Panasonic's Lumix TZ50 Beams to Picasa
Posted on April 28, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
Panasonic has introduced its new Lumix DMC-TZ50 digital camera with a 10× optical zoom, 9.1 megapixel resolution, integrated 802.1b/g Wi-Fi wireless networking, and the ability to upload images directly to Google’s free photo sharing service Picasa. And to let people leverage that Wi-Fi on the go, the camera comes with 12 month of free access via T-Mobile HotSpots.
"This advanced digital camera makes it possible for users to share their photos with friends and family with unprecedented ease and without a computer," said Panasonic’s national marketing manager for imaging Alex Fried, in a statement.
Users can set up a single email account with their TZ50 to receive notifications from Picasa; if they can pick up email on a cellphone or other mobile device, it’s easy for users to register an account, then receive and forward the URL for their Picasa gallery along to friends and family—all without using a computer.
The TZ50 packs a 3-inch LCD display along with a 28mm wide angle lens and the capability to record 720p high-definition video. (Users can also hook the camera up to a big screen using a component cable.) The camera also features Panasonic’s intelligent exposure technology, digital red-eye corrections, face detection (supporting up to 15 faces in a frame), continuous autofocus, and intelligent ISO with a high-sensitivity more all the way down to ISO 6,400. The TZ50 stores images to SD/SDHC cards, offers PictBridge compatibility, and intelligent scene selector that senses ambient conditions and automatically selects an appropriate scene mode.
The Lumix DMC-TZ50 will be available in May for a suggested retail price of $449.95.
Book Review: The Digital Photography Companion by Derrick Story
Posted on April 28, 2008 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
Derrick Story's book The Digital Photography Companion is sized conveniently enough, like a slightly oversized mass market paperback. And the intent is obvious. Story wants to create a manual that is easy to take along with you pretty much wherever you go (hint: vacations). He follows it up by writing in a conversational style and includes lots of bright color pictures that further increase the reader's engagement.
Story covers both digital SLRs and compact cameras and in an excellent opening chapter, he explains the major differences between the two. Some part of the audience for this book might find the information on image sensors to be too technical – and for them there is enough practical advice to help choose a camera. But for those looking for a more in-depth explanation, this is a great hook.
Right after that Story lays out the features and functionalities of digital cameras in alphabetical order. This I felt put the book in camera manual territory. I own an old Canon Powershot G3 and while Story was describing the features (somewhat mechanically) I felt his book offered no more value than my manual (which is very well written, by the way, and a text that this book squarely competes with).
Once we are past this alphabetical cataloging, the book really starts to shine. How does it do that? By offering lots of practical advice on how to create and take great pictures, sometimes by replicating studio settings with low-tech contraptions. For example, Story shows you how to devise your own light meter, shoot in rain, bounce light off household reflective surfaces, and trick your camera's white balance.
Besides being very useful, these tips also offer terrific insights into how the digital camera works. It enhances your understanding of the instrument you are working with.
Later the book also contains a useful chapter on how to post-process your pictures using software. Story covers a number of popular packages such as Apple iPhoto, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, and Microsoft Expression Media. I would have really liked to see Story cover some web-based image editing applications in order to get in touch with Web 2.0 technologies.
There is also coverage of printing your pictures, a detail in the book that I really appreciated. And instead of trying to cover printer features and explain how to choose a printer in depth, Story keeps the focus on the camera by creating a short table with specific printer recommendations for different types of users.
Photography copyright error’ removed after complaints
Posted on April 28, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
A controversial copyright clause in a competition to find the best images of the River Tyne has been changed after intervention from .
The move came after an angry AP reader alerted us to say that entrants were told they must hand over all copyright in their images.
The contentious rule in the Port of Tyne’s Reflect Photo Awards stated: ‘All images entered into this competition will be copyrighted to the Port of Tyne.’
After we pointed out the problem a spokeswoman for the organisers said: ‘The copyright line on the website is an error and the pages have not been undated from last year. This has been pointed out to our designers and will be resolved by close of play today.’
Boasting top prizes of £500, the contest challenges amateurs to ‘capture the essence of the Tyne’.
It was launched on 9 April, backed by local newspapers and .
The closing date is 29 August.
Nikon ViewNX 1.0.4
Posted on April 26, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Nikon have released a new version of ViewNX, a file browser which ensures quick access to images for instant viewing. Version 1.0.4 of Nikon ViewNX includes support for RAW images captured with the D3 and the Vignette Control option has been added.
Website: Nikon ViewNX 1.0.4 (Windows)
Website: Nikon ViewNX 1.0.4 (MAC)
Changes in this version
– Support for RAW images captured with the D3 (firmware Ver. 1.10 and later), and the Vignette Control option has been added.
– When images captured with a Nikon digital-SLR camera are selected, the following 9 categories are displayed in the Camera Settings palette. File Info 1/File Info 2/Camera Info/Exposure/Flash/Image Settings/Picture Control/Optimize Image/GPS
– Vignette Control items have been added to the Image Settings category of the Camera Settings palette.
– Artist and Copyright items have been added to the File Info 2 category of the Camera Settings palette.
– An issue that prevented proper display of JPEG images when a certain display profile was selected in the Color Management panel of the Options dialog, has been resolved.
– An issue that prevented accurate reflection of print color management settings when Speed was selected for the Print Priority option in the Print dialog has been resolved.
– An issue that caused an error to occur when the folder, to which an image saved in TIFF format with LZW compression using a third-party application, was selected in the File Directory palette has been resolved.
– An issue that caused some characters to be displayed incorrectly when a single image file was selected and the name changed using Japanese characters has been resolved.
Note:
Scene mode information is not correctly displayed in the Camera Settings palette for images captured with the following COOLPIX cameras in the indicated shooting modes. All other operations function correctly.
– COOLPIX S600 Active child mode
– COOLPIX S550 Smile mode
– COOLPIX S520 Food mode
– For instructions on using this software see ViewNX Help in the ViewNX Help menu.
onOne Software Announces Plug-In Suite 4 for Adobe Photoshop
Posted on April 23, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
onOne Software announces Plug-in Suite 4 software for Adobe Photoshop. Available in early May, onOne Software’s Plug-In Suite 4 combines full versions of six essential software tools — Genuine Fractals 5 Print Pro, PhotoTools 1.0 Professional Edition, PhotoFrame 3.1 Professional Edition, Mask Pro 4.1, PhotoTune 2.2 and FocalPoint 1.0 — an affordable combination that includes everything a photographer needs to make their images look their best.
The onOne Software Plug-In Suite 4 for Photoshop CS2 and CS3 is the latest upgrade to the award winning Plug-In Suite product line that combines several of onOne Software’s individual Photoshop plug-ins into a highly affordable package.
“We are pleased to be able to offer this affordable full suite of onOne Software products to the photographic and graphic arts communities,” said Craig Keudell, president of onOne Software. “Plug-in Suite 4 contains all the tools needed to quickly and easily improve workflow and overall image quality at a tremendous savings.”
Plug-In Suite 4
Plug-In Suite 4 includes full versions of the following onOne Software products:
Genuine Fractals 5 Print Pro can resize digital images over 1,000% with no loss of detail or sharpness. It allows poster-sized prints to be made from almost any image.
PhotoTools 1.0 Professional Edition is a flexible yet powerful Photoshop plug-in that utilizes the power of Photoshop Actions to provide a complete library of effects created by Kevin Kubota and Jack Davis. These effects may be previewed, stacked and blended together just like filters over a camera lens to improve creativity. Its built-in batch processing engine improves photographers productivity.
PhotoFrame 3.1 Professional Edition can be used to create stunning border and edge effects right out of the darkroom. Select from thousands of edges, including authentic film and artistic mediums.
Mask Pro 4.1 can easily create high-quality masks and selections even from tough subjects like hair and glass, making it easy to place a subject in a new background.
PhotoTune 2.2 is a plug-in that provides professional quality color correction in an easy to use plug-in.
FocalPoint 1.0 is a new plug-in that simulates selective focus or tilt-shift lenses, helping photographers selectively blur and/or vignette an image to focus the viewers attention.
The new Plug-In Suite 4 will be available in early May to new users for $499.95 – a savings of $799.75 if purchased separately. Existing users of Plug-in Suite version 1, 2 or 3 can upgrade to Plug-In Suite 4 for only $199.95. Customers who own any one or more of the products in Plug-In Suite 4 will be able to upgrade as well. For more information on the Plug-In Suite 4, please visit http://www.ononesoftware.com.
Photo Contest for Panoramio users
Posted on April 22, 2008 - Filed Under Digital | Leave a Comment
Photo Contest for Panoramio : ATP, a manufacturer of flash memory products, announced that it is launching a long term global promotional partnership program with Panoramio, a geotag-oriented photo sharing website. This partnership will be kicked off with a co-hosted world wide photo contest which will focus on geotagged photos. Starting on April 1st 2008, Panoramio users can submit photos tagged with GPS location data in four categories designed to inspire the unique advantages of the geotagging feature scenery, heritage, travel, and unusual location. Winners will be chosen monthly to receive a variety of ATP high performance products including the new widely acclaimed GPS Photo Finder, the world’s first on-the-go geotagging device.
ATP Photo Finder
“This partnership was very natural as both ATP and Panoramio offer complimentary product offerings which help enable the geotagging feature in digital photography. Our Photo Finder is the most convenient, universal way to geotag photos on the fly while Paroramio offers the most comprehensive solution to online geotagged photo sharing,” said Michael Plaksin, ATP Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are looking forward to the continued development of this program, as together our solutions offer the complete user friendly geotagging solution”
Photo Contest fot Panoramio Community
Since its founding in 2005, Panoramio had seen rapid growth to 1 million registered users by October 2007. In July 2007, Panoramio was acquired by Google. Currently, most of the photos uploaded to the site can be accessed as a layer in Google Earth, with new photos being added at the end of every month. The site’s goal is to allow Google Earth users to learn more about a given area by viewing the photos that other users have taken at that place. The ATP Photo Finder allows users to add geographical information to their digital photos without the help of a computer or any software. It is universally compatible with any digital camera using jpeg image files, giving users the convenience of a single device to geotag pictures from multiple camera brands and models.
Lens Test: Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* ZA SSM AF
Posted on April 22, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
The 24-70mm f/2.8 full-frame zoom is becoming the general-purpose standard for news, wedding, portrait, landscape, and event pros. (Everyone, in other words, except sports and close-up photographers.) Canon, Nikon, and Sigma all offer superb examples. Sony’s outstanding new entry ($1,750, street) isn’t based on any earlier Sony, Zeiss, or Konica Minolta designs, but — as the blue logo indicates — was codeveloped with Zeiss, and it paves the way for Sony’s soon-to-be-unveiled 24MP pro flagship DSLR. This lens was introduced along with an equally beefy 70-200mm f/2.8, now the fastest zooms in the Sony catalog. Both have the near-silent Super Sonic wave focusing Motor (SSM), and aspheric and ED glass elements for better control of linear distortion and chromatic aberration, respectively. A 36-105mm equivalent on Sony’s APS-C sensor cameras — such as the Alpha 350 tested in the May 2008 issue — the 24-70mm benefits, as does the 70-200mm, from Zeiss’ T* coating for suppressing reflections and flare from internal and external sources.
HANDS ON
Mostly metal construction (except for the felt-flocked, polycarb lenshood and outer barrel) and that bright f/2.8 maximum aperture make for a large, heavy lens that weighs almost 10 ounces more than the comparable Sigma. Its handsome, matte-black finish and finely ribbed focus and zoom rings are signature Zeiss.
Nikon Releases, Withdraws D3 Firmware Update
Posted on April 21, 2008 - Filed Under News, Photo | Leave a Comment
Nikon withdrew a firmware update for the D3 digital SLR shortly after releasing it this week. Firmware version 1.10 offered numerous operational improvements, a new Vignette Control function, and other enhancements. However, it also included bugs that cause image files to be corrupted when photos are taken with certain combinations of settings. The download is no longer available, and Nikon says it expects to post a corrected firmware upgrade on its site in late April 2008. The company has advised photographers who have already upgraded their firmware to version 1.10 not to use the following combination of camera settings:
Tiger Tiger Burning Bright
Posted on April 20, 2008 - Filed Under Photo | Leave a Comment
“The animals at Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, all seemed very well cared for… The tigers were curious and approached the crowds of visitors who were looking at them through a glass partition”. Taken by Smiler
Book Review: Layers – The Complete Guide to Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature By Matt Kloskowski
Posted on April 19, 2008 - Filed Under Culture, Photo | Leave a Comment
Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature was written because author Matt Kloskowski wished that there had been a book specifically on layers when he was first learning Photoshop. Everyone knows that layers exist, and most people use layers to one extent or another, but few really understand their full potential. Yet understanding layers is one of the keys to understanding Photoshop. This book will show you exactly what you can do with layers, and how to do it. The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature: Layers is 288 pages in length and is contained in 9 chapters.
Chapter 1, "Layer Basics," explains the basics of layers. But even if you are familiar with layers, you will still want to read much of this chapter because there are quite a number of techniques that are shown here that many may not know exist. This is divided into the true basics, the use of multiple layers and stacking, and another lesson that has a ton of tips and tricks that you don't want to miss.
Chapter 2, "Blending Layers," lets you take layers even further by showing you how to mix layers together. By using the techniques illustrated here you can go beyond simply manipulating the opacity and really start learning about blending. The author's goal is not to show you every single item with regard to blending, but rather show you only the ones that you need to know about to get the job done. He begins with the three most important techniques, and then fills in with some additional ones that can be used as well.
Chapter 3, "Adjustment Layers," shows that there are other layers available beyond the regular layers that you have been working with thus far. This is a different type of layer in the way that it lets you edit images nondestructively. It even lets you apply selective adjustments to specific parts of your image.
Chapter 4, "Layer Masks," continues a technique that you learned in chapter 3 when making adjustments. Layer masks let you nondestructively erase areas away from one layer to reveal the layers below. An adjustment layer automatically includes a layer mask, but a regular layer does not so here you will learn how to add a layer mask to a regular layer.
Chapter 5, "Type and Shape Layers," are two kinds of layers that have not been covered as yet. While type layers are what you use to add text to a Photoshop document, they have a lot more power available to them as well. With type layers you can let your text take on a life of its own. Shape layers allow you to work with shape in your documents. Here you will work to making a poster using the Shape tools. With these, you can go beyond the simple shapes and create complex one.
Chapter 6, "Enhancing Photos with Layers," is about how to enhance digital photos by the use of layers. Here you will learn how to combine multiple layers, paint with light, perform selective sharpening, dodge and burn, enhance depth of field, and create soft focus.
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