Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
Over the past few years, I have given much praise to Bryan Peterson’s book, Understanding Exposure, as a practical resource for anyone looking to get more out of his or her camera. It is, in my opinion, the best book for anyone new to DSLRs. In the same vein, I can highly recommend Peterson’s new book, Understanding Photography Field Guide.
For my take on why this book is so great, read on. [Read more…]
Zeiss has unveiled the Distagon T* 2,8/25 ZF.2 lens for Nikon’s F-mount. The new manual focus lens offers full auto exposure support for Nikon cameras. The lens is now available at an initial retail price of €755.46.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
Registration is now open for the PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo, which takes place October 28-30, 2010 at the Javits Center in NYC. The PhotoPlus trade show is an annual event that typically features all the latest gear from camera manufactures on display at Expo booths, as well as dozens of seminars from leading photographers. Additionally, registration to the Expo Hall is free if you pre-register online; however, there are enhanced passes available.
Check out the full announcement in the press release below, and head over to photoplusexpo.com/register to get signed up. [Read more…]
Sony has announced two new additions to its Alpha series of DSLRs. The A290 is the base model for the Alpha lineup, featuring a 14.2 megapixel CCD sensor. The A390 offers the same image sensor, but adds Sony’s popular (and effective) quick AF live view function in combination with a 2.7″ tilting LCD. Both cameras otherwise share the same body and controls, which (fortunately) includes a redesigned grip over the predecessor A330 and its siblings.
The A290 and A390 should be available in July 2010 at an initial retail price of $500 and $600, respectively.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
The Nikon Coolpix S3000 is a 12-megapixel, ultra-compact camera. The S3000 is quite a basic point and shoot camera that’s really just a step or so up from the bottom-end Nikon L22. The S3000 has a decent 4x optical zoom, equivalent to a 27-108mm zoom range on a 35mm camera.
If you’re looking for cheap and thin in your digital camera, read on to see if the Nikon S3000 works for you. [Read more…]
Panasonic has announced the price and availability of the recently-introduced FX75 point and shoot camera. The FX75 will be available in July 2010 at an initial retail price of $299.95.
Check availability on B&H Photo, Amazon.com, and Adorama.
Camera Bits has updated Photo Mechanic to version 4.6.4. Features found in version 4.6.4 of Photo Mechanic are designed to increase the speed and ease with which photographers can browse, caption and manage large digital photo collections. This latest version offers even faster browsing and new support for RAW files captured by the popular Olympus E-P2 and E-PL1 cameras as well as Phase One models, and other features designed to address overall user-friendliness across both Mac and Microsoft-based platforms.
The new version is available on Camera Bits’ website.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
Apple has just announced the iPhone 4. Among many other new features, the iPhone 4 steps up its imaging capabilities with a 5-megapixel backlit sensor, 720p HD video capture, an LED flash and video light, touch to focus operation for both still and video and a 5x digital zoom.
What’s more, you can shoot from the front or back since cameras are on both sides of the iPhone 4. The resolution drops to VGA-quality when using the front camera; however, the front-facing camera’s primary function seems to be dedicated to FaceTime, which is Apple’s name for video calling.
You can also download a new iMovie for iPhone app for $4.99, which gives you non-linear editing capabilities for your videos captured with your iPhone. The iMovie app includes 5 themes, which allow you to add title sequences and different transitions. Sliding your finger along the timeline lets you scrub through footage, just like traditional NLEs. And, you can pinch to zoom to check out footage and details up close. Using the iPhone’s GPS features, you can let iMovie for iPhone insert your location into your titles within videos.
If you want to put your movie to a soundtrack, you can choose from built-in music that matches the themes, or you can pull music from your song library on your iPhone. You can also drop photos into you iMovie for iPhone project and it will automatically apply the Ken Burns effect. Once you’re project is complete, you can email, upload to YouTube, send via MMS or share on MobileMe. Once you sync your iPhone with your computer, the Movie will transfer during the sync process.
The iPhone 4 really steps up the game on the creativity side of things. Only considering the new camera, HD video capture and iMovie app, the iPhone 4 seems pretty amazing. However, these new updates only scratch the surface of the iPhone 4’s new features. To get the full scoop, check out the iPhone 4 Overview at Tech Tilt.
The Sony Cyber-shot W310 is a 12.1-megapixel consumer-oriented compact camera. It’s compact size and friendly price-point are sure to make it a consideration for casual photographers looking to keep a camera at their instant disposal for snapshots. [Read more…]
The final version of Adobe Lightroom 3 is now available for download. The full version runs $299, while you can upgrade for $99. [Read more…]