Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

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/.

Canon 5D Mark II Review at Cnet Asia

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Cnet Asia has posted a review of the Canon 5D Mark II.

The EOS 5D Mark II is a very good camera for enthusiasts who are looking for a full-frame option, and has all the bells and whistles which makes this shooter not only a decent still image shooter, but also an industry grade video camera, too, as long as you have proper equipment.

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.

Pentax Optio P70 and Optio E70

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Pentax has released two new point and shoot cameras.  The Optio P70 features 12 megapixels, a 4x optical zoom, a 2.7″ LCD screen and a ridiculous maximum sensitivity setting of ISO 6400.  The Optio E70 features 10 megapixels, 3x optical zoom and a 2.4″ LCD screen.  The P70 will retail for $199.95 and the E70 for $139.95.  For more info, see the following press release. [Read more…]

Nikon D700 Review

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On July 1, 2008, Nikon somewhat surprised us all with the D700, which would become their killer camera of 2008 (and pretty much the past 3 or 4 years as well).  The mid-summer announcement caught us off-guard and immediately made us drool over the specs and, more importantly, the price.

The Nikon D700 is essentially a trimmed down version of the flagship (at the time of release) Nikon D3, with a price tag of only $3000 US when announced.  Fast forward six months and you can find the Nikon D700 in the sub-$2300 price range for the camera body.  With the introduction of the Canon 5D Mark II at $2700, you can expect rebates and price drops to continue as Canon and Nikon compete for your hard-earned dollars.

Enough marketing hoopla, let’s take a closer look at some of the specs that make the D700 such a drool-worthy camera. [Read more…]

BrightQube – The Future of Stock Photography?

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Recently, BrightQube contacted me to let me know about their service for stock photographers and stock purchasers, which gives purchasers the ability to search over 40 stock libraries.  It has a very cool search and view function, with which I have only spent a few minutes and I’m not ready to pass judgment on the overall effectiveness of the site.  However, it seems to be rather powerful.  I’m interested in what you stock shooters out there think of BrightQube, particularly with regard to the distinguishing of “everyday” and “professional” images.  Take a look at the introduction from BrightQube below, check out BrightQube.com and let me know what think in the comments or the forum. [Read more…]

Kodak Z980, M380 and Zx1

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Kodak’s press release for CES 2009 (Consumer Electronics Show) appears to have leaked out onto the web a few days early, revealing a number of interesting items to be introduced by Kodak in the coming days.

Kodak has introduced two new point and shoot cameras and one pocket-sized HD video camera.  The Kodak Z980 is a 12 megapixel sensor and a whopping 24x optical zoom.  Of course, the Z980 also offers much needed image stabilization for its extended focal length.  This spec-heavy superzoom will run $399 retail when it releases.

The Kodak M380 is a more affordable 10 megapixel camera with a 5x optical zoom and 2.7″ LCD screen.  The M380 is available in black, red and teal for a retail price of $179.

The Kodak Zx1 is a competitor to the Flip-series cameras (Read Photography Bay’s Flip MinoHD Review).  The Zx1 features 720p capture at 60fps.  Like the Flip cameras, the Zx1 includes software to enable easy uploads to YouTube.  It is also SD card compatible for sizes up 32GB, which will result in recording times up to 10 hours.  If its performance lives up to its specs, the Zx1 will be a bargain at $149.95. [Read more…]