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 Apr 16, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
The world of portrait photography is defined by its differences—all potential clients, whether they are individuals, families, or professionals, are different people with different imaging needs. There is a difference in style and approach in making commercial, professional, and social (family) portraits. Commercial clients have something to sell or someone to influence; consumer clients have something or someone to remember. And, at any point in time, a photographer’s style may be so strong or special that it transcends these categories and enters the “fine art” field.
Edited by Georg... Apr 16, 2013 0 comments
Fujifilm’s X100s follows the X100 and offers enhanced imaging features and functions. The most important difference is the new sensor--the X-Trans CMOS sensor uses aspecial RGB mosaic pattern and offers higher resolution compared to the sensor in the X100. The new sensor has special mirco lenses that result in a very sharp and brilliant image, which is then enhanced further with the camera’s new EXR II image processor.
News
Press Release Apr 16, 2013 0 comments
The new-generation Nissin Power Pack PS 8 is said to provide more power and faster charging time at an affordable price. As an added advantage, these new features come in a more compact, lightweight housing made of high-strength plastic instead of metal.
Features
Staff Apr 12, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 1 comments
Color in photography has had a checkered history. Although photographs in color had been desired since the medium’s invention in the nineteenth century, commercially viable color photographic processes were not available until the early twentieth century. By that time, monochromatic photography had become a common part of everyday life, so much so that black-and-white images seemed “real” despite their chromatic deficiencies. As color photographic technologies developed, discussions about the realism of black and white versus color emerged.
News
Press Release Apr 12, 2013 1 comments
Starting this April, the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) in Salem, Massachusetts will show new and seldom seen works by one of Japan’s visionary landscape photographers. Since the early 1980s, Toshio Shibata has turned his lens on the roads, dams and bridges of Japan to create visually striking images highlighting the delicate balance between nature and the artificial. On view from April 20 - October 6, 2013, Toshio Shibata, Constructed Landscapes features 28 large scale photographs, including the first of the artist’s color photographs ever to be exhibited at an American museum.
Edited by Georg... Apr 12, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
The Sigma DP2 Merrill is dedicated to Dick Merrill (1949-2008), a photographer and engineer who developed/invented the Foveon sensor technology. The camera is based on former DP compact Sigma cameras, but uses the newest generation of the Foveon X3 sensor. This sensor records all three RGB values for every single pixel and has an image resolution of 4704x3136, or 14.75MP. Because of the multiplication of three RGB layers, the camera gains a “resolution” of 44.25MP. Officially, Sigma specifies the resolution of the sensor even higher: the spec sheet uses the gross resolution with 4800x3200 pixels (x three layers) and therefore indicates that the camera has a resolution of 46MP.
Talking Pictures
Staff Apr 11, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
Growing up in Florida, I began playing golf at an early age. However, for many years the most important club in my golf bag was the ball retriever. Florida golf courses are notorious for their water hazards and I believe I found many of them.
News
Press Release Apr 11, 2013 4 comments
Wacom has announced the Cintiq®13HD, a new addition to its lineup of Cintiq interactive pen displays aimed at creative professionals working in areas such as design, art and image editing. Wacom’s newest pen display combines a 13-inch HD screen, an adjustable stand and an improved Pro Pen for a digital workflow that feels just like drawing or painting with traditional media. Offering a natural experience, the Cintiq 13HD is easily integrated into any environment, making it an ideal tool to support creativity and enhance productivity.
Book Reviews
Joey L. Forewor... Apr 11, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
Serious amateur and professional photographers get a master class in lighting and portrait techniques from acclaimed photographer Joey L. in Photographing Shadow and Light (Amphoto Books, on sale $29.99). In this behind-the-lens guide, Joey L., arguably the most exciting young talent in professional photography today, shares anecdotes, techniques, lighting diagrams, and postproduction notes for a wide range of his commercial and personal work.
Edited by Georg... Apr 10, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
The Nikon Coolpix P7700 offers numerous function buttons to change image parameters and exposure modes very quickly and efficiently. On the top side of the large body are three dials. The first dial on the left-hand side allows the user to set up the most important image parameters like ISO speed, white balance, and image quality (resolution and JPEG compression) directly. The LCD shows the chosen image parameter setting on the screen when the photographer turns the setup dial and presses the center button.