I recently did a blind test on macro pictures and pick the ones that please my eyes. The verdict, almost 90 per cent of them are shot with DSLR cameras, including higher end cameras such as the Nikon D700 and Canon 5D Mark II.

Nevertheless, some point and shoot cameras managed to fool my eyes and if not for the exif image displayed on those image, I would have though there were shot with DSLRs.

I had also randomly looked at images that I was not too please about checked their exif data and surprisingly, many of them taken by DSLRs. Hmm… food for thought there.

The truth is, compact cameras are a competent macro shooters. Here are 25 nice looking macro photographs taken with point and click cameras, in no particular order:

1. by Lincolnian Brian with a Canon PowerShot A540.

2. by The Couple Next Door with a Nikon Coolpix P60.

3. by aussiegall with a Sony DSC-H1

4. by Nganguyenwith a Canon PowerShot S80.

5. by DeusXFlorida with a Kodak DX6490 Zoom.

6. by Hamed Saber with a Sony DSC-H1.

7. by OliBac with an Olympus SP560UZ.

8. by marfis75 a Fujifilm FinePix F30.

9. by pizzodisevo with a Panasonic DMC-TZ3.

10. by audreyjm529 with a Canon PowerShot S5 IS.

11. by pau.artigas with an Olympus C5060WZ.

12. by psyberartist with a Kodak Z1285 Zoom.

13. by catlovers with a Canon PowerShot S5 IS.

14. by Kátia Goretti with a Canon PowerShot SX10 IS.

15. by Rego – twitter.com/w3bdesign with a Canon PowerShot SX1 IS.

16. by Katie Tegtmeyer with a Sony DSC-H5.

17. by audreyjm529 with a Canon PowerShot S5 IS.

18. by kylepheland with a Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD.

19. by OliBac with an Olympus SP560UZ.

20. by zayzayem with a Fujifilm FinePix S2000HD.

21. by kevindooley with a Canon PowerShot G7.

22. by Flowery *L*u*z*a* with a Canon PowerShot A430.

23. by zenera with a Nikon E2200.

24. by Modern Alchemy with a Panasonic DMC-LX3.

25. by blentley with a Canon PowerShot S3 IS.

Fern and a parasite tree plant grow on the wall of an old prison complex in Kuala Lumpur. Photo is post processed in Lightroom 3 Beta. The original picture is right after this one.

Olympus E-P2 vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1

Earlier yesterday, RiceHigh posted a link to a Japanese Yomiuri online report about rumours of JVC being already in advanced negotiation with Hoya Corp to buy Pentax.

Both companies swiftly denied the “rumours”, with Hoya issuing a single-paragraph statement in English, saying the report that Hoya would sell the business of digital cameras to JVC was “not a fact.”

JVC too issued a statement in Japanese, denying the same rumours. This does not stop RiceHigh, however, from wondering why were the two statements very similar in “tone and wording”.

Hmm… could it be that the PR departments of both companies had, in some ways, co-worded the statements? I wonder.

Then 1001 Noisy cameras added fuel to the speculation fire, albeit in jest, playing with the world Picsio, JVC’s mini camcorder.

The way I see it, judging from their black and red logos alone, JVC and Pentax seem to be destined for some form of synergy I’m so tempted to photoshop these logos; won’t be that difficult, just stick the two together and extend JVC’s horizontal white line to the right.

Kyodo news weighs in the JVC-Pentax speculation

Kyodo News has also weighed in into the rumours with a breaking news early today with its own version of the story, via Japan Times, saying JVC may sell its tunes unit Victor Entertainment and buy Pentax.

Quoting sources, it reported that potential buyers of Victor Entertainment include video game software developer Konami Corp.

As for Pentax, Kyodo’s sources said combining the still-image camera unit of Pentax and JVC’s own camcorder business would generate synergy effects and improve the firm’s competitiveness.

Digital River, Inc a leading provider of global e-commerce solutions, announced that it signed a new e-commerce agreement with Pentax Europe Imaging Systems.

Under the agreement, Digital River will be launching an online store and providing a full range of e-commerce services to support online consumer sales of Pentax cameras in the UK, Germany, France Switzerland and Hungary.

The Pentax Europe store is expected to launch in 2009. [The full press release, here]

Well, everybody can participate but due to restriction from the sponsor, no prize will be given to winner from outside the UK in case there is one.

If that happens, the prize will be transferred to the next competition slot, the organiser said.

The competition is organised by ePHOTOzine and will run throughout November, with prizes worth 1,500 pound sterling up for grabs. More information on the black and white photography contest can be obtain from ePHOTOzine.

The year 2009 is fast becoming the most significant year for cameras, be they compact cameras or DSLRs.

With so many new inventions coming into the market this year, one can be forgiven for wondering if there are still things left to be invented in the year 2010.

What do you think are among the most compelling camera features in the year 2009? I can think of several features, off hand. They are:

1. ISO 102,400

Who can forget the buzz created by Nikon D3s when it was unveiled that the camera is capable of shooting at ISO 102,400, something only left to imagination a as recent as a few months ago. And if you think Canon is letting Nikon pulls away in the race, it too came up with the EOS-1Ds Mark IV with similar ISO ceiling.

2. HD video in DSLRs

HD video in DSLRs is fast becoming a must-have feature rather than a nice-to-have offering, with DSLRs from the higher end to the entry level, offering movie capture. While HD movie offerings in DSLRs are not quite there yet in terms of making DSLRs a true video shooter, it is a nevertheless a very encouraging development.

3. Sony’s Sweep Panorama

This is a Sony-exclusive feature introduced for the first time on board the HX1. The camera shoots full resolution images in rapid succession and stitches the pictures together for a breathtaking panorama picture.

4. The rise of Micro Four-Third camera

This year also saw the rise of Micro Four-Third camera with Olympus E-P1, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1, G1 and GH1 coming into the market. Micro 4/3rd cameras match DSLR cameras in terms of image quality and ahead of DSLRs in terms of compactness.

5. Pentax K-7

Pentax K-7 is the most feature-rich camera at the most competitive price to date. The only thing letting it down is the complain about slightly noisier images than those taken by its competitors at ISO 1600 and above.

6. Pentax K-x

Of course who can forget the colour which makes the K-x the first camera to offer no less than 100 combinations of body colour. It is also the first Pentax which has the ability to shoot in high ISO, beating even its big brother the K-7.

7. Leica M9

Leica M9 redefines the term “expensive camera” as it redefines image quality and camera beauty. Enough said.

8. Longest zoom of 26x optical

The year 2009 also saw for the first time super zoom compact cameras reaching a whopping 26x optical zoom or a mind-boggling 26-676mm in the form of Olympus SP590UZ.

There… I can think of several more but now is your turn. What are the camera features that impressed you the most this year?

FujiFilm FinePix F70EXR

FujiFilm’s FinePix F70EXR, announced in July this year, and is the smallest 10x optical zoom compact to date, has attracted numerous reviews, perhaps a reflection of the curiosity its has created since its announcement.

The F70EXR is a 10 megapixels compact with the focal length of 27-270mm.

It also boosts of an ISO range of between 100 and 12,800 but none of the reviews recommend shooting at ISO 6400 or 12,800. Still, having the ability to shoot at ISO 400 and to a certain extent at ISO 800 — something unthinkable for a compact camera just a few years ago — is reason enough to be curious about this camera.

Here are some of the reviews on the FujiFilm’s FinePix F70EXR:

1. Steve’s Digicams: “The FinePix F70 EXR is part of an innovative EXR line that provides excellent image quality, performance and versatility to users.”

2. Photography Blog: “The Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR produces very good out-of-the-camera JPEG images with low noise and amazing dynamic range at a frankly astonishing price.”

3. CNet Asia: “It’s hard not to like the image quality of the FinePix F70EXR, but the shooter has several quips which some shutterbugs may find annoying.”

4. ePHOTOzine: “If you’re after a thin camera with plenty of pull in the zoom area, that also looks good then this is the camera for you. In terms of innovative fetaures, it appears to have more to offer than others in the same price bracket.”

5. Cameras.co.uk: “As you can see I have really taken a shine to the Fuji Finepix F70EXR. The picture quality is outstanding in most instances and it has an impressive set of features. Highly recommended.”

6. CNet UK: “The Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR is a well-designed, compact superzoom, and the EXR sensor technology is spectacularly successful, even though the resolution penalty is disappointing.”