Digital Photography Blog: Digital Camera Reviews, Ratings, News, Tips and Tutorials.
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DigiCamReview has a review of the Canon Powershot A520 and writes - 'The Canon Powershot A520 is an excellent all round camera, with a decent 4x optical zoom lens, and features to suit every need, from basic point and shoot operation, to full manual controls. The camera takes AA batteries so can travel with you anywhere without any need to worry about running out of battery power or supplies. The camera is also expandable with optional lenses, and flash accessories, so will grow with you if you expand your requirements without the need to buy a replacement camera. Image quality is very good, the camera is capable of some excellent results - the only areas where this camera are let down is in the outdated movie modes, the slightly sluggish performance, and the slightly high price compared to some of the competition.'
Read more about the Canon Powershot A520
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PhotographyBLOG reviews the Nikon Coolpix 7600 and writes - 'The Nikon Coolpix 7600 is a compact, stylish and easy-to-use point and shoot digital camera. The scene modes are both numerous and advanced in their implementation and will really help the beginner, and the in-built help system, although limited, will also prove useful. The Nikon Coolpix 7600 has a few new features that aim to make the photographer's life easier, some of which work better than others. D-Lighting was very effective, offering an in-camera solution for revealing detail in the shadow areas of an image without also over-exposing the highlights. The Red-Eye Reduction feature also worked as promised, with no evidence of red-eye. The Face-Priority AF feature sounds like a great idea, but in practice was slow to use and often focused on the wrong object in the scene.'
Read more about the Nikon Coolpix 7600
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Pocket Lint reviews the Nikon Coolpix 5600 digital camera and writes - 'My biggest gripe is saved for last however, and is reserved for the built-in Speedlight flash. Because the 5600 has limited sensitivity and a fairly modest maximum aperture range, the flash comes into play frequently, particularly indoors, but once fired, it takes an age to recharge (even with a fresh set of rechargeable NiMH AA’s in place), also locking the camera up and blanking the screen as it does so. As a snapping-style camera, this makes the 5600 a tad irksome to use as you wait for around three seconds for the files to write to memory and another five seconds for the camera to wake up after the flash has recycled.
The Nikon Coolpix 5600 is let down by a slow flash recycle rate and metering issues. However, it’s very easy to use, a good price and is able to produce some super shots in ideal conditions.'
Read about the Nikon Coolpix 5600
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Lets Go Digital reviews the Ricoh Caplio R2 Digital Camera and writes - 'Concluding I can say that the Ricoh Caplio R2 left a good impression. The overall quality is fine and the settings offer the (beginning) photographer many creative possibilities. We did have some comments, but still we'd like to recommend the Ricoh Caplio R2 for those who look for a digital camera at which speed and ease are on par. Add to this the excellent quality of the housing, the beautiful optical range and you will find a compact 5 megapixel camera with sufficient potency to offer the beginning photographer a lot of photographic joy over a long period of time.'
Read more about the Ricoh Caplio R2 digital camera
PC Magazine reviews the Casio Exilim EX-Z750 and writes - 'The camera's zoom covers 7.9 mm to 23.7 mm (a 35-mm equivalent of 38 mm to 114 mm), with an aperture range of f/2.8 to f/5.1. But what you'll notice first is the EX-Z750's very large 2.5-inch LCD, with adjustable brightness settings. We could see the image on the LCD even in bright light, but we appreciate that the camera also has a tiny viewfinder, a feature many manufacturers seem eager to remove from their ultracompacts. We feel it's still a useful thing to have. We were glad to see that the USB cradle, which you'll need to connect the camera to your PC, is fairly sturdy.'
Read more about the Casio Exilim EX-Z750 digital camera
Buy the Casio Exilim EX-Z750Imaging Resources has a review of the Nikon Coolpix 5600 and writes - 'Nikon's Coolpix line of consumer digicams has always been well-received, appreciated for their image quality and ease of use. The Coolpix 5600 continues that trend, offering a 5.1-megapixel CCD and nice range of preset scene modes. The Nikon Coolpix 5600 would be a good choice for anyone who wants an easy to use camera that delivers good-looking pictures with pleasing color and plenty of resolution. For those willing to delve just slightly deeper than “just pushing the button,” its extensive scene modes and unique framing-assist options greatly extend the camera's capabilities, making it easy to bring back good-looking shots of what might otherwise be difficult subjects. All in all, a good choice for the point & shoot user looking for an easy to use, compact digicam with a surprising range of capabilities. I would liked to have seen much better low-light focusing and exposure capability, less-noisy flash shots at distances greater than 9 feet, and less color left in images shot under incandescent lighting, but the bottom line is that I think a lot of consumers will be very pleased by the Coolpix 5600's photos, and it clearly goes the extra mile with its scene modes and framing assist options to help novice users bring home good-looking photos.'
Read more about the Nikon Coolpix 5600
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Imaging Resource reviews the Nikon Coolpix 5900 Digital Camera and writes - 'As one of the smallest Coolpix models in the line (and one of the smaller digicams on the market), the 5900 is a combination of a fine Nikkor 3x ED glass optical zoom lens, a 5.1-megapixel CCD, and a range of automatic, preset shooting modes in a very consumer-friendly digicam. Automatic exposure control lets the camera take charge of all the picky details, although a handful of exposure options provides creative tools when you need them. With its diminutive dimensions, the Coolpix 5900 is great for travel, and the range of preset shooting and framing modes anticipates most common shooting conditions. The 3,072 x 2,304-pixel maximum resolution is high enough for making acceptable 11x17-inch photographic prints (or 8x10 prints with some cropping), while the 640 x 480-pixel resolution setting is perfect for sending email attachments over the Internet. The uncomplicated user interface means you won't spend much time learning the camera. Perfect for novice users or anyone looking for a point-and-shoot camera with a slick look, a few extra features, great ease of use, and sharp, colorful photos, the Coolpix 5900 could also serve as a great take-anywhere snapshot camera for more advanced shooters.'
Read more about the Nikon Coolpix 5900 digital camera
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DigiCamera Review has reviewed the HP Photosmart M417 and writes - 'The HP Photosmart M417 offers very good value for money as one of the cheapest 5 megapixel digital cameras currently available - it has an easy to use menu system and built in help which you may find useful. However, I found the camera to be frustratingly slow at times, and rarely wanted to take the camera with me in case I missed the shot. The camera is also very poor at focusing indoors or in low light, this meant that I was pretty much unable to use the camera indoors.'
Read more about the HP Photosmart M417
PC Mag reviews the HP Photosmart M417 and writes - 'The 5.2-megapixel HP Photosmart M417 ($199.99 direct) offers more or less what you would expect from an inexpensive camera: 3X optical zoom (6 mm to 18 mm, or a 35-mm equivalent of 36 mm to 108 mm, with a wide-aperture setting range of f/2.9 to f/4.9), a 1.8-inch LCD, various scene modes, and flash settings. Essentially, it gives people what they want, but not too much more.'
Get the Latest Price on the HP Photosmart M417
Megapixel.net reviews the Samsung V700 digital camera and writes - 'Equipped with a 7-megapixel resolution, a 2-inch LCD monitor, a good quality finish and a compact size, the Samsung Digimax V700is an attractive camera.
The V700 has a good ergonomic design, and responds quickly to its controls. Moreover, with the exception of the Jog Dial which is easily confused with a zoom control, the buttons are well-positioned and clearly labelled, making the camera easy to master.'
Read more about the Samsung V700
'Digital images featuring someone in mid-blink could be banished forever using an image-analysis system for cameras developed in Japan.
Masahide Kaneko and colleagues at the University of Electro-Communications, on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, developed the system, which can even eliminate blinking from group photographs, they say.
Digital cameras can cause people to inadvertently blink at the vital moment by emitting several pre-photo flashes. These are meant to prevent red eye by making the subject's irises contract, but they can also dazzle the target and make them to shut their eyes when the picture is captured.'
Read more at Sensor prevents shut-eye in digital snaps
'Yahoo on Wednesday introduced its new PhotoMail feature, a free Yahoo! Mail add-on designed to give users an easier way to share photos via e-mail.
“We also know from listening to our consumers it is still too difficult [to send photos through e-mail],” said Andy Spillane, vice president of Yahoo Mail. “The idea of being able to locate photos, figuring out how to attach them, [and] worrying about if they're too large to be sent [or] too large to be received on the other end is standing in the way of sharing photos.”
PhotoMail can be downloaded from the Yahoo Mail Web site. After clicking the new “Insert Photos” button, users will have the option to download the new feature in addition to Yahoo Quick Select tool, which will allow PhotoMail users to easily attach and share images from Yahoo Photos, a computer hard drive or—using Yahoo! Image Search—photos from the Web.'
Read more at Yahoo Unveils PhotoMail
Digital Camera Review has reviewed the Canon Powershot A95 Digital Camera and writes - 'The quality of the images is superb. The size and weight of the A95 finds a great blend between a solid feel and compactness. The range of control options (auto controls, scene modes, manual controls), allows the beginner to jump right in taking pictures and the more serious hobbyist surprisingly good control over the creative aspects of photography. If you know for a fact, you simply want to turn a camera on and push a button to take a photo, there are other less expensive, less button-filled choices with similar image quality. However, if you need simplicity part of the time and your creative side whispers in your ear to experiment, the A95 will simply not disappoint.'
Read more about the Canon Powershot A95
Get the Latest Price on the Canon Powershot A95Australian newspaper - The Age - reports that Pentax have announced 300 job cuts as a result of falls in prices for photo technology:
'The Japanese company said on Tuesday the job cuts, to be carried out by March 2007, would save it ¥184.7 million ($A2.23 million) as part of a total cost-cutting plan that will save ¥617 million.
The company had 5244 workers on its payroll at the end of September 2004.
Faced with a sharper than expected decline in digital camera prices, Pentax said it was revising its operating profit target to ¥10 billion from ¥16 billion for the year to March 2007.'
CNET Reviews the Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505 and writes - 'In addition to being a compact and lightweight 5-megapixel camera with a 5X optical zoom, the EX-P505 takes passable 640x480 MPEG-4 video at 30fps. The video side has full use of the camera's zoom, captures its audio through a built-in stereo microphone, and can even record the action 5 seconds before you press the shutter release. So are we at the point where one device can serve for both high-quality photos and decent video? Not quite. This model doesn't perform well in low light, and its zoom mechanism is loud enough to be audible on some video shots. If you can live with its limitations, the small size and the 5X zoom could make this a convenient all-purpose camera.'
Read more about the Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505
Get the Latest Price on the Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505
Photoxels reviews the Olympus EVOLT E-300 and writes - 'The Olympus EVOLT E-300 will appeal to two groups of photographers: the professional photographer looking for a backup digital SLR, and the advanced amateur photographer ready to graduate to a digital SLR offering full control and exposure flexibility. The Olympus EVOLT E-300 has full exposure flexibility and provides a degree of fine control in its settings that professional photographers will appreciate. Or, just set it to Programmed Auto (or one of the 14 Scene Modes), and first-time dSLR users can shoot away and still obtain great results.'
Read more about the Olympus Evolt E-300
Get the latest Price on the Olympus Evolt E-300
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Steves Digicams reviews the Nikon Coolpix 7600 and writes - 'the Nikon Coolpix 7600 is an affordable ultra-compact digicam that offers users great image quality with an abundance of exposure options. The only annoyance I found was when using the flash. After you capture an image, the camera “locks up” until the flash is recharged, which causes you to miss out on some spontaneous photo opportunities. Its 7M/Fine images have plenty of resolution to create photo-quality 13x19-inch or larger prints. With a street price of around $379, it offers a good value for a 7-megapixel digicam.'
Read more about the Nikon Coolpix 7600
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Looks like the Samsung Digimaz i5 (which some say is the same camera under a different name as the new Samsung Digimax #1) is nearing release. The Digimax i5 is a 5 megapixel camera with a 3x Optical (internal) and 2.5 inch LCD screen.
Get the Latest Price on the Samsung Digimax i5
DCRP reviews the Samsung Digimax i5 and writes - 'The Samsung Digimax i5 is a stylish, ultra thin camera that can go just about anywhere. Save for the memory card/battery compartment, the i5's construction is solid. The camera fits well in the hand, and the important controls are well placed. The camera comes in three colors, ranging from silver to professional-looking black to eye-catching red.'
Cameratown reviews the Samsung Digimax i5 and writes - 'The stainless steal body, sleek compact design, internal 3x optical zoom lens, layout and overall feel, docking station, rechargeable battery, 50MB of internal memory, integrated lens/flash cover, large 2.5" TFT color LCD display, easy-to-navigate menu system, and 30 fps MPEG-4 video mode with audio and zoom are reasons to consider the Samsung i5. The camera also features a superb super macro mode which should be considered if you often take pictures of small objects (think ebay auctions). Long exposures (night mode) seem to be one of the high points of the Samsung i5. A 12-second exposure taken in a dimly lit room yielded bright, sharp, clean results. This was very unexpected especially considering the camera lacks a tripod mount - a necessity when shooting with long exposures. To get around the lack of a tripod mount, use a bean bag or table along with the self-timer to keep the camera steady when shooting.'
CNET Reviews has a review of the Samsung Digimax i5 digital camera where they give it a rating of 5.6 out of 10 (Average) and write - 'There's no doubt that 5-megapixel resolution currently defines the sweet spot of point-and-shoot digital cameras. Samsung's 5-megapixel ultracompact entry, the Digimax i5, offers a competitive snapshot feature set housed in a nondescript but slender metal body. Interesting features, a bright 2.5-inch LCD, and a VGA movie mode, however, don't compensate for listless performance and just so-so image quality.'
The newly-released Digimax i5, to which the company has devoted a strong R&D team and invested millions of dollars, is the digital camera that brings internal zoom capability to Samsung Camera. Its cool stylish stainless body means it will not scratch or tarnish. Moreover, the product provides enhanced capabilities in a portable package to satisfy those whose focus is on function and style.
The Digimax i5 allows an additional 5x digital zoom function with 3x optical zoom (equivalent to 39-117 mm in 35 mm format), for a total of 15x zoom. The i5 dimensions are 89.6 mm(L) x 59.8 mm(H) x 17.3 mm(W) and it only weighs 130.0 g. It also comes in four different colours: silver, black, red and grey. The Digimax i5 achieves clearer image quality by integrating the 3x optical zoom capability to Samsung Camera's exclusive SHD lens technology, recognized throughout the world. With a 5 mega-pixel CCD that utilizes primary colour filtering technology, it provides excellent sensitivity and colour reproduction, and can be used great pictures as well as for shooting text for printing.
The Digimax i5 has a 2.5“ 230k-pixel high resolution LCD for improved contrast and colour reproduction, allowing you to enjoy a wider and clearer image.
The Digimax i5 is equipped with the unique SF (Safety Flash) capability that has been even further improved. The SF (Safety Flash) function gives enhanced image clarity and colour in places without a sufficient light source, when the use of a flash is not desirable. This unique technology uses proprietary algorithms to interpret sharpness and colour information to deliver an image that looks like it has been taken with the flash. As the flash is disabled red eye will be prevented. Furthermore, a separate SF (Safety Flash) button makes it easy for the user to access the feature.
The Digimax i5 supports MPEG-4, the high-compression high-quality video format, for an enhanced video shooting experience. When used with a 256 MB memory, the user can record up to 2 hours 10 minutes of movie with sound, and i5 can be used like a camcorder due to its 3x optical zoom capability, while recording (mute mode). With the Digimax i5, the user can record a high quality movie of up to 30 frames per second at VGA resolution and then play it on TV without any loss of quality, or enjoy it on a PC screen at twice the size of conventional clips.
The Digimax i5 also has a movie stabilizer function, maintaining steady recording of a subject by means of automatic detection and correction of minor lateral and vertical camera movement. The product also provides a continuous video recording function that allows the user to pause and resume video recording at any time. Add to this the built-in movie editing function, allowing movie clips to be edited within the camera itself and this cameras movie function can be really powerful.
The new Digimax i5 flexible charging system allows the user to perform charging and data transfer at any time and in any place. Since it employs the same 24-pin charging system as a cellular phone (depends on region), the same charger can be used for both camera and cellular phone, eliminating the need to have separate chargers in the office or while traveling. The Digimax i5 comes with a cradle to enable even easier charging and image transfer.
The Digimax i5 provides an M button for even quicker mode switching. The user can switch between Auto, Manual and Scene Modes more quickly and easily. When it is set to Auto Mode, the Digimax i5 automatically adjusts the shooting distance and focus from between 5 cm to infinity, helping the picture taker to get better pictures. The user does not need to activate the macro function separately in order to take pictures as close as 5cm. Furthermore, the super macro function enables subjects to be photographed up to as close as 1 cm.
The other features of the Digimax i5 are the various photographic effects it provides. Digimax i5 has four different special effects: Colour, Photo Frame, highlight and Composite. The Colour effect includes Red, Blue and Green in addition to Sepia, Negative and B/W. Highlight, enables the user to emphasize a subject by putting its surroundings into soft focus. Photo Frame lets the user choose from various frames and add them to a picture, which can then be uploaded to a website, or personal blog. With Composite, the user can divide the shooting scene into 2-4 segments and save them into a single file.
Digimax i5 has various scene modes to obtain the best picture result in a variety of settings. The scene modes provided are Night Scene, Portrait, Children, Landscape, Text Recognition, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach and Snow. In particular, Text mode extends the camera's application potential. The user can shoot documents such as books, papers and magazines and then extract text from the images taken using the ”Digimax Viewer“ text recognition software included.
In addition to the successful launch earlier this year of advanced models including the 7 Mega Pixel Digimax V700, leading camera manufacturer Samsung Camera is now releasing the Digimax i5, with enhanced design and portability, to lead the trend of a young population, introducing a revolutionary change in applications for a digital camera.
PC Mag reviews the Nikon Coolpix S1 and writes - 'In our daylight shot, we found little noise and good saturation and color matching, but we did notice some fringing. We also thought the image was underexposed, even though it had good contrast. In the flash image, the S1 didn't lose details in the highlights, though flash coverage could have been better. There was very little noise, excellent color matching, vibrant colors, and hardly any fringing. We found 1,275 average lines of resolution, which is a bit low for a 5MP camera. The S1 got respectable scores on our performance tests, though, with a 3-second boot-up time, a 2.8-second recycle time, and virtually no shutter lag.'
Read more about the Nikon Coolpix S1
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Trusted Reviews has a review of the Fujifilm Finepix F810 digital camera and writes - 'With a street price of around £250 the F810 is far from cheap, but it does offer a few unique features to justify the price. First is that big widescreen monitor and image format, which you’ll either love or hate, and then there’s the 12.3 megapixel straight-out-of-camera image size, which beats all but the top few digital SLRs. However image quality isn’t all that you might hope from the numbers and the short battery life can also be a problem.'
Read more about the Fujifilm Finepix F810
Get the Latest Price on the Fujifilm Finepix F810 6.3MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom
CNET Reviews has a review of the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-W7 and writes - 'Sony's 7.2-megapixel Cyber Shot DSC-W7 has the same great 2.5-inch LCD, metal-alloy body, and 3X Carl Zeiss zoom lens as those of its predecessor, last year's DSC-W1, but the W7 improves on it with 2 more megapixels and plenty of extra speed. This compact digital camera shoots and processes its bigger images in less time, making it easier to get that fleeting shot of baby's first step or your boss taking a spill after too much eggnog at the holiday office party. Keen-eyed photographers might find the photos a bit too flawed, and enthusiasts will miss the manual controls, but it's a fairly quick and responsive camera with very solid automatic settings and respectable image quality, making it perfect for mainstream users looking to point, shoot, and make large prints with minimum fuss.'
Read more about the Sony Cybershot DSC-W7
Buy the "Sony - DSC-W7 Cyber-shot Digital Camera"'Eastman Kodak will delay shipment of its highly anticipated EasyShare One digital camera to October, a newspaper report said Tuesday.
The camera features a large liquid-crystal-display screen and the unique ability to wirelessly transmit pictures to WiFi local area networks, the Wall Street Journal reported.
According to the newspaper, it was introduced in January at the Consumer Electronics Show where it won awards for innovation.
A Kodak (down $0.47 to $26.73, Research) spokesman would not tell the paper why the company chose not to start sales in June as planned
“This represents a significant technological advance in the digital camera marketplace. We're taking the time to do it right,” the report quoted him as saying.'
Read more at Kodak delays release of EasyShare camera
Scientists from Université Laval’s Faculty of Sciences and Engineering have invented a lens five times thinner than a sheet of paper that is able to zoom in and out without mechanical parts. Tigran Galstian and Vladimir Presnyakov present this amazing piece of optical instrumentation in the latest issue of the Journal of Applied Physics.
“There are several possible applications for such a lens. We believe one of its most promising developments could be in camera-embedded cell phones,” says Galstian. “Our opto-electrical zoom lens would be of much higher quality than the ones that currently equip these phones.”
The digital zooms now used in camera phones only enlarge part of a picture without enhancing its quality, giving sometimes disappointing results. Other than its size, the greatest advantage of the lens invented by the two Université Laval researchers is that it allows for the movement of the focal point – as with a real camera – thus increasing the clarity, detail, and overall quality of an enlarged picture.
Such a technology could help boost a market that seems to be losing its snap. According to a recent market study by one of the major camera makers, a significant number of camera phone owners find their devices less than satisfying, mentioning among other problems the poor picture quality.
The lens is made by adding a small quantity of photosensitive material to a liquid crystal cell. When the material is exposed to laser light, it forms a network of stable polymers varying in density according to the intensity of exposure. “The network is like a spiderweb, with its center denser than its periphery,” explains Galstian. “When we apply a weak electrical current to it, the crystals in the center realign differently from those in the periphery and thus take on the shape and behavior of a lens.”
The curve of the lens – its focal point – can be modified by changing the intensity and frequency of the electrical current. The researchers have thus been able to modify the lens’ focal distance from 1.6 to 8 meters in a few milliseconds by increasing the voltage from 1.5 to 4.5 volts. “The reaction is very fast and doesn’t involve any mobile parts or mechanical movements.” The focal point of the lens can go from 60 centimeters to infinity.
Source: News Release
DP Review has reviewed the Samsung Digimax V700 and writes - 'In many respects the V700 can hold its own when compared to significantly more expensive models such as the Canon S70 or Olympus C-7000Z. It has a very comprehensive set of photographic controls (which aren't hidden away in menus), a good lens producing superb resolution and a well-rounded feature set that combines user-friendly 'point and shoot' ease with proper enthusiast control. It also produces bright, sharp results that make very appealing prints, though purists will find that even after tweaking the various parameters the images are a little too 'over processed' (and a little noisy) for their liking.'
Read more about the Samsung Digimax V700 digital camera
Buy the "Samsung Digimax V700 digital camera"
Samsung have released a teaser site for their new Samsung Digimax #1 digital camera.
The Samsung Digimax #1 is an ultra slim camera (17.3mm) with a large 2.5inch LCD and 5 megapixels.
This looks to be the same camera as one that has been released in Germany already under the name of the Samsung Digimax i5 (pictured below).
PhotographyBLOG reviews the Nikon Coolpix 8400 and writes - 'The Nikon Coolpix 8400 is a fantastic digital camera in most respects, but frustratingly poor in a few crucial areas. As I said when I started this review, it is the only digicam to feature a 24mm wide angle lens. Other cameras offer 27mm and 28mm lenses, and whilst 4mm doesn't sound like much, it does make quite a big difference at this field of view. Lovers of wide-angle photography should obviously strongly consider the Nikon Coolpix 8400. It is also a very capable digital camera in terms of build quality and features - this is a camera that will withstand a lot of abuse and also one which rivals digital SLRs in terms of being feature-rich. Despite that level of complexity the Nikon Coolpix 8400 is still fairly easy to use, with the rotating LCD screen adding an extra creative element and the EVF being very useable. Image quality is also very good, with chromatic aberrations only noticeable by their absence, true-to-life colour and little distortion even at the wide end of the zoom.'
Read more about the Nikon Coolpix 8400
Get the Latest Price on the Nikon Coolpix 8400
The Rollei Prego dp5500 is a 5 megapixel (1.8inch CCD Sensor) digital camera with 3x Optical Zoom. It shoots video at 320x240 pixels, takes an SD Card and has a 1.8inch TFT LCD monitor.
Rollei Prego dp5500
High performance and compact 5 megapixels digital camera with metal housing. 3x zoom lens with 4x digital zoom, video and voice-recording as well as built-in speaker and microphone.
Technical Specifications
• Sensor: 1/1,8“ CCD, 5 M pixels CCD
• Image resolution: 2560 x 1920 pixels, 2048 x 1536 pixels, 1280 x 960 pixels, 640 x 480 pixels
• Video Clip: 320 x 240 pixels
• Film speed setting: auto, equivalent to ISO 50,100, 200
• Image quality: fine, standard, economy
• Image storage: SD-Card up to 512 MB
• LC monitor: 1.8” TFT colour monitor
• Built-in microphone and loudspeaker
• Recording format: JPEG (EXIF 2.2), AVI, DCF, DPOF,PC-Cam,Pictbridge
• Lens: 3x zoom lens 5.4 – 16.2 mm f/2.8 – 4.8 HFT (equivalent to 32 – 98 mm in 35mm format)
• Zoom: 3x optical, 4x digital
• Focus range: autofocus 0.5 m to ∞
• Macro range: 6 cm to 50 cm
• Shutter speed: automatically, 1/1000 s
• Optical real-image zoom viewfinder
• Exposure: single and continuous shooting
• Exposure compensation: auto, manual, +/-2,0 EV in 1/3 increments
• White balance: auto, manual, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent, sunset
• Flash: auto, forced, off, red-eye reduction
• Self timer: 2 s, 10 s delay
• Interface: USB, video (NTSC, PAL), AC/DC
• Power Source: 2 x AA alkaline battery, AC adapter
• Dimensions (w x h x d)/weight: 91 x 61 x 27 mm/130 g (without SD-card and batteries)
• Contents: Rollei Prego dp5500, USB and video-cable, 2 x AA alkaline battery, strap, pouch,
software CD with Photo Explorer 8.0 and Photo Express 5.0 and drivers, printed instruction manual
System requirements
• PC: Windows 98/SE/ME/2000/XP, CD ROM-drive, USB-interface
• Apple Macintosh: version 9 or higher, CD ROM-drive, USB-interface
The Rollei Prego dp6000 is a 6.36 megapixel (CCD sensor) digital camera with 3x optical zoom lens, video and voice recording, 2.5 inch TFT LCD monitor and a variety of scene modes.
Rollei Prego dp6000 News Release excerpt
High performance and compact 6.36 megapixels digital camera with metal housing. 3x zoom lens with 4.4x digital zoom, video and voice-recording as well as built-in speaker and microphone.
Technical Specifications
• Sensor: 1/1,8“ CCD, 6,36 Megapixel
• Image resolution: 2816x2112 pixels, 2272x1704 pixels, 1600x1200 pixels, 640x480 pixels
• Video-Clip: 320 x 240 pixels
• Film speed setting: auto, equivalent to ISO 50, 100, 200
• Image quality: fine, standard, economy, TIFF (only adjustable with 2816x2112 pixels)
• Image storage: SD-Card up to 512 MB
• LC-Monitor: 2,5” TFT-colour monitor
• Built-in loudspeaker and microphone
• Recording formats: JPEG (EXIF 2.2), AVI, DCF 1.0, DPOF 1.1, TIFF
• Lens: 3x zoom lens 7.2 - 21.6 mm 1:2.8 - 4.7 HFT (equivalent to approx. 35 - 105 mm in 35mm format )
• Zoom: 3x optical, 4,4x digital
• Focus range: autofocus 0,80 m to infinity
• Macro range: 9 cm to 80 cm
• Shutter speed: auto, 8 bis 1/1500 s
• Exposure: Single and continuous shooting (5 pictures), bracketing (-0.67 EV, 0 EV, +0.67 EV)
• Viewfinder: optical real image zoom viewfinder with diopter adjustment
• Exposure compensation: auto, manual; max. +/- 2.0 EV in 1/3 increments
• White balance: auto, manual, daylight, cloudy, tungsten, fluorescent 1+2
• Exposure modes: program AE, AV, TV, manual, portrait, sport, night
• Flash: auto, forced, off, red-eye reduction
• Flash range: 0.6 - 3.0 m (Wide/ISO200)
• Self timer: 2 s / 10 s delay
• Interface: USB 1.1, Video (NTSC, PAL), AC/DC
• Power Source: Li-Ion rechargeable battery, AC adapter
• Dimensions (wxhxd) / Weight: 94x63x35 mm / 180 g
• Contents: Rollei Prego dp6000, USB- and video-cabel, 1x Li-Ion rechargeable battery, 64 MB SD Card, strap, pouch, AC adapter, Software MrPhoto, Image Folio, CD with drivers, instruction manual
System requirements
• PC: Windows 98/SE/2000/ME/XP, CD-ROM drive, USB-interface
• Apple Macintosh: Version 8.6 or higher, CD-ROM drive, USB-interface
• Technical specifications are subject to change without notice'
Cameras.co.uk reviews the Olympus C-480 (also known as the D-545) and writes - 'I must admit that the C-480 has its limitations. Weighed against that is the fact that it relatively cheap for a four megapixel camera. Like just about every one of its competitors in this price bracket this camera struggles indoors, but produces decent shots if you are out and about, taking pictures in good light. Like many other cheaper models it also suffers from a sizeable shutter lag and you could find yourself missing that all important picture.'
Read more about the Olympus C-480/D-545
Shutterbug has a review of the Olympus’ E-300 EVOLT and writes - 'The Olympus E-300 EVOLT may not be the prettiest camera in the world, but it’s compact, convenient to use, quite fast, and reliable in most circumstances. In my estimation, it should appeal to first-time SLR buyers who appreciate its many Program modes. But this well-equipped model is even more suitable for the experienced digital photographer who does not already own autofocus lenses of some other brand. At a street price of $995, including the 14-45mm zoom, it’s definitely a bargain, especially when compared to the $1299 street price of the 5-megapixel E-1 kit.'
Compare prices on the Olympus Evolt E-300 and get the latest Price on the the E-300 at Amazon
Digital Camera Review has reviewed the Canon Powershot SD200 and writes - 'The SD200 is not just an excellent ultracompact camera; it's an excellent camera that just happens to be ultracompact. There are enough features here to satisfy photographers of any category except perhaps enthusiasts or professionals; if it had full manual controls it might. Image quality is very good but not excellent, an understandable tradeoff for its minuscule size. It's a fine choice for an individual or family (with training) as a general-purpose camera, or as a take-anywhere second camera for a pro or enthusiast.'
Read more about the Canon Powershot SD200
Get the Latest Price on the Canon Powershot SD200Earthbound Light has a good tips tutorial on Exposure Adjustment in Photoshop CS2:
'With Brightness/Contrast, Levels, Curves, and Shadow/Highlight, there's no shortage of ways to make an image brighter or darker in Photoshop. If you are in the process of migrating to the new CS2 release, you may have noticed that there's now one more way. The Image >> Adjustments menu now sports a new “Exposure” option that may well become your first choice for significant shifts in exposure.
If you shoot with a digital camera and are used to processing raw files with Adobe Camera Raw, you will find yourself right at home with the new Exposure adjustment dialog. Apart from a somewhat bizarre change in terminology, it functions exactly the same way. Adjustments are made in a linear (gamma 1.0) color space so as to retain the most detail possible throughout the tonal spectrum.
The Exposure Adjustment dialog has three controls: Exposure, Offset, and Gamma. The appropriately named Exposure slider will be the main one you are likely to use and works as you would expect it to. Calibrated in stops, it increases brightness throughout the image but affects the shadow areas far less than the highlights. Increase the Exposure sufficiently though and the image will turn solid white. Set it low enough and you will end up with solid black.'
Read more at Exposure Adjustment in Photoshop CS2
Imaging Resource has a preview/review of the Nikon D50 Digital Camera and writes - 'The latest result of this process is the new Nikon D50 digital SLR, delivering most of the features that made the D70 such an exceptional product, but at a lower price point and with the camera's size and user interface retooled somewhat to better match the needs of the “family photographer.” - Or anyone else who wants a feature-rich, easy-to-use, compact (but not too much so) digital SLR for a bargain price. Final judgement will have to wait until we can get our hands on a production sample, but if the Nikon D50's image quality is on par with the rest of the camera, this should be another big winner for Nikon. There's just an awful lot to like here, from the just-right grip size that will feel comfortable across a wide range of hand sizes, to its excellent ease of use in “green zone,” to its a complete feature bound to appeal to more advanced users. If its image quality measures up, this is going to be a very, very popular camera.'
Read more about the Nikon D50 DSLR
Get the Latest Price on the "Nikon D50 6.1MP Digital SLR Camera
Megapixel reveiws the Panasonic DMC-LS1 and writes - 'Photos captured with the DMC-LS1 reveal that while the zoom may not offer a very bright aperture at the telephoto end, the lens is a good performer overall. Barrel distortion is extremely light at the wide end, and there is no noticeable pincushion distortion at the telephoto end. Likewise, chromatic aberration is quite well-controlled, and is normally undetectable unless a photo is magnified considerably on a monitor.
The LS1 provides a sensitivity range of 64 to 400 ISO.'
Read more about the Panasonic DMC-LS1 digital camera.
Ken Rockwell reviews the Casio Exilim EX-S100 and writes - 'The S100 provides fantastic flexibility for those who know how to use it. For a non-photographer the Olympus Verve is also a great choice. The Verve offers tiny size and ease of use, but lacks the adjustability of the S100.
For a serious photographer who wants to take this as a primary camera I'd suggest the newer, higher resolution and even more flexible Casio EX-Z750 which I hope to review soon.'
Read more about the Casio Exilim EX-S100
Get the Latest Price on the Casio Exilim EX-S100
Lets Go Digital reviews the FujiFilm FinePix F10 digital camera and writes - 'The Fujifilm FinePix is a digital camera with the emphasis on fully automatic photographing. Besides that the camera contains features like high speed mode and the excellent Super CCD HR technology in combination with the Real Photo Technology, which make this model interesting for everybody who wants to shoot digitally in a simple yet high quality way. The settings are easily accessible and there are only useful functionalities on board.'
Read more about the Fujifilm Finepix F10
Buy the Fujifilm Finepix F10
Steves Digicams has a review of the Canon Powershot SD400 Digital ELPH and writes - 'The SD400's image quality is excellent. It produced well saturated and accurate colors, and consistently good exposures. The ISO sensitivity is adjustable from 50, 100, 200, 400 or the camera can control it Automatically. Noise is absent from ISO 50 shots. At ISO 100, noise is detectable in shadow areas, and at ISO 200 noise becomes noticeable throughout the image. At ISO 400 noise becomes more prominent in highlight areas, but the images are usable. If you shoot night pictures you'll appreciate the “Long Shutter” option that gives you access to shutter speeds ranging from 1 to 15 seconds. To insure the best possible image, Noise Reduction is automatically applied when the shutter speed is 1.3 second or longer. In addition to an excellent automatic white balance there are presets for sunny, cloudy, incandescent, fluorescent, fluorescent H (daylight temperature) and a one-push custom setting for use with a white or grey card.'
Read more about the Canon Powershot SD400 digital elph
Get the Latest Price on the Canon PowerShot SD400
Kevin at Digital Camera Info has news of a new multifunction digital camera from Minox - the DM1:
'German camera maker Minox has created a jack-of-all-trades device called the DM1. What is it exactly? Well, the DM1 is a 3.2 megapixel camera, 2-inch LCD, MP3 player, digital video camera, and digital webcam, all complemented with 128 MB of internal memory and packed tight into a case measuring just 4.1 x 2.5 x 0.6 inches and weighing 3.3 oz.
The DM1’s digital camera includes a 3.2 megapixel CMOS chip that can be interpolated to create 6 megapixel still images. Since the DM1 features a fixed focal length lens, the camera contains 4x digital zoom for an alternative view. The lens unit, with an aperture of f/3.5, rotates a full 360º and is protected within the camera body. Shutter performance for the DM1 ranges between 1/8-1/2000 sec in auto/manual or between 1/2-1/200 sec in digital video mode....'
Read more at Minox Unveils Multi-Function DM1 Digital Camera
The Olympus C-180 (also known as the Olympus C-435) is a 5.1 megapixel digital camera that is being marketed as one of the most simple digital cameras to use going around. It has a 'one button, one function' design, 14 megabytes internal memory, 1.5 inch LCD screen, 7 scene programs, PictBridge compatibility and movie recording function.
Get the Latest Price on the Olympus Camedia D435 5MP Digital Camera
Trusted Reviews review the Olympus C-180 and write - "It’s hard to imagine a greater contrast to the C-7070 than this little camera. The C-180 is small, light, and so simple a child could use it. In fact it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of these cameras end up in the hands of children, as birthday presents or as a toy to take on holiday. The sub £110 price means that if it gets dropped in a rock pool or smothered in ice cream then it’s no crippling loss. It is one of the cheapest 5.1 megapixel cameras on the market, but it still offers the reassurance of the prestigious Olympus name and a build quality that sets it comfortably apart from the majority of cheap budget cameras."
DigiCam Review has reviewed the Olympus Camedia C-180 D-435 and writes - 'The Olympus Camedia C-180 D-435 scores very highly on ease of use, but unfortunately falls short on image quality, with soft images, and slow speed in use. The lack of optical zoom is a real shame as well - especially considering Olympus offer the 4 megapixel, 3x optical zoom C-480 for around the same price as the C-180, you'd be better off buying a camera with an optical zoom lens. Images do have good colour and this camera may suite those looking for an extremely easy to use point and shoot camera.'
Pocket-lint reviews the Olympus Camedia C-180 and gives it a rating of 8 out of 10. They write - 'The C-180 would make an ideal child’s gift or a camera ideal for anyone with a penchant for panicking as soon as they see a camera with more than a few buttons. The camera is complete with a built in flash, though it’s not particularly powerful; a macro setting that gets you to within a modest 20cm of your subject. The small LCD screen is exactly that but helps keep the price low and while basic it is usable in all but the brightest of direct sunlight.'
Supplied with the Olympus Master software, which enables easy file management, this easy-to-use 5.1 million pixel camera will be available from June 2005 and will have an estimated street price of £130
The new C-180 includes a whole host of functions designed to make taking high-quality photos exceedingly straightforward. The “one button, one function” design principle ensures remarkably easy operation, while the combination of 5.1 million pixel resolution, a bright autofocus lens and TruePic TURBO advanced image processor guarantee first-class picture results. Close-ups are also possible thanks to the 4x digital zoom.
Even complete beginners will have no problems producing stunning results. The C-180 offers a wide range of scene programmes and provides a virtual help function to take the guesswork out of operating the camera. A comprehensible six-language menu further enhances ease of use and additional languages are available as downloads from the Internet.
This model boasts a 1.5“ (3.8cm) LCD monitor, enabling the easy framing and reviewing of photos and movies. Results are saved to the 14MB internal memory or onto optional xD-Picture Cards, which are available in capacities of up to 1GB – enough for hundreds of photos. And as you would expect from such a user-friendly camera, printing images is a simple one-step procedure. Thanks to PictBridge support, the need for a computer has become a thing of the past. To enjoy high-quality printouts, you need only connect the camera directly to a compatible printer, such as the Olympus P-10.
To power the C-180, you have the choice between one CRV-3 cell or two AA batteries, so there’s no need to worry about running out of power in places where specialised batteries or a recharging unit are not available.
The Olympus C-180 – main features:
• 5.1 million pixels
• Autofocus lens with 6.11mm focal length (equivalent to 36.7mm on a 35mm camera)
• 4x digital zoom
• 14MB internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
• 3.8cm / 1.5 inch LCD monitor
• 7 scene programmes (incl. Night Scene, Sports and Beach&Snow)
• Movie recording function
• TruePic TURBO image processor
• PictBridge compatible
• Uses two AA-size batteries or one CRV-3 cell
• Supplied with Olympus Master Software
• Multi-language menu (English, German, French, Spanish, Russian, Italian) plus possibility to download further languages from the internet