The birth of sensorship
The birth of the DSLR can be traced back to a little camera company called Nikkor, which eventually became Nikon, and its relationship with a small government agency known as NASA. One of Nikon’s first major successes, the 35mm Nikon F, gained popularity in the U.S. with photographers covering the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Soon, [...]
Three's a Company
More powerful, more capable and more versatile, the long-awaited Canon 5D Mark III ($3,499) is finally here. Less revolution, and more evolution, the Mark III brings with it a host of much-needed improvements and new features including several from its behemoth brother, the 1 DX. This includes the 61-point AF system, 63-zone metering system and [...]
All of your cards, all in one wallet
One of our favorite camera accessory companies Holdfast, started by professional photographer and GP reader Matthew Swaggert, has just released the perfect piece of gear for managing your memory cards and money. The 4.35″ Indispensable Photographer’s Wallet ($45+) features a foldable design with three pockets. The exterior slide pocket holds IDs and the various other [...]
Your personal eye in the sky
Lehmann Aviation’s latest LFPV (~$2,352) is one of the more affordable ways to get movie-grade aerial videos and photos without renting a chopper. While it’s certainly no predator drone, the small UAV does come equipped with a camera capable of full HD video and 11MP stills. Based on the photos and specs, it looks like [...]
The poor man's rangefinder
While the Yashica name is rarely whispered outside die-hard enthusiast groups, the name (and brand) holds an important part of photo history. Take for example the Yashica Electro 35 GSN fixed lens rangefinder camera. If you’re lusting after a Leica rangefinder or getting hot and bothered about some of Fujifilm’s latest digital options, like this [...]
Dull edge of progress
Paving the path for a technique known as “selective focus”, Lensbaby has been cranking out optic after optic focused — defocused might be a better way to describe it — on offering photographers a lens-based solution for creating dramatic photos. Niche? Maybe, but not the Lensbaby Edge 80 ($300). Functioning similarly to a tilt-shift lens [...]
Oh emm dee
With an honest, throwback design the Olympus OM-D E-M5 ($999, body) builds off of the 40 year-long lineage of OM SLR film cameras. Modernized in Micro Four Thirds format, the 16.1 megapixel shooter comes paired with a built-in electric viewfinder (before you groan, take note of its 1.44 million dot resolution and 120 fps refresh [...]
800 Club
Guess what? Your memory card just got a whole lot smaller thanks to the new Nikon D800 ($2,999). There’s no hiding the fact that the long awaited full-frame FX-format shooter is a direct assault on the Canon 5D Mk II, which has captured the attention (and dollars) of HD-SLR shooters. Built around a Super Bowl [...]
First but not most
With smooth bokeh and a versatile zooming range, both Nikon and Canon full-frame shooters (e.g. Nikon D700 and Canon 5D Mk II) have continually relied on their respective 24-70mm f/2.8 lenses. The only problem? Canon’s option lands in around $1,300, while Nikon’s is nearly 2-grand, making the glass alone cost nearly as much as a [...]
Special K
Don’t let the bright colors — a signature Pentax touch — fool you. Behind the bold design by Marc Newson, the Pentax K-01 ($749+), pronounced “kay-zero-one”, has the intentions of a serious enthusiast’s camera. Within the machined aluminum frame, the K-01 houses a 16 megapixel APS-C with sensor-shift stabilization, compatibility with nearly all Pentax lenses [...]
Poof Positive
Got a Michael Bay-like appetite for capturing destruction, without the matching slush fund to pay for it? Well, $50 can land you a neat bit of photographic trickery, known as Smoke Drops. Imported from Italy by the fine folks at Photojojo, combining a few drops of bottle A with bottle B creates 5 to 10 [...]
Give and take
Mobile devices have progressively borrowed features from cameras to boost their curb appeal — so why shouldn’t cameras reciprocate? That seems to be the logic behind Polaroid’s surprising SC1630 Smart Camera. From the rear, it’s easy to mistake the device as just another 3.2-inch Android handset, until you spy the 16-megapixel 36-108mm lens with 3x [...]
Officially drool worthy
Fujifilm’s X-Pro 1 may be the worst kept secret we’ve ever come across in the photography world — with a veritable Wikileaks worth of details flooding the web long before today’s official announcement. We’re still pleased as punch, however, to finally shell out the official details surrounding the magnesium-alloy wrapped retro beauty. In many ways, [...]
The new fixed lens king?
Canon’s PowerShot G-series has always strived to meld the smaller form factor of a point and shoot with the photo quality of a larger-sensor DSLR, and with the new Canon G1 X ($799), Canon continues to aim to do just that. Building on its predecessor’s, the G12, precedents the G1 X boasts a substantial 1.5-inch [...]
4 and we're floored
Faster, smarter, and more lust-worthy than ever, the Nikon D4 ($5,999) is the culmination of a carefully chosen list of features and enhancements, leaving what works and adding what’s needed for the latest in a long line of full-frame (FX) pedigree pro cameras. That’s something you do when your flagship camera is considered by its [...]
