Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Pentax K20D and K200D Specs

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Does Let’s Go Digital have the scoop on the Pentax K20D and K200D specs?  I don’t know, but they’ve got  spec pages up that don’t have a public link-through yet.  Here’s the important stuff:

K20D:

  • Resolution 15.10 Mpixel
  • Maximum resolution 4672×3120
  • Minimum resolution 1824×1216
  • Sensor size 23.4×15.6mm
  • Sensor type CMOS
  •  ISO ratings auto, 100 – 6400
  •  Sequence (fps) 3
  •  Video function No
  •  LCD size 2.7-inch
  • LCD resolution (pixels) 230,000
  •  Weight 715g.
  • Sizes (mm) 141.5x101x70

K200D

  •  Resolution 10.75 Mpixel
  • Maximum resolution 3872×2592
  • Minimum resolution 2400×1600
  • Sensor size 23.5×15.7mm
  • Sensor type CCD
  •  ISO ratings aut0, 100-1600
  •  Minimum shutter (sec) Bulb+30
  • Maximum shutter (sec) 1/4000
  • Sequence (fps) 2.8
  •  LCD size 2.7-inch
  • LCD resolution (pixels) 230,000
  •  Energy
  • 4x AA
  • Weight 630g.
  • Sizes (mm) 133.5x95x74

Thanks to forum poster kukitos over at DP Review forums for the creative effort and find.  Click the link for a description of the links on Let’s Go Digital. I’ve pulled them up myself and can tell you that they exist as of 7:30 a.m.

Follow the latest on the Pentax K20D and K200D on this post.

[tags]pentax, k20d, k200d, rumor, specs[/tags]

 

DIY Ringflash

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Wesley Ringflash

The DIY Ringflash (as opposed to the $910 Bowens Ringflash) is really creating a stir on the internet nowadays.  I’m officially on the band wagon now. I invested about $5.00 on a trip to Wal-Mart the other night for a disposable casserole pan, 1 yard of white fabric and a plastic measuring cup. After about an hour or so of tinkering around while my wife watched Flip That House, I had a pretty effective little ringflash. It was inspired by Tanya Shields’ cheap DIY ringflash that I read about on Strobist last week.

Ringflash FrontRingflash Back

If you’ll click on the photos, you can see my notes that I placed on them via Flickr.

I can’t say that there’s really anything unique about my setup; however, here’s the details:

  • (1) quart-sized utility cup
  • (1) casserole disposable aluminum pan
  • (1) small sheet of white fabric
  • (1) roll of black tape
  • (1) scrap of cardboard from an envelope from MyPhotopipe.com

Steps

  • trace the bottom of the cup onto the pan
  • cut a hole in the middle of the pan along your outline
  • fit the cup in the hole an mark where to cut the bottom out
  • cut the bottom of the cup out at your mark
  • trace the end of your speedlight along the side of the pan
  • cut along your traced outline
  • wrap a piece of cardboard around the end of your speed light and secure it with tape (make sure you can get your flash in and out)
  • insert your flash with cardboard into the cutout on the side of the pan
  • secure the cardboard in the pan with tape
  • spray paint the exterior of the cup with flat white paint (this helps bounce the light around)
  • secure the cup (now a tube) into the pan with tape
  • mark the fabric on the lip of the cup
  • cut a hole in the fabric just smaller than the size of the cup’s opening
  • secure the fabric on the inside of the cup’s opening with tape
  • trim the fabric along the exterior of the pan (I also cut into the overlapped portions to keep it from bunching up when I tried to lay it down)
  • lay fabric down along the edges and secure with tape
  • insert your gear and go take some test shots

Ringflash Side

Dino Ringflash

If you’re into this kind of stuff, consider these other DIY rightlight resources:

Strobist

More Strobist

Ringflash Week at Strobist

DIY Photography

Dave Tejada

All Day I Dream About Photography

Olympus E-3 Review at Luminous Landscape

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Luminous Landscape has posted a field review of the Olympus E-3 and consider it a strong candidate in the prosumer category:

If you need a tough, durable and very capable camera to endure harsh conditions the E3 would be near the top of my list for any camera category. I shoot in many of these situations, can see the utility of the E3 in these circumstances, and would welcome being able to use it. The camera is just not very quick on its feet for general purpose photos or when a quick capture of an elusive moment is called for. And this so perfectly mirrors the DSLR scene in general.

More reviews and resources for the Olympus E-3 can be found here.

[tags]olympus, e-3, review[/tags]

Olympus E-Series Price Drops

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Olympus fans in the UK take note. Olympus has dropped the price to the popular consumer DSLRs, the E-410 and E-510.

The E410 body retail price has dropped to £319.99, a reduction of £20. The E410 Single Lens kit, Double Zoom and Travel Kits were all dropped by £50, which results in retail price points at £349.99, £449.99 and £399.99 respectively.

The E510‘s prices are £339.99 for the E510 body, £449.99 for the Single lens Kit, £549.99 for the Double Zoom kit and £499.99 for the Travel Kit.

[tags]olympus, e410, e510, price, drop[/tags]

Emma

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Allow me to introduce Emma, my new 6-week-old.  This photo was taken for her birth announcement.  To make it happen, I took one of her girly blankets, put it in a light tent and set her inside as well.  On the outside was a Nikon SB-26 and SB-24, triggered by GI Cactus V2s.  Shot with a Canon Rebel XT and my trusty (and cheap) EF 50mm f/1.8.

EXIF: ISO 100, 1/125s, f/8.

Magic Slipper for Speedlights

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The Strobist movement continues to attract the attention of manufacturers.  Westcott’s Magic Slipper allows photographers to use those speedlights with large softboxes without straining that fragile hot shoe.  It even allows for mounting your Pocket Wizards so they don’t hang by the sync cable.

Pre-PMA Press Release

Professional Photographer and lighting guru Bruce Dorn has teamed up with Westcott yet again in adding to the Bruce Dorn Select product line the Magic Slipper™. This support system was created as a way to adapt your shoe-mount speedlite to a choice of professional grade light modifiers. [Read more…]

Nik Software Dfine® 2.0 Brings Revolutionary Noise Reduction

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 Pre-PMA Press Release

Las Vegas, NV – January 18, 2008 (PMA 08, Booth #L161) – Nik Software Inc.’s award-winning noise reduction software tool Dfine 2.0 now features Nik Software’s patented U Point technology for selective editing control and a completely new user interface that is easier to use and improves workflow for busy photographers.

“Many photographers have simply ignored or accepted image noise as a part of digital photography due to the complexity of the image editing tools available,” said Michael J. Slater, president and CEO of Nik Software, Inc. “The complete re-design of Dfine takes simplicity and control of noise reduction to an entirely new level, a point recognized when it earned the coveted American Photo Editor’s Choice 2007 award.” [Read more…]

Nik Software Showcases New Color Efex Pro™ 3.0 at PMA 08

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Pre-PMA Press Release

Las Vegas, NV – January 18, 2008 (PMA 08, Booth #L161) – Nik Software, Inc. showcases today the latest upgrade to its award-winning Color Efex Pro collection of photographic filters for Adobe® Photoshop® and Photoshop Elements. The new Color Efex Pro 3.0 filter collection now integrates Nik Software’s patented U Point® technology for precise selective editing control, includes new and updated filters offering the widest range of professional photographic enhancements and effects, and features a completely redesigned user interface. [Read more…]

Photo Basics Educational Lighting Kits

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 Pre-PMA Press Release

Photo Basics, a division of the F.J. Westcott Company, is developed to be the only series of photographic lighting kits to come packaged complete with education.  For the individual who always had a love of photography but never thought it could be taken to the next level, Photo Basics is the answer!  The constant light line offers 500 watts of constant light allowing the user to see the image prior to capture just as the camera would. [Read more…]