Archive for the ‘equipment’ Category
Megapixel junkies can find their next fix in Hasselblad’s latest medium-format creation, the H4D-200MS. The camera boasts an amazing 200-Mpixel resolution, and was announced at Photokina last year. To put that in perspective, most professional DSLRS hover in the 20-Mpixel range. Hasselblad’s newest camera is about 10 times greater than that.
Medium-format, for those who don’t know, refers to a format of film photography larger than the standard 24mm by 36mm, known as 35mm, but smaller than the 4- by 5-inch format, known as large format. Digitally, the sensor is larger than a 35mm sensor; it could have dimensions of 33.1 by 44.2mm.
Hasselblad dominates the medium-format category, and it has been a popular option for decades since World War II. There are several models currently available in the H4D line: 31, 40, 50, 60, and now the 200. The H4D-200MS, specifically, comes as the third entry in a small line of multishot(MS) cameras: H3DII-39MS and H4D-50.
Finding Your Lens’ ‘Sweet Spot’
Posted on: 11 June 2010
From B&H Insights:
…while we can’t possibly address the optimum shooting parameters needed to squeeze the highest performance out of every lens on the marketplace, there are a few guidelines we can offer up that might at the very least influence the way you go about taking pictures.
The first thing we have to do is define the difference between maximum sharpness and maximum focus. If your goal is to squeeze the maximum levels of image sharpness out of your lens you can achieve this by simply stopping your lens aperture down 2.5 to 3-stops from the lens’s maximum aperture. As an example, if the maximum aperture of your lens is f/2.8, you’ll want to shoot with your lens aperture set between f/5.6 and f/8. For a lens that has a maximum aperture of f/3.5, the sweet spot of your lens resides somewhere between f/8 and f/11. Similarly, if your lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.4, the sweet spot of your lens is located somewhere between f/2.8 and f/4. And this simple rule of thumb works with most every lens you’ll ever own.
Read the rest of the article here.
You’ve read about the 7 Mistakes to Avoid as a Photographer and I showed you the results of now checking out the camera settings before a photo shoot at the Springville Rodeo. Today, courtesy of B&H here’s yet another reminder to ‘Check Thy Camera Settings.’
Along with all of it’s inherent ‘blessings’, the joys of digital imaging comes with a greater chance of screwing up, especially if you take it for granted all your settings are correct in the first place. I often suggest to newcomers to the sport they should make a habit of making ‘pre-flight’ checks before heading out for a day of shooting. And this is especially true if one of your photo buddies recently ‘checked out’ your new camera.
Among the shooting parameters you should check regularly include the following –
- ISO Settings
- White Balance
- Exposure Compensation
- Scene Settings
- JPEG Compression / File size
- Program Mode
- Metering Mode
- AF Mode
- Flash settings
- Drive Settings
Be sure to read the rest of the article.
The Spider Holster
Posted on: 18 May 2010
This is cool. You likely already know about camera straps and how they hang around your neck. Able Straps can even provide some nifty looking and functional camera straps. What you may not know is that instead of hanging your camera around your neck, why not put the weight on your waist? Introducing the Spider Camera Holster. You can watch a short video on the Spider Camera Holster website to learn more about how this device works. You can also read the review by pdn or check out the reviews from people who are actually using the holster on the Spider Holster Facebook page. What you can’t do is rush down to a store in the U.S. and purchase one. It’s only available in a few select stores outside of the U.S. and via the Internet.
When I first saw this, I thought it was some kind of a joke. I read the review by Betsy Linn over on Professional Photographer and then I watched the video clip on Longshot Camera Systems. I can see some situations where this might be fun to try out, but that’s it–fun. If however, your occupation requires you to take photos in some precarious positions, you may find more practical application for such a device. My biggest concern is the pole. The very idea of giving up some of my balance in order to hold such a device is … well, uncomfortable to say the least.
If you are an event photographer looking for a way to get “the shot” that requires being heads above everyone else, the Polester is a great tool to have. It would be great for evidence photographers, or press photojournalists. But for typical portrait work, it may not be worth lugging around. I might bring it along to a sports event or a wedding in the future in order to get a nice “scene” shots, but I am pretty sure I will not be bringing it on another portrait session.
Depending on the size of your camera, you may need either the point and shoot trigger device, or the larger DSLR trigger device. While both do a good job, it’s a lot easier, physically, to hold the point and shoot up for any length of time than it is to hold a DSLR up in the air at the end of a pole.
The Polester was originally invented to allow contractors and inspectors to easily photograph places that were hard (or dangerous) to get to. There are two version of the Polester, both of which retail for $199. For more information about the Polester, or to watch a demonstrational video, visit Longshot Camera Systems.
Read the article here.
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