GRD, f2.4, 1/500, ISO 64, JPG, 40mmThe weather has been very nice today, sunny but a bit cold, so I decided to take a stroll through Greenwich Park on my way home. I took a few pictures there and while this was initially not my favorite I saw the potential for editing it to get the look I wanted. First I wanted to saturate it even more but decided against it. The end result is how I imagined it when I reviewed the shot on the camera.
Yesterday, I reported about the Ricoh dSLR rumor based on an interview with Ricoh from Photokina published in Amateur Photographer. I found this surprising having had a long chat with Ricoh and nothing like this has been mentioned. So I went out and bought the magazine today. To my disapointment there was no interview with Ricoh nor is the magazine any good.
I've seen some amazing photography magazines in Japan but the European magazines, so far, have all been a waste of paper. Here over half of the magazines are full of advertising, the camera tests consist of diagrams and charts but no pictures. In Japan the camera magazines are almos full of pictures taken with cameras, guides and tips how to take these pictures, camera tests consist of full-page pictures taken with the cameras and the print quality is a lot higher. This means that either people in Europe are obsessed with charts and advertising in photography magazines or the publishers care only about the money they get through advertising. You, like me, will probably chose the 2nd point as the more believable one ;).
I ordered some Ricoh GR "guidebooks" from Amazon Japan. They shipped today to the US. Seemed full of photos and information (in Japanese) on how to make the best use of the camera. We'll see.
ReplyDeleteIn San Francisco we have a Japanese bookstore that carries several Japanese photog magazines and I agree with you. Except for Lenswork in the US most of ours really suck. They are for the gadgeteers and first-time camera buyers.
Beautiful capture Cristi and thank you for investigating that rumor.
ReplyDeleteNice macro. I like the colours.
ReplyDeleteI have some Japanese GRD books. They include 2 Perfect Guides, 2 Workshops and GR Digital Box. I've ordered another one called GR Snaps. Although I don't know Japanese, the Guides and Workshops looks quite informative with many picture samples. GR Digital Box is a fair collection of photos. I hope GR Snaps is better.
A beautiful photograph Cristi. With fine and subtle colors.
ReplyDeleteI almost never buy European or American magazines. There is little to be learn from those magazines.
Ricoh published some GX100 books from 4 photographers, and those were awesome in my opinion.
Thanks for your comments!
ReplyDeleteThe Ricoh books are all very good, I bought two while in Japan and although I can't read them the illustrations and pictures are great. Shame these books are not available in english.
Why does IPC publish magazines?
ReplyDeleteIts because they are interested in photography, fishing, motor sports, etc, etc, - no - its to make a profit.
AP has been around so long that it has (or at least IPC think) iconic status.
Interesting you mentioned Japanese mags, a parallel can be drawn with motor cycles. In the 50s the UK motor cycle industry ruled the world, it produced what it wanted to produce, and didn't care a toss about what the users wanted. Where is the British car and motor cycle industry now?
AP will continued to be produced in its current format until a competitor challenges it.
Totally agree with everybody. Most of the English "photography" magazines focus on gear and not on photography. Most of there tests are a joke like 89 versus 87 points.
ReplyDeleteYesbuts, you are right. It is certainly cheaper and faster to just publish specs from a camera and some charts to etermine how good a camera is. I sure hope we will get more class and less trash in magazines at some point. Right now it's all about the money here while in Japan people want to also do a good job so the quality is higher.
ReplyDeleteMarco, this is so true, as if anyone would see a difference in IQ between a camera which scored 87 or one with 89. There is too much focus on technicalities that don't really differentiate so much or can anybody really say they notice the slightest difference in IQ between the current dSLRs? It's about the feel, handling and features of the camera that determine if it's the right one for you and not if there is 1% more noise at ISO 6400.