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THE IMAGING RESOURCE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWSLETTER
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Volume 15, Number 17 - 9 August 2013
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Copyright 2013, The Imaging Resource. All rights reserved.
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Welcome to the 365th edition of The Imaging Resource Newsletter. In this issue, we feature excerpts from two of our latest camera reviews. First is the Panasonic GH3, a high-end mirrorless model that delivers pro-level video and greatly improves its still photo skills over its predecessor, the GH2. Meanwhile, we found that the Canon EOS M is a much better camera now (with a recent firmware update) than it was when it was launched almost a year ago. We've also got an eye-opening story about the artist known as JR, who plasters photographs on massive canvases -- well, building and public spaces to be exact -- across the world in the name of social activism. In Quick Hits, we delve deeper into the revolutionary technology of the new Canon 70D DSLR, and demonstrate how its Dual Pixel CMOS AF performs while shooting video. Also, Sigma's unveiling of a new lens mount-switching service -- one that means you can switch camera brands and keep your lenses! -- is big news we don't wa
nt you to miss, and our very own Mike Tomkins analyzes the move in detail. Finally, we have links to other top photo and gear stories from the past two weeks, and we respond to some reader mail. Happy reading!
TOPICS
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Camera Review: Panasonic GH3 Shooter's Report (Excerpt)
Feature: The Artist Known as JR: Photography as Activism, from Tunisia to Marseille
Camera Review: Canon EOS M Shooter's Report (Excerpt)
Quick Hits
We've Got Mail
New on the Site
Next Issue
Signoff
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REVIEW: Panasonic GH3 Shooter's Report (Excerpt)
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(Check out our in-depth Panasonic GH3 review, complete with gallery photos, comparison crops, lab test results and our final conclusion: http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/panasonic-gh3/panasonic-gh3A.HTM)
by Dan Havlik
At first glance, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 doesn't appear to be a heck of a lot different from its predecessors, the Panasonic GH1 and GH2. However, this compact system camera has been significantly upgraded from what's come before, and that's saying a lot. The GH2 earned a rave review from yours truly more than two years ago, separating itself from the pack for its blazing autofocus and serious video capabilities. In fact, its video features made it a darling among professional videographers looking for a lightweight, relatively inexpensive camera to use when bigger, bulkier, pricier cameras didn't fit the bill.
The GH3 further builds on its predecessors' accomplishments, offering features until now available only on much higher-end, video-oriented professional models. The GH3 can record full 1080p at 60fps from the sensor, use bit rates as high as 72 Mbps, and add a SMPTE time code option, and all for a fraction of the price of its rivals. However, it does offer a few conundrums for prospective buyers. For one, while it looks a lot like a DSLR and is even more durable than its predecessors -- with a magnesium alloy body and ample weather sealing -- it's not a DSLR at all. And while it's slightly smaller than most DSLRs, it's quite a bit bigger than other mirrorless CSCs.
And if you're considering the GH3 versus an HD-shooting DSLR, you're no doubt aware that Micro Four Thirds sensors are smaller than many DSLRs, with an assumed sacrifice in image quality -- especially in low light at high sensitivities. The GH3's completely new, 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor was designed to bridge the gap with these larger-sensored DSLRs, reducing noise levels and producing more details thanks to a specially designed low-pass filter. Can the drastically revamped Panasonic GH3 up the ante enough to compete with prosumer DSLRs by shooting crisp, high-resolution movies and still images? Let's take a look at Panasonic's latest flagship model and find out.
In the hand. While the Panasonic GH3 looks similar to the two models that have come before it, it feels discernibly different once you put it in your hand. The more durable, fully weatherized GH3 weighs about 2.8 ounces more than does the GH2: 16.6 ounces (body only without the battery) for the GH3, versus 13.8 ounces for its predecessor. Most of that added heft comes from the camera's new die-cast, magnesium alloy body. By way of comparison, the GH2's body consists of a plastic shell laid over a steel frame, which makes the older model feel a bit on the flimsy side.
The GH3, on the other hand, is serious and tough. I mainly shot with it using Panasonic's 12-35mm f/2.8 aspherical lens, and like the GH3 the lens is splash-proof and dust-proof, though not fully weather-sealed. Used in conjunction with the GH3, it's a solid shooting combo for either stills or video work. When placed side-by-side with the full-frame Canon 6D, which I also have in the office, the GH3 with its smaller Micro Four Thirds sensor was noticeably less wide and shorter, since this mirrorless model has no pentaprism on top, and no mirror box at its core.
At the same time though, while both body and lenses were smaller than those of competing DSLRs, the GH3 isn't as portable as many of its mirrorless rivals. I still needed some type of camera bag to stash it in, just as I did for the Canon 6D, although I could at least get away without using a heavy, professional pack. In terms of price, the difference is more clear: the GH3 retails for about US$1,000 less than the 6D, and that's a significant savings if you're on a budget.
The Panasonic GH3 features a fairly substantial handgrip for a compact system camera, and the grip, front, and sides of the body (including the SD card door) are covered in textured rubber for a comfortable, non-slip, tactile feel. The top and bottom portions of the camera, meanwhile, are matte, black polycarbonate. The GH3 is an attractive looking camera, though it does look like a miniaturized DSLR. I made the same observation about the more retro-looking -- and considerably smaller -- Olympus OM-D E-M5. After all, if you want a camera that's smaller than a DSLR, but looks and behaves like one, why not just make a smaller DSLR?
In the end though, the GH3's design definitely holds appeal for on-the-go photographers and videographers; it just depends on your point of view. It's either a lightweight, compact, serious pro camera or a larger, more substantial, high-end mirrorless model. I found it to be a comfortable -- if not particularly original -- camera body to shoot with.
Controls. Along with making the GH3 a more durable camera, Panasonic has also redesigned the camera's exterior interface, giving photographers and videographer tons of options right at their fingertips. In a nutshell, there are more physical buttons on this camera than you'll find on many prosumer DSLRs. Some are dedicated for specific functions; others are fully customizable to match your shooting style. Panasonic is clearly bucking the trend of burying settings in the menu system. More buttons means more of a good thing, because they save precious time from having to dig through a camera's menus to make adjustments.
The most distinctive change to the GH3's physical controls is that Panasonic has done away with the four-way cluster of buttons on the lower right rear of the GH2. Instead, those buttons have been moved to various places on the camera, most of which make more logical sense. In particular, I like how the White Balance, ISO, and Exposure Compensation buttons have moved to the top deck of the camera behind the shutter release, for easier and more intuitive access.
Replacing the cluster of controls on back is a jog wheel, which makes it easy to scroll through settings or quickly review photos in playback. Panasonic has also scattered five, programmable function (Fn) buttons all over the camera body. Control freaks will love having these handy options. At the same time, those who don't want to spend a lot of time customizing all the buttons on their rig will appreciate the fact that each of these Fn buttons have a default setting. For instance, Fn4 is the trash button in Playback mode.
Another change to the button layout on the Panasonic GH3 that I liked was moving the red, dedicated Movie Recording button to the back of the camera, versus having it behind the shutter button on the previous model. (In the previous placement on the GH2, it was possible to accidentally trigger the video mode when you were trying to shoot a still.) Next to the Movie button on back, there's also a toggle switch to select autofocus options including full-time AF with face detection and tracking functions, which is a handy feature when shooting video.
Some of the other tweaks to the Panasonic GH3's control layout are more subtle. The Control dial, for instance, is less crammed with options. The standalone settings for Portrait, Landscape and Macro have been removed and placed in the menu. While it's more aesthetically appealing, I wish they had left the Macro option somewhere on the exterior of the camera.
Overall though, when more and more cameras are stripping away external controls and stowing them in menus, Panasonic deserves kudos for offering more button options for photographers who want to change settings on the fly.
OLED touchscreen and EVF in use. Panasonic has upgraded both the screen and the electronic viewfinder on the GH3 from the previous model, which really improves the user experience. The GH3 now has a 3-inch, Organic LED panel with touch control. Resolution has been ramped up to around 614,000 dots, which means the screen is a 640 x 320-pixel screen with each pixel comprised of separate RGB dots. My photos and videos looked wonderful in playback, and gave me a good sense of image and video quality so I didn't have to worry about reshooting.
The screen flips out to the side and rotates, letting you compose shots from variety of angles. You can even view it from in front of you for self-portraits, if that's your thing. I wasn't too keen on the touchscreen control features on the previous model but they've noticeably improved with the Panasonic GH3. The new display features capacitive touch technology, which is far more sensitive and responsive than the resistive technology of the old screen. In fact, it's the same technology that most smartphones use.
The touchscreen on the predecessor GH2 was confounding, sometimes responding when I didn't want it to and other times not responding at all. Along with being more sensitive to your fingertips, the touch functions on the GH3 do a better job of getting out of the way when you don't need them. For instance, swiping through photos is a breeze on the GH3. While "pinch and enlarge" zooming in on images is not quite as easy as on a smartphone, it's also very handy in a pinch, if you'll excuse the pun.
The Panasonic GH3's revamped EVF is also OLED-based, and it's quite nice as well. In our testing, we found it offered a 100% field of view, giving us very accurate results when composing photos. There's rather generous dioptric correction on the EVF, so it can be adjusted to attune itself to most eyes.
The EVF offers 1,746,000 dots (873 x 500 pixels) of resolution, and I generally saw a crisp live feed with much detail even in the highlights and shadows, which are traditionally the bugaboo for EVFs. It's still not going to make you forget the wonderful optical viewfinders on full-frame DSLRs such as the Canon 6D, but it's top-notch EVF technology. The one area where this EVF -- and all EVFs, for that matter -- lag behind their optical counterparts (literally), is in the GH3's proximity sensor. This turns on the viewfinder when you bring your eye to it, and while it's pretty quick to activate, there's still a split second blackout. This caused me to miss some fast action shots in a basketball game I was shooting. The EVF is fast, yes, but just not fast enough when you're trying to capture a decisive moment. The solution, of course, is to forgo the rear screen Live View and just leave the EVF on all the time, but that's not always practical.
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Autofocus. To be honest, I was not a fan of most early compact system cameras, mainly because the contrast-detection-based autofocus systems on those models were slow as molasses. It's fair to say, though, that things have improved dramatically with more recent CSCs. Where I first really noticed the change to faster focusing speeds was with the Panasonic GH2. That model, which I reviewed for IR in 2011, was one of the first mirrorless CSCs not only to equal the AF speed of some digital SLRs -- which typically use faster Phase Detection-based autofocus systems -- but to surpass them.
The Panasonic GH3 is even quicker than the GH2 when it comes to focusing, which is another step in the right direction. According to our lab testing, the GH3's contrast-detect autofocus is very fast, and even quicker than most consumer DSLRs, though not as fast as most pro models. Our lab results showed that GH3's full-autofocus shutter lag (with the subject at a fixed distance) was 0.210 second using single-area (center) AF with the 12-35mm f/2.8 lens. When manually focused, the GH3's lag time dropped to 0.086 second. And the GH3's prefocused shutter lag time of 0.079 second is also speedy.
In real world use, this meant I could confidently use the Panasonic GH3 in a variety of shooting situations, including fast action sports and spur-of-the-moment, candid street photography, or when trying to capture the unpredictable behavior of animals and children. In most of these cases, autofocus lock took a split second, helping me get sharp results.
While I was pleased with these results from the Panasonic GH3, I wasn't that surprised, considering how well its predecessor fared. While the GH3 was several hundredths of a second faster at autofocusing across the board in our testing compared to the GH2, that difference isn't very noticeable in real-world shooting. However, what was more apparent was how well the GH3 focused in dark, low contrast situations, which should have been a challenge for its AF system. For example, while shooting basketball in an indoor gym under terrible, muddy lighting, the GH3 had no problem locking in on players shooting or dribbling to the hoop.
Find out more about the Panasonic GH3's autofocus and operational speed by clicking here to see our full battery of objective performance tests conducted in the IR Lab.
Operational performance. The Panasonic GH3 proved to be a fast performer in other areas, as well. During my field testing, I seldom felt like it was struggling to keep up with me. (Except, as mentioned earlier, when the camera auto switches from Live View on the rear OLED monitor to the EVF via the GH3's proximity sensor.)
The GH3 is powered by a newly developed Venus Engine processor, and along with improving image and video quality -- which I'll detail in the next few sections -- the processor kept the camera humming along. The GH3's start-up time to first shot is quite fast for a CSC -- we timed it at less than a second -- but shut down is a bit slower at 2.5 seconds.
For continuous shooting, the GH3 has a healthy burst rate of just over six frames per second when capturing full-resolution JPEGs. Oddly, that drops to about five fps when shooting raw images, but it's still not too bad.
If you're interested in using the GH3's burst mode to capture fast action, there is one drawback to this CSC versus a DSLR. When shooting high-speed bursts with the GH3, the camera's Live View is not available, so you won't be able to see the action you're photographing --just the shots as they're recorded. The same holds true for the camera's super-high-speed burst mode, which can capture 20 frames per second at a reduced resolution of 4 megapixels. I find this to be rather annoying when shooting sports because I can't follow along and anticipate the movement of the athletes to capture them at the decisive moment. You do get Live View if you drop continuous shooting down to the middle speed, which is about four frames per second, but there's a noticeable blackout time between each shot, and it's a lot longer than I've experienced with most DSLRs.
On the plus side, the Panasonic GH3 has great buffer depth when recording full resolution JPEGs, letting you shoot almost infinitely without the camera pausing to catch up. (Our lab testing surpassed 80 consecutive shots with no sign of slowing.) When it does finally come, that pause is relatively brief, too, lasting just a few seconds. The GH3 clears its buffer quickly, so long as you use a fast memory card such as the blazing fast SanDisk Extreme Pro 95MB/sec UHS-1 SDHC card we used in lab testing. Buffer depths with RAW�files are also generous, at 24 raw frames and 20 Raw+JPEG frames in our tests.
Switching from mode to mode is also quite fast on the GH3, and the camera nimbly moved from shot to shot, with single-shot cycle times clocking in at 0.48 second for Large/Fine JPEGs, 0.48 second for RAW and 0.46 second for RAW+L/F JPEGs, according to our lab tests. Overall, the Panasonic is a very fast camera to use and should be able to keep up with most shooting situations.
One last note on performance: The GH3 boasts pretty good battery life. Panasonic rates the camera as good for up to 540 shots between charges depending on the lens used. Most prosumer DSLRs still hold a big advantage over compact system cameras here, but the GH3 is starting to bridge the gap. And it should, considering it's bigger than most CSCs, and has a bigger grip to hold a bigger battery! And if you need better endurance, consider purchasing the DMW-BGGH3 battery grip, which effectively doubles battery life with a second lithium-ion battery installed.
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Image quality. The Panasonic GH3 and its redesigned, 16-megapixel Live MOS image sensor produced great image quality with a few exceptions. First, the good news. I like the fact that Panasonic kept the resolution of the GH3 at 16 megapixels while upgrading the imaging chip in other ways. One of the drawbacks to Micro Four Thirds-format sensors -- compared to, for instance, 35mm-sized, full-frame chips -- is that their smaller size simply doesn't allow as much space for large pixels. By not trying to cram in extra pixels, Panasonic is able to maintain a pixel size of approximately 3.74 microns. Again, not great by full-frame DSLR standards, but larger than if it had raised the resolution.
Where Panasonic aims to get the most out of those 16 megapixels is by adding a new optical low-pass filter over the sensor, which is designed to optimize the GH3's resolution while helping to control moir�. Meanwhile, Panasonic says its been able to control image noise -- which has often been a problem for Micro Four Thirds cameras -- by preventing sensor noise from entering the GH3's output signal.
Does it work? For the most part, yes. The Panasonic GH3 is aimed at more advanced photographers and it captures images for those with more discerning tastes. Where many consumer and even enthusiast cameras (including DSLRs) tend to default to overly bright JPEGs with pumped up colors and hues, the GH3 has a more sophisticated palette. Overall color saturation levels are about average, with some tendencies to push dark red, purples and dark green a bit while undersaturating yellow, aqua and cyan.
The GH3 does quite well in capturing skin tones, thanks to its slightly understated color. Caucasian skin tones looked natural with a slight -- but not overdone -- push to pink which made people in my images look healthy. Darker skin tones nudged toward red, but, again, it looked natural. Some consumer cameras can push too hard in these directions, occasionally making people look doll-like.
The Panasonic GH3 produced slightly muted colors compared to some cameras, which I prefer. Most photographers interested in this camera are probably already quite familiar with Photoshop, and will find the more natural tones of the GH3's JPEGs to give you more editing latitude. Exposure accuracy was about average for outdoor shots, with some blown highlights and inky shadows.
I was pleasantly surprised with how much resolution and detail the Panasonic GH3 was able to capture, considering it's using a 16-megapixel chip. My shots out in the field were very rich in detail, even when I zoomed in to 200% and printed at 13x19 inches. Our lab tests also showed that the GH3 produced very high resolution images, with 2,300 lines of strong detail. There was very good sharpness overall, and the Panasonic 12-25mm f/2.8 lens I tested the GH3 with helped produce crisp images that rival anything you'd get from an enthusiast or prosumer-level DSLR.
In our lab testing we noticed a few minor issues. Some sharpening artifacts (or "halos") from edge enhancement, which create the illusion of sharpness by pumping up colors and tones at the edge of transitions in color or tone, were evident in high-contrast photo subjects, though the GH3 didn't sharpen as much as some competing models. But the camera offers a wide range of sharpening settings (11 steps), so you can always tweak sharpening to your liking (or shoot raw and sharpen yourself). Our testing also found that the GH3's noise reduction efforts already start to smudge detail a bit at low ISO -- most notably in the shadows -- and this smudging intensifies at higher ISOs, but that's no surprise. Still, the GH3 overall strikes a nice balance between noise and detail, with high ISO performance quite good for a Micro Four Thirds model, though not as good as the best APS-C cameras.
| Panasonic GH3 - Images at ISO 800 and ISO 3200 |
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| f/2.8, 1/60s, 60mm (35mm equivalent) focal length, ISO 800 |
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| f/2.8, 1/50s, 60mm (35mm equivalent) focal length, ISO 3200 |
In terms of dynamic range, the GH3 scored very well for a Micro Four Thirds model in our testing, rating as good as (or in the case of raw files, slightly better than) the Olympus OM-D EM-5, one of our benchmark CSCs for image quality. And if the camera's normal dynamic range isn't enough, you can try out Panasonic's built-in i.Dynamic modes to pump up the drama even more. (See our comparison chart below.)
View the IR Lab's in-depth Panasonic GH3's image quality test results by clicking here, and read further on in the review for side-by-side comparisons against the GH3's top competitors.
Video. The Panasonic GH3 is a great still photo shooter, but where it really shines is as a video camera. Along with HD video image quality that I would place ahead of most larger-sensored prosumer DSLRs, the GH3 comes loaded with options and features to make the life of the videographer richer and easier.
Earlier in this review, we highlighted nearly a dozen features designed not just for weekend warriors looking to capture footage of their kids playing soccer, but also for professional videographers making feature-length videos. At the same time, the GH3's small size and inconspicuous looks make it ideal for shooting "run-and-gun" type footage in tricky situations. Also, the fact the camera is splashproof, dustproof and rugged opens up a variety shooting options that most compact system cameras (and many DSLRs) wouldn't be able to handle. It adapted easily to whatever video scenario we threw at it.
The HD video we shot looked sharp, full of rich color, and surprisingly steady despite shooting it primarily hand-held. The ability to quickly put the GH3 into full-time autofocus mode via a simple turn of the focus mode lever on the back of the camera was convenient. I particularly liked that the GH3 gives you full PASM (Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual) control during video recording, with no minimum aperture requirements for any of the autofocus modes. Unfortunately, the GH3's small size and DSLR-style form factor aren't ideal for hand-holding for long periods of time. For that, you're going to want a tripod, monopod or steadicam-type device.
While I put the Panasonic GH3 through its paces and was impressed with the quality of the video -- and the audio that I captured with the camera's built-in stereo microphone -- I barely scratched the surface of what the GH3 can do as a motion picture camera. With premium video features, including full 1080 HD recording at 60 frames per second, superior video quality thanks to bit rates up to 72 Mbps, and All-I recording modes that makes editing much easier, the GH3 is simple enough for the amateur and advanced enough to keep video pros happy.
Click here to learn more about the GH3's pro-level video features and see how it handles a variety of recording situations from night-time shooting to rolling shutter.
Wi-Fi. The Panasonic GH3's wireless feature set is one of the most robust we've ever tested on an interchangeable-lens camera, offering remote shooting and image transfer when you pair the GH3 with a smartphone or tablet equipped with the company's Lumix Link app (available for both Apple iOS and Android devices). You can connect your smart device via a direct connection with the camera, or via a wireless network.
Once connected and using the GH3's Remote Shooting mode, you can control most of the camera's still photography functionality via the Lumix Link app on your phone or tablet. That includes changing exposure settings, selecting the focus with a single tap on the screen and operating the power zoom if the lens supports it, as well as more subtle adjustments. We found it all fairly easy and intuitive to use, as long as you're familiar with setting Wi-Fi connections. Just be aware that some settings and menus are not available when using your smart device as a remote control.
For instance, you can record video remotely, but you have to use the timer recording function. You can't stop recording from your connected device -- you either have to wait for the timer to run out or stop it on the camera itself. And you won't see the video on your phone or tablet during filming.
As for file transferring, you can opt to either send your photos and videos to a connected device as they're being shot -- including your computer, a compatible TV or even a cloud sync service -- or you can transfer them after the shoot from the camera's storage. It's important to know that while JPEG files can be sent or shared to all kinds of connected devices or services (and MP4 videos to most), raw or raw+JPEGs stills and MOV or AVCHD movies can only be shared with a PC.
Summary. The Panasonic GH3 is an exceptional mirrorless camera that's not only a huge step above its predecessor, the GH2, in terms of image quality and functionality, but also a serious contender among high-end DSLRs -- especially when it comes to its video quality and feature set.
So what's our final verdict on the Panasonic GH3? See our full Panasonic GH3 review online, where you'll find a detailed breakdown of its video skills, image quality comparisons against other cameras, full performance test results, more gallery images, a list of pros and cons, and our ultimate conclusion: http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/panasonic-gh3/panasonic-gh3A.HTM
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FEATURE: The Artist Known as JR: Photography as Activism, from Tunisia to Marseille
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by Steve Meltzer
Photographer and artist JR claims that he owns the largest art gallery in the world, a statement that is pure JR because his art gallery is the world. He's a provocateur who believes that photography can be an agent for social change, and he brings his art directly to us in the cities and streets where we live, work and play.
JR calls himself a "photograffeur," a term he invented to describe his creative work that merges photography and graffiti. He collects photos -- some taken by himself, some by his team, some contributed by local photographers and citizens -- enlarges them, and then plasters (or, technically, flyposts) them on public buildings in locales of his choosing. Often illegally. To me, he is a hyper-enthusiastic force of nature whose belief in the power of photographs to bridge social and political conflicts appears to be limitless.
Unframed in Marseille
This year, JR has been in my neck of the woods, having chosen the city of Marseille, France, as one of the canvases in his global gallery. Marseille happens to be 2013's "European Capital of Culture," a somewhat unexpected honor for what is arguably France's most violent city. But the European Union chooses its culture capitals thinking that the activities it funds for a city will function as a catalyst for its improvement. And Marseille certainly fits JR's modus operandi as an artist and activist.
Unframed, Marseille, France, Copyright 2013 JR
Whether or not the designation will change Marseille is yet to be seen, for its problems run deep. A beautiful port city on the Mediterranean, it is plagued by drugs, gangs and guns. Execution style murders and attacks on the police have become commonplace in its immigrant neighborhoods. JR chose one of these neighborhoods of North African immigrants as the site for his Marseille project, which he calls Unframed. The exhibition started in May and will run through November 2013 at La Friche at La Belle Mai, which is an abandoned factory (Friche translates to "wasteland") that's been recently converted into an art center. If you have the chance to visit Marseille before this project ends, I highly recommend you do so -- JR's work is truly a sight to behold in person.
For Unframed, JR invited Marseille's residents to look through their personal family albums and find photographs that evoked strong memories of their lives there. He collected these images -- both old and recent ones -- and then cropped them and enlarged them, creating a monumental artwork on the walls of the neighborhood, transforming these personal memories into part of their collective history.
Regarding one image (shown below) he used in his Marseille exhibit, JR shared this story with his Facebook fans (pardon his English):
"I went and look(ed) in the photographic archives of the city of Marseille and went across thousands of photos. I found this photo taken in the 1960 in Marseille of (some) anonymous women. With the help of La Friche art center and my team, we reconnected with a woman who (had) forgotten this photo was ever made of her by her best friend. She told (me) her story, how she immigrated to Marseille like thousands of (other) people... I hope this image will find her place in the heart of the people there and maybe, who knows, (it) will help people getting to know each other as we are all foreigners (in) another place at the end..."
Unframed, Marseille, France, Copyright 2013 JR
Exactly who is JR?
That's a good question. Born in France in 1983, JR is an enigma. His actual identity and past is unknown, yet today he is a highly public, highly visible artist. You could call him semi-anonymous.
JR began his photographic career as a street photographer after finding a camera in the Paris Metro. With this found camera he set out to photograph the "thugs" of the notorious banlieues (suburbs) of Paris.� These images were pasted on the walls of Paris's upper class neighborhoods. Later dubbed 28 Millimeters - Portraits of a Generation, this illegal art project was so successful that Paris City Hall itself ended up officially wrapped in JR images.
28 Millimeters, Portrait of a Generation, Paris, France, Copyright JR
Portraits was followed by Face 2 Face, a series of distorted wide-angle portraits of laughing -- and rather goofy looking -- Israelis and Palestinians. He enlarged these images and pasted them on the security wall built between Israel and Palestine.
JR is probably best know for Inside Out, aka The People's Art Project, or what he calls an "Art and Act." For an Inside Out exhibit -- which have sprung up all around the globe -- JR often asks local photographers to send him their portraits of the people in their community. He then selects the images he likes and has hundreds of poster-sized black-and-white copies printed on ordinary paper. These are sent back to the photographers with the proviso that they be posted on every available public space they can find.
But, as always, the heart of JR's imagery is portraiture. Faces are central to his work and whether he employs video projection such as he did in New York City's Times Square last May or flypostings writ large in Berlin, Germany, JR wants us to look each other in the eye and realize our human commonality.�
Inside Out, Berlin, Germany, Copyright JR
Art (and photography) as activism
As a photographer, I find Unframed, and all the other permutations of JR's Inside Out projects, exhilarating because it takes photography out of dimly lit salons, galleries and museums and out into the sunshine of everyday life. It puts street photography back in the street. Moreover, Inside Out shows are not inert exhibits, but often have become part of the events shaping the 21st century.
For example, JR visited Tunisia in early 2011, just as the "Arab Spring" began there. He recruited dozens of photographers who took thousands of photos of ordinary Tunisians. The enlarged paper portraits he made were sent back to Tunisia and pasted on top of the pervasive pictures of long time Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Inside Out, Tunisia, Copyright JR
Whether these images played a role in bringing down Ben Ali or not, one thing is certain: These thousands of portraits of ordinary Tunisians were a powerful counterpoint to Ben Ali's "cult of personality" images that filled Tunisians' visual space. JR's Inside Out project, I think, helped give the Tunisian people a sense of their own identity and helped to unite them.
For me, that's a pretty good rebuttal to the doomsayers who try to tell us photography is dead. Photography is part of the human spirit, and for JR and many other working photographers and artists (including me!), it is a tool of hope that will never die.
In 2011, JR received a $100,000 TED Award for his Inside Out project and spoke at TED2011. You can watch his audacious speech and see several more of his projects online at IR, and learn his vision for turning the world Inside Out. You can also read more about JR, and see a full range of his artistic work at www.jr-art.net.
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REVIEW: Canon EOS M Shooter's Report (Excerpt)
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(Check out our in-depth Canon EOS M review, complete with gallery photos, comparison crops, lab test results and our final conclusion: http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/canon-eos-m/canon-eos-mA.HTM)
by Tim Barribeau
The Canon EOS M is a decidedly late arrival in the already packed world of mirrorless compact system cameras. But so am I, having spent the bulk of my digital photography experience using primarily pocket cameras and DSLRs. I thought that would make us a perfect match, and I was eager to see if Canon's prowess in both interchangeable lens cameras and point-and-shoots would translate to their first CSC. Of course, I knew about the bad buzz surrounding the EOS M, but I wanted to approach my review with an open mind.
Design and construction. My first impressions of the Canon EOS M were good ones. Despite the negativity that abounded about its dreadfully slow Hybrid CMOS AF system, I desperately wanted to like the camera. Happily, upon opening the box and getting my hands on it, I found its design to be both sleek and solid. Rather than traipse down the retro path that we've seen Olympus and Fujifilm so thoroughly embrace, the EOS M was built with sleek lines and minimal interruptions. There's definitely a link here to some of Canon's point-and-shoots, most notably the compact and minimalist designs of the S110, SX280 and their ilk.
The Canon EOS M has an immensely pleasant balance and heft, with a feeling of solidity that's encouraging. The grip, unfortunately, is on the small side, comprised of just a small raised strip on the camera's front and a thumbpad on the back. Obviously Canon was trying to keep the body as small as possible, by forgoing a more substantial grip. Fortunately, the EOS M isn't heavy enough to feel like you're going to drop it, but it does get a bit uncomfortable to hold over a long period of time -- especially with the relatively sizable 18-55mm lens attached. I can only assume that if Canon puts out a proper telephoto for the M line, it'll be even more tricky.
One small design feature I have to really give Canon credit for is the neck strap attachment points. It may seem like a minor touch, but speaks of an overall care for design. Rather than the standard loops that you have to awkwardly thread the strap through, the EOS M has small metal lugs resembling the head of a nail. The strap is simply placed over these and locked in place by rotating a bolt in place with a coin. For me, it was markedly less awkward than the usual style.
Unfortunately, as much as the design hits some rather nice highs, there are also some noticeable omissions. Primary among them is the lack of a built-in flash. Sure, full credit to Canon for including a standard hot-shoe in an entry-level system camera (and make no mistake, this is decidedly an entry level offering), but the fact that the company hasn't managed to include even a rudimentary flash is a bit bewildering. As we mentioned earlier, Canon did develop a compact accessory flash, the Speedlite 90EX, to pair with the EOS M, but it's an additional $149. Also, as of now, there's no add-on viewfinder option, which seems like a missed opportunity. More advanced photographers will have to decide if an LCD viewfinder (even an excellent one, like the EOS M's) is acceptable for their shooting needs and habits.
How good is the Canon EOS M's 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 STM kit lens?
Find out by clicking here to see our optical test results.
There's also the issue of lenses. Right now, even one year after the camera was announced, there are still only two dedicated lenses available for the Canon EOS M in the U.S. -- though they're both quite good -- an EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM and an EF-M 22mm f/2 STM (which has the smallest front element I've ever seen). (Note: There's also an EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens that's not yet available in the U.S.) Of course, you can mount other Canon EF and EF-S mount lenses with an optional adapter, but that's a pretty minute lens collection for a new, compact format.
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Display, interface and menus. Much like the design, the user interface is a mix of some excellent implementations and some questionable decisions. On the positive, the fixed-position, 3-inch LCD touchscreen is one of the best I've seen on a camera. It's seriously fantastic, responsive and sharp, with 1,040K dots of resolution. And it's easily readable even in bright sunlight. Now, the multi-touch capacitive touchscreen doesn't feel quite as quick as the screen on my iPhone -- something that's most noticeable when flicking through images on playback -- but compared to pretty much every other camera touchscreen I've tested, it's fantastic.
Most of the camera's core settings can be controlled through both the touchscreen and the buttons on the back of the camera, so you can default to the method that suits you best. The graphical buttons on the touchscreen are a good size, and easy to hit, so I rarely chose the wrong setting. The ability to tap to focus on a specific area on screen is always handy. You can also assign the touchscreen to act as a shutter, if you so desire.
But there are some serious downsides here. Perhaps my biggest complaint is that the EOS M doesn't have a complete mode dial. Make no mistake, there's a Mode dial, but all it switches between are Scene Intelligent Auto, Still Photo and Movie modes. To change to Program, Priority, Manual and Scene modes, you have to use the in-camera menu system. This makes no sense to me. After all, the dial is already there. All they had to do was add a few more clicks to get full PASM, and it wouldn't have taken up any extra space.
There are also frustrating inconsistencies in the UI. Earlier I mentioned that some settings could be controlled by both button and touch, which is great. But not all of them. And there's no real way to intuitively know which controls which, except for trial and error, or getting lost deep in the owner's manual. The learning curve isn't the steepest I've seen for camera menus and controls, but it's not easy.
The other obvious issue is the small amount of buttons and other physical controls on the Canon EOS M. These are limited to just the Control Dial, a Four-Way pad, and five buttons on the rear (Q/Set, Menu, Playback, Info and Movie). For those of you not familiar with Canon controls, the four-way pad not only allows you to navigate screen menus, but also gives you instant access to settings as such: Left - AE lock; Right - Exposure compensation; Up - Drive mode; and Down - Delete.
The vast majority of settings require you to go diving into menus to tweak. Even settings as basic as white balance, ISO, and exposure mode all require using the LCD menus before you can set them. The fact that one of the few buttons is entirely devoted to recording movies -- to the point where it can't be used in other modes -- seems something of a waste to me.
Of the buttons on the Canon EOS M, there's also only one that can be customized on the camera -- the Down-arrow button on the Four-Way pad. In Record mode, this defaults to resetting the focus point to the center of the screen, although it isn't marked as such. It can, however, be repurposed to a variety of other tasks. You can also add frequently-accessed Menu settings to the My Menu. That's more handy than it is on many other Canon cameras, given the small number of physical controls -- and hence, the time you'll be spending in the menu system.
Creativity and feature set. The Canon EOS M's built-in features are a decidedly mixed bag, though there are some interesting nods towards entry-level users. For instance, you have Canon's Creative Auto Mode, which simplifies -- and renames -- some of the controls in a way that might make more sense to a newbie. For instance, rather than adjusting the aperture to control depth of field, it prompts users to change the background from blurred to sharp along a five point scale.
But Canon seems to have kept a short leash on the available exposure modes. Where some cameras will pack a few dozen, this has just the basic Program, Priority, Manual, and then eight scene modes -- your usual smattering of macro, portrait, landscape and so on. The only two of note are Handheld Night Scene, which combines four images into one -- so you have to have a steady hand -- and HDR Backlight Control which is designed to retain more detail in high-contrast scenes by merging three consecutive shots into one.
It would have been nice to see more of the fun, special effects filters that have become almost ubiquitous in other entry-level cameras slotted in here, too -- like maybe a Panorama mode. The EOS M offers fairly run of the mill Creative Filters such as Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Fish-eye effect, Art bold effect, Water painting effect, Toy camera effect and Miniature effect. They're all pretty lackluster in my opinion, but you can see a full range of them for yourself below.
Much ado about AF. There's a lot to like about the Canon EOS M. Unfortunately, there was even more to dislike about it during my first shooting experiences with it. In fact, before the firmware update last month, the EOS M had a flaw so large that I couldn't in good conscience recommend it to anyone, as it was. Its autofocus speed was utterly abysmal -- truly, worryingly slow. For comparison's sake, I own a Canon SX200 point-and-shoot from 2009, and this 3-year-old point-and-shoot focused faster and more accurately than the EOS M.
And not only was the Canon EOS M sluggish to focus in bright light, but also it was an absolute mess when faced with dark shooting conditions. Low-light AF was glacial, seesawing back and forth as it struggled to find focus, and frequently downright failing to lock on anything at all. And when I shot with multiple-point autofocus on, the camera was slower still.
Even if you shot in bright sunlight, with just a single focus point, it was just barely usable. And it wouldn't catch anything fast moving. Simply put, I wasted too much time trying to get it to focus like I wanted it to. While the single focal point improved the situation, that point itself is placed by your finger on the LCD touchscreen, and so it has to be relatively large -- which makes getting pinpoint precision problematic.
But that was before the Canon fixed the AF problem. In late June 2013, Canon released a new version of the firmware, and we're happy to report the Canon EOS M's AF has been markedly improved -- in our tests we've found single-shot AF to be about a half a second faster across the board. However, we'd still only call the AF acceptable at best -- the EOS M is still not as speedy and decisive as most of its competitors. As such, its AF system remains a major shortcoming, though no longer a completely crippling one.
If the AF system still isn't fast enough for you, you can manually focus the Canon EOS M by setting it to manual focus mode and using the lens' focus ring. It's fairly easy and intuitive to use, and you can get either a 5x or 10x magnified view on the LCD touchscreen to make sure you're honed in on your target. In AF+MF focus mode, you can let the camera get close with AF and then you can turn the focus ring to get what you want razor sharp. There is, however, no focus peaking function to help you nail the point of focus.
Find out more about the Canon EOS M's autofocus and other performance stats by clicking here to see our full battery of rigorous, objective speed and operation tests conducted in the IR Lab.
Bundled with the 22mm lens, the Canon EOS M could have been an excellent street photography camera for quickly snapping shots on the go -- but the slow focusing limits that dream. In my real-world testing, I also found the manual focus mode to be nothing special, and certainly not good enough to pre-focus with enough precision to shoot from the hip. Since the EF-M lenses use STM stepper motors for focusing, you can turn the focus ring eternally in either direction, which means you can't even take a guess at manually pre-focusing before lifting your camera.
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Image quality. OK, after that downer, here's some much better news. I discovered the overall image quality of the Canon EOS M to be pretty amazing for a mirrorless model. Photos are sharp and vibrant, and the 18-megapixel APS-C sensor delivers a great deal of resolution -- more than many competitors. I was lucky to hit a run of warm, sunny weather -- rare for the Bay Area! -- and captured several images that show off what the EOS M can do in near-ideal conditions.
The EOS M's low-light images surprised me. In particular, I thought the kit lens demonstrated stellar image stabilization, allowing me to be able to shoot down to one tenth of a second hand-held at night with very little blur.
I found the EOS M's dynamic range also to be decent. Maybe the small size of the camera had me thinking my shots would come out more like a point-and-shoot, but the EOS M captured the highlights and shadows I was looking for in most of my shots. I was even able to capture a street sign backlit directly by the sun and still have the image come out correctly.
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The EOS M definitely demonstrated good dynamic range, something that it borrows from its Canon DSLR cousins, and that separates it from most point-and-shoots. |
View the IR Lab's in-depth Canon EOS M image quality test results by clicking here,
and read further on in the review for side-by-side comparisons
against the Canon EOS M's top competitors.
Video. The Canon EOS M's Movie mode is quite fully featured. It records at Full HD (1080p) at up to 30 frames per second, and at 720p at up to 60fps. You can leave the EOS M on Movie Auto, or set it to Movie Manual for precise control over aperture and shutter speed. You can also customize a wide array of photographic settings while recording, including ISO and white balance. In Movie mode you can also enable wind noise reduction, audio attenuation, and watch the feed of audio coming through each of the stereo mics.
As I mentioned earlier, it seems a bizarre design decision that one of the few buttons on the rear of the camera is devoted solely to starting or stopping recording while in video mode. While on the positive side, it means you can shoot still images with the shutter button while you keep recording video, it also means that while in normal camera modes, one of the few physical buttons is out of commission.
One of the advantages to the focusing system that Canon instituted with the EOS M is that, paired with an STM lens, it's totally silent, so it won't interfere with your audio while filming. However, just like it is in still mode, the AF remains fairly sluggish, so you'll probably want to pre-focus whenever possible.
Wrapping it up. I wanted to like the Canon EOS M, I really did. But after my first few days shooting with it, I had given up hope. I was going to pan the camera for its slow-as-molasses autofocus system, which rendered it almost unusable. And I was going to knock it for its lack of a built-in flash, electronic viewfinder and physical exposure mode controls, not to mention its sometimes-frustrating menu and navigation quirks.
But then a June 2013 firmware update finally came from Canon and put the spotlight back on what the camera does well. First off, the EOS M takes great still pictures, thanks to its 18-megapixel APS-C-type sensor that's related to those of the Rebel T4i, T5i, and SL1. It's also a very sophisticated movie-making tool, especially in Movie Manual mode where you can change aperture, shutter speed and more. I particular loved the bright-and-sharp LCD touchscreen, though sometimes I got confused on how exactly to change settings since the touchscreen and physical dials often seemed at war with one another.
I still want to like the EOS M. But I don't think it's for me personally. There are just too many other mirrorless options out there that don't have such a notable (and once fatal) flaw. The AF speed may be better, acceptable to a point, but it's still not what you'd expect from Canon.
However, if I were a Canon DSLR owner looking to add a compact backup body that was compatible with my all my lenses (thanks to the EF-M adapter), I'd probably seriously consider the EOS M. Especially at the $400 pricetag for which it's currently selling.
So what's our final verdict on the Canon EOS M? See our full Canon EOS M review online, where you'll find detailed image quality comparisons against other cameras, full performance test results, more gallery images, a list of pros and cons, and our ultimate conclusion: http://www.imaging-resource.com/PRODS/canon-eos-m/canon-eos-mA.HTM
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QUICK HITS: The most interesting, most read articles on the IR site in the past two weeks
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Our first Canon 70D video tests show its Dual Pixel CMOS AF truly is a "game changer"
By William Brawley
Our testing of the revolutionary Canon 70D DSLR continues here at Imaging Resource. We recently posted First Shots that showcased the still image quality of Canon's hot, new APS-C model. This time around we're taking a closer look at Canon's "game changing" Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, which aims to provide vastly improved autofocus performance not only for Live View still photography, but also for video recording. The new AF system, which uses on-chip phase-detect, is touted as providing much quicker, smoother and more accurate AF performance for video recording without the jittery back-and-forth hunting of regular contrast-detect autofocus.�
See the video tests here: http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/08/our-first-canon-70d-video-tests-show-DSLR-dual-pixel-cmos-af-game-changer
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Amazing secret film shot with smuggled camera shows life in World War II POW camp
By Steve Meltzer
The BBC has just released a 30-minute documentary compiled from astonishing 8mm film footage taken during World War II by a group of French soldiers held in a German prisoner-of-war camp. The prisoners managed not only to smuggle camera parts into the camp and build an 8mm movie camera, but they made a fairly high quality movie of their daily life behind the barbed wire. For good measure, the prisoners also documented their construction of underground escape tunnels.
The BBC documentary illustrates the ingenuity these men used and what has to be described as their "sangfroid" in shooting movies under the apparently not so watchful eyes of their guards. It seems almost like something out of TV's "Hogan�s Heroes" -- except it was real. During WWII, prison escape attempts were frequent and often deadly, but occasionally successful. The French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, for instance, escaped twice from German prison camps.
The film was made by the prisoners of Oflag 17a with a camera smuggled into them from the outside. They had discovered that their German guards would check sausages and other food stuffs sent to the prisoners by cutting them in half. Using this tidbit of information, the prisoners had parts sent to them concealed in sausages� ends. Voil�! While it sounds incredible, a whole 8mm camera and many reels of unexposed film made its way into the camp this way, sort of a Bolex in a pig.
Read the full story here: http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/02/amazing-secret-film-shot-with-smuggled-camera-shows-life-in-a-world-war-ii
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Be a lens-mount hostage no more: Sigma to let you switch camera brands and keep your lenses
By Mike Tomkins
DSLR and mirrorless fans: Have you ever seen a camera announcement for a rival mount, and found yourself considering jumping ship? Chances are, even if the camera you were lusting after was amazing, you still didn't do it.
Third-party lens manufacturer Sigma is about to shake the interchangeable-lens camera industry to its core, offering a solution that means next time around, you might not have such a strong allegiance to your lens-mount. In the process, Sigma has given itself a unique advantage not only over its third-party rivals, but also over the camera manufacturers' first-party glass. And if that wasn't enough, the company also plans to offer standardized warranties for all its products, providing four years of coverage for any lens, camera or accessory purchased as of July 1, 2013.
Find out more about how the mount-switching service works at: http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/01/be-lens-mount-hostage-no-more-sigma-to-let-switch-camera-brands-keep-lenses
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WE'VE GOT MAIL: Questions from readers, answers from IR
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Please send us your camera and photography questions and comments (editor@imaging-resource.com). Not only will we respond to each and every one of your letters, but we'll also publish the best ones here as a resource for all our readers.
A brief note from Dave: I've been out of the country on an extended trip to Japan for the last 10 days, so am far behind on answering reader emails. Apologies to those waiting for answers, I hope to be well caught-up by next issue.)
RE: Wide-Angle Macro how-to story
I really enjoyed the article on wide-angle macro.
�
Although I wasn't really conscious of the technique per se, I have been using it from time to time, after a fashion. I actually never differentiated it from the older "have something close, interesting in your wide angle shots" approach.�Just thought I was bending the "rules," a bit.
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And mine weren’t all that macro either. So now I know it's OK to go even more Marco with my shots. (-:
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Thanks very much,
Nick Baldwin
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Hi Nick --
You're very welcome! We hope to feature more articles like this from Paul Harcourt Davies -- and hopefully other writers, too -- in the future. We're glad you enjoyed it!
-- Roger
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Optical density in scanners
Greetings -
I read with great interest your comprehensive reviews of the two scanners mentioned in the subject line (the MK II appears to be identical in hardware specs to the 9000F).
One topic I'm confused about is optical density. Epson mentions this (as 3.4 for the V600, or at least dMax of 3.4) but Canon doesn't. How big a role does this play in image quality, and what do you suspect Canon's optical density really is?
Lastly, if you were decide between the two, which would you choose? One comment on your review is that I don't get a sense of where the better value lies (my needs revolve around scanning prints, color negatives and documents).
Thanks,
Kevin
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Hi Kevin --
Optical density has always been a spec where a lot of manufacturers' numbers are, shall we say, a little "optimistic." There's now an ISO spec for it, so we can probably count more on the numbers various companies post for their products, but as you've found, not everyone publishes that number.
The great good news for you, though, is that it's not going to make a great deal of difference for the work you're planning on doing. Maximum optical density is generally only an issue when scanning color reversal (slide) film, as dark areas there can be very dark indeed. Color negative film never gets anywhere near as dense, and prints not only don't get terribly dark to begin with, but have really poor detail in their shadows anyway. For the sort of scanning you're doing, the Dmax of either scanner should be perfectly adequate.
With either scanner, I'd highly recommend that you pick up a copy of Hamrick Software's VueSan or VueScan Professional. It's simply the best scanning software out there (at least, IMHO), can drive a vast array of scanners, both new and old, and gives you far more flexibility than the manufacturer's packages. You may also find the VueScan Bible helpful in getting the most out of the program and your scanner.
Of the two, specs and performance are pretty equivalent, the main difference being the slightly higher resolution of the Canon 9000F - and the new CanoScan 9000F Mark II is dirt-cheap, only $155 at Amazon, as I write this. I'd probably go with it. (Purchasing through that link will get us a small affiliate fee at no cost to yourself.)
One cautionary note, though: You didn't say how much scanning you're planning on doing. Be prepared to spend a good bit of time at it, even with good software and batching-up groups of negatives to scan together in a single pass, scanning is very time-consuming. Scanning boxes full of negs can indeed be a good retirement passtime, just hope for a *long* retirement. ;-)
-- Dave
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NEW ON THE SITE
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At http://www.imaging-resource.com/new-on-ir you can keep track of what's new on our main site. Among the highlights since the last issue:
- The Camera Bag: This giant Nikon D800X DSLR prop a true full-framer (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/08/the-camera-bag-this-giant-nikon-d800x-dslr-prop-is-a-true-full-framer)
- History: Never before seen images surface of World War I as photographed by a German officer (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/07/never-before-seen-images-surface-of-world-war-i-as-photographed-by-a-german)
- Lens Review: Sigma 120-300mm f/2.8 gets a makeover with improved optics and build -- and one strange quirk (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/05/lens-review-sigma-120-300mm)
- Street Photography: Capturing life around same bridge in Dublin for 50 years (VIDEO) (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/02/street-photographer-captured-life-around-same-bridge-in-dublin-for-50-years)
- Camera Preview: Hands on, first impressions of the Panasonic GX7 (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/08/01/panasonic-gx7-review-hands-on-enthusiast-street-shooter-reinvents-gx-series)
- Video: Get a bird's eye view of NYC with this lovely GoPro video shot from a quadcopter (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/07/31/get-a-birds-eye-view-of-new-york-city-with-this-lovely-gopro-video-shot-fro)
- News: Latest Lightroom, Camera Raw release candidates support Canon 70D, Sony RX100 II and more (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/07/31/new-lightroom-camera-raw-release-candidates-support-canon-70d-sony-rx100-ii)
- Humor: Wildlife camera spies pole dancing bears using tree for backrubs (VIDEO) (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/07/31/Wildlife-camera-spies-poll-dancing-bears-using-tree-for-backrubs-VIDEO)
- News: "Finding Vivian Maier" documentary to premiere at Toronto International Film Festival (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/07/30/finding-vivian-maier-documentary-to-premiere-at-toronto-international-film)
- Tech: Watch an NPS technician repair a Nikon D4 DSLR in less than a minute (VIDEO) (http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2013/07/29/watch-an-nps-technician-repair-a-nikon-d4-in-less-than-a-minute-video)
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NEXT ISSUE
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Our next issue will be mailed to you in two weeks on Friday, August 23. See you then!
SIGNOFF
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That's it for now, but between issues visit our site for the latest news, reviews, or to have your questions answered in our free discussion forum. Here are the links to our most popular pages:
Newsletter Archive: http://www.imaging-resource.com/cgi-bin/dada-nltr/mail.cgi/archive/irnews
Daily News: http://www.imaging-resource.com/news
SLR Gear: http://www.slrgear.com
New on Site: http://www.imaging-resource.com/new-on-ir
Review Index: http://www.imaging-resource.com/camera-reviews
IR Photo Contest: http://www.dailydigitalphoto.com
Google + http://plus.google.com/+imagingresource
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/imagingresource
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/IR_Lab
Happy snapping!
Dave Etchells and Roger Slavens
editor@imaging-resource.com
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