Archive for June, 2006
Camera Corner
Sheboygan Press, WI
Weekly reader photos
Welcome to a new weekly initiative of The Sheboygan Press, “Camera Corner,” featuring photos submitted by readers.
The submitted photos will be gathered into an online gallery (see link at right) and one photo each week will be selected to be published in Monday’s paper.
Subject matter could include landscapes, your child’s Little League game, pets or just about anything that catches your eye in Sheboygan County.At the end of the year, Press photographers will choose the “Photo of the Year” from among those submitted, and the winner will receive a $100 gift certificate.
Photos should be submitted by noon each Friday as high-resolution digital images (use the highest-quality setting on your digital camera) and can be e-mailed as jpeg attachments to: photos@sheboygan-press.com.
Only one submission per person per week, please.
Be sure to include information about the subject of the photo, when and where the photo was taken and the name of the photographer.
By submitting a photo, you are granting permission to The Sheboygan Press to post the image online and publish it in print under the copyright guidelines of the newspaper. The Press reserves the right to refuse to post or publish any photo for any reason.
June 30th, 2006
Shop around before buying a new digital camera
Tim Landry
tlandry@theadvertiser.com
The Daily Advertiser, LA
“Every day there’s something new,” said Richard Wallis, proprietor of Lafayette’s The Camera Center. “The new models come and go so fast, it’s phenomenal. They do more, they’re getting smaller, they’re less expensive and they’re faster.”
In other words, capturing vacation memories isn’t the only good reason to buy a digital camera this summer.
Between megapixel, zoom and memory counts, there are a lot of numbers to consider when buying a digital camera. The number one consideration, according to Alice Ferguson, visual communication instructor at the University of Louisiana, is simply “What will you be doing with the pictures?”
“If the purpose is to easily take and share pictures via e-mail, Web pages, small-size prints, etc., then I would recommend digital cameras with fewer options,” Ferguson said. “Smaller memory capacity and lower resolution work fine for this instance. For those wanting to do more work with hard-copy, large-format or photos for publication, go for the higher-end models or consider brands that offer the widest range of higher or lower resolution settings.”
The higher an image’s resolution, the better the photo will look at larger sizes. The average consumer digital camera on the market today boasts between 5- and 7-megapixel sensors. These numbers will determine how large the resulting image file will be and, therefore, how nicely they will look if printed at larger sizes. According to Wallis, a 5-megapixel image will produce a fine 16×20 print.
“It is better to overbuy, though,” said Wallis. “You never know when you’ll have to crop an image.”
According to Wallis, another important consideration is zoom. Digital camera manufacturers usually stamp statistics like “10x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom” on the box. But what, exactly, does each mean?
“Optical zoom magnifies with glass,” Wallis said. “Digital zoom is just cropping. If you start off with a 5-megapixel image and go to a 2x digital zoom, now you’ve got a 2.5-megapixel image - limited usefulness. The optical zoom is the important thing.”
The cropping involved in digital zooming can severely lower image quality and produce jagged edges in photos.
Wallis cited shutter lag as the number one complaint from consumers regarding digital cameras. Shutter lag is the delay between pressing the button and actually capturing an image.
“You’ve got to use some tricks,” Wallis said. “Try pressing the button halfway down before your little girl slides down the slide.”
On most consumer models, pressing the shutter release button halfway down starts he focusing mechanism on a digital camera. Pre-focusing can help eliminate shutter lag.
The step up from “point-and-shoot” digital cameras, the smaller models with large LCD screens and built-in zoom lenses, is the digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera.
“The new consumer digital SLRs that sell for around $600 or $700 are way superior to the $30,000 cameras the (Associated Press) photographers were using 10 years ago,” Wallis said. “Way superior.”
Digital SLR cameras are those that use a mirror to reflect exactly what is seen through the lens to the photographer’s viewfinder. Before a picture is taken, the mirror blocks light from hitting the digital sensor. As a picture is snapped, the internal mirror flips up, exposing the image to the digital sensor. Digital SLR cameras have LCD displays, but they are used only to display photographs after they are taken. Digital SLRs do not display live views on the LCD screen like point-and-shoot digital cameras. Digital SLRs usually are more expensive than point-and-shoot digitals because they support multiple, interchangeable lenses and have literally hundreds of settings.
It’s the ability to view and edit photos at one’s own leisure that has made digital photography such a popular hobby. When purchasing a digital camera, the experts say to keep in mind that software is an important part of digital photography.
“Most computers these days, Mac and PC, come out of the box with some sort of photo viewing or manipulating software already installed,” Ferguson said. “Ask the camera manufacturer or sales clerk if the camera model you’re considering will work with whatever software came with your computer. If not, look for a camera model that has its own software included on CD. Find out whether that software is limited to certain Mac or PC operating systems.”
There are many free photo editing and sorting programs available on the Web. Google’s Picassa, for example, is a popular free photo-editing program. Other programs, like Adobe Photoshop Elements, are cheap (under $100) alternatives to their professional counterparts, such as Adobe Photoshop CS.
Finally, said Wallis, get a case to protect your investment.
“Most of the repairs that we see on cameras, digital and otherwise, have always been accidental damage,” Wallis said. “Use the strap. Use the case.”
Originally published June 29, 2006
June 30th, 2006
Digital Still Camera Market Offers Good News for Semiconductor Industry, Says Semico Research Corp. - June 29, 2006
Tekrati Industry Analyst Reporter, CA
While conventional wisdom says the digital still camera market will top out within the next two years at just over 100 million units, Semico Research Corp. forecasts the maturing market to continue growing and exceed 150 million units by 2010.
Some of the reasons are detailed in a Semico digital still camera study include: Film camera replacements will continue over the next five years. Current owners will continue to upgrade as digital still cameras get even better at lower price points. Because digital pictures are essentially free, consumers will use digital still cameras more often than they did film cameras and buy more cameras as a result. In addition, increasing disposable incomes in developing economies such as China or India will expand the market.
A larger digital still camera market is good news for the semiconductor industry. The semiconductor TAM will increase to nearly $6 billion by 2010. Higher megapixel count image sensors will require more and higher-density Flash memory cards. That, in turn, will, drive an increase in the TAM for NAND Flash semiconductors, especially at higher densities. In addition, new features such as WiFi and improved video and audio will add to the semiconductor content, creating new opportunities for semiconductor companies
About the market research study
The Semico Research Corp. study, “The Digital Still Camera Market: The Picture Keeps Getting Larger - April 2006″ (report number MP117-06), provides valuable information for digital still camera OEMs, semiconductor vendors and foundries. The study includes an OEM sales forecast, a semiconductor BOM forecast, a semiconductor ASP forecast, semiconductor TAM forecasts and a wafer demand forecast. It also discusses the market and technology trends driving the digital still camera market.
June 30th, 2006
Olympus E-330 digital single-lens reflex
TERRY LANE
June 29, 2006
LiveWire
The Age, Australia
The low-down: This is the first digital single-lens reflex camera to have both a through-the-lens viewfinder and a “live” view on an LCD.
This 7.5-megapixel sensor model inherits the curious body shape of the 300 but adds the articulated LCD viewfinder that proved surprisingly useful for waist-level and overhead shooting. But the beam splitting to give both a viewfinder and LCD preview results in a seriously dim optical viewfinder.
Like this: It has a good on-camera flash. Illumination is even and natural, even close up. Because the flash pops up high above the body, red-eye is not usually a problem.
The camera has a nice feel, with all controls and mechanical actions well damped. Auto focus is quick and precise. Controls are well laid out and intuitive, which is just as well because Olympus does not provide a printed instruction book.
Dislike that: We subjected this model to our usual acid test - our friendly rainbow lorikeets in the garden - and were surprised to see how badly the camera handles saturated reds.
Colour bleeding in the red/orange areas on the birds’ chests was so bad that all feather definition was lost. A partial solution was turning down the in-camera saturation to its lowest setting.
But default colours are absurdly over-saturated. Shooting RAW improves the image quality and this model also records TIFF files, which are large and do not allow the same degree of post-camera manipulation as RAW.
Parting shot: The joy of using an SLR is using the through-the-lens previewing of the image. The bigger and brighter the viewfinder, the better. So anyone considering this model should check the small, dark viewfinder to see if you can live with it. We prefer the Olympus E-500, the cheaper and more conventional alternative. And compared with the Nikon D70s and Canon 350D, this is an expensive camera.
June 29th, 2006
Digital cameras: Some tips to keep in mind
Scripps Howard News Service, DC
DIY Network /28-JUN-06
It’s official. Digital cameras are now mainstream. According to the Photo Marketing Association more than 58 million households own a digital camera and sales are expected to hit 21 million units by the end of this year.
Many of the cameras sold this year to will be to second and third time digital camera buyers as consumers seek an upgrade to their current model.
Erin Manning, professional photographer and host of DIY Network television show, “The Whole Picture,” says today’s cameras have new technologies that improve performance and eliminate the flaws that plagued previous-generation digital cameras.
Mega pixel counts have long been considered the bellwether of digital camera quality, and many consumers placed a major emphasis on mega pixels as they searched for their first digital camera.
But today, with even entry-level cameras sporting four mega pixels or more, Manning advises consumers to concern themselves less with mega pixels and more with features that improve picture quality and operating performance as they search for their next digital camera.
“Photo takers have complained long and hard about blurry photos from their digital cameras, so it should come as no surprise that blur-reducing technologies are the rage this year in digicams,” Manning said. “Many manufacturers are coming out with state of the art systems and one of the best is Fujifilm’s Picture Stabilization, which can be found in the company’s FinePix F30 model. It employs a professional photographic technique that reduces blur caused by both camera shake and moving subjects, plus it lessens the need for flash.”
Manning provides a few other key features to look for when purchasing and using a new digital camera:
_ Battery Stamina. Digital cameras are notorious power hogs, but improvements in operating efficiencies have improved shot-per-charge ratings dramatically. Manning says it is rather common for today’s cameras to take well over 100 pictures per charge, with some approaching 600. Look for this picture-per-charge rating and always keep an extra charged battery with you _ just in case.
_ Shutter Lag. Like battery power, the digital camera operating speeds have improved significantly. One of the most notable improvements has been in the area of shutter lag _ the time it takes for the camera to fire after exposure and focus is locked. Many compact cameras now take pictures in as little as 1/100th of second.
_ LCD Performance. Originally designed for picture review, LCD screens are now the primary framing option for many digital photographers. On some cameras, the LCDs screens are the only framing option. Manning suggests picking digital cameras with LCD screens that brighten in low light situations or sport anti-glare coatings for direct light viewing. LCD resolution is also important here, the higher the better.
_ Icons. Digital cameras pack dozens of features into a compact gadget. Complex concepts must be translated into single icons, such as the tulip that represents close-up mode. Get to know your icons and find that menu button.
“The little running man is for sports or action shots,” said Manning. “The silhouette of a head is for shooting better portraits and two mountains are for taking landscape photographs. Making sense of the symbols will pay off in the long run so get comfortable with the most common icons to truly maximize the performance of your digital camera and create memorable and lasting photographic memories.”
_ Storage Space. Digital cameras have either on-board or removal storage and there is nothing more frustrating than seeing a precious picture opportunity fade away due to a lack of storage space. According to Manning, you can do yourself no better favor than purchasing a high-capacity media card and then performing regular cleaning sessions that remove photo files from the card.
“There’s no excuse for not taking your photos out of your camera anymore,” said Manning. “Manufacturers and retail photo centers have made it easy to get our pictures printed in minutes, hours or in days based on what we need and what we want to pay.”
Digital cameras not only make picture taking simpler, they make picture making a breeze. Home printers are great for making one or two quick prints but for those bigger jobs there’s specialty on-line photo sites as well as major retailers across the country offering Web sites for uploading (go to www.digitalcameradeveloping.com). Also popping up all over are photo kiosks that take media cards and process prints immediately.
Since their introduction, digital technologies are getting better, more capable and easier to use.
(For more stories visit www.scrippsnews.com)
June 29th, 2006
Sony DSLR Officially Announced
Smart House, Australia
Caroline Warnes - Wednesday, 28 June 2006
Sony has officially announced its Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera is to hit stores in Australia in August, as predicted by Smarthouse three weeks ago.
Smarthouse broke the news at the start of June that Sony was moving into the SLR market (see http://www.smarthouse.com.au/Digital_Photography/Digital_Still_Cameras?Article=/Digital%20Photography/Digital%20Still%20Cameras/G8H5V2D2) and now we have official confirmation of a launch, as well as official pricing and the announcement that a range of lenses will be launched to complement the new camera
The basic DSLR-A100 camera (branded under the a symbol) comes with Super SteadyShot anti-shake technology and an anti-dust protection system for its 10.2MP high resolution CCD to prevent dust settling on the sensor. According to Marcus Cornish of Sony’s Digital Still Camera division, such advanced technologies are required more these days by digital camera users.
“Many compact digital still camera users are becoming technology savvy and are looking to invest more in their photography,” he said in a statement. “With a highly sensitive CCD and anti-shake capabilities built into the camera’s body, the A100 simplifies superior technology.”
The launch of the camera has been designed to coincide with the arrival of a line-up of 21 new lenses, including Sony Lenses, Sony G Series High Performance Lenses and the top-of-the-range Carl Zeiss Lenses. The range consists of wide angle, telephoto and specialised lenses and all have been designed specifically for the A100.
The A100 will be sold in three packages, two of which will include add ons from the new lens range. These packages are: the A100 by itself (to be sold as the DSLRA100B package), the A100 body and single lens kit (known as the DSLRA100KB) and the A100 body and twin lens kit (the DSLRA100WB).
Recommended retail prices are $1499 for the DSLRA100B package, $1749 for the DSLRA100KB package and $1999 for the DSLRA100WB pack. Prices for the new lenses range from $299 for an 18-70mm model (available in July), right through to $11,299 for a 300mm F2.8 wide diameter lens (available in November).
More information on the new products is available at www.sony.com.au
June 28th, 2006
Hampton Academy offers film camp
Hampton Union, NH
Hampton Academy offers a Summer Film Camp for Hampton students entering grades 7 and 8, daily from July 10 and through July 28.
Students will learn all about digital video production from storyboarding, to the use of a digital video camera, digital audio recording and audio video editing. Two sessions will be offered in the computer lab: 7:45 to 9:45 a.m. daily, and 10 a.m. to noon daily.
To sign up or for information, call computer teacher Cathy Brophy at the school at 926-2000 or e-mail cbrophy@sau21.k12.nh.us.
Register for WHS adult ed program
The next session of the Adult Diploma Program at Winnacunnet High School begins Sept. 6. Classes meet in the evening and are open to people age 16 or older. This program can help you earn a diploma and to advance in the job market.
For information or to make an appointment (Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 8:30 to noon or evenings by appointment), call Jan Petrou at 758-9233. Registration ends on Aug. 30.
June 28th, 2006
Free up space and store your digital photos while on vacation
by By Kim Komando, GANNETT NEWS SERVICE
published June 27, 2006 12:15 am
Asheville Citizen-Times, NC
Photo enthusiasts often struggle with vacations. It’s a great opportunity to load up your digital camera with great shots. But what do you do when your memory card is full?
You don’t have to take a laptop on vacation to store photos. There are smaller alternatives to free up your digital camera’s storage cards.
The easiest option: Burn the files to a disc at a drugstore. But if that isn’t possible, consider portable storage equipment.
Storage comes in three categories: hard drives, disc burners and connectors for thumb drives or MP3 players. After transferring the photos, clear your card and start shooting again. These things run on batteries, so they’re as portable as your camera.
1. Hard drive. The FlashPac (www.wolverinedata.com; $180) holds 40 gigabytes of photos. That’s about 8,000 photos using a 10-megapixel camera at its highest settings. Its built-in card reader accepts CompactFlash, IBM/Hitachi Microdrive, Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, Sony Memory Stick and xD cards. Its display shows file and status only. It does not display pictures.
If you want to see the photograph and not just a file name, the Epson P-2000 (www.epson.com; $400 after rebates) holds 36.5 gigabytes of photos. When you want to download pictures from your memory card, insert it into one of the built-in slots. The P-2000 is compatible with CompactFlash, IBM/Hitachi Microdrive, MultiMediaCard and Secure Digital cards. It has outputs to display your pictures on a TV. It also will store and play back video files.
The Zen Vision (www.creative.com; $400) xD cards is a 30GB portable media player. It not only will store your digital photos, but it also will play back pictures, videos and music. It has a built-in CompactFlash slot. An optional card reader ($40) can be purchased for Secure Digital, MultiMediaCard, xD, Memory Stick and microSD (TransFlash) storage cards.
2. Disc burners. Portable burners are a little more straightforward and offer fewer features. Insert your memory card and burn your files to a CD or DVD.
The Disc Steno CP300 (www.apacer.com; $350) and Digital Photo Copy Cruiser Plus (www.aleratec.com; $300) read most memory cards. The Disc Steno CP300 has a 1.5-inch screen and burns CDs and DVDs. The Copy Cruiser Plus only burns CDs, doesn’t have a screen that can view pictures and runs on AC power. Both units can play DVDs and CDs on a television.
However, CDs are not necessarily a great medium. They hold only 700 megabytes of data - less than some memory cards. DVDs can hold 4.7GB. But that’s still much less than a hard drive’s capacity.
3. Linking devices. If your music player has a hard drive, it can store pictures. You’ll need an accessory that will offload your photos. Of course, if your player is full of music, you won’t have room for pictures.
The Apple iPod Camera Connector (www.apple.com; $29) connects to your digital camera’s USB connection. It works with the iPod with camera display and iPod with video. Apple lists compatible digital cameras on its site.
The USB Bridge (www.delkin.com; $40) links your digital camera to any device with a USB slot - MP3 players, thumb drives or external hard drives.
Komando hosts a national radio show about computers and the Internet. To find the station nearest you broadcasting Kim’s show, visit www.komando.com/findkimonair.asp. To subscribe to Kim’s free weekly e-mail newsletter, sign up at www.komando.com/newsletter.asp. Contact her at gnstech@gns.gannett.com.
June 27th, 2006
New tool to quickly find digital cameras that match your requirements
24-7PressRelease.com (press release)
Whichdigicam.com today announced the availability of a new search feature, called the Camera Selector, which allows you to select from a variety of camera specifications and features and displays only cameras that match your requirements.
/24-7PressRelease/ - AUSTRALIA, June 26, 2006 - Since the launch of Whichdigicam.com - Digital Camera Reviews at the end of 2005, over 1300 camera reviews of no less than 110 digital camera models from a large range of reputable online digital camera resources have been included.
The aim is to help you quickly compare review results for a specific digital camera model and find a high quality camera that fulfils your needs.
To further enhance this service, the Digital Camera Selector has been developed. You can select from a total of 25 requirements, ranging from camera type (e.g. ultra compact, digital SLR camera) and intended usage (e.g. point and shoot camera , professional camera) to detailed camera specifications, such as resolution, image sensor type and shutter speeds.
The Camera Selector has been developed with the input of the photographic community and has already been described as the most comprehensive tool available online. The features and ease of use of the Camera Selector will be continuously improved through users’ comments and suggestions.
The Camera Selector is available at http://www.whichdigicam.com/camera-selector.
In addition to the Camera Selector, a comprehensive digital camera glossary has been developed to explain digital photography terms commonly used in the reviews. The glossary has been well received for its comprehensiveness and easy to understand language by both seasoned photographers as well as inexperienced camera shoppers.
The digital camera glossary is available at http://www.whichdigicam.com/digital-camera-glossary.
About Whichdigicam.com
Whichdigicam.com - Digital Camera Reviews is a project of TheVital.net, a popular blog directory. For more information, please email Steve Hart, senior editor, at support@whichdigicam.com.
June 26th, 2006
As film fades, Japan’s camera industry changes focus
CNET.com.au, Australia
The exodus of Japan’s top manufacturers from film to digital cameras is nearly over, leaving film lovers astonished at the speed of the transition.
Three major Japanese camera makers either have halted production of film cameras this year or have sharply reduced output to change their focus almost entirely to digital.
Unlike film cameras, which have been in use for more than a century, digital cameras take and store images without the need for film, allowing photographers to see the images instantly and send them in emails.
Three weeks ago, Canon, the world’s largest camera maker, said it would stop developing new models using film. Canon President Tsuneji Uchida said it didn’t make economic sense to develop and sell new film cameras in a shrinking market, while demand for digital booms.
Earlier in the year, Konica Minolta Holdings said it would stop making film cameras, lenses and even film, then announced it was making a full retreat even from the digital photo business and selling its assets to rival Sony.
In another announcement that stunned the industry, Nikon, a world leader in high-quality camera products, said in January that it would stop making most models of film cameras to focus solely on digital. Nikon now makes only two film cameras, the F6 for professionals and the FM10 for beginners.
What happened next became known as the “Nikon shock”. Panicked by the end of an era, photographers snapped up most remaining models of Nikon single lens-reflex film cameras. At Bic Camera, a popular store in Tokyo, most models of the Nikon single-lens reflex cameras that were doomed to go out of production sold out within three days, salesman Nirihiro Nomura said.
“The shift from film to digital was way faster than we expected,” said Kakushi Kiuchi, an executive in charge of professional photography for Fuji Film at Photo Imaging Expo in Tokyo.
Worldwide sales of Japanese digital cameras overtook film cameras in 2002, when 24.6 million digital cameras were sold, outpacing the 23.7 million film cameras, according to the Camera & Imaging Products Association, a Japanese trade group.
Digital camera sales have skyrocketed since then. Last year, Japanese makers sold 70.2 million digital cameras, snagging 92.3 per cent of the market, leaving seven per cent of the market for film cameras, the group said.
The development of quality digital single lens-reflex cameras has further eroded the market for film cameras. Sales of digital SLRs surged 53 per cent last year.
In most point-and-shoot digital cameras, an annoying shutter lag occurs between when one presses the button and the camera records the image. Photos of children playing or athletes running don’t capture the right moment. The new digital single-lens reflex cameras don’t have shutter lag, allowing photographers to see the exact image that’s being exposed.
Canon and Nikon monopolise 80 per cent of the digital SLR market, but competition is about to heat up.
Matsushita, which sells in much of the world under the Panasonic brand, is launching its first digital single lens-reflex camera, the Lumix DMC-L1, this week using technology from Olympus and Leica, the prestigious German camera maker.
Sony, which was the first to market a digital camera in 1981, announced this month that it would begin selling a digital SLR camera, the Alpha 100, the result of its buyout of Konica Minolta assets.
Some photographers claim that film still has a leg up on digital because it captures subtle colour variations better. They suggest that the sunset of film still isn’t here yet.
“We cannot forget that photography is painting with light. It’s not painting with pixels,” said Steve Gardner, a commercial shooter and photography instructor, referring to the digital dots that make up an electronic image.
Kazumasa Nakamura, who sells secondhand cameras at Lemon, a major vendor of photographic products, said computers were changing so fast that years from now it might be impossible to process old memory chips containing photos. He also said the ease and technology of digital cameras reduced the tension and seriousness needed to capture the moment for a high-quality photograph.
Professional photographer Shin Sawano agreed that film will remain around, at least for now. “Sometimes we touch up digital pictures too much, which will reduce the energy of the photo itself. When you spend a certain amount of time to take one shot, you can tell from the picture,” Sawano said.
But some vendors said the dominance of digital was only increasing.
“These days, middle- and high-class amateur photographers finally have started to shift to digital SLR cameras. You can change film exposure for each photo, you don’t spend for film and you don’t need to process the photos. Film cameras are really disappearing from the market now,” Nakamura said.
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June 26th, 2006
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