Photography Bay

Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips

Sigma SD15 Delayed . . . Again

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Sigma SD15

The SD15 was announced two years ago and has still yet to see a store shelf.  It looks like it’s going to have to wait a bit longer too.  Amateur Photographer recently learned that the SD15 has been pushed back until “the end of June.”

Perhaps Sigma should just go ahead and skip to the SD16?

While Sigma had a partially functional prototype available to handle at PMA 2010 when it was “reintroduced”, it was far from prime time.  This is rather hard to believe since it uses the same 14MP Foveon X3 sensor used in the current SD14.

While Amazon will let you make an SD15 pre-order, I wouldn’t hold my breath that it’ll be in your hands by the Fourth of July.

 

Nikon Coolpix L22 Review

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The Nikon Coolpix L22 is a 12-megapixels, budget-friendly compact camera that is powered by 2 AA batteries.  Nikon’s target for the L22 is clearly a casual snapshooter who isn’t really interested in thinking about photography.  It’s basic.  It’s simple.  It’s cheap.

To see whether this bargain-basement bare bones camera fits your bill, read on. [Read more…]

Canon Shows Off 1D Mark IV in the Hands of Vincent Laforet

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Vincent Laforet VW Commercial

Canon has launched a new Shooter’s Insight video series in the Canon Digital Learning Center featuring the 1D Mark IV with Vincent Laforet.  A number of episodes appear to be in the works and “coming soon” that will focus on Laforet’s use of the 1D Mark IV in a recent VW spec commercial.

More on this series can be found online at the Canon Digital Learning Center.

Fuji S1800 and S2550HD Review: A $200 Special Delivery

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The Fuji S1800 and S2550HD are virtually identical cameras, with only a few minor differences in their feature set.  The duo offers a 12.2-megapixel sensor, coupled with an 18x optical zoom.  For cameras that cover an equivalent zoom range of 28-504mm, both are quite affordable (in the $200 street price range at the time of this review).

To find out what you get for that bargain-basement of a price, read on. [Read more…]

Samsung NX10 Firwmare Update Ver. 1.15

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Samsung has issued a firmware update for the NX10 mirrorless camera.  The new firmware addresses the following issues.

  • Added EVF selection function on the AMOLED displayed menu.
  • Added MF Asist On/Off selection function.
  • Added MF usage function while using K-Mount Adapter.
  • Improved Auto White Balance function of Low color temperature condition.
  • Improved SD Card Read/Write speed.
  • System stablization

Additional info, download access and installation instructions can be found on Samsung’s website.

Canon 5D Mark II Firmware Update Version 2.0.7

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Canon has issued a firmware update for the 5D Mark II.  Firmware version 2.0.7 addresses the following issues, which were introduced in firmware versions 2.0.4 and 2.0.3.

  1. Fixes a phenomenon in which the aperture exhibits abnormal movement when shooting movies in manual exposure mode and Aperture Priority AE (Av mode) using some Canon lenses (such as macro lenses).
  2. Fixes a phenomenon in which the exposure level shown in the LCD panel differs from what is shown in the viewfinder when shooting still images in manual exposure mode.
  3. Fixes a phenomenon in which the Wireless File Transmitter (WFT-E4 or WFT-E4 II) may not automatically power off when used for FTP transfers.

Download and installation instructions for the firmware are available on Canon’s website.

Ricoh GXR System Firmware Version 1.17 Update

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Ricoh GXR

Ricoh has released a new firmware update for its GXR camera system.  The new firmware provides the following enhanced functions:

  • Noise reduction performance enhancement
    The MAX setting has been added to the noise reduction settings. When MAX is specified, the image data’s noise distribution is analyzed and the optimum processing is done for each region of the image, thereby increasing image quality in low-light scenes.
  • Auto bracketing setting change
    When shooting with auto bracketing it is possible to specify exposure variations of up to 2.0 EV. In addition, the change sequence can be specified for each shot.
  • Image trimming
    An image displayed in playback can be trimmed and saved as a separate file. It is also possible to trim an image’s proportions to aspect ratio 1:1 (square).
  • Two “incandescent lamp” settings for white balance
    There used to be just the “incandescent lamp” setting for white balance, but now there are two settings: “incandescent lamp 1” and “incandescent lamp 2.” Compared to “incandescent lamp 1,” “incandescent lamp 2” gives the image a slightly more reddish cast so it is the equivalent of the old “incandescent lamp” setting.
  • Auto shutter speed shift function
    In cases where the image will be overexposed or underexposed when in shutter speed priority mode, if this setting is on, the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to give a suitable exposure.

Additional information, download and installation instructions are available on Ricoh’s GXR System firmware website.

Ricoh GR Digital III Firmware Version 2.10 Update

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Ricoh has released a new firmware update for its GR Digital III camera.  The new firmware provides the following enhanced functions:

  • Noise reduction performance enhancement
    The MAX setting has been added to the noise reduction settings. When MAX is specified, the image data’s noise distribution is analyzed and the optimum processing is done for each region of the image, thereby increasing image quality in low-light scenes.
  • Auto bracketing setting change
    When shooting with auto bracketing it is possible to specify exposure variations of up to 2.0 EV. In addition, the change sequence can be specified for each shot.
  • Image trimming
    An image displayed in playback can be trimmed and saved as a separate file. It is also possible to trim an image’s proportions to aspect ratio 1:1 (square).
  • Two “incandescent lamp” settings for white balance
    There used to be just the “incandescent lamp” setting for white balance, but now there are two settings: “incandescent lamp 1” and “incandescent lamp 2.” Compared to “incandescent lamp 1,” “incandescent lamp 2” gives the image a slightly more reddish cast so it is the equivalent of the old “incandescent lamp” setting.
  • Auto shutter speed shift function
    In cases where the image will be overexposed or underexposed when in shutter speed priority mode, if this setting is on, the camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed to give a suitable exposure.

Additional information, download and installation instructions are available on Ricoh’s GR Digital III firmware website.

Fuji HS10 Review

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The Fuji HS10 is a superzoom camera that ties the Olympus SP-800UZ for the largest zoom range currently available among consumer cameras.  The 30x zoom range of the Fuji HS10 covers an equivalent of 24-720mm, which is the result of having a sensor about 1/6th the size of that found in a full frame camera like the Canon 5D Mark II.

In terms of ergonomics and usability, the HS10 performs much like an entry-level DSLR in many ways.  While the flexibility afforded by the zoom range on the HS10 is the camera’s most attractive feature, the smaller sensor in the camera is a key limitation of what the camera can do.  As a result, you should not expect to get DSLR-like image quality out of the camera’s inferior sensor.

With this distinction made, let’s get into the meat of the Fuji HS10 and who will get this most out of this powerful superzoom camera. [Read more…]