Sony introduces its first full-frame compact camera

In the pages of the BJP we learn about this compact camera that has a full frame sensor only previously seen in top range DSLR camera.

Olivier Laurent writes: Sporting a resolution of 24.3 megapixels, the new Cyber-shot DSC RX1 is Sony’s first compact camera to feature a full-frame sensor.

As of 12 September, Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-RX1 is claimed to be the world’s first compact camera with a 35mm full-frame 24.3 effective megapixel sensor.

The camera, which weighs 482g, features a f/2 Carl Zeiss Sonnar T* lens with a fixed focal length of 35mm. “Derived from the German word ‘sonne’ (sun), the Sonnar name reflects the ability of the lens to capture as much light as possible,” Sony explains. “This premium lens features newly designed optics including an advanced aspherical glass element that contributes to the camera’s compact palm-sized dimensions, without sacrificing optical performance.”  READ MORE HERE

This is what DP Review says about this new beast            and more here

The price, a whopping £2,600 phew! It better be good

Read more: http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/news/2204784/sony-introduces-worlds-first-fullframe-compact-camera#ixzz26Rmstk4a
Subscribe to BJP and save money. Click here to save 29% today.

Best Point-and-Shoot Cameras, Spring 2012

By Mike Perlman on May 9, 2012 in Photography

The Point-and-Shoot market has evolved substantially within the past few years. Pocket-sized models can shoot better in low light, are faster with up to 10fps full resolution burst modes, have enhanced optics and focusing capabilities, to name a few general improvements. But it wasn’t until the end of last year that we began to see a major shift in the point-and-shoot market: the bigger sensor. Up until then, even advanced point-and-shoot models were saddled with smaller sensors, but that’s not the case anymore. While manufacturers continue to crack the code that enables them to outfit portable, fixed lens models with sensors from DSLRs, we’re only in the beginning stages of the point-and-shoot revolution.

That’s why it’s harder to buy a point-and-shoot now than it ever was. I guarantee in a few years, most serious point-and-shoots will have DSLR sensors inside of them. But for now, I’ve rounded up my top point-and-shoot models to prevent you from a bogus buy. These are models that have raised the bar time and again. Some models I’m in the midst of testing, but they are proving themselves worthy adversaries. So, if you need to buy a decent point-and-shoot before the summer, have no fear! Heed my Best Point-and-Shoot list and all will be well...Read the reviews here

Relates Links

Squidoo

PRweb

PCWorld

DPReview forum

Canon Powershot S100 Camera Review

From the excellent DP Review site

“When Canon revived its PowerShot S range with the S90 in August 2009, it was in acknowledgement of a clear demand from enthusiast photographers for high quality yet pocketable cameras offering extensive manual control. The S95, which followed almost exactly a year later, stuck with much the same formula – a relatively large sensor (at least in compact camera terms), a 28-105mm equivalent zoom lens with a fast F2 maximum aperture at wideangle, and a multi-functional control dial around the lens. But while its successor, the S100, looks much the same again on the outside, it is to all intents and purposes a brand new camera.

Crucially, the S100′s three key imaging elements are all entirely new. The lens range has been extended wider and longer, to a 24-120mm equivalent 5x zoom; it retains the fast F2 maximum aperture at wideangle but is limited to a rather less-impressive F5.9 at telephoto (an inevitable consequence of the camera’s compact dimensions). Secondly the S100 debuts Canon’s latest DIGIC 5 image processor, which the company says is six times faster than the previous version, allowing more sophisticated image processing and noise reduction. But perhaps most significantly, the S100′s image sensor is a Canon-made 12.1 MP ‘high sensitivity’ CMOS sensor in the 1/1.7″ format (approx 7.5 x 5.5mm); only the second home-grown sensor the company has used in a compact camera after the PowerShot SX1 IS of 2008.”……..……..READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE

Here is a quick roundup of the review

Conclusion – Pros

• Very good image quality, especially at low ISO settings.
• Well optimized JPEGs, low contrast detail is well-preserved at low ISO settings
• Automatic fringing/CA correction in JPEGs
• Fast operation
• Bright LCD screen is easy to see in daylight
• Exposure simulation in live-view and accurate live histogram
• Good manual controls (in particular the control ring)
• Compact and well built
• Addition of hand grip makes the camera easier to hold than its predecessors
• Integrated GPS allows you to geo-tag your images.
• Zooming is possible while recording videos

Conclusion – Cons

• Manual focus preview resolution is too low to be useful
• Lack of in-camera alignment of HDR images makes it a much less useful feature than it could be
• Auto ISO is limited to 1600 (wasting two stops of extra ISO sensitivity)
• Pop-up flash can be blocked by your finger
• 

 

Why buy a compact camera – Three contenders … compact digital cameras

There is no doubt that compact camera sales are falling in the face of smartphones with cameras. But is this such a good thing if you care about taking pictures? This article in The Canberra Times addresses some of the reasons why a camera is better than a phone and makes suggestions as to which camera you might choose.

“COMPACT digital cameras are stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one hand, many people with high-end smartphones no longer feel the need to carry a separate camera for happy snaps. On the other hand, people who care about picture quality often make the leap to hefty digital SLR (single-lens reflex) cameras.

So, who does that leave? People who don’t own a smartphone, happy snappers who care about picture quality and serious photographers who don’t want to lug around an SLR. For less than $200 you’ll find cameras that outgun most smartphones.”

READ MORE HERE

 

Photography Courses Jan/Feb/March 2012

We have recently released dates for our next series of courses. These start in January with the ever popular Understanding your DSLR on the 11th, this is a 4 session evening class but we also have a one day version in January, this is on Sunday 22nd January, so 2 courses to help all of you who receive brand new cameras at Christmas.  A little later in the term we start the Introduction to Photoshop, Composition – Seeing Pictures, Portrait, Black and White Digital, Understanding Your Compact Camera, Intermediate Photography and more Understanding Your DSLR courses spread throughout the term.

Here is a full list of all the courses and dates

	Understanding Your Digital SLR:start dates:11.1.12; 30.1.12; 3.3.12; 7.3.12; (Saturday morning)Understanding Your Digital Compact Camera – starts: 27.2.12 Introduction to Photoshop and Photoshop Elements - starts 22.2.12 6 sessions, Composition In Photography – Seeing Pictures - starts 2.2.12 Portrait Photography: – starts: 1.3.12 Intermediate Photography - starts: 24.1.12 Black and White Digital Photography – starts 6.3.12 Travel Photography starts spring term One Day Understanding Your DSLR - 22.1.12; 19.2.12; 25.3.12; 29.4.12 Most courses are 4 sessions one per week, (Photoshop and Intermediate Photography are 6 sessions) all run on consecutive weeks from start dates. 1 Day DSLR is a one day course, there are 4 dates this term To book a place please send us an email with the course title and start date you wish to attend

The Ultimate Guide for Buying Your First Digital SLR

“Let’s assume that you’ve been shooting with your “point and shoot” for a while now, and you’ve taken some pretty nice snapshots. But maybe you are starting to feel a little limited by what the camera is capable of doing. You’ve read up on photography, and there are things you want to work on. You feel it is time to step up!

This guide will help you to understand some of the basic features of Digital SLR cameras (DSLRs), and hopefully help you find one that fits both your needs and budget.”“…..more

Best compact cameras- top four

While micro cameras are getting all the headlines, with their raw file and video capture abilities plus their interchangeable lenses, compacts still have their place as truly pocketable snap cameras. Kevin Carter reviews four of the best….more Author: Kevin Carter at The BJP

Digital photography – what happens next? The future is here

The digital camera continues to revolutionise our photographic lives. The complicated and expensive days of film are now long gone. But recent years have seen camera technology begin to stagnate. Have we hit a megapixel plateau? Is facial recognition as far as the point and shoot can go? Or is there an exciting future in store for the camera?...more

Everything in focus

Meet the Lytro light-field camera. While still in the early stages of development, hence the lack of images of the camera hardware itself, it is shaping up to change photography in a big way. The new technology allows you to create a one-stop shop photograph that can be selectively focused after the picture has been taken....more on Geeko blog

Auto airbrush

One thing the Lytro can’t fix though is an unforgiving portrait or awkward family photo. There are however some compact cameras currently on the market that say otherwise. Enter the make-up applying point and shoot, which intelligently airbrushes shots to make the subject look better....more

360 degree shooting

Digital cameras are also set to change the way we approach and view photos altogether. Traditionally in order to take a snap you need to have the lens pointed at the subject. Only the widest of wide-angles can pack in about 180 degrees of what you see in front of you. Imagine a camera that can snap absolutely everything around, creating a single snapshot of a scene in its entirety...more

All-purpose bridge

So what direction should camera design be taking? The traditional viewfinder approach to things still seems to be the best way to take photographs. Ergonomics have barely changed since the advent of the SLR and rangefinder years ago. There is, however, one concept from Canon which could drastically change the way we approach a camera. The idea is the ultimate bridge camera with all encompassing wide angle to 500mm zoom. This means the end of heavy camera bags, switching lenses and expensive camera kits.…more

 

How many of these ideas will get beyond concept is something only time will reveal

Photography Course Dates Oxford May/June

Here is the list of course for which we still have places during our summer term. Full details on our web site

Understanding Your Digital SLR: start dates  – 4th May;  21st May;  9th June
Understanding Your Digital Compact Camera -Due to the many Bank Holidays in May we are unable to run this course but it will be back in the autumn
Introduction to Photoshop and Photoshop Elements – starts 4th May
Composition In Photography – Seeing Pictures – starts 5th May
Portrait Photography – starts 9th May
Intermediate Photography – starts 3rd May
Black and White Digital Photography – starts 13th June
Travel Photography starts 9th June
One Day Understanding Your DSLR – 7th May; 19th June; 10th July; 6th August
Garden & Plant Photography 12th June

To book a place please send an email and we will make a reservation for you and ask you to call with payment details so that we can confirm your place. Payment will not be taken until a week before the course starts.

15 Digital Point-and-Shoot Cameras Used By Pro Photographers

This is an interesting article where the author has asked a number of photographers which point and shoot (compact) camera they use. Mine by the way is a Canon G10

“Do professional photographers really use point-and-shoot cameras? Surprisingly, yes.

Using Facebook and Twitter, I just completed a little of my own unscientific research. I wanted to find out which digital point-and-shoot is the camera-of-choice among professional photographers. Just over 50 professional photographers responded, and most of them are included here.

Some well-known photographers responded to my call, including: Pulitzer Prize-winning photographers David Hume Kennerly and Brian Smith; “Strobist” David Hobby; Washington DC photojournalist David Burnett; Outdoor/Adventure photographer Corey Rich; and Lifestyle/Advertising photographer Tom Hussey.

I asked each photographer the same questions: What camera do you use; what gadgets and add-on accessories do you use; do you have any pro-level advice for others using this camera; and I asked them to supply a picture they shot with the camera.”

If you want to see what is shot by who read on

Although not asked to contribute I would say I like my G10, I bought it because I wanted a compact camera with an optical viewfinder and with aperture priority controls and exposure compensation. Here is my picture