About This Blog    |    Press and Contact Info     |   Available Languages:

ENQUIRIES: 08 9428 7200

December 2016

12 Dec

Posted at 23:00h in News by [social_share]

Remember the old days when the connection between you taking pictures and you seeing them was a chemist shop and a week's wait? Well, you can restrict your visit to the chemist's to buying overpriced vitamins and something for the weekend - you need not wait for your pictures with the Nikon Coolpix B700.The new feature of a number of Nikon cameras now is SnapBridge. It is a low-powered Bluetooth connection that your camera can make to your mobile phone or tablet. If this sounds old-hat, the difference now is that the business of connecting he two wirelessly does not need a complex procedure every time you swith one or other of the devices on - there is a continuous connectivity once you have made the initial connection, and you are spared trying to remember yet another blasted password.This may be the closest yet to a combination of a true camera with the ubiquitous phone or tablet - and it opens the way for competent yet lightweight travel reportage. if you are addicted to selfieing your way around th world...

12 Dec

Posted at 01:22h in News by [social_share]

You may be forgiven for missing the new Leica camera in the Leica mirrorless cabinet. It is the silver version and once it gets onto a white backdrop it all but disappears.Of course once one of the dedicated black leica lenses is attached to it, everything comes into focus (Yes, I got away with that one...

09 Dec

Posted at 02:47h in News by [social_share]

 I am curious about the blue bag syndrome. Many manufacturers seem to make them - in varying shades and textures. I have two of them myself by different makers. I cannot say why they should be blue rather than brown, purple, red, or green. I could understand if they were bright yellow or orange for use in snow conditions or at night, but the other colours puzzle me.Well, that aside, this Photo Hatch II Aw from Lowepro is a pretty good choice for the sorts of people who wear backpacks - and I don't mean to sound funny saying that. Let me explain:Backpacks can come in all sizes and shapes but some of the most common ones are Too Big, Too Small, Too Floppy, and Too Stiff. The people who choose them are either confronted with inappropriate carrying capacity, awkward fit, or downright pain as hard edges dig into them. The idea for which the pack has been bought frequently goes out the window as wrestling with it overtakes all other considerations. In some cases the bag acts as a...

08 Dec

Posted at 02:21h in News by [social_share]

There's a dramatic statement that will bring a cheer to the lips of the wholesalers - praise indeed for this Manfrotto Befree tripod. They are going to have to be careful when they say the name - it is the MVKBFR-LVE - but it is well worth the attention of the video shooter.Most of the tripods that have been reviewed in this column are intended for still camera use - from big studio jobs to tiny travel models. They may feature three-way or ball heads but they rarely pan and tilt in a way that would help a video maker. This Manfrotto product is different.Oh, it has many of the standard Manfrotto features - it folds back upon the centre column to save carrying space and it has four-tube extension legs with lever locks. The leg angles are dictated by swivel levers at the top that allow several angles of splay. There is a hook on the centre column to allow you to put a weight on it to further steady the assembly. So far, so normal.The part that departs is...

07 Dec

Posted at 01:08h in News by [social_share]

Casting about the other day for some sort of a handle to attach my mobile phone to for video work, I came across a couple of German accessories. Unfortunately they were not fitted with gimbals on the top for the camera , nor with a clamp, nor a 1/4" tripod screw. In fact, I don't think they were intended for modern video filming at all. They did have a pull-string at the bottom of the wooden bit so I pulled one but nothing happened. I threw it in the bin after a couple of seconds...

01 Dec

Posted at 01:47h in News by [social_share]

I looked at the Fujifilm X-70 some time ago from a seller's point of view - the sleek appearance, the specifications, etc. Trying to push your urge-to-purchase buttons, but without charging up a battery and seeing if it would actually do the job. Today I took that extra step.My experience with the Fujifilm system grows as I add new lenses and bodies to the X system...

30 Nov

Posted at 02:55h in News by [social_share]

We all have possessions that seem to be immortal - they never die, no matter what we do to them. I have kitchen implements that my grandparents used in the 1920's - they still cut meat and potatoes today at our house. They are not antiques, relics, or heirlooms. They are tools to help us eat.The same might be said about the Lowepro Nova 1 bag that I used for an overseas trip in 1995. It's still there in the camera closet, storing a Nikon film camera system. It is as tough and functional now as it was then, and I dragged it over two continents.Well, here's the new digital equivalent - the Scout SH 140. It's designed for a mirror-less camera and a couple of extra lenses - or one lens and the big travel adapter you need to access overseas electricity. You are going to be able to drag it across those same continents - they don't change - but it'll be lighter on your shoulder.The shape is smaller than the old Nova 1. Not only are the...