The Interchangeable Lens— Mirror-less Cameras— Just Keep Coming

The big story in imaging for 2011 was in the ILML camera segment: 14 new cameras were introduced last year. The trend seems to be continuing in 2012 with Olympus expanding its ILML camera line with the OM-D E-M5 as well as a fast telephoto prime and macro lens; Fujifilm announcing the X-Pro 1 and several lenses; and Pentax-Ricoh announcing the K-O1, the companies second ILML model but the first of the mirror-less cameras to work with a manufacturers existing DSLR lenses without an adapter. With Fujifilm’s entry into this market, there are now seven manufacturers using four sensor formats; and seven different systems and lens mounts. The price range of $400 to $1700 for an ILML body, suggest that some manufacturers believe the appeal of smaller bodied, high quality camera systems goes beyond amateurs and enthusiast moving up from point & shoot and “advanced” compact cameras. The chart below profiles the available ILML camera systems.

The Micro Four Thirds format used by Olympus and Panasonic, as well as the Sony NEX format got a huge boost with Sigma’s announcement that it would be producing lenses for both formats and news that Tamron and Tokina, the other two large third-party lens manufacturers have joined the Micro Four Thirds Group.

Since the Micro Four Thirds system used by Panasonic and Olympus is the oldest of the ILML camera systems, it should come as no surprise that the format is leading the pack in terms of lens availability with more than 28 OEM lenses developed specifically for the system available; and covering an effective focal length range of 14 to 600mm. Although Panasonic and Olympus use the same format and mount, Olympus lenses are not image-stabilized since the Pen system uses body-based image stabilization; Panasonic, on the other hand, uses lens-based stabilization. Many of the Olympus and Panasonic lenses are silent -focusing and are therefore optimized for use in conjunction with autofocus during motion capture.

The announcement and availability of an increasing number of large aperture primes from many of the ILML camera makers addresses what some believed was the Achilles Heel of the segment in general. With the addition of these lenses, many ILML cameras— particularly those using the larger sensor formats— will offer the same depth of field control options and low light capabilities as HDSLs using the same sensor format.

While the Leica M9 is technically an ILML camera, it has not been listed as it does not have video capability. Leica is expected to unveil a new compact ILML camera system during the second half of 2012. As of this writing, Canon remains the sole major camera manufacturer yet to enter this growing and increasingly competitive segment of the imaging market.

While the ILMC segments continue to expand, point &shoot and advanced cameras remain an important segment in the imaging market with 65 new cameras being announced since January 1.

The Current Range of HDSLR and ILML Cameras

An updated and expanded edition of Going Beyond Stills:  HDSLR and Interchangeable Lens - Mirror-less (ILML -because we hate referring to them as EVILs)  Cameras is now available.  You can view it by clicking on the "image" embedded below. 

Open publication - Free publishing - More sony

The Recoil: A Sub-$100 Shoulder-mount Stabilizer from Ikan

                                                             Image Courtesy of Ikan

There is a lot to like about the Recoil, a shoulder mounted stabilizer from Ikan: It is light; portable; offers three points of body contact; and best of all, is attractively priced at just under $100. The Recoil is made of a resin composite which accounts for its light weight and durability. The Recoil consists of a padded shoulder hook-arm/adjustable chest pad assembly, a long base plate, a short riser base plate, and a grip. According to Ikan, when using just the long base plate, the Recoil can support a load of up to ten pounds. The beauty of the recoil is that the base plates and grip offer a degree of customization for users. By way of example, I have mounted the short riser in the reverse of what is shown in the Ikan instruction guide in order to shorten the distance between my eye and the LCD display. The Recoil also can be used in conjunction with Ikan’s Element Fly series of stabilizers offering the ability to accommodate additional accessories that Ikan offers such as lights, monitors, and their Friction Focus.

Photographer Ron Herard puts my Recoil through the paces with a Canon 60D onboard (above and below.)

The thing I really appreciate most about the Recoil is the fact that the adjustable chest pad allows one to achieve a tight fit whether you are wearing a tee shirt or a sweater or an over coat. No matter what apparel I have had on, the Recoil fits snuggly and provides enough stability that I have had no problems adjusting my camera with minimal to no discernable shake. I do want to add that the chest pad may not be universally appreciated by all users: Some people will like it and others will not. From my perspective, it is the combination of the shoulder hook and chest brace assembly coupled with your hand placement, either on the camera or on the handle, that make this stabilizer so effective. As snugly as the Recoil may be adjusted to fit you, it is not intended to be used hands-free.

The one concern I do have about the Recoil is the durability of the foam used for the shoulder and chest pad. It is very dense, but a substantial amount of the chest pad is outside of the support plate. After thinking about this concern, I’ve decided to cross that bridge if and when it happens.
The Recoil has a MSRP of $99.99. In addition to the items previously mentioned, the Recoil comes with a storage/carrying pouch and an additional piece of foam for use between the base plate and some camera models.

For more information on the Recoil, visit http://www.ikancorp.com/



Disclosure: No consideration has been received in connection with this blog entry, nor has any manufacturer and/or retailer offered any consideration. All images which appear in this enty and blog are copyrighted and the property of their respective owners.



This article is protected by Copyright and may not be reproduced in part or as a whole in any electronic or printed medium without prior permission from the author.

The HDSLR Camera Class of 2010- The Newest Arrivals

Open publication - Free publishing - More sony

HDSLRs: The Ranks Continue to Swell

I have expanded the exhibit of cameras that was included in the inaugural issue of “Outfitting your H(d)SLR” to include the newest members of the class. The models have increased from two in the fall of 2008 to twelve today (including the Panasonic GH1 which is technically not a HDSLR.) That number will continue to grow as the interest in multi-media collateral for personal and business applications continues to grow. I have to admit that I was surprised that Sony released new DSLR models over the last several months without video capability.

But before we get to the chart, let’s look at a few statistics:

• Social networking continued to gain momentum in 2009 with nearly four out of five Internet users visiting a social networking site on a monthly basis

• During December 2009, 86.5 percent of the total U.S. Internet audience (up from 79% in April) viewed online video.

• During December, 134.4 million viewers watched more than 13 billion videos on YouTube.com (97.1 videos per viewer) versus 107 million viewers watching 6.8 million videos (64 videos per viewer) in April 2009.

• 44.9 million viewers watched 423.3 million videos on MySpace sites (9.4 videos per viewer) in December 2009 versus 49 million viewers watching 387 million videos (8 videos per viewer) in April 2009.

• The duration of the average online video was 4.1 minutes in December versus 3.5 minutes in April, 2009.
Source: Comscore Inc.  JN6F8B57VCJJ

What is clear is that the demand for video continues to grow.

In terms of the chart, I have included the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 because although it is not a DSLR, there are aspects of the video implementation which are superior to some of the HDSLR offerings in the market, and its price (which includes a video optimized zoom lens) makes it competitive to some of those offerings as well.

(Click on chart to enlarge.)

As always I invite you to look through the current issue of “Outfitting Your H(d)SLR.” by clicking on the magazine embedded below.



Disclosure: No consideration has been received in connection with this blog entry, nor has any manufacturer and/or retailer offered any consideration. Consumers should check and evaluate the features on any equipment for themselves prior to purchase.

Filter This: The Indispensable ND Filter

One of the early lessons I learned in my photographic journey was to pay attention to the “small stuff.” It is a piece of advice that I often share in response to the increasingly popular question: “What accessories should I consider getting for my H(d)SLR?” In the quest to get the perfect tripod, shoulder stabilizer or viewfinder accessory, an accessory which is often overlooked is a filter, and more specifically, a neutral density or ND filter. These gray, filters are all about exposure control: A neutral density filter effectively reduces the amount of light which hits the camera sensor. In still photography, that light reduction translates into longer exposures(shutter speed adjustment,) and the ability to blur motion such as waterfalls, currents and waves. For still photography as well as motion capture, the reduction in light can translate into the ability to shoot with larger apertures in order to obtain a shallower depth of field, a reduction in scene contrast, and/or the ability to reduce the risk of overexposure. If you are planning on shooting motion outdoors in bright light or shooting scenes with highly reflective materials in them such as sand and snow, or steel and glass structures, consider ND filters, H(d)SLR essential accessories.

The amount of light reduction that a ND filter facilitates depends on the strength of the filter you use. Different manufactures utilize different designation for filter strength. They are commonly expressed in "density value," "filter factor," or f-stops.

- A density value of .3 equals a filter factor of 2 which equals one stop.
- A density value of .6 equals a filter factor of 4 which equals two stops.
- A density value of .9 equals a filter factor of 8 which equals three stops.

Using a one stop ND filter will result in 50% of the original light intensity being transmitted to the camera sensor; a two stop ND filter results in 25% of the original light intensity being transmitted to the sensor; and a three stop ND filter results in 12.75% of the original light intensity being picked up by the camera sensor. A true ND filter will not alter color balance, as it is color indifferent or neutral. The the filter strenghts listed above should be more thatn adequate to handle the typical photographers needs, there are stronger ND filter available for more specialized usages.

Neutral density filters are commonly used in video capture. There are several brands of camcorders that have ND filters built into the camera. With professional cameras, you will often see them seated in the matte box (lens hood equivalent) apparatus filter holder if a scene calls for them.

If you are going to use neutral density filters, on your H(d)SLR, you may want to disable auto ISO, in order to have the greatest control of the exposure as well as the results. You should consider buying the best filters you can afford. At the very least, consider multi-coated filters, as the coatings reduce reflections and make it less likely that your captures will experience ghosting and flare. Several manufacturers offer filters for high definition capture as well. Tiffen, Schneider, Hoya, Singh Ray and Cokin are among the most popular filter manufacturers and these companies make ND filters in various strengths and sizes. While I carry a one stop and a two stop filter in my camera bag, if came down to having to carry only one ND filter, the two stop filter would be my choice.

ND filters are a small item, that can make a big difference!

To view the current issue of "Outfitting Your H(d)SLR" click on the embedded magazine below.

"Outfitting Your H(d)SLR " a new resource for those shooting motion and stills

I am pleased to bring you our inaugural resource for H(d)SLR users, "Outfitting Your
H(d)SLR". The guide which will be published quarterly, is intended to provide information to those seeking to add accessories to their cameras to enhance the motion capture experience. I hope you find it informative and useful!
Byron

Click on the embedded magazine to view the publication full screen.