Micro Four Thirds User Forum

Novoflex 600mm lens

davimack — Sat, 18 May 2013 03:52:32 GMT

What would be the advantage (or otherwise) of using the Novoflex 600mm f8 lens vs the Oly 75-300mm lens, for shooting wildlife. Have the Novoflex system with the 600mm and 400mm and now am looking at 75-300mm Oly, and trying to decide. Have the tripod, gimball, etc. for Novoflex and yes it's heavy but as a prime, can use a Telextender. Any thoughts?

Ipad4 128GB - Is it worth?

Bhupinder2002 — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:38:17 GMT

Hi Guys ..:smile:
I just placed an order for an Ipad 4 with retina display 128 GB, but now I am having buyer's remorse :mad::mad:. I am thinking that I should have bought a lens instead and settled with 32GB Ipad. The whole idea of buying 128 GB was to carry with me as mobile media device which can store more images while travelling . I need some consolation now :doh::doh:
Cheers
Bhupinder

Olympus imaging - dire straits....

robbie36 — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:54:34 GMT

For 4Q Olympus's imaging division made a 'record loss'. In fact it lost more in 4Q than in the previous 3Qs combined. On sales of 19.9bn yen, the imaging division made a pretty staggering loss of 14.3bn yen.

Just some other facts and figures from the results...

Sales of compacts were 57bn yen against a forecast (made this time last year) of 91bn. Sales of compacts have fallen from 120bn Yen over the last 3 years. Olympus is 'substantially reducing' the number of compact camera models it is producing and will cease production of lower priced models. For the current year they expect compact camera sales to fall from 57bn to 40bn yen. ....Sounds vaguely realistic.....

Perhaps more worrying is 'mirrorless'. Olympus achieved sales of 38bn yen well below their forecast of 43bn yen made at the beginning of the year. Given what must have been a very successful OMD launch that's not too impressive.

Olympus expects 'strong growth' in mirrorless 'in conjunction with market trends'. (yeah right!) They are forecasting mirrorless sales to increase from 38bn yen to 50bn yen (ho, ho, ho).

They are also forecasting their gross margin for the imaging business to increase from 33% to 44% (I am not making this up) and SG&A expenses to fall 20% from 56bn yen to 44bn yen. The combined effect of these (massively heroic) assumptions is a forecast to move from losses of 23.3bn yen to breakeven.

The problem Olympus faces is that last year it made a loss equivalent to 20% of sales! And the only way you can get back to breakeven from there is by making hopeless optimistic forecasts for sales, gross margin and your ability to cut expenses.

It is just as likely that things will not get any better this year. Assume 35bn of compact sales, mirrorless sales flat at 40bn, an unchanged margin and SG&A expenses down 15% and Olympus would lose 23bn yen again. If that is the case, then the imaging division will have lost the US$500m equity injection from Sony in less than two years.

And here is the rub for Olympus. It currently has a compact business that last year produced 57bn of sales that will continue to implode until it is closed. It will be left with a mirrorless business that made sales of 38bn yen and is probably capable of producing sales of 50-60bn yen in a few years time. Now if that business was to produce a 10% net margin, the same as Nikon, the imaging division might eventually make 5-6bn yen profit.

And so the question is. How much longer can Olympus continue with a business that is losing 10-20bn+ yen a year when the 'long run' 'potential' for the business is only to produce 5-6bn yen profit?

Woot! Made top 50 in Instagram contest

abepak — Thu, 16 May 2013 23:34:04 GMT

So far, I made top 50 for a Snapsee Instagram photo contest with nature theme. First time in a photo contest.

Here's my image:

It's the Grand Canyon. Taken with my phone, Samsung Galaxy S3 and pp-ed through phone. It's ::ahem:: a bit overprocessed... but still excited lol.

You can see the entire top 50 photos here: Facebook link

Stratospheric Gains In Olympus's Stock Price

M4/3 — Thu, 16 May 2013 22:12:50 GMT

Jumped 20% overnight:
OCPNF: Summary for OLYMPUS CORPORATION- Yahoo! Finance

A year and a half ago during the financial scandal Olympus bottomed out at $6-7 a share. Now it's $30+

Lens to sensor distance?

voltcontrol — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:32:50 GMT

I can't seen to find what the (back of the) lens to sensor distance is of M4/3?
Who knows and/or has a good source on this?

Single color (red) in Black & White photo

gs94121 — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:24:46 GMT

Help, does anyone have an experience on exposing and/or processing this photo showing black & white photo with red telephone booth or double-decker bus in London ? Is this easy to make from Oly OM-D camera with post-processing from software ?

The photo sample is enclosed for your review.

Thanks in advance.

Attached Images

Importing Camera Settings

coastlineamps — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:49:01 GMT

Hello All,
I tried to google this but no luck. I have a GH2 and I am trying to do figure out if there is some software that recognizes the camera settings for each image thast you shot and keep those settings when downloading the images.
I am just trying to do some photo comparisons with different settings ot get more experience. Any help appreciated. Thanks

Olympus EP5X 17mm 1.2Fixed lens camera - Will you buy it?

Bhupinder2002 — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:48:33 GMT

Hi Guys ..:smile
Dont make my online life hell please ..hahahahaah :wink:
In this era of fixed lens bigger sensor cameras , I was thinking if Olympus introduces an EP5X with fixed 17 mm 1.2 lens and MFT sensor ..What would be your reaction? We all like and love Fuji X100series , Nikon Coolpix A is nice , Sony RX1 rocks and Sigma DP series is cool.. So why not a MFT camera with FIXED lens? :tongue::tongue::tongue:If Olympus employes me ..this what I will offer to my loyal MFT loving customers . Infact Panasonic can do it as well .
Cheers
Bhupinder

Looking for rotational view software.

Wasabi Bob — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:47:57 GMT

I need to shoot a 360 degree series of photos around an object, and somehow create a Flash or ?? type file that would allow me to rotate around the object. Zoom would be a "plus". Anyone know of any such software?

Aputure Trigmaster Plus to trigger Vivitar 285V from OMD EM5

rklepper — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:48:27 GMT

So I have gone through several different solutions to try to find a way to trigger my Vivitar flashes from the OMD with no luck. I did not want to buy new flashes to make this work, since I do nothing professionally. I finally purchased the Aputure Trigmaster Plus from Amazon. About $100 to make 2 flashes work. Works perfectly. I am very happy with the purchase. They can also be used as a remote trigger for the camera. You can set up multiple flasses on different channels.

Just thought I would share in case anyone was looking for a similar solution.

THIS is what I bought. Also 1 extra to be able to trigger 2 flashes.

Inspiring pictures by others/well known photographers.

voltcontrol — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:13:13 GMT

What images inspire you?

Downgrading within μ4/3

voltcontrol — Wed, 15 May 2013 09:14:17 GMT

Who has downgraded within the μ4/3 system? And from what to what?

I am considering to go from a G3 to a GF3 because it offers even better portability, does everything I need in terms of functionality and the swap will get some budget for better lenses. I was afraid that the step back in sensor resolution would be noticable, but I think I wil not not notive most of the time.

I'm looking forward to your experience with- or thoughts on the subject.

Built in camera WiFi -- Handy tool for street shooters :)

Bhupinder2002 — Wed, 15 May 2013 01:14:27 GMT

Hi Guys :smile:
I am a fan of controlling my camera remotely and always enjoys tethering feature on Canons .Now this thing has gone to a whole new level and in built wi fi seems to be a very very handy tool for street shoots.Imagine u are pretending to see ur phone and ur camera pointed out at any one and shoot via phone screen. Moreover , even for long exposure shots or even when u have to place ur camera at places when u cant stand urself , it will be quite helpful .I am sure you can shoot some interesting street pics this way .Does anyone think the same way?
Cheers
Bhupinder

Ottawa, ON Canada Meetup

ranxoren — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:52:23 GMT

Hello everyone!

As we are successfully planning a SF Bay Area meetup for early June, I figured I would also start an Ottawa, ON Canada Meetup if anyone from the area is part of our community!

I am currently in Ottawa until the end of May and would love to meet up with people here for a photo walk this saturday or the next!

Make yourselves known if you are from Ottawa :)

What is your equipment relationship type?

DeeJayK — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:53:41 GMT

This morning I came across (via 43Rumors) an article which piqued my interest regarding the relationships photographers have with their equipment or more specifically the system(s) with which they shoot. The article was written by J. Shin who a few months ago switched from Leica to Micro Four Thirds.

In the article Ms. Shin describes nine categories of relationships. While I urge you to read the full article to get all of the nuances, her categories are as follows:

Monogamy - One system, possibly just one body, with few lenses and accessories.
Serial monogamy - One system after another. Massive purchases and massive purges of equipment.
Polyamory (open monogamy) - One primary system with a wide ranges of lenses and accessories, with a variety of other, smaller systems. Gets bored just using one body/system, but is largely committed to the primary system.
Polygamy - Several primary systems, each system dedicated to a specific purpose, such as "work", "snaps", "art", "travel", etc.
Philandering - Generally, no commitment to any one system, or may have a "primary" relationship that is somewhat tumultuous.
Friends with Benefits - Tends to buy many systems, a few lenses and accessories for each system. Not particularly committed or obsessed with one or the other.
Pageant judging - Reads a lot of reviews, rumors, and specifications. Thinks a lot about the virtues and shortcomings of each equipment, and is quite knowledgeable, but does not necessarily buy them.
Pornography - Like beauty pageant judging, but with a lot more intense love-hate, slobbering-anger, and obsession.
Punditry - Does not say much about one's own loves, but is very opinionated about other people's relationships. Not very open or consistent about what one wants.

Now it's time for your honest self-assessment. Which category best describes your photographic relationship? I've purposely not included a "None of the above" or "2 or more of the above" choice to the poll because that would be a cop out and I want to force people to do a little bit of introspection.

FL-300r for Simple Flash Uses..

edwardconde — Mon, 13 May 2013 23:06:40 GMT

Hi All,

I want to find a good flash unit for my PENs... I just tried the 600 and it seems like a great flash.. but might be more than what I need and it made the PENs a little unbalanced. So I have stared looking at the Olympus FL-300R. I am mostly looking to use for portraits of my kids and family.. nothing professional..

I did use a flash on my K-5 and really liked the result of using a flash compared to not using one indoors...

My thinking is I want something simple to setup... Something that just works and I can possibly use behind small umbrellas and mount on a light stand/tripod...

I would be using it on my E-P3..

I do like the 600 and but for the occasional use, I am thinking something a little lighter with a good punch would be enough...

Does the FL-300r fit the bill for my use?

Monkey Face

Buster — Mon, 13 May 2013 00:06:51 GMT

I'm not sure if I love this, or if it just confuses my brain:

Jason Evans: Monkey Face: Pictures for Looking At, Drawing for Photography - Aperture Foundation NY

Hi, I'm new

DivideBYZero — Sun, 12 May 2013 16:27:03 GMT

Picked up a super cheap E-PM1 in Amsterdam airport last October, for �199 with the 14-42 kit lens and a free case and have not looked back. Picked up an as-new 40-150mm lens from ebay recently and just installed LR4 on my Mac.

I am DBZ, and I R n00b. :smile:

Criticism

caimi — Sun, 12 May 2013 15:21:39 GMT

My most prized formal education was the study of American Lit. For me, criticism is not a four letter word. I like to read and consider an intelligent discussion of a book, a play, a movie a photograph. For me, an intelligent, thoughtful critique is not negative, it is positive. An intelligent, thoughtful critique of one of my photos helps me see it in ways I could not see it on my own. I like the recent effort of some of the forum members to instigate a little more thought about the images presented here on a daily basis. I wonder how it is being received by other members though. This is a very friendly forum but introducing a constructive critical element of the photos can make it even more interesting and retain the friendliness.

What do you think?

Slowly learning Layers and Blending

slothead — Sun, 12 May 2013 10:38:36 GMT

I know it isn't difficult, but it has been somewhat of a challenge for me (probably because I initially learned computer graphics from a simple, Windows-based painting program).

This first image was originally two different images from two different areas in the sky (albeit at about the same time and sun direction). the vehicles were not this close together - or at least not when I finally captured the two images. Their exposures were not quite the same for some reason so I had to tweak the brightness of one of them (I chose to lighten the image with the fixed wing in it), and you may be able to sense that in the image. But I learned a lot in the process. Had the two images not been on the same background it could have been more difficult, but because the background was the same expected subject (sky) it was slightly easier.

The image below was also two separate images and had to be blended because the focus was different in each of the two images. Frog on the right was focused in one image and frog on the left was focused in another. I wanted them both to be in focus, so I layered and blended the two. the difficulty here was that the two images were not composed similarly - they were close but no cigar. So some jockeying had to be done before the two target subject didn't overlap (which would have ruined the effect).

With both of these the secret of course with layers is - black to reveal, white to conceal (I get these backwards all the time - there should be an acronym to remember it). Once you get the layers adjusted geometrically where and how you want them, you create a mask layer and paint away (to reveal the bottom layer through the top layer - at least that is how I did it).

I'm sure that some of my methods (not all described here were somewhat unconventional, but it got the job done and as I mentioned earlier, I really learned a lot this weekend. I feel like such an infant with this stuff!

PhotoShop: Budget Alternative

littlefish — Sun, 12 May 2013 10:31:09 GMT

Having used PhotoShop from version 1, CS6 will be my last purcahse. I was still cooling down from the news that Adobe are moving to an all subscription model for their software (and this is after screwing the UK market over pricing, being economic with the truth re: upgrading and still not overhauling text handling) when an offer popped into my email inbox.

Serif PhotoPlus X5 for �10.

Windows only in downloadable format only and, yes, it is Serif who have a reputation for strong / dubious phone selling techniques (ask them nicely and they'll stop calling) but...

I use X4 very occasionally and prefer a few of it's features to those of PhotoShop noticeably adding text and merging images. It's slower than PS (everything is), feels a little clunky and lacks the powerful tools (e.g. lab colour tweaking) but is perfectly serviceable for those with modest needs especially if LR is your main image program.

It's not the latest version (current version is X6) but at this price I'm getting it for my laptop and, who knows, a future version might find its way onto my main machine.

And for the record, no, I do not nor ever have worked for Serif and make nothing (�$) from this recommendation. I just like their software. Pity about the sales techniques.

Almost slapped myself...

joerogrz — Sat, 11 May 2013 23:51:11 GMT

So this week there has been a lot of rain in my area and I haven't gotten outside much. So I tried some indoor shooting. Got some shots of the trackball from my mouse casting shadows and such and a few other odd things.
I did manage to get outside and do a little shooting here and there. Flowers, insects, fossils, and so on.
Last week when I went to blow some dust off the sensor of my GX1 with some canned air, it blew the liquid inside the can all over it and froze the sensor. I was worried that it may have screwed something up.
Well it did ok at first and then they started coming out with a very cool color temp. Surely it didn't freeze it that bad. All my shots were coming out very blue. I was sure that I had screwed it up.
This morning was overcast and there had been rain and I was out shooting in it anyway. I stopped at a little park and waited to see if it would clear up so I could get out and shoot some. I was watching a robin hop along the ground looking for worms and I got my camera ready. She flew up into the fork of a tree about eye level to a nest with her nestlings. I fired off a few shots from my car and they came out blue as well. I decided to change the white balance to see if it would warm it up because I thought the auto WB wasn't doing a very good job.
Lo and behold my WB was set on incandescent. Not Auto. Blue indeed.

Here is the sharpest photo of the robin with few adjustments thanks to me finally checking my WB.

Now to work on my sharpness... SMH

Surrendered to LR4

fransglans — Sat, 11 May 2013 22:26:35 GMT

Just downloaded the trial from Adobe, and after some YouTube lessons Im starting to understand the main lines in lightroom. And for me its kinda of a new way to think. Im leaning to start shooting only raw, now that I have seen the potential of this software. It almost felt like I have bought a new camera. But im still a little bit worried about two things.
1. The backups. I have a smugmug account, and a hope that lr4 could work easily together with this.
2. 80% of my Photos goes to making a photobook every year. How about this, does the book making feature in lr work together with orf files or am I forced to first convert every file to jpeg?

I really hope that I will conquer this new software and through this achieve the full potential of my ancient sensor in my e-p3 :)

Update on my dropped Oly 45mm....:(

Minniesmum — Sat, 11 May 2013 20:14:40 GMT

On the verge of sending it to Olympus UK for assessment but decided to take it out this morning to verify in my own mind that the focus is definitely out. Well- it now won't focus at all- either AF or manually. So a definite return to base camp and see what the experts say. I have a horrible feeling that this repair may be a bit pricey. If so may ditch the lens and eventually get an alternative- possibly the Pana 20 mm f1.7. Would love the PL 24 mm f1.4, but having just replaced my broken E-PL3 with an E-P3, the credit card is straining a bit...;)
Onwards and upwards as they say, and having fun with my legacy glass meanwhile :):)

Apple Photographer Details the Process of Capturing Product Photos

Savas K — Sat, 11 May 2013 14:29:04 GMT

This looked like one complicated studio setup (seen in a post at the MacRumors site.)

Apple Photographer Details the Process of Capturing Product Photos - MacRumors Forums

top GAS reasons

daimos — Sat, 11 May 2013 11:41:44 GMT

just for fun.

Top GAS reasons we tell ourselves :

-- the wife says i can.
--

Android Questions???

robbie36 — Sat, 11 May 2013 11:04:33 GMT

I have had an Apple Iphone since they first came out but I am thinking about moving to Android for my next phone. Apart from an inherent hatred of Itunes, I dont have much in the way of complaints about the Iphone - I just thought it would be good to go for a bit of a change and I already have an ipad for the ios system.

Now I would like to use my new phone for showing people my photos, so the large screen is a bonus. The question is how do I get all my photos from Lightroom to my phone. With an iphone it is far more trouble than its worth for me.

If it isnt easy to do straight from Lightroom, is there an App that lets me sync my photos from my Flickr account (i.e. download them) to my phone.

Finally is there an Android phone that is thought particularly good for viewing photos due to its screen. I am currently looking at the Galaxy S4 and HTC One.

Icon has a bit of fun with Polaroid instant :-)

Iconindustries — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:26:14 GMT

I bought this app called 'Instant' from the app store (mac) and I'm having so much fun with it. At first I was a bit skeptical because the opened app is a large image of an old polaroid camera! To open an image you double click on the camera and it allows you to find a picture you'd like to process. It puts it in the camera and it makes a camera 'click' noise and from out the bottom it produces a square image with a paper border. You have to wait a couple of seconds to let the chemicals react to produce the fully processed picture (just like the real one) Once the picture is out, on the bottom RH side is a little message box where you can write on the bottom of the paper border. And beside that is a little gear which allows you to select from a pile of different effects. I like the effect called 'Sunday Morning'. In preferences you can set the effect as default, otherwise it will use a different one every time. In preferences you can also change the image size from a small to medium.

Random and fun, I wouldn't like to know how many pictures I've put through it in the last hour but watching the picture come to life as the colours pop is awesome. Small things amuse small minds haha. If you're bored with your pictures get this app and do some different things.

Here's some pictures I did this morning,

Manual Focusing and Sharpness.....

Minniesmum — Fri, 10 May 2013 20:48:41 GMT

Just to throw another spanner in the works here... I've often thought whilst trying to get accurate focus through the VF-2 on my Oly camera body with an old lens.... How can you possibly judge/gauge the sharpness of a particular lens, when much of the accuracy of manual focusing relies on your eyesight or how well you have adjusted the dioptre on the EVF ?
Just askin'......;)

Cath

Is sharpness over-rated ?

Minniesmum — Fri, 10 May 2013 08:24:48 GMT

I've just about got over dropping my Oly 45mm f1.8. As someone kindly pointed out " it's just a piece of glass ":rolleyes: other than buying the PL 25mm f1.4 or Pana 20mm f1.7, my options with the lens are: send it back to Olympus UK for assessment/repair, use it as is with it's limitations.
The lens still does focus just slightly out- so nothing is really sharp. The dof effect is still good. I use it a lot for ICM which doesn't require sharpness at all....
I use the fast manual primes for much low-light work.
So perhaps I should just use it for what it works for best now. The repair assessment will cost � 15. plus registered shipping both ways. Who knows what the repair will cost ? Think I will initiate that anyway.
I've had a great full year out of it whatever happens :)

Cath

Tools or Toys? Micro 4:3 vs. DSLRs [Podcast]

gugarci — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:34:10 GMT

Very interesting podcast done by professional photographers.
Tools or Toys? Micro-Four Thirds Cameras vs. DSLRs [Podcast] | Improve Photography

Serge Ramelli on Lightroom 5 Beta

gugarci — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:24:29 GMT

Just found it on You Tube. Hopefully some of the members here will find it helpful. I know I did.

New Lightroom 5 beta retouching tutorials ! - PLP # 40 by Serge Ramelli - YouTube

"Urban Exploration" (urbex) used for marketing?

DeeJayK — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:58:04 GMT

I was listening to Marketplace on NPR last evening and they had a story about how at least one property owners is trying to leveraging the urban exploration (i.e. "ruin porn") craze to market their buildings. This particular realtor decided to allow photographers access to the vacant Thomas Jefferson Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama (USA) with the hopes that pictures of the dilapidated but quite grand 20-story Spanish Revival structure that were posted on social media sites might lead to a buyer for the property.

It sounds like things didn't go precisely as planned with some visitors (the story is unclear whether they gained access through legitimate means) committed vandalism and otherwise took advantage of the access. Anyway, I thought that since we've seen some urbex images posted on this site that some others might be interested in this story.

American Football Photography

Darren Bonner — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:55:07 GMT

There will be an opertunity to photograph a few American Football games this summer. I know the M4/3rds isn't the best for auto focusing sports events, but that is part of the challenge for me to get around this.
Can any recomend which would be the best lenses to use, native or legacy?
The matches will be purely at an ametuer level so I'll be moreless at pitchside.

New Version of Pixelmator (2.2)

merosen — Thu, 09 May 2013 15:15:23 GMT

Hands on: Pixelmator launches smart, significant new upgrade | Macworld

Just arrived in HK...anybody up for a photowalk?

nwbie1 — Thu, 09 May 2013 09:41:22 GMT

Hi Everyone...i'm here in HK for up to the 14th of May and would like to see if anyone is up for a photowalk or some gear hunting...will leave for China on May14th but will be back again to HK on May 23rd. Departing on May 28th for San Francisco...

Thanks. Alan

When Pro Sealing Doesn't Work

RT_Panther — Thu, 09 May 2013 00:47:01 GMT

Quote:

...Because of this, the lenses� weather sealing, front filters, etc. don�t even slow this stuff down. It�s throughout the entire lens stuck on every element, on the gears and helicoids, and in the mirror box of the camera too. And yes, that includes pro-level lenses on pro-level cameras, all of which are supposedly weather sealed....

Interesting read here...
-> Photographing a Color Run Will Destroy Your Camera Gear--Don't Do It

Cool wooden lens lamp

DeeJayK — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:23:45 GMT

I just came across this very nice looking lamp carved out of wood for sale on Etsy:

The level of detail is striking, right down to the hood which is removable and reversable. Too bad it's a Nikon lens (a Canon model is also available); if it were an Olympus 75mm I would have an easier time justifying the purchase. :rolleyes:

Disclaimer: I have no relation whatsoever to the seller of this item.

So long, Ray Harryhausen, and thanks for all the good times.

entropicremnants — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:44:25 GMT

Stop motion special effects wizard Ray Harryhausen just died. I had a great deal of joy growing up and watching cheesy but compelling monsters and other creatures designed and filmed by him.

Maybe you've seen some of the movies he did. Here's a filmography: Ray Harryhausen | The Official Website

Much appreciated, Ray. Rest in peace.

New

Jonesy22 — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:02 GMT

Hey everyone! I'm new here... Looking to get a Fuji x20. Any feedback?

Summer backpack

voltcontrol — Wed, 08 May 2013 14:03:05 GMT

Since it's getting warmer over here and I don't like a getting a sweaty back from walking (or biking) about with my camera + laptop I want a backpack that's 'summer proof'.

So far I've been looking at various types, styles etc of backpacks and found that the most appropiate items are outdoor-brand type backpacks, with suspended or 'ventilated' backs. I like the ventilated type over the suspended type because the suspended type takes up space because of it's suspension arch.

I think I'm going for a Deuter Race X. I don't particularly like the look of outdoor-brand bags, a minimally styled cloth backpack that offers the same 'summerproof' functionality would be ideal.

So: Suggestions are welcome!

This is the summer-comfort-functionality or Airstripes as Deuter calls it in picture form:

This is the Race X:

P.s. I'll add a diy protective something for the camera.

In praise of the Olympus Flash system

kevinparis — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:32:21 GMT

I have and OMD, and a couple of months ago I added a FL600R to my existing FL300. Hadn't really explored the whole wireless flash/TTL thing, but this morning I had a go at some product photography and was very pleased with the results.

I put the two flash guns in separate groups so I could control the relative levels from the camera and set them to TTL.

I constructed a back drop using some white paper sold in the local supermarket as disposable table cloth, and used a piece of polystyrene foam left over from some building work to create a roof to bounce the 600 off of, and set up the 300 firing through an umbrella- I dialled in +3EV from the camera to this group.

I shot with the 50mm 4/3 macro at f22 at 1/160 at ISO 200.

These are by no means perfect - but the joy of having the camera and the flashes all talking to each other and controlled from the screen on the back of the camera means that you can concentrate on the subject matter

P5080009 by kevinparis, on Flickr

P5080012 by kevinparis, on Flickr

P5080017 by kevinparis, on Flickr

P5080023 by kevinparis, on Flickr

cheers

Kevin

Todd McLellan, Pentax comes apart

voltcontrol — Wed, 08 May 2013 09:30:24 GMT

Cool eh? I saw this gorgeous shot of a disassembled Pentax in an article about the "Things Come Apart" book from McLellan that's just been published. (sources below)

Sources

Thames & Hudson Books | Things Come Apart

Disassembly behind the scenes on Vimeo

TODD MCLELLAN MOTION/STILLS INC - Welcome

Flash with gh3

rhaab — Wed, 08 May 2013 05:11:02 GMT

I want to learn flash with gh3 but I'm confused with where to start.
If I bought a flash like Yongnuo YN560 II what transmitter/receiver do I use?
Flash Trigger,Wireless Remote Flash Triggers for Canon Nikon I'm not sure if this is a good site to order from but I'm just looking for now, I live in Canada.

How To Master Shooting In Low Light

RT_Panther — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:50:34 GMT

Photography Lighting: how to master shooting in low light | Digital Camera World

Agfa Scala

Replytoken — Tue, 07 May 2013 20:12:37 GMT

All right folks, let's take a trip in the WAYBAC machine to the mid-90's! I have been reviewing old slides for possible use in an upcoming show and was wondering if any of you shot any Agfa Scala? I shot a handful of rolls and was wondering how they scanned and printed. It was an interesting film, and it did not last very long in the market, but I liked the few rolls that I shot. Anyone else with any Agfa Scala experiences they would like to share?

--Ken

If Adobe products become too expensive

the_traveler — Tue, 07 May 2013 18:58:41 GMT

If Adobe products become too expensive, what are other alternatives?

If you use list any products, please give the platform and a small comparison in price and utility.

Totally opinionated

the_traveler — Tue, 07 May 2013 14:38:24 GMT

I am at the point in my life, both chronological and photographic, that I have and hold fairly firmly formed opinions and I've spent some time writing about different subjects on my blog.

With a very occasional lapse into political things, I write about travel, which I do as much as possible (Zenfolio | Lew Lorton Photography | Travel) and about issues in photography that occur to me.

Here is a list of the latest articles; I am always happy to have readers and ecstatic to get comments.

Since most of what I do is in the mode of street photography, I put that one first.

Zenfolio | Lew Lorton Photography | Aligning the head, the eye and the heart - the spirit of street photography

Zenfolio | Lew Lorton Photography | Shooting in P mode & Why photographers defend their methods

Zenfolio | Lew Lorton Photography | Getting to a Final Image - some words on editing photos for a new photographer

Zenfolio | Lew Lorton Photography | The secret to taking pictures of people in a foreign country - for me at least

Zenfolio | Lew Lorton Photography | How to improve your photography: your own twelve step program

Zenfolio | Lew Lorton Photography | The Meaning of 'meaning'

What would you do? Vivitar 285hv question

rklepper — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:20:02 GMT

So I picked up a set of the Vivi tar 285hv. They used to be the best bang for the buck around. What I got was a set of finicky flashes that are hard to get to fire in syn. I am thinking of selling them an picking up a set of yuongno flashes. Any thoughts?