Mirrorless camera tips and tricks

Pasta Ouverture: A stop motion animation with the Panasonic GX7

11/11/2013 By Mathieu

Lumix cameras are always overflowing with interesting features and the new Panasonic GX7 is no exception. The challenge, however, is finding a concrete reason to use them. Lumix cameras have always had excellent video features, and in the case of the GX7, it offers a very interesting stop motion animation feature (first introduced on the G6) in addition to time-lapse and standard video recording. Last week, my colleague’s wife Iryna asked us to help her with a project for the Design Masters Course she is finishing for the Red Oddity school in Bolzano. Serendipitously, that project involved stop motion animation. What could have been more ideal?

Post-processing Sony RX100M2 colours with Lightroom and Huelight Color Profiles

08/11/2013 By Mathieu

If you read our full review of the Sony RX100M2, you probably know how much we love this small yet powerful compact camera. Its 1-inch Exmor sensor can deliver great images on its own, but the best way to get the most out of these images is to manipulate the raw files in a post-processing program. I often find the colours of the RX100M2’s OOC JPGs less natural than on other cameras. Moreover, the raw files give you more dynamic range to work with.

Vacationing in Wales: An In-Depth Look at the Sony RX100 II Video Function

25/08/2013 By Mathieu

Having a professional background in video production always makes me very aware of the video capabilities of the cameras I review. If I see that a camera possesses acceptable video specs, the filmmaker inside me loses no time in taking the lead!

The Sony Cybershot RX100 II (or RX100M2, or RX100 mark II) is a tiny yet powerful compact camera with superb still image quality. It is without a doubt the Queen of all point-and-shoot cameras out there and can hold its own against bigger and more advanced systems. I already wrote up my first impressions and published a gallery and comparison to prove what this camera is capable of, but another feature that caught me off guard was its video function.

What is the Best Way to Post-Process Fuji X100s Colours?

13/08/2013 By Mathieu

Update: the Fuji Film Simulation profiles are now included with Adobe Camera Raw 8.4. Check out our first impression article!

I am not usually the pixel-peeping kind of photographer, nor am I obsessed with bokeh or dynamic range or tridimensional full frame perception. (Try saying that five times fast!) If you have already read some of my articles such as why I am using the E-M5 for work or our E-P5/X100s unconventional ISO comparison, the truth is that I mostly care about functionality and the actual photographs produced by the camera. But as there are many digital technology lovers out there, sometime the geek inside me takes the lead!

Manual focusing with the X-Pro1, focus peaking and Leica M lenses

30/07/2013 By Mathieu

On Monday the 23rd, Fujifilm released the firmware 3.00 for the X-Pro1 / X-E1 models. A couple of days later, they withdrew the firmware because it had been causing malfunctions in the movie mode. They restored it soon after, and the new version 3.01 works like a charm.

There are several interesting updates, not least of which is the enhanced autofocus, but the feature that interests me the most is the new focus peaking function for manual focusing. A feature seen only on the X100s and X20 so far, Fujifilm is now implementing it on the X-Pro1 and X-E1 as well. It is a really great update and others brands should take note. Fujifilm has always been generous with firmware updates and this is probably the best example.