http://www.imaging-resource.com/news The Imaging Resource News page is the best way to stay on top of all the latest in the fast-paced world of digital imaging! Up-to-the-minute news as well as coverage of the latest articles and reviews covering digital imaging hardware and software of all types, professional and amateur. From digital cameras, printers and scanners to the latest image editors and more, we cover it. The IR News page is read by industry professionals and enthusiasts alike. Come check us out today... en mtomkins@imaging-resource.com Copyright 2012 2012-05-23T23:14:15+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/NPICS1/LOGOS/IMAGINGRESOURCE-2009-144x86.GIFhttp://www.imaging-resource.com/news11470 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/dxo-optics-pro-big-discount-d800-support-and-a-64-bit-debut http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/dxo-optics-pro-big-discount-d800-support-and-a-64-bit-debut If you've bought a new computer recently, chances are pretty good that you've made the leap to the world of 64-bit computing. After years of lacklustre sales, 64-bit systems have finally taken off in the consumer world, and in the last couple of years have surpassed sales of 32-bit systems by a wide margin. 64-bit operating systems are now commonplace on both Macintosh and Windows platforms, and third-party software is switching to 64-bit in a big way. Today, DxO Labs takes the plunge, bringing its flagship Optics Pro image processing application into the modern age with a native 64-bit...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-23T23:14:15+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/the-camera-bag-this-iphone-case-has-built-in-tripod-mounts-for-iphoneograph http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/the-camera-bag-this-iphone-case-has-built-in-tripod-mounts-for-iphoneograph (read more) ]]> 2012-05-23T20:26:14+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/american-landscape-photographer-buys-an-entire-french-villagecheap http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/american-landscape-photographer-buys-an-entire-french-villagecheap Ahae Jeong (shown on the right), who goes by his first name, purchased the village of Saint Nicholas Courbefy, France, for just $663,000, which was actually some $400,000 over the auction starting price. Ahae, a South Korean born photographer based in the United States, shoots very quiet and serene nature photography, images one observer described as “so simple, so beautiful, so perfect.” Widely collected and published, Ahae will have a one-man exhibition of his...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-23T19:38:55+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/sony-a57-firmware-update-improves-autofocus http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/sony-a57-firmware-update-improves-autofocus A tipoff from IR reader 'Home' alerted us to a new firmware update for Sony's recently-announced Alpha SLT-A57 digital camera. A followup to the A55, the Sony A57 couples the company's Translucent Mirror technology with the same image sensor featured in the NEX-5N compact system camera. While its Continuous Advance Priority AE burst shooting performance is unchanged from its predecessor at 10fps, it now sports a new JPEG-only Tele-zoom Continuous Advance Priority AE mode that allows burst shooting to 12 fps with an 8.4 megapixel cropped image, pretty impressive performance for a camera...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-23T18:51:34+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/noise-begone-new-tech-banishes-camera-noise-from-video-soundtracks http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/23/noise-begone-new-tech-banishes-camera-noise-from-video-soundtracks You heard it here first: Zoom and AF-motor noise in video soundtracks could soon become a thing of the past. A real limitation of movie recording with digital cameras is that motor noise from zoom and autofocus systems is glaringly obvious in video soundtracks. Dedicated camcorders use special motors and sound-deadening in the camera body to eliminate this problem, but they typically have more space to play with than's available to digicam makers, so such measures are easier to implement. When it comes to cameras with interchangeable lenses, many lenses you might want to use weren't...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-23T17:07:45+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/22/the-camera-bag-lens-focus-shifter-designed-to-help-you-pull-focus-when-shoo http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/22/the-camera-bag-lens-focus-shifter-designed-to-help-you-pull-focus-when-shoo (read more) ]]> 2012-05-22T22:58:01+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/22/the-camera-bag-octodome-backpack-handsfree-lighting-solution http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/22/the-camera-bag-octodome-backpack-handsfree-lighting-solution photographer Ian Spanier to be oddly charming and, potentially, quite effective. Spanier made it by combining a Photoflex OctoDome NXT "extra small" softbox kit ($184) with a Lowepro Scope Porter 200 AW Backpack ($159) designed for birding enthusiasts. The reason behind this awkward looking creation? The New York-based Spanier was assigned to photograph a "day-in-the-life" feature on renowned bodybuilder Jay Cutler for Muscular Development magazine but didn't have big enough of a budget to hire an...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-22T14:09:38+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/pentax-k-30-the-weather-sealed-slr-for-the-rest-of-us-previewed http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/pentax-k-30-the-weather-sealed-slr-for-the-rest-of-us-previewed The last few months have been a bit lonely for Pentax's flagship K-5 digital SLR. As the company has focused on its second mirrorless product line with the launch of the designer K-01, the K-5 has had to hold fort by itself as the only currently-produced Pentax digital SLR. The entry-level K-x has been discontinued for quite a while now, and although the K-r is still available in small numbers, production of that model stopped months ago as well. Today, the K-5 can breathe easy, as Pentax reconfirms a commitment to the digital SLR with the Pentax K-30, a new model that debuts quite a few...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-21T22:01:37+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/pentax-preps-promised-portrait-prime-for-purchase http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/pentax-preps-promised-portrait-prime-for-purchase lens roadmaps for its K, Q, and 645 lens mounts. On the map for the K-mount--which is used by the company's DSLR models and its mirrorless K-01 compact system camera--was a new portrait prime lens, tentatively named the smc PENTAX-DA 50mm f/1.8. Today, the name and the lens itself are tentative no more, as Pentax prepares for an addition to its K-mount lineup this summer. The smc PENTAX-DA 50mm f/1.8 carries an affordable price tag of US$250, and is set to ship from July 2012. With a length of just 1.5 inches and a weight of 4.3...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-21T22:00:38+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/the-camera-bag-backer-capper-device-helps-your-swap-dslr-lenses-more-quickl http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/the-camera-bag-backer-capper-device-helps-your-swap-dslr-lenses-more-quickl camarush. The device, which is shown in prototype in the image to the right, looks remarkably like a lens cap mounted on a belt but it solves the problem of the “third hand.” You know what the "third hand" is, right? It's the thing you wish you had when you're hastily trying to change lenses on your digital SLR out in the field. Here’s how the Backer Capper helps with that scenario. With your DSLR in one hand — just Nikon and Canon models for now — you...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-21T20:27:04+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/panasonic-launches-constant-aperture-f-2.8-wide-zoom-for-mirrorless http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/panasonic-launches-constant-aperture-f-2.8-wide-zoom-for-mirrorless Panasonic Corp. has today announced its third Lumix G X branded Micro Four Thirds-mount lens, the Panasonic LUMIX G X VARIO 12-35mm/F2.8 ASPH./POWER O.I.S. With the addition of this new model, the premium X-series lens lineup now covers focal lengths from a very generous 24mm-equivalent wide angle to a powerful 350mm-equivalent telephoto, with only a very small gap in coverage between 84mm and 90mm-equivalents. The new Lumix G X Vario 12-35mm lens is the first X-series model with a continuous, circular aperture, offering a bright f/2.8 across its range. It also carries Panasonic's HD...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-21T16:58:00+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/the-damage-waiver-bearly-covered-this-one http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/the-damage-waiver-bearly-covered-this-one (read more) ]]> 2012-05-21T16:28:03+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/lens-review-panasonic-12-35mm-f-2.8-asph-power-ois-lumix-g-x-vario http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/lens-review-panasonic-12-35mm-f-2.8-asph-power-ois-lumix-g-x-vario 12-35mm f/2.8 zoom lens for micro four-thirds bodies today, and we just happened to get our hands on a pre-production version. On paper, there is a lot to like - image stabilization, dust- and splash-proof design, and a constant f/2.8 aperture; we've put this version through its paces in our test lab to see if the reality matches up. Click here to read our full review of the Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 ASPH POWER OIS LUMIX G X VARIO.
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-21T15:42:48+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/video-review-of-the-leica-monochrom-m-parody http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/21/video-review-of-the-leica-monochrom-m-parody his provocative take on the Leica Monochrom M last week and now here's a video "review" of this $8K black-and-white shooting digital rangefinder. But before you take this "first YouTube review of the new Leica Monochrom" too seriously, be advised that it's clearly meant as a joke. And it does have some funny moments including the strange appearance of a gun (made by Leica?) and this declaration by the reviewer: "The real pros only shoot black-and-white. That's what they told me at the store." But even funnier, perhaps, are the angry comments below the...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-21T14:22:15+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/19/canon-powershot-g1-x-review-posted http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/19/canon-powershot-g1-x-review-posted Every once in a while, a camera comes along that offers a genuinely different approach to its rivals. Some--like the first mirrorless models--go on to fundamentally change the market. Others aren't quite so successful. Either way, we welcome designs that think outside the box. The Canon PowerShot G1 X is the first large-sensor compact with a zoom lens. Its announcement last spring prompted much speculation: was this Canon's final answer to that blossoming mirrorless market, or a first tentative step towards its own mirrorless debut? The fixed-lens design and narrower-aspect ratio have...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-19T22:28:46+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/18/canon-sx150-review-posted http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/18/canon-sx150-review-posted Having spent a little time with it, we're impressed with how much capability the engineers managed to pack into the Canon SX150, at such an affordable price. As you'd expect given the bargain-basement ~$179 street, it's not without its limitations, but considering what you get, it's pretty amazing: A capable, well-built 14-megapixel digital camera with an optically stabilized 12x zoom lens and a good assortment of features. We've seen it selling for as little as $149 here and there, which is a screaming bargain given its feature set. Its downsides are somewhat sluggish performance and a...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-19T00:31:00+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/18/the-camera-bag-a-brand-new-led-ring-light-for-just-30 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/18/the-camera-bag-a-brand-new-led-ring-light-for-just-30 on his blog The Digital Story: "Sound too good to be true? It isn't. You don't have to worry about flash sync or TTL communication since the NEEWER lighting is continuous. There are 3 lighting options: full, left side only, or right side only. The output is approximately 15GN (both lights on), which is plenty bright for macro...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-18T20:29:33+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/18/with-facebook-ipo-underway-one-man-pitches-a-polaroid-style-instagram-camer http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/18/with-facebook-ipo-underway-one-man-pitches-a-polaroid-style-instagram-camer ADR Studio has developed a prototype Polaroid-style Instagram camera, or at least a mock-up of one. He introduced his Instagram camera concept to the world on May 5th and the response has been underwhelming, to say the least. But De Rosa has his dream and is working hard on making it a reality. Well, sort of. De Rosa posted his Instagram Socialmatic...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-18T17:43:20+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/18/geotagging-without-the-privacy-issues-canon-offers-a-solution http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/18/geotagging-without-the-privacy-issues-canon-offers-a-solution Geolocation can be great for keeping track of where you've been, and what photos you've shot on your travels, but it also has a dark side. Location-aware cameras are increasingly common, especially in smartphones. If you don't know that your specific device is capable of geotagging (or perhaps, incorrectly believe that the function is disabled), that can lead to you giving out much more personal information than you intended when you share your images. If you read our recent article, "Geotagging: the silent killer, says US army", you'll be aware of just how dangerous that can potentially...
(read more) ]]> 2012-05-18T17:42:20+00:00 http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/17/the-camera-bag-optrix-wide-angle-iphone-case-for-shooting-hd-video-of-extre http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2012/05/17/the-camera-bag-optrix-wide-angle-iphone-case-for-shooting-hd-video-of-extre (read more) ]]> 2012-05-17T21:49:42+00:00