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Looking For a Good Starter Kit?

So, we at Roberts know how hard it can be when you’re just getting going in DSLRs. You need a camera, and a bag, and an extra battery, and the kit lens usually isn’t enough, it all adds up quickly.

So, we’ve put together a special kit to help you out. We started out with the Canon EOS Rebel T2i, an 18 megapixel shooter with an impressive ISO range, high-rez LCD screen, and 1080p HD video recording. Instead of the usual Canon 18-55mm IS, we’ve paired it with a Sigma 18-250mm f3.5 – 5.6 DC OS HSM, which has over four times the reach of the kit lens and has built-in optical stabilization and hypersonic focus motors. Then, we’re throwing in a bag, extra battery, UV filter, and HDMI cable. Just add your own memory card (SD/SDHC, not included) and you’re ready to get shooting.

And there’s a video:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j2YI3B7LXQ



Olympus Pen System Gets Firmware Update

Olympus has pre-announced (seriously, guys, what’s up with pre-announcing firmware these days? How’s that even work) new firmware for the entire Pen system due out one hot week from today (that’d be April 22, don’t say I ever made you do math on a weekday).

From the press release:

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., April 15, 2010 – Olympus today announces the release of new firmware that improves auto focus performance for still images and high-definition (HD) video recording for the Olympus PEN E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1 cameras. The firmware update will also enable the menu and recorded image to be displayed on the E-P2 and E-PL1 LCD while the VF-2 electronic viewfinder is in use.

The firmware update improves the autofocus speed for the E-P1, E-P2 and E-PL1’s still image capture with all Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds lenses. In addition, the update improves auto focus tracking in continuous auto focus (C-AF) mode when shooting movies and using the new M. Zuiko Digital™ ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 and M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 lenses. These lenses are Olympus’ first movie and still [picture] compatible (MSC) lenses and are optimized to achieve accurate and silent auto focus while shooting HD videos.

“This firmware update makes the popular PEN series cameras even more functional for photo enthusiasts and movie-makers alike,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager, PEN & E-System, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “The improved auto focus speed will make it even easier to capture outstanding, high-quality images and HD videos.”

The new firmware will be available on Olympus’ Web site starting on April 22, 2010. Click on the following link to learn more about the update and gain access to the firmware updater application:http://www.getolympus.com/penupdate.

The M. Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 lens will be available in May 2010, and the M. Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 lens will be available in June 2010.

Journalists interested in more information, review units and high-resolution images of the Olympus PEN series cameras, M. Zuiko Digital lenses and E-System accessories should contact Jeff Hluchyj, Mullen Public Relations, (617) 226-9939 or jeff.hluchyj@mullen.com, or Jennifer Colucci, Olympus Imaging America Inc., 3500 Corporate Parkway, Center Valley, PA 18034, ph: (484) 896-5719 / (800) 622-6372 orjennifer.colucci@olympus.com, or visit the Olympus website: www.getolympus.com.



Finally, A Reasonable Set of Lens Recommendations

So, I know it’s popular right now to love primes, especially among hobbyists, but for my money I think guest blogger Chris Folsom over at DPS is on to something when he says the three best lenses for a beginner to own (or anyone, for that matter) are a standard zoom, a telephoto zoom, and a macro prime. He argues that those will cover the bulk of any shooting situation, and then once you’re used to their limitations and what you shoot more you can expand your collection to match your needs,which I approve of. That’s why my kit consists of two mid-grade zooms, a single fast prime, and a Lensbaby.

Most prime fans I know counter with cost, primes are (typically) cheaper than zooms. My counter is that a mid-grade zoom (take my Oly 14-54mm f2.8-3.5 for example), I have marked on the barrel 14, 18, 25, 35, and 54 (that’s 28mm, 36mm, 50mm, 70mm, and 108mm for those of you not used to Oly’s system). That’s five good prime lengths there, and while 2.8 – 3,5 is a bit slow for some of them, it isn’t out of line for others even in primes. So, was it worth 400 bucks for 5 known focal lengths, and the 36 others in between? I think so, which is why always tell friends to get the best zooms they can afford for most of their work and fill in special needs with primes as needed. But, that’s me.

Check out the full post through the link. If you’re reading this on Facebook, jump over to our blog to see said link.



Sony Announces 2 More New Models, “Ooohs” and “Aaahs” Muttered

So, just in time for me to be done with a bunch of new revisions to the site, Sony announces two more models to it’s line-up this season. And, I gotta admit, they’re attractive additions. Maybe not as attractive as everyone’s favorite Roberts webmaster, of course, but what can you do?

Up to bat first we’ll tackle the DSC-H55, seen in both available colors above. This particular model sports a 14 megapixel sensor, though it’s just of the typical CCD and not the new backlit CMOS variety. It apologizes for that by bolting in a 10x G-series lens covering an effective focal range of 25mm – 250mm, which ain’t anything to scoff at. It shoots 720p video at 30 frames per second, and otherwise deviates little from Sony’s stock features, which, again, is nothing to scoff at.

Outstaging the H55 is it’s new stablemate, the DSC-TX5. Another entry into the now burgeoning “tough” market (anyone remember when Olympus was the only game in town for that?), the TX5 maintains its “TX” series lineage by being all slim with a slide down power button/lens cover and a backside containing nothing more than a touchscreen LCD. Then it slams back a few protein shakes, does a few extra reps, and shows up to the party being waterproof to 10 feet, shockproof to 5 feet, freezepreoof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, and it’s dust resistant to boot. Also in keeping with Sony’s “if it can come in a color it can come in many colors” philosophy, the TX5 will be available in silver, black, pink, green, and red.

Word is the H55 will be 250ish, and the TX5 around 350ish when they hit, which will be… sometime.



Olympus Updates 9-18mm and 14-150mm into m4/3 Lenses

So, sorry, pictures of these are a little less forthcoming, but apparently Oly also formalized the release of it’s very popular 9-18mm f4-5.6 and the very long-lived (for a system as young as 4/3, anyway) 14-150mm f4-5.6 super-zoom for the m4/3 mount. The 9-18 has been a very popular super-wide angle lens for the price point, and the 14-150mm was always the affordable super-zoom, and I don’t imagine those will change with the change in mounts.

Again, more to come.



Canon Days Kicks Off At Roberts

Canon Days has started here at Roberts, and the first specials up on the site are for the Rebel XSi with an 18-55 IS and 55-250mm IS lens, the 7D finds itself shipping with a free Canon 200DG Gadget Bag, PowerShot G10s make a brief reappearance, and the PowerShot A480 is at a very friendly new low price. I think next up we have some more camcorders…

Oh, and tomorrow we’ll have a nice little bonus for Canon week: A hands-on review of the new PowerShot S90 by none other than Carel Struycken. So, keep your eyes tuned here, and to our home page. This’ll be a nice week for stocking up on Canon gear…



Olympus Announces E-P2 Micro Four-Thirds Shooter

Olympus E-P2

Olympus E-P2

Olympus today announced their newest MFT shooter, the E-P2. Seeming to be a single step up from the E-P1, it sports many of the same features, adds AF tracking, manual controls to movie mode, a new black finish, and the availability of a sweet tilting LCD viewfinder (an oft criticized “omission” in its very entry-level oriented brother). The body, other than the new finish, will look very familiar to anyone familiar with the E-P1, and with two bodies in the same style I think I can now call it a pedigree.

We’ll have more info soon. Continuing the now beloved tradition of manufacturers everywhere we don’t even get the information on these things until the day they’re out and every tech blog and their brother have already been unable to run the rumors and have the specs up at midnight. Whereas Nick and myself still can’t see clearly for the lack of coffee and now there’s a camera.

Oh! And some lenses! Oly announced a new 9-18mm for the Micro Four-Thirds format, and a new 14-150mm for it as well. I’d say between Panasonic and Olympus this new platform is developing pretty rapidly.

More pictures of this new beastie, including the tilting EVF and the obvious E-P pedigree after th jump.

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Oh, Lensbaby

The fine people at Lensbaby were kind enough to loan some of their new line to us during the months of September and October. I know I walked around with the 4/3 Composer for a few weeks and if you trundle over to our YouTube channel, you’ll see me fumbling with Derek’s E3, a Composer, and swappable optics.

More about the babies, and some pics, after the jump…
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Stories From The Past

50mm f0.7Every now and then I forget just how long a history photography has of pushing the very limits of physics. And then, today, I was reminded once again of this as I read an article about modifying a Carl Zeiss 50mm f0.7 (yup, 0.7, 2 stops faster than 1.4) for Stanley Kubrick to use on a video camera. While cool enough to hear about at all, reading about how it was made to work is also pretty darn cool.

So, if you’ve never read this, check it out here.



Sony rends shroud, reveals a500 and a550 -live view, HDR, SDHC, alphabet soup!

Sony Alpha A550

Sony Alpha A550

Sony’s offerings, the a550 and a500 have a big, beautiful (and looks affordable) bowl of alphabet soup. Hur hur. The dish looks like this:

APS-C CMOS Exmor – 14.2 megapixels in the a550 and 12.3 in the a500 -both with an ISO up to 12800.
HDR – two images combined in less than ten seconds to produce HDR (and even counteract your coffee shaking hands)
CCD-Shift SteadyShot Inside – Keeping image stabilization corporeal (you know, in the body) for 2.5-3.5 stops
TFT Xtra Fine LCD – 921,600 dots that you can angle up, down, all 3 inches of it, on the back of your a550
TFT Clear Photo LCD – 230,400 dots with the same range of motion with as above, but this is on the a500
RAW+JPEG – YEAH!
NP-FM500H – 1650mAh for neigh on 1000 shots using the viewfinder.

Ok, it’s not Campbell’s, but there’s enough to play magnetic poetry. (Exmor Steady, Xtra Shot Fine).

In any case, Sony’s continued effort to layer features across price-points is promising. They’ve both got two sensors for live view through the viewfinder using phase detect AF and the usual, slower, method for what they dub Manual Focus Check Live View – as a Lensbaby user and being a fan of a fast manual focus prime (Derek’s OM 50mm 1.4), that’s a nice feature.

Call us up to get on the wait list early – 800-726-5544.




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