Infrared Photos As Promised

I have had a chance to take my Fuji A900 that I bought pre-converted to Infrared Only out for a day of photo taking. Here are some of the shots I took. Overall I feel the camera does a nice job. It is lacking some of the features I would like to have in an Infrared only camera, but all of those features are easy to take care of in post processing. The biggest missing feature is manual white balance control so that I have a better control over the picture at the time of photographing it.

My one big complaint about the Fuji A900 is that it has no viewfinder, just the LCD screen on the back. Because this can’t be seen in sunlight it is very hard to frame, zoom and make sure that you are getting the picture you want. This problem however is not limited to the Fuji A900, it will be a problem with any camera that doesn’t have an optical viewfinder.

I purchased the camera pre-converted from http://www.maxmax.com and I am quite happy with not only the camera, but their conversion. I chose the Fuji A900 because it was the cheapest Infrared only camera that they had. I am now looking to convert one of my old dSLR’s which should give me more control and even better quality pictures.

I chose Infrared only instead of Infrared and Visible for several reasons.

1. I didn’t want to have to fool with lens mounted filters.
2. I had no intentions of ever wanting to use this camera for visible light (regular) photography.
3. It allows you to see on screen what your actual image will look like.

The big problem with the lens mounted filters that is not only throws off the cameras metering (by about 2 stops for an R72 Infrared filter), it can throw of the camera focusing and you can’t see anything on the LCD screen or the viewfinder (in the case of dSLR’s). However, if you have the camera converter internally (they remove some of the stock filters in front of the sensor and replace them with an Infrared filter) these problems go away.

Well any ways here are the photos. You can click on them to see the full size images. These were all taken in Tiburon and San Rafael (North of the Golden Gate Bridge, Northern California).

Adobe Adds New Room to Lightroom

Adobe recently announced the public availability of the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2.0 beta. This beta offers a look at some of the features that will be in Lightroom 2.0, but according to a post on the Adobe forums not all of the features that will be available in 2.0 are in this public beta. Time will tell. The improvements that are in there are quite nice.

Improvements include:

Photoshop CS3 Integration:

• Open files in Photoshop as Smart Objects.  (This way you can tweak your Lightroom adjustments within Photoshop just by double-clicking the Smart Object layer that contains your raw file.)
• Select multiple images to merge as a panorama
• Merge multiple exposures into a single Photoshop HDR image
• Load multiple files (or virtual copies of a single file) into Photoshop as separate layers in a single document

Selective image editing that rocks:

• Lightroom 2 adds a Retouch tool in the Develop module, that means you can paint regions of the image to dodge, burn, saturate/desaturate, adjust contrast, and more. And, all edits are storied in the metadata and are non-destructive.

Library Module:

• Streamlined Library layout
• Smart Collections (based on search criteria)
• Powerful Filter Bar to search and refine images
• Suggested Keywords for simplified keywording
• 10,000 pixel size limit raised to 30,000 pixels
• Output-based collections

Multiple monitor support:

• Four flexible modes for an alternate window: Grid, Loupe, Compare, Survey
• Live Loupe mode

Export functionality:

• Auto-add exported images to the Lightroom catalog
• Auto Output Sharpening for images on export

Develop Module:

• Non-Destructive Localized Correction for dodging and burning specific areas of an image
• Post-Crop Vignette
• Basic Panel Keyboard Shortcuts
• Improved Auto Adjustment
• Improved memory handling through 64-bit support on OS X 10.5 and Vista 64-bit.(Not limited to develop module)

Print Module:

• Picture Package for multi-page layouts
• Print Module output directly to JPEG
• Enhanced Print Sharpening based on PhotoKit Sharpener algorithms
• 16-bit Printing for Mac OS X 10.5

As you can see there are some very nice, useful and important additions to Lightroom 2.0. If it is true that the public beta doesn’t reveal all of the new features and improvements one can hope that we will also see much more powerful noise reduction as well as distortion correction tools.

I am totally thrilled that the 10,000 x 10,000 pixel image size limit has been raised to match that of Adobe Photoshop, that being 30,000 x 30,000 pixels. This means now I can catalog my rather large collection of panorama images.

The availability of a 64-bit native version is also good news, though 64-bit as far as I am concerned is still in its infancy and it will be a few years yet before I jump on that band wagon, however I am glad to see Adobe leading the way in 64-bit application development.

You can download the public beta from the Adobe Labs site. One thing to keep in mind is that this is a time limited beta. If you don’t have the current release of Lightroom installed your trial period will be limited to 30 days. If you have the current version installed this beta will expire at the end of August 2008.

Finally, the 2.0 beta WILL NOT import and/or convert your Lightroom 1.3.1 catalogs. You will need to re-import your images to get them in to the 2.0 beta. Adobe has done this to protect you. The Lightroom 2.0 beta is not production level software. Please make a backup of any images you plan to import in to it before you import them. Image loss or corruption isn’t likely to happen, but there are no guarantees this is beta software.

Pentax K20D Demo Video

While surfing some Pentax forums I came across a cool Pentax K20D Demonstration video.

Pentax Announces New K20D dSLR!

I have been a Pentax K10D dSLR owner since the camera was released. I actually pre-ordered it with only having seen a couple of sample images. I have had my fair share of issues with Pentax, including…

Pentax’s habit of announcing ship dates for products only to have those dates pass and then not make any type of announcement about a new ship date or why there is a delay.

I have had issues with their choice of in camera sharpening (detail, instead of edge sharpening like nearly all other cameras) and their decision to not offer the second more useful form of sharpening in a firmware update.

I have always felt that Pentax had a lot to offer the digital camera world but with the whole shipping date issue leaving the door open for rampant speculation, rumors and other such customer scaring things that only server to keep people unsure of Pentax’s future and their ability to compete with the two main players in dSLR cameras one has to wonder about the people that control such things.

Pentax’s market share is rather small compared to Canon and Nikon and with these kinds of marketing issues I fear that it could stay that way. It could ultimately kill Pentax. Pentax needs to be more up front with their customers show their customers that they are going to keep you informed. It isn’t like suggesting they preannounce all of their new technology, I am talking about keep people in formed when an announced ship date has been missed. Explain why and when they think it will ship. Ship dates are missed all of the time, but to keep silent or give vague worthless answers only serves to hurt a company. This customer communication is even more important when a company like Pentax is expecting people for hand over $1000 dollar or more in a camera body and lenses and lock them selves in to a long term investment with the company.

The K10D is an incredible camera and offers a lot of advanced features for a camera in its price range. However, Pentax has just announced the new Pentax K20D dSLR camera and it not only blows the K10D out of the water in most respects it is perhaps the most innovative camera to come out in nearly a decade.

Many professional photographers swear by Canon and Nikon however if you look at what these two companies have released in new cameras over the last 10 years you will see that Canon has been the only one to offer something innovative and that was simply because they released the Canon Digital Rebel, the first dSLR camera for under $1000. Beyond that the rest of the releases have been less than stellar. Both companies seem to care more about more resolution than offering features and technology that is truly innovative.

To be fare most people stick with the brand they started with because you have a large investment in lenses and other brand specific accessories like flash units and the like. The only time it makes financial sense to switch brands is when the lenses and other accessories you have will no longer work on the new camera you want to buy. Even in this regard Pentax is better. You can use Pentax lenses going back to 1960’s or earlier with their new dSLR cameras. Not so with Canon and Nikon. Resolution is nice, it enables you to do extreme cropping while still having enough image data for a good size quality print, but resolution is not the be all and end all and it looks like Pentax more than any other company understands that.

Pentax right now may have the smaller market share but they are the innovators and the new Pentax K20D proves it. What you got for $1000 with the K10D was remarkable and still is. However, what you get with the K20D for $1299 is nothing short of amazing. A new sensor designed exclusively for the K20D that gives you ISO 6400 (through a custom setting) that is as clean as the K10D’s ISO 1600. ISO 1600 and 3200 that look like an ISO 400 and 800 shot from the K10D. Improved shake reduction, improved dust reduction system, better noise reduction and image processing engine. All of this with a massive resolution increase from 10.1 (K10D) to 14.6 (K20D) that is a whopping 4.5 more MP a rather large jump and given that for probably the first time in digital camera history this resolution increase has come with an improvement in image quality and less noise instead of a decrease in image quality and an increase in image noise is nothing short of astounding.

I am not going to list all of the new stuff here. There is a lot. Instead I have compiled a list of sites that have information and even sample shots from the K20D. Also, if the K20D is out of your price range you might want to consider the K200D the K20D’s new little brother.

Pentax Imaging Press Release

http://www.pentaximaging.com/footer/news_media_article?ArticleId=10507458

Popular Photography Coverage

http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/5049/first-look-pentax-k20d.html

If you click on the photo of the camera you will get a popup with sample photos including some high ISO shots.

Every Once in a While Something Just Tickles Your Funny Bone…

I was reading the Amazon.com blog the other day and came across several posts about the worst/ugliest cars produced and one of them was for the Yugo. Below is the post in its entirety. Please note the bolded quote from the young mans uncle. It is just so funny, I was rolling on the floor for an hour after that. It is even funnier if you picture the scene in your mind.

Amazon.com Blog Post Quote > Start “

Car Disgust–Yugo GVX

by Amazon.com Automotive Editors at 2:52 PM PST, December 10, 2007

Yugo introduced its unreliable, underpowered, hopelessly antiquated GV hatchback in 1986 to worldwide jeering and derision, a level of scorn that only grew as people became more familiar with the intrinsic problems with an ancient Fiat design assembled with the meticulous disregard and thorough apathy of Yugoslavia’s Zastava auto group.

The GV’s carbureted, 61-horsepower four-cylinder engine, its antediluvian suspension design, and four-speed manual transmission were part of the problem. The remainder of the car constituted the rest of the problem.

In response to the deafening lack of demand for a performance variant of the GV came the GVX–a hot-rod Yugo that thoroughly failed to meet even the dimmest expectations.

The extensive revision and customization process added alloy wheels, a stripe of metallic paint along the bottom of the side rocker panels, a sport steering wheel, and a dizzying array of engine revisions that boosted available power from 61 horsepower to, well, 61 horsepower. These modifications had all the enhancing effect one would expect from spraying Lysol into a vat of raw sewage.

According to Kelly Blue Book, a 1987 Yugo GVX with 180,000 miles and in “Fair” condition (an iffy proposition considering most Yugos didn’t leave the factory in “Fair” condition and is completely unlikely to cover 180,000 miles under its own power) is now worth $400.

The Yugo, of course, has become known as a car symbolizing tremendous awfulness of an unprecedented degree. The existence of a “sport” edition that didn’t actually add any sport makes the car all the worse.

My uncle has a classic line–he says that the Yugo’s optional rear-window defroster is useful mostly to keep your hands warm when you’re pushing it.

What has been so far left unsaid in this sordid tale is that part of me–and not a small part–thinks the Yugo is actually not a terrible-looking car. I’m ashamed to say that that I came this close to making the Yugo GVX a Car Lust instead of a Car Disgust.

–Chris H.

Amazon.com Blog Post Quote > End “

If you would like to read more of the Amazon.com blog you can Click Here.

Pentax 18-250 Lens Finally Came In…

Well, I decided that I wanted a lens for my Pentax K10D that spanned the 18 to 200 or better range and I wanted good quality. Having been told that Pentax was releasing the 18-250 at the end of October I placed my order for it Mid-October. Well as usually Pentax wasn’t close to shipping on time, but finally they got it out and Amazon.com got it shipped and I got it today. I have taken a couple of test run shots with it and I can say like with my other Pentax lenses (I only own Pentax brand lenses as I have had too much trouble with other brands and their Q.C. issues) it is a winner. Surprisingly good for a lens that covers this range. It looks like my 18-55 kit lens and 50-200 will be going in to semi-retirement.

Here is one shot. They are full sized from DNG files, Saved as JPG using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.3.

Pentax 18-250 Macro Test

Adobe Premiere Elements 4.0… Major Bug Problems…

Well, Adobe as I am sure you know released the new versions of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 and Adobe Premiere Elements 4; we received our review copies but won’t be installing either one for the time being. Apparently like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom it was more important to ship the products by a certain date then to deal with bugs in the program and apparently several very bad bugs that were in the beta and reported by many beta testers including one that corrupts the project files in Premiere Elements 4 are still there. This attitude of ship now, fix later has got to stop. There is no excuse for a bug that Adobe was well aware of being in the final shipping version. I strongly urge people to not upgrade their products until the bugs are fixed, if you do please make a backup of any Premiere Elements projects before you open them, unless you want them trashed beyond recovery.

Very Cool Bridge CS3 Add-in Called “RapidFixer”

Wouldn’t it be cool if you could make Adobe Camera Raw adjustments right from inside of Adobe Bridge CS3 without ever having to go in to the ACR dialog box. Simply select the images you want to adjust and then have the most used ACR features show right up inside of the Bridge CS3 interface?

You can RapidFixer for Adobe Bridge CS3 lets you do this. It provides Bridge CS3 level access to the most used features in Adobe Camera Raw. For more information on this cool Bridge add-in and a video demonstration go to:

http://www.damuseful.com/pages/rapidfixer.html

Yep More IPod Touch… Apple Guided Tour… Very Cool!

Apple has posted on their site a very nice and informative Guided Tour of the new Apple iPod Touch. You can view it at:

http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/guidedtour/

I have to say the interface and feature set is quite impressive and just makes me want one even more. Since the iPod touch is only available in 8GB or 16GB versions storage space can become an issue. However, a nifty program called ShrinkMyTunes (Windows Only!) can compress (usually with very little loss of quality) your music files to half their original size or smaller. I have not tried this program but it sounds interesting and I have read at least one article on the program.

The Software: http://www.shrinkmytunes.com/en_gb/
The Article: http://www.wired.com/software/softwarereviews/news/2007/09/shrinkmytunes

Apple iPod touch Announced! Yes!

Well the Apple iPod touch has been announced and will ship by the end of September 2007 and I have to say I can’t wait. I bought my first iPod last year a 5th generation model and quickly fell in love with it. Not only is it like the ultimate juke box but with the video playback feature it is actually a portable entertainment system.

The new iPod touch besides having a larger screen is going to be able to handle widescreen videos better because when you turn it on its side the picture on the screen rotates just like it does on the iPhone.

With the new wi-fi capabilities getting music and video to the iPod touch is going to be a snap and with the new iTunes wi-fi update they just released iTunes 7.4 you can now shop, buy and download music and videos right from the iPod touch, this is going to be so cool (iPhone supported too.)

My only disappointment is the capacity of the two models of iPod touch. 8GB and 16GB are pretty good, but not nearly as nice as the larger capacities of the 5th generation of iPods. However we must understand a couple of things that help explains why Apple ended up with these capacities.

1. The new larger screen on the iPod touch takes more power. LCD screens be they on a digital camera, cell phone, laptop, etc. are probably one of if not the largest power consumers on the device. So this had to be considered.
2. A mini-hard drive like the 5th generation iPods have also consume considerably more power than the flash ram that the iPod touch uses. This power consumption coupled with that of the larger screen would have meant an iPod touch with very poor battery life and an iPod touch that was thicker and heavier too.
3. To keep the iPod touch small, thin and light plus the need to address the power consumption issues meant that flash ram was a must. Otherwise we would have had a large device with poor battery life.
4. Oh and lets not forget about the new wi-fi capabilities. This too consumes power and the hardware to pull this off also takes space in the unit. BTW a new version of iTunes is now available 7.4 adds wi-fi online shopping support for the iPhone and iPod touch. You can download it here:

http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/

In the end Apple went the only route they could to offer the features and capabilities that they did with the size, weight and battery life they did. I for one think they made the best choices possible. Not perfect choices but the best they could with the technology we currently have. What we have to hope for now is that flash memory continues to grow in capacity, the prices keep dropping and that by the time the second generation of iPod touch comes out we will have 40GB and 80GB versions to choose from for less money than we are paying for the first generation. I think this could happen. I hope it does happen. Oh, there is one more advantage to the flash memory and that is no moving parts. This should mean the iPod touch is more reliable and impervious to storage damage and skipping if it is jarred hard, this was not the case with the hard drive based ones.

However, none of this is going to stop me from getting my hands on a iPod touch. I love my current iPod and fully expect to love the iPod touch even more.