Olympus Mju 1200 Digital Camera Review

The Olympus Mju 1200 looks very advanced with its beautiful, shiny, black front and light up buttons on the back. But are appearances deceiving? Olympus Mju 1200 SpecificationSensor: CCD - 12Mp Image Size: 4000 x 3000 pixelsLens: 35-105mm f/7.4-22 (3x zoom) Focus: TTL Auto - 10cm MacroExposure: Program AE/ 20 SceneMetering: ESP/Spot Monitor: 2.7in TFT LCD Other Features: PictBridge Support

Inspiration for Photography

Gingerbread men
Originally uploaded by RickBlythe.

Photopreneur have just posted a list of 60 Sources of Inspiration for Photography. Lots of great ideas to get your creative juices flowing. Here are just a few they suggest-

"1. Play with Photoshop
So much of photography these days happens after the shutter release has been pressed. There’s probably a ton of things that you don’t know how to do in Photoshop. Learn something new and see what that does for your photography potential.

2. Read the Manual
It’s not just Photoshop that can do all sorts of things that you don’t know about. Your camera probably has more settings and functions than you know… or know what to do with. You might find a lot of new ideas in the middle of your camera manual.

3. Watch a Movie
Manuals are all well and good, but movies have cinematographers too. There’s not much you can’t learn about landscape photography by sitting back and watching an old Sergio Leone film.

4. Read a Newspaper
Or you can be a little more intellectual and read a newspaper. The Sunday magazines have the best photos but the work by the staff photographers can be great models for creating striking images for amateurs as well as for photojournalists.

5. Visit a Flea Market
Strange objects mean strange shapes, odd shadows and plenty of potential for unique compositions. And you don’t even have to buy anything."

Take Great Landscape Photographs

Take Great Landscape Photographs
With Any Camera And A Few Basic Accessories!

"Landscape photography is at the same time one of the easiest and most difficult subjects to approach. It is easy because landscapes are so familiar and accessible - they are all around us, and by now most of the obvious scenic views are cataloged tourist attractions with established viewpoints. In addition, landscapes are pretty permanent; they don't move, and so all that is necessary is to get there with a camera. Finally, for the simplest shot, there are no extreme technical difficulties."

Get Your Copy Of The "The Science of Great Landscape Photography" Now Only $19.95

Here's what you'll learn:

Find out what landscape photography is all about
The basics of photography and why they're so important
How ISO Speed, Aperture, Shutter Speed, Focal Length and Depth of Field inter-relate
A technique called Hyper focal Focusing for maximizing your photos
The importance of filters for your camera and the best ones to use
How and when to use Graduated, Polarizing, Neutral Density and ultra violet filters
The best times to take landscape photos

Click here to see what more this includes!

Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 Spec Sheet

Specs Table Manufacturer Casio Model Exilim EX-Z1080 Specs Type Point-and-Shoot Low Price 0.00 Price 279.99 Length 3.59 Width 0.95 Height 2.25

Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 Digital Camera Review

The Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 is a bit of a dark horse with only 3x optical zoom and a small body. It houses a menacing 10Mp sensor, face detection that memorises people and a hi-speed continuous shooting that can take 60 images in 10 seconds.Casio Exilim EX-Z1080 SpecificationImage resolution: 10.1Mp effectiveZoom: 3x Optical/4x DigitalStorage: 11.4Mb/SD/SDHCMovie: Yes and YouTube capture modeModes:

Become a Part-time Photographer

I like this article I found over at photopreneur because it got me thinking that there must be many people who would just love to break into the photography business one small step at a time. Not just anyone can quit their day job and decide that they are now a photographer full-time. It makes much more sense to get one's feet wet and see if it takes.

"Not everyone wants to be a full-time photographer. There are plenty of people who love shooting images and taking beautiful pictures — and who still want to keep doing a day job they enjoy and which they can count on to pay the mortgage.

But that doesn’t mean they can’t also turn their photography skills into a source of income.

Here’s how you can do it…"

Digital Camera Buyers Guide for 2007

The Digital Camera Buyers Guide has been updated updated for the holiday season. To help you with your shopping, Digital Camera Resource Page have put a list of their favorite cameras on this page. Be sure to visit their site for full reviews of each model.

Best Cameras under $400

Canon PowerShot A570 IS
The PowerShot A570 offers more bang for the buck than virtually any entry-level camera on the market. It features a 7 Megapixel CCD, 4X optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, 2.5" LCD display, full manual controls, conversion lens support, and more. The biggest downside is the relatively low LCD resolution. Otherwise, it’s a great choice.


Canon PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH
The SD850 is one of the best ultra-compact cameras on the market. It features an 8 Megapixel CCD, a 4X zoom lens, optical image stabilization, and a very nice 2.5" LCD display. Like all Digital ELPHs, the SD850 is point-and-shoot, with very limited manual controls. The camera has a high quality VGA movie mode, plus a redeye removal tool that actually works.


Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8 is one of the best ultra zoom cameras on the market. It certainly doesn’t skimp on features: you get a 12X Leica lens with optical image stabilization, full manual controls, widescreen movie recording, snappy performance, and conversion lens support. Not bad for under $300, eh?


Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3
The DMC-TZ3 may look like an ordinary compact camera, but it packs a whollop. It has a 10X, 28 - 280 mm zoom lens, optical image stabilization, and an enormous 3-inch LCD. It doesn’t have any manual controls, but there are plenty of scene modes to choose from. Photo quality is decent, though noise reduction is heavy at higher ISOs. Overall though, it’s a fun to use camera that lets you take any kind of photo, whether wide-angle or super telephoto.


Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55
While not much of an upgrade over its predecessor, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W55 remains a good choice in the compact camera field. It offers a 3X optical zoom lens, a 2.5" LCD display, point-and-shoot operation, and great photo quality. It comes in a compact, stylish metal body, available in four colors.

Best Cameras: $400 - $650

Canon PowerShot S5 IS
While its image quality isn’t as good as its predecessor, the PowerShot S5 remains one of my favorite ultra zoom cameras. It offers almost every conceivable feature, including a 12X zoom lens with image stabilization, full manual controls, a hot shoe, and a rotating LCD display. Like taking movies? The S5 can record VGA quality video with stereo sound -- and you can use the zoom while recording.

Nikon D40
The D40 is Nikon’s latest entry-level digital SLR. It’s compact, without being too small like the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. The build quality is also better than that camera. The D40 features a 6 Megapixel CCD, full manual controls, robust performance, and an elaborate in-camera help system that makes it the easiest to use SLR on the market. The main downside is that only AF-S lenses will support autofocus, so that 50 mm prime you have sitting around will be manual focus only.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ50
Though it has its share of flaws, the Lumix DMC-FZ50 is still one of the top ultra zoom cameras on the market. Offering a SLR style body (it’s a big camera) with a 12X Leica lens, manual zoom and focus rings, a rotating LCD display, full manual controls, a hot shoe, and much much more. Its big flaw is the overaggressive noise reduction system, which really smudges details at higher ISO settings. Still, the FZ50 is worth a look.


Pentax K100D
The K100D’s biggest claim to fame is its value for the money. For $600 you get a 6 Megapixel digital SLR with image stabilization that works on every Pentax lens ever made. Despite its low price, the K100D doesn’t feel cheap at all. It features a large 2.5" LCD and a bright optical viewfinder. Being a D-SLR, the camera has full manual controls and snappy performance, though the buffer memory fills up too quickly.

Best Cameras: $650 - $1000

Canon Digital Rebel XTi
The Rebel XTi is a top-notch entry-level D-SLR. You get a 10 Megapixel CMOS sensor, great performance, a 2.5" LCD display, support for Canon EF and EF-S lenses, and all the expandability you’d expect from a digital SLR. You definitely want to try this camera before you buy it, though, as its small size can be off-putting.


Olympus EVOLT E-510

The E-510 is a solid digital SLR capable of producing excellent quality photos -- after you adjust some settings. It’s well built, with a solid grip. With built-in image stabilization, every lens you attach to the camera will be stabilized. The E-510 is also somewhat unique in that it has "live view" on its LCD display -- just like your compact camera, though not as good. There’s also a dust reduction system, which eliminates this common (and frustrating) issue. Other features are fairly standard on a D-SLR: manual controls, expandability, and super-fast performance.


Pentax K10D

The K10D is a camera offering features typically found on cameras twice its price. You get a 10 Megapixel CCD, image stabilization, a 2.5" LCD display, full manual controls, and a dust reduction system. The body is built like a tank, and weather sealed. The camera’s downside is the straight-out-of-the box JPEG quality is poor -- but workarounds can make things look a lot nicer.

Best Cameras: Over $1000

Canon EOS-40D

The EOS-40D is a significant upgrade to the 30D before it. It features a 10 Megapixel CMOS sensor, live view on a 3-inch LCD display, full manual controls, dust reduction, and the kind of performance and photo quality that you’d expect from a D-SLR. Build quality is top-notch, and the doors and covers on the camera are now weather-sealed. The 40D supports both EF and EF-S mount lenses, with a 1.6X focal length conversion ratio.


Nikon D200
The D200 is a most impressive 10 Megapixel digital SLR. This camera offers full manual controls, near-instant startup, fast performance, a dedicated AF-assist lamp, and a gorgeous 2.5" LCD display. Build quality was exceptional. Like other Nikon SLRs, the D200 supports nearly all F-mount lenses.

Free Digital Photography Course

Even if you know nothing about your digital camera, a FREE email course I found on the Internet can teach you the secrets for creating fantastic shots. This Digital Photo Secrets e-course is sent to you via email -- every day for 3 weeks. I checked out this guy and the email course is legit and pretty good to boot. and really, how can you argue with free?

All you have to do is follow this link and enter your name and email address in the form. You’ll get "Part 1" of their e-course immediately.

Here’s is Darren Rowse’s of DigitalPhotographySchool testimonial-

David offers a free digital photography tips course. The course is free and comes to you every day or three via email so that you can concentrate on working on tips one at a time. The ’secrets’ are easy to read and good solid tips and techniques that should help those starting out through to more experienced users.

- Darren Rowse, Digital Photography Blog

One more bonus! They also offer 267 Simple Tips for Sensational Photos

Make Money From Your Photos using Photrade

Photrade is a really sweet new service by the looks of things. It’s a free place to host your images BUT it makes you money. Its kind of like flikr meets mugshots meets cafepress…… and a lot more.

1. Get Paid for Every View of Your Photos

2. Get Paid for Every Click on Your Photos

3. Get Paid when Anyone Links to Your Photos

4. Name Your Price for Your Prints (don’t worry we do the printing/shipping)

5. Name Your Price for Companies who want to Use your Photos

You earn ad revenue each time a unique user views your page. Depending on how relevant the tags on your photos are, the more targeted the ads will be. Targeted ads generate more revenue. There isn’t an exact formula or rate for each ad since it depends on several factors including relevancy, number of views as well as number of times people click on the Ad.

What do you have to lose? Try it and see how much $$ you make!

Gingerbread men

Gingerbread men
Originally uploaded by RickBlythe.

When I saw these gingerbread men in the bakery window I felt an overwhelming desire to buy them all. But not before catching this photo!
[click image to view larger version]

2007 Digital Camera Picks

If a digital camera is one of the gifts you need to shop for this year there are plenty of options, from feature-packed ultra-zooms to waterproof models. DigitalCameraInfo.com today handpicked a few standout cameras to help guide you in your selection. These digital cameras are this year’s cream of the crop. I do not hesitate recommending any of these, and with over 200 digital camera models released just this year I’d guess many of you would prefer to look over a short list of the best digicams of the season-

Best Camera under $500

Canon PowerShot G9



The G9 is the follow up to the G7, which we last year named Best Camera under $600. This year’s model retails for $499, $100 less than the G7’s introductory price. The G9 has 12.1 megapixels, the new high-bar in the “megapixel race.” The G9 has a 6x optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, and a 3-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD screen. It also has a flash that lights up to 13 feet in front of the camera and includes a hot shoe to attach Canon Speedlite flashes. It has a full set of manual exposure modes and controls that will satisfy seasoned photographers. They will also appreciate the ISO 80 to 1600 range that enables the camera to capture images in dim light. The camera can simultaneously shoot RAW and JPEG files, which is also a nice touch for these users. Beginners and budding photographers will appreciate the ease of use, 16 Scene modes, and quick and effective face detection that can track subjects even when their heads are turned. With features that cater to both beginner and advanced photographers and quality images, the Canon PowerShot G9 sets the benchmark for compact digital cameras.

Best Camera under $400

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H7



This year, Sony contributed a handful of cameras to the growing ultra-zoom market, including the H9 and H7, which both have 15x optical zoom lenses. The main difference between these two cameras is
their LCD screens; the H9 has a 3-inch rotating LCD with good resolution and the H7 has a 2.5-inch screen with only 115,000 pixels, a subpar resolution by current standards. The H9’s large LCD contributes to its $479 price tag. For about $180 less, the 8.1-megapixel Sony H7 offers many of the same features including mechanical image stabilization, a full range of manual and automatic exposure modes, face detection, and high-definition output and slideshows with customizable music. The cameras also share an ”Advanced Sports mode” that combines a 9-point tracking autofocus system and a 2.2 frame per second (fps) Burst mode. A strong feature set combined with accurate colors, low noise, and commendable low light performance put the H7 at the top of this category.

Best Camera under $300

Canon PowerShot A720 IS



Canon’s A-series digital cameras are considered less sexy and more functional when compared to the trendier SD-series models. The 8-megapixel A720 IS has Manual, Shutter Speed Priority, Aperture Priority, and Program modes, along with a handful of Scene modes and a Movie mode that records television-quality 640 x 480-pixel videos for up to an hour at a time. The Canon PowerShot A720 IS gets the last two letters of its title from its headlining feature: optical image stabilization. Image stabilization reduces blurry pictures and jumpy movies caused by shaky hands and is a great inclusion at this price point. The A720 has a 6x optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 115,000 pixels. It has a face detection system that reportedly recognizes, focuses on, and sets the proper exposure for up to 35 faces at a time. The Canon A720’s images have very accurate colors and effective resolution - two aspects of image quality that are hard to find for $249.

Best Camera under $200

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ7



The Panasonic LZ7 proves digital cameras that cost less than $200 don’t have to be featureless. The 7.2-megapixel camera has Program, Auto, Movie, and 21 Scene modes, and nice components
such as a 6x optical zoom lens. The lens has an optical image stabilization system - a valuable feature at this price point. The LZ7 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen that doesn’t have the best resolution at 115,000 pixels, but has a great flash that covers up to 17 feet. The ISO 100 to 1250 settings and basic Color modes like black and white and sepia all put the LZ7 a notch above its peers. It isn’t the trendiest camera on the market, but its $199 price tag and full feature set make it a great value.

Best Budget Camera

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LS70



There are a large number of budget digital cameras on the market and of the cameras we’ve tested in this category, the Panasonic LS70 stands out. The camera’s 7.2 megapixels are very effective at capturing detail, making it possible for users to print up to 11 x 17-inch prints. The LS70 produces excellent colors and offers manual controls like ISO, white balance, and exposure compensation for those who want to venture past the 18 Scene modes. This Lumix has a 3x optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, and a 2-inch LCD screen. Its body may look very plain, but the Panasonic LS70’s pictures look better than its budget competition. Its original retail price was $149, but it can be found online for about $130.

Best Hybrid Camera

Canon PowerShot S5 IS



The Canon S5 is the successor to the S3, which won this category last year. The 8-megapixel Canon PowerShot S5 IS is comfortable to hold and has a 12x optical zoom lens that works whether recording videos or snapping photos. There are separate buttons for taking pictures and recording movies, so pictures can be taken while recording a movie. The quality of the videos is the best we’ve seen from a digital camera. The optical image stabilization keeps the 640 x 480-pixel video steady, and the 30 fps frame rate keeps it smooth. Users can watch their videos on a 2.5-inch LCD monitor that has excellent resolution and can fold outward and rotate in true camcorder-style. The movies are sharp and the colors are excellent,
even in low light. Add in selectable stereo audio sampling rates and a wind filter and the Canon S5 has the best Movie mode, hands down. Its great pictures, manual to automatic functionality, and stellar Movie mode give the S5 the edge. The Canon PowerShot S5 IS retails for $499.

Best Ultra-zoom Camera

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18



The FZ18’s nice components, array of features, and solid camera body earned it a spot at the top of our rankings page. It costs only $399, which is a huge value considering all it offers. The 8.1-megapixel camera’s 18x Leica optical zoom lens offers the most zoom of any ultra-zoom digital camera released this year. The FZ18’s 28-504mm (35mm equivalent) lens isn’t quite as wide as the 18x lenses on the Olympus SP-560 and Fujifilm S8000fd, but it zooms farther and its optics are superior. It has an optical image stabilization system that reduces the chance of blurry pictures and keeps videos stable. The FZ18 performs amazingly well in terms of color reproduction and dynamic range. It has a 2.5- inch LCD screen, a flash that lights up to 20 feet, and an electronic viewfinder that is handy when shooting in bright sunlight. Manual, Priority, Program, Auto, Scene, and Movie modes populate the mode dial, and users can shoot in RAW or JPEG. There is also a face detection system that can detect up to 15 faces in an image. The SLR-shaped body is comfortable to hold with strategically placed textured rubber grips. Excellent handling, features, and performance earn the FZ18 its spot at the top of the ultra-zoom market.

Best Ultra-thin Camera

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100



The Sony T100 is only 0.88 inches thick, but size alone does not win this category. There are Casio Exilim digital cameras that are thinner, but they don’t perform nearly as well as this Cyber-shot. The T100 proves it’s possible to pack great features into and get good prints from a camera that can be stuffed into a pocket. It has flat surfaces and a sliding lens cover, which make the metal-
bodied camera more durable than its competitors. The 8.1-megapixel camera has a solid set of components that include a 3-inch LCD screen, a 5x optical zoom lens, and image stabilization. Trendy face detection is included, as well as high definition output. This is a nice complement to the slide shows that can be played back with music. The best part of the tiny camera is its pictures: they have accurate colors and are sharp, detailed, and clear of noise. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T100 retails for $399, but can be found for $50 less now that it has been replaced by the T200.

Best Underwater Camera

Olympus Stylus 770SW



There are only a handful of digital cameras that can go underwater without any special housing, and the 770SW can travel the farthest below the surface. Most underwater cameras can go as deep as 10 feet, but the Olympus Stylus 770SW can go up to 33 feet. It can also sustain 220 pounds, withstand the impact from a 5-foot fall, and tolerate temperatures to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. These specs make the Olympus 770SW a perfect choice for snorkeling, mountain climbing, and even everyday outings with toddlers. The 7.1-megapixel camera has a 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 230,000 pixels. It is very compact and the 27 Shooting modes, including four underwater Scene modes, make it easy to use. The 770SW also has a built-in manometer that calculates air and water pressure and can record the elevation in the file info. There is also a flashlight and alarm clock. The Stylus 770SW retails for $379 but can be found for a little less now that its successor, the 790SW, is on the market. The newer version can only go to 10 feet underwater, though, so the Olympus Stylus 770SW takes the award.

Best Family/Child-Friendly Camera

Pentax Optio W30



If your last digital camera was ruined by your careless teenager or toddler, you’ll understand the value of the Pentax Optio W30. This 7.1-megapixel digital camera can go underwater as deep as 10 feet - not enough to go scuba diving, but enough to ensure that a drop in the sink or a spill of lemonade
won’t damage it. The Pentax Optio W30 has a 3x optical zoom lens and a 2.5-inch LCD screen, along with face recognition and television-quality video recording to capture first steps, elementary school band concerts, and graduation. It measures 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.9 inches and its rectangular shape resembles a cell phone. Kids and teenagers will love the 20 Scene modes and interesting color effects, such as fish-eye and cartoon-like frames in the Playback mode. Parents will love that it is easy to use and doesn’t easily damage. The W30 retails for $299.

Best Value

Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3



This camera has it all: resolution, zoom, trendy features, and a compact body. The 7.2-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 has an excellent 10x optical zoom lens, along with an optical image stabilization system. The compact camera departs from the chunky body of most cameras with similar zoom ranges, making it more portable than the competition. The smaller TZ3 handles great for its size and performs exceptionally well. Its colors are beautifully accurate, and it can snap great pictures, even in low light. There are 21 Scene modes, along with a Program mode that lets users control white balance, exposure compensation, autofocus, and ISO. Users can view their images on the high-resolution 3-inch LCD screen. The Panasonic TZ3 offers a lot of zoom in a convenient body for a relatively low price of $349. Better yet, the camera is selling online for an average of $50 less.

Best Innovation

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T2



Last year saw new features such as touch screens, rotary dials, and wireless cameras. This year was the year for bigger and better, but not innovation. Every manufacturer increased the size of LCD screens, lengthened zoom lenses, and threw in juiced-up features like face detection - which was new last year, by the way. Though pickings were slim, we decided the Sony T2’s massive amount of internal memory deserved the award. The trendy and thin 8-megapixel T2 has 4 GB of built-in memory, enough to hold 1,000 full-resolution
images. The camera includes a few organizational features to manage all those photos, along with a slot for Memory Stick Duo and Duo Pro cards incase 4 GB is just not enough. Other Cyber-shot cameras can’t record 30 fps videos to the internal memory, but the T2 allows this higher-quality recording. The Sony Cyber-shot T2 also has innovative “Sharemark” software that allows it to directly upload photos and videos to websites such as YouTube, Flickr, Photobucket, Shutterfly, and Crackle. The T2 completes its feature set with high-definition output, a 2.7-inch LCD screen with 230,000 pixels, and a nice range of Shooting modes and controls. The Sony T2 goes on sale in December for $349.

There you have the best digital cameras of 2007. Happy Shopping!

Pentax Optio Z10 Spec Sheet

Specs Table Manufacturer Pentax Model Optio Z10 Specs Type Compact Low Price 0.00 Price 249.95 Length 3.70 Width 1.00 Height 2.30

Pentax Optio Z10 Digital Camera Review

A large 8Mp resolution and 7x optical zoom suggests a big camera. However, at less than 10cm wide, the Pentax Optio Z10 is a perfect solution for out and about snapping.

Digital Camera Shopping Research

Yes, it may be a little early for this, but as you know time between now and Christmas (there, I said it) tends to disappear faster than a pint of ale set in front of me on a Friday evening. That said, it’s not too early to start doing your homework and thinking about the kinds of digital photo gifts you might consider giving this holiday season.

If you’re thinking about giving a gift that involves digital photography this year, you certainly won’t be alone. According to the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) figures, some 27.5 million digital cameras will be sold during 2007, up slightly from 26.7 million last year.

CNET has compiled the most popular digital cameras for your consideration. And there’s this very thorough digital camera type guide that also should prove to be very helpful produced by DigitalCameraReview.com.

There’s also Digital Photography Review (DPReview.com) which is perhaps the most comprehensive review site there is for digital cameras. A little research will help enormously when there are so many different models to choose from.

When you’re ready to move on and start hunting down the best prices, we have our own little store setup here at DeapPop!, powered by Amazon.com. Not a bad place to start :)

Get Rid of Jaggies

Here is a really great tool that gets rid of those awful pixel squares found in photos from low mega-pixel cameras.

VectorMagic has the answer. A free website from the folks down at Stanford, VectorMagic takes your raster images and turns them into smooth vector drawings.

Unlike raster images, vector drawings are made of geometric shapes instead of pixels, so you can infinitely resize them with no fuzzy or blockiness! This makes them ideal for blowing up a small photo to, say, the size of your bedroom wall.

Other programs that will do this, but VectorMagic is web-based and will run on most computers. Plus, its algorithms do an impressive job of translating photographs into realistic vectors — something others choke on.

So dump those passé pixels… and give your tiny photos a new photographic life, smooth and vectorized!
found via photojojo

Canon PowerShot A720 IS Spec Sheet

Specs Table Manufacturer Canon Model PowerShot A720 IS Specs Type Point-and-Shoot Low Price 199.00 Price 249.00 Length 3.80 Width

Canon PowerShot A720 IS

Canon launched the PowerShot A720 IS with optical image stabilization in August 2007 as a full-featured camera at an economic price. The PowerShot A720 IS is the third model in Canon’s entry-level A-series with image stabilization. In addition to increasing the resolution to 8-megapixels, the camera features 6x optical zoom and an updated Digic III processor with upgraded face detection

Canon Powershot A720 IS Digital Camera Review

Bridge cameras are usually aimed at the keen enthusiasts that don't want to lug around a DSLR and loads of lenses. The powershot A series is a low specification version of the bridge camera. However, the Powershot A720 IS has 8Mp and a 6x zoom stuffed into its tiny body. Canon Powershot A720 IS Specification Resolution: 8MpLens: 6x optical zoom with optical Image Stabiliser Processor: DIGIC

Using a Digital Camera for Beginners

In today's video clip (2 min 49 sec), you will learn:

* How to use the screen on your digital camera as a viewfinder, to review.
* Pictures & adjust menu settings.
* How to zoom in on a picture to check its focus.
* What pixels are & how they affect picture quality.
* The pros & cons of changing Quality/Compression settings.

Grain in Digital Photography

Originally uploaded by RickBlythe. click to view larger image.


I love black and white photography.

One of its key traits is how it represents grain. In the old days of film processing grain was a byproduct of the chemical process and the physical traits of the media involved. Today with digital, grain no longer exists in the same sense, but has been replaced by noise. Noise is a byproduct of the electronics involved. Noise in digital cameras is not even close to film in the way it can add a sense of age or grittiness. Noise basically sucks.

This image however is the result not of digital noise, but of a piece of software know as Exposure from the folks at Alien skin. I did a review here of an older version. I think they do a great job of simulating old film style grain in the digital world. Don't you agree?

Alien Skin's new Exposure 2 lets digital photographers and graphic artists enhance any digital photo by simulating the rich, organic look of film. Exposure 2 features more than 200 presets that emulate the warmth, softness, and realistic grains of film. Beyond the ability to reproduce the look and feel of film, Exposure 2 also offers a range of effects previously available only in darkrooms and photo labs, such as push and cross processing and glamour portrait softening.