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Bob Atkins has a great tutorial on Resizing your Digital Images which I've found helpful today in helping to explain resizing digital images in the last hour or so to a friend. Bob writes:
'One aspect of digital images which seems to cause a lot of confusion to beginners is the matter of image size. There are three basic measures of image size
- Pixel count - e.g 3000x2000 pixels
- Physical size - e.g. 4“ x 6”
- Resolution - e.g. 72 pixels per inch (ppi)
The confusion seems to arise because people aren't sure of how these are related. They wonder if ppi affects the size of the image you see on a monitor screen. We know that displays are measured in pixels (e.g. a 1024x1280 display), and that screens are a given width (e.g. 15“), it seems logical that the pixels/inch setting should affect the size of the displayed image. Logical maybe, but wrong....'
Continue reading Digital Image Resizing
DCRP Reviews the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1 and writes - 'The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1 Digital Camera is a decent camera for those who value size over features and photo quality. The L1 is ultra-compact and stylish, and it comes in four colors. While it's easy to hold, some of the controls are microscopic. The LCD is small as well, but it's viewable in both in bright outdoor light and dark rooms. Be warned that there is no optical viewfinder on this camera. Something else you won't find: manual controls. Photo quality is just okay, with details appearing soft and muddy, with vignetting (dark corners) popping up occasionally as well. Colors and exposure were good, however, and purple fringing was not a problem. The L1 offers a VGA movie mode that can keep recording until your memory card is full. Camera performance is very good in all areas, and battery life is above average as well.'
Read more reviews and information on the Sony Cybershot DSC-L1 Digital Camera
UK Readers Buy the “Sony DSC-L1 Cybershot Digital Camera”
UK Readers Buy the “Sony DSC-L1 Cybershot Digital Camera”
PC Magazing has a good article titled Troubleshooting Your Images which is full of tips on diagnosing and correcting poor digital images. They write:
'Nothing is more frustrating than looking at a photo you took of a once-in-a-lifetime event only to find that it didn't turn out. Maybe it is blurry, dark, or “noisy.” Many new digital-camera owners become so frustrated that they give up entirely, or keep replacing their cameras, hoping to find one that magically takes the photo they want every time.
Instead of throwing your hands up, if you spend a little time looking at your problem images, thinking about what might have happened, and practicing with your camera on your pets, children, or garden, you'll be ready to grab those images of a lifetime when it really matters. In this article we discuss a variety of common causes of poor digital images, and present some tips on diagnosing and correcting the problems.'
I just spotted this tidbit in an article at InfoWorld written about the upcoming CES (consumer electronics show) in Las Vegas. It seems that bloggers are not welcome:
'The CEA spent more time qualifying attendees this year to make sure everyone in attendance has a legitimate attachment to the consumer electronics industry, said Kristen Peiffer, a CEA spokeswoman. The show is not open to the general public, and the CEA does not allow the blogging community or other independent observers to attend the show.'
Whilst I can understand that they do not want the floors of their show crowded with hobbyist bloggers I find this decision quite remarkable and don't understand why they wouldn't embrace some of the recognized tech bloggers. I personally was not planning to attend CES in 2005 but have been considering a trip in future years.
What does it mean to have 'a legitimate attachment to the consumer electronics industry'? Does it mean having relationships with electronics manufacturers whereby they and even seek you out to review their products? Does it mean having hundreds of thousands of readers each month? If so I could name at least 10 - 20 bloggers who would qualify including this blog. In fact if the organizers of CES had some foresight and a few smarts I'd suggest that they go out of there way to invite and ensure that these bloggers attend CES this year because it would guarantee a lot more attention to their show.
The other point that I would make is that there is no mention of other website editors being banned from attending CES this year. I know of numerous other digital camera websites that are invited and given support in covering the show each year. Some of these sites do not call themselves 'blogs' but operate on a remarkably similar format to them. What makes non blogs more legitimate than blogs I wonder?
Perhaps I'm taking something a little too personally that is not designed to hinder me or others like me but I think this type of policy reflects a lack of understanding by organizers of the event as to what blogging is and of what its potential can be. I hope that in future years they take another look at or at least clarify/modify this decision.
Rant over...
Megapixel reviews the Olympus Stylus Verve and writes - 'Colourful, stylish, compact and weatherproof, the Stylus Verve is an attractive and very pocketable little camera. Its only shortcomings are an image quality that is occasionally affected by noise and a comparatively short zoom. Its advantages, beyond its size and moisture resistance, are its ease of use, versatility and good image quality. The Verve may well provide a perfect and painless introduction to digital photography for many people.'
Read more about the Olympus Stylus Verve
Concord Press Release
CONCORD CAMERA CORP. WINS AMERICAN PHOTO MAGAZINE’S EDITOR’S CHOICE AWARD
5 Megapixel Digital Camera Wins for the Most Pixels for the Price
Hollywood, FL, December 29, 2004 - Concord Camera Corp. (“Concord”) (Nasdaq:LENSE), a leader in award-winning, high-quality, affordably-priced cameras, announced today that the Concord Eye-Q 5062 has won the coveted American Photo “Editor’s Choice” Award.
In awarding the Concord Eye-Q 5062 with their prestigious Editor’s Choice, American Photo stated, “In terms of pixels per penny, it’s hard to beat this five-megapixel single-focal-length entry – and you also get 16MB of internal memory to back up your SD card, continuous shooting and macro modes, and 30fps video at QVGA, with sound.”
The Concord Eye-Q 5062 offers a unique combination of a high resolution 5 Megapixel CCD sensor with a 6x digital zoom, at a value price of only $179.99. The camera provides users with the flexibility of selecting among six image resolution choices (VGA, 1.2, 2, 3.1, 4, and 5 MP), depending on how the image will be used, such as for printing or emailing. The 5062 also features a large 1.8 inch LCD, auto flash and five user selectable flash modes, along with seven preset scene modes for perfect exposure for beach/snow, party/indoor, sunset, night landscape, night portrait, fireworks and sports. These combined features provide the user with the simplicity of selecting a scene mode appropriate for the situation and just shooting, while obtaining the perfect exposure/shutter speed and flash for each scene.
“We are extremely pleased to be honored by such a prestigious magazine as American Photo,” said Jeff Mandell, VP of Worldwide Marketing for Concord Camera Corp. “The Concord Eye-Q 5062 offers unsurpassed value, combining the power of an advanced 5 Megapixel digital camera with the ease of use and affordable price consumers expect from Concord.”
About American Photo
American Photo provides its readers with cutting-edge technology, technique and fascinating behind the scenes stories straight from the equipment cases, portfolios and experiences of the world’s most noted photographers. Read by the top photographers in the world, the magazine turns to them for their ideas and opinions. Noted photographers take cameras and other gear and use them to make real images, then report back with their reviews. American Photo reflects a way of life - a way of seeing and experiencing the world of photography and how it relates to the world at large. Readers are opinion leaders who respond to visual sophistication and excellence.
About Concord Camera Corp.
Concord Camera Corp., through its subsidiaries, is a global producer of popularly priced, digital, 35mm traditional and single use cameras. Concord markets its cameras under the trademarks POLAROID, CONCORD, CONCORD EYE Q and JENOPTIK. Concord sells and markets its camera products worldwide through direct sales offices in the United States, Canada, Germany, Hong Kong, the Peoples Republic of China, the United Kingdom, Japan and France and through independent sales agents. The Polaroid trademark is owned by Polaroid Corporation and is used by Concord under license from Polaroid. CONCORD and CONCORD EYE Q are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Concord Camera Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The JENOPTIK trademark is owned by Jenoptik AG and is used by Concord under license from Jenoptik AG. Learn more about Concord Camera Corp. at http://www.concord-camera.com.
Except for the historical matters contained herein, statements in this press release are forward-looking and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements, including the statements regarding expected cost savings, our ability to meet customer demands and fulfill customer service obligations and anticipated or expected results and the future implementation of our strategic plan, in particular, the restructuring plan, cost-reductions initiatives and anticipated financial benefits of significantly reducing our reliance on internally designed and manufactured digital cameras and increasing the design and co-development of digital cameras with contract manufacturers, involve risks and uncertainties which may affect the Company’s business and prospects, including the risks discussed under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended July 3, 2004 and subsequently filed reports. Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our estimates only as of the date hereof, or as of such earlier dates as are indicated, 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.
As a Mac OS X and a Canon user I'm interested in this latest announcement from Canon. Canon Utilities has just introduced ImageBrowser 5.0, an image browser for Mac OS X - they explain it best writing:
'ImageBrowser 5.0, as well as managing images shot using a digital camera, also enables you to take full advantage of your camera's built-in functions. Not only does ImageBrowser 5.0 provide a simple straightforward procedure for everything from downloading, organizing and editing images through to printing your images or sending them as e-mail attachments, it also offers a range of features specifically designed to combine with and make the most of your camera's functions. Some of these features are RAW image processing, panorama image composition, and a remote shooting function that lets you control the camera from your Mac. ImageBrowser 5.0 -- software that knows your camera and will change your total digital camera experience..'
Lets Go Digital has just launched a 2005 version of their CES Show Coverage. CES is the Consumer Electronics Show which starts in Las Vegas on 6 January. Traditionally this is the show that all of the major digital imaging manufacturers release their new models. Last year saw a frenzy of activity at the show with many new cameras being released. Lets Go Digital will be just one of many sites covering CES and their site will be one to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.
Graphics.com has a good photoshop tips tutorial on Edge Masking Techniques in Photoshop:
'Because it’s a situational task, there’s no one right way to mask an image. It can be as easy as clicking the magic wand or as difficult as manually tracing edges with an eraser. For this project, I had two goals: I wanted to separate a difficult element from its background and minimize the manual labor to do it.When you consider the problem of masking, it’s really a matter of creating distinctions between a subject’s edges and its background. Once you do this, the rest is filling in the blanks and performing clean-up operations. One way to accelerate the masking process is to add adjustment layers to gradually break down the obstacle of including intricate details, such as the girl’s tresses in my image. You can use cloudgazer.jpg, available in the downloadable 1 MB cloudgazer.zip archive, to go through the process with me.'
Popular Photography Magazine has a good article on File Formats that explain JPEGs, TIFFs and RAW files in an easy to understand way.
'When an image is captured by your camera's digital sensor, a series of settings are applied as alterations to the original raw data. In many high-end cameras, this raw data can be retrieved “un-touched” as a RAW file, but most digital cameras save your photos as JPEGs. In addition to “alterations” for sharpness, white-balance, and the rest (which are either selected by the camera's default settings or set by you), the choice of file format that the image is saved in can have a profound affect on overall quality. Get it wrong, and there's little that can be done even in Photoshop.'
Read more at Popular Photography Magazine
Pocket Lint reviews the Nikon Coolpix 4800 Digital camera writing - 'Overall the 4800 is a good option for the beginner since the outfit can be operated without need of a additional SD card. The basic menus are easy to understand although the deeper submenus may need the perusal of the manual. Plenty of Mega pixels for your present buying pound, and the Nikon seal of quality are also good indicators of pedigree.' Rating: 8.0
Read more reviews of the Nikon Coolpix 4800
US Readers buy the “Nikon Coolpix 4800 Digital Camera” UK Readers Buy the “Nikon Coolpix 4800 Digital Camera”
Ricoh have chosen a strange time to release their new Ricoh Caplio R1V - the period between Christmas and New Years is not traditionally a time for such announcements but it has come none the less and perhaps is an attempt to beat the rush of new models to be announced in January. The Richoh Caplio R1V is the next in line after the Caplio R1 and shares the same body and 28mm lens with 4.8x Optical Zoom - but has an extra 1 megapixel bringing this camera's sensor up to 5 megapixels.
Digicam Review has a good gallery with picture samples from the Ricoh Caplio R1V that is worth checking out.
Get more information on the Ricoh Caplio R1V from the following news release from Ricoh.
Shuttertalk reviews the Ricoh Caplio R1V and writes - 'With the Caplio R1V, Ricoh have produced a consumer camera with some advanced features. While some manufactures prefer to simplify and focus on ease of use, it’s refreshing to see features such as manual focus, ISO 64 to 800, histogram overlay, interval timer and long exposure modes. I would have loved to see aperture priority, shutter priority and manual exposure modes as well, but I guess you can’t have everything.Design-wise, the wide angle and telephoto range of the zoom lens makes it very versatile and attractive, and the compact, all metal case adds to the durability. The shutter response times and startup speeds nothing short of impressive, ensuring that photographers do less waiting and more shooting. If you’re willing to overlook the image quality issues with noise and over-zealous metering, the Caplio R1V could be the camera for you.'
Ricoh Press Release
Successor to the popular Caplio R1, the Caplio R1V is a powerful 5.0 megapixel digital camera with a 28mm wide-angle, 4.8x optical zoom in an exceptionally slim 25mm body
Tokyo, December 28th, 2004. Ricoh is extremely proud to announce the launch of the Caplio R1V 5.0 megapixel digital camera, the successor to the award winning Caplio R1. The Caplio R1V features the innovative lens retracting system that enables an amazing 4.8x optical zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle shooting capacity housed in a 25mm ultra slim, aluminum body. The lens generates the finest quality images capable of being offered by this class of compact digital cameras. Moreover, with extremely fast shutter response and Ricoh’s exceptional 1cm wide macro technology, the Caplio R1V incorporates all the latest high-end features to satisfy even the most discerning professional. At the same time, it offers user-friendly functionality that everyone who enjoys taking pictures will love. All the more incredible is that the Caplio R1V’s powerful features are encased in a sleek body weighing just 150 grams.
Main Features
28mm wide-angle lens presents infinite possibilities
The versatility of the Caplio R1V’s 28mm wide-angle lens makes taking photos even more exciting and enjoyable. The lens is perfectly suited to capturing the beauty of wide open landscapes. A large number of people can also fit into group photos without the photographer standing back an unreasonable distance. And, when space is limited and the subject would normally fill up the viewfinder and obscure the background, the Caplio R1V’s wide-angle lens has the scope to incorporate the background into the shot. Its 75-degree angle of view enables near-panoramic swaths of scenery to be included on a single image—far more than is possible with the 62 degrees offered by conventional 35mm digital cameras. The applications and advantages of the 28mm wide-angle lens are innumerable.
Innovative lens mechanism allows a 4.8x optical zoom to be housed in an ultra thin 25mm body
Underlying Caplio R1V’s stunning picture-taking abilities is its unique lens design, which incorporates a retracting system that allows a part of the lens group to slide out from the cone and become thin enough to fit in the compact body. This amazing innovative mechanism is the key in achieving the powerful 4.8x wide-angle optical zoom lens (equivalent to a 28-135mm telephoto lens on a regular 35mm camera) to be encased in a body as thin as 25mm. Coupled with a 3.6x digital zoom lens for an outstanding 17.3x zoom, distant objects seem startlingly close. A superior lens structure, featuring nine glass elements placed in seven groups, effectively controls and balances wide-angle zooming for clearer images than ever before. And, a superb 5.0 megapixel CCD and the “smooth imaging engine,” Ricoh’s unique image processor, ensure sharp, rich colors and clean high-quality images, even in large print formats.
Super quick shutter response to capture the perfect moment
Because picture-perfect moments are too precious to miss, Ricoh has relentlessly pursued the world’s fastest shutter response time. Incredibly, it takes only less than 0.8 seconds for the Caplio R1V to be ready to shoot photos after it is turned on. Moreover, the release time is almost instantaneous—as short as 0.05 to 0.1 seconds, calculated from the time the user presses the shutter button, and a miraculous 0.003 seconds or less from the time the focus is locked. This assures that the Caplio R1V will be ready when an exquisite picture-perfect moment presents itself. A hybrid auto focusing system also ensures the camera to capture quality images of fast-moving objects. Furthermore, with a shooting interval of 0.9 seconds or less, continuous shooting is smooth and stress-free.
Creative photography with 1cm “wide” macro mode
Whether the smallest detail of a flower petal or the intricate pattern of a butterfly’s wings, Ricoh’s impressive 1cm macro technology facilitates close-up shots from a distance of just 1cm. Combined with the 28mm wide macro, the Caplio R1V incorporates more background or depth into macro shots. The AF target shift function conveniently enables the user to pan around the image and locate the desired focus point without moving the camera. This feature is especially handy when using a tripod. Additionally, in telemacro mode, a built-in flash illuminates objects as close as 13cm while negating whiteout effects, ensuring vivid, clear macro shots. The Caplio R1V and a little creativity are all it takes to produce professional-looking macro images.
Three power source options put an end to battery problems
The Caplio R1V virtually guarantees an end to missed photo opportunities due to recharging or running out of batteries and backups. In addition to the long-life lithium ion rechargeable battery (optional) and the AC adapter (optional), the Caplio R1V features the unique ability to switch to widely-available AA size alkaline batteries or nickel metal hydride batteries. It can shoot as many as 490 images* between recharges when using the lithium ion battery, and up to 200 images* when using AA alkaline batteries.
*Based on CIPA standard (50% flash and zoom usage, LCD on, 30 seconds between shots, reviews of all photos)
Imaging Resource writes that Sony are geting ready to release a black 1GB Memory Stick PRO:
'The black 1GB Memory Stick PRO, as with other black Memory Stick PRO cards, offers a somewhat extended operating temperature range of -13 to 185 degrees fahrenheit (identical to that of High Speed Memory Stick PRO cards).'
In the past few days I have been inundated with requests for information from new digital camera owners wanting to know how to use their new toys. Unfortunately the volume of requests has made it difficult to answer them all - however over the past year or so of writing here at Digital Photography Blog we've added hundreds of useful tips to our Digital Camera Tips section of the site. Here are a few useful links to tips that we and others have published for new digital camera owners.
- Digital Photography Composition Tips - some invaluable tips on composing the perfect digital image
- How digital cameras works - a basic article introducing you to the workings of digital cameras.
- White Balance Tips and Tutorials - a collection of tips on using the white balance features on your camera
- Histogram Tips - another tips collection this time focusing upon Histograms
- How to Transfer digital camera images to your computer - how to get digital images out of your camera.
- Digital camera memory - an introduction to digital camera memory types.
- Digital camera batteries - digital cameras rely upon batteries to keep them running - what are you options?
- Digital Camera file formats - many digicams allow you to store images in different formats - this article explains the basics of TIFFs, JPEGs, RAW etc. Also check out Photos in the RAW.
- How to avoid or reduce red-eye with your Digital Camera - Get rid of red eyes with this tutorial.
- Exposure compensation for Digital Cameras - learn how to get the perfect exposure in your images by daring to leave automatic mode and use exposure compensation.
- Digital camera macro mode - get stunning close up shots in macro mode. Also check out Macro Digital Photography.
- Online Photo Printing - Online photo printing services are popping up all over the net - here are a few of the better ones.
- Digital Sports Photography Tips - a collection of tips for those wanting to develop their skills sports photography.
- Depth of Field in Digital Photography - Tutorials - learn how to manipulate depth of field for stunning results.
Also check out other tips like -
- Digital Camera Image Sensors
- Digital Camera Tips from PC World
- Cropping Photos Tip
- Making Sense of Digital Camera Sensors
- Digital Workflow Experience
- Digital Photography Tips - Ken Milburn
- Digital Photography Tips - Glen Allison
- Digital Photography Tips Series
- Digital Camera Starting Points
- Digital Photography - Expert Techniques
- Digital Photography Tutorials
Also check out some of these great Digital Photography Books
- Complete Guide to Digital Photography
- 40 Digital Photography Tips for Beginners
- Digital Photography for Dummies
- Complete Digital Photography
- Digital Photography: 99 Easy Tips To Make You Look Like A Pro
PC Mag reviews the Canon PowerShot A85 digital camera and writes - 'The A85's 4MP images are a bit soft on automatic settings, though it does offer plenty of manual controls. The A85 is a solid camera in terms of features, but we feel the Kodak EasyShare LS743 is a better buy, as it's smaller and offers better image quality.
Pros: Good exposure and colors. Strong flash illumination. Offers manual controls. Good battery life with included alkalines.
Cons: Images are a bit soft. Daylight shots are grainy in the shadows. Disappointing movie capabilities. You can't save custom settings.'
Read more about the Canon Powershot A85 digital camera
The Luminous Landscape reviews the FujiFilm FinePix S3 pro and writes - 'As I review what I've written, I see that one could draw from it an overall negative conclusion about the Fuji S3. That certainly wasn't my intent. I always was impressed with the image quality of the S2 Pro. But, I have to say that the extra year that Fuji took to release the S3 because of the chip redesign appears to have somewhat blindsided them in the competitive marketplace.
List prices for mid-range DSLR in early 2005 are around U.S. $1,500 from Nikon, Minolta and Canon. With a MSRP of a thousand dollars higher than this for the S3, one has to ask what it is that one is paying a premium for. That's hard to see. The shooting speed isn't the fastest, the size is larger than competitive bodies, the viewfinder isn't as large or bright as some, and the colour rendition isn't as accurate as that from several competitors.'
Read more reviews of the Fujifilm S3 Pro
Get the Latest Price on the Fujifilm Finepix S3
DCRP Reviews the Olympus D-590 Zoom and writes - 'The Olympus D-590 Zoom is a fairly unremarkable point-and-shoot digital camera best suited for outdoor vacation pictures. I say this because low light focusing and LCD visibility weren't great, redeye levels were above average, and the lens is on the slow side (in terms of aperture, or how much light is let in). Photo quality is good for the most part, though there are some issues with “fuzzy” details and soft edges at times. Performance is comparable to other cameras in this class. The D-590Z is easy-to-use, with absolutely zero manual controls. There are some useful scene modes, though an action mode would've bee nice. The bundled Olympus Master software is quite good, especially compared to what the some of the competition throws in the box.'
Read more about the Olympus D-590/C470
UK Readers Buy the “Olympus C-470Z Digital Camera”
US Readers Buy the “Olympus Stylus D 590 Digital Camera”
PC Magazine reviews the Canon PowerShot A95 and writes - 'Overall, we recommend the PowerShot A95 for both novices and savvy photographers who want a lot of manual control and the flexibility of an articulated LCD in an affordable, if not exactly sleek, package. Most important, this camera's image quality is very satisfying. Although it's not as stylish as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1, it is significantly cheaper and offers a lot more control for those who want it.'
Read more reviews of the Canon Powershot A95
Get the Latest Price on the Canon Powershot A95
This is a fascinating article by Saul Hanswell from the NYT who writes of the reinvention of Kodak who among other things have hired anthropologists and social scientists to observer and learn from camera users as part of their strategy of the the future of photography.
'Ten years ago, Kodak manufactured the first digital camera aimed for sale to retail consumers, the $749 QuickTake 100, sold by Apple Computer. But by 2000, Sony had muscled in as the leading digital camera maker and Kodak was hovering near 5 percent of the market, a dire position, while the film business - which it had dominated for a decade - was starting to collapse.
.
Kodak called in anthropologists and other social scientists, who observed camera users in an effort to learn how taking and printing pictures fit into their daily lives. They also followed prospective camera buyers into stores to understand how they chose certain models from the crowded shelves....'
Read more at Kodak turns its digital image around
Shootsmarter have a good first look at Fuji's S3 DSLR and write - 'It's hard not to upgrade to this camera, I cannot give it high enough marks after shooting it for a week. If you shoot on-camera flash, wedding images, editorial work or you are disappointed in the digital highlight detail of your camera, move up to the S3 right away. Beware, that if you add the S3 to your bag and plan to shoot the S2 as a backup, you will soon be disappointed in your trusty S2 because this camera is so much nicer to shoot and the files it creates are pretty amazing. We will be shooting the S3 in the Professional Workflow 2 Tour, and printing the file live in real-time so you can see for yourself. Bring a jump drive or a blank CDR to the show and I'll be glad to give you a test file or if there's time, let you shoot one yourself with our gear.'
Read more reviews of the Fujifilm S3 Pro
Get the Latest Price on the Fujifilm Finepix S3
Digit Life reviews the MINOX DC-6311 and writes - 'When you look at this camera, you notice right away its genetic similarity with the previous model MINOX DC-5211. As in the previous case, there exist several dozens of cameras which are actually different only in their names on the housing....
'This camera can be considered a model of industrial standard. If you see it in the street, you will easily guess that it's a camera, but you won't know what name is written on it.'
Read more about the Minox DC-6311
Proving how hot they are at the moment - 'Digital Camera' was the second most searched for term on Google's Zeitgeist 2004 list in their 'Popular Consumer Electronics' section. Digital Cameras were only beaten by the popular iPod in this category.
Christmas will be on us within hours and the shopping frenzy for digital cameras will pause momentarily before the Sales start.
Whilst many thousands of digital cameras have been bought as Christmas gifts this year - the bargains are about to appear in the shops. We've just been notified of a number of post Christmas sales at UK online retailers that we thought you, our loyal readers, might find of interest if you're in the mood for buying a cheap digital camera.
UK Readers
Currys: have a sale running right across their site including their digital camera section
Jessops: has a number of great specials on an assortment of digital cameras
Deal Time: tell us they are offering discounts across their whole Electronic Range including Digital Cameras
John Lewis: is offering £5 off your first order of £50 or more
Australian Readers - We have many Aussie readers and would strongly recommend that you check out Michaels, Teds or Camera Action - all of whom are currently having post Christmas Sales.
US readers will always find a great deal at Amazon's Digital Camera department where they are also clearing camera at remarkably cheap rates today (see below for examples of what is on offer).
'Eastman Kodak Co. will become a builder in Rochester again next year as part of a red-hot trend in the already dramatic growth of digital photography.
Rochester's largest company plans to spend $45 million on a new factory at Kodak Park that will produce supplies for turning digital images into high-quality photographic prints. The new digital media plant — the largest single capital investment at Kodak Park in at least five years — comes as digital photographers increasingly look to convert their pixels into pictures on paper.
Workers at the plant will manufacture a special dye-transfer ribbon for printers found in stores, homes and commercial photo studios dedicated to digital imaging. The ribbon will go into Kodak's pioneering line of PictureMaker kiosks, the company's EasyShare PrinterDock and related products.'
Read more at Democrat & Chronicle: Kodak to build $45M plant
Microtek Press Release
Slim and compact scanner with Hi-Speed USB 2.0 Microtek launched a new consumer scanner in the European market: the ScanMaker 5800. Equipped with Hi-Speed USB 2.0, 7 scan buttons and a resolution of 2400 x 4800 dpi this scanner is particularly suitable for consumer and SOHO. With his slim 6 cm high body, this scanner is one of the slimmest with CCD technology and still keeps the image quality. With his slim and compact design you save more desk space. The transparency unit LightLid 35 is easy to connect. Additionally to this scanner you get a considerabl software package. Including ScanWizard, Adobe Photoshop LE, ABBYY Fine Reader Sprint, Ulead PhotoExplorer and Ulead DVD Picture Show
Product features
• 2400 x 4800 dpi resolution
• Fast scanning with Hi-Speed USB 2.0
• 7 scan buttons
• SigmaSix technology
Ultra-fast scanning with Hi-Speed USB connectivity
Microtek provides Hi-Speed USB 2.0 connection. Hi-Speed USB 2.0 is capable of 480 MB data transfer, with true plug-and-play capability. All USB 2.0 devices are backward compatible with older USB 1.1 ports.
Modern, slim and compact design
Scanmaker 5800 is one of the slimmest scanners on the market; around 60 mm, and streamlined design. Despite the high-quality CCD technology and using EDGE Design made the compact housing possible, giving you more desks pace and keeping the image quality you need.
Smart touch buttons for 7 useful and powerful functions
Cancel / Set up – quickly stops and abandons any scan job / Set up
Scan – instantly scan to file or an application
Copy – make colour copies of your favourite photos
E-mail – E-mail photos to family and friends
OCR – from paper to digital in one easy step
Scan-to-Web – send photos directly to a photo-sharing web site
Custom – for faxing, power saving and more
External transparency unit LightLid 35 film adapter
The optional transparency unit LightLid 35 scans slides or filmstrips. In one step you can scan filmstrip or up to four slides at once. The LightLid 35 can be easily connected with the adapter cable and needs no extra power supply.
High-value software package
The ScanMaker 5800 comes with a generous software and accessory package, including Microtek ScanWizardTM 5, Microtek Scan Copy Email utilities, ABBYY FineReader Sprint OCR, Adobe Photoshop Album SE 1.0, Adobe Acrobat Reader, Ulead Photo Explorer, Ulead DVD Picture Show SE Basic, Kodak Digital Science Color Management and the LightLid Calibrator.
Product specifications
Product name ScanMaker 5800
Resolution 2400 x 4800 dpi
Colour depth 48 Bit (16 Bit per channel)
Scan area Reflective: 210 x 297 mm (8,5“ x 11,7”)
Transparency: 24 x 200 mm with LightLid 35
Interface Hi-Speed USB 2.0
System Win 98SE / Me / 2000 / XP / Mac OS 9.x / Mac OS 10.x
(including Panther)
Calibration time < 4 sec.
Preview time < 5 -7 sec. A4 size
Accessories USB cable
Bundled Software Microtek ScanWizard 5 (PC/Mac)
Microtek Scan, Copy and Email utilities ( PC/Mac)
ABBYY FineReader Sprint (PC/Mac OS 9)
Adobe PhotoShop Album SE 1.0 (PC)
Adobe Acrobat Reader (PC/Mac)
Adobe Photo Deluxe 4.0 (PC)
Ulead Photo Explorer SE (PC/Mac OS 9)
Ulead DVD Picture show 1.0 SE Basic (Mac OS X)
Kodak Digial Science Color Management (PC/Mac)
Light Lid Calibrator (Mac/PC)
Features Hi-Speed USB 2.0
7 Scan buttons: Cancel/Setup, Scan, Copy, Email, OCR, Web,
Custom
Slim and compact design
Powerful application program bundled
Photo Tidbits reviews the Olympus E-300 and writes - 'The dynamic denoising algorithms are also set, I believe, too aggressively. This can be seen in some grass areas, where denoising is also removing image detail, leading to a fuzzy effect. Again, the market is to blame for this (along with the camera maker), more willing to accept these artifacts than any noise in large, smooth areas of the image, like, for example, sky. Unfortunately, the aggressiveness of the noise filter cannot be controlled in camera or in rare image processing in the Olympus Master. (It is, however, adjustable in the Olympus Studio, if you have a $150 to spare.) I believe this problem can (and should be) addressed in a firmware update.
The above aside, the image quality seems to be very good. I will be able to say more after a month or so of using the camera under various conditions.'
Read more information and reviews of the Olympus E-300
Compare prices on the Olympus Evolt E-300 and get the latest Price on the the E-300 at Amazon
Imaging Resource reviews the Fujifilm FinePix A340 Digital Camera and writes - 'Fuji FinePix digital cameras have always been associated with good image quality and color, with solid performance even at the lower-end of the line. With a 4.0-megapixel CCD and 3x optical zoom lens, the Fuji A340 offers the same point-and-shoot convenience as Fuji's earlier entry-level models, but with greater flexibility from its four preset scene mode and longer maximum exposure time, as well as more resolution from its larger sensor. Its color is very bright and highly saturated, likely to be appealing to many consumers, even though it's not technically “accurate” color. Overall, it's a good entry-level digital, offering good resolution and an optical zoom lens at a very low price.'
Read more about the Fujifilm FinePix A340 Digital Camera
“Fujifilm A340 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom & Finepix CP-FXA10 Cradle”
Imaging Resource reviews the Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Digital Camera and writes - 'The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 was easily a Dave's Pick, capitalizing on fast shutter-lag, excellent exposure and creative control options, and an excellent image stabilization system. Though the Konica Minolta A200 is a slightly pared-down version of the A2, I see many of the same excellent features that I praised on the A2, such as fine-tuned creative adjustments for contrast, saturation, and hue; a full range of exposure control modes for any experience level; a high-resolution 8.0-megapixel CCD; and a sharp 7x optical zoom lens. The result is a camera with a really compelling set of features and capabilities, but at a “street” price fully $150-200 less than that of the A2. You do give up the super-high resolution EVF of the A2, along with a noticeable amount of shooting speed and the top end of the A2's shutter speed range, but the bottom line is that the Konica Minolta A200 is an 8-megapixel, 7x zoom, anti-shake-equipped digital camera that sells for a lot less than any competing model with the same attributes. All in all, a fine digital camera, and another Dave's Pick for Konica Minolta.'
Read more about the Konica Minolta Dimage A200 Digital Camera
PC Mag reviews the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7 digital camera and writes - 'With ultracompact cameras, performance and optical compromises are inevitable. Still, we expected more from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7. It's a beautiful camera packed with features, but it lacks the speed and image quality necessary to make it our top choice.
Pros: Beautifully crafted. Image stabilization feature is unique in such a small camera. Large 2.5-inch LCD.
Cons: Images were noisy and unremarkable. Too much shutter lag if you don't prefocus.'
Read more reviews of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7 digital camera
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PC Magazine reviews the Canon PowerShot SD20 Digital Elph digital camera and writes - 'The Canon PowerShot SD20 Digital Elph is a sleek, attractive, and durable 5MP ultracompact that takes very good daylight pictures. Flash shots aren't as impressive, though, and there's no optical zoom. Still, this smaller-than-pocket-size beauty takes a lovely, high-resolution picture and offers lots of extra features for its size; it's a fine “companion” camera. '
Read more reviews of the Canon Powershot SD20 digital camera
PC Magazine reviews the Canon PowerShot SD300 Digital Elph digital camera and writes - 'The Canon PowerShot SD300 Digital Elph takes great pictures, despite its tiny size. It's stylish, built like a very small tank, and fun to use.
Pros: Excellent daylight images and very good flash shots. Good menus. Tiny and tough,
Cons: Mediocre recycle times. Smallish LCD, Optical viewfinder placement could be better.'
Read more reviews of the Canon PowerShot SD300
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PC Magazine reviews the Casio Exilim EX-S100 digital camera and writes - 'The EX-S100 is an elegant camera that's a joy to shoot with. It's the first camera to use a ceramic lens element, which has enabled Casio to make it amazingly thin. We only wish that the camera's photo quality matched its impressive looks: Our test shots were disappointing, with focus, color, and exposure problems.'
Read more reviews of the Casio Exilim EX-S100 Digital Camera
Get the Latest Price on the Casio Exilim EX-S100
PC Magazine reviews the Olympus Stylus Verve Digital Cameraand writes - 'The Olympus Stylus Verve is certainly one of the cooler-looking ultracompact digital cameras on the market today. And it's full of nice design touches, like a weather-resistant body, and a built-in lens cover that can't accidentally be pushed open. But unfortunately, the fact that it is available in six colors and will impress your style-conscious friends doesn't make up for its muddy, grainy pictures.'
Read more reviews and information about the Olympus Stylus Verve Digital Camera
Megapixel reviews the Panasonic DMC-FZ3 and writes - 'In many respects, the DMC-FZ3 is a sibling of FZ20. The FZ3's body is smaller and a bit more basic — for example the non-slip grip area is limited to a patch on the front of the grip area — and some of the features found on the FZ20, such as an accessory shoe, are not included.
Offering a 3 megapixel resolution, the DMC-FZ3 is an upgrade over its predecessor model, the DMC-FZ1 which was only 2-megapixel.
Yet, by today's standards, its resolution remains entry-level, albeit coupled with a powerful zoom and a stabilization system.'
Read more reviews about the Panasonic DMC-FZ3 Digital Camera
UK Readers Buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Digital Camera
US Readers Buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Digital Camera
Photo.net has a great tutorial on Using Image Calibration Techniques to Reduce Noise in Digital Images - 'This article is about a method of reducing noise in images taken with digital cameras - especially long exposure and/or high ISO images taken with digital SLRs. The simplified workflow presented here is derived from more advanced techniques of noise reduction (known as calibration) that are used in scientific and technical imaging. Because of limitations in the software tools commonly available to mainstream photographers, and because of limitations to the image-making equipment, there are several significant differences between the technique described here and a proper calibration of a scientific image. Still, the method here can result in significant aesthetic improvement to many digital images that suffer from noise.'
Found via PhotographyBLOG
'Sony Corp announced Tuesday that it plans to invest a total of some 60 billion yen (US$575 million) to build two new facilities for the fabrication of semiconductor components for flat-panel televisions and other digital equipment at its subsidiary Sony Semiconductor Kyushu Co.
For Sony, making more of its own semiconductor devices is the key to greater profitability now that audiovisual devices have gone digital. The latest announcement is part of the company's larger three-year plan to invest some 500 billion yen in semiconductors through fiscal 2006.
Sony said it will invest around 10 billion yen to build a new facility at the Kyushu subsidiary's Kokubu Technology Center for the manufacture of liquid-crystal components and driver chips for rear projection TVs.'
Read more at Sony to invest US$575m to boost chip production
Graphics.com has a tips tutorial on Reducing Facial Wrinkles with Photoshop Elements 3:
'This is a great trick for removing wrinkles, with a little twist at the end (courtesy of my buddy Kevin Ames) that helps make the technique look more realistic. His little tweak makes a big difference because (depending on the age of the subject) removing every wrinkle would probably make the photo look obviously retouched (in other words, if you're retouching someone in their 70s and you make them look as if they're 20 years old, it's just going to look weird). Here's how to get a more realistic wrinkle removal.'
Graphics.com has a good tips tutorial on Old Sepia Photo Restoration Techniques and writes - 'In this tutorial I'll show you several techniques for improving the quality of old sepia-tinted photographs. Of course, these techniques can be used on any image and while I'm using Photoshop, many image editing programs provide similar tools. I began with a scan of the photo below. Scanning using at least print resolution (300 dpi) or higher is recommended so you have the best possible representation of the image to work with.'
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'Kurouto Shikou will release the “KURO-SHOT,” a USB memory-sized 0.35MP digital camera that also supports recording movies and a web-camera function. It is Open Price, but estimates put it around 5,300 yen.
The KURO-SHOT is a compact digital camera with an effective 0.35MP resolution, but apart from functioning as a digital camera, it also can record audio, movies, act as a web camera, and even as a plain old 64MB USB memory device. Audio is recorded in the WAV format, and movies in the STJ format (can be converted to ASF using included software).'
Read more at USB Memory-sized digital camera, KURO-SHOT
'A novelty item just four or five years ago, the digital camera is shaping up as the most popular electronics gift in 2004, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. It was runner-up in 2003 to the DVD player, the No. 1 gift since 2000.
Catapulted by cutthroat competition, digital technology is transforming the $85 billion global photography industry by creating many new ways of capturing, developing and storing pictures.
At least 10 million digital cameras will be sold nationwide from October to December, up 35 percent from last year's fourth quarter, analysts predict. By year's end, they will be in about 43 million American homes. By 2007, that 40 percent penetration could reach 70 percent.'
Read more at Americas Lured to Look at Digital Cameras
'When you release the shutter on a digital camera, it records more than just Aunt Millie's toothy smile. With each photograph, the camera attaches descriptive data - information such as date and time, make and model, white balance settings and whether the flash was used.
Among the 300 or more types of data that can be attached are Global Positioning System coordinates, pinpointing where the photograph was taken.
Most digital cameras cannot be connected to a GPS receiver, so they cannot automatically tag images with coordinates. But interest in the combination is growing.
When Frederik Ramm, a software engineer in Karlsruhe, Germany, strapped a digital camera and separate GPS receiver to his car and drove around northern Scotland, he posted his results on the Web in the form of a geographically navigable travelogue....'
Read more at A camera that knows where it is
PC Magazine reviews the Fujifilm FinePix F440 and writes - 'The Fujifilm FinePix F440 is stylish, fun to use, and great for showing off at parties. But its square shape can make for awkward shooting, and the pictures you get are only adequate.
Pros: Bright LCD; 3.4X optical zoom; tiny, fun-to-use, attention-grabbing package; speedy recycle time.
Cons: Mediocre images. Square shape looks cool but isn?t the easiest for holding and aiming; inadequate movie mode. Slow boot time.'
Read more about the Fujifilm FinePix F440
US Readers Buy the Fujifilm Finepix F440
UK Readers Buy the Fujifilm FinePix F440
CNET reviews the Fujifilm FinePix S5100 and writes - 'The Fujifilm FinePix S5100 replaces the S5000, which we praised for its features and form factor but criticized for subpar image quality and shortcomings in its design. The new model offers the same 10X zoom lens and a handful of feature and performance improvements, although some design drawbacks remain. The biggest change is the sensor; the previous model's 3-megapixel SuperCCD HR has been replaced with a conventional 4-megapixel CCD, and image quality is much improved.'
Read more about the Fujifilm FinePix S51000
US Readers Buy the Fujifilm Finepix S5100
Pocket Lint reviews the Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3 and writes - 'Although the design is akin to a chopped off Tie Fighter from the Star Wars movies, it’s great to hold and the camera is easy to use. Metering, image quality and Anti Shake work well and provide an all-round excellent package from Konica Minolta featuring a long-zoom lens able to get close then closer still. A cracker.'
Read more about the Minolta DiMage Z3
UK Readers Buy the Konica Minolta Dimage Z3
US Readers Buy the “Konica Minolta Dimage Z3
Well respected photographic writer, Thom Hogan, has just published his annual predictions for the follow year in Photography at 2005 Predictions by Thom Hogan. There are some interesting developments in the air if he's right!
- New Nikon DSLRs - includig the D50, D80 and D3
- New Canon DSLRs - including a two new 'Rebel' models (one under the 300D and one over it) and a new model to fit between the 20D and 1D. Also maybe a 1d Mark III!
- Anti Shake Technology - this will have a higher focus in more cameras in 2005.
- Kodak to overhaul SLR/n and SLR/c
- Pentax 5*ist and Minolta 9D - Pentax and Minolta try to take it to the next level with their DSLRs
- Olympus to release E2 or E1+
- Apple makes a Camera - interesting prediction that has been denied by Apple for a while now (which is always a hopeful sign)
Check out these and other predictions in more detail at 2005 Predictions by Thom Hogan
Canon Press Release
· Imagine Members’ photography selected for display on Canon’s stand
· Latest Canon Consumer Imaging products on display
Canon will be displaying the photography of 12 members of its consumer programme ‘Imagine’ at Focus on Imaging 2005 (N.E.C Birmingham, 27 February – 2 March 2005). The work will be displayed on Canon’s stand (L20) along with Canon’s latest range of class-leading consumer imaging equipment.
Imagine is designed to help Canon customers make the most of their product. It features a gallery where members are invited to publish photographs they have taken, and every month Canon awards a framed print to some of the most interesting entries. The Imagine Members’ Gallery on the stand at Focus is a selection of the best shots.
“The Imagine gallery is our way of letting our members share their images, and encourages them to test their ability by taking adventurous shots that they can be proud of,” commented Jemma Parsons, Consumer Communications Manager, Canon Consumer Imaging UK and Ireland. “The images on the Focus stand demonstrate the high standard of photography our members can achieve with their Canon camera.”
Those members whose work is displayed will also receive two tickets to the show.
The very latest in imaging technology - Canon products on the stand will include the ground-breaking PIXMA range of printers, which turn the household printer into a design feature that sits comfortably on a shelf next to the most stylish of home entertainment equipment.
Also on show will be the very latest Digital IXUS cameras. These include the diminutive IXUS i5, available in a choice of Midnight Blue, Storm Grey, Bordeaux Red and Platinum Silver finishes. In addition to this are the IXUS 30 and 40, which are almost half the depth of their predecessors but maintain a 3x optical zoom thanks to new lens technology, unique to Canon.
Canon digital cameras are complimented by Canon’s newest sub-brand; the SELPHY compact photo printers. SELPHY stands for SELf PHotographY, illustrating how with these tiny printers, which produce lab-quality prints in seconds, Canon is bringing a complete photo solution into the home.
The stand would not be complete without Canon’s class-leading range of Digital SLR cameras and lenses. The show will offer consumers the chance to get to grips with the new EOS 1Ds Mark II and EOS 1D Mark II, along with Canon’s latest entry level DSLR, the popular EOS 20D.
Other products on display will include Canon’s range of camcorders, CanoScan scanners, Image Stabiliser binoculars and MFP peripherals.
Reader enquiries:
UK – 08705 143723 / http://www.canon.co.uk
Eire – (01) 2052400 / http://www.canon.ie
Digital Camera Info reviews the Canon PowerShot SD110 and writes - 'It is very compact and easy to fit in a pocket. It's durable with its attractive stainless steel frame, so it can survive a few drops and bumps. The layout is simple to use, and the menus follow suit. The camera even sports a Print/Share button to ease the stress of transferring photos directly to a printer.... In practice, the camera's resolution is strong, but extreme levels of noise often distort the image. The LCD screen does have fairly high resolution, but it is on the small side at 1.5 inches and is often tough to see. The other downside of the Canon SD110 is the lack of aperture or shutter speed manual controls. However, this camera is perfect for the beginning user who desires a strait-forward portable and simplistic digital camera.'
Read more about the Canon Powershot SD110
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US Readers Buy the Canon PowerShot SD110
DP Review have posted their review of the Pentax Optio S5i Review and write - 'In an ever-growing sub-compact market the Optio S5i has much to recommend it; it's probably the lightest - and one of the smallest - in its class, has fast focus, no discernible shutter lag, lots of useful features and is a real joy to use. It's also very well priced for a 5MP compact. On the downside the image quality is good, but not great, the low light focus is a little hit and miss (though better than you'd expect given the lack of an illuminator) and the LCD can be difficult to see in dim conditions.'
Read more about the Pentax Optio S5i
US Readers Buy the Pentax Optio S5i Digital Camera
UK Readers Buy the Pentax Optio S5i Digital Camera
'Canon India plans to expand its digital camera (digicam) business to account for 25 per cent of the target turnover of Rs 700 crore by 2007.
“The market for digicams is expected to grow by 100 per cent in the next five years,” director and GM, consumer imaging and information division, Alok Bharadwaj said. “Digicams contributed a revenue of Rs 11 crore this year compared with Rs 2.3 crore last year. Next year, we expect digicams to contribute Rs 40 crore of the target turnover of Rs 330 crore.”
This year, 100,000 digicams were sold through the legal route in India.
Of Canon’s $30-billion global revenues, digicams contribute around $6 billion.'
Read more at Canon India Zooms in on digicams to boost growth