Filed under: Cameras, Digital Camera, Holiday Gift Guide

Leica M9 Digital Rangefinder Camera (Gadget Head, Cost No Object)

The Leica brand has represented the ne plus ultra of photographic excellence for nearly a century, and continues to burnish its impeccable rep with its new M9 ($7,000). As beautiful a piece of gadgetry as any we’ve come across, the M9 is somewhat of an oddity in the digital realm: it’s a rangefinder camera (meaning you don’t see through the lens to focus), is essentially all manually controlled (including focus) and is the smallest camera around to pack a full 35mm CCD image sensor. That giant sensor also explains why the M9 can capture positively massive (and gorgeous) 18.5-megapixel images — which, at about 36-megabytes (MBs) a snap, also means you might want to look into a new hard drive before you get snap happy. Nicely, the M9 can also accommodate any existing M-series lenses dating back to 1950s, a further enticement for any film Leica enthusiasts who are still sitting on the digital bench. Any devout shutterbug would kill or die to have one (and considering its $7,000 price tag, it’ll surely cross some minds), though casual shooters who aren’t comfortable messing with ISO, aperture and shutterspeed settings should likely opt for a DSLR with more automatic controls.

Gift Guide: Leica M9 Digital Rangefinder Camera originally appeared on Switched on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:11:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cameras, Editor’s Picks, Reviews, Digital Camera

What it is: The Olympus PEN E-P1 is the company’s first Micro Four Thirds (MFT) camera — a miniaturized alternative to a digital SLR (DSLR) based on a tech standard developed in cooperation with Panasonic. The physical design and name are throwbacks to the half-frame film cameras Olympus produced from the ’50s through the ’80s. The E-P1, priced at $799, includes a 14-42-millimeter, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens (equivalent to 28-84 mm on a traditional film camera).

Why it’s different: The E-P1′s retro styling stands out among other DSLR and point-and-shoot cameras. The compact body is a result of the MFT system, which reduces bulk by forgoing an SLR’s internal mirror and prism for through-the-lens viewing. The result is a camera significantly smaller and lighter than a DSLR, but with the flexibility of interchangeable lenses and the photo quality that comes from a large image sensor. The only other MFT cameras on the market are Panasonic’s G1 and GH1, which boast similar size reductions, but have a traditional DSLR shape.

Continue reading The Olympus E-P1 Is Sexy, But Is It Worth the Hype?

The Olympus E-P1 Is Sexy, But Is It Worth the Hype? originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cameras, Digital Camera, Summer Fun

In a pro photography world virtually owned by Canon and Nikon, Pentax’s scrappy determination is admirable. Although it rarely grabs the headlines, this company consistently turns out well-built cameras at good prices.

We’re hoping that applies to the company’s latest SLR, the Pentax K-7, which we got a hands-on look at earlier this month. Priced at $1300, it’s priced against semi-pro cameras such as the Canon 50D, but has many professional features that match far-pricier models. For one, the magnesium-alloy case is completely sealed against dust and water and certified to keep the camera working all the way down to a frigid 14 degrees Fahrenheit. You don’t get that kind of battle-ready performance from the big boys until you step up to pro models like Nikon’s $5000 D3 camera. Just like its price, the K-7′s weight is also way lower: at 27 ounces, it’s about two-thirds the weight of Nikon’s D3.

Continue reading Pentax K-7 — a Pro SLR, at a Semi-Pro Price

Pentax K-7 — a Pro SLR, at a Semi-Pro Price originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 20 May 2009 10:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cameras, Digital Camera

Who needs the Hubble? Not Gerard Marull Paretas, Sergi Saballs Vila, Marta­ Gasull Morcillo and Jaume Puigmiquel Casamort, that’s for sure.

The four Spanish teenagers, working with their teacher Jordi Fanals Oriol as the Meteotek team at the IES La Bisbal school in Catalonia, started with a fairly lofty goal: They wanted to launch a balloon with a digital camera and some custom-built electronic sensors to 30,000 feet. Much to their surprise, they ended up considerably exceeding their expectations. Their $60 heavy duty latex balloon and $80 Nikon digital camera soared to 100,000 feet, right to the edge of space. Describing the team’s homegrown approach, Gerard Marull Paretas told the Telegraph, “We took readings as the balloon rose and mapped its progress using Google Earth and the onboard radio receiver.”

Like something out of a Roald Dahl book or upcoming Pixar film, these four students were able to accomplish something unexpected, and quite impressive, with meager resources. This is recession astronomy — for less than the cost of some people’s electric bills, the group was able to capture some stunning images from the very limits of the Earth’s atmosphere. Check out the gallery below for some images from the team’s Flickr feed. [From: Telegraph]

Related Links:

• College Students Contact Space Station With Self-Built Radio System
• British Put the First Teddy Bears Into Space
• Scotch Tape Creates X-Rays, Scientists Discover

Students Take Space Photos With Simple Latex Balloon and Digi-Cam originally appeared on Switched on Wed, 18 Mar 2009 15:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cameras, Celebrities, Digital Camera

You’re now gazing at President Barack Obama’s just-released official portrait — the first of a U.S. president ever taken with a digital camera. That means we can peek at the EXIF data — this fine specimen of portraiture was snapped with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II on January 13th, 2009 at 5:38 pm with no flash, using a 105mm lens stopped to f/10 at a 1/125 exposure, with an ISO of 100 by newly crowned official White House photographer Pete Souza. Nice work, Souza — but we think it could use a few lens flares.

[Thanks, Penny]

Obama’s Official Portrait Is the First Taken With a Digital Camera originally appeared on Switched on Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cameras, Digital Camera, School Supplies

Does your camera bag leave something to be desired in the style department? If you find yourself looking for something a bit more discrete when toting around your DSLR, take a look at the Shootsac. This neoprene shoulder bag ditches the zippers and bulky design factor for a slimmed-down ergonomic design that accommodates 3-6 lenses and other accessories. It’s designed to be worn while shooting, giving you easy and quick access to your essentials.

If the basic black bag ($179) is a bit too blasé, the company offers a number of different covers ($39) for the bags, so go right ahead and personalize it to your heart’s (or your wallet’s) consent.

You can check out the company’s Web site here. [From: ChipChick, Via: ShinyShiny]

Slimmed Shooting Bag Stylishly Holds Your Camera originally appeared on Switched on Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Cameras, Advice, Digital Camera

DIY photography Web site Photojojo has compiled a series of tips for aspiring night shooters. It might take a little bit of work and planning, but you can shoot great photos at night. The article goes through various approaches you can take — using your camera’s Night-Portrait Mode, being the most obvious — and helps you sort through what might be most appropriate for your particular situation. It covers (in minimal detail) high ISO settings (the digital equivalent of using different-speed film on analog cameras), as well as motion and color tips.
Our favorite tip, however, is the last one.

A quirk of physics dictates that unfocused points of light in a photograph take on the shape of the aperture. You can make a lens hood with a specially-shaped aperture (a heart, for example) and turn all the points of light into that shape.

It’s really easy, super cheap, and lends an unexpected “how-did-you-do-that?” touch to night photos. Make any shape you want: stars, ghosts, butterflies. You can even buy specially-shaped hole punches at craft stores.

Now, young photographer: go forth, and bokeh. [From: Photojojo]

How to Take Better Night Photos originally appeared on Switched on Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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