Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
PhotographyBLOG has reviewed the new Olympus E-420.
So while existing owners don’t have quite a compelling enough reason to upgrade, those buying into the Olympus Four Thirds system now will get a reliable performer at a bargain price. Beginners will also relish the ease of use and the lack of bulk and weight normally associated with a DSLR.
For the latest news and reviews, check out Photography Bay’s Olympus E-420 Reviews and Resources page.
Just saw these deals from the Dell store and the current Day 3 of the 10 Days of Deals for Dads and Grads promotion.
Imaging Resource has posted a review of the new Olympus E-420.
In all, the E-420 aims big, striving for a digital SLR with mainstream accessibility and the utmost in portability, and to a large extent, it succeeds.
For the latest news and reviews, check out Photography Bay’s Olympus E-420 Reviews and Resources page.
Capture NX2 was just announced and Luminescent Photo has put together a hands-on preview of the new software. Detailing a number of the improvements in NX2, Jason Odell appears quite pleased with the updated software, noting:
The ease by which photographers can create incredibly complex mask effects takes the “work” out of the image editing process and allows creativity to come to the forefront. Users who enjoyed Capture NX 1.3 will definitely appreciate the enhancements in NX2.
Head on over to Luminescent Photo for the full scoop.
PC Mag has review the new Poloroid PoGo Instant Mobile Printer. With the PoGo, Polaroid takes a step back to its roots and tries to deliver instant photo prints in the digital age. Unfortunately, it seems that Polaroid has kept with the tradition of marginal image quality in its instant photos.
Output quality is far from ideal, or even what you’d expect from your local drug store. Colors in more than half of my test photos were noticeably off, shifting some light colors to yellow, some shades of red to purple, and making some photos seem faded or washed out.
In the above image found on dc.watch.impress.co.jp, the EXIF info in the left panel indicates that the lens used was a Nikon AF-S 50-150mm f/2.8 G lens. That’s all well and good, except there’s no lens with that focal length in Nikon’s current line up.
While I can’t make out all the text, I’m pretty confident on the assessment that this is a Nikon lens, given “G” moniker follow the f/-stop. Although Sigma has a 50-150mm lens, it has a DC moniker, which indicates that it is for cropped-sensor DSLRs only.
The inclusion of a 50-150mm lens in Nikon’s line signals their commitment to the DX sensor format and the alternative to the popular 70-200mm full frame focal length.
Perhaps we’ll see this lens at Nikon’s Photokina 2008 showing. For now, this will remain a rumor.
UPDATE: Apparently, the Sigma lens appears as a “G” lens Nikon’s software EXIF data. Why? I don’t know. But I suppose that a Sigma lens was used for this Nikon ad. [via]
Camera Labs has posted a full review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500. The FX500 is a 10.1 megapixel point & shoot camera with a 5x wide angle lens. It also features Panasonic’s O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization).
If you’re after a quality compact, the FX500 will fit the bill, although it’s not got what it takes to turn the heads of real enthusiasts from models like the Canon G9.
Neocamera has published 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.
The Coolpix S600 turns out to be a camera with slightly above average image quality but slow performance in critical areas like shot-to-shot speeds and focusing. The user-interface and menu system are easy to navigate but strangely organized and require more button-presses than usual.
Let’s Go Digital has posted a full review of the new and tiny (for DSLRs) Olympus E-420.
The extremely compact FourThirds DSLR had some help from its predecessors, however, the improvements carried out in particular to the image sensor, leave behind a positive feeling. FourThirds has proven itself in practice and it is a true joy to shoot with the Olympus E-420.
For the latest news and reviews, check out Photography Bay’s Olympus E-420 Reviews and Resources page.
My favorite photo sharing service just got better. I have been a staple SmugMug user for over 2 years now and have been most happy with their service. On the few occasions that I needed to get in touch with someone, they have been back to me within hours of my initial email and, usually have any problems resolved without further inquiry on my part. What’s more, I don’t recall my photos ever being off-line. Enough of my ranting, check out the release below regarding SmugMug’s integration with MS Sync Framework. (By the way, if you want to take SmugMug for a spin, you can use the following code for $5 off at sign up: 7jCtURK05RxCQ – as a disclosure, I get a credit against my account renewal too.)
PRESS RELEASE:
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 3, 2008–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Online photo sharing site SmugMug announced tools today to make safe backup of photos simple. Now adding or modifying photos in one location, such as a desktop, can automatically add or modify them in many diverse locations and applications, such as SmugMug’s online photo albums, laptops and handhelds.
SmugMug’s integration with the Microsoft Sync Framework empowers SmugMug’s thriving developer community to provide dynamic photo sharing across devices, such as electronic photo frames, and many applications, such as desktop photo editing & online photo sharing. When a customer adds such things as captions and keywords to photos, they can automatically be added wherever customers choose to synchronize.
“Everyone loves to flaunt their photos and wants to keep them safe,” said SmugMug President Chris MacAskill. “Now they can add once and flaunt everywhere. And watch as they’re safely backed up online and copied to all their devices.”
“Online photo sites are becoming more popular every day. With the multitude of devices that people use to access and modify them, synchronization is a must,” said Mark Jewett, Director SQL Server at Microsoft Corp. “SmugMug has shown one of the many innovative ways that the Microsoft Sync Framework can be used to make people’s life easier.”
For more about SmugMug, point your browser at www.smugmug.com.
About SmugMug
Since 2002, snap-shooters, passionate amateurs, and pro photographers have added more than 300 million photos and videos to SmugMug. Founded by son and father team Don and Chris MacAskill, SmugMug is the largest profitable independent photo sharing site. Its emphasis on beautiful displays and safe backup keep its sales almost doubling each year.
Product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners.