Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
Sony has released a firmware update for the Sony A230, A330 and A380 DSLRs. The firmware version 1.10 addresses the following:
When the [Metering mode] is set to the [Center weighted] or [Spot] metering modes, the exposure will be locked when the focus is confirmed. (When shooting in AF mode).
To learn more about the update or to download it, visit Sony’s download site for Windows PC or for Mac.
I’ve only got $1000 to spend on a camera, lens and accessories, what should I buy and why?
This is a question that frequently pops up on popular photography forums like those found on Photo.net. I have a soft spot in my heart for Photo.net and its members. It’s where I renewed my interest in photography, specifically “digital photography.” And, I’ve asked so many questions about what to buy and read countless questions of others asking the same thing. (I’ve really asked some dumb questions. But the crew at Photo.net were very friendly and responsive to my questions.)
Now, it may not always be the $1000 figure, it might be $800 or $1500. Or, someone might be trying to decide between a couple of lenses and flashes. I’ve also received plenty of questions like this from readers of Photography Bay in the form of comments, emails and our own fledgling forum. But, for now, we’ll stick with this budget and look for a good first DSLR kit.
With the holiday shopping season ramping up, many of you may be in just this boat, with a budget in this neighborhood, give or take a few bucks. So, here’s the advice I would give myself if I were looking to by my first DSLR today. [Read more…]
The Olympus E-P2 is a quick follow-up to the E-P1, which was introduced just 5 short months ago. The E-P2 actually appears to be a mild upgrade to the E-P1 since it sports the same internals, including the same 12.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor. What the E-P2 adds is a port for accessories like an external mic or high-res electronic viewfinder, along with AF tracking capability, i-Enhance color boosting and some new Art filters.
The E-P2 should be available in December 2009 at an initial retail price of $1099.
Canon has released a firmware update for the EOS 7D. The new version 1.1.0 is supposed to address the strange ghosting issue that was uncovered last week.
Canon’s official word about the firmware:
1. Corrects a phenomenon that in images captured by continuous shooting, and under certain conditions, barely noticeable traces of the immediately preceding frame may be visible.
To learn more about it or to download the update, see Canon’s website.
DxO Labs has announced DxO Optics Pro 6, which is geared toward taming high ISO RAW conversion and extends optical fault correction. Additionally, the software adds support for Olympus DSLRs, the Sony A230, A330 and A380, as well as the Nikon D300s.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
If you’re reading this, then chances are you’re a photographer (be it a budding amateur or an old pro) and you have photos on the Internet somewhere. But where?
I have photos in more than one place to share them with different groups of people; however, the images don’t overlap completely. For instance, I might take a handful of images from a given shoot or outing and share them with friends on Facebook; however, I might put a couple of hundred from the same shoot on SmugMug. And then, I might put four or five on Flickr.
They way I’ve shared images online has changed over the years with the way I use the web. What about you?
How do you share your images? Do you share them in more than one place? I’ve created a multiple choice poll below that covers some of the popular sharing sites and general categories of how we share images.
Take a few seconds to make your picks. Additionally, feel free to eloborate on how you share your images in the comments below and why you choose those methods over alternatives. We’ll take a look at the results and your comments in a follow-up soon.
LaCie has introduced its Network Space 2 storage solution in a 1TB flavor. The Network Space 2 is a Network Attached Storage, or NAS, drive, which is intended to be as simple to use as an ordinary external hard drive.
The Network Space 2 also has a USB 2.0 host connection, which lets you import files from a USB device (such as your digital images) without the need of a computer. More details in LaCie’s press release below. [Read more…]
Rumors of the Sony A750 have been floating around for a while now in the form of hoaxes and wishful thinking; however, those rumors have recently picked up and the chatter is stirring that Sony will unveil a full frame follow-up to the aging A700.
The rumored specs for the A750 suggest a 14.6-megapixel full-frame sensor, which should fit neatly between the APS-C powered Sony A550 and the high-resolution, full frame Sony A850. As for pricing, there’s no hard number bouncing around but, if there’s truth to these rumors, my guess would be in the $1500 range.
[via Neutral Day, among others]
Think Tank Photo has just made a major addition to their bestselling Urban Disguise line. The Urban Disguise 70 Pro is a huge shoulder bag that can carry up to a 70-200 f2.8 lens attached to any camera body. As with the other models in this line, it is designed so that it doesn’t look like a camera bag. This fits with Think Tank Photo’s philosophy of designing bags for photographers who need to protect their gear.
You can find out more about the Urban Disguise 70 Pro here.
Additionally, Think Tank Photo has a special deal for Photography Bay readers. Essentially, if you spend $50 or more on gear from Think Tank Photo, during checkout their system will automatically let you select a free camera bag (e.g., Lens Changer 50) along with your order. Go to Think Tank Photo using this link and follow the on-screen instructions at check-out to get your free item.
If you didn’t get enough in the first Canon 7D vs. Nikon D300s ISO Test (and I know a lot of you didn’t, based on the lively comment section), we’re back for Round 2.
This time, we’ve got a couple of additional variables to mix things up a bit — and to see if the claims of some of the Nikon shooters in the comment section of the first round bear fruit. [Read more…]