AA Battery Test
Posted on July 9, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
We all use them; from camera flashes to television remotes, AA batteries find their way into every home. But just like other energy sources, batteries can be very costly as well. With a wide range of prices from store to store, a bit of comparison shopping may be necessary to find a good deal. Need a 4-pack of alkaline batteries at a tourist trap? Forget about it — that’ll be 10 dollars please.
With plenty of time to plan ahead, we shopped around for the best prices, dropping two Franklins at Wal-Mart. $200 bought seven sets of rechargeable and seven sets of single-use batteries — 84 batteries in total. With individual single-use batteries ranging in price from 50-cents to upwards of four dollars (purchased in packs of four or eight), our objective was simple: Calculate cost per shot for each battery.
Each set of batteries was put through a series of three tests. Batteries were tested twice using the 8-megapixel Canon PowerShot SX100IS, once with and once without using the built-in flash. The camera was tethered to a computer and fired using Canon’s Remote Capture software, with each and every setting carefully matched before each test to ensure consistency. The camera continued firing until each pair of batteries was depleted, with shot intervals of five seconds for the flash off test and 15 seconds while the flash was on. This portion of the battery test often ran overnight.
D3 and D300 get firmware fixes
Posted on July 7, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
In addition to the announcement of the D700, Nikon has revised the firmware of the D3 and D300. The latest D3 firmware adds new function button customization options though not the ones featured on the D700. In addition to these and a virtual horizon in live view mode, Nikon has also addressed the problem that some users experienced in which the battery indicator would incorrectly register an empty battery.
This problem, which has come to be known as ‘Dead Battery Syndrome,’ has also been addressed in new firmware for the D300.
D3 firmware makes improvements to AF and Auto White Balance mode, as well as correcting for the battery indicator errors. Many of the other changes are subtle tweaks to menus and behavior, such as the decision to only all auto-rotate of images in playback mode, not in the review image that appears after shooting (as the camera must already be in the correct orientation to have taken the shot).
The only D700 feature to appear is the addition of a visualization of the virtual horizon function to live view mode. Other than this, the new function button customization options are not as extensive as its new baby brother. The D3 changes add three more options that can be assigned to the Function, Preview or AE-L/AF-L buttons. The only completely original option is the ability to scroll between shooting menu banks (user-defined presets) with a button press and turn of the control dial. The firmware also separates the image area (FX/DX/5:4) option into two, so that you can choose to either scroll between all three image sizes or just between FX and DX.
D3 firmware v2.00 can be downloaded from the following links:
Mac
PC
D300 firmware v1.03 can be downloaded from the following links:
Mac
PC
More details about the D3 changes can be found by clicking here.
Nikon SB-900 Speedlight
Posted on July 6, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Ratings, Reviews, Tips | Leave a Comment
This week Nikon have announced the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight to go with their new Nikon D700 DSLR .
It is a top of the range flash and will be available in August 2008 with a retail price of $499.95 USD.
Learn more about the Nikon SB-900 Speedlight in the promotional material from Nikon below.
Nikon SB-900 Speedlight News Release
New Nikon SB-900 Speedlight Advances Flash Technology At The Speed Of Light With Expansive Zoom And Intelligent Features
Nikon’s Newest Flagship Speedlight Offers a Powerful Addition to the Versatile Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS)
Nikon, Inc. today introduced the SB-900 Speedlight to provide Nikon digital SLR photographers with a flash capable of a wide zoom range, increased versatility, faster recycling time, and a wealth of intelligent features to enhance the already vast functionality of the Nikon Creative Lighting System (CLS). Building on the success of the popular SB-800 Speedlight, the SB-900 provides users with extensive creative lighting possibilities with a simplified interface and the ability to stay up to date with future technologies through user-applied firmware updates.*
The SB-900 offers unprecedented zoom range coverage from 17 to 200mm, to increase flexibility in a variety of shooting conditions, while automatically adapting itself to Nikon’s FX or DX-format cameras. Additionally, light output has been increased to a maximum guide number of 48/157.5 (ISO 200, meters/feet at 35mm FX-format and Standard). Photographers can now also select from three light patterns; “Center-weighted” provides the highest guide number and is suitable for images such as portraits, where light falloff at the image edges is of less importance. “Standard” provides a familiar pattern, similar to the SB-800, and is ideal for general photography and “Even” which delivers the most consistent edge-to-edge coverage, making it ideal for situations such as group photography. Additionally, Nikon’s newest flagship Speedlight provides photographers with advanced wireless i-TTL capabilities allowing the utilization of multiple Speedlights with ease and confidence on location or in the studio.
“Nikon is proud that its innovative leadership in flash technologies has been praised by photographers who have realized the versatility and power that the Nikon Creative Lighting System contributes to their photography,” said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon, Inc. “The SB-900 Speedlight now provides photographers with a new level of portable lighting functionality, with performance and intelligent features that adapt to an even wider scope of lighting challenges.”
The SB-900 Speedlight is engineered to address the creative lighting challenges faced by today’s photographers including a need for fast, on-demand performance, and the ability to adapt seamlessly to nearly any lighting scenario. The SB-900’s innovative design has the Xenon flash tube and reflector system moving independently – allowing for a wider zoom range from an extreme wide angle of 17mm (FX) to the telephoto setting which reaches 200mm without the aid of accessories or as wide as 12mm in DX mode with the built-in wide-angle panel engaged.
The SB-900 offers a quick recycle time of 4.0 seconds (at full power) with four Alkaline AA batteries which drops to a mere 2.3 seconds (at full power) while using four rechargeable NiMH batteries—about 25 percent faster than the SB-800 with its fifth battery attachment.
While ease of use has always been a defining hallmark of the Nikon CLS System, the user interface has been even further refined to simplify control and offer faster operation. Controls for setting the wireless Master and Remote have been relocated to the outside of the unit for easier access and frequently used functions are easily adjusted with a new Rotary Select Dial. A larger LCD screen is easy to read, even in direct sunlight, and photographers can assign “My Menu” hotkeys for quicker access to commonly used functions. A new thermal cut-out protection system monitors conditions when the flash might overheat due to excessive rapid bursts. Helpful operating temperature information is provided to the photographer with an innovative temperature gauge displayed on the LCD screen.
For the first time, Nikon SB-900 Speedlight users will have the ability to take advantage of future performance advancements, by way of user-uploadable firmware. The user will be able to download the firmware onto a flash media card and upload it to the flash through select digital SLR cameras.*
The SB-900 Speedlight is Nikon’s most intelligent Speedlight ever, created in response to the needs of today’s digital photographic professionals. When using the included fluorescent or incandescent filters and adaptor, the flash automatically recognizes what filter is being used and automatically adjusts white balance accordingly on the latest Nikon D-SLRs.* Additionally, the SB-900 aids auto focus with a broader AF assist beam that covers a wide 20-105mm that is matched to all of the D3, D700 and D300’s 51 focus points. The bounce and swivel capability of the SB-900 has been expanded to include: tilt up to 90 degrees, down minus 11 degrees, and a full 180-degree swivel left or right, allowing more creativity for on or off camera use, or as a remote Speedlight.
The SB-900 serves as the new core for the Nikon Creative Lighting System when used in combination with Nikon SLRs, and supports Advanced Wireless Lighting as a master or a remote Speedlight, inviting photographers to discover endless creative possibilities. While using one or more Nikon Speedlights wirelessly, photographers can artistically use shadows, highlight details, and light complicated angles with ease. Along with the SB-900, the Nikon Creative Lighting System features a comprehensive assortment of personal lighting tools that include the agile SB-600 and SB-400, and the remarkable R1 and R1C1 Wireless Close-up Speedlight systems.
Available accessoriesThe SD9 Battery Pack boosts flash recycle time to a mere one second (at full power). For faster recycling or all-day shooting it accepts up to eight AA batteries. To enhance the weatherproof ability of Nikon D-SLRs, optional Water Guards will be available for select cameras to protect the connection between the flash and camera, allowing users to utilize the flash when weather conditions are less than ideal.
Price and availabilityThe new Nikon SB-900 Speedlight is scheduled to be available in August 2008, and will have an estimated selling price of $499.95.** The SB-900 will come packaged with the Speedlight Stand, Bounce Adapter, Color Filter Holder, Intelligent Color Filter Kit, Diffuser Dome and the Soft Case. The SD9 Battery Pack is also scheduled to be available in August 2008 with an estimated selling price of $230.00.
Photo rights back in the headlines
Posted on July 4, 2008 - Filed Under Digital, Photo | Leave a Comment
The right to take pictures in public has once again hit the headlines with reports that a lifelong bus spotter has quit after wrongly been labelled a ‘terrorist and paedophile’.
National newspapers report that Rob McCaffrey has been forced to ‘hang up his camera’ after more than 40 years because he is fed up with arousing suspicion among members of the public.
The 50-year-old says he has been stopped by police officers while taking pictures of buses in Wales in the past year.
In one incident a bus driver apparently objected to having his photo taken. In another, a Police Community Support Officer is said to have run his name and address through police computers after a member of the public complained he had been acting strangely, according to publications including The Daily Mail, The Sun and the The Daily Telegraph.
McCaffrey, from Gloucester, told : ‘Since the 9/11 attacks there has been a crackdown on security and it seems everyone with a camera is a potential criminal. It’s very upsetting.’
In a press statement, Gloucestershire Police told newspapers: ‘If a member of the public becomes suspicious of an individual taking photos in public and makes a complaint to a police officer, the officer will first discuss the matter with the photographer.
‘Normally, the individual is more than happy to disperse any suspicion by showing an officer their photos and one of the benefits of digital cameras is that this can be done on the spot.
‘However, if the officer remains suspicious as to the content of the images or the photographer’s intentions, they have the authority, under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act, to seize the camera and arrest the individual.’
No one from the force was available for comment at the time of writing.
Officers can stop and search anyone under the Terrorism Act 2000 whether or not they suspect them to be carrying articles that could be used in connection with terrorism.
However, once an image has been recorded, police officers ‘have no power to delete or confiscate it without a court order’, according to the Association of Chief Police Officers spokeswoman Alexandra Coleman.
She told (AP) magazine that officers’ powers are ‘strictly regulated by law’ and that this rule applies regardless of whether the officer suspects criminal or terrorist intent.
The news comes as AP continues to be approached by journalists researching articles on the subject, one of which is published HERE.
For more about police powers, keep an eye out for AP, which is in shops every Tuesday.
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AA Batteries Compared
Posted on July 2, 2008 - Filed Under Art, News, Photo | Leave a Comment
PopPhoto have rounded-up the latest AA batteries and tested them from a green angle, emphasizing rechargeable batteries and recycling.
“With plenty of time to plan ahead, we shopped around for the best prices, dropping two Franklins at Wal-Mart. $200 bought seven sets of rechargeable and seven sets of single-use batteries—84 batteries in total. With individual single-use batteries ranging in price from 50-cents to upwards of four dollars (purchased in packs of four or eight), our objective was simple: Calculate cost per shot for each battery.”
Website: PopPhoto – AA Battery Test
Canon Speedlite 430EX II
Posted on July 2, 2008 - Filed Under Digital | Leave a Comment
Canon Speedlite 430EX 2 Flash : Canon announces the latest addition to its EX Speedlite flash unit range, the Canon Speedlite 430EX II. A high-powered compact flash, the Canon Speedlite 430 EXII has a guide number of 43 (m/ISO 100 at 105mm) and an inbuilt wide panel to allow coverage suitable for wide angle lenses to 14mm. Replacing the Canon Speedlite 430EX, the Speedlite 430EX II offers fast, silent recycling and full control via the menu system of compatible EOS cameras. It is ideal for both amateurs and professionals seeking a versatile, all-purpose flash. The Speedlite incorporates a number of new features. Recycle times have been reduced by approximately 20%, with the recycle process performed silently to minimise distraction.
Canon Speedlite 430 EX II
Furthermore, Canon has updated the flash unit with a new metal mounting foot with redesigned connection pins provides ultra-stable communication between the camera and flash; for rapid connection to the camera, a new quick release and locking mechanism is also incorporated. Used in Manual mode, the Speedlite 430EX II offers settings in 1/3 stop increments for increased precision of operation. Plus – when used with compatible EOS cameras – every setting on the Speedlite 430EX II can be controlled via the camera menu system, allowing rapid, intuitive alteration of settings.
Canon System flash
The Canon Speedlite 430EX II is a key component of the integrated flash system for both analogue and digital cameras, and is fully compatible with the distance-linked E-TTL II system found on recent EOS cameras. It can also be used as a slave unit when combined with a master unit in a wireless flash setup. Slight variations in a flash gun’s voltage and brightness can destabilise white balance in respective frames during continuous shooting. The Speedlite 430EX II compensates for this by transmitting colour information from the flash to the camera. This information is then used to optimise the white balance setting for each individual image. This function works with the camera set to Auto WB or Flash Mode.
Canon 430EX II features
When mounted to compatible EOS digital cameras, the Speedlite 430EX II detects whether the sensor is full frame, APS-C or APS-H. The flash’s zoom position is then automatically adjusted, optimising flash coverage and the amount of charge needed per shot. Other features on the Speedlite 430EX II include 1st and 2nd curtain flash synchronisation, exposure compensation, and an expanded range of nine custom functions.
Canon Speedlite Accessories
The Speedlite 430EX II can be used with the following optional accessories: the Canon OC-E3 off-camera shoe cord and the Speedlite bracket SB-E2. Featuring a handy quick release/locking mechanism, the OC-E3 adds wired, short-range positioning flexibility to the Speedlite 430EX II. The Speedlite bracket SB-E2 is designed specifically for wedding and press photography and allows the Canon Speedlite 430EX II to be mounted to one side of the camera – removing the harsh, unnatural shadows that can occur to one side of the subject when shooting in portrait orientation with a camera mounted flash.
Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 review
Posted on July 2, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Casio Exilim Pro F1 digital camera review : Casio have been active on the digital camera market for several years now. Although the majority of the people know Casio because of their watches and pocket calculators, many are unaware of the fact that Casio is a real pioneer in the camera world. When the camera market started to rise, Casio were the first to introduce a consumer digital camera; the QV10, which set the ball rolling. Surprisingly enough it took quite a while before renowned photo manufactures caught up. Nowadays, many manufacturers have been forced to adjust their strategy; they either merged or abandoned the photo market. Casio, on the other hand, have proven to be a pioneer and for a reason; they are still very much present in the game.
Casio Exilim EX-F1 Megazoom camera
Striking is the least you can say about a manufacturer as Casio. Their past has made it clear that Casio were always innovative; various innovations started by Casio were later on adopted as similar versions or a derivative version by their competitors. Still, not all is home-made. One example is the new Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 camera. A Megazoom camera as we know from the competition, however, with one great difference; the camera has an on-board ultra-fast CMOS image sensor that is able to achieve unparalleled speed performance.
Casio EX-F1 features ultra-fast CMOS image sensor
The Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 is a camera belonging to the Pro-series of Casio. This series never convinced us of a Pro status, however; with their new flagship, Casio try to establish their status as innovative camera manufacturer once again. The Casio F1 is equipped with a special CMOS image sensor that is developed by Sony. We call it special since it is a sensor able to manage data at an extremely high speed, resulting in a camera with a capacity of working with a frame speed of 1200 fps, incredible! The 1/1.8 inch CMOS sensor features ‘only’ 6 Megapixels which is not many compared to current resolution ratios, but in any case, it suffices to print photo realistic enlargements.
Casio Exilim Pro EX F1 camera review
The camera features a 12x optical zoom lens and uses image stabilization to be able to guarantee a sharp picture. The Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 looks a lot like a LUMIX Megazoom camera, as far as model goes, of the Panasonic stable. The surplus value of the Casio EXILIM Pro F1 is, naturally, found in the frame speed specification. It will offer access to a world of action photography, which until now was inaccessible to amateur photographers, for a consumer price. I had the Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 in the office for a while. The camera was tested in practice and a sample was technically tested in our DIWA Lab in Norway, where extensive tests on techniques are carried out in lab circumstances. The results can be read in the following 
Nikon Capture NX 2
Posted on July 1, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
When Nikon’s Capture NX software came out in the summer of 2006, it was a boon to Nikon shooters who wanted to make selective edits to their pictures without the time and trouble of making Photoshop-esque masks and selections. The new version takes selective editing to a new level – allowing you to use NX’s control points to do more than ever before.
Now, it’s possible to use the control points to choose which areas you sharpen, reduce noise, add blur, and do just about anything else the program offers. The interface has been redesigned and is now customizable, and there’s a smooth new retouch brush, as well.
Nikon shooters will get the most out of the software, because they can use NX 2′s full functionality as a RAW converter. However, if you don’t shoot Nikon but have lots of TIFFs and JPEGs, you can use this program, too. Starting in late June, anyone can try it free from www.nikonusa.com. It will cost $180 for the full version, and $110 for the upgrade.
Here are a few of the coolest new features:
Auto Retouch Brush
To get rid of blemishes or dust, wipe the area with the new Auto Retouch Brush. You can change its size according to what you want to get rid of.
Color Control Point
As before, add color control points to manipulate color, contrast, brightness, and saturation of the areas that need it. On the right, your changes appear as steps. Toggle them on and off or get rid of them all together. All of the edits are nondestructive.
Selection Control Points
With the new Selection Control Points, you can choose an effect, then pick the area where you want it to land. Here, I added sharpness to her eyes. To do it, I told the control point roughly the radius of the area I wanted to affect. The software’s algorithms determined, based on the color of the spot where I placed the point, that I was going for her eyes. By choosing Show Overlay, I can check out the area that I’m affecting.
Adding and Removing Selection
By adding lots of control points, I used a slight Gaussian blur to smooth out her skin while protecting her features.
Here’s what the mask looks like.
And here’s the result.