Michele McNally, Picture Editor for The New York Times, is answering questions, through tomorrow. Some good answers already.
Phase One has purchased Leaf. (Warning: PDF link). As Our Humble Correspondent, the Curator and Chief Featherduster at the Northeast Kingdom Field Camera Repository and Odd Format Graveyard puts it, "not something that's going to affect the average TOP reader. But in the small puddle of the MF digital market, it's an enormous splash."
Will there be a professional version of the Olympus EP-1? The BJoP's interview with Mr. Akira Watanabe.
Michael G. Dougan, Tambay (the Watchman)
This is the first picture I've personally seen from the new Fujifilm GF670 / Bessa 667. Brief review and more pictures by Michael Dougan at Japan Exposures.
(Thanks to Charles F. Heuer, Oren, Eolake, and Dirk)
that picture by Michael G. Dougan looks to be taken in the Philippines. The title is a coined Filipino word (though very old, more than 50 years) taken from the words "stand by" which is what tambay do - loiter.
Posted by: paugie | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 07:39 PM
Thanks for pointing out an interesting blog, Mike (japan exposures). Did you see the post on the importance of "charm" in camera design? I think you would enjoy it as much as I did. Maybe more.:
http://www.japanexposures.com/2009/05/26/the-c-feature/
Posted by: robert e | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 08:48 PM
Thanks Robert, I did see Dirk's post on The C Feature.
For me the GF670 has bag's of it! I love the camera, simple and very quick operation.
Posted by: Mike Dougan | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 09:57 PM
Paugie, yes the pictures were taken in the Philippines. San Miguel, Bulacan to be exact. As you say the Tambay are the people loitering in the street, no job, nothing to do except watch their neighbors.
Posted by: Mike Dougan | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 09:59 PM
'Tambay' is short for 'Istambay' which is indeed pidgin for 'stand by' and is still much in use.
Posted by: Hoovenson Haw | Thursday, 25 June 2009 at 10:57 PM
Apropos of the Olympus interview, they may think of this as a "consumer" camera but I don't think many of their targe market will pay the money given the alternatives. Pitching a premium priced product into a budget driven market seems folly of the highest order.
Posted by: Martin Doonan | Friday, 26 June 2009 at 08:06 AM
Hi Mike, Actually I thought I was addressing Mike J. (I guess I wrote in a confusing way), but I'm pleased to be talking to you anyway. I enjoyed the review and your photos, and appreciated the side-by-side comparison shot. And I wonder if Presto 400 is the same thing we find in the US as simply "Neopan 400".
Posted by: robert e | Friday, 26 June 2009 at 10:24 AM
Martin,
Olympus seems to have lost a bit of itself marketing wise when it went into digital and killed their best film cameras.
The OM brand had a lot of cache which they tossed overboard when they went into the whole "E" thang. All they had to do is add a little "e" so we could have had the OM-5e with an OM lense mount but still designed around the 4/3 sensor. Seems simple enough.
The E P-1 could have been a simple digital version of their best Pen complete with built in flash and an EVF and everyone would be jumping for joy. And just call the damn thing a Pen and be done with it.
I personally am hoping Olympus will make a Macro 4/3 that could offer a challenge to medium format cameras and more importantly, incorporate an interchangeable digital back with their otherwise fine (and sometimes stellar) Zukio glass. Still the best alternative to Leica or Zeiss out there IMHO.
We at least I have my OM-1 that shoots and meters just fine after all these years. It is a little jewel that seems more precious with each new digital camera from Olympus.
Posted by: fallon | Friday, 26 June 2009 at 03:43 PM
The best part of the McNally Q&A was that it lead me to the "One in 8 Million" feature (http://www.nytimes.com/packages/html/nyregion/1-in-8-million/index.html#). Wow. One of the best multimedia series I have seen, partly because it is so stripped down. A simple, straightforward interface, B&W portraits, audio of the subject talking, and gripping personal stories. Outstanding. This is one of those things that makes you realized that while digital and the Internet taketh, they also giveth.
Best,
Adam
Posted by: mcananeya | Friday, 26 June 2009 at 03:49 PM
Yes, Its called Presto 400 in Japan and when I can get it in the Philippines. For the rest of the world its Neopan 400.
Posted by: Mike Dougan | Friday, 26 June 2009 at 04:03 PM
I agree with Adam, that One in 8 Million feature is inspiring stuff. Anyone have any idea what Todd Heisler is shooting with? It's really quite special stuff...
Posted by: Sam Tinson | Friday, 26 June 2009 at 11:42 PM