Those that know me well have had their ear’s filled with my thoughts on raw converters for years. Those folks also know that only one raw converter has been the apple of my eye, Capture One. Capture One has always produced files for me that have that certain something extra.
Phase One, makers of Capture One, have stepped up their game with Capture One 5. In addition to producing the finest raw converter on the planet Phase is providing video instruction to accompany it.
Head over to Phase, download Capture One, and let me know what you think. I suspect it will give your 5D, 1Ds or favorite camera’s output a little something extra.
Leica Camera AG, the German camera and lens maker of M9 fame, needs to put more meaningful products into the hands of consumers. The fabled camera company has struggled during it’s transition into the digital world. The M8 had serious issues with banding/blobbing during it’s launch and the M9 has been plagued by supply issues. Regardless of the issues M series cameras are still popular with the well healed enthusiast.
What about the rest of us?
Leica co-branded several P&S and DSLR cameras with Panasonic. These cameras were fine but they seemed like a camera a dentist would purchase for his wife or mistress, an accessory for a Luis Vuitton handbag if you will. Leica needs a REAL enthusiast camera for photography enthusiasts that don’t have 10,000 dollars to buy an M9 and a Summicron. I’m not suggesting this proposed camera be cheap. In fact it should cost around 2,000 dollars, be considered a premium small camera system and named the Leica CL.
The Digital CL
The original Leica CL was the smallest M mount camera and was a joint effort between Leica and Minolta. It’s obvious that Leica, with it’s hemorrhaging balance sheet, should share the cost of developing the digital CL with a manufacturer of Micro Four Thirds cameras. Using the m43 standard and leveraging another camera manufacturer’s electronic expertise would shorten the time to market and keep cost down.
Sharing development of the digital CL would allow Leica to direct more resources to the physical design of the camera. What would give the digital CL true Leica mojo and allow it to carve out a niche for itself?
Two color schemes, black and grey or green and beige
Leather covering
Optical viewfinder (not through the lens) with LCD framelines and basic exposure info
All of the items listed above would enhance the relationship between the camera and photographer. Perhaps most important in the above list are the Leica prime lenses. A wide, normal and portrait lens would cover 90 percent of what Leica shooters want/need. Launching with a trio of primes vs a stupid/cheap zoom would indicate Leica’s commitment to the new camera system and differentiate the digital CL from other m43 cameras currently in the market.
What do you think? Is there space for a digital CL camera in today’s recession laden market? Would such a camera reflect on the romance of the past, engage the passionate photographer and open new doors for Leica? Let me know!
I intended to finish my review of the Interfit Strobie Beauty Dish a while ago but the cold weather has kept me indoors. In preparation for the warmer weather I took a few minutes to find out how I could mount Strobie accessories onto my old Vivitar 283 flash.
Interfit doesn’t list a flex adapter for the old Vivitar but it turns out the same unit used for the Canon 580 EX II, the SGM700, fits the Vivitar 283 perfectly. Now if the weather would only warm up.
Upgrading from a P&S camera to a DSLR does not guarantee sharper photos. Frustration over sharpness can lead new DSLR shooters into the costly land of uber lenses. Before spending money on another lens consider these 5 tips for sharper photos. Moving Subjects – Pan the camera to match your subject’s speed if your subject [...]
If you read my previous post about the Gakkenflex Toy TLR you might have noted that I ordered one. I was intrigued by thoughts of building a working camera. I received the Gakkenflex kit just in time to get snowed in. Now I had something to do as we waited for the snow to thaw. [...]
