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Monty's 15 seconds of fame

user@domain.com — 2012-01-01T22:35:39-05:00

Monty was in the Cayne’s ad in the Toronto Star this past Saturday.

X10 Goodness - My Review

user@domain.com — 2011-11-07T15:52:23-05:00

The X10 has landed, and I’ve got some thoughts.

Before I get started, I have to give kudos to Henrys for actually holding my preorder spot. I haven’t had much luck with retailer waiting lists in the past, but those guys at my local Henrys really came through.

I don’t do pixel peeping reviews. You can go to DPReview and other sites for that kind of stuff.

TLDR: I really like this camera.

Design

The one thing that drew me to this camera is its design. Not just the outward appearance, but that form and function are very nicely balanced. This camera is not small, nor is it light. It is noticeably larger than my LX3, but not unwieldy. It is heavy– in a good way. In hand, it feels great. The build quality is absolutely stellar, and it is a beauty. In comparison to the G12 and P7100, which look like they were pooped out by a kitchen sink, the X10 has classic good looks. Some pundits like to call it a retro look, but I think that does the camera a disservice. It is simple and timeless.

Handling

This camera handles beautifully. The manual zoom is firm and buttery at the same time. And while I haven’t gotten used to it, the “zoom to power on” operation is nicely executed. The back panel doesn’t seem to have any more buttons than my LX3 does, but the execution is better. Most of the operations that I change while shooting can be changed without navigating through a menu. EV, ISO, white balance and AF point selection are all available with a single touch of a button or twist of a knob.

Short of a touch screen, the AF point selection is probably the nicest implementation I’ve used. It beats the LX3 and my DSLRs easily. The AF is surprisingly fast. It’s not DSLR or EP3 fast, but fast enough.

The OVF, while nicer than any of its competitors, has limitations. It pales in comparison to the hybrid VF on its bigger brother, the X100. I see the OVF’s value in situations where you need to compose without rudely distracting others. A dark room, for example. Unfortunately, an eye detect sensor is not available on this camera, so you will have to manually turn off the LCD if you’re trying to be discreet.

The LCD isn’t the highest resolution around, but it’s plenty sharp, and the menuing system is quite snappy.

The camera also has an orientation sensor, which makes life easier when you import your images to your PC. Note that the Olympus EPL3 and EPM1 don’t have that.

The Auto ISO on this camera is to die for. You can pick Auto ISO with a peak up to 3200. It makes life a lot less fiddly in less than ideal lighting situations.

The X10’s flash isn't that powerful, and I see that as a good thing. You can use the flash without your images looking like you used flash (i.e., strong shadows, blown out faces). I've heard that Fuji point-and-shoot cameras have excellent fill flash performance, but I don't have enough Fuji experience to comment on that.

On the whole, the X10 handles very well.

Image Quality

Let’s not kid ourselves. This is a small sensor camera. You’re not going to get DSLR level bokeh, much less Micro 4/3rds level bokeh. You will get better bokeh than most compact cameras, including the Canon G series, Nikon P7x00 series and the Panasonic LX series.

The image quality easily bests my LX3, and isn’t that much worse than my Sony A300, an APS-C DSLR. Keeping in mind that my A300 came out in 2008, that’s quite a statement in terms of how much sensor technology has improved in the past few years. My A500, however, easily trounces the X10 in IQ, which is expected.

RAW is a problem for Mac users right now, since Apple hasn’t updated its import filters for Aperture or iPhoto, and the bundled SilkyPix importer won’t run on Lion. In any case, the JPEGs that come out of this camera are not bad at all. With the default settings, the images do seem to have a canvas-like texture in them. Once I dialed the sharpness and noise reduction settings down to the minimum, the grain pattern became much more natural looking and appealing.

At ISO 1600 and higher, images get pretty noisy at full resolution. They still easily beat my A300, however. Wow. Despite the noisiness at high ISOs, the images look more than satisfactory at Facebook resolutions.

Where things get interesting is in the half-resolution modes. There is a Pro Low Light mode that shoots at 6MP, that takes four shots in succession to create very nice images. The unretouched (but resized) image below was taken in this low light mode without flash. Without context, the image looks like nothing special. I can tell you the light in the room is utter crap, and the LX3 and my A300 would take absolutely horrible photos in comparison. The AWB also does a decent job considering that the ceiling light, which uses compact fluorescent bulbs, usually requires that my images be colour corrected in post.

The same image, when shot in the X10’s full resolution modes, is noticeably noisier.

ISO 6400 dials the resolution to 6 megapixels as well, and is actually quite usable, as shown in the image below.

There’s also a 6MP Pro Focus Mode, that lets you create photos of stationary subjects that have creamier bokeh than with standard resolution images. It appears to work fairly well.

Depending on the blur setting, takes an additional one or two shots after your original shot has locked focus. I’m assuming that the additional shots shift the focus distance a few inches away from the original, and then it stacks the images, blurring the out-of-focus areas with some sort of algorithm. The result is much more realistic than the fake bokeh modes of other cameras, like the Pentax Q.

The black and white mode is satisfactory, but pales in comparison to the LX3’s dynamic black and white mode, which is absolutely fantastic. I have only shot in Provia mode, which is the standard colour mode. I’m pretty content with it and haven’t found any need to switch to Velvia.

The 1080p video is clean and sharp. It’s noticeably better looking than my iPhone 4’s 720p video, which is noticeably better than my LX3’s 720p video.

Not So Hot

The lens cap, which is like the X100, is basically useless. I suggest buying an adapter ring (when it becomes available) and using a generic lens cap or a UV filter instead.
The tripod mount is not centred under the lens. Not a big deal for me, but for some, it might be a deal-breaker.
The RAW button. WTF is the point of it?
Battery life isn’t stellar. On the bright side, no-name NP-50 compatible batteries are cheap and plentiful. Stock up.
Don’t use flaky no-name SDHC cards with this camera. Expect unusual behaviour if you do.
Half shutter “stops” the video recording. That’s counter-intuitive to me.
Mechanical remote trigger is taking the classic design a little too far

Final Thoughts

This is a great camera. I would go so far as to say that it is good enough to be an alternative to a Micro 4/3rds or Nikon CX camera. It takes great stills and video, and is a perfect bridge between a camera phone and a DSLR. At 12 MP, I think the resolution is still a little too high for the sensor, especially considering how good the images look at 6MP. I would have preferred to see this camera as an 8MP camera, but market forces dictate that Fuji pack more pixels onto the sensor. I get it, but it’s still a shame.

While the X10 easily outclasses its small sensor competitors, a few key features would have made it unbeatable:

Eye detect sensor to turn off the LCD when using the OVF
Hybrid VF like the X100, or some type of overlay that shows the focus points, shutter speed and aperture
A lower megapixel count with more sensitive pixels
Better battery life
The ability to use filters without paying for an overpriced adapter ring
A flip up LCD

In spite of my laundry list above, I do think that the X10 is easily the best small sensor compact camera around.

Hands On

user@domain.com — 2011-10-14T14:52:02-04:00

I ventured out to the Henrys Photographic Show today, and managed to see or play with several recently released cameras that I’ve mentioned previously.

FujiFilm X10

The X10 is the “little brother” to the X100. Coming in November, this $600 camera is what I’ve been looking for in a compact for a long time. The build quality is a notch or two above that of the Canon G12 or Nikon P7x00 series. It’s a little better built than my LX3, but it also feels way better in hand, mainly because the small body of the LX3 can be awkward at times.

The menu system is responsive, and more intuitive than any camera I’ve owned. I love that you can choose the Auto ISO upper limit as a menu item. The screen itself is quite nice, comparable to the one on my A500 DSLR. Having said that, the one thing I’ll miss from my DSLRs on the X10 is the eye detection, which turns off the LCD when you use the OVF.

Speaking of the OVF, it’s nice and bright. While it only covers 85% of the frame, it’s more than adequate for a compact camera.

The manual zoom is… dreamy. The rotating motion feels slow and deliberate, and it’s buttery smooth. It has a nicer rotating feel than any of my DSLR zooms, that’s for sure.

As for the autofocus, well, it seems to be average. About the same speed as my LX3. It is a bit of a bummer that the remote shutter trigger is mechanical. It would have been nice to have an RF or IR type of triggering system.

I can’t wait to get one.

Olympus EP3

The EP3 is a pretty known quantity these days. For me, I just wanted to see if the AF speed was as good as the hype made it out to be. The short answer is “yes”. The Olympus booth was not as well lit as some as the others, and the AF was particularly fast with the kit zoom. The rep popped on the 12mm prime, and the AF was a hair faster. It is at least as fast as my A500, and faster than all the compacts and ILCs I messed with. They had the EPL and EPM models there too, but I didn’t play with them. While I like the EP3 as a camera, I can’t get over the fact that I hate the overall design.

Sony NEX7

The Sony NEX7 is going to be very popular with serious photographers. It feels great in the hand. It’s heavy in a good way. The EVF is quite good as well, although I haven’t seen enough of them to really make any comparative statements. The focus seemed a hair slower than the EP3, but it was zippy overall. It’s a great camera, but it’s not my cup of tea, even though I’m a Sony Alpha shooter.

Samsung NX200

The NX200s on display had wires coming out of the handgrip, so it was a bit hard to get a feel for it, but it felt like a less expensive version of the NEX7. Not a cheap version, just less expensive. The LCD on the NX200 is stunningly sharp. The menu system is also really nice. I would even go so far as saying that it might even be nicer than the one on the NX10. The design of the camera is a bit better than average, although there are some design choices that will having you asking “WTF?” It boggles my mind why they printed the logo on the handgrip, where it’s most likely to wear out. The design of the on/off shutter release is also a little odd to me.

I love the lens ecosystem that Samsung has built up, and if I was going to go with a mirrorless ILC system, it would be between this one and the vapourware Panasonic GF Pro camera that may or may not ever make it to production.

Pentax Q

As far as I could tell, the Pentax Q was behind glass, and you had to find a rep to let you mess around with it. From what I saw, however, it is small. The lenses are tiny. It looks like a really fun system, and I really love the industrial design, even though the specs may not live up to the high pricing.

Nikon 1

Like the Q, the Nikon 1s were behind glass and required a rep. From what I did see, however, the fit and finish were underwhelming. They kinda looked cheap relative to their pricing. The handling is definitely not my cup of tea, and it will be interesting to see what kind of photographers will invest in this system.

Moof

user@domain.com — 2011-10-06T13:59:36-04:00

It's no small coincidence that our first dog is named Mac, that I chose his breed while researching on an iPhone, and that he looks a lot like the iconic "Moof", who any old school Apple fan will recognize from the earlier versions of the Macintosh. To say that the fruits of Steve Jobs imagination has had an impact on my life would be an understatement.

“Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life.”
-- Steve Jobs, 1955-2011

Bored

user@domain.com — 2011-08-29T11:19:12-04:00

Seen at the 2011 Markham Kennel Club Dog Show.

The X100's Little Brother

user@domain.com — 2011-08-29T09:42:40-04:00

So it indeed appears as though there will be a follow up to Fuji’s immensely popular niche camera, the X100.

Over the weekend, details of the X10 (possibly known as the X50 in some markets), quietly leaked onto the Internets. Looking to be a slightly smaller version of the X100, it will be priced at $599 have the following features:

Bright, high resolution, Fujinon F2.0-F2.8 manual 4x optical zoom lens
Optical zoom viewfinder with revolutionary performance
12 Megapixels 2/3 inch EXR CMOS sensor
EXR Processor
Manual shooting modes
RAW shooting & built in RAW conversion
Highspeed continuous shooting up to 10fps
Retro compact design with magnesium alloy
Full HD 1080p movies with stereo sound
Manual pop-up flash with dedicated hotshoe
High contrast 2.8" 460k LCD monitor
1cm super macro mode
Motion Panorama 360
Auto Bracketing Functions

To me, it’s a nice alternative to the LX5/G12/P7100/EX1/XZ1 type of camera. The zoom range appears to be between 28mm and 112mm (35mm equivalents), which is functional for most people. I do have to admit, the 24mm minimal focal length of the LX series is pretty awesome. Having said that, 24mm focal lengths on compact cameras usually come at the price of some image distortion.

Debates will rage in the popular photography forums. With a price comparable to the low end Micro 4/3rds cameras and an inferior sensor to boot, why bother?

Since my site is my pulpit, so to speak, I can say whatever I want without worrying about trolls, since I don’t provide comments. So, here’s my response.

There seems to be a lack of common sense among camera lovers. Digital photography isn’t the same as film. Film is paper thin, digital sensors are not. Film cameras came with no imaging sensors (that would be your film, by the way), digital cameras do. And for those lacking any context, a 35mm equiv sensor costs a hella lot more than a $5 roll of 35mm film. Camera manufacturers have to delicately balance the importance of size, features, sensor size, price and demand. Chances are good that they’re not going to get all of that right. The only sure thing about the release of new cameras is that there is going to be an inordinate amount of kvetching online by people who are too busy reading specifications to be taking actual photos, aka, the “measurbators”.

Since I’m in the market for this type of camera, let me explain why I have ruled out Four Thirds. And, because I represent only one particular type of use case, your mileage will vary.

A camera like the X10/X50 is a secondary camera to me. My main rig is and always will be an SLR. I don’t have a big SLR, so size has never really been the defining issue. I always have my iPhone with me, so in a pinch, I can always take a photo when I need to. There are, however, plenty of times when I need image quality somewhere between my camera phone and my SLR. And that’s where a “bridge” camera fits in.

So why not an ILC? Here’s my problem with ILCs as a secondary camera. With the exception of the recently announced Panasonic X kit zoom, kit zooms on the current batch of ILCs are big enough that I’d rather carry my SLR. The second problem, is that a camera with a sensor as large as my DSLR (APS-C, by the way) seems somewhat moot. Sure, I could get a Sony NEX or a Samsung NX, but why bother? For the marginal space savings in my camera bag, I may as well carry my SLR.

What about a smaller sensor ILC, like Micro 4/3rds or the rumored Nikon? Or what about a tiny-sensor ILC like the Pentax Q? My problem with these two alternatives are the fact that the cameras have lens mounts. WTF are you talking about, Steven? All ILC’s have lens mounts!

The problem with a lens mount on a secondary camera system for me is that a lens mount equals temptation. Temptation for newer and more lenses equals money. While having more lenses isn’t a bad thing in itself, I’d rather be investing in lenses for my main rig, not my secondary rig. I do have to say, the Q does look like a damned fun camera, even though the image quality will likely fall short of its competitors.

If you read the ILC discussion forums, which I sometimes lurk for fun, you’ll see a lot of people making comments on how they leave their DSLR at home much more often. Well, I don’t want that to happen. I need an equipment arsenal that encourages me to use my SLR. My secondary camera actually needs to be a little inferior to my DSLR. For that to happen, it needs to be a 4/3rds sensor or smaller. And to keep me from buying non-A-mount lenses, it needs to have a fixed lens. To have enough versatility for my needs, that fixed lens needs to be a zoom somewhere between 28mm and 90mm (now you know why I didn’t just go for the X100). I highly doubt we’ll see any 4/3rds sensors in a fixed lens camera any time soon, as I believe it would have happened by now. With the exception of some fixed focal length niche cameras from Fuji, Leica, Ricoh or Sigma, I don’t really see any large sensor cameras with fixed lenses. I don’t really know of any with fixed zooms.

I have been wondering why we don’t see any cameras like the Panasonic LC-1 any more. That camera (also having a 2/3 sensor), while super expensive in 2003, epitomizes the kind of compact camera I’d like to shoot with. The X10/X50 is a modern update to the LC-1 form factor. While that 2/3 sensor won’t result in any bokeh-licious images, the images will be more than good enough for the ultimate destinations for my photos: flickr, facebook, iPhone, iPad and my HDTV.

People, it’s time to stop the kvetching and measurbating. Make some time to leave the house with your camera and shoot photos. In the end, that’s what it’s all about.

Update: Looks like the official announcement is coming this Thursday.

Samsung - Photography Underdog?

user@domain.com — 2011-08-22T11:38:24-04:00

Samsung is hardly a big name in photography when compared to the likes of Nikon, Canon, Sony, Fuji, Olympus and Pentax.

Like most of its competitors, Samsung makes the bulk of its camera profits from a sea of mediocre, me-too compact cameras.

Canon and Nikon are typically safe choices, because they have name recognition and make quality products. Myself, I’m not so obsessed with brands or specs as I am in finding cameras that fit my needs and are fun to use, because that translates into more interesting photos. I shoot Sony DSLRs because they’re the only company that provides phase-shift focusing Live View with an articulating screen. Because of that, I’ve taken a lot of photos at ground-level without having to get dirty in the process.

But back to Samsung. Looking at their product line, they have two product lines that are greatly underrated, in my mind.

The EX1

They’ve got a legitimate enthusiast point and shoot in the EX1. The EX1, in my mind, is what the Canon G12 should be. The Canon G12, is a prime example of a camera company shoving every feature and the kitchen sink into a camera and then beating it with an ugly stick.

Had the EX1 been around when I was shopping for my Panasonic LX3, I’d have probably bought the EX1. While not perfect, Samsung has delivered a camera that is well considered. It has a big sensor (as far as point and shoots go), and a fast zoom with a range that should satisfy most use cases. I should emphasize that this is one of the only larger sensor enthusiast cameras that have a wide 24mm equivalent focal length (the other being Panasonic’s LX series). I really hope that Samsung keeps this line of camera going, because this is the type of product that puts a halo on the rest of their product line.

The NX Platform

What I really find interesting, however, is Samsung’s NX platform. It’s a mirrorless platform with a large sensor. Right now, the only other company with a similar product line is Sony, with their similarly named NEX line. Before talking about the NX, let’s understand what’s so messed up with the Sony NEX system.

The Sony NEX, while delivering top notch image quality, is a mess of compromises. The designers at Sony obsessed over the thinness of the body, at the expense of lens size. Yes, the NEX bodies are indeed thin, but what’s the point when the lenses are so damned huge? Another problem with the lenses is that you don’t have many to choose from. And of the ones that you can choose from, there is only one pancake lens. This pisses me off to no end, because I shoot Sony DSLRs, and I really like what Sony has done with their Alpha DSLR line.

The Samsung NX product line, like the EX1, however, is once again well considered. The NX cameras probably won’t win any awards for image quality, not compared to a camera with a Sony APS-C sensor. For the tourist or soccer mom, however, the images are more than good enough, and compare well against images shot on the smaller Four Thirds sensor.

Let’s be realistic. These days, most normal people are shooting to post to Facebook or Flickr, not creating gigantic images to be mounted and hung on the walls. You don’t need a bragworthy camera to do that. While most camera nerds will spend their time trolling the DPReview forums, you can spend your time shooting photos.

The lens selection is actually quite stellar. By the end of this year, there will be three affordable fast pancake primes - 16mm, 20mm, and 30mm. These are the lenses that make any compact system worthwhile. Sony, by comparison, only has a single pancake lens (16mm).

Also coming out are fast 60mm and 85mm primes. Those line up fairly closely with the primes I love using on my SLR - 24mm, 35mm, 50mm and 90mm. It also helps that the 20-50 kit zoom is quite compact relative to its competition.

Photography nerds would also get a kick out of Samsung’s novel i-Function, which allows you to change camera settings from the focus ring of the lens. You can change your aperture, EV, white balance and ISO without fumbling through menus. Now that is damned clever. I’d use that all the time.

If I was looking for a compact primary system, I’d seriously consider the NX, since the transition would be pretty easy and definitely less costly than switching to the NEX or Micro Four Thirds.

Camera systems aren’t just about sensors and lenses though. Handling and usability are just as important, if not more important. Samsung’s menuing system, while not perfect, is generally viewed positively. I can’t say much about the NX100’s physical design, except that I’d like to ask the designers “WTF were you thinking?”. There’s not much to criticize about the NX10 or NX11 in that they follow the safe ergonomic stylings of most DSLRs.

There’s an announcement coming in early September for the NX200, a refresh of the NX100. Rumors indicate that the ergonomics of the camera will be much like that of the EX-1, which would be a huge plus. It’s easy to overlook Samsung as a camera company, but you can easily build a nice arsenal of photography equipment without breaking the bank.

Having Fun

user@domain.com — 2011-08-22T11:36:19-04:00

Exciting Times for Photo Nerds

user@domain.com — 2011-08-22T11:23:42-04:00

This is an exciting time for digital photography. You’re seeing the rapid development of the mirrorless interchangeable lens category as a legitimate alternative to the DSLR. At some point, you can at least hope that the camera salesman at your local big box electronics store will stop saying “If you want better pictures, your only choice is a DSLR”.

This summer and fall are a big turning point for the so-called mirrorless movement. While I wouldn’t go so far as to say that mirrorless has disrupted the marketplace, it has made a dent. The latest generation of Micro Four Thirds cameras from Olympus and Panasonic have shown that you can get pretty good images and focus performance from a non-SLR camera.

This week, we’ve got big announcements from Nikon and Sony. For Nikon, it’s their first digital mirrorless system, and for Sony, it’s an evolutionary step forward for their sometimes befuddling NEX platform.

Myself, I like keeping an eye out for the underdogs and dark horses.

Fuji is rumored to be making a big announcement in September, including an X10, which is the type of camera I lamented over in my last post:

What I’m really looking for is something like a Lumix LX5 or Samsung EX1 with a slightly larger sensor. The camera can be a little heftier because of the larger sensor, but all I really need is a decent quality compact with a fastish zoom in the range of 24-70mm. I was really happy with the performance of my LX3 on a recent vacation, although it would have been nice to eke out a little better video performance (my iPhone 4 takes cleaner videos), a little better low light performance, and a bit more zoom range on the long side (the LX3 maxes out at 50mm, vs 90mm on an LX5).

The X10 is supposed to be exactly that, with a 2/3 sensor. The other rumored Fuji camera is an X100-styled, Micro Four Thirds system camera. Both of them sound droolworthy.

And finally, Samsung is expected to announce a refresh to their APS-C NX system sometime in September. I’ve all but ruled out an APS-C camera as a secondary, but who knows. Samsung is doing stuff that I really like. Enough that I’ll probably do a blog post about my thoughts on Samsung.

Waffling on the X100

user@domain.com — 2011-08-05T08:40:53-04:00

A while back, I got spousal approval to get myself a spanky FujiFilm X100, and I have yet to pull the trigger on that. The X100 is for the most part, the embodiment of my “dream camera,” which is a rangefinder-like device with design nods to Leica’s M-series. Aside from the short supply of cameras from Fuji, why haven’t I pulled the trigger on this?

The answer might be a little surprising.

My “primary” camera is an APS-C DSLR, and I’m not looking to replace the platform I’m on. Having a similar sized camera as my secondary camera makes little practical sense, but like golf, photography is a hobby where purchase decisions rarely make any practical sense.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about what will be the eventual successor to my Lumix LX3, and it may not be the X100 at all. If I was shooting a full frame DSLR, the X100 would make a whole lot of sense. There is a much more noticeable physical size difference. It makes much more sense for me to consider a smaller sensor camera platform like Micro Four Thirds or Nikon’s rumored 2.8x crop sensor platform. If I’m going to stick with APS-C for my secondary, well, I’m not even convinced there is any need for a secondary at all.

Since I’m not looking for a new primary platform, I would only need two lenses, if I was to go with an interchangeable lens camera. Basically a compact prime, with a 35-50mm full frame equivalent focal length, and a kit zoom. That’s it. But here’s the rub, I’m not even interested in the idea of swapping lenses.

What I’m really looking for is something like a Lumix LX5 or Samsung EX1 with a slightly larger sensor. The camera can be a little heftier because of the larger sensor, but all I really need is a decent quality compact with a fastish zoom in the range of 24-70mm. I was really happy with the performance of my LX3 on a recent vacation, although it would have been nice to eke out a little better video performance (my iPhone 4 takes cleaner videos), a little better low light performance, and a bit more zoom range on the long side (the LX3 maxes out at 50mm, vs 90mm on an LX5).

My ultimate dilemma is that nobody’s going to make this camera for me. 1/1.7” and 1/1.6” sensors are already quite rare - there are only a half-dozen or so cameras using those sensors, and the big two camera manufacturers have their heads so far up their asses that they have no idea what photography buffs want.

The only silver lining is that 2011 has been and is going to continue to be a very interesting year for compact camera systems. Mirrorless cameras have made a huge step forward in autofocus speed, and everyone except Canon should be showing their cards in this market this calendar year.

I’m not ruling out an APS-C camera as a secondary just yet, mainly to give Samsung a chance to announce their NX200. Samsung, in contrast to Sony, has actually developed a nice APS-C compact camera system with a decent and affordable lineup of lenses. If the NX200 is anything at all like their EX1, it may not take much convincing at all.

Nikon, Panasonic, Sony, Leica and Fuji still have a few tricks up their sleeves too, but Sony’s obsession with thinness on their NEX line annoys me to no end, and I’m a Sony shooter. I’m most curious to see what Fuji will announce. They’re a Four Thirds consortium member, and I’d love to see an X100 type of camera with a fixed 24-70 zoom in tandem with a Four Thirds sensor. If priced in the same range as an X100, it’d be a no-brainer for me.

That I am so unsure of what to get is a bit of a luxury. A year ago, the only thing I’d probably be able to consider would be a Micro Four Thirds camera. Having options is a good thing, and the options are only going to get better.

Out of Hand

user@domain.com — 2011-07-12T15:23:34-04:00

The Strobist retweeted a link today to A Photo Editor, who had an opinion piece on the Some Kind of Bloop controversy a few weeks ago.

For those of you who didn’t hear about it, here’s the backstory, in a nutshell.

Andy Baio had a music project where he basically reproduced a Miles Davis work, Some Kind of Blue, as a chiptune tribute. He had a friend recreate the original album cover by hand as an eight-bit style reproduction. Baio made a point of securing all the music rights for the project, but forgot to get permission for the album cover. Jay Maisel, the photographer behind the original image, sued. Baio settled, and subsequently blogged about the experience.

Then things turned ugly.

What you might not know, is that Andy Baio could be considered one of the “cool kids” on the Internet. He is a popular web personality along the lines of Jason Kottke, John Gruber and Merlin Mann, with a sizable following.

Jay Maisel, for his part, is a well known, respected photographer. And if you follow any photography sites like I do, you’ll realize that professional photographers are near rabid (and rightly so) about their intellectual property rights.

What erupted was an ugly war of words, with major web personalities like Gruber and Thomas Hawk unfurling a series of posts siding with Baio. It is also notable that Hawk has since deleted his series of strongly worded commentary.

On the other side, you had the outraged photographers railing against “freetards” like Andy Baio. Many major online photographers have had their work copied, transformed or reposted without their permission, so it’s easy to understand how this topic could elicit some raw feelings.

While I think this whole affair could have been handled differently, Jay Maisel was completely within his rights to go after Andy Baio. He was also completely within his rights to be, in Gruber’s words, a “dick”, about it. In the same way, Gruber is well within his rights to publicly call out people whom he considers to be a “chickenshit” for failing to attribute links properly. We’re definitely talking in shades of grey.

Because I happen to subscribe to a lot of content from both sides of the fence, it has been a little more than irksome reading about this whole affair. I can see some validity in the arguments on both sides, but in true Internet fashion, anonymous commenters (trolls, if you will) from both sides came out of the woodwork and ruined any possible chance of reasonable discourse on the matter.

It’s a shame that this didn’t go to the courts, because we’d at least get some clarity out of this dispute.

There is no doubt in my mind that Some Kind of Bloop’s cover image is in some form a reproduction inspired by Maisel’s original image. Having said that, I have no doubt that it’s an artist’s unique interpretation of that image, and not just a resampled digital copy. I also give Baio the benefit of the doubt in that I believe that his failure to secure rights from Maisel in advance was an honest oversight.

Speaking as a normal, reasonable person and not as a lawyer or judge, it does appear on the surface to be a fair use of the original image. We all need to remind ourselves that inspiration typically comes from the previous works of others. In other words, everything is a remix.

Finally, some food for thought. I leave you with a lovely link on artists getting paid, courtesy of John Gruber.

Pentax Q: Insane or Ingenius?

user@domain.com — 2011-07-11T10:02:46-04:00

A few weeks ago, Pentax announced a novel little interchangeable lens system camera called the Pentax Q. Billed as the world’s smallest interchangeable lens system, its size advantage came with a “major defect” that offended the sensibilities of camera buffs obsessed with speeds and feeds: a tiny sensor.

Sensor aside, the camera has a great fit and finish with a take-it-or-leave it design reminiscent of the film age. Its premium build is accompanied with a matching price - a whopping $800 for the body and a 47mm equivalent prime lens. $800 is not cheap, but I suspect that Pentax is going for the same target market as Leica’s repackaged and heavily marked up Panasonic compact cameras. It’s also not too far off from Ricoh’s line of compacts, beloved by serious photographers (for their handling) but much maligned by measurbating camera lovers. It should come as no surprise that Ricoh bought the Pentax photography division last week.

Not all camera lovers are photographers, and not all photographers are camera lovers. In my mind, camera lovers are more interested in the machinery of photography than the actual taking of photos. Obsessed with feature checklists, camera lovers flood the Internet discussion boards with their constant bitching and kvetching for every camera release. Every little missing feature is a deal breaker for these people, and if you were to look at their post volumes, you’d wonder if these people even have time to snap photos. Doubtful, since the people who are really taking pictures are too busy uploading to Flickr and Facebook than trolling rumor sites.

I love photography and cameras, but I do try to temper my requirements with my own real world use cases. I rarely make prints, and for my needs, my photos only need to look good on a few devices – an HDTV, an iPad, an iPhone and a 15” laptop. Is obsessing over sensor size a worthwhile exercise? Unlikely.

I recently took my “enthusiast” point-and-shoot camera (a Lumix LX3, if you’re wondering) on a vacation and was quite happy with the results from its smallish sensor. I didn’t want to take my heavy DSLR with me, and even with its weak low-light capabilities, I was able to capture plenty of decent outside night shots. One acquaintance actually thought I had taken my photos with a DSLR. So let’s be honest with ourselves, the Q’s image quality is probably good enough for most casual snapshot situations.

I have seen many complaints lodged against the Q for being a non-pocketable camera. Releasing a pocketable camera these days is a losing proposition. The compact point-and-shoot camera market undergoing a major disruption. Camera phones like the iPhone 4 are killing the low end of the market. Why carry another tiny device when your camera phone will do? The safer area of the market is in the slightly larger enthusiast cameras like the G12, LX5, XZ1, etc. These are ideal travel cameras, as they have a bit of heft, but not nearly as much as a DSLR.

Pentax deserves some credit for releasing this camera with a satisfactory complement of lenses on day one. Aside from the kit prime, there’s a general purpose zoom, a fisheye, and a couple of novelty “toy” lenses, which should satisfy most use cases for the Q. The Sony NEX, which has been around for over a year, is a system that is hurting for first party lenses from Sony. With the exception of the zoom and fisheye, the Pentax Q’s accessory lenses are quite affordable, with pricing under $100.

When taking a more measured view of this camera, the Pentax Q is actually an interesting and fun little camera. It is an instant classic and a collector’s item. Yes, it’s expensive and it’s got a small sensor, but if those are your biggest quibbles, perhaps that suggests that Pentax may have got many of the other pieces of the puzzle correct. I’ll admit, the day this camera was announced, the sensor and price had me thinking “WTF”? Specs aside, however, I love the aesthetic of the camera and the fact that it has an inexpensive fisheye lens. This is definitely a niche camera, but kudos to Pentax for daring to put out a cute little camera that doesn’t scream out “me-too”.

The Pentax Q should be available globally at the end of August.

Chase

user@domain.com — 2011-07-11T09:53:51-04:00

Adapter: Uber-Converter

user@domain.com — 2011-07-05T15:13:10-04:00

For Windows and Mac.

Via Lifehacker:

If you've ever needed to convert media on your Mac to various formats you've probably accumulated a collection of various applications that serve some functions and not others. Adapter saves you the trouble by letting you convert just about any audio, video, or image file to the format you need.

Ditching Facebook for Google+

user@domain.com — 2011-07-04T13:39:42-04:00

PCWorld has a nice list of reasons to choose Google+ over Facebook.

They forgot a big one: Google+ is not Facebook.

A big reason not to switch to Google+? If you’re on Google Apps, you’re currently not one of the cool kids, so you can’t join.

Yep. I'm back.

user@domain.com — 2011-07-04T12:27:55-04:00

It’s a fresh start. No back archives, no back content. I’ve wiped the files and started anew. It’s a bright new day.

~~The template’s kinda sucky. It’ll be here for a while until I either find a good one or make time to recode it.~~