David Noton unveils evening roadshows

Copyright David Noton Photography 2009

British landscape photographer, David Noton, has announced the first in a series of evening roadshows. Themed Chasing the Light, the first event is to be held in Bristol, England during September.

For more info and to book tickets please visit Noton's website.

Panasonic UK announce price of Lumix GH1

Panasonic has today confirmed the price of the Lumix GH1 in the UK at £1299.99. There's no word as yet on the price of the optionally availble directional mic.

Magenta announce Flash Forward 2009 winners

The Magenta Foundation has announced the winners of the Flash Forward 2009, Emerging Photographers project here. As well as an initial exhibition Magenta will also publish a book of the project at Lennox Contemporary in Toronto, in October 2009.

L-Camera TV tours Leica factory

Leica User Forum's L-Camera TV has a behind-the-scenes look at the maker's facility in Solms and reveals some of the (labour intensive) production methods behind the 35mm M7 and MP rangefinders. Perhaps part II will show the M8.2 or the S2? I'm hoping, anyway.

L-Camera TV #1 - Does Leica still make MP and M7? from Andreas Jürgensen on Vimeo.

Multimedia training with MediaStorm, Brooklyn, New York

What with the tough economic climate and the critical need for multimedia training, MediaStorm will be holding a one-time, tuition-free Advanced Multimedia Reporting Workshop, in Brooklyn, NY from June 20-26, 2009.

Fore more details visit MediaStorm here.

Capturing stunning shots in the Lake District with Tom Mackie

Tom Mackie Images has announced an intensive four-day event designed to give just five photographers the energy and information required to take their love of landscape photography to new heights.

Taking place in the Lake District from 18th October - 22nd October 2009 attendees will have the opportunity to explore some of the most picturesque parts of the Lakes from towering mountains, glass-like lakes and gushing waterfalls to classic stone-built cottages.

For more information, including how to book, visit www.tommackie.com

Ricoh launches website for the CX1

I like the CX1, not only is it well made and responsive, the picture quality is up there with the best of them. So it comes as little surprise to see Ricoh have announced the launch of the CX1 website. Go take a look here.

Help support this site and buy from:

Amazon.com are not displaying the CX1 at this time.

Hahnemühle announce sponsorship of Redman-Holmes Exhibition.

Hahnemühle UK are sponsoring the forthcoming Redman-Holmes Exhibition in Mayfair, read the press release (in full):

Redman-Holmes Exhibition.

A fascinating exhibition is about to open in a top gallery in London’s fashionable Pall Mall, which will feature the collaborative work of photographer Paul Redman and artist David Holmes.

When they devised the concept several years ago, Paul and David had already decided that one of the main aims was to intrigue and, hopefully, to enchant the beholder with immaculately executed, but often enigmatic, images of the world around us.

This combination of talents allows a broad spectrum of work to be tackled, almost without limit other than to the extent of the imagination. That which you would think you could paint but can’t, and that which you would think you could photograph but can’t, has now been combined into an effect only achievable by combining the two skills.

Subjects range from flowers and insects through affectionate twists to familiar landscapes, together with occasional amiable inclusions of the kind of additions which might have been made by other favourite painters such as Cecil Collings and Alfred Wallis, this purely as an act of respect and homage to their talents

Redman and Holmes have coined the neologism ‘Photo-Peinture’ to describe this technique.

The work is based around very carefully discussed, selected and photographed subjects. These are inkjet printed using an Epson Photo R1900 printer onto Hanemuehle FineArt paper. The extra dimension being added through the use of acrylic, oil and water- colour paints applied directly to the surface of the print.

The result is then re-scanned to a large file size by master digital printer Ted Chau and printed onto Hahnemuehle museum quality paper or canvas.

All of this instantly moves the original idea on to a new level in terms of technique and clarity.

The exhibition opens on 7th May 2009 and closes on 17th May and is at La Galleria, 30 Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London SW1Y 4UY.

The weekend of 15-17 May coincides with the experimental all night opening of most of the State galleries for that weekend only, entitled ‘Museums du Nuit’


PAUL REDMAN

The middle one of five sons, Paul Redman was born in Lancashire, England.

After leaving Grammar School Paul decided to pursue a career as a photographer having recently won a category in ‘The Weekend Telegraph’ photographic competition. Formal training in photography in those days was limited to studying for a City and Guilds certificate, the syllabus at that time being so out of date as to be completely irrelevant to the newly emergent demands of the publishing and advertising industries.

Paul then assisted the very best photographers he could find in London to learn his craft, which is still the best way of doing it.

Early editorial commissions were quickly followed by a long career in advertising during which he has been commissioned by Waitrose, The French and English Tourist Boards, Amex, Intercontinental Hotels, Ideal Standard, Sony, Getty Images, Nissan, Bae Systems, Dulux and Graham’s Port.

He has won numerous national and international awards and has most recently photographed a Pan-European retail advertising campaign for Sony.


DAVID HOLMES

After leaving art college, David Holmes straightaway joined the advertising agency Colman Prentis and Varley.
Eventually becoming founder and creative director of another advertising agency, Holmes Knight Richie.

David has always worked as a painter, illustrator, designer and art director and has won numerous poster and design awards in the UK and worldwide. He currently works out of his studio, reached through a Japanese walled garden in Primrose Hill.

David’s paintings and illustrations are in collections in the UK and abroad. His work is in the V&A’s collection of contemporary illustrations and he has been commissioned by Penguin Books, Marks & Spencer,

Singapore Airlines, The Royal Mail, Duchy Originals, Graham’s Port and the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

He has just designed a new postage stamp for the Royal Mail.

Latest exhibitions:
Home House Gallery, London……2002
The Mall Gallery, London…………2005
Brick Lane Gallery, London……….2006
The Dover Street Arts Club……. 2008


PHOTO – PEINTURE IN MORE DETAIL.

Having discussed an idea between themselves Paul Redman, the photographer, and David Holmes, the artist, agree on a subject and an approach.

Paul finds or creates the subject matter and photographs it, making allowances within the composition for the areas which are to be painted, and digitally prints onto an A3 inkjet paper which must also have the ability to react perfectly with acrylic or watercolour paints.

After considerable research it was found that by far the most suitable paper was 308gsm Hahnemuehle Photo Rag Fine Art paper, with the best printer being an Epson Photo R1900 with its dedicated multiple inks system.

David paints directly onto the print.

The print is then re-scanned to a very large file size and printed in limited editions of 8 using an Epson Digital Ink Pigment process and printer onto either Hahnemuehle Museum Quality Canvas, which is then stretched, or onto Museum quality Fine Art paper and displayed under glass. The colour management and printing is done by Ted Chau at Chau Digital.

These large limited edition prints, signed and numbered, are part of a collaboration between the photographer and the artist, for which they have coined the descriptive term ‘photo-peinture’ and are for sale at the exhibition.

Phase One releases Capture One 4.8

As well as formally introducing the P 40+ digital back tomorrow, Phase One will also be announcing the availability of Capture One 4.8 (note the update will not be available until tomorrow 10 am EST):

COPENHAGEN, April 30, 2009 – The latest update to Phase One Capture One 4 is localized for Chinese (simplified), Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and Swedish languages. This version supports the new Phase One P 40+ announced today (including tethered support) and also the Olympus E-620.

Image quality improvements include: enhancements for the Phase One P 65+, the Leica D-LUX 4; color enhancements for Olympus E-30 and generally improved colors for editing JPEG and TIFF files.

Availability
Capture One 4.8 is available now and comes in three versions: 4.8, 4.8 PRO and 4.8 DB. Capture One 4.8 is a free service release to existing Capture One 4.x owners.
Existing customers with a Capture One 3.x license can upgrade to a similar version of Capture One 4.8 at no extra cost. For more information please go to http://www.phaseone.com/4.

Phase One Launches P 40+ with Sensor+

Although the official launch is tomorrow and the Phase One web site will be live at 10 am EST with the details, the DJP has been given an advanced preview of the new P40+ specs:

Medium format camera quality plus hand-held flexibility in one system

COPENHAGEN, April 30, 2009 -- Phase One, the leader in open-platform based medium format camera systems and solutions, today announced immediate availability of the Phase One P 40+ -- the company’s second Sensor+ enabled digital camera back/camera system.

Like the P 65+ introduced last year, this new system offers two separate image-capture modes. In normal mode, the P 40+ delivers full 40 megapixel captures for high-quality image details. And when shooting conditions demand, a photographer can push a button and instantly switch from 40 megapixels to 10 megapixels, gaining a four-fold increase in light sensitivity (ISO to 3200), and a capture rate of up to 1.8 frames per second --an ideal performance for hand-held and/or low-light conditions.

“Our second Sensor+ enabled system has been designed to deliver the fastest capture rate of any high-end medium format camera system on the market today,” said Jan H. Christiansen, marketing director for Phase One. “Our relentless innovation is inspired by the needs of quality- conscious professional photographers who seek flexible and reliable camera systems that can work as hard as they do.”

The versatility of the P 40+ system is important for those who seek quality medium-format 16-bit capture under a variety of working conditions. Both modes feature a 12.5 f-stop dynamic range. From high-end wedding, fashion and fine-art photographers to photojournalists, the choice of capture modes in a single camera system frees photographers to focus on the job at hand rather than worry over equipment.

Best results of Sensor+ technology are available by processing images using Phase One Capture One software version 4.8 or higher.

Technical specifications:
P 40+ full resolution capture mode:
Resolution: 40 megapixels
Pixel size: 6 x 6 micron
RAW file compression: (IIQ large: 40 MB) (IIQ small: 26 MB)
ISO: 50, 100, 200, 400, 800
Capture rate: Up to 1.2 frames per second

P 40+ Sensor+ capture mode:
Resolution: 10 megapixels
Pixel size: 12 x 12 micron
RAW file compression: (IIQ large: 10 MB) (IIQ small: 7 MB)
ISO: 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Capture rate: up to 1.8 frames per second

Phase One P+ camera back mounts:
Phase One 645 AF, Mamiya 645AFDII/ AFDIII, Mamiya RZ67 PRO IID via adaptor, Hasselblad H1 and H2, Hasselblad 555ELD, 553ELX, 503CW and 501CM, Contax 645.

Wide angle & technical cameras: 4 x 5" via FlexAdaptor: Arca Swiss, Cambo, Linhof, Toyo, Sinar, Plaubel, Horseman.

Pricing & Availability
The P 40+ digital back starts at €14,990; the P 40+ camera system starts at €16,990. All products are available now.

More information

For full technical specs, please read more here.

For pricing and more information please contact a local Phase One dealer.

Canon EOS 5D MkII back in stock at B&H

Anyone having trouble finding the Canon EOS 5D Mk II in stock could do worse than run New York dealer B&H by for a price. They're quoting $2,699.95 plus free shipping (in the US). Follow this (shameless) link to order yours and support this site at the same time.

Retailer Red Dot Cameras reveals price on white Leica M8

Specialist UK Leica dealer Red Dot Cameras has announced the price of the limited edition white Leica M8. The special edition model is priced at a cool £5900 (inc VAT) and comes complete with a chrome finish 28mm f/2.8 ELMARIT (equivalent to a focal length of 35mm, in 35mm film terms).

For more details see the retailer's site here.

Nikon D5000 at Jessops, 1st May

While the Nikon D5000 is available in the States and elsewhere, seems like we in the UK will have to wait a little longer to get our hands on the the new Nikon.

Nikon UK press release

The new Nikon D5000 hits the shelves

at Jessops’ new flagship London Store

Be amongst the first to view Nikon’s latest digital SLR, the D5000, at the newly refurbished flagship Jessops store, when the new Nikon model goes on sale for the first time on Friday 1st May 2009.

To celebrate the on sale launch of the hotly anticipated new camera, the Nikon team will be visiting Jessops’ New Oxford Street store on 1st - 2nd May 2009 to demonstrate the capabilities and benefits of the new camera as well as answer any technical questions. A programme of free Nikon led seminars will also be running throughout the two day event, please see schedule below:

Seminar programme
Getting the best out of D-Movie
Friday 1st May: 4.00pm and Saturday 2nd May: 3.00pm

Creative lighting demonstration (D90 & SB-600)
Friday 1st May: 2.30pm and Saturday 2nd May: 1.30pm

Jessops will also be offering an exciting promotion across the two days; for every purchase of the D5000 made at the store, customers will receive a free canvas print (32” x 24”) and a free Sandisk 8GB Ultra II SDHC card, Centon outfit bag and Jessops TP323 tripod.

For directions to Jessops, New Oxford Street, London store, please visit www.jessops.com

For more information about the new D5000 please visit here.

Nikon chip maker Renesas to merge with NEC Electronics

Renesas are rumored to be the makers of the CMOS imager in the Nikon D3 and D700 (pictured above)

Nikon's principal chip supplier for the full-frame 12-megapixel D3 and D700 DSLRs, Renesas Technology Corp, agreed to a merger with NEC Electronics Corp this week, prompting the DJP and likely other industry pundits to consider the implications for the company, which has seen market share improve in the influential pro-sector currently dominated by rival Canon.

Although it has never been confirmed by Nikon, it's thought Renesas fabricate the 35mm format CMOS imager that has been responsible for the turnaround in the camera makers fortunes in the ultra-competitive press and agency markets, in which the Japan based company once prevailed. Nikon UK has so far declined to comment on the news.

Source Bloomberg

NEC Electronics Corp. and Renesas Technology Corp. agreed Monday to merge in a deal that may create Japan's largest chip maker.

The terms including ownership ratio should be agreed by the end of July and the transaction completed by next April, the companies said Monday. The chip unit of NEC Corp. and Renesas, the Tokyo-based venture between Hitachi Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., made the announcement in a joint statement with their parents.

"Nothing has been decided but because of NEC Electronics' listed status, it's likely that it will be the surviving company," NEC President Kaoru Yano told reporters in Tokyo. "We don't look at it as one company absorbing another."

NEC Electronics, the chip unit of NEC Corp. and Renesas, a semiconductor venture of Hitachi Ltd. and Mitsubishi Electric Corp., made the announcement in a joint statement with their parents to the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The combined entity would account for more than 30 percent of the $13.6 billion market for microcontrollers used in cars and consumer electronics, almost triple the market share of the nearest rival, Freescale Semiconductor Inc. The tieup may also lead to further reorganization in Japan, where five of the nation's top eight chip makers forecast losses in the last fiscal year.

"There are still a lot of unresolved issues, but the overall impression is positive," said Yukihiko Shimada, an analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Securities Co. "It remains to be seen how the companies will deal with their overlapping production facilities and workforces," Shimada said.

Microcontrollers are minicomputers dedicated to a specific function, such as operating a liquid-crystal display in a microwave oven, cruise control in a car, or remote control for a DVD player.

Combined sales at Renesas and NEC Electronics in calendar 2008 reached $12.9 billion, exceeding $10.6 billion at Toshiba Corp.'s chip unit, Japan's largest chip maker, according to an April 16 report by Morgan Stanley.
Renesas controlled 20 percent of the market for microcontrollers in 2008, followed by NEC Electronics with 11.4 percent and Freescale with 11.2 percent, the Morgan Stanley report said.

Toshiba, the country's biggest maker of system LSI chips, may form an alliance with Fujitsu Ltd., the country's fourth-biggest manufacturer of the devices, Hideyuki Maekawa, a Tokyo-based analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG, wrote in a report dated April 16.

Panasonic GH1 with directional mic

Panasonic's little Lumix GH1 stills and HD video hybrid promises to whet the appetite of a lot of imaging creatives when it's launched at the end of May. Although we reported the GH1 had a mic socket for an optional directional mic when the new Lumix was announced, Panasonic has kindly forwarded a photo clearly showing the complete setup.

(UPDATE: We'll have more details, including sample shots and video clips after the press event in May).

Further details can be found here.

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS review

Maintaining the similar SLR like styling and high ratio 20x zoom of its predecessor, the popular S5 IS model, Canon’s new PowerShot SX1 IS adds several innovative features to the mix. Most notably, the SX1 IS is one of the first compacts to feature a new proprietary 10-megapixel CMOS sensor. It’s the same small 1/2.3-inch type (6.2x4.6mm) as that found in their other compacts, but the switch to CMOS may help reduce noise levels.

Also attractive is the promise of a fast 4fps burst rate, full HD (1080p) video clips for up to 30 minutes with stereo sound. And that’s not forgetting the 20x zoom, boasting a 28-560mm range in 35mm terms, all within a small and reasonably lightweight package.

As if that wasn’t enough, the SX1 IS has a flip-out and rotating 2.8-inch widescreen format TFT and Canon has recently added a Raw file capture option, though early adopters can now download a firmware update (version 2.0) and the necessary DPP processing software to bring theirs up to the current spec (existing DPP users can update here) . Previously Raw capture was only an option with the top-of-the range G-series compacts, but this, plus the powerful zoom and the tilting screen could mean the SX1 IS may tempt those potential customers too.

Build quality is a different story though. It is well made, and arguably better built than previous iterations but the plastic shell isn’t without the odd creak or two, especially around the bulbous handgrip. It’s also a good deal larger and heavier than either the G9 or the newer G10, a fact not helped by the inclusion of four AA batteries.

Like rivals of this type, the layout largely apes that of a DSLR with a shooting dial on the top plate, but a handy EOS style command dial placed to the rear means adjustments can be made easily while the camera is held to the eye. If we’ve a grumble with the controls at all it’s that you can’t set a B&W option while capturing Raw or Raw and Jpeg together. This means to compose using the screen in mono you must capture B&W as a Jpeg.



Despite that, in-camera B&W Jpegs are extremely impressive, and all the more so when using the new iContrast option to lighten shadow areas and reveal detail.

The 148k dot 16:9 widescreen electronic viewfinder falls behind that found in the Panasonic Lumix G1, in quality terms at least, but it’s still usable when checking focus accuracy thanks to an auto zoom option.

The same system can be used with the main LCD. When focus is achieved using the FlexiZone AF option, a small section of the screen, correlating to the position of the AF bracket, switches briefly to a magnified view. It’s not unlike the Live view systems of current DSLRs and a really useful feature that’s aided by the generally fast and accurate focusing and zooming.

A face-detection option works equally quickly and it’s quite something bearing in mind the size and complexity of the lens. Tested against a G9 we had to hand with its 9-point AiAF option though and it’s unsurprisingly slower. But given the huge range, it’s impressive all the same.

Like the G-series and several others in the range the SX1 IS features image stabilisation. And, with the equivalent focal length of 560mm in 35mm terms at the longest setting (in 4:3 aspect ratio), it’s without doubt an absolute necessity. We got the equivalent of around one and half stops from it but there’s also a Hi Auto ISO option that detects subject movement and hikes sensitivity and thus shutter speeds to lessen blur.

Noise levels are well controlled, by and large and compare favourably with the G9, a camera boasting a 12-megapixel CCD sensor with a 50-percent increase in surface area. Be that as it may though at ISO400 and above the SX1 struggles to deliver detail due to some pretty heavy noise reduction routine. While we can see some benefits from the adoption of a CMOS sensor, such as picture quality at low ISOs and burst rates of up to 4fps when capturing Jpegs, high-ISO performance isn’t noticeably superior to existing CCD sensors of the same size and resolution.

We were however suitably impressed with the quality of the HD video clips, but like the G-series cameras the SX1 IS lacks the versatility of a Mic socket. Be that as it may, the SX1 IS has to rate as one of the best of its type we’ve seen and while quite pricey, it can still be easily recommended.

Rating 4/5

Price
$599.99, £439.99 (inc VAT)
Contact
Canon www.usa.canon.com, www.canon.co.uk

Pros
Picture quality & detail at low ISO’s, build, wide-angle zoom, Raw file capture, excellent B&W Jpegs with iContrast option
Cons
Noise levels above ISO 400, weighty AA battery choice

Support this site and buy from one of our approved dealers:

Topaz Labs announce v2 upgrade for Simplify

Topaz Labs has announced an upgrade of Topaz Simplify, an art-orientated photo-conversion plug-in for Photoshop. Read the full press release, below.

Press release:

Our creative image simplification plug-in Topaz Simplify just upgraded to v2 and now includes significant performance upgrades, new user interface improvements, and many other extra features suggested by our amazing customers. This upgrade is free for existing Topaz Simplify customers and is available for both Mac and Windows.

Note that Simplify v2 uses a new license key so your old key will not work. To get your free upgrade key and complete upgrade instructions, visit the following webpage:

http://www.topazlabs.com/updates/topazsimplify.html

Topaz Simplify also has more useful applications than it may let on. In addition to just straight-up photo to art conversion, it can also serve to spice up backgrounds, create underpaintings for digital art conversions, and add a subtle and natural pop to photos. To see some neat samples, visit the new Topaz Simplify webpage.

In well-known award-winning photographer Richard Sturdevant's words, "I see so many unique possibilities for this software to be used." He demonstrates this to great effect with fantastic images done using both Topaz Simplify and Adjust.

Canon Week at Calumet

Calumet UK are having a Canon promotional week from 27-30 April. As well as hosting several Canon-based seminars, the retailer is offering some very special pricing incentives on a raft of Canon gear.

The top-of-the-range 21MP Canon EOS 1Ds Mk III, for instance, sees a huge reduction of £3600 from the RRP. Click here for further details.

Phase One ready to launch 'ground breaking' product

Phase One are holding demonstration days on Thursday May 14th and Friday May 15th at Holborn Studios, London. Registration is required, for both days:

Thursday May 14th

Friday May 15th

As well as having the new P65+ (60.5-megapixel) medium format back on show (see above), Phase One say they're set to launch a 'ground breaking product'. We'll let you know more details when we have them.



I'm also pleased to see from the company's April newsletter, Canadian photographer Walter Borchenko will be giving a presentation and guide through the new features of Capture One PRO v4.7.1 including the support for JPEG/TIFF files, the new proprietary .EIP format and working with multiple sessions.

We had the good fortune to meet Walter this year at Focus, and discovered we share the same exuberance for the Arca Swiss Cube (as well as C1 PRO of course).

I was sent a Cube by the UK distributor, but unfortunately there wasn't space to review it in the British Journal of Photography at that time. Perhaps we'll review it here, if we get the chance again. How about it Liz, if you're reading?

Phillip Jones Griffiths 'Recollections' exhibition Bodelwyddan Castle, Rhyl

This will be the first exhibition of 'Recollections' to be held in Griffiths' native Wales, after travelling from a six month exhibition in a Liverpool museum. Many of the photographs featured will be of Wales and Liverpool, as well as the rest of Britain in the 1950s-70s, as seen in his book 'Recollections.'

The exhibition opens Saturday 2nd May

Bodelwyddan Castle
Rhyl
Wales
LL18 5YA

Trolley books have very kindly sent me a copy of Recollections to review, and hope to post it in the following week.