The A7S is Sony’s newest entry in its full-frame mirrorless lineup. But where the ‘R’ in A7R stood for resolution, the ‘S’ in the 12MP A7S stands for sensitivity, topping out at an impressive maximum ISO sensitivity setting equivalent to ISO 409,600. We’ve had an A7S for a couple of days – just long enough to create a real-world comparison of high ISO stills from the camera against the 36MP A7R and Canon’s EOS 5D Mark III. Click through to see the results.
Avatron, the developer of Air Display, has today released a new iPad app. Air Stylus extends your computer screen to your iPad display and, in combination with a pressure-sensitive pen, turns the latter into a graphics tablet that works with a range of imaging applications including Adobe Photoshop and Apple’s Aperture. Read more
While many American cities have experienced the pains of a large population shift from the urban core to suburbs, there’s a poignancy to the abandoned storefronts in downtown Rochester, New York. The city’s name is inextricably tied to the name Eastman Kodak. Swiss photographer Catherine Leutenegger spent time photographing Rochester and Kodak’s headquarters, first in 2007 and again in 2012, and answered a few of our questions about the project. See gallery
From over 10,000 entries, the shortlist selection has been revealed for the 2014 Atkins Ciwem environmental photographer of the year competition. In its seventh year, the competition sponsored by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (Ciwem) encourages entrants from around the globe to showcase work that ‘will inspire people around the world to start taking care of our environment’. See gallery
We’ve come to the end of another week here at dpreview, and as our thoughts drift to weekend shooting opportunities, it’s time to take things a little less seriously. Aaron Johnson’s comic strip ‘What the Duck’ is just the thing, taking a gently satirical look through the lens of a photographically inclined waterfowl. You can find it published here (and in our newsletter) every week; we hope you enjoy it, and your weekend.
After filing one last month, Apple has applied for another camera-related patent. The document an artificial muscle structure being used to replace traditional motors to control focus and aperture in a camera module. The design is interesting because it can carry relatively large and heavy optics and consumes very little power. Read more
Edgar Martins is drawn to documenting off-limits places. This was part of the appeal for him in a project titled ‘The Time Machine,’ in which he gained access to hydro-electric power plants in Portugal, the country where he was born. Built between 1950 and ’70, these facilities were designed to accommodate dozens, even hundreds of employees working side-by-side with state-of-the-art technology. They’re now operated with only a handful of personnel and are largely disused. He answered a few questions for us about the project. See gallery
We’ve just added the Sony A7S to our studio test scene comparison. The A7S is a 12 megapixel full-frame mirrorless camera capable of shooting at ISO 409,600. It’s as much designed for video as it is for stills, but for now take a look at its low light performance in our test scene and compare it to an ever-growing list of cameras. See studio results
FashionPhotographyBlog.com caught up with Photo of the Week winner, Alana Tyler Slutsky to find out what has been happening since she shot her winning photo from her “Painted Ladies” series. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Alana Tyler Slutsky photographs fashion, beauty and portraits. From our previous interview with Alana, we discovered that she loves to play with color and light, as well as the idea that “fashion is fantasy.”
So where is the photographer at now in her photography journey? According to Alana, she is constantly growing, ever-learning and ever-experimenting, “Now, I understand what I’m doing a lot more. Everything is premeditated and every detail is planned out It’s no longer a guessing game where I plop down lights and move them around to get what looks good – rather I go in with a plan of where everything should be placed, what modifiers should be used and what the f/stops should read. Also, I won’t shoot without a team. Before I used to shoot with whatever was lying around and would do the makeup myself (that was a total joke!) or have the “model” do it themselves. Nowadays I won’t work unless I have a team of hair, makeup and wardrobe. These are all details that tie together to make an amazing image. If you’re missing one, it’s like trying to drive a car with a flat tire – it just doesn’t quite work.”
The last article that we spoke to Alana she showed us an example of an experimental concept, back from when she was first testing lighting, became the inspiration for her recent “Second Skin” editorial shoot that got published in Creem Magazine. It was coincidental that around the same time she won Photo of the Week. It must have been meant to be. So how did the shoot for “Second Skin” come about? Alana explained, “The “Second Skin” images were the brain child of my makeup artist, Cassie Kurtz and myself. We spent a few hours on the phone bouncing ideas back and forth until we came across this one. I like to think that the “Painted Ladies” images were buried deep within my subconscious and the underlying idea of that series helped shape the “Second Skin” shoot.
To create shoot, Alana shot this series using an Alienbees strobe, a soft box and a reflector. For photographers who are starting out and don’t have the budget for expensive equipment, Alana recommended “Paul C. Buff/Alienbees is an amazing company for young photographers! Not everyone has tens of thousands of dollars in order to own all of their own pro gear (such a Profoto/Broncolor etc…). Paul C. Buff is an affordable solution with the greatest customer support ever! Definitely check them out if you’re in the market for some lights. It does not hurt that they have almost every modifier you’ll be looking for! (No. I’m not paid by Paul C. Buff/Alienbees to promote them… I’m just a huge fan!)”.
Speaking of lighting, I asked the photographer, how is her lighting setup different now? She replied that “My light is a lot more controlled. Now, I know exactly what I want and figure out a proper set-up and what the light-output should read before ever setting foot on step. Being good at lighting is all about knowing how to manipulate it – from shadow transitions to color temperature.
To find out more information about this shoot or contact Alana Tyler Slutsky feel free to visit any of the following:
Blog: http://alanatylerslutsky.blogspot.com
Website: http://www.alanatylerslutsky.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alanatylerslutsky
Twitter: https://twitter.com/alanaslutsky
What do you think about Alana’s new work now compared to her previous Photo Of The Week entry? Please post your comments in the comment section below.
Tamron has revealed that it will be making its 18-200mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III VC superzoom in Canon EF-M mount. In a week of unparalleled excitement for EOS M owners, it becomes the fifth autofocus lens for the two year old system, and the first from a third-party manufacturer. With a 29-320mm equivalent range, it features a stepping motor for silent autofocus, and optical image stabilization. Sales will start in the USA on June 26, at $ 499.