Are you looking for a limited edition item? The sort of digital camera that comes in a matte green finish with a matching water resistant bag? The sort of camera which says, “I’m one of two people in Indianapolis with this camera,” and “I have “gold” and “platinum” instead of “salt” and “pepper” shakers on my table.”
If that’s your bag, baby, give us a ring.
Panasonic has announced some new firmwares. The one for the lens reports it should bring better continuous AF performance and improved IS in movie mode to the table, the camera ones… well, let’s quote the wise-and-almight DPReview:
Panasonic has posted firmware updates for its DMC-GH1 and DMC-G1 Micro Four-Thirds cameras. Both updates improve autofocus performance in low contrast conditions and the stability of auto exposure (AE) for the recently released Panasonic Leica 45mm F2.8 Macro lens. The GH1 firmware v1.2 also decreases the AF operation sound of the 20mm F1.7 pancake lens for quieter video recording.
Thank you, DPReview.
Leica, the originator of the 35mm still photography format, announced earlier its newest offerings, the nigh-indestructible M9 rangefinder (replacing the somewhat troubled M8 and M8.2 bodies), and a new digital compact dubbed the X1.
The king of the show (of course) is the M9, sporting a Kodak-designed 18 megapixel full-frame sensor (which solves one problem of its predecessor, which made wide primes behave notably less wide thanks to a crop factor). The sensor once again lacks an anti-aliasing filter, which I hear resulted in insanely sharp photos from the M8s and which meshes well with all expected physics as well. This time Leica has seen fit to put the cut-off filters back over the sensor, removing the sometimes criticized need for a gamut of such filters for your lenses. Bravo, Leica. Combined with the body tweaks done on the M8.2 to solve a few problems with the day-to-day, in-the-warfield use, Leica’s getting its M series very much to a nice zenith for the digital age. Mind you, I think you still have to take the baseplate off to switch memory cards, but there’ll always be trade-offs for award-winning body design, yeah?
The other camera, a compact body with a 12.2 megapixel APS-C sensor and a fixed 24mm f2.8 lens (kinda like Sigma’s DP2), brings the clasic M series aesthetic to the compact market, while simultaneously creating a new price tier for digital compacts. It features an available grip, and a built-in flash (which is quite cute and cylindrical), full-manual controls (including aperture and shutter dials), RAW, etc.
Both bodies have decided, in a bold and applaudable move, to forgo in-house software and instead come with Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom. Bravo, Leica. Seriously. I’ve used quite a few RAW and managements softwares, and Lightroom is easily the best of any of them, and makes taking pictures from good to fabulous a quick and painless chore, complete with robust filtering and organization options. More people could follow Leica’s lead here and I would not be hurt in the least.
First announced in September last year, the Leica S-System redefines the professional DSLR class with a custom 37.5-megapixel, 30 x 45 mm sensor built into a 35mm-sized body.
So quoth DPReview concerning Leica’s new S2, the first body in their unique S system line-up. Announced formally this week, with pricing and everything, the S system is poised to slot in above top-end DSLRs like Nikon’s D3x and Canon’s 1Ds Mk III, and somewhere under the likes of Mamiya and Hasselblad (more in using the familiar operations of 35mm over the nature of medium format than anything to do with expected and promised quality.) In short, it aims to redefine what a studio camera is and should be.
It’s also well in keeping the Leica tradition of making premium products with the price to match, with the body coming in at $23,000. Also announced at launch are four focal lengths of lens: 70mm f2.5 (which seems to be the ‘standard’ focal length for this new platform), 120mm f2.5, 180mm f3.5, and 35mm f2.5. All four are available in standard flavor, and optionally with a central shutter for a spot more. They start at around $4,500 and weave their way up from there.
Other sundry accessories like a battery grip and a charger have been announced. If the S System piques your interest, give us a ring at 1-800-726-5544 and ask for mail-order to get on our list for it.
Podcast for the week of July 30th, 2009.
Contents:
0:00 – Intro
1:13 – Mark Astmann on the Elinchrom Quadra
4:17 – New Nikon Products (D300s, D3000, 70-200 VR II, 18-200 VR II)
6:42 – Leica S System
Jody was on the ball and got the last post approved before I got my edit submitted, so this didn’t go up as I expected. So, to add more class, style, and attractive diminutive French women to the blog, here’ s the Chanel ad I talked about in the last post. As much as I love good, chunky DSLRs, I don’t think anything other than that distinctive Leica would’ve fit in with the very wonderful feel they pull off here:
Starting to run out of these quick interviews, finally. This one is with Matt, the nice gentleman who reps Leica for us. This was the first time I’d held one of their M8s (which I noticed Audrey Tautou toting in Chanel No 5′s new TV spot. Class act, all around.) Sucker’s a brick. A big, black, brass brick. It also made me nervous as heck to hold, but then again I still think dropping 900 bucks on a lens is a chunk of change. Lenses are beauties, though.
OK, enough jabber, on to the video:
The Spring Demo at Roberts is officially on! Come on down for great deals on all brands of digital cameras and compact camcorders. Need some digital camera accessories. We’ve got ‘em. Great deals abound this weekend! Reps are here from Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Tamron, Leica, and many more. COME ON DOWN!!!!!!!!!!
Spring Expo 2009
So, I somehow miraculously keep not mentioning this, but the 24th and 25th this month at or two Indianapolis (area) stores is our annual Spring Expo. We’re going to have most anybody who’s anybody (Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Mamiya, Leica, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Profoto, Induro, PocketWizard, FJ Westcott, RPS Studio, Manfrotto, Gitzo, Lastolite, and on and on and on…) out in our store, showing you the merch. If you’re within traveling distance, it’s really a good time to swing by and give us a visit, because there’re just too many toys to play with. It’s one of the two times a year I get to try one of the f2 constant zooms for my E-3, for instance. (Although, dyed-in-the-wool Oly shooter I am, I think I’ll step down and play some with the A900 and some Zeiss lenses and with Nikon’s under-rated D700, both of which are systems I’d have in a giant rolling case if my pay-grade allowed for it.)
I’m sure specials will abound as well, and for those of you who unfortunately can’t come out and see us I’ll be mirroring as much of them as humanly possible on our website as well, so remember to swing by the site that weekend and check on that equipment you’ve been scrounging for (and maybe some you didn’t know you needed, occupational hazzard).
OK, so, I gotta confess, I’m way confused here.
So, some time back Leica announced the “Safari” edition of their M8 camera:
Leica M8 Safari Edition
And then, making my rounds today I find out daddy Olympus is displaying a green E-3 over at PEI in Japan right now:
E-3 in Green, Via DCWatch
And, I’ve heard Pentax made some limited edition green cams. So, apparently Safari chic is in.
Except, oddly enough, if you ask National Geographic, whose bags have thus far exhibited that nice, “let’s go hunt lions” canvas and brass d-rings safari look. Until now, because while camera makers are saying green is the new black, NG has decided their new Walkabout line ought to be black.
So, cameras are going safari, and safari bags are going urban. Thank goodness it’s a Friday, this is the sorta quandary that’d throw my whole week off.
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