It seems it’s much as expected, fantastic Dynamic Range, but slow, slow AF and slow shooting speed. Definitely not for sports or wildlife shooters.

A good camera for skin tones though, excellent white balance (with the new firmware) and very good rendition of highlight details.

No bunching up on the histogram like normal digital camera, apparently it has wide ‘shoulders’ and gives more leeway like film.

It also has pretty interesting film simulation modes.

If you shoot in the studio, or you do a lot of portraits and wedding, and don’t like post-processing much, this could be the camera for you.

Although many might say the Canon 5D might be a better choice.

You can find some sample pictures here and here.

Fuji S5 Pro vs D200 Dynamic Range Test.

Fuji Finepix S5 Pro Experience Report

Overall we find the Fuji S5 a very exciting camera. The highlight extension paired with excellent noise characteristics raise the bar for image quality and shows that not only Megapixels matter.

Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro CNET Editor’s Review

The bottom line: While a wide dynamic range lets it serve up tons of highlight detail and impressive overall image quality, the S5 Pro isn’t for high-speed sports photography, and it could use more resolution.

Popular Photography – Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro

But this is not really a sports shooter’s camera. The S5 will no doubt please its intended audience — wedding and portrait shooters. The bigger question is whether it will appeal to the broader market of serious amateur photographers. Actually, we think it will. A lot.

Fuji FinePix S5 Pro Digital Camera Body Only

The Fujifilm FinePix S5 Pro’s image quality makes it a viable choice for pros and other quality-conscious photographers. Dynamic range, noise and color are all excellent. The S5′s mechanicals – a Nikon D200 body, with Nikon autofocus, metering and flash – are also big assets. The drawbacks of the S2 and S3 bodies are gone.

The identity of the photographer IN the photos is unknown.

I was simply stunned seeing this guy standing on this solitary rock IN the Grand Canyon.

The canyon’s depth is 900 meters here. The rock on the right is next to the canyon and safe.

Watching this guy in his thong sandals, with a camera and a tripod, I asked myself 3 questions:

1. How did he climb that rock?
2. Why not take that sunset picture on that rock to the right, which is perfectly safe?
3. How will he get back?

This is the point of no return.

After the sun set behind the canyon’s horizon he packed his things (having only one hand available) and prepared himself for the jump. This took about 2 minutes.

At that point he had the full attention of the crowd.

After that, he jumped on his thong sandals. The canyon’s depth is 900 meters here.

Now you can see that the adjacent rock is higher so he tried to land lower, which is quite steep, and tried to use his one hand to grab the rock.

We’ve come to the end of this little story. Look carefully at the photographer.

He has a camera, a tripod and also a plastic bag, all on his shoulder or in his left hand.

Only his right hand is available to grab the rock and the weight of his stuff is a problem.

He lands low on his flip flops, both his right hand and right foot slip away…
At that moment I take this shot.

He pushes his body against the rock.

He waits for a few seconds, throws his stuff on the rock, climbs and walks away.

This folks, is TRUE dedication, or just plain insanity..

*P.S. This is actually staged, you too can do it if you dare*

Basic Features

• 10.0-megapixel (effective) CCD, delivering image resolutions as high as 3,648 x 2,736 pixels
• 6x optical zoom lens, 35mm equivalent of 35-210mm
• 4x maximum digital zoom
• Real-image optical viewfinder
• 2.5-inch color LCD monitor
• Full Manual through Automatic exposure available, including Aperture and Shutter priority and 17 preset Scene modes
• Built-in flash with five modes and an intensity adjustment
• Topside external flash hot shoe
• SD/SDHC/MMC memory storage (32MB card included)

It seems like Canon made a bit of a goof with the G7 and didn’t hit the spot quite right, the build quality is there but the features, the hardware (widest aperture of f/2.8) and the picture quality are definitely not there.

I’ve seen quite a few people buying it with the underwater casing for dive photos, it’s quite a reasonably priced package at around RM2300 (less than US$1000) for the camera and casing, and as it has pretty good high ISO and decent bright lens it should be ok.

I’m leaning towards the more versatile (And cheaper) Canon Powershot A710 IS though, with the underwater casing it comes in at around RM1900.

I also agree with the reviewers who say there is a gap in the market that could have been filled by the G7, by people who don’t need or want to carry an SLR but need more than a PnS can offer, people like myself, and most of you reading this site I imagine.

Personally I was looking forwards to the G7, but I am a bit disappointed, I’m still holding off my purchase of an underwater kit, to see what else comes out.

I’m tempted by the Fuji F31 too, but no stabiliser and only 3x zoom feels limiting.

G7 Reviews:

Canon PowerShot G7 – CNET

Though the reasons for buying the PowerShot G7 have dwindled, they haven’t disappeared entirely. It’s an optimal choice as a second camera, when you can’t or won’t schlep a dSLR with you, if you’re not quite ready to take the leap from a point-and-shoot to a full-fledged interchangeable lens system, or if you need the flexibility of a movie-capture mode.

Canon Powershot G7 – Steve’s Digicams

Bottom line – I was very pleased with this latest addition to Canon’s legendary “G” series line. While we miss the Vari-Angle LCD, the new 6x IS lens is a definite plus. The only negative issues we found were the problem with the optical viewfinder and the higher image noise at ISO 800 and 1600. That said, the G7 is a good choice for the beginner, novice, or enthusiast that wants a less bulky alternative to carrying around a dSLR and a bag of lenses

Canon PowerShot G7 Review – imaging resource

Those SLR owners looking for a second or third shooter should give both the Canon G7 and the A640 a close look. In addition to IS, the G7 has the advantage of a long-lasting Lithium-ion battery, like you’re used to with your SLR. But I have to warn you that you might be disappointed with the speed of the Canon G7 relative to your digital SLR. Once you’re tuned to one type of shutter, it’s very difficult to return to a slower mechanism, but not bad if you’re already accustomed.

DCRP Review: Canon PowerShot G7

While a disappointing G-series camera, the PowerShot G7 stands on its own, and it earns my recommendation. If you don’t mind parting with almost $600 for it, it’s worth a look. Don’t forget to check out the just as capable — and less expensive — competition closely, though.

Canon PowerShot G7 Review – DPReview

Specification aside, the G7 is a camera I’d find a lot easier to wholeheartedly recommend if the cons list at the top of this page were a bit shorter, but as I discovered, once you tame it, most of them can be overcome. It’s not for everyone (and it’s not the best ‘social camera’ as the focus can struggle in low light unless you stick to the short end of the zoom), but after a month or so of testing I find myself liking it more and more.

G7 Review – Luminous Landscape

As it is, the G7 will still have a lot of appeal due to its really good noise characteristics and a sharp lens with a decent focal range. A solid metal body and appealing assortment of additional features such as IS and audio recording contribute to its attractiveness. I don’t know of any current digicam that offers as much quality for the money. That same money will now by you a DSLR with kit lens, but then this won’t fit in your pocket, doesn’t have the same reach, and can’t shoot silently. There is a place for both, regardless of Canon’s apparent fears of cannibalization.

The S5 Pro features the same SuperCCD SR design sensor although now called ‘SR Pro’, it features 6.17 million ‘S photodiodes’ (normal DR) and 6.17 million ‘R photodiodes’ (highlight DR) for a total photodiode count of 12.34 million. Other headline improvements are the new body (which is obviously based on the Nikon D200) and all that includes; better AF, i-TTL flash, metering, Lithium-Ion battery. Other improvements include better DR control, up to ISO 3200 sensitivity and LAN / WiFi accessories.

This is the beast everyone is looking for, solid body, high ISO, amazing lack of noise and a wider dynamic range than other cameras.

A lot of people are still using the Fuji S3Pro as a portrait camera due to the beautiful colours it gives and the fact they can use Nikon lenses.

I’m really glad manufacturers are stopping the megapixel race and concentrating on quality.

Nobody ever really needs more than 10-12 megapixels.

And the difference between 8-10mp and 10-12mp is negligible.

It’s strange there’s no reviews out for this camera yet, it’s set to be around RM8500 in Malaysia.

It also happens to big shot AP photographers and many other press agencies, there is a full gallery that shows the extent of the manipulation and the stories surrounding them. And it’s been happening for a long time.

Like this for example:

Trotsky…now you see him, now you don’t.

And this LA Times pictures which turned out to be a composite of two pictures to ‘improve the composition’.

In most of these cases the photographers were fired. I believe this is rightly so, in the case of media photography or photojournalism, you are taking the scene, the reality, what occurred, it’s not down to artistic interpretation or manipulation.

Source: News.com

Are Leopards An Endangered Specie?

Her name is Gail Orenstein and she really keeps it on the ground, her pictures are gritty and sometimes moving as she depicts the lives of Strippers in the underground world of the pseudo sex trade in London.

Nobody Knows I’m a Lesbian

You can visit the blog here:

http://gophotosthenakedtruth.blogspot.com/

Sadly it hasn’t been updated for a while.

Her normal site is here:

http://gophotosblog.blogspot.com/

She shoots with a Nikon D50 as well, so it shows equipment is not all.

Both of her sites are not safe for work of course, so be warned.

The PhotographyCorner.com 2006 Photograph of the Year contest begins today (December 19th, 2006) and runs until the end of January, 2007. The Sponsors and Prizes can be viewed on the Photograph of the Year main page, as well as the Rules and the Timeline of the contest.

Before Submitting a Photograph, make sure you are aware of what pieces of information are required with your submission (explained on the How to Submit a Photograph page), as well as what limitations there are as to what photographs can be submitted.

All the information you need is available here:

PhotographyCorner.com 2006 Photograph of the Year Contest

The details on how to submit your entry can be found here:

Photograph of the Year Submission

The only way to submit a photograph to the PhotographyCorner.com 2006 Photograph of the Year contest, is to email the photograph to poty@photographycorner.com. The photograph must be attached to the email (not linked to it in a gallery or flickr, etc).

You can get the latest issue here:

PBase magazine – October – Issue 7 [PDF]

You can find the magazine archive here:

PBase Photography Magazine

Looks like a great travel camera, especially if you have a bit of budget for the excellent 18-200mm VR II lens to go along with it!

Super light flexible combo with SLR quality pictures in a compact package, this is the sort of camera for people who want SLR quality pics without lugging around a heavy camera and don’t want/need all the extra controls and confusing buttons.

It’s a top end point and shoot with more latitude almost.

I don’t think I’d use it as a backup, I’d prefer a D80 body..but for most people this would be a great choice with the new version of the 18-55mm kit lens for only $599 aswell it’s a steal.

The lightest, cheapest Nikon dSLR ever made!

Key Features

• 6 megapixel DX format CCD (1.5x FOV crop, as D50)
• Nikon Image processing engine (as D80 / D200)
• 3D Color Matrix Metering II, 420 pixel sensor (as D80 / D50)
• New Multi-CAM530 three area AF sensor
• ISO sensitivity range 200 – 1600 plus HI 1 (3200 equiv.)
• Custom Auto ISO (selectable maximum ISO, minimum shutter speed)
• 2.5 fps continuous shooting (as D50), unlimited in JPEG
• No status LCD, new LCD monitor based status / settings screens
• Large 2.5″ 230,000 pixel LCD monitor
• USB 2.0 with PTP and Mass Storage device support
• Improved menu user interface (as D80 / D200)
• New ‘Version II’ AF-S DX 18-55 mm kit lens

It retails for USD$599 which is about RM2178, I’d guess shop price for cash should be around RM1999.

Ken Rockwell predicted it would be called the D60, but he nailed the specs almost right.

More info here:

Nikon D40 Hands on Preview – DPReview

Nikon D40 – Ken Rockwell

Anyway for the noobs Zigview just made it a bit easier for you digital SLR owners to frame your shots with their new and improved Zigview S2 Digital Angle Finder. Like last year’s offering, the S2 attaches to your DSLR’s viewfinder to display a live video feed on that large, 2.5-inch “high-resolution” LCD. Thing is, this screen can be detaced from the main unit allowing you to view the subject and fire the shutter from any angle up to 10-meters away (via extension cable). That screen also includes a TV-out, 9 area TTL motion sensor, and interval timer for all sorts of clandestine possibilities.

It should be available this month for £250/$466USD.

More info on the Zigview here.

Would be neat for macros indeed!