Thursday. March 18, 2010
Review:
Leica 21mm f/1.4 Summilux-M Aspherical Manual Focus Lens is a
super-wide angle lens designed for high-speed performance. Its bright f/1.4 aperture allows for an extremely shallow depth of field (DOF), and at a medium f/stop, the focal range is so great that entire scenes can be reproduced sharply. Because of its floating element design, the very high resolution is retained even in the close-up range. -
Street price $6,495 •

Setting the White Balance
on Your Digital Camera
On today's cameras, there are so many menus and settings on digital cameras that it is difficult to learn them all. Most casual photographers learn the basic settings or rely strictly on the automatic modes of digital point-and-shoot and SLR cameras.
With a little experimenting, you will find that you can command great control of your camera and more importantly, your images.
The white balance setting is one that can have a large effect on the outcome of your images. Understanding white balance and learning how to change the white balance setting in your camera can help you turn an average picture into an exceptional picture.

Samsung HZ25W
12.5MP Digital Camera
-The Samsung HZ25W combines the compact size of a Point & Shoot camera with an extremely long zoom range. You can photograph interiors and large groups when the lens is in the 26mm wide-angle position. Then capture sports, wildlife, or other subjects in the distance when the lens is zoomed to the remarkable 624mm telephoto. You can even use the zoom when shooting HD video.
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Images • Street price $299 •

Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W380
14.1MP Digital Camera - The Cybershot W380 from Sony boosts of 14.1 megapixels and 5x optical zoom. Released in the market
and is slimmer and further compact compare to its older versions. High
performance imaging and optical quality is what Sony says this new
digicam is all about.
It has the capacity to record HD (1,280 x 720) video clips, and comes with 2.7 inch LCD display. Built in transfer software is very quick and enables easy uploads and sharing. Disappointment is you need to remove the battery to charge it.
Street price $345.95.

Ricoh
GXR A12 Interchangeable Unit 12MP Body with GR LENS - A12

50mm F2.5
MACRO Camera Unit,
GXR Interchangeable Unit Camera System features the world's smallest and lightest digital camera with interchanegable lens capability.
The new GXR is an interchangeable unit camera system in which lenses are changed by using a slide-in mount system to attach camera units to the body. The lens, image sensor, and image processing engine are integrated into the camera units so the body itself does not contain an image sensor.
Street price $1,112 •
Images

Ricoh
GXR S10 with 24-72mm f/2.5-4.4 VC Ricoh LENS with 10MP
CCD Sensor -
GXR Interchangeable Unit Camera System features the world's smallest and lightest digital camera with interchanegable lens capability.
The new GXR is an interchangeable unit camera system in which lenses are changed by using a slide-in mount system to attach camera units to the body. The lens, image sensor, and image processing engine are integrated into the camera units so the body itself does not contain an image sensor.
Street price $440 •
Images

Tuesday, March 16, 2010
It's Not About The Camera: It's About The Light!
Photography is all
about light.
When you think about it, serious photography is all about the battle for light and shadow. The word "photography", which comes from the ancient Greeks, literally means "to write with light." If you don't understand the role that light plays in photography, then you will have a long row to hoe when it comes to making good images.
Light is the reason we see depth, dimension and texture in
photographs. Light is the reason we see color. Heck, light is the reason we see.

Canon 5D Mark II firmware v2.0.3 now available
Canon releases the video-related firmware for its 5D Mark II DSLR. Firmware
v2.0.3 adds more video options and is now available for immediate download via
Canon's website.

Review:
Canon EF 28-90mm f/4-5.6 III.
Quiet AF is the hallmark of Canon Ultrasonic Motor ( USM ) technology, and this compact Lens now combines USM with cutting edge electronics, for the fastest AF lens in its class. This lightweight lens (only 6.7 ounces) also has a revised exterior appearance, highlighted by a new rubber Zoom ring.

Review:
Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6
DO
IS
USM- 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens with f/4.5-5.6 maximum aperture for Canon EOS SLR cameras
3-stop Image Stabilizer for reducing camera shake; ring-type ultra-sonic monitor (USM)
Electro-magnetic diaphragm (EMD) Super Spectra lens coating. Measures 3 inches
in diameter and 5.6 inches long; weighs 22.2 ounces. Street price $549.

Monday, March 15, 2010
Leica releases a firmware update for
the M9 digital rangefinder. Version 1.116 brings in a host of improvements including enchanced magenta color shift correction for listed wide-angle lenses and a new, ISO setting-related, vignetting correction. The firmware is available for immediate download for registered M9 users.

Review:
Leica
Digilux3 Digital SLR Four Thirds Camera. The
Leica D
system gives ambitious amateurs and professional photographers a
whole new range of possibilities. The Leica Digilux3 is the first Digilux
camera with an interchangeable lens and therefore forms the basis for the
Leica D system, a completely independent digital SLR system. The clear
design of the camera housing and the operating concept of the Digilux are in
keeping with the best Leica tradition. The
shutter speed,
focal length,
aperture and
focus can be set by hand on the camera and the lens--a fast,
precise and creative solution in comparison with conventional
SLR cameras.
The interplay of Leica's legendary performance and the latest technology is
almost revolutionary: the newly designed lens
Leica D Vario-Elmarit
f2.8-3.5/14-50 Asph combined with state-of-the-art optical image
stabilization and a 7.5-megapixel LiveMos
sensor result in a magnificent
standard of imaging. High-quality materials and precision craftsmanship
ensure that the Leica Digilux3 will work reliably for many years, even under
the tough conditions of reportage photography. The Leica D system is a
valuable companion made to last.

Does
Your Camera Matter?
For decades now, camera and lens companies have spent billions of dollars to
entice our spending through a combination of flattery and illusion. "Release the
power of your creative vision with
Canon cameras and lenses..." -- that sort of thing. And I chose Canon at random for that sentence; virtually every major camera company has been guilty of this kind of manipulation in their advertising. The message is clear - we're all capable of creating photographic masterpieces if only we buy the right equipment to unlock our magic hidden potential. Seen for what they really are, these sorts of advertisements are preposterous. But, by dint of time and widespread exposure, the arrows of these myths have found their marks in the minds, and wallets, of many photographers. Consciously or otherwise, the message has been absorbed by photographers all over the world: "buy the right camera and lenses and you'll make wonderful pictures".
I suspect that myths like this are what have lead many to claim that one's choice of camera or lenses is not important. And, to the extent that such comments are designed to shift our attention away from equipment towards photography itself, I can certainly sympathize with the intention.
Yet such a statement is simply incorrect. In
photography, as in many fields of work, our choice of tools can be important to the work we produce. In support of the "one's camera doesn't matter" theory people sometimes argue that photographer "X" would have made great work whether he was using a
Deardorff or a
Holga. But to advance such a theory is to misunderstand why one talented photographer, intentionally, chooses the
Deardorff and another talented photographer, intentionally, the Holga. Could a given photographer make his or her best work with any camera handed to him or her? Maybe, but probably not. The evidence presented to us by the history of photography, especially as it relates to the cameras various photographers have chosen to use for their specific work, largely supports the latter answer.
Many may realize, for example, that the 8" x 10"
view camera is often used because of its potential for precise rendering as well as its flexibility with lens movements. Some may realize that the kind of slow and deliberate pace such a camera encourages can also be essential to certain photographers for certain work, or that seeing the subject on a large ground glass can be an important part of the creative process. Yet, some who like to trot out the Holga
camera as a star example in these kinds debates may not realize that the whole
toy camera movement, in the photographic art world, began specifically *because*
of the way these cameras draw.

Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sanyo VPC-E1075 10MP Digital camera
- compact - 10.0 MP - optical zoom: 3 x - supported memory: SD, SDHC. Slim and sleek, the VPC-E1075 digital still camera captures 10-megapixel digital still images with a 3x optical zoom lens. This camera features a digital image stabilizer for less blur in your photos and red eye removal which allows you to correct red-eye caused by the flash. The VPC-E1075 is also equipped with face, smile and blink detection technologies which automatically focus on facial features and capture images with superb results. The VPC-E1075 uses a rechargeable lithium battery for longer life. A large 2.7" color LCD displays images with brilliant detail.
Street price $55.99.


Sanyo VPC-S1080 10.0 MP Digital Camera. At 10-megapixels, a 2.8" large LCD screen and a 3x optical zoom, this little beauty is both versatile and affordable! Simply point and shoot and the SANYO Xacti VPC-S1080 will capture 10-megapixel high quality stills in amazing clarity. The VPC-S1080 is stylish and easy-to-hold. Its sturdy design sports an extra large 2.8" LCD screen for previewing your shot. With a 3x optical zoom lens, the VPC-S1080 allows you to frame your subjects with better results. With a digital image stabilizer, face detection, smile detection and red-eye removal technologies, the VPC-S1080 is a great value!
10-Megapixel High Quality Stills
2.8" Large LCD Screen
3x Optical Zoom Lens
Digital Image Stabilizer
Face Detection Technology
Smile Detection
Red-Eye Removal
Supports SD/SDHC Memory Cards. Street price $59.48.
