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Author: Uncle Dick

20 May

Posted at 10:08h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

My daily trolling through the rest of the photo trade sites showed me that there was a great deal of waiting and whooping for the Fujifilm X-T4. Not mentioning any viruses, you understand, but some places that are bigger than us and grander than us had no chance of getting this new camera. It did my heart good to see good old WA and good old CE triumph for a change. It also did my heart good to set one out next to the previous model - the X-T3, and take pictures of them both with my X-T2. No, I'm not going to get a fresh camera, but yes, I would if I needed a change. The X-T4 embodies enough changes to make it a distinctive step from my X-T2. The bodies look very similar - see all the views. What you don't realise is that they have marginally increased the size of the X-T4 to accommodate an IBIS system. And they have further enlarged the grip so as to be able to take a new battery. I cannot say whether the...

18 May

Posted at 10:34h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

A. If you do YouTube right, no-one is looking at your camera. They are looking through it. That doesn't mean you have license to use a dusty video relic that you found in the back of the potato and onion bin - you need to have a certain level of technical ability in your camera. But you don't need to have every rig, monitor, microphone, and mixer in the shop to do it. B. If you have a camera and lens that shows a clear image in good light, do your filming in good light. No-one who saw the Ektachrome Horrors of 1970's grunge movies will ever forget them, despite drink. They were greeny-grainy blue, dark and horrible. And that was the comedies. The docos were worse. We have gotten past that. We can now show clear colour and sharp focus. Most of the digital cameras will do it despite your attempts to help out. In most cases stand back and let the hooks do their work. Your chief task will be to give the automatic eye something to see and the...

18 May

Posted at 10:15h in Newsletter by

If you're a film-maker who has retained your love for film per se you probably have established your workflow with one of two formats; 16mm or Super 8. The latter is available in cartridge form these days with monochrome and colour material still being produced. Not as much as in analog era, but you can still clap a load into one of the superbly-capable mechanical or electronic cameras of the 20th century and produce good results. They will be different from the images that digital video yields, but that may be the look that you are after. Okay, you've located a camera and found out how easy it is to operate - what do you do to get the film and then have it processed? Well Kodak no longer process in Coburg nor Agfa in Nunawading...

15 May

Posted at 10:27h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

And is it possible that we can do it all in one with one outfit? And never have to buy anything else ever again? I sincerely hope not, and I can tell you no-one else here likes the idea that much, either. This is the photo trade and the essence of the place is to sell cameras, lenses, lights, tripods, bags, etc. to all kinds of people with all kinds of needs. We don’t think one size fits all, and we’ve seen all sizes. I might rattle on here about an all-in-one tourist or travel cameras that you can take on your next cruise. Hold off on that particular ambition for a bit...

13 May

Posted at 17:53h in Newsletter by

Or more specifically, EIZO and 4K and 27". Looks as if the Japanese maker of monitors and colour screens is introducing the EIZO ColorEdge CS 2740. The announcement from EIZO says that it combines a number of the regular EIZO Professional features with and increased number of pixels over the screen area. With 4K video it producing a resolution of 164 ppi - far more than previous screen of this size - and can display a max of 3840 x 2160. The other big note is about the connectivity. There are  a number of USB A, and USB B ports at the back of the monitor as well as a USB-C. this is advertised as making connection much easier and reducing desk clutter in complex set-ups. here is a new colour management program included in the monitor - Color Navigator 7. As well, EIZO mention a Quick Color Match system that combines its monitor work with your computer and inputs from Adobe, Canon, and Epson. They promise one-touch import and the ability to then edit your pictures with no further fight or specification....

13 May

Posted at 17:51h in Newsletter by

And wasn't it good to find them in the Fujifilm cabinet this month? Other parts of the world may still be waiting for stocks but other parts of the world aren't Camera Electronic. And other cameras are not the Fujifilm X-T4. Even if they are ancestors - like my X-T2 - they are missing out on some of the features that have just arrived; IBIS, bigger battery and longer life, improved 4K video shooting, and a better grip and control wheels. I would be jealous but Fujifilm cameras always do perform well. I was particularly impressed with the simplicity with which they let you shift to video work in the field. That's really why they went from the tilt-only form of LCD screen suspension to the side-swing style. You can do self-videoing with ease while sighting from the front. But don't take my word for it - read what Duncan Dodd, a very longtime professional photography man - has to say. Fujifilm X-T4 review by Duncan Dodd  Fuji recently launched the Fujifilm X-T4, with a 26 Megapixel APS-C X-Trans sensor, featuring a full metal...

13 May

Posted at 17:47h in Newsletter by

The subject of the Covid 19 virus and the widespread lockdown throughout the world is covered every day in detail far greater than a little newsletter could touch. But we did receive a rather interesting thing from a man who has been a speaker at our SHOOT workshops; Attila Csaszar. Attila is now in Brisbane, but when he worked in Perth he did a great deal of corporate and portrait work as well as events and editorial shoots. I got to see him in action at the Friday Studio and realised just what a good eye for form and detail he has. Well, he's turned that eye onto Brisbane and other parts of Queensland during this lockdown and I think the results are worth looking at. Please visit: www.acvisuals.com.au/COVID-19-photo-diary We'll all be having our own experiences now, but sometimes we lack the professional skill to picture them. I noted,as well, that Attila uses the Leica Q2 camera now more than ever. Perfect for a one-camera trip. He took the following shots to demonstrate the internal cropping masks available with the Summilux  28mm f:1.7 ASPH...

13 May

Posted at 17:35h in Newsletter by

Lumix and Ninja are two names that people all know when they come into our shop for video recording, Hardware, software, and firmware all combining to do more with 4K video than ever before. Panasonic and Atomos are the firms behind the model names and a recent announcement of firmware updates for the Panasonic Lumix S1H camera and Atomos Ninja V Pro Res RAW capture mean that the end of May will be an exciting time for the videographers. They're planning to write 5.9K RAW data over HDMI - that'll be 1 to 1 pixel readout of the 24 MP sensor in a 16:9 ratio. They also will offer C4K from a Super 35 section of the sensor for higher frame rates. The one I really want to see in operation is the Super 35 4:3 anamorphic option. I cannot see wide things in real life, but then they are represented on a screen it is new vision of the world. There will be a press release closer to the date and the Free firmware will be available on the LUMIX Global Customer Support...