TOKYO, August 24, 2010—Canon Inc. announced today that it has successfully developed an APS-H-size*1 CMOS image sensor that delivers an image resolution of approximately 120 megapixels (13,280 x 9,184 pixels), the world’s highest level*2 of resolution for its size.

Compared with Canon’s highest-resolution commercial CMOS sensor of the same size, comprising approximately 16.1 million pixels, the newly developed sensor features a pixel count that, at approximately 120 million pixels, is nearly 7.5 times larger and offers a 2.4-fold improvement in resolution.*3

With CMOS sensors, while high-speed readout for high pixel counts is achieved through parallel processing, an increase in parallel-processing signal counts can result in such problems as signal delays and minor deviations in timing. By modifying the method employed to control the readout circuit timing, Canon successfully achieved the high-speed readout of sensor signals. As a result, the new CMOS sensor makes possible a maximum output speed of approximately 9.5 frames per second, supporting the continuous shooting of ultra-high-resolution images.

Canon’s newly developed CMOS sensor also incorporates a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels) video output capability. The sensor can output Full HD video from any approximately one-sixtieth-sized section of its total surface area.

Images captured with Canon’s newly developed approximately 120-megapixel CMOS image sensor, even when cropped or digitally magnified, maintain higher levels of definition and clarity than ever before. Additionally, the sensor enables image confirmation across a wide image area, with Full HD video viewing of a select portion of the overall frame.

Through the further development of CMOS image sensors, Canon will break new ground in the world of image expression, targeting new still images that largely surpass those made possible with film, and video movies that capitalize on the unique merits of SLR cameras, namely their high mobility and the expressive power offered through interchangeable lenses.

Source:  Canon.com

Cliff Mautner mentions on his blog that the new 85mm performs much better than the old version, and wins hands down. Based on these samples alone, the new lens does look promising.

Even Bjorn (here and here) commented that it’s one of the best lenses that he has tested, giving it a maximum rating of 5 on FX as well as DX.

Check out Bob Krist’s samples on his blog taken with the AFS 28-300 f/3.5-5.6 where he had a prototype to test in February. He mentions that it’s “sharp all the way out to 300mm” despite it being a superzoom, unlike the 18-200 for DX where quite a number of users complained of poor performance when using it at the long end.

If what Bob says is true, that it’s sharp and better than the 18-200 on DX, we would probably see this new FX superzoom hanging from many camera bodies during the vacations.

The official specifications of the D3100 are:
-DX format, 14.4 megapixel
-Full HD video recording@1920 x 1080 at 24 frames/sec
-ISO sensitivity of native ISO 100-3200 with Hi1 6400 and Hi2 12800
-Live view mode and auto focus during video recording
-11 auto focus points to ensure everything is in focus for sharp images

As mentioned before, I was interested to find out details regarding the ISO figures for the D3100. It turned out that the native ISO range goes up to 3200, while both 6400 and 12800 are “Hi” settings. “Hi” settings are just boosts to the original native ISO range and in most cases are not preferred if optimal image quality is preferred. However, it may come in useful in emergencies or when large prints are not required. More will be confirmed after reviews are out.

The new lenses announced are as mentioned before:
-Nikkor AF-S DX 55-300 f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR

-Nikkor AF-S 85 f/1.4 G (nano coating)

-Nikkor AF-S 24-120 f/4 G ED VR (nano coating)

-Nikkor AF-S 28-300 f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR

Only the AFS 55-300 is a DX lens while the rest are all FX. AFS 28-300 is meant to provide an ultra zoom for FX users, just like the AFS 18-200 for DX users.

More information can be found at:

Nikon D3100 announced and previewed

AFS 85 f/1.4 announced

AFS 24-120 f/4 announced

AFS 55-300 f/4.5-5.6 announced

AFS 28-300 f/3.5-5.6 announced

For bigger images, check out Photography Bay

Some of the attention-grabbing specifications of the D3100 include:
-ISO range of 100-12800
-Continuous auto-focus in video-live view mode
-11 auto focus points
-Full HD video recording (1920 x 1080@24 frames/sec)

Personally, I am interested in finding out if the ISO range are all native, or whether they are inclusive of the “Hi” and “Lo” settings. Normally, native ISO values perform better resulting in better image quality and the “Hi” settings are just a “boost” to the original ISO values. Most of the time, the “Hi” settings are not used if optimal quality is desired.

The 11 auto focus points also means that the new D3100 will be very similar to the D90. 11 points means that the user is able to select the area to be focused on during shooting. Nikon will need to address this similarity in auto focus points in the D90 replacement, which is expected in September. The D90 replacement is rumoured to have more than 11 points, probably 39, in order to differentiate it from the entry-level models.

The lenses that are expected are:

-Nikkor AF-S DX 55-300 f/4.5-5.6 G ED VR

-Nikkor AF-S 85 f/1.4 G

-Nikkor AF-S 24-120 f/4 G ED VR

-Nikkor AF-S 28-300 f/3.5-5.6 G ED VR

Yes, the AFS 28-300 will be a FX lens. Technological advancements have made it possible to incorporate such a wide zoom range where it was near impossible in the past. For DX users, the range will be 42-450, which should be a good consideration for nature and wildlife photography.

Source: NikonRumors.com

Both destinations yielded many wonderful photo opportunities and I was lucky enough to capture some of them on digital. Some of the photos have been uploaded to the gallery, under “Recently Added”. I am still in the midst of sorting and editing a huge batch of images, but will post them as and when they are completed. After that, I am planning to post a series of articles on our travel in Alaska and the Rockies.

Alaska and the Rockies gallery

Having said that, how do you, as a contributor, increase your sales by improving the chances of buyers finding your images in the first place? The most important step is to get your images to appear in search results.

It is mandatory that we have to add titles, descriptions and keywords into our images before uploading them onto microstock sites. But, note that for the same keyword, you are competing with thousands, probably tens of thousands of other images with the same keyword, so the chances of your image hitting the bottom of the list is in fact quite high. And the fact is, if your image does not even have a chance of appearing at the top few pages, the chances of it getting sold is near zilch. The truth is, more exposure leads to more sales.

How, then, do you improve your image search rankings?

The answer is to focus on long tail keywords. By long tail keywords, I mean keywords that target the less competitive niche markets compared to the highly competitive keywords. For example, a short tail keyword may be something like “business man” while a long tail keyword could be “business man black suit”.

When you compare these 2 phrases and do a search for them on microstock sites, “business man” returns much more images than “business man black suit”. The key here is to include keywords that describe certain (but related!) details of your image. Your images might rank lower from searches on the broader keywords such as “business” or “man”, but for buyers who know what they are looking for, they are more likely to use long tail keywords and your detailed keywording will make a huge difference.

For more information on long tail keywords, refer to this article which provides an in-depth explanation.

The next milestone that I have set for myself shall be 2000 submitted images.

Microstock is a numbers game so it generally means that the more images you submit, the better results you will get. But of course, I can’t possibly compare myself to the king of microstock, Yuri Arcurs, who has more than 25,000 images online at Dreamstime at the point of writing this blog post. Although microstock earns you “micro” earnings for each image as compared to traditional stock images, never underestimate it as it can go a long way. It is merely a different business model and aims to make up for the lower profit per image through selling a higher volume of images.

However, uploading a large number of mediocre images will get you nowhere either in the long run. For a start, the composition of images might not play a big part but ultimately, it is the difference between a sale and getting nothing. At the beginning of your microstock venture, you might want to focus more on the technical requirements of microstock such as image noise and shadows, but as you go further, pay more attention to creating images with better quality and composition.

Of course it does not mean that if you do not submit, you earn nothing for that month, but rather you get more in return if you submit content consistently. Even if you fail to submit much for that month, buyers will still be able to view and purchase your images 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Some call it passive income. With the internet, we are now empowered to reach out to a larger customer base and the microstock industry is a very good example of what can be achieved.

The following is one of my articles very kindly published by MAFGA, a volunteer organization located Minoh, Osaka, in the April 2010 issue of Meron, the organization’s monthly volunteer newsletter publication.



特派員レポート
いろいろな民族料理が楽しめる「食の天国」  シンガポール

こんにちは！前回は日本に留学していた時のことを読んで頂きましたが、今回は自国のシンガポールの食生活についてご紹介したいと思います。


シンガポールは「食の天国」とよく言われています。これはある意味で大阪の「食い倒れ」と似ているかもしれません。なぜ「食の天国」と言われているかというと、こちらには世界中の料理が集まっていて、さまざまな食べ物を味わうことができるからです。


まず、多民族国家と呼ばれているシンガポールでは、人口の７５％を占める中国系をはじめ、マレー系、インド系などの人が一緒に生活しています。そのほかにもアメリカやイギリスからの西洋人、日本人、韓国人、隣国のタイ、ベトナム、インドネシアなどの人も出稼ぎ、もしくは永住のためにこちらに来ています。それぞれ違う背景、違う文化の人々が住んでいるからこそ、その国々の独特な食生活がそれぞれの祖国から自然に伝来してきたのです。そればかりか、異人種間結婚も珍しくないこちらでは、マレー系の先住民と中国系やインド系の間に新しいスタイルの料理、「ペラナカン料理」が生み出されました。すなわち、マレー料理と中華料理やインド料理とのフュージョンなのです。


シンガポール人にとっては、食べることがもっとも気に入った娯楽とも言われています。至るところに料理屋が並んでいて、人気の店の前には長蛇の列が作られています。料理屋といえば、いくつかの種類があります。地元の人がよく訪れるのは、オープンな感じで冷房のない「ホーカー・センター」（Hawker Centre）という、大きな空間に屋台が集まる場所です。ホーカーとは屋台のことで、政府が衛生面の規制を強化すべく、作ったのがホーカー・センターなのです。こちらでは値段が安くて、一食２００～４００円程度で、中国系、マレー系などといったさまざまな料理が気軽に楽しめます。それに同じテーブルから複数の屋台に注文することができるので、一度にいろいろな料理を味わうこともできます。ホーカー・センターのほかにも、「フード・コート」（Food  Court）という室内で冷房もある場所や、店舗数が少なく、公営団地の下にある「コーヒー・ショップ」(Coffee Shop)もあります。フード・コートやホーカー・センターとの相違点は、コーヒー・ショップは、いくつかの店舗が同じ経営者に管理されていることにあります。


もしシンガポールを訪れる機会があれば、個人的にお勧めするのは高級なレストランやお店ではなく、ホーカー・センターという地元の人がよく行く場所で食事をしてみることです。できれば少し中心部から離れた住宅地に行くといいと思います。そうすれば、現地の生活を垣間見ることができるし、値段もわりと安く、かつ美味しい料理を食べることができるので、一挙両得だと思います。


どうしても食べて欲しい料理は沢山ありますが、いくつかに絞り込んでご紹介します。名物の「チキン・ライス」はすでに紹介するまでもないほどよく知られていますが、もう一つは中華料理のキャロット・ケーキ（Carrot  Cake）です。ケーキ屋さんで売っている甘いケーキと思われがちですが、それは大間違いで、にんじんで作られた甘くないお餅状態のものを言い、卵と一緒に炒めるのが一般的な食べ方です。「ヨン・タオ・フー」（Yong  Tau  Fu）という料理は、自分が好きな食材（揚げ豆腐、野菜、しいたけ、トウモロコシなど）を取って、お湯で加熱し、スープをかけ、ご飯、きしめん、おそばなどと組み合わせて食べますが、いろいろな食べ方があります。辛いものがお好きな人は「ラクサ」というココナッツカレーをかけて食べます。もう一品は定番でもある福建式のえび焼きそば、地元では「ホッキエン・ミー」（Hokkien Mee）と呼びます。食材はえび、イカ、煎り卵、おそば、時々きしめんも入っています。


家族や友人にお土産を買おうと思うなら、定番の「マーライオン・チョコレート」よりも少しユニークなものをお勧めしたいです。それはペラナカン料理の「カヤ」という、ココナッツミルク、卵などで作られたジャムです。パンにバターと一緒に塗るとさらに美味しくなります。ココナッツが好物の人には一度食べると病みつきになることを保証します。


もしシンガポールに来る機会があれば、簡単なグルメツアーなら喜んでご案内します。また、http://www.truphotos.com/tag/food/ にはシンガポールの美味しい料理を写真付きでご紹介していますので、ご興味のある方は是非お気軽に覗いてみてください。