October 2009

Leica X1 Hands-On Review

by on October 26, 2009

in Leica

The Leica X1 is a compact camera with a fixed lens and an APS-C sized sensor. The camera has the largest sensor in it’s class, dwarfing Micro Four Thirds and the Sigma Foveon. I received some personal hands-on time with the camera. While I wasn’t able to put a card in to take samples (I handled a prototype) the short experience with the camera was overall quite positive and, in fact, it may very well be a camera that will put more pressure on other companies to start really developing their technology to do just the same thing.

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Leica M9 Hands-On Review

by on October 26, 2009

in Leica


Since the announcement of the Leica M9, there has been much interest in the powerful but little camera. The main reason for this is the full frame sensor in such a small body. I had the pleasure and opportunity to finally fondle the Leica M9. I previously brought up the issue of really needing a rangefinder for street photography, and while I have not solved that question yet, I can tell you that the M9 has characteristics that surely can help with doing such things even at close range. However, it is not perfect. [click to continue…]

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HDR Poll Results – Lightroom vs. Photomatix

by on October 25, 2009

in Technique

Last week, I showed you a couple of images that I processed with a goal of creating an extended dynamic range.  One was processed in Lightroom from a single image and one was processed from three separate images in Photomatix to create an HDR image.  This grew largely from an experiment with a Canon 5D Mark II RAW file to see how far I could push the dynamic range from a single file in Lightroom 2.5.  Nothing scientific.  Just a little fun.

If you missed it, here is the original post.

To make things a little more interesting, I posted both images with metadata stripped and asked you to decide which was a single image processed in Lightroom and which was a combination of 3 images processed in Photomatix. Take a look at the results of that poll below. [click to continue…]

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Canon 2009-2010 Fall and Winter Rebates

by on October 25, 2009

in Canon

Canon Rebates

Canon has announced its lineup of lenses and flashes eligible for instant rebate savings for fall / winter 2009.

This is an instant rebate program too – no mailing receipts and UPC codes an then waiting 6-8 weeks.   The rebate applies for purchases on qualifying Canon gear between October 22, 2009 and January 16, 2010.

The specific items are listed below, along with links to product pages for each lens or flash at Amazon, Adorama and B&H Photo.  Additionally, Amazon has set up a dedicated page for this rebate program.

Canon Lens Rebates

EF 200mm f/2L IS USM – Save $500 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM – Save $150 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF 85mm f/1.2L II USM – Save $130 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM - Save $100 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM – Save $80 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM – Save $80 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM - Save $75 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF-S 17-55 f/2.8 IS USM – Save $70 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM – Save $50 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF 17-40mm f/4L USM – Save $50 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF 70-200mm f/4L USM - Save $40 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

EF-S 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM – Save $30 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

Canon Flash Rebates

Speedlite 580EX II – Save $50 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

Speedlite 430EX II – Save $30 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

Speedlite 270EX – Save $20 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX – Save $70 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX – Save $50 – Amazon / Adorama / B&H Photo

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Spider Holster Hands-On Review

by on October 25, 2009

in Gear

The Spider Holster is a unique, new holster belt for a photographer. It allows them to mount their cameras safely and securely while enabling quick access should the need arise for it. It is great for wedding photographers, sports shooters, photojournalists, event shooters that carry a backup body amongst others. While I was at first skeptical, a hands-on demo quickly disproved my initial reservations.
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Windows 7 Photography Solutions and Applications

by on October 25, 2009

in Software

Windows 7

If you haven’t heard already, Windows 7 is here and available everywhere.

If you use Windows Vista on your computer, you may be more than ready for the upgrade.  Microsoft has been hyping Windows 7 as a better solution for a long time.  What follows are some of the latest developments for photographers, along with a brief look at what casual photographers can expect out of Windows 7 for helping organize and edit images. [click to continue…]

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