Sinar has announced the ‘p-slr’ system that allows DSLR owners use their camera bodies as digital backs with the company’s view camera system via an adapter. Currently compatible with Canon and Nikon cameras, the system gives access to a range of medium format and view camera lenses and accessories such as bellows, filters etc. An included ‘Quick Clamping’ adapter also allows users to easily change the orientation of the camera body from landscape to portrait and vice versa. The p-slr system comes in various combinations of mounting brackets, bellows and the Quick Clamping adapter, and a number of optional accessories. It will be available from next month at a retail price of 1980 Swiss Francs (~ €1440).

Let’s perform a thought experiment. By the end of 2010, there will be more than 100 million iPhone OS devices (iPod Touch, iPhone, iPad). You’re the webmeister at an important content site. The boss comes in and asks you why you’re not supporting the iPhone OS devices. ‘Our stuff is all Flash-based, chief, those guys don’t run Flash’. You’re about to become the ex-webmeister. The boss, a really patient sort, asks you to “think different” about all these “non-compliant” customers, each of whom has an iTunes account backed by a credit card, and has developed the habit (encouraged by Apple) of paying for content. So, one more time, with feeling: What’s your answer?

Laser towers are your friends for this round, the more the better. I didn’t need to do a lot of upgrades – most of my laser towers were only at Level 1 or 2.

Once you’ve passed Level 8, you can purchase some Missile Towers with any excess cash.

Yes, it does.

Initial results look very impressive in terms of sharpness, flare control, bokeh, etc. The original 200mm f/1.8L had a great reputation, but this new 200/2L looks to be outstanding as well, and perhaps even better. Although Canon offers an aging 200mm f/2.8L II design, the 200/2L IS is easily superior.

He also cautions to “… never allow such a lens to hang off your camera’s lens mount unsupported”.

The inclusion of two web-sized photos, a flower and street lights at dusk, give a glimpse of the lens’ capabilities.

The image quality (noise at higher ISO, sharpness and detail) is pretty impressive. Read a related forum reaction on DPReview.

Windows PC users can download the OLYMPUS Master 2 software at Olympus America.

This is the “new” bridge at Ronda in Andalusia in June last year (new because although it was finished in about 1791 it replaced something older). It’s 98m high, presumably from river bed to roadway.
K20, Sigma 10-20/4-5.6

This combination looks great for travel architecture images.

Tyrol in Austria, Summer 2009
Pentax K200D and the DA 18-55 AL II

View Kevin Coppalotti’s comparison chart of sensor sizes on DPReview to get an idea.

I’ve already activated WriteRoom, which normally has a $24.95 price tag.

The 6 free software are:

1. ShoveBox (normal price: $24.95)
2. WriteRoom (normal price: $24.95)
3. Twitterrific (normal price: $14.95)
4. TinyGrab (normal price: £10)
5. Hordes of Orcs (normal price: $24.95)
6. Mariner Write (normal price: $49.95)

30 years in the biz, Jack Hollingsworth has a few tips on shooting stock portraiture.

Tip 1: Content Trumps Craft Photographers love talking about the “craft” of how images are created, but most customers are looking for content and concepts.

Tip 2: Avoid Traditional Portraiture Set-ups Traditional portraiture is stiff and predictable. Today’s buyers are looking for imagery that is completely authentic, emotive, credible and unrehearsed.

Read more on Jack Hollingsworth and microstock photography.

I have both of those lens. End up selling the Nikon 16-85 VR and kept the Tamron 28-75 f2.8.

Then again, I do have the Nikon 17-55mm f2.8 as my primary I guess. I find living without the wide-open aperture of f2.8 was a pain. I would rather have that over VR. The ability Tamron could do macro at the same time was a huge bonus. The bokeh was great.

I’ve had D200 for 5+ years, the Tamron was my primary lens for 50% of the time. Love it.

(click to see a larger version)

1. DNA Tower in Kings Park offers majestic panoramic views of the city skyline, Swan River, the mountain range & the Indian Ocean.

2. Head to the beach! Swim, surf, sail, kayak or just relax & soak in the sun at Scarborough Beach, Cottesloe Beach or Mettams Pool.

3. Bring the kids to AQWA (Aquarium of Western Australia) for a first-hand experience of the region’s sea life!

4. Take a day out to explore the port town of Fremantle where cafes and outdoor markets are abound.

5. Swim with the dolphins at the seaside town of Rockingham. Fishing & crabbing are also available. Or head to Penguin Island for an up close with the Fairy penguins.

6. Indulge in some retail therapy at the city malls, King Street or at the factory outlet centre Harbour Town.

7. Sample local fares especially fish and chips in cafes by the river. Or opt for succulent, freshly-caught blue manna crab & seafood feast at Peel Inlet.

8. Spend a day or two at the Yanchep National Park, a favorite nature & wildlife attraction for both tourists & locals alike.

9. Feel as though you’ve stepped back in time as you wander the historic country towns in Avon Valley. Go rafting on Avon River!

10. Catch a ballet or an opera performance at His Majesty’s Theatre, the only Edwardian theatre in Australia that has been operating since 1904!

After searching around, TriTag from Feedface.com works best for me.

Below is a screenshot of the program. I used the pattern “%n %s %a” to populate the tags, and everything ran without a hitch. In fact, the batch process completed in less than a second for 171 songs.

(click to see a larger version)

MP3Machine.com has user comments on this software.

The choice between the Sony DSC-HX1 and the Canon SX1 is a tough one; both scored well in our tests and provide an excellent selection of features. The Canon had the edge in a few of our tests (color and noise in still images), but the Sony came out tops in others (such as resolution, image stabilization and most of our video tests). In the end, the choice will probably come down to the appeal of some of the extra features that are on offer (such as the Sony’s excellent panorama and low light shooting features) or price: the Sony is $100 cheaper than the Canon SX1.

The Nikon has a slight edge if you look at the specs: it shoots higher resolution images (12 megapixels against the 9 of the Sony), has a longer lens (24X against the 20x of the Sony) and is cheaper. But the Sony has superior performance in pretty much every category of our tests: it has better color, resolution and much better stabilization. The only area where the Nikon was superior was noise; although the Sony has the wider ISO range, the Nikon had lower noise in images at the ISO levels it achieved. The Sony was also a vastly superior performer at shooting video. While the Nikon could only shoot grainy standard definition video, the Sony could shoot very attractive high definition video.

The Olympus SP-590UZ has the longer zoom range of the two cameras (26x against the 20x of the Sony) and is also $50 cheaper. But the Sony was a better performer: it produced sharper images with more detail, had superior image stabilization and shoots better looking movies. However, the Olympus had very slightly better colors. Although both cameras are very close in many ways, we think that the Sony would generally be the better option as a general use camera, although some users may want to opt for the extra zoom range of the Olympus.

It think it would have to be a fixed focal length lens, as an HQ full frame zoom would have to be much too large for a compact camera.

… to which Thom Hogan replied:

As I’ve written many times, that’s not true. It is tricky to get the design of a zoom compact enough, but as I wrote quite some time ago, it is not only possible, but there are at least three ways I know of to get there. The one that should be obvious to everyone right now is to use the Kodak/Leica offset microlens bit, as this allows you to use designs that are aggressive in the rear portion of the optics. But there’s complexity in all three ways I know to do it

I hope to God that the S90 will be much, much better than even the best SD series camera. For one thing, the SD980 will have almost twice the pixel density of the S90 — 43 MP/cm² pixel density vs. the S90’s 23 MP/cm². That is an utterly huge difference, and the S90 even clocks in a click below the LX3 at 24 MP/cm².

But it’s the SD series lenses that I think are the weakest points. If you can fill the image with a close subject, in good light, you can get some decent results. Anything not filling the image will be soft, anything using any zoom at all will be soft — and so on. I think they are among the least useful lenses on any consumer camera on the market.

Rather than put a link to /dev/null, you can fix the Adobe osascript
problem by updating “Adobe Unit Types.osax” to a 64-bit version. See this
link on Adobe’s website.

http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/516/cpsid_51615.html

After upgrading to Snow Leopard, I get the following error added to the top of my Textmate document when I perform a post to my Wordpress blog using Brad Choate’s Blogging Bundle:

2009-09-13 15:38:10.711 osascript[5261:903] Error loading /Library/ScriptingAdditions/Adobe Unit Types.osax/Contents/MacOS/Adobe
Unit Types: dlopen(/Library/ScriptingAdditions/Adobe Unit Types.osax/Contents/MacOS/Adobe Unit Types, 262): no suitable image
found. Did find: /Library/ScriptingAdditions/Adobe Unit Types.osax/Contents/MacOS/Adobe Unit Types: no matching architecture
in universal wrapper osascript: OpenScripting.framework – scripting addition “/Library/ScriptingAdditions/Adobe Unit Types.osax” declares no loadable handlers.

It turned out that deleting or moving the Adobe Unit Types.osax file that’s found in the /Library/ScriptingAdditions/ folder and re-booting my Mac solved the problem.

I got the idea for removing the file from this Apple Mailing List discussion. However, I’m also keeping a copy of this file someplace safe just in case uninstalling and Adobe application requires the file to be put back into that folder.

Additionally, I noticed that the file was re-created after I ran Photoshop and Lightroom, so I had to resort to creating a link with the name Adobe Unit Types.osax and have it point to /dev/null. This is how I did it:

1. In Finder, make a copy of the Adobe Unit Types.osax file, then delete the original file. You might be prompted to enter your Administrator password.

2. Launch Terminal.

2. cd /Library/ScriptingAdditions

3. sudo ln -s /dev/null "Adobe Unit Types.osax"

Keeping my fingers crossed this doesn’t break my Adobe apps.

Here’s a couple of things to consider with the ZS3.

First, the color is not as good, particularly in skies where Panasonic cameras often show that as a sort of aqua color.

Second, the ZS3 has no internal adjustments for sharpening, contrast, or saturation – only a very few Panasonic models do have internal settings anymore. Canon models still retain this capability.

Third, the Canon IS (Image Stabilization) seems to be consistently better than Panasonic’s OIS (Optical Image Stabilizer) – that was certainly the case with the FZ28 Vs the S5IS.

Personally, I much prefer the Canon menus and controls.

If you don’t see the Genius Mixes item in your sidebar, try clicking on Store > Update Genius in the menu.

The SX10 is the Family megazoom here, even Ma is using it instead of Pentax DSLRs, my brother uses it too on occasion (Sis in law has my old TZ5, I have a TX1) and IMO its the best Megazoom out there, beating the FZ28 on image quality though the FZ38 may be better again (but missing the build, swivelly screen and ergonomics of course).

If you boot into a 64bit kernel, none of your 32bit device drivers will work, so people who are upgrading will struggle. Drivers built for snow leopard will have both 32 & 64 bit code, but until that happens, booting into 64bit by default isn’t the right way to go.

That said, ‘booting into 64bit’ only refers to the kernel. All of the other libraries that apps depend on, AppKit, FoundationKit, libc, etc are all 64 bit, and will load if a 64 bit processor is accessible. Also, any program that was compiled with 64bit code will run in 64bits period, giving you that (2x) improvement.

The biggest problem for users will be that their software (Photoshop, Logic, etc) will be 64 bit, but their plugins might not be. If any program has plugins or extensions that are not 64 bit, it will have to be relaunched into 32bit mode to use them. Contrary to contentcreator’s comments, OSX does not ‘grind a bit’ when loading 64 bit code, nor does it load BOTH 32 and 64 bit. It loads 64bit code if it’s dependent libraries and the processor support it. If not, it degrades gracefully (and speedily) to 32bit code.

That said, nearly all programs 32/64/ppc continue to run well on SL, and all of them get to take advantage of GCD when they run, so they run a bit faster as well.

In the pre-release versions of SL, all of the Macbook Pros, Mac Pros and XServes could be set to boot in 64bit by default (without 32bit device drivers), and the others (with the exception of the MBA and Mini) could be booted with the ‘64′ keys held down. I guess they removed it to keep users from getting confused if their devices stopped working. My guess it will be the default for all machines once the driver community has moved all of their code over.

Finally, a new Contact Sheet view lets you see all of your pages in thumbnail view at the same time, a nice convenience. To get this view, however, you need to set your General preferences to Open All Files In One Window or Open Groups Of Files In The Same Window.

Jason Snell says:

Mentioning Microsoft in this case is notable because, as anyone who has ever tried to buy and install a Windows upgrade package knows, it’s a complete disaster.

You have to have the previous version of the OS available — and heaven help you if it’s not the exact right SKU — in order to install the upgrade.

If anything isn’t quite right, it all blows up in your face.

And of course you need to make sure you’ve got not just a serial number, but the right kind of serial number for the exact SKUs you’re upgrading over and with.

In contrast: Apple. No serial numbers, full installer, no need to go back to previous versions of the OS in order to install an upgrade.

Fans of the yellow button, fear not: by default, Snow Leopard still minimizes windows the same stupid way Mac OS X has for the last ten years. For us complainers, though, there’s a new alternative: A Minimize Windows Into Application Icon checkbox in System Preferences’ Dock pane. With that box checked, when you click on that yellow button, your window will still fly away into the Dock. But instead of disappearing into the mess on the right, it will minimize into the icon of the application it belongs to. That makes it easy to bring the window back. (Minimized windows are indicated in most programs by a diamond in an app’s Window menu; you can see that same list by Control-clicking on the app’s icon in the Dock.) Even better, this feature works with Exposé: When you invoke Exposé, all minimized windows line up together at the very bottom of the screen.

I use both Windows OS and Mac OS at work. For design and photography type work the Mac experience is a little better IMO. Adobe PS performance under Windows is mainly affected by utiilites such as antivirus programs that hog resources.

My personal computer is a Mac Pro. Apple warranty and service is very good when their product fails. My (2008) Mac Pro Dual 2.8GHz failed within the first year of ownership. After several tries to fix the problem Apple decided to replace it with a (2009) Mac Pro Dual 2.93GHz. No doubt that my next pc will also be a Mac.

I use a D40 with an SB400 on a flash bracket quite often. I use Stroboframe’s cheapest bracket, which is called a Quickflip 350 with an SC28 cord. It works great and it’s simple, but keep in mind that unlike the bigger flashes, the SB400 does not line up directly over the camera. Very close, but not quite, so you might on occasion still get a very faint, but pesky shadow down the right side of your subject.

Nikon D300S Tilt-Shft Cityscape / Landscape:

(click to view larger)

One reason for the differences is Capture NX 2 makes use of camera settings such as Picture Controls (this specifies sharpness, brightness, saturation, hue and contrast levels) and Active D-Lighting intensity that’s embedded in the image to render the initial JPEG.

If I need the highest quality RAW conversion, I edit the image in NX 2.

Otherwise, I live in Lightroom 99% of the time for my image cataloging, management, editing and printing requirements.

They’re not dangerous to humans, unlike the venomous Komodo dragons.

References: Malayan Water Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvator), Wikipedia.

The 430EX Speedlite flash was used for some of the images.

Jack has the following remarks on the 18-55 lens:

I was happily surprised by the lens’s performance. I don’t think Canon souped-up sharpness and contrast in the T1i to make up for possible deficiencies in the lens optically, since I also tested it with one of my regular Canon zooms. So I’d have to say, in terms of sharpness, contrast, and color rendition, this lens appeared to hold its own. Another pleasant surprise was the close-focusing limit, at just under 10 inches.

Jan used the WP-DC28 waterproof case to get the G10 underwater, and added:

I’m really happy with my new rig. People pay thousands of dollars for underwater cameras that don’t produce images any better than these. The difference is that the extra money buys you mostly more light on the subject. If you are willing to stay within the confines of available light and limit yourself to close shots when using flash, you can take professional quality underwater photos for way under a thousand US$. The G10 costs about US$400 and the housing was, I think, less than $200.

Visit The night sky in the World for this data – see two examples of their maps – The World Atlas of the Artificial Night Sky Brightness and North America (notice how polluted the night sky on the eastern side of the US is).

Armed with this knowledge, you can then decide on your exposure (how long to keep the shutter open, what ISO) and stacking / blending (normally done with Photoshop) strategy.

Each person who signs up via your referral link earns you 250 MB, so if you get 12 people to use your referral link, you’ll get that extra 3GB.

However, there is a faster way. You can have an extra 250MB, right now, if you use my referral link (you can also use this alternative link) and sign up for an account.

This way, both you and I will get the additional 250MB – a perfect win-win situation.

Aug 28, 2009 update – eight days after putting up this post and a tweet, I got my first referral! The Dropbox team kindly dropped me an automated email (titled ‘Dropbox referral status’) to announce the fact.

Sep 03, 2009 update – My second Dropbox referral is in – I’m up another 250MB!

… I’m typing this on a netbook running one of the RTM escrow builds of Windows 7. I certainly could have installed Windows XP on this machine instead of its newer sibling. However, the hassle of patching, tuning, and hunting down drivers just to get XP to boot on this newfangled hardware would have made the effort difficult to justify. By contrast, Windows 7 simply worked from the get-go. With few exceptions, its default configuration was entirely functional.

I have a feeling this same scene is playing out across the IT landscape. Shops weary of patching and tweaking XP to get it working reliably on modern hardware are looking at Windows 7 and thinking it might just be the version that finally lures them away from their legacy environment. After all, there’s something to be said for convenience. And when it comes to seamlessly embracing new hardware technologies, Windows 7 is far better positioned than creaky old XP.

In a comment to a blog post, monte says:

The iPhoto books are aimed at the general audience who uses mainly point and shoot type cameras.

There is a fixed, limited amount of digital information that the book download from your computer to Apple will take.

New DSLRs with 15-24 megapixels’ images edit great as RAW or JPGs on Photoshop and similar higher end photo apps.

The resulting files are large. You can set up a book in iPhoto with these large file images and they will look great when you see them on your computer.

The shortfall is when you order the books and send your image information to Apple, it is compressed (so they get softened quite a bit).

Again, iPhoto is geared for lower expectations of image quality and hasn’t the capacity nor the ability to capture large files.

For the vast majority of buyers the image quality is very acceptable. The books (at this time) don’t do justice to more advanced photographic images and are far from museum quality.

The article compares 5 DSLR bodies: Canon EOS 50D vs Nikon D300 vs Olympus E-30 vs Pentax K-7 vs Sony A700.

The A700 emerged as the overall winner, with the following verdict:

The Sony Alpha A700 wins because of the specification being so similar to the other models, it gives good noise performance, has great color rendition and a good dynamic range that seems to work even when dynamic range compensation is switched off.

A useful summary of pros and cons of each camera is given at the end of the review.

JohnLeBaron says:

First, I would say to skip both those computers (the Dell inspiron Mini 10 and HP Mini 1000) and get the Asus eee 1005HA or the 1000HE (an older model). They are both incredible machines and if the Dell 10 is anything like the Latitude 2100 then it will be a dog compared with the 2 Asus ones.

I have had both Asus’s and loved the HE (but I killed it on a freeway so I got the 1005HA as a replacement and it is incredible). The extra speed of these processors may not seem like they will make a difference but they actually do.

And for the $ you cant beat them. Asus also offers a 2 year extended warranty (you have to go on line for it) that covers some types of damage.

They also run OSX nicely (http://discuss.gdgt.com/asus/eee/pc/1005ha/tips/osx-on-1005ha/#20427).

backbeatcat added:

I loaded Windows 7 ultimate (RTM) on my new 1005HA about a week ago and it is working very well. Performance seems about the same as with XP and the machine runs the aero interface very well. The installation was fairly easy as described in a few good articles on the web. I used a 4GB USB drive formatted using the HP format tool to be an active partition. Drivers for XP worked fine. Just run the installations using the XP compatibility mode.

Network performance on this thing is OFF THE FRICKIN’ CHAIN. The 802.11n network adapter really screams on my network. Netflix movies load in about 7 seconds from the the “play” click.

Since I got this, three people in my office have seen it and ordered one. The thing sells itself. Just be sure to keep a 4GB-8GB USB drive around to load software from.

Carefully select a handful of areas where you can beat the iPhone, and then promote the hell out of these features. Over-the-air calendar, contact, and email syncing through Google services should beat MobileMe hands down, if only because MobileMe costs $100 a year and Google’s services are free.

There is no better advice than this:

If your goal is to sell more smartphones than Apple, you’re going to fail. If your hope is to gain a strong foothold in the market with a sub-par device, you are mistaken. So aim high, and set your goals such that you can smugly claim victory with just a fraction of Apple’s unit sales. If Apple is BMW, you can be Porsche.

In an addenda, John admonishes:

Display, processor, RAM, storage capacity, build quality. Match — or come really close to matching — the iPhone on these criteria and then add just one thing that beats it, at least for some segment of the market. This is where there’s room for several Android handset makers to flourish. Say, one with an amazing camera. One with twice the battery life. (Or even better, combine those two, and when you make room for the bigger battery with a thicker case, use the extra room to add a larger camera sensor.) But add at least one thing that might make some iPhone owners envious — something to hang your hat on.

(click to view a larger version)

In Forklift, just select an app in the Applications folder (Syncplicity, in this example – Dropbbox serves my needs better), and click on the Delete App toolbar icon. You’re presented with a list of related items for deletion.

Remove the tick in the checkbox next to an item to keep it.

Click Move to Trash, and the app is completely removed.

The woeful performance and usability of Android is precisely the reason that Apple can treat developers (and consumers) however they like; it’s not even playing the same game, much less on the field with the iPhone. That Android is a mobile Linux platform is sadly apparent. Android suffers from the same issues that have plagued Linux on the desktop for years: the lack of integration between software and hardware, buggy and under-featured applications, a lack of attention paid to user experience issues. The encouraging openness and bits of innovation in Android are overshadowed by mediocrity.

I’d already written my first “Hello” Ruby program in Textmate.

First, I created an empty p001hello.rb file and opened that in Textmate.

Next, I pasted and tidied up the sample code, and executed the program by pressing ⌘R, which opens an HTML preview window showing the results.

That was all there was to it. I’m pretty amazed how smoothly it all went.

sudo pmset -a lidwake 0

Andy Ihnatko explains why:

It’s a safety thing. Way, way too frequently I’ve picked up my laptop bag and it felt…warm. I unzipped it and heard a screaming fan. At some unguessable point in the recent past, the MacBook got jostled just enough to twitch the screen sensor and it woke up.

Inside a sealed bag whose thick padding acted as thermal insulation. Result: a white-hot $1500 computer. That can’t be good. If there are any weak points in the hardware, that sort of abuse will cook ‘em right into a hardware failure.

… a few times where I thought I’d missed the shot based on my experience with the original iPhone and 3G, I’ve gotten the shot with the 3GS. But after reading Adam’s piece and testing it out side-by-side with my old 3G, there’s no maybe about it. As Adam says, something smart is happening here.

If you create a Draft post in Wordpress using the browser-based Wordpress editor, a record is created with all zeros in the post_date_gmt field of the draft post record. I used phpMyAdmin for this screen capture of the posts table.

(click to view larger)

You can do one of two things to address this problem.

Firstly, you could just go ahead and create a new post in Textmate and publish it to your Wordpress blog – it will successfully publish.

Or, you could force a proper date to be updated in the post_date_gmt field by calling up the draft post in the Wordpress editor and changing the publish date of the post from “Publish immediately” to a specific date in the future, and re-saving the draft post.

This issue only crops up when creating draft posts in Wordpress itself. Draft posts made using Marsedit or Textmate have the post_date_gmt field filled in with the date and time of the post creation. However, you would need to remember to manually change the date and time later, at the point of publishing the post.

The kids definitely seem to prefer Apple’s devices over the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP.

I’m also making note of graham’s recommendation for an educational app for the kids:

An iPhone kids application you should check out is iStoryTime. It’s a library of narrated and illustrated kids books for the iPhone. There are 6 books available in the Apple AppStore today: http://www.istorytimeapp.com/appstore With new ones coming out every week.

Great for driving in the car, on the airplane, or at a restaurant waiting for the bill when the kids are going crazy.

Books are $1.99/ea from iTunes and can also be purchased on your phone from anywhere. Great for entertaining the kids in a guilt free way. All the wholesomeness of a book with the convenience of your phone.

Enjoy!

Website: http://www.istorytimeapp.com
On the AppStore: http://www.istorytimeapp.com/appstore

(click to view full-size)

(image is copyright Lukas Mathis)

The on-going Sony TX1 analysis has been updated with this piece of information.

Here’s a screen shot showing a comparison of both fonts.

Monaco (click to view larger):

Panic Sans (click to view larger):

I’m still sticking with Textmate’s Pastels on Dark theme though, as it is easy on the eyes (Twilight is a tad more contrasty).

I’ve also decided that the combination of Textmate and Forklift is best suited for my needs in adding and modifying content (Textmate) on Digital Photography Notes locally on my Mac, and syncing the new and modified files (Forklift) with my remote hosting server.

Forklift also acts as a splendid File Manager / Finder alternative, with its two-pane, multi-tab approach to presenting folders, servers and mounted storage.

… she likes the camera quite a lot, finding it “extremely comfortable to hold and use”. She likes IQ and detail resolution, and unique-to-Pentax features such as built-in level adjustment. Live View now fully rounded and of genuine use. During review process, she adds latest firmware and notes improvements. But she finds a few niggling problems:-
* AF improved, but still behind Nikon and Canon
* Viewfinder not that comfortable to use and a bit gloomy
* Menu system less flexible than competitors

Also, the Canon 50D and Nikon D300 / D300S might be preferred by sports photographers for the Autofocus speed, but “… landscape, still-life and macro photographers could well prefer K-7.”

Anytime, anywhere while in a Firefox session, just hit ctrl + alt / option to call up an overlay where you can then hit a single key to access your favorite websites.

Hitting command + shift + s while you’re on a web site calls up a window where you can quickly assign a shortcut key and enter a descriptive title.

[via Digital Inspiration]

I stumbled on to this site while searching for ways to create contact sheets from a selection of images on the Mac.

Read more on the Sony WX1.

Read more on the Sony TX1.

Actually, the more I use Forklift, the more I like it. It’s less of an FTP program, and more of a File Management (or Finder replacement) application.

The files I renamed were images used for Panasonic GF1: The Leaked Photos Collection.

Then there’s the projector, and it’s a good one, too. Despite seeming a little weedy on paper at just 10 lumens, we found that images were viewable at reasonably close range with full lighting on, and when blown up to 40-inches – the maximum the company says the camera supports – only a little dimming is needed for good clarity.

Video playback in particular was smooth and well-defined. It’s always going to depend on what surface you’re projecting onto, but assuming it’s not Auntie Mavis’ floral curtains you’ll likely be fine. There’s a bunch of slideshow options, too, for photo display.

Read more on the Nikon S1000pj.

A key strength of OpenOffice.org is its ability to handle large word processing documents. Now you can learn how to create and better manage large documents — theses, research reports, manuscripts and more — in this recently released Sun guide.

Topics include:

1. Developing tables of contents, indexes, appendices
2. Working with templates, cross-references
3. Handling graphics, tables, charts
4. Using OOo powerful style guides to manage page styles, paragraph styles, and character styles
5. And a lot more helpful tips and tricks

You’ll also get information on where to get more resources along with detailed guidelines on writing a public documentation license.

You’ll need to enter some basic details about yourself before downloading the guide.

[via John Gruber]

… that 55mm focal length is offering the angle of view of a classic 85mm lens from the days of film, giving you a slightly longer working distance and more flattering perspective compared to a 50mm prime on APS-C. All in all, the lens is a clear improvement over the smc FA 50mm F1.4, with much superior wide open performance than the older, film-era design (although the gap narrows considerably at smaller apertures).

However …

The SDM focus motor is near-silent, and won’t disturb your subjects in the slightest; however it is slower than the screw-drive system of the older 50mm, and while this isn’t a big deal if you tend to pre-focus then shoot, you might need to bear it in mind if you use autofocus to track continually and erratically moving subjects – children, for example.

Read more on the DA* 55 f1.4.

The two sample images in that forum post are not visible unless you’re logged in, so see those pictures here.

Smartphones are essentially a general purpose computer (usually an ARM-based CPU) connected to a cellular radio (controlled by the baseband processor) via an interface that uses basic AT-style commands to place calls and transmit data, much like an old Hayes modem if you are old enough to remember that sort of thing. Vendors are free to do pretty much anything on the computer side of the device, just as anyone can release a Linux PC. On the baseband side however, the phone can’t be “open,” by law.

The Leaf is the first of Nissan’s new range of fully electric powered cars, which produce no carbon emissions, unlike hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius, which uses a petrol-powered engine as well as an electric battery. Nissan’s range of electric cars will include small, medium-sized and large saloon cars.

I initially bought a Panasonic ZS3 (the SX200’s closest competitor) based on reviews on internet camera sites, but I returned it after a few days of testing and purchased a Canon SX200 instead. I could not be happier. The ZS3 had a very weak flash, and took poor low-light photos. In addition, the ZS3 had poor color quality compared to Canon’s I owned. The SX200 has great color quality, excellent flash capability, and good low-light performance. I took some evening photos on a trip to Galveston recently and was extremely pleased. In addition, the manual controls on the camera are great and I tend to use them about 80% of the time. As you adjust the aperture, ISO, and shutter speed, the preview changes to show you how your settings will affect the final shot. No need to adjust, shoot, review, and adjust again.

I do wish it could zoom during video, but this is a minor complaint for an excellent point and shoot, particularly at this price.

If you had forgotten to close Firefox first before launching Sandvox, and the Sandvox icon just bounces up and down in the Dock and doesn’t do anything else, don’t worry, just go ahead and quit Firefox, and Sandvox will then start up just fine.

After registering your copy of Sandvox, quit Sandvox and then start it up again. Again, you’ll need to make sure Firefox is not running when you start up Sandvox the first time after registering.

The above process steps need to be observed only when launching Sandvox for the first time after installation, or when launching the first time after registration.

Subsequent launching of Sandvox will take place smoothly even if Firefox is running.

ISO 640 was used.

Nikon D300S Mountain Goat:

Nikon D300S Street Portrait:

Nikon D300S Icy / Snowy Landscape:

Nikon D300S Low-Light Portrait:

Nikon D300S Architecture:

Nikon D300S Sports Example: Snowboard and Parachute / Paraboarding:

The image is also a good example of the 10-24mm’s resistance to flare when shooting into the sun at f/8.

The 500D’s JPEG output is a lot closer to the EP-1’s, but even here the little Olympus has the edge when it comes to pixel-level sharpness – despite the Canon’s higher nominal resolution. There’s really not a lot in it though, and in a print you’d be unlikely to see any difference in detail at all. The 500D’s color and contrast is a little more muted, and again it’s handling the roll-off of highlights a little more gently (and again, the difference would be less at ISO 200), but as both cameras offer extensive control over image parameters this is really only relevant to those who never change a single camera setting.

Lenses used were the Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Telephoto Macro ED on the E-P1, and Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM Standard / Medium Telephoto on the T1i / 500D / Kiss X3.

It’s clear to see that Olympus – as usual – is doing a great job with its out of camera JPEGs, and at a pixel level the E-P1 produces, sharper, crisper output than the Nikon, and the punchier default contrast, sharpening and saturation mean that the results are more immediately appealing. You’re not going to see a huge difference at normal magnifications (and turning up the Nikon’s rather conservative sharpening evens things out a little), but there’s no denying that the little Olympus is giving the D5000 a good run for its money (though again the rather harsh highlight roll-off produces slightly clipped tones at ISO 100).

Lenses used were the Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Telephoto Macro ED on the E-P1, and Nikon 50mm f/1.4G AF-S Nikkor on the D5000.

Not surprisingly given the family ties (and the fact it’s the same lens), the output is very, very similar, with color, contrast and saturation almost identical. Look a bit closer and you can see – even in a JPEG – that there are some differences. The most obvious is the EP-1’s visibly better pixel-level sharpness (thanks to a lighter anti-alias / low pass filter), though we also noticed that the highlight roll-off is a little harsher than the E-620 (something confirmed in our dynamic range testing) – it’s better at ISO 200, but still not as good as the E-620. Overall though, it’s great to see that Olympus hasn’t just delivered on its promise to match SLR quality – it’s actually surpassed it.

The lens used on both cameras was the Olympus 50mm f/2.0 Telephoto Macro ED.

One additional thing I have done recently though, with this site + the others is to implement a “call to action word” in the beginning of the meta description to improve clickthrough rates from the google search.The meta description does not seem to have much importance in the SERP (search engine results page) ranking itself, so I use it to convince the visitors to take action and click on my site vs the other options that come up.

For example words like “discover, claim, pick, consider” such as  “Discover the best training for the marathon…etc”. “Pick your shoes wisely. These are the top 5 tips….etc”. as the beginning of the meta description.

You don’t need to master Cocoa and Objective C to create killer iPhone apps. Rhomobile, PhoneGap, Appcelerator, and Ansca tools leverage standard Web technologies and still tap native features

[...]

Rhodes, PhoneGap, Titanium, and Corona are all good tools. Although there are differences in capabilities, your choice will probably rest with the one that supports your favorite language. That’s the entire point of working with these frameworks. If you know JavaScript, Lua, or Ruby, you can create something on the iPhone very quickly.

The Sigma still holds up well against the new Nikon: both lenses are very sharp. Where the Nikon is just slightly sharper at wider apertures, stopped down, the Sigma achieves just slightly sharper performance. In this case, “slightly” is measured in the tenths-of-blur units. CA performance is much better in the Nikon (especially at 10mm), corner shading is about the same, and distortion is perhaps a bit more forgiving in the Sigma. Both take 77mm filters, but the Sigma costs half as much. The Sigma 10-20mm is also newly available in a constant ƒ/3.5 configuration.

Tamron’s had a 10-24mm lens for a few years now, but it doesn’t quite reach the optical performance of the Nikon. Wide open, the Nikon is sharper, especially in the corners, though stopped down to at least ƒ/5.6 the two are very similar. CA performance is better with the Nikon, as it is for corner shading; distortion is a constant barrel distortion with the Tamron. Takes 77mm filters.

Sigma’s version of this lens is also available in the Sony mount, and is generally the poorer cousin: less capable macro (0.22x instead of 0.29x), slower aperture (ƒ/4.5 instead of ƒ/4) and no ED glass. Also uses a mechanical focusing system.

The 55-200mm ƒ/4-5.6 fared well in our tests: sharpness is very good, even when used wide open, with light corner shading. CA is noticeable but light: corner shading is minor, and as is typical for this class of lens, distortion is fairly objectionable when used at the lens’ longer focal lengths.

[...]

Still, for the money, it’s a light lens which offers very good performance, and makes a good camera system when paired with the 18-55mm.

(via Sony 55-200mm Review at SLRgear.com)

Please note that Panasonic requested we only published these samples resized to 640×480 as image quality from the pre-production sample cameras we had was not final.

Click the first thumbnail in this gallery, and you’ll be able to read the notes that accompany each image.

For instance, here is Ian’s take on the overall dimensions of the ZR1 / ZX1:

Despite packing a genuine superzoom range 8x zoom, from the impressively wide angle of 25mm (equivalent) to 200mm, the ZX1 remains compact and slim.

But there are a number of other conferences held each year around the world that also bring together visionaries, intellectuals, and luminaries from a wide variety of disciplines to discuss innovative ideas.

With that in mind, below is a list of the top 7 places to watch great minds in action. What makes these conferences special is both the people they’re able to assemble together in one place and that they put videos of the experiences online for everyone to enjoy.

Click the first thumbnail in this gallery, and you’ll be able to read the notes that accompany each image.

For instance, here is Ian’s take on the new stereo mic:

Here is a close up view of the stereo microphones built into the pop-up flash. This is very reminiscent of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 Micro Four Thirds camera that Panasonic introduced earlier in the year.The difference is that you could buy several FZ38s for the price of one GH1.

Please note that Panasonic requested we only published these samples resized to 640×480 as image quality from the pre-production sample cameras we had was not final.

While millions of Americans struggle to find work as they face foreclosures and bankruptcy, others have found a silver lining in the economic meltdown. [The] happily jobless tend to be single and in their 20s and 30s. Some were laid off. Some quit voluntarily, lured by generous buyouts.

Buoyed by severance, savings, unemployment checks or their parents, the funemployed do not spend their days poring over job listings. They travel on the cheap for weeks. They head back to school or volunteer at the neighborhood soup kitchen. And at least till the bank account dries up, they’re content living for today.

[...]

As frivolous as it sounds, funemployment is a statement about American society. Experts say it’s both a reflection of the country’s cultural narcissism — and attitudes of entitlement and self-centeredness — and a backlash against corporate America and its “Dilbert”-like work environment.

Given the “miniature is best” mania in the world today, I would expect this ZR1 to be very very popular.

For those wanting the highest image IQ (image quality) in a compact, the new Fuji F70EXR / F75EXR may be hard to beat, but this ZR1 / ZX1 has HD video, goes to 25mm WA (wide-angle), and has a much better OIS (optical image stabilization) and a much faster AF.

(View the image at full size, and EXIF / META data)

The picture was then exported using these settings:

1. Format: JPEG, Quality: 100.
2. Sharpen For: Screen, Amount: Standard.

Notable differences are in resolution, sensor size, pixel density, and zoom range.

This is what social scientists mean when they say that human overconfidence can be an adaptive trait. “In conflicts involving mutual assessment, an exaggerated assessment of the probability of winning increases the probability of winning,” Richard Wrangham, a biological anthropologist at Harvard, writes. “Selection therefore favors this form of overconfidence.” Winners know how to bluff. And who bluffs the best? The person who, instead of pretending to be stronger than he is, actually believes himself to be stronger than he is. According to Wrangham, self-deception reduces the chances of “behavioral leakage”; that is, of “inadvertently revealing the truth through an inappropriate behavior.” This much is in keeping with what some psychologists have been telling us for years—that it can be useful to be especially optimistic about how attractive our spouse is, or how marketable our new idea is. In the words of the social psychologist Roy Baumeister, humans have an “optimal margin of illusion.”

He concludes:

The 105 micro is clearly a superb all-around lens, capable of producing great images in a wide variety of situations. If I am not out shooting birds, then you can pretty much assume I’ll have this lens on one of my cameras when you see me out and about. In fact, if I could only have one lens, this would be the one. While it’s not exactly cheap at $930, you get what you pay for. In this case, it’s worth every penny.

Very highly recommended!

If you watched Sarah Palin’s resignation speech, you know one thing: her high-priced speechwriters moved back to the Beltway long ago. Just how poorly constructed was the governor’s holiday-weekend address? We asked V.F.’s red-pencil-wielding executive literary editor, Wayne Lawson, together with representatives from the research and copy departments, to whip it into publishable shape. Here is the colorful result.

SLOtographer:

I normally use the “smooth” film setting with noise reduction and sharpness at -2. I can tweak the saturation to taste in cam or post. For B&W I normally use standard (for kids), sometimes dynamic (grizzly looking friends).

David Carr:

1) Shoot RAW.

2) Buy an 18% grey card (although you may be able to do this with just a sheet of white paper). Photograph this (as a JPEG) in good, evenly lit daylight with your camera set to AWB. Open the JPEG in Photoshop. Use the eye dropper to measure the colour of the grey card. If your AWB is correct, you will see equal levels of red, green and blue. You probably won’t but you will be able to get an idea of how off the balance is. Now go into the camera’s menu > white balance > auto white balance and use the right-hand arrow to open up the tool for fine-tuning the white balance. Here you can correct any imbalance betweeen red, green and blue that you measured in Photoshop. Take another picture as before with your corrected auto white balance, open in Photoshop, measure as before and continue the process until you have even levels of red, green and blue. You will now have adjusted your camera’s white balance setting.

3) Shoot raw and then convert to Adobe DNG with the free Adobe DNG converter. Use a Macbeth Colour Checker chart to create a custom profile for your raw converter.

4) Give up using auto white balance. Always do a custom white balance or, failing that, at least set your camera to a white balance setting appropriate for your light. This will make colour-correcting easier in post-production.

5) There are no easy solutions. It’s a question of effort.

Brad Morris:

Make sure that you update to the latest firmware.

Shooting RAW does give good skin tones, the magenta cast only seems to be with AWB (automatic white balance) in daylight using the JPEG engine as far as I can tell. I generally shoot RAW and JPG.

You can make adjustment to fine tune AWB in the menus.

Experiment, you can add more green and yellow.

Flash WB gives reasonable daylight skin tones too for jpeg also.

A new Venus engine HD has been added to help improve picture quality further and to accommodate the AVCHD Lite video capability. This HD video system is Viera compatible which means that you can either take the memory card straight out of the camera and slot it into the port on the TV or you can link up using the HDMI port on the camera. With AVCHD Lite, the video is compressed further than usual MPEG files which means you can record more. Panasonic says this is done without the loss of quality to the video.

1. Test Shots – ISO Performance.
2. Test Shots – Detail and Lens Performance (a full-resolution photo is available here).
3. Test Shots – Exposure Evaluation (two full-sized pictures are available here, one taken at wide-angle / 27mm, and the other at full telephoto / 486mm).

Cliff concludes:

I was concerned that the increase in sensor resolution would have a negative impact on image quality, but this has not proved to be the case; in fact image quality is noticeably improved. There are inevitably some black shadows and burned-out highlights, but only at the extremes of contrast. The FZ38 has an additional low-speed setting of 80 ISO, at which the image quality is as good as any 12MP compact on the market, and the performance of the noise reduction system at higher ISO settings is also better, with virtually noise-free images at 400 ISO. Like the FZ28 the FZ38 has a maximum of 1600 ISO, and even at this setting the results are far from useless.

My verdict on the FZ38 is pretty much the same as for its predecessor. If you’ve already got an FZ28 it’s probably not enough of an improvement to justify an upgrade. However for anyone else looking for a new super-zoom camera they really don’t come much better than this. Build quality, handling, features, performance, image quality and versatility are superior to any of its immediate rivals, and the excellent video quality is icing on the cake. To get anything better than this you’ll have to move up to a DSLR.

I have just returned from my vacation at Yosemite. My son and I joined my friend and his family camping there for a week. My lenses were: Tamron 18-270 and Canon 10-22 for my XSi.

I find the Tamron was the most used lens. I experimented with some camera settings and am getting more proficient in using it. I shot all in RAW format with a 16gb SDHC card.

I saw hundreds of people using Canon gears with a few using Nikon.

I actually bought the Tamron specifically for the tirp and am very happy.

Also since I forgot to bring my binoculars it was very handy in locating climbers at the face of El Capitan.

I also brought a Canon HF100 video cam and it really came in handy since it also takes stills and has a flash option.

The 14.2Mb sample movie was recorded “… at the highest quality setting of 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 frames per second.”

Typical of DSLRs these days, the A330 got an Excellent rating in our color accuracy test. With an average Delta E of 7.11, it handily beat our cutoff of 8 or below for top honors. As have previous entry-level Sonys, the A330 also scored quite well in noise control. Using the manufacturer’s RAW converter (Image Data Converter SR), and with the default level of noise reduction applied, it never rose above a Moderately Low noise rating. That’s two steps above the bottom rung on our scale.

[...]

Given the resolution, the A330 scores a Very High rating for overall image quality from ISO 100 through 400, pulled up a bit by its Excellent color accuracy and Very Low or better noise in that range. From ISO 800 through ISO 3200, overall image quality was High.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 builds on the proven design of its predecessor, the FZ28, making few handling changes but adding a number of significant new features that comprise a better overall package. We’re a little disappointed that Panasonic haven’t extended the reach of the 18x zoom lens to match its main rivals, but the 27-486mm focal length is still a very versatile one, especially given the addition of the slightly more effective Power OIS anti-shake system that reduces the overall number of blurry shots.

1. Indoor Day Crops / Image Noise Test At All ISO Values vs Pentax K20D.
2. Outdoor Night Crops – To Test Image Noise Performance At All ISO Values (the DA* 55mm F1.4 lens was used).
3. Full-resolution pictures and a video clip (view in HD on YouTube). The sample photos are beautifully-taken, I must say.

The Pentax K-7 is a DSLR with an incredible feature-set, no other camera does everything this one does. Its wealth of features, many of them unique or uncommon, helps users take better pictures. The combination of automatic horizon correction, 100% viewfinder and built-in stabilization gives relief to the photographer, letting him compose and frame with greater ease.

Image quality is very good with generally low noise and high details. Color accuracy and white-balance are impressive and extremely flexible, as are image parameters for detailed control over the way images are captured. The K-7 is also a fast and responsive camera.

Picture types: Landscapes, Night Shot, Portrait, Food and Flower Close-Up / Macro.

In the center of the frame—typically the highest-quality section of an image—the SD970 captured an impressive 2397 lines per picture height. As you move to the image’s outer edges, that number drops by an average of 33 percent, which is considerable, but still acceptable. By comparison, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90 averaged 2274 lines in the center of images, but dropped by just 18 percent at the outer edges.

The SD970 does an excellent job at suppressing noise at high ISO sensitivities (which is great for shots taken in poorly lit conditions). The SD970 kept noise below noticeable levels from ISO 80 to 400, with excellent results even up at ISO 800 and 1600.

1. Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T90

Despite some speed and connectivity issues, the very affordable Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS will more than satisfy those looking to capture beautiful images without breaking the bank. And its large screen and HD video capture help to make it an even better value.

Despite a comparative lack of speed, solid image quality coupled with a wealth of features and a palatable sub-$200 price help the M1093 unseat our current reigning champ, the Canon PowerShot A1000 IS ($149.99 list), to become our latest Editors’ Choice budget point and shoot camera.

[..]

If its more speed you seek, check out the Canon PowerShot A1000 IS, another great value, but one that lacks the HD video capture and large display found on the M1093.

Images produced by the E-P1’s 12.3 megapixel sensor are spectacular. In PCMag Labs, I use a testing suite called Imatest, which offers objective tests that gauge image quality. The results showed that the images produced by the E-P1 are extraordinarily sharp, competitive with or even better than most SLR’s in its price range. Noise was undetectable at ISO 100-1600, which is also better than more expensive cameras.

The major selling point of this camera is its 10x zoom, starting at an impressively wide-angle 24mm setting. The 12-megapixel resolution and 720p video capture are also impressive.

In our testing, the HZ15W generally performed very well. It had excellent image sharpness, good color accuracy, fast burst modes, and an image stabilization system that really seemed to help. The one area it did struggle with (and this is a significant issue) was with image noise levels. Above ISO 400, pictures rapidly devolved into a speckled mess. However, shots at ISO 400 and below were perfectly decent for image noise.

Picture types: Landscape, Macro / Close-Up, Image Noise Performance At All ISO Values, Low-Light and Still Life.

In the EXIF, you’ll find that two lenses were used, the Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D and the Sigma 70mm F/2.8 EX DG Macro.

(via Nikon D3X Review)

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 is a fair bit more expensive than the Samsung, mostly due to it having a touch screen. In a sensible maneuver, Panasonic has wisely retained a button-based interface system, and augmented it with a touch screen, rather than replacing it. The touch screen can be tapped to focus on a point, sliders can be dragged to change aperture and shutter settings, or for for browsing the quick menu. It still has a traditional four-way pad and menu system, so you’re not reliant on the screen. While it only has a 5x zoom to the Samsung’s 10x, it has a faster lens (maximum aperture of f/2.8), and an approximately equal wide-angle.

Another feature we really like about the FX580 is its manual controls, even more extensive than the Samsung’s. In addition to the manual mode, it has aperture and shutter priority shooting modes. Also, the aperture can be set across the entire available range, not just the minimum and maximum.

Where the Lumix really faltered was in its performance. In our lab testing, it scored lower in almost every test we run. The one area where it was appreciably ahead was noise, which is important. However, it lost out on color accuracy, resolution, stabilization, shot to shot speed, and video sharpness.

Where we would recommend the Panasonic is if you want extensive manual controls in a smaller frame than the Samsung, but don’t mind missing out on the 10x zoom, or taking an image quality hit. On the other hand, if you want that extra zoom, and don’t want to pay more for a touch screen, the Samsung is definitely appealing.

While neither the Canon SD970 nor the Samsung HZ15W is the smallest cameras on the block, the Samsung is a significantly larger gadget. That’s due to the rather large 10x zoom lens (compared to the Canon’s 5x), with a significantly greater wide-angle. Both cameras have the same resolution (12-megapixels), and the same ISO range (80-1600 at full res, 3200 at reduced).

In terms of performance, it’s a pretty even split between the two cameras. Their color accuracy was similar, both for still and video; the Canon has an edge in noise, stabilization and video sharpness testing; the Samsung comes out ahead for resolution and shot to shot speed.

The Canon has a slightly better interface, assisted by the use of a scroll wheel for whizzing through menus, and a higher resolution screen, as well as some nifty tricks on scrolling through images based on how the camera is held. However, it lacks the large set of manual controls that the Samsung offers, including manual shooting modes, custom color overlays, and auto exposure bracketing.

While we like the SD970 IS a lot, we have to give this round to the Samsung, due to its strength of manual controls, large zoom, and overall solid performance. That said, it did have some noise issues, and Canon knows their way around user interface design a bit better than Samsung does.

The Nikon S630 provides an interesting contrast to the HZ15W. It’s around $50 cheaper, lacks the manual controls of the HZ15W, and has a 6x zoom lens. That said, even though it has less zoom, it has a higher telephoto range, albeit at the cost of wide-angle coverage. Also in the Nikon’s favor is its generally better still image performance. It has more accurate color, significantly lower noise and less lens distortion. The Nikon also has a much nicer aesthetic, thanks to its curved design.

Of course, not everything is fantastic on the S630. It had lower image sharpness, its image stabilization didn’t function as well, it couldn’t get off photos as fast, and its video mode was a major letdown. The Nikon only shot video in standard definition, and lost almost all controls while in video mode, which accounts for its very low score in those sections. It also lacks the ability to manually set shutter speed and aperture when shooting stills, capabilities we find important.

If you don’t need the manual controls, wide-angle lens, or HD video, the Nikon will probably serve you perfectly well, and save your wallet a bit. On the other hand, if you do want those features, go for the Samsung.

Picture types: Landscape, Flower Macro / Close-up, and Architecture.

In all other aspects, this camera was either satisfactory or just plain good. Battery life with the included lithium ion was good, the buttons are laid out in a way that makes sense, and handy notes included in the shooting menu let you know what each adjustment does without you having to whip out your manual each time. It’s an easy camera to get to know, and would be fantastic for someone looking to expand their shooting repertoire beyond Auto mode—good results aren’t difficult to achieve.

If your main concern is image quality, you should be pretty happy with the F30. I was more or less impressed with its performance in all modes, and it offers just the right amount of options for a variety of shooters, from casual to pro. In an effort to create a unique design, Fuji may have gone a little far, because I just plain wish the body was more comfortable—if it was, this camera would have rocketed into my top three of recent months. But I can’t quite put it there. It may not bother you as much as it did me, so give it a chance and try it out for comfort before you buy. It’s a mixed bag.

Early on in our evaluation of it, one fact became unequivocally clear: The Nikon D3X produces the highest image quality of any camera we’ve tested to date. As we proceeded with our evaluation and completed the analysis of our test images, nothing appeared to challenge that conclusion: Its combination of resolution, color fidelity, and noise performance puts it at the very top of its class. Not only does the Nikon D3X sport an amazing 24.5 megapixels of resolution, it manages to wring more detail out of those pixels (particularly in its NEF-format RAW files) than anything else out there. The D3X also offers surprising speed, capable of 5 frames/second at full resolution, and up to 7.5 frames/second in its 10.5 megapixel DX crop mode. And then there’s build quality: The D3X is built like the proverbial tank; well-suited to most anything a busy pro might care to dish out to it. The high-end SLR market often seems like a perpetual game of leapfrog, but for now, the Nikon D3X sits at the top of the heap, as the ultimate digital SLR. To say that it’s a five-star Dave’s Pick seems hardly enough.

(via Nikon 10-24mm Review at SLRgear.com)

Nikon has done well with its new ultra-wide angle zoom lens: it’s a sharp lens, with corners that don’t get significantly soft. CA performance is good, probably excellent on a D3, D300 or other Nikon body that employs CA reduction. Corner shading is a marginal factor, and distortion is typical of this class of lens. It may have taken Nikon a few years to get to the 10mm zoom party, but now that it’s here, it’s done very well.

I was lucky, she came back and made a few passes, although at a fair distance. These are all shot at 500mm, 1/640, handheld and then cropped significantly. I just feel lucky to have seen this during the day.

There’s also a photo of a Collared Dove in the post.

Olympus E-3, ZD (Zuiko Digital) 300 mm at f/3.2, 1/1250, ISO 100 hand-held, focus AF-c (Continuous Autofocus), motor drive on; all with the same time stamp.

I have a Pentax K10D and six limited lenses. I also have a D300 and recently bought a D90 to get similar image quality as the D300 in a more compact package.

I find in going back and forth between the K10D and the D300/D90, that I really appreciate the extra DR and lower noise of the Nikons especially at ISO 640 and 800 which I use a lot.

I make a lot of 16″x 24″ prints and find that I can shoot with impunity at ISO 640 or 800 with the Nikons and get acceptable images with a little bit of noise reduction at ISO 1600.

When I print large with the K10D, I need to use noise reduction software even at ISO 400.

Exposure Information (EXIF Info after the Jump)
Olympus E-P1
14-42mm lens
Olympus RM-UC1 Remote Cable
100 ISO / f5.6 / Exposure 30 minutes + 30 minutes Dark Subtraction = 60 minutes total (30 minutes is the longest exposure allowed in Bulb setting.)
Manual Settings / Manual Focus
Tripod Mounted
Approximately 11:30 pm / July 22, 2009
Existing available light spilling from sodium vapor lights, moonlight, and some incandescent spillage from neighboring houses.

[...]

Also, there was interest in how much image noise and heat would be generated would be present/generated in an extremely long exposure. Now, this is an ongoing Insider process where more long exposures will be taken in the coming weeks.

The Olympus E-P1 is an interesting and innovative camera, and as a first model in what will probably be a series it has some very nice features. Build quality and finish are of an exceptionally high standard, and image quality and performance are safely superior to the vast majority of compact cameras. However the enormous cost compared to a good DSLR, and the lack of either a viewfinder or built-in flash will put many people off.

Cliff gave the E-P1 an overall rating score of 7/10.

The review also comes with several 14-42mm sample images, some can be clicked on to see the full-resolution version Test Shots – ISO Performance, Test Photos – Details and Lens Performance and Exposure Evaluation Pictures.

I was expecting the E-P1 to show similar high-ISO noise results as the Panasonic G1, but unfortunately this is not the case. While the G1 doesn’t start showing any noise until 800 ISO, the E-P1 has visible colour mottling and noise in the darker tones at its default auto setting of 200 ISO, getting progressively worse, although overall colour reproduction remains reasonably good right up to 3200 ISO. JPEG images also show some over-sharpening, but at least the compression rate is nice and low, with fine JPEG mode producing files of around 5.5MB and Raw files of around 12MB.

I haven’t had a chance to try the 17mm f/2.8 lens yet, but the Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens is excellent, producing pin-sharp detail from corner to corner at all focal lengths with barely any optical distortion and no trace of chromatic aberration thanks to the use of ED glass. There are two optional adaptors available that allow the E-P1 to use both existing E-system lenses and even OM-system 35mm lenses. As far as I know it should also accept Panasonic G-system lenses.

I am through the editing of the acceptable part of 1000 frames, I will need to see the prints before being making my final judgment, but based on what have gone through editing, IQ is excellent for what I need it to do, save for a few things that I will get to.

Base ISO is generally excellent, ISO 200-400 decent and ISO 800 is there if I absolutely need it as a last resort, but definitely not good. Anything above is a no go for the work I do, luckily it bought it for use at low ISO and as a travel camera and thus I can live with the limitations.

DR (Dynamic Range) is lacking in general, not overly so, but high contrast is unfortunately not something I can avoid shooting, which is why I see the limitation, a little noisy at base ISO too in certain situations, but overall the lack of DR is the one issue I can find across the board and it gets worse fast as you raise the ISO.

Colour accuracy and tonality is generally in the good to acceptable range at low ISO, at higher ISO or in shadow areas it is a little lacking, but for its class it is very good.

I still think that it will deliver excellent prints at base ISO and all the way up to ISO 200-400, but as we leave base ISO I will need to work a little more to get what I want from it.

That I prefer the optical system for telephoto work has nothing to do with how effective it is, but that the optical systems stabilizes the viewfinder and thus the AF module as well and that is a slight advantage for telephoto work.

(via DPReview forum post)

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Well, this is really a mixed bag and perhaps the one place where Pentax has a bug to fix, the SR simply is too slow to kick in, that we now notice is something that speaks as a compliment to the improvement to the AF system, but that really is no excuse.

The solution so far, is to disengage the AF from the shutter and use the AF button for that instead.

That allows me to warm up or keep the SR spooled and have it ready when I hit the AF button and press the shutter all the way.

Slightly different way to work and take a little getting used to, but it solves the issue and that is what matters.

I called it build to pro standard and the Ergonomics follow suit, by far the body from Pentax that suits me best, I never liked the K10/20D body without grip, however I love the K-7 without it and as it is meant to be my compact system, then it is definitely good news.

It seems like so many details have been refined, button layout, the slant of the e-dials, it all comes together nearly perfect.

I can handle this camera all day and it still feels right and comfortable at the end of the day. I dare saying, that it feels as good in my hand as the D3 and that is quite a compliment.

The handling is definitely great too, in some ways it is a little too consumer friendly, but once some of these features, like the info screen and other stuff has been switch off in the menu it starts to handle near perfect.

[...]

The viewfinder is an improvement too, so nice to finally get what you see and just that.
It is a much more responsive body too, mirror blackout and shutter delay feels much better, the shutter feels and sounds better than any previous Pentax body I have handled, still a touch wimpy sounding, but almost there.

Finally A Pentax body that is build and feels like a pro body, now you may argue that so is the K10/20D, but while sturdy bodies, the K-7 takes the construction quality to a for pentax new level. While it does not entirely match the solid feel of the Nikon D3, then I do think that has more to do with weight than actual build. The K-7 feels extremely solid. I would not hesitate bringing it anywhere and that says a lot.

And I have tested it. I shot a heli take off from the moraine next to the huge Icefiord glacier. The helicopter sent a piece of rock flying, that rock took the DA21 right through the lens hood, and literally shattered the protective filter and knocked me off my feet.

The DA21, K-7 and a fairly black and blue me, came out just fine. I am just glad that I had a camera in front of my face when that rock struck me  It sure is a very tough little camera and no do not ask why I chose to shoot a heli take off with a wide angle lens.

Real life story from yesterday: I’m asked at work to make some amendments to a PDF document. Our corporate PC’s come with Acrobat Reader only. My boss thinks I’ll print the original, write the changes on the paper copy, scan it (essentially making photographs and saving them in PDF format) and send it to the people who need it. You do realize that my finished product is not longer a document — you can’t search the text (or copy, cut, paste, edit) since it is now merely part of a photograph.

I quickly went back to my hotel and got my MacBook which comes with Preview FOR FREE. Preview lets you annotate and markup PDF documents, so I was able to do that and send the people a real PDF document with our proposed changes.

The list price of the cheapest version of Adobe Acrobat is $299.

Your PC may have had a better price on the day you bought it, but my Mac has given me superior value. If you continued to spend the money to bring your PC to be able to keep up with my Mac, you’d soon have spent way more than I did on day one.

According to NPD, in June, average selling prices for all PCs sold at US retail was $701, or $690 for desktops and $703 for notebooks. But the ASPs get more interesting when comparing Macs to Windows PCs. For all Windows PCs, ASP was $515 in June. For Macs: $1,400. Desktop Windows PC ASP: $489. Mac desktops: $1,398. Windows notebook ASP was $520, or $569 when removing all those nasty, margin-sucking netbooks. Mac laptops: $1,400.

Center sharpness and detail on the W220 is very good. However, it drops off to the sides, making the edges and corners of photos look very soft. A certain amount of purple fringing is to be expected, but the W220 was above average to the point where it’s clearly visible in prints above 4×6 inches. Lastly, colors, while not quite accurate, are nice and look natural.

Joshua gave the Sony W220 an overall rating score of 3.5 out of 5 stars (VERY GOOD).

The photo quality from the H20 is very good, though it’s really only reliable at ISO sensitivities below 400. At that ISO noise reduction kills a lot of fine detail and sharpness, making edges fuzzy. However, the results are certainly fine for prints below 8×10 inches. ISO 800 is suitable for 4×6-inch prints and smaller, as long as you don’t mind the blurry details. I can’t recommend using the 1,600 or 3,200 settings for anything other than capturing the moment. On the upside, there’s very little color shift at these higher ISOs.

More importantly, the lens is sharper than most megazoom cameras–even out to the corners. There’s also little in the way of purple fringing even in extreme contrast conditions that would normally cause it. However, there was some lens flare in direct sunlight, but it’s to be expected. Colors, while not entirely accurate, were nonetheless pleasing and natural.

Joshua gave the Sony H20 an overall rating score of 4 out of 5 stars (EXCELLENT).

In low light, the Pentax K-7 did an admirable job of adjusting the Auto exposure, and we loved the ability to zoom in and out. However, noise levels were off the hook in extremely low light environments, but at least the Pentax K-7 provided a visible display. The Canon EOS 500D (Rebel T1i) could not even handle to low light whatsoever, so the Pentax K-7 took the edge there. We feel that the Pentax K-7’s HD video quality suffers from first-generation syndrome, but based on the quality of some of the camera’s top video clips, we can only expect great things in the future.

Following the legacy left by the Canon EOS 5D, the EOS 5D Mark II was not only a still frame-capturing champion, but its HD video quality was out of this world. For a 21-megapixel camera, we were surprised with the level of detail exhibited by the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, as well as its ability to make excellent use of available light. Noise was never an issue in nearly every shooting environment and fringing was almost nonexistent. The only time we encountered moderate amounts of noise was at night when we shot with higher ISO levels. However, even our images captured at ISO 3200 exhibited minimal amounts of noise, and the fact that we could size them down from 21-megapixels meant we wouldn’t be able to notice the noise anyway.

Mike gave the 5DM2 a rating score of 89% (VERY GOOD).

At the end of the review are links to full-resolution sample images.

There’s also a sample movie / video clip (view in HD on YouTube).

Pentax is one of the top manufacturers when it comes to image quality on the intermediate/semi-pro level, and we knew we would be capturing a few magazine quality shots here and there. At ISO 100, we experienced microscopic levels of noise, if it even existed. The new processing succeeding in reducing noise slightly, and noise is a difficult thing to stave off, especially with a high-resolution sensor. Colors were stunning, and the level of control we had over hues and tones was nearly overwhelming. The Pentax K-7 also captured images with razor sharpness, though we had to adjust the sharpness level on a few images in order to dial back the intensity. We also rarely encountered any fringing, and we achieved some of our best shots at night with awesome exposures, courtesy of a slow shutter speed.

At the end of the review are links to full-resolution sample images and one movie clip (view in HD on YouTube).

… it’s got a massive 24x optical zoom and a bulkier, fuller body with right hand grip and popup flash. We are now officially in the land of Super Zooms, and the Nikon Coolpix P90 fell in line with many of its peers in terms of design and interface. That means a standard four-way directional pad, a few controls buttons here and there, and an electronic viewfinder. However, the 3-inch fold-out LCD was one of our favorite features on the Nikon Coolpix P90 because it allowed us to shoot at peculiar angles.

Image quality was surprisingly good, considering the fact that the Nikon Coolpix P90 features a standard 12-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD.

[...]

If you’re looking for the ultimate Super Zoom compact, the Nikon Coolpix P90 could be the ticket.

The Fujifilm Finepix F200 EXR was probably the ultimate surprise performance of the year, for this compact truly blew our initial expectations out of the water and far away. To lay it straight on the table, the Fujifilm Finepix F200 EXR is not pleasing to look at, courtesy of its muddy brownish paint job and hourglass sponge-like chassis. However, a quality imaging powerplant lies within this unassuming and plain design. The Fujifilm Finepix F200 EXR cranked out an image performance that was on par with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 and Canon PowerShot G10 in bright and low light, and we’re pretty sure its 12-megapixel 1/1.6-inch Super CCD EXR sensor had something to do with it.

We shot in various Dynamic Range boosting modes and achieved some excellent results. The Fujifilm Finepix might not be stocked with a plethora of standard features, for the camera has a max shutter speed of eight seconds. But what the camera lacks in tradition, it makes up for with innovation, thanks to the wealth of effective EXR shooting modes. Don’t expect good looks or a stellar interface from the Fujifilm Finepix F200 EXR, but if you’re looking for a compact with the best image quality in this price range, look no further.

“Anything you can do, I can better”, sings the Canon PowerShot G10, which is strikingly similar to the aforementioned Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 based on appearance alone. But upon further investigation, it becomes apparent that the Canon PowerShot G10 has a layer cake-style ISO dial mounted underneath the Mode dial. The Canon PowerShot G10 also adds an optical viewfinder and boosts the megapixel count to an obtuse 14.7. Keep in mind that the Canon PowerShot G10’s 1/1.7-inch sensor is slightly larger than the Lumix DMC-LX3’s, so we did attain a better overall image performance from the Panny.

The Canon PowerShot G10’s lowest shutter speed is also 15 seconds and the highest ISO is 1600, so we went with the Lumix DMC-LX3 in the features department. However, the Canon PowerShot G10 flaunts a superior interface with an Exposure Compensation dial, menu Set dial and 3-inch LCD. It’s a tossup, so we suggest taking the Canon PowerShot G10 and Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 for test drives before settling on either one.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 teleported us back to a time when compact film SLRs roamed the earth, only this time with a fixed lens and entirely digital guts. Its 10-megapizel 1/1/63-inch CCD succeeded in cranking out beautiful images in bright and low light, and the Lumix DMC-LX3 never skimped on features while we were in the field. Not only does the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 offer an excellent shutter speed range of one minute to 1/2000-second, the ISO max is 3200 and the camera has a few artsy filters such as Pinhole and Film Grain.

FUJIFILM U.S.A. Inc. today announced the launch of two new entry-level digital cameras – the A170 and A220.  Designed specifically for consumers seeking an affordable, user-friendly upgrade to their current digital camera, the A170 and A220 encompass all the necessary features essential to today’s users. These include the SR Auto Mode (Automatic Scene Recognition), Panoramic Shooting Mode, Face Detection technology and come in at a slim 21.9 mm for quick, convenient, photography on the go.

The Fuji A220 / A225 has a resolution of 12.2 million pixels, a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor, a 32-96mm (in 35mm equivalent terms) zoom lens.

For the full specifications, visit Fujifilm USA.

There’s no dedicated photo tray, for example, and while 6 x 4-inch prints can be managed, paper will need to be manually aligned in the main tray. There are also no wireless capabilities built-in, though an Ethernet port is present for those requiring network access, and useful extras such as duplex printing, a colour display and USB port for PictBridge support or direct printing are conspicuous by their absence.

[...]

Despite HP’s solid performance in terms of speed and quality, there’s nothing particularly special about the printer and precious little to distinguish it from cheaper and equally capable devices in this market. If you’re after a fast, no-nonsense printer it shouldn’t disappoint, but there are better looking and more versatile alternatives available for less.

Paul gave the HP 6000 an overall rating score of 7/10.

Note that there are two versions of the Officejet 6000, with and without the wireless networking option:

1. HP Officejet 6000 Color Inkjet Printer (CB051A#B1H) (no wireless networking).
2. HP Officejet 6000 Wireless Color Inkjet Printer (C9295A#B1H).

Metering is superb although the best overall option seems to be the centre-weighted mode as evaluative metering seems to underexpose very slightly, presumably to help preserve highlight detail. Spot metering is great for portraits where even some of my shots of the misses taken against strong backlighting are correctly exposed to the face and flattering to boot (even if I do say so myself).

[...]

True this camera will be neither fish nor fowl to some, who may not be able to see the point. However, others that may hanker for that “days of yore” feeling, evoked by the styling, design and handling will not be disappointed. As for me? Well, I was won over by the image quality and that at the end of the day is probably the single most important factor and so makes this a camera one I cannot help but recommend.

Doug gave the PEN E-P1 an overall rating score of 9/10.

Image quality remains impressive, with good natural skin tones and nice rich colours. Low light performance is impressive too: it does get a little noisy, but Flip have continued the trend of being a little better than some of the other offerings. Audio capture is reasonable too, with stereo mics providing a more immersive audio experience than most mobile phone’s video capture will give you, but in busy environments, it all gets a bit much and there is no option of an external mic.

We are impressed with the way the Flip handles colour on gloomy days, when many videos look a little grey and boring the Flip manages to pick out colours with a good deal of punch so you still have something to look at. Highlights in bright conditions can get blown out, but overall it works well.

Chris gave the Flip Ultra HD an overall rating score of 8/10.

Not sure why you would ever not want to use them if you own them (Quantums) or have the chance to. On a wedding. the possibilities they open up are endless and in my opinion, not mimicable with all of this small strobe stuff. The ability to use real “bare bulb” alone, puts them on another level to Speedlights.

I had been shooting weddings, (lots of them), for years with SB80 / SB800’s, (some people would say, fairly well) and never got anywhere near the quality of light etc, that I am now getting with Qflash and FreeXwire.

JPP801 shows more wedding image examples, this time, using the Quantum flash system for fill flash in the bright outdoors, and adds:

I think perhaps a lot of the problem here is expecting the speedlights to be able to do more than they are capable of or were designed for.

Invariably, they are not capable of putting enough power out or if they can struggle up to it, cant put it out often enough and/or frequently enough. That is even before you consider the shortcomings of the quality of light they produce.

Given the choice now, If at all possible, I will always choose to light with something like a Qflash, Lumedyne etc, over a speedlight. There are tons of reasons for this but as always, the images produced always tell the best story and I never have to worry about frying a flash or having enough output.

[...]

Speedlights are ok if not alot of power is required and they are predominately used for fill where the main lightsource (low daylight, etc) can provide attractive modeling.

The Qflash setup that JPP801 uses is the Quantum Instruments QFX5DR TTL X5D Qflash Digital Flash System.

It’s not the output power they improved but the recycle time. If you use the fifth battery with the SB800, it will still not re-cycle as fast as the 900. They both overheat it’s just the 900 makes it more obvious. When you kill the temp monitor on the 900 it has fractionally more output – probably the wider lamp – but it fires faster at full power… And then dies faster! It also costs more to repair.

Turn off the Thermal Shutdown feature and you basically have a SB800 with a better interface and some better ‘zooming’ capabilities.

For me, that is worth it for the ‘on-camera’ one — not for the remote ones. So my on camera (and backup) flashes are 900’s whereas my remote ones are 800’s. I notice very little difference in power, if any, between them.

My wedding photography partner and I have two SB-900s. While I agree that the sky is NOT falling, the fact is, the situation is less than ideal. When we’re shooting in bounce mode where the distances are great enough to require full-power pops, the flash does get pretty annoying, flashing a warning on the LCD, and playing that irritating 3-tone warning.

My GUESS is that the thing is not going to melt down any faster than other flashes, but let’s face it — the default setting of the warning circuit combined with the other warnings does not inspire confidence in those of us who worry about such things.

For Nikon to be taken seriously in the event flash world, they’re going to need to address this issue in the relatively near future.

IMHO, the SB900 is a step forward compared to any other flash on the market — except in this one area.

Paul Grupp adds that the SB900 user manual does say that the protection function can be turned off:

The SB900 ships with a VERY conservative shut-down function enabled — the default setting is “uber-protection ON.”

Turn off this function, and the flash will seem less like your enemy. With the protection on, the flash is unusable in any professional event capacity.

I agree that the achilles heel of the SB900 is its approach to thermal issues and self-protection, but if you turn off the protection circuit, it at least becomes usable, if not a complete success in a fast-pop environment. (It’ll still flash a warning on the LCD and play an extremely annoying three-tone warning when it thinks it’s too hot).

Put me down as a huge fan of the “new Nikon’s” products like the D3X, D3, D700, 12-24/2.8, 24-70. These are the hits.

The SB-900 would have been a hit, IMHO, if it wasn’t for the over-conservative thermal engineering.

The newish AF-S 50/1.4 G is in the same category — would have been a hit, but for it’s outrageously sluggish AF performance.

Joe Federer confirms that he turned off Thermal Shutdown on his own SB900:

First thing I did when I got mine.

Mine’s never ceased to fire.

(edit: I should mention I generally fire over 1000 flashes per reception – around 200-300 an hour).

Joe also gives the following tip:

You can turn off the beep, too, [...]

Image quality is satisfactory rather than outstanding, with noise and loss of detail at relatively slow ISO speeds, limited maximum shutter speed of 4 seconds and a disappointing macro mode. This isn’t the camera to buy if you’re looking for the best ever image quality, but it does produce well-exposed and accurate photos that will please the majority of its target audience.

Battery life is the main standout highlight, with the Casio EX-H10 easily capable of shooting between 750-1,000 shots on a single charge, depending upon how much in-camera reviewing you do. This is much better than all the H10’s rivals, so it’s a great choice if you don’t have easy access to a power outlet during a prolonged trip away.

Mark gave the Casio H10 an overall rating score of 4 / 5 stars (RECOMMENDED).

A gallery of full-sized sample images is included, with one 10-second sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1280 x 720 pixels at 30 frames per second (30Mb).

Daniel says:

Again, it is possible for small pixel sensors to have worse performance per pixel, but the same performance when actually displayed or used for the same purpose as a large pixel sensor. This fact may be unbelievable or at least counter-intuitive to many people who work with digital images, but I believe that is only because of the following five types of mistakes that are frequently made in image analysis:

* Unequal spatial frequencies
* Unequal sensor sizes.
* Unequal processing.
* Unequal expectations.
* Unequal technology.

On spatial frequency:

The first category, spatial frequency, is the most important and fundamental element of image analysis as it pertains to pixel size. This aspect of an image indicates the level(s) of detail under analysis: whether fine details (high frequencies) or or more coarse information (low spatial frequency). This is often ignored completely, other times poorly understood, but it always has a tremendous impact on the result of any comparison or performance analysis.

The great majority of image analysis is fundamentally based on the performance of a single pixel, so having worse performance per pixel and the same performance in the actual image, where it matters, would seem a contradiction. It isn’t.

Performance scales with spatial frequency. In other words, the many important performance characteristics of a digital image are all a function of spatial frequency, including noise, dynamic range, color depth, diffraction, aberrations, and motion blur. Therefore, for any given sensor, analysis of higher spatial frequencies will never show better performance than analysis of lower spatial frequencies.

Every image sensor has a sampling rate, or Nyquist. This is the spatial frequency at which the image sensor samples information. But every resulting digital image also contains information at all other lower spatial frequencies. For example, Pixel A may have a native sampling rate of 30 lp/mm. But the resulting digital image also contains information corresponding to 20 lp/mm and 10 lp/mm, which are larger, coarser details. Pixel B may be much smaller, and may natively sample at 60 lp/mm, but the resulting image still contains all the information of Pixel A, it only has additional information.

100% crop is the most common way to compare image sensors, but it is very misleading when the sensors have different pixel sizes. The reason is that 100% means the maximum spatial frequency. But different pixel sizes sample different spatial frequencies. So 100% crop means higher spatial frequencies for small pixel sensors than it does for big pixel sensors. This results in comparisons of completely different portions of the image. A 100% crop of a small pixel image would show a single leaf, whereas a 100% crop in a large pixel image would show the entire shrub. It’s a nonsensical comparison. Failing to account for that important and fundamental difference is one of the most common flaws in such comparisons.

Here’s Google’s English translation.

For the deer image, wymjym used a Sony VCL-DH1758 Tele Conversion Lens to extend the reach of the zoom lens.

I was introduced to the high IQ of the S602. Bought one and was immediately rewarded with great images. This led to my second purchase of another Fuji, the S20 Pro. Again, it is an excellent camera.

I think the EBC Fujinon lens used by the S602, S7000 and S20 Pro is optically excellent to produce great IQ.

I was so pleased with my S602 that I bought its successor, a pre-owned S20 Pro.

Basically it is of the same body as the S602 but with a newer SuperCCD (4th generation).

Here are a few test shots of flowers in my neighborhood after a small amount of sharpening and cropping.

Truly splendid images.

After I read a post from someone who merged several F30 ISO 3200 pictures to achieve a result with very low noise, I tried doing this with twelve F200EXR ISO 12,000 shots. I positioned my camera on a table and set the autotimer to 2 sec. Then I took the 12 pictures that were taken in high-speed mode and merged them in Paint.NET. This is the result.

efix posted the final image result and an example from one of the twelve frames.

Here are pictures of 8 of them. Some have been heavily PP to eliminate distracting backgrounds. All were taken with the F100fd.

(via ‘Waterproof’ Camera Group Test (Q2 2009) at DPReview)

Don Wan, the reviewer, wrote:

Pentax appeared to have kept the attractive overall package of the W60 and increased the resolution and improved the video mode to produce the W80. The increase in resolution on such a small sensor and apparently inferior image processing saw image quality suffer at all ISO settings, and it was disappointing to see Pentax still not including image stabilization in this camera.

(via ‘Waterproof’ Camera Group Test (Q2 2009) at DPReview)

The D10 produced the sharpest, most detailed images of all the cameras in this group test at low ISO settings, both in and out of the water. This, combined with responsive performance and a straightforward user interface that has been proven on other cameras in the PowerShot series, means that if you were shopping for a waterproof camera mainly to use in the water, then you can stop reading right now and go order the D10.

When you get out of the water the Panasonic TS1 starts to make more sense with its more pocketable dimensions, wider zoom range, long battery life and much better video capabilities. Certainly if you need a camera to live with day-to-day then the TS1 seems a more sensible choice. Image quality at lower ISO settings edges in favor of the D10 in sharpness and detail but at ISO 1600 the TS1 produces the sharpest and most detailed images of all cameras in this group test.

Both the D10 and the TS1 have flaws. For the D10 it’s the not very compact dimensions, the not very wide zoom lens that extends only from 35mm to 105mm and the VGA-only video recording functionality. For the TS1 it is the soft images at the telephoto end of the zoom range, the sometimes very frustrating-to-use design and ergonomics decisions, the limited underwater ability (3m / 10ft vs 10m / 33ft of the D10), and the rather poor flash performance.

Don Wan, the reviewer, wrote:

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 was not far behind the D10 in low ISO image quality, and produced the best image quality in the group in low light. It also features the widest zoom range with more telephoto reach, though this also meant that images produced at the telephoto end of the zoom were a lot softer than those on the wider end. The TS1 featured the most comprehensive video mode of all the cameras in this group test, and was the only one with AVCHD lite recording functionality. It also has the highest rated battery life of all cameras in this group (according to CIPA standard tests). Despite all these features there were operational annoyances and poor flash performance that dragged down its overall rating.

I haven’t used the 880, but I’ve had the 960 for about a month now, including a two week vacation in Oregon where it got a pretty good workout. Although the 960 is very small, I found that the user interface with fewer large buttons to be really nice, even with my reasonably large hands.

Something else that surprised me was how much I’ve used the video. There were a couple of shots that I couldn’t frame well, even with the wide angle, but taking a 10 second video was a way to record the scene. These aren’t artistic masterpieces by any means, but as point-and-shoot videos, they’re pretty good.

I’ve also been really impressed with the quality of the HD video for a point-and-shoot, even in somewhat low light. I mounted it on a tripod and took some video of my son playing guitar with his teachers a couple of weeks ago:

(click to view in HD on YouTube)

After owning 4 different compact canon cameras I got this little beauty.

I’ve been using it for 2 months and here are the pros and cons in my opinion:

PROS:
- Tiny size for a wide angle camera.
- Powerful flash.
- HD video recording with very good sound (best the thing about this camera)
- Very fast UI.
- Good sound output from camera speaker when playing back videos.
- Good pictures even at ISO 400.

CONS:
- Quick ISO switch not available by pressing UP button anymore. Gotta press SET, ISO then choose the level.
- Easy to jump from picture to picture by mistake in view mode when zoomed into a picture by turning the wheel. I wished there was a way to turn this off.
- No more shortcut button (print).
- Canon battery indicators are still very poor. Sony’s are the best for this! Although there are 4 different levels camera might show 3 out of 4 bars then suddenly drop to very low level. Still, luckily the battery lasts long.
- In the AUTO mode now it switches to macro itself however sometimes it decides to use macro when it shouldn’t. So i use manual mode.
- All 4 colors are very flashy. I wished there was a total black model. I got the blue one myself by the way.