Daily news for Digital and Analog Photo Cameras

The Sony HVL-F58AM flash unit has a rather unusual tilt / swivel mechanism called the "Quick Shift Bounce" system, which could prove rather more versatile in use than competing products. Instead of the traditional rotation around the flash's vertical axis (as adopted in, for example, Canon's current top-of-the-line Speedlite 580EX II), Sony has instead chosen a mechanism that can swing the bulk of the flash's body 90 degrees to either side. Above this is a separate mechanism which allows the head of the flash to tilt vertically upwards, but with a rather greater range of motion than is ordinarily the case. Since the lower swivel doesn't allow the flash to face behind the photographer's head, the upper mechanism makes up for this by being able to tilt anywhere from 10 degrees downward, through the fully vertical (90 degrees upward) position to a limit of 150 degrees (ie. pointing back over the photographer's head at an angle 30 degrees above the horizontal). Read the whole article here

Review based on a production Pentax K20D using V1.01 firmware

Having risked being left behind by the speed at which the 'affordable' DSLR market developed, Pentax showed how serious its intentions were with the K10D, a semi-pro-level DSLR with a features list to humble the competition at a very attractive price. Having added so many bells and whistles to the K10D, it's not much of a surprise to find that its successor, the K20D, is essentially a refinement of the same design. But, even though it can't quite boast the same novel-feature-count as its predecessor, the K20D still finds room for some interesting changes. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here

Announced in January, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8 is an 8-megapixel, entry-level point-and-shoot with a budget-friendly $180 price tag. Besides its low price, the LZ8�s key features include a 5x optical zoom lens, a well rounded selection of Scene modes, and Panasonic�s Intelligent Auto mode. While the camera may be made for beginners, however, the LZ8 gives new photographers the opportunity to grow with program and manual modes to give users more creative control over their photos. Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and a full Manual mode are found here, and that can�t be said for many entry-level point-and-shoots. But does the Lumix DMC-LZ8 deliver in terms of image quality? Read on to find out. You can read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here

You can purchase a Hasselblad H3DII-31 Kit at a special price of $17,995 when you register for the free online publication of Victor by Hasselblad. The Hasselblad H3DII-31 is a Medium Format DSLR camera system including a 31 megapixel sensor, and the kit is comprised of the H3DII-31 camera body, viewfinder, and 80mm lens. The offer runs from June 1st - August 31st 2008, while stocks last. Read the whole article here

The SP AF 70-200mm F2.8 Di LD (IF) Macro is Tamron's latest lens, announced at the end of February 2008. A fast telephoto zoom for the more budget-conscious photographer, the design features 19 elements on 16 groups, including three Low Dispersion (LD) glass elements for minimizing chromatic aberration. Tamron say the lens is 'packed with features that allow stress-free photography', and accordingly these are indicated by the plethora of initials packed into that painfully protracted lens name. 'SP' designates this to be a member of Tamron's top-line 'Special Performance' range, 'Di' indicates that it is 'Digitally Integrated' (i.e. optimized for DSLR use, but still covering the full-frame 35mm format), and IF reveals that it incorporates an internal focusing mechanism. Finally the 'Macro' description provides a clue to one of this lens's more interesting characteristics, a minimum focusing distance of 0.95m, which leads to a class-leading reproduction ratio of 0.32x; slightly ahead of the Sigma equivalent's 1m/0.28x, and significantly better than the ~1.5m more typical of this class. Read the whole article here.

Front-illuminated sensor

Backside-illuminated sensor

Sony announced a back-illuminated CMOS sensor promising nearly double the sensitivity of its current CMOS chips along with lower noise in images. Traditionally, front-illumination technology has been used for imaging sensors. According to Sony, though, back-illuminated sensors will deliver improved performance in both digital cameras and camcorders
The back-illuminated (or backside-illuminated) technology concept isn't new, but using it to provide acceptable levels of sensitivity and noise would be. Past incarnations have led to increased noise and image degradation, but Sony claims its new model has made changes to eliminate these issues. Read the whole article here

The HP DreamColor LP2480zx Professional Display is based around a 24" in-plane switching anti-glare / anti-static LCD panel with a native resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels and an RGB LED backlight. With a 30-bit design throughout the video processing pipeline, the HP LP2480zx can output over one billion different colors, including the entire Adobe RGB and sRGB color spaces. The native gamut of the display is ~133% NTSC, and it ships with six preset color spaces plus one user-programmable space. A typical contrast ratio of 1000:1 is offered, with an impressive black luminance of 0.05cd/m² at minimum white level. The DreamColor LP2480zx has a 12 millisecond full-cycle (black to white to black) response time, and a viewing angle of 178 degrees at 10:1 contrast ratio or better. Read the whole article here

Introduced to replace the EF 200mm F1.8L USM which was announced in 1988, the new Canon EF 200mm F2L IS USM has a smaller aperture but is embedded with Image Stabilization (IS) which is able to give up to 4 stops of image stabilization. In this test, sharp image was achieved at the setting of 1/8s, an extra stop as compared to the 4 stop Canon announced. Common rule for minimum shutter speed is 1/focal length, 1/200s in our Canon EOS 5D test. Read the whole test & see test photos here.

Carl Zeiss released the 28mm f/2 Distagon without fanfare in the latter part of 2007, The lens is available in the Nikon F-mount, the Pentax/Samsung K-mount and the M42 screw mount.
The 28mm f/2 is a full-frame lens, built to ''old-school'' specifications that guarantee compatibility with older camera bodies. On a sub-frame digital sensor body, the lens will have an effective field of view of about 42mm. The lens takes 58mm filters, and comes with a bowl-style metal lens hood.
At the time of writing (June 2008) North American distribution of Zeiss lenses hasn't been settled, so you are faced with buying the lens direct from Zeiss - for 799 euros, or over $1,200 USD. Read the whole review here.

The Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm 1:2.8 was announced in March 2008, alongside the Olympus E-420 DSLR. It�s a standard Four Thirds lens which means it will work on any Four Thirds body, including those from Olympus, Panasonic and Leica, although it�s physically best-matched to the smaller models like the Olympus E-4xx and E-5xx series.
Affectionately known as a pancake lens, the Zuiko Digital 25mm is very thin: indeed it�s just 23.5mm thick and weighs only 95g. When fitted to a smaller DSLR like the Olympus E-420, the result is a highly portable kit that�ll squeeze into larger pockets and has a total operating weight including battery of 521g.
With the Four Thirds field-reduction of 2x, the Zuiko Digital 25mm offers an equivalent coverage of 50mm. In full-frame and 35mm film terms, this makes it a �standard� lens for general purpose use. In the past, 50mm lenses were the standard used by all 35mm film SLRs and while most modern photographers have become used to zoom lenses, it�s surprising how flexible a 50mm can be in practice. It�s just about wide enough to grab a decent landscape or interior shot, while long enough to attempt respectable portraits. Read the whole article here. You can buy the lens here

Pentax has launched a consumer-level standard zoom lens for its range of digital SLRs: the slightly unwieldily named smc PENTAX-DA 17-70mmF4AL[IF] SDM. The lens offers the useful equivalent zoom range of 26-107mm combined with a maximum aperture of F4.0 and Pentax' SDM system which uses a supersonic motor for focusing. The latter is only compatible with Pentax' latest DSLR offerings - the K20D, K200D, K100D Super and K10D. On all other bodies focus mode will default to manual focus. Read the whole article here

The new SP-570 UZ is the latest in a long line of super-zoom cameras from Olympus. In the distant digital past, Olympus was one of the first manufacturers to market a superzoom camera, and their C-2100UZ model, fondly referred to as the 'UZI' by its owners, quickly achieved something of a cult status. This camera was followed by an entire range of UZ models, but none of them had the image stabilisation feature that contributed so much to the success of the C-2100UZ. In consequence, Olympus lost much of its share of the superzoom segment to the likes of Canon and Panasonic. This all changed last year with the introduction of the SP-550UZ, which offered sensor-shift IS and leapfrogged the competition with a record-breaking 18x zoom lens. That camera was quickly followed by the slightly higher-resolution SP-560UZ, and now we have the 10-megapixel Olympus SP-570UZ, which boasts an entirely new 20x zoom lens, the biggest zoom lens on any compact digital camera. To counteract the inevitable effects of camera-shake, Olympus have wisely included a Dual Image Stabilisation system, plus there's an extensive ISO range of 64-6400. Other standout features include a 10 megapixel sensor, 2.7 inch LCD screen, macro mode of 1cm and full range of creative exposure modes (P/A/S/M). Zoltan Arva-Toth found out if the Olympus SP-570 UZ can live up to its proud heritage. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here

The Canon Digital Rebel XSi is an update to last year's XTi that ups the resolution to 12.2 megapixels and adds a handful of other new features, including a bigger 3-inch screen, an improved autofocus system, and optical image stabilization in the kit lens. It's also the first Digital Rebel to feature the now commonplace Live View mode, which provides a point-and-shoot-esque live view of the subject on the LCD screen before shooting. But none of these updates are earth-shattering, and the XSi proves to be an evolution rather than a revolution. And it faces stiff competition from a bevy of new SLRs such as the Nikon D60 and the Olympus E-420. However, it is still a strong competitior, and the updates Canon has made under the hood seem to be paying off: image quality is improved over the XTi, with great color and plenty of detail. The XSi costs $780 for the body only and $830 with the 35-70mm kit lens. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here

Review based on a production Alpha DSLR-A350 with firmware version 1.0

Sony's first two DSLRs, the A100 and A700 showed clear signs of their Konica Minolta lineage - sharing a lot of DNA with the Maxxum (Dynax) 5D and 7D respectively. Its latest, the A350, still shows signs of that ancestry but also hints at the influences of a company with rather different intentions.
The recently introduced A200, A300 and A350 represent an aggressive assault on the entry level market. All three models are extremely close in terms of price and features (The A300 is a A200 with Live view or an A350 with a less pixel-dense sensor, depending on how you look at it). And, with the A300, Sony has introduced the first single-retailer "exclusive" DSLR: a product only sold through a single outlet, allowing that retailer to maintain a stronger level of influence over selling price.
These baby Alphas, the 200, 300 and 350, are more similar than any group of cameras in any other manufacturer's lineup, complicating the market but also offering a greater degree of choice than ever. Some existing Sony and Konica Minolta owners have been upset by the perceived reduction in features from the A100 but the new Alphas should perhaps be considered the first real Sony products, reflecting a different interpretation of how people choose entry level cameras, rather than the A100's continuation of the assumptions that underpinned the KM 5D. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here

If you've ever seen the Nikon D40 (introduced in November 2006) or the Nikon D40x (March 2007), a glance at the D60 may remind you of a Talking Heads song � the size, shape, and overall design are same as it ever was, same as it ever was. Under the hood, though, there are significant improvements, including a a more powerful processor, a kit lens incorporating image-stabilizing VR technology, enhanced in-camera editing, and a two-stage dust reduction system. That said, the new camera inherits some shortcomings from its predecessors, including incompatibility with many existing Nikon lenses and a very small size and shape that's great for portability but clumsy for a manly man's grip (presumably brand spokesperson Ashton Kutcher has delicate hands). The D60 replaces the D40x in Nikon's product lineup, while the D40, a 6.1-megapixel model at $500, remains as the company's lowest-priced digital SLR. The D60 is sold only as a package with the camera body and a 3x zoom AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens, at $750 complete; unlike most SLRs, you can't buy the body on its own. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here

Carl Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar T* 2/100

Carl Zeiss produces two macro lenses in its ZF series: the 50mm and the 100mm. The 100mm f/2 model is available in the Nikon F-mount, the Pentax/Samsung K-mount and the M42 screw mount.
The 100mm f/2 is a full-frame lens, built to ''old-school'' specifications that guarantee compatibility with older camera bodies. On a sub-frame digital sensor body, the lens will have an effective field of view of 150mm. The lens takes 67mm filters, and comes with a bowl-style metal lens hood. Read the whole review here.

The 10.1-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX520 is Panasonic's first digital camera with a 3-inch touch-screen LCD and a very compact camera for its advanced range of functions. While the touch screen may excite some buyers, photographers are more likely to be attracted by the P, A, S and M shooting modes and the wide-angle Leica DC lens, which supports 5x optical zoom and covers a focal length range of 25mm to 125mm (35mm equivalent).
Solidly built with a smart, brushed metal case that comes in black or gunmetal grey, the FX520 has a retracting lens. A stainless steel finger bar is located on the front panel, with a dimpled thumb pad on the rear. The slim built-in flash tube is slightly off-centre and not directly over the lens to reduce the risk of red eyes in flash shots. The battery and memory card compartment is in the base of the camera, while a metal-lined tripod socket is located at the opposite end of the base plate (not the ideal position). Read the whole review here

Fujifilm unveiled another FinePix model today: the Z200fd. Its 19.8mm-thick body is sleek, compact, and stylish, yet packed with 10 megapixels and a 5x Fujinon optical zoom lens. In addition, the Z200fd features face detection of up to 10 faces, intelligent red-eye removal, IrSimple wireless technology, and Dual Image Stabilization to reduce blur in images. Pricing for the camera will be released closer to the point-and-shoot's shipping date in August.
Fujifilm adds two self-timer modes to the Z200fd: Couple Timer and Group Timer. Both work with the camera's face detection technology, preventing the camera from snapping a photo until all faces are entirely within the frame. Read the whole article here

New Pentax Optio W60 for deeper, wider and colder shots

Pentax unveils the lightweight and waterproof Optio W60 compact digital camera., featuring 10 Mp and a 5x zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle capability. The new Optio W60 accompanies you to new depths, allowing underwater photography up to 30% deeper than previous Pentax models. The camera is also Class 5 dustproof against dirt, sand and dust and operates in temperatures as cold as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius). The W60 will be available in July for US $329.95 in a choice of two colors: Ocean Blue and Silver... You can read the whole article here

Review based on a production Canon EOS 450D

Four and a half years have passed since the first affordable digital SLR from Canon; the EOS 300D (Digital Rebel). In that time we have witnessed two further iterations (the EOS 350D and EOS 400D) leading up to today's fourth generation EOS 450D, with twice the megapixel count of the original (twelve versus six) in a smaller body with a far wider range of functionality and features and a $200 lower list price. Since those heady days in 2004 when the EOS 300D was the only kid on the block we've seen Nikon, Pentax and Olympus all attempt to hit the same sweet spot of size, features and price at the 'lower end' of the DSLR market, with varying degrees of success. Without a doubt the EOS 450D will have to do more today to prove itself in an increasingly crowded market. Read the whole review here. You can buy the camera here