Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

 

Pana-Vue Pana-Scan

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Pana-Vue Pana-Scan

The Pana-Vue Pana-Scan is a budget-friendly slide, 35mm and 110 negative film scanner.  The Pana-Scan converts film and slides to 5MP digital images, which are stored on an SD card that you can then import to your PC or Mac.  The Pana-Scan connects to your computer via USB 2.0 and includes Arc-Soft Media Impression as editing software.

The Pana-Scan carries a street price of around $100.  Check availability on Amazon.com.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Argraph MemoryKick Si

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MemoryKick Si

The MemoryKick Si is a portable backup solution for photo, video and audio files.  It comes in sizes of 160GB, 320GB and 500GB and can transfer any kind of file from memory cards.

The MemoryKick Si also lets you zoom in and out of photos, view slideshows of your images, view RAW files and EXIF info from the images.

MemoryKick Si

The transfer speed rate is 40MB/s, which works out to a little more than 2GB per minute.  The MemoryKick Si retails for $300, $360 or $430 for the respective capacity units.

You can find the MemoryKick Si at B&H Photo, Adorama and Amazon.

More details in the press release below. [Read more…]

Moo Card Discounts for First Timers

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Moo just sent me a 10% discount code to pass along to those of you who haven’t tried Moo cards before.  In case you didn’t already know, I’m a big fan of Moo cards.  I’ve tried the standard business cards and the cool mini cards, and really dig them both.

Here’s the discount code:  BHWU9R

The code will work for first time customers of Moo.com through January 31.

Tamrac Zipshot Tripod

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Tamrac recently introduced the Zipshot tripod, which is a light and ultra-portable alternative to the run-of-the-mill tripods out there. The Zipshot weighs 11 ounces and can carry a maximum load of 3 lbs (e.g., a prosumer DSLR with a kit lens).  It also includes a built-in ball head.

As you can see in the video, the whole thing pops open in just a few seconds thanks to the bungee cords inside the tripod legs.  It’s not exactly the sturdiest tripod, but can still get the job done, particularly if you use a remote or timer. [Read more…]

Stabilization for iPhone 3GS Cinematographers

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How serious are you about shooting video with your iPhone?  If you’re big time into iPhone video, then you might want to take a look at the Steadicam Smoothee from Tiffen.

This Steadicam is designed specifically for the iPhone and includes a customized mount for it.  The Smoothee should help keep your iPhone videos a little less shaky.  No word on pricing yet though.

Get the full rundown in the press release below. [Read more…]

Zacuto DSLR Gunstock Shooter Gorilla Kits

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Zacuto Tactical Shooter

As you are probably aware, video is a big trend in the professional photography realm right now.  Nikon, Canon and Pentax are all producing DSLRs that can record very high quality video.  Many photographers are taking this convergence of technology as an opportunity to expand their creative horizons.  And, whether you like it or not, video in DSLRs is here to stay.

For those of you wanting to get the most out of your DSLR’s video recording capabilities, you need to treat it a little more like a proper video camera.  That means, you need to keep it stable and be able to obtain critical focus.  Certainly, a tripod or monopod is a good way to do that.  But what if you want to be a little more mobile?  There are plenty of solutions for that as well.

Zacuto was one of the first manufacturers to offer a dedicated mobile video solution for DSLR owners.  Zacuto’s selection of DSLR video kits have grown to include more entry-level kits.  I got a chance to check out some of the more affordable Gunstock Shooter Gorilla Kits at Imaging USA this week and have to say that they are pretty impressive. [Read more…]

Camera Phones Get 14MP and 1080p HD

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While these specs aren’t out of the ordinary for point and shoot cameras, you might raise an eyebrow at a 14MP camera phone that captures 1080p video as well.  Well, expect them soon.

Omnivision has developed a 14MP HD sensor to be used in cell phones, as well as a sibling sensor with the same pixel count for use in compact cameras.  Given the noisy images produced by much lower MP-count sensors of the same size, you have to be concerned about what kind of grain a 14MP sensor on a mobile phone camera is going to produce.  Maybe the backside illumination of the sensors will help ease the noise.

According to Omnivision, the new sensors are capable of producing 1080p video at 60 frames per second.  These new sensors go into mass production in the second quarter of 2010.

More details on the new sensors in the press release below. [Read more…]

Top Photo Gear of 2009

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At the end of every year, a lot of people reflect back and give their opinions as to what was the camera or other product of the year.  I decided to take a look in the statistics I receive from Amazon.com to see the products that were hot with Photography Bay readers last year.  Below you’ll find a list of the cameras, lenses and more that were the most popular items among PB readers in 2009.  [Read more…]

eStarling TouchConnect Wi-Fi Digital Photo Frame

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I’ve tried a number of digital photo frames; however, I’ve always hated the process of updating the photos by putting files on an SD card and then having to transfer them over to the internal memory of the frame. eStarling may have a solution with their new TouchConnect Wi-Fi photo frame.  This new frame allows you to update your frame wirelessly and automatically through a variety of online services.

The eStarling TouchConnect boasts integration with Facebook, Flickr, Picasa, RSS Feeds and Gmail. With an easy, one-time set up an eStarling TouchConnect can receive photos (and videos up to 20MB in size if e-mailed to the corresponding Gmail address) from all these places as they are posted. And with 802.11n WiFi, a touch-sensitive screen and automatic over-the-air firmware updates, the eStarling TouchConnect is one of the most user friendly frames on the market. -eStarling

The eStarling TouchConnect is available from Adorama at a current price of $200.