DNG - Digital Negative Graphic, a type of (but not entirely the same) RAW file. Which is closer to a 16bit lossless TIFF image than an actual RAW standard image.

IS - Image Stabilization. Various companies use this abbreviation on lenses.

OIS - Optical Image Stabilization. Fujinon and Panasonic.

VR - Vibration Reduction. Nikon.

OS - Optical Stabilization. Sigma.

OSS - Optical SteadyShot. Sony.

SDM - Silent drive motor. Pentax.

STM - Stepper Motor technology. Canon.

USM - Ultra Sonic Motor. Canon.

AEL - Automatic exposure lock. Mistaken as a back-focus button, but it isn't. Some cameras can reconfigure control/function buttons and on Canon and Nikon this button is often reprogrammed to be the focusing button instead of half depressing the shutter release button.

AFL - Autofocus lock. Usually combined with the AEL function as a single function button.

RAW - Does not mean: Records All Work. RAW is not an acronym or abbreviation but the name of a filing package system akin (but not directly like) a ZIP file format, whereby, several files do become enclosed into one compressed/uncompressed file and from it selected data can be extracted. Other acronyms/abbreviations associated with RAW are: CR, CR2, NEF, DNG and many others.