Stock Photo and Digital Photography guide

Olympus Digital OM camera full metal styling

2012-01-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

There are a lot of impressions circulating about the Olympus OM-D mirrorless camera. The full metal styling of the new Olympus OM-D is very retro and the OM heritage is unmistakable. So far so good. But what about the technical aspect? What sensor is it using? Any better than the “old” micro four thirds sensors?

The trouble of course is the micro four-thirds sensors that while bigger than your regular compact camera chip, are smaller than regular APS-C sensors. What is most disconcerting is that there seems to no serious m4/3 sensor technological development. Since image quality is arguably falling behind in the four-thirds segment, one can only wonder if the technology has reached a boundary of capabilities. We look forward to the start of Sony micro four thirds sensor manufacturing.

We welcome the Olympus digital OM, but would very much like to see a serious advancement in sensor capabilities.

The upcoming retro styled Olympus OM is accompanied by a Olympus M4/3 to 4/3 converter and this would also mark Oly's final support for the aging four thirds mount.

Fuji xPro-1 is better than the Leica M9

2012-01-16T02:30:00.000-08:00

Many photographers will probably find the new Fuji X-Pro1 as being a poor man´s Leica wannabe, and want to place it in between the Leica and the Nex-7. This is not a good comparison though because the new APS-C equipped rangefinder from Fuji is 1) showing better image quality than the extremely expensive Leica and 2) is much more of a true rangefinder than the Nex-7. To top it off, the Fuji x Pro-1 comes with an assortment of fast primes that are very very good.

The sensor in the X1 Pro is probably the same 16 megapixels as used in the Sony Nex-5N, Nikon Nikon D7000
, Pentax K5 and if you like their image quality - you will love the Fuji. Fuji has a reputation for pushing Vevlia colors but the Fuji xPro-1 tone curve is very soft and realistic.

The camera takes 6 fps and takes full HIGH DEFINITION Movies. The battery is capable of producing at best 300 shots, which considering the size of this APS-C digital rangefinder camera is very good indeed. At 450 grams and 140 x 82 x 43 mm this camera is a lot more portable than the Leica, without being too small for photographer hands.

Take look at the Fuji x Pro-1 design and compare it to the legendary Leicas of the lost golden film age, and you immediately want to get hold of one of these. If you want top of the line photography gear that is as much a professional imaging tool as well as a lifestyle marker the Fuji x Pro 1 does it even better than the Leica M9 - without being ridiculous about the price.

You can´t buy the xPro-1 yet but if you want a cheaper model with extremely good IQ performace try the Fujifilm X100 12.3 MP APS-C digital rangefinder
.

Nikon D3100 best price and lenses

2012-01-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

So what is the current Nikon d3100 best price out there? While you may fins some price variation from quite honestly dubious retailers we would never suggest going for the cheapest advertised price on the D3100. And there really is no need to risk dealing with anything than reputable outlets because the Nikon D3100 best price
has been coming down on every market recently to under 600 dollars for the complete kit. We buy all our gear from Amazon for 2 reasons: 1) trust - amazon honors their returns and is the worlds most established online market 2) shipping - many products come with free shipping and are generally in stock for same day shipping.

While the Nikon D3100 digital slr camera is sometimes referred to as a entry level camera this is not really accurate because the camera takes awesome images. The difference between this one and a more costly camera is features and believe me, you do not need features to take great pics... you need a good sensor and processing (which the D3100 has) and you need something to shoot (that's your job).

Nikon's lens portfolio is extremely generous and the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S kit lens is not a bad performer. The VR on the lens helps to get sharper pics in dim situations. I would suggest you start with the D3100 kit build from there. For your next Nikon D3100 lenses consider a macro lens such as the Nikon 60mm f/2.8G Micro-Nikkor which will provide you with a new world of interesting subject. Very sharp lens which has a five out of five star consumer rating.

This is one of the best nikon d3100 lenses to add to your collection due to being a macro, weight and being a almost perfect portrait lens.

If you would rather own a all-in-one zoom, then perhaps just buying the Nikon D3100 body is a better option. The zoom I would get would be the Nikon 18-200mm ED VR II which is one of the best priced and bestselling long zooms on the market. While it may cost more by itself than the camera and kit lens together, it makes the perfect walkaround and travel zoom for the Nikon D3100.

To recap: the nikon d3100 lenses we like are therefore the kit lens, the Nikon 60mm Micro-Nikkor
, and the Nikon 18-200 walk-around travel zoom
.

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Samsung NX 2050 pancake zoom is a NEX killer

2011-12-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

Sony may be more popular but Samsung is catching up fast with a impressive offering of compact quality primes and the new NX 20-50 zoom for the mirrorless NX cameras.

The Samsung NX 20-50 compact zoom is a 30 - 75mm equivalent lens with an extremely small format. The 4 cm length makes this a superb walkaround lens which has also gotten top results in the Photozone tests.

Samsung was the first brand to create a mirrorless camera with a APS-C sensor. That in itself is a testament to their determination to develop and in time be one of the biggest on the photography scene. Sony is certainly under fire from the Samsung camp. The Samsung NX series now pulls another triumph with the compact 20 megapixel NX-200 and the upcoming NX-20 which has EVF and is considerably cheaper than Sony's offering.

Samsung has a lot of aces up their sleeve. Their 20 - 50 NX lens is exactly what Sony does not have. In fact, Samsung has a number of lenses (which are also great optical performers) that the NEX series lacks (and that the NEX community bemoans. The Samsung NX 30 f2 for instance is a true pancake lens and a stellar performer with contrast and sharpness on par with pro dslr lenses.

In our view, Sony has only one thing that makes it attractive: the swivel screen. Why Samsung is not putting swivel screens on their NX cameras is beyond us and a shame. Apart from that, the Samsung has a vastly better lens lineup and two different body types to choose from. The 20 megapixel NX APS-C sensor image quality is on par with Sony´s more expensive NEX-7, and adding upp the points we recommend the Samsung NX as the better buy.

If you own a Samsung NX body, you can't go wrong with the S 20-50 lens. Check price and availability here.

The best cameras for stock photography

2011-12-03T15:38:00.000-08:00

If you want to sell your images you need to deliver image files that have the right image quality to be accepted for sale by a agency. Unless your photos pass the quality guidelines of the stock photo business, your shots, no matter how good they are, will never make it to the sales page. At the same time, you may be taking photos today with gear that delivers the required quality without knowing it. So what are the quality requirements for selling images online? What consumer camera has the quality output for commercial stock photography?

You will of course have to have a well-composed image of something interesting that has been adequately exposed, but here we will just stick with the technical aspects of the gear you will need.

For stock-photo work you do not need a professional camera. However, the quality requirements are continuously raised as the camera sensors improve and the buyers demand better image quality. Because of this, you need a modern DSLR camera. Image quality keeps getting better and a currently selling enthusiast or even budget camera has better image output than some pro gear that is just 5-6 years old.

While there are many cameras on the market that are good for stock photography we have selected a few that stand out from the rest.

Our list of recommended consumer cameras that are approved for stock-photography will deliver image files straight out of the camera that you can upload to most stock agencies. These cameras all come with a price tag of around 1000 dollars or less. Shoot raw for optimal quality.

Canon 60D
- 18 megapixels - under $1000 - image quality is very good but a bit bulky, starting to feel a bit old

Canon 600D T3i
- 18 megapixels, kit with 18-55mm, flip and swivel screen - under $700 - excellent image quality, compact build with superb handling and flip out screen

Nikon D3100
- 14 megapixels, kit with 18-55mm lens, under $600 - truly excellent image quality at a budget price - great little camera to take on the trips to exotic places where expensive gear may put you at risk, limited features

Nikon D5100
- 16 megapixels with flip and swivel screen - under $700 - superb image quality with versatile flip screen for odd angles - great performer in a compact yet solid build

Pentax K5
- 16 megapixels, semi-pro, weather sealed body - $1000 - very good image quality in a sealed semi-pro body with the best ergonomics of the bunch - sharpen the raw files a bit for more pop

Samsung NX200
- 20 megapixels, mirrorless, kit with 18-55MM - $800 - mirrorless cameras are on the rise, the NX200 produces extremely good raw files - true DSLR image quality in a extremely compact but solid body - carry it anywhere

Sony NEX-5N
- 16 megapixels, mirrorless, flip out screen - $600 - incredibly small size for a true APS-C sensor - excellent image quality - extensive list of accessories and converters for manual and exotic lenses

We like all of the above cameras and will not hesitate to use all for shooting stock photography. If we had to choose the best cameras for stock photography from this list the winners would be Canon 600D T3i, Nikon D5100 and Sony NEX-5N.

If you are just staring out and on a budget - consider a second-hand Canon 550 T2i or Nikon D3100 and start building your lens setup. Get the best lens you can afford and start with that. Both cameras can be found for cheap second hand and are perfectly adequate for most online photo agencies such as Alamy, iStock and Dreamstime.

As you may have noticed we do not recommend any compact cameras nor do we feel the 4/3 cameras are up to the task. Time has flown past the four thirds sensors and they can simply not match even the budget APS-C sensor class.

Nikon D400 Specs are modest but good

2011-08-24T00:45:00.000-07:00

Nikon finally delivers with the long awaited Nikon D400. So what is new compared to the D300s? The body is very similar to what we have all grown accustomed to but the D400 body now also sports a tilt and swivel screen.

So how will the Nikon D400 stand up against the competition? The sensor is a Nikon design and if you look at the little brother D7000 you get an idea of the inner workings of the Nikon chips with the very best image quality. The weather sealed and durable body with the added resolution of the sensor, although on a modest increase) marks the Nikon D400 as a smart and photography-oriented upgrade.. rather than a megapixel race market-oriented upgrade.

Sadly, the market these days is less photo-savvy and one can only wonder if the somewhat modest specifications of the Nikon D400 will appeal to enough shooters to make the D400 the milestone camera that Nikon needs.

For those of us who are passionate about photography and more interested in quality than quantity, the D400 delivers on every point.

Lucian Husac photo site

2011-08-18T01:04:00.000-07:00

FreeArtisticPhotos.com has a unique view over photography by offering artistic imagery for free since May 2008.

Free Artistic Photography announced the addition of its 500 free image, an important milestone for a website continually growing and committed to offering artistic photography.

The website contains the works of Lucian Husac, who’s also the founder of this artistic gallery. Lucian started taking pictures as a hobby, but he decided to take this to another level by sharing his beautiful work with people who couldn’t afford buying images. “Having this website has proved very rewarding not only because I get the chance to offer my photos for free, but I’m also improving my photographic skills feeling constantly challenged to take better images,” said Lucian.

Every week, Freeartisticphotos adds around 5 new free images and provides designers, bloggers, advertisers, publications and marketers with a continuous stream of fresh new content. For those interested in artistic photography, the gallery covers many ranges of photography including landscape, people and architecture.

About Freeartisticphotos – www.freeartisticphotos.com
Founded in 2008, Freeartisticphotos.com is an important provider of artistic photography for viewers all over the world. The website has a remarkable collection of photos which cover a variety of categories: from Nature to People images and many others. It offers high quality pictures for free to anyone who wants to optimise their website or blog photo-content.

Ricoh buys Pentax brand - disaster or good news?

2011-07-04T00:42:00.000-07:00

Hoya has announced in a press release on the 1st of July that they are selling the Pentax photography division to Ricoh. There is a mix of somber rumblings and shouts of delight on the photo forums. Some seem to think that a transfer to Ricoh will be a disaster. True or false?

Pentax is a solid brand. It has great heritage and most of the products that it has launched are quality items. Pentax has always stood for good workmanship and design. When Hoya took over though, their only (and explicitly indicated) interest, was in getting control over the Pentax medical brand and sales channels.

Many many photographers have felt that Hoya has ignored them and on top of that, they imposed a terrible marketing strategy on Pentax cameras by raising the price and trying to put exclusivity before market shares. Obviously, unless you are market leading in innovation as Fuji, Canon and Nikon are, you end up loosing market shares if your price is too high without offering anything above the norm. Pentax could have taken huge chunks of the market with a different pricing strategy that would have offered the photographers great value on mid-level products. This is a niche that Nikon and Canon now dominate. It is also the biggest market sector. The bottom line is that Hoya didn´t care and essentially strangled Pentax.

Ricoh is a different type of company. Although Ricoh have a very wide product segment including printers, copyers etc, they have a solid foundation in the photo market. Ricoh is a camera company and understands how the image market works. I am confident that as Ricoh buys Pentax from Hoya, Pentax will soon be back in the game again – bigtime. So congratulations to all who have stayed with the the Pentax brand
. Good times are coming!

Build your own photography website with Wordpress

2011-06-23T01:02:00.000-07:00

It can´t be said enough times: as a photographer, you must market yourself and your images online with a website. The good news is that you don´t have to be a web developer to know how to build a photo showcase website. There are so many templates and varieties of designs that should suit any photographer, from freelance shooter to stock photographer to pro wedding photographers.

Wordpress is the easiest and best platform to build your image site on and there are many plugins that make it easy to create a dynamic photo gallery. If you want to go all the way, you can also sell your images online, either by linking from your site to your agency images or by selling directly on your own website with a e-commerce plugin.

Josh McNair Photography is a good example. Josh has a WP site which looks good and is highly functional. It allows him to showcase his images and categorize them for easier browsing. With a site like this it is also easy to post the story behind the shots, something that ads value to the visitor.

The design he has chosen is clean and easy on the eye which highlights his images. Take a look at his Salvation Mountain story and photos which is a good example of a photo blog post.

This is just one example of a photo blog. Just Google it and you will find lots of great examples of photo websites and the photographers that run them.

Digital cameras with flip screen from Nikon and Canon

2011-06-17T16:14:00.000-07:00

Photography is a mix between having the right gear and being in front of a view to capture as a image. Composing the image, and telling the story is important when taking a shot but the technology is also essential.

Most people today own a camera that is technically better than what the professional photographers had to work with just some years ago. In fact, many professional photographers now use enthusiast gear. Why? Because these are good cheap cameras and because they are often more lightweight than pro stuff. Carrying a lighter weight makes the day easier and probably means you will persevere and shoot more images. The camera will be with you in more situations and a smaller, cheaper camera will be more discrete. All in all, it is easy to see why enthusiast cameras are becoming a vital ingredient in a professional photographer bag.

So which enthusiast dslr's are good cameras? We would suggest you look no further than the latest crop of mid-range dslr cameras from Canon and Nikon, specifically those that have articulating screens. Nikon D5100
and Canon T3i 600d
. These are the pinnacle of the camera evolution and both brands have real performers that come at a pricepoint that most people can handle.

Once you have you camera, take some time to consier how you take your images and what can be done to improve them. Having a camera with flip screen means a whole new range of angles open up for bold and exciting new photographs. Many photographers find composing with a articulating screen is easier than with a viewfinder.

Start by experimenting with low angles which are one type of composition that is rarely done with traditional viewfinder cameras. I think you will like the results.

If you would like to read more daily photography tips, head on over to Improve Photography. He has some great articles on there.

Website marketing tips for photographers

2011-06-12T02:55:00.000-07:00

To be a photographer today you have to do more than just shoot pics. The stock photo market is very competitive and to succeed, you have to be good at marketing. The simplest way is to create a online presence which can increase your sales by several 100% if done right.

Almost every photographer today has a website on which they showcase their images, allow clients to order copies, and present contact information. Wordpress is a popular platform on which photographers build their sites since it is easy to use as both a blog platform and there are many premade Photo Gallery Themes for Wordpress to choose from.

What kind of site you need will depend on what type of photographer you are. If you are a freelance photographer you may be fine with a simple gallery site with images that define your style of photography. If you shoot a lot of stock images, you might want to look at what e-commerce options are available. Selling photos from your own site is lucrative but extremely hard to market because all the main agencies are competing in this niche. If you have a client list, then do look at selling on your site. If not, join an agency which offers a gallery plugin for your own photo theme site.

Websites for wedding photographers need to be precise and make a immediate impression on the visitor. A wedding photo website should direct the premarital couple towards template suggestions for their wedding photo order. The common model for this is to offer a couple of packages that range from a single studio shoot of the bride and groom group, up to exclusive wedding photo packages which would include several location shootings as well as a generous pick of wedding photo prints and books.

The bottom line is that if you are serious about your photography, you must have a website which is tailored towards your market, not just any market.

Pentax and Olympus rugged cameras

2011-05-08T11:28:00.000-07:00

Pentax have always been at the frontline when it comes to making rugged compact cameras. The Pentax Optio WG-1 is a true adventure camera that can take more than one beating. The 14 MP compact camera is Waterproof down to 33 feet and the design also withstands a vertical drop of 5 feet. Sounds good? It gets even better.

The pentax Optio WG1 is crushproof, coldproof and dustproof. If you are looking for a camera for hikes, hunting, snowboarding and a camera for the beach.. this is the one. The Adventure Pentax Optio WG-1 has a 28-140mm lens and records 720p HD video at 30 frames per second seamless video.

An alternative is the Olympus Stylus Tough 6020. The Olympus Tough is also 14MP and has a zoom lens. Waterproof to about 16 feet the Olympus is a cheaper compact camera that fits in your pocket but is probably less durable when you go on the wild adventures.

Getty Images buys Picscout

2011-05-01T01:43:00.001-07:00

SEATTLE - April 28 2011 - Getty Images, a leading creator and distributor of visual content and other media, today announced that it has acquired PicScout, a leader in identifying image use, metadata and licensing information on the web.

This acquisition will build and grow upon Getty Images’ existing range of products and services, enabling Getty Images to amplify its digital content licensing expertise and leverage PicScout’s technology in developing new image identification tools for customers. Getty Images will invest in PicScout’s technology and continue to work across the entire image industry, to improve and expand protection of Intellectual Property, thus ensuring a stronger overall content licensing industry.

"As the access to digital imagery becomes even easier, the ability to safeguard and manage creators’ content has become more critical than ever,” said Jonathan Klein, co-founder and CEO of Getty Images. “This acquisition will enable us to bring a vital service to a greater number of imagery agencies and companies around the world and make it possible for them to successfully manage the licensing of the content they represent."

Offir Gutelzon, co-founder and CEO of PicScout added, “With the vast expansion of digital devices and platforms, technology solutions are required to ensure every image gets its credit, which enables a connection to licensors wherever the images are used online. The acquisition will make it possible for PicScout to accelerate its position as a market innovator and as one of the world’s largest indexes of owner-identified images. It will allow PicScout to continue its rapid support of content owners and content users, who seek an integrated solution for image identification and use.”

The PicScout brand will remain, with Getty Images’ global distribution channels and platforms increasing international customers’ access to PicScout’s products and services.

The acquisition was driven by the opportunity to grow and expand PicScout’s business to the benefit of our contributors, image partners, customers and industry as a whole.

About Getty Images
Getty Images is one of the world’s leading creators and distributors of still imagery, footage and multimedia products, as well as a recognized provider of other forms of premium digital content, including music. Getty Images serves business customers in more than 100 countries and is the first place creative and media professionals turn to discover purchase and manage images and other digital content. Its award-winning photographers and imagery help customers produce inspiring work which appears every day in the world’s most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and Web sites. Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com to learn more about how the company is advancing the unique role of digital media in communications and business, and enabling creative ideas to come to life.

Garage studio flooring with prefinished hardwood floors

2011-04-05T21:45:00.000-07:00

Building your own photo studio is easy with some white paint and prefinished hardwood floors. One of the best things about stock photography is that a lot of it can be done from the comfort of your home. Setting up a photo studio is simple. All you need is a open space, white paint for the walls and any suitable selection of flooring. I personally like prefinished hardwood floors best because they are easy to assemble, extremely simple to clean. Pushing flash bouncer booms around is of course also easier on a 100% flat surface.

If you haven´t tried it yet, doing photographic studio work at home is great fun and will develop your photographic skills rapidly. best of all, still life shots are pretty easy to sell as stock material. Just check any image agency and their online gallery and you will see that two types of images prevail: product and item shots, and people shots.

Flooring is the most important aspect of the basement studio in my opinion. Check prefinished hardwood floors for information about different basement flooring options and materials.

Digital camera choices

2011-03-13T22:35:00.000-07:00

Modern life is full of advantages, opportunities, difficulties and pleasure. Everyone finds his or her work and satisfaction in his own field. As for me my sphere is clearly connected with photography. It began as hobby and then turned in real way of life. To be sincere, I dream to gain the perfection in my occupation. I remember times, when it was necessary to overcome many kilometers to buy a camera to make some simple and not very qualitative photos. But for those who are interested in it, it was already the great pleasure.

Still it was difficult to create a masterpiece using old film cameras. But we tried, we hadn’t any other choice. Today I can compare it with a car using. Among the great choice of modern autos, the respect receives that driver who used old cars, then more modern cars with manual gearbox and then the last cars with automatic gearbox. So when you show your old photos made with a help of old cameras, and these works seems to be really cool, your status automatically grows immediately higher. But of course it’s not necessary to try old technique to be the best using the new ones.
Nowadays the technical progress is moving extremely fast. Surely it reflects in photography sphere as well.

Digital technologies make our life easier. You my make rough copies as many as you need. And you shouldn’t think about money that you must spend on your work. Now you may fix every moment of life, every unnoticeable eyewink, every wing beat, every sweep of the oars, everything… if you try, of course, if your proficiency is high enough, you may do unbelievable, exciting and really creative things. But not only level of your competence is needed. The level of your camera today is especially important. So look, the cameras of previous century were quiet O’K for that time and demands. They were all the same, the difference in configurations were not as significant as they are today.

Today the situation has changed. The proposal is fairly big and various. You can buy camera of every level of complexity you need. Digital technologies gives you the wide sphere for experiments, but there are still people, who need just to make photos of their vacation and they do not care of the quality. Such cameras are not too expensive. Then for amateurs there are cameras of middle complicated configuration, it also suits them good and has a middle class praise. The multiplicity of high-qualified cameras really pleases. They are expensive, but they have infinite possibilities… at least as for today.

So it’s really a difficult question how to choose a digital camera according to one’s aims and abilities. Cameras are highly tailored nowadays and it’s hard to decide what to choose in order not to over- or underpay, and not to look as a fool. And simply not to waste your time on teaching very complicated camera, if it’s not the idea of your life, for instance.

So that among this variety of digital wonders today you can choose any that fits you personally. There is a wide proposal field today and I’m sure it would be much wider in future. The best cameras 2011 are not the limit of technology developing. We make a step in a new century with a good experience and I hope it wouldn’t stop on this line.

Getty Images discontinue the approved camera list

2011-03-12T23:08:00.000-08:00

Getty Images have always had a approved camera list that was intended to weed out the enthusiast from the professional photographer. The Getty Images approved camera list for 2011 and onwards seems to be discontinued.

Instead of the approved camera list, Getty Images is now setting image quality requirements, which in my opinion more adequate and logical. Here is the new information that sets the image submission guide for Getty:

We will only accept JPEG images which have been converted from uncompressed 47.5-52 MB TIFF files, (flattened, with no layers, paths or channels) - 24 bit RGB Color, 8 bits per channel (8 bit file).

For 35mm digital capture, we strongly recommend use of a professional-quality digital SLR using RAW or uncompressed TIFF format. Most compact "point-and-shoot" and consumer-level cameras do not produce images of the level of quality our customers demand, and would not be suitable for submission to Getty Images.

In a nutshell: Owning a Canon 1DS III will not automatically get your photos accepted by Getty. I have seen uncountable poor images from wanna-be "pro" owners of all kinds of "professional" photo equipment. So, most modern cameras may be used and photographic technique will have a higher impact than what brand and model of digital camera you are using.

They have also updated their initial quiz to include a wider set of image samples that you must decide on why they would not pass te Getty Images submission quality screening.

Digital Digital camera Buying Guide - How you can Decide on And Purchase A DSLR Or Compact Digital camera [article from Articleranks]

2011-02-12T22:55:00.001-08:00

Digital Digital camera Buying Guide - How you can Decide on And Purchase A DSLR Or Compact Digital camera

TOP 10 Digital Compact Camera Reviews

What issues the most when purchasing a digital camera? Is it the picture top quality, the brand name or the attributes offered by the digital camera? Right here are 10 issues you need to think about when planning to purchase a photo-gear. It's not just the brand name or the fancy attributes supplied by the camera that ought to influence your choice, it ought to be your preference in the purview of the subsequent purchasing manual.
Just how much Would You Want to Spend The main consideration although purchasing a camera is your spending budget. Choose on just how much you might be prepared to pay for the possession of the photo-gear. The digital camera market is flooded with a variety of cameras in all ranges. All the major manufacturers (Nikon, Canon, Sony, Samsung, Olympus) are set to serve the customers along with the potential consumers with scores of attributes at competitive prices. All you should do is to first decide the amount you'd prefer to invest and thereafter look for the photo-gears as per the spending budget. If you're a newbie and need to attempt your hand on photographic excursion, Nikon Coolpix L22 (or perhaps a camera phone) is really a very good alternative.
Major Objective Getting to know why you want to purchase a camera helps in finding the camera that fits your requirements. Answer the basic questions for yourself, like:
Why do you want the camera? Only for photographing loved ones, friends and groups or obtaining down towards the severe things (like shooting landscapes or wildlife or macro subjects).
How frequently you will be using the camera? Every single now and then or will watch for some loved ones events or a get with each other or may well be only once a although.
Will you click the photographs for on-line sharing by yourself or would really like to retain the prints as well. Large prints call to get a high resolution and you may need to make investments in a DSLR to keep up the photograph top quality.
Do you by now personal a camera or this one will probably be the extremely first possession?
Establish your experience degree.
Knowing the previously mentioned will help you draw a clear photograph regarding what precisely are you currently trying to find - a simple position and shoot or a compact camera, an entry degree digital SLR or a professional photo-gear (with flexibility of accessorizing and extending its basic capabilities).
Your Degree Like a Photographer Assessing your photographing skills prior to purchasing a digital camera is like setting the goals prior to reaching the location. This parameter helps in identifying the basic attributes which ought to be offered by the camera. The camera to get a beginner or a newbie ought to be loaded using the automatic settings (requiring minimal user interference for crucial settings). Mainly all of the entry degree cameras and compacts do that for you personally (auto WB settings and flash mode selections, etc). Whereas being a skilled photographer, you'd possibly prefer to personal a camera which provides a large variety of settings to regulate what your camera sees and captures. Go for a DSLR should you prefer to play around with various settings to create outstanding results.
Features, Bells & Whistles There is really a stiff competition in the digital camera market, with every manufacturer striving for offering the very best at the most competitive prices. If you're trying to find an equipment loaded with fancy attributes and bells & whistles, there is nothing like the compacts. They offer attributes like face detection, self-portrait mode, smile detection and so on. DSLRs and prosumers around the other hand focus on providing useful attributes like better picture processing engine, bigger picture sensor, alternative to shoot in RAW, etc which ultimately helps in capturing the fine and accurate details of the scene or the subject.
Lens Zoom Range Pretty much all of the cameras today feature optical zoom starting at a bare minimum of 3x. The camera phones are an exception to it, they feature the digital zoom. Zooming in helps in obtaining up, close and particular using the subject (without physically moving closer) and fill the frame with tightly cropped scene. The better the zooming range of the camera's lens, more is the possibility of capturing the distant and far-off objects.
Think about The Automobile Modes All the cameras provide a certain auto modes for specific scene and subject. The camera automatically takes care of all of the other settings. The compacts and position & shoot cameras are very good at providing the various modes like landscape mode, night mode, auto mode and so on but fails to provide control over the aperture, shutter speed along with the ISO settings. If you're interested in capturing motion & movement and prefer to produce beautiful blurs and bokeh effect, there is no match to a DSLR.
Ease Of Use The next major factor although deciding on which camera to purchase is the ease of using the equipment. The equipment you might be planning to purchase ought to offer you the flexibility of easily sifting through the various modes suitable for specific scenes (or subjects). It ought to also be able to offer simplified access to various settings so regarding quickly tune the camera and get ready for capturing the spontaneous action. Ease of use is also related using the flexibility of accessorizing the equipment with filters, lenses, additional flash units, etc to put forth your creative skills at photographing the scene.
Processing Speed Some digital cameras, especially the compacts and position and shoot types pose a time-barrier in photographing spontaneous actions and activities. This is so because these cameras take a long time to process the picture and save it towards the memory and return back towards the shooting mode. If you're planning to photograph kids, pets or sports action, it can be better to think about a DSLR over other cameras.
Suit Your Style Trying to find something which fits your style and compliments your style and personality? You can pick the equipment on basis of factors like size, shape, color, brand and overall appear and feel. You can pick from multiple color offerings by Nikon Coolpix and Sony Cybershot, sleek and slim designs offered by various compact camera manufacturers, appear out for weatherproof and waterproof photo-gear (should you hate to be as well possessive about your belongings) or plan to purchase a DSLR to justify your passion for photography.
Comparisons And Reviews Shortlist the cameras around the basis of attributes, price, storage capacity, battery types and so on. Compare the various aspects and read the reviews to arrive at the final conclusion. To see more new products 2011, just click HERE!

tags:Digital Compact Camera,Digital Compact Camera Product

Why Canon flipped out with the Canon 600D body

2011-02-07T11:46:00.000-08:00

The King is dead, long live the King! The extremely competent 550 is replaced by the extraordinary Canon 600D T3i. We like it! Here is why:

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Canon clearly understands that to win you have to lead. Just look at the megapixel race which has been kept going by Canon. The good thing is that Canon also manages to keep the image quality on a level that is on par, or better than the competition. Even better, with the 600D they have halted the process and keep the excellent 18 megapixel sensor.

The real gold here though is that Canon are willing to put their neck forward and do risky business with their commitment to the concept of a enthusiast dslr with articulating screen. The Canon 600D carries the concept forward that the 60D made mainstream.

Canon does it right though. Nikon did it wrong with the D5000. Why? The Nikon screen extends from the bottom of the body, just like Sony A55. In plain English: that sucks. The articulation of the screen is in the way if you use a tripod, it is almost impossible to take sideways angled images, because of articulation limitations and because the screen hinge is in the center of the body.

Anyone who has a video camera knows where the articulating screen should be.. on the left side of the body. Why Nikon is fooling itself into thinking the user wants a centered foldout screen is a mystery. All the better for Canon who for once, with the five starts in ergonomy on account of their articulating screen on the 60D and the new 600D T31.

Canon have been feeling the competition lately and they had to come up with something extraordinary. The flipscreen body in this segments is more adventurous than many might understand. But it is the right move, the construction is tried and tested, durable, versatile and believe it or not, we attest to the fact that a flip-screen will make you take better images. Seriously.

We hereby congratulate Canon on the bold move of pushing another digital camera with articulating screen and sincerely hope that the Canon 600D will break new design ground with all the major brands. Get yours today.

Click here to check price and availability of the Canon 600D T3i
. today.

To buy on camera price or quality?

2010-12-26T23:45:00.001-08:00

Buying a good camera is more than just choosing the features you want. Prices for cameras go up and down, and a good one does not have to cost a fortune. Granted, you aren’t going to get a top of the line camera for a hundred dollars, but you don’t have to pay huge sums when you have time to look around for the best camera prices going. Take some time to know what you want, what you need, and what you expect from your camera, and then do a little online searching to see what comes up.

Camera prices are going to be higher with more features of course, but you don’t want to pay for features that you don’t need. If you want zoom, that should be a priority, and you may be able to find a better price if you look for good zoom, but leave off a few features that you don’t think are necessary for your personal camera needs. This can help you shave some money off of your camera prices while giving you what you think is more important for you in a camera.

You can save money on camera prices if you think about getting a model that is a year or two old. Though they won’t be in stores forever, you can usually find models from the year before, and some are even two or three years old. They are still new cameras, but they are not the most updated versions that you can get. Sometimes, the advances are small, meaning you can save money will getting something that works very well, has what you need, but won’t eat a huge hole in your budget. Don’t forget about refurbished cameras in your search. These usually had a bug in the factory, had to be fixed, but could not be sold as new. They are just as good as the others, but they are at a far better price.

You should also make the Internet your best friend when looking for the best camera prices you can find. You can always find models for much less than in the store, and sometimes, you can find them half off or more. It depends on how much searching you want to do. You may find models that are used, but are still in excellent shape. Once you have decided which camera you want, search until you are sure you have found the best camera prices that you can get. You’ll be happy you took the time to see what is out there, and how much you could save.

Panasonic firmware update for the 14-140 stabilized macro lens

2010-12-08T22:21:00.000-08:00

Panasonic has released a firmware update for their excellent Lumix G HD 14-140mm / Mega O.I.S. Micro Four Thirds lens. The Panasonic lens firmware update includes Improved stability of the lens stabilizer and AF in movie recording. While compatible with all micro four third bodies, the Panasonic 14 - 140 stabilized lens shines when you couple it with a Panasonic micro fourthirds body such as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2.

With the 2x crop factor of the micro four thirds systems, the Panasonic 14-140 lens provides a effective focal length of 28 mm to 280 mm. The lens has very good optical qualities and pleasing bokeh (background blur). This is also a good everyday closeup lens since it focuses down to 0.50 m / 1.64 ft at all focal lengths.

Buy Panasonic cameras and lenses securely from Amazon.

New Nikon D7000 slow AF performance issues?

2010-11-06T00:31:00.000-07:00

If you experience that your new Nikon D7000 takes too long to lock focus, this is probably due to custom setting D11. The D11 setting comes into play when you shoot in auto mode and the camera detects that you are not stable enough to aquire a sharp shot. The idea behind the D11 "Eposure Delay Mode" is probably to counter the fact that a lot of people "punch" the trigger instead of pressing it smoothly which may result in a slight shudder.

The D11 is a point-and-shoot setting. Has Nikon gone overboard with the helping hand? No. This is a great setting for a lot of shooters, especially the first time dslr owners, and it should help to provide a higher quantity of keepers. And - you can simply turn it off if it bugs you. If you experience AF aquisition lag, turn it off and potentially gain up to 1 sec in focus lock speed. See page 219 in the Nikon D7000 manual.

The D7000 is a fine camera that suits the beginner as well as the experienced enthusiast. Weather sealing, 16 megapixels, 100% viewfinder, 6 fps, and full support for almost any Nikon lens also makes the Nikon D7000 a lightweight alternative for the demanding pro photographer. Check the Nikon D7000 price and availability. If you have manual focus Ai lenses, Nikon D7000 provides aperature control and metering.

New Nikon dslr lineup predictions

2010-09-30T09:03:00.001-07:00

Nikon is reworking the naming sequence and the new Nikon dslr lineup is more and more looking like a number-of-digits-based standard. Nikon seems to be aiming for the following dslr line:

4 digits DXXXX - entry + enthusiast level dslrs
3 digits DXXX - enthusiast + semi-pro
1 digit DX - pro models

Our Nikon dslr model number prediction? That the 3 digit line will be blessed with another full-frame model and that the current D700 will get a new sensor. The Nikon D500 is a fullframe DSLR built on the new Nikon D7000 body
that inherits the current 12 megapixel D700 sensor. The D700 replacement remains a step above with more features, focus micro-adjustments, etc and inherits the 24.5 megapixel fullframe sensor from the current D3s.

By offering a affordable full frame camera in the form of the D500, Nikon can take a premium on the D700 replacement purely on the merits of the D3 sensor.

2011 should see a Nikon dslr lineup with:

Nikon D3100 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
entry level
Nikon D5000 12.3 MP DX Digital SLR Camera with 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD (Body Only)
with special feature (flip screen)
D7000 - 16.2 megapixel enthusiast
/ semi-pro with weather sealing

D500 - 12 megapixel fullframe enthusiast in D7000 body
D710 - 24.5 megapixel semi-pro / pro in the current D700 body

D5 - (16?) megapixel fullframe pro-spec in D3 body
D3xs ? megapixel fullframe pro-spec in D3 body

Where to preorder the new Nikon D7000 DSLR

2010-09-16T11:12:00.001-07:00

The Nikon D7000 is here! Nikon has really put the pressure on this time with their outstanding new Nikon D7000. You may read in many places that this is the replacement for the D90 but the truth is, the new Nikon D7000 is much closer to the pro market than the consumer category. Nikon D7000 price is also very attractive. In short: with the D7000, Nikon is providing the enthusiast consumer with a top level photographic tool that is making the Canon camp very envious indeed. All you have to do is visit some photographic forums to see the envfy and frustration in the Canon camp :)

Here is a prediction: The Nikon D7000 will become a bestseller and you may want to preorder D7000 if you want it before Christmas. You can preorder Nikon D7000 here.

The Nikon D7000 specifications are pretty astounding considering the price , size and weight:

16.2 CMOS sensor, bright 100% viewfinder, enhanced video capability, focus motor = compatible with all Nikon lenses, metering and aperture control with manual lenses, new 39 point AF, virtual horizon, twin SD card slots, magnesium body components, 6 fps, new metering sensor, 100 - 6400, etc, etc, etc

Best of all, the Nikon D7000 price is under 12000 USD.

Nikon D7000 specs and niche comment

2010-09-07T07:44:00.001-07:00

It is common knowledge by now that Nikon is about to release the D7000. Most people seem to think that the new Nikon D7000 is a replacement for the D90. Looking at the specs it is obvious that there is a lot more under the hood that raises the camera performance bar.

Nikon is in the process of realigning their digital SLR camera lineup and with it, the numbering / logic sequence. Take the current niches of the Nikon D90 and and D300s and join them into a single prosumer group. The new Nikon D7000 satisfies both groups and adds new and better performance.

The Nikon D7000 is not a replacement for the D90. It is the centerpiece of the new niche that replaces both D90 and D300s.

The current Nikon D7000 specification info is:

100% viewfinder

Dual SD memory card slots

Magnesium-alloy body

16.2MP CMOS sensor

Expeed 2

1080 HD video @24p

Save images from video

AF during video

Stereo mic input for video

6 fps

One touch video and/or live view

39 AF points

Wireless flash

Weather proof

New battery system

Expected price: $1199 for body only

Nikon adds AF adjustment to midlevel body?

2010-09-02T23:15:00.001-07:00

Nikon D7000 may come with AF fine tuning. Canon has recently unveiled the 60D which so far has received a mixed welcome. Although it adds a number of features including a horizontal flip-out screen, the 60D is certainly more plastic than the 50D it replaces. The true mystery is why Canon chose to take away the AF microadjusmtn feature already implemented in the 50D.

Did Nikon know about this before-hand? The question merits consideration as rumors start about Nikon adding AF manual micro-adjustment to low and mid level bodies. The upcoming Nikon D7000 may have manual AF lens micro adjustment incoprorated which would put it leaps and bounds before the 60D. If Nikon havealso added a flipscreen is as yet unsure.