Almost all my technical posts are based on research and testing. This one is different: it is entirely speculation. Yesterday I upgraded the firmware on my Sony a9 to version 5.0, which had just been made available for download by Sony. It is much more than any other Sony firmware release that I’ve ever seen…. [Read More]
Archives for March 2019
Lap times as lab testing
This is a continuation of a discussion that starts here. I have pointed out lap time testing as an example of one of the things that’s analogous to some kinds of lab tests when doing camera testing. Lap time testing is a more complicated case than car tests like 0-60, 0-100-0, stopping distance, or even… [Read More]
Tales of a misspent youth
I’ve got more to say about the camera/car testing analogy, but I just saw this post today on DPR. Maybe I’m in my dottage, but it took me back to my days as a high-school newspaper photographer. I worked in a shared darkroom, with collective responsibility for keeping the communal chemicals fresh, replenished, and properly… [Read More]
Testing cameras like cars
In one of the photo boards recently, a chorus of pleas rose up to test cameras the same way as cars. There were complaints that camera testers tested under unrealistic conditions, and weren’t working pros. The whole discussion didn’t sit right with me, and I took to my keyboard, as I often do when I… [Read More]
Are amateurs unserious about image-making?
Both in email discussions and on the web, I spend a non-trivial amount of time advising people on what cameras and lenses would be best for them. I firmly believe that the right camera for the job is highly dependent on the job, and I start out these discussions by asking What gear do you… [Read More]