Mark Best

(Credit:
Epson)

One gripe I have with electronic viewfinders is that they’re usually low-resolution displays with slower response times. Also, their color rendition is typically not as good as LCD’s. But Epson’s newly developed EVF seeks to correct all the flaws, and the company states that this …

(Credit:
Tallyn)

Professional photographers often shoot with their cameras tethered to their computers so they can see the images on a larger display. However, when out in the field, the environment may not be suitable for resting a laptop on the ground or on rocky surfaces. In such cases, the …

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Polaroid SX-70 image by

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(Credit:
T-shirt pictures from CafePress and main logo by Jarle Aasland)

The Leica M9 is possibly the most expensive 35mm full-frame camera on the market today with a hefty price tag of $8,183.39. But that hasn’t stopped me from dreaming of owning one, though I’m pretty …

AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85 mm f3.5G ED VR II

(Credit:
Nikon)

Nikon today expanded its DX lens line by adding a dedicated macro lens for close-up photography .The new AF-S DX Micro Nikkor 85 mm f3.5G ED VR II. A prime focal length macro lens is something …

(Credit:
Nikon USA)

Budget for a smaller turkey this Thanksgiving; you’ll need to save your pennies if you want to upgrade to Nikon’s latest pro dSLR when it ships at the end of November. With a few substantial changes that should appeal to nighttime shooters or the video-inclined pro, packed into the old D3 body, the slightly more expensive D3S seems like it’ll be a decent successor.

Though it retains the same 12.1-megapixel resolution and 8.45-micron pixels of its predecessor, the D3S uses a new sensor. Combined with updated image-processing firmware, Nikon manages to eke out sensitivity of up to ISO 102,400 (Hi 3), for a whopping 10-stop sensitivity range. How much of that will be usable? Well, the D3′s looked pretty good as high as ISO 12,800–formerly Hi 1 and the new top of the standard range–and given the tweaks it should at least gain another usable couple of stops, which is worthwhile in itself. I saw some prints from Hi 3 shots taken with a preproduction model, and they looked pretty serviceable for emergency shooting in the dark.

The other major enhancement is support for Nikon’s 24fps, 720p video implementation, which allows for shooting with sensitivities up to ISO 6400, shutter and aperture adjustments in preview mode and selectable sound levels. Like most models it has a built in mono mic, though it has a minijack for stereo audio. Plus Nikon supplies some postprocessing for trimming video and extracting frames.

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Photobooth)

In the past, photo booths usually showed up along the sidewalk. If you desperately needed to get a mugshot taken for your passport, you simply popped into one to take a picture, and out would come a strip of photos. But these days, photo booths are enjoying a …

Back to basics about bit depth and the great whiteout contest.

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EPISODE 65

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Originally posted at Indecent Exposure Podcast

(Credit:
Main picture by Photojojo with guest appearance by Microsoft's Clippy)

Besides holding sheets together, the humble paper clip has plenty of other uses. Not only is its slim tip great for poking at small reset inserts on gadgets, we’re pretty sure MacGyver can jump-start a car …

Sony's little pain in the wallet.

(Credit:
Sony Electronics)

Last week I posted a review of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1, but this post is not really about my review. It’s about two user reviews (written by users I doubt have actually used the camera). One calls my …