ACDSee Pro Photo Manager

The Imaging Resource have done a full review on ACDSee Pro, calling it a pixel data editor and says it compares not to Aperture and Lightroom but to Photoshop Elements. I would agree. Where Aperture and Lightroom edit mostly jpeg header data, ACDSee is a full fledged photo editor.

"Your camera may have shipped with free image editing software. If not, there are several free options out there including Picasa and Irfanview. But there isn’t a free Windows workflow tool. And as soon as you take a few hundred images, you’re going to wish there were.

Fortunately for Windows users, ACDSee is an inexpensive workflow tool. And there’s really not much ACDSee Pro can’t do. If you shoot just JPEGs, it’s a fabulous bargain at $40. If you shoot Raw, it’s only a bit less compelling at $129.99, particularly since it does not offer metadata editing of image characteristics (although you can batch edit IPTC metadata like copyright). And that’s really our biggest qualm about recommending the product.

But it provides a single environment to import, sort, catalog, edit, create HTML pages and contact sheets, archive and track your image collection. And while we may have qualms about the interface, the horsepower behind the application makes a very sweet sound."

Read the full review here..

I have used ACDSee products over the years, always upgrading to their latest version, and love the flexibility it provides me.

Choosing the Right ISO for Digital Photography

I just came across an article over at digital Photography School titled How to Choose the Right ISO for your Digital Photography. This is a great question especially for those of us who have no idea what it means. ISO is one of those terms in photogaphy many of us never bother to figure out but which can make a huge difference in your photos.

If you are one of those who wants to get a little bit more out of your camera then this article is for you. Go ahead, take your camera off AUTO and start improving your technique.

What ISO is best for my pictures? - Reader Question

Changing the ISO setting on your camera changes the sensitivity to light of the image sensor inside of it.

The lower number that you select the less sensitive the sensor is to light (and conversely the higher the number the more sensitive it becomes).

This is useful when you’re shooting in different lighting situations - particularly when there’s low light and you might not be able to use a flash (you’d bump up your ISO setting in this case).

Read the full text of the article...

Free Introduction to Photography Course

Here is a free, workshop-centered course in the Visual Arts Program at MIT, featuring several student projects. The course combines practical instruction, field trips, group discussions, and individual reviews intended to foster a critical awareness of how images in our culture are produced and constructed. Student-initiated term projects are at the core of this exploration of the relationship of image to language and issues of interpretation and personal history. Besides, this course also offers practical instruction in basic black and white techniques, digital imaging, fundamentals of camera operation, lighting, film exposure, development and printing. Course provides opportunity for continued exploration.

Abstract: Investigates fundamental issues in photography, both analog and digital, and the nature of the photographic image as well as nontraditional ways of exploring the photographic vision. Explores relationship of image to language as well as the issues of meaning, interpretation, and their relationship to culture. Lab fee. Limited enrollment.

Details:

Downloadable docs
Language: English with translations in Portuguese and Spanish

Amazon also offers

Fujifilm FinePix S9600 Digital Camera Review

An incredibly versatile camera designed for serious hobbyist and enthusiast photographers, the 9.0 megapixel Fujifilm FinePix S9100 Digital Camera features Fujifilm’s Super CCD HR sensor and Real Photo Processor, delivering IS0 1600 performance and enabling capture of crisp and clear images even in low light conditions. The camera’s 10.7x (28-300mm 35mm equivalent) zoom lens incorporates aspherical elements that result in a sharper image, and minimizes distortion and aberrations. The lens is easily controlled via a manual zoom ring to give pinpoint accuracy when composing images. Furthermore, its fixed housing ensures that users do not have to contend with specks of dust or dirt collecting on the sensor. This can compromise image quality and is a drawback often associated with conventional digital SLRs.

Digicam Review have this to say about the camera:
The Fujifim S9600 / S9100 is an impressive 9 megapixel digital camera with a wide angle 10.7x optical zoom lens and a large 2" display. The camera is one of very few to include ISO 1600. It has excellent responsiveness and is designed to be able to take great photos in situation the majority of cameras would fail. Although some people may be overwhelmed with the number of controls, with use and familiarity, they become almost intuitive. Particularly welcome is the pivoting screen (which could have been even better had it pivoted on both axes). The FujiFilm S9600 / S9100 is well worth considering - there are few digital cameras that offer so many options and so much quality for such a low price.

Featuring

9-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 17 x 23-inch prints 10.7x wide-angle zoom; 2.0-inch LCD display Intelligent Flash system balances flash power output Bundled with Hyper Utility Software HS-V2 version 3 Powered by 4 AA-size batteries; stores images on xD-Picture Cards and Compact Flash/Microdrives

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Suggested Accessories

Sunpak Super 383 Flash Kinetronics Digital Camera Cleaning Kit - contains: Cleaning Cloth and cleaning solution Pelican 1200 Watertight Hard Case with Foam Insert - Black Lowepro REZO TLZ10 Digital Camera Case Gadget Bag POWER 2000 XP-333 NiMH Rapid AA and AAA Battery Charger

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Fujifilm 1 GB xD-Picture Card Flash Media Type M ( 600002298 ) Fujifilm SC-FXS9 Case for Fuji S9000, S9100, S6000FD Digipower DPS-3000+ 3 Hour AA/AAA Rechargeable Battery Kit with 4 AA 2500 mAh Batteries 4-Year Service Plan for Digital and Film Cameras $200 to $599.99 2GB Xd-flash Memory Cards