Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Polaroid PoGo Instant Digital Camera

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Polaroid’s new PoGo Instant Digital Camera may be the next big thing.  Or, then again, it may be the next big flop.  The concept is great – taking Polaroid’s history of instant photography into the digital realm (Polaroid started down this road with the PoGo Instant Printer last year).

Execution is crucial.  Depending on how the print quality and consumer impressions of this new gadget plays out is key.  I have to admit though, I kinda want one.

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

 

Demotix User-Generated Newswire

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Want to be a photojournalist? Having a hard time hooking up with Getty Images? Consider Demotix.

Demotix has entered the photojournalism realm with a new take on the traditional newswire. Demotix calls it street journalism. I had a giddy feeling when I watched the above video that demonstrates a bit of the potential that Demotix can bring to photographers around the globe. I’m not saying Demotix has arrived as the next big thing, but it has some potential.

Check out the details in the press release below and let me know your thoughts as photographers. [Read more…]

Pretec CFast Compact Flash Card – Transfer Rate of 160MB/s

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I think Pretec just dared Canon, Nikon or anyone else to produce some higher resolution video and faster frame rates.  The new Pretec CFast series of compact flash cards quadruples the write speed of the SanDisk Extreme IV.

And, if the performance lives up to the specs, the CFast series will eat as much HD video as your Canon 5D Mark II can throw at it.  Maybe we can stop referring to CF card specs as 133x, 266x and so on, since the CFast will be something like 1064x speed card.

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

Canon 5D Mark II Firmware Update Ver. 1.0.7

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Canon has updated the firmware for the EOS 5D Mark II with the specific intention of addressing the Black Dot and vertical banding problems.  See the notes from Canon below regarding Firmware Version 1.0.7.

Firmware Update Version 1.0.7 improves and mitigates the following two types of image quality phenomena that occur under certain shooting conditions.

1. “Black dot” phenomenon (the right side of point light sources become black)
2. Vertical banding noise

Firmware Version 1.0.7 is for EOS 5D Mark II cameras with firmware up to version 1.0.6. If the camera’s firmware is already version 1.0.7, it is not necessary to update the firmware.

Notes:
When updating to Firmware Version 1.0.7, please also update the Digital Photo Professional and Picture Style Editor software. Firmware Version 1.0.7 can be downloaded from the bottom of this page. Updates for Digital Photo Professional and Picture Style Editor can be downloaded from the following Web site.

You can download the updates and view further details and instructions from Canon here.

For the latest news and reviews on the 5D Mark II, be sure to stay tuned to Photography Bay’s Canon 5D Mark II Reviews and Resources.

Sony Cyber-shot W220, W210 and S950

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Sony has announced three new point and shoot cameras at CES 2009.  Key specifications and a press release from Sony UK follow.

Sony Cyber-shot W210 Key Features

  • 12.1 megapixels
  • Carl Zeiss lens
  • 4x optical zoom
  • SteadyShot image stabilization
  • Sensitivity up to ISO 3200
  • Smile Shutter
  • Face Detection AF
  • 2.7″ LCD

Sony Cyber-shot W220 Key Features

  • 12.1 megapixels
  • Carl Zeiss lens
  • 4x optical zoom
  • SteadyShot optical image stabilization
  • Sensitivity up to ISO 3200
  • Smile Shutter
  • Face Detection AF
  • 2.7″ LCD

Sony Cyber-shot S950 Key Features

  • 10.1 megapixels
  • 4x optical zoom
  • Face Detection AF
  • 2.7″ LCD

PRESS RELEASE

Three new Cyber-shot™ cameras from Sony make unforgettable images beautifully affordable. Packed with smart features like Smile Shutter and Intelligent Scene Recognition, the Cyber-shot™ W220 and W210 are your passport to gorgeous photos with more fun and less fuss. When real value counts as much as great pictures, the colourful Cyber-shot™ S950 puts unbeatable Sony quality within everyone’s reach. [Read more…]

Olympus SP-590UZ

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Olympus is bringing a new superzoom point and shoot camera to the table in the SP-590UZ.

Olympus SP-590UZ Key Features

  • 12MP Digital Camera
  • 26X Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom
  • 2.7 inch LCD

We’ll have photos and more details once things become official.  I expect this to be a CES release that should be happening very soon though.

[via Amazon.com via 1001NC]

50th Anniversary of the Canon SLR

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2009 marks the 50th year that some version of a Canon SLR has been around. Take a walk down memory lane starting with the Canonflex above, which was released in 1959.

As you’ll see below, Canon launched the EOS 650 in 1987 as its first electronic mount SLR.  When I read this press release, I had to go get my EOS 650 out of my file cabinet and gander at it for a few minutes.  I’ve even got the original product brochure, which boasts “a super-fast autofocus system” – I kid you not.  I am totally busting out the EOS 650 with a roll of film this weekend!

Happy Anniversary Canon!

For more nostalgia check out the press release and images below. [Read more…]

iPhoto 2009

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Today, at Macworld, Apple announced iPhoto 2009, which offers a number of additional features to the popular Apple photo management and processing software.  iPhoto 2009 is a part of the larger iLife 2009 software collection that includes programs like Garageband and iMovie.

iPhoto 2009 offers some innovative organization options, like organizing photos by faces.  According to Apple, you select a few images with a given person and tag that person in the image.  iPhoto then culls through your image library and suggests additional photos with that person in them.  I find this feature to be quite compelling for those of you who have multiple kids that you are trying to keep track of.

I have a couple of kids myself, whose photos I place in a “Kid A” and “Kid B” folder.  As you can imagine, there is plenty of overlap among the numerous photos and invariably the image of Kid A that I’m looking for is in the Kid B folder because Kid B is also in the photo.  If this feature works as advertised, you Mac moms and dads out there are going to enjoy it.

There are a number of other features in iPhoto 2009 like GPS organization, themed slideshows, integrated online sharing through Facebook and Flickr, and enhancements to the editing tool.  To get the full scoop on iPhoto 2009, visit www.apple.com/ilife/iphoto/.