ODP Magazine

Gigapan Epic100 + Fuji X100

Tuesday, 15 May 2012 16:21 |

Written by Sean Nel |

GigaPanepic100 I have always wanted to obtain one of these Gigapan units ever since seeing the amazing detail people have been able to obtain by doing long focal length panorama images. Essentially it's all about using a long focal length (like 200mm) and shooting many overlapping images over a wide area and stitching them together to create one faux "wide angle" shot.

Myself, I didn't need the massive details, but I was looking for a unit that could do multiple rows of panorama images to stitch together. When I have needed to do this in the past, I simply did it "by hand" but ended missing a shot, or not shooting a big enough overlap. Off course, there are many tools (like the Nodal Ninja) that can help you achieve perfect panoramic bliss, but heck, what can beat a robotic head!?

Last Updated (Tuesday, 15 May 2012 16:58)

The 5DmkIII and Sports Photography

Friday, 27 April 2012 20:17 |

Written by Simon Du Plessis |

5DmkIII When Sean Nel asked whether I would like to check the performance of his new Canon EOS 5D MkIII in a sports environment, I though it would be great to see for myself the so-called superior high ISO performance in the real world, on location, shooting under adverse conditions and not in controlled conditions in a studio. I’ve always felt that ideal studio conditions are not always the best way to test some parameters of a camera; somehow out in the field the not so good and inconsistent lighting conditions seem to bring out the worst in every camera body. This is where the performance of higher ISO noise can be evaluated and compared to the capabilities of other bodies I’m familiar with. Here you cannot meter every shot with a handheld lightmeter and set the exposure accordingly, realigning your lights and barndoors to get the lighting even where required and soft shadows where you want them. This is also a real life test on the auto focus capabilities of a camera; lower light conditions, erratically moving subjects, panning and tracking at various distances, and so on.

Last Updated (Friday, 27 April 2012 20:31)

Buying a Waterproof Camera

Thursday, 19 April 2012 11:03 |

Written by Administrator |

Picture a lazy Sunday afternoon in and around the pool; the kids are playing some or other water sport and the dog is shaking off excess water in a glorious display. The perfect opportunity where your waterproof camera would be handy!

Last Updated (Wednesday, 25 April 2012 09:51)

Canon EOS 5DmkIII - First Impresions

Thursday, 29 March 2012 14:18 |

Written by Sean Nel |

5dmkiii-2 I have recently upgraded my Canon 5DmkII to a Canon 5DmkIII. These are my musings about the camera and how I feel about the feature set and improvements. Please note that this is NOT a technical specs rundown, and at the time of writing, I have only played with the camera on two prior occasions and have only owned the camera for a day.

Last Updated (Monday, 09 April 2012 00:31)

Canon PowerShot G1 X Announced

Monday, 09 January 2012 22:19 |

Written by Canon |

London, UK, 9th January 2012 – Canon today introduces the PowerShot G1 X – a revolutionary new compact camera with a large CMOS sensor, designed to produce DSLR levels of image quality and control in a highly portable metal body. Created for professional and serious photographers, the PowerShot G1 X creates a prestigious new category at the top of Canon’s legendary G-series line-up, and redefines the performance achievable from a compact camera.

A high-quality camera in its own right or the perfect complement to a professional DSLR, the PowerShot G1 X combines EOS sensor technology with DIGIC 5 processing power, a new precision Canon lens and extensive manual control – creating the finest compact camera Canon has ever produced. Designed to be highly portable, the PowerShot G1 X features a zoom lens which retracts into a discreet, robust metal body, providing photographers with an unimposing camera that delivers high quality images and superior handling.

Amazing Elephant Photography by ODP Members

Monday, 19 December 2011 12:02 |

Written by Administrator |

Below you will find a selection of images by Outdoorphoto member photographers of elephants in Southern Africa. All these images are on the members own galleries with more details. Just follow the links to see more!

Last Updated (Tuesday, 03 January 2012 10:24)

Sigma EX120-300 f2.8 APO DG OS HSM – A field review

Monday, 17 October 2011 10:55 |

Written by Simon Du Plessis |

Introduction
I’ve been using the Sigma EX 120-300 f2.8 APO HSM lens since 19 September 2003, exactly 8 years to the specific day of writing this review (I know because it says so on the original invoice). Now everyone who knows me and has seen my photography on sport and birding with the odd wildlife moments thrown in for good measure, know that I’ve fully endorsed the original Sigma EX 120-300 f2.8 APO HSM lens from the beginning, in fact I’ve sung its praises ad infinitum, all relating to sharpness, auto-focus (AF) speed, colour rendition, general image quality (IQ) and bokeh.

Last Updated (Monday, 17 October 2011 21:33)

Nikon South Africa Announces Exclusive 5 Year Warranty

Wednesday, 28 March 2012 09:27 |

Written by Administrator |

nikon-5-year-warranty_thumb

On the 15th of March 2012 Nikon South Africa (Johannesburg) announced an exclusive five year warranty on the Nikon D7000, D5100 and the D3100 DSLR bodies.

The five year warranty is an inititative by Nikon in South Africa and is valid only on Nikon products distributed by Foto Distributors Pty Ltd.

Last Updated (Wednesday, 28 March 2012 10:17)

Nikon D4 released

Friday, 06 January 2012 08:53 |

Written by Marli van Schalkwyk |

Johannesburg, South Africa, Nikon today announces the launch of the D4, its new flagship D-SLR for photographers who need the ultimate in photography.

Made to shatter limits and realise every shooting opportunity, this professional FX-format camera brings new levels of image quality, speed and precision to both still photography and video.
Equipped with a 16.2-megapixel FX-format sensor, phenomenally high ISO and Nikon’s powerful EXPEED3 image processing engine, it offers uncompromised performance and unrivalled versatility in extreme lighting and environmental conditions.

“With the Nikon D4, we’ve launched the ultimate in photography,” says Romi Jacobs, Chief Brand Officer for Nikon in South Africa. “If you’re a photographer at the top of your game, then you need a camera that won’t ever let you down – and that’s the Nikon D4. It’s been built to push limits – just as the photographers that will use it push limits every day in their work.”

Last Updated (Friday, 06 January 2012 09:01)

New Canon EOS-1D X - Quick overview

Tuesday, 18 October 2011 09:48 |

Written by Sean Nel |

Canon EOS 1Dx This looks like a brilliant camera! I think Canon did exactly the right thing here. Instead of going for "Bigger-and-Better" they just went for "Better" and I think they definitely succeeded.

The Canon Press Release:

"LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 18, 2011 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, is proud to introduce a completely revolutionized EOS-1D series camera, the Canon EOS-1D X Digital SLR camera. As the new leader in Canon’s arsenal of professional DSLRs, the EOS-1D X will be a high-speed multimedia juggernaut replacing both the EOS-1Ds Mark III and EOS-1D Mark IV models in Canon’s lineup. Enhancing the revolutionary image quality of the EOS-1Ds and speed capabilities of the EOS-1D series, the EOS-1D X DSLR features an 18-megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS sensor, Dual DIGIC 5+ Imaging Processors, 14-bit A/D data conversion and capable of shooting an incredible 12 frames-per-second (fps). Canon’s EOS DSLR cameras and accessories have a long-standing legacy of providing high-quality results to professionals in a wide range of markets, including sports, nature, cinematography, wedding and commercial studios. The addition of this new model will help take this tradition to a whole new level.

Last Updated (Tuesday, 18 October 2011 09:52)

The Best High ISO Noise Reduction tool: Exposure

Saturday, 01 October 2011 08:36 |

Written by Sean Nel |

The question often comes up about the noise we get on the modern day camera sensors. I am always amazed at how spoilt we have become when we can now complain that the ISO3200 noise on our DSLR's are "too excessive"! Where were the days when we hardly touched the ISO400 film because of the grain?!

Whichever way you look at it though, the high ISO capabilities of our cameras makes it possible to shoot things that was previous impossible or at the very least, very difficult. But the noise! all those blue, green and pink dots all over the image…

For some reason I always seem to be on the other side of the noise conversation, so either my camera doesn't react like others, or I am blind and do not see the noise. I do believe the third option - I have a different shooting technique.

Last Updated (Monday, 17 October 2011 21:38)

More Articles...