2008-03-30-161746-_MG_7398
H.M.P. London
Tangentially related (well not *that* tangentially) to my last post is this great outdoor work by Dr D:
Yet more insanity/manipulation/demonisation/*
They’re at it again. The authorities want to make photography a criminal activity, at least as far as I can tell. And they want you to get involved.
This has been reported everywhere, and the web is teeming with responses to it.
One of the most apt responses was this:
Or maybe I just found it interesting because of the beard angle ;) I doubt the USofA would let me in with my passport photo! Here’s what Jesús (no, not *that* one) thinks of it:
If you’re good, I’ll let you see it…
(*Delete as applicable.)
Sigma DP1 samples on DPReview
Digital Photography Review has some samples from a beta of Sigma’s upcoming and LONG-awaited large-sensor compact DP1.
From what I can tell having a very quick look at these is that the detail as you’d expect with a Foveon sensor, and the dynamic range looks pretty too. Colour aberrations look pretty controlled in that lens too, as is lens flare, including when the sun is right in the shot.
Also to be expected, but nice to see pretty much confirmed is the very low noise on the ISO 800 sample. What little noise there is looks like “nice noise” too – nothing to make you recoil. That’s the main conflict of compact cameras for me: the times when I really need something smaller to shoot with is also *exactly* when I need good high ISO and/or low-light performance, like in a bar or club.
Yet another item for the Gearlust list! *<sigh>*
Here we go again!
Lighting and its importance.
As everyone knows, photography is 10% photographer, 10% equipment and 80% lighting (or something like that) proving again the 80-20 rule I suppose. Then again, lighting’s 80% can largely be answered by equipment or more precisely its correct application.
Anyway, the point is that there’s not much difference between shots with an SLR and a good compact if the lighting is good. (Not taking in to account responsiveness, speed and all that…) I’ve done this twice in the last few days, setting up a couple of 285HV’s with umbrellas in the first case and bounces off a low-ish white-ish ceiling in the second case. The shots from the 20D and the GX100 aren’t that easy to tell apart.
Talking of Gearlust…
This is “sensible” gearlust though! Still waiting for these to be available in Europe for something like a reasonable price. UK: £350 (c. $700!) when it’s under $500 across the pond.
Gearlust again: Wacom Cintiq 12WX
Of course, there’s always been gearlust for the big Cintiq, but this puts it tantalisingly close.
Wacom Cintiq 12WX 12-Inch Pen Display
Pretty cool for playing Hordes of Orcs as well, no doubt. Ahem…
[Update: Gizmodo has a video review of it, heaping praise, and ramping up the lust!]Trying out some lighting with my most reliable model
So, because all my friends are too chicken to pose for me, I decided I’d have to do a bit of tethered shooting to try some lighting out. This is a first time I’ve used EOS Capture on the Mac, and it’s quite workable. Pretty good, even, if I wanted to get effusive.
All these shots are variations on two 285HVs into silver umbrellas, one on each side, except for the obvious gelled background shot. Triggers are Gadget Infinity originals, which for the price you can’t argue with, but now I’ve got Pocket Wizards so I can combine my reliable model with reliable triggers.