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15 Mar

Posted at 09:11h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

Like many other cameras on the market at present  - and I mean that in a complimentary way. This latest consumer offering from Fujifilm has been designed to incorporate a lot of things that people have learned that they want. You are cordially invited to agree. A disclaimer to start: I am a Fujifilm user and may well be thought of as a fan. So I am, but I am a fan with reservations - I do see some design decisions from the firm that make me go Hmmm. However, I still shoot their cameras and lenses. And also note that Fujifilm are big enough and mature enough that they can go off on design tangents occasionally. I think they have dedicated teams in their organisation that do this - dedicated to certain aspects of the business or certain markets. I'm willing to think that these designers and production developers support each other in a most harmonious fashion in the board meetings and then hunt each other through the office corridors with bows and arrow. Development money is development money...

10 Mar

Posted at 07:44h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

Because the new Olympus Zuiko 100-400mm 1:5.0-6.3 lens is in the Stirling Street shop for sale - and none of your privacy is safe. Not that it has been in these last few years of digital development - the camera makers have all tried to add longer and longer lenses to their sales line-up and this urge has extended into the zoom range as well. No names of other makers in this Olympus column, but they've all been at it. And mostly they have been at it hard and heavy. Again no names, but consider the fact that in most cases the lenses made for the keen wildlife and bird photographers have been long, awkward, and massive. In most cases they've had to feed an image onto an APS-C -szed sensor or a 24 x 36 one. In the case of the medium format systems some truly memorable lenses have been produced - all with great aplomb and seriousness - but they have been beasts to carry. I know - I owned a 500mm Hasselblad lens once complete with shoulder stock and...

05 Mar

Posted at 09:16h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

I looked at a sort of a miracle onWednesday night at CE's Stirling Street shop - the Fujifilm GFX 100S camera fitted with their 80mm f:1.8 lens. I'd gone along for the usual camera reveal night but was struck by the achievement that Fujiflm have presented to the imaging world; a nearly unbeatable medium-format camera in the size and shape of a standard mirrorless. It's the fourth iteration of the GFX series - the GFX 50S, the GFX 50 R, and the GFX 100 having delivered the medium format goods in the last few years. One was the 50+ Megapixel start of the system, then the the compact form body with similar sensor, and finally the 100+ megapixel super camera. Each had a place for the professional or advanced enthusiast, and each can handle the superb Fujifilm GF series of lenses. They do what they say on the tin. I had a chance to shoot a studio session with the shops' rental GFX 50S early on and found that it produced the best files I have ever taken - so good that...

03 Mar

Posted at 08:53h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

Call me Ishmael, if you will, but I cannot see the harm in the Great White Camera - in fact I see a great deal of good in it. If it is the Small White Camera it can still be great. The "Moby Dick" nickname came from a sales staff member, and it is funny, but pokes fun at the colour of the camera without taking into account the basic goodness in the device. This is a Sony compact camera - in itself a good concept - and is nothing more than the stylish version of the Sony ZV-1. This is one of their newest cameras dedicated to helping you with video contact and broadcasting - vlogging. Don't be afraid - this column will not switch to talking to you over YouTube - you'll still be able to keep me at arm's length and turn away from the screen in despair. For those who may be much better broadcasters than I, the ZV-1 has a number of dedicated features; 20 Megapixel 1" CMOS sensor - Bionz engine, -4 K recording. Three-capsule directional mic...

01 Mar

Posted at 10:19h in Blog, Dick's Rant by

I have always been a sucker for tiny equipment - ever since I traded a Crosman CO2 pistol for a Minox B camera in 1966. The facts that the guy who got the pistol lodged a pellet into his forehead while target shooting and I never actually took a picture with the Minox are beside the point - I still think I got the best of the deal. It sensitised me to tiny photo gear*. I never actually owned a Swiss Tessina film camera - the next stage of miniature wonder in the film  era. But I've seen one for sale in CE and if you were prepared to be dedicated like a watchmaker, you could take pictures. Possibly of mountain goats and chocolate factories. And my experience with the Pentax 110 SLR and the Pentax Q digital cameras is just as a spectator. Oddly enough there is a keen enthusiast with the latter camera who turns out excellent photos. But the NiSi lenses that are coming out now have whetted my appetite afresh - albeit with frustration, as the shop copies Carlos...