PhotonJohn Blog

The top of my camera lust list is the new and improved Canon EOS 5D Mark II.

(Credit: dpreview.com)

It hasn’t hit the shelfs yet or been thoroughly reviewed yet. I base my lust on initial PR.

…John

The Professional Photographer Magazine posting Product Comparison: White Balance Filters compares the results of five white balance filters and a Melitta coffee filter.

But in a pinch, stop by a supermarket and pick up a bag of Melitta Junior Basket coffee filters.

Please read the article for the results.

…John

(Credit: dpreview.com)

The dpreview.com posting of its in-depth review of the Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi / Kiss X2 Digital) Review May 2008, Simon Joinson and Phil Askey is based on a production camera. The bottom line summary is:

This camera is definitely on my lust list.

Be sure to read the posting for all the details.

…John

Adobe has released the initial Lightroom 2 public beta.

Adobe Photoshop® Lightroom® answers the digital photographer’s call for a workflow application that allows photographers to quickly work with raw format images. With Lightroom you can manage all of your photographs; showcase them in print, dynamic slideshows, and interactive Web galleries that are a simple to produce. Lightroom’s cross platform support allows photographers to effortlessly work on projects from any Windows or Macintosh computer on-location or in the office. Lightroom—spend less time at the computer, and more time behind the lens, doing what you love.

Some of the Lightroom 2.0 beta enhancements are:

Localized corrections — Enhance specific areas of an image for unsurpassed nondestructive flexibility and control reminiscent of the traditional darkroom dodge and burn experience.

Improved organizational tools — Find the images you need quickly and easily.

Multiple monitor support — Add an additional monitor to efficiently manage photographic workflow and presentation.

Flexible print package functionality — Create custom layouts containing multiple sizes of a photograph on a single page.

64-bit support — Lightroom 2.0 now takes advantage of the latest hardware architectures with improved memory handling and performance.

Several sites have detailed Lightroom 2.0 information.
Here are links to some of the postings. Be sure to follow links on some of these postings for access to Lightroom 2.0 beta videos.

Fortunately, the Lightroom 2 beta installation gets along well with Lightroom 1.3 installations.

…John

It looks like Polaroid instant film is going bye-bye says the News.com posting Saying goodbye to Polaroid instant film.

(Credit: News.com)

The whole process had a satisfying, ritualized nature to it. You composed the photo, clicked the shutter and heard that distinctive whirr. The seemingly blank film shot out. You’d fight to see who got to grab it, shake it (for no real reason–it just seemed like it needed to be shaken like a mercury thermometer), and watch as the image teasingly developed before your eyes. The film was expensive; about a dollar a shot if I remember correctly. You’d have to carefully parcel out the ten shots in a pack to make it last through a whole party.

So long it’s been good to know you.

…John