Photo life blog..
Our in-depth review of the Nikon D3. Nikon’s first full frame D-SLR features a 12.1MP CMOS sensor, high speed continuous shooting (up to 11 fps in DX crop mode), the same 3-inch high resolution LCD (with live view) as the D300, a headline-grabbing ISO 100-25,600 expanded sensitivity range, beefed-up 51-point autofocus and a raft of upgrades andenhancements. Find out how it did in our extended testing after the link…
By: www.dpreview.com
Production of Canon’s EF lenses has just passed the 40 million mark. EF lenses for Canon EOS-series AF (autofocus) single-lens reflex cameras were first made in 1987 at the company’s Utsunomiya Plant. Canon’s proprietary EF lens, born in March 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system, marked a new direction in the future of AF systems. Canon’s current EF lens lineup comprises more than 60 models, with two new high-performance L-series telephoto lenses being added this Spring.
Canon Japan Press Release
Canon celebrates production of 40 million EF lenses
TOKYO, April 23, 2008—Canon Inc. today announced the achievement of a new lens-production milestone as production of the company’s EF lenses passed the 40-million mark.
Production of interchangeable EF lenses for Canon EOS-series AF (autofocus) single-lens reflex cameras began in 1987 at the company’s Utsunomiya Plant. Canon commemorated the production of its 10 millionth EF lens in August 1995, its 20 millionth in February 2001, its 30 millionth in January 2006 and, a mere two years and three months later, has now surpassed the 40-million-unit mark. This achievement reflects users’ high level of satisfaction with the innovative technology and quality offered by EF lenses, as well as with Canon’s marketing operations and service.
Canon’s proprietary EF lens, born in March 1987 along with the EOS SLR camera system, marked a new direction in the future of AF systems and soon garnered attention for its use of a large-diameter fully electronic lens mount and an internal autofocus motor. In November of the same year, Canon introduced the industry’s first*1 Ultrasonic Motor-powered lens: the EF300mm f/2.8L USM. In September 1989, the EF50mm f/1.0L USM, featuring the world’s largest aperture*1 of f/1.0, was launched, and in September 1995 the EF75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, equipped with the world’s first*1 Image Stabilizer to compensate for the effects of camera shake, made its debut. Further, in December 2001, Canon introduced the world’s first super telephoto lens to employ a diffractive optical element for camera lenses*1: the EF400mm f/4 DO IS USM. Canon’s EF lens lineup, through the incorporation of innovative technologies, has consistently led the industry.
In conjunction with the launch in September 2003 of the highly acclaimed EOS Digital Rebel/EOS 300D SLR camera, Canon expanded its EF lens lineup with the introduction of the EF-S series of lenses, optimized for use with digital SLR cameras that incorporate APS-C size image sensors.
Canon’s current EF lens lineup comprises more than 60*2 models, the most extensive selection*3 in the industry. The company’s diverse range of EF lenses include standard and super-telephoto zoom lenses, Image Stabilizer-equipped lenses, large-aperture lenses, macro lenses, and TS-E lenses, which include a special tilt-shift mechanism that permits the manipulation of image perspective and distortion. The comprehensive product lineup effectively caters to the wide-ranging needs of a broad user base, from novice photo enthusiasts to advanced amateur and professional photographers.
This spring, Canon will be adding two new high-performance L-series telephoto lenses to its lineup: the large-aperture EF200mm f/2L IS USM, and the super-telephoto model EF800 f/5.6L IS USM, the world’s longest focal length lens*3 to feature an Image Stabilizer system.
Looking to the future of the total EOS system, including EF lenses, Canon will continue to promote technical innovation, from optical design to electronics and production engineering, with the aim of contributing to the creation of a new photo culture through attractive products to satisfy the needs of all users.
*1 Among interchangeable lenses for SLR cameras.
*2 Including EF-S lenses and EF lens extenders.
*3 As of April 16, 2008.
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One of many monkeys that were hanging around my bungalow on Tonsai Beach, Krabi, Thailand. Taken by Darrell Gallant
Source: planetearthdailyphoto.blogspot.com
Click photo for more images of the Special Edition Nikon Coolpix S52.
To celebrate Earth Day, Ritz Camera has announced that it will sell a special edition of Nikon’s 9-megapixel Coolpix S52 ultracompact camera. The “Eco-Green” S52 has an attractive green finish, and each time one is purchased, Ritz will buy a 1.91-ton carbon offset from Carbonfund.org. Carbon offsets are activities, such as reforestation, that reduce carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated amount, in order to counterbalance the carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere through fossil fuel use. Carbonfund.org estimates that 1.91 tons are equal to the average American’s monthly carbon “footprint,” the amount of carbon dioxide generated through energy consumption.
Souce: feeds.feedburner.com
Derrick Story's book The Digital Photography Companion is sized conveniently enough, like a slightly oversized mass market paperback. And the intent is obvious. Story wants to create a manual that is easy to take along with you pretty much wherever you go (hint: vacations). He follows it up by writing in a conversational style and includes lots of bright color pictures that further increase the reader's engagement.
Story covers both digital SLRs and compact cameras and in an excellent opening chapter, he explains the major differences between the two. Some part of the audience for this book might find the information on image sensors to be too technical – and for them there is enough practical advice to help choose a camera. But for those looking for a more in-depth explanation, this is a great hook.
Right after that Story lays out the features and functionalities of digital cameras in alphabetical order. This I felt put the book in camera manual territory. I own an old Canon Powershot G3 and while Story was describing the features (somewhat mechanically) I felt his book offered no more value than my manual (which is very well written, by the way, and a text that this book squarely competes with).
Once we are past this alphabetical cataloging, the book really starts to shine. How does it do that? By offering lots of practical advice on how to create and take great pictures, sometimes by replicating studio settings with low-tech contraptions. For example, Story shows you how to devise your own light meter, shoot in rain, bounce light off household reflective surfaces, and trick your camera's white balance.
Besides being very useful, these tips also offer terrific insights into how the digital camera works. It enhances your understanding of the instrument you are working with.
Later the book also contains a useful chapter on how to post-process your pictures using software. Story covers a number of popular packages such as Apple iPhoto, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, and Microsoft Expression Media. I would have really liked to see Story cover some web-based image editing applications in order to get in touch with Web 2.0 technologies.
There is also coverage of printing your pictures, a detail in the book that I really appreciated. And instead of trying to cover printer features and explain how to choose a printer in depth, Story keeps the focus on the camera by creating a short table with specific printer recommendations for different types of users.
From: feeds.blogcritics.org
The Sun Online is offering 100 digital photo prints for just £2. The Sun has partnered with CeWe Color, Europe’s biggest photo company, and their full range of services is also available at The Sun Online website. Select the pictures you want to see in print from your computer and your pictures will be posted back to you in three working days. The offer end date is 22nd April 2008.
The Sun Online Press Release
Print 100 Digital Pictures for ВЈ2 at The Sun Online
09 March 2008, Warwick – The Sun Online has today launched a brand new digital photo service, partnering with CeWe Color, Europe’s biggest photo company and is offering to print 100 digital pictures for just £2. Visitors to the Sun Online http://www.thesun.co.uk will be able to get their photos and photo gifts printed via the new online service http://www.thesun.co.uk/photos from 08 March.
Online print ordering couldn’t be simpler. Just drag and drop the pictures you want into the shopping basket, choose the format and then press �Order’. Your pictures will be delivered to your door within three days.
Readers can buy CeWe Color’s full range of photo services at The Sun Online website and take advantage of the 100 prints for £2 promotion. Budding photographers can print out the photos from their digital camera, phone or computer and turn them in to prints or photo gifts such as a mug or a cuddly toy.
The free, user-friendly, Sun photo software can also be downloaded to create photo books the perfect album to store precious memories spent with family and friends. The photo book assistant will make your book in just three clicks, or you can customise the layouts, backgrounds and text to make it completely personalised.
The photo books come in a variety of sizes and the covers range from soft and hardback to faux-leather and premium linen. These can also be personalised with individual designs, colours and texts and there is also ВЈ3 off the first Large or Extra Large photo book ordered.
Sun Online readers will also be able to enjoy other CeWe photo ideas, such as puzzles, calendars, gift cards or a photo canvas.
For more information see http://www.thesun.co.uk/photos
About CeWe
CeWe Color is Europe’s largest photo finisher with a market share of more than 40 per cent. The company is Europe’s leading white-label supplier to traditional and online retailers and system providers. It has more than 60,000 retail partners in 19 European countries.
The company’s current retail clients include: Aldi, Nokia, Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy, Jacobs and WH Smiths.
CeWe Color recorded a turnover of €431.1 million in 2006. Every year, the company invests between €25-30 million in innovative photofinishing technologies.
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Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR review : Since Kodak’s disappearance from the market, Canon held the luxurious position of being the only manufacturer with a full-frame digital SLR in their program for a long time. The large amount of pixels in a firm professional housing made the 1Ds the perfect replacement for an analogue middle format camera for many professional photographers. After the introduction of the EOS-1D Mark III everybody eagerly awaited the successor to the 1DS Mark II. And that’s when the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III appeared.
Prism house of the Canon 1Ds Mark III
As we expected, the Canon 1Ds Mark III is based on its predecessor; the Canon EOS-1D Mark III. It was redesigned from scratch. It might take some time for Mark II users to get acquainted with the new lad, but I am positive that it will happen flawless. Besides the type tag on the front, the 1Ds is furthermore distinguishable from its faster brother by the lump on the prism house. To enable correct reproduction of the AF points in the viewfinder, the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III uses a second prism. And of course that takes up more space than the mirrors inside the 1D camera.
3-inch LCD monitor with Live View
Naturally the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III has been equipped with a large 3 inch LCD monitor on the back of the camera. This size has become standard for these cameras nowadays and to be honest, there is no turning back; 3 inch and more please! The large monitor also enables Live View. A feature that is starting to become normality on a D-SLR. And until recently it wasn’t even an issue but at present the availability of Live View or the lack of it is almost reason for a camera to be a success or a failure. Whether or not this is also the case for the professional segment, remains unknown for now. Live View does have its advantages. For example when you mount the camera on a tripod and place it on a high level. Action photography with Live View is still not perfect, but that will undoubtedly change too in the near future.
Full-frame 21 Megapixel image sensor
Besides upgrading to the concept of the 1D Mark II, naturally the image sensor is the main improvement of the 1Ds Mark III. It’s a full-frame sensor again but this time it offers the impressive amount of 21 Megapixels. Canon tiptoed into the resolution class where currently middle format cameras rule. Therefore Canon is still leader in the 35mm D-SLR cameras. But not for long since Sony announced a 24 Megapixel full-frame sensor. And Nikon will definitely not stay behind….
Canon EOS 1Ds Mark 3 review
The signals of the CMOS sensor are being processed by two DIGIC III processors. In total some five pictures per second can be taken in the highest resolution. The two processors are capable of processing a 100 Megapixels per second, which fits with the 10 fps with 10 Megapixels of the EOS 1D Mark III. The specifications are impressive and to get the assignment to use this camera in practice is very appealing to a photographer like me. We have used the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III once before on the EOS Safari in Kenya but now it’s time for a full Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III review.
Source: www.letsgodigital.org
A two-year bicycle journey from Alaska to Chile ends with a new career in photography.
In July 2005, two good friends from Seattle set out on a journey that was, from the beginning, meant to be life-changing. Two years later, one would complete the trip. His life would indeed be profoundly different from when he started. But not in any way he expected.
When Gregg Bleakney began his epic bicycle trek from Prudhoe Bay in Alaska, he was a former software salesman who was crossing the threshold into his 30s, a onetime track star in the triple jump who had blown out a knee and missed competing for the Olympics. When he finished his trip two years later, at the southernmost tip of Chile, he had become a photographer with a brilliant eye for landscape.
Souce: www.popphoto.com
Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature was written because author Matt Kloskowski wished that there had been a book specifically on layers when he was first learning Photoshop. Everyone knows that layers exist, and most people use layers to one extent or another, but few really understand their full potential. Yet understanding layers is one of the keys to understanding Photoshop. This book will show you exactly what you can do with layers, and how to do it. The Complete Guide to Photoshop's Most Powerful Feature: Layers is 288 pages in length and is contained in 9 chapters.
Chapter 1, "Layer Basics," explains the basics of layers. But even if you are familiar with layers, you will still want to read much of this chapter because there are quite a number of techniques that are shown here that many may not know exist. This is divided into the true basics, the use of multiple layers and stacking, and another lesson that has a ton of tips and tricks that you don't want to miss.
Chapter 2, "Blending Layers," lets you take layers even further by showing you how to mix layers together. By using the techniques illustrated here you can go beyond simply manipulating the opacity and really start learning about blending. The author's goal is not to show you every single item with regard to blending, but rather show you only the ones that you need to know about to get the job done. He begins with the three most important techniques, and then fills in with some additional ones that can be used as well.
Chapter 3, "Adjustment Layers," shows that there are other layers available beyond the regular layers that you have been working with thus far. This is a different type of layer in the way that it lets you edit images nondestructively. It even lets you apply selective adjustments to specific parts of your image.
Chapter 4, "Layer Masks," continues a technique that you learned in chapter 3 when making adjustments. Layer masks let you nondestructively erase areas away from one layer to reveal the layers below. An adjustment layer automatically includes a layer mask, but a regular layer does not so here you will learn how to add a layer mask to a regular layer.
Chapter 5, "Type and Shape Layers," are two kinds of layers that have not been covered as yet. While type layers are what you use to add text to a Photoshop document, they have a lot more power available to them as well. With type layers you can let your text take on a life of its own. Shape layers allow you to work with shape in your documents. Here you will work to making a poster using the Shape tools. With these, you can go beyond the simple shapes and create complex one.
Chapter 6, "Enhancing Photos with Layers," is about how to enhance digital photos by the use of layers. Here you will learn how to combine multiple layers, paint with light, perform selective sharpening, dodge and burn, enhance depth of field, and create soft focus.
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