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GOT A CAMERA? SUBSCRIBE TO NZ PHOTOGRAPHER! Whether you're an enthusiastic weekend snapper, a beginner to intermediate level photographer, or just have an interest in photography, NZ Photographer e-magazine is the free and fun e-magazine for Kiwi camera owners.
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NZ Photographer
Sept
30 1
The YouNgeST ProfeSSioNal PhoTograPher iN NZ
issue 5 September 30th 2009
reVieW: SoNY alPha a850
Plu
S:
Your imageS
CriTiqued
hoW To:maSTer PoST ProduCTioN
WiNNer of The PeoPle
ComPeTiTioN!
JULY 8
9
10
11
12 13
14
15 16
17 18 19
20 21 22
23 24 25
26 27 28
CALENDARExhibition – Back10am-4:30pmLopdell HouseExhibition – Linger10am-4:30pmLopdell HouseExhibition – From The Vault9:30am-4:30pm
Snow White Gallery
Exhibition – Back10am-4:30pmLopdell HouseExhibition – Linger10am-4:30pmLopdell HouseExhibition – From The Vault9:30am-4:30pm
Snow White Gallery
Exhibition – Back10am-4:30pmLopdell HouseExhibition – Linger10am-4:30pmLopdell HouseExhibition – From The Vault9:30am-4:30pm
Snow White Gallery
Exhibition – Back10am-4:30pmLopdell HouseExhibition – Linger10am-4:30pmLopdell House
Exhibition – Back10am-4:30pmLopdell HouseExhibition – Linger10am-4:30pmLopdell House
ADDRESSESLopdell House418 Titirangi Rd, Titirangi
Unitec Bldg 1, Gate 1, Carrington Rd, Mt Albert, Auckland
EvENTS/ExHIBITIONS: Do you have an exhibition or photographic event on anywhere in NZ?
Let us know at [email protected]. PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUBS: List your photographic
club or society here! Email [email protected] with details of who you are and when and
where your next meeting is. Listing in this category is entirely free!
JULY
Backyard Photo EssayDue to NZ Photographer
NZ Photographer Due Out!Issue 2
WE NEED YOUR EvENTS!
16. eVeNTS CaleNdar
CoNTeNTS
11. PiC of The BuNCh
20. Cool STuff
8. ComPeTiTioN
4. ProfeSSioNal aT 14
8.maSTeriNg PoST
ProduCTioN
17. gear reVieW
13. SiZed uP
Your work critiqued
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 3
Since i wrote
to you last in
issue 4, NZ
Photographer passed
the 1000-subscribers
mark! Yay us!
or, more to the
point, Yay you! it’s
great to know that we’ve gone from a select few who received
issue 1 to over 1000 people receiving issue 5 in twelve weeks!
Now’s the time where we start to offer you more of a hand in
our little publication – i’d like the knowledgeable and wise among
you consider the idea that NZ Photographer can be a forum
for you to give back to other NZ photographers. Sharing our
photographic skills is a positive and rewarding experience; it lifts
the entire industry up to a new level.
for those of you who want to contribute to NZ Photographer,
write to me with your ideas and i’ll let you know the process
and what we require. in return we’ll give you a plug and a link
to your website, and you’ll be immortalised as a contributor to
NZ Photographer...
for those of you who just love reading our magazine, keep
sending in your feedback and images – you are all contributing
to ensure that NZ Photographer amazing!
ediTorial
NZ Photographer
Sept
9 1
HOW TO:
Issue 4 September 9th 2009
CaPTurINg NZ
WITH HelP FrOm THe aa
PluS: m
Ore
PHOTO
SHOP
TIPS
PHOTOgraPH STreeT arT
CONgraTulaTIONS TO Our eSSay COmPeTITION WINNer!
leTTerS
hi NZ Photographer,
i am a Wellington-based photographer, but am about to go on
a month-long trip around the uK and europe taking photos. When
i get back it would be awesome if you could do an article on me
and my trip, and display some of the best shots i get while away
on my travels.
Brady dyer, Wellington
Editor: Of course! We’d be happy to run an article if it’s written
in a way that educates and informs our readers, i.e. if it was an
article on how to take great travel photos, or on something to do
with UK and Europe, that’d be very usable… As long as you keep
that in mind then go forth, have a great trip, take lots of photos,
and look out for interesting stories along the way!
aBouT Whether you’re an enthusiastic weekend snapper or a beginner who wants to learn more, NZ Photographer is the fun e-magazine for all Kiwi camera owners – and it’s free!
ediTor ollie dale [email protected]
grouP ediTor Trudi CaffellarT direCTor Jodi olssonadVerTiSiNg Phone richard oneNquirieS 09 523 4112 or email richardl@
espiremedia.com
addreSS NZ Photographer, C/- espire media, Po Box 137162, Parnell, auckland 1151, NZ
WeBSiTe www.nzphotographer.co.nz
NZ Photographer is an espire media publication
i have been a business owner in
some form for the last 15 years,
and in that time i have learned
that to create and grow a successful
business you need one quality
above all else – passion.
Passion drives you to not accept
defeat, to get up every morning
with a spring in your step and
to believe it what you are doing.
Passion also attracts others –
because passion is a powerful
energy that people hope will rub
off on them and help create their
own success.
Jayson Kingsbeer has this
passion – a passion for his art: photography.
i was introduced to Jayson via a friend on Twitter. my
friend suggested that Jayson would be a great story for
BusinessBlogs.co.nz and after speaking with Jayson, i knew
she was right.
Jayson, as a matter of interest, is currently 14 years old
and balances his school commitments with his successful
photography business. his maturity and business focus is of a
level that i might expect from a 25 year old. Jayson’s business
is so successful he has built up a loyal customer base with
repeat business. he uses social media such as Twitter, linkedin,
facebook with such success that i have learned a few tips
from him! Sometimes age is not the issue when looking for a
professional service – lack of passion is far more worrying.
What inspired you to start a business at 14?i have always been interested in business and combined
my love of photography into a business. i also noticed that
there was a lack of sport and event photographic coverage in
gisborne where customers could order their images online.
i researched the market and similar operations throughout
New Zealand and started gisborne’s first online sport and
event photo ordering website. i was then asked to photograph
a wedding and after that i had noticed that there was a high
demand for affordable, high quality wedding photography
and bookings are rolling in!
So your business is providing professional photography services?
Yes. i photograph local sports and events
and the images are uploaded online to
kingsbeer.com where customers can browse
and order prints and photo gifts. i also
photograph weddings and have also worked
with commercial clients.
How do you balance school and business commitments?
my business is normally run on weekends
ProfeSSioNal aT 14
The inspirational Jayson Kingsbeer By marc Krisjanous
Photo By rebecca grunwell - The gisborne herald
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 5
and after school; homework and schoolwork does come first. There
are really two different sides to me: they are school/social and
business. my mates and people from school really do not see the
other side.
What do your schoolmates and teachers think about your entrepreneurial spirit?
my mates think it
is amazing that i can
earn so much! my
teachers are really
supportive; my science
teacher always says
“Just about every time
i see you have that
camera around your
neck.”
What current challenges are you facing with your business?
Transportation,
as i do not have my
driver’s license. i have the opportunity to shoot so many events,
but unfortunately i can’t make it to every event i would like to,
as i have to rely on others to transport me.
my age has been a barrier, as some people do not trust me,
even though they liked my work. The main photo lab i used
went bankrupt and closed its doors and i had to think about
that one for a while but luckily i found a local photo lab that
took me onboard!
What do you love most about running a business?i enjoy the services that i provide as the images are life-
long memories that are made to be treasured for generations
to come. i also enjoy that i can earn money from my love of
photography.
As a business owner how do most people react to your age?
Shocked! i have had inquires from a few people who
have been impressed with my work, however when i have
informed them of my age they have been put off by it. This
is my biggest hurdle to overcome. even the new photo lab
that took me on board – who i had been contacting via
email – didn’t believe that it was me when i walked into the
shop.
Who are the people that inspire you?There are so many! i read blog posts and twitter posts
daily from photographers and look at photos from weddings
and commercial shoots daily that inspire me. a few people that
have inspired me are Chase Jarvis, Yuri arcurs, and robin Ng
and locally Kerry marshall and Kerry fox.
What would you say to all the young people who are thinking about starting their own business?
go for it! if you
have the knowledge
of business and
are surrounded by
people who have
business experience
and can support you
and give advice just
go for it! make sure
you do your market
research and get a good online presence.
Did you have some start-up cash for your business?
Zilch! i probably had about $20 which bought my first lot of
business cards! my family has
been really supportive of me.
Who does all the admin work for your business? Tax, bookkeeping etc…
i do most of the admin work
with help and advice on tax
and bookkeeping from my
parents.
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 6
Do you plan going onto tertiary education?as a photographer tertiary education is not normally
required as a portfolio is what gets you jobs as well as
testimonials and awards. Becoming a photo lab technician/
owner requires on the job training and i have already had
a quick tutorial on a Noritsu digital mini lab at the recently
closed SpeediColor Kodak express.
What are your ultimate business and life goals?i really want to continue on doing what i am doing now as it
gives me a huge variety of jobs to complete on a regular basis;
it would be fabulous if i could get some major international
events to photograph such as the glastonbury festival and
major sporting games. i would also really like to own my own
photo lab.
Note: permission for this
interview was given by
Jayson’s parents.
This article was written
by marc Krisjanous
and was used with
his permission after
originally appearing on
businessblogs.co.nz. To
contact marc, visit
marc.business.co.nz
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 8
making your images look their best is an often-overlooked
part of photography. equally true is that unless you’re
shown what can be done with images you may have no
idea of the potential you have in the images you’ve taken.
Post production is the description of any work done on your
images after being taken in the camera, and usually refers to
image enhancing on computers, but can also include any other
form of finishing such as framing, mounting, printing etc. This ‘how
To’ is all about enhancing your images on a computer to look their
best – while Photoshop is the best software on the market for image
enhancement, any software that is similar (e.g. gimp) can help
you get the most out of your images. it may be a little above some
photographers’ understanding, but what i want to show you is what
is possible if you choose to learn more about post production.
ideally you will set your camera up to get the best image you can
in-camera, but sometimes the effect you want may be too difficult
to create in reality, or perhaps something happened that meant the
photo you took wasn’t looking its best and you want to enhance it
back to looking beautiful again.
To start with i want to show you some images i entered into the
‘iris’ professional photography awards this year, and what they
looked like originally.
Well, a good start anyway...By ollie dale
making your images look their best is an often-overlooked part of photography. equally true isthat unless you’re shown what can bedone with images you
may have no idea of the potential you have
in the images you’ve taken.
Before
Before
Before
maSTeriNg PoST ProduCTioN
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 9
as you can see, the end result is a long way from the shot that
was taken in-camera! Creating images like this takes a bit of
imagination, but the skills of post production are the same as those
i use in my commercial photography, which tends to be much more
mundane imagery than the images above.
So, the foundation of post production lies in the photography
itself – it’s hard to paint a masterpiece with one colour of
paint, and similarly it’s hard to make amazing images out of
poor photographs.
most consumer compact digital cameras don’t support the raw
format, but if your camera of choice supports raw files, then you
should be shooting with it if you want to get the best from your
images. raw format lets you recompose your images after
shooting and in post-processing. You can modify sharpness,
saturation, contrast, exposure and colour tones, and also
reproduce the same image from that raw file again and
again. eVerY camera shoots in raw, it’s just that most compact
cameras then process that file into a JPg file in order to save
space on the memory card. most dSlr cameras will have an
option to shoot in raw, which then gives you much more latitude
for working on your images later.
regardless of the file type you’re dealing with there are a few
basic areas to post production that are constant:
do not apply any sharpening until the very, very end of your
post production. This is because sharpening can be compounded
by other image enhancing techniques, and can result in highly
contrasted edges and give an over-sharpened look or pixelated
areas in your image.
Work non-destructively – always save original versions of your
jpg images and work on copies. raw images can be returned to
their original state very easily, which is another reason to shoot
raw. if you have Photoshop, use adjustment layers rather than
applying effects to the base image. if you use gimp or similar,
duplicate your base layer before adding an effect, so you can
always return to the original if you need to. (Beware of huge file
sizes if you do it this way!)
Some image enhancing techniques should be applied to selected
areas of your image, not the whole image. either duplicate a
selected area of the image onto a new layer, and apply the effect
to the new layer, or use image masks to control what part of your
image is affected.
Calibrate your monitor so that what you see on screen is a
true representation of what your end product will look like. (use
hardware like the Colormunki, eye-one or Spyder calibrators).
When it comes to the images themselves, you should generally be
looking for the following points:
details in the highlights – white areas of your images •
should still have detail, and not be ‘blown out’. To
achieve this, take light readings from the brightest parts
of your image and expose in-camera for these areas.
details in the shadows – dark areas of your images •
should still have detail, and not be completely black
or ‘muddy’. This is not as important as details in your
highlights, but should still be strived for.
good tonal range – the tonal range of an image, at its •
most simple, refers to the range of tones between the
lightest and darkest areas of an image. for example,
an image with a wide tonal range will include both
dark and light areas (and a range of tones in between),
whereas an image with a narrow tonal range will cover
a more restricted range; i.e it may be predominantly
composed of mid-tones.
Correct colour-balance – depending on the •
colour of the light you shot your image in
(tungsten=yellow/orange, fluorescent=green,
cloudy=blue) and whether your white balance on
your camera was correct, you may have a coloured
image that needs correction to a proper white-
balance.
Composition – cropping and image rotation for example •
should be attempted in-camera, and perfected in post
production if needed. advanced image editing skills
can also be useful for re-creating parts of an image,
introducing new elements to an image, and removing
unwanted elements from an image.
Contrast, clarity and saturation – finally, each image •
should be inspected for possible improvements in
overall contrast, midtone contrast (clarity) and colour
saturation or vibrance. Sometimes images need a
boost in their colour, and sometimes images can
have too much colour, so controlling these elements is
crucial to obtaining the best images you can.
This article contributed by ollie dale, a professional photographer based in Parnell, auckland, and a qualified member of the
NZiPP (Commercial). more details can be found on his website, www.photonz.com
C
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CM
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出血版_1.pdf 2009/4/6 上午 11:54:15
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 11
PiC of TheBuNCh Single-image Competition (Compact)
WiNNer: melaNie BereS
once again, melanie’s entry shined in what was an
interesting category. We debated whether it was
oK for someone to win a competition twice, and
decided to leave the political correctness to politicians – the
winning image should be the best image submitted, regardless
of who took it. So congrats to melanie, and to those of you who
entered the first compact category!
melanie wins the fantastic NZ Photographer BBq set from Brand
Storming Promotions, and their cover image printed onto Canvas,
thanks to PhotoNZ.com
Brand Storming Promotions provides unique and pretty cool
apparel and promotional merchandise for any corporate event or
marketing strategy. To promote your business or to get something
branded with your logo, check out their website at
www.bsp.co.nz.
PhotoNZ.com can get your favourite images printed on high-
quality canvas at almost any size! hang your photography around
your home or office, or make highly personalised gifts for friends,
relatives and those people who seem to have everything. order
your canvas online at www.photonz.com.
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 12
The next issue of NZ Photographer (issue 6) has a how
To article on macro Photography, and the winner of
this open category competition will be announced in
issue 7 (11th November 2009). if you’re already up to speed
on macro photography then you’ll have a head-start, so get
shooting and send your entries in!
Send your best image to [email protected]
and you’ll go into the draw to win this fabulous prize:
get your image published, and be the cover of our next •
issue.
have your winning image printed on canvas, thanks to •
PhotoNZ.com
Plus, with summer just around the corner, get your greasy •
hands on this wicked BBq set, care of our friends at
Brand Storming Promotions.
Competition rules:
You should enter only one image, and only if you
are a subscriber to NZ Photographer.
The image should be emailed at full size.•
The image you enter must have been taken on •
or after September 30th 2009, and must be
taken on a compact camera.
You as the photographer
will retain all copyrights
to the image. By entering
your image you grant NZ
Photographer a non-exclusive
license to use the image in the
magazine and on the website
www.nzphotographer.co.nz.
NZ Photographer will not sell or make available
the image to any third party for any reason.
The judge’s decision is final, and is not open for
debate.
Next Single-image Competition (open)maCro/CloSe uP
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 13
There’s no better way to learn than by having your work
critiqued! in this section you get to have your work critiqued
by two professional photographers.
Becky Nunes has been a professional photographer for 16
years, and has worked for clients like air New Zealand, Penguin
Books, Tourism New Zealand, Sunday magazine, dish magazine
and eNZa. Becky is a member of the advertising and illustrative
Photographers association.
ollie has been a professional photographer for six years, and
has had clients such as the NZ herald, Visa, microsoft, Westpac,
unitec and BmW. he is also a qualified commercial member of the
New Zealand institute of Professional Photography.
Becky will give a technical critique of your images, for
those readers who want to know the technical issues that
can improve their images, and ollie will translate for all the
beginner photographers.
Camera: Canon eoS 30d
Shutter Speed: 1/2500 sec
aperture: f4.50
iSo: 400
BeCKY’S CommeNTS:
Nice work to freeze the moment and capture
some grit in the game; good use of
short depth of field.
The skin tones feel a bit red, and
perhaps a slightly de-saturated feel
could emphasise some more of that
grit, but my main comment would be
to suggest a crop to the right; lose the
lacklustre guy in the hoodie and you
have a much more dramatic image.
(oP 1).
ollieS CommeNTS: having
photographed a lot of sport myself,
i know how difficult it can be to get
a frame with the right kind of action
in it, and soccer/football must be
one of the hardest! a shot without
the ball is boring, but the ball is
only around for fractions of a
second at a time.
You’ve done well to get a frame
with the ball in it, and technically
it’s well done (blurry background
means we almost don’t notice the monstrous building, while the action
in the foreground has been stopped).
having said that, i think the moment has been missed – either just before
with the girl in yellow more dominant, or just after with the girl in red
controlling the ball. i agree with Becky about the crop, but i’d go in even
closer to really concentrate on the stopped action and remove all the
other distracting elements! (oP 2).
Your Work Critiqued Judges: Becky Nunes and ollie dale
SiZed uP
oP1
oP2
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 14
Auckland NZIPP presents
imag
es ©
Les
Wal
klin
glk
lLift Your Photographic Game... with
Les Walkling
Wed 11 November 2009, Piha Surf Club, Piha, Auckland $199 NZIPP / AIPA members $299 non-members
Book your place today - www.photonz.com/nzipp/atonic
Packed with education and info, at this one-day seminar you will learn:
Advancing Your Photoshop “Beyond the basics” Photoshop editing techniques
The Digital Fine Print Materials and techniques for the production of prints of exquisite quality.
“Les has an amazing amount of knowledge on the underpinnings of Photoshop. He is a scholar and a masterful educator. His art knowledge is outstanding. I walked away… with a wonderful sense of rich understanding but at the same time thirsty for more.” -Johannes van Kan FNZIPP
090814_TPM_2.indd 1 28/09/2009 5:51:39 p.m.
Camera: Canon eoS 30d
Shutter Speed: 1/640 sec.
aperture: f/5.6
iSo: 200
BeCKY’S CommeNTS:
Critical focus is key in macro imaging and i’m not sure
it is quite spot-on here.
also the tones feel a little ‘hot’; i’d like to see some more
depth in the mid and shadow range to allow for textural
detail to really emerge.(oP 1)
a tighter crop would avoid repetition in the image.
The photographer might want to consider moving to
allow some of that strong light to back-light the flowers
for a more glowing effect.
ollieS CommeNTS: i don’t actually mind about your
choice of depth-of-field here – to me the two vital parts of
the central flower are in focus, which is enough to keep me
happy. What does irk me though is the angle of the flower –
i keep wanting to tilt my computer screen to straighten it up!
also, as in the football shot above, i think this image could
be more interesting with a closer crop. (oP 2)
Thanks to our good friends at Brand Storming Promotions,
our two critiqued images earn their owners a pair of these
great little NZ Photographer binoculars! To get a pair of your
own, send an image to [email protected] with a
brief description of how and why you took the shot, and we’ll
tell you what we think and if it could be improved!
if you want to promote your brand with products, corporate
gifts and apparel, visit www.brandstorming.co.nz.
Brand Storming Promotions – supplying unique and cool
apparel and promotional merchandise for any corporate
event or marketing strategy.
oP1
oP1
oP2
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 15
You’ve read about Street art from Trustme (NZ Photographer,
issue 4), so let’s get out there and find some amazing Street
art and shoot 4-6 images telling a story about it!
Next essay Call entry deadline: 5pm 12th october 2009
Winner Published: issue 6, 21st october 2009 (next issue!)
remember, plan your shots and send your best four to six images
if you didn’t read the article on how to shoot photo essays in
issue 1 you can download it here.
get your image in to win:
Be the cover of issue 6!•
have your best image printed on Canvas, thanks to •
PhotoNZ.com
Plus, with summer just around the corner, get your greasy •
hands on this wicked BBq set, care of our friends at Brand
Storming Promotions.
PhoTo eSSaY
eSSaY ruleS:
You should enter four to six images per essay, and 1.
only if you are a subscriber to NZ Photographer.
images should be sent through at full size, and can 2.
be on separate emails. The images you enter must
have been taken on or after September 9th 2009.
You as the photographer will retain all copyrights 3.
to the images. By entering your images you grant
NZ Photographer a non-exclusive license to use
the images in the magazine and on the website
www.nzphotographer.co.nz.
NZ Photographer will not sell or make available 4.
the images to any third party for any reason.
The judge’s decision is final, and is not open 5.
for debate.
The next essay Competition theme is: Street art (open category)
SePT 30 oCT 1 2
3 4 5
6 7 8
9 10 11
12 13 14
15 16 17
18 19 20 21
CaleNdaraddreSSeS
lopdell house
418 Titirangi rd,
Titirangi
unitec Bldg 1,
gate 1,
Carrington rd,
mt albert, auckland
eVeN
TS/e
XhiB
iTio
NS:
do
you
have
an
exhi
bitio
n or
pho
togr
aphi
c ev
ent o
n an
ywhe
re in
NZ?
let
us
know
at C
alen
dar@
nzph
otog
raph
er.c
o.nz
.
SePT
NZ Photographer due out!issue 5
PhoTograPhiC CluBShowick Camera Club
7.30pm. 1st, 3rd & 4th mondays each
month (excpet dec and Jan).
We meet in the howick Bridge Club in the
grounds of the howick recreation Center,
on the Pakuranga highway, just before
the intersection with
Botany road. See
www.howickcameraclub.org.nz
for more information.
Club President: Colin Tyler
North Shore Photographic Society
7:30pm. 1st, 2nd & 4th mondays
each month.
1st Wed – Workshop Night
2nd Wed – Projected image assessment
Night
4th Wed – Print assessment Night
We meet in the memorial hall, City
library building, The Strand, Takapuna
Club President: Kay hook
hutt Camera Club
7:45pm
2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month
for more information visit
www.huttcameraclub.org.nz
list your photographic club
or society here! email
[email protected] with details
of who you are and when and where
your next meeting is.
listing in this category is entirely free!
PSNZ Central regional Convention
oct 30th, 31st, & Nov 1st
Silverstream retreat, upper hutt.
great workshops, inspirational speakers, awesome field trips
- something for everyone! registrations are being accepted
online at www.get-a-grip.co.nz, so get a grip on
your camera and come along to a weekend full of fun,
learning and entertainment. everyone is welcome - you
don’t need to be a member of the PSNZ to attend.
Check out the convention blog on the website for all the
latest news!
Contact: Toya heatley hutt Camera Club Committee.
Jasmine Star – wedding photographer from orange CountyWorkshop held in January – more details to come
ComiNg SooN
We Need Your eVeNTS!
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 17
Sony recently announced two new cameras to both
its dSlr and Compact ranges, and to celebrate
they invited me to Wellington to show them off at a
Wellington Phoenix football game. This issue we’ll go over
the big daddy of the group – the a850.
Touted as an Slr with pro-style features, the a850 certainly
looks like your average Slr – but it’s what’s under the hood that
really makes the difference. it packs a whopping great sensor
measuring 24.6 megapixels, which is also full frame, and inbuilt
image stabilising with the SteadyShot iNSide™ system that is
proprietary to Sony dSlrs.
last year Sony released the a900 as their flagship dSlr, and
the a850 has many of the features that the a900 has – in fact,
it’s almost the same camera. The only major differences between
them are the frames-per-second rate of 3 in the a850 and 5 in the
a900, and a viewfinder coverage of 98 percent in the a850 as
opposed to 100 percent in the a900.
The other big difference is the price – the a850 rrP is $3999,
although a quick search showed me i can get it for $3749, while
on the same website the a900 was $4800.
So, what was the a850 like?
The hardest thing to overcome was my ‘with-my-eyes-closed’
familiarity with another brand of camera, especially as we were
thrown in the deep end – we were allowed onto the pitch during
the Wellington Phoenix’s warm up before the game, but only for
15 minutes. “here’s the camera, now you’ve got 15 minutes –
go!”... i spent the first 4 minutes trying to figure out how to change
the aperture...
once i got my head around the different layout and menu
screens, the camera seemed to work pretty well. it was quite
responsive shooting either
with live View or through
the viewfinder, and it felt
like any other dSlr to hold
and work with.
The inbuilt image
stabilising system means
that any lens you attach will
be stabilised, rather than
gear reVieWSoNY alPha a850 - 24.6 megapixels for under $4Kby ollie dale
stabilising each lens individually like other manufacturers’ designs. i
really noticed it too, as stadium lights are okay for TV but pretty poor
for still photography, but the a850 performed pretty well.
The body itself is a magnesium alloy, meaning it can take a few
brutal knocks and still perform at its best. The lens mount obviously
fits all the Sony lenses, but also the legacy lenses of the Konica
and Konica minolta brands. The other feature i liked was the dual
memory card slots, accepting both the Compact flash (type i and
ii) cards and/or the Sony memory Stick duo cards – you can load
both and change mid-shoot as often as you want.
Wrap-up: Sony has produced a camera that has almost all
the technology of its big brother a900 model, for less than
$4000. anyone who already has other brand Slr cameras
will struggle to find reasons to sell up and swap brands, but
for those of you who are looking to get into the world of
Slr, and need the super sized sensor and all the other bells
and whistles the a850 offers at a great price, then this could
quite well be the answer for you.
Photo By ollie dale
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 18
fuJifilm fiNePiX f70eXr
fujifilm recently announced a new
compact camera to their range –
the fujifilm finePix f70eXr – a
pocket-friendly shooter with a 10x wide
angle optical zoom, a case that’s just 22.7
millimeters thick, a 10 megapixel sensor
and a respectable price tag of NZ$699.
Their official blurb says “We know that good
things come in tiny packages – that’s why we’ve
launched the world’s smallest 10X zoom digital
camera! The fujifilm finePix f70eXr features
award-winning technology and is suitable
for any photography enthusiast who wants a
convenient camera without compromising on
picture quality.”
Could be a good Christmas present for
holiday-makers looking to avoid excess
baggage this summer?
Cool STuff
3d TV aT home
Sony has announced that it is bringing the experience of
looking absolutely ridiculous in 3d glasses home to the living
room. The initiative is starting in 2010 and will expand
through BraVia lCd hdTVs, Vaio machines, PlayStation 3, and
Blu-ray discs... and, while it’s not in the press release, we clearly
see a CyberShot digital camera in the
promotional video. it’s hard to say from the wording if all of
the listed product lines will go 3d next year, but from what we
gather there’ll at least be BraVia sets in time for that Christmas.
Curious to see the zaniest video this side of the second
dimension? Well, we don’t have that, but you can giggle your
way through Sony’s promo video here.
Source: engadget
NZ Photographer
Sept
30 19
iN The NeXT iSSue of NZ PhoTograPher…how To: macro Photography
have Your images CritiquedWinner: “Street art” essay
(get your essay in by monday 12th october)New Series: Simple Tips and Techniques to
improve Your Photography – Part 1:
everyone has seen that image that quite literally
stops you in your tracks . . . it’s so spectacular
that it doesn’t matter where you are – in a gallery,
reading a magazine, or perusing a friend’s photo album. it
immediately appeals and you linger on the image, taking
in the detail. it could be the colours, the composition or the
angle. You’re really not sure which of these is the reason
you like the image, you just know you can’t tear your eyes
away. This is the aim of every photographer – to capture
an image that speaks to the viewer. With a little practice,
you too can capture these visually appealing images by
applying a few simple techniques to your photography.
it will help turn your holiday snaps into photos that your
friends wish they could create.