9 August, 2006

Pentax K100D Firmware v1.01

Darren wrote this at 12:45 am:

Pentax has just released firmware version 1.01 for the K100D digital SLR.

Fixes and features:

  • Support for SDHC memory cards (SD cards larger than 4 GB)
  • Focal length input into the Shake Reduction menu can now be displayed accurately in Pentax Photo Browser 3

See Pentax’s K100D Firmware v1.01 web page for download and installation instructions.

* Filed under: Firmware Updates,Pentax,Software
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6 August, 2006

Graphics Tablets For Photography

Darren wrote this at 10:54 am:

I was doing a bit of research this week, trying to figure out whether I’d be better off getting a 4×5″ graphics tablet or a 6×8″ one.

A few helpful reviews I found include:

In summary, most people seem to agree that a 4×5″ graphics tablet is best for photographers. Any larger, and you need to move your whole hand rather than just your wrist when working, which reduces accuracy and slows you down. A smaller tablet will also be cheaper and more portable, which is great for photographers who want to take their tablet on the road with them for use with a laptop.

For illustration work, on the other hand, 6×8″ or even larger seems to be recommended. This is especially true for classically-trained illustrators who tend to draw from the shoulder with larger strokes, rather than from the wrist.

* Filed under: Equipment,Workflow
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1 August, 2006

Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Review

Darren wrote this at 1:09 am:

DPReview has just published their Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Review.

This camera is the product of the Konica Minolta/Sony joint development deal last year, and the subsequent withdrawal of Konica Minolta from the camera business altogether.

The DSLR-A100 features:

  • 10 megapixel CCD
  • Konica Minolta lens mount (now called Alpha Mount)
  • in-body Anti-Shake (now called Super SteadyShot)
  • anti-dust system
  • eye start AF
  • 40 segment honeycomb pattern metering
  • 2.5″ rear LCD

The A100 gets a pretty good review, giving Sony a solid entry into the DSLR market.

We’ve also added a Sony Alpha DSLR-A100 Reviews page.

* Filed under: Sony
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22 July, 2006

Squirrels With Cameras

Darren wrote this at 9:13 am:

Well, I guess there really is a Flickr group for every possible photographic subject you can think of: Squirrels With Cameras.

Scott Alan Johnson has taken dozens of photos of wild squirrels with real vintage cameras. Not as in “I took this photo with my vintage camera”, but as in “here’s a squirrel behind a Kodak Duaflex IV TLR”.

You’ve really got to admire someone who pursues their vision with such dedication!

* Filed under: Humor,Photographers
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20 July, 2006

Photographing Jewellery

Darren wrote this at 9:57 am:

I just received this question from a visitor:

I am currently using a Canon Eos 20D and am trying to get the best result shooting very beautiful jewellery and diamonds etc.

What settings, lighting, etc do u suggest to get the best out of this fantastic camera?

We are currently having trouble finding the best lighting system and focusing setting!

Please help

I can’t tell you exactly what to do without being there to see what you’re trying to achieve, but some general tips for jewellery photography are:

  • use a light tent
  • use manual exposure
  • use manual white balance
  • use a small aperture for large depth of field
  • use a proper macro lens
  • use manual focus
  • set up with a tripod, shutter release cable, and a stand for the jewellery so you can photograph items one after the other quickly
  • wear cotton gloves to avoid getting fingerprints or smears on the jewellery

I also found a great article on tips for photographing jewellery.

If you have any more tips, please add them in the comments!

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* Filed under: Equipment,Photography Tips,Technique
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19 July, 2006

Adobe Lightroom Beta 3 For Windows

Darren wrote this at 8:29 pm:

Now all those Windows users can see what us Macheads have been raving about for the last six months or so – Adobe has announced Lightroom Beta 3 for Windows. Download it now to see the future of digital photography workflow.

There are a few minor features missing from Lightroom for Windows that are present in Lightroom for OS X, but Adobe is promising that the two feature sets will match up by Lightroom Beta 4.

Some good places to start reading about Lightroom and learning tips include:

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* Filed under: Asset Management,RAW Files,Software,Workflow
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13 July, 2006

Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop Adventure 2006

Darren wrote this at 3:00 am:

This looks like it will be an interesting adventure to watch – Adobe is sending a crack team of photographers to Iceland, where they’ll travel around taking photographs and using Adobe Lightroom on laptops to manage, process and output their images.

A dozen top photographers overcome the challenges of nature and technology on the assignment of a lifetime…

On the Adobe Lightroom/Photoshop Adventure 2006 Blog, you can follow along with the photographers’ preparations before the event, see what happens during the adventure, and get their perspectives and impressions of how things went afterwards.

This should be a fantastic opportunity to see how a bunch of top photographers manage their digital workflow, before, during and after a big trip.

The photographers include:

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* Filed under: Asset Management,Photographers,RAW Files,Software,Workflow
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6 July, 2006

Canon EOS 5D / EOS 1D II N Firmware 1.1.0

Darren wrote this at 2:28 am:

Canon has released firmware version 1.1.0 for their EOS 5D and EOS 1D Mark II N digital SLRs.

Canon EOS 5D Firmware 1.1.0

  • Enhancement of direct printing with specific printers.
  • Correction of the communication errors that occurred when shooting with EOS 5D and EOS Capture software after shooting about 138 shots.
  • Correction of the phenomenon in which the flash mode settings are changed from E-TTL to M (Manual) when EOS 5D is used in combination with Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2 and Speedlite 580EX.

Canon EOS 1D Mark II N Firmware 1.1.0

  • Enhancement of direct printing with specific printers.

* Filed under: Canon,Firmware Updates
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3 July, 2006

BreezeBrowser Pro v1.5 Released

Darren wrote this at 2:23 am:

Breeze Systems have announced the availability of BreezeBrowser Pro v1.5, latest release of their image browsing and raw conversion software for Windows.

New features include:

  • Adobe XMP data can now be entered and displayed within BreezeBrowser Pro for maximum compatibility with Photoshop and other applications
  • input and edit XMP data in JPEG, TIFF, PSD, DNG, PNG, JPEG 2000 and raw files for maximum compatibility with Photoshop and other applications
  • display frames around your images in BreezeBrowser Pro’s slideshow
  • frames can also be added to batches of images using BreezeBrowser Pro’s proofs tool
  • simpler keyword editing for batches of images or individual images using the new keyword editor
  • now outputs Adobe PSD files (8-bit or 16-bit) in proofs and raw conversion
  • improved color for Nikon D200 raw conversion
  • updated lens distortion correction using the latest PTLens profiles

BreezeBrowser Pro is Windows based software developed and marketed by Breeze Systems Ltd. Available for US $69.95 or for US $89.90 bundled with Downloader Pro; the price includes one year’s free upgrades. BreezeBrowser Pro v1.5 is a free upgrade for customers who purchased a copy of BreezeBrowser Pro within the last year. Customers who bought BreezeBrowser Pro before 30 June 2005 and BreezeBrowser customers can upgrade to BreezeBrowser Pro v1.5 for just US $35.

* Filed under: Asset Management,Software,Workflow
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27 June, 2006

Microsoft Buys iView

Darren wrote this at 8:15 pm:

iView Multimedia has been acquired by Microsoft Corporation.

iView’s founder, Yan Calotychos, has written a letter to customers about the deal. There is also an Acquisition FAQ answering the main questions customers are asking. Keep an eye on the iView Blog for updates.

Perhaps iView Media will become the Windows-equivalent of Apple’s iPhoto, giving ordinary users a great way to manage their digital photos right out of the box.

Microsoft is committed to continuing to evolve the iView products on both the Mac and the Windows platforms. Hopefully this will mean a wider market for iView MediaPro in the future, with the increased exposure and resources Microsoft can bring to the table.

Customers can continue to use and buy iView products knowing that they will be fully supported as Microsoft evolves the iView product line in the future, for both Windows and Macintosh platforms.

Update: – Peter Krogh, author of The DAM Book, Digital Asset Management for Photographers (O’Reilly 2005) and iView MediaPro alpha tester, has written a pretty good analysis of what the Microsoft acquisition means for iView MediaPro users.

Don’t forget, if you don’t already own iView MediaPro 3, we’ve got a special deal lined up with iView Multimedia to save you 15% off the normal purchase price.

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* Filed under: Asset Management,Business,Software,Workflow
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