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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



Sony Announces NEX-3, NEX-5 EVIL Shooters

Sony has finally anounced it’s new interchangeable lens compact system (you know, like Olympus & Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds system). They’re getting in the claim of having the smallest interchangeable lens compacts going, which does quite seem to be the case, with these two bodies carving out some out some of the already diminutive mass of even the Panasonic GF1.

The two bodies, the NEX-3 and NEX-5, are upgrade differentiated more-so than being actually different models. They both feature the new “E” mount (different from the Alpha series “A” mount inherited from Minolta). In true EVIL fashion, there will be an E to A mount adapter for slapping your Alpha lenses on these beasties.

The core of both bodies is a 14.2 megapixel APS-C Exmor CMOS sensor, like you’d find in the Alpha bodies (which means it’s sporting quite a nice sensor, I’ve been rather pleased with Sony’s DSLR’s output quality every time I’ve used them). They’ve got 3″ tiltable LCDs with 921,000 dots and “TrueBlack” for better outdoor viewing. Over which you’ll of course have the full-time live view with face detection and a 25-point contrast-detect AF array.

They’ll have an ISO range of 200-12,800, and will support RAW with a buffer of up to 8 RAW files at 7 FPS (unlimited JPGs at this rate). And, dual memory card slots for SD/SDHC/SDXC (nice!) or Memory Stick, if you’re stuck with their older proprietary cards. They’ll both have a mounting spot for an optional external flash (none built-in, kiddies. Smallest body, remember?), and a spot to mount an EVF designed for use with the default pancake prime (any of this sounding familiar? Just maybe?)

The NEX-3 is a polycarbonate body, available in black, silver, or red, and records 720p video.

The NEX-5 is a metal body, available in black or silver, and can shoot 720p and 1080p video.

They’ll both be available in kits with either a new 16mm f2.8 pancake or a new 18-55mm 3.5-5.6 zoom. There’s apparently also an 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 zoom planned and a wide-angle converter for the prime (curious to see how well that option works for them).

For more details and purported pricing, hit the external link to the wonderful DC Resource. Some pictures of the new system below.



Leica Formally Announces V-Lux 20

Well, you may have heard some nasty, ugly rumors that Leica had a new V-Lux 20 coming out. Well, now they’re pretty, perfectly-OK facts and so here we are to talk about the V-Lux 20 as best as we can.

So, other than the pretty Leica badge and the corresponding price point, what’s on display this time, you ask? Well, per the press release…

  • 12x Leica DC-Vario-Elmar 1:3.3 – 4.9 / 4.1 – 49.2 mm ASPH (25-300 mm) zoom lens for focal lengths from super-wide to extreme telephoto
  • 14.5 megapixel sensor
  • Compact, simple and intuitive handling with optical image stabilization
  • Optional manual settings available
  • GPS module for the registration of geographical data of the location of every shot
  • 720 p HD movie function with 12x zoom range
  • Use with SD/SDHC cards and the next generation SXDC cards
  • Packaged with Adobe Photoshop Elements 8
  • 2-year warranty

Availability? Sometime? Price? Looking 700ish. You know you want one, right?



Clearing out Sandisk Ultra II 2gb SD cards

2gb ult ii
So we’re sitting on a moderate quantity of Sandisk’s Ultra II (Class 4) 2 gb SD cards. They’re going for the stupendously low clearance price of $5.97 each right now. Once they’re gone well, baby they’re gone. It’s a last-chance opportunity here because there aren’t any rain-checks, sleet-checks, body-checks, or IOUs -just cheap 15mbps SD cards.

Linked here: Sandisk Ult II 2gb SD clearance cards.



New Product: Nikon Coolpix S1000PJ IN STOCK NOW

Coolpix S1000PJ

Coolpix S1000PJ

In what situations will a tiny LED projector built into your Coolpix be useful? Here’s a few I can conjure:

1.) Massive In-Person Multi-User Chimping -two kinds
First: Set your D300s to shoot RAW to the CF slot and JPEG to the SDHC slot and shoot a while on your project, stop long enough to swap the SDHC card into the PJ and review your work with your assistants and models using the included remote control and plastic stand and durn near any available wall.

Second: Line up your folks, their folks, and all the running progeny long enough to get a group shot before they get food all over their nice, holiday clothes then keep taking pictures until everyone’s too loaded on tryptophan and football to complain when you shut off the lights and set up the PJ for everyone to enjoy.

2.) Presentations: Since various office softwares can save presentations as JPEG images and the S1000PJ can display any JPEG image on the SDHC card, create your slideshow and save it down as a numbered series of JPEGs, load them on the SDHC card and you’ve a presentation in your pocket.

A variation: Touring a production line take your reference shots, makes your notes, and you now you have an instant visual aid to your meeting or presentation.

3.) While waiting for the rescue helicopter turn on the projector and point it at the sky -all 10 lumens might be the difference between getting eaten by a python and getting spotted.

Scoot over to our page on youtube to check out our Raw Footage installment on the PJ.

We’re expecting soon to see a hands-on review of the S1000PJ from Carel Struycken. In the mean-time, I’d like your commentary on the uses of the PJ.



Sandisk Announces Extreme Cards So Fast That Peregrine Falcons Feel Underendowed

extreme-proSandisk has gone official with its new lines of high-performance memory cards. At the top of the pack (if not at the top of the world) is the new Extreme Pro line. Available only in CompactFlash, the Extreme Pro line sports maximum write speeds of up to 90 megabytes per second (that’s 600x, for those of you used to the older terms). It’s also the not only UDMA, but it’s the newer UDMA 6 spec (which means it’s actually faster than your hard drive, very likely). As if to reinforce that these are, indeed, just for pros, they come in three sizes starting at 16 GB and working up to 64 GB.

extreme-cf

Next up are the new “Extreme” line cards. No “III”, no “IV”, just plain old extreme. Apparently slotting above the Extreme IV line, but below the Extreme Pro line (and just-as-apparently replacing the discontinued “Ducati” line), the Extreme line comes in both CompactFlash and Secure Digital High Capacity flavors.

The CF flavors sport a jaunty 60 MB/s maximum write speed (400x), and are obviously UDMA-enabled (although since they don’t specify they’re probably the slower UDMA 5 spec). Oriented to be a bit more consumer-friendly, they come in three sizes from 8-32 GB.

extreme-sdAnd, lastly, we have the Extreme line in its SDHC flavor. Now extending up to a rather impressive 32 GB in capacity, these new SDHC’s feature 30 MB/s maximum write speed (200x), and, if Sandisk is using its classes properly, the note that it’s Class 10 should intimate that the slowest it’ll go is 10 MB/s. The SDHCs are available in four capacities.

  • 4 GB Extreme SDHC
  • 8 GB Extreme SDHC
  • 16 GB Extreme SDHC
  • 32 GB Extreme SDHC


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.



A Touch for Summer

School is out for some and will be for almost everyone soon. Now comes the time of vacations, summer jobs, camping or leisure. Now is the time of the year for Nikon Digital Camera sales in Indianapolis! I am a big fan of the new Nilon S230 point and shoot digital camera. With five colors: Jet Black, Cool Blue, Plum, Warm Silver and Gloss Red you could have a Nikon Digital camera for any mood. But I’m not here to talk about color, I’m here to tell you about what this digital camera can do better than any of others that I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot of digital cameras out Indianapolis!). Heck, even Nikon has had a couple of other touch panel models themselves, but this camera is what I like to call a hybrid. No it won’t get you better milage on your way to Key West, it might get you better pictures quicker. I call it a hybrid because it still has some physical buttons on it as well as virtual touch panel controls. The two buttons on the back of the camera are “camera/video/scene” on top, and “playback” on the bottom. There is also a physical toggle zoom control under the shutter button on top. Having just these three controls makes this the fastest, easiest touch panel The physical zoom button instead of a virtual one speeds the procees of framing your shots immensely. Pressing the ‘camera’ button brings up a set of options: Auto Mode, Scene Mode, Smile Mode and Movie. Tapping one of these icons on the panel then brings up that settings mode or scene options in the case of the scene mode. Other options are right on the screen if you want them by touching DISP (display) to show or hide them. Pressing the play button ionce brings up your shots, pressing twice shows options to edit, copy or modify them or options to view by dates or just show your saved favorites. Fun, fast, easy sure sounds like summer to me. Want to hear the even better news? This week Roberts Distributors sin Indianapolis and Carmel are running Nikon’s Dads and Grads sale, and these honeys are $30.00 off their regular price. The fastes easiest Nikon Digital Touch Panel Camera is now (for a limited time) under $200. Add one of our Kingston or Sandisk flash memory SD or SDHC memory cards and you are ready to touch your way to albums full of awesome summer images!



Memory’s cheap, kid

I have a steal for you – for $149.97 (plus shipping) you get a Hitachi Microdrive equipped with a cyclopean 2 gigabytes of storage. That’s a basement price $.074 a megabyte.

Shudder.

I’m not kidding about having Microdrives lurking in our warehouse (I think I’ll start referring to them as the Great Old Ones), gathering dust (or inspiring early twentieth century horror). My E-410 will take a Microdrive, but even my chimp-heavy shooting habits beg for better than 2mb/sec transfer rate. And how could I excuse that, what with our steal price of $39.97 for 4gb Ducati CF cards and persistent rebates on Sandisk extreme III and IV cards. And we’ve just added a new family of what I think I’ll have to call candy SDHC cards from easystore (no caps, really).

The easystore SDHC line consists of 2, 4, and 8gb cards for 6.97, 9.97, and 19.97 respectively. That makes for a wallet-busting $.0035 a megabyte on the 2 and $.0025 a megabyte on the 4 and 8 gigabyte units. Ouch.

I understand that they’re rated as SDA2.0 class 2 devices. I figure that means unless you’re the proud owner of a D5000, D90, or Rebel T1i and keen on using that video function or you really like continuous drive -these cards are A-OK for throwing in the bag as a back-up. Or at your 75 year old grandmother who owns an AE-1 and a Kodak Easyshare so old it’s got pictures of your last two ex-girlfriends on it…not that I know anyone like that.



Mighty Micro Monster

I was playing with it just the other day. I was impressed by how far it it goes with just a few turns.  Lightweight, compact and might in reach the new Lumix 45-200 F4.0-5.6 Micro 4/3rds zoom lens from Panasonic is a beauty.  With its 90-400, 35mm standard equivalent focal length it really gets out there. When coupled with the Lumix G1 Panasonic Digital camera system the speed of focus is amazing, and since stabilization is built into the Panasonic digital SLR camera system, there is no extra charge for clear clean shake reduced images. This lens is a must have foe your Panasonic DMC-G1 and DMC-GH1 camera platforms, where else are you going to get a 400mm equivalent lens with stabilization and F5.6 gathering?
Lumix G Vario 45-200
Remember that the micro 4/3rds system works with the recently announced Olympus micro 4/3rds camera and offers an adapter for the regular 4/3rds cameras so you can use this lens on the entire Olympus Digital Camera platform too.  Also remember that Roberts has the best prices on digital camera SD cards in Indianapolis, so stock up on Sandisk or Kingston SDHC cards while you are here.




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