July 24, 2005

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H1 Review

'I really liked using the DSC-H1 and enjoyed the resulting images. The optical image stabilization did a nice job eliminating the blur from slower shutter speeds and extremely zoomed telephoto images, where any bit of handshake rears its ugly head in your prints. Having the ability to zoom such a long focal length is a real plus.' - Designtechnica

July 23, 2005

How to Make a Paper Camera?

Back in the days of Communism, people made paper pinhole cameras to pass the time. Neat stuff. Forget digital, this is the analogest of the anolog.

The design was significantly improved by sticking on a thin piece of metal with a hole, rather than making the hole in the paper, as described in the instructions. I didn't follow this suggestion, however, since I wanted to experience the real magic of Dirkon photography.

May 12, 2005

iPod Camera Connector and Kodak EasyShare Review

Mossberg has reviewed the $29 iPod camera connector and the $150 Kodak EasyShare Picture viewer. He's positive on the products, but for different reasons as they both have various pros and cons. However either one let's you ditch the heavy laptop on trips, which is all good in my book.

There's no doubt that using the iPod Photo with a Camera Connector offers greater versatility for storing and viewing photos than the Kodak EasyShare Picture Viewer. But if you can't afford an iPod Photo and you'd like a way to bring your digital memories with you on the go, the Picture Viewer is a less expensive, lightweight option.

February 23, 2005

Canon PowerShot SD300 Review

Anandtech reviews the 4 megapixel Canon PowerShot SD300. Attributes include a fast startup time, good resolution, great 30fps 640x480 movie mode, and tiny form factor. On the minus side, there is slight purple fringing, corner blurring, and a yellowish cast on some pictures. Let's up the SD400 will be even better.

February 19, 2005

Sony Cybershot DSC-W5 and DSC-W7 Announced


Sony announced the Sony Cybershot DSC-W5 (5 megapixel) and DSC-W7 (7 megapixel) today. Both cameras have 3x optical zoom and 32 megabytes of internal memory. Memory stick / Memory stick PRO is the storage media of choice.

I love the movie feature of Sony cameras that allow 640x480 video recording at 30 frames per second. Unfortunately I like Canon image quality a bit better. Moreover being forced to use the proprietary Memory stick medium is another detraction. However in terms of feature set, overall performance, and form-factor, these Cybershots are still at the top of the list next to Canon's G series.

February 17, 2005

Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT Preview



Dpreview has an exclusive preview of the Canon EOS 350D. The camera improvements include:

-8 megapixel CMOS sensor
-smaller body, 17% lighter weight
-0.2 second power-on time
-USB 2.0 connection
-Weight is 1.2 lb with battery and CF

List price is only $899. I salivate after this camera, even though I'm quite happy with my G4. There is just something about Canon image quality which is stunning. I just wish they had better movie modes of VGA at 30fps like Sony does.

February 15, 2005

Casio EXILIM EX-Z57 Specs


Casio launched the EXILIM EX-Z57. Features include:

-5 megapixel CCD with 3x optical zoom lens
-no view finder
-2.7 inch TFT color display
-320x240 video recording
-Super Life battery for 400 shots on single charge
-1.6 second power up speed
-voice recording
-4.6 ounces
-3.5x2.3x0.9 inches
-SD card slot

The camera will be available in the UK in April 2005. No word on the US release.

Casio EXILIM EX-Z750 Specs


Casio launched the EXILIM EX-Z750. Features include:

-7.2 megapixel CCD with 3x optical zoom lens
-2.5 inch TFT color display
-30 fps MP4 video recording at VGA
-Super Life battery for 325 shots on single charge
-0.9 second power up speed
-USB 2.0 for image transfer
-4.5 ounces
-3.5x2.3x0.9 inches
-SD card slot

The camera will be available in the UK in April 2005. No word on the US release.

January 21, 2005

Canon Announces Powershot A510



Canon announced the Powershot A510, which will replace the A75. The camera will be 3.2 megapixels with 4X optical zoom, weigh 6.3 ounces, use SD/MMC memory cards, 2 AA batteries, have 1.8 inch LCD, and have dimensions of 3.6 inches x 2.5 x 1.5. The A510 will be 13% smaller and 20% lighter vs. the A75.

Canon has always been my favorite brand of digital cameras with a great combination of image quality, user interface, features, and performance. The A-line has always been the top value in the budget line and I'm sure the A510 will continue its great heritage. I still love the Canon G4 I have, although it's getting pretty obselete these days. [Discuss]

January 06, 2005

Sony Pushing the Cyber-shot DSC-M1 Camera


With a full page ad in today's Wall Street Journal, Sony is really doing the full court press for their new 5.1 megapixel hybrid digital picture and video camera. It has a unique feature of recording a few seconds of video right before and right after each picture shot for a better memorable experience. Specs include:

-Imaging Device: 1/2.4" 5.1 Megapixel Effective Super HAD™ CCD
-Recording Media: Memory Stick Duo™ Media, Memory Stick PRO Duo™ Media
-Zoom: 3X Optical, 2X Digital, 6X Total Zoom
-Color LCD: 2.5" 123K TFT Pixels Hybrid LCD Screen
-Audio/Video Output: Yes, by Supplied Multi-connector Cable
-Hybrid Record Mode: Continuously accumulates 320x240 15fps video with sound, and records 5 seconds before still image capture and 3 seconds after
-MPEG Movie Mode1: MPEGMOVIE 4TV (MPEG4) with Stereo Audio (640 x 480, 30 fps/2.88 Mbps Bit Rate)

With up to an hour of 30 fps of full motion video at VGA resolution, this may be a nice stop gap solution for people who don't want to buy a big bulkly camcorder. The camera goes for around $600 and is available now.

December 27, 2004

Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z55 Review


PC Magazine reviews the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z55 with a 3.5 out of 5 rating. They like the sharp, well exposed images, good battery life, and form factor. However the LCD frame doesn't show the whole image and flash photography is lacking. The specs are:

-5 megapixels
-9.3 megabytes of internal memory
-SD Card memory slot
-2.5 inch color LCD
-Lithium Ion battery
-2560x1920 maximum resolution

December 15, 2004

Casio Announces 6 Megapixel QV-R62


Casio announced their latest digital camera, the 6 megapixel QV-R62. The camera is set for release in January 2005. The features include:

-6 megapixel, 3x optical zoom
-Direct On and 0.01 second shutter release technology for action shots
-2" TFT color screen
-88.3 mm x 60.4 mm x 33.4 mm dimensions
-SD/MMC slot
-9.7 megabytes of internal memory
-Runs on regular AA batteries