Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Misc. News with Update!

UPDATE: The US designation for the new Rebel is the SL1, and another feature it has is a touch sensitive rear LCD screen. Canon is also introducing the Rebel T5i. The Rebel SL1 will sell for $649.99 for the body or $799.99 for the SL1 kit with the new EF-S 18-55mm IS STM lens. The T5i will sell for $749.99 as body only and for $899.99 in a kit. Below is an interesting size comparison between the new SL1, the Rebel T4i, and the EOS M, courtesy of Photo Rumors. As you can see, the SL1 is definitely smaller.

A couple of items have come to my attention. First up is a new camera from Canon, the EOS Kiss X7 (Kiss is the European version/designation of the American Rebel camera line), which is intended to compete against some of the Micro 4/3 cameras, in terms of size and portability. And it does seem small. Look at the diameter of the lens mount compared to the body. However, putting regular Canon lenses on it will negate much of its size advantage, compared to the rather petite M 4/3 lenses. And since Canon has their own M 4/3-like camera, the EOS M, you have to wonder about their reasoning. Well, whatever.

But the specs look good: 18 MP sensor, full HD video, pivoting LCD screen, and DIGIC5 processing chip. With the new camera is a new kit lens, the EF-S 18-55mm IS STM, which is optimized for video. And when it comes to the US, the camera will have a different name, of course. If nothing else, it should make a great back-up camera.


 
The Brown Sisters, photograph by Nicholas Nixon 

Then, Ahorn magazine has published an interview with Nicholas Nixon, a documentary photographer whose main camera is an 8x10 view camera. Even though he works with such a large, cumbersome camera, he manages to routinely get intimate people pictures with a lot of heart and presence. Nixon is a fabulous photographer, who frankly isn't as well known as he ought to be and you can read what he has to say about his art here.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

New Stuff!


Fotodiox has announced the availability of an interesting alternative for photographers looking to create high resolution, 645 medium format, digital images without spending $30,000 and up. The RhinoCam is made for Sony NEX cameras and uses those cameras as a digital back that is moved into predetermined positions letting the photographer take several images that can be combined or stitched together into one 140+ MP photograph in a program like Photoshop . It uses medium format lenses from Hasselblad V, Pentax, and Mamiya, and has a sliding focusing screen for focusing and composing the image. The RhinoCam sells for $500. This could be a good option for some people. Landscape and architectural photography would work nicely with a system like this.



Also, Sigma has released the prices of a few of their new lenses. Both the new 19mm f/2.8 and 30mm f/2.8 for M4/3 and Sony E-mount will sell for $199 each, and the APS-C digital lens, the 30mm f/1.4 in Sigma, Canon, and Nikon mounts will sell for $499.