In Focus, Bangkok Photography Blog April 3rd, 2010

Samut Songkran, Boat Yards III/FastPictureViewer, a Review by Tom Tweedel

Portugal Hotel Guide
• Vila Recife Residencial Hotel
• Clube Brisamar Hotel Alvor
• Pestana Alvor Atlantico Apartments
• Vila Gale Nautico Hotel


Thank you for your generous contributions. At the present time we have enough images to attempt our first mosaics but these are very time intensive and I'll need to plan a block of time to do these properly. I'm thinking the last
few weeks in May or the first two weeks in June. Until then, any images you can manage to send in will still be used and will be much appreciated.

We are still accepting (and pleading for) images of children from SEA. No matter how terrible you think they are, please send them in anyway. These images will be used to complete a set of 3 high quality mosaics which will be sold to benefit the Karen and Burmese Orphans living in the orphanages and refugee camps. The more images the better, I can use all you have. Please take the time to go through your images for anything you think might help. If you missed the "No Place to Call Home" special, you can click on the link and read more about this. Thank you! QandA@Bkkimages.com

He Clinic Bangkok

Quick Click Links

Feature Photograph

Samut Songkran, Boat Yards III

CBD bangkok

FastPictureViewer, a Review by Tom Tweedel

Photography News of Interest

Readers Submissions

Readers Questions A Snapshot of Bangkok Images Week in Review

wonderland clinic

Infocus Blog, Divsion of Time!


Feature Photograph *menu

Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200mm F2.8L IS @F5 1/250th 120mm ISO 100

Successful photography has as much to do about being in the right place at the right time as anything else. If you're not out there with a camera in your hands how do you expect to get great images?

Last week I felt like relaxing a bit so I call up Stick on the red phone I keep just for such occasions to see if he was up for a drive through Safari World. There's something about this oasis of tranquility in the middle of busy Bangkok that appeals
to me and keeps me coming back. The next morning we fortify ourselves with some breakfast sandwiches from the corner McDonald's and head on across town to Safari World. Arriving before 10am we're sure to get the good seats.

On this trip I arm Stick with the 300mm F2.8L IS and he couples it to his Canon 5d Mark II with a big smile on his face. I selected the 70-200mm F2.8L IS because I want to do a series showing the readers what quality of images they can expect from a more
common and much less expensive lens. Safari hats in place we set out on our trek. Well, it's really a drive, the last guy to try trekking through the tiger area didn't fare too well.

Mostly it was just another average day at Safari World. Some new migratory bird species were visiting, others had left, and everything seemed ordinary. In the tiger and lion pen where I've never been given so much as a yellow warning flag, all of
a sudden I've caught their attention and they're showing me the big yellow and threatening to red flag me! It must have been because I pulled up just a meter or two from the tigers (Stick's side of the truck, not my side…).
We backed off a bit and observed.

Most just drive through really quickly and if the tigers aren't up on the stage doing a hula dance and live show when they arrive they just keep going. While I was explaining to Stick that with wildlife, even at Safari World, you will often be rewarded
for your patience.. all of a sudden we both hear a loud ROOOAAARRR and we're both twisting our necks trying to figure out from where. As luck would have it the action was outside my window.
A tiger had caught a big sea bird and the other tigers wanted to share. A few seconds later the main skirmish is over and we move on to the bear area.

Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200mm F2.8L IS @F5 1/500th 200mm ISO 100

The bear area is usually a dud. Bears tend to sleep and not move much this time of day and when they do move they're usually playing, but being lazy "playing" means they waddle for 10 feet
and are soon snoozing again. They remind me of overweight rich kids. Regardless we stop a few times for the obligatory bear images. All of a sudden (for the second time in 30 minutes) we hear this insanely
loud ROOOAAARRR, almost a scream, and we're once again twisting around looking for the source. And again it was right outside my window.. 🙂

This weeks feature photograph is significant because it very much illustrates the reward for patience. Its also important to note the fight was over in just a few seconds and it was an exciting fight and I made approximately 20 captures which I'll
share at a later time. The important thing to take from this is that I only had time to stick my camera out the window and push the shutter release. The camera did the exposure and focusing for me, so the shots aren't "studio quality",
but they are decent nonetheless. Always have your camera ready, as you enter an area make whatever settings adjustment you think you might need if an opportunity arises. That way if an opportunity does present itself you'll be prepared.

Canon 5d Mark II, 300mm F2.8L IS @F4 1/80th ISO 100

Usually all you expect is a sleeping bear. Occasionally they'll play. But we were ready and were able to get 20-25 shots of fighting bears and another 20 of fighting tigers. How cool is that! Plus, we had a great outing between friends and that's
what photography is all about. Having a great time while collecting great images as memories.

Canon 5d Mark II, 70-200mm F2.8L IS @F5 1/60th 200mm ISO 100

I know there's always some skeptics out there. The above shot is for you. I managed to get this out of focused shot before they disappeared to lick their wounds and it shows gaping open wounds. You'll understand more when I show you the entire
sequence. Look for it!

Samut Songkran, Boat Yard III *menu

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/50th 20mm ISO 100

I'm showing yet another feature of the boat yards in Samut Songkran because the boat yard is getting into it's busy season which makes it a great place to visit on our workshops. The boats are always different and come in all shapes, sizes,
and colors, and the people especially are compelling. Heavy machinery abounds making this a perfect place for a focused workshop utilizing either an ultra-wide angle lens, or a telephoto zoom. Today I'm using an ultra-wide zoom.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/60th 12mm ISO 100

The bright new colors are typically Thai and very attractive. I especially like the lines on this boat. As it nears completion it will be outfitted for sea and relaunched down the ramp.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/6th 13mm ISO 100

There are interesting angles and comparisons everywhere you look and an ultra-wide really helps them stand out. Here, a finished and unfinished boat are side by side showing their differences.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/50th 12mm ISO 100

These boats are made of wood and an overall is very labor intensive. Try an hour sanding the teak hull of a Thai fishing boat in the hot sun if you'd like some decent exercise. Notice in the corner of the frame how the bamboo scaffolding is held
together?

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/15th 24mm ISO 100

This cutout caught my eye because I could see a workman in the interior though the opening. This is where a damaged area is removed and new material will be patched in. Each screw hold and every seam is caulked and made watertight before being painted.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/25th 24mm ISO 100

A weathered hulk with a single painted board going down the side made for an interesting capture.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/20th 12mm ISO 100

No matter where you point the camera you'll find a ton of detail from the lines of caulking on the ships to the different woods uses to all the men and material.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/80th 12mm ISO 400

Another example of extreme detail in every frame. Men working on the screw, others welding in the foreground, and lines everywhere. The scaffolding looms into the frame as the ship looms out..

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/80th 12mm ISO 100

Here we take a wide view of the parking lot. Ships awaiting overall, others being refitted, and the tracks the use to dolly the ships out of the water and around the yard.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F13 1/60th 24mm ISO 100

These two ships are owned by the same company and will be overhauled side by side and repainted with the factory colors.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F11 1/200th 24mm ISO 400

A worker places a well aimed sledge hammer blow helping seat the screw onto the shaft. After each swing movement is analyzed before another is driven home.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F11 1/50th 20mm ISO 400

This large winch is what they used to move the ships along the tracks. To the right is a commercial diesel engine that powers the winch.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F11 1/160th 22mm ISO 400

Entire families cycle in and out of the boatyard as needed. Clothes are washed and hung to dry, babies play, and men rest, all in conditions most of us would consider less than camping.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F11 1/500th 14mm ISO 400

Yes, I know this is nothing but a pile of junk but such an area is necessary to the function of a boat yard. Scrap metals and scrap chemicals stored together.

Canon 5d Mark II, Sigma 12-24mm F4-5.6 @F11 1/400th 12mm ISO 400

I never tire of the ultra-wide perspective. This newly painted bright blue anchor contrasts sharply with the old scrap pieces, and the motorsai scales the anchor perfectly.

The boat yards are the perfect place to learn wide angle photography, and a great opportunity to see skilled craftsman in action. Right on the waters edge the temperatures can become very hot, but it's worth it. Other interesting opportunities are
in the same area which makes this a prime spot for a great workshop outing.

FastPictureViewer, a Review *menu

Tom Tweedel is a good friend with significant experience in China and has self-published several interesting volumes of his travels in China complete with many great images and informative narrative. Last year he visited Thailand for the first time and I had a great time showing him around the area. Somehow he found time to put together a like 340 page book of his travels around Thailand and you can get your copy here! I've got a copy of this book and I can tell you it's well worth it, especially for first time travelers or if you haven't seen more of Thailand than downtown Bangkok.

When Tom agreed to become part of our small select product review team I was both excited and grateful. I hope you enjoy this and future reviews by Tom. For those whose plans include extended travel in Thailand and China I’d recommend contacting Tom and inquiring into obtaining copies of his books. Tom Tweedel is an Austin, TX based photographer and can be reached at: tomsds@austin.rr.com

Introduction

When I first got my hands onFastPictureViewer I was thinking it was just another photo viewer/organizer. After using it I discovered it was much less, and much more than I expected.

The sole purpose of fast picture viewer is to be a front end program for viewing and picking photos from a large collection. It was originally written for sports photographers who had to quickly sort and pick from thousands of images. But if you're
not a sports photographer with thousands of images does it really have a use? The answer is YES!

We all have our different workflows. Copying images from a card, loading them into software package(s) for viewing, organizing, processing and forwarding to their end use (print/web/email etc). Applications like Lightroom and Aperture can almost do it
all. If you’ve got top of the line memory cards, card readers, drives and computers it can be configured to do it fast.

However not everyone has access to top of the line equipment all the time or the desire to configure their settings and workspace just to view images. That’s when this little program can really shine.

Installation

FastPictureViewer installation is both smooth and small. It doesn’t take up a lot of resources (those of you with small SSD drives on your laptop take note of this). For better performance you might have to install and ActiveX plug-in to use a
smoking video card if you have it.

Configuration

After you have it installed it launches pretty quick (much quicker than larger applications). After it is running you have to do two things to get going. You have to designate the folder that contains the
images you wish to look at and you have to designate the folder for the “Keepers” you select. After you're ready to roll.

For those who want to go even faster there is native support for both 32 bit and 64bit operating systems as well as multiple options for configuration and optimization for use and performance. You can designate how much of your processor and RAM you wish
to allocate to it as well as other settings. One VERY nice feature is that the application can be color managed. You can designate what ICC color profile you wish to view your images with.

FastPictureViewer has a multitude of options for configuring its feature set and performance.

Use

You are presented with a very minimal interface that lets you quickly zip through your collection.

The main screen devotes itself to keeping it clean, easy and presenting a full view of your pictures.

It’s really intended that you learn a few keyboard shortcuts, though there is a GUI or menu based support for the main operations.

The all settings and information can be accessed from one simple menu and a couple of buttons on the bottom bar.

In optimal use you will use your arrow keys to quickly flip through your collection of pictures. When you see one that you want you click the Keep/Copy button (or CTRL+K) and this copies the file into the Keepers folder you designated.

In addition to your picture you have the option of including a floating window with Vital EXIF data and even a histogram if you want it.

In addition to copying them you can also tag them with some rating metadata. This metadata is read by popular RAW converters like LR and C1 Pro and translates as a “Star” Rating. So when your
flying through your list you can tag a few before transferring them over for better sorting/filtering once your into processing your images.

You can also delete images but you get a confirmation prompt which kind of slows things down. Ideally your only going to want to keep the ones you tag and then toss the rest.

While viewing the images zooming in is very easy. If you’re using your mouse simply click and you get an instant zoomed view of your file (at a zoom % of your choosing). Hold the button and you can pan around on the image checking it out in detail.
Very fast, very efficient.

One click zoom on the creatures eye gives us an instant 200% magnification view

Moving through images is not limited to the arrow keys or one at a time. There is a small scroll bar if you know where to look for it. This shows you which image out of how many you are on and you can drag it down to a later point in your collection.

The scroll bar, while not very obvious is extremely useful.

Once you’re done with your selections you can import this reduced set of images from your keeper folder into your photo processing program and go from there.

Benefits

So what does this program give me that I didn’t have before? The answer is speed.

It is a fast and light front end that can significantly speed up part of your workflow, namely getting images into your photo processing program.

I do a lot of my work on a mid grade Dell Laptop. Neither the laptop, its hard drive, the card reader or the cards are top of the line. Copying over the entire card and then loading it all up in Lightroom can take several minutes. Then sorting from image
to image in Lightroom (waiting for views to load) to pick the keepers isn’t the fastest.

Enter FastPictureViewer. Rather than copying the entire card over to the hard drive and then loading all the images in Lightroom you can simply point the images folder to your card and then view the images directly from the card without copying. FastPictureViewer
is quick and efficient enough to do this in more or less real time. The delay from image to image is much smaller than in Lightroom even when reading from a card. Then when you run into an image you want you can copy it over to your keepers folder.
The copy happens in the background as you continue zipping through your images. When your done you have a pared down collection of files, rated if you want and in a folder on your hard drive ready to import into your photo processor.

In addition to a photo choosing utility FastPictureViewer makes a good photo viewing program. There have been times when I just wanted to quickly look at some images. Using large programs like Lightroom can be somewhat cumbersome. You have to wait for
it to launch, possibly switch to the proper catalog (and wait for it to relaunch) then import the files into Lightroom making sure that it either does or doesn’t get copied to some directory, then wait for them to import. If there are a
bunch of files this can take a while.

With FastPictureViewer you can launch the application, point it to the proper directory and then start looking. Much less overhead, much faster results. In this way it makes it a good go to program for viewing photos, even after they have been processed
as it can read many types of files.

An emerging market I see for this program is for photographers who have updated their laptops with SSD flash based hard drives. Often these drives are not much bigger than a couple of memory cards that will get filled up in a shoot or two. Especially
as the megapixel count continues to climb. While and SSD equipped laptop might not benefit as much from the raw speed of using FastPictureViewer to select the pictures it will benefit from the ability to do it in real time from the card copying
only the keepers. This keeps down the amount of space used and saves you the trouble of having to clean out all the culled images after the fact to conserve space.

Conclusion

If you’ve got a state of the art computer, superfast hard drives, UDMA cards and SATA Bus card readers this program may not do as much for you as most operations might be almost instant anyway. If you don’t have top level hardware (or your
having to work away from your main machine in the field) this is a cheap an easy way to get some of those gains in speed without investing hundreds in upgrades. If you’re looking for a boost in speed it is well worth the consideration to
see if it will find a place in your workflow.

Steve's Comments

First, I want to thank Tom for his excellent review. He's done an excellent job of putting forth his personal viewpoint and keeping the benefits to his workflow in perspective. Coming from a different perspective I'd like to give you mine.

My computer hardware is pretty much leading edge so I have the processing power to use more function intensive programs like Lightroom to import and view my images. And in fact I prefer it this way because Lightroom is a much more feature rich platform
(compared to FastPictureViewer) and I use many if not most of these features, which ultimately saves me loads of time in the processing department.

I installed FastPictureViewer on my PC several months ago when we received the licensing information. I initially set it up and was impressed this viewer took advantage of powerful hardware. You can probably tweak FastPictureViewer for better performance
with advanced hardware more than any other imaging software I use. So while I can totally understand how this program could benefit the user of a less powerful system, I'm left wondering who this viewer was designed for. Certainly most professional
sports photographers use modern hardware, but I suppose in the field they're often limited to laptops and then FastPictureViewer would indeed have some advantages.

But for someone using a fairly modern desktop, or even the latest laptops, I don't see it. I can import images to Lightroom (which I consider null time anyway since I can do something else while the images upload) and once loaded I can run through them as fast as I need for any practical means, fast enough where I really can't tell any difference between moving through images in Lightroom or through FastPictureViewer. The difference is that in Lightroom
once I find/reach/segregate the image(s) in question.. I can then do something with them without having to open another program, import them into that program (can you say Lightroom?),
and THEN start working with them.

So while I admire.. no.. actually I marvel.. at the beauty of this viewer, it is still essentially a viewer and on today's machines users expect and need a lot more from their digital imaging programs than just "viewing." We want a program that processes the images, manages the images (database functions), and lets us view and present the images in a variety of ways.

If you're running a marginally powerful PC then I recommend this as a viewer without reservation. But if you're running a machine based on the faster Core 2 Duo processors (with plenty of RAM) or any of the new i3, i5, and i7 processors then I believe it makes a lot more sense to go with something like Lightroom or Aperture.. which is exactly why Lightroom is the most popular imaging program out there.

Photography News of Interest *menu

Phase One releases Capture 5.1.1 and supports the newest cameras like Canon's EOS 550 (T2i), Mamiya DM40, as well as the Leaf Aptus II 8. Many
bugs have been fixed and presets for the Sony DSLRs implemented. You can read about the update here, and download your update here.
My personal copy was updated and all went well.

Last week I posted a link to Adobe Lightroom Version 3 Beta 2's webpage where you could get a copy. I certainly did and I've spent a few hours this week test driving this new
version to get a feel for the new features. Several that stand out are integral tethering for select (later model) Nikon and Canon DSLRs. This is a great feature, elegantly implemented, and it works great!
Next, version 3's RAW engine has been tuned and IMO is the best raw engine currently available for processing high ISO high noise images. The differences between this and ACR are huge. If you process a lot of high ISO images you'll want
to be using Lightroom version 3. Adobe themselves discuss these features and more at this link. Give it a read.

Adobe also announced the release date for their Creative Suite 5 products, CS5. The release date is April 12, 2010 and they're
promising some very useful new features like 'content-aware' fill and more. Check out their CS5 page for an active countdown clock until the release.. and you can preorder your copy here.

Sexual misconduct by fashion photographers is more common than we'd care to believe. This article talks about photographers abusing their relationships with young models through inappropriate
touching and asking for sexual favors. Jim Richardson who shoots for such magazines as Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, and Gucci is being accused by credible sources. One of his past models describes very unprofessional conduct during her shoot while his assistants looked on acting like it was natural. If you've ever considered shooting fashion, or even involving your children in fashion photography, I encourage you to read this article.
It will open your eyes.

The Lenovo W510 laptop is uniquely suited to image processing in several ways. It has a very nice wide gamut monitor coupled with an optional built in colorimeter with included software. Profiling your monitor is as simple as clicking the button, closing
the top, and opening the top when the 'finish beep' sounds. More, it has a core i7 CPU, a high powered graphics card, and all the new modern hardware you could want. And of course it has the legendary ThinkPad construction and build
quality you've come to expect from Lenovo. Read this review
from Notebook Review for more information.

Readers Submissions *menu

Hi

These are some shots from the big bike show in Thailand.

I made them small because there are so many of them.

Enjoy

Bart

Bart –

These are even more fun than usual. We've all seen these on TV, but you've seen them in person and shared with us and it's appreciated. Some true works of art in there.. and some true works of.. well.. some works.. ;o)

Steve

I suspect the readers submissions will be a highly anticipated section of this column and I encourage anyone with photographs and travel accounts they'd like to share to please send them to me at: QandA@Bkkimages.com

Readers Questions *menu

Hello Steve,

I'd like to know if you could tell me how people take these kind of photos?

Do they remove the background or use clever lighting to do it? The reason for asking is that I'm planning on returning to Australia and starting a online shop on EBay selling similar goods and photos like theses help sell the product has the customer isn't distracted by the background and can only see the relative item and it also make you look more professional.


Charles

Hi Charles –

Back in the archives somewhere there is a long running email I had with an eBay reseller who wanted to learn the same thing. Here's the meat of what to do.

1. A point and shoot works good for small product photography, because of the small sensor you have almost unlimited DOF (depth of field) at wider apertures and will be able to get away with less powerful
and costly lights. A DSLR would be what a professional uses, but the lenses necessary to get an adequate DOF become very expensive. I know this its counter intuitive to use a point and shoot.. but there ya go..

2. Whatever camera you use, use it on a solid tripod with an external shutter release. This helps if you must use long shutter speeds (due to less powerful less costly lights) and it helps the framing
remain consistent from shot to shot.

3. Build a set of white poster board. For small products it's very simple, a back, a floor, and possibly some sides. Meter long white poster board from Tesco is adequate and about 20 baht each piece.

4. The reflection on the bottom can and should be achieved by laying a piece of visqueen (shiny clear plastic sheeting) over the white floor.. this should also be about 20-30 baht per piece. You'll
need one piece.

5. You'll need two pairs of lights. One pair of lights should light the background only. These should be brighter than your subject by 1-2 stops. This way it "blows out" the background making it a "white nothing" which is the
look you want. Failure to do this results in pink, brown, grey, or other color tinges and a sloppy mess. The second set of lights are used to illuminate your subject. (in this case the toy helicopter).

6. The camera should be in manual mode. The subject should be about 1 meter from the background.. this gives a good distance for the lights to work. Any closer and you'll have all sorts of problems getting the look you desire.

7. Depending on the quality if your lights and the adjustments on them.. you can use the camera to expose the background, and the subject lights variable power control to expose the subject. Or.. if no variable controls you might find it easier to do
it the other way around.

8. In place of studio quality lights you can buy small quartz table/work lamps for a few hundred baht each. Just make sure to do a custom white balance to match the light temperature of the lights and get the correct color. Florescent lights will be a
lot cooler to work with and will be okay as well.. though they're a lot less powerful. The lights will always be on with this kind of lighting. And no, a flash unit will not work for the look you desire. Studio strobes will, but not a
regular flash unit.

9. With cheap shop lights.. you can 'vary the power' by buying models with built in dimmers, or by simply moving the light closer/further from the background/subject..

10. Because you'll need to play around with light placement, distances, etc.. I recommend working tethered. A good tethering program is DSLR Remote from Breeze Systems.. or if your point and shoot comes with tethering software.. working tethered
really speeds up the process. LR 3 Beta 2 has tethering built in for a limited number of Nikon and Canon cameras and it's currently free for beta users.

11. If you'll be selling a lot of products online I recommend you build a set and leave it set up. Tape it together, put everything in a part of the house will you can let it be, and even dedicate a point and shoot and inexpensive tripod to the cause.
Leave your DSLR gear free for your regular photography. This way every time you get a new product to catalog you just set it in the exact same spot every time.. easy stuff once it's set up.

And yes.. everything is negotiable about this.. but I can't and won't cover everything. Any variation from this procedure is going to bring on some serious headaches.. so try and stick with this.

Good Luck

Steve

Steve;

So as a follow up to the info you sent me on sensors I have the following questions:

1. The Canon S90 has a 1/1.7” (inch?) 43.3 mm sq sensor and the Sony has a 1/2.3” (inch?) , 28.5 mm sq sensor.

So the bigger, therefore, better sensor is the Canon 1/2.3 “? What is confusing to me are the descriptions 1/1.7” and 1/2.3. What do they mean? I do not see any relationship to the mm sq.

The "bigger" sensor is the Canon 1/1.7" yes. They're ratios. Here is a calculator someone made up to help:

2. Therefore the bigger mm sq sensor combined with more mega pixels should mean a better quality picture? Does this sound correct to you? I just restated the information I received from you.

Not necessarily. Image quality is determined by more factors than merely sensor size. Any given size sensor is divided up into millions of pixels. Megapixels. The more megapixels the sensor is divided up into, the smaller each pixel site will be.. and
the smaller each pixel site is then 'generally' the lower the IQ. This is because a smaller pixel captures less light than a larger pixel. In camera algorithms then further process the
data to remove noise, add contrast, color, etc, and these algorithms can greatly affect image quality. There are also other factors such as pixel binning, the angle of each individual photo site, and more.. there is an entire science involved
with sensor technology.

However, it's usually very safe to say a larger sensor produces better image quality (knowing the above caveats) and that generally the bigger the photo site the better the image quality. So.. a 1/1.7
sensor with 10.1mp's will 'generally' produce better quality pictures, especially at lower light levels, than a 1/1.7 sensor with 15mp's. All else being equal.. which it rarely is. Though..
you can safely weight the sensor size and the size of the pixel as the two biggest factors by far.. algorithms and the other voodoo involved are much less effectual.

  1. On your high end cameras what size sensor and how many mega pixels do you have?

On a DSLR we have four major sizes of sensors.

  1. Full frame "36x24mm's" which is the same size at 35mm film (Canon 5d (12m0), 5d Mark II(21mp), 1ds(11mp), 1ds Mark II(16.1mp), 1ds Mark III(21.1mp), Nikon D700(12mp), Nikon D3(12mp), Nikon D3s(12mp), Nikon D3x (24mp), Sony A900(24mp),
    A850(24mp).
  2. 1.3x crop frames APS-H, 27.9×18.6mm. (Canon 1d(4mp), 1d Mark II(8mp), 1d Mark IIn(8mp), 1d Mark III(10.1), 1d Mark IV(16.1mp).
  3. 1.5 and 1.6 crop frames APS-C, 23.6×15.7mm (Nikon, Pentax, Sony), and 22.2×14.8mm (Canon), and these are all the rest of the DSLRs out there from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sony, ranging from 1-18mp currently.
  4. And finally we have the 4/3's sensors which are fairly new. They measure 17.3x13mm and are becoming very popular on pocket/travel sized DSLRs from Olympus and Panasonic.

Thank you advance for you continuing help with all my questions concerning photography issues.

By the way because there was no weekly column this week can I get a refund on the subscription price? 555

You bet. We'll get right on that.. 🙂

Steve

Please submit your questions to QandA@Bkkimages.com All questions will be answered and most will show up in the weekly column.

A Snapshot of Bangkok Images Week in Review *menu

Another busy week with a couple workshops and a few bids for commercial product photography. We continue to review some recent hardware acquisitions and will soon have full reviews available. We're also awaiting delivery of our new imaging monitors
from NEC. We're also giving our new GPS a thoroughly wringing out inside and outside Bangkok and hope to bring you a full review of this delightful device soon.

Meanwhile in the background we continue to work on our new website design and I'm pleased to say its taking shape. This isn't going to be a minor revision like before, but instead a totally new design from the image galleries to a brand new
discussion forum with content based on different membership levels. I can't wait to unveil this one!

Infocus Blog, Division of Time *menu

When I was small I thought I would grow up learning a profession, master my profession sometime before I reached the age of 30, and then spend my remaining years practicing my profession. Imagine my surprise to find I found it necessary to change my profession
more than twice. Imagine further that my current profession, digital photography, was in its infancy a decade ago, and today is in at most its juvenile stage. We have a long way to go.

Digital photography requires a great deal of practice, and a great deal of learning and keeping up with new technology. And because digital photography is so closely intertwined with all types of other technologies from the science of sensors, to leading
edge computer design, to the most innovative software development. The amount of information we need to digest and merge with previous knowledge appears to grow more in volume each year. Will we ever reach equilibrium?

I was giving thought to this subject over the last week when working with the new features of Lightroom Version 3 beta 2, reading about the new technology behind the "content-aware" functions of
Adobe's CS5, updating Phase One's Capture One Pro version 5.1.1., benchmarking my new SSD, testing out the newest GPS, and reading on the speculation of Canon's new 1ds Mark IV rumored to be announced at Photokina this year. How
much training on new technology did your profession require last week? I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this.

No matter how busy I get, no matter how many clients want to book workshops, I still must allot a significant portion of my (I don't want to say "free") available time to keeping up on an
ever growing list of trade websites, reading certain professional forums, and personally testing/learning about new technologies of all kinds. It rarely if ever demands less than every waking moment. I wonder if even doctors have this much
'new stuff' to learn? And I wonder will we ever reach equilibrium.

Until next time..

nana plaza