Sonntag, 2. Oktober 2011

Tarragona Foodphoto Festival 2011

This is my last day here in Tarragona- will leave the Hotel very soon and heading to the airport.
I have to say Thank you to Klaus Bothe from Isarfoto for "dragging" me here, it was well worth it. I have met plenty of interesting people, saw some really amzing images of colleagues doing this business and got an impression of how nice it could be to live in a southern country like Spain. The Sea was just in front of the exhibition hall here in Tarragona, the harbour is obviously getting a pile of money from Quatar who plan to do a major amusement center here in Tarragona harbour.

The concept seems to go very well, sourrounded by delicious restaurants, ancient buildings and spanish hospitality.

I liked being here and I hope I could contribute a tiny little bit to this festival.

Greetings from Tarragona

Stefan Steib

Samstag, 10. September 2011

See the writings on the wall

Some people may have already mentioned I am radically supporting new concepts for cameras and also demanding these changes to happen ASAP - because the market will tell what the truth is- now this is done and proved by someone else - here is a link to Bloomberg.com

Canon Hanging on to Mirrors Means Opportunity for Sony, Panasonic Cameras -
Canon Inc. and Nikon Corp., the world’s two biggest makers of high-end cameras, may be missing out on the industry’s biggest technology shift since film rolls became obsolete.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-07/canon-clinging-to-mirrors-means-opportunity-for-sony-cameras.html

Now even the rumour of a Nikon Mirrorless camera helps the Nikon Stock to climb:

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1109/11090915nikonmirrorlessrumor_sharerise.asp

see also here:

http://www.mirrorlessrumors.com/


and here:

http://www.canonrumors.com/

I think the fog is already lifting, companies like Ricoh are also showing the way with their modular concept.

http://www.dpreview.com/news/1108/11080510ricohmmountpreview.asp


OK- enough links.

Greetings from Munich

Stefan

Mittwoch, 31. August 2011

iPhone showing the way for future modular Cameras

I happened to get my iPhone 4 about a year ago now, since then it has changed my communication habits quite a lot. I have centralized my several addressbooks, got all the apps to have a complete working office in my pocket, fax, scanner, database, VOIP, Skype and much more.
But what really amazes me most, is the camera - and - it´s recognition around peripheral makers. During the last days there were 2 really impressive launches of people whom you probably would not expect to do iPhone gadgets. first comes from the inventor of the Steadicam - Garrett Brown - a shrunk down mini steadicam to stabilize the iPhone.
See e.g. here:
http://www.digitalsecrets.net/secrets/SmootheeReview.html
and here
http://vimeo.com/17824739

And as if the other industry part - the audio people - have a lot of fun with their iPhones as well, Fostex , a company well known to the audiophiles has launched a microphone module now that enables the iPhone to catch high quality stereo sound, use it for interviews or other tasks that were previously impossible with the built in Microphone.

http://www.fostexinternational.com/docs/products/AR-4i.shtml

Why am I talking about iPhones ? Well this shows us the way to future modular cameras, I wish Hasselblad and PhaseOne/Leaf would take a close look to this. Innovation is not about more and more megapixels. It is about new concepts of cameras with usability, workflow, modularity and electronic interfaces to get this camera of the future to be a real communication device. Imagine an IQ180 with a dock for an iPhone 5, which enables (maybe) LTE and Wifi data transfer, gets firmware or correction files for attached lenses directly to your camera or checks in your or your Imageproviders database if you may need this for stockphoto or a possible customer who searches for this.

Putting Camera technology into the 21st century Data cloud, finally leaving the analogue camera where it belongs, in a museum. Lets face it, a camera which is still able to use film will not work for future concepts. The roots must be cut to achieve a better digital image and most of all an integration into future concepts of connected photography usage.

Some people don´t want to hear this, they think this idea will go away, if they just close their ears long enough. It will not. The proof is this little iPhone.

and- maybe if you close your ears too long nobody will speak to you again about Prophotography it will just happen elsewhere and with other gear, see RED´s new modular concepts or Arri Alexa M or cameras like Sony´s new Nex 7.

Hcam will follow these ideas, we are working on Modular versions, open the next B2 and then B3 versions to the Internet, Wlan and remote control. I hope we have company from the existing Pro camp. Lets see.

Interesting times we live in.

greetings from Munich
Stefan Steib

Mittwoch, 10. August 2011

Theft of Hartblei Lenskit

Today we announce something less amusing:
One of our dealers- Photo Universal in Fellbach was victim to a burglary. The Thieves robbed plenty of stuff, Leaf backs, Hasselblad Equipment and some more, also a complete Hartblei Protoype Lens set with 3x matching numbers #32. This contains 40mm, 80mm and 120mm TS lenses in a Pelicase 1500. Whoever gets an offer to buy this - these are stolen items, please contact the police or Mr. Seibold from Universal either by phone +49 711 957 60-0 or by email f.seibold@photouniversal.de
I also think that Photo Universal will reward hints which lead to solve the theft and get hold of the thieves.

TIA and Greetings from Munich

Stefan Steib HCam.de

Mittwoch, 27. Juli 2011

2 heads - one thought

Do you know this kind of dejavue if someone does something exactly like you have thought doing it ? This happened to me last week when I first saw the new proPsolution TSE adapter for the Canon TSE 17+24mm made by Matthias von der Ahé-of PPL Karlsruhe.
I was thinking of this for a long time, but as it is, there are priorities and we are a small company, so every project consumes a lot of my time. I also saw the version that Zörkendorfer has done some time ago, but this somehow did not make me happy.
The function of tilt on these superwideangles (especially if used on the HCam-B1) is not a priority, usability of the shift needs all possible thought and finally - PPL did this.
Concentration to the minimum and at best effort, very much zen, I like this a lot.
So I called Matthias von der Ahé immediately and we spoke very intensly and the more I heard I was sure I would love to see the adapter. The next day I had this on my desk and what shall I say,this is a mechanical juwel, looks like a big fork, rock solid and made with tightest tolerances. This is the art in doing these things, make it look harmless but put everything inside that you know, like a japanese Katana sword.
I tried this on the weekend and it works perfectly, for the HCam we will do a 7cm longer special version, which will be available exclusively by HCam, this will enable to rotate the HCam with battery from Landscape to Portrait, very cute, same as with our 40mm Hartblei. But with a MUCH larger image angle for both 17mm and 24mm Canon TSE´s.

In short, we have now dealership of this product, there is a new webpage on our site and I have also translated this to English and posted this to the world.
In Russian: Ochin Priadna - very pleased to find such a fine item to complement our stuff. Thank you !
I also think it slowly shows how our concept grows also in the heads of several other people, smart new retrofocus wideangles even for large formats, small+large chips in one concept, electronic aids by stitching and usage of large volume technology. It works !

Optimistically looking into the future
Stefan Steib - hcam.de

Sonntag, 10. Juli 2011

HCam-B1 test images on GetDPI

Last thursday I got visited by Christopher Hauser, a young and talented Photographer from Munich who brought his Phase One IQ180 with 80 Mpix, so we could put this on my HCam-B1 and try some architecture. The weather was perfect, I had already spotted an interesting site close by, so after a short ride with Christopher´s G-Mercedes (nice car BTW) we arrived at the O2 building (highest in Munich) and the close office buildings which we wanted to shoot.
We did 2 setups from 2 different angles, with both 17 and 24mm canon TS lenses.
After about an hour we had done what we wanted to see , including a test whiteshot (unneccessary as Christopher found out) and several variations with different shift amounts and exposures, a well as tries with some additional tilt which with the 17mm is mostly luxury it seems (at least at near infinity).

You can find the thread, more data and images here:

http://forum.getdpi.com/forum/showthread.php?t=28197

In short I like that IQ180 a lot - only problem is the price tag. Well let´s see
how many cameras we can sell - maybe there is a big sock on christmas eve for little Stefan.....;-)

Greetings from Munich

Stefan

Donnerstag, 30. Juni 2011

Clarifications about the status of Hartblei

This is a copy of a letter I wrote in the getdpi forum first and also posted this to the pentax forum today. Obviously there is a wide confusion about the status of Hartblei which I hope to solve with this:

"Hello from Munich

Just to shed some light on this unfortunate mixup (I know - this is why we are rebranding the professional part "hartblei.de" to HCam, I hope we will have this done soon) you can already reach hartblei.de on hcam.de also.

hartblei.kiev.ua is the original website of Hartblei Kiev, run by my Ukrainian business partner Sergeji Naumenko and his son Vitalyi (privjet Vitalyi), they build the superrotators, they always have built it and they will build it. The 45mm TS is a very good lens no matter what some tell about it and can be bought exclusively new as some other lenses with russian glass on their website plus you can reach them on Ebay :
http://shop.ebay.de/tilt-shift/m.htm...id=p4340.l2562 or here
http://stores.ebay.de/vk-no-store/Ca...=p4634.c0.m322
Hartblei Kiev also builds the Zeiss versions, but these are sold exclusively through my website :

hartblei.de now to be hcam.de. We also build the HCam versions (in Italy) and now the HCam Mamiya RB/RZ-645 adapter (in Hamburg).

now hartblei.com is the former website of hartblei, but unfortunately hold hostage by a former business partner Mr. Pissarenko, hosted in Slowakia and not having any Hartblei products at all. What they try to sell is scam, old Kiev bodies, arsenal stuff and cheap adapters, stay away ! same applies to the so called Hartblei Macro-Tilt and Hartblei shift adapters: they are marketed by some people around ARAX and former Hartblei dealer Michael Fourman , now to be found on several addresses on ebay. Hartblei has stopped any business with them, but they use the name anyway, but unfortunately it gets even more complicated, there are some dealers on ebay who also try to sell the lenses, all this makes the situation a real mess.

Hcam will sell the Hartblei Zeiss versions, but the HCam site, brand and the company will be separate from this chaos, this needs to be made very clear.
I always write in my own name and as such show exactly who is behind our products. anybody can email me, call me, skype me or get in contact by linkedin or facebook. I think this is essential.

Hcam does German/EU standards guarantees, support and consulting for
large companies setups, pro photographers and museums and libraries.
I have also specialised in digitalisation of cultural heritage/books and paintings, I am also an Apple certified trainer for Aperture and working with most of the largest brands in the business.

Hope this helps

Stefan Steib - HCam.de"

Donnerstag, 19. Mai 2011

Nice sharpness - rework your DSLR !

I have been quite lazy (busy?) the last year, so my blog was kind of left out, but today I want to talk about something which is a real improvement to your DSLR.
A year ago I ran into the German company Makkario:

http://www.optik-makario.de/

They will rebuild your Canon, Nikon or Sony DSLR and remove the anti aliasing filter.
This will actually give you about 25-30 % more resolution especially with our high end lenses which do resolve this extra by design.

I am using this now with growing fun, it is probably the best 500 € laid down for a Photo equipment since a long time. No change in usage needed,everything working (even the sensor cleaning !) - highly recommended !

I also had my UV and IR Cut Filter removed from the 5DMK2 I´m using and this is opening a whole new world of photography to everybody. there are nearly no drawbacks (you have to use a seperate Bluegreen Filter in front of your lenses when you want normal color)

So take a look at their website, you will be very pleased.

Greetings from Munich

Stefan