Daily news for Digital and Analog Photo Cameras

You're already well aware of what GigaPan's wild camera robot is capable of when its in masterly hands, but have you ever wondered if such a device is practical for folks who don't have excellent seats for events such as Presidential inaugurations or the Arirang Mass Games? We've been toying around with an Epic 100 for the past week and change, and now that we've had a moment to upload a few of our own panoramas, we figured we'd toss our two pennies into the ring. Eager to know if this gigapixel image creator is really worth its avoirdupois in cold, hard cash? Head on past the break to find out.

Casio set new standards in camera performance with the release of the EX-F1 Pro. The bridge camera managed to take 60 photographs in one second making it the fastest commercial camera available. They followed this up with the FH-20 which wasn't as fast but could record at 9Mp which is 3Mp more than the first offering.
Now Casio have expanded the range of super fast cameras with a small, smart compact type that records at 30fps (frames per second) but also gives you HD video, a 5x optical zoom and 9Mp resolution.
It's a busy camera with buttons and switches all over the place which includes the dedicated continuous shooting button on the top plate while on the back is the video record button for all those YouTube nuts out there. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here

Sony Europe introduces two new Cyber-Shot digital cameras in the W-Series. The Cyber-Shot W180 and W190 are entry level cameras with 10.1 resp. 12.1 megapixel resolution and a 3x optical zoom lens, featuring easy to use convenient shooting functions, a Smile Shutter function to automatically capture smiling portraits, SteadyShot and seven Scene Selection modes. The new Cyber-shot W180 and W190 compact digital cameras are available from July in a choice of three colors: silver, black and red... reat the whole article here

The US government has asked a court to stop the release of images of alleged detainee abuse but denies a press report that the photos depict rape and torture.
Yesterday a report in The Daily Telegraph claimed that at least one photo shows an American soldier raping a female prisoner at Abu Ghraib jail in Iraq.
President Obama's government has since asked a federal appeals court to halt the release of the images, according to a report by the Associated Press.
The US administration believes that the images could incite violence in Pakistan, as well as in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, the US government has again insisted that the images have been investigated, though officials are vague about what the photographs actually show.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said: 'I have not seen all of the photographs, but I can tell you, as the Department of Defense can, that what is depicted in the [Daily Telegraph] article, and what is depicted in the photographs, are not the same thing.'
Earlier this month, President Obama outlined the reasons for his decision not to release the images.
Obama accepted that abuse of detainees was 'unacceptable' but said that releasing the images would 'further inflame anti-American opinion and put our troops in greater danger'. via amateurphotographer.co.uk

Nikon's plan to cut 1,000 jobs worldwide will have no direct impact on the firm's imaging division, a company spokeswoman has said.
Earlier this week Nikon Japan announced the cutbacks as part of a plan to restructure its Precision Equipment business, which makes semiconductors.
Asked to clarify the position regarding its imaging division, a UK spokeswoman told Amateur Photographer: 'As the cuts have been made within a separate arm of the business, we are not really in a position to comment as there is no direct impact on imaging at this time.' via amateurphotographer.co.uk

PMA 2009 saw the announcement of this lens for the micro-four-thirds system. The lens is very small and uses a complex design of 16 elements in 12 groups, with 2 aspherical elements. As the four-thirds system mount produces a 2x ''crop factor,'' the lens produces an effective field of view of 14-28mm when mounted on a Panasonic G-1 or GH-1.
The lens features a constant �/4 aperture and a fixed lens hood; the large protruding front element precludes the use of screw-mounted filters. Read the whole review here

Launched back in spring 2007 the EF 16-35mm f/2.8 USM L II is the latest ultra-wide zoom lens made by Canon. Regarding its rather steep pricing of around 1400�/US$ it's primarily targeting the professional market segment. Compared to its predecessor Canon claims to have "improved the peripheral image quality at the wide-angle end". Certainly an interesting aspect regarding the rather mediocre full format performance of its little cousin (EF 17-40mm f/4L) here. Well, we'll see whether this statement survives our test procedure.
The build quality of this lens is basically identical to the EF 17-40mm f/4L - it's exceptionally high just as you would expect it from a Canon L lens. No wobbling whatsoever and smooth controls - almost perfect. The lens is also designed to survive in harsh conditions with a sealing against dust and moisture. The outer length of the lens remains constant although the inner lens tube moves a little according to the zoom setting. Needless to say - the front element does not rotate during focusing or zooming operations. Read the whole review here. You can buy the lens here.

Cosina's CEO Mr. Kobayashi has just unveiled his new 50/1.1 Super Fast Knock Your Socks Off Nokton for the 10th Anniversary of his 1999 Voigtlander Bessa system as well as for the 50th Anniversary of Cosina!

Specs:
Styling similar to the 35/1.2 Nokton
f/1 to f/16 with half stop click stops
7 Elements in 6 Groups
10 aperture blades
Close focus to 1 meter
Filter size 58mm
Black only
M mount
Standard or optional larger LH-7 lens hood
Size 57.2mm length x 69.6mm diameter
Weight 428 grams or 15.1 ounces

via cameraquest.com

Canon Inc. and Canon Marketing Japan Inc. today announced that the Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital SLR camera, equipped with a 21.1-megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor and capable of recording full HD video, has been named "Camera of the Year" in the Camera Grand Prix 2009.
The Camera Grand Prix, the most prestigious award in Japan's photo industry, is sponsored by the Camera Journal Press Club Japan (CJPC), comprising thirteen photography and camera publications (as of May 2009). The Camera Grand Prix selection committee is made up of chief editors of CJPC member publications, academic experts, technical writers, professional photographers, and representatives from photo-related organizations. The coveted Camera of the Year 2009 was awarded to the most impressive camera released in Japan between April 1, 2008, and March 31, 2009. Read the whole article inside

Canon�s EOS 500D � or Rebel T1i as it�s known in North America � is the company�s latest entry-to-mid-level DSLR and the successor to the hugely popular EOS 450D / Rebel XSi. Announced towards the end of March 2009, the 500D / T1i externally resembles its predecessor with exactly the same dimensions and similar weight, but inherits a number of features from the higher-end EOS 50D and EOS 5D Mark II models; it also becomes the company�s second DSLR to feature HD video recording.
The EOS 500D / Rebel T1i features a jump from the 12.2 Megapixels of its predecessor to the same 15.1 Megapixels as the semi-pro EOS 50D. Canon describes the sensor as being almost the same as the 50D's, and indeed it also shares the same 100-12800 ISO sensitivity range and 14-bit processing.
But there are a number of key differences, starting with half the data transfer rate, responsible for the 500D / T1�s slower continuous shooting rate and its 1080p video mode only operating at 20fps (see below). Additionally while the 50D�s sensor employed gapless micro-lenses, the 500D / T1i does not, and the 50D's fluorine anti-dust sensor coating is also not present here. But the 500D / T1i has one major feature missing from its higher-end counterpart. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here.

Hong Kong- Hi-Den Vision introduces the world first HDMI 1080p digital photo viewer (HD-0310). Existing photo viewers only allow photo viewing on small-size screen. Unlike others, HD-0310 is a compact, slim and easy-to-use device that allows customers to view photos, enjoy video clips and music on high-definition TV (HDTV). No need crowding around the computer, just sit back and relax in comfortable living room to share customer favorite photos with friends and family in HDTV. Read the whole article inside.

TOKYO �Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of the DX-format 35mm single-focal-length lens AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G, which offers a picture angle equivalent to a focal length of 52.5mm in FX and 35mm formats.
The AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G features a large maximum aperture of f/1.8 enabling effortless handheld shooting in dark settings, such as a dimly lit room. This lens makes it easy to create large, beautiful blur effects. And the built-in Silent Wave Motor (SWM) ensures fast, quiet autofocus, even with SLR models that do not have a built-in motor, such as the D40 series and D60. Read the whole press release inside.

When Canon introduced the EOS 5D in August 2005 it was one of only two full-frame digital SLRs available (along with Canon's own 1D Mark II). Three years later, though, Nikon and Sony both offer attractive full-frame alternatives that leave the 12.8-megapixel 5D looking a bit antique. Now Canon strikes back with the EOS 5D Mark II, ramping up resolution to 21.1 megapixels, jumping two processor generations ahead of its full-frame forefather and blazing a new trail as the first digital SLR to offer full 1080p video shooting. The 5D Mark II lists for $2699 for the body alone, or $3499 with the 24-105mm f/4L IS USM image-stabilized lens shown here. Overall we were much impressed with the 5D Mark II, which scored exceptionally well in our color and dynamic range testing, and produced excellent video quality (though without the level of control you'd expect from a dedicated camcorder). Less experienced photographers will be put off by the depth of controls and lack of training wheels (and we admit to wishing a pop-up flash was built in), but sophisticated users will prize the level of customizability and control offered by the 5D Mark II. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here.

The Canon EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM was introduced in the lead-up to Photokina 2008, as an update to its pre-existing 24mm f/1.4. Introduced in December 1997, the previous version of the 24mm f/1.4 was probably getting a little bit long in the tooth, despite having all the fixtures and trimmings of an L-class USM lens.
The upgrade to the lens is fairly substantial; it features 8 diaphragm blades in the aperture instead of 7, and the blades are now rounded. The lens elements have been regrouped, and an additional group is now present. Two ultra-low dispersion (UD) glass elements are used instead of just one. Finally, the new version of this lens is slightly heavier (100 grams) and a bit longer and wider. Read the very good review here. You can buy this lens here

The 12.1 megapixel DMC-FS15 features a 29mm wide-angle Leica DC VARIO-ELMAR lens with a 5x optical zoom. Panasonic has enhanced the Intelligent Auto Mode (iA) on the DMC-FS15 from the previous FS models to now include AF tracking and Intelligent Exposure functions in addition to Mega O.I.S., Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Face Detection. AF Tracking enables the user to �lock� the focus onto a moving subject. The camera then automatically tracks the subject as it moves, keeping it in focus without the need to hold the shutter button halfway down. Additionally, Intelligent Exposure helps capture natural-looking images by suppressing blocked shadows and blown highlights. It continually monitors the light source in the shooting environment and automatically activates the backlight compensation function if it detects the light source is behind the subject. Read the whole article inside