June 2021

The new Nikon mirror-less camera body is here - at least here in the interne reveals and reviews. They will be here on the line, so to speak, in the fullness of time. Pre-orders are possible and there is a good deal of interest amongst the photo community. As with every new thing, there are the people for whom it is the greatest thing since sliced bread. Then there are people on a diet who cannot afford it and will assure you that they never eat bread...

Or you may prefer to deal with the Chip Paper Design Bureau. Or the Back-Of-An-Envelope Studio. All fine organisations who take modern concepts and wring them out like dishcloths. Careful they don't drip on you. Last post we speculated on Nikon's possible retro-styled APS-C mirrorless camera. Interested parties can google off to the Nikon Rumors site and read the details. Beware, however, as the digital images presented may have been done with more hope than science. Yellow Pad has taken the retro idea and applied it to a mythical camera - one made by the Flapoflex company. It starts with the basic Flapoflex 35mm camera they sold in the old days; the Falpoflex Beulah . This was an almost-Yashica design with semi-Petri overtones and the occasional outbreak of Ihagee-ism. It cranked through 35mm film behind a fixed 45mm lens and was cheap enough to be sold  everywhere from Abe's of Maine to Steamer Point in Aden. Innumerable Australian tourists sat with Flapoflex instruction books on their knees on cruise ships or package flights and tried to understand how to load film. The...

As a little kid, long-term was an hour - if you could sustain interest and activity for that much time people said you were either a genius or a nuisance. The punishment for either personality was very much the same. Then came adulthood and the long commitments really started - take a look at a mortgage document and see what I mean. But a lot of this pales into insignificance when you look at what some photographers are prepared to do over a very long period. A case in point is Nick Melidonis' 2-decade dedication to photography of Greece. He's been a visitor there many times and helped other people to see the country. Of course his camera and lenses have been busy all that time - and Nick will open a free exhibition of some of the most representative results at a gallery in Fremantle. It'll be at the PSAS Gallery, 22-26 Pakenham Street, Fremantle. Opening times are to be 10:00AM to 4:00PM. The exhibition starts on 26 June and goes to the 4th of June, so you can squeeze in...

In just a few short years, the world of photography drones has advanced beyond anyone's expectations. A drone was once considered a specialist tech that was clunky and incredibly expensive. Today, things are very different, with enthusiast-level drones being compact and lightweight. Plus, they are now more affordable than ever. In addition, there's a growing range of consumer-level drones that offer intuitive pick-up-and-play controls. What's more, the images and video content produced by drones is elevating the photography game.  Enthusiasts and professionals are adding drones to their kits to differentiate their content from the pack. They are applying drone imagery in weddings, events, real estate, and even landscape work. As you would expect, there's a vast range of first and third-party drone accessories available to optimise your experience. And we are not just talking about adding an extra battery to your kit - although you should grab at least one of those too. Let's dive in to take a look at our top pick of drones and drone accessories available at Camera Electronic.    DJI's Air 2S Drone     Drones are getting smarter and smaller, with...

When planning and packing for an outdoor adventure, most of us grab our trusty DSLR or mirrorless camera. Add to this some suitable lenses for landscape or wildlife along with fresh batteries and memory cards. But have you ever considered that you might be missing out on something? A handy addition to any wildlife or landscape photography kit is a pair of binoculars.  Binoculars have come a long way since the models our grandparents handed down to us. Bulky, heavy and optically imperfect antiques have retired. These have given way to modern binoculars with the same level of build and optics quality as a modern camera lens. It is also astounding just how many styles and variants of binoculars there are. What’s more, brands such as Nikon, Canon, Olympus and even Leica develop precision binoculars. They all have a long history of making precision optics for more than just camera gear.      There’s a lot to be gained from packing a pair of quality binoculars on your next outdoor adventure. For wildlife photographers, it provides a means to quickly scan a location and...

Well, they knew it was coming, so we might as well get it over with. The staff at Camera Electronic could not well tun away when I turned up at the 50th Birthday Sellabration last Friday. They were gracious - or resigned - enough to pose for pictures. I am grateful. a. The number girls. These ladies crunch numbers all day. When you pay, they know it. When I get paid, they do it. Treat them with affection and respect.   Now remember that someone has to put out the fires in the camera battery compartments and chisel the spots off the sensors...

Well, it wasn't quite as lively as a food riot, but it wasn't far off. The morning session at the Stirling Street premises of Camera Electronic had all the right ingredients for a good time - if you were prepared to take no prisoners., I checked in about 10:00 and the place was packed. Some of the packing turned out to be the staff , but a lot of it was customers...

Today they're having celebrations at the Stirling Street and Murray Street stores for the 50th anniversary of the company. I'm heading down  to see what's going on. The advert that popped into my email feed promised store special discounts, new CE merchandise, and industry reps in-store to discuss their products with the customers. I'm a little concerned that it only hit the computer the day before the event, but I trust that people will get a chance to participate in the celebrations and deals all through the coming week. 50 years is a long time in the photographic business - it's a heck of a long time in politics or other professions as well. Think for yourselves of the regimes and public figures who have lasted less than a tenth of that time. Camera Electronic, the family who own it, and the staff who operate it, must have been doing something right to be here all that time. If that sounds like back-patting...