Equipment Reviews
Film & Film Cameras
Here’s another in our series of reports from photokina 2012. As you will have noticed we do not attempt to create a laundry list of new products and companies from the show, but prefer to report on what struck our eye and thought might be of special interest to Shutterbug readers.
SIGMA DP3 Merrill
The Sigma DP3 Merrill is the latest Sigma camera with the new Foveonsensor.
With this sensor, the camera can capture complete RGB information for every single pixel and doesn’t need to interpolate colors like all other digital cameras with Bayer pattern sensors.
Accessories, Albums & Presentation Products
While photokina could be considered a distant memory, we have a number of reports yet to run that deal with products that were new to market and caught our reporter’s eye, and that in many cases are just becoming available now. Here’s a report on useful items filed by Roger Hicks that covers interesting accessories and other products he found at the show.
Nikon D600
The Nikon D600 is the smallest of the company’s full-format sensor cameras yet due to the same seals and protections as the Nikon D800 and its very robust body, it can be used outdoors under rugged and rainy weather conditions. The camera has a standard SLR design with a bright and large optical viewfinder. In addition, it offers a live preview on its 3.2” LCD screen, which has a high resolution of 921,000 RGB dots.
Techniques
Web Profiles
Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains, reports that a study of online retailing in 2006 found...
Personal Project
Actor Richard Gere is best known for his roles in over 40 films, but few may be aware he is also an avid photographer and collector.
Pro's Choice
Mark Katzman has been shooting professionally for over 25 years. Originally, he studied filmmaking at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Picture This!
Our Picture This! assignment this month was Patterns, a subject near and dear to every photographer’s heart and eye.
News
Pelican ProGear
Pelican Products, Inc. has introduced the Pelican ProGear™ S130 Sport Elite Laptop/Camera Divider Pack, the newest addition to its consumer products line, Pelican ProGear.
Hensel International Photo Contest
The prize is a special Hensel Expert D anniversary lighting kit including all accessories. This has a value of $5000.
Shutterbug Reader Wins TIPA Prize
TIPA would like to thank all the readers who took part in the TIPA Readers’ Survey for 2013 that was published in the members’ magazines.
Samsung NX1100
Samsung Electronics America, Inc. announced that the new NX1100, compact system camera with built-in Wi-Fi and AutoShare, is now available nationwide for a MSRP of $599.99.
Latest Additions

Business Trends
Maria Piscopo Jan 10, 2013 Published: Dec 01, 2012 7 comments
In my workshops and classes the most common concern is about marketing and getting business. It’s a sign of the times, and folks are asking: “Everything seems different these days in the photography business, what should I do?” My first and foremost answer is to have a business plan and then work that plan. It is simply not enough to put up a website, send out a few mailers, and see what happens. The best advice I can offer is to study up on creating and implementing a marketing plan and make the effort as important as learning and improving your craft.
News
Press Release Jan 10, 2013 1 comments
LPA Design, manufacturers of PocketWizard Photo Products, announced a new update to its ControlTL firmware for Canon versions of its MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 radios. Available now, firmware version 6.200 for Canon includes compatibility with the Canon 5D Mark III digital SLR camera. Any current owner of the ControlTL system can easily install this version via USB connection and update for free using the PocketWizard Utility. PocketWizard Utility version 1.54 or later is required before installing this update.
Edited by Georg... Jan 09, 2013 Published: Dec 01, 2012 0 comments
The Canon EOS Rebel T4i offers the same sensor resolution of 18MP as its forerunner EOS T3i, but shows a lot of improvements in handling and functionality due to a new image sensor and a new image processor. The camera is Canon’s first D-SLR with a touchscreen. This screen is very large (3”) and has a very high resolution of 1,040,000 RGB dots. It is a swivel monitor that can be flipped up- and downward and tilted to the front (for self-portraits). Even though it is a touchscreen, the whole handling of the camera (menu structure, parameter setup) is still oriented on Canon’s SLR handling scenario. In contrast to many compact cameras with touchscreen-oriented operation, the touchscreen isn’t mandatory, but it’s still helpful.
News
Press Release Jan 09, 2013 2 comments
The Xit Group has introduced two new flash units as part of their Elite Series of products. The XTDF260C and the XTDF260N flash units are designed for Canon and Nikon respectively. They feature a full LCD display, bounce, swivel and an automatic power zoom head. The flash will automatically zoom as you zoom your lens. They have metal shoes for better strength. They feature a guide # of 276 ft. They have a power saving mode, a PC synchronous port, wireless trigger sensor, and they support front curtain synchronous shooting. They support multi-flash lighting applications (S1/S2 modes). It also has power ratio control from 1/1 down to 1/128 power. It can be used as a slave flash as well. It takes 4 AA batteries and comes complete with a heavy duty case, which holds 4 AA batteries (not included), as well as a diffusor (included), and a flash stand (included).

The flash has a 5 year limited warranty.

Picture This
Staff Jan 08, 2013 Published: Dec 01, 2012 4 comments
This month’s assignment for Picture This! was “Made in the Shade,” photographs made solely in the shadow thrown by tree canopy or roof or even under overcast sky. While light levels might be lower, there’s nothing quite like the soft, diffuse light of shade to bring out every nuance of color and detail in a subject or scene. Using appropriate white balance and exposure settings, shade cast shots can look as if they were made using a large diffusion tent, all using natural light. And while HDR can help with excessive contrast, shade shots have the advantage in that they work entirely with one exposure and the most natural sense of light. Readers sent in a wide range of images covering nature, urban, and portraiture, all of which have a quality of light that bright, contrasty sunlit shots could never display.
News
Press Release Jan 07, 2013 1 comments
Interfit Photographic Ltd announced the introduction of several new additions to its ‘Strobies’ enthusiast and professional range of photographic accessories.

The Modi-light kit-STR180 is a specially designed accessory kit for the Strobist market that enhances the creativity of off-camera flash. This all-encompassing kit contains five different beauty dish accessories, five different colour diffusers with soft-box, snoot and barndoors. The kit comes complete with a specially produced DVD that offers a unique insight into the Strobist world of hot shoe flashguns, showing setting up the kit, assembly of each of the items and how to use them to best effect. The kit also includes the new Uni-Mount STR190 which serves as a multipurpose holder, able to fit the majority of manufacturer’s flashguns, providing a tight fitting by the use of pre-assembled thumbscrew clamps with a soft rubber surface.

George Schaub Blog
George Schaub Jan 04, 2013 2 comments
If you were a detective you would look for motive as a prime clue as to who did the deed, but how many times have you really thought about your own motivation for making photographs? The mystery all photographers eventually attempt to solve is: just motivates me to make pictures and to process images in my own unique way? Kind of like trying to figure out the meaning of life, I guess, and using your photography to help you answer a small part of that question.
News
Press Release Jan 04, 2013 1 comments
Adorama is now selling the newly enhanced Flashpoint DG600 300 w/s AC/DC Blue Monolight. Flashpoint is Adorama’s product line featuring high quality photo accessories and gear such as the DG600 Monolight at price points lower than the competing name brands.
Digital Innovations
Joe Farace Jan 03, 2013 Published: Nov 01, 2012 1 comments
While my silver 10-speed bike is a far cry from the silver Audi R8 I recently piloted around Sonoma Raceway they both have one thing in common: they are essentially transportation devices that allow a person to get from one point to another. And while the R8 gets you there lots faster than a bicycle, the journey is part of the experience. The one thing that the imaging tools featured this month have in common is they help you make images; they do so in different ways, based on the kind of photographer you are and what you like to photograph.
News
Press Release Jan 02, 2013 2 comments
Interfit Photographic Ltd announced that they will be sole distributors for the Priolite lighting range from Germany. Available for the first time in the USA, but designed and manufactured in Germany, Priolite is a range of highly portable battery powered monoblocs and power packs designed for the demands of the new generation of photographers.