AUSTRALIA
PHOTOREVIEW DEC 2012-FEB 2013
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PAUL HOELEN That’s Wild
NIGEL GAUNT Igniting the North
MARK KIMBER Between Light and Dark HOW TO } 5 steps to sharp pictures Single image HDR Wi-Fi: use it or lose it? Gear guide: the good oil
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$9.95 INCL. GST
REVIEWS
Sony A99, NEX-6 & NEX-5R | Fujifilm X-E1 Canon 1DX & 6D | Olympus E-PL5
ISSN
1839-5899
Issue 54
CONTENTS Display your images on Photo Review’s gallery at www.photoreview.com.au For magazine submissions, send Don a link to your images dnorris@photoreview.com.au Cover image by Alex Webb See page 14.
1 Editorial 5 Products & Trends 8 Photo Challenge
INSPIRATION
TECHNIQUE
12 Igniting the North: Nigel Gaunt
39 Shooting: Sharp Pictures in 5 Steps
How to control key factors that affect image sharpness.
igel Gaunt leads by example when it N comes to helping tourists to Broome return home with images that ‘make your eyes jump’.
22 Between Light and Dark: Mark Kimber ‘The beauty and mystery of all that surrounded me that night have stayed with me ever since’ says Mark Kimber of his ‘theatre of night’ images.
30 That’s Wild: Paul Hoelen ‘I grew up from an early age adventuring through the wild and remote areas of New Zealand so it was only natural my first love of imagery was landscape photography,’ says AIPP Master Paul Hoelen.
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45 Editing: HDR Processing of Single Images How to use HDR Toning in Photoshop to create interesting HDR effects from a single image file.
INSIDER 48 Are You Ready For Wi-Fi? We look at how useful Wi-Fi technology can be to serious photo enthusiasts.
CONTENTS
s t n e t n o
PHOTOREVIEW
AUSTRALIA
C
Editor Don Norris dnorris@photoreview.com.au Technical Editor Margaret Brown mbrown@photoreview.com.au Trade News Editor Keith Shipton keiths@photoreview.com.au
BUYERS GUIDE
Contributor Steve Packer
51 New Gear To Invest In
Sony SLT-A99
Tempting new products that should be in local stores this holiday season.
Creative Director Darren Waldren Melissa Kallas Publisher David O’Sullivan dosullivan@photoreview.com.au
DSLRS
ADVANCED COMPACT ILC
Publication Manager Pauline Shuttleworth pshuttleworth@photoreview.com.au
56 Canon EOS 1DX
60 Olympus Pen Lite E-PL5
Canon’s latest professional DSLR flagship provides functionality and performance to meet most photographers’ requirements.
Sophisticated features in a lightweight camera with a tilting touch screen, fast autofocusing and option for wireless connectivity.
Accounts Manager Kate Addison mpaccounts@photoreview.com.au
57 Sony A99 Sony adds a ‘full frame’ model to its popular SLT ‘Alpha’ camera line-up.
58 Canon EOS 6D A compact, lightweight camera for enthusiasts who want to step up to ‘full frame’ photography.
61 Fujifilm X-E1 Fujifilm’s second X Series interchangeablelens camera provides most of the features of the X-Pro 1 in a smaller, lighter body.
62 Sony NEX-6 & NEX-5R Two new NEX models with Wi-Fi connectivity and controls that will appeal to photo enthusiasts.
NET EFFECT 64 Net Effect AUSTRALIA
PHOTOREVIEW DEC 2012-FEB 2013
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This issue we range from sumptuous old WW11 Kodachromes through to magic blur eliminators, automatic slide-show makers and a day/week/month/year in pictures in the life of some notable cities around the world.
Media Releases edmail@photoreview.com.au Advertising Phone (02) 9948 8600 pshuttleworth@photoreview.com.au Subscriptions One year (4 issues) $29.00 $36.00 including GST and delivery in Australia. See page 36 this issue or phone: (02) 9948 8600 or online: www.photoreview.com.au Photo Review Australia is printed on Monza SatinSatin Recycled Pacesetter PaperPaper with with ISO 14001 Environmental Accreditation Printed by Pegasus Print Group [www.itechne.com] Design by itechne Cirasa Design hello@cirasadesign.com phone (03) 9421 8833 Distributed by by NDD Network Services Photo Review website by itechne All content in Photo Review Australia is protected under copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without written consent from the publisher. Photo Review Australia is published by
PAUL HOELEN That’s Wild
NIGEL GAUNT Igniting the North
MARK KIMBER Between Light and Dark HOW TO } 5 steps to sharp pictures Single image HDR Wi-Fi: use it or lose it? Gear guide: the good oil
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REVIEWS
Sony A99, NEX-6 & NEX-5R | Fujifilm X-E1 Canon 1DX & 6D | Olympus E-PL5
ISSN
1839-5899
Issue 54
Cover image by Paul Hoelen See page 30.
Media Publishing Pty Limited ABN 86 099 172 577 Office 4 Clontarf Marina Sandy Bay Road, Clontarf NSW 2093 Australia Ph: (02) 9948 8600 Fx: (02) 9948 0144 Em: edmail@mediapublishing.com.au www.mediapublishing.com.au www.photoreview.com.au
INSPIRATION
Dancing with Spirits
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INSPIRATION
Igniting the North
Nigel Gaunt leads by example when it comes to helping tourists to Broome return home with images that ‘make your eyes jump’. By Steve Packer
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INSPIRATION
James Price Point
‘The clarity of the light up here is amazing... We are very spoilt.’
James Price Point
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INSPIRATION
Nigel Gaunt can remember the moment when he was sitting in a cafe in Broome, watching tourists amble past with cameras over their shoulders and postcards in their hands, and his future in photography flashed before him. ‘Why are these people buying other people’s photos,’ he thought. Why aren’t they confident and capable enough to take their own?’ Gaunt was on holiday at the time, on a break from his job in the mining industry in the Pilbara town of Newman. ‘I was also teaching at the Newman Camera Club, which I’d started,’ he says. ‘One of my students had won a Sunday Times bush portrait award, and I thought that if I can do that in Newman, I can do it in Broome.’ In 2002 Gaunt and his wife, Helen, moved to Broome and he started selling landscape photographs at the markets and The Broome Factory, a gallery for a collective of artists. He also started up the photographic tours which have enriched the northern sojourns of an estimated 4000 tourists and helped them get at least a little closer to being able to achieve the pictorial and artistic quality of his own work.
Gaunt’s main mode of advertising is his gallery, Red Dirt Photography, which he opened in 2007 in the middle of Broome’s historic Chinatown. It’s very small – three metres wide by 10 metres deep – but the former one-hour processing shop couldn’t be in a better location, a few metres from the famous Sun Pictures outdoor cinema (the oldest in the world). While Broome may have changed a lot in recent years, from a laid-back hangout for itinerant workers and hippies to a pricey hub of upmarket tourism, the expansive panoramas on the walls of Gaunt’s gallery are proof that a couple of things haven’t changed: the quality of the light, and the stunning tropical landscapes it falls on. ‘The clarity of the light up here is amazing,’ he says. ‘We have natural reds and blues and greens that make your eyes jump, that are an assault on the senses. As I say to people on the tours, when the sun goes down on the red cliffs at James Price Point, for example, it ignites with colour and there’s not a lot you have to do in Photoshop afterwards. With a good exposure, there’s enough there already. We are very spoilt.’
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INSPIRATION
Airborne
Obviously, there’s no need to ask him what he thinks about the proposal to put a liquefied natural gas refinery and deep water port at James Price Point, 50km north of Broome.
Blame dad English-born Gaunt blames his dad for his fascination with photography. ‘He was a keen photographer who worked for the Ministry of Defence and borrowed gear on the weekends,’ he says. ‘When I was eight he bought me
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an Ilford Sporti, a great little camera which I thought was quite flash because it used medium format 120 film instead of 35mm. It led me to doing processing in my own darkroom.’ Gaunt went on to study advertising and fashion photography at Medway College of Art near the family home in Rochester, England. He briefly worked in advertising in London before coming to Australia in 1981 to visit his sister, who’d been in Perth for a year or two.
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Perth made an immediate impression. ‘I loved the people, the lifestyle, the clean beaches, the light.’ He found work as a photographic assistant at a couple of Perth studios, then went south, to Mandurah, to start his own. Although he had ambitions to make a living as a landscape photographer from the outset, he soon found himself resorting to the portrait and wedding market. ‘After five years of that, I was burnt out. I got an offer to go farming in Esperance
INSPIRATION
Campfire Boab
and decided to give it a go. Then I ended up in mining in the Pilbara. ‘But I’d just about had enough of mining when I went to Karijini National Park [near Newman] for a weekend and was blown away by the scenery. That’s when I picked up a camera again. ‘Cameras had changed, film had changed, so I had to train myself again. I pooh-poohed digital for years. I was using a Linhof 617 panoramic camera, and the early days of digital didn’t come close to matching it.’
Camera confidence There’s usually one or two large panoramas hogging the space in the Red Dirt Photography gallery. These days Gaunt shoots them with Nikon D3 and D4 cameras and usually his favourite 14-24mm wide angle lens. He also uses 24-70mm and 80-200mm lenses. His time is split about 50-50 between taking people on tours and concentrating on his own photography.
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INSPIRATION
Zebra
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INSPIRATION
That’s Wild
In the first of an occasional series featuring the work of AIPP members, we catch up with Tasmanian-based, award-winning photographer Paul Hoelen. Don Norris ‘I grew up from an early age adventuring through the wild and remote areas of New Zealand so it was only natural my first love of imagery was landscape photography’, Paul told Photo Review. ‘I’ve never felt happier, clearer of mind or more at peace than when I am in the wilderness. Alongside my photography I have worked in a career in Wilderness Adventure Therapy. It has shown me over and again the ability of the natural world to reflect, balance and strengthen a healthier relationship with ourselves and the world around us. ‘I love shooting different genres of photography and feel that you can gain insights and direction
from each that can feed into others over time. I also love to travel and it is wonderful when the two come together. Last year was one of the best examples of this yet. I got to shoot an international rock festival in New Zealand, a steam punk wedding in the Redwood forests of Northern California, a world music band on the rooftops of Manhattan, fine art nudes in the Swiss Alps, had a month shooting landscapes in the remote desert canyons of the Pilbara, and did surf and travel photography in Indonesia - all alongside my regular photography work in Tasmania.’ Asked if he had any personal photographic projects running concurrently with his commercial
work, Paul said, ‘one current project has been focused on the passionate and eloquent environmental activist Miranda Gibson. She’s been living 200 feet above ground in the ‘Observer Tree’ in the Styx Valley in Tasmania for over nine months now. She has recently broken the Australian record for tree sitting and has been writing a worldwide daily blog using solar and wind power through snowstorms, freezing temperatures and howling winds. She’s incredible! Bob Brown just awarded her the Australian Environmental Courage Award for her efforts towards conservation in Tasmania.’
Luminous Horizon
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INSPIRATION
Tolaga Bay Beach Races
In addition to collating ‘over a decade of images from photo documenting Wilderness Adventure Therapy work in Tasmania’ for a commission, Paul added, ‘I also volunteer my time capturing endangered and high-value conservation areas of the state’s wilderness for the Tasmanian Land Conservancy and the Nature Photographers of Tasmania Group. We’re currently focusing our efforts on the highly threatened World Heritage Value Tarkine Wilderness Area.’ Paul told Photo Review that he is largely a self-taught photographer. ‘I guess that means trial and error were my greatest teachers. I’d just shoot, shoot again and then shoot some more, taking a few gaps to reflect on what I was creating. I think I spent every cent I earned for about 15 years on cameras, film and printing, especially in the early days. Later, the move to digital provided an instant feedback loop that really accelerated my learning path.
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‘In recent years, particularly since I’ve joined the AIPP, I’ve met and begun to connect with other photographers. This has proved to be a fabulous source of knowledge, critical feedback, friendship, inspiration and has also provided a good kick up the “proverbial” every now and again when needed. I have also enjoyed a few courses with Les Walkling of late – the knowledge in that man’s mind is a national treasure! When it comes to mentors and influences, Paul said, ‘Richard Harvey is a good friend and life mentor to me, and also was the person to push me into the digital age (albeit with a significant loss of hair on his part). Being selftaught before this I never really explored other people’s work. It’s only very recently I’ve begun doing so, and to be honest, in many ways I wish I’d started earlier! ‘There’s a long tradition and culture of landscape photography in Tasmania and I’ve managed to meet and spend time with some
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of the greatest, like Rob Blakers, Grant Dixon and Chris Bell to name a few. All terrific men and fabulous photographers. I definitely feel I’ve learnt a lot from them. I’ve also learnt some of the delicate craft of printing from Simon Olding and again from Les Walkling. When it comes to the technology of photography, Paul describes his attitude toward it as ‘mixed’. He’s happy to give credit where credit’s due. ‘I think what is possible is just astounding. The instant feedback loop, progressive improvements in low light and the ability to share images on a global scale at the touch of a button are all aspects of technology I’m really enjoying. The future is well and truly headed in this direction and its almost boggling to witness how fast it’s evolving and to fathom where it’s going next! ‘There are a few things about it that don’t sit as easily with me however. It seems many items are deliberately built to last for much
INSPIRATION
Touched by Light
less time and can encourage an almost throwaway attitude. I think it’s potentially an irresponsible use of resources and deserves some attention. I also feel an over-emphasis on technology and time spent dealing with the constant updating of software and digital equipment can sometimes take time and energy away from the deeper purpose of photography - to create the kind of powerful and meaningful imagery that comes from cultivating a genuine connection with people and place.’ Paring things down to the essentials, he says his kit often falls to what he most commonly has on hand; a Canon EOS 5D MkII and a 24-105 IS L lens. It’s a simple, lightweight and verstaile combo that has coped with a great deal of mistreatment, including, he claims, being stolen by a bear. ‘I also have a little Canon G12 that always sits in my pocket. I won a Gold Award with an image shot on it at the APPAs, and NZIPP Iris
Awards this year - which just goes to show that the best camera in the world is the one you have with you!’ Given his career origins in the world of analog photography, Photo Review asked what he now thought of the relative merits of photography’s great divide. ‘I think film helps you slow down and really think about what you’re shooting more. It encourages you to get it right in camera and pay more attention to the craft. There’s also a certain romanticism for me attached to watching an image come to life from a blank page in the darkroom… ‘I think digital is the more commercially viable and versatile of the two, and certainly where the future is headed. The immediacy of results and the speed of turnaround on a shoot are quite phenomenal as well. ‘However, I now find I spend a lot of time in front of a screen… time that I used to spend shooting. I have to constantly work on finding a balance. I also now have more hard drives
than you can poke a stick at, am consistently having to learn new software. And for traveling – I think I have almost doubled the weight I used to carry with all the extras that come with digital equipment. I am much more reliant on getting to power sources regularly. ‘I feel the number of photographers and volume of work out there now, largely due to the digital revolution, has saturated the market and led to a greater emphasis on post-production in order to stand out from the crowd. Also I think that many of the younger generation are getting into post-production well before they learn, and potentially at the cost of, actual hands-on camera craft. It will be interesting to see where that leads.’ With his ambivalence toward the entire post-production phase of digital photography, Paul aims to minimise screen time by nailing his exposure and composition in camera, particularly for his commercial work. ‘I like to keep my commercial post-production as
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BUYERS GUIDE
New Gear to Invest In Tempting new products that should be in local stores this holiday season. Photokina 2012, which took place in late September, unveiled some new and exciting imaging gear that is scheduled for release by the end of 2012. Some products will make great Christmas gifts. Others will provide useful additions to existing kit – or replacements for outdated devices. For photographers with limited spending money, deciding what to buy (or avoid) is important. This feature has been prepared to help you make the right choices.
General Advice Buying new gear won’t automatically turn you into a better photographer. At most it will expand your picture-taking options and/or allow you to do some things better – and these factors should be the main influences in your buying decisions. Make a list of the things you want to do photographically, but can’t with your current equipment. Then find out what’s available to resolve these deficiencies and refine your decisions on the basis of your budget. For example, when stuck with a choice between buying a new camera body or a new lens, the latter is a wiser choice. A new body may give you more megapixels and/or a better image processor but a new lens might let you shoot closer or more distant subjects, use your camera hand-held at lower light levels and/or improve the sharpness and clarity of your photos. When buying equipment as a gift, try to match it with the recipient’s needs and capabilities. Purchasing an interchangeable-lens camera assumes the recipient will want to invest in lenses and other accessories. If that’s not an option, a fixed-lens camera is a better choice. Use our survey below to research details of the products you’re interested in online.
Then buy from a local reseller so you can be sure the purchase is covered by Australian consumer protection legislation and local warranty support.
DSLRs Photokina 2012 saw Canon, Nikon and Sony announce new ‘full frame’ DSLR cameras. However, given a choice of the latest releases, most photographers with existing systems are unlikely to see any reason to change brand allegiance. Canon and Nikon have targeted DSLR upgraders with prices for the Nikon D600 averaging around $2300 when we went to press. Canon’s EOS 6D is likely to compete on price, while Sony’s SLT-A99 ($2999 RRP on release) is a more professional product in terms of build quality and features. (‘First Looks’ at the A99 and EOS 6D can be found on pages 57 and 58.) Resolution-wise, the differences between the Canon EOS 6D and Nikon D600 aren’t enough to warrant a system swap and differences in their features are relatively slight. Sony’s SLT-A99 adds an attractive flagship to a popular line-up and merits consideration by photographers who want the advantages of Sony’s pellicle-mirror technology in a rugged body with a ‘full frame’ sensor. Pentax was the only company to announce an APS-C DSLR, the K-5 II, which comes in two versions: with and without an anti-aliasing filter (like Nikon’s D800/D800s pair). Aside from a new AF module and some internal electronics, it’s not radically different from the successful K-5, which remains excellent value for money. The K-5IIs (without the AA filter) could be worth considering if you’re into studio photography.
Sony’s SLT-A99 adds a professional model to the popular SLT line of cameras featuring Translucent Mirror Technology. (Source: Sony.)
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BUYERS GUIDE
The new Pentax K-5IIs comes without an anti-aliasing filter and will suit photographers who work in situations where shooting conditions can be controlled.
We can’t say whether the dearth of APS-C sensor cameras means manufacturers are forsaking the smaller sensors, although the situation looks ominous. Let’s hope Canon, Nikon and Sony announce new products – or updates to existing products – at the CES show early next year.
DSLR Lenses Ever the innovator, Sigma announced its intention to introduce its own lens focus alignment software in 2013 and will release a new USB lens dock that enables users to connect their lenses to a computer and adjust parameters to suit their personal preferences. It will be exclusive to Sigma’s new product lines and is unlikely to be compatible with existing Sigma lenses. The new dock will make firmware updates easier to implement and support adjustments to focusing speed, maximum and minimum focus distance and stabilisation. Its price and release date hadn’t been set when we went to press. Sigma is said to be considering bundling it with some of its higher-priced new lenses. Most of the lenses announced by Nikon, Pentax and Sony are compatible with all DSLR cameras in each manufacturer’s range. So are those from third-party manufacturers like Samyang, Schneider-Kreuznach, Sigma, Tamron, Voigtlander and Zeiss. Exotic lenses designed specifically for DX cameras include the Pentax 560mm f/5.6 lens, (priced at US$7000), the Samyang 10mm f/2.8 manual focus lens (shown in prototype) and Voigtlander’s ultra-fast 17.5mm f/0.95 Nokton and 25mm f/0.95 Nokton prime lenses.
Interchangeable-Lens Compacts Most of the Photokina action occurred here, with new ILC cameras announced by Fujifilm,
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Olympus, Panasonic and Sony. Hasselblad and Leica also joined in at the expected high price points, the former with a ‘luxury’ version of Sony’s NEX-7 and the latter with the M-E, a slightly de-featured version of the M9. One of the stars of Photokina was Fujfilm’s X-E1 (RRP $1599 with XF18-55mm lens), a smaller, lighter and cheaper alternative to the relatively expensive X-Pro1. While it lacks the latter’s hybrid viewfinder, it should be popular, particularly since Fujifilm’s growing range of high-quality lenses is being augmented by third-party manufacturers like Carl Zeiss. Sony’s NEX-6 (RRP $1099 for body) is the first in its line with a ‘proper’ mode dial. It and its companion NEX-5R are reviewed on page 62 of this issue. New cameras released by Olympus and Panasonic were essentially updates to existing products but they strengthen the M4/3 presence by introducing features like touch screens, Wi-Fi interfaces and improved movie functions. Sensor resolutions and image processors were also updated in some models, notably the Olympus PEN E-PL5, which is reviewed on page 60. Pentax’s new Q-series model, the Q10, features a new 12.4-megapixel CMOS sensor and upgraded processing algorithm. It promises improved image quality and faster autofocusing but retains all the creative functions offered in the Pentax Q. A new 15-45mm f/2.8 zoom lens was also unveiled for Q system cameras, along with a new adapter for K-mount lenses.
ILC Lenses Fujifilm, Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony added new lenses to their line-ups, the most innovative being the Olympus 15mm f/8
The new Fujfilm X-E1, shown in silver and black, is one of the most exciting cameras in its class. (Source: Fujifilm.)
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Body Cap Lens (RRP $99). As flat as a body cap, and with fixed aperture and focal length plus manual focusing, this neat little lens can replace a body cap for travelling and allows a camera to be unpacked and ready for use in a jiffy, should the need arise.
The Olympus 15mm f/8 Body Cap Lens was one of the more interesting lenses unveiled at Photokina. As flat as a body cap, it adds no depth to the camera body but is usable as a modest wide angle lens. (Source: Olympus.)
Olympus will also have a 60mm f/2.8 macro lens available from late October at an RRP of $599. With its fully dust- and splashproof housing, this lens is perfectly suited to the OM-D E-M5 body and promises high resolution and contrast across the image frame. Olympus also unveiled an interesting M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/1.8 wide-angle prime lens that is scheduled for release in the first half of 2013. Sony’s 10-18mm f/4 lens is joined by the 1650mm f/3.5-5.6 power zoom to flesh out the E-series lens range. A compact 35mm f/1.8 provides a fast, standard range lens. Samsung also released a value-priced 45mm f/1.8 ‘portrait’ lens along with a 12-24mm f/4-5.6 wide-angle zoom. Fujifilm has delivered the promised 14mm f/2.8 prime, and the 18-55mm f/2.8-4 OIS zoom for the FX system, and showcased prototypes for five more: the XF f/4R 1024mm OIS LM, XF 23mm f/1.4 Super EBC, XF 56mm f/1.4 Super EBC, XF Super EBC 27mm pancake f/2.8R and XF Super EBC 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 OIS LM. Third-party lens manufacturers who came to the party included Schneider-Kreuznach, which unveiled three M4/3 lenses, the SuperAngulon 14mm f/2, Xenon 30mm f/1.4 and a Macro-Symmar 60mm f/2.4. But they won’t go on sale until late 2013. Tokina’s Reflex 300mm f/6.3 mirror lens for M4/3 is on sale locally for less than $500.
BUYERS GUIDE
Digicams
Canon’s PowerShot G15 introduces multi-aspect raw file recording to the line-up. (Source: Canon.)
The Fujifilm XF1’s compact aluminium body is offered in red, black and brown. (Source: Fujifilm.)
This market sector has been under threat from smartphones for the past year or so and most companies chose to update existing products, rather than introducing anything new. The exception was Samsung, which unveiled two Galaxy cameras that run the Android 4.1 (‘Jelly Bean’) operating system and provide similar Wi-Fi capabilities to Samsung’s Galaxy phones. Available in 3G and 4G versions, the 16-megapixel Galaxy cameras boast 4.8-inch HD Super Clear LCD monitors and support voice control and ‘Auto Cloud Backup’. Canon’s PowerShot G15 (RRP $699) and S110 (RRP $599) models share the same Canon-made 1/1.7-inch type (7.4 x 5.6 mm) 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor. The G15 has a faster 5x optical zoom lens than the G12 but its monitor is non-adjustable. The PowerShot S110 introduces wireless connectivity and a capacitive touch screen that works with the front control ring to support full manual control. The PowerShot SX50 HS (RRP $649) provides a 50x optical zoom range with Intelligent IS (image stabilisation) plus ZoomPlus technology that roughly doubles the optical zoom range. New Framing Assist functions, Seek and Lock, help users take advantage of the extended zoom range. Fujifilm’s XF1 (RRP $549) combines a 12-megapixel, 2/3-inch EXR CMOS sensor with a new f/1.8 manual 4x Fujinon zoom lens that can focus to within 3cm. Its compact aluminium body with leather-look casing continues the retro styling of the X-series cameras and offers different configurations for travel, shooting and standby modes.
The Olympus Stylus XZ-2 (RRP $649) replaces the XZ-1 and introduces a slightly smaller but higher-resolution (12-megapixel) sensor. Its tilting 3-inch touch screen has a resolution of 920,000 dots and can be pointed downwards through 50 degrees or up through 80 degrees for high- and low-angle photography. This camera’s AP-2 accessory port can accept VF-2 or VF-3 viewfinders. Finally, Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-RX1, a full-frame compact camera with a fixed, Carl Zeiss T* 35mm f/2 lens, created a frisson of excitement. Featuring the same 24.3-megapixel Exmor sensor as the A99, and a near-silent in-lens shutter, the RX1 provides full manual camera controls and an ‘intuitive’ user interface and supports ISO settings up to 102,400 with Multi Frame Noise Reduction. Local pricing wasn’t available when we went to press but the US price is quoted at around $2800, which is the same as the SLT-A99. Such a high price tag will put it out of the reach of many potential buyers.
Printers Canon was the only manufacturer to introduce new desktop A3+ printers, showcasing its PIXMA PRO-10 and PIXMA PRO-100 models, which replace the PIXMA Pro9500 Mark II and PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II and offer improved colour reproduction and fast printing speeds in a body design that was inspired by EOS cameras. They sit below the PIXMA PRO-1 in Canon’s A3+ desktop range and include Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity. The PIXMA PRO-10 (RRP $999) runs with a 10-colour pigment ink system and uses a new Chroma Optimiser to enhance black density.
The Olympus Stylus XZ-2 has similar styling to PEN cameras and accepts the same add-on EVFs. (Source: Olympus.)
Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 boasts a 36 x 24mm 24.3-megapixel sensor and a Carl Zeiss T* 35mm f/2 lens. (Source: Sony.)
The PowerShot SX50 HS boasts the longest optical zoom range in a compact camera. (Source: Canon.)
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BUYERS GUIDE
Canon’s new PIXMA PRO-10 and PIXMA PRO-100 printers, shown with a DSLR camera, which inspired their new body design. (Source: Canon.)
Ideal for recording HD videos and bursts of high-resolution photos, SanDisk’s 128GB UHS-I 45Mbps SDXC card supports fast data transfer. (Source: SanDisk.)
The PIXMA PRO-100 (RRP $799) utilises a new eight-colour ChromaLife100+ dye ink system with three monochrome ink tanks for B&W printing. Both printers feature Canon’s Optimum Image Generating (OIG) System, which includes advanced ink mixing and balancing of colour reproduction, tonal gradations and glossiness. They also introduce a new PRO Mode that requires no calibration and can create prints that reflect the image displayed on the screen. Both printers provide out-of-thebox support for a large range of ICC profiles for popular printing papers.
X-Rite’s ColorMunki Smile provides an easy way for photo enthusiasts to calibrate a laptop or desktop monitor.
Accessories SanDisk unveiled its ‘next generation’ 128GB UHS-I 45Mbps SDXC card, which it claims as the world’s fastest of its type. It boasts the ability to record ‘up to 10 hours of HD video’ and sells for US$400. Also on the memory card front, SanDisk is working with Canon and PhaseOne to develop cameras that support the new CFast cards (which claim to provide up to 7x faster transfer speeds than today’s fastest CF cards). With 4K video just around the corner, pro shooters will be eyeing developments.
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Nikon’s UT-1 allows owners of D4, D7000 and D800 to add an Ethernet connection. It’s battery-driven and plugs into the camera’s hot-shoe with a cable connection to the camera’s USB port. Price at publication time was US$470. In the calibration zone, X-Rite has introduced an entry-level system, the ColorMunki Smile (US$99 when announced) that is smaller and simpler to use. It supports Windows and Mac operating systems and can detect and calibrate multiple monitors.
www.photoreview.com.au
Finally, although it’s more of a component than an accessory, Epson’s Ultimicron hightemperature polysilicon (HTPS) TFT colour EVF panel highlights trends for mid- to high-end mirrorless cameras. Producing sharp images that are faithful to the scene, this panel has a resolution of 2.36 million dots (1024 x 768 in red, green and blue layers) and diagonal measurement of 0.48 inch, setting a new benchmark for smaller camera bodies. (Epson’s 0.47-inch SVGA Ultimicron panel has already been used in the Olympus OM-D E-M5.)
NEW
Now you can take it all in Step into full frame photography, step up to the new • Maximum capture area without cropping • Superior colour quality • Excellent in low light
• Enhanced lens performance
canon.com.au/EOS6D