Topaz Labs Promotion - Topaz Glow
Introducing Topaz Glow - for all your quirky needs
Glow can be used as a stand-alone or a plugin to transform your photos from dull to dazzling. Containing more than 70 unconventional and quirky filters, you can infuse your images with neon, graphic, liquid and other electrifying effects.Here is a before and after image using the 'Bliss" effect.
The technology behind Glow seeks out the unexplored lines and patterns in your images and illuminates them. To find out more about how it works, check out the PDFUse the coupon code 'INTROGLOW’ to take advantage of the introductory price of $49.99 (regularly $69.99).CLICK HERE or on the Box Image below to order - Introductory prices are good from December 9 through December 31.
Shopping for a Mirrorless Camera?
Here is a question that I have been asked many times. Why did you switch to the “mirror-less” camera system? My answer is quite simple, its all about not compromising the image quality and reducing camera size and weight. As these cameras do not have flip-up mirrors the distance from the lens to the sensor is greatly reduced resulting in lenses that have a smaller form factor and are also lighter. As a result, I can carry all my gear in a much smaller bag or carry-on and not have to worry about checked luggage during my travels.The next set of questions typically revolve around the quality of images; the focusing speed; noise because of the smaller sensor; battery performance; etc.Let’s address some of these concerns.Before the advent of mirrorless cameras, DSLR’s were based on the same design as film cameras. The film was replaced with an electronic light capturing device called the sensor. Computers, memory cards and batteries were added to complete the image capture process. All else however, remained the same. A mechanical mirror that is used to reflect light up and through a pentaprism into an optical viewfinder remained as the standard. Each time you press the shutter the mirror flips up and the sensor is exposed to light and captures the image. With the advancement of technology and innovation this flip-up mirror and mirror box is no longer required. The sensor has a clear view of the image as projected through the lens and the electronics used to capture the image are used to display the image onto the LCD screen. Optionally the image is displayed in the electronic view finder (EVF) that is like a miniature LCD screen. No more flip-up mirrors. Now DSLR's have incorporated some of this technology in what is termed as “Live View Mode” but unfortunately, some manufacturers have not taken this concept to the next level.Mirrorless cameras can be categorized the same way as DSLR’s where you have APS-C sized sensors, Full Frame sensors, etc. The mirrorless world for comparison purposes, has three sensor sizes that have gained acceptance as replacements for DSLR’s. The smallest are the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) cameras made by Panasonic and Olympus, APS-C sensor cameras made by Fuji, Samsung, Sony and others and the Full Frame cameras made by Sony. The sensor size of these cameras have the same crop factor considerations as do DSLR’s. The APS-C crop factor remains at 1.5 and the MFT sensor has a crop factor of 2. Based on the crop factor, higher depth of field is achieved with the smaller crop factor and results in less bokeh. Based on your style of photography and the subject matter, the range of full frame to a MFT sensor size body gives you all the choices you had with DSLR’s.As to focusing performance, DSLRs have some advantages. The dedicated phase-detect AF systems are very good at tracking subjects that are moving toward or away from the camera. In addition they also have an advantage focusing in low light situations. Conversely mirrorless cameras are excellent at lateral tracking. As the sensor in the mirrorless camera is always live it is capable of analyzing the subject and and tracking it as it moves across the frame. With the introduction of Panasonic's "Depth From Defocus" technology depth tracking has been greatly improved.
What about quality? On the high end the Sony A7R has a 36.4 MP full frame sensor. The Nikon D810 utilizes a 36.4 MP sensor made by Sony. Image quality is exceptional. The elimination of the Anti-aliasing filter allows the camera to capture exceptional detail and clarity. The APS-C form factor has been popular with a majority of the prosumer range of DSLR’s on the market and has been the choice of many pro photographers too. The MFT cameras and that sensor size is new in comparison but the images from the MFT cameras are at par with the APS-C format cameras.ISO Sensitivity. If there is any doubt, all one needs to look at is the sensitivity of the Sony A7S with a max ISO of 409600. The camera can practically see in the dark. It is important to remember that ISO sensitivity has no bearing on the type of camera, DSLR or Mirrorless. The size of the sensor and the size of the pixels make the difference in light gathering capability and noise generation during image capture.Let’s look at some of the pros and cons for mirrorless cameras.PROs
- The ability to view the image in the viewfinder and the LCD screen in realtime.
- The ability to view all or select any of the camera settings live.
- The ability to view any changes to camera settings without having to take your eye away from the viewfinder.
- Focus peaking and zebra stripes. Focus peaking allows you to see the areas within your image that are in focus. This can be displayed using selectable colors. Zebra stripes show you in realtime areas that are going to be exposed with loss of detail in the highlights.
- The ability to use most DSLR and Film camera lenses with adaptors. You do not have to get rid of all your great glass. You may not have the ability to maintain electronic communication with the lens but they will work perfectly well in manual mode. With focus peaking, the process of obtaining good focus is simplified.
- The ability to shoot high resolution video and harvest the ideal frame. (Currently this is available on the Panasonic GH4)
- Electronic shutter - low to no sound when capturing images. A feature so important for nature, wildlife and street photography.
- No mirror, hence no mirror slap and vibration during image capture.
CON’s
- Battery life - with the exception of the Panasonic GH4 most other cameras have a very low battery life. These cameras are constantly drawing power feeding the LCD, electronic viewfinder or both. Due to the size of the mirrorless bodies, the batteries have been downsized too and hence have lower capacity.
- Long focal length lenses. With the exception of Olympus and Panasonic we have yet to see lenses with focal lengths greater than 200mm
- Electronic viewfinder and LCD refresh performance is limiting particularly in low light scenarios.
- Focusing speed of mirrorless cameras had been an issue but most manufacturers have addressed this with firmware and focusing system enhancements.
So which camera do you get? It all depends on your style and budget. I can say that having used mirrorless systems for about a year now my choices are:
- For general purpose, nature/wildlife and people photography - the Panasonic Lumix GH4 is superb with the Olympus OM-D E-M1 a close second.
- For detail and landscape photography - the Sony A7R is my choice. The A7 II, though I have not tested it appears to be a more forgiving camera and adds in camera image stabilization.
- For low-light photography - the Sony A7S is hard to beat.
- For video - the Panasonic Lumix GH4 is a hands down winner. The Sony A7S is very good but does not shoot 4K video to the camera.
I own or have used the following: Panasonic GH4, Olympus OM-D E-M1, Fuji XT1, Sony A7R and Sony A7. My comments on the Sony A7S and the A7 II are based or reviews and video samples captured by photographers’ whose opinion I value. The greatest lens selection is available from Panasonic and Olympus while Sony is still limited to 7 full frame E mount lenses. Panasonic and Leica have jointly produced some exceptional lenses as have Sony and Zeiss with their collaboration.By no means is this post meant to be a full review but a quick personal impression. Please do look at various reviews available on the internet for a more thorough analysis. However, I hope this helps you make your holiday shopping a little less confusing. Camera Labs is one of my preferred sites for honest in-depth reviews.CLICK on the chart to enlarge
CLICK HERE FOR THE SAME CHART AS A PDF DOCUMENT
TWiP - Your Itinerary - my chat with Host Rob Knight
It was a pleasure to meet Rob Knight at Photo Plus Expo the end of October. Rob is the host for "Your Itinerary" on the ever expanding TWiP network. Frederick van Johnson is sure building and building fast. Thank you Rob for a wonderful discussion and thanks to the TWiP team for adding Your Itinerary to the mix.Here is the text from the podcast page:"Your Itinerary this week features my interview with published photographer, educator and workshop leader Shiv Verma. Shiv and I were chatting at the Photo Plus Expo in New York last month, and I thought you would be interested to hear where our conversation took us.Shiv and I both lead photography workshops, and we both strive to offer something to our clients beyond locations and instruction. Anyone can take people to beautiful places and show them around. Providing a unique experience is what makes the difference between the average photo tour and something wonderful that clients will remember for the rest of their lives.Shiv and I begin by discussing travel, photography and scouting locations, but we ended up trading tips for creating unique trips and providing great experiences for clients. Whether you’re planning a trip, looking for a photo workshop or planning a workshop yourself, I think you’ll find this week’s episode very interesting."Hope you enjoy and appreciate what TWiP is doing for the photographic community.Click Here to go to the TWiP podcast
Think Tank - Perception backpacks for Mirrorless Systems
Think Tank Photo just announced that its new Perception backpacks for Mirrorless systems are now available. The Perception series comes in two colors, black and taupe, and three sizes. The smallest size, The Perception Tablet™, accommodates a Mirrorless system and an iPad Mini. The Perception 15, one mirrorless body plus 1-2 additional lenses, and a 15" laptop + 10" tablet. The largest largest size, the Perception Pro™, holds a 15" laptop and a 10" tablet, plus one Mirrorless body or small DSLR with a small to medium zoom attached (lens hood reversed), four to five additional lenses, (one smaller Mirrorless body in lieu of a lens), or a large GoPro® kit instead of the lenses. CLICK HERE TO ORDERIn addition, Think Tank is offering holiday specials on two of its most innovative products. You will save 30% on its My 2nd Brain “mobile office” bags for Apple laptops and iPads and 20% on its Suburban Disguise full-featured shoulder bag specifically designed to accommodate standard-size DSLR systems.Click Here to order the My 2nd Brain “mobile office”Click Here to order the Suburban DisguiseRemember that when you order using our link, you will receive free gear with these and all orders of $50 or more. And, as always, you reeive free FedEx Ground shipping.
onOne Software - 50% off Black Friday through Cyber Monday
Don't miss this opportunity - click on the banner to get your discount and support this site.
Perfectly Clear Plug-ins 45% off, Olympus OM-D E-M1 update and more Goodies
PERFECTLY CLEAR - Starting today, Save 45% with Early Access to the Black Friday SaleBUY NOW by clicking on the banner above.Enjoy early access to this limited-time offer. Why wait for Friday? Starting now my friends at Perfectly Clear are giving away 45% off on their newly enhanced v2 Plug-Ins. So if you want to see Perfectly Clear in action and start correcting photos faster than ever, today is your day! Learn moreHurry - sale ends soon! and there is a 30-Day Money Back GuaranteeIf you're not fully satisfied, simply let Perfectly Clear - http://www.athentech.com know anytime with 30 days of your purchase, They will refund your money with no questions asked. 
Another great Black Friday deal with FLIXEL - you get a whopping 40% off on Cinemagraph Pro or Plus when you use the discount code SHIV - click on the banner above to go to the Flixel site to order.In addition you can save $60 when you order the LED Light Cube - $659, now $599 - once again use the coupon code SHIV on the LED Light Cube site
The Lume Cube is a compact and versatile, app-controlled LED light for capturing both stills and videos, and is compatible with smart phone cameras, action cams as well as more traditional digital cameras. Measuring only one-and-a-half inches, the water resistant Lume Cube produces 1,500 lumens of light in both video mode, for a continuous light source, or in strobe mode. Encased in a colorful rubber shell the Lume Cube can magnetically attach or suction to just about any surface making this light-weight LED ready to deliver on just about any creative impulse.
Click her for the Kickstarter pageOLYMPUS has released a firmware update to the OM-D E-M1 morror-less camera - the latest version is 2.2. Download the Olympus Digital Camera Updater to update your firmware.
Topaz Photography Collection - Black Friday Sale
From November 28th through December 1st, Topaz Labs is offering their Topaz Photography Collection (all 15 products) for only $249.99. That is a huge discount. Whether you want to achieve stunning photo enhancements or apply artistic effects, this unique collection has you covered. Please use the banner link above and them make sure you use the Coupon Code BLACKFRIDAY2014
Black Friday Offerings from Think Tank Photo
For the very special yet crazy Black Friday Think Tank Photo have announced a couple of fun special offers that are good through the end of the year. [Don’t forget, Think Tank offers free FedEx Ground shipping on all orders.]They have lowered the prices on their popular CityWalker messenger bags. Extremely lightweight, the bags feature a high quality silver-toned nylon liner, RC Fuse External/YKK zippers, and antique nickel plated metal hardware. They have a sound silencer on the main flap (a great feature for wedding photography), extra flaps for smaller lenses with a fully lined velex insert for maximum customization, internal pockets that fit a pro-size flash, and a removable padded insert.Click here for this CityWalker special offer.And, when you buy a Think Tank Photo rolling camera bag you are eligible to receive their new “Road Warrior Kit,” a $44.98 value, for free! The kit consists of ten Red Whips cable ties, a Cable Management 10 pouch, an AA Battery Holder (holds up to eight AA batteries), and a Small Travel Pouch. Click here for these exceptional roller bags.
As Canon and Nikon continue to sleep - Medium Format enters the mirror-less era.
Phase One in collaboration with ALPA are readying the A- Series medium format camera. The camera can use an iPhone as a wireless viewfinder in a mounted (as shown) or as a infinitely articulating remote device. The system comprises Phase One Digital Backs, Rodenstock optics, and ALPA bodies. When formally announced there will be three configurations - details can be found on the Digital Transitions web site.
PICO - A New Smartphone Programable Time-Lapse Intervalometer
PICO is the latest Kick-Starter project by Mindarin — the company behind the Astro time-lapse and motion control — Pico is a small simple device capable of executing robust time-lapse capabilities.Planned for availability in July 2015 it will be inexpensive and easy to used time-lapse trigger, capable of working with or without your smartphone and makes capturing time-lapses as easy as it can be.You use the free smartphone app to create a program and send it to Pico. After transferring your settings, you can unplug it from your smartphone and Pico will save the program in its memory. Then, connect Pico to your camera using the included adaptor cable, and Pico will take control to create the time-lapse sequence. (Most popular DSLR and Mirror-Less cameras are supported)With the smartphone app, you have the ability to create professional time-lapse sequences:
HDR (High Dynamic Range): Take time-lapse sequences by bracketing at varying exposure levels based on the dynamic range of the scene.
Bulb Ramping: A technique used to compensate for natural changes in light. It is ideal for seamless day to night sequences.
Speed Ramping: You can adjust the speed of time within the time-lapse to add a cool slowing or accelerating effect.
If you do not have a smart phone on hand Pico offers a manual mode. Simply plug Pico into your camera’s remote cable, hold the button down, and listen for beeps — each beep represents a one second delay between shots, let go and pico will start triggering the camera at the set interval, and continue to do so until you unplug it.Pico is small and light. weighing in at under .5 ounce (.4 to be exact or 11 grams for my friends across the pond) it takes no room in your camera bag. With improved battery technology, Pico can operate your camera for a whooping 8 years of continuous operation.The kick starter projects is in full swing and you can support the development at Pico: Time-lapse made simple
Photo Plus Expo 2014 and Lumix Lounge
Spent three fantastic days in NY City at the Photo Plus Expo. Saw some great stuff that I will be blogging about soon. The mirror-less world continues to pick up steam and there is a lot happening with this lighter better world of photography. Trending - HYBRID - animated stills and more.Was honored to be invited and to be interviewed in the Panasonic Lumix Lounge by none other than Frederick Van Johnson. Click here for the interview.Panasonic had an awesome booth with lost of gear for visitors to test out, demos, 4K TVs and the fantastic new LX100 - I want one. Use the link to check it out.
Processing with Capture One
For the past few weeks I have been processing my raw files using Capture One Pro rather than Adobe Camera Raw. I am finding the RAW processing engine in Capture One to be exceptional. Mark you, I have not upgraded to Version 8 and am still using Version 7.2.3In brief I love the way the the software handles skin-tones. The amount of detail it can draw out of dull highlights and shadows is great. The HDR sliders make it possible to bring out natural looking HDR tonal ranges from a single RAW file - exceptional.Now I just need to get more familiar with all the features and then upgrade to Version 8.Here is an example of an image processed using Capture One Pro. The image was captured in Iceland during my workshop this past September. Please do click on the image to see a larger version.
2014 Fall Wanderings - 4
With most of the foliage gone in the northeast and what is left will be gone after this semi nor'easter or tropical storm here are two more images from Ithaca region.This image is of Taughannock Falls taken from the deck by the parking lot above the gorge. This vantage point give the falls a totally different perspective.I am planning on doing a winter trip to capture these falls when the sides and rock faces are covered with ice. 
This next image is from the gorge that leads to Lucifer falls. Another area that could be interesting in the winter. If any of my blog followers have experienced these falls in the winter, please share your thoughts.
2014 Fall Wanderings - 3
Walking through the gorges of New York's Finger Lakes region yield some incredible photo opportunities. There is no dearth of intimate and grand landscapes and occasionally even the saturated fall colors, when simplified, yield memorable images.This is from the entrance to the Taughannock Gorge in Ulysses.Please click on the image for detail.
2014 Fall Wanderings - 2
The Finger Lakes region in New York State is truly a landscape photographer's paradise. We spent an afternoon exploring Enfield Glen, an exceptional gorge in Robert H. Treman State Park. The gorge has multiple waterfalls (some just great cascades) - and the 115 foot Lucifer Falls. This image is of one of the three tiered waterfalls in the gorge. Each tier has its own set of cascades. Please click on the image to see detail.
2014 Fall Wanderings
Columbus day weekend (Sunday and Monday) we drove to the Finger Lakes region in New York State. Spent most of the time in and around Ithaca. Our main objective was to photograph some of the region's waterfalls with some foliage as a bonus.Taughannock Falls is located in Ulysses, NY, within Taughannock State Park. Noted as the highest waterfall east of the Rocky Mountains with a drop of 215 feet. Niagra Falls is about 170 feet. The image is from the base of the falls in the gorge. You need to hike about 45 minutes to get to the base of this waterfall. For the non hiking photographer there is a viewing deck and a parking lot that gives you an elevated view of the falls and the gorge.
Good to be back
It has been many weeks since I have posted anything. Excuses and reasons: I conducted my Iceland workshop with Deborah Sandidge as co-leader. Spent 8 days in a state of anxiety as my mother was in the ICU and subsequently suffered a cardiac arrest lapsing into a coma. My wife Monica went to India the day the Iceland workshop started, keeping me abreast of the situation. On my return to Boston, I rushed to India and was fortunate to spend a little time with her before she passed away on the 24th.I would like to take this opportunity to thank my family and friends for all your support, kind words and prayers. Time is a healer, I am blessed and fortunate to have such an incredible community of friends and family at a time like this. Thank you.Respectfully,Shiv
A Portable Wireless Drive with an SD Card Reader - Perfect for Photographers
Think Tank adds a new color style to its Mirrorless Mover line
Think Tank added a new Heathered Grey colorway to the popular line of Mirrorless Mover shoulder bags. The Mirrorless Mover bags are designed specifically for compact mirrorless systems and accessories. Now you can add a touch of elegance to your mirrorless shoulder bag by adding a Heathered Gray accents to an already great looking and practical carrying solution. Mirrorless Movers are available in four sizes with the Mirrorless Mover 30i able to carry your full size iPad or equivalently sized tablet.All bags in this series have a pass-through belt loop, iPhone storage divider, seal-sealed rain cover, and a removable shoulder strap.Click on the Think Tank Logo to order: