Canon G10 Gallery
While we wait for the G11 and S90 to show up, I uploaded some favorites that I've shot over the last couple of months with the G10.
Gordy’s Camera Straps
I never use the bundled neck straps for their intented purpose - usually I end up wrapping them a couple of times around my wrist so they don't get in the way too much. On occasion I might carry a camera over my shoulder on its strap but if it's out it's usually in my hand. Gordy's Camera Straps is a purveyor of finely crafted leather straps of all shapes and sizes. My black leather wrist strap arrived a couple of weeks back and I've been very happy with it. It's primarily intended to work with a compact camera but I discovered that it works just great with a much bigger DSLR too. The quality is outstanding and, depending on your style of shooting, this could be the perfect accessory to add a little retro flair to your camera of choice.
Here are a few shots of what it looks like on my G10 and K10D:
Also check out the customer gallery on Gordon's website which showcases many the different styles and colours available.
Verdict: highly recommended! (It should match my future S90 quite nicely, methinks.)
Canon S90 looks promising
Canon has just announced a duo of high-end compact digital cameras, the G11 and S90. The G11 is the successor to the highly acclaimed G10 not-quite-pocketable digicam which generated numerous rave reviews last year. Suffice to say that at ISO 80 to 200, shooting raw, the G10 produces outstanding results. The G11 adds a flip-out LCD (never been a big fan myself) and a new sensor with *lower* pixel count for improved low-light sensitivity. The trouble with the G10 is that, while compact by DSLR standards, it just isn't small enough to carry at all times. This is exactly where the S90 comes in - same sensor, even faster lens (f/2.0 at 28mm equiv.), and a new twist on the control dial scheme (if you'll excuse the bad pun), it could be just the right pocket camera.
Pixel densities compared - Canon G10, Canon G11, Nikon D90, Nikon D700. They are 34 MP/cm², 23 MP/cm², 3.3 MP/cm², and 1.4 MP/cm² respectively. Ok, a compact is never going to be anywhere near as light sensitive as even an APS-C DSLR, but f the new sensor delivers even a 1-stop improvement over the old one it would be great. Can't wait to get my hands on one!
Edit: I think Canon missed a trick with this one however. They should have left a small attachment point and released an optional external viewfinder, with brightlines for 28/35/50mm framing.
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park
Small slide show from our recent adventures in Botswana 
You can also view it large on Flickr.
Quickies
I have been writing exams during the last couple of weeks so not much time for posting. I wrote three so far, with very good results, and there is one more to go - Artificial Intelligence. I wonder if I can come up with an automaton that writes the exam for me? These should be the last papers I write for my BSc degree in Computer Science.
I just finished reading The Economist's special feature on the financial crisis from the October 11th 2008 edition. It's a fascinating, if long, read starting with When fortune frowned. On the subject of financial crises, one theory suggests a link between the number of Starbucks franchises and the state of a country's economy.
In case you have missed the mini banner on the blog, I published my first photo book with a collection of Orange River images. Check it out! I ordered one of all the available options, and they look great. I think my favourite is the Hardcover ImageWrap option. I will be ordering some more in time for Christmas! In the mean time Blurb has launched a premium grade paper option which should look even better.
The Pentax K-m has started shipping in the UK. Paired with the upcoming 15mm Limited prime lens, it should make one hell of a lightweight travel kit. (Pentax DSLRs use an APS-C sized sensor so the field of view would be equivalent to a ~23mm ultra-wide lens on a 35mm film camera.)
McLaren F1 chassis number 65 got sold at an auction for a record-setting £2.3m. Despite losing its top spot as the fastest production car some time ago, to many people it remains the supercar thanks its uncompromising and unique lightweight design.
Adobe's Creative Suite 4 might have only just began shipping, but Nvidia is quick to cash on it with the Quadro CX. As far as I can tell it is mostly just a rebranded GTX 260, and the only application that really benefits from it is video transcoding from Premiere. For Photoshop CS4, even the most basic cards should benefit from the new OpenGL-based image canvas based on Adobe's specs. The Nvidia Quadro CX does however offer dual DisplayPort interfaces and 30-bit colour so it's not all badge engineering.
And in gaming news, the Mirror's Edge demo is up on both Xbox Live and PSN as of today. I hope it lives up to the hype - it is busy downloading as I type.
Recent tweets
- I love how IETF documents still come out in a fixed width font, hard wrapped at 80 characters. Something very reassuring about it. #oldskool 3 days ago
- Gorgeous! RT @RichieInTheCity via @cbaccus: Old school #BMW 3.0si http://t.co/xTJwNxEY 4 days ago
- Ph34r! RT @BBCWorld: US researchers turn brain waves from thoughts of words into real words http://t.co/KJmbFb51 4 days ago
- Love this week's The Economist cover illustration: http://t.co/0LVeJ2Z4 ("The rise of state capitalism") 2 weeks ago
- @Krutch_SnS_Ed quite an unexpected ending to S2! I didn't think he was gonna do it… best show on TV at the moment, methinks 2 weeks ago
Recently read
- Secret Codes in Bacteria October 27, 2011
- Why the current revenue model of higher education is in trouble October 27, 2011
- The Security of SSL October 27, 2011
- The Limits of Human Rationality October 26, 2011
- New Malware: Duqu October 19, 2011
