Equipment Reviews
CES Photo Tech Notes
In an attempt to connect everything electronic, this year’s CES/PMA show in Las Vegas was awash in “smart” TVs, tablets, and various and sundry devices that can link to your device—be it phone, tablet, or camera—and allow you to access “image content” anywhere, anytime. There was also a rash of rough cameras, a 3D lens for still and video, new ways to customize your camera, and a major boost in USB storage and memory card speed.
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.
Techniques
Photo History
In the annals of American photography the images made by Farm Security Administration photographers in the 1930s and 1940s are famous.
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.
News
“From Fleeting to Forever” E-Book
Most of us spend endless hours snapping pictures and recording video in an effort to preserve and recall the best moments in life. While smartphones and digital cameras have made it easier than ever to capture every fleeting moment, they’ve also created some unique challenges.
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.
Latest Additions

News
Press Release Apr 30, 2013 0 comments
Manfrotto has announced a new addition to the 290 Series lineup: a foldable three-way head.
The head has three new kits built around it. It is designed to be precise and accurate, yet compact and lightweight.
Edited by Georg... Apr 30, 2013 1 comments
The EOS Rebel SL1 is an ultra-small SLR system; in fact it is smaller than many bridge cameras and even lighter than many other digital cameras.
Nevertheless it’s a real SLR system with Canon’s APS-C-sized image sensor, which is a little smaller than other APS-C-sized sensors made by Nikon, Sony and other manufacturers. Due to itsvery small body the grip on the right hand side is also is a bit smaller than usual and the handling of the camera is a bit tricky for photographers withlarge hands. The small body doesn’t allow for a status LCD on the top, so all information on image parameters and menu settings are shown on the LCD screen on the back.
Student Union
Jay McCabe Apr 26, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
Joseph L. Koch
We liked Joseph’s work right away, but when we found out that he took these photos in his kitchen, we were even more impressed. “The school has a full studio,” Joseph says, “but there are 2000 students, and booking studio time when I work full-time is difficult.” A home studio setup for product-related assignments turned out to be an ideal solution.

Joseph’s job is in retail, and upon graduation this March he’ll be working toward an art director position with a major corporation, a position that he feels will allow him to showcase his photo talents and creative eye. “The fascination is to come up with a concept and then implement it, to express an idea in powerful imagery.”

Lighting Equipment
Joe Farace Apr 26, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
The important characteristics of any studio lighting system are the quantity, quality, and color of the light they produce. Other factors such as recycle time, type of output control, build quality, and the ability to accept accessories may be crucial, but for many of us the most essential element is price. I was impressed by previous Flashpoint monolights (April, 2012, issue of Shutterbug) because they’re rugged, dependable, and significantly, for the advanced amateur and aspiring pro, inexpensive. Now Flashpoint has introduced a new family of monolights—the DG series—that builds upon all of the positive aspects of previous models and takes them in a new direction.
News
Press Release Apr 26, 2013 0 comments
Canon U.S.A., Inc.announced the world’s smallest and lightest DSLR camera: the EOS Rebel SL1 Digital SLR.

It features a newly developed 18.0-megapixel CMOS (APS-C) sensor and high-performance DIGIC 5 Image Processor for exceptional image quality and speed. With its combination of lightweight size, ease of use and outstanding image quality, the EOS Rebel SL1 is perfect for users looking for the ideal camera to bring sightseeing on vacation or to capture the everyday.

Web Profiles
Joe Farace Apr 23, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 1 comments
I said it last month but it bears repeating: “Never was there a time when it was so easy or inexpensive to create a great-looking website than right now.” Yet one emerging trend is to pack as much text onto the opening screen as possible and if a picture must be used it should be tiny and maybe show a portrait of the photographer. There’s an old joke whose punch line is, “First, you have to get their attention.” That’s true of websites as well. That landing page should be your signature image—that gasp factor—that makes the viewer look, linger, and want to see more. Give it a try.
News
Press Release Apr 23, 2013 0 comments
The new S8400W features an improved CMOS sensor, advanced processing power and amazing optics to give consumers a great combination of photographic versatility in an easy-to-use and compactdesign. The S8400W has a 44x optical zoom lens with fast aperture of f/2.9 to f/6.5, anOptical Image Stabilization system for blur reduction and is capable of a Super Macro mode for users to get as close as 0.39” from a subject for great close-up shots. This all in one FUJINON lens consists of 17 elements in 12 groups, and combines aspherical and ED elements that help to reduce aberrations and promote a superior level of image quality.
Lighting Equipment
Joe Farace Apr 23, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 1 comments
Speedotron’s power pack and head systems are the studio lighting world’s equivalent of the American muscle car. They’re powerful, made in the U.S.A., and ruggedly built to take hard use. Since its beginnings the company has offered two lines of lighting systems for photographers with different requirements. The premium-priced Black Line is intended for commercial shooters, while Brown Line products are aimed at portrait photographers, yet when used normally both have similar quality, reliability, and longevity.
Show Reports
Roger W. Hicks Apr 19, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
While a host of new digital cameras at photokina were covered in the January, 2013, issue of Shutterbug, this report focuses on some new out-of-the-mainstream cameras; new Zeiss and Schneider lenses designed to take advantage of ultrahigh-resolution sensors; and a couple of inkjet innovations that even I regarded as interesting. I say “even I” because I regard inkjet printing as being about as interesting as watching paint dry, which, after all, is what it is. Scanners will be covered under a future accessories report.
Lighting Equipment
Steve Bedell Apr 19, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 1 comments
Like most photographers, I’m always trying to see just how versatile I can make my dedicated speedlights. In my case that would be Nikon SB-800 Speedlights. And when I really want to create a unique look I’ll sometimes use off-camera flash so I can vary the exposure on my subject in relation to the overall scene. That usually involves me adding light to my subject to either match or overpower the ambient light. When I do that I like to have a little more control over the quantity and quality of the light than what I’d have if I just aimed my flash at my subject with no modification.