Press Release:

Kingston Digital Announces Compact Flash Ultimate 600x Card

High Speed, Large Capacity Supports UDMA Mode 6; Complements Performance of High-End Digital SLRs

Sunbury-on-Thames, UK – September 28, 2010 — Kingston Digital Europe Ltd, an affiliate of Kingston Technology Company Inc., the independent world leader in memory products, today announced the release of its CompactFlash (CF) Ultimate 600x memory card. The CompactFlash Ultimate 600x supports UDMA mode 6 and offers read and write speeds of up to 90MB/sec. making it Kingston Technology’s fastest card to support high-end digital cameras and other devices.

“The Kingston CF Ultimate 600x cards are great for photographers shooting in burst mode. For example, in a situation like a wedding or sporting event where the ability to rapidly take successive shots could make the difference between capturing the perfect shot or just missing it,” said Steve Hall, EMEA product development manager of flash, Kingston Technology “We are pleased to add the 600x card to our CompactFlash family of products which also includes the 266x Ultimate and 133x Elite Pro™ cards.”

The Kingston CF Ultimate 600x is available in 16GB and 32GB capacities to support the large file sizes created when shooting in RAW mode or HD video. If paired with UDMA mode 6 enabled cameras and readers, the 600x speed allows for data to write to and read from the card at a faster rate than previous generations of cards. For added peace of mind, the CF Ultimate 600x includes free downloadable data recovery software from MediaRECOVER®.

Kingston’s CompactFlash Ultimate 600x cards (part #: CF/XXGB-U3) are backed by a lifetime warranty and 24/7 live technical support.

Kingston CompactFlash Ultimate 600x Features/Specifications:

• Capacities*: 16GB, 32GB
• Dimensions: 1.43″ x 1.68″ x 0.13″ (36.4mm x 42.8mm x 3.3mm) – CF Type I
• Speed**: 90MB/sec. read, 90MB/sec. write
• Recovery Utility: data recovery software download from MediaRECOVER (Windows/Mac compatible)
• Operating Temperature: 32° to 140° F (0° to 60° C)
• Storage Temperature: -4° to 185° F (-20° to 85° C)
• Standardized: complies with CompactFlash Association specification standards
• Easy: plug and play
• Guaranteed: lifetime warranty
• Economical: autosleep mode preserves system battery life

* Some of the listed capacity on a Flash storage device is used for formatting and other functions and thus is not available for data storage. As such, the actual available capacity for data storage is less than what is listed on the products. For more information, go to Kingston’s Flash Guide

** Speed may vary due to host and device configuration.

Related articleS

• Kingston CompactFlash 600x cards aim at high-end DSLRs (slashgear.com)
• Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate USB 3.0 Flash Drives Overview (mydigitallife.info)

Leaf Imaging today introduced the world’s highest resolution, one-shot medium format digital camera back. The Leaf Aptus-II 12 (and Leaf Aptus-II 12R with internal rotating sensor) delivers the world’s highest-quality image capture. It is both a major technical advance and another important illustration of the benefits of medium format camera technology – namely, the ability to support a very large image sensor, with enormous light sensitivity and high dynamic range.

The powerful new full-frame 53.7 x 40.3mm 80 MP CCD sensor is at the heart of a system specially designed for a range of photographers such as commercial/advertising pros, archivists digitizing and persevering rare treasures, and fine artists. Whether the subject is architecture, landscape, portraits or product advertising, the sheer quality of detail is unsurpassed. This level of resolution eliminates moiré and more perfectly renders objects – from the texture of fine fabrics to the smooth curves of car metal.

“There’s no question that more megapixels in an image sensor offers significantly higher detail and larger output sizes,” said Tim Grey, photographer, author, and respected digital imaging expert. “While there are software products that can enhance and enlarge a photo, the result will never truly be more information than was captured by the image sensor. For photographers who need maximum detail and the potential for particularly large print sizes, medium format digital backs represent ideal tools.”

With built-in SensorFlex technology, owners of the Aptus-II 12/Aptus-II 12R back can choose to shoot images either at full resolution or they can “dial down” to select an aspect ratio, such as the 1:1 with 60MP resolution, that will satisfy their particular project requirements – enabling faster processing and smaller file size.

“The Leaf Aptus-II 12 and Aptus-II 12R represent just another step in delivering our customers both the power and the flexibility they need,” said Dov Kalinski, CEO of Leaf Imaging, Ltd. ”Today’s professional photography requires great flexibility – infinite detail, rich color and razor sharpness. These systems deliver all this and more.”

Technical highlights:
CCD: 53.7 x 40.3mm 80 MP
Dynamic range: 12 f-stops
Largest file size: 480 MB 16 bit TIFF
ISO Sensitivity: 80-800
Capture rate: 1.5 sec/frame

The Leaf Aptus-II 12 and Leaf Aptus-II 12R support a wide range of camera brands including Phase One 645DF and AF and Mamiya 645DF and AF cameras, most Hasselblad V models and a selection of large format cameras via adaptors.

For full product specifications, including all supported cameras, please see http://www.leaf-photography.com/products_aptus212.asp
Leaf Aptus-II Product Family
The Leaf Aptus-II series of digital backs offers professional photographers the speed, image quality and flexibility to allow their work to keep pace with their imaginations. Designed to support photographers wherever they are shooting, Leaf Aptus-II series backs offer the largest display, 3.5” (6×7 cm), and only touch screen display controls in the medium format market

Pricing and Availability
The Leaf Aptus-II 12 and Leaf Aptus-II 12R digital backs are priced at €23,995 / $31,995. Both of these camera backs can be ordered now from Leaf Partners worldwide. For the Leaf Partner nearest you, please see: http://www.leaf-photography.com/findaleaf_nam.asp.
The Leaf Aptus-II 12R and Leaf Aptus-II 12R digital backs ship with Leaf Capture workflow software.
About Leaf Imaging

Leaf Imaging has been a pioneer in professional digital photography. In 1992, Leaf introduced the world’s first commercial digital camera back. Today, Leaf Aptus-II digital backs are the choice of leading photographers. Leaf is dedicated to improving the quality of its products, technologies and services to support the advancement of professional digital photography. Leaf Imaging is a Phase One company.

For more information, visit the Leaf website at http://www.leaf-photography.com. You can also follow Leaf on Twitter.
All brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

Related articles

• Leaf Aptus-II 12 – the world’s highest resolution digital camera back (gizmag.com)
• Leaf Camera Back Hits 80MP, Is Not For You (crunchgear.com)
• Leaf wants to kill film’s resolution advantage with 80MP camera back (geek.com)
• The king of cameras and its royal pricetag (techsmart.co.za)
• Leaf Aptus-II 12 snaps 80 megapixels of awesome on the back of your pro shooter (engadget.com)

HIGH ISO DIGITAL SLR

Veteran Canon EOS-1D and 1Ds shooters will feel right at home with the new Canon EOS-1D Mark IV camera, built on a dust- and weather-resistant magnesium alloy body. Upgraded features include increased sensor resolution and ISO, reduced noise, an increased frame rate, a new medium-sized RAW file, and if that’s not enough, HD video capture.

The Mark IV has an APS-H 27.9×18.6mm sensor that packs 16.1 megapixels (4896×3264 in RAW) of capture resolution. The new M-RAW format (3672×2448—9 megapixels) joins the S-RAW (2448×1632—4 megapixels) format introduced in the Mark III.

The ISO range of the sensor gets a major boost. The standard range is 100–12,800. The L setting remains at 50 while H1 moves to ISO 25,600, H2 is 51,200, and H3 has an amazing 102,400. That’s four stops higher than the Mark III. The dual DIGIC 4 Image Processors handle image quality at high speeds. I made several captures at the top of the standard range (12,800) and the results—especially when processed with the Camera Raw 6 Process Version 2010 (PV2010) using the Luminance Noise Reduction slider—provided truly wonderful results. At the risk of showing my age, photographs made at this ISO are much better than ISO 800 film I used to shoot.

Speaking of speed, the Mark IV shoots at a continuous 10 frames per second (fps) for 28 RAW files or 121 JPEGs using a high data rate UDMA CompactFlash memory card. The shutter is rated up to 300,000 exposures.

Autofocus in the Mark IV gets attention, too. Canon’s new AI Servo II AF 45-point system has the ability to manually select 39 cross-type points for fast, precise focusing. Custom functions allow the photographer to set a custom focus point that automatically switches when the camera is moved from horizontal to vertical positions. Adjacent sensors can be added to the primary when working with moving subjects.

One of my favorite features is the Mark IV’s 100% accuracy in the viewfinder. Another thing that’s easy to love is the ClearView II 3″ LCD monitor that has a multicoated screen to reduce glare and a 160º angle of view, so photos can be easily seen by the photographer and onlookers.

The Mark IV’s sensor size is close to the aspect ratio in professional motion picture cameras shooting super 35mm movies. The APS-H sensor uses a shorter normal focal length lens, allowing increased depth-of-field especially with wide-angle lenses. Automatic Exposure (AE) control sets the meter to center-weighted average metering. Manual exposure is also available. The 1920×1080 HD video may be captured at 29.97, 25, or 23.976 fps—which are the rates for television and motion picture, respectively. It has 1280×720 HD or 640×480 SD (standard definition) at 59.94 fps. All video is recorded in the MOV format and will record a single clip up to 4 GB (about 12 minutes in length), and the quality is good. The built-in microphone has mono recording and stereo sound is possible with an accessory microphone.

The Mark IV captures stills and video using CompactFlash or SD cards, or both, automatically switching from full to empty cards. The desired file’s size can be set for either card. Photographs may also be recorded to both cards at the same time to make a backup. Movies, however, can’t use this function.

Some photographers who are used to a lighter camera might have an initial adverse reaction to the Mark IV’s heft. I believe that after giving it a chance they’ll overcome size issues and fall in love with this machine. This is a professional’s small-format hoice for extraordinary options in one digital camera body.

Company: Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Price: $4,999
Website: www.usa.canon.com
Rating: 5
Hot: 16 megapixels; insanely high ISOs; low noise
Not:

Sometimes when you take a photo the result isn’t quite what you expected, it could be overexposed (too much light), underexposed (too dark), or simply is out of focus. The principal settings you have to adjust when taking a picture are the film speed, shutter speed and aperture of the camera.

If you read the paragraph above and couldn’t understand what I was talking about, well don’t worry, this article intends to guide amateur and beginners in the world of photography.

Please note: in the paragraphs to come there will be values for different camera settings. These values are not standard in all cameras but they are the most common ones and will serve as reference.

Film Speed and Light Sensitivity

First, a little bit of history. Back when cameras needed to use photographic films, they came with different ASA (American Standards Association), DIN (German Institute for Standardization) or GOST (state standard, from Russia) values according to the film sensitivity to light, where lower numbers are less sensitive and higher numbers more sensitive. This means that lower values were used in situations with a lot of light and higher values in darker environments.

For example, to take a picture on a sunny day it would be recommended to use an ASA 100, if you had to take a picture in a not so bright environment, such as a room with mild light incoming from a window, you could use an ASA 400 (and for night shoots you could use films with higher ASA value).

Now imagine this; the film is composed of grains, each of them store a part of the picture you took. The lower the ASA value, the smaller the grain diameter, so an ASA 100 film will have finer detail compared to an ASA 400 and thus, the quality would be better. But, as the 100 has more grains, it needs more time of exposure to store the same information as it would take in a 400, so the first film is considered slower than the second.

Film grain comparison could be illustrated like this:

Nowadays digital cameras use a plaque instead of an organic film, it could be a CCD sensor or a CMOS sensor. The sensor captures the image, registering the quantity of light, then the camera stores it in memory. The international standard for film speed in digital photography is called ISO which can be selected even in some cell phones.

Screenshot from the Camera settings of a Samsung Omnia SCH – i910:

Which ISO Fits Your Needs?

Low sensitivity, ISO 25 – ISO 50

Pros: Excellent definition and great contrast, the best range to use when you need to amplify an image.

Cons: Used in places with good illumination only, use of tripod is recommended.

Recommended seasons: Summer and Spring.

Medium sensitivity, ISO 100 – ISO 200

The most popular range for beginners and professionals, maintains a good proportion of definition and contrast and can handle decent amplifications.

Used in places with normal illumination.

Recommended all year around.

High sensitivity, ISO 400 – ISO 3200

Pros: Ideal for indoor photography, night shots, concerts. When using with flash you can achieve greater depth.

Cons: Contrast and definition can be a little poor, and the big grains associated with high speeds are notable (meaning your photos can appear pixelated).

Recommended seasons: Autumn and Winter.

Now let’s see some examples. The following photos were taken at night without flash, just a common light bulb on the wall.

ISO 100

ISO 200

ISO 400

As we expected, there are notable differences between all three. In the first one it’s too dark to appreciate anything. The second one has a better light distribution and you can see the environment. The third one shows you more of what’s surrounding the tree and even caught the TV light from the room at the back.

Shutter Speed (V)

The shutter speed is the length of time we let light pass through the camera, or the time we expose the image to the sensor. This time directly affects the illumination degree in our photo. That’s the reason we use the term underexposed when a picture is too dark and overexposed when it is too bright. In both cases the problem was incorrect exposure time.

Example of Overexposure

Example of Underexposure

To avoid these problems, it’s common to use slow speeds in places with poor light because these situations require a longer exposure time to achieve a good result. On the other hand, if our location is well illuminated we should use a fast shutter speed, or short exposure, so the camera can capture the correct colors without the interference of light.

These speeds are measured in fractions of a second, like 1 / x where x is the number you can select. For example if you see a 500 speed available, the time the shutter remains open is 1 / 500 or 0.002 seconds. Other example, a value of 2 means the shutter remain open for half a second as 1 / 2 equals 0.5.

If you see quotation marks on the right side of a number (like 1″) it means the shutter will remain open for a full second, so please take a good look when selecting the speed since 2″ is very different from a single 2. The former means the shutter will remain open for two full seconds and the latter, as we said before, will remain open for just half a second.

In some cameras you can also find a “B” or “T” speed available, these letters stand for:

B (Bulb): Keeps the shutter open until you release the button.

T (Time): Keeps the shutter open until you press the button again.

Commonly, the shutter speeds are divided in two ranges: slow and fast. The first one is for speeds from “B” or “T” up to 30, and the second is for speeds from 60 and above. When shooting with slow speeds it is highly recommended to use a tripod to avoid involuntary movement of the camera, one of the main causes of blurry pictures!

As a summary we can say:

Aperture (F)

Your camera has a diaphragm, the function of which is to control the amount of light that passes though its aperture. It is located in the lens or objective. Most cameras have an adjustable diaphragm with a mechanism of blades that can open or close according our needs.

The aperture is responsible for the Depth of Field (DOF). This is how sharp the focal point in the picture will appear, and the amount of blur that other areas will take on. Aperture is measured in what is called an f-number. The relation between the diaphragm, depth of field and f-number is the following:

So, with f1.4 selected, the blades of the diaphragm are wide open letting more light pass through and we get a poor/shallow depth of field. As the f-number increases, the diaphragm blades reduce the aperture letting less light pass and resulting in a greater depth of field. A common mistake is to assume a high f-number means a bigger aperture when reality is the complete opposite.

Example of open diaphragm:

Example of closed diaphragm:

Notice in the first picture how only the bricks in the front are well focused and as the image goes back the objects start to get blurry. In the second picture you can see how all the objects well defined; this was achieved by using a smaller aperture.

Photometer

Illumination is the key factor in photography; according to it we select the ISO, define the shutter speed and regulate the diaphragm to let an adequate quantity of light reach the sensor.

Fortunately there is a device that measures the amount of light in the environment. It’s called a photo meter, or light meter. It meters the light that passes through the lens and lets us know if it is adequate or whether we need to make some adjustments. If your camera displays a photo meter you should be able to see a little indicator like the following:

- 2 . 1 . 0 . 1 . 2 +

An indicator will let you know you if your current settings are right, normally if it’s around “0″, you are ready to shoot. If the indicator is at the right, the positive side, it means there is too much light. If it is on the left side, the negative, it means you need to let more light pass though. In both cases you can change the current ISO, shutter speed or aperture until the indicator is around the 0 – it really is up to you which one to move.

In cameras, this metering is called TTL (Through The Lens), calculating the light reflected from the object. The most common modes are matrix and spot. The first one calculates the average light in the entire scene, like pieces in a puzzle, and each one has its own value. The second one just meters the spot you are pointing at and excludes all of its surroundings.

Exposure Value (EV)

Almost every camera comes with this tool; it’s the combination of the shutter speed and aperture that let us adjust the exposure by adding or subtracting light gradually without changing any other setting previously made. This tool is mostly used for quick fixes, but if you can’t achieve the desired amount of light, you need to adjust the traditional way.

Take a look at this photo, the flower in the meddle is the “original” picture taken with 0 EV, the one on the left was took with +1.0 EV and the right one with –1.0 EV.

Theoric Examples: Apply What You’ve Just Learned

These specific figures may not be accurate for your camera – the values and situations are for practice purposes only.

Situation 1: Imagine you are visiting a new town and you just saw a building you want to photograph. Your current settings are: f 4.0 v 250 ISO 200, your photo meter is slightly toward the right side and you don’t want to lose quality.

Solution: When the photometer is at the right side it means you have excess light, so you can select a faster speed (lets say v 500), or you can simply close the aperture a bit taking it to f5.6. As you don’t want to lose quality you don’t change the current ISO.

Situation 2: You are a motor sports fan and want to take pictures in a race. The current settings are: f8.0 v 100 ISO 400 and your photo meter is again heading to the right side.

Solution: You know cars will pass fast, so you need a faster speed like v 1000. That will make the photometer come down a little bit, but it still is on the right side and you notice your ISO is too high for the occasion so take it down (let’s say to ISO 200). Finally the photometer is at the middle, and you can sit down and wait for the cars to pass by!

Situation 3: Your friend is playing with his band in a pub and the only illumination is candlelight in the tables and some low light in the venue. Your settings are: f11.0 v100 ISO 200. The photo meter is heading to the left side, and flash is not allowed.

Solution: It is really dark so you may need to adjust everything. Choose a lower speed like v30, and increase your ISO to around 500. Still at the left? Finally, open the aperture. Take it to f2.0, and now you are ready to shoot (but remember you have low speed settings so you may want to use a tripod or something to lean on!)

Other Advice

People learn in different ways. Some find easier to understand their camera by learning to change one setting at a time, while others like to experiment with all the things they can. Do what makes you feel more comfortable!

If you can, write down the settings each time you take a picture. It’s the best way to know your camera and will let you analyze the results later. If it went right, you may want to use those settings in the future, if it wasn’t quite what you expected you can analyze and try to figure out what went wrong.

The photo meter is there to help and should not be taken as the final word. If you are just beginning, it’s better to take multiple pictures of the same situation and see which one ended well.

Take some extra memory cards, as there’s nothing worse than going to take a picture and realising that you have no space. Well, actually there is something worse… a camera without battery! But you already know what to do to prevent that.

Conclusion

Sometimes you’ll find something you want to highlight but the object itself could be a little problematic due the quantity of colors and light involved; thankfully you can configure your camera according to your needs.

I hope this tutorial has helped introduce you to a few new concepts in an easy way – feel free to ask any questions in the comments, and we’ll do our best to answer!