If you recall, I reviewed the Olympus E-P1 with very high remarks here. Since then, I’ve added a black leatherette, Lumix 20mm f/1.7, ditched the OVF and never looked back. With the announcement of the Panasonic GF1, the E-P2 and the latest E-PL1, I really did think about “upgrading” however the E-P2 isn’t much of an upgrade and the GF1, though faster in operation, lacks some key features I love about the E-P1. Those features being the in-body stabilization and retro design. I can’t get enough of how this amazing this camera looks.

I never realized how useful IBIS is until using this camera. I have Canon lenses with IS and it works great but to think about having it for every lens is pretty awesome. The fact that I could shoot at slower shutter speeds with the f/1.7 lens is just amazing. Most of my subjects aren’t moving, people I’m shooting are adults so they could pose for a second or two without moving and my dog… well, if I have a treat she will pretty much wait for anything, so the IBIS really shines for me. The art filters are pretty cool too, esp. pinhole. Some say it’s a gimmick, but I find them to be pretty useful.

Unlike the Sigma DP2, I found the E-P1 operation to still be fantastic. I reviewed the DP2 awhile back and loved the image quality and felt that was more than enough to carry the weight of the horrendous operation of the camera… but after a month of shooting, it took it’s toll. The E-P1 on the other hand, is just a joy to use.

Anyway, there’s not much more I can say about the camera except that it’s the perfect companion for that photographer who doesn’t want to lug around 6 pounds worth of equipment on a weekends walk. It’s for the photographer looking for a mini dslr because the compact piece of shit sensor they have is just not cuttin’ it in the IQ department. It’s for me, the guy that likes to take pictures of crap on his desk, snap away at random things because in my head, I’m seeing something really fantastic or take quality photos of friends and family even if it’s just at a coffee shop.

Here are a few images taken with the E-P1. My little diamond in a rough mini workhorse:

So far, I’m diggin’ it. Feels real sturdy and it gets the camera to your face like no other. This is how straps should be designed.

I will constantly check to make sure the connector is screwed in tight but I have no problem going a day without checking. Just gotta make habit of checking it before you start shooting cause something might happen during transport.

With Canon’s latest cameras like the 5dmkII, they have made it possible to micro adjust your specific lens to insure quality photos through the accuracy of its focal point. There have been times in my career where I’ve picked up lenses that I thought were awful.

I focused dead center on something and that focal point came out fuzzy and blurry. What gives? “Must be a bad a copy.”

This has all changed for me and many others out there. I have micro adjusted every lens I own making “bad” lenses now amazingly sharp and accurate and “good” lenses even better. The samples below show two states. The first being the lens straight out of the box, onto the camera, shot in raw and handled in CS4 with minor color and exposure adjustments. The second image is the lens after having been micro adjusted +15 on my 5dmkII.

This was a QUICK test, shot with the camera sitting on a table propped up by a box, iso 100, f/1.4 and on auto WB. The focal point was set to the word iron. I’ll use a tripod in my real test, but I just took two quick snaps just to see. I’m sure the camera shoot a tiny bit lol. Following the images are their respective 100% crops:

No adjustments

Micro adjusted by +15

100% Crops:

I only had time for 2 shots so I’ll have to go back and take a few more. I’m guessing I’ll be in the +13-16 range. But already, with this one adjustment, you can see how much more clear my lens is.

So to all you photographers out there… if your camera has the ability to micro adjust different lenses, you should really take advantage. If not for you, do it for your happy clients.

Testing out some lighting for an upcoming shoot. Lending my 5dmkII to my brother so I used my EP1 with 20mm f/1.7. Pretty freakin’ impressed by this little camera.

Ideally I would have liked some fill light but I didn’t have an extra strobe with me. I thought about using my ringflash on camera and the beauty dish above but I don’t have my 5dmkII. Anyway, here’s the result:

Self portrait w/ EP1 and beauty dish

Just a random clip using the EP1 video capabilities in low light with the Lumix 20mm f/1.7. I’m starting to like shooting video. I’ve had the 5dmkII for awhile now, but who really wants to shoot video with that thing for “fun”?

Gonna start experimenting. Who knows, maybe a Director of Photography for movies is in my future? How sick would that be… to be honest I’m not even sure what that entails lol

Olympus EP1 w/ 17mm pancake f/2.8

I’ve decide to do my own, non-scientific, quick review of the Olympus EP1 since most of the reviews online managed to all remain non original by slamming the weak points of the EP1. My review will based on my style of shooting for this camera. Street photography, portraits, urban type images. I don’t plan to use this for any work related material nor is it my main rig.

This review is to simply state that the short comings the reviewers are saying about the EP1 are rubbish. I guess it’s a good thing because when I went to the store, I was expecting some really awful sluggish focusing speeds with a horrible LCD.

To my surprise, none of that was true and I hope this helps people with their online purchase. Especially those that don’t have the benefit of trying it out beforehand.

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The day was beautiful as were the couple and company. Just a great day all together.

View the rest here

Just a few shots I’ve taken with my new lens. This thing is monstrous and I love every bit of it:

So I just picked up a Canon T1i as a backup camera for weddings and events. It’s also going to be used as my sister’s main camera, so only paying half for it to use at jobs is pretty sweet.

After reviews and forum discussions, a lot of people advised me to stick with similar camera interfaces – such as canon XXd’s or an older 5d. For me, the buttons of the T1i were learned in 5 seconds.

As a backup camera, I will be needing to adjust iso, exposure compensation and aperture. Anything beyond that and I’ve probably lost the shot. So the “stick with a similar interface” doesn’t apply to me.

Secondly, the body is small and lightweight. It’s actually a nice change of pace. I would 100% recommend this to any starting photographer or photo/hobby enthusiast.

I would also highly recommend it as a professional back up camera. Performance so far has been stellar in both speed and image quality. To put it simply, using the T1i doesn’t leave me feeling I wish I had my 5dmkII. This is by no means an easy feat so kudos to Canon. Though the 5dmkII is just absolutely brilliant in most aspects, the T1i does hold it’s own.

The screen on the T1i is out of this world, much like the 5dmkII. It’s a great feature to allow you to see if you’ve got a sharp image. HD capture is nice and so is CA (creative auto).

Check out some sample pics shot with a Sigma 24mm F1.8 macro:

Went hiking yesterday at Black Mountain Open Space Park in 85 degree weather so I didn’t want to lug around my dslr… this is where the DP2 excels. Didn’t feel pulled down by any weight at all. About a 2 hour hike up and down and the DP2 lasted the whole way.

I love the peacefulness that comes with hiking. I’m no expert hiker with hiking shoes and gear, but I do appreciate a nice – somewhat challenging – elevating destination with amazing views.

Sign:

Starting our hike on level ground:

The light was gorgeous, our hike stared around 5:40. Perfect light for me:

The green on this tree was really interesting for me, post process a little much, but that’s my style:

More gorgeous light infusing through nature:

View from atop:

Lastly, the end of the day drawing near:

Great place to go for beginners like myself. It did get kind of scary an hour into the hike because we weren’t sure if we were still on the loop trail. So instead of continuing (the sun was just starting to set and the gates closed soon) we backtracked the way we came. Definitely need some good shoes as the hills get pretty steep, but other than that… a nice walk.

Another good hike around the area is the Rancho Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve which is made up of mostly flat lands to which a 3 mile hike to a waterfall and 3 mile hike back makes for a great workout while enjoying the outdoors.

I 100% firmly believe these results (for me and my liking) would not have been achieved by any of the compact cameras I’ve owned taking in consideration color, dynamic range, low noise, quality of the image and I’ve owned many compacts including the G10 and LX3. Still fascinated with my Sigma DP2!!

I traded in my Panasonic TZ5 for the TS1. Originally I bought the TZ5 as my “party cam” to go along with my Sigma DP2 (compact travel cam) and Canon 5dmkII (money maker cam). Though the TZ5 is a gem of a camera, I felt like I needed something a little more chic and pocketable. This is where the TS1 comes in.

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Quick links: Part I | Low light performance

I wanted to do a second review of the Sigma DP2, post field work, and since today was so gorgeous, I decided to take a ride on my bike around Lake Miramar for lunch and snap away. All images are clickable to 100% original files (the quality is out of this world). The only photoshop work done to these images are for resizing blog purposes and a bit of sharpening after the resize. The originals have absolutely no photoshop applied. All images were shot in raw, aperture priority mode and developed in Sigma DPP.

Also note that these images are after the latest firmware update and I can honestly say, autofocus really has improved.

So because I didn’t have a model with me, my bike became my muse. I’m sure I looked a little crazy in my normal clothes, in the middle of a reservation, taking pictures of a bike lol… but whatever. That kinda stuff doesn’t bother me all that much anymore.

So here’s my bike. At 100%, you can really see the amazing depth this camera captures:
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I find it to be stylish, old school and cool.

I’ve seen these all over flickr and also on a few blogs and never got around to doing it… until today. I didn’t realize how awful I laid my stuff out until I downloaded the images onto my mac, but shit… I ain’t laying that shit out again and retaking the image. Plus, the contractors doing our master bath will wonder WTF I’m doing lol!!

Somewhat from left to right:

Louis Vuitton Beaubourg bag
13″ Macbook Pro (4gb ram)
Cheap sun glasses
Panasonic TZ5 (party camera, on sale at Frys for $200!)
Louis Vuitton Brazza wallet
Louis Vuitton coin purse (hangs inside the Beaubourg)
Calumet CF card reader
WD 250gb portable hard drive
Sigma DP2
iPhone 3G
Bose noise canceling headphones (sometimes essential in the office)
Purell hand sanitizer
Keys and LA fitness pass
Portable Energizer iPhone/iPod charger (takes AA batteries)
Matches from Butter restaurant
Black book for quick notes, ideas, grocery lists, etc.
Altoids
Small screw driver set
Dinky little tripod

and yes, it totally all fits!

So I just installed 3.0 on the iPhone 3g (google for the BitTorrent) and the iPhone is definitely much snappier. Getting into mail has zero lag. Typing is also speedy, so fast that I actually have to type slower than usual. And did the camera really get better or am I trippin?! Check out a sample here.

Crazy. Another cool ass feature that would have helped me a year ago when I lost my iPhone is the Find my iPhone feature available to mobile me customers. I was contemplating whether or not to stick with my me account since it’s 100 bucks a year, but with this feature, I’m definitely renewing. See the magic for yourself here:

I find this totally usable. I actually don’t even mind this kind of noise. It has that film grain quality to it and actually looks quite good when converted to black and white. I never went above iso 400 on my G10 or LX3.

full size sample

Yall must be likin’ that Sigma DP2 as much as me!

Quick links: Part II | Low light performance

If you aren’t a camera geek, I suggest you just look at the pictures and skip all the text. It will be a boring ass read for you.

This thing is BAD ASS but give it to someone who doesn’t know the quality it produces and first thought is, “This is wack.” On the contrary, give it to someone who has seen sample images and their thought is, “GIMMEE!!!!”

With all that’s said and done, there is one thing certain about this camera. The images it can produce in the right hands, rivals those of entry level DSLRs with good glass.

Before reading this, I suggest you use google for those reviews that tell you this camera is slow in functioning, has an awful LCD screen, etc., etc., because I won’t get into that jibberish. This isn’t really a review as I’m sure I’ll jump all over the place.

Quite frankly, those reviews are CRAP anyway and only made me wait longer till I actually jumped the gun with this. I only wish I had it last week for my trip to NYC.

The only disclaimer about this camera that I will point out is that, this isn’t the point and shoot turned dslr for the average consumer. Not by any means and I don’t think it was intended that way. This is strictly for that photographer/enthusiast that values quality over quantity and ease. Cause I’ll tell you now… Pimpin’ ain’t easy.

UPDATE: This also isn’t the kind of camera you can take to the clubs and use the flash. There is no AF assist light to help you focus so you’d probably end up with all blurry images. Looks like I’ll have to invest in a club camera… I’m thinking the Panasonic ZS3

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I am so excited to test this thing out. Was browsing around flickr and the results of some of the images this beast puts out are kind of amazing. This is crazy good. The depth, color and character this thing produces is just mighty. So damn amazing from a compact digital camera.

Cavit? Ghetto bird for “Can I have it?”

Offering all of the features that Panasonic’s multiple award winning TZ range of cameras is renowned for – including a remarkable 12x optical zoom in a compact, stylish body and 25mm ultra wide angle lens – the TZ7 goes one step further to offer AVCHD Lite*1 motion picture recording, making the TZ7 a truly versatile proposition.

via dpreview

Basically, a compact camera with a 25mm-300mm range (crazy!) and records AVCHD video, which is basically HD video at half the size. AVCHD is what HD camcorders use and allows for HD footage to be captured in less space. Downside is, it’s harder to edit the video clips, but eh… I’m not much of an editor. You can however, continue to shoot in motion image HD (which most do now) but it will of course be a larger file size.

I also want the new Sigma DP2 (even more):

This is, in a nutshell, a compact digital camera with a fixed focal length with the same sized sensor as a dslr. What does that mean? Basically, the quality of your photos will be dslr-like in a little tiny ass body. The fixed focal length of the DP2 is close to 40mm, perfect for portraits and street photography on the go. This is gonna be a gem!! I’d totally sell my G10 for this thing.

You can see the craziness in quality from their sample gallery here.

The ZS3 is available now overseas (as the TZ7) and is expected in us stores sometime in April, which leaves a couple weeks. Sigma has not yet announced when it’s DP2 will be out.

Went out to Mission Trails in San Diego to test out a new lens. We’re doing a Spring Fashion Shoot here for work (djpremium.com) and it was beautiful out. This 12mm is really fantastic for landscapes. Here are some test shots:

Have some big shoots coming up!

Updated our growing gear and added a Sigma 24mm f1.8 Macro EX DG. This lens is amazing. Though the AF is a bit slow and noisy, the lens itself is sharp. So sharp it’s almost comparable to the Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro. Here are some sample images! Oh, also just ordered a Boda Dry Lens Bag for shooting on the go. Check it out here and a video here.

Here are the samples for the new Sigma 24mm f1.8 Macro!

Yes, it’s growing and it’s totally and absolutely out of control. Someone stop me.

Canon 5dmkII w/ BG-E6 – but only one battery, doh’!
Canon 24-105mm f4L
Canon 16-35mm f2.8L (sold to matt!)
Canon 85mm f1.8 (selling this one)
Canon 100mm f2.8 Macro (sharpest lens ever)
Sigma 50mm f1.4
Sigma 12-24mm f4.5
Sigma 24mm f1.8 Macro
580EX Speedlight
Rayflash Ringlight
Set of three 750 strobes with backdrops and stands

I want a Lumiquest Softbox III and a Boda Dry Lens Bag. Ahhhhhh.

March 2009: Pretec creator of the highest capacity CompactFlash card in the world (100GB) and the fastest CF card in the world (433X), continues today its record breaking history in the field of speed and capacity by unveiling the extraordinary 666X CF card, the world’s fastest CF card.

Four times faster than a typical CF card, Pretec 666X CF’s dazzling 100MB/s speed is the largest speed boost in CF history. 666X CF card is the newest member of Pretec’s family of innovative flash memory cards, consistently first to market in high speed and capacity products; 233X and 333X CF cards were introduced by Pretec at Taipei in 2007, 64GB CF card started shipping in Sept. 2008, and 433X CF card were launched at Birmingham UK in Feb. 2009. -dpreview

Ok, who really needs a 64GB CF card? Who would rely on a 64GB CF card to put all their images in from a shoot or vacation? For real? 64GB of images?! That’s kinda ridiculous and it’s even more ridiculous that I want one (lol!) sans the 666x write speed. That fucking number keeps following me. Argh.

Quick review of this cool gadget. If you’re looking for some scientific bullshit analysis of the light output, don’t bother reading on. The only thing I will say is that so far, there seems to be a loss of one stop in your flash unit with this on.

I’m currently shooting with a canon 5dmkII and 24-105mm f4L.

At any rate… this thing is bad ass! The fact that I could achieve this type of lighting pretty much anywhere I go is awesome. It’s portability is one of the main reasons I decided to go with it. There are no cables, batteries, electronics of any sort. Just snap and play. That’s the best thing about this ray flash ring light.


I’ve tested it a bit outdoors as well and it’s provided me some really nice fill light. The colors are fantastically natural and the output does not feel harsh at all. Also, my friend was standing a few feet away from me and from where I was the flash lit her really well while still maintaining the beautiful orange light that was hitting her from the setting sun.

I haven’t had a chance yet to post all images, but if you’re interested, please visit my flickr page for updates on this amazing little unit. Highly recommended!!

Befriend me on flickr.

ExpoImaging Ray Flash:

This hobby of mine is fucking expensive. I’m eying the new 5D mkII. My bestbuy card is currently at a 0 balance awaiting 18 months of glorious no interest. Now only if they would stock this bad boy. It seems nearly impossible to get.

I did hear about some bad copies being distributed with some sort of black dots appearing in images, so I guess it’s good I wait a little. But those that know me understand that, waiting sometimes isn’t in an option. Not for this brat.

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Needed some fresh air today:

Never used this function before but I think I like what I see. Saw someone post about it over at Dpreview and took a snap of my desk at the moment. Kinda gross.

Samuel Adams Oktoberfest. Lotion. Baby cologne. G10. Dayquil. Green tea. Can of dog food. SDHC and CF card readers. Blank CD. Edge of a macbook pro.

A few photographers over at Dpreview wanted to know what I thought of both the LX3 and G10 so I kindly obliged. Thought I’d share over here:

I’ll tell you now that if you’re wondering whether to get a Panasonic LX3 of a Canon G10, it’s gonna be a TOUGH decision.

Like the LX3, I love the G10 look and build of the body. It’s almost at opposite sides of the spectrum, but not… if that makes sense. With the G10, you could really feel its sturdiness but at the same time, the look does not match the weight. It looks much heavier than it actually feels.

The LX3 looks a lot more delicate but still pretty darn sturdy and weighs more than it looks. I don’t find these to be pros or cons. Just the way they are and rightfully so.

In terms of controls, I think the Canon outshines Panasonic for me just because access to certain things like iso, exposure compensation and the wheel are so useful. However, it’s a personal preference as well. I like both almost equally but like I said, the G10 has a slight advantage.

The G10 screen is amazing. More so than the LX3 even though they almost have the exact same resolution. Canon is up by 461,000 to panny’s 460,000. It doesn’t appear to be such a small margin to my eyes for some reason. The G10 is stunning. Almost too stunning. I was a bit shocked at how dull the images looked on my apple cinema display compared to the cameras screen.

Hmm, what else? Outdoor images… I took a quick snap with the G10 in the parking lot at work. What I like about the quality of these images is that it has a dslr look to them. Straight out of jpeg mode, they don’t look over processed. The LX3, though sharp and vivid, almost sometimes looks over processed to me, especially since I love leaving the magic at the post process stage.

So if you like photoshopping to get your results, the G10 provides amazing images. If you like your images to look really fantastic straight out of camera with little work, the LX3 does the job quite well though sometimes for my taste is too much. Keep in mind, I haven’t been shooting in RAW with the LX3 since it isn’t supported and I refuse to use a program like silky pix. So results can vary.

Noise. That dreadful topic. I won’t go into too much about this but I will say that with the fast lens the LX3 offers, it beats the G10 hands down. ISO 400 and above at the same focal lengths, shutter speed, fstop, the LX3 manages to produce less noise and more detail. I might use 800iso on the LX3 but never on the G10. Proof that more megapixels doesn’t always mean better images.

That’s all I will say about noise because to be honest, I’m a little sick of the noise phenomena over compact cameras. Get a DSLR and a good lens if you’re so worried about noise and shoot in poor lit conditions frequently. Though the LX3 can handle it quite well for a compact, it’s still a compact.

However, at lower ISOs I still prefer the canon images. I might be biased because I’ve used canon DSLRs since the beginning, but I prefer that it doesn’t look overly processed. That’s not to say this panny isn’t amazing either. Just a matter of preference. Again, I have no RAW comparisons so that might be a factor.

So there you have it. Not sure if that was much help. Maybe I confused you even more. I’m sure saying, “If the LX3 and G10 were combined, it would be the perfect compact for me,” doesn’t help either, but it’s true.

Why I’m keeping the LX3:
- Body and design
- f2.0!!!
- 24mm (though I could live with the 28mm canon offers)
- 16:9 aspect ratio
- Simple controls best for parties and gatherings
- Vivid and sharp images out of camera
- lower noise with more detail at 400iso and above
- Flash is pretty darn good at parties
- Little lag between photos (I think it might actually be faster than the G10)
- Autofocus is quick, even in dim lighting

Why I’m keeping the G10:
- Body and design
- Wheel
- ISO easily accessible
- Images at lower ISO are superior in my early opinion
- Telephoto range (I hate the limit on the LX3. I almost always stay wide because I find it’s telephoto range almost useless)
- 28mm is wide enough for me (had reservations)
- Automatic lens cap
- Viewfinder (borderline pro for me)
- Print button (sike!)
- Compatible with my 580ex
- Screen, it’s GORGEOUS
- Feel more like a mini DSLR than the LX3

Again, I hope this helps. I’ll be putting up some full size images from the G10 once I can get some images. It will be here (unprocessed):

Canon G10 full size samples

Which is the winner?

It depends lol.

For me, I think the Canon G10 suits my needs better. The LX3 is an AMAZING compact camera. If your main concern pocketability coupled with a wide and fast lens with better noise performance at lower iso… than that’s your way to go.

It’s simple, compact, sleek, stealth, cool and provides great images straight out of camera. If you also like to take video, than look no further. I sold my canon HG10 HD camcorder because the LX3 is THAT good. It’s no camcorder, but I’m a clip kinda guy so I don’t need to refocus or zoom while recording. It’s definitely not a camcorder by any means, but it fits what I need out of video.

So why, if i had to choose, pick the G10 over the LX3? The G10 feels more like a “mini dslr” both in function and at low iso image quality. I rarely shoot in low iso with anything but a DSLR. If I’m gonna shoot in low lighting with the intent to print, chances are I’ll take my DSLR with a fast lens.

I also like the range a lot better. I thought that the 28mm wouldn’t be wide enough for me but it is and 140mm will come in handy when I travel. Things like a dedicated iso dial is important to me. I hate having to press a button to get to a menu to adjust the iso.

I feel almost silly having two compact cameras, but the LX3 is truly a compact and if that was my main concern, that would have been my choice.

Luckily, I can keep both!

EDIT: 10.26.2008

I’ve come to the conclusion that I no longer need the LX3 and will be selling it. I don’t feel it’s up to par with the G10 in terms of controls and usability when out in the field. The G10 clearly outshines the LX3 when “getting the shot.” I feel the LX3 to be a lot more sluggish and less responsive. I also feel like the G10’s images are much more DSLR-like. Love the LX3, but I just don’t use it anymore.

Still testing the waters

After a pretty awful weekend, I finally had some time to try this out. All images taken at f1.8, 800iso with the exception of the second and third image which is at 400iso. Obviously at small resolution, this is not meant to show you the amazingly low levels of noise. Instead, its to show the capability of this lens in low lighting situations is just damn good.

Canon’s best bang for your buck lens:

The photography manager at work let me take the 5d home for the weekend for a test drive. I’m in the market for a full frame camera and after shooting with it for about an hour, I’m pretty much sold. Taking images feels so much more like home to me for some reason.

It feels more mechanical and raw, rather than digital. Currently, I own a 40d, but that’s going to change real soon! Actually, I’ll probably keep my 40d as a back up and get the 5d mkII when it comes out. I just need to somehow come up with $2,700.

Anyway, here are the initial images I took.

I love my new lens. Haven’t had time to take it out in the real world, but Cargo seems to love it.

Now all I need is the new Canon 5d mkII

Panasonic LX3 Digital Camera from Migs Catacutan on Vimeo.