Nikon Coolpix L3 Review
Bytesector has recently reviewed what is one of the only 5 megapixel digital cameras released so far this year, the Nikon Coolpix L3.
The L3 is a standard looking camera, but I found that it was well proportioned. With the shrinking size of cameras, it is difficult to find one that is comfortable for me, but I thought the curve of the grip and the front layout of the camera provided many stable ways to hold the camera. Usually, I have some difficulty in getting a steady grip and not covering something on the front of the camera with my large hands, but with the L3, this was not a concern. And by no means is it too bulky either, as I was told by someone with petite hands that the L3 was very comfortable.
They really liked the camera in that it helped the user take better pictures through well thought out features and the placement of those features. Their conclusion was that at its competitive price, the L3 would make a great point and shoot camera for anyone to have.
Fujifilm Announces A-series Waterproof Housing
Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. has released a new product that is going to help out those with either the FinePix A400 or A500 digital camera, by protecting them from the elements.
The Fujifilm WP-FXA500 “Aquamask” waterproof housing is a transparent shell designed to fit the FinePix A400 and A500 digital cameras with will protect the camera from sand, dust, dirt, and immersion in water up to ten feet.
“Whether swimming at the pool or beach, boating or hiking with the kids, the colorful Aquamask is an all-terrain imaging tool. It’s a great investment to keep your digital camera safe and ensure you don’t miss capturing any of those fun summer activities,” said James Avato, Marketing Manager, Electronic Imaging Division, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A., Inc.
Available later this month, the WP-FXA500 shell will set you back $79.99 USD.
Fuji Cuts FinePix S5200 Pricing
If you are looking for a bigger camera that fills your hand and provides you some decent performance, Fuji Photo Film U.S.A. Inc. yesterday lowered pricing on its FinePix S5200 digital camera.
Its earlier price point for the S5200 was set at around $349 USD, and yesterday was adjusted to around $299 USD, or 15% off. Not too bad for something with a 5 megapixel sensor and a 10x optical zoom.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 Review
Digital Camera Resource Page recently reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1, which is a reasonably compact digital camera with a super nice optical zoom, being able to go as high as 10x just using the “folded” optical lens system.
Camera performance was excellent. The TZ1 starts up in a second, focuses very quickly (especially if you’re using the high speed AF modes), and there’s no shutter lag to speak of. Low light focusing was very good, thanks to the camera’s AF-assist lamp. If you’ve got a high speed SD card then you’ll be able to take full advantage of the TZ1’s great continuous shooting mode, which lets you shoot indefinitely at 2 frames/second. The one downer in the performance department is battery life: the expensive CGA-S007 battery lasts for 250 shots, which is below average these days.
Despite its minor flaws, the reviewer really liked the Lumix TZ1, and I can see why. Other than its battery life, and some minor let downs, the machine is a powerhouse. Its optical zoom, 6 megapixel sensor among other things put it on a short list for someone that wants a compact high zoom camera.
Death of the Battery Vampire
A story on ScienCentralNews says researchers at MIT are working on a new type of battery which is more like a capacitor than the chemical reaction batteries we use today. A capacitor has a far lower capacity for its size than a regular battery, but using tiny nanotube filaments to increase the surface area within the capacitor will increase its storage. These new batteries could in theory, atleast, charge in a matter of seconds rather than minutes or hours, and they would not need replacing like current rechargeable battery technology as they would not degrade as current batteries do.
Nikon Coolpix S6 Review
Digital Camera Resource Page have up a review of the Nikon Coolpix S6. In other reviews, people have said to go with its little brother the S5 as it is cheaper, but works just as well, others have said to not go for the S5, the S6 is where it is at with its larger LCD and WiFi, so now let’s see what DCRP says about the Coolpix S6.
The Coolpix S6 won’t win any awards for its photo quality. While photos were well-exposed, I found colors to be oversaturated at times and just plain wrong at others (see the greenish cast in some of the sample images). Vignetting (dark corners) and blurry edges were also a problem. Despite having a fancy two-stage redeye reduction, this annoyance still popped up in our flash test. I was also disappointed with the results of our night test shot, which was soft and noisy.
Overall I was a bit disappointed with the Coolpix S6. Sure, it looks cool, and some of the features are really handy. But the bottom line is that photo quality is not as good as other ultra-compacts, and it has more flaws to boot. I’d probably skip the S6 and look at one of the cameras listed below instead.
Well, they don’t say anything about the S5, but they do say to avoid the S6 and go for one of the cameras they list as comparable. So check out their full review before you jump and get this camera, as you might not be as impressed with it as you had hoped.
Leica M Lenses Coding
Here is an interesting story, it seems Leica has announced a new lens system called M which will carry a new 6-bit code of black and white dots. These dots will allow the upcoming digital M series camera to identify which lens is being used and also store this information in the metadata of the captured image. This will allow you to know more about how the images were shot, as well as letting budding photographers understand better what lenses really worked well for them in past shots.
One other little thing for thos other there thinking this is a great idea, but they already bought a M series lens. You can get them coded so the digital M camera will recognize them. I don’t really understand why someone would want to upgrade their current non-coded M series lenses, but Lecia offers that service for 95 EUROs each.
LCD or Viewfinder? How Do You See the World?
A very well written, great article is up on The New York Times that talks about the shifting trend to move away from optical viewfinders and digital viewfinders towards just using the LCD screen on the back of the digital camera.
Millions of people no longer see eye-to-eyepiece with their cameras. It has been such a subtle shift that digital photographers, without realizing it, are developing a new relationship with their cameras. They are no longer looking through the camera but holding it at arms’ length.
Pressing a camera to your face and peering into its optical viewfinder — an intimate human-machine moment — is becoming quaint, if not antiquated, for a generation of photographers who prefer to study their cameras’ liquid-crystal display screens at a distance.
I find that personally, I am about 50/50 when it comes to using the viewfinder or LCD, depending on the shot I am going to take. Most people with digital cameras review the images taken on the LCD, so why not take the next shot on the same screen. Most people find it easier, and some cameras have done away with viewfinders at all, preferring to give large LCD’s for people to use to frame their shots.
I find that LCD’s are not very good for bright outdoor shots, and so I use the digital viewfinder in my camera in those situations. I also find it a great alternative to use it more often when I know battery life is going to be a concern for me as the LCD uses much more battery life than the viewfinder.
The LCD can be much more convenient though, especially on my digital camera, as it can move in a wide range of motion, allowing me to frame group shots with my friends while being in the shot, or taking perspective shots from angles that would be difficult for me to position myself to look through the viewfinder.
The fact is, Mr. Porter said, optical viewfinders take up more space in a digital camera’s body than you may suspect. Far from being a glass or plastic window, viewfinders in many point-and-shoot cameras usually require variable lens systems so they can replicate whatever zoom abilities the camera has.
Eliminating the optical viewfinder, camera makers say, reduces a camera’s size, something that consumers, in focus groups, say that they want.
We have entered the age of LCD’s for most consumers, leaving viewfinders only to those that won’t give them up, or realize their use, like many professionals and certain hobbyists.
Google Picasa Online?
Recently, someone spotted a link on Picasa.com that read “New! Picasa Web Albums”. Most people have basically speculated that Google is going to launch an online photo hosting/sharing service. This could possibly be set up as a Flickr competitor, or just an empty rumor, but Google recently registered picasawebalbums.com on May 17th. I think that is a horrible domain name, but Google is known for covering all bases when they are even a year or two away from a product launch.
HP Recalls 679,000 Cams or Update your Firmware
Hewlett-Packard is recalling around 679,000 Photosmart R707 digital cameras, but you don’t really need to send your camera in if you feel comfortable updating the firmware on the camera yourself. The problem is that the batteries are overheating and could potentially start a fire, but the problem only occurs if you plug in your camera when it does not contain rechargeable batteries.
So if you only use rechargeables, you should be fine, but if you put in one use batteries, grab the update first or send in your camera to have it done or you risk lighting yourself on fire.
Check out HP’s website for the firmware update, or call 1 (866) 304-7117 to see about sending your camera in.
Source: Yahoo News
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