CONTENTS

BECEMBER Z00S
VOLUME 69, NO. 12
CAMERA OF TH
S3,300CanonEO
raisesthebarloral
butthrustsitintoth
FEATBRES
BEPARTMENTS
PLBS...
1Z Letters
Z1 Snapshots
Z7 1ustOut
31 YourBestShot
B4 TheFix
13B TimeExposure
1S4 TechSupport
1B7 WhatspWith
WEB SITE EXCLUSIVES
www.POPPHOTO.com
@

DIGITAL TOOLBOX PODCAST Listen as Debbie Grossman leads you

step-by-step through various Photoshop skills. Play it on your computer or
download this audio le to your iPod so you can take Debbie wherever you go.
NEW PAPERLESS MAGAZINE Check out the new digital edition of POP
PHOTO. Every feature and every page is there, only in an electronic format.
Click Subscribe Now on the home page for all the details.
PHOTO EMERGENCIES! What do you do if a ood or other watery disaster
strikes your prints, negatives, slides, or electronic-image les? We come to the
rescue with tips on saving your precious pictures.
ADOBE PHOTSHOP ELEMENTS 4 Debbie Grossman reviews the latest version
of this superpopular program. Also, exclusive Podcast commentary by the
Digital Toolbox diva.
Cover: PhotographeroltheYear2005 MichaelSooshotthecover
imageolaCanonEOS5DusingaCanonEOS20Danda24?0mm
l/2.8LCanonlens,exposinglor1/250secatl/5.6; lSO100.Why
l/5.6? Sothattherearolthecameraissoltenoughtomeltintothe
background,bringinglocustothelront,brandname,texture,and
shape,hesays.Withthe5Donagrillliketable,Soosetthreered
gelledWhiteLightningstrobesarounditandonebeneath.
=COVER STORY

B8 Canon EOS 5D Theonetobeat

Michael J. McNamara
7Z Sony Cyber-shot DSC-R1Big,beautilulEvF
Dan Richards
74 Pentax 40mm f/2.8DALimitedpancakelens
Peter Kolonia
7S ACDSee 8 Photo Manager Organizelast
Debbie Grossman
7B Quantum Qash T5d Flashsystem
Peter Kolonia
77 Epson PowerLite 755cLCDdigitalprojector
Philip Ryan
17 Editorial Showusyourstull John Owens
SZ SLR DSLPboom R Herbert Keppler
BZ Film Now Positiveslornegatives Russell Hart
1B8 ShowcaseLadiesorGentlemen
Debbie Grossman

DREAM TEAM: WhatayearlordigitalSLPs! Hereareseventhatwe

testedin2005,alongwithascoutingreportonthosetocome.
TESTS/REVIEWS

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Z8 All I Want for Festivus Holiday
84 Camera of the Year TheCanon
The Editors
8B DSLR All-Stars of 2005 5 Bestintheleague
Michael J. McNamara
90 They Might Be GiantsWillEvFsstomp
DSLPs? Dan Richards
9Z Mothers of InventionCCooldigicamtricks
Dan Richards
9B Digital Optical Options Kitlensesvs.thepros
Peter Kolonia
104 You Fall, You Die Shoottingtoextremes
Jad Davenport
B0W-T0
39 NatureBringDeathvalleytolile Tim Fitzharris
47 TravelFittobeThai
S8 Digital Toolbox HealingBrushstepbystep x
Debbie Grossmaan
78 Tips & TricksTipsourreadersswearby aders swear by
81 You Can Do It! Heshootsseashells Peter Kolonnia
100 Read a Camera TestBehindthenumbers
Michael J. McNamara
1ZZ Get Creative AlphabetCity Bryan F. Peterson
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FEATS IN INCHES: Sure,theyresmall,butthese12digitalcompacts
arepackedwithamazingleatures.
86
92
Kodachrome: keepin the faith
In response to Michael Gottliebs let-
ter in the September 2005 issue sug-
gesting that in 2027 when people hear
Paul Simons song Kodachrome,
theyll ask, Whats Kodachrome?
I think that in 2027 people will
know Kodachrome quite well. Af-
ter decades of gradually losing their
digital photography to hard drive
failures, corrupted les, unreadable
disks, viruses, obsolete formats,
and just plain mistakes, lm photo-
graphy may make up the majority of
images from these times.
Patrick McNamara
Westeld, NJ

Ye olde Photoshoppe?
Knowing that I work with old
photos, a customer recently
brought me this one, hop-
ing I could shed some light
on the technique. I cant. It
appears to be the same girl
in each seat, but theres no tell-tale
signs of multiple exposures. Ive also
ruled out mirrors, since her expres-
sion changes slightly. Cut and paste
would have been too expensive for a
postcard. Any ideas? Bill Becker
Hillsdale, NJ
According to Todd Gustavson,
Curator of Technology at George
Eastman House International Mu-
seum of Photography and Film in
Rochester, NY, the picture was in-
deed made with mirrors. What ap-
pear to be slight changes in expres-
sion are due to the different
angles at which the subject is pre-
sented to the camera. The illustra-
tion below, from an early edition of
Photographic Amusements (rst
published in 1896), by Frank Fra-
prie and Walter Woodbury, shows
how its done. The book says this
type of shot was a popular money-
maker for photographers in summer
resorts who printed the photos on
postcards. Also, French police used
this technique for photograph-
ing criminals and thus obtaining a
number of different portraits with
one exposure.
Noiseand speedreduction
from a photo trip to Yel- Flying back f
d Grand Teton, I picked lowstone and
up OTO POP PHO at the Denver air-
h I had read the article port. I wish
You Should Know About 10 Things Y
the Nikon D70 (October 2005) the Nikon
before I left for my trip. I learned
at least three new things about my
trusty D70, all of which would have
helped me bring home a larger num-
ber of better pictures.
In item 8, you recommend using
the noise-reduction feature in ex-
posures over 1 sec. But, as I found,
dont use it with faster shutter
speeds, or the cameras burst rate
will drop signicantly.
While shooting my daughters
soccer game over the summer, I
couldnt understand why the camera
shot only 1 fps. I was about to send it
back to Nikon when I glanced at the
manual (page 133) and learned that
the D70 slows to under 3 fps with
noise reduction on. I switched noise
reduction off and the burst rate went
back up to 3 fps. James Fraser
Warwick, RI
Whats Tim Fitzharris doing? I main-
tain a virtual shrine to his scenic and
wildlife photography. And when I
glanced at the October issue (Na-
ture), I saw that hed scored again
with the magnicent bugling bull
elk. How amazing is that photo, with
the breath and snow squall...or not.
When I read the caption, I discov-
ered he added frosty breath and the
snow squall with Photoshop. Huh?!
Now, Im all for image correction,
m an avid Photo-
hop user, and Ill
et Tims gizmos
and neutral-density lters slide, but
this crosses the line. Next time, Tim
should leave well enough alone.
That said, I still have my shrine.
Gary Lehman
Pearl River, NY
Tim confesses that only the snow
and breath are real. The animal
was made using Photoshops little-
known Bull Elk Tool on the Rumi-
nant Palette.
A bull in the
PHOTOSHOP

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LETTERS
> SHARE YOUR TI PS, EXPERI ENCES, QUESTI ONS, AND COMMENTS WI TH OUR EDI TORS
12 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
Get in touch! Write
us at Letters to the Ed-
itor, POPULAR PHOTO-
GRAPHY & IMAGING,
1633 Broadway, New
York, NY 10019; or
send an e-mail to Pop- p
Editor@hfmus.com. p
EDITORIAL
BY JOHN OWENS
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
ts your turn to prove whos
e best shooter on the planet
TAKE A LOOK AT THIS MONTHS
cover. Its a damn good photo.
Could you have taken it? If the an-
swer is yes, then let me ask you a
few more questions:
How are you under pressure?
Can you think fast, work fast,
and get the shot when the
going gets tough?
Are you the best all-around
photographer you know?
What are you doing the week
of July 9, 2006?
If youre up for an adventure, I
encourage you to enter POPULAR
PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGINGs Pho-
tographer of the Year 2006 Compe-
tition. Our goal is to nd the best
shooter on the planet and reward
that person with a $5,000 grand
prize, as well as the assignment to
shoot the December 2006 cover of
POP PHOTO.
After three intensely competitive
days of shooting, California-based
software engineer Michael Soo
emerged as the 2005 Photographer
of the Year. His images grace this
months cover and illustrate the arti-
cles, They Might Be Giants and
Camera of the Year. You can see
more of the work that earned Soo
the title (and that big check),
ll h
talented photographers he was up
against, in our October 2005 issue
and at www.POPPHOTO.com.
But, chances are what you really
want to see is whats in store for the
2006 competition, and how you can
get in on it.
Okay. Here are the basics.
Send us four of your best photos:
One people shot.
One product shot.
One action shot.
One shot of anything, of any
type you want.
They must be prints. No e-mails,
no digital les, and they must be no
larger than 11x17 inches.
The criteria dening people,
product, and action shots are re-
ally wide open. And is Photoshopping
allowed? Sure. But software wont
get you into the nal round; photo-
graphy will. Put simply, were looking
for all-around photographic prowess.
Out of the thousands of entries, our
editors will pick 10 seminalists. The
work of these photographers will be
posted on our web site from April 17
until May 30, where readers can see
the photos and vote for their favorite.
The top three nishers in this vot-
ing will be invited to New York for
the four-day Shoot-Out during the
week of July 9. Well provide coach
airfare from alm
any major city in the world, a hotel
room in midtown Manhattan, even
some spending money for each of
the three nalists as they battle to
prove who is really the best.
As in the 2005 Shoot-Out, POP
PHOTOs editors will hit these shoot-
ers with a wide range of assignments
that will test their talent, skill, creativ-
ity, resourcefulness, and stamina. In
2005, the assignments ranged from
shooting food in Chinatown, to cap-
turing the action behind the scenes
of a Broadway show, to chronicling
what goes on at a horse track on a
rainy summer day. This years com-
petition will be grueling, but it also
could be one of the best weeks of
your life.
When all of the assignments are in,
the editors will select the winner of
the title and the ve grand. The re-
sults will be published in POP PHOTO
and on our web site. Talk about brag-
ging rights!
Are you in? It doesnt matter if
youre an amateur or a pro. It doesnt
matter where you livethe 2005 en-
tries came from everywhere, includ-
ing India, Argentina, and China. You
can shoot digital or lm (though with
the Shoot-Outs tight deadlines, digi-
tal offers an edge). And you must be
available the week of July 9.
So cmon, send us those four prints.
Your entry must be postmarked no lat-
er than Friday, March 31, 2006. Get
all of the details, rules, and entry
procedures at wwwPOP-
2006
2006

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HOW THIS PRO GOT SATURATED
COLOR AND A SUPER POSE
> POP PORTRAI TURE. . . STARS SHOOT. . . BET TER PI CS QUI CK
NAOMI HARRIS, A NEW YORK pho-
tographer famous for her Haddon Hall se-
ries documenting the Haddon Hall retire-
ment community in Miami, Florida, shot this
picture in Los Angeles for a Marie Claire
UK story on Angelenos and their dogs. We
found out how she got the nal picture.
Q
WHO IS THIS FELLOW?
The dog is Diva, and his owner is Nor-
wood Young, a record producer and phi-
lanthropist. He lives in Hancock Park [near
Beverly Hills]in what used to be Nat King
Coles house. He rented the house for a
couple of years and the neighbors were
not too pleased. Then he bought it. He put
up one [copy of Michelangelos sculpture]
David and the neighbors were so livid that
he put up a dozen more.
Q
WHAT DID YOU SHOOT WITH?
The Contax 645, with a 35mm lens.
I used Kodak Portra 160 VC lm, so that
accounts for the bright colors. I used to
shoot slide lmthis is the negative lm
thats the closest to the Kodak E100G.
Q
WHAT TIME OF DAY WAS IT, AND HOW
DID YOU GET THE LIGHT SO EVEN?
It was about 5 oclock. The sun was right
behind me and the lights are pretty much
in the same place. If the sun was anywhere
else I could have lit him but the house
would have still been in shadow.
I brought three Profoto 7 heads, and we
ran a cord from the garage. No silks, no
umbrellasjust reectors straight on him.
When youre shooting outside you lose
so much power anyway. In order to get
the lawn and sky so saturated, I metered
the daylight, then set the camera and the
lights a stop brighter than reality. That way
the sky and grass were underexposed. Im
not a real technical personIve just g-
ured out what works for me outside.
Q
HOW DID YOU GET THE DOG TO YAWN?
Diva was great. That was just luck.
Q
ANY STUMBLING BLOCKS? This picture
wouldnt be nearly the same if the sky
werent blue. When we arrived the smog and
fog were just burning off. I was relieved.
Q
DID YOU HAVE A BACKUP LOCATION?
No. This was the picture. How could
you not shoot the Davids?
21
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AtS800(street),theNikonD50
DSLPkitisaheckoladeal.Al
terall,youget6.1MP,abigLCD,
a body thats small and light
weight,andan1855mml/3.5
5.6G AFS DX ZoomNikkor.
Whatcouldbebetterthanthat?
Gettingitalllorlree.Weregiv
ingawayaD50kitthismonthat
ourwebsite.Foryourchanceto
win, go to POPPHOTO.com and
enterasoltenasonceadayun
til December 16. NO PURCHASE
NECESSARY.
CAMERAHACKI NG. COM
teaches you super tricks with
ordinary stull. The sites author,
Chieh Cheng, gives you truly
uselul tips (like how to mount a
cameratothedashboardolyour
carorsimulatemirrorlockup)and
sneakyhacks(likehowtogetyour
negativesoutolthosedangAPS
canistersormakeyourowninlra
redremote).1ustdonttellanyone
youheardaboutitlromus.
NE WS DI SCOV E RI E S & COOL S T UF F F ROM T HE WORL D OF PHOT OGR APHY
NIKON D50
lnthenalimage,YounglooksnaturalandDiva
thedogissmilinglorthecamera.Meanwhile,the
sunlightsthehouseandsculptureswhilethree
Prolotoheadsmaketheportraitssubjects pop.
DO
NOT
DO
NO
Try
This At
Home
22
SNAPSHOTS
THREE WAYS TO WAYS TO WAYS TO
IMPROVE YOUR YOUR YOUR
PICTURES, RE PI SS CC PICTURES, FAST
1. DOT IN THE MIDDLE: GetaPostitNote,cuta
1
4
inchsquareoutolthestickypart,andplaceitinthemiddleol
yourDSLPsviewnder(orputabiggersquareonyourLCD
screen).Nowshoot,andmakesurethatallyouractionhap
pensoutsidetheblob.Bettercompositionsguaranteed.
2. LOCK IT UP:Grabyourlastestlens,turnonaperture
prioritymode,openyouraperturealltheway(aslarasl/1.4
ilyouvegotit),andstaythere.Switchtomanuallocus,and
shoot.Seehowtheshallowdeptholeldlorcesyoutosee
theworldthroughawholeneweye.
3. PICK A COLOR: Chooseacolor,likewhite,thentry
to nd white everywhere. Fill your lrame with it, make your
picturesaboutit.Keepshootinguntilyoureseeingred.
COREL PAINTER
ESSENTIALS
IF PAINTER ESSENTIALS can make
thisnastylookingpieceolpizzaappetizing,
thinkwhatitcandoloryourimages.Corel,
the company that brings you the mother
olallpainting programs,theS350(street)
Painter lX,nowhasaS99ver
sion lor regular people. lt
requires littletono talent at
mixing colors and rendering.
lnstead,itmakesiteasytoturn
a photographintoapainting.
lmportanimage,chooseth
paper you want (the progra
simulates lots ol textures), the
hit Ouick Clone. You get wh
lookslikealoggyversionolyo
photoitssortolliketracing
per. Pick the kind ol clone br
you wantanything lrom chalk to
oilstowatercolorthatevenbehaveslikeits
wetthen paint. Thebrushgrabsbothcolor
andlormlromyourimage.Youcontrolthe
thickness and direction ol the line but the
theshapeandshadingaretakencareol.
Theresultsarelarbetterthanwhatyou
getlromquickiephoto ltersinyourimage
editing program. lnstead,itslun,addictive,
andeasy. llyouretalented,mixcolorsand
makeyourowncompositionssansphoto.
One cautionary note, though: painting
withamouseislikewritingwiththewrong
hand. ltsdilcultandtheresultsaresome
whatclunky.Pressuresensitivepentablets
(such as Wacom tablets) make the whole
experiencebetter.Forinlo: www.corel.com
or800??26?35.
3
BROOKE
SHIELDS
MOS
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HOPPER

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JBST
> NEW GEAR THAT HAS I MPRESSED OUR EDI TORS. . . BY PHI LI P RYAN
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM 27
READY FOR HD Formorethanayear,thebuzzaboutLeicahasrevolvedaroundthe
10MPDigitalModulPcamerabacklortheP8andP9cameras.Now,thecompanys
longstandingrelationshipwithPanasonichasgivenbirthtosomethingelse:anew
digitalcompactcalledtheDLX2(S800estimatedstreet).ltleaturesaLeicaDC
varioElmarit28112mm(equivalent)l/2.84.94Xzoomlens,alongwitha2.5
inch,20?,000pixelscreen.ltsmostinterestingleature:the16:9aspect
ratioolthe8.4MPCCDsensor.Thatmeansyoucanshootphotosthat
displayperlectlyonanyHDTv.llyoupreler,aswitchontheside
olthelensletsyouchangeaspectratiosto4:3or3:2with
correspondinglylowerresolutionsol?and6MP.TheDLX
2alsoincorporatesPanasonicsMegaOlSoptical
imagestabilization.Notethesimilaritybetween
thisLeicaandPanasonicsLumixDMCLX1
(S600street).ButalsonotethattheD
LX2hasa2yearwarrantyinsteadol
Panasonics1year,comeswithAdobe
Elements3.0insteadolArcSolts
soltwaresuite,and,olcourse,
isaLeica.(Leica;www.
leicacamera.com;
8002220118)
WALLET-SIZED VIEWER Stillluggingaroundwalletsizedprintsinplasticsleevesthatopdown
totheoor?Getwiththetimes.ApplesnewiPodNanonotonlyplaysmusic,butalsodisplaysphotos
ona1.5inchscreenthatsaboutthesamesizeasthoseprints.Andtheunititsellisonly1.6x3.5x0.3
inchesand1.5ounces.ltcomesin2GB(S200street)and4GB(S250street)versions.Applesays
the4GBunitcanstoreupto25,000photos.Nowpeoplewontthinkyoureweirdwhenyoucarry
aroundapictureolyourCanonet.Well,maybetheywill.(Apple;www.apple.com;800692??53)
BUDGET PHOTO GIFTS FOR THE REST OF US BY PHILIP RYAN
We know you want a fully
loaded, 12-megapixel DSLR
this holiday season. But, if
your family is anything like
the Costanzas (of Seinfeld
fame), you can forget about
that. Here are a half-dozen
items for your shopping list
each priced under $25, plus
one crazy splurge at $79.
Twinkle, Twinkle
Nothing says Festivus more
than a star lter, such as this
Hoya Cross Screen. It turns
specular highlights into
multi-armed sparkling stars.
Plus, its a fun complement to
the regular circular polarizers
and UV protectors that most
photogs buy for themselves. This
one makes four-pointed stars, but you can
also get six- and eight-pointed versions.
And remember, you can always rotate the
lter in the threads to control the effect.
Price: $16.50 and up, depending on the size.
(THK Photo Products, Inc.; www.thkphoto.
com; 800-421-1141)
Sticky Situation
Shooting and printing
pictures can be fun. And
its even better to do
something with
those prints. But,
mounting them or
making scrapbooks
can get, well, sticky.
Krylons acid-free,
photo-safe Easy-
Tack creates a non-
permanent, slightly
sticky coating on the back of your prints, so
you can lay them out on mats or scrapbook
pages and reposition them as much as you
want. Then, when you make up your mind, you
can stick them permanently with Krylons acid-
free, archival-safe, Spray Adhesive. Price: Easy
Tack, 10.25-ounce can, $6.50; Spray Adhesive,
11-ounce can, $5. (Krylon; www.krylon.com;
800-457-9566)
Power Packer
Carrying batteries loose in your camera bag is a
bad idea. They can scratch your lenses and LCD
screens. Worse, loose batteries can leak. Then
theres the annoying issue of distinguishing
new cells from those half-used, I-think-these-
still-have-juice cells. The solution: a simple
battery holder, like this one from Ansmann.
Price: $3.50. (HP Marketing; www.
hpmarketingcorp.com; 800-
735-4373)
Read Up
Chuck Delaney has been the
dean at the New York Institute of Photography
for 20 yearsso he has a lot of advice for
photographers. His book, Photography Your
Way (Allworth Press), a favorite since it was
rst published in 2000, has been updated
this year to include a fresh perspective on the
progress of digital technology as it relates to
novice, advanced, and pro shooters. Delaneys
very readable book is
lled with personal
insights and nuggets
of information. Price:
$23. (Allworth Press;
www.allworth.com;
800-491-2808)
Luster for Life
Almost everyone
who prints photos
or has them printed
at a storegoes for a
glossy nish. But many
of us are secretly in
love with luster nishes.
Adoramas ProJet Royal
Satin and Projet Smooth Silk inkjet
papers offer a great alternative to the
usual glossy prints. Choose Smooth
Silk if you want brighter whites. The
Royal Satin, with what Adorama calls
a Pearl nish, has a warmer look
thats great for portraits. Price: $11
for 20 8.5x11-inch sheets. (Adorama;
www.adorama.com; 800-223-2500)
Press-on Pod
Looking for the best way to shoot
the Autobahn? Mount a camera on
the hood of your car. According to its
manufacturer, the Original Sticky Pod
will stay stuck even if you drive up to
110 miles per hour. Just to be safe, its
probably a good idea to tether your
camera to something and put a clear pro-
tective lter on the front of your lens.
Oh, yeah, and avoid shooting at insane
speeds. You dont want to spend Festivus
in jail. Price: $79. (Sticky Pod; www.sticky-
pod.com; 866-544-3636) p
28
> SHOW US WHAT YOU VE GOT! THESE READERS DI D.
1This black leopard,
Boo, lives at the Shambala Pre
serve in Acton, Calilornia, a sanc
tuarylorunwantedandabusedbig
cats where Bill Dow ol van Nuys is
stallphotographer.Dowphotographed
Boos intense lace through a chainlink
lence. Wise movejust alter the shutter
clicked, Boo leaped at Dow as il he were prey.
Tech info: Nikon F100; 300mm l/2.8 Nikkor
lens. Exposure, 1/125 sec at l/4; lm, Fujichrome
100.ScannedwithNikonCoolscan4000,andAdobe
PhotoshopCSusedlorminorbalancingandcorrecting.
ST PLACE
PEEK-A-BOO
2
3
YOUR BEST SHOT
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
ND PLACE FUN IN THE SUN
Alltheelementscometogetherinthiswinningcomposition:acompellingsubjectmatter,strongverticallines,andzippycolors.
WhilephotographingsurlersandsunbathersonManlyBeachinAustralia(ahallhourlerryridetothenortheastolSydney), Lisa
WiltseolPedlern,NewSouthWales,belriendedthislamilywhohadbroughttheirbackyardtothebeachallwaylromthesuburbsol
westernSydney. ForWiltse,thisshotnotonlycapturesthespiritolthisparticularlamilybut,inessence,representsthedailylileandlaid
back nature ol Sydney. Tech info: Nikon F100; 35mm l/2 Nikkor lens. Exposure, 1/250 sec at l/9.5; lm, Fujichrome Sensia 200.
ScannedwithaNikonCoolscanLS400ED;AdobePhotoshop?.0usedtoadjustcontrastandbrightness.
Walking along the
shore ol Lake Michigan in Mil
waukee, Steven Peyer ol
Mequon, Wisconsin, spied this
handsome mallard couple in
the water. He took about 15
shotsoltheducks,buthedidnt
realizethattheyweregivingeach
othertheeyeinthisshotuntilhe
looked at all ol his results at
home. Tech info:CanonEOS
20D; 100400mm l/4.55.6L
lSCanonlens.Exposure, 1/350
sec at l/6.?; lSO 200. Adobe
PhotoshopCSusedtocropthe
shot,modilythebrightness,and
sharpentheimage.
RD PLACE
DUCK SOUP
34
YourBestShotEntryPules:Toenter,sendprints
and only printsnolargerthan9x12inchestoYour
BestShot, POPLAPPHOTOGPAPHY&lMAGlNG,1633
Broadway,NY,NY10019. Donotemailphotosand p
donotsendelectronicles. llyourphotoisselected
and material is needed lor publication, we will con
tact you. Prizes are as lollows: First Place, S300;
SecondPlace,S200;ThirdPlace,S100;Honorable
Mention, S50. p to ve entries per month. Photos
notchosenmaybeselectedlorTheFixleature.ln
cludeyouraddress,phonenumber,andemail,plus
any pertinent technical inlormation (camera, lens,
exposure, lm, lters, soltware). Submission grants
POPLAP PHOTOGPAPHY&lMAGlNG therighttopublish
photographs and descriptions in print, electronic,
andothermedia,andlorpromotionalandadvertising
use.Yourepresentthatyourphotographsareoriginal
andolyourowncreation,publicationolthematerial
willnotviolatetherightsolanykindolthirdparty,and
you haveprovidedallnecessarypermissionsandre
leases. Duetothelargenumberolentries,wecan g ,
notreturnyourphotos,andwecannotacknowledge y p , g
receiptolthem. p Fordetailsonthiscontestgotothe
YourBestShotbuttonontherighthandsideolthe
homepageatwww.POPPHOTO.com.
YOUR BEST SHOT
Lewis Abulaa ol Carlsbad, Calilornia, had
beenvisitingYosemiteNationalParklorseveral n
overcastandsnowydays.Onthelthday,he O
trudged through the park with his gear and
caught the sun bursting through the clouds,
illuminating El Capitan. The hotred mountain
peak reecting in the Merced Piver was the
cappingmagicalmoment:ltwastrulyaglori
ous10minutes,whateverylandscapephotog
rapher lives lor. Tech info: Tripodmounted
CanonEOS10D;1?35mml/2.8Canonlens.
Exposure,1/15secatl/22.AdobePhotoshop
CSusedtododgeandburn.
HONORABLE MENTION
FIERY VIEW
HONORABLE MENTION
WHITE CARPET
Walking alter a big snowstorm toward the
buildingwhereheteachesatSyracuseniver
sity,BobGatesol1amesville,NewYork,noticed
howthesnowhadblanketedthesteps,isolat
ing the lorms ol the railings, lights, and trees.
He took some shots with his wideangle lens,
butthatdidntgivethedesiredatperspective.
Gates backed up and used his telephoto lor
thiswinner. Tech info: TripodmountedCanon
EOS10D;?0200mml/4LCanonlens.Expo
sure, 1/250 sec at l/8. Adobe Photoshop CS
usedtocorrectlevelsandcurves.
NEW RULES &
ENTRY PROCEDURES:
SEND PRINTS ONLY
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM 39
DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK
encompasses nearly 3.4 million
acres of airy wilderness furnished
with tinted mudstone ridges, wind-
sculpted dunes, winding canyons,
lush oases, still pools of water, and
vast stretches of sand and gravel.
Mild temperatures, clear blue skies,
and plenty of shooting opportuni-
ties make it an ideal winter destina-
tion for photographers.
Three-part strategy
The best times to photograph
in Death Valley are during early
morning, twilight, and late eve-
ning, when the light is soft and
warm. At other times, the parks
usually cloudless skies generate
contrast beyond the range of lm
or digital sensor. You can use the
midday period, however, for the
essential tasks of reaching and
scouting new locations.
This huge park contains two
major valleys (Death Valley and
Panamint Valley), each bounded by
mountains running north/south on
both sides. Within the park, three
staging locations provide access to
great photo spots: From the Scottys
Castle area (which allows camping
only), you can work the Racetrack,
Eureka Dunes, and Ubehebe
Crater. Out of Stovepipe Wells Vil-
lage (where youll nd camping and
lodging), you can access Aguere-
berry Point, the Mesquite Flats
dunes, and Devils Corneld. And
from Furnace Creek (camping and
lodging), you can photograph at
Zabriskie Point, Dantes View, Art-
ists Drive and Badwater. Of these
various sites, here are ve I dont
think you should miss:
1
MESQUITE FLATS
SAND DUNES
Death Valleys most photo-
genic sand dunes lie adjacent
to California Highway 190, a few
miles from Stovepipe Wells. Great
shots are possible here at either sun-
rise or sunset. Youll need to hike well
into the dunes to nd a stretch of foot-
NATURE
Aperlectwintershootingspot:Deathvalley!
TUCKI MOUNTAINS, MESQUITE
FLAT SAND DUNES
40 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
print-free sand, so plan on spending at
least an hour to nd a tripod location,
plus another 30 minutes to try out
various compositions. The best light
occurs during the 30-minute periods
before sunset and after sunrise.
2
BADWATER
Right off the
road you will nd
this spot, 282
feet below sea level, where
saltwater pools reect
the snow-capped Pana-
mint Range to the west.
Arrive an hour or so
before dawn to allow
time to work out com-
positions using the scat-
tered rocks, shrubs, and
dried mud patterns along the shore. dried mud p
Both soft twilight illumination and
the momentary sunrise glow of rosy
light on the Panamint Range offer
prize-winning opportunities.
On a cloudless day, the magic dis-
sipates abruptly once the sun clears
the horizon. Youll need a 1-stop or
2-stop hard-edge neutral-density
lter to control scene contrast.
3
ZABRISKIE POINT
This surreal terrain just off
Highway 190 is best photo-
graphed at dawn when the
rising sun spotlights Manly Beacon,
a dogtooth projection of tawny
rock surrounded by rumpled ridges
stained in pastel hues. Behind this
feast of shape and color rises the
ice-crowned Panamint Range. A
two-stop hard-edge neutral-density
lter is needed to restrain contrast
on compositions that combine both
foreground and sky.
4
DANTES VIEW
This rocky, shrub-covered
prominence 35 miles from
Badwater provides the most
expansive view of Death Valley,
5,753 feet below. You can hike along
an easily reached trail that skirts
the rim, picking up vantage points
northward and southward into the
valley. Morning creates frontal illu-
mination on foreground features and
is my preferred shooting period.
5
EUREKA DUNES
Stretching up nearly 700
feet, these cream-colored
dunes in the remote north-
ern corner of the park are reached
(continued on page 42)
NATURE
PANAMINT RANGE, BADWATER
Follow the trail and explore different compositions. Pentax 645NII with a
4585mm f/4.5 Pentax lens on tripod. Exposure, 2 sec at f/22 through a
Singh-Ray Color Intensier and a 2-stop hard-edge split ND lter to hold
back the brightness of the sky; lm, Fujichrome Velvia 50.
PANAMINT RANGE, DANTES VIEW
The well-dened foreground elements and
saturated midground colors at Dantes
View contrast nicely with the hazy wash of
colors in the background. Pentax 645NII
with 4585mm f/4.5 Pentax lens on tripod.
Exposure, 1 sec at f/22 through a Singh-
Ray polarizer and a 2-stop hard-edge split
ND lter; lm, Fujichrome Velvia 50.
WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
NATURE
ZABRISKIE POINT
Arrive at Zabriskie at
dawn to have enough
time to set up and
capture the glow that
strikes Manly Beacon
as the sun rises. Pentax
645NII with 80160mm
f/4.5 Pentax lens on
tripod. Exposure, 1 sec
at f/16 through a
Singh-Ray Color
Intensier/Polarizer
and a 2-stop hard-edge split ND lter to
hold back the brightness of the sky; lm,
Fujichrome Velvia 50.
Death Valley is one of the hottest
and driest places in the U.S. In
summer, temperatures often ex-
ceed 120F for weeks at a time.
Humidity is so low that sweat
evaporates before it can form on
your skin. Even during the pleas-
ant winter season you should
keep these precautions in mind:
Make sure your vehicle is in top
condition,especiallythecoolingsys
tem,brakes,andtires.Youwillbetra
versingroughroadsandsteepgrades
insometimesisolatedterritory.
Whenhiking,wearahatandcarry
adequate drinking water. Maintain
awareness ol your route back to the
trailhead, especially when seeking
photo ops in hilly terrain, canyons,
andgullies.
llyourvehiclehasatrunk,useitlor
equipment storage. Otherwise keep
your gear and lm on the oor ol the
vehiclewiththewindowsslightlyopen
lorventilation.
Carryacellphoneloremergencies,
butrememberthatreceptionispatchy
throughoutthepark.
by a 50-mile drive over mostly dirt
roads. The dunes are best pho-
tographed at sunset, allowing an
unhurried daylight journey and
on-site reconnaissance before the
magic hour arrives. You wont nd
photogenic ripples here due to the
powdery texture of the sand, so
Bloom Boom
l n times ol ample rain
lall Death valley is trans l
lormedbyeldsolbrilliantbloomsthatmayrstbegintoshowinearlyFebruary. d b ld l b illi bl h b i
Thebestwintertimeowereldsareusuallyloundatlowerelevationsonalluvial
lans,suchasnear1ubileePass,Highway190nearFurnaceCreeklnn,andatthe
bottomolDaylightPass.Totimeyourvisittocatchthiscolorbonanza,callpark
headquarters(?60?862331)orgoto www.nps.gov/deva/wildowerstxt.htm p g or
to www.desertusa.com/wildo/wildupdates.html p .
CAUTIONS IN THE CAULDRON
build your compositions on curving
dune crests.
Happy shooting, and do your
best to stay cool! p
Visit Tims image-lled web site at
www.timtzharris.com .
LINKS, NUMBERS, INFO
Web site and phone: National
Park Service, www.nps.gov/deva p g ,
or call 760-786-2331.
Book: National Park Photog-
raphy, Tim Fitzharris (Death Valley
plus 20 additional parks), AAA Pub-
lishing, $25; www.amazon.com.
Newsletter: Photograph America
newsletter, Robert Hitchman; web
site: photographamerica.com p g p .
WILDFLOWER BLOOM, UBEHEBE CRATER
The best wildower areas change from year to year (and week to week), so call
ahead, ask a ranger, or stop in at a visitor center. Pentax 645NII with 35mm f/3.5
Pentax lens on tripod. Exposure, 1/4 sec at f/11 through a Singh-Ray polarizer and a
2-stop hard-edge split ND lter; lm, Fujichrome Velvia 50.
TRAVEL
WWW.POPPHOTO.COM 47
THAILAND

TRUNK SHOW: The trekkers visited a rubber plantation in Phuket where

there were more than a dozen elephants. But Julie Williams and her Nikon
D50 found a nice shot in one small piece of the scenerelatively speaking.
AMAZING GRACE: Steve Gershberg
didnt capture these Buddhas with his
Canon EOS 20D right away. I just stood
there for a few minutes in awe of the
site, he says. I want to go back just to
stand there again.
FINDING COLOR IS NOT A
problem in Thailand. Nor is nding
exotic settings. Easiest of all, is nd-
ing willing models. Its as simple as
lifting your camera.
The people loved having their
picture taken, says Mirjam Evers,
who organized this past Julys nine-
day POP PHOTO Mentor Series work-
shop to Thailand. The people were
so happy. I have never met happier
people anywhere in the world.
Surprised? Especially after last
Decembers tsunami had such a
devastating impact on this country?
You shouldnt be. As the 18 photogra-
phers on this Mentor Series work-
shop found, the Kingdom of Thailand
is uniquely beautiful and resilient.
While Bangkok has a skyline lled
with glass and steel, at
ground level youll discov-
er truly one-of-a-kind set-
tings. At the sprawling
Grand Palace, theres the
Temple of the Emerald
Buddha, one of the coun-
trys most sacred sites,
along with ornate archi-
tecture and a wide array
of visitors that includes scores of saf-
fron-robed monks. In fact, from the
ruins of the ancient former capital
Ayutthaya to the beaches and recon-
struction at Phuket, theres an
amazing amount to photograph.
Thats where the Mentor Series
team comes insorting it all out and
putting the photographers in the
right places to get the best images.
And as on all Mentor Series work-
shops, a mentor accompanied trek-
kers. In this case, it was pro Rose-
anne Pennella, who offered tips on
all aspects of travel photography.
For details on all of the Mentor
Series workshops, go to www.mentorser-
ies.com, or contact Michelle M. Cast at
mcast@hfmus.com, 888-676-6468.
For more on visiting Thailand, go to
the Tourism Authority of Thailands
web site, www.tourismthailand.org.
(continued on page 48)
Alandwherephotographersgetaroyalwelcome
Magic Kingdom
TRAVEL
THE BIG PICTURE (top): Craig Gordon used the wide end of the 28135mm lens on his Canon EOS 20D for this shot, a wooden boat
on Phukets Patong Beach (exposure, 1/250 sec at f/5; ISO 100). Seven months after the tsunami, Gordon says, there were no signs of
the damage that this beach endured. STRIKE GOLD (above left): When rain pushed these monks under an overhang at Bangkoks
Grand Palace, John Hutchins saw a photo op. Through a series of head nods and hand gestures, he says, he persuaded them to pose by
a gold-leaf tile wall, as he shot with a Nikon D2x. ON THE RIVERFRONT (above center): Craig Gordon captured these buildings
along the Chao Phrya River with his Canon EOS 20D. MORNING GLORY (above right): The fruit caught my eye because the dew
was still fresh and undisturbed, says Steve Gershberg. To brighten the shot, he red a Canon 580EX Speedlite along with his EOS 20D. p
Craig Gordon
48 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
SLR
52
BY HERBERT KEPPLER
COULD WE BE HEADED NOT
only for a greater choice in digital
SLRs next year, but also an oversup-
ply? Yes, the seeds were planted last
year, when Canon and Nikon bene-
fitted from concentrating most
heavily on digital SLRs. They reaped
a bountiful harvest, cornering 90
percent of the 1.5 million DSLR
camera market in both the top level
$3,000$4,000 sector pro camera
and in the even more protable
$1,000 amateur range. Both types
were often in short supply.
Though going by the numbers
Canon was certainly the leader,
Nikon was able to crow that its rst-
quarter prot this year was quadru-
ple last years, thanks to the compa-
nys concentration on DSLRs.
With some 71.5 million point-
and-shoot digital cameras shipped
globally last year by all manufac-
turers, you might conclude that
these companies should have done
as well or better nanciallybut
they didnt. The main target audi-
ence had already made their pur-
chases, and the smaller group of
holdouts could not digest the
mighty river of new camerasthe
hallmark of a saturated market (as
nancial types call it).
We were awash in overproduc-
tiontoo many new models intro-
duced too quickly, resulting in plum-
meting pricesa consumer bonanza
and makers disaster. What can
manufacturers do?
Join the DSLR success club!
Pentax was a typical switcher. With
2005s rst-quarter prots dipping
42 percent and forecasts indicating
continued drops, Pentax admitted
the problem was its primary reliance
on point-and-shoot sales. Now,
according to Pentaxs president, the
DSLR party big players. Even
before this years P/S debacle, Mat-
sushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.,
(brand name Panasonic), a global (brand name Panasonic) a global
monster combine of electronics and
marketing know-how, decided there
was money in DSLRs. While the
group shows plenty of digital capabil-
ity in its top-level Panasonic Lumix
point-and-shoot cameras, it hasnt
had any SLR camera designing or
manufacturing technology. Matsushi-
ta signed a joint development agree-
ment with Olympus Corporation
for digital interchangeable-lens
cameras, (continued on page 54)
NARROWING THE GAP: All DSLRs except Olympus use lensmounts originally
designed for 35mm cameras. I thought the Olympus 4/3 System DSLR used smaller
diameter lensmount to make smaller lenses possible. Not so.
THE COMING
DSLR EXPLOSION
CATCH EM IF YOU CAN:
SLR
50MM LENS VIEW WITH 24X36MM SENSOR IN FULL FRAME DSLR.
50MM LENS VIEW WITH AVERAGE 24X16MM SENSOR IN
SMALL SENSOR DSLR
54 POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
q WHADDAYAMEAN ITS GOTTA
BE BIG? mm
e.
ght.
(continued from page 52) based on
the Olympus-developed Four Thirds
System. Some would be developed
cooperatively, others separately.
Why pick this system? At rst I
reasoned that the 4/3 system had a
smaller sensor than any other DSLR
and so allowed a smaller lensmount
and shorter back focus distances,
both of which permitted smaller
diameter lenses with extended rear
element closer to the lm plane.
Wrong reasoning. The lensmount
surprisingly is virtually the same diam-
eter as Nikons, and the back focus
distance isnt substantially less. How-
ever, while Canon, Konica Minolta,
Nikon, and Pentax must design and
make both full-frame and small-sen-
sor lenses, Olympus and anyone join-
ing the 4/3 system can concentrate
exclusively on 4/3 system optics.
Olympus rst offered the use of
the 4
who wished to adopt it. But nobody
came to the party. Panasonic is, in my
opinion, a big enough party all by
itself. It could provide savings in
manufacture, particularly of 4/3 sen-
sors. Perhaps low-cost DSLRs may
show up with the Panasonic brand
name, ideal for mass markets and
electronic stores, while Olympus mar-
kets most to photo specialty stores.
Could Panasonic develop image-
stabilization know-how for Olympus
DSLR camera bodies?
Maybe thats not needed. There
are rumors that Sigma, which makes
lenses for the 4/3 system under the
Olympus and Sigma brands, may
also pick up the 4/3 system for its
next DSLR. Sigma already has Opti-
cal Stabilizer (OS) technology for
its lenses, and could also license
Olympus and Panasonic to use it.
q SMALL SENSOR SLRS LOSE MORE THAN YOU THINK:
(24x36mm) Canon EOS 5D imaging sensor shows outer picture area with 18mm
lens. Same lens on small sensor SLR with 1.5X magnication factor crops in to
outlined rectangle area.
lb
6mm
or Canon
5D
2.5 lb
24x3
sens
EOS
SLR
FAKING A 35MM CONTACT SHEET:
Miss those good old, highly visible
35mm contact sheets? Canon 5D with
PictBridge-compatible printers will be
able to simulate them from memory
cardswithout a computer.
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005 55
Nobody is quite sure what Sony
will contribute to its DSLR joint
development agreement with part-
ner Konica Minolta, which is
technologically very advanced. The
two companies have announced they
would use the present Konica
Minolta Maxxum lensmount and
Anti-Shake technology. But Sony
has its own CMOS technology,
which is considered superior in
many ways and much less expensive
than the CCD technology Konica
Minolta is using in its imaging sen-
sor system. My suggestion: Sony
should contribute CMOS tech-
nology, plus marketing know-how
and many dollars and euros for
advertising. Thanks to Minoltas vast
nancial losses years ago, caused by
a protracted lawsuit brought by
Honeywell for patent violation
monies sunk in overforecas
Advanced Photo System (A
sales, the company has been sta
for sufcient advertising and p
motion of its uniquely featured d
ital cameras. Sony should feed it
An INFO/CAP Ventures industry
analyst predicted an 81 percent
DSLR sales growth this year, add-
ing that he thought we probably
would see $500 DSLRs before year
end. Id say that a $500 DSLR
would be more likely next year,
although Pentaxs $650 price for its
*ist DL, just announced as I write
this, is getting mighty close.
With Olympus-Panasonic, Konica
Minolta-Sony, Sigma, and Pentax
all expected to produce new DSLRs
next year, what more can Canon
and Nikon do to make sure you
keep faith with them?
Let me ask you a question. If
you own a Canon or Nikon DSLR
using a small sensor that in effect
multiplies the lens focal length by
a factor of 1.5 or 1.6 to calculate
the equivalent 35mm camera focal
length, would you have bought it
if, instead, you could have pur-
chased a full-frame DSLR with far
more megapixels for about the
same price?
Many purchasers of small sensor
CLOSE TO BEING AN SLR? Kodak
claims P880 EasyShare with xed 24
140mmzoom is alternative to DSLR.
if you need full lens interchangeability
Maybe almost?
Check your brush size:
Move the Diameter slider to the
lelt or right to pick the right size.
Youwantabrushthatsjustslightlybigger
thanthespotyouwanttoremove.Tocheck,
adjusttheDiameter,thenmoveyourcursor
over the speck on your image. ll its encir
cled,youregood.
BY DEBBIE GROSSMAN
Healing Arts
Onetooltosmooth
allimperlections
THE FASTEST BLACK BORDER YOUVE EVER MADE Heresa
quickwaytoaddaborder.Gotolmage>CanvasSize.Checkthebox
lorPelative,changetheCanvasExtensionColortoBlack,thentype
indoublethewidthandheightoltheborderyouwant(itllsplitinhall
asitsevenlydistributedonbothsides).Hankeringloraneven
1

1
4 inch
border?Thentypein0.5inbothboxes.ClickOKandyoureallset.
Zap those zits: Hold your
cursor on some acne, and click.
Pool!WaylasterthanClearasil.ln
this shot lve gotten rid ol the ones on the
neck,andthatbigmotheronthecheek,but
notyetonthechin.Pesizeyourbrushasthe
blemishes require. Notice how Photoshop
addstherightskintextureandluminosity.
Porcelain skin at last:
ll youre working on a blemish
near an edge where the texture
changes, make your brush bigger and en
circle the spot so the texture you like lls
thebrush,buttheedgeisleltout.Thatway,
youllencouragethebrushtosamplegood
texture,notbad. (continued on page 60)
QUICK
TIPS
CHANGE BRUSH HARDNESS FAST You
know you can hit the open bracket ([) to
makeyourbrushsmallerandclosebracket
(|)tomakeitbigger.Butdidyouknowthat
youcanholddownShiltatthesametimeto
makethebrushedgesharderorsolter?
SPOT-HEALING
BRUSH: ZITS Heres
a section ol a portrait
where, unlortunately, the subject did not
wearanymakeup.Shelllooklikeshesnever
hadapimpleinherlilewhenwerenished.
Grab the tool and modify it:
To netune the brush, go to the
Optionsbarontopolthescreen.
Click the down arrow next to the word
Brush (A). Move the Hardness to 100%
(B);denededgesworkbestwiththistool.
58 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
ZITS, DUST, WRINKLES, AND DARK CIRCLES. THESE PLAGUE ANY PHOTOGRAPHER on the quest to make
a picture (or, for that matter, a person) more beautiful. Fortunately, with the help of the Healing Brushone of the
most versatile and magical tools in Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elementsyou can x them all in little time.
Find your Healing Brushonthetoolbar
ontheleltsideolyourscreeninbothPho
toshop(lelt)andElements(right).Thereare
two kinds ol Healing Brushes: the Spot,
whichdoesmostoltheworkitsell,andthe
Original,whichrequiressampling.TheOrig
inalworksbesttocorrectareasthatrequire
drawingwiththebrushtox,andtheSpot
worksbeston,well,spots.
Hereshowtousebothonthelourthings
youllprobablyneedtohealmost.
1 2
3 4
5
A
B
DIGITAL TOOLBOX
60 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
HEALING BRUSH:
WRINKLES
Once you know how to
xwrinklesrealistically,everyoneyouknow
willbebeggingyoutotaketheirportraits.
Thesecrinklycrowsleetarenomatchlor
theoriginalHealingBrush.
Make a duplicate layer:
Makeacopyolyourbackground
layer by going to Layer > Dupli
cateLayerandclickOK.Workonthecopy
wellmodilyitlater.
Ive got your nose:llyouac
cidentally run over a dillerent
texturepartol,say,anosePho
toshop will sample the texture ol the nose
neartheeyeyoureworkingon,whichisno
improvement.llthathappens,typeCtrl+Z
toundo,andpickanewplacetosample.
SPOT-HEALING
BRUSH: DUST Thisis
a detail lrom a scanned,
dirtynegative.singtheCloneStamptoget
ridolitwouldtakelorever,buttheSpotHeal
ingBrushwillmakethetaskgobylast.se
thesamesettingsyouusedtowipeoutzits.
Clear skies:Changesizeson
theybyhittingoneolthesquare
bracket keys ([ or |) on your
keyboard,andspothealaccordingly.When
your picture is this dirty, the spotting can
leelalmostmeditative.Butnexttime,clean
yournegativebetterbeloreyouscan.
Make it a soft brush: Drag
the hardness down to loosen up
the edges, and size it so its just
slightly larger than your rst wrinkle. Make
sureyouregoodandzoomedin.
1 2 1
2 3
Samplerst: TousethisHealing
Brush,rstsamplethetextureyou
want to replace the wrinkle with.
Hold down the Alt key (Option on a Mac)
andclick.Pickasmoothareathatsatleast
aslongastheareayouwanttocoverup.
4
Add subhead: Draw and
cover: Drawontopolthewrinkle
youwanttohide.Asyoumoveyour
cursor,thelittlecrossbarthatrepresentsyour
sampledareamoveswithyou.Dontmindthe
weirdlooking line youre drawing, because
when you let go, Photoshop will do some
calculationsandthewrinklewilldisappear.
Tone it down: Thisisdenitely
an improvement, but our subject
islookingalittleBotoxed.Togive
herbacksomeolherexpressiveness,goto
yourLayersPalette.GrabtheOpacityslider,
andbringitdowntoabout80%.Or,ilyou
reallywanttoatter,85%.
6 7 5
continued from page 58
DIGITAL TOOLBOX
SHRINK AND SEND Heresaquickwaytomakeemailsizedimag
es:gotoFile>SavelorWeb.Youcanadjustandpreviewlourlevels
olcompressionatonce,andcheckthelengtholtimeitwilltakea28.8
modemtoload.WhenyouhitSave,youreautomaticallysavingacopy;
onceyouhitOKyoucangorightbacktoworkonyouroriginal. p
QUICK
TIP
Wrinkle-free: Thats better.
Chances are your subject wont
evennoticeheorsheshadvirtual
plasticsurgery.
HEALING BRUSH:
FIXING DARK
CIRCLES
Healingdarkcirclesisprettymuchthesame
as healing wrinkles, but with a lew modi
cations. This time, make your brush larger,
butdontattempttohealthewholeareaat
once;ilyoudo,youmayendupspreading
moredarknessaround.
Take your time: lnstead,work
yourwayuplromthebottominthin
nerstrokes.ltmaytakeyouseveral
passestogetthecolorright.Aswhenyoure
healing wrinkles, work on a separate layer.
Youmayndyourhealingolthedarkcircles
isoverdone,andyoursubjectlooksunnatu
rally wellrested. ll that happens, decrease
theopacity,asyoudidwithwrinkles.
8 1 2
NATURAL
BOTOXED
overcoat on Kodak Portra improves scanning results. Left: Shot on old version of
120-format Portra 160NC lm, and negative then scanned; note artifacts along
edges. Right: Shot on new 160NC with surface coating; edges are much cleaner.
Bor
OLD COATING NEW COATING
FILM NOW
AN IRONY O
revolution in p
silver-halide lm
capture medium
technology aims
ply the best it h
its good, lm
good. Its actua
ing detail than
end digital cam
ness and the ab
highlights and
delivers this qu
starting price th
You do need
lm into the d
image-manipul
options far sur
with optical m
halide photogra
about scanning.
include noise
negative lms red-
dish-orange mask
( somet hi ng I
haven t experi-
enced), and the
inability to capture
the full scale of
color slide film
(despite the wide-
spread notion that
slide film is best
for scanning).
The bad news is
that manufactur-
ers arent creating
all-new films; dig-
itals wild success
has eroded any
incentive to do so.
The good news is that theyre fine-
tuning their existing emulsions to
make them even better for scan-
ning purposes. Such evolutionary
change doesnt always make for
sexy ad copy or editorial kudos,
something we hope to redress in
this continuing column. But it
certainly keeps film viable as a
capture medium.
one is that they made the lms
base tint and density consistent
throughout the Pro family.
In real-world terms, that means
you can switch Fujicolor Pro emul-
sions freelyusing ISO 800 for an
existing-light shoot, for example,
and ISO 160 in a strobe-lit stu-
dioand not have to adjust scan-
ning parameters to get consistent
renamed to reect
this new family
harmony, wi th
NPH 400 becom-
ing Pro 400H and
NPZ 800 becom-
ing Pro 800Z.
Other improve-
ments to the two
slower Fuji Pro
lms include bet-
ter neutral gray
balance, smoother
skin tones (due to
new color cou-
plers), and finer
grain (an RMS
granularity of 3,
versus the 4 of
their predecessors). But wait
dont improvements of this sort
benet traditional optical printing
as much as scanning? Yes, not that
theres anything wrong with that.
The changes to our Pro lms will
deliver better output whether the
image is printed optically or digi-
tally, says Fujis Fridholm. To use
the old chemical lab terminology,
62 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
SHARPER IMAGE: Details from a photo of lm boxes show how a new surface
s family of lms can now be
nted on a single channel.
n contrast, some recent changes
Kodaks professional color nega-
e emulsions are aimed squarely at
proving scanning performance.
r example, medium- and large-
mat members of the Portra fami-
both ISO 160 and ISO 400, in
th NC (natural color) and VC
vid color) versions, as well as ISO
0 and 160Thave been endowed
h a new surface coating that
ually fixes a widely reported
nning problem. In addition to
oviding scratch resistance, this
er of dry-lubricant matte beads
duces friction as film moves
ough a camera. Until the change,
had relied on an older formulation
t made it toothy, according to
omas J. Mooney, Kodaks world-
de product manager for consumer
d professional lms. (See illustra-
n, page 62.) What was happen-
was that the matte layer was
ng imaged, Mooney explains.
you scanned a negative and blew
up, youd sometimes see the actu-
texture of the matte beads, espe-
cially along high-contrast edges.
Since the original reason for the
matte beads texture was to make
the negatives surface more recep-
tive to hand retouchingstill in
fairly wide practice among Portras
intended users when the lm was
introducedthe new replacement
now has a coating in which the
matte beads have a finer, more
homogenous texture that wont
show up in scans.
Oddly enough, Portras original
matte bead layer was also creating
problems for photographers using
digital retouchingspecically, the
Digital ICE automatic dust-and
scratch-removal systems found in
many desktop lm scanners. Digital
ICE was picking up the texture of
the matte beads and trying to cor-
rect it, says Scott DiSabato, Kodaks
marketing manager for professional
lms in the U.S. But as a result, the
scans could end up looking noisier.
This applied to scanner models
incorporating specular light sources,
according to DiSabato, and is com-
pletely remedied by the new coating.
Photographers who scan their
own lm arent the only ones to
prot from this attention to scan-
ning. Commercial digilabs have also
beneted greatly from the technol-
ogy. In general, scanning has
improved the quality of our print-
ing, says David Kang, manager of
New York Citys Photolab Part 1,
whose prints from both color nega-
tives and memory cards are made
with a Fujilm Frontier 370. Its
still harder to control skin tones and
certain kinds of color with digital
camera les than it is with negatives
weve scanned.
Go lm. p
One of the most respected journalists
in the imaging eld, Russell Hart is
author of Photography For Dum-
mies (Wiley, $22) and executive edi-
tor of our sister magazine, American
PHOTO.
BEFORE
AFTER
FIXES BY DEBBIE GROSSMAN BY DAN RICHARDS
> PHOTOSHOP AND OTHER FI XES THAT MAY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD
64 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
HUNGRY HUMMINGBIRD
Don Knight, Tucson, AZ
READER FIX
THE PROBLEM
The photographer
cropped for a bet-
ter composition, but
in upsizing to 8x10
and sharpening in
Photoshop LE, the
noise got a bit out of
handnote noise in
shadow of wing (in-
set) and halo along
the birds back.
WHAT NOW?
We could have used
noise reduction software (like Dne
by nik MultiMedia), then upsized with
Genuine Fractals 4.0 by onOne Soft-
ware. But in truth, the digital le is too
small for the chosen print size, espe-
cially with the higher ISO setting.
NEXT TIME Move closer, use
a longer lens, go to higher-res
captureor be satised with a
smaller print.
TECH INFOCanon EOS
D60, Canon 70200mm
f/2.8L IS lens. Expo-
sure, 1/1000 sec at
f/6.7, ISO 400.
BEFORE
OVERGROWN COURTYARD
Bridgette Dickey, Stillwater, OK
THE FIX
BEFORE
READER FIX
OUR FIX
66 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
CHERRY BLOSSOMS
C i i F i f A
READER FIX
OUR FIX
THE PROBLEM
Interesting artistic deci-
sions to gray-scale the
lush vegetation and to
crop inbut do they
work? We think the iro-
ny of natures brilliant
greenery trumping the
dullish man-made struc-
tures in the original shot
was lost. And it looks
pasted together.
WHAT NOW? We
tried to improve the
original by goosing the satura-
tion of the greenery and sky, leav-
ing the contrast and color of the
courtyard pretty much as they
were, but added tone to the bright
highlight to the right, using Pho-
toshops Highlight/Shadow tool.
NEXT TIME Have a little more
faith in your original photograph-
ic visionand work with that.
TECH INFO Sony Cyber-shot
DSC-H1; exposure not reported.
Adjustments and manipulations
made in Photoshop 7.0.
THE PROBLEM
he original le set-
ngs give a yellowish
ast, which the photog-
apher kept in convert-
ng from RAW. Also,
whats the subject of
he composition?
WHAT NOW? We
ike our cherry blos-
oms pink, so we
color-corrected the
le accordingly. We cropped out the distracting dome in
the upper left, letting the reection stand on its own.
NEXT TIME Watch your color when converting from
RAW or adjusting a JPEG. Move aroundplace the
building and reection in different relations to the tree.
TECH INFO Nikon D70, 2880mm f/3.35.6 AF
Zoom Nikkor G. Exposure: 1/160 sec at f/6.3, ISO 200.
CANON EOS 5D
BY MICHAEL J. MCNAMARA
TEST
ApowerlulDSLPthatworked
itswayuptheranks
Resolution: Excellent (2050vx2000Hx
2025Dlines). Color accuracy: Extremely
High (Avg. Delta E: 8.20). Highlight/
shadow detail: very High. Contrast:
Normal, and adjustable in ? steps via
menus. Noise: Extremely Low at lSO
100, very Low at lSO 200 to lSO 400,
LowatlSO 800,Moderately LowatlSO
1600. Image quality: Excellent lrom
lSO 100 to 800. Extremely High at lSO
800 to 1600. AF speed: very Fast in
brightlight(Ev12to?)lrom0.52to0.62
sec, but slightly slower than the EOS
20D (0.49to0.55sec).lnlowlight(Ev6
to 3) it was still last at 0.64 sec to 0.??
sec, and in very low light (Ev 2 to 1) it
sloweddownjustabitto0.95sec.Atits
impressivelimit(Ev0.5,justbetterthan
the 20D) it took 1.5 sec to locus.
Viewfinder: 0.?6X magnilication gets a
goodrating,similartotheEOS1DsMark
ll. lt shows 95% ol the picture area, an
excellent result. The removable, etched
locusingscreen(below,typeEeA)shows
9 selectable AF zones with centercross
type. Ped boxes show actual sensitivity.
Green boxes show invisible AF zones
active in Al Servo mode. CIPA battery
life: Approx.800 shotswithrechargeable
BP511A Liion battery. For info: www.
canoneos.com;8006522666.
CANONS NEW EOS 5D DSLR ($3,300
street,bodyonly)isastudyintheyinand
yangolcameradesign.Ontheonehand,
its12.8MPlulllrameCMOS sensorelimi
nates the 35mm lens lactor lound on all
lowerpricedDSLPsandgivesitapoten
tial imagequality edge. On the other
hand,itcostsmorethantwiceasmuch as
the 8.2MP EOS 20D (S1,300 street)
lromwhichitwascloned,anditsmissing
alewolthe20Dsleatures.Soyoumight
ask,iltheEOS 5Dtakesapictureinthe
woodsandnobodyhearsit,doesitmake
asoundpurchase? Put simply,yes.Which
is why we made it our 2005 Camera ol
theYear(seepage84).
Last month, we gave you an overview
ol the EOS 5Ds leatures (see First
Look, November 2005 or go to www.
POPPHOTO.com). Heres a closer look at
the 5Ds top leatures, image quality and
perlormanceresultslromtestsweranon
a production model. Wellletyoudecideil
thecameradeservesZenMasterstatus.
ThosewhoalreadyshootwithanEOS
20Dwillimmediatelyunderstandthelogic
behi nd the
EOS 5D s
copycat con
struction and
controls.Canon
started with a
great camera
bodyandmadea
lew modications
(andomissions)to
t in the extra lea
tures ol the 5D.
Like the 20D, its
stainless steel and
molded magnesium
alloy body make it
ough enough to
handle most ol the
abuseitslikelytorunintowhenusedby
pro news, sports, or wedding photogra
phers.At1lb,13oz(bodyonly)itweighs
lourouncesmorethantheEOS 20D, due
primarily to the larger mirror and prism
assembly lor the larger sensor. Canon
alsoexpandedtheleltsideolthecamera
to make room lor additional processing
circuits,PAMlorthecapturebuller,anda
beeledup main mode dial. Finally, the
solid metal top plate covering the prism
(where once sat a plastic popup ash)
increasedtheweightslightly.
Will pros miss the builtin ash? Not
likely, as the advantages ol shoemount
unitslaroutweighthoseolapopupsys
tem.Likethe20D,the5Dsupportsmulti
ple ash arrangements, and it also sup
ports ETTL ll capabilities lound on the
latest llash units such as the Canon
Speedlite 430EX (S300 street). High
speedashsync(FP ash)isalsopossi
ble with some units up to the cameras
maximum 1/8000sec shutter speed, but
standard ashsynchasdroppedto1/200
seclromthe1/250secoltheEOS 20D.
The next, most obvious physical diller
ence between the two cameras is the
5Dsgorgeous2.5inchTFTLCD monitor
(comparedtothe1.8inchLCD loundon
the EOS 20D). With approximately
230,000pixel resolution, its playedback
images look sharper, and exposure data
and menu controls can be read at arms
length. The viewing angle is also extraor
dinary (nearly 1?0 degrees ollaxis), and
this LCD is extremely accurate, showing
nearly100%oltheimageasshot.Aswith
the20D,youcanviewexposureinlorma
tion,highlightandshadowwarnings,and
luminance histograms, but the 5D also
includesPGBhistograms.
The optical viewnderalsoshows excel
lent image accuracyrating 95% in our
68 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
Meet the
Fulllrame,12.8MPCMOSsensor
eliminates35mmlenslactor.
SuperlastandsensitiveAFsystem.
Whats Hot
Missingpopupash.
Highpricemightlimitappeal.
viewndermagnicationreduced.
Whats Not
Certied Test Results
CAN0N E0S SB
u
CANON EOS 5D TEST
tests. lmage magnication, on the other
hand, isnt as good as the 0.94X ol the
EOS 20D. But its on par with the EOS
1Ds Mark ll (S?,395 street) at 0.?6X, a
Good rating. Higher magnication view
ndersareeasiertodesignwhenworking
withasmallersensor,whichexplainswhy
lewlulllrameSLPshaveeverachievedan
Excellentmagnicationrating.
Whilemostcontrolbuttonsanddialsare
lound in the same places as on the 20D,
theEOS5Dhasalargermainmodedial,
whichnolongerincludestheprogrammed
presetsandADep(apertureprioritydepth
ol eld
the 20
5Ds m
lessclu
include
serpo
to your
setting
setting
sures.
include
Style s
dard,
scape,
lul, and
plus t
custom
ness, and saturation settings, unlike the
presetsonthe20D.
Othercontrolchangesincludeanew
easyprintbuttonabovethelargeLCD
ontheback,andtheeliminationolthe
popup ash button on the lront. The
easyprintbuttonglowswithabluelight
when the camera is connected to a
printerandgivesyouquickaccesstoprevi
ousprintersettingsstoredinthecamera.
Inner Strength
TheEOS5Dollersevenmorelromwithin.
The lulllrame, CMOS sensor leatures
12.8MP(ellective)resolution,whichgives
it a sharpness edge over the EOS 20D.
Thus,14.5x22inchphotoqualityprintscan
be made lrom the 5D (at 200 ppi) com
paredto12x1?.5inchprintslromthe20D.
On the color accuracy lront, the EOS
20Ddoesslightlybetter,withanExcellent
rating (Delta E 6.63) compared with the
EOS5DsExtremelyHighrating(itsDelta
Eol8.2justmissedthe8.0cutoll).While
boththe20Dand5DproduceExtremely
LownoiseatlSO100,theEOS5Dholds
downnoisebetteratlSO400andabove,
atestamenttothe5Dslargerpixels.Way
upatlSO1600,bothcamerasdelivered
similar Moderately Low ratingswithout
resorting to blurring lters. Bottom line?
The 5D delivers Excellent image quality
lrom lSO 100 to 800, with better sharp
ness than the EOS 20D. However, both
the Nikon D2X and the new D50 have
lowernoiselevelsatlSO1600.
Canon claims the AF system on the
EOS 5D is an improvement over the
20Ds, especially in motion tracking (Al
Servo) modes where nine selectable and
sixinvisibleAFzonescomeintoplay(mak
ing a total ol 15). With l/2.8 or brighter
lenses, more ol the AF zones are cross
type. Our tests show that the 5D is very
last in bright light and even capable ol
locusinginverylowlightlevelsatEv0.5.
But while the AF tracking system on the
5Dislastenoughlormostaction,thecam
era drops its 1PEG burst rate to 3.5 lps,
comparedwiththe4.5lpsolthe20D.The
good news? ll you load it with a last CF
card,suchastheSanDiskExtremelll,the
5D can capture up to 60 highquality
1PEGsinacontinuousburst.
The EOS 5D appears to lollow a path
between two extremes. On the yin side,
its lulllrame sensor gives photographers
the advantages ol the expensive EOS
1Ds Mark ll and the best image quality
you can nd in a subS3,500 DSLP. On
the yang side, its construction, size, and
array ol leatures are closer to those
ollered by the APSsensored EOS 20D.
Now il it only cost less, more photogra
pherswouldreachnirvana.p
(A), AE lock, AF-zone select, and playback
zoom buttons (B), multicontroller wheel
and select button (C), CF card door (D),
230,000-pixel, 2.5-inch LCD (E), direct-
print button (F), and menu, info, jump, and
playback buttons (G).
VIEWFINDER LOWDOWN: This highly accurate viewnder has nine etched AF
zones in the center (A) and a circle delineating the 3.5% spot meter zone (B). Data display
is smaller than on EOS 20D, but still shows AE/FE lock (C), ash-ready light and ash
exposure comp indicator (D), shutter speed and aperture values (E), exposure level (F),
white-balance correction (G), burst capacity (H), and focus-conrmation light (I).
IMAGE QUALITY: The
12.8MP EOS 5D captures
excellent image quality, with low noise
and wide dynamic range. A 1-inch square
detail from a 14.5x22-inch photo (at 200
ppi) shows high denition in eyelashes
and great skin tones. Photo taken with
Canon 50mm f/1.4 EF lens, Speedlite
580EX ash, 1/90 sec at f/8.
70 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
E
C
B
A
B
F
A
B
C B E F G B
I
G
3/.9#9"%23(/4$3#2
"9$!.2)#(!2$3
P
H
O
/
O
S

B
9

C
O

P
O
O
y
has built, with 10.8megapixel capture
on an APSsized CMOS imager, a 5X,
24-120mm (equivalent) l/2.8-4.8 lens,
a killer street price, and enough
advanced leatures and capa
bilities to keep a DSLP user happy.
The P1 bears a superlicial resemblance
to the discontinued 8MP Sony Cybershot
DSCF828, but it is very dillerent in many
ways. The P1 loregoes the 828's articulat
ed lens/body lor a rigid design and unusu
al topmounted multiangle LCD monitor.
lnside, the P1 uses Sony's lirst large
CMOS imager, much like the one supplied
lor the 14.4MP Nikon D2x but using less
area (and lewer pixels) ol the sensor,
with its 4:3 aspect ratio.
Th t bl ith l
accuracy ranked Extremely High. And
noise was low lrom lSO 160 through
400, moderately low at lSO 800, and
moderate at lSO 1600.
The sculpted handle
provides an excellent
grip, though the cam
era is too heavy to be
held singlehanded. lt
balances extremely
well both horizontally
and vertically, with a leel closer to that ol a
mediumlormat camera than a 35mm SLP.
The tiltandswivel LCD lets you shoot
sideways, overhead, on the ground, or at
waist level, but at 2 inches is a bit small.
The EvF is reasonably linegrained and
has good magnilication, and you can set it
to switch lrom monitor to EvF automati
cally when you raise it to your eye.
A very curious omission lrom the P1 is
video and sound capture-perhaps Sony
really wants you to think the P1 is a DSLP.
ln any event, the P1 looks like a real win
and we'll give you the lull lowdown in
pcoming test ol a production unit.
"!#+6)%7 Wellspaced
and easytoreach buttons and
dials include picture review
!, exposure lock ", input
dial #, monitor inlo $,
setting wheel with center
joystick %, memory card
switch &, menu access ',
linder magnilier/digital zoom
(, viewlinder/monitor
switch ), selltimer *,
burst/bracketing +,
monitor mode ,, meter
pattern -, mode dial .,
llashready lamp /.
(!.$3/.
72 POPPHO/O/DECEMBEP2005
)MAGING 10.8MP ellective CMOS
(3888x2592 pixels). ,ENS Carl Zeiss
T* 5X optical zoom (24-120mm 35mm
equivalent) l/2.8-4.8. ,#$ Tilting/swiv
eling 2inch, 134,000pixel TFT. %6&
0.44inch, 235,200pixel TFT. 3TORAGE
CF Types l and l l, and Memory
Stick slots, 1PEG and PAW lormats.
%XPOSURE CONTROLS 30-1/2000 sec
plus T shutter speeds, l/2.8-16 aper
tures; program, aperturepriority, shutter
priority, manual, lour scene modes, and
AE lock. -ETERINGEvaluative multiseg
mented, centerweighted, spot. &LASH
Builtin, up to 2? lt with auto lSO; adjust
able in
1
3 Ev steps. Compatible with
Sony accessory llashes HvLF1000 and
HvLF32X. /UTPUTHispeed SB 2.0,
NTSC/PAL video. PictBridge enabled.
0OWER Proprietary lnloLithium Liion
rechargeable battery. 3IZEWEIGHT
5.5x3.8x6.1 in., 2.3 lb with card and bat
tery. 3TREET PRICE S1,000. )N THE
BOX Battery, charging cord, A/v and
SB cables, neckstrap, lenshood, solt
ware (Pixela Picture Package and lmage
Mixer vCD2, PAW converter). &ORINFO
www.sonystyle.com y y ; 8??865?669.
-09C9BER--B0/B-C-R1
6ITAL3TATISTICS
X
Topquality images with low noise.
Zooms to a wide 24mm.
LCD swivels to nearly any angle.
6 7HATS (OT
What, no video capture?!
Smallish lowerres LCD monitor.
Heavier than some DSLPs.
3 7HATS .OT
biggest,
baddest
G
K B M
E
6IRTUAL
3,2
0
J
I
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F
B
B
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A
Pentax DA 40mm f/2.8 Limited AF
LENS TEST
Whats Hot
Extremelysmall.
verysharp.
verywellmade.
Whats Not
nusuallyslimmanuallocusring.
THE EQUIVALENT OF A 60MM IN A
35mm system, Pentaxs new 40mm l/2.8
DA (digital only; S290 street) belongs to
thatrarebreedolunusuallyatlensescom
monly called pancakes. One ol two made
by Pentax, it extends a mere 0.61 inches
lromthecamerabodyandweighsaleath
ery3.2ounces.Mountingitonthe*istDL,
Pentax claims, gives you the smallest and
lightestweightDSLPsystemanywhere.
This l/2.8 is one ol only a lew such
shorties in production, and it is the only
one that autolocuses. Like Pentaxs lull
lrame 43mm l/1.9 pancake, its a Limited
(edition) lens, with allmetal construction,
exquisite machining, manulacturing toler
ances tighter than usual (resulting in bet
teropticalperlormance),and small (though
technicallynotlimited)productionruns.
Cool lactoid #1: lts claimed to be the
smallest and lightestweight interchange
able AF lens in the world. Cool lactoid
#2: The lenscaps have the Pentax logo
printedontheinsidesurlace.
HANDS ON: Matte black and small, even
by pancake standards, this 40mm l/2.8
looksmorelikeateleconverterthanalens.
ltsmanuallocusringleatures an adequately
dampedturningactionand,at0.12inches,
is among the most slenderweveseen.The
lenshood, locusing ring, and lensmount
baseallleaturebeautilullymachined,knurled
edges,whichmakesittrickypickingoutthe
manuallocus ring by leel while shooting.
Due to limited real estate, the
locusing scale combines leet
and meters along a single con
tinuum (in blue and yellow type,
respectively).Pesemblingalter
ring, the included lenshood
extends a mere 0.25inches
lromtheouterbarrelandisout
ttedwithitsownsetol30.5mm
lter threads.
IN THE LAB: SOF numbers
show unusual sharpness. Slightly better
thanthecomparableNikon45mml/2.8P
Nikkor AlS, the Pentax pancakes SOF
perlormancelallsintheExcellentrangeat
every aperture and magnication. DxO
Analyzer2.0testsloundslightbarreldis
tortion (0.20%), which is average lor the
class. Light lalloll was gone by l/4, also
average. At the closelocusing distance
ol 15.? inches, its magnication ratio is
1:8.2, better than the Pentax 43mms
1:12.4,butnottheequalolNikons1:?.4.
CONCLUSION: Many Pentax shooters
lookingloranormal/moderatetelelenswill
bejustiablytemptedbythelasterandless
expensive 50mm l/1.4 (S220 street).
Thoughhousedinplasticandconvertingto
alongish?5mmonthe*istDL,the50mm
is lightweight (0.49 pounds) and quite
sharp.The40mml/2.8pancake,however,
will have a nearirresistible attraction lor
photographers who value ne craltsman
shipand/orextremecompactness. p
40mm(39.93mmtested),l/2.8(l/2.86
tested),5elementsin4groups.Focusing
turns?0degreescounterclockwise.
n Diagonal view angle:39degrees.
n Weight:0.21lb.n Filter size: 49mm.
n Mounts: PentaxAF.n Included:
Lenshood. n Street price: S290.
40mm
key
Size 5x7 8x10 11x14 16x20 20x24
2.8 97.6 96.9 95.2 92.3 89.1
4.0 97.8 97.1 95.5 92.9 89.9
5.6 97.5 96.8 95.1 92.1 88.7
8.0 97.5 96.7 94.9 91.8 88.2
11.0 97.4 96.6 94.8 91.6 87.9
16.0 97.0 96.0 93.8 89.9 85.2
22.0 96.3 95.1 92.5 87.5 81.4
A+ A B+ B C+ C D F
Subjective Quality Factor
u
Specications
u
Gourmet
Pancake
74 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM
Aslimlensservesupa
bigperlormance
ACTUAL SIZE p
2.46 in.
0.61 in.
0.12 in.
BY PETER KOLONIA
complexphotoeditor,ACDSee8Photo
Manager (S50 download) helps you
organize masses ol images powerlully
and elcientlyand, il you need to, x
themquickly.Whatarelielnottohaveto
do the scrollandwait while your state
oltheartharddriveisreducedtocough
ing and spluttering like an overheated
toasteroven.Thecompanyspriorityhas
always been speed, but the graphics
andinterlacehavenallycaughtup.This
update is the prettiest and easiest to
navigatetodate.
The delault setup reserves the center
ol your screen lor viewing thumbnails.
Choosetheloldersyouwanttoviewand
checkoutablownuppreviewonthelelt.
On the right, toggle between organizing
withkeywordsorratingsandworkingon
your images in the Task Pane. Sets ol
tasksthatyoucanshoworhidearecon
veniently organized into tasks that apply
tolesorloldersandtasksthathelpyou
import,x,orshare.
Even though the program is a breeze
to learn and navigate, it includes the
options and controls a prolessionally
minded shooter requires. Case in point:
whenyoupopinamemorycard,youget
a window asking whether you want to
import using ACDSee. ll you wish, you
canchooseyoursettingsrightthere,and
even rename them according to your
EXlF data. Or you can tell the program
nevertobugyouagain.
Anotherinnovation?Youcanviewthe
contents ol multiple lolders at once.
Pick the images you want to address,
then throw them in the lmage Basket.
Fromthatvirtuallolder,chooseataskor
drag them into a more robust editor
such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel
Paint Shop Pro. Similar to the lmage
Basket is the Burn Basket, another vir
tualboxthatkeepstrackolwhatyouve
burned and when, and keeps those
imagessearchable.
llyoumakegooduseolthekeywords
and its easy to do that because adding
them en masse is so lastyou can take
advantage ol the Ouick Search box and
superspeedily populate your screen with
thepicturesthatqualily.Otheruselulstull:
youcanndduplicateswiththeDuplicate
Wizard, add audio comments to les,
compareuptothreeimagessidebyside,
make a PDF, burn your DvDs and vCDs
to PAL lormat lor those European rela
tives, and all the while work with color
managedthumbnails.
For total beginners, ACDSee 8 may
be all you need; you can do a good job
xing pics simply and keep track ol all
thoseimagesyouvebeensnapping.For
seasoned enthusiasts, the program is a
thorough tool thats lun to use to man
age your images, repair your snapshots,
and gure out which ones youre going
toputthetimeintoxinginearnest.For
everyone,thespeedandsimplicityolthe
interlace makes working with the pro
gramasimplepleasure. p
For info: ACD Systems; www.acdsys y
tems.com;2505446?01.
Soltwarelorputtingyourimagelesinorder
BY DEBBIE GROSSMAN
REVIEW
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005 75
ACDSEE 8 PHOTO MANAGER
Quick Clean-Up
Whats Hot
Scrollthroughthumbnailslast.
Colormanaged.
BrowsesPAW.
Whats Not
CantuseOuickSearchonlPTCdata.
Serioususerswillneedaseparateeditor.
BY PETER KOLONIA
QUANTUM QFLASH T5d TEST
IF YOU MATED A STUDIO STROBE
and a portable TTL hotshoe ash, the
result might be something like Ouantums
popularOashT4d(S560street).Battery
or ACpowered, the 26ounce T4d looks
equally at home soltboxed on a lightstand
lorportraitsorboltedtoaashbracketlor
runandgunstyleeventphotography.More
over, with the proper TTL adapters, its
compatible with the latest SLP ash AE
systems(ETTLll,iTTL,etc).
Forallitsstrongpoints,however,theT4d
lacks one signicant tool: wireless TTL
exposurecontrol.Forthat,youneedOuan
tums newest O: the T5d (S580 street).
With the new hotshoe TTL adapters and
FreeXwiretransmittersandreceivers,your
Canon, Fuji, Nikon, or other popular SLP
can control one or more T5ds, wirelessly,
withpresetlightingratios,viaradiosignals
that travel up to 500 leeteven through
walls and around corners. You also get
more power than with a normal hotshoe
ash,pluslasterrecycling,solterlightout
putduetoboththeparabolicshapeolthe
Oash reector and the included dilluser
disk,andvariousOuantumexclusives.
For readers unlamiliar with the Oash
system,herearealewoltheseexclusives:
Sensor Limit Control lets the user set a
subject distance range beyond which the
Autollash sen
sor ignores.
ll, lor exam
ple, you set
a subj ect
distance limit
ol 10 leet,
the llashs
AE system
Quantum
Leap
Ollashaddswireless
TTLcontrol
willignoreanythingbeyond
that. This, ol course, is
great lor situations where
a distant background is
muchlighterordarkerthan
your ashlit subject. The
Oash accepts a number
ol power sources, includ
ing three dillerent Turbo
batteries,selectLumedyne
and Norman powerpacks,
andACpower.Themanual
explainsallaspectsolash
operation and gives inlormative insights
intostudiolighting.Finally,Ouantumisone
olthoserarecompaniesthatollerlivetele
phonesupportlortheirproducts.
TheOashsystemtstogetherlogically,
il expensively (about S1,500 complete,
street).Foraquicktestdrive,weslidone
end ol a new TTL hotshoe cord (D12w)
onto a Fujilm FinePix S3 DSLP and the
otherendintoOuantumscompactFreeX
wiretransmitter(FW9T).Wethenputthe
T5dandTurbo2x2batteryonalightstand,
attached a FreeXwire receiver (FW8P),
and aimed the rig upward to bounce its
powerluloutput(GN320at100mmand
lSO 100) oll the ceiling. Next, we posed
our model and red oll 20 shots. The
Oash recycled instantly and our expo
sureswereclosetoperlect.
Our impression: Master it, and Ouan
tumsnewOashisanexcitingandmulti
laceted tool that can propel your photog
raphytonewheights. p
WirelessTTLexposurecontrol.
Highpower.
Multiplepoweroptions.
Whats Hot
Nosupportlorhighspeedashsyncing.
Expensive.
Whats Not
E:
s
ours.
76 POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
EPSON POWERLITE 755C
IGITAL DI PROJECTORS, ONCE SOLELY
r business use, are now lor photogra lo
hers, too. Take Epsons PowerLite ph
55c (S1,?00 expected street). With ?5
atures like 802.11g wireless connec le
vity, a CompactFlash reader, and auto tiv
atic keystone control, it makes slide m
hows easier than ever. But its three sh
CDchipsoneeachlorred,green,and LC
uemaketherealdillerence.Thesam bl
e we tried produced wellsaturated, pl
ccurate colors alter we calibrated it ac
singGretagMacbethsEyeOneBeam us
r(S835street). er
Setup was quick and easy, especially
hen we skipped a PC connection in wh
vorolaCompactFlashcard.Withouta lav
omputer,however,welostthebenelitol co
ur EyeOne prolile. ln our darkened ou
oom, we got the best perlormance in ro
EpsonsLivingPoomcolormodewiththe
color temperature menu option set to
6500K. Thanks to autokeystone correc
tion, images were square despite our
tables upward tilt. You can also access
photos directly lrom any SBequipped
portablestoragedevice.
nlike most subS1,000 projectors,
which sport SvGA (or 800x600pixel)
resolutions,thisEpsonsXvGApixelarray
numbers 1024x?68. While its notably
sharper than lesspricey models, those
who are accustomed to traditional slide
projectors will still yearn lor the continu
oustoneandsharpnessolchromes.They
may also complain about its noticeable
screendoorellect,thelaintgridamong
pixels.Butthatstrueolanydigitalprojec
torinthispricerange.(Youcancounterit
by increasing your viewing distance or
reducingtheimagesize.)
Other gripes were mi
controlisntbacklit,soitshardtouseina
darkened room. Also, the wireless card
occupies the CF slot, so youll have to
sebetweenthetwo.
Overall,thePowerLite?55cisaneasy
waytoshowollyourdigitalimagesinall
theirvibrantcolor. p
Triple Threat T
WiththreeLCDs,thisprojectoroozesc W
TEST
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
3chipLCDlightengine.
Builtin CFreader.
802.11b/g wireless.
Whats Hot
Stillnotassharpaslilm.
Noticeablescreendoorellect.
Pemotenotbacklit.
Whats Not
TIPS&TRICKS
78 POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
Contact manager
Leaking alkaline batteries can leave
a residue that corrodes your cam-
eras electrical contacts until they
become nonconducting. Heres a
quick way to revitalize them: First,
because battery acid isnt an acid,
but a base (theyre called alkaline
batteries, right?), neutralize the
residue with a little mild acid. Apply
it with a cotton swab and wipe the
contacts clean. Dont be alarmed if
they bubble...thats normal. Then
ush the contacts with distilled
water (again, using a cotton swab).
Result: the contacts are clean, shiny,
and conductive again. Dont have a
mild acid handy? Try lemon juice.
It wont bubble, and it smells better.
Gerd Kortemeyer
East Lansing, MI
Dump the bump
When hiking, to control the move-
ment of the camera hanging around
my neck, I use a 48-inch length of
string with a small hook on one
end. I attach the hook to the right
camera-strap eyelet, draw the string
around my back, pull it taut, and tie
it to the left camera-strap eyelet. To
use the camera, I simply release the
hook and let the string hang free.
Tom Canapp
Jarrettsville, MD
Neat feet
As a crime scene photographer, I have
to set my tripod in some rather nasty
places. To keep my pod dirt-free, I
cut the ngers off rubber gloves, slide
them over the tripod feet like little
boots, and secure the ngers with rub-
ber bands. It keeps grit, water, mud,
and worse(!) out of the tripod legs, ex-
tending their life in the process.
Jim Yoghourtjian
Racine, WI
Art warming
If youre shooting digital and want
to get a warm-tone picture, try set-
ting a custom white balance from a
light-blue sheet of paper. Your pic-
ture will look like it was lit by the
setting sun. Conversely, if you use
yellow paper, the resulting color will
be blue. Bonus tip: For a neutral
white balance, camera instructions
call for using a white target, but a
neutral gray one will work, too.
Sveta Dragovic
Geneva, Switzerland
Pencil pusher
I prevent my lters and close-up
adapters from sticking to the front
threads of my lenses by going over
the lter threads with a No. 2 lead
pencil. The tiny amount of graphite
lubricates the threads just enough.
Stanley Sizeler
Pleasant Hill, CA
Dew this
While on nature hikes, I occasion-
ally come across a photo op that has
literally dried up. Fall leaves, spider
webs, wildowers and other natu-
ral close-up subjects tend to pho-
tograph better wearing fresh coats
of morning dew. To recreate early
mornings sparkling light and more
saturated colors at any hour, I carry
a small atomizer lled with water. A
bit of its mist on ora or fauna, and,
voil, its dawn all day long!
Bob Taylor
Salt Lake City, UT
Breathe easy
When shooting an impromptu por-
trait that could use a little softening,
try breathing on the lens right before
releasing the shutter. The effect is
like a soft-focus lters, but variable:
The longer you wait to re the shut-
ter, the less the softening effect.
Michelle Harbour
Hayes, VA
Got a tip, trick, or technique?
E-mail it to PopTips@hfmus.com p p f .
Readers whose tips we publish will
receive a special-edition POPULAR
PHOTOGRAPHY & IMAGING Tamrac
Photo-Video 1 Model 5201
camera bag. See this SLR-sized
bag at POPPHOTO.com. p
YOU CAN DO IT
PHOTOS BY HAROLD FEINSTEIN
TEXT BY PETER KOLONIA
HAROLD FEINSTEIN IS ON A
roll. In the past ve years or so, the
Berkshires-based dynamo has pro-
duced nearly a half-dozen glorious
photo books; breathtaking tributes
to the beauty of roses, tulips, shells,
and other natural subjects.
What accounts for this surge of
productivity? Simple. The long-cele-
brated lm photographer discovered
digital. Using Adobe Photoshop and
the Epson Perfection 4990 scanner,
hes become a master of camera-free
photography. By simply placing his
subjects on the Epson atbed and
using a black sheet of cardboard
as background, he creates art. If
people knew how easy it was, he
laughs, I could be arrested.
How easy? For his shell pictures,
the hard part is nding the shells.
Dont try wading into the surf at
Sanibel Island, warns Feinstein.
What you nd there, even the good
ones, are eroded and their colors
are bleached from tumbling around
in the surf. The best shells come
from deep water, and you get them
at shell shops or through collectors.
Retailers and collectors are easy to
nd on the Internet and may be will-
ing to lend or rent valuable shells in
exchange for prints. However, most
shells, like those from the $8 bag
Feinstein used for the photo on the
pages that follow, are cheap.
To make the picture, Feinstein
arranged the mini mollusks on the
Epson 4990s glass, carefully xing
spacing and orientation, removing
and replacing any that were obvi-
ously wrong for the composition. The
idea is to cram as many shells as pos-
sible onto the scanner, with as little
empty space between them as pos-
sible. Its like putting together a puz-
zle. Once the composition is set, he
makes a preliminary scan and stud-
ies it carefully. I continue to prescan
and make adjustments until I look at
the computer screen and my mouth
drops open. Thats when I know its
time to go high-res. It usually takes
about an hour, and as many as a doz-
en prescans. For me, one scan usu-
ally suggests another and another. It
can be hard to know when to stop.
As for scanner settings, with
smaller subjects such as these, hell
scan at 300 percent. Larger shells,
those ve or more inches long, are
scanned at 100 percent. Feinstein
also sets the 4990s driver to au-
tomatically sharpen the image be-
tween 50 and 100 percent.
The nal stage, in Photoshop,
also takes about an hour. It includes
boosting saturation, adjusting tone,
sharpness, and color balance, as well
as cloning out irregularities in shell
surfaces.
Ive been working with shells for
18 or 19 years and am still in awe
of them, says Feinstein. Ive never
found a human architect who could
design anything so simple yet so fas-
cinatingly intricate. p
S
H
E
L
L

G
A
M
E
CLEAN THEM FI
shells on a atbed scanner, Feinstein
cleans them to remove loose sand.
BE GENTLE: When setting the paper
nautilus (top), Venus comb murex (mid-
dle), and clear sundial (bottom) on his
Epson atbed, Feinstein handles the
shells gently to avoid scratching the
scanners glass plate.
5 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM
BOOK IT:
Feinsteins
One Hundred
Seashells
(Bulnch
Press, $50),
with writer
Sydney Eddi-
son, showcas-
es some of his
most superb
work.
ST! Before laying
YOU CAN DO IT
84 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
OUR EDITORS CRITERION:
The camera that best
renes or redenes
photography
OUR EDITORS CHOICE:
The Canon EOS 5D
Digital SLR
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM 85

C
H
A
E
L

S
O
O
a winnerthe Canon EOS 20D. Alter
all, when the criterion is the camera
that best reli nes or redeli nes
photography,howcouldtheCameraol
the Year title not go to the EOS 20D?
This DSLP took the bar set by 2004s
Camera ol the Year, the 6.1MP Nikon
D?0,andraiseditto8.2MPanda4.5
lramepersecondburstrate,alongwith
nearlyprocaliberconstruction,alllora
streetpricethatnowstandsatS1,300
(body only). ln other words, the EOS
20D was the Great Serious Amateur
Cameraol2005.
But it was unseated lor the highest
honorlateintheyearbyamemberolits
ownlamily.lnlact,byacamerabuilton
virtuallythesamechassis.
The Canon EOS 5D scooped up the
Camera ol the Year laurel not simply
becauseitraisesthebar,butbecauseit
thrusts that bar into the stratosphere by
obliteratingthemajorshortcomingolthe
EOS20DandeveryotherunderS?,400
digital SLP currently in productionthe
35mmlenslactor.
Sincethe5Ds12.8MPsensoristhe
samesizeasalrameol35mmlm(lull
lrame), its goodbye ellective local
length.Twista14mmlensontothe5Ds
steel lensmount, and youre shooting
14mm, not the 2122mm that you get
withtheusualDSLPs1.5Xto1.6Xlens
lactor.Thosewhodolotsolwideangle
work(suchasarchitecturalshooters)are
rejoicing. So are those who grew up in
the35mmworldandstillthinkthatway.
Also smiling are photographers who
have major investments in Canon EF
mountglass.
But theres more to this camera than
just sensor size. lts also reasonably
lightless than 2 pounds with battery
and packs a large (2.5inch) LCD,
interchangeable locusing screens, and
excellent resolution and image quality.
(See the review and Certilied Lab
Pesultsonpage68.)
About all thats missing are a builtin
llash and a superrugged, heavily
gasketed body. The rst is typical ol a
pro tool; the second suggests an
amateurorientedapproach.
The price, too, walks the proam line.
Granted, at S3,300 (street, body only),
the 5D is no impulse purchase. But its
one heck ol a value considering the
megapixels,imagequality,andlulllrame
sensor. Also, bear in mind that the 20D
debuted a year ago at S1,500; today it
sells lor 13 percent less. ll the same
happenswiththe5D,itwontbemerely
2005s Camera ol the Year, it could be
2006sDealoltheYear. p
WE THOUGHT WE HAD
DSLRS: THE YEAR IN REVIEW
86 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM
2
0
0
5
D
S
L
R
A
L
L
S
T
A
R
S
M
IC
H
A
E
L
LL
NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.
2005 was the year of the digital SLR.
Sure, serious photographers (with serious
money) embraced them long ago. But this
year DSLRs went mainstream, with sub-
$1,000 models selling like crazy to soccer
moms and football dads.
With 20 DSLR models, priced
from $620 to $7,400 (street),
how do you choose the right
camera for you? Start with our
All-Star lineupseven DSLRs
with talent, value, and features
special enough to earn MVP
statuslisted in order of street
price for the camera body only.
(For our Camera of the Year,
the Canon EOS 5D, see page 84
and test on page 68.)
S THE LEAGUE LEADER IN IMAGE
quality and pro leatures, the 16.?MP
(ellective)CanonEOS1DsMarklldemands
top dollar. But il youre a pro looking lor a
supertough, gasketsealed DSLP that can
deliver image quality exceeding that ol most
lms,theinvestmentmayproveworthwhile.
ltboastsalulllrameCMOSsensorwithno
35mm lens lactor, a hyperlast and sensitive
45pointAFsystem,extensiveexposureand
metering controls, vertical shutter release,
andlonglilerechargeablebattery.Withdual
card slots, the 1Ds Mark ll is also capable
ol capturing 1PEG, PAW, or 1PEG + PAW
images and saving them simultaneously to
bothCF(Typelandll)andSDcards.Canon
includes its powerlul (and lree) Digital
Photo Prolessional 2.0 PAW conversion
soltware,andevenasoltwareutilitythatlets
you control the camera remotely via its last
FireWireconnection.
Okay, the EOS1Ds Mark ll has only a 2
inch LCD monitor, but in the perilous
environments that this camera may nd

S
e
v
e
n

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r
e
a
t
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a
t

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t
h
e
i
r
g
a
m
e
n
g
r
e
a
t
s

a
t

g
r
e
CANON EOS-1DS MARK II
($7,400)
HIGH-SCORING CHAMP
35mm lens lactor, but the camera s
smaller sensor allo ed Canon to design
NIKON D2X
($5,000)
LOW-LIGHT LEADER

(e

E
t

F

J
J
c

E
p

e

M
J

is

8

SENSO

IMAGE
from IS

LENS FA

JPEG,
on CF

AF SY
extrem

CONTR
meterin
image

Up to 3
JPEGs

Januar

www.c
800-65
THE 12.4MP (EFFECTIVE) NIKO
muchmorelorthosewhocanallorditth
4.1MP D2hS(S3,500).NootherDSLP
itsnoiseathigherlSOsaswellastheD
toablurringlter)oneolthereasons
imagequalityratingallthewayuptolS
goestoitsSonymanulacturedsensort
imaging sensor to be used in a
NikonDSLP.AlthoughitsAPS
size creates a 1.5X 35mm lens
lactor that turns a 28mm wide
angle into a 42mm lens, Nikon
es lenses
etproolas
DSLPs,but
stainless
agnesium
ather/dust
so sports
ease, 40
hcapacity
gorgeous
andlaster
1 highest
lps. And
appreciate
speedand
rmostol2005andw
raoltheYear.ltwasun
by its higherpriced
yphotographers,thou
alue.
e EOS
5D, with
control
rugged
esssteel
nesium
asimilar
sensitive
at locks
ss than
CANON EOS 20D
($1,300)
FIRST DRAFT PICK
87
N EOS 20 DOMIN D
1 sec at Ev 0, as well as
po erl l e pos re metering
in low light. And while the LCD monitor isnt
as sharp as wed like, the terric viewnder
includesaneyeactivatedLCDcutollswitchto
reduceglarewhileshooting.
olleaturesitboasts.Weighingjust1.2poundsandeasytohold,
theXTbodyhasastainlesssteelchassisthataddsstrengthtothe
reinlorcedplasticbody,alongwithlairlyadvancedexposureand
meteringcontrolsthatrivalthoseontheEOS20D.
engertotheEOS20D.Besidesits
ruggedbody,its?pointAFsystem
aslastorassensitive,andithasa
rcapacity rechargeable battery (up
0shotsbasedonClPAratings).
e XT doesnt hold down its noise
sathigherlSOs,thoughitbeatsthe
P Olympus Evolt E300. Like the
the XT has an APSsized CMOS
or with a 1.6X 35mm lens lactor,
its compatible with Canons less
nsive EFS lenses. The XTs burst
bility ol up to 50 nequality 1PEG
es at 3.5 lps is impressive lor the
. But wed sure like a larger LCD
torthanthis1.8incher.
KONICA MINOLTA MAXXUM 5D
($800)
STEADY DEFENSE
IF YOURE GOING TO
DSLPmajorleagues,itsg
theoneKonicaMinoltabuilt
5D.AlongwithKMs?D,it
builtinAntiShake(AS)sys
uptoa3stopadvantage
lightoratslowershutterspe
all KM AType lenses, inc
18?0mm l/3.45.6 AF D
kitlens(S100additional).B
price, the 5D has leatures
earn it MvP status. lt has
APSsized 6.1MP (ellect
sensor as the more expe
giving you a 1.5X 35mm
andextremelyhighqualityim
body i

quality JPEGs at 3 fps.

REVIEWED:
October 2005 issue.

INFO: www.
konicaminolta.us; 877-462-4464. ;
CANON EOS REBEL XT
($790)
8MP POWER PLAYER

88
NIKON D50
($650)
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

exposure and metering.

BURST MODE: Up to 13
JPEGs at 2.5 fps.

TESTED:
September 2005 issue.

INFO: www.nikonusa.com;;
800-645-6689.
PENTAX SET THE SMALL DSLR STAN
withtheoriginal6.1MP*istDinearly2004.Sin
ithascreatedeversmallermodelswiththe*ist
nowthe*istDL. Yetsomehow,Pentaxsqueeze
sharp,2.5inchLCDintothebackoltheDL.
210,000pixel resolution makes it very easy
menus and view tiny details. Maybe
therewasroomtosparewhenPentax
replaced the 11point AF system ol
the *istDSwiththe3pointAFsystem
on the DL. Dont worry: all the zones
areverysensitivecrosstypes,andthe
DLsAF,whichalmostmatchesthatol
theDS,issensitivedowntoEv0.But,
thedatadisplayishardertoread,and
burst capacity is
only ve
PENTAX *IST DL
($650)
MIGHTY MITE
CLAIMED THE CAMERA
4withitsD?0, Nikonsbigg
Pthatwouldcompetewith
withtheD50.Whileitlackst
as ol the more expensive D
capabilitiesnotloundinits
0s image quality is sligh
tochangesintheAPSsize
orandimageprocessing.T
Ospeedsupto1600.Am
at its AF system,
itsclass,whichcan
nverylowlightdown
And it has a high
ash sync speed
h in bright daylight.
also has advanced
ncluding 3D Matrix)
ure controls. Thanks
ch LCD, with a well
user interlace, its
t to the most uselul
nd the extendedlile
hupto2,000shots
per charge) should hold out
despiteincreasedLCDusage.
TheD50s2.5lpsburstmode
is nothing to brag about, nor
SCOUTING
REPORT
With DSLR design
and innovation in full
swing at all the leading
manufacturers, whats in
store for 2006?
Wecancomlortablypredict
thattherewillbehigh-res,
full-frame (12.8MP) DSLRs
availablelorthersttimepriced
below S3,000(ohyeah,that
describesourCameraolthe
Year,theEOS5D,aboutsix
monthslromnow).
ltshightimeNikonhada
replacementlortheD100with
alotmoremegapixels.
WepredictPentaxand
Konica Minoltawillhave
underS900 8MPcameras
bythePhotokinashowin
September.
Thejustout Olympus
EvoltE500promisestobea
player.Wegotasneakpeek
(November2005),butwecant
declareitanMvPuntilwetest
aproductionunitinthePOP
PHOTOlab.
Harder to predict is what
we might see fromthe two
major electronics giants
that are poised to enter
the DSLR market in 2006.
Panasonicwillshowcase
itsDSLPprototype,oneresult
olapartnershipwithOlympus,
in justalewmonths.ltwill
supporttheFourThirds
standard(includinglenses),but
littleelseisknown.Wedsure
lovetoseePanasonicsimage
stabilizationbuiltin,andil
Olympuscontributesitsimaging
expertisetoimproveimage
qualityandaddsitsdedicated
ashsystem,theFourThirds
Systemcouldourish.
Sony,inpartnership
with Konica Minolta,is
developingaDSLPbut,behind
thescenes,theKM?Dand
5DalreadyhaveSonyCCD
sensorsbuiltin(asdotheNikon
D50andPentax*istDL).Lets
hopeSonybringsnotonlyits
imagesensorandprocessing
expertise,butalsosmart
batteriesandmanulacturing
elciencytothetable.
AlthoughKodakisout
oltheDSLPbusiness,itstill
manulacturesCCDandCMOS
sensors.Anditsgoingstrong
on3MPand5MPsensorslor
cellphonecameras.Weexpect
bignewstocomelromKodak,
announcingbigger,badder
sensorslormediumlormat
SLPsandcamerabacks.Can
yousay39megapixels?
Only one thing is for
sure2006 will be a really
interesting year. p
ghquality1PEGsat2.8lps.
lmageslromtheDLsAPSsized6.1MPCCD
ensor have slightly lower color accuracy and
solution than lrom the *ist DS, but it ollers

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90 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
BY RIGHTS, THE CAMERAS
in this category shouldnt exist by
nowyet not only are they alive,
theyre thriving. These are electronic
viewnder (EVF) cameras, and they
present serious competition for digi-
tal SLRseven as DSLR prices con-
tinue to drop. How do they do it?
Consider: The current cheapest
deal on an 8MP DSLR with a 10X
or better zoom starting at true wide
angle is a Canon Digital Rebel XT
body ($790 street) and a Sigma or
Tamron 18200mm f/3.56.3 digital
zoom ($400 street). A sweet deal at
just under $1,200, yes, but for about
$500 less, you can get a Fujilm
FinePix S9000, a 9MP EVF with the
same equivalent focal length and a
2
3-stop gain in lens speed.
Or consider this: For the same
700 bucks, you can get an 8MP
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 with a
jaw-dropping 35420mm equivalent
12X zoomplus an excellent opti-
cal image stabilizer. Still costs too
much money? The Kodak EasyShare
P850 has ample 5MP capture, a 12X
f/2.83.7 zoom, and image stabiliza-
tionfor $450 street.
Thats how EVFs are competing:
bang for the buck. They have longer
zoom ranges, more megapixels, and
wider apertures at prices that still
undercut DSLRsalong with bonus
goodies like built-in image stabiliza-
tion and high-quality video.
But the two things that make the
EVF possiblerelatively small image
sensors and the compact view-by-wire
systemalso make for the two major
drawbacks of these cameras. Name-
ly, digital noise and viewnders that
have the disquieting habit of freeze-
framing when youre trying to track
a moving subject. Manufacturers are
addressing both problems, with larger
sensors, improved noise reduction,
and viewnders with faster redraw.
HERES A RUNDOWN OF THE
HOT EVFS FOR 2006.
Megapixel monsters: If 8MP
capture plus 10X optical zoom once
formed a barrier, todays EVFs are
demolishing it. The aforementioned
Fujilm S9000, with 9MP and a
10.7X 28300mm equivalent zoom,
should be selling now for $700 street
or less. Fujis Real Photo Technology
promises low noise in pictures taken
at ISOs as high as 1600, and it can
also reduce blur in photos via digital
oversampling.
Nikon, meanwhile, has continually
rened its Coolpix 8000-series cam-
eras. The latest version, the Coolpix
8800 ($700 street), has a 10X zoom
at the longer end, a 35350mm equiv-
alent f/2.85.2, 8MP capture, and
optical image stabilization. Clever
tricks borrowed from Coolpix point-
and-shoots include on-the-y redeye
x and D-lighting, which can tone
down the contrast in backlit shots.
Panasonics Lumix FZ30, as we
mentioned, combines a long zoom
with image stabilization, plus stabi-
lized video shooting at 30 fps and
640x480 resolution.
How about a 15X optical zoom?
Samsungs Digimax Pro815 has a
28420mm f/2.24.6 Schneider lens,
8MP capture, and the biggest LCD
monitor in the business3.5 inches.
Thats augmented by a 1.44-inch top
LCD control panel that can also dis-
play the nder image for waist-level
or ground-level shots! The Pro815
should be appearing in stores by holi-
day season for about $850 street.
Kodak joins the 8MP club with the
EasyShare P880, an SLR-like camera
with a wide-to-tele 24140mm f/2.8
4.1 lens and many features for the
enthusiast; it is coming onto the
market now with a street price
of around $600.
In many ways, the
EVF to watch in 2006
is the Sony Cyber-shot
DSC-R1 (see Hands
On on page 72). Sony
made the bold move
of building in a signi-
cantly larger imager to
tackle the noise prob-
lem, and to allow wider
focal lengthsthe R1s
zoom starts at a nicely
wide 24mm. Lets see if
other manufacturers fol-
low this lead.
Eagle-eyed
compacts: When
camera makers intro-
duced10X or greater zoom
cameras with 2 to 3.2MP
capture, they were fun novelties.
Now that these cameras boast 5MP
capture or better (as in the Kodak
EasyShare P850), they can be taken
seriously as wildlife and sports cam-
WILL 2006 BE THE YEAR OF THE ALL-IN-ONE?
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM 91
E L ECTRONI C VI E WF I NDE R SUPE RZOOMS BY DAN RI CHARDS
eras, and they remain the top fun-
for-the-buck cameras in all of pho-
tography. Nikon, Konica Minolta,
and Olympus have all pushed the
resolution envelope to 6MP. The
KM DiMAGE Z6 ($400 street)
has a 12X 35420mm equivalent
f/2.84.5 zoom and image stabiliza-
tion using a shifting chip. The Nikon
Coolpix S4 ($400 street) is the style
standout of the bunch, with its
swiveling 10X zoom lens and a 38
380mm equivalent f/3.5 constant
aperture. And the Olympus SP-
500 Ultrazoom ($380) has a 10X
38380mm f/2.83.7 zoom.
Stay tuned for reviews of these
cameras in 2006. p
POWER PLAYERS:
8MP Nikon Coolpix 8800 (1)
has image-stabilized 10X
zoom. Kodak EasyShare
P880 (2) combines 8MP and
24140mm zoom. Fujilm
FinePix S9000 (3) has 9MP and 10X zoom. A 15X zoom
and 3.5-inch LCD (not misprints!) set apart Samsungs 8MP
Digimax Pro815 (4). Panasonic Lumix FZ30 (5) combines
8MP with stabilized 12X Leica zoom.

C
H
A
E
L
S
O
O
CANON CASIO FUJIFILM HP KODAK
KONICA MINOLTA NIKON OLYMPUS
CANON CASIO FUJIFILM HP KODAK
KONICA MINOLTA NIKON OLYMPUS
PANA NN SONIC PENTAX SAMSUNG SONY AA
CANON CASIO FUJIFILM HP KODAK
KONICA MINOLTA NIKON OLYMPUS
PANOSONIC PENTAX SAMSUNG SONY
CANON CASIO FUJIFILM HP KODAK
KONICA-MINOLTA NIKON OLYMPUS
PANOSONIC PENTAX SAMSUNG SONY
KONICA-MINOLTA NIKON OLYMPUS
PANOSONIC PENTAX SAMSUNG SONY
CANON CASIO FUJIFILM HP KODAK
KONICA-MINOLTA NIKON OLYMPUS
PANOSONIC PENTAX SAMSUNG SONY
CANON CASIO FUJIFILM HP KODAK
KONICA-MINOLTA NIKON OLYMPUS
PANOSONIC PENTAX SAMSUNG SONY
Chances are youve never used
even half the features lurking in
the menus of your compact camera.
Just what are all those icon-happy
modes? Actually, many of them are
useful, convenient, or just plain fun.
So weve taken a current camera
from nearly every major maker and
detailed features worth knowing.
B Y D A N R I C H A R D S
MOTHERS OF
INVENTION
HP PHOTOSMART R717
CANON POWERSHOT SD500
KODAK EASYSHARE V550
KONICA MINOLTA DIMAGE X1
NIKON COOLPIX P1
OLYMPUS STYLUS 800 DIGITAL
PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-LX1
PENTAX OPTIO 750Z
SAMSUNG DIGIMAX i5
SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-T5
Kit lenses
vs. pro glass.
Whats the real
dierence
besides cost?
D I G I T A L
OLYMPUS
1454mm f/2.83.5
pro zoom
(
$500
)
OLYMPUS
1445mm f/3.55.6
Evolt kit zoom
(
$249
)
96 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
TEMPTING, ISNT IT? YOURE
at the counter, buying a DSLR, and
the salesman asks, Want the kit? You
save a hundred bucks. Just like com-
puter makers bundle software with
desktops, camera makers bundle inex-
pensive zoom lenses with amateur
DSLR bodies. Buy the kit. Its practi-
cally like getting a lens for free.
Kit lenses arent new. Starting as
early as the 1960s, 35mm SLRs
were routinely sold with 50mm
f/1.8sde facto kit lenses. The
main difference between those
50mms and the kit lenses of today:
They were primes, obviously, and
todays kit lenses are zooms. Beyond
that, theres a perceived difference
in quality. Yesterdays kit lenses
were relatively fast, with all-metal
barrels and lensmounts, plenty of
sharpness, and distortion-free opti-
cal performance.
Can that much be said of todays
kit zooms? To determine what you
gain and what you lose by saying
Yes to the kit question, we com-
pared Nikon and Olympus digital-
only kit lenses with their higher-tier
siblings, which have roughly equal
focal-length ranges but much higher
prices. We evaluated ve compara-
ble lenses by seven criteria com-
monly used to assess lens quality,
starting with...
SHARPNESS It may surprise you,
but POP PHOTOs standardized lens
tests show little signicant differ-
ence in sharpness between kit and
pro zooms. Nikons $180 1855mm
f/3.55.6 kit zoom, for example,
produced SQF data indicating
image sharpness almost identical to
that of Nikons $1,250 1755mm
f/2.8, even at the maximum magni-
fication of 20x24 inches. The
Olympus lenses fared similarly.
DISTORTION In DxO analyzer
tests of all ve lenses, the kit zooms
fared well at their longest zoom set-
tingsmatching, even beating, the
pro zooms at controlling linear dis-
tortion. The Nikon 1855mm kit
lens, for example, showed Imper-
ceptible barrel distortion (0.07%)
at 55mm, compared to a weak
showing of Visible pincushioning
(0.34%) from Nikons 1870mm
at 70mm.
At the mid and wide set-
tings, however, the kits fell far
behind. Barrel distortion raised
its image-warping head into
the Visible range with both the
Nikon and Olympus kit zooms.
The Olympus 1445mm bud-
get glass, for example, showed
Visible barrel distortion at
most focal lengths, while the
pro-grade 1454mm produced
virtually no distortion (rated
Imperceptible) at comparable
zoom settingsan improvement
by two levels of magnitude. (For
POP PHOTO/AUGUST 2005 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM 00
TEXT BY PETER KOLONIA
PHOTOS BY RICO POON
NIKON
1855mm f/3.55.6
D50 kit zoom ($180)
NIKON
Mid range 1870mm
f/3.54.5 ($360)
NIKON
Pro quality 1755mm
f/2.8 ($1,250)
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM 97
the complete test
data, visit www.
POPPHOTO.com.)
SPEED Its hard to put a price on
speed. Every photographer craves it
at one time or another, and the pro
zooms got it. That maximum lens
aperture of f/2.8 can bring home
sharp shots in low light, allowing
you to shoot handheld in available
light and to leave ash and tripod at
home when theyd be too intrusive
or cumbersome. Shallow depths of
eld, with their creamy, defocused
backgrounds, are another unques-
tionable plus of f/2.8. Good luck
nabbing them with f/4.5!
CLOSE-UP Judging from our sub-
sample of Nikon and Olympus
lenses, kit lenses can surprise
you with close-up performance
that equals, and sometimes even
surpasses, pro glass. The Nikon 18
55mm budget baby, for example,
boasts a signicantly greater maxi-
mum magnification ratio (1:3.1)
than either the mid-level (1:6.3) or
pro Nikon zooms (1:4.1). Likewise,
the Olympus kit zoom comes in at
a not-too-shabby 1:4.5.
BUILD Nikons 1755mm pro and
1855mm kit zooms provide a stark
lesson in the construction values
separating pro and amateur glass.
The pro lens is 3.5 times heavier,
with a solid, substantial feel, rugged
all-metal barrel, metal lensmount,
ample focus and zoom rings, an
extremely well-damped manual-
focus action, and easily legible
subject-distance scales calibrated
in feet and meters. In comparison,
the airy 0.47-pound kit zoom is
plastic-barreled (including the
lensmount)and feels it. Its
relatively tiny manual-focus ring has
a loose turning action and no
subject-distance scales. Its also one
of the rare new lenses to have a front
lens barrel that turns during
focusing, making it difcult, if not
impossible, to use a variety of lens-
mounted lters, lter holders, and
lighting accessories.
One last thought on construction:
While your kit zoom may have supe-
rior optics out of the box, its debat-
able how long you will enjoy such
performance. Inexpensive materials
tend to shift or even warp over time,
throwing lens elements out of align-
ment, and sharpness out the win-
dow. Especially at wider apertures.
CONVENIENCE Like to travel light? If
so, youll cringe at the sight of the pro
zoom. It typically weighs two to three
times more than the average kit lens,
making it a very noticeable compan-
ion while trekking along city streets or
mountain trails. And dont forget the
size consideration: pro glass is signi-
cantly larger than kit and will gobble
up meager camera bag space fast.
COST Well, we all know about cost.
Kit lenses can dip under $200, while
pro zooms rarely drop below $500
and often reach levels that are rich
by any standard.
SO, KIT OR SOMETHING MORE
costly? Which zoom is right for you?
If sharpness is your overriding con-
cern, save some cash and grab the
kit. Do the same if compactness and
light weight or superlow cost are
your top priorities.
If, however, you want parallel
lines that remain (relatively) parallel
in your pictures, like to shoot in low
light without the hobbling effect of
ash or tripod, or need speed to
stop action (as with sports or stage
performances) or defocus a back-
ground, invest in a lens that will
serve you and your evolving photog-
raphy well into the future.
And, if youre rough on gear,
changing lenses frequently and toss-
ing them into your camera bag more
or less unprotected, then you, too,
need a zoom thats more metal than
plastic, more rugged than not, more
pro than kit. p
D I G I T A L
98 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
Kit vs. Pro Zooms at a Glance
NIKON NIKON NIKON OLYMPUS OLYMPUS
KIT ZOOM MIDLEVEL PRO ZOOM KIT ZOOM PRO ZOOM
LENS 1855mm 1870mm 1755mm 1445mm 1454mm
SPEED f/3.55.6 f/3.54.5 f/2.8 f/3.55.6 f/2.83.5
SHARPNESS Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent Excellent
(for 11x14 in.)
*
(92.5%) (93.6%) (94.7%) (92.6%) (95.1%)
LINEAR
DISTORTION
**
WIDE Visible Visible Slight Visible Visible
MID Slight Slight Slight Visible Imperceptible
TELE Imperceptible Visible Slight Slight Imperceptible
MACRO
***
1:3.1 at 11 in. 1:6.3 at 14.4 in. 1:4.1 at 14.2 in. 1:4.5 at 14.9 in. 1:2.6 at 8.6 in.
LIGHT FALLOFF f/5.68.0 f/5.68.0 f/4 f/5.68.0 f/45.6
(gone by)
***
WEIGHT 0.47 lb. 0.86 lb. 1.69 lb. 0.68 lb. 1 lb.
COST $180 $360 $1,250 $249 $500
GREEN TYPE: Top in group. RED TYPE: Bottom in group.
*SQF performance for 11x14-inch enlargement at f/11 and mid zoom setting.
**Barrel and pincushion distortion.
***Maximum mag ratio at closest focus.
For more details,
go to www.POPPHOTO.com.
100
HOW TO READ A
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
7
RESOLUTION
(AvEPAGEOFHXvX vv DLlNES)ONANlT10TAPGET
1700+ EXCELLENT
15001700 EXTREMELY HIGH
13001500 VERY HIGH
12001300 HIGH
11001200 ACCEPTABLE
UNDER 1100 UNACCEPTABLE
For a compact camera or anEvFwith a xed zoom lens, we also include
lens distortion ratings at several local lengths, determined by the sameDxOAnalyzer 2.0 target, soltware, and scale used in our stand
alone lens tests.The same target and soltware are also used to measure the ellectiveness ol image stabilization systems built into lenses
or cameras, plus light lalloll(vignetting).
CAMERA TEST
COLOR ACCURACY(AvEPAGEDELTAE)
8.0 AND BELOW EXCELLENT
8.110.0 EXTREMELY HIGH
10.112.0 HIGH
12.115.0 ACCEPTABLE
15.1 AND ABOVE UNACCEPTABLE
NOISE(LMlNANCE,PGBAvEPAGE)
BELOW 1.1 EXTREMELY LOW
1.21.5 VERY LOW
1.61.9 LOW
2.02.3 MODERATELY LOW
2.42.9 MODERATE
3.0 AND ABOVE HIGH (UNACCEPTABLE)
LENS DISTORTION:
(BASEDONDXO 2.0TESTPESLTSFOPBAPPEL
ANDPlNCSHlONDlSTOPTlON) O
0.00.10% IMPERCEPTIBLE
0.110.30% SLIGHT
0.311.00% VISIBLE
1.013.00% VERY VISIBLE
3.01% AND HIGHER EXCESSIVE
LENS DISTORTION
WHAT THE NUMBERS AND RATINGS REALLY MEAN
102
HOW TO READ A CAMERA TEST
VIEWFINDER MAGNIFICATION
0.83X OR GREATER EXCELLENT
0.790.82X VERY GOOD
0.750.78X GOOD
0.710.74X AVERAGE
0.70X OR BELOW BELOW AVERAGE
OUR VIEWFINDER AND AF SPEED TESTS lor DSLPs are identical to
those weve been perlorming on 35mm SLPs lor more than 20 years, while our
relatively new digital camera tests conlorm to triedandtrue evaluation methods used by camera manulacturers and industry associations. But as
digital cameras add leatures and improve image quality, well continue to add tests that help you decide which camera is right lor you. p
ONWARD & UPWARD
GAMUT VOLUME DIGITAL CAMERA GAMUT DYNAMIC RANGE S/N RATIO
HOW-TO GET CREATIVE
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY BRYAN F
122 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM
pretty easy. When we need to give
someone a present and are short
on time or stumped on ideas, all
we have to do is make up an 8x10
print, put it in a nice frame, and
voilthe perfect gift!
Of course, if the photo youre giv-
ing doesnt appeal to the recipients
taste, it wont be such a great gift.
You have a better chance at making
the gift meaningful if your framed
photo is truly personaland spells
out the persons name.
Heres what I do: When Im out
with my camera, I always look for
street signs, ads, and store signs. I
zoom in close so I can photograph
individual letters. Try itsoon youll
have entire sets of the alphabet!
Individual letters have distinctive
personalities, based on their shape,
color, and texture. As you assemble
the letters to form the name, youll
realize that some the images of
your letters actually t the person-
ality of that person.
Once you have enough letters,
make 4x6 or 5x7-inch prints of
each photo. Take them to a frame
shop, and have the images placed
in a single frame, matted with indi-
vidual windows cut out for each
photo.
Does this work? You bet! As
my daughter Chloe recently told
me, the most meaningful gift she
received for her 10th birthday was
her name. p
ALPHABET CITY: All photos on this
page were shot during a single day in
New Yorks Times Square with a hand-
held Nikon D2x and 70200mm f/2.8D
VR G AFS Nikkor lens. Exposure, f/8 in
aperture-priority mode.
Letterscreatea
personalized
photographic
present
The
Name
Game
PHOTOGRAPHERS HAVE IT
TIMEEXPOSURE
136 WWW.POPPHOTO.COM
HOW WE LOOKED AND WHAT WE WROTE BACK THENBY JASON SCHNEIDER
1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

25
50
YEARS AGO
1. Tis the season:FestiveDecem
ber80coverimageolNewYorksSt.
PatricksCathedralisbyYasuoHagaol
Niigata,1apan.Hetookthenightexposure
witha35mmSLPand28mmlenson
Kodachrome64,dupedtheslideontoa
largertransparency,thendoubleexposedit
withaashlit,ltered,lallingsnowimage.
2. Smallest 35mm camera?Thats
whatMinoxclaimedinitsadlortheMinox
35GL,anditwasprobablyright.The
pocketable,scalelocusinglolderhad
agoodquality,4element35mml/2.8
ColorMinotarlens.
3. Debunking the ad aks: ThisLeica
Aol1925markedlyinuencedcamera
design,butwasnottherst35mmstill
cameraasclaimedinaLeitzad,accord
ingtophotohistorian
EatonS.Lothrop,1r.,
whosecolumnlound
advertisinglraught
withpoeticlicense.
4. Two-light drama: Placesecond
lampoverLeslie,slightlybehind,andher
hairwillreallysparkle,advisedMichaelA.
Kellerinhispieceonbasicportraitlight
ing,butsnootthelllightorshieldthe
lenstoguardagainstlensare.
5. New York state of mind? Whimsi
callyglamorousimageoltheBigApple
by1apanesephotographerTadaoMatsuo
appearedinOutsideLookingln,an
articleshowinghowhecapturedthe
glitteringlantasyNewY
hehadimaginedbelore
visitingthecity.
1. Quizzical
pooch:
SydneySilky
Terrieronour
December
55coverwas
capturedbyWalter
Chandoha,awellknown
animalphotographer,with,olallthings,a
4x5GraexSuperDcamera,190mml/5.6
Ektarlens,andlourAscorspeedlights!The
picturecopped2
nd
prizeintheColorDivi
sionolourlnternationalPictureContest.
2. Auto-focus stereo 35?Adlorthe
StereoGraphicclaimedithadexclusive
DepthmasterAutolocus,butthiswasjust
adspeaklorxedlocus35mml/4lenses
setatdillerentdistancestoincreaseap
parentdeptholeld.
3. Incredible shrinking ashbulb:
PegularMidgetbulbatlelt,knownas#5,
orPress25,was
tinycomparedto
theclassiclight
bulbsizedPress
22,butnew
PowermiteM2atrightwasonlyaquarter
itssizeand3centscheaper.lmageis
lromaGeneralElectricashbulbad.
4. Times change: Nostalgic
stilllileolvintageKodakTimer,
Kodak4x5SuperXXsheetlm,
TriX4x5FilmPack,andcanolhigh
energyDK60adeveloperraninHowto
DevelopSheetFilmandFilmPack,by
darkroomguruDanBecker.
5. Casino dancer:1ohnA.Devisserol
Toronto,Canada,sneakedthisrevealing
shotduringatheaterperlormance,witha
Leicalllland50mml/1.5Summaritlens,
withlenswideopenlor1/25sec.His
reward:aS100.S
SavingsBondand
HonorableMention
in POPPHOTOs55
lnternationalPicture
Contest.
COVER: DECEMBER 1980
1
1
2
3
4
5
DECEMBER 1955
YEARS AGO
2
3
4
5
TECH SUPPORT
Youve got questions?
Weve got answers.
154
Perilous popping
September 2005s Tech Sup-
QQ you mentioned possible harm QQ
to digital camera circuitry when us-
QQ
ing a Vivitar 285 electronic ash. I
have Vivitar 283s that I would like
to use with my Panasonic Lumix
DMC-FZ20. Is their triggering volt-
age too high for digital cameras?
C. MICHAEL HAYES
MISSION, TX
t depends. The popular Vivitar
AA
went through several incarna-
AAtions, all bearing the same model des- AA
ignation. If your 283s are less than
10 years old, youre safe, but if youre
not sure, check to see where the units
were made. The old Made in Japan
models have high-voltage triggering
circuits that can damage your Lumix
DMC-FZ20.
Stop blufng
push an ISO 400 b&w lm
QQKodak 400 Tri-X Pan to ISO QQ
1600, how many stops is that? I
Q
recently shot a concert with Tri-X
exposed at 1600 and asked my lab
for a two-stop push. After process-
ing the lm, the lab said I should
have requested an eight-stop push,
because the lm was almost com-
pletely blank. Is it eight stops from
ISO 400 to ISO 1600?
RICARDO MONTAEZ ALCAZAR
VIA E-MAIL
unds like your lab misrouted the
AA
internally, and it was processed
AAnormally instead of pushed the way AA
you requested. As you suggest, ISO
400 to 1600 is a two-stop push, and
if anyone knows of a lm that can
be pushed EIGHT stops, would they
please send us a brick?
Fuji fudging?
xposed a 36-exposure roll of
QQm Fujichrome Velvia 100F slide QQ
lm in my Canon EOS Elan IIE. It
QQ
rewound at 24 exposures, not 36. I
sent it to Fuji for processing, and it
came back as 24 exposures with no
(continued on page 157)
Q
A
A
TECH SUPPORT
Q
A
A
surplus, unexposed lm in the box,
and the slides were two stops over-
exposed. I think Fuji loaded a short
roll of the wrong lm type in the
cassette. What do you think?
RICHARD W. UNDERWOOD
HOUSTON, TX
earn the lm type, remove a few
AA
s from their mounts and look
AAfor their edge code. (Velvia 100F is AA
RVP100F, for example.) If Fujis au-
tomated lm spoolers were misloading
cartridges, we would have received
dozens, even hundreds, of letters just
like yours.
As we havent, its more likely that
you shot a 24-exposure roll with +2
exposure compensation or an incorrect
ISO set. Maybe your lens aperture is
sticking intermittently. Film can bind
in the cartridge, causing a premature
rewind. Usually, the motordrive will
make a grinding soundyour cue to
head to a repair shop.
Moldychromes
have 500600 irreplaceable
QQachrome slides that are about 50 QQ
years old. They show some evidence
Q
of mold. Can they be salvaged?
WILBERT LAWLER
VIA E-MAIL
can have your slides professionally
AA
ned, scanned, and digitally restored,
AAbut, considering their large number, it AA
would likely cost thousands. (Google
photo conservators and/or slide res-
toration for a service near you.)
To clean the slides yourself, remove
each one from its cardboard or glass
mount. Be sure to wear cotton gloves
or holding the transparency only by
the edges to avoid ngerprinting.
Next, moisten a Kodak Photo Cham-
ois (a soft, plush pad) or an absorbent
cotton ball with isopropyl alcohol in
a concentration of 98% or greater
(check local drug stores), and gently
wipe the slide until its clean. Remount
the slides in clean glass or new card-
board mounts.
Whatever you do, dont use water,
solutions that contain water, or or-
dinary rubbing alcohol (which also
contains water), since fungus usually
makes lm emulsion water-soluble.
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157
(continued on page 158)
(continued from page 154)
TECH SUPPORT
Got a question? E-mail us at
PopEditor@hfmus.com p f . p
158
(continued from page 157)
Optically equal?
ntly I had a chance to compare
tax G wide-angle lenses with my
Konica Minolta Maxxum lenses, and
just as your SQF charts predicted,
the Carl Zeiss G lenses were clearly
sharper. Perusing your tests, how-
ever, I see one Konica Minolta lens,
a 50mm f/2.8 macro, has put up
SQF numbers very close to those of
the Contax lens. Is that KM perfor-
mance strictly for the macro range,
or does that Zeiss-like sharpness ex-
tend out to innity, too?
LANGDON BEDELL
EUGENE, OR
SQF gures are based on an
ysis of modulation transfer func-
tion (MTF) performance of the lenses
focused at innity. If the 50mm f/2.8
Minolta Macro has SQF numbers close
to those of the Zeiss G lenses, its per-
formance will be close as well, regard-
less of focusing distance. Furthermore,
since most macro lenses are designed to
deliver optimum performance at about
1:10 (one-tenth life-size), theres a
possibility the Konica Minolta 50mm
f/2.8 may actually outperform the G
lenses at similar magnications.
Diopter dilemma
ve a set of close-up lenses marked
+2, and +4 diopters. It came with
magnication tables for various lens
combinations but no advice as to
the proper sequencing. How should
I order the close-up lenses numeri-
cally on my camera lens?
GEORGE R. BROWN
VIA E-MAIL
y: The strongest one (highest num-
goes on the camera lens; additional
lters are attached to it, in decreasing
order of strength. Cool factoid: When
you stack two close-up lenses, the effect
is additivecombining a +1 and a +2
has the same power as a +3 close-up
lens. For maximum sharpness, though,
avoid stacking or using the maximum
aperture for your lens. Instead, use one
lter at a time, and close the camera
lens down to f/5.6 or f/8.
JUDGING FROM THE LETTERS IN
POP PHOTOs mailbag and e-mail bin,
youd think exposure compensation
was rocket science multiplied by
brain surgery.
Folks, youre making it way too
complicated.
Exposure compensation (EC) just
means nudging the exposure one way
or the other from the meter reading.
You want the picture darker, you give
it less exposure. You want a lighter
picture, give it more exposure. In
modern photospeak, these actions
are called negative and positive ex-
posure compensation.
EC is measured in stops (tradition-
al) or EV (modern); where once youd
say, I gave it a half-stop more expo-
sure, you might today say, I gave it
+0.5 EV exposure compensation.
With the advent of autoexposure,
EC seems to have become more
confusing for people. But nothing
complicated is going on here, ei-
ther. Autoexposure simply sets the
metered midtone exposure read-
ing for you; EC raises or lowers the
midtone point. Your cameras expo-
sure readouts (on the LCD panel or
in the nder) are the exact settings
the camera will make, and they take
into account whatever compensation
youve set. (Think of it as the sales
tax being included in the price tag.)
With shutter-priority automation,
the camera will adjust the aperture
to make the exposure compensation;
with aperture-priority auto, the cam-
era adjusts shutter speed. In program
automation, the camera can adjust
both shutter and aperture for EC.
Some cameras allow EC in man-
ual exposure, too. This is something
like zeroing the needle on a scale to
cancel out the weight of a container
youre about to ll. If, say, you want
to underexpose slide lm by a third-
stop for more color saturation, you
can set EC for 0.3, then make set-
tings exactly according to the camera
meter. And your exposure will be a
third-stop below normal exposure. p
EXPOSURE
COMPENSATION?
WHATS UP WITH
167
BY DAN RICHARDS
SHOWCASE
Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon
on the set of Some Like it Hot
(above), Rock Hudson dons a
mink in Lover Come Back (far k
left), and Jackie Chan and
Steve Coogan in Around the
World in 80 Days (near left). s
POP PHOTO/DECEMBEP 2005
LADIESORGENTLEMEN
JEAN-LOUIS GINIBRES LADIES OR GENTLEMEN
(Filipacchi, $65) brings together more than 700 images
of actors in almost every lm that uses a man in womens
clothing as a plot twist, comic device, or storyline. This
is no polemic on transvestismits an amusing, dramatic
romp through cinematic history. Its fun to see the greats
(Bob Hope in ringlets), the strange (theres a whole sec-
tion on children in drag), and the surprising (Johnny
Depp makes it in three times). A product of Ginibres
love for the movies, the book presents almost all of what
hes collected through his own globe-spanning research over the past
nearly-30 years. As passionate as he is for the pictures, he does not, he
says, have a passion for dressing in skirts himself. Debbie Grossman