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ISSUE 4VOLUME 09JULY 2013

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REVIEWED: CANON EOS 700D ● SONY SLT A58 ● PANASONIC LUMIX GF6 ● CANON PIXMA PRO 100 ● LUMIX 35-100mm f/2.8

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BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FOCUSSING PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE: CREATING MODEL PORTFOLIOS PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY - PART II

PHOTOSHOP BASICS: REMOVE COLOUR CAST INTERVIEW ANUP SAH

FACE-OFF! TOP SMARTPHONES vs.

BASIC COMPACTS

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Welcome

Meet any camera manufacturer these days and you are sure to hear how Smartphones have destroyed the market for low end compact cameras. It seems that the huge marketing blitz of the Smartphone companies has taken the camera industry by surprise. But is there any real cause for anxiety?

The camera industry would do well to remember that Smartphones are bought for reasons other than the camera they feature. A camera is only one of the

innumerable features of a Smartphone. They are, of course, indispensable for the candid or sudden photo opportunity that could arise in your daily life. Having said that, the best Smartphone will give you fair to good pictures in well lit conditions. Smartphones lack effective image stabilization systems, manual control, optical zooms and in most cases, Smartphone images are incapable of being blown upto say, A3 size without revealing defects. Also, phones emit radiation, cameras don’t.

What is the solution? Camera manufacturers should focus on quality, pocketable compact cameras with good exposure systems, high quality optics, optical image stabilization and WiFi connectivity. The answers are blowing in the wind. H. S. Billimoria

WE ARE GLUED TO THE GLOBAL IMAGING INDUSTRYOur team is updated with all the benchmarks and road blocks that the field of photography and imaging across the globe experiences. This helps us record the changes in the global perspective, thus making us the first to predict which products will be a rage in the Indian markets.

WE’RE IMPARTIALLoyalty towards our readers is a given, and their best interests are always on our mind. Every verdict is honest and not influenced by advertisers or personal favorites. So when we say a product is a ‘BEST BUY’, then, it is just that!

OUR TESTS ARE CONDUCTED BY EXPERTSAll equipment go through a series of tests at the hands of our experts. Our reviewers are experts in the field of photography across the country and have many years of experience. That gives us the foresight to distinguish between a passing trend and a big change in the field of photography and imaging. And finally, our reviews are not extended to just fill up the pages!

WE ARE HERE TO HELP YOUThere is no debate on why we are here. Our sole goal is to provide you options and better your judgement in product purchase while, sharing tips and tricks to improve your images. Our biggest joy is in building a bridge between you and your perfect picture!

HERE’S WHATMAKES US #1

EDITOR Hoshang S. Billimoria

TECHNICAL EDITOR Rohinton Mehta

SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Sujith Gopinath

CORRESPONDENTSpandan Sharma

PHOTOGRAPHY Mahesh Reddy

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Atul D. Bandekar

DESIGN Ajit Manjrekar, Sanjay Awad, Ajay Paradkar

PRODUCTION Dinesh Bhajnik, Deepak Narkar, Ravi Parmar

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CIRCULATION AND SUBSCRIPTION Sanjeev Roy (Asst. Operations Manager) Sachin Kelkar (Subscription Supervisor)

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Mob: 09804085683Views and opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Next Gen Publishing Ltd. Next Gen Publishing does not take the responsibility for re-turning unsolicited material sent without adequate postal stamps for return post-age. No part of the magazine may be reproduced in part or full without the prior express written permission of the publisher. Printed by Girish Mallya, Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Sena-pati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Published by Girish Mallya on behalf of Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Printed at Kala Jyothi Process Pvt. Ltd, 1-1-60/5 RTCX Roads, Hyderabad - 20. Published at Next Gen Publishing Ltd., Trade World, 2nd Floor, C Wing, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013. Copyright 2006 SMART PHOTOGRAPHYAll readers are recommended to make their own independent enquiries before sending money, incurring expenses or entering into commitments in relation to any advertisement appearing in the publication. Smart Photography does not vouch for any claims made by advertisers for their products and services. The editor, publisher, printer and employees of the publication shall not be held li-able for any consequence in the events of such claims not being honoured by the advertisers. All disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of competent courts and forums in Mumbai only.

Editor – Hoshang S Billimoria

July 2013 Smart Photography 5




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Contents JULY 2013

6 Smart Photography July 2013


ISSUE 4VOLUME 09JULY 2013

SUBSCRIBER’S COPY

RS.125


BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FOCUSSING � PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE: CREATING MODEL PORTFOLIOS � PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY - PART II� PHOTOSHOP BASICS: REMOVE COLOUR CAST � INTERVIEW ANUP SAH

FACE-OFF!TOP SMARTPHONES vs.

BASIC COMPACTS

Just a moment!Readers can find the updated Buyer’s Guide, log on http://smartphotography.in/news/monthly-special

Smart Photography thanks the readers who participate in the Picture of the Month contest. We would like to bring to your attention a few changes in the rules for submission. From now on, you may send in your images with the longer side measuring atleast 17 inches. Please note that the images have to be horizontal. This permits readers to submit panoramic shots, which was not possible with the current size of 17 x 11 inches.

REGULARS 8 Mail Bag

10 News Watch

28 Picture of the Month

46 Book Review

48 Software Soflight

154 Tidbits

Kaleidoscope 30

Showcase 34

A platform for budding photographers to exhibit their talent and get noticed!

A photographic profile of the man behind the lens

MasterCraftsman 52 The masters of the craft share their insights and photographs

If I Were You 38Our expert comments on how your pictures can be taken to another level

Ask Uncle Ronnie 42Your photo queries answered by Uncle Ronnie


LEARNINGS Basics 60 Basic Learning IV 62 A Short Course in Portrait Photography - Part II 68 Grammar of Model Portfolios 74 Getting Rid of Colour Cast REVIEWS 80 Canon EOS 700D 86 Sony SLT A58 92 Panasonic Lumix Gf6 98 Lumix GX Vario 35-100mm f2.8 Power O.I.S. 100 Face-off: Smartphones Vs Cameras 104 Canon Pixma Pro 100

FIRST LOOK 107 Manfrotto befree Tripod (Model MKBFRA4-BH) 108 Atomos Ninja 2

62A Short Course

in Portrait Photography - Part II

68Grammar of Model Portfolios

74Getting Rid of Colour Cast


Mailbag

Write to us at: Mail BagSmart Photography, Trade World, C-Wing, 2nd Floor, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel(W), Mumbai 400013. E-mail: [email protected]

More international work?

I’m a regular reader of Smart Photography, and have been following the magazine avidly for a couple of years now. I particularly loved the profile of Roman Solar (‘Wizard, Story-teller, Photographer’) in the July 2013 edition. It is great to see SP featuring international photographers as well. We have a large pool of talent in our country definitely, but featuring artists from across the world gives a more global perspective. Hope to see more of such international profiles in future editions. Keep up the good work!

Thanks and Regards,Suraj Atreya


ISSUE 3VOLUME 09JUNE 2013

SUBSCRIBER’S COPY

RS.125

REVIEWED: CANON EOS 100D ● PANASONIC TZ40 ● FUJIFILM X100S ● NIKON COOLPIX A ● CANON IXUS 240 HS

A SHORT COURSE ON

PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

PART I

CAMERA FEATURE MIRROR LOCK-UP

TRAVELOGUE ENCHANTING KASHMIR

BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHYLENSES

INTERVIEWROMAN SOLAR

PROFESSIONAL TECHNIQUE TACKLING WHITE ON WHITEPHOTOGRAPHY TIPREDUCING LENS FLARE

CANON EOS 100D

Letter of the Month WIN A UNIROSS

1H LCD CHARGER

WORTH Rs.1,095/-

EVERY MONTH FOR THE

LETTER OF THE MONTH

As a long-standing reader of Smart Photography, I must congratulate the team behind the magazine for giving us something new every time. The travel feature on Kashmir by Ajay Sood (‘Spring Swing!’) in the July 2013 edition was amazing! It was great to see the stunning photographs that captured the beauty and spirit of Kashmir, and read about Mr. Sood’s

experience there. I particularly liked the bit where he said how the media portrayal of Kashmir is very different from the reality there. Thank you for the rare insight into the beautiful Valley, and I hope SP keeps giving us more of these amazing articles!

Thanks and Warm Regards,Ami Mehra

Beautiful Kashmir!

Software ReviewsAnother month, and yet another outstanding edition from the team at Smart Photography! Great job guys; all the regular features like the reviews, profiles and sneak peeks were very informative, and the workshops and tutorials were very helpful, as always. I have a request. If possible, could you also review imaging software and apps (apart from Photoshop, nearly everyone knows about it) that are useful to photographers? They don’t necessarily have to be image-editing software, but can be any software that deals with photography and imaging in general. Hope you’ll consider this request from an avid reader, and keep the editions coming... Good luck!

Thanks and Regards,Divya Maheshwari


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InternationalNews Watch

SNIPPETSSamsung releases source code for camerasSamsung released the source code for its NX2000 and NX3000 cameras, the first-ever attempt by a manufacturer at offering public access to a mainstream camera’s operating system. The source code was released under GNU GPL and LGPL licenses that limit end-users’ ability to create proprietary works, but encourage indigenous modification to tinker around with. The code can be found at Samsung’s Open Source Release Centre: http://opensource.samsung.com/

Manfrotto to launch iPhone5 Photo Accessory KitManfrotto announced an expansion of its existing product line for the iPhone 4/4S by introducing a photo-accessory kit for iPhone5. The new kit, called the KLYP, has two snap-on adapters that allow users to attach the Manfrotto “PIXI” mini-tripod, and a LED light. Other makers’ tripods and tripod heads are also supported.

Kenko Tokina expands T-mount adapter lineupKenko Tokina announced that it is adding T-mount adapters for Canon EOS M cameras and Fujifilm X series mirrorless cameras to its lineup. Using this mount, the cameras will be able to attach Kenko Tokina branded reflex lenses and binoculars. The new mounts are expected to sell for 4,725 yen each.

Sony launches 30x zoom DSC-HX50VSony launched the Cyber-Shot DSC-HX50V, a compact camera with 30x zoom, that is 60% more compact than its previous model. The camera comes equipped with a 20-megapixel CMOS sensor and a 24-720mm (in 35mm) 30x zoom lens. The camera measures 108.1 x 64.3 x 38.3 mm, and has 2.3x faster autofocussing than previous models. The camera is available for 43,000 yen (US$430).

Sigma announces two new lenses and a new USB DockSigma Corporation of America announced its Sigma USB Dock, a device that would allow users fine and minute control over the autofocussing of new Sigma lenses. Retailing at US$ 50, the product is available in US markets since May. At the same time, Sigma also announced two new lenses: the newly re-designed 120-300mm F/2.8 DG OS HSM lens (retailing for US$ 3,599), and the new 60mm F/2.8 DN Art Lens (retailing for US$ 239). The lenses are the company’s latest additions to its Global Vision Sport Lens Category of products.







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Olympus introduces EVF for PEN seriesOlympus started selling an optional high-resolution electronic viewfinder – the VF-4. The viewfinder features 1.48x vision (0.74x in 35mm terms), 100% view, and a 2.36 million dot LCD panel. The VF-4 retails for 32,000 yen, and can be used with the PEN series of mirrorless cameras, coming included in the lens kit for the newly announced PEN E-P5.

Canon updates firmware for full-frame D-SLRsCanon has updated the firmware for its EOS 1D Mark IV and EOS 1Ds Mark III full-frame D-SLRs to allow them to function properly with the new EF 200-400mm F/4.0 L IS 1.4x lens. The updates (1.1.3 for the 1D Mark IV, and 1.2.2 for the 1Ds Mark III) let the cameras focus with the lens via their central AF points, when used with an extended and combined aperture of F/8.0. Both the updates can be downloaded from Canon’s website.

PMA’s The Big Photo Show a massive success

PMA announced that the inaugural edition of The Big Photo Show, held on May 4th and 5th at the Los Angeles Convention Centre, was a resounding success, with over 16,100 attendees coming to the event. The show featured the latest and coolest equipment from manufacturers and retailers, live classes and workshops with some of the United States’ best professional photographers/educators, chances to participate in live model shoots, and a lot more. Speaking on the occasion, PMA President Allen Showalter commented, “... The remarkable success of this, our inaugural event, speaks to the high caliber of exhibitors, programs and opportunities offered at The Big Photo Show.” The event returns to Los Angeles in Spring 2014.

Fujifilm North America unveiled the new Fujinon XF 55-200mm (83-300mm in 35mm equivalent) F/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS lens, the first XF telephoto zoom lens for the company’s X-series of mirrorless compact cameras, the X-Pro 1 and the X-E1. The lens features two linear motors for high-speed autofocussing (0.28 sec); two ED lens elements and one Super ED lens element for better performance, and control against chromatic aberrations; a

minimum focussing distance of 1.1m; a 1/3EV step aperture ring for aperture control; etc. Pricing and availability will be announced shortly.

Fujifilm announces new XF telephoto zoom lens


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Japan Camera Grand Prix 2013 Awards AnnouncedThe judging committee of the Japan Camera Grand Prix 2013 chose Sony’s high-end compact camera, the Cyber-Shot RX1, as the “Camera of the Year 2013”, praising its advanced 35mm full-sized sensor and dedicated fixed focus 35mm F/2.0 Car Zeiss Sonnar T* lens. The “Lens of the Year 2013” award went to Sigma’s 35mm F/1.4 DG HMS for its excellent image quality, and great value for money. The “Reader’s Award” was given to Nikon’s D800E D-SLR camera, and the editors also gave out two “Editors’ Awards” to the Canon EOS 6D, and Sigma’s D-cam trio: the DP1 Merrill, DP2 Merrill and DP3 Merrill.

Samyang Asia launches 16mm F/2.0 lensKorean company Samyang Optics announced the launch of their newest offering: the Samyang 16mm F/2.0 ED AS UMC CS prime lens. The lens has 13 elements in 11 groups, with two aspheric elements, and is intended for use with cameras with APS-C or smaller sensors. Samyang has made the lens nearly universal, featuring support for a wide variety of mounts, including Canon EF and EF-M, Fujifilm X, Nikon F, Olympus/Panasonic Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds, Pentax K, Samsung NX, and Sony A and E mounts. The lens is expected to be available from late June/early July in Asian markets, although there are no details on pricing or availability in other markets.

JPEA holds 40th Annual Conference in TokyoJoint Photoimaging Enterprises Association ( JPEA) held its 40th Annual Conference in Tokyo on June 27th. At the event, the IPC Yatomi Scholarship Award was presented to Tomohiro Watanabe from the Tokyo Polytechnic University, after the general session. Don Franz of Photo Imaging News was the keynote speaker, addressing the attendees on “The Exciting Outlook for Photo Imaging” at the JCII Building, Chiyada-ku, Tokyo.

Canon announces new wide-angle zoom lensCanon has announced the EF-M 11-22mm F/4.0-5.6 IS STM wide-angle zoom lens for its EOS M mirrorless camera. The company’s first wide-angle zoom with image stabilisation, the lens’ retractable barrel design keeps its size to roughly the same as the 18-55mm kit zoom lens when collapsed. The lens is expected to be available from the end of June for £379.99. Canon has also announced a firmware update v2.0.0 for the EOS M, to ensure compatibility with the new lens, as well as improved autofocus across lenses. The update will be available for download in the near future.

Cosina to launch new Classical Design LensCosina Co. announced that it will soon begin marketing the newly developed lens it revealed at CP+ 2013 – the Nokton 50mm F/1.5 Aspherical Lens. The lens’ exterior design is modelled after the Nokton 50mm F/1.5 (manufactured in the 1950s), and the optics system is based on the earlier Nokton 50mm F/1.5 Aspherical (made in 1999). The lens body is made of metal, and comes in black (105,000 yen) and silver (131,250 yen); both models have the bayonet VM mount compatible with the Leica M mount.

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News WatchInternational

Adobe releases Lightroom 5Adobe announced the availability of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 for Mac OS and Windows, available for either as an individual license, or as part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud. Originally released as a free, public beta in April 2013, Lightroom 5 adds several new features to enable advanced photo-editing and creation of complex work-flows. Some of these features are: the Advanced Healing Brush, that lets users fix imperfections in the image with the precision of a fine brush; automatic straightening of buildings and level horizons with the Upright tool; and Smart Preview, enabling photographers to edit their images offline, with the changes being made to the original images automatically when reconnected. The software is available as an immediate download for Creative Cloud members, and a standalone version can be purchased from Adobe.com and associated retailers for US$149, or US$179 for upgrades.

Inaugural Felix Schoeller Photo Award announcedOsnabruck, Germany based specialty papers manufacturer Felix Schoeller Holding GmbH & Co. KG has announced the inaugural edition of the Felix Schoeller Photo Award, an international photography competition for professional photographers, photographic designers, photographic artists, and emerging photographic talent. Prizes worth a total of € 25,000 will be distributed across five categories: portrait, landscape/nature, architecture/industry, photojournalism/editorial photography, and free choice/conceptual photography; another award for ‘Best Work by an Emerging Photographer’ will be given as well. Entries can be submitted till 31st August, 2013, at www.felix-schoeller-photoaward.com, and will be judged by a high-profile, 5-member panel.

Pentax launches new camerasPentax launched a white version of its well-known “rugged” WG-3 waterproof camera, with all the same specs and features as the existing model. It is expected to retail at US$299. The company also launched a new budget compact camera, the ‘Efina’. The camera is a 14MP CCD-based device with a 26-130mm (in 35mm format) lens with 5x optical zoom, HD movie recording capability, and a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, and is expected to cost around £80. There’s no word yet on pricing and availability in other markets.

Fujifilm’s ‘Checki’ Camera sees revivalFujifilm Corp.’s mini instant camera ‘Checki’ has seen a resurgence in its popularity, especially overseas. Its old-school ability to print out photos on the spot – similar to the original Polaroid cameras – has made it a big hit amongst young people, especially in Asia, who have grown up in the digital age. Fujifilm plans on increasing the number of outlets selling the camera, officially dubbed the Instax Mini, by 150% to 20,000 by 2015 across Asia, Europe and the US, backed by a 25% increase in shipments to a record 2 million units in the current fiscal year. The camera was originally introduced in 1998, but was quickly forgotten under a wave of digital cameras and mobile phones with built-in cameras.


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News WatchBusiness

Fujifilm Holdings Corp. announced that it had posted a 24.0 % gain in net profit for the fiscal year 2012/13, raising net profits to 54.3 billion yen (US$559.8 million). The growth was helped largely by the depreciating value of the yen. The company’s Imaging Solutions Unit posted an 8.6% drop to 294.8 billion yen (US$3.04 billion), with a

loss of 2.2 billion yen (US$22.68 million), an improvement from last year’s loss of 294.8 billion yen. The company blamed poor sales of digital compact cameras for the slow recovery, and posted a fiscal outlook of 2,350 billion yen in sales, with an operational profit of 140 billion yen and a net profit of 70 billion yen, for the coming fiscal year 2013/14.

Fujifilm posts increased profit in Fiscal 2012/13

Canon First Quarter Net Profit plummets 33.5%Canon Inc. announced that its net profit for the first quarter had dropped by 33.5% year-on-year to 40.9 billion yen (US$421.6 million), with plummeting sales of digital cameras outweighing the positive impact of a weaker yen. The company’s total sales fell to 816.6 billion yen (US$8.42 billion) in the same period, a drop of 1.5%. Operating profit also dropped by 33.8% to 54.77 billion yen (US$564.6 million). Based on this data, Canon revised its annual outlook to sales of 3.98 trillion yen (US$40.2 billion), operational profit of 450 billion yen, and a net profit of 290 billion yen (US$2.929 billion).

Output and shipments of D-cams continue to declineIn its recent report, the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) revealed that production and global shipment of D-cams had more than halved year-on-year due to steep decline in demand for point-and-shoot cameras outside Japan. The rise of smartphones with improved photographic capabilities, such as the Nokia PureView 808, was held primarily responsible for the declining demand for point-and-shoot cameras. However, sales of interchangeable lens cameras saw growth, with Japan’s domestic market posting a 47.6% gain, as well as improvement in sales of conventional D-SLRs by 62.5% to 132,000 units.

Sanyo Electric Co. is set to effectively vanish, following major and drastic restructuring by its parent company Panasonic Corp. Established in 1950, Sanyo generated 2 trillion yen (US$19.6 billion) in annual sales during its peak, but recent years have seen this number dwindle to around 200 to 300 billion yen (US$ 1.96 to 2.94

billion). Panasonic plans to slash Sanyo’s global workforce of roughly 2,500 by 90% over the next three years, starting by reducing the 1,000 workers at the company’s headquarters to a skeleton crew of just 100, which may eventually be absorbed by Panasonic. Sanyo currently is a supplier of Wal-Mart Stores in the United States.

Sanyo to disappear after drastic restructuring by Panasonic


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BusinessNews Watch

Olympus posts 8 billion yen in Net Profit in FY 2012/13Olympus announced that it had achieved a net profit of 8 billion yen (US$ 80 million) in the fiscal year 2012/13, a great improvement from last year’s loss of 48.9 billion yen. Despite a 12.3% year-on-year decline in sales to 743.8 billion yen (US$ 7.438 billion), and a fall of 1.2% in operational profit (down to 35 billion yen), the company, buoyed by its overall performance across segments, announced an outlook of 700 billion yen in sales, an operational profit of 71 billion yen, and a net profit of 30 billion yen for the present Fiscal Year 2013/14.

Nikon expects growth in India’s contribution to global revenueNikon’s General Manager Tetsuya Morimoto said that Nikon Corporation expected India’s contribution to its global revenue to increase by 5% within the coming three years, backed by increasing demand for its products. Nikon India currently imports all its products from Nikon’s plants in Japan, China, and Thailand.

Komori to boost printer sales 10 times in 3 yearsKomori Corp., Japan’s major offset printer manufacturer, has announced plans to diversify its product line to digital printers from its traditional mainstay, offset printers. Blaming a declining market for volume printings, in its three-year mid-term management plan, the company created a target of boosting digital printer sales to 11 billion yen, from the current 600 million yen, by the Fiscal Year 2015/16, and increasing its total revenue to 100 billion yen, from Fiscal Year 2012/13’s 69.8 billion yen. The company is currently developing a new inkjet printer in collaboration with Konica Minolta, dubbed the IS29 and plans to ship it next spring.

Olympus CEO predicts fall in D-cam salesOlympus Corp.’s CEO Hiroyuki Saka said that the company’s compact digital camera sales may fall by half by the next fiscal year, based on increasing use of smartphones for photography by consumers. He expected a drop to about 1.35 million units in volume sales for the 2014-15 fiscal year. Olympus has forecast that it will sell 2.7 million compact digital cameras in FY 2013-14, a drop of 47% from last year, and is expected to focus on sales of mirrorless cameras and lenses.

At a recent press conference, Nikon announced that it had sold 17.14 million units of compact cameras during the Fiscal Year 2012/13, catapulting it to the lead in number of units sold worldwide. Sony reportedly sold 15 million units during the same period; Canon sold 18.3 million units up to December 2012, but its sales

plummeted by 37% year-on-year for the last quarter January-March 2013. Nikon also reported that its net profit for the fiscal year fell 28.4% to 42.46 billion yen (US$424.6 million), a 10% gain from last year, while its operating profit reduced by 36.3% to 51 billion yen (US$510 million).

Nikon sells highest number of compact cameras in Fiscal 2012/13

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News Watch

Ricoh to launch two digital production printersRicoh Co. announced that it would soon begin manufacturing new production printers, targetting corporations that print catalogs and pamphlets in large volume. Part of the Ricoh Pro series, the C5110S and the C5100S are aimed at boosting the company’s colour production printer lineup, which already includes the Ricoh Pro C901/C901S and the C751EX/C651EX. The new printers are capable of printing high-quality even images even on paper with uneven surfaces, and are available at 6.18 million yen for the C5110S, and 4.98 million yen for the C5100S.

Olympus to restructure compact camera sales outletsOlympus Imaging Co. announced that it would restructure its overseas sales outlets for compact cameras, effective immediately. The company previously closed some of its marketing bases in Europe, integrating 19 bases into 7, and it plans to close the marketing base in Latin America next year to increase its focus on market research. Olympus also said that it would integrate its marketing forces to areas where mirrorless system camera sales growth is expected, revising its compact camera sales for the current fiscal year to 2.7 million units from the previous term’s 5.4 million units.

Fujifilm decides to slash compact D-cam lineupFollowing a recent similar move by Olympus Corp., Fujifilm Holdings Corp. has decided to slash its range of compact D-Cam models, focussing instead on high-end models. The company plans to slash offerings of compact digital cameras in half from the next fiscal year, forced by thin profit margins and increasing competition from smartphones. Fujifilm announced that it would add several models to its six-member X series, following sales of 9.5 million digital cameras globally in 2012 – 8% of the global market share. The firm has also decided to merge its digital camera operations with the optical devices business, and standardize parts in an attempt to reduce procurement costs by up to 10%.

Fujifilm enters Solar Cell Back-sheet MarketFujifilm Holdings Corp. announced that it would begin selling back-sheets for solar cells, using technology used to make photographic film with industrial strength. The sheets are attached to the back of solar cells to protect them from heat, UV rays, humidity, and other elements. The company says its product will last for 30 years as compared to the 10 year lifetime of conventional products, and will be priced 20-30% higher. Fujifilm hopes to tap growing demand for solar energy by marketing its back-sheets to solar cell manufacturers in China, Taiwan, Europe and the US, apart from domestic manufacturers.

Business


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News WatchNational

Canon Inc. marked another milestone in the end of May with the production of its 90 millionth EF-series interchangeable lens, an EF 24-70mm F/2.8L II USM. The company started manufacturing interchangeable EF lenses for the EOS-series of AF film cameras in 1987. The EF lenses included a lot of firsts for the imaging industry, such as the first UltraSonic Meter (USM) in lenses, an Image-Stabliser (IS), a multi-layered diffractive optical (DO) element, and Subwavelength Structure Coating (SWC) anti-reflection technology. With this May’s launch of the EF 200-400mm F/4.0L IS USM with a 1.4x in-built

teleconverter, Canon’s EF lens lineup now contains 84 models, including the EF Cinema Lens series for use in Cinema and TV production.

Canon produces 90 millionth EF-series lens

Fujifilm India launches new bridge camera The Photo-centre, the official distributor of Fujifilm in Onam, India, launched the FinePix HS50 EXR long-zoom bridge camera, with a focal length range of 24-1,000mm, aperture range of F/2.8-5.6, and 42x zoom. The lens features 17 element construction, with a Fujinon Super EBC coating.

Mas Magic Screen Protectors available in IndiaMas Magic Screen Protectors, a series of high-quality LCD screen protectors for professional digital D-SLR cameras, are now available in India. The protectors are made from polished optical glass that is high-quality and collision and abrasion-resistant. They are easy-to-install, and feature touchscreen support as well, while being light and durable to prevent the cameras from becoming too bulky. Supported models currently include the Canon 5D Mark III, 6D, 7D, 60D, and 650D; the Nikon D3100, D3200, D5100, D5200, D7000, and D800; and the Sony A99. The protectors are available via New Delhi-based distributor Jagdamba Enterprises at an MRP of Rs. 1,350.

Dr. Reddy Laboratory and Fujifilm joint venture falls throughDr. Reddy Laboratory and Fujifilm Holding Corp.’s planned generic drug joint-venture in Japan has been terminated. The two companies refused to reveal the reason behind the decision, with spokespersons from both firms unavailable for comment. However, the companies confirmed that they continue to explore partnership and alliance opportunities in other areas such as pharmaceutical ingredients and contract research, as well as manufacturing.


News WatchNational

Olympus Imaging India Private Limited launched the portable and compact VH-520 digital camera, another addition to its Stylus range. The camera has a 14MP CMOS sensor coupled with a 10x optical zoom lens, as well as multi-motion Movie Image Stabilization, allowing users to shoot distortion-free movies at 1080p full HD resolution. The device has a 3-inch display, and includes features such as advanced face detection, tagging up to 8 faces, and an AF Tracking Device that memorizes subjects when they disappear from the frame, and resumes tracking when they reappear. There is no word on pricing and availability at the moment.

Olympus launches the VH-520 compact digital camera

http://www.ssp.ac.in



News WatchNational

Nikon India’s MD stresses Indian market’s importanceNikon India Managing Director Hiroshi Takashima recently said, “The Indian consumer is demanding higher quality products even in non-metro cameras.” Speaking on the importance of India as an emerging market for the imaging industry, he commented, “India has rapidly emerged as a leading camera market for Nikon, and its importance keeps rising steadily, powered by the rapid growth of consumerism.”

India’s capital sees decline in D-cam demandIn a recent report, Hindu Business Line revealed that the demand for digital cameras is declining rapidly in India’s capital New Delhi, mirrored by a rise in popularity of smartphones. The report claimed that approximately 92% of consumers preferred using high-end smartphones over digital cameras, and further stated that in a bid to revive flagging sales, the three major digital camera brands in the country – Canon, Nikon and Sony – have resorted to slashing prices, as well as greater spending on advertisements with higher visibility, in an attempt to woo customers.

Tamron opens new subsidiary in IndiaTamron Co. Ltd., Japan, opened a new wholly owned subsidiary in India recently, Tamron India Pvt. Ltd, aimed at expanding the company’s sales organization to achieve higher sales volumes, and improving all facets of customer service. Tamron had established a representative office in India in 2009, collecting information about the growing market and initiating extensive research activities. The new subsidiary is the next phase in further expansion of the market relating to interchangeable lenses for D-SLR/mirrorless cameras, and optics for security/surveillance cameras.v

ez Share Wi-Fi SDHC Card launched in IndiaNew Delhi-based distributor Big Trends has launched the ez Share Wi-Fi SDHC Memory Card in India. The card, produced and patented by Chinese company

LZeal, allows data to be stored on it, and then transferred wirelessly to other media without the need of an external Wi-Fi or tethered connection. The device has a built-in Wi-Fi module that works in AP Mode, allowing nearby smart devices to access it and view/download images, made easier by the availability of a sister app for iOS, Android and Windows. Released internationally in January 2013, this innovative product now comes to Indian markets via Big Trends, making it easily available to professional, semi-pro and amateur photographers in the country.

From left to right: Nitin Goyal, President & CEO (Tamron India); Hideyuki Monaka, General Manager, Imaging Products Business Unit; Hiroaki Arai, Sr. Managing Director; Morio Ono, President & CEO (Tamron

Japan); Tang Yijing, Secretary to CEO; Hoji Masemari, General Manager, Industrial Optics Business Unit

http://www.konicaminolta.in



Photograph by

Mahendra PatnaikPhotograph by




Mahendra Patnaik

Picture of the MonthWe are sure that all of you have a few pictures that you think are prize worthy. It happens very often that you don’t know where to send the image that could put a feather in your cap. If you have such images (we’re sure you have many!), send us ONE such horizontal image. If it qualifies, we shall publish it as a double-spread. a. You have to guarantee that the picture was shot by youb. If there are people in the picture who can be identified, we’ll need a model release

c. The picture should not have been printed elsewhere (magazine newspaper, or offered to any publication)d. Mark the entry as “Picture of the Month” and rename the file using your namee. You may send images via print/e-mail to: Next Gen Publishing Ltd.,2nd Floor, C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel (W), Mumbai 400013 (or) [email protected]

A note to our readers1. The picture has to be horizontal.2. Kindly ensure that the longer side should measure atleast 17 inches, at 300ppi.3. Low resolution images will not be accepted.4. We do not check images on online galleries.5. Kindly ensure complete contact/address details are provided. Winners will have to collect their prize from SP’s Mumbai office or send an authorised representative to do so.6. Please make sure that your picture does not have your name/logo on it.

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Finally, a platform for budding photographers to exhibit their talent and GET NOTICED!

Kaleidoscope

Flavours of


Click in the bud Camera: Canon EOS 60D

Aperture : f/2.8

Shutter speed: 1/100 sec.

ISO: 250

“Life with a caring husband and two loving daughters is a beautiful album with

interesting frames. I am a happy and contented home maker with a poetic and photographic attitude in life; I convey my thoughts as poems in Tamil, and visions as photographs.

It was by plain chance that I realized the photographer in me. My husband has a great interest in photography. His Canon EOS 60D used to lie idle because of his official commitments. One day, while cleaning the house, I chanced upon his camera and went through its manual. When I finished, my only thought was, “Why can’t I click photos as well?!” The first images I captured were of my bangles and nail polish. When my husband saw the photos, he was extremely delighted and appreciated my interest. He has been very supportive since then.

As my interest grew, my husband introduced me to magazines like Smart Photography, and web links on photography. Soon, I found my interest becoming a passion. I admire Nature greatly, and that sense of wonder and admiration led me to capture lots of natural settings and images.

I bought a Canon 100mm Macro lens and started my journey of clicking all that I liked and wished to capture. I have a greater inclination towards Macro Photography than other

forms. Harbouring a strong interest towards photography, and being creative, I believed I could learn, experiment, and progress steadily as I spent more time clicking images.

In the moments when I can spare time for myself from the hectic duties of a full-time homemaker – such as when my kids have left for school, or when everyone is asleep – I learn aspects like Smoke, Low-light, and Splash photography. Every new area I learn about and explore is approached with the dedication of taking on a new project. My learning process has been mostly trial-and-error based, and I have experimented with using various pieces of equipment, like the Canon 60 D, the Canon 650D, the Canon 100mm Macro lens, and the 18-200mm, 55-250mm, 10-22mm, and 50mm lenses, as and when the situation demands.

Aware of my interest , my husband usually gifts me items related to photography. He is my first critic and biggest supporter; he says that his dreams are being fulfilled through my eyes. I hope to receive a 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens from him for my next wedding anniversary. *laughs*

Like I said earlier, poetry and photography are my mediums of expression, my creative outlets. You can check out the rest of my work at: http://www.facebook.com/DeepasarathyPhotography?ref=hl.”

As told to Rohinton Mehta and Spandan Sharma

Deepa Sarathy, ChennaiSarathy is a home-maker who loves

experimenting with different forms of photography; yet, macro photography

remains her favourite.


Dive intoCamera: Canon EOS 60D

Aperture : f/11


ISO: 125

Splish splashCamera: Canon EOS 60D

Aperture : f/8


ISO: 160


Get featured & win anEpson PictureMate PM245,

worth Rs.9999/-!

CALLING ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS! Kaleidoscope is the perfect way to jump-start your career... So simply send us a selection of your images along with full details of your vision and the technical information at [email protected]. We accept both film and digital images.All pictures that are forwarded to Kaleidoscope should be 8x10 inches in size (or larger) and at 300 ppi. However, we will re-size them according to the layout considerations.

Smoke swirlCamera: Canon EOS 60D

Aperture : f/7.1


ISO: 100

White featherCamera: Canon EOS 60D

Aperture : f/5.6


ISO: 100


Showcase

Rakesh Rao is an Environment and Science & Technology photographer from Goa, who uses his lens to spread his love

for Science and Nature

“Having completed my Mas-ters program in Physics, I decided to move on to

produce scientific documentary films and photographs pertaining to Envi-ronment, Science and Technology. I wanted to use them as a medium to create awareness, and popularize Sci-ence in schools, colleges and the public in general. I have always been passion-ate about Science, and try to capture it in the form of motion pictures and photographs. My work so far includes filming and photographing the entire coastline of Goa, celestial phenomenon like Solar and Lunar Eclipses, Venus transits, Landscape Astrophotogra-phy, Industrial photography, and also Environment aspects. A recent project involved spending 14 months over a span of 3 years in the icy continent of Antarctica to film the construction of the third Indian Scientific research sta-tion “Bharati” in Antarctica.

I’ve been interested in Photography since I was a child but never dreamt that it would one day become my profession. I got my first SLR camera during my college days, and I was instantly hooked. I began to teach myself the basics through studying

other people’s work in magazines and books. Soon after completing my education in Physics, I decided to combine my passion of photography with my education to start a firm under the name of Enscitec Productions, producing films and photographs pertaining to Environment Science and Technology.

I was fortunate to be a part of the 30th, 31st & 32nd Indian Scientific Expedition teams that travelled to Antarctica for around 14 months in total, spread over three Austral summers. The expeditions were flagged by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research under the aegis of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India. My assignment was to photograph and film the construction of the third Indian Research station “Bharati” at Larsemann hills, Antarctica, and also to produce films on Antarctica in general.

Antarctica is one of the most extreme places on the surface of the Earth. Even in summer this can be a forbidding place of cruel winds and bone-chilling temperature. Photographing in such hostile conditions is extremely challenging. There were times when the temperature dropped to as low as -30° Celsius, and strong winds made living and working there

extremely challenging. Antarctica offers many great opportunities for taking amazing photographs of icebergs, glaciers, mountains, wildlife, and the blue sky contrasting with the white

Showcase

snow-clad mountains – a dream for every photography enthusiast. It was an experience I will always cherish and be proud of.” As told to Spandan Sharma

Capturing theLast Wilderness


Showcase

Birds of Ice & SnowCamera: Canon EOS 7D

Shutter Speed: 1/320sec

Aperture: f/9

ISO: 100

Blue above,white below?Camera: Canon EOS 7D

Shutter Speed: 1/6400sec

Aperture: f/8

ISO: 400


ShowcaseMemories of IceCamera: Canon EOS 550D

Shutter Speed: 1/800 s c

Aperture: f/9

ISO: 100

Skull in StoneCamera: Canon EOS 550D

Shutter Speed: 1/2500

Aperture: f/4

ISO: 200

Rolliing SeasCamera: Canon EOS 550D

Shutter Speed: 1/160

Aperture: f/6.3

ISO: 200


If I Were YouOur Imaging ExpertNo one can take a picture that everyone likes. But, almost every picture can have scope of improvement. Often, we are not our best critics, while others can immediately point out the faults. In If I were you, our expert comments on how your pictures could be taken to another level.

E-mail your images at [email protected]

Rohinton Mehta,

Technical Editor,

Smart Photography

Picture InfoCamera: Nikon D5100ISO: 100Lens: Nikon 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6Shutter speed: 1/500 secAperture: f/11

The SurfersThis action-picture of surfers comes to us from 17-year old Kiran B. He says that he got this opportunity at the world surfing competition held at Kovalam Beach in Kerala.

This is a good effort. The action is well caught; the exposure is moderately good. Kiran has taken care to use a reasonably high shutter speed to freeze the action. However, being too engrossed in getting the right framing of the main subjects, he failed to notice that his camera was slightly tilted to the left. This has resulted in the sloping horizon line. But then, this can be easily corrected in post-processing.

Using Levels in Photoshop, I first adjusted the contrast, then corrected the tilted horizon, and finally, slightly sharpened the photo (see edited image 1). This image includes the expanse of the sea and some sky, thereby suggesting spaciousness.

Another way to compose is to show a close-up of the action, as seen in Edited image 2.

Original Image

Edited Image_1

Edited Image_2



If I Were You

Picture InfoCamera: Sony TX 55ISO: 400Shutter speed: 1/500Aperture: f/4.5

The TempleThis picture of a temple comes to us from V. Shankernarayan from Mumbai. Generally, such temples portray very colourful idols of deities; but in this particular picture, the colours are not vibrant. Why is this so?

Observe that the temple is in shade, due to which the colours are subdued. Also keep in mind that for saturated colours, the lighting has to be frontal (frontal lighting is ‘flat’ lighting and should be avoided as far as possible, but when it comes to showing off bright colours, frontal lighting is the best).

Secondly, the plain white toneless sky does not do any good to the picture.

So what can be done? What would I have done if I were you?

If I were you, I would have photographed the temple when the light was frontal, so that the colours would have appeared more saturated, and brighter. Secondly, I would have eliminated some part of the toneless sky, as you can see in my edited picture.

As it stands, I brightened up the colours and sharpened the image in Photoshop.

Original Image

Edited Image

If I Were You


Note: If I Were You is meant to encourage and guide readers, and help them improve their photography. Please ensure that the required camera/exposure details are sent to us (or are available in the EXIF data). We shall not accept images for this section if the required data is not available. Readers are requested to send their images at 300ppi for 8 x 10-inch size. If they are too small, working on them is difficult, and hence they may be rejected.

A U.K. SceneThe picture you see here is my own, taken in 2010 during my visit to the UK. The lighting was typically drab and dull.The sky was totally bald. The entire picture looks, well, sort of dirty. Considering that my stay there was for a very short time, I had no choice but to take the shot.

Ideally, one should return to the spot when the lighting is better, and re-take the shot. That not being possible, my only resort was my friend, Photoshop.

1. I first punched up the brightness and contrast using the Brightness/Contrast tool.

2. Next, I ‘opened up’ the darker tones using the Shadows/Highlight tool.

3. This was followed up by the Hue/Saturation tool, using which I saturated the colours.

4. Now the picture looked much better, except for the white, toneless sky. To remedy this, I used Selective Colour, selected Whites in the Colour field, selected the Absolute radio button (since the sky was terribly overexposed), and then adjusted the Cyan and Magenta sliders to the right till a faint blue colour appeared in the sky area (see printscreen and Edited Image).

5. Finally, the picture was sharpened using the Unsharp Mask and saved using the Save As command.

Original Image

Edited Image

Picture InfoCamera: Panasonic DMC GF1ISO:200Shutter speed: 1/200Aperture: f/5.6


Did you know... Ronnie has over 35 years of experience in photography? In fact, he has taught several thousand photo-enthusiasts in various institutions and through workshops, as well as judged many national and international photo contests, including the prestigious International Photo Contest held at Colombo, Sri Lanka. So, if you have any photo-queries, whether conventional or digital, don’t hesitate. Just go ahead and Ask Uncle Ronnie at [email protected], ‘cause he knows it all!

Ask Uncle Ronnie

Rain Blues!Now that the rains are here, should I pack up my photo gear? Praveen B, New DelhiAs long as reasonable care is taken to prevent water getting on to your equipment, there is no reason why anyone should pack up photo gear during the rainy season. Remember, some of the best photos are shot during the rains. Of course there will be days that are totally overcast and gloomy, or raining cats and dogs. This could be the time to practice your indoor skills. Brush up on your flash photography. Try softening the flash light through a diffuser (a plain white bed-sheet will do in an emergency), or a commercially available flash umbrella. Practice your macro photography on any garden item you may find. Try indoor portraits of family members. If shooting outdoors, carry a rain umbrella. I always wear a raincoat, and also use a large umbrella at the same time. The umbrella shelters my camera (and my head) while the raincoat protects the rest of me. If the wind blows strong (and it usually does) and rainwater comes through your umbrella too (show me a real 100% waterproof umbrella), you could slip the camera into the raincoat for further protection. It helps if you have someone to hold your umbrella, because on windy days, holding an umbrella with one hand and the camera with the other is rather difficult. Also ensure that you have good rain shoes; walking around with wet feet is not really comfortable!Look for close-ups of flowers, water

drops just about to slip off a slender leaf, small insects, butterflies, and caterpillars. Watch out for the sun breaking through the clouds; keep an eye out for rainbows; photograph swaying trees in the howling wind; if up in the


mountains, you’ll definitely find many streams and waterfalls – try different shutter speeds to create movement or freeze the movement of the water.

Important: If you see a thunderstorm coming your way, take extra care. The pointed center-rods of umbrellas could attract lightning. Standing under tall trees is not safe for the same reason. Get yourself to believe that you enjoy walking around in the rain; if you make up your mind that you dislike rain, then no one can help you.

When back home, clean your gear with a soft lint-less cloth, and place the equipment in a humidity-controlled dry box. This will help to avoid fungal growth.


Ask Uncle Ronnie

ND FiltersHow many stops ND filter do you recommend to photograph flowing water?Kantilal Mehta, Mumbai

There is no clear-cut answer to that. It depends on the amount of ambient light, the speed at which the water is flowing, the shutter speed that you have in mind, and to a certain extent, the lens that you are using.There have been times for me when a 3-stops ND filter has been just right; at other times (when there is good amount of ambient light), even a 6-stops ND filter was not enough.If you can obtain a variable 10-11 stop ND filter (expensive), you should be able to cover most situations.

Canon EOS 5D Mark III or Nikon D800E?I have been looking out for a pro D-SLR. I have read lots of articles and watched many tutorials and reviews on youtube.com as well. I’m really interested in shooting wildlife and sports photography.

Can you please suggest which might be the better D-SLR – Canon 5D Mark III or Nikon 800E?Aiyaz Azam

Both the cameras you have mentioned are top-notch. Since you have specifically posed your query for wildlife and sports photography, my suggestion is to go for the Canon 5D Mark III. For wildlife and sports photography, besides other things, the number of frames you can fire per second is very important. The D800/E has to churn out much more data as compared to the 5D Mark III, and because of this, the D800/E offers a maximum of 4 frames per second at full resolution, as compared to 6 frames per second for the 5D Mark III.

How much to Edit?What is more important – photography or digital editing? Should there be any limit to digital editing?Simon D. via emailIt is a mistake to do sloppy photography and then depend on digital editing to bail you out. You should take enough care whilst photographing so that minimum of editing is required. This calls for thorough knowledge of the equipment you use, as also the techniques.

Having said that, there is hardly an image that can not be improved with judicious editing. Photography is an art form and if editing your images can make them better, so be it. At a personal level, I feel that there should be no ‘limit’ to editing. Do you tell a painter (an artist) that he cannot paint a hut here and a tree there, or some clouds against a blue sky? Painting is his art and he is the master of all he surveys. The same should apply to photographers and their art. However, if you are a documentary photographer, you should limit your editing (if any) to

maybe just cleaning away dust spots.

Any image manipulation done with the intent of deceiving someone should be avoided. At the same time, improving an image – for example, getting rid of electrical cables, etc in an otherwise beautiful landscape – is, according to me, absolutely okay. If you have manipulated an image beyond what may be considered as permissible, then it is only fair to admit that the image you see is not the original, but manipulated for the sake of creating ‘art’.


Ask Uncle Ronnie

Silica Gel or ‘Dry Box’?Can we keep a digital camera body and an image stabilizing lens inside a desiccator containing silica gel?Dinakar J.You can, but a better way is to use a commercially available ‘dry box’ that has a control for Relative Humidity. When indicating-type silica gel (blue coloured) gets saturated with moisture, it becomes pink and has to be heated to remove the moisture. The gel can then be re-used. In rainy reason (or whenever the Relative Humidity is high), it is a nuisance to keep re-activating the silica gel. Hence a dry box is very convenient.

FX lens on APS-C Body?Can I use a Nikon FX lens on my APS-C Nikon camera? Please advise.Ravichander, ChennaiYes, of course. In fact, there can be an advantage in doing just that. When you attach a full-frame (FX) lens onto a APS-C (DX) sensor body, you are utilizing only the central area of the FX lens, thereby getting sharper images with less chances of corner darkening. On the other hand, a lens designed for the smaller sensor is less expensive and lighter in weight.

I like to photograph butterflies but they rarely sit still. How do I go about this problem?My brother loves to photograph snakes. Any hints?Ravi Gupta, MangaloreTry photographing butterflies in winter or whenever the ambient temperature is low. This usually means early mornings. Butterflies (and other insects) need to raise their body temperature before they can use their wing muscles. Once the air gets warm, it is difficult to photograph them as they don’t sit still for long. Here are a few other tips:

1. Try to have the camera’s sensor parallel to the butterfly’s wings so that you have most of the butterfly in a single plane. This will ensure edge-to-edge sharpness.2. Use a narrow aperture (like f/11 or f/16) for increased depth of field when the wings are not parallel to the imaging sensor.3. Use higher shutter speeds to freeze the movement of the butterfly as well as the swaying of the flower due to the breeze.4. Higher shutter speeds may require you to set higher ISO sensitivity on your camera (which in turn could cause the images to be noisy). You must know the ISO limit for your device after which images tend to turn noisy.5. Photographing the butterfly with frontal lighting will ensure maximum richness of its colours.6. I have noticed that if you cast a shadow over the butterfly, it usually flies away.7. Don’t expect the butterfly to pose for you immediately; be patient. It eventually will oblige if you

stay reasonably still. Make all your movements slow; fast movements will scare it away.8. Use a longer focal length macro lens. For the same magnification, your ‘working distance’ (the distance between the front of the lens and subject) will be greater with a longer focal length macro lens.

Photographing snakes can be very dangerous. A common-sense approach is needed.Rule #1. Don’t try to be a hero; in a split second, you could be a zero! Don’t handle the snake, unless you are a trained herpetologist. Rule #2. Learn to identify venomous snakes. Remember, some snakes may look non-venomous, but you could be dead wrong!Rule # 3. If you must photograph snakes, take someone along with you, in case of an emergency. Let your folks at home know where you are going.

Some tips:1. Like butterflies, snakes too are lethargic in cold weather, and hence early mornings in cold weather would be a good time to photograph snakes.2. Always wear heavy safety boots, preferably those that are almost knee-high.3. Use a commercially available snake stick or any other metal/wooden rod to clear away leaves and debris when searching for snakes. Do not use your hands or that could be the last time you’ll use them!4. Shoot many frames, keeping your shutter speed high.5. Use a long focal length lens so that you are further away from the reptile.

Photographing Butterflies and Snakes


Situated in the northwestern border regions of Gujarat, Kutch is India’s largest district. Famous

for the Rann of Kutch – a shallow wetland that is submerged in water during the annual monsoons, and turns into the widely known marshy salt flats during the rest of the year when the water evaporates – Kutch is a unique example of life thriving in the middle of adversity. Despite the arid and dry conditions of the region, life thrives here aplenty; the local people and their vibrant customs, traditions, folklore, and styles of living come together in a rich tapestry of harmony and life. Diinesh Kumble’s Kutch: A Pictorial Journey is an attempt by the author to showcase the region in all its splendour and glory.

The author, Diinesh Kumble, is the founder of India’s first sports software company, StumpVision. A full-time photographer since 2004, and a professional one from 2008, he has been the recipient of several accolades

Kutch: A Pictorial Journey

Book Review

by Diinesh Kumble

and awards, and is the author of three previous books on wildlife. Kutch: A Pictorial Journey is the result of extensive travelling over 10,000 km across Kutch in 2012 and 2013, and coming in close contact with the local people and way of life there.

The book is divided into six main sections: an Introduction, and five sections that divide the region into five major zones and look at each of them in detail. Filled with little tidbits of information and interesting facts and anecdotes, the five sections – Grand Desert, Central Bastion, Along The Coastline, Western Frontier, and Eastern Gateway – paint a fascinating and vivid picture of the unique diversity spread across this small part of the world, and the amazing history and traditions that each of them is steeped in.

Of course, no coffee table book is complete without great photographs, and true to his reputation, Kumble does not disappoint. The book is full of large and beautifully rendered images that capture various aspects of Kutch – from its monuments and architecture of note, to the people of the region, and their customs, traditions, clothes, and lifestyle; from the different landscapes to the vast variety of flora and fauna that can be found here – Kumble’s lens has captured it all, and the results are visible

in spectacular form in this book.

Being a coffee table book, Kutch: A Pictorial Journey is not a guide-book, nor is it meant to serve as a definitive encyclopedia on Kutch. However, the book does a beautiful job of showcasing Kutch to the uninitiated reader, revealing just enough to successfully transport him/her to a land that embraces its glorious past and heritage, yet continues to adapt itself to changing times. Travellers, historians, sociologists, wildlife enthusiasts, and anyone who wants to learn more about the myriad marvels of Kutch will find Kutch: A Pictorial Journey a most engrossing read.

Published by the Commissionerate of Information, Gujarat, and available in markets soon at a price of Rs. 2,750, Diinesh Kumble’s Kutch: A Pictorial Journey is more than another travel coffee table book – it is a celebration of the beauty and grandeur of Kutch, and its many many facets.Published by: Commissionerate of Information, Gujarat. www.gujaratinformation.netDesign & Production: Krab Media & Marketing Pvt. Ltd., Bengaluru. [email protected] | www.krabmedia.comPrinting: Pragati Offset Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad.

Reviewed by Spandan Sharma

http://www.gujaratinformation.net

http://www.gujaratinformation.net



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Software Spotlight


Spectaculr Flickr!With digital photography

becoming almost ubiqui-tous, showcasing one’s work

has become of prime importance for professional as well as amateur pho-tographers everywhere. Recognizing this, a number of social media platforms such as Facebook and Google+ have revamped their designs recently to ac-commodate better visibility of photo-graphs. And then, there are platforms like Flickr.

Flickr is an image and video hosting website and online community that was first created by Ludicorp in 2004, and later acquired by Yahoo! in 2005. Since its creation, the portal has been through at least two major redesigns (including the latest one in May 2013), and remains one of the most widely used forums on the Internet for sharing photographs, images and videos. Flickr does not release data about its user database, but recent estimates place its number of users as close to 100 million with close to 10 billion images being shared on the website.

The recent revamp of the portal has changed the whole look and feel of the portal, adding a lot of new features. To start off with, Flickr now offers 1TB of free storage to every single of its users – free or paid. That’s a whole lot of space, and a tonne more than the competition is offering (for comparison, Google+ Photos offers 15GB, while Picasa Web Albums offers 1GB of free

storage). This allows the portal to store all the images uploaded to it in their original resolution, without the need for compression or loss of quality for storage purposes.

In addition, the redesigned Flickr gives you easy access to all your photographs and videos, in the same format as they were uploaded and without restricting them to boxes or particular dimension/orientation constraints – your landscapes stretch just the way they’re supposed to, while portraits stack up perfectly. Each user’s “photostream” (Flickr’s timeline) showcases their work in a seamless continuous layout that is great to look at, and that lets you organize your photos easily using built-in tools. A new slideshow mode completes the new look by letting users simply scroll through images one-by-one easily.

As expected from any good social media platform, Flickr features excellent on-the-move support. The portal’s iOS app went through a major overhaul in December, and the new Android app was launched along with the latest redesign in May, letting users stay connected to their images while mobile.

As with any overhaul, the new redesign

of Flickr has had its share of detractors screaming themselves hoarse about “how bad the new Flickr is”. In a recent conversation, Markus Spiering, Product Head, Flickr, acknowledged the reactions, “There has been a lot of feedback, negative and positive, about the new redesign... There’s a lot of emotional reactions and opinions from professional photographers, and we’re going through all of it. But, from what we’re seeing, engagement of people connecting with each other? Super positive.”

All things taken into consideration, the new portal is a major improvement from its previous iteration, and using the facilities provided would be recommended. Flickr may not be the ideal place to showcase work for the “serious photographer” (shouldn’t they have their own portfolio blog/website for that?), but meanwhile, if you’re looking for a great place to share your snaps, or simply post backups of your precious photographs, look no further. Flickr will solve all your needs. Spandan Sharma

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MastercraftsmanAnup Sah

Anup Sah is an ace photographer, though most people know him more for his mountaineering credentials. Which term describes him better – photographer or mountaineer – is a topic of debate, and to add to the confusion, he is also a known floriculturist, environmentalist and ornithologist.

He was awarded the honour of Associateship by the India International Photographic Council (IIPC) in 1994, and was also awarded the IIPC Diamond grading in 2002. More than 1300 of his photographs and slides have been exhibited in several national and international photography salons recognized by multiple international organizations, and he is the recipient of over 250 awards and certificates-of-merit in national and international salons till date.

He has also authored two books – ‘Kumaon Himalaya, temptations’ (1993), and ‘Nainital: The Land of Trumpet and Song’ (1999) – and continues to hold many solo exhibitions, while his pictures continue to be used extensively in publications.

Anup Sah,Nainital

A Himalayan View


Anup Sah©

Anup sah

Mastercraftsman

Anup Sah


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Tell us a little about yourself. What inspired you to take up photog-raphy?Born in Nainital, I was deeply fascinated by the natural beauty of Uttarakhand. I used to trek, and started mountaineering at a very young age with the encouragement of my father, Late Sri C. L. Sah Thulgharia, who established The Nainital Mountaineering Club (NTMC). My father, who was also fond of photography,

knew about my interest in it and gifted me a camera (an Agfa Isoly) before my first trek to Pindari Glacier in 1964. This added wings to my passion, and I started clicking pictures of mountains. In those days, there were no serious photographers in Nainital. There was a photo studio, named Ratan Lal & Sons, whose owner, on my request, taught me the basics of photography, i.e., composition, exposure, developing the film, making

the prints, etc. Later, I came in contact of Col. Madhusudan-ji, who was seriously associated with photography, and inspired by him, in 1985 I participated in a national photography contest for the first time. Although all of my submitted photographs were rejected, I did not feel disheartened, and tried to improve.

In 1990 I had an opportunity to go for a trip to Kailash-Mansarovar. With a Nikon

© A

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Sah

Anup Sah

F-3 camera, I clicked a number of shots with great care during this trip, and had a chance to project my images in a slide show in Moradabad. Padmashree Mr. T. Kashinath, one of the photography greats, attended this show; after its completion, he met me and appreciated my work wholeheartedly. On his suggestion, I started participating in national level contests of photography seriously, and have never looked back since.

© A

nup Sah©

Anup Sah


Mastercraftsman

Anup Sah©

Anu

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Your images showcase the Himalayas in all their majestic glory, while also giving us a closer look at the flora and fauna

there. What challenges does the region’s climate and geography pose for photographers?Doing a lot of high-altitude

treks and mountaineering expeditions lets me visit a lot of remote places, and therefore I have developed a deep interest in nature


Anup Sah

photography. Taking good pictures at a high altitude is quite a challenging task. Carrying the camera and equipment on your back is

a difficult task to begin with, and then there are issues like rising before dawn to get the correct light, and more. You need to be prepared for all

kinds of adverse conditions like rough weather, inhospitable terrain, etc., and must plan your travel well in advance.


Mastercraftsman

Anup Sah©

Anu

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The determining factor that makes a photographer stand out is how passionate he is about his interest. Only a determined photographer will pay attention to detail, and be able to overcome all the harsh conditions that the mountains may pose for him.

How much preparation do you make for each shot? Do you compose the image in your head, plan your setup, and then wait for the right moment before shoot-ing, or do you just see something beautiful

and snap a picture on the spot?In order to click a good picture, I believe the planning starts well in advance. You need to be at the right place at the right time with all your equipment in place. However, the light conditions can change rapidly due to frequent weather changes at high altitudes. So, you also need to be on your toes, and adaptable, as you might get an opportunity to click a good picture for a very brief moment only.

What is your opinion on digital editing of light and shadows in images to make them look more dramatic and surreal?Digital editing of light and shadows is, in my opinion, something that helps to improve the quality of your image. But I believe it is necessary to question the extent to which it is acceptable. Personally, I feel the picture should be shot such that you do not have to edit it later. I always try my best to have natural lighting and colours in my images. Spandan Sharma

60Basic Learning IV

Learnings

62A Short Course on Portrait Photography - Part II

68Grammar of Model Portfolios

74Getting Rid of Colour Cast

Learning


Basic Learning IVFocussingIn Basic Learning I, we had explained how light enters the camera through the lens. However, the angle of light entering the lens depends on a number of factors, like the subject size, subject distance, intensity of light etc. Since light can enter the lens at different angles, it is necessary that the quality of light exiting the lens and registering on the sensor be properly adjusted. This process of adjusting is known as focussing.

To achieve focus manually, in most D-SLRs and mirrorless cameras, there is a focussing ring on the lens. This will move the lens elements backward or forward so that the light reaching the sensor is correctly oriented. This is much more easily achieved in the case of a fixed focal length lens like, say, a 50mm lens. In the case of zoom lenses and specially telephoto zooms, the movement required is considerably more. The illustration below indicates how focussing takes place.

The closer the subject, the further is the point at which light converges on the sensor. Hence, the focussing ring

will bring the lens closer to the subject. The reverse will happen for a distant subject.

In the case of SLR cameras, a mirror projects the image on to the ground glass which can be used to see whether the image is in perfect focus or not. In most cases, the subject is in the centre of the image, and therefore a split image screen on the glass at the centre is also used to check whether focussing is achieved. In the case of rangefinder cameras, the distance is measured by a coupled parallax unit on top of the camera, allowing the focussing to be set with accuracy.

With the advent of autofocus technology, the guessing went out of focussing, and camera manufacturers used proprietary technology by which the image was focussed automatically by sliding the elements forward or backward according to the need.

An autofocus camera uses a motor and a sensor to automatically lock focus. The motor may be installed in the lens, as in Canon EF lenses, or in the camera body, as was the case with Minolta’s Maxxum range.

Today’s cameras offer a variety of choices in terms of focussing points.

This can vary from 3 to as many as 24. Again, a focussing sensor can be a cross sensor which means it will take care of both horizontal and vertical sensitivities. Depending on the image to be shot, the focussing points that you want can be selected and others switched off. In the case of a moving image, the point can be kept in the active mode whereby it will track the moving subject and keep it in focus.

For the image to come out right, it is obviously necessary to control the amount of light that hits the sensor. If we let in too much light, the image will be washed out, and if we let in too little light, the image will look too dark. Most autofocus systems need an aperture of at least f/5.6 to work reliably. In order to get the right amount of light in, as well as gain an acceptable image, modern cameras link the focussing points to the exposure system, thereby resulting in a near-perfect picture.

Although autofocus was patented by Leica, the first really visible system came from Minolta (7000) and Canon (EOS 650).

Autofocus systems can be grouped into active and passive. Active AF systems use ultrasonic sound waves and infrared light to measure distance and achieve correct focus.

Passive autofocus is achieved by phase detection or contrast measurement. D-SLRs use the first method and mirrorless compact cameras the second. H. S. Billimoria

A simple bi-convex lens

Sensor

F

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Understanding PhotographyLearning

Smart Photography has been continually receiving requests to start a basic course for beginners. With this in mind, we have asked a very knowledgeable photographer from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, to take over writing these articles. We have also requested him to be as jargon-free as it is possible, so that newcomers to photography feel comfortable to pursue the hobby.

The author, Ashok Kandimalla has been in the photographic field for over three decades and has extensive experience in both film and digital photography. Being an electronics engineer by profession and a photographer, he possesses a unique and deep insight into the technical aspects of digital photography and equipment. He has published several articles on photography and some of his writings have also been published in the well-known international magazine Popular Photography.

An avid collector of photographic books and vintage cameras, Ashok has a keen interest in the history of photography and a passion for sharing his knowledge on photography through teaching and writing. He is presently working as a Management and Engineering consultant. You can see his work at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashok_kandimalla. He can be reached at [email protected]

A Short Course in Portrait Photography(Part II)

Part I of this article (published last month) gave you a deep insight into portrait photography. Now it

is time to put that theory into practice. This concluding part of the article ex-plains, step by step, how you can make a portrait using the classic Rembrandt approach to lighting. Before you start, make sure of the following:1. Mount your camera on a sturdy tripod.2. Use a lens with a focal length between 85mm and 100mm (equivalent 35mm focal length). If you are using an APS cropped sensor D-SLR, use a focal length of 50mm at least. 3. Switch on the histogram and highlight warning tools. These will be in the Playback menu.4. Set your camera to Manual exposure mode using the mode dial.

5. The metering mode (Matrix or Center-weighted, etc.) is not relevant since you will be determining the exposure with the help of the histogram display. 6. Set the aperture to around f/8 for adequate depth of field and sharpness.7. Set your camera to the lowest base ISO for the best picture quality. 8. Use RAW format for best quality. If you do not want to use RAW for whatever reason, use JPEG with highest pixel count (Large setting) with least compression (Fine setting). 9. If you are using JPEG format, set saturation, contrast, sharpness to minimum levels. It is easy to enhance any of these in post-processing but difficult to reduce them in a JPEG. If you are not going to do any post-processing, set the camera Picture Controls (or Picture Styles) to “Portrait”. This will help in getting good skin tones.10. We will be using strobes as the

light sources and these need to be triggered. The simplest way to trigger them is to use the built-in flash of your D-SLR. Set this flash to manual mode and minimum power level (1/64 or 1/128 of full power) as you are using it only for triggering and not for any illumination. If you keep higher power (brightness) levels, this extra light might cast a shadow of the subject on the background. You should also keep a black card in front of the built-in flash to further block any light. However, be assured that the light from the built-in flash will still be enough to trigger the strobes. 11. You can set the shutter speed up to X-Sync. If you are not sure what this is, set the shutter speed to 1/125 sec. 12. Since we are using strobes for this exercise, set White Balance to “Flash”, or better, make a White Balance measurement and set the White Balance to that value.


Understanding Photography

Setup and Lighting: Refer to Picture 1. Set up the subject (a) against a black (or dark) background (b). Position the subject so that his shoulders are approximately at 45º to the camera lens axis as shown. Since we are going to use a black background, make the subject wear light toned clothes to give proper separation. This will eliminate the need for any additional lights. The background must be at least 3 feet away from the subject so that no shadow will fall on it. If your subject is a tall person you may have to move the background further away. Next, position the lights.

Positioning the Main light: In case of Rembrandt lighting, the main light is placed at 45º to the lens axis as marked, at a slightly higher position than the subject’s head, and pointing downwards (Picture 1). While positioning the main light, observe how the triangular highlight is being formed on the cheek away from the light. Also, pay close attention to the catch-lights in the eyes of the subject. These need to be at the 1 O’clock or 11 O’clock position, depending on whether you are using broad lighting or short lighting. Here are a few more tips to help you place the light.

You should use a diffuser to soften the shadows. However, while placing the light, remove the diffuser so that the highlighted triangle is more distinctly visible. You can put the diffuser later on once the position is fixed.

If the light is too high, it makes eyes look like dark sockets due to the shadow of the brow. If this is the case, lower it.

Picture 1: Lighting diagram for Rembrandt (Broad) Lighting, top view. The result of this

lighting is shown in Picture 6.a. Subject

b. Backdropc. Main light

d. Fill Lighte. Hair Light

f. CameraPicture 1



If the light is close to the lens axis, the light will become more frontal and flat. If it is moved at an angle greater than 45º, it will produce a nose shadow. There will be no triangular highlight in either case.

Positioning the Fill light: In case of Rembrandt lighting, the fill light is kept close to the lens axis, as compared to the main light which is kept at 45º (Picture 1). It is also kept on the opposite side of the main light, at lens height. The fill-light can sometimes cause reflections from the face of the subject. if you observe these, then move the fill-light slightly laterally (left or right) till they vanish.

Positioning the Hair light: This light is kept above the subject to one side or even directly above. It is best positioned with the help of a boom (Picture 1). If you don’t have one, you can ask a helper to hold it for you. Care must be taken that only the hair is illuminated by this. If it comes forward, you will find that it creates ugly highlights on the forehead and / or nose of the subject.

Broad lighting or Short lighting: To get broad or short lighting, you need not change the positions of the main or fill lights. You can simply have your subject turn such that in the former case the side of the subject facing the main light will also face the camera. In the case of short lighting, the subject has to turn to the other side so that the side lit up is not facing the camera. Procedure: Once you have the lights

in place, you need to set the lighting ratio. For classic Rembrandt lighting, a lighting ratio of 3:1 is used commonly. That is, the combined light of main light and fill light must be two stops brighter than the fill light alone. Setting this ratio can be done best with a flash meter. However, not all of us have one. Next best is to have two identical strobes whose power can be controlled. This way you can set the power level you need. If you keep the main light about one stop brighter than the fill light (after the diffusers) then you will get the 3:1 ratio just described.

If you don’t have strobes whose power can be changed, you can use the distance as a measure of the power. This is based on the old inverse square law that you studied in high school physics. You can make your strobe less bright by one stop if your increase the distance by a factor of 1.4. For example say your strobe is at 4 feet from the subject. If you now increase the distance by a factor of 1.4 that is 4 X 1.4 = 5.6 feet, then the light at the subject from this strobe will reduce by one stop. As an example, if you have two strobes of the same power, you can keep one strobe (main light) at 4 feet and the 2nd strobe (fill light) at 4X1.4 = 5.6 feet. The fill light will now be one stop less bright than the main light. This way, you can control the relative brightness of the strobes by moving them suitably. Normally the hair light is one stop brighter than the main light.

Exposure can be determined with a flash meter. However, in this digital age, (with a cooperating subject) it is not difficult to set exposure even if you don’t have a meter. This is best done using the two tools viz., histogram and highlight warning, built in your D-SLR. When setting exposure, you need to fire all the strobes simultaneously. Hence, it is best to set the exposure after you position and set the brightness level of all strobes. Take a test picture, playback your image and check for any blown highlights. If they exist, this indicates over exposure. If this is the case, you need to reduce exposure (choose a narrower aperture) or decrease the power of the strobes.

Blown highlights are most likely to occur with hair light as it is a concentrated light illuminating hair, which can be glossy at times. They can also occur if the subject is wearing very light toned clothes, or clothes made of a shiny fabric.

After you check and correct for blown highlights, check the histogram. Now, no part of the histogram should be touching the right axis (since you have already taken care of blown highlights). As you are using a black background, a part of the histogram may be very close or even touching the left axis. However, this is not a problem.

Depending on the tone of the clothes and skin of the subject, the rest of the histogram will be to the right – more if the person is light skinned and/or wearing light colored clothes. If most of the histogram is bunched to the left it indicates under exposure. Correct this by opening the aperture, that



is, choosing a smaller f/number. Picture 2 shows a histogram that corresponds to the portrait in Picture 6.

Tip: When you are positioning strobes or adjusting their brightness, it is a good practice to check the effect of each of them independently, rather than fire all the three strobes simultaneously and then try to manipulate them. Here, I have shown the effect of each light – main, fill and hair (Pictures 3, 4 and 5) independently. Observe the effect of each of these lights and see how the final result is when all of them fire together (Picture 6).

After you set up the lights and exposure, you are all set to take the portrait. Make sure that the subject relaxes, and focus on the eyes. Release the shutter when you see the right expression. You can try several variations like broad/short lighting (Picture 6 and 7), different lighting ratios (Pictures 7 and 8), and so on. Later, you can view the images on the LCD monitor of your camera or your computer and choose the best one(s).

Some tips and guide lines: While there are no rules in portraiture, there are a few generally accepted guidelines that over time have proven to give a pleasing look. Here is a listing of a few of these, along with a few tips.

Since the face is the most important part of the body, it is natural that the face generally occupies the most important place in a portrait. It is generally positioned looking at the photographer to provide an element of engagement with the viewer.

Picture 2: This histogram corresponds to the portrait in Picture 6. Observe the shape of the histogram. The tall

vertical line on the left indicates the black background. The smaller peak to the right is due to the lighter tones in the

frame.

Picture 2

Picture 3 Picture 4

Picture 4: The effect of fill

light. This being a very diffused light has evenly illuminated the entire subject.

However, it is not bright

enough to provide

enough overall illumination.

Picture 3: This is how the subject looks when only the main light is used. Note how

the shadow is very deep since

there is no fill.



Picture 5

Picture 7 Picture 8

Picture 6

Picture 5: Here only the hair light was fired. Notice

how the effect has been limited just to a narrow area.

A snoot was used to limit the spread

of light.

Picture 6: The final image with

all the three lights in operation.

Compare this with Pictures 3, 4 & 5

and observe what effect each light

had. The Picture 6 alone will not give

you a clear idea on the role each light

had played.

Picture 8: Compared to

Picture 7, the fill light output was

reduced by about one stop, resulting

in deeper shadows

Picture 7: Here a lighting ratio of 3:1

was used.



Eye contact is most important when one converses with anyone. Consequently, eyes in the portrait should make contact with the photographer, and later with the viewer of the image. Due to the importance of the eyes, they should also be rendered sharp. Hence, in a portrait make sure that you focus on the eye which is closest to you. If your camera’s AF point does not overlap the subject’s nearest eye, then first keep an AF point on the eye, focus, and while keeping the focus locked, recompose before you release the shutter.

The maximum impact is created when the eyes are as per “rule of thirds” position – specifically, they should be one third down from the top of the frame.

Make sure that there are catch-lights in the eyes regardless of the type of lighting you use. A portrait without catch-lights is considered to be dead!

Remember you are taking a portrait and not a mug shot! So, don’t keep the person squarely facing you with the shoulders parallel to the camera! It is best if the shoulders are approximately at 45 º to the lens axis. Also avoid a part of the ear being shown.

Don’t mix lights - that is don’t use a mix of say, strobes with tungsten lamps. Such mixing will cause color casts. These will be very difficult or even impossible to correct in post-processing. Also don’t forget to set the right White Balance. If possible, make a custom setting of WB, or take a photograph of

a gray card. The latter will help you to correct color casts. A red flower may not look bad with a slight color cast but skin will look very bad. Please pay particular attention to this aspect.

Portraiture is not just reality, that is, faithfully reproducing the likeness of a person. It should also have an element of improvement over the original. By this I do not mean manipulating the image in post-processing so that all blemishes are removed. A good portrait should combine techniques to make a person look better, and thus involves some photographic flattery! This is normally done by closely studying the physical features of a person and then choosing appropriate lighting and camera angles to de-emphasize the appearance of not-so desirable features. Here are some tips to help you. 1. Double chin: This may be a sign of prosperity but unfortunately is not very photogenic. You can reduce the visibility of this by asking the subject to raise the chin upwards and using a higher than normal camera position.

2. Reflections from spectacles: You can eliminate most of them by moving the fill light laterally a little. Generally, broad lighting is better to reduce reflections from specs.

3. Baldness: Don’t use the hair light as it will cause a reflection. Instead, make the subject wear light toned clothes and use a dark background. This will give the needed separation. Alternatively, you can use a background of a color

or tone that decreases separation between the head and background so that they merge. This is turn will hide the appearance of baldness. Use a slightly lower camera angle too.

4. Prominent and large nose: Use a lower camera position and main light. Also make the subject face camera more directly rather than at an angle.

5. Prominent ears: Keep the subject more angled so that the ears do not stick out. Keep the ear in shadow if possible.

6. Facial Defects: If the subject has facial defects like injury marks or scars, keep them on the shadow side.

All t

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© A

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Acknowledgement: My thanks are due to Akshay Rao for his help in preparing this article.

CONCLUSIONCONCOCONCCCLUSIONLULUSUSIONSION

This two-part article has given you all the fundamentals needed for creating a good portrait. Now it is time to try the techniques described and take some nice portraits of your family members or friends. Don’t feel that you cannot proceed unless you have three lights. You can start with window light and a simple reflector. Once you master this you can start with one light and a reflector and then add more lights as you gain confidence. Remember it is not the equipment but capturing the right expression with proper lighting, correct exposure and sharp focus that is what is important. Good luck.


Learning

Having crossed over 20 active years in commercial photography, Dilip Yande says his forte is Fashion and Portrait photography. He believes variety is the spice of life, and to keep himself motivated he does a lot of tabletop as well. For Dilip, names like Rembrandt, Renoir, Gauguin, Picasso, Turner, Monet are household names because of his childhood that was spent in a lineage of fine arts. This ‘fine art’ reflects in his work because he feels that there is always a little bit of ‘you’ in everything one does. Having shot for many advertising agencies, juried a few competitions, mentored many workshops, and guided many photographers in their formative years, for Dilip, photography is just another way to romance his first love – art. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Grammar of

A few days ago, a young aspir-ing model dropped in to my studio with her portfolio. She

carried along with her a set of about 18 enlargements in an album. The pictures were nice aesthetically as well as techni-cally and prima facie, there appeared nothing wrong with the photographer or the model. The portfolio had both indoor and outdoor pictures. She eagerly asked me how I found her port-folio. I replied that the pictures were very nice. I then asked her to shortlist the 3 best pictures from the portfolio. She marked exactly the ones which I had liked. I then told her to forget for some time that these are her pictures, and if I were to ‘give’ her 3 questions, in which serial order would she place them while viewing those 3 pictures.1. ‘Hey, from where did you get that dress? Is it yours?’2.‘Who is this girl? Is she a professional model?’3. ‘Where did you shoot this? Which

location?’ She waited for a moment and innocently answered, that she would first ask the question # 3 (“Where it was shot?”), then ask question #1, and later, question # 2, enquiring who the girl in the pic was, and if she was a pro model. Hearing this, I smiled and asked her, “Tell me, how do you find the success of your portfolio?” She quickly realized that the location and the dress had overpowered her face!

In this case all her pics were nice but the portfolio was not!

There are no hard and fast rules in shooting a model portfolio. This is the very reason you may find many beginners shooting portfolios at throw-away prices, and the models cannot understand in what way they have benefited through such shoots. I personally follow the thought process and the teachings of an advertising guru, David Ogilvy. He shows the difference in two Greek orators, “When Aeschines

spoke, they said how well he speaks; but when Demosthenes spoke, they said let us march against Phillip. When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product.” Here, in this case, I have to sell the face of the model; I have to bring out the talents the model possesses, and her ability to pose confidently in front of the camera.

I ‘sectionize’ the process of shooting a good portfolio in 3 parts-1) Technique of handling a fresh model and learning to study a face in an unbiased way - This starts with the analysis of her face, features, hair, bone and body structure (entire anatomy), etc. Please remember that a face is a ‘design’ in itself. Everyone has eyes, nose, ears, lips in the same place, yet we find billions of faces. So the question arises, how do you make ‘that face’ whose portfolio you are shooting ‘stand out’ from the rest? First, learn to see beauty in a face; learn to observe glamour in

Model Portfolios


Learning

any ‘simple Jane’ next door; learn to express that beauty through words. This will always build her confidence. But at the same time, if any aspiring model ‘pretends’ to be what she is ‘just not’, then put your foot down and explain in simple language, that she certainly looks good, but her beauty is of a different kind; tell her that all fruits taste sweet, but the sweetness differs, like the sweetness of honey and chocolates is distinctly different. She should not dress, style or pose what she cannot carry off, or else she may end up looking funny.

Search for the hidden characteristics of a face. Analyze whether she would be better in western outfits or ethnic wear. Concentrate on what she looks best in, but don’t neglect the other possibilities. You are here to sell her face, not your photography. This is a model portfolio and not a photographer’s portfolio. Learn to hide her defects; learn how to communicate that ‘the glass is not half empty but is half filled’. Be optimistic, and for that I would like to give you a good example of marketing- A salesman who was sent by a sports shoe company to an island, met the tribals and their king there. He reported back that ‘no one was using any shoes here’, so there was no market for the same. Another company who sent their salesman gave a report that ‘No one had any sports shoes here’, and hence there was a lot of scope for business. In our country the concept of “fair & lovely” is deep-rooted, hence dusky and dark beauties are less welcome; but in the US the black models are paid very high. Hence we can never know who will click where, and for what assignment.

I remember a leading shirting brand

was looking out for a good male model who would represent a ‘Gentleman’. The coordinators showed many options but all had a good built; the company and the agency had a point that a ‘Gentleman’ need not have those muscles. Now, here was an excellent chance for someone who had a lean body, but the mannerisms, the body language and the face personified a ‘Gentleman’ in the true sense.

2) Makeup, hairdressing, styling, lighting, and posing – Makeup man, hairdresser and the stylist are your three musketeers. Prefer to work with a makeup man who is good in ‘corrective makeup’. (Corrective makeup is not just the polishing of the face, but changing the cuts of the face slightly, by shading and other makeup techniques). Hair plays a major role, so prefer to work with a hairstylist who gives her own inputs, and not just copies a reference. She, through her experience, should be able to guide you as to what would suit the model’s face. Examining the model’s hair, the texture and density, she should be in a position to tell you whether curls, straights, back-combed, or gelled-back look would look smart on the model, and with which costume. Coming to a stylist, the role is to accessorise the model with the right jewelry – props like clutches, scarves, sunglasses etc. A stylist should have a good sense of colour and a strong basic instinct to judge what best would suit the model’s skin tone. A stylist should have an innovative mind and should be willing to experiment the way you wish.

Your makeup table should never have the normal filament bulbs – they heat up a lot – instead, always use FLC lights.

A point which many miss out is that

the makeup is usually done in yellow light surrounding the mirror, while you happen to shoot in strobes, i.e. white light, and with white balance on ‘sunlight’ setting. Hence it is always safe to ‘okay’ the makeup after taking the test shot; the shades of lipstick and eye shadows are bound to look different when viewed in yellow light and then shot in white light. If there are budget constraints then drop the stylist, but never sacrifice on makeup and hair. It is good to have some knowledge of all these three fields.

Coming to lighting, you will find that a majority of faces are asymmetric, hence you have to be very careful in positioning your first light – the key source. The face may look different if the main light is shifted from left to right. In case of double chins, keep it a bit toppish, and avoid low angles.

In case of models interested in acting, it is important to capture the right expressions of the model, and a variety of moods.

A portfolio has to be a good blend of close-ups, mid shots and a few full lengths.

3) Post production - Use this to smoothen the skin tones further, but without making the face look ‘too plastic’. Don’t over-do post-production; it should not happen that the model gets selected from your pictures, but is rejected on-the-spot when seen in person. You can use post-production to give a good look to the picture. Black and white looks good, but never shoot the entire portfolio that way – it doesn’t indicate the actual skin tone of the model. A few such snaps are fine.


Learning

The following pictures will show you the clever use of makeup, hair-do, styling, and post-production while shooting portfolios; I am showing you different examples and approaches to give your mind more clarity-

Picture 1A

Model: Priya Gupta Model: Priya Gupta

Picture 1B

Pic 1A and 1B - Apart from the studio shots that I had taken of this model, we shot the rest in the corridor of a flat and the backyard. In pic 1 a , we bounced 1000 watts sun gun on a thermocol sheet kept at 45 degrees to the model. No

strobes were used. The pose clearly defines her lean body structure. In pic 1 b the model was made to sit in the boot of a car; this was shot in the backyard. Once again, care was taken that no prop or location overpowers the model.

July 2013

Learning

Picture 2A

Picture 2B

Pic 2 a and 2 b- This was shot outdoors, but no artificial lights of any kind were used. The shots were taken in a shady area and care was taken that the model was not facing the sun or any very bright objects, since this would have narrowed his eyes. Walls, benches, pillars, and gates act as good supports for posing. Care has to be taken that the poses taken by a male model should not look feminine in any way. There are limitations in styling a male model as compared to a female one.

Model: Pranav Agarwal

Model: Pranav Agarwal


Learning

Picture 3A

Picture 3B

Picture 3C

Pic 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c- In this case, we had a limitation in terms of clothes. Hence in pic 1a props like those security ropes which come as part of a security uniform were used to style the model, and a whistle was given in her hands . Proper lighting complemented her chiseled jaw line and the texture of her hair – the hairstylist has cleverly shown that she has a good volume of hair. In pic 3 b, we have tried to show her ‘elegant corporate look’ using western outfits, but again, we have given less importance to the clothes, and more to the face of the model. Pic3 c – her look was entirely changed to that of an Indian housewife – the makeup, along with the hairstyle, was totally changed. The model started cleverly playing and entwining the end of the saree with her fingers, creating a mood. It should be remembered that casting directors are very busy, so if they are shown ready characters, or moods and expressions of a model, then the candidate stands a better chance for getting an assignment.

Model: Neha Mandal Model: Neha Mandal

Model: Neha Mandal


Learning

Pic4 - This girl was short in height, hence to ‘cheat’, this angle was chosen. The shot was not taken inside a studio but on a staircase in ambient light. Hiding the minus points of a model is very important in a portfolio.Picture 4

Picture 5 Pic5- I am certainly not advising that one should not play in post-production. The portfolio you shoot certainly should not look ‘old-styled’; but at the same time the viewer should not keep wondering what technique you have used in post-production and not appreciate the model. Your post-production has to complement the model in some way.

Create a ‘reference album’ of your own, which has pics of different makeups on different kinds of faces, references of a variety of hairstyles, different poses by professionals, etc. Always keep adding to this file – this is very handy during shoots – and last but not the least,0 a collection of good songs to be played during the shoot. These small things can act as trade secrets while shooting a good portfolio.

Models: Priya Gupta, Pranav Agarwal, Neha Mandal, Shilpa Desai, Meenal Chirankar

Model: Shilpa Desai

Model: Meenal Chirankar

Learning

Colour Cast


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Getting Rid of Colour CastI am often asked questions about getting rid of colour casts in an image. This has been discussed in

earlier issues, but since the question often repeats itself, here are two very simple ways in which you can colour correct your images. In both the cases, we shall consider that the image has only one colour

cast (often, images can have more than one colour cast). Rohinton Mehta

Method 1This is the simpler method. It works most of the time. Do give it a try; just because it is so simple, does not mean it cannot be effective.

In daylight, artificial light White Balance (Incandescent light) was used, which has caused the overall blue cast.

1. Open the image in Photoshop.2. Create a copy of the Background by dragging the Background Layer to the ‘Create a new layer’ icon at the bottom of the Layers panel (In case your Layers panel is not open, press the F7 key to open it). (PS 1 shows the new Background copy)3. Go to Image > Adjustments > Match Colour. (PS 2)4. When the Match Colour dialog box opens, merely check (tick) the Neutralize checkbox and click OK. (Don’t do anything else). (PS 3)5. If necessary, proceed with the usual basic editing (like Levels or Curves etc) to punch up the tones. In our edited image, Brightness/Contrast has been slightly boosted in the lower part of the picture.6. Save the file using the Save As command.

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Original

Final

Learning


Method 2Here’s a late evening picture from Ladakh. The shadow areas have a distinct blue cast.

1. Open the image in Photoshop.2. Create a copy of the Background by dragging the Background Layer to the ‘Create a new layer’ icon at the bottom of the Layers panel, similarly as done in the earlier method. (In case your Layers panel is not open, press the F7 key to open it).3. Go to Filter > Blur > Average. The screen colour will change, denoting the colour of the cast.(PS 5)4. Press Ctrl + I to inverse. The screen colour will now change to the opposite of the colour in the above step. (PS 6)5. Go to the Blending Mode (the small double-headed triangle in the ‘Normal’ field) and select Colour. (PS 7)6. The colour of the picture will change. (PS 8) 7. Go to the Opacity control in the Layers panel, and adjust the Opacity till you are satisfied.8. Save the file using the Save As command.

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Original

Final


ISSUE 4VOLUME 09

JULY 2013

SUBSCRIBER’S COPY

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BASICS OF PHOTOGRAPHY: FOCUSSING � PROFESSIONAL

TECHNIQUE: CREATING MODEL PORTFOLIOS � PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY - PART II

� PHOTOSHOP BASICS: REMOVE COLOUR CAST � INTERVIEW ANUP SAH

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Reviews9892

104

80

100

86Sony SLT A58

Lens ReviewILCC Review

Printer Review

D-SLR Review

Head-to-Head

SLT Review

Change in Rating SystemSmart Photography’s new rating system exercises stricter evaluation in view of improvements in the overall performance of photographic equipment. Marks will be awarded for the following parameters...

Final RankingsRecommended ......................................... 75-80%Best Buy .........................................81% and above

D-SLR CAMERAS

Design & Build Quality .................... (out of 20)

Key Features ........................................... (out of 20)

Ergonomics ............................................. (out of 20)

Performance Autofocus .................................................... (out of 5) Metering ...................................................... (out of 5) Noise control ........................................... (out of 5) Distortion/Sharpness .......................... (out of 5) LCD/Viewfinder..................................... (out of 5) Auto White Balance ........................... (out of 5)

Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)

Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)

LENSES




Performance Autofocus .................................................... (out of 5) Sharpness..................................................... (out of 5) Distortion control ................................. (out of 5) Aberrations ................................................ (out of 5) Darkening of corners ......................... (out of 5) Extra Features............................................ (out of 5)

Value for Money ................................. (out of 10)

Grand Total ......................................... (out of 100)

COMPACT CAMERAS




Performance Autofocus .................................................... (out of 5) Metering ...................................................... (out of 5) Noise control ........................................... (out of 5) Distortion/Sharpness .......................... (out of 5) LCD/Viewfinder..................................... (out of 5) Auto White Balance ........................... (out of 5)

Value for Money ....................... (out of 10)

Grand Total ............................... (out of 100)

Lumix GX Vario 35-100mm f2.8 Power O.I.S.

Panasonic Lumix Gf6

Canon Pixma Pro 100

Canon EOS 700D

Face-off! Smartphones Vs Cameras

Canon EOS 700DD-SLR Review

84%Rs.53,995


Inside the BoxCamera BodyBattery Pack LP-E8Battery Charger LC-E8/LC-E8E

(LC-E8E is without a power cord)Wide strapInterface CableEOS DIGITAL Solution Disk (Software)Software Instruction ManualCamera Instruction Manual

The Canon EOS 700D is the successor to the 650D and is also known as the Rebel

T5i. Considering that the 650D was launched only last year, the 700D represents a quick replacement.

Design & Build QualityThe Canon EOS 700D body is well designed, with smooth corners and a very comfortable grip (much better than that on the 100D). The chassis is made from metal and the exterior is made from tough polycarbonate. Though Canon describes the camera as the flagship of its entry-level models, it looks and feels like a semi-pro body. The physical size of the camera body is just perfect – neither too large, nor too small. The LCD

offers touch-screen technology and the display can be adjusted to almost any angle. Like in all Canon D-SLRs, the viewfinder is covered with soft rubber to prevent scratches on eye-glasses. The camera body is made in Japan and its dimensions (WxHxD) are 133.1x99.8x78.8mm. The camera weighs 560g with battery and card.

Key FeaturesThe EOS 700D has enough features for an entry-level model. At first sight, the 700D appears to be identical to the 650D except for a different kit lens and some very few changes. The EOS 650D was the first Canon APS-C D-SLR to feature a hybrid CMOS AF system, using both Contrast and Phase Detect AF. The focussing sensors on the 650D

A small step forward

Mahesh Reddy

Aperture:f/9 Shutter Speed: 1/80sec. ISO:100


Canon EOS 700D

D-SLR Review

are placed directly on the CMOS sensor to speed up AF performance during Live View mode. With the addition of an STM lens on the 700D, Canon is offering an even better deal, allowing users to exploit the full advantage of improved Live View mode AF, coupled with a kit lens that is designed to offer smooth and nearly silent AF. This system works in conjunction to give a wonderful movie recording experience to first-time users, by allowing faster, more accurate and smoother AF coupled with the absence of focus-motor noise in the recording footage. Further changes in the 700D are improved Creative Filters added to the Quick Control Screen, a new SCN mode on the Mode dial that contains advanced shooting modes like Hand-held Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control, and Night Portrait. The Mode dial on the 700D rotates 360 degrees for quicker switching between shooting modes.

The Mode Dial at the top right includes Creative Zone (for advanced users) and Basic Zone for beginners. The Creative Zone offers Program (P), Shutter Priority (Tv), Aperture Priority (Av) and Manual (M) shooting modes. The Basic Zone has A+ (turns your camera into a sophisticated point-and-shoot model), Flash Off (very important in places where using flash is banned), and Creative Auto (allows you to choose the ambience you wish to convey in your images, and allows you to change the depth of field, drive mode and flash firing). Then come the 4 Image Zones – Portrait, Landscape, Close-up and Sports. These are followed by Special Scene Modes – Night Portrait, Hand-held Night Scene, and HDR Backlight Control.

After selecting a shooting mode, you can select the Shooting Functions (displayed on the LCD screen). This is best done by pressing the ‘Q’ button (Quick Selection button) and navigating to the desired function using the cross-keys to the right of the LCD screen. To assist you in this selection is the Feature Guide that describes in very simple terms, what each feature does. The LCD screen is also touch-sensitive. The touch-control can be disabled if you wish to.

Except in certain basic modes, you can also create your desired ambience. The ambience settings available are

Standard, Vivid, Soft, Warm, Intense, Cool, Brighter, Darker and Monochrome. You can also set the desired ambience effect, example, Low, Standard or Strong. Further, when shooting in Portrait, Landscape, Close-up and Sports, you can shoot as per the lighting condition or scene type. The settings available here are: Default, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent and Sunset.

The user can opt for one of the 10 image quality settings. Here is the guide showing the image quality setting and the corresponding file size:

* Figures for the file size, number of possible shots, and maximum burst are based on Canon’s 8 GB card and testing standards (3:2 aspect ratio, ISO 100, and Standard Picture Style). These figures will vary depending on the subject, card brand, aspect ratio, ISO speed, Picture Style, Custom Functions, and other settings.* Figures in parentheses apply to a UHS-I compatible 8 GB card based on Canon’s testing standards

Four types of exposure metering are available on the EOS 700D: Evaluative (linked to all AF points), Partial (covers approx. 9% of viewfinder, at center), Spot (covers approx. 4% of viewfinder, at center) and Center-weighted Average. You can fire off a single frame or fire continuously at a maximum of 5 frames per second. You can also use a 2 or 10sec delay self-timer or use the self-timer to shoot a set number of shots (maximum 10) continuously in 10 seconds.

To ensure proper colours, you can set the White Balance as


D-SLR Review

Canon EOS 700D

required; select from Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, White fluorescent light, Flash and Custom. You can further fine-tune and select from the following Picture Styles: Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome and User Defined 1-3. ( Just like you would select a different type of film to get a particular ‘look, Picture Styles help you take photos in colour tones best suited for the particular subject). ISO sensitivity can be set between 100-12,800 but can be expanded to ‘H’ (equivalent of ISO 25,600). Autofocus makes taking pictures easier.

The EOS 700D offers One-shot AF (for still subjects), AI Servo AF (for moving subjects) and AI Focus AF (when the camera automatically switches between One-shot AF and AI Servo AF depending on whether the subject is stationary or moving). In P, A, S, and M modes, the user can select the AF point by pressing the AF Point Selection button (near the thumb grip) and then using the cross-keys to select the AF point. Tip: The central AF point is the most accurate, and hence consider using this point to autofocus. You can

always recompose your picture if you need to (but don’t forget to keep the shutter release button half-pressed during this time). In Basic Zones, AF point is automatically selected by the camera, depending on the shooting mode. The 700D offers a maximum firing rate of 5 frames per second and a maximum burst of 22 JPEG Large/Fine or 6 Raw or 3 Raw+JPEG Large/Fine shots.

The 700D offers a built-in flash with a Guide Number of 13m (43 feet) at ISO 100, and covers a field of view of 17mm equivalent. External EX-series Speedlites can be used. The flash metering is E-TTL II and flash exposure can be compensated by +/- 2 stops in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments. PC terminal is not provided.

Aspect Ratio in Live View can be set to 3:2, 4:3, 16:9 or 1:1.

Here, the camera uses a Hybrid CMOS AF System (Face+Tracking, FlexiZone Multi, FlexiZone Single). Manual focussing is possible during Live View (approx. 5x/10x magnification possible). In Live View, Touch-Screen focussing and Touch Shutter is provided. Movie recording format are MOV and MPEG-4 AVC/H.264. Maximum resolution for video is 1920x1080 (Full HD) at 30p/25p/24p. Exposure control is Program AE for movies and manual exposure. Exposure can be compensated by +/- 3 stops (+/- 5 stops for stills). ISO can be set between 100-6400.

JPEG Compression

JPEG, Fine Quality,

100% (6.04 MB)

JPEG, Standard Quality,

100% (2.86 MB)

Sharpness & Detail

Aperture: f/11 Shutter Speed: 1/5sec. ISO:100

Noise at 100%

ISO:100 ISO:12800

Colour Accuracy

Colour checker shot using Auto White Balance in sunlight. Auto Levels applied.


Canon EOS 700D

D-SLR Review

The EOS 700D uses a 3” 1.04-million dot colour liquid-crystal monitor with Capacitive-Sensing Touch-screen technology. The recording media is an SD/SDHC/SDXC card, and the camera body is powered by a rechargeable LP-E8 battery pack.

ErgonomicsThe camera body with the supplied EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5 IS STM lens fitted perfectly in the hands and was very comfortable to use. The vari-angle LCD monitor made it very easy to shoot from extremely low or from top angles. The buttons, though quite small, worked positively at all times. STM (Stepper Motor) lenses are an improvement over the earlier Canon lenses in that

they eliminate camera operation noises during video recording. They also help in providing smoother autofocussing. The ‘Q’ button offered quick control over the shooting functions, and I strongly recommend its usage.

PerformanceOur review is based on the following parameters:Lens aberration correction and chromatic aberration correction: EnabledImage quality: JPEG Large/FineAuto Lighting Optimizer set to StandardColour space: Adobe RGBPicture Style: NeutralLong exposure Noise Reduction: Off

High ISO speed noise Reduction: StandardFirmware version:1.1.1Central AF sensor (which is the most sensitive) was used most of the time

Autofocus with the supplied EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5 IS STM lens was quite quick, even in reasonably poor light. All four exposure meters (Evaluative, Partial, Spot and Center-weighted Average) on the EOS 700D performed as expected. Video quality was very good too. Images on the LCD screen were bright and punchy, but surprisingly, images on the computer screen did not appear that crisp, and needed a bit more sharpening.

The native image size was 11.52 x 17.28

Mah

esh

Redd

y

Aperture:f/16 Shutter Speed: 6 sec. ISO:100


D-SLR Review

Canon EOS 700D

The Canon EOS 700D is well built and a good overall performer at a fair price. It will also serve well as a back-up body. Best Buy!

Rohinton Mehta

VERDICT

-

-

Screen-printing on buttons likely to wear out after reasonable use

Supplied kit lens uses plastic mount

+

+

Excellent image quality

Good control over digital noise+

+

Good build qualityUser Manual in printed form

FINAL SCOREDesign and Build Quality 17/20

Key Features 17/20

Ergonomics 17/20

Performance Autofocus 5.5/6

Metering 5/6

Noise Control 5/6

LCD/VF 5/6

AWB 4.5/6

Sub-Total 25/30

Value for Money 8/10

Grand Total 84/100

inches at 300ppi. At 25% screen size, noise control was good throughout the ISO range. At 50% screen size, some noise could be seen from ISO 800 onwards. ISO 12,800 was definitely noisy. At 100% screen size, though noise was clearly visible at ISO 800, it was usable in an emergency. Higher ISO levels were noisy, and are best avoided unless you wish to print small images. We would recommend high ISO noise reduction set to Standard.

White Balance performance was perfect in Sunlight, preset Flash, and preset Shade. AWB in Flash showed a slight Cyan cast, whereas AWB in Shade showed a slight magenta cast. Nothing serious though. An overall satisfactory performance.

Value for MoneyThe Canon EOS 700D body retails at Rs.53,995. Considering its good build quality, good performance, and user-friendly interface, we feel this is a fair price.

SPECIFICATIONSCamera type : D-SLRImage sensor/size : CMOS/22.3 x 14.9mmEffective pixels : 18 millionDust delete feature : Auto, Manual, Dust Delete Data appendingCompatible lenses : EF, EF-SRecording media : SD, SDHC, SDXC cardImage type : Raw (14-bit), JPEG, Raw+JPEGPicture Style : Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Def. 1-3Basic+ : Ambience-based shots,Light Scene-based shotsWhite Balance : Auto, 6 Presets, Custom (WB correction & Bracketing possible)Noise Reduction : Applicable to long exposures & High ISO shotsAuto brightness : Auto Lighting Optimizercorrection Highlight tone : Providedpriority

Lens corrections : Peripheral illumination & CA correctionsAutofocus type : Phase DetectionAF Points : 9 points (all cross-type, centre point sensitive to f/2.8)AF operation : One-shot AF, AI-Servo AF, AI Focus AFMetering modes : 63-zone TTL-full aperture metering Evaluative (linked to all AF points) Partial (approx. 9% of viewfinder, at center) Spot (approx. 4% of viewfinder, at center) was Center-weighted averageExposure control : ////ISO sensitivity : 100-12,800 (varies with the exposure program) Sensitivity can be expanded to ‘H’ (ISO 25,00 equivalent)Exp. Compensation : +/- 5 stops in 1/3 or 1/2 stop incrementsAuto Exp. Bracketing : +/- 2 stops in 1/3 or 1/2 stop incrementsShutter speeds : 30sec-1/4000sec (varies with shooting mode). Bulb. X-Sync: 1/200secDrive mode : Single, Continuous, Self-timerContinuous : Max. 5 shots per sec.shooting Max. Burst : JPEG Large/Fine 22 (30) shots Raw 6 (6) shots Raw+JPEG Large/Fine 3 (3) shots (Figures in parenthesis apply to UHS-1 8GB card based on Canon’s testing standards)Built-in flash : GN13m/43 feet at ISO 100.Flash metering : E-TTL II AutoflashFlash coverage : Approx 17mm lens coverageRecycling time : Approx 3 sec in Manual operationExternal Flashguns : EX-series SpeedlitesFlash sync : Up to 1/200secLIVE VIEWAspect ratio : 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 1:1Focussing : Hybrid CMOS AF System (Face+Tracking, FlexiZone-Multi, FlexiZone Single), Phase-difference detection (Quick Mode) Manual focussing (approx. 5x/10x magnification possible)Continuous AF : ProvidedTouch shutter : ProvidedMetering modes : Real-time metering with image sensor Evaluative metering (315 zones), Partial metering (approx. 8.8% of Live View screen), Spot metering (approx. 2.2% of Live View screen), Center-weighted average meteringCreative filters : Grainy B&W, Soft focus, Fish-eye

effect, Art bold effect, Water painting effect, Toy camera effect, Miniature effectGrid display : Two typesMOVIE SHOOTINGRecording format : MOVMovie : MPEG-4 AVC/H.24 Variable (average) bit rateRecording : 1920x1080 (Full HD):30p/25p/24psize/Frame rate 1280x720 (HD):0p/50p 640x480 (SD):30p/25pISO speed with : ISO 100-6400, set automaticallymovies LCD monitor : 3”, 1.04 million dotsCustom Fuctions : 8Battery : Rechargeable Pack, LP-E8Dimensions : 133.1x99.8x78.8mm (WxHxD)Weight : Approx. 560g with battery and card

Sony SLT A58SLT Review


81%Rs. 32,990

Inside the BoxChargerRechargeable battery pack NP-FM500HMicro USB CableShoulder strapDT 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 SAM II lens

Sony’s translucent mirror and Single Lens Translucent (SLT) cameras gained much popularity and was

touted as a pathbreaking technology. Now the Company has released the new 20 megapixel Sony SLT A58, an entry-level model. The new camera is available in two kit forms – the A58K with the SAL1855 lens (18-55mm) and the A58M with SAL18135 lens (18-135mm).

Design and Build QualityThe SLT A58 has a tough polycarbonate exterior. The LCD is tiltable, but is not capable of swivel action and hence it is not possible to fold the LCD to prevent it from scratches. The A58 features a standard accessory shoe instead of the earlier Minolta-type ‘reversed’ accessory shoe which could not accept

standard flashguns and sync terminals. The camera has a thick and deep grip, which is rubberised for better stability. The command dial is at the front and the grooved thumb rest has a rubber lining.

Key FeaturesThe 20.1-megpixel Sony SLT A58 uses an APS HD (23.2 x 15.4mm) CMOS sensor with primary colour filters fror imaging. The sensor unit features a sensor-shift mechanism along with a charge protection coating as dust reduction system. This uses ultrasonic vibrations to shake off dust particles from the sensor. The camera features SteadyShot sensor-shift image stabilisation. The camera accepts Sony A-mount and Minolta/Konica Minolta lenses. We received the A58K kit, which

Shoot Through the Mirror

Aperture:f/5.6 Shutter Speed: 1/40sec . ISO:100

Mahesh Reddy


Sony SLT A58

SLT Review

JPEG Compression

JPEG, Fine Quality,

100% (7.43 MB)


100% (5.21 MB)

Sharpness & Detail


Noise

ISO:100 ISO:16000

Colour Accuracy


has the 18-55mm lens bundled with it. Focus modes are Single Shot AF (AF-S), Continuous AF (AF-C), and Automatic AF (AF-A). Focus area options are Wide-area, 15-point local frame selection, Zone, Spot, Local, Predictive Focus, Focus Lock, and Eye-start AF. Focussing is done through TTL phase-detection system with CCD line sensors. The camera has electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal plane shutter providing a shutter speed range of 30 to 1/4000 sec and Bulb. It can synchronise with flash at a shutter speed of 1/160 sec or less. White Balance options are Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, Custom Temperature, and Custom Filter. Exposure modes include iAUTO, Flash Off, Superior Auto, Scene Selection, Sweep Panorama, Picture Effect, Continuous Advance, Movie, Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), and Manual (M). Picture effects are Posterization (Colour, B/W), Pop colour, Retro Photo, Partial colour (R, G, B, Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera, Soft High-key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Mono, and Miniature. Scene Selector provides options of Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait, Night scene, and Hand-held Twilight. Creative Style options include Standard, Vivid, Portrait, Landscape, Sunset, and Black and White. Equivalent sensitivity ranges from ISO 100 to 16,000. Exposure can be


SLT Review

Sony SLT A58compensated up to +/-3 EV in 0.3-EV steps. The camera uses 1200-zone Evaluative metering only. It can shoot continuous frames up to 7 images at full resolution (Fine quality) at 5 frames per second.

Still images are recorded in Raw and JPEG formats with a maximum size of 5456 x 3632 pixels. JPEGs can be recorded in Fine or Standard compression. There is an option to record Raw and JPEG simultaneously. Videos can be recorded in AVCHD or MP4 formats. The built-in flash has a Guide Number of 10m at ISO 100. Available flash modes are Off, Auto flash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync, Red-eye Reduction, Rear Curtain Sync, Wireless, and Hi-speed Sync. Flash exposure can be compensated up to +/-2.0 EV in 0.3EV steps.

The A58 uses a 2.7-inch, 460,800-dot TFT LCD along with a 1.0 cm, Xtra Fine colour electronic viewfinder. The camera accepts a Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo/XC-HG Duo, SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card for storage. The device is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion battery pack NP-FM500H. The camera body weighs approximately 492g and has dimensions of 128.6 x 95.5 x 77.7mm (W x H x D).

ErgonomicsThe Sony SLT A58 has a very deep, well-crafted and textured rubber-lined hand grip, which provides a secure feel. If you have small hands, you might find the depth a little uncomfortable, but the bottom line is that you cannot make a camera that fits every hand size. The body balances well with the lens. Both

the LCD and the viewfinder showed disturbing pixel jitter, but this does not appear in the final images. The menu is easy to navigate through and the controls are easy to access.

PerformanceThe Sony SLT A58 was tested with its 18-55mm kit lens. Autofocus of the combination was fast and precise, and could lock on to the subject even under low light. The focussing process was audible. Also, the front barrel of the lens rotates, making it inconvenient to use graduated ND and Polarizing

filters. The lens did not produce any distortion. Metering modes performed as intended. Auto White Balance performed well, especially under natural light. Any cast produced under other light sources could be easily removed in post-processing. Native image size was 12.11 x 18.19 inches at 300 ppi. At 25 percent of this image size, images up to ISO 6400 remained noise-free. ISO 12,800 and 16,000 were noisy, but usable. At 50 percent, ISO 6400 showed some noise, but this would not be a problem in ordinary situations. Viewed at 100 percent, we

Mahesh Reddy

Aperture:f/14 Shutter Speed: 1/250sec . ISO:100

Sony SLT A58

SLT Review


The Sony SLT A58 is a capable camera with excellent noise-control, fast auto focus, and good colour reproduction. A good entry level option in APS-C size interchangeable lens cameras.

Sujith Gopinath

VERDICT

-

-

Pixel jitter on LCD and viewfinder

Lack of peripheral sharpness with kit lens

+ Good build quality+

+

Excellent noise control

Competitively priced

FINAL SCOREDesign and Build Quality 17/20

Key Features 17/20

Ergonomics 16/20

Performance Autofocus 5/5

Metering 4/5

Noise Control 4/5

Sharpness 3/5

LCD/VF 3/5

AWB 4/5

Sub-Total 2 /30


Grand Total 81/100

observed slight noise at ISO 800. Noise control was reasonably good till ISO 1600.

The lens produced prominent darkening at the corners at the wide-angle end at the widest aperture. Flare was observed along with purple fringing, though not very glaring. Images were sharp at the centre, but the sharpness decreased towards the peripheries.

Value for MoneyThe Sony SLT A58K retails at an MRP of Rs.32,990, while the A58M, which includes the 18-135mm lens in the kit, retails at Rs.42,990. This seems good value for money.

SPECIFICATIONSEffective Pixels : Approx. 20.1 MillionSensor : 23.2 x 15.4mm, Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor with RGB primary colour filtersDust Reduction : Charge protection coating on image sensor and image sensor shift mechanismLens : Sony A-mount lenses, operation with Minolta/Konica Minolta lenses confirmedRecording Media : Memory Stick PRO Duo/PRO-HG Duo/XC-HG Duo, SD/SDHC/SDX memory cardFile Format : Still: JPEG, Raw (Sony ARW 2.3 format) Videos: AVCHD Ver. 2.0 compliant, MP4Max. Image Size : 5456 x 3632 pixelsImage Quality : Raw, Raw+JPEG, JPEG Fine, JPEGModes StandardNoise Reduction : Long exposure NR: On/Off High ISO NR: High/Normal/Low selectableCreative Style : Standard, Vivid, Portrait , Landscape, Sunset, Black & White Contrast (-3 to +3steps), Saturation (-3 to +3steps), Sharpness (-3 to +3steps))Auto HDR : Auto Exposure Difference,

Adjustable Exposure Difference (1 - 6EV in 1EV steps)D-Range Optimizer : Off/(Auto, Level (1-5))White Balance : Auto, Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash, Custom Temperature, Custom Filter, CustomImage Stabilisation : Still: SteadyShot INSIDE Sensor Shift Mechanism Movies: ElectronicLCD Monitor : 2.7 inch, 460,800-dot TFTMetering : 1200-zone evaluative meteringFocus Modes : Single-shot AF (AF-S), Continuous AF (AF-C), Automatic AF (AF-A) selectableFocus areas selection : Wide area, 15-point local frame selection, Zone, Spot, Local, predictive focus, focus lock, Eye-start AFFocus Type : TTL phase-detection systemFocus Sensor : CCD line sensorsSensitivity Range : ISO100 to 16,000AF Illuminator : Built -in, Flash type (Approx. 1m - 5m)Exposure Modes : iAUTO, Flash Off, Superior Auto, Scene Selection, Sweep Panorama, Picture Effect, Continuous Advance, Priority AE, Movie, Programmed AE (P), Aperture priority (A), Shutter-speed priority (S), Manual (M)Picture Effects : Posterization (Colour, B/W), Pop colour, Retro Photo, Partial colour (R, G, B, Y), High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera, Soft High-key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Mono, MiniatureScene Selector : Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports action, Sunset, Night portrait, Night scene, Hand-held TwilightMetering Type : 1200-zone evaluative meteringExposure Comp. : Still images: +/- 3.0EV (0.3EV steps) Movies: +/- 2.0EV (0.3EV steps)AE Lock : YesBuilt-In Flash : Built-in, auto pop-up typeFlash Coverage : 18mm (focal-length printed on the lens body)Flash Modes : Flash off, Autoflash, Fill-flash, Slow Sync., Red-eye reduction, Rear Curtain Sync., Wireless, Hi-speed Sync.Guide Number : 10m (at ISO100)Flash Comp. : +/- 2.0EV (0.3EV steps)Recycling Time : Approx. 4 secShutter Type : Electronically-controlled, vertical-traverse, focal-plane typeShutter Speed : 30 to 1/4000 sec., BulbFlash Sync Speed : 1/160 sec.Viewfinder Type : 1.0 cm electronic viewfinder

(colour), Xtra FineDiopter Control : -4.0 to +4.0mMax. Continuous : 5 frames per secondShooting Rate Continuous : Fine: 7 images, Standard:Shooting Limit 8 images, RAW & JPEG: 5 images, RAW: 6 imagesPower Source : Rechargeable Li-ion battery pack NP-FM500HDimensions : 128.6 x 95.5 x 77.7mm(W x H x D) (excluding protrusions)Weight : Approx. 492 g (body only)

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Panasonic Lumix Gf6ILCC Review


Petite Power!

82%Rs.49,990

Inside the BoxCameraLumix G Vario 14-42mm F/3.5-5.6 ASPH lensLens hoodLens front and rear capBody capBattery Pack

Battery charger AC cable USB cable CD-TOM (Software) CD-ROM (User Manual in detail) Shoulder strap

Panasonic is a leading manufacturer of mirrorless interchangeable lens compact cameras (ILCC). The

Panasonic Lumix GF6 was introduced on 13th May 2013, along with the Lumix G6. Besides the usual goodies, the GF6 offers Wi-Fi and NFC (Near Field Communication). The GF6 will be available in black, white, brown and red colours. Read on to know more...

Design and Build QualityThe Panasonic Lumix GF6 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The body is made mainly from engineering plastic. The top plate, which appears to be made from metal, is actually chrome-plated plastic. The hand-grip is sufficiently decent. There is no viewfinder, nor is there a provision to attach an external one. The GF6 has a built-in flash – external flashguns cannot be attached. The knurled Mode Dial is made of metal, but is quite rough on

the fingers. We have seen better build quality on most Panasonic cameras. The camera weighs approx. 323g (with battery and card).

Key FeaturesThe Panasonic GF6 is a 16-megapixel mirrorless, interchangeable lens compact camera (ILCC). The design is based on the Micro Four Thirds System. The camera uses a Live MOS imaging sensor (13 x 17.3mm) along with a Venus Engine processor, with an advanced noise reduction system that reduces digital noise in multiple steps. A supersonic wave filter is used for dust reduction control. What differentiates the GF6 from similar ILCCs is the GF6’s in-built Wi-Fi, along with its Near Field Communication (NFC) capability. This allows wireless communication between the camera and NFC enabled Smartphones and Tablets. You first download the Panasonic Image App

Aperture:f/7.1 Shutter Speed: 1/200sec. ISO:400

Rohinton Mehta

Aperture:f/8 Shutter Speed: 1/640sec. ISO:160



on your Smartphone/Tablet, start the app, press the Wi-Fi ‘On’ button on the camera, and touch the two devices. That’s it! The Panasonic Image App works with iOS as well as Android. This way you can do remote shooting, send images to the Smartphone/Tablet while recording on the GF6, and send images stored on the GF6 to the Smartphone/Tablet.

As per Panasonic, the GF6 is ready to shoot in just 0.5 seconds after start-up (using the H-FS1442A lens). Four focus modes are available: Single (AFS), Continuous (AFC), Flexible (AFF) and Manual Focus (MF). The camera uses Contrast AF system. Autofocus modes are Face Detection, AF Tracking, 23-area focussing, 1-area focussing and Pinpoint focussing. The camera also offers Quick AF, Continuous AF during motion image recording, Touch AF/AE Function, AF+MF, Touch shutter and Touch MF Assist.

The light metering system in the GF6 uses a 1,728-zone multi-pattern sensing system. The light metering modes are Intelligent Multiple, Center-weighted and Spot, whereas exposure modes are Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual. ISO sensitivity settings available on the GF6 are Auto, Intelligent ISO, and 160-12800. ISO can be extended to equivalent of 25,000. Exposures can be compensated by +/-3 EV in 1/3 EV steps, while exposure bracketing is limited to 3

Sharpness & Detail


Noise

ISO:160 ISO:12800

Colour Accuracy


JPEG Compression

JPEG, Super Fine Quality,

100% (8.17 MB)


100% (4.27 MB)

ILCC Review

Panasonic Lumix Gf6


or 5 frames in 1/3 or 2/3 EV steps. White Balance can be set to Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Incandescent, Flash, White Set 1 and 2 and Colour Temperature setting (2,500K-10,000K in 100K increments). WB bracketing is also available.

The GF6 uses a focal plane shutter, and shutter speeds available are from 60 seconds-1/4000 sec (for stills) and 1/25 sec-1/16,000 sec for Motion Image (PAL). The Quick Menu button on the camera back lets you select Photo Styles (Standard, Vivid, Natural, Monochrome,Scenery, Portrait, and Custom), Flash Modes (Forced Flash On, Forced On/Redeye, Slow Sync, and Slow Sync/Red Eye), Motion Picture Set (AVCHD 1080 at 50i, AVCHD 720 at 50p, MP4 1080 at 25p, MP4 720 at 25p, and MP4 480 at 25p), Picture Setting, Image Quality (Fine, Standard, Raw+Fine,Raw+Standard, and Raw), Focus Mode (AFS, AFF, AFC, and MF), Metering Mode (Multi Metering, Center-weighted and Spot), Aperture Value, Exposure Compensation, Sensitivity, and White Balance.

The Mode Dial at the top controls the various exposure modes. It has, besides the P, A, S, M modes, Movie mode, Custom 1 and 2, Sweep Panorama mode, Scene mode, and Creative Control mode. The Sweep Panorama mode lets you shoot either horizontal or vertical panoramas. The Scene mode offers 23 settings (Clear Portrait, Silky Skin, Backlit Softness, Clear in Backlight, Relaxing Tone, Sweet Child’s face, Distinct Scenery, Bright Blue Sky, Romantic Sunset Glow, Vivid Sunset Glow, Glistening Water, Clear Nightscape, Cool Night Sky, Warm Glowing Nightscape, Artistic Nightscape, Glittering Illuminations, Clear Night Portrait, Soft Image of a

Flower, Appetizing Food, Cute Dessert, Freeze Animal Motion, Clear Sports Shot and Monochrome). The Creative Control mode offers 19 filter effects. In high-contrast lighting, HDR images can be created that have sufficient detail in the highlights and shadows. Continuous shooting at a maximum burst rate of 4.2 frames per second at full resolution is possible with the GF6. Clear Retouch is a new feature that lets you erase an area or an element that you find disturbing (is Panasonic trying to get into image editing?).

The 3-inch, 1,040K dots LCD monitor on the GF6 is a Capacitive Touchscreen (the GF5 by the way, has a pressure-sensitive touchscreen monitor). The monitor is tiltable (but not flippable) and allows you to shoot from very low angles as well as from very high angles. The monitor also tilts almost 180 degrees to allow the user to take his/her own photo. The monitor’s brightness, contrast, and saturation, as well as red tint and blue tint can be adjusted.

The GF6 can record 1920x1080 full HD videos with full-time AF with stereo sound (MP4) in AVCHD format.

The camera also offers 3D shooting capability with the LUMIX G 12.5mm f/12 lens. You can playback your images wirelessly onto a DLNA compliant Viera HD TV, print your images on a PictBridge compatible printer, and using the Cloud Sync Service, photos and videos can be synchronised with compatible home devices.

The GF6 uses SD, SDHC, and SDXC cards for storing images. The camera dimensions are 111.2 (W) x 64.8 (H) x 38.4 (D).

ErgonomicsThe GF6 is easy to handle and the user interface is reasonably simple. The Touch AF lets you instantly focus on any element in the field of view. The Touch Auto Exposure function allows setting focus and exposure on any subject displayed on the monitor, at a single touch. We feel that Panasonic should look into the Scene Guide and re-name some of them. We also feel that there are just too many categories in the Scene Guide. By the time a beginner decides which scene category would be ideal for a particular scene, chances are that the scene would change!

Rohinton Mehta

Aperture:f/6.3 Shutter Speed: 1/10sec. ISO:400



If you decide to use the built-in flash, make sure that you take off the lens hood first, especially if the subject is close-by. The hand-grip is quite good, but the LCD screen is prone to smudges.

PerformanceThe GF6 was tested using the 14-42 G VARIO 1:3.5-5.6 ASPH lens. Autofocus was quick and snappy in good light as well as in low light. In bright light, the LCD was a bit difficult to see. We noticed slight barrel distortion at the 14mm setting. All three metering modes (Multi-metering, Center-weighted and Spot) worked flawlessly and provided excellent exposures. The intelligent Auto (iA) mode is designed for beginners but it is so good that we strongly suggest that you take extra shots using the iA mode, even if you are not a beginner; you will be surprised by the excellent shadow details. Though flare was seen in strong against-the-light shots, chromatic aberration seemed well under control. Video performance was checked at the highest resolution and was found to be good.

We tried many sweep panoramas. Though we did get some great panoramas, unfortunately, not every attempt was successful. The same goes for the Clear Retouch feature. We feel that more R&D has to go into these features to make them perfect.

The GF6’s native image size is 11.493 x 15.307” at 300ppi. At 16.7% screen size, all ISOs were noise-free except ISO 12,800. At 50% screen size, we could see some noise at ISO 6400, but the noise level was acceptable. At 100% screen size, ISO 3200 was noisy

FINAL SCORE

Design and Build Quality 16/20

Key Features 18/20

Ergonomics 17/20


Metering 4.5/5

Noise Control 4/5

Sharpness 4/5

LCD/EVF 4/5

Auto White Balance 3.5/5

Sub-Total 24/30


Grand Total 82/100

Overall, the Panasonic GF6 is a good performer. It’s compact, lightweight and handy. We are sure that Panasonic will look into the ‘Sweep Panorama’ and ‘Clear Retouch’ features and probably offer a firmware update that will take care of the niggles. Best Buy! Rohinton Mehta

VERDICT

+

-

+

-

-

Excellent intelligent Auto (iA) mode

Detailed user manual only on CD

Fast write time to the memory card

LCD monitor prone to smudgesNo accessory shoe for external flashguns

+

-

+

-

Very useful built-in Wi-Fi and NFC

Build quality unlike ‘Panasonic’.

Very good still and video quality

Mode Dial feels rough, almost abrasive

-Panasonic needs to perfect the ‘Sweep Panorama’ and ‘Clear Retouch’ features

but I would use it in an emergency. If I wanted almost noise-free images for large enlargements (say, 16 x20” and beyond), I would stay within ISO 400. Our noise-test is based on JPEG exposures; Raw shooters should have better control over digital noise. We also noticed that the Panasonic GF6 writes pretty quickly to the memory storage card (SanDisk 4GB SDHC class 4).

Value for MoneyThe Panasonic Lumix GF6 will be available at an MRP of Rs.49,990, along with its 14-42mm kit lens. At this price, and in spite of its good performance, we would consider the price to be on the higher side.

SPECIFICATIONSCamera type : ILCCEffective pixels : 16 millionImage sensor : Four Thirds, Live MOS sensorFocus : AF, MF, Face Detection,AF Tracking, 23-area Focussing, 1-area Focussing, PinpointBurst speed : 20 fps (Super high speed) 4.2 fps (High speed) 3.0 fps (Middle speed) 2.0 fps (Low speed)ISO sensitivity : Auto, iISO, 160-12,800 (Can be extended to 25,600)Shutter speeds : 60 seconds – 1/4000 sec 1/30 – 1/16,000 during video recordingWhite Balance : Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Incandescent, Flash, White Set 1 & 2, KelvinExposure modes : Auto, P, A, S, MExp. Compensation : +/- 3 EV in 1/3 EV stepMetering modes : Multiple, Center-weighted, SpotMonitor : 3” TFT LCD, approx. 1040,000 dots, Touch ScreenFlash : Built-in pop up. GN 6m, ISO 160Flash range : 1.0-5.7m (3.3-18.8ft)Flash sync : Up to 1/160 secRecording media : SD/SDHC/SDXCAspect ratios : Stills: 4:3, 3:2, 1:9, 1:1 Recording quality,Motion Pictures : (AVCHD) 1920x1080/60i; 1920x720/60p (MP4) 1920x1080/30p; 1280x720/30p; 640x480/30p

Image quality : Raw, Raw+Fine, Raw+Standard, Standard, Fine, Standard, MPO+Fine, MPO+StandardDimensions : 111.2 (W) x 64.8 (H) x 38.4 (D)Weight : 323g

Photopro 23 Augment the joy of indoor photography. Control, spread, defuse the light your way, and make the photos extraordinary stunning. Enrich and enhance the indoor photography experience through Ptotopro 23 Studio Flash light.(A Revolutionary Product)

p g p y p gp g p y p gPtotopro 23 Studio Flash lightPtotopro 23 Studio Flash light.

Once you develop a taste for indoor photography it is only a matter of time before you will want

your own studio setup. A studio setup can be anything from a few table lamps and a spare sheet for the background to an elaborate multi flash system.

Although continuous light can be used, expert would thoroughly recommend that, if you want to get serious about studio photography, you invest in a couple of studio flash heads. These do not need to be expensive, nowadays you can get a couple of lights for about the same price as a halfway decent telephoto lens.

Technical Specification

Inside the box

Flash output (w/s) Max.- 250w, Flash output (w/s) Min.- 125w,

Dimmer-No, Half n Full-Yes, *F.Stop 1meter with 21cm.

55 degree metal ref. with silver reflective- 45 1/3, Recycling Time-0.3

Sec, Modelling Lamp-100w, Flash Duration- 1/2500 Sec., Twin-Tech-Yes,

Body-Metal, Weight- 2

Based in India, Photopro belongs to the family IN PHOTO BUSINESS FROM LAST 80 years. PHOTOPRO Design, manufacture and market a wide range of PHOTOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS professional photographic Market. The experience helps to fulfill the needs and requirements of a professional and give them the best quality products to use. Double sensor, half and full technique in video lights, triple diffusers in soft boxes, few innovations by Photopro. PHOTOPRO philosophy before developing a product is to verify the need of the customer and latter provide them with products that will not only enhance their work but will make the work easier .

Photopro equips to offer good, affordable, easy-to-use and superlative quality products in future as well so as to make your work plea-surable and deliver paramount results. Research and development is going on worldwide to boost the technological advancement in the field of photography whereas Photopro proved itself to be one of the major contributors to the photographic industry with the new “Twin Tech Technology” popularly called ‘3T’ which brought a major change in the way of using studio flash system. The innovation will continue from the house of Photopro as India’s contribution to the world.

About Photopro


84.5%Indian Price

to be announcedInside the Box

Lens Front and rear lens caps Lens pouch Lens hood Warranty card


Big, yet small!

Lens Review

With compact mirrorless cameras, the Micro Four Thirds Standard seems

to have stolen the lead, as far as the number of lenses are concerned. Apart from lenses supplied by Panasonic and Olympus, Micro Four Thirds lenses are now also available from the likes of Sigma, Tokina and Zeiss. Panasonic entered the professional arena with the 12-35mm (equivalent to 24-70mm in the 35mm format) standard zoom in early 2012. This has now been followed by the 35-100mm f/2.8 (equivalent to 70-200mm f/2.8) telephoto zoom lens. Read on to see how this lens performed on the SP test bench.

Design & Build QualityBeing a lens with a Micro Four Thirds mount, the Lumix lens immediately impresses with its small size. The lens is less than 100mm in length and only 67mm in diameter. Quality of construction is very good and Panasonic has also made the lens splash/dust proof. For a 70-200mm f/2.8 (effectively), the Panny is very light at 360g.

Key FeaturesThe Lumix 35-100mm boasts an aperture of f/2.8 and goes right down to f/22. Focal lengths have been legibly marked at 35, 50, 70 and 100mm settings. 18 elements in 13 groups have

been used to ensure optimum optical quality. Of these, 2 are ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and one is a UD (Ultra-low Dispersion) element. Panasonic has given the lens a Nano surface coating to minimize ghosting and flaring. Focus distance ranges from 0.85mm (approx. 2.8 feet) to infinity, and maximum image magnification is 0.2x. The lens also focusses internally and hence there is no change in the lens’ physical size during zooming and focussing. The filter diameter of 58mm means you won’t spend a fortune on filters. And since the front barrel does not rotate during focussing, it is convenient to use Graduated ND and PL filters. Optical image stabilization can be availed through a switch on the lens. With the lens, you get a storage pouch, a lens hood and front and rear lens caps. This Lumix lens also supports HD video shooting.

ErgonomicsThe lens balances perfectly with the small size bodies of the Panasonic G series. Ideally, it should be coupled with the flagship camera in the range, namely, the GH3. The lens handles extremely well. The zooming action is very smooth and the internal focussing ensures that we do not have to refocus. As far as ergonomics are concerned, this lens posed no problems at all.


Lens Review


FINAL SCORE


Key Features 18/20

Ergonomics 17/20


Sharpness 4/5

Distortion Control 5/5

Flare & CA control 4/5

Darkening of Corners 3.5/5

Extra Features 4/5

Sub-Total 24.5/30


Grand Total 84.5/100

The Panasonic 35-100mm f/2.8 constant aperture lens (70-200mm equivalent) is an excellent performer. Its light weight and Power O.I.S add to its utility. A must-have in every Micro Four Thirds user’s bag. Best Buy! H. S. Billimoria

VERDICT

++

+

+

+

-

Compact and lightweight

Very good sharpnessGood contrast

F/2.8 throughout

Manual focussing only possible if set through camera Menu

PerformanceLike the rest of Panasonic’s range, the 35-100mm f/2.8 uses a contrast autofocus system. Panasonic is keen to point out that the signal contacts between the lens and the body have been increased from 9 to 11 to improve data transmission. This was borne out in our test and autofocus was both precise and speedy and in some cases, much faster than that achieved with digital SLRs. The zoom ring has perfect damping to avoid accidental changes in focal lengths.

The lens showed no perceptible distortion throughout its focal range, which is exemplary. The Power O.I.S. performed as expected, but surprisingly, due to the lens’ low weight of 350g without end-caps (and the absence of the sharpness-robbing reflex mirror in the camera body), we were able to take a rather good number of sharp shots at all marked focal lengths even with the Power O.I.S. off. Flare was obvious in strong against-the-light shots but colour fringing was very well controlled – very slight purple fringing was noticed towards the corners when the images were enlarged beyond a certain point. Some darkening of corners at the widest focal length setting of 35mm (equivalent to 70mm in the 35mm format) was observed up to f/5.6.

Value For MoneyThis 35-100mm f/2.8 lens retails in Singapore for around 1550 Singapore Dollars. This translates to around Rs.65,000/-. For a lens of this quality, this is a fair price. An Indian price will be announced shortly.

SPECIFICATIONSFocal length : 35-100 (equivalent to 70 100 in 35mm format)Lens construction : 18 elements in 13 groups (2 ED, 1 UED)Nano Surface Coat : YesMount : Micro Four ThirdsOptical Image Stabilizer : Yes, Power O.I.S.Diaphragm : 7-blade, circular

Aperture range : F/2.8-22Closest focus : 0.85m (2.8ft)Max. Magnification : 0.2x (35mm equivalent)Diagonal angle of view : 34 degrees (W); 12 degrees (T)Filter diameter : 58mmDimensions : 99.9mm (L) x 67.4mm Max. Diameter)Weight : Approx. 360g

H. S. Billimoria

Image taken with the Lumix GX Vario 35-100mm f2.8 Power O.I.S..

Technical data: Aperture f/1.7, Shutter speed 1/125 sec., ISO 160.


Head-to-Head

Face-off! Smartphones Vs Cameras

In the last 18 months, the compact camera industry worldwide has taken a big knock. The advent of

Smartphones seems to have affected the lower end of the compact camera market, and in certain countries, virtually destroyed it. At first appearance, it seems that the camera manufacturers have no answers to the Smartphones’ onslaught. The marketing budgets of Smartphone companies like Apple and Samsung are huge, and can throw the camera

manufacturers out of the market. It is also a little strange that Smartphone manufacturers are going out of the way to emphasise the imaging capability of their Smartphones.

Are the cameras in Smartphones really that good? SP sought to answer this question by comparing the Apple iPhone 5, HTC One, Nokia Lumia 920, Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony Xperia Z with two mid-priced compact cameras – the Canon IXUS 140 and the Panasonic Lumix TZ 40.

The SmartphonesYou don’t buy a Smartphone only for the camera it features, but it is very important to know the overall features of the device to help you make an informed decision. Below are the most important specifications of the Smartphones we compared. Some manufacturers do not provide the specifications or price on their websites, and hence in a couple of cases, we had to resort to some reputed online sources to obtain this data. The iPhone 5, HTC One, and Samsung Galaxy


Head-to-Head

S4 have different variants depending on the internal memory capacity, which in turn determines the prices. Interestingly, Smartphone manufacturers apart from HTC do not mention the size of the sensors in their Smartphones.

Parameter Apple iPhone 5 HTC One Nokia Lumia 920 Samsung Galaxy S4 Sony Xperia Z

Display Type LED-Backlit IPS Super LCD3 IPS LCD Super AMOLED TFTDisplay Size 4.0 inches 4.7 inches 4.5 inches 5.0 inches 5.0 inchesResolution 640 x 1136 1080 x 1920 768 x 1280 1080 x 1920 1080 x 1920Protection Corning Gorilla Corning Gorilla Corning Gorilla Corning Gorilla Shatter-proof, Glass Glass 2 Glass 2 Glass 3 Scratch Resistant SIM Type Nano SIM Micro SIM Micro SIM Micro SIM Micro SIMOS (Upgrade) iOS 6 (6.1.4) Android 4.1.2 Windows Phone 8 Android 4.2.2 Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean (4.2.2) Jelly Bean Jelly Bean (4.2)Internal Memory 16/32/64 GB 32/64 GB 32 GB 16/32/64 GB 16 GBExpandable Storage No No No Up to 64GB Up to 32GBCloud Storage iCloud (5 GB) Dropbox (25 GB) SkyDrive (7 GB) Dropbox (50 GB) NoRAM 1 GB 2 GB 1 GB 2 GB 2 GBChipset Apple A6 Qualcomm Qualcomm MSM Exynos 5 Octa 5410 Qualcomm APQ8064T 8960 Snapdragon MDM9215M Snapdragon 600 APQ8064CPU Dual-core 1.2GHz Quad-core 1.7 Dual-core 1.5 Quad-core 1.6 GHz Quad-core 1.5 GHz Krait GHz Krait Cortex-A15/ GHz Krait Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7Wi-Fi Hotspot Yes Yes Yes Yes YesNFC No Yes Yes Yes YesGPS Yes Yes Yes Yes YesWireless Charging No No Yes Yes NoPrimary Camera 8MP 4 MP 8MP 13MP 13.1MPFeatures AF, Face Detection, 1/3-inch sensor, AF, AF, OIS, PureView, AF, Image Stabilisation, AF, Image Panorama, HDR Face Detection, OIS Carl Zeiss Lens Face Detection, Stabilisation, Face Panorama, HDR Detection, HDR, Sweep PanoramaSecondary Camera 1.2MP 2.1 MP 1.3MP 2MP 2.2MPVideo Quality 1080p@30 fps 1080p@30 fps 1080p@30 fps 1080p@30 fps 1080p@30 fpsBattery Type Non-removable Non-removable Non-removable Li-ion Non-removable Li-polymer Li-polymer Li-ion Li-ionBattery Capacity 1440 mAh 2300mAh 2000 mAh 2600 mAh 2330 mAhDimensions 123.8 x 58.6 x 137.4 x 68.2 x 130.3 x 70.8 x 136.6 x 69.8 x 139 x 71 x 7.9mm 7.6mm 9.3mm 10.7 mm 7.9 mmWeight 112g 143g 185g 130g 146gPrice Rs.44,500 (16 GB) Rs.41,500.00 Rs.38,199.00 Rs.40,300.00 Rs.38,990.00 (32 GB) (16 GB)

Head-to-Head


Samsung Galaxy S4

Canon IXUS 140

Sony Xperia Z

Panasonic Lumix TZ40

Apple iPhone 5 HTC One Nokia Lumia 920

Head-to-HeadHead-to-Head


It is apparent from the above test that compact cameras from Canon and Panasonic knock the socks off the Smartphones in terms of pure image quality. The best Smartphone, as far as image quality was concerned, is clearly the Nokia Lumia 920. We must stress, however, that Smartphones are purchased for many reasons other than the quality of the camera, and therefore those other factors would be relevant in taking a purchase decision. Also, camera capabilities in Smartphones have taken a quantum leap in the last few years. Compact camera manufacturers like Canon, Nikon, Sony, Panasonic etc. have very little to worry as far as image quality goes, at least for now. Sujith Gopinath

VERDICT

Both the S4 and the Xperia Z feature 13 megapixel cameras, while the iPhone and the Lumia 920 sport 8-megapixel cameras. The HTC One features a ‘modest’ 4 megapixel camera, but what gives it the confidence to take on the competition is a larger 1/3-inch Type sensor. The combination of lower megapixels and a larger sensor should ideally provide ‘cleaner’ images, with lower noise in low-light situations. This makes much more sense in mobile photography in a social media perspective, where the size of images becomes insignificant beyond a certain limit.

All the devices except the Xperia Z offer free cloud storage. While this is very useful for photography enthusiasts, this has a deceptive element in it. For example, Dropbox offers up to 18 GB of free space (depending on your referrals) for ordinary users, but if you need additional space, you can buy a Pro plan starting with 100 GB space at a yearly charge of $99 (approximately Rs.5,800). Purchasing a Galaxy S4 entitles you to a free storage of 50 GB on Dropbox. But if you change your phone, Dropbox will start billing you for the extra space consumed.

The CamerasThe IXUS 140 is a 16.0-megapixel point-and-shoot camera featuring Wi-Fi and retailing at Rs.12,495. The Panasonic DMC TZ40 is an 18.1-megapixel camera retailing at Rs.25,990. It features Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC) and GPS support. For detailed features, please refer to the Smart Photography review of the TZ40 in the June 2013 issue.

The Test The cameras were equipped with advanced manual features, while the Smartphones were not. Hence we decided to use both the cameras and Smartphones only in Auto

Here are the results:

Device Sharpness Detail Noise Ratings Control

Apple iPhone 5 6 5 5 Canon IXUS 140 9 10 7 HTC One 7 6 6 Nokia Lumia 920 8 7 9 Panasonic Lumix 10 9 8 TZ40 Samsung Galaxy 5 4 10 S4 Sony Xperia Z 4 8 4

mode to make the test fair for all. We chose a fixed subject with fine details, which could be uniformly lit in a studio. The comparison comprised of three tests—Sharpness, Reproduction of Detail, and Noise Control in low light.

In this test, we have taken into account only the basic parameters which are comparable on fair grounds. There are other factors, such as ease of operation, convenience, overall utility, and so on, but these would make it an unfair comparison, since Smartphones and cameras fit into two very distinct roles.


Canon Pixma Pro 100Printer Review

A Pro IndeedCanon’s last launch of

professional PIXMA photo printers included three

models — the PRO-1 (12-colour), PRO-10 (10-colour), and PRO-100 (8-colour). We reviewed the PRO-10 model in the April 2013 issue. The PRO-100 reviewed here is the low-end model among the three.

Design and Build QualityAll the above three PIXMA models are built identical. The Canon PIXMA PRO-100 is sturdy, with a tough engineering plastic exterior. The printers weigh approximately 20kg, and have dimensions of 689 x 385 x 215mm, making them less portable than most A3+ size printers. In a lighter vein, being heavy will certainly make the job difficult for robbers, but will

provide an easy excuse for housekeeping staff for not cleaning the desk. The printer has the usual three buttons — On/Off, Resume/Cancel, and Wi-Fi. The device’s large form factor makes it ideal for spacious and sturdy desks.

Key FeaturesThe Canon PIXMA PRO-100 can print at a maximum resolution of 4800 x 2400 dots per inch. It has a total of 6144 nozzles, and uses eight individual ink cartridges — Yellow, Magenta, Cyan, Photo Magenta, Photo Cyan, Black, Grey, and Light Grey. This printer uses Chromalife 100+ series dye-based inks instead of the LUCIA pigment-based ink in the other two. What makes the Pro 100 different from the Pro 10 is the absence of a Red and Chroma Optimiser (Epson calls this the Gloss Optimiser) cartridge. The printer

delivers ink with a minimum droplet size of 3 picolitres. The device accepts papers from 4 x 6 inches up to A3+ size and facilitates borderless printing up to 329mm (13 inches, A3+), while the manual feed slot can accept papers up to 348.8mm (13.7 inches). It can accept a wide range of printing media, ranging from plain paper to Canon speciality paper of up to 300 gsm, and CDs. The printer features USB and ethernet ports in addition to Wi-Fi for PC and network enabled printing. Wi-Fi, Mobile Printing, and AirPrint allow you to print directly from your mobile devices.

The printer comes with a detailed online user manual (to be installed from the CD). The printer software has a maintenance tab, which provides access to 10 operations — Cleaning, Deep Cleaning, Print Head Alignment, Nozzle

85%Rs.47,995

Inside the Box Printer Software CD ROM Power cord USB cable Cartridges Print head


Printer Review

Canon Pixma Pro 100

Performance test scans1. Black and White reproduction2. Skin tone test3. Subtle colours and detail4. Saturated colours5. Five percent progressive black to white gradation

2

1

5

4

3

Canon Pixma Pro 100

Printer Review

106 Smart Photography April 2013

This Canon printer is certainly one of the top performing A3+ size printers available in the Indian market. With good performance to back its advanced features, the PRO-100 is certainly a good option for professional and semi-pro photographers. Sujith Gopinath

VERDICT

+ Good performance

+

+

Feature-packed

Sturdy construction

-

+ Very useful bundled software

Very heavy

Check, Bottom Plate Cleaning, Roller Cleaning, Power Off, Auto Power, Quiet Settings, and Custom Settings. The PRO-100 consumes approximately 2.3W power on standby, whereas while printing, it consumes approximately 19W.

ErgonomicsThe Canon PIXMA PRO-100 is easy to install. For all Canon professional printers, you have to install the print head before installing the cartridges. This facilitates easy replacement in case the print head develops some trouble. Once the cartridges are installed, the LEDs on them will light up if they have been installed properly. The LEDs blink if the ink levels fall below a particular limit. The buttons are self-explanatory, and handling is very easy.

PerformanceWe tested the Canon PRO-100 on Canon Photo Paper Pro Platinum 300 gsm, which is one of the best quality professional glossy inkjet papers available from Canon. The PRO-100 reproduced fine details, with text resolvable up to 2 points in black on white. Though the red colour bled a bit, the text was resolvable even in yellow on red. We did not observe any moire pattern in closely spaced converging lines. Line resolution was very good, thanks to the minimum droplet size of 3 picolitres. The printer produced deep blacks in greyscale mode, while saturated colours were rendered with good detail in colour mode. Subtle colours were reproduced well, and skin tones were true to the original. The printer reproduced a wide gamut of colours with visibly clear separation. Bronzing was controlled very well, thanks to the wide spectrum of colours.

The printer reproduced a borderless A4 image in a little over 2 minutes at the highest quality option, which is good.

Value for MoneyThe Canon PIXMA PRO-100 retails at an MRP of Rs.47,995. This price seems competitive for a printer of this calibre.

KEY SPECIFICATIONSMaximum Prin : 4800 (horizontal) x 2400 (vertical)dpiPrint Head / Ink : Type: Individual Ink CartridgeNumber of Nozzles : 6,144 Min. Ink Droplet Size : 3plInk Tank : CLI-42 Yellow / Magenta / Cyan / Photo Magenta / Photo Cyan / Black / Gray/ Light GrayPrint Speed : Photo (11 x 14” image on A3+ with Border) Colour PT-101: Approx. 1min. 30secs. BW PT-101: Approx. 2mins. 55secs.Photo (8 x 10” : Colour PT-101: Approx. 51secs.image on A4 with

Border) Printable Width : Rear Tray: Up to 322.2mm (12.7”), Borderless: Up to 329mm (A3+) (13”) Manual Feed Slot: Up to 348.8mm (13.7”) Borderless: Up to 356mm (14”)Supported Paper Size : A3+, A3, A4, LTR, 14 x 17”, 10 x 12”, 8 x 10”, 5 x 7”, 4 x 6”Paper Handling : Plain Paper: A3, A4, A5, B4, B5, LTR,(Rear Tray, : LGL, LDR = 150Max number) Photo Paper Pro : 4 x 6” = 20, A3, A4, A3+ = 1Platinum (PT-101) Photo Paper Plus : 4 x 6” = 20, A3, A4, A3+ = 1Glossy II (PP-201) Photo Paper Pro : A3, A4, A3+ = 1Luster (LU-101) Photo Paper Plus : 4 x 6” = 20, A3, A4, 8 x 10” = 10, A3+Semi-Gloss (SG-201) Paper Handling : Printable Disc: 1 (Manual(Disc tray) : handling by the disc tray)Paper Weight : Rear Tray: Canon speciality paper: Max paper weight: Approx. 300g m2 (Photo Paper Pro Platinum PT-101)Ink End Sensor : Optical sensor + Dot countPrint Head Alignment : Auto / ManualNetwork Protocol : TCP / IPWired LAN : Network Type: IEEE802.3u (100BASE-TX) / IEEE802.3 (10BASE-T) Data Rate 100Mbps / 10M (auto switchable)Wireless LAN : Network Type: IEEE802.11n IEEE802.11g/IEEE802.11bFrequency Band : 2.4GHzData Rate : IEEE802.11n: 150Mbps(Standard Value) IEEE802.11g: 54 Mbps IEEE802.11b: 11 Mbps Range : Indoor 50m (depends on transmission speed and conditions)Security : WEP64/128bit, WPA-PSK (TKIP AES), WPA2-PSK (TKIP/AES)System Requirements : Windows 8/7/Vista/XP Mac OS X v10.5 or laterInterface : Wireless LAN b/g/n, Ethernet 10/100, USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, PictbridgeAcoustic Noise : Photo (4 x 6”): Approx.(PC Print) 38.5dB(A)Power : AC 100-240V, 50/60HzPower Consumption : Standby: (Wireless LAN connection to PC) Approx. 2.3W Printing (Wireless LAN connection to PC) Approx. 19WEco-Label : Energy StarDimension : Approx. 689 x 385 x 215mm(W x D x H) Weight : Approx. 19.7kg

FINAL SCORE


Key Features 18/20

Ergonomics 17/20

Performance 18/20


Grand Total 85/100


Manfrotto has introduced its latest tripod, the befree. The name sends out a message that tripods don’t necessarily have to be heavy and cumbersome to lug around and use.

The befree is a neatly crafted 4-section aluminium tripod that weighs a mere 1.4kg (3.1 lbs). The telescoping legs are provided with leg-locks, and it is possible to adjust the tension for the locks. When travelling, the tripod can be folded, and it can be unfolded before setting up. In its unfolded position, the befree is just 40cm (15.7’) long. The tripod is designed for a maximum load of 4kg (8.8 lb). A smooth-working ball-head is provided, along with a camera base-plate. The tripod’s centre-column can be inverted for low-angle photography. Each leg of the tripod can be set independently, at either of the two angles of spread.

The foldable befree is designed and engineered in Italy and is supplied with its own carrying case. The tripod has a 10-year warranty.

Obviously, the befree is designed for use with smaller/lighter cameras like compacts, bridge cameras, and mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. If you are careful, you could of course use it with the lighter D-SLRs, but it would be prudent not to extend the legs to their maximum length.

The tripod is available at an MRP of Rs. 12,431/-.

SPECIFICATIONSTripod material : AluminiumNo. of sections : 4Quick Release : ProvidedMax. Height : 144cm (56.7”)

Min. Height : 40cm (15.7”)Weight : 1.4kg (3.1 lbs)Max. Load : 4kg (8.8 lbs)

For further information, please contact Mukul Kashyap, India Manager, Liaison Office, Lino Manfrotto, at +919821330117 Rohinton Mehta

Strong and sturdy!

First LookManfrotto befree Tripod (Model MKBFRA4-BH)

First LookAtomos Ninja 2


D-SLRs have become almost ubiq-uitous in digital photography today, and their easy handling,

portability, and variety of lenses avail-able are rapidly making them favourites for video-recording as well. An increas-ing number of amateur and profession-al videographers are using D-SLRs in their setups, and the trend looks to be picking up. However, all D-SLRs have a 29:59 (29 minutes and 59 seconds) recording limit for video, and viewing the live feed is possible only on the device’s screen, both of which pose se-rious problems for shooting large scale productions. Enter the Atomos Ninja 2, a one-device-suits-all solution for video recording via D-SLRs.

The Ninja 2 is Australian company Atomos’ video field recorder, that lets users monitor and record video via their D-SLRs by attaching it to the camera’s HDMI video output. At dimensions of 115x87x41mm (WxHxD),

+1 for D-SLR Video Recordingand weighing 670g (with batteries and HDD), the device is light and portable enough to be attached to your camera via a cold shoe, and a short HDMI cable. A 4.3” 800x480 colour touch-screen displays video and images crisply, and is a vast improvement over most D-SLRs’ viewscreens, allowing videographers to frame and compose their shots better.

Another major advantage is the additional space provided for recording. Media recorded on the Ninja 2 is stored on a standard 2.5” spinning disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD). Attaching a drive is very simple: simply insert the drive into one of the two disk caddies provided, and screw it shut using four screws (also provided). Then simply insert the caddy into the slot provided on the Ninja 2, on its left-hand side, and voila! Your recording media is ready. The limited space offered by memory cards, the vast amounts of storage required by shooting at 720p and 1080p, and the pain of constantly dumping data from memory cards make this a very attractive alternative. NOTE: The product kit does not include any storage media or HDMI cables. These need to be procured separately.

The device’s touch-screen controls are intuitive and easy-to-use, with the basic functions of recording and playback easily accessible

from the main screen. Additional options are easily accessible from the Menu option on the main screen. To transfer data from the device to your laptop/computer for editing, simply insert the disk caddy (with the disk of course!) into the provided docking station that connects to your computer via USB 2.0/3.0. The recorded video(s) is/are available via a standard disk (exFAT) file system, exported in Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD codecs in edit-ready form.

Available at a retail price of Rs. 58,800/- (exclusive of tax and freight charges), the advantages provided by the Atomos Ninja 2 make it a very useful and versatile product, despite the rather steep pricing. Functioning as a live monitor with real-time backup, this recorder/monitor/player combo is bound to become indispensable for professional videographers, but may be overpriced for amateurs.

For further details, contact Jasbir Singh, Provideo Solutions, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, at +91-93-10-372255. Spandan Sharma

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Tidbits

Hassselblad was formed by Victor Hassselblad in Gothenburg in Sweden, and rapidly became a

leading manufacturer of medium format cameras and photographic equipment.

The story goes that during the Second World War, the Swedes captured a German surveillance camera and wanted to develop a similar camera for their own use. Victor Hasselblad established a workshop in Gothenburg in 1940 to design such a camera. At that time, Hasselblad also used to produce watch and clock parts, although Victor Hasselblad’s real ambition was to make high quality cameras.

In 1948, the 1600F was released. This camera was made in two series – Series 1 and Series 2 – and continued to be made till 1953. In 1953, the 1000F was released, and was coupled for the first time with a 38mm Biogon lens from Zeiss. The 1000F was a significant achievement and very soon the Hasselblad name became famous across Europe and America.

1957 was an important year for Hasselblad with the launch of the 500C. The design of the 500C formed the basis for Hasselblad’s product line for the next 40 years. By 1974, production of the 500C reached 18,000 per year.

The Hasselblad system continued its rapid development. NASA continued to use Hasselblad cameras on its space flights right from 1962. This dramatically improved Hasselblad’s recognition as a camera of real high quality. The 500C and the 500 C/M featured flash

synchronization at all speeds; every lens that was coupled with the camera body featured a shutter that was not only quiet but also extremely reliable. The Hasselblad system soon increased in size and featured a number of Zeiss lenses, prism finders with meters, a variety of backs and a huge range of other accessories.

In 1977, the 2000 series of focal plane shutter models was introduced. This camera provided full exposure automation. In 1991, the 200 series of automated focal plane shutter models was introduced. The 200 series represented the last major technical development in what was known as the V system of Hasselblad cameras.

In 1996, Hasselblad was sold. Following the sale, Hasselbald tied up with Fujifilm to launch the XPan, a camera designed and made by Fujifilm for Hasselblad in Japan. In 2002, the Hasselblad H system was launched. This system dropped the square negative format in favour of 6x4.5cm and was designed and manufactured by Fujifilm with limited involvement from Hasselblad. The H system also featured autofocus lenses from Fujifilm. In 2003, the Shriro Group acquired Hasselblad. Shortly thereafter, digital camera back manufacturer IMACON was acquired.

However, medium format cameras were going through a tough time with brands like Bronica, Mamiya and Rollei announcing closure. A weak Hasselblad was sold in 2011 to a private equity fund which carried on until last month, when

it announced the closure of the medium format film camera business.

The Hasselblad brand, however, will be fondly remembered for its high quality, reliability and the excellent optics supplied by Zeiss. Even today, old Hasselblad equipment is sought after in the second-hand market and holds its price very well.

At Photokina 2012, Hasselblad ‘exhibited’ the Lunar mirrorless ILC using the Sony E mount. It is still to see the light of day.

Interestingly, it is always possible to tell the year of manufacture of any Hasselblad camera or film magazine by looking at the serial number. The code used was VHPICTURES (meaning Victor Hasselblad Pictures), in which ‘V’ equals 1, ‘H’ equals 2, ‘P’ equals 3 and so on. So if the serial number started with ET for example, the camera/film magazine was made in the year 96, meaning 1996. Since this method of identifying came about in the 19th century, it was assumed that the product was manufactured in the 19th century. If the product was manufactured in the 20th century, then the year corresponded to 20xx. H. S. Billimoria

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