It seems it’s time for another round of news and articles! Over the past weeks, I’ve been collecting interesting links again, which I’d now like to share with you.
Section 1: Micro Four Thirds
The Photography Of Amos Chapple
This really doesn’t need many words. Amos Chapple is an avid traveller and records his adventures using Micro Four Thirds cameras by choice. Look at his pictures and you’ll know why they say it’s the photographer that takes the shot, not the camera. Amazing stuff!
DSLR Magazine: Olympus PEN Lite (E-PL3) test
The Spanish DSLR Magazine have tested the latest incarnation of Olympus’ consumer Micro Four Thirds model, the E-PL3. While the megapixel count has (blessedly) not increased, the camera features a new Olympus-designed sensor that accomodates blazing fast autofocus, a tiltable screen with 460k pixels and a redesigned kit lens. DSLR Magazine have put the E-PL3 through its paces.
M.Zuiko 12mm f/2 review @ SoundImagePlus
SoundImagePlus have written a 10-part user review of the new M.Zuiko 12mm f/2 lens for Micro Four Thirds. You can find part 1 by clicking the link above, the other parts are accessible via their website.
Section 2: Leica M
“Light of the night”: Noctilux-M 50/0.95 ASPH tested by BJP
Edmond Terakopian has tested Leica’s ultimate low-light lens, the Noctilux-M 50mm f/0.95 ASPH, for the British Journal of Photography. He took it out for a shooting together with a couple of other lenses, but ended up sticking with the Noctilux most of the time.
Voigtländer Nokton 40/1.4 review
Prosophos, Toronto base photography enthusiast, has written a summary of his thoughts about the Voigtländer Nokton 40mm f/1.4 for Leica M. In his hands, this lens really shines!
SanDisk SD cards incompatible with latest M9 firmware?
Photographer Gil Lavi has had a really terrible experience with the latest Leica M9 firmware eating his SanDisk SD cards during a paid shoot. Read the whole story and Leica’s reaction by clicking the link above.
Leica M9-P hands-on at Pocket-lint
Really not much more than some gear porn, but if you like the looks of the Leica M9-P, here’s some eye candy for you! 
Ricoh M-mount module for Ricoh GXR official!
After almost a year of rumours (a mock-up was presented at last year’s photokina), it is now finally official: Ricoh are producing an M-mount module for the GXR camera! Now here’s another alternative for using M-mount lenses on a digital body! DPReview have already gotten hold of one and written a preview.
Section 3: Varia
Street shooting experiment in London, UK
A group of photographers have recently done an experiment in London, UK. The goal of the experiment was to see if it was still possible to go street shooting in London. As was to be expected, all six photographers were on at least one occasion stopped by security personnell, and in three cases the police were called.
Variable ND filter by Kenko-Tokina
Kenko-Tokina have announced an interesting new product, a variable neutral density filter that can be adjusted to darken the image anywhere between 1.3 and 10 EV (ND2.5–ND1000). Quite fascinating! Sadly, the filter will only be available in 77 and 82mm filter thread sizes.
How ‘Focus Peaking’ works
A DPReview forums user has examined the details of Sony’s new ‘Focus Peaking’ feature for the NEX interchangeable-lens camera series. He studies several possibilities of calculation and representation of in-focus areas, and finally asks the questions if this could be implemented in Micro Four Thirds cameras. (Probably not, as I’d assume it’s patented by Sony.) Terrific feature!
Sony NEX-7
It’s still only a rumour, but it looks like Sony is going to announce a NEX model aimed at enthusiasts, the NEX-7. It will feature extensive manual controls as well as a built-in 3 million dot (!!!) EVF. Together with the above-mentioned focus peaking feature, this could be a real alternative to the Leica M8/M9 for those who don’t want to or can’t afford to spend those big bucks. (I’m certainly giving it a thought!) Full specs here.
Oh my! It’s been more than a month since I last posted a news-and-articles-recap … ! I’ve been (and still am) rather busy with work and newly enamoured with film, so my love for digital photography has been dampened somewhat recently. Still, I collected a bunch of interesting weblinks to share with you, and as my son is currently peacefully playing by himself, I’m using the opportunity to put together a quick roundup of what’s been published around the interwebs those past weeks!
Photoradar: Earth from space
Photoradar have posted a series of images taken by astronaut Paolo Nespoli. He took these amazing pictures during his stay on the ISS, using Nikon DSLRs.
Not a review of the Sigma SD1
X3magazine, home of everything Foveon, published an article on the Sigma SD1. They don’t want to call it a review because they were testing a pre-production model. Still, the pictures speak for themselves.
(You can find a production-model review over at The Luminous Landscape.)
“Focus Peaking” — great new feature in NEX cameras
According to this thread on rangefinderforum.com, Sony added a new feature to the latest NEX-3/5 (and probably also the upcoming C3 and 7) firmware calle “Focus Peaking”. On using manual focus, the contrast-detection algorithm calculates which part of the image is in focus and highlights it accordingly. It looks very promising, and is definitely something I’d like to see in future Micro Four Thirds cameras (or even better, firmware updates!)
Good stuff from Petapixel
Petapixel, resource of never ending good stuff on just about any photography topic, spoil us with some great articles once more. There’s a video about the film production over at The Impossible Project, a time lapse video of the Milky Way taken with Canon DSLRs, and a feature from CNBC discussing the alleged upcoming demise of Point’n'Shoots.
The Lytro Field Camera
This has been all around the net, so you probably heard of it already. Lytro are developing a so-called “field camera” that takes pictures via a plenoptic lens array. Follow the link to find out what that means — suffice to say it’s awesome
P.S.: This German bussiness seems to already be manufacturing this kind of camera.
The Pentax Q is real!
Remember the rumors about a small-sensor interchangeable-lens Pentax? Well, they were true! Here it is, the Pentax Q, featuring a 1/2.33″ sensor and interchangeable lenses! Sounds crazy? Have a look and judge for yourself!
P.S.: Here’s one more look at the Pentax Q from Quesabesde (in Spanish).
New Olympus Micro Four Thirds stuff reviewed by The Phoblographer
Our friends from The Phoblographer have gotten their hands on the latest Micro Four Thirds cameras and lenses from Olympus, and have reviewed them extensively. Spoiler alert: The new E-P3 focuses blazing fast, and the 12mm f/2 lens is gorgeous!
P.S.: They also compare the new E-P3, E-PL3 and E-PM1 side-by-side.
P.P.S: Another E-P3, E-PL3 and E-PM1 notice and short preview can be found at The Amateur Photographer.
P.P.P.S: Clubsnap has a thread on the new 45mm f/1.8 portrait lens — don’t miss it!
Some Leica Making-Of’s
First up is a Stars and Stripes article from 1979, reporting on the development and manufacturing processes over at the old Leitz facilities in Wetzlar.
The second Making-Of is a video from Leica themselves, documenting their own lens manufacturing process.
“Modern Wonder Cameras See Like Cats In The Dark”
A Popular Science article from 1932, reporting on the latest small-film “cat’s eye” cameras, such as the Leica. A very interesting peek into the world of photography as it was eighty years ago.
It’s been almost two weeks since I last posted a news and article roundup (– the reason being that I was first sick and the busy –), but here I am again, with some fresh stuff from around the interwebs. Enjoy!
Review: Voigtländer Color Heliar 75mm f/2.5
The Voigtländer Color Heliar 75mm f/2.5 is a very reputable short tele / portrait lens in Leica screw mount (“M39″). It has been out of production for quite some time, and has been replaced recently by the newer 75mm f/1.8 Heliar. It’s still a great little (literally) lens, and Tony from Ancient City Photography seems to like it a lot, not only for studio work.
“How Much Longer Can Photographic Film Hold On?”
… npr ask, once again. I admit, this topic has been — and is still being — discussed ad nauseum anywhere and everywhere, and we all know (or seem to know) that film is dying. This article though provides some interesting figures on current and past sales of film in the US, and gives some interesting insights.
PrintDreams PrintBrush 4×6
Did you ever dream of being able to print your pictures right away after taking them? Well, here’s the solution! The PrintBrush is a digital still camera that has a built-in ink-jet printer that allows you to print your pictures by just sliding the camera over a sheet of paper. Don’t believe it? Watch the video! The PrintBrush will hit stores soon!
I don’t know if this is real or not — but if it is, it’s most certainly one of the geekiest things in a long time!
SLR Magic x Noktor: upcoming lens details
43rumors proves to be a reliable source of information once again. After recently reporting on Noktor‘s comback as part of SLR Magic, they now provide us with the latest details on SLR Magic’s upcoming Noktor-branded lenses. So now it’s not only official that a new version of the Noktor Hyper Prime 50mm f/0.95 lens will come (same optics, slightly different housing, M4/3 and E-mount), but also will they soon release a fast 12mm f/1.6 wide angle lens for Micro Four Thirds. Go, SLR Magic!
Leica: M9 Hammertone, fiscal year 2010/11 report
Last but not least, two snippets of Leica news. Well, three actually. First, rumor has it that in a couple of days Leica may announce several new products. The coming of an M9-P style à la Leica MP is pretty certain (see also M9 Hammertone below), also that of a new 21mm f/3.8 lens. What we will also probably see are the latest firmwares for the M8 and M9.
Just announced for the Japanese market was an M9 Hammertone special edition that already features the M9-P top plate with classic engraving and without Leica logo on the front. The Hammertone edition is limited to 100 pieces for the Japanese market.
In other news, Leica have just published their report on the fiscal year 2010/11. The figures speak for themselves — sales increase to almost 250 million €. Consequently, for the first time since 1997, Leica Camera AG is going to pay dividends to shareholders. If that ain’t good news!
Another round of news and articles, this time a little late as I was pretty knocked out for more than a week sind last week, and have only just really recovered.
Noktor is dead! Long live Noktor!
Remember Noktor, a couple of chaps, operating from a shed somewhere in the U.S., retrofitting and rebranding Japanese CCTV lenses for Micro Four Thirds? They made quite a stir last year when they announced a 50mm f/0.95 high-speed lens with native m4/3 mount, but it turned out to be low quality and overpriced. Just recently, Noktor announced their death, just to announce their rebirth a couple of days later. As it seems, they have merged with SLR magic. We’ll see what that is going to bring to the Micro Four Thirds world!
How diffraction limits resolution …
… and what this means for technical implementation as well as actual photography. If you’re fluent in German, here’s an interesting article on the topic by photoscala.
How do instant cameras work?
Ever wondered about the magic behind your dad’s old Polaroid? Well, here’s a simple, easy to grasp explanation of how the Polaroid instant pictures work. Simple and effective, yet fascinating nonetheless!
The Sigma SD1′s Foven sensor analyzed
Here’s another interesting technical article, this time about the new 15 megapixel Foveon X3 sensor of Sigma’s latest DSLR flagship, the SD1. (Which, by the way, will shortly be available!)
Fujifilm X100 giveaway by PhotoRumors and Adorama
Do you want a Fujifilm X100, but don’t have the money to buy one? Well, here’s your chance to get one FOR FREE! Fantastic, isn’t it?
Fujifilm X100 vs. Leica X1
Steve Huff has put both the Leica X1 as well as the Fujifilm X100 through their respective paces, and has now taken the additional effort to compare the two in terms of looks, build quality, usability, fun-factor and — chief of all — image quality.
The challenge of the 24mms
And another one for those fluent in German Photoscala has put together (or is putting together) a big challenge of high-speed 24mm lenses for various systems. The series has only just begun, but in the coming weeks the following lenses will undergo meticulous tests and will be compared to each other:
AF-S Nikkor 24mm f/1.4 G ED (for Nikon)
Sigma 24mm f/1.8 EX DG Macro (for Nikon)
Canon EF 24mm f/1.4 L (for Canon)
Zeiss Distagon T* 24mm f/2 SSM (for Sony)
Leica Summilux-M 24mm f/1.4 ASPH. (for Leica)
That’s it for today!
It’s a warm and sunny sunday here in central Germany, and after spending the first half of the day in our beautiful garden I decided the sun’s become too hot and went inside to share with you some more interesting news and articles I found this week.
Leica Freedom Train
Ernst Leitz II, son of Leica-founder Ernst Leitz, helped many people — Leitz employees as well as fellow citizens — to flee the Nazi regime before and during World War II. The Amateur Photographer recollects the story and reports on the ongoing efforts of a british Rabbi to find the last living survivors.
Sigma SD1
According to this post in an Australian Sigma user forum, the release of the new Sigma’s new flagship DSLR SD1 is postponed to June 2011, to coincide with the company’s 50th anniversary.
The first digital camera
The blog “ISO50″ reports on the first digital camera, built by Kodak in 1975. The “camera” that looks more like a projector fitted to an early PC, took 23 seconds to save a single image onto a datassette. The whole story’s available at Kodak.com.
Leica Summarit-M 90/2.5 review
Olivier Giroux reviews Leica’s affordable tele lens, the 90mm f/2.5 Summarit-M, and finds that it suffers from severe focus shift — a side effect of the lens’ simple, spherical design. In another article, he explains why fast M-mount lenses longer than 50mm need floating elements.
Leica Summarit-M 35/2.5 on the Sony NEX-3
Wolfgang Spekner, photographer and photo-blogger from Austria, tried the “cheap” 35 on his Sony NEX-3, comparing it to the more affordable but faster Zeiss Biogon 2/35 ZM. The little Summarit really shines on the NEX! Now is that a praise for the lens or for the camera? Or maybe for both?
(The 35 Summarit is in stock at B&H photo as I’m writing these lines — hurry if you want one!)
Thanks for stopping by, and have fun reading!
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Today’s gear Camera: Pentax ME
Lens: Revuenon 50/1.4
Film: Kodak VR Plus 200
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August 5th, 2011, 8:56 am | 
