Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

 

Canon PowerShot D10 Review at Engadget

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Engadget has posted a review of the Canon Powershot D10, along with some sample images and underwater video.

All told, Canon’s PowerShot D10 is a stellar adventure camera. It’s more than just a waterproof camera that’s only marginally larger than a standard P&S, it’s a rugged, lightweight shooter that should suit most everyone but the professionals in attendance.

Nikon D700x Rumor Update

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Several tips and rumors have been flowing in over at Nikon Rumors concerning an update to the D700, which tipsters are calling the D700x.  This camera has been in the rumor mill since before the D3x was announced and many Nikonians have lusted after the thought of a D700-like camera body packed with a D3x-type sensor.

“I was at *** 2009 show earlier this year in ***, and was asking a staff member on the Nikon stand about the D700 replacement/upgrade. I was told whatever replaces it will be released in October/November 2009, but they would say no more than that.”

“My D300 is in for service at Nikon (bad aperture control module) and I asked the tech when a new dslr was being released and which one. He responded with the D700x this fall. A 24mp replacement for the D700.”

While such a camera might make sense when looking at the Nikon D700’s biggest competitor (Canon 5D Mark II), it doesn’t really fit into Nikon’s lineup very well.  As posited by Nikon Rumors, a Nikon D700x with a  12.3 megapixel sensor that also captures video and can do a few new tricks seems to be the most likely D700 replacement for this fall anyway.  As such, it would fit nicely with the all-but-official Nikon D300s, which we expect around the first of August.

[via Nikon Rumors]

Olympus: There is Lots More to Come to M4/3rds

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Olympus E-P1

The Olympus EP-1 has received tremendous amounts of press since its release as the camera is truly the digital rangefinder that many people have been looking for. However, according to the British Journal of Photography via Photo Rumors there is both a pro Pen camera  and a lower grade Pen camera in development.

Olympus's Micro 4/3rd's camera

I shot the above photo at last year’s PhotoPlus Expo. It was the prototype of the EP-1, or at least it was supposed to be. Olympus said that it was the prototype of their Micro 4/3rds camera. However, they never said which one it was a prototype for. Could it possibly be the one that will be aimed more towards consumers? [Read more…]

Sonic Photo, Broadway Photo, Best Price Camera and Other Scammers Get Busted

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The New York Attorney General has busted these scam shops for their nefarious bait & switch tactics, which result in heartache stories across the photography community year in and out.

While they’re getting off with a $765,000 settlement after being investigated by the New York AG, hopefully the officials will keep a closer eye on them.  This isn’t the first time Broadway Photo has been on the wrong side of the law though.

[New York Times via @AdoramaUsed]

Magic Lantern Firmware Update for Canon 5D MK II

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Magic Lantern firmware introduction from Trammell Hudson on Vimeo.

If you’re a Canon user, the camera that you probably dream about is the Canon 5D MK II. Despite the fact that B&H and Adorama never have units because it moves so fast, the camera does have its flaws. Adding onto the recent manual control firmware update by Canon (blogged about earlier by Eric), users and potential buyers of the 5D MK II may want to consider the Magic Lantern Firmware update.

The programmers state that, “Within some limitations, we can fix many of the Canon firmware problems and plan to write widgets to address the requirements of the film users of this amazing camera.”

The Magic Lantern update is similar to the Canon Hacking Development Kit, known as the CHDK to photographers.  As such, it is not officially recognized by Canon as an official update to the camera’s software (and users know that it isn’t perfect either.) The features that are added are common to what may be found on professional camcorders and could prove very valuable to photojournalists, indie filmmakers, and others that really appreciate the ability to capture beautiful video from the large sensor. A truly useful add-on is the on-screen audio meters for monitoring sound recording levels–which is instrumental because there 5D MK II doesn’t have a headphone jack. Additionally there are zebra stripes to help compose a more balanced image (which is a bit laggy as seen in the video), on-screen crop marks for different aspect ratios (16:9, 2.35:1 and 4:3) and the ability to switch off the Auto Gain Control and control video gain manually. That means that image noise/grain will be reduced and less work will be done in post to get rid of it.

Like the CHDK though, it’s not all perfect for everyone. Users will need to reload the firmware after the camera is switched off, goes to sleep or you remove the CF card, and you should remove the battery after each use lest the hacked processes continue to run in the background and kill the battery. However, keep in mind that the update s in it’s beta stages. Like the CHDK, the firmware will constantly be tweaked and initial issues will be resolved until the recording capabilities and usage issues meet the needs of the users. Another plus is the fact that it’s free, possibly stemming from the fact that it is a homebrew solution to the problems encountered while using the camera.

I’ve used the CHDK before on a Canon S5 IS superzoom, and was very pleased with the results–especially the RAW image capture capabilities. Granted, the 5D MK II has all that, but supercharging your camera is always an awesome alternative that can help you out without the need for extra equipment that you (and me) may not be able to afford. Additionally, you won’t be burdened down by external monitors, beachtek adapters, etc. In my tests with the Canon 5D MK II when it was first shown off at PhotoPlus Expo 08, I found it to pair very nicely with a Rode Shotgun mic for my needs–which are photojournalistic. Monitoring audio levels and singling out the exact sounds that you want/need is sometimes a problem with this camera. Perhaps the Magic Lantern update may push Canon to release another firmware update since bodies continue to move off the shelves.