Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
DCResource has posted a review of the Ricoh R8.
The R8 was generally a good performer. It starts up in about two seconds, which is on the slow side, though the camera has a good-sized zoom to extend. Focusing speeds were about average, ranging from 0.2 – 0.4 seconds at wide-angle, to around twice that at full telephoto.
For more news and reviews for the Ricoh R8 and some nostalgic thoughts from yours truly, visit Photography Bay’s Ricoh R8 Reviews & Resources page.
PhotographyBLOG has published a review of the new 14.6 megapixel Pentax K20D.
Pentax have made some notable improvements with the K20D in terms of it’s responsiveness and ease-of-use, in particular offering much quicker file write times that really speed up using the camera. If you have a collection of Pentax lenses, you’ll love the new AF Adjustment custom function, which allows you to precisely calibrate each one to the K20D, and the Dust Alert feature shows you exactly where the dust is on the sensor. Studio photographers can now seriously consider the K20D because of the welcome addition of an X-sync socket, and the camera still offers dust and water-resistance and effective anti-shake and dust-removal systems.
Click here for more news, reviews and info on the Pentax K200D.
DPReview has posted a review of the 11.1 megapixel Fuji Finepix S100FS.
It represents an awful lot of camera for comparatively little money and one that is more flexible than a DSLR kit for the same outlay. Its feature set, including very respectable RAW performance and dynamic range optimization is impressive. It’s nice to see a flash hot shoe, even if it isn’t as sophisticated as the ones found on most DSLRs.
Interested in a new Canon camera, lens or other accessory? Well, the price is going up for dealers on May 1, 2008. The price adjustment on the consumer end is sure to follow. Thinking of grabbing a new Canon lens or flash? Maybe you should speed up the process, eh?
Note, the price increase does not affect Canon DSLR bodies or kits.
(via Rob Galbraith)
Olympus UK apparently slipped up and posted the model number of the forthcoming successor to the Olympus E-510 on an info page regarding image quality. The offending text has been removed; however, this is the passage that was purportedly published by Olympus:
So that you don’t need to carry a heavy tripod or invest extra money into every single stabilised lens, Olympus integrated a built-in image stabiliser into the camera body of the E-3, E-510 and E-520. It stabilises up to 5 EV steps (up to 4 EV steps with the E-510 and E-520), making it the most effective solution on the market.
You can see the can see the redacted version of the page here. Note that the “and E-520” is gone, which makes the listing of “E-3, E-510” read awkward since there is a comma in a list of only two items. The cached version of the page shows this current version as well. (via dslruser.co.uk)
Since the E-420 was just recently released, the follow-on of the E-520 certainly comes as no surprise. We’ll keep our ears to the ground and pass along the latest news and rumors on the Olympus E-520 when it arrives.
DPReview has posted a hands on preview of the new 12.2 megapixel Canon Rebel XSi.
. . . you’ll find a detailed breakdown of all of the changes and updates compared to the EOS 400D but the headlines are; a larger 3.0″ LCD monitor, Live View with both passive and contrast detect AF, Spot metering, improved auto-focus, 3.5 fps continuous shooting a larger viewfinder and a switch SD/SDHC for storage . . . .
For more news, reviews and info on the XSi, check out Photography Bay’s Canon Rebel XSi Reviews and Resources.
Trusted Reviews has posted a review of the 10 megapixel, Pentax K200D.
The handling of the K200D is very simple yet it maintains a reassuring, more professional build quality. Images are sure to please even the most critical photographer, with few serious problems bar slight underexposure on rare occaisions.
Click here for more info on the Pentax K200D.
The black kit Canon Rebel XSi is in stock and shipping from Amazon.com now. Click here to go to the Amazon.com product page.
Also, visit Photography Bay’s Canon Rebel XSi Reviews and Resources.
Below are some of the best photography links from other sites that I came across this week. Enjoy!
Nikon Tight-Lipped on ‘D3X’ Camera Reports – Amateur Photographer – Chris Cheesman tried to get Nikon to comment on all the rumors of late, but mum is the word from Nikon.
The Wall Street Journal lifted my image! – LeggNet’s Digital Capture – Rich Legg describes how one of his Flickr images ended up on the Wall Street Journal’s site . . . without his permission.
Camera Raw, Bridge, or Lightroom? -Adobe Photoshop Insider – Scott Kelby digs into the differences in Camera Raw, Bridge and Lightroom and tells us which one we, as photographers, should be using.
Apple Releases Aperture Plug-in Programming Kit – Underexposed – Stephen Shankland details the latest on the developments for Apple Aperture’s plug-in news. (Note: This will be a big-dang-deal for our workflow.)
Seven Tips for Making Photographs in the Jungle – Black Star Rising – Freelance photographer, Faye Osman, give her tips and insights on shooting in the jungle. Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!
…and then they were free – Photo Business Forum – John Harrington provides insightful commentary the next big in stock photography sites – free photos.
Think Camera has posted a review of the Nikon D60.
Those looking to make a first class entry level DSLR purchase need only know that the Nikon D60 is an excellent choice – it’s small, light, affordable, easy to use and has enough solid and fun features to get any enthusiast going. Although current Nikon D40x users will probably not feel the need to upgrade, taken on its own merit, Nikon D60 is up there with the best entry level DSLR, if not the best.
For the latest news and reviews on the D60, check out Photography Bay’s Nikon D60 Reviews and Resources page.