LATEST ADDITIONS

Canon U.S.A., Inc. has introduced the new EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM telephoto zoom lens. Created to be the perfect companion lens for the EOS 70D, EOS Rebel SL1 and EOS Rebel T5i Digital SLR cameras, the EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens expands Canon’s line of Stepping Motor (STM) lenses to six models – the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, the EF 40mm f/2.8 STM, EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, EF-M 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM, EF-M 22mm f/2.0 and the new EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens. Canon’s Stepping Motor lenses allow for the capture of high-quality still and video images and reduce motor noise from the lens so cameras, such as the new EOS 70D, will capture the sound of the video scene being recorded without the interruption of noise by the focusing motors.

The RX1 is the first time Sony has combined a compact camera system with a fixed lens system that includes a full-frame sensor that’s nearly the size of classic 35mm film material (35.8x23.9mm). The basic camera concept combines elements of digital compact cameras with features of classic viewfinder cameras, but leaves out an optical or electronic viewfinder. In its stead Sony offers an LCD screen on the back, similar to what you’d find in an entry-level compact camera. The screen is very large (3”) and offers a very high resolution (1.28 million RGB dots). The resulting image preview and the representation of the menu structure is crisp and clear. Sony does offer an optional optical viewfinder, which is mounted on the hot shoe. Just like the camera itself, it is quite expensive. Most users will also be surprised by the battery recharger system of the RX1. It’s equipped with a USB recharger and the user is forced to recharge the battery in the camera. An external recharger and additional batteries are offered as an option.

The Surreal Illusionism exhibition at the Finnish Museum of Photography features nearly 500 photographic postcards that offer a surprising wealth of pictorial ideas, high artistic quality and photographic allure.

As I write this controversy is swirling over Adobe Systems abandoning Creative Suite to focus on Creative Cloud. Even if this is solved by the time you read this, there will come a time when you’ll have to face a decision about whether or not to upgrade your software. There are two different schools of thought on software upgrades: one approach suggests that if a program is working, why spend money to upgrade? The reason behind this philosophy is that sometimes upgrades create more problems than they solve. A second viewpoint is to always upgrade to the latest version—no matter what. The thinking is that since change is inevitable that you should upgrade to the newer version to minimize or eliminate future problems. How Adobe has handled Camera Raw over the past few Photoshop upgrades is a testament to that theory. Over the years I’ve changed from an upgrade-regardless person to a more cautious approach. I may prefer to have the latest version of everything being used on a daily basis but now will wait weeks (months, years?) all the while listening to the drumbeat of grumbles from early adopters. That’s why I’m waiting to see what happens with Adobe’s new policy.