Posted by Constantin Chirila on Jun 18, 2009 in News
Just a few days back I have found that the people from Avanquest improvised their web application: SendPhotos 2. What’s this? Well is a free photo sharing solution
So what’s so special about this application? Well the most important of all, it has certified support for more than 160 telephones, including iPhone and Blackberry, followed by other features as :
complete revision of the Web client interface
the acceptance of the iPhone
the creation of a plug-in for iPhoto
management of the leading social networks including Facebook, MySpace and Picasa.
The Avanquest SendPhotos photo-sharing web site, now available in the free public Beta 2 version, lets users to shares their photos with friends and family trough the web browser either from PC or Mac, with increased security, due to fact that the photos are completely private, hidden from search engines. Also they offer 1 GB of free space, meaning you can put as close as 1000 images close to a size of 1 mb per photograph, in which you can also store safely your precious photographs.
Bottom line: although this is excellent for people to store photos from their phone, I am not very impressed for it to be an amazing photo-storing or even sharing solution. But I have to admit that I really like the design and functionality of the web site.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Jun 5, 2009 in News
So what exactly Spider Camera Holster do? Well, it’s a belt clip with a “spider pin” adapter that can be screwed into your camera (where you screw your camera to your tripod). In my honest opinion, this is genius, because moves the weight of the camera from your neck to you neck. Many times i find myself wandering for hours with my camera hanging on my neck, be it a wedding or just walking through the city taking random shots. This is getting tiring and at the end of the day I often find myself with a pain in my neck, or my back. So as soon as it’s released I will definitely buy it and try it to see if it gives the security I need for my camera, because the system looks kind of unsafe for the camera. But, i can also put the neck strap on my shoulder so in case the holster fails at least I have a second thing to count on to hold my camera from crushing to the ground.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Jun 4, 2009 in Personal
For like 3 days I have joined Twitter with the rest of the bloggers, after understanding and seeing how important is micro-bloging platform for the internet comunity.
So now that I have a Twitter account you can easily follow me at http://twitter.com/ConstantinC or you can easily click on the Twitter icon at the top of the blog near the RSS feed.
What you are going to gain to follow me on Twitter? Well, I usually surf the net a lot, and I find a lot of cool things worth to share, and Twitter allows me to post and share a lot easier than writing an article on the blog. I also daily read more then 60-70 blogs from witch more than half it’s about photography, so I can provide you with more information than this blog allows me.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Jun 3, 2009 in Releases
Not being used to Pentax releasing innovative cameras, when I first saw the news, I didn’t paid to much attention. But today, from pure curiosity, I watched the presentation of Pentax K-7 DSLR camera, and I am simply stunned of all the cool feature it has, at a very affordable price, 1300$.
That being said i would like to point out some very cool features:
first and foremost it’s the improved high dynamic range that allows the camera to capture more details in darker area of a photograph
another feature first seen in a DSLR camera, it’s the ability to produce a HDR image in camera from 3 different exposures.
77 metering sensors improves the ability of the camera to automatically set the correct exposure of the photograph
ability to embed copyright information into the EXIF of all the photograph, feature seen only in pro DSLRs like Canon 1Ds Mark III or Nikon D3
improved weather sealing on the body of magnesium/steel alloy with steel sub-structure
ability to correct chromatic aberrations and lens distortions in camera.
live view with contrast and face detection focusing
improved vibration reduction with Sensor-shift system
ability to scan the image sensor and exactly points out where you have dust on your sensor, and ability that can help a lot when manually cleaning your sensor
video capture as the rest of the cameras from this generation
dedicated RAW button that allows easy switching between RAW and JPG file formats without wasting time changing it in the menu settings
allows you to custom change the name of the images
another useful feature is the dedicated white balance sensor
and last, but not least cool feature is, THE SIZE, having a very small size compared to Nikon or Canon.
Bottom line is that, they pulled out a cool camera, that I would love to have it in my equipment arsenal. These were only the features that appealed to me, but if you wish to read more about it’s specifications you can go to http://www.pentaximaging.com/slr/K-7/.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on May 31, 2009 in Personal
Hey everyone!
First and foremost I want to apologize for my inactivity, it’s been 2 crazy months and I’m still not finished. I’ve been busy with the college and things, and also I have started to work part time, so my time is pretty limited.
Anyways, this couple of months were a lot of releases and news in the photographic world like:
the release of the Canon 500D / Digital Rebel T1i DSLR camera
the release of Nikon D5000 DSLR camera
the release of Phase One P40+ camera system
three new entry-level DSLR from Sony: A230, A330 and A380
the release of Pentax K-7 DSLR camera
Although I wasn’t able to talk about these I promise that from now on I will struggle to be very prompt in talking about any news.
Also, I am planning to show some photo retouching techniques and maybe I will start a video podcast so you are able to understand much easier the steps of the future tutorials. I am also planning to integrate Twitter, so stay tuned for some changes in the interface.
Last but not least, I would like to proudly announce that I recently became a member of AAFR ( the translation: Association of the Romanian Artist Photographers ), hope I got right the translation. This is very important to me, because only best and most active photographers can take part . If you wish to see the photographs that helped me join AAFR, then you can go here.
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Apr 4, 2009 in Camera Gear, News
Hi, guys. I haven’t wrote anything for more than a month, and I apologize for that. I had some personal things to take care of. Now hopefully I will continue writing new posts.
I would like to let you know that Canon has just announced a line of some amazing new lenses with optics that intensify the light as it passes through. This technology has been in development for many years, and because of a new revolutionary manufacturing process, the production of this high quality optics it possible at affordable prices.
Canon can’t release details of exactly how they make the lenses (for obvious reasons) but, they have said that the process of manufacturing has to take place in complete darkness until the new Starlight Spectra Coating, which is the key to the intensifying of light, has time to develop its light gathering ability.
So Canon has started the line of new lenses with this 20-400mm f/2.8 IO (Intensifying Optics) IS USM, and from what I understand they will release more lenses with this special ability.
As a side note, I have read somewhere, forgot where, a rumor that Canon stops producing the famous 70-200mm f/2.8. Now i can understand why, maybe because they are going to release a new version of 70-200mm with IO.
So the estimated price is somewhere around 4100$ (3100€) and the release date it’s sometime in autumn 2009. Also here’s a list of key features:
Aspherical optics used on all elements except for front SSC coated element
Pro quality optics on a par with L series lens quality
Robust design with build quality equivalent to L series lenses
Image intensifying optics used in front element of lens
Lens feature full time mechanical manual focusing
Fully flocked throughout to prevent internal reflections
One touch design for speed of zooming
Optical image stabiliser with 6 stop correction for handshake
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Mar 12, 2009 in Releases
There will be a couple of announcements to be made by 25th of March by Canon. It seams that a new improved lens will be one of them. I don’t what exactly will be improved, but I am guessing a new Ultra Sonic Motor to facilitate a better and faster focusing, and I am guessing that it will be sharper than the previous model.
Also there is a new rumor that on the same day the new Canon TSi/500D will see the daylight. Although the first rumor said that this is going to be released at the PMA ( check this ), but it wasn’t released then. Anyway, we will wait an see.
Ohh and here is a list of specs for those of you who didn’t read the first post about this Canon TSi/500D:
Posted by Constantin Chirila on Mar 4, 2009 in Camera Gear
A couple of days ago, at PMA show, Sigma presented 2 entry level lenses both with OS (optical stabilization) and one ultra-wide lens.
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
It seams that Sigma improved the popular ultra-wide lens 10-20mm f/4-5.6 EX DC HSM made for APS-C/DX sensors (Non Full Frame), making the new version with fixed a aperture of f/3.5 through the focal range. It also has two Super-Low Dispersion and two Extraordinary-Low Dispersion glass elements for the correction of chromatic aberrations. It will be available with mounts for Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Sony and Pentax DSLRs. Hopefully this will at leas as good as it predecessor, we will see some future reviews, I would like an ultra wide lens for my cropped sensor 40D.
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM
Sigma also has released a standard zoom lens featuring an optical stabilizer and a wide aperture at it’s shortest focal length. This is also having twoSuper-Low Dispersion glass elements for the correction of chromatic aberrations. As the previous lens it has a Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) for fast and silent focusing. Sigma also states that its OS it would work on Sony and Pentax bodies with in-body stabilization systems. This also will be available with mounts for Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Sony and Pentax DSLRs. Bottom line this is a good lens to replace the kit lenses, because this is faster.
Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM
Sigma also talked about it’s telephoto zoom lens. This lens has the same image stabilization as the 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 and also has the Hyper Sonic Motor. Something to note, due to fact that is a low-budget lens, is the fact that it has internal focusing with a non-rotating front element. Also the lens is treated for correction of chromatic aberrations.
So what exactly Spider Camera Holster do? Well, it’s a belt clip with a “spider pin” adapter that can be screwed into your camera (where you screw your camera to your tripod). In my honest opinion, this is genius, because moves the weight of the camera from your neck to you neck. Many times i find myself wandering for hours with my camera hanging on my neck, be it a wedding or just walking through the city taking random shots. This is getting tiring and at the end of the day I often find myself with a pain in my neck, or my back. So as soon as it’s released I will definitely buy it and try it to see if it gives the security I need for my camera, because the system looks kind of unsafe for the camera. But, i can also put the neck strap on my shoulder so in case the holster fails at least I have a second thing to count on to hold my camera from crushing to the ground.
For like 3 days I have joined 
Not being used to Pentax releasing innovative cameras, when I first saw the news, I didn’t paid to much attention. But today, from pure curiosity, I watched the presentation of Pentax K-7 DSLR camera, and I am simply stunned of all the cool feature it has, at a very affordable price, 1300$.
Hi, guys. I haven’t wrote anything for more than a month, and I apologize for that. I had some personal things to take care of. Now hopefully I will continue writing new posts.
There will be a couple of announcements to be made by 25th of March by Canon. It seams that a new improved lens will be one of them. I don’t what exactly will be improved, but I am guessing a new Ultra Sonic Motor to facilitate a better and faster focusing, and I am guessing that it will be sharper than the previous model.
Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM
Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8-4.5 DC OS HSM
Sigma 50-200mm f/4-5.6 DC OS HSM
