RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘Camera’

This Kickstarter wants to revive the Ihagee Elbaflex film camera in Nikon F-mount

16 Nov

Despite the gigantic volume of second hand film bodies in existence there remains, it seems, a demand for new 35mm SLRs with a retro feel. The latest is what the manufacturer is calling a remake of the Ihagee Elbaflex, which was the name for Exakta cameras sold in West Germany during the late sixties and early seventies. This remake, however, comes with a Nikon F mount.

The new model will have a fully mechanical shutter with speeds of 1/2sec to 1/500sec + B, and a single stroke wind-on crank. It will be fitted with a PC socket for flash, a hotshoe, and a flash sync speed of 1/60sec. The use of the Nikon mount obviously allows it to use old and modern lenses, though there’s no mention of the extent of the aperture coupling.

The camera doesn’t need batteries to operate as it has no built-in meter (the company says users can use an app on their phone instead), but there is an ISO dial around the rewind crank just in case.

The new camera is said to be the result of a collaboration between German and Ukrainian engineers, and the camera will be built in the Arsenal factory that made the Kiev cameras. The use of the Nikon lens mount is perhaps an echo of the Kiev 17 35mm film camera that also used the Nikon mount.

It’s hard to be certain what the new camera is actually based on as it uses a wooden grip and modern looking buttons and dials. The new manufacturers suggest it is an Exakta Varex llb, but it has none of the distinctive body styling, antique knobs or interchangeable pentaprism/wasitlevel finder—and the Varex llb was out of production by before the name change occurred in 1969.

The Elbaflex name was introduced to get around lawsuits by the original Ihagee owner to force the East German Ihagee East (as the company became known after the war) to pay him royalties for use of his brand. The use of the name Elbaflex is once again being used to avoid conflict with the current owners of the Exakta brand name.

The manufacturer expects the body to retail for $ 1500 when it ships in August 2018, but early backers can get it for $ 530. You can get the camera in a choice of four colors, and there’s also a special deal that includes the Meyer Optik Trioplan 50mm or the Lydith 30mm.

For more information, visit the Ihagee Kickstarter campaign page.

Press Release

Kickstarter Launches for the Rebirth of the Ihagee Elbaflex 35mm Analog Camera

New Analog Camera Has a Nikon F Mount

(Dresden, Germany) The famous Ihagee camera brand is making a comeback, launching a Kickstarter campaign today for its first offering, the Elbaflex, a 35mm analog camera with a Nikon F mount, stylish wooden grip and a full two-year guarantee.

The Elbaflex has a simple, yet beautiful design that is aimed at the photography purist. Its designers say the fully-manual camera is intended to make a statement that the art of photography is about taking your time and making each frame meaningful.

Early Kickstarter backers can get the Elbaflex for pledges that start at $ 529, as well as bundles that will include either the Trioplan 50mm or Lydith 30mm, both of which are fully-manually and made by German lens manufacturer Meyer Optik.

The camera is expected to be shipped to Kickstarter backers in August 2018, though the first 100 cameras are expected to ship to early Kickstarter backers by July 2018. The Elbaflex, which will be handmade, is expected to have a retail price of $ 1,500 and be on the market in the fourth quarter of 2018.

The company takes its name from the German camera pioneer that in 1936 produced the famous Kine-Exakta, a camera which eventually became known as the Elbaflex in the 1970s.

The new Ihagee Elbaflex is a collaboration between a team of German and Ukrainian engineers. The German side includes former engineers and technicians who have many years of experience in the production of analog and digital cameras, as well as lenses, for Leica and Schneider Kreuznach. They will provide the engineering and design leadership, while the Ukrainian side, which includes former members of the famous Arsenal factory in Kiev, will oversee production.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on This Kickstarter wants to revive the Ihagee Elbaflex film camera in Nikon F-mount

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Camera battery explosion causes chaos at Orlando International Airport

14 Nov
Photo by Ashim D’Silva

An exploding lithium-ion camera battery caused a panic at the Orlando International Airport on Friday, resulting in 24 flight cancellations as well as temporary chaos as a terminal was evacuated. Witnesses say the exploding battery made a sound similar to a gunshot, prompting people to flee the area.

Though frightening, the situation proved mostly harmless as officials discovered the source of the sound: a camera battery that had exploded inside of a traveler’s bag, which began smoking as a result. Orlando Police have since posted tweets advising the public that no shots were fired in the airport, but instead that “a lithium battery in a camera exploded in a bag … the bag was smoldering.” No one was hurt in the incident.

The incident follows a recent recommendation by the FAA that airlines ban passengers from checking devices with lithium-ion batteries in bags due to their volatility and the fire risk they pose, instead suggesting they pack them in their carry-on luggage.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Camera battery explosion causes chaos at Orlando International Airport

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Why it’s Important to Have a Good Relationship With Your Camera

12 Nov

I don’t like upgrading my camera; I’m rather content with the old one I have. I’m not one to worry so much now about the changes in technology. These days it seems there’s nothing really new under the sun. My trusty Nikon D800 is like a close friend, we have a good relationship.

The Importance of Having a Good Relationship With Your Camera

The advancements in camera technology have now slowed down and we already have more than enough megapixels to overflow our hard drives. So in my opinion, being content with a (slightly) older camera can help improve your photography more than if you are continually hankering for an upgrade.

Is your camera good enough?

Recently we had a customer on one of our photography workshops tell us they’d bought a few new lenses and were happy with them and next they wanted to upgrade their camera. I pointed out the camera they already have is way more advanced and can produce higher resolution photographs than most of the cameras I have ever used, (over the last 35 years I have used quite a few).

The Importance of Having a Good Relationship With Your Camera

My wife also loves her Nikon D800.

Having a close relationship with my camera is important to me. We need to know each other. The feeling I have for my camera enables me to obtain more interesting, dynamic, and relational photographs than I could make if I was using a brand new camera, (especially if was a brand of equipment with which I am not familiar). Having such a close and good relationship with your camera will make you a better photographer.

Use your camera with ease

If you can get to know your camera so well that you don’t have to consciously think every time you want to change a setting, you will have more energy to focus on your subject and the creative aspects of picture making. Being able to enjoy photography without your camera being the main focus of your attention is far more conducive to making great photos than having a brand new camera that you are unfamiliar with.

The keys to any good relationship are:

  • Compatibility
  • Frequent connection
  • Meaningful communication
  • Positive feelings

The Importance of Having a Good Relationship With Your Camera

Working with a camera you are just not comfortable with will not result in a good relationship. If you have small hands and your camera is large, you will struggle to operate it easily and it will be uncomfortable for you to hold. Likewise, if you have large hands and a small camera you will not find the experience of making photos as pleasurable as when you have a camera that suits you better.

If you find the controls awkward to manage, the image resolution disappointing, etc., you might want to consider a camera that’s more compatible. However, most cameras these days are well designed and crammed full of technology that produces incredible quality images. So you are probably better off committing more time to getting to know your current camera better.

Use your camera often

Frequent connection with your camera, as with your friends, will produce a richer relationship, especially when it’s a meaningful connection. Finding a subject, a location, or style of photography you really enjoy will ensure you want to spend more time with your camera in your hands.

This can take time, and can change over time, but when you have a passion for something or someone you naturally want to dedicate more of your time to that relationship.

The Importance of Having a Good Relationship With Your Camera

When you are so familiar with your camera that your attention is more focused on your subject, the timing, composition, and lighting, you will find a far greater enjoyment in photography. You will also likely see a big improvement in the photos you are producing.

Know your craft

In our modern consumer societies you are constantly reminded by advertisers there’s something else you must buy. I believe if you constantly upgrade you are potentially missing out on the depth of artistry that can be achieved by being intimate with your camera and your craft.

The Importance of Having a Good Relationship With Your Camera

A while ago I had a wonderful experience photographing two men putting finishing touches to some beautiful artworks. I was in the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul looking for the copper workers quarter which I had read about. I spent quite some time searching for it and literally walked around in circles and ended up back at the same place more than once. But I was determined to find this place as I really love making photos of craftspeople working.

Eventually, I heard a “tink tink tink” sound and followed my ears down an ancient arched alleyway. I went up a staircase, and into a courtyard surrounded by two-story buildings with hundreds of pots, pans, lamps and other items all crafted in copper.

The Importance of Having a Good Relationship With Your Camera

I continued farther to the source of the sound and was welcomed into a small workshop. With no common language, I gestured to my camera and received a thumbs up for me to take photographs there. The two men working on the art pieces were being watched by an older man, (I learned he was the father of one and uncle of the other.)

Another man arrived after a while and some discussion took place. That man was a customer coming to buy their art and he spoke some English. I asked him to help me because I had a question. How long, how many generations, had this family been working with copper and creating such art?

The lost art of generations

My question was translated and a long discussion ensued. Then all three family members looked at me and shrugged. They did not know. Their families have been copper craftsmen for so long and been passing on the skills of this lifestyle so long that nobody knew the answer to my question.

I was not surprised. Looking at what they were producing and at the pride on the older man’s face, it was evident they were not novices. They know their craft and their tools so well they made it look like what they were doing was somewhat effortless. But this is the result of a generations-long relationship with their materials and tools, (some of which may be generations old) frequent use of them, and an obvious passion for what they do.

The Importance of Having a Good Relationship With Your Camera

Conclusion

For more on loving your camera, watch the video below:

As you are pushed to spend money, rather than time, on your creative photographic expression, I believe you are in danger of losing touch with the depth and meaning that can be obtained by a more conscious connection with the camera you already own.

So if you are tempted to upgrade your camera let me encourage you to consider holding on to the one you already have for a while. Learn to love it and you will see the results in an improvement in your picture making.

The post Why it’s Important to Have a Good Relationship With Your Camera by Kevin Landwer-Johan appeared first on Digital Photography School.


Digital Photography School

 
Comments Off on Why it’s Important to Have a Good Relationship With Your Camera

Posted in Photography

 

Bokeh Market site tracks used camera market value, offers alerts on price changes

11 Nov

A new website called Bokeh Market aims to take some of the work out of buying and selling used camera gear by providing users with real-time market value info. The website, which is free to use, provides a graph showing an item’s value over time, its individual seller rating and, when possible, its trusted seller value. The site also culls active listings for the item from various online destinations, including eBay and B&H Photo.

The website is search-based, meaning users search for the gear they’re interested in. Though an account isn’t necessary to use the Bokeh Market, registering one allows users to create their own gear list, making it easier to see its value. Additionally, accounts can be used to get price alerts for specific items and to create bundles of items, the value of which is provided based on Bokeh Market’s data.

Via: PetaPixel

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Bokeh Market site tracks used camera market value, offers alerts on price changes

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Sharp’s new 8K camera is $77,000

10 Nov

With 4K recording available on many smartphones and 4K resolution pretty much a standard specification on TV sets, it looks like the industry is now pushing to move into 8K territory faster. Sharp’s contribution comes in the shape of the new 8C-B60A 8K camcorder which is aimed at broadcasters and will undoubtedly be deployed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

The camera comes with a Super 35mm sensor that’s approximately the same size as the one on the Red Helium Weapon 8K and is capable of recording 10-bit 60 fps footage. Grass Valley’s HQX codec helps keeping file sizes at a manageable level but the camera comes with a custom 2TB SSD pack that was developed in collaboration with Astrodesign and can hold approximately 40 minutes of 8K video.

A PL lens mount can take Zeiss and Leica lenses among other which should give film makers plenty of options for creating a specific look and make the camera an option far beyond the fields of news and sports.

In addition the 8C-B60A comes with a number of features aimed at broadcast users, such as an integrated top-handle and viewfinder, as well as simultaneous recording and output and a shoulder pad.

All those features don’t come cheap, though. With a price tag of $ 77,000 the 8C-B60A will be out of reach for enthusiasts and pro-sumers but it will help big broadcasters and proucers drive 8K and help manufacturers, such as Sharp, push the sales figures for 8K displays.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Sharp’s new 8K camera is $77,000

Posted in Uncategorized

 

This is what happens when a ‘weather sealed’ camera takes a dip in salt water

09 Nov

$ (document).ready(function() { SampleGalleryV2({“containerId”:”embeddedSampleGallery_3338148904″,”galleryId”:”3338148904″,”isEmbeddedWidget”:true,”standalone”:false,”selectedImageIndex”:0,”startInCommentsView”:false,”isMobile”:false}) });

It shouldn’t need saying, but weather resistant, weather sealed and environmentally sealed do not mean waterproof. A cursory glance at your warranty should make this clear: no matter how good a reputation your brand has, if it isn’t covered by the warranty, you’re in ‘at your own risk’ territory.

Roger Cicala’s latest blog post over at Lens Rentals shows the damage that can occur when a nominally weather sealed camera gets wet—both the damage and the detective work made clearer by the fact that this particular camera took a dip in salt water. Cicala follows the path of the corrosion throughout the camera and explains why an encounter with seawater may render your camera not just non-functioning, but completely irreparable.

As is so often the case with Cicala’s ‘big picture’ blog posts, don’t get too hung up on the specific model he’s dissecting. As he points out in the comments, he’s written off some of every brand from salt-water damage.

Check out some of the pictures from this particularly painful teardown at the top, and then click the big blue button below to see the full post on Lens Rentals.

Teardown of a corroded camera

As an aside, this is the main of reasons we can’t test manufacturer claims in this area. Partly, of course, it’s because we have to return all the cameras to the manufacturers; but another aspect is that, like lens copy variation, camera failure is probabilistic: you’d need to test lots of cameras to know whether the model you’re testing is flawed or if you were just unlucky with your sample.

Cicala gets the kind of insight that the rest of us simply can’t get—he gets to see a much larger data set based on what the company rents and what it then has to repair—but even he doesn’t claim to have a solid answer to which brand is best. Just something to bear in mind the next time you’re thinking of sharing that ‘extreme torture test’ video of your brand’s flagship.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on This is what happens when a ‘weather sealed’ camera takes a dip in salt water

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Olympus EyeTrek smart glasses pack a tiny 2.4MP camera into an AR wearable

08 Nov

Olympus has launched a wearable, augmented reality system that positions a tiny screen and camera near the wearer’s eye. Called EyeTrek Insight, this open source device resembles Google Glass, but is larger and intended for enterprise applications rather than general consumer use. The wearable features a 2.4MP forward-facing camera and the maker’s own Pupil-Division Optical System.

EyeTrek Insight is designed to attach to the ear pieces of a pair of glasses, whether they’re prescription frames or safety glasses. The unit has an integrated touch bar enabling users to control the device using their finger, as well as an optional microphone attachment for issuing voice commands. Both WiFi and Bluetooth enable EyeTrek to connect with various networks and devices, and while the device has only a 1hr run time per charge, Olympus has an optional adapter for plugging the smart glasses into a USB power source.

The integrated camera is fairly low resolution, capable of capturing content at up to 1992 x 1216, though the device’s tiny OLED display has a 640 x 400 resolution. Olympus describes the display, which is semi-transparent, as measuring half the width of a human pupil. Despite its small size, the maker says its display offers clear images even in outdoor and otherwise bright environments.

While Olympus markets its wearable toward industries where employees could benefit from visual access to data, the unit runs Android and provides development tools for devs and businesses to create their own applications, leaving the door open to a wide range of potential abilities and uses. The EyeTrek Insight is listed on Olympus’s website as a ‘Developers Edition,’ though it is unclear whether the company plans to offer a different edition in the future.

The EyeTrek Insight EI-10 is listed as available to purchase on Olympus’s website for $ 1,500 USD. The optional microphone attachment is $ 90 and the power adapter is $ 110; some other select accessories are also available, such as safety glasses, a larger battery pack, and a battery wall charger.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Olympus EyeTrek smart glasses pack a tiny 2.4MP camera into an AR wearable

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Market report provides interesting insights into camera module industry

07 Nov
Graph: Yole Développement

Market research & strategy consulting company Yole Développement has just released its “Camera Module Industry Market and Technology Trends 2017″ report, and the document includes a number of interesting findings and forecasts that photographers, specially those interested in smartphone photography, should pay attention to.

According to the report, the market for cameras in mobile devices is still the main driver of the camera module industry that reached $ 23.4 Billion in 2016 and is projected to reach $ 46.8 Billion by 2022.

The researchers at Yole Développement also found the manufacturers of autofocus and optical image stabilization systems had to adapt to the large production volumes and low cost requirements of the smartphone makers. This has resulted in a restructuring effort and a move of production capacity from Japan and Korea to China and Vietnam. Companies like New Shiko and TDK have been able to benefit the most from these developments.

In the sub-markets for image sensors and lens sets, the quasi-monopolies of Sony and Largan are about to end as the competition is quickly catching up in terms of technology. Module makers, like market leaders LG Innotek, are hugely dependent on customer loyalty as the loss of a large customer could potentially result in a collapse of the company.

The report also finds that the average cost for mobile camera modules has remained relatively constant. However, with high-end AF- and stabilization systems and and active alignment now being much more commonplace, complexity has increased disproportionally. The current total cost of camera module per phone is pretty much proportional to the number of cameras installed—two cameras cost the manufacturers $ 16, three cameras around $ 24, and those implementing four cameras in their devices have to calculate with a cost of more than $ 30 per handset.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Market report provides interesting insights into camera module industry

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Video: Shooting with a $63,000 100MP monochrome medium format camera

07 Nov

Ted Forbes—photographer and inspirational educator behind The Art of Photography—recently got a chance to try out the Phase One IQ3 100MP Achromatic digital back, and man did it ever leave an impression. In his short video overview above, he dives into the images he captured with this bayer filter-free, monochromatic medium format beast, explaining why he feels this camera is a true ‘gamechanger.’

If that word triggers your gag reflex, you’re not alone, but Forbes isn’t one to throw hyperbole around and he gives good reason (and plenty of examples) for why he believes this digital back is something special. Pay particular attention to what Forbes is able to do using filters and the sensor’s ability to pick up light outside of the visible spectrum.

Check out the full video above to see the camera in action and dive into some sample images, but don’t forget to watch it at the highest possible resolution YouTube and your monitor can handle. You’ll need every available pixel at your disposal.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Video: Shooting with a $63,000 100MP monochrome medium format camera

Posted in Uncategorized

 

Halide 1.5 camera app is designed specifically for the iPhone X

04 Nov

Lucky owners of the new iPhone X have a tempting new camera app option. The newest update to Halide (v1.5) features a new interface designed from scratch for the iPhone X—one that positions all of the controls near the bottom where they’re within thumb’s reach. Additionally, Halide leverages the iPhone X display’s ‘ears’ on either side of the top notch, using that space to display a histogram and exposure values.

Halide 1.5 is designed to optimally use the phone’s long OLED display, as well as its rear cameras, offering support for depth capture as well as a clean interface that provides an unobstructed viewfinder. The new interface is designed to be used with one hand on the iPhone X, though the update does bring ‘a more ergonomic experience’ to older iPhones as well.

Existing Halide users can download the 1.5 update for free, while new users can buy the app for a discounted $ 3 rate through the iPhone X launch weekend, after which the price will revert to the usual $ 5.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
Comments Off on Halide 1.5 camera app is designed specifically for the iPhone X

Posted in Uncategorized

 
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »