On the South African Highveld, Spring has jumped into high gear already with the first major thunderstorms now circulating the region. After a very long and dry winter, the rain is a big relief for all and sundry, for South African Lightning Photographer Mitchell Krog it’s work as usual chasing storms.
Full article at:Â http://www.africanphotographyblog.com/fine-art-lightning-photography/electric-sunset-spring-2009-south-africa/
We've just posted the second part of our blog post about ISO and Sensitivity. Last week we looked at what the ISO standard is supposed to tell us (the key thing being that it's based on JPEG middle gray and therefore is dependent on the manufacturer's chosen tone curve). This week we have a little look at what's going on behind the scenes when many modern cameras try to boost their ability to capture highlights. 
Phase One has released the 645DF medium format camera developed with Mamiya Digital Imaging. The camera, which will be available under both brand names, offers flash sync speeds of up to 1/1600 of a second as well as faster AF and capture rates than its predecessors. It is the only digital 645 series camera offering both focal plane and leaf shutters and it is compatible with most digital backs designed for the Phase One and Mamiya AFD mount, including those from Phase One, Leaf and Mamiya. The two companies have also announced a partnership with lens specialist Schneider Kreuznach. The first results are 55mm, 80mm and 110mm F/2.8 leaf shutter lenses designed for the 645DF. The new camera and lenses are expected to start shipping by the end of this year. The 645DF is priced at $5990/€4290 and the lenses start at $2490/€1790. 
Tamron has announced the availability of the its 60mm F/2 Di macro lens in Sony mount, to join the Canon and Nikon versions which are already shipping. The lens features a built-in AF motor, and provides 1:1 magnification with an unusually fast maximum aperture for a macro lens. It's designed excusively for APS-C sensors, and will vignette when used on full-frame camera such as the Alpha 850 and 900. The lens will start shipping from October 2009. 
Hasselblad has introduced two new cameras to its H System of medium format cameras. First comes the H4D-60 with a 60MP sensor. It features the 'True Focus' AF system that can measure the movement of the camera when recomposing after focusing to ensure that focus remains on the target - a system Hasselblad calls Absolute Position Lock. Along with the H4D-60, the company has also launched the H4D-50 with a 50MP sensor, replacing the H3DII-50. The H4D-60 will start shipping from November 2009 at a retail price of €28,995 and the H4D-50 will ship in the first quarter of 2010 at a retail price of €19,995. 
Panasonic has posted a firmware update for its Lumix DMC-LX3 digital compact camera. Version 2.0 brings a host of additional functions as well as feature improvements for the 14-month-old camera. Changes include a 20% AF-speed increase at the wide-angle position, the addition of white balance bracketing and an expansion of the available exposure compensation. It also adds a High Dynamic scene mode, 1:1 aspect-ratio shooting and improves white balance performance. 
Just posted! Our lens review of the Panasonic Lumix G 20mm F1.7 ASPH (also known, somewhat cyptically, as the H-H020). There's little doubt that this year's small-bodied Micro Four Thirds cameras have attracted a lot of attention, and by way of an appetiser for our upcoming Panasonic GF1 review, we take a look at its compact, large aperture kit lens. True to the system's spirit of cross-brand co-operation, we've also taken the opportunity to shoot an extensive samples gallery using the Olympus E-P1. Click through to discover whether we found the lens to be up to standard. 
Software maker Breeze Systems has launched a Mac version of its DSLR Remote Pro software. Version 1.0 for Mac brings the remote control of Canon DSLRs to the Apple platform, allowing users to control focus, shoot time-lapse sequences and display live images from their computers. The software is now available at an introductory price of US $75. 
Just Posted: Our preview sample gallery from the Canon PowerShot G11. It's the first time in the G-series' history that the nominal resolution has decreased on a new model. We've got hold of a production version of Canon's latest flagship compact camera and so you can see for yourself what impact this move has had on the image output. As usual we've made sure to include a variety of light situations and ISO-settings. 
Wacom has refreshed its Bamboo line of interactive tablets to include multi-touch and gesture-based control. First up are the Bamboo for office users and Bamboo Fun aimed at photographers and artists. They use either a pen or a multi-touch option that allows finger gestures to zoom, flip and rotate documents and images. There is also a less-expensive touch-only model called the Bamboo Touch. Beyond these three core products Wacom has also launched regional models including Pen-only models. 
