Wendy McDougall
Sony RX1
It’s All About The Concept
Big Price, Big Sensor & Big Performance
MAY 2013 $7.95 NZ $9.90
www.avhub.com.au
Fujifilm X100S
The Cult Camera Made Even Better
Optimising The Value Of Referrals
News Imaging P r od u c t s
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Look Smart With Lei Momi Camera Bags
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amera bags can be pretty macho-looking items so a Tasmanian-based company has come up with a line of more fashionable products designed for female photographers. Styled to look like smart handbags, the Lei Momi camera bags are designed to accommodate camera gear plus all the items you might normally carry in a handbag. Lei Momi founder and designer Pearl Chinthammit says she created the brand’s flagship bags – Alice and Lisbon – after she struggled to find a camera bag that could fit all her equipment and look good at the same time. “Photography is a real passion of mine, but I hate the standard black camera bags that most photographers lug around. I was inspired to design a functional camera bag that matched the stylish ideal I wanted to project. I want female photographers to look as good as the photos they take, and these bags will definitely add to their natural flair.” Both the Alice and Lisbon camera bags feature lined compartments with adjustable dividers for customisation, a cross-body strap with a shoulder pad for extra comfort and a large selection of pockets. They are made from high-quality faux leather and canvas, and are available in a range of colours. The Lei Momi bags are priced from $159 and are available directly from the company with a range of shipping options for national and international delivery. For more information visit www.leimomi.com.au
Nikon Launches Compact With ‘APS-C’ Sensor
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ikon has stepped up its involvement in high-end fixed-lens compact cameras with the introduction of the Coolpix A. It has an ‘APS-C’ format (‘DX’ in Nikonese) precisely matched with an 18.5mm f2.8 prime lens (equivalent to 28mm). Consequently, the Coolpix A steps into the very exclusive club which also includes Canon’s PowerShot G1X, Sony’s Cyber-shot RX-1 and Fujifilm’s X100S. However, the slimline Coolpix A is the most compact model in this category, measuring just 40.3 mm in depth and weighing in at 299 grams. The sensor has 16.9 megapixels (total) resolution and – as with the D7100 D-SLR – Nikon has elected to eliminate a low-pass filter, determining the performance compromises outweigh the benefits. The sensor is mated with an ‘Expeed 2’ processor and has a sensitivity range equivalent to ISO 100 to 6400 (with a two-stop ‘push’ to ISO 26,600). Continuous shooting is possible
at up to 4.0 fps, and RAW files (NEF) are captured at 14-bits per channel. The Coolpix A boasts a long list of high-end features, starting with its magnesium alloy bodyshell with leather-look inserts. It has a 7.62 cm TFT LCD monitor screen with a
resolution of 921,000 pixels, and there is both a hotshoe and a built-in, pop-up flash. In addition to a standard set of ‘PASM’ exposure control modes, the Coolpix A has many features borrowed from Nikon’s D-SLRs, including the ‘Picture Control’ presets, ‘Active D-Lighting’ processing for dynamic range expansion, a selection of ‘Filter Effects’, a virtual horizon display, i-TTL auto flash control and Full HD video recording in the MPEG-4 format using H.264 compression. Accessories include an optical viewfinder (there is no provision for fitting an EVF), an adapter ring for fitting 46 mm diameter filters and a bayonet metal lens hood. The Coolpix A is also compatible with Nikon’s WU-1a Wi-Fi module and GP-1 GPS receiver. Locally, the Coolpix A is priced at around $1299. For more information visit www.nikon.com.au
ON TRIAL Changing Up
The classically styled bodyshell comprises magnesium alloy covers built around an aluminium chassis so the X100S feels exceptionally strong. The dials are milled from solid billets of aluminium.
Love Machine Fujifilm FinePix X100S
The original X100 was brilliant, but not flawless. With the updated X100S Fujifilm has addressed all the major issues very effectively, creating a camera that’s even harder to resist. Report by Paul Burrows.
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t’s now on record that Fujifilm had no idea how the market would respond to the X100, but it had to do something to reconnect with the enthusiast and professional sectors after not being able to continue with its D-SLR program. Of course, the camera was an instant hit, confirming Fujifilm was on the right track (the X-Pro1 would have been well along its development path at the time) and showing the rest of the world how to do a fixed-lens high-end digital compact camera properly. In the intervening period Fujifilm has built a family of X Series cameras to suit different applications and the idea of pairing a bigger sensor with a high-quality prime lens to create the 21st century street camera has been repeated by Sony with its ‘35mm’ RX1. It’s logically the closest rival to Fujifilm’s Mark II X100 except that it’s over twice the price and certainly not twice the camera given the numerous improvements embodied in the new
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model. Fujifilm’s challenge has been to maintain the momentum created by the X100 because, to some extent, this is crucial to the success of the rest of the X Series line-up, but also because a best-seller is always very good for business. There must have been a bit of head-scratching in the design department as to exactly how the X100 should evolve, but firstly – and very sensibly – Fujifilm has stuck with the ‘X100’ model designation. The rumour mill suggested there might be an ‘X200’, but the reality is that the original model has built such a substantial reputation, it was a nobrainer to build on this rather than starting all over again. So, simply, an ‘S’ suffix is added. Also a nobrainer was retaining the original styling – Fujifilm got it so right originally why make changes simply for the sake of making changes? A small ‘S’ badge on one corner of the front panel is really the only give-away externally.
The external control layout also remains essentially the same, but there have been quite a number of small revisions to many operations in response to user feedback. Most of these relate to the user interface, but one of the big bugbears – the ease with which the exposure compensation dial could be accidentally bumped to an unwanted setting – has been addressed by giving the control much more pronounced click-stops. As a result, it now needs a fairly determined twist to change settings. The shutter speed dial has been similarly beefed up – although less dramatically so – and there’s now a bigger space between the last manual setting (for 1/4000 second) and the ‘A’ position (helpful when doing things by feel). As before, the slower speeds from ¼ second to 30 seconds are accessed via a ‘T’ setting on the dial and then selected via the rear command dial. The shape of the lever for changing the viewfinder modes has been changed to improve its feel and the autofocus mode selector has been revised so the single-shot and the manual settings – considered the most frequently used – are quicker to apply. In terms of the latter, the feel of the fly-by-wire focusing collar has been enhanced to enable smaller and more precise adjustments. The direction of rotation can be set to suit personal preferences. The tweaks to the rear-panel layout mainly comprise a relabelling of the button originally marked ‘RAW’ to ‘Q’ – because it’s main duty is now to activate the camera’s new ‘Quick Menu’ screen (more about this later) – while the autofocus area selection moves to the navigator keypad and the subsequently displaced drive mode selector takes over the vacated button position on the other side of the LCD monitor. Again this is because the AF area is typically changed more frequently and the new location makes this more convenient to do by feel (i.e. when the X100S is being held to eye). These are, of course, all small things, but they make a difference and indicate just how willing Fujifilm is to make its cameras work as comfortably and efficiently as possible. One thing that hasn’t changed is that it’s still possible to install the battery the wrong way around
The lever on the front panel switches between the eyelevel viewfinder’s modes – optical, electronic or hybrid optical with electronic displays.
ON TRIAL and then waste a bit of time trying to work out why the X100S won’t turn on.
Dancing On The Inside Not surprisingly, the biggest changes introduced with the X100S are all on the inside and most are borrowed from the X Series cameras which have since followed the Mark I model… particularly the X-Pro1 and the X-E1. From these comes Fujifilm’s ‘X-Trans CMOS’ sensor with its special RGB filter pattern that’s designed to eliminate the need for a low-pass filter. However, the X100S has a new version of this ‘APS-C’ size imager which incorporates embedded
filters, enabling more of the sensor’s resolution to be realised. Moiré isn’t entirely eliminated, but it’s much less likely to occur and won’t happen with very fine repeating patterns such as the texture of fabrics. Additionally, as there are more RGB pixels in each vertical row and horizontal line, the colour accuracy is also enhanced. The pixel count is 16.3 megapixels which, given the absence of the LPF, is worked to its full potential by the X100S. The sensitivity range is equivalent to ISO 200 to 6400 with a one-stop ‘pull’ to ISO 100 and a two-stop ‘push’ to ISO 25,600. RAW capture is now at 14-bits per RGB channel and a 1:1 aspect ratio is added to the previous choice of 3:2 and
“The three main colour modes are called Provia, Velvia and Astia – which equate to Standard, Vivid and Soft respectively – and are obviously designed to match the look of the once-popular pro Fujichrome transparency films.” sensor arrays to enable phase-difference detection autofocusing with its inherent increase in subject distance acquisition speeds. The new sensor is mated with a new version of Fujifilm’s ‘EXR Processor’ which enables a number of key improvements including continuous shooting at up to 6.0 fps (versus 5.0 fps previously) and video recording at the Full HD resolution at 60 fps. A bigger buffer memory extends the burst length with JPEG/large/ fine capture to at least 30 frames (versus ten previously). The ‘EXR II’ processor also powers a brand new function called the ‘Lens Modulation Optimiser’ (LMO) which is designed to correct for optical aberrations such as diffraction blur across the lens’s aperture range. Fujifilm’s ‘X-Trans’ RGB colour filter array employs a 6x6 pixels pattern rather than the conventional 2x2 RGGB arrangement of the Bayer filter. The idea behind this is to create a more ‘random’ arrangement of RGB pixels, giving a higher aperiodicity which effectively lowers the frequency at which a moiré effect will occur with repeating patterns. This eliminates the need for low pass
Control of the X100S is centred around the Command Control lever (top) and the combined Command Dial and four-way navigator keypad (centre). Note the renamed ‘Q’ button (lower right) which activates the camera’s new ‘Quick Menu’ control screen.
16:9. Three JPEG image sizes are available in each aspect ratio and there’s the choice of Normal or Fine compression levels. RAW+JPEG capture can be set to JPEG/large/fine or large/normal.
Look Sharp The lens is the same Super EBC 23mm f2.0 prime wide-angle as before – equivalent to the classic 35mm focal length – with an aperture range of f2.0 to f16, adjusted manually, in full stop settings, via a traditional control collar. The optical construction comprises eight elements in six groups, including one aspherical type created via glass-moulding techniques and designed to help minimise distortion. It incorporates a built-in neutral density (ND) filter which reduces the exposure by three stops. Because the X100S employs a combination of a leaf-type shutter with the aperture diaphragm in the lens, the two fastest shutter speed settings of 1/2000 and 1/4000 second are only available between f8.0 and f16, otherwise the top speed is 1/1000 second which means that very bright conditions could potentially be problematic, especially
The shutter speed also requires a more determined twist to change settings and there’s a bigger space between the 1/4000 second and the ‘A’ positions (which is helpful when making changes by feel).
when shooting at the wider apertures, hence the inclusion of the ND filter. However, the key advantage of the leaf shutter is flash sync at all speeds. Incidentally, the exposure control system is a combination of the leaf shutter and a sensor-based shutter which enables the faster speeds and also makes for a very quiet operation. As before, the X100S has a built-in flash and a hotshoe, and the onboard flash modes include fillin, red-eye reduction, slow speed synch and commander (but this only works with selected Fujifilm external flash units). Flash exposures are controlled by what Fujifilm calls ‘Super Intelligent Flash’ which performs scene analysis to accurately balance the flash output with the available light. The choice of exposure control modes remains limited to the basic ‘PASM’ set intelligence. The auto modes are supported by program shift, an AE lock, up to +/-2.0 EV of compensation and auto bracketing at up to +/-1.0 EV over three frames. The X100S also offers three other auto bracketing functions – each again over a sequence of three frames – namely for ISO, its ‘Film Simulation’ presets and the dynamic range expansion processing.
Virtual Films And Filters The selection of ‘Film Simulation’ presets is expanded to match what’s offered on the both the X-Pro1 and the X-E1, so the new additions are called Pro Neg Standard and Pro Neg High. These are primarily designed for portraiture and offer two levels of colour saturation. The three main colour modes are called Provia, Velvia and Astia – which equate to Standard, Vivid and Soft respectively – and are obviously designed to match the look of the once-popular pro Fujichrome transparency films. There are also five monochrome presets for B&W, Sepia and B&W with the contrast varied to match the look of using yellow, red or green filters. The ‘Film Simulation’ presets don’t have individually adjustable picture parameters, instead there are general settings in camera’s Shooting Menu for adjusting the colour saturation, sharpness, highlight tone, shadow tone and noise reduction, and these apply to them all. Usefully, the ‘Film Simulation’ bracketing can now
The X100S retains the same Fujinon Super EBC 23mm f2.0 prime lens as its predecessor, but there’s a new ‘Lens Modulation Optimiser’ (LMO) processing function which is designed to correct for optical aberrations such as diffraction blur across the aperture range.
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ON TRIAL
Sound Choice My Myk SmartMyk
Australian design helps the SmartMyk stand out from the growing crowd of external video microphones for D-SLRs, as do some smart features and its heavy-duty construction. Report by Paul Burrows.
Designed in Australia, My Myk’s SmartMyk is a compact, highly directional microphone specifically designed for use with D-SLRs or compact system camera.
All the SmartMyk’s casings are made from highly durable polycarbonate ABS. The two switches on the rear are for power on/off (right) and a three-position gain control.
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The SmartLynk has two microphone inputs each with its own level control.
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f you thought photography had its fair share of gadgets, just wait until you get involved with shooting video on a D-SLR. It’s gadget heaven and you can, of course, end up spending a small fortune on a full camera rig loaded up with accessories. Some of these you can live without – at least until you get more involved – but really essential no matter what camera you’re using is an external microphone. Consequently, the choice of models available for use with D-SLRs (or compact still cameras) is growing, and among them is the Australian designed SmartMyk. The company behind it, My Myk, is based on Sydney’s lower north shore and has a background in audio production for TV and cinema. It’s specifically designed the SmartMyk for use on a D-SLR or CSC, giving it highly directional pick-up characteristics to minimise both background noise and handling noise. Incidentally, Australia must be gaining a bit of a reputation in this area because the Rode video microphones are designed in Sydney as well. In microphone tech terms, the SmartMyk is a compact electret condenser design combined with a rejection – or resistance – tube to give a ‘super cardioid’ pattern of sensitivity. Essentially, this means that sounds from the sides and behind aren’t picked up (at least not at levels that are noticeable) and maximum sensitivity is achieved directly in front… i.e. from whatever the microphone is actually pointing at. You can think of it as being ‘focused’ on your subject so the SmartMyk is particularly suited to dialogue or somebody delivering a ‘piece to camera’. Additionally, the SmartMyk has a high-pass filter (fixed at 70 Hz)
The SmartLynk’s control panel showing the AGC blocker switch and the output options.
PROFILE
Into The
Deep Blue Award-winning nature photographer Darren Jew specialises in underwater assignments and, as he tells Alison Stieven-Taylor, the marine environment presents some unique challenges.
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n the day I interview multi-award winning photographer Darren Jew he is preparing for a six-week trip to Tonga where he will photograph the migration of the humpback whales. He makes this pilgrimage every year, taking photographs for his own collection, and also hosting small groups of enthusiasts who get to swim with these majestic creatures, some of which, says Darren, are the size of a bus. Growing up in Queensland, Darren has spent much of his life in the water, and with a camera
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in hand. His earliest memories of photography are around his father who was a radio technician on one of the bases on Antarctica in the late 1960s. Darren recalls going through his father’s Kodachrome slides and being intrigued by them. “I think that’s where my interest in the world and things other than in my own backyard, came from.” In his youth, Darren toyed with the idea of a career in science, but “…scientists tend to specialise in one thing and I thought I would be bored, so I turned my
attention to photography. I was partly influenced by Jacques Cousteau documentaries and figured that with photography I could still connect with nature and science on a cursory level and with greater variety”. He undertook a two-year trade certificate in photography at Queensland College of Art and “…graduated at the ripe age of 17 with a pretty good education in photography. I was highly employable – read: cheap – and my first job was in a film-processing lab”.