Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
The 10 finalists in the Seagate/O’Neill photo contest are displayed below in no particular order. It’s in the hands of our judges, Rich Legg of LeggNet’s Digital Capture and Nicole Young of Nicolesy Photography, to collaborate and come up with the top 3 images.
We’ll have an announcement later in January for the winning photos. [Read more…]
The Sony A850 and A900 are full frame cameras that pack in 24.6-megapixels on that big sensor. The cameras appear at the top-end of the Alpha system line up. At first blush, the A850 appears almost identical to the pricier Sony A900. After delving deeper into the A850, you’ll discover that there’s really not a whole lot of difference between it and the A900.
Because of the similarities between these two cameras and the fact that I reviewed them simultaneous, I decided to publish one review for both cameras rather than than two separate reviews with only minor changes in the text. [Read more…]
PocketWizard has updated the firmware for the Canon version of the MiniTT1 Transmitter and FlexTT5 Transceiver.
The new firmware adds several new capabilities to the wireless system. Two of the big ones are Rear Curtain Sync and Pre-Flash Boost:
“PocketWizard’s rear curtain sync allows the photographer to set the shutter speed at which rear curtain sync automatically engages while optimizing the timing of rear curtain sync to fire at the absolute end of the shutter opening. Pre-Flash Boost provides enhanced E-TTL performance when using flash diffusers, doing bounce flash, or at ranges just beyond the normal E-TTL capabilities. By increasing the pre-flash power, PocketWizard has offset the loss of light in these challenging E-TTL situations.” –PocketWizard
The new firmware also adds automatic camera detection, which allows the system to determine appropriate sync speed for High Speed Sync mode. Compatibility for the Canon 7D has been added, along with compatibility for the Metz 58 AF-1.
Additional details about the updated firmware are available in a PDF file from PocketWizard, which can be viewed here.
Download info for the firmware can be found here.
HDRsoft has released a more affordable version of its popular Photomatix software. The new version is called “Photomatix Light.”
Photomatix Light 1.0 is available for $39 via instant download from HDRsoft.com. Photomatix Pro will run you $99.
Photomatix Light 1.0 is a standalone application that provides HDR tone mapping, exposure fusion and automatic alignment of hand-held photos. [Read more…]
The rumors of a replacement for the Sony A700 just won’t die. There has been a lot of chatter lately about the A700 being discontinued with a replacement coming around CES 2010 or PMA 2010. Note that the A700 is still in stock at B&H Photo. [Read more…]
The Canon EOS 7D is a 18-megapixel DSLR featuring an APS-C format CMOS sensor. At the time of its release, the 7D is situated in the EOS lineup between the 50D and the 5D Mark II.
The Canon 7D brings a number of improvements and new features to the Canon prosumer lineup. Taking these advancements into account, Canon has finally produced a DSLR whose specs outshine its Nikon counterpart – in this case the Nikon D300s. [Read more…]
The Crumpler Sinking Barge is a trendy camera bag and laptop carrier that doesn’t have the look of the typical camera bag. That’s a good thing though. You don’t always was to
The Sinking Barge is made out of a tough, water-resistant fabric with a ripstop liner. When you get your hands on the Sinking Barge, you get the quick impression that it’s a tough bag – and my time with it has reaffirmed this impression. The outer fabric is thick and the zippers are big and slide smoothly. [Read more…]
There are plenty of great Photoshop tips and tutorials online; however, sometimes I like to have a book in front of me to help find my way. And, there are plenty of great authors out there producing thorough and well-organized resources. [Read more…]
If you got a DSLR camera for Christmas, or even if you’ve just had your eye on a new lens, now might be the time to pick up a Tamron lens. Several Tamron lenses have rebates available through December 31, 2009. [Read more…]
This topic was brought up by a reader who broke his right arm and asked how he was supposed to take photos and operate his camera with just his left hand.
Even if you are left-handed, cameras are designed to be gripped and operated primarily using the right hand. That’s why the grip and shutter release are on the right side.
If you have to go one-handed on your camera, you want the right hand to be holding it. But what do you do when you can’t use your right hand for 45 days?
Sure, you can carry around a tripod for a month and a half, but you’ll probably be without a camera quite often if it has to have a tripod attached to it every time you go out.
So, what are your other options? [Read more…]