Another Canon?? Portraiture and news…

Two days ago Canon released another camera – the EOS 1D C – I’m not going to go into specs or details, that’s not the point of this post. If you want to know more about Canon’s new 4K video camera, perhaps check here and here. The point of this post is to (briefly) wonder what is going on with the DSLR market exactly?? Are they for stills, are they for video, are they some weird blend of the two, and should I care?

I’ve been waiting to upgrade my camera body for the last, hmmm, 4+ years I suspect – my camera does what it needs to do, and does it really well. These new cameras remind me of when phones started getting smart – anyone remember the Palm Treo? It was a phone and a PDA – and it did NEITHER of those functions very well at all!! I worry that camera bodies are heading down the same road – strange blends of different capabilities bolted together to try and appeal to the broadest market possible, and in the process not really being ideal for anyone. You can’t please all people all the time, as they say…

I’m due to replace my body, because it is basically worn out – what should I get? Given the flurry of bodies that Nikon and Canon are releasing, I’m wondering if I should take a closer look at something that is really good at taking a great image – like a Phase One 645/IQ Combo? Oh wait, I’d have to sell BOTH kidneys and still not have enough cashola… *sigh*

On a side note, I’m looking at genre’s of photography I’ve not really explored seriously. There are gaps in my portfolio, chunks of experience I’m yet to develop in a more meaningful way. One example is more serious portraiture than I’ve done to date – ever since I saw the Karin Catt “Famous” exhibition at the State Library in 2007, I’ve had this desire incessantly squawking in the back of my head. I’d drop everything I’m doing right now if I could get a week shadowing Karin, or amazing photographer Marco Grob – portraiture can be amazing and powerful, it communicates with the viewer in a very different way to other genres… Plus, I find it particularly complex and challenging, hence my desire to do more with it!

Enough rambling for now, more news on the way as soon as I can get the website updated in a way that supports the new news!! Circular reference I know, sorry about that!