Better Digital Photography

Hues of November

2009-11-22T22:03:00.001-05:00

Hue of November Originally uploaded by Rick Blythe. Just a shot from today's walk along the waterfront. The rays of light seemed worthy of a shot so I took it. What I didn't expect was the color rendition. On first viewing it looks like a sepia converted photo, but this is actually right out of the camera. Seasons and weather patterns have a way of doing this. It's no spectacular photo, but it does capture the feeling of the moment.

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Nikon D3000 Review

2009-11-22T21:50:00.001-05:00

The Nikon D3000 is the replacement for the extremely popular Nikon D40, which for a little over two years has marked the entry point to the company's digital SLR lineup. The Nikon D3000 features a new body with slightly more rounded shoulders and a larger 3.0-inch LCD panel on its rear face. The control layout is nearly identical to that of the D40, ensuring that owners of the previous camera will feel right at home. By no means will this model blow away the seasoned photographer, however...

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The Samsung TL225

2009-11-09T14:37:00.001-05:00

Samsung has introduced the DualView TL225, one of the first digital cameras ever to offer dual LCD screens, one located on the front of the camera, along with the typical display on the back. This "DualView" approach is aimed towards those who are constantly taking self-portraits or small group shots using the one-handed, self-photographer method; turning the camera towards you and holding it with one hand while posing for the photo with a friend or loved one. This is...

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Cameras reviewed this week

2009-11-07T21:32:00.001-05:00

Lots and lots of digital camera news this week. First off, DPreview posted their Canon EOS 7D DSLR review. The 7D being a high end offering from Canon. The 7D also got reviewed by Roland Lim. Steves Digicams was busy posting reviews too. Three altogether: Samsung TL225 review Olympus Stylus 7010 review Fuji Finepix S200EXR review There were several pre-reviews of the Olympus PEN E-2 camera: hands-on at FourThirds-user hands-on at Imaging-resource preview at...

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Autumn Photos

2009-10-14T20:29:00.001-04:00

Autumn Originally uploaded by Rick Blythe. Now that autumn is here there are new opportunities for getting outside and getting some nice photos. I got this shot on the weekend at a nearby creek. If you like this shot here are the details of how I got it. It was a cloudy day after several days of rain. This worked to my advantage in a couple of ways. First, the creek was rushing with lots of water and the leaves took on a vibrant colour being wet. Also, the low light conditions meant I...

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Nikon D3s

2009-10-14T20:12:00.002-04:00

Here it is folks, the brand new flagship camera from Nikon, the D3s. The D3 basically got an upgrade with the addition of the s. The Nikon D3, and now the D3s, is an absolutely killer camera for shooting sports and action in any light. It has ridiculously high ISO capabilities (102,400). It is Ken Rockwell’s first choice for shooting anything that moves. In a first for an FX-format flagship, the D3S incorporates the HD-quality D-Movie function, letting users take full advantage of the...

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Nikon D60

2009-09-29T15:28:00.001-04:00

Nikon D60 Originally uploaded by Rick Blythe. The Nikon D60 SLR camera may not give you the timing that professional photographers do, but it is equipped with a feature that will help you to catch that perfect moment. The SLR camera will allow you to shoot continuously, for as much as three frames per second; thanks to its continuous frame shooting feature. No need to worry about poor lighting, because this camera is well equipped to shoot in the poorest lighting conditions, and still...

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Nikon D300s Review

2009-09-27T20:02:00.001-04:00

There is a new review of the Nikon D300s posted at CameraLabs.com They’ve added HD video capabilities to the D300, which is a big yawn to me, the best new features are the quiet shooting mode and the addition of an SD memory slot. Nikon D300s “With the D300s, Nikon’s taken the already highly capable D300 and further enhanced it with a number of features – some expected, others less so. The inclusion of a movie mode was a predictable, although welcome upgrade, and the microphone...

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Nikon D3000 Reviews

2009-09-22T20:35:00.002-04:00

The Nikon D3000 got a review today by the folks at DCResource. The D3000 is an entry level digital SLR from Nikon which, like the D40, D60 uses a CCD sensor and does not incorporate a focus motor. This limits lens choice somewhat. The Nikon D3000 10.2-megapixel DX-format imaging sensor for prints up to 20 x 30 inches Includes 3x 18-55mm Zoom-Nikkor VR Image Stabilization lens 3.0-inch color LCD screen; 170-degree wide-angle viewing Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards...

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How to Take Long Exposure Scenic Waterfall Pictures

2009-09-16T10:32:00.001-04:00

Waterfall Photos Grindstone Falls 1 second exposure. Originally uploaded by Rick Blythe. Things you will need: Digital Camera with M for manual settings Camera Tripod ND Lens filter Waterfall Find the angle and point of view that will look best in your picture. Use the camera viewfinder or LCD screen to get the perspective that will look best with your picture. If possible it is best to find a waterfall and perspective where the light is dim and where the...

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Nikon D5000 DSLR Review

2009-09-15T20:50:00.001-04:00

Nikon D5000 Review Nikon has impressed us yet again with a Well rounded consumer dSLR model. With excellent still image and video quality, class leading burst abilities, and loads of user-friendly exposure settings, the Nikon D5000 is sure to please most any photographer, whether this is your first SLR, or you're picking up a lighter backup unit. Following closely in the D90's foot steps, I suspect the D5000 will be a very popular model, and have no problem giving it our highest...

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Leica M9

2009-09-14T20:04:00.001-04:00

I would love to get myself one of these for times I don’t want to carry around a heavy DSLR. I’m talking about the new M9 camera from Leica. The Leica M9 is the world's first digital system camera of its size to be built with a 24x36mm CCD sensor - developed specifically for the M9 - that is capable of perfectly capturing the full 35-mm format in ultra-high resolution. PRESS SUMMARY Concentrating on the essentials: maximum image quality The history of 35-mm photography began...

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Sony announces A500 and A550 digital SLR cameras

2009-09-04T13:16:00.001-04:00

Sony has two new SLRs coming out, the A500 and its brother the A550. These cameras are equipped with two Live View functions and a 3-inch LCD screen that tilts 90 degrees up or down, and a new CMOS image sensor. PRESS SUMMARY Models Deliver Low-Light Performance, Exceptional Shooting Speed and In-Camera High Dynamic Range Sony today introduced two α (alpha) DSLR cameras with a new generation of Exmor™ CMOS sensors and BIONZ™ image processors, which make it easy for active shooters to...

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The new Canon G11 Digital Camera

2009-09-02T21:25:00.001-04:00

PRESS SUMMARY Canon today announces the launch of the PowerShot G11 digital compact camera, successor to the multi-award winning PowerShot G10, with a host of stunning new features. Key innovations on the PowerShot G11 include a high-resolution vari-angle LCD screen and greatly improved noise reduction. Canon's new Dual Anti-Noise System combines a high sensitivity 10.0 Megapixel image sensor with Canon's enhanced DIGIC 4 image processing technology to greatly reduce noise and increase...

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The new Canon EOS 7D Digital SLR

2009-09-01T21:40:00.001-04:00

Canon has gone and unveiled the EOS 7D digital SLR camera, incorporating a new 18Mp APS-C CMOS Sensor, dual "DIGIC 4" processors, and an ISO range up to 12,800 and continuous shooting at 8 frames per second. “The Canon EOS 7D boasts the most advanced AF system ever seen in an EOS SLR. The completely re-designed system includes a new multi-axis cross-type 19-point AF grid, where the focusing points are evenly spread out across the image plane and clearly displayed through Canon's...

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Sony's new Full-frame DSLR

2009-08-28T16:27:00.001-04:00

Wow! It looks like Sony is serious about their DSLRs. They just announced the DSLR-A850, a full-frame camera, usually reserved for the advanced or professional photographer. The DSLR-A850 uses the same 24.6 Mp sensor and features of the Sony A900 introduced last year. The ultra-bright viewfinder with 98% field of view coverage and 0.74x magnification enables accurate framing and preview. With the HDMI output and Photo TV HD mode, your creative output can be enjoyed on an HD...

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Waterproof Camera Group Test

2009-07-02T19:56:00.002-04:00

There’s a new group review of waterproof digital cameras just posted, wherein DPreview was were trying to find out how good the current generation of waterproof cameras are, and which would be best (if any) should you decide to only take one camera with you to the beach or on a holiday involving some water activities. What they found was that with one exception (the Pentax W60) the typical specifications (3x optical zoom and VGA video recording) lagged behind those of the best compact cameras...

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Nikon D5000 Review

2009-06-15T21:07:00.004-04:00

Here’s a review of the new Nikon D5000 from Richard Butler of DPreview. I personally prefer the D90 or D300 over this one, but you cannot argue with value, and this cameras has it, without compromises. The Nikon D5000 aims to be a lot of things to a lot of people - stepping in above the D60 as an offering designed to attract upgraders from older entry-level DSLRs, as well as lending a welcoming hand-up to DSLR ownership for compact camera users looking to get more involved in their hobby....

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Canon T1i Review

2009-05-27T19:41:00.002-04:00

Another review of the new Canon T1i DSLR has been posted on the web, this time from Steve’s Digicams. An update to the popular XSi, this new model has almost the same image sensor as the 50D. Click the image for more views of this camera and a quote from Amazon. “...we are very pleased with Canon's Latest Digital Rebel. The T1i offers some very powerful features that have been handed down from its big brothers, the Canon EOS 50D and EOS 5D Mark II. This camera possesses a high degree...

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Extreme Macro Technique

2009-05-26T21:27:00.002-04:00

Here is a video tip from Jim Talkington wherein he explains how to achieve super macro shots with no special equipment. With this technique, the ratio of focal lengths of the main lens to the reverse lens is the magnification. Therefore with a 105mm lens and a 50mm reverse lens, the magnification is actually about 2:1. And since DSLRs have small sensors, it's actually more like 3:1, which should be obvious from the photo he provided. The screw looks huge! 1:1 is defined as such: imagine a...

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1

2009-05-26T20:45:00.001-04:00

The Sony HX1 is very SLR-like in appearance with its deep handgrip, protruding lens barrel, popup flash, and nicely offset EVF eye piece. Cosmetically there are very few changes from the H50, and from a distance it is quite easy to mistake one for the other. The controls are logically laid out, with dedicated buttons for most of the shooting settings, and anybody who has used a super zoom, especially a Sony one, will be right at home on the HX1. Digital Camera Resource Page have just...

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Canon T1i

2009-05-24T21:47:00.001-04:00

Here’s a review of the new Canon T1i digital camera. An update to the popular XSi, this new model has ‘almost’ the same image sensor as the 50D. Click the image for a quote from Amazon. “We tested a final production Canon EOS 500D / Rebel T1i running firmware version 1.0.9. Following our convention of testing cameras using their factory default settings unless otherwise stated, the EOS 500D / T1i was set to Large Fine JPEG quality, Auto White Balance, Evaluative metering and the...

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Pentax K-7 review

2009-05-20T17:23:00.001-04:00

Here is the first preview published on the new Pentax K-7 digital SLR. First impressions are that the K-7 has a promising looking interface and one that incorporates many of the lessons that Pentax clearly learned in the development of the K-m (on which we quite liked the interface).The K-7, Pentax's latest enthusiast/semi-pro level DSLR. And a handsome creature it is, too - gone is the K20D's slightly pudgy utilitarianism, to be replaced by a sleek, pared-down elegance. But it's not just on...

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Nikon D5000

2009-04-14T13:08:00.003-04:00

Here it is, the all new Nikon D5000 launched today. Photographyblog is the first to get a hands-on look at the DSLR. UserManualDownload.com has the user manual you can download. The D5000, which includes the AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens, will be available at Nikon Authorized dealers beginning in late April 2009 at an estimated selling price of $849.95. For consumers who want to configure their D5000 system or for photographers who need an additional D-SLR body for an existing system,...

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Canon unveils Digital Rebel T1i

2009-03-25T13:10:00.001-04:00

Canon has today unveiled the EOS 500D also known as the Digital Rebel T1i. This latest addition to its compact DSLR series features a 15.1 MP APS-C CMOS sensor with 1080p HD video recording at 20fps. It also offers a 3.0 inch LCD with 920,000 dot resolution and an ISO sensitivity range expandable up to 12800 equivalent. Amazon already have the Canon EOS 500D | Digital Rebel T1i listed, if you're interested in the price. It includes a faster Digic 4 processor offering better...

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