Memory Cards

Posted on December 11, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

Most digital cameras use removable memory cards to temporarily store the images you record with them.  There have been a number of sizes and types, the most popular in the last several years being CompactFlash (CF— both Type I and Type II), and Secure Digital (SD).  A Most digital cameras use removable memory cards to temporarily store the images you record with them.  There have been a number of sizes and types, the most popular in the last several years being CompactFlash (CF— both Type I and Type II), and Secure Digital (SD).  A few other formats (like Sony’s Memory Stick and xD) have fallen out of favor.  Of the lot, CF has stood the test of time better than any of the others and continues to be the format used in the camera bodies with highest transfer rate requirements.

CF cards have not been without a few difficulties.  While generally robust (there are plenty of stories around about folks leaving cards in their pockets and sending them through the wash with no ill effects), the one delicate feature is the pin structure of the device the card is inserted into; a misalignment often results in a bent pin and a big, often expensive, problem.  Then too, capabilities change over time, and while the latest top-end CF cards can write at up to 103 MB/s and store up to 128 GB of data, we’re reaching the upper limits for the underlying card specifications.

Not too surprising then that another memory card format has been announced.  The new card is to be called “XQD” and will replace CF cards sometime down the road.  The physical size of the XQD card will be somewhere between current CF and SD cards, and the memory architecture will be based on the PCI Express interface, much faster than the previous ATA standard.  In theory they will not only transfer large files much more quickly but will also be more rugged.

While photographers usually don’t have much choice in terms of card formats (you use the one your camera takes), a few bodies (like Canon’s 1D Mark IV) will accept either CF or SD cards.  All of us have preferences, and if I have a choice I usually choose a CF card because for me they’re easier to handle and offer higher throughput.  Regarding handling, it’s a good idea to treat all memory cards as carefully as you can, avoiding static electricity and damage from a fall or rough handling, and formatting them in-camera after downloading files.

Hard to tell how quickly we’ll see this new format incorporated into hardware like camera bodies and card readers, but it could be pretty quickly.  More anticipated specs for the long-rumored Nikon D4 are now indicating one of the card slots will be for XQD.  Since the annual (now combined) industry trade show of CES + PMA will be held January 10-13 in Las Vegas, you can expect a number of formal announcements in the days just prior to that event.

Posted in Hardware | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Memory Cards

How Long Will Your Files Last?

Posted on December 3, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

One of the continuing concerns for digital photographers is the question of how long digital files will last.  Not just image files of course…anything saved to some sort of memory device in digital form.  Unfortunately, the quick answer is that nobody really knows.

An “archive” is a collection of records, documents, or other materials (often original and unique) kept in an environment where they will last as long as possible.   While nothing physical is truly permanent, (if you question that premise, have a read of Alan Weisman’s “The World Without Us”), no medium currently available for electronic data storage has yet been proven to last forever, though each has its own characteristics and susceptibilities and a few are expected to do much better than others.  Realize too, there’s a hierarchy of threats including limitations of the materials themselves (ferric-oxide on tape, magnetic platters inside a hard drive, plastic CD/DVD discs, dyes used to record CD/DVDs, etc.), as well as currency of programs and devices needed to interpret stored electronic data.  Common environmental hazards include heat, humidity, static electricity, acidity, and dirt, some of which when taken to extremes (like fire or flood) can be more immediately destructive than others.

One of the best discussions of the care and protection of your photographic digital assets is Peter Krogh’s “The DAM Book, Second Edition.”  In it he stresses the limitations of various media and lays out a thoughtful, thorough plan for managing and future-proofing your assets.  Understand this is a moving target—one can’t simply set it up and forget it— and new options continue to arrive that address one or more threats to your files.

One recent example is M-DISC, by Millenniata.  While optical discs (CD-R, DVD-R, DVD+R) have been in wide use for many years, how well they protect files varies widely.  Several manufacturers have increased their product’s potential longevity by using special metals (especially gold) and coatings.  The M-DISC uses different, harder materials and what amounts to an engraving process to achieve what they claim to be a much longer life.  There is a downside; you have to use a special disc drive to burn M-DISCs (though they can be played back in most standard DVD drives), and they are somewhat expensive (about $3 each).  In addition, they are still limited in capacity to approximately 4.7 GB of data.  Is this a good solution?  Maybe.  Shutterbug’s David Brooks has given it a pretty strong endorsement in his test report in the December issue of the magazine, and he has a pretty good track record on stuff like this.  So for protecting your “family jewels” (as Arthur Morris refers to the best of the best of your images), making a commitment to M-DISC is probably worthwhile.

Another set of devices designed to address particular hazards are from ioSafe.  These are hard drives in special cases that are advertised to withstand both fire (1550 degrees F for a half hour) and flood/submersion (up to 10 feet for 72 hours).  In addition, they come with a one year data recovery service that claims it will cover any loss for any reason (service period can be extended to as much as 5 years).   Desktop and portable versions—even a “rugged portable SSD” model—are available.  [If you’d truly like to make a fashion statement, they can set you up with a 600 GB SSD with titanium enclosure for $3,000.  Pretty steep for a field backup device, but I’ll bet it would sure look nice and keep your data safe too.]

Last but not least, SanDisk offers their Memory Vault.  Essentially a USB thumb drive in a hardened case, it’s available in 8 GB or 16 GB sizes…maybe not the largest capacity device of the lot, but one could still store at least a few of your most important images in one of these.

Whatever route you take, it’s worth reminding oneself now and then how important a good backup plan is.  You never know how or when something bad might happen, and losing all your precious digital image files is a life-altering experience.  Try not to let it happen to you.

Posted in Hardware | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on How Long Will Your Files Last?

The Software Tax

Posted on November 29, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

Anyone seriously engaged in digital photography knows all too well the cost of the tools involved in downloading, optimizing, outputting, and archiving those precious image files.  Whoever suggested digital imaging was cheaper or easier than using film probably didn’t have a very good understanding of the process, but that’s where we are, and going back would be quite impractical.

The last three years of chaotic economic turmoil here in the US and around the world haven’t helped either.  A lot of prior assumptions have been turned upside down (like the revised premise that corporations have the same rights as people…really???) and business models for companies large and small have been reassessed, revamped, and remodeled in pursuit of more efficiency, effectiveness, and higher profits.  Sometimes these changes turn out to be good for business enticing customers to buy even more product, and sometimes they seem more like a stick in the eye.  At first blush, Adobe’s recent announcement of a major change to their Photoshop/Creative Suite upgrade policy feels like the latter.

Few dispute that Adobe Photoshop is still the most powerful and feature-rich pixel-level image editing software program on the market.  [Adobe Lightroom and Apple Aperture are also very popular,  but they take a very different (parametric) approach to the process and aren’t direct substitutes for Photoshop.]  But it’s very expensive, and a lot of folks who do make the commitment to own and use it sometimes skip an upgrade now and then to save a few dollars without losing significant capability.  Of course this reduces Adobe’s profit and to rectify that they and are moving inexorably toward a software subscription model or a pricing plan that simulates one.  Specifically, Adobe has declared that in the future, an upgrade at a reduced price to the latest version (6.0 is next) will only be allowed from the most recent previous full-point version (5.x at present); if you own any previous versions 4.0 or 3.0 you’ll need to pony up the full price for 6.0 (see synopsis here).

A number of pretty heavy hitters are taking exception to this policy change, not altogether based on the policy change itself (companies can more or less price their products as they like, after all), but with the timing—Photoshop 6.0 isn’t that far off, and under the new policy you’d have to upgrade to 5.x now to get the 6.0 upgrade price when that version arrives next year.  Scott Kelby, Photoshop trainer, author, and president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) has written an open letter to Adobe voicing concern about the policy change and making a plea to modify, or at least postpone, the new policy.

No doubt this is all part of the not-so-gradual move to cloud computing and new methods of software distribution (see more in-depth discussion here).  One thing for sure, if you live long enough you’ll see a lot of your personal time-tested methods and practices (like those beautiful slides on your light table) go the way of the buggy whip and you’ll be forced to either change how you do things or seek other endeavors.  Looks like this may be happening for Photoshop devotees.  As a side note, there are legitimate discounts available on at least some Adobe products through membership in organizations like NAPP and ASMP (and no doubt others as well).

One way or another, we have much to look forward to in the coming year.

Posted in Industry trends, Software | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Software Tax

Picking Lenses

Posted on November 28, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

Still photography is a complex blend of applied technology and artistic creativity.  Regardless of which direction one leans—and most photographers tend to lean at least a little bit in one direction or the other—it’s hard to make stand-out images without using both artistry and craft.  Of course each person’s objectives differ and personal predilections and subject matter help determine the selection of tools most suited for the job.

On the tool side of the ledger, lenses are (arguably) the most important link in the imaging chain.  They are the components that focus light on film or sensor and determine to a large degree how well the photographer’s vision will be expressed.  Of course lenses come in immense variety—fast, slow; long, short; heavy, light; relatively inexpensive, expensive beyond belief; made cheaply, manufactured to the finest tolerances possible; etc.  But no lens is perfect, regardless of who makes it or what the price may be…it’s just not possible.

All of us have either experienced or heard about “good copy” and “bad copy” lenses.  The implication is much like getting a “lemon” in the automobile business—the item just doesn’t function as it’s supposed to.  To be sure, this happens once in a while, even in the best of circumstances, but perhaps not as often as one might think.  For a very thoughtful and detailed discussion on this topic have a read of the article by Roger Cicala on DP Review.  I’ll warn you—this will appeal more to those who enjoy the tool side of the equation as it gets quite technical with topics like variation, Subjective Quality Factor, and MTF charts.  But the summary is instructive.  In a nutshell:  variations occur, but are usually not significant; small variations simply aren’t visible most of the time in real life; once in a great while variations can combine with a specific lens and specific body in a negatively observable fashion; in rare cases a really “bad” lens gets through but it’s easy to detect; and camera autofocus is less accurate and more variable than one might think.

Put it all together and it ought to help reduce anxiety about lenses in general.  My suggestion is to assess your objectives and your budget, purchase a few quality lenses, and make a lot of images with them.  That way you’ll be spending more time on applying artistry to your work and less time on tool obsession and chances are you’ll like the results.

Posted in Hardware | Tagged | Comments Off on Picking Lenses

Compact System Cameras

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

While the DSLR category of cameras continues to evolve and proliferate, the amorphous group of bodies without reflex finders but with interchangeable lenses is exploding.  It may be hard to pin down this category and give in one specific name; CSC (Compact System Cameras) is popular at the moment, as is MILC (Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Cameras).  Whatever you call it, it’s growing fast.

The latest entry is Panasonic’s Lumix GX1, an apparent effort to re-engage the more serious shooter crowd that so enthusiastically embraced the earlier GF1.  This is a Micro Four Thirds camera with a 16MP sensor, new optional electronic viewfinder, and a new line of premium “X” branded lenses.

Apparently, Fujifilm is not too far from announcing a follow-on to their very well received X100 which speculators are referring to as LX10 (see mockup here).  This model will have interchangeable lenses and an optical viewfinder (doubts so far as to whether or not it will be a hybrid finder as in the X100).  Sensor format is not yet known, nor is the type, though there are lots of rumors about an “organic” sensor.  Fuji has made some strong bids of late, including the X10, which though it has a smaller sensor and fixed zoom lens, the simple optical viewfinder and many excellent mechanical ergonomic features make it very appealing.

Nikon threw their hat in the ring not long ago with their Nikon 1 J1 and V1.  With a sensor smaller than m4/3 (2.7x crop-factor), many folks are scratching their heads, but some are liking it too (see Rob Galbraith’s comments here).

Continuing concerns right now are the on-going delivery delays resulting from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in March and the floods in Thailand more recently.  Many of the newer models are simply not available yet for real-world testing of production versions and the resulting independent reviews.   However, a few early reports on the Sony NEX-7 are beginning to show, though whether these are based on pre-production or actual shipping models is a little hard to decipher.

And here’s an interesting twist that’s just surfaced.  Leica previously made known they would be bringing out a compact mirrorless system camera fairly soon.  Since then, Kodak—previous supplier of sensors for the M9/M9-P/S2 bodies—has sold its sensor business.  Now inquiring thinkers are merging hints and wondering if the next round might come from Fuji?  Leica has made a remarkable recovery from just a few years ago and their current profitability and growth plans suggest some very interesting products in the not too distant future.

For a more extensive rundown and discussion of CSCs/MILCs, see Bob Adkins’ article.  There’s a lot to choose from now, and there’ll be more very soon.

Posted in Hardware, Industry trends | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Compact System Cameras

Rationalizing Megapixels

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

It’s been slow coming, but we’re beginning to see some serious indications that sensor megapixel count alone is no longer the most important marketing factor for camera makers.  To be fair, some manufacturers—like Nikon—have in many cases opted for lower MP counts and concentrated on other factors such as low light capability in the stunningly successful D3 (and D3S), and few, frankly, have complained.  Most serious photographers understand quite well there is far more to image quality than simply a bucket load of pixels, as long as the photosites gathering light are doing so in a clean, discriminating manner.

The latest and strongest indication of this trend is Canon’s recent announcement of their newest top-shelf professional body, the EOS-1D X which will have an 18MP full frame sensor with very high frame rates and expanded light-gathering capability.  While the camera will not reach the market until next spring, debates will rage as to whether this melding of the 1D series will work out in the long run.  Already landscape photographers are questioning the resolution for really big prints, and wildlife photographers are decrying the loss of reach of previous 1.3x crop-factor 1D bodies.  No easy answers here, of course, and only time will tell what this new body and sensor will really deliver.

Many other factors are at play here too.  As the mobile ecosystem has exploded, the widespread use of increasingly good cell phone cameras for casual picture taking has somewhat removed the marketing claim that more megapixels arbitrarily make for better images.  After all, how much resolution is enough?  If your primary purpose is taking snapshots to post on Facebook, the sober reality is that almost anything works just fine (in terms of resolution and general quality).  Frankly, large files quickly become a significant impediment when wireless transfer is primary, and there’s always the issue of eating up storage space for the casual shooter.

Even for those who make their own prints, most live with the 13”x19” format and with careful processing even modest sized image files can easily make fine prints within that limit.  For those who feel compelled to make really big prints, there are lots of other options including specialized bodies with larger sensors (both in megapixel count and/or physical sensor size), or stitching together multiple frames for a much larger master file.

For Canon, I suspect the move to the 1D X is primarily a business decision (stating the obvious)—consolidate (and simplify) the professional body line, target the nearest competitor more specifically and directly (potentially awesome low-light sports capability), and provide a pro body with a high enough resolution sensor to satisfy many, if not all, users.  On the other hand, I don’t for one second expect this to be the end of higher resolution sensors.  Though not yet official (that means it’s still a rumor!), pointers toward a 36MP Nikon D800 are approaching critical mass, and if this body actually materializes I doubt Canon would feel they could sit around very long without answering the challenge.  Might there be a significantly upgraded 5D Mark III (or 5D X), or perhaps the long-anticipated 3D (or whatever it might be called) sooner than we expected?

Posted in Hardware, Industry trends | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on Rationalizing Megapixels

This and That

Posted on October 16, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

More weather-related interruptions. While parts of the photo/electronics industry are still recovering from delays caused by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan in March, now Thailand is inundated with monsoon floods.  Many major companies—including Nikon, Canon, Sony, Western Digital, and others—have plants there and a number have been forced to stop production entirely.  Looks like a bumpy road ahead

What’s next? We’re still waiting for some highly anticipated new product announcements from several of the big guns.  A fever is rising concerning Canon early this week, with most bets on a knock-out full-frame, high-ISO, high-DR, high frame-rate professional body that departs from the previous series of 1D and 1Ds bodies.  I suspect Canon is tired of Nikon being the standard-bearer in the “shoot in the dark” category.  If you’re interested in best-guess specs, see here.

More convergence. Smartphones are cameras too, right?  The buzz at the moment is Apple’s new iPhone 4S, which now sports an 8MP camera.  Of course there’s a whole lot more to the 4S than just a higher-resolution camera…like iOS 5, iCloud, voice recognition via the Siri assistant, and much more.  With more and more imaging apps popping up for mobile operating systems, smartphone photography is an expanding arena

Digital replacing film. This is hardly a surprise, but regardless of affection for film-based media, the marketplace eventually dictates.  Most know that Kodak is in big trouble, and in the movie industry several big-name camera makers (ARRI, Panavision, Aaton) are calling it quits.  Not a happy circumstance, but it’s the way the world is moving.

Sorting out consumption. As times change in the media world along with new delivery systems and evolving consumer desires (driven to a considerable extent by clever advertising and appetite enhancement), content is adjusted in an attempt to grow (or at least retain) customers (it’s business, right?).  But what sometimes appear to be solid trends don’t always turn out to have real legs.  Some are suggesting that heavily loading the online versions of newspapers with video content isn’t working out so well, and that still photo galleries continue to be a big draw.  Perhaps this is another example of the fallacy of assuming certainty in future predictions, or that massive acceptance of a medium in one sector (videos on YouTube) doesn’t necessarily indicate the same medium works as well in all other sectors.  This is sobering stuff.  The rush to video during the last 4-5 years has driven camera makers to include the capability in almost every new still camera, dramatically expanded the aftermarket industry, and helped crater the still stock photo business.  Now it’s beginning to look as though expectations aren’t turning out quite as anticipated.  Time will tell.

Posted in Hardware, Industry trends, Video | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on This and That

Simple Things

Posted on September 23, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

Sometimes it’s not the blockbuster changes but the small stuff that makes the biggest difference for the most users.  Though the vast majority of photographers and people in general aren’t that enamored of the technical minutia that actually makes our mobile/digital/virtual experience possible, most still usually view having things work faster as a plus.  Like downloading image files from memory card to computer, for example.  Wouldn’t it be nice if one could plug in a card reader that would accomplish the task more quickly that the ubiquitous USB 2.0 connection we’ve been using for years?  Well, stars are aligning, and that may become practical reality before too long.

In a world that thrives on competition (so many would have us believe), the end user is often caught in the middle.  What works for one manufacturer in terms of cornering a process (and maximizing profit) often restricts consumer choices and requires a buy-in that may or may not have long-term benefits.  USB has been a connection protocol that has worked eminently well across multiple platforms and multiple devices for a long time, even though there was strong resistance from some sectors early on.  And though it has worked so well, it’s kind of stagnated in terms of capability until a couple of years ago, but even then, major players threw up obstacles for their own proprietary reasons and while more and more external devices are offered with USB 3.0 connections, it has not yet been incorporated fundamentally at the chip level.  That’s about to change.

According to this article, Intel plans to build USB 3.0 capability into its next iteration of CPUs code named Ivy Bridge (and there’s even more tech data on IVB here).  You may recall too that these new processors will for the first time employ Intel’s tri-gate transistor technology which promises even lower power draw (think longer battery life in portables), and will also include PCI Express 3.0, DirectX 11 support, and significantly accelerated integrated graphics.  All these factors suggest a pretty large capability increase come sometime next year, so if new computer hardware is in your sights keep that in mind.

And if you’d like to improve card reader download speed right now that may be possible too.   Lexar has had their Professional USB 3.0 Dual-Slot Reader available for some time, SanDisk recently announced their ImageMate® All-in-One USB 3.0 Reader, and Delkin has one available too.  If you don’t have a USB 3.0 port to plug one of these devices into, both are backward compatible with USB 2.0.  While only very recent computers have built-in USB 3.0, if you have a laptop with an ExpressCard slot (either 34mm or 54mm), adapters are available from Sonnet and other companies, as are PCIe host bus adapters (like CalDigit’s model here).  [Regarding PCIe slots on your desktop’s motherboard, realize there are different generations (1.0 in computers that are a few years old, Gen. 2.0 in recent models, and Gen. 3.0 coming soon.]  If you’re one who places a high value on your time or just doesn’t like to wait, there are options.

Posted in Connectivity, Hardware, Industry trends | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Simple Things

Seasons

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

It’s autumn here in Southcentral Alaska.  Lots of butter yellow leaves around (at least until the next heavy storm with wind and rain), and a few trees with patches of bright orange too.  It’s not the same palette of brilliant reds for which New England is justly famous, but it’s pretty nice just the same.

On a broader technological scale, it’s also the season for announcements.  Nikon is expected to take the wraps off their entry to the mirrorless segment tomorrow following a barrage of hype.  Hard to tell yet how well the new camera will measure up as a serious photographer’s companion, especially since it’s strongly rumored to have a somewhat smaller sensor (2.7x crop factor).  Canon is set to announce something of professional caliber on Thursday, though some are guessing it may be a printer, not the highly anticipated 1Ds Mark IV, 5D Mark III, or even what is now hinted at—a new entry-level full frame model (6D?).  And a new indication today that Canon might actually be working on an update to the ubiquitous EF 100-400 zoom lens—a pending patent for an EF 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS.  Note the slightly faster maximum aperture on the short end.  The 100-400 has been a perennially popular lens in the Canon lineup for a lot of good reasons and a whole army of people have been begging for an update for a long time.  This could be very good news.   Those looking for the latest EF 300 f/2.8L IS II supertelephoto lens may be able to find it now at B&H (and perhaps other vendors too).  This stellar optic will now set you back $7,299, thanks to a weak USD.  The 400 f/2.8 II should be available before too long, and the new 500 & 600 by year’s end (hopefully).

On other fronts, it’s looking more and more like early October will bring some new version (or versions) of the Apple iPhone.  Since smartphones (along with tablets) are becoming thoroughly entrenched as valid photographic tools, both for the many helpful applications and for the built-in comparatively low-resolution cameras, new models spark huge interest.  Indeed the explosion of the mobile arena is rapidly forcing the rethinking of communication concepts and schemes for information distribution.  One of the trends now is creating more discreet sharing mechanisms.  Not everyone desires to be an unabridged open book to the entire planet.  Consider Adobe’s Carousel, a method of creating a cloud-based collaborative photo collection limited to a small number of people, but available across all devices—smartphones, tablets, and computers.  Interesting approach.

For those who still use computers and would appreciate faster throughput to and from peripherals, it looks like we’re gradually getting closer to wider availability of Thunderbolt-enabled devices.  Some of this is like the chicken or the egg; while Apple was first to market, it’s likely that opening the connection method to a wider installed base (read Windows computers) is what it will take for more peripheral manufacturers to see the potential as attractive and get on board.  In the meantime, USB 3.0, though not as fast as Thunderbolt, has become the favored connection protocol for external hard drives.

Posted in Connectivity, Hardware, Industry trends | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Seasons

Happenings

Posted on September 2, 2011 by Chuck_Maas

X-Rite. Advancing technology creates challenges for all involved.  The latest Apple Macintosh operating system upgrade (OS 10.7 Lion) has resulted in a number of compatibility issues with peripherals like printers and color management devices, and manufacturers have been moving rapidly to patch the disconnects.  X-Rite is the latest, and they have now published a list of X-Rite products showing whether they are supported by Lion, what software is needed for compatibility, and any upgrade path.  If you own an X-Rite color management solution and use a Mac, this list will be very helpful in making appropriate choices to keep all your tools working together harmoniously.

Sony. While neither Canon nor Nikon has announced any new high-end equipment in the last few days, Sony has.  Top of the heap is the Alpha SLT-A77 which uses a 24MP CMOS sensor and translucent mirror design with electronic viewfinder with 100% frame coverage, as well as a host of additional features too numerous to list here.  Aimed at enthusiast/semi-pro use, it packs a great deal into a small, svelte package that will likely have wide appeal.  There’s lots of info floating around already, but tow good sources are DPReview’s preview and Michael Reichmann’s hands-on first impressions.

Additionally, Sony has made public the Alpha NEX-7, a decidedly upscale version of their very popular series in the compact system camera (CSC) category.  Of course as with every new model, the proof is in the pudding and we won’t know for some time how all the attractive new features work in the real world, but a few things set the NEX-7 apart.  First is a high-resolution eye-level electronic viewfinder.  This isn’t a tacked-on version but a built-in unit situated at the upper far left of the body so using it with one’s right eye will tend to avoid skin oil smears on the read LCD.  This may sound like a small thing, but it gets old after a while with conventionally located eyepieces except on a rangefinder like the Leica M9.  Imaging Resource has a good rundown here.  Interest in the emerging CSC category continues to flourish as new models proliferate.  The Nikon entry is reportedly right around the corner (see discussion of possible capability and features here), and Leica is apparently working on one that would fall between the X1 and M9.  A very detailed article on the Luminous Landscape site specifically addresses image quality but also covers major differences between this group and DSLRs is well worth perusing.

Fuji. Smaller camera categories have gotten rather complicated of late.  Models with sensors roughly the same size (physical size as well as megapixel count) as used in consumer-oriented point-and-shoots but with more serious aspirations such as the Panasonic LX5 and Canon G11/G12 have earned ardent followings and have the capability to make some very nice images, even though new units with larger sensors have raised expectations for increased image quality and larger print capability.  Recently Fuji’s X100 created a huge splash with its elegant retro styling, innovative hybrid viewfinder technology, and a feature set aimed squarely at other than casual users.  Now Fuji is here with another offering—the X10—which has a smaller sensor than the X100 (though physically larger than most point-and-shoots), a high-quality fixed manual zoom lens, and an optical zooming viewfinder.  Styling is once again aimed at photographers who want to retain the ability to control the image-making process.  I’d say Fuji is on a roll here and it will be very interesting to see how the X10 pans out in real-world use in a few short months.

Posted in Hardware | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happenings