Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
Ritz Camera Centers, Inc. (the brick and mortar stores, not the online stores) is going to start liquidating stores on Saturday, April 4, 2009 as part of its reorganization process. Over 300 stores across the nation will be closing. As a result, you may be able to find some deals in the coming weeks.
See the press release below for more details. Additionally, a complete list of store locations that are closing is listed below. [Read more…]
DP Interface has posted a review of the Canon 50D.
The camera offers a lot of functionality for photo enthusiasts and professionals, yet still has a small handful of scene modes and Creative Auto mode which appeal to users who want to enter and test the waters of the digital SLR world (if they’re daring enough to start out with this camera).
For the latest news and reviews, check out Photography Bay’s Canon 50D Reviews and Resources.
Pocket Lint has posted a review of the Nikon Coolpix P90.
Still blighted by the shortcomings of its forebear, the P90 is capable of some great shots on one hand, but suffers on the other.
Imaging Resource has posted a review of the Canon PowerShot SD780 IS.
We still think the SD780 IS is a very nice digital camera to use, and that it will serve as a decent camera for serving up good 4×6-inch prints at up to ISO 800, but that 12-megapixel designation on the front of the camera makes it seem like the camera is capable of more.
PhotographyBLOG has posted a review of the Olympus SP-590UZ.
Its operational speed and high-ISO image quality might not be a match for DSLRs, with a very slow burst mode and noise appearing at the relatively slow setting of ISO 200, but it makes up for what it lacks in these departments by offering greater flexibility in a much more compact package.
Olympus has released a firmware update (version 1.1) for the E-30 DSLR. The firmware update addresses the following issues:
You can download the update here.
Steve’s Digicams has posted a review of the Canon PowerShot SX200 IS.
Image quality was pleasing both indoors about out. Our outdoor samples show the camera has the ability to capture excellent exposures that show good color balance, and are tac sharp.
For more news and reviews, check out Photography Bay’s Canon PowerShot SX200 IS Reviews.
Buy-n-Shoot has posted a review of the Ricoh CX1.
Within it’s price range, the Ricoh CX1 is a solid unit both literally and performance-wise that ought to be considered as a contender for your business.
For more news and reviews, check out Photography Bay’s Ricoh CX1 Reviews and Resources.
DC Resource has posted a review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3.
Image quality was very good in most respects. The DMC-ZS3 takes well-exposed photos, without a lot of highlight clipping that’s common on compact cameras (you’ll still encounter it, though).
For more news and reviews, see Photography Bay’s Panasonic Lumix ZS3 Reviews and Resources.
The Olympus E-450 is the successor to the E-420. The E-450 features a 10 megapixel sensor and fast autofocus during Live View. It also offer Art Filters like those found in the E-30 and E-620 – albeit only 3 Art Filters instead of six as found in its bigger siblings. The E-450 should be widely available by July 2009.
Check availability on Amazon.com.
The advantage of the E-450 over the E-620 is its lower price and weight – not that the E-620 is terribly heavy but the E-450 is lighter still, and costs considerably less.
CENTER VALLEY, Pa., March 31, 2009 – Olympus announces its new entry-level digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera, which is small in size and powerful in creativity. The new E-450 continues the E-400 series’ heritage of a small and portable design, powerful features, and ease of use for any skill level, including first time digital camera users. Thanks to Art Filters pioneered with the E-30 and E-620, the E-450 provides consumers with the creative freedom to capture their images in new fun and exciting ways.
The three Art Filters – Pop Art, Pin Hole and Soft Focus – bring greater creativity and freestyle experimentation to the new E-450. The creative filters were first introduced in Olympus’ E-30 prosumer DSLR earlier this year, and now enable consumers to express themselves and capture it all – limited only by their imagination. The E-450 offers the 10-megapixel imager and other features from the E-420.
The new camera also provides heavyweight technologies, including a bigger, more viewable 2.7-inch LCD and fast consumer-friendly On-Screen Autofocus, Face Detection, Shadow Adjustment Technology and Perfect Shot Preview to get the most out of the Live View experience. Additionally, when it comes to Live View, not all LCDs are created equal. At 2.7-inches, the portable E-450 LCD is large enough for users to compose and review images without squinting. The small camera’s LCD is part of a camera with technologies intelligent enough to take advantage of the Live View photography experience. These innovative technologies include:
Olympus is scheduled to launch the E-450 DSLR on leading multimedia retailer QVC® Saturday, May 9.
“We are thrilled to debut the much-anticipated Olympus E-450,” said Rob Ellerstein, director of electronics merchandising for QVC. “Thanks to our strong relationship with Olympus, we are not only offering the most innovative new products but we are also giving our customers the opportunity to order them before they hit stores.”
The product will be widely available in the U.S. and Canada in July.
If you’re hoping to get more out of your camera than simply capturing and documenting a scene, and enjoy enhancing or customizing an image to make it your own, then you will value the camera’s Art Filters. The filters, which are built into the camera, provide incredible individual artistic control over an image, and remove the need to spend time altering images on the computer with editing software.
This camera was made for free-style shooting, experimenting and engaging with events and subjects. Enjoy the freedom of Autofocus Live View and dramatic effects to transform your day-to-day shots into compositions that you can be proud of with the following in-camera Art Filters:
Art Filters are easily activated with the mode dial on the right side of the camera body. The effects are viewable right on the new camera’s 100 percent accurate 2.7-inch Live View LCD when using the E-450 in Live View mode or when reviewing the captured image.
Olympus was the first to bring Live View to a consumer DSLR (the E-330 in 2006), and Live View has revolutionized DSLR photography. Anyone who has photographed young children knows that you get the best reactions when you hold the camera away from your face and maintain eye contact and an engaging smile. If you have tried to take photos high above the heads in a crowd or low near the ground, you will appreciate that it is easier to use the LCD screen than to climb a ladder or lie on the ground.
The E-450 solves these problems with its Live View LCD, which enables photographers to easily and comfortably hold the camera at angles that could not be reached by using the optical viewfinder alone. The E-450’s Live View autofocus functionality now simplifies the process by working just like a point and shoot. By simply pressing the shutter button halfway, your subjects come into focus on the LCD, so when the perfect moment occurs it is easy to capture sharp images.
A camera this consumer-friendly is perfect for taking portraits of friends and family while out and about. The E-450’s Face Detection feature distinguishes between people’s faces and the background. It tracks up to eight faces within the image area and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures. Even if your subjects are moving, the camera continuously tracks their faces.
Shooting scenes with shadows can be tricky because of the extreme contrast between dark and bright areas. The E-450 addresses this challenge with Shadow Adjustment Technology that compensates for extreme contrast when shadow areas are underexposed and lack visible detail. Now users can preview and capture images with the same fine contrast they see with their own eyes.
With 18 pre-set scene-select modes for every imaginable shooting scenario and full manual controls, the E-450 offers a world of possibilities to photographers. Additionally, Perfect Shot Preview enables users to preview and select various photographic effects on a live, multi-window screen on the LCD before snapping the shot. This feature shows photographers what their images will look like beforehand under various settings, ensuring that they capture exactly what they want. It is an ideal way for novice users to learn about the effects of different photography techniques, such as exposure compensation, white balance and metering.
Capturing, enlarging and displaying amazing images on your wall is a snap thanks to the E-450’s 10 million pixels for high-resolution photos. The 10-megapixel sensor gives users the flexibility to enlarge prints to the sizes supported by many of today’s printers, or crop the image to print only a part of the image that is important to them. The high-performance Live MOS image sensor in the E-450 delivers excellent dynamic range for accurate color fidelity and a state-of-the-art image processor dramatically reduces noise and captures fine image details in the highlight and shadow areas.
Many digital SLR users want to focus their attention on things other than white balance while they are on the move. As a result, the E-450 features an improved automatic white balance performance with a new algorithm for more accurate color.
Olympus’ TruePic III+ Image Processor produces crystal clear photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible for every photo with accurate color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal representation in between. TruePic III+ also lowers image noise by one step to reduce graininess in images shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.
Worried about missing the winning goal at the soccer game? The image processor on the E-450 enables it to shoot up to 3.5 frames per second in sequential shooting mode, which means that photographers will be able to capture fast-paced action as it happens.
Life moves too fast to spend time worrying about dust ruining your images. Olympus’ proven Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter™. The patented ultrasonic technology vibrates to remove dust and other particles from the front of the image sensor and captures it on a special adhesive membrane every time the camera is turned on. This results in beautiful images free from dust spots, which could ruin or be distracting on an image.
Accepting both CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrives, and xD-Picture Cards, the E-450 provides a choice of data storage options for enhanced flexibility, and it is possible to transfer image files from one card to the other right inside the camera.
If you decide to venture into the arena of advanced lighting, the E-450 is ready to meet the challenge. The E-450 is compatible with the Olympus FL-50R and FL-36R wireless electronic flashes that are designed exclusively for digital photography. When these flashes are used in combination with the E-450, wireless multi-flash photography is possible. The E-450 can control up to three wireless flash groups independently, with several flash units per group.
The Olympus E-450 DSLR will be available in July 2009. It includes E-450 Body, ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens, ED 40-150mm f4.0/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens, USB Cable, Video Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLS-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCS-1), Shoulder Strap, OLYMPUS Master 2 Software CD-ROM, Manuals and Warranty Card.
E-450 Two-Lens Kit Estimated Street Price: $699.99