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November 2012*
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Welcome EDITOR Hoshang S. Billimoria TECHNICAL EDITOR Rohinton Mehta EXECUTIVE EDITOR Mathew Thottungal SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Sujith Gopinath COPY EDITOR Aswathi Nair PHOTOGRAPHY Mahesh Reddy CREATIVE DIRECTOR Atul D. Bandekar DESIGN Ajit Manjrekar, Sanjay Awad, Ajay Paradkar PRODUCTION Dinesh Bhajnik, Deepak Narkar, Ravi Parmar PRODUCT MANAGER Perseus Master PUBLISHER Girish Mallya CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION Sanjeev Roy (Asst. Operations Manager) Sachin Kelkar (Subscription Supervisor) HEAD OFFICE - MUMBAI 2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013 Tel: + 91 22 43525252 Fax: + 91 22 24955394 Email: sp@nextgenpublishing.net SUBSCRIPTION Tel: + 91 22 43525220 Fax: + 91 22 24955394 Email: subscriptions@nextgenpublishing.net NEWS STAND DISTRIBUTION India Book House, Mumbai 400 002, Tel: +91 22 2284626 Fax: +91 22 22835099 MARKETING OFFICES Ahmedabad Chandan House, 3 Floor, Mithakhali Six Roads, Ahmedabad 380006 Tel: + 91 79 40008000 Fax: + 91 79 40008080 Bangalore #903, 9th floor, ‘B’ Wing, Mittal Towers, MG Road, Bangalore -560001 Tel: +91 80 - 66110116 New Delhi Plot No.225, Okhla Industrial Estate, Phase III, Okhla, New Delhi 110020 Tel: + 91 11 42346600 Fax: + 91 11 42346679 Chennai Unit No:20,Third floor, Modern Towers, 35/23 West Cott Road, Royapettah, Chennai 600 014 Tel +91-44-39149889/90/91 Fax +91-44-39149892. Pune 401B, Gandhi Empire, Plot no.2, 5th flr, Sareen Estate, Kondhwa Rd, Pune 411040 Tel: + 91 20 32930291 Fax: + 91 20 26830465 Hyderabad
N
o less than three full-frame D-SLRs were introduced at Photokina 2012 by Canon, Nikon and Sony. What does that mean for the photographer and will it change the way he chooses his equipment? The answer is that D-SLR companies are moving further up the ladder to protect their turf. As we are all aware, Smartphones are killing the lower-end of the compact market. Mirrorless cameras are beginning to equal or surpass entry-level D-SLRs. The only way to go is therefore full-frame and enhance the bundle offered with Wifi, GPS etc. Given the limitation of size, it will be tough for both Smartphones and Mirrorless cameras to attack that market. Smart move from the D-SLR majors ! H. S. Billimoria
rd
Richard G.C. +9199492 17127 Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. Next Gen Publishing does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without adequate postal stamps for return postage. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express written permission of the publisher. Printed by Girish Mallya, Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Published by Girish Mallya on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Copyright 2006 SMART PHOTOGRAPHY All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Smart Photography does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only. Editor – Hoshang S Billimoria
HERE’S WHAT MAKES US
#1
WE ARE GLUED TO THE GLOBAL IMAGING INDUSTRY Our team is updated with all the benchmarks and road blocks that the field of photography and imaging across the globe experiences. This helps us record the changes in the global perspective, thus making us the first to predict which products will be a rage in the Indian markets.
OUR TESTS ARE CONDUCTED BY EXPERTS All equipment go through a series of tests at the hands of our experts. Our reviewers are experts in the field of photography across the country and have many years of experience. That gives us the foresight to distinguish between a passing trend and a big change in the field of photography and imaging. And finally, our reviews are not extended to just fill up the pages!
WE’RE IMPARTIAL Loyalty towards our readers is a given, and their best interests are always on our mind. Every verdict is honest and not influenced by advertisers or personal favorites. So when we say a product is a ‘BEST BUY’, then, it is just that!
WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOU There is no debate on why we are here. Our sole goal is to provide you options and better your judgement in product purchase while, sharing tips and tricks to improve your images. Our biggest joy is in building a bridge between you and your perfect picture! November 2012 Smart Photography
5
Contents NOVEMBER 2012
FREE OLYMPUS SUPPLEMENT WITH THIS ISSUE! ISSUE 8 VOLUME 08 NOVEMBER 2012
Smart
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MASTERCRAFTSMAN
Mahesh Shantaram Knotty Affair... LEARNINGS
BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: SETTING UP A HOME STUDIO DO COMMIT THESE MISTAKES! SNAPSHOTS
REGULARS 10
Mail Bag
14
News Watch
37
Industry Opinion - Pankaj Kalra, Xerox India.
38
Kaleidoscope
42
Picture of the Month
44
Showcase -
NIKON D600
REVIEWS
NIKON D600 OLYMPUS SP-620UZ AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300MM OLYMPUS M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75MM PANASONIC LUMIX 12-35MM TAMRON SP24-70MM EPSON L800
Cover Photograph : Arish Patel (Aft Digital) Models Courtesy : Shubham Sinha and Mitika Malhotra Sinha
Just a moment!
Readers can find the updated Buyer’s Guide, log on http://smartphotography.in/ news/monthly-special Smart Photography thanks the readers who participate in the Picture of the Month contest. We would like to bring to your attention a few changes in the rules for submission. From now on, you may send in your images with the longer side measuring atleast 17 inches. Please note that the images have to be horizontal. This permits readers to submit panoramic shots, which was not possible with the current size of 17 x 11 inches.
6
Smart Photography November 2012
Sharik Verma Shruti Joshi Mohapatra
56
If I Were You
59
Ask Uncle Ronnie
62
Showcase -
66
Special Focus - Photokina 2012
70
MasterCraftsman - Mahesh Shantaram
146
Tidbits
Melanie Dornier
Contents NOVEMBER 2012
LEARNINGS 78
Basics of Photography: Setting up a Home Studio
83
Snapshots
87
Do Commit These Mistakes!
REVIEWS 92
Nikon D600
98
Olympus SP-620UZ
102
AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
104
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm 1:1.8
106
Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm F/2.8 G X Vario
108
Tamron SP24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD
110
Epson L800
FIRST LOOK 113 8
Vanguard BBH-200 Ballhead
Smart Photography November 2012
NEW
Captures images while you capture attention
Brown
Black
The New X-F1 with Unique Aluminum body & Cool Leather coverings is the most stylish gadget to hit the town. It captures breathtaking images with it’s F1.8 lens, 2/3� EXR CMOS Sensor & Manual controls. The only trouble with a camera so cool is you have to be ready for it. Also available in red
MRP Rs. 33,989/-*
www.fujifilmcameras.in
Fujifilm Customer Care: 18002000608 (Toll Free)
E-mail: contact@fujifilmindia.com
Facebook/fujifilmindia *Including all taxes
Mailbag REVIEWED: PANASONIC LUMIX DMC GX1 ● SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-RX100 ● FUJIFILM FINEPIX SL300 ● CANON IXUS 510 HS ISSUE 7 VOLUME 08 OCTOBER 2012
Smart
RS.100
Photography SUBSCRIBER’S COPY
INDIA’S NUMBER 1 IMAGING MAGAZINE!
MASTERCRAFTSMAN
Clare Arni Beneath the Surface
Super Accessories issue! LEARNINGS LAYER OPACITY VS FILL IN PHOTOSHOP CONTENT-AWARE MOVE TOOL WORKING THE SCENE BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: HIGH KEY AND LOW KEY PHOTOGRAPHY
Write to us at: Mail Bag Smart Photography, Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013. E-mail: sp@nextgenpublishing.net
The ‘smart’ in Smart Photography comes from the positive approach of the magazine. The team which is up to date with the latest trends in the market never fails to deliver something unique every month. The ‘Accessories’ issue was outstanding. It was of immense help to those looking to buy gadgets and camera accessories; also mentioning the price was a great move. I look forward to the magazine every month for its teachings and information. Thank you, Smart Photography. Regards, Anup Maitra, Nadia District
Photo and Video fair in Kolkata The fifth edition of the Photo and Video fair of Eastern India was held on 7th September 2012 at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, Kolkata. Madan Mitra, Sports and Transport Minister, was the chief guest in the event which is the brain child of photographer Shankar Das and his wife Pinki Das. Rs. 25000 was given towards the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund whereas, the ‘Life Time Achievement Award’ was presented to legendary cinematographer Baidyanath Basak. Dhananjay More, a national photographer, conducted a workshop on photography on the next day. Around 25000 visitors from all over the east zone, Bangaladesh, Nepal and Bhutan visited the exhibition apart from 51 exhibitors who were involved in the event. Shankar Das later announced the date of the next event organised by IMAGECRAFT, which would be held from 5th April to 7th April 2013 at Netaji Indoor Stadium and Khudiram Anushilan Kendra.
Announcing PFM All India Salon 2012 competition Photo Forum from Midnapur, West Bengal is going to organise an All India Photographic Salon called PFM All India Salon 2012 in December 2012. The competition has various categories namely Open, Nature & Wildlife and Photo travel. The prizes that would be given include INR 15000, 30 medals and a Nikon Coolpix camera under various sections. The last date for submission is December 1st, 2012. For more details log on to www.photoforum.in Thanks and regards, Santosh Kumar Jana, PFM, President 10
Smart Photography November 2012
Photographed by : Soham Sarkar Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8
8OWUD :LGH 8OWUD 6SHHG
AF11-16mm f/2.8
$7 ; 352 '; ,,
TO FIT CANON ‡ NIKON-D APS-C Sized Sensor Model Only
The New Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX-II is an update to the widely popular and award winning AT-X 116 PRO DX, 11-16 F/2.8 lens. The main update to this lens is in the Nikon mount, the AT-X 116 PRO DX-II has an internal silent focusing motor to allow the lens to AF on Nikon bodies that do not have an AF drive gear and motor. There have also been some adjustments made to the coating for slightly improved optical performance. This compact ultra wide-angle zoom has a bright constant F/2.8 aperture make viewing and auto focus possible in lower light situations but still maintaining a reasonable size and weight. Two Super-Low Dispersion glass elements and two aspheric glass allow the proprietary optical design to achieve excellent contrast and sharpness as well as controlling chromatic aberration. Tokina’s exclusive One-touch Focus Clutch Mechanism allows the photographer to switch between AF and MF simply by snapping the focus ring forward for AF and back toward the lens mount for manual focusing. The lens is also designed to stand up to the rigors of daily use by photographers in a wide variety of shooting conditions and environments. Other than the optical coating change there are no changes to the Canon mount. The AT-X 116 PRO DX-II for Canon uses the same AF motor and AF drive system as the the previous model.
‡ ‡ ‡ ‡
13 Elements in 11 Groups Minimum Focus Distance: 0.3m Angle of view: 104°~82° Filter size: ø77mm
The lens is designed for Digital cameras with APS-C sized CMOS and CCD sensors, not designed for cameras with Full Frame sensors. Be sure to note that the Tokina AT-X 116 PRO DX II lens itself is not waterproof or water resistant.
Kenko Tokina Co., Ltd.
TOKYO JAPAN
India office : Kenko Tokina Imaging India Pvt. Ltd. IBC, M-38/1, Middle Circle, Connaught Place, New Delhi-110001 TEL : 011-4157-1155
URL:www.tokinalens.com E-mail:kenkoindia@tokina.co.jp
Mailbag
Information trove! Every month I look forward to receiving the SP issue. The topics covered every month teach me so much about photography. I am not a professional/serious photographer like the majority of your readers, but who doesn’t love taking pictures? Everything I read in your magazine I try and experiment using my Nikon D60. The September and October issues were fantastic. I enjoyed browsing through the accessories featured and was quite tempted to buy a few. In the October issue, ‘Working the Scene’ by Ajay Sood was very interesting. The final image was lovely to look at. Street photography has always fascinated me. It involves so much patience, you have to be brave to photograph the people, or the sights you see. Since it was a Festival special, the images featured in Kaleidoscope, Showcase and Mastercraftsman, quite literally, added more colour to the magazine. Our country is made up of an assortment of festivals. It brings people together and helps them express their solidarity. The detailed reviews featured in the magazine display the
hard work put in by the team to bring the readers credible information. Thank you for imparting knowledge through your wonderful magazine!! Regards, Dr. Vikram Chandra, Delhi
XIth All India Exhibition of Art Photography and Photo Contest 2012 -13 The XIth All India Art Photography exhibition will be conducting a photo competition under the aegis of UP State Lalit Kala Akademi. To participate one has to send a portfolio of 6 images to be eligible for the contest. The prizes for the competition include three awards of Rs.20,000/- each for the best portfolio along with two special awards of Rs. 10,000/- for the participants. The contest will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges and all contestants participating in it will be required to pay a non refundable entry fee of Rs.250/- per entrant. The last day for receipt of entries is 9th November 2012. For more details about the contest contact The Secretary, State Lalit Kala Akademi, UP, Lal Baradari Bhawan, Lalit Kala Akademi Marg, Lucknow 226001. UP., or connect vide Email: slka_up@yahoo.com Participants can download the entry form from www.fineartakademiup.nia.in
ERRATA In the International section (News Watch, Page No. 14) we featured an erroneous headline that read ‘Nikon creates 10.5mm F1.8 fast prime lens for 1 System mirrorless cameras’. The corrected headline is ‘Nikon creates18.5mm F1.8 fast prime lens for 1 System mirrorless cameras.’ 12
Smart Photography November 2012
On Page no.22, International News, under the sub-title ‘Pentax reveals HD Pentax D FA 64.5 Macro 90mm lens’, the minimum focussing distance is 41cms(16.26 inch), and not 41cm(1.36 inch) as mentioned. In ‘Ask Uncle Ronnie’, the price of Tamron 90mm f/2.8 macro lens was
mentioned as being approximately Rs.23,000/-. The correct MRP is Rs. 27,500/-. Lastly, in Market Projections (Tidbits, Page No.138), point number 6 mentioned Nikon EOS 550D. The correct name should have been Canon EOS 550D. We sincerely apologise for these errors.
News Watch International
SNIPPETS Firmware upgrades version 2 for Fujifilm X10 Fujifilm will release a new firmware update for Fujifilm X10, premium compact digital camera. The update will add two new functions-- Advanced Filter as seen on the F800EXR and new XF1 cameras and the popular Q (Quick) Menu.
Adobe releases Camera Raw 7.2 and Lightroom 4.2 Adobe has released the final versions of Adobe Camera Raw 7.2 and Lightroom 4.2, offering support for 21 additional cameras. Lightroom gains tethering support for 11 cameras, including the Nikon D800 and Canon EOS 5D Mark III. It also adds support for albums in its uploader. Updates are available through the insoftware update systems.
Samsung unveils two lenses Samsung unveiled two new lenses 12-24mm F/4-5.6 ED and the 45mm F/1.8 lens-joining the NX lens family for professional photographers. The 12-24mm F/4-5.6 ED lens is suitable for capturing both landscapes and confined interior spaces.
14
Smart Photography November 2012
Olympus introduces two 16MP mirrorless models in the PEN series
Olympus has refreshed its PEN series with the new PEN Lite E-PL5 and PEN Mini E-PM2 16MP touch-screen mirror-less cameras. Both models feature the 16MP sensor and TruePic VI image processor first seen in the OMD E-M5. They both feature a 460,000 dot, touch-sensitive rear LCD with the ability to focus and shoot by touching the screen. The E-PL5 offers a mode dial, an extra button, flip-up LCD and E-P3-style screw-on front grip over the PEN Mini. The E-PL5 will cost $699 with the 14-42mm retractable zoom, while the E-PM2 will cost $599 with the same lens.
Olympus announces XZ-2 iHS fast lens, CMOS enthusiast compact camera
Olympus has unveiled the XZ-2 enthusiast compact camera with a 12MP 1/1.7” back-illumination CMOS sensor and touch-screen. The XZ-2 features the same 28-112mm equivalent F1.8-2.5 lens as the XZ-1 but adds a modern sensor, screw-on hand grips, tilting touch-screen and a twomode control dial around the lens. The XZ-2 will sell for around $599/£479.99.
Hasselblad announces the 24 megapixel Lunar
Hasselblad plans to release a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera utilising Sony’s E-Mount. The Hasselblad Lunar, which is expected to cost around €5000 ($6500), appears to be similar to Sony’s recent NEX-7 model by having the same 24.3MP CMOS sensor, OLED ‘True Finder’ EVF, and the ‘TriNavi’ navigation system. It is set to launch in the first quarter of 2013 and will be available in a choice of standard models and a variety of exclusive hand grips on special order.
News Watch International Leica announces S-System 37MP medium format body and lenses Leica has announced its latest S series medium format camera body. The new model retains its predecessor’s 37.5MP resolution, has a sensitivity range of ISO 100-1600, a 2GB image buffer and 166MB/s transfer rate. The other highlights include a new AF system, 920k dot resolution rear LCD panel and an internal GPS module. The camera will be available from December at a retail price of US$21,950. Three new lenses for the system have also been announced-- the Super-Elmar-S 24 mm f/3.5 ASPH, Vario-Elmar-S 30-90 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH and TS-APOElmar-S 120 mm f/5.6 ASPH tilt-shift lens.
Leica announces ‘M’, a 24MP live view full-frame CMOS rangefinder Leica has announced its latest M series rangefinder-- 24MP CMOS Leica M. The latest model (referred to as ‘Typ 240’) becomes the first of its rangefinders to feature Live View, a choice of magnified view or focus peaking for precise through-the-lens focussing. This model is also compatible with R-mount lenses. It also becomes the first M capable of movie shooting, capturing 1080p footage at 25 or 24 frames per second. It includes a 920k dot LCD with smartphone-style Gorilla Glass cover, and accepts the same plug-in EVF as used by the X2. Scheduled for release in 2013, it is expected to retail at a price of $6,950 in the US, and £5100 in the UK.
16
Smart Photography November 2012
Canon updates S series with PowerShot S110
Canon has updated its S series with the addition of PowerShot S110. The S110 has a Wi-Fi capability and a touchscreen,
alongside an updated 12MP CMOS sensor. It retains the stabilised 24100mm equivalent, F2.0-5.9 zoom, Digic 5 processor and GPS capability from its predecessor. The S110 will cost around $449 and will be available in black or white colours.
Epson creates Ultimicron EVF with 2.4m dot resolution
Epson has developed a higher resolution, XGA version of its LCD panel used for electronic viewfinders. The latest version of the company’s Ultimicron technology offers 2.4m dot resolution (1024 x 768 x 3), which is the same as Sony OLED viewfinders used in Sony and Fujifilm cameras. SVGA (800 x 600 x 3) versions of Epson’s technology are already used in the Olympus OM-D E-M5 along with addon finders for Olympus, Ricoh and Leica cameras. This additional option for a highresolution finder is a positive step for the next generation of mirrorless cameras.
News Watch International Benro adds new travel tripod/monopod to MeFOTO range
Benro has announced the MeFOTO Transfunctional Travel Tripod, a tripod, that can be converted to a monopod without tools. The latest addition to the MeFOTO range, which sits just below the Travel Angel series, is available in five colours and can be converted between a 1.5m (61.6”) tripod and a 1.62m (64”) monopod. Despite its small size it is capable of supporting cameras up to 8kg. It features an Arca-Swiss style quick release mount and plate including a carry case and a shoulder strap costing $229.
Sony’s latest 12MP sensor allows brighter lenses for enthusiast compacts
Sony has revealed details of its latest 12MP 1/1.7-inch type (7.5 x 5.6mm) back-lit CMOS sensor. The IMX144CQJ offers full-resolution 12-bit output of up to 35 frames per second. The sensor can receive light from oblique angles, thanks to its large pixel size, making it able to work with ‘brighter lenses and high power zoom lenses.’ This is an interesting feature, given the recent launch of a group of wide-maximum aperture compacts based around 12MP, 1/1.7-inch-type BSI CMOS sensors, such as the Olympus XZ-2, Nikon Coolpix P7700 and Samsung EX2F.
Marine Photobank and Lindblad announce the ‘Ocean in Focus’ contest
Kodak discontinues T-Max P3200 B&W film
SeaWeb’s Marine Photobank Partners and Lindblad Expeditions have announced their fifth photography contest with ocean conservation as the theme this year. It aims to inspire amateur and professional photographers alike to highlight the impact of human activity on the marine environment. The Marine Photobank is seeking images depicting human impact on the ocean, its inhabitants and resources--both restorative and destructive. The ‘Ocean In Focus’ photo contest commenced on October 1st, 2012, and will accept photos PO www.marinephotobank.com till January 31st 2013.
Kodak has announced the discontinuation of its Professional T-Max P3200 B&W film, citing low demand as the reason. The T-Max P3200 is the latest Kodak film to bite the dust following the discontinuation of the Kodak Professional Ektachrome E100G, Kodak Professional Ektachrome E100VS Film and Kodak Professional Elite Chrome Extra Color 100 films, as well as Kodachrome in 2010.
A panel of judges, from ocean conservation and travel communities will review the entries and announce the finalists in February 2013. Further, the finalists will be be invited to submit more images with a photo essay. The same panel will then judge the photo essays and declare a finalist for the best image. The winner will receive a Solio Q-Cells solar charger. Whereas the overall winner, that is the SeaWeb’s Photographer Of The Year, will get a voyage for two aboard the National Geographic Endeavor to the Galapagos Islands courtesy of Lindblad Expeditions.
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Smart Photography November 2012
News Watch International
Lucie Awards 2012 presented to winners for Achievements in Photography The Lucie Foundation presented the Lucie Awards 2012 to winners recently at Beverly Hills, California, US. Appended below is the list of the Achievement Awards winners and their categories: Lifetime Achievement Award – Joel Meyerowitz Achievement in Sports – John Biever Achievement in Photojournalism – David Burnett Achievement in Documentary – Tod Papageorge
Achievement in Portraiture – Greg Gorman Achievement in Fine Art – Arthur Tress Double Exposure Award – Jessica Lang Achievement in Travel & Portraiture – Brigitte Lacombe In addition to these winners, ‘The British Journal of Photography’ was conferred the ‘Photography magazine of the year’ award as well.
Gary Knight to Aris Messinis, AFP lead 2013 World journalist wins the Bayeux-Calvados Award Press Photo jury for war correspondents The 19th PRIX Bayeux-Calvados Award was conferred to Aris Messinis, photojournalist with AFP, for his coverage of the Battle of Sirte, Libya. The pictures were shot while the National Transitional Council forces launched their final assault on the last pockets of Gadhafi loyalists, a few days before the dictator’s death. His images documents not only the violence, but also the confusion and disorder that reigned during the final battle.
Gary Knight will be leading an international jury of 18 photography professionals for the 56th edition of the World Press Photo competition, the world’s most important photojournalism award.
Knight, a co-founder of the VII Photo agency, was a World Press Photo jury member in 2004 and 2006, and previously chaired the jury in 2008. The categories in this installment of the World Press Photo contest are; General News, Spot News, Contemporary Issues, Daily Life and Aris Messinis, has been chief photographer for AFP in Nature. The People and Sports categories Greece since 2006. He worked in Libya and Egypt during the ‘Arab Spring’, and has won many prestigious awards such have been redefined into four categories: Observed Portraits and Staged Portraits as Days Japan 2012, Fotoweek 2011, NPPA etc. for the People section, and Sports Action and Sports Feature in the Sports category. The Bayeux-Calvados Awards for War Correspondents Photographers can send in their entries was instituted in 1994 for eminent photojournalists from December. The closing date is 17th documenting conflicts and their consequences on civilian populations, or news stories covering the defence of January 2013. For more details, visit freedom and democracy. www.worldpressphoto.org 22
Smart Photography November 2012
News Watch Business
Olympus and Sony confirm $397m tie-up Olympus has finally confirmed that it will enter a partnership with Sony. The company bought 21.2m shares in Olympus at ¥31bn ($397m). The deal does not constitute a merger or a takeover but will see the companies work together and exchange technologies. Commenting on the collaboration Hiroyuki Sasa, Olympus
President, said, “In the field of digital cameras, we will seek to achieve collaboration in a manner that further improves the competitiveness of the two companies”. Sony will invest a total of 50 billion yen (US$641 M) by purchasing all Olympus’ capital increase to a third party slated for the end of February 2013; having an 11.46% stake and gain a place
Kodak to exit Canon aims to increase consumer inkjet printer its sales four-fold by 2017 market Eastman Kodak Company has announced that from next year, it will focus its business on sales of ink in installed base and wind down sales of consumer inkjet printers. This decision was recently announced in a strategy to focus on Kodak’s commercial, packaging and functional printing solution, and enterprise service businesses. The company hopes that this would significantly improve the cash flow in the U.S. from the first half of 2013.
Fujifilm sets up subsidiary in Philippines
Fujifilm has announced the establishment of Fujifilm in the Republic of Philippines to accelerate the business expansion in the country, where economic growth continues. Fujifilm Philippines Inc. started its operations on September 20th this year. Fujifilm has built a business foundation for imaging products such as digital cameras and photographic papers, medical products such as diagnostic imaging devices and X-ray films, and graphic products such as off-set printing plates, through local distributors. 24
Smart Photography November 2012
Canon Inc. aims to boost its sales in China more than four-folds to 780 billion yen, or about 10 billion dollars, by 2017. It plans to expand its business network from 21 outposts-subsidiaries and branches-to 32 by the end of fiscal 2012. According to the company, Canon (China) has focussed mainly on large and midsize cities but now it will aggressively branch out into regional cities to deepen its relations with customers, through its mainstay digital cameras, while expanding operations in commercial printing, security cameras and medical equipment. Canon had entered the Chinese market in 1997, and its sales exceeded 1 billion dollars in 2007, and about 2.5 billion dollars in 2011.
Getty Images’ Flickr licensing deal records 1/2 million images Getty Images’ scheme for licensing images from the photo sharing site Flickr has touched 500,000 images. The halfmillionth image was shot by system engineer and photo hobbyist Jiangang Wang for Tianjin, China. The licensing deal, started in June 2010, allows Flickr members to offer their images for licensing by Getty. If Getty chooses to accept the request, the photographer can choose how to license their images, at rates comparable to Getty’s other images libraries.
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News Watch National
HP introduces entry-level solutions for largeformat printing
The compact, 24-inch HP Designjet T120 ePrinter series is ideal for students and freelancers, while the 24 and 36-inch HP Designjet T520 ePrinter series is designed for small AEC teams that require fast, professional printing. The HP Designjet T120 ePrinter series will come at an estimated retail price of INR 79,999. The HP Designjet T520 ePrinter series, available in 24 and 36-inch models, is expected to be priced at INR 1,59,999 and INR 2,19,999 respectively.
HP’s Mahesh Soni unveils the new printers
HP recently unveiled the industry’s first web-connected, entry-level printing solutions for architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) students and professionals, thereby making in-house, large-format printing accessible to more users. The new HP Designjet T120 and T520 ePrinter series provide simple and affordable printing solutions.
HP has also announced the second generation of its free web service for AEC professionals. HP Designjet Print&Share makes it easy to access and print large-format documents using an iOS or Android tablet or smartphone, a laptop or ePrinter touchscreen. “The complexity in the work environment with growth of mobile devices and the use of cloud services is surging. Today information workers must be equipped with smarter solutions that would result in sharing and creating information anywhere and anytime on any device. They need a solution that enables them to collaborate and interact with their peers beyond the internal and external peripheries”, said Mahesh Soni, Country Manager, Design-HP India.
Olympus redefines the joy of gifting The ‘Olympus Joy of Gifting Festive Offer’ is on for this year. The festival season that kicked off with Ganesh Chaturthi, followed by Navratri, Dussehra and then Diwali will offer various deals on select Olympus cameras. Elaborating on the festive offer, Mr. Kenichiro Mori, Managing Director, Olympus Imaging India said, “Festivals in India have always been synonymous with colour, light and music, and offer perfect moments to capture memories. We received an overwhelming response from our audiences last year for the campaign, especially in Tier II and III cities and hence decided to extend the same this year too.”
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The Festive Scheme, which is valid until November 30th, 2012 or until stocks last, will be promoted through in-store branding and POS material at major retail outlets and through dealer meets across India. In addition, all cameras will come bundled with a two-year warranty that includes a 1-year global and a second year national warranty.
Special Feature
Hewlett Packard Photokina 2012 held in Cologne, Germany in September showcased new products from a number of leading players in the imaging industry. The HP stall at Photokina, Hall No.4, was a major attraction. HP had showcased several work flow solutions and live demos that caught the attention of the audience. The Indigo range of digital presses constituted a major attraction at Photokina, particularly the HP Indigo 7600 digital press which is the fastest SRA 3+ format digital sheet-fed press in the market. HP also announced new solutions for professional portrait and consumer photo prints using the HP Indigo Digital print technology, as a replacement for the traditional silver halide. Also on display were HP’s digital printing technologies for photo market and a full range of photo applications. HP Indigo had also organised a Photokina program for photo-finishers and lab-owners with an objective to see how European players like CEWE Color in Germany and Fovea in Oslo work. This program was well appreciated by the Indian customers as they got to visit and help the industry leaders define the directions of their photo and imaging business.
a great show. These large shows serve as a medium to impart impressions of this year’s the best practices followed Photokina? by the world leaders in the Photokina this time around photo business to Indian Photo was comparatively smaller lab owners. As part of the and focussed. We had over program we had taken around 200 Indian visitors who were 20 photo companies from India primarily photo lab owners. From an HP perspective we had and Sri Lanka to site visits of large European photo finishing companies. We had visited Fovea in Oslo and CEWE in Germany. These companies are leaders in the market and have transformed their business over time. CEWE, for example, is one of the largest customers for HP Indigo with over 80 HP Indigo Appadurai, Country Manager, HP Indigo & Inkjet Press Solutions, India & Srilanka presses at multiple at the HP stall, Photokina 2012 sites. Getting to see
What were your
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the facility and hearing the best practices of business from the top management of CEWE and Fovea was an eyeopening experience for the Indian companies. The Indian customers appreciated this initiative by HP and hopefully will make their business growth plans accordingly.
Which of the HP Photokina launches will be seen in India soon? HP believes in global launches, therefore the new products unveiled this year are already here. GLO colour lab based out of Coimbatore had installed the first 7600 press in India, Venus albums based out of Chandigarh has also recently installed the same press and we are expecting a few more installations before January 2013.
Special Feature
How has digital printing transformed the photo industry in India? We are very happy to be able to transform the photo industry in the last 3-4 years. The HP Indigo Digital presses have given photo finishing companies a new lease of life. They were struggling earlier to keep their bottom line intact owing to the various adverse changes in silver halide technology cost structures. But the biggest transformation has come in the products, service and experience that photographers and end consumers have received. Today, we have professional companies that say “shoot the best pictures and leave the rest to us” which we believe is the biggest change in the industry that lacked predictability. Today photographers get the product on the promised time. The overall time has come down from weeks to hours. Products like non-tearable photo books and mini books have revolutionised the market providing the users a world class experience with photo products in the last 200 years. This technology has also eliminated a huge amount of waste and harmful chemicals, thereby doing great justice to the environment.
What has HP’s India market share been in digital printing? At HP we believe in the share of pages that get printed on our presses than the actual
presses that go in the market. The year 2011-2012 has been phenomenal, since our pages tripled in growth (300%). According to statistics, if 10 million weddings happen in a year in India, then we are looking at our share touching double digits (10%) in the wedding album business in India. To reach a 10% share in a matter of 3-4 years, while competing against 50 odd years of silver halide technology is a great achievement. But there is a huge ocean in front of us and our customers. We just have over 65 production presses installed in the photo trade in India.
What are the benefits of the new Indigo presses to a customer? Multiple Indigo presses have broken the monotony of photo prints from just the regular gloss and matte to over thousands of media. The most popular ones include the non-tearable, metallic and textured. Now with new range of Indigo presses like the 5600, customer can print on lenticular substrates (3D effect) and plastics too. The speed of printing on Indigo presses range from 65-256 A4 pages in one minute and on both sides of the media. This is much faster than any other conventional technology. This has enabled photo finishing
companies to deliver world class products in 24 to 48 hours. This has certainly changed the industry. HP Indigo presses redefine the economics of the photo printing business. The world’s unique Digital Offset technology using electro ink produces quality that matches the conventional photo printing at an extremely affordable cost that has been very stable.
How do Indigo presses fare on different parameters with their competitors? HP Indigo is unique. This is the only Digital Offset technology that uses Electro ink on paper, whereas the rest of them use powder toner on paper. Indigo matches up with it, and in some cases surpasses the conventional silver halide technology. Special photo inks like light cyan and light magenta produce those fantastic skin tones that are preferred by the end customers. HP Indigo Media’s flexibility is a big factor in digital press business. Our customers vouch for this feature that is miles ahead of the other market players. Indigo presses have the industry’s highest productivity and duty cycles. We have one of the best service network in India at over 35 locations. Most importantly the dedication, professionalism and passion of the HP Indigo team provides the best service in India.
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News Watch National
Epson develops HTPS TFT colour panel
Seiko Epson Corporation, has developed a new hightemperature polysilicon (HTPS) TFT colour panel for electronic viewfinders used in mid-to high-end digital interchangeable lens system cameras. Epson’s latest Ultimicron panel offers the resolution and fidelity needed to focus the image while providing the ability to recreate smooth gradations and a natural softness. In addition, the use of a color filter prevents the color break-up that tends to occur with other color systems when shooting fast-moving subjects and while panning.
“We are delighted to increase our Ultimicron series offering to the market,” said Nobuyuki Shimotome Deputy COO of Epson’s Visual Products Operations Division. “Epson’s new panel is ideal for the growing number of customers who are seeking higher resolutions and an ever better experience from their cameras.”
Epson develops new models of its ink tank system printer
Epson, the world’s first major printer maker offering ink tank system printers, has introduced four new models of the successful L Series printers in India. These
printers offer the lowest printing cost per page in the world at 10 paise for B&W and 20 paise for Colour. Since the introduction of the Epson L-series printers in 2010 the printers have been phenomenally successful with small offices, small copy shops and home office customers embracing the cost effective technology. Through the L Series printers, Epson has empowered users to print freely without worrying about running costs, productivity and warranty issues as the ink tank system printers offer the lowest printing cost using genuine inks which produce high quality prints. In the first half of 2012 alone, ink tank system printers grew to compose a massive 25% of Epson India’s inkjet printer sales.
Monarch featured in Asia’s Top 100 companies
Monarch Innovative Technologies Pvt. Ltd. announced that it has been featured in the Red Herring Asia Top 100 list for this year. The company was selected from over hundreds of nominees representing the most innovative, private companies in Asia. Red Herring’s editorial staff evaluated the companies on both quantitative and qualitative criteria, such as financial performance, technology innovation, management quality, strategy and market penetration. The assessment of potential was complemented by a review of the track record and standing of start-ups. Said Sandeep Ohri, CEO Monarch, “We are thrilled and extremely humbled. It is an honour to be selected by Red Herring, since they have a track record of spotting industry winners early in the game.” 30
Smart Photography November 2012
News Watch National
Kingston releases SDXC Class Sony kicks off the 10 value card festive season with Kingston has revealed a brand new category of SDXC new products Class 10 memory cards that are for the price-conscious consumer. The card captures full HD videos and high-resolution photos at an affordable price. The cards are available in 64GB and 128GB capacities. The Class 10 card operates on the exFAT file system, which is designed to handle extremely large volumes of data, such as files larger than 4GB. Additionally, SDXC cards offer a speed “class� rating known as Class 10 that delivers a 10MB/s minimum sustained transfer rate for optimum performance.
Sony India launched innovative products across categories such as Television, Digital
Manfrotto showcases its latest range of S5*-& Bags Manfrotto Bags recently showcased their innovative ‘STILE Bag Collection’ at a function in Bengaluru. With this unveiling, Manfrotto has designed an absolutely stylish bag that suits the digital lifestyle and accommodates all the /QFGNU YCNM VJG TCOR HQT /CPHTQVVQ 56+.' $CIU latest digital gear. This event was organised by Srishti Digilife who are the distributors for four states in the South region. Many leading photo enthusiasts and law owners/retail entrepreneurs attended the event. “For Manfrotto the most interesting aspect of the digital revolution pivots around the world of imagery. This new lifestyle means that we are increasingly seeking knowledge and tools which will help us create more skillful and attractive photos. STILE is ltalian for style and we believe that Manfrotto STILE Collection is destined to become synonymous with stylish photobags�, said Mukul Kashyap, India Manager- Liasion office, Lino Manfrotto. The STILE Collection includes Veloce Backpacks, Agile Slings, Unica Messenger Bags, Bella Shoulder Bags, Solo Holsters and Nano Pouches. The listed products are available in different sizes and colours. 32
Smart Photography November 2012
Kenichiro Hibi, MD Sony India, displays the products with +PFKCĹ?U ĹżTUV GXGT KPEJGU - .%& KP &GNJK
Imaging and IT products, for the ensuing festive season. India, is one of the fast growing markets for Sony. Currently, the country stands at number 6 with regard to the contribution to global sales and plans to gain the 5th position by the end this financial year ending March 2013. The products were launched by Kenichiro Hibi, MD, Sony India. Also included is the 84-inch BRAVIA 4K LCD TV, the first ever Personal 3D Viewer - Head Mounted Display HMZ-T2, the first touch-screen VAIO with Windows 8, the new flagship Full-Frame A99 interchangeable lens camera and Cyber-shot RX100. On the occasion, the world’s first Cyber-shot with 1.0-type 20.2 effective megapixel sensor and bright f/1.8 lens Sony DSC RX-100 was also introduced. Smart Photography reviewed the RX-100 in the October 2012 issue.
News Watch National
Canon Photo Marathon to be held in Delhi in November The region’s largest photo competition returns to Asia with ten unforgettable expense-paid tickets to Hungary (Europe) up for grabs. The unveiling of the 10 th Canon Photo Marathon is scheduled for 4 th November 2012 at Kalka Public School, Alaknanda, Delhi. The event spans five different countries, and this year’s competition will see photographic talents from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam. This unique photo competition that challenges participants to create photographic masterpieces in line with assigned themes in the given time.
Kingston Technology celebrates its silver jubliee year
Kingston Technology celebrates 25 years of innovation in the memory and storage business this year. Kingston started out as a small enterprise in October 17th, 1987 and over the years has grown to become an international brand name for memory and storage products. With a wide variety of memory modules, USB flash drives, flash cards and solid state drives, Kingston has grown over the years in terms of its product range and in its market share. The company has launched a special 25th anniversary video featuring the company’s founders and top executives from all over the world. The video can be viewed on: http://www.kingston.com/en/company/25_years 34
Smart Photography November 2012
The event attempts to stretch the participant’s creativity and endurance to the maximum. Two winners from each country will win an 8-day trip to a photo clinic in Hungary, that will be conducted , by renowned professional photographer, Triston Yeo. Participants need to pre-register for participating in the event by visiting www.canon-asia.com. The judges for the Canon Photo Marathon India contest comprises of Akashendu Das (reputed fashion photographer), Subi Chaturvedi, (filmmaker, photographer, curator, teacher), and Ajay Sood, noted travel photographer.
SanDisk announces the development of CFast memory cards SanDisk Corporation has announced new flash memory cards based on the new CFast2.0 specification introduced by the CompactFlash Association (CFA). This new specification enables next-generation photo and video applications by delivering performances four times faster than the CompactFlash memory cards currently used.
“CFast2.0 memory cards will help drive the future of professional photography and video-recording applications,” said Shuki Nir, Senior Vice President and GM, Retail, SanDisk. “With the CFast2.0 specification’s unparalleled performance, flash memory can now enter new markets such as high-definition TV and even cinema production”, he further added.
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News Watch Exhibition Lyrical Landscapes
Points of View Points of View is a collection of abstract floral photos that were exhibited at The Convention Centre, IHC, Delhi from 8th to 10th October 2012.
A photo exhibition titled ‘Lyrical Landscapes’ by Indore photographer Upendra Upadhaya was held at the Nehru Centre AC Art Gallery, Mumbai from 2nd to 8th October 2012. Through his photographs, Upendra, a nature lover and winner of many photography awards, successfully captured the main elements of Mother Earth – textures, patterns, and play of light and shade and turned them into visual art form. Fifty nine prints, with sizes varying from 14 x 14” to 30 x 54” were displayed, and the expo attracted large crowds.
This first solo exhibition conducted by Delhi-based photographer Prerna Jain, featured a series of both, colour and B&W images.
Sanctuary Asia Photo exhibition
Rendezvous with Life
MTDC/Sanctuary Asia conducted an exhibition of with the winning entries of Wild Maharashtra Photography Contest. The expo held at Piramal Art Gallery in Mumbai. The exhibition, inaugurated on the World Tourism Day ran from the 27th to 30th September 2012. Baiju Patil won the first prize, while Raman Kulkarni bagged the second spot in the contest. The entries, along with other images from across Maharashtra, were compiled and edited by Bittu Sahgal and Lakshmy Raman into a book titled ‘Wild Maharashtra’.
A four day photo exhibition ‘Rendezvous with Life’, is being organised by Indian Terrains from 20th to 23rd November, 2012 at the Rangji Temple, Pushkar. The expo will showcase the creative interpretations of Vinod Verma, Shailza Dasgupta and Roby Das. The exhibition is a tribute to the simple yet rich Indian tribal culture, and the unforgettable journey through the real India, following the footsteps of ‘the original people’, and tracking indigenous heritage and ancient ways of living.
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Industry Opinion Xerox sees tremendous growth potential in the area of personalised and customised photo printing which altogether takes printing to a different level of consumer experience. Pankaj Kalra, Associate Director and Head of Graphic Communications, Xerox India outlines that the company’s equipment offers the absolute versatility, scalability and performance that will enable photo printing business to increase their business volumes. Excerpts:
Pankaj Kalra, Associate Director and Head of Graphic Communications, Xerox India.
How buoyant is the graphic communication and digital printing market in the country? How is Xerox positioned to garner volumes ahead of competition in the market? India is a key market for Xerox and over the years it has ushered the digital printing industry with technology and innovations. Xerox has identified this year’s theme as ‘Digital Activation’ with the ‘New Business of Printing’, thereby Xerox looks at providing real solutions to real business challenges for its partners and customers. Going forward, Xerox will continue to build its inventions into business by embedding them in superior Xerox products and solutions, using them as the foundation of new businesses, or licensing or selling them to other entities.
How are Xerox machines catering to the photographic printing services market, and what are the comprehensive solutions you are putting into place to drive growth? Digital photo-printing represents a huge opportunity in the Indian market. Xerox sees tremendous growth and potential in the area of personalised and customised photo printing which takes printing to a different level of consumer
experience. Xerox is tapping this market along with various photo labs and print partners to drive awareness among the photo community and enable them to explore profitable business opportunities in this segment. Our Xerox digital Color press, the Xerox 1000 Color Press offers High Definition 2400 x 2400 production photo printing and with an optional clear ink station. It enables the photographers to highlight and bring photos back to life. Xerox, recently, also launched a slew of new, affordable, mid-production digital color presses in India: the Xerox 770 Color Press and the Xerox 700i digital color press! Both these digital presses have taken the photo lab industry by storm and have already installed almost 50 such units in a brief span of less than 6 months.
How has the unveiling of the Xerox 770 digital color press bolstered the capability to cater, and what are the number of installations you are looking at? The Xerox 770 Color Press provides outstanding photo image quality, excellent performance, complete versatility, effortless productivity and day-in, day-out reliability. The press is capable of doing most demanding digital photo color printing jobs for a wide range of digital photo applications such as wedding albums, personalised calendars, invitation cards and posters etc
The Xerox Color Press 1000 gives the photographer the ability to highlight selective portions of the faces or jewellery and bring it back to life. It can also give a 3D (3 dimensional) look and feel to the print! In addition to printing the photo and wedding albums, the photo labs can create coffee table books, personalised photo calendars, birthday and wedding invitation cards, etc. It also enables to print on non-tearable waterproof media too.
How is Xerox keeping an eye on pocket friendly solutions and at the same time adhering to quality and creativity? The latest Xerox 700i and the 770 digital presses have been launched keeping in the mind the need for a pocket friendly solution! Xerox digital presses open up opportunities for the photo industry to service clients with new innovative applications such as personalised photo books, photo calendars, personalised photo planners and other print knick-knacks at affordable prices. Xerox color presses increase productivity by 25 to 35 percent by automating operator tasks, reducing the need to interrupt the press for adjustments and decreasing overall operating costs. At extremely low running costs and low power consumption and automatic back to back both side printing, the Xerox color presses are apt for any digital photo printing solutions. Mathew Thottungal November 2012 Smart Photography
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Finally, a platform for all photographers to exhibit their talent and GET NOTICED!
Kaleidoscope Holding onto each other Camera: Canon 5D Aperture : f/5.6 Shutter speed: 1/125 sec. ISO: 400
Endurin gB liss ... 38
Smart Photography November 2012
“I
started out as a photographer at a young age of 13. It was my father who introduced me to Shreenath Solanki, photography by teaching me the basics of still photography. Currently I am Junagadh, Gujarat still studying computer engineering, but wedding photography is what interests and challenges me the most. Besides that, I love shooting portraits and tabletops too. I have won 11 local and state level awards at different photo competitions under various categories. I am also a video editor and have worked on many Gujarati music albums and short films�, said Shreenath Solanki, a Gujaratbased photographer. He further reveals that his father, Mayur Solanki, is one of the most respected photographers in the Saurashtra region and the owner of Studio Aakruti. This made his transition into wedding photography all the more easy. He is aware of what it takes to be a wedding photographer, and how to capture the different moments in a couple’s journey. This is because he understands the importance of documenting the feelings, emotions and happiness that a couple cherishes the most on the D-day of their life. According to him, wedding portraits remain one of the most valued possession that a couple treasures. He believes that every image evokes a different emotion which gets preserved for generations to come. Shreenath started photography with a Canon f-1 film camera. Professionally he started his career with Canon 350D, and Nikon D70. Currently, he uses the Canon 5D and 5D MarkII bodies with a wide range of lenses, that includes a 20 mm f/2.8, a 24-70 f/2.8, a 70-200 f/2.8, a 50 mm f/1.4, and a 100mm macro f/2.8, with prolinchrom studio light and aperture wireless trans radio triggmaster with Canon 580 ex-2 flash light.
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A silent vow Through the bride’s eyes Camera: Canon 5D Aperture : f/4 Shutter speed: 1/40 sec. ISO: 800
Startuing a new journey together Camera: Canon 5D Aperture : f/8 Shutter speed: 1/160 sec. ISO: 400
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Camera: 5D Mark II Aperture : f/4 Shutter speed: 1/200 sec. ISO: 3200
Different shades of red Camera: Canon 5D Aperture : f/1.8 Shutter speed: 1/100 sec. ISO: 1600
Memories... happy and sad Camera: Canon 5D Aperture : f/2.8 Shutter speed: 1/50 sec. ISO: 1000
Get featured & win an Epson PictureMate PM245, worth Rs.9999/-!
Of tears and smiles Camera: Nikkon D70 Aperture : f/4 Shutter speed: 1/125 sec. ISO: 320
CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS! Kaleidoscope is the perfect way to jump-start your career... So simply send us a selection of your images along with full details of your vision and the technical information at sp@nextgenpublishing.net. We accept both film and digital images. All pictures that are forwarded to Kaleidoscope should be 8x10 inches in size (or larger) and at 300 ppi. However, we will re-size them according to the layout considerations. November 2012 Smart Photography
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Photograph by
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Picture of the Month We are sure that all of you have a few pictures that you think are prize worthy. It happens very often that you don’t know where to send the image that could put a feather in your cap. If you have such images (we’re sure you have many!), send us ONE such horizontal image. If it qualifies, we shall publish it as a double-spread. a. You have to guarantee that the picture was shot by you b. If there are people in the picture who can be identified, we’ll need a model release
c. The picture should not have been printed elsewhere (magazine newspaper, or offered to any publication) d. Mark the entry as “Picture of the Month” and rename the file using your name e. You may send images via print/e-mail to: Next Gen Publishing Ltd.,2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013 (or) sphoto.india@gmail.com
A note to our readers 1. The picture has to be horizontal. 2. Kindly ensure that the longer side should measure atleast 17 inches, at 300ppi. 3. Low resolution images will not be accepted. 4. We do not check images on online galleries. 5. Kindly ensure complete contact/address details are provided. Winners will have to collect their prize from SP’s Mumbai office or send an authorised representative to do so. 6. Please make sure that your picture does not have your name/logo on it.
Showcase
Shooting from the
N
. . . t r a He
ew Delhi based Sharik Verma is a photo-journalist who specialises in wedding, travel and commercial photography. Being an Sharik Verma, Engineering graduate New Delhi working at Wipro Technologies, Sharik consistently pursued photography as a hobby. He started learning new photo-techniques by assisting at various photo-shoots in between his job. Over a period of time with appreciation, honours, and accolades coming his way Sharik decided to take up photography as a full-time profession.
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In the last three years, he has photographed many beautiful moments through his lens with a style which is very photo-journalistic and candid. His amiable and endearing personality combined with his warm and friendly approach enables him to easily mingle with a family while shooting for a wedding. This not only helps him to make the family feel comfortable in his presence but the rapport also helps him capture the myriad and beautiful moments without being invasive. Apart from being a skillful photographer, Sharik is also a huge travel buff. He is a proud owner of
a Harley Davidson 883 Roadster on which he has travelled across India – from Spiti to Kerala and back. In fact, he is the first Harley Davidson owner in India to have recorded such a long ride covering more than 9000 kilometers. Being a photographer
Showcase
with a passion for travelling, he often encounters picturesque locales in some of the best cultural settings across the country for photography. Sharik believes that time spent travelling is never time wasted.
His photographic gear comprises of Nikon D3 and D700 full frame D-SLRs with a whole body of Nikkor lenses, namely 24-70mm f/2.8, 50mm f/1.4, 85mm f/1.4 and 80-200mm f/2.8. Mathew Thottungal
The sparkling bride
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Happy days are here again
Hunting the groom
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Catching a glimpse
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Waiting for the groom
Close encounter Lost in each other’s arms
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A portrait of love
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Party all night long A royal entry
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™ M U S FOR
S E N I S U B L A N O I ices T v r A e S A nd INTERN INDgIin Digital Photo ar t:
en Pres
2
ing
lop Deve
h-M
Hig New
REGISTRATION I.B.F. India 2013 - The 2nd (Indian) Edition Industry conference focused on conveying practical perspectives on how modern day consumer and professional photo businesses can enhance their profits. The presentation topics include Photofinishing as an industry, Role of Print in this Age, Developing New Revenue Streams, Digital Photo Services, Managing Consumer Expectations - Freebies vs. COD formats, Managing online to brick and mortar stores, Innovations as a driver of value and Increasing Value with Integration.
Who can attend: Print service providers, Photobook retailers, independent photographers,software suppliers, wedding photographers, freelance consultants, OEM Mgrs. & reps. and other trade channel
Full conference registration (1 day program, breakfast, lunch, 2 coffee breaks and evening closure) Full Conference Registration: Rs. 5,000/ person 2 to 4 Registrations Rs. 4500/- person 5+ Registrations Rs. 4000/- person BOOK TICKETS before 30th Nov.12 Additional 10% off as early bird discount (On above prices) Photography Association Discount Rs. 3,500/ person (30% off every ticket - Subject to min. 5 bookings) For special corporate group bookings please contact Ashwini on +91 9619789984 Registration Link: http://tinyurl.com/IBF2013-book
CONTACTS For Participation enquiries: +91 22 43525252 Or 512.418.9870 (USA) Or mail to: a.dayal@nextgenpublishing.net (Open to all nationalities)
DATE & VENUE 5th January, 2013 (10am to 5:30pm) Business Lounge B, Pragati Maidan Mathura Road, Delhi - 110001
Photos taken from 1st IBF (Jan. 2012)
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Strictly Soulmates...
Together for life...
F
or Mumbai-based professional wedding photographer, Shruti Joshi Mohapatra, the entry into photography was not on a whim. After completing her MBA in Marketing from ICFAI University, Delhi, being a prudent person, Shruti decided to join one of the country’s largest finance companies. However three years down the line she realised that her true calling lay in the pursuit of creative excellence rather than following a routine. And so, within a few weeks she plunged headlong into the creative depths of the photographic world.
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Shruti Joshi Mohapatra, Mumbai
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The first dance
She started her photography career by assisting a celebrity fashion photographer in Mumbai. A year and a half into the internship which covered a lot of portraits, magazine covers and fashion shoots, along with a detailed working knowledge of different cameras, lighting equipment and other photographic apparatus, she decided to move on. This is the time when her maiden venture into wedding photography happened, where she clicked pictures of a friend’s wedding. On seeing the results, her friend remarked, “the images captured showcase a very beautiful story! In fact, I can re-live my wedding day every time I look at these images,“ recalls Shruti. Waiting to catch each other’s glimpse
Celebrating the joys of being together
Shruti’s style can be best described as candid, contemporary and artistic. She is known for aptly capturing the mood of the moment with her unobtrusive approach. Stolen smiles, gestures, joy and grief – found in abundance during a wedding -- are an integral part of her photography. She emphasises that wedding photography does not only mean event coverage but it’s much beyond that, which includes the combination of fine art elements, the colourful vibrancy of rituals, the process of the bride getting ready and much more.
Also her photo essays titled ‘Making of the Bride’ is something that all her clients vouch for as one of their most endearing life-story in pictures. A typical wedding portfolio for Shruti includes a “save the date” shoot, the making of the bride and groom, candid coverage of all events, fun and quirky family portraits, and a pre/post wedding couple portraits. Her gear largely includes the Canon 5D Mark II body, a Canon 580 EX2 flash, and host of Canon lenses ranging from 24-70mm f 2.8, 16-35mm 2.8 for wide angles and 70-200mm f2.8, 50mm 1.8 for beauty shots and portraits. Mathew Thottungal
One of the wedding rituals
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Posing for the camera
All smiles
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A view of a ritual in process
The eyes speak a thou
sand words
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A bride on the D-day
ot fo Putting the best fo
Waiting for the groom
rward
A shy brid
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One for the camera!
ring... Life is all about ca
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Love is all about seeing the world together
Life’s a party!
http://pocketmags.com/nextgen
E-mail your images at sp@nextgenpublishing.net
If I Were You Our Imaging Expert
No one can take a picture that everyone likes. But, almost every picture can have a scope of improvement. Many-a-times, we are not our best critic, while others can immediately point out the faults. In If I were you, our expert comments on how your pictures could be taken to another level.
Rohinton Mehta, Technical Editor, Smart Photography
Illustration by: Ajay Paradkar
Picture Info
Camera: Canon EOS 550D ISO: 400 Lens: Canon EF 75-300 f/4-5.6 USM, at 220mm Shutter speed: 1/100 sec Aperture: f/7.1
The Peacock Praveen Kumar Kaushal from Bengaluru, loves to photograph nature. He has sent us this photo of a peacock and wants to know how the picture could be improved. Here are some general points to consider when photographing birds and animals: 1. Try not to cut off parts of the subject, unless you are trying for a close up. Most competition judges for nature photography would reject such pictures right away. 2. Consider the lighting. If you want strong colours, try to take the shots 56
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when the light is coming from behind you. A bit of side-lighting would probably be the best for this picture. 3. Consider the pose. Your picture would have looked better if the peacock was photographed with his head somewhat parallel to the camera’s imaging sensor (side profile), instead of looking directly at the camera. A glint in its eye would add to the picture. 4. Whenever you photograph a bird or an animal (actually, a bird is an animal that flies), try to capture some of its activity, rather than a static ‘here I am, get me’ documentary shot. 5. Often times, a photo of an animal/ bird may look better if some of the
surrounding habitat is included. When it comes to shutter speeds for hand-held photography (I am assuming that the picture was shot hand-held), try to use a minimum shutter speed that is the reciprocal of the effective focal length, which in your case would be approximately 350mm (1.6x for Canon APS-C cameras). Hence your shutter speed should ideally have been 1/350 sec or higher. Of course, to do that, you would have had to increase your ISO sensitivity (while still retaining your f/7.1 aperture). Increasing ISO sensitivity also increases digital noise. Hence make sure that you do not underexpose.
If I Were You
Picture Info
Camera: Nikon D7000 ISO: 320 Shutter speed: 1/60 sec Aperture: f/22
The Monastery This photo, showing the entrance to a monastery, is by SP reader Senthilkumar. The rainy day has made the picture somewhat dull and the monument looks slightly tilted to the left. The brighter sky also takes away some attention from the monastery. So what can be done to improve this picture? Unless we have a reason for doing otherwise, when taking any picture, we need to level the camera so that the subject does not appear tilted. If your camera has a grid screen overlay (the D7000 does!), enable the feature. Since this correction is being done after the fact, the only way out was to correct the tilt in Photoshop.
Original Image
The next edit was to try and darken the sky so that it would be less prominent. This was done using the Gradient Tool in Photoshop. Notice that the difference is subtle, but yet effective. And finally, the picture was sharpened a bit, which has also put a little ‘zing’ into the dull original picture.
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If I Were You
Picture Info
Camera: Nikon D3100 ISO: 100 Shutter speed: 1/50 sec Aperture: f/10
The Fly Harshad Gopnarayan is a B. Tech final year student from Aurangabad. He is pursuing photography in real earnest. About a year ago, he took this picture of a fly in his backyard. He realised that his composition was not up to the mark and hence, he re-framed the image in Photoshop. Further, using the Shadows/ Highlights tool, he toned down the highlights and colour corrected the image. He now wants to know how the picture could be further improved. Honestly, I don’t think that there is any scope for improvement. Harshad, you have done a splendid job yourself! I don’t think I could have done it any better. I am greatly impressed. 58
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Note: If I Were You is meant to encourage and guide readers, and help them improve their photography. Please ensure that the required camera/exposure details are sent to us (or are available in the EXIF data). We shall not accept images for this section if the required data is not available. Readers are requested to send their images at 300ppi for 8 x 10-inch size. If they are too small, it gets difficult to work on them, and hence may be rejected.
Ask Uncle Ronnie Did you know... Ronnie has over 35 years of experience in photography? In fact, he has taught several thousand photoenthusiasts in various institutions and through workshops, as well as judged many national and international photo contests, including the prestigious International Photo Contest held at Colombo, Sri Lanka. So, if you have any photo-queries, whether conventional or digital, don’t hesitate. Just go ahead and Ask Uncle Ronnie at sp@nextgenpublishing.net, ‘cause he knows it all!
Canon Queries
I am fresher to the field of photography and have never attended any course in the subject. I use a Canon T1i and have the following queries: 1) Are all the Canon lenses compatible with Canon T1i? 2) I have Canon 55-250 mm IS lens. I know it is a slow lens. But can you please define slow and fast lens? 3) Also please explain what is EF lens and EF-S lens? Prasad Kudalkar, via E-mail 1. In India, the Canon T1i is known as Canon EOS 500D. All Canon lenses designed for D-SLR cameras and those designed for film (EOS) cameras can be used with the 500D. 2. The ‘speed’ of a lens (slow or fast) refers to the diameter size of its widest (maximum) aperture. Wider the maximum aperture, greater the light gathering power and vice versa. Designating lenses in terms of ‘speed’ is useful when comparing two or more lenses of similar focal length, using the same
film/sensor format. As an example, let’s consider the following 50 mm ‘normal’ lenses for the full-frame (35 mm) format: 50 mm f/2.8 50 mm f/2 50 mm f/1.8 50 mm f/1.4 50 mm f/1.2
The f/2 lens is 1-stop ‘faster’ than the f/2.8 lens; f/1.8 is 1/3-stop ‘faster’ than f/2; f/1.4 is 1/3-stop ‘faster’ than f/1.8, and f/1.2 is 1/3-stop ‘faster’ than f/1.4. Going the other way, the f/2.8 lens is 1-stop ‘slower’ than the f/2 lens; f/2 is
1/3-stop ‘slower’ than the f/1.8 lens; f/1.8 is 1/3-stop ‘slower’ than f/1.4, and f/1.4 is 1/3-stop slower than f/1.2. As the focal length increases, the definition of ‘fast’ changes. Here is why: Aperture is described as the focal length divided by the diameter of the front lens element. So if you want f/1.4 on a 500mm lens for example, the front lens element diameter would have to be 357.14mm or 35.71cm (14.28”). This is not practical, if at all possible. It would put the lens out of reach of almost everyone, and would be almost impossible to lug around. Hence, a 500mm f/4 lens is also considered to be ‘fast’. 3. EF is the designation given by Canon for SLR lenses designed for full-frame (35 mm) camera bodies (digital as well as film); EF-S denotes that the lens is designed for the smaller APS-C size sensor camera bodies. Note that EF lenses can be used on APS-C bodies but you cannot use EF-S lenses on fullframe camera bodies.
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Ask Uncle Ronnie
Macro lens or Close-up Filter?
A Newbie Asks
Would there be a great difference in image quality between a dedicated 50/60mm macro lens and a good +3 close-up filter on a 50mm lens? A. Ahuja via E-mail Opinions may be divided, but here’s my take on it.
I am new to Photoshop. I tried to use Levels on a cloudy sky. Using the white-tipped eyedropper from the Levels window, I clicked the whitest area of the clouds. Then I picked the black-tipped eyedropper and clicked it on the darkest part of the sky. My sky became almost black and white. What am I doing wrong? T. M. Nair, Chennai The method you followed is okay if there is something white and black in the photo. I assume your photo had nothing that should have been black. Hence, when you clicked the black eyedropper on the blue area of the sky, that area turned black (as it was supposed to).
Close-up Filters
Here is a cloudy sky photo from my collection. Image 1 is the way you probably did the edit on your photo. I clicked the white eyedropper on the supposed-to-be white cloud, and the black eyedropper on the blue sky (which turned very dark as expected).
Using a high-quality +3 close-up filter on a highquality 50mm lens, you may be hard-pressed to notice a difference, unless you enlarge the picture considerably. The image quality will also depend on the aperture and ISO you use, and your shooting technique. Depth of field is very small when a lens is close to a subject, and hence using something like f/11 may cover up some inadequacies of the prime lens.
In Image 2, instead of clicking the black eyedropper on the blue area like you probably did, I moved the black slider (underneath the histogram) towards the right till it almost touched the beginning of the histogram. Then I moved the white eyedropper towards the left till it almost touched the right end of the histogram.
Do note however, that once a close-up filter is attached, your focussing distance is limited and you cannot focus at far-away distances. This is not the case with a dedicated macro lens. The macro lens has another advantage, in that, it may offer better edge sharpness at wider apertures.
So when there is no supposed-to-be white or black in the photo, use the method as shown for Image 2.
AF-S Micro
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Image 1
Image 2
Ask Uncle Ronnie
On a Budget After a long wait I have decided to upgrade to a D-SLR. I have been using a Nikon P-80 for the last four years. I generally photograph my family and friends. However I really love and enjoy shooting macros. My budget is Rs. 3000035000. 1.Which D-SLR would best meet my requirements? I have no experience of using any SLR, but would prefer a Nikon for no apparent reason. However other brands are also not untouchable to me if you advice. 2. What should be the ideal work flow in Photoshop for just enhancing/improving, and certainly not manipulating, a reasonably good photograph? A friend recently advised me to use CMYK colour space for this purpose. 3. If I use a micro SD memory card with a suitable adapter instead of a normal SD card of the same capacity, will it make any difference to the speed and quality of my photography, from a technical viewpoint? Dinesh Lakhanpal, Himachal Pradesh. 1. At the budget you have mentioned, you will not be able to get a D-SLR body and a macro lens. I suggest you first get a D-SLR. You may go in for Canon 1100D with its 18-55mm kit lens (currently Rs.26,990) or a Nikon D3100 with its 18-55mm kit lens (currently Rs.29,950). Then, as a temporary measure, buy a locally made +3 close-up filter. Using the combo, you may be able to satisfy your need for close-ups. Later on, when possible, buy a good set of imported close-up filters (+1, +2 and +4).
Dedicated macro lenses cost much more and you may consider them at a later stage, when you have a better budget. 2. Basic workflow (for JPEGs) should be (a) Levels (b) Spotting/removing dust marks etc. (c) Cropping/resizing, if required (d) Sharpening (e) Saving. CMYK colour space is used when images are to be printed in books/magazines. For commercial printing through photo labs, it is best to check with your lab the colour space they use. Advanced Photoshop workers generally use Adobe RGB 1998 – which has a larger colour gamut – but change to sRGB if the images are to be put up on the web. 3. Quality should not change, but I am not too sure of the read/write speeds. From your question, I gather that you may want to use the same card in your mobile phone as well as in your camera. It would be better to have separate cards for both purposes.
Should I Wait? 1) I had set my mind on a Nikon D7000 D-SLR. But Interchangeable Lens Compact Cameras are cheap in price and are rapidly developing in quality. Should I wait for a considerable period to procure a much more developed ILCC/ Mirror-less Interchangeable Digital Camera for my serious photography? 2. Is it a fact that no D-SLR has yet achieved the input level of a good film camera relating to resolution, definition or dynamic range? Amar Saha, via E-mail 1. There is no need to wait
for a further improved ILCC. Of course, with every new introduction, we can expect some improvement or change for the better, but if we always keep waiting, we may never be able to have a camera in the first place! Image quality from most ILCCs is very good, so don’t worry. 2. Where did you get that information? It is absolutely wrong. Modern digital SLRs have long surpassed the image quality in terms of resolution and dynamic range compared to the best films.
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Showcase
Melanie Dornier is a visual artist who photographs the different aspects of human nature like laughter, mystery, solitude which BSF underlying Melanie Dornier phenomenB throughout the world. French photographer, She has been been into photography currently based in China all her life, closely observing beauty and internalising images, especially in human activities. Photography is a medium through which Melanie engages in a spiritual journey to seek solace. Melanie is a French Photographer who received her formal training from London’s Chelsea College, before moving over to Delhi where she studied at Munish Khanna Academy. She is currently undergoing a course in social documentary at OCA. Since 2009, she has been an extensive traveller and has been living in China where she is predominantly engaged in documentary, editorial and travel photography. Her career highlights include the honour of being declared the emerging photographer at the prestigious Salon de la Photo 2011, Paris. She has been recognised as a social photographer who believes in giving importance to both the entire concept and the subject behind the frame. Her artistic approach has enabled her to get recognition in fine art photography, and at the same time exhibit her creative work in different countries like France, India and China. Her work has been published worldwide and in prestigious magazines, like Sunday Times and Global Business Magazine. 62
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The Adventures of a Traveller Dancing in the light
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Standing tall The silent waters
She uses two Canon bodies: 50D and 5D Mark II with two main lenses - 16-35mm F2.8 and 70-200mm F4. Additionally, she uses the 50mm F1.4 lens for low light photography, and also a monopod or tripod depending on the respective situations. In addition, she uses a couple of semi-graduated filters of different colours. For further details visit her website www.melaniedornier.com Mathew Thottungal
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Where the sun can’t reach
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Special Focus
Sights & Sounds @
Photokina 2012
T
he largest imaging carnival, Photokina 2012 trade show concluded in Cologne, Germany on 23rd September 2012. And the biggest news that emanated from the fair grounds was the arrival of the new generation full frame cameras. Nikon and Canon introduced their D600 and EOS 6D, while Sony unleashed the high-end SLT A99 with inbuilt features for both still and video professionals. At the other end of the spectrum, Olympus updated its PEN series with the introduction of the E-PL5 and E-PM2, while Panasonic on its part unveiled the impressive Lumix GH3.
Alongside the mirrorless, the compacts too witnessed new trends like faster lenses etc. The notable ones being the Canon PowerShot S100 with WiFi and touch screen features. Samsung’s Galaxy camera takes a key step ahead of Nikons’s Coolpix S800c, which is also an Android based camera. The other major announcement was the Hasselblad Lunar, a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera which is supposed to utilise Sony’s E-Mount.
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A glimpse of the exhibition Live photo session at UIF Sony pavillion Photo session at Tamron’s stall Visitors stroll down the Panasonic isle November 2012 Smart Photography
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5. Canon stall buzzing with activity 6. Hasselblad showcasing the Ferrari 7. It was all about prints at the HP stall 68
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Special Focus 8
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A view of the Olympus’ booth with Nikon’s stall seen on the left 9. Pentax Ricoh had some interesting products to showcase 10. The Swarovski optics stall 11. A view of the Samsung’s booth
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Mahesh Shantaram
Mastercraftsman
A Knotty Affair...
Mahesh Shantaram, Bangalore
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For Bangalore based independent documentary photographer, Mahesh Shantaram, a wedding photographer’s role is to capture the unfolding events simply, quietly, and without attracting much attention. And for that he shoots carefully, crafting each image with incredible care. He believes that each photograph should be aesthetically appealing as well as emotionally evocative. With his unobtrusive approach he creates images that are momentous, fresh, unpredictable and timeless. Excerpts:
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Mastercraftsman
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Mahesh Shantaram
Mastercraftsman
How did you get into wedding photography? Since how long have you been a professional wedding photographer?
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When I love or hate something, I do it with a passion. There was a time, not very long ago, when I used to hate weddings to the point that I didn’t even
show up for my own sister’s wedding. Later, when I quit an oppressive job and became a photographer it was apparent to me that the Indian wedding
Mahesh Shantaram
photography market needed some ventilation (to put it mildly). Weddings seemed more tolerable to attend from behind a camera. And it felt lovely to be working
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Mahesh Shantaram
Mastercraftsman
with real humble human beings rather than the bossy corporate types. Looking back, I have no regrets getting into wedding photography.
How do you see your role evolving? As a documentary photographer, I tell stories using pictures. Although 74
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I started as a wedding photographer, the scope of what I do has undergone creative expansion over the years. Today, I document Indian wedding culture and chronicle the personal stories of individuals behind it. Of late, I’m fascinated by the medium of photo books and the art of story-telling in a book
form. Therefore, I also see myself as a wedding photo book maker.
You shoot weddings all over the country. What is the biggest professional challenge you face since every wedding is unique and different from the other in many respects? Do
Mahesh Shantaram
you do a lot of research prior to the shoot? The greatest challenge for me is to approach every wedding as if it were a unique experience; different from anything I’ve already seen before. I don’t do any research or planning or take client briefs. For me everything needs to be a surprise that is experienced in the spur of the moment. That is when a photojournalist’s acumen kicks in to react to such moments. It doesn’t matter if I miss several shots working this way. However, this is what keeps me on my
toes enabling me to create pictures that are momentous, fresh, and unpredictable.
What advice do you often give to a couple? In your opinion, what makes a successful wedding day? I don’t think it is the photographer’s business to give advice. A wedding comes to life thanks to the involvement of many people - mehendi artists, caterers, light and sound engineers, relatives, and not to forget the dreams of the bride and groom. My job is to somehow capture the spirit
of everyone’s hard work by using it within my story.
Many new photographers today struggle to develop a personal style, without being influenced by others. So how do you think have you developed your style and how has it changed over the years? ‘Style’ is superficial. A photographer is better off honing one’s world view - the broad ideals that define what we stand for as individuals. That will have a definite influence
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Mahesh Shantaram
Mastercraftsman
is too much. Super-rich colour is abundant in India. That’s great for a real-world festive experience but not necessarily for photography. I use postprocessing to control the palette from spilling all over the place. I follow this process for I have only two ‘prime lenses’ all photography, be it in my kit: a sense of humour weddings or vacations. I’m essentially creating a whole and a sense of humanity. new ‘World of Colour’ Rather than industry that extends from my trends, I draw inspiration imagination. from the rich traditions of documentary photography like those of renowned What are your future photographers whom I’ve plans? Any personal had the pleasure of meeting projects in the pipeline? and learning from. I have been working on a personal project called on the kind of photographs we take. I’m not very much into overly romantic imagery. Instead I like to make dynamic images that not only tells the story of the bride and groom, but also captures the state of our country in these interesting times.
The vibrancy and clarity in your work is something that immediately stands out from the rest. Could you tell us about how do you achieve it and if you retouch your photographs? Of course, I do work on my photographs because I can’t let the camera have the final say in what my images should look and feel like. My rule-of-thumb for post-processing is that it is like make-up on a woman – if you notice it, it 76
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Matrimania, a part-fact and part-fantasy reconstruction of the world of weddings as I see it. It has received some attention on international platforms such as the Sony World Photography Awards 2011. I’ve been invited to present the work at the Photo Phnom Penh festival in Cambodia later this year. I’m also looking forward to host a couple of filmmakers from Europe who will accompany me during the upcoming wedding season to shoot a documentary film. And lastly, I am working on getting Matrimania published by next year. Mathew Thottungal
Learnings 78
Basics of Photography: Setting up a Home Studio
83 Snapshots
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Do Commit These Mistakes!
Learning Basics of Photography Smart Photography has been continually receiving requests to start a basic course for beginners. With this in mind, we have asked a very knowledgeable photographer from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, to take over writing these articles. We have also requested him to be as jargon-free as it is possible, so that newcomers to photography feel comfortable to pursue the hobby. The author, Ashok Kandimalla has been in the photographic field for over three decades and has extensive experience in both film and digital photography. Being an electronics engineer by profession and a photographer, he possesses a unique and deep insight into the technical aspects of digital photography and equipment. He has published several articles on photography and some of his writings have also been published in the well-known international magazine Popular Photography. An avid collector of photographic books and vintage cameras, Ashok has a keen interest in the history of photography and a passion for sharing his knowledge on photography through teaching and writing. He is presently working as a Management and Engineering consultant. You can see his work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashok_kandimalla. He can be reached at kashokk@gmail.com
Setting up a Home Studio
T
he ‘Basics of Photography’ series has by and large covered almost all the essential fundamentals of photography over the last several articles. Now, it is time to put some of the theories explained to practice. The best way to start this exercise is in a photo studio. Why in a studio, you may ask? That is because working in a studio is the best way to learn how to ‘light’ in the true sense of the word, since the lighting can be manipulated in any possible manner you please. Hence, studio environs are the best location to master the “photo” part of photography. Having a studio at home has several advantages. You can do things at your own pace, time is not wasted on transit, you will not get curtailed due to rain and sun, etc. Contrary to what you think, a small home studio will not cost much and more importantly will not occupy a great deal of the most important resource in a home viz. space. In fact, the idea of this article is to give you an economical solution to create a studio suitable for table top products though it can be extended to other types of photography. 78
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So, here are the elements that go in to setting up a home studio: Photo Table and Accessories: The most important item you need for a home studio is a table to keep the products that need to be photographer. However, any Picture 1
conventional table won’t do the job. You need what are called ‘Photo Tables’. These are also known as ‘Light Tables’ or ‘Still life tables’. These are meant for placing the products for photography and also for lighting them appropriately. A photo table looks like a chair with the seat removed! It allows a seamless backdrop like a laminate to be placed on top. You can also substitute the laminate with a sheet of translucent material in case you want to light your product from behind (glassware, for example). Readymade photo tables (Picture 1) are available in the market. These cost several thousands of rupees and while
Picture 1: A typical Photo Table. Note how the translucent Perspex sheet forms a continuous sweep. This gives a seamless background. You can also easily light subjects from behind with a set up like this. This is a floor standing unit. (Make: Harison Photo Products).
Basics of Photography
you can buy these if you can afford, it is quite easy to make one. I am showing (elsewhere in this article) one design which was successfully fabricated with plywood and some screws. The best part is that it can be dismantled (and hidden from your spouse ) when not in use. Laminate: This is the decorative sheet that is stuck on top of most home and office tables. These are available in several colours and textures. The most useful ones are the white ones and those with a wood grain finish. Usually the laminate is very thin and will bend if you keep heavy articles. If you get into a situation like this, keep a piece of plywood on top of the photo table underneath the laminate. Translucent sheet: Transparent and translucent products like glassware, crystal are best lit from behind. For this you need to keep a translucent sheet on the photo table and keep the light sources beneath or behind this sheet. The best translucent sheet is made of matt Perspex which unfortunately is not easily available. In case you cannot get a Perspex sheet you can buy a 2mm thick acrylic sheet as a substitute. However, these sheets reflect a lot and hence can create problems. To avoid these, keep a tracing paper on top of the acrylic sheet. The matt surface of the tracing sheet will eliminate reflections while preserving translucency. Clamps: Popularly known as ‘C’ clamps since they look like the letter ‘C’, these will help you firmly hold (or clamp) the laminate or the Perspex/acrylic
sheet to the photo table. You can buy laminates, translucent sheet, and clamps from hardware shops. Lights: Once you have the light table you need to get the lights organised. There are two types of lights available – continuous and flash. The latter are also known as strobes. Let us look at these in more detail.
Picture 2: A typical CFL. This is a 23 Watt bulb that is roughly equivalent to a normal incandescent 100W bulb. The colour temperature is 6500 K
Picture 2
Picture 3: An easily available multi-position table lamp
Picture 3
Presently, continuous lights use different technologies such as CFL (Compact Fluorescent Lamp/Light), Halogen, LED, etc. Each has its plus and minus points. By far the best for a home studio are the CFLs (Picture 2). These are cool (low temperature) to operate, easily available and won’t run your electricity bill through the roof. They also operate at a colour temperature of 6500K (approximately). Most D-SLRs can set the WB fairly accurately even in Auto WB mode for this colour temperature. Most importantly they are very economical to buy as well as operate and hence are ideal for a home studio. You can buy a low cost, multi-position (or a goose neck) table lamp (Picture 3) from electric shops and fit a CFL to it. The CFL being a continuous source allows you to check the shadows and highlights very closely. This is very useful especially if you are getting started with table top photography. The disadvantage is that even when you are using two lights the total light output is quite low and you will be forced to use a slow shutter speed. Thus, a tripod is a must. Also, due to the slow shutter speeds, you will not be able to freeze action. This precludes high speed photography (capturing splashes, for example). There are also few or no light modifiers available for continuous lights although you can improvise easily. If you are going this route just make sure that you also have two small stools/tables to keep the lamps. Overall this is the cheapest solution for lights! An alternate light source is the electronic flash. For a home studio, large mains operated studio strobes are an overkill. You can use portable electronic November 2012 Smart Photography
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Basics of Photography Picture 4
flashes; the type that you mount on your camera hot shoe. These flashes are low cost, battery operated and powerful enough. They are excellent for freezing action and since they run on batteries you can move them around easily without tangling up the power cords. Also, you can use a high shutter speed (up to X Sync) and thus avoid a tripod although this is not recommended. A huge variety of light modifiers are available for portable flashes these days. You have the choice of buying dedicated flashes that are manufactured by your camera manufacturer or 3rd party flashes that just operate as manual flashes. The former offers a very high degree of automation, remote control and will integrate with your D-SLR seamlessly. The downside is that they are very expensive. So, unless you want to spend a huge amount of money (as you would require two flashes at least), I suggest you go for the latter. Make sure, and this is an absolute must, that these manual flashes have an output power level that can be varied. Without this feature, they are useless for table top photography. They should also have a built-in optical trigger. With this, you can trigger flashes wirelessly at no extra cost with the help of the built-in flash of your D-SLR. In case you have old flashes with you that don’t have an optical trigger you can buy an add-on trigger. However, never mount a 3rd party flash on the hot shoe of your camera. (Please see ‘Basics of Photography”, Smart Photography, April 2012 issue for an exhaustive article on this topic). 80
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You will need some way to position the strobes properly. This is best done with light stands. So, purchase a couple of light stands meant for studio strobes. These are inexpensive and also foldable (for easy storage). You will however, need a small adapter called an umbrella bracket (Picture 4) to mount the flashes on a light stand. You can also get an adapter to mount an umbrella bracket on tripods, but tripods are a lot more expensive than light stands and hence these adapters are useful only if you have a few spare tripods. Light modifiers: The raw light out from a portable flash can and sometimes may need to be modified. This is done with the help of light modifiers. Let us see what these are and what they do. Diffusers: The light given out by a portable flash is very harsh due to its small size. Hence, it is very important to use a diffuser. This will give softer and hence more pleasing shadows. The most popular diffusers are umbrellas and softboxes (Pictures 4, 5 and 6). You can also make a diffuser very easily. Take a wooden frame and cover it with diffusing material – and voila, you have a diffuser. Materials that can be used for this purpose are – butter paper, tracing paper, silk cloth, thin bed sheets, shower curtains, etc. There is one precaution that you need to take though. The colour of the light through the diffuser will get modified if the diffusing material is coloured. Hence, make sure that the colour of the diffuser is neutral. Other light modifiers: Some of the other light modifiers include snoots,
Picture 4: Shown here are two types of umbrella brackets. The left one has a swivel head and the one b in the middle has a ball head for more flexibility. Both these mount on a studio light stand. The bush on the right is meant for mounting the bracket on a tripod (optionally). (Courtesy Photosystems)
Picture 5 Picture 5: An inexpensive umbrella diffuser mounted on a light stand with the help of an umbrella bracket (see inset). It is very portable since it folds easily. (Courtesy Photosystems)
Picture 6: An economical softbox (diffuser) that has been designed specifically for small strobes. It can be folded easily and mounted on a light stand. (Courtesy Photosystems)
Picture 6
Basics of Photography
grids, barn doors, etc. Please note that studio strobes also have similar accessories available. However, these will not fit portable flashes. Please make sure that you buy the right ones. (Please see ‘Basics of Photography’, Smart Photography, April 2012 issue for a complete list of these modifiers). There are two more accessories that are needed for lighting. These are reflectors and gobos. Reflectors: Parts of the subject that are not exposed to a light source will be in shadow and will appear dark. Due to this, the detail in this area will not be clear and will also not be attractive to look at. You can brighten this part by using a fill light or by using a reflector. While you can buy purpose-built reflectors, you can make some for next to nothing. Among the best, very low cost and easily available reflectors are sheets of thin Styrofoam boards. These give nice diffused reflections. In fact any white matt surface will give you a diffused reflection.
Gobos: This is a short form for “go in between” (Picture 8) as they are put in between the light source and the subject. These are also popularly known as “cutters”. Gobos create a local block to the light falling on a particular area of the subject and hence prevent (among other things) bright spots that could occur when light shines from a reflective surface. You can make gobos from black non-reflective chart paper by cutting rectangular strips of suitable size. They can be held in position by hand between the subject and the light with the help of forceps.
Picture 7
Picture 7: Homemade reflector made with crinkled aluminum wrap. Picture 8: A gobo held by forceps
If you want a somewhat more concentrated (opposite of diffused) light -- called specular light -- then an aluminum foil that is used to wrap food products is ideal. First, crumple a piece of foil and then flatten it out (Picture 7). This will crinkle the foil and will make it an excellent reflector. You can fix one of these on one side of the Styrofoam sheet. With this you will have two types of reflectors in one piece; diffused and specular, one on each side. As with the diffusers, the colour of the light bouncing from a reflector will assume the colour of the reflector. Many photographers also use coloured reflectors, especially golden ones for portrait photography, to give a slight warm tone to the subject.
Picture 8
Light tent: A light tent (Picture 9) is a rectangular box with translucent material on all sides. Some of the sides have openings (ports) that can be closed or opened by means of zips or Velcro. These ports allow you to photograph the product inside the tent. Since all the sides are made of translucent material, the light from even a simple table lamp will get diffused nicely and will fall around the subject causing a very
soft shadow. These are foldable and hence portable. They can be set up in minutes. Light tents are not very expensive (they cost a few thousand rupees at the most) and are a worthwhile accessory to have if you are interested in table top photography. They are particularly useful if you want to take photographs (with the same lighting) of various similar-sized items, very quickly. Such a need may arise, for example, when you want to take photographs for a product catalogue (like figurines, toys, etc.). Once you set up the tent, you can take a number of photographs rapidly with the same consistent lighting which is needed for a product catalog. The only disadvantage is that light tents are of fixed size and this puts a limit on the size of the product that you can keep inside. However, a light tent is not a must. You can achieve a similar effect with diffusers but the setup will be more cumbersome to manage. If you are a DIY (Do It Yourself ) type of a person, you can also make one quite easily. Miscellaneous Items: A studio will have an endless list of items. However, many of them are simple and are in fact commonly used household items. A partial list (Picture 10) – a pair of scissors, a hobbyist’s cutting knife, cello tape with dispenser, forceps, tack, paper binding clips, butter / tracing paper, clothes clips, wooden blocks for positioning and propping subjects, laundry bags (they make excellent diffusers!) etc. None of these are expensive. Nor is there a need to acquire them all at once. As you keep taking photographs in your home studio, you will quickly come to November 2012 Smart Photography
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Basics of Photography CO CONCLUSION CONCLUSION CONC LUS LU USIO ION N know what items are needed and you can acquire them progressively. Plus, you can also improvise quite a few things. Believe me, that is fun too! It is however, important to keep all these items together (in a box) and maintain some discipline in storing them (don’t throw them all over), so that you can locate them as and when required.
As you have seen, setting up a home studio does not need a huge budget. Once set up, it will give you endless hours of photographic pleasure and fun. It will also throw a few challenges at you when you photograph! Overcoming them will help you to understand light and the need and means of controlling it like nothing else. One aspect that you must pay particular attention to is that in a studio everything is under your control and hence there is no scope for any error. A photograph taken out in the field could have a small flaw which can be explained as nature not cooperating with you, but in a studio you will have no such excuse. This in fact has a direct benefit as it will make you strive for perfection, something that will help you to become a better photographer.
Picture 9
The next few articles will demonstrate step by step, the process behind creating some interesting images using your home studio. Complete description on how to create the photograph along with lighting diagrams will be given for you to practice at home. These will be designed so that they can be completed over a weekend or two. So, stay tuned!
A DIY (Do It Yourself) Photo Table Picture 9: A Light Tent Picture 10: Miscellaneous Items
All photographs by the Author
Picture 10
Tip: Studio photography needs a lot of help for positioning things, adjusting lights, holding reflectors, diffusers, etc. Consequently, it will be very useful to have a likeminded friend to help you when you are photographing in a studio. Plus, you and your friend can also share the burden of purchases. For example, if you are planning to have two flashes for your studio, maybe you can purchase one flash each to lessen the financial burden. 82
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Dimensions: A. 1 foot or 30cm B. 2 feet or 60cm C. 2½ feet or 75cm D. 3 feet or 90cm Material: You can use 18mm plywood or 1” x 2” (2.5cm X 5cm) teakwood pieces Assembly: There are totally 4 frames. The frame sizes are – Front frame - 1 foot x 2 feet (30cm X 60cm) - One piece Side frames - 1 foot x 2½ feet (30cm x 75cm) - Two pieces Back frame - 1 foot x 3 feet (30cm X 90cm)- One piece These frames are fixed together in corners with “L” shaped metal brackets (see detailed drawing, on the right), and ¼ inch bolts and nuts (see red circles).
Note that there are a total of four corners. This table was designed to be very small and portable. Consequently, it is not a floor standing unit. Rather, it needs to be placed on any normal table (like a dining table). When dismantled it hardly takes any place. The Perspex/Acrylic sheet can be rolled and kept. So, the whole setup takes up little storage space. While you can make this table easily, you can outsource the job to any carpenter if you are not keen on doing it yourself. (Design © P. Rajamannar)
Learning
Snapshots
W
hilst editing in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), have you ever felt the need to save different versions of the same digital file? You could of course edit the original, save it and then re-open the original for the second conversion and so on. Using the Snapshots tab in ACR, we can save as many versions as we like without taking the image into Photoshop. This can be time-saving and convenient.
Printscreen 3
Printscreen 1
Printscreen 2
1. After making your first edit in ACR, select the Snapshots tab. In CS6, it is the last tab (see Printscreen 1). 2. Click on the icon shown here (it is at the bottom of the Snapshots tab panel). (see Printscreen 2). 3. A box named ‘New Snapshot’ will
open. In the Name field (where Untitled 1 is mentioned), type Version 1 (or whatever name you prefer) and click OK (see Printscreen 3).
4. Now simply re-edit the same file, this time applying a different look to it and save it again as Version 2. Continue with as many versions as you like. 5. You may now see the different creations by clicking on the appropriate version name. Save the version you like or save all the versions if you so prefer. 6. To save, in the Snapshots panel, select Version 1 and click on the Save tab at the bottom left of ACR. Similarly save all the other versions. See the next two pages for the variations. Rohinton Mehta
Original
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Learning
Do Commit These Mistakes!
W
ell, honestly, you cannot call them ‘mistakes’ because you are going to commit them intentionally. It is a learning process. Often, to know what is correct, you first need to know what is wrong! So the next time you go out for a shoot, please commit these sins. Then, follow that up with the right move. 1. Let’s start with an early morning shot – a sunrise. When shooting JPEG, set your camera to ‘Auto’ White Balance. In the resulting pictures, notice how the warm early morning colours have been either washed away or subdued (that’s the time you would like to kick yourself in the butt).
What should have been the correct way out? While there is no really ‘correct’ way, try to set your White Balance to ‘Daylight’. Notice how the recorded colours appear closer to what you see in the scene. You could even try ‘Shade’ or ‘Cloudy’ presets for more saturated colours.
Daylight
Cloudy
JPEG”; why not Raw? When you shoot in Raw, the White Balance settings (and some other settings too) are not applied to the picture. When you process the file in Adobe Camera Raw (or the Raw Converter of your choice), you can specify which White Balance setting you prefer. The moral of the story? Don’t use Auto White Balance when shooting sunrise (or sunsets). 2. As the day progresses, set the White Balance to ‘Incandescent’. See how the picture turns a shade of blue. Depending
Auto White Balance
Auto
Let’s understand why that happens: When you set Auto White Balance, you are telling the camera that in this particular colour of light, I want my whites as white. Hence all the light tones (whites, off-whites and light tones which the camera interprets as shades of white) are recorded either tone-less or with very subdued colours. 86
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Tungsten Preset Shade
The Daylight, Cloudy and Shade White Balance pictures have been tweaked slightly to display the differences.
Why did I mention “when shooting
on the exposure set, it may even give you a feeling of having taken the shot in moonlight! Let’s understand why that happens: By setting the White Balance to
Learning
‘Incandescent’, you are fooling the camera into believing that the ambient light is ‘yellowish’. The camera in turn, introduces a blue filter (not physically, but electronically) to compensate for the supposed-to-be yellow light. But since the ambient light is not actually yellow (it is normal daylight), the final result is a blueish picture.
The moral of the story? Do make mistakes (read that as ‘don’t be afraid to experiment’). 3. Now find a fast moving subject – a man on a motorcycle for example. Moving subject, eh? Okay. Your senses tell you that it calls for a fast shutter speed (like 1/1000 or 1/2000 sec maybe). Take the shot but study the result. Does your picture convey that the motor-cycle was speeding fast? Obviously not. If you use a slower shutter speed, you would most likely get a blurry image. Again, not acceptable (generally speaking). So what’s the way out? Try ‘panning’. When you ‘pan’, you move the camera in a arc of a circle, while keeping the subject centred in the frame. The subject and the camera move at the same relative speed, (and hence will be reasonably sharp) but the background (which needs some clutter) which is stationary, records fuzzy. This creates an impression of speed. It is important to try various slow shutter speeds, like 1/60 or 1/30, 1/15 sec etc. The shutter speed to use would depend on the speed at which the subject is moving and the distance between you and the subject. I find that using a wide-angle lens helps
to create a better overall impact. Also keep in mind that, for a better panned picture, the subject should be more or less perpendicular to the axis of the lens.
4. Now locate a water body and take a shot with a tilted horizon (this comes naturally to some people!). Why is this wrong? When the horizon is tilted, it appears as if the water would run down the tapered end. Remember, water maintains its own level! So take the next shot by keeping the horizon perfectly parallel to the lower edge of the frame and see the instant change for better. It helps if your camera has a built-in ‘autoleveller’ or a grid-screen. 5. Next, find a friend and make him/ her pose for a portrait. Ensure that a
pole or a tree branch ‘grows’ out of her body. You may even try to have the horizon line pass through the head. Nice, isn’t it? Certainly not! 6. Now let’s try an exposure blunder. Select a subject that is really dark (much darker than mid-tone). Your camera’s exposure meter will turn that into a mid-tone (don’t worry, exposure meters are designed that way!). So what do you generally do? You quickly set the exposure compensation dial to minus compensation and re-take the shot. The dark tones are recorded as you see them. Happy at the result? You shouldn’t be, because you have just committed a blunder!
Why is that, you may ask? When you underexpose to turn the mid-tones to dark/black, you are definitely increasing the chances of getting digital noise. Then, what is the way out? Shoot in Raw and do not use the minus compensation. This means that the shadow areas would receive more light and consequently have more data. Now, using Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) or
Avoid this mistake! November 2012 Smart Photography
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Learning
your favourite Raw Converter, adjust the Exposure and the Blacks slider (on CS6) till the supposed-to-be dark tones turn dark (you will be pushing the slider to the left, as shown in the printscreen overleaf). By pushing the data to the left side of the histogram, you will actually avoid the digital noise. Note that this will not work if you shoot JPEG. 7. Take a portrait of a very fair person. Go quite close to the face to take the exposure meter reading (that is how the reading should be taken in the first place! If you have a 1-degree spot meter, you could get a similar reading without going close to the subject). Shoot as per the
reading. The fair person turns darker, indicating exposure error.
What should have been done? After taking a close-up reading, ‘open up’ the exposure by about one f-stop and then take the picture. The fair person will appear the way he/she is. In the excitement of a shoot, we often forget (or don’t pay enough attention) to implement the basic rules governing photography. However, committing these mistakes will help you get better at the game and become a better photographer.
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Reviews 98 92 102 104 106 108 Compact Review
D-SLR Review
Olympus SP-620UZ
Nikon D600
Lens Review
Lens Review
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm 1:1.8
AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
Lens Review
Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm F/2.8 G X Vario
Change in Rating System Smart Photography’ s new rating system exercises stricter evaluation in view of improvements in the overall performance of photographic equipment. Marks will be awarded for the following parameters...
Final Rankings Recommended ......................................... 75-80% Best Buy .........................................81% and above
Lens Review
Tamron SP24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD
D-SLR CAMERAS
LENSES
COMPACT CAMERAS
Design & Build Quality .................... (out of 20)
Design & Build Quality .................... (out of 20)
Design & Build Quality .................... (out of 20)
Key Features........................................... (out of 20)
Key Features........................................... (out of 20)
Key Features........................................... (out of 20)
Ergonomics ............................................. (out of 20)
Ergonomics ............................................. (out of 20)
Ergonomics ............................................. (out of 20)
Performance Autofocus ....................................................(out of 5) Metering ......................................................(out of 5) Noise control ...........................................(out of 5) Distortion/Sharpness..........................(out of 5) LCD/Viewfinder.....................................(out of 5) Auto White Balance...........................(out of 5)
Performance Autofocus ....................................................(out of 5) Sharpness.....................................................(out of 5) Distortion control .................................(out of 5) Aberrations ................................................(out of 5) Darkening of corners.........................(out of 5) Extra Features............................................(out of 5)
Performance Autofocus ....................................................(out of 5) Metering ......................................................(out of 5) Noise control ...........................................(out of 5) Distortion/Sharpness..........................(out of 5) LCD/Viewfinder.....................................(out of 5) Auto White Balance...........................(out of 5)
Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)
Value for Money ................................. (out of 10)
Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)
Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)
Grand Total ......................................... (out of 100)
Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)
D-SLR Review Nikon D600
The Little Master
T
82.5% Rs.1,35,950 (body only)
Inside the Box Camera body Battery EN-EL15 z Battery charger MH-25 z USB cable z AV cable z LCD monitor cover BM-14 z Rubber eye-cup DK-21 z Eyepiece cap DK-5 z Body cap BF-1B z Accessory shoe cover BS-1 z NikonView NX2 CD ROM z z
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he much rumoured 24-megapixel, full-frame, affordable D600 was announced on 13th September 2012, five days before the launch of Photokina 2012 in Cologne, Germany. But what was the need for another 24 megapixel model, when Nikon already has the 24 megapixel full-frame D3x? The answer is, ‘cost’. The D3x is a professional model at a professional price; the D600 is an enthusiast model at a much lower price. The D3x is as tough as a sledgehammer; the D600 too has good build quality, but don’t compare them side-by-side. During Photokina 2012, we spoke to a senior officer from Nikon Japan and asked him his opinion of the D600 in
terms of image quality as compared to the D3x. He replied that since the D600 is a much later technology, the image quality should be superior! So let’s see how the D600 fares in our gruelling tests.
Design and Build Quality The D600 is a full-frame (24 x 35.9mm) digital SLR. The camera grip is perfect – the thumb rests securely in a niche under the rear command dial at the back, while the fingers cover a very comfortable hand grip, allowing the index finger to position itself perfectly over the shutter release button. The body uses magnesium alloy for the top and rear frames and extensive weather sealing to keep dust and moisture from creeping into the body. The overall build quality is good. The
Rohinton Mehta
D-SLR Review Nikon D600
Sharpness &
body, made in Thailand, weighs 760g (the D800 body weighs approximately 900g).
Noise
Detail
Key Features
Aperture: f/5.6
Shutter Speed:
0
1/30sec. ISO:10
JPEG Compression
JPEG, Fine Quality, 100% (13.5 MB)
JPEG, Standard Quality, 100% (8.97 MB)
ISO:100
ISO:6400
Colour Accu
racy
Colour checker shot using Auto White Balance in sunlight. Auto Levels applied.
The D600 is feature-filled, and is the smallest and lightest fullframe D-SLR from Nikon. It offers a 24.3 megapixel CMOS imaging sensor backed by Nikon’s EXPEED 3 image processor (same as in the D4 and D800 models). The sensor mechanism is protected by a dust-reduction system. The D600 is ready to shoot in approximately 0.13 seconds and the release time-lag is 0.052 sec (the D4’s release time-lag is about 0.042 sec). The camera provides a maximum image size of 6,016 x 4,016 pixels (FX) and 3,936 x 2,624 pixels (DX). The body uses the Nikon F bayonet mount. The viewfinder frame coverage is 100% horizontal and vertical (FX), while in DX mode, it is 97% horizontal and vertical. The viewfinder provides a dioptre adjustment to suit individual eyesight. The body is compatible with AF and AF-S Nikkor lenses, including type G and D. Non-CPU lenses may be used with some restrictions (please check Nikon’s website for further details). The D600 offers four exposure modes: Program (P), Aperture Priority (A), Shutter Priority (S), and Manual (M). Exposure can be compensated by +/- 5 stops and can be bracketed (2 or 3 frames
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D-SLR Review
Nikon D600 in 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV). Besides the P, A, S, M modes, the D600 also offers 2 Custom modes and various Scene modes: Autumn Colours, Food, Silhouette, High Key, Low key, Portrait, Landscape, Child, Sports, Close up, Night Portrait, Night Landscape, Party/ Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/ Dawn, Pet Portrait, Candlelight, and Blossom. The Scene Recognition System uses the camera’s in-built 2,016-pixel RGB sensor to analyse every scene’s brightness and colour and then uses this information to further improve the exposure, White Balance, autofocus accuracy, and i-TTL flash metering. To activate the Scene modes, press the lock button and turn the Exposure Mode dial on the top left to Scene position. Then turn the Rear Command dial to select the scene. The D600, like all current Nikon D-SLRs, allows you to set Picture Controls. You can select between Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait or Landscape. Within each of the Picture Controls, you can further fine-tune the settings as per your personal preferences. For example, you can set the Sharpening, Contrast, Brightness, Saturation and the Hue to suit your taste. ISO sensitivity ranges from 1006400 but can be expanded up to ISO 50 equivalent (Lo-1) and 12,800/25,600 equivalent (Hi-1/Hi2). Auto ISO feature is available. In P, A, S, and M modes, using Auto ISO, the D600 automatically controls the minimum shutter speed based on the focal length you are using. This can be of great help in minimising camera shake, by automatically increasing the ISO sensitivity when required. High ISO noise reduction
(Low, Normal, High, Off ) and long exposure noise reduction is available. The user can take the advantage of Active D-Lighting in difficult lighting situations. Active D-Lighting can also be bracketed. Shutter speeds on the D600 range between 30 seconds and 1/4000 sec, plus Bulb (B), and the shutter mechanism is tested for 150,000 cycles (that’s approximately 4,166 rolls of 36-exposure film). The shutter mechanism is self-diagnostic – it automatically monitors actual shutter speeds so as to correct for possible variances due to the ageing process. The shutter can be released in different ways: Single, Continuous Low, Continuous High, Mirror-Up mode, Quiet Release, and Self-timer mode. The camera can shoot at approximately 5.5 frames per second in FX and DX mode. Three metering modes are on offer: Matrix – 3D Colour Matrix Metering II (type G and D lenses), Colour Matrix Metering II for other CPU lenses; Centre-weighted metering (75% weightage is given at the 12mm circle in the centre of the frame); Spot metering (4mm circle centred on selected focus point). Various White Balance options are available: Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, Kelvin temperature setting, and Custom White Balance. The D600’s autofocus system uses the Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 autofocus sensor module with TTL Phase Detection that offers 9, 21 or 39 AF points (including 39-point Dynamic Area AF). Out of the 39 AF points, 9 in the centre are cross-type; at f/8, 7 of them will still work! Focus
modes are Single-servo AF (AF-S), Continuous-servo AF (AF-C), Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A), Manual (with electronic rangefinder), Normalarea, Wide-area, and Face-Priority AF (available in Live View/D-movie only). Live View shooting is available for still as well as movie clips, where AF-S (single servo AF), AF-F (full time servo AF) and Manual focus is possible. During Live View, contrast-detect AF is used but during face-priority AF and subject-tracking AF, the camera selects the autofocus point automatically. Movies can be recorded in broadcast quality HD, 1,920 x 1,080 / 30 fps being the best option. The maximum movie recording time is 20 minutes at the highest quality, or 29 minutes 59 seconds at normal quality. Movies are recorded in MOV file format. The D600 uses H.264/MPEG-4 advanced video coding. Time-lapse movies can be effortlessly made using the D600. Various in-camera editing functions are available: D-Lighting, Red-eye correction, Trim, Monochrome, Filter effects, Colour balance, Image overlay, Raw processing, Resize, Quick retouch, Straighten, Distortion control, Fisheye, Colour outline, Colour sketch, Perspective control, Miniature effect, Selective colour and Movie editing. The D600 is Eye-Fi card compatible. Alternately, one can purchase the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter for wireless transfer of files. The camera can also be used with GP-1 and GP-1A GPS units. A pop-up flash with the regular flash features is provided. Dedicated external flashguns can be used (SB November 2012 Smart Photography
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D-SLR Review Nikon D600 910/900/700/400). Flash control is via iTTL flash (2,016- pixel RGB sensor for the built-in flash and the external flashguns listed here); iTTL-balanced Fill-flash for digital SLR is used with Matrix and Centre-weighted metering; standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with spot metering. Flash can be compensated up to -3 to +1 EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV. The D600 also offers support for Nikon’s Creative Lighting System.
+
Excellent performance
+
Good weather sealing
+
Feature-filled
-
Cannot change aperture during Live View
-
In-built HDR only available for JPEG
FINAL SCORE Design and Build Quality
17/20
Key Features
17/20
Ergonomics
17/20
Performance Autofocus Metering
5/6 5/6
Noise Control
4.5/6
LCD/VF
4.5/6
AWB
5.5/6
Sub-Total
24.5/30
Value for Money
7/10
Grand Total
82.5/100
VERDICT The Nikon D600 is a great little camera, with good features, good build quality and exceptional image quality. In terms of overall image quality, it may not stand up to its bigger sibling, the D800. Be it landscape, studio, fashion or whatever, the camera is perfect for day-to-day photography. Due to the lesser data it has to churn through (compared to the D800), it processes faster, offers better burst rate, occupies lesser computer space, and allows more shots per memory card. You could call it the more sensible option. Rohinton Mehta
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The D600 offers two memory card slots. The card in slot 2 can be utilised for backing up the images on card 1, or to continue recording after card 1 is full. You can also set up the camera to record Raw captures in one card and JPEGs in the other. The camera is powered by an EN-EL15 Lithium-ion battery that, claim Nikon, provides 900 shots per charge (CIPA standards). The body weighs approximately 760g and has dimensions of 141mm (W) x 113 (H) x 82mm (D).
Ergonomics Our basic studio tests were done using a 50mm f/1.8D lens while the outdoor tests were done using Nikon 24-70 f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lenses. All three combinations balanced perfectly well. The user-interface was easy to use. Unfortunately, Nikon does not provide a user manual with this model (at least we did not receive it), which, according to me, is a dis-service to the users.
Performance Every reader would be anxious to know how the D600 performs in terms of autofocus, metering, image sharpness, detail, dynamic range, noise, handling, and ease of use. Some would surely
like to know how the D600 would fare against Nikon’s own D800. Well, here are the results. Autofocus: The D600’s autofocus capability was very good. It autofocussed quickly and accurately in most lighting situations. Remember, the lens too plays a part here; our tests were conducted using f/2.8 and faster lenses. Metering: No issues here. All three metering (Matrix, Center-weighted and Spot) metered to our entire satisfaction.
Image Sharpness Excellent (as mentioned earlier, the lens plays a very important part too). Detail: Images shot with the D600 exhibited very good detail. But how does the detail compare to that from the D800? Without a shadow of doubt, the D800 with its higher megapixel count provides superior detail, but the D600 is no let down either. Those coming from 12 or 16 MP models will find a great improvement in D600’s detail. We would consider D600’s details adequate for most purposes.
Dynamic Range The dynamic range of the D600 appears to be very good, though a bit below that of the D800. Noise: The D600’s native image size is 13.28 x 20 inches at 300 ppi. At this size, images were free of noise right up to H 0.3 (1/ 3 stop higher than ISO 6400). At 33% screen size, images were almost noise-free up to ISO 1600 but you can safely use
D-SLR Review
Nikon D600
up to ISO 6400. At 50% and 100% screen size, noise could be seen at ISO 400 but I wouldn’t hesitate using up to ISO 1600. In real low light situations, I personally feel that you could use the D600 right up to ISO 3200 (or even 6400) as long as you don’t start looking around for noise. We would consider the D600’s noise control to be very good and I dare say, it is a close second to the D800.
White Balance The White Balance performance of the D600 was very good, with just a slight blue cast in AWB Shade.
Value for Money The Nikon D600 body is available at an MRP of Rs.1,35,950 (Rs.1,63,950 with the 24-85mm VR kit lens). The 24 MP body seems to be expensive when compared to the 36 MP D800 (Rs.1,69,950), but that could be a marketing strategy and prices should fall within a few months. SPECIFICATIONS Camera type Picture angle Effective pixels Imaging sensor Sensor size Dust-reduction system Dust-Off Reference Photo Image Area (pixels)
: : : : :
D-SLR Nikon FX format 24.3 million CMOS 24 x 35.9mm
: Yes : FX-format (L) 6,016 x 4,016 (M) 4,512 x 3,008 (S) 3,008 x 2,008 DX-format (L) 3,936 x 2,624 (M) 2,944 x 1,968 (S) 1,968 x 1,312
: Landscape Monochrome Neutral Portrait Standard User-customisable Settings Vivid Memory card slots : 2 Memory card type : SD/SDHC/SDXC Depth of Field : Yes control Compatible lenses : AF Nikkors including G and D type, DX lenses. (Please check user manual for full details about other lenses). Shutter speeds : 30 seconds – 1/4000 sec, Bulb. Flash sync up to 1/200 sec. Shutter release modes :Continuous Low (CL): 1.5 fps Continuous High (CH): 5.5 fps Mirror up mode (Mup); Quiet shutter release Self-timer, Single frame (S) mode Exposure metering : TTL, using 2,016-pixel system RGB sensor Metering method : Matrix, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure modes : P, A, S, M Exp. Compensation : +/- 5EV in 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV step Exp. Bracketing : 2 or 3 frames 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV Exposure lock; : Yes Mirror lock ISO sensitivity : 100-6400 Lo-1 (ISO 50); Hi-1 (12,800); Hi-2 (25,600) Long exposure : Yes noise reduction High ISO NR : Low, Normal, High, Off Active D-Lighting : Auto, Extra high, High, Normal, low, Off D-Lighting Bracketing : 2 frames using selected value for one frame 3–5 frames using pre-set values for all frames Single-point AF : Yes Dynamic AF : 9, 21, 39 points; 3D Tracking ( 39 points) Auto-area AF : Yes AF system : Nikon Multi-CAM 4800 autofocus sensor module with TTL phase detection Lens Servo : Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); Continuous-servo AF
: :
(AF-C); Auto AF-S/AF-C selection (AF-A); Predictive focus tracking activated automatically according to subject status Manual focus (MF): Electronic rangefinder can be used Yes Yes 2 to 3 frames in steps of 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 1 or 2 EV Up to 1/4000 sec TTL: i-TTL flash control using 2,016-pixel RGB sensor are available with built-in flash and SB 910, SB-900, SB-700, or SB-400; i-TTL balanced fill-flash for digital SLR is used with Matrix and Center-weighting metering, Standard i-TTL flash for digital SLR with Spot metering. -3 to +1EV in increments of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV Nikon Creative Lighting System Supported Auto, Choose colour temperature (2500K–10000K), Cloudy, Direct Sunlight, Flash, Fluorescent (7 types), Incandescent, Preset manual (up to 4 values can be stored), Shade 2 or 3 exposures Yes, for stills as well as movies Autofocus (AF): Single-servo AF (AF-S); full-time-servo AF (AF-F), Manual focus (MF) Face-priority AF, Wide-area AF, Normal-area AF, Subject-tracking AF Contrast-detect AF anywhere in frame (camera selects focus point automatically when face-priority AF or subject-tracking AF is selected) H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Coding Built-in microphone, monaural; External stereo microphone (optional) 3.2”, 920,000 dots Yes
: : : :
50 EN-EL15 Lithium-ion Battery 141 x 113 x 82mm (5.6 x 4.4 x 3.2”) 760 g (body only)
Picture Control
AF Fine-tune Built-in flash Flash Bracketing
: : :
FP High speed sync : Flash control :
Flash compensation :
White balance
:
WB Bracketing : Live View shooting : Live View lens Servo :
Live View AF area : mode Live View AF
:
Movie video compression Movie audio
:
Monitor Virtual Horizon indicator Custom Settings Battery Dimensions Weight
:
November 2012 Smart Photography
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Compact Review Olympus SP-620UZ
Pocket Friendly!
82
%
S
uper-zoom cameras are hot products for the enormous focal length ranges they cover; suitable for almost all your photographic needs from macro to wildlife. But all manufacturers face the challenge of balancing quality with price. Olympus has somehow managed to keep their prices under check for their camera range, and this seems to be their USP.
Olympus’s SP-series consist of these high-value cameras, and the latest in this series is the 16-megapixel SP-620UZ.
Design and Build Quality The Olympus SP-620UZ’s outer body is largely made of polycarbonate. The lens is constructed with only one extending barrel, which extends a little bit while zooming. The device works
Flash Output
Macro
Rs.13,990
Inside the Box z z z z z z z
Camera Lens Cap Neck Strap USB Cable AV Cable 4 AA batteries Warranty Card
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Aperture
: f/4
er Spe .2 Shutt
:100
sec. ISO
ed: 1/15
Aperture: f/3.1 Shutter Speed: 1/30sec. ISO:100
Compact Review
Olympus SP-620UZ Mahesh Reddy
on four AA batteries, but the battery chamber door is rather too flimsy. Though there is a lock for the door, a gap between the door and the body is always present. The tripod receptacle is plastic, which is not a very good idea in the case of this camera.
Key Features The 16-megapixel Olympus SP-620 UZ uses a 1/2.3-inch Type (6.17 x 4.55 mm) CCD along with a TruePic III+ image processor. The camera features sensor-shift image stabilisation. The lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 25 to 525 mm. The f-numbers range from f/3.1 to 8.7 at the wide-angle end and f/5.8 to 16.3 at the telephoto end. The lens focusses from 60 cm to infinity at the normal mode and from 1cm in Macro mode. Autofocus modes are Contrast-detect, Multi-area, Tracking, Single, and Face detection. Shutter speed ranges from 4 to 1/1500 sec. Metering modes available are Multi and Spot, and the camera offers drive modes of Single, Continuous, and Selftimer. Exposure can be compensated up to +/-2 EV in 1/3-stop increments. Sensitivity ranges from ISO 100 to 3200 along with Auto ISO option. The camera offers five White Balance
Noise
ISO:80
ISO:1600
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Compact Review Mahesh Reddy
Olympus SP-620UZ
presets—Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, and One Touch, along with Auto. The built-in flash has a range of 6 m (we believe this is in Auto ISO mode). Self-timer can be set to either 2 or 12 sec.
SDXC card for external storage. The device is powered by 4 AA batteries and it weighs 235g including batteries and memory card. The camera measures 110 x 74 x 74mm (W x H x D).
Ergonomics The camera features P, iAuto, SCN, Magic Filter, Panorama, and 3D shooting modes. The Scene modes included are Portrait, Beauty, Landscape, Night Scene, Night Portrait, Sport, Indoor, Candle, Self Portrait, Sunset, Fireworks, Cuisine, Documents, Beach and Snow, Pet (Cat), and Pet (Dog). Still images are recorded in JPEG format with a maximum resolution of 4608 x 3456 pixels while videos are recorded in MPEG-4 or H.264 with up to 1280 x 720 (30 fps) quality. The device uses a fixed, 3-inch 230,000-dot TFT colour LCD. The internal memory is 59MB and the camera accepts an SD/SDHC/ 100
Smart Photography November 2012
The Olympus SP-620UZ has a deep hand grip, which makes it easy to hold. The interface is user friendly and the menu is intuitive. But the camera has an overall boxy design. This, combined with a lack of rubber thumb rest, renders it slightly uncomfortable compared to similar super-zoom cameras. But the level of comfort can vary from person to person as it depends on various factors such as the size of your hand. The lens housing is fairly large, which allows you to stabilise the camera with the left hand. Images on the LCD appeared crisp.
Performance The SP-620UZ performed well in our tests. Out-of-the-box images were sharp except at extreme telephoto end and the metering modes performed well as expected. Autofocus was fast and precise even in low-light situations. In the test for darkening of corners, the camera automatically selected the widest aperture, which was ideal. Darkening was observed, but only at extreme corners, and the remaining areas were free of any light fall off. The camera controlled noise very well. Native print size was 11.52 x 15.36 inches at 300 ppi. At 25 percent of the screen size, images were noise-free up to ISO 800. Even the slight noise at ISO 1600 was almost imperceptible. At 50 percent, slight noise was observed at ISO 800 and 1600. Enlarged to 100 percent view, we observed a tinge of noise from ISO 400 upwards, but
Compact Review
Olympus SP-620UZ Mahesh Reddy +
Impressive zoom range
+
Good performance
+
Price
-
Flare and CA
-
AA batteries
FINAL SCORE
you may not notice this under normal circumstances, especially if you print the images. Auto White Balance performed very well and produced accurate results except under Incandescent light source. But under Incandescent light, preset White Balance provided excellent results. On the downside, the camera produced prominent flare and chromatic aberration under strong against-the-light shots.
Value for Money The Olympus SP-620UZ retails at an MRP of Rs.13,990. At this price, the camera is very good value for money. SPECIFICATIONS Effective pixels : 16 Million Max. Recording pixels: 4608 x 3456 Equivalent focal : 25-525mm length
Focus range
: Normal: W:0.2m-∞ / T:1.8m-∞ Macro: W:0.2m-∞ / T:1.8m-∞ Super macro: 0.01m-∞ / 14.6mm Image stabiliser : CCD shift Monitor : 3.0 Inch, approx. 230,000-pixel, TFT colour LCD Max. ISO sensitivity : 1600 Magic Filter : Pop art, Pin hole, Fish eye, Drawing, Soft focus, Punk, Water colour, Reflection, Miniature 3D Photos : Yes (AUTO/MANUAL) AF mode : Face Detect iESP / Spot / tracking AF Tracking : Yes Removable memory : SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Internal memory : 59MB (for shooting ) Face Detection : Yes(up to 16) Pet Detection : Yes Shadow Adjustment: Yes Technology Movie recording : MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 with sound Movie recording : 720P,VGA,QVGA size (pixels) Battery : AA battery x4 (Alkaline or Ni-MH batteries can be used) Dimensions : 109.7x74.3x73.7mm (W x H x D) Weight : 435g (including batteries and card)
Design and Build Quality
15/20
Key Features
17/20
Ergonomics
16/20
Performance Autofocus
4/5
Metering
5/5
Noise Control
5/5
Distortion/Sharpness
4/5
LCD/VF
4/5
AWB Sub-Total
4/5 26/30
Value for Money
8/10
Grand Total
82/100
VERDICT The Olympus SP-620 UZ may not be a stunner when it comes to looks. But if you are looking for a simple superzoom camera that does not burn a hole in your pocket, this is an excellent choice. However be prepared to buy four good quality rechargeable NiMH batteries. It is a Best Buy indeed. Sujith Gopinath November 2012 Smart Photography
101
Lens Review AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
One for All... D
uring the film era, some considered SLRs to be premium products, and amateurs rarely ever dared to touch these sophisticated looking gadgets with confusing dials and rings. Then came digital, which made SLRs affordable to the amateurs. But this also gave rise to another segment, the prosumers, which quickly began eating into the amateur segment of D-SLR space with superzoom lenses covering all focal lengths a photographer needed, though with decreased image quality. Now D-SLR manufacturers are on overdrive to wean the amateur photographers away from prosumer cameras. The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR seems like an effort in this direction.
77
%
Rs.72,950
Inside the Box z z z z z
Lens LC-77 Snap-on Front Lens Cap LF-4 Rear Lens Cap HB-58 Bayonet Lens Hood CL-1120 Soft Lens Case
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Design and Build Quality The NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6 is made of engineering plastic on the exterior. The lens has a three-segment construction: while two of them are polycarbonate, the one at the centre is metal. We noticed slight movement on the inner segment of the barrel, as is the case with most long amateur lenses with coaxial segments. Though the slack is negligible, this might increase with use. The lens has a metal mount, while the filter thread is polycarbonate. It features four switches — zoom lock that locks the focal length at 18mm, VR On/Off, VR mode–Normal/Active, and Focus mode– M/A or M. The zoom ring is rubberised, while the focus ring is plastic.
Key Features The 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR provides a 35mm-equivalent focal length of 27-450mm on a DX body. With this range, the lens can cover a wide range of subjects from landscapes to wildlife. Though the product has been designated simply as VR (Vibration Reduction), it features an advanced VR II system, claimed to offer up to four stops advantage over the recommended shutter speed for a non-VR lens. The lens has a maximum aperture of f/3.5 at the wide-angle end and f/5.6 at the telephoto end. It has a Silent Wave Motor, which facilitates AF with bodies without internal focussing motors such as D3000 and D3100. It features a 9-blade circular aperture for smooth bokeh. The minimum aperture varies from f/22 at the wide-angle end to f/32 at the telephoto end. It has an angle of view of 76º at the wide-angle end and 5º 20’ at the telephoto end. The lens is constructed with 19 elements in 14 groups including 3 aspherical and 3 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements. The aspherical elements help to reduce spherical aberration, which causes loss of sharpness towards the edges, and distortion caused due to the spherical shape of elements. The ED elements provide achromatic properties and hence reduce secondary spectrum to a considerable level. The end result is a lens with better sharpness
Lens Review AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR
The lens features M and M/A modes. While the M mode is full-time manual, the M/A mode offers full-time AF with manual override. This is useful when you need to fine-tune focus quickly. The zoom lock allows you to lock the focal length at 18mm so that the barrel does not slide during transportation. The NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G features a 77mm filter thread and has dimensions of approx. 83mm (dia) x 120mm. It weighs approx. 830g.
open. Though it lessened with narrow apertures, the darkening prevailed throughout the aperture range. Slight flare was observed with chromatic aberration in strong against-the-light shots, when the lens was pushed to its limits. The lens reproduced reasonably sharp images edge-to-edge and the sweet spot was found to be f/8. But the sharpness decreased on approaching 300mm, as is the case with most superzoom lenses. We observed prominent barrel distortion at 18mm and pincushion from 28mm up to the telephoto end. The coatings did not produce any discernible colour cast.
Value for Money The NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G lens retails at an MRP of Rs.72,950. We feel this is on the higher side for a slow, variable aperture lens.
Ergonomics SPECIFICATIONS We mounted the lens on a Nikon D80 Focal length : 18-300 mm and the combination was comfortable Maximum aperture : f/3.5-5.6 to use. The zoom and focus rings have Minimum aperture : f/22-32 optimum damping and are very easy to FINAL SCORE use. The zoom ring rotates a little more than 180 degrees from the nearest to Design and Build Quality the farthest focussing point, which aids Key Features in better manual fine-tuning of focus Ergonomics after autofocus, but if you need to Performance manually focus fast, it could be slightly Autofocus inconvenient. But we would not consider Sharpness this a major issue since complete manual Distortion Control focus is rarely required.
Performance The Nikon 18-300mm did not disappoint us. AF was smooth, fast, precise, and barely audible. Prominent darkening was observed at the corners at the wide-angle end with the lens wide
Mahesh Reddy
and control of chromatic aberration. The 18-300mm lens features internal focussing and hence the front element of the lens does not rotate nor does the barrel protrude while focussing. It has a minimum focussing distance of approx. 40cm (from focal plane) at the wide-angle end and 45cm at the telephoto end. The lens has a maximum reproduction ratio of 1/3.2x.
17/20 17/20 16/20 4/5 4/5 3/5
Aberrations
3/5
Darkening of Corners
3/5
Extra Features
4/5
Sub-Total
21/30
Value for Money
6/10
Grand Total
77/100
Image taken with the AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.55.6G ED VR. Technical data: Aperture f/5.6, Shutter speed 1/80 sec. ISO 100.
Lens construction
: 19 elements in 14 groups (incl. 3 asph and 3 ED) Angle of view : 76° - 5° 20’ Focussing : Internal Focussing System with Silent Wave Motor Min. focus distance : 300 mm focal length: 0.45 m from focal plane Max. reproduction ratio : 1/3.2x No. of diaphragm blades : 9 Filter-attachment size : 77 mm (P=0.75 mm) Dimensions : Approx. 83mm dia x 120mm Weight : Approx. 830 g (29.3 oz) +
Excellent zoom range
+
Fair performance
+
Vibration Reduction
-
Price
VERDICT The AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR is a do-it-all lens aimed at photographers who cannot afford prime or high-end zoom lenses, but require a high zoom range. But the price puts it way beyond the reach of amateurs and prosumer users. Nevertheless, the utility of the 18-300mm zoom range is beyond any question, and earns it a Recommended tag. Sujith Gopinath November 2012 Smart Photography
103
Lens Review Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm 1:1.8
Top-Notch Performer
R
eleased in May 2012, the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 is a high-grade portrait lens that significantly improves the versatility and performance of the OM-D and PEN compact system cameras. Besides, the lens is ideal for studio, stage and indoor sports. Let’s see how the lens fares on our test bench...
Design and Build Quality
82.5%
Rs.56,990
Inside the Box z z
Lens Front and rear lens caps
104
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The all-metal Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 lens is beautifully crafted and looks very professional. Some users may not like the idea of a silver lens on a silver/black or full-black body but personally, I find the OM-D EM-5 and the silver lens combination just great. The lens is Movie and Still Compatible (MSC) which means that its design offers silent and smooth focussing for HD video capture. Further, the mass of the focussing elements within, has been reduced, which in turn offers quicker and more accurate autofocussing. The front element glass is 50mm (about 2”) in diameter that adds to its professional look. The lens mount is made of metal, and has 11 gold-plated contacts for passing data to and fro from the lens and body. (The 2 extra contacts included here will also be used in highspeed data processing required for the movie handling capability expected in future). The lens weighs 304g and has a filter size of 58mm in diameter. Lens hood is not included but can be bought optionally.
Key Features The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f/1.8 lens is constructed with 10 elements in 9 groups that include 3 ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass elements (to reduce Chromatic Aberrations) and 2 HRI (High Refractive Index) glass elements that compensate for field curvature and spherical aberrations. Olympus claim that special ZERO (Zuiko Extra-low Reflection Optical) lens coatings are applied to the elements to reduce internal reflectance to a level that is half that of conventional coatings. What this means in practical terms is that images produced by this lens should be crisper and flare-free. The lens employs Olympus’ Movie and Still Compatible (MSC) autofocussing mechanism featuring an inner focussing system for fast and quiet focussing. The wide maximum aperture of f/1.8 is ideal for shooting in low light conditions. The focussing is internal and hence the front element does not rotate, making it convenient to use PL and ND graduated filters. The minimum focussing distance is 0.84m / 2.76 feet. At this point the lens produces its maximum magnification of 0.2x (in 35mm parlance).
Ergonomics The 75mm f/1.8 lens was tested using an Olympus OM-D body. The balance was very good and the lens was a pleasure to use. We wish a better lens cap was provided. A metallic lens cap (LC-61) is sold as an accessory; surely
Lens Review Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm 1:1.8 Olympus could have included this and a lens hood too in its price.
Performance This is a super sharp lens from Olympus. Images were sharp even at its widest (f/1.8) aperture, though at f/1.8, corners were, as expected, slightly soft. This is not a defect; all fast lenses produce some softness at the corners when used wide open. Focussing was fast, smooth, and noiseless. The lens had no distortion at all. Wide open, some darkening of corners was noticeable. Flare could be seen in strong againstthe-light shots. At its minimum focussing distance, the lens covers approximately 6.25 x 5�. I wouldn’t hesitate to say that this is probably the finest Olympus lens in recent times.
Value for Money The Olympus M.Zuiko DIGITAL ED 75MM 1:1.8 is available at an MRP of Rs.56,990. If you consider that the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 (which is also a MSC lens with metal mount) is available at an MRP of Rs.17,695, the price seems to be high. In spite of its high pricing, but considering its great performance, I would say that the lens is fair value for money. SPECIFICATIONS Lens mount Focal length Aperture range Lens construction
Minimum focus Focussing method Diaphragm blades Max. Magnification Filter size Weight Dimensions
: Micro Four Thirds Standard : 75mm (equivalent to 150mm) : F/1.8-22 : 10 elements in 9 groups (includes 3 ED glass elements and 2 HRI glass elements) : 0.84m / 2.76 feet : Internal focus :9 : 0.2x (35mm equivalent) : 58mm diameter : 304g : 63.5 Dia x 69.5mm Length
FINAL SCORE
Sample Photograph taken with the Olympus M.zuiko Digital Ed 75mm 1:1.8 Shutter speed 1/500sec, Aperture f/8, ISO 500
Design and Build Quality
17/20
Key Features
16/20
Ergonomics
17/20
+
Elegant but sturdy
+
Fast f/1.8 aperture
5/5
+
Reasonably good control over DOF in spite of smaller imaging sensor
5/5
+
Metal lens mount
-
No distance scale
-
Available only in silver
-
Lens hood is optional
Performance Autofocus
4/5
Sharpness Distortion Control Aberrations Darkening of Corners
3.5/5 4/5
Extra Features
3.5/5
Sub-Total
25/30
Value for Money
7.5/10
Grand Total
82.5/100
VERDICT An exceptional lens at a fair price. Rohinton Mehta November 2012 Smart Photography
105
Lens Review Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm F/2.8 G X Vario
A Star Performer
T
hat mirrorless cameras are coming of age is very clear from the two professional lenses launched by Panasonic in 2012. The first is the 12-35mm f/2.8 G X Vario Lumix lens and the second is the 35100mm f/2.8 G X Vario Lumix lens. In this review, we look at the first lens which is the first Micro Four Thirds zoom with a constant speed of f/2.8. In mirrorless cameras, the focal length of 12-35mm translates to a 35mm equivalent of 24-70mm. Compared to its 35mm equivalents, the Lumix lens is almost tiny but does it perform and if so, how well? Read on...
82
%
India price TBA Inside the Box z z z z z
Lens Front and Rear Lens caps Lens Hood Lens Storage Bag 1-Year Limited Warranty
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Smart Photography November 2012
Design and Build Quality The 12-35mm Lumix lens is beautifully finished in black. Build quality of the lens is high but the dimensions are small at 67.6 x 73.8mm. The lens weighs 305 g and is sold complete with a lens hood and lens storage bag. Just for comparison, the 24-70mm f/2.8 L2 USM lens from Canon weighs 805 g. The Nikon equivalent weighs 900 g. Again, the lens is both dust and splash proof.
Key Features Panasonic has used 14 elements in 9 groups to make this lens. This includes one ultra extra low dispersion (UED) lens, one ultra high refractive (UHR) lens and four aspherical lenses.
Panasonic has further added Nano surface coating to minimise ghost and flaring. The lens has a closest focussing distance of 0.25 meters and maximum image magnification of 0.17x. It accepts a filter size of 58mm. Since the front ring does not move during focussing, there is no need to reset filters. The lens also features built-in image stabilisation.
Ergonomics The lens combines extremely well with the G3 and GX1 bodies without seeming disproportionate in size. This is one of the strengths of the Micro Four Thirds System. The zooming and focussing again is smooth and precise. Full marks to Panasonic here.
Performance The Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 lens was tested using a Lumix G3 body. Autofocussing was fast and accurate, even in reasonably low light. Overall, the lens is sharp. It stops down to f/22 but at f/22 and f/16, images were softer compared to the other apertures. This is due to the effects of diffraction of light at very narrow openings. We felt that the optimum aperture was between f/5.6 and f/8. Darkening of corners was apparent not only with the lens wide open (at 12mm), but could be noticed all the way down.
Lens Review Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm F/2.8 G X Vario H. S. Billimoria Image taken with the Panasonic Lumix 12-35mm F/2.8 G X Vario. Technical data: Aperture f/5, Shutter speed 1/400 sec. ISO 160
On the distortion front, there was very slight barrel distortion at the 12 and 14mm focal lengths, but we saw no distortion (either barrel or pin cushion) at the other focal lengths. As expected, the Power O.I.S. (Panasonic’s optical image stabiliser) performed very well, allowing us to take sharp images at lower shutter speeds. Flare was well controlled, thanks to the Nano surface coat. Control over chromatic aberration too was very good. A super performer!
Value For Money Since the lens has just been introduced in the world market, it carries currently a price of around 875 Stg. Pounds (including 20% Value Added Tax) in the UK. This compares very favourably with the price of a similar Canon lens at 1850 Stg. Pounds and a similar Nikon lens at 1300 Stg. Pounds. Even then, at 700 Stg. Pounds (875
minus 20%), equivalent to Rs.57,400, it could be considered an expensive Micro Four Thirds lens. SPECIFICATIONS Focal length Equivalent to
: 12-35mm : 24-70mm in the 35mm format
Aperture range Lens construction Format Angle of view Magnification Min. Focus Distance Image stabilisation Filter thread Dimensions Weight
: : : : : : : : : :
F/2.8-22 14 elements in 9 groups Micro Four Thirds 84-34 degrees 0.17-0.34x 25 cm (9.84”) Built-in 58mm 67.6 x 73.8mm (2.66 x 2.91”) 305 g
FINAL SCORE Design and Build Quality
17/20
Key Features
16/20
Ergonomics
17/20
Performance Autofocus
4/5
Sharpness
4/5
Distortion Control
4.5/5
Aberrations
4.5/5
Darkening of Corners
2.5/5
Extra Features
5/5
Sub-Total
24.5/30
Value for Money
7.5/10
Grand Total
82/100
+
Superb resolution
+
Compact size
+
Max. aperture f/2.8 throughout
-
A bit on the expensive side
VERDICT The equivalent focal range of 24-70mm is ideal for landscapes, interiors, fulllength portraits and many day-to-day situations. Generally, such focal length lenses, with a maximum aperture of f/2.8, are bulky and heavy. Panasonic has done wonders in making this lens small and lightweight. And don’t forget, its overall performance is excellent. Best Buy indeed! H. S. Billimoria November 2012 Smart Photography
107
Lens Review Tamron SP24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD
A High Quality Standard Zoom Lens length range to have the VC (Vibration Compensation) feature which is the Tamron’s equivalent of Nikon’s VR and Canon’s IS. This lens is available in Canon, Nikon, and Sony Alpha mounts. The Alpha mount version does not have the VC feature since Sony D-SLR bodies have in-built stabilisation.
Design and Build Quality
T
amron is one of the leading ‘3 party’ lens manufactures who provide pro-caliber lenses with very fast apertures. The Tamron SP2470mm f/2.8 Di VC USD is one such lens. This is a fast f/2.8 constant aperture lens and the first full-frame lens in this focal rd
79
%
Rs.77,800
Inside the Box z z z z z
Lens Front and rear caps Lens hood Manual Warranty card
108
Smart Photography November 2012
The Tamron SP24-70mm lens has a polycarbonate body and a nicely finished metal bayonet mount. There is a rubber gasket around the mount for bad weather protection. The lens on the whole is well made and feels solid. This is a G-series lens and as such it does not have an aperture ring (aperture being controlled through the camera body). It uses an internal focussing (IF) design and hence does not change its overall length while focussing, though the length changes with zooming. The front element is very large and the filter size is 82mm. The lens weighs approximately 822g.
Key Features The Tamron SP24-70mm is constructed with 17 elements in 12 groups. Focussing is achieved using an Ultrasonic Drive motor (USD). A conveniently placed focus switch to the left of the lens allows the lens to be used in MF or AF mode. The latter also supports instant manual override. Then, there is the 4-stop advantage VC function which is a welcome for this class of lenses. The distance scale is marked in meters and feet (though in the same colour) under a plastic window. The
diaphragm is nine bladed for good bokeh. The front element does not rotate, making it easy to use polarising and split neutral density filters. No mention is made in the literature regarding the coatings used but one can safely assume that this lens is multicoated. There is also a zoom lock which locks the barrel at the 24mm focal length position. This is very useful since the front elements are very heavy on this lens and you are bound get zoom creep sooner or later. Finally, the lens has a cosmetic gold ring which gives it a smart look.
Ergonomics This lens was tested on a Nikon D7000 (APS-C sensor) body as well on the heavier D700 (full frame sensor). Due to the fast nature of the lens, the front element is huge and the lens is therefore very “front” heavy. On the D7000, there was definite tendency to tilt to the front but on the D700 with battery grip, the balance was perfect. The focus mode switch, which allows toggling between focus (MF and AF) modes operated positively and was at the right place. The instant manual override was useful for fine-tuning the focus. The manual focussing ring was a bit narrow, but the damping of the ring was good. The zoom ring was wide and was damped nicely. The rotation was smooth with no stickiness at any position. The VC switch was also properly positioned. The mounting index mark of the lens is a raised white marker which was visible quite clearly.
Lens Review Tamron SP24-70mm F/2.8 Di VC USD Performance The lens performed very well. Autofocussing was accurate and the lens simply glided to the correct focus point, though not very rapidly. The focussing was sure-footed with no hunting whatsoever. The VC function performed very well too. I was able to get a four stop advantage in shutter speed just as claimed by Tamron. This is truly good performance since many lenses fall short of claims on this feature. The resolving power was very good and should be capable of 20x30 inch prints comfortably. Even when fully open the lens remains sharp, but stopping down improves things a lot. Its optimal aperture is around f/4.5. The edge sharpness was very good too. However, at 70mm the sharpness decreases marginally. There was no distortion with the D7000 body. On the D700 the lens exhibited visible barrel distortion at 24mm and at 70mm it had some pin cushion distortion. Focal lengths from 35mm to 50mm were excellent with practically no distortion. This is the range to be used for critical work. There was no corner light fall off (vignetting) on a D7000 body. On the D700, at 24mm focal length, there was light fall off to the extent of 2 stops when fully open and about one stop at f/5.6. Vignetting reduced progressively with narrower apertures and longer focal lengths. It was negligible at about f/5.6 at 70mm (less than 0.5 stop). Test shots taken even with bright light sources in the frame exhibited minimal flare and practically no chromatic aberration. Contrast was very good. All in all, an excellent performer.
Sample image taken with the Tamron 24-70mm lens. Technical data: Aperture F/2.8, Shutter speed 1/60 sec. ISO 800, focal length - 24mm. This image was captured handheld in available light and shows how this lens excels in low light photography. (Courtesy: VG Chimalgi, Hyderabad)
a reasonable price since its peers from other camera manufacturers run well into six figures! Also, this is the only lens in this focal length range and speed that has a stabilisation function. The performance is on par with the best. The lens represents excellent value for money.
Max. reproduction ratio : Diaphragm blades : Filter/attachment size : Diameter x length : Weight +
Excellent overall performance
+
Only lens with stabilisation in this focal length and speed range
+
Good build quality
+
Very good value for money
-
Front heavy
-
Filters will be very expensive due to the large diameter
SPECIFICATIONS Lens Model : SP24-70mm F2.8 Di VC USD Lens construction : 17 elements in 12 groups Closest focussing distance : 0.38m or 14.9�
FINAL SCORE Design and Build Quality
16/20
Key Features
17/20
Ergonomics
15/20
Performance Autofocus
4/5
Sharpness
4/5
Distortion Control
3/5
Aberrations
4/5
Darkening of Corners
3/5
Extra Features
5/5
Sub-Total
23/30
Value for Money
Value for Money
8/10
The MRP of this lens is Rs.77,800. This is
Grand Total
79/100
1:5 9 (rounded) 82mm 88.2 X 108.5mm approximately : 822gms (approximately)
VERDICT The market seems to have taken a sudden turn towards cameras with full frame (24x36mm) sensors. This is borne by the spate of affordable full-frame D-SLR introductions in the recent Photokina. It is natural to assume that the owners of these cameras will look for high quality but reasonably priced lenses. The Tamron SP24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD meets such a requirement squarely. Highly recommended. Ashok Kandimalla
(Acknowledgement: The lens was provided by M/s Srishti Digilife Pvt. Ltd., Chennai) November 2012 Smart Photography
109
Printer Review Epson L800
Compatible Killer?
S
85
%
Rs.16,999
Inside the Box z z z z
Printer Software CD ROM Power cord USB cable
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Smart Photography November 2012
mall studios that lack turnover volumes or space to install and operate minilabs, always depended on inkjet photo printers. But these printers used replaceable ink cartridges of low capacity, which were not very economical. Many of these small colour labs were forced to use third party ink tanks connected to the printer’s ink-feeders, though it meant denting the warranty of the printer. Epson finally decided to pull the plug on these third party ink tanks by introducing its L-series printer—the L100 in 2010 with its own four-colour ink tank system. Encouraged by the success of the L100, and taking into consideration the feedback from customers, Epson has upgraded the series with new models including the 6-colour L800.
Design and Build Quality The Epson L800 is built to last. The exterior is made of durable polycarbonate,
which makes the printer light and easy to transport. The ink tank unit is attached on to the printer using two hooks. The ink tank system has a choke valve that prevents the ink from flowing back to the tank during transportation. It houses three buttons— Power, Ink, and Paper, along with indicator lights. These buttons have multiple functions, which are explained in the manual.
Key Features The Epson L800 boasts of superior cost-per-print and a wider gamut of colours with the new 6-colour system. The inks are Black (T6731), Cyan (T6732), Magenta (T6733), Yellow (T6734), Light Cyan (T6735), and Light Magenta (T6736). These are available in 70ml bottles of Rs.595 each. The printer can accept a maximum paper size of 8.5 x 44 inches and reproduce images with a maximum resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi.
Printer Review
Epson L800
Performance test scans 1. Black and White reproduction 2. Skin tone test 3. Subtle colours and detail 4. Saturated colours 5. Five percent progressive black to white gradation
1 3
4
2
5
November 2012 Smart Photography
111
Printer Review Epson L800 Epson’s Variable Size Droplet Technology ensures economical use of inks. This system uses a micro piezo print-head to eject precise amount of ink on to the paper. The minimum droplet size is 1.5pl (pico litre). The device incorporates 90 nozzles per colour and is capable of uni-directional and bi-directional printing. Epson claim a print speed of up to approximately 34 pages per minute for text in draft mode (both colour and black) when printed on A4 size papers, while the speed of photo printing in default mode is stated to be approximately 27 second per photo for a 4x6 inch print.
of 120 plain A4 sheets or 20 sheets of Epson Premium Glossy (255 gsm) photo papers. Colour matching can be done with ICM or Adobe RGB profiles. Since the printer is a commercial model, it does not incorporate direct printing via memory card slot or PictBridge.
instructions in the user manual to speed up the printer. This is fair considering the print quality it delivers. In bidirectional printing, however, we noticed slight bleeding of red colour, but overall, the print quality was comparable to unidirectional printing.
Ergonomics
The printer reproduced fine detail in photographs with good accuracy and saturated colours were reproduced well. Monochrome (B&W) images were reproduced with good gradation from shadows to highlights and skin tones were true to the original. It is always recommended to use a colour calibrated monitor. If you are using an uncalibrated one, you can easily make up for this in the print setting, but only through trial and error.
The Epson L800 is easy to set up and use. Since the ink tanks are part of the system, you do not have to install the ink cartridges. Once the software is installed, follow the onscreen instructions, which are easy to comprehend. It is very easy to The Easy Photo Print application allows maintain the printer with the print head you to print images without setting alignment and head cleaning utility built many parameters. For those who require into the software. The software also advanced settings, you have the option of provides access to the online manual manually setting each parameter and even and support site, which is complete correcting the output of the printer. with all the resources you require. The three buttons on the printer are The paper tray has an input capacity self-explanatory, but we suggest that you read the manual to understand the LED warning indications. Make sure that + Easy to set up the choke valve is in the ‘print’ position + Excellent print quality before you start printing. +
Economical
-
No support for Mac
Performance
FINAL SCORE Design and Build Quality
17/20
Key Features
16/20
Ergonomics
17/20
Performance
18/20
Value for Money
17/20
Grand Total
85/100
VERDICT If you are a studio owner or a photographer looking for a bulk photo printing solution in A4 size, the Epson L800 would be an excellent choice. Certainly a Best Buy. Sujith Gopinath
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Smart Photography November 2012
We tested the Epson L800 with Epson Premium Glossy and Glossy photo paper stocks and the combination performed very well. Printing was flawless and the interface user-friendly. Line resolution was comparable to any top level professional inkjet printer. The printer facilitates normal (uni-directional) and high-speed (bi-directional) printing. At normal speed, the device printed our A4 colour test print in approximately 7 minutes and 12 seconds, while in high-speed mode, it took just a little over 4 minutes. The print speed could be further increased by following the
Value for Money The Epson L800 retails at an MRP of Rs.16,999. At this price, a six-colour printer of this quality is good value for money. SPECIFICATIONS Ink System : 6-colour Ink Type : Epson Genuine Ink Bottle Max. Print Resolution : 5760x1440 dpi (with Variable Sized Droplet Technology) Min. Ink Droplet size : 1.5pl Print Speed : Max black draft text - memo (A4) Approx. 34ppm (Draft) Max colour draft text - memo (A4) Approx. 34ppm (Draft) Max photo draft - 10x15cm/4x6in Approx. 13 sec per photo (Borderless) photo default - 10x15cm/4x6in Approx. 27 sec per photo (Borderless) OS Support : Windows 7 / Vista / XP Ink Cartridges INKdividual : Epson Genuine Ink Bottle Ink Cartridges : Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light cyan, Light magenta Max. Paper Size : 8.5” x 44” Max. Paper Capacity : 120 sheets, A4 Plain paper (75g/m2) 20 sheets, Premium Glossy Photo
First Look Vanguard BBH-200 Ballhead
The Better Half
I
n the July 2012 issue, we featured the Vanguard Auctus Plus 323 CT tripod. But a tripod is not complete without a compatible head. And what better than to marry an award-winning tripod with an award-winning ballhead? The Vanguard BBH-200 has been awarded the 2012 TIPA Award for the Best Accessory, reddot design award 2012, and the Good Design Award. BBH series consists of Vanguard’s top-of-the-line ball heads with advanced and useful features. The heads feature Vanguard’s Rapid Level System, which enables you to level the camera with ease quickly even if the legs are not level to the base. The BBH heads have two spirit levels to level the camera more efficiently, in addition to enabling accurate 360 degree panoramas. The ballhead is made of magnesium, but the head has a unique open body design—the ball is not entirely enclosed by the body, which makes it light. The ball has a scratch-resistant, oxidised surface, which enables smooth movement. The Rapid Level System is a very useful mechanism for any photographer. With this, you can quickly lock the camera in an upright position. For this, all you have to do is unlock the main lock, slide the switch on the ball head to the ‘lock’ position and move the camera about the centre of the ball. The Rapid Level System will lock the camera at the centre. The head has a quick shoe, featuring a safety pin that prevents it from sliding out accidentally. There are two separate locks for the ball movement and swivel. It can be swivelled up to 360 degrees and can tilt from 30 to 90 degree.
The Vanguard BBH-200 is available at an MRP of Rs.13,490 and carries a limited lifetime warranty. For more details, contact Raman Agrawal of Nikita Distributors. Ph: +91 9967588171. Sujith Gopinath
November 2011 Smart Photography
113
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Tidbits Mirrorless Strategies
T
wo conclusions emerged from the recently concluded Photokina 2012 in Cologne. One, that Smart phones are here to stay and with falling prices, are going to take away market share from lower end digital cameras. Second, mirrorless cameras (or ILCCs as they are known in some quarters) are here to stay and are perhaps the most exciting innovation to hit the imaging industry after the advent of digital. All the major players (bar CASIO) are now into mirrorless; the strategy of each player, however, is different. Let us start with Panasonic, the first Company to enter the mirrorless field in 2008 with the Lumix G1. Panasonic used the Four Thirds sensor originally used by Olympus and introduced the Micro Four Thirds mount. The Micro Four Thirds sensor was smaller than the APS-C sensor and represented a good compromise between quality and size/weight. Panasonic’s mirrorless cameras, the G, GH, GF and GX-series are much smaller and lighter than D-SLRs – the smaller sensor enables the production of smaller sized lenses as well. The body and the lens are therefore properly balanced. Just look at Panasonic’s two new professional lenses, the 12-35mm (24-70mm)/f2.8 IS and the 35-100mm (70-200mm)/ f2.8 IS. They are half the sizes of their D-SLR counterparts and still produce outstanding quality. Panasonic now has over 16 lenses with the Micro Four Thirds mount and has the potential to be the market leader providing it backs up the products with marketing muscle.
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Olympus had almost lost its way with digital SLRs till the Micro Four Thirds Standard appeared. Taking full advantage of iconic names from the past, Olympus launched new products by resurrecting the PEN and OM-D names. It now has a decent collection of Micro Four Thirds lenses. The recent acquisition of a stake in Olympus by Sony could mean that Sony is also moving into the Micro Four Thirds camp. In that event, the combination of Panasonic and Sony would be formidable in the market place. Lenses for the Micro Four Thirds mount are being made currently by Sigma, Tokina, Zeiss, Voightlander and very soon, Tamron. Sony, Samsung and Canon have backed the APS-C camp, each one with their own unique mounts. The problem with APS-C sized sensors is that the lenses are far larger than the bodies they are teamed up with – in some cases, the combination looks weird. Both Sony and Samsung, however, are formidable marketing companies. Additionally, Sony owns a stake in Tamron. Getting the independent, Japanese lens manufacturers to produce lenses for Samsung’s NX range may prove a tad difficult. Sony also has to consider whether to move its entire D-SLR range to full frame in order to avoid product cannibalisation. Canon was the last to enter the mirrorless market with the EF-M. Even now, the product supply is merely a
trickle. The EF-M is a good design albeit without a built in flashgun and with only two specially designed lenses. Canon will have to rapidly accelerate with its EF-M lenses and other accessories if it is to make an early impression in this market. As the lone survivor from the film ‘holocaust’, Fujifilm has chosen the retro route with its mirrorless cameras. Fixed focal length lenses and APS-C sized sensors are the other features. High pricing may make Fujifilm’s mirrorless cameras a niche player. Its own unique mount may also limit success. What about almighty Nikon? After all, they have launched three stunning D-SLRs this year. Sadly, the Nikon 1 series is not in the same league. The Nikon brand name will certainly stimulate sales; the very small sensor and the restricted features will restrict them. Strategy-wise, however, Nikon has clearly limited mirrorless cameras to the ‘fun’ market, thus safeguarding its SLRs. A similar fate lies in stone for Pentax; the K-O1 has not really taken off and the ‘Q’ is cute, but poses no threat to the rest. To those who still think that mirrorless cameras are a passing fad, just look at the following statistics – Worldwide volume growth of mirrorless cameras in the first half of 2012 was 69% in units and 82% in value. We rest our case. H. S. Billimoria
RNI No. MAHENG/2005/14978
速
Free supplement with
November 2012 issue
Legends Reborn! OM-D and new PEN Series
November 2012 Smart Photography
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Smart Photography November 2012
Introduction
O
PEN SERIES: THE MFT STORY
LYMPUS originated as “Takachiho Seisaku Sho” in 1919 as a marketer of microscopes and optical instruments. In the 30s, it moved into the photography lens making industry and its lenses were christened “Zuiko”. The name Olympus was given to the Company in 1949. Soon thereafter, it focussed on manufacturing 35mm rangefinder cameras and lenses. Olympus made its first SLR, the PEN-F in 1963. The PEN-F was the world’s first half frame SLR, and also the world’s first ever SLR with a porro prism. Tiny in comparison to contemporary SLRs, the PEN-F was a dazzling success. It was followed by the PEN FT and PEN FV. For the PEN-F system, Olympus marketed a total of 18 different Olympus bayonet mount lenses. The PEN series went out of production in 1972 and was followed by the launch of Olympus OM series. The OM-1 established Olympus as a leading SLR manufacturer. By building its reputation on the technology of miniaturisation, the OM series became a runaway hit for Olympus. The OM-1 was followed by the OM-2, 3 and 4. Both the PEN series and the OM series were the result of the genius of Olympus’ legendary designer Yoshihisa Maitani. Maitani built his reputation on the technology of innovative miniaturisation. With the advent of digital, Olympus was the first to recognise that the size of the camera was not limited by the size of the film. Accordingly, Olympus invented the Four Thirds Standard which used sensors that were far smaller
than those used by full frame SLRs. A string of D-SLRs christened the E-series followed. Olympus also realised that with digital, the mirror was no longer necessary and therefore cameras could be designed to be much smaller than before. With smaller cameras came smaller lenses with smaller lens mounts. This led to the introduction of the Micro Four Thirds System, wherein the sensor size remained the same as in the Four Thirds; only the lens mount changed. Olympus debuted the Micro Four Thirds System by reviving the PEN name. This led to the resurrection of the PEN name and Olympus launched the PEN series for semi professionals, the PEN Lite for photo enthusiasts and the PEN Mini series for novices. Today, the Micro Four-Thirds standard invented by Olympus has been adopted by other competitors as well. For the first half of 2012, Olympus led the market for mirrorless cameras in Japan with a market share of 30.7%.
November 2012 Smart Photography
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PEN E-PL5
Olympus’ Latest PEN-Series MFT
Feature filled Targetted at photographers who need the quality of D-SLRs minus the bulk and weight, the new 16-megapixel Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5 is an ILCC (Interchangeable Lens Compact Camera) – often referred to as mirror-less camera – designed to cater to beginners as well as advanced photographers. Feature-filled, it is a replacement of the E-PL3.
Sleek, Compact Body Much smaller, but offers the same outstanding image quilty of the flagship OM-D E-M5. It comes with its own interchangeable grip that assures confidence in handling the camera.
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Touch Autofocus Touch-screen user interface enhances the pleasure of using the camera, just as with a touch-screen mobile phone. The AF brackets on the E-PL5 are smaller, so you can autofocus with greater accuracy.
Touch Screen Shutter Release The E-PL5 brings you a new, classy shooting style that will appeal to you. All you have to do is check the image on the LCD, compose your shot, touch the element in the frame that you wish to autofocus on, and use the touch-screen shutter release technology to grab that once-in-a-lifetime shot! And taking a cue from the OM-D, the E-PL5’s response to autofocus is very fast! Its Contrast-Detect AF is faster than Phase Difference AF used in D-SLRs. The AF can track moving objects during sequential shooting at 3.5 frames per second.
November 2012 Smart Photography
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PEN E-PL5
The PEN Lite E-PL5, like all other Olympus ILCCs, provide an in-built image stabiliser. This means that any lens attached to the body, becomes an image stabilised lens! And if you attach a lens that already has its own stabilisation, you have the choice to use either the lens stabilisation or the camera body stabilisation!
OM-D Image Quality The PEN Lite E-PL5 uses the same imaging sensor and the same TruePic VI image processor as the OM-D EM5 and hence provides the same stunning image quality – low noise, wider dynamic range, and fine details. Its high ISO sensitivity of up to 25,600 allows you to take pictures in low-light and even allows the use of higher shutter speeds to help create shake-free images.
Functions: Built-in image stablisation, applicable to every lens High-speed burst shooting at maximum of about 8 frames per second Accurate focussing using Touch-screen Shutter release using Touch-screen possible Live guide Dust-reduction system Full HD Movie recording Bundled flash. Synchronisation speed upto 1/250 sec Other external flash use possible
r r r r r r r r r
r Wireless flash possible using FL-50R, FL-36R, FL300R and FL-600R r Exposure Bracketing for 2, 3 or 5 frames in 0.3/0.7/1.0EV; 7 frames in 0.3/0.7EV r ISO Bracketing - 3 frames in 0.3/0.7/1.0EV steps r White Balance Bracketing - 3 frames in 2, 4, 6 steps selectable r Flash Bracketing - 3 frames in 03./0.7/1.0EV steps r Art Filter Bracketing r Make full HD Movie ( 1920 x 1080, 30p (29.97fps) recording r Multi Exposure - 2 frames
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Self-Portraits Shooting self-portraits has now become simpler! Just turn the newly designed 170-degree 7.6cm 460,000-dot monitor to face towards you. Images shot in portrait position are automatically rotated on the camera’s viewing screen during playback. And, due to its design, it is even great for those low-angle/ high-angle shots that would otherwise cause you to contort your body in an inconvenient manner. The monitor displays pictures with better contrast and colours and with a wider viewing angle. The screen has an anti-fingerprint coating which helps to keep the screen free of smudges.
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PEN E-PL5 For those with ‘art’ in mind, the E-PL5 offers 12 Art Filters. With just one click, the camera creates 12 different images with different art effects. Further, effects using Red, Green, Yellow and Orange filters on Black & White images can be created.
Pop Art (I/II) : By emphasising colours, familiar, everyday scenes are turned into pop art pieces.
Soft Focus : Creates dreamlike effects. Images turn soft and beautiful.
Pale and Light Colour (I/II) : Turns your images into flashback scenes from a movie by enveloping the subject with flat, soft lighting.
Light Tone : By creating soft shadows and highlights, images look refined and relaxed.
Grainy Film (I/II) : Creates grainy texture and highcontrast, rough effect.
Pin Hole (I/II/III) : Just like peeking through a hole, the lowered peripheral light creates a tunnel effect, and when combined with the unique colouring, it creates the feeling of having wandered into another dimension.
Diorama : Rapid, drastic changes to the focus blurs the area around the subject, turning the world into a miniature model, providing a mysterious atmosphere almost as if you are viewing a toy city.
Cross Process (I/II) : Creates an mysterious, outof-the-ordinary experience through unexpected colours and contrast.
Gentle Sepia : Lends a soft, relaxed atmosphere to the image for a sophisticated effect.
Dramatic Tone (I/II) : By changing the contrast in a localized fashion, an unbelievable sense of contrast turns everyday images into beautiful works of fiction.
Key Line (I/II) : Creates an effect that is reminiscent of the clear line method used in ukiyo-e prints.
Water Colour (I/II): By boldly removing the dark areas, blending pale and bright colours onto a white canvas, and laying down softened outlines, a bright atmosphere is created.
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ART EFFECTS Art Effects add a total of 7 impressive artistic qualities to Art Filters. With combinations of various effects and Art Filters, you can enjoy greater creative freedom with images that stand out.
EXPANDED FUNCTIONS i-Finish Movie For hassle-free movie shooting, simply set the shooting mode to iAUTO or the picture mode to i-Finish. The camera will optimize the colour and contrast for the subject, and create a clear, vividly coloured movie with the perfect ISO setting and image quality. One Shot Echo/Multi Echo/Art Fade* 1 Creating special effects in Full HD movies no longer need special software – all you need is built in to the camera! One Shot Echo and Multi Echo are perfect for producing after-image effects of subject’s movements. ‘Art Fade’ lets you connect various Art Filters together while shooting with a fade effect. Super High-speed FAST AF/Small AF Target With the inclusion of the Olympus’ FAST AF System, super high-speed AF is now possible. Small AF Target mode is also included for making the AF bracket smaller. This enables more accurate focussing of subjects that are far away.
Soft Focus
Pin Hole
Art Frame
i-Finish This mode vividly reproduces realistic feeling of shooting scenes to iAUTO, which automatically selects the optimal shooting mode. The camera automatically determines the optimal colour and contrast, and finishes the photo in clear and vivid colours. This can also be selected from the picture mode when using other modes. Eye Detect AF Eye Detect AF automatically focusses on people’s eyes, creating stunning portraits. Various options are available – not only can people be focussed closer with Close-up Eye Priority, but Left Side Eye Priority and Right Side Eye Priority are also available. Eye detection works not just for extreme close-ups, but also for medium close-ups as well. Bracket Shooting Art Filter Bracketing lets you add multiple Art Filters to a single shot. In addition to the previous options of AE, ISO, White Balance, and flash, HDR merge has been added for a total of 6 bracketing types. e-Portrait With e-Portrait selected, subject’s skin is made brighter and smoother. The original uncorrected image and the corrected image will be automatically saved. It is also possible to correct the image in editing mode.
White Edge
Starlight
Picture Tone
iAUTO Point the camera at the subject and iAUTO selects the perfect shooting mode. When the shutter button is pressed halfway, the camera automatically selects one of the 42 possible scenes (for still images)/ one of the 36 possible scenes (movies), and adjusts settings appropriate to the subject. Multi-Exposure With this function, you can easily capture dreamlike images. With one step you can overlap two images, and simply repeat the process to overlap many more. Live Bulb/Live Time During ‘bulb’ shooting, the image being exposed will be updated and displayed on the screen at the set interval. This function is especially useful for capturing the beauty of night scenes, fireworks, and celestial objects.
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November 2012 Smart Photography
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OM-D E-M5
OM- Reinvented
T
he OM series of Olympus were a runaway success and research indicated that Olympus fans would love the revival of this highly successful OM brand. Olympus, accordingly introduced the OM-D E-M5 in May 2012 as an ILCC with a Micro Four Thirds mount.
ILCC with a Live MOS sensor equipped with supersonic wave filter for dust control. The OM-D E-M5 also incorporates the world’s first 5-Axis image sensor shift-type stabilisation system. An advanced electronic viewfinder offers 100% field of view coverage and 1.4 million dot LCD resolution.
The OM-D E-M5 looks and feels very professional. It is designed to work in all kinds of environments and has been provided with ring shaped seals that protect the camera from the elements. An optional two-piece detachable battery grip make it easier to hold the camera.
The OM-D E-M5 is the world’s fastest autofocus camera (as of 8th February 2012). Uniquely, the OM-D incorporates a combination of easy shooting mode for beginners, advanced shooting mode for advanced photographers and a movie mode for users wanting to create movie. A variety of art filters are made available to achieve various effects like pop-art,
The OM-D E-M5 is a 16.1 megapixel
soft focus, pale and light colour, light tone, grainy film etc. Images produced by the OM-D E-M5 are outstanding, courtesy the sensor and the True-pic VI image processor. Combined with the advanced Zuiko lenses, the user can experience a new high in imaging. Olympus supports the new OM-D E-M5 with a large range of high quality Zuiko lenses. All these lenses are optimised for image sharpness and contrast. A combination of innovative design, above average build quality, excellent optics, up-to-date software and good control over noise make the OM-D E-M5 a must buy for all enthusiasts.
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November 2012 Smart Photography
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PEN E-P3
Camera of the Year Award Winner 2011- Smart Photography
T
he Olympus PEN E-P3 is an ILCC designed on the Micro Four Thirds System. With a new image processing engine and creative Art Filters, it is available as a single lens kit (with the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R lens) or as a two-lens kit, which includes the 40150mm f/4-5.6 lens. The body, with an interchangeable hand-grip, is available in black, white, and silver. The 12.3 megapixel camera uses a 17.3 x 13mm Live MOS sensor, backed by a new Dual Core True Pic VI image processor. A Super Sonic Wave Filter vibrates at high speed to knock off any dust that may settle on the imaging sensor. A sensor-shift image stabiliser is built in, hence any lens fitted to the camera becomes a image stabilised lens. P, A, S, M modes are available for the advanced users, and iAUTO (Intelligent Auto), Scene modes (SCN) and Art Filters (ART) for beginners. Exposures can be bracketed for 2, 3, 5 frames. Movies can be recorded in AVCHD/ AVI Motion JPG. The E-P3 autofocusses
during the movie recording to provide crisp and sharp movies. The E-P3 has the world’s fastest autofocus – contrast-detection AF system – with 35 AF points (as of June 30, 2011, with the standard ‘14-42mm II R’ zoom lens). Full HD video recording can be achieved upto equivalent of ISO 12,800. Images can be recorded in RAW, JPEG, RAW+JPEG, and MPO (3D Still). The PEN E-P3 uses a 3-inch OLED monitor (approx. 614,000 dots) with a new GUI (Graphic User Interface) providing touch-panel functions. The touch panel has an antifingerprint coating. ISO sensitivity can be set to Auto, or can be manually set from 200 -12,800 and can be set in 1/3, or 1 EV steps. White Balance can be set to Auto or 6 presets, plus Kelvin temperature. WB can
also be bracketed (3 frames), while 2 custom settings of WB can be registered for one-touch operation. Long exposure noise reduction and high ISO noise reduction (known as Noise Filter) are available. Shutter speeds on the E-P3 range from 60 seconds to 1/4000 sec, plus Bulb (up to 30 minutes). E-P3 offers easy-to-use Art Filters (Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Colour, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Gentle Sepia, Cross Process, and Dramatic Tone). A built-in flash has a GN of 10m at ISO 200. Wireless flash control is possible. External flashguns FL-50R, FL 36R and FL-300R can be used. X-sync speed with flash is up to 1/180 sec. Images can be recorded on SD, SDHC and SDXC (UHS-1 compatible), and Eye-fi card. The camera body dimensions are 122 x 69.1 x 34.3mm and weighs 369 g including battery and memory card.
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PEN E-PM1
The Mini PEN
I
n the 1960s, Olympus had remarkable success with the PEN series of half frame cameras. The design of the PEN won a lot of admirers. Consequently, Olympus decided to reintroduce the PEN series in digital form. Currently, the PEN series consists of the EP-3, the EPL-3 and the EPM-1. The ‘M’ stands for ‘Mini’.
The EPM-1 has been targeted at photographers who want a light weight camera that also looks very attractive. Accordingly, the EPM-1 is available in six different colours.
True-Pic VI image processing engine and ultra fast autofocussing. It can record a full high definition movie in the AVCHD format with the single push of a button. Olympus has made this camera extremely simple to use. Accordingly, the Live Guide walks you through photographic techniques that include background defocussing, art filters for achieving creative flare and a new strive screen control system.
Amongst its features are a new 12.3 megapixel high speed Live MOS sensor,
The EPM-1 produces sharp results with negligible distortion and good control over both digital noise and white balance. The pricing is quite aggressive making the EPM-1 package a very tempting proposition.
LENSES & ACCESSORIES
November 2012 Smart Photography
With a wide selection of lenses and accessories like the camera grip, fine leather cases and casual straps, photography can be raised to a new level. Let’s take a look and see what the PEN world of lenses and accessories has to offer. M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm f/2.8 (equivalent to 34mm on a 35mm camera)
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm f/2.8 Macro (equivalent to 120mm on a 35mm camera)
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R (35mm equivalent focal length: 28-84mm)
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ (35mm equivalent focal length: 24-100 mm)
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm f/l.8 (equivalent to 90mm on a 35mm camera)
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-150mm f/4.0-5.6 (35mm equivalent focal length: 28-300 mm)
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12mm f/2 (equivalent to 24mm on a 35mm camera)
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COMING SOON
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 9-18mm f/4.0-5.6 (35mm equivalent focal length: 18-36 mm)
15mm f/8 ‘Body Cap Lens’ BCL-1580
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R (35mm equivalent focal length: 80-300 mm)
Fish-eye Converter FCON-POl
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75mm f/1.8 (equivalent to 150mm on a 35mm camera)
Wide Converter WCON-POl
M. ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 (35mm equivalent focal length: 150-600mm)
Macro Converter MCON-POl
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RNI No. MAHENG/2005/14978 Postal Reg no. MH/MR/WEST/53/2012-2014 3PJLUJLK [V WVZ[ H[ 4\TIHP 7H[YPRH *OHUULS ZVY[PUN VMÄJL . 7 6 4\TIHP Published on 24/25 of every previous month and posted on 26/27 of every previous month