Amy Winehouse: Unique Talent

Here's Amy Winehouse in an acoustic version of Love Is A Losing Game. She sang this sad song with only a solo guitarist, and it demonstrates her impressive range of vocals. She had a incredible future, but it was not to be.  

One of my favorites is her "Me And Mr Jones"....another great song.

(Via One Voice-One Guitar)

Omar Mullick: See No Evil

Photo © Omar Mullick-Courtesy Foreign Policy Magazine

Foreign Policy magazine has featured See No Evil,  the work of Omar Mullick in Afghanistan, which was largely made with iPhones and using the Hipstamatic app. When Mullick's embed with the US Army ended, he proceeded to make trips in and outside of Kabul, documenting the lives of ordinary Afghans affected by the grim toll of war. The images in this gallery are from his travels during six weeks from March and April 2011.

Omar Mullick was born and raised in London, and studied politics, philosophy, and economics at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives in New York. He spent six years in fashion photography and the film industry, shooting music videos and commercials before turning to documentary photography. He has received fellowships and awards from the M100 Foundation, the Western Knight Center for Journalism, and the Annenberg Foundation.

Perhaps I'm old hat, but I'm still ambivalent about the fad of using the iPhone by photojournalists to document conflicts. My ambivalence is for purely aesthetic reasons...I'm still of the view that documenting conflicts (especially) needs to be as "pure" as possible, without being tainted by manipulative processing. An iPhone with Hipstamatic and similar software certainly produce interesting images and that, I suppose, is what counts for many photographers.

PS: I've recently noted that even David Alan Harvey seems to have a lot of fun with Instagram photography...but so far these are personal snaps.

New York City

This painting goes back a few years. OK, it goes back over 20 years. Way back, when I was an apprentice Matte Painter, my mentor Mike Lloyd gave me a training assignment to get me ready for all the cityscape paintings we were going to be doing on Dick Tracy. The assignment: find a bunch of photographs of New York and Chicago, and make painting copies...one a day (8 hours max.)...black and white only. Of course, as this was matte painting training, it went without saying that the paintings needed to look like photos.

Up until this point, I'd never really dealt with architectural rendering on this level, and was pretty lost as to how to include so much detail in such a relatively short period of time. As I progressed from painting to painting however, I discovered that the secret wasn't in the detail you included...but in the detail you left out. The trick was to edit and indicate. Keep it loose, but accurate. Big brushes. Big brush strokes. Practice, practice, practice.

This went on for about a month and culminated in the painting below.

Acrylic

David Lazar: The Monks Of Burma

Photo © David Lazar-All Rights Reserved

After the 10 days or so I spent amidst photojournalism work, I thought I'd revert to pure travel photography through the work of David Lazar; a collection of absolutely gorgeous portraits of Burmese monks which are certain to thrill and impress the legions of photographers who traveled to this magnificent land, and who especially favor simple portraiture work. I know quite a number of those photographers, and also know of a few who will be traveling soon to see for themselves what Burma has to offer.

Not only are the portraits just spectacular, but the gallery's presentation is also superb. The gallery of large images is on the Visions of Indochina website.

David Lazar is a musician and photographer from Brisbane, and who loves traveling and capturing moments of life through photography. He has won a number of awards and recognitions for his photography which include Shutterbug Awards 2011, Kumuka Travel Photo Contest 2010, Lonely Planet Photo Competition 2010, Asian Geographic - Poetry in Motion Competition 2010, Intrepid Photography Competition 2009...and many more.

I'm not at all surprised. David's photographs are the type that win awards consistently.

Traditional vs. Digital

This was a fun little exercise: two paintings of the same subject ... one traditional; one digital.

I painted the traditional one last week as a demo for the Art Department at PDI (aka, Pacific Data Images, which is DreamWorks Animation's sister facility in the San Francisco Bay-Area.)

I was asked to demonstrate how I paint traditionally...specifically my matte painting/illustration technique. Something I haven't done in almost 10 years! Needless to say I was a little nervous. Let's face it...it's hard enough to make a good looking painting on a good day. But to do it when you're out of practice...in front of an audience... Nerve wracking.

Originally, they asked me do a plien air (outdoor) painting demo. But as my traditional technique is definitely an indoor studio technique, I opted for a compromise: an indoor plein air painting. So I brought up a landscape image on a big plasma screen, and did a plein air painting from that. I figured, if you can't bring the studio to the mountain...bring the mountain to the studio!

I would be lying if I said it went off without a hitch. As I said, it's been almost 10 years since I've painted this way, and it was an uphill slog the entire way. But I'm a professional, so I stuck it out! I actually think it made for a better demo than if it went smoothly.

Anyway, for what it's worth, the paintings below are the result. The top one is the actual acrylic painting I did for the demo. The one below, was a warm-up painting I did digitally on my Cintiq.

Both are based on a beautiful photo I found on the web (I couldn't find the photographer's name, but it came from a flickr page called "Winky in the UK". Thanks Winky...awesome photo!)

Oh...and a big howdy to the PDI Art Dept gang! Thanks for having me up there. I had a great time, and I hope you all enjoyed watching me sweat this one out! (^-^)

Acrylic


Digital

MOONSHINE: DREAMWORKS ARTISTS...AFTER DARK!

Hey, I have a couple pieces in this book! It's a collection of personal artwork by DreamWorks Animation visual development artists. It was put together by two of our production designers: Christophe Lautrette, and Pierre Olivier Vincent. I always find it fascinating to see what kind of artwork commercial artists do in their off hours.

Check it out. Better yet, buy it. You can order it here on Amazon for .57. Such a deal!

Milongas: The Seduction of Tango

I'm pleased to feature an audio slideshow titled "Milongas! The Seduction of Tango" of my still black & white photographs made in various tango halls and milongas of Buenos Aires during the week I spent there  teaching with the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop.

Note: You have two viewing options: either to view it as a Vimeo movie (above) or as a SoundSlides, which has better resolution images.

I am equally pleased in having broken many of my self-imposed rules which I religiously followed when producing such multimedia pieces. For this piece, I applied panning (Ken Burns effect) on a few occasions to give the semblance of motion, and to bring the eyes of the viewers to a specific part of the still. Rules are made to be broken, and I hope the photographers who attended my class do not take me too much to task for that.

"the silent and imperceptible gesture by men inviting women to dance..."

I chose to photograph the milongas and the tango at these venues for many reasons. Perhaps it was mainly because of my appreciation for international music, but as I observed the people who were at the milongas...I call them 'actors' because they were, wittingly or unwittingly, acting a part in a pre-ordained old fashioned ritual of almost courtship...the silent and imperceptible gesture by men inviting women to dance...I was reminded that their actions mirrored what occurs between men and women in their quotidian life.

I've also used only two audio tracks...one is by the legendary Carlos Gardel singing the beautiful A Media Luz, and a short poetic narration by Paula Acunzo, a Buenos Aires based photographer who attended my class, and is also a terrific tango dancer. She deserves much credit, not only for writing this evocative poem, but also for suffering some of us at the tango halls and milongas.

But back to A Media Luz....which means 'half-light'. I decided I'd use it as main soundtrack for the slideshow because I was humming it in Buenos Aires almost all the time...and because I photographed these images in the penumbra of the tango halls, and accentuated their darkness even further by vignetting some....so it seemed eminently appropriate.

So turn your speakers on...full volume...and enjoy the seduction of tango.

Japan Tsunami/Earthquake Relief

It's hard not to hear about the horrific events unfolding in Japan.

If you've been wondering how you can help, my friend Dice Tsutsumi has set up a relief fund that's really easy to contribute to. Just follow THIS LINK, have a credit card ready, and follow the directions.

If you're not familiar with Dice, he's an amazing artist, and one of the nicest people you'll ever meet. Originally from Japan, he's now an Art Director at Pixar.
Check out his work at: www.simplestroke.com

Mens Fashion Messenger Bag - Travel With Style

PR: n/a  I: 32,200,000  L: 0  LD: 210,756,995  I: 808,000 Rank: 5  Age: October 12, 1999  I: 0  whois source Robo: yes Sitemap: no  Rank: 1643  Price: 907036

Info  PR: 3  I: 32,200,000  L: 0  LD: 210,756,995  I: 808,000 Rank: 5  Age: October 12, 1999  I: 0  whois source Robo: yes Sitemap: no  Rank: 1643  Price: 907036 Links: 13|3 Density

Travel in style with Prada Laptop Messenger Bag  for Spring/Summer collection that is both contemporary and elegant. Made out of genuine leather and features colors in black. 

A flap over closure with Prada signature silver hardware. Come with front and back zippered closure pockets as well as one individual pocket which give more flexible to users like you and me.

Whether it's tribute to the free wheeling 70's or a nod to the sophistication of the Nighties, you will be guaranteed excellent craftsmanship in every piece of leather messenger bag.

Other  fashion bags that you may want to consider:-
 

Page o' Abstract Doodles

Here's a bunch of (mostly) abstract thumbnail sketches. I do tons of these...often on napkins. Usually, they're no bigger than 2 inches across. They're not for anything specific...just composition practice. I like to do them when I'm bored. I can crank out a lot of them during production meetings.

NY Skyline Backdrop

Last month, my daughter was in the musical at her elementary school. Due to the school's proximity to several TV and film studios, many of the kids have parents in "the biz". Who am I kidding?!? Many of the kids are in "the biz".

Anyway, not to be out done, here's the backdrop I did for this year's show, Broadway Bound...a musical review that follows three groups of kids, competing to win a trip to Broadway.

I painted it in Photoshop. Then we printed it 10' x 16' (that's about 3m x 5m, for you metric people), and hung it on stage. One of the other parents works at an industrial printing facility. They've got one printer that can print 16' across!

Ahh, the interesting things you get to do when you're a parent.

First Post

Ini posting pertama ku...Blog ini akan jadi tempat catatanku seputar hobby ku di bidang fotografy.

Mengapa Fotografi?

Mengapa aku menyenangi fotografi? Ada saja yang bertanya seperti itu kan. Entahlah. Kalo aku fikirkan kembali, betapa fotografi menyita sebagian besar waktu ku. Mendatangi tempat yang aneh-aneh, menyibak semak-semak, menahan terik panas matahari, menahan bau busuk, dan hal-hal aneh lainnya. Belum lagi biaya untuk membeli peralatannya. Lumayan kali ya kalo dibelikan 1 mobil. Pasti sudah dapat 1 mobil keluarga.

Dari berbagai hal yang menyesakkan yang disebut di atas, ada alasan kuat kenapa aku menyukai fotografi. Ia menjadi teman perjalanan yang paling setia dan menyenangkan. Fotografi juga menjadi teman setiaku ketika aku sendirian. Ia tak pernah bosan mengasah bagian otakku yang mengurus imaginasi dan intuisi. Fotografi juga menjadi pencatat sejarahku yang tak pernah letih mencatat dan merekam perjalanan hidupku.

Mungkin nanti setelah aku mati, foto-foto hasil bidikanku bisa menceritakan kembali bagaimana aku memandang dunia ini.

Toy Story 4?

So my wife and daughter were playing Nintendo Wii today, and they had an interesting idea for an upcoming Toy Story installment:

They suggested that they need to update the toys in Toy Story to include some of the new virtual toys...like the "Mii" characters you create on the Wii. Of course those characters would only appear on a TV screen, but they would be able to interact with Woody and the gang.

I took the concept a step further by suggesting it could be a hybrid of Toy Story and Tron, where some of the Toy Story gang end up having an adventure inside the game?

Come on guys...what do you think? Disney owns both properties. It's perfect!

Here's the pitch:
The film opens with Woody and Buzz playing a Wii (or similar) version of Star Command. They create their 'Mii" avatars, which (because this is Toy Story), come to life inside the game!

Cut to: INSIDE THE GAME. Woody and buzz discover that Emperor Zurg is about to hatch his latest diabolical plan: if your Mii dies...you die! Can this be true? Can Woody and Buzz somehow manage to get a message out to their their real world counterparts...before it's too late!?!?

Come on on guys, who's with me?

Oh, and just in case any of the good folks at Pixar are interested in this idea, it's for sale! Unless of course they're already doing it.

Point of Interest (PoI)

It's just you, your camera, and thousand photo opportunities to be grabbed...(Practical Photography Magazine)

Bayangkan Anda berada di suatu lokasi. Pegunungan, pantai, lembah, kota atau apapun. Rasakan suasana, perhatikan dengan seksama, pandang dengan ketinggian atau pandang dengan detail. Semua akan memberikan ide tentang obyek yang menarik untuk di foto.

Apapun yang muncul dalam ide, tangkap dan ubah dia menjadi visualisasi apa yang akan Anda foto. Foto yang akan Anda sampaikan pada kerabat, foto yang akan ada simpan sebagai dokumentasi perjalanan. Atau foto untuk itu untuk hal lainnya. Ingat, ide itulah yang akan menjadi point of interest.

Point of interest sama dengan pokok pikiran dalam suatu tulisan. POI adalah tentang apa yang ingin Anda sampaikan dalam foto tersebut. POI menjadi tema inti foto Anda. Foto yang baik seharusnya hanya ada 1 POI dengan 1 latar belakang dan atau 1 latar depan.

Apa saja yang bisa menjadi POI? Pada dasarnya segala benda, event, ekspresi, garis, bentuk, warna dan lainnya bisa menjadi POI. Berikut beberapa ide untuk dijadikan POI.

Manusia
Manusia adalah obyek yang tidak akan pernah habis untuk dieksplorasi. Setiap manusia adalah unik. Perkembangan mereka dari masih dalam kandungan, bayi, anak-anak, remaja, dewasa, tua sampai meninggal selalu menjadi obyek yang menarik dijadikan point of interest.

Ekspresi mereka, aktivitas, budaya, pakai dan aksesoris yang dipakai, sampai dengan bagian-bagian tubuh merupakan POI yang tidak pernah membosankan.
Untuk foto portrait, bagian mata merupakan bagian ygn paling penting. Usahakan fokus yang paling tajam adalah bagian mata.

Hewan dan tumbuhan
Seperti halnya manusia, hewan dan tumbuhan pun merupakan obyek yang sejak dahulu menjadi point of interest yang menarik. Banyak lukisan-lukisan kuno didominasi oleh obyek hewan dan tumbuhan.

Gunung dan Laut
Gunung dan laut merupakan obyek yang menakjubkan. Pengalaman akan indahnya gunung dan laut dapat ditransformasikan dalam bentuk dokumen 2 dimensi dengan tetap memberi kesan seolah kita berada di sana.

Aktivitas
Aktivitas sekelompok manusia dalam bentuk perayaan, olahraga, perniagaan, pesta budaya, kelahiran, kematian, kematian, perdamaian dan berbagai aktivitas lainnya dapat menjadi PoI yang menarik.

Bangunan

Bentuk-bentuk bangunan dari berbagai tempat dan budaya adalah obyek yang menarik. Demikian juga dengan bagian-bagian bangunannya. Atap, pagar, jendela, tangga, eksterior dan interiornya juga menjadi obyek foto yang sangat menarik.

Bentuk, pola, dan ritme

Adalah obyek-obyek yang jarang dilihat secara biasa. Dengan foto grafi, hal tersebut dapat direkam dan disajikan dengan menarik.

See...begitu banyak peluang kita membuat foto yang menarik. Just point your camera, compose, and...shot it!

Johannes P. Christo: Tajen; Ritual & Pleasure

Photo © Johannes P. Christo-All Rights Reserved

Johannes P. Christo is an Indonesian self-taught photographer who has been developing his own vision in visual storytelling. Currently based in Bali, Johannes works as a freelance photographer for editorial, documentary and portraiture projects.

His work has been published in The Jakarta Globe, The West Australian, National Geographic Indonesia, National Geographic Traveler (Indonesia), Travel and Leisure Magazine (Thailand), TEMPO Magazine English Edition (Indonesia), Forbes Indonesia Magazine, Wall Street Journal Photo Blog, Agence French Press, Reuters, ZUMA Press, etc. and he has been recognized with various awards.

I met Johannes in Istanbul where he attended the 3rd Foundry Photojournalism Workshop on a scholarship, and subsequently in Bali where he shared with me his projects which are currently shown on his website. I highlight Johannes' well composed black & white photo essay on cockfighting in Bali, which he titled Tajen: Ritual & Pleasure.

An extremely talented photojournalist, with an interesting collection of photo essays, which, while eschewing color, captures Bali's exotic and ancient traditions in edgy black & white photographs.

Buat Foto dgn Background Blur?

Siapa takut!!!!

Beberapa teman, seringkali menanyakan bagaimana cara membuat foto dengan Background (BG) blur... Hmmmmm memangnya kenapa dengan BG Blurrrrr? Mungkin memang foto seperti sangat menarik karena point of interest-nya (PoI) menjadi terisolasi. Jadi perhatian orang yang memandang langsung tertuju pada obyek utamanya.

Ini contohnya:

Canon 350D, focal lenght 100mm, speed 1/125 sec, aperture 2.8

Diafrahma adalah komponen utama dalam menentukan deep of field (DOF) sebuah foto. Diafrahma adalah celah dalam kamera yang menjadi jalan masuk cahaya kedalam sensor. Besar kecilnya diafrahma menentukan bagaimana sifat cahaya yang masuk. Secara sederhana dapat dianalogikan diafrahma seperti kelopak mata kita. Secara natural kita akan memicingkan/ membuka sedikit kelopak mata bila cahaya terlalu kuat dan kita menjadi silau.

Hal ini juga kita lakukan bila ingin melihat benda-benda dengan jarak yang jauh. Sebaliknya kita akan membuka mata lebar-lebar bila cahaya sangat kurang atau keadaan gelap. Juga untuk melihat benda-benda yang dekat kita akan membuka mata lebih lebar.

Pada kamera yang hal sama terjadi. Besar kecilnya bukaan diafrahma menentukan kedalam fokus atau dikenal juga sebagai deep of field (DOF). Makin kecil bukaan diafrahma makin jauh/lebar DOF (ingat kita akan memicingkan mata untuk melihat jauh). Makin besar bukaan diafrahma akan mempersempit DOF.

Besarkecilnya bukaan diafrahma direpresentasikan oleh angka f. Angka f umumnya bermula dari 1.4 sampai dengan 32. Secara teknis f ditulis 1/1.4, 1/8, 1/16 dan seterusnya. Pada penggunaan sehari-hari cukup disebut 1.4, 8 atau 16. Dengan demikian dapat kita fahami makin besar angka f makin kecil bukaan difrahma. Demikian sebaliknya, makin kecil angka f, makin besar bukaannya.

Jadi kalo ditantang buat foto dengan BG blur, yuk segera kita set kamera pada menu aperture priority (pada Canon: mode Av). Atur sampai ukura diafrahma pada angka yang paling kecil: 1.4 sampai 2.8 trus jepret....lihat hasilnya pasti blur deh BG nya.

Kids Photography

Memotret anak merupakan salah satu alasan yang paling umum bagi orang untuk membeli kamera. Saya sendiri membeli kamera pertama di hari kelahiran anak pertama. Kehadiran anak, kelucuan mereka, kenakalan, dan berbagai tingkah polah mereka sangat menarik dijadikan point of interest (PoI).

Memotret anak-anak dapat menjadi kegiatan yang menyenangkan tapi juga kegiatan yang menegangkan terutama bagi si anak itu sendiri. Umumnya orang mengambil gambar dengan meminta anak berpose, menyuruh tersenyunm dan jepret. Tidak jarang pula teknik seperti ini membuat anak takut, lari, atau berpose dengan mimic kaku dan aneh.

Nah, berikut beberapa tips untuk gambar anak yang lebih menarik.

Lakukan senatural mungkin, biarkan mereka dalam kondisi apapun mereka saat difoto. Teknik candid biasanya berhasil dengan baik. Ekspresi dan spontanitas akan terekam secara maksimal.

Jangan meminta mereka melihat kamera atau tersenyum, biasanya perintah meilhat kamera atau tersenyum, membuat anak-anak takut atau terganggu dan malah menghasilkan ekspresi yang aneh.

Mengubah sudut pemotretan, cobalah bergeser ke kanan atau ke kiri, naik atau turun, atau miring ke kanan atau kiri. Perubahan sudut pengambilan gambar juga akan memberi perbedaan yang besar.

Mengubah ketinggian kamera, memotret anak-anak yang paling umum dilakukan sambil berdiri dan berhadap-hadapan. Cobalah men-sejajar-kan tinggi dengan mereka, lalu ambil fotonya. Anda akan melihat hasilnya menjadi sangat berbeda disbanding bila kita foto dengan ketinggian orang dewasa.

Ikutlah dalam suasana mereka, kalau perlu ikut bermain dengan mereka. Dengan demikian Anda tidak akan dianggap orang asing yang mencoba mengganggu kesenangan mereka saat itu. Hasil yang diperoleh pun akan sangat sesuai dengan mood aktivitas yang mereka lakukan.

Hindari blitz, penggunaan blitz yang kuat akan menghasilkan gambar yang datar. Selain itu, blitz akan mengganggu perhatian mereka dan biasanya merusak mood anak-anak.

Bagaimana Memilih Kamera.

Teknologi kamera digital memberikan kita pilihan yang luar biasa untuk sebuah kamera. Anda bisa memiliki sebuah kamera mungil yang dapat dimasukkan dalam saku baju. Padahal, untuk fungsi yang sama 10 tahun yang lalu, ukuran kamera pasti tidak kurang dari 1 kotak susu. Fungsi yang ditawarkan pun sangat beragam. Mulai dari hanya sebuah kamera digital sampai dengan kamera sekaligus video recorder, organizer, dan penyimpan data lainnya.

Nah, dengan banyaknya pilihan tersebut apa yang menjadi criteria untuk memilih satu kamera tertentu. Berikut beberapa tips yang mungkin memudahkan Anda menentukan pilihan. Intinya (1) tetapkan output ingin Anda peroleh, (2) keterampilan Anda dalam mengoperasikan, (3) bagaimana kegiatan pemotretan, (4) fungsi lainnya, dan (5) anggaran.

Output yang Anda inginkan

Untuk apa hasil foto akan digunakan? Sekedar untuk screen saver di monitor PC Anda? Dicetak ukuran 4R, untuk sticker atau akan dicetak dalam ukuran A0? Semakin besar ukuran cetak maka semakin besar pixel yang Anda perlukan. Untuk keperluan screen saver di PC kamera dengan kemampuan 2 megapixel atau 3 megapixel sudah memadai. Untuk jenis ini Anda dpat memilih Canon A640, Olympus C160 dan lainnya.

Untuk dicetak pada ukuran 10 sampai ukuran poster A1, Canon 350D atau Nicon D50 merupakan pilihan yang tepat. Bila Anda akan mencetak hinga ukuran A0 Anda akan membutuhkan kamera dengan kemampuan di atas 10 megapixel. Anda dapat memilih Canon 5D atau Canon 1D.

Keterampilan Anda dalam Pengoperasikan

Perhatikan juga kemampuan Anda dalam mengoperasikan kamera dan peralatan fotografi lainnya. Kalau Anda sudah mahir dalam mengatur rana, shutter speed, iso dan setting lain pada kamera, maka kamera yang memiliki features manual merupakan pilihan terbaik. Dengan menu pilihan manual dan setting kreatif akan memberikan efek yang luar biasa pada foto. Namun bila Anda masih awam dalam menggunakan kamera, maka kamera yang banyak memberikan setting automatis pilihan terbaik. Dengan demikian Anda tidak perlu repot menentukan setting yang digunakan.

Bagaimana Kegiatan Pemotretan,

Membayangnkan bagaimana kondisi Anda dalam memotret juga sangat menentukan pilihan. Kegiatan yang banyak dilakukan dengan kondisi nyaman, dalam studio, tempat rekreasi yang tenang memungkinkan kita memilih kamera yang berbadan besar. Misalnya Canon 30D, Nicon D70, Olympus 510. Namun bila kita dalam kondisi mobilitas yang tinggi, keramaian, dan ruang yang sempit, maka kamera pocket adalah pilihan yang terbaik. Contoh kamera ini seperti Nicon coolpix 7900, Canon 710Is atau Canon seri Ixus.

Fungsi lainnya, dan

Bila Anda akan menggunakan kamera Anda untuk keperluan lain seperti membuat video atau menyimpan file maka carilah kamera dengan feature yang variatif. Biasanya kamera yang memiliki feature ini lebih mahal disbanding yang lainnya. Bila Anda tidak memerlukan feature selain membuat foto, jangan membuang uang hanya untuk fungsi yang tidak akan pernah Anda gunakan.

Anggaran yang tersedia.

Seperti disebut di atas, pilihan untuk kamera digital sangat banyak. Apapun pilihan semua kembali pada budget yang tersedia bukan? Bila point 1 dan 4 sudah Anda tentukan point ke 5 adalah mandatory (saran saya). Artinya, jangan membuang uang untuk fungsi yang tidak akan digunakan. Namun juga menurunkan spesifikasi dan kebutuhan untuk menyesuaikan dengan budget yang tersedia juga tidak tepat. Saran saya jangan memaksakan untuk membeli kamera dengan kondisi anggaran terbatas. Tunggulah beberapa saat hingga dana cukup untuk membeli kamera dengan spesifikasi yang memadai bagi Anda.

Product Review Canon 350D

Digital SLR ini termasuk favorit banyak fotografer. Termasuk (yg bukan) fotografer seperti saya. Bodinya ramping mudah dibawa kemanapun. Walaupun bodinya imut, namun fungsi sudah sangat memadai untuk membuat gambar bak fotografer professional. Dengan kemampuan 8 megapixel-nya yang diolah dengan DIGIC II image processor membuatnya tidak kalah dengan kamera kelas profesionalnya.

Menu-menu yang ditawarkan sangat mudah diakses melalui tombol-tombol yang user friendly. Pengalaman saya dalam menggunakan 350D sebagai my firs DSLR sangat-sangat memuaskan. Dengan mudah kita bisa mengaplikasikan teknik dari buku panduan. Mencari menu atau pengaturan mode kreatif sangat mudah dilakukan.

Dari sisi, compatibility dengan berabagai macam lensa Canon maupun produsen lainnya tidak ada masalah. Anda akan memiliki pilihan lensa yang sangat luas, mulai dari lensa L-series, EF, EFS dari Canon, Tamron for Canon, Sigma, dan Tokina. Saya sendiri sangat puas dengan kombinasi Canon 350D ini dengan Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II LD Aspherical (IF).

Mungkin satu-satunya keluhan terhadap kamera ini adalah dari mereka yang memiliki tangan dan jari yang besar. Karena body 350D cukup mungil, menyulitkan mereka memegang dan mengoperasikannya. Selebihnya kamera sangat saya rekomendasikan.

Nah review lengkap produknya seperti berikut (dikutip dari www.canon-europe.com )

Faster processing for better results
Underpinning the camera's performance is Canon's high-speed DIGIC II (Digital Image Core) processor, as found in Canon’s professional series EOS-1D Mark II and EOS-1Ds Mark II. DIGIC II is Canon’s second generation image processor, purpose built to handle the complex algorithms required for maximum image quality; optimally processing functions such as white balance and colour rendition. By integrating key functions onto a single processor, DIGIC II delivers superb quality images without trading camera responsiveness. "Digital image quality is dependent on three factors: lens quality, sensor performance and image processing capability,” said Jensen. “Canon is a developer, designer and manufacturer of the key components in each of the three critical technology areas: lens, CMOS sensor and image processor. It is the leadership position in each of these core technology areas that gives the EOS 350D Digital its edge.”

Better focusing
Focus can now be selected between One Shot AF (for single shot focusing), AI SERVO AF (for predictive tracking of subjects approaching at up to 50kph up to 10m away ) and AI Focus AF (switches automatically between One Shot AF and AI SERVO AF when subject movement is detected). This improves on the EOS 300D by providing direct selection of the three focusing modes. For more flexible focusing, AF point selection is now possible with the cross keys as well as from the main dial. Full time manual override is available with all EF Auto Focus lenses, while a new Precision Matte screen gives a brighter viewfinder image for easier, more accurate manual focusing.Improved flash, The pop-up flash has a guide number of 13 and sits even higher (95.5mm) above the optical axis than on the EOS 300D, helping suppress red eye effect and reducing the possibility of lens barrel shadow. Angle of coverage extends to support wide lenses to 17mm. Flash compensation of ±2 stops in 1/3- or 1/2- stop increments is available with both the built-in flash and with all EX-series Speedlite flash units. Optional wired or infra red wireless remote control is available.

Comprehensive accessories, software and online access
The EOS 350D Digital comes complete with NB-2LH battery pack, charger, USB cable, video cable, wide embroidered anti-slip neck strap. A new optional Battery Grip BG-E3 gives the camera a solid and balanced pro feel, particularly when the camera is fitted with longer lenses, and includes a shutter release and main dial for vertical/portrait shooting. It comes complete with one magazine that takes 6 AA batteries and another that takes two NB-2LH Li-Ion rechargeable batteries.Purchase of the EOS 350D Digital entitles photographers to membership of the CANON iMAGE GATEWAY with a 100 MB online photo album for image uploads. As well as Digital Photo Professional RAW image workflow software, ZoomBrowser EX 5.1 (Windows) and ImageBrowser 5.1 (Mac) are included for handling image file transfers between camera and computer, managing and printing files, and preview and conversion of RAW images.

Selengkapnya: www.canon-europe.com