The Best Digital SLR For You

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photgraphy #51

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

This was not an easy edition of the Carnival for me to write. How come?

If you've read ANY other digital camera web site over the course of the past week, you'll know what's been going on: photokina. This consumer trade show in Cologne Germany is the source of a HUGE number of new product releases, and all of the digital photography web sites have been kept busy covering all the news.

Since they have all done such a good job of that, I'm not going to spend any part of this post providing information about the products recently released. If you really want to find out more about what's new you can read more here, here and here.

Instead, I'm going to focus on other issues (some photokina-related I'll admit) that caught my eye.

How Many Photos on YOUR Hard Drive? - Kodak general manager Brad Kruchten estimates that approximately 65% of digital images are languishing on various personal computer hard drives, and the photography industry has yet to find a way to capitalize on all of these unprinted photos. I could certainly use some software that deletes all of those poorly exposed and out-of-focus shots.

The New Associated Press - Here's an interesting tidbit from the UK about how the BBC has apparently gone scouring for free photos on the popular photo-sharing site Flickr. Given the sheer volume of photography currently available on Flickr, it was only a matter of time before news publications went hunting for cheap photography alternatives.

Automatic Photo Correction - Remember that untapped market of 65% of the digital photos you take? Here's a contender that falls into the "useful software" category. PhotoBot is a piece of software that you install onto your PC that "automatically" corrects common photographic problems (under-exposure, red eye, etc.) without requiring any supervision every time you load photos onto your hard drive.

The Future of Digital Camera Tech - many of the products unveiled at photokina are an indication of where the digital photography business is headed. Put simply, it's not enough just to take a picture anymore. Nope, now cameras can take video, beam images wirelessly, and my personal favorite...encode every photo you take with the EXACT location where you took the shot. Yes, it's the arrival of digital camera GPS systems.

Digital Camera Reviews

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX2 - A compact digital camera with a widescreen (16:9) sensor
• Sony ALPHA DSLR-A100 - the first digital SLR camera from Sony with 10 megapixels
• Sony DSC-T50 - a compact 7 megapixel camera with a 3 inch touch-screen LCD

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The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras & Photography #47

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

Camera makers are falling over themselves to get out their press releases about new digital cameras. Why?

This might have something to do with it: Photokina - a large industry trade show that only comes around once every two years - is slated to begin on September 26. Look for a lot of new cameras and gear to be announced for an end-of-year release.

The Giant Wakes - I was beginning to wonder if Canon was EVER going to release another digital SLR camera. In 2006, we have heard announcements and seen new cameras from the likes of Sony, Pentax, Panasonic and Nikon. But the largest seller of digital SLRs has been oddly silent. Well, no longer. On Thursday August 24, Canon announced their next digital SLR: the Canon EOS Digital Rebel xTi. Popular Photography has a preview of Canon's new 10 megapixel SLR.

The Great Debate - If you have been considering a new digital SLR camera, you might have heard some rumblings about RAW vs. JPG. First, let's get something straight: this is not a heavyweight match at the Bellagio. No, these are the two file formats you can choose between when taking photos with your digital SLR. But which one should you use? I've got two articles for you on this topic, one from The Digital SLR Guide and one from Digital Photography School.

Lighting Tips - Once you've figured out how to use your camera in the basic sense, you may become interested in more advanced lighting techniques. The first thing you'll find out about professional lights is that they are expensive. But you can take great photos without spending a fortune on lights. In fact, with a small amount of gear, you can take one-light portraits. For more great information on lighting, take a look at the exceptional weblog Strobist.

Nikon Previews - since I just mentioned the latest camera from Canon, it only seems fair to give a nod to the soon-to-be-release Nikon D80 (a 10.2 megapixel camera much like the Canon xTi). I put together one preview of this camera so that you can find out more about it, but here's another so you can get a different point of view.

Digital Camera Reviews

• Olympus Stylus 720 SW - a 7.1 megapixel camera for the water enthusiast
• Casio EX-Z1000 - who needs a digital SLR when you can get 10 megapixels in a compact?

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The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras & Photography #43

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

This week's carnival is a real grab-bag of information - hopefully no matter what your interest in digital cameras, there should be a little something here for you. Let's get right to it!

Flickr and SFGate - this tidbit is for a fairly select group of individuals: people who live in the Bay Area and have Flickr accounts. Just tag your photos of the Bay Area and its icons with "SFChronicle 96hrs" and one of them might just find it's way onto the Chronicle's web site SFGate.

It's Not Just a Phone Anymore - nope, now it's also a high-end digital camera. OK, maybe that is an overstatement at this point, but give it a few more years. Samsung and Verizon have recently launched a new phone that can take 3.2 megapixel photos and features a built-in flash. I don't think any pro photographers are going to be rushing out to get one of these, but it's certainly a growing trend.

Tips and More Tips - once you have your digital camera, it helps to know what to do with it. That's why it's no surprise that photography tips are abundant on the web. I'll feature just a few of them here to get you started.

• How to Photograph Flowers
• The "Rules" of Composition
• Photographing Water in Motion

Profiles - right along with good old fashioned tips, you can also learn a great deal from inspecting the work of other photographers. This time around it's action photography, with some exceptional examples of dirtbikes, racing bikes and race cars from Terence Yam.

The $250,000 Photo - file this one away in the "I wish I'd thought of that" category. Here's proof that with an exceptional photo and some marketing savvy, you can turn some profit from your photography habit. Hey, it might even pay for your next camera.

Digital Camera Reviews

• Sony DSC-H5 vs Canon Powershot S3 IS - a comparative analysis of these two high-end compact digital cameras
• Canon Powershot A430 - a not-so-expensive entry point to the world of digital cameras
• Olympus E-500 - one of the four available Olympus digital SLR cameras (the others being the E-1, the E-300 and the brand new E-330.

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The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras & Photography #38

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

The times they are a changin'.

Film cameras are disappearing one by one and digital cameras are finding new and creative ways to attract the eyes of potential buyers.

Find out all about it in this week's Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography.

The End of an Era - Film companies far and wide have been quietly closing their doors with the advent of digital camera technology. Konica Minolta stopped production of all of their cameras and sold their technology to Sony. Nikon announced that they would no longer be producing film cameras, but would focus on digital technologies. And now, Canon (one of the largest sellers of digital cameras) is doing the same. 

Say Hello to Anti-Shake - What's the new digital camera feature that has the industry buzzing? Anti-shake. It comes by many names: Canon calls it IS (Image Stabilization), Nikon's term is VR (Vibration Reduction), Panasonic uses OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), and now Pentax has jumped into the pool with SR (Shake Reduction). All well and good, but is anti-shake really worth it? 

Limited Dynamic Range - Cameras don't see the world the way your eyes do - while you can perceive a lot of detail from dark to light, cameras have a limited range, and turn shadows to black or highlights to pure white. The bad news is that every digital camera has limited dynamic range. The good news is that there are ways to deal with it.

The Zoom Effect - You can achieve interesting results with your digital SLR camera if you zoom the lens while using a slow shutter speed. The result is an image that has the element of motion, even if you are taking photos of static subjects. It takes practice and some set up, but can yield interesting results. Learn more about using the zoom effect.

Digital Camera Reviews

• Sony CyberShot DSC-H5 - a 7 megapixel camera with a huge 12x zoom
• Canon PowerShot SD700 IS - a compact 6 megapixel camera with the previously mentioned image stabilization
• Olympus Stylus 810 - an 8 megapixel weatherproof (not waterproof) compact camera

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The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras #34

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

This week's post for the Carnival is a real grab-bag of information. Let's get right to it!

Camera Fingerprints - new technology under development at Binghamton University can link digital images with the cameras used to take them. Law enforcement is interested in the technology as a way to apprehend child pornographers. Full Article

SONY Digital SLRs - this week SONY announced their new designation for their digital SLR cameras: alpha. Since SONY inherited Konica Minolta's production facilities, all new SONY cameras will be able to use Konica Minolta lenses. SONY alpha digital SLR

SLR vs. Compact - with all of the buzz being generated about digital SLR cameras, it's sometimes easy to lose sight of the fact that digital SLRs can't do everything a compact camera can. Find out what digital SLRs can't do.

Digital Photo Tip - do you always find yourself taking photos from the same vantage point? Want to spice things up a bit? The next time you go out to take pictures try finding fresh angles to shoot from.

Image Manipulation - this link has less to do with digital cameras themselves, and is more about the image manipulation that can take place after you've taken a shot. Popular Photography's Digital Wizard 2006 competition shows that 12 photos and some creativity can go a long way.

Digital Camera Reviews

• Pentax *ist DL - an inexpensive entry-level digital SLR camera
• SONY Cybershot DSC-W30 - a 6 megapixel compact camera about the size of a deck of cards
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 - a 12x mega-zoom with optical image stabilization

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The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras #30

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

So you've got a brand new digital camera.

Now you just want to take some brilliant photos with it. So how do you go about doing that?

This carnvial post will point you to information that will help you maximize the use of your digital camera, find inspiration and learn new (and sometimes odd) techniques for manipulating your digital photos.

Practice - there are three keys to taking good photos: know what you like to photograph, have your camera ready to take photos, and practice, practice, practice. This article sums up all three nicely and tells you how to get the most from your digital camera.

Learn From Others - while practice is an essential component to taking great photos with your digital camera, it also helps to look at the work of others. I am constantly on the search for inspiration and this week I found it at the web site of Mark Tucker. Check it out for some truly impressive photography.

Experiment - if you find yourself getting into a photographic rut, the best thing to do is play around. You can toss your camera in the air while taking long exposures, try taking shots from odd angles, or (if you're really feeling ambitious) you can take your digital photos of landscapes and make every shot look like it's a miniature model.

Digital Camera Reviews

• Nikon D200 vs. Canon 5D - a comparative analysis between these two high-end digital SLR cameras
• Canon SD550 - a 7.1 megapixel camera with 3x optical zoom and a compact metallic body
• Fujifilm Finepix S5200 - PC world's review of this camera claims that it is fast, easy to use, and has excellent image quality

The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras #26

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

PMA is upon us.

For anyone not directly involved in the digital photography marketplace, PMA is the annual tradeshow of the Photo Marketing Association International, taking place this year in Orlando Florida.

PMA begins today and runs through March 1.

Put another way, it's the time of year when all digital camera manufacturers scramble to roll out hundreds of new digital camera models to overwhelm consumers with.

It's also a very busy time of year for all of the web sites that try to keep track of it all, and this post will be all about pointing you to the best sources of information about the PMA show, and what new products are being revealed.

PMA Guide
If you'd just like an introductory guide to PMA 2006 (and what all of the hype and hysteria is about) then check out Mike Carr's Photo Marketing Association 2006: A Sneak Peek at the Future of Pictures

Show Reports
If gory details are what you're after, then these show reports will provide you with plenty. They include press releases, photos from the convention floor, video demos and more. For anyone who didn't feel like travelling to Florida, it's the next best thing to being there.

• Digital Photography Review Live Report
• Photography BLOG Report
• Imaging Resource
• LetsGoDigital

New Digital SLRs
Since the focus of this weblog is on digital SLR cameras, I'd also like to highlight some of the new digital SLRs being previewed at PMA. Rest assured that as soon as production models are available, I will try to get my hands on some and post reviews at the Digital SLR Guide.

• Canon EOS 30D - the successor to the immensly popular EOS 20D
• Olympus E330 - the first digital SLR with a live view mode on the LCD
• Panasonic DMC-L1 - Panasonic's first digital SLR, and the result of a new partnership between Panasonic, Olympus and Leica lenses
• Pentax *ist DL2 - the second generation of the *ist DL cameras (I'm working on a review of the first DL right now)
• Pentax ?? (under development) - a new 10 megapixel camera for larger prints
• Samsung GX-1S - a camera similar to the Pentax *ist DS
• Samsung GX-1L - a camera similar to the Pentax *ist DL

Digital Camera Reviews
There are only 2 this week, since there is so much PMA news going on:

• Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ7 - a 12x zoom with image stabilization and a fast response time for a compact digital camera
• Nikon D200 - Nikon's latest digital SLR that is receiving rave reviews, and this comprehensive guide to the camera will tell you all about it

The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras #22

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

It's the beginning of 2006, and the camera manufacturers are hard at work building buzz for the coming year.

The big Photo Marketing Association (PMA) conference is right around the corner (coming at the end of February) and it's at that time that most digital camera makers will unveil their latest gadgets.

The good news for consumers: cameras with more features at lower prices.

Here are just a couple of emerging trends in digital cameras that have already been announced to keep the camera review websites busy before PMA really gets rolling.

Waterproof and Weatherproof - compact digital camera makers seem to have come to the conclusion that most of us abuse our digital cameras by taking them to the beach. Since sand and water are not compatible with electronic gadgets, you can now find a wide variety of cameras that are sealed against the elements like the Olympus Stylus 810 and 700 (weather-proof) and the Pentax Optio WP (waterproof).

Mega-Zooms (with Image Stabilization) - a year ago compact digital cameras were impressive if they had a 5x zoom. This year, it already looks like there is going to be tough competition in the 10x and 12x zoom camera market, featuring contenders like the Panasonic DMC-FZ30, the Sony DSC-R1 and the Canon Powershot S2 IS.

Digital SLRs With Live Preview - while a live preview of the image your are about to take is common on compact digital cameras, it's non-existent on digital SLR cameras. Until now: check out the Olympus Evolt E330.

Digital Camera Reviews

• Fujifilm Finepix F11 - a compact camera with an exceptional sensor
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX1 - a compact camera with a wide-angle view of the world
• Nikon D70 and Nikon D50 - 2 consumer-level digital SLR cameras

The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras #18

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

Happy New Year everyone!

With the arrival of 2006, I thought it might be fun to take a quick look back at some of the defining digital cameras of 2005. These 4 cameras feature unique technology innovations or are just the beginnings of growing trends in the digital camera industry.

The Canon EOS 350D Rebel XT - the latest version of the Canon Digital Rebel is one of the most popular models in the consumer Single Lens Reflex (SLR) market. What makes this camera unique? It is part of a growing trend to reduce the size of SLR cameras and make them more like their compact cousins. The Rebel XT is small and light, yet still packs in an 8 megapixel sensor along with the ability to use over 50 Canon lenses.

Canon EOS 350D Review
Read User Reviews at Amazon

The Sony DSC-R1 - Sony pulled out all the stops with their new all-in-one digital camera. This is not an SLR, since you can't change the lenses - but it might as well be. It features a large sensor (the same size as digital SLR cameras) with 10.3 megapixels and a 5x Carl Zeiss zoom lens. The uniqe aspects of this camera are its swivel LCD panel that lets you shoot from the hip, and the fact that you can view a live preview of the image you're about to take (since you can't do this with a digital SLR).

Sony DSC-R1 Review
Read User Reviews at Amazon

Kodak Easyshare One - Kodak had a great idea with this compact digital camera. Unfortunately, the execution leaves a little to be desired. The Easyshare One was the first compact camera to include built-in wireless technology: enabling you to "beam" your photos directly to a laptop or other wireless-enabled device straight from the camera. While the camera's operation needs some work, it's clear that wireless digital camera technology is here to stay.

Kodak Easyshare One Review
Read User Reviews at Amazon

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 - this is another SLR contender like the Sony R1. The 2 special features of this camera are both in its lens: it has a 12x optical zoom with a built-in image stabilizer. Since long zooms magnify even the slightest motion of the camera the image stabilizer is the key to getting crisp, clear photos. Look for more cameras in 2006 that feature wide zoom ranges (15x, maybe 20x?) and where image stabilization is common instead of a special feature.

Panasonic DMC-FZ5 Review
Read User Reviews at Amazon

That's it for this round of the Carnival of Digital Cameras. I look forward to the new digital cameras that will be arriving in 2006, and hope to continue to bring you up-to-date news and information about them when they become available.

The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.

Carnival of Digital Cameras #16

Carnival of Digital Cameras and Photography is a weekly round-up of all the latest news, trends, digital camera reviews, top blogs, photography tips and professional advice.

With only one week to go before Christmas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa, it is only appropriate for this issue of the Carnival of Digital Cameras to inlcude plenty of gift ideas for all of you last-minute shoppers.

I'll make sure that we cover enough possible options for anyone considering a new digital camera purchase for the coming holidays.

For Moms - any mom who spends a lot of time with the kids needs a good digital camera to capture all of those priceless childhood moments. With hundreds of options to choose from, it can be a bit tough trying to find the perfect gift, which is why the Top 7 Digital Photo Gifts for Mom can help you out. You might also consider the Sony DSC-T1, recommended by a lot of visitors to Engadget.

For Dads - what to get the father who has plenty of ties already? A digital camera, of course! Once again, there are just too many choices to choose from. Narrow down your options with The Top 5 Digital Cameras for Dads and this review of the Fujifilm Finepix E550 from a Dad who uses it to photograph his kids.

For Teens - a digital SLR is probably not the right camera to get for a teen, unless they are a budding photojournalist. Most teens will probably be more interested in small, light, portable cameras that can go everywhere they can. You can find out about some of them with the 5 Top Digital Cameras for Teens.

For Anyone - if you're not shopping for a mom, a dad or a teen, then your best bet is to start with some lists put together by editors who get to play with every digital camera on the market. For example, try the C|Net Editor's Choice list.

For Inspiration - finally, if you've already got a digital camera and are looking for ways to be inspired to use it, look no further than Time's Best Photos of the Year for 2005.

Digital Camera Reviews

• The Olympus C-770, a 4 megapixel camera with 10x optical zoom
• The Canon Powershot SD300, for maximum portability
• The Sony R1, a pro camera that's not quite an SLR

The Carnival of Digital Cameras runs weekly. To find out more about the carnival (or just what the heck a carnival IS anyway) or to find out how to host the carnival on your site, see the main Carnival of Cameras page.