Digital Photography Blog: Digital Camera Reviews, Ratings, News, Tips and Tutorials.
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David J Nightingale started this week's photoblog of the week, Chromasia back in 2003 - he hasn't looked back and has created one of the most well renowned photoblogs currently operating.
Take a look at David's thumbnail page to get a quick overview of the kind of images he takes. He uses colors and composition brilliantly and his images are full of all kinds of points of interest. Also check out his Top 10 images to get a feel for some of his best work.
Shots on Chromasia are generated mainly by David's Canon Powershot G5 and the photoblog uses Moveable Type. Prints are available for purchase.
Chromasia is a great site that is worth a visit - it's our pleasure to name it as our photoblog of the week.
The winners of the World Press Photo Awards have been announced. Some of the photos are pretty amazing, especially those from war zones and definitely worth a visit.
Digital Photography Blog wishes to thank its loyal readership for yet another record breaking month of traffic. As can be seen by the graph (left - click to enlarge) we've enjoyed 96,000 unique visitors this month and are expecting even bigger and better things in June.
As a result of this continued growth we continue to look for the support and involvement of individuals and companies to share the journey with us.
Opportunities for Individuals - As always opportunities exist for readers to submit Reviews of Digital Cameras, Printers, Scanners, Camera Phones, Photo Editing Software or any other digital imaging product. We'll give you credit for your work and will link up to your own photoblog or site if you have one. Submit your reviews, articles and tips via our Contact form.
Opportunities for Companies - Share our growth by becoming an advertising partner with Digital Photography Blog. Whilst some spaces are sold out there are currently spots in a variety of positions on our site including the banner position and as Newsletter Sponsor. Advertise your company, photoblog, product or service with us for as little as 80 cents a day! Get more information on these opportunities
Thanks again for your support.
Pretec have just announced what they are calling the 'World's fastest Flash Memory Card'. Here is their press release.
Press Release
Taipei, Taiwan, June 1, 2004 – Pretec Electronics Corp., the 2nd company in the world offering CompactFlash memory card (CF) card since 1995, is demonstrating the world’s first MMC 4.0 flash memory card with Read speed about 150X (22.5MB/s) and Write speed greater than 120X (18MB/s), which is the highest speed small form factor flash memory card in the world today, at COMPUTEX TAIPEI Pretec Booth Hall 4, # 101A here at World Trade Center.
Compatible with most Secure Digital (SD) slots used by mobile phones, digital cameras, and other portable digital devices, MMC (MultiMediaCard) is one of the most popular memory cards in the world today. Version 4.0 is the most recent release of MMCA (http://www.mmca.org/), with maximum transfer speed up to 20 times of today’s MMC, and 4 times faster than today’s SD card without any royalties for the high-speed interface. The speed of Pretec MMC 4.0 is about 200% faster than the fastest SD card available in the market and about 800% faster than Pretec MMC (V3.2) 1GB, which is the fastest and highest capacity in the market today.
Support dual-voltage operation of 3V/1.8V, Pretec MMC 4.0 is the lowest power consumption flash memory card in the world when operated at 1.8V. Pretec also offers Reduced-Size (RS) MMC 4.0, measured at only 18mmX24mmX1.4mm, which is 44% smaller area than SD card and 62% smaller volume than SD card, Pretec RS-MMC 4.0 is one of the smallest flash memory card in the world.
Last week I visited Sydney for an afternoon to attend ‘Photo Imaging World’ – Asia/Pacific’s annual trade show where all the leading photographic manufacturers put their latest technologies on show.
The show was the biggest of its kind in Australia with over 100 exhibitors ranging from the powerhouse manufactures of Canon, Sony, Kodak and Olympus through to the small photographic retail outlets and photographers.
Whilst there were few new product announcements made at this years show (manufacturers tend to focus on PMA Los Angeles in February for such moments) there were a number of interesting trends that we noticed.
The Word is Digital
It goes without saying but Digital Photography has overtaken Film Technologies in so many ways. At this year’s show all the major manufacturers give almost their complete exhibitions over to Digital Cameras and their related accessories. Even Fujifilm and Kodak’s areas were dominated by digital cameras.
The Megapixel Race is not the Main Event
In chatting with a very helpful representative at Sony I began to realise that the ‘Megapixel Race’ of building digital cameras with bigger and bigger megapixel capacity is becoming less of a priority for at least some manufacturers. This year I noticed an increased focus upon personal printing (all the major players are releasing personal printing units and equipping their cameras with direct printing functions), Editing Software and Image Storage technologies.
Sony’s rep told me that now that there is a new wave of requests coming in from their customers that focus on the question ‘what do we do with our images?’ This makes sense as more and more families and individuals now own a quality digital camera and are beginning to turn their attention to preserving and displaying their prized photos. As a result we can expect to see a lot more products released in the next year like Sony's HDPS-M1 which was on display at the show.
Ho Hum
Whilst there are some amazing digital cameras on the market I came away from the show feeling a little underwhelmed by what was on show in terms of marketing and displays. Of the 100 exhibitors only 1 stood out as doing anything different. Crumpler Bags was the only ‘edgy’ booth – they surrounded themselves in 44 gallon drums, allowed visitors to write comments on their black board walls and presented one and all with stickers, temporary tattoos and the worlds smallest box of matches (all adorned with Crumplers logo). Other exhibitors stuck with more of a minimalist approach with the exception of Sony who attempted do something different with an area where an indigenous artist painted in the middle of their exhibition.
Evolution vs Innovation
Whilst I know that the major focus of a show like Photo Imaging World is the technology, I came away from it wondering if the ‘ho hum’ nature of displays is actually a reflection of the state of the industry as a whole. Is anyone really doing anything different? Most of the new cameras released in the last year look and operate remarkably similarly to one another. Yes we are getting more megapixels, longer lenses, bigger memory cards and more automatic shooting modes – but where will the next ‘wow’ come from? I get the feeling that we’re in ‘evolution mode’ and not ‘innovation mode.’ Maybe Apple should start making digital cameras – we need an I-cam to shake things up.
Best In Show
Perhaps I’m being a little cynical, I did have a good time really, I just want to see the industry continue to move forward as I know it can. Lets get a little more positive with my ‘Best in Show’ Awards ceremony. Here are my stand out exhibitors:
Overall PIW was well worth the visit to Sydney (a great city to spend a few days anyway). The main reason I went was to meet and network with some key people from the manufacturers of Australia’s most popular digital cameras. We’re hoping that out of the relationships established that Digital Photography Blog will continue to grow in providing you our readers with quality Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips.
The digital camera revolution need not snap your nerve gives a good snapshot of some of the issues one needs to consider when choosing which digital camera is best for them.
Check out the rest of our growing collection of tips on how to choose a digital camera.
Colour Balance Aids for Photoshop is a useful tutorial that examines the whole issue of Colour when working in Photoshop.
Press Release
Amsterdam, The Netherlands. May 28th 2004: 07:00 CET: Nikon Europe is pleased to announce the introduction of a brand new photographic accessory, the AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II - the first teleconverter to offer a 1.7x lens focal length magnification, but with exposure compensation kept to just 1.5 stops. Designed exclusively for use with AF-S and AF-I Nikkor lenses, the AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II extends the Nikon teleconverter line-up to three teleconverters offering a choice of 1.4x, 1.7x, and 2.0x focal length magnification factors.
With dimensions of just 66 x 31.5mm (2.6 x 1.2 in.) and a weight of only 250g (approx.) the AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II is compact and lightweight to use. Attached to a camera body, for example, with the latest AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED lens, the combination of lens and teleconverter offers the photographer an impressive focal length of 340mm with a maximum aperture of just f/3.3. On all of Nikon's digital SLRs an approximate 135-picture angle equivalent to 510mm is possible, whilst maintaining the same maximum aperture of f/3.3.
The AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II also has the ability to communicate with the signals from most* lenses. Furthermore, it is fully compatible with Nikon's exclusive Vibration Reduction (VR), incorporates glass elements that conform to forthcoming environmental standards and is housed in a design that is consistent with the current TC-14E II and TC-20E II.
AF-S Teleconverter TC-17E II Major Features
- Compatible with AF-S and AF-I lenses
- Compact size, 31.5mm thick and just 7mm thicker than the TC-14E II
- Communicates with the signals from most lenses
- Supports Nikon VR function
- Minimal exposure compensation of just 1.5 stops
- Environmentally friendly glass
- Design consistent with current TC-14E II and TC-20E II teleconverters
*Availability might vary by region and/or dealer. Your dealer is best placed to update local availability or otherwise your national Nikon organization.
The Nikkor 200 mm F2.0 AF-S VR G lens is a fast prime telephoto lens with Vibration Reduction capability for when light gets low.
Press Release
Nikon announces world's first f/2 aperture SLR lens to
feature Vibration Reduction
AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED
Amsterdam May 28th 2004: 07:00 CET: Nikon Europe today announces the introduction of a revolutionary new SLR photographic lens, the first* f/2 aperture lens to feature Vibration Reduction (VR) technology.
The AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED heralds an exciting breakthrough in photographic performance to extend shooting opportunities beyond the limits of currently available photographic lenses.
Vibration Reduction, maximum aperture of f/2
The unique combination of an f/2 maximum aperture combined with Vibration Reduction enables new photographic opportunities in light conditions previously impossible to achieve without resorting to grainy high-speed film or noise-prone digital ISO sensitivity settings. The shallow depth of field created by the wide f/2 aperture offers a unique appearance to pictures combined with a pleasing background blur and bright viewfinder image and will find favour with photographers seeking to freeze movement with fast shutter speeds in low lighting conditions.
Vibration Reduction
When light levels get really low, VR can be activated to enable sharp available-light images of still subjects or when using flash. The AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED is the fifth* Nikkor lens to incorporate Nikon's renowned Vibration Reduction system. The system comprises of a suspended lens element that is positioned according to data from gyroscopic sensors and that compensates for accidental vertical or horizontal movement during slow shutter exposures. The Nikon VR system can also detect deliberate movement - such as panning - automatically. Exposures with three or more stops slower shutter speed compared to a lens without VR can be achieved depending on shooting conditions and the technique of individual photographers.
This VR performance can be applied in a choice of two modes to suit shooting conditions. Normal mode is ideal for common shooting conditions, including panning or when using a tripod, whilst Active mode is designed to compensate for specific shake caused when shooting at slow shutter speeds from moving platforms such as cars or aircraft.
New teleconverter for Magnified flexibility
Shorter and narrower than it's manual focus predecessor (the Nikkor 200 f/2 IF-ED), the new lens is also 14mm shorter than the AF-S VR Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G IF-ED. These compact dimensions deliver real benefits when used in combination with Nikon teleconverters like the TC-14EII and TC-20E II.
A brand new TC-17EII 1.7x teleconverter is also introduced (sold separately) to enhance the range of focal length options to factors of 1.4x, 2.0x and now, 1.7x respectively.
The use of such teleconverters with a wide aperture lens is an ideal way of adding extra focal length versatility without the expense and weight of additional lenses. Indeed, just by carrying the AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED and the aforementioned three teleconverters, photographers can gain access to a range of focal lengths that would normally require four different lenses.
Super ED glass
The new lens also features a brand new development in optical glass manufacture, a Super ED glass element.
As its name suggests, Super ED glass offers increased contrast and reduced levels of aberrations over current ED glass, so important when shooting at wide apertures. The AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2.G IF-ED incorporates a total of four ED elements, the most currently available in a Nikkor SLR lens.
Speaking about this important new SLR lens development Robert Cristina, Marketing Executive, SLR Systems, Nikon Europe said: "The new AF-S VR 200mm f/2 lens offers a unique combination of exceptionally sharp results with a bright viewfinder image and attractive background blurring (bokeh) for added impact. VR enables exposures in lighting conditions beyond the limits of previous lenses, with the risk of hand-shake kept to a minimum". He added; "The f/2 aperture also comes into it's own when adding teleconverters to bring substantial weight benefits for the busy traveling photographer. The new TC-17E teleconverter magnifies focal lengths by 1.7x but with just a 1.5 stop exposure adjustment and yet still maintains full Auto focus and VR functions".
*As of June 2004.
AF-S VR Nikkor 200mm f/2G IF-ED Major Features
Super ED and ED lens elements for a low refractive index and reduced dispersion
- Dual Mode Vibration Reduction
- Normal mode for general situations, panning and using a tripod
- Active mode for shooting from a moving platform (cars, aeroplanes)
- SWM (Silent Wave Motor) for quiet, high-speed auto-focus
- Exclusive M/A option for instant manual focus override during AF
- AF Switch enables easy selection of settings:
- AF-L allows a desired focal length to be preset
- AF-ON allows fine manual manipulation
- Focus Preset reverts the lens to the preset focal length
- Meniscus protective glass
- Rubber mount gasket, tough magnesium construction
- Focuses down to just 1.9m
- Eco-Glass: environmentally friendly glass manufacturing processes
The Nikon Coolpix 4100 is a 4.0 megapixel camera with a 3x Optical Zoom lens, 1.6 inch LCD and 14.5 megabytes internal memory allowing users to shoot pictures even without an SD memory card inserted. It measures 88 x 65 x 38mm and weighs 140g (without battery or card).
The Nikon Coolpix 4100 is based on the successful Coolpix 2200 and 3200 cameras so has a proven track record and should please. It will be released in the Northern Hemisphere summer and is priced at around $299.95 (US).
UK/European Readers buy the Nikon Coolpix 4100
PC Mag reviews the Nikon Coolpix 4100 and writes - 'In our testing, the Coolpix 4100 scored a mediocre (for a 4MP camera) 1,050 resolvable lines and average pixel transition ratio of 2.7 percent. Our simulated daylight shot had adequate exposure, though the foreground was a bit underexposed. The image was also a little soft around the perimeter, with warm colors. Our flash shot had good detail, but the illumination fell short, indicating a weak flash, and colors were decidedly cool. Both the daylight and flash shots showed some grain in the shadows.'
For more specifications and reviews of the Nikon Coolpix 4100 read the following press release from Nikon or check out:
- Imaging Resource - Nikon Coolpix 4100
- DP Review - Nikon Coolpix 4100
Press Release
The 4.0 effective megapixel compact digital camera that captures quality images with ease
Amsterdam - May 28, 2004 (8:00 CET) Nikon, a world leader in film and digital cameras, today announced the introduction of the COOLPIX4100 (www.europe-nikon.com), a new consumer digital camera with slim dimensions, 4.0-megapixel performance and surprisingly simple operation.
Building on the success and capabilities of the COOLPIX 3200 and featuring the same stylish grip, the COOLPIX 4100 feels comfortable in the hand and makes operation easy through its enhanced Graphic User Interface (GUI), which displays easy-to-see menus on a bright 1.6-in. TFT LCD monitor. Furthermore, all controls are placed on the back of the camera for convenient access.
The COOLPIX 4100 even has the advantage of 14.5MB of internal memory. This allows the user to shoot pictures when there's no SD memory card inserted, or copy shots between the internal memory and SD cards as desired.
Like all other models in the popular COOLPIX series, the E4100 has been designed to make things simple for the user and to allow increased versatility without compromising the fun of the moment. In line with this it features 15 handy Scene modes, four of which offer a Scene Assistance function. These do away with most of the preparation when shooting in common situations, achieving quality results when taking shots that range from sunsets to fireworks, to portraits. Users can also enjoy recording movies with sound, preserving special moments in a much more expressive way.
With a high-quality 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor lens and 4x digital zoom, the COOLPIX 4100 gives users a high degree of control over the way they compose their shots. The COOLPIX 4100 makes it easy for the user to zoom in close on a single subject or person, zoom out to take group shots, and even use the handy Macro mode which can be used as close as 4cm so that small objects can fill the frame. However you compose, you'll find the COOLPIX 4100 achieves vibrant colors, faithful contrast, and impressive clarity - all made possible by Nikon's advanced image processing algorithms.
A range of other features make shooting more fun. Five Color options comprising Standard color, Vivid color, Black-and-white, Sepia, and Cyanotype can be used to achieve creative results. A handy AF illumination assist function makes it easier to achieve sharp focus when shooting in poor light. A useful Blur Warning function alerts users of shots compromised by camera shake, giving them the choice to record them or not. The COOLPIX 4100 is also compatible with a wide range of rechargeable and disposable batteries, including alkaline batteries, which are easy to find. There's even an AC adapter too, which is available as a handy option.
Sales release schedule: This camera is scheduled for release in Summer 2004.
Note: Specifications, design, product name and standard accessories may differ by country or area.
Nikon COOLPIX 4100 Feature Highlights
Exceptionally easy to use
With slim dimensions, a surprisingly light weight and the same stylish grip as the popular COOLPIX 3200, the COOLPIX 4100 enables comfortable shooting with a natural feel. To allow easy access to the variety of convenient functions, all mode dials and controls are located on the back of the camera, while a larger, clear LCD (1.6-in., 80,000-dot TFT) makes for easy composition and pleasing playback.
Achieves satisfying results
With 4.0 effective megapixels and a 3x optical Zoom-Nikkor lens, the COOLPIX 4100 blends high-level clarity with compositional freedom. It also offers the advantage of an AF assist illuminator, which makes it so much easier to obtain sharp focus when shooting subjects in low light.
Further convenience
With 14.5MB of internal storage memory, the COOLPIX 4100 allows the user to take shots at any time, even when not carrying compatible memory media, and enables the copying of shots between the internal memory and SD cards as desired. It's also compatible with a wide range of rechargeable and disposable batteries, including alkaline batteries which can be easily purchased virtually anywhere. Furthermore, a waterproof case is available as an exciting option*, allowing the user to push the limits of their digital photography by shooting in the rain, in the snow, or even when scuba diving to depths of up to 40m.
* Not available in some countries and areas.
Nikon COOLPIX 4100 Major Features
4.0 effective megapixels
3x optical Zoom-Nikkor lens with 5.8-17.4mm coverage (equivalent to 35-105mm in 35mm [135] camera format); digital zoom up to 4x magnification (for a total of 12x when combined with optical zoom)
AF assist illuminator makes focus easier when shooting in darker situations
Red-eye reduction makes use of the LED lamp prior to the firing of the flash
Macro shooting capability as close as 4cm (1.6 in.)
Simple buttons and easy-to-see user interface enable easy operation, even for first time digital users.
14.5MB of internal memory enables the storage of images without a memory card, while two-way copying of stored images can be done between SD memory cards and the internal memory
Nikon’s Best Shot Selector (BSS) takes a series of shots, then automatically picks and records the clearest one
15 Scene Modes including four with Scene Assistance function — Scene Modes with Scene Assistance function (Portrait, Night portrait, Landscape, Sports); Other Scene Modes (Sunset, Close up, Museum, Panorama assist, Beach/Snow, Fireworks show, Back light, Party/Indoor, Copy, Dusk/Dawn, and Night landscape)
Three Movie Modes with sound, including TV movie (640) at 15fps, Small size (320) at 15fps, and Smaller size (160) at 15fps – recordable until SD memory card is full
Playback options include Full frame playback, Zoom to 10x maximum with photo trimming, and a Small picture function
Noise Reduction automatically reduces noise to ensure faithful color reproduction in some scene modes
Plug-and-play USB interface for smooth connection to a computer
Date Counter imprints the number of days to, or time since a specified occasion
5 Color Options, including Standard color, Vivid color, Black-and-white, Sepia, and Cyanotype
Blur Warning alerts the user of shots compromised by camera shake, giving them the choice to record them or not
1.6-in., 80,000-dot TFT LCD monitor with brightness adjustment
Can be powered by Two rechargeable Nikon EN-MH1 NiMH batteries, One CRV3 lithium battery, Two LR6 (AA) alkaline batteries, Two FR6/L91 (AA) lithium batteries, EH-62B AC adapter, Two ZR6 (AA) nickel manganese batteries/ nickel batteries
Long battery life of approx. 260 shots per charge with two EN-MH1 batteries when using the LCD monitor
Comes with Strap, USB cable, Audio Video cable, Rechargeable battery (EN-MH1)*, Battery charger MH-71*, PictureProject CD-ROM, Quick start Guide, and Instruction manual
Optional accessories include Ni-MH Rechargeable battery EN-MH1-B2, Battery charger MH-71, AC adapter EH-62B, Soft case, SD memory card, and Waterproof case WP-CP1**
Sleep mode activates when no change in brightness is detected for an extended period, saving energy sooner than the Auto Power Off function
Offers direct print capability through support of PictBridge ***
Language menu allows selection of English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, or Korean for menu displays
Time zone function can be easily set, making the COOLPIX 4100 an ideal travel companion
* Ships with two LR6 (AA) alkaline batteries in some countries and areas.
** Not available in some countries and areas.
*** WHEN USED WITH PICTBRIDGE COMPATIBLE PRINTERS.
I thought the 8 megapixel cameras that I've been lusting after were pretty amazing but the 500 megapixel digital camera used in this project leaves them for dead!
You'd definitely need some amazing flash memory card to take this one on holidays - not to mention a forklift for the 4 meter telescope that it attaches to.
San Disk has just announced that next month it will start shipping a Secure Digital card combining flash memory and WiFi connectivity. Initially they will be used in PDAs that only have one expansion slot to enable them to have both WiFi and SD capabilities at once. This technology is likely to be used in digital cameras in the future. Source
The New York Times reports on a strange but interesting digital imaging project unveiled at America's CeBIT
'An odd-looking van sprouts 13 digital cameras that its builder wants to use to photograph 50 million buildings in the country while driving, taking pictures every 15 feet.
The van's drive-by snaps would be matched against GPS satellite positioning data and aerial photographs in a database. Police, insurance agents and others then could call up overhead and street-level views simply by entering an address.' Source - Van Could Take Photographs While Driving
Check out this miniature wireless digital camera from Given Imaging. It is a tiny camera encased in a swallow-able pill that transmits data back to a data recorder worn on a belt. What happens to it then you don't want to know - but a very cool idea that is helping the in the fight against bowel diseases.
'The M2A capsule (photo), consists of a microchip camera and light-emitting diodes that act as a flash, as well as Zarlink's RF transmitter chip, antenna and two silver- oxide batteries. It is swallowed by the patient and then passes naturally through the digestive tract. The camera's images are relayed by the RF transmitter to a data recorder in a belt worn by the patient, who is free to continue with normal daily activities throughout the exam.' Source - Daily Wireless via Engaget.
News from Reuters just in that Flash Memory Prices are Falling as a showdown between Samsung Electronics Co Ltd and Toshiba Corp.
'South Korea (news - web sites)'s Samsung said the cuts, which have more than halved prices for some flash chips since October, are a long planned effort to grow the market.
But industry experts said Samsung and Japan's Toshiba are taking a pre-emptive strike against companies including Infineon Technologies AG, Hynix Semiconductor Inc and Micron Technology Inc that are trying to break the virtual duopoly.'
DP review reports that Sony Japan have announced their Sony HDPS-M1 - a 40 GB hard disk portable photo storage unit. Its small (measures just 135 x 92 mm (5.3 x 3.5 in) and is 30 mm (1.1 in) thick, it weighs just 300 g), highly portable and will be very useful in the mass storing/backup of images.
It is compatible with both Sony's Memory Stick range and Compact Flash cards.
I was lucky enough to have a look at this little beauty on the weekend at Sydney's Photo Imaging World - the Sony rep who showed it to me could hardly contain his smile.
He believed that products like this one will be in the next wave of new products released from the major manufacturers who have been focussing largely to this point upon developing high megapixel digital cameras. The feedback that they've been getting from early adopter digital photographer consumers is that they now need products to help them manage their vast quantities of digital images which are often very large files. This is Sony's response.
Read a review of the Sony HDPS-M1 at Gadgeteer.
Japanese Consumer Electronics company Funai and have just announced announced a relationship with Eastman Kodak whereby Funai will manufacture Kodak's Easyshare Digital Still Cameras. Following is the press release announcing this news.
Press Release from Funai
Funai and Kodak Agree to Manufacture Kodak Digital Still Cameras in Funai China Facility
Funai Electric Co., Ltd (President and CEO: Tetsuro Funai) and Eastman Kodak Company (New York, USA. Chairman and CEO: Dan Carp) have agreed to a relationship where Funai will manufacture Kodak Digital Still Cameras in Funai's China facility. Manufacturing started in April 2004. Funai is a licensee under Kodak's Digital Camera Intellectual Property Licensing Program.
The relationship combines Kodak's planning, development and marketing expertise with Funai's mass production technology and cost-competitiveness with the aim of achieving a leading edge in technology and cost-effective manufacturing in the fast-growing Digital Still Camera market.
The agreement enables Funai to move into the Digital Still Camera market along with its current mainstay products like DVD, TV, VCR and printers, and enables Kodak to increase manufacturing capacity of its EasyShare brand of digital cameras, the fastest growing brand of digital still cameras worldwide, according to a recent global IDC report.
PRESS RELEASE: Nikon's New DS-5Mc-U1 Digital Photomicrographic Camera System Enables Low Light Imagery Application Support
Integrated System Lets Microscopes and Digital Cameras to Work Seamlessly in Scientific Research Environments
MELVILLE, N.Y., May 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Nikon Instruments Inc., a leader in the development of advanced optical microscopy, today unveiled a digital color cooled camera head, the DS-5Mc, and the DS-U1 camera control unit, featuring superior microscope control, digital viewing and capture of images in standard and low-light applications including brightfield, fluorescence and darkfield to the Nikon Digital Sight Imaging System.
"The Digital Sight family of imaging products is another example of Nikon's continuing focus on advancing microscopy through innovation," said Stan Schwartz, Vice President, Microscopy Product and Marketing Division, Nikon Instruments. "This system is the first convertible photomicrographic digital camera and leads the way in the conception and realization of a full range of versatile all-in-one microscope products. Image capturing has become a priority in microscopy, and the demand for quality combined with multiple functions increases every day. The DS-5Mc-U1 provides researchers with the preeminent technology available for digital imaging and capture."
Researchers now have an integrated imaging system seamlessly connecting microscopy and digital photography under intelligent software control. The new camera head and U1 control unit expands the functionality and versatility of the original five mega-pixel network-ready DS-5M-L1, resulting in a versatile system easily configurable for demanding user requirements. The system cost-effectively delivers the ability to capture extremely precise, detailed images under demanding lighting conditions.
The DS-U1 camera control unit is equipped with USB 2.0 as its interface for seamless control and quick image streaming and capture. Installation is fast and easy requiring one USB 2.0 connection to a computer or laptop, and is easily scalable by adding Nikon's ACT-2U image application software that provides a convenient GUI for efficient image capturing and analysis as well as simple reconfiguration control. A TWAIN software interface is also available. The DS-L1 camera control unit is a self-contained, stand-alone system including an integrated viewing monitor with the ability to connect to computer network systems via its LAN interface.
The DS-5Mc color cooled camera head employs a 2/3 inch, five million pixel color matrix CCD for high definition specimen images of up to 2560 x 1920 pixel images and extraordinary color reproduction. Observers can easily detect details of minute structure and color differences and take advantage of DS-5Mc's long exposure time capability (up to 600 seconds) for low light applications and minimizes thermal background noise. With a Peltier thermoelectric cooling device, the CCD can maintain its temperature to as low as 20 degrees Celsius below ambient temperature.
The DS-5M camera head has the same specification, but without Peltier cooling and is limited to 6 second exposures. All four components consisting of the two camera control units and the two camera heads are interchangeable to meet the requirements of any microscope documentation application.
Nikon's ACT-2U Windows PC application software for the DS-U1 system gives users the opportunity to establish custom settings and also provides tool functions that allow for count-marking and range measurement between two points on a specimen. Nikon enables pre-programmed image modes to achieve optimum results in every observation method without spending time to re-set the camera for every photo session. In addition, it also features thumbnail display, allows for text and pen input and offers researchers the ability to superimpose saved images over a live image allowing for easy comparison.
About Nikon Instruments Inc.
Nikon Instruments Inc., is a global leader in the development of advanced optical technology. Its product line includes microscopy equipment, digital imaging, precision measuring and semiconductor wafer-handling equipment. Nikon is committed to providing technologically advanced instruments that offer optimal versatility, performance and productivity. Nikon combines state- of-the-art capabilities with innovative designs to produce optically superior, ergonomically friendly products for cutting-edge scientific research, medical and industrial applications. For more information visit the Nikon website at http://www.nikonusa.com. Product related inquiries can be directed to Nikon Instruments at 800-52-NIKON
DP Review writes that Casio Japan have just released the Casio EWC-40 Underwater Housing for their Casio Exilim EX-Z40 and EX-Z30 digital cameras.
The Casio EWC-40 will enable these cameras to be used to a depth of 40 meters and allows all the normal functions to be used.
It will be in stores in early July for approximately $190.
Minox Press Release
MINOX DD100 - Compact digital camera with stainless steel look
The MINOX DD100 is a true companion for every occasion and comes in a distinguished stainless steel look. But this small, flat camera features more than an excellent design. All the sophisticated controls you need are ready at your command.
With a resolution of 3 million pixels and 4x digital zoom, excellent imaging results are guaranteed. Despite ultra compact dimensions of just 94 mm x 56 mm x 26 mm the new MINOX DD100 features a 1.6" TFT colour monitor which allows instant assessment of the image during and after the shot. A fast picture sequence and minimal release time lag capture spontaneous snap shots in every situation. The integrated flash switches on automatically when needed and guarantees perfect illumination, even in critical light conditions.
Besides the internal memory, SD cards with up to 128 MB storage capacity can be applied. This offers photographers more flexibility and the opportunity to record a large number of images.
Using the USB cable, which comes with the camera, the pictures can be transferred to a computer with the greatest of ease and at high speed. The photos can then be edited on the PC using any commercially available image processing software and directly sent on to others. The scope of delivery also includes 2 AAA batteries, ever-ready case, wrist strap, CD-ROM and instruction manual.
Technical Data MINOX DD100
Image resolution: 3.0 Megapixel (2.1 MP hardware resolution)
1600 x 1200 Pixel / 2048 x 1536 (interpolated) / Webcam/Video: 320 x 240 Pixel
Image sensor: CMOS
Image memory: (16 MB internal memory)
without compression: 14 images in a resolution of 1600 x 1200 Pixel
low compression: 30 images in a resolution of 1600 x 1200 Pixel
high compression: 60 images in a resolution of 1600 x 1200 Pixel
interpolated (3.0 MP): 20 images in a resolution of 2048 x 1536 Pixel
Colour: 24-bit RGB (8 bit x 3 colours)
Lens: 5 element glass lens with integrated infrared filter
Apertures: f / 2.8
Focal length: 9,6 mm, corresponds to 48 mm with 35 mm format
Focusing range: 1.5 m to infinity
Exposure: automatic
Exposure compensation: Steps -1.8 to +1.8 (steps of 0.3)
Shutter speed: automatic
Digital zoom: 4x digital zoom in capture mode, additional zoom in playback mode
White balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Lamp, Tungsten, Night
Display: 1,6" colour TFT
Flash: integrated
Flash programme: Auto, On, Off
Self timer: 10 sec.
File format: JPEG, AVI
Memory internal memory: 16 MB; external memory: SD card up to 128 MB
Language support: English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese (T + S), Japanese
System requirement: Windows 98SE/ME/2000/XP; Mac OS 8.6 or later
Connectors: USB-Port, SD card slot
Power: 2 batteries (size AAA/LR03) or rechargeable batteries (only NiMH-types!); via USB
Dimensions: 94 x 56 x 26 mm / 3.7 x 2.2 x 1.0 inches
Weight approx: 100 g / 3.5 oz.
Scope of delivery: ever-ready case, wrist strap, USB-cable, CD-ROM, 2 AAA-batteries, manual
Order number: 60616
http://www.minox.com
SanDisk Press Release
SanDisk Introduces World's First 6-in-1 PC Card Adapter; Easy Solution to Transfer Images, Music and Data from Flash Memory
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 24, 2004-- SanDisk Corporation (Nasdaq:SNDK) today introduced the world's first 6-in-1 PC Card Adapter, giving notebook computer users the largest number of card formats for moving files to and from flash memory devices such as digital cameras, PDAs, MP3 players and mobile phones. The announcement was made at the Digital Experience media conference in New York.
The new adapter offers easy, plug-and-play compatibility with no software needed, and works with six different memory card formats: SD, MultiMediaCard, Memory Stick, Memory Stick PRO, xD-Picture Card, and SmartMedia. To read a card, users simply insert it into the adapter, and then slide the adapter into any computer with a PC Card slot. In this mode, the adapter works like a removable hard drive.
Protected by a rugged, stainless steel cover, the adapter replaces SanDisk's 4-in-1 Adapter but will sell at a comparable suggested retail price of $29.99. Units are planned for shipment to stores by early summer.
Worldwide notebook shipments grew by 27.4 percent last year and represent more than one-fourth of all PCs sold, according to IDC's Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. IDC, a market research company headquartered in Framingham, Massachusetts, predicts that unit sales, which were 39.5 million in 2003, will increase by 16 percent or higher each year for the next two years.
With this newest product, SanDisk continues to expand its family of adapters and readers. The company offers four single-slot readers, a CF PC Card Adapter, and a multi-card device called the ImageMate(R) 8-in-1 Card Reader/Writer, which connects to a computer's high-speed USB 2.0 port and reads eight formats including CompactFlash. Suggested retail prices in the line range from $9.99 to $34.99.
SanDisk, the world's largest supplier of flash memory data storage card products, designs, manufactures and markets industry-standard, solid-state data, digital imaging and audio storage products using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is based in Sunnyvale, CA.
SanDisk's web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com
SanDisk and ImageMate are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the U.S. and other countries.
SmartMedia and SD are trademarks of Toshiba Corporation. MultiMediaCard is a trademark of the MultiMediaCard Association. Memory Stick and Memory Stick PRO are trademarks of Sony Corporation. XD is a trademark of Fuji Foto Film. Other brand names are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holders.
DP Review announces the new Che-ez! Foxz2 the 2 megapixel, CMOS, fixed focal length compact digital camera. It is only 9.8 mm in width and features a 1.5 inch LCD.
Check out the official Che-ez! Foxz2 site.
Jinky Art is our Photoblog of the Week. Barb and Simon, who live in Canberra Australia, started this fun photoblog about a year ago (or so it seems from their archives) to reflect their family’s daily life.
‘We started taking pics for fun in May 2003, and over time this site has seen many facelifts. With that our direction has changed, our passion has shifted, and Jinky is now taking a photography course part time at uni. ..and loving it! This blog has brought about a really great journey for us. Thanks so much for visiting.’
Jinky Art’s images do reflect their life as a family in Australia with some beautiful shots of children as well as some beautiful photos of life in rural Australia.
They have been recognized as an exceptional blog in a variety of Australian newspapers.
Jinky Art use both film and digital cameras in their work – their digital camera of choice is the Canon 10d. They have an online shop where they sell cards, prints and calendars. They have also made their images available to be used free as e-cards by simply clicking on a link at the bottom of each image and filling in your details.
I love Jinky Art as a photoblog because their images evoke emotion, give a unique insight into family life in Australian culture and their use of photoblogging technology is fresh, beautifully designed and innovative. Jinky Art is well worth a look.
Ok the server is swapped over - we're still ironing out some bugs now. We are aware of a number of issues with the site and are working to resolve them asap. If you find anything wrong with any aspect of our site please don't hesitate to leave a comment below. Hopefully we'll be back to normal shortly. Thanks again for your patience.
As a result of the increased readership of this site in recent months we will tonight be moving it across to a new, faster, bigger and cheaper server. It is our hope that this will make viewing the content here a more pleasurable and productive process. However for the next 24 hours it means that readers accessing this site may experience outages and slower than normal loading of pages. We apologize for this inconvenience and hope to have the site transferred to its new home as quickly as possible. We appreciate your patience over the next 24 hours.
Digitimes has an interesting article that hints at what is to come from Panasonic in the way of 6 megapixel digital cameras with MPEG4 capabilities.
'Ability Enterprise, a leading digital camera manufacturer in Taiwan, is reported by qualified foreign institutional investors (QFIIs) to be undertaking OEM production of a 6-megapixel digital camera with MPEG4 support for Panasonic (Matsushita Electric Industrial’s brand name), according to local Chinese-language newspaper Economic Daily News (EDN).
According to Ability Enterprise, the company is developing 6-megapixel digital cameras mainly targeting channel distributors in the US and Europe. The company indicated that Casio is its main Japanese client and it has not received any OEM orders from Panasonic. The production of 6-megapixel digital cameras will begin sometime in the second half of this year, the company added.'
Ferret reports that Scitech have released their new 'Retiga 1300R digital camera'.
Its not the type of camera the average consumer is going to be buying in a hurry, rather its ideal 'for demanding low light and fluorescence imaging applications.'
'The cameras are used to produce high resolution still images for quantitative analysis in Metallurgical microscopy, semiconductor inspection, manufacturing quality control, failure analysis and forensic analysis.'
Serious Stuff!
One of the few new announcements at this years Photo Imaging World this year was that SanDisk are releasing their High-Performance 'Extreme' line of digital flash storage cards in the Australian and New Zealand markets.
They will be make available in three formats:
1. CompactFlash - 256 megabytes (MB), 512MB, 1 gigabyte (GB) and 2GB
2. SD - 256MB and 512MB
3. Extreme Memory Stick PRO - 256MB, 512MB and 1GB.
Sigma have just released availability and princing for their new Sigma 18-125mm DC Lens which we announced Mid March.
The Sigma and Canon mount versions will be released on June 26th with a Nikon mount model available from early July and a Pentax mount planned to be released at a later date.
Imaging Resource puts the price of the Sigma 18-125mm DC lens at '¥45,000 (approximately equivalent to US$401 / €334 / CAD$551 / £224).'
This weekend in Sydney is the annual Asia Pacific Photo Imaging World.
'The equipment exhibition will feature over 100 major photo and digital companies from Australia and overseas showcasing today’s cutting-edge developments and trends in imaging technology, software and output printing systems.'
In addition to this exhibition is a huge collection of images in the 'Global Gallery', featuring some of Australia's best images. Also held concurrently are a number of conferences for professional photographers, digital image makers and retailers.
We've had reports already that the show is going well and will ourselves be flying up to Sydney tomorrow to be a part of the digital imaging action. Stand by for our show reports in the upcoming days.
Do you have marks on your digital images that you can't get rid of by cleaning your lens? One of the reasons for such smudges, blotches and blobs could be dust, little hairs or marks on your Image Sensors. It might be time to clean them. Some camera repairers offer image sensor cleaning services, but many find a do it yourself approach cheaper and more effective.
Cleaning Image Sensors is a delicate job that should be approached with real care. There are a variety of opinions on how to clean them so do some research first. Following are some of the best tips on the web on cleaning your image sensors.
This post is part of a larger article on Digital Camera Care Tips. Get weekly Digital Photography Tips like this via email for free
This post is part of a larger article on Digital Camera Care Tips
Check out some of our other Digital Camera Tips:
- Digital Photography Composition 101
- Night and Low Light Digital Photography Tips
- Macro Digital Photography Tips
- Taking Images with Camera Phones Tips
- Depth of Field Tips
- Introduction to Photoblogging and Moblogging
- How to Choose a Digital Camera
- Histogram Tips
The Sony Cybershot DSC-W12 is a special black edition version of Sony's DSC-W1. The popular DSC-W1 has a 3x Optical zoom, 5 megapixel sensor and large 2.5inch LCD. This special edition W-12 version is packaged with a matching black leather case and 4 NiMH batteries. The DSC-W12 is to be released in June 2004.
Nikon Press Release
TOKYO - Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce that the Nikon D70 has been selected to receive the coveted Camera Grand Prix 2004 award.
The Camera Grand Prix is the most prestigious award presented to a camera in the Japanese photo industry. It is sponsored by the Camera Press Club, an organization founded in September 1963 and comprised of writers from thirteen of Japan's leading photography and camera publications.
This year's selection committee of 51 photographers, scholars, and magazine editors selected the D70 to receive the 21st annual Camera Grand Prix award as the single most outstanding still camera from 172 nominees released between April 2003 and March 2004. This is the 4th time Nikon has received the award, with previous wins in 1984 (the 1st Grand Prix) for the Nikon FA, in 1989 (the 6th Grand Prix) for the Nikon F4, and in 1997 (the 14th Grand Prix) for the Nikon F5.
The committee members issued the following statement of reasons for bestowing the honor of camera of the year on the D70.
"The Nikon D70 delivers a superior balance of performance, price, and size. Despite being positioned as a new popular-priced digital SLR model, the camera is loaded with features that challenge even higher priced products. It overcomes the traditional weaknesses of digital cameras by realizing fast power-up and fast continuous shooting, and earns special notice for realizing response that is on par with 35mm film SLR cameras while improving practicality and comfort of use. Clearly labeled menu options make operation easier for novices and combine with the camera's other features to make it accessible to a wider range of users, thereby achieving a level where the D70 establishes an entirely new trend in digital SLR cameras.
In addition, the following features help welcome a new era of digital SLR cameras that are ready to perform and accessible to a wide audience:
- Quick response that allows shooting the instant the camera is turned on.
- 3 frame per second continuous shooting for bursts of up to 144 shots.
- Fast 1/8000 second shutter speed and 1/500 flash sync shutter speed.
- A fast and precise autofocus system.
- Menu options that are easy to view and easy to understand.
- Quality feel and design that is consistent with the Nikon lineup."
DP Review reports that Canon have made their Digital Photo Professional (DPP) Version 1.0.0 available for download for all EOS-1D and EOS-1Ds owners.
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The new Sanyo Xacti DSC-S4 has a 4 megapixel CCD sensor and ships with a 2.8x Optical Zoom lens, 16MB built in memory and takes SD cards. In super macro mode it shoots as close as 2cm.
The DSC-S4 has a 1.8inch LCD measures 91.3 x 61.5 x 30.8mm and weighs approximately 140g. It is expected to sell for approximately $372US.
For more information on the Sanyo Xacti DSC-S3 check out:
- Imaging Resource
The Sanyo Xacti DSC-S3 is a 3.2 megapixel (CCD) digital camera with a 3x Optical Zoom lens. It has a 1.8inch LCD screen and 10 automatic shooting modes.
The DSC-S3 measures 91.3 x 61.5 x 30.8mm, weighs approximately 140g and is expected to sell for around $292US.
For more information on the Sanyo Xacti DSC-S3 check out:
- Imaging Resource
Press Release SMaL Camera Technologies Introduces Ultra-Pocket 5 Rapid Development Kit to Enable World's Slimmest 3-Megapixel Digital Cameras
Kit Positions Manufacturers to Launch Best in Class 3MP DSCs at Retail Price Points of $129 or Below
Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA (May 19, 2004) – SMaL Camera Technologies, a developer of digital imaging solutions and enabler of award-winning super-thin digital still cameras, announced today its new Ultra-Pocket® 5 rapid development kit for 3-megapixel credit card cameras with color TFT display. The Ultra-Pocket 5 kit enables manufacturers and brands to rapidly enter the heart of the mass consumer market – 3-megapixel – with unparalleled thinness, style, wide dynamic range, and worry-free battery life, in the sub-$129 retail price range.
”Manufacturers and brands struggle to penetrate the highly coveted ‘slim’ category for digital cameras,” says Maurizio Arienzo, SMaL's president and chief executive officer. ”When they rely on off-the-shelf components, not only is their time to market slow and expensive, but also their cameras fail to meet consumers’ and retailers’ expectations in thinness, battery life, and quality, and in many cases, price point. Only SMaL’s Ultra-Pocket 5 kit overcomes all of these sources of frustration for manufacturers, retailers, and consumers alike.”
Kit Overcomes Major Weaknesses of Standard Digital Cameras
Despite the many advancements in digital photography over the past decade, standarddigital cameras still fall far short of film cameras due to extremely short battery life and limited dynamic range. All SMaL credit card camera kits – including the Ultra-Pocket 5 kit – feature two proprietary technologies that not only resolve these vital power and dynamic range issues, but are also unmatched by any other CCD or CMOS-based solution.
SMaL's Longevity™ ultra-low-power design with rechargeable battery uses 90% less power than traditional digital cameras. Since the camera charges automatically while images are downloaded to the computer and stores enough charge for more than 1,000 shots (up to 170 with 1.5" LCD and 100% strobe usage), consumers virtually never worry about the battery. In addition to long battery life, SMaL enabled cameras have a high-speed start-up time of less than 1 second (with strobe flash off). The combination of low power use, rechargeable battery, and fast start-up time creates the SMaL "always ready to shoot" advantage. This means consumers can capture spontaneous moments without ever worrying about the battery.
Autobrite® intelligent exposure technology provides hundreds of times more dynamic range than standard cameras. Unlike dynamic range technology by companies such as FujiFilm and Kodak, Autobrite is capable – at a mass consumer price point – of capturing eye-like details when both bright and dim areas appear in the same scene. Even entry-level camera users no longer have to worry about the position of the sun when snapping a photo – Autobrite solves this problem for them by adapting to the lighting conditions.
OEM Capitalization on Explosive Market Opportunity
”For this holiday season and beyond, there is an enormous demand among entry-level digital camera buyers, youth, and gift-givers for stylish – yet affordable – 3-megapixel slim cameras that produce film-quality prints,” says Stuart Nixdorff, SMaL's vice president of sales and marketing. ”Only SMaL’s solution enables OEMs, ODMs, and brands to capitalize fully and quickly on this market opportunity – and at a retail price points of $129 and below.” While the market SMaL created for credit card cameras has been quickly followed by large Japanese suppliers like Casio, Canon, and Sony, only SMaL can offer the market the same quality, size and key functionality at half the price. SMaL supplies the high volume, opening price point of slim, miniaturized cameras.
High Integration Means Small Form Factors, High Quality
The high level of integration in SMaL's kit results in cameras with only one-half the number of components required by designs from other companies. This low component count means smaller form factors, higher product reliability and higher manufacturing yield – all contributing to lower overall cost. Due to the vertically integrated imager and optics, SMaL designs produce sharper, crisper images compared to cameras using off-the-shelf optical components.
Creator of and Largest Supplier in the Slim Credit Card Camera Market
SMaL created the ultra-slim digital camera category in 2001 with the introduction of the Ultra-Pocket 1 VGA prototype camera at the 2001 International Consumer Electronics Show, where it was awarded "Best of CES" for digital imaging. To date, SMaL has launched 5 unique Ultra-Pocket reference designs ranging from VGA to 3.0MP and enabled well over 1.5 million credit card cameras launched by FujiFilm AXIA, RadioShack, Logitech, NHJ Limited, IDT, Oregon Scientific, and Creative Labs. SMaL-enabled cameras continue to distinguish themselves in the crowded digital camera market through sleek designs, unparalleled portability, uniquely long battery life, and ease of use.
Fast Time-to-Market
The Ultra-Pocket 5 kit includes everything OEMs require for fast time-to-market: a 3-megapixel color CMOS image sensor with Autobrite, ASIC controller, lithium-polymer rechargeable battery, taking lens, optical viewfinder and complete reference design specifications. The kit is available now to qualified OEMs looking to ship products into the marketplace in the second half of 2004.
About SMaL Camera Technologies
SMaL Camera Technologies is an award-winning developer of electronic imaging solutions for the digital camera, security and surveillance, consumer electronics and automotive markets. SMaL's solutions are built around its proprietary CMOS image sensors, ASICs and Autobrite® technology. The result is industry-leading integration, low power consumption, high dynamic range and near-infrared sensitivity. SMaL was co-founded and launched in 1999 by leading electronic imaging experts at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). SMaL is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
For more information on SMaL Camera Technologies and its products, visit the company's web site at http://www.SMaLcamera.com.
Ultra-Pocket and Autobrite are Registered Trademarks of SMaL Camera Technologies, Inc. Longevity is a Trademark of SMaL Camera Technologies, Inc. All company names, trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.
© 2004 SMaL Camera Technologies , Inc. All rights reserved.
Imaging Resource have just reported that Sony Japan have temporarily ceased production of their Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T11 in order to rectify a problem found in early models off the production line.
Japanese firm Hitachi have just announced the upcoming release of the Hitachi i.mega HDC-401, a stylish looking digital camera that comes in silver or red.
The i.mega HDC-401 has the strange combination of a 4 megapixel sensor and fixed focal length, fixed focus, fixed aperture lens. It has a 1.5inch LCD, is powered by two AA batteries, takes SD cards and 16MB of internal memory.
The Hitachi i.mega HDC-401 goes on sale in Japan this week.
More and more cameras have the ability to shoot in Raw mode. 'JPG', 'Raw', 'Tiff'....what does it all mean? Understanding Raw Files is a good article from Luminous Landscape that unpacks the topic and gives reasons why and why not one would shoot in Raw mode.
Also check out Digital Photography School for more free Digital Camera Tips on All Topics.
'When a digital camera makes an exposure the imaging chip (whether it's CCD or CMOS) records the amount of light that has hit each pixel, or photo site. This is recorded as a voltage level. The camera's analog to digital circuitry now changes this analog voltage signal into a digital representation. Depending on the camera's circuitry either 12 or 14 bits of data are recorded. Incidentally, if the camera records 12 bits of data then each pixel can handle 4,096 brightness levels (2^12), and if 14 bit then it can record 16,384 different brightness levels (2^14).'
errr....ok....so what is a raw file?
'So now you see the difference. A raw file is essentially the data that the camera's chip recorded along with some additional information tagged on. A JPG file is one that has had the camera apply linear conversion, matrix conversion, white balance, contrast, and saturation, and then has had some level of potentially destructive compression applied.' Read More
Found via Photography Blog
This week's Photoblog of the week is Empty Pictures, the home of laura sina who has a stunning collection of photographs. Laura was born in Hawaii but now lives in northern Oregon (US).
She mainly uses a Canon Powershot A10 or her more recently purchased Nikon Coolpix 4500. She is living proof that you don't need to have a DSLR to take stunning images.
I love Laura's shots because they evoke mood, emotion and a sense of mystery. Her pictures often make the viewer go back for a second look because they have are composed in such a way as to intrigue.
Empty Pictures is well worth a visit.
Geoff Lawrence Photography is a new site dedicated to photography in general (film and digital). It has a growling collection of tutorials on a variety of subjects that whilst not specifically about the digital medium will help anyone starting out in photography that wants to improve. They features some great images to illustrate points. This will be a site to watch develop in the months and years ahead.
CNET have an interesting article on how digital photography is going 'peer to peer' - similar to how MP3 sharing took off a year or so back using peer to peer systems like Napster.
'OurPictures, a Palo Alto, Calif., start-up, on Tuesday plans to launch its service for letting subscribers share pictures over the Internet but without the constraints of e-mail attachments or Web sites.
The idea behind OurPictures, which is set to conclude a three-month test of its service, is that subscribers can post pictures to a network of fellow subscribers who transfer the pictures directly from one computer to another.
"Our belief is that the desktop is the right place where a consumer wants to organize and manage their digital photos--not on a Web site," said John Paul, CEO and founder of OurPictures. "If you have one photo you want a thousands people to see, that's one thing. But a Web site is not the right place to place thousands of photos."' Found via Photography Blog
Casio are getting ready to announce their latest camera phone with a whopping 3 megapixel sensor in Japan later in the year.
Reiter's reports: 'The handset includes nine "best shot" modes, including twilight, food, panorama and fireworks, the article says. The camera phone also can shoot and store up to 60 minutes of video....
Size: 52×102×28mm
Weight: 125g
Standby time: 200 hours
Continuous talk time: 2 hours 40 mins
Main display: Approx. 2.3" crystal fine LCD (QVGA)
Sub display: Approx 1.1: LCD (72x96 pix)
External memory: miniSD
Camera: 3.2MP CCD (with autofocus)
Ringtone voices: 64
Case colours: White, black and purple
Java
GPS
Chaku-uta supported (MP3 ringtone download style service)
Twin speaker for stereo sound'
We scoured the web today to find 10 of the best digital camera cleaning and care tips from some of the most respected digital camera sites:
Also check out Digital Photography School for more free Digital Camera Tips on All Topics.
Cameras and Camera Care introduces a useful little tool - the 'blower brush' (pictured left) - 'This little contraption is your camera�s best friend. It resembles a bulb or balloon with a removable brush at the end. It only costs around $3 and is an essential part of your camera care regimen.'
For more information on the topic of cleaning image sensors check out some of the following links:
- Cleaning the CCD Sensor on my Canon D60
- Sensor Cleaning
- Cleaning the CCD of your Nikon D100
- Photo.net - Cleaning the CMOS Sensor of the Canon EOS 10D (and other digital SLRs)
- CCD Cleaning
- CCD/CMOS Cleaning
Check out some of our other Digital Camera Tips:
- Digital Photography Composition 101
- Night and Low Light Digital Photography Tips
- Macro Digital Photography Tips
- Taking Images with Camera Phones Tips
- Depth of Field Tips
- Introduction to Photoblogging and Moblogging
- How to Choose a Digital Camera
- Digital Camera Care Tips
- Cleaning your Digital Camera Image Sensor
Imaging Resource reports that Olympus and Ferrari are releasing a special red edition digital camera which is based on the previously released Olympus AZ-1 which is a 3.2 megapixel compact digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens, 23 scene program modes, in camera album and slide show functions and high contrast 2.5inch LCD.
The Sony Cybershot DSC-F88 is a 5.1 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom rotating lens.
The Cybershot DSC-F88 has an all metal body, 1.8inch LCD and fast start. it takes Sony's Memory Stick PRO memory card and is will be priced at around $450US when it is released in July 04.
UK/European Readers buy the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F88
Sony Cybershot DSC-F88 Image Samples
Steve's Digicams reviews the Sony Cybershot DSC-F88 and writes - 'The F88's shooting performance was very impressive. Power up to first image captured was an amazing 1.5 seconds. Shutter lag was a mere 1/10 of a second when pre-focused and 2/10 of a second including autofocus. In Normal record mode, the shot to shot delay averaged about 1.5 seconds without the flash and 1.6 - 2.1 seconds with the flash. The F88 allows users to choose between two burst modes (Burst, Multi Burst). The number of images you can capture when shooting in burst mode depends on the image size and quality settings. Burst mode captured 9 frames in about 6.8 seconds. It takes about 7 seconds for the F88 to process a full buffer and then you can continue shooting. Shooting in Multi Burst mode, with the interval set at 1/30, captured 16 images in approx. 0.4 seconds. When using Multi Burst mode, the image size is locked at 1MP and all 16 images a recorded within a single animated frame. Switching between record and playback mode takes less than a second, and switching between images in playback is almost instantaneous. In playback you can go from picture to picture in less than a second. All of our tests were done using a Sony 512MB Memory Stick Pro card, with the image size/quality set at 2592x1944/Fine mode, ISO 100, preview off, and flash off (unless otherwise noted.) Times may vary depending on lighting conditions, camera setting, media, etc.'
DP Review reviews the Sony Cybershot DSC-F88 and writes - 'The Cyber-shot DSC F88 is something of a mixed bag - it's got some superb features and is lightning-fast, but the picture quality - especially sharpness - is far from the best of the 5MP pack (to be fair ,being so clean they respond well to Photoshop sharpening). The rotating lens is much more useful than you might first imagine, and allows you to get shots you simply couldn't take with a fixed lens - perfectly framed self-portraits, over the heads of crowds, even round corners. I found it especially useful when using the stunning super-macro 'magnifying glass' mode, where otherwise I might've been crawling around on all fours I could simply flip the lens round and shoot 'waist level' style looking down on the screen from above.'
Imaging Resource reviews the Sony Cybershot DSC-F88 and writes - 'The DSC-F88 delivers exceptional capability in a very compact package, with good to excellent image quality, a sharp lens, good color accuracy, lower than average image noise, surprisingly long battery life, and an amazing macro capability. The light weight, smooth profile, and excellent battery life all make the DSC-F88 a superb traveling companion. Its dead-simple full-auto mode and rich set of 10 preprogrammed scene modes make it a good choice for novices, while its optional full-manual mode, saturation and contrast adjustments and 30-second maximum exposure time offer the sort of control craved by enthusiast shooters. All in all, a great camera for all-around use, travel, use by families with both novice and expert shooters, or for duty as a "second" camera for the pro or advanced amateur.'
AnandTech reviews the Sony Cybershot DSC-F88 and writes - 'During our review, we discovered several strengths of the DSC-F88. We found it to have pretty good line resolution for a 5MP compact camera. It also proved itself to be very fast both in startup and shot-to-shot times. The battery life on this camera is incredible for a compact camera. Overall, we were impressed with the F88's color reproduction as well. Like most current digicams, the F88 showed a slight yellowish cast when set to Auto WB in Tungsten lighting. However, when set to Incandescent, the color was pretty accurate. In our daylight WB samples, the F88 showed very accurate color reproduction. This camera showed very impressive noise control in low-light/long exposure scenarios. We also found the camera to have fairly intuitive menu layout.'
CNET Reviews has a review of the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-F88 and writes - 'Sony's latest jack-of-all-trades is a master of more than one. While its easy operation and versatile automated and manual exposure controls will please both beginners and more advanced photographers, the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-F88 boasts very good macro capabilities and a robust burst mode perfect for action photography. Only a few spotty performance figures such as atrocious shutter lag under low-contrast lighting and a middle-of-the-road feature set limit this well-rounded 5-megapixel shooter.'
Get the Latest Price on the Sony CyberShot DSC-F88
Get more information on the Sony Cybershot DSC-F88 at:
- Lets Go Digital
- Imaging Resource
- DP Review
Sony Press Release
SAN DIEGO, May 17, 2004 — Sony, the market leader in consumer digital cameras, has blended the fun of a rotating lens with the speed and clarity of a five-megapixel Cyber-shot® digital still camera in the new DSC-F88 model.
The F88 camera's compact, all-metal body is fitted with an internal Carl Zeiss® Vario Tessar® 3X optical zoom lens that allows it to rotate 300 degrees, so you can see your pose in the camera's 1.8-inch LCD screen before snapping the picture, providing you with a flexible shooting style.
There are several interesting flexible angles you can capture with the F88 camera's rotating lens including waist level and above-the-head shots. Its ability to rotate makes the camera perfect for hard-to-obtain low angle candid shots and for taking above-the-head close-up shots during crowded events.
Creative shots can also, be captured with the camera's self-timer feature. Set the camera on table, angle the lens as needed and trigger the self-timer for steady, professional self-portraits.
Another feature of the F88 is the camera's optical eye level viewfinder that, when the lens is rotated, allows you to focus in on your subjects while they view the LCD and adjust their pose assuring they will be happy with their picture.
"How many times have you seen someone turn their camera around and snap a self-portrait or have their subject demand to see the results?" said Greg Young, general manager for Sony Electronics' digital camera unit. "We know that consumers like to use their digital cameras in new and interesting ways, so we took special care to create a Cyber-shot camera that adapts to special situations that call for flexible shooting angles."
The camera's 5.1 megapixel CCD image sensor ensures great picture quality while the camera's Sony Real Imaging Processor™ makes it blazingly fast with a near immediate start-up and very fast shot-to-shot time so you can capture memories as they happen.
The F88 employs a rechargeable InfoLithium® battery system for quick recharging time, which means that you will spend less time charging and more time taking pictures. The new camera also accepts both the Memory Stick® and Memory Stick PRO™ memory cards.
Priced at about $450, the DSC-F88 digital camera will be available online at SonyStyle.com and at retailers nationwide in July.
Meet the Cyber-shot DSC-F88 Camera's Best Friends
There are also a couple of optional accessories that will add to your fun including:
Wide Angle Lens (VCL-07FEB): With this wide lens conversion (available in July for about $60) consumers can expand their camera's field of view, helping to capture an entire scene. It's especially helpful in self-portrait circumstances while holding the camera an arm's length away.
Cyber-shot Station (CSS-FEB): The Cyber-shot Station accommodates the DSC-F88 camera (available in July for about $80), making it easy to transfer images to your PC while recharging the unit's battery.
PC World has just posted their Top 10 Advanced Digital Cameras.
'The 8-megapixel race is on: Canon, Nikon, and Olympus join Sony in offering high-end consumer models with 8-megapixel CCDs. So far the Olympus C-8080 is our pick of the group (we've yet to test the Canon PowerShot Pro1), with top-notch image-quality scores and easy-to-use controls. Nikon's Coolpix 8700 produced photos as fine as the C-8080's and has a longer zoom range, but it's harder to use. In the "If you have to ask the price, you can't afford it" category, Leica's classic-looking Digilux 2 is designed for the purist photographer. Its unique feature: a built-in bounce flash.'
Kodak and Lexar Media have just announced their joining forces to gain a larger share of the removable digital memory products market. Lexar will produce a full range of Kodak memory cards as part of this deal.
Following is the press release from Kodak and Lexar Media.
Kodak and Lexar Join Forces In Drive For Removable Digital Memory Market Leadership
ROCHESTER, N.Y. & FREMONT, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- May 17, 2004 Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE: EK) and Lexar Media, Inc. (Nasdaq: LEXR) today announced they have formed a long-term agreement to gain a larger share of the market for removable digital memory products, driven by surging demand from the mass-market adoption of digital cameras, mobile phone cameras, portable music players and other consumer electronics devices.
As part of the exclusive multi-year agreement, Lexar Media will manufacture and distribute a full range of KODAK branded memory cards and will work with Kodak to provide consumers with a wide variety of reliable, high quality, mass-market memory cards worldwide. Kodak will contribute to the partnership its brand power and global distribution network, while Lexar Media will contribute removable memory products known for their quality, reliability and speed, and its demonstrated retail category management. Both companies will market the products worldwide.
"This agreement is ideal for both parties," said Bernard Masson, president, Digital & Film Imaging Systems, and senior vice president, Eastman Kodak Company. "For Kodak, it represents another step in our effort to accelerate the growth of our digital businesses by providing customers and our retail partners a full suite of KODAK branded memory cards that will work with virtually any product and system. Lexar will benefit from Kodak's worldwide brand presence and massive global distribution network."
"We recognize the power of the KODAK brand across photography and imaging fields and we are pleased that they have selected Lexar to help drive the KODAK brand into this fast-growing category," said Eric Stang, chairman, president and CEO, Lexar Media, Inc. "Lexar's superior controller technology and retail focus combined with Kodak's brand strength and worldwide distribution network will enable us to deliver memory cards with the quality and performance that consumers have come to expect from Kodak."
With this agreement Lexar and Kodak will develop strategies for each segment of the memory card market and drive the KODAK branded memory cards into a broad range of channels worldwide. According to IDC, worldwide digital camera sales are expected to top 68 million units in 2004, a 39% growth over 2003, and grow to over 87 million units in 2007. In addition, worldwide camera phone unit shipments are expected to reach 186 million in 2004 and grow to more than 422 million units in 2007. This year alone, digital camera sales will drive retail sales of more than 100 million memory cards with an expected retail sales value of over $4 billion.
"With the rapid and consistent adoption of digital technology in cameras and cell phones and with ever increasing resolutions, we expect digital memory cards to become one of the primary storage devices for most consumers worldwide," said Chris Chute, senior analyst for Worldwide Digital Imaging Program of IDC.
Consumers can expect to see a full suite of KODAK branded memory cards on store shelves in the fourth quarter of 2004. The product line-up will include Secure Digital (SD), Mini-SD, Multimedia Cards (MMC), CompactFlash(TM), and additional media formats will be offered in the future. The companies did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement.
About Eastman Kodak Company and infoimaging
Kodak is the leader in helping people take, share, print and view images - for memories, for information, for entertainment. The company is a major participant in infoimaging, a $385 billion industry composed of devices (digital cameras and flat-panel displays), infrastructure (online networks and delivery systems for images) and services & media (software, film and paper enabling people to access, analyze and print images). With sales of $13.3 billion in 2003, the company comprises several businesses: Health, supplying the healthcare industry with traditional and digital image capture and output products and services; Graphic Communications Group, offering on-demand color printing and networking publishing systems consisting of three wholly owned subsidiaries: Encad, Inc., NexPress Solutions, and Kodak Versamark; Commercial Imaging, offering image capture, output and storage products and services to businesses and government; Display & Components, which designs and manufactures state-of-the-art organic light-emitting diode displays as well as other specialty materials, and delivers optics and imaging sensors to original equipment manufacturers; and Digital & Film Imaging Systems, providing consumers, professionals and cinematographers with digital and traditional products and services. For more information visit http://www.kodak.com.
About Lexar Media, Inc.
Lexar Media is a leading marketer and manufacturer of flash memory cards, USB flash drives, card readers and ATA controller technology for the digital photography, consumer electronics, industrial and communications markets. The company holds over 70 controller and system patents, and licenses its technology to companies including Olympus, Samsung Electronics, SanDisk Corporation and Sony. For more information, please call 1-800-789-9418 or visit http://www.lexarmedia.com.
Cautionary Statement of Eastman Kodak Company. Certain statements in this press release may be forward looking in nature, or "forward-looking statements" as defined in the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. For example, references to expectations for the potential size of the market for memory cards and the number of phone cameras and digital cameras projected to be sold in future years are forward-looking statements.
Actual results may differ from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of the date they are made, and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if our estimates change. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties, including:
The overall demand in the worldwide market for digital cameras, phone cameras, and other devices requiring memory cards. Lexar Media's ability to properly manage the use of Kodak's brand and to plan for anticipated changes in demand; to manage capacity and supply constraints in order to obtain sufficient quantities of flash memory in a timely manner; to anticipate demand and pricing of its products and effectively manage distributor channels, relationships and inventory levels; to effectively manage overall cost structure to allow it to sell products at competitive prices; to achieve and maintain technology leadership and strategic relationships necessary to sell and market products that are commercially accepted; to manufacture and deliver flash memory products to satisfy customers' requirements and develop and introduce new products and services on a timely basis that are accepted by customers and consumers; and to manage current economic conditions and commercialization and technological difficulties. Readers should also refer to the risk factors described in Eastman Kodak Company's filings with the SEC, including its most recently filed Form 10-K and Form 10-Q.
Any forward-looking statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors and uncertainties.
Cautionary Note of Lexar Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This release contains forward-looking statements, which are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements include statements related to the benefits of and consumer demand for Lexar Media's products and the growth opportunities available to Lexar Media. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by these forward-looking statements. These risks include that our growth and success depends on our ability to properly manage the transition to Kodak's business and plan for anticipated changes in demand; to manage capacity and supply constraints in order to obtain sufficient quantities of flash memory in a timely manner; to anticipate demand and pricing of our products and effectively manage our distributor channels, relationships and inventory levels; to effectively manage our overall cost structure to allow us to sell our products at competitive prices; to achieve and maintain technology leadership and strategic relationships necessary to sell and market products that are commercially accepted; to manufacture and deliver flash memory products to satisfy our customers' requirements and develop and introduce new products and services on a timely basis that are accepted by our customers and consumers; and to manage current economic conditions and commercialization and technological difficulties. Readers should also refer to the risk factors described in our filings with the SEC, including its most recently filed Form 10-K and Form 10-Q. We assume no obligation to update the information in this release.
Lexar Media and the Lexar Media logo are trademarks of Lexar Media, Inc. Kodak and the Kodak logo are trademarks of Eastman Kodak Company. All other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
Scanning and Sharpening is a great digital imaging tutorial that will help anyone looking to learn how to use scanners and who desire to use sharpening tools like Photoshop's Unsharp Mask filter.
Check out some of our other Tutorials
- Digital Camera Care Tips
- Macro Digital Photography Tips
- Getting the best Results from your Camera Phone
- How to Choose a Digital Camera - Tips
- Depth of Field in Digital Photography Tips
How To Reproduce A Tone is the first essay in a series titled The Art of Digital B/W and is a very useful tutorial.
'Did you ever see a toned image on the web and wonder how they did it? Here's a simple procedure you can use to copy a tone from any picture and apply it to your own image. It doesn't matter whether the original is a duotone, tritone, quadtone, or whatever.'
Check out some of our other Tutorials
- Digital Camera Care Tips
- Macro Digital Photography Tips
- Getting the best Results from your Camera Phone
- How to Choose a Digital Camera - Tips
- Depth of Field in Digital Photography Tips
The 'About Photography' pages has just published How to become a Photographer which is an excellent series of articles examine 'how you can gain the skills you need to be a success as a photographer.'
They look at a range of topics including Assessing your Abilities, Studying Photography and potential Areas of Work part 1 and part 2.
Check out some of our other Tutorials
- Digital Camera Care Tips
- Macro Digital Photography Tips
- Getting the best Results from your Camera Phone
- How to Choose a Digital Camera - Tips
- Depth of Field in Digital Photography Tips
The official camera of Kill Bill is a special black edition of the Casio Exilim EX-Z40.
The Casio Exilim EX-Z40 is a 4.0 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom lens and 2.0 inch LCD. It is being promoted as having extra long battery life (up to 2.5 times longer than previous models enabling users to take 360 shots per charge) - something that is missing on many digital cameras today.
It is a compact and well designed digital camera that usually retails for under $400 (US).
LUminous Landscape have an interesting article on Nikon DSLRs auto focusing systems.
America Online has just conducted a survey into what consumers love most about Digital Photography. Here is a few highlights (see full press release below):
America Online - Press Release
America Online's Digital Pictures Survey Finds That Instant Gratification Factor Tops List of What Consumers Love Most about Digital Photography
DULLES, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 11, 2004--America Online, Inc.
The Ability to See Images Instantly, Print Images Whenever They Want and Share Images Easily With Friends and Family Are Favorite Benefits; Number One Method For Sharing Digital Photos Today is Online
Digital Cameras Beat Out Sunscreen, a Good Book and Video Cameras as the Top Item Survey Respondents Must Have When Leaving for Vacation
It's not the hottest page-turner or coolest PDA that most vacationers will be packing for their summer vacation this year. According to America Online's Digital Pictures Survey of digital camera owners, more than one-half of the respondents, 54%, won't leave for vacation without this hot little item: their digital camera. The choice ranked significantly higher than sunscreen, a good book, a video camera, an address book, a digital music player and PDA device.
The survey, which was conducted for AOL by Digital Marketing Services (DMS), uncovered additional findings and insights into consumer digital camera habits, including reasons for going digital, frequency of use and favorite online photo activities. According to the survey, the most popular benefit of going digital is the instant gratification of seeing an image right away. Thirty-two percent of respondents identified this as what they like most about their digital camera. The ability to print images whenever they want follows at 19% while the ability to share images easily rounds out the top three at 17%. The survey also found that overwhelmingly the preferred way to share these memorable photos with family and friends is online via e-mail. More than 70% of respondents share images this way.
"For more and more consumers, digital cameras are a must-have item that they simply can't leave home without," said Jeff Hooker, Director of the You've Got Pictures service at America Online. "Digital photography is all about instant gratification: the majority of consumers buy digital cameras because they want the ability to see an image as soon as they shoot it, easily share it with others, and increasingly they want to print these images whenever they want."
Mr. Hooker added: "The survey results underscore many of the trends we're seeing among our members and prove that for an online photo service to be truly valuable today it needs to offer everything people need to make the most of their picture-taking experience - from multiple options to share and print pictures to unlimited storage and the ability to access their stored albums from any computer."
America Online's Digital Photos Survey also uncovered other key findings regarding consumer digital camera use, photo habits and changing attitudes about digital cameras including:
Digital Cameras Rule!
- Close to one-third, 31%, of younger respondents (18-49), say they take pictures several times a week; however, more than 80% of all respondents say they take pictures at least once a month.
- Among those respondents with multiple cameras, digital film cameras are used most often than other types of cameras. Seventy-one percent of respondents said they use their digital film camera regularly or occasionally.
- About one-fourth of those surveyed, 29%, received their digital camera as a gift; the next biggest reason for purchasing a digital camera was an upcoming vacation.
- Over a quarter of respondents, 27%, say they take photos with their digital cameras 100% of the time while a third say they take pictures with their digital cameras most of the time.
- More than half of those surveyed, 64%, believe it is easier to use a digital camera now than in the last few years. In addition, 74% of those surveyed believe that the picture quality has improved.
Today's Digital Dark Room: Home
- Approximately 70% of those surveyed use a home printer to print their pictures.
- The ability to print pictures whenever they want is the second most popular feature of digital cameras (right behind the instant gratification factor of seeing an image right away).
- Thirty percent of those surveyed print their pictures at least once a week, while 42% print them at least once a month.
Digital Photos in the Broadband Media Era
- More than 70% of those surveyed share their pictures via e-mail and about one-fifth of respondents also share them via instant messages. Sharing images via instant message is particularly popular with younger respondents. Close to one third, 29%, of respondents aged 18 to 34, IM photos to friends and family.
- The two top digital media activities digital camera users do with their photos are creating screensavers on their PC, 37%, and creating personal photo albums, 34%.
- Other emerging popular activities include burning digital photo albums on CDs, 29%, creating digital slide shows, 23%, and posting pictures on online auction sites, 21%.
- Younger respondents (18-34) also indicated particular interest in using their digital pictures to customize screensavers for their mobile phone and posting pictures on online dating services. Close to one in ten respondents between the age of 18 and 34 identified these two activities as some of the things they do with digital photos.
Picture Storage Made Simple
- In terms of storage, 45% keep all their digital pictures on their computers' hard drive, 33% store them on other digital media, and 12% print them and organize them in a photo album.
- About 30% of respondents upload pictures from their camera at least once a week, while 39% upload them about once a month.
Summer 2004: Time for Family and Vacations
- Over 70% of those surveyed say they will likely photograph family this summer.
- Over one-third of respondents, 36%, say that vacations are their favorite occasion to use their digital cameras.
- Beyond using their digital camera to capture memorable moments with family members and friends, the next most popular reason people take photographs is for a holiday card/invitation (online and printed), 34%, followed by tasks specific for their work/business, 30%, items to post on an online auction, 30%, archiving valuable/irreplaceable items in their home, 26%, and for a school project, 19%.
Today AOL also announced the availability of a new Home Printing feature as a part of its You've Got Pictures(R) online photo service. (See accompanying press release: "America Online's You've Got Pictures Service Introduces New Home Printing Feature")
Methodology
This survey was conducted from April 8 through April 12, 2004, through OpinionPlace, an online research site operated by DMS. OpinionPlace utilizes real-time, randomized assignment of respondents to surveys based on a scientifically proven process. A total of 511 respondents were interviewed. The screening qualifications for this study were males and females who personally own and use a digital camera.
About the You've Got Pictures Service
AOL's You've Got Pictures service is a full-featured online photo service for digital and film cameras that offers users easy-to-use options for storing, organizing, printing, accessing and sharing their photos. The service is available at no additional charge as a benefit for AOL and AOL for Broadband members. Once photos are stored and organized on the You've Got Pictures service, users can access their photos and albums from any computer through the AOL.com(R) Web site and safely share favorite pictures with anyone on the Internet without having to download attachments. Other key features of the You've Got Pictures service include: unlimited photo storage; an integrated Picture Finder; easy one-click picture editing; the ability to create personal screensavers and slide shows; built-in home printing features; and more. More information on the You've Got Pictures service can be found at AOL(R) Keyword: Pictures.
About America Online, Inc.
America Online, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. Based in Dulles, Virginia, America Online is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands, Internet technologies and e-commerce services.
PC Mag asks a question that we've noticed a number of digital photography writers have been asking lately:
'Sure, there'll be inkjet photos, CDs full of stored digital data, and DVDs full of movies. And there'll be duplicates of all of these and multiple copies of inkjet photos stored in numerous places. However, there will not be any shoeboxes of old silver-halide photos....
Traditional photos can last decades (easily). I have many pictures from the '60s and '70s and a handful going back to the '20s, '30s and '40s. CDs with data should last decades—unless they get a deep scratch or two. Then they're useless.'
One of my favorite digital photography sites DP Now has just released a review of Roxio Easy Media Creator 7, which is digital media software.
'Windows XP can burn CDs, but Roxio shows there is a lot more to it than recording the final disc.'
Pentax Press Release
Compact, Lightweight 14mm DA-Series Lens for *ist D
GOLDEN, Colorado (May 12, 2004) - PENTAX Imaging Company has announced a second lens designed for the *ist D digital SLR will ship later this month. The smc PENTAX-DA 14mm F2.8 ED [IF] interchangeable wide-angle lens was developed as a second model of the new DA-series lineup. At 14.8 ounces and measuring just 2.7 inches long and 3.3 inches in diameter, the lens is one of the lightest in its category. The lens features a standardized DA-series design incorporating high-grade metallic components with green accents.
Featuring a focal length of 14mm (equivalent to 21mm in the 35mm format) and a 90-degree angle of view, this high-performance wide-angle lens incorporates a high-refraction, low-dispersion glass element and an Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass element to produce high-resolution, true-to-life images in advanced digital photography. The lens offers a minimum focusing distance of .56 ft. for a maximum magnification of approximately 0.19 times. The image circle is designed to perfectly match the 23.5mm x 15.7mm size of the CCD used in the *ist D, contributing to a drastic reduction in size, weight and production cost.
This new lens also features the responsive “Quick-Shift Focus System,” to allow photographers to instantly switch the focus mode from auto-to-manual with a slight twist of the focus ring. Coupled with the a large-sized focus ring that remains locked during autofocus operations and the elimination of the aperture ring, this mechanism enhances *ist D operation in autofocus and manual-focus modes.
While competing models in the same category only allow for the installation of gelatin filters at the rear end, this lens is designed to accept 77mm-diameter filters, including a circular polarizing filter. The lens is equipped with a detachable lens hood with a window used for easy adjustment of a circular polarizing filter.
- PENTAX KAF Mount (Metal)
- Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass lens for superior sharpness and color correction
- Responsive “Quick-Shift Focus System” allows instant shift from AF to MF
- The image circle is designed to match the CCD used in PENTAX digital SLRs
- Convert focal length to 21mm with *ist D
- Comes with a lens hood to minimize flare and ghost images
PENTAX Imaging Company is an innovative leader in the production of digital and film cameras and lenses, binoculars, lenses, mobile printers, scanners and internet cameras. For more than 80 years, PENTAX technology has developed durable, reliable products that meet the needs of consumers and businesses. PENTAX Imaging Company is a division of PENTAX of America, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of PENTAX Corporation of Japan.
One of the things I've enjoyed most about my digital camera is its ability to get in close to small objects and take some stunning photos. One of the advantages of doing Macro Photography in the digital format is that you can review your shots as you go and make small adjustments depending upon the results you're getting. More and more digital cameras are coming with Macro Photography modes enabling you to shoot from very close distances - in addition to this is a growing number of accessories and lens attachments that enable even the basic compact digital camera to get in close and personal.
Macro Photography Tips for Point and Shoot Compact Digital Cameras
Following are a collection of tutorials and tips that will help any digital (and film) photographer to grow in their understanding and skills in Macro Photography.
Also check out Digital Photography School for more free Digital Camera Tips on All Topics.
Check out some of our other Digital Camera Tips:
- Digital Photography Composition 101
- Night and Low Light Digital Photography Tips
- Taking Images with Camera Phones Tips
- Depth of Field Tips
- Introduction to Photoblogging and Moblogging
- How to Choose a Digital Camera
- Digital Camera Care Tips
- Cleaning your Digital Camera Image Sensor
Practical Boat Owner is this month testing four waterproof/resistant digital cameras. They examine the Pentax Optio 22WR, Casio GV-20, Sony Cybershot DSC-U60, and the Ricoh Capillo 300G.
None of the cameras can actually go much deeper than 1 meter underwater (if at all) - I'd be hesitant to take any of them in the water with me. I'd be much more likely to get an underwater housing for my camera or if I was really serious spend the extra dollars and get a dedicated underwater camera. Still - the review is worth a read. - Source - Gizmodo.
Sigma Press Release
A compact zoom lens with large aperture from 24mm super-wide-angle
Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 24-60mm F2.8 EX DG lens.
From super-wide-angle of 24mm this lens has a very compact design as well as a large-aperture. By effective arrangement of Special Low Dispersion (SLD) and aspherical glass elements, this lens has compact dimensions of 83.6mm (3.3in.) maximum diameter, and 84.5mm (3.3in.) length. It is capable of taking pictures from a close distance, minimum focusing distance is 38cm(15.0in.) at all focal lengths, and has a maximum magnification ratio of 1:5.8. Two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements are provided for effective compensation of color aberration, which is a common problem with super-wide angle lenses. One piece of Glass Mold Aspherical and three pieces of Hybrid Aspherical, total four pieces of aspherical lenses offer excellent correction for distortion as well as all types of aberration. The new lens coating reduces flare and ghost, which is a common problem of digital cameras and also creates an optimum color balance.
The design concept of this lens is especially suitable for the characteristics of Digital SLR Cameras. The high performance inner focus system is particularly suitable for using circular polarizing filters and a petal-type hood as the front of the lens does not rotate. This lens is also equipped with Zoom Lock Switch that eliminates "Zoom Creep". This remarkably compact high performance zoom lens is ideally suited for traveling.
SIGMA 24-60mm EX DG SPECIFICATIONS
*Focal Length / 24-60mm *Minimum Aperture/F22 *Lens Construction / 16Elements in 15Groups *Focusing System / Inner Focus *Angle of View / 84.1 °- 39.6 ° *Number of Diaphragm Blades / 9pcs *Minimum Focusing Distance / 38cm (15.0in.) *Maximum Magnification / 1:5.8 *Filter Size (diameter) / 77mm *Lens Hood / Petal Hood *Dimensions / Diameter 83.6mm (3.3in.) X Length 84.5mm (3.3in.) *Weight / 550gr(19.4oz.)
Optional Accessories
- SIGMA EX Multi-Coated UV 77 mm Filter
- SIGMA EX Wide Multi-Coated Circular PL 77 mm Filter
Of course these are just the headings of what he's written over at MacDevCentre.
Head over to check out the expanded version.
The Fuji FinePix A205S Zoom (in some places known as the A205 Zoom), has a 2 megapixel CCD sensor and 3x Optical Zoom lens. It is billed as an easy to use compact digital camera that should suit anyone wanting to start out in digital photography.
Photography Blog reviewed the Fujifilm Finepix A205 and writes - 'The FinePix A205S is a quite an old-fashioned digital camera in terms of general design and body-shape. Considering the small number of external photographic controls, the camera is surprisingly bulky and you will struggle to fit it in a trouser pocket. As the camera is aimed firmly at beginners, there are only 8 external controls, including the shutter release and power button, and the menu system is very easy to use due to the lack of features. The FinePix A205S definitely falls in the point and shoot category of digital cameras.'
Check out the rest of the review and the rating that they award the A205 here.
Australian IT has published a great article today titled 'Pixel explosion' which attempts to unpack some questions around megapixels. Are more megapixels better?
WHEN it comes to the megapixels in digital cameras, consumers are inclined to embrace the age-old maxim: more is better. There may also be a little bit of "mine is bigger than yours" in the race for ever more megapixels....
"Pixel count is one very important part of making a good image, but it's also the size of the pixels, how much light they will collect, the image processing and, of course, the quality of the lens"....
In the race for megapixels, it's apparently the lens system that has to work hardest to keep up, especially in cameras with small sensor arrays, and large pixel counts. "In cameras like the Canon PowerShot PRO1 and the Sony F828 that have such small sensors with eight million pixels on them, the lens has to perform like there is no tomorrow," Poignand says.
Reiter's Camera Phone Report reports on a couple of good camera phone advancements today.
Firstly is the announcement that Vodafone Japan have announced a camera phone with a 2x optical zoom (pictured).
'Vodafone K.K. today announced it was introducing a two megapixel camera phone with an optical zoom -- the world's first commercially available optical zoom in a camera phone.'
Also they report a couple of other interesting developments including that:
- Boeing is planning to install camera phones on the back of their plane seats to let passengers to create in-flight video networks.
- Samsung is pushing towards a 5 megapixel camera phone
Ken Rockwell has a good introduction to 'The Two Classes of Digital Cameras' - Point and Shoot cameras and Digital SLRs.
'There are two very different classes of digital camera: point-and-shoot (p/s, fixed-lens) and Single-Lens-Reflex (DSLR, interchangeable lenses).
The class structure didn't matter until 2004 when the prices and resolutions of the two classes crossed over. Because of this I consider any new expensive ($1,000) p/s camera obsolete since the new DSLR cameras are better for the same price. That's right, I'd pass on every one of the new 8 megapixel p/s cameras that were announced in spring 2004 since the DSLRs you can get now for the same price are so much better. Of course the makers of new expensive p/s cameras are promoting them heavily, thus the confusion.
It's important to understand these classes so you can make the best choice. If I get too technical just skip to the summary after you read the definitions.'
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My apologies to readers for the mess that my site has been in for the last few hours. I've been having a few problems accessing my server between certain hours overnight. So last night when I uploaded the last entry with the wrongly formatted picture I was unable to fix it. In fact every time I attempted to fix it my server posted the same entry again - so we ended up with 30 or so wrongly formatted announcements of the Canon Powershot S60 on the front page!
Of course this sort of thing always happens when you least need it to happen. Last night we were linked to by a couple of big bloggers for our Camera Phone Tips and had a record number of visitors to the site. Oh well - I'll just keep blogging. Thanks for your patience.
The Canon Powershot S60 is a slimline digital camera with a 5.0 megapixel sensor and a 3.6x Optical Zoom Wide angle lens.
The Canon Powershot S60 has a 4cm Macro shooting mode, 13 shooting modes, a new pre-set white balance mode for underwater photography, print share button and will shoot at anything between 15 second to 1/2000 sec.
Steve's Digicams writes about the Canon Powershot S60 saying 'The 5-Megapixel Canon PowerShot S60 camera is equipped with a redesigned 3.6x zoom lens that goes from a wide-angle focal length of 28mm to a telephoto of 100mm (35mm film equivalent). This new lens features an Ultra high refractive index, which makes it thin and compact. The Ultra high refractive index Aspherical (UA) lens allows for a 28mm wide angle zoom while increasing image quality and slimming the body of the camera for a sleek design.'
Imaging Resource reviews the Canon Powershot S60 and writes - 'This year's S60 model constitutes a significant upgrade to the S50, with a wider-angle zoom lens and improved control layout. As always though, image quality is the real test, and fortunately the S60 does very well in that department as well. '
PC Mag reviews the Canon PowerShot S60 and writes - 'The new model is leaner and quicker and boasts longer battery life. The S60 is on the large end of compact (pocketable, if you have roomy pockets) and boxy, but its plain looks belie its rich feature set.'
DP Review reviewed the Canon PowerShot S60 and writes - 'As five megapixel compact digital cameras go the S60 is certainly one of the best, it may not be quite as thin or pocketable as some of the ultra-slim competition but what it does do better than a lot of the rest is take pictures, and that is the often compromised essential requirement of a digital 'camera'. Canon's mature image processing and a good lens combine to produce sharp images with lots of detail, a nice tonal balance and vivid 'pleasing' colors. With a 28 mm wide angle it's also a perfect camera to take on holiday or tour, group shots and architecture will no longer require you to keep walking backwards.'
Megapixel reviews the Canon Powershot S60 and gives it an 8.4 rating for Functionality and a 9.4 rating for Photographic Qualities.
DC Mag reviews the Canon Powershot S60 and writes - 'The S60 is a compromise. It’s good value for what it does, but its construction is disappointingly cheap. Its photographic options are impressive, but its outright picture quality, while good, isn’t perfect. The 28-100mm lens is undoubtedly a high point and makes the S60 an interesting proposition where it might not have been otherwise.
If you’re shopping for this kind of camera, what’s the choice? Nikon’s CoolPix 5400 is a thing of beauty to use, but its images come out a bit soft. Olympus’s C-5060 is a better choice. It’s around £50 more expensive than the Canon and bulkier too, but the controls and build quality are of an infinitely higher standard than the S60’s.' Rating: 4 stars.
PC Magazine reviews the Canon Powershot S60 and writes - 'The 5MP Canon PowerShot S60 is a feature-laden, lighter, and faster replacement for the Canon PowerShot S50. It takes crystal-clear pictures and is an Editors' Choice in the compact class.'
Get more information on the Canon Powershot S60:
- Imaging Resource - Canon Powershot S60 Preview
- Canon Powershot S60 Image Samples
- DP Review - Canon Powershot S60 Announced
- Lets Go Digital - Canon Powershot S60
Accessories available for the Canon Powershot S60 include:
- Canon ACK-700 AC Adapter
- Canon PSC-30 Leather Case
Following is a press release from Canon announcing the S60.
Press Release
Amstelveen, The Netherlands, 10 May 2004. Canon, a leader in photographic and imaging technology, today announces its latest 5.0 Megapixel compact digital still camera, the PowerShot S60. A comprehensive array of technology firsts for the S-Series includes new lens materials which allow a reduction in lens size, enabling an elegantly sleek body shape. Also new for the S-Series is the 28-100mm focal length lens with 4cm macro, simultaneous RAW and JPEG file recording, optional 2x tele-converter and a 40m depth waterproof case. The camera includes a new pre-set white balance mode for underwater photography, Print/Share button, 15 second to 1/2000 sec shutter speeds, and a new user interface.
"We are already seeing many professional photographers carrying compact digital cameras as well as their usual kit," said Mogens Mølgaard Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging Europe. "The pocket-sized PowerShot S60 is perfect for those moments when a smaller camera is needed, and with many features borrowed from our digital SLR range, will appeal to professionals and photography enthusiasts who can’t afford to compromise on specifications.”
Starting with the optics
Drawing on a 60 year heritage of precision optics and lens manufacture experience, Canon has equipped the camera with a new 3.6x optical zoom lens. The lens features Canon's new UA (Ultra-high refractive index, Aspherical) lens, allowing for the design of a more compact lens with no compromise on image quality. This contributes to making the body almost 8% thinner than the popular PowerShot S50 the camera replaces, even though it has a 28mm wide angle and higher zoom ratio. The 28-100mm focal length range expands to 200mm with the addition of an optional 2x tele-converter.
Updated and integrated
The user interface is dramatically improved, with an ergonomic SLR-style Mode Dial on top of the camera for shifting quickly and easily between 13 different shooting modes. Up to 180 second movies (30 seconds at VGA resolution) can be recorded with sound, playback and in-camera editing. Shutter speed range increases to span 15 sec to 1/2000 sec.
Super efficient
To keep the camera 'at the ready', start up time has been reduced by approximate 20% from the previous model, while an already class-leading battery capacity has been increased by 26% with the introduction of the more powerful NB-2LH battery. This performance is due in part to the incorporation of Canon’s DIGIC image processor. DIGIC is purpose built by Canon to execute the complex algorithms necessary to properly calculate functions such as white balance and color rendition, with no trade-off in camera responsiveness. By keeping all key functions on a single chip, size and power consumption are also reduced. The overall result is more shots at a higher rate with stunning image quality.
Fast and accurate
DIGIC also drives a 2 frames per second (High speed) continuous shooting speed, and supports 9-point AiAF for fast, accurate focusing even when subjects are not centred. FlexiZone AF/AE allows scrolling around the frame's Auto Focus areas to select the desired subject, for which exposure is weighted accordingly. The camera also includes iSAPS – a type of artificially intelligent photographer's assistant that instantly analyses each scene. iSAPS makes adjustments even before the shutter release is pressed to optimise exposure, white balance and auto-focus settings in every shooting situation.
Professional features
The PowerShot S60 borrows several features from Canon’s range of digital SLR cameras, which includes the EOS 300D and EOS 10D. One of these is the ability to record RAW files. The camera embeds a JPEG thumbnail in recorded RAW files, allowing for quick reviewing and avoiding the cumbersome wait for file conversions when all that is required is a small preview image.
Advanced Printing
As soon as the camera recognises successful connection to a direct printer or Windows computer, a blue light on its Print/Share button illuminates to indicate that printing or file transfer can commence. Connection via USB cable to any PictBridge compatible printer, such as Canon's Bubble Jet i990, enables printing without first transferring to PC. When connected to a Canon compact photo printer such as the Canon CP-330, the camera/printer combination allows for 'movie-prints' (sequential frames of a movie clip printed as thumbnails on a single card) and photo IDs (passport style ID photographs).
Online sharing
Membership to Canon’s web portal CANON iMAGE GATEWAY expands to allow uploading of movie clips. These are first compressed for faster uploading using an upgraded version of the Canon ZoomBrowser software . CANON iMAGE GATEWAY gives PowerShot S60 customers 100MB of album space on the web for storing and sharing favorite photographs and albums – a private online photo gallery. Function icons, themes and sound effects can also be downloaded so the camera’s look and feel is always fresh.
Software
Software supplied includes browsing and printing software ZoomBrowser EX (Windows) and ImageBrowser (Mac). Other software includes PhotoStitch, plus photo and movie manipulation software ArcSoft PhotoStudio and VideoImpression. Drivers include TWAIN (Windows 98/2000) and WIA (Windows Me). Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) support allows the camera to connect to any Windows XP and Mac OS X (v10.1/v10.2/v10.3) system without the requirement for a driver installation.
To get the best shot from your camera phone you might like to incorporate some of the following tips into your routine:
Add your own tips, tricks and camera phone resources below in comments.
Check out some of our other Digital Camera Tips:
- Digital Photography Composition 101
- Night and Low Light Digital Photography Tips
- Macro Digital Photography Tips
- Depth of Field Tips
- Introduction to Photoblogging and Moblogging
- How to Choose a Digital Camera
- Digital Camera Care Tips
- Cleaning your Digital Camera Image Sensor
Yet another use for digital cameras in health care is Telemedicine.
Telemedicine is where doctors treat and diagnose patients from a far using technology including digital cameras.
'The use of telemedicine, in which doctors practice from afar using everything from telephone consultations to remote-controlled surgical tools, is rapidly expanding as the military upgrades medical care....
In Afghanistan, where bandwidth is more readily available, a video camera suspended over an operating table transmits images back to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where neurosurgeons help guide operations.'
The world's third biggest digital camera manufacturer has just announced that in the business year ending March 31 2004 it shipped 7.4million digital cameras. It expectes to ship 11 million digital cameras in the upcoming 12 months. Source
PC Mag has just released a review of the beautifully constructed 5 megapixel Leica Digilux 2.
They call it the Rolls Royce of Digital Cameras and write 'The Leica Digilux 2 is the first digital camera with the true look and feel of a fine handmade Leica—and image quality to match. But be warned: Leica quality does not come cheap.'
I had a play with this beautiful camera last week and would love to add it to my collection of cameras.
Check out our complete collection of reviews on the Leica Digilux 2
Digital Photography is now playing in a role in the early identification of skin Cancer.
'Now with digital photography, doctors can track the moles on someone like Besozzi. With multiple views, dermatologists can follow changes and even zoom in on suspicious spots.
A new study from Sloan-Kettering found that when patients were given their digital photos, they were much more likely to detect suspicious changes.
In fact, today Besozzi pointed out a spot on her wrist. When Nehal checked it against her digital photos, he found it was indeed anew lesion that will have to be checked.
"It's given me a sense of ease because I don't have to be constantly on top of looking at me making sure that this mole, writing it down or things like that," said Besozzi.' Source - Tracking Skin Cancer With Digital Photography
Boing Boing has picked up an interesting article on how Digital Cameras are changing History in Iraq - specifically 'the role digital cameras have played in in the Abu Ghraib prison abuse debacle.'
The immediacy and transferability of digital images, combined with the pouncing upon it by the press, has played a significant part in the escalation of this situation.
For more information and thought on this topic check out:
- Digital Cameras Change Perceptions
- Digital Cameras Expose Brutality
- Digital Cameras Strip America of its Pride
The Ricoh Caplio GX has just been announced by Ricoh and features a 5.13 megapixel sensor, 28-85mm wide angle zoom lens (3x Optical zoom), 1cm macro mode, six handy automatic scene modes and a boasted shutter response time of just 0.12 seconds.
Lets Go Digital have a good review of the Ricoh Caplio GX and give it a rating of four stars (good) and write 'Ricoh has introduced a fine and user's friendly camera. The compact size and the clearly present hand grip make working with the camera a pleasant experience. The camera's menu is well-organised and the division of the buttons leaves nothing to wish for concerning clearness. The quick selection button ADJ is placed in a useful spot. The Command Dial with the main programs also and it has a very useful division of the menu. The handy built-in scenes are a good way to make carefree snapshots not only for the starting photographer but also for the enhanced user. Beside that the manual settings offer sufficient possibilities to be photographically creative.'
Photography Blog has a good new review of the Ricoh Caplio GX.
'Launched at the start of May 2004, the Ricoh Caplio GX is the new flagship model in the Ricoh digital camera range. The Ricoh Caplio GX has gained a lot of attention because of its unique combination of a 5-megapixel CCD sensor, wide-angle 28mm lens, having the world�s fastest shutter response and start-up times, and an affordable price-tag of �279.99. Previous Ricoh cameras that I've reviewed have offered great handling, but have been rather let down by the image-quality. So has the Caplio GX rectified this crucial problem? Read on to find out.'
DP Now has a good first look at the Ricoh Caplio GX and write 'Alas, the Caplio GX is a frustrating disappointment. The camera is nice to use and to hold. OK, there are some irritations, like the flash system charging lock-out and the occasional reticence to shoot when ordered, but overall � the Caplio GX is a camera that looks and feels like it should take great pictures, but it doesn't. '
Shutter talk reviews the Ricoh Caplio GX and writes - 'If you�re into features specifications though, the Ricoh Caplio GX certainly has a lot going for it. Things such as spot metering, exposure and white balance bracketing, ISO 64-1600, 1cm macro capability, interval timer and others would keep most happy. However, because Ricoh are targeting prosumer users, the lack of shutter priority and the limited aperture selection may leave a few disappointed. The continuous shooting capability is a bit of a let down as well.'
Steve's Digicams reviews the Ricoh Caplio GX and writes - 'The Caplio GX is certainly not the professional camera Ricoh represents it to be. It is, however, a competent consumer digicam with features desirable to both the beginner and advanced photographer. The Caplio GX will appeal to photographers who concentrate on landscape or indoor photography, and who don't find the 85mm focal length at full telephoto limiting. While it sports an impressively low shutter lag, its small and slow internal buffer will frustrate shooters with poor shot-to-shot and continuous shooting performance.'
DC Mag reviews the Ricoh Caplio GX and writes - 'The camera�s internal light meter struggles in shadowy situations, but produces detailed, well-saturated images that are packed full of colour. Whilst auto-focus is incredibly accurate, the camera struggles to focus quickly in mixed lighting situations. It�s not the quickest to write images to the card either. Despite these criticisms, the Caplio outperforms many others in its class, by producing some truly stunning image results, and particularly with those taken in daylight.'
Get more information about the Ricoh Caplio GX at:
- Lets Go Digital
Following is the press release from Ricoh announcing the Caplio GX.
Press Release
Ricoh is very pleased to announce the release of the Caplio GX, a superbly built 5-megapixel, 28mm-85mm wide-angle zoom lens digital camera that will most certainly top of the 'must have' lists of avid professionals and photography enthusiasts alike.
The Caplio GX debut marks a significant achievement in Ricoh's long, dedicated history of manufacturing superior optical devices that began in 1938. To fully appreciate the significance of the Caplio GX launch, one must look to the year 1998 when Ricoh took the world by storm with the unveiling of the Ricoh GR1, an automatic high-performance 28mm compact camera that became an instant sensation winning numerous awards such as the TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) Best Compact Camera of the Year.
The Caplio GX combines the traditional craftsmanship expertise of the GR series with further enhanced high-performance technology found in the Caplio RX digital camera that was just released in March 2004.
The list of attractions for the Caplio GX begin with its marvelous 5.13 effective megapixel CCD and large 3x optical plus 4x digital lens structure that includes a unique configuration of 9 glass elements in 7 groups producing exquisite images of up to 2592 x 1944 pixels, large enough to print A3-size high resolution photos.
The 28mm-85mm wide-angle (35mm film camera equivalent format) delivers a fantastic 75-degree angle of view that translates into much improved landscape images, group shots and a host of other wide-angle opportunities that preserve more information onto a single image than the limited range of 35mm cameras.
Keeping to the professional-minded spirit of the GR series, the Caplio GX features a convenient electronic dial intended for the index finger to manually control a variety of settings that include aperture, white balance, ISO sensitivity and exposure levels. Furthermore, its sleek, first-class compact design is only 29mm thick and carries the trademark rubber handgrip that beautifully contours the right side of its lightweight 205-gram aluminum die-cast body.
The Caplio GX is also incredibly quick. Boasting the world�s fastest shutter response time at only 0.12 seconds and start-up time clocked at less than a second, precious photo opportunities can be snapped up in an instant. Too often even higher-end digital cameras disappointed users with slow shutter response and start-up times � the Caplio GX effectively puts an end to these issues.
Another major benefit to this remarkable digital camera is its macro mode capabilities. Ricoh�s Caplio GX takes brilliant 1cm macros and features auto-focus target functionality that allows the photographer to conveniently pan around an image up close in order to find the desired focus point.
Perhaps the most impressive feature of all is the Caplio GX�s reasonable price tag. Although a formidable high-end camera, Ricoh has generously priced the Caplio GX at mid-range levels � a welcomed surprise that will surely make digital camera history.
�The Caplio GX is quite simply the finest digital camera our (Ricoh) organization has ever produced,� smiles Mr. Frans Limburg, the Manager of Ricoh�s PMMC-Benelux Office. �We�ve combined our superior lens manufacturing expertise, stylish design and sophisticated Caplio technology to deliver a truly outstanding 5 megapixel 28mm-85mm wide angle 3x optical lens with the world�s fastest shutter response time of just 0.12 seconds*. And its new electronic dial that can quickly change aperture, exposure and other advanced settings will definitely make this a must have for any professional photographer�s collection. Best of all, we�ve priced the Caplio GX at an affordable mid-range level!�
* As of May 6th, 2004 for all auto focus digital camera
Main Features:
Powerful 5-megapixel 1/1.8 CCD produces A3-size printouts
The Caplio GX comes equipped with a very powerful 5-megapixel (5.12 effective) 1/1.8 CCD, which can output an A3 high-resolution print that will impress even the most discerning of professionals. The vastly improved image processor ensures colours look richer, sharper and cleaner even in large printed formats.
Superior lens construction makes all the difference
Ricoh engineers have brilliantly manufactured a lens design with 9 glass elements placed in 7 groups that help to supply a substantial amount light to the edge of photos even in wide-angle operation. In addition, 4 aspherical lenses and 4 high refractive index- low dispersion lenses work to make corrections for aberration in all zooming areas in a controlled and balanced manner.
28mm-85mm wide-angle 3x optical plus 4x digital zoom
Another one of Caplio GX�s major attractions is its versatile wide-angle 28mm lens that makes landscape photography an absolute pleasure to capture. With an angle of view of 75 degrees - comparable with just 62 degrees of conventional 35mm digital cameras - the photo opportunities on the Caplio GX abound. Moreover, its accurate 3x optical plus 4x digital zoom that delivers an outstanding combination of 12x zoom, equivalent to a telephoto range of 28-336mm on a regular 35mm camera.
Professional lightweight design with electronic manual control dial
Built with professionals and photography lovers in mind, the Caplio GX features a convenient electronic dial that can manually control settings that include aperture of the aperture priority mode, speed, white balance, ISO sensitivity and exposure levels of pictures taken. Furthermore, its sleek, compact design is only 29mm thick and features a rubber handgrip that beautifully contours the right side of its lightweight 205-gram aluminum die-cast body.
World�s fastest shutter response time
Equipped with the world�s fastest shutter response at just 0.12 seconds, owners of the Caplio GX can confidently capture photo opportunities where speed is of the essence - leaving the �click and wait� shutter response times of other digital camera makers in the dark. Also, to the delight of any press photographer, in less than a second the Caplio GX has the ability to turn itself on and snap off a photo - quickness unrivalled in its class.
Aperture-priority control flexibility
The handy control dial on the front face of the Caplio GX allows advanced users to select a specific f-stop with aperture-priority AE (automatic exposure) or manual exposure. Functionality such as this helps the Caplio GX to confidently meet the creative demands of serious photographers that require certain images to have a particular �depth of field� or other desired elements.
Marvelous 1cm �wide� macros with 15cm flash highlight
The Caplio GX boasts the ability to capture objects of 18mm(H) x 24mm (W) at a distance of just 1cm. Keep the camera still at this distance and take advantage of its auto-focus target functionality that allows the user to conveniently pan around the image in order to find the desired focus point. There is even a built-in flash for shots as close as 15cm that highlights objects while protecting against any unwanted whiteout effects.
Three convenient power sources to rely on
The Caplio GX is ideal for the road warrior who demands the highest level of power flexibility, performance and efficiency. Shoot up to 400 images* between recharges when using the long-life rechargeable lithium-ion battery (optional) or take advantage of a nearby power source and use the optional AC adapter. The Caplio GX also has the ability to switch to two AA alkaline (comes included) or nickel metal hydride batteries and a synchro monitor mode that conserves energy by turning the monitor on automatically only when the shutter button is pressed to preview a shot or operate the zoom
* Up to 400 images under normal usage conditions (with 50% flash and zoom usage, LCD on, 30 seconds between shots, reviews of all photos).
Six handy scene modes
The Caplio GX comes equipped with six handy scene modes (portrait, sports, landscape, night scene, text and high-sensitivity) that were intended to help the photographer capture various shooting situations in their best light. In high-sensitivity mode, the screen automatically illuminates subjects to aid in framing the picture in under-lit environments such as a candlelit dinner or trendy nightclub lounge.
Mark at Photograhy Blog has just published his latest excellent review of the Fujifilm Finepix F610.
Nikon Europe have released new updated firmware (version 1.2) for their Nikon Coolpix 3700.
'This firmware update offers following improvements and additions; certain brands of Secure Digital memory cards can cause image visibility problems, brightness levels of movies vary under certain lighting conditions and corrections to city names in setup menu. ' (Source)
Download version 1.2 at:
- Nikon Coolpix 3700 Firmware for Windows
- Nikon Coolpix 3700 Firmware for Macs
EE Times reports that Japanese Digital camera shipments are up 71%.
'RBC estimated the Japanese digital camera market will hit 75 million units in 2004, up 39 percent from 2003. Japanese vendors account for an estimated 80 percent of global digital camera shipments.'
Following are extracts from a press release from Kodak announcing their new printer dock.
Press Release
Expanded EASYSHARE Digital Photography System Simplifies Picture Taking and Sharing
ROCHESTER, N.Y., May 4 -- Eastman Kodak Company today unveiled additions to its EASYSHARE consumer digital photography system that further simplify picture taking and sharing, led by a second generation EASYSHARE printer dock that works with multiple brands of digital cameras. The redesigned product allows people to make real, waterproof KODAK 4x6-inch photos at home in as little as 90 seconds.
Making the printer dock compatible with cameras from other manufacturers via PICTBRIDGE technology reflects Kodak’s commitment to simplifying the way people take, organize, share and print digital photos. The new products also demonstrate the company’s determination to accelerate its participation in the fast-growing market for digital cameras and accessories, part of a broader corporate strategy to generate profitable growth from digital markets. Kodak is the fastest-growing digital still camera brand, according to a recent global study by IDC...
Redesigned KODAK EASYSHARE Printer Dock
Following the highly successful introduction of its first two printer docks last year, Kodak has redesigned the EASYSHARE printer dock to be even more consumer friendly. The new version, available worldwide beginning this June for a suggested retail price of US$149, incorporates PICTBRIDGE technology for connecting to multiple brands of digital cameras, an optional external memory card reader, and a dedicated multi-function connector for KODAK EASYSHARE 600/6000 and 700/7000-series digital cameras.
All connection options allow direct 4 x 6-inch thermal picture printing (full size and multiple images per sheet) with or without a computer.
Providing both convenience and exceptional picture quality, the sleek, portable KODAK EASYSHARE printer dock is the simplest way to get real KODAK prints at home at the touch of a button. KODAK EASYSHARE digital camera owners also benefit from one-touch picture transfer to a connected computer and camera battery recharging — plus reconditioning for improved battery performance — in less than 3.5 hours.
Get more info on the printer dock at:
- Imaging Resource
- Lets Go Digital
The Kodak EasyShare CX7330 is a new 3 megapixel digital camera from Kodak which comes with a 3x Optical Kodak RETINAR aspheric all-glass zoom lens.
The CX7330 has 16 megabytes of internal memory, on camera share button (to put images in a photo album for later emailing or printing) and 1.6inch day, night LCD screen and SD memory card slot.
UK/European Readers buy the Kodak EasyShare CX7330
Digicam Review reviews the Kodak EasyShare CX7330 and writes - 'The design is okay, the size is okay, the camera is quite compact, almost stylish and pocketable. The 1.6" screen updates smoothly and has accurate colour. The camera is very easy to use, the menu systems being easy to use although not as intuitive as expected. They are a bit basic in the amount of options and features available. The 3x optical zoom lens seems to be very good. Camera handling, and button layout are good. The camera speed is good in use and has a quick zoom, shot to shot time is good, with shutter release is very quick after pre-focus, although the camera has an average switch on time.'
CNET reviews the Kodak EasyShare CX7330 digital camera and writes - 'Under most conditions, the CX7330 delivered appropriate exposures. High-contrast shots, however, showed washed-out highlights, but shadow capture was good. Colors were true and, when properly exposed, showed good saturation. Purple fringing and other chromatic aberrations were minimal, and though the CX7330 had trouble capturing fine details, they won’t be missed in average-size snapshot prints.'
Get more information about the CX7330 at:
- Lets Go Digital
- Imaging Resource
Following is an extract from Kodak's press release announcing the EasyShare CX7330 and its big brother the CX7530:
KODAK EASYSHARE CX7530 and CX7330 Zoom Digital Cameras
The 5-megapixel EASYSHARE CX7530 camera delivers crisp, vibrant prints thanks to a KODAK RETINAR all-glass, aspherical, 3X optical zoom lens; multi-zone auto-focus system, and nine easily accessible picture shooting modes — all for just US$299 MSRP.
PICTBRIDGE compatibility allows direct-from-camera printing, while Kodak’s new ‘camera favorites’ feature makes it simple — with a touch of the exclusive ‘Share’ button — to store multiple pictures in an on-camera digital album. These pictures can then be shared anytime on the camera’s large, 1.8-inch, high-resolution (134,000 pixels) indoor/outdoor LCD screen, e-mailed, or printed. The CX7530 will be available in July 2004.
Combining fully-automatic point-and-shoot convenience with 3-megapixel resolution and a 3X optical zoom lens, the EASYSHARE CX7330 digital camera makes taking and sharing high-quality pictures one-touch simple. The CX7330 camera will be available in June 2004 for US$199 MSRP.
KODAK EASYSHARE Software
All EASYSHARE cameras include KODAK EASYSHARE software for WINDOWS and MACINTOSH systems, providing effortless digital picture transfer, organization, basic editing, sharing and printing. The software’s exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature — which takes advantage of proprietary color technologies developed by Kodak — helps WINDOWS OS users get vibrant, true-to-life prints from home inkjet printers, while significantly reducing the trial, error and waste usually associated with home photo printing.
Version 3.4 for WINDOWS OS — which is also compatible with other manufacturers’ digital cameras — may be downloaded for free at http://www.kodak.com/go/easysharesw.
The award-winning KODAK EASYSHARE consumer digital photography system — consisting of cameras, software, printer docks and camera docks, inkjet and thermal papers, and accessories — makes it simple for anyone to take, organize, share and print high quality digital pictures. More information on KODAK EASYSHARE products is available at www.kodak.com/go/EasyShare.
The Kodak EasyShare CX7530 has a 5.36 megapixel CCD sensor, 3x Kodak Retinar Optical Zoom lens and a 1.8inch LCD screen.
The CX7530 has an on camera, one touch 'share' feature (which enables on camera storing of special photos in photo albums for printing and emailing later), 9 picture modes and will be available in July 2004.
UK Readers Buy the "Kodak EasyShare CX7530 Digital Camera"
US Readers Buy the "Kodak EasyShare CX7530 Digital Camera"
Steve's Digicams reviews the Kodak EasyShare CX7530 and writes - 'The shooting performance of the CX7530 was very impressive for a camera in this class. In our testing, the delay between turning the camera on until capturing the first image averaged about 3.5 seconds (with flash.) Shutter lag when pre-focused was a fast 1/10 of a second and 4/10 of a second including auto focus. The shot to shot time averaged about 1.3 seconds between frames with the flash Off and about 1.8 seconds with the flash On. Shooting in Continuous mode, I was able to capture 5 images in about 1.4 seconds. The LCD viewfinder went blank during the continuous capture sequence; you need to use the optical viewfinder when taking a rapid sequence. All performance tests were done using a SanDisk Ultra II 512MB SD card, preview off, flash off, and Auto record mode (unless otherwise noted.) Times may vary depending on lighting conditions, media, camera setting, etc.'
CNET reviews the Kodak EasyShare CX7530 and writes - 'A million more pixels aren't the only improvements in the Kodak EasyShare CX7530, an upgrade from the the EasyShare CX7430. You also get twice as much internal memory (32MB), a larger 1.8-inch LCD, improved performance, and the ability to select a noisy but useful ISO 800 sensitivity. Other enhancements to the CX7530 include more zoom-in power (8X) during picture review. You'll want to add rechargeable batteries and a memory card to your shopping list, but this fast-operating, simple-to-use 5-megapixel camera will please snapshooters who value quick response over manual controls.'
Get more information on the CX7530 at:
- Lets Go Digital
- Imaging Resource
Following is an extract from Kodak's press release announcing the EasyShare CX7530 and its little brother the CX7330:
KODAK EASYSHARE CX7530 and CX7330 Zoom Digital Cameras
The 5-megapixel EASYSHARE CX7530 camera delivers crisp, vibrant prints thanks to a KODAK RETINAR all-glass, aspherical, 3X optical zoom lens; multi-zone auto-focus system, and nine easily accessible picture shooting modes — all for just US$299 MSRP.
PICTBRIDGE compatibility allows direct-from-camera printing, while Kodak’s new ‘camera favorites’ feature makes it simple — with a touch of the exclusive ‘Share’ button — to store multiple pictures in an on-camera digital album. These pictures can then be shared anytime on the camera’s large, 1.8-inch, high-resolution (134,000 pixels) indoor/outdoor LCD screen, e-mailed, or printed. The CX7530 will be available in July 2004.
Combining fully-automatic point-and-shoot convenience with 3-megapixel resolution and a 3X optical zoom lens, the EASYSHARE CX7330 digital camera makes taking and sharing high-quality pictures one-touch simple. The CX7330 camera will be available in June 2004 for US$199 MSRP.
KODAK EASYSHARE Software
All EASYSHARE cameras include KODAK EASYSHARE software for WINDOWS and MACINTOSH systems, providing effortless digital picture transfer, organization, basic editing, sharing and printing. The software’s exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature — which takes advantage of proprietary color technologies developed by Kodak — helps WINDOWS OS users get vibrant, true-to-life prints from home inkjet printers, while significantly reducing the trial, error and waste usually associated with home photo printing.
Version 3.4 for WINDOWS OS — which is also compatible with other manufacturers’ digital cameras — may be downloaded for free at http://www.kodak.com/go/easysharesw.
The award-winning KODAK EASYSHARE consumer digital photography system — consisting of cameras, software, printer docks and camera docks, inkjet and thermal papers, and accessories — makes it simple for anyone to take, organize, share and print high quality digital pictures. More information on KODAK EASYSHARE products is available at www.kodak.com/go/EasyShare.
The Kodak EasyShare DX7440 is a 4.23 megapixel camera with a 4x Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon optical zoom lens.
The DX7440 has 32 megabytes of internal memory, 2.2 inch LCD screen and 16 preset scene modes.
UK/European Readers buy the Kodak EasyShare DX7440
Imaging Resource reviews the Kodak EasyShare DX7440 and writes - 'Like the rest of Kodak's EasyShare line, the DX7440 boasts a simple-to-understand user interface that keeps the fun in point-and-shoot digital photography. The DX7440's range of exposure modes is perfect for all experience levels though, combining optional advanced exposure modes with the ease of use that's made the EasyShare line so popular with consumers. The DX7440's versatile setup is a good option for kids or novice users who want to quickly learn more about photography, while more experienced users will enjoy the compact size and flexible controls. The combination of fully automatic controls with more advanced options makes the DX7440 a good camera for users looking for a camera that's easy to use, yet has advanced features that they can grow into as their skills develop. Combined with one of Kodak's EasyShare "Printer Docks", the DX7440 offers an all-in-one solution to digital photography, letting you go from the camera directly to great-looking prints without the use of a computer.'
DigiCamReview reviews the Kodak Easyshare DX7440 and writes - 'The images have good colour with good saturation and contrast. Images appear to have fairly low noise, with good detail, and no signs of corner softness or vignetting. Purple fringing was evident in some of the photos but isn't a major concern. There is a good range of image sizes and compression options. The macro mode is fairly average. The flash didn't cause problems when the subject was close. Auto white balance and metering seemed to be good. The movie mode is better than average, at 640x480/13fps and 320x240/24fps with sound - both recorded using MPEG-4 compression. When inside, the camera does a good job of focusing, and the flash is fairly decent.'
The DX7440 camera will be available in June 2004.
Get more info on the DX7440 at:
- DP Review
- Steve's Digicams
Following is an extract from Kodak's press release announcing the EasyShare DX7440:
'The new KODAK EASYSHARE DX7440 camera integrates high-performance photographic controls and optics with consumer-friendly features for stunning picture quality. It includes 4-megapixel resolution, a 4X (33 – 132 mm equivalent) professional-quality SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON optical zoom lens, and rapid 0.2 second click-to-capture rating.
In addition, the DX7440 model delivers unsurpassed image quality among 4 MP digital cameras, thanks in part to its KODAK Color Science image processing chip. The camera will be available in June 2004 for a suggested retail price of US$349. '
The Inquirer reports that Cameraphones will overtake digital cameras by 2008.
'A REPORT from the iSuppli Corporation says that the number one application for flash memory cards remains digital cameras today but by 2008, digital cameras will be replaced by digital mobile handsets. This will be a major change because between them USB drives and digital cameras presently account for 81 per cent of the consumption of flash memory cards.'
News Medical Net reports the development of E-CAM (pictured right) - a new digital camera that:
'detects the distribution of radioactivity in the body over seconds, hours, or days. It can be used to measure the function of most organs in the body including the heart, kidney, liver, gallbladder, and lungs. It can measure thyroid function, reveal blood clots in the lungs, and track blood flow to the heart or other organs. It can help explain previously unexplained bone and abdominal pain and identify the spread of cancer. It can also measure how the heart reacts to stress. Cardiac stress tests are being used more frequently as a non-invasive way to determine if there is a cardiac problem, especially with people who have multiple risk factors.'
Financial Express reports on Casio's plans for increased targeting of the digital camera market - especially in India.
News Channel 10 reports on a test of camera phones that find that the phone that takes the best digital image. The winner was the Nokia 3660.
This project from CBC Radio 3 is one of the funniest, bizarre and interesting digital photography experiments that I've seen for a long time.
It involves a guy rigging up a digital camera to the snooze button of his alarm clock so that it takes a shot of him waking up each morning for three years. Some of the shots are hilarious.
To get to the snooze experiment head to CBC Radio 3, click the pictures on the page and it will take you to a flash page - click on 'Snooze Button' and you'll find it. - Source - Gizmodo
On Digital Photography is one of the better digital photography articles on the web. Author Stephen Voss shares a collection of miscellaneous tips and lessons that he's learned over his four years of exploring this medium. Here is a few tasters:
Tech Lounge has just released Beyond Megapixels II - the second article of three in this excellent series examining current digital photography hardware. This week focuses on Bodies and Lenses.
'The best sensor in the world is worth nothing without a body and lens that compliment its design. Today I will be looking at the build, size, weight and ergonomics of camera bodies, as well as the size, weight, function and versatility of the glass strapped to the front of it.'
Professional Photographer Gary S. Silverstein (located in Southern California) kindly submitted the following tip for our growing collection. You can view some of his work at We Shoot and Billbord.
One of the age-old problems of shooting interiors is that the outside (through the windows and doors) is usually brighter than the interior on a sunny day, and it overexposes the light coming in to the point of a blown-out outside image. The problem is the same with film or digital. Digital allows an easier and better fix, however. We ran into this while shooting the interior of a Japanese-style spa room at a luxury hotel. The client liked the image of the room shooting from the back of the room toward the outside patio, and they wanted to be able to see the colors and shapes on the patio in the image....
One of the ways to fix this is to light the interior to the same value as the light outside. For this shoot, however, the mood in the room would have been destroyed due to flooding it with light. Another fix that some photographers would have used would be to cover the windows with neutral-density film to even out the light. This was not possible on this shoot, because the door was open to the outside patio, with no glass to put any neutral-density film on. The way I handled it was to shoot two images: one exposure for the inside, allowing the windows to overexpose, and one for the outside, underexposing the room. The trick is to tripod and not move the camera, and use the same aperture for each exposure, varying the time to make the differing exposures. The reason the aperture must be the same for both shots is that the images will enlarge or shrink slightly depending on a wider or narrower aperture, and it will be harder to line up the two images to make one.
I then take and open both images in Photoshop and copy the outside image to the inside image to superimpose the outside image as a layer above the inside image. This may take some work, with selecting the parts you want and clearing, or erasing the parts you don't. To line up the layers, make the outside layer 50% transparent and magnify to 100%. This way, you can line up the frames, door jambs, etc. When you are done, make the outside layer opaque again and flatten the layers. You will have a great room mood pic, and the exterior comes out with shape and color, more like our eyes see it.
If you have a digital photography tip please submit it via our Contact Form. Be sure to include a little information about you and a link to your work, company, blog etc if you have one so that we can give you the credit you deserve.
Check out some of our other Tutorials
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- Getting the best Results from your Camera Phone
- How to Choose a Digital Camera - Tips
- Depth of Field in Digital Photography Tips