Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Archives for August 2008

Fujifilms Plans Four New J-Series

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Fujifilm Finepix J10 8.2MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Matte Black)Fujifilms has announced the upcoming release of four new J-Series models: the Finepix J15, J100, J110W and J100. The Finepix J15 is 8.2 megapixels with a 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.5 inch LCD monitor. The Finepix J100 is 10 megapixels with a 5x optical zoom lens and a 2.7 inch LCD model. The Finepix J110W’s specs are the same as the J100, but it is equipped with a wide zoom lens.The Finepix J150W has the same wide angle lens as the J110W’s, as well as a 3.0 inch LCD monitor.

The other members of the J-Series family are the Finepix J10 (pictured here) and J50.

 

More Nikon D90 Rumors, By the Numbers

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Thom Hogan may be having a little fun with us based on info that he’s received from sources within or close to Nikon.  In a recent forum post, Thom threw out some numbers while discussing the rumored Nikon D90.  These were tossed around by Thom in response to a silly lottery number question.

Try something like 12, 4.5, 3, 11, 90, and 105. For the bonus number use 1080.

While it may seem rather trite, Nikon Rumors has read a little deeper into these and given us their interpretation of the winning numbers:

12mp, 4.5FPS, 3″ LCD, 11 point AF, D90, 105mm lens and 1080 video recording.

I think Thom is enjoying himself (and probably passing along good info too).  Kudos to NR for reading between the lines.  I remain a bit skeptical on the 1080 video “recording”.  I would expect if that number is for real it has to do more with the interface and compatibility with high-def devices – much like Sony has done in recent history.

DPR via NR

Nikon D90 to Include GPS?

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Nikon D90 Mockup - yeah, it's a fake

Discussing the upcoming Nikon P6000, Thom Hogan hints at the possibility of GPS in the Nikon D90 and other coming Nikon DSLRs.

It appears that Nikon is making a concerted effort to embrace GPS and WiFi across their product line (hint: this won’t be the last time you see me mention GPS support on an upcoming product you might not expect to have it).

Hogan also hinted at this “surprise” in a recent posting on DPR forums.

For the latest news and rumors on the Nikon D90, stay tuned to Photography Bay’s Nikon D90 page.

Canon EOS 1Ds Mk III Review by Ken Rockwell

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Ken Rockwell has published his review of Canon’s flagship EOS 1Ds Mark III.

The Canon 1Ds Mk III is a solid brick of a camera, has extraordinarily high technical image quality, but is hindered by sucky ergonomics and a mediocre LCD.

For the latest news and reviews, be sure to visit Photography Bay’s Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III Reviews and Resources page.

Fuji FinePix F100fd Review at DC Resource

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DC Resource has published a review of the 12 megapixel Fujifilm Finepix F100fd.

Overall, I have mixed feelings about the FinePix F100fd. It’s a nice enough compact camera, with good photo quality and a host of user-friendly features (though it has its share of annoyances, too). At the same time, as someone who has used all of the models in the F-series, I’m disappointed with the direction Fuji has taken the line in recent years (in terms of low light shooting, battery life, etc).

Olympus E-520 Review at Digital Camera Info

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Digital Camera Info has published a full review of the Olympus E-520.

There’s one of the best Live View modes on the market (with auto focus), a good image stabilization system that’s built into the body, comprehensive presets and a high degree of customizability and control. However, the test results for noise levels, white balance and dynamic range were so poor that they dragged down an otherwise good camera.

You can read more about the new camera on Photography Bay’s Olympus E-520 page.

Fujifilm FinePix Z20fd Review at Imaging Resource

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Imaging Resource has posted a review of the 10 megapixel Fujifilm FinePix Z20fd.

The Fujifilm FinePix Z20fd is small and fun, and offers good capability for its tiny size. The 10-megapixel CCD picks up a lot of fine detail, and both color and exposure performance are generally good. Noise handling isn’t great at the highest sensitivity settings, but results are fine at the normal ISOs.

Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO

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July 30, 2008, Saitama City, Japan – Tamron Co., Ltd., under the leadership of Mr. Morio Ono, President, has announced the development of a unique ultra high power zoom lens-the Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO (Model B003), the first(1) digital SLR lens in the world that delivers a remarkable zoom ratio of 15X (28-419mm equivalent) and is equipped with a highly effective Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism. Designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras with APS-C sized image sensors(2) , the new lens delivers outstanding image quality over its entire zoom range and its exclusive VC anti-shake system facilitates sharp handheld photography even at the longest telephoto settings.

With its vast zoom-range, the Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC lens enables the user to cover virtually any photographic subject from wide angle to ultra telephoto simply by turning the zoom control. It covers angles of view equivalent to 28mm to 419mm when converted to the 35mm format(3) . In addition, this breakthrough lens is equipped with Tamron’s exclusive, proprietary tri-axial Vibration Compensation (VC) mechanism that eliminates or substantially reduces the effects of handheld camera shake. As a result, the user can enjoy the convenience of handheld photography in virtually any situation, from shooting candid images, to covering sporting events, to news photography, without worrying about camera shake having an adverse effect on image quality. The new lens will be made available in Canon and Nikon mounts. The price and launch date of the new lens will be announced at a later date. [Read more…]

The Summer Music Moment Contest

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The deadline for PDN and Billboard’s music photography contest is getting close: submissions are due by August 29. They’ve actually split the Summer Music Moment contest into two separate competitions. You can enter either as an amateur or a professional, through the contest’s website.

There’s a wide variety of prizes, including cash, cameras and computers. Just a head’s up, though: you must have written releases from anyone appearing in your photographs before you enter your work. You may have an absolutely awesome shot of some famous singer rocking out, but if you can’t get a written release, you’re out of luck.

You can see recent entries here, and some of them really do rock.

Free Links Friday

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Below are some of the best photography links from other sites that I came across this week. Enjoy!

Top 10 Tips for Getting Attention on Flickr, All Fresh and New for 2008 – Thomas Hawk’s Digital Connection – Coming from a guy that gets roughly 14,000 views per day on Flickr, these are probably 10 worthwhile tips to consider.

White Seamless Tutorial :: Part 4 :: Simple Changes In Post Production – Zach Arias – Zach shows off some post production techniques that really help to make powerful images out of seamless background photos.

A quick review of SmugShot for the iPhone – Mike Fullerton – Mike gives SmugMug’s first attempt at iPhone integration a big thumbs down.

Fujifilm, Nintendo offer photo printing service – Imaging Resource – In addition to still being hard to find, the Nintendo Wii now lets users order photos through its online interface, which includes upload photos from your SD cards.

If You’re a Wedding Photographer; You’ve Got To Check Out This Video – Photoshop Insider – Scott Kelby did this short video just to show off a piece of gear for wedding photographers.

Alan Jaras Photography of Light – Hypebeast – Awesome images.  ‘Nuff said.

If you want your photography-related site on Free Links Friday, just drop a comment or an email asking nicely.  Leave a link and a short description of what your site or particular post is about.  Spammers need not apply.