Photos by a Mac switcher

I just bought the Nikon D2X, and discovered that some features doesn’t work as expected, werid behavior.

The I checked on the Web the last firmware, it was 2 firmware for the 2 processors of the camera, each one on version 2.0.0. On the camera, it was 1.0 and 2.0, so after the firmware update to be up-to-date with last Nikon development, everything is now in 2.0 version and working falwlessly, as expected!

Please, check on the web and UPDATE!

You know that I have a Pentax K10D, that is working as new, but still limited in terms of available optics, resolution and high iso. The natural upgrade path is to buy a Pentax K7D, that is worse in high ISO and still have same limited lens availability, while staying on expert-level, not on Pro.

Yesterday, I found a Nikon D2X on craigslist, I know it’s only 12Mpixel, but’s image quality is really great and enough for my needs, as good as K10D in high ISO (or if you prefer not worse!), a real Pro-level DSLR, with an incredible range of used Pro lenses.

Better exposure (the 1005 color-ccd matrix of the F5!), faster AF, especially in low-light, really rugged, fast with 5 fps, faster with 8fps in 7MP (enough for sport photography even for a cover!), and moreover the feel and security that gives a real Pro SLR!

My last Pro SLR was an used Nikon F4s, that belonged to an photo-journalist of “Le Dauphiné Libéré”, bought in Annecy - France, and it never deceived me, even when I dropped it on concrete floor! Rugged, fast, efficient, easy to use, versatility from weddings to sport or portraits, I gave it to a photograph student just before leaving France.

I used Nikon F80 for a while, but it’s sophistication was more cumbersome than efficient, and it often underexpose in fashion show

You have to try a real Pro SLR, from Canon or Nikon, even an used one, and see the feeling and the control it gave you…

This is the point for a point-and-shoot compact camera: to be available, fast, and able to take a snapshot just when things arise…

This shot was taken with Fuji F10, an old but fabulous 6MP camera, at ISO 800. Fast power-on, fast focus, great lens (without any distorsion or fringes), high-quality low-light pictures, always correct exposure : this is the kinda camera you want to have on your pocket when it’s time to shoot!

Many actual pocket cameras are too complicated with sophisticated interfaces, but slow focus, bad responsivness, and worse, low quality on high-iso. Is it worth to have 12MP when the result is just noisy??? Or if you couldn’t take this but the nest 2 seconds when candle are off?

Adobe Labs released the new LightRoom 3 in Beta 6 on it’s website, as for each version of LightRoom, you may download it and use it for free, this one expire on April 30, 2010 (6 months from now!).

I use LightRoom since it’s first Beta and for me it’s the best of it’s category, far ahead of Aperture in term of usability and efficiency. More compatible with PowerPC support, and faster on low-end computer (ie my old PowerBook G4 15″)

Download LightRoom 3 Beta (free trial)

I own a Panasonix LX3 (aka Leica DLux 4) that use a physical 12MP sensor sized to offers three different formats: classical compact camera 4:3, slr-alike 3:2 and video oriented 16:9 wide-format.

Panasonic introduced a new Firmware 2.0 that enable a fourth format, 1:1 (square format), the one you’ll find on hasselblad and others 6×6 medium-format camera. This format has been introduced on the micro-fourthird (4:3 captor) series of Panasonic, and I was thinking about buying one just for THIS reason.

The 1:1 format is a perfect square, with lot of energy and intensity, ideal for portrait, but offers many many usages. The first time I choose it was for the wedding photos of my friends, Pierre & Laure, I took their weddings photos unexpectedly, just because I was there, always with a camera(a Fuji Bridge) and no-one seems to take the good photo at the right place! I crop them in 1:1, process them in Black & White and place them in classical 12×18″ frames.

This format was perfect for their wedding photos, they have them in their living room

So I am too happy today to know that I will be able to do 1:1 photography, natively now!

Addenda: Panasonic removed the firmware 2.0 update from it’s website. They may find bugs in this firmware.