Kodak Easyshare Z885

Posted on September 11, 2007 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment

Megapixel reviews the Kodak Easyshare Z885 and writes – ‘In view of its manufacturer’s suggested retail price, the Kodak EasyShare Z885 is a camera that is destined to be at the top of anyone’s short list when considering the purchase of a camera with a longer than average zoom and a high resolution. While its monitor offers a comparatively low resolution, that drawback is quickly forgotten when the first photos captured with the camera are viewed. The colour rendition the camera yields is excellent and, as long as they are noise-free, images remain detailed after the compression process.’

SanDisk Ultra II 4GB SDHC Plus and 8GB Memory Stick Pro Duo Cards

Posted on September 11, 2007 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment

SanDisk Corporation today introduced two new capacities in its high-performance SanDisk Ultra II line: a 4-gigabyte (GB)1 SDHC Plus card and an 8GB Memory Stick PRO Duo card. The announcement was made at IFA, the world’s largest consumer electronics show, where SanDisk is exhibiting at Booth 130, in Hall 15.1 of Messe Berlin, through Sept. 5.

Both cards offer fast read and write speeds of 10 megabytes per second (10MB/sec), reducing the waiting time between camera shots and the download time when transferring photos and video to a computer.

“With video recording becoming a standard feature on digital still cameras, memory cards need more capacity and speed to capture not only high-quality photos, but also video

Samsung NV11 Review at DCResource

Posted on September 10, 2007 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment

DCResource have reviewed the Samsung NV11 camera, featuring a Schneider lens, Smart Touch user interface, 2.7 inch high definition LCD, 10 megapixels and 5x optical zoom lens.

“Samsung’s NV11 certainly makes a bold statement when you first pick it up: it sports a stunning industrial design, and has an interface like none you’ve ever seen (unless, of course, you’ve used an earlier NV model). It’s got a lot going for it, offering full manual controls and plenty of bells and whistles, though image quality could be better. If you can stomach the Smart Touch interface (I cannot), then it’s worth taking a look at the NV11.”

Website: DCResource – Samsung NV11 Review

Sony Alpha DSLR-A700, previewed

Posted on September 10, 2007 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment

Nearly two years after Konica Minolta transferred its camera division over to Sony, and over a year after Sony’s first DSLR (the A100), today is the day that the curtain is finally lifted on the long-awaited ‘high end’ Alpha digital SLR (in principle the replacement for the Konica Minolta 7D). The new model sports an impressive specification including magnesium alloy construction, 12MP CMOS sensor (with on-chip A/D conversion), 5fps shooting and a wealth of features and customization options, though interestingly (given the recent spate of announcements) no live view option. There’s also a couple of new lenses and a new vertical shooting grip.

Simon: We’ve had a pre-production A700 for a couple of weeks in order to produce a detailed hands-on preview, available now. Full specs and many more images can be found after the link. (Note we received the press release too late to appear in our first news article, it has been added now).

Press Release:

SONY’S NEW D-SLR CAMERA SETS HIGH PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 5, 2007 — Sony is expanding its a (Alpha) digital SLR system with the introduction of the DSLR-A700 camera, which is aimed at photo enthusiasts or serious photo hobbyists.

The new model features advanced imaging technologies and ultra-responsive operation, as well as a lightweight, dust- and moisture-resistant, magnesium alloy construction common to enthusiast-class D-SLR cameras.

Like Sony’s mainstream DSLR-A100 model, the new A700 unit incorporates Super SteadyShot® Inside image stabilization in the camera body and is compatible with most Minolta Maxxum® mount lenses in addition to Sony lenses.

“Discerning photo enthusiasts will be impressed with the rugged construction and outstanding performance of the A700, said Phil Lubell, director of marketing for digital cameras at Sony Electronics. “We also expect that this new camera will re-define the post-capture experience with HDMI™ output for high-quality playback of images on high-definition televisions.”

Picture Quality

The camera’s new 12.2-megapixel Exmor™ CMOS sensor conducts analog-to-digital (A/D) signal conversion and dual noise reduction right on the sensor itself. Noise reduction is applied to analog signals before A/D conversion and the resulting digital signals are then subject to a second round of noise reduction.

According to Lubell, “These digital signals are virtually immune to external noise and interference.”

Clean, noise-free digital signals are then sent to the newly developed BIONZ™ processing engine. Lubell said this engine has been optimized to process data-rich picture information at high speeds, and to reduce picture noise in the RAW data stage before final image compression and encoding. The results are high-resolution, detailed images with rich tonal reproduction.

Extraordinary Responsiveness

The A700 camera is engineered to be fast and ultra-responsive so as to become “a virtual extension of your own senses,” Lubell said, “capturing fleeting moments as you see them.”

A newly developed, auto-focus system features 11 wide-area sensors, including a center dual cross sensor comprised of two horizontal and two vertical line sensors for exceptional AF precision.  An F2.8 line sensor leverages the brightness of fast aperture lenses for even greater precision.  Lubell said that extraordinary focusing speed has been realized through improved algorithms and a high-torque focusing drive motor.

The large, bright, viewfinder uses a precision-ground optical glass pentaprism and a high refractive index eyepiece lens to provide 0.9x viewfinder magnification and 95 percent frame coverage.  Manual focusing is aided by an interchangeable spherical acute matte focusing screen.

The camera has a high-performance vertical traverse shutter with a maximum shutter speed of 1/8,000th of a second to freeze fast-moving action. A high-power coreless motor charges the shutter and mirror mechanism, allowing continuous shooting at up to five frames per second. In JPEG fine or standard mode, continuous shooting is limited only by the capacity of the media card (sold separately), while up to 18 frames can be captured in RAW.

Expanded Creativity

The new camera features fourteen creative styles, including night view, autumn leaves or vivid, which can be selected to enhance images. These effects can then be fine-tuned by customizing contrast, sharpness, zone matching and other parameters.

Sony’s Dynamic Range Optimizer (DRO) function has been updated on this model so users can choose the desired level of detail recovered in areas of shadow. The advanced mode offers the option of five levels of user selectable correction. Additionally, DRO bracketing creates three images from a single capture with three different levels of DRO.

There is an extensive array of customization options to personalize the camera to match shooting styles. The unit’s quick navigation interface can be accessed instantly with the four-way multi-selector, and selected parameters can be adjusted directly by control dials.

Up to 28 camera settings can be stored in one of three user memories for instant recall. The unit’s custom function button can be assigned to 15 frequently-accessed functions.

With the supplied remote capture application, the camera can be controlled from a compatible PC via USB without even touching the camera, and files can be stored on the computer instead of the media card.

High-Quality Pictures on an HDTV

The A700 model features an HDMI output for connection to HDTV sets, putting a high-resolution spin on the conventional photo slideshow.

When connected to a Sony BRAVIA® LCD HD television, photos are optimized for viewing with the new “PhotoTV HD” mode. This mode brings the look of actual printed photography to the television, reproducing high-quality digital photos by fine-tuning such image parameters as sharpness, gradation and color specifically for photographs.

The exceptional viewing experience of this camera also extends to viewing photos on its 3-inch LCD screen. The screen’s size and ultra-sharp resolution (921K) makes it possible to check focus and image quality with much greater accuracy.

A Flexible System

The camera will be introduced with two new lenses, bringing Sony’s lens and teleconverter catalog up to 23 models. Supplied as a standard kit lens, the new DT 16-105 mm f.3.5 – 5.6 lens features a distinctive zoom range (35mm equivalency of 24 – 157.5 mm); compact, lightweight design; and internal focusing. The other addition is a powerful and compact high-magnification DT 18 – 250 mm f3.5 – 6.3 lens. Sony is also planning to introduce a specialty 70 -300 mm f4.5 – 5.6 SSM G telephoto lens featuring super sonic wave motor auto focus drive system for smooth auto focusing in Spring 2008.

Sony’s full line of accessories will also expand to include a new vertical grip. Equipped with buttons and switches for the most essential control functions, it offers the same ease of operation and handling as when shooting vertically. It houses two InfoLithium® batteries (sold separately), which will automatically switch to the second battery when the first one runs out. Remaining charges of both batteries are displayed on the camera’s LCD screen.

Memory That Keeps Up With The Camera

The model also features separate slots for Memory Stick Duo™ media cards compatible with the Memory Stick PRO-HG™ high-speed data transfer standard, as well as CompactFlash™ Type I/II media cards compatible with the new Ultra Direct Memory Access standard for up to 300x write speeds. Sony is also introducing new 300x high-speed CompactFlash™ memory cards, ideal for high-end photographers requiring fast write speeds. The new models, available in 2GB or 8GB capacity, expand Sony’s current line of CompactFlash cards that also include 66X and 133X speeds, with capacities ranging from 1GB to 4GB.

The DSLR-A700 camera body, DT 16 – 105 mm lens, and DT 18-250 mm lens will be available for about $1,400, $580 and $550, respectively. The DSLR-A700K kit with an 18-70 mm lens will be available for about $1,500, and the DSLR-A700P kit with the 16-105 mm lens will be available for about $1,900. The camera body and DSLR-A700K kit will ship in October and the DSLR-A700P kit in November. All will be available at sonystyle.com, Sony Style retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), at military base exchanges, and at authorized dealers nationwide.

Canon 40D Review – Luminous Landscape

Posted on September 9, 2007 - Filed Under Digital, Ratings, Reviews, Tips | Leave a Comment

img src=”http://www.livingroom.org.au/photolog/canon-eos-40d-2.jpg” height=”203″ width=”220″ border=”0″ align=”left” hspace=”10″ vspace=”10″ alt=”Canon-Eos-40D” />Luminous Landscape reviews the Canon 40D and writes – “My time with the 40D was short, but I found that shooting about a thousand frames over a long weekend was all I needed to be able to draw some preliminary conclusions. These are, in brief, that the image quality of the 40D is excellent, continuing the industry-leading results that Canon has offered for the past 5-6 years. I didn’t see any breakthrough in low noise at the highest ISOs, but as with the EOS 5D ISO 400 is essentially noiseless and can be used as an everyday speed. Noise doesn’t really become an issue until ISO 1600 and even then isn’t that objectionable…. The bottom line is that the Canon 40D is the most DSLR for the money that Canon has ever offered. Certainly in its price range there doesn’t seem to be anything that can touch it. Move up a notch in price though and the forthcoming Nikon D300 may well put the squeeze on Canon’s hegemony in the DSLR marketplace. Time will tell, and no matter what happens we’ll all benefit from the renewed competition.”

Epson Introduces Portable Printers

Posted on September 9, 2007 - Filed Under News, Photo | Leave a Comment

Epson has added two new models to its line of PictureMate portable inkjet printers. The PictureMate Dash and PictureMate Zoom use four-color dye-based ink cartridges to output 4×6 prints with a maximum resolution of 5760×1440 dpi. These printers are very similar to previous PictureMate portable models, such as the PictureMate Flash, but Epson says they can output photos 17 percent faster. They also benefit from larger 3.6-inch tilt-up LCD screens. The 6.6-pound Zoom incorporates a disc burner for archiving photos to a CD or printing from a CD or DVD, while the 5.3-pound Dash loses the burner and offers a slightly less bulky design. Both models have built-in carrying handles.

The two printers share numerous photo-editing features with their predecessors, including Epson’s Auto Photo Correction tool, which adjusts exposure, color, contrast, and sharpness. There are also options for removing redeye, adjusting colors and converting to monochrome, cropping and resizing, and laying out photos. The printers allow users to output prints in order of photo dates, and groups of images can be selected for batch printing.

The two printers include built-in memory card slots, as well as a USB port for connecting flash drives and Pictbridge-compatible cameras. With an optional adapter plugged into the port, the printers can receive images via Bluetooth.

The PictureMate Dash and PictureMate Zoom are available now for retail prices of $99.99 and $199.99, respectively. The printers take glossy or matte paper packs and are compatible with optional batteries and Epson waterproof cases. For more information on accessories and a virtual tour of the printers’ features, check out Epson’s new Web site devoted to portable printers.

Sony NWZ-S610 Walkman

Posted on September 9, 2007 - Filed Under Digital | Leave a Comment

Sony NWZ-S610 Walkman : Sony announced the availability of a new digital media player in Europe – the Sony S610 Walkman. The new Sony NWZ-S610 Walkman digital media player will support an open platform and include support for Windows Media technology, providing greater choice for downloading and managing music, video and photo collections. Whatever their needs consumers will now be able to quickly and easily transfer their content from their PCs to their Walkman digital media player. The Sony NWZ-S610 player supports security-enhanced Microsoft Windows Media Audio (WMA), as well as non-secure AAC and MP3 music formats, plus JPEG files for photos, in addition to the AVC (H.264/AVC) Baseline Profile and MPEG-4 video codecs.

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Sony S610 Walkman – Codec Users can download movie trailers, music videos, podcasts and clips from a variety of website destinations. As long as the videos are compressed in the appropriate codec, resolution and size they will work with the new Sony S610 Walkman player. “This announcement to support Windows Media technology is great news for consumers, Kodak EasyShare V1233 Posted on September 7, 2007 - Filed Under Digital, Ratings, Reviews, Tips | Leave a Comment The Kodak EasyShare V1233 is the last of 3 mistakenly announced digital cameras from Kodak today. Here are some of the V1233′s listed features. Kodak EasyShare V1233 features Crisp shots and stunning video, made simple. Experience it. 12 MP for stunning prints up to 30 × 40 in. (76 × 102 cm) 3X optical zoom lens True HD quality: stunning pictures and videos Face detection technology locates faces and automatically adjusts the camera settings Canon EOS 400D review Posted on September 7, 2007 - Filed Under Cameras, Reviews | Leave a Comment Canon EOS 400D SLR camera review : Three years ago, Canon shocked the camera market with the introduction of the 6 Megapixel EOS 300D. It was a price breakthrough that would prove very important for the DSLR market. Suddenly, a digital SLR camera had become available for the novice photographer. And things didn’t end there; since this event, digital SLR models have been in high demand. After a year and a half, Canon introduced the EOS 350D, which easily matched the success of its predecessor. It was a pretty safe bet that the successor of the EOS 350D would once again follow a year and a half later. Such was indeed the case. Canon’s latest DSLR camera turns out to be the Canon EOS 400D, a ten Megapixel model. Remarkably, the EOS 350D will remain in stores for now. That doesn’t change the fact, however, that the Canon 400D should be seen as its successor. Canon EOS 400D – 2.5 inch LCD display The frequency of the introductions may cause one to think the differences between the EOS types aren’t all that big. Canon’s rival Nikon, for instance, introduce their models at a more leisurely pace; which means the differences between, let’s say, the D70 and the D80 seem considerably more significant. However, if we put the EOS 300D next to the EOS 400D, we note a comparably large difference. The Canon EOS 400D is still a very compact DSLR camera, and upon first glance it certainly does resemble the EOS 350D. The camera’s back side, however, shows a main difference; the Canon 400D is equipped with a noticeably larger monitor, which has increased in size from 1.8-inch to 2.5-inch. Consequently, the small LCD display on top of the camera has disappeared. Canon have solved this issue by displaying the information on the large monitor, which is something we encounter quite frequently with many other competing models. Canon EOS 400D – Features of EOS 30D Naturally, the camera has also undergone a fair share of changes internally. The Canon 400D has, for instance, been equipped with the same 9-point auto focus as the pricier EOS 30D, whilst the buffer has been enlarged to 27 JPEG or 10 RAW images. As expected, the Canon EOS 400D has also been brought up-to-date with features that characterise all new Canon models. Examples are, among other things, Picture Styles, both a luminance histogram and a RGB histogram, three functions for the auto rotation of the image, 9999 images per folder, and the option to zoom in on a photo immediately after it is shot. In fact, the Canon EOS 400D has integrated many features of the EOS 30D; a DSLR from the higher segment. Canon 400D – EOS Integrated Cleaning System A striking difference between the EOS 350D and the new EOS 400D concerns the image sensor. However, it doesn’t have all that much to do with the fact that the amount of pixels has increased to 10 Megapixels; the difference compared to 8 Megapixels isn’t even that significant. The increase of Megapixels has likely been applied to ensure the camera keeps up with the competition; a marketing tool if you will. The Canon EOS 400D is the first Canon to feature a dust reduction system: EOS Integrated Cleaning System. We must say Canon take quite a clever approach to this issue. They start off with the area surrounding the sensor, the mirror housing and the bayonet. The parts that are used here have been designed in a way, and made from a certain type of material, that ensures dust will not stick to it quite as easily. After all, if dust isn’t around in the first place, it won’t come back to bother you later. A simple, yet very logical line of thought. The lid for the bayonet too has been made from a different material that attracts less dust. The surface of the sensor itself features an anti-static coating; which means dust is a lot less likely to stick to the valuable image sensor. Canon EOS 400D SLR camera with Low Pass Filter The third weapon in the battle against dust is the new Low Pass filter. A piezo element enables it to vibrate, which causes dust to fall from the filter, and thus vanish from sight. The digital SLR aficionados among us might find this story surprisingly familiar. After all, Olympus feature a similar system, and Sony too have shown they know how to shake dust from the sensor. Olympus, however, apply a system that features a separate filter, whilst Sony allow the entire sensor to vibrate. The advantage of Canon’s approach is that it may just prove cheaper (as it does not require an additional filter), as well as considerably less vulnerable than a sensor that shakes and vibrates with all its connections. Thanks to the piezo element, Canon’s anti-dust system also uses less power. With Canon’s system, the filter is activated whenever the camera is switched on or off. Fortunately, this will not cost you any valuable time; the shutter release button is dominant. As a result, you will always be able to capture your image quickly. Canon EOS 400D digital SLR camera review If despite these precautionary measures, you still find dust in your image, it can be easily removed through software. Simply capture an image of a white sheet of paper. This allows easy detection of dust; after all, the dust becomes black. The camera will then turn this into a so-called “Dust Delete Data”; a map which contains all the dust. At this stage, you can use Digital Photo Professional to remove the dust. Every file, even the standard JPEG format, will include this map. It seems Canon have finally come to acknowledge one of the main obstacles when working with a DSLR: dust. Although the differences between the new camera and its predecessor might seem small at first, the Canon EOS 400D is in fact an entirely new DSLR camera with several very interesting improvements. We had the Canon 400D camera in our office for a considerable amount of time. Our findings can be read in the following Canon EOS 400D digital SLR camera review.		Nikon AF-S 14-24 mm and 24-70 mm F2.8G ED Posted on September 6, 2007 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
Nikon has announced a pair of new professional AF-S lenses, first comes the AF-S 14-24 mm F2.8G ED which promises to offer a huge field of view on the new FX format D3 digital SLR. The lens is made up of fourteen elements in eleven groups, two of which are ED glass, three aspherical. There’s also a "Nano Crystal Coat" which features in all the lenses announced today, it’s designed to cut down internal reflection within the lens which can be a particular problem with the reflective surface of a digital SLR sensor. Next is the AF-S 24-70 mm F2.8G ED a new slimline (by F2.8 lens standards) lens which will provide wide to just beyond standard field of view on the D3. Both lenses will be available this November, no pricing yet. Press Release: Nikon launches two professional zoom lenses Nikon UK is pleased to announce two zoom NIKKOR lenses designed to maximise the potential of the advanced new FX format D3 digital SLR camera launched today. Fully compatible with existing DX-format Nikon DSLRs as well, they share fast f/2.8 apertures across the zoom range. The ultra wide-angle AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED and the slimline AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, are designed for the exacting optical demands of professional use.     “These new zoom NIKKORS offer photographers immense creative potential when combined with the new FX-format D3, but are equally useful for those using Nikon’s DX-format cameras too”, said Robert Cristina, Brand Manager, Nikon Professional Products Europe. “They are the first wide-angle lenses to incorporate Nikon’s unique Nano Crystal coat, that suppresses the ghost and flare that sometimes occurs with the reflective surfaces of digital sensors.”  AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED The ultra wide-angle/fast aperture combination of the AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED lens is a world first*, and is highly adaptable for the tight spaces busy professional photographers often find themselves working in.  The excellent optical quality of this 14-24mm lens, combined with excellent levels of detail contributes to brilliant, sharp results.    AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED The completely new standard zoom AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED complements the NIKKOR range of professional lenses. Much slimmer than its predecessor, (the AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8) the new lens exhibits outstanding characteristics at wide settings where centre-to-peripheral resolution is a priority, making it ideal for landscape photography. At the 50-70mm setting, crisp details are displayed with excellent bokeh, making the lens highly suited for portraits.  Both lenses share Nikon’s unique Nano Crystal coat technology to minimize ghost and flare, with ED glass elements contributing to outstanding levels of resolution and contrast.  Nikon’s precision Silent Wave Motor assures fast and quiet autofocus performance, with instant manual override possible. Both lenses are designed with high dust and moisture resistance, and include a rubber seal around the bayonet mount.  Specifications and Availability The AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8G ED measures 98×131.5mm and weighs approximately 1,000g. The AF-S 24-70mm f/2.8G ED measures 83×133mm and weighs approximately 900g. Each of the new lenses comes with a flower-shaped hood and a semi-soft case. The hood of the 14-24mm is integrated, the 24-70mm removable. Guide Price to be confirmed in September. Both lenses will be available in November 2007. * As of August 1st 2007