BY AUSTIN BURBRIDGE. LOS ANGELES (CINEMA MINIMA) — Flickr’s Microdocs Group focuses on very short motion-picture documentary and portraiture; especially unedited, direct-from-the-camera improvisation. This Flickr group is hosted by Dean Terry. He directed SUBIDVIDED, a documentary about life in American bourgeois suburbs. Professor Terry is a founder of MobileLab, and Director of Emerging Media at University of Texas at Dallas. Recently picture-sharing Web site Flickr has added motion pictures to the kinds of files — hitherto only “still” photos — its members can post and share. [Flickr]
Leica D-LUX 4 shoots HD Widescreen video in 24P
The D-LUX 4 — Leica’s first compact system camera — records video in HD Widescreen format (16:9 aspect ratio) in 91,280 pixels by 720 pixels resolution at 24 frames per second. [Download Specifications (PDF)]
The compact nature of the D-Lux 4 means it can be with you all the time. But despite its compact size, it offers top Leica quality and gives the photographer plenty of artistic freedom. The D-Lux 4 is ideal, whether for subjects composed with lots of forethought, or for spontaneous reportage.
High-aperture professional lens
The aspherical Leica DC Vario-Summicron lens opens to ƒ/2.0 in wide-angle and to ƒ/2.8 in telephoto. This high-aperture lens allows the real enthusiast to work with an open shutter. Its high speed makes the Leica D-Lux 4 ideal for available light exposures. Whether in poor light — or for selective depth-of-field, the Vario-Summicron lens gives the photographer scope for highly individual picture composition. The aspherical zoom lens with a focusing range of 24-60 mm opens up new creative options in reportage photography. The lens design consists of eight elements, of which four are aspherical. These are matched individually to the camera sensor, working in harmony with the electronics and software, to produce stunningly brilliant pictures in true-to-life colours.
Powerful sensor
At a standard resolution of 10.1 megapixels, the overlarge size of the 1/1.63″ CCD image sensor increases image quality distinctly. The smallest details of the subject are reproduced exactly. The D-Lux 4 can take photos in all three formats (4:3/3:2/16:9) to suit the particular recording or playback situation. On the 3″ LCD monitor with a resolution of 460,000 pixels, pictures can be viewed and assessed in excellent quality before and after they are taken. Leica Camera AG has developed its own unique color matching, contrast, and picture definition profile which produces digital characteristics complimentary to Leica M film photography.
The camera saves photographs in RAW and JPEG formats. [Sample RAW and JPEG photos for evaluation]
Expandable, as a small system camera
The Leica D-Lux 4 is the first digital compact camera that can be used with an extensive range of accessories — just like a system camera.
BUY the Leica D-LUX 4 compact digital camera at Amazon. Your purchase through this Amazon link supports Cinema Minima.
