Fujifilm FinePix F480
Posted on July 31, 2007 - Filed Under Digital | Leave a Comment
Fujifilm FinePix F480 : The Fujifilm FinePix F480 is an 8.2-Megapixel digital camera featuring a 28mm wide-angle lens with a 4x optical zoom, a large 2.7-inch LCD monitor, all packaged in a stylish slim 23mm, metallic body. The Fujifilm FinePix F480 also features intuitive, easy-to-operate buttons, enabling first-time buyers to operate the camera with ease and simplicity. This is the first time that Fujifilm has fitted a 28mm wide-angle lens to an F series camera. Consumer research has shown that demand is growing for compacts with wide-angle lenses. A 28mm lens allows users to capture large groups of people indoors or wide shots of buildings. Consumers will appreciate the ease by which groups can be shot and buildings photographed.
The Fujifilm FinePix F480 is fitted with an 8.2-Megapixel CCD, giving ISO 800 sensitivity at full resolution. Like previous FinePix models, the F480 is fitted with Picture Stabilization Mode, which uses high sensitivity to reduce camera shake, freeze subject movement and improve low light background detail. Fitted with a 28mm (35mm equivalent) wide-angle lens with 4X optical zoom, the F480 also offers a 6.9x digital zoom (VGA) for a combined 27.6x total zoom range.
Fujifilm FinePix F480 camera – Large LCD
The complex electronics of the Fujifilm FinePix F480 is encased in a slim (23mm), tough metal shell, perfect for the pocket or handbag. Available in both black and silver, the Fujifilm FinePix F480’s slim design and graceful curves will certainly appeal to the sophisticated consumer, looking to trade-up from their first entry-level purchase.
Fujifilm F480 – Mode Dial & Scene Modes
The Fujifilm FinePix F480 features a mode dial, allowing users to easily toggle between auto mode, scene modes, and movie recording modes. Various scene modes give the user pre-set shooting modes, setting aperture, shutter speed and white balance. Consumers can let the camera do the hard work while concentrating on capturing the perfect shot.
Fujifilm FinePix F480 – Anti Blur mode
Uses high sensitivity to reduce camera shake, freeze subject movement and improve low light background detail. When users switch shooting modes, scene positions or control settings, a brief explanation of the setting is momentarily displayed on the LCD screen, taking much of the guesswork out of the camera operation.
Fujifilm FinePix F480 – Memory & Availability
For both xD-picture card, Secure Digital (SD) card, and SDHC(High Capacity) card. Fujifilm FinePix F480 is scheduled to be available from October 2007.
Fujifilm S5 Pro Review at PhotographyBLOG
Posted on July 30, 2007 - Filed Under Digital, Ratings, Reviews, Tips | Leave a Comment
PhotographyBLOG has a review of the Fujifilm S5 Pro and writes, “Overall the Fujifilm S5 Pro displayed an amazing lack of noise with regard to its images – delivering a performance at ISO 1600 that would be comparable to that from lesser cameras at ISO 400, with ISO 3200 equivalent to the kind of results normally seen at ISO 800. Which means, if you’re indeed shooting in low light without flash, as most social photographers worth their salt prefer working these days, the Fujifilm S5 Pro is capable of delivering results that are bang ‘on the money’.”
Book Review: Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One by Deke McClelland
Posted on July 29, 2007 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One may be one of the most interesting training systems I have ever seen. It is a straightforward, step-by-step guide to the features and functions of Photoshop. It has many real-world projects, insider tips as well as coverage of new features in CS3 such as Adobe Bridge. Add to that, it has the entertaining teaching style that has made Deke McClelland a legendary trainer in the Photoshop world.
According to the author, he created Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One for three different audiences; graphic artists, designers and photographers. He created the book as a highly visual, full color multi-media presentation that will allow you to read, watch and do! His goal was to meet the needs of beginning and intermediate users but has found that even the most experienced users have learned new techniques.
The book contains 12 lessons, each of which contain three to six step-by-step exercises. Each lesson contains a corresponding video lesson; a DVD-Rom disk is included with the book that contains over two hours worth of training video, in which the author introduces concepts that you will need to complete the exercises. Each exercise culminates in a real-world project for you to complete.
While I won't go in to each of the lessons, McClelland does cover all of the fundamentals of Photoshop such as color balancing, cropping, selections, masks, filters, text and layers. When each tool is introduced, all of the important options are explained so that you will be able to work with the tool and get a good understanding of what it can be used for. On top of that, the instruction is high quality, as it not only includes the "how," but the "why" as well.
What I like about Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One is the whole concept of multi-media training. McClelland starts a chapter, say lesson four "Making Selections," by giving a brief overview of what the chapter is about. In this case he explains "Photoshop doesn't perceive the flower as an independent object. Instead, the program sees pixels … Photoshop sees a blur of subtle transitions without form or substance." Where a lot of authors would stop at the word pixels, McClelland takes the time to get you to understand the concept.
He then explains where the project files are on the DVD. He tells you what the lesson is about, and the ways to select a region of an image and edit it independently of the other regions of the image. You are then instructed to watch the DVD. In this case it lasts 11 minutes and 45 seconds. Then it is on to the lesson where you learn to isolate an image element – in this case the top of an umbrella. He guides you on how to select color areas using the magic wand. You are shown how to use the marquee tools as well as other techniques. All the time he is dropping "Pearls of Wisdom" which are additional techniques that you will find invaluable. Then at the end, there is a "Chapter Test" where you can see how much you have learned.
Adobe Photoshop CS3 One-On-One has been updated throughout to take into account the new features that are in Adobe Photoshop CS3. Some of the new sections include "Aligning Layers and Blending Photographs," which introduces the new Auto-Align Layers command that allows you to match multiple images captured from a single vantage point, and "Smart Filters," which are the long-awaited means of applying Photoshop's wide-ranging filter effects nondestructively and reversibly.
I feel that if you are new to Photoshop or have been working with Photoshop for many years without formal training, you will grow by magnitudes in your understanding and ability to use Photoshop.
Lesson overview
Lesson 1: File management and Navigation.
Lesson 2: Brightness and Contrast Adjustments.
Lesson 3: Color Balance.
Lesson 4: Selection Tools.
Lesson 5: Cropping and Transforming an Image
Lesson 6: Painting and Retouching.
Lesson 7: Masking.
Lesson 8: Focus and Distortion Filters.
Lesson 9: Layer Functions.
Lesson 10: Text and Shape Layers.
Lesson 11: Layer Styles and Specialty Layers
Lesson 12: Print Functions.
Canon CMOS for compact cameras
Posted on July 29, 2007 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Thanks to Jeff for the heads up on this, according to an article posted yesterday by Reuters, Canon is to invest 55 billion Yen ($451 million) in a new CMOS production factory at its existing site in the Kanagawa Prefecture near Tokyo. The interesting snippet in this news article comes from the following statement: "The CMOS chips will be used in both single lens reflex (SLR) models as well as in some compact models. Canon’s compact cameras have to date used a different type of image sensor called a charge-coupled device (CCD)." This is interesting from an image quality point of view but will also be big news for Canon’s existing sensor suppliers such as Sony.
Phil: This could be very significant news, if accurate we could see slightly larger CMOS sensors in compact cameras delivering better quality than todays CCD sensors. I also wouldn’t be surprised (or concerned) to see a slight step back in megapixels if it delivered better noise performance and dynamic range.
(this page only about DSLR sensors)
Lens Test: Olympus Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ED AF
Posted on July 28, 2007 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Olympus’s wide-angle kit lens for the E-510 and E-410, available separately for $250 (street), this is the smallest and lightest digital Zuiko. It and its tele counterpart, the 40-150mm f/4-5.6 Zuiko, are the first interchangeable lenses from Olympus with plastic mounts. With about the same speed and zoom range as the earlier Olympus digital wide-angle kit zoom, the 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6, this new lens (a 24-84mm equivalent) is more than 30 percent lighter and smaller than its already-compact predecessor.
Hands On:
Attractively finished with ribbed and rubberized rings, the amply sized manual-focus and zoom collars have extremely welldamped turning actions, especially by kit lens standards. Autofocus is quiet and speedy; manual focusing is very fine by today’s standards, with a turning radius almost twice as long as the comparable 18-55mm Nikkor (90 versus 50 degrees.) The manual-focus ring does not stop at the extremes of its focusing range — our least-favorite design. Like most kits zooms, it lacks a subject distance scale. Focal lengths, however, are well marked.
Canon announces two photo All-in-One printer models
Posted on July 28, 2007 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
Designed with style and packed with performance, the Canon PIXMA MP470 and MP210 Photo All-In-One (AIO) printers announced today by Canon U.S.A., Inc., deliver new ease-of-use and printing technology, boast approximately 46-second 4″ x 6″ borderless photo printing speeds,(1) and offer functionality in a stylish, compact package. Perfect for the dorm room or home office, both models provide printing, scanning and copying features and require the same amount of desktop space that many single function printers occupy.
Adding to the current line of cutting-edge Canon All-In-One Printers, both the PIXMA MP470 and PIXMA MP210 Photo AIOs will be the first products to utilize the new “AutoImage Fix” and “Quick Start” features. AutoImage Fix includes a function that automatically analyzes and categorizes the scenes in photographs to ensure that each individual scene is optimized in accordance with the scene type such as Portrait, Scenery, Snapshot, etc. These latest AIO’s make sure that the entire photo printing process from editing to printing is easier.
Waiting a long time for start-up will be a thing of the past thanks to the Canon Quick Start feature that allows the user to start using the AIO in a matter of seconds. Now users can press the power button and watch their AIO fire up almost immediately, without long delays between pressing the power button and actually seeing the user interface on the screen. Running late for class and needing to make one more copy will not be an issue with either of these new printers. Just hit the power button and you will be ready to operate in no time.
“All-In-One Printers have been on the rise for more than a year,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “Having a small machine that can copy, print and scan for student projects, photo albums, home scrap-booking or crafting is very desirable. Canon’s aim with these printers is to raise the bar for performance, design and ease-of-use, while still maintaining a value price point.”
CANON MP470 PHOTO ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
Consumers interested in printing beautiful photos will enjoy the 1.8″ flip-up LCD panel, as well as the two-cartridge, four-color printing system. With a minimum two-picoliter droplet size and up to 4800 x 1200 dpi color resolution(2) and text print speeds of up to 22 ppm in black and up to 17 ppm in color(1), this printer will continue to strengthen Canon’s reputation for building high quality and fast multifunction printers. The LCD panel is especially helpful for users printing directly from compatible memory cards(3) because it allows them to view and choose the pictures to print right on the screen. The MP470 Photo All-In-One will also feature direct photo printing capabilities, a high-speed USB 2.0 connection, memory card slots(3), PictBridge connection and an optional Bluetooth wireless connection.(4) The estimated selling price for the PIXMA MP470 Photo All-In-One is $99.99(5), and the BU-20 Bluetooth adapter has an estimated selling price of $49.99.(5)
CANON MP210 PHOTO ALL-IN-ONE PRINTER
Aimed at the college student and home photo printing customer, the PIXMA MP210 Photo All-In-One features a maximum of 4800 x 1200 dpi color resolution(2), and a minimum two-picoliter droplet size to deliver outstanding photo quality. Text printing speeds are up to 22 ppm for black and up to 17 ppm for color(1), providing users with high speed to go along with high quality. Additional features include the Advanced Z-Lid expansion top to help scan bulkier items and high-speed USB 2.0 and PictBridge connections. The Advanced Z-Lid expansion top allows the user to place large notebooks or materials for scanning on the platen glass and holds them down for a more clear copy or scan. The estimated selling price for the Canon MP210 Photo All-In-One is $79.99.
ChromaLife100 System
The PIXMA MP470 and MP210 Photo All-In-One printers use the Canon’s ChromaLife100 system, along with FINE print head technology for long-lasting photo prints. When using select genuine Canon photo papers, prints can resist fading for up to 100 years when stored in an archival quality photo album. The 100-year-lifespan rivals that of many traditional film-based photos, long considered by consumers to be the benchmark for image permanence. Prints produced on Canon Photo Paper Pro with ChromaLife100 have up to a ten-year gas fastness when exposed to open air. ChromaLife100 prints when created using Canon Photo Paper Pro or Photo Paper Plus Glossy, have up to a 30-year light fastness when displayed under glass.(6)
Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering (FINE)
Launched globally by Canon in 1999, the Canon FINE advanced print head technology is one of the keys to the impressive speed and high photo quality in PIXMA photo all-in-one printers. FINE technology uses a ground-breaking high-performance multi-nozzle print engine that ejects consistent and microscopic ink droplets. The results are high-resolution photos with great detail and clarity in less time.
Canon Digital Photo Professional 3.0.2
Posted on July 28, 2007 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
Canon have released Digital Photo Professional 3.0.2 for Windows and Mac OS X. Digital Photo Professional is software exclusively for editing and converting RAW images shot by EOS Digital cameras. The update adds the following new features:
Windows Version
1-1. The following functions can now be used in Windows Vista.
– Trimming Tool
– Quick Check Tool
– Detailed settings printing
– Contact sheet printing
1-2. Improvement of image display quality.
Corrected the issue in which jaggies are noticeable in images displayed on the monitor.
1-3. The setting value of Picture Style files will be applied to images.
When a picture style is applied to images, the setting value of picture style (contrast/color tone/color depth/sharpness) will be applied.
Mac Version
1-1. Improvement of image display quality.
Corrected the issue in which jaggies are noticeable in images displayed on the monitor.
1-2. The setting value of Picture Style files will be applied to images.
When a picture style is applied to images, the setting value of picture style (contrast/color tone/color depth/sharpness) will be applied.
The Digital Photo Professional 3.0.2 updater can be downloaded from any of the compatible DSLR pages on the Canon USA website – http://www.usa.canon.com
Sony Cybershot DSC R1 review
Posted on July 28, 2007 - Filed Under Cameras, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Sony Cybershot R1 digital camera review : The fact that Sony introduced the Cybershot DSC R1 should without a doubt be noted as both surprising and remarkable. Not only was a new Cybershot digital camera about to see the light of day, it is a camera that comes equipped with an entirely new high resolution image sensor of no less than 10+ Megapixels, which is certainly surprising. With the introduction of the Sony R1, Sony gives a renewed sign of life, especially in the high segment where they had seemed somewhat absent recently. Still, behind the scenes Sony have been keeping more than busy to prepare themselves for the increasingly developing digital reflex camera market. It is not without reason that Sony have engaged in co-operation with Konica Minolta to strengthen their position for a digital reflex camera under the name of Sony! Rumour has it that the summer of 2006 will be the time for the digital Sony reflex camera.
Cybershot R1 – Sony CMOS image sensor
The Sony Cybershot R1 leads the Cybershot series of digital cameras. The Sony R1 is equipped with a completely newly developed Sony CMOS image sensor offering a resolution of 10.3 Megapixels. Remarkable is that the CMOS sensor is just a tad smaller than standard APS-C format image sensors as also used in most digital reflex cameras. The fact that there is talk of a large format CMOS sensor, increases hope for noise free images with high ISO. Besides the high resolution the Cybershot R1 is equipped with an exceptionally nice zoom range, starting from 24mm to 120mm (equivalent of a 35mm camera).
Sony Cybershot DSC R1 – LCD display
Another remarkable feature is the 2 inch format LCD display located on top of the camera, that can be folded up and rotated approximately 270 degrees. Folded in with the display up, and holding the camera in front of your stomach, it almost seems as if you were photographing with a medium format camera. The Sony R1 housing comes in black and has a deluxe look to it. The camera reminds somewhat of the Sony DSC F828 camera, but it would not be fair to carry this comparison through too far, as the clever innovations used for this new camera far outnumber it.
Sony Cybershot R1 camera – High resolution
With the introduction of the Sony Cybershot DSC-R1 digital camera, Sony once again raises the bar another notch. The new image sensor opens up the way for an entirely new line of high resolution digital cameras that might benefit from the large format image sensor. Lately a lot of compact format 8+ Megapixel digital cameras have been introduced, most of which encounter an excessive amount of noise from 200 ISO. When Sony choose to make the image sensor available to their competitors, we will be likely to see more digital cameras with the same CMOS sensor. For now however, Sony is free to benefit from the position they have created for themselves. The Sony Cybershot R1 will get more than its fair share of attention.
Sony Cybershot DSC R1 review
For many years now, Sony have been enjoying a high ranking in the top 5 list of the most popular and bestselling camera brands. With the introduction of the Sony R1, they strengthen their position and, for now, apply sufficient counter-pressure to the strongly increasing uprising of digital reflex cameras. The Sony Cybershot R1 has most impressive specifications and will for many be an appealing alternative to the digital reflex camera. We have been in the position to test just how the Sony Cybershot R1 holds itself in practice. Our results can be read in the following Sony Cybershot DSC-R1 digital camera review.
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Canon Upgrades EOS-1D Mark III Firmware
Posted on July 27, 2007 - Filed Under News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Click photo for more images of the Canon EOS-1D Mark III. Canon has updated the firmware for its EOS-1D Mark III digital SLR. According to the company, version 1.0.9 enhances the look of images when enlarged on the camera’s LCD by applying a slightly stronger sharpness setting to the screen, and improves the consistency of AI Servo autofocus under certain conditions. It reduces the tendency of the camera to autofocus on high-contrast backgrounds in AI Servo AF mode when shooting in conditions where AF detection is difficult, such as when the main subject is not completely covered by the AF frames or when the main subject contrast is low.
The update also corrects errors in the Italian and Simplified Chinese menus, and fixes a rare error in the main dials that causes the controls not to respond or to travel several clicks when turned only one.
Olympus Evolt E-510 Review at Digital Camera Review
Posted on July 26, 2007 - Filed Under Digital, Ratings, Reviews, Tips | Leave a Comment
Digital Camera Review has a review of the Olympus Evolt E-510 and writes, “Color rendition is dependably accurate and chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is very well controlled in both lenses. … If I were buying a mid-level dSLR today I would probably purchase the competitively priced, compact, capable, and responsive Olympus E-510. For casual photographers, Canon Powershot S3/S5 owners, and Panasonic FZ7/FZ8 owners looking to move up to a dSLR – the E-510 is the camera you’ve been searching for. For Olympus E-300, E-330, E-400, and E-500 owners looking to upgrade, the E-510 is the camera you hoped Olympus would build.”