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Matsu
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2012-02-13, 23:33

http://www.eprice.com.tw/dc/talk/1400/4698964/1/

Another promising looking test of the OM-D, E-M5 above...
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PB PM
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2012-02-14, 00:58

I'm very impressed with the E-M5, I want one... but my budget and current shooting style says no. I keep thinking two things, go m4/3s for the size etc, but another side says keep full frame, its "better" and you already have it. Maybe I'm just addicted to change, so I like to change things just for the sake of doing so. I need to settle down and hold onto what I have simply to get over the addiction to get something else.
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Matsu
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2012-02-14, 08:37

The smaller formats have come a very long way. Those watch faces look pretty good, but they're also a best case scenario - relatively up close, high-contrast black and white - on top of which I think the camera might be doing some kind of smart/edge sharpening, because the rest of the image is a little muddier. Even so, I've got a few of the images open full screen on my laptop - about letter size - and it's pretty remarkable how far they've come. To date, the m4/3 cameras seem to drop rather quickly in price/used value - might be a good used/refurb/package deal by this time next year.

Even now, a cheaper 4/3 could be a nice little camera for shooting macro details for books, video, vacation, etc...

That said, stick to FX, it still rocks.

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PB PM
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2012-02-14, 11:36

Yeah, that is my thinking as well. I know that I like m4/3s as a gadget, but the image quality would most likely dissapiont overall (after using the D700).
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PB PM
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2012-02-14, 13:08

So some people who pre-ordered the D800 started getting shipping estimates for their cameras (non NPS members). People who ordered on day one (within hours of the announcement) are getting dates like December 2012 and January 2013. Wow, so don't expect to go down to your local shop and take a look at one any time soon! From the sounds of things the number of pre-orders far exceeded Nikon's expectations.

Thom Hogan pointed to why that might be happening. Nikon Sendai can build about 30k D800 a month (360,000 a year), and some of those, maybe 60k will be D800E. I'm willing to bet there are a few hundred thousand pre-orders globally. On top of D800 production they can build 5k D4 a month (60k a year!), so waits for that camera might be even longer.
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Matsu
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2012-02-14, 21:20

Well, buy some Nikon stock then, the d800 alone will equal about a billion dollars in revenue.
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Kyros
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2012-02-14, 23:25

I'm surprised that Thom Hogan is predicting higher demand for the AA-less version. I think he's underestimating how many people won't understand the difference and will just gravitate toward the cheaper one. Are there any figures yet on which has more pre-orders?

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PB PM
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2012-02-15, 02:26

He didn't say anything about the D800E, that was just my prediction. 5000 D800E being sold a month globally isn't too far fetched IMO. Many of the photographers I know are opting for the E. I think demand is higher that you might think. After all, if you are spending $3k, whats another $300?
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PB PM
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2012-02-15, 03:40

I ordered my Markins Q-10 ballhead (with knob release, rather than lever), a plate for the D700 and my 300mm F4 on Tuesday morning. They shipped the same day, and are set to be delivered today, talk about speedy service! Markins has a Canadian distributor, right here in Vancouver, which is likely the cause of the speedy shipment! That explains why there are no import duty fees for Canadians.
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Dorian Gray
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2012-02-15, 04:55

Quote:
Originally Posted by PB PM View Post
I ordered my Markins Q-10 ballhead (with knob release, rather than lever)
Good call. The screw-release clamp is fast enough, in my opinion, and avoids potential security problems with the lever-release clamp.

I have a Markins Q3 Traveler on my small tripod. It performs very well except for a weak pan lock (not really weak; it just requires more tightening than I'd like). The ball itself is very smooth and it locks down tight with the merest twist of the locking knob. Nice engineering, that's for sure.

Gitzo recently announced new Systematics with a bunch of refinements. Doesn't affect me, since I'm thrilled with my GT3531S, but they might be interesting to others considering a large tripod.
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Matsu
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2012-02-15, 09:02

Great heads up on the Markins brand in Canada. Can you believe I still haven't gotten a decent tripod? Maybe some older systematics will go on sale now? My problem is I really need some extra height in a tripod, and the 2 series mountaineer seems a better fit. I guess a centre column can always be added to the systematics... I'm still using an old aluminium thing from the 70's, when I absolutely have to, but I mostly avoid it.

Also been looking for some SB600s; if anyone has one or two they want to get rid of, send me a private message. I want them.

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Kyros
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2012-02-15, 10:45

Quote:
Originally Posted by PB PM View Post
He didn't say anything about the D800E, that was just my prediction. 5000 D800E being sold a month globally isn't too far fetched IMO. Many of the photographers I know are opting for the E. I think demand is higher that you might think. After all, if you are spending $3k, whats another $300?
I misunderstood, I thought you meant that you expected 30k D800 and 60k D800E being sold per month. A 25k/5k split per month (that's what you really meant right?) sounds perfectly reasonable. Thom didn't give numbers, but he thinks the D800E will outsell the D800. Although, I can't find that quote now, so maybe I'm imagining things.

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PB PM
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2012-02-15, 11:26

Yes. Sendai can build up to 30k D800 style bodies a month, 5k of which could be D800E. I guess I worded it poorly.

I don't recall Thom saying He thought the D800E would sell more. He has said more people will buy it than really need or understand the benefits.
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PB PM
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2012-02-15, 19:51

The Q-10 arrived today, it seems like a very nice head. I'm not too happy with UPS, since the delivery guy just left the package on the doorstep, never rang the door bell or knocked. When you have a package with $500 of stuff in it (between the head and two plates) having something just left sitting there is not a nice feeling. Reminds me why I don't like to order things from companies that use USP. I never have issues like this with other shipping companies I've had dealings with.

Anyway, here it is with the D700 mounted. Seems to function well, I'm still trying to find the right balance with the friction/tension knob. I know it changes depending on the load of your gear. Thankfully the 24-70 and 300mm F4 seem to act similarly, so I wont have to make too many adjustments.

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PB PM
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2012-02-16, 01:01

The guys at The Camera Store (Calgary) got their hands on a pre-production Fuji X-Pro 1, check out the video!

http://youtu.be/8TOk_0kITBg
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Matsu
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2012-02-17, 14:16

Nice camera, takes wobbly video. They should have made a full frame version. If pre-orders are any indication it's going to take Nikon months to catch up to demand on the D800. I'm convinced that a modern full-frame "street" camera would be a smash hit

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PB PM
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2012-02-17, 15:49

Yes, an affordable Leica M9 would be pleasant for street shooting. So yeah Nikon, make a rangefinder with the D3s sensor...
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Matsu
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2012-02-17, 20:43

Doesnt't even have to be a rangefinder, a digital FE/FM sized camera would do just fine
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PB PM
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2012-02-19, 01:36

An interesting video to share, one of the photographers, Trey Ratcliff, in this video is very insightful. He is one of those people who just lives and breaths images. http://youtu.be/bMourw6OHSM

One of the most interesting parts is in the last 10-12 minutes of the video where Trey talks about his view on photography and the future of camera technology. He talks about Sony SLT and ILC cameras, and how DSLRs are not going to be important in the future. We've talked about this before, but he has some interesting reasons for his belief that traditional DSLRs will fade away. He even says that he wont be investing any more money in DSLR cameras or lenses, but that is kind of easy to say for someone who has a D3s and D3x. I get his points though, and I kind of agree on some levels, which is why I started to look at m4/3s last year before I got the GF2.

Last edited by PB PM : 2012-02-19 at 01:57.
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Matsu
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2012-02-20, 06:41

It'll be interesting. What none of the so called 3rd generation cameras have is a complete professional system or a large sensor option. m43 is furthest along with the system lenses/bodies, but it will never have a large frame option. And, it's the same, it seems, for all of NEX and Fuji X (APSC), Nikon 1 (1"), even Canon's forthcoming 1.5" format.

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PB PM
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2012-02-20, 14:04

A lot of people today are starting to call 35mm frame the medium format of the film days, a niche product. For a niche product a lot of people have or want it.

There are rumors that Olympus is going to release a higher end OM-D (one rep even said this) as the E-M5 is not considered a pro body. The Panasonic GH-3 is due this spring or fall and if they want to keep up with Olympus they are going to have to really step it up!
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Matsu
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2012-02-20, 17:59

I think it's a slight misconception that medium format is/was a niche product - this was only true as far as it concerned consumers.

For photographers, when film was prevalent, "medium format" was the minimum standard for most work, and it encompassed a relatively wide range of gear, from 120/220, 70mm, between 645 to 6x7 and 6x9 cameras that were used both in studio and in the field. If you shot portraits for serious clientele, you'd pick large format without blinking.

35mm was only really acceptable for reportage, nothing else. This is my favorite photography, and so much beautiful work exists in the genre, and from 35mm film, but you wouldn't shoot it with the intention of making wall size prints of an event. You shot it either for convenience, or to be a fly on the wall, to steal a moment that might otherwise be too hard to catch in ground glass. It's not so long ago that a rangefinder and/or precise distance scales were the fast way to get the shot. In the 80's AF came along and made this even easier, and the format grew exponentially.

Today 35mm is something between what it was and medium format, and unlike either. Medium format may have had the size, but never the speed. Put aside the Leica M9, and it's absurd that the smallest 35mm cameras you can buy are the size of Canon 5D/2, Nikon D700/800 or Sony A850/900. The format's original nimble discretion is changed too much. It's a more potent iteration, which aids speed, acquisition, but the athleticism has changed - less a dancer, more a sprinter - its proportions much harder to conceal.

We've all talked about this before. In digital, the quality is sufficient to match larger films. It's speed is unrivaled for now. It wants only for what it had, a less macho body, nimble, discrete, modest.

Maybe consumers would never buy them. If there's a niche too small, that may be it: trying to sell delicate instruments to gear heads. Photographers, I'm convinced, would understand it instantly.

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PB PM
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2012-02-20, 20:17

But medium format is a niche product. Maybe less so in the film days, but in the digital age those cameras are extremely expensive. Even most pros wouldn't sink $10,000 (minimum) into a digital back alone. Who shots with it? Extremely successful landscape photographers, who print for huge gallery displays. Problem is gallery prints are not going to be as popular going into the future. The other half of medium format shooters are high end fashion photographers (think billboards). Likely less than 20% of working pros use medium format, at least that would be my guess. To me, and many others, that = niche market.

I agree on that gear heads comment. From my point of view the 35mm sensor is ideal for low light and action shooting. The cameras might get smaller, but lets face it the lenses never will. Some fast wide primes maybe, but as soon as you get into 85mm F1.4 portrait lenses the small size is out the window. To be honest when I'm shooting with full frame lenses, I want them on a DSLR, not little box.

One area where I can see smaller formats taking off is landscape work. I know people want more resolution (D800), but it would be a lot easier on your body to carry around an E-M5 and a 12mm F2 than a D800 and 14-24 out on a long trek!
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Matsu
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2012-02-22, 09:45

Lenses are big, but they don't have to be. The f/1.8 primes are quite manageable, look at the 85mm AF-D and AF-S. So are wides up to about 18-20mm. That covers most all street shooting scenarios. Even the 24-85 lenses (though variable) aren't too big, so it can be done.

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PB PM
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2012-02-22, 10:33

Sure, as I mentioned, wide is small. The 85mm F1.8G is slightly bigger than the 85mm F1.4D, to put things into perspective. Primes are nice for street shooting, but street shooting alone photography does not exist for.
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Matsu
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2012-02-22, 12:26

I saw some 1.8G sample pics, and I still have lots of my own 1.8D samples. The G is sharper, it doesn't flare as much, and has higher contrast as well - wide open it doesn't bloom as much around light to dark areas - something the 1.8 did - not quite the same flare or fringe, sometimes light surfaces on that lens seemed to glow a bit - nothing you couldn't fix with a dab of the clarity slider. Anyway, the 1.8G samples don't seem to do that, I think its overall quality, analytically speaking, is also better than the 1.4D. Artistically, the 1.4D has a certain dreamy rendition, however, that can be preferable for some types of images. On the balance though, I think the new 1.8 is the lens to buy in this segment. It could be smaller, but it was built to an excellent price, and with the hood off, my hand still covers the whole barrel, so they made the right trade offs.
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PB PM
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2012-02-22, 14:04

Nikon used the same formula that they did with the 50mm F1.8G, lets hope it continues with a 35mm and wider fast prime!
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Matsu
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2012-02-22, 19:34

NR reported on a 35mm f/2.8 VR patent application a while back. A straight ahead f/2 would have been better, but let's see...
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PB PM
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2012-02-22, 21:02

I thought that was a 24mm F2.8 VR patient, but you might be right.
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Matsu
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2012-02-23, 15:58

Quick question: TTL remotes. Pocket Wizard TT5/mini or Radio Popper PX?

Pocket Wizard's hypersync function looks like it could be quite a boon for high speed flash. For those who may not have heard of it, it advances the flash timing a little - user programmable - so that the scene is already lit just ahead of the first curtain. This lets you double the sync speed without the strobing or power loss associated with FP Sync modes. Pretty smart. Some people claim to be squeezing as much as 1/800 from FX sensors with the right settings, most can get reliable results between 1/500 and 1/640. 1 to 2 stops extra sync speed almost makes a TT mini worthwhile just for on camera daylight fill. Nikon's 1.2X crop might help even more here, split the difference between DX and FX frame sizes, and maybe push shutter speeds up into 1250 or so, maybe more.

OTOH, the dead simple transparency of the Radio Poppers has it's own charm.

Edit: there's a good explanation of the hypersync here Look at the white frames, with the right flash advance, the rear curtain shadow can be quite thin. Nikon's 1.2X crop modes should cut that right out. Poor man's leaf shutter?

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Last edited by Matsu : 2012-02-23 at 17:18.
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