Toluu : The Online Photographer

The Online Photographer

The List Universe has a post featuring ten famous "last pictures." It includes the last known photographs of Hitler, Lincoln, and Princess Diana, among others. The picture above was the last photograph taken by a vacationing Canadian couple named John and Jackie Knill, of the onrushing leading wave of the 2004 tsunami that ended their lives presumably only moments later. Amazingly, their pictures were eventually found and returned to their family.

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LIFE online: The big photography news on the internet yesterday is that LIFE magazine, in cooperation with Getty Images and Google, has begun putting its giant archive online. Unfortunately, the scans are not particularly good, but something is b

The Sony A900 and the Nikon D3Yesterday

Nikon D3, ISO 1250. Those are not lens artifacts up by the streetlight; those are windshield artifacts.

I have to say, seldom in my life as a writer about photography has an event occurred with the kind of serendipitous timing as Monday's announcement of DxO's new DxOmark.com.

To understand the reason why, I have to go back to a peculiar condition of reviewing. Very often, experienced writers of reviews can decide for themselves what's going on with a certain product far more easily than they can prove it to the satisfaction of others. For example: I've tested so many lenses in my life, and I know the visual telltales of the various optical aberrations and properties so thoroughly, that sometimes I feel I can get a pretty good handle on how a lens behaves just by looking at other peoples' pictures taken with it. There are even some things that you can tell about a lens by looking at pictures online. (Saying this, I'm aware of how perilously close I am to opening a can of worms.*) I know most of the websites where pictures are searchable by lens type, and I've spent happy but ultimately pointless hours sifting throu

Just Posted: One New EssayNovember 18

So to go AWOL on you there for the last 24 hours or so, but I've had one of those days—too much going on. I just got really busy. I'm sure you know how that goes.

One new essay:

The Digital Camera Clock on Photo.net. Some of you might recognize that this essay grew out of a discussion on T.O.P. from a couple of weeks back.

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Mike

[Full] Feedus InterruptusNovember 17

Not more than once a month, I interrupt the proceedings to beseech thee to help support T.O.P. by using our Amazon and B&H links. Anything you buy at those sites when you link from T.O.P. sends a small percentage winging our way. It won't cost you anything extra; the purchase price is the same for you either way. Our share comes out of Amazon's and B&H's profits, not your hide.

Obviously we get the most benefit when you splurge on something expensive, but it also helps the site when you buy something twee and tiny (on Amazon, this is), because the number of orders we refer ups our percentage. Big purchases, tiny purchases, everything in between...all good. It all helps.

So, if you read this site a lot, I'm sorry, but you kinda have to buy a book or a CD or something else you might want every month, don't you? It's not your fault. You're only doing your selfless duty, and you can say so if your spouse questions the purchase. Look innocent and shrug your shoulders when you say it, too. It might help. (You might even try the same excuse to buy a new camera or lens, although I can't promise it will work.)

Please don't forget us at Christmas, either....

Here's the direct Amazon link for U.S. readers (which can be bookmarked):

http://www.amazon.com/?tag=theonlinephot-20

Here's the B&H link (this can't be bookmarked, though—use th

The Canon G10: 'I Was Wrong'November 17

ISO 400. Very light processing, and no noise reduction, applied to the original raw file.

By Ken Tanaka

Christopher Hsee et al. may have demonstrated that specifications can be powerful camera selection influences. But it's also possible, albeit less likely, for higher specs to negatively prejudice selection. To some degree that’s what prompted my thumbs-down reaction to Edward Taylor’s excellent October 15 first impressions of the new Canon Powershot G10. I had become somewhat prejudiced by the G10’s higher pixel density on the same 1/1.7" sensor and was not immediately impressed by the G10's list of enhancements over the