photography

Studio photographers dissatisfied with recent events in the world of Canon SLRs might take heart at a fleeting glimpse of a possible 46-megapixel Canon EOS 3D.

That glimpse came from Nine Volt Photo, a maker of equipment to help photographers help take photos with cameras tethered to computers. It said it found a reference at retail powerhouse B&H Photo after an "inadvertent search for a Canon 3D."

The company shared a screenshot of the page list with specifications including a 46.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor, dual Digic 5+ processors, a 3.2-inch LCD, and dual CompactFlash … Read more

Shutterbugs who've used lens hoods -- an invaluable accessory for reducing stray light to improve image contrast -- know how frustrating it is to try to cap one's lens with the hood in the way. To prevent photographers from misplacing their lens caps or damaging their lenses, Taiwanese accessory makers have created a nifty accessory that combines both accessories into one.

The Hoocap features a simple design. It's a hood with two retractable doors; when not in use, the doors flip down to form a shield.

Judging by pictures of this contraption, it does seem to add … Read more

COLOGNE, Germany -- A decade ago, a cataclysm rocked the photography business as digital image sensors replaced fim.

It turns out that was just the beginning.

At the Photokina show here, it was clear a second wave of change is sweeping through the industry. Cameras produced during the first digital photography revolution looked and worked very similarly to their film precursors, but now designers have begun liberating them from the old constraints.

Three big developments are pushing the changes: a new class of interchangeable-lens cameras, the arrival of smartphones with wireless networking, and the sudden enthusiasm for full-frame sensors for … Read more

Popular camera accessory maker Joby -- known for its unique Gorillapod tripod -- recently launched its new 3-Way Camera Strap during Photokina 2012. Compared with typical neck straps, this camera strap can be configured into a wrist, neck, and shoulder strap by simply toggling a switch.

The strap, which retails for $39.99, comes in the form of a base plate, which has a universal thumbscrew that can be attached to the tripod mount of most cameras. The 3-Way Camera Strap features a Dyneema Cord -- a very strong material rated to hold more than 100 pounds that can be … Read more

COLOGNE, Germany -- Leica may not have the mass-manufacturing clout of Samsung or the retail footprint of Canon or the electronics know-how of Sony. But the German camera maker has got one thing in spades: a brand.

And nowhere is that brand more obvious than at Photokina, the camera show that takes place every two years here in Germany, Leica's home turf. Canon and Nikon had bigger crowds, but the Leica had the better ratio of booth visitors to customers as it introduced a new top-end rangefinder camera with new electronic abilities, a lower-end rangefinder that's not quite … Read more

The Autographer is an upcoming wearable ultracompact that aims to enable users to "see the unseen" by automatically capturing images based on its five built-in sensors. These sensors -- color sensor, accelerometer, magnetometer, infrared motion detector, and thermometer -- work together to tell the camera when to capture an image.

A GPS module works in tandem with the cam, tagging location information to every image captured.

"The user can live the experience while Autographer spontaneously captures the stories that unfold," says maker OMG (Oxford Metric Group). "This is not just a new camera but a whole new photographic approach." … Read more

ACDSee and its publisher, ACD Systems, have been on the scene for several years now, so it's not surprising to see how polished their flagship product is at this point. Getting started with the software is simple, yet the extensive feature set--particularly in regard to management of a large photo catalog--should provide users plenty of opportunities for learning how to master the application. With ACDSee 15, every step of the photo process--importing photos from cameras or other devices; cataloging photos in your library, applying corrections or creative edits to photos; viewing photo slideshows; publishing, printing, and sharing photos--is mostly … Read more

I came across this tutorial last week that showed how you can turn an ordinary phone camera into something capable of capturing extreme close-up macro photos. You know, the ones where you can see the hairs on a fly's head.

After the dust settled on the iOS 6 release, over the weekend I dug through the junk drawer in my kitchen and found an old laser pointer. I then located a bobby pin in the bathroom and some painter's tape in the basement. I now had the three necessary ingredients and the time to see if this thing … Read more

COLOGNE, Germany--We met up with the folks from Rudiger Maerz GmbH here at Photokina 2012 to find out more about the special dSLR customization service they recently started offering to consumers.

Using the same airbrush technique employed by the automotive industry, the company completely disassembles your camera and coats each part individually. Inscriptions and buttons, however, are usually left intact, so you still know your way around when adjusting camera settings.

Beyond cosmetic enhancements, the biggest draw of the dSLR customization service has got to be the ability to choose between different lens mounts. You can even opt to remove your dSLR's entire shutter mechanism. … Read more