Shooting to tell a Story

Photography is an amazing way to tell a story and to shine a light on what matters to you. Visual imagery is emotive, real and helps an audience to understand the passion of the photographer. Shooting in a documentary or journalistic style is a great way to produce a strong and coherent body of work on a subject you are passionate about.  It can be a hard-hitting topic like a demonstration at town hall, or a light-hearted topic like your child’s first swim lesson. There’s no limit to subject matter.

As a beginner it may be a challenge to move away from the standard point and shoot photography that takes up much of your time. But getting out there and giving it a go is the first step to improving, and to telling your story.  

Here are some tips that’ll help you to be ready when you start to shoot what matters to you:

Get ready 

Be prepared with batteries fully charged (both primary and spares) and test them in-camera - this will also give you the opportunity to ensure all necessary gear is in good working order. Pack your bag with two things in mind - what equipment do I want to take and what equipment do I absolutely need.

And triple-check your camera settings before you leave.

Think through your story

What matters to you? What story do you want to tell? What shots will you need to capture to tell that story? Having a pre-determined idea of the story and shots will help you to tell the story effectively. Be patient as you may not get the shot straight away. The photographic style you choose can say a lot about the subject and the aim should be to always show the reality of the subject’s situation. The challenge is to capture the humanity in the scene and this comes from practice, patience and experience.>

Research

You may need to do some homework before you start.  Check with the organisers of the event to see if there are any restricted subjects or areas and if you need a permit to shoot in a specific location. You may need to get permission from Council or a business owner. Your behaviour in meetings and in the lead up to the shoot may make a difference about what access you are granted – be professional and build credibility. If it's a public event held on public property then you should generally be fine to simply show up and shoot.  

Context

Take note of locations, dates, times and names as you shoot because the photos will need to be given context with a few words attached to each image.  People need to know what they are seeing and their significance within the context of your shoot. Remind yourself often that you are shooting to tell a story. Ask yourself, what shots, information and context does an audience need to understand what matters to me?  

Equipment

The equipment required is dependent on the story type. For some stories, being unobtrusive and ‘under-the-radar’ is essential, so therefore using a compact but high-quality camera is important.  Some suggestions are Fujifilm X100S, Olympus OM-D E-M1 and Sony A7R . These are all compact cameras with serious sensors and high quality optics yet they are hard to notice and whisper quiet when shooting with them.

If there is no need for a low-profile then feel free to equip yourself with what you think you will need.  

Suggested equipment

• Wide angle lenses
• Large aperture lenses
• Flash (like a 600EX or SB 910)
• Gorilla Pod
• Flash Triggers
• Monopod

Read More

Shooting Buildings and Monuments - get a new perspective!

By Marc B

Shooting buildings and monuments can be very challenging to get right.  It’s easy to stand in front of a building and snap off a few shots, but what does it take to get a truly exceptional photograph?  There are many things that need to be considered when it comes to this type of photography, not least of which is location, light and perspective. 

Location

The best part of the photo taking process is actually finding either a building or monument to photograph, and finding a different perspective than anyone else.  This involves a bit of walking and looking.  You don’t need to shoot a well-known landmark or building; indeed they have all been photographed to death, so it’s good to find something a little out of the way that may not get the attention it deserves.  I have seen amazing photographs of drains, old petrol stations and even car parks. The limit here is your imagination and skill in capturing a compelling photo of what could normally be considered a ‘boring’ subject. 

Canon 5DMk2, 50mm, f5.0, 1/125 second. Shot in Hamburg, Germany

Lighting

Here is the real challenge.  Getting the lighting right is really what photography is all about, but how do we control the light on something like a building?  A little bit of patience is required as you will need to wait until the light from the sun (or moon!) is at just the right angle for the photo you want to achieve.  There are a few Apps that you can get for smartphones that can tell you where the Sun will be at any time on any day for the chosen spot. Knowing this information will help you plan your timing to be on location.  A nice technique is to wait until ‘Golden Hour’ which is a time just after sunset where the sky takes on a nice deep blue - this lasts for varying amounts of time depending on the time of year and your location.  The lighting of ‘Golden Hour’ adds great colour to the sky while at the same time leaving enough light to have some details in the shadows of buildings.  

You will definitely need a steady tripod for this kind of work as your shutter speed will be quite long, particularly if you are using a low ISO (which you should be).  Also a cable release would be very useful here.

Canon 5DMK2 70mm, f2.8, 0.6 seconds. Shot at Edinburgh Castle, Scotland

Change your perspective

Here is what almost everyone does: they see something that looks like it would make a good photo and they lift the camera to their eye and take a shot.  This ends up looking like every other photo of that building (or waterfall or whatever) ever since cameras where invented.  This is where you need to get creative.  Think about the perspective you want to use to make your photo different (changing lenses does not alter your perspective; it changes your angle of view only).  Can you get up high and take a photo from a nearby building?  Can you find somewhere that allows you to lie flat on the ground and shoot up at the building from an extreme low angle?  Try to think of anything that will give your shot a wow factor that is different from the standard point and shoot mentality.  Lens selection is also important. Do you shoot with an ultra-wide angle?  Stand back and shoot with a standard lens and get straighter vertical lines?  If you have the time, try as many options as you can.  

Patience

Above all you will need patience - finding the location, working out the best time of day for light and then nailing the perspective will take time. But in the end you will end up with a photo like no other - one with some thought and planning behind it, which will stand above the average snapshot.  Get cracking!  Feel free to share you results with us and remember that the first 10,000 shots are the worst!

Recommended equipment:

• Lenses of varying focal length but particularly wide and mid-range lengths such as 10-22mm, 24-70, 18-55
• A sturdy tripod (essential)
• A cable release for your camera
• Filters like a Cir-Pl, ND and graduated ND filters are great for certain situations (take a look at our recent blog on the Benefits of Filters)
• Lens hoods can be helpful when shooting outside
• A torch if you’re shooting at night
• A weather resistant camera bag

Read More

Owning Multiple Cameras – Part 2

…different cameras for different uses

By Marc B

Owning Multiple Cameras – Part 1 explored street photography and special occasion photography. Below are some suggestions of camera types that are suitable for specific situations. Remember, any camera is better than no camera at all!

Landscape Photography
Landscape photography is all about wide open spaces, detail, sharpness and rugged equipment. You can use a few different cameras for this type of photography.  The only essential would be a camera that can use filters as landscape photographers have a need for a few different types of filters (ND, ND Grads, circular polarisers etc.).  A Compact System Camera (CSC) is ideal for this as they are light, some are weather resistant and have some high quality lenses that can take a filter.  Another advantage of a CSC is that they are compact enough to go in a backpack if you are hiking, but good enough quality to get awesome results.  The lens selection is great and there are plenty of cameras to choose from.

Everyday Photography

There are times when the phone camera just doesn’t cut it (indoors, low light, if you need to zoom) and you need a camera that can far outdo the results from what your phone can do but you don’t want to lug around a big DSLR.  For this there is a range of small but high quality cameras available with built in Wi-Fi so you can still share those moments instantly.  But now you can do it with awesome quality.  Some cameras that fit this category are the Canon S120, the latest in a long line of ‘S’ series cameras that are known for their low light performance, the new Fujifilm XQ1 which is the smallest Fuji camera yet to feature their very well respected X-Trans sensor and it also features no low pass filter for extra sharpness.  Other cameras are the Sony RX100 II which is very small but with a larger sensor size than most other compacts for exceptional image quality.  All of these cameras feature Wi-Fi and all have apps available to stream your images to your smart device for uploading to your social networking site of choice.  The main difference being that your photos will be of a much higher quality than your friends’ photos.

Travel Photography

Travel photography encompasses such a wide range of photography styles (architecture, portrait, landscape, street and general photography) that it is impossible to find one camera to do it all.  The best option here is to take two cameras (this article assumes photography will be a major interest when you go on holidays), one of them should be your DSLR or CSC with appropriate lenses, and the other should be a good compact super-zoom camera.

The DSLR is the go-to camera that you use for the majority of the trip, these photos are unrepeatable events and you should use your best gear to capture them.

The compact is your back-up camera and is the camera to take with you if you find yourself going to events that do not allow (or you simply don’t want to take) a DSLR.  The compact should have a big zoom for those times when you need to get in close and Wi-Fi for transferring to your smart device to share the moment with friends and family.  Some good options here are the Panasonic TZ40 with a 20X optical zoom, Wi-Fi and NFC.  This comes from a long line of very successful travel zoom cameras from Panasonic.  The Olympus SH-50 also features a slightly bigger 24X zoom lens with an advanced 5 axis image stabilisation feature when using video to really steady those hands.  It also uses a 16 MP BSI CMOS sensor for great low light ability.  Nikon also has the popular S9500 travel zoom which features a 22X zoom, 18MP sensor, Wi-Fi, GPS for tracking where you took the photo and full HD video recording.

These are just a few options of cameras available for these photographic styles, there are plenty more in-store so come on in, call us or check out our website to see what else we have on offer!

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

Olympus announces the all new Stylus SP-100EE with a world first feature

Olympus Imaging Australia today announced the upcoming release of the new Olympus Stylus SP-100 EE. This intriguing new camera from Olympus is equipped with the optical 50x, super high-powered 24mm-1200mm zoom lens (at 35mm equivalent) and it is the world’s first digital camera to be equipped with a dot sight. The EE in the name stands for “Eagle Eye”. As you can imagine it enables you to capture your target without losing sight of it.

Key features include:

• Optical 50x (24-1200mm), 100x super resolution zoom, super high-powered lens.
• The world’s first digital camera to be equipped with a built-in dot sight for perfectly capturing subjects in telephoto photography.
• High resolution Electronic View Finder (EVF) and excellent controls.
• 60p Full D movies and Art Filter for enhanced expressive power.
• ½.3-type, 16 million dot Backlit CMOS Sensor.
• High performance TruePic VII image processor developed on the OM-D range of interchangeable lens cameras.
• Handheld night mode

More information on this amazing superzoom model will be available in greater detail on the DCW website very shortly where you will have the opportunity to register your interest.

The Stylus SP-100EE is expected to land on Australian shores and in DCW stores in March.

Read More

Olympus Announce Stylus TG-850 Tough Compact Camera

Olympus Imaging Australia today announced the release of the new Olympus Stylus TG-850 Tough compact digital camera, which is being touted as the first Tough camera to be equipped with a tilting LCD. What does this mean?? Underwater “selfies” or at least partially submerged selfies.

Olympus tell us the TG-850 features the four cornerstones of tough performance, waterproof, shock-proof, freeze-proof and crush-proof which sets you up for worry-free shooting underwater, on snowy mountains and other harsh environments other cameras could not endure.

Key features include:

• Waterproof to 10mtr, shock-proof to 2.1mtr, freeze-proof to -10 degrees Celsius, and crush-proof to 100kg.
• 180 degree tilting LCD screen for low angle shots and self portraits.
• Super wide-angle 21-105mm optical 5x zoom lens.
• 16-megapixel backlit CMOS sensor.
• High performance TruePic VII image processor.
• 60p Full HD movies and Art Filter for enhanced expressive power

Information on this fantastic travel and holiday companion will be available in greater detail on the DCW website very shortly where you will have the opportunity to register your interest. 

The Stylus TG-850 Tough is expected to land on Australian shores and in DCW stores in March.

Read More

Photographing Water - in all its glory!

Photographing Water 

We’ve all seen those great landscape photos of the beach with wonderfully soft looking water washing onto shore or silky smooth waterfalls flowing over the edge of a cliff.  How do we recreate this?  It’s actually quite simple, there are just a few things that need to be done to create this effect.

Canon 5DMK2 with 24 -70 L at 24mm, ISO 100, f22 @ 2.0 Seconds.
Shot at Isabella Falls near Edmonton, Far North QLD  

Technique
The technique is very simple: long shutter speeds with your camera on a tripod.  But there can be problems that you will need to correct, for example, your shutter speed is not slow enough due to the scene being too bright, the sky blowing out above the scene due to too much light hitting the sensor from bright parts of the image, water ruining your equipment, camera movement, etc.  There are a number of pieces of equipment that can solve these issues.

Equipment
Before we head off and attempt these images there are a few things which are absolutely essential and a few things that are nice to have.

• Camera – Your camera should allow you to adjust ISO, aperture and shutter speed.  This will give you total control over your exposure.  The shutter speed needs to be able to stay open for at least a few seconds to properly blur the water movement.  A CSC or DSLR would be ideal but you can get good results from higher end compacts, as long as they allow you to control the exposure variables (ISO, aperture etc.).  Wide angle lenses are ideal.
• Tripod - A good, solid tripod is ideal, try to stay away from the cheaper tripods as they can have some movement in them with factors such as wind.  Heavy tripods are more stable over long exposures.  Also the shorter you have the legs, the more stable the tripod due to the lower centre of gravity and less flex.  Generally with landscape composition it’s a good idea to be low to the ground anyway and some tripods can go lower than others.
• Shutter Release - The shutter release allows you to remotely activate your cameras shutter, either with a cable (which is ok) or wirelessly (which is much better).  The wireless option eliminates the possibility of you causing movement in the image due to snagging or accidentally moving the cable.  Wireless shutter releases generally do more than just release the shutter, some of them allow you to do multiple exposures for star trails or time lapse movies.
• Filters - There are a few filters you can use.  The most obvious one is the neutral density filter (ND) which reduces the amount of light getting to the lens.  This slows down your shutter speed allowing the water movement to be slowed down to give a silky water effect.  This filter is available in darkness ratings from ND2 (blocks one stop of light) all the way up to an ND400 (stops 9 stops of light).
• The other is a circular polariser (CP) filter.  This filter removes or reduces reflections off of non-metallic surfaces, including water, glass and tree foliage and grass.  This tends to make water look clearer as it removes reflections from it allowing you to see through the water easily.  It also makes colours seem more saturated: think bluer skies and greener grass.
• The last filter to consider is a graduated neutral density filter (GND); this one is clear on one end but dark on the other with a gradual move between the two ends.  Here is a link to a Cokin kit that starts you off with three filters and a holder.  This filter is used in landscape photography to darken the sky if it’s overexposed in the image.  For example, if the sky has lost all details due to over exposure but the waterfall is correctly exposed then you would use the GND filter to reduce the brightness of the sky but leave the waterfall correctly exposed.

The Shoot

First you need to find the right location.  Ideally this would be a spot where the water is moving noticeably such as a beach where the waves are hitting the sand or a rocky outcrop in the foreground.  A waterfall or quick moving stream are also good to photograph as you can smooth out the water to give a nice effect in contrast to static rocks in the stream.

When you are setting up in these locations you need to be mindful of your safety and the safety of your equipment.  The nature of these places can be slippery and rocks are very unforgiving to falling gear and people.  I have smashed a lens shooting a waterfall before and it’s a bad feeling when you see it happen.  Also watch out for wildlife (snakes, spiders and leaches) that can make surprising appearances at surprising times and also can lead to damaged gear.

Set up your tripod low to capture the foreground clearly in the image and try to relate the foreground to some background elements, this brings a cohesive nature to the photo.  Make sure to get your camera level (using one of these) and then attach the filter.  Note that some filters can make it impossible to see through the lens to focus, for example an ND400. In this case you will need to focus prior to attaching the filter. 

When exposing the image to get the water smooth, set a slower shutter speed.  How slow will depend on several factors such as the speed of the water, the limits of your equipment and even whether you are shooting between waves and need to move out of the way before you get drenched.  The longer the shutter speed the smoother ocean waves will look in the final image.  Waterfalls can be exposed for as little as 1 second and get good results as the water is falling so fast that it blurs very quickly.  Experiment to find what works best for you in the situation you are in.  You can slow the shutter speed down further by using one of the ND filters, the darker the filter, the slower the possible shutter speed.

In the two photos below the one on the top had a shutter speed of 1/20th of a second and you can still see some definition in the water drops.  The photo on the bottom had a shutter speed of half a second and the water is much smoother in appearance.

 

Canon 5DMK2 with 24-70 L at 46mm, 

ISO 500, f4 @ 1/20th Second

Shot at Baron Gorge, Cairns

Canon 5DMK2 with 24-70 L at 46mm, 

ISO 500, f13 @ 0.4 Seconds

Shot at Baron Gorge, Cairns

When exposing for long times it’s important to remember that any movement made by the camera will result in a blurry image. As already mentioned a good tripod is very important.  Also set your camera (if it has the function) to “pre mirror lock up” which reduces mirror slap movement by locking the mirror up when you press the shutter once and then taking the photo on the second shutter press.  Also make sure to use a cable or wireless shutter release to stop your finger moving the camera when firing.

The Last Rule

The last rule is to experiment!  Leave the shutter open longer and see what happens, move your filters around, get coloured sunset filters, change your white balance setting or adjust your aperture.  Continually try new things and shoot as much as you can, there is no substitute for getting out there and catching some light!  Go on over to Facebook and send us some shots that you’re proud of!  Good Luck!

Read More

A Call to Action!

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock-climber for the last few years you’ve likely heard of action cameras or at the very least “GoPro”.   These tiny wearable video cameras have taken the sports/recreation scene by storm and now account for an enormous (and still growing) slice of the video camera market pie.  If you’ve yet to pick up an action camera for yourself or know someone who has it high on their want list, it might pay to brush up on your facts and figures. Let us help with the below information. 

Grab your helmet and strap yourself in as we give you the run down on what’s available and who it’s likely to appeal to.

GoPro Hero 3 Range

The big name in Action Cameras for many years, GoPro was once sought after only by extreme sports people and hardcore divers looking to record their unique past-times.   Thanks to some excellent footage captured by these top users, demand for GoPro among the wider public has soared.  Attach the camera to your head, car, bike, surf board, skate board… press record and do your thing.  Today GoPro is available in 3 different flavours, and a couple of very recent revisions.

GoPro White Edition:
Entry point to the GoPro range, the White Edition packs all the fun and waterproof ruggedness into a low cost package, ideally suited to casual/family use.  GoPro White is compatible with all of the GoPro mounts and accessories and still features built in Wi-Fi connectivity for Smartphone/Tablet remote control.  Full 1080 HD video capture is present with 5MP stills and the same 60m waterproof housing as higher models in the range.

GoPro Silver and Silver+ Edition:
Middle child of the GoPro set, the Silver Edition builds on the specs of the White Edition increasing the still photo resolution to 11MP, time lapse and adding a 10 frame per second burst shooting, advanced recording modes such as looping video, manual white balance and ProTune aimed at cinematic colour grading.  The new Silver+ improvements include reduced size and weight, 30% better battery life, faster Wi-Fi access and better lens optics for even sharper footage.

GoPro Black+ Edition:
Feature packed and among the most wanted, the GoPro Black+ Edition crams so much into its tiny form factor to easily please even the most discerning video adventurer.  Used by professionals in the sports broadcasting, documentary filmmaking and news/journalism fields and loved by enthusiasts the world over.  The GoPro Black+ Edition comes bundled with its own wireless waterproof remote, ability to record higher than Full HD at 4K and 2.7K resolutions, slow motion capture of up to 120fps as well as improvements to low light capabilities and still image capture and a better lens, smaller (by 30%) form factor and better battery life than the recently replaced Black Edition.

Competitive Spirit

While GoPro are the undisputed kings of action cameras, there are still two places on the podium.  Contour and Sony both have enviable reputations in the marketplace.

Contour
Contour, one of the original action camera manufacturers has two cameras in their current range, the ROAM2 and the +2.

ROAM2:

This is the entry level Contour camera and features a 270 degree f2.8 lens projecting onto a high quality 5 megapixel sensor.  This camera records at full high definition at 30fps and high definition at 60fps and is waterproof without a case down to 1 metre with an optional housing that goes down to 60 metres.   The lens rotates 270 degrees for level mounting on any angle surface and has an easy to activate record button.

+2:

The +2 has a lot of the same features as the ROAM2 but with a better quality lens and better low light performance. It also features built in GPS functionality and Bluetooth connectivity.  It also does full high definition video and 120fps slow motion video at 480p.

Sony

Sony has just announced its all-new Action Cam HDR-AS100V (as detailed in our blog below) – it’s a new splash proof wearable video camera that records high-quality Full HD pictures. Due in Australia in March.

Currently available, the Sony HDRAS30V is an awesome action camera from the electronics giant.  It is almost the same as far as sensor and lens (170° Ultra-Wide Angle Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar Lens) as the previous version but with a few new tricks added to keep it very current.   This video camera uses the excellent Exmor R Back-Illuminated CMOS sensor for great colour reproduction and very good low light performance.  The recording options go up to 60fps at full high definition or high definition at 120fps.  You can also record slow motion video at 120fps or 60fps at a resolution of 1280 x 720p.  Still images can be captured at 11.9 megapixels.  Connectivity options are ample with the camera featuring Wi-Fi and NFC compatibility.  It also has GPS built in, of course.  You can buy this with an LCD housing to give it an LCD screen so it can be used as a normal camcorder and it also has a universal mount adapter included to fit all of your existing GoPro mounts.  This camera is excellent value for money.

So, when looking around for cameras to capture your adventures don’t just limit yourself to the GoPro range.   There are a lot of options out there for recording high quality video footage of you and your friends crashing/jumping/winning/riding your favourite extreme sports.

Read More

New Wearable Action Cam unveiled by Sony at CES 2014

Sony Action Cam - HDR-AS100V

Sony’s all-new Action Cam HDR-AS100V is a new splashproof wearable video camera that records high-quality Full HD pictures. The Action Cam delivers picture quality that’s better than ever. With the camera’s upgraded new Zeiss Tessar 170-degree wide angle lens, 13.5 megapixel Exmor R CMOS and powerful new BIONZ X image processor the footage is a lot crisper and clearer.

For the first time Action Cam can now capture Full HD footage with high bit-rate recording at up to 50Mbps, using the efficient new XAVC S video format.

In another first, up to five Action Cam AS100V units can now be controlled wirelessly with the wearable wristwatch-style RM-LVR1 which is supplied in the box.

Sony’s latest wearable Full HD video camera is made for adrenalin-soaked fun especially with:

• A slim design to cut through water and air with less resistance
• A splashproof body for rain-drenched tracks
• Advanced SteadyShot for more stable and blur free footage
• Ability to shoot high-quality video at high-speed (120fps or 240fps) with sound
• Ability to replay footage at normal speed for a slow motion view of your footage
• Addition of a second tally light to give instant confirmation of recording start-stop status
• An action cam that can record video with time code helping synchronise shots

That’s an A+ score from us on this eagerly anticipated Action Cam from Sony.

Full specifications and features for the Sony Action Cam HDR-AS100V will be up on our website shortly with a chance to pre-order before stock arrives on Australian shores in March. 

Read More

Sony unveils the new 4K FDR-AX100E Handycam

Sony also unveiled at CES2014 a new 4K video camera which is a quarter the size of their first 4K Handycam. At Digital Camera Warehouse we will soon be accepting pre-orders on the new Sony FDR-AX100E Handycam with stock available on Australia shores and in-store from May.

Sony FDR-AX100E

The Sony FDR-AX100E is the first 4K Handycam that features a large back-illuminated 1.0-type Exmor R CMOS sensor, which helps capture flawless 4K Ultra HD images with four times the detail of Full HD. All of this is achieved while also allowing amazing ‘bokeh’ background blur effects.

The 4K sensor is paired with Sony’s ultra-powerful BIONZ X processor that employs area-specific noise reduction and detail reproduction technology for incredibly vivid, lifelike footage that’s closer than ever to reality.

The Handycam uses a newly-developed ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* lens with 12x optical zoom that’s been fine-tuned for 4K shooting. Definition is superb right into the corner of the frame, thanks to the 11 group/17 element lens that incorporates AA (advanced aspherical) and ED lens elements.

In another 4K Handycam first, Dual Video Recording lets you simultaneously record high quality movie clips and ready-to-share MP4 files. Capture movies in XAVC S (at up to 4K/60Mbps or HD/50Mbps) or AVCHD formats to view, edit and enjoy with the highest resolution. At the same time, a more compact lower-resolution copy of your footage is recorded in MP4 format. After shooting, just touch your NFC-enabled smartphone or tablet to wirelessly transfer web-friendly MP4 clips from the AX100E for quick online sharing.

The 4K Handycam also includes 120fps recording capabilities that captures the action in HD quality (1280x720). Enjoy footage edited on your PC in silky-smooth slow motion – just like a TV action replay that shows every moment of that decisive penalty kick.

The 4K Handycam comes with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC that lets you wirelessly transfer movie clips and photos from to your smartphone or tablet with a single touch through the PlayMemories Mobile  app on your iOS or Android device.

Wi-Fi also allows wireless playback of content stored on Handycam on your networked TV (DLNA renderer compatible TV and access point are required: not compatible with XAVC S format).

Touching the Handycam with your NFC-enabled mobile device also activates Smart Remote Control. Start and stop recording with your mobile – it’s ideal for group scenes or solo performances when you don’t want to run from the camcorder back into the scene once recording’s started.

Key Features

• 1.0-type back illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor with approximately 14.2 effective megapixels
• New BIONZ X image processor
• Video resolution (4K) – 3840x2160/25P
• 20 megapixel still image resolution
• ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 29mm wide-angle lens
• 12x optical zoom
• Optical SteadyShot image stabilisation with active mode
• Pro-style control with manual ring, dial and built-in ND filters
• NFC for one-touch connection and Wi-Fi for image transfer and remote control from your smartphone
• Weighs approximately 790g (minus battery)

Read More