Articles from Adam Ottke

We covered a story last year in which Andy Baio was sued for his use of a Miles Davis photograph as a reference for pixel art for a tribute album he created. Now, he's spoken about copyright issues and what constitutes "fair use." There are many opinions on this, but it's a great video if you're curious about the issue -- which you should be if you're any kind of artist or image-maker.

We can all be a little shy: it's not the easiest thing to go up to a stranger and start taking pictures or strike up a conversation. Adam Marelli had an interesting post on his blog called, Can I Take Your Picture, How to Talk to Strangers, in which he discusses how most people are okay with being photographed if you just take the time to talk with them.

Finally, Nikon has released a firmware update to address some minor issues. Some major features include 100% viewfinder in HDMI-out (up from 95%) in the D600, improved AF-C tracking performance for the D800, and support in both cameras for that new 800mm f/5.6 that I know you all ordered recently... Update: Even more DSLR firmware updates added from Nikon, too! 

What first drew me to the panoramic format was that it's the way we naturally see. Sure, you can't really compare a camera's lens to the abilities of two (or even one) human eyes. But nevertheless, we are a horizontally-oriented species -- we live, work, and see along a horizontal plane. And so, after a bit of research, I dove in to get the Fuji GX617. Why not Hasselblad's XPAN?

Sweden native Vincent Säll has created something truly magnificent. No, you can't get it. But if Leica actually were to make this, it would be one beautiful and simple piece of recording equipment. Once you get through this concept, check out Vincent's other work that'll keep you intrigued if nothing else at VincentSäll.com.  

Even before the cameras ship, Best Buy looks like they're discounting the D7100 DSLR and Coolpix A models, the latter of which has been the center of recent criticism for its high price in addition to that of compatible accessories. Save $200 on the Coolpix A and $100 on the D7100, officially beginning Thursday. 

I love Nikon, but for its professional line of cameras (anyone can make the little guys). But I've never been a fan of the Coolpix name. Maybe it reminds me of an era during which plastic boxes that could barely make a file for a 4x6 print were actually cool. So when I first saw the Coolpix A, I didn't think anything of it.

There are a few companies out there known for high-quality medium format digital solutions. But few are as highly regarded as PhaseOne, whose popular 'won't get crushed by an elephant' and various freezing and heating Youtube videos helped people see its products' durability.

ModelMayhem is to budding photographers and models everywhere what Craigslist is to...well...budding photographers and models (and then some) everywhere, though with a few more perks that let you have a profile complete with photos, model measurements and opportunities to network within the site. Unfortunately, just as anywhere else in the world, both have their share of creeps.

In October, we had a huge month dedicated to all the great mirrorless cameras that are out there. While the Fuji X-Pro 1’s technology was promising, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 took away the best mirrorless camera award. While it’s all worth it, the OM-D E-M5 is a bit pricey, and therefore, not for everyone. So how do some of Olympus’ other cameras line up? Today, we have the PEN E-PL5. 

Tonight, Nikon announced the much-anticipated D7100, the D7000 replacement. The new camera merges aspects of the D7000 and D300 in this updated body that's similar to the D600 in build. In a nutshell: 24MP, 6fps, no AA filter, professional-level AF performance -- all for $1,199. 

Canon and Nikon are both offering great discounts on some of their lenses. These aren't rebates, either -- they're instant discounts! Lenses range from higher-end fast, pro glass to even DX lenses in Nikon's sale. If you're a Nikon shooter, you might want to hurry: "Offer ends March 2nd." Canon's runs through March 30th.  

Order from the links below to get the discount:

Cokin has a new line of filters, the Pure Harmonie filters, that offer the lightest and thinnest solution for your lenses. They come in various sizes and promise to be amongst the highest in quality. Now, I've owned some "thin-line" filters before by top European brands and was already impressed by those...so seeing these would intrigue me... 

Fuji previously released firmware updates that upgraded the X-Pro 1's autofocus performance, among other things, turning it into another kind of beast. Now, they again promise AF accuracy improvements and more for the X-Pro 1, X-E1, and XF 35mm f1.4 lens. 

CP+ kicked off and has led to a ton of Nikon announcements, including the new 800mm super-telephoto beast, now available for pre-order, an AF-S 18-35mm f/3.5-4.5G, firmware updates to the Nikon D4, and even updates to an array of smaller, compact and semi-compact Nikon cameras...  

Lomography has been around for a while now, known and loved for its crazy light leaks and cool hipster style that Instagram has tried tried to emulate for years for mobile digital imaging networkers (smartphone users). They have great stuff not only for the hipster society, but also for anyone starting out in photography, as their cameras are extremely affordable.

Kodak struck a deal to allow the use of its name with the production of a camera by JK Imaging that will be known as the Kodak PixPro S1 -- a micro four-thirds mirrorless camera. Additionally, JK Imaging will also release future compact and superzoom cameras using the Kodak name. Is it just me, or does this seem cheap to anyone?

Von Wong, who you should all know by now -- if not from us, then from the million and one places he scurries around the world and online -- was given a challenge by a friend, Sebastien Roignant: "To shoot and edit an insane image involving two orcs, a witch king, warrior, villager and a cinema theatre...all in 4 hours without having any information ahead of time." Von Wong is also up for a [Fra

NEC is synonymous with high-end displays. Everyone knows they produce great monitors for professional imaging applications. But if they know that much, they also know they’re quite expensive. So why should you pay thousands of dollars for the PA301W 30” monitor when you can get one for a few hundred? What’s the difference? And is it worth it? Let’s find out... 

Nikon, who is responsible for making the film, Broken Night, to promote the Nikon D800, has now finally made it available online. The film shows off some of the low-light and shallow depth of field capabilities of the D800's full frame sensor. You can see the 10-minute short and behind-the-scenes clips online at BrokenNightMovie.com.  

Via NikonRumors.com

Sergey Semenov recently won the 2012 Major Amateur Award at the Pano Awards (for panoramic photography) for his interactive panorama of NYC, made up of thousands of aerial photographs stitched together from numerous helicopter tours up above the big apple... 

See the entire panorama and interact with it at Dailymail.co.uk.

I was pleasantly surprised when I heard about the Sony RX1, a true, compact beast with a full-frame sensor. But I was less than impressed with its price, thinking there's no way this can really be as great as a high-end DSLR. Put up against the D800, the RX1 does surprisingly well in DxoMark's tests, however... 

In an interesting development, four months ago, Sigma announced a dock that allows you to connect your Sigma lens to your computer and adjust custom settings, but we have today we have more information, expanding on what we already posted then. You can adjust setting like a new minimum focus distance, autofocus speed, optical stabilization parameters and more.

Until now, Sony has been the only XQD card manufacturer (you know, for those crazy fast, kind of small, and weird format cards that go into your Nikon D4). Finally, Lexar has announced their own 32GB ($299.99) and 64GB ($579.99) versions along with a USB 3.0 XQD card reader. The cards feature read speeds of up to 168MB/s (1100x) and slower write speeds that aren't yet stated.

The 14-megapixel Nikon 1 J3 mirrorless camera and 24-megapixel Nikon D5200 consumer DSLR were all announced yesterday with new lenses for the 1 system, including a 1 NIKKOR 6.7-13mm f/3.5-5.6 VR and a 1 NIKKOR 10-100mm f/4.0-5.6 VR. Both camera systems expand options in multiple ways for the consumer photo enthusiast or beginner...