August 2009

Sony today introduced three new D-SLRs, ranging from the value priced A500 (APS-C sized sensor, 12MP for $749 list) up to the breakthrough A850 at a stunning full-frame 24MP for less than $2000. With these trend-setting prices is Sony ready to take on Nikon and Canon for leadership in the high-end of the camera market?...For the last 50 years various other brands have tried to challenge the hegemony of Nikon and Canon. One by one they have all fallen by the wayside, unable to overcome the tremendous distribution networks, product quality and breadth and customer loyalty of Nikon and Canon.

I've been getting ready for my appearance on a panel at the upcoming Standord Symposium on High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography by gathering some test images and experimenting with various HDR workflows. One tool I'm using is particularly interesting...PhotoAcute has as its major claim to fame the ability to increase the apparent resolution of an image by using several frames of the same scene and processing them into a double-resolution image.

With any luck the sky will stay clear and I'll get some good photos of the Perseid meteor showers tonight. Three things make this infinitely easier than with the early digital SLRs like the D1:
1) Really long battery life so I don't need to fiddle with an expensive AC adapter
2) Built-in Intervalometer so I don't have to fiddle with a tethered solution
3) Much better long exposures (lower noise) so the images should need a lot less help when finished.

About once a year the country of Myanmar (formerly Burma) becomes part of the world's consciousness. It is often not good news, whether it was the Nargis typhoon or recently the extension of the sentence of Aung San Suu Kyi. The shame of it is that it would be incredibly easy for Americans or any other caring citizens to take postive action but for the most part we are content to sit back & let our governments do their best. How can you help?...It is really as simple as visiting the country in a responsible manner.