Shooting Fireworks

United States of America soon will celebrate independence day on 4th July 2009. This exciting celebration usually involve parade in the morning, and concert and fireworks at night. You might want to document these events.

When composing the shot, aware of the background. Skyline might be an interesting background.
Canon EOS 5D, 28mm, bulb mode @ f/8, ISO 160 (image © Erika Silverstein)

Generally, these are the most popular tips:

• Don't use Auto, use Manual or bulb
• Set long exposure (10-15 sec) to capture multiple fireworks in action
• Use a tripod, because it is impossible not to shake during the long exposure
• Set low ISO such as 100 or 200
• Use flash only to light up foreground, such as people.
• Use self timer or cable release to avoid camera shake
• Aware of the background, pick a better location if you have to.
  

In addition, Canon Digital Learning center has a great article that discuss about this topic. It include baseball hat techniques, some creative ideas and battery/power usage information. I find it great for everybody, especially for Canon digital SLR camera user.

Andrzej Wrotniak also have tips for shooting fireworks, plus the post processing / cropping tips. He uses Olympus DSLR cameras but most of the tips are universal.

Sony A500 and A550 on the horizon

After a disappointing launch three Sony DSLR cameras earlier this month, Sony is set to announce Sony A500 and A550. Sony A500 is spotted in Sony Style Canadian website product list a while ago.

There are many speculations on the net for months about this camera. Photo Rumors site states that this camera will have 17 megapixel resolution, movie recording mode with auto focus ability and hi-res tilt lcd screen.

Hummingbird, a Chinese photography site, reports that Sony A500-A550 series will be positioned for mid-range to advanced cameras in the market, competing with Nikon D90, Nikon D5000, and Canon T1i/500D. All of these cameras has ability to record movie. The site also states that Sony will use new CMOS sensor that is able to improve image quality and boost up the resolution surpassing all the mid-range DSLR cameras on the market up to date.

Here are Top Ten Photography posts in June 2009

June has been very exciting month because there are two big announcement of Pentax K7 and Olympus E-P1 cameras.

1. Nikon D90 vs Pentax K7 = 3100+ visitors
2. Nikon D90 vs Canon 40D = 2800+visitors
3. Olympus E-P1 preview and analysis = 2433 visitors
4. Pentax k20d vs Pentax K7 = 1600+ visitors
5. Canon versus Nikon lenses = 1300+ visitors
6. Canon T1i / 500D vs Nikon D5000 = 1300+visitors
7. Canon 500D/T1i vs Canon 50D = 881 visitors
8. Panasonic LX3 vs Olympus E-P1 =635 visitors
9. Olympus E-P1 price = 635 visitors
10. Canon 60D and Nikon D300s rumor = 437 visitors

Don't forget to leave comments and Happy reading!

Rumor: Panasonic LX5 in development?

Fengniao (hummingbird), a Chinese website reports that Panasonic is working with Fujitsu (camera sensor maker) on a new micro four thirds system camera. This camera is likely to be named Panasonic LX5.

As we know, LX series has been popular especially Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, which is an advanced compact camera with wide (24mm) and f/2 maximum aperture. It also has a hot shoe for external "24mm" viewfinder or flash. The supply of LX3 can't keep up with the demand causing the street/market price is constantly higher than the MSRP ($500) for months.

We don't know whether LX5 will follow the footstep of LX3. But one thing is sure. This camera will be similar with Olympus E-P1 design. small, m43 sensor, interchangeable lenses, no viewfinder and built-in flash.


There is many speculation of the specification, but based on the trend, we can expect improved sensor. It means higher dynamic range/image quality. It might use an OLED LCD screen which is better because it is clearer in bright sunny day and lower power consumption which is very important because using LCD monitor constantly will drain battery power faster than a DSLR which primarily use a viewfinder to compose a picture.

Nikon D3000 instead of Nikon D4000 ?

Lenstips website posts potential Nikon D3000 photo today. This is interesting because most people assume that Nikon will name their next entry level camera Nikon D4000. Nikon D3000 will replace Nikon D60 as Nikon cheapest DSLR camera.

Compare with Nikon D5000, Nikon D3000 will not have articulating lcd screen, microphone for movie recording, and HDMI connector. It is also not sure if this camera has live view mode.

Samsung GX30, Pentax K7 twin sibling

Photo Rumors site reports Samsung GX30 potential specifications. It will mount Pentax lenses (KAF2), and have features similar to K7 such as Shake reduction, 14.6 megapixel, 11 AF points, 77 metering zones, 100% Pentaprism coverage, .95 magnification, and 720 video mode.

From the specification, it resembles Pentax K7, except:

• 3”Intelligent AMOLED 780K** dots swing and tilt display
• Built-in GPS
• Double SD/SDHC slots
• Bigger dimension, possibly too make room for the 3" tilt-display
• Only center AF point is double-cross.
  

If this is true, it seems like GX-30 is even more powerful than the K7. The AMOLED screen with auto brightness will be very nice especially for outdoor photographer. Now, you will see a lot clearer under bright sun.

For Pentax users who is planning to get Pentax K7, but does not mind to wait a little big longer, GX-30 might serve you better but it might be more expensive.

Check out complete specification at photo rumors site

Panasonic GH1

New York Times recently posts Panasonic GH1 images with comments.Summary of their findings

• Small and lighter than DSLR camera
• Good at low light (thanks to optical stabilization and four thirds sensor)
• Great zoom length with new 14-140mm
• Good color rendition
• Almost no shutter lag
• Interchangeable lenses
• Good macro mode

Negative Feats:

• AF inaccuracies resulting soft images at times
  
• Slow continuous shooting
  

Check the slide show here

Compare to Panasonic G1, Gizmodo, a gadget review site, claims G1 is as good as GH1 in shooting still images. The main difference of the two camera is the ability to shoot movie. Panasonic GH1 is easier to operate than the other DSLR because of the fluid AF operation and Image Stabilization. But Gizmodo thinks that the street price of $1500 is too high.

Panasonic GH1 is not available yet in stores, but you can get his sibling, Panasonic G1 for almost half the price.

Reverie 2009: first full-length feature movie shot by Nikon D90

After around 8 months after the first DSLR camera (Nikon D90) with movie is released, we will be able to watch full length feature movies (83mins) soon. The title of the movie is Reverie.

One thing that is quite interesting is the process why the cinematographer, Alles Mist, chooses Nikon D90 instead of Canon 5D mark II (which is a full frame camera) and other such as Panasonic GH1 and Red Scarlet camera.

Alles Mist explains how he arrives at the conclusion in this pdf document.

Trailer is available at Reverie 2009 official website.

Nikon Rumours site has more information about the movie.

Canon Ti / 2000D specification leaked

CR (Canon Rumors) site just posted possible specification for Canon entry level DSLR camera, Canon T1/2000D. It will replace Canon XS as the Canon cheapest DSLR camera. Screen, image resolution are improved along with video recording addition.

T1/2000D Specifications

• 15.1mp
• 7 AF points
• 3fps
• ISO 100-3200
• 3″ ClearView LCD (Not Articulating)
• 720P Video (30fps & 24fps) NO 1080p
• SD Card
• USB 2.0
• HDMI Out
• Video Out
• LP-E5 Battery

Demb flash reflector: Mega Flip-it! Kit

Demb Flash Product just release new product, Mega Flip-it! Kit.

The kit includes:

1. A plexiglass angle mount with attachment strap
2. One 6 1/2" x 7" semi-matte Mega Reflector
3. One 5 1/2" x 6" gloss Super Reflector
4. Velcro for 4 DIY reflectors (foam, mat board, foam coreboard, foil board, etc.)

This kit is designed to soften and distribute light from your flash. It could be used on camera or off camera. This new mega reflector is possible because of new plexiglass mount that provides the added distance of flash to reflector so that you can get full advantage of the reflector size.

I have used Demb Flip-it product before, and I love it because it is lightweight, durable, easy to store and use. It sticks to flash like magic. Most importantly it has great versatility and ability to create a soft, balanced light if you use it properly. Demb suggests this product for portrait and events photography such as wedding, but in practice, you can use it for most kind of photography.

This product will be compatible with other Demb Flash products such as diffuser and bracket.

Related post: Diffuser and Reflector review

2009 DSLR camera trends

It is just half year past 2009, but there are so many DSLR & micro four thirds cameras have been released. There are at least ten new cameras this year and the number will likely to increase to in the next few months.

What is the 2009 trends?

1. Video Mode
The biggest trend of 2009's DSLR cameras is the video mode. So far, there are five cameras have video modes. They are Canon 500D/T1i, Nikon D5000, Panasonic GH1, Pentax K7, Olympus E-P1. The number will likely to increase because there are Nikon D300s/D400, Canon 60D, Canon 1D mark IV and Samsung NX is waiting to be released.

Read More...
Although video mode is around for almost one year, there are still many limitations of DSLR video mode compare to camcorder. Some of them are:

• Inability to set aperture, shutter speed and ISO manually (except Canon 5D mark II with latest firmware).
• Non existent or very slow Auto Focus speed
• Hard to stabilize the lens especially when panning, tripod with pan head is recommended
• Many does not have external audio output or stereo sound recording
  

However, DSLR video mode has three major benefits:

• Easy to control depth of field
  
• Able to use interchangeable lenses to create different kind of perspectives
• Great in low light setting

Video mode is still evolving and I think we can expect improvement of video mode next year.

2. The camera size is shrinking!
Manufacturers are working hard to make the DSLR cameras as small as possible this year. The term big and beautiful is not cool now. Almost all DSLR cameras in 2009 are smaller compare to its predecessors. This include some new lenses.

By redesigning, manufacturers hope they can appeal compact camera users to upgrade to DSLR. Most common complaint why consumers stay with compact camera are the size and weight of DSLR cameras.

Some cameras that has compact design (DSLR standard) include: Sony A series, Pentax K7, Olympus E-620, and two micro four thirds design: Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic GH1

3. The rise of micro four thirds system
This is a good year for micro four thirds system. The interest are quite high for this innovative system. If you are not familiar with micro four thirds system check it here. There are two m43 cameras so far this year, Olympus "PEN" E-P1 and Panasonic GH1. There are also several lenses. m43 already have 7 lenses now plus up to 39 DSLR lenses available to use with special adapter.

4. LCD screen improvement
LCD screen has also been improved. Some cameras such as Canon 500D/T1i and Pentax K7 now have hi-res 920k 3" lcd screen. Some other cameras have swivel and tilt screen such as Nikon D5000 and Sony Alpha series. Unfortunately, if you pick camera with swivel screen, you won't get high-resolution screen just yet.

4. Megapixel war is over
Megapixel war between manufacturers are cooling down especially DSLR camera with crop sensor. Most of the manufacturers realize that increasing image resolution aggresively won't do any good for marketing purpose anymore. If the image resolution is too high, noise will be hard to control in high ISO, as a result, that it will degrade the image quality. In addition, 10 Megapixel is good enough for large print. More megapixel also means you will need bigger storage. This year, image resolution of DSLR cameras range from 10-15 megapixel.

What to expect next?
I think that manufacturers will still working hard to perfect the video mode. LCD screen will be improved, so that we can look at the image more clearly in bright sunlight. We can also expect hybrids camera such as micro four thirds system will evolve and might take over DSLR cameras supremacy in 4-5 years.

Want to upgrade? Nikon D300, D90 or D5000?

This post is for Nikon users who like to upgrade from entry level DSLR such as Nikon D40, D60 or event compact camera/superzoom camera users.

You might be confuse that there are so many Nikon dSLR camera in the market, there are Nikon D300, D90, and D5000. Their price are approx. US$1600, 950, and 750 body only. Which camera delivers the greatest value?

It is not easy, there are plus and minuses on each cameras. In general, if you are looking for image quality, they are almost identical despite the price tag. Testing labs like DXOmark (table below) confirms it. Veteran photographer/photoshop expert, Scott Kelby also said that Nikon D5000 has similar image quality compare to pricier Nikon D300. In fact, Kelby plans to sell his D300 after he uses D5000 in his family vacation to Tuscany.


So why is Nikon D300 that expensive compare to Nikon D5000? There are many reasons, but here are some advantages of D300 compare to D90 and D5000:

• Fast continuous shooting: 6 fps and 8 fps (with battery grip)
• Weather sealed magnesium alloy body compare to plastic and steel body
• Better handling and control: many dedicated buttons and switches.
• 51 Auto focus points with enhance 3D tracking

From the list above, we can conclude that Nikon D300 is more suitable to photograph time-critical work, such as Sports, dance, photojournalistic assignments.

Nikon D90 and D300 also have advantages compare to the D5000:

• Compatibility with AF lens because both cameras has built-in AF in body. Because D5000 does not have this feature, it can't auto focus when you mount it with older Nikon lenses.
• Creative Lighting System: D300 and D90 has this feature where you can adjust and trigger flash unit wirelessly (limited range and environmental condition). This is handy feature that can save you hundreds of dollar in the long run.
• 3" hi-res LCD screen + top LCD screen compare to D5000's 2.7" lcd screen
  

If you feel above features are not something that you need, then you will be fine with D5000. In fact, D5000 also has some advantages compare to D90 and D300:

• D5000 has better AF in live view mode and movie recording
• Articulating/swivel LCD screen
• 19 scenes mode that is handy for beginners
• Ligthweight and compact

In conclusion,

Nikon D5000: Entry-intermediate camera for both experience and inexperience users. The articulating/swivel lcd and scene modes might be fun and handy to use.

Nikon D90: General purpose camera for experience users. For me, D90 provide great value for its price tag. If you are serious amateur or working pro, you might consider this.

Nikon D300: This is a camera for extreme environmental condition and time critical work. Unlike the other cameras, it does not have movie mode.

Think Tank Photo: Pee Wee Pixel Rocket Review

Before I pick Pee Wee Pixel Rocket, I have a quick look on Pocket Rocket. Then, I decided Pee Wee Pixel Rocket fits my need more than the other because I have several cameras which use different kinds of memory card.

My Nikon D700 and Canon 40D use Compact Flash cards, and my Nikon D90 and Panasonic Lumix LX3 use SD cards. Pee Wee can store up to 4 CF cards and 3 SD cards. There is also a large side pocket for business cards or extra memory cards. I usually use 4GB cards, so the total capacity would be 28GB. This is enough for most of assignments including wedding or travel.

The product is very well made (like other Think Tank Photo product). The pockets are transparent so we can easily see the card. It is easy to retrieve or store the CF cards. SD card compartments are a bit tight but secure.

The division on the SD card compartments is not distributed evenly. The left and the right sides has measurement of 32mm, the center size has measurement of 37mm. I have no idea if this is purposely designed that way or not.

One nice feature that I like is the security leash. It gives me confident when I put it on my pocket. It is also removable.

Overall, this product is very good and I recommend it for users who has assortment of cards. If professionals who shoots with many CF cards, I recommend Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket, for Storing 10 Compact Flash Memory Cards.

Olympus m43 for pro is next?

After a huge announcement and handful of in-depth review of Olympus E-P1 last week, British Journal of Photography is able to interview Akira Watanabe, who is in charge of Olympus SLR planning department.

In the interview, Mr. Watanabe explains that E-P1 is targeted primarily at amateurs or compact camera users. But there is development for a new model for professional or advance amateur.

The model for the professionals might similar to Panasonic G1, which has viewfinder and built-in flash. Viewfinder is crucial for professional users, while built-in flash might what compact users might not live without. Both features are not exist in the EP-1. Despite its shortcoming, some places already report shortage. If you are interested on this camera. I suggest you to pre-order as soon as possible.

Watanabe also said, the future development will be focused on speed and dynamic range instead of megapixel. At the moment, Olympus is happy with 12 megapixel. Check out the interview link on the bottom of this post.

Related Posts:

• Olympus: There is more to come (interview)
  
• Olympus E-P1 price and main specification
• Olympus micro four thirds (m43) explained

Samsung NX on the Horizon

Samsung NX, a hybrid camera introduces in March at PMA 2009 trade show, is rumored to be announced July 7 2009. This is very exciting year for beginners or advanced amateurs who are looking for camera that offers the best of the both world: compact camera with DSLR capabilities.

This month, we have Olympus E-P1 announced. It is the smallest the micro four thirds camera up to date. So, what is the difference between Samsung NX with E-P1? While E-P1 cut down on built-in flash and Electronic viewfinder, Samsung NX does not. So Samsung NX will not as compact as Olympus E-P1.

Both cameras, NX and E-P1 does not employs mirror/prism, as a result, the camera bodies are significantly smaller than regular DSLR camera.

Samsung NX will also have new LCD screen that employ new technology called AMOLED, active-matrix organic light-emitting diode. Watch the different of this lcd screen with regular video below:



Possible Samsung NX specifications in the net:

• Electronic ViewFinder 1620×1080p/250Hz 3:2 resolution
• 1X magnification and 100% coverage
• 3″ AMOLED 960×720 (720p) 3:2 display
• CMOS sensor 14.6 megapixel 3:2
• 100-6400 ISO
• 4 fps continuous burst
• Video HD 720p at 30fps
• Audio stereo

Beside that, Samsung will likely to launch several new lenses for this system. However, it is unknown if Pentax users will able to mount Pentax lenses on it. For years, Samsung designs Pentax image sensors, but now seems like Samsung also want to build and develop their own system.

Samsung GX30
There is also a rumor that Samsung will update their GX series. In the past, GX series camera are identical to Pentax K series. There is big possibility that Samsung GX30 will be identical with Pentax K7.