Fuji X-100T - An Evening with Tim Georgeson

DCW recently attended the Fuji Film Australia event highlighting the new Fuji X100T and Fuji ambassador and photographer/creative Tim Georgeson. There were a series of Tim's images on display highlighting the quality of the new camera. The X100T offers an exciting advancement for compact mirrorless cameras. A nice blend of retro design, functionality and compact size.

A little more about Tim Georgeson:

Tim’s advertising, artwork and environmental portraiture feature in The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Rolling Stone and many more magazines. His avant-garde, award-winning print campaigns shot with agencies and clients such as Converse, Heineken, Levis have been internationally featured. He has won numerous prizes, including World Press Photo, NY Festival and Cannes. 

In 2010 Tim co-founded GuerrillaPop+MediaLab, a boutique media laboratory where he creative directs advertising campaigns, book ventures, design projects, editorials, exhibitions, music videos and film projects – and specialises in humanitarian causes.
Tim Georgeson is a multi-award-winning photographer, filmmaker and creative director. His street-inspired films that capture youth culture zeitgeist have established a cult following.

Read More

Owning Multiple Cameras – Part 1

…different cameras for different uses

By Marc B

If only a one-size-fits-all camera existed, one that had the optical and sensor quality of a high end DSLR but in the size of a compact, with a massive zoom range but also wide open apertures.  Such a camera doesn’t exist yet so it’s left to us to pick and choose the right camera for the right situation.  This is great news for us cameraholics who love an excuse to buy yet another cool camera.  But which camera suits which situation?

Most photographers find themselves in a variety of situations that call for different lenses and sometimes completely different systems.  Below are some suggestions of camera types that are suitable for specific situations although any camera is better than no camera at all.

Street Photography

Street photography calls for a small, unobtrusive camera that still produces high quality images.  There are two popular choices for this area.  The first is a compact, fixed lens camera like the Fuji X100s or X20, Canon G16, Nikon Coolpix A or the Sony RX1 R at the high end.  These cameras are relatively small in size but give an outstanding result in challenging conditions.  The advantage of them being so small is the ability to take photos unobtrusively and candidly in a street situation or even a social occasion like a wedding (if you aren’t the primary photographer) where you might want a more relaxed and less posed photo. 

Another option would be a full size DSLR but with a small prime lens attached, like a 50mm or 24mm large aperture lens.  These are cheaper than a high quality zoom lens but can be of similar or better optical quality and in a much smaller form factor.  These cameras can be set up easily for pre focusing (a technique that involves pre focusing a known distance from the camera so you can shoot instantly without waiting for the camera to focus) so you don’t miss that vital moment.

Special Occasion Photography

This refers to things like professional wedding or portrait photography where the image quality is of absolute importance.  For this you want to have the best quality you can afford and ideally this would be professional quality glass with a full frame DSLR.  Size and weight factors are less important here than in other types of photography as the final result needs to be of the upmost quality.  The lens selection is basically the ‘three amigos’; 16-35mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm lenses (or very similar focal lengths).  This gives the range required for almost any situation you are likely to be in.  Here is a link to our lenses page.

As an extension of this, the cameras listed in the street photography section would also be appropriate as a second camera as long as you understand the limits of the cameras.

Next blog, I’ll be exploring cameras to use for landscape photography, everyday photography and travel photography.

Read More

Shooting Haunted Houses and Kids (for Halloween)

We like to turn any event, celebration, gathering, holiday and weekend into a reason to take photos. And with Halloween coming up and the potential for lots of ghouly and gruesome night shots, we thought some hints and tips would be useful.

Capturing special effects and lighting

When photographing houses to capture special effects and lighting, long exposure photography is a great option. You will be able to capture the decorations and special Halloween lighting on houses.

In terms of equipment, use a sturdy tripod to keep your camera steady and your photos sharp - some exposures can be as long as 30 seconds which is impossible to hand hold.  

To get the best results, shoot with a moderately low ISO in the range of 100-400, to keep sensor noise to a minimum.  This will give a much cleaner result to your shot.  

Shoot in RAW to give yourself the ability to recover detail in bright and dark areas in your post processing flow.  When taking the photo use a cable release, either a wired or wireless one; this will prevent camera shake if you accidentally move the camera when pressing the shutter button at the start of your exposure.  

Experiment with your exposure to get the best result, overexpose by a couple of stops to see what the results looks like. No need to follow the rules, just have fun!

Capturing the creepy kids!

It’s not just decorations and lighting you will want to capture. Taking photos of your kids in costume can be great fun.  Using some off-camera flash with gels can add awesome light to your image.  A good trick is to fire the flash from behind your child-zombie who is facing toward the camera. This will give a backlit silhouette effect that looks great.  Try with any colour gel (a green or orange one looks great).  
 

Placing the flash in different places around your kids to change the effect and using a slower shutter (approximately 1/8 of a second) will also capture any lights or decorations in the background.  This is great for ambience and to help set the scene.  For this type of shoot you will need a DSLR, an off-camera flash, flash trigger and some gels.  If you hand hold the camera, be sure to increase your ISO to capture the background lights.  

This should be a fun shoot. Experiment with anything you can think of - there are no limits to what you can try!

Read More

Compact Cameras

Compact cameras are increasingly getting better with each new generation.  Even with improvements across-the-board there are some that still have an additional level of quality coupled with a better feature set. 

The high end compact is home to several models that approach the quality and usability of DSLR cameras without the added weight. They aren't cheap but the trade-off is its superior build and photographic quality.  

There are a number of compacts aimed at the advanced amateur or professional photographer seeking high image quality and performance in a compact sized body.

 

The Sony RX1R is a full frame, 24.3MP camera equipped with a 35mm Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* f2 lens and has no optical low pass filter for improved detail in the final photograph. It has a high quality magnesium alloy body and a manual aperture ring which can be adjusted in 1/3 stops to obtain the optimal setting. A +/-3 stop compensation dial located on the top for quick access to exposure compensation while in auto mode. While the ISO range extends to 25600 for extreme low light shooting. This camera also features Sony’s excellent WhiteMagic LCD screen and is currently the smallest compact digital camera with a full frame sensor available in the market.

 

The Canon G1X has a 28mm (35mm equivalent) 4x optical zoom with an aperture range of f2.8 - 5.8.  The camera packs a 14.3MP CMOS Sensor which is about 20% smaller than an APS-C Sensor.  The G1X has full manual control with an exposure compensation dial on the top with a +/- 3 stop range.  It also features a HDR mode for photographs with a high dynamic range. It will shoot 14 bit RAW images for smooth colour gradation and even shoots in different aspect ratios if you prefer 1:1 or 3:4.  This camera is also compatible with a range of Canon Speedlite Flash Units.

 

The Fujifilm X100s is a classically styled compact camera that is the successor to the ever popular, if a little flawed, X100.  It features Fujifilm’s new 16MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor which also has no optical low pass filter to unleash extra sharpness and detail. The camera’s updated processor speed is now doubled and substantially increases the autofocus speed over its predecessor (this was a widely discussed issue with the original X100).  The fixed lens sports a 35mm focal length and a fast f/2 maximum aperture for brilliant low-light photography or beautifully blurred backgrounds for those up-close portraits.  The lens also has a very high level of optical sharpness, making it an ideal street photography tool.  The leaf-type shutter is near silent and the menus are very easy to navigate.  It also features filters that recreate classic Fuji films such as the ‘Velvia’ which was highly favoured by landscape and wedding photographers seeking vibrantly saturated properties.

 

 

The Nikon Coolpix A has a 28mm (35mm equivalent) f /2.8 lens and a DX sized (same size as their crop frame DSLR cameras) 16.2MP Sensor.  Similar to the other cameras mentioned above, the Coolpix A also has no optical low pass filter for ultimate image quality. It is the smallest camera in this round up and is very easy to carry around in your pocket for quick access, making it great for street and spontaneous photographic moments.  The Coolpix A may also be paired with an iOS or Android device with the optional mobile adapter for convenient image sharing with your family, friends and favourite social media site. Additionally, manual focus is available by using the manual focus adjustment ring around the lens.

This is not an exhaustive list of high-end compacts and there are a few more that are definitely considering if you’re in search of one.  Come in to one of our stores, give us a call on 1300 365 220 or check out our website if you want further info. on these camera types.  As always, we are happy to talk about all things photography!

Read More

Nikon D610 Full Frame DSLR Now Available for Pre-order!

Nikon’s newly announced D610 is a full-frame masterpiece that bridges the gap for photographers seeking the advanced imaging capabilities of an FX-format without compromising on its compact and lightweight form.  Packed with features including a 24.3 Megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor, EXPEED 3 image processing engine and a generous ISO range of 100 to 6400 (expandable from 50 to 25600), the D610 is engineered for superior performance that will surely answer the needs of enthusiasts and professionals alike.

Available from mid to late October, the Nikon D610 is ready for pre-order right here! As always, our products are 100% Australian Stock with full local Manufacturer’s Warranty so you can be assured that your investment is genuine and covered.  

Key Features

·         24.3 Megapixel FX-format CMOS Sensor

·         3.2” 921k-dot LCD Monitor

·         EXPEED 3 Image Processor

·         Full-frame Coverage

·         Full HD 1920x1080 Video Recording

·         6 FPS Continuous Shooting

·         Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Slots

·         Microphone and Headphone Inputs

·         ISO 100-6400 (Expandable to 50-25600)

·         Built-in Pop-Up Flash

·         Instant Photo Sharing via the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter (Sold Separately)

Read More

Get Cash Back from Canon!

We've got a lot happening in terms of Christmas promotion at the moment, and that includes a veritable platter of offers on selected Canon gear.

Not only are there bonus cases, memory cards, straps and other useful accessories on most Canon DSLRs, Compacts and Video Cameras, but there's also the opportunity to get cash back when you upgrade to the latest whizz-bang tech Canon has produced.

Simply purchase a Canon EOS 650D, Canon EOS 5D Mark III Premium Kit, Canon EOS 6D Premium Kit or Canon PIXMA PRO-1 printer between November 5 2012 and January 31 2013 and you could be eligible for up to $300 cash back via redemption from Canon! Upgrade to the latest in digital imaging technology today and save a motza.

Already bought one of the above from us? Click the banner to redeem direct from Canon:

Read More

Grab a Nikon Bonus Just in Time for Christmas!

We love giving you more bang for your buck, and just in time for the holiday season we're giving away fantastic bonuses on selected items right across the Nikon range. 

Everything from bonus genuine Nikon cases or Lowepro bags with selected compacts, Nikon shoulder cases and straps with selected DSLRs and CSC models to free HOYA filters with selected Nikkor lenses - there's truly something for everyone and useful items to be had as our gift to you.

Spoil someone with a hot Nikon product during our Nikon I AM XMAS promotion! Hurry - offers are while stocks last. 

Read More

Nikon Unveils Three New COOLPIX Compact Cameras for 2012

Nikon has been among the first off the rank in unleashing their brand new compacts out into the wild for 2012, and it seems there is something of a revolution on the horizon.

You may have heard by now that the all-new Nikon COOLPIX S800c runs on the Android™ platform, making this a pioneer “smart camera” of sorts with the added functionality of effortless wireless transfer of your photos to smartphones and tablets, sharing to social networks and of course access to over 500,000 apps through Google Play direct to your camera. 

Not to mention the distractions of email, YouTube and Google Maps – we wonder if you will ever get time to take photos. Though, we eagerly await hands-on reviews of this product – the camera itself seems pretty darn decent, with a 16-megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, ten times (10x) optical zoom, built-in GPS tagging and access to the myPicturetown app, an online storage and sharing system for photos and full albums.

 

Perhaps the only immediate concerns might be the reduced battery life almost always associated with smart devices, and the lack of 3G compatibility. What do you think?

In addition to this, Nikon has released the latest in their “pro compact” sector, the COOLPIX P7700. Affording the user full manual control and DSLR-like image quality with exceptional performance in low light, it rivals the long-standing Canon G-series as a perfect compromise between compact and DSLR. The 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, 7.1x optical zoom and improved lens shift vibration reduction help make it the best instalment yet.

Perhaps the outstanding feature of the COOLPIX P7700 is the amount of control on offer in video mode. Of course it is Full HD, 1080p with stereo sound, but you can also tinker with the shutter speed, ISO settings and aperture to achieve new heights in video performance and get the look you want.

The last one in this new gamut of COOLPIX goodness is the COOLPIX S6400, sounding off for the more entry level point-and-shooters.

The COOLPIX S6400 steps it up a little from the simplicity of the COOLPIX S01, providing a whopping twelve times (12x) optical zoom with lens shift vibration reduction and touch screen operation, including Target Finding Auto Focus – simply point and click and the camera automatically predicts the subject it should focus on resulting in an painless sharp image. 

We should start seeing these little beauties hit shelves around the end of September, and we will update the product links on this post with our own as soon as they're available for preorder. 

Read More