Author: David Kilpatrick

Professional photographer and journalist, founder and editor of magazines PHOTOpro, Photon, Freelance Photographer, f2 and Cameracraft. For 25 years director of the Minolta Club. Fellow of the BIPP and Hon. Fellow of the MPA.

Sony launch new consumer technology

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It’s 2.13am in Scotland, and I can’t possibly handle the volume of press material which has just flooded in from Sony at the CES show in Las Vegas.

Exmor-R is really rolled out in force – back-illuminated CMOS sensors all round. Simulataneous still capture during video without interruption has arrived in the consumer cameras, both by using two sensors (two cameras in one camera) or by sheer processing power (capture during 1080/50i recording, but not during 1080/50p).

Sony’s foresight in grabbing hold of certain image-blending technologies – the patents/processors which have already made Night Shot and Twilight, multishot panorama and 3D panorama, HDR multishot all possible – is extended to use multi shot with multiple focus positions, to create artificial bokeh effects (DSLR-like differential focus) and also simulated 3D in which two exposures made at two focus distance positions are offset to create a 3D-like result.

All this stuff is very important for the future of DSLRs – it must lead in due course to multishot focus stacking in-camera in DSLRs, just as it leads to the reverse in small sensor consumer cams, and also new 3D modes.

My crystal ball says that two years from now, you will be able to take ‘a shot’ with a camera and by capturing multiple frames in an extremely short duration, it will be possible SELECT YOUR FOCUS PLANE afterwards and ELIMINATE ALL NOISE regardless of ISO. In-camera and in computer alike. And you’ll be able to decide how much depth of field you want and preview the effect and save the result. One day there will be a raw file which uses a cubic model not a Cartesian model, XY coordinates for the image dimension, then many layers stacked to represent multiple focus planes.

Sony just brought this future – I can remember we discussed the concept of the ‘cubic’ image file way back in the 1990s in our office rambles – closer to reality.

See:

http://presscentre.sony.eu/Content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=6368&NewsAreaID=2&ClientID=1

And have a dig round, there’s a stack more into rolling out from Sony, and a lot of important stuff is hiding in the detail.

Also log in to Sony’s blog page:

http://blog.discover.sonystyle.com/follow-sony-electronics-news-live-from-ces-2011

This should bring you updated info links.

– DK

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DK's ramblings, News

Back issues to 2002

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We have now expanded the archive of downloadable PDF files of our magazine issues, available to subscribers to Photoclubalpha, back to December 2002 with five issues of Minolta Image. The issues make a fascinating record of the transition from film to digital, and then from Minolta to Konica Minolta, and later to Sony.

The link to the Subscriber page which has active download links is: Subscriber Only Content but this can only be accessed by subscribers. To subscribe, visit Subscriber Registration.

The list of issues and their content (not including many portfolios, technique and travel or subject related features) is:

  • Photoworld 2 2011 (Spring – new flashgun and accessories, Alpha subaqua, Sony World Photography Awards, Nissin Di866 Mark II flash, Sony ultrawide and fisheye converters for NAX tested)
  • Photoworld 1 2011 (Winter – new Cybershots, Alpha in the studio, Kipon tilt adaptor for NEX, Alpha 580 test report, Duncan McEwan shoots the Commonwealth Games)
  • Photoworld 4 2010 (Autumn – photokina & Alpha 55/33, Alpha 55 test, 3D feature)
  • Photoworld 3 2010 (Summer – NEX 3 & 5 launch in  Croatia, full test, NEX lens adaptors, Alpha 390 and 290 announced, Sigma 8-16mm f/4.5-5.6 HSM and 70-300mm f/4-5.6 OS)
  • Photoworld 2 2010 (Spring – SAM 30mm f/2.8 Macro, PMA 2010, Sigma EX DG 70mm f/2.8 macro, Delta TTL ringflash, Ray-Flash RAC175-2)
  • Photoworld 1 2010 (Winter – Alpha System 25 Year Silver Jubilee issue; Alpha 450)
  • Photoworld 4 2009 (Autumn – Alpha 500, 550 and 850 announced; Samyang 85mm f/1.4 test, HVL-F20AM)
  • Photoworld 3 2009 (Summer – Alpha 230, 330, 380 launch; Alpha 380 test, SAM 18-55mm, Sigma 18-250mm OS, 70-200mm HSM, 10-20mm f/3.5, 10mm fisheye)
  • Photoworld 2 2009 (Spring – Sony PVL-EW5 projector, rechipping Sigma 400mm f/5.6)
  • Photoworld 1 2009 (Winter – Sigma 12-24mm and 50mm f/1.4 on A900, tilt and shift adaptors, Teleplus 2X)
  • Photoworld 4 2008 (Autumn – photokina and Alpha 900)
  • Photoworld 3 2008 (Summer – 70-300mm SSM G lens test, HVL-F58AM)
  • Photoworld 2 2008 (Spring – Alpha 300 and 350 launch, 360° panoramas, HVL-F42AM, kit zoom lens choice, Tamron 70-300mm f/4-5.6 LD Di AF Tele Macro test)
  • Photoworld 1 2008 (Winter – Alpha 200 launch, Alpha 700 shoots Cirque du Soleil)
  • Photoworld 4 2007 (Autumn – Alpha 700 launch, 16-105mm SAL lens, 18-250mm SAL)
  • Photoworld 3 2007 (Summer – Photoclubalpha launch, roadmap speculation, 18-250mm Tamron test, Lensbaby 3G)
  • Photoworld 2 2007 (Spring – 700/900 speculation with the wrong names, GPS CS-1 tracker, CZ 16-80mm test, flash choices, Loreo PC Lens In A Cap)
  • Photoworld 1 2007 (Winter – CZ 135mm f/1.8, 8mm Peleng)
  • Photoworld 3 2006 (Autumn – photokina, Apha 100 test, Sony DSC-R1)
  • Photoworld 2 2006 (Summer – the amazing Alpha 100 launch in Morocco)
  • Photoworld 1 2006 (Winter/Spring – the Sony takeover issue, 25 Years of Minolta Club, 18-200mm and 11-18mm KM zooms tested)
  • Photoworld 4 2005 (Autumn – KM 5D test, colour looks, Dimage Master software)
  • Photoworld 3 2005 (Summer – KM 5D announcement, Sony announce joint project, Dimage X1, Dimage A200, Jobo Gigavu Pro, Dimage Master techniques)
  • Photoworld 2 2005 (Spring – Dimage Z5, 28-75m and 17-35mm lenses tested on Dynax 7D, digital infrared with Dimage 7 and Dynax 7D, colour to mono conversions, using Dimage Scan Elite 5400)
  • Photoworld 1 2005 (Winter – Dynax 7D test, Minolta 16mm full frame fisheye)
  • Photoworld 2 2004 (Autumn – photokina and Dynax (Maxxum) 7D launch)
  • Photoworld 1 2004 (Spring-Summer, the first edition after the Konica Minolta merger, and the renaming of Minolta Image which we had published since 1981 back to its 1966-1980 title of Photoworld – mockup D7D shown at Focus on Imaging, Dynax 60 and 40 launch, Dimage Xt underwater, Konica Centuria Super colour film test, Dimage A2 test)
  • Minolta Image Winter 2003-4 (the last edition of Image before the end of Minolta as a separate company – Dimage Z1 test, Dimage E323 test)
  • Minolta Image Autumn 2003 (the A to Z of digital – Dimage A1 and Z1, Dynax 3L and Fujichrome Astia 100F test, A1 anti-shake test)
  • Minolta Image Summer 2003 (Dimage Scan Elite 5400 test, new 28-100mm, Riva Zoom 60, Dimage Xt test, Wireless Flash)
  • Minolta Image Spring 2003 (SSM 30mm and 70-200mm, converters, launched; F300 report)
  • Minolta Image Winter 2002-3 (incomplete but includes – Low Light and Fast Film, Digital Diaries, Dimage 7Hi test, Dimage Scan Dual III)
Minolta History, News

Alpha 55 1080p HD video – snow in Scotland

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This video was made on December 23rd using the Alpha 55 (AVCHD recording) hand held, with SS enabled, and the Carl Zeiss 16-80mm zoom. This video has been uploaded in full 1080p HD and can be viewed at high resolution if you have a fast enough connection. The soundtrack is a classical guitar piece I wrote ten years ago, on the last day of the year 2000, when snow was falling by moonlight which I guess the music represents a bit better than mid-day.
Some camera-mic sound has been left in place for two of the takes, and the shot of the stone wall uses active phase detection AF during video. This was not possible for most takes, as the snowflakes falling made the focus constantly change as they passed the focus zones!

Hope you enjoy it! The camera got very wet with snow – you can see where flakes landed on the lens filter – and ended up being wiped down many times. Eventually, after going into a shop for a few minutes, everything steamed up. But it seems fine after letting it dry out and warm up. It was not very cold, around 1°C for snow to be falling like this.
– David

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Cameras (DSLR), DK's ramblings, HD Video, Lenses - Alpha Mount

The Alpha 580 – a three-way view

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Once I had a quarterplate hand-and-stand camera, vintage 1920s. Attached to the front standard was a small reflex viewfinder, giving a miniature composition you could use at waist or chest level. On the same standard was a folding wire frame, with a companion eye-sighting window flipping up from the side of the body. This gave a direct view from eye level. But for the most accurate framing and focusing, a groundglass screen at back could be used with the shutter open and a viewing hood folded out.

Those three ways of viewing have never been available in a modern SLR. Until now! The Alpha 580 (for which you can also read 560 throughout this review, give or take the sensor) is the first modern SLR to offer three entirely different viewfinder systems, all with their own unique focus and exposure methods. There have been cameras made by Alpa and Praktina which had optical finders tucked in alongside their pentaprism, and Rollei invented a finder which could switch from eye-level to waist level at the flick of a lever. But the Alpha 580 offers three through-the-lens systems and it’s unlikely any DSLR will do so again.
This is a 10-page article – please use the navigation bar at the bottom to move on to the next page, or click the ‘Continue Reading’ link to view as a single long article (this function is not very reliable though and may produce an ‘undefined’ error)

Continue reading »

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Cameras (DSLR), DK's ramblings, Equipment Reviews, HD Video, Lenses - Alpha Mount

Alpha 55 – in depth pros and cons

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It’s taken me a long time to get round to writing a review of the Alpha 55. You don’t get to use a new type of camera very often, and this camera blends elements which have all been used before in a completely new way. This review is pretty from the point of view of the still photographer not the video shooter. This is a multi page report. There’s a lot of it. Please use the navigation for pages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and on to keep the pages a reasonable size – even if it’s rather hard to spot it… or click the Read More link to get it as one big scrolling monster.

Continue reading »

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Cameras (DSLR), DK's ramblings, Equipment Reviews

Adobe releases 6.3 and 3.3 raw with 560-580 support

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Raw conversion for the Sony Alpha 560 and 580 models is now available from Adobe. Adobe has released the final ‘cut’ of Lightroom 3.3 and Camera Raw 6.3, along with other improvements on December 7th and a Bridge update which was released a week ago:

Photoshop CS5 12.0.2 update

December 7, 2010
Windows | Macintosh

TWAIN Plug-in update

December 7, 2010

Camera Raw 6.3 update

December 7, 2010
Windows | Macintosh

DNG Converter 6.3 update

December 7, 2010
Windows | Macintosh

Lightroom 3.3 update

December 7, 2010
Windows | Macintosh

Adobe Bridge CS5 4.0.4 Update

November 30, 2010
Windows | Macintosh

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News, Software Reviews

Alpha 900/850 Firmware Upgrade

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A firmware upgrade that refines shooting responses and creative options for the α900 and α850 35mm full-frame DSLR cameras has been released by Sony. All new and existing customers are advised to install the upgrade, available to download from the ‘Support’ area of the Sony web site.
Autofocus is quicker and more responsive than ever, thanks to improved AF motor control and smarter distance detection of out-of-focus objects.
Creative options are extended by a broadened range of exposure value (EV) compensation settings, now increased from ±3EV to ±5EV. Selected compensation value is displayed in the navigation display on the main LCD screen of both cameras. This boosted EV compensation range gives extra headroom when composing extremely high- or low-key images.
Exposure bracketing range has also been increased from a maximum of 4.0EV (three shots at -2EV, 0EV, +2EV) to a maximum of 6.0EV (-3EV, 0EV, +3EV). This wider range gives added flexibility when capturing multiple frames at different exposure values – for example when acquiring images for the creation of powerful post-shooting HDR effects. Please note that the bracketing still does not include 1EV steps as an option (the widest range of ‘normal’ bracketing is 5 frames at 0.7EV) and the +/- 2 or 3 EV options remain as wide-spaced three shot sequences only; there is no provision for the most desirable HDR settings such as -3 to +3 in 1EV intervals, a seven-frame set.
As a further refinement, a new menu option allows shutter release to be enabled, even when the camera body doesn’t detect an attached lens. It’s useful for specialist applications such as astrophotography when the camera is attached to a telescope.
The latest firmware upgrade by Sony for registered α900 and α850 DSLR customers is available free of charge from the Sony EUROPE site for European owners.
Asia support server direct links:
Alpha 900 http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/product/dslr-a900/modelfirst
Alpha 850 http://www.sony-asia.com/support/download/product/dslr-a850/modelfirst
Australian support server direct links:
http://www.sony.com.au/support/productcategory/dslr+camera
and see the ‘Latest Downloads’ tab
The US download was not available six hours after the announcement, but should be found through this page: http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/swu-list.pl?mdl=DSLRA900&SelectOS=50
These zip archives contain Unix (camera processor executable) files called DSCA850.APP or DSCA900.APP. These are the components which must be copied on to a newly formatted camera memory card. Once the camera is turned on with the Menu button depressed, as instructed, the update takes roughly 1 minute 30 seconds to complete, after which the camera displays a restart screen for about 15 seconds before rebooting.
There is some risk involved in using firmware which is non-specific for your camera’s region, but owners are not reporting any problems. Be aware that once you have installed the firmware, from whatever region, it is not possible to revert or to re-install your own region’s firmware. However, it seems likely that there is no difference between regional versions other than Japanese.

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Cameras (DSLR), News

New ultra-fast, multi-terabyte memory cards on horizon

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November 30, 2010 — SanDisk Corporation, Sony Corporation and Nikon Corporation today announced the joint development of a set of specifications that address the future requirements of professional photography and video markets. The three companies proposed the specifications to the CompactFlash® Association (CFA)*, the international standards organization, with the intent to standardize the format.
Professional photography and High Definition (HD) video applications require a new generation of memory cards capable of processing significantly larger files. To address the imaging industry’s future speed and capacity demands, SanDisk, Sony and Nikon proposed a new card specification Continue reading »

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Cameras (DSLR), News
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