Smart Photography Sep. 2009 Issue by Next Gen Publishing Ltd.

PHOTOGRAPHY

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PORTRAIT

www.smartphotography.in

Beauty in Ruins Interview with Pallon Daruwala LEARNINGS  

 

How to Create a Zoom-Burst Basics of Photography (Part-VIII continued) Actions & Droplets in Photoshop The Making of a Wildlife Photographer Canon Powershot D10

Technical Feature

Portraiture REVIEWS

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Pentax X70 AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-200mm Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11-16mm

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT1

Panorama Mode

e, you can With this featur ive shots ut ec ns capture co into a em and combine th image ic m ra no pa beautiful with ease.

se-ups ic stop-action clo Capture dynam bject in su e th g in ep e, ke with this featur lly fu ns le the zoom focus even with extended.

12x Optical Zoom

5x Optical Zoom

Wide Angle

tical Zoom e of the 12x Op Take advantag age im d an to focus with special au p, highar sh r fo es ur at stabilization fe os. resolution phot

Instant Zoom

akes it easy Instant Zoom m mpose shots to frame and co ects at high bj su g in ov with m zoom settings.

Big on features. Small in size. S1500 with Automatic 6 Scene Recognition

10.0 6400 6.85 Megapixels

ISO

cm LCD

ZOOM

Anti-Blur

Face Detection

Intelligent Flash Recording Zoom

Custom Mode

Low Power Consumption

Micro Thumbnail

Other award winning cameras in our range Orange

Purple

Black

F200

Fujifilm India Pvt. Ltd. Corporate Office - 6th Floor, Universal Trade Tower, Gurgaon-Sohna Road, Sector - 49, Gurgaon - 122001, Haryana. Telephone: +91-124-4325500 Facsimile: +91-124-4325555 Email: contact@fujifilmindia.com

S2000

Delhi : Jagdeep Bhatia – Tel: 0124-4325500 Email: jagdeep.bhatia@fujifilmindia.com Mumbai : Ajitesh Swarup – Tel: 022-42364000 Email: ajitesh@fujifilmindia.com Chennai : T. Narendran – Tel: 044-24320550 Email:narendran@fujifilmindia.com Kolkata : Bhupesh Panda – Tel: 09748745113 Email:bhupesh.panda@fujifilmindia.com Chandigarh : Deepak Kumar – Tel: 09915001876 Email:deepak.kumar@fujifilmindia.com

www.fujifilm.in

Welcome T

his month we analyze the intricacies behind one of the most difﬁcult genres of photography, namely, portraiture. A good portrait photographer not only needs good equipment, but should also master the art of playing with light and its various subtleties. Not all of portrait photography can be taught and a lot is learned by trial and error. Once you are successful, it can probably give you the highest amount of satisfaction as well as fatten your wallet.

Camera companies are now working feverishly to improve their image stabilization systems. At the forefront of this effort are Panasonic and Canon. The new image stabilization systems will counter both linear as well as circular shake and will work with a tripod. Much more useful than investing millions of dollars on gimmicks, like smile detection etc. Hoshang S. Billimoria, Editor

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.

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!

OUR TESTS ARE CONDUCTED BY EXPERTS All equipment go through a series of tests at the hands of our experts. And 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.

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!

Behind the Scene

Write to sp@nextgenpublishing.net for editorial queries and subscriptions@nextgenpublishing.net for subscription enquries Editor Hoshang S. Billimoria Technical Editor Rohinton Mehta Executive Editor Mathew Thottungal Copy Editor Trisha Mukherjee Senior Correspondent Sujith Gopinath Photography Mahesh Reddy (Asst. Photographer) Creative Director & Production Head Atul Bandekar Design Ajit Manjrekar, Sanjay Awad Illustrator Ajay Paradkar Production Dinesh Bhajnik, Ninad Jadhav, Deepak Narkar

Publisher Khushroo Bhadha Associate Publisher Vijaya Saran Regional Manager - Sales and Marketing A. Mageshwar - Tamil Nadu & Kerala Area Advertising Manager Harshvardhan Verma-Delhi Account Managers Deepa Manickath - Mumbai Gaurav Choudhary - Ahmedabad Pramod Udupa - Bangalore Response Executive Pooja Wankhede - Mumbai Manish Kumar - Delhi Circulation and Subscription K. Srikanth (National Circulation Manager) Sanjeev Roy (Asst. Operations Manager) Sachin Kelkar (Subscription Supervisor)

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Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. Next Gen Publishing Copyright 2006 SMART PHOTOGRAPHY does not take the responsibility for returning unsolicited material sent without adequate postal stamps for return postage. All readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express written permission of the publisher. entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Smart Photography does not Published by Khushroo Bhadha on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees Mumbai - 400016. Printed by Khushroo Bhadha Next Gen Publishing Ltd., 2nd floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), of the publication shall not be held liable for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the Mumbai - 400016. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only. Publishing Ltd., 2nd floor, Khatau House, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai - 400016. Editor – Hoshang S Billimoria

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Face Value Interview with Jason Bell

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Star Trek Interview with

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LEARNINGS I I I I I I I

Basics of Photography (Part-VI) Extracting Wispy Hair in Photoshop Glamour Photography Let’s Go Wild with Colors Take Control of Contrast Fine-tune your Contrast Control Why I Prefer Manual Exposure Mode

LEARNINGS I I I I I

REVIEWS FUJIFILM FINEPIX F200 EXR SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-T90 PENTAX OPTIO P70 CANON EF 50MM F/1.4 USM THE BATTLE OF THE SENSORS!

REVIEWS CANON DIGITAL IXUS 100 IS KODAK EASYSHARE Z980 SAMSUNG WB500 PANASONIC LUMIX DMC – TZ 7 9 770974 665000

CANON EOS 500D

Basics of Photography (Part-VII) Combating Flash Fall-Off Travel Photography Everything About Shutter Speeds! Get Started in Lightroom 2 (Part-I)

TIPS FOR

BETTER NIKON D5000

PICTURES

KODAK - Smart PHOTOGRAPHY CANDID MOMENTS PHOTO CONTEST

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September 2009

Contents

ISSUE 06 I VOLUME 05 I SEPTEMBER 2009 I RS.100

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

SPECIAL

9 770974 665000

www.smartphotography.in

Beauty in Ruins Interview with Pallon Daruwala LEARNINGS I I

I I

How to Create a Zoom-Burst Basics of Photography (Part-VIII continued) Actions & Droplets in Photoshop The Making of a Wildlife Photographer

Technical Feature

Portraiture Po rtraiture REVIEWS Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Pentax X70 AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-200mm Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11-16mm

Canon Powershot D10

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT1

Cover Photograph: Vikram Bawa Model: Neha Dhupia Stylist: Sohaya Misra (Chola) Make-up: Ojas Rajani Hair: Kaushalya Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Souza

REGULARS 10

Mail Bag

Picture of the Month

News Watch

An Ode to Kodachrome

Industry Opinion - Yoshikazu Hirano, Sony Electronics

Kaleidoscope

If I Were You

Ask Uncle Ronnie

Portraiture

Portraiture - Four Photographers, Four Styles

Master Craftsman -

146

Smart Photography September 2009

Tidbits

Pallon Daruwala

LEARNINGS 68

How to Create a Zoom Burst

Basics of Photography (Part-VIII contd.)

Step-by-Step: Creating Your

FIRST LOOK 104

Wimberley Head Version Ii

BUYERS’ GUIDE

Own Actions & Droplets in Photoshop

106

Digital SLRs

The Making of a Wildlife Photographer

111

Digital Compacts

REVIEWS 86

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

Pentax X70

Canon PowerShot D10 Vs. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT1

AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

100

Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45 – 200mm f/4 – 5.6

102

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11 – 16mm f/2.8 (IF) DX

September 2009 Smart Photography

Mail Bag Write to us at: Mail Bag- Smart Photography, Khatau House, 2nd Floor, Mogul Lane, Mahim (W), Mumbai 400 016. E-mail: sp@nextgenpublishing.net

CHILDISH BEHAVIOR

APPRECIATING ANTIQUE CAMERAS

Dear Sir, I was shocked to read about the childish behavior of a supposed-to-be National Marketing Head of Olympus Imaging India; the Editor’s reply (“Is Olympus’ Action Justiﬁed?” SP, July 2009) is very digniﬁed. I have also read with great interest the deliberations “Et Tu Olympus!” (SP, August 2009) between Smart Photography and Olympus India Ltd. After knowing the kind of people Olympus employs, I for one would never buy a Olympus product. It would be nice if you could keep the readers further posted. Mahesh Kanade, maheshkanade86@yahoo.com

GET A CREDIBLE PR Dear SP, I was amazed to read about Olympus Imaging India’s business practices. I was also amused to read some gushing reviews from a competing magazine of yours for an Olympus product, which dwells on the past and offers nothing new. Olympus India would be well advised to invest Dear SP, I am a regular reader of Smart Photography magazine. The special feature “A Rare Collection of History” in the June 2009 issue about Mr. C. Sekar’s collection of old cameras makes a fascinating read! Thank you so much for the feature. I also share an avid interest in collectible cameras, and own a modest collection too. I’d be delighted to exchange notes with Mr. C. Sekar and other collectors. I’ll be grateful if you can provide me the contact details of Mr. C. Sekar. Thank you indeed, an please do keep writing about collectibles. And if you ever want to see my old Leica stuff, do let me know! Rahul Dey, Kolkata, via email

in credible PR rather than make such hamhanded attempts. Kruti Singh, kruti.photography@hotmail.com Editor’s Reply: 1.Our readers should know that no one from Olympus India has either contacted or written to us. 2.At the same time, the General Manager of Olympus India has chosen to write to our letter writers and expressed his regret about his “staff’s discourteous response”. 3.Strangely however, at the same time, Anand D’Souza has written to the concerned readers attempting to justify his actions! In his letter, he has mentioned “A coin has two sides. Always judge after analysing both the sides.” This statement tells us that he still feels that his actions were justiﬁable. We challenge Anand D’Souza to explain ‘A coin has two sides’. It is clear that he has no regrets for his misdoings. We wonder who really runs Olympus India?

CONGRATULATIONS!

It’s an achievement for our reader Shivji Godavari from Jodhpur, whose picture was published in National Geographic Magazine’s ‘Your Shot’ Special issue. The magazine’s Editors selected the best 101 images out of more than 10,0000 submitted by photographers from world over to their monthly Photo Contest during last three years from the date the contest commenced.

Smart Photography September 2009

MAILBAG

HANDY MOBILE CAMERA Dear SP, I noticed a kitten hiding in the wheel of my car. I had no time to bring my camera to take the shot, so I had taken out my camera phone (Sony Ericsson 550 i) to take this amazing shot. This image show how a camera phone could be very helpful in taking a candid shot. This is for all the readers of your magazine. Kartick Das, Kolkata

PEEPING BACK Dear SP, Really I’m mesmerized by reading the article “A Rare Collection Of History” by Mathew Thottungal in Smart Photography June 2009 issue on an energetic vintage camera collector Mr. C. Sekar from Chennai. Such article magnifies the wisdom and will power of the collector as well as readers of SP to peep back into the history of cameras! It also give backups to preserve our old heritages. Now, I want to share some experience with SP. Once I got a surprising chance to see some very rare collection of Vintage cameras in Jorhat, Assam when I had visited the home of Ananda Chandra Dutta, a famous Botanist from Assam (Born, February 8, 1923). There I IKOFLEX Zeiss Ikon first saw very rare cameras including Baby Box Tengor, camera Germany, Ensign Selfix Due to E-20, Ensign Sanderson, IKOFLEX Zeiss Ikon camera, unavoidable Click camera, Yashika SLR J 7,Asahi Pentax etc. circumstances, we are unable Mr. Ananda Chandra Dutta had also invented an to carry Part-3 of unique ‘Day Time Developing Box’ in 1985 who Lightroom 2 in learnt Photography from a Yorkshireman Dr. William this issue. Wight. Dr. Wight was appointed as Plant Physiologist

Smart Photography September 2009

in Toklai Tea Research Centre, Jorhat, Assam. Mr. Dutta had been closely associated with photography since 1942 and he had to manage all types of photography works In Toklai Experimental Station of Tea till his retirement. But, now I would like to know from SP about how the photographs were taken and about technologies (say, optics]) of these different cameras particularly Baby Box Tengor, Ensign Selﬁx E-20, Ensign Sanderson and IKOFLEX Zeiss Ikon camera. It is noteworthy to say that Ananda Chandra Dutta was the ﬁrst book writer on Photography in Assamese language in 1980 (total pages 150). We must acknowledge his contribution to Tea research and Botany who has written numbers of valuable books including—Some Common Weeds of the Tea in N.E. India; Some Shade Trees, Green Crop Plants in the T.E. of N.E.India; Dictionary of Economic and Medicinal Plants. I hope more unsung heroes will be brought to the pages of SP who has been contributing to the world of photography through many ways.

I’m attaching pictures of Ananda Chandra Dutta and his IKOFLEX Zeiss Ikon camera. Mayur Kumar Gogoi, Assam, via email

Picture of the Month We are sure that all of you must be having some pictures that you think could be prize winning. It happens very often that you don’t know where to send the image that could put a feather on your cap. If you have such images (we’re sure you have many!), send us ONE such image. If we find it good, 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 must not have been printed in any magazine/newspaper, or offered to any publication. d. The image has to be at 300 ppi for 17x11 inches. e. Mark it as the “Picture of the Month”. f. You may send a print/e-mail at sphoto.india@gmail.com

Participate in the Picture of the Month contest and win a Mr Site Takeaway website easy-to-use website developer tool. Worht Rs.2,999/-

Photograph by Jyotirmoy Mitra, Burdwan,

News Watch International SNIPPETS FUJIFILM POSTS FIRMWARE UPDATE FOR FINEPIX F200EXR Fujiﬁlm posted a ﬁrmware update for its Super CCD EXR sensor-based FinePix F200EXR digital compact camera. Firmware v1.10 improves the performance of the camera’s Super Intelligent Flash and adds four more languages into its menu system.

SONY UNVEILS EXMOR R BACK-ILLUMINATED CMOS TECHNOLOGY Sony announced the development of a back-illuminated CMOS image sensor with significantly enhanced imaging characteristics, including nearly twofold sensitivity and low noise. Sony will apply this backilluminated CMOS technology in consumer digital video camcorders and digital still cameras to deliver an even higher quality image experience.

RICOH POSTS FIRMWARE UPDATE FOR GX200 Ricoh released a firmware update for the GX200 compact digital camera. Version 1.25 fixes minor issues related to playback of images and orientation information. The firmware is available for immediate download from the company’s website.

CANON DEVELOPS HYBRID IMAGE STABILIZATION SYSTEM Canon developed Hybrid Image Stabilizer, which compensates for both angular camera shake and shift camera shake. The technology will be incorporated in an interchangeable single lens reﬂex (SLR) camera lens planned for commercial release before the end of 2009.

Smart Photography September 2009

EISA AWARDS FOR 2009-2010 ANNOUNCED The European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA) has announced its annual awards for products released in the year ending June 1, 2009. The awards are determined annually by Panels representing more than 50 prominent Photo, Video, Audio, Home Theater and Mobile Electronics magazines from up to 20 European countries. All Panels work separately, but are under contract to the EISA. This year’s awards in the Photo category are as follows: Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q Q

European Professional Camera 2009-2010 - Nikon D3x European Advanced Camera 2009-2010 - Canon EOS 5D Mark II European Camera 2009-2010 - Olympus PEN E-P1 European SLR Camera 2009-2010 - Canon EOS 500D European Multimedia Camera 2009-2010 - Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 European Adventure Compact Camera 2009-2010 - Olympus µTough-8000 European Compact Camera 2009-2010 - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 European Travel Compact Camera 2009-2010 - Casio Exilim EX-H10 European Advanced Compact Camera 2009-2010 - Samsung WB1000 European Lens 2009-2010 - Sigma 24-70 f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM European Travel Lens 2009-2010 - Tamron AF F3.5-6.3/18-270 Di II VC LD Macro European Zoom Lens 2009-2010 - Sony 70-400mm F4-5.6 G SSM European Photo Accessory 2009-2010 - Novoﬂex QuadroPod European Photobook 2009-2010 - CeWe Photobook European Photo Printer 2009-2010 - Canon PIXMA Pro9000 Mark II European Digital Imaging Innovation 2009-2010 - Fujiﬁlm Super CCD EXR

Camera Launches Galore! With the beginning of the holiday season (Christmas and New Year), especially the developed markets of Europe and United States, saw camera vendors going into an overdrive to launch newer products. Nikon was the ﬁrst to announce products both on the D-SLR as well as the compact camera front. While Fujiﬁlm, Panasonic, and Pentax were quick off the rebound to position their products in the compact camera space to garner market share as well. It’s usual that in the run up to the holiday season majors vie for consumer attention with products that are increasingly high on features to out do competition, and this holiday season was no different.

FUJIFILM’S NEW LAUNCHES FinePix F70 EXR with 10X Zoom

Fujiﬁlm launched compact camera FinePix F70 EXR featuring a 1/2-inch 10MP (effective) Super CCD Honeycomb

EXR image sensor, 10X zoom lens and auto scene recognition program. The smart D-cam comes in two colors— white and gun metal gray. The sensor automatically recognizes the subject scene and will apply most suitable program for the scene out of the six scene selection programs—Portrait, Night scene, Landscape, Macro, Night portrait, and Backlit portrait. The zoom lens is Fujinon 5.0-50mm (27-270mm equivalent) f/3.35.6 zoom lens, supported by mechanical (CCD shift) image stabilization system, retracting ﬂat into the thin body.

NEWS WATCH

FinePix J30 ultra-compact Fujiﬁlm launched FinePix J30 digital compact. With a 12MP sensor, 2.7 inch LCD and 3x (32-96mm equivalent) zoom range it includes a Panorama mode, ISO sensitivity up to 3200, Face Detection and Auto Scene Recognition. A170 budget compact camera Fujiﬁlm launched an addition to its A series of budget compact cameras. The A170 is based around a 10MP sensor, 3x (32-96mm equivalent) zoom lens and a 2.7 inch LCD. There are 16 Scene modes, Auto Scene Recognition, and Panorama mode. FinePix Z35 digital compact

Fujifilm released the FinePix Z35 digital compact camera targeted towards the youth market. Sporting a compact body, this 10MP camera with 2.5 inch LCD and 3x (35-105mm equivalent) zoom lens includes in-camera edit and upload options via its Blog mode. FinePix S200EXR super-zoom Fujifilm unveiled the FinePix S200EXR advanced super zoom—a successor to the FinePix S100FS. Incorporating a 12MP Super CCD EXR sensor and an opticallystabilized 14.3x (30.5-436mm) manual zoom lens, it offers CCD-RAW (EXR) and JPEG shooting and three bracketing options. It also includes a new Pro Focus and Pro Low Light mode and improved battery life. It features a 2.7 inch LCD and an electronic viewfinder. FinePix F70EXR with Super CCD EXR Fujifilm introduced the FinePix F70EXR featuring a new half-inch 10 megapixel Super CCD EXR sensor. It has a 10X image-stabilized zoom starting at 27mm equivalent and a 2.7 inch LCD screen. The EXR technology uses the sensor in three different ways to optimize resolution, dynamic range, or low-light performance.

RICOH UNVEILS GR DIGITAL III COMPACT WITH FAST F/1.8 PRIME LENS

Ricoh will launch GR Digital III compact digital camera featuring a fast f/1.9 28mm-equivalent prime lens soon. The GR Digital III is the successor to the GR Digital II that was launched in November 2007 and is renowned for its superior performance. The new GR Digital III based on the GR line’s tradition of high image quality takes the GR Digital concept to an even higher level with a newly developed image processing engine called the GR Engine III employing a new noise reduction system, a new 10MP CCD image sensor with enhanced sensitivity by a new image processing system, and a newly developed 6mm (28mm-equivalent) prime lens boasting the extremely fast maximum aperture of f/1.9. Despite the fast maximum aperture, the new lens achieves a resolution level equivalent to that of the f/2.4 GR lens, claims the company.

PANASONIC’S NEW LAUNCHES Lumix DMC-FP8 digital with folding optics

SNIPPETS PENTAX POSTS FIRMWARE V1.01 FOR K-7 D-SLR Pentax released a ﬁrmware update for its K-7 mid-level D-SLR. Version 1.01 adds a new custom function that deﬁnes the default behavior of the four way controller when in manual AF-point-selection mode. The default can be switched between AF point selection and direct access to four key functions. The update claims to make stability improvements to its general performance.

NIKON RELEASES AF-S 70200MM F/2.8G ED VR II Nikon unveiled the AF-S Nikkor 70200mm f/2.8G ED VR II, a completely redesigned version of its workhorse professional telezoom. ‘VR II’ Vibration Reduction technology offers aclaimed four stops beneﬁt, and a new A/M focus mode provides autofocus priority when the manual focus ring is handled during shooting; however, the lens loses the AF stop buttons of the original.

CANON RELEASES FIRMWARE UPDATE FOR EOS 50D D-SLR Canon posted a firmware update for its EOS 50D digital SLR. Version 1.0.7 corrects the magenta cast that can appear on images in specific shooting modes. It also fixes incorrect indications on the Arabic, Romanian, Spanish, and Ukrainian menu screens. The firmware is available for immediate download from Canon’s website.

CAMERA DESIGNER YOSHIHISA MAITANI PASSES AWAY

Panasonic released the Lumix DMCFP8 digital compact. Sporting a new card style body design, it incorporates a 28-128mm equivalent lens with folding optics. It features the industry’s fastest autofocus and a start-up time of 0.95 seconds. The 12.1MP camera with a 2.7 inch LCD also features the new Power OIS image stabilizer and offers HD video recording.

Yoshihisa Maitani, the legendary camera designer who created the Olympus Pen 18x24mm camera models and the OM-series compact 35mm SLR models, passed away on July 30, of respiratory disorder at the age of 76. The funeral took place on August 2 at Tachikawa city where he resided.

September 2009 Smart Photography

NEWS WATCH

Lumix DMC-FX65 ultra-compact Panasonic announced the Lumix DMC-FX65 digital compact camera. It incorporates a 5x optical zoom lens (25125mm), 2.7 inch LCD and a 12.1MP sensor. It features the latest Venus Engine V processor, Power OIS image stabilizer and HD output.

KODAK’S NEW DIGITAL COMPACTS Z950, M381 & M341

PENTAX’S NEW LAUNCHES Optio E80 budget compact

Lumix DMC-FZ35/FZ38 super-zoom

Kodak announced three 12 megapixel compact cameras. The Z950 offers 10x image stabilized lens, 3 inch LCD and HD video recording. The company has also refreshed its ‘M’ range, adding the M381 and M341 with 5x and 3x zooms, and 3.0 inch and 2.7 inch LCDs, respectively. All three cameras have Kodak’s Smart Capture scene recognition and exposure system. Panasonic released the Lumix DMC-FZ35 super-zoom digital compact camera with AVCHD lite HD video recording. Successor to the DMC-FZ28, it features an 18x optical zoom lens (27- 486mm equivalent), the new Power OIS image stabilizer and a faster Venus Engine HD processor. The 12.1 MP camera also features a Quick AF system that claims to be two times faster than that of the DMC-FZ28.

NIKON’S NEW CAMERAS

Smart Photography September 2009

Optio WS80 waterproof camera Pentax released Optio WS80, a waterproof compact. The camera is more of a lifestyle camera, it is not quite as resilient as its sister model, the W80 (though is still certiﬁed to depths of up to 1.5 meters for two hours). The 10MP camera features a Super Protect coating on its 35-175mm zoom lens. It also has a 2.7 inch LCD and offers interval shooting, HD video recording and a digital panorama mode.

SONY UNVEILS NEW SERIES COMPACT D-CAMS

Lumix DMC-ZR1 digital compact

Panasonic launched the Lumix DMC-ZR1 incorporating the world’s ﬁrst 0.3mm aspherical and spherical lens elements. The super-zoom compact with an 8x optical zoom lens starting at a wide 25mm equivalent, features a 12.1MP sensor and 2.7 inch LCD. It includes Panasonic’s latest Power OIS image stabilizer offers twice the shake suppression capability of the previous Mega OIS stabilizer, claims the company.

Pentax launched Optio E80, expanding the company’s affordable E series of digital cameras. It sports a similar interface to its predecessor—the E70, but with larger buttons, a larger 2.7 inch LCD, 3x zoom lens starting at a slightly widerangle 32mm and HD video recording.

CoolPix S70, S640 & S570 Nikon launched three new Coolpix S-series compact cameras. The Coolpix S70 is built around a 3.5 inch touchsensitive OLED screen. New screen technologies can register multiple touches. It features an optically stabilized 5x zoom lens (28-140mm equivalent), 12.1MP sensor and HD video recording. Next comes the S640—the fastest Coolpix to date, which Nikon claims to have ‘D-SLR-like focus speed’. It also features an ‘air gapless’ screen. Along with the less expensive S570, it features a 5x optically stabilized zoom lens starting at 28mm, 2.7 inch LCD and 12MP sensor.

Sony announced a pair of new compact D-cams, Cyber-shot DSC WX1 and TX1, which will be available soon, the ﬁrst models of the W-series and T-series cameras. Both models incorporate “Exmor-R” back-illuminated CMOS sensor for the ﬁrst time on a compact Dcam and BIONZ image processing engine realizing high sensitivity with little noises even in relatively dark places like Indoors or Night scenes.

NEWS WATCH

NIKON DEBUTS NEW D-SLR DUO—D300S & D3000

Nikon D300S

FUJIFILM ANNOUNCES DIGITAL 3D CAMERA

Nikon announced a pair of new D-SLRs, mid-tire D300S and entry-level D3000. The D300S is an improved version of the D300 introduced in November 2007, the flagship of Nikon DX format (APS-C) SLR fleet. The new D-SLR now integrates “Dmovie”, high definition video recording function, first installed in the Nikon D90 model that debuted last September and is capable of taking high-speed burst shot of 7 fps at 12.3MP resolution. D300S is expected to sell for around $2,295. The entry-level D3000 is characterized by its “Guide Mode” program that provides simple and easy-to-follow guidance on the oversized 3-inch, 230K-dot LCD monitor, giving explanations on basic operation of the camera as well as ways of picture taking suitable for each subject and occasion. It also gives guidance for replay and editing of pictures as well as various setups of the camera. The D3000 is fitted with a Nikon DX format (APS-C) 10.2MP (effective) CCD image sensor, making image files in sizes up to 3872x2592 pixels in RAW, JPEG or RAW+JPEG format. The penta-mirror viewfinder gives 95 percent view with 0.8X magnification. Captured images are recorded on a removable SD/SDHC memory card. The company plans to produce 120,000 units a month initially.

into a single symmetrical image, for both stills and movies.

SANDISK UNVEILS LATEST COLOR-CODED PACKAGING

Fujifilm announces the launch of a new imaging technology: the ‘FinePix Real 3D System’. The World’s first three dimensional (3D) digital imaging system that lets enjoy three dimensional images without the need to wear special 3D glasses, the company claims. The FinePix Real 3D system incorporates a 3D digital camera ‘FinePix Real 3D W1’, a 3D picture viewer ‘FinePix Real 3D V1’, and 3D prints. The RP (Real Photo) Processor 3D, which is based on photo technology that Fujifilm has developed over the years, synchronizes data passed to it by the two lenses and two CCD sensors, to determine shooting conditions such as focus, brightness and tonality to instantaneously blend this information

Smart Photography September 2009

Flash memory card major, SanDisk offers its products in a new packaging, designed to make it easy for consumers to recognize products and understand beneﬁts, Telecomtiger reports. The new packaging will reinforce brand identity and use a new color code. Red packaging will indicate SanDisk Standard products; silver, SanDisk Ultra products; and black, SanDisk Extreme products.

CANON DEBUTS LONGPLAYING FLASH MEMORY DVC Canon disclosed a pair of new DVC models—iVIS HF 21 and HF S11— fitted with a 64GB flash memory, capable of recording video as long as 24 hours that may be extended to 36 hours, if used an external SD/SDHC memory card. The Canon model features improved image stabilization and is capable of recording video while walking. The DVC features high-speed AF programs including face detection and subject tracking. The HF S21 is very similar to the HF21 in basic features and performance except that it is fitted with a 1/2.6-inch 8.6MP image sensor taking video at 6MP and still pictures at 8MP (4:3) and 6MP (16:9).

CANON DEVELOPS NEW LENS STABILIZING TECHNOLOGY Canon has developed “Hybrid Image Stabilizer (IS)”, an optical image stabilizing technology capable of compensating for both angle-based camera shake and shift-based camera shake. The new Hybrid IS technology incorporates a sensor to detect and compensate for angle-based camera shake (lens angle up/down shake) and an additional acceleration sensor to determine the amount of shift of the outﬁt itself. A newly developed algorithm synthesizes the data from the two sensors to make optimum adjustments.

RICOH TO PARTICIPATE IN THE JAPAN CLIMATE LEADERS PROGRAM Ricoh will participate in the Japan Climate Leaders Program (Japan-CLP), which was launched on July 30, 2009. Japan-CLP is a group of companies that has been formed based on the idea that with the global environment facing a huge crisis brought about by climate change due to the increase in greenhouse gases, industry must begin taking vigorous action to achieve sustainable economic development with a strong sense of urgency.

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Business CANON & PANASONIC TOP THE CHARTS IN JAPAN! 2008 Market Share in Japan Japan is a gadget crazy market and the acceptance and rejections of products in the Japanese market is often an indicator for their future performance in the rest of the world. The annual ﬁgures for market share in Japan for 2008 for the imaging and related industries are now out and they make very interesting reading. Products Percentage of Share Digital Compact Cameras Category: Canon 20.1 % Panasonic 15.5 % Casio 14.0 % Sony 11.7 % Fujiﬁlm 11.5 % It is interesting to see how strong Casio is in the Japanese market. We wonder what they are doing in India. Two big names missing from this list are Olympus and Nikon. D-SLRs Category: Canon Nikon Sony Olympus Pentax

40.1 % 39.9 % 9.2 % 4.9 % 4.6 %

The highlight of 2008 was Sony gaining 5% in market share. Olympus was the main loser. Camcorders Category: Sony JVC Panasonic Canon Hitachi

31.0 % 25.9 % 17.9 % 14.9 % 7.2 %

Inspite of losing nearly 6% points, Sony continued to be the leading brand in Camcorders. Hitachi saw

signiﬁcant erosion in market share during 2008. Memory Cards Category: Panasonic SanDisk Sony Transcend

21.1 % 20.8 % 8.0 % 7.8 %

The domination of Panasonic indicates the market strength of SD cards, which is gaining acceptance. DVD Recorders Category: Panasonic 35.4 % Sharp 30.0 % Toshiba 15.2 % Sony 13.3 % Panasonic’s domination of the DVD Recorder space also extends to the Blu-ray market where Panasonic has a commanding market share of 36.4%. Inkjet Printers Category: Seiko Epson Canon HP Japan Brother Ricoh

41.9 % 41.7 % 6.9 % 6.4 % 1.3 %

Epson and Canon continue to dominate the Japanese inkjet market. Flat Panel TVs Category: Sharp Panasonic Sony Toshiba Hitachi

38.8 % 22.8 % 13.0 % 12.9 % 6.8 %

NIKON ADVANCES TO THIRD SPOT IN WORLD D-CAM MARKET SHARE RACE The world’s market size of digicams shrank 2.2 percent in 2008 to 121.05 million units due mostly to slower sales in the holiday season, hard hit by the economic crises. Canon retained the top position with steady sales of both compact and SLR models. Nikon advanced to the third position from the sixth last year with favorable going in the Coolpix series compacts in the North American market. Samsung Digital Imaging slipped to the fourth in spite of gaining share by one percentage point. But Olympus is rapidly loosing market share.

REPORT OF TOYOTA BATTERY DEAL SENDS SANYO SHARES UP Sanyo Electric, the largest maker of rechargeable batteries, shares rose 10 percent to close at 247 yen on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, after surging 17 percent. This was after media reports stating that the ﬁrm will supply lithium-ion batteries to Toyota Motor. Earlier, it was reported that Toyota will buy batteries from Sanyo from 2011. However, Sanyo had mentioned in July that it aims to quadruple sales to automakers by the year 2015 as gasoline-electric cars sell more. Sanyo reported a third straight quarterly loss after a decline in sales at its components business, which includes rechargeable batteries.

CANON REPORTS $316 MILLION OPERATING PROFIT FOR APRIL-JUNE Canon reports a group operating profit of some $315.7 million for the April-June quarter. The operating profit will be down 81 percent from a year earlier, but up 50 percent from the previous quarter. Canon’s operating profit last grew on a quarter-to-quarter basis back in the October-December period of 2007. Canon enjoyed brisk sales of digital cameras in the second quarter of 2009, led by D-SLR cameras, but office equipment sales remained sluggish because businesses moderated spending. However, Canon’s profit was boosted by the cheaperthan-expected yen, on top of reduced expenses. For the full fiscal ending December, Canon’s operating profit is expected to slide 64 percent to $1.89 billion, but it may brighten this outlook to a 62 percent decline to $2 billion due to trimmed expenses and the soft yen.

Sharp in India is surprisingly a marginal player.

OLYMPUS REVISES APRIL-SEPT NET PROFIT OUTLOOK UPWARD

Let’s look forward to surprises that 2009 may bring in Japan and India per se.

Olympus revised its April-September group net proﬁt outlook upward by 3 billion yen to 36 billion yen ($378.9 million). The group total sales in the April-June quarter sank 19 percent year-on-year to $2.17 billion. Operating proﬁt also dropped 35 percent to $119 million, mainly September 2009 Smart Photography

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due to the stronger yen. On a quarterly basis, however, the digital camera division turned into the black in the last quarter, posting a proﬁt of more than $3.15 million, compared to an operating loss of $92.6 million in the January-March period, because of intensiﬁed controls of its digital camera inventory. But will the momentum sustain is the larger question?

FUJIFILM POSTS $7.3 MILLION NET LOSS IN APRIL-JUNE QUARTER Fujifilm Holdings posted a group net loss of $7.3 million on sales of $5.29 billion, a 23.1 percent year-on-year fall for the AprilJune quarterly period due to a huge sum of restructuring expenses. The company spent $108.4 million for restructuring during the period, resulting in operational loss of $28.5 million. Sales of the Imaging Business fell 28.4 percent to $844.66 million with an operational loss of $102 million. Color film sales fell 42 percent to $93.68 million; paper and chemicals down 27 percent to $207.37 million; minilabs down 34 percent to $58.9 million; FDi finishing service down 28 percent to $138.9 million and electronics devices, including D-cams down 21 percent to $264.2 million. D-cam sales came to 1.8 million units, but a steep price fall contributed to sales decline.

KODAK ANNOUNCES SECOND QUARTER RESULTS Eastman Kodak Company, announced its results for the second quarter of 2009. Total sales reached $1.766 billion, a 29 percent decline from the year-ago quarter, resulting in a loss from continuing operations of $191 million, compared with a proﬁt of $200 million in the same period last year. Kodak’s net loss after extraordinary items and taxes was $189 million, compared with a positive result of $495 million in the second quarter 2008. Kodak’s Consumer Digital Imaging Group recorded sales of $503 million in the second quarter, a 33 percent decline from the same period last year, including 5 percent of unfavorable foreign exchange impact. Loss from operations for the segment was $99 million, compared with a loss of $49 million in the year-ago quarter. Consumer inkjet systems showed a 44 percent revenue increase in printer hardware and ink. Sales of Kodak’s Film, Photoﬁnishing and

Smart Photography September 2009

Entertainment Group were $593 million in the second quarter, which is a 30 percent decline from the year-ago period. Earnings from operations for the segment reached $51 million, after $54 million in the second quarter of 2008. For the second half of 2009, Kodak is targeting digital revenue to grow by 1 to 3 percent and total company revenue to decline 4 to 6 percent. For the full year, the company expects revenues in the ranges that it presented in its February forecast, including a digital revenue decline of 6 to 12 percent and a total revenue decline of 12 to 18 percent.

NIKON POSTS LOSS FOR THE FIRST QUARTER Nikon, Japan, announced its results for the first quarter of the current fiscal year, which will end March 31, 2010. Total sales decreased 26.4 percent to Euro 1.28 billion; the operating income plunged 97.5 percent to Euro 5.35 million, resulting in a net loss of Euro 29.2 million. Sales in Europe declined to Euro 349.5 million) in the first quarter, compared with Euro 445.5 million in the same period last year. The company’s Precision Equipment business and the Instruments business continued to suffer significantly from the impact of cut-backs in capital investments by clients since the prior fiscal year. The Imaging Products business also recorded a decrease in both revenue and earnings from the same period in the previous year due to the strong Yen and weak market conditions in spite of stronger than expected sales of medium/high-end models and interchangeable lenses of SLR cameras.

CAMERA MAKERS WORK ON DEVELOPING MARKETS D-cam makers are trying hard to develop BRICs market to make up for anticipated decline of D-cam sales in the matured markets of advanced nations. CIPA anticipates a 0.7 percent decline in Dcam shipments— compacts and D-SLRs put together worldwide in 2009. While shipments to developing countries will increase 12 percent. Among leading manufacturers, Canon set up a marketing

taskforce, which intends to sell mid-level and high-end cameras in the developing markets that so far put up with mainly low-priced products. Likewise, Fujifilm established a material purchasing office in China to totally review procurement systems, and to reduce production cost by at least 20 percent. Fujifilm expects to launch a new model dedicated to advancing markets at low price of under $100. Nikon focuses on building marketing subsidiaries in developing countries. In India the camera maker starts working on building specific Nikon camera counters and it also preparing for establishing a marketing subsidiary in Mexico. Casio established marketing subsidiary in Brazil and is currently reviewing sales and distribution networks through local agents in other advancing countries.

PANASONIC RECORDS A NET LOSS, BUT ANALYSTS SAY IT’S BETTER THAN ANTICIPATED Electronics major, Panasonic reported a much lower quantum than expected quarterly loss, especially given the overall economic slowdown and currency variations. Nonetheless, the company lifted its half-year outlook as it cuts costs to cope with a firmer yen and weak TV sales. In the quarter ended April-June’09, the manufacturer of Viera flat TVs and Lumix digital cameras closed at a net loss of 53 billion yen ($560 million), down from a 73 billion yen profit a year earlier. Even though the fiscal first quarter loss was smaller than the 444.3 billion yen loss in the preceding three months, ensured it still trailed the performance of its arch rival, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics. Panasonic witnessed sales of its electronic gadgets slow down considerably under the effects of the global downturn which forced consumers to postpone their purchases. Compared to arch rival Sony, Panasonic too logged a first quarter that beat market expectations and signaled a bottoming out in demand. This forced Panasonic to announce the shutting down of 40 manufacturing sites and shedding 15,000 jobs in order to be competitive with Sony, Samsung and LG.

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National NIKON LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE COOLPIX ZONE IN GURGAON

L-R: Takashina Hiroshi (Division General Manager), Hidehiko Tanaka ( Managing Director), Sachin Mehta, Owner, Gizmo and Kimito Uemura, General Manager Marketing, Nikon Hong Kong at the launch.

Nikon India, the 100 percent subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, launched an exclusive Nikon COOLPIX compact camera zone for the consumers at Gizmos GF 62A, MGF Metropolitan Mall, Gurgaon. The store was inaugurated by Kimito Uemura General Manager (marketing), Nikon Hong Kong, in presence of Hidehiko Tanaka, Managing Director, Nikon India. Nikon launched its exclusive COOLPIX zone where the entire range of COOLPIX cameras and armature range of D-SLR cameras would be on display. This is the ﬁrst such zone that Nikon has opened in Gurgaon in addition to one zone in South Delhi. At the exclusive COOLPIX Zone, consumers will get to touch, feel, and experience the entire range of Nikon’s compact cameras along with expert guidance and technical know how. Currently, Nikon is targeting 800 retail outlets for in store branding and aims to open 100 similar outlets across India by the end of this ﬁnancial year.

VITEC GROUP AND NIKHIL ENTERPRISES UNVEIL THEIR LATEST SOLUTIONS AT MUMBAI DEALERS’ MEET The Italy based, Vitec Group, the manufacturers of brands like Manfrotto, Gitzo, and Avenger, along with their exclusive distributor, Nikhil Enterprises, unveiled their integrated solutions recently in Mumbai. The Vitec Group’s portfolio is well entrenched in the minds of the photographic community both in India as well as overseas, especially given product innovation and path-breaking designs. In fact, many of their products, which include Superclamp, Autopole Super Boom etc. have been repeatedly copied by rival brands but it has surpassed the test of time for sure. Sabyasachi Dutta, Sales and Marketing Manager India, Imaging Supports division, Vitec Group, unveiled the groups latest holistic offering, ‘Mypack’. Manfrotto’s integrated solution comprises of a Tripod, Head, and a camera Sabyasachi Dutta launching the latest Mypack Solutions bag, which is all bundled together in a easy to carry box. This complete solution will be offered as a ‘one-stop-solution’ for the beneﬁt of the Indian photographic community. At the venue both Manfrotto and Gitzo brand tripods and heads were conveniently positioned for dealers to have a touch and feel of the products. Nikhil Bajaria (of Nikhil Enterprises) announced that the products will be available at selected outlets by the beginning of the Diwali festive season, and added that the festive season discount for the beneﬁt of the dealers. Many well-known faces from the retail and distribution channel in Mumbai was personally present to see the innovative products display.

EPSON LAUNCHES LOWEST PRICED ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER MODEL

Epson launched its lowest priced allin-one printer model—the Epson Stylus TX111 and latest mid-range all-in-one printer—the Epson Stylus TX210. These all-in-ones provide users productivity boosting and space-saving beneﬁts by offering printing, copying, scanning functionalities in a compact chassis. These Epson Stylus all-in-one printers are available from July 2009, Epson Stylus TX111 is priced at Rs.3,999 while Epson Stylus TX210 sells at an MRP of Rs.5,999.

September 2009 Smart Photography

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WINNERS OF 5TH ALL INDIA LAXMI SALON - 2009 The results of the 5th All India Laxmi Photo Salon-2009 was announced by Jitendra Prakash, Secretary, Sri Ganga Kalyan Sewa Samiti. The competition was held in ﬁve categories in which 94 photographers participated from all over India with 684 pictures.

in Nature Photography section. Second and third prizes in this section went to Rahijit Sorkar (West Bengal), and Santosh Kumar Jena from Midnapur respectively. Consolation prizes went to Kaushik Chaudhary, Prashant Bhattacharya, and Vibhuti Bhushan all from Coochbehar.

In Monocrome section the ﬁrst prize went to Bhaskar Soor (Kolkata), second prize to Agarya Mitra (Jalpaiguri), and third to Vibhuti Bhushan Nandi (West Bengal). Consolation prizes went to Mridul Dasgupta(Durgapur), Gautam Majumdar (Kolkata), and Awadh Narayan Pandey (Allahabad).

In Photo Journalism section Nitin Sharma (Lucknow) bagged the first prize. Second and third prize went to Bhaskar Soor (Kolkata) and Somnath Mukhopadhyay (West Bengal) respectively. Consolation prizes were bagged by Chetan Kapoor, Bhaskar Soor, and Chandra Kant Mishra (Allahabad).

In Colour Print section Awadh Narayan Pandey (Allahabad), Sudeep Dey (West Bengal), and Kalyan Bhattacharya (Kolkata) were adjudged ﬁrst, second the third respectively while the consolation prizes went to Chetan Kapoor from Almora, Bhaskar Soor from Kolkata, and Gautam Majumdar (Kolkata). Somnath Mukhopadhyay (West Bengal) bagged the ﬁrst prize

WORKSHOP ON TRIBAL PHOTOGRAPHY

In Photo Travel section Mohan Gidwani (Delhi), TK Mahapatra (Midnapur), and Chandra Kant Mishra (Allahabad) bagged first, second, and third prizes respectively while the consolation prizes went to Bhaskar Soor, Deepak Kumar Sahi (Allahabad), and Mridul Dasgupta (Kolkata). Prize winning prints will on display on August 12 at Nirala Srt Galery, Allahabad University.

EPSON’S LAUNCHES NEW WIRELESS EB-825 PROJECTOR Epson unveiled the Epson EB-825 projector—a wireless-capable multimedia projector that has been designed to deliver superior ease of use and low cost of operation for both business and education environments. The new Epson EB-825 projector offers users the convenience of cable-free projections from wirelessly networked computers and projections of JPG image ﬁles stored in ﬂash drives or PCs using its USB port. To allow for mounting in out of the way or inaccessible positions like high on walls or under ceilings, the projector’s settings can also be remotely managed using a PC or notebook. The Epson EB-825 multimedia projector is priced at Rs.77,800.

NAP TO PROVIDE LEARNING FOR PHOTOGRAPHY S. Ganapathi Rao, a Visakhapatnam Photographer is conducting a threeday workshop on Tribal Photography on Western Ghats Tribals in and around Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh from September 20 to October 2, 2009. For further details email sganapathirao@yahoo.com.

Smart Photography September 2009

The National Academy Of Photography (NAP), based in Kolkata, is all set to provide a unique platform of learning to those interested in pursuing a career in professional photography as well as to anyone looking for a way to enrich and perfect ﬂair in the ﬁeld. Along with this an exhibition called ‘The Invited International Exhibition’ was held at Nandan, Kolkata, from August 19-23 to develop the awareness towards Creative Photography.

AIPTIA ELECTS NEW MANAGING COMMITTEE FOR 2009-2010 At the 36th Annual General Meeting of All India Photography Trade & Industry Association (AIPTIA), which was recently held in Mumbai. It elected a new managing committee for the year 200910. One notable re-election is that of Pravin D. Rambhia. The new list of the Managing Committee of AIPTIA is as follows. Jayesh Mehta (President), J. P. Soni (Vice President), Chandrakant Shah (Secretary), Jagjivan Savla (Jt. Secretary), Nikhil V. Bajaria (Treasurer), Nilesh Chauhan (Jt. Treasurer), P.V. N. Moorthy, Nikhil Mehta, Ashok Ajmera, Mahesh N. Shah, Dhiraj Vyas, Pravin D. Rambhia (Committee Members). Three more members were co opted by managing committee members.

PAPER IDEA TO ENABLE PRINT PROVIDERS WITH SOLUTIONS Paper Idea is a solution provider offering consulting and marketing related services to the printing and print related industries. The agenda of the company is to work closely with print service providers and retailers to help them build productive, efﬁcient workﬂow and marketing processes.

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The company’s key strategic focus areas are divided in to three broad verticals—Software Solutions (SS), Strategic Marketing Consulting (SMC), and Web Services (WS). Paper Idea is the master distributor for—Press Sense, (Web to Print Software), Taopix (Photo Book Designing solutions), Direct Smile (Image Personalisation Software).

CANON INTRODUCES GO PRO MARKETING PROGRAM FOR D-SLRS USERS Canon India announced the launch of Go Pro marketing program. Canon is signing up with 12 renowned photographers and 6 expert trainers who would be using their experiences and knowledge about photography to take it to the next level. Under Go Pro marketing program, all activities like trainings, workshops, seminars, photo tours are designed and implemented for all amateurs, photography enthusiasts, and professional photographers. All consumers who already own a Canon D-SLR or purchase a new Canon DSLR are eligible to participate in the program by registering on www.canonedge.com.

EPSON LAUNCHES WIRELESS ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER Epson expanded its range of wireless printing devices with the introduction of the new Epson Stylus TX550W wireless all-in-one printer, thereby enabling home/small business users the convenience of wireless network printing. The new Epson Stylus TX550W is an update to the Epson Stylus TX400 model and improves on its predecessor with a new wireless networking capability, even more user-friendly features, and the option of using high capacity Epson INKdividual cartridges that lower the printing of cost per page. The Epson Stylus TX550W also has memory card slots for users to directly print photos from a large 2.5-inch LCD on the device provides users visual indications of operations as well as previews photos to be printed. The Epson Stylus TX550W has an MRP of Rs.8,999.

CANON INDIA IS TARGETING FESTIVALS TO STIMULATE GROWTH IN INDIA Canon India to combat slowdown and stimulate growth across the country aims to widen distribution network, strengthen relationships with customers, partners, and build photography enthusiasts. To start its festive season campaign, the company is targeting the festival of Onam to begin its business plans. Canon India has successfully closed its ﬁrst six Alok Bharadwaj, Senior Vice President with Shunichi Senda, Director, Canon India months (January – June, 2009) performance, with 19 percent growth over that of the same period last year. The camera products division has registered a growth of over 27 percent in the ﬁrst six months of the year. The company hopes to capture over 30 percent market share during the Onam festival.

SHARI ACADEMY’S LUXOCULUS’09 AWARDS HONORS THE BEST The LuXoculus Convocation ‘09 was chaired by Girsih Mistry, Dean of Shari Academy, Alok Bharadwaj, Senior Vice President, Canon India, Bhaskar Das, Executive President, Times of India Group and Phiroze Havaldar, Managing Director, Mazda Imaging. The Mastercraftsman students put up an awe inspiring display of their graduation portfolio. The graduation certiﬁcates was awarded to the successful Mastercraftsman Students. The Performance Awards were judged by an independent panel of stalwart judges—Ian Pereira, Sandeep Mhatre, and Mahesh Hiremath for Mastercraftsman, Sandesh Jaykar and Saket Dhongade for judging juniors and Fashion Diploma Students. The awards were as follows: 1. Mastercraftsman of the Year (Best Graduation Portfolio) : Tathagata Ganguly 2. Top Gun Of the Year (Highest Scorer) : Kunal Rathod 3. Deans’ Award (Annual Overall Performance) : Kunal Rathod. 4. Junior Craftsman of the Year : Ami Nirmal. The LuXoculus Photography Exhibition 2009 was also held by international award winning students of Shari Academy, recently.

PANASONIC CONDUCTS TECH SEMINAR

Sabiha Kidwai, General Manager, Panasonic India

Panasonic India hosted an ‘Interactive Technical Seminar’ for experts from leading media houses recently at Gurgaon. The aim was to empower the technology writers with an indepth analysis of Panasonic’s technology in its newly launched cameras. On the occasion Panasonic unveiled its latest Micro Four Thirds Camera, the Lumix DMC- GH1, along with the new range of compact cameras, which includes—Panasonic DMC-ZX1/ZR1, DMC- FZ38/FZ35, DMC-FX60/FX65 and DMC-FP8.

SONY INDIA NAMES KEKI B DADISETH CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Sony announced the appointment of Keki B Dadiseth, former Director of the Board of Unilever in London and Chairman of Hindustan Lever, India, to the position of Chairman of the Board of Sony India, and Senior Advisor to Sony Group in India. Dadiseth will provide leadership to enhance Sony’s presence in the country and give strategic advice and support to the Sony Group in India as Senior Advisor.He will work for Sony’s broad range of businesses in India, from electronics to entertainment. September 2009 Smart Photography

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Exhibitions MUNISH KHANNA ACADEMY, IIID CELEBRATE THE WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY DAY

INDELIBLE IMAGES Mountains, Rivers and Desert is the theme of photographer Kamaljeet Chugh exhibition. His photographs on “Indelible Images”. He had shot these pictures during his career in army and post retirement. The period covered is from 1987 to 1992.

NATURALÉ EXPRESSIONS The IndiPix Gallery presents ‘Naturalé Expressions’, a group Wall Art Photography Exhibition by photographer Arvind Hoon, Monika Rawat, and Paromita Deb Areng. Nature expresses itself in ways that are deep and profound. The photographers have focused themselves in the pursuit of the timeless expressions of nature—rendering varied forms, hues, and colors to capture the mystery, beauty, power and vulnerability of the wilderness. The exhibition will be held at IndiPix Gallery, B2/1 Vasant Vihar, New Delhi till September 8 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm.

THE VIRTUAL IMMIGRANT

ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION BY NIP

TASVEER presents ‘The Virtual Immigrant’ by photographer Annu Palakunathu Matthew. This is the ﬁrst exhibition of 3D Lenticular prints in India. The photographer calls Indian BPO and call center workers as Virtual Immigrants, who are physically in India, but become Americans for a workday. They exist virtually between cultures without leaving their country of origin. The exhibition is at Tasveer Art Gallery, Sua House, Bangalore, till September 19.

National Institute of Photography, Mumbai, recently held its annual photography competition. Over 200 entries were submitted by about 55 participants. The entries were judged by Rohinton Mehta, Technical Editor, Smart Photography. Uncle Ronnie, as he is fondly known as, shared his experience and a bit of photography with the students. He also gave valuable tips for improving the quality of pictures. The ﬁrst three winners were Rupesh Shinde, Mukesh Trivedi, and Dr. Dinesh Maskeri respectively.

To celebrate the World photography Day (August 19), Munish Khanna academy and Institute of Indian Interior Designers (IIID) organized a group exhibition by the 11 photographers of the academy and 4 prominent interior designers of IIID. Participating photographers were Alex Davis, Akshay Bhatia, Amit Bhatia, Atul Aggarwal, Hemant Sud, K.T. Ravindran, Lipika Sud, Melanie Dornier, N.Thangavelu, Neha Agarwal, Prashant Bhardwaj, Puneet Bhatia, Sanjay Kanvinde, Sunny Lamba, Vinay Bhatia. The exhibition was held at Jacaranda Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Smart Photography September 2009

An Ode to

Kodachrome

t seems incredible but Kodachrome transparency film was launched 74 years ago i.e. in 1935. Kodachrome rapidly gained popularity for its fine grain, color reproduction, and skin tones. It also had excellent archival properties (over 100 years, according to some). Both Kodachrome 25 and 64 became the film of choice with top professional photographers. Remember, Steve McCurry’s iconic photograph of the Afghan girl? It was shot in 1984 on Kodachrome 64. Kodachrome had its own unique system of processing and this, perhaps, was its Achilles’ heel. Demand for transparency film took a huge knock with the advent of digital. Even before digital, Kodak had developed processing friendly emulsions like Elite Chrome. This inevitably took the shine off Kodachrome. Kodak, therefore, had no option but to announce that because of low demand, it would no longer produce Kodachrome film. Kodak’s announcement has led to a huge spurt in sales to round up all existing stocks.

Photographers are stockpiling Kodachrome emulsions before they disappear entirely from store shelves. By one account, over 60,000 rolls have been stored by photographers in freezers. Very soon, there will be only one lab in the world that will process Kodachrome and this is Dwayne Photo in Kansas, USA. Even Dwayne has said that it will process the ﬁlm only until the end of 2010. What was the final nail in the Kodachrome coffin? Apparently, it was National Geographic magazine’s decision to move to digital. Kodak, however, is quick to point out that all is not lost; Kodak has introduced seven new professional emulsions in the last three years and is currently committed to continuing with them. Where does all this leave Kodak? Well 70 percent of Kodak’s revenue today comes from digital gear. Kodachrome, in the previous year, accounted for only .01 percent of Kodak’s revenue, which still stands at a healthy $ 9.4 billion. H. S. Billimoria September 2009 Smart Photography

Industry Opinion and audio products, as well as video-conferencing and surveillance systems in Asia Paciﬁc region. It also provides customized business solutions, comprehensive technical support, and after-sales service to help Sony’s customers stay at the forefront of their business.

Yoshikazu Hirano, Division Head of Security Solutions and G. M. Business & Professional Products Asia Pacific Divn. (BPPA), Sony Electronics Pte. Ltd.

ony is engaged in manufacturing and distribution of a wide variety of camera products, including professional AV cameras, communication cameras as well as industrial cameras. Yoshikazu Hirano joined Sony Corporation, Japan in 1998, later he was relocated to Sony Europe. His mandate was to take Sony into niche areas like providing security solutions. With more than 20 years of experience in the professional business industry, Hirano currently heads the divisions of Security Solutions, Business Communications, and Marketing Communications in the capacity of General Manager within BPPA.

Which fields are incorporated in Sony’s Business and Professional Products division? The Business and Professional Products Asia Pacific Company (BPPA) was established as a division company in Singapore under Sony Electronics Asia Pacific Pte. BPPA is the Asia Pacific headquarters for the B2B Solutions Business group of Sony Corporation. It markets Sony’s leading broadcast systems, professional video

How important is this business segment for the company both in Asia Pacific and India per se? BPPA is a unique and important structure of Sony Corporation, which develops cutting edge technology for the visual medium. The best instance is that, in the past, Sony has introduced video technology to the broadcast market by converting news gathering from 16mm film to professional video camcorders. This path breaking innovation resulted in a series of introductions like high definition videos and is currently engaged in developing even higher resolution video for cinema production and displays. In the case of India, as an emerging market globally, it is definitely an important market for us with a huge growth potential. Internationally as the market gains importance, more and more businesses are looking into incorporating technology into their operations. This includes adding video conferencing facilities to existing infrastructures to reduce cost and increase efficiency, installing security systems to increase protection in new facilities like sports complexes, shopping malls, etc. It goes without saying that besides offering HD solutions to these businesses, Sony will also partner them

Smart Photography September 2009

to make their investments cost efﬁcient, effective, and importantly, relevant to their existing operations.

Sony’s Professional Solutions combines a rich suite of broadcast and professional solutions. However, in India, Sony’s electronic heritage is more proactive than being a complete business solution provider. Do we expect this to change with Sony getting more focused in the ﬁeld of end-to-end solutions in India, like video conferencing, digital signage and printing through kiosks as well? In a way we are the trendsetters in the industry by not only setting new standards, but also raising the bar in case of existing technologies. We also aim to be relevant to the individual market’s requirements. While on one hand, we share with the market, the highest solution levels in the industry, on the other, we strive to work with our customers to understand their needs and offer them what is best suited to meet their business requirements.

Photo printing in the past was concentrated to retail photo ﬁnishers in India, but with the digital transition it has enabled new players to enter the market. Does that mean retail printing in the future will be a business for print shops over that of photo labs? Very True—targeting the $35 billion plus retail photoprinting market, Sony would work with its partners to roll out its instant photo printing solutions in a wide variety of locations, such as mass-merchandisers, club

stores, supermarkets, drug stores, photo specialty stores, electronics stores, etc.

Sony’s portable printers produce beautiful photo prints in a variety of sizes and formats. The question is—in a price-sensitive market like India how do you reconcile price and media cost to make the prints more affordable? The retail photo-printing market is driven by “consumer experiences” and other valueadded services and not just by price. Price by itself is largely related to demand and volumes generated by the market. At Sony, its all about quality.

How do you expect to do a turnaround in sales given the tough economic environment prevailing across the Asia Pacific region? The global economic situation is a matter of concern for everyone, regardless of the industry. Asia Pacific, in itself, is one of the fasting growing regions in the world and Sony is seeing this being reflected in our businesses. With emerging markets like India and Vietnam, being the key drivers in the region, there are a lot of potential for growth. Secondly, there are also businesses that are taking the opportunity in these slower times to re-look at their investments and upgrading them in order to be ready for the next wave. Thirdly, there are some situations in the world today where technology simply cannot be compromised, regardless of economic outlook. The biggest example is growing security concern across the world. Mathew Thottungal

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RULES & REGULATIONS 1. The competition is open to residents only within India. 2. Entries should be accompanied with complete details mentioned in the form attached below. 3. The maximum number of entries per form is limited to four. 4. Each entry shall have the photographer’s name, postal address, e-mail address and telephone number clearly mentioned on the reverse side. 5. Prints should be unmounted and should not be smaller than 8x10-inches or larger than 10x12-inches. Prints can be on glossy or matte paper. Alternately entries may be sent via email at sphoto.india@gmail.com and not on sp@nextgenpublishing.net id. The file size should not exceed two(2) MB per image, along with details mentioned in rule 4.

8. Entries should be the work of the photographer. Smart Photography and Kodak can not be held responsible for copyright violation, malpractice, misrepresentation made by any of the entrants to the contest. 9. The decision of the judges appointed by Smart Photography shall be final and no correspondence will be permitted in this regard. 10. Please mention Kodak-Smart Photography “Candid Moments Contest” on the envelope / Subject line (in case of email entries) . 11. Last date for submission of entries: August 31st, 2009. 12. Employees & their immediate relatives of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. And Kodak India Ltd. are not allowed to participate.

6. Digital files can be sent on CDs/DVDs in a JPEG format at a resolution of 300ppi for the intended image size. Please mention details as requested in rule # 5.

13. Database generated from the entries can be used for promotional purposes by Next Gen Publishing Limited Or Kodak India Ltd.

7. Entries will not be returned. Smart Photography may use any image for noncommercial purposes, giving due credit to the photographer, for any of its print and online products. No payment shall be made in such cases.

14. Any action arising out of or relating to these terms shall be filed only in Mumbai Jurisdiction.

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E-mail: Tel. / Mobile phone: Camera: Caption: Exposure:

Lens:

Entry Coupon

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Lens:

Kaleidoscope Finally, a platform for all photographers to exhibit their talent and GET NOTICED!

Drive carefully Camera: Nikon D60 Lens: VR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Sensitivity: ISO 1600 Aperture: f/4 Shutter speed: 1/10s

AN INBORN TALENT

“I

believe a photograph can be a noun, a verb or an adjective...” In these words lies the passion of Udit Gupta, a post-graduate from Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow, who aspires to be a photographer. He can shoot landscapes and wildlife with as much ﬁnesse as concerts and streets. As a young boy walking down the roads of Shimla with his grandmother and taking pictures with a Zenit camera was probably the humble beginning of his love for this medium.

Using his father’s camera and borrowing the latest ones from friends at last ended with the arrival of his first camera—Nikon D60 in 2008. “As a photographer the certainty of my unsure future is my growth and learning in this field, and I believe, for now certainly, my vision through my viewfinder has just begun”, says Udit.

Smart Photography September 2009

KALEIDOSCOPE

Crown of the Danube Camera: Nikon D60 Lens: VR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G Sensitivity: ISO 100 Aperture: f/9 Shutter speed: 6sec

September 2009 Smart Photography

KALEIDOSCOPE

Sketch Artist Camera: Nikon D60 Lens VR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Sensitivity: ISO 200 Aperture: f/3.5 Shutter Speed: 1/125sec

Scorpions Camera: Nikon D60 Lens: VR 55-200mm f/4-5.6G Sensitivity: ISO 800 Aperture: f/5.6 Shutter speed: 1/320s

Smart Photography September 2009

KALEIDOSCOPE

Boulevard Camera: Nikon D60 Lens: VR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G Sensitivity: ISO 100 Shutter speed: 6s Aperture: f/13

Get featured & win an Epson PictureMate PM215, Worth over Rs.9,999/Absolutely free!

Dilli ke Paranthe Camera: Nikon D60 Lens: VR 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6G Sensitivity: ISO 400 Shutter speed: 1/30sec Aperture: f/3.8

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 ďŹ lm and digital images. September 2009 Smart Photography

If I were You

E-mail your images at sp@nextgenpublishing.net

COW N ME Reader Niladri Majumder has sent us this picture taken near Raigad Fort in Maharashtra, with his Blackberry 8300 mobile phone camera. It was raining at the time and the weather was dull. It is a good effort but could this picture be improved? What would I have done if I were you?

composition in any way), I cropped the image. Finally, I sharpened the image as the original appeared rather ‘too soft’ to me. The image is deﬁnitely not in league with those from conventional cameras, but has certainly improved.

Let us ﬁrst accept the fact that mobile phone cameras cannot compete with conventional cameras, though in future, we may have better resolution mobile phone camera models. Since the camera in question does not have user controls offered by compacts, there was no way Niladri could have got a better picture. The only way out was to improve the image in Photoshop. I ﬁrst adjusted the brightness and contrast using Levels in Photoshop. Since there was too much of the foreground (which did not help the

Picture info Camera: Blackberry mobile phone 8300

Edited Image

Smart Photography September 2009

Original Image

IF I WERE YOU

Our Imaging Expert

Rohinton Mehta, Technical Editor, Smart Photography

No one can take a picture that everyone likes. But, almost every picture can have a scope of improvement. Many-a-times, we are blind to our own faults, while others can immediately point them out. In If I were you, our expert comments on how your pictures could be taken to another level.

Original Image

THE REFLECTION

Picture info Camera: Canon Powershot SX100 IS Shutter speed: 1/200sec Aperture: f/4 ISO: 80

Edited Image 1

Reader Kshounish Guha from Jalpaiguri, North Bengal, has sent us this photo of the sun’s reflection in a paddy field. He wants to know how the picture can be improved. First, let me say that the picture is good. The sun’s reflection is in the right place as per the Rule of the Thirds; and there is enough ‘warmth’ around the reflection; Improving a good picture is not always easy. Anyway, let me try.

Edited Image 2

I ﬁrst increased the Saturation a wee bit (I don’t know if that will be visible in the magazine print). I felt that a slight increase in edge contrast may ‘pep up’ the image, and so I sharpened the image slightly. I further felt that the black border does not lend itself to the picture, and so I removed the black border and replaced it with a white 15 pixel border. In my opinion, the picture looks improved (Edited image 1). In Edited Image 2, I have cropped the foreground. I think this further improves the picture.

September 2009 Smart Photography

IF I WERE YOU

NATURAL COMPOSITION N K Ramanarayanan has shot this picture in Australia. It catches our attention because it’s not the usual, cliché image; it’s different! It appears to be a water body framed by weather-beaten, insect eaten wood.

the image. See how this has improved the overall picture (Edited Image 1). After that I realized that something was amiss. The horizon line was running through the center of the picture. Hence I cropped

it as you see it in Edited Image 2. This is deﬁnitely better than the other two images.

Picture info Camera: Sony A100 ISO: 100 Shutter speed: 1/200sec Aperture: f/11

Can this picture be improved? What would I have done if I were you? Notice that the horizon line in the original image is slanting. This was corrected in Photoshop. I felt that the picture would improve if it was a bit deeper in tone. That was done too. The wood has a lot of texture, which I felt would improve by sharpening

Original Image

Edited Image 1

Edited Image 2

A note to our readers: Kindly ensure that you mention your name, make and model of the Camera, Shutter Speed, Aperture, White Balance, as well as the ISO. Failing this, we shall not accept your entry for this column.

Smart Photography September 2009

Ask Uncle Did you know... Ronnie has over 30 years of experience in photography? In fact, he has taught several thousand photo-enthusiasts 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!

A Question of Modes What is the difference between editing in sRGB and Adobe 1998? What will happen if I take picture in sRGB mode and edit in Adobe 1998 mode? What is the difference between RGB and CYMK and LAB color mode? What will happen if I edit a photograph in RGB mode, CYMK mode, and LAB color mode? Premjit Mondal, via email

I take it that you meant Adobe RGB 1998. sRGB and Adobe RGB 1998 are known as color spaces. They define a possible range of colors. sRGB has a smaller color gamut as compared to Adobe RGB. This does not mean (as erroneously mentioned in some photo magazines) that sRGB has less number of colors. Both have the same number of colors. The colors in Adobe RGB are more

stretched out; meaning that they are more widely spaced. Because of this, if you were to take, just as an example, 100R, 150G, 180B, the combination of these three colors will appear different in Adobe RGB and sRGB. If you take a picture in sRGB and try to edit it in Adobe RGB, you will first be informed by Photoshop about this profile mis-match (provided you have turned ‘on’ that option in Color Settings). Photoshop will also offer you a solution: It will ask if you want to continue with the existing profile or change to a new profile. At this point, let me say that an untrained eye may not be able to notice the difference in the colors between the profiles as the differences are quite small. And anyway, most Photoshop users are not looking at ‘accurate’ colors, but ‘pleasing’ colors. RGB (Red, Green, Blue), CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), and LAB are different systems of color representation. RGB is generally used by digital cameras, scanners, and computer monitors. RGB colors are known as ‘additive primaries’. CMYK is for commercial printing and the colors are known as ‘subtractive primaries’. The LAB color mode breaks color into 2xhue-saturation components (channel ‘a’ and channel ‘b’) and 1xbrightness component (‘L’ or Lightness channel). LAB color’s gamut is large enough to include both the RGB as well as CMYK gamuts and hence is used when converting from RGB to CMYK. Its not a question of what will happen if you edit a photograph in RGB, CMYK, and LAB mode; you need to choose a specific mode for specific corrections.

September 2009 Smart Photography

ASK UNCLE RONNIE

Camera Fault or User Fault? After much deliberation I have ﬁnally got a Nikon D60 with the 18-55 VR 3.5-5.6 G DX lens a fortnight ago. I enclose two of the initial photos which I think present a problem of exposure. The scene is a heritage structure in Kolkata recently repaired and whitewashed and appeared spotless and bright even in the cloudy weather. The sky was overcast. The time was

around 4 pm and natural light was coming from behind the subject. Both the photos were taken in ‘P’ mode of the camera. The White Balance was set at ‘auto’ and metering at ‘Matrix’. As I am not yet comfortable with the ‘M’ mode of the camera, I did not attempt that. In the ﬁrst snap, the exposure as set by the camera was not adjusted. Although later I tried to apply ‘Levels’

in Photoshop, the structure which was looking so bright to the naked eye was recorded as gray. In the second snap I applied positive exposure compensation in camera. Here I was satisﬁed with the tone in the structure, but the overcast sky seemed to have been ‘blown out’. May I request you to kindly advise what settings would have been better or is it not possible for the particular camera to do a better job under the circumstances? Debasish Ghosh, Kolkata Debashish, there is no exposure problem with your camera. Rather, it is a user fault! Keep the following in mind the next time you meter any subject: Built-in meters (also hand-held meters) are designed to give you ‘correct’ exposure if and only if they are pointed at a subject having mid-tone (18 percent) reﬂectance. The meter does not know whether you are pointing it to a bright subject or a dark subject; neither does it know the color of the subject. Whatever you point the meter at, the meter will turn that into a mid-tone (assuming you are ‘reading’ a single tone area).

A predominance of brighter tones in a picture can cause it to be underexposed

In your ﬁrst example, the meter did what it was designed to do. It turned the bright (white) tone into a mid-tone (mid-tone of white is gray). White becoming gray is a sign of underexposure. In the second picture, you used positive exposure compensation (allowed more light to hit the sensor). This brought the heritage structure back to (almost) white. Note that if the light was strong, you may have needed even more plus exposure compensation. Remember too, that in against-the-light situations, (and especially when the back-lighting is strong), the main subject (the structure in your example) would appear slightly dark to the naked eye.

After applying positive exposure compensation, the main subject is now lighter in tone

Smart Photography September 2009

The overcast sky should have recorded as a mid-tone, but since you increased the exposure for the main structure, the sky too received more light and hence, the mid-tone turned lighter.

ASK UNCLE RONNIE

Exposing for Wildlife A Question on Expodisc I am so pleased to have received an answer to my questions (SP, August 2009 issue).You have correctly read my mind. Yes I was lamenting and almost decided to get rid off my Nikon D200 and buy a Canon instead. However, your reply has changed my mind. It has taken quite sometimes to understand the camera and now I have began to shoot better images. So your assurance has just come in time and I will try to improve my skill to use the D200 more effectively. Another short question—I read your review of Expodisc White Balance Filter and I have purchased the filter. But I find it not so convenient to use it when I am using my camera to photograph wild life. The light conditions, or fast movement while taking images makes it difficult to reset and use it correctly. Can you please suggest some method of its use when I have to change the White Balance setting more frequently? Prithvi N.Chaudhuri

When using Expodisc to set White Balance, we generally point the lens (with the Expodisc in front) to the light source. During wildlife photography, if that is not possible (the sun may be hidden behind trees, for example) do the calibration by pointing the Expodisc mounted lens towards the sky or even directly to the subject. Moreover, if you are shooting in RAW, the job becomes even easier. Note that the calibration is not required frequently unless the light changes drastically. Also, it is better to have some generic calibration than have none at all.

I am an aspiring wildlife photographer. I worry that I might lose a photo opportunity while trying to adjust my exposures using one of the three exposure metering methods–Evaluative, Center-weighted, and Spot. I use a 500mm f/4 lens with Nikon D700 for wildlife. Any simple way out? Augustine Fernandes, Goa Practice makes a man perfect, so they say. Or to put it another way, you are not doing your homework. I suggest you take up your user manual and spend some time–read that as, spend a lot of time–studying it. You are fortunate to have very high-end equipment; please make good use of it. I suggest you stick with Evaluative or Centerweighted metering. Once set, you don’t have to keep on changing it now & again, so there is no danger of missing out on a picture opportunity. What you should concentrate on is exposure method and not the metering method. Here is a simple method designed for your (and similar) equipment: 1. Select Shutter Priority mode and set your shutter speed to 1/1000 sec. 2. Select ‘Auto ISO’ and set the minimum possible shutter speed limit to 1/500 sec. Set the maximum ISO limit to ISO 1600 (if you were using any other model, I would have suggested the maximum ISO limit of ISO 800). That’s it. As long as the light is sufficient, the camera will use 1/1000 sec at the corresponding aperture (which will be f/5.6 for frontal lighting at ISO 100). If the light level falls, the camera will automatically opt for a wider aperture, say f/4 (which is the widest your lens can open). If the light level falls further, the camera will automatically drop down the shutter speed (but not lower than 1/500 that you have set as the minimum). If the light level falls even further, the camera will automatically boost the ISO to compensate (but will not exceed ISO 1600 which you have set as the upper limit). This way, you will have the maximum benefit of modern technology and at the same time, compose your shots without worrying about the exposures. Note that lenses such as the 500mm f/4, 600mm f/4 and similar, are designed to provide very high sharpness even when used wide open. At the same time, using wide aperture throws the background out of focus, which in fact creates an impression of overall sharper images. September 2009 Smart Photography

Portraiture Portraiture is probably the most sought after genre in photography. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not a single day in our lives when we do not come across other human beings. No wonder then, we like to see and portray our relatives, friends, associates, et al. Photographs showing people are the number-one seller in photography. After all, we are humans and what more does a human want, other than being in the company of other humans? Rohinton Mehta

TECHNICAL FEATURE

et’s first define a portrait. A basic definition of a portrait would be a sketch/drawing/photograph, identifying a person or even an animal. Since we identify a person by his face, a portrait, generally, is a visual record of his face. But this does not mean that a portrait can not be full-length: you can have a closeup portrait, a head-and-shoulder portrait, three-quarter portrait or even a full-length portrait. Portraits need not be always confined to a studio, wherein you—the photographer—has all the control over the pose and lighting. A portrait may be taken outdoors, on location, where you do not have the same control over the lighting as you may have within your studio. You may have a environmental portrait, showing your subject, for example an office executive, in his study room or even enjoying a candlelight dinner with his wife. As a portrait, you can photograph relatives, friends, associates, office colleagues, the bride and the groom, the taxi driver, the bus conductor... you name it. A portrait may be formal (posed, as in a studio), or informal (relaxed and unposed, may be at the subject’s home or on a location).

THE EQUIPMENT Yes, I am aware, that most of us suffer from ‘equipmentitis’ (the urge to ‘hoard’ every camera format and lens). If you are born with a silver spoon (or if you have a very rich father-in-law), you could easily have three formats for portraiture: Large format (4x5), Medium format (6x4.5, 6x6, or 6x7), and 35mm. It’s a known fact that larger the format, superior the image quality (all other parameters being equal). But for most of us, considering the size of the ﬁnal image we are ever likely to print, I would say, the 35mm format, is more than adequate. Of course, for those wanting more ‘oomph’, the medium format may be the choice. Since we live in a digital world, I will consider only D-SLRs and medium format digital backs.

MEDIUM FORMAT DIGITAL BACKS FOR SLRS Medium format cameras basically have two major components: The main body, which includes the lens and the shutter assembly, and a ‘back’ that folds the film. Digital backs obviously have a digital sensor in place of the film. The sensors are quite large (typically, 4x4cm) when compared to those in the smaller formats. This means they can have larger photodiodes, which result in larger pixels, which in turn provides us with better dynamic range and ultimately, superior image quality. The downside of this is the very high cost (running in lakhs).

35MM FORMAT Though APS-C size sensor cameras cannot, in the true sense of the term, be called 35mm format, for the sake of this discussion, APS-C size and full-size (24x36mm) sensor models are referred to as 35mm format. Immediately the question arises, which is better for portraiture–the APS-C size or ‘full-size’?

Full frame sensor camera

APS-C size sensor camera

Want my opinion? Yes? Then don’t bother too much on this issue. In theory (and in reality too), the 24x36mm sensor should be better (though marginally), and I seriously doubt if anyone can identify which picture was shot with which type (provided we are talking of the same megapixels). What can matter, is the quality of the optics. A high-end lens on a APS-C size body can provide better resolution than a ‘low-end’ lens on the ‘full-frame’. If you use a high-resolution lens on the ‘full-frame’ body, and if you know what to look for and where to look for, you may be able to see a difference, but just so.

LENSES The focal length of the lens you use will depend on the type of portrait you have in mind. For 35mm format ‘tight-shots’ and ‘head & shoulder’ portraits, an effective focal length of around 75 to 80mm would be ideal. (This means that if you are using a digital body with a field of view crop factor of 1.5, your lens should be 50mm). Similarly, for a full-length figure, the effective focal length should be around 50mm (around 35mm with APSC). For group shots of around 10 feet wide, a focal length of 35mm equivalent should be fine. For 6x6cm medium format, the ideal focal length would be 120mm for head & shoulder shots, 80mm for full-length figure and 50mm for groups 10 feet wide.

FLASH METER Though the use of ﬂash meters have reduced in the digital age, this is a very useful instrument, especially if you intend to seriously take up portraiture. Someone might say, “why do I need one? I can always check my exposure on the camera’s LCD monitor”. Yes, you can, but can you accurately measure lighting ratios looking at the LCD? Can you visualize the lighting effect before you actually take a shot? Using the meter, an experienced photographer can forsee which areas will have what tonality.

WORKING DISTANCES For comfortable working (comfortable for the subject as well as the photographer), ideally, we need September 2009 Smart Photography

TECHNICAL FEATURE

sufﬁcient space. Considering that you’d need at least 7 feet behind the subject to let you place the background light (and put the background out of focus), about 3 feet behind you for comfortable moving around, and sufﬁcient distance between the camera and the subject, a total length of around 16-17 feet and width of around 12-14 feet should be ideal. Portraits can be taken in smaller studios but when you have multiple-light setups and there are more than a couple of people around, the larger area will make your subject (and yourself) more comfortable.

lights forwards or backwards from the subject (those having smaller working areas will greatly appreciate this feature).

LIGHTING EQUIPMENT The amount of lighting equipment available today could put your mind in a tizzy. Here too, as in the case of cameras and lenses, you could end up buying more than what you actually need. Portrait studios basically use electronic flash as the main source of light. Electronic flash is powerful; it has the same color balance as daylight; and it produces virtually no heat. At the same time, the very short duration of the flash is good for stopping any subject/camera movement. (In fashion shots, combined with a technique known as ‘rear-curtain sync’, it is possible to show a model’s swirling movements along with the face showing sharp). Studio ﬂash can be divided into two main categories: Monolight and Power Pack. Broncolor Power Packs

Monolight refers to a studio ﬂash wherein the power source and the light head are housed in a single self-contained unit.

Well, everything that has an advantage, also has a disadvantage. In this case the disadvantage is the higher cost as compared to the monolight, and lack of portability. What about the power source you might say? How would you get electric power if you need to shoot outdoors, far away from electric supply? In that case, you could opt for specially designed modular sets that run on high-power batteries.

Broncolor Monolight (shown without reflector)

Power Pack refers to a studio flash where the power supply is distinctly separate from the flash head. The power supply is referred to as Power Pack. The power pack is capable of supplying power to a number of different flash heads. Most power packs offer a choice: equal power at all the flash heads (Symmetrical) or user-settable amount of power at the flash heads (Asymmetrical). The asymmetrical arrangement is immensely useful as you can alter the lighting ratios (explained later in the article) without having to move the

Smart Photography September 2009

Broncolor Battery Pack

TECHNICAL FEATURE

LIGHT MODIFIERS Light from an electronic flash is harsh and is generally not ideal for portraiture. There is one more important reason why the light needs to be ‘softened’. With harsh, strong light, digital sensors have a problem of highlight burnouts. Hence it is important to modify the light (soften it) using suitable light modifiers. Light modifiers are available in the form of umbrellas, soft boxes, snoots, diffusers and reflectors.

2. Bounce Off: When light is bounced off the umbrella, the light spreads out (how much it spreads out depends on the size of the umbrella, the reflectance quality of the material, and how close or far the flashhead is from the reflecting surface). This produces light, which is softer than with shoot-through umbrella.

THE THEORY The larger the light source, the softer the light. To explain this point, I am going to use 3 soft boxes. One is 1x1 foot, the other 3x3 feet and the third, 5x5 feet. I will be lighting a model for a head & shoulder shot. (In a soft box, the area of the front surface becomes the actual light source). The subject is photographed using a shootthrough umbrella. This causes the light to be ‘softened’

(A) I bring the smallest softbox close to the model. The light falling on her is now ‘softened’ (it is no longer a point source of light). (B) I replace the smallest softbox with the medium sized 3x3 feet box. The source of light has now increased (from 1x1 foot to 3x3 feet). Hence the light falling on the subject is further softened. (C) Now, I place the 5x5 feet softbox where the medium sized box was. This will produce the softest light of the three. Remember, larger the light source, softer the light. Now, for arguments sake, I move the model away and place a very large machine in the same spot– much larger than the light source of 5x5 feet. What happens to the light quality? Would it still be considered ‘soft’? No, the light source is now smaller than the subject it is illuminating, and hence it is no longer ‘soft’. If you want it ‘soft’, you will have to place a much larger source of light, say 8x8 feet.

UMBRELLAS Studio umbrellas come in a variety of sizes and reﬂectivity. When using white translucent umbrellas, you may use it as a shootthrough or bounced off it. Observe the sketch below:

The light from the studio flash is bounced off the umbrella. This causes the light to spread out further, making it ‘softer’ as compared to the sketch shown above.

Umbrellas may have silver reﬂecting surface (for crisper light), zebra (alternating white and silver patterns), or golden surface (for adding a sun-burn like tone to the model).

SOFT BOXES A soft box, by virtue of its design, produces light that is softer than that produced using umbrellas.

1. Shoot-through: Light passes through the white translucent material and is thereby ‘softened’.

Soft boxes too, come in various sizes and shapes that include square, hexagonal, octagonal, and rectangular. Thin, rectangular soft boxes are also known as strip lights.

DIFFERENCE IN LIGHT QUALITY: SOFT BOX VERSES WHITE UMBRELLA Bounce Umbrella

Shoot-through White Umbrella

Elinchrom soft box with stand

With increasing distance, the fall off in light is greater with a soft box. September 2009 Smart Photography

TECHNICAL FEATURE

SNOOTS A snoot prevents the light from spreading and concentrates it on to a small area.

DIFFUSERS A diffuser is any material that helps to soften the light. It can be a white thin cloth (like muslin), a thin sheet of Thermocole, or even just plain white paper.

REFLECTORS

White/Silver reflector

As the name suggests, the primary duty of the reflector is to reflect light back on to the subject. Reflectors too come in variety of colors, from plain white to silver or even gold.

Some Other Important Accessories FLASH TRIGGER Why do we need a ﬂash trigger when we have the sync cable?

There are two types of flash triggers: Infrared (IR) and radio controlled. The radio controlled is expensive but provides a greater working range. The IR variety requires a direct line-of-sight between the transmitter and the receiver; the radio-controlled version does not have this problem. The device can fire a flash even if it is placed in a different room. Sophisticated models even provide various channels, so that a couple of photographers working with independent set of lights in the same room, are not affected by each others’ triggering. Seamless Backgrounds Seamless means a one-piece background that covers the rear wall and the floor, without letting you see the join between the floor and the background. Such backgrounds can be of paper or cloth, and may be colored or plain white. Some seamless backgrounds even have designs or floral motifs. You could, for example, have a seamless background with the painting of a beautiful sky. Tip: If you are using a white background, ensure that the illumination it receives is not more than 1.5-stops from the aperture at which you will take the shot. Otherwise, you are likely to create flare in your pictures and contrast will be affected. Note: It is extremely important to have a background that does not compete with the subject. In their zeal to provide ‘striking’ backgrounds, some manufacturers go the whole hog and create backgrounds that take away all the importance from the main subject. This should be avoided at all costs. Remember, the background is as important as the subject. Avoid bright colored or strong designed backgrounds.

GOBOS Gobos, or ‘flags’ can be any opaque material that is placed between the camera and the light source, to avoid flare and loss of contrast in the photo. Gobos are generally black, so that it itself does not add to the possibility of flare.

SOFT EFFECT FILTER

Elinchrom flash trigger (transmitter and receiver)

The sync cable has a notorious reputation of letting you down when its most needed. Besides, there is always a risk of someone tripping over the sync cable, and may be crashing down the flash with it. The flash trigger eliminates this hassle and makes the working space look elegant without the cables going all over. This is usually a two-piece electronic device. The Transmitter sits on the camera accessory shoe and the Receiver is attached to the studio flash. When you release the shutter, a signal is sent from the Transmitter to the Receiver, which then activates the flash.

Smart Photography September 2009

Modern lenses are often too sharp for creating “saleable” portraits. When it comes to photographing women or children, you do not want to show each and every pore of the skin. You do not want to show any skin blemish. Hence many photographers use a soft effect ﬁlter over the lens, which actually smooths out such details. It is possible to simulate this effect in most image editing programs.

BASIC LIGHTING TECHNIQUES When it comes to lighting techniques, a good number of photographers feel that to create good portraits, they need many lights. Let me ask such people, do you not get good portraits with available light? You do? Have you considered that in nature, we have only one source of light—the sun? If we can create “saleable” pictures using the single source available light, can we not replicate the same in the studio? So, to start with, we shall use only one light. Only after we have ‘mastered’ it, shall we move on to additional lights.

TECHNICAL FEATURE

In nature, sunlight always hits us at an angle (unless you are on top of a mountain and the sun is setting!). Keeping this in mind, place your light higher than the subject’s head. But at what angle should it hit the subject? The possibilities are: frontal (head-on), 90 degrees to the lens axis, or approximately 45 degrees to the lens axis. For better modelling of the face, it is suggested that the light should strike the subject at a 45 degree angle, but from a point, higher than the subject’s head.

from the camera). The light is placed as explained earlier, hitting the subject at a 45 degree angle, and from above the head height. But how do you know if the light is correctly positioned? Ensure that you follow the next 3 tips:

When shooting outdoors using the sun as the primary source of light, you cannot command the sun to be at the height and direction you would like it to be. But nothing stops you from moving your model and placing him/her so that you create the correct angle and direction of the light.

1. The Key light must form a catchlight in each eye at 11 O’ clock or 1 O’ clock position, depending on which side the subject is facing. Key lighting only 2. The shadow that the nose forms on the opposite side, should not touch the lip line. Leave a safe margin in case the subject moves a bit after the lighting has been set up. 3. A highlighted inverted triangle must form under the eye opposite to the Key light.

The light from direct sun can be very harsh (depends on the time of the day and weather conditions). Hence let’s introduce a ‘diffuser’ into the scene. Hold the diffuser between the sun and the subject and the light on the subject will be ‘softened’. The closer the diffuser to the subject, the softer the effect. (This technique can be used successfully for macro photography too). Now, let’s add a ‘reflector’. Obviously, the reflector should be placed on the opposite side of the flash, next to the subject. The purpose of the reflector is to soften (not remove) any hard shadow that could have been cast by the main light. When you ask someone to hold the reflector, instruct him to take care that the reflected light is not angled upwards. Also, the reflected light should not cause a secondary nose shadow on the other side of the face. (Generally this does not happen, but if the reflected light is strong enough, it could). So are we ready to start? Not really. Have you considered the background? Is there anything disturbing in the background that stands out like a sore thumb and competes with the subject? If there is, consider moving the subject to a different location, or else use a man-made background. If you are shooting in available light, and are using the camera’s built-in meter, remember that the reflectivity of the background could mess up your exposure, unless your subject occupies a major area of the frame. For example, if the background is very dark, your meter may be fooled into giving you an exposure that could result in overexposure of the main subject. Conversely, a very light background could cause underexposure of the main subject.

THREE BASIC STUDIO LIGHTING SETUPS Shooting in a studio has the advantage that lighting is under your control. Basically, there are 3 types of studio lighting. They are (1) Short Lighting (2) Broad Lighting (3) Glamor lighting.

SHORT LIGHTING Short lighting, also known as narrow lighting, is a corrective lighting for round or plump faces. The Key Light: The Key light is the one that provides the modelling to the face and hence it is generally (not always) a medium source of light. Also called the main light, it illuminates the ‘short side of the face’ (the part of the face turned away

Only when you are sure that the 3 tips mentioned above are taken care of, should you consider the next light. (Note: For people having deep-seated eyes, it may be difﬁcult to see the catchlights and hence may require some repositioning of the key light).

IN WHAT WAY DOES THIS LIGHTING ‘CORRECT’ ROUND OR PLUMP FACES? It’s important to understand certain basics of lighting. Light areas ‘project’ while dark areas ‘recede’. The Key light leaves a part of the face in shadow, making the face appear narrower. Hence it is a corrective lighting.

The Fill-in Light The function of the Fill-in light is to ‘Fill-in’ or soften the shadows caused by the Key light. This light is generally a large source light. Note that the Fill-in light illuminates both sides of the face (the Key light basically illuminates only one side of the face). Since it has to illuminate both sides of the face, this light is generally placed close to the camera, at the subject’s eye level, but on the other side of the Key light.

Key + Fill-in light

REMBRANDT LIGHTING Rembrandt lighting is named after the Dutch painter Rembrandt von Rijn. It is actually a mix of ‘short lighting’ and ‘glamor lighting’. In Rembrandt lighting, the nose shadow joins the shadow on the broader side of the face. If it does not join the cheek shadow, it is not considered as Rembrandt lighting. September 2009 Smart Photography

TECHNICAL FEATURE

LIGHTING RATIO If you were photographing a ball for example and place lights on either side of the ball, each light would illuminate half the ball. If one light is say, twice as strong as the other, you would say that the lighting ratio is 2:1. If the light is 4 times stronger, the lighting ratio would be 4:1. When it comes to photographing people, lights are generally not placed on either side of the face as in the case of the ball. The Key light basically illuminates one side of the face, whereas the Fill-in light illuminates both the sides. Now, if both the lights are of equal strength to start with, the Fill-in light places 1 unit of light on both sides of the face. This by itself makes the ratio 1:1. The Key light adds 1 more unit of light, but only on one side of the face. Hence the lighting ratio becomes 2:1. A lighting ratio of 2:1 is not considered suitable for a pleasing portrait (the difference between them is too small, the image appears rather ‘ﬂat’). “Saleable” portraits in color usually need about 3:1 or even slightly higher lighting ratio. Black & White portraits can have higher ratios (like 5:1 or even higher for special effects).

Note: A rather large source of light may be used above the subject’s head, which could serve as the hair light as well as the shoulder lights. The only problem would be lack of individual control over the two areas the light would cover.

BROAD LIGHTING Broad lighting is a corrective lighting for thin or narrow faces. The Key Light In Broad lighting, the key light illuminates the broad side of the face (the side turned towards the camera). Since a larger area of the face is illuminated (as compared to the Short lighting), the face appears larger (Remember, light areas ‘project’, that is, they appear prominent). In broad lighting, the inverted highlighted triangle on the opposite side of the Key light, is larger in size as compared to this highlight in the Short lighting.

SIMPLE METHOD TO CONTROL LIGHTING RATIO There are many methods to arrive at a given lighting ratio. A simple method involves starting with 2 lights of the same power. By changing the distance between the lights and the subject, one can change the lighting ratio. To a newcomer, this can sometimes be quite challenging. To understand the concept better, consider the aperture scale as your distance scale. Hence f/2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, becomes 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16 feet. Place one light at say, 4 feet and place the second light 1-stop further away, i.e. at 5.6 feet. This will automatically create a 3:1 lighting ratio. If you need a 5:1 lighting ratio, simply move the second light to 8 feet. If you need greater accuracy, use a ﬂash meter. With overlapping lights (as with portraits), the lighting ratio is the ratio of the Key light + Fill-in light, to the Fill-in light alone.

HAIR LIGHT This is usually a narrow source of light (through a snoot) to illuminate the hair. It’s not compulsory to use the hair light; the photographer has to decide whether it is needed or not. Tip: The strength of this light, measured at the hair position, should be about 1-stop stronger than the aperture value at which the picture is being shot. If it is stronger than that, hair will be overexposed and will appear white.

SHOULDER LIGHTS The function of this light, also known as Kicker Lights, is to separate the subject from a similar toned background. It is generally placed behind the subject, on the opposite side of the Key light. When using this light, one has to be careful because it can highlight the ear closer to the light. A device, known as Barn Doors is often used to take care of this problem. Barn doors have two or four ﬂaps (doors) around a frame that ﬁts over the light.By carefully adjusting the doors, you can avoid the light straying on to unwanted areas.

Smart Photography September 2009

Key lighting only

Key light + Fill-in light

Other than this change, all other lights remain the same as in Short lighting. Question: If you cannot decide whether a face is plump or thin, what kind of lighting should one do? Answer: Though there is no hard and fast rule, Short lighting is preferable.

GLAMOR LIGHTING Glamor lighting is generally done on ladies (these days, even some men prefer it though!). Basically, this is frontal lighting. The Key light is placed at a height opposite the subject and pointed down so that the shadow of the nose is clearly visible under the nose. The catchlight created by this light is at 12 O’clock position. Here too, care needs to be taken that the shadow does not touch the lip line. As with Short lighting and Broad lighting, leave a safe margin, in case the subject moves after the lighting is set up.

Glamor lighting is also known as Butterfly Lighting. Note the butterfly-like shadow under the nose

TECHNICAL FEATURE

The Fill-in light is placed next to the camera. This light is not always necessary, but brightens up the torso and hence is useful. A Point to Note In any type of studio lighting, the Fill-in light causes a second set of catchlights in the eyes. Technically speaking, this second set should be eliminated in post processing as it seems unnatural. There are different views on this issue. I have spoken to some professionals and according to them, more than one catchlight in the eye is okay. According to me, it isn’t!

Variants Besides the 3 lighting setups explained above, there can be variants to the basic lighting setups as in the case of split lighting. It may also be necessary to modify the lighting to suit individual subjects. For example, if a subject is going bald, it may be necessary to lower the light so that his bald head is not made too prominent. Similarly, if a person has a double chin, the lighting may need to be modiﬁed to cover up the double chin. For people wearing glasses, lights may be placed rather from the sides, so that its reﬂection in the glass is minimized.

SOME MORE TIPS Though not mandatory, take a few portraits with the model looking straight into the lens. Observe the dynamic impact it creates by hanging the picture on a wall frame and then moving across the room from side to side. You will feel as if the model is watching you as you move. Don’t shoot the model head-on. You are not a member of a ﬁring squad, you are a photographer. Position her so that the shoulders are at a slight angle to the lens axis. Observe portraits taken head-on and with shoulders angled. You’ll realize what I mean. See that your subject does not pose by putting his hands by

his side (unless you are photographing an orang-outan!) See to it that his hands are relaxed and ﬁngers separated. If he is uncomfortable, give him a prop to hold (a fountain pen, mobile phone, a pair of spectacles, whatever). Just ensure that the prop is not a ‘eye-grabber’. See that the clothes he wears are not viewing for attention. A white shirt for example, will attract the viewer’s attention ﬁrst. Generally, the camera is placed at the subject’s eye level. When checking the effects of your lighting arrangement, observe the subject through the camera and not from any other position.

Broncolor Paralight can be used for portraiture as well as fashion photography. Here we see it in action on a fashion shoot.

September 2009 Smart Photography

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Portraiture Four Photographers, Four Styles

Smart Photography September 2009

SPECIAL FEATURE

Different photographers have different shooting styles, different lighting styles. That’s what separates one from the other. In this special feature Smart Photography brings four professional photographers to share with us one example showing step-by-step how they go ahead in lighting their portraits. We have tried to keep the sketches and explanations as simple as possible, so that beginners can try out similar techniques on their own.

Urs Recher

1. Ringflash C without honey comb grids 2. Pulsoflex EM 30x110cm on Pulso G lamp base 3. P65 standard reflector with honeycomb grid on Pulso G lamp base 4. Camera 5. Dark grey background paper M. Model Top View

Ringflash C

Pulsoflex EM Pulso G 30x110

his is one of the 50 images from Urs Recher’s book “Light Architecture”, printed here, courtesy of Broncolor.

Equipment: Broncolor Ring-flash C, 2xPulsoflex EM 30x110cm striplights on Pulso G lamp base (powered by Verso A2 power Pack), 1xPulso G lamp base with P65 standard reflector, dark gray backdrop, medium format Hasselblad H1 camera with 22-megapixel digital back and an 80mm normal lens. The Setup: A ‘Broncolor Ring-ﬂash C’ was mounted on the medium format camera, Sensitivity was set to ISO 50.

Standard Reflector P65

Honeycomb grids for P65, P45 and PAR, Set of 3 pcs

Topas A2

Verso A2

appears too oily because of the ring-flash, a soft diffuser can be placed in front of the ring-light to make the reflections less dominant. This has an added advantage of reducing the dreaded red-eye effect). Two Pulsoflex EM 30 x110cm striplights on Broncolor Pulso G lamp base were added from behind the model as shown in the lighting diagram. This has caused the required highlights on either side of the face. Another Pulso G lamp base with a standard P65 reflector illuminated the dark gray backdrop. The picture was exposed at 1/60 sec at f/11.

(The author suggests that if the facial skin

As told to Rohinton Mehta September 2009 Smart Photography Septem Septe

SPECIAL FEATURE

Rafique Sayed.

This portrait is by Rafique Sayed. Rafique, a master of Black and White photography, often uses only one light for most of his portraits. After all, in nature we have only one light source—the sun. The Brief: Create a striking portrait using only one light source. Lighting: This is an example of a very simple, yet very effective portrait lighting. The light source was continuous (not studio flash). The Setup: The light was placed in front of the model, about 2 feet above

Smart Photography September 2009

her head height, and directed towards her so that the shadow of the nose was prominently seen. The placement of the light automatically places a catchlight at 12 O’clock position. It is possible to place a reflector to lighten up the shadow side of the face, but in this case, it was purposely omitted to create this simple, yet striking portraiture lighting. Observe the placement of the model’s hands. They are not only delicately placed, they are also ‘softened’ so that the viewer’s attention stays directly glued to the model. As told to Rohinton Mehta

Model: Nethra Raghuraman

Smart Photography September 2009

Photography: G. Venket Ram Agency: Rubecon Communications Client: Purple Club Model: Moufid Make-up: Banu Hairstlist: Dileep (Bounce Style Lounge)

SPECIAL FEATURE

G. Venket Ram

Purple Sky Vinyl

y Ba Purp l

e Sk

e ur ct ru St al et

ckgr oun

M ive ct fle Re

f/11

Model, On Siolver Cube

f/8 Octagonal Softbox (Main Light)

Elinchrome 500 Mamiya 645 AFD III With P45 Digital Back 55-110mm Lens

lient: This picture was shot for ‘Purple Club’, formal wear from ColorPlus.

The Brief: The image should have a purple feel to it. The background should be modern-day architecture. The Execution: To achieve the purple feel, the model was photographed indoors, where it was possible to have full control over the lighting and color. The model was made to sit on a silver cube, with a reﬂective metal structure placed at an angle in the background. A huge purple sky, printed on vinyl, was placed on the opposite side of the metal structure, as shown in the sketch. Yet another purple sky vinyl was placed far away behind the subject. The Lighting: The main source of light was an octagonal softbox, which was placed about 45 degrees to the right

of the camera. A white reflector was placed under this softbox for additional fill-in. This light gave a meter reading of f/8. A mini softbox dome was placed behind and to the left of the model (as seen through the camera) to create the necessary highlight on the model. The highlight read 1-stop more, at f/11. The light from this mini softbox was allowed to spill on the reflective metal structure to achieve some interesting highlights. Light from 5 Elinchrome 500s were bounced off the large purple sky vinyl so that it would reflect the purple color on to the metal structure. The background was lit by one Elinchrome 500 studio flash. The Shot: The final image was shot at f/8 using a Mamiya 645 AFD III with P45 Digital Back and a 55110mm zoom lens. As told to Rohinton Mehta September 2009 Smart Photography

Photography: Vikram Bawa Model: Lara Dutta Make-up: Nikoletta Skarlatos Hair: Beena Rai Styling: Priyanka Karunakaran Picture Courtesy: Stardust Magazine

SPECIAL FEATURE

Vikram Bawa Metallic Background

Gold direct reflectors

Gold direct reflectors Gold (rim)edge light on direct reflectors

Gold (rim)edge light on direct reflectors

Grid for face highlight Model Thermocol reflector

Mini Soft to fill H3D II 39MP Camera

he idea to shoot this particular Stardust magazine campaign was to portray Lara Dutta as the Bollywood diva and glamor actress. And with Lara having a fantastic and a well-tone body it was necessary to keep the portrait as bright and shiny as possible. For the shoot, we used a metallic background feel and a small box (made to order) for Lara to sit on and pose for the shot. The overall feel of the shoot was golden, which for some reason has always been associated with glamor photography. In fact, the metallic background was lit with golden lights and one soft main light was focussed on the diva. In addition, a hard grid light lit up her face

Small mini Soft to fill legs in order to capture all the extra highlights and also to capture the facial glow. Besides, two rim lights were added from behind to give separation between Lara and the background. One thermocol was added to act as a ďŹ ller to enhance the shadow areas. The portrait comes out easily one of the best campaigns that is aesthetically beautiful with the golden lighting capturing all the magical aura and mystique to the core. The photograph was shot using a 39 megapixel digital back on a Hasselblad H3DII camera. As told to Mathew Thottungal

September 2009 Smart Photography Septem Septe

MASTER CRAFTSMAN

Pallon Daruwala

An alumni of Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara (USA), Pallon Daruwala is, besides being versatile in various genres of photography, a specialist architectural photographer. In fact, he is the first Indian member of the International Association of Architectural Photographers (IAAP). He has an eye—you could call it a gift—to change the mundane into extraordinary. We were spellbound to see one of his work “A Mill by the Sea”, which depicted images of Mukesh Textile Mills in Mumbai, that was gutted by a devastating fire many years ago. It takes a very brave and talented individual to create works of art from the remains of a burnt out lifeless structure. So sit back and enjoy his creativity. Incidentally, Pallon does his own prints using Epson printers. 60

Smart Photography September 2009

MASTER CRAFTSMAN

Beauty in

Ruins

ÂŠ Pallon Daruwala

September 2009 Smart Photography

ÂŠ Pallon Daruwala

MASTER CRAFTSMAN

You seem to shoot in B&W and duo tones. Why do you prefer it to color? It’s not that I never shoot in color. If the subject justiﬁes it, I do shoot color. It’s just that I have been shooting for many years now, and in the earlier days, it was just black and white. After a while, you learn to ‘see’ in tones and shades rather than in color; you learn to translate color to monotone. The color variations, the subtle color shades, the gradations, everything in your mind’s eye turns to monochrome. Hence I have grown accustomed to black and white photography.

Your pictures have excellent tonality. Could you share your secret of exposing and printing? Basically, I am a nontechnical person. Hence I do not have any high-tech secret as such. But my best tool of the trade is my ‘vision’, my keen eye. Nevertheless, I make sure that I use a good monitor and my system is well calibrated. I rely on Epson printers, use Epson printing papers, and use Epson printer proﬁles. If necessary, I ﬁne-tune the prints to suit my personal preferences. For example, if the picture is shot on a dull day, I will enhance the picture by altering its contrast and brightness, but I do minimum image editing.

What is your thought process before you take a picture? My thought process is to ‘see’ the picture in a slightly different way. Take a 36 exposure ﬁlm roll and make 36 exposures within the room, using only available light. Use only a 50mm September 2009 Smart Photography

ÂŠ Pallon Daruwala

MASTER CRAFTSMAN

normal lens. The pictures should be sharp, with good tonal range; they should be well composed and well exposed. Don’t repeat the same composition. When you can do that time after time, you develop an ability to see things differently. The exercise turns ‘on’ your creative juices and makes you think ‘how can I take the picture that will be different from the run-of-the mill images’? That’s my thought process. How did you get inspired to shoot a ﬁre-ravaged structure like the Mukesh Mills? After all, everything there is in ruins! One man’s food can be another man’s poison. You see ruins, I see texture. I see opportunities! I love texture. I love

monochrome. I like sepia tones. That’s what inspires me to shoot. And there’s plenty of it in that ﬁre-ravaged structure. I am not attracted by ﬂashy buildings. It was, if I remember correctly, around 1993/94 when ‘Hum’, the movie starring Amitabh Bachhan was being made there. This caught my attention and I realized the potential of that place to create amazing images.

What message would you like to give to aspiring architectural photographers? Take your time to create something that is unique. Know your subject well so that you can picture it not just creatively, but also intelligently. Rohinton Mehta

Smart Photography September 2009

Learnings >

How to Create a Zoom Burst

Basics of Photography (Part-VIII contd.)

Step-by-Step: Creating Your Own Actions & Droplets in Photoshop

The Making of a Wildlife Photographer

Pic by Mukesh Trivedi, student of National Institute of Photography

LEARNING

Smart Photography September 2009

LEARNING

HOW TO CREATE A

ZOOM BURST Want to create that ‘exploding star’ effect on your subject? Then learn how to create a ‘zoom burst’. This technique generates a sense of movement and thereby creates an impact, turning your ordinary picture into a creative beauty. Technique by Rohinton Mehta

THE SUBJECT Your subject can be anything you desire but obviously, the result looks better if the subject has bright colors and clearly deﬁned patterns. My personal suggestion is to shoot live subjects rather than static lifeless objects, though I must confess, I have some nice zoom bursts of trees, and street lighting. Try various subjects and decide what seems the best for you. A person or a group of athletes or a motorcycle/car coming towards you can make a great subject. The technique is very simple, yet, the effect can be stunning. Actually there are a couple of ways to create a ‘zoom burst’. September 2009 Smart Photography

LEARNING

USING A ‘ZOOM BURST FILTER’ This is by far the easiest method. Just attach a zoom burst ﬁlter to your lens and take the shot. The ﬁlter will automatically create the ‘burst’; how effective, will depend on the subject, its angle in relation to the lens, and the lighting.

USING RADIAL BLUR IN PHOTOSHOP This too is a simple method. Open the image in Photoshop. I am using Photoshop CS3. Press the F7 key on the keyboard to open the Layers palette. 1. Duplicate the original layer by dragging it to the ‘Create a new layer’ icon at the bottom of the Layers palette. 2. Go to Filter>Blur>Radial Blur. In the Blur Method, select ‘Zoom’. In Quality, select ‘Best’. The Amount controls, well, the amount of the zoom effect. For a start, try an amount of 85 and check the Blur Center to get a rough idea of the resulting blur. Click OK. It can take quite a while for the ﬁlter to take effect, so please be patient. It is possible to further improve on the effect in Photoshop, if so desired.

USING A ZOOM LENS There are two types of zoom lens: Push-pull type (not much in vogue these days) and Twist-zoom type. Either can work. Some ﬁnd the push-pull type to be more convenient, while others

prefer the twist-zoom for this purpose. If you are using a pushpull type, take care to see that the zoom barrel does not strike the opposite end with a force or else you will have camera shake. Focus as accurately as is possible (if the subject is moving towards you, accurate focus could sometimes be rather difficult, especially if you are using manual focus). When using this method, it is necessary to use a slow shutter speed, say, 1/8sec to may be, 1 second. Hence Shutter Priority mode (or even a Manual exposure mode) is often used. Take a meter reading (ideally at the longest focal length) and lock the exposure using the exposure lock button on your camera. At such slow shutter speeds, it definitely helps if you are using a firm tripod. Now press the shutter release button and simultaneously zoom the lens during the exposure. That’s it! Should you zoom from the longest to the shortest focal length or from the shortest to the longest? Try both. I prefer from the longest to the smallest. In other words, using a 18 - 70mm lens, I would prefer to zoom from 70mm to the 18mm position.

A VARIATION Try this out. For about ﬁrst half of the exposure, do not zoom. In other words, wait a while before you start the zoom action.

USING ZOOM-BURST FILTER

USING PHOTOSHOP

This ﬁlter has a hole in the center. Using a very small aperture will cause the outline of the hole to be noticed due to increase in Depth-of-Field.

The method is explained in the text. The advantage of this method is that the amount of the burst can be controlled. Incidentally, the subject is the same as the one on the left.

Smart Photography September 2009

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 in 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, gives him 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. He is an avid collector of photographic books and vintage cameras. Ashok is also interested in history of photography and has a passion of sharing his knowledge on photography through teaching and writing. His other interest is music and is presently employed as the Chief Technology Officer in Infotech Enterprises Ltd., Hyderabad. He can be reached at k_ashok_k@yahoo.com

Continued from August ‘09 issue.

Part VIII (contd.)

Histogram, Highlight Warning, and White Balance Setting the Correct Exposure using Histogram and Highlight Warning: You have seen in Part VII how to analyze a scene to set the exposure to your liking. To reiterate, it is difﬁcult to always say what the correct exposure is. However, when setting an exposure it is advisable that you follow these guidelines. First check the brightness range of the scene. If this exceeds the dynamic range of your camera, then you need to use techniques as described in Part VII. If you do not have this problem, then always set the exposure such that the histogram does not get pegged to the left or right vertical axes. This will guarantee that no part of the image will have clipped shadows or highlights. Thus, all details will be preserved. If you are using RAW format, you can now move the histogram

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as much to the right as possible. However, make sure that the histogram does not touch the right vertical axis. This is very important. If the histogram touches the right axis, this indicates blown highlights with lost detail and hence you should avoid it. Confirm that such a thing has not happened by looking at the highlight warning. If this happens, move the histogram a little to the left by giving negative exposure compensation. Note that this may be a little different to what you might have often heard—that a digital sensor behaves similar to a slide film and thus it is safer to underexpose a bit to prevent blown highlights. There is definitely some truth in this statement, but it also misses an important fact. Digital sensors also behave simultaneously like negative film. That is, if you underexpose, then noise (which is analogous to film grain) develops. So, if you expose for highlights, then you will underexpose the shadows

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and when you open (lighten) them up in an editing software to get detail they will show ugly noise! A Note for Advanced Users: All digital cameras allocate less data bits to the darker (shadows) tones compared to lighter tones. The consequence is that there is less information in the shadow areas, which means more problems. By overexposing a bit you are moving the histogram to the right. This will brighten the shadows and therefore more bits will be allocated to shadows. The result is lesser noise and subtle tonal variations will also now be recorded. Since, no clipping has occurred no information is lost. The resulting image may look a little washed out, but this can be brought under control through image processing as all the information is available. While using this method (it gives the best results) just be careful about blown highlights. So, which is the best way to expose in a digital camera considering these conflicting requirements? Here is the mantra! Expose keeping the histogram as much as possible to the right, but make sure that highlights do not get clipped. Confirm this by checking the highlight warning. Camera Histogram Vs. Histogram in Editing Programs: After you load the image into an editing program like Photoshop you may find that the histograms shown by the camera and by the editing program differ. This is because, due to the limited computing power available in the camera, it does certain approximations. The one shown by your computer is more accurate, but the histogram shown by your camera is good enough to base your decisions regarding exposure while photographing.

WHITE BALANCE Every light source is associated with a characteristic called “Color Temperature”. This is measured in kelvins (abbreviated as K). While the physics behind this is really not needed, the origin is as follows. If you take a body (you really need to take a theoretical “black body”, but don’t worry about the physics for now) and heat it, then this body starts emitting light of different colors. The temperature of this heated body at which the color of the light emitted by it matches that of a light source is called the color temperature of the light source.

Light Source

Color Temperature Table Approximate Color Temperature in kelvins (K)

Candle Light Incandescent (also called tungsten) Warm-white fluorescent Cool-white fluorescent Day-white fluorescent Direct sunlight Flash Cloudy Daylight fluorescent (*) Shade

1800 3000 3000 4200 5000 5200 5400 6000 6500 8000

Note on fluorescent lamps: The color temperature of all fluorescent lamps depends on the type of the fluorescent lamp as you can see from the table. In the case of popular household “tube lights” there is now a choice available—that is, they are available with several color temperatures. If you photograph with earlier generation tube lights without color correction you would get a green color cast, which is very difficult to correct due a characteristic (called discontinuous spectrum) of fluorescent lamps. (*) Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) that are sold in India (made by Philips) have a color temperature of 6500 K. You can see this written on the bulb or the carton. What is White Balance (WB)? Human eye is very sophisticated and can compensate for a wide variety of light sources having different color temperatures. Hence, it is capable of showing the image to us without any color cast (tint). However, your camera is not this sophisticated. You need to tell your camera the color

Take this example. If there is a black body giving out reddish light when it is heated to 3000 K, and if there is a light source giving out light of this same color, then we say the color temperature of the light source is 3000 K. In photography it is common to use the term “warm” for reddish tones and “cool” for bluish tones. However, bluish light has a higher color temperature and reddish light has lower temperature. You might want to blame the physicists for this counter intuitive logic, but it is really quite meaningful. Consider candle light, which is quite reddish. You will agree that it has a much lower temperature than your gas stove ﬂame, which is bluish in color! So there is some logic behind this! The following table gives the different light sources and their corresponding color temperatures.

In this example the light source was a CFL (color temperature = 6500 K), but the WB was set to incandescent. So, the camera was expecting a reddish colored light and to compensate that, gave a blue tint to the image. However, the light source being a CFL did not have the reddish color to get compensated with blue tint. The result is an image with a blue tint (cast).

The same setup taken with the correct WB setting. You can see that the colors are now neutral without any color cast.

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temperature of the light source. This is called white balancing. Essentially, WB is an input to the on board computer of the camera and is used by the camera when processing the image to correctly render the colors without any color cast. If there is a mismatch between the color temperature of the light source and the WB setting, then there will be a color cast in the image. How to set WB: Virtually every digital camera has a white balance control, which enables you to set the camera to match the color temperature of the light source. There is generally a

Image showing the several WB Settings available in a D-SLR

A D-SLR monitor image showing controls for WB fine tuning. Left and right of the graph represent blue and amber bias. Top and bottom of the graph represent green and magenta bias. You can move the pointer (shown centered here) to any place on the graph to fine tune the WB.

button labeled “WB” on your camera. Pressing this will display the various WB settings that your camera supports. You can choose the WB you want after scrolling through the settings. The following will give you a brief description of commonly available settings. Auto setting: When set to “Auto” the camera analyzes the scene and sets the WB automatically. This setting works reasonably well in most cases. Predefined settings: The settings that are normally available are Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, and Shade. The appropriate setting has to be chosen by you depending on the light source. A word of caution: If you change the light source to another with a different color temperature and then don’t change the WB setting to match it then you will get color casts, which can only be corrected (sometimes with great difficulty) in post processing! That is why it is better to keep the WB setting in Auto unless you develop the habit of selecting the WB every time you change the light source. Choose color temperature: Some cameras now allow WB to be set by inputting the color temperature directly in degrees Kelvin (this is the last option in the picture showing the various WB options). This means that you need to know color temperature of the source correctly. (You won’t be able to know the Kelvin temperature till you use a color temperature meter). In case you don’t have access to this information simply don’t use this option. Manual WB: This is a very accurate method of finding out the WB and is provided in D-SLRs. Here you need to take a WB

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reading of a gray card (such a card has no color!). Please refer to your camera’s user manual to know the procedure. Once you set the camera as per the instructions, you need to see that the gray card completely covers the frame and then press the shutter release. However, instead of taking an image, the camera will take a reading and since it knows that the subject is gray it can find out the color temperature and set it accordingly. You can continue to use this setting of WB till you change the light source. As before, don’t forget to set the WB again once you change the light source. RAW Format: This is really not a WB option, but a file format option and only D-SLRs and more advanced point and shoot and prosumer cameras provide this. The image that is captured by the camera is usually processed and written into a JPEG file. However, more advanced cameras have an option to store an unprocessed file also. Such a file is called a RAW file. Since it is unprocessed all the parameters like WB, sharpness, contrast have not yet been applied to the image and hence are easy to change. Once processed into a JPEG file this advantage is lost. Photographing in RAW format as opposed to JPEG format has several advantages. Apart from giving you much greater latitude in exposure (Refer to Part VII of this series) you can also exercise tremendous control on WB if use RAW. In fact with RAW, you can correct WB very easily. Many photographers who photograph in RAW simply forget about WB! They just keep the WB in Auto and in case the camera has not done a good job in setting WB, they correct it using a RAW converter. The RAW converter is a software program that is provided free by some (but not by all) camera manufacturers at the time of purchase of the camera. You can do this WB correction while looking at the monitor of your computer and changing the color temperature setting (normally a slider) in the RAW converter till you can visually see the correct colors. However, there is a small trick to make this correction correctly in a few seconds. First, before you photograph keep a gray card in the frame you are taking. Now, take the photograph. Thereafter you can remove the gray card from the frame. However, just remember that you need to repeat this step each time the lighting changes. Load the image into your RAW converter. Most RAW converters have what is called a WB tool. All you need to do is pick this tool and click on the gray card. The RAW converter will correct the WB in a matter of seconds without any guess work or human error. The corrected value is shown in K in a window in the RAW converter. You can use this value for correcting WB of all images that you took with the same lighting. So, this technique of using RAW and gray card is very convenient, but it will necessarily involve a bit of post processing. So, which is the best way of setting the WB? The most reliable method (without any doubt) is to photograph in RAW. However, if your camera does not support RAW format or you do not want to post process, the next best is Manual WB as explained. Next you have the predefined settings which give good results.

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Finally, you have Auto WB if you do not want to go through the hassle of changing the WB every time. However, remember that Auto WB can sometimes give you poor results. The resulting color casts may be difficult to correct. Tip: It is a good habit to check and set the WB correctly whenever you are starting a photographic session. This will ensure that you have not set the WB wrongly. Also be aware that the color temperature of a light source (especially incandescent lamps) can change over time. Hence, you need to check the WB occasionally even if you are using the same light source (say in a studio). Mixing of light sources: Sometimes you could get into a situation where you need to use different light sources. In these circumstances it is best to see that all the light sources have the same color temperature. If this is not the case, you can potentially have a lot of problems, since if you set WB for one light source the areas where other light sources are predominant will show color casts. Apart from avoiding such set ups as far as possible, the only other solution available is to put color filters in front of the light sources so that all have the same color temperature. Suppose you are using an incandescent lamp for taking a portrait and you want to supplement the light with an electronic flash, you can put an orange/ yellow filter in front of the electronic flash to make the light warmer (lower color temperature) to match that of the incandescent lamp. Such color correction filters are now available in the market. Making a picture warmer (reddish) or colder (bluish): Is a correct WB always what you want? Not always, as there may be times (for aesthetic reasons) you may want a color cast. Take these examples. Many of you want the sunset to be reddish (warm). Likewise, when you are taking a portrait you want the skin tones to be slightly warm as even a faintly blue or green tinted skin will give a very sickly feeling! So, how do you get the color cast (tint) that you want?

Once again, if you are photographing in RAW format, getting the right tint is a simple matter of moving the color temperature slider in the RAW converter. If you don’t want to post process, then you need to “fool” the camera to give you tint you need. Here is how you do it. If you want to get a slightly warmer tone then, set the white balance in your camera to a higher color temperature than the correct value. Now, this seems to be contradicting what you just read as warmer tones have lower color temperature. But once again, there is logic behind this! When you set the camera to a higher color temperature, you are telling the camera that the light source is more bluish. The camera will respond and try to compensate by adding a reddish tint, while processing the image to neutralize the excess blue. Since, the actual color temperature is really not bluish, the ﬁnal image will end up with a reddish tint or simply, will appear warmer! So, now you know how to fool the camera to give the tint you want! Here is an example. Many landscape photographers feel that giving a slight warm tone will make their images look better. Earlier when using film, this effect was achieved by using warming filters. Now in the digital era, photographers achieve the same by simply using the WB control. The commonly used practice is to set the WB to Cloudy setting (or around that) when photographing in direct sunlight. This is same as telling the camera that the color temperature is 6000 K when really the color temperature is 5200 K. (See the color temperature table). In other words you are telling the camera that the light source is more bluish than what it is! So, the camera adds a reddish tint in the processing to neutralize this nonexistent blue. The result is that the image looks warmer! Tip: How much you want to deviate from the correct setting is a matter of personal choice. So experiment a bit and see what setting works best for you. All photographs taken by the author

JARGON BUSTER Aberration: A defect or a flaw. Aliasing: An effect where straight or curved lines show up as jagged lines (like a staircase) Anti-aliasing: Smoothing of jagged edges by using an special filter or software. Aperture: The opening within the lens that controls the quantity of light reaching the film/sensor. The aperture is regulated by a mechanical aperture ring. In some modern digital cameras, the aperture is controlled electronically. Apertures are also known as f-stops or f-numbers. Typical f-stops are f/1.4, f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16 etc. In the sequence shown here, f/1.4 represents the widest aperture while f/16 represents the narrowest aperture. The difference between each of the f-numbers shown here is 1-stop. Aspherical: Generally, lens surfaces are spherical. An aspherical lens is one where the surface does not form part of a sphere. This is done to correct for certain lens aberrations. Barrel Distortion: A lens flaw where straight lines bend outwards like a barrel. This defect is noticed at the edges. Bit Depth: A system that gives us an idea of the number of tonal/color gradations in an image. Buffer: A temporary storage device for images between the sensor and the memory storage card. Burst Speed: The maximum frames per second rate. CMYK: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black. The inks used in printing press. Depth of Field: The zone of sharpness in an image. Depth of Focus: The distance by which the film/sensor plane can be moved and still retain an acceptably sharp image, but without refocusing the lens. dpi: Dots per inch. A measurement of the resolution of a printer.

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Downsampling: Opposite of upsampling – reducing the size of the file. Dynamic Range: The ability of the sensor/film to record detail in shadows as well as highlights at the same time. Exposure: A combination of f-stop and shutter speed, which causes a certain amount of density in the image. A combination of wider aperture and faster shutter speed can result in the same density on the image as a narrower aperture and slower shutter speed. This is known as Reciprocity. Example: 1/000sec at f/1.4 1/500sec at f/2 1/250sec at f/2.8 1/125sec at f/4 1/60sec at f/5.6 1/30sec at f/8 etc. All these combinations will produce the same density on the film/sensor.

ISO Sensitivity: A setting that describes the sensitivity of the image sensor to light. Low sensitivity requires greater amount of light while high sensitivity requires lesser amount of light. JPEG: Short for Joint Photographic Experts Group. A ﬁle compression standard. JPEG is considered a ‘lossy’ ﬁle format. Kelvin: A unit of measurement on the absolute temperature scale. Kelvin temperature is used to measure the relative color quality of light sources. LCD Monitor: Liquid Crystal Display Monitor. The screen at the back of the digital camera. Megapixel: One million pixels

Feathering: Softening the edges of a selection or mask (in Photoshop) so that there is no sharp demarcation between the two areas.

Noise: With reference to digital imaging, noise is the unwanted occurrence of random colored pixels in dark areas.

Focal length: In a simple bi-convex lens (a magnifying glass), the distance from the center of the lens to the point where a sharp image is formed.

Over-exposure: The act of providing more than necessary amount of light to an image. This causes the image to be ‘washed out’.

Guide Number: A number that gives us an idea of the power of a ﬂashgun. This is used to calculate the required f-number at a given distance. Guide number divided by the subject distance gives us the required aperture to use.

Pin-cushion Distortion: A lens ﬂaw where straight lines bend inwards towards the center of the frame.

Hue/Saturation: Hue is the color and saturation is the strength of the color. Interpolation: Also known as ‘upsampling’, is a method of increasing the number of pixels in a digital ﬁle/image. By averaging the values of color information of the neighboring pixels, the software makes an educated guess and ‘invents’ the new pixels. Done sensibly, interpolation allows us

to make a larger image without noticeable loss in quality.

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Pixel: Short for ‘Picture Element’, the smallest element of a digital image. ppi: Pixels per inch. A measurement of the resolution of a digital print. Plug-in: Small additional software module that “plugs in” an application in order to give it a speciﬁc additional functionality. RAW: RAW is not an acronym. It refers to the raw data as captured on the image sensor. RGB: Red, Green, Blue. Digital

cameras (and other digital devices) use a mixture RGB light to form various other colors. Resolution: Measure of the amount of information in an image, expressed in pixels per inch. Sensor: The counterpart of film. There are two types of sensors that are used—CCD (Charged Couple Device) and CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). Shutter: The shutter is a device that controls the duration, or, for how long the light is allowed to act on the film/sensor. Typical shutter speeds are 1 sec, 1/2 sec, 1/ 4, 1/8, 1/15, 1/30, 1/60, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 1/1000, 1/2000, 1/4000sec. The difference between each of the shutter speeds shown here is 1-stop. Most modern DSLRs have shutter speeds ranging from 30 seconds to 1/4000 second. TIFF: Short for Tagged Image File Format. A file compression standard that is not ‘lossy’. Under-exposure: The act of providing less then required light to an image. This causes the image to be darken. Upsampling: Same as interpolation. White Balance: An adjustment in digital cameras that allow us to obtain images without any color cast.

Errata: In Part VII of this series (SP, July 2009), an error has crept into Pages 58 and 59. On Page 58, it is incorrectly mentioned that ‘The overexposure is towards the left and underexposure is towards the right’. This should have read ‘The underexposure is towards the left and overexposure is towards the right’. On Page 58 (last paragraph) and Page 59 (column 1 and beginning of column 2), the symbols < and > have been interchanged. The author regrets the error.

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Adobe

Expert The author, Rajendra Prasad, an Associate of Royal Photographic Society of London, and a banker by profession has been in the photographic field for over two decades and has extensive experience in both film and digital photography. At present he is also the Chairman of Digital Imaging Division, India International Photographic Council, Delhi. Rajendra has a passion for sharing his knowledge on photography through teaching and writing. He has published several articles on photography in photographic magazines and journals of IIPC & FIP. He has also published an e-book An Introduction to Digital Photography which was released at Indore IIPC workshop by Sri Jaipal Reddy, Minister-Information & Broadcasting. He has also given talks on photography at Doordarshan. He has taught several photo-enthusiasts through conducting workshops on photography in several Indian cities. His photographs have also won many accolades in different photographic salons. He has also served as a judge in various contests. His other hobbies are electronics and painting. He maintains a photoblog digicreation.blogspot.com and can be reached at rajdigi25@gmail.com

Creating Your Own Actions & Droplets in Photoshop Step-by-Step

re you ready for some action? Hey! I am not talking about action shots in movies; I am talking about Photoshop Actions. Yes, you can record and play Actions in Photoshop too. Actions are a powerful feature in Photoshop when you need to automatically perform repetitive tasks with multiple images. TOOLS USED Once the Action is created, one click Actions Palette is all it takes and the task is executed. Droplet Adjustment layers It’s very powerful, can save you heaps of time and it’s actually not as hard to Blend modes create as you might think. This tutorial Skill Level is written for Photoshop version CS3. Intermediate Certain things might be different in other Photoshop versions.

WHAT IS AN ACTION? Photoshop Action is a set of recorded steps in Photoshop that can then be replayed by simply pressing the play button in the Actions Palette (or by shortcut). Typical examples of using Actions are converting to black and white, resizing images, converting RAW to JPEG and saving images for the web. You can

run an Action on one photo at a time, or batch process dozens or thousands of images by making a Droplet of your action. For this tutorial we will be creating a simple Action for making dramatic black & white images and then I’ll show you how to use it for making Droplet and processing multiple images. Although we’ll be creating a simple Action in this tutorial, once you know the process, you can create Actions as complex as you like.

STEP -1 CREATING AN ACTION Load Photoshop and open an image from your digital photography collection. To record an Action, you’ll need to use the Actions Palette. If the Actions Palette is not September 2009 Smart Photography

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visible on your screen, open it by going to Window > Actions or click the shortcut (Alt + F9), Notice the tiny inverted arrow at the top right of the Actions Palette. Click on this arrow to reveal the drop down menu.

STEP -2 CREATE NEW ACTION SET Name: Give your action a descriptive name, this makes it easy to ﬁnd your actions in future so be as speciﬁc as you can. Type here SP Black & White. Set: This is where the action will appear. We have already created a new set, which was named Smart Photography, so select it. Function key: This key lets you set a combination of shortcut keys that will trigger the action into play. Select F2 and tick Shift for this project.

Click the arrow in the Actions Palette to bring up the menu and choose New Set. An Action set can contain several Actions. It’s a good idea to save all your personal Actions in a set. Give your new Action Set a name; I have typed the name of the set Smart Photography (SP) .

Color: This lets you group Actions by color if you view them in Button mode. We’ll set it to red for now. You can change any of these settings later.

STEP -4 RECORDING YOUR ACTION

Hit the red record button in the New Actions Palette to start recording. You will see that Recoding button in the Actions Palette turns red which indicates that every step is now recorded into the Action. While doing this, take your time, there is no need to rush. Photoshop only records your actions and commands. The speed at which you do this work doesn’t matter. Now execute all steps explained below to make an action for creating dramatic black and white.

STEP -3 NAMING YOUR NEW ACTION Click the arrow in the Actions Palette to bring up the menu again to reveal the drop down menu and choose New Action. The window that appears has several options:

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Open the Layer Palette. Make a Hue and Saturation adjustment layer and click OK. Click D to reset swatches (making the foreground and background color Black & White).

LEARNING

Make a Gradient Map adjustment layer. And select Black & White gradient. And then click OK.

means they’re not permanently saved on your HD. If you accidentally delete them then they are gone permanently. Therefore it’s always best to save your Actions. To save an Action you need to select the Action Set (folder icon), go to the Menu Options and select Save Actions and save them in any place where you like.

STEP -6 TESTING THE ACTION: Open any image in Photoshop and just click the shortcut Shift+F2 (which you have already allotted to Your Dramatic B&W action) and you will see that in seconds your image is converted into B&W .Now open the Layers palette and you will see that there are 5 layers . Click thumbnail of the Hue and Saturation layer and now you can adjust the tones of your B&W image as described in my Dramatic Black & White tutorial.

STEP -7 INSERTING STOPS

Make a Levels adjustment layer, but don’t do anything. Just click OK and close it. Change the Blending mode of this Level adjustment layer to Soft Light. Change the opacity of this layer 50 percent. Make another level adjustment layer. Again, do not change any setting. Just click OK.

You can include stops in your action that let you perform a task that cannot be recorded (for example, using a painting tool). Once you’ve completed the task, click the Play button in the Actions palette to complete the task. You can insert a stop when recording an action or after it has been recorded. You can also display a short message when the action reaches the stop. For example, you can remind yourself what needs to be done before continuing with the action. Photoshop gives you the option of including a Continue button in the message box. This lets you check for a certain condition in the ﬁle (for example, a selection) and continue if nothing needs to be done. In this tutorial we have not inserted any stop, but if you like you can.

TO INSERT A STOP Choose where to insert the stop by doing one of the following:

Click on the Stop icon in the Actions Palette to ﬁnish recording.

STEP -5 SAVING ACTIONS AS FILES By default your Actions are saved in the Actions Palette. Which

Select an action’s name to insert a stop at the end of the action. Select a command to insert a stop after the command. Choose Insert Stop from the Actions palette menu and choose Insert Stop. Type the message you want to appear. If you want the option to continue the action without stopping, select Allow Continue. Click OK. September 2009 Smart Photography

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STEP -8 CREATING DROPLETS A droplet is an executable file generated by Photoshop which can reside anywhere you place it. By dragging an image onto the exe, or even an entire folder of images, the droplet will run an action you had specified earlier. It’s easier than it sounds, so let’s start creating a droplet. We have already created an action so our half work is already done. Go to File > Automate> Create Droplet In the dialog, click the Choose button and browse to the location where you want to save your droplet. Choose desktop for this tutorial. Type the name of the action SP Black & White and click Save. In Action Set select Smart Photography and in Action name select SP Dramatic Black and White, (the action you just made) Set Play options for the droplet: Select Override Action “Open” Commands if you want Open commands in the action to refer to the batched files, rather than the filenames specified in the action. Deselect Override Action “Open” Commands if the action was recorded to operate on open files or if the action contains Open commands for specific files that are required by the action. We have not selected it. Select Include All Subfolders to process files in subdirectories. Select Suppress Color Profile Warnings to turn off display of color policy messages. Select Suppress File Open Options Dialogs to hide File Open Options dialogs. This is useful when batching actions on camera Raw image files. The default or previously specified settings will be used.

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1. Select a destination for the processed files from the Destination menu: None: to leave the files open without saving changes (unless the action included a Save command). Save and Close: To save the files in their current location. We have selected none. 2. Select an option for error processing from the Errors pop-up menu: 3. Select Stop for Errors to suspend the process until you confirm the error message. 4. Click OK. Congratulations for making your first Photoshop Droplet. Go to your desktop and you will see that a droplet has been created there.

STEP -9 USING DROPLETS TO PROCESS FILES Now all that is left to do is actually use it! All you need to do is ﬁnd a picture or folder full of pictures on your computer that you want to covert in Black & White and drag it onto the droplet located on your desktop and drop it there. Photoshop will do the rest.

CLOSING COMMENTS By following these steps you can create Action/Droplets for many different tasks, and they will save your precious time when you have to process lots of images. The great thing about Droplets is that Photoshop doesn’t have to be open for them to work. Droplets will open Photoshop, process the file or files. It should be noted that using droplets require Photoshop to be installed. You can mail Actions/Droplets to your friends too. There is yet another interesting use of Action/ Droplets—you can create your secret special effects in form of Action/Droplet and use them in presence of another Photoshop user and he will not be able to get the clue of your secret working method. I don’t know why even old Photoshoppers too don’t use Actions and Droplets? They are real timesavers so include them in your workflow, Enjoy!

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The Making of a

Wildlife Photographer

Dr. Caesar Sengupta is the General Manager of Thyocare Technologies Limited, a nationwide networked pathology diagnostic laboratory. Father’s dream was to see him as a doctor and he studied medicine and became an M.D. But his passion was older than his profession—his passion for photography had started when he was 12 years old. All along though, he pursued his love for photography and spent time in nature’s solitude, capturing all its beauties whenever he could find some time.

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People often keep asking, how does one start to become a wildlife photographer. I tell them that a wildlife photographer has to be a wildlife lover ﬁrst; if one doesn’t love wildlife, he is probably wasting his time, money, and energy in pursuing the subject. It just cannot be simpler than that!

THE ART The art of wildlife photography demands having adequate knowledge of the behavior of your subject, knowledge of its likes and dislikes, its comforts and discomforts, its habitat and food habits, seasonal variations and its effect on the subject’s mood, geographical information about the area where you are in, so on and so forth—in addition to your patience to wait for hours at end for your subject to perform your desired act, which are beyond the purview of this article and can better be learned being in the wild. Thus, wildlife photography becomes a bit different from many other genres of photography—mainly because of the fact that the entry-level qualiﬁcation essential to learn the art and science of it—is your love for the wild and not just your keenness in knowing the photographic know-how.

THE SCIENCE I regret that there is no magical way to be a wildlife photographer. There are no crash-courses or textbooks that teach you how to become an accomplished wildlife photographer in 30 days. According to me, the best way is to self-learn, which also means that you will have to be prepared to endure many failures. Let me share with you what I have learned from my failures.

THE EQUIPMENT Most people start their foray into photography using a simple point-and-shoot model. As we start understanding the working of the camera and the basics—like composition, focus, apertures, shutter speeds, ISOs, combination of ISOs and shutter speeds– we soon realize that a point-and-shoot camera has limitations. This forces us to take the next step and look out for a digital SLR. I would advise the reader to invest less on the camera body and more in lenses. Don’t get me wrong. Having good equipment is a must if you are looking for mastering both, the science, and art of photography. The market today offers budget-level D-SLRs as well as those that can be almost as costly as the car you are driving. Budget level D-SLRs are available starting at around Rs.25,000 to Rs.35,000. They offer a range of fantastic features starting with interchangeable lenses, TTL metering using various exposure modes, exposure compensation and a host of other features. The best option for a beginner is to invest in a decent entry level or mid-range camera—as much as your ﬁnances allow you, and save money for the lenses. (Entry-level/mid-range D-SLRs from Canon/Nikon, with some lenses) Choosing the correct lens for wildlife photography is again a challenge. It’s a vicious cycle—once you get into it—you keep realizing that the costlier lens which was just outside your budget would actually have been better if only you had invested a bit more! It happens all the time with me—with everyone else too I am sure. I suppose the idiom ‘penny wise and pound foolish’

Smart Photography September 2009

applies to most of us when it comes to buying a lens (and tripods too). Ask anyone who is into serious wildlife photography—there is no end to the regrets of not having a better lens. Well, I never said that photography is a cheap hobby; it’s just that wildlife photography is that much costlier! So, let’s take a logical approach to it. You definitely need a longer focal length lens for wildlife photography and there is a spectrum of various zoom lenses available today to suit your requirements. Now before I talk further about lenses, I would like you to note that a major difference exists between a ‘prime’ lens and a ‘zoom’ lens. A prime lens is a single-focal-length lens and comes with better quality of optics, much better than what most costly zoom lenses can provide. However, prime lenses, obviously, cost a hell lot of money and hence it is ideal to start with a zoom lens. Zoom lenses of 70 – 300 mm could be considered as starting point for wildlife photography, but bird photography would specifically require an even longer focal range; you would definitely require lenses with focal lengths up to 400 or 500mm, or even longer. There are many brands of around 170 – 500 mm zoom lenses available in the market in a considerably affordable range of Rs 35,000 – Rs 40,000. Again, longer the focal length of the lens, more are the chances of camera shake and hence using a stable tripod becomes a necessity with such lenses. (Sigma 150500mm, Tamron 200-500mm lens) Note: All D-SLRs are not full-frame (35mm format equivalent). Most use smaller APS-C size sensors, which effectively provide a longer focal length than stated on the lens. Hence using a 300mm lens with a APS-C size sensor camera for example, the effective focal length would be in the region of 450-480mm. This is a great advantage in wildlife photography. Tripods have their own disadvantages. Walking around in the wild with that bulk can often scare the subject to glory. Lenses with optical stabilization technology, which reduce vibration during shooting, are available, though at a higher cost than normal zoom lenses. These IS/VR lenses give us an advantage of getting a much sharper picture, which otherwise we could have got only with higher shutter speeds and hence it is always wiser to go for that 170 – 500 mm lens with image stabilization, if available. Comparing brands is not intended in this article and we shall leave that aspect for a future opportunity.

Canon’s Image Stabilizer (IS)

Nikon’s Vibration Reduction (VR)

EXPOSURE SETTINGS SIMPLIFIED Aperture, shutter speed and ISO are the three main considerations that need to be understood and there are no

LEARNING

shortcuts to them—not even that green auto mode button in your D-SLR! Here is a tip to use the combination effectively in the wild. There is an Aperture Priority mode and a Shutter Priority mode in your D-SLR. It is a general practice with many to keep the camera on Aperture Priority mode, select the widest aperture and note how high the shutter speed is under the given light conditions. Wider aperture always helps to have a shallow depth of ﬁeld, which creates beautiful blurred highlights in the background, which in photographic terms is called ‘bokeh’. However, if the shutter speed available even at the widest aperture is seen to be low (for example, 1/30sec, 1/15sec), it means that the light is too poor and is likely to give blurry photos—this is the time to increase the ISO. Alternatively, if you are looking at freezing subject movements, keep the camera in the Shutter Priority mode, raise the shutter speed and see what aperture is attainable. Often at times, one needs to compromise between the attainable shutter speed and the aperture. You will ﬁnd that D-SLRs are equipped with automatic exposure settings and on many instances, the camera’s auto exposure settings yield very good results. However, in many instances, it does produce disappointing results. This is due to the fact that camera’s auto exposure system is designed to give best results for a mid-tone scene. Practically, you don’t always shoot such mid-tone scenes, in fact you rarely do. Therefore, you are likely to get an incorrect exposure from your default camera exposure

settings on majority of instances unless you correct it. You must have observed this, I am sure, but might not have wondered why it happened. This is what is likely to happen when you solely depend on the camera’s auto exposure: 1. Pale subjects against pale background may appear underexposed 2. Dark subjects against dark background may appear overexposed 3. Pale subjects against dark background may appear overexposed 4. Dark subjects against pale backgrounds may appear underexposed 5. Animals with pied markings may show white areas overexposed. In such situations, the general advice is to use exposure compensation on the camera. Minus compensation will reduce the exposure by the set amount; plus compensation will add to the exposure. One very good trick to play safe is to use the exposure-bracketing mode on your camera. Using this mode, you can set the camera to take three shots at three different exposure settings—one at the exposure suggested by the camera meter, the next shot 1-stop underexposed and another 1-stop overexposed… this ensures that you get at least one photograph rightly exposed.

Composing a communicative photograph is an art. Don’t simply ﬁll the frame with your subject. Centrally placed subjects looks bland—always try to place the subject towards one side taking care not to crop too close to its edge. Try to include the natural habitat of the subject, which brings out very strongly its relationship with the natural abode. Having a zoom of say, 170 – 500 mm doesn’t always mean that you have to shoot at the fullest zoom. Using your zoom, compose the frame in such a way that the ﬁnal output helps the viewer to have a feel of the mood of the scene as a whole. Always try to keep more space in the photograph in the direction of the subject movement… it seems to give space for the subject to move in to.

TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT – WAIT FOR THE RIGHT OPPORTUNITY

Left: Using a long zoom lens at its maximum focal length has resulted in a close up of the bird, but does not show the surroundings. Right: A picture showing ducks around their natural habitat. This makes for a better picture from a naturalist’s point of view.

September 2009 Smart Photography

LEARNING

Flamingos flying in tandem always draws better attention than a flamingo flying alone.

By keeping the background out of focus, the attention stays on the main subject

Pre-focussing on the tree in the tiger’s path allowed me to capture the subject just as I had previsualised

Smart Photography September 2009

I once asked some leading photographers, what is it that draws a viewer’s attention in to a picture, and they all said “the photograph has to be different from the lot. It could be a different perspective or a uniquely captured action, or something that is otherwise rare to see or photograph”. A slight change in perspective sometimes creates massive difference in the final output. Ground level shots of ground dwelling birds always have a fantastic impact. Lie flat on the ground while shooting. Always keep looking for some action. A tiger with a kill always creates a better impact that the tiger alone. Flamingos flying in tandem always draws better attention than a flamingo flying alone. Rare subject or a rare action captured could be anything, which we don’t normally see—it can range from flies mating to a snake having its lunch, to a Kingfisher diving for fish…. anything that is different and turns on the viewer’s attention. Since we are talking about trying something different—it goes without saying that you need to have patience. This is one area, which many of us don’t consider as important. Haste spoils the chances of getting very good photographs, which, we may not even realize, we have missed. Neither the subject is willing to pose as your model nor is there a chance for a second take in wildlife photography. Moreover, with all those gadgets and tripod and mambo-jumbo, you look scary too. Every animal or bird in the wild has a comfort zone around it. The zone size varies from species to species but all of them have one thing in common for sure– that is, they don’t like your intruding into that comfort zone. As you approach them in the wild with an attempt to photograph them, they become cautious and the moment you step inside the comfort zone, they either run off or fly away or attack you. I have lost many great opportunities in the wild because of my haste. One effective method is to wait for the animal or bird to approach you rather than you approach it! In such situations, your subject has complete control of the situation (it decides how close it would like to get to you) and this increases your chances of getting an exclusive close shot.

PRESENTING YOUR WORK – POST PROCESSING A good picture may not necessarily look good if you don’t present it well. It may be on your own website, or a photo sharing e-group on the net or an exhibition or a contest—presenting the picture counts. Good presentation often calls for a blend of post processing. This is a controversial area as to how much one should post process. When it comes to wildlife photography, I believe that a picture must retain its originality. In my opinion, changes to color, saturation, tonal values, contrast and sharpness, are justiﬁed. There are various software available for doing this and again, this article is not intended to compare the merits and demerits of those software. Including a frame and inserting a digital signature with a copyright symbol can also make a photograph look more elegant. Always try to make solid colored frames like black or white or a dominant color from the photograph itself. Finally, a mantra that one must always keep in mind (I always do)–be a student always—earn, learn and learn. There is no end to learning… you will surely make it big one day.

Review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1

Pentax X70

Canon PowerShot D10 Vs. Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT1

AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED

Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45 – 200mm f/4 – 5.6

Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11 – 16mm f/2.8 (IF) DX

102

100

PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-GH1

The Big Brother Price: Rs.99,990/- Final Score: 85%

2 1

5 9

4 6

hen the G1 was introduced, the world watched in awe how Panasonic’s innovation was set to change the way we look at interchangeable lens camera designs. Getting rid of the mirror box assembly and the pentaprism was a big step forward in creating lighter and smaller interchangeable lens cameras. (How come the ‘big guns’ never thought of this?) What the G1 lacked, however, was the video mode, which almost all modern D-SLRs provided. The latest from Panasonic, the big brother GH1, addresses this ‘problem’ with a HighDeﬁnition video mode, and more. It may be noted that SP was the ﬁrst to recognise the potential of the G1 and the Micro Four Thirds System, and gave the G1 the camera of the year award in January 2009. Soon after, Popular Photography, the world’s best selling photo magazine also awarded the camera of the year title to the G1. Awards from TIPA and EISA followed. If the G1 was so good, would the GH1 be even better? Read on...

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY

Power Switch

Shutter Release Button 3 Focus Mode Selector Mode Dial 5 Quick Menu Button 6 Film Mode Stereo Microphone 8 Accessory Shoe 9 Flash Pop-up Button Lens Release Button 11 Mega Optical Image Stabilizer Button 2

7 10

Inside the box • In the Box • Camera • Kit lens (14-140mm) • Shoulder strap • Battery • Battery charger/AC adapter • Body cap • AV cable • USB cable • DC cable • CD-ROM • PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.1 HD Edition • SILKYPIX Developer Studio • 3.0 SE • USB Driver

Smart Photography September 2009

The Panasonic G1, as well as the GH1, are practically the same size and with similar good build quality. Looking at both the cameras from the rear, you will see no difference other than the video start button on the thumb grip of the GH1. Looking at them from the front, the only difference you’ll notice is the ‘AVCHD’ letterings at the lower left (next

to the grip), and ‘HD’ at the right upper corner on the GH1. The GH1 is 6mm taller than the G1, and the top plate carries a stereo microphone. The body weighs 5g less than the G1. The GH1 is supplied with the new LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm 1:4-5.8 apherical Mega Optical Image Stabilizer lens (equivalent to 28-280mm in the 35mm format). The body is available in red, black, and silver colors.

KEY FEATURES The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 is very similar in features to the G1, but here are the main differences: 1.The GH1 has a High Deﬁnition video mode, accompanied by an in-built stereo microphone. The video offers continuous autofocus (not available up till now on any D-SLR), and without picking up any noise from the lens motor! The user may connect external microphones if he so desires. 2.The GH1 uses a multi-aspect ratio sensor. Though the output is the same as the G1 (12.1 million effective pixels), the GH1 has almost 1-million extra photo detectors, which means that the GH1 has a larger imaging area. A casual reader may fail to realize its importance, so here it is: At an aspect ratio of 4:3, both the models provide 4000x3000 pixel image (camera set to highest resolution). At 3:2, the GH1 outputs 4128x2752 pixels, whereas the G1, only 4000x2672 (at highest resolution). At 16:9, the GH1 gives

Left: Battery Compartment Right: USB port (lower); HDMI port (top)

Mahesh Reddy

September 2009 Smart Photography

SHARPNESS & DETAIL

ISO: 100 Shutter speed: 0.5sec Aperture: f/11

NOISE

ISO: 100

ISO: 3200

JPEG COMPRESSION

Large Fine

Large Basic

COLOR ACCURACY

Color Checker shot using Auto White Balance in sunlight. Auto Levels applied.

Smart Photography September 2009

4352x2448 pixels; the G1, only 4000x2248 (at highest resolution). Though the sensor is the same size (17.3x13mm), its total pixel count is 14-million as opposed to 13.1-million in the G1. This helps to accommodate different aspect ratios, but with identical diagonal angle of view regardless of the user-selected aspect ratio. The new model also allows a 1:1 aspect ratio. 3.The GH1 is bundled with a new 14140mm (28-280mm equivalent) 1:45.8 kit lens which is designed specially for video. 4.The GH1 uses Venus Engine HD, which incorporates two CPUs (Central Processing Units). The two CPUs allow for long-time movie recording in AVCHD format while consuming very low power. It is also responsible for higher processing speeds and lower noise. Further, it provides HDMI output. The GH1 is a Micro Four Thirds System camera. Do note that the sensor size remains the same (17.3x13mm) with Four Thirds as well as with Micro Four Thirds. Micro Four Thirds allow for smaller ďŹ&#x201A;angeback distance (the distance between the sensor and the back of the lens mount). While in Four Thirds this distance is 40mm, in the Micro Four Thirds GH1, this distance is 20mm! This translates into a much thinner camera body. The lenses too are smaller and lighter.

The GH1 uses a LiveMOS sensor, with a Supersonic Wave Filter to take care of dust problems. The user can opt between sRGB and Adobe RGB color space. Image quality can be set to RAW, RAW+JPEG Fine, RAW+JPEG Standard, JPEG Fine or JPEG Standard. Shooting and/or reviewing the images can be done using the electronic Live View Finder (refresh rate 60fps) or the 3-inch TFT LCD. The EVF has a resolution of 1,440,000 dot equivalence, while the LCD has a resolution of approx. 430,000 dots. The LCD monitor offers 100-percent coverage, can be folded out and rotated 360 degrees, and offers auto/manual brightness adjustments. The GH1 uses contrast AF system (like in the G1) rather than the phase-detection system. Going by the quiet, fast and precise autofocusing of the G1, the GH1 should be equally good. Autofocusing can be for single shot (Afs) or continuous (Afc). Manual focusing is possible, with 5x or 10x magniďŹ cation. Face Detection AF (detects up to 6 faces), AF Tracking, 23-area/1-area focusing is available. With 1-area AF, the user can change the AF frame size from spot to extra large in 4 steps. For light metering, the camera uses 144-zone multi-pattern sensing system, whereas the metering patterns are Intelligent Multiple, Center-weighted, and Spot. Options for exposure modes are Program, Aperture

PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-GH1

White Balance can be set to Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, Flash, White Set 1, White Set 2, or Kelvin temperature (between 2500 and 10,000K). WB can be ﬁne-tuned as well as bracketed. The GH1 can shoot continuous 7 RAW frames or unlimited JPEG at burst speed of 3fps (High Speed) or 2fps (Low Speed). For those who prefer to use Scene modes, the GH1 offers Portrait (Normal, Soft Skin, Outdoor, Indoor, Creative), Scenery (Normal, Nature, Architecture, Creative), Closeup (Flower, Food, Objects, Creative), Night Portrait (Night Portrait, Night Scenes, Illuminations, Creative), and SCN (Sunset, Party, Baby 1 and 2, Pet). Scene modes are also available for movies. Like the G1, the GH1 also provides user-

Mahesh Reddy

Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual. Exposures can be compensated up to +/3EV in 1/3 EV steps, and can be bracketed up to +/- 2EV in 1/3 or 2/3 EV steps (3, 5 or 7 frames). ISO sensitivity can be set to Auto, Intelligent ISO, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200. When set to Intelligent ISO, the camera detects subject movement and automatically increases the ISO to provide a higher shutter speed to compensate for the movement. If it does not detect subject movement, it stays with the ISO you have set. Panasonic’s Intelligent Auto (iA) mode (usable for still as well as movies) turns the GH1 into a point and shoot model so that you can concentrate on the shooting. In the movie mode, iA takes auto-control of face detection, scene selection, image stabilization, and exposure. The GH1’s Intelligent Exposure control increases the brightness in underexposed areas of against-the-light shots without touching the correctly exposed areas. The camera uses a focal plane shutter with shutter speeds ranging from 60 seconds to 1/4000 sec and Bulb (maximum limit approximately 4 minutes). Flash sync is up to 1/160 sec. Another nice feature is the built-in eye sensor (also available on the G1) which automatically switches ‘on’ the viewﬁnder when you look into it (it automatically shuts ‘off’ the LCD monitor at that time) and shuts it ‘off’ when you remove your eye from the ﬁnder, so that the LCD monitor can switch ‘on’ again. Clever!

selectable Film Mode in which the user has ﬁne control over color and black & white images for creative effects. Film Mode can also be used with movies.

GH1, as mentioned earlier, is a Micro Four Thirds System. It is also compatible with the standard Four Thirds lenses (by using an adapter).

GH1’s built-in TTL pop-up flash has a Guide Number of 11 in meters at ISO 100, and provides the usual flash modes. Flash output can be compensated up to +/- 2 EV in 1/3 EV step. First curtain/second curtain sync is possible, and as mentioned earlier, the flash can sync up to 1/160sec.

THE KIT LENS

The forte of the GH1 is its sophisticated video mode, in conjunction with its dedicated 28-280mm equivalent kit lens. The GH1 lets you shoot videos in AVCHD format (AVCHD and its logo are trademarks of Panasonic and Sony), which is a format for recording and playback of HD (High Deﬁnition) video. The GH1 allows you to shoot HD videos in 1920x1080 pixels, 1280x720 pixels, and smooth HD videos in 1280x720 pixels. The video recording button on the GH1 can start recording videos even when you are in still photo mode. Of course, you would require a HD television to view your HD videos. You can also view your videos on standard TVs, but then the movies will not be in HD format. The GH1 also has a ‘Wind Cut’ ﬁlter to reduce wind noise during video recordings. The

The GH1 comes with a 14-140mm (28280mm equivalent) lens, construction with 17 elements in 13 groups (includes 4 aspherical and 2 ED elements). The aperture range is from f/4 to 22 (Wide) and f/5.8 to 22 (Telephoto). The lens focuses as close as 0.5m at all focal lengths. It weighs approximately 470g and can use 62mm diameter filters. The lens is specially designed for videos. It incorporates Panasonic’s tried and tested Mega Optical Image Stabilization (MOIS), which permits 3 stabilization modes: Mode 1 offers continuous correction for hand movement and let’s you see the final effect on the LCD/viewfinder; Mode 2 operates when you press the shutter release—it provides greater corrective action; Mode 3 corrects up and down movements, making it ideal for panning shots. The MOIS works even as you zoom the lens. While maintaining very high image quality, the lens permits autofocus for still as well as videos. Another important feature of the lens is that, during video shooting, it lets you select the September 2009 Smart Photography

FINAL SCORE

SPECIFICATIONS Effective pixels Total pixels Sensor Dust Reduction Aspect ratio Image quality

: 12.1 million : 14 million : LiveMos 17.3x13mm : Supersonic Wave Filter : 4:3, 3;2, 16:9, 1:1 : RAW, RAW+Fine, RAW+Standard, Fine, Standard Color space : sRGB, Adobe RGB Viewfinder : Live View Finder (1,440,000 dots equivalent) 100 percent, Field of View Focus system : Contrast-detect AF Focus mode : Afs, Afc, MF AF mode : Face detection, AF Tracking, 23-area focusing, 1-area focusing Light metering : 144-zone multi-pattern sensing Light metering mode : Intelligent Multiple, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure mode : P, A, S, M AE bracketing : 3, 5, 7 frames in 1/3, or 2/3 EV step, +/- 2 EV White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, Flash, White Set 1, and 2, Color temperature setting WB bracketing : 3 exposures in blue/amber or magenta/green axis Shutter speed : 60 seconds to 1/4000sec, Bulb (up to approx. 4 minutes) Remote control : Available, optional SCN mode : Portrait, Scenery, Sports, Close-up, Night portrait, SCN Burst speed : 3fps (High speed) or 2fps (Low speed) No. of images : 7 images (RAW), Unlimited (JPEG) Conditions apply Built-in flash : Auto, Auto/red eye reduction, Forced on, Forced on/Red eye reduction, Slow sync, Slow sync/Red eye reduction, Forced off Flash sync : Up to 1/160 sec Accessory flashguns : FL220, FL360, FL500 (optional) LCD monitor : 3-inch, wide viewing angle, approx. 460,000 dots Monitor brightness : can be adjusted. Auto, Power LCD, Manual (7 levels) Film mode: Color : Standard, Dynamic, Nature, Smooth, Nostalgic, Vibrant : B&W Standard, Dynamic, Smooth Direct printing : PictBridge compatible Recording media : SD/SDHC Battery : Li-ion (included), battery charger/AC adapter Dimensions (w x h x d) : 124x89.6x45.2mm Weight : Approx. 385g (body only)

VERDICT Overall, the Panasonic GH1 is a great performer. Its compact, comparatively lightweight, feature-filled, but pricey. We are sure, as with all things digital, prices will drop. And when it does, grab it! Rohinton Mehta

Smart Photography September 2009

Design and Build Quality

17/20

+ Excellent image quality

Key Features

18/20

+ HD video with stereophonic sound

Ergonomics

17.5/20

+ True multi-aspect ratio sensor

Performance

17.5/20

+ 360 degree flip-out LCD

Value for Money

15/20

- Occasional highlight burnouts

OVERALL

85%

- Pricey - Limited range of lenses

aperture for greater control over depth of ﬁeld. The diaphragm uses 7 blades to ensure good ‘bokeh’. The kit lens is 84mm in length from the front tip to the base of the lens mount.

ERGONOMICS The body with the kit lens weighs approximately 850g. Its weight and balance is comfortable. The electronic viewﬁnder is possibly the best we have seen, though in low light, it tends to be ‘noisy’ (this noise of course does not affect your pictures). The GH1’s user interface is easy to use and so is the camera.

PERFORMANCE The ﬁrst question in most readers’ mind would be ‘how good is the much touted HD video?’ So, without much ado, the answer is ‘extremely good’. The video is smooth, with crisp detail and truly amazing quality. The continuous autofocus during video operation guarantees sharp recordings, and the stereophonic audio recording adds to the overall satisfaction. Autofocusing (still images) is reasonably fast but I did notice a slight slowing down at the longest telephoto end where the maximum aperture drops to f/5.8. White Balance generally performed very well though a slight yellow cast was observed in ‘Flash’. RAW shooters need not worry at all as they can easily adjust the WB after the fact. Darkening at the corners was evident at the wide-angle end at f/4, which diminished at f/5.6 and was almost negligible at f/8. Digital noise is well controlled, but obviously, not as good as with APS-C and full-frame sensor models. Above ISO 400, you

- User manual not supplied for this review - Limited burst speed

will notice noise in the shadows if you care to observe. The metering performed well in ‘normal’ lighting, but occasional highlight clipping was observed in strong light in high contrast situations. The electronic viewfinder, as mentioned earlier, tends to appear speckled in low light conditions. The manual focus magnification feature will be greatly appreciated by those who like or need to manually focus. Those who like to fire away in continuous bursts may be disappointed with the limited 3fps burst speed. Barrel distortion was noticeable at focal lengths of 14 and 18mm and gradually tapered off this point onwards. Still images were sharp, punchy, and with good fine detail. We believe Panasonic’s Mega Optical Image Stabilizer is worth having. We were impressed with the camera’s overall performance.

VALUE FOR MONEY The GH1 camera with its 28-280mm eqvivalent kit lens costs Rs.99,990. Panasonic claims that the 14-140mm lens alone costs much more than an average kit lens and the price should be seen in that light. Nevertheless at Rs.99,990, Panasonic is restricting the segment that would like to buy this camera. We trust price will drift lower gradually.

PENTAX X70

The Megazoom Monster! Price: Rs.24,500/- Final Score: 82.5%

ompact and lightweight. Yet, this monster boasts of 26-624mm (equivalent) focal length, combined with image stabilization, eleven frames per second continuous shooting, and more. Much more! Welcome to the Pentax X70 review.

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY The Pentax X70 is a SLR-like Prosumer digital camera. Its outer body is made from engineering plastic, but does not feel as solid as some other prosumer cameras we have tested in the past. It has a very comfortable hand grip. The Electronic View Finder (EVF) projects out quite a bit and has no diopter correction. The zoom lens extends in three sections, making the camera 6.5 inches from the EVF to the end of the extended lens. The camera comes bundled up with a 269-page operating manual, unlike a manufacturer we have in mind who think that user manuals are not necessary!

The Pentax X70 is feature-filled. It’s a 12 megapixel SLR-style prosumer digital camera, boasting a 26-624mm (24x) equivalent super zoom. It further incorporates a function called Intelligent Zoom, that extends the equivalent focal range up to approximately 150x, albeit at a very low pixel resolution. The lens is constructed from 14 elements in 11 groups, out of which 3 are ED (Extralow Dispersion glass) elements and 4 are aspherical elements. Maximum apertures range from f/2.8 to f/5; minimum aperture is f/8. The camera offers a built-in Shake Reduction feature using CCD Image Sensor Shift mechanism.

camera automatically selects the most appropriate mode depending on the situation and subject); Sport (for fast moving subjects), Digital SR (camera selects higher sensitivity to help in reducing blur); SCN (Scene mode: Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Backlight, Half-length Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Stage Lighting, Surf & Snow, Baby, Kids, Pet, Food, Fireworks, Frame Composite, Party, Museum, Sunset, Digital Wide, and Digital Panorama); Program, Tv (Time value, same as Shutter Priority), Av (Aperture value, same as Aperture Priority), Manual, USER mode (pictures can be taken with personalized settings) and a Movie mode. There is also a Green mode for absolute beginners. Another interesting feature is that you can register your frequently used functions on the four-way controller.

The Mode Dial offers various shooting modes: Auto Pict (the

The Pentax X70 offers Face Recognition in all shooting modes. This feature can

KEY FEATURES

Inside the box • Camera • Lens cap with attaching cord • Neck strap • CD-ROM • USB cable • AV cable • Rechargeable li-ion battery • Battery charger • AC cord • Quick Guide • Operating Manual

September Smart Photography

Mahesh Reddy

recognize up to 32 faces. When it detects a face (it can detect only human faces!), it puts a yellow frame around the face, sets the focus and exposure. If it detects multiple faces, it will place a yellow frame over the main face, and white frames over the other faces (how does it know which is the main face?). Though the Face Recognition system can recognize up to 32 faces, it can display up to a total of 15 faces only. The Face Recognition system, by default, is set to Face Priority, but you can set it to Smile Capture, which automatically releases the shutter when the subject smiles. The X70 can also detect if the person being photographed has blinked his eyes during the moment of exposure! The camera further allows you to set the level of sharpness, contrast and saturation for the recorded images. Unfortunately, in spite of all these features, the X70 does not have a RAW mode! If you wish to ﬁre a burst, the X70 will let you do that, but at a reduced pixel resolution of 5 million. In Continuous Low, you can ﬁre away 7 frames at a speed of 4 fps; set it to Continuous M,

Smart Photography September 2009

and it will give you up to 7 frames at approximately 6.3 fps. At Continuous High however, you can ﬁre up to 21 frames at approximately 11 frames per second! The Pentax X70 also allows Interval Shooting (camera automatically takes pictures at various intervals).

MACRO

Taking pictures under difﬁcult lighting situations is, well, difﬁcult for most users. The X70 lets you shoot 3 frames (Auto Bracketing) with a exposure value of +/- 0.3 EV to +/- 2 EV so that at least one frame is properly exposed. Though the lens starts at a focal length of 26mm equivalent, you can use the Digital

Aperture: f/8 Shutter Speed: 0.3sec. ISO: 100

NOISE

FLASH OUTPUT

ISO: 50

ISO: 6400

Aperture: f/8 Shutter Speed: 1/125sec. ISO: 640

PENTAX X70 FINAL SCORE

SPECIFICATIONS

Design and Build Quality

15/20

+ Superb focal range

Key Features

17/20

+ Shake Reduction

Ergonomics

17/20

+ Blink Detection

Performance

16.5/20

Value for Money

OVERALL

17/20

82.5%

Effective pixels Sensor Lens Motion Blur Reduction

- Jutting EVF could hurt the eye - Plastic tripod socket - Flimsy Mode Dial - No RAW mode

Mahesh Reddy

Wide Function to get a wider view, equivalent to the coverage of a 20mm lens in the 35mm format. Similarly, by using the Digital Panorama Mode, the camera letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s you stitch two or three frames to form a panoramic view. Three metering modes are available: Multi-segment, Center-weighted, and Spot. Exposure can be compensated within a range of +/- 2 EV in 1/3 EV steps. Three image quality levels are on offer: Good, Better, and Best. The user can also set the image tone between Bright, Natural, and Monochrome. Nine pixel resolution settings for still pictures can be set. Aspect ratios available are 3:2, 16:9 and 1:1. White Balance presets are available for Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent (3 types), and Manual. Auto White Balance can also be set. ISO sensitivity can be set between ISO 50 and 6400 in 1-stop settings. Setting the ISO to AUTO, limits the sensitivity between ISO 50 and 800.

seen but was not at all objectionable. At 50 percent enlargement, noise could be seen from ISO 200 upwards, but was acceptable up to ISO 800. At ISO 3200 and 6400, the X70 drops its resolution to around 5MP.

ERGONOMICS The X70 feels very comfortable to hold. At the same time, its protruding EVF could possibly cause injury to the eye if the user is not careful. The interface is user friendly, but with so many features it is imperative that you study the operating manual thoroughly if you need to enjoy all the features the camera provides.

Images were quite evenly illuminated; we did notice very slight darkening of corners, but not enough to cry wolf about! White Balance performance was satisfactory; the slight color casts were very easy to eliminate in post processing. Flare and chromatic aberration though, was easily noticed. Overall, a good performer.

PERFORMANCE

VALUE FOR MONEY

The Pentax X70 delivered crisp, sharp results in our tests. Noise control was exceptionally good â&#x20AC;&#x201D; At ISO 1600 at its native print size of 10x13.333 inches at 300ppi, noise could of course be

The Pentax X70 is available at an MRP of Rs.24,500. This includes a 2 GB SD card and a camera pouch. At this price and performance, we consider the X70 good value for money.

: Approx. 12 million : 1/2.33 inch Type CCD : 24x, Approx. 26-624mm equivalent, f/2.8-5.0

: CCD Image Sensor Shift, Hi-sensitivity shake reduction (Digital SR) ISO sensitivity : Auto, Manual: ISO 50-6400 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent (3 types), Manual LCD display : 2.7 inch, 230,000 dots, wide viewing Viewfinder : Electronic, approx. 200,000 dots Focus modes : Autofocus, Macro, 1cm Macro, Infinity focus, Manual focus, AF area selection from among 25 points Focus : TTL contrast detection system by sensor; Multiple (9-point AF)/spot/auto tracking AF, changeable Focus range : Standard: 0.4m-infinity (W); 1.7m-infinity (T) (from lens face) Macro: 0.1m-0.5m; 1cm macro: 0.01m-0.3m Metering : Multi-segment, Center-weighted, Spot Exp. Compensation : +/- 2 EV (in 1/3 EV steps) Face Priority : Recognizes up to 32 faces (up to 15 faces in face recognition frame on the display), Smile Capture, Blink Detection Shooting modes : Auto Picture, Sport, Digital SR, Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, USER, Landscape, Flower, Portrait, Backlight, Half-length Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Stage Lighting, Surf & Snow, Baby, Kids, Pet, Food, Fireworks, Frame Composite, Party, Museum, Sunset, Digital Wide, Digital Panorama, Movie, Green Shutter speed : 1/4000sec-1/4sec. Max. 4 seconds in A, S, M, and Night Scene Mode Built-in flash : Range: At ISO Auto-0.2m-9.1m (W); 1.7m-5.1m (T) Drive modes : Single frame, Continuous (L/M/H), Self-timer, Interval, Auto Bracket Power source : Rechargeable lithium-ion battery D-LI92, optional AC adapter Dimensions (w x h x d) :Approx. 110.5x82.5x89.5mm, excluding protruding parts Weight : Approx. 410 g including battery and SD Card

VERDICT The Pentax X70 is a good carry-at-alltimes prosumer camera. It provides sharp images with good color, and the price is just right. Due to its very wide focal range, the X70 would do well for wildlife photography at a very resonable cost. Definitely recommended. Rohinton Mehta September Smart Photography

Underwater Cameras CANON POWERSHOT D10 VS. PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-FT1

nderwater cameras, not so long ago, were expensive and just a small niche in the market. In recent years, however, more and more manufacturers have got into the act and introduced their own versions of

Smart Photography September 2009

underwater cameras. Underwater cameras today are compact and not only keep out water, but are also designed to keep out dust, as well as withstand knocks and bangs. We review two such cameras from Canon and Panasonic below.

Mahesh Reddy

PANASONIC FT1

DESIGN & BUILD QUALITY

KEY FEATURES

The Canon Powershot D10 is a fresh and different design from Canon. Finished in blue and silver, the Canon is a polycarbonate affair. Whilst we liked the design, others may ďŹ nd it a little chunky and bulbous. At 190g, the Canon is a lightweight camera.

Let us compare the key features of both the cameras: Canon D10 Panasonic FT1 Image Sensor 12.1 MP 12 MP CCD CCD DIGIC 4 Processor Venus Engine HD processor Lens 35-105mm equiv. 28-130mm equiv. f/2.8-5.9 f/3.3-5.9 Shutter Speeds 15sec - 1/1500sec 8sec - 1/1300sec LCD Monitor 2.5-inch with 2.7-inch with 230,000 dots 230,000 dots Flash Range 30cm - 3.2m at 60cm - 6m at wide-angle end wide-angle end

The Panasonic DMC-FT1 is a maiden effort by Panasonic in this ďŹ eld. Made from brushed metal, the Panasonic looks and feels tough. Body weight is 163g. Whilst the Canon scores as an original design, the Panasonic scores on build quality.

Mahesh Reddy

CANON D10

September Smart Photography

ISO Sensitivity

Auto + ISO 80-1600 Metering Evaluative, Centerweighted & Spot Image Stabilization Yes Focusing Range 3cm - 50cm in Macro mode; 3cm to inﬁnity otherwise Scene Modes Yes-18

Auto+ ISO 80-6400 Multiple + Intelligent Auto Mode Yes 5cm - 30cm in Macro; 30 cms to inﬁnity otherwise Yes-23

Movie Mode Waterproof Shockproof Built in Memory Storage Memory

PANASONIC FT1

MACRO

Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter Speed: 1/15sec. ISO: 100

Aperture: f/3.3 Shutter Speed: 1/13sec. ISO: 100

NOISE

ISO: 80

ISO: 1600

ISO: 80

ISO: 1600

FLASH OUTPUT

Aperture: f/4.9 Shutter Speed: 1/60sec. ISO: 100

Aperture: f/3.3 Shutter Speed: 1/30sec. ISO: 200

Smart Photography September 2009

Yes, AVCHD format Up to 3 Meters Up to 1.5 Approx. 50MB SD/SDHC cards

We liked the wider zoom range of the Panasonic camera; what clinched the issue was the Canon’s capability underwater. The Canon is good up to 10 meters; the Panasonic only up to 3 meters.

CANON D10

Yes Up to 10 Meters Up to 1.22 Meters Meters SD/SDHC cards

CANON POWERSHOT D10 VS. PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-FT1 FINAL SCORE PANASONIC FT1

CANON D10 Design and Build Quality

16/20

17/20

Key Features

17/20

16/20

Ergonomics

16/20

ERGONOMICS

Performance

17/20

16/20

Value for Money

16/20

OVERALL

82%

81%

There are some clever touches to the D10 like the hand-strap, which can be attached to any one of the four corners of the camera. The various buttons on the camera are not exactly in the places you expect them to be. A good example is the zoom control. Again, without any hand-grip, the D10 could prove a slippery customer.

CANON D10

PANASONIC FT1

+ Waterproof to 10 Meters

+ Good build quality

+ High quality results

+ Lens zoom range wider than Canon

- No Lens Cover

- Buttons too close to each other - Waterproof only to 3 meters - No lens cover

SPECIFICATIONS Effective pixels Image sensor Lens Max. Apertures Waterproof Shock resistant Focus range

: : : : : : :

Shutter speeds

Image stabilization Metering Shooting modes Flash range Recording media

: : : : :

Weight Dimensions

: :

CANON D10 12.1 million CCD, 1/2.3-inch Type 35-105mm equivalent f/2.8-4.9 Up to 10m Up to 1.22m Auto: 3cm-infinity (W) 30cm-infinity (T) Macro: 3-50cm (W) 30-50cm (T) 15-1/1500sec Starry sky: 15, 30, or 60 sec Yes Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot Auto, P, SCN, Underwater, Movie 30cm-3.2m (W); 30cm-2m (T) SD/SDHC/MMC/MMCplus/ HC MMCplus 190g approx. 103.6x66.9x48.8mm

The FT1, on the other hand, is a different proposition altogether. The Intelligent Auto mode combined with Panasonic’s Mega OIS and Face Recognition technology, help to get the FT1 ready for shooting very quickly. The quality of the LCD monitor of the Panasonic is also a few shades ahead of the Canon. The HDMI output port can be linked directly to a HDTV via an HDMI cable. Like the Canon, the Panasonic lacks a hand-grip and can prove slippery.

PANASONIC FT1 12.1 million CCD, 1/2.3-inch Type 28-130mm equivalent f/3.3-5.9 Up to 3m Up to 1.5m Normal: 30cm-infinity Macro: 5cm (W)-infinity Telephoto: 30cm-infinity

PERFORMANCE

8-1/1300sec

The Panasonic’s main drawback is that it is waterproof only to 3 meters. This limits its application to aquariums and swimming pools. The camera focused fast, produced rock-steady pictures and calculated exposures accurately. The HD movie mode using either Motion JPEG or AVCHD was a distinct plus point. Noise was visible at ISO 800 and 1600. Both cameras survived the “wetting” and “dropping” tests.

On the performance front, the Canon came out with ﬂying colors. Picture quality was uniformly good, exposures were sharp and color rendition (for an underwater camera) acceptable. Some barrel distortion was visible, however, at the wide-angle end. The Canon handled noise particularly well.

Yes Multiple Program, SCN, U/water,Movie. 60cm-6m (W) SD/SDHC/MMC 184g approx. 98.3x63.1x22.7mm

Overall, the Canon had the edge in performance but only just.

VERDICT The Panasonic is a good performer. In its favor is the 28mm focal length of the zoom and its good build quality. The Canon, however, produces better results and is the better camera overall. H. S. Billimoria

VALUE FOR MONEY Both the cameras retail for the equivalent of around Rs.25,000. One must remember that the waterprooﬁng and shock prooﬁng of a camera does add to its cost. September Smart Photography

LENS REVIEW AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED

Good But Expensive Price: Rs.74,450/- Final Score: 81.5%

ntroduced in April 2009, the AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.5-5.6G ED is an ultra-wide-angle zoom lens designed for Nikon’s APS-C size (DX) sensor models. But why have a 10-24mm when Nikon already has a 12-24mm lens? The 12-24 is f/4 throughout whereas the 10-24mm is a variable aperture zoom (f/3.5-4.5), thus making the lens cheaper to manufacture, which in turn, allows more beginners to buy it. Though I have no conﬁrmation on this, it may be that the 10-24mm will replace the 12-24mm lens.

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY The 10-24mm lens has a decent build quality, similar to that of the mid-level Nikon 18-200mm lens. Personally I would say that the Nikon 12-24 has a better build quality. The outer body is made from polycarbonate, but the lens mount is made from metal and has a rubber gasket to prevent dust and water spray getting into the rear optics. The zoom ring has a 1-inch wide textured rubber grip, while the manual focus ring is 3/8-inch wide, also with a rubberized grip. The lens is legibly marked in white at 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, and 24mm focal lengths. The overall ﬁnish is good. The lens, made in China, weighs approximately 460g and has 77mm diameter ﬁlter threads.

Inside the box • Lens • Lens hood HB-23 • Rear lens cap LF-1 • Snap-on front lens cap LC-77 • Soft pouch CL-1118 • User Manual • Service warranty card

Smart Photography September 2009

cameras such as D40, D40x, and D60, which do not have a built-in AF motor. Due to its Internal Focusing (IF) design, the front element does not rotate while zooming or focusing, making it convenient to use graduated ﬁlters and Polarizers. The lens can stop down up to f/22 at the 10mm setting and up to f/29 at 24mm. Since this is a G-type lens, it has no aperture ring (the apertures are controlled via the camera body). Closest focusing distance is 0.24 m (0.8 ft) at all focal length settings (0.22 m or 0.72 ft when using manual focus). The diaphragm uses 7 blades. The lens goes from minimum distance to inﬁnity in a mere twist of approximately 25 degrees. A distance scale, marked in meters as well as feet, is available. An M/A-M switch on the side allows you to override the AF when set to the M/A position.

ERGONOMICS We tested the lens on a Nikon D80 body. The lens balanced well, and the zooming action was reasonably smooth (a bit scratchy?). Note here that the 1224mm maintains its overall length when zooming; the 10-24 does not! Manually overriding autofocus was easy; just tap the shutter release button after you leave the focus ring.

KEY FEATURES

PERFORMANCE

The AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.55.6G ED is specially designed to cover Nikon APS-C size sensor cameras. The equivalent focal range in the 35mm format is 15-36mm. The lens is constructed with 14 elements in 9 groups, out of which 3 elements are aspherical and 2 are ED (Extra Low Dispersion). The lens uses a Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for quiet and quick autofocus. The use of SWM also makes it possible to use the lens on

The AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.55.6G ED proved to be as sharp as the 12-24mm, and at all focal lengths. Autofocusing speed with the D80 was reasonably good, but you need to take extra care if the active AF bracket also covers an object with stronger contrast than the subject being photographed. The fact that the lens focuses from minimum to inﬁnity in a mere 25 degree twist of the focus ring, makes for faster

AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24MM F/3.5-4.5G ED Rohinton Mehta

Picture shot using the Nikon 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED on a Nikon D300. Shooting mode: Aperture Priority Aperture: f/8 Shutter Speed: 1/100sec ISO:200

SPECIFICATIONS Focal length Aperture range Lens construction

Diaphragm Minimum focus AF motor type Filter threads Weight Dimensions

: 10-24mm (equivalent to 15 36mm in the 35mm format) : f/3.5-22 (W); f/4.5-29 (T) : 14 elements in 9 groups 2 ED glass elements; 3 aspherical elements : 7 bladed : 0.24 m : Silent Wave Motor (SWM) : 77mm diameter : 460g : 83mm diax87mm length

autofocusing. Flare and ghosting appeared to be well controlled, but we did notice negligible magenta fringing at the 10mm end. Barrel distortion was noticeable between 10 and 15mm positions; slight pin cushioning was seen at 24mm. The lens, though designed for the DX format, allowed us to use it on a full-frame body from about 18-24mm (the same as with the Nikon 12-24mm). As per Nikon, using a camera with 3D color matrix metering will ensure more accurate exposures with

this lens, as the distance information is transferred from the lens to the camera. Darkening of corners was noticed at all f/stops at the 10mm setting. All in all, the lens performed very well.

VALUE FOR MONEY The AF-S DX Nikkor 10-24mm f/3.55.6G ED is available at an MRP of Rs.74,450. At this price, and considering that this is a variable aperture lens, it is rather expensive.

VERDICT If you are a landscape photographer or like to dabble in interiors photography, the 10-24mm Nikon lens would make a very useful companion. Though you can use the lens for non-professional architectural photography, its barrel distortion would make it less suitable for this kind of work. Rohinton Mehta

FINAL SCORE

+ Sharp

Design and Build Quality

16/20

Key Features

16/20

Ergonomics

17/20

- Build quality could have been better

Performance

17/20

- Barrel distortion

Value for Money

15.5/20

OVERALL

81.5%

+ Ultra-wide-angle

- Expensive

September 2009 Smart Photography

LENS REVIEW PANASONIC LUMIX G VARIO 45 – 200MM F/4 – 5.6

Light and Versatile Price: Rs.12,000/- Final Score: 84%

he Micro Four Thirds Standard was introduced with the promise of compact professional cameras and lenses. If the size of the new Lumix 45 – 200mm f/4 – 5.6 (90 – 400mm in 35mm equivalent) lens is any indication, Panasonic has kept its promise. Weighing just 380g and measuring approximately 14cm when extended fully, this is the lightest and most compact lens we have come across in this zoom range. The lens features Panasonic’s Mega Optical Image Stabilization.

DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY The Lumix 45 – 200mm lens is constructed with 16 elements in 13 groups including 3 ED glass elements. Largely made of polycarbonate (engineering plastic), it has a sturdy metal lens mount. The textured rubberized zoom ring and the textured focusing ring are easy and smooth to rotate, without any slack. Mega O.I.S. can be activated with the help of a switch on the side of the lens. The lens design complements Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens cameras like the G1 and the GH1.

KEY FEATURES

Inside the box • Panasonic Lumix 45 – 200mm f/4 – 5.6 lens • Front Lens Cap • Rear Lens Cap • Lens Hood • Storage Pouch

100

Smart Photography September 2009

The most important feature that distinguishes the Lumix 45 – 200mm lens is the compact design and light weight. The lens is versatile, ideal for subjects ranging from portraits to wildlife. Presence of 3 ED elements in the lens assures you of good color reproduction, while its multicoated elements reduce ﬂare and ghosting. Its 7-blade diaphragm forms a circular aperture, providing smooth bokeh. The lens features internal focusing and hence the front element does not rotate, making it easy to use polarizers

and graduated ﬁlters. The lens has 11 electrical contacts to communicate with the body and has a very useful ﬁlter diameter of 52mm.

ERGONOMICS The lens balances well with the compact Panasonic Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens cameras. Its compact size allows you to operate both the zoom and focus rings without any hassle while the small diameter provides better stability. This complements the OIS, providing sharper images. The lens being light, does not become a burden even after prolonged hand-held shooting.

PERFORMANCE We tested the 45 – 200mm lens on a Panasonic Lumix G1 body. The lens is certainly one of the better performing lenses in its class. It reproduced colors well without the multiple coatings introducing any perceptible color cast. Focusing was fast even in low-light situations, and the AF was precise. Since there is no AF/MF switch on the camera body or the lens, you have to choose this from the shooting menu. Manually focusing any lens using the EVF or LCD is often difﬁcult, but the Panasonic interchangeable lens cameras have a focus zoom feature that magniﬁes the image, making it easier to focus. Aided by this, the MF was easy to operate. The 45 – 200mm lens produced slight darkening of corners up to f/5.6, but not enough to be of concern. Distortion was controlled very well with very slight barreling observed at the 45mm end, which vanished around 50mm. Flare was observed throughout the zoom range with slight purple fringing around

Mahesh Reddy

PANASONIC LUMIX G VARIO 45 – 200MM F/4 – 5.6 very high contrast areas. The images from the 45 – 200mm lens were sharp between 45mm and 150mm, but between 150mm and 200mm, we noticed softness at the edges. We would rate this an average performer in case of sharpness. The sweet spot was found to be around f/8 and f/11. The lens’ close focusing (1m at all focal lengths) is useful for close-ups.

VALUE FOR MONEY The Panasonic Lumix 45 – 200mm f/4 – 5.6 lens is generally sold as a twolens kit and its equivalent price in the US, when sold as a kit, is around Rs.12,000. However, when sold separately, its US price is around Rs.16,000. Panasonic India is yet to announce its Indian price. At Rs.12,000, we consider it good value for money.

SPECIFICATIONS Mount Zoom Range

: Micro Four Thirds : 45 -200mm (90 – 400mm in 35mm equivalent) Angle of View : 27 degree – 6.2 degree Maximum Aperture : f/3.5 – 5.6 Minimum Aperture : f/22 Optical Construction : 16 elements in 13 groups Image Stabilization : Yes Minimum Focus Distance : 1.0m at all focal lengths Max. Magnification : Approx. 0.38x Number of Diaphragm Blades: 7 Filter Diameter : 52mm Overall Length : Approx. 100mm Max. Diameter : 70mm Weight : 380g Included Accessories : Front and Rear Caps, Lens Hood, Storage Pouch

Picture shot using the Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45 – 200mm f/4 – 5.6 on a Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1. Shooting mode: Aperture Priority Aperture: f/9 Shutter speed: 1/50sec ISO: 400

VERDICT The Panasonic Lumix 45 – 200mm f/4 – 5.6 lens (equivalent to 90 – 400mm) is a very useful lens as it covers situations from portraits to wildlife. The lens, like most telephoto zoom lenses, shows softening at the edges after 150mm (300mm equivalent). The Mega Optical Image Stabilizer is very useful and provides at least a 2-stop advantage. Sujith Gopinath

FINAL SCORE

+ Compact and lightweight

Design and Build Quality

16/20

+ Image Stabilization

Key Features

17/20

+ Good Value for Money

Ergonomics

18/20

Performance

16/20

Value for Money

17/20

OVERALL

84%

Edge-to-edge sharpness could have been better between 150mm and 200mmm

- No AF/MF switch

September 2009 Smart Photography

101

LENS REVIEW TOKINA AT-X PRO SD 11 – 16MM F/2.8 (IF) DX

A Serious Challenge! Price: Rs.26,800/- Final Score: 83%

earing the designation of AT-X (Advanced Technology Extra), which is Tokina ‘s stamp for professional lenses, the 11 – 16mm f/2.8 lens features the best in optics from the Tokina stable. The company claims superior material selection and micron-unit quality control (which ensures very high precision levels) in the manufacture of these state-ofthe-art lenses. These DX lenses are specially made for D-SLRs with APS-C sized sensors, and hence if used on DSLRs with full-frame sensors, the image circle will not cover the sensor area. Here we test the AT-X PRO 11 – 16mm f/2.8 (IF) DX on a Canon EOS 400D D-SLR.

Inside the box • Tokina ATX-Pro 11 – 16mm f/2.8 lens • BH-77A Dedicated Lens Hood

102

Smart Photography September 2009

being faster. The lens features Tokina’s exclusive One-touch Focus Clutch mechanism. This is more advanced than the Focus Clutch mechanism in older models. This allows you to switch between AF and MF by pushing the focus ring forward for AF and back for MF. One-touch mechanism means that you don’t need to toggle the AF/MF switch on Nikon bodies to enable AF or MF. This is very convenient since you don’t need to hunt for another switch while keeping an eye on your subject through the viewfinder. According to Tokina lens catalog, the lens is not capable of autofocus with the Nikon D40, D40x, and D60 D-SLRs. But the same catalog mentions that even the 12 – 24mm f/4, which autofocussed DESIGN AND BUILD QUALITY perfectly on a D40 in our tests, does not The Tokina AT-X PRO 11 – 16mm f/2.8 AF with the D40. Since we received a is based on the AT-X 124 PRO DX 12 – Canon mount lens, we had no means to 24mm f/4 that we reviewed few months verify this. back. The ATX-PRO 11 – 16mm f/2.8 lens has a tough professional feel. As with all professional lenses, Tokina Tokina has used textured rubber on the uses Internal Focusing in the 11 zoom and focus rings. The lens uses – 16mm f/2.8. The system focuses the Duralumin in metal parts to provide lens by moving each group of elements better durability and tensile strength. instead of the lens barrel. The main The lens mount is made of chromeadvantage of this is that the length of plated brass. The exterior of the lens the lens remains the same throughout has a hardened Alumite finish that gives the focal range. It also allows for faster a classy and tough feel. The textured focusing and use of circular polarizers rubber grip on the focus and zoom and graduated ND filters since the front rings are of good quality and provide element does not rotate while focusing. proper friction, making it very easy to It focuses as close as 30cm. rotate the rings. The Tokina 11 – 16mm lens is KEY FEATURES constructed with 13 elements in 11 The new Tokina 11 – 16mm f/2.8 lens groups, which includes aspherical has a short zoom range, which helps elements to eliminate spherical to maintain high standards of optical aberration which is responsible for quality. A big improvement from the loss of edge sharpness. The lens 12 – 24mm f/4 lens is the fixed wide elements are multicoated to resist flare aperture of f/2.8, which can help you and ghosting. The lens bears the SD get shallow depth-of-fields apart from mark, which means it uses Super-low

Mahesh Reddy

TOKINA AT-X PRO SD 11 – 16MM F/2.8 (IF) DX Dispersion glass (Fluorite). These materials provide Apochromatic properties to the lens, correcting chromatic aberration.

ERGONOMICS The Tokina 11 – 16mm f/2.8 lens weighs 560g, which is comparable to other professional quality lenses in this category. Combined with the optimum size and excellent grip, it feels secure. Handling the lens is a pleasure with the One-touch Focus Clutch and the smooth, but slightly dampened focus and zoom rings. The focus ring rotates less than 90 degrees from the nearest to farthest focus points in manual mode, which is very good.

PERFORMANCE The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 lens performed well in our tests except in extreme situations. The lens balanced well in our hands. It focused fast even in low light, but the focusing was audible, unlike in the 12 – 24mm f/4 we reviewed in

SPECIFICATIONS Mount availability Zoom Range Maximum Aperture Minimum Aperture Optical Construction Coatings Zooming System Focusing Mode Minimum Focus Distance Reproduction Ratio No. of Diaphragm Blades Filter Size Length Weight Lens Hood

: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :

Canon and Nikon D 11 – 16mm f/2.8 f/22 13 Elements / 11Groups Multi-layer Rotary-type Internal Focusing 30cm 1:11.6 9 77mm dia. 89.2mm 560g BH-777

VERDICT The Tokina 11 – 16mm f/2.8 is a professional quality wide-angle lens at a reasonable price. Though not completely free from optical flaws, the value it offers is unmatched in this category of lenses. In normal use, you might not notice the flaws unless you really push the lens to its limits. So if you are looking for a professionally-built, fast wideangle lens that doesn’t mess up your budget, the Tokina AT-X PRO 11 – 16mm f/2.8 lens is highly recommended. Sujith Gopinath

Picture shot using the Tokina AT-X PRO SD 11 – 16mm F2.8 (IF) DX on a Canon EOS 400D. Shooting mode: Aperture Priority Aperture: f/7.1 Shutter speed: 1/800sec ISO: 200

March. Barrel distortion was observed up to 14mm, but we would consider this as acceptable for this focal length. Irregular distortion (wave-like lines) was observed throughout the focal length range at the periphery. The images from the Tokina 11 – 16mm appeared sharp throughout. The sweet spot was found to be at f/11, where the lens produced the sharpest images. Lateral chromatic aberration was observed, though we wouldn’t consider this a major defect. In fact, most lenses show some amount of lateral CA while reproducing black characters on a white board. The lens produced slight ﬂare at 11mm at wide open aperture. Purple fringing was

FINAL SCORE

visible along with green spots from internal reﬂections, when the lens was used wide open. Stopping down the lens eliminated these ﬂaws. Darkening of corners was seen as expected in a wide-angle lens, which vanished around f/8 at the 11mm focal length. We could not see any perceptible color cast, thanks to the lens coatings.

VALUE FOR MONEY The Tokina 11 – 16mm f/2.8 lens retails at an MRP of Rs.26,800. At this price it is very good value for money since similar lenses from other manufacturers come at a very high cost.

+ Excellent build quality

Design and Build Quality

17/20

+ Great value for money

Key Features

16/20

+ Useful One-touch Focus Clutch mechanism

Ergonomics

17/20

Performance

15/20

Value for Money

18/20

OVERALL

83%

No AF with Nikon D40, D40x and D60 cameras

- Optical flaws need to be controlled

September 2009 Smart Photography

103

First Look Balancing Act WIMBERLEY HEAD VERSION II In an earlier issue of Smart Photography (August 2008), we had a first look at the Wimberley Head, Version I. This one (model # WH-200) is the second version and is slightly different from the older version.

he Wimberley Head is basically designed for the ultra-heavy, long focal length lenses. When such lenses are used with conventional tripod heads, many a times, the freedom to pan, tilt and balance the lens/body combo is sacriﬁced. Anyone who has ever used a 500mm or a 600mm lens would know the limitations placed by the conventional tripod head. The Wimberley Head is a precision gimbal-style instrument, and it is very important to achieve optimal balance with every lens/camera body combination. Hence, the Arca-Swiss style (a dovetail design) quick release lens plate you use needs to be of the correct length for each lens. You can use plates made by Arca-Swiss, Kirk Enterprises or Really Right Stuff, but you have to ensure that the length and proportion is as per Wimberley’s speciﬁcations. The necessary mounting plates are available with Wimberley at extra costs. The head performs three functions: Panning, Tilting, and Adjusting the camera/lens height.

Panning

Tilting

Height Adjustment

The greatest advantage of the Wimberley Head is the extra-ordinary fine balance and the smoothness with which you can monouver the heavy lens/camera body combo. In spite of the lens/body weight going beyond 12-15 pounds, you can move the setup with perfect ease using just your thumb and index finger! Use it once and you’ll wonder how you managed without it all along! Rohinton Mehta

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Buyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guide

All SP readers can now use the Online Buyersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Guide to access specifications of D-SLRs, Compacts, and Lenses. You can also compare upto three different models simultaneously and choose the one that best suits your requirement. In addition, we have a comprehensively categorized and compiled the directory of all the lenses available in the Indian market. For a comprehensive view of the camera and lenses directory, log on to: www.smartphotography.in/buyersguide/

CANON EOS 1Ds MK III

CANON EOS 1D MK III

CANON EOS 5D MARK II

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, 36x24mm Effective Pixels : 21.1 million Supported File Formats: RAW, RAW+JPEG, sRAW, JPEG Metering Modes : Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Center-weighted Exposure Modes : P, A, S, M, Flash metered manual ISO Equivalence : 100-3200 in 1/3stops, plus 50 & 3200 Shutter Speeds : 30secs-1/8000sec, bulb White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature Setting, PersoTBAl WB LCD Monitor : 3.0-inch LCD Pixels/Dots : 230,000 pixels Flash Sync : Up to 1/250sec PC Terminal : Yes Shooting Modes : Single frame, Low-speed continuous, High-speed continuous Storage Type : CF (UDMA compatible), SDHC/SD card Battery : Canon Lithium-Ion & double charger Dimensions (wxhxd) : 150x160x80mm Weight : Approx. 1385gms (Incl. batteries)

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, 28.7x18.7mm Effective Pixels : 10.1 million Supported File Formats: RAW, sRAW, JPEG Metering Modes : Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Center-weighted Exposure Modes : P, A, S, M, Flash metered manual ISO Equivalence : 100-3200 in 1/3 stops, plus 50 & 6400 Shutter Speeds : 30secs - 1/8000sec, bulb White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature Setting, PersoTBAl WB LCD Monitor : 3.0-inch LCD Pixels/dots : 230,000 pixels Flash Sync : Up to 1/300sec PC Terminal : Yes Shooting Modes : Single frame, Low-speed continuous, High-speed continuous Storage Type : CF card (Type I/II), SDHC/SD card Battery : Canon Lithium-Ion & double charger Dimensions (wxhxd) : 156x157x80mm Weight : Approx. 1335gms (Incl. batteries)

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, 36x24mm Effective Pixels : 21.1 million Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG Metering Modes : Evaluative, partial, Spot, Center-weighted Exposure Modes : P, A, S, M, Flash metered manual ISO Equivalence : 100-6400 in 1/3stops, plus 50 & 25600 Shutter Speeds : 30secs - 1/8000sec, bulb White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature Setting, PersoTBAl WB LCD Monitor : 3-inch LCD Pixels/Dots : 920,000 pixels Flash Sync : Up to 1/200sec PC Terminal : Yes Shooting Modes : Single frame, Low-speed continuous High-speed continuous Storage Type : CF card (Type I/II), supports UDMA Battery : Canon Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & Charger Dimensions (wxhxd) : 152x114x75mm Weight : Approx. 810gms (Incl batteries)

Price: Rs.4,12,995 (body only)

Price: Rs. 2,23,995 (body only)

Price: Rs. 1,56,995 (body only)

CANON EOS 50D

Sensor Size/Type : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes : Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence

: :

Shutter Speeds White Balance LCD Monitor LCD pixels/dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Shooting Modes Storage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: : : : : : : : : : :

CMOS, 22.3x14.9mm 15.1 million RAW, sRAW1,sRAW2, JPEG 35area Eval,Center weighted,Partial,Spot P,A,S,M Auto,100,200,400,800,1600,3200, 6400,12800 30-1/8000 sec. B 6 positions, Kelvin & manual preset 3.0-inch 920,000 Upto 1/250 Yes SIngle, Continous, Continous-High Compact Flash (Type I or II),UDMA Canon BP-511Ah Li-Ion & Charger 146x108x74mm 822 gms.

Price: Rs. 67,995 (body only)

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CANON EOS 40D

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes : Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence

: :

Shutter Speeds White Balance

: :

LCD Monitor LCD Pixels/dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Storage Type Battery

: : : : : :

Dimensions (wxhxd) : Weight :

CMOS, 22.2x14.8mm 10.1 million RAW, sRAW, JPEG Evaluative, partial, Spot, Center-weighted Auto, P, A, S, M 100-1600/3200, 0.3 or 1.0 EV increments 30secs-1/8000sec Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent, Flash, Custom, Color Temp Setting 3.0-inch 230,000 pixels Up to 1/250sec No CF card (Type I/II) Canon 1390mAh Li-Ion & Charger 146x108x74mm Approx. 822gms (Incl. batteries)

Price: Rs. 66,995 (body only)

CANON EOS 450D

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats: Metering Modes : Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence Shutter Speeds White Balance

: : : :

LCD Monitor LCD Pixels/dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Storage Type Battery

: : : : : :

Dimensions (wxhxd) : Weight :

CMOS, 22.2x14.8mm 12.2 million RAW/JPEG Evaluative, partial, Spot, Center-weighted Auto, P, A, S, M 100 - 1600 30secs - 1/4000sec, bulb Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent, Flash, Custom, Color Temp Setting 3.0-inch 230,000 pixels Up to 1/250sec No SD/SDHC/MMC card Canon 1050mAh Li-Ion & Charger 129x98x62mm Approx. 822gms (Incl.batteries)

Price: Rs. 39,995 (body only)

Buyers’ Guide - Digital SLRs CANON EOS 500D

Sensor Type/size Effective Pixels Supported File Format Metering Modes LCD ISO Equivalence Shutter Speeds White Balance LCD Monitor LCD pixels/dots Flash Sync Starage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: CMOS, 22.3x14.9mm : 15.1 million : RAW/JPEG : Evaluative 35-area, Partial, Spot, Center-weighted : 3.0-inch, Approx. 920,000 dots : ISO 100-3200 (expandable to 12800) : 30secs - 1/4000 sec, bulb : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash, Custom : 3.0-inch : 920,000 : 1/200 sec : SD/ SDHC card : Li-Ion 1050mAh & charger : 129 x 98 x 62 mm : 480 gms

Sensor Type/ size : CMOS, 22.2x14.8mm Effective Pixels : 10.1 million Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG Metering Modes : Evaluative, Partial, Center-weighted Exposure Modes : P, S, A, M, Depth-of-ﬁeld AE ISO Equivalence : 100-1600 Shutter Speeds : 30sec-1/4000sec, bulb White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent light, Flash, custom LCD Monitor : 2.5-inch LCD Pixels/Dots : 230,000 pixels PC Terminal : No Flash Sync : Up to 1/200sec Shooting Modes : Single, Cont. (3fps) Storage Type : SD/SDHC Battery : Lithium-Ion LP-E5 battery + charger Dimensions (wxhxd) : 126x98x62mm Weight : Approx 502gms (Incl. Batteries)

Price: Rs. 46,995 (body only)

NIKON D3

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes : Exposure Modes : ISO Equivalence : Shutter Speeds White Balance

: :

LCD Monitor LCD Pixels/Dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Storage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: : : : : : : :

Nikon FX format, 36x24mm, CMOS 12.1 million RAW, TIFF, JPEG, RAW + JPEG Evaluative, Center -wtd, Spot P (with Flexible Program), S, A, M 200 - 6400; 0.3, 0.5, 0.7 or 1 EV steps (100 - 25600 with boost) 30secs -1/8000sec, Bulb Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature Setting 3-inch 920,000 pixels Up to 1/250sec Yes CF card (Type I/II) x 2 Nikon EN-EL4a Lithium-Ion battery 160x157x88mm Approx. 1300gms (Incl. battery)

Price: Rs. 2,89,950

NIKON D3X

CANON EOS 1000D

Sensor Type/size

: CMOS, 35.9x24.0mm

Effective Pixels

: 24.5 million

Supported File Formats : RAW, TIFF, JPEG Metering Modes

: 3D Matrix, Center-weighted, Spot

Exposure Modes

: P, A, S, M

ISO Equivalence

: 100 - 1600

Shutter Speeds

: 30 - 1/8000sec, bulb

White Balance

: Auto, 7 Manual Presets, Color

LCD Monitor

: 3.0-inch Type

Temperature LCD Pixels/dots

: 9,20,000

Flash Sync

: Up to 1/250 sec

PC Terminal

: Yes

Storage Type

: CF Type I, II (UDMA compliant),

Battery

: Li-ion EN-EL4a/EL4

Microdrive Dimensions (wxhxd)

: 159.5×157×87.5mm

Weight

: Approx. 1220gms. Price: Rs. 5,24,950 (body only)

Price: Rs. 34,995 (with 18-55 kit lens)

NIKON D700

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes :

Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence

: :

Shutter Speeds White Balance

: :

LCD Monitor LCD Pixels/Dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Storage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: : : : : : : :

CMOS, 36 x 23.9mm 12.1 million RAW, TIFF, JPEG, RAW + JPEG 3D Matrix Metering II, color matrix metering, Center-weighted, Spot P (with Flexible Program), S, A, M ISO 200-6400 in 1/3, 1/2 or 1.0 EV Boost: 100 - 25600 30secs -1/8000sec, Bulb Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, White Fluorescent, Flash, Custom, Color Temperature Setting 3-inch 920,000 pixels Up to 1/250sec Yes CF card (Type I/II), UDMA supported Nikon Lithium-Ion EN-EL3e 147x123x77mm Approx. 995gms (Incl. battery) Price: 1,85,950

NIKON D300

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes : Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence

: :

Shutter Speeds White Balance

: :

LCD Monitor LCD Pixels/Dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Storage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: : : : : : : :

CMOS, 23.6x15.8mm 12.3 million RAW, TIFF, JPEG 3D Matrix metering II, Center weighted, Spot P, A, S, M ISO 200 - 3200 in 1, 1/2 or 1/3 EV steps (100 - 6400 with boost) 30secs - 1/8000sec, bulb Auto, seven Presets, 4 Manual Presets,Color temp in Kelvin (2500 -10000 K, 31 steps) 3.0-inch 920,000 pixels Up to 1/250sec Yes CF card (Type I/II), Microdrive Nikon EN-EL3e Lithium-Ion battery 147x114x74mm Approx. 925gms (Incl. batteries)

Price: Rs. 99,950

September 2009 Smart Photography

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NIKON D300S

NIKON D90

NIKON D3000

Sensor Size/Type

: CMOS 23.6 x 15.8mm

Sensor Size/Type

: CMOS, 23.6x15.8mm

Sensor Size/Type

: CMOS, 23.6 x 15.8mm

Effective Pixels

: 12.3 million

Effective Pixels

: 12.3 million

Effective Pixels

: 12.3 million

Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG

Supported File Formats : RAW,JPEG

Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG

Metering Modes

: 3D Matrix metering II, Center-Weighted, Spot.

Metering Modes

: 3D Matrix metering II,Center weighted,Spot

Metering Modes

: 3D color matrix metering II,

Exposure Modes

: Auto, P.S.A.M

Exposure Modes

: Scene Modes,P,A,S,M

ISO Equivalence

: ISO 200 to 3200 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV

ISO Equivalence

: Auto,200-3200(plus 6400 with boost)

Exposure Modes

: PASM

Shutter Speed

: 30secs -1/8000sec, Bulb

Shutter Speeds

: 30-1/4000 sec. B

ISO Equivalence

: 200 to 3200 in steps of 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV

White Balance

: Auto, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Direct

White Balance

: 12 positions,5 manual preset and Kelvin

Shutter Speeds

: 30secs - 1/4000sec, Bulb

Sunlight, Flash, Cloudy, Shade, and preset

LCD Monitor

: 3.0-inch

White Balance

: Auto, 12 manual preset

manual and color temperature setting.

LCD pixels/dots

: 920,000

LCD Monitor

: 3.0 inch TFT LCD

center-weighted and spot metering

LCD Monitor

: 3.0-inch

Flash Sync

: Upto 1/200

Flash Sync

: up to 1/200 sec

Flash Sync

: Up to /250 sec

PC Terminal

: Yes

Shooting Modes

: Single Frame, Continuous, Self-timer,

Storage Type

: CF Type I (UDMA Compliant):

Shooting Modes

: Single, Continous, Continous-High

Storage Type

: SD/SDHC card

Storage Type

: SD / SDHC card

Battery

: Nikon EN-EL3e Lithium-Ion battery

Battery

: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e

SD / SDHC card Battery

: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e

Quick-Response Remote, Delayed Remote

Dimensions (wxhxd) : 147 x 114 x 74 mm

Dimensions (wxhxd) : 132x103x77mm

Dimensions (wxhxd) : 147 x 114 x 74 mm

Weight

: Approx. 840 gms

: 703 gms.

Price: TBA

NIKON D5000

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes : Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence Shutter Speeds White Balance LCD Monitor LCD pixels/dots Flash Sync Storage Type Battery Dimensions(wxhxd) Weight

: : : : : : : : : : :

CMOS, 12.3 million RAW/JPEG 3D color matrix metering II, Center-weighted, Spot P. A. S. M 200 to 3200 in steps of 1/3 EV. 30secs – 1/4000 sec, Bulb Auto, 12 manual preset 2.7-inch type 230,000 pixels Upto 1/200sec SD/SDHC card Li-ion Battery EN-EL9a 127 x 104 x 80 mm 560gms

Price: Body: Rs. 48,950 Kit Lens: 55,950

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: 840gms

Price: Body: Rs. 64,950 Kit Lens: Rs. 83,950

NIKON D60

Sensor Type/size

: CCD, 23.6x15.8mm

Effective Pixels

: 10.2 million

Supported File Formats : RAW, RAW+JPEG, JPEG Metering Modes

: 3D Matrix, Center-weighted, Spot

Exposure Modes

: P, A, S, M

ISO Equivalence

: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600,

Shutter Speeds

: 30secs - 1/4000sec, Bulb

White Balance

: Auto, 6 Manual Presets, 4 Manual

LCD Monitor

: 2.5-inch

LCD Pixels/Dots

: 230,000 dots

Flash Sync

: Up to 1/250sec

(plus 3200 with boost)

Presets, Kelvin Temperature

PC Terminal

: No

Storage Type

: SD/MMC/SDHC card

Battery

: Lithium Ion (EN-EL9) & charger

Dimensions (wxhxd)

: 126x94x64mm

Weight

: Approx. 522gms (Incl. batteries) Price: Body: Rs. 36,950 Kit Lens: 39,950

Price: Body: TBA

OLYMPUS E-620

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes :

Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence Shutter Speeds White Balance

: : : :

LCD pixels/dots Flash Sync Storage Type

: : :

Battery Dimensions(wxhxd) Weight

Live MOS Sensor, 4/3-inch 12.3 million RAW/JPEG Digital ESP Multipattern, Center weighed, Spot, Highlight based Spot, Shadow based Spot P. A. S. M, Scene Program, 200 – 3200 60 - 1/4000 sec, bulb Auto 8 preset, One touch, Custom (Kelvin) 230,000 pixels Upto 1/180 sec CF Type I, II (UDMA compliant), Microdrive, xD-Picture Card (Dual-Slot) BLS-1 Li-ion Battery 130 x 94 x 60 mm Approx. 475 gms Price: Rs.TBA

Buyers’ Guide - Digital SLRs PANASONIC G1

Sensor Size/Type

: Live MOS

Effective Pixels

: 12.11 million

Supported File Formats : RAW,JPEG Metering Modes

: Multi-segment,Center-Weighted,Spot

Exposure Modes

: Auto, Intelligent Auto,Scene

ISO Equivalence

: Auto,100,200,400,800,1600,3200 Boost

Shutter Speeds

: 60-1/4000 sec.

Modes,P,A,S,M

White Balance

: 6 positions plus 2 manual

LCD Monitor

: 3.0-inch

LCD pixels/dots

: 460,000

Flash Sync

: Upto 1/160

PC Terminal

: Yes

Shooting Modes

: Single Shot,Continous

Storage Type

: SD/MMC/SDHC card

Battery

: Lithium-Ion rechargeable

Dimensions (wxhxd)

: 124x84x45mm

Weight

: 360 gms.

PANASONIC GH1

Sensor : Live MOS Effective Pixels : 12.1 million Supported File Formats : RAW,JPEG Lenses : Micro Four Thirds mount lenses Exposure modes : Program AE, Aperture priority AE, Shutter priority AE, Manual, Auto, Scene modes, Portrait, Soft Skin, Outdoor Portrait, Indoor Portrait, Creative Portrait, Scenery, TBAture, etc. ISO Sensitivity : Auto, Intelligent ISO 100, 200,400,800,1600,3200 Metering range : 0 to 18 EV Exposure compensation: -3.0 to +3.0 EV • 1/3 EV steps Shutter speed : 60 -1/4000 sec White balance : 6 positions plus 2 manual LCD monitor : 3.0 -inch PC Terminal : YesStorage Type SD / SDHC Movie Clips : 1920 x 1080, 1280 x 720 848 x 480 640 x 480, 320 x 240 Battery : 1250 mAh 7.2v Lithium-Ion Dimensions : 124 mm x 90mm x 45 mm Weight (camera body) Approx. 385g

Price: TBA

PENTAX K20D

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, 23.4x15.6mm Effective Pixels : 14.6 million Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG Metering Modes : 16-segment Multi, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure Modes : P, A, S, M, Flash metered manual ISO Equivalence : Auto, 100 - 3200 in 1EV, 1/2 EV or 1/3 EV stops, ISO 6400 as option Shutter Speeds : 30secs - 1/4000sec, bulb White Balance : Auto, Lamp, Fluorecent 1/2/3, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Custom, Color Temperature LCD Monitor : 2.7-inch LCD Pixels/Dots : 230,000 pixels Flash Sync : Up to 1/300sec PC Terminal : No Shooting Modes : Single frame, Low-speed continuous High-speed continuous Storage Type : SD/MMC/SDHC card Battery : Lithium Ion (D-LI50) & charger Dimensions (wxhxd) : 142x101x70mm Weight : Approx. 800gms (Incl. batteries) Price : Rs. 79,000

PENTAX K-7

Sensor Type Effective Pixels Supported File Formats Metering Modes Exposure Modes

: : : : :

ISO Equivalence Shutter Speed White Balance LCD Monitor LCD Pixels/Dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Shooting Modes

: : : : : : : :

Storage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: : : :

Price: TBA

PENTAX K200D

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes : Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence Shutter Speeds White Balance

LCD Monitor LCD Pixels/Dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Shooting Modes Storage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

CMOS, 23.5x15.7mm 10.2 million RAW/JPEG 16-segment Multi, Center weighted, Spot : P, A, S, M, Flash metered manual : Auto, 100 -1600 in 1EV, 1/2EV or 1/3EV stops : 30secs - 1/4000sec, bulb : Auto, Lamp, Fluorecent 1/2/3, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Custom, Color Temperature : 2.7-inch : 230,000 pixels : Up to 1/300sec : No : Single frame, Low-speed continuous High-speed continuous : SD/MMC/SDHC card : AA (4) batteries (NiMH recommended) : 134x95x74mm : Approx. 690gms (Incl. batteries) Price: TBA

CMOS, 23.4 x 15.6mm 14.6 MP; RAW/JPEG Multi, centre-weighted, spot P A S M B (extended modes Sv, TAv) Auto - ISO 100-3200 30 secs - 1/8000 sec, bulb Auto, 7 presets plus Manual 3-inch 921,000 dots Upto 1/180 sec No Single frame, Low-speed continuous, High-speed continuous SD/ SDHC card Rechargeable Li-Ion battery D-LI90 131 x 97 x 73 mm 670 gms

Price: TBA

PENTAX K-m

Sensor Type/Size Effective pixels Supported File Formats Metering Modes

: : : :

CCD, 23.5 x 15.7mm 10.2 RAW (PEF/DNG), JPEG Multi-segment, Center weighted, Spot Exposure Modes : P, S,A,M, Sensitivity Priority ISO Equivalence : Auto, 100–3200 (1, 1/2, 1/3 steps) Shutter Speeds : 30sec – 1/4000sec, Bulb White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Fluorescent (D, N, W), Tungsten, Flash, Fine adjustment available LCD Monitor : 2.7-inch Type TFT LCD Pixels/Dots : 2,30,000 dots Flash Sync : 1/180sec Image Stabilization : In-body, CCD-shift Storage Type : SD, SDHC Battery : 4 AA (lithium, NiMH rechargeable, alkaline) Dimensions (wxhxd) : 122x91x68.58mm (4.8 x 3.6 x 2.7 in) Weight without batteries : Approx. 524gms Price: TBA

September 2009 Smart Photography

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Buyers’ Guide - Digital SLRs SAMSUNG GX20

SONY A 230

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, 23.4x15.6mm Effective Pixels : 14.6 million Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG Metering Modes : 16-segment Multi, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure Modes : P, A, S, M, Flash metered manual ISO Equivalence : Auto, 100 -3200 in 1/3EV or 1/2EV stops, plus 6400 as option Shutter Speeds : 30secs - 1/4000sec, bulb White Balance : Auto, Lamp, Fluorecent 1/2/3, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Custom, Color Temperature LCD Monitor : 2.7-inch LCD Pixels/Dots : 230,000 pixels Flash Sync : Up to 1/300sec PC Terminal : No Shooting Modes : Single frame, Low-speed continuous High-speed continuous Storage Type : SD/MMC/SDHC card Battery : Lithium Ion (SLB-1674) & charger Dimensions (wxhxd) : 142×101×71.5mm Weight : Approx. 800gms (Incl. batteries)

Sensor Type/Size : CCD, 23.6 x 15.8mm Effective Pixels : 10.2 million Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG Metering Modes : Spot, Multi-segment, Center-weighted Metering Modes : Bulb, manual, Program, Automatic, Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority. ISO Equivalence: : Auto 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Shutter Speeds : 30sec – 1/4000sec, bulb White Balance : Auto, 6 presets, plus manual LCD Monitor : 2.7-inch Flash Sync: : Upto 1/160 sec PC Terminal : No Shooting Mode : Single-shot, Continuous, Self-timer, etc Storage Type : SD Memory Card. Memory Stick PRP Duo Battery : (NP-FH50), Li-ion rechargeable Dimensions (wxhxd) : 128.0 x 97.0 x 67.5 mm Weight : 450gms

Price: TBA

SONY A 380

Sensor Type/size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes : Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence

: :

Shutter Speed White Balance LCD Monitor PC Terminal Shooting Modes

: : : : :

Storage Type

Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: : :

CCD, 23.5 x 15.7 mm 14.2 million RAW/JPEG 40 segment, Centre Weighted, Colour Matrix, Spot Program AE/AP/SP/M Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 30 secs - 1/4000sec, bulb Auto, Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent 2.7-inch, 230,400 pixels Yes Single-shot, Continuous, Self-timer, Self-timer Continuous, Bracketing, Memory Stick PRO Duo/ SD memory card/ SDHC memory card NP-FH50 128 x 97 x 71.4mm 490 gms TBA

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SONY A700

Sensor Type/size : CMOS, 23.4x15.6mm Effective Pixels : 12.2 million Supported File Formats : RAW/JPEG Metering Modes : 40 segment, Center-weighted average, Spot

Exposure Modes ISO Equivalence Shutter Speeds White Balance LCD Monitor LCD Pixels/Dots Flash Sync PC Terminal Shooting Modes Storage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: P, A, S, M, Flash metered manual : Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, (up to 6400) : 30secs - 1/4000sec, bulb : Auto, 7 presets, plus manual : 3.0-inch : 920,000 pixels : Up to 1/300sec : No : Single frame, Low-speed continuous High-speed continuous : Compact Flash (Type I or II), Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo : Lithium-Ion (NP-FM500H) & charger : 142x105x80mm : Approx. 768gms (Incl. batteries) Price: Rs. 74,000

SONY A 330

Sensor Type/Size : Effective Pixels : Supported File Formats : Metering Modes : Exposure Mode : ISO Equivalence : Shutter Speeds : White Balance : LCD Monitor : LCD Pixels/Dots : Flash Sync : PC Terminal : Shooting Modes :

Storage Type Battery Dimensions (wxhxd) Weight

: : : :

CCD, 23.6 x15.8mm 10.2 million RAW/JPEG 40 segment, center weighted, spot Auto, P,A,S,M 100 - 3200 in 1EV steps 30 secs - 1/4000 seconds, bulb auto, 6 presets, custom 2.7-inch 230,400 pixels Upto 1/160 sec No Single-shot, Continuous, Self-timer, Self-timer Continuous, Bracketing, Remote Commander Memory Stick Duo (Pro), SD, SDHC NP-FH50 128.0 x 97.0 x 71.4 mm 490 gms Price: TBA

SONY A900

Sensor Size/Type : CMOS Effective Pixels : 24.6 million Supported File Formats : RAW,JPEG, cRAW Metering Modes : Multi-segment,Center-weighted Average, Spot Exposure Modes : Auto,Scene Modes,P,A,S,M ISO Equivalence : Auto,100,200,400,800,(upto1600) Shutter Speeds : 30-1/8000 sec. B White Balance : 7 positions plus manual LCD Monitor : 3-inch LCD pixels/dots : 921,600 Flash Sync : Upto 1/250 sec PC Terminal : Yes Shooting Modes : P, A, S, M, MR Storage Type : Compact Flash, Memory Stick Duo / Pro Duo, UDMA Mode 5, Supports FAT12 / FAT16 / FAT32 Battery : Lithium-Ion (NP-FM500H) & charger Dimensions (wxhxd) : 156 x 117 x 82 mm Weight : 895gms Price: Rs. 1,75, 000

Buyers’ Guide - Digital Compacts CANON A 480

Effective Pixels Focal Length Digital Zoom Focusing Range

: : : :

LCD Maximum Aperture Shutter Speed ISO Sensitivity

: : : :

Metering Modes

Exposure Compensation : White Balance Control : Shooting Modes Storage types Image stabilization File formats Power

: : : : :

Dimensions / Weight

Approx. 10.0 Million Pixels 37-122 mm equivalent 4x Normal: 50cm-inﬁnity Macro: 3-50cm (W), 25-50cm (T) 2.5-inch TFT, 115,000 pixels f/3.0 (W) - f/5.8 (T) 15-1/2000 sec. Auto, ISO 100/200/400/800/1600 Evaluative, Center-weighted Average, Spot. +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Custom Auto, P, Special Scene Modes SD/SDHC, Multi MediaCards Normal, Fine, SuperFine JPEG 1. AA-size Alkaline Battery (x2) 2. Rechargeable AA-size Ni-MH 3.63x2.44x1.22-inches.140g (without battery and card)

CANON A 590 IS

CANON A 650 IS

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

: Approx 8.0 Million pixels, : 35- 140 mm equivalent : Normal 45cm – inﬁnity, Macro 5 - 45cm (W), 30 - 45cm (T) Imaging processor : DIGIC III LCD Monitor : 2.5-inch, Approx 115,000 dots Metering Modes : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO setting : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Shutter Type : Mechanical & electronic Shutter Speeds : 1/60-1/2000 sec. 15-1/2000 sec. Aperture Type : Iris type, f/2.6-f/8.0 (W),f/5.5-f/8.0 (T) Shooting Modes : Auto, Easy, P, Tv, Av, M, Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, etc Storage Types : SD memory card, SDHC memory card, MultiMediaCards Power : AA Alkaline batteries x2 AA rechargeable NiMH batteries x2 Dimensions/ Weight : 3.71x2.55x1.61-in. Approx. 175g .

Price: NA.

Imaging Processor LCD Focus Metering Modes ISO Speed White Balance Shutter Speed range Aperture Shooting Modes Continuous Shooting Storage Type File Format Power Source Dimensions/Weight

Price: Rs. 9,995

: Approx. 12.1 Million Pixels : 35 -210 mm equivalent : Normal: 50cm) -inﬁnity Macro:1-50cm (W) : DIGIC III : 2.5-inches, Approx.173,000 dots : AF, Manual Focus : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, : 15- 1/2000 sec : f/2.8 - f/8.0, : Auto, P, Tv, Av, M, C, Portrait, Landscape, etc. : Approx. 1.2 shots/sec. : SD, SDHC, MMC etc. : JPEG,AVI, WAVE Monaural, : AA Alkaline batteries x 4 AA rechargeable NiMH batteries : 4.41x2.67x2.21inches,Approx.300g

Price: Rs. 19,995

CANON A 1000 IS

CANON A 1100 IS

CANON A 2000 IS

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

: Approx 10.0 Million pixels : 35-140 mm equivalent : Normal 50cm –inﬁnity, Macro 3-50cm (W),30-50cm

Imaging processor LCD Metering Modes

: DIGIC III : 2.5-inch, Approx 115,000 dots : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom. Shutter Speeds : 1/60-1/1500 sec. 15 - 1/1500 sec. Aperture Type : Circular type, f/2.7, f/7.6,f/5.6,f/16 Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Easy, Portrait, Land scape, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Beach, Fireworks, Storage type : SD, SDHC, MMCards Power : 2x AA Alkaline batteries 2x AA rechargeable NiMH batteries Dimensions / Weight : 3.76x2.46x1.22 inches.Approx. 155g Price: Rs. 10,995

: Approx 12.1 Million pixels : 35-140 mm equivalent : Normal: 50cm – infinity Macro: 3-50cm (W),30–50cm (T) All Range: 3cm – infinity (W), 30cm – infinity (T) Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type, DIGIC 4 Processor LCD : 2.5-inches, Approx. 115,000 dots Focus : AF, AiAF, Metering System : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, ISO80/100/200/400/ 800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Shutter Speed : 1 – 1/1500 sec. 15 – 1/1500 sec. Aperture : Circular type, f/2.7 - f/16 Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Easy, Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Movie, etc. Recording Media : SD, SDHC, MMCards Power Source : 2x AA Alkaline batteries, Dimensions&Weight : 3.76x2.46x1.22 in., Approx. 155g Price: TBA

: Approx 10.0 Million pixels : 36 - 216 mm equivalent : Normal 50cm – inﬁnity, Macro 1-50cm (W) Image stabilizer : Lens-shift type, DIGIC III processor LCD : 3.0-inch, App. 230,000 dots Focus : AF Metering Modes: : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto*, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Shutter Speeds 1/60-1/1600 sec. 15-1/1600 sec. Aperture Type : Round shaped aperture, f/number: f/3.2, f/9.0, f/5.9,f/17.0 Shooting Modes : Auto, Easy, Portrait, Land scape, Night Snapshot,Foliage, Snow, Beach, Fireworks, Aquarium, etc. Movie Clip : Approx. 1.3shots/sec Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMCards. Power Source : 2 AA Alkaline batteries 2 AA rechargeable NiMH batteries Dimensions / Weight : 4.01x2.50x1.26-inches,Approx. 85g. Price: Rs. 12,995

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CANON POWERSHOT A 2100 IS

CANON IXUS 80 IS

CANON IXUS 85 IS

Effective Pixels Focal Length LCD Focus Metering Modes

Effective Pixels Focal Length Image Stabilizer

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

: Approx. 12.1 million pixels (CCD) : 36 - 216mm equivalent : 3.0 inches, : AF : Evaluative, center-weighted, average, and spot White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Shutter Speed : 15 - 1/1600 seconds Aperture : f/3.2 – f/5.9 ISO Speed : 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (3200) Shooting Modes : Auto, Easy P, Portrait, Landscape, Special Scene Beach etc. Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMCplus Power : AA size Alkaline Battery Dimensions/Weight : 101.9 x 63.5 x 31.9mm, 190g

: Approx 8.0 Million pixels, : 38-114 mm equivalent : Lens-shift type, Imaging, DIGIC III Processor LCD : 2.5-inch, Approx 230,000 pixels Focus : AF Metering Modes : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot. Focus Range : Normal -30cm-inﬁnity, Marco 3-50cm (W), 30-50cm(T) ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Custom, etc Shutter Speed : Mechanical&electronic Aperture Type : Circular Shooting Modes : Auto, Camera M (Manual), Digital Marco, Portrait, Night Snapshot, etc. Movie Clips : Approx. 1.3shots/sec Storage Mode : SD, SDHC, MMCards Power : Battery Pack NB-4L AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC10 Dimensions/ Weight : 3.42x2.16x0.87 inches, Approx. 125g

Price: Rs. 14,995

: Approx 10.0 Million pixels : 35-105 mm equivalent : Normal 30cm – inﬁnity, Macro 3-50cm (W), 30-50cm (T) : Lens-shift type, Imaging, DIGIC III Processor : 2.5-inches, App. 230,000 dots. : AF, AiAF : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Custom : Mechanical &electronic. Aperture : Circular type, f/number - f/2.8, 8.0, 4.9,14 : Auto, Camera Manual, Digital Marco, Portrait, Night Snapshot, Color Accent, etc. : Approx. 1.4 shots/sec. : SD, SDHC, MMCards : Battery Pack NB-6L AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40 : 3.39x2.13x0.80 inches, Approx. 130g (without battery and card)

Image Stabilizer LCD Focus Metering Modes ISO Speed White Balance Shutter Type Type Shooting Modes Movie Clips Storage type Power Dimensions/ Weight

Price: Rs. 15,995

Price: Rs. 11,595

CANON IXUS 90 IS

CANON IXUS 95 IS

CANON IXUS 100 IS

Camera Effective Pixels: Approx 10.0 Million pixels Focal Length : 35-105 mm equivalent Focusing Range : Normal: 30cm – inﬁnity Marco: 3- 50cm (W), 30 – 50cm (T), digital Macro- 310cm Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type, DIGIC III LCD : 3.0-inches, Approx 230,000 dots Focus : AF Metering System : Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, ISO80 to 1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, etc. Shutter : Mechanical & Electronic Speed : 1/60 – 1/1500 sec. Aperture : Circular type, f/number - f/2.8 – f/8.0 (W), f/4.9 – f/14 (T) Shooting Modes : Auto, Camera M,Digital Marco, Night Snapshot, Underwater, etc. Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMCards Power : Battery Pack NB-6L AC adapter

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

Effective Pixels Focal Length Image Stabilizer Focusing Range

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LCD Focus Metering Modes ISO Speed White Balance

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Shutter Speed Aperture Type

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Shooting Modes

Recording Media File Format

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Storage Type Power

Price: Rs. 18,995

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Smart Photography September 2009

: Approx 10.0 Million pixels : 35-105 mm equivalent : Normal: 30cm – inﬁnity,Macro -350cm(W), 30-50(T), digital -3-10cm. Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type, DIGIC 4 Processor LCD : 2.5-inch type, App. 230,000 dots Focus : AF, AiAF Metering Mode : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto,ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, etc. Shutter Speeds : 1–1/1500 sec. 15–1/1500 sec. Aperture Type : Circular type,f/2.8, f/8.0, f/4.9,f/14 Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Portrait, Night Snapshot, etc. Digital Zoom : Still images/Movies-Timer Movie Clips : Approx. 1.4shots/sec Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMCards Still Images : JPEG, AVI Power : Battery Pack NB-6L, AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC40 Dimensions/ Weight : 3.48x2.16x0.86-inches.Approx. 120g (without battery and card) Price: TBA

Dimensions/ Weight :

Approx 12.1 Million pixels (CCD) 35-140 mm equivalent Lens-shift type, DIGIC 4 Processor Normal-50-inﬁnity, Macro 350cm(W), 30-50cm(T) 2.5-inch. Approx 115,000 dots AF, AiAF Evaluative, Center-weighted,Spot Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom 1 – 1/1500 sec. 15 – 1/1500 sec. Circular type, f/number - f/2.7,f/8.0, f/5.6, f/16 Auto, P, Easy, Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, etc. SD, SDHC, MMCards, Design rule for camera ﬁle system, DPOF (Version 1.1) compliant SD, SDHC , MMCards. 2x AA Alkaline batteries, 2x AA rechargeable NiMH batteries 3.76 x 2.46 x 1.22 inches, Approx. 155g (without battery and card) Price:TBA

Buyers’ Guide - Digital Compacts CANON IXUS 110 IS

CANON IXUS 860 IS

CANON IXUS 870 IS

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range Image Stablizer LCD Focus Metering Mode

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

: Approx 12.1 Million pixels (CCD) : 28 - 112mm equivalent : Normal: 50cm – inﬁnity : Lens-shift type, DIGIC 4 Processor : 2.8-inch type, Approx 230,000 dots : AF, AiAF : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speeds : Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto,Daylight,Cloudy,Tungsten, Fluorecent, Fluorescent H, Custom Shutter Speed : 1 – 1/1600 sec. 15 – 1/1600 sec. Aperture Type : Circular type, f/2.8 – f/5.6 , f/5.8 – f/11 Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Sunset,Fireworks, Long Shutter, Beach, Underwater, Snow etc. Digital Zoom : Media: Still images/Movies, Safety Zoom, Digital Tele-converter Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMCard, MMCplus card, HC MMCplus card Power : Battery Pack NB-4L , AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC10 Dimensions/Weight : 97.9 x 54.1 x 22.1 mm, Approx. 145g

: Approx 8.0 Million pixels, : 28 - 105 mm equivalent : Normal 45cm–inﬁnity,Macro360cm(W),30-60(T),Digital macro 3-10cm. Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type, DIGIC III processor LCD : 3.0-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots Focus : AF, AiAF Metering Modes : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Shutter Type Mechanical & electronic Aperture Type : Circular aperture, f/number -f/2.8, f/5.8 Shooting Modes : Auto, Camera M (Manual), Digital Macro, Color Accent, etc. Recording Media : SD, SDHC, MMCard, MMCplus card, HC MMCplus card File Format : Design rule for camera ﬁle system, DPOF (Version 1.1) compliant Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMCards. Power Battery Pack NB-5L AC Adaptor Kit ACK-DC30 Dimensions/ Weight : 92.6 x 58.8 x 25.9 mm Approx. 155g

: Approx 10.0 Million pixels : 28 -112 mm equivalent : Normal: 50cm – inﬁnityMacro 250cm(W), 30-50cm(T), Digital Macro- 2-50cm Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type, DIGIC 4 Processor LCD Monitor : 3.0-inch type, Approx. 230,000 dots Focus : AF, AiAF Metering Modes : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Custom Shutter Speed : 1/60 - 1/1600 sec. 15 - 1/1600 sec. Aperture Type : Circular type. f/numberf/2.8,f/5.6,f/5.8,f/11.6 Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Special Scene, Portrait, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets,etc. Movie Clip : Approx. 1.4 shots/sec. Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMCards. Power : Battery Pack NB-5L AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC30 Dimensions/ Weight : 3.69 x 2.24 x 0.93-inches. Approx.155g

Price: Rs. 19,995

CANON IXUS 960 IS

CANON IXUS 970 IS

CANON IXUS 980 IS

Effective Pixels Focal Length Digital Zoom Focusing Range

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Effective Pixels Focal Length Digital Zoom Focusing Range

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Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

LCD Aperture Shutter Speed ISO Sensitivity Metering Modes Exposure Control Compensation White Balance

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Autofocus System LCD Maximum Aperture Shutter Speed ISO Sensitivity

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Shooting Modes

Movie Clips Storage Type Power Source

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Dimensions/ Weight :

Approx. 12.1 Million Pixels 28-112 mm equivalent 4x Normal: 50cm-inﬁnity Macro: 2-50cm (W), 30-50cm (T) Digital Macro: 2-50cm (W) 2.8-inches. Approx. 230,000 dots f/2.8- f/5.8 15-1/1600 sec. Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot Program AE, i-Contrast; AE Lock +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, etc. Auto, Program, Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, etc. Approx. 0.8 fps SD,SDHC, MMCards Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery NB-4L 2. 3.85x2.12x0.87-inches. Approx. 145g

Price: Rs. 24,995

Exposure Control : Compensation : White Balance Control : Shooting Modes

Creative Light

Storage Type Power Source

: :

Dimensions/ Weight :

Approx. 12.1 Million Pixels 37-185 mm equivalent 4x Normal: 50cm-inﬁnity Macro: 2-50cm (W) Digital Macro:2-10cm (W) TTL Autofocus 3.0-inch, Approx. 461,000 dots f/3.2 - f/5.8 15-1/1600 sec. Auto, ISO80/100/200/400/800/1600 Metering Modes:Evaluative, Centerweighted average, Spot Program AE, i-Contrast; AE Lock +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, etc. Auto, Program, Portrait, Foliage, Snow, Beach, Sunset, Fireworks, Effect, Digital Macro, Long Shutter, Exposure Zoom, Stitch Assist, etc. SD,SDHC, MMCards Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery NB-5L 2. 3.73x2.24x1.04 in. Approx. 160g

Price: Rs. 21 995

Price: NA

: Approx. 14.7 Million Pixels : 28 -140 mm equivalent : Normal 50cm - inﬁnity (W), Macro: 1– 50 cm (W) Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type, DIGIC 4 Processor: LCD : 3.0-inch, Approx.416,000 dots Focus : Single, continuous AF, Manual Focus Metering Modes : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/ 100/ 200/ 400/ 800/ 1600 White Balance : Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, etc. Shutter Speeds : 1/60 - 1/4000 sec. (Auto mode) 15 - 1/4000 sec. Aperture Type : Iris type, f/number - f/2.8, f/8.0 (W), f/4.8 - f/8.0 (T) Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Tv, Av, M, C1, C2, SCN *, Stitch Assist, Movie, Portrait, Land scape, etc. Storage type: : SD, SDHC, MMCards Power : Battery Pack NB-7L Dimensions/ Weight : 4.30 x 3.06 x 1.81 inches.Approx. 350g Price: Rs. 23,995

September 2009 Smart Photography

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CANON SX 1 IS

CANON SX 10 IS

CANON SX 110 IS

Effective Pixels Focal Length Digital Zoom Focusing Range

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Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

LCD Aperture Shutter Speed ISO Sensitivity: Metering Modes Exposure

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Camera Effective Pixels : Approx 10.0 Million pixels Focal Length : 28 - 560 mm equivalent Focusing Range : Normal 50cm - inﬁnity (W), 1m - inﬁnity (T), Macro:10 - 50cm (W) Super Macro:0-10cm Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type, Processor DIGIC 4 LCD : 2.5-inch, Approx. 235,000 dots Metering Modes : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Shutter Speed : 1/8 – 1/3200 sec. 15–1/3200 sec. Aperture Type : Iris type,f/2.8/f/8.0(W),f/5.7/f/8.0 (T) Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Tv, Av, M, C, Stitch Assist, Movie : Indoor, Color Swap, etc. Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMCards Power Source 4 AA Alkaline batteries 4 AA rechargeable NiMH batteries Dimensions/ Weight : 4.88 x 3.48 x 3.42 inches, Approx. 560g (without battery and card)

Compensation : White Balance Control : Shooting Modes

Storage Type : Power : Dimensions / Weight :

Approx. 10.0 Million Pixels 28-560 mm equivalent 4x Normal: 50cm-inﬁnity (W), 1m-inﬁnity (T) Macro: 10-50cm (W) Super Macro: 0-10cm (W) 2.8-inches, Approx. 230,000 dots f/2.8 - f/5.7 15-1/3200 sec. Auto,ISO 80 - 600 Evaluative, Center-weighted, Spot Program AE, Manual Exposure, i-Contrast, Program Shift, Safety Shift, Auto ISO Shift; AE Lock +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, etc. Auto, P, Av, Tv, M, C, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, etc. SD/SDHC , MMCard, AA-size Alkaline Battery 5.02 x 3.48 x 3.45 in, Approx. 585g

Price: Rs. 36,995

: Approx 9.0 Million pixels : 36- 360 mm equivalent : Normal: 50cm - inﬁnity Macro: 1 - 50cm (W) Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type. DIGIC III Processor LCD : 3.0-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots Focus : Single, Continuous AF, Manual Focus Metering System : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Custom Shutter Speed : 1/8 – 1/2500 sec. 15 – 1/2500 sec. Aperture : Iris type. f/number f/2.8,f/8.0, f/4.3, f/8.0 Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Tv, Av, M, Easy, Portrait, Landscape, Night, etc. Continuous Shooting : Normal: Approx. 1.2 shots/sec. Storage type SD,SDHC, MMCards Power Source : 2 AA Alkaline batteries 2 AA rechargeable NiMH batteries Dimensions/ Weight : 4.35x2.77x1.76 inches, Approx.245g

Price: Rs.26,995

Price: Rs. 17,995

CANON POWERSHOT SX 200

CANON G 10

CANON POWERSHOT D10

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

: Approx. 12.1 Million Pixels : 28-336mm equivalent : Normal: 50cm-inﬁnity (W), 1m-inﬁnity (T) Macro: 2-50cm (W) Super Macro: 0-2cm (W) Digital Zoom : 4x Image Stablizer : Lens-shift type LCD : 3.0-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots Metering Mode : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot Compensation : +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments ISO Speed : Auto, ISO 80/100/200/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, etc Shutter speed : 15-1/3200 sec Aperture Type : f/3.4 - f/5.3 Shooting Modes : Auto, Manual, Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot Storage Type : SD, SDHC, MMC, MMCplus, HC MMCplus Power : Rechargeable Li-on Battery NB-5L Dimensions/Weight : 103x61x38mm, 220 gms. Price: Rs. 24,995

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Smart Photography September 2009

: Approx. 14.7 million pixels (CCD) : 28 - 140 mm equivalent : Normal 50cm - inﬁnity, Macro 1-50cm Image Stabilizer : Lens-shift type, DIGIC 4 Processor LCD : 3.0-inch. Approx. 416,000 dots. Focus : Single, continuous AF, Manual Focus Metering Modes : Evaluative, Center-weighted average, Spot ISO Speed : Auto, High ISO Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto, Day Light, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, Flash, Underwater, Shutter Speeds : 1/60 - 1/4000 sec. Aperture Type : Iris type, f/2.8, f/8.0, f/4.8,f/8.0 Shooting Modes : Auto, P, Tv, Av, M, C1, C2, SCN, Stitch Assist, Movie, Portrait, Land scape, Night Scene, Sports, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets,etc. Movie Clip : 1.3 shots/sec., AF approx. 7.0 Storage Types : SD, SDHC, MMCards. Power Source : Battery Pack NB-7L AC Adapter Kit ACK-DC50 Dimensions/ Weight : 4.30x3.06x1.81inches. Approx.350g Price: Rs. 32,495

: Approx. 12 Million Pixels (CCD) : 35 – 105mm equivalent : Normal: 30cm-inﬁnity, Macro 3-50cm (W), 30-50cm (T) Digital Zoom : 3x Imaging Processor : DIGIC 4 LCD : 2.5-inches Aperture Speed : f/2.8 – f/4.9 Shutter Speed : 15 to 1/1500 seconds Aperture : f/2.8 - f/4.9 Compensation : +/-2 stops in 1/3-stop increments ISO Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 80/100/200/400/800/ 1600 White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Underwater, Fluorescent, etc Exposure Metering : Multi-pattern, centre-weighted, spot Shooting Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Night Snapshot, Kids & Pets, Indoor, Sunset, etc. Storage Type : SD/SDHC Power Source : Lithium ion Dimension/Weight : 103.6x66.9x48mm/ 190 g

Price: Rs. 24,995

Buyers’ Guide - Digital Compacts CASIO EXILIM EX-H10

FUJIFILM F60

FUJIFLIM FINEPIX J20

Effective Pixels Image Sensor

Effective pixels CCD sensor Storage media

Effective Pixels Lens CCD Sensor Focal Length Shutter Speed Focus

: 12.10 million : 1/2.3-inch, Type CCD approx. 12.39 million Lens : 10x Zoom, 24 - 240 mm eqyuvalent Shutter Speed : 4 - 1/2000 sec Focal Length : Approx. 24 to 240 mm equivalent Focus Range : 15cm to inﬁnity (W) , Macro: 7cm to 50cm LCD : 3.0-inch, approx. 230,400 dots ISO Sensitivity : Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Metering Modes : Multi-pattern, center weighted, spot by imaging element Exposure Comp. : +/- 2.0EV in 0.3EV steps White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Shade, Day white FL, Daylight FL, Tungsten, Manual Shooting Modes : Auto Focus, Macro Mode, Inﬁnity Mode, Manual Focus Storage Type : 35.7 MB Internal Memory SDHC / SD Cards Power : Lithium-ion rechargeable Dimensions/Weight : 103 x 62 x 24 mm , 164 gms.

: 12.0 million pixels : 1/1.6-inch Type Super CCD VII HR : Internal memory (approx. 25MB) xD-Picture Card,SD,SDHC. Lens : Fujinon 3x ,F/2.8 - F/5.1 Lens focal length : 35 - 105 mm equivalent Focus Range : Normal 45 cm(W) 60 cm (W) Macro (W) 7 cm - 80 cm (T)30 cm - 80 cm Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 / 6400 Exposure mode : Programmed AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE Shooting modes : Mode dial: SR AUTO, Scene Recognition. Image stabilizer : CCD-shift type Shutter speed : 1/4 sec. to 1/2000 sec. Focus : AF, Continuous AF White balance : Automatic scene recognition, Presets LCD : 3.0-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots Power supply : NP-50 Li-ion battery (included) Dimensions&Weight : 3.6x 2.3x 0.9 Approx. 163 g (without batteries and memory card)

Price: Rs. TBA

10.0 Million Pixels Fujinon 3x zoom lens, f/3.1 – f/5.6 1/2.3” CCD 35 – 105mm equivalent 8 to 1/2000 sec. Auto Focus, Automatic Scene Recognition ISO Sensitivity : Auto/Equivalent to ISO100/200/400/800/1600 Exposure Modes : Programmed AE White Balance : Preset: Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light, Incandescent Light. LCD monitor : 2.7 inch, approx 230,000 dots Focal Range : Normal: Wide:Approx.40cm – inﬁnity, Telephoto: Approx. 40cm –inﬁnity Macro:Approx 10cm -80cm, (T) Approx: 40cm -80cm. Shooting Modes : Portrait, Landscape Sport, Night, Fireworks, Beach, Museum, Party, etc. Storage Type : SD/SDHC memory card. Power : Rechargeable NP-45 Li-ion Battery Dimensions/Weight : 3.6 x 2.2 x 0.7 inches. Approx. 100g

Price: Rs. 13,999

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Price: Rs. 7999

FUJIFILM S100 FS

FUJFILM FINEPIX S 1500

FUJIFILM S2000 HD

: 11.1 million pixels : 2/3 - inch Type Super CCD HR : Internal memory (25MB) xD-Picture Card, SD SDHC File format : Still image JPEG, RAW, etc. Lens : Fujinon 14.3x Optical zoom lens, F/2.8 - F/5.3 Lens focal length : 28 - 400mm equivalent Aperture : F/2.8-F/11 (W) / F/5.3-F/11 (T) Focus distance : Normal (W) 50cm - inﬁnity, Macro (W)10cm 0.9m (T)Super Macro 1cm Sensitivity : AUTO, ISO 100 to 10000 Shooting modes : Auto, FSB, SP, Nature-Vivid, Portrait, Baby, etc. Shutter speed : 1/4 sec. to 1/4000 sec. Focus : AF, Manual focus White balance : Auto scene recognition, Presets LCD monitor : 2.5 - inch , approx.230,000 dots Power supply : NP - 140 Li-ion battery Dimensions&Weight : 5.3x3.7x5.9 in.Approx. 918g (without batteries and memory card)

Effective Pixels Lens

Effective pixels CCD sensor Storage media

Effective pixels

CCD sensor Storage media

Price: Rs. 39,000

: 10.0 Million Pixels : Fujinon 12x opical zoom lens, f/2.8 – f/5.0 CCD Sensor : 1/ 2.3 inch, CCD Aperture : f/2.8 – f/6.4 (W), f/ 5.0 – f/ 8.0 (T) Focal Length : 33 – 396mm equivalent Shutter Speed : AUTO mode: 1/4 sec to 1/2000 sec., ISO Sensitivity : Auto / Equivalent to ISO 64/100/200/ 400/800/1600/3200/6400 Exposure Modes : Programmed AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual Exposure Control : TTL 256-zones metering White Balance : Automatic scene recognition, Preset (Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light (Daylight), Fluorescent light, etc. LCD Monitor : 2.7-inch, approx. 230,000 pixels, Focus : Auto focus (Area, Multi, Center, Tracking)/Continuous AF Shooting Modes : Mode dial : Auto, SR-Auto, SP, P, S, A, M, C, Panorama, Movie Storage Type : SD memory card /SDHC memory card Power : 4xAA type alkaline batteries (included), Ni-MH rechargeable batteries(optional) Dimensions/Weight: 4.0 × 2.9 × 2.7 inches, Approx. 324g Price: Rs. 14,999/-

: 10.0 million pixels : 1/2.3-inch Type CCD : Internal memory (approx. 55MB), SD, SDHC Lens : Fujinon 15x Optical zoom lens, F/3.5 (W) - F/5.4 (T) Lens focal length : 27-486mm, equivalent Aperture : (W) f/3.5 - f/7.0, (T) f/5.4 - f/10.8 Focus distance : Normal (W) 70 cm (T) 2.5m Macro: (W) 10 cm - 1 m (T) 70 cm Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 100,200,400,800,1600, 3200, 6400 Exposure modes : Programmed AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual Shooting Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, etc. Shutter speed : 1/4sec. to 1/1000sec. Focus : AF, Continuous AF, Manual focus White balance : Automatic scene recognition, Presets LCD : 2.7-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots Power supply : 4 x AA type alkaline batteries (included) Dimensions : 4.4 x3.1x3.00 inches. (camera body) Weight : Approx. 386g/13.0oz. (excluding accessories, battery and memory card) Price: Rs. 15,999

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115

FUJIFILM A 100

FUJIFILM F 200 EXR

FUJIFILM Z30

Effective pixels CCD Sensor Lens Aperture Focal Length Shutter speed ISO Sensitivity

Effective pixels Lens Lens focal length Digital zoom Aperture LCD ISO Sensitivity Exposure mode

Effective pixels CCD sensor Lens Focal length LCD Digital zoom Aperture Storage Type

: 10.0 Million Pixels : 1/0.6 super Type CCD EXR : Fujinon 3x Optical Zoom F/3.1-/5.6 : f/3.1/f/7.8 (W), f/5.6/f/14.1(T) : 35.5-106.5 mm equivalent : 1/4sec. to 1/2000sec. : Auto / Equivalent to ISO100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 Exposure control : TTL 256-zones metering, Programmed AE White balance : Automatic scene recognition Preset: Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light, etc. Focal Range : Normal: Wide: Approx.40cm inﬁnity Telephoto: Approx.40cm - inﬁnity Macro: (W) Approx. 10cm - 80cm,(T)Approx.40cm-80cm Shooting modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Beach, Museum, Party, etc. Storage Type : SD/SDHC memory card Power : 2x AA type alkaline batteries Dimensions/ Weight : 3.6 x 2.4x 0.85 inches. Approx. 124g

: 12.0 Million Pixels : Fujinon 5x optical zoom lens, f/3.3- f/5.1 : 28-140 mm equivalent : Approx. 4.4x : Wide: f/3.3/f/9.0,Telephoto: f/5.1/f/14.0 : 3.0-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots. : Auto ISO 3200, 1600,800,400 : Programmed AE, Aperture Priority AE, Manual Shooting modes : Mode dial: Auto, EXR, Natural Light, Natural Light & with Flash, SP, P, M, Movie SP: Portrait, Portrait Enhancer, Landscape, etc Image Stabilization : CCD-shift type Shutter speed : 1/4 sec. to 1/1500 sec. Focus : Auto focus White balance : Automatic scene recognition Preset: Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light (Day light), Fluorescent light. Storage Type : Internal memory (Approx. 48MB) xD-Picture card, SD, SDHC Power : NP-50 Li-ion battery (included) Dimensions/ Weight : 3.8x2.3x0.9-inches, Approx. 175g (excluding accessories, batteries and memory card)

: : : : : : : :

10.0 Million Pixels 1/2.3-inch Type CCD Fujinon 3x, F/3.7(W) - F/4.2 (T) 35 - 105 mm equivalent 2.7-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots. Approx. 5.7x Wide: F3.7-F8.0,Telephoto:F4.2-F9.0 Internal memory, Approx. 50MB, SD, SDHC Focus distance : Normal: (W) 60cm - inﬁnity (T) 60cm - inﬁnity, Macro: (W) 8cm - 80cm (T)60cm ISO Sensitivity : Auto / Equivalent to ISO 64 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 Shooting modes : SR Auto, Auto, Natural Light, Natural Light & with Flash, Manual, Anti-blur, Successive Movie SP : Auction, etc. Focus : Auto focus (Multi, Center) White balance : Automatic scene recognition Preset: Fine, Shade, Fluorescent light, etc. Power : NP-45 Li-ion battery (included) Dimensions/ Weight : 3.6x2.3x1.0 inches, Approx. 116.5g

Price: Rs. 20,999

Price: Rs. 6,999

Price: Rs. 10,499

KODAK C 140

KODAK C 160

KODAK C 1013

Effective Pixels Sensor Type Lens Focal Range

: : : :

Effective Pixels Sensor Type Lens Focal Range

: : : :

Shutter Speed LCD Storage Auto focus Type ISO Sensitivity

: : : : :

Shutter Speed LCD Storage Auto Lens Type Focus Modes ISO Sensitivity

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Metering Modes

Compensation White Balance

: :

Exposure Comp. White Balance

: :

Scene Modes

Power

Shooting Modes Scene Modes

: :

Power

Dimension/Weight

8.2 Million Pixels 1 / 2.5 inch Type CCD 36–108 mm equiv. f/2.7–4.8, Normal:0.6 m–inf Macro:0.13–0.7m (Tele):0.22–0.7m, Ldsc:10 m–inﬁnity 4–1/1400 sec. 2.4 inch 16 MB int memory, SD/SDHC card TTL-AF Auto: 80–240 Man: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000 Multi-pattern AE, center-weighted, center spot ±2.0 EV with 1/3 EV steps Auto, daylight, tungsten, ﬂuorescent, open shade Portrait, night portrait, landscape, night landscape, sport, snow,etc. Ni-MH Rechargeable, alkaline batteries AA; lithium batteries AA 92 x 63 x 22mm, 160gms

Shutter Speed LCD Storage Auto Focus Type Focus Modes ISO Sensitivity Metering Modes Exposure comp. White Balance Shooting Modes Scene Modes Power Dimension/Weight

: : : :

6.2 Million Pixels 1 / 2.5 inch CCD 34–102 mm equiv, f/2.9–5.2, Normal:0.6 m–inf Macro:0.13–0.7m (Tele): 0.35–0.7m, Ldsc: 10 m–inf. : 4–1/1400 sec. : 2.4 inch : 16 MB int memory, SDHC/SD card : TTL-AF : normal, landscape, macro : Auto: 80–250 Manual: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800 : center-weighted, center spot : ±2.0 EV with 1/3 EV steps : auto, semi-auto, daylight, tungsten, ﬂuorescent, open shade : Auto, SCN, Video mode : portrait, sports, landscape, children, night portrait, beach, snow, etc. : 2 AAA Ni-MH rechargeable batteries, 2 AAA alkaline batteries : 82 × 82 × 23.5 mm, 80 gms

Dimensions/Weight : Price: Rs. 6,999

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Smart Photography September 2009

Price: Rs. 6,599

10.3 Million Pixels 1 / 2.3 inch, Type CCD 34–102 mm equiv., f/2.7–4.8, Normal:0.6m–inf Macro:0.13–0.7 m (Tele): 0.22–0.7 m, Ldsc: 10 m–inf ½–1/1400 sec. 2.4 inch 16 MB int memory, SD/SDHC card TTL-AF normal, landscape, macro, auto: 64–160 man: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000 TTL-AE, multi-pattern AE, center-weighted, center spot ±2.0 EV with 0.5 EV steps Auto, daylight, tungsten, ﬂuorescent, open shade Auto, SCN, video, blur reduction, Portrait, night portrait, landscape, night landscape, sports, snow, etc. 2) Alkaline AA; (2) Ni-MH Recharg able Digital; (2) lithium batteries AA. 91.1 × 62.2 × 25.3 mm, 137 gms

Price: Rs. 8,999

Buyers’ Guide - Digital Compacts KODAK M 1063

KODAK M1093 IS

KODAK EASYSHARE Z980

Effective Pixels Lens Sensor Type Focal Range

: : : :

Effective pixels Lens Sensor type Zoom Shutter speed LCD Focal Range

Effective Pixels Sensor Type Lens Shutter Speed LCD Focal Range

: : : : : :

Shutter Speed LCD Storage Auto Focus Type Focus Modes ISO Sensitivity Metering Modes

: : : : : : :

Auto Focus Type Focus Modes Focus Control ISO Sensitivity Metering Modes Exposure Comp. White Balance

: : : : : : :

Exposure Com White Balance

: :

Shooting Modes

Scene Modes

Scene Mode

Power Dimension/Weight

: :

10.3 Million Pixels 32 – 96 mm equivalent ½.33-inch, Type CCD Auto: 0.6 m–infinity Macro, wide: 0.10–0.70 m, Tele: 0.35–0.70 m, Landscape: 10 m–infinity 4 – 1/1400 seconds 2.7 inches, 230,000 dots 16 MB Internal, SD/SDHC card. TTL Contrast Detection normal, landscape, macro selectable Auto 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1000 center-weighted, multi-pattern, center spot ±2.0 EV with 1/3 EV steps auto, semi-auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent, open shade. portrait, sports, landscape, close up, children, night portrait, beach, etc. Li-Ion Rech. KLIC-7001, 5 V AC adpt 91 x 57 x 21mm, 125 gms

10.1 Million Pixels 35–105 mm equivalent 1 / 2.3 inch Type CCD 3X optical, 5X continuous digital 8–1/1448 sec. 3.0-inches. 230,000 dots Normal 0.6m-inﬁnity (W), Macro: 0.07-0.7(W), 0.04-0.7 (T) Auto focus Type : TTL-AF, selectable Focus modes : normal, landscape, macro selectable Focus control : single, continuous, Auto ISO sensitivity : auto 64,100,200,400,800,1600,3200 Metering modes : multi-pattern, center-weighted, center spot Exposure Compensation : ±2.0 EV with 1/3 EV steps White balance : Auto, daylight, tungsten Shooting modes : SC, P, Scene modes, Video mode Scene modes : portrait, sport, landscape, close up, snow, beach, text/document, etc. Storage Type : 32 MB internal memory, SD/SDHC cards Power : Lithum Ion battery Dimensions &Weight : 95.2x58.5x21.4in, 135g

Price: Rs. 10,999

: : : : : : :

Storage Type : Power : Dimenstions/Weight :

Price: Rs. 9,999

Price: Rs. 22,999

KODAK Z 1015 IS

NIKON L19

NIKON L20

Effective Pixels Sensor Type Lens Shutter Speed LCD Focal Range

: : : : : :

Effective pixels Image sensor

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focus Range LCD Storage Media

: : : : :

Auto Focus Type Focus Modes ISO Sensitivity

: : :

File Format

Shooting Modes

Metering Modes Exposure Comp. White Balance Scene Modes

: : : :

Scene Modes

Storage Type Power

: :

Dimensions

10.0 Million Pixels 1/2.33 inch, Type CCD 28–420 mm equiv., f/3.5–5.4, 16–1/1000 sec. 3.0-inches, 230,000 dots wide : 0.7 m–inf, tele: 2.5 m–inf macro: 0.1–1.0 m TTL-AF, selectable normal, macro, inﬁnity, manual Smart Capture m: auto: 100-1600 PASM m: auto: 80-6400 multi-pattern, center-weighted, spot ±1.0 EV in 1/3 EV steps auto, daylight, tungsten, ﬂuorescent, Smart Capture, high ISO, sport, P, A, S, M, video, portrait, night portrait, landscape, etc. 64 MB int memory, SDHC/SD card Lithium CRV3, Li-Ion Rechargeable KLIC-8000 118.2 × 83.2 × 77.6 mm , Approx. 391 gms (without battery and card)

Price: Rs. 15,999

: 8.0 Million Pixels : 1/2.5-in. Type CCD; approx. 8.29 million Focal Length : 41-145 mm equivalent. Focus range : 30cm - infinity; Macro :5cm - infinity LCD : 2.7-in., approx. 230,000-dot. Shooting Modes : Auto mode, Scene modes, Easy auto mode , Color options, Date imprint, Food mode, Smile mode, Movie mode Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Dusk/dawn, Night landscape, Close-up, Food, Panorama assist, etc. Storage media : Internal memory (approx. 20 MB), SD, SDHC, File Format: : Compressed [JPEG (EXIF)], mono/wav Image size (pixels) : 3264 x 2448, 2592 x 1944, 2048 x 1536, 1024 x 768 , 640 x 480, 3200 x 1800 (16:9: 3200) file, AVI movie ISO sensitivity : Auto (auto gain ISO 64-1600) Power Two AA alkaline (supplied) Dimensions/ Weight : 3.8x2.4x1.2 inches, Approx.130g Price: Rs. 7,450

12 million Pixels 1 / 2.33 inch Type C C D 26 - 624 mm equivalent 16 - 1/2000 3.0 inches, 201,000 dots Normal 70 cm to Inf, 27.6 in to Inf. Macro 1 - 30 cm, 0.4 - 11.8 in TTL-AF selectable normal, macro, infinity, manual single, continuous Auto: 100-6400 multi-pattern, center-weighted, spot ±2.0 EV with 1/3 EV steps auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent, open shade Smart Capture, sport, P, A,S,M, portrait, panorama, video, SCN High ISO, night portrait, landscape, night landscape, flower, sunset, 64 MB Int Memory, SDHC / SD 4 x AA NiMH Pre-Charged rec 90.5 × 123.7 × 105 mm , Approx. 415 gms (without battery and card)

Exposure Metering :

White Balance

Power : Dimensions/ Weight :

10.0 Million Pixels 38-136 mm equivalent. Normal mode: 30cm, Macro: 5cm 3.0-inches, 230,000 dots SD memory cards and internal memory (approx. 20MB) Compressed [JPEG (EXIF )], mono/ wav ﬁle, AVI movie Auto mode, Scene modes, Easy auto mode (including Scene auto selector), etc. Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Dusk/dawn, Night landscape, Close-up, Food, etc. 256-segment matrix metering, Center-weighted metering, Spot metering Auto, Preset manual, Daylight, Incandescent, Rechargeable Ni-MH Battery EN-MH2 96.5×61×29 mm, Approx. 135 g Price: Rs. 8,950

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117

NIKON L100

NIKON P90

Effective Pixels Image Sensor

: 10.0 Million Pixels : 1/2.33-in. Type CCD; approx. 10.70-million Lens : 15x Zoom; f/5.0 - 75.0mm, f/3.5 - 5.4 Focal Length : 28-420 mm equivalent. Focus Range : Normal mode: 50cm, Macro: 1cm LCD : 3.0-inches; 230,000-dots Shooting Modes : Auto mode, Easy auto mode (includ ing Scene auto selector), Scene modes, BSS (Best Shot Selector),etc. Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports (Sport continuous), Night portrait, Party/ indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, etc. File Format : Compressed [JPEG (EXIF)], mono/ wav ﬁle, AVI movie Exposure Metering : 256-segment matrix, Center-weighted, Spot ISO Sensitivity : Auto ISO 80-800 White Balance : Auto, Preset manual, Daylight, Incan descent, Fluorescent, Cloudy, Flash Storage Media : SD memory cards and internal memory (approx. 44MB) Power : Four (AA-size) alkaline batteries Dimensions/ Weight : 110×72×78 mm, Approx. 355 g (without battery and card)

Lens Focal Length Focus Range LCD Storage Media Shooting Modes

NIKON COOLPIX P6000

: 12.1 million : 1/2.33-in Type CCD, approx. 12.7 million : 24x Zoom; f=4.6-110.4mm/F2.8-5 : 26-624 mm equivalent. : Normal mode: 50cm, Marcro: 1cm : 3.0-inches; 230,000 dots : SD memory cards and internal memory (approx. 47MB) : Auto mode, Scene auto selector, Scene modes, P, S, A, and M exposure

modes, BSS (Best Shot Selector), Optimize image, etc. Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports (Sport continuous), Night portrait, Party/ indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, etc. Exposure Metering : 256-segment matrix, Center-weighted, Spot, Spot AF Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 64 to 100, 200, 400 White Balance :Auto, Preset manual, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, etc. Power : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL5, AC Adapter EH-62A Dimensions/ Weight : 114×83×99 mm, Approx. 460 g (without battery and card)

Effective Pixels Image Sensor

: 13.5 Million Pixels : 1/1.7-in. Type CCD, approx. 13.93 million Lens : 4x zoom; f/2.7-5.9 Focal Length : 28-112 mm equivalent. Autofocus : Single AF, Full-Time AF (in Macro mode), Face-priority AF Focus Range : Normal mode:50cm, Macro mode:2 cm LCD : 2.7-inch, 230,000-dots. Storage Media : SD cards and internal memory (approx. 48 MB) Shooting Modes : Auto, Scene modes, P, S, A, and M exposure modes, U1, U2, BSS (Best Shot Selector), Optimize image, Flash exp. comp., etc. Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Dusk/dawn, etc. Exposure Metering : 96-segment matrix, Center-Weighted, Spot, Spot AF ISO Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 100-800 White Balance : Auto, Preset manual, Day light, Incan descent, Fluorescent, etc. Power : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL5 (supplied) Dimensions/ Weight : 107×65.5×42 mm., Approx. 240 g (without battery and card)

Price: Rs. 25,950

Price: Rs. 18,450

Price: Rs. 32,950

NIKON COOLPIX S60

NIKON COOLPIX S220

NIKON COOLPIX S230

Effective pixels Image sensor

Effective Pixels Image Sensor

: 10.0 Million Pixels : 1/2.3-in. CCD Type ; total pixels: approx.10.34 million Focal Length : 33-165 mm equivalent. Focus range : 60cm (2 ft.) to infinity , Macro close-up mode: 9cm (3.5 in.) to infinity. LCD : 3.5-in., approx. 230,000-dots Shooting Modes : Auto, scene modes, BSS (best shot selector), Date imprint Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Dusk/dawn, Night land scape, Close-up, Museum, Fire works show, Copy, Backlight, Draw, Scene auto selector, etc. File Format : Compressed [JPEG (EXIF)], mono/ wav file, AVI movie Storage media : Internal memory (approx. 20 MB), ISO sensitivity : Auto (auto gain ISO 64-800. ISO 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 2000, 3200, Power : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL10 (supplied). Dimensions/ Weight : 3.8x2.4x0.9 inches, Approx.145 g (without battery and card) Price: NA

118

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: 10.0 Million Pixels : 1/2.33-in. Type CCD; total pixels: approx. 10.34 million Focal Length : 35-105 mm equivalent ISO sensitivity : ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 2000, Auto (35mm [135] format picture Format picture angle: 420mm,) Focus range : 60cm (2 ft.) to inﬁnity Macro close-up mode: 10cm (4 in.) to inﬁnity LCD : 2.5-in.,approx.150k-dot Shooting Modes : Auto mode, Scene modes, BSS, Scene auto selector, etc. Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party, Sea/Snow, Sunset,Twilight, etc. Storage Type : Internal memory (approx. 44 MB), SD memory cards Power : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery ENEL10 (supplied) Dimensions/ Weight : 3.5x2.2x0.7-inches, Approx. 100 g (without battery and card) Price: Rs. 9,950

: 10.0 Million Pixels : 1/2.33-in Type CCD, approx. 12.7 million Lens : 3x Zoom; f/6.3 - f/18.9mm f/3.1-f/5.9 Focal Length : 35-105 mm equivalent. Focus Range : Normal mode: 60cm, Marcro: 10cm LCD : 3.0-inches; 230,000 dots Exposure Metering : 256-segment matrix metering, Center-weighted metering, Spot ISO Sensitivity : Auto (auto gain ISO 80-800) White Balance : Auto, Preset manual, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Cloudy Shooting Modes : Auto mode, Scene modes, BSS (Best Shot Selector), Color options, Date imprint, Scene auto selector, etc. Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party, Sea/Snow, Sunset,Twilight, Museum, etc. File Format : Compressed [JPEG (EXIF )], mono/ wav ﬁle, AVI movie Storage Type : SD memory cards and internal memory (approx. 44MB) Power : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL10, Dimensions/ Weight : Approx. 91×57×20 mm, Approx. 115g (without battery and card) Price: Rs. 14,250

Buyers’ Guide - Digital Compacts NIKON COOLPIX S560

NIKON COOLPIX S620

NIKON COOLPIX S630

Effective pixels Image sensor

Effective pixels Image sensor approx. Focal Length

Effective Pixels Image Sensor

: 10.0 Million Pixels : 1/2.33-in. Type CCD; total pixels: approx. 10.7 million Focal Length : 34.4-174 mm equivalent Focus range : 60cm - infinity; Macro close-up mode: 10cm - infinity ISO sensitivity : ISO 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 2000, 3200*2, Auto (auto gain ISO 64-800) LCD : 2.7-in., approx. 230k-dot, Shooting Modes : Auto mode, Scene modes, BSS, Color options, Date imprint, Scene auto selector, Smile mode, etc. Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Close-up, Museum, Copy, etc. File Format : Compressed [JPEG (EXIF)], mono/wav file, AVI movie Storage Type : Internal memory (approx. 44 MB), SD memory cards Power sources : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL11 (supplied) Dimensions/ Weight : 3.7 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches, Approx. 130g (without battery and memory card) Price: Rs. 16,250

: 12.2 Million Pixels : 1/2.33-in. Type CCD; total pixels: 12.39 million : 28-112 mm equivalent Focus range : 50cm to infinity , Macro close-up mode: 2cm - infinity LCD : 2.7-in., approx. 230,000 dots, Shooting Modes : Auto mode, Scene modes, Scene auto selector, BSS, Color options, Date imprint, Smile mode, etc. Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Dusk/dawn, etc. File Format : Compressed [JPEG (EXIF )], mono/ wav file, AVI movie Storage Type : Internal memory (approx. 45 MB), SDs ISO sensitivity : Auto, ISO100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, Power : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12 (supplied) Dimensions/ Weight : 3.5 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches, Approx. 120g (without battery and memory card)

Lens Focal Length Focus Range LCD Storage Type Shooting Modes

: 12.0 Million Pixels : 1/2.33-in Type CCD, approx. 12.7 million : 7x Zoom; f/6.6 - 46.2mm / F/3.5 - 5.3 : 37-260 mm equivalent. : Normal mode: 60cm, Marcro: 2cm : 2.7-inches; 230,000-dot : SD memory cards and internal memory (approx. 44MB) : Auto mode, Scene modes, Scene auto selector, BSS (Best Shot Selector), Color options, etc.

Scene Modes

: Portrait, Landscape, Sports (Sport continuous), Night portrait, Party/ indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Dusk/ dawn, Night landscape, etc Exposure Metering : 256-segment matrix,Center-weighted ISO Sensitivity : Auto (auto gain ISO 64-800), Manual ISO settings 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 White Balance : Auto, Preset manual, Daylight, Incandescent, etc. Power : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12, AC Adapter EH-62F Dimensions/ Weight : 96.5×57.5×25.5 mm, Approx. 166 g (without battery and card)

Price: Rs. 18,950

Price: Rs. 24,950

NIKON COOLPIX S710

OLYMPUS FE-370

OLYMPUS STYLUS 1030 SW

Effective pixels Image Sensor

: 14.5 Million Pixels : 1/1.72-in. Type CCD, approx.15.00 million Focal Length : 28-101 mm equivalent Sensitivity : Auto (ISO 100-3200) Focus range : 50cm (1 ft. 7.7 in.) to infinity at wide-angle, 80cm (2 ft. 7.5 in.) to infinity at telescopic; Macro close-up mode: 10cm (4 in.)to infinity LCD : 3.0-in., approx. 230,000 dots Shooting Modes : Auto mode, Scene modes, BSS, Color options, Date imprint, Scene auto selector, Smile mode, etc. Scene Modes : Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night portrait, Party/indoor, Beach/snow, Sunset, Close-up, Museum, Copy, etc. File Format : Compressed [JPEG (EXIF)], mono/wav file, AVI movie Storage Type : Internal memory (approx. 42 MB), SD memory cards Power : Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL12 (supplied) Dimensions/ Weight : 3.6x2.3x1.0 inches, Approx. 155 g

Effective pixels : 8.0 Million Pixels Image Sensor : 1/2.35-inch Type CCD Image Processing : TruePic™ III Image Processor Focal Length : 36 – 180 mm equivalent Zoom : 5x Optical Zoom Aperture Range : f/3.5 - f5.6 White Balance Control : iESP2 Auto, Presets Exposure Compensation : ±2 EVA steps in 1/3 EVA steps LCD : 2.7–inches, Approx. 230,000 dots Focus Mode : iESP Auto, Spot AF, Face Detection AF Focus Range : Normal mode: Wide: 23.6” – infinity Tele: 39.4” – infinity, Macro mode : Wide: 3.9” – infinity, Tele: 23.6”infinity, Super Macro mode: 1.2”infinity Shutter Speed : 1/2000 sec. –1/2 sec. ISO Sensitivity : Auto, 64,100,200,400,800, 1600, 3200 Exposure :Digital ESP, FD, AE Shooting Modes : 19 Shooting Modes; Intelligent Auto, Program Auto, etc. Storage Type : 48MB Internal Memory, xD-Picture Card, microSD Power Li-ion Rechargeable Battery (LI-60B) Dimension/ Weight : 3.7x 2.2x 0.90- inches, 128g (without battery and card)

Effective Pixels Image Sensor Lens Maximum Aperture LCD Image Processing Shockproof Waterproof

: : : : : : : :

Crushproof Focus Range

: :

Price: Rs. 22,250

Price: Rs. 8,995 (MOP)

Shutter Speed : ISO Sensitivity : Exposure Metering : AE White Balance Control : Exposure Compensation: Shooting Modes : Storage Type

Power

Dimension/ Weight

10.1 Million Pixels 1/2.35-inch Type CCD (1.1cm) 37-250 mm equivalent f/3.5 – f/5.1 2.7-inches, Approx. 230,000 dots TruePic III Image Processor MIL-STD-810F Shock Equivalent Equivalent to IEC6059 IPX8/ JISC0920 Freezeproof: MIL-STD810F Low Temp Equivalent 220lbf./100kgf. Normal mode 19.7”–infinity, Macro mode: Wide: 3.9”–infinity, Tele: 11.8”–infinity 1/1000 sec. –1/2 sec. Auto, 80,100,200,400,800,1600 Digital ESP, Spot, Face Detection Auto, Presets ±2 EV steps in 1/3 EV steps 29 Shooting Modes; 24 Scene Modes 14.7MB Int Memory, xD-PictureCard, Li-ion Rechargeable Battery, AC Adapter (D-7AC) 3.7x 2.4x 0.84- inches, 170g (without battery and card)

Price: Rs. 17,995 (MOP)

September 2009 Smart Photography

119

OLYMPUS STYLUS 1050 SW

PANASONIC FS 7

PANASONIC FS 15

Effective Pixels Image Processing Image Sensor Focal Length Shockproof Waterproof

Effective Pixels Optical Image Stabilizer Lens Focal Length LCD Monitor ISO Sensitivity White Balance

Effective Pixels Focal Length Lens LCD Digital Zoom 1 Focus Range Macro Focus Sensitivity White Balance

: 10.1 Million Pixels : TruePic™ III Image Processor : 1/2.33-inch Type CCD : 38-144 mm equivalent : MIL-STD-810F Shock : Equivalent to IEC6059 IPX8/ JISC0920 (10ft./3m) Freezeproof : MIL-STD-810F Low Temp Equivalent (-10°C/14°F) Aperture Range : f/3.5 - f/5.0 LCD : 2.7-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots Focus Mode : iESP Auto, Spot AF, Shutter Speed : 1/1000 sec. –1/4 sec. ISO Sensitivity : Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 Exposure Metering : Digital ESP, Spot, Face Detection White Balance : Auto, Presets Exposure Compensation : ±2 EVA steps in 1/3 EVA steps Shooting Modes : 27 Shooting Modes; Intelligent Auto,Program Auto, etc. Storage Type : 41.6MB Internal Memory, xD-Picture Card, microSD Power : Li-ion Rechargeable Battery (LI-42B), AC Adapter (D-7AC) Dimension/ Weight : 3.7x2.4x0.76– inches,Approx 152g

10.1 Million Pixels MEGA O.I.S. LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR 33-132 mm equivalent 2.7-inch, 230, 000 dots Auto, 100, 200,400,800, 1600 Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set, etc. Exposure : Program AE Exposure Compensation : 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Focus Range : Normal- 50cm -infinity Macro : 5cm-infinity(W), 50cm-infinity(T) Light Metering : Intelligent Multiple Shooting Modes: : (Mode Dial)/Rec. Mode, Intel ligent AUTO, Normal Picture, MySCN, SCN, Motion Picture Recording Format : Still Image: JPEG ,Motion picture: QuickTime Motion JPEG Storage Type : Internal memory 50MB Power : ID-Security Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, 940mAh) (Included) Dimensions/Weight : 2.14x3.82x0.85- inches, Approx. 0.258 lb

Price: Rs. 14,995 (MOP)

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Price: TBA

Exposure Shooting Mode:

Storage Type

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12.1 Million Pixels 29-145mm equivalent LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR 2.7-inches, 230, 000 dots 4x Normal: (W) 3.9’-inﬁnity, 66.9’m(T) (W) 5cm / (T)50cm - inﬁnity Normal / Macro, AF Tracking ISO Auto /100/200/400/800/1600 Auto / Daylight / Cloudy / Shade Halogen / White Set etc. : Program AE , Exposure Compen sation, 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV : (Mode Dial)/Rec. Mode Intel ligent AUTO, Normal Picture, MySCN, SCN, Motion Picture Scene Modes : Portrait, Soft Skin, SelfPortrait, Scenery, Sports,etc. : SD, SDHC, MMCard Power :D-Security Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, 940mAh) (Included) Price: TBA

PANASONIC FS 25

PANASONIC FX 580

PANASONIC FX 37

Effective Pixels Lens Optical Image Stabilizer Image Sensor Size LCD Focal Length Focus

Effective Pixels Lens Optical Image Stabilizer Image Sensor Size Digital Zoom 1 LCD Focal Length Focusing Area

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Effective Pixels Lens Optical Image Stabilizer Image Sensor LCD Focal Length AF Metering

ISO Sensitivity

Aperture Exposure

: :

Range

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12.1 Million Pixels Leica Dc Vario-Elmar MEGA O.I.S. 1/2.33-inch 3.0- inches, 230,000 dots 29-145 mm equivalent

Normal / Macro, AF Tracking Focus : Normal: (W) 50cm -inﬁnity, (T) 100cm-inﬁnity.

ISO Sensitivity

: Auto /80/100/200/400/800/ 1600/3200 White Balance : Auto,Daylight,Cloudy, Shade, Halogen,White Set,etc. Exposure : Program AE Exposure Compensation : 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Shutter Speed : 8-1/2000 sec Storage : Internal Memory Approx. 50MB SD, SDHC, Power : Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, 940mAh) (Included) Dimensions/ Weight : 2.28x3.82x0.86-inches, Approx.0.28 lbs Price: TBA

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Exposure Compensation : Recording Format : Storage Type

Power Supply

12.1 Million Pixels Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens MEGA O.I.S. 1/2.33-inch 4x 3.0-inch, 230,000 dots 25-125mm equivalent Normal: (W) 50cm/ (T) 100cm - inﬁnity. Macro Wide 5cm/ Tele 100cm-inﬁnity Auto / 80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 / 3200 f/2.8 - f/5.9 / Iris Diaphragm Program AE Aperture Priority AE Shutter Priority AE Manual 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Still Image: JPEG (DCF/Exif2.21) Motion picture Built-in Memory SD SDHC Memory Card ID-Security Li-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, 940mAh) (Included)

Price: TBA

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10.1 Million Pixels Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens MEGA O.I.S. 1/2.33”, 10.7 Total Megapixels 2.5-inch, 230,000 dots 25-125 mm equivalent Face/AF tracking/multi-area/ 1-area high speed/1-area/spot Focus : Normal / Macro, Quick AF ISO Sensitivity : Auto /100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 White Balance : Auto/Daylight/Cloudy / Shade/Halogen/White Set, etc. Exposure : Program AE Exposure Compensation : 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Scene Modes : Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, Night, etc. Storage Type SD, SDHC, Memory Card Power Supply : Lithium-ion Battery Pack (3.6V, 1000 mAh)(Included) AC Dimensions / Weight : 2.04 x 3.73x .87, Approx. 28 lbs (without battery and card) Price: TBA

Buyers’ Guide - Digital Compacts PANASONIC FX 48

PANASONIC FZ 28

PANASONIC FZ 50

Effective Pixels Lens Aperture Optical Zoom LCD Focal Length Optical Image Stabilizer Focusing Range

: : : : : : : :

Effective Pixels : Lens : Optical Image Stabilizer : Optical Zoom : Image Sensor : Focal Length : LCD Monitor : Aperture Range : Focusing Range :

Effective Pixels Lens F Stop Focus Length Focus Area

Shutter Speed Shooting Modes

: :

Exposure : Exposure Compensation : ISO Sensitivity : White Balance Recording Media Power Dimensions& Weight

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12.1 Million Pixels LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT F/2.8 - 5.9 / Iris Diaphragm 5x 2.5”, Appros. 230,000 dots 25-125mm equivalent MEGA O.I.S Normal (W)50cm/ (T)100cm - inﬁnity Macro / Intelligent Focus Normal / Macro, etc. 8-1/2000 sec Still Picture, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Panorama, etc. Program AE 1/3 EV step, +/-2 EV Auto / 80 / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 Auto / Daylight / Cloudy, etc. SD, SDHC, MMCards Li-ion Battery (Included) 3.75x2.08x0.85 in Approx.150g (with Battery and Memory Card)

ISO Sensitivity

White Balance

Exposure

Exposure Compensation: Scene Modes : Storage Type Power Supply Dimensions/ Weight

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10.1 Million Pixels Leica DC Vario-Elmarit Lens MEGA O.I.S. 18x 1/2.33”, 10.7 27-486mm equivalent 2.7-inches, 230,000 dots f/2.8 – f/8.0 Normal: Wide 30cm/ Tele 200cm - inﬁnity Auto /100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, etc. Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, Shutter Priority AE, Manual, Program Shift 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Party, Candle Light, Baby, Aerial photo, Pin Hole, Film Grain, etc. SD, SDHC MMCards Lithium-ion Battery Pack 2.96x4.63x3.5 inches, Approx .82 lbs

: 10.1 Million Pixels : LEICA DC VARIO-ELMARIT : Wide: F/2.8 - F/11 Tele:F/3.7 - F/11 : 35-420mm equivalent : AF: Wide 30cm/ Tele 200cm-inﬁnity Macro/ MF: Wide 5cm/Tele 200cminﬁnity Optical Image Stabiliser : MEGA O.I.S. Focus Mode : AF,MF switchable, Manual Focus Exposure : Auto,Program,Aperture Priority, Manual Scene Mode : Auto, P, A, S, M, 20+ Scene Modes Aperture : Wide: F/2.8 - F/11 Tele:F/3.7 - F/11 Shutter Speed : Auto : 1/4 - 1/2000sec. ISO Sensitivity : Auto / ISO / 100 / 200 / 400 / 800/ White Balance : Auto,Daylight,Cloudy,Shade Exposure Compensation : 1/3 EV step, -2 - +2 EV Auto (AE) Bracketing : +/- 1/3 EV -1EV step, 3 frames Recording Format : Still RAW, JPEG, LCD Monitor : 2.0 Approx. 207,000 dots Recording Media : SD, MMCard,SDHC. Power : Li-ion Battery Pack Dimensions& Weight : 14.08x8.55x14.2 cm, Approx 668(g)

Price: Rs. 24,990

Price: TBA

PANASONIC LS 85

PANASONIC LX 3

PANASONIC FT 1

Effective Pixels Optical Image Stabilizer Image Sensor Image Sensor Size Focal Length Lens LCD Focusing Area

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Effective Pixels Optical Image Stabilizer Image Sensor Focal Length Lens

: : : : :

Aperture Range Focusing Range

: :

Effective Pixels : Lens : Optical Image Stabilizer : Optical Zoom : Digital Zoom 1 : Focal Length : Image Sensor : LCD : Intelligent Auto :

ISO Sensitivity

White Balance

Exposure

Exposure : Exposure Compensation : Scene Modes : Shutter Speed Storage Type Built-in Memory Power Supply

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8.1 Million Pixels MEGA O.I.S 1/2.5-inch Type, 8.32 1/2.5-inch 33-132mm equivalent LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR 2.5-inches, 230,000 dots 50cm - inﬁnity, Macro/Intelligent 5cm-50cm - inﬁnity Auto /100 / 200 / 400 / 800 / 1600 Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade Halogen, White Set Program AE 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Portrait, Soft Skin, Self-Por trait, Scenery, Sports, etc. 8-1/2000 sec SD, SDHC, MMCard approx. 50MB Li-ion Battery (3.6V, 940mAh) (Included) AC Adaptor

Price: TBA

Exposure Compensation : Scene Modes : Storage Type Power Supply

: :

Dimensions/ Weight

10.1 Million Pixels MEGA O.I.S. 1/1.63-inch Type 11.3 24-60mm equivalent Leica DC Vario-Summicron 8 elements in 6 groups f/2.0-f/8.0 50cm - infinity iA, Macro:1cminfinity, Tele 30cm - infinity Auto- 80,100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set Program, Aperture, Shutter, Manual, Program, etc. 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Portrait, Soft Skin, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, etc. 50MB, SD, SDHC, MMCards Li-ion Battery Pack (3.7V, 1150mAh) (Included) 2.34 x 4.28 x 1.06- inches, Approx .5 lbs

Price: 32,990

ISO Sensitivity White Balance

: :

Exposure : Exposure Compensation: Scene Modes : Storage Type

Power Supply

Dimensions/ Weight

12.1 Million Pixels Leica Dc Vario Elmar MEGA O.I.S. 4.6x 4x 28-128mm 1/2.33-inch-Type 2.7-inches, 230,000 dots Face Recognition,Optical Image Stabilizer, Intelligent ISO Control, Face Detection, etc. Auto/80/100/200/400/800/ 1600 Auto,Daylight,Cloudy,Shade, Halogen,White Set, White, etc. Program AE 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Portrait, Soft Skin, Self-Portrait, Scenery, Sports, Night Portrait, etc. Approx. 45MB, SD, SDHC, MMCards Li-ion Battery (3.6V, 940mAh) (Included) 2.49 x 3.87 x 0.89-inches, Approx. 0.36 lbs Price: TBA

September 2009 Smart Photography

121

PANASONIC TZ 6

PANASONIC TZ 7

RICOH CX 1

Camera Type : Camera Effective Pixels : Optical Image Stabilizer : Image Sensor Size : Focal Length : Lens :

Effective Pixels Optical Image Stabilizer Optical Zoom Lens Image Sensor Intelligent Auto

Effective Pixels Image Sensor Focal length F-aperture Zoom

Aperture Focusing Area

: :

Intelligent Auto

Compensation LCD Monitor Continuous Shooting Mode

Recording Media Dimensions Weight

Super Zoom 10.1 Million Pixels MEGA O.I.S. 1/2.5-inch 25-300mm equivalent LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR - 10 elements in 8 groups F/3.3 - 4.9 / Iris Diaphragm Normal: Wide 50cm/ Tele 200cm - inﬁnity Macro / Intelligent AUTO / Clipboard : Wide 3cm / Max 200cm / Tele 100cm - inﬁnity Face Recognition, Optical Image Stabilizer, Intelligent ISO Control, Face Detection (Still) Intelligent Scene Selector Exposure 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV 2.7-inch, 230,000 dots

: Full-Resolution Image, 2.5 frames/sec Max. 5 images, Max 3 images, : SD,SDHC, MMCard : 2.35 x 4.07 x1.29-inches : Approx. 0.45 lbs

10.1 Million Pixels MEGA O.I.S. 12x Leica Dc Vario Elmar 1/2.33-inch - Type / 12.7 Face Recognition, Optical Image Stabilizer, Intelligent ISO Control, Face Detection (Still) Intelligent Scene Selector Focal Length : 25-300mm equivalent ISO Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 80,100,200,400, 800,1600,3200. White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Halogen, White Set, etc. Exposure : Program AE Exposure Compensation : 1/3 EV Step, ± 2 EV Storage Type : SD,SDHC,MMCards Aperture : f/3.3 – f/4.9 / Iris Diaphragm (F3.3 - 6.3 (W) / F4.9 - 6.3 (T)) Continuous Shooting Mode: Full-Resolution Image, 2.5 frames/sec Max. 5 images, Max 3 images, Dimensions/ Weight : 2.35 x 4.07 x 1.29-inches, Approx. 0.45 lbs

Price: TBA

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9.29 Million Pixels 1/2.3-inch Type CMOS 28-200 mm Equivalent f/3.3 – f/5.2 Optical: 7.1x zoom, Digital: 4.8x Focus Mode : Multi AF, Spot, AF, Multi-Target AF, Manual Focus, Fixed Focus, Inﬁnity Shutter Speed : Still image 8, 4, 2, 1-1/2000 sec. Exposure Control : 256 segments, Center Weighted Light Metering, Spot, Exposure,Program AE Compensation: : +/-2.0EV (1/3EV Steps), ISO Sensitivity : Auto, ISO 80, 100, 200, 400,800,1600 White Balance : Auto, Multi-Pattern, Outdoors,Cloudy, Incandescent, Incandescent 2 LCD : 3.0-inch, Approx. 920,000 dots Shooting Mode : Auto Shooting Mode, Easy Shooting Mode, Dynamic Range,Double Shot Mode, Continuous Shooting Modes etc. Storage Type : SD, SDHC Power : Rechargeable batt DB-70 x1, AC adapter Dimensions/ Weight: 101.5x58.3x27.9mm,approx. 180 g Price: TBA

Price: Rs. 24,990

RICOH GR DIGITAL II

RICOH GX200

SAMSUNG i8

Effective Pixels Imaging Sensor Focus Mode

Effective Pixels Image Sensor Focal length Lens Construction Focus Modes LCD

Effective Pixel Lens Focal Length Shutter Type Exposure Control

: 10.01 Million Pixels : 1/1.75-inch Type : Multi AF, Spot AF, Manual focus, snap, Inﬁnity Focal Length : 28mm equivalent ISO sensitivity : Auto/Auto-HI ISO80/ 100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto,Outdoors,Cloudy,Incan descent, Fluorescent, etc. LCD : 2.7-inch, approx. 230,000 pixels Exposure Metering : Multi Light Metering, Center-weight ed Light Metering, Spot Metering Compensation Auto bracket function (-0.5 EV, ±0, +0.5 EV / -0.3 EV, ±0, +0.3 EV) Shooting Mode : Auto Shooting Mode/Program Shift Mode/Aperture Priority Mode/Manual Exposure Mode/ Scene Mode (skew correct/text/ movie) My Settings Mode Storage Type : SD memory card, SDHC card, Multi media card, Internal memory Power : Rechargeable Battery (DB60) x 1. Dimensions/ Weight: 107.0 x 58.0x 25.0 mm. Approx. 168 g (without battery and card) Price: TBA

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12.1 Million Pixels 1/1.7-inch Type 24-72mm equivalent 11 elements in 7 groups Multi AF /Spot AF / Manual 2.7- inches, approx. 460,000 dots Exposure Metering Mode Multi Light Metering, Center-weighted, Spot Exposure Mode : Program AE/Aperture Priority AE/ Manual Exposure Compensation Auto Bracket Function (-0.5 EV, ±0, +0.5 EV /-0.3 EV, ±0, +0.3 EV) ISO Sensitivity : AUTO,ISO64/100/200/400/800/1600 White Balance : Auto,Outdoors,Cloudy,Incandescent, Fluorescent,Manual, Settings/Detail, White balance bracket function Shooting Mode : Auto, Program,Aperture, Manual, Scene Storage Type : 54 MB Internal Memory, SD, SDHC memory card, Power : Rechargeable Battery (DB60)×1, AAA Dry Alkaline Battery×2, Dimensions/ Weight: 111.6x58.0×25.0mm, Approx. 208g (without battery and card) Price: TBA

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Exposure Compensation: ISO Equivalent : Flash Modes

Shooting Still Image

Storage Type

Power

Dimensions / Weight

8.2 Million Pixels Samsung f/6.3-f/18.9mm 35-114mm equivalent 1-1/2,000 sec. Program AE, Metering: Multi, Spot, Centre Weighted, Face Detection ±2EV (1/3EV steps) Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Auto, Auto & Red-eye reduction, Fill-in ﬂash, Slow sync, etc. Modes: Auto, Program, Scene, DIS, Fun , Photo Help Guide, Movie Mode, etc. Internal memory: 256MB, MMC plus, SD/SDHC. Rechargeable battery: SLB 0937 (900mAh), Charger: SAC-47 (DC 4.2V, 2A) 90.7 x 58.0 x 19.9mm, Approx 116g (without battery and card)

Price: Rs. 10, 990

Buyers’ Guide - Digital Compacts SAMSUNG L 201

SAMSUNG L 100

SAMSUNG NV 100 HD

Effective Pixel Lens F No. Digital Zoom

Effective Pixel Lens Focal Length F No. Digital Zoom Focal Length LCD Focusing Type

Effective Pixel Lens F No. Digital Zoom

: Approx. 10.2 Million Pixels : Samsung f/6.3~18.9mm : f/3.0 -f/F5.6 : Still Image mode: 1.0x - 5.0x, Play mode: 1.0x - 11.4x Focal Length : 37-111mm equivalent Shutter Speed : Auto: 1 - 1/1,500 sec. Manual: 8 ~ 1/1,500 sec. Exposure Control : Program AE Metering : Multi, Spot, Centre Weighted, Face Detection AE Exposure Compensation : ±2EV (1/3EV steps) ISO : Auto - ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 Flash Modes : Auto, Auto & Red-eye reduction, Fill-in ﬂash, Slow sync, White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, etc. Storage Type : Internal memory 16MB, SD, SDHC, MMC plus Power : SLB-0837, Adaptor: SAC-47 Connector Type: 20 pin Dimensions / Weight : 90.2x58.0x19.3mm. Approx. 110g (without battery and card)

: Approx. 8.2 Million Pixels : Samsung Lens f/6.2-18.6mm : f/2.8- f/5.2 : Still Image mode: 1.0X ~ 3.0X, : 35-105mm equivalent : Intelligent 2.5-inches, 230,000 dot : TTL auto focus (Multi AF, Centre AF, Face Detection) Shutter Type : Mechanical&electronic Exposure : Programme AE, Metering: Multi, Spot, Centre weighted, Face Detection Exposure Compensation: ±2EV (1/3 EV steps) ISO Equivalent : Auto, 80,100, 200, 400, 800,1600 Flash Modes : Auto, Auto & Red-eye reduction, Fill-in ﬂash, Slow sync, etc. White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent, etc. Movie Clip : AVI, WAV. Storage Type : Internal memory Approx.10MB, SD,MMC plus, SDHC Power : SLB-10A,3.7V(1,050mAh); Dimensions / Weight : 87.7x56.3x20.0mm. Approx. 114g (without battery and card)

Price: Rs. 8,990

Price: Rs. 7,990

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Approx. 14.7 Million Pixels Schneider Lens f /6.0 -f/21.6mm f/2.8 - f/5.9 Still Image mode: 1.0x-5.0x, Play mode: 1.0x ~ 13.7x Focal Length : 28-102mm equivalent Shutter Speed : Auto: 1-1/2,000 sec. Manual Mode: 16-1/2,000 sec., Night: 8 ~1/2,000 sec. Fireworks: 4 sec. Exposure Metering : Multi, Spot, Center Weighted, Face Detection AE Exposure Compensation: ±2EV (1/3EV steps) ISO Equivalent : Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200 Flash Modes : Auto, Auto & Red-eye reduction, Fill-in ﬂash, Slow sync, etc. Movie Clip : AVI, WAV. Storage Type : Internal Memory 40MB, MMCplus , SD, SDHC Power : Rechargeable battery: SLB-1137D (1,100mAh), Adaptor : SAC47, SUC-C4, Dimensions/ Weight : 94.9 x 59.5 x 19.9mm, Approx. 138g (without battery and card) Price: Rs. 22,990

SAMSUNG S1060

SAMSUNG WB 500

SONY DSC - T500

Effective Pixel Lens F No. Digital Zoom

Effective Pixels Focal Length Focusing Range

Effective Pixels: Lens: F Number: Image Processor: Focal Length Sensor Type: LCD: Optical Zoom: Precision Digital Zoom: Smart Zoom: 5M:

: Approx. 10.2 Million Pixels : SHD f /6.3 - f/31.5mm : f/2.8 - f/4.6 : Still Image mode: 1.0x ~ 5.0x Play mode: 1.0x ~ 12.0x Viewﬁnder LCD Monitor : 2.7-inch Focal Length : 38-190mm equivalent Exposure Control : Programme AE, Manual Exposure, Face Detection AE Metering: Multi, Spot, etc. Exposure Compensation: ±2EV (1/3EV steps) ISO Equivalent : Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 Flash Modes : Auto, Auto & Red-eye reduction, Fill-in ﬂash, Slow sync, Flash off White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent_H, etc. Storage Type : Internal about 17MB. MMCplus, SD, SDHC File Format : Still Image: JPEG, AVI, Audio: WAV Power : Primary Battery: 2 AA Recharge able battery, SNB-2512B KIT Dimensions/ Weight : 98.8x63.0x25.6mm, Approx160g Price: Rs. 8,990

Shutter Type

Exposure Metering Exposure Comp ISO Equivalent Flash Modes

Storage Type Power Dimensions/Weight

: Approx. 10.2 megapixels : 24-240mm equivalent : Normal 50 cm to inﬁnity; Macro to 5 cm : Auto – 1/8-1/1500 second; Program – 1-1/1500 seconds; up to 16 seconds in manual mode : Multi, Spot, Center-weighted, Face Detection AE : +/- 2EV in 1/3EV steps : Auto, ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 : Auto, Auto & Red-eye reduction, Fill-in ﬂash, Slow sync, Flash off, Red-eye Fix; range 0.3 to 4.7 metres; adjustment +/- 1EV in 1/2EV steps : Internal Memory 30MB, plus SD/SDHC memory cards : rechargeable lithium-ion battery, SLB-10A, 3.7V (1,050mAh) : 105 x 61.4 x 36.5 mm 219g (without battery and card) Price: Rs. 19,990

: Approx. 10.1 Million Pixels : Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar : f/3.5 – f/ 4.4 : Sony Processor : 33-165mm equivalent : 1/2.3 in. - Type Super HAD CCD : 3.5- inches, 230, 000 pixels. : 5x : Approx. 10x : Approx. 7.0x, 3M: Approx. 8.9x, VGA: Approx. 28x, 16:9: Approx. 9.5x Focus Range : (W)50cm-Infinity,(T)80cm-infinity Macro Auto Focus Range: Approx. 8cm to Infinity, T: Approx. 50cm to Infinity Magnifying Glass Mode Auto Focus Range : W: Approx. 1cm to Infinity, T: Approx. 20cm to Infinity Storage Type : Internal Memory: Approx. 4MB, Memory Stick: Memory Stick Duo, PRO Duo, PRO Duo, Memory Stick PRO-HG, Duo Battery System : Lithium ION Battery Price: Rs. 19,900

September 2009 Smart Photography

123

SONY HX 1

Effective Pixels Image Processor Lens Sensor Type LCD

: : : : :

Precision Digital Zoom Smart Zoom

: :

Focal Length Auto Focus Range

: :

Metering Modes Exposure Compensation Internal Memory Storage Type

: : : :

Battery System Dimensions/Weight

: :

9.1 million Pixels BIONZ Sony G lens 1/2.4-inch Exmor CMOS 3.0 inch TFT LCD, approx. 230,400 pixels Approx. 40x 5M:Approx.26x, 3M Approx.33x, VGA:Approx.108x, 16:9(2M):Approx.36x 5.0-100.0mm equivalent W.Approx.1cm to Inﬁnity, T.Approx.150cm to Inﬁnity Multi, Center-Weighted, Spot +/- 2 stops Approx. 11 MB Memory Stick Duo/Pro Duo/ Pro HG Duo LITHIUM H type 6.8V 115mm x 83mm x 92mm, 514 gms

SONY S950

SONY T77

Gross Pixels Effective Pixels Sensor Type Lens F Number LCD Optical Zoom Precision Digital Zoom Smart Zoom

Effective Pixels Image Processor Sensor Type Lens: F Number LCD Optical Zoom Smart Zoom

: : : : : : : :

Focal Length Auto Focus Range

: :

: Approx. 10.3 Mega Pixels : Approx. 10.1 Mega Pixels : 1/2.3 in-Type Super HAD CCD : Sony Lens : f/2.5 – f/5.6 : 2.7- inches, 230,000 dots. : 4x : Approx. 8x : 5M: Approx. 5.6x, 3M: Approx. 7.1x, VGA: Approx. 22.0x, 16:9: Approx. 7.6x Focal Length : 33 - 132mm equivalent Auto Focus Range : W: Approx. 5cm to Infinity, T:Approx. 50cm to Infinity Macro Auto Focus Range : W: Approx. 5cm to Infinity, T:Approx. 50cm to Infinity Internal Memory : Approx. 12MB Memory Stick:Memory Stick Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo (High Speed) / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo Battery System : Lithium ION Battery

Price: Rs. 29,990

Macro Auto Focus Range : Storage Type

Battery System

Price: Rs. 13,990

Price: Rs. 8,990

SONY DSC T 90

SONY DSC T 900

SONY W210

Effective Pixels Image Processor Sensor Type Lens Aperture Range LCD ISO Sensitivity

Effective Pixels Sensor Type Focal Length LCD ISO Equivalent Exposure Compensation Metering

Effective Pixels

: : : : : : :

12.1 Mega Pixels BIONZ 1/2.3 in - Type Super HAD CCD Carl Zeiss Vario - Tessar f/3.5-f/10.0 2.3-inches, 230,400 Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 Optical Zoom : 4x Precision Digital Zoom : Approx. 2x Focal Length : 35 - 140mm equivalent Autofocus Range : W: Approx. 8cm to Inﬁnity T: Approx. 50cm to Inﬁnity Metering : Multi-Pattern, Center-Weighted, Spot Exposure : Program, Auomatic Exposure Compensation : -2 to + 2EV in 1/3 EV steps Internal Memory : Approx. 11.0 MB Storage Type : MS Duo/MS PRO Duo Battery System : Lithium Ion Battery Dimension/Weight : 94x 57x 15mm, Approx. 151 gms

While Balance

Shutter Speed Shooting Modes

File Format Storage Type Battery Dimension/Weight

: : : : : : :

12.0 Mega Pixels 1/2.3in -Type Super HAD CCD 35 - 140 mm 3.5 in wide, 921,600 dots ISO 80 - 3200 - 2EV to +2 EV (in 1/3 EV steps) Multi Pattern, Centre weighted, Spot : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3, Incandescent, Flash : 2 - 1/1000 sec : Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Backlight, Backlight Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Portrait : JPEG : Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo : Lithium Ion Battery : 97.9 x 57.8 x 16.3 mm, 123.7 gms

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Smart Photography September 2009

Price: Rs. 22,990

: Approx. 12.1 Mega Pixels

Image Processor

: BIONZ

Sensor Type

: 1/2.3in - Type Super HAD CCD

Lens

: Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar

F number

: f/2.8 – f/5.8

LCD

: 2.7- inches, 230, 000 dots

Optical Zoom

: 4x

Precision Digital Zoom

: Approx. 8x

Focal Length

: 30 - 120mm equivalent

Auto Focus Range

: W: Approx. 4cm to Inﬁnity, T: Approx. 50cm to Inﬁnity

Macro Auto Focus Range : W: Approx. 4cm to Inﬁnity, T: Approx. 50cm to Inﬁnity Internal Memory

: Approx. 15MB

Memory Stick

: Memory Stick Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo (High Speed) / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo

Battery System Price: Rs. 17,990

10.1 Million Pixels BIONZ 1/2.3 in- Type Super HAD CCD Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar f/3.5 – f/4.6 3.0- inches, 230, 000 dots, 4x 5M: Approx. 5.6x, 3M: Approx. 7.1x, VGA: Approx. 22x, 16:9: Approx. 7.6x Optical Zoom 35-140mm equivalent W: Approx. 8cm to Infinity, T: Approx. 50cm to Infinity W: Approx. 8cm to Infinity, T: Approx. 50cm to Infinity Internal Memory: Approx. 15MB. Memory Stick: Memory Stick Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo / Memory Stick PRO Duo (High Speed) / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo Lithium ION Battery

: Lithium ION Battery Price: Rs. 11,990

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Tidbits L

eica fans (we trust there are a few still around in India) will be pleased to know that Leica is well advanced on its way to producing its first digital SLR, tentatively christened the “S” system (much alike the “M” system for rangefinders and the “R” system for film SLRs). A fly in the ointment is the unexpected souring of relations with Phase One, supplier of digital camera backs. Phase One, only recently, acquired the assets of Leaf, the makers of the first digital camera back. With the film market collapsing, one would expect film to get cheaper. Au contraire! Film is getting more and more expensive and this applies to both color negative and transparency film. Something to do with lack of economies of scale, we are told along with the reluctance of retailers to store film are the chief reasons. Life in the 21st century is indeed stressful but the following example really takes the cake! British Golfer, Ian Poulter blames the sound of a camera’s shutter for destroying his chances of winning the French Open. He claims that the clicks of a camera’s shutter caused him to hit his ball into the water. Sounds like a case of sour grapes. Ever heard of anyone buying a camera as a weapon! A reader went abroad and acquired a secondhand Nikon F3 in mint condition. The reason he gave for buying this rugged camera was strictly personal security related. He claimed the F3 would be very useful if he were accosted by a thug and had to defend himself. One thump on the head would be enough, he claimed. We wonder whether Nikon would be amused at this ingenious use of their cameras! Not so long ago, (1969, to be precise) astronauts landed on the moon. These astronauts carried Hasselblad cameras

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and captured some of the most unique pictures imaginable. The Hasselblad cameras overcame the challenges of dust, temperatures and atmospheric changes and produced superlative results. Alas, where is Hasselblad today? Stripped of its Swedish ownership, Hasselblad is now Chinese owned and a pale shadow of its former self. If you thought the Micro Four Thirds System produced really small cameras, think again! A Taiwanese company called Misumi has released the smallest camera MO-R803 camera from Misumi ever. Tentatively called the MO-R803 it measures 15mm x 4.4mm and is designed for spy and surveillance work. The longest ever telephoto lens to be commercially available was the Nikkor 2000mm f/11. It weighed 17,500g and was available only to order. Canon wasn’t far behind with its EF 1200mm f/5.6 L lens which weighed only 1,000 gm less. Both the lenses were absolute beasts and would not tolerate even heavy duty tripods!

Nikon 2000mm f/11 lens

Canon 1200mm f/5.6 L lens

Finally, in the ever changing world of imaging, what’s the next big thing? We, at SP, feel it is going to be 3D. R&D spending on 3D is peaking and companies like Philips and Panasonic have already started testing 3D screens. 3D imaging can’t be far away. And remember, with the new version, you don’t need to wear special glasses! H. S. Billimoria

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