Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Limited Edition Bundle

Olympus OM-D E-M5 and M.ZUIKO 17mm f/1.8 Lens Limited Edition Bundle 

H and B Digital is happy to announce that we have the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Limited Edition Bundle IN STOCK.

The OM-D E-M5 with the M.ZUIKO 17mm f/1.7, a metal hood and a metal lens cap.

The bundle pairs Olympus' top of the line and amazing OM-D E-M5 mirrorless camera with the beautiful M.ZUIKO 17mm f/1.8 lens, along with a metal lens hood and metal lens cap, all packaged together in a limited edition wooden box.

Separately, the OM-D and the 17mm f/1.8 would cost $1499.98, but together in the limited edition set you'll save $100, for a retail price of $1399.99.  

This set makes the perfect Father's Day gift!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call us at 212-354-1341.




Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Canon SL1 Sample Images

Canon SL1 & EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM Lens Sample Images


I took the new Canon SL1 DSLR out around Bryant Park in Manhattan on a sunny May day in order to get some sample images.  The SL1 packs quite a punch in a super-small body, and I'll write a hands-on review soon about the SL1 experience.

For now, some sample photos:

Canon SL1 Sample Images
With the new 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens, you can shoot as close as 10 inches from the camera's sensor, or about 6 inches from the end of the lens, for near macro photos.  The SL1 with this lens does a fantastic job with the tough reds in this flower.  1/100 sec. at f/10, ISO 100, Canon EOS Rebel SL1.

Canon SL1 Sample Images
100% crop of the above flower photo.  Excellent detail for a handheld macro shot at 1/100 sec. on a somewhat breezy day!  The IS in the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM definitely works, as does the STM's quick focusing.  Canon EOS Rebel SL1























Canon SL1 Sample Images
Again, great handling of bright pinks, which some cameras over-saturate.  The tips of the petals on the first flower are very sharp in the original image file.  1/200 sec. at f/8.0, ISO 200, Canon EOS Rebel SL1 with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM.

Zooming In

The 18-55mm kit lens is a decent walk-around shooter with a 35mm equivalent zoom of about 29mm to 88mm.  That's good for some nice wide angle shots, standard 35-50mm street shooting, and portraits at the longer end of the zoom.  Here is a sample of the zoom range:

Canon SL1 Sample Images
The SL1 with the 18-55mm STM lens, at 18mm:  great for wide angle shots (this was also shot in Live View Mode, and the focusing is MUCH quicker than in previous versions of Live View).  1/800 sec. at f/5.6, ISO 200.
Canon SL1 Sample Images
Zoomed in on the above, again shot in Live View--and because of this, I think the camera picked up on the speakers and tripod stands instead of the musicians; in other words, when using the viewfinder, it is a lot easier to tell what the camera is focusing on.  Still the image is quite good, and the colors are nice and vibrant.  1/400 sec. at f/5.6, ISO 200, at 55mm. 





Live View Shooting

Live View shooting with moving subjects has improved with the new STM lens.  It's still not anywhere near as quick as using the viewfinder, but definitely is an improvement.  I'll cover this more with a hands-on review, but here is a shot using Live View with a moving subject.


Canon SL1 Sample Images
1/160 sec. at f/7.1, ISO 200, in Live View Mode.

High Speed Shooting


The SL1 is not intended to compete with the likes of the Canon EOS 1DX or even the 7D, which do well more than 7 frames per second shooting.  At 4 frames per second, the SL1 is certainly adequate for general sports shooting, particularly given its small size.

Here are two shots taken in rapid succession of a ping pong game:

Canon SL1 Sample Images
1/320 sec. at f/7.1, ISO 200.  Canon SL1.
Canon SL1 Sample Images
1/320 sec. at f/7.1, ISO 200.

Keep an eye out for more sample images and a hands on review of the fun and exciting new Canon SL1!

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to give us a call at (212) 354-1341.