![]() Snell window divers exiting the water or ascending – UWL-04 semi fisheye lens Canon S95 ![]() With a compact camera a semifisheye lens will capture the edges of the window if correctly aimed on the diagonal and horizontal dimensions and will fall short on the vertical. Take into account that even with a fisheye lens on an SLR you can’t capture the Snell’s window on the vertical axis as the field of view will fall short a few degrees. ![]() An interesting subject as silhouette to contrast the clear water if there are waves and you can’t easily see through.Ī normal flat wet wide angle lens for our compact camera is not sufficient to capture the snell’s windows as in this example Divers at Safety Stop – taken with Inon UWL-H100 at wide end Something interesting on the surface (if you have calm water you can see right through)ģ. A lens that is wide enough, you need a bit more than 96º field of view to take the whole windowĢ. So what do you need to shoot image of a Snell window:ġ. You can also combine both as we did in this case. ĭuring my last Gapapagos Trip there was a bit of an issue in terms of photography subjects, in essence most of them were fairly big like sharks, turtles, eagle rays and of course divers.Īfter a while shooting or trying to shoot those uncooperative models I had the idea to try and do different things such as silhouettes and Snell windows. If you’re looking for a fun camera for a young relative or something to bring when you don’t want to carry a Mirrorless or DSLR, or perhaps something to bring along when shooting some film, or even a less precious camera to keep in a bag or the car, the X-Z1 could be a great camera for you! Limited quantities are on sale now at The Camera Store.Snell’s window is a phenomenon by which an underwater viewer sees everything above the surface through a cone of light of width of about 96 degrees. Compared to the used and new market for a compact, the X-Z1 is a bargain, and suitable for a number of shooters. At $99 today, there isn’t much available in the same range. While its feature set was impressive upon release it still holds up. When it debuted, the camera went for far more than its current price. The viewfinder doesn’t add too much to the shooting experience and interferes with the camera’s small size. I had to download the Olympus-specific software in order to update the firmware, which allowed me to use the additional viewfinder. Requiring a steadier hand than I was used to was a challenge, but I had a great time previewing some of my film shots as I had JPEG files ready to go and I could track exposure and timing. The XZ-1 uses a global shutter, a far cry from today’s ultrafast electronic shutters. Even at its noisiest, the camera renders some really fun and interesting images. The “grainy film” effect and monochrome are a quick favourite. The CCD sensor renders rich colours and works well in JPEG with the provided colour profiles. Requiring a little more patience than some of the modern cameras available. ![]() The limitations which are typical of cameras this age are present, short-lived battery life, and the best results coming from exposure times of less than 1/500th of a second felt a bit limiting, but once again reminded me of my Olympus film cameras. Surprisingly, a hot shoe is even included! A few tests with a Godox TT350 worked well, and the ability to add some real flash power to your camera can go a long way. A simple USB charging port can even be plugged into a vehicle. The aluminum body of the camera and clickable aperture ring provides a great tactile experience, and the camera is easily slipped into a pocket while you go for a walk or a hike. At first, the dedicated low light mode seemed disappointing when reviewing images on the camera’s rear screen, but after importing my images to Lightroom I was impressed. Despite the switch in technology, the XZ-1 reminds me of those lenses, delivering sharp images in varying light conditions, and a useful short-range zoom. They all hold a special place in the history of cameras. I’ve had the pleasure of shooting prime lenses from the Zuiko SLR line, and some of the Stylus film lineup. Most prominently a 1.8 aperture Zuiko lens and a dedicated low light mode. The Olympus XZ-1 floats to the top of a sea of compacts exceeding most expectations!Ī few features of the camera caught my attention out of the box. Reviewing a ten-year-old camera isn’t easy, you can’t compare it to something modern, and 2010 was a period of drastic change in the camera market.
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