Photo of the Day

Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8

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A Quick Look At The 4:5 Image Aspect Ratio

For the vintage enthusiast, a quick look at the 4:5 image aspect ratio, a very versatile image format particularly well-suited for mobile devices.

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The 4:5 image aspect ratio, a very versatile format in photography and digital media, is particularly well-suited for mobile devices and platforms prioritizing portrait-oriented content, such as Instagram where the images are scrolled vertically. The format allows for a visually appealing presentation that maximizes the device's screen space, which in turn, enhances visibility and engagement.

In photography, the 4:5 ratio, borne out of the traditional film format from where it was first adopted, is perhaps the most traditional film format, where it gained prominence when popularized by photographers who used 5×4 film in large format photography, orientated horizontally for landscapes, or vertically for portraiture.

With its unique visual characteristics, the frame strikes a balance between width and height, making it suitable for content from portraits to product images. It allows for a balanced composition with key elements of the image centered within the central area of the frame. This helps to contain the eye movement in a circular motion within the center of the image, as opposed to the left-to-right or up-and-down movement with images in rectangular frames.

The format is recognized and remains a standard for art prints, with 8x10 or 16x20 inches prints. Though the image aspect ratio is not normally found as an option for frameset settings on digital cameras, images can still be captured digitally, and edited to fit the format later on the desktop editor.

Many photo editing tools allow users to easily crop images to fit the 4:5 ratio without significant loss of quality. By planning shots with this aspect ratio in mind, photographers can avoid extensive cropping during post-production, thus preserving critical elements of their images.

Canon EOS 300D, Pentacon Auto MC 50mm 1:1.8

For photographers with a vintage digital SLR with an APS-C sensor, say a Canon EOS 300D mounted with a legacy Pentacon Auto 50mm 1:1.8, as in the case of the photo shoot seen here, the advice is to compose the images to fit this aspect ratio in-camera before cropping them later. This will ensure that the intended framing is preserved when the image is cropped.

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Photo of the Day

HMD Nokia 3.1

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Photo of the Day

HMD Nokia 3.1

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Photo of the Day

HMD Nokia 3.1

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HMD Nokia 3.1

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HMD Nokia 3.1, At The Farmer's Market

For the vintage enthusiast, an outing at the local Sunday morning Farmer's Market, with an almost vintage HMD Nokia 3.1.

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An outing with the age-old smartphone on a street shoot at the local Sunday morning Farmers Market, a vibrant community space where local farmers sell fresh produce and other goods directly to consumers, a chance to capture a candid moment of everyday life in a public space, and an opportunity to focus on people and their interactions within their urban environment.

Doing so, in a genre that emphasizes spontaneity and authenticity, often portraying people in their natural environments without staging or intervention, calls for quick and unobtrusive shooting normally with cameras fitted with wide-angle lenses to capture more of the scene without drawing attention. There are also times, when an opportunity arises, when a shot can be taken from within the scene itself. An advantage, of course, is to use a mobile or a smartphone for the shoot.

Borne from the works that can be traced back to the 19th century when artists like Charles Nègre began documenting urban life, and early practitioners like André Kertész used portable cameras to capture spontaneous scenes in Paris. Though having its roots alongside photojournalism, street photography is now a distinct form of artistic expression, separate from traditional documentary photography due to its emphasis on personal interpretation and aesthetic choices rather than strict narrative guidelines.

For the budding photographer, with an eye for spontaneity and incidentals, street photography is not necessarily constrained to the streets or urban settings alone, it may go far beyond that. The genre invites photographers to explore their surroundings with curiosity and creativity, capturing moments that might otherwise go unnoticed. This approach fosters a unique connection between the photographer and their environment, encouraging an ongoing dialogue about perception and representation in visual art.

The market at our local is a weekly affair, none too big, with only a row of stalls displaying their produce and staples along a precinct street closed to vehicular traffic. Activities start at the break of dawn, with the crowd growing as the morning lingers until it peters out about mid-morning when the stalls close and the clean-up begins.

HMD Nokia 3.1

As the genre is the documentation of human experience in various contexts, the ubiquitous smartphone, with its wide-angle lens, is all you need to start with. Mine, which was put to good use for this short, is an age-old HMD Nokia 3.1, an entry-level Android smartphone released in 2018 by HMD Global.

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Photo of the Day

Canon EOS Kiss X3, Canon EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM

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Canon EOS Kiss X3, Canon EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM

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Canon EOS Kiss X3, Canon EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM

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Canon EOS Kiss X3, Canon EF 40mm 1:2.8 STM

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Canon EOS Kiss X3 (Rebel T1i, 500D), First Look

Digital Moments: A first look at the Canon EOS Kiss X3, a vintage low-cost DSLR camera recommended for the newbie or those just starting out.

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The Canon EOS Kiss X3 (EOS Rebel T1i in the US, EOS 500D in Europe), is a fun and easy-to-use 15.1MP APS-C CMOS digital SLR camera launched by Canon in 2009. The mid-range entry-level digital SLR camera is Canon's third DSLR camera to feature a movie mode and the second with a full 1080p video recording (at 20fps) capability.

The camera comes with a 3.0-inch 920,000-dot Clear View LCD monitor featuring a multi-layer coating that reduces reflections while protecting it against scratches and dirt and shares a few features with the high-end Canon EOS 5D Mark II (movie mode, Live preview, fast DIGIC 4 processor). Images are stored on SD/SDHC memory cards.

Technical specs include an electronically-controlled, focal-plane shutter with a total shutter speed range from 30 to 1/4000 second, with x/sync at 1/200 second, ISO sensitivity from 100 to 3200 (expandable up to 12800 equivalent), wide and selectable nine-point AF with center cross-type sensors, 35-zone TTL full-aperture metering with Evaluative, Partial, Spot, Center-weighted average metering options, and continuous shooting of up to 3.4 fps. The camera is fitted with the Canon EF-S lens mount system that can be used just as well with full-frame EOS EF lenses, and other OEM legacy lenses with easily available lens adapters.

Like most entry- and mid-level DSLRs the Kiss X3 provides several auto shooting modes aimed at beginners, including portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, and night portrait and flash-off choices, complemented by manual and semi-automatic modes for users who want more advanced exposure control. The high-sensitivity, high-resolution sensor fitted to the Kiss X3 provides excellent image quality with rich color gradation. The camera's DIGIC 4 image processor enhances processing speed and overall performance, allowing for better noise handling at higher ISO settings.

With a compact and lightweight body and easy access to PASM and Program AE exposure modes, the Kiss X3 renders image quality that is excellent and outstanding. The system is accentuated with Picture Styles that provide a quick and easy way to tweak the camera's JPEG images and Auto Lighting Optimizer and Highlight Tone Priority that helps to get the most out of the photos you capture. The camera is also fitted with a Live View mode that supports Face Detection technology, with improved focusing accuracy during live shooting

The Kiss X3, normally a low-end buy on the auction market, is highly recommended for newbies or those just starting out in digital photography. The camera itself is an update of the 12.2MP Kiss X2 (EOS Digital Rebel XSi, EOS 450D), launched in 2008, and was later superseded by the 18MP Kiss X4 (EOS Rebel T2i, EOS 550D), which was launched in 2010.

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Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd

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Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd

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Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd

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Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd

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Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd, A Night Take

CCD Resurgence: A night shoot with the 10MP CCD Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd, the world's smallest 12x zoom digital bridge camera from 2008.

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CCD photo enthusiasts are having the time of day, with the range of CCD digitals, be it point-and-shoot, digital bridges, or the ubiquitous DSLR, that are easily available on the market with prices low enough for the asking. On the same token, vintage manual mechanical (except for a few beastly tanks) and electronic film cameras are almost at the end of their usability lifespan, tossed aside with no means of repair when they start to develop their ailments.

The cost of film for film photography and their associated services are also on the rise and bite hard into the economics of enthusiasts. CCDs, the new film, is the answer to these woes.

A low-end choice for enthusiasts is the 10MP CCD Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd, the world's smallest 12x zoom digital bridge when it was launched in 2008, by Fujifilm. The fits-in-the-hand camera was an update of the FinePix S700, which was also popular then and came with a lens equivalent to a 33-396mm zoom on a 35mm camera.

While the camera does not come with image stabilization, with sensitivity-boosting relying on shutter speed increases, the camera has a wide range of complementary image capture functions including Panorama, and Face Detection (that can find up to six faces at a time) with Automatic Red Eye Removal, and a macro mode capable of taking shots from as close as 20cm. Images are saved on either xD or SD/SDHC cards.

Camera controls are straightforward, on the camera back is a four-way joystick selector, a playback button, a toggle for the EVF and LCD view selection, and a button for exposure compensation. A function menu gives access to some shooting options, including Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night, Fireworks, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Museum, Party, Flower, and Text, with an additional F button accessing ISO, quality, and film effect selection.

Fujifilm FinePix S1000fd

The S1000fd also has a 2.7-inch LCD and a 230,000-dot electronic viewfinder and operates on 4xAA batteries. The S1000fd's collar rocker switch, which is fast and springy, could be better suited to the camera's 12x zoom capability. Over and above the use of the Night Scene mode for night shots, my preference is the Program (Auto) mode.

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Lumix DMC-GH2, M.Zuiko Digital 17mm 1:2.8

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Lumix DMC-GH2, M.Zuiko Digital 17mm 1:2.8

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Lumix DMC-GH2, M.Zuiko Digital 17mm 1:2.8

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Lumix DMC-GH2, M.Zuiko Digital 17mm 1:2.8

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At The Thieves' Market, Petaling Street

Digital Moments: The pull and the crowd of an early morning street market for used and vintage household goods, apparel, odds and ends.

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You will have to be early to pick up the best bargains here, as the market starts just after 5 am in the morning, and lasts till about mid-morning. I was just as early, the location was still pretty dark, and since I was not keen on using the flash on the camera, took an hour off my routine to have breakfast at a nearby 24-hour outlet, and was on my way back to the scene, which was already a busy enclave, as the sun was breaking the horizon.

Heaps of goods and merchandise are stacked on makeshift stalls or just strewn on display mats laid on the ground. There were as many sellers, and a steady flow of patrons and bargain hunters streaming and weaving around selecting and picking the items they were after. I brought along the Lumix DMC-GH2 mounted with an M.Zuiko Digital 17mm 1:2.8 for the shoot.

The smallish and compact Lumix DMC-GH2, a 2010 release by Panasonic, is neither conspicuous nor intimidating when lugged around or held up to the eye when shooting. As a single-lens shooter, the camera has served me well, even when used with my other lenses, and in the camera bag which also carries an ultra-compact as a support camera, the DMC-GH2 and lens are hardly a weight.

Though acknowledged for its advanced video capabilities (which I do not do), the camera's high-quality imaging functions and user-friendly design are very notable to enthusiasts looking for a low-cost entry into the genre.

The 6 elements in 4 groups (including one aspherical element) M.Zuiko Digital 17mm 1:2.8, a pancake measuring only 22mm in length and weighing only 71 grams, is a lens you want to look at if you are into not only landscapes and street photography, but other genres as well. The lens is equivalent to a 35mm lens on a full-frame camera, the all-rounder focal length favorite of many professional photographers, and a must-have for advanced amateurs.

Lumix DMC-GH2, M.Zuiko Digital 17mm 1:2.8

For a change, I trimmed the images to the '65:24' image aspect ratio to accentuate the 'wide-angle' nature of the lens. The format is reminiscent of the image format of the Hasselblad Xpan (and Fujifilm XT-1) 35mm film camera.

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