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The Hollywood Distagon at f/2: A Single Daffodil and the Contax Zeiss 28mm on the Sony A7RV
April 28, 2026
Michiel Schierbeek
Featured Photographer: Michiel Schierbeek We have followed the photography of Michiel Schierbeek for some time now. His quiet composions are lovely. Recently Michiel also added a Sigma DP2 Merrill to his camera set. We think this unique camera and his style are a great match. Here, in his own words: “After reading good things about this camera I bought the Sigma DP2 Merrill. The camera excells in sharpness and detail. The sensor and the lens are an ideal match and can give stunning quality. Structures, landscapes, cityscapes and surfaces are shown with an increadable amount of detail. It turns out to be a fantastic little camera for
Read morePureShot
There are endless iPhone camera replacement apps and many are better than the Apple app. We always liked the 6×6 app for shooting square images because of its elegant simplicity. The same author has now published his PureShot camera app. For us, it is so far, the camera app we like the best. PureShot turns the iphone screen into an advanced P&S camera user interface. We only mention some key elements that are important to us: Lots of info available: Can be reduced using the “DISP.” button. Also nice to have battery info to know when you have to recharge
Read moreBlue Moon
Blue Moon, Blue Maine from Jon Roemer on Vimeo. As we look at options to add video capabilities beyond what mirrorless cameras or DSLRs are capable of producing while maintaining our wish to leverage our investment in expensive lenses, the choices become somewhat limited. One of the recent top-of-the-hill contenders priced between a DSLR and a full on RED is the Canon C300. At $15,000 the C300 isn’t inexpensive, but it also isn’t the $40,000 a fully outfitted RED will set you back. Old friend and fellow Photographer/Videographer Jon Roemer has chosen the C300 with great results, as you will
Read moreTotes Skinni Mini
By Jim Quinn Light modifiers are where you find them. Today I found one in my local Walgreens drug store. My wife, who loves the idea of packing away small umbrellas “just in case,” spotted a display of Totes Skinni Mini umbrellas in a variety of colors. Only nine inches long when folded, they’re designed to tuck into a briefcase or raincoat pocket. They were selling for $11.49, with a second umbrella at half price, $5.74 – $17.23 for two, plus tax. That seemed fairly pricey; they were clearly flimsy, perhaps designed to be discarded after one use.
Read moreSmall Video Tripod
We often shoot still photos handheld but find that we need a tripod for our videos. Finding a good video tripod with fluid head is hard and often expensive. If you look for a smaller and reasonable solution for cameras like the Panasonic GH3 it gets even harder. We’ve looked for a solution for at least 3 years now. Finally, we settled with this kit. Here are the needed parts: Induro CT214 Carbon tripod: We use it as our lightweight tripod for some years now. The head section is quite a bit more elaborate. From bottom to top: Acratech Leveling
Read moreThe Art of Texture Blending #2
The Art of Texture Blending #2 from Bettina + Uwe Steinmueller on Vimeo. This Video Slideshow demonstrates some of Uwe Steinmueller’s excellent Texture Blending samples. Created with FotoMagico 4.1 Part #1, the first slideshow video is here: vimeo.com/57507858 Please see outbackphoto.net for further texture blending information here: outbackphoto.net/news/2013/1/12/our-texture-blending-resources.html PLEASE RATE THIS STORY! [ratings]
Read moreVideo Compression, Codecs and Transcoding
Video Compression: your friend and enemy Video compression is clearly our friend because without a lot of compression we would have a very hard time handling the massive data we get from a 1080p video stream. Think of two mega pixels per frame at 24, 30 or 60 frames per second (translates to 48, 60 or even 120 mega pixels data per second). On the flip side, video compression reduces the possible image quality we can get. It is good to have an understanding of how we deal with the implications of compressed data. It is kind of like the
Read moreCapture One 7.0.2 Released!
PhaseOne, the creators of the well known RAW converter Capture One Pro, today released Capture One Pro 7.0.2. Capture One Pro 7.0.2 is a service release providing a number of bug fixes, in particular for stability, and to add additional camera support. The good news is C1 Pro 7.0.2 has added preliminary support for the Fuji X line of cameras. What this means is, for the first time, the full high quality Fuji RAW files can be realized in a raw conversion process that takes advantage of the latest Fuji sensors to render out optimal high quality still images. Gone are
Read moreCheetahs on the Edge
Cheetahs on the Edge–Director’s Cut from Gregory Wilson on Vimeo. Cheetahs are the fastest runners on the planet. Combining the resources of National Geographic and the Cincinnati Zoo, and drawing on the skills of a Hollywood action movie crew, these amazing cats were documented in a way that’s never been done before. Using a Phantom camera filming at 1200 frames per second while zooming beside a sprinting cheetah for 450 feet, the team captured every nuance of the cat’s movement as it reached top speeds of 60+ miles per hour. The extraordinary footage that follows is a compilation of multiple
Read moreLandScapes-III
Landscapes: Volume 3 from Dustin Farrell on Vimeo. There is something about seeing the world move in slices of time as opposed to viewing it as a flow. Time-lapse photography fascinates when it is particularly done well. It draws you in. It creates a virtual world all of it’s own. At it’s very best, as this production from Dustin Farrell is, it can mentally take you to a whole different world. PLEASE RATE THIS STORY! [ratings]
Read moreVideo Lenses: Canon vs. Canon.
Canon Cinema Primes vs. Canon L Series from Jonathan Yi on Vimeo. Sooner or later, if you get deep into video production, you will feel an “itch” to try out new looks that will up your game, and further refine your storytelling tools. One of these is exploring the differences between lenses, often from the same manufacturer. As far as professional video production goes, Canon themselves have realized the deficiencies of using their “L” series lenses designed for shooting still photography. In response, Canon have released a much higher cost series of professional grade lenses designed specifically for video.
Read moreMoonWalk
Moonwalk from Bryan Smith on Vimeo. Shot with a Canon 800mm with a 2X teleconverter, this is a first. This is a video surely to go viral as it is one of the most stunning presentations I’ve ever seen. PLEASE RATE THIS STORY! [ratings]
Read moreSigma DP3 Merrill
The Sigma DP3 Merrill is the latest in the series of compact cameras incorporating the Foveon X3 direct image sensor. It’s making its debut this week at the CES show in Las Vegas, NV. The new SIGMA DP3 Merrill, featuring a 50mm F2.8 lens, will join the lineup of the “SIGMA DP Merrill” series. The SIGMA DP3 Merrill is the next generation of high image quality compact digital cameras. Equipped with the Foveon X3 image sensor, the DP3 Merrill ensures outstanding resolution and natural rendering with rich gradation as well as a three-dimensional feel. Featuring a high performance 50mm
Read moreIntroducing The Fuji X100S
Today, just ahead of the official start of CES and via a press release on it’s website, FujiFilm unveiled its latest camera: the FUJIFILMX100S. Two years ago, FUJIFILM launched the prestigious X100 with a FUJINON 23mm f/2 fixed prime lens and superb image quality in a beautifully designed compact camera body. Its unique style and international acclaim carved out a niche for a new genre of Premium Compact Camera designed in pursuit of optimum operability. The FUJIFILMX100S, the successor to the FUJIFILM X100, inherits its elegant design and high-performance lens, whilst evolving further to meet customers’ demands with the introduction of a
Read moreUp North
UP NORTH from Joël Wagner on Vimeo. From Essen, Germany Joël Wagner (Profile in German HERE) and his brother spent 16 days for their dream adventure trip of a life time, a 750km journey from Whitehorse to Dawson City, Yukon, the month of September, 2012. Their choice of equipment for this adventure: Olympus OM-D EM-5, Leica Summicron 50mm/2.0, Panasonic/Leica Summilux 25mm/1.4, Olympus 12-50mm, GoPro HD 2. As the results clearly show, the OM-D EM-5 is perfectly capable of sitting at the table with all the top-gun bad boys of the mirrorless camera revolution. The color grading on this piece is excellently
Read moreGH3 & X-E1 Meet The House of Blues
CraigsList All Stars from TheCameraForum on Vimeo. The House of Blues in Los Angeles opened in 1994 and is located in the heart of West Hollywood. Home to unique pieces of art and architecture such as work by Alan Sainte, James Boudrot and their “Jake and Elwood Blues Brothers” movable bars; the Los Angeles venue is covered in tin from a gin mill that was reportedly only 500 feet away from the Delta crossroads — the mystical field where Robert Johnson created his famous partnership with the Devil for his soul. Notable acts that have played at the House
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