Equipment->Reviews: April 2005 Archives

What happens when you pump up a wimpy SLR full of steroids and protein drinks? You get the beast from the east, the former soviet-union Kiev 60 medium format SLR. You really need to see this camera against something like an Olympus OM. It's easily four times the size and most probably five times the weight of its Japanese rival.

Greg W. has written a Kiev 60 SLR fan site. He unabashedly calls it the "best page around for the Kiev 60 camera." I'm not sure about that, but it is definitely in the top five. There's a ton of useful information and some startlingly good photographs. It almost makes one rethink their elitist loyalty to German and Swedish cameras.

From Nuts & Bolts by Bill Pierce - The Leica, the SLR, and the Eye of the Photographer - The Digital Journalist:

"Last month I mentioned that Dirck sent a number of us an email about the two 35-MM still cameras that he uses on assignment, the Leica rangefinder, and the Canon EOS. I was bowled over by the simple intelligence of his comments. I think most of us are used to being told, 'The new Whamoflex is the best camera in the world, and anybody who uses anything else is an ass.' Of course, it isn't true. No single tool is the best in the world. Try building a house using just a hammer. 

The Leica and the EOS are a relatively popular combination. They are very different cameras that don't step on each others toes. Each outperforms the other in specific situations. "

(Via The Leica Users Group.)

MacWorld has a "first look" preview of Adobe Photoshop CS2: "Photoshop CS2 includes a bunch of powerful new filters and editing tools, tighter integration with and support for Illustrator graphics, support for 32-bit images, and significant improvements to its camera RAW workflow."

Adobe has the officially Photoshop CS2 page online now.

Digital Camera Watch (Japan): Cosina/Carl Zeiss T* Biogon 35mm F2: ""

The Japanese online magazine DC Watch has posted an extensive hands-on review of the Carl Zeiss T* Biogon 35mm F2 using the Epson R-D1 digital rangefinder. This follows their earlier review of the Planar 50mm f/2. I've posted a rough translation of the salient points of the biogon review below. This lens is just becoming available in Japan, I've already received a phone call letting me know my pre-order has been filled by Map Camera in Shinjuku.