PMac Imagery

I am a cotton headed ninny muggins

2012-01-27T21:19:00.000-08:00

Film is an unforgiving mistress. There is so much to consider that digital doesnt require. On top of this there is no ability to review your shots so you simply have to trust in your settings and what you know should work. But I was ready for all of this, I was prepared. I paid attention to my settings, to the light, I was really careful to ensure I wasnt over exposing etc etc.

What I forgot to check was that I had loaded film in the first place. An hour of magic conditions that I'd never seen before in a place that was usually packed all to myself. I am an idiot!

My success in not spending in 2011

2012-01-07T04:02:00.001-08:00

At the beginning of 2011 one of my desires was to stop being so gear focussed in my photography. I am happy to report that I suceeded, however, I cant really claim a victory of willpower over marketing. The truth is my desire for restraint was assisted.by three things:

1. Sony was really late releasing the A77 and/or the NEX7 I wanted.
2. I got really into triathlon so let all my photography slip somewhere between a little and a lot.
3. Whenthe A77 and NEX7 did finally turn up the Thailand floods made them impossible to get.

Anyway, I'll take a little help from the universe sometimes.

Nikon D4 - Really? So thats it?

2012-01-06T01:57:00.000-08:00

So, Nikon has a new camera, the long rumoured D4. And to be perfectly honest when comparing this to the Sony NEX7 all I can really manage to think is really? Years of work, tens of thousands of manhours of some of the best engineers time and thats all you can manage. Man, your company is in trouble.

just stay down

2011-08-29T07:52:00.001-07:00

just stay down, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Last weekend I, and a bunch of other photog mates, took off for Gresford in the north of the Hunter Valley in NSW for a local rodeo. Rodeos are, I've discovered, brilliant photo opportunities.

But despite all the spectacle, this is my favorite shot. I love this photo because this shot catches the pain, the hurt, the damage rodeo can cause. However, lets be clear about this, I dont see this as a reason to stop rodeo.

This shot shows that these guys and girls have real courage. They know they could (or even will) get hurt but they go on and mount those bulls and broncos. They get thrown, they get trapped and dragged, they get stomped on and charged and driven into walls. But just when the sane thing would be to stay down they dont, they get up.

I'm a city boy not a country lad. I dont know these guys and girls and if I did there's no guaranteeing I'd like them but I wont deny I respect them.

GPS - Why I want it.

2011-08-24T03:33:00.000-07:00

Well the A77 and NEX7 have been announced to an unexpectedly positive response. One thing that has drawn a few (well deserved) arrows is the apparent decision to leave GPS out of the NEX7. OTOH others have questioned the need for GPS at all. Well this is why I want GPS in all my cameras.

I am fortunate in that I get to travel alot for work and even more fortunate that I regularly get a day or two to squeeze in a little photography.

However, the down side is I now have tens of thousand of photos that I can sort of label but not really well. Yes I know that temple was in Colombo, Sri Lanka, but exactly where? what temple was it? what was the status across the street? Exactly what bridge is that across the Danube?

But its not just the exotic stuff. Five, ten, fifteen, fifty years from now do you think you, your kids, your grand kids are going to remember where mum and dad or grandma and grandpa were in that photo of a summer holiday, or a christmas, etc. As someone who just collected all my dads photos after his death and am trying to piece together a photo history of his life I'd kill for some decent exif and gps co-ordinates telling me exactly where that photo of he and my mum was taken on on their honeymoon.

We tend to be very short sighted with our ideas of what information is important. Years from now no one is going to care a jot what shutter speed, f number or iso you used for a shot. But where the shot was taken and when, that will be gold. (not to mention tags for faces - trying to get family members to even remember who was in a parents wedding party 50 years later is a nightmare).

Every camera I buy from now on will have GPS and it will always be on. I might strip that data from photos I make public but I will never run the risk of losing it for my purposes.

Almost a year on. What happened.

2011-08-20T01:57:00.001-07:00

In short I got busy doing other things. First, my paying job just kept getting more and more demanding, leaving me less time to photograph, less time to process and certainly less to to think and no time to type. Secondly, as I got more stressed my response was unhealthy. I veged out when not at work, I mindlessly surfed the net, I ate, and generally sulked. Finally, I woke up. I mastered my workload, concentrated on the essential and picked some goals.

The first of those was to finally get my body right. And while this is still a work in progress it is well underway. Ive lost 15 kilos (15 to go) am riding to work regularly, running most days and feeling fantastic.

Thats where I've been. But now its time to spread my wings further still and return to my other loves, such as taking, printing and talking about photographs.

So hopefully, I'll be able to keep my head together,keep this blog going and you never know, say something to help some one.

The cost of 'consumer' features.

2010-10-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

A topic that surfaces reasonably often in fora across the net whenever new features emerge is "why do I have to pay for this when I dont want it?". In Sony land the latest cause of this cry seems to be the in-camera GPS included in the A55.

This one really caught my interest because in a strange twist, in camera GPS is actually one of the first of these 'new' features I'm really keen for. So I figured I'd like to run through some of the 'features' in my A700 I would happily do without. So here goes:

DOF preview. With instant review utterly unnecessary and compounds this by being inaccurate.

JPG engine. I only shoot raw.

DRO. Since it only works with JPG dont use it.

WB Button. Since I only shoot RAW I have never used anything but auto WB.

Exposure Comp Button. With two dials one is alway on exposure comp already or I'm shooting manual and its unnecessary.

Drive button. Some shoots are single shot, others use drive, others use the timer or remote. I have never, in five years of shooting with a DSLR moved quickly between drive modes shot to shot. Using a menu would make zero difference to my shooting.

PASM dial. Like the drive button, its not like I move from P to A to S to M modes between shots. Actually there would be months where I never move this dial despite taking 1000's of images. Complete waste.

SSS switch. I dont think I've ever used it in five years (combining A100 and A700 usage).

Video out. If I'm linking to a TV (which I do every now and then) I only use the HDMI - the video is pretty much wasted.

DC in. Really, whats that about?

I would probably say a lot of the flash functions too except I think I should probably use them more and that one day when I get of my arse and learn to employ them I'd regret ditching them.

Now my camera is nothing more than my camera and I suspect it would be an absolute flop in the marketplace. So despite the fact that I never use any of these redundant features I understand why they should be there and arent going to be asking for them to be dropped any time soon.

I cant (or wont) see you!

2010-10-14T23:56:00.001-07:00

I cant (or wont) see you!, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

The question of photographing homeless people is a vexed one. Many see it as lazy, insensitive, exploitative and unimaginative. I agree, often all those things are true. And yet I think photos of (or including) the homeless can be more. I think you can take photo's of the homeless that don't exploit them and do ask questions that deserve to be answered.

This image goes to the heart of the issue for me. When does not giving to or photographing or helping the homeless stop being a principled stand to not take advantage of their victim hood and instead become a shameful attempt to deny their existence.

Personally, exploiting the homeless might be bad, but refusing to acknowledge their existence or their humanity is worse.

Breaking the buying strike.

2010-10-13T22:40:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I stated my decision to stay with Sony and in that I also listed a couple of things I was going to discuss later; they were what my 'final' lens line-up plan was and how I had chosen to mark my decision to remain in the A mount when I broke my buying strike.

So, first things first, my 'final' lens line-up. Ok, even before that, whay do I insist on qualifying the word "final". Well thats pretty simple, because final only ever is final until a new lens is announced that makes me want to change my list. Also, occasioanlly opportunities will crop up to add something extra at little cost that I might choose to take. Now with that out of the way what is my 'final' list. Well I'll start with overall design of the list, basically its long slow high quality zooms with generally fast, high quality primes. So the list is:

Zooms:

Sony 16-80 3.5-4.5 CZ

Primes:

The Sigma 20 1.8 might look out of place in this list but really there is nothing in the a-mount better than this lens anyway.

There are a few things interesting in this list when comparing it to other brands. The first is that its a line-up that has no apologies to make. This line-up of lenses is as good as any you can get from Nikon, Canon, Pentax, or (dare I say it) Leica. At this point I should acknowledge that I know I can get a much cheaper line-up with not a huge drop in quality so why am I aiming at all these CZ's and G's? Basically because I want to give myself no excuses, no reason to think that the equipment is holding me back. In short,if I cant make great images with this line-up I should just give up any pretensions to being a photographer. And, lets be really honest, I can afford it - not all at once, it may take years to build the full line-up, but if I'm careful I can do this without taking from my family.

Secondly, what is also really interesting is that the costs are very, very similar no matter which brand I choose to go with. This line-up with Sony, Canon or Nikon all fall within a few hundred dollars of each other. So much for the myth of Sony being an expensive brand I suppose.

Now whilst this is my final wish list (until I change it) these wont be the only lenses I buy or own. I have a couple of other pieces of the glass I'm either going to just keep or buy in addition to this list. The most obvious addition will be E mount lenses. These form a completely different range and so aren't discussed any more here. The second is the Sony Easy Choice range, that is the 30 2.8 Macro, 85 2.8 SAM, and 35 1.8 DT SAM. I love that these lenses are so small, so portable and so so cheap. Given the very small investment I will almost certainly be picking up some of these.

So, how did I break my buying strike?

Today I picked up the 70-400 G, 30 2.8 DT SAM Macro and 85 2.8 DT SAM. I am so stoked.

Sony, I'm coming back!

2010-10-12T21:04:00.000-07:00

I've been unsure of whether I was going to stay with Sony, no seriously I was. I had all my gear for sale and built my ideal "final" lens list, done the sums and figured out the price of building it with either a Sony, Nikon or Canon line-up. (a topic for my next blog).

So why stay with Sony?

Well, in January this year I was virtually on a buying strike for all camera gear. My frustrations with Sony are briefly described in this blog entry but to recap I was frustrated that a company with more technical tricks up its sleeve than any other of the big players out there seemed to be doing nothing. At the time the A500 and A550 were the best Sony could you with real innovation and I was concerned that Sony was gone, extracting itself from the market as gracefully as possible at the lowest possible cost. The constant recycling of the A2/3XX series models only heightened my fears.

But recently Sony has shown its hand and the reason for the apparent inaction is clearer now. Better, I actually like the direction Sony is taking. First the NEX, then the SLT cameras reveal that Sony has been reserving its development for entirely new lines of cameras which take the traditions of the old film cameras but truly harness what digital can do. These cameras arent the last word in photography, I'm not even certain they are best in their class but the direction they point to is really exciting. Suddenly, in camera GPS, fast AF in video, 7 to 10 FPS, in camera HDR and pannos, EVFs arent things that SLRs can have, instead, they are core parts of a mainstream product.

But it doesnt stop there. Noise performance and AF, two traditional weak areas of a Sony DSLR, are greatly improved. Again, the new Sony's arent the necessarily the class leaders but they are now far more competitive, Sony is very definitely in the game.

So, what it came to was where did I see the future of my photography? Canon and Nikon are no where with a mirrorless compact camera while the NEX is a really exciting product that is changing the way I do my business (in a good way). The Nikon D7000 and Canon 60D (and Pentax K5) are really impressive cameras but they are really just incremental improvements on what has gone before and still dont bring any excitement to the field while the A33 and A55 from Sony are game changers, a huge step forward in what a camera can be.

So I see the trajectory of Sony following a path I want to join. So with that I'm back in. So how did I break by DSLR buying strike? Well I think I've written enough for now. That can be tomorrow.

Has the advent of Digital devalued Photography

2010-09-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

A common question that pops up routinely is "has the ease and accessibility of digital photography ultimately devalued photography more generally?". A typical example (actually not typical, its a very good discussion) of the debate is this one in the Self Taught Photographers group on FLICKR.

I wont try and make a definitive answer today because I havent got the time or the tools but I would like to add to the debate with a little clarification and a slightly different perspective (though one in keeping with my general feelings on photography).

To begin, I think too many people confuse, are at least arent careful enough to distinguish between "craft" and "art".

Craft, the ability to master all elements of the process of photography to produce an image is definitely degraded and even devalued by digital. While it is true that digital hasnt completely destroyed the craft of photography (meters arent perfect and photoshopping itself requires a degree of perseverance and experimentation) I doubt many would argue that today the level of dedication to master the operation of a modern camera or editing software matched that required by manual film cameras and wet darkrooms.

Art, the ability to know what image is worth making, is however largely unaffected by the appearance of digital. Digital technology has made it easier to make a great image, but it has done little (if anything) to help the person putting it together to know what a great image is.

Personally I dont regret that situation. Personally, the craft of photography has always left me cold. I hated film and still resent having to stop and use a tripod. The mucky muck of getting the image in my head into the camera and onto the computer is something I just want to get over. So I love digital with a passion and revel in how it lets me get to the art quickly.

However, just as there are people that value the hand crafted boat, vase, chair or tapestry and I understand that for others, the loss (at least partially) of the craft of photography is a painful thing.

A film resurgence - or perhaps something else.

2010-09-30T04:04:00.000-07:00

BJP talks with Scott DiSabato, US marketing manager for Professional film at Kodak, after the release of the new Portra 400 film where he is spruiking the resurgence of film. His view is that many, formally digital shooters, are finding film, enjoying the challenge and results and a new dawn of photographers will discover the benefits of film, leading to its growth and reclamation of at least part of its former glory.

I think, perhaps, that there is also another phenomenon going on based on my involvement in a number of groups. People like me that never got into photography because, frankly, it was a pain. Learning was slow, and frustrating, and oh so expensive. Sure some punched through that phase but many of us shrugged, found something else and moved off to a new past time.

But then digital came and we could learn quickly and easily (and cheaply). Instead of toiling away, taking notes, toiling laboriously through film, processing it and printing it(or waiting for the lab) we were able to zip through the lessons. Grasping concepts that previously took days, or weeks, or months in minutes. Because it was there, immediately, you got to see the result while you still remembered what you did.

And then we understood exposure and composition and lighting, we had confidence. And film wasnt so scary, wasnt so difficult, it was just like 'normal' photography without using the review screen much. And this photography has 'street cred' its smart, and cool and somehow more real. We keep shooting digital but we see film as a viable choice and something we will really work to master. We start thinking of medium format. We buy old bronica's or pentax's or contax's.

But here's the bad news. One day, when wee are picking up the prints and paying the man 20-30 dollars for processing a single roll of MF film and there isnt a single shot on the roll that we really, truly, in our heart of hearts actually like we stop shooting film.

Well thats my story anyway.

I dont doubt that film use is stabilising, there will always be a core of people that love it, that romanticise it that make the rest of us keen to try it. But film hasnt changed and the reasons not many were really into film havent really gone away. So film wont die, it will linger on, inspiring some and teasing many more, but I cant see it ever being more than that.

A tease that very few actually grow to love.

Williamtown Airshow - a frustrating day

2010-09-25T03:56:00.000-07:00

I recently attended an Airshow at RAAF Williamtown in NSW. The airshow was excellent with a lot of cool displays on the ground and some really wonderful air displays. The Super Hornet was so loud, so tight, really really exciting but really the star of the show was the F-111 (better known as the Pig).

The Super Hornet is louder, more maneuverable, and generally more spectacular, except the F-111 has a party trick no other aircraft out there can match - the dump and burn. The dump and burn is pretty simple, fuel is expelled out a fuel dump valve at the rear of the aircraft between the two engines, the pilot then hits the afterburners, lighting up the trailing fuel in a huge rooster tail of flame. I got a few images of it but these are probably my best two.

So why was this a frustrating day?

Well for many years I've read horror stories of Sigma quality problems, and in particular problems with the Sigma's handling the high torque lens drive motor fitted to the Sony A700, 850 and 900 (some discussion here on DPreview). I have avoided all these problems, secure in the belief that while the 'lower' Sigmas might has a problem, the top of the line EX series was immune. Well I was proved wrong.

On the first pass of the F111 the less was tracking well, locked focus and I was shooting nicely then suddenly as I re-composed and the lens locked up and I was greeted with a horrible grinding noise as the now stripped focus gears just spun against each other without engaging. Bugger, one pass in and I'm at at airshow with no lens longer than a 50mm prime.

Well thats not entirely true, I had no auto focusing lens longer than 50mm, I did still have a Sigma 100-300 f4 now manual focus lens. Well, I hadnt read the article on Luminous Landscape article on the importance of persisting in the face of frustration (Photography, Rain or Shine) but I decided to press on and see what I could get. Well you know, I didn't get a lot, trying the manually focus on aircraft is nightmarishly difficult so my hit rate was minute. But it was still a day out and I got a few. I think the ones I were the shots of the Roulettes, the RAAF aerobatic display team.

But thats a story for the next blog entry.

Sony SLTs and ghosting

2010-09-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

The release of the new Sony SLT's has unleashed another torrent of web activity. This is divided into two very broad categories. The first is excited about the prospect of some really interesting new products bringing new abilities to the photographer. The other is upset that 'traditional' photographic values are being lost in the rush to introduce new gimmicks.

The epicentres (if you can have more than one epicentre) of this dispute are two technologies. The SLT and the EVF. I cant talk about the EVF now as I havent handled the camera and so cant comment except in very broad terms. However, there are thousands of samples of A33/55 images out there on the net now so I feel I can comment on the ghosting (non) issue.

My guess is this argument will just go round and round in circles for years. Someone in one of the hundred of threads on this issue raised the idea that question could be settled via independent quality testing from site like Alamy being the ultimate judge. I understand the logic of that argument, I’ve even used it myself, but its never got anywhere.

Despite submitting thousands of images and getting many fails, I have never, ever, had a single reject for excessive noise. Instead, I’ve been repeatedly rejected because a 12 Mp capture could not be uprezzed to meet the minimum size requirements. Yet, no matter how much this is repeated I am constantly told that Mp dont count and that all we need is lower noise.

Sony’s noise performance did (and I stress the past tense) lag the mainstream slightly but never as much as people claimed and never with the real impact people feared. Ghosting is an issue but on all the evidence I’ve seen its precisely the same scenario, no-where near the problem claimed and nothing like the impact feared.

But Sony is a hated brand (even, or perhaps especially, by its own users) so this alone will give the topic legs. Combined with an especially conservative current market I suspect people will continue doing 100, 200, even 300% inspections trying to find the most minute problems. That is what it is.

All I know is that the people actually working with the new cameras to get great images are almost certainly going to be doing better and enjoying their hobby/work far than those spending their energy just complaining about them.

Photokina and the Sony user response

2010-09-22T03:01:00.000-07:00

A lot of us were hoping for just a little more from Sony at Photokina. Specifically I think we wanted a) some details on the A700 replacement and b) a lens - any lens - for the A mount. Instead we got some promises and poor mockups we've seen before. As a result there is a lot of angst on the Sony forums at the moment and I for one fully understand it. In fact, I've been so put off all the forums that I have, by and large dropped out of them (except for posting this at Dyxum today). This post isnt really intended to resolve much, rather just put out a perspective that might calm peoples ire and cool down the debate a little.

We see constant calls (and I have made them as well) for Sony to be more open with its users, give us a better road map, give us confidence that the system is going somewhere so that we can have faith in future investments in the system. Personally I feel caught between decisions in so many ways, a-mount vs e-mount, APS vs FF, existing screw lenses vs rumoured SSM variants, stay with Sony or shift to Nikon? I'm pretty ambivalent on the whole EVF vs OVF debate but I understand others are very invested in this and thats causing them considerable concern.

Given what can really only be described as the collapse of the 4/3s format (well described by PT here) I'm not one of those people that advise others to simply ignore this and go out and take photos. This is a real issue and one that shouldnt be ignored.

But on the other hand I also understand Sony's dilemma. It has learnt a hard lesson, that in a head to head, fair fight it cant beat Nikon and Canon. Sony isnt Pentax, prepared to hover around the fringes, being a respected niche brand, it has bigger ambitions. Those systems have too much built up expertise, too much system infrastructure, too much brand power and too many rusted on users. To try and go to war with those guys in the current DSLR market will mean years of trench warfare with an uncertain result and the possibility of only winning a pyrrhic victory as there is a strong chance that in 10 years time the current DSLR market might not be one worth being in. If I were running Sony I would also be looking for the game changer too, the thing that makes the fight between Sony and Canon/Nikon unfair in a way that suits me.

So in this context the E-mount, the move to SLT's, the possible ditching of the OVF all together starts to make enormous sense. And lets quickly look at some of the market indications we are seeing. After years of struggle, getting no-where in the Japanese market with a traditional SLR strategy, within a month the NEX achieved what Sony never managed with the 'old' A-mount formula. After years of at best mediocre, at worst outright damning reviews, Sony cameras are being hailed and people like MR over at Luminous Landscape who has described the A55 as one of the most important cameras ever. Finally, it appears the market has spoken with stories that the 'traditional' A560 DSLR is being delayed because demand for the new mirrorless/SLT formats is so great its consuming all available sensors.

I think the market is also showing us that no one out there is capable of doing it all at once. The 4/3s consortium clearly couldnt manage that format and develop the M4/3s. Samsung appear to have given up any pretension to traditional DSLR formats. Nikon has been rumoured to have a mirrorless concept coming for ages but seems to be getting no where and every day they delay more people buy an NEX an enter the Sony universe (my estimate less than 40% of NEX users at flickr came from Sony), while Canon might just be playing a very stealthy game but on the surface it looks to be a complete non-player in the mirrorless world right now instead just soldiering on with an warm over of the G series compacts. If the predictions from Samsung are right (and they have proven to be pretty savvy commercially) then Canon and Nikon could find themselves kings of very small and insignificant kingdoms in not to long.

Considering all this doesnt make me happy, it doesnt help me figure out where I will go or what I will do next. But, for me, thinking through my problem undeerstanding the realities of the world lessens my emotional investment and helps me think more clearly.

None of this is intended to make people stay with Sony. If you need to go to another mount for professional or creative reasons my recommendation is to go. Sony is juggling a lot of balls right now and I for one have no confidence that they will deliver exactly what anyone wants when they want it. But my other piece of advice (or perhaps plea) is that people accept the Godfather principle; this is strictly business, not personal. If Sony's business and yours go in different directions for a while, thats business, no need to go to the mattresses.

A new beginning.

2010-09-20T06:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I had over 1500 images on flickr. Today there are 6. That wasnt a mistake, I deleted them on purpose. PMacImagery is getting ready for a more considered relaunch - nothing dramatic but just a more deliberate approach to my photography.

New Fuji X100

2010-09-20T04:38:00.000-07:00

Judging by the love being shown the newly announced Fuji X100, especially over at TOP, I'm obviously the odd man out as I'm distinctly unimpressed.

As an NEX convert I dont understand the X100 and think its lacking some key features essential in a modern camera. Ok, here are my issues:

1. Fixed 35mm (eq FOV) lens. I dont get that. I just shot an airshow on the weekend and some aircraft are 1 meter behind a rope, others 10 meters back so 'zooming with your feet' isnt an option. Its the same on a street, on too many occasions doing the 'one prime' exercises I've been caught where the shot I want requires me to stand in the middle of traffic, lean way out over bridge guard rails etc. Just let me change the bloody lens please, get the shot and not frighten my wife and kids.

2. Fixed, low res rear screen. The pivoting screen on the NEX has changed everything for me and I will never take photos the same way again. Looking at my photo's now I have so many new points of view that world is a different place. I find going back to the A700 a real wrench (obviously that form still rules for long tele work, sports, airshows, BIFs etc). I'd feel like I'd lost part of my vision if I had to go back to a simple eye level finder again in my wide/street shooter.

Dont get me wrong, I love the controls and layout and the look etc etc but really those are just nice to have's. After all, people seem to get by using film still, so clearly shutting a camera down and partially disassembling it every 24 frames and waiting 4 days for the preview to come up isnt a massive problem - so pressing the odd button is hardly a creative issue.

But

A fixed lens and fixed rear screen is far too creatively limiting and while I might love the feeling of the shots I get I simply wont get shots I should. And for me sacrificing photographic usefulness for mere design is unforgivable.

Curiously, while the marketing for this camera stresses that its designed for photographers I dont think thats right. After all a photographer is a person who takes photos, so a camera that limits the photos you can take isnt for photographers.

Instead, I think its designed for a very specific set of photographers. The X100 is for nostalgics, people that want to recapture some romantic past and that (like Leica users) will actually cherish its flaws as a kind of hairshirted puritanicalism. Its a Morgan of the photographic world - sure, you can build a car with a wooden chassis, but in 2010 should you?

(all that said it will probably sell in droves, because from an aesthetic POV its a beautiful bit of kit - just not very useful)

traces

2010-08-26T05:59:00.001-07:00

traces, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Another experiment in 'dragging the shutter' as I understand the term. Basically I've deliberately slow the exposure right down and then panned across a stationary object. In this case an old train station in Seattle.

What I was after was a sense of movement backwards, with the station leaving today behind and returning to a time when railways stations were gateways to the world, not de facto homeless shelters and places for drug buys. I dont think it entirely worked, but I still like the image.

Anyway, I recommend you try this as well as a technique. There is a lot more to photos than technical perfection, more important is the idea. I may not have nailed it, but I tried.

How little the NEX still system needs

2010-08-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

There has been a lot of discussion on the internet about the place of the NEX series, particularly in light of how small the latest A33 and A55 from Sony are. In particular there has been some discussion that the NEX adventure is largely unnessary and will further dilute Sony's resources to develop the A-mount. I disagee.

When thinking about the A and E mounts I am reminded, very strongly, of Contax which ran a 'full' SLR line-up (albeit only the C/Y manual mount was what we would call 'full' these days) and a 'full' and mature rangefinder range. If we consider the NEX 3 and NEX 5 as spiritual successors to the Contax G series (which I do) it is really instructive to remember just how small the Contax G RF lens line-ups were. The entire Contax G mount range was:

Hologon 16/8
Biogon 21/2.8
Biogon 28/2.8
Planar 35/2
Planar 45/2
Sonnar 90/2.8
Vario-Sonnar 35–70/3.5–5.6

Thats it - 7 lenses.

Even looking at the much more mature and well supported Leica M mount there are only 11 basic focal lengths (albeit in some lengths there are a variety of speeds) although to be really fair we should also note that the Leicas are all manual focus and with the addition of a very cheap adapter can be used on the NEX series.

So, using the Contax G as a 'model' range what would an E mount lens line-up require (I'm assuming a 1.5 crop factor but not worrying about DOF issues of an APS sensor) the rough 35mm FF equivalent is shown in parenthesis also.

10 (15/16)
14 (20)
16 (24)
20 (28/30)
24 (35)
30 (45/50)
60 (90)

Now given that the 35-80ish zooms are now longer very fashionable I'd suggest something like:

16-50 (24-75)

Also, considering the need for video, we also need a superzoom, say:

18-250 (28-380)

So if we got all that we would have replicated the entire Contax G range and be only a few lenses short of everything Leica has deemed necessary after almost 70 years. Thats not a lot and only a small investment for a company like Sony to produce. So instead of thinking of the E mount as a competitor to the A mount we should see it as a compliment and instead of worrying about how it diverts resources from the A-mount we should be pleased that a system that requires so little can bring so much to the Alpha community.

Its all in the timings isnt it

2010-08-24T02:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I unleashed a bit of a broadside at Sony and its abject failure recently to listen to outsiders produce the sorts of products that a giant like Sony just had to be capable of. Well just one day later Sony responded with perhaps the single most interesting DSLR since the original Canon Rebel.

No more discussion from me today, you'd really be better off visiting DPreview for a quick rundown.

Arrogance, foolishness or just business

2010-08-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

First, let me say that I think a lot of the angst over the NEX5 interface is overblown. No, the interface is not perfect, I would like one more button, I want some small alternations to the way the menus are structured and probably more than anything I want the ability to create some user customizable modes like the Memory Recall functions on the A700. But, I will admit that I am a pretty flexible camera user (in fact I'm pretty flexible in my use of most UIs) so I just dont get flustered by these things as much as most people. Similarly, I really do believe that for all practical purposes the IQ of the NEX at isos 200-1600 is so consistent that I've actually given up selecting iso and just keep the camera on auto-iso for everything except tri-pod work where I am deliberately seeking long exposures. I'm now convinced that both these traits dont make me a very good guide to what is (and is not) a good UI - I'm simply not demanding enough.

So, putting aside my own ambivalence its is clear that much of the interweb is anything but sanguine over the direction Sony has taken, not only with UI, but also with feature sets. Michael Reichman over at Luminous Landscape is perhaps the most vocal and direct critic of the recent Sony approach of both the NEX 5 stills camera and more recently with the NEX-VG10 combi-cam. And while I dont share his passion, even I am able to see that he has a point. These criticisms (taken from Michael Reichman but pretty common out there in the web) are certainly justified:

a) why the rapid descent into menus for obvious functions like changing an ISO setting?

b) why are the video options so limited?

c) why doesnt the NEX-VG10 shoot raw stills?

d) why cant Sony get simple things like histograms, manual focus support, exposure warnings sorted?

Its frustrating that these are issues at all. Why?

Because Sony has designed some of the great camera interfaces of our time in the A700/A900 and their various handi-cams why do they get this wrong now. Also,its not like the interface and functions of DSLRs, camcorders and new combi-cams arent well established. Sony could have spent a few thousand dollars, bought themselves a D3s and 7D and learnt exactly what photographers want from their cameras. Finally, with every camera since the A900, Sony has been bombarded with criticism of its relentless dumbing down and crippling of their cameras. Every site, every review, every blog, every test has said the same thing - that Sony camera lack the simple functions expected of cameras in that category and that the intefaces have been so simplified to actually be ore difficult to use rather than easier.

And yet Sony will not change direction.

Is this sheer arrogance. Does Sony hear but just think it knows better? Is this foolishness, does Sony just not understand? Or is Sony right and everyone else wrong?

Time will tell, but frankly whether arrogance or foolishness, I believe Sony is wrong and must stop this mindless stupifying of its own product.

Where the magic happens

2010-08-21T03:19:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-08516, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

I love watching and photographing musicians hands. Watching the simple, mechanical action of a hand just like mine but to see it producing a magic that is totally beyond me always draws me in.

Combine that with the wonderful shapes, colours and contours of the instruments themselves and I always end up taking a bunch of photos.

These were all taken at the 2010 Seattle Folk life festival.

Macro isnt just flowers and bees

2010-08-20T16:50:00.001-07:00

music takes me back home, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

I am really not a huge fan of pictures of flowers and bees that seem to be the staple of 99% of macro photographers. As a result, I've never really considered macro photography as something I would be interested in. However, with Sony's production of a really cheap little 30mm macro I figured 'what the hell' I'll give it a go.

So the lens came (and is brilliant, I really should do some equipment reviews some day) and then sat in bag for a few weeks while I had no idea what to do with it. Then, it made a work trip with me and was locked in the hotel room with me for a weekend where the weather was just appalling and I discovered that the world I live in that doesnt have flowers and insects everywhere but does have sprinkler heads, power outlets, phones and walkmen is equally deserving of (and really rewards) macro treatment.

So now I've discovered a use for macro, looking at the world around us (really around us) in our homes, offices, etc up close and personal. This is going to become one of my little, ongoing projects, so you'll be seeing more of this as we go along.

Simple scene, special colour

2010-08-13T14:50:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-1189, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

My photography is a constant stream of experiments with not fixed style or genre, that I can discern anyway. After a long time shunning the sunsets and sunrises I've seen so many of I've started hunting them myself. So much so that I can no longer claim the defence that this isnt something I normally do.

But still, I am wary of the clichés and I am equally wary that not being a strong student of photography I might be falling into a cliché not even knowing that I am. Ah well, at some point you have to stop worrying and simply make art.

So that is what I'm trying to do here, to make art, not just pretty pictures. I'm trying to capture a beautiful Newcastle sunset with the blistering sky of fire the thin line of man's industry and the brilliant blue of the oceans.

Catching up - a favourite photo

2010-08-11T01:34:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-0944, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

A week or so ago I did the o dark hundred thing, crawled out of bed far to early and tried to catch some sunrise photos. In a way the morning was a complete disaster. It was cold, wet, cloudy and basically a disaster.

But a little experimentation yielded some great results and in the end it was all worth it.

First, I acknowledge this long exposure thing is a little of a photo fashion thing and I'm hardly being original but still, standing on the shoulders of giants is a well established artistic traditions and who am I to ignore that? Anyway, while a bleak, grey morning was a disaster for the shots I had planned its ideal for this sort of work.

That said, to get this right you need looooong exposures and with the sun rapidly rising I was running out of options. I had a pretty weak ND filter (3 stops) but I found combining that with a circular polariser (another 2 stops of light gone), going to f 22 I was able to really stretch the frame out for 15 seconds. Not the minutes required to give the really solid milky sea some can produce but on the other hand this middling long exposure and CP also gave me the ability to play around and after a couple of goes I was able to generate this.

While I have certainly boosted the blue, the base colour is pretty much as I caught it. But even more interesting was the slight 'see through the water' effect that the polariser gave me adding some real interest in the water.

Its not going to win any prizes but you know what, I'm really proud of this one and I hope you like it.

Sony actually losing more lenses?

2010-08-11T01:04:00.000-07:00

Sonyalpharumours is reporting that the Sony 500mm reflex lens is out of production. While this is an enormous shame I must admit I am not surprised. I dont have this lens, in fact I've never shot with it so I cant comment directly on its pros and cons but its clear that:

a) it is a lens with pretty limited application (limited to F8)

b) the IQ of the lens was never considered an unalloyed success (great CA characteristics, very dodgy bokeh)

But on the flip side

c) its an autofocus 500mm lens that can be handheld and costs only about $US700.

A fuller review is given over here at Alphamountworld.

So already we have a lens of mixed blessings but I would also remember that Sony has a new mount to worry about and has been quietly shuffling old Minolta glass out of the inventory. Combine all this, and if its true that the only AF mirror lens is getting retired, I am saddened but not shocked.

If you want one, get in quick. I'm not sponsored by BHPhoto in any way (though I would love to be - shameless plug) and I get nothing from this but they have always been great to me so here's a link.

The Allure of the NEX5 - Part 1

2010-08-10T02:43:00.000-07:00

I am loving the NEX5 I bought a few weeks ago and since the 16mm 2.8 pancake arrived I'm loving it even more. Sooner or later I will start doing more formal reviews (never tests, I dont have the discipline) but for the time being I'm just going to post a few little vignettes on why this is a wonderful little camera and something that changes the way I think about photography.

I was never really into photography until digital and then I bought a little Canon S1 3.something superzoom and fell in love. Within a year or two I was feeling the limitations of the small sensor and went to a DSLR, a Sony A100. Since then I'm hooked on big sensor goodness and cant tolerate anything less. Yes, yes, I know that the A100 (and the A700 that supplanted it) are 'just' APS sensors and that there is still full frame sensors above me but nothing I've seen indicated that the jump from APS to FF is anything like the vast leap from compact sensor to APS so bear with me.

But being addicted to big sensor goodness has a draw back, the cameras are huge. Ok, I know I could make this smaller, I could go for a little lens or remove the grip but thats not how I use the A700. But the NEX changes all that. Its IQ is, I think, better than the A700 and just look at the size difference. Will the NEX5 with a pancake lens fit in a jeans pocket? Not on your life. But if you are in cargoes, or wearing a jacket it slides straight in. The A700 on the otehr hand, well I doubt I need to say anything.

The NEX now goes everywhere with me, in the month I've had it I doubt the camera has ever been more than 20 feet from me and I've taken 8 times more photos in July with the NEX than any other month for over a year. I love this little guy precisely because he's little.

Forums and why I'm leaving all of them

2010-08-09T03:24:00.000-07:00

There are any number of forums out there for internet using photographers to indulge in and I've decided to drop out of all of them. Why?

Because I'm an argument addict. I cant help myself, I have to put my 2 cents into every argument and this stops me thinking clearly, forming whole thoughts and articulating my ideas even remotely sensibly. I have tried to step way from the gear oriented talk and focus on the images but good intentions are often swamped by realities and before I know it I'm feeding the gear talk addiction. So thats it, I'm getting out. I say 'getting' because right now I'm trying going cold turkey and making sure I can survive before actually cancelling my membership.

So what am I hoping to achieve by getting away from compulsive forum sponsored gear talk? Really I'm hoping for three things, one immediate, one medium term, one longer lasting acting:

The first, immediate, effect I'm hoping for is that by passing on participating on every petty little speculative debate on the past, present and future I'll spend less time, thinking more about far reaching issues and actually keep my blogs running.

The medium term effect I'm hoping for is that by staying away from the froth and bubble of camera talk I will focus more on images. I suspect this is the modern photographers lament, or perhaps the modern enthusiastic amateurs lament, and that I am just another voice in the chorus but so be it, I'll add my voice.

Finally, in the longer term I simply hope to recapture the wonderful, positive feelings I had when I started this journey into photography. I'm no Sony fanboy, I shoot Sony, I hope for the best but I am also painfully aware of the limitations of the system and the errors Sony has made along the way. However, I recently posted on one forum that I felt it was becoming a "sinkhole of negativity" and that has rubbed off on me. So thats it, I'm out.

I dont advocate others to follow my lead. I cant know if you share my problem and therefore whether my fix is your fix. But I'll keep you tuned on how my withdrawal goes.

A different style of fireworks

2010-08-07T17:39:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-1492, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

We've all seen the classic fireworks shot, the beautiful trials of crisp, clean colour against the velvet blackness of the sky. Well I figure that the world had enough of those images already and so strove here to capture something different.

I'm trying to capture the way we see fireworks there, at the actual event. First, there are people in the frame, second I'm aiming for the light and movement and fire and smoke. Finally, I rarely remember individual explosions, rather the night becomes a pastiche of colour and moverment, so I deliberately tried to get the busiest scene I could and frankly didnt worry at all about all those technical issues like focus and exposure. I really like the result and hope you do too.

I must be more careful

2010-08-03T04:41:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-0943, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

I love this shot. Its not my favourite from the morning (I'll post that tomorrow) but still I love it.

But I must be more care, before going live on the net I must, absolutely must, check for dust.

Do you see them? I didn't (until they were pointed out to me) and now those three little spots are all I can seen. Bugger, bugger and damn.

Latest Sony lenses - especially the Easychoices

2010-08-03T04:29:00.001-07:00

There is enormous discussion on the net at the moment about the latest lens releases from Sony. Everyone from Mike over at TOP to just about everyone on Flickr and at Dyxum seems confused. Why is the 35 1.8 a DT lens? Why is the 85 2.8 so slow? Why do they have plastic mounts and SAM drives. Where's the 2.0 apertures? Where is the metal mount and SSM drive. All these photographers saying they would have paid more for just these little upgrades.

Ok, I'm going out on a limb here but I believe almost no one on the net 'gets' what Sony is setting itself to do and hence we dont understand these lenses. That said I reckon Sony needs to be far more ambitious in its selling and really get a message (and message) out there.

I think the mistake we are making is trying to understand the Sony releases in the context of the market as it has been for the past 2 decades. In that world 95% of people only bought a body with a twin set of cheap zooms and never went near a camera store again. Hence we, the geeks that haunt internet forums obsessing about gear have been the market for nearly 20 years and can only rationalise gear in its relationship to us.

I think Sony is trying to change that paradigm and re-introduce the masses to the consumerist dream of buying, collecting and occasionally even using lots of different lenses. We know that joy so Sony doesnt need to peddle its cheap trinkets to us.

Sony's language is clear in the press release. These new lenses are the easy choice range, Buying them is easy, about $us200 each. They give new users choices, right now its 30 1.8, 30 2.8 macro, 50 1.8, 85 2.8. And Sony is making it clear that this will be a growing range, my guess is that before long we will see a 135mm 2.8, a 24 2.8 DT and perhaps even a 16mm 2.8 DT. I can imagine an Easychoice kit with an A290, 24, 35, 50, 85 for under a grand if Sony was really aggressive.

So people are struggling with the logic - in my mind this Sony's criteria for the easychoice range:

1. Target cost - $US200ish
2. Std filter 55mm
3. Very good to excellent performance across the frame (therefore stds and wides will be DT)
4. Target weight under 200-250 grms

If I was running Sony (as opposed to just a customer wanting Sony to be my personal lens factory) this is exactly what I'd be doing in this segment. I'd probably even go further with a range of lenses I might be able to source from tamron as well like the 90mm and 180mm macros.

As for the premium end well there are so many holes where to start? The widest premium prime is the 35, the longest is the old and massively overpriced 300 so the 24 and never-ready 500 make perfect sense. Also while Sony has the 'gold' standard premium covered (16-35 2.8 CZ, 24-70 2.8 CZ, 70-200 2.8 g) the 'silver' std is almost completely empty. I think the 24 was obvious, I think the 500 will come. I suspect that after that we will see that 'silver range of premium glass - say a 16-35 4.0, 24-120 4, etc start to emerge.

of course I still havent squeezed in PC lenses.......it never ends does it? LOL

Some more ideas of Sony's Photokina 2010

2010-07-22T06:01:00.000-07:00

Its been a long long time between serious news for the Sony DSLR user. The A700 was serious news. The A900 was serious news. Everything since then (including the very creditable A550 and A850) has been perfectly serviceable but nothing that really said, we are Sony, one of the powerhouses of consumer electronics, look at us. Instead, its been a long chain of dreary rehashes of the same basic three cameras, the A100, A700,A900. From that base, Sony has spawned the A200,230,290,300,330,380,390,450, 500, 550 and 850. And real progress has not really been made anywhere. A few tricks here and there (cool fast live view in some cameras etc) but really none of the ‘core’ camera functions have improved much.

Actually one thing that has changed, and we are mostly happy for, are the sensors. The move from the 10Mp CCD to 12Mp CMOS, 25Mp FF CMOS, 14Mp CMOS to the current 14Mp HD CMS in the NEX cameras has been excellent with improved resolution, DR, colour response and (most noticeably) high ISO performance between every generation. That said, however, the AF, metering, flash, control and customisation functions at the heart of a DSLR are little different between the June 2006 A100 and current June 2010 line-up of cameras.

So, here we are, the NEX camera and camcorder launch a few weeks behind us and another Photokina coming up about 60 days from now. What is going to happen next.

Well one site, Sony Alpha Rumours reckons it knows. Its suggesting:

Sony will introduce the two “translucent” cameras, the A55 (16MPX) and A33 (14MPX) -> (ultra fast autofocus during videorecording, very fast fps).

These ‘translucent cameras are based upon the pellical mirror technology discussed here and here.

My guess is the the different sensors (if this is true) point to the 14Mp sensor in the A550 and NEX series being the new ‘workhorse’ sensor for Sony. It will be fascinating to see if this sensor makes it way to Nikon or if Sony reckons that between the NEX series and based level A mounts it can make enough money. The presence of the 16Mp sensor probably signals what will drive the A7XX and (potentially) a future Nikon 400.

2) Sony will introduce two new Sony A5xx cameras with ExmorHD sensor. The higher-level camera will also be able to take 3D pictures (and it comes with GPS).

This is really surprising as the A500 and A550 are amongst the newest cameras in the Sony line-up and (apart from video) very competitive. And perhaps that the problem, today video is no longer an option, its seen as a requirement.

3) Many new lenses. Many current kit-lenses will be updated. The new Zeiss 24mm f/2.0 and Sony 500mm beast will finally come to market..

We always get sucked into talking about camera bodies but really it’s the lenses that many of us are really craving. The 24mm and 500mm are expected and there are strong rumours of an 16-80 CZ update. But what else is out there and what other ‘updates’ are required? My wild arsed guess, Sony is working on NEX compatibility for A mount lenses. What does this mean? Well I suspect at the least, some tweaks to AF processes (such as SSM in the CZ primes), possibly A mount lenses with Optical Stabilisation and most out there, electronic aperture support.

4) New NEX accessories are expected to be announced (electronic viewfinder???)

My guesses for NEX accessories. GPS, wireless unit(s), EVF.

If this rumour is true (and Sony Alpha Rumours doesn’t have the greatest reputation for getting it right) we are seeing almost a re-launch of the Sony Alpha brand. While it still doesn’t have the much desired A7XX (or the increasingly needed A8XX and A9XX) it would still be pretty big news.

Two different approaches to a product

2010-07-21T01:58:00.000-07:00

Micheal Reichmann, photographer, blogger, owner and operator of the Luminous Landscape site began as a photo guy with lots of discussion of images, their capture, processing and printing but most recently he seems to have been caught by the same gear driven, tech headedness that most of us on the net suffer from. This is really well illustrated by his response to the new Sony NEX-VG10 camcorder. Now I know nothing about video, but I must admit I was astounded at the vehemence of Michaels response on July 14 2010 to a product he has never touched on the basis for nothing more than a spec sheet.

It is really interesting to compare the Luminous Landscape comments with those from the guys at Endgadget. For me the most interesting difference is that the quite openly gear driven guys at Endgadget were infinitely more interested in actually using the device in their preview than in analysing the spec sheet. What drove these guys was what the camera could do, not what it couldnt, they considered how they would use it rather than how they wished they'd use it.

Now, I am being a little unfair, perhaps if Michael had a camera in his hands, like the Endgadget testers he would have reacted differently. Given Michaels inability to understand the NEX UI I dont hold out much hope.

Sony NEX5 with Minolta 28-135

2010-07-17T23:45:00.001-07:00

Sony NEX5 with Minolta 28-135, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Ok, I havent spoken about it much yet but I have joined the Sony NEX(t) generation and am loving it. I got the camera about three weeks ago and the A to E adapter last week.

So far I've really only been playing around and I havent tried to take any "serious" photos yet. (I'm in the middle of a major overhaul of my entire photography working regime that is actually getting in the way of just taking photos right now). Hopefully I'll get that fixed very shortly.

Anyway, so far so good. A fuller report to come soon, but just for kicks here's a snapshot of the little NEX on the Minolta 28-135. This isnt really an ideal configuration but it sure is fun.

Sony and the A7XX saga

2010-07-17T03:51:00.000-07:00

The single biggest discussion point on every Sony Alpha oriented forum I frequent concerns the mythical A7XX, the A700 follow on. When will it come? What will it be like? Will it confirm our hopes that Sony is going head to head with Canon and Nikon or will it confirm our fears that Sony will dumb it down? Why oh why was the A700 discontinued with no successor.

I feel the same angst as everyone else and as a result I'm still not buying any new A mount stuff. But then again, being more dispassionate I would say Sony was kind of stuck with the A7xx.

Look at the opposition in the meantime.

1. Nikon has released the D300s, a very mild warm over that gathered coverage for about 10 minutes then the world shrugged and moved on. Still it was worth it because there is a huge nikon user base that just keeps buying stuff so of course it made sense to keep production going. Still no idea on a genuine upgrade.

2. Canon very quickly replaced the 40D with the 50D because the 40D was an embarassment for the company that sees itself as the market leader and default 'pro' choice. Not saying that it was a bad camera but go back and read the reviews of how it was compared to the Nikon (and even Sony/Pentax) at the time. Also remember what else was going on then, the D3/D700 was all the rage, Nikon grabbed huge market share and Canon had to act.

3. Despite the 50D Canon was still obviously off the pace in the $US1200-1900, aps pro, segment and everyone new it. It had to get something out and it did - eventually - with the 7D.

4. In the meantime the market has gone crazy for mirrorless cameras and that segment is exploding and we have nothing from either of the big 2 except the promise of an announcement later from Nikon.

5. Sony new the A700 was off the pace but what to do?

a) keep it going potentially leading to a whole lot of embarrassing reviews with a tiny production volume?

b) release a D300s/D50 warm over that sucked up a lot of resources, still probably only had a tiny production run and not gained it much cred?

c) bite the bullet and carry a hole for 12 months and get on with business (like getting the NEX out)?

Personally I reckon option A is a non starter and only option B or C were viable. I also reckon none of us really know what would have been smarter from a business POV. I would have preferred B but I can understand Sony's choice of C.

Now, with 20/20 hindsight and zero visibility inside Sony I think Sony could have done better, however, Im I have no idea if much would have really changed. Just for a minute forget companies and think in terms of 'mount'. The A mount, F mount and (whats canon?) call it the EOS mount.

When you look at the F and EOS mounts we see this long, unbroken line of development, using Nikon the F3,4,5,6,D1,D1S,D2,D2S,D3,D3S plus X's and H's thrown in there. From this AF modules, flash systems, metering systems, control methods have had this nice steady flow, a consistent maturation leading almost inevitably to where we are now. The Canon flow is pretty similar.

Comparing that to the A mount flow, its clear that we have not been as well served. The A mount has had a number of changes in direction, long periods of hiatus, spurts of growth and stagnation not to mention a near bankruptcy, a corporate merger and finally a complete change of ownership in its last few years under what appeared to be pretty chaotic circumstances. Dont forget that when it took over the A mount it was almost dead in the water with perhaps 1-2% (on a good day) of DLSR sales. I'm only guessing but I'd think that this has resulted in significant technical and management churn over probably a few decades punctuated by the occasional massive dislocation.

On top of that add that the last owner in the history is also, at the very highest levels of the corporation, struggling to define themselves but are also suppliers to their own product's key competitors.

This lack of direction and inability to forge a culture is clearly evident in the alpha line.

In that context I wonder if we were ever going to be in a very different position without a heroic effort from Sony.

But, lots of companies face challenges, find new ways of proceeding and move on from those challenges - they find heroes - Sony has not. Therefore, while I understand why we are where we are, I dont excuse Sony. From where we sit we've seen Sony squander some simple opportunities, make some really dumb calls and pursue marketting strategies that deny explanation. They should do better and we should demand more - however, I often believe that without an understanding of the full context our demands are unreasonable, and being unreasonable, are easy to ignore.

Personally I think the great hope for A mount users is the E mount. I hope (and it is only hope) that the growth of the E mount will lead to the adoption of the A mount into the highly successful video family in Sony and provide a consistency of vision and direction that has been lacking in the A mount for perhaps 20 years.

Sony and Photokina 2010 - 66 Days to Go

2010-07-16T02:29:00.000-07:00

Photokina is just 66 days away and as usual, this is critical juncture for Sony and the alpha line (when wasnt the alpha line at a critical juncture?) Anyway I've decided to get this blog back on a roll with my guesses as to what Sony is going to do at this big event.

1. After a quiet period, Sony will make a bit of a splash at this one.

2. We will get the two bodies shown to us earlier released:

3. These will be an A7XX and an A5XX.

4. The specs will be ok but nothing earth shattering, however, Sony will continue to blur the lines between entry/enthusiast/pro which will really annoy most people here and will get (at best) lukewarm coverage from the camera sites that specialise in equipment testing.

5. The 500 G and 24 CZ will be actually released,

6. There will not be an NEX7.

7. There will be some more NEX lenses, at least one will be either a G or a CZ (I'm 90% sure its would be a CZ as that has more cache - deserved or not)

Now more "out there" guesses:

8. There will be a mock up displayed of the A9XX.

9. The NEX camcorder will be released.

(whoops - already done)

10. There will be a couple of lenses, software suites and other accessories for the NEX range to also blur the lines between still and video work.

So over to you - what do you think will happen?

(note, I have no inside sources, know no one in the company and all this is total arse pluck)

Sand dunes and the power of black and white

2010-03-03T01:09:00.001-08:00

PMac Imagery flickr-07169, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

The Sygna morning shoot yielded so many great photo opportunities I'm still wading through, processing and posting them.

Maybe I'm just bandwagon jumping seeing as my last b&w dunes shots got explored but I really do think they work. Why? I think its because there is so little detail and such a limited array of colours that the core of the images becomes just the play of light and shade, something B&W handles really nicely.

Working the scene

2010-03-01T04:33:00.001-08:00

PMac Imagery flickr-06965, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Returning to a familiar theme here on the importance of working the scene.

When you spend several hours with the same subject through a sun rise you get lots of opportunities to experiment. Add to that a few more hours of processing and you can really go to town. Here's a whole bunch of photos of the same subject (The Sygna) from basically the same spot but with a lot of variation in exposure and processing.

One way of expanding your boundaries as a photographer is to stop chasing new scenes but instead concentrate on new ways of capturing and presenting the one scene before you.

Transportation

2010-02-21T01:29:00.001-08:00

Transportation, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Here's a great reason why having a cheap and cheerful 2nd camera is really handy. I was out on a social shoot with the people in the car in front and the scene just struck me as worthy of capturing. So I just wrapped the strap around my arm, stuck it out and fired.

I quite like the outcome.

Google Ads - WTF

2010-02-20T16:49:00.000-08:00

As a side point, I was unsure of taking Google Ads but I figured what the hell, yu never no, I might make a buck. I'm told they are "context sensitive" so if the blog is most about - say - photography, the ads would reflect that.

So where the hell are these latest ads for a dating site coming from?

Sigma is challenging the big boys

2010-02-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

For so long Sigma lenses have been seen as something of a cheap and nasty option to the offerings of the main players. Sure they has the "EX" line and a few good pieces of glass but, really, they werent what "serious" photographers used.

Well it seems that Sigma has had enough of that an is determined to stake a claim as a serious competitor to the OEMs.

This PMA (Feb 2010) has seen the latest (and perhaps the most convincing) barrage of new Sigma lenses. These include an 85 1.4, super-ultra wide 8-16mm zoom, a big re-vamp of the 70-200 2.8 with new glass (FLD - more on that later) and IS/VR and the release of a couple of old favorites with IS/VR.

And, not content with simply putting out new lenses, Sigma is pushing into the realms of the OEM further with advances in exotic glass elements with the advent of the new low dispersion glass with the FLD elements.

Heady days indeed and great news for us.

I've hit 100,000 views

2010-02-02T01:31:00.001-08:00

PMac Imagery flickr-06638, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

My flickr stream hit 100,000 view sometime yesterday and I chosen to think that this image was the one that took me there. Why? Because its an image that speaks to me right now.

In his book "The Architecture of Happiness" Alain de Botton quotes Stendhal saying that "Beauty is the promise of happiness". He then further extends this with the proposition that often we will therefore be attracted to things that we feel are missing from our lives (or our selves).

This image is just one recent example of this for me. As my life at work is becoming more and more complex and stressful I'm finding more solace in simple, clean, soothing shots such as this.

What is it about doors and windows?

2010-01-28T21:39:00.001-08:00

PMac Imagery flickr-06181, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Really simple and short post today. What is it about doors and windows that fascinates so many of us (well me at least).

For me its a couple of things:

1. Door and windows represent a point of interest in a building, therefore architects always seem to put in a little extra effort.

2. Doors and windows get used, they age and become more and more interesting. Like the one in this posting, they wear, break, get patched, break again, get fixed again. Ultimately doors and windows become like a little potted history of the building.

3. Door and windows are about more than the building, there are a physical manifestation of the building need to cater for people. I cant help but think of the people that went through a door, looked through a window etc when I see one.

Dogs and Cats - an old stand by

2010-01-28T01:27:00.001-08:00

PMac Imagery flickr-06450, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Ok, I stand guilty as charged as an animal lover. Animals, especially our pets give us so much pleasure, whether its the look of absolute devotion our dog as we come home or the complete silliness of a new kitten.

But as photographers we should never also forget the wealth of photo ops they give us. Even more than our kids as our pets dont get sulky, hide their faces or run off and hide (ok they sometimes do this).

Anyway, my only advice is we shouldnt be ashamed of our pet photos. Ok, they arent going to change the world but big deal. I'd rather see 1000 photos of pets loved and cherished by their owners than 1 more posed shot of a model that I dont know, dont care about and usually has all the warmth of an antarctic winter.

So anyway - say hello to my newest addition, Othello. Our 13 week old rescue kitten.

Photography books

2010-01-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

I love books and I love photography so it stands to reason I'd love photography books - and its true - I do.

So its probably no surprise that I get pretty excited whenever one of my favorite photography websites does one of its regular columns on photography books. I particularly enjoyed his wrap up of 2009 and intend to try and keep an eye out for his recommendations.

However, if I may make my own recommendation its this, never walk past a second hand bookshop without checking out the photography section. Not often, but often enough, you will find a gem thats worth the small effort.

Over this years holidays I found two such books, the first is:

Witness. The worlds greatest news photographers. Ok, its not printed on luscious thick paper and its contains lots of images we've all seen before but as a quick primer on some of the people that created and developed the idea of the news photographer this is a great little book.

The Fincher File. I hadnt heard of Terry Fincher and looking through this book I didnt see many great iconic photos but somehow that makes it an even better read. Yes, I said read. There is certainly more text than images here and its a fascinating history of one man, a photojournalist, and a world undergoing massive changes following WW2. No, this book wont change your life but you can pick it up very cheaply and I think you'll enjoy it if yu find photojournalism your sort of field.

The frustrations of the Sony DSLR user

2010-01-07T23:16:00.000-08:00

Two press releases in a single day sum up all the frustrations of the Sony DSLR user. The first is this:

Sony announces the A450. Now this is a nice little camera, dont get me wrong, but its just another case of the Sony approach to DSLR's. That is strip out features, play it safe, try and stay inside the box.

And then these....

Sony goes nuts with compacts. Look at this range and the ideas. Backlit sensors, GPS, compass, HD video, sweep panoramas. Where is this innovation in the DSLR world? Where is the excitement in the DSLR range?

Sony, stop playing safe!

See I did go away

2009-10-17T03:18:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-03157, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

A quick post to just tap the wheel and keep the blog running.

Here is a scene that just captured me and made me push and push to get it. Obviously you can tell but to take this I had to walk out into a snow drift up to my kees in a pair of jeans and sneakers. I was cold and wet and so excited I would have stayed there hours if I had to.

I'm really happy with how this turned out.

I wasnt being slack - I had a reason to be away...

2009-10-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to anyone who might be wondering. I wasnt being (completely) slack and ignoring this blog. While I gave notice that I would likely be away for a week, that grew to three when unfortunately we had a death in the family.

But, thats done with now and time to move on - so I'm back and I promise to try and get back into stride bringing you even more interesting stuff in future.

Combining passions

2009-10-07T05:59:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-03562, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Its great when you get a chance to combine you passions - in this case photography and cars (and amateur motor sport in particular).

This was taken at the 2009 Newcastle Mattara hillclimb event staged in a park virtually in the center of Newcastle on a road that winds up the coast right next to the beach. Its a wonderful location and a beautiful setting.

I might be missing for a week.

2009-09-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

At four o clock tomorrow I head off to go skiing for a week. If the lodge has wifi I'll still be in business. If, as I suspect, it doesnt then I suppose I'll see you all in a week.

Hope to see you all again soon.

Signs, miraculous or just cruel?

2009-09-11T23:13:00.000-07:00

Signs are a wonderful source of photographic inspiration. Whether its the mangled English on signs that have been shockingly translated, weird efforts by graphic artists to represent complex ideas with stick figures or times, like now, where the signs themselves are pretty mundane but their positioning is really funny.

I literally stumbled on this as I jumped back from the edge of a platform in San Diego, California. As I tripped (because as you can see the platform was all buckled) I looked to see what was going on and I saw this. Instantly I just sat down and started laughing and laughing. Then, obviously I took the picture.

I was really late at night so the aperture is wide open, iso high and it was still a slow shutter so I was relying on the Sony's in camera stabilisation. It worked pretty well but not great. Therefore I've processed this pretty heavily in Lightroom using a Dragan preset I downloaded from the net. I sometimes wonder if this kind of processing is a bit of a 'cheat' using tricks and faux grittiness to hide basic flaws in the shot. But you know what I dont care that much because its not a competition. When I take photos its to make and image not to prove myself. I think the only duty I owe is to be honest about how I took the shot and made the image.

I cant remember where I got the preset from and I feel a bit of a thief not giving the guy who put it together a credit here. Also I suppose I should also credit Andrzej Dragan who "invented" (or at least popularised) this look.

Also I dont know if its a mitigating or aggravating factor that I didnt really copy Dragan because I found, downloaded and used the preset before I knew anything about the guy's work it was based on. It was only when I started this blog piece I figured I should do a little more research.

All in all I promise to fulfill my artistic duty and takl a little more about the creator of the preset I've used and the photographeer who inspired the look very soon.

Sometimes you find just the right thing

2009-09-11T01:51:00.000-07:00

A short one tonight.

I'm a keen amateur photographer whose sold a few shots and is considering how to go beyond here and perhaps wondering whats beyond here and well, just wondering......

And while doing this wondering and just circling the drain ready to vanish into nothingness again I found this site, on how to make money from your pictures.

I've just scratched the surface of the site and already I've found stuff that I will be trying to implement and stuff I cant see myself doing. Is it perfect, not at all, but if we all were only ever satisfied with perfection as a starting point why bother getting out of bed in the morning?

So, if, like me, you are thinking that you might like to do beyond just shooting images for the sake of it have a butchers hook (look) at this site.

We actually delight in being ripped off

2009-09-10T02:29:00.000-07:00

Its been interesting to watch the press in raptures over the imminent (and now past) Leica releases, whether that Phil Askey over at DPReview or the otherwise pretty sensible Mike Johnston at The Online Photographer. For me the most interesting thing has been watching otherwise sane people willfully, almost gleefully, looking for opportunities to be ripped off.

Any way you look at the new Leica's they are ripping you off. I mean $US7000 for a manual focus camera, capable of just 2 fps, incredibly basic metering system and massive limitations in use. To me, I can only imagine how hard the Leica engineers were laughing when they decided to put a 230k, 2.5 inch LCD on the back of this camera. Can you picture that meeting:

Engineer. "ok, we are going to charge these dolts seven grand for a camera with less features than an iPhone lets at least give them a decent screen".

Manager. "Nuh, give them nothing, wait, no, even better, lets give them a screen but make it worse than anything fitted to the cheapest DSLR on the market today".

Engineer. "But we can give them a decent screen for nothing, we wont even notice the price, surely they'll hate us if we do this to them."

Manager. "You dont get it, the users will love us for it, people who cant afford the camera will scoff, sure, but those who can will make all sorts of excuses for us. They'll even use the fact that the screen is god awful as a reason to buy the camera, they'll say shit like 'real photographers dont need the screen anyway!"

Engineer. "Your kidding right?"

Manager. "Nah, trust me - just watch".

And already we are seeing exactly this reaction in fora across the internet.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, people can be such idiots. Yesterday Mike Johnston in his piece questioning what is expensive, was saying that the camera world was generally free of Veblen goods, well today Leica proved him wrong.

To feed the beast

2009-09-10T02:02:00.001-07:00

the mouth of the beast, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

A nice simple post today that combines a few of my favorite things, one the capture of nice details in cars, and two, the use of the "direct positive" development present in lightroom.

I think this is an image that shows off both to good effect.

By the way this is an image of the fuel filler cap of a 1967 Shelby GT 500 Cobra. These were highly modified versions of the contemporary Ford Mustang. The shot was taken at the 2009 Issaquah Greenways days festival.

Dog attack victim

2009-09-09T01:54:00.001-07:00

Dog attack victim, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Recently I was invited to do an event (which I never do) using a flash (which I never use) and I learnt how little I know.

But, I must admit I enjoyed breaking out the old flash and so have begun having more of a play. Especially combining using a few little lighting tricks with some heavier lightroom processing.

The beauty is two fold:

a) you can create some pretty interesting images, and

b) you can do this using pretty mundane materials.

In this case I just used an old doll my dog had found and chewed.

I like the tension in the shot between reality and horror. For just an instant you are (or at least I was) caught thinking it was a real baby, then you see the fantasy and its all ok, but the tension remains from that first flash of worry.

Anyway, that's how I experience this photo.

Cars - these are some of my favorite things

2009-09-08T06:15:00.001-07:00

Maser 3500GT Gearshift, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

I love cars. I love driving them, working on them, dreaming about collecting them, and - of course - photographing them.

Not being a professional most of my access to cars that arent mine comes at car shows and these are tricky places to shoot. The cars are jammed next to each other, often the bonnets are open to show of the engine, there are people all over the place and all in all its a photographic nightmare.

I generally find the best approach is to ignore the 'whole' car and just focus on the details. After all, a truly great car will almost always have those special little touches that just say "this is something special"

Well this car, a Maserati 3500GT from the late 1950's didn't disappoint. These are truly beautiful cars that make you just want to take it all in. But its beauty is far more than skin deep. Just check out this gear stick - isnt she gorgeous?

So next time you see a car show teeming with people and think its not worth stopping, think again. Think small and close and I'm certain you'll find some treasures.

If you like my car shot, you'll find many more here at my flickr site, you can even buy some prints (including prints of this photo) from my redbubble gallery.

The DSLR Marketplace - the main players

2009-09-08T01:06:00.000-07:00

This is my take on the state of play in todays DSLR market. I apologise to Pentax and Oly users - these makers produce fine cameras, I just havent included them because both companies have such limited ranges at the moment.

Clearly my groupings are pretty arbitary and people can debate all day on precisely where any particular camera sits. In the main I've thought in terms of:

Band 1 - entry level - my first DSLR. (Note how many of these bodies can only be bought with a lens - designated by the + symbol)
Band 2 - my second, DSLR. I'm getting serious and value little touches like a second control wheel, more direct buttons, less menues etc. May do a little lite pro work.
Band 3 - ok, I'm not mucking around anymore. People have worked there way here and are after very serious photograohic tools. Bigger, heavier bodies, big VF's, lots of direct controls, can be relied upon for a variety of pro roles.

A couple of things leap out from this:

1. The need for something like the 7D becomes pretty obvious.

2. The D40 is hopelessly outgunned as an entry to DSLR land and will be replaced soon.

3. Despite having a lot of camera's on the market, Sony still has two huge gaps to fill

a) A 'serious' APS body to take on the D300s and 7D (expected to be filled in about 5 months), and

b) A high end pro model to take on the D3/1D pairs (may never be built).

Thom on Sony Envy - its not just "us"

2009-09-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

Over here in Sony land its usually a pretty dark and dreary place full of whiners (why have we got video, Sony cant make a decent JPG, why is Sony's noise so bad - see here and here for more on the Sony Whine). So it comes as something of a surprise to see that outside our little world there are people looking in and seeing stuff they like.

Apparently its true!

After all if Thom Hogan felt motivated enough to write about Sony Envy I can only assume that there are a reasonably significant number of people out there that are at least talking up a big game for us Alpha users. Actually however, Thom is pretty right when he wonders why this is and recommends Nikon users take a deep breath. Ok, if you really, really want a high resolution FF and dont own an oil well then obviously the Sony A850 is the ducks guts. Or if you are (like me) in love with in-body image stabilization. But apart from that, even as a Sony user I struggle to understand why anyone with any sort of investment in the Nikon system would consider a swap.

Still, its nice to see Sony appears to be moving out of the joke and into the "to be taken seriously" catagory.

PS. Thom Hogan is a big Nikon blogger and as such gets a fair bit wrong on the Sony system but he is a good writer with a nicely balanced view of the world. I highly recommend you check out his site.

Editting comes to the rescue (I think)

2009-09-07T04:43:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-02236, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

I love this shot but to be honest, straight from the camera it didn't really work. I've got to admit, using a flash, except for a little touch of fill flash, is totally new to me and under the pressure of the "paparazzi for hire" night I just did I failed pretty badly.

But still the little devilish expression, the slight blur of movement, the costume and the lighting all gave me the desire to press on and make something of the shot. But what?

I decided that the focus of the shot is the dancers face and that wonderful expression, so that got the majority of the light. Obviously the background was adding nothing so I took that to black. I then decided that what I was left with was something sort of exotic, so I went for a grainy, blurred vision like you'd get in a cheap tourist brochure to somewhere like Brazil in the 1970's.

In the end while still not the greatest shot ever taken I actually quite like this.

(though I really need to work on my lighting skills)

OMG - I had the right spec, just the wrong company.

2009-09-01T01:55:00.000-07:00

In the frenzy leading up to the Sony A850 I had a stab at its specification - assuming that it was going to be an uber APS-C body to compete with the Nikon D300s. Clearly I was totally wrong with the A850 being an A900 lite. But I clearly wasnt a million miles away from what some people think the prime APS body should be.

Compare the Canon 7D thanks (DPReview for the specs) to my idea of what the Sony A850 was going to be and judged how close I got.

Dont always delete your just 'ok' photos.

2009-08-31T01:55:00.001-07:00

DSC01076, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Not the best photo I've ever taken and absolutely not the best shot ever taken of this scene but it was certainly the best shot I got of this classic skyline. Now a couple of years later I'm so glad I've got this image and a little sad how close I came to deleting it.

The lesson here is we semi serious amateurs with pretensions of being artists have to be careful sometimes not to set our sights too high and lose simple but great memories because a shot doesn't meet our standards.

Not every shot has to be a work of art, always remember sometimes a decent shot is enough for a great memory.

Well they are out - A850, A550, A500

2009-08-28T02:11:00.000-07:00

Well its the day after Christmas and the new cameras are out and about.

After all the leaks there isn't much we either didn't already know or at least strongly suspect so and understand that there isn't much excitement in this release but actually I'm pretty happy.

1. A850. essentially an A900 with some very small bit missing for a 26% price reduction. The first 'new'(ish) FF under 2k. I love that.

2. A500/550. A nice little pair of cameras that might not be cutting edge but offer a good balance of features, move forward a little from where Sony had been before and show that Sony is sticking around for the long haul. One interesting, and a little disappointing, thing is that in an effort to squeeze new features and old features into these bodies it appears Sony has lost their way a little in ergonomics. Well thats based on the DPreview hands on preview at least.

Hey - while I'm hear I'll take a little credit that my guesses on pricing and features for these cameras was pretty close as discussed here.

Some interesting things for me:

3. Sony has shown its happy for its price ranges to overlap - ie the cheapest 5XX is near as dammit to the priciest 3XX, the priciest 5XX is similarly close to the 700. This is good news, it suggests that any future A7XX series wont be constrained to stay away from the A850 and an uber APS, Nikon D300s competitor is possible.

4. Sony has a new 14 Mp CMOS chip capable of supporting 7FPS, main sensor live view and ISO 12800 that was not announced to the world by the sensor division and did not appear in a Nikon. That is a clear indication that the balance of influence on the Sony sensor division is shifting away from external customers.

Pushing the boundaries of Lightroom

2009-08-28T01:49:00.001-07:00

an odd conveyance, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

I am essentially lazy so in the main I've confined my editing to Lightroom. I know, I know, you really need layers and curves and all the power of a proper editor to really go to town and I promise I will learn to do that.

But in the meantime I've begun experimenting to see just how far I can push the processing in Lightroom and so far I've been very pleasantly surprised with what I can achieve.

chairs

2009-08-27T07:36:00.001-07:00

chairs, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

A simple photo taken at the Seattle Sculpture Museum in, funnily enough, Seattle. In this shot I was grabbed by the lines and textures and curves of the scene. But on the screen it just wasnt that strong.

Perhaps with a cool lighting setup I could have got all the interest in my head onto the screen and/or paper.

Instead I played with the processing a little in lightroom, using a "Dragan" preset I downloaded as a starting point but then darkening up the green even more, cooling down the colour temp and toning down the artificial vignetting. I still dont think I've done the scene justice but I do like it anyway.

Dyxum - I used to love you

2009-08-27T06:08:00.000-07:00

Dyxum, an A mount forum and information source on the net (probably THE) internet resource for we Minolta and Sony users is brilliant. It has great features like the lens review databases, fantastic forums free of the worst of the obvious trolling of DPreview and generally a friendly and helpful community feel. Oh, and I should also add a really good photo sharing vibe for when talking about gear gets you down.

And yet I'm not feeling the love any more - what went wrong?

I think the constant moaning has simply left me feeling withered and dry. The forums seem to be littered now with a never ending stream of angst and woe. If I want that I'll get off the net and watch tv designed for teens (like Skins - is that the worst series ever made?) Its like all the posters have turned into 15 year olds with a serious case of "the normals" whining about how terrible their utterly fantastic lives are.

And that the harsh truth. If you own a modern DSLR, and I dont care if its a Canon, Sony, Nikon, Pentax, or Olympus its a brilliant camera. If you've bought good quality lenses, and I dont care if they are name brand, Sigma, Tokina or Tamron you have some of the best lenses ever made. Whatever brand you have, your stuff is almost certainly wonderful.

And yet right now I suspect there are people on DPreview or Dyxum wringing their hands over the fact that the new Sony A500 doesnt offer some mode that the Nikon D90 does or that the A850 has half a stop more noise at ISO 6400 than the Canon 5D MkII. So I've pretty much given up.

Not completely, I'm not leaving the forum, I'm not handing over my registration, but I havent posted anything for a few weeks and I dont know when (or if) I will again. Perhaps when some of the whiners actually bite the bullet and leave, perhaps when someone says something so stupid I just cant hold back, who knows.

But I am sad that I feel this way.

It was the night before Christmas

2009-08-27T06:03:00.000-07:00

Well all the rumour mills are running hot, screen dumps from small country sites are popping up, the doomsayers are saying and the fan boys are braying. All that means only one thing - new cameras are coming soon.

The rumors say three new cameras, the A850, A550 and A500 all to be announced tomorrow. Oh please, please please Sony please give us something new. Please please please dont hold back. You are one of the largest and most diverse electronics houses out there. You used to lead the market. Please remember what that was like and stop playing safe, lead.

the fun doesnt end with sunset

2009-08-26T05:03:00.001-07:00

ribbon, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Recently I resorted to one of the old stand bys for a photographer - the sun set. Hey, dont get me wrong, that sounds a bit dismissive, I dont really mean it to sound that way. I've actually had a pretty good time lately chasing sunsets and I've captured a few decent images.

But the point I wanted to make today is that these days the fun doesnt end with sunset. In 2009 with DSLRs that have such wonderful IQ up to and beyond ISO 1600 and bodies like the Sony A700 with in-body stabilization we can keep shooting for ages after the sun had dipped below the horizon.

Which brings us to this image. I took this late one evening, about 45 minutes after the sun had set just beside Stockton bridge in Newcastle NSW. I love the colours, the shapes and the overall feel.

The rampant hypocrisy of camera forums

2009-08-25T03:29:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else ever noticed that the same people that are the first people to claim that no one should buy a new lens or camera are also the loudest whingers about new cameras when they come out.

Photographing models - another new frontier

2009-08-24T03:21:00.001-07:00

i see you, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

A little while ago I tried something new - taking photos of animals on the beach with a slow shutter allowing the motion blur to add to the sense of movement.

Well here's another new thing for me - models.

I'm not a sociable photographer, I usually love putting on my iPod, isolating myself away from all the other people out there and just photographing them. But in a small step forward in a recent event organised by the Newcastle Hunter Valley Photographers flickr group one of the others brought a model along and I had my first, halting, tentative and shy attempt at photographing a model.

This isnt really something I've ever thought of doing before and I wasnt really emotionally prepared for it so I didnt exactly cover myself in glory. In my defence I didnt exactly have all the right gear like a decent flash for a bit of fill flash etc.

Still amongst all the dross I think I captured one or two images I actually like - and this is one. In this case, the natural light and shade has produced a nice contrast while the model has stared straight down the barrel of the lens and given me a really cool 'look'.

And like a decent golf shot - getting one right can be enough to make you want to come back.

I will get better at this.

Composition - pushing the rules

2009-08-23T07:31:00.001-07:00

getting amongst it, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

There are lots of rules around composition - perhaps the single most famous is the "rule of thirds". Basically this means putting the subject a little off center so that its interest is emphasized by the use of space and perspective.

This is a good rule and one I use a lot.

But sometimes it nice to push the rules and this is what I've done here. In this case the subject inst at the one third point across the frame but rather at about the one sixth point. But I think it really works better this way. This image is all about the girls location, by placing her so close to the edge with so much empty water (and frame) in front of her we see just how big the lake is and where she is in context.

I like it and I think this is a good reason to always be guided by the rules but not bound be them.

Sony A850, A5XX - whats the future for the A7XX?

2009-08-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

Lets imagine the rumours turn out t be true and over the next few weeks we Sony users get a couple of new cameras, what are they likely to be?

A850 - an A900 lite. Well the A850 seems to be so certain that one of the best Sony/Minolta mount sites on the net (Dyxum) has already created an A900/A850 forum area. Historically this has only occurred when the site owner has had an inside tip that he really trusts. So far he hasn't been wrong and I'm willing to trust Mladen again.

Right now the only outstanding discussions on this revolve around price - most "responsible" net guessers seem to be saying something around $US2000 - so a $600 discount from the A900. There is some thought it might go even cheaper but as much as I hope this is true I wouldnt be betting my money on it.

A5XX - an A700 lite. Its widely believed that the A5XX series will be related to the A700 in some way and retail for about the price the A700 does at present. In truth if you took the A700, put it in a slightly cheaper body, gave it main sensor live-view and video and sold it for $US990 it would be a killer camera. I reckon thats pretty much what we'll get.

That leaves a Sony lie-up that goes something like this:

A230 - $US450
A330 - $US650
A380 - $US800
A500 - $US900
A550 - $US1200
A850 - $US2000
A900 - $US2600

Now thats based on a huge number of guesses and approximations but its close enough to draw a couple of conclusions. These are:

A7XX - Going uptown. There is space in this lineup for a 'higher' APS-C based 7 series but its going to have to push further up the price range to get away from the A5XX. Does the A7XX have to stay clear of the $US2000 A850? No!

I think it would be smart for Sony to have the A7XX and A850 both in the $US1800-$US2000 range. These could be very different camera's catering to very different user communities. I wouldnt see these camera's so much stealing sales from each other as vastly expanding the range of people that might consider buying a Sony.

Anyway - there's a solid rumour going around that a lot (not all - its never all) will be revealed on 28 Aug 2009. I'll come back and have a chat on this topic when (or if) this announcement happens.

Tele vs wide - perspective

2009-08-21T02:37:00.000-07:00

You know I could right a bunch of words here but why bother - there is an excellent little article on Luminous Landscape by Peter Cox on Changing Perspective that covers this really well.

Canon G11 - the megapixel race shifts into reverse

2009-08-20T04:20:00.000-07:00

In a first, Canon has put the headlong race to ever higher megapixel counts into reverse with their latest incarnation of the serious photographers compact, the G series, the new G11 (thanks DPreview).

While there are undoubtedly many fine new features with this camera the single most interesting feature from a whole of market point of view is the fact that the new G11 is a "mere" 10Mp compared to the 14.2 Mp in the G10 it replaces. Not only that there is the constant reference to the new chip being a "high sensitivity" sensor.

What has driven this shift in direction? Well ever since the release of the amazing 12Mp FF D3 the benefits of high ISO shooting have certainly become better known and in many way ISO is the new Mp. Also, the advent of new micro 4/3s cameras like the Olympus E-P1 that offer the small size of the G series compacts with vastly better noise performance must have been a consideration.

But I also wonder if Canon was feeling the heat from other directions as well. Its interesting that in order to improve the noise performance of its G series compacts Canon has felt the need to drop resolution by about 35%. Time will tell how the IQ of this camera will stack up against some of the newest kids on the block, especially the ever popular (and now CMOS equipped) Ricoh's and even more interesting back lit Sony DSC-WX1.

Photographing Airports

2009-08-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

First I should say that taking photos at an airport can be hard, not because of a lack of subjects, god knows there is actually the opposite problem, but the ever present risk of being considered a terrorist is not to be taken lightly.

The other day, waiting for my daughter I took my camera and was wandering around outside the terminal looking for interesting shots and I overheard (as I think I was meant to) the security guys talking about me and that if I walked past them again I'd get pulled up. This was a little confronting and also a little tempting. I wasn't actually going to pass them again as the plane I was waiting for landed, but hearing that I almost wanted to, but then again I didn't want to, and then I felt guilty about feeling some concern and almost started courting their scrutiny to prove to myself I wasn't afraid.

How fucking dumb was that getting?

Anyway, the real point. Airports are really cool place to photograph, not just (or even) the planes. Its the people, the buildings, the anticipation, longing, heartbreak - its all there. Actually I wasnt able to get much on my last trip except for this which I really like. The sense of abandonment and irrelevance really hits me.

Sunset - the last refuge of the desparate photographer

2009-08-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Earlier, one of the suggestions I had for people running out of inspiration was to consider collecting street art and try and compile a record of the place you live in a slightly unconventional way. Well here's another look at an old standby for those times you are running low on inspiration.

Ok, first I should admit that living in Newcastle, NSW makes this pretty easy. Mid north Coast weather means nice clear skies, easy temperaures and lots of water - all in all golden hour/sunset gold.

Still, it might be all set up for you but you've still got to get out their and actually take the shot which is what I've tried to do here. The first shot is kind of obvious, a fishing boat navigating out of the harbour on sunset. An pretty unoriginal image but still pretty strong (in my mind at least). The second shot is probably still pretty obvious but here I felt comfortable pushing the processing quite a bit further. In a particular I sucked almost all the blue out of the picture leaving a pretty surreal, surface of mars sort of vibe, but with a Pelican sitting in the middle of it.

Pushing a new boundary - slow shutters

2009-08-17T05:28:00.000-07:00

I tend to be a "literal" photographer. I mean I'll push and pull colours a little, tweak the contrast and occasionally play with filters but thats about it. However, the other night I headed down to the breakwater near the Nobbies lighthouse in Newcastle to catch some sunset shots over the harbour and heading home caught a scene that inspired me to try something more.

Near the end of the breakwater, inside the harbour is Horseshoe Beach. A wonderful little stretch of beach that is open to use as a leash free park for dogs and their owners. On this night, as the set dropped below the horizon and twilight settled over us some locals were still out there with their dogs, just eking the last bit of play from the day. A combination of the light, the dogs running, the headiness of having having a night to myself with my camera all combined to produce a kind of magical, fantastical, feeling.

I was inspired to try something new (for me) in an attempt to capture this magic. I was thinking of a photo I once saw of a jackel running in the night holding the head of its prey that I always admired (taken by Roy Toft - I cant find his jackel photo but this wilderbeast one is excellent too). I tried a couple of things but the slow shutter and partial pan gave me the result I was after. What I wanted to get was not a picture of the dogs, but rather pictures of the memory of dogs. Like cave painting arent pictures of animals but rather pictures of stories of animals.

I know others have done this better but I'll admit I'm pretty happy with how these two images worked.

A little more brand validation for Sony

2009-08-14T01:35:00.001-07:00

Sony users always run the risk of becoming, or at least being seen to become real fanboys (and girls I suppose but they seem pretty rare). At the other extreme it can be tempting for we Sony users to go the other way and become in-house trolls, doing nothing but undermining the mount we feel trapped in. I wrote about this tendency in this blog post.

Therefore, its always nice to read an article that doesnt gush or decry but simply says nice things about the camera brand I'm using. And thats pretty much exactly what Andy Biggs has done with his short "review" of the Sony A900 and lenses in Namibia. Coming on the heels of the good things said by the online photography blog this is some cool brand validation.

And yes its sad that we Sony Shooters feel the need for this pep up.

The trouble with people....

2009-08-14T00:12:00.001-07:00

shattered, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

...is that we are all different.

I really like this image. The shattered glass, the hole punched through the wall behind it and the hasty blobs of silicon trying in vain to hold it all together. It captures the idea of horrible, mindless, sudden violence and the desire to do something about it, to hold back the breakdown that follows.

Its not quite perfect, if I'd taken more time I would have liked it to be sharper and I think I could have got a little straighter but all in all I'm pretty happy.

Funny then that it sinks like a stone in forums and passes with virtually no views and/or comments.

That's ok. I don't feel slighted or confused or mystified. This isn't a rant that people aren't appreciating my genius its just yet another acknowledgment that when it comes to aesthetic choices we are all different and one persons great shot is anothers' time waster.

So is there advice out there for the reader who stumbles on this blog? Yeah. If you arent getting the views, the comments, the favorites that you think you deserve get over yourself. We all have those moments but ultimately stop looking at the view counters and the comments and go back to the pictures. Do they still grab you, are you still proud of them?

That's all that matters.

The beauty of colour

2009-08-13T02:38:00.001-07:00

just colours, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

What we like in photos is highly variable. Personally, I have a real weakness for colour. This shot is super simple and from a composition point of view doesn't have much to recommend it but the colour just blows me away.

Looking for inspiration - street art

2009-08-10T05:27:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it just feels like you've taken a photo of everything you can possibly find. The kids run when you pick up the camera, your wife rolls her eyes, even the dogs just look bored. Every flower has been shot 100 times and if you chase one more bee or ant or bug of any sort you'll just scream.

Well occasionally its ok to stand on the shoulders of others and use their art to make yours. This doesnt come easy. First you have to find it. Yeah I know finding any old street art is easy and hardly a challenge. But finding something new, interesting and fun is much, much harder. However, its also rewarding.

The next step is to do something interesting with the shot, to ensure that you are really making something, not just copying it. Now thats a tricky issue. How far do you have to go? I dont know what you have to do, however, I know I feel comfortable with what I've done here.

Dont let it stop here, dont stop at one or two bits of art. Keep your eye's out and you'll find dozens of pieces like this, all around your neighbourhood. I promise. People, god love them, want to make stuff, they want to create, they want to express themselves. Go look you'll be amazed.

Sometime art trumps craft

2009-08-08T00:22:00.001-07:00

PMac Imagery flickr-00692, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

I'm not a portrait photographer, almost never trying to photographer people expecting to get a photo. Two reasons, one, dealing with people isnt why I do photography and, two, I'm crap at it.

So with that in mind when I got the chance to practice with some children through a local photography group I leapt at it. Funnily enough though, despite my recent post on the importance of paying attention to the craft of photography the truth is this is my favorite shot. Its out of focus, flare has destroyed the contrast and put spots into the shot but I still love it.

So yes, the craft is important, but the art will trump it when you get it right.

Why the disproportionate weight to high ISO results

2009-08-06T05:30:00.000-07:00

I can never understand the fascination people have with high ISO performance. No camera, even the low light geniuses like the D700 and D3 gets anywhere near its best performance more than 2, maybe 3, stops above its "base" iso. So with a base ISO of (say) 200, you will get your very best sharpness, colour, DR, noise etc etc at 200. This will hold up really well at 400, be pretty close at 800 and be noticeably different though probably still pretty good at 1600. Beyond here the quality fall off is obvious and clearly something you would want to avoid.

And this isnt a Sony thing, or a Nikon thing or a Canon thing - its a physics thing. Look at test photos from any camera and compare its output at ISO 100/200 to what it gets at 800/1600. Its obvious, while the high iso shots might be useable, side by side with the ISO 100/200 they will suck.

Thats probably why as I look through the 20000 odd photo's in my catalog, 95.2% of them are taken at ISO 800 or lower. Another 4.4% are at ISO 1600. And yes, do the maths and you'll see 0.4% of my photos are taken at ISO 3200 or higher.

So frankly I dont really care about high iso performance and whats more, given that most people I speak to have similar sorts of usage patterns I dont understand why most people seem to.

a challenge - an example of the direct positive

2009-08-04T04:41:00.001-07:00

a challenge in the sun, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

In my earlier post I described the Direct positive look - well here's an example (that I've punched up even more).

Processing - the Direct Positive look

2009-08-04T03:55:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite "looks" when processing images is the "direct positive" look I discovered totally by accident when I bought Lightroom. So what is the direct positive look?

Well first lets go back in time. The term Direct Positive is defined as:

"Made from a transparency without an internegative on a direct positive colour paper. A high contrast positive image slide made only from camera ready originals with no negative required."

So basically the direct positive gives a kind of 'slide' characteristic. The colors are punchy, the contrast is high, the highlights are right on the limit of the clipping and the blacks are deep and luscious.

So what does that do in Lightroom?

Well it does pretty much the same thing - it pushes the exposure just over a stop, deepens the black point, applies a pretty strong S shaped contrast curve and also punches up the saturation in the blue channel.

The resulting image is really powerful and has a lot of visual "pop". That said it actually doesn't appear to be a particularly popular. I think in today's world the 'direct positive' look is seen as a little old fashioned, a little simple, perhaps even twee. Its not gritty, or 'street', it has no cred. A "dragan" look is so much cooler.

I dont care, I still love it.

ghost rider

2009-08-03T06:50:00.001-07:00

ghost rider, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

Reaching back in time just over two years to when I had just started in this hobby. this is still one of my all time favorite images. I think its that the seat and wall and window are all so clean but with the slight ruffling where someone was sitting its as if a ghost was still there enjoying the view.

I find its fun sometimes to take a journey back through our older photos, not to learn or poke fun or wonder at the equipment but simply to enjoy them. Sometimes it can be easy to become fixated on the next image and forget the great ones we've already got.

The Sony A850 is peeking out of its hidey hole

2009-08-02T04:26:00.000-07:00

Well a manual for the A850 has surfaced and been downloaded from Sony sites (thanks to Kyle Batson for the web version). It confirms the idea that the A850 isnt an uber APS body and is, instead, a stripped down A900, so an affordable FF 25 Mp. No I don't doubt the veracity of the manual downloads but something appears a little fishy. What I mean is the very deliberate looking leaking of virtually all the details of the new camera (barring price).

My theory?

Look at the threads on the A850. The user community is deeply split and no matter what Sony did a lot of people were going to be upset. By this leak Sony is able to let a lot of the venting take place before the release and let us concentrate on the real party trick - the price.

PS - I was completely totally, utterly and unambiguously wrong. I completely misread the tea leaves and admit it freely. Read how wrong I got it.

PPS - I'm actually pretty stoked by that - personally the A850 is looking like the camera I really want.

PPPS - But I am a little concerned on the apparent lack of progress from Sony on some core photographic issues like autofocus.

Simple things

2009-08-02T04:25:00.001-07:00

simple things, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

We often get wrapped up in exotic locations, big scary animals or shots of amazing people. And yet, this photo I got of just some grasses being blown in the wind really strikes me and makes me want to just be there again.

Whether its a photo or just the rest of our lives, sometimes I think we could all benefit from giving up on the chase for the complex, the distant, the amazing and simply embrace the simple.

The importance of craft

2009-07-31T19:52:00.000-07:00

The digital revolution has brought tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of newcomers to the field - like me. And this explosion of photographers has occurred at a time when the idea of self expression and individualism is also peaking. Therefore, many of the new breed - like me - are perhaps a little too devoted to the idea of being an artist and a little too dismissive of the craft of being a good photographer.

I'm writing this in the aftermath of having 8 quality control rejects in a row from my stock agency. I'd never had more than 2 in the past, now 8. Now to be honest I think the QC standards have changed a little of late but one thing it highlighted to me was that its vital not to get carried away with the so-called 'pictorial' elements of a shot and forget the technical.

Oh - by the way, I had a success and got a batch through this morning. So I feel good now.

lines

2009-07-31T04:29:00.001-07:00

lines, originally uploaded by PMac Imagery.

To be honest this photo didnt completely work, it looked good in the camera but when I got it on the big screen it became obvious I needed to close it done a little to get the whole thing in focus. But I still like it anyway.

I love the textures and the colours. It just makes me remember the feeling of a late afternoon in Newcastle, a great time and a great place.

My guesses at an A850 spec

2009-07-23T04:13:00.000-07:00

Well the A700 is getting on, there are strong rumours of an A500/550 pair that is likely to fill up the space the A700 currently occupies so the only way is up for the A850. So developing my theory of the A850 as an uber APS body to go head to head with the Nikon D400 here's my theory.

Body. About A700 sized, wouldn't be surprised to see more sealing, bigger VF. This seems to be something Sony is staking a claim on. Some small cues to the new 230/330/380 line but not much. Sony will be sticking to the minimalist, little bling look of the A900 at this point. On this point, Sony will stick to CF - justified or not, its the 'serious' choice.

Sensor. I suspect Sony will push the sensor to match the K7/50D so expect something in the 14-16 Mp range. I anticipate that ISO performance will continue to improve but not at the rate some will want. So I reakon we'll get a few more Mp and between half and a full stop better iso performance. Yeah it will still lag the very best in class but so what, it'll still be amazing.

Live View. I believe Sony will give us main sensor LV and will claim that its line about doing it properly applied to getting contrast detect AF working really well in a DSLR. On that point I think Sony will give us a really good LV AF module. Possible - see speed and displays.

Video. I think it'll come with video with a lot of bells and whistles. This is an area Sony should absolutely nail. On a side point, I wouldnt be surprised to see Sony Vegas movie studio shipped with the camera.

Phase Detect AF. This is an interesting one. Part of me would not be surprised to see Sony forgo huge leaps in this form of AF, thinking that we are only a generation from full EVAL cameras and this is a dead end. But while possible I dont think thats where we'll go. AF cross points is the new 'headline' feature - I'm guessing we'll get at least 5, probably 7, possibly 9. I also think we'll see a corresponding increase in 'assist' points. So we'll be looking at something like 20 AF points. All this will come with the usual claims. Again it will trail the Nikons and Canon 1 series but it will be closer than ever before.

Metering. I'd be surprised if there were major changes here. Not a headline feature or a particularly compelling review point. Not saying the current system is great but look at this site, even amongst us geeks its not a topic we give a lot of time to.

Speed. Ok, here it gets exciting (for some). My guess - 10 FPS - why? These things tend to come in round numbers. Data rates simply arent an issue with something like a 15 Mp sensor and state of the art chips.

While unlikely, its possible Sony might feel adventurous and catch us by surprise here. Perhaps a killer contrast detect LV AF, an electronic shutter and an LV 20-30 fps mode.

Controls/displays. Pretty much what we have. Probable. Incremental improvement plus some modification to incorporate video. Possible. Sony must be keen to get an OLED display out there soon, this camera is a likely candidate. Might trade a slightly smaller, tilting OLED for current LCD. OLED tech could also be one of the things that takes LV from toy to truly useful with significantly better angle of view, sunlight and colour performance.

Customisation. Really part of controls I guess. Pretty simple - more. Not as much as the D300 but a lot closer. (yes I realise Nikon will have the D400).

Other bits and pieces. Probable. Frankly I expect in body GPS and some form of wireless data transfer. Lens micro adjust will be there to I suppose. Possible. Some of the stuff appearing on new superzooms like auto panos, face detect, etc

Price. $US1900

Conclusion. I seriously believe this camera is possible in 2009, whether its possible for Sony is perhaps another question. I think it is but then again I'm used to being disappointed.

Rumours - the bane of the Sony Shooter

2009-07-21T06:08:00.000-07:00

In a prior post I spoke about the spectacular angst of the Sony shooter and the special anger we can feel towards our own mount. Another manifestation of this unique relationship with our mount is a really pronounced sensitivity to rumours.

The Sony Alpha community is riven with concern that at any moment our "parent" will decide that the passion is gone and walk away. So like uncertain children we are constantly searching for signs that we are still loved, that we are still the ones Sony wants to please. So we pounce on anything, any little error in a web site menu, any obscure reference in a firmware referencing system, any reference in an interview.

Well we are getting pretty hot under the collar right now. Word is that three new camera's are getting close. They are the A500, A550 and A850.

Tomorrow I might spend a bit of time guessing precise specs but fro now this is basically how I think its likely to work.

1 the A500 will be the A700 shrunk a little, cleaned up a little, etc

2. the A550 will be the A550 with an upgraded sensor.

so far nothing novel. But,

3. the A850 will be an uber APS body, using the A550 sensor but perhaps with features that actually take it well past the A900. With a D300 like price pushing towards $1800-1900. This gives Sony a vehicle to get advances in AF, metering, video, LV - god knows, onto the market in a form that doesnt detract too much from the A900 which remains the king of the hill simply by virtue of being FF.

4. We wont get a 7 series for a while - the Sony line-up will look a bit like the Nikon set-up with a similar gap between the A550 and A850 as the D90 and D300. Simply recycling the 7 series would create all sorts of problems as people would be confused as the new 7xx would cost up to double the price of the 700 it replaced.

Of course I'm almost certainly wrong.

Leica in 1937 and why we shouldnt feel bad

2009-07-20T03:55:00.000-07:00

I was recently in a discussion on the net that began with one question and, as these things tend to do, it wandered off bringing in a bunch of new questions and considerations. One of the issues that popped out for me was the question of Leica and in particular, its place in the pantheon of godlike tools early in its life. I mean today, if someone actually puts their hand in their pocket for a $4000 camera and $1000-$5000 lenses we assume (often wrongly) they are pretty serious and determined to follow the hallowed footsteps of luminaries like Henri Cartier-Bresson.

But what did a Leica mean for those luminaries? One of the reasons I was interested was that in recent discussions, it appears to be assumed that back when HCB, Robert Capa etc were emerging and embracing these new cameras, Leica's (and similar cameras of the newish 35mm format) were novelties, toy's, not to be used by "serious" photographers. The fact that Leica et al came under the heading of "miniature" seemed to lead many modern readers to simply assume that these camera's were not to be taken particularly seriously at the time and that the photographers that embraced them were the equivalents of the subversives using Lomos, Holgas and iPhones as cameras today. The flip side of this argument is the belief that worrying about having good gear is, paradoxically, a sign that you may not be serious enough.

In the kind of serendipity usually reserved for movies I was also browsing through a local bookshop last week and stumbled across an incomplete (I could only get volumes 1 and 2 of a 3 volume set) copy of "The Encyclopedia of Modern Photography" and a similar (though much thinner) book titled "Manual of the Miniature Camera" a little net research indicates each of these books was published somewhere in late 1937 to early 1938.   In these books I found enough to indicate that the modern idea of the "novelty" of the Leica and its position at the bottom of the photographic rung (at least by the mid to late 1930's) was seriously misplaced.

First, let us look at the definition of the "miniature camera".   According to my Modern Encyclopedia (of 1937) a miniature camera was anything with a film size of 6cm x 6cm or less! So by that definition a Phase One P65 is a miniature.   Thinking about this a bit more, it seems as though anything that was likely to require an enlarger to produce any sort of print was a "miniature" camera.

Next, let’s consider how the Leica system was described. In simple terms, within its category, ie cameras with a film size of less than 6 cm x 6 cm the Leica system was regarded and the system to have. In the opening paragraph of the 1937 encyclopedia Leica was described thus:

"Today the camera (Leica) has a worldwide reputation both for its mechanical and optical perfection and for its extraordinary versatility."

Then after a page and a half of description its finishes with:

"It is probably true to say that no other camera is so complete a range of technical equipment available as with the Leica, making as near to the ideal of a universal camera as scientific and manufacturing ingenuity is likely to achieve. With the serious amateur, the advanced worker and the professional alike it inspires a confidence that, properly handled it will respond to any demand that is made upon it effectively."

Finally, there is the sordid business of the price. Here I turn from the 1937 encyclopedia to the Manual of the Miniature Camera. First, it appears these books actually began life as Magazines that a publisher has edited and bound as a single volume. This is interesting because it means ads often remain behind as little time capsules to be pored over 70 years later. At the back of the Manual there’s an ad from a UK store, City Sale and Exchange. Over there, the most expensive camera in their ad is the Leica IIIb with a 50 f2 lens at 43 pounds. The Zeiss Contax II with a 35 f3.5 is 40 pounds. When we get to Kodak and Rolleicord we are down to 12 to 16 pounds. Now I’ve got to admit, I have no idea what other format cameras were selling for. The Encyclopedia has a bit of a list too but that’s RRP so isn’t necessarily accurate however, it does list a huge number of brands from Balinda to Wessex and the Leica’s are the most expensive camera in the book bar none.

Note if anyone is interested, in 1937 a Leitz 200mm f4.5 could be yours for 37 pounds.

So what does this mean? Well before I begin spruiking my ideas, my 'research' is very narrow, relies upon only those resources I happened to have hanging around through dumb luck and therefore isn’t corroborated with much else, so I can’t claim that this is the last word on the argument and in the face of better research I'd have to rethink my theories pretty quickly.

Perhaps most importantly I think modern readers must be very careful how we interpret words from the past. We tend to see a word like "miniature" and instantly make assumptions about the product. Today a miniature car, pony or camera is a toy. Not a serious product. In the 1930's this wasnt always the case.   The 30's was a time of things being reduced in size and increased in potency.   Technology, as we would understand it, was taking hold as radios, televisions etc escaped the labs and appeared in homes.  Of course the word "miniature" could carry negative connotations but not always, instead, it could also indicate modern, cutting edge, the future.   In a way, "miniature" in the 30's is not unlike "automatic" in the 70's. However thats a discussion for another day.

Next, I think we should dispose of the myth that the brace of heroes like HCB were really running ahead of the crowd in grabbing the Leica driven solely by its small size and handling qualities, uncaring of its technical qualities. Despite its small (for the time) format, within a very short time Leica was acknowledged as an excellent camera both optically and in terms of the 'aids' it brought the photographer. Perhaps as important as the words directed at the system is the simple acknowledgment of the price. Clearly, the decision to adopt this system in the mid to late 30's was not a cheap one or something entered into lightly. One only chose to enter this segment of the photographic world after long and careful consideration. Note, I'm not saying that inside HCB, Capa etc there was an Ansell Adams just wishing they could find a mule to carry their gear. But I do contend that modern attempts to imply that these people that redefined 'street' photography were unconcerned with their equipment and the technical qualities of their camera's are misguided.

So for us, I think we should quit beating ourselves up when we find ourselves talking gear.  Spending a lot of time to research and money to buy the equipment you think you need has a long and proud tradition in all genres of photography. Of course be careful to keep this in perspective but the next time someone implies that the camera doesn’t matter and that greats from the past got by with just a point and shoot, take heart, that simply isn’t true.

a little corner of the net that isnt about gear

2009-07-19T05:33:00.000-07:00

Ok, actually there's quite a few sites that talk about the art of photography, but they tend to get drowned out by the vast array of gear sites. Even sites such as Luminous Landscape, once very technique driven, are becoming more and more about the stuff we use to take pictures and less about the pictures.

But the take over is not complete. One of the semi-regular contributors on that site, Alain Birot, has his own little corner of the site, call Birots View, that has quite a bit on actually getting and image worth of all that gear we want to buy. Head over there and enjoy.

(and I promise to write something more interesting soon)

How to take better travel photos

2009-07-18T04:31:00.000-07:00

Travel photography isnt sexy, isnt edgy, doesnt involve lots of gear and tends to remind many (like me) of tedious nights watching aunt Doris's slides from her trip to the Gold Coast. But the truth is we all take them and really good travel photos are a joy both to yourself and (if you are lucky) to the people who buy the prints long after the trip.

I wish I were an expert on this but I'm not.

Andy Biggs is however and he's done us all a favour and given us some top tips for getting the best out of our shots when we travel. A short, sharp but still worthwhile read. Read the article in Wide World Magazine here. Andy does a blog to.

My first meetup - in Newcastle

2009-07-18T01:46:00.000-07:00

This photography hobby of ours can be pretty solitary at times except for the uncertain and tenuous relationships we might be able to sustain over the net. Well you know what, there is a real world too, with real people, where you can really meet.

When I was living in Seattle I was part of a wonderful, real, flickr community and made some actual friends. As much as Ive loved Newcastle since moving here I've really missed that photo community.

Well today I rediscovered it. I had my first flickr NHVP (Newcastle Hunter Valley Photographers) meetup today and it was great. I will definitely be doing more of that in future. The meetup today was part of the whole Scott Kelby photo walk, obviously covering Newcastle NSW and while I dont think I was "on" today from a photographic point of view I still had a ball.

So if any one reads this blog and wants one piece of advice. Get out there and meet real people, Get away from the computer, head down the pub, go for a walk, take some photos, actually talk and "meet up".

Hey did people notice, I'm getting smarter (slowly) see I've even started putting links in.

PMacImagery Photo Critique worksheet Version 1.0

2009-07-17T00:24:00.001-07:00

This is a synthesis of my thoughts and a couple of idea’s I gathered (ok stole) from the net. The real crime is that I drafted this ages ago, moved it around, lost my notes and now can’t find my references. If any reader ever says “hey that’s mine” please let me know and I’ll get references and links in as fast as I can.

This is also Version 1.0. Since writing this down I’m finding there are bits that work, bits that don’t, bits that might go away and bits that need more detail. All in all there will be a version 2 (one day).

1) Look

First of all, shut up and look. If there is a collection of photos start with the collection as a whole, what’s its aim, what’s its point, establish a frame of reference for the photo you are critiquing. Then start at the whole picture and work in. Don’t judge the photo, just try and “read” it. If you do find something sticking in your head, note it but try not to get distracted by it.

2) Interpretation

Well this depends on the forum – is this the net/magazine with just a photo or a gallery style showing with the photographer standing next to you.

If the guy or girl is there, have a chat, talk about the photo for a bit. Do a bit of Q&A, what were you intending? I feel this, was that planned? Even in net reviews people will often say where they were heading, what they were thinking.

If you are alone with the photo with no guidance I recommend at least trying to think what the photographer might have been trying to say.

3) Artistic points

Start simple and get more complex. This is my checklist:

First look at the composition or content in the photograph. What is the centre of interest in the picture? Where did the photographer place it in the frame? Did the photographer get close enough to the subject to include only what is important, or are there wasted parts of the picture with elements that do not add to the message of the photo?

If the photo is in black and white, should it have been in colour and vice-versa?

Is there a good balance between the foreground and the background?

Would the photo have worked better with a different prop / model?

Next, observe the background in the photograph. How did the photographer represent the background in regards to focus and depth of field? How does the background add or distract from the message of the photo?

4) Technical points (these need to be read very carefully in light of the photographers artistic choices discussed above).

Did you spot dust - thats almost always bad.

Is the exposure okay for what is intended. A properly exposed photo will have some texture in the shadows if that texture is missing is it detracting from the overall picture? Are details missing because of over or under exposure - always returning to the question, are the missing details important to the image.

Is there any unwanted blur (wrong focus, motion blur, zoom blur etc)? Now take a look at the technical camera work involved in the photograph. Is the subject sharp and clearly in focus (if that was the apparent intent of the photographer)?

Are the colours accurately represented? Or if the photographer wasn’t aiming for accuracy did the colours help the image or hinder it.

What’s the contrast like?

Could the photographer have used lighting differently to better achieve the aim they stated (or we’ve assumed).

Would a bigger or smaller aperture have been beneficial to portray the scene effectively?

Photoshopping – has it been done well? Are there artefacts, smudges, obvious cloning, over smoothing etc.

Last of all I look at the craftsmanship the photographer exhibits. Does the physical photo have spots, stains, or scratches? Is it placed nicely in a frame or elaborately displayed? Is there evidence that the photograph was made with care in the process? I also apply this (with some reservations) to shots on the net when considering framing, watermarks, captions, added text etc.

5) Good points

Point out what you like about the photograph, and why. The why bit is most important: If you can’t tell why you like X, Y, or Z, there’s no point in mentioning it. “I like the sky” is useless. “I like the colour of the sky” is better. “I like the deep blue colour of the sky because it contrasts nicely with the yellows and reds in the photo” is perfect. Put some thought into this.

6) Points worth improving for next time

This point is saved for last, because you’ve made the photographer more confident about their photograph by now. It is still important to remember that the photo has been taken, and that this photo can’t really be changed anymore. As such, there’s no point in slating people for their photographs. Tell them one or two specific points that could be improved on this particular photo (’clean up dust’ and ‘turn into black and white’ are useful suggestions, as they can done in the darkroom), and perhaps one or two points that you would have done differently, if you were the one taking the photograph.

Well I'm back but feelin lazy

2009-07-06T04:37:00.000-07:00

After a the best part of a month away you'd think I'm full of stuff to write about and in truth I am but frankly I'm feeling kind of lazy and cant work up the mental activity to blog.

Is this the ultimate is half arsed blogging, writing about how I cant be bothered writing?

Probably but I console myself that its better than no writing about not feeling like writing.

Is the old way the best way?

2009-05-31T05:13:00.000-07:00

There is a trend emerging on the net, generally amongst older photographers, to point to simpler times and advise the new generation to follow a similar path. Usually this will involve some sort of return to film, a fully manual camera, and a simple fixed focal length lens. The idea seems to be that by forcing people into a more rigidly controlled,less forgiving environment they will acquire a deeper understanding of the craft of photography and gain discipline from the experience.

I am not so sure.

In reading blogs from many of these people, another theme that comes through is their dissatisfaction with digital and its inability to replicate what they got with film. As if the replication of what they have done in the past is the ultimate aim of the new medium.

I wonder if, the discipline these people have learnt is actually a strait jacket, constricting their creativity and their ability to adapt. Worse, I wonder if by encouraging newcomers to photography to follow their path, while certainly giving the new guys and girls a greater grasp of the craft, if they aren't also crippling their art in the long term.

Why Sony forums get a little tense

2009-05-24T03:44:00.000-07:00

The internet is a place for conflict, we are mostly hidden away in our bedrooms or studies tapping away safe in the knowledge that no matter how horrible we are, our 'real' selves are immune to any pay back or opprobrium for what we say on the net. Photography forums are generally pretty civil, but there is an undercurrent of tension that runs through many that occasionally bubbles to the surface.

Recently I've noticed that the Sony forums (which are my main haunts) are probably the some of the 'worst' of the photography based fora. To the extent that on DPReview recently one poster felt the need to wonder if Sony users should actively work to calm it down a notch. That's probably not a bad idea but it made me wonder what is it with Sony that seems to be making this happen. My theory is that there are 3 factors.

1. Since taking over Minolta, Sony now has trolls actually in its ranks. Usually trolls are people from outside a brand who pop in to cause a bit of trouble for the thrill of it. In Sony's case there people are from another brand - Minolta (notice how the Konica always gets dropped off) - but they don't pop in, they live on the Sony fora. The resent Sony for swallowing up the company they loved, they feel Sony is treating the Minolta heritage with disrespect and they constantly cry that every problem with every camera Sony has produced is solely a result of Sony changing something Minolta had. These people bring an overwhelming and incessant negativity to any and all Sony photography fora.

2. Sony is a hated brand at the best of times. Apple and Pentax etc are brands that everyone loves. Even people that don't use their products always have a soft spot for them and hope they do well. Microsoft, Sony, IBM etc are hated brands - even people that have never used their products just seem to hate them on principle. Sometimes its their business practices, their history, their success, god knows. But the harsh fact of life is Sony just isn't a huggable brand.

3. The underdogs fans are always hypercritical. The fans of the underdog, whether its a camera company, sports team or political party know that to win their guy has to be better than the opposition and when their guy fails, even just a little, they fear the backsliding will begin and the race lost forever. Therefore, the fans of the underdog become super sensitive, concerned over every little slip-up, careful not to let a single discretion go on by. Compounding this sensitivity is two 'sub factors':

a) Not wanting to be wrong. Like tipping against your football team, slagging off at your own brand protects you a little if they do actually fail. Yes your company has gone and your camera is no longer supported but at least you weren't fooled - you always knew there were problems. Moreover, you knew the answers and they just should have listened to you.

b) Justifying shifting. Being part of the minority is tough. Not only that, sometimes no matter how good the things your brand are offering might be, sometimes your brand just doesn't offer what you need. But shifting brand is also tough, there's a lot of inertia to overcome and sometimes a lot of money to find. So trashing your brand is part of the process for leaving. Leaving because one lens isn't quite cheap enough is a tough sell, even to yourself, but leaving because Sony sucks and everything they touch is crap is easy.

None of this should be taken to imply that Sony and its products are perfect and beyond criticism. In fact there are many, many things I'd like to see Sony changes and I've never hidden that fact. All I'm seeking to investigate in this post is the venom you see sometimes in Sony fora.

What do I look for in a lens

2009-05-22T04:01:00.000-07:00

Some recent discussion on Nikon v Sony lenses sent me scurrying off to the net for a quick literature search of tests and I found something interesting about myself. That there were parts of tests I cared deeply about, and parts I didn't give two hoots about. Since then, over a coffee, I've had a think about what I care about in more detail. And here's my results....

1. Resolution. Why? I can correct pretty much everything else in processing - that simple - whereas if the data didnt make it through the lens onto the sensor and out, I'm screwed. But within resolution, what matters to me:

a) center resolution wide open (wide open I expect a narrow DOF anyway so edges are irrelevant)

b) maximum achieveable resolution at any setting

c) across the frame performance in the f4-f8 range.

2. Flare. Can be fixed but very hard and seems to always crop up at the worst time.

3. Bokeh - not that interested in grading it, I find that impossible to characterize across all different scenarios, but I look for problems.

4. Anything else that's much worse than the norm and so bad I'd have to spend more time than its worth to fix it.

5. I do also look for something "special" dont know what it is, but I know when its missing. My Zeiss 50 has it, my Sigma 20 has it, my other Sigmas dont. Its feel, its weight, its smoothness, its coolness, its that special X, factor, the David Bowie bit.

As always these are whats important to me given what and how I shoot and process.

How do others assess glass? Whats important to you?