Canon 7D: It May Be Rugged After All!

I've just stumbled on the interesting ( and certainly one for your bookmarks if Canon is what you use) website Canon Field Reviews (CFR) authored by Pro Nature Photographer Ole Jørgen Liodden of Norway who tests Canon gear under extreme real life conditions.

Liodden took his Canon 7D on a three and a half week week photo expedition to Antarctica, and put it through extreme and hard use under prevailing bad weather conditions, and reported that it performed flawlessly. He chose to use the camera with a battery grip for better handling, and it (the grip) seemed tighter and better sealed than the one that fits the Canon 5D Mark II. He reports that his 7D had absolutely no problems with snow, rain and water (sea spray). He also used a Canon 1Ds Mark III with no issues at all (as expected from such a camera).

His conclusion:

"The 7D performed as I had hoped, surpassing 10,000 exposures without a problem. I must admit that the 5D Mark II surprised me as well with its build quality. The 1DS Mark III camera is the most rugged and best weather sealed, but the 7D and 5D Mark II (without battery grip) performed 100% in my opinion."

Hmmmm.

China: Portraits of 56 Ethnic Groups

Photo © Chen Hai Wen-All Rights Reserved
Here's an interesting "ethno-photographic" gallery by Chinese photographer Chen Hai Wen (all the information was translated from the Wen Xue City news website using Google Translator) who has recently published large scale photographs in what seems to have been titled as Harmonious China depicting groupings of 56 ethnic groups in China.

From what I gathered from the rather awkward translation, Chen Hai Wen led 14 other photographers across China on photo-shoots which took over one year to complete. It seems the total number of photographs made during this massive undertaking was 5.7 million!!

The "family" photographs are technically perfect, and showcase each different group in its traditional dress. The poses are stilted for the most part...and they are all obviously painstakingly staged...but it's certainly a monumental tour de force.

The last portrait is of the Han ethnic group, to which the largest percentage of Chinese belong to. It's also interesting that ethnic minorities of Taiwan are included.

Kroo Bay: Anna Kåri and Guilhem Alandry

Here's a humanitarian project produced by Anna Kåri and Guilhem Alandry, both photojournalists, titled Kroo Bay, and commissioned by and created for Save the Children It's an interactive panoramic multimedia, which adds a tactile feel to the project by its viewers...it's as if one was there. It's remarkably well done, and uses panoramas, videos, audio and stills.

Kroo Bay is an informal housing settlement located on the coastline in central Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. It has an estimated population of about 6000 people. Residents of Kroo Bay lack adequate access to sanitation and health services, and their settlement is treated as a garbage dump by the rest of the capital city.

Guilhem is a French London-based photographer, videographer and multimedia producer. His use of 360-degree documentary technique won him awards and has been used both in print, interactive projects, exhibitions and TV.

Anna Kåri is a photojournalist based in West Africa and London. Her work centres around issues of human rights and animal rights, migration, refugees and identity. She travels and works extensively in the Balkans, West and Eastern Africa. Anna's work has been published by the TIME, Sunday Times Magazine, Le Monde 2, the Guardian, Politiken and many others.

My thanks to photographer Jonathan Adams for the heads -up.