Kelvin L

Someone else made it - it's called a Fujifilm X100

I hope Impossible start releasing similar materials for the 4x5" format... fingers crossed

I'm disappointed that Nokia Australia isn't bringing this phone into the country. I was hoping to get one of these to replace an ageing iPhone.

I think Hipstamatic is great. I like how you can keep the images offline, unlike Instagram. I think the lack of RAW file / post-capture processing in Hipstamatic is one of its virtues as well - the presets are selected in the same way I might select a type of film.

I also think that it's the iPhone that holds Hipstamatic back, not the software itself - the iOS interface requires too much stuffing around to get the app ready for taking a shot. This is in contrast to something like an old Nokia which has a dedicated shutter button and is ready to shoot at any time.

I admire Lowy's project. His images have a quality that transcend the technical considerations.

I like my Selphy - great for proofing and storyboarding a concept prior to final printing at a proper production lab. The prints are durable and colours are reasonable for its purpose (I have found a good colour profile for it via Google). It works out to cost 41c per print in AU. No mucking about with ink.

Local labs charge $0.35-$2.00 per 4x6 print depending on volume. Cost is therefore not an issue, even when discounting the convenience factor.

Yes I couldn't use my first Selphy (CP220) with Windows 7 but it was 9 years old! My replacement CP800 cost less than a spare memory card.

They were going to shoot the demo with the Stone Roses but technical difficulties led to a change of venue :)

I would love to see ACR incorporate film negative linear gamma 'raw' scans into its algorithms. Currently I'm fudging about using ColorPerfect plugin via VueScan, and the neg scans are messing with the Lightroom digital file workflow. It would be great to incorporate this into ACR :)

Changing technology might have something to do with this. "Back in the day" during the 90s when I was doing music photography it was pretty damn hard to get a usable shot on a roll of Tri-X in optimal conditions - media pit, no flash, and fast lenses. Forget colour! People in the audience had no hope. Dissemination of images was also slower and more difficult. So I guess that photographers back then were more valued by band managers and promoters. Internet and social media has changed all that.

I don't remember signing any dodgy contracts like the one mentioned here though. It was either a simple "yes" or "no", with venue security making it pretty clear if I tried to sneak in a few shots!

PS. It isn't management and security that I dislike the most in stage photography. It's microphone stands.

Nothing wrong with using "cheap" lenses on a camera like the D800. There happens to be a guy out there shooting a Holga lens on a Phase One back.

Don't forget that current low-end DSLRs exceed the megapixel count of the first full-frame DSLR, the Canon 1Ds. Even back then there was muttering about non-L lenses not being worthy of this camera, which in hindsight is a bit silly.

I wouldn't have any problem using the new 24-85 on a D800 within its limitations - in fact, I'm looking forward to checking it out.

It's nice to see Fuji still coming out with neat accessories for the X100. It tells me they haven't abandoned the model just yet.

I've used these kinds of converters in the past and found them impractical for actual use. It comes down to two things - bulk and lens mounting. Now we would need to factor in extra button pressing to select the correct framelines.

On the other hand I can't think of many other manufacturers offering a 28mm f/2.0 equivalent viewing angle for $350 or less. To the people saying that 28mm isn't wide enough - 28mm offers a true wide angle viewpoint with less of the stretchy field distortions you get with 24mm for close subjects and elements towards the edge of the frame. (I remember when 24mm was considered a superwide.)

I'd be interested to know how much native linear distortion is introduced into the RAW image, as the firmware update notes report some 'fudge factor' correction being applied when this lens is attached.

The sample images look more Kodak Technical Pan than Tri-X to me - great potential for excellent results, but extra care in exposure required.

I would have committed unspeakable acts for Tech Pan at ISO 10000 though, back in the day!

Very nice ISO100 images in the RAW samples - amazing resolution. A shame about the write speeds and lack of current third party RAW software support though, otherwise it would be in the running on my wishlist.

Thanks for this report. This is looking like a potential replacement for my trusty D700.

I'm saddened that I may have to upgrade one or two of my lenses though, especially the 24mm f/2.8 AF - with film it was fine, with 12 megapixels it struggles a bit.

I think the AF has been getting better and better with each firmware update. Manual mode is OK when using the AE-L/AF-L button, but the focus area box is relatively big. Personally I think "don't bother" with the focusing ring, even with the latest update. The image just doesn't snap in/out of focus that well with the EVF or screen, and the ring response is laggy.

It would be nice if the face detection also worked during shooting, rather than afterwards. The RAW button customisation is nice though - I've set it for the ND filter.

On my camera the manual focus ring seems to require less turns than before, but the difference is marginal and its responsiveness still drops off in low light. I wouldn't go as far as saying that it's now 'usable'.

The way this issue has been discussed and handled is reminiscent of the Leica M8 infrared sensitivity problem.

100% viewfinder! Nice. Seems like a reasonable recommended retail price too - I paid more for my D700 when it was released. Looking forward to trying the D800 out when it arrives.

I was so excited to see this new firmware release... until I read the updates. Yawn!

Faster manual focus ring please!

I think it's pretty neat from a craftsmanship perspective, despite being fairly useless. If you look closely it's a half case and not the actual camera body.

It's just a shame they chose to make it for this particular camera.