Jumat, 31 Oktober 2008
Unique and Stylish Prescription Eye Glasses Starting from $8 Each!
Rabu, 22 Oktober 2008
From Business loans to Credit Cards!
Candid Photography Tips
a Super-advanced 10-mega-pixel camera!
Select the Right Digital Camera
Senin, 20 Oktober 2008
Nikon D90
Another Nikon D90 review is out, this time from DPReview. As you'll read, the D90 is not just a small incremental upgrade from the D80. This model is grounding breaking in some regards. Here's a taster of what DPReview said of the Nikon D90-
"The early talk about the D90 was about its video capability and indeed it does record HD videos - good ones by digital stills camera standards. But don't let that distract you, this is a camera which lets nothing get in the way of taking photos. Its degree of configurability results in long menus but they're generally well arranged and color-coded to minimize the likelihood you getting lost in them. There's also the option to create a menu of your most used settings (or list the most recently used ones, if you don't want to spend time setting it up), and a status screen that gives fairly fast access to those key parameters that don't have their own buttons.
...
The D80 was a very well respected camera, offering a feature set that seemed perfectly tailored to the enthusiast market - the D90 builds on this by including many of the options from the D300. The automatic Chromatic Aberration correction is just one example - without ever having to think about it, it instantly improves the results of every JPEG, regardless of the lens used. Picking the images apart to find differences between cameras reveals it's not quite a half-price D300 but that was a camera we described at the time as being best semi-professional digital SLR on the market, setting the bar pretty high. After using and testing the D90 extensively, it's hard to think of a better enthusiast-level camera."
Nikon D90 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR
click to view
D90 Features:
• 12.3-megapixel DX-format CMOS imaging sensor
• 5.8x AF-S DX Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens included
• D-Movie Mode; Cinematic 24fps HD with sound
• 3-inch super-density 920,000-dot color LCD monitor
• Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
Accessories:
Jumat, 17 Oktober 2008
Nikon D90 Review
While it may look a lot like its predecessor, the new Nikon D90 is essentially an all-new camera on the inside. The most talked-about feature on the D90 has to be its movie mode. The camera can record up to 5 minutes of continuous high definition (720p) video with sound, and longer if you use a lower resolution. Recording movies on an SLR isn't as easy as you may think, as you have to manually focus if your subject is moving around. Still, it's a fun feature, and one that I figure most SLRs will be getting in the next couple of years. PhotographyBLOG has just posted their review of the D90 here.
"The bottom line is that if you are looking for a high-performance yet affordable DSLR for taking high-resolution still photographs of varied subjects, I can highly recommend the Nikon D90 to you. If you intend to use Live View frequently, I would suggest that you look at other options as well. If your main objective is recording video as painlessly as possible, get a camcorder instead. But if you have some experience in filmmaking and want to experiment with a large-sensor camera that takes interchangeable lenses and records high-definition video, and are willing to put up with its idiosyncrasies, I'd say go for it – you're going to enjoy it!"
Nikon D90
D90 Features
- 12.9 megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor (effective pixels: 12.3 million)
- 3.0-inch 920,000 pixel (VGA x 3 colors) TFT-LCD (same as D3 and D300)
- Live View with contrast-detect AF, face detection
- Image sensor cleaning (sensor shake)
- Illuminated focus points
- Movie capture at up to 1280 x 720 (720p) 24 fps with mono sound
- IS0 200-3200 range (100-6400 expanded)
- 4.5 frames per second continuous shooting (buffer: 7 RAW, 25 JPEG fine, 100 JPEG Normal)
- Expeed image processing engine
- 3D tracking AF (11 point)
- Short startup time, viewfinder blackout and shutter lag
- Slightly improved viewfinder (96% frame coverage)
- Extensive in-camera retouching including raw development and straightening
- Improved user interface
- New optional compact GPS unit (fits on hot shoe)
- Same battery and vertical grip as D80
- Vignetting control in-camera
- 72 thumbnail and calendar view in playback
Selasa, 07 Oktober 2008
Nikon D700 Review
Nikon has now officially revealed the compact, professional, twelve megapixel, full-frame (FX format) Nikon D700. From the outside the D700 is virtually identical to the D300, albeit for its larger 'full frame' viewfinder, internally it's almost identical to the D3, except for a slightly slower shutter (five frames per second up to eight frames per second with the MB-D10 battery grip). DPreview have just posted their review of the new D700 DSLR here.
"In conclusion the Nikon D700 is an excellent camera that is extremely versatile and performs well both in the studio and on location. No doubt it sets a benchmark in the 'compact' pro bracket of the market. For how long remains to be seen. We will know more after we've reviewed the Canon 5D Mark II and the Sony DSLR-A900."
The Nikon D700 DSLR
Dimensions - Width 5.8 x Height 4.8 x Depth 3.0 Weight - 35 ounces (995 grams)
D700 Features
Canon EOS 50D Review
Canon recently launched the much anticipated EOS 50D, an upgrade to the 40D. On the surface it looks very similar to its predecessor, however there are quite a few significant improvements. Fifteen megapixel CMOS sensor, faster DIGIC 4 processor, 3.0" VGA LCD monitor with Live View mode offering 3 AF modes, ISO sensitivity expandable to 12800 and an HDMI connection for high Quality Image viewing are a few of the expanded features.
Outback Photo just posted their diary style review of the 50D here. Their first thoughts:
First conclusions
- Very good high ISO noise behavior
- Live View has now an extra button
- Viewfinder is quite good (like 40D).
- Canon EOS 50D has full support for AEB (Auto Exposure Bracketing)
- LDC much improved
- RAW files can be 17-25 MB in size (14 bit RAWs). This means you need enough disk space and memory
The Canon EOS 50D DSLR
50D Features
- 15.1 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor
- 6.3fps continuous shooting, max. burst 90 JPEGs with UDMA card
- DIGIC 4 processor
- ISO 100-3200, expandable to 12800
- 9-point wide area AF
- 3.0” Clear View VGA LCD with Live View mode & Face Detection Live AF
- Magnesium alloy body, with environmental protection
- EOS Integrated Cleaning System
- HDMI connection for high quality viewing and playback on a High Definition TV
- Full compatibility with Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites
Kamis, 02 Oktober 2008
GIMP 2.6.0 Released
The GIMP developers are proud to release GIMP 2.6.0
GIMP is the GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed piece of software for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring. It works on many operating systems, in many languages. The most important change is a switch to GEGL engine (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GEGL). By default the legacy 8bit code paths are still used, but a curious user can turn on the use of GEGL for the color operations with Colors / Use GEGL. I'm excited. I wonder how soon the the various plugins will be ported.
Release notes: http://gimp.org/release-notes/gimp-2.6.html
It features changes to the user interface addressing some often received complaints, and a tentative integration of GEGL, the graph based image processing library that will eventually bring high bit-depth and non-destructive editing to GIMP.
I just installed GIMP 2.6 and tried to open a 16 bit image and it converted it to an 8-bit image. The release notes says that GIMP has taken the initial steps towards integration with GEGL. I expect to see 16 bit implementation next year.
Binary packages for the various supported platforms should become available soon; please check the Downloads section
Canon EOS 50D Review
Canon EOS 50D DSLR
50D Features
- 15.1-mega pixel CMOS sensor with improved noise reduction
- EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS standard zoom lens included
- Enhanced Live View shooting includes Face Detection Live mode
- New Lens Peripheral Illumination Correction setting; HDMI output
- Capture images to SD/SDHC memory cards (not included)
"Considered on its own terms, the EOS 50D is a more than worthy addition to Canon's semi-pro DSLR line-up. It boasts a significant number of refinements to a proven design that current EOS users will welcome, whilst adding enough features to catch-up with and in some ways surpass the Nikon D300. Canon have mainly placed their bets on the combination of the new 15 megapixel sensor and Digic 4 processor, hoping that the headline-grabbing pixel count will steal the limelight - thankfully this hasn't come at the expense of image quality. Both prosumer and professional photographers should give the Canon EOS 50D serious consideration."
Rabu, 01 Oktober 2008
ACD Systems unveils ACDSee Photo Manager 2009
ACD has unveiled ACDSee Photo Manager 2009, the latest version of their digital organization and photo sharing software. Among the new features of this version you will find a new Import tool to rename, back up, categorize and add keywords, and functions to frame and share photos. ACDSee Photo Manager 2009 is available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase for $49.99... ACDSee Photo Manager 2009
PRESS SUMMARY
ACDSee Photo Manager 2009 features new tools to help you keep your collection organized and ready for sharing
ACD Systems International Inc. today today unveiled ACDSee™ Photo Manager 2009, the latest version of its powerful digital organization and photo sharing software designed especially for avid amateur photographers, scrapbookers and crafters.
Improved features combine to make ACDSee Photo Manager 2009 the quickest, most flexible and affordably priced organization software available for at-home use. Users enjoy real-time viewing, management and editing of multiple image files, whether they be treasured family photos or digital design elements for creative projects.
“The ACDSee team is actively seeking input from users about what they want and need to manage their growing digital image collections,” said Melanie Wood, community manager for ACD Systems. “The new functions we have built into ACDSee Photo Manager directly address feedback from our users and the larger community of avid photographers who want and need more options for quick and easy organization and sharing.”
Now, ACDSee Photo Manager adds these new features designed to help users manage their growing digital images, stay organized and share memories with family and friends:
Staying organized with new tools from ACDSee
The new Import tool puts this power into the hands of users, who can now rename, back up, categorize and add keywords to images as they are acquired from a camera, card reader, CD/DVD or other storage device. Used in conjunction with ACDSee Photo Manager's Auto Categories, which automatically organizes images according to camera metadata, organization is completed as collections grow.
Protect and share custom organization
ACDSee users love that they can supplement camera metadata (IPTC and EXIF) with their own custom metadata, including categories and ratings, in ACDSee Photo Manager. Customers can now protect and share this custom information with other ACDSee users by embedding it into their images. Users who manage many image types can now include important information even with file formats that don't support camera metadata, such as PNGs, PDFs and GIFs.
“We have heard from many digital designers and ACDSee users that custom metadata is an important feature,” Wood said. “For designers, it's important to protect their copyright, and for users, they want to be able to easily search for and locate digital elements from their favorite kits.”
Frame and share photos
Photographers can quickly and creatively add a finishing touch with a custom border, drop shadow or edge effect, then share favorite images with friends and family with quick uploaders to online tools like flickr™. Users can show off photos in auto slide shows and screensavers that now include creative presentation options such as pan & zoom, black & white and sepia effects and music.
Save originals
ACDSee Photo Manager automatically saves and preserves the original image file when it is first opened for editing within the software. Users can restore to the original at any time after making image edits like adjusting colors, cropping or adding creative elements, such as borders, frames and effects.
Save searches
Users can build complex searches based on folder name, file name, location, custom categories, ratings and other metadata, then save time by storing custom search criteria for future use.
Pricing and availability
ACDSee Photo Manager 2009 is available for a free 30-day trial and for purchase for $49.99 (USD) at www.acdsee.com. Users can bundle this program with ACDSee Photo Editor 2008 for the combined price of $79.99 (USD). Photo Editor is the companion software that helps users of any skill level enhance photos and create their own digital layouts to print and share.