Review of the Canon XF100 v Sony’s NX70 (Updated with new NR number 2)
Finally I get a chance to asses the Canon XF100 since I have just bought one. The camcorder has a lot of features packed into its small body and non more so than full broadcast CBR 50MB/s 4:2:2 (CBR=Constant bit rate), this wee chap is a lot bigger in ...
Sony Looking to Buy 20-30% of Olympus
Crippled by its recent financial scandal, Olympus is in need of a bailout and has been open to the idea of forming a strategic alliance with other companies. The latest news is that Sony is on the brink of acquiring a 20-30% stake in the beleaguered medical device and camera company, a sizable increase from...
Sony Announces First XQD Cards, Lexar Ups CF Cards to 1000x and 256GB
Well, well, well, look who’s first to the XQD game. It’s not Sandisk or Lexar, but Sony. On the same day Nikon announced its new D4 with XQD compatibility, Sony has announced the first line of XQD memory cards (intended to eventually replace CF cards). They offer 125MB/s transfer speeds, and can quickly store up...
Plastic Wrap Can Be Used as a Pellicle Mirror Substitute
After damaging the pellicle mirror in his Sony A55 with cleaning fluid, a guy named Dario decided to look for a makeshift replacement while waiting for a real replacement mirror to arrive. He then discovered that food wrap (AKA Saran wrap) works nearly as well as a real pellicle mirror. The only downsides are occasionally...
Supply and Demand: Sony NEX-7 Selling for Ridiculous Prices on eBay
Sony’s NEX-7 mirrorless camera has been extremely difficult to find due to manufacturing being disrupted by the flooding in Thailand earlier this year. As a result of the shortage, the camera is selling for absurd prices on eBay — people are buying the camera for over $3,700 new. If you managed to snag one of...
Are Liquid Lenses The Next Big Thing in Photography?
Major camera makers including Olympus, Samsung and Sony have all filed patents in recent days for liquid lens technology. Unlike traditional glass lenses, liquid lenses don’t have any moving parts. Instead, liquid is used to focus light, and different voltages are applied to the liquid to change the shape of the liquid, thereby controlling the...
How To Photograph Aretha Franklin…and How NOT To Sing To Her
Wanna know how to photograph people/celebrities like Aretha Franklin from the guy who has been shooting her covers for the past 7 years? I do too… Fashion, beauty, and celebrity photographer Matthew Jordan Smith brings his knowledge, vision, and photo techniques this weekend to creativeLIVE.com for a superdope free 3-day online workshop (update: that is...
Christmas Wish List 2011 – Prepare for Black Friday!
With Christmas a little under seven weeks(!) away, and Black Friday only TWO WEEKS away, now is the time to get your shopping game plan together! Here are my recommended gift items for the photographers in your life. Grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable, because I have a LOT of gift ideas! For...
Guess What the Shape of Sony Alpha DSLRs Was Inspired By? A Sock!
In interviews published on Sony’s website, the company’s designers talk about how its latest DSLRs are based on a styling technique called “Tensile Skin”, in which sharp lines and curved surfaces giving a “natural sense of tension”. What’s interesting is the tool they used to explore this idea: an ordinary sock. Art director Takuya Niitsu...
Camera Companies Need to Be Willing to Cannibalize Themselves
Kodak’s fall from grace is an interesting case study that modern day companies can learn from. Even though the world’s first digital camera was invented by one of its engineers, the company was unwilling to cannibalize its film business that, at the time, was making money hand over fist. By the time digital cameras started...
Sony’s Sensor Manufacturing Plant Hit Hard by Thailand Floods
Here’s a photograph by the The Bangkok Post showing Sony’s sensor manufacturing plant in Thailand submerged under flood waters roughly 3 meters (~10ft) high. The shutdown of the 502,000 square foot, 3,300 employee plant doesn’t just affect Sony, as other companies — including Nikon and Apple (in the iPhone 4S) — rely on Sony image...
Nikon and Sony DSLR Production May Be Delayed for Months Due to Thai Floods
A week ago we shared a photo showing Nikon’s factory in Thailand submerged due to the catastrophic flooding happening there. The latest news is that both Nikon and Sony have had their camera factories severely damaged, which may have cause delays of at least 1-2 months. 90% of Nikon’s SLR cameras — the low to...
