Large markings are present everywhere to inform the user of the controls. Clearly, this camera was made for a beginner who possibly might even buy a dSLR as his first camera. It’s not as impressive as the D60 though.

One of the key features of the EOS 100D is the Live View. It’s similar to the one found in the Nikon D90. It lets you use the LCD screen to focus. This should prove convenient to P&S users not used to a viewfinder. There is a slight delay as expected and we’re really not so impressed — many would agree that the old viewfinder way of focussing is the way to go.

The buttons on the EOS 1000D are flat and easy to push. The jog dial feels as if it has large notches and isn’t as smooth and light as the other buttons and dials on the camera. Unlike the other Canons and the Sony, the EOS 1000D uses an SD/SDHC card. The body is built well and the flash hinge and structure is slightly better on this than the 400D. The lens itself looks similar and has a slightly silky grip which we didn’t like. There’s also the missing thumb-grip near the screen which was present in the EOS 400D.

The menus on the 1000D are basic but not as amazing as the 50D. The controls are a little more manual with the 1000D. Most of the controls are to be changed using the button and jogdial combination instead of using the direction keys in the software menu. The zoom buttons for the preview are set into bevelled slots on the back of the camera.

Focussing is simple and straight forward. Macro shots are fairly easy to take as well. The camera feels and works a lot like the EOS 400D and it also happens to replace and take its place in the Price range.

The menu drags it all down, unfortunately. The A200 in comparison feels richer. The EOS 1000D is a slightly better Digital Camera than the aged 400D in image quality, but we preferred the body and ergonomics on the EOS 400D. The MRP for the Canon EOS 1000D is Rs. 34,995.

What caught my attetion is the new screen, it is perhaps the most perceptible upgrade to anyone who has used a 30 or 20D, the screen is really clear and the better resolution is visible from the instant you turn it on.

The Digic 4 system is a far easier sustem to get along with when you compare it with previous models, not to mention the user custom menu which permits you to configure your preferred settings all in one place.

If I have to be honest though, the 15 megapixel sensor is overkill in my opinion. Anoter thing is that there’s a tad much attention driven to the ‘make it higher everytime’ aspect of these gadgets given by the camera companies. I would consider 8 megapixels to be more than enough for the average person and it’s big enough for most regular size prints, I have printed almost 13 inches without a problem. The one advantage the extra mega pixels will give you is the ability to crop closer in post processing.

The Live view feature is nice, but I probably won’t use it. Among the causes I prefer the DSLR over the point and shoot is the way the view finder allows me to see the shot and frame exactly the way I want with no distractions. I personally think that Live view is a curious feature to store in a mid to high range DSLR, but I’m able to see where the company would like to aim for those folks accustomed to point and shoot cameras. This is likely something designed to quietly drive us towards the video/still camera fashion of which the 5D mkII is the future I am sure.

I have to admit that I was at first somewhat concerned of how sharp the images looked at the full resolution. I shoot with the 24-105 F4/L and 70-200 F/4L and both of these lenses look incredibly sharp on my 30D. Nonetheless, I consider now that it’s the software that is to blame, To be fair, I have never been really impressed with Canon’s software systems and I am pleased that Adobe released Camera RAW 4.6 to permit me to return to Bridge and Photoshop. I trust that Lightroom 2.1 arrives soon as that’s my normal line of work, as well as my image management application program.

The JPEG files managed in camera are fine… that’s until you discover what the RAW files are able to do. Still, it is nice to use in camera JPEG’s while I am merely doing point and shot.

The camera is really solid, not to metion the build quality which is excellent. The main scroll wheel is much better than the one in my 30D which I always felt was a little soft on the clicks.

I’m worried that for the first time on this day I got the err99 that a lot of people have reported and I can only hope that it was a one off and not a sign of what’s to come as a result of a hardware failure in a camera which is almost new. There are a good deal of comments out there on dpreview.com discussing these issues and I would suggest that you read them.

All in all, I’m content with the upgrade (assuming the err99 doesn’t become a recurrent problem), although when it comes to the images, I do not understand what makes up for the upgrade price for any 30D owners, let alone the 40D owners. The main reasons I upgraded would be the new screen that at last enables me to check focus and also the sensor cleaner (Which is great because dust was always a problem on my 30D sensor).

The other big change is the inclusion of a new, high-resolution LCD screen. 920,000 dots mean that it can convey 640 x 480 RGB pixels, making it effectively a VGA standard monitor. Three anti-reflection layers built into the screen do their best to keep it useable in bright conditions, too.

Exceptional Quality Images.
New 15.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor with improved noise reduction, wide range ISO 100-3200 (H1: 6400, H2: 12800), 14-bit conversion for smooth color tones and gradations.

The EOS 50D features a newly-designed 15.1-megapixel APS-C sized CMOS sensor which is capable of recording up to 4752 x 3168 pixels with full 14-bit A/D conversion for extremely fine tonal gradation. Ready to capture images in an instant, the sensor is designed to work with Canon’s EF and EF-S lenses with a conversion factor of 1.6x. It’s capable of recording at sensitivities previously too noisy for shooting in low light or subjects in motion. With a maximum ISO rating of 12800 combined with a 4-level High ISO speed noise reduction function, images that would have been impossible without the use of a strobe or flash become simple to record.

15.1 Megapixel APS-C Size CMOS Sensor

Canon EOS 50D Basic Features
15.1-megapixel APS-C-sized CMOS sensor with gapless microlenses
6.3 frames per second
3.0-inch LCD with 920,000 pixels
Top Status LCD
ISO range from 100 to 12,800
Shutter speeds 30 seconds to 1/8,000
Compact Flash Type I and II UDMA slots
Lithium-ion battery
5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 inches (146 x 108 x 74mm)
1.81 pounds (822g) with battery and card, but no lens

Canon EOS 50D Special Features
DIGIC 4 offers faster processing
14-bit A/D conversion
New menu look
Live View with contrast detect AF option
Face detection autofocus in Live View mode
Silent shutter mode in Live View for wildlife shooting
Dedicated Live View button
Peripheral Illumination (vignetting) Correction
Highlight Tone Priority mode
Automatic Lighting Optimizer with multiple levels
New Creative Auto exposure mode gives beginning users more control over background blur and motion blur without having to understand aperture or shutter speed
Three RAW modes: RAW (15.1 megapixels), sRAW1 (7.1 megapixels), and sRAW2 (3.8 megapixels)
RAW modes available in Scene and full-auto modes as well as Creative Zone modes
EOS Integrated Cleaning System for three-phase dust control, removal, and subsequent deletion
Lens AF microadjustment function
Center AF point offers enhanced accuracy along both axes with lenses f/2.8 or faster
Scratch-resistant, anti-glare LCD coating
Capable of bursts of up to 90 Large/Fine JPEGs or 16 RAW images on a UDMA CF card
Multiple levels of noise reduction: Standard/Weak/Strong/None
HDMI output allows display of camera images on HD televisions
UDMA support
Nine cross-type AF sensors
Pentaprism with 0.95x magnification
Mode dial has two Custom modes
My Menu for quick access to common settings
Interchangeable focusing screens
Raw translation software included

In the Box
Canon EOS 50D body
Body cap (plus front and back lens caps if kit is purchased)
Camera strap EW-EOS50D
Battery Charger CG-580
Canon 50D Battery Pack BP-511A
USB cable IFC-200U
Video cable VC-100
Software CD with Digital Photo Professional for RAW conversion
Manuals, registration card

Both camera models are digital single-lens reflex models displaying on the LCD screen the exact image that will be captured after releasing the shutter button.
Canon EOS 40D was announced last year in August, when we found out about a new model featuring 10.1MP CMOS APS-C size sensor, high-speed shooting capability and several smart features.

It uses the DIGIC III image processor that enables 6.5 frames per second of continuous shooting, for 75 JPEG pictures or 17 RAW photos, in natural colors and sharp details, thanks to the fast signal processing.
The LCD display measures 3 inches in diagonal and supports 230K colors with 140-degree viewing angle on horizontal and vertical.
Other camera characteristics include 0.15-second start-up, 100,000 cycles shutter, 1/8000 sec shutter speed and 1/250 maximum X-synch flash shutter speed, 3200 maximum ISO sensitivity, 14-bit Analog-to-Digital conversion, sRAW image capture, f/5.6 maximum aperture, f/2.8 for EF or EF-S lenses, the EOS Integrated Cleaning System with ultrasonic vibrations for shacking dust off of the low-pass filter in front of the sensor, the Dust Delete Data file that maps spots on the image to be removed automatically at a later time using the special software, and the 35-zone metering sensor for measuring ambient light.

This camera has a retail price of $1,299. At $1,399, you have now the chance to get the brand new 15.1MP Canon EOS 50D model, released exactly one year after the 40D.
Canon EOS 50D is already a highly wanted model dedicated to the same consumer sector as the previous model, and comes with few new enhancements, starting with the image processor which now is a DIGIC 4. Besides superior color reproduction and sharp details, it enables continuous 6.3 frames per second shooting for 90 JPEG pictures on Ultra Direct Memory Access Compact Flash cards and 60 JPEG or 16 RAW images on Compact Flash cards.
The Face Detection Live Mode allows you to capture 35 faces and never miss that perfect position which is very hard to capture without the continuous shooting feature.
Canon EOS 50D provides 15.1 effective megapixels for 4752 x 3168 pictures, with a CMOS APS-C size sensor improved to reach 12,800 sensitivity with no noise. There are 4 levels of ISO with Standard, Weak, Strong and None noise reduction settings.

Also, the LCD screen was improved to display the images in 920K colors at 160 degrees, both horizontally and vertically, and what you see is what you get later on your HDTV, via the HDMI connectivity.
The camera has 0.95x viewfinder magnification, f/5.6 aperture, AF Microadjustment, Creative Full Auto setting allowing you to adjust images during continuous shootings, and support for 7.1MP sRAW1 and 3.8MP sRAW2 recording formats.
Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit is not missing either, as well as the Dust Delete Data software part and the E-TTL II flash metering system.

So many design enhancements for such a small price difference!

The companies who make these pieces of equipment are looking at this gap in the market and are plugging it with gaming peripherals that should help better the players skill.

A proportion of the gamers who never use a gaming mouse see the added cost that is often affiliated with these mice and think, “what benefit does it give?” But as any real game player knows, a great mouse is the best tool in your arsenal when playing fast paced games like Doom.

When you compare the specification of a ordinary Microsoft mouse and a Gaming mouse such as the Logitech G5 you can see a massive variation in features that make gaming mice suitable for playing games. If you are buying a gaming mouse it is a great idea to check out the sensitivity of the mouse.

If you have ever been in one of them close quarter gun fights in Quake where the enemy move their weapon so fast that you don’t stand a chance. They will be using a mouse with a greater sensitivity, so that tiny twitches with the mouse translate to bigger movements on the screen.

The resolution is one of the main factor in what ups this sensitivity within the Gaming Mouse, referred to as DPI (Dots Per Inch) in the niche. Dots Per Inch really corresponds to the amount of pixels the cursor travels on the monitor for every inch the mouse travels on the desk. Although this isn’t 100% true, because software on your computer has the potential to change the sensitivity of the mouse.

Sensitivity perks aren’t the only innovations in the Gaming Mouse though, you also find that there are also ergonomic benefits included. Take a look at the config of the gaming mouse you will there are big alterations to a normal mouse. Gaming mice are created to accommodate your palm comfortably and huge amounts of effort are spent to produce gaming mice as comfortable to hold as expected. A gaming mouse should be held like an expansion of the fingers, like a sword.

So in conclusion should you have fun while gaming and wish to better your score a gaming mouse is surely the most important enhancements you should buy. If you are still using a ordinary mouse, you want a clip round the ear and a web address of a site that sells peripherals

The gaming environment demands high performance.  Any edge that a gamer can have over his opponent could mean the difference between life and death (in the cyber-world of course….).  Luckily for gamers companies like Logitech, Razer and also Microsoft are in tune with this and have an entire group of gaming accessories that are targeted for this unique group of users.

If you are just getting started with acquiring your gaming equipment it is essential that you match your high performance computer with the right gaming accessories.  Otherwise you could be limiting the overall performance available to you.  Don’t be the one out there with a standard mouse or keyboard or you could be very frustrated with your lack of success with most games today.  This is especially true for gaming on line.  The serious gamers have all the top accessories to enhance their play ability to the maximum.

Obviously, if you desire the higher performance of the gaming accessories there is a price to pay.  But the difference in performance is worth the price – that is, if you are serious about your game play.   As mentioned the gaming accessories available not only can enhance and improve your game play but there are accessories available to also just help make your laptop look slick and that you can customize to your personality.

A gaming level mouse is a great way to start adding the right accessories to your gaming system.  The Logitech G9 is an excellent choice for this.  You can change the grip you can also change the weight.  You can customize the LEDs. Even use onboard memory to take up to 5 mouse profiles with you to the next LAN party. In every way, the G9 mouse lets you tune for the way you play.  Checkout Logitech’s ID Grip for the G9 Mouse which lets you customize the look of the G9.

Another great choice for a gaming grade mouse is the Razer DeathAdder Gaming Mouse.  Take on your enemies with this lightning-fast mouse that delivers pinpoint accuracy for an incredible gaming experience.  It is also equipped with 5 programmable buttons, so you can customize this mouse to fit your preferences

Next, one should consider a gaming level keyboard.  Again Logitech has a great product with the G15 Gaming Keyboard.  The Logitech G15 keyboard keeps you informed and outfitted to win. With the Logitech-exclusive GamePanel LCD, you can easily find out what server your friends are using, or receive notification when your World of Warcraft battleground becomes available. You can also create useful macros on the fly and play them back with a single press of a G-key. The illuminated characters on the keyboard will allow you to play late into the night.

For a great gaming keyboard you should really check out the Saitek Cyborg Keyboard.  You can really enhance your gaming skills with this programmable keyboard. This high-end, adjustable, gaming keyboard has customizable backlighting, programmable functions and media keys. One of the best features is the hard wearing, metal-plated key caps in key gaming areas.

Now to really enhance game play the serious gamer needs to outfit his system with a great headset and speaker system.  Even though gaming grade laptops focus on high performance they do lack in the area of the audio system.  This is where you need to look at the gaming headsets that are available.  Many of the games today require fast and furious communication with other team members.  If your team can’t communicate clearly you will be taken out quickly in today’s high action games.

Of particular note with this patch is fixing of the “dump macros” that were being used by numerous rogues. Ghostcrawler hinted earlier in the day that there would be a fix for this soon, but it’s surprising to see it solved so quickly.

There are also some graphic fixes in the game that many people should be pleased about. In particular for Mac users.

The full announcement, including patch notes, after the break.BlizzCon isn’t the only big gaming convention happening this week (though you’d never known it from reading our site — we’re a bit obsessive, no?). Gamescom is going on in Germany, and gaming equipment manufacturer Razer has announced there that they’re releasing a new mouse, specifically designed for MMO games. They put it together in conjunction with MMO players (they say the folks at Curse had a hand in it), and while it isn’t officially tied to Blizzard as far as we can tell (Steelseries already has that market cornered), there is one interesting connection. They decided to call this new mouse the “Naga.”

Technically the word is Sanskrit for “snake,” and especially since most of Razer’s mice are already named after scaly reptiles, we suppose it works. But given that the mouse is supposed to be designed for MMO gameplay (it has a twelve button thumb grid, supposedly to keep your hands off of spell buttons and on movement buttons where they belong), it’s probably a happy coincidence that the name of the product is reminiscent of well-known villians in one very famous MMO. Good show, Razer.

They also have a new “mousing surface” (back when I was a kid, we just called them mousepads) called the Megasoma. Both are available right now, and they ain’t cheap: $80 for the mouse, and $50 for the pad. But if you want to go high-end on a mouse, and the Naga strikes your fancy, there you go. I have read some news about wow gold and want to share with you. It is raining now. I don’t know why it rains so much this summer. I am sitting in front of my computer farming wow gold and then I will buy some wow gold online. Do you want to buy wow gold? Are you looking for cheap wow gold?

In order to solve this issue, what you’ll need to do is 1 of 2 things.  You can either take off the silver ring that is attached to the underside of the laser sensor (at your own risk, of course, but I’ve seen no issues myself from doing this).  I did this, and it totally fixed the mouse spasm problem.  Your other options would be to either get a mouse pad with great traction, or to reduce the dpi on the mouse through its options.  Up to you.

In the looks department the Mamba does not let you down.  It looks truly awesome.  The fact that the Mamba looks so much like the Deathadder from Razer is one of the first things I noticed about it.  This is a good thing, though, because the Razer Deathadder is a great mouse that is a huge favorite of gamers.  It has what looks to be a webbed foot, and I really like that about it.  The mouse is very comfortable in the hand, too, which is great for long play sessions.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a fan of wireless or wired mouse, because the Razer Mamba lets you choose.  It should be noted, though, that the life of the battery for the wireless version is just a bit short.  As far as buttons go, the Mamba has 7, and they are all very easy to program through the Razer software menu.  The menu is very easy to navigate and use, so there should be no problems when using it to setup all the buttons on the mouse to your liking.

Alright, so here’s the specs for those interested in the specifics.

* Razer Synapse™ On-board Memory

* Dual Mode Wireless/Wired Functionality

* 7 independently programmable Hyperesponse™ buttons

* Up to 200 inches per second (Depends on surface used) / 50g acceleration

* 5600DPI Razer Precision™ 3.5G Laser sensor

* 1000Hz Ultrapolling™ / 1ms response rate

* Battery Life: 14hrs (continuous gaming); 72 hours (normal gaming usage)

Well, the surprises of MX5500 don’t end here. It comes with a dynamic keyboard display which has a 2.95-by-.79 inch built-in LCD screen. It shows the time and date, calculator, temperature, Web site favorites, a keystroke counter, e-mail updates and media information, such as band and song titles.

Last but not the least the cordless desktop MX 5500 features Bluetooth 2.0 Enhanced Data Rate (EDR) wireless technology, which provides an easier setup experience, as well as a more robust and reliable connection than with previous generations of Bluetooth technology. But why is Bluetooth so important, one wonder. Its worth a mention because it allows users to use the desktop at a distance of up to 30 feet (10 meters) from their PC.

And there are no collaboration problems. Because the keyboard, mouse and receiver are pre-paired during manufacturing, people need only plug in the mini-receiver to a computer’s USB port to connect the keyboard and mouse to the PC. The MX 5500 desktop’s receiver can also be used as a Bluetooth hub, enabling other Bluetooth devices, such as a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone or a PDA, to connect to a computer through the hub. All a computer needs is a compatible Bluetooth stack installed for this mode to be functional.

It would be wise decision to buy LG LCD TFT 17inch Monitor. It is equipped with many user friendly features like automatic resolution adjustment, automatic brightness adjustment, flexible height setting, high contrast ratio and wide viewing angles for sharing content.

At this LG monitor, you will receive superior quality of pictures for movies and games as it is equipped with intelligent Auto resolution feature. And due to its ultra-wide viewing angles feature, you an receive enhanced picture in up to 160 degree horizontal and 160 degree vertical viewing angles.

Digital Fine Contrast (DFC) Technology is the finest feature of the Latest LG LCD TFT 17inch Monitor. Owing to this technology, users receive a bright and crisper and clearer image quality. Actually, this technology let the monitor adjust the brightness and contrast of black and white of the screen. DFC functions in Movie Mode. The maximum bright images and moving images with different brightness are displayed with maximum clarity. This technology also enhances the LCD contrast level up to 5000:1, controls the backlight brightness and enables automatic detection of image signal.

Also the smart functions are started by this DFC technology automatically. It automatically controls the optimum contrast level for different programs like movies, games, animation, TV programs and more. When displaying dark images, this feature seems to be most useful. Another advantage of this feature is LG LCD TFT 17Inch Monitor uses less power.

Another excellent feature of LG L177WSB 17-inch LCD monitor is f-engine technology. This is the world’s first picture correction technology which is introduced in LCD monitors. Clarity of images depends upon the better contrast ratio.

While planning to buy this monitor, please make a point to read Online LG LCD TFT 17inch Monitor review for better understanding of the device.