Photoworld 4 2010
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photoworld 2010/#4 1 photoworld photoworld • autumn ’10 ILC, SLR, ILT? photoworld Cover: by Peter Karry IN the last issue we As we progress towards higher introduced the term megapixel counts – 12 ‘ILC’ used by Sony for became 14, now 14 becomes ‘Interchangeable Lens 16 – the early Konica Minolta Compact’. This term 6 megapixel DSLRs may seem competes with ‘CSC’ hopelessly out of date. But used by other makers – they are not. 6 megapixels Compact System Camera. can make a perfect 12 x 16 But why are we stuck print. Our cover is an attempt with the terms we use now? to appease the Gods of Winter For example, SLR. Single early, for once. Peter Karry Lens Reflex. Single lens? used a Dynax 5D fitted with Mine has loads of lenses! a 90mm Tamron macro lens, What a very confusing exposing for 1/2s at ƒ16 using term for anyone who was a tripod. not a camera user in the 2010/#4 1 photoworld 1950s, when the Twin Lens Reflex was the most popular enthusiast type. Single Lens Reflex distinguishes the instant- CONTENTS return mirror 35mm 2 Editorial design (remember that term?) from the double 3 The Translucent Truth – Sony’s Alpha 33 and lensed, fixed mirror TLR. 55 ‘DSLT’ cameras arrive and we test the 16 It is an obsolete term 60 years after the Contax megapixel 55 with its GPS map-data recording. S, Exakta, Wrayflex and 10 Gallery – the pick of your images for the season. other pioneers appeared on the post-war market. 14 The Speed of Sound – Greg Wright captures Now Sony says ‘Single fellow musicians and their instruments Lens Translucent’. Translucent is a bad choice with dynamics and movement. of word to describe a trans- 18 The Third Dimension – with this issue you parent but semi-silvered mirror. There’s no quality will find a 3D Red-Cyan viewer. Use it to get of diffusion or opacity the 3D effect on these pages – and read about about it. And ‘Single Lens’ how to create 3D anaglyph prints yourself. now means nothing at all. If they want to call the 22 Cowboy in the Cathouse camera an SLT or DSLT Shirley Kilpatrick took her Sigma at least change that to 18-250mm OS lens and Alpha 700 body Single Lens Transflex. That includes the ‘flex’ bit along to Europe’s biggest brothel, Pascha in which indicates a mirror Cologne, where fashion photographer Steve is present, if only for AF. Thornton was staging a publicity shoot. But even better would be ILC and 26 Quest 2011 Workshops, Information. ILT – Interchangeable Lens Compact, and Interchangeable Lens Transflex. Plus, of course, Whilst every care is taken of MSS and photographs submitted all Published by submissions remain the responsibility of the sender. Return postage ILR – Interchangeable Icon Publications Limited and packing must be included. The views expressed in this magazine Lens Reflex. are those of individual contributors and do not represent the views Maxwell Place, Maxwell Lane or policies of Icon Publications Ltd unless otherwise stated. This issue C can stand for © 2010 Icon Publications Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this Kelso, Scottish Borders TD5 7BB publication may be reproduced by any means without permission. camera, not just for Tel: 01573 226032 Photoworld magazine is an independent quarterly from Icon compact, in case full Publications Ltd which provides free membership of the Photoworld Fax: 01573 226000 Club UK/Photoclubalpha. The aim of the Club is to provide support, format versions appear. information, inspiration and activities for owners of Minolta, Konica e-mail: [email protected] If it’s too much change Minolta, Seagull, Sony Alpha and other equipment compatible with the Minolta SR, MC, MD, VS, AF, AF-xi and AF-D mounts. Membership of to introduce, let’s call the Club is not dependent on subscription and you may also sign up, PUBLISHED AND EDITED BY receiving emailed information only but no magazine, through www. them System Lens not photostore-uk.com, www.minoltaclub.co.uk or www.photoclubalpha. David Kilpatrick FBIPP Hon. FMPA com. Subscriptions cost £19.95 for four issues (UK/Europe), £23.95 Interchangeable – SLC, SLT, (Rest of World), payable to Icon Publications Ltd, Maxwell Place, Shirley Kilpatrick MSc (Colour Maxwell Lane, Kelso, Scottish Borders TD5 7BB This publication has SLR. Or DSLC, DSLT, DSLR. no connection with Konica Minolta Holdings or Sony Corporation, or Science), BA Hons (OU) And TLR still works! the brands mentioned. The logo typeface is ‘Minolta Classic’ designed ADVERTISING MANAGER by Justin Bailey. – DK Richard Kilpatrick – 01562 777729 Á photoworld 2 Translucent future The Alpha 55 and 33 transflex mirror cameras were launched just before photokina, held in a balmy late September Cologne. The conventional Alpha 560 and 580 with HD video join them in the shops soon. have finally got over my indigna- Alpha 55/33 principle tion that Sony should have abused I our language by hijacking the By allowing over two-thirds of the word ‘translucent’ to mean something image forming light to reach the it does not, in any modern lexicon. CMOS sensor through a semi-silvered But it’s their own loss, as you can mirror which does not move, Sony has not copyright a regular word as a enabled quiet shooting and HD video trademark in the USA and many other along with high resolution off-sensor markets and translucent is very live view. In these much a regular word. You won’t even respects, find it in the list of Sony and other the trademarks printed at the end of the user manual No matter how they try to protect it, I will still be able to describe anything as translucent if it possesses that attribute! The Sony ‘SLT’ cameras – Single Lens Translucent as opposed to Single Lens Reflex – do not of course use anything translucent, they actually use a transparent semi-silvered mirror, a transmissive-reflective mirror sometimes referred to as a trans-mirror or a transflective mirror. It is not a pellicle mirror; as I explained in my last introduction Alpha 33 is to the Summer magazine, pellicle The left hand end has basically a NEX-5 refers to a stretched ultra-thin film of The Alpha 55 is a very compact covers for USB, HDMI, (both share the same 14 megapixel plastic. The Sony mirror is rigid very body design. The rear wired remote and for sensor) with an A-mount body. The thin glass, in a plastic frame, to allow screen can be an external stereo Alpha 55 uses a new 16 megapixel it to be hinged up for sensor cleaning. rotated for microphone sensor with further enhance- So, to all those magazines and vertical shots ments to image processing. websites happily spouting forth about The Translucent Mirror is not ‘pellix’ mirrors (a copyright trade placed at 45° like a regular SLR name of Canon – see above!) or mirror, because it does not have ‘pelical’ mirrors (ones with very large to reflect the entire image on to a beaks and a fishing habit), a simple focusing screen. It only has to reflect message. Just call it Translucent. We’ll get used to it, just the same way we got used to calling the process of lending the bank our money ‘saving’ or ‘investment’ or ‘deposit’. Not Cologne! Sony PR image. 3 photoworld The viewfinder has Eye-Start for focus, which is also used to auto switch from rear screen to EVF. The right hand end controls of the Alpha 55/33 are packed into a very The rear LCD can be limited space. Even so turned to face the they fall neatly to hand. camera back, for The red ‘Movie’ button starts protection and to filming instantly – there is no eliminate stray light. need to enter a movie mode first. It may be easier to find the Images can be reviewed Buttons access most vital functions. Alpha 55 and 33 models in kit through the EVF after shoot- form with lens, than body only, ing – but the EVF uses much until it is more widely stocked. more battery power. the centre of the image, to cover a close to the focal plane (as with new 15-point AF module which is wide-angles). By placing the mirror placed slightly forward of the position more parallel to the sensor, any such of a focusing screen, towards the shift is minimal. Even so, great care lens mount, and angled. The mirror should be taken to observe the results is at a flatter angle to the sensor and carefully using live view, if you use lens, which produces a number of a polariser on a wide-angle fitted to benefits, some of these very technical. one of the new Translucent models. Digital sensors are very sensitive The one-third or so of light to polarised light. With or without diverted to the focus module is never microlenses and covering filters, their interrupted, meaning phase detect reflective quality is specular meaning focusing (the traditional ‘continuous that towards the edge of images light AF’ with predictive focus that we are can be lost by reflection due to its used to) can operate during live view angle of incidence. Such reflection is and HD filming. The new module From the side, you can see how extended the viewfinder eyepiece for the electronic accompanied by polarisation of the has three cross-type sensors, to give screen is (not unlike the old Konica Minolta A2 or A200). When the camera is light, both reflected and received. greater accuracy. These are for some switched off, you see nothing at all; this takes some getting used to.