Jon Sienkiewicz Blog

Zorki Wins TIPA Award; White House Denies Russian Collusion
Members of the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) today announced that the Moscow Zorki TTL, a newcomer on the digital camera scene, has won the 2018 award for overall best product. Second place in the voting is the Zenit A, manufactured by the same company which is located in the foothills of Mount Narodnaya in the Ural Mountains. Although some competitive camera makers allege possible vote tampering, the White House has issued a strong statement labeling the accusations a ‘witch hunt’ and fully denying the insinuation of Russian collusion.

For more news stories from 2018, click Continue Reading below.

It’s an annual event that never fails to please. Across most of the country, the leaves on deciduous trees do their fire dance, wither and fade, and then finally surrender to the sway of the autumn wind. It’s a great time to be a photographer, but capturing the fall color explosion at its peak can be frustratingly difficult. Right? So do what we do—take a look at this interactive leaf color predictor.

Nurturing neophyte film photographers and movie makers, supplying photo schools with film cameras, and helping photographers of all levels learn how to use legacy film cameras, Michael Raso and the Film Photography Project volunteers have engaged with tens of thousands of film users around the world via a monthly podcast, by answering emailed questions and by conducting workshops. If you're into film of any size, shape or format, visit the FPP website and tune in to a podcast.

Filters for Fall Foliage

Sometimes it’s better to be lucky than smart. For me, luck means getting a decent picture even though I use precisely the wrong settings, or when I use exactly the wrong equipment for the situation. Yep, I admit that I benefit from luck a lot. 

Summer's almost here, and we made our annual May jaunt to the Jersey Shore. The full name of the park we call Sandy Hook is "Gateway National Recreation Area." As far as we're concerned, it has everything anyone could ask for: several of the white sand beaches New Jersey is famous for, deserted military bunkers, miles of bike trails and a light house. Plus it's nearby and never seems overcrowded.

After one of their most dramatic marketing build-ups in recent times, Leica unveiled the X Vario camera on June 11. I was fortunate to get a working sample—for just a few days—and put it through its paces. Here are my impressions.