New day, a new mood

It is interesting how much the same scene can change from just one day to the next depending upon the weather. This is the same scene as yesterday's blog post, but taken on a moodier weather day with the Fuji X-Pro1.

Infrared sky

I was passing near the Empire State Building yesterday when a dramatic cloud formation passed behind it, and I grabbed this shot with the handy Sony RX100 that is always with me.

The sky was a crisp, deep blue so when I returned I processed the image using an infrared filter from Alien Skin's Exposure software. In case you are not familiar with it, Exposure provides a set of filters that mimic film types. These could be standard black & white films, color films, vintage films, cinematic films, antique photographic processes, and much more. The effects are fully editable offering a huge range of options and the ability to tweak each filter to your own style.

Nikon SB-300 compact flash

Nikon's latest system flash is the SB-300, a very compact model that will fit both DSLR and COOLPIX cameras. Controls have been reduced to the utmost simplicity: Turn it on and it is ready to sync with your camera either in i-TTL or manual mode. Other available use modes are: Fill flash (front-curtain sync), front-curtain with slow sync, rear- curtain sync, and rear-curtain with slow sync. The head tilts up in click stops to 120 degrees for bounce lighting.

Guide number is 59'(18m) at ISO 100, and coverage is 27mm in FX use and 18mm lens in DX format with an effective flash range topping out at 66' (20m).  Power is supplied by 2-AAA or NIMH batteries. With a flash duration of 1/1650sec, it should be able to freeze most action.

What is especially nice is the size: 2.3"W x 2.6"H x 2.5"D (57.4 x 65.4 x 62.3mm). If you're like me, you often want to have a small flash along "just in case" -- especially one that can tuck unobtrusively into the corner of your camera bag.

Of course most of the Nikon DSLR cameras (except for the D4) come with a built-in flash, but they do not tilt, and are much lower in power.  Plus, their output comes from such a low angle that the lens shade with usually be in the way and throw a shadow over the scene. The SB-300 should be available towards the end of the month for around $150.

What is missing  here is a remote control and tie-in to the current Nikon pro flashes. I often need a tiny flash to light up a small area of a scene I am shooting, but of course it would need to sync with the rest of the flash system I am using or at least be remotely triggered by the camera, as I did in the shots below with a very small flash hidden in the gift box. Of course, lack of a sync cord socket will make it difficult to do t his with the SB-300, unless you use a trigger hooked up to the hot shoe..

These two photos were taken with the same technique, but the larger box on the bottom allowed me to hide a full size Nikon SB-900 flash inside. This flash is fully controlled from the D800 used to take the photo. That made it much simpler to adjust the exposure so it harmonized with the exterior lighting.

High ISO tests with the Sony RX-100 II

The new version of Sony's RX100 camera, the II or M2 depending upon which Sony literature you are reading, boasts an increased ISO range up to 12,800 from 6400 in the prior model. That is a lot to expect from a camera with a 1" sensor. So naturally I wanted to see for myself just how high I could take it and still satisfy my own needs and standards.

The RX100 II set to an ISO of 12,800 took a portrait of itself in the reverse mirror of a medicine cabinet by using its 10 second delay. The grain effect is noise that was greatly exaggerated by cropping and then using the extreme contrast of a curves layer in Photoshop.

Shooting at a high ISO levels usually coincides with lighting circumstances having very high contrast and deep shadows with little or no detail, and this tends to exaggerate the effects of noise even more than an evenly lit scene would. The photo below was taken in just such a poorly lit scene, a dimly lit bar with mixed and contrasty light. The RX100 was set to ISO 3200. You can download a full res version of the photo by clicking here.  The dark area of the beers were in the deepest shadows and were brightened up in post-processing. Doing this is essentially the same as having shot that area at a higher ISO to begin with, and consequently causes much more exaggerated noise to occur there.

For the purposes of this demonstration I did not use any noise reduction in post-processing. Had I done so, I could have reduced the noise to acceptable levels in photos shot at ISO 3200 and below. Above that level, artfacting occurs that is difficult to correct without loss of detail.

The area in the dark part of the beers show excessive noise when opened up in post-processing. The High Res version of this file can be downloaded by clicking here.

The test photos below were taken at ISO's ranging from 400 to 12,800. I did not feel the need to go below ISO 400 because no noise was apparent below that level. In fact, using the camera in an ISO range of 100-400 produces the highest quality with no visible noise needing correction. Once you hit ISO 800 and beyond, however, noise begins to creep in and will require some reduction when using the image at larger sizes.

Also note that in the situation below, although I used ISO's up to 12,800, this scene did not demand it because it had much more ambient light available than the bar scene above. Nonetheless, downloading the hi res version of the various sample images will provide a good example of what you can expect noise to look like at the various ISO setting of this camera.

The ISO test was done from ISO 400-12,800 of the scene above. Download the hi res samples by clicking on the links below.

Download hi res test images here:

RX-100 II - ISO 400
RX-100 II - ISO 800
RX-100 II - ISO 1600
RX-100 II - ISO 3200
RX-100 II - ISO 6400
RX-100 II - ISO 12,800

Conclusion:

If we compare the ISO levels of the RX100 II to those of a high end full frame camera, it isn't going to look so good. After all, cramming 20.7mp onto a 1" sensor has to have some repercussions in noise levels. But, if we take it for what it is, a small, portable camera, convenient enough to always have with us to grab shots we would otherwise miss, it does an admirable job. And a bit of extra post-processing to deal with noise is a small price to pay for getting what would otherwise be a missed opportunity.

Using the RX100 II up to an ISO level of 1600 should not present any real noise problems that are not easily fixable in post-processing. At ISO 3200 and above some artifacting creeps in that makes the images more problematic, but not impossible, to deal with. Ultimately, the shooting circumstances will determine just how bad the final noise will be. It could become very difficult to correct in dimly lit, contrasty scenes with ISO levels of 3200 and beyond. As a result of my own tests, I will try to keep the maximum ISO level of the RX100 II topping out at 1600 whenever possible. This will be helped by using the f/1.8 aperture the camera has at its widest zoom range.

Sony FDA-EVM1K Electronic Viewfinder on the RX-100 II

A Hands-on Review

When I first found out that the new model of the Sony RX-100 II would have an accessory shoe, I speculated that it would accept the Sony FDA-EVM1K Electronic Viewfinder, the same one used on the RX1. I also thought it would be a cumbersome and expensive addition to a camera whose main selling point is its trim size. After all, you're not going to be putting the camera in your pocket with the viewfinder attached. Plus, at $448, the finder is a very costly addition to a $750 camera.

As it turns out, I find myself using the RX-100 II for some serious photography and wanted to see if the EVF would make a difference in its use. So I decided to give it a closer look.

My first surprise was that it is not as bulky as I had imagined on the RX-100 II body, particularly if you swap out the interchangeable eye cups. The finder comes standard with two eyepiece cups. The one it is often shown with in most product shots is the larger, more flexible one. If you wear eye glasses, this larger one will definitely obstruct your vision, not to mention it bulks up the profile of a tiny camera like the RX-100 or RX1. The smaller eyepiece cup a much better option. It provides a better field of view than the larger one, and is a much more manageable size. A third option for eye glass wearers, and suggested by Sony in its mini-manual, is to use no eyepiece cup at all. This definitely improves the field of vision and further reduces the overall package of camera-finder combo.

This photo shows the relative size of each eyepiece cup option, including no eyepiece on the right. That's a big difference when you want to stow the camera conveniently.

The Electronic Viewfinder comes standard with two eyepiece cups and a leather carrying case that can also be mounted on a camera strap.

Some photographers have complained, and I agree, that the electronic finder does not fit snugly on the RX1 camera and is prone to falling off. It does seem to snap into place with a firmer fit on the RX-100 II, however. Perhaps it is something Sony took note of and fixed before the RX-100 II came out.

Like most auxiliary electronic finders today, this one can be tilted from flat to straight up making it convenient for macro and low angle work. I do wish these finders would snap securely into place when they are flat instead of opening up whenever they are even slightly bumped. The EVF on my Leica M does the same thing even though it does snap into its closed position.

There are only two controls on the finder. An LCD switch on the left turns the interior live view image on and off. A sliding switch on the right adjusts the eyepiece magnification to your vision. The finder image comes on automatically when you put your eye up to look through it. Otherwise, the back LCD screen lights up for viewing.

The finder LCD button on the left switches image viewing from the finder to the camera LCD screen.  A tiny sliding button on the right adjusts the eyepiece vision to your individual prescription.

The electronic finder is not as bulky on the RX-100 II as I  had originally imagined it might be, particularly when it is fitted with the smaller of the two supplied eyepiece cups.

Conclusion:

The Sony FDA-EVM1K Electorninc Veiwfinder for the RX-100 II is definitely not going to be for everyone. Its high relative cost and bulk makes it a premium accessory for such a small camera -- something that goes against the grain of what this camera is supposed to be, namely small, convenient, and portable. On the other hand, it offers to the serious photographer an option to better see and finely compose the image.

Unlike the EVF I use on the Leica M, where I have it attached most of the time, I find that with the RX-100 II such a finder is more of an occasional accessory. When I think I am going to be using the camera for some serious work or in difficult viewing circumstances, I bring the viewfinder along. One thing is for certian: It works great on the RX-100 II, and is probably an even better option for it than for the RX1.  For one thing, the RX1 has only one fixed focal length lens and therefore can use an optical viewfinder, which may be a better option for it. Electronic finders are still a bit clumsy as viewing devices, not nearly as good as a true DSLR finder. This model seems to be faster than most I have used but it is still contrasty and does not have the crisp viewing image of a true SLR. But we take what we can get, and considering what current technology has to offer, this is definitely a solid contender.

Sony RX-100 II - the little pro camera you always have with you

Because you never know what you can happen upon in New York I always like to have a camera with me. Depending upon what I am wearing, where I am going, or just how I feel at the moment, that carry-along camera varies. Sometimes it's the Fuji X-Pro1 usually fit with the 18-55mm zoom. Sometimes it's a Leica M (240) fit with a 35mm Summilux lens. More often than not, it's a Sony RX-100 II.

Normally I carry my RX-100 in a small Fogg camera pouch that attaches to my belt, although I often just stuff it in a pocket already bulging over with keys and cell phone.

My RX-100 II with the Fogg carry bag I attach to my belt. 

Recently I happened upon a crazy event that took place on Fifth Avenue, just in front of the Flat Iron Building. A van had exploded due to an electrical spark that lit the gas fumes from the fuel tank. At first I thought it was one of the ubiquitous movies being shot on the streets of New York. But this was the real thing. From the condition of the burnt out hulk of the van it is a wonder the driver managed to get out of it alive, but he did.

Underwater housings for the Sony RX100 & RX100 II

I was searching for an underwater housing for the Sony RX-100 II and found quite a few that might be worth sharing on this blog. Why a housing for such a small camera? Well, first of all, I am a casual underwater shooter. I don't do it very much and when I do I don't want to lug around a large housing to fit one of the pro Nikon cameras like the D4 or D800. Plus, I'm not sure I really want to risk taking such expensive equipment under water anyway. The RX-100 II on the other hand is a really small camera with a practical zoom range, is tiny, and won't break the bank if I flood it. On top of that, it takes really good pictures.

Most of the higher end models can use the internal flash of the RX-100 to trigger an external flash via an optical cable. Also they all can accept auxiliary lenses.

At the top of the list are:

Nauticam NA-RX100  and  NA-RX100II: (new model to be released soon)

     - sells for $950
     - can accept 67mm accessory wide angle lenses to allow for either 100 or 145 degree angle of view
     - rated to 100 meters
     - machined alumininum case
     - has flash connectors

Recsea WHS-RX100MkII:

     - sells for $900
     - rated to 100 meters
     - aluminum alloy body
     - fixed lens
     - 67mm thread for conversion lenses
     - can use internal camera flash or take auxiliary flash

Acquapazzo APSO-RX100:

     - sells for $850
     - rated to 75 meters
     - corrosion resistant aluminum
     - port has 67mm thread for accessory lenses
     - comes in 14 colors
     - has an accessory monitor hood with magnification for viewing
     - can use external flash

Patima PDCH-RX-100MK2:

     - sells for $700
     - rated to 120 meters
     - corrosion resistant aluminum body
     - port has 67mm thread for accessory lenses
     - has dual flash connectors


Ikelite 6116 RX100 II:

     - sells for $400
     - rated to 60 meters
     - polycarbonite body
     - port has 67mm thread for accessory lenses
     - allows use of internal camera flash


If you are not planning to go very deep and do not need an external flash, take a look at the less expensive models below.

Generic underwater housing for RX100 RX100II:

     - sells on eBay under various names for $210
     - rated to 40 meters
     - polycarbonite body
     - port has 67mm thread for accessory lenses
     - allows use of internal camera flash

EWA-Marine 3D-L:

     - sells for $165
     - rated to 10 meters
     - double laminate PVC body
     - port has 67mm thread for accessory lenses
     - allows use of internal camera flash

I have not used any of these underwater housings and so cannot recommend any particular one. I am beginning my own search for one and thought it might be interesting to post the contenders I have found so far.

When I first started my search I thought I would find one or two housings. It is interesting to note that the Sony RX-100 may have more underwater housings made for it than any other camera model, which says something about its growing popularity.