Purchasing your next Camera through Studio19.com.au Equipment Rentals

Macarthur Camera House has the new Catalogue out for March 2014 and the big hook is:

Studio19 is a Great new way to own the latest Camera Equipment with easy monthly payments with a Minimum Rental Period of 6 months!

How does this benefit you???

Our rental plan enables you to obtain the products you really desire rather than simply compromising based on what total outlay you could afford. 

With low monthly rental fees and just a minimum rental period of 6 months, our rental program enables you to use the:

Product of Your Dreams!

Pretty fancy right?

This is a brilliant way to get moving forward as all the costs are shown upfront even the buyout cost at the end of the lease, no hidden balloon payments!!!

Ask me a question about Rentals on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/macarthurcamerahouse 

For FAQ About Studio19 check out this link 

When you're just starting out

Obtaining equipment is not necessarily inexpensive. Beginners may be concerned whether the eqiupment is really right for them, even worse purchase below standard products which can have devastating effects on potential development.

Moving forward

Is your current equipment holding you back in your development, but coming up with the total funds for an upgrade proving out of your reach? For a low monthly rental you can now be using the product of your dreams.

For professionals

With Studio19 Rentals you can always get the benefit of the latest technological advancements and features by just upgrading. That way you can ensure you will have the best and most up to date equipment at your fingertips at all times. In many cases you may even be able to claim your rental payments as a tax deduction.

Apply to buy

While minimum rental periods apply, you can still apply to buy at any time.  Ask in store at a Studio19 Agent Macarthur Camera House

Come in for a no obligation discussion to plan your next step in photography!!!

Thanks for reading,

Simon Hornstra

Photoshop Tutorial: Making eyes Pop! Stand out from the crowd.

I did a photo shoot for a friend to help her with some headshots and I did a couple of things to help her stand out from the crowd.

In this tutorial I will be going over how I made her eyes really look great and stand out to catch attention.

We Start with the original image and crop it to make it really get the story that we are trying to share. 

Start by using the Dodge tool, set your hardness to around the 50% mark, so you don't have to worry about being too accurate.

Then apply the dodge to the iris, making the blue's lighter.

Use the burn tool and set it for Shadows, exposure around 15%,  Hardness 75%  so you can be more accurate, and size to suit. Apply the tool to the rim of the iris and go over the pupil if you wish.

I followed this with a burn to the eye-lashes so they stand out more.

And applied to both eyes makes them just pop out at you so your client gets the best results.

PREVIEW: Sony’s new action POV camera

http://blog.sony.com/povcamera

Big news for the POV Camera Market, things are about to be shaken up big time!!

Sony is developing a brand new POV camera and the stats are pretty hot. Sony has given us a sneak peak of this device.  Straight from http://blog.sony.com/povcamera 

Our hearts are beating, our blood is flowing, our adrenaline is pumping. Here’s why: Sony’s developing a new type of hi-def wearable video camera for POV and action sports filming, and we’re giving you – our stellar fans – the first look at the device!

Profile shot of the POV Camera, easy to navigate.

Simple buttons to start and stop recording.

Carl Zeiss Tesser Lens baby!

Simple housing, Should withstand the extremes very well.

Going to be amazing!!!

Here is a quote from the Sony Blog:

The video camera is tiny and lightweight, but it houses Sony’s hallmark SteadyShot^®image stabilization technology, Exmor^® R CMOS image sensor, and an ultra-wide angle Carl Zeiss® Tessar® lens.
That means, whether you’re shredding major powder, jumping out of a plane, or kayaking through an epic waterfall, you’re capturing super high-quality video of it to show off to your family and friends. And there’ll be ruggedized and waterproof housings available so the camera can do its job in even the most extreme environments.
We’ll keep sharing updates and details about the product so be sure to stay tuned.

Tags: action sports, Carl Zeiss Tessar Lens, compact, exmor R CMOS senor, extreme, filming, hi-def, high definition, point-of-view, POV, video camera

Macro Photography using Extension Tubes - What are Extension Tubes?

There is something magic about Macro photography that we all love doing and using the right equipment delivers amazing results that can take your breath away. 

A Macro Lens can start at about $500 up to $1500 or even more, and this is where we introduce Macro Extension Tubes, they turn any lens into a macro lens for life size photography. Macro Extension Tubes have very exciting results for half the cost of a new lens.

Auto Extension Tubes

Manual Focus or Auto Focus Extension tubes are available, for most subject you shoot Manual Focus is easier because in Auto the camera might have trouble finding focus so close.

Each Tube has a multiplier effect on the minimum focusing distance.

For Example the Canon EF-S18-55mm IS Lens has a minimum focus distance of 0.25m you can get:
1.5x = 0.16m
2x = 0.125m
3x = 0.083m.
1.5+2+3x = 0.027m




So you get get so close to anything at all. This is how close you can get without the tubes:

This is how much closer you get using the tubes:

1.5x Tube

2x Tube

3x Tube

1.5x + 2x + 3x Tubes

Come in for a free demonstration at Macarthur Camera House.

Secrets to Helping Kids to Photograph their Story

Kids love playing with what we are playing with, it is how they learn. We have seen too many parents buy a 'cheap' camera for their children because of the fear they'll break it. 
Children have a great "eye" for photographing the world as they see it, giving them a cheap camera sometimes can limit how they tell the story they want to share. We don't want to give our kids an expensive camera, they could break it or lose it, so what do we do?
At Macrthur Camera House we have been recommending Tough cameras to parents for a long time, most are shock proof, waterproof, dust and freeze proof.

Olympus TG-820 - photo from www.olympus.com.au 

There are several on the market that you can choose. All of them take a great photo and now take decent movies to tell the best stories. Olympus, Nikon, Panasonic, Canon, Fujifilm, Pentax, Sony just to name a few. Each has their own features and fit most niches.
Now you can give your young ones something to tell great stories and not worry about them breaking it. From swimming to running through muddy puddles, kids get to be kids and share their story. 
Just imagine the DVDs you can send to their grandparents for Christmas.


Nikon have come out with a great little camera for kids, the S30. Designed especially for the way children hold a Camera and it is inexpensive.  
View our blog on it here: http://macarthurcamerahouse.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/nikon-s30-i-am-limitless-kids-camera.html

http://mynikonlife.com.au/gear/digital-compact-cameras/s30

Large buttons, simple layout and user-friendly interface

The COOLPIX S30 features a unique symmetrical design with buttons placed and sized to make it really simple to use. The lens and LCD monitor is placed in the middle of the camera, which lets kids hold the camera without their hands getting in the way. The large LCD monitor gives you a clear, easy to understand view of the cameras functions and the camera goes from power-up to still image or movie shooting mode with dedicated buttons.

• Making your photos fun to view and shareThe built-in album-making feature of the COOLPIX S30 lets you create scrapbooks for quick access to your favourite pictures. And you can create original slide shows with animated effects and music to enjoy with friends or family. You can even add two voice messages to each picture and share them with a friend or loved one.
• HD movies and easy auto modeCapture all the fun and colour wherever you go, the COOLPIX S30 lets you record full 720p HD movies.

The Dangers of Picking the Wrong Camera: Macro Photography using Extension Tubes

The Dangers of Picking the Wrong Camera: Macro Photography using Extension Tubes
Simon has written a blog about how to use Macro Extension Tubes.

Nikon S30 I AM The Limitless Kids Camera!

I AM Family-Proof

Nikon Australia has amazed again with the Introduction of the new Coolpix S30 which has hit our store and is ready to buy, we had one customer purchase 2, one for each child.

It has large buttons, intuitive controls and is so easy my 20 month old son can take photos with it!

10.1 Megapixels | Shock, dirt and water resistant | 720p HD video| 4x Zoom

These are ready to purchase at Macarthur Camera House so shoot us an email!

The COOLPIX S30 has a symmetrical design with buttons placed and sized to make it really simple for kids and adults alike to use. The lens is positioned in the middle of the camera, which lets kids hold the camera without their hands getting in the way, such an awesome idea. The large LCD monitor gives you a clear, easy to understand view of the cameras functions and the camera goes from power-up to still image or movie shooting mode with dedicated buttons.

• Making your photos fun to view and share. The built-in album-making feature of the COOLPIX S30 lets you create scrapbooks for quick access to your favourite pictures. And you can create original slide shows with animated effects and music to enjoy with friends or family. You can even add two voice messages to each picture and share them with a friend or loved one.
• HD movies and easy auto mode Capture all the fun and colour wherever you go, the COOLPIX S30 lets you record 720p HD movies that you can watch using the HDMI output on your TV.
• Power anywhere, you run off AA batteries so you can be ready to shoot at anytime. 240 shots when using alkaline batteries, Based on Camera and Imaging Products Association (CIPA) standards for measuring the life of camera batteries.