Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
GOLDEN, CO. (June 3, 2008)…PENTAX Imaging Company has introduced the smc PENTAX DA 17-70mm f/4 AL [IF] SDM lens designed for exclusive use with PENTAX digital SLR cameras. This standard lens with extra zoom offers outstanding, well-balanced handling, and covers the most frequently used focal lengths between wide-angle and telephoto making it ideal for a variety of shots including scenery, snapshot and portraiture. [Read more…]
Press Release:
TAKE CONTROL OF YOUR IMAGES: NIKON INTRODUCES UPGRADED CAPTURE NX 2 PHOTO EDITING SOFTWARE
Powerful New Tools Make Photo Editing Quick and Easy
MELVILLE, N.Y. (June 3, 2008) – Nikon Inc., today introduced the latest generation of its robust image processing and editing software, Capture NX 2, which provides photography enthusiasts with a suite of powerful tools and a simple, visual operation to streamline photo editing. Capture NX 2 utilizes revolutionary U Point® technology to give photographers access to powerful Control Points that enhance color, exposure, and other image quality settings quickly and easily. New technologies abound in Capture NX 2, including the innovative new Selection Control Point that places a commanding suite of image editing tools at the user’s fingertips to simplify and accelerate the image editing experience. [Read more…]
Steve’s Digicams has posted a review of the Nikon Coolpix P80. The new P80 boasts a 10.1 megapixel image sensor, Nikon’s EXPEED processing and vibration reduction on a whopping 18x optical zoom lens. The P80’s 18x Zoom-NIKKOR lens covers focal lengths from 27-486mm (35mm format equivalent).
While loaded with appealing features like the 18x Nikkor zoom, 2.7-inch LCD, high resolution EVF, Vibration Reduction, High ISO capabilities and great image quality, the slower shooting performance, uncomfortable EVF eye piece, amount of noise in high sensitivity photos and slower Face detection system really disappointed us.
Image details: Vegas or Bust served by picapp.com
The new PicApp online service makes it possible for bloggers to use high quality photos from Getty Images and Corbis, among others, for free. The only thing is that the images don’t look quite as nice because they are embedded flash images.
Additionally, I’ve been poking around trying to find how and if photographers are compensated for the use of these images. No luck. It appears that PicApp is getting revenue from advertisements that are embedded with the photo, of which I’m sure Getty and Corbis take a cut. Again, I’ve not seen how much of that cut gets passed on to the photographer. I can’t imagine that the pennies from these ads are will compare to the per image price that the photographer would normally get for the use of his or her photos. For the forseeable future, the example image above will be the only PicApp image that appears on this site, even if b5media is putting it on all their sites.
So, photographers, what do you think about PicApp? Are there any Getty or Corbis shooters out there who can shed light on the compensation for photographers as a result of this deal?
Cnet has posted a review of the Nikon CoolPix S600. The S600 is a 10 megapixel point and shoot digital camera. It features a 4x optical zoom, Nikon’s VR image stabilization and a sensitivity range up to ISO 3200. Cnet gave it a 6.6 out of 10.
A good, though not outstanding, compact camera, the Nikon Coolpix S600 is hindered by some shortcomings in its performance and operation.
Photo Review has posted a review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX520.
The 10.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX520 is Panasonic’s first digital camera with a 3-inch touch-screen LCD and a very compact camera for its advanced range of functions.
Trusted Reviews has posted a review of the Olympus E-520.
The improvements, particularly the new image stabilisation mode and autofocus accuracy of Live Modes show that these important technologies are still being perfected, and the latest versions on the E-520 are pretty much as good as they get at the moment.
You can read more about the new camera on Photography Bay’s Olympus E-520 page.
Cnet has posted a review of the Pentax K20D.
Pentax’s 14MP K20D is a great choice for a midlevel SLR and offers a lot of bang for the buck.
Click here for more news, reviews and info on the Pentax K20D.
PhotographyBLOG has posted a full review of the Samsung NV24HD.
At the point and shoot level there are more reliable alternatives for its price and headline specification. However, the Samsung NV24HD’s more esoteric features – including the funky photo styles, placed right at the fore of its operation – are indeed fun and less run-of-the-mill than many, meaning it feels churlish to bash this model with too large a stick.
For more info on the NV24HD, see Photography Bay’s Samsung NV24HD Reviews and Resources page.
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