Monthly Archives: April 2008

Ricoh G600

The Ricoh G600 is a new 10.0 megapixel compact, tough point and shoot digital camera which is water and dust resistant as well as shock resistant making it an ideal camera for hard outdoor use. 

The G600 features a 28 mm wide angle 5x optical zoom lens (28-140mm equivalent), a powerful flash with effective range of up to 10m and ISO3200 sensitivity, 1cm macro focusing distance, high-definition and high-luminance 2.7-inch LCD display (230,000 pixel), all wrapped in a shock absorbing robust body able to withstand falls from 1.5m and even take pictures underwater at depths of up to about 1m.

Ricoh G600  Continue reading

Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi Review at PhotoReview

PhotoReview.au has reviewed the Canon Digital Rebel XSi / EOS 450D which features a 12.2 megapixel CMOS image sensor, DIGIC III Image Processor, 3.5 fps continous shooting, 9-point AF system, 3.0 inch LCD with Live View, and optical image stabilization.

They write: "Low-light performance was outstanding, with no apparent noise right up to ISO 800 and very little noise thereafter. Shots taken at ISO 1600 were sharp and colour-accurate with only a hint of visible colour noise. This was eliminated with the high ISO noise reduction setting. Long exposure noise reduction produced little in the way of image softening but wasn’t really necessary in most situations.”

Canon EOS 450D

Get a price at Amazon for the Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12MP Digital SLR Camera

Read more about the Canon Digital Rebel XSi / Canon EOS 450D

Nikon D3X

Nikon D3XThe Nikon D3 is the camera to get for shooting sports, news, events or action with its rapid-fire image capture and high ISO range, while the Nikon D3X will be the best Nikon for portrait and landscape photography.

Some clever hackers are reporting to have found reference to the D3X deep within the updated (and now terminated version 1.10) firmware of Nikon’s D3. The reference includes a list of resolutions available for the upcoming D3X (see below) which refers to the Nikon D3X being 24.4 megapixel with a resolution of 6048×4032 pixels. Continue reading

Canon EOS 40D Review at ShutterBug

ShutterBug reviews the Canon EOS 40D a 10.1 megapixel (CMOS sensor) DSLR with 6.5 frames per second shooting, a new Autofocus system with 9 cross type sensors, 3.0 inch LCD with Live View, DIGIC III image processor, EOS integrated cleaning system, Spot Metering, and a larger, brighter view finder and quieter mechanism than it’s predecessor.

They write: "the quality of the results using built-in flash, especially in Program for fill, are the best I have seen. It has dust delete, sensor cleaning, wireless capability, and even interchangeable focusing screens. And image results with 14-bit raw are sure to satisfy the most demanding advanced amateur photographer… For those seeking a responsive, quality D-SLR in the mid-price range it is more than worthy of consideration.”

Canon EOS 40D

Get a price at Amazon for the Canon EOS 40D 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera

Read more about the Canon EOS 40D

Nikon D3 Review at DP Review

DP Review reviews the Nikon D3 DSLR which features a full frame ‘FX’ 12.1 megapixel CMOS image sensor, high speed continuous shooting at 9 fps at full resolution (up to 11 fps in DX crop mode), a staggering ISO range of 100 – 25,600, 51 point autofocus system, and a 3.0 inch high resolution LCD monitor with Live View.

They give the Nikon D3 a highly recommended rating and write: "anyone even close to considering a D3 will be more than capable of making an informed decision without a technical review such as this (in fact they’ve probably already bought one), but we can confirm that from an image quality and performance point of view the D3 raises the bar by a fair degree. For a sports camera it’s also a surprisingly good studio and landscape camera, and if there’s a better DSLR out there for photojournalists and red carpet paps we’ve yet to meet it. Image quality (especially at higher ISOs) is stunning, the camera a joy to use and the speed and responsiveness breathtaking. If there is an EOS-1Ds Mark III – bating ‘D3X’ coming this year it will have quite a job to do to better the D3; possibly the most compelling, capable and well-rounded professional digital SLR ever made.”

Nikon D3

Get a price at Amazon for the Nikon D3 12.1MP FX Digital SLR Camera

Read more about the Nikon D3

Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 Zeiss Lens Review at Pop Photo

Sony 24-70mm f2.8 lensPop Photo have reviewed the Sony 24-70mm f/2.8 Zeiss Vario-Sonnar Lens, a full frame zoom lens and write: “not surprisingly for a Zeiss, sharpness and contrast scored in the SQF Excellent range. In DxO Analyzer 3.1 assessments of distortion control, we found only Slight barrel at 24mm (0.30%) and Imperceptible pincushion distortion at 50mm and 70mm (0.05 and 0.08%, respectively)… the lens’ superior sharpness, extremely rugged construction, and satisfying macro performance all add up to an undeniable best-in-class showing for this impressive offspring of German and Japanese manufacturing know-how.”

Nikon D3 Firmware Version 1.10 Problems

Nikon D3A couple of days ago Nikon announced the release of firmware update version 1.10 for the D3. However it has been confirmed that when certain settings are applied with the updated firmware, image data may, in some rare cases become corrupted. Therefore Nikon have terminated this firmware update download, and a new update is expected in late April. See the press release below for more details.

Continue reading

Sony Alpha A350 Review at PhotoReview

Photo Review has reviewed the Sony Alpha A350 a 14.2 megapixel (CCD) DSLR with a 2.7 inch tilting LCD and live view.

They write: "Low-light performance was very good, with accurate colours in long exposures (up to 30 seconds) and no apparent noise in exposures up to ISO 800. Colour noise became evident at ISO 3200 but at a relatively low level, although some shadow detail was lost with this setting…. Sony’s A350 DSLR has something to offer to both digicam upgraders who are looking to buy a more sophisticated camera and photo enthusiasts who want a high-resolution camera with all the latest shooting controls. It’s a definite step up from the A200 model in both features and performance and represents very good value for money. However, for enthusiasts who want to get the best from this camera, we’d recommend buying the body alone and pairing it with a more sophisticated lens.”

Sony A350

Get a price at Amazon for the Sony Alpha 350 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera

Read more about the Sony Alpha A350