Working with sRAW image files
The sRAW (small RAW) format is gaining popularity among 20+ megapixel camera owners that occasionally don't want as much resolution or such a large file size. sRAW files are half to a quarter of the resolution of a full RAW and this equates to smaller storage requirements and faster processing for projects that don't require as much resolution. sRAW files do maintain a nearly all the development flexibility of a true RAW file, and therefore are often more desirable than a less flexible JPEG. sRAW files aren't actually true RAW files. The sensor's true RAW data is demosaiced and rendered to a…
Leica M9 and X1 Camera Systems
Leica has just announced two new camera systems - the M9 and the X1. The M9 is the latest in the famous M series - it's the same size and format as the M8 yet it's chockfull of refinements. The M9 packs a 18.5 megapixel full frame sensor and has 3, 5 or 7 frame exposure bracketing for HDR. Its fit and finish are all Leica and its the smallest full frame digital camera on the market. It's available in 2 weeks for $6995.
The new X1 (pictured above on the…
Snow Leopard Planning
Apple's long anticipated 10.6 "Snow Leopard" operating system is now shipping. Snow Leopard's modern cocoa code base promises system-wide responsiveness, reliability, smarter multiprocessor utilization and multitasking on existing Intel based hardware. Geek Mac and Windows users alike should read this in-depth article on Snow Leopard's under the hood technologies. As with any major operating system upgrade it is important that we make a list of our applications and printer drivers and check for compatibility before making the switch.