Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
Digital Camera Info has posted a first impressions review of the new Pentax K2000.
The focusing on the lens felt quick, the body was well crafted, and there are many helpful features designed with new users in mind. The K2000 strikes us as a strong introductory camera for someone considering the jump from point-and-shoot to SLR.
For the latest news and reviews on this camera, stay tuned to Photography Bay’s Pentax K2000 Reviews and Resources.
New rumors have surfaced over at Nikon Rumors regarding the Nikon MX Format. Although no sources or specific information has been revealed, NR is reporting that they’ve heard some things through the grapevine about the MX Format’s arrival.
The biggest rumor of the bunch is a possible March 2009 announcement and availability date. Also news on the sensor development and the shocker that the Leica S2 gave to Nikon’s MX dev team.
Oh yeah, NR says they may have a photo coming soon as well.
Nikon has released version 1.11 of the firmware for the D80. The firmware update resolves an issue with the battery indicator: in certain circumstances, the battery indicator light blinks regardless of the actual battery charge. If you did not update to version 1.10, that firmware update is included in the new version.
You can download the update from the following pages if you are in the U.S:
If you are located in the E.U, updates are available on the following pages:
Digital Camera Info has posted their first impressions of the new Canon 50D.
Our initial impressions of the 50D are positive; it looks to be a solid upgrade to a good camera, adding extra resolution.
For the latest news and reviews, stay tuned to Photography Bay’s Canon 50D Reviews and Resources.
Gorilla has announced their new Focus, which is a flexible tripod (like all their others) and supports a whopping 11 pounds of DSLR and big zoom fun. It’s price tag weighs in at about $150 and should be available immediately.
San Francisco, CA – September 24, 2008 – Joby, Inc. is pleased to announce the arrival of the Gorillapod Focus™, a unique, bendable tripod engineered to support SLR cameras with larger telephoto lenses or digital video cameras. Designed with professionals and motivated amateurs in mind, the Gorillapod Focus is the biggest, strongest Gorillapod® yet and is the fifth addition to the growing and award-winning Gorillapod family.
The Gorillapod Focus provides the stability of a standard tripod at a fraction of the size and weight – only 1.1 pounds (500g). Sturdy machined aluminum sockets, debuting in an anodized gunmetal finish, offer incredible flexibility while ensuring a rock-solid hold in almost any environment. The Gorillapod Focus uses a stainless steel screw for maximum strength to support an amazing 11 pounds (5kg) of gear. It’s shipped with a 3/8” adapter screw in place and can be used with or without a professional tripod head. [Read more…]
Nikon’s annual Small World Photomicrography Competition has reached the judging stage. Entrants have been narrowed down to just 20 amazing images. You can vote for the People’s Choice Award on the competition’s site until October 10. Winners will be announced on October 15.
This image was taken by Dr. Shirley Owens and is gladiola pollen under a fluorescent microscope at 2500x magnification. These images are simply stunning. While the photographic equipment necessary to create such images is fairly specialized, the subject matter seems to make the price worth it.
If you’re interested in entering next year’s competition, entries will be accepted up through April 30, 2009.
Canon U.S.A. has announced that it will be launching a new Canon Professional Services (CPS) program beginning in the first quarter of 2009. The new CPS program requires existing members to reapply. There will be three levels of service available to qualifying photographers. The existing program required photographers to own at least 2 pro bodies and 3 L lenses. The CPS program is not accepting additional applications until the new program launches. [Read more…]
Hasselblad has introduced three new products – the 50 megapixel H3DII-50, a new 35-90mm zoom lens and the HTS 1.5 Tilt/Shift adapter. The new H3DII-50 features Kodak’s 50 Mpixel 36×48mm sensor, which measures, twice the physical size of the largest 35mm DSLR sensors.
The H3DII-50 is priced at £14,750 (excluding lens). The 60 megapixel H3DII-60 will be available in April 2009 for £18,750 (excluding lens). For more details, see the press release below. [Read more…]
The Metadata Working Group is a coalition between Adobe, Apple, Canon, Microsoft, Nokia and Sony, which was formed to help standardize the various methods and formats metadata is created and used among consumer electronics manufacturers.
The Metadata Working Group has porduced a set of Guidelines for Handling Metadata, which is a 42 page document describing how best to use existing standards such as Exif, IPTC, and XMP to address the key organizational metadata questions that most consumers have.
The intent of the MWG is to publish technical specifications that describe how to effectively store metadata into digital media files. These royalty-free specifications will be made available to manufacturers and service providers so that they may create products that store metadata in a consistent way, and that allow consumers to maintain control over their valuable information. Where possible, these specifications will rely on existing standards, and will aim to create a unified and cohesive approach to applying these standards.
For additional information, see the press release below.
San Francisco, CA – September 24, 2008 – Joby, Inc. is pleased to announce the arrival of the Gorillapod Focus™, a unique, bendable tripod engineered to support SLR cameras with larger telephoto lenses or digital video cameras. Designed with professionals and motivated amateurs in mind, the Gorillapod Focus is the biggest, strongest Gorillapod® yet and is the fifth addition to the growing and award-winning Gorillapod family.
The Gorillapod Focus provides the stability of a standard tripod at a fraction of the size and weight – only 1.1 pounds (500g). Sturdy machined aluminum sockets, debuting in an anodized gunmetal finish, offer incredible flexibility while ensuring a rock-solid hold in almost any environment. The Gorillapod Focus uses a stainless steel screw for maximum strength to support an amazing 11 pounds (5kg) of gear. It’s shipped with a 3/8” adapter screw in place and can be used with or without a professional tripod head.
Cleverly designed to help capture “hard to get” images like time-lapse, available-light, night-time or long-exposure, the Gorillapod Focus helps photographers refine their imaging skills. Wrap it around a railing, twist it around a tree branch, loop it onto a shopping cart, stand it on a table in the studio, or perch it on a rock during a hike! The possibilities for taking unique images are endless. And, it makes a great travel companion, folding up to fit in most gear bags.
At $149.95, Joby’s new Gorillapod Focus offers the same great features and functionality of all Gorillapods. The medium-sized members of the family are the Gorillapod SLR-Zoom for cameras up to 6.6 pounds (3kg) and Gorillapod SLR for cameras up to 1.75 pounds (800g). The lightweight, original Gorillapod supports compact digital cameras up to 11.5 ounces (325g). And, the Go-Go! is an original Gorillapod that comes with clips to attach cell phones, PDAs and music/video players for mobile entertainment on the go.
The Gorillapod debuted in February 2006 and now sells in over 40 countries. The Gorillapod Focus is available online at www.joby.com.