Panasonic Digital Cameras - The History Behind Their Cameras

Panasonic is a world-renowned consumer electronics company today. Its digital cameras have recently entered the market. In this article, we will view the story of Panasonic and some of the latest cameras which have been launched by the company in the market.

The inception of Panasonic took place in the year 1918 on a small work table in the house of Konosuke Matsushita. At that time, Matsushita invented the two-socket light fixture. This product became a success and Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd. was established.

Panasonic is the largest manufacturer of consumer electronics in the world today. The firm produces a wide array of products which cater to several needs of consumers. Its policy of achieving hundred percent customer satisfaction and providing optimal quality goods, has led Panasonic from strength to strength. In fact, the name Panasonic is synonymous with innovation, quality, performance and ease of use.

As far as digi cameras are concerned, Panasonic has got several types of digi cameras which can cater to various audiences depending on their budget and needs. In fact, Panasonic has also entered into an alliance with German camera maker, Leica to develop still digital cameras. The reason for this alliance is the fact that Panasonic is a small player in the digital market today. This alliance will help both Leica and Panasonic to take over an estimated ten percent of the digital camera market share.

Panasonic's latest line of digi cameras consists of mainly three series. One of these is the Lumix digital camera series. The Lumix camera makes use of lenses provided by Leica. This helps in getting images which are extremely clear and bright. The Lumix is a highly advanced camera and also comes with manual control options. Its shutter interval is also less than 0.04 seconds, hence allowing the photographer to take shots quickly.

Another series of digital cameras are cheaper and smaller, known as the D-Snap digital camera series. These cameras are trendy and small. They are super-slim and come in different colors. These cameras can also record videos and play music. The D-Snap digital camera is aimed at teenagers and youngsters who are looking for something smart and trendy and which also fit into their budget.

Slowly and steadily, Panasonic is establishing a name for itself in the digi camera world. This company, which has always believed in putting the customer's needs first, is sure to make a mark in this arena as well.

Kevin Rockwell worked as a network TV cameraman for 20 years shooting news and sports. Now a devoted fan of digital photography and video he works to gather information, tips and news for camera users. Oh and he loves to shoot pictures of his kids playing sports. Great Digital Cameras

Digital Cameras for Bird Watching

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Birds are notoriously difficult to great photos of. For avid bird watchers, are digital birding cameras the way to go?

Some photographers think so. Birds make difficult subjects because they are often spotted from quite a distance. In order to get a good quality shot, a lens capable of zooming must be used. However, it can be difficult to get a very close shot that looks crisp and clear when birds are often in almost constant motion. Digital birding cameras must not only be compact, lightweight, and able to withstand the elements but they must be able to zoom in without distortion and have a very quick shutter rate to capture quality photographs.

While a "point and shoot" camera will work well for capturing your children and household activities, it won't work for birding. If you are serious about capturing photographs of the birds you see, you will want to invest in one or more digital birding cameras that meet specific criteria. First, it is best to find a camera which is built to accept several different lenses. This will allow you to select the best lens for the type of photograph and subject you are photographing. Cameras should be well-built and as sturdy as possible. Digital cameras tend to be less durable than their film counterparts, but there are quality digital birding cameras which will hold up in outdoor conditions. While you want to make sure your camera is tough, size is also a consideration. The best digital birding camera is one that combines durability and compactness. In fact, many quality cameras are small enough to fit in the pocket of your pants or vest.

Make sure the digital birding camera you select has the ability to be set up to the specifications you need. You should be able to manually adjust the aperture. The aperture is basically where the lens opens. The diameter of the aperture is called the f-stop. You can become more familiar with these settings as you become more proficient with your camera, but you need to make sure that your camera allows you to set these yourself, rather than only having an "auto" setting. Adjusting these will allow the speed of your shutter to increase, which will let you take pictures much more quickly. You want the time that elapses from when you press the button to take the picture to when the camera actually takes it to be as small as possible. This will let you capture those birds who are in motion.

There are a few other things to look for when selecting a digital birding camera. Many cameras come with the ability to take rapid fire shots. You simply press the button once, and the camera will take multiple shots, one after the other. With a little practice, you can capture beautiful motion studies this way. Being able to adjust light settings is also crucial as you will not always be working in direct sunlight.

Although it may seem like common sense, perhaps the most important advice given to someone new to digital birding cameras is to be prepared. When going out into the field, bring plenty of spare batteries and memory cards. When you return home with your photographs, make sure you do a backup onto a disk or portable hard drive. Backing up your photographs is something that should be done each time you retrieve the photos from your camera so that you do not lose your shots if your computer should crash.

Should I buy the new Nikon D800 DSLR?

Nikon is set to launch the D800 as the successor to the full-frame D700 DSLR (pictured) early next year, if online details of a D800 handbook are to be believed.

The 320-page D800 handbook will be published on 9 February 2011, according to an entry which appears to have been posted on an Amazon page. Written by Jean-Baptiste Guges the book is entitled Obtenez le maximum du Nikon D800, which loosely translates as 'getting the most from the D800'.

Details of the 17x21cm book, published separately, suggest that the D800 will carry a 24-million-pixel sensor (double that of the two-year-old D700) and will cost between Euros 2,000 and Euros 2,500.

Any such online postings should be treated with caution. It remains unclear as to why the upcoming launch of a handbook would appear more than three months before the suggested launch date of the camera. A Nikon UK spokeswoman told Amateur Photographer: 'Unfortunately we can't comment on potential future product.'

It appears that the relevant website links were taken down within minutes of Amateur Photographer exposing them.

Should you buy a D800 from Nikon? We just can say – yet!

Digital Photography Vs Film Photography - What's the Difference?

There was a time when film photography dominated the market. As digital photography has advanced film is starting to fade into the background. Film isn't completely extinct by any means. There are still a few professional photographers that use film. Let's look at the difference between the two.

The main difference between film and digital photography is the way the image is captured. In digital photography light is reflected onto a sensor. The sensor then converts the that image into digital information. Once the image is captured it can easily be viewed on the camera's LCD screen.

When you're using film cameras for photography the image is captured on film. Once the entire roll of film is used it must be processed in chemicals to see the image. Once the film is processed the image can be transferred to light sensitive photographic paper and viewed. When you're using a film camera you can't see the image right away.

The ISO setting on a camera helps control the sensitivity the camera has to light. When you're using a digital camera you can change the ISO setting in between every shot. You can preview your picture on the LCD and if you don't like the way it turned out you can change your ISO setting and take the picture again. You can do this again and again until you get it right.

When you use a film camera the ISO is determined by the speed of the film you're using. Film comes in speeds like 100, 400, and 800. These numbers show how sensitive the film is to light. The higher the ISO number the more sensitive the film. When you put a roll of film in your camera you must take pictures with the camera at that same ISO setting until the film runs out. You can't change ISO settings between pictures.

When you use a digital camera you can download your pictures onto your computer to print them or simply plug your camera directly into your printer and print them from there. The entire process can be done by anyone at home. If you don't want prints of your pictures that's fine too. You can email photos to family and friends. There are also plenty of website you can use for sharing your photos.

When you use a film camera pictures have to be developed in a darkroom. You need to take your film to a store that processes film. You can't do it at home unless you have a darkroom full of expensive equipment for processing pictures. It could take anywhere from one hour to a few days before you see your pictures depending on where you take them to get developed.

It was once thought that film photography was of much higher quality than digital photography, but digital cameras are advancing so quickly that is no longer the case. You can get lovely, high quality images from a high-end digital SLR camera. A good quality digital camera does cost much more money than film cameras though.

Nokia C2(C2-00) Dual Sim Phone Review

This Nokia C2 or Nokia C2-00 is another dual SIM phone released by Nokia. Nokia C2 comes with bluetooth, Expandable memory (Micro SD), FM Radio, MP3 player,3.5 mm audio connector. The standard sales of package of  C2_00 comes with Nokia WH-102 wire headset. This Nokia phone is based on series 40 OS. Let us have a Nokia C2-00 review on its specifications,features. The price of the Nokia C2_00 is discussed in later part of the post. Below are the some of the images of Nokia C2.

Nokia C2

Nokia C2 (C2-00) Features: 

• Keep one SIM card inside the phone.
• Swap multiple cards using the second hot swap-enabled SIM slot.
• Use the shortcut keys to swap quickly and smoothly between active SIMs.
• Manage the cost of your calls by choosing the right SIM card for you.
• Take the web with you - connect to the internet through GPRS.
• Browse, search, shop and share online with the mobile web browser.
• Get the information that matters to you from Nokia's Ovi Life Tools.
•  Keep the conversation going using the Ovi Chat IM application.
• Stay in touch with Ovi Mail – your free email account from Nokia.
• Capture special moments with the built-in camera.
• Share photos and videos via email, Bluetooth or microUSB cable.
• Store more with support for up to 32 GB of memory on a microSD card.
• Build your collection on a microSD card, expandable to up to 32 GB.

Specifications of Nokia C2(C2-00):
          Display:
                    Screen Size: 1.8"
                    Resolution: 128 x 160 pixels
                    Up to 65,000 colours.

          Memory:

• microSD memory card slot, hot swappable, max. 32 GB
• Internal memory: 64/16 ram/flash

Applications:

• Email (SMTP, IMAP4, POP3), SMS, unified editor
• Data: Calendar, Contacts, To-do, Notes, E-mail

 Music features:

• Nokia music player
• Music playback file formats: .mp3, .wma, .aac, eAAC, eAAC+
• 3.5 mm stereo headphone plug
• Nokia Music Store support
• Ring tones: mp3, aac, WMA

 

Radio:

• Stereo FM radio (87.5-108 MHz/76-90 MHz), RDS
• Radio recording feature

 Standard Sales Package of Nokia C2:

• Nokia C2-00
• Nokia Battery BL-5C
• Nokia Stereo Headset WH-102
• Nokia Compact Charger AC-3 (AC-8C in selected countries)
• User guide Price

Nokia C2 (c2-00) price in India: The price is not yet disclosed. However the price of C2 is expected to 2500Rs.

Nokia C1 Dual sim Phone Review

One of the biggest mobile phone manufacturer Nokia released its first Dual Sim phones. It was much expected earlier. However better late than never. The New Dual Sim phone released By Nokia are Nokia C1-00 and Nokia C2-00 series phones.  In this we will go through the specifications and review on Nokia C1-00.Nokia C1 is a GSM dual SIM phone from Nokia.

The main specialty of this Nokia C1-00 or Nokia C1 is that it has two SIM cards running at same time in one phone. However you cannot use both SIM simultaneously.By pressing a key one can switch between the two SIMs.

Full Specifications of Nokia C1:

• Network: GSM
• Dual Sim (GSM+GSM)
• Band: GSM 900/1800 MHz
• Display: 1.8″ inch TFT 65k Color Display
• Symbian Series 30 Platform
• FM Radio
• Torch Light
• 3.5mm Audio Connector
• Polyphonic Ringtones
• 500 PhoneBook Memory
• Battery: Li-Ion 1020 (BL-5C)
• Standby battery time of up to six weeks
• Weight: 72.9 grams

Content of the sales Package of Nokia C1:

• Nokia C1-00
• Nokia Battery BL-5C
• Nokia Compact Charger AC-3
• Nokia Stereo Headset WH-102
• Compact user guide

Nokia C1 price in India is 1700Rs.

Digital SLR Cameras - What's New For Military Photography

Image : http://www.flickr.com

DSLR cameras are highly valued by military photographers because of their resolution, sensitivity, versatility in the field, availability of a wide variety of objective lenses and because they allow an accurate preview of framing close to the moment of exposure. Many photographers also prefer dSLRs for their larger sensors compared to most compact digital cameras, now available with image sensors the same size as traditional film formats. These large sensors allow for similar field-of-view values to film formats, as well as their comparable sensitivity.

Over 80% of the dSLR cameras sold today are models from Nikon or Canon. As a result of their predominance, an abundance of lenses and accessories are available for these two camera bodies, resulting in an excellent selection and remarkable pricing. These accessories include: objective lenses that are fast, lightweight, optically stabilized, autofocus, as well as night vision modules and other camera accessories that increase overall camera performance. Note that while there are other camera manufacturers that provide excellent products worthy of consideration for certain applications, only Nikon and Canon cameras are mentioned in this article.

Pixels: How many? How Big?

The most noticeable change in the evolution of digital SLR cameras has been the steady increase in the number of pixels that makeup the image sensor. Commercial cameras have seen the number of pixels in the camera's sensor grow twenty times in as many years, from 1MP (1 million pixels) in 1990 to over 20MP in 2010.

Are cameras with larger sensor arrays better? Not necessarily. It depends on the application. There's more to understanding the impact of larger array sizes than merely the number of pixels. There are two other important considerations that are considered here: the physical sensor array size and the physical pixel size.

Impact of Physical Array Size

The first dSLR cameras used image sensors that were significantly smaller than traditional 35mm film formats (36mmx24mm). As shown in Figure 2, today dSLR image sensors are available in several distinct sizes. The smallest image sensors are about 2/3 the size of the 35mm format. They are available from both Canon (known as APS-C format) and Nikon (known as the DX format). Canon also provides cameras with a slightly larger size sensor, APS-H which is approximately 28x19mm. The largest sensors (known as "full-frame" sensors) are now available in cameras from both Canon and Nikon and have the same size sensor as the original film SLR cameras, 36mmx24mm.

For cameras having an image sensor that is smaller than full-frame, a digital crop factor has been defined (also known as the focal length multiplier or magnification factor) which can be calculated by taking the ratio of the diagonal dimension of 35mm film (43.3mm) to the diagonal dimension of the camera's image sensor size. As should be obvious by the term focal length multiplier, multiplying the lens focal length by the crop factor gives the effective focal length of a lens that would yield the same field-of-view if used on a full-frame camera. For the military photographer, the concept of having a crop factor >1 is normally regarded as a benefit. For long distance viewing, a narrower field of view is quite desirable and the crop factor provides photographers a "boost" in long-focal-length enabling them to fill the frame more easily when the subject is far away. For example, the focal length multiplier for a Nikon DX-format camera is 1.5. Using a 200mm lens on a Nikon DX-format camera will deliver the same field-ofview as a 300mm lens on a full-frame camera. However, while there are benefits for long distance viewing, the narrowing of the FOV is sometimes a disadvantage to photographers when a wide FOV is desired. For example, a 24mm lens on a Nikon DXformat camera will result in the same field-of-view as a 36mm lens, possibly too narrow for the application necessitating the use of expensive ultra-wide lenses to deliver the desired FOV (16mm in this example). Obviously, cameras having "full-frame" image sensors that are the same size as the 35mm film size, there is no crop factor (crop factor is 1).

Impact of Physical Pixel Size

In order to better understand the impact of the pixel size, compare the performance of two cameras that have the same physical array size but a different number of pixels (and consequently different pixel sizes). For this example, let's compare the Nikon D3X (fullframe image sensor with 24MP) and the Nikon D3S (full-frame image sensor with 12MP). For the D3X, the physical pixel dimension is about 6 micron whereas the D3S has pixels that are about 8.5 micron, about 40% larger. In this example, if the military photographer is performing surveillance at a distance, identification of objects will be related to the number of pixels on target. Hence, if the same lens is used on the two cameras being compared, the standoff distance for the higher resolution model will be further than for the lower resolution camera. Explained differently, in order for the lower resolution camera to deliver the same resolving capability as the higher resolution camera with a 300mm lens, the lower resolution camera would either need a 420mm lens or the photographer would need to move closer to the target by about 25% of the distance.

As far as resolving capability goes, smaller pixels are better and the advantage goes to the high resolution camera which can use lenses that are lightweight, easy to hold and essentially "faster". Unfortunately, more smaller pixels aren't always the best thing for a surveillance photographer! All things being equal, as pixels get smaller in size, they also become a lot less effective at gathering light resulting in lower sensitivity for the camera. Pixel sensitivity is related to the area of the pixel, so in our comparison, the pixels that are 40% larger will likely deliver twice the sensitivity (1.4x1.4~2). This means that to obtain the same light sensitivity will require an extra F-stop or double the exposure time. Alternatively, the camera's processor will have to gain-up the signal. (More on this in the next section). Nikon probably realized that for some photographers, more resolution isn't always better. Adding pixels means making them smaller and the smaller the pixel the worse the light sensitivity. Fortunately, noise reduction techniques have improved considerably in the past few years, making it possible to increase resolution while keeping sensitivity about constant. So what if you applied current noise reduction strategies to an existing sensor, without adding more pixels? That's certainly what Nikon intended with the design of the D3S, leaving the resolution at 12.1MP allowed them to increase the sensitivity for those customers that need it. For photographers who absolutely need more resolution, Nikon has the 24.5MP D3X.

Low Light Photography

For the military photographer, some of the most demanding situations occur at night when there is little ambient light, or scenes are at a distance. Today, dSLR cameras have unique capabilities and accessories are available that help the photographer make the most out of night-time imaging circumstances.

Aperture and Exposure Time

The primary factors that impact imaging in low-light are still fundamental to photography - lens aperture and exposure time. For night-time photography, since depth of field is not normally an important factor, it makes sense to select an objective lens that has the largest possible aperture. Selecting an objective lens for a specific application may be as important as selecting the dSLR camera. In fact, one may select either the Nikon or Canon body because of the specific objective lenses that are available. Similarly, exposure time for night-time imaging should be set as long as possible but still to avoid blur due to observing objects in motion or from camera jitter.

Enhanced ISO - Higher gain with drawbacks

Aperture and exposure time directly impact the amount of light that impinges on each pixel in the image sensor and affect the sensor's output electrical signal. In addition, dSLR cameras permit the photographer to adjust the gain (i.e. amplification) of the sensor's output electrical signal. (This is distinctly different from the ISO definition for film cameras which was to be adjusted to match the film sensitivity). For dSLR cameras, increasing the gain will amplify the sensor signal. Like all electrical circuits, image sensors are not perfect, and with the image signal, they also produce some noise in the form of unwanted random errors in the signal. Noise in digital images appears as graininess or specks of false color. To avoid too much noise, the night-time photographer adjusts the camera's ISO to a value that is high enough to brighten the image while still maintaining acceptable image noise levels. Today, the maximum value is typically 1600, but some cameras deliver perfectly usable images at ISO 3200, 6400 or even 12800.

In addition to the standard ISO settings, digital cameras now perform noise reduction on digital images. As a result, some additional gain-up is enabled on these cameras, sometimes one step (H1), or effectively two times the maximum ISO setting, but also two steps (H2, 4 times) and three steps (H3, 8 times). This Enhanced ISO setting is now available on most digital SLR cameras. For example, both the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV and the Nikon D3S permit three levels of enhanced ISO which results in an equivalent ISO setting of 102,400! It is important to note that images adjusted as such normally have a great degree of noise and exhibit significant degradation in resolution because of the noise reduction techniques. Apparently, as with all electronic circuits at high gain, image noise can significantly degrade image quality.

Night Vision Modules

Today's digital SLR cameras offer the photographer full control of aperture, shutter speed and ISO settings enabling the capture of excellent usable images in low light that were not otherwise possible. However, in many situations such as photographing scenes at night with very little ambient light, or telephoto photography at night at a distance, even the best digital SLR cameras simply do not have sufficient sensitivity to capture adequate images. In these situations, night vision modules are the ideal accessory.

The night vision module accessory fits between the SLR objective lens and the camera body. Simply remove the objective lens, attach the night vision module to the camera body and attach the objective lens. AstroScope night vision modules are designed to seamlessly integrate with the camera and lens combinations, maintaining all the electronic functions of the SLR objective lens (including image stabilization) via the camera's hot-shoe. The night vision module is powered directly from the camera and conveniently turns on with the initiation of the shutter release button.

The night vision module features an automatic gain control that assures that its output is relatively constant. As such, camera settings are relatively easy to configure, as follows:

• Exposure time 1/30 sec (no need to make it shorter since the intensifier has its own lag)

• Manual aperture (so that lens F-stop setting stays put)

• F-stop at widest aperture (intensifier automatically adjusts light level)

• ISO setting adjusted to a level where camera noise is not apparent

• Autofocus Off (image intensifier scintillation can confuse autofocus sensors)

• Image stabilization On (to maintain stable images while camera is in motion)

Summary

The evolution of the digital SLR (dSLR) camera continues with impressive features being added at a steady rate. For the military or law enforcement photographer, the new dSLR camera models and new features can be quite useful for portable observation and in-the-field news gathering, both at night and during the day. Some of the benefits are:

• Image sensor arrays continue to grow in physical size, now available with full-frame formats the same as the traditional film SLR cameras.

• Pixels continue to be packed more densely, increasing overall resolution and the ability of dSLR cameras to detect, recognize and identify objects at a distance.

• Sensitivity of cameras is improving, with cameras having unenhanced ISO settings up to 12,800.

• Night vision modules are available to improve light gathering by 8-10 F-stops while still permitting electronic lens functions to continue to function, including image stabilization.

DSLR cameras continue to be highly valued by military photographers over other camera styles because of their large sensors, resolution, sensitivity, versatility in the field, availability of a wide variety of objective lenses and night vision modules.