Philip Northeast's Blog

Posted by Philip Northeast

Nikon and Canon have carved out a niche at the top of the photojournalists DSLRs market where performance is more important than price.

At major sports and news events Nikon and Canon are the preferred choice of professional photographers. This brand association helped the two dominate the SLR and now the DSLR scene with their more affordable models.

Many photographers moving to DSLRs hope that because their camera has the same letters on the camera body that their photos will look like those of highly accomplished photographers. Therefore, there is more at stake in this market niche than just the camera sales.

As well as high spec camera bodies photojournalists require a collection of high performance, and naturally expensive, lenses. If you sell the body you have a big advantage in the market for lenses and often third party suppliers seek to compete on price rather than quality.

Recently Nikon gained supremacy in this niche market over Canon’s 1D with their D3. Canon worked hard to develop a new sensor for their 1D MK IV to challenge the D3 only to see Nikon match their gains, especially in the key area of ISO performance, with an updated D3S.

The winners in this ongoing battle are all photographers, as the research and development applied to the top end models will eventually flow to future more popular models.

Posted by Philip Northeast

Manipulating images in post shooting processing is a long photographic tradition. The difference in the digital age is the ready availability of tools. Previously most techniques required a darkroom with all the associated specialist equipment. Now all you need is PC or a Mac and one of the many software packages such as Adobe’s Photoshop or the free GIMP. The power of these tools blurs the boundaries between photography as a representation of reality and s between art and photography.

Images for documentary and news should come straight from the camera with only corrections for color and exposure. They are supposed to represent the reality and bear unbiased witness to world events. Somewhere in between these two extremes, sits a wide range of photographic genres.

The pragmatic approach, adopted by many professionals including me, is we do whatever it takes to make the best image possible for its purpose in the least time. This does not meaning compromising on quality, just choosing the most efficient technique for the situation. Mostly this means getting the exposure and composition right when shooting the image and not using Photoshop to compensate for poor work.

The key to photography as an art form is that the final image reflects the photographer’s impression or interpretation of the scene rather than a literal mechanical reproduction of the view. When shooting interiors with that include large windows with worthwhile views, the intention is to recreate a local observer’s overall impression of the scene.

The technique is outlined in How to Control Window Brightness In Photos and is rooted in digital manipulation of two images. They do not create something false or misleading, rather this is away to overcome a technical difficulties of the digital medium. There is a limit in the overall range of light levels from brightest to darkest digital cameras can record, called dynamic range. This Photoshop technique is one way around this limitation

There are other alternatives, usually involving artificial lighting to balance the dark interior with the bright exterior, but then this just another form of image manipulation.

Posted by Philip Northeast

With a zoom range from a wide angle focal length of 18mm to a telephoto length of 250mm this lens is set to appeal to those new to DSLRs a seeking one lens to do everything.

The Sigma comes with their inbuilt fast focusing motor (HSM), something needed as there is trend from some manufacturers to phase out the focusing motor in the cameras, such as the Nikon D60.

Another fashionable feature is image stabilization, and the Sigma has an optical system in the lens. This is needed for Canon and Nikon cameras as well as Sigma’s own DSLR. Versions intended for Sony and Pentax cameras still have the optical stabilization system included, even though these cameras already have image stabilization in the camera body.

Sigma’s Marketing Manager, Tom Sobey, emphasizes, “This is the world’s first optically stabilized lens available for Sony and Pentax digital cameras. It will allow them to do what they have never been able to do before. It’s truly innovative.”

It is probably easier on a production line to leave the optical system in for the cameras that do not need than to make special models without it.

Sigma says “This feature is significant as this system now allows the Sony and Pentax photographer to see the stabilized image in the viewfinder where in the past this was not possible.”

My experience with Pentax image stabilization is that any camera shake problems are never evident in the viewfinder and do not interfere with composition or photo taking processes.

Posted by Philip Northeast

Canon’s achievement gives an insight into the extent of the photographic explosion led by clever cameras packed with modern electronics that simplify photography. Canon’s success in this field really took off in May 2000 when they launched the breakthrough PowerShot Digital model. This digital camera featured a compact body with a stylish design. This model spearheaded the digital camera market's later massive growth with its easy portability and simple operation, which won over millions of users worldwide. Canon followed with a string of revolutionary products that drove market expansion while addressing the diversifying needs of users, including the PowerShot A70 digital camera (2003), which sold more units worldwide than any other model that year due to its superb operability and cost performance.

Other notable cameras were the smooth and chic PowerShot Digital SD10 Digital ELPH camera (2003); the PowerShot G7 digital camera (2006), which carved out a position for high-end models in the compact digital camera market; and the PowerShot S5 IS digital camera (2007), which combined a high-power zoom lens with precise image stabilization.

Canon began producing compact digital cameras in 1996 and this experience stood the company in good stead when the digital camera revolution really took off. As one of the leading professional DSLR manufacturers Canon’s had a wealth of technology it could apply in the evolution of compact digital cameras. These include the DIGIC high-performance imaging processor, which processes richly detailed image data at very high speeds; Canon's ultra-compact lens with built-in image stabilizers; and iSAPS technology, which controls exposures with high accuracy based on shooting condition predictions.

Posted by Philip Northeast

KODAK CCD Image Sensors capture images enabling the orbiter in one of its primary mission objectives – the collection of a full Martian year of weather data for the planet – and has already mapped over one-third of the planet’s entire surface.

Since its launch on August 12, 2005, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s has searched for evidence of water on the surface of Mars by closely scanning the surface of the planet, analyzing minerals, searching for subsurface water, observing dust and water patterns in the atmosphere, and monitoring daily weather.

“Kodak is extremely proud to be part of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter,” said Michael Miller, manager of Kodak’s CCD Image Sensor Business. “We congratulate the entire MRO team, and especially Malin Space Science Systems, on reaching these milestones in their continued quest to unlock the secrets of Mars.”

The orbiter uses KODAK Image Sensors in two key components, the Mars Color Imager that provides daily weather reports for the planet, and the Context Camera, which captures wide-area views of the surface to help provide a context for high-resolution analysis of key locations on the planet.

The Mars Color Imager (MARCI), is a camera monitoring the surface and atmosphere of the planet across five visible and two ultraviolet wavelengths. This camera is based on the KODAK KAI-1001 Image Sensor, a one-megapixel device providing high sensitivity and high dynamic range.

The orbiter’s Context Camera (CTX) is based on the KODAK KLI-5001 Image Sensor, a 5,000-pixel linear CCD device that scans the surface of the planet as the orbiter passes overhead. Providing a resolution of six meters per pixel Kodak claim this allows features the size of a large pick-up truck to be detected, although to date no trucks have been found.