Photo of the Day

The Half-Frame Format: Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ

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Photo of the Day

The Half-Frame Format: Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ

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Photo of the Day

The Half-Frame Format: Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ

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Photo of the Day

The Half-Frame Format: Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ

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Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ

The Half-Frame Format: Looking at the 3:4 half frame, or portrait format as the image aspect ratio for social media sharing and web publishing.

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The half-frame format, with images framed in the 3:4 image aspect ratio, is a unique photographic style that re-emerges with the Pentax 17 35mm Half-Frame camera, launched by Ricoh in June 2024. The format, which measures 3 units in width against 4 units in height, also called the portrait format, became popular when Olympus PEN half-frame film cameras began to be sold in the early 1960s. On film, the image frame is 18x24mm, half the size of the standard 35mm film frame, which is 24x36mm. On the camera, you can fit 72 images on a standard 36-frame film roll.

For practical purposes, the 3:4 aspect ratio is clearly distinct from the ubiquitous 3:2 image aspect ratio found in traditional 35mm photography and on modern digital cameras fitted with both ASP-C and full-frame image sensors. This difference influences how images are composed and displayed. The frame is almost standard on mobile devices and is the format most preferred for sharing photos on social media platforms and for web publishing. On print, the 3:4 aspect ratio aligns better with certain print sizes, allowing for a more natural fit without cropping

When using the half-frame format, which is almost a square with an elongated height, photographers should pay close attention to composition, as the orientation of the frame requires careful framing of subjects. The visually smaller frame size requires careful framing of subjects. Techniques such as the rule of thirds and leading lines can be particularly effective in maximizing the visual impact of each shot while experimenting with distinct compositional styles is also an adage to the effort.

Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm 1:3.5~5.6 EZ

For photo enthusiasts on digitals, the 3:4 image aspect ratio is one of the image frame presets available on many cameras, including the Olympus E-PM2 used for this feature. While you can still use the standard 4:3 image frame on a digital camera to shoot 3:4 image aspect ratios by holding the camera vertically, presetting the camera to the 3:4 image aspect means that you can use and shoot images normally, i.e. with the camera held horizontally.

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro

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Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro

The CCD Resurgence: First impression images with the Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro, on a Sony DSLR-A350

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First impression close-ups with the A-mount Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro, the world's first autofocus macro lens, mounted on a Sony DSLR-A350. The lens, acknowledged sharpness, color rendition, and solid build quality, is completely compatible and can be used interchangeably with Sony DT and other Alpha series lenses on Alpha DSLR cameras. Sony rebadged a dozen A-mount Minolta AF lenses, added a few of their own, and a couple of tele converters for use on the Sony Alpha DSLRs when they took over the brand.

The compact and well-built 7 elements in 6 groups with 7 aperture blades lens has a plastic exterior, metal mount, and metal focusing ring. The lens, Minolta's best dedicated macro lens, focuses continuously from infinity to 1:1 life-size. On the Sony DSLR-A350, the lens is equivalent to a 75mm short tele, ideal for portrait photography. The focal length allows for good subject-background separation, the essence of aesthetically pleasing portraits. The colors on this first impression image look great, with bokeh and sharpness equally in tandem.

Sony DSLR-A350, Minolta AF 50mm 1:2.8 Macro

The 14.2MP CCD Sony DSLR-A350, introduced in 2008, comes with the AF system from the A700 and Eye-start AF (as in the A100 and A200), and a unique Live View system that allows photographers to preview and compose images in real-time on the camera's display or electronic viewfinder (EVF). The camera also comes with a pop-up flash, an articulating LCD screen, an electronically-controlled vertical traverse focal plane shutter with a speed range from 30 to 1/4000 second, plus B, a 1200-zone evaluative metering, Dynamic Range Optimization, and Super SteadyShot with sensor-shift image stabilization. ISO speed range is from 100 to 3,200.

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Photo of the Day

Digital Moments: Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

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Photo of the Day

Digital Moments: Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

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Photo of the Day

Digital Moments: Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

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Photo of the Day

Digital Moments: Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

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Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

Digital Moments: Image making with the Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8, acknowledged for its unique color characteristics and excellent bokeh.

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The Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8, the precedent to the Pentacon Auto 50mm 1:1.8, is a very well-made legacy manual focus lens with 6 (non-coated) elements in 4 groups and 6 (six) straight aperture blades. The lens is acknowledged for its excellent optical performance and unique character, especially with renderings of warm colors when stepped down to its mid-range apertures (f/5.6 to f/11). Though the lens performs well wide open, some users note it can be slightly soft at f/1.8, while becoming sharper when stopped down. The lens, manufactured over several iterations (including the zebra and all-black versions), portrays images with a distinctive vintage look and excellent bokeh.

The lens, often described as a 'bokeh monster,' was produced by Meyer-Optik Gorlitz in East Germany from around 1960 to 1971 with M42 and EXA/Exakta mounts. Earlier iterations are typically black with silver stripes (zebra), later versions are all black. The lens has a very close minimum focus distance of 0.33 meters, making it a very versatile lens for shooting in various situations, often making it a favorite for both portrait and macro photography. The lens measures 52mm (diameter) x 48mm (length, weighs around 220 grams and takes 49mm filters. and enjoys a rating for Sharpness at 9.0, Aberrations at 9.0, Bokeh at 9.2, Handling at 9.4, and Value at 9.2 on PentaxForums.

Canon EOS 300D, Meyer-Optik Gorlitz Oreston 50mm 1:1.8

On the Canon EOS 300D, the first 6.3MP entry-level DSLR introduced by Canon in 2003, the lens is a comfortable fit (via a M42 lens adapter), with the focusing ring at just the right distance forward. Even for its age, the robust and well-built lens is still an excellent performer, and the focus throw is glide-smooth. Exposures are aperture priority with the lens aperture set to f8 and exposure compensation at -2/3 stops for a better color concentration. Images were tweaked further on the desktop image editor for tone, brightness, and contrast.

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

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Photo of the Day

The CCD Resurgence: Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

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Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd, A Quick Look

The CCD Resurgence: A retro look at the 2009 10MP CCD Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd, an economical and low-cost option for beginner CCD enthusiasts.

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While I was hoping that the camera would have the Super CCD type sensor that Fujifilm used in their S_x Pro Series cameras, which it does not, the solidly built 10MP CCD Fujifilm Finepix S8100fd does feature a Fujinon 18x super-zoom (28-486mm equivalent) lens, 'Dual Image Stabilization,' light sensitivity up to ISO 6400, 13 scene modes, 230,000 pixels 2.5-inch LCD screen with anti-glare coating. The camera is also fitted with a dioptre correctable electronic viewfinder, and super macro mode for shots as close as 1cm. Introduced by Fujifilm in 2009, the S8100fd is a minor update of the S8000fd with Face Detection and Intelligent Flash mode support.

The Dual Image Stabilization feature combines CCD-shift image stabilization and high ISO sensitivity to keep the shutter speed high for sharper images. A three-way save for the camera's images to either the camera's 58MB of internal memory or to an xD-Picture Card or SD/SDHC card is also possible. Both cards are slotted on the right-hand side of the Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd's body with the XD slot cleverly tucked away to be almost hidden. Buttons, including exposure compensation, are where you'd expect to find them, with an 'F' that button pulls up a menu for film grade emulations.

Fujifilm FinePix S8100fd

The S8100fd automatically activates its red-eye reduction from portraits taken (with flash) in face detection mode, the camera is also intelligent enough to detect subtle variations in lighting and adjusts the camera for correct exposures. Another useful feature is the camera's capability of shooting at a maximum speed of 13.5 fps up to 33 frames with the resolution dropped to three megapixels. A better alternative is probably the 6.8fps shoot at five megapixels. The camera is powered by a set of 4x easily available AA batteries with a rating of 350 shots for Alkaline and 500 shots for Ni-MH 500.

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