Monday, June 29, 2009

Pentax K-7 Review

The Pentax K-7 is one of the more exciting new DSLR cameras of 2009, signalling Pentax�s entry into the super-competitive semi-pro category. Going up against the likes of the Canon EOS 50D and Nikon D300, the 14.6 megapixel K7 certainly has a lot to offer on paper, surpassing its main rivals in many ways. The Pentax K-7 joins the growing list of DSLR cameras that can record video, with a best quality setting of 1536x1024 pixels at 30fps. In-camera High Dynamic Range is another up-to-the-minute feature, combining three differently exposed images on-the-fly to create a single photo with expanded dynamic range. Autofocus, traditionally one of the weaker points of Pentax SLRs, has been significantly upgraded to a new 11-point wide-frame AF module with 9 cross sensors and 2 line sensors. The dust-, weather- and freeze-proof Pentax K-7 has 77 weather / dustproof seals, a stainless-steel alloy chassis, a shutter designed for 100,000 releases, a top shutter speed of 1/8000th second, a through-the-lens optical viewfinder with 100% frame coverage and 0.92x magnification, and a new 77-segment matrix meter. With barely a pause for breath, the K7 boasts a high-resolution 3-inch LCD monitor with 920k dots, built-in dust removal and shake-reduction systems, continuous shooting rate of 5.2fps, improved Live View with Face Recognition AF, and automatic compensation of lens distortion and lateral chromatic aberrations with DA and DFA lenses. In the UK the Pentax K-7 costs �1199.99 body only, �1229.99 with the 18-55mm kit lens, and �1329.99 with the 18-55mm + 50-200mm double kit lens. In the US, the K-7 body only costs $1299.95 and the new lenses are priced at $199.95 for the 18-55mm and $249.95 for the 50-200mm.

Mark Goldstein

Read more : photographyblog

Pentax K-7 Review

The Pentax K-7 is one of the more exciting new DSLR cameras of 2009, signalling Pentax�s entry into the super-competitive semi-pro category. Going up against the likes of the Canon EOS 50D and Nikon D300, the 14.6 megapixel K7 certainly has a lot to offer on paper, surpassing its main rivals in many ways. The Pentax K-7 joins the growing list of DSLR cameras that can record video, with a best quality setting of 1536x1024 pixels at 30fps. In-camera High Dynamic Range is another up-to-the-minute feature, combining three differently exposed images on-the-fly to create a single photo with expanded dynamic range. Autofocus, traditionally one of the weaker points of Pentax SLRs, has been significantly upgraded to a new 11-point wide-frame AF module with 9 cross sensors and 2 line sensors. The dust-, weather- and freeze-proof Pentax K-7 has 77 weather / dustproof seals, a stainless-steel alloy chassis, a shutter designed for 100,000 releases, a top shutter speed of 1/8000th second, a through-the-lens optical viewfinder with 100% frame coverage and 0.92x magnification, and a new 77-segment matrix meter. With barely a pause for breath, the K7 boasts a high-resolution 3-inch LCD monitor with 920k dots, built-in dust removal and shake-reduction systems, continuous shooting rate of 5.2fps, improved Live View with Face Recognition AF, and automatic compensation of lens distortion and lateral chromatic aberrations with DA and DFA lenses. In the UK the Pentax K-7 costs �1199.99 body only, �1229.99 with the 18-55mm kit lens, and �1329.99 with the 18-55mm + 50-200mm double kit lens. In the US, the K-7 body only costs $1299.95 and the new lenses are priced at $199.95 for the 18-55mm and $249.95 for the 50-200mm.

Mark Goldstein

Read more : photographyblog

Long Term Budget Projections at Unprecedented and Intolerable Levels

The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget has an interesting report on the Long Term Budget Outlook as reported by the Congressional Budget Office. Let's take a look.
Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released its Long-Term Budget Outlook. The reports suggests a brief window in which deficits subside a bit, after which the effects of health care cost growth and population aging will drive them rapidly upward and bring the national debt to unprecedented and intolerable levels.

Under current law, CBO projects debt held by the public will rise from less than 40 percent of GDP before the economic crisis to nearly 100 percent by 2040 and 300 percent by 2083. If current policies are continued, CBO projects the debt will rise to 100 percent by the early 2020s, to 200 percent before 2040, and eventually to 750 percent.

Ultimately, revenue increases and/or spending cuts will be necessary to prevent �a vicious cycle in which the government had to issue ever-larger amounts of debt in order to pay ever-higher interest charges.�

Ever-Growing Deficits

If we continue on our current path, according to the CBO, deficits will persist and grow, driving public debt to untenable levels. The CBO makes two sets of long-term projections: the �extended baseline scenario,� which essentially assumes current law, and the �alternative fiscal scenario,� which assumes policy makers continue a number of current practices such as maintaining physicians payments in Medicare, continuing to patch the Alternative Minimum Tax, renewing the 2001/2003 tax cuts, and allowing discretionary spending to grow with GDP rather than inflation over the next decade.



Rising deficits are caused by spending growing considerably faster than revenue. Projected spending increases come mainly from the growth of Medicare and Medicaid, and to a lesser extent Social Security.

Although a relatively small portion of our budget today at 1 percent of GDP, interest on the debt would grow to consume 12 percent of GDP by 2080 under CBO�s baseline scenario or 30 percent under its alternative scenario. Of course, even the baseline scenario displayed below would be unlikely to occur, since investors and lenders would not allow the United States to accumulate such high levels of debt. But this projection represents the magnitude of the gap that must be closed.



Ultimately, the long-term budget outlook will necessitate serious tax and spending changes. Absent such changes, we face the real threat of a fiscal and economic crisis more severe than what we've already endured.
There are more interesting charts in the article including one on Factors Impacting Growth of Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security.

To say that the present course is unsustainable is putting it mildly. Spending cuts are mandatory. However, neither the Obama administration nor Congress has gotten the message. Nor has the Free Lunch Society of which Paul Krugman is the high priest.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
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Complacency as Measured by VIX Returns to Wall Street

Bloomberg is reporting VIX Drops to Lowest Level Since Lehman�s Collapse as Fear Ebbs.
The benchmark index for U.S. stock options fell below its closing level from the day before Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc.�s September collapse as stocks rallied and investors paid less to hedge against equity losses.

The VIX, as the Chicago Board Options Exchange Volatility Index is known, lost 1.1 percent to 25.65 at 11:54 a.m. in New York. The index measures the cost of using options as insurance against declines in the Standard & Poor�s 500 Index, which added 0.9 percent.

�Fear of the doomsday scenario has definitely subsided,� Jeremy Wien, a VIX options trader at Societe Generale SA in New York, said before the index slipped below its Sept. 12 close of 25.66.

Before today, the VIX averaged 20.18 in its history stretching back to the start of 1990. The index peaked at 80.86 in November and dipped below 30 in May for the first time in eight months. It reached an intraday record of 89.53 on Oct. 24.

The volatility benchmark, known as Wall Street�s �fear gauge� because it almost always increases as stocks fall, reflects expectations for price swings for the next 30 days and is calculated from S&P 500 options that are one or two months from expiration.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben S. Bernanke has made unprecedented use of the central bank�s powers as the lender of last resort. He kept banks liquid by accepting bonds they can�t trade as collateral for Treasuries and bailed out the nation�s biggest insurer, American International Group Inc.

The S&P 500�s swings were the biggest in the benchmark�s 80-year history last year as it plunged 38 percent, the most since 1937. There were 18 moves of more than 5 percent after Sept. 29. That was more than half of the 35 swings of that size that have occurred from 1955 through 2008, according Howard Silverblatt, the senior index analyst at S&P in New York.
Giving Bernanke or the Fed any credit for this is preposterous. The Fed helped create this mess. For a complete trashing of Bernanke please see Bernanke is a Total Failure Unsuited for Role as Fed Chairman.

Moreover, we have still not felt the repercussions of the Fed's actions nor does the Fed have an exit strategy for what it has done. Premature celebration for the Fed's policies is certainly unwarranted. The payback period may last a decade or more.

$VIX Daily




click on chart for sharper image

Looking forward, consumer spending attitudes have changed for good (and consumer spending is 70% of the economy), there is virtually no chance for a V shaped recovery, housing is going to remain in the doldrums (at best) , lending standards have tightened dramatically, the jobs picture is going to be bleak for a long time, bank leverage will not come back to the same extent for decades, if ever, and Peak Earnings are in.

In light of the above, the stock market is priced for perfection.

New lows might be coming whether there is another outright panic or not as measured by the VIX. Indeed that is what happened in March, with the S&P 500 making a new low although the VIX was nowhere near the October and November 2008 spikes.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com
Click Here To Scroll Thru My Recent Post List

It. was. awesome.

Oh my goodness people. I cannot even tell you how. much. fun. we had last night. I'm not even kidding. It was the time of my life!!! First, some pictures, and then you'll just die at the story at the end!!!!

Our seats were AWESOME, thanks to a former coworker of my sister/second cousin of my best friend (long story). We were right behind the sound stage. Thank God I'm 11 feet tall:

I kept standing on the railing around the sound stage, making me about twelve feet tall. The security guys were giving me the stink eye and a stern "GET. DOWN." look quite often. Whateva dudes. I waited 18 years for this:
Jared the Subway guy knew someone in the band and sat right in front of us. My goober adorable best friend and sister got pictures with him:
We went ALL OUT and got a limo -- here's a few shots. Me and my sis:
My hawty hawt shoes:
(Yes. I have blisters.)
My and my BFF. We've been best friends for about 23 years. Five NK's concerts together, and I wouldn't want to go with anyone else:
And a self portrait with the massive crowd behind us!!
So GET THIS. Before the show, my BF is Twittering Donnie (to my fellow twitterers (?) I'm sorry for the goofy posts last night!) and just to be funny, I twitter him our section, row and seats and tell him to come out to see us (we heard earlier that they come out in the crowd.)

Later in the show, the lights go down and all the sudden the guys are all spread out in the crowd. Donnie is immediately to our right, about five feet away. My sis and BF are over there in two seconds. I turn around and Joe is to my left, about five feet away as well. The seas parted and crazed girls grown women went screaming to each side of me. I stood like a goofball right smack in the middle, by myself, freaking out -- which way to go???

I was frozen. I couldn't decide. (Ladies, they were both smokin' hot. Smokin'.) I look over to the right at Donnie and there's this cute chick dancing with him, and I'm like, oh, she's cute! Oh, I hate her. Oh, she's cute though. But oh wait, look, there's Joe! Right there. Geez, that girl is still dancing with Donnie! I still don't know which way to go. Frozen.

I look over again...it hits me....
MY SISTER IS DANCING WITH DONNIE WAHLBERG. Wait. What? MY SISTER IS DANCING WITH DONNIE WAHLBERG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was the most surreal experience of my life. I run over there, get on a chair and am about three feet from Donnie, eye level....

And I don't have a camera. Nothing. My phone had long died, I didn't bring in my camera, I had no idea where the other cameras were. I could have gotten the most amazing pictures of Joe and Donnie if I had one. I am hating myself right now!!

I don't even know if they get twitters from fans, but we thought it was so odd that he ended up right next to us. :) It was fantastic. My best friend has been a Donnie fan for 20 years and held his hand. We felt like we were 15 again, only better. :) It was the best concert I've ever been to, hands down. There are only about ten more concerts -- if you are not sure about going -- you MUST. You won't regret it. They know how to entertain!!

Thanks for letting me gush!! I feel like you are all my friends, so I had to share the night with you! And a big thanks to those of you who could care less about former teeny boppers for putting up with me lately. I swear, no more about it -- back to painting, crafting, decorating....I promise. :)

Hasselblad Debuts CFV-39 Digital Back

New Back Turns V System Cameras into Digital Workhorses

The new Hasselblad CFV-39 digital back, custom built to match the design and functionality of Hasselblad V cameras, turns every V camera into an easy-to-use digital workhorse.

The 39-megapixel back, with a sensor twice the size of premier DSLRs, features two capture modes and a new digital lens correction technology for Carl Zeiss lenses, powered by Mac- and Windows-compatible Phocus image processing software.

�Quickly and easily, the Hasselblad CFV-39 can transform a V System film camera into a high-performance digital camera,� says product manager Peter Stig. �Just snap on a charged battery, insert a CF card, add the back, and you�re ready to shoot.�

Among the CFV-39�s features and capabilities:
~ The Hasselblad Natural Color Solution offers a generic profile that delivers true colors right out of the box.
~ All V System cameras operate cable-free. The 202 FA, 203 FE, and 205 FCC are fully supported. Other 200 and 2000 series models can be used with C-type lenses only.
~ All F and FE lenses work seamlessly with the CFV-39 using 202FA, 203FE and 205TCC/FCC (camera requires slight modification).
~ There are two selectable image formats: square (29 megapixel, 5412x5412) and rectangular (39 megapixel, 5412x7212 pixels).
~ The sensor is 100 percent larger than a full-frame 35mm DSLR sensor.
~ Image storage options include using a CF card for untethered operation or computer hard drive for tethered operation.
~ A Hasselblad raw file format, 3F RAW (3FR), ensure that images captured with Hasselblad digital products are quickly, effectively, and safely stored on the available media.
~ The 3FR files can be opened directly in Adobe Photoshop CS4, in Aperture on Mac OS-X, and converted directly into Adobe�s DNG (Digital NeGative).
~ Hasselblad image files carry a full set of metadata, including capture conditions, keywords and copyright, facilitating image asset management solutions.
~ Fits traditional view cameras: with the V camera interface plate for mechanical attachment and the flash sync connection to trigger digital capture.
~ Capture rate of 1.4 sec per capture with 39 captures per minute.
~ ISO speeds range from 50 to 800.
~ H camera owners can gain full access to V lens DAC correction by using the CF lens adapter.

�The Hasselblad CFV-39 brings an ultra-high level of integration, flexibility, and image quality to the professional photographer who needs the best for mobile and studio shooting,� says Peter Stig.

For more information on the CFV-39, click here.


Text by Alice B. Miller

Hasselblad Debuts CFV-39 Digital Back

New Back Turns V System Cameras into Digital Workhorses

The new Hasselblad CFV-39 digital back, custom built to match the design and functionality of Hasselblad V cameras, turns every V camera into an easy-to-use digital workhorse.

The 39-megapixel back, with a sensor twice the size of premier DSLRs, features two capture modes and a new digital lens correction technology for Carl Zeiss lenses, powered by Mac- and Windows-compatible Phocus image processing software.

�Quickly and easily, the Hasselblad CFV-39 can transform a V System film camera into a high-performance digital camera,� says product manager Peter Stig. �Just snap on a charged battery, insert a CF card, add the back, and you�re ready to shoot.�

Among the CFV-39�s features and capabilities:
~ The Hasselblad Natural Color Solution offers a generic profile that delivers true colors right out of the box.
~ All V System cameras operate cable-free. The 202 FA, 203 FE, and 205 FCC are fully supported. Other 200 and 2000 series models can be used with C-type lenses only.
~ All F and FE lenses work seamlessly with the CFV-39 using 202FA, 203FE and 205TCC/FCC (camera requires slight modification).
~ There are two selectable image formats: square (29 megapixel, 5412x5412) and rectangular (39 megapixel, 5412x7212 pixels).
~ The sensor is 100 percent larger than a full-frame 35mm DSLR sensor.
~ Image storage options include using a CF card for untethered operation or computer hard drive for tethered operation.
~ A Hasselblad raw file format, 3F RAW (3FR), ensure that images captured with Hasselblad digital products are quickly, effectively, and safely stored on the available media.
~ The 3FR files can be opened directly in Adobe Photoshop CS4, in Aperture on Mac OS-X, and converted directly into Adobe�s DNG (Digital NeGative).
~ Hasselblad image files carry a full set of metadata, including capture conditions, keywords and copyright, facilitating image asset management solutions.
~ Fits traditional view cameras: with the V camera interface plate for mechanical attachment and the flash sync connection to trigger digital capture.
~ Capture rate of 1.4 sec per capture with 39 captures per minute.
~ ISO speeds range from 50 to 800.
~ H camera owners can gain full access to V lens DAC correction by using the CF lens adapter.

�The Hasselblad CFV-39 brings an ultra-high level of integration, flexibility, and image quality to the professional photographer who needs the best for mobile and studio shooting,� says Peter Stig.

For more information on the CFV-39, click here.


Text by Alice B. Miller
 
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