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

News
Press Release Apr 09, 2013 0 comments
Lowepro has added a new, large-capacity option to its popular Flipside Sport AW series: the Flipside Sport 20L AW. This technical pack features body-side access, a removable camera compartment, all-weather protection, plus lightweight carrying comfort.
Roger W. Hicks Apr 05, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
Roger Hicks’s “Pro Lighting Report” is part of our continuing series of reports from the photokina show. With a giant hall filled with lighting products, Roger reports here on what caught his eye and what he saw as the key trends at the show. We will continue with new lighting product reports in coming issues, with a special report coming out of the WPPI show held in March, and will catch up on more new products not mentioned here then. We consider lighting a key issue for all photographers and will have more tests ahead throughout the year.—Editor
Book Reviews
Stephanie Zettl Apr 05, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
Using Nikon system Speedlights, photographer Stephanie Zettl guides the reader through the fundamentals of flash photography then shows how to make the most of more advanced features such as flash exposure compensation, Nikon’s Creative Lighting System, setting custom flash functions, and using high-speed sync and off-camera flash techniques, including i-TTL radio triggers. Her text and images make the Nikon Speedlight Handbook (Amherst Media, ISBN: 978-1608954513, 160 pages, soft cover, $34.95) a handy guide.—Editor

Flash Exposure Compensation
Flash exposure compensation (FEC) is valuable when working in any of the automatic flash modes (auto or TTL), where the flash or camera’s meter determines how much output the Speedlight should give. You can adjust your exposure compensation on the camera or directly on the flash.

News
Press Release Apr 05, 2013 1 comments
Rokinon has announced the release of its 24mm F3.5 Tilt-Shift lens for May, 2013. The Rokinon T-S 24mm is a wide-angle, full-frame lens that has tilt shift movements, allowing its user to have advanced control over perspective and depth of field. It will beavailable for Canon, Nikon and Sony Alpha mounts to start.
Lighting Equipment
Steve Bedell Apr 02, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 0 comments
I am a dyed-in-the-wool natural light shooter. Outdoor portraits are my specialty and 95 percent of my outdoor portraits are taken with nothing but daylight. Yet, unlike other photographers I know, I actually prefer shooting on sunny days, and my studio schedules all day, so there is no waiting for the “golden hour” to get soft, directional light.
News
Press Release Apr 02, 2013 0 comments
Spider Holster, announced the launch of its newest item, the Spider Monkey Holster for photographic accessories. Spider Monkey is a compact yet durable holster clip that easily attaches to any belt or camera bag loop allowing photographers to hang their most-used equipment for quick-draw accessibility. Combined with a series of purpose-built Spider Monkey attachments, the new line offers photographers a new level of workflow flexibility.
Picture This
Staff Apr 02, 2013 Published: Mar 01, 2013 1 comments
While it’s true that photography is “writing with light,” shadows often play an equal and important role. They define form and space, create dimensionality, and concentrate the viewer’s eye on the main subject of the scene. Our Picture This! assignment this month was “negative space,” and we asked readers to send us images that use this important tool of the craft to good effect. We received portraits, landscapes, still life and abstract images, all of which display a thoughtful use of the “dark side” of aspects of the image. Exposure plays a key role in creating this effect, as does a strong scene contrast that allows the photographer to “read the highlights and let the shadows fall where they may.” All this stems from the old days when photographers were often forced by their use of slide film to create deep areas in their images in order to keep the highlights from burning up. Now that we have HDR and other contrast-fighting exposure tools it is a conscious exposure decision made to add so much to an image’s effect.
News
Press Release Apr 01, 2013 0 comments
Sekonic Corporation and X-Rite, Incorporated announced the availability the LITEMASTER PRO L-478D and L-478DR light meters bundled with the new special edition X-Rite-Sekonic Color Checker Passport with Sekonic Gray balance Card. Using free software from Sekonic and X-Rite, this new bundle enables photographers and cinematographers to quickly and easily create an exposure profile of their cameras, calibrate their meters and create color profiles that deliver the very best images.
C.A. Boylan Mar 29, 2013 Published: Feb 01, 2013 0 comments
Nikon 1 V2 Camera
The Nikon 1 V2 camera is powerful and highly versatile. Features include a 14.2-megapixel CX-format CMOS sensor, an EXPEED 3A image-processing engine, a traditional grip with a new Command dial, a 73-point AF array, and a high-resolution 3” LCD display. The 1 V2 has full Auto/Manual controls and the modes include Enhanced Motion Snapshot, Best Moment Capture, and Advanced Movie. It is compatible with all 1 Nikkor lenses and the WU-1b Wireless Mobile Adapter. The suggested retail price is $899.95 with a 10-30mm kit lens.
Book Reviews
Staff Mar 29, 2013 Published: Feb 01, 2013 0 comments
The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles has announced the publication of Eliot Porter: In the Realm of Nature (Getty Publications/November 2012), presenting work from the acclaimed American photographer’s illustrious six-decade career spanning the 1930s to the 1980s. Known for his exquisite images of birds and landscapes, Eliot Porter (1901–1990) was a pioneer in the use of color photography during a time when most serious photographers were working with black-and-white film.