Pentax K20D review
Posted on October 13, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Pentax K20D digital SLR camera : I have always had a soft spot for the Pentax K10D digital SLR. A beautiful and solid compact digital reflex camera, offering a superb quality, certainly when combined with the pancake lenses. Actually, it surprises me that I don’t see the K10D in the streets a lot more often. In general, the reviews came up with very positive end conclusions. Perhaps its successor, the Pentax K20D, will succeed this now that the path to success is cleared by the K10D.
14 Megapixel Pentax K20D SLR camera
In many aspects the Pentax K20D is similar to its predecessor, yet offers considerably more. In the first place, there are more pixels, of course; the trend continues. With a resolution of 14 million pixels the K20D is ahead of its close competitors, the Canon EOS 40D and its allies. The image sensor is now a CMOS and has been developed in close cooperation with Samsung. The latter also manufactures the CMOS sensor and integrates it into the GX20, which is the twin brother of the Pentax K20D. The quality should remain the same thanks to minimizing the circuitry around each photo site, thus keeping the light-sensitive area of each pixel to the same size as other companies manage on 12 MP sensors. The PRIME processor found in the K10D is also present inside the Pentax K20D to convert the signal. Since a DDR2 memory is used, processing the image should be carried out faster.
Live View functionality on the Pentax K20D
Although not much seems to have changed on the outside, the back of the camera features a larger LCD monitor. The K20D is the first Pentax equipped with the Live View function in addition to the convenient preview the K10D already offers. A camera without Live View is hard to imagine these days. Funny how things work sometimes. Not so long ago, Live View on a DSLR was absolutely not done and to a photographer could almost be compared to swearing in church. Another function we find more and more often is the possibility to control the dynamic range. The Pentax K20D, too, has a function that lets you increase the range, in order to enable you to deal with high contrast situations.
Pentax K20D lens with calibration function
As always, Pentax allows you to keep using your old lenses. Although you might not be able to use the 11-point SAFOX VIII auto focus motor. To correct any flaws that may occur in the lens, Pentax integrated a calibration function. This function looks like the setting possibilities on the Canon and Nikon, yet takes things further. You can actually calibrate the lens, and this is something for which you would have to go to the importer when it comes to other brands. A unique possibility proving that Pentax takes things a step further. Studio photographers will be pleased to bits to find the flash unit connection on the K20D; something on which K10D users, unfortunately, miss out.
Shaking sensor occurs dust on Pentax K20D photos
Many items remained untouched. Such as support of RAW and the PEF format of Pentax themselves, as well as the more universal DNG format. Naturally in combination with JPEG. Moreover, the unusual shooting modes also remained, thankfully. Just like the shaking sensor, not only functioning as image stabilization but also as dust remover. Who wouldn’t get annoyed finding dust on the picture? Pentax added a preview to the Pentax K20D that lets you check to see if there is dust visible somewhere on the picture. The preview is made at f/16. A good way to check if your sensor is still dust-free.
Pentax K20D review – Test in practise and technical DIWA test
At first sight not a lot seems to have changed, however, it still feels different when picking up the Pentax K20D. What exactly got changed and whether they form real changes, was tested by us over a longer period of time. Our findings can be read in the following 
DSLR Shootout: Five Top Cameras Compared
Posted on July 26, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Nikon Coolpix P80 review
Posted on July 20, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Nikon Coolpix P80 review : Many people consider a small model with a large optical zoom range the ideal digital camera. This type of easy-to-carry camera enables you to take every picture you like. The so-called Megazoom cameras are therefore still extremely popular, even though reflex cameras are gradually becoming smaller and cheaper. Nikon may have bid the Megazoom concept farewell just a tad too soon, as they rushed into their undeniably successful line of DSLR cameras. With the availability of the Nikon Coolpix P80, Nikon meet the demands of consumers; a demand that still exists in spite of the success of the digital SLR camera.
Nikon Coolpix P80 digital camera
The specifications of the Nikon Coolpix P80 are extremely promising. 10 Megapixels, 18x optical zoom, ISO range up to 6400 and an in-house produced EXPEED processor also found in the latest generation of DSLR cameras of Nikon, and all of this in a body with dimensions of only 110x79x78 mm. The Nikon P80 weighs a mere 365 grams without its battery and this is a lot less than a standard DSLR. The optical zoom range is large, starting at 27 mm which offers you a true wide angle. Thankfully, manufacturers are slowly but surely starting to recognize the benefits of a wide angle.
Optical image stabilizer on the Nikon P80
At maximum telephoto mode a focal length of 486 mm is obtained compared to a 35mm camera, and that is not bad. In order to obtain a sharp picture, you do need an optical image stabilizer. Nikon chose for the Coolpix P80 to apply a moveable sensor; which is a true image stabilization system that should guarantee carefree use of the large optical range in practice.
Edit pictures on the Nikon Coolpix P80
Nikon do not limit to picture-taking alone, also editing afterwards is taken into account. Like most Nikon cameras, the Nikon P80 has also been equipped with D-lighting. Dark areas in a picture are brightened, resulting in a more natural contrast. Naturally, this is done without overwriting the original. This is a very convenient functionality that can be frequently used in practice.
Nikon Coolpix P80 camera review
The Nikon Coolpix P80 is ranked in Nikon’s top class which makes the expectations rise sky-high. We expect a high performance when we look at the impressive specifications, although we are aware of the fact that Nikon place the bar really high for themselves. We had the camera in our possession for quite a while and have submitted it to some extensive tests. Whether or not Nikon have had to compromise can be read in the following Nikon Coolpix P80 camera review.
Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1
Posted on July 17, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
To say the 6MP Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 ($999, street) is a breakthrough is an understatement. As we’ve said before (April 2008), and the Pop Photo Lab confirms, the F1 is a far-reaching achievement on several fronts:
• It’s an impressive 12X zoom (36-432mm f/2.7-4.6 equivalent) electronic-viewfinder (EVF) still camera with optical stabilization and Excellent image quality.
• It’s the camera equivalent of a machine gun, packing a breathtaking 60 frames-per-second burst rate (7 fps with flash) and 1/4 0,000 sec top shutter speed.
• It’s a full-HD (1920×1080 pixels at 60 fps) video camera with stereo audio, zoom while recording, and HDMI output.
• It’s a high-speed/low-resolution video camera, shooting up to a blistering 1200 frames per second.
That last quality — high-speed video — means 1 sec of real time equals up to 40 sec of ultra-slow-motion video. Scientists and sports trainers will find practical uses for this, but the “Wow!” factor is universal. Check out our high-speed videos at www.PopPhoto.com/EX-F1.
In HD mode, the F1 serves up crisp, sharp, full-HD videos on an HDTV (connect it using your own HDMI cable).
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.
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.
Olympus SP 570 UZ review
Posted on June 27, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Reviews | Leave a Comment
Olympus SP-570 UZ digital camera review : In August 2005, Olympus introduced the very first camera from the new SP-5 series; the SP-500 UZ camera. At the time it was a Megazoom camera that certainly featured high specifications; six Megapixels, a maximum ISO of 400 and an optical zoom with a 38-380mm range. Three years later, the fifth model of the SP-5 series lays before me; the Olympus SP-570 UZ, the most recent Megazoom model by Olympus.
Evolution of the Olympus SP-570 UZ
Looking at the specifications, we clearly see the evolution this model underwent. Instead of six, there’s now room for ten Megapixels on the small image sensor, and the sensitivity of 6400, albeit with a limited resolution, surpasses the ‘high’ 400 ISO setting of that of its predecessor. The optical zoom lens also went through a real change; now offering a 20x optical zoom, resulting in a huge focal range (26-520mm) which is a powerful magnification factor even for the enhanced photographer.
Digital camera developments
In only a few years time the digital camera has undergone considerable changes and is, in fact, still going through this process. It looks like this trend will continue for a while. We are not always happy with the changes, but all in all it is a logical evolution. As long as the quality is ensured and improvements are visible, there is no reason to moan. Though it is a good motivation to keep a finger on the pulse, since a manufacturer’s marketing department sometimes tends to overdo it. One example that goes for nearly every brand is the race for the highest ISO setting possible. The latter is hardly ever useful in practice and only looks good on paper. Although Megazoom cameras tend to lean towards the features of digital SLRs, they are in fact compact cameras with the smaller sensors that come with these.
Olympus SP-570UZ Megazoom digital camera
The Megazoom digital camera market remains interesting to the manufacturer. While a number of manufacturers have left this concept alone in order to focus fully on their DSLR cameras, a considerable group of consumers really seemed to appreciate this Megazoom camera. The features; compact, lightweight and super zoom, form a powerful combination to give cameras like the Olympus SP-570UZ the right to exist.
Olympus SP-570 UZ camera review
The Olympus SP-570 was introduced in January of this year, just before the PMA 2008 in Las Vegas kicked off, and only recently became available to the consumer. Thanks to all its setting possibilities and all-round capacities, the Olympus SP-570 UZ camera seems to be the perfect alternative to a D-SLR camera. It’s a camera that is easy to take with you at all times. Read the following 
Camera Test: Sony Alpha 350
Posted on May 17, 2008 - Filed Under Cameras, Photo, Reviews | Leave a Comment
What’s in a name? With DSLRs, not much. Case in point: Sony’s new Alpha 350 ($800, street, body only; $900 with 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 Sony DT lens). Based on quick math, you might guess it’s half the camera the Alpha 700 ($1,300, body only) is. But the A350 actually boasts a higher-megapixel (14.2) sensor than the A700, plus several conveniences such as a tilting LCD and a live-view mode with fast autofocusing.
Then again, Sony didn’t design the A350 to compete against advanced DSLRs such as the A700. It’s geared toward photographers coming from digital compacts, who may be drawn to its live view, high megapixel count, compact size, and friendly price. The A350′s closest competitors in terms of megapixels, the 14.6MP Pentax K20D and Samsung GX-20, both cost $500 more. The Canon EOS Rebel XSi, priced similarly to the A350, offers 12.2MP. And the less-expensive Nikon D60 and Pentax K200D pack 10.2MP.
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.
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