This isn’t some weird Photoshop filter, it’s a picture taken with a digital camera that’s been modified to capture in the infrared part of the spectrum. Cool, right? Try this Google Image search for more examples of infrared pics.
If you’re running around with a P&S camera grabbing shots of friends and family at a party, then white balance and proper color calibration are probably not that important to you. But if you’re shooting RAW images with a DSLR in a studio environment, there’s a good chance that white balance is something you’re worried about. And if the term ‘gray card’ means anything to you, you’re probably going to find the SpyderCube as tempting as I do.
It’s a spectrally neutral 3D cube that’s painted white, gray (true 18%) and black allowing you to correct color temperature issues and accurately adjust shadow and highlight detail when you’re processing your RAW photos. But it also features a ‘black trap’ hole that’s not affected by light from your flash, providing you with a true black reference, as well as a chrome sphere on top for capturing specular highlights.
The SpyderCube also comes with a threaded post allowing it to be mounted to a tripod, as well as a short lanyard for hanging if that’s more convenient. And even at $59, I think it’s a pretty solid investment for any photographer, professional or hobbyist.
Sure, $120,000 might seem like a little much to spend on a lens, particularly a used one, but there’s some important backstory for this lens that you need to be aware of before you do your morning spit-take. Here’s an excerpt from the B&H newsletter:
The Canon 1200/5.6L USM (priced at $120,000… and if you live out of state we don’t need to charge you tax!) has been built on a special-order basis since 1993, and the ‘official word’ is there are “more than twelve, less than twenty” of them in existence. With a price tag equivalent to a pair of his-and-her sports coupes, they were produced at the rate of about 2-per-year and a delivery time of about 18 months. National Geographic magazine, Sports Illustrated, Canon Professional Services, and a few well-heeled enthusiasts are counted among the fortunate few who own these unique optics.
The lens contains 13 elements in 10 groups, stops down to f32 and has a minimum focus distance of 45.9 feet. You’ll of course need a tripod if you hope to use the behemoth, since it weighs 36 pounds and is about 33 inches long. To make things even more fun, the lens’ reinforced aluminum case is actually heavier than the lens itself, so you’ll want to set aside a few extra bucks for a wheeled cart if you plan to take it anywhere. And if you’re curious what kind of shots you can get with this thing, head on over to B&H’s site where they’ve posted a few amazing samples.
GigaPan has updated their robotic camera mount line with the new Epic 100 which can now support a camera and lens combination of up to 3lbs, accommodating larger P&S models and smaller DSLRs. Other notable upgrades include a backlit display making it easier to setup the mount for night-time panoramas, an adjusted gearing pitch allowing for “greater holding torque and finer precision movements” and most importantly, the ability to capture multiple shots (up to 9) at each image location, facilitating those who like to take HDRI photos.
Of course if you read my review of the GigaPan Epic, you’ll know that while it’s a must-have tool for any photographer who’s into the whole panoramic thing, the battery life was lacking at best. And given the Epic 100 will be moving around heavier cameras on the same set of 6 x AA batteries, I have to assume the battery life situation isn’t any better, but hopefully not any worse.
When’s the last time you got anything good in a box of Cracker Jacks? Or, let’s be honest… When’s the last time you even had a box of Cracker Jacks? If the prize sucks, then there’s really nothing at all to enjoy, and Glico caramels from Japan knows it. Included in their boxes of candy are these fantastically detailed models (unfortunately, they’re models) of Nikon SLRs, complete with interchangeable lenses and flash system. You have to wonder how these guys make any money when the models (from the look of them) probably cost more to produce then the candy itself, but that’s their problem. I’m suddenly craving imported caramels, and maybe some taffy too, if it includes little miniature rolls of film.
We were introduced to Shapeways and their custom 3D printing at CES this year. Today, they’re showing off a new technique that takes advantage of translucent properties of the 3D material. All you have to do is upload a digital photo, and Shapeways will turn it into what is basically a monochrome depth map and print it out in 3D. The effect is kinda cool, but unless you mount the image with a lamp behind it, the rest of the time it makes pictures of people look more than a little creepy.
Each 3×5 3D print costs between $40 and $50, including global shipping and a 10 day turnaround time.
The best reason for buying a DSLR from a reputable camera store is that there’s a good chance they offer a sensor cleaning service, done by someone who knows what they’re doing. Of course cleaning the sensor yourself is always an option, particularly if you’re swapping lenses on a daily basis, but it can be a bit of a nerve-wracking experience. So it’s best to make sure you have the right tools before you give it a shot.
The SensorKlear Loupe, from the people who brought you the Lenspen, works like a miniature microscope when mounted to your camera, allowing you to see the illuminated sensor surface magnified 6x so you can make sure you’ve removed every last piece of dust. It also has a convenient access hole on the side allowing you to use it conjunction with a Lenspen, or even sensor cleaning swabs, whichever you prefer.
The SensorKlear Loupe sells for $79.95 and comes with a SensorKlear II which is basically one of the company’s Lenspens with an articulated head. And if you consider that a professional sensor cleaning might run you $20-$40, it could be worth it in the long run.
We’ve been fans of Eye-Fi cards since they were prototypes in 2006. I mean, what’s not to be a fan of? It’s a SD card that automatically uploads all your pics to your computer or the website of your choice over WiFi. Cool!
Now there’s a bunch more to be a fan of, as Eye-Fi has released their next generation of cards. The new cards have 4 gigs of storage, and can upload not only pictures, but also video (even HD video) to YouTube or Flickr. They’re available in two versions: the Explore costs $99 and includes low-res geotagging and hotspot access, while the $79 Share doesn’t include these features. You can preorder the new cards now, and the should be shipping by the end of the month.
Meantime, the original 2 gig versions of the Eye-Fi now start at only $49.
When I first read about the concept of tagging your photos with GPS data, I wasn’t exactly sold on the idea. I mean who takes photos and forgets where they were? That’s half the reason for taking a photo in the first place, to remember where you’ve been or what you’ve seen. I came back from CES this year with over 3,000 shots, and I can tell you where each and every one was taken. However, as photo sharing sites like Flickr became more popular, I started to warm up to the geo-tagging idea, since it meant that I could see where somebody else’s photos were taken. To me, that was its ‘killer app’.
Well the popularity of geo-tagging clearly wasn’t hindered by me not being on board, and at this point there are quite a few solutions on the market that make it easy to record and update your photos with GPS positional data. In fact, you can even buy cameras that already have GPS functionality built-in. But if your camera predates this convenience, the GPS PhotoFinder mini from ATP provides an easy way to geo-tag your photos, without a PC, thanks to a special dock that accepts SD or CF memory cards directly from your camera. So how well does it work? You can read my full review of the ATP PhotoFinder mini after the jump. Read the rest of this entry »
Related Tags: Photography, Space
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By Andrew Liszewski
By Andrew Liszewski
