Heather

The Fujifilm X-E2 and XQ1 become official and the X100 gets a boost

18/10/2013 By Heather

We finish off the work week with the third camera announcement in three days. First there were the Sony A7 and A7r full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, then there was the super-small and compact Panasonic Lumix GM1, and now we have the the Fujifilm X-E2, the successor to the high-end X-E1 model, and the compact XQ1.

The announcement of the Fujifilm X-E2 is exciting because Fuji has the tendency to improve its older models with firmware updates rather than replace them with newer versions. Unlike other camera companies which push out new models with every tiny improvement and new feature, Fuji only releases something new when they really feel it’s necessary. And even older models already replaced by newer versions still get the T.L.C. they deserve from the company. Today’s X100 firmware update is a good example of this.

The new Panasonic Lumix GM1 was announced but did anybody notice?

17/10/2013 By Heather

If a tree falls in the forest, does anybody in the photography world notice?

Well, if the proverbial tree is the Panasonic Lumix GM1 and the forest is all the flurry surrounding Sony’s first mirrorless full frame interchangeable lens cameras, the A7 and A7r, then we probably only heard a couple of branches crack.

We love Panasonic dearly, but they really couldn’t have picked a more inconvenient date to announce their new and rather innovative mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, the smallest, lightest and most compact of all Micro Four Thirds cameras to date. It was only yesterday that Sony took the world aback with the A7 and A7r, and most photography aficionados still haven’t quite recovered from the buzz.

An Amateur Photographer Meets the Olympus Pen E-P5: Will sparks fly?

14/10/2013 By Heather

Ever since Mathieu and I moved into our new apartment here in Turin, we have received many visitors – both friends and family – curious to explore the city and partake, if just for a few days, in our Italian lifestyle. Our most recent visitor was my younger brother Nick who had only been to Italy once before. After much humming and hawing, we settled on taking him to Lake Como for the day so he could have a taste of both the lakes around Milan and the Italian Alps.

Mirrorless Camera News Round-Up: Full frame NEX, two new Fujis and more!

03/10/2013 By Heather

The swirling sandstorm of rumours that has engulfed the mirrorless world over the past few weeks appears to be beginning to settle, which is why we felt a quick news round-up was in order!

Fujifilm X20 vs. Sony RX100 II: Compact no longer means compromise

29/09/2013 By Heather

The words “compact camera” or “point-and-shoot” have long been synonymous with convenience. You can slip them in your trouser pocket, drop them in a bag along with your wallet and keys, and even sneak one into a concert if you have a knack for putting on a poker face – all things you cannot do with a DSLR.

However, even only two or three years ago, convenience called for compromise. The image quality and performance of compact cameras, though much improved over the years, was only enough to satisfy the most casual of users; people who cared about capturing memories and sharing them online. A professional photographer would never have considered dumping his DSLR for a compact on informal occasions, much less for professional work. If worst came to worst, he would simply use the camera on his smartphone for casual shots. In fact, in recent years smartphones have become the most popular cameras because of how easy and immediate it is to share content with the world.