But despite that, to many, it still didn’t live up to what many expected out of a flagship DX model. The D300s still had better build, with a faster frame rate and more accurate autofocus with more focus points. So does the new D7100 replace a camera that Nikon users have been waiting several years for?

Officially, the D7000 is not discontinued. Nikon are targeting the D7100 as the next model up from the D7000 and they will both be available side by side in the Nikon line up. This sounds good to those looking for a D300s replacement. So far, anyway.  The D7100 also now features the same 51 point autofocus system that was used in the D300s, again closing the gap between the D7000 and D300s.

But once shooting with the D7100, it is clear to see that although a few steps have been taken to close the gap between the two bodies, the D7100 shares much of its structural characteristics with the D7000 rather than the D300s. The top and back body plate are magnesium alloy but the front and bottom are still polycarbonate whereas the D300s’ entire body was magnesium alloy. Indeed the D300s still has the edge as far as robustness goes. And the D300s is still ahead as far as frame rate goes. The D7100 shoots a maximum 6 frames per second in DX mode and 7 frames per second in the additional 1.3x crop mode. The D300s could shoot 7 fps standard and 8 fps with the PDK1 battery grip supplying additional power. Not a huge difference but a difference all the same against the D7100. Although to be fair, the D7100 does manage to shoot at practically the same speed as the D300s despite it having twice the megapixel count as the D300s, a testament to the advancement in processing power of newer cameras.

As already mentioned, the D7100 has a 1.3 crop mode on top of the 1.5 DX crop sensor it already has. In total, the crop factor of the sensor plus the digital cropping combines to a 2x crop factor making it essentially a half frame camera. This can be useful for when a sports or wildlife photographer will need that little bit extra focal length. In the 1.3x crop mode, the camera still maintains a resolution of 15 megapixels which is still more than enough to maintain detailed pictures. (confirm spec)

One of the items making headlines that set the D7100 apart from not only the D300s but also the D7000 is the new 24 megapixel sensor it uses. It is not the same sensor as used by the D3200 or D5200. This sensor has no optical low pass filter at all which means images will be sharper than the sensors used in the D3200 or D5200 despite having the same resolution as those. There is a risk of increased moiré patterns and false colours but Nikon believe that this new sensor is good enough at reducing the effects on its own that it is worth the risk. Indeed when I shot with a pre-production sample I could not successfully reproduce any moiré patterns or false colours even in very detailed surfaces with repetitive patterns. I look forward to testing the production ready version of the camera to test this more thoroughly.

In terms of noise control, the new 24 megapixel sensor seems to perform roughly the same as that of the D7000, and that is a good thing as one of the strongest characteristics about the D7000 was its image quality. This is also impressive considering the D7100’s resolution is quite a jump up in megapixels from the D7000’s 16mp, and on a crop sensor where space is limited, high pixel density usually means weak low light image quality.

The D7100 features a 3.2 inch LCD screen like that of the D600 instead of the 3 inch display of the D7000.  The D7100 even feels and looks more like the D600 than the older D7000 in the hands. The screen can no longer take a plastic anti-scratch cover but Nikon claim to not need this as the glass on the LCD is more scratch resistant like that of the D4. The D7100 also uses a different battery grip to the D7000, a feature D7000 users looking to upgrade will find annoying should they already own a battery grip. Thankfully though it still uses the same EN-EL15 battery.

In terms of video, the D7100 becomes the first DSLR to be able to shoot full HD video at 60fps. There are many DSLR’s that can shoot at 60 fps but they all record at slightly lower resolutions – another video first for Nikon.

Overall, some will be a bit disappointed by the D7100 hoping for a camera more along the lines of what the D300s used to be. But if one can look past the build quality that is still not as good as the D300s’ tank like strength, the D7100 looks to be an impressive camera that has done more than just refresh the D7000 by putting a higher resolution sensor inside it. Image quality seems to be impressive at first glance and has a few tricks up its sleeve. A full production review will be coming shortly.

The redesigned PhotoComment Magazine is available in stores from today. It is bigger and has more great content crammed inside it. Check your favourite stockist and grab your copy.

Remember the magazine is available on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Blackberry 10 Store. Search for PhotoComment on the relevant App Store and get your fix of PhotoComment instantly.

Next up is the AF-S NIKKOR 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR and the TC800-1.25E ED tele-converter that is made to match. The FL in the description stands for “fluorite” elements.  The TC800 converter that will be supplied with each lens is – according to the press release – matched specifically to the lens it comes supplied with. Wonder what the implications are if something happens to that converter? The weight of the lens alone is 4.59kg… that sounds rather lighter to me than I would expect an 800mm to be.

Coolpix

Nikon have announced 11 new Coolpix cameras. A replacement for my families favourite Coolpix S30 camera – particularly my 3 year old son – is the new S31. Still waterproof, shockproof and with a 10mp sensor. The Coolpix L820 has a 16mp CMOS sensor with 30x optical zoom. The L27 and L28 have 16mp and 20mp sensors respectively, sharing the same 5x optical zoom. The Coolpix S2700 is apparently a “Style Icon” with 16mp CMOS sensor and 6x zoom. The S9400 on the other hand is an 18mp CMOS sensor and 18x zoom with full HD video ability.

Cut the cord with the S5200 which is a 16mp CMOS and 6x zoom camera with WiFi and the long awaited replacement of the highly durable AW100, the AW110, is waterproof now to 18 meters and sports WiFi. The Wireless party continues with the S6500 which has a 16mp CMOS sensor and 12x zoom and the WiFi party concludes with the Coolpix S9500 which sports 18mp CMOS and 22x zoom. The final camera in today’s announcement, the P520 shows off with a 42x optical zoom joined to a 18mp CMOS sensor and built in GPS.

Along with the two new cameras Nikon have announced a new underwater housing for the S1 and J3 plus two new lenses. A wide-angle zoom in the shape of the 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 (giving the equivalent range as a 18-35mm in full frame terms) and a new 10-100mm (equivalent to a 27-270mm) f/4-5.6 which provides a lighter, more compact alternative to the existing 10-100mm powerzoom lens.

Coolpix

On the compact camera front, Nikon released two new Coolpixes. The S6500 brings with it WiFi, a 16mp BSI-CMOS sensor and a 12x optical zoom. The Coolpix S2700 on the other hand gives entry level consumers a 6x optical zoom with several filter effects and motion detection plus tracking autofocus.

Compact Cameras

Essentially all of Samsung new camera are “Smart Cameras” offering WiFi connectivity. Here is the list of them.

At the top is the The WB800F. It has a a 16mp Back-Side Illuminated (abbreviated from here on out at BSI, same as Backlit CMOS and has nothing to do with illuminating one’s back-side) CMOS sensor and 21x optical zoom. It has a “hybrid touch interface” meaning a touch screen with navigation buttons as well.

The WB250F features a 14mp BSI CMOS sensor and 18x optical zoom with the same “hybrid touch interface”. The WB200F is a smaller brother with a CCD sensor instead of BSI.

Next we have the WB30F. It has a 10x zoom in a very slim body and a 16mp CCD sensor.

The surprisingly popular Dual View range – Samsung’s range of cameras with a screen on the front and back for easy self-portraits – gets the new DV150F model. The front screen here is 2.7-inches which should make framing pictures of yourself with the 16mp CCD sensor and 5x zoom a great deal easier.

Lastly we have the ST150F which does away with the (what some may consider vain) front facing screen but keeps pretty much the rest of the DV150F’s key features.

FinePix Compacts

The XP60 is for all those adventurous shooters, going down to 6m under-water and sporting a 5x optical zoom with 16mp sensor.

The T550 and T500 have a 16mp CCD sensor with 12x zoom lens. The main difference between them is that the T500 has a 2.7-inch screen where the T550 has 3.0-inch.

The big zoom S-range has been revamped. The S8500, S8300 and S8200 equipped with a 46x, 42X and 40x zoom range lenses respectively. Seems that the S8500 will be available in European regions while the S8300 is aimed for the USA. The S8200 is available all over the world and shares the 16mp Backlit CMOS sensor as the other two cameras. Then there is the SL1000 which has a massive 50x optical zoom. It also has a 16mp sensor.

The HS50EXR and HS35EXR take over from the HS20. The HS50EXR has a 42x optical zoom and Fuji’s new EXR CMOS II (that’s version 2) sensor. The HS35EXR is using the older sensor with a 30x zoom.

X-Series

Lets look at the X10′s replacement first, the X20. The new X20 feature the X-trans CMOS sensor technology that we have seen in the X-Pro 1. It also has an optical viewfinder which has a “Digital Trans Panel” allowing you to see information on Shutter Speed, ISO and Aperture for example, in the viewfinder. Overall speed of the camera and it’s autofocus is said to be a big improvement too.

A little over 2 years ago, Fuji created a great deal of noise in the photographic world when they announced the very retro styled, X100. Now the replacement has arrived, the X100s. The sensor has been upgraded to a 16mp APS-C X-Trans one, similar to what is in the XE-1 and X-Pro 1. A higher resolution optical/electronic hybrid viewfinder is inside and a faster processor which apparently allows Fuji to claim the fastest autofocus speed of any camera in its class… not that that is a very wide field, but its certainly good news if it is as good as they claim. Also a very welcome improvement is the digital, split-image manual focusing system which is also meant to be much faster than the old X100. We are eager to experience it for ourselves (since focus speed was our greatest criticism of the X100) but initial reports are good.

The Pentax Q10 is already a tiny enough changeable lens, mirrorless camera that is comes across as a toy, not helped by some of it’s lenses being named as “toy lenses”. Now Pentax have announced that the little Q10 is available in 100 colour combinations!!!

Apart from the very different PowerShot N, Canon’s new lineup include the IXUS 140 and PowerShot A3500 IS, A2600 and A1400. The IXUS has a 16mp sensor with an 8x zoom lens and WiFi. The A3500 IS also sports WiFi and a 5x zoom with the same 16mp CCD sensor as the IXUS 140. The differences from the A3500 IS to the A2600 is the loss of image stabilization and WiFi on the A2600 while the A1400 moves to AA battery power.

Xperia Smart Phone

Sony’s new Xperia Z is actually an exciting device after our recent review of the Xperia S as a camera. What is interesting about the new Z is that its got a full HD 5-inch screen and is water resistant. It also shoots HDR videos thanks to it’s Exmor RS sensor with clocks in with 13 megapixels.

Cyber-shot

Sony’s Cyber-shot TF1 is a more budget focused, waterproof camera. It sports a 4x optical zoom coupled to a 16mp sensor and goes down to 10m underwater.

Also on the entry level side is the new W710 and W730 cameras. Both have a 16mp sensor with the W710 having a 5x optical zoom and the W730 an 8x.

If you are after more zoom the H200′s 26x zoom may catch your interest. It looks like the bigger HX200 but has a 20mp CCD sensor opposed to the Exmor R sensor found in the HX range of cameras. The camera is also powered by 4 AA batteries.

The WX80 aims to lower prices a little on Sony’s Exmor R equipped cameras. That said it is no slouch. The 16mp Backlit CMOS sensor peeps through an 8x zoom lens and the camera has WiFi and the ability to shoot at 10fps.

Handycam

There are several new Handycam video cameras out from Sony and while we don’t often talk about video camera, I thought as the mediums of still and video seem to be crossing more often, perhaps we could touch briefly on this. The new PJ790V and PJ650V are part of Sony’s range of Handycams that have built in video projectors. What is interesting about these cameras is that unlike their predecessors you can now use these Handycam’s projectors to display content from a laptop etc. At the same time they are great video cameras so dual functionality in a compact size. Win win… maybe?

Also of interest is the TD30V which is a 3D shooting video camera with a suggested retail price of under $1000 US. Also at CES was a prototype of a 4K shooting Handycam.

The K-r already had class leading frame rate for an entry level SLR at 6 frames a second. Only Sony’s entry level SLT range is faster. The K30 maintains the same frame rate but it has improved on the K-r by having a much higher buffer. One of main complaints I has about the K-r when I tested it 2 years ago was that despite its great frame rate, it would only maintain that speed for a short time before the buffer would fill up and the camera would practically cease to shoot until the images had been fully written to the SD card. The K30 has an impressive 45 frame buffer in JPEG mode making the K30 more capable at maintaining its frame rate for longer over its predecessor.  Shooting in RAW means the buffer reduces to only 9 frames but this isn’t as major issue as most high speed sports and wildlife is tends to be shot in JPEG anyway.

But the improvements don’t stop there. Pentax upped the game considerably by making the K30’s entire body fully weather sealed. Search as hard as you like but you will not find another entry level camera with weather sealing or the K30’s quality of build. In fact, to get those features in other brands of cameras it would be normal to have to pay twice the price of that of the K30 if not more so. Also, whereas the K-r only has a single E-dial, the K30 has two like that of the K5, its bigger sister, a feature usually only reserved for much higher end cameras. For landscape photographers, a breed of photographer historically very loyal to Pentax due to their reputation for strong build and weather sealing, the K30 also features a built in intervalometer  for precise time lapse photography, another feature shared with the K5.

But that’s not all the K30 has adopted from its older, more professional level sibling. It also shares the same 16 megapixel sensor from the K5 that at the time of release was rated by DxO Labs as the 3rd best sensor ever produced in terms of image quality. Unsurprisingly the K30’s image quality is great. And as an owner of a K5 myself, a camera I bought largely based on its image quality, I can say first hand how good the image quality is. The K30 is understandably identical to the K5 in the image quality department and will leave few disappointed by the images it produces especially at high ISO’s as noise levels are beautifully maintained.

One of the more controversial areas of the K30 has to do with its styling. It is definitely not what you would call conventional in its design. Pentax went for the route less traveled by designing it to look very striking with a sharp angular overhang around the prism area. While there will be a few that will find the design not to their taste, it is a feature I think most will find refreshing and I think it is a very handsome looking camera. It is designed as a whole to be a rugged camera and the design reflects this with perforated rubber covers over the connection ports , the rear of the camera and on the hand grip which is made of high quality and very grippy rubber. Ergonomics wise it is very much like the K5, a camera which I have always had pleasure in holding as it is extremely comfortable. The hand grip is designed to contour around your hand and fingers, a feature many entry level cameras do not normally do well. The only complaint some would most likely have would come from male users with big hands. As is typical with Pentax, they make very compact DLSR’s and can be difficult to grasp for anyone who doesn’t have dainty hands.

The K30 thankfully features the same focus toggle switch as the K5 which has the settings: Manual Focus, Autofocus Single and Autofocus Continuous. The K-r only had the options of choosing between Manual or Auto. Previously Single or Continuous Autofocus had to be determined within the menu system before hand which used to be an unnecessarily long process. The K30 is more direct about a feature as important as this, especially considering how serious it is about shooting high speed subjects.

Another feature unique to Pentax is the ability to use AA batteries as well as the dedicated Lithium Ion battery supplied with the camera. This is particularly useful if you exhaust all your Lithium Ion batteries because in an emergency situation you can just run down to your nearest convenience store and purchase readily available AA batteries and you’re good to go again instantly. There is no need to go to a dedicated camera store just to buy extra batteries.

The most significant improvement that the K30 features is Pentax’s latest autofocus algorithms and processors. In photographic mode it is marginally quicker than even the K5 but the difference is most notable when shooting in either live view or video mode. Whereas all Pentax’s that have had live view or video up until now have shown sluggish phase detect autofocus, the K30’s phase detect autofocus is almost as quick as it’s contrast detect autofocus. Lenses have that same snappy feeling and sense of urgency that you would find when focusing normally and is a very noticeably big difference to previous models.

So to conclude, the K30 might not be the most affordable entry level camera out there, but it is a camera that is hard to be classified as entry level based on its build, performance, features and image quality. It is without doubt a big step above anything else in the same price range that any other camera brand has to offer and with that in mind, the K30 is amazing value for money. It shares many of the great features that make the pro level K5 great and even in some aspects it even surpasses the K5, most notably with the newer phase detect autofocus. For first time SLR buyers, the K30 is a hard camera to beat. It’s good enough to the point where it would even attract the attention of Pentax shooters looking to upgrade from their older entry level models but simply can’t afford Pentax’s more professional level models. For the money, there is little to fault.

First Impressions

Undeniably, it’s hard not to notice the sheer size of the 645D. It has the same basic design and size of the film versions of the 645’s, albeit a little bulkier and – that is to say – big. Very big. Build quality wise, simply put: it is a tank. It is solid, heavy and would faithfully stand up to years of abuse without a hiccup. If you’re a seasoned Pentax shooter, despite the 645 being a very different standard of camera to anything else that Pentax make, you will feel very much at home with the 645. The menu system and layout are typical of a modern day Pentax (which is to say: simple, intuitive and easy to use). The only difference you will find with the controls is that (whereas with a conventional Pentax DSLR, where a single button has several functions), the 645D has a lot of buttons to control various individual functions and nothing else. Each button serves only one purpose which means that there are a lot of buttons to become acquainted with, but once they have all been memorised, it allows for much faster usage. Also, each button is extremely large and easy to press when pressing is intended (accidental pressing is not an issue, despite their size); making fiddling for small buttons a nonexistent problem.

One of the features that is impossible to ignore is the control LCD screen on top of the camera. It is massive. Really… you can’t believe just how massive it is. It is almost on par with the size of a conventional DSLR’s normal image viewing LCD screen, found on the back of a camera. But this LCD screen is purely for changing the parameters of the set up and nothing else. There is still the LCD screen for viewing images and negotiating the menu system on the back of the camera, as would be expected. That is of a typical 3 inch size. But the status LCD screen is not far behind in size. In fact, it measures roughly the same width as the main screen and is about 2/3rds of the height of the main LCD screen… it’s that big! Needless to say, it displays a wealth of information from the usual shutter speed, aperture value and ISO settings and much, much more; to even the set up for each individual SD card. I could write a short article just explaining how much info the control LCD screen displays. It was a pleasure using such a comprehensive control screen that was so easy to use and to read with its large sized type.

Another defining factor about a camera as big as the 645 is that with a big sensor comes a big mirror. And big mirrors cause a lot of vibrations while shooting. This is typical of medium format cameras and is not something that can be completely eradicated. But it can be reduced. One of the most prominent buttons on the camera body is the Mirror Up function. And it is a button that will be used extensively. The mirror is large enough that small earth tremors are felt when shooting, which makes attaining sharp images very difficult to do at slow shutter speeds, when hand held. Medium format cameras generally struggle in low light/available light situations as their high ISO performance is quite lacking and so shooting at slow shutter speeds is often unavoidable with cameras such as the 645D. When you experience the mirror shake, it will instantly become understandable as to why they’ve made the Mirror Up switch so large and prominent.

Ergonomics-wise, the 645D is reassuring and a pleasure to hold, despite its size and weight. The indent in the hand grip where your fingers would be situated is extremely deep and so your hand really does feel like it completely encompasses the handgrip, which prevents any accidental dropping of the camera (which would normally be easy, considering its weight).

Unlike many other medium format cameras, the 645D doesn’t have an interchangeable back and so can’t be upgraded to higher resolution backs (not that one really needs more than 40 megapixels – in my opinion – because if you’re the kind of person who believes 40 million pixels isn’t enough, chances are that no number will ever be enough), but the benefit of not having an interchangeable back is that the body is typical of high end Pentax bodies in that it is completely weather sealed.

In Use

Unlike full frame cameras which all have the same 36x24mm dimensions, not all medium format cameras conform to the same formula. Some are 6×7, or square format 6×6. The 645D is named after the format that its film generation models were based on which is 6×4.5cm, although the 645D doesn’t have a sensor of those exact dimensions. It is actually 44x33mm. It may be the smallest of the medium formats, but it is still 1.7x larger than 35mm full frame and it shows in the images. For those that understand how a larger format can have more potential for having shallower depth of field with the right lenses, the 645D is no exception and would make a fashion photographer very happy as the images it produces are outstanding in that regard.

Other areas in which the Pentax shines are, understandably, resolution and sharpness. The sharpness and detail are particularly exceptional and – honestly – there’s not much more that can be said on the subject. It’s phenomenal. That’s all there is to it. Also impressive is the autofocus. Speed wise, it won’t win any autofocus speed awards but that’s not to say that it isn’t sufficiently quick. In fact, it’s not really much noticeably slower than a mid range DLSR. It’s hardly a camera that one would use for shooting sports, so most users won’t be too disappointed by its autofocus. But what was particularly impressive to me is how accurate the autofocus is. I couldn’t help but notice that it was spot on every time. Even the best autofocus systems get it wrong every now and then, but not with the 645D. Considering how shallow the depth of field was with the lens I was using, any out of place focusing would have been noticed instantly and the 645D exhibited not even a small amount of either back or front focusing in any shot, even accidentally. This is particularly important, considering that most medium format cameras don’t have the most sophisticated autofocus; especially when compared with commercial DSLR’s. In terms of speed, other areas of the camera are a lot slower. Particularly with regards to frame rate. At full speed, it shoots 1.1 frames a second and that’s largely because the file sizes are, well, large and require a lot of processing. It is typically the down side to extremely high resolution cameras. It is standard for medium format. Again, it won’t be used by sports photographers and so a frame rate any faster than that is simply not needed on a camera like this.

The 645D has twin SD card slots. Many would criticize the choice of using SD cards in a camera of this caliber and not Compact Flash. But that was an issue a few years ago when SD cards were achingly slow in comparison to CF. Modern day SD cards are much faster and in fact aren’t far off from the fastest speed CF cards. Using a top class SD card in the 645D is more than up to the task and the time taken from capture to writing images and reviewing them after a shot is really no time at all. A benefit of using SD cards is that – despite having two card slots – the camera needn’t get any bigger (which is a good thing considering that it is already hefty in size). Another benefit is that high speed SD cards are much cheaper than high speed CF cards and – considering how quickly this camera eats up memory cards – you’ll be glad that it uses the cheaper of the two when you inevitably have to buy many high capacity cards.

In terms of high ISO grain, the 645D performs respectfully, considering how high the resolution is and that medium format cameras tend to be quite bad at anything but the lowest of ISO’s. But those who are used to the stratospherically high ISO’s that modern day DSLRs are capable of will find the 645D very restrictive. The highest ISO of which the Pentax is capable is a modest 1600 ISO, with no option of expanding any higher. This is because – as is normal with medium format – the sensor is a CCD design and not CMOS. The reason for this is that medium format cameras are designed to be used under controlled lighting situations, i.e. in a studio with powerful lighting, at low ISO’s. And despite the old technology, CCD sensors do perform better at low ISO’s than CMOS sensors do. It is only at higher ISO’s that CMOS shows any benefits. And it shows. 100 and 200 are beautifully clear. 400 ISO starts showing small amounts of grain, but it is not very noticeable yet. 800 ISO starts becoming more apparent. From here onwards, you would only use ISO settings that high in natural light. 1600 ISO shows high amounts of grain, although it is not bad in quality. Visible grain need not be bad grain and the 645D has a pleasant quality about it. And also keep in mind that because the sensor has such a high megapixel count, if you resize the image down to more conventional dimensions, you will effectively be shrinking the grain in the image to the point where it is hardly noticeable anymore, while still maintaining more than enough resolution for most print purposes. So with careful usage, the 645D is even easily usable at 1600 ISO, which may not be high when compared with even an entry level camera available these days, but it is very good by medium format standards.

Conclusion

The Pentax 645D is a beast of a camera that is built like it could withstand wars. Overall, it is large, but not overly so when looking at medium format cameras as a whole. That size does have the benefit of having an almost limitless level of control, with more buttons than many will know what to do with. The control LCD screen is nothing short of gargantuan and is actually a pleasure to use. With the large size comes an extremely large and bright viewfinder. But with that large viewfinder comes a massive mirror; capable of alerting emergency authorities to the possibility of an earthquake, just from the small tremors that the mirror shake creates. Thankfully, the mirror up button is large and situated in a prominent area as it will no doubt receive a lot of attention and usage. The Autofocus speed is responsive enough, but – importantly – error proof with its accuracy. Image quality is phenomenal both in terms of detail and sharpness and, with the right know how, is capable of being used throughout its limited ISO range. Over the years that the 645 format has been in use by Pentax, they have developed quite a comprehensive and brilliant system of lenses, with more being developed every year. And with an adapter, one could even use Pentax’s even bigger lenses on the 645D from the Monster of all SLRs: the Pentax 67. At the price of $9 000.00 (yes, that is meant to read dollars), the 645D would probably give most photographers shooting with lesser systems a small heart attack. But considering that most medium format cameras that have as much of an extensive system available to them can cost almost twice as much, the Pentax 645D is actually great value for money. It would make a perfect choice for someone who is shooting with a full frame camera and is looking to make the next step up in the quality of their work. It was one of the cameras I was most disappointed to see go when my test period was over. Once you get used to the quality of medium format, it is hard to go back to anything else. So, was it worth the 5 year wait? I would be willing to wait longer.

While we may not always have a camera to give away, please keep on sending us more inspiring images and stories in 2013.

Uninspired moments

I sometimes find it hard to photograph, lacking inspiration. I recently found a way around this increasingly regular issue.

There is a secret to photographic inspiration which is like magic and – at least for me – works every time.

Pick a lens for your camera and start walking around with the camera in your hand. The trick is that it has to be in your hand! Your brain switches to photographic mode and bang there it is, a photograph then two and magic!

Who would have thought that a barbecue fire could be an interesting subject? Once I started to look at it from a photographic point of view I started to see alien landscapes and loved it.

I noticed that during my uninspired moments I often turn to the world of macro photography. Perhaps it’s because it is always available around us and dull subjects can become alive.

By Pascal Parent

Fotolia continues to span the globe by expanding its services becoming the first world-wide microstock agency to establish a local presence in South Africa. The launch of localised pricing in South Africa was a strategic move to not only become the market leader in Africa but also to acquire more local content, fostering long-lasting relationships with South African customers and artists.

For a brief time I made use of their service as a photographer and even sold one or two images. It is great to see a company like this looking to grow in the African market. Read on for the full press release.

Fotolia Introduces Services to South Africa

NEW YORK, 5 November 2012 – Fotolia continues to span the globe by expanding its services becoming
the first world-wide microstock agency to establish a local presence in South Africa. The launch of
localised pricing in South Africa was a strategic move to not only become the market leader in Africa but
also to acquire more local content, fostering long-lasting relationships with South African customers and
artists.

This expansion also marks the first step towards expanding throughout Africa. Considered a “hot spot”
in the microstock world for its sunny and infinite landscapes, South African photographers are also
among the most popular contributors on Fotolia.

“We’re looking forward to discovering and recruiting more talented local artists”, says Oleg Tscheltzoff,
CEO and co-founder of Fotolia. “Localizing to countries such as South Africa means expanding the
customer base for stock imagery to millions more people and we’re excited to be the leaders here.”

Fotolia has shown steady growth since its inception in 2004. With this recent expansion, Fotolia now
provides services to 21 countries and in 13 official languages.

About Fotolia
Over 3.5 million people prefer Fotolia for affordable, royalty-free images, graphics and HD videos. With
the introduction of the Infinite Collection, Fotolia became the first worldwide microstock organization to
offer both crowd-sourced and professional images on one site. Founded in New York City in 2004,
Fotolia spans the globe with websites in 13 languages and offices in 21 countries. With over 19 million
files to choose from, find it on Fotolia.com.

Lessons Learned the Hard Way

For five years I had studied everything that I could about my camera but still made the mistake of thinking that Photoshop could save any photo where lighting conditions were low. I had a rare opportunity to get up close to a Leopard and play around with my new 50mm. I took over 170 photos and noticed on camera that some were dark. Using Photoshop proved useless as there was just too much noise in an attempt to lighten the photo. It also turned out that those particular photos were the sharpest. My tip, never rely on software to fix bad photos and practice with your camera and lens in low light as much as possible no matter how long you have been taking photos.

By Nadine Spires

The entries into Care to Share are picking up and there are some great stories. As they come in we  will keep picking some of our favourites to share with you and keep you inspired to enter and stand a chance to win the Canon EOS 500D + 18-55mm IS. You can find out more about the competition and submit your entry here.

Misplaced Gear

Have you ever misplaced your gear? That is stressful. I was doing a favour for a friend by photographing her wedding. I took my son along to assist me. The pre-ceremonial shoot was at the home of the bride’s parents.

I took out my camera and flash unit that I would be using and gave my son one simple instruction. “Keep my camera bag and keep it on your back. Don’t take it off!”

Long story short, we were done at the house and then left for the church. The wedding party left as well. Upon arrival at the church I turned around to my son wanting to do a lens swop. Fear and a blank stare was all I got back.

My stomach was in a knot. Luckily I could ask one of the relatives to take my son to fetch the bag. A very embarrassing and stressful moment.

By Stephen Marks