Compact and stylish metal camera HP Photosmart M627 is designed for quick one-handed shots, also offering USB Connectivity, PictBridge support, In-camera red-eye removal, HP Photosmart Express and HP Design Gallery; all this being named HP Real Life technologies. With HP Design Gallery, consumers can choose up to 10 different borders, including burnt, soft or torn edges, 12 different artistic effects, such as kaleidoscope, retro and slimming, and four unique color tints. All of these creative touches can be simply applied to photos with just one touch of a button on the back of the camera without spending extensive time using sophisticated software on a PC. Optional HP Photosmart 6220 Digital Camera Dock lets user easily transfer photos to PC to print, e-mail or save, plus recharge in-camera batteries. Otherwise, the camera is very automatic, not allowing manual functions.

Functions:
• Shooting Modes: Auto, Program, Movie
• Scene Modes: Action, Beach and snow, Burst, Fast shot, Landscape, Macro, Night portrait, Portrait, Self timer, Sunset
• Movie Mode: MPEG, 640 x 480, with sound, 22 fps, no time limit
• Flash: Auto, Auto with Red eye reduction, Flash off, Flash on
• White Balance: Auto, Custum
• Focus: Auto (Normal, Macro)
• Metering: TTL (Through the lens), center-weight

Technical Data:
• 2.5 inch LCD
• 7 Megapixels
• 3x optical zoom + 8x digital zoom
• Focal Length: 38.5mm – 106.1mm (35mm equivalent)
• Aperture: Max.F2.8 – F4.8
• Focus Range: 50cm – infinity
• Macro Focus Range: up to min. 10 cm
• Exposure Compensations: +/- 2 EV in ½ steps
• Shutter Speed: 2 – 1/1000 sec
• Self Timer: 10 sec
• Shutter Lag: 0.6 sec
• Continuous Shooting: 2 fps, 3 pics maximum
• ISO Range: 100, 200, 400
• File Format: JPEG (Exif 2.2)
• SD/MMC card + 16MB onboard memory
• 2x AA Batteries

Tags: digital camera, compact camera, compact digital camera, hp digital camera, hp, 7MP, 3x optical zoom, red eye removal, hp photosmart, hp photosmart M627

The FujiFilm FinePix F11 Zoom looks and feels identical to F10. There F11 is more or less a premium version of the F10 and offers a few improvements: resolution of the LCD monitor has increased to 153,000 pixels (F10:115,000 pixels) and an improved macro mode performance that makes it possible to take crisp, clear shots of subjects as close as 5cm (F10:7cm). It also now includes A (aperture priority AE) and S (shutter priority AE) modes, and the 256-zones metering enables more precise AE for a variety of a scene. Compared to F10, it appears to be faster. The most important thing remains: with the basic functions of the FinePix F10, including Fujifilm’s innovative Real Photo Technology (produces natural results without having to use the in built flash) and Super CCD sensor, the new Fuji FinePix F11 incorporates manual shooting functions, such as aperture and shutter priority settings.

Functions:
• Shooting Modes: Program, Shutter priority, Aperture priority
• Scene Modes: Auto, Natural Light, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night scene
• Color Modes: B&W, Chrome, Standard
• Movie Mode: 640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps, 320 x 240 pixels at 30 fps, Motion JPEG (.avi), with mono sound (.wav)
• White Balance: Auto, Fine, Shade, Fluorescent Light (daylight), Fluorescent Light (cool white), Fluorescent Light (warm white), Incandescent Light, and Custom
• Flash Modes: Auto, Red-eye reduction, On/Off, Slow Synch, Red-eye reduction + Slow Synch
• Focus Modes: TTL 64-zone metering, Multi, Spot, Average
• Metering: Multi, 256-zone, Average, Spot

Technical Data:
• 2.5 inch LCD
• 6.3 megapixels
• 3x optical zoom lens + 6.2x/4.5x digital zoom
• Focal Length: 36-108mm (35 mm equiv)
• Aperture: F2.8 – F8 (1/3 EV steps) at wide-angle; F5.0 – F8 (1/3 EV steps) at telephoto
• Exposure compensation: -2.0EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps
• Focus Range: Normal: 60 cm – infinity; Macro: 5 – 80cm (wideangle)/30 – 80cm (telephoto)
• Flash Range: (wide) 6.5 m, (tele) 4 m, (macro) 80cm
• ISO Range: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
• Shutter Speed: 3 – 1/2000 sec, 3-15 sec in night mode
• Self Timer: 2 / 10 sec
• Power on: 1.3 sec
• Shutter Lag: 0.01 sec
• Shoot to shoot: 2 sec
• Continuous: 2.2 fps up to 3 frames (top 3 or final 3), 0.9 fps up to 40 frames
• File Format: JPEG (Exif 2.2)
• xD Picture Card + 16MB included
• Lithium ion (NP-120) Battery (500 shots)

Tags: fujifilm, fujifilm finepix, FujiFilm FinePix F10, FinePix F10, FujiFilm FinePix F11, FinePix F11, fujifilm digital camera, digital camera, compact camera, compact digital camera, point and shoot, point and shoot camera, finepix digital camera, 6MP, 3x optical zoom

Sony’s first camera with wireless capabilities is the Cybershot DSC-G1 was released in 8 March 2007. With just a touch of a button you can instantly and wirelessly send your photos to a DNLA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible PC or another camera. The 2GB internal memory capacity (stores up to 7,500 VGA-quality or 600 6-megapixel photos) means you will not need memory card storage for your photos. The G1 also has a different design approach than other Cyber-shot cameras. It’s bigger and thicker than most, “with a curious wedge-shaped design that fits somewhat oddly into the hand”. Sony’s Super Steady Shot is the optical image stabilisation by Sony for steady and sharp, crystal clear photos. Like all other Sony digital cameras, it is based on Carl Zeiss lens, but, you slide the lens cover across, instead of down as with previous models, and you’re ready to shoot in less than a second.The Cybershot DSC-G1 is expected to be in shops starting April and will be available for purchase at a start price of $600. I’m looking forward to find out more about this camera’s image quality capabilities.

Functions:
• Shooting Modes: Auto, Scene, Movie
• Scene Modes: Twilight, Twilight Portrait, Landscape, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, High-spped Shutter, High Sensitivity, Soft Snap, Handheld Twilight
• Movie Mode: MPEG4 movie recording with sound
• Focus Modes: (TTL 9 points type) single, monitoring
• Metering Modes: multi-pattern, center-weighted, spot
• Flash Modes: Auto, Slow Synch, Red-eye Reduction
• White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent 1, Incandescent, Flash white balance

Technical Data:
• 3.5 inch LCD (extra large)
• 6.0 effective Megapixels
• 3x optical zoom + 6x digital zoom
• Exposure Compensation: +/- 2.0 EV in 1/3 EV steps
• Bracketing: 3 frames, ±0.3/0.7/1.0EV
• Focus Range:
Auto: 1.64 ft.;
Macro Wide: 3.14 in.;
Macro Tele: 9.84 in.;
Magnify Wide: 0.39 in. – 7.87 in.
• Flash Range:
Auto Wide: 0.3 – 9.2 ft.;
Auto Tele: 0.8 – 7.2 ft.;
Wide: 16.1; Tele: 13.1 ft.
• ISO Range: 80 – 1000
• Self Timer: 2 or 10 sec
• File Format: JPEG
• Memory Stick PRO Duo or just use the 2GB internal memory capacity
• Li-Ion Battery NP-FR1

Tags: sony, sony cybershot, digital camera, compact digital camera, point and shoot, point and shoot digital camera, camera, compact camera, sony digital camera, sony cybershot DSC-G1, 6MP, 3x optical zoom, optical image stabilization, image stabilization, wireless digital camera

From the Press Release I’ve found out that the digital camera branded with the Leica name, the 7.2-megapixel C-Lux 2, with Leica D Vario-Elmarit lens (7 elements in 6 groups,’ 5 aspherical lens elemens and 6 aspherical surfaces, is shown online at a retail price of $499.95. It will be available in May. This point and shoot comes with Mega Optical Image Stabilization and is capable of standard JPEG shooting but has no RAW shooting capabilities like its big brother the Leica D-Lux 3. The Leica C-Lux 2 has 20 scene modes and includes built-in toning effecting for black and white or sepia photos. Users can also record movies in Motion JPEG video at 320 x 240 pixel resolution at 30fps.

Functions:
• Shooting Modes: Portrait, Soft Skin, Landscape, Sport, Night Portrait, Night Landscape, Starry Sky, Fireworks, Food, Party, Candlelight, Baby 1, Baby 2, Pets, Sunset, High Sensitivity, Beach, Snow, Aerial, Underwater
• Flash Modes: Auto, Red-eye Pre-flash, Fill, Off, Slow pre-flash
• Metering Mode: multi-pattern
• Focus Modes: center, spot
• White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Halogen, Manual

Technical Data:
• 2.5 inch LCD
• 7.2 megapixel
• 3.6x optical zoom
• Exposure Compensation: +/- 2.0 EV in 1/3 steps
• ISO Range: auto, manual 100-800, 3200 in high sensitivity mode
• Focus Range:
Normal: 20 in. – infinity;
Macro: 2 in – infinity;
Tele: 12 in. – infinity
• Flash Range:
Auto Wide: 1.96 ft. – 16.4 ft.;
Auto Tele: 11.81 in. – 16.4 ft.;
High Sensitivity Wide: 2.62 ft. – 18.7 ft.;
High Tele: 2.62 ft. x 9.18 ft.
• Self Timer: 2 or 10 sec
• Shutter Speed: up to 8 sec
• File Format: JPEG
• SD, SDHC, and MMC memory card + 64MB internal memory
• Li-ion battery Leica BP-D6

Tags: Image Stabilization, Optical Image Stabilization, Leica, Leica C-Lux 2, Leica C-Lux, digital camera, compact digital camera, compact camera, point and shoot camera, 7MP, 3x optical zoom

The FinePix F10 has a metal body and a design which makes it not very slim but quite compact. The controls are well placed and it is easy to use. Other features: Calendar view, Voice memos, DPOF, Autofocus Illuminator, PictBridge and USB connectivity. As for the image quality, this digital camera provides good colors and sharpness, good white balance and no barrel distortion and amazing little noise at high ISO. The movie mode performs very well too. However, it lacks the Aperture and Shutter Priority modes as well as manual controls. This is quite sad for a camera with such a great performance of the picture quality. The battery consumption is low, so this is another reason to choose it as your point-and-shoot camera. No image stabilisation and no viewfinder.

Functions:
• Shooting Modes: Auto, Program, Natural light, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night
• Color Modes: B&W, Chrome, Standard
• Movie Mode: 640 x 480 pixels at 30 fps, 320 x 240 pixels at 30 fps, Motion JPEG (.avi), with mono sound (.wav)
• White Balance: Auto, Fine, Shade, Fluorescent Light (daylight), Fluorescent Light (cool white), Fluorescent Light (warm white), Incandescent Light, and Custom
• Flash Modes: Auto, Red-eye reduction, On/Off, Slow Synch, Red-eye reduction + Slow Synch
• Focus Modes: TTL 64-zone metering, Multi, Spot, Average

Technical Data:
• 2.5 LCD
• 6.3 megapixels
• 3x optical zoom lens
• Focal Length: 36mm – 108mm (35mm equivalent)
• Aperture: F 2.8 – F 8 – wideangle, F 5.0 – F8.0 – telephoto
• Exposure compensation: -2.0EV to +2.0 EV in 1/3EV steps
• Focus Range: Normal: 60 cm – infinity; Macro: 7.5 cm to 80 cm
• Flash Range: (wide) 6.5 m, (tele) 4 m, (macro) 80cm
• ISO Range: 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
• Shutter Speed: 3 – 1/2000 sec, 3-15 sec in night mode
• Power on: 1.4 seconds
• Shoot to shoot: 2 seconds
• Continuous: 2.2 fps up to 3 frames (top 3 or final 3), 0.9 fps up to 40 frames
• File Format: JPEG
• xD Picture Card + 16MB included
• Lithium ion (NP-120) Battery

Tags: fujifilm, fujifilm finepix, FujiFilm FinePix F10, FinePix F10, fujifilm digital camera, digital camera, compact camera, compact digital camera, point and shoot, point and shoot camera, finepix digital camera, 6MP, 3x optical zoom

Press Release: PALO ALTO, CA — March 19, 2007 — Light Crafts, creators of LightZone photoediting software, today announced the integration of LightZone with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Apple Aperture and Apple iPhoto. Beginning today, Light Crafts will offer LightZone Basic, its best-of-breed photo-editing package, for the discounted rate of $99.95 (regular price: $149.95) to Lightroom and Aperture users, enabling them to take advantage of patented visual editing technology seamlessly within these proprietary photo databases.
Following on the rapid success of Light Crafts award-winning Zone System-based LightZone software, Light Crafts is proud to offer film and digital photographers the next generation of powerful, yet easy to use photographic digital image editing tools.
Users simply select LightZone as the external photo editor from the preferences menu within Lightroom, Aperture or iPhoto to get started. From editing RAW photographs or JPEG, TIFF or DNG photos, LightZone’s intelligent editing features help adjust exposures, boost overall color, correct color shifts and white balance errors, selectively sharpen or blur images or parts of images, remove dust spots and reduce the noise often found in high-ISO digital images. LightZone is available in two versions, LightZone 2.0 and LightZone Basic. LightZone Basic is a best-of-breed photo editor. LightZone 2.0 is a complete photo editing and photo management suite, incorporating all the features of LightZone Basic, plus comprehensive workflow and photo management capabilities.

Drawing on principles behind the photographic Zone System and traditional darkroom film photography, LightZone 2 makes it simple and easy to bring out the true tone, color and contrast often hidden in digital images. Designed by photographers for photographers, LightZone 2 offers a rich set of powerful, yet easy to use digital editing tools. LightZone’s editing tools help reduce the noise often found in high-ISO digital images, correct color shifts and white balance errors, selectively sharpen or blur images or parts of images, remove dust spots and boost overall color to create beautiful, breath-taking images, letting the true talent of the photographer shine though.

“Light Crafts is fundamentally changing digital photo editing to reduce complexity and return control to photographers,” said Georges van Hoegaerden, chief executive officer, Light Crafts. “We’re introducing the power of visual photo editing to all photographers, independent of their photo management software environment.”
LightZone Basic and LightZone 2.0 are available for download at www.LightCrafts.com. A free 30 days trial also.

Tags: Light Zone, Light Crafts, LightZone, LightCrafts, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Of the hundreds of digital products on display at PMA Sneak Peek 2007, the official press event of PMA 07 in Las Vegas, Nev., 18 have been selected by a panel of digital imaging editors to receive the prestigious DIMA Innovative Digital Product Award. The annual award is one of several events sponsored by the Digital Imaging Marketing Association (DIMA), a PMA member association, Jackson, Mich.

DIMA Innovative Digital Product Awards recognize products or services utilizing new technologies and/or applications that make the product either distinct or the first of its kind.All entries were evaluated based on the following questions:

1. Why is this product/service considered innovative?
2. What sets this product/service apart from its competitors?
3. How does this product/service benefit its user?

Companies and products honored for their innovative digital products, in alphabetical order by company, are:
Zigview S2 (S2 version of the world’s first real-time digital angle viewfinder for digital SLR cameras)
SensorScope System (the first and only complete sensor cleaning system kit on the market for digital single lens reflex cameras)
Nexlab With DS Tower (a high-speed, dry digital minilab solution)
Epson Stylus Photo 1400 (the latest in the Epson lineup of Ultra Hi-Definition inkjet printers)
FotoNation FacePro (an advanced face tracking product designed to be embedded in mobile cameraphones)
Fujifilm IS-1 (a nine megapixel point-and-shoot camera capable of capturing both visible and infrared light)
HP Designjet Z Photo Printer Series
Hitachi Hybrid Camcorder, Model – DZHS300A
Joby Gorillapod Family (flexible camera tripod that secures a digital camera to virtually any surface)
Photobook Pro, KIS Photo-Me Group (high-quality photo albums, photo books and double-sided photo products utilizing currently available silver halide photographic paper as well as many inkjet and non-photo-paper materials)
Lensbaby 3G (third generation selective focus single lens reflex – SLR – lens)
Freedom Universal With Product Finder MTI (a powered merchandising and security system integrated with a digital signage screen that delivers SKU-specific information instantly when consumers touch the screen)
Olympus EVOLT E-510 (digital SLR camera)
Olympus SP-550 UZ Ultra Zoom (the world’s most powerful ultra zoom compact camera)
Olympus Stylus 770 SW (7.1-megapixel ultra-compact camera)
Think Tank Photo rotation360
Xerox iGen3 Digital Production Press

Source: DIMA Press Release

Tags: dima 2007

In Black & White Photography, the shapes, the structures and the contrast gain importance.
You can shoot directly in BW on most of the digital cameras, and some of them (Canon EOS) even come with some software filters to control the contrast (red, orange, yellow). The disadvantage of shooting BW is that you can not have that picture in colors if you change your mind and in most cases you can’t apply color filters before BW conversion.
By shooting in RAW mode you will obtain a lively BW Photography. Why? Because raw format offers more detailed grey tonalities. Some RAW converters have the BW option incorporated.

For TIFF and JPEG there are many possibilities to convert in BW. The chosen method depends on the desire to influence the grey tonalities during the conversion.

Method 1 – Desaturate !

The simplest solution is the “Desaturate” option in Photoshop, in the “Image”->”Adjustments” menu. This way, there is a high probability that some information of the image will be lost.

Method 2 – Saturate to -100 !

The second choice in Photoshop is to reduce the saturation to -100 (same Image -> Adjustments menu).

Method 3 – Change Image Mode !

The third method in Photoshop is to transform the RGB mode to Grayscale (or Duotone in case you want some color tint). By confirming “Discard Color Information”, the image is reduced to BW. Same thing would be this: the mode “Multichannel” with Grayscale activated contains all the BW information.

The “Secret Method” – Use this BW Conversion Plugin !

A more complicated but far more flexible and with better results, it’s the conversion using a Photoshop Plug-in. There are many out there on the internet, but I like B/W Conversion from Photo-Plugins because it provides all kind of filters in different tonalities. More than that, it offers full control over each color channel and gamma, as well as some preset configurations: Linear, Photoshop, Agfa, Kodak. It even provides a very good grain function (some photographers enjoy BW with some grain). After the conversion and before applying the changes, the plug-in offers a tone option. This will give sepia, bluish or whatever color tone you wish to the picture, more or less visible.
Note: All your Photoshop plug-ins are under the Filter Menu.

The following example shows how I first applied a red filter, and after the conversion, with some contrast/brightness adjustment, the initial red color will appear as white.

After the conversion, it’s a good idea to give the picture more contrast, but be careful not to burn the image. Keep a good balance between the details and the contrast: the bigger the contrast, the less details in the image; and if there is too little contrast, the less impressive the image.

Other photo editing software have similar solutions (another good example is Picasa where the BW conversion is extremely simple: just press a button that offers a BW preview).

Tags: black and white, black and white photography, B&W, B&W photography, BW, BW photography, black&white photography, BW conversion, B&W conversion, black and white conversion, photoshop tips

The ease of use and advanced features make the Pentax K100D digital SLR a perfect choice for users who want to move up from a point-and-shoot camera. But there is also a friendly Mode Dial offering Auto Picture and Picture modes as well as new Scene modes for even simpler photography.
Its sensor is a high-performance 23.5mm x 15.7mm CCD.
The Pentax Shake Reduction (an image sensor oscillation type system installed in the camera body: CCD Image Sensor Shift) feature is an electromagnetically controlled system built into the body to detect handheld camera shake and compensates by moving a free floating image sensor and works with all Pentax lenses.

Other features: Depth of Field Preview and Optical Viewfinder (Pentamirror with Natural-Bright-Matte II focusing screenl) with 96% coverage and 0.85x magnification.
About the image quality: Very good photo quality, low noise through ISO 800, some vignetting with kit lens. The Kit includes a 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 lens.

Functions:
• Shooting Modes: Auto Picture, Scene, Standard, Portrait, Night-scene Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Action, Flash Off, Program AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Metered Manual, Bulb
• Scene Modes: Night Scene, Surf & Snow, Text, Sunset, Kids, Pet, Candlelight, Museum
• Effects: Black & White, Sepia, Color (18 types), Soft (3 levels), Slim, Brightness
• White Balance: TTL Auto, Pre-set (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light), Custom
• Flash Modes (built-in pop-up): Auto, Flash-off, Flash-on, Auto + Red-eye reduction, Flash-on + Red-eye reduction
• Metering: TTL 16-segment, Center-weighted & Spot
• Focus Modes: AF-Single (with focus lock), AF-Continuous, Manual
• Auto Bracketing: 3 frames +/-1.5EV (1/2 steps) or +/-1EV (1/3 steps)

Technical Data:
• 2.5 inch LCD
• 6.1 megapixels
• Focal Length: 18mm – 55mm
• Aperture Range: F3.5 – F5.6
• ISO: Auto, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
• Exposure Compensation – +/-2 EV (1/2 or 1/3 steps)
• Flash Exposure Compensation: +1 to -2 (1/2 steps)
• Flash Synchronization Speed: 1/180 sec
• Shutter Speed: 1/4000 – 30 seconds
• Self-timer (12sec, 2sec)
• Remote Control (0sec, 3sec)
• Continuous (2.8fps, 5 JPEG, 3 RAW)
• File Format: JPEG (Exif 2.21), RAW, DCF
• SD memory card
• 4x AA rechargeable NiMH batteries, or Two CR-V3 lithium batteries

Tags: Pentax K100D, Digital SLR Camera, DSLR Camera, Pentax , Pentax Digital Camera, 6MP, image stabilization

Focal Length

The focal length of a lens determines its angle of view, and also how much the subject will be magnified for a given photographic position.

Focal length also determines the perspective of an image.

Longer focal lengths require shorter exposure times to minimize burring caused by the shake of hands.

The Focal Length means how much can your camera see.

Aperture

The aperture range of a lens refers to the amount of light that the diaphragm can let inside the camera to reach the sensor.

Apertures are listed in terms of f-numbers (expresses the diameter of the entrance pupil in terms of the effective focal length of the lens; It is the quantitative measure of lens speed), which are marked on the lens.
On a camera, the f-number is usually adjusted in f-stops.
Each “stop” is marked with its corresponding f-number, and represents a halving of the light intensity from the previous stop. Modern electronically-controlled interchangeable lenses, such as those from Canon and Sigma for SLR cameras, have f-stops specified internally in 1/8-stop increments, so the cameras’ 1/3-stop settings are approximated by the nearest 1/8-stop setting in the lens. The F number can be displayed as 1:X instead of f/X(like in our example).


Lenses with larger apertures are faster because, for a given ISO speed, the shutter speed can be made faster for the same exposure. A smaller aperture means that objects can be in focus over a wider range of distance (depth of field).

Portrait and indoor (sports and theater also) photography often requires lenses with large maximum apertures in order to be capable of faster shutter speeds (and narrower depth of fields) in order to combat the low light problems with no camera shake.
The narrow depth of field in a portrait, as well as in macro photography, helps isolate the subject from the background.

Minimum apertures for lenses are almost as important as maximum apertures. This is primarily because the minimum apertures are rarely used due to photo blurring from lens diffraction, and because these may require long exposure times.

For cases where extreme depth of field is desired, then smaller minimum aperture (larger maximum f-number) lenses allow a wider depth of field.
It’s also good to know that lenses typically have fewer aberrations when they perform the exposure stopped down one or two f-stops from their maximum aperture.

Tags: lens, focal length, aperture, f number, f stop, depth of field, dof, angle of view, perspective, wide, tele, exposure time