Using a Photo Negative Scanner to Preserve Your Old 35mm Negatives

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If you have 35mm negatives, then you probably know that they need to be stored properly otherwise they will start to deteriorate or fade over time. They can also get dust or scratches all over them if they are not placed in an acid free sleeve which can cause the prints to come out fuzzy. The following are just some of the reasons to use a photo negative scanner and why they are so beneficial to have.

If you have a ton of 35mm negatives just lying around, then it can be quite inconvenient having to sort through them all to find the right picture. You would probably have to dig through your closet, garage or even basement to find the picture that you are looking for. While most cameras these days are digital, there are still some that use regular film that need to be processed.

Preserving your old 35mm negatives is absolutely crucial if you want to keep your family history alive and pass them on to the next generation. Using a scanner can easily convert these negatives into digital format so that you can quickly access them to share with your friends and family. In addition to being able to upload the photos to your favorite social media sites but you can also be able to email them.

To do this, you will need to purchase a photo negative scanner that is able to convert the negatives to digital format. Most of these scanners will also come with some type of photo editing software so that you can make some final touches because you make prints. This is hugely beneficial for many reasons as making a photo with high definition that looks like the original is a simple task.

You might think that a slide and negative scanner is pricey but you would be very surprised as to how affordable they really are just by shopping at online retail stores or auction sites. Saving money can really go a long way so refrain from going with local services as these can be quite expensive. If you are comparing between different models, then reading online reviews will help with your decision.

Canon PowerShot G12 picks up HD video recording, built-in HDR

Canon has launched the Canon G12 premium compact, successor to PowerShot G11 released last year. Inheriting most of the core features of the G11, the latest model sees the addition of an EOS-style front control dial, Hybrid IS for close-up work, and 720p HD video recording.

It also adds multi-aspect ratio shooting and SDXC card compatibility. The rest of the features remain the same including a 28-140mm equivalent lens, 2.8″ tilt and swivel LCD, manual control and RAW shooting.

Ink Printers - Choosing the Right One for your Needs

Introduction

This article has been written to help buyers to identify the various choices available and to make a sensible selection of ink printer. It is aimed at users who may not have a lot of technical expertise but who can, with a little help from articles like this, get the best equipment for their needs.

It is written in New Zealand, for NZers, and while the information may be useful in other countries, it is not intended for use outside New Zealand.

If you already have an ink printer see the related article "Printer Ink - Choosing the right cartridge for your needs".

Material Covered

This article covers the broad range of general purpose document/photo printers and multifunction devices available as at January 2006. It does not consider specialised printers such as dye sublimation photo printers or A3 machines.

This article does not go into the detail of various printer makes and models. Rather it gives general information and broad price bands for you to consider. When buying, you need to talk specifics with a person experienced in the field.

What do you do?

The first thing you need to decide is how much printing you will do. If you only print off a few emails and occasional photos your printer will be less sophisticated than if you print a lot of text and photos.

If you have a special project, such as a family history with a lot of photos and text, or if you are developing digital photography as a hobby then your needs may be different again.

You may need a printer for business, need colour but can't afford a colour laser printer. There are options.

Thinking about these issues at this stage is really important. Current prices range from $105 up to $899 and there is no point in spending more than you need to get the printer that suits you.

Printer or Multifunction?

A multifunction device - print/scan/photocopy and sometimes fax can be a good investment. My advice generally is to leave the fax function out of your consideration unless you really need it.

The print scan copy option can really suit those people who want to scan in photos, archival material, and specialist items such as patterns or designs for a particular purpose. These machines can also really suit someone who needs a photocopier but can not justify the expense of a stand alone machine.

Generally, if you are a single user and you have a need for the scanner or copier then a multifunction can be a good choice.

In a network environment with two or more users you may find conflicts between users and functions. In these cases it is often handy to have another printer so that, if the multifunction is tied up doing (say) photocopying, other users can still print.

What's Available

The price bands below are an approximate guide only. Occasionally a very good machine will fall into the lower price range and, not as often, a poor machine will be higher priced.

Around $200 and under

Both printers and multifunction devices in this class tend to have two ink cartridges - 1 black - 1 tri colour - slower print speeds and lower resolution. One manufacturer offers a line of multifunction devices which include a fax and have separate ink tanks for each colour but they are the exception in this part of the market.

This class of machine is good for people who print a few emails a week, the occasional page off the internet and a few photos. You probably won't get direct photo printing from your camera and/or phone but you will get printers that will take a camera card. In general terms do not expect to get a long life from these machines. If you buy an extended warranty make sure that the whole machine is covered, including the print head.

Around $200 to $450

Some real choices and features emerge in this class. Most machines have separate ink tanks so that you only change the colour you run out of, higher speeds, high resolution, automatic double sided printing, printing direct to printable DVDs and CDs and multiple paper input options are all common. Also, printing direct from cameras and mobile phones without going through the computer.

This is the most popular price band as you can get excellent machines for most purposes without spending a fortune.

$450 and up

Generally there are no more features than in the preceding class. Machines in this area get faster, with higher resolution and, in particular, photo printing speeds can go up markedly.

At the top end you have multifunction devices which will scan from negatives and 35mm slides and these features appeal those who wish to preserve photos and/or to use old photos in publications.

As in most markets you get what you pay for and, except when you are buying at the most basic level, it pays to do your homework and talk to experienced people about what you may really need.

If you have never owned a printer before start somewhere near the bottom and learn what it is you want to do. It's better to start with something you can move up from than to spend hundreds of dollars on the wrong machine.

Computer Bundles

If you are buying a new computer and it has a printer or multifunction bundled with it, be careful. Most bundled machines are at the lower end and may not suit your needs. If you don't want what's in the bundle see if you can either break it or get an upgrade. Remember, if you are not happy with the bundle you don't have to buy it. If you really like the computer and/or other aspects of the bundle just put the printer, unopened, on an internet auction site, get what you can for it, and buy the printer you really want separately.

Evolution And Development Of Nikon In Digital Photography

Nikon digital photography basically uses digital technology for the process of making images of the photographed objects. Unlike film prints, digital photographs can display, print, manipulate, and even transmit images using computer. almost all digital cameras operate as a self operating units, especially those at the lower end, which has in built zoom lens, flashes etc. the higher end digital cameras have separate camera back, which are attached to SLR cameras, like the Nikon SLR camera.

Nikon cameras

You must have known about Nikon cameras, which are one of the most reputed company in camera manufacture since the 1960s.their 35mm Sarthe Nikon F was famous from its day of introduction and remained top in list of favourite cameras for almost two decades after that. The attractive feature of Nikon is the Nikko 35mm and the digital lenses. Though there were talks about receding the production of 35mm SLR's, they still are in production, especially the ones that are manually operated. the range of camera in Nikons production vary widely, like the Nikon35mm, Nikon, coolpix,digital cameras, Film scanners, lenses, Digital SLR's.and to tell the many accessories that go with these cameras, would well take another article.

Speaking of variety, you have to know the two generation cameras that Nikon cameras have come across, namely the generation -1 and generation -2 cameras.

Generation -1

Cameras start with the SLR D1 in 1999, now we have a range till D 40. The general features of these cameras are:

1. Primitive picture with white balance adjustments.

2. Image menu is optimized with only two adjustments like + and - for high and low of that feature.

3. Lesser dynamism in range and more than two modes that were usually not used by many.

Examples - D1, D2, D40, D40x, D50, D70etc

Generation -2 Cameras

The DSLR's starts with D3 to D300. Some of their salient features are

1. They give better image because of Adaptive Dynamic Range (ADR).

2. Ad gives trueness to the picture and does not add all those unwanted colours, contrast to brightness.

3. Controls the light passage on its own.

4. The picture control menus are set with direct control to a magnitude of +/-3.

5. They have WB adjustments to a tune of 6 units making it easy to adjust colour and lighting,

6. Off late Nikon has included colour adjustment and totally less manual corrections would be required.

price range

I know you did have an idea of what you would get at what price from the above list. some of the customers that bought Nikon digital cameras have great satisfaction both with respect to price and product that they have been praising them from day one. a person who recently bought the d700 says his world has changed since he bought it.

Some accessories that you get when you buy Nikon digital cameras are:

Nikon 50mm Conventional Lens

58mm 2X Telephoto Lens

2 X 16GB Secure Digital (SD) Memory Card

650-1300mm Long Range Lens etc

Finding the Perfect Portrait Lens For Your DSLR

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I'm a portrait photographer. So I get asked a lot about what cameras and lenses the portrait photographer should be using. And while I'm a true believer that any lens can be a portrait lens, what we're looking at here is trying to find the 'ideal' lens that should be the first one you reach for when doing portrait work. So what we'll examine here is the 'why' behind the lens of choice for the majority of portrait work. This is a lens that will routinely work in a variety of situations and produce outstanding results. Let's get starting with some of the key features to look for in your choice.

1: FOCAL LENGTH. This is always step one. A good starting point is to take the diagonal measure of the film or sensor your camera uses and multiply it by two. For example, the film diagonal of a medium format square camera is about 80mm. The diagonal of the film is used to determine the focal length of a 'normal' lens. I believe the reasoning is that a lens of that length gives us a 'normal' perspective when made to 8 x 10 and viewed at arms length, but don't quote me. In the above instance, a typical lens length for portraits is 160mm. And it seems that all makers of square format lenses just happen to make a 150mm lens that all portrait photographers own. Translating that to the 35mm format, we'd come up with a 100mm lens, and it also seems that for years 35mm camera makers have made a 105mm lens. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Now you can see that if we look at the 'perfect lens' for digital, our sensor size must be taken into consideration. If it's a full frame camera, then we can use the same thinking that applies to the 35mm format. If the sensor is only half the size or less, that must be taken into consideration. For example, the Nikon D 80 camera chip is about two thirds the size of a 35mm frame, so the lens 'conversion factor' compared to 35mm is 1.5. That means that a 100 mm lens on a 35mm camera becomes a 150mm lens on a camera with a 1.5 conversion factor. Now that I've taken the time to explain the relationship between film or sensor size and focal length, let's just stick with 35mm format and you can do your own interpolating later depending upon what camera you own.

Now that that's out of the way, what's the reasoning behind the longer than normal focal length for typical portraits? There are actually a few reasons for it. First, there is perspective. The perspective you have in a photo is dependent upon how close you are to the subject, not the lens. Take a few images on a tripod of the same subject and keep changing the focal length. While some images will have more in them than others, the perspective remains the same. However, to include the same subject at the same size means moving the camera. Walk up to a friend, get two inches from his nose, close one eye, and look. You're seeing what a wide angle sees in close. Back off six feet and look through a paper towel tube, there's your long lens. So a longer than normal lens allows us to keep some distance between ourselves and our subjects, giving us a pleasing perspective. And by keeping that distance, our subject is also more comfortable than if we shove a camera up his nostrils, so the longer length now accomplishes two objectives - a pleasing perspective and subject comfort.

Now we're going to throw in another nice feature - angle of view. The longer the focal length, the narrower the angle of view. For example, a 28-200mm lens has an angle of view of about 74 degrees to about 12 degrees. Naturally, the longer the lens, the less is included in the image, and the easier it is to isolate your subject on a background and crop out distracting elements. Is this all starting to seem quite logical? Good, let's look at some other factors.

2: LENS SPEED. In studio portraits, lens speed is usually not that critical, since you may be shooting at f/5.6 or smaller. Outside, on location, and for weddings, you want the fastest lens you can get. No matter what your shooting aperture, it's always nice to have it as bright as possible so both your eyes and the camera can focus better.

3: ZOOM LENSES. It used to be that prime focal length lenses were much better than zoom lenses because they don't have to make the many compromises needed in the design of a zoom. While that's still true, lens technology is now so advanced that the gap is very tiny. So in practical terms, a quality zoom will fit the bill for most photographers. A zoom offers many focal lengths and allows you to crop the image in camera so that you can maintain optimum image quality. One other note, if at all possible, try to buy a lens that is a continuous f/stop as opposed to those that vary with focal length, it will make your life easier and your exposures more accurate when manually metering.

3: OTHER FACTORS. Here are a couple of other factors to consider in your search for the perfect lens. Based on my limited testing, if you're digital, buy the lenses made for digital cameras. Film and sensors do not focus the same way, I see a considerable difference using digital lenses. Another consideration is the blade shape of the lens diaphragm. Some are designed to make more of a circle, so your out of focus highlights assume a pleasing, circular shape. Also, a Vibration Reduction lens will cost you more but also allow you to shoot handheld about two stops more than the standard issue. If you do mostly outdoor and location portraits, I'd suggest it.

4: THE PERFECT LENS. Taking all of the above into consideration, I'll take a couple of stabs at the 'perfect' lens. For 35mm and full frame digital, there are 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses with VR that seem pretty close to perfection. There are also 55-200mm digital lenses that have variable apertures, pick them if cost is an issue. A shorter and lighter lens, like a 28-75 or 80mm, is nice to have when you are working in tight quarters or when the weight of the longer lenses becomes an issue. On my wish list for the future? A 50 to 300mm VR f/2 lens that you can throw in your pocket and buy for $400. Read this three years from now and you probably won't thing it's so ridiculous!

SHOOTING F/STOPS. While the lens you use has f/stops from about f/2.8 to f/22, for portraiture you'll probably settle on a couple of favorites. Since not all of you have studios, let's look at how you'll be shooting outdoors.

My zoom lens goes to f/2.8 but most of my shooting is done between f/2.8 and f/5.6. I find that these apertures will in most instances give me the 'look' I want. They are open enough to throw backgrounds out of focus, but small enough to keep my subject in focus.

Do your own practice shooting to find your favorites!

What Should You Look for in a New Camera?

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These parameters are discussed at 2 levels:

-Based on degree of functional use of available features

-Based on the type of photography you want to attempt

-->Based on degree of functional use of available features

A person who is happy with his or her camera model usually responds with the following words of praise.

'Incredible ease of use'

'User-friendly controls'

'Intelligently and thoughtfully designed'

'Excellent value for money'

'Light and compact'

These are the kind of terms that you will come across from camera owners who are satisfied with their camera models. These superlatives sum up what people usually look for or could look for at an overall level in their camera. It is a broad evaluation based on design elements, size and affordability.

Before you make a decision to purchase you should explore a little further and study the type of features available to you. Unless you make the attempt to understand the features at your disposal, there is the risk of being stuck with a model that does not suit your particular requirements. Let's take a look at what features you should look for, as well as the features that you should be wary of when you choose a camera system.

-->Features to Look For

1. The lens is by far the most important device in your camera. The quality of the lens ensures the sharpness of your image. The camera lens is described by length (given in mm), known as the focal length of the lens. 50mm is the standard focal length in a lens. A lens of shorter length is known as a wide-angle lens and is used usually by landscape photographers. A lens with focal length greater than 50mm is called a telephoto lens and is especially useful to professional photographers in capturing distant images.

There are also cameras with a zoom lens. A zoom lens can offer various focal lengths, so you have a lens capable of many focal lengths. Simple put, when you use a zoom lens you can make your subject bigger or smaller within the frame.

For instance, a wide-angle zoom can cover a range of focal lengths below 50mm, or a telephoto zoom gives you a range of higher order focal lengths. Some superior zoom lenses can take you from wide angle to standard and through to telephoto ranges. The power of the zoom lens is defined by the extent of magnification from a lower focal length to a higher end and is given as 2x, 3x and so on.

Some lens tips:

--A 50mm or 100mm lens is considered adequate for most non-professional hobby users. The professionals usually go for telephoto lenses of 200mm or more. A lens with higher focal length costs a lot more. Most beginners don't need to invest in a telephoto lens.

--Check if your camera is compatible with the range of lenses that the manufacturer of your model has on offer. Most manufacturers have hundreds of lens options on offer and your requirement for lenses varies as you progress in photography. Your camera has to be compatible with lenses of higher focal length and speed. If you are planning to upgrade your camera by buying another model from the same manufacturer, check for compatibility with older accessories so that you can put to use some of the lenses already available with you and save yourself an additional expense.

2. Depth-of-field preview button

A depth-of-field preview button is a necessity if you want to achieve better focus. It allows you to identify the area that will be in focus in your photograph. This area is referred to as the 'depth of field'. When you adjust the focus in your camera the preview button is a useful tool that can help you vary the focus and depth of field in different shots.

3. Image sensor resolution

In digital cameras, there is no film in use but this is instead replaced by a device called the image sensor. The image sensor renders colors, is sensitive to light and is the device that captures images in small pixels on its surface.

Image resolution is a measure of the sharpness or level of detail in photographic images. Image resolution is expressed as a number and is measured in mega pixels. High-end professional use cameras have an image sensor resolution of around 12 mega pixels and the most advanced professional models go up to almost 14 mega pixels. At the mid range you have camera models with resolution ranging from 2 - 6 mega pixels. To deliver large format prints of superior quality, you should go for models with resolution greater than 3 mega pixels. At the lower end, you have models of 1 mega pixel or less and the sharpness of the photograph is slightly inferior compared to cameras with higher values of image sensor resolution. Lower pixel models are best suited for small format prints.

4. If you have the facility for Auto-bracketing it can be a very useful tool. Auto-bracketing enables the camera to automatically take 3 exposures or in some cameras 5 exposures of the same shot by varying the Exposure Value (EV) to lighten or darken an image. Each of the images will be slightly differently exposed and this is a great tool to ensure that you capture the moment perfectly. You can bank on at least one being a properly exposed picture. This tool comes in handy especially for professional photographers.

5. If tonal quality of the photograph is your top priority when you choose a camera then it is best that you go for a digital camera. Photographic prints of scenes captured on a digital camera have a level of tonal quality that is far superior to best quality traditional prints.

6. There are sophisticated camera models available today that can capture movement and audio-visual images. If you want to go beyond static images and capture the first steps of a child or activities during family get-togethers, then you should look for a camera with these advanced capabilities. It will create a better experience when you go down memory lane. The Kodak Easyshare LS753 Zoom Digital Camera is one such model that offers audio-visual capability.

-->Features to be Wary Of

Some features or the lack of certain functions can prove to be a stumbling block for a photographer. Be careful when you select your camera system and pick those models where such drawbacks are minimized or not present. Being aware of such drawbacks is important if you want to make a smart choice.

1. If you want to go in for a camera model with a zoom lens, look for an optical zoom, not a digital zoom. The optical zoom provides variable focal length whereas a digital zoom merely increases the magnification in the center portion of the picture. If the camera you choose has both optical and digital zoom, then make sure that you can disable digital zoom.

2. Some cameras are not all that effective in low light conditions and dark places, the flash a not powerful enough. Be sure you don't select such a model.

3. The shift between exposure-modes should be a simple one-step process. In some models shifting between 'shutter priority' and 'aperture priority' takes longer since it is a little more complicated, involving more than one step in the process of shifting between modes.

4. In some camera models you run into the problem of dust collecting in the film compartment. Look out for any obvious fine openings that can cause this problem.

5. Slow and noisy Auto Focusing can be irritating. Look for a quieter model.

6. A camera has to have the four key exposure modes: auto, manual, aperture priority and shutter priority. There are models with many more exposure modes but choose such models only if your requirements warrant the confusion that goes along with having a whole host of exposure modes.

-->Based on the Type of Photography Your Want to Attempt

You choice of camera and the functions that you need depend quite a bit on the type of photography that you go in for.

1. If you are into wildlife photography, look for a camera that includes Center-weighted metering.

Center-weighted metering is considered best by wildlife photographers for the flexibility it offers. With the center-weighted meter the attention is on the center of the frame as the meter reads the light reflected from the subject. The sensitivity of the meter is concentrated on the subject located at the center of the picture frame. You can adjust the size of the sensing area to 8mm, 15mm or 20mm based on the size of the subject and its distance from you. Nikon is credited with introduced the world's first Center-Weighted Meter.

2. For landscape photographers, the key features suggested are -a spot meter, a wide angle lens and a memory exposure lock. These three features are considered the perfect tools for landscapes.

The spot meter allows for creative thinking when you compose your shot because the spot meter has a major role to play when you want to meter only a small portion of the scene. The spot meter allows for concentrating the meter's sensitivity on a chosen spot of the scene during exposure. Using a spot meter can be time consuming but its application in executing creative ideas makes the time spent worthwhile. For instance, taking a shot of the sun setting over the sea or capturing the pattern of snow atop a mountain peak can be done with the help of a spot meter. The memory exposure lock is the mechanism with which you can lock the spot meter reading. The camera will use the locked in reading when you click for an exposure.

A wide-angle lens is capable of highlighting objects in the center or foreground. In landscape photography the tendency is to usually have a prominent object like a tree, landmark or person in the foreground to emphasize the scale of the picture against the distant elements in the scenic setting. This feature brings out the depth in the photograph and the wide-angle lens makes this effect possible.

3.Those who indulge in trekking and mountaineering and are looking for functions that is adaptable in contrasting light conditions such as night-time camp fire or early morning at sunrise or at sun-set, should go in for a feature known as 'multi segment metering'. The multi-segment meter divides the frame into several areas and takes into account the different tones of color in the scene.

4. If you are an inveterate traveler then the camera size and weight should probably be a key consideration. Compact, light cameras are ideal during travel or for trekking.

5. Digital cameras are evolving at a rapid pace in their capabilities. Available to you are cameras that can offer 'programmed scene modes' for different types of photography situations and these options are available to you within the same camera model. For instance, the Kodak Easyshare LS753 zoom digital camera has around nineteen automatic scene modes. The mode can be varied depending on the subject and the scene before you, such as - children, snow, beach, backlight, flower or fireworks. This model also has the night mode for night shots and the sport mode that allows you to capture action without the problem of blurring. If your interest in photography is varied but you don't have the technical knowledge to change the settings for different scenes and subjects, then a digital model with automatic programmed scene modes is your best bet.

6. For beginners still learning the ropes of photography, the criteria for selection should be on features that simplify usage rather than those that complicate the process of learning. For instance, some cameras have a feature called the viewfinder LED. This feature allows the camera to determine the shutter speed that is required for a proper exposure. If you don't use the right setting, the LED changes from green to yellow to give a warning that the shutter speed is too slow to get a sharp picture. This is a form of auto-assistance that can be a big help to a new photography enthusiast.

To sum up, it is imperative that you explore all your options before you make a final purchase, no matter how time-consuming this process may be. The Internet is a great way to do some pre-purchase information search. Do your Internet research to shortlist options - most major camera manufacturers have websites with extensive product descriptions and price details. You can also do your cost comparisons online at sites like shopping.com. Shopping.com lists 410 products in Point and Shoot Cameras, 153 products in 35mm SLR Cameras, 1,500 products in Digital Cameras besides other camera types and accessories.

Once you have a shortlist, make a visit to the retail outlets. Check out a few alternatives brands and models based on your requirements. Assess them on size, weight, ease-of-use of controls and features. A beginner usually looks for a user-friendly model with significant simplicity in operation. Camera models with manual dials are considered easier to use and quicker to learn and manage by some beginners. But some prefer the panel of buttons. Choose the type that suits you. Ease of use in placement of buttons has to be checked. You have to be comfortable with the 'layout' of the various buttons when you handle your camera. The placement of the control layout has to be logical.

And then finally, zero in on the camera that you want. Anyone who wants to experiment, learn and enjoy photography should look for a model that is versatile. For example, your ideal camera could be one with a combination of optical zoom lens of 3x magnification (this is a standard level), a depth of field preview button and an image sensor resolution of at least 3 mega-pixels.

If you make the right choice, your camera system can take you on a long fruitful journey of creativity, learning and fun.

Leica Mini Digital Camera

The latest Leica mini digital offered by Minox can make an ideal choice which perfectly combines classical vintage style and outstanding technology in just one unit. The compact and stylish digital camera features a commanding 32 megabytes internal memory, 1.5 inch color display, 5 mega-pixels resolution and around 2 GB space for storage on SD cards to help photographers take images in the best quality. Being exceptionally effortless to use, this latest camera from Minox is one of the best choice for all those who need to get into photography.

This equipment is tiny enough to fit in your pocket making it an ideal device for all the sports personals. Movie sequences can even be recorded though its DCC technology in AVI format. The digital camera offers a magnificent quality images and hence is a popular choice among people who have great photographic skills. Being designed with 5 mega-pixels resolution, the images taken are perfectly explained through its higher tone. Some other great features of this digital camera include the lenses, a picture editing system and the sensors. These great features along with others are combined in this digital camera to offer magnificent image quality. The essential speed of ISO 160 in union with the CCD picture sensors which is extremely low sound, works perfectly with the camera. ISO 25000 is said to be the fastest speed needed and so there are different ranges from minimum to maximum.

This actually makes the use of Leica M3 digital with light photography one of the best choices. However, this has really been one of the best features of the M model. This latest mini digital camera is an adorable and impressive mini camera which is wrapped with scale reproduction of 1/3 of the new Leica rangefinder. This latest miniature digital camera appears to be one of the best choices which cost just about $225. Some other amazing features of this digital camera includes excellent video mode that can capture motions in AVI format, digital zoom of 4X, 5 mega-pixels resolution, 1.5 inches LCD/TFT screen display, 32 megabytes internal memory, USB interface that includes a cable, Li-ion rechargeable batteries, SD card space to extend the memory to more than 8 GB and is compatible with the Classic camera series of Minox digital cameras.

So, with all these excellent features, this latest offers a detail setting and the best quality images to anyone looking to capture perfect images. The CCD imaging sensor of this digital camera was specially created to fit the settings of the entire series and due to this the resolution of 5 mega-pixels is magnificent. This latest CCD technology helps in reducing the noise considerably making the photographer to get excellent quality photos. Overall, the Leica mini digital camera is entirely covered with all the necessary features making this camera the best choice for everyone.

A Digital Camera - The Bottom Line

When digital cameras first hit the news, I thought, "Wow! Never to have to buy film again!" This much has remained true, but it took ten years for digital cameras to come up to the quality performed by film cameras. At first, the pixels were too few to enlarge to 3 by 5 much less an 8 by 10 with any quality. Today, pixels are not a problem and every feature adorning the film camera is now available on a digital camera.

I spent many months researching the available models and weighing the cost versus the features until I came up with a digital camera that pleased me. The camera is the Konica Minolta Dimage A200. While some functions are not as sophisticated as their film cousins, the advantages far outweigh its short comings.

In 2004 a decent SLR costs from $900 to $1500. I use an SLR as a comparison because they are the only type camera that shows exactly what the lens sees. The K/M A200 sells for about $600. Its 8 megapixels allows enlargements up to 13 by 19 inches with a sharpness equal to a fine 35mm photo from an SLR. The features I like best are the manual zoom ring (motorized zoom controls are slow and cumbersome), the stabilization chip (which produces sharp images even with slow shutter speeds) and the control over white balance (even custom balances). Another terrific advancement is the flip out rotating LCD viewer. Never again will I be held to an eye level view. With computer enhanced perspective control, all angles are possible.

To be fair, there are a couple of areas that can be improved, but can be lived with.

One is the delay after pressing the button to take the picture while the camera focuses and sets aperture and speed. It's only a tenth of a second, but you'd better get used to it or you will miss your shot. A remedy is to take a series of pictures and pick the best one. Another is inherent in all digital cameras and that is the artifacts that appear in the image at higher ISO settings. Artifacts are like the grain in fast film that appears like little dots in the picture. If you use the slower ISO settings like 50 or 100 ISO, then the artifacts are practically invisible. If ISO 200, 400, or 800 are needed to get the picture, then additional processing through PureImage or similar software will solve the problem nicely.

A word about the lens is in order. A zoom range of 28mm to 200mm (35mm equivalent) covers just about any focal length an advanced amateur could need. No

other 8MP EVF (electronic view finder) has this wide an angle. The lens is custom made for a digital camera and is very sharp edge to edge. Only a very slight barrel distortion (1%) is visible at the 28mm focal length. Some software can correct this if perfection is demanded. You never have to worry about dust getting on the CCD sensor since the lens is not detachable. If wider or more telephoto effects are needed, there are accessory lenses that will make the wide end 50% wider and the telephoto twice as long. The A200 also has a 4x digital zoom but I recommend that this only be used as a last resort since the number of pixels are halved when you double the zoom. The auto focus works very quickly except in extreme low light.

A manual focus is available with a nice auto 4x enlargement of the center for critical focusing.

No Compact Flash card is included in the package, so I bought a 512 80x CF card for $69.00. The 80x refers to the fact that it unloads to your computer in a jiffy and the 512 Megabytes allows 81 pictures of the extra fine quality JPEG that I always use. The pop up flash lights up subjects at 12 feet away at 100 ISO. For more versatility I bought the Vivitar DF 200 slave flash ($69.00) that works to 50 feet at night.

This camera is a joy to use and has everything I could ever want in the way of features. In the six months I have owned it, I have created dozens of 13 by 19 images for the two Digital Art Shows I have had. Viva la digital generation!

Tell Your Friends About Shutterstock

It's probably happened to you. You're chatting with another photographer or illustrator and they ask for advice about stock photography.

There are plenty of reasons why I recommend Shutterstock with confidence.

 They're growing. Aggressively signing up new customers, their download counts are very high, and have earned respect as one of the top players in image licensing.

They pay competitive earnings. I frequently hear from artists who say we're their top earner. Recently an independent survey found more microstock photographers named Shutterstock their top earning agency in 2009 than any other site. They don't demand exclusivity, a huge point for most folks like you and me.

Uploading is easy. They have a new upload system that makes it simpler to manage your keywords, descriptions and model/property releases. You can even work on multiple images at once, and save or submit part of a batch and come back to it later. Plus the whole system is wrapped in a slick, streamlined interface. Shutterstock created the easiest upload system in the industry so you can spend more time creating content and less time editing.

And… make money by referring other photographers! If you sign up a photographer - that photographer will receive $0.25 on their photo downloads - and you will receive $0.03 on their downloads! You could make money by merely promoting the Shutterstock Submit Program!

Click now to start earning money today!

VuPoint 35mm Film Scanner - Is This Scanner Right For You?

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Do you have trays and trays or boxes and boxes of old 35mm negatives and slides sitting around your house that you want to convert to digital easily and inexpensively? Up until recently, you had to have a conversion service do this for you or invest in very expensive equipment. However these days there are some inexpensive scanners, such as the VuPoint FS-C1-VP 35mm Film Scanner, that can convert your images to digital format without you having to pay an arm and a leg for it. But what's the catch you may ask.

The main drawback to inexpensive film scanners is the image quality. This VuPoint 35mm film scanner produces 5.0 mega pixel quality. At times the images may seem to blurry or grain, or lose detail from the original. These can often times be cleaned up using photo editing software such as Photoshop. However, you really need to think about how important quality is when it comes to choosing a film scanner.

On the other hand, the VuPoint FS-C1-VP retails at $99, making this a very economical choice. It also converts an image in about 5 seconds. So if you have stacks and stacks of slides or negatives to get through, this is very convenient. It is mostly a trade off between price and quality.

Another thing to note is that this film scanner uses a USB interface with your computer. You need to have a Windows XP or Windows Vista operating system. It is not compatible with a Mac. So in order to use this film scanner you will need to have the right type of computer and operating system.

Digital Camera Buying Guide

Planning to buy a digital camera? Not sure how to get started?

Read on to discover how.....

1. What do you need the camera for?

If you buy a simple one that can be used at home, you will not get interesting capabilities that you need for taking really good photographic pictures. On the other hand, it would be a waste of your money if you have the latest digital camera only to be used for personal photos at home.

Based on the purpose one can choose from the following main three types.

o Point and shoot: - reasonably compact, with features and size like 35mm cameras.

o Lifestyle: - with moderate features, it's sleek and compact, so you can carry it around with ease.

o Professional: - with interchangeable lenses, flashes and other accessories, this camera is robust and feature laden, just the right choice for a professional or serious photographer.

2. These are the important features to look for?

Pixel resolution

Digital images are made up of dots called pixels. The higher the number of pixels in your image, the better will be the quality of the image. This will therefore enable you to enlarge your image to higher pixel dimensions without creating a pixilated (broken) image.

Compression

Compression shrinks a photo's file size, thus accommodating more images in the memory card. However compression causes a small amount of data loss. If you need the absolute best-quality images, you have to consider buying a camera that takes uncompressed photos but will accommodate less number of images.

Memory

A camera's memory size will decide the number of images that can be stored. Memory of 128MB will be good enough if you want to use the camera mostly at a social do or a party. If you are on a vacation or when you cannot download images for days at a stretch, a memory of 512MB to 1GB will be most favorable.

LCD screen

Most digital cameras come with at least an optical viewfinder but many digital cameras also come with an LCD screen built into the back. For a digital camera, they vary from 1.5-2.5 inches.

Lens

It is the length of a camera's lens that determines how much of a scene will fit in a picture. A "Normal" lens is about 50mm, most closely approximate to what your eye sees.

Optical zoom

This enables the photographer to zoom in on an object without any problem in picture quality. Depending on the magnification number, you can zoom in more.

Digital zoom

This feature enables the photographer to zoom in on the centre of the picture by removing the edges of the image.

Focus an exposure

In most cameras, the correct exposure for the lighting conditions is automatically determined. A camera rated ISO 100, has approximately the same light sensitivity as that of a traditional film camera loaded with ISO 100 film. A higher ISO rating means that the camera is more sensitive to light and is potential enough to take pictures in darker settings.

Audio and Movie capture

This feature allows you to record sounds and moving images at the same time, in exactly the same way that a camcorder functions. Some digital cameras provide the facility to record a few seconds of audio with each shot, thus letting you add a personal sound bite to your photos.

Movie mode

This is a feature that lets you take short film clips with your camera. The total record length is typically limited to 10 to 90 seconds.

Flash

Most digital cameras come with an in-built flash. Some cameras however include additional features, such as red-eye reduction or night portrait mode.

Image erase

Most cameras also let you select pictures to erase. This handy feature gives you the chance to edit out the photos you don't want in order to create space in the memory.

Self-timer

A self-timer allows your digital camera for a delayed exposure, usually giving you about 10 seconds before the picture is taken.

Computer connections

Most high-end cameras have software and connections for both Mac and PC computers. However it is necessary to make sure the digital camera you want is compatible with your platform before you buy it.

Image stabilization

This feature enables the photographer to capture still images of something moving very fast.

Printing

Nowadays you can buy special printers, depending on the compatibility of your camera, to print off your pictures without connecting it to a PC. This applies both for digital and SLR Professional cameras.

3. How important is size and portability to you?

Size is another very important factor to consider. If you are to use the camera for non professional purposes the size has to be small as you cannot afford to carry huge sized cameras when you are enjoying a trip.

4. What is your budget?

Based on the budget the features will vary and the overall offering of a camera. Today's digital cameras run anywhere from Rs 800 to Rs 30,000, depending on resolution and features. While the initial expense of a digital camera is still high you may find that the added convenience and savings in film and processing costs are worth it.

Your Nikon D90 just became obsolete

The Nikon D7000 represents an evolution of the company's venerable D90 -- the first digital SLR with movie capture capability and the first mid-range model with a high-res 3.0-inch VGA LCD panel. On the outside, the Nikon D7000 is similar to its predecessor in terms of size, weight, and much of the controlled layout, but now features a weather-sealed, magnesium alloy construction like that of the D300s. The D90 will remain in the lineup.

Check out the new hands-on preview of this DSLR on DPreview.

Film Camera or Digital Camera - Celebrate the Difference

Image : http://www.flickr.com

Are you picturing yourself with a new film camera or digital camera?

It's almost certain that photography is in your life one way or another. If you are like most people, you want to preserve your memories of family occasions, special events, precious moments and even the humdrum days of our lives. When it comes time to choose a new camera, we're faced with an incredible array of choices - each with a special pro or con.

Film cameras are the traditional approach, and always a good choice. However, the digital cameras available today are worth considering for their special features and flexibility.

In terms of how they work, a film camera and a digital camera are hugely different. When you push the shutter button on a film camera, the light passes through the lens where it burns an image onto a film. With a digital camera, the light reaches through the lens in much the same way, but once inside the camera, it records the light as computer data, also known as binary data. Then, the same as a computer, it stores this binary data in memory and ultimately on a media card.

While some of us find these differences fascinating, others show no interest in the cameras' inner working and merely want to know what these differences mean in terms of picture taking ability. In other words, they want to know what they can do with a digital camera that they can't do with a film camera, and vice versa.

A digital camera's versatility is something to consider. In addition to taking still images, many digital cameras can also capture video clips and audio files. Most film cameras do not do this. Additionally, a typical film camera is a specialized equipment item. A digital camera, on the other hand, is likely to be bundled with a cellular phone, smart phone or MP3 player. When you buy a digital camera, you may well be acquiring several technological devices in one - a compact item that fits easily n the palm of your hand.

When it comes to printing, digital cameras and film cameras require a much different approach. Film photographers may develop films in their own darkroom, or may take them to a printing service for developing. People using a digital camera have the option of uploading their electronic pictures to a computer where they can be printed, or of sending them directly to a printer for printing. They might also opt to upload the pictures to an online printing service, or take them to a service to be printed.

Regardless of whether you are using a film camera or a digital camera, you can choose between doing your own printing or developing or taking your pictures to a service where others will do the printing for you.

The third thing to consider is that digital cameras make it easy for you to correct and edit photos in your computer, using digital photo editing software. Since they are electronic data, you can upload them directly from your camera to the computer. If you are using a film camera, you can still edit the pictures in the computer, but you have the added step of scanning each one into your computer, or of having a photo printing service do this for you.

Your choice between a film camera and a digital camera represents an individual preference. The brave new world of digital cameras has much to attract the technology buff, but traditionalists will doubtless prefer the excellent film cameras. Both types are here to stay.

Factors to Consider When Buying a Camera Lens

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Purchasing a DSLR or Digital Single Lens Reflex camera comes with a basic kit lens that could give decent quality pictures. But the advantage in DSLR cameras is being able to switch lenses, depending on the type of shot you want. There are powerful zoom lenses or macro lenses, for example.

Here are some factors to consider when buying a digital camera lens:

The Glass

o Focal Length - It is the actual distance in-between the focal lane of the lens and the rear element, measured in millimeters (mm). This is where the light's parallel beams enter the lens converging onto a point. It determines the viewing angle of the lens. When there is a shorter focal length, the field of view becomes wider, providing more scenes for your camera to capture. When you increase the focal length, the actual field of view becomes narrower.

o Aperture - It is one of the mechanisms that control the actual "amount of light" passing through the lens towards the image sensors. It is also referred as "f-stops," like f/2/8. The smaller the number, the larger the opening. This means more light enters the camera. Since it begins to collect additional light, a type of lens that allows you to open to a wider aperture also enables you to have a faster shutter speed. Such feature is essential in low lighting conditions to obtain sharp images, especially through a handheld camera.

o Image Stabilization - Slower shutter speed can result to blurry photos when cameras are handheld. Image stabilization counteracts the shaking, allowing one to shoot certain handheld shots amidst low lighting conditions. Canon's term for this is IS (Image Stabilization). Nikon use the term VR (Vibration Reduction).

Zoom lenses included in a variety of DSLR kits offer focal lengths ranging from 18 to 35mm. Depending on the cropping capability of the camera, it can reach up to 55mm. This means that you can go from only a moderate "wide-angle" view towards a so-called "slight telephoto."

If you have plans of expanding your digital camera's features, here are some things you need to consider:

o Prime Lenses - These should possess a longer type of zoom lens or a lone focal length between 35mm up to 85mm. Prime lenses have a better glass on them.

If you get the "fixed-length lens", there is a tendency that you will be required to move around when getting your shot. Of course, over a certain time, this will already help you make better compositions. Prime lenses also possess a wider type of maximum aperture, making it easier to get sharper shots, especially under low lighting.

o Zoom Lenses - For those wishing to get action photos, the best would be the "telephoto lens" which ranges from 100mm up to 300mm. This is due to the DSLRs crop factor. There is not much zooming needed. A good example would be Nikon D40 which has a 200mm type of telephoto lens that can turn into a 300mm one.

Canon Digital Cameras - From Humble Beginnings To World Class Corporation

The story starts in 1933 when three men launched the Precision Optical Instruments Laboratory in Japan. Since then, the company has evolved into one of the largest manufacturers of electronic equipment on the planet. Now know as Canon, the business has gone from strength to strength, particularly in the digital camera sector where their reputation for quality merchandise at competitive prices is legendary. The road to riches however was not an easy one....

In the beginning, there was the phantom prototype camera known as 'Kwanon'. In those days, Germany was deemed to be the master of camera manufacturing. Their cameras were particularly costly. So, Goro Yoshida, along with two other men attempted to create a 35mm range finder camera at a more cost effective price and developed the "Kwanon'.

One of the biggest problems for the company was that it did not have it's own lens. Thus, it made the decision to join with Nippon Kogaku Kogyo (later to become Nikon) and obtain lenses from him. Now armed with the lenses, Canon managed to produce its first commercial camera known as the "Hansa Canon" (1936), which became a smash hit. However, the organization still had to face several challenges because of the War.

After the war, on September 15th 1947, the organization officially took the name Canon. Until that moment, the camera, the lens and the company all had different names. Now unified under one banner, the company slowly started to expand and a number of significant cameras were created including the Serenar 50mm f/1.8 lens (1951), the Canonet (1961), the AF35M (1979) and the EOS 650 (1987).

In 1996, Canon created the first digital camera, the Powershot 600 followed by the Eos D2000 digital SLR camera for professionals in 1998, thanks to major improvements in digital technology. In addition, the XL1 digital video camera was produced and due to its outstanding performance and reliability, grew to become the official camcorder for NASA. A major feather in the cap for Canon.

Canon continued to produce cameras that gave exceptional performance, incorporated impressive functionality but were still affordable including the EOS D60 in 2002 and the EOS 10D in 2003. These particular cameras made Canon number 1 in digital technology. Another success came in 2003 with the launch of the EOS Kiss Digital.

Since then, Canon has created a number of digital camcorders. Beginning with the FV30 and the FV200KIT in 2002, Canon went onto launch the FV M1 and the IXY DV M2 in 2003 in the mid range segment. As the company advances, Canon continue to provide its customers with superior and improved technology at the cheapest price possible. They are recognized as the choice of professionals in the world of photography however now with a comprehensive range of merchandise, Canon is firmly placed in the consumer market also.

Galaxy Geforce GTX 460 Review

The Geforce  GTX 460 is available in 768 MB and 1 GB. The 768 MB and 1GB the difference is just 1200 Rs. The Galaxy geforce GTX 460 features the leaner variant with factory  overclocked core and memory. This card also features a custom cooling system which almost similar to Geforce GTX 480 and GTX 470. The shroud covering the heat sink and fan in the reference design is fastened by clamps.
  The core runs at 800Mhz which is 100 Mhz faster than the stock speed. The memory is clocked a meagre 24Mhz. faster at 924 Mhz. As the memory is less, the bus width is 192 bit as compared to 256 it in the 1 GB card. The card features a pair of dual-link DVI ports and a mini HDMI port., and bundles with it an HDMI cable with a mini _HDMI connector. It scored 11898 in 3D Mark vantage in performance mode, making it as powerful as the GTX 465. At 1920*1080, it handled just Cause 2 at 37 fps with all effects on maximum. Crysis Warhead ran at 26fps in Enthusiast mode with AA disabled.

Pros: Good Cooling, Easy to clean, value for money, good performance.
Cons:  None

Price of  Galaxy Geforce GTX 460 is around ` 14500.

Digital Photography Boom - Why Taking Pictures Using a Digital Camera is So Appealing?

Anyone that has had anything to do with taking pictures or photography in the past and has switched to DSLR Photography (Digital Single Lens Reflex) will be more than aware of some of the many benefits and bonuses of taking pictures in this way. The people that have not yet tried their hand at using a digital camera for whatever reason are possibly missing out on an opportunity to get in touch with their artistic side by using digital technology...

Digital cameras and mega-pixel power have really come of age and seems to be sweeping across the entire globe, in some cases manufacturers are having trouble keeping up with demands and even selling out of some models before they have even been released.

So what is it that is causing this massive digital photography frenzy? With cameras and evolution there have been many different types of camera with as many different formats for storing images on them. Prior to the digital evolution the most common type was called a 35mm. The photographer could take up to 36 pictures with a variation of different exposures.

This meant carrying around plenty of film and had several disabilities. The film had to be loaded manually, which involved opening the back of the camera and scrolling it across the back of the lens, on top of that was the actual taking of the pictures. You could take a picture, but until arriving at a chemist to collect your developed pictures had no idea what they would look like or even if they had come out at all.

There are many other factors that make 35mm SLR (single lens reflex) photography more of a hobby for the dedicated photographer while on the other hand digital photography is more enjoyable and a type of recreation that appeals to a much wider audience.

A digital camera has no film, simply a memory card that can be removed and plugged straight into a computer or a USB lead that offers the same facility. Some of these cards can store thousands of pictures, which does away with the carry film around aspect.

The majority of digital cameras have an LCD screen on the back so you can see exactly what the picture that you have just taken will look like, if you do not like the look of it you can simply delete it there and then.

Once the memory card is installed in your computer or patch lead connected you can view the pictures instantly on screen, import and save to a file or print off to enable you to show the pictures to others.

Another way of sharing the pictures is by installing them onto a memory stick. Most people tend to have a computer or lap top these days so when visiting simply plug your memory stick into their device and view at leisure.

Alternatively you can even use additional patch leads from the camera and plug straight into a digitally compatible television and see your pictures on the big screen.

All these things go together to make up a really attractive package for ease of taking pictures and displaying them, but on top of all that is the automatic settings on a majority of DSLR cameras that allow users to take amazing pictures simply by pointing and pushing a button. All you have to do is zoom in and zoom out the focus and other settings are all fully adjusted automatically. The quality of picture is achieved by means of what is called Mega-Pixels and most digital cameras have millions of them, which produce amazing quality shots.

Having said how easy to use a DSLR camera is this makes it the ideal partner to pick up and take with you when going virtually anywhere. It is one of those things that are hard to put down once you get started. DSLR Photography turns any novice into a true professional in minutes.

So I guess when you look at the comparisons it is easy to see why Digital Photography and Cameras have gone through the roof and become so popular with almost everyone becoming involved or knowing someone that now has the bug...

Baby Photography Guide

Are you eagerly anticipating the arrival of a new little family member? Amid the hustle and bustle of the baby preparations, it’s easy to forget to photograph all of the small details that you’ll want to remember later. From pregnancy through your baby’s first birthday, this workshop gives you tips for capturing the precious moments each step of the way.

Preserving family memories is important to you—whether you're a newly expecting couple or adoptive parents waiting to meet your new little one, or a grandma who is anticipating the arrival of a new grandchild. You can use the baby and family photo ideas in this workshop to help plan your photography sessions.

Babies can be tricky photo subjects, but that doesn't mean you need to break the bank to get great shots of your new little one. There's a digital camera to fit every family's needs, but first you need to figure out which features are important to you. Most new point and shoot cameras have a resolution of at least 10 megapixels, high enough to make 30 x 40 inch prints of your favorite snapshots. Here's a list of other options to keep in mind while you're looking:

• Optical zoom: It's easier to get captivating candids when you can step back from the action and use your camera's zoom feature to capture the important details. Look for optical zooms of at least 3X to 5X.
• Video recording: You'll want to record your baby's first giggle along with her first smile. If you don't already have a separate video camera, look for a camera that can also record video, and capture all the sights and sounds.

We also recommend that you get a handy pocket video camera that shoots HD-quality video that you can watch on your TV, share with family, or preserve to enjoy later.

• Shooting modes: Most point and shoot cameras have at least a few preset shooting or scene modes that optimize you camera settings for different conditions. Look for a portrait mode (for focusing on the subject and blurring the background), a macro or close-up mode (for close-ups of your baby's tiny features), and a sports mode (to catch quick-moving babies on the go).
• Manual controls: If you've really caught the photography bug, you'll want more control over your images. Manual controls allow you to adjust the aperture and shutter speed so you can fine-tune your photo settings.

• On-camera editing: Black and white photos are especially flattering for babies, who often have blotchy or uneven skin during the first few weeks. Look for a camera that allows you to take pictures in black and white or sepia. Some cameras even allow you to crop your pictures on the camera after you've taken them, so you can make sure you got the perfect shot right away.
• Pick which photos to share from your camera: Some cameras, like the KODAK M-series cameras, let you share with the press of a button. Simply mark the photos you want to share from the camera, choose where they go, and then plug in your camera. Your photos are sent automatically.

Don't Forget the Extras

Once you've settled on the right camera, you'll probably want to pick up a few extra supplies to round out your photo gear:

• Extra memory cards: Most cameras come with small-capacity memory cards that hold only a few photos. Since you'll soon be taking hundreds of photos of your growing family, you'll want to purchase a larger memory card right away.
• Extra batteries: Batteries always seem to run out of juice right in the middle of important events. Make sure you're prepared by putting extra batteries in the camera bag, or keeping another set of rechargeable batteries charged and ready to go.
• Lens cleaning cloth: Keep a microfiber cloth handy to wipe dust and fingerprints from your lens.
• Tripod: An inexpensive, flexible tripod like the Gorillapod can help you stabilize your camera and prevent motion-blur, especially in low-light situations.

• Photo-editing software: Whether you go with a user-friendly free download like KODAK EASYSHARE software, or a more robust program like Adobe Photoshop Elements, the right software can help you turn so-so pictures into frame-worthy prints.
• Storage system: Don't lose any of your memories! Make a plan for backing up and storing your photos, either on an external hard drive, or an online storage site like the KODAK Gallery.

 

Interested in reading more?  Check out these fine Books on Baby Photography!

Digital Photography Bringing You Great Pictures? How About a 20-Foot Print?

When compared to convenience that digital cameras offer, even the most advanced compact film-based cameras should now appear to most persons a bit like those substantial boxes with a film plates about the rear and bellows in the front. But even now, as far as technologies has helped us come from the way we carry our images, it seems to possess left us additional or less specifically exactly where we applied to be inside way we shop and share them. Obviously we now performing stuff all our photos and albums or shoeboxes, we stuff them on photo sharing companies on difficult drives instead. But we are even now weighed down by a surfeit of photos that we just have no real way of managing. For trigger-happy photographers, there nonetheless is nothing short of self-restraint that will aid. But if photography is something that seriously gets you, digital methods exist that do make the your weakness a lot more pleasurable.

Photo printing was once a thoroughly professional sort of expertise. The only way that technologies created it just a little friendlier was to build substantial (somewhat cost-effective) machines that could reside in any small photo shop or supermarket exactly where you could get copies created. The big machines behind the glass that you'd get to search at coming and going had been pretty cool, but you however had to live using the thought that the folks who worked in the processing place got to appear at your photographs. But that was as far as it went. In the event you wanted specialist printing accomplished for you, you had been just plain out of luck. All that has changed nowadays with photo printing providers that do a lot more than print postcard-sized glossy or matte photos. They have providers that will carry your jpg's and turn them into a wallpaper-sized mural, into decals or something else. You finally get to see how much detail your 14 megapixel camera in fact captures. Let's search at some from the much more innovative companies you can find out there.

Think about the service that Wizardprints.com provides. Do you would like your girlfriend's likeness plastered more than the ceiling or perhaps turned into a giant plastic sticker to roll about the floor? You're in luck. Do you need your babiy's picture turned into fabric wallpaper? Simpler completed than said. They deliver you complete Photoshopping, airbrushing and photo stretching, and a six-foot tall mural won't set you back over $150. Do you remember how inside 70s persons suddenly discovered that wallpaper could have photographs on them? Persons would put excellent pics from the Swiss Alps or a waterfall on their the living room walls, and it would end up searching nice but somehow tacky. You could carry that idea out of cold-storage again and make it far better with Designyourwall.com. You are able to turn your images into wallpaper to cover awhole 20-foot wall or bigger. You are able to have your option of material too - something from Mylar to fabric or canvas, and it wouldn't set you back a lot more than $10 a square foot.

How about turning a favorite picture of yours into a sort of painting on canvas? Using the digital photography printing tactics readily available with Canvaspop.com, you've art from the jiffy. The distinctive specialization this organization works with is that they carry poorly-shot camera phone images, and turn them into excellent images which are worthy of canvas. Since canvas does tend to dry out paint and cause it to crack, the cover it more than with plastic veneer, and guarantee against any sort of damage. A six-foot canvas would set you back about $500, and you'll be able to pick to possess it gilded and framed too.

The effects of some of these methods could be slightly above the top, tacky even. It depends upon the choices you make in images to print. These are approaches like any other; it all depends upon the artistry you bring to it. When it all comes together in specifically the proper way, the effects might be magical.

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Canon Zoom Lenses

Choosing a digital camera can be quite overwhelming with all of the models that are available on the market today. Finding the most suitable of canon zoom lenses can be daunting, but very possible.

When thinking of deciding which canon zoom lenses interest you, the whole point of a camera with interchangeable lenses is you can attach whatever lens you need. Unlike a simple point and shoot with its non-removable lens you are not limited to whatever the manufacturer builds into the camera. Second, everyone has different needs and budgets. So it is usually desirable not to include a lens so you can choose the lens or lenses which are right for you, not a generic lens. Third, what if you were to buy another camera? Then you would have two of the same lenses.

There are three general categories of canon zoom lenses when it comes to how much of a scene they can take in, and the field of view of each type is defined by an optical property known as the focal length of the lens.

A so-called normal lens roughly approximates the perspective, though not the area of, a scene seen by one human eye. By convention a normal lens on a 35mm film camera (and thus a full-frame EOS digital SLR) has a focal length of 50mm or so. Think of normal lenses as being good for taking pictures in close, but not intimate, proximity to a subject, like a waist-up picture of a person in an ordinary room.

A wide-angle lens can take in a large area of a scene. This has two common applications - first, it means you can take in sweeping panoramic landscape scenes, and second, you can take in large areas of an ordinary room. If you want to take a photo of a group of friends at a dinner party you'll need a wide angle lens unless you can back up far enough to get everyone in. On a 35mm film camera a wide angle lens would have a focal length of, say, 35mm or less.

Looking through a telephoto lens is like using a telescope - it narrows down what can be seen in a scene or makes the subject seem much closer than it really is. A telephoto lens might have a focal length of 70mm or more on a 35mm camera.

You may or may not have an idea of which canon zoom lenses you may want to use. The categories I mentioned above, are of course broad, and there are huge variations in each one. This is where you need to decide which lens will be suitable for your picture taking needs.

If you are looking to create more memories with an exceptional and reliable product, read about other products offered at Canon Digital Video Cameras where the most effective and virtually sought after products are within your reach.

XFX Radeon HD 5830

Pros: Good Cooling, power efficient
Cons: None

XFX Radeon HD 5830 Review: The radeon HD 5830 is comes within HD 5770 and HD 5850. It is a derivative of the HD 5870 with fewer stream processors and texture units. This HD 5830 is churned out of the HD 5870 silicon chips.  In contrast to the HD 5850, which has 1440 stream processors and 32 ROPs, this has 1120 stream processors(22 percent less)  and half the number ROPs.  To make up for fewer stream processors and  ROPs to some extent, the HD 5830 is clocked 10.3 percent faster than the HD 5830.

   1GB of GDDR5 memory tied to the 256-bit wide bus runs at the same speed of 1000Mhz. Like the HD 5850, the card draws power from a pair of 6- pin PCIe connectors. The cooler is slightly different than that on the HD 5850. This one's much lighter, with a 75 mm fan in the middle of the heat carried by four copper pipes emerging from the base.

 The HD 5830 is around 33 percent slower than the HD 5850 and around 12 percent slower than the 1GB variant of GTX 460. At 1920*1080, it churned out 27 fps in just Cause 2 (Very high and 8*CSAA), and 26 fps in Crysis Warhead(Enthusiast mode and no AA). It took a very bad hit in the Unigine Heaven 2.1 benchmark and tessellation enabled, in which both the GTX 460 and HD 5850 were 30 percent faster.

Specifications:

GPU:  ATI Radeon HD 5830
Core: 800Mhz
Memory speed: 1000Mhz
Video Memory: 1 GB GDDR5
Memory bus width: 256-Bit
Stream Processor: 1120
Power: 2*6-pin PCIe

Price in India: 15500 approximately.

Note: This article is originally from Anand Tullani which was published in Chip magazine. I am not the original owner of this review.
 

The Beauty of Black and White Photography

It's called black and white photography, but it's so much more. There's the black at one end of the spectrum, white at the other end, and a whole lot of beauty in between. Just like the old black and movies of the 1940s, black and white photographs can appear classic and romantic.

Black and white photography is all about contrast. Texture creates a great deal of interest in a black and white picture. Shooting from different directions and different times of day will produce shadows and shading and result in an entirely different picture of the same subject.

If you're new to the world of photography, beginning to photograph in the simplicity of black and white allows, or forces, you to focus on the real subject of the photograph and nothing else. You're not distracted by the color, which can sometimes detract from the picture. Whether you use film or digital, black and white photography is at your fingertips.

Consider investing some time doing research. There are some good books devoted to the art of black and white photography. But nothing can replace experimenting as one of the best ways to learn. Most beginners look for bright, sunny days to grab their camera bags and head out for a day of photography. These conditions aren't what will produce the most striking black and white images. To get some really amazing shots, take your camera bag and go out early in the morning when there's some frost or fog across the field, lake, or mountains and take as many shots from various directions to capture the pure beauty of the landscape. Take some shots during an active thunderstorm from your porch or on a gray, misty day in the forest.

Portraits are another photographic category that lend themselves nicely to black and white photography. Where color shows every blemish and blotch on the skin, black and white tends to lessen the flaws of the skin tone and presents a softness. Many brides choose to have some black and whites included in their wedding albums. It adds an elegance and, again, there's the undeniable romantic touch it lends to the collection of photos.

So watch the weather channel and keep your camera bag stocked and ready for those cloudy, overcast days to shoot some of the most perfect black and whites possible. Have some places already selected that you want to photograph so you don't waste your day looking for a subject. Make sure you have charged your camera or have extra batteries. And most importantly...HAVE FUN!

Suzanne VanDeGrift has developed this article for M-ROCK.COM, manufacturer of a Fanny-Pack Camera Bag

Film vs Digital - Which is Better?

Ever since digital photography was first introduced to mainstream photographers in 1990 there has been a never-ending debate on which format is better -- film or digital.

Many photographers will swear by film and some have even vowed to never use digital as a testament to traditional photography and developing. They believe that using film produces much better results and is much more natural than digital cameras can achieve. To a certain extent this is true, but digital is growing fast and, much to the dislike of many photographers, film will eventually die out.

Digital cameras have opened up a whole new range of possibilities for photographers. They allow the photographer to take as many shots as their storage card can fit until the perfect shot is achieved. Once the images are then uploaded onto the computer, they are then able to further manipulate the image and color correct it -- something that was not previously possible with film. It allows for the photographer to easily weed out the bad images and only print the good.

With the introduction of digital cameras came digital labs. While the concept is still relatively new, digital labs are able to print with near perfect precision (in regards to color). Images are able to be printed exactly how they appear on the photographer's LCD monitor.

So which is better? While both have their advantages and disadvantages, digital comes out on top. The possibilities with digital photography are endless -- the only restriction is the photographer's creativity.

What is the Best 35mm Slide Scanner For Older Slides?

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The 35mm slide scanner is a boon for people who were born well before the advent of digital era and have stocks of 35mm slides and negatives stored away in cupboards, garages, attics or under the stairs with lots of memories captured in them. The purpose for doing so is to re-live and commemorate those precious moments again on special occasions and family gatherings. However, that seldom happens and the negatives and slides are left untouched for years. This is mainly because it is just not that easy to recover and set up the 35mm slide projector and the screen. Well, today you don't have to go through such troubles every time you want to share the forgotten memories with your friends and family.

With the advancement in the technology, you can now very easily resurrect your older slides and negatives by using a 35mm slide scanner. A negative and slide scanner allows you to convert your older slides and negatives into a digital format that can then be stored on your PC. You can easily share these saved files with your friends, relatives and family members in different ways like you can email them, post them on social network sites like MySpace or Facebook, burn them to CDs or DVDs, or just get them printed in different sizes and formats.

So, if you have loads of 35mm slides and negatives, and want to restore them so that you can share them with others then you should get a slide and negative scanner. That brings us to the important question - "What is the best 35mm slide scanner for older slides?"

Well, there are lots of models and brands of slide scanners that are available in the market. Fundamentally, they can be classified in two categories - dedicated slide scanner and multi-purpose flatbed slide scanner. The difference between the two is that the dedicated scanner can only scan slides and films while the flatbed one cannot only scan slides and films but also documents and photos.

Some of the leading brands you can choose from include Cannon, Nikon, HP, Epson, Kodak, Polaroid, Olympus, Microtek, Minolta and Leaf. The scanners from are available in different price ranges from low to high end. However, focusing only on the price and brand won't help you get the best. You also need to consider the features, quality and the use of product before buying one.

One of the important aspects you need to consider when buying a scanner is the purpose for which you are going to use it. If you simply want to scan the older slides that you have, then a low end product will do. On the other hand, if you are a photographer who takes pictures regularly, then you should opt for a mid-range product. However, if you run a publishing and printing business that requires you to scan huge quantities of films and slides, then you should certainly need a high-end product.

The resolution of the scanner is another thing that you should consider. The higher the resolution is, better the end product will be. The software that comes along the scanners is another important feature that you need to look for. Make sure that it will help you to accomplish your tasks like scanning, storing and editing easily.

Selecting a best 35mm scanner for older slides not only depends on pricing and brand name of the product but also its features and purpose. Go for one that fits in your budget and fulfills your needs.

Different Types of Lenses For Your DSLR

There are many types of lenses available in the market to suit your photography needs. For beginners, it can be painful to decide what lenses to get. Before cracking your head on this question, it is important to first to identify what you like to photograph.

Different lenses will suit different types of photography, thus it is important to get the right tool for the right task! Zoom lenses are getting very common and popular with respectable results as technology advances. They are very convenient to use and you do not have to keep switching between lens for different needs.

In this articles, I will share with you a few common type of lenses used, namely Standard zoom, Telephoto zoom, Wide-angle zoom, Prime and Macro lens. It is important to understand the difference between them, so that you will know what type of lenses to get for your photography needs.

Standard zoom lens normally have a focal length between 18mm to 55mm or slightly more. Such lens is commonly offered as kit-lens and is a good lens to get started with for beginners. This wide range of focal lengths are most suitable for landscapes and portraits.

Telephoto zoom lens offers longer focal length typically from 70mm and beyond. This type of lens is perfect when you want to get close to the action and isolate your subject. Photographers who likes shooting sports or wildlife, will get a telephoto lens with focal length of at least 400mm.

Wide angle lens is a lens every landscape photographers will want to have. Dedicated wide angle lens offers focal length as short as 10mm to 12mm. This will be good if you want to get everything into your frame or if you want to get up close to the subject.

Prime lens offers single focal length example 35mm, 50mm, 200mm, etc. 50mm prime lens is many photographers' favorite, commonly used for portraits. As prime lens offers single focal length, its construction is simpler and thus expect less distortions to the imagines.

Macro lens is useful when you want to get really up close to the subject. Macro lens is able to let you achieve a life-size shot, where the subject will be recorded as the same size it would be if it was placed directly on the sensor. You will commonly see photographers taking close-up of insects, flowers, etc using macro lens. Macro lens can also be used as portrait lens too.

Now that you have a general idea on the characteristics of different types of lens, you are able to make a better choice, once you know what you like to photograph!

SLR Camera Batteries

Picking a SLR battery for your camera is not something you have many options for. Each camera does not fit every SLR battery. More specifically, each SLR camera generally has a few batteries that fit it. Some cameras let you use rechargeable batteries, and some others allow you to use AA batteries. No matter what, it is always best to have a spare battery, as the worst feeling is when you are in the middle of taking amazing photos, and your battery dies. Many of us have been there, and at that moment you wish you had a spare. Here are some of the best SLR camera batteries that you should definitely consider:

SLR digital cameras use a lot of power every time you take a picture, unlike film SLR cameras. Every time you take a picture with an SLR

Getting good SLR camera batteries, is never an easy thing, due to the constantly changing technology. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful websites online, that can narrow down your search and help you find the camera batteries with all the features important to you.

Fuji Digital Cameras

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Fuji digital cameras entered the market in the late 90's. Started in Japan in 1934, Fuji has always tried to stay ahead of the pack. The history of this company is rather interesting so let us take a look at it.

Started in a small Japanese in the foothills of Mt. Fuji, the Fuji Film Co. Ltd was founded in the year 1934. At that time, no one could imagine that such a small camera making company would become a million dollar global name known all across the globe within a span of 50 years. Today, Fuji is known for its great digital cameras and innovative technology.

It took Fuji 35 years to come to the USA. In the US, Fuji again started small with the establishment of a six person office in the Empire State Building in New York City. Within a span of four years, in 1969, the company had expanded itself so fast that the

Morgan Guaranty Trust Company issued American Depository Receipts (ADRs) on Fuji Photo Film stock.

In 1976, Fuji Film launched the world's first ISO 400 color print film. This was the fastest color still photo film present in the world during that time. Then, in 1980, Fuji launched the fastest color motion picture film - the A-250. After this, Fuji became the official sponsor of the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984.

One of the biggest launches in camera history made by Fuji was the QuickSnap in the year 1986. The QuickSnap was a one-time-use camera and it became an instant hit in the market. Due to its usefulness, easy-to-use convenience and price, the QuickSnap became the market leader during its time. Improvising on the QuickSnap, Fuji introduced the world's first one-time use 35mm camera with a flash in the year 1988.

Fuji was not a company which could be left behind as far as digital technology and digital cameras was concerned. Even though Sony overtook Fuji in the race of introducing the first digital camera, Fuji gave the world the first digital camera with removable media in the year 1988.

Today, Fuji has firmly established itself in the digital revolution. It has continuously innovated itself and made several product launches such as the MX-700 in the year 1998, which was the world's smallest and lightest mega pixel digital camera at that time. Fuji has also made forays into digital printing technology.

Not only this, but Fuji is a conscientious of the environment as well. In the year 2000, Fuji made a $7.8 million contribution in the construction of the Fuji Film Giant Panda Conservation Habitat in Washington DC in order to bring two giant pandas from China to the USA.

From the NANO CUBIC Technology which allows digital videotapes to increase their recording capacity to 1000 two-hour movies in 2001 to the xD-Picture Card, which was the smallest storage media in the market in 2002; Fuji continues to introduce newer and newer digital technologies today. Some of the newest digital cameras introduced today are:

A-Series : Automatic point-and-shoot cameras for basic users.

E-Series : Full featured, compact cameras with manual control as well.

F-Series : Ultra compact cameras in different styles with full features.

S-Series : Advanced cameras with optic controls for advanced users.

S-Pro Series : Extremely advanced cameras for professionals.

Advantages and Types of Digital Cameras

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Advantages: Digital cameras are fast growing in popularity over the old 35mm film cameras. The digital ones are designed to capture and store images digitally rather than on film which has to be developed and processed. With a digital camera you have the option of immediately viewing the picture you just took to see if it came out good.

If not, there's the option of deleting the image and retaking the picture. With the 35 mm film cameras once you took the picture, there was no way of knowing how it turned out until after it's been developed and that's when you realize that Uncle Jimmy's head had been cut off from the picture. With the onset of digital cameras, one can now ensure perfect pictures every time.

Digital also has the added bonus over 35mm in that it's in digital format and stored in a computer rather than on paper or film which grows old and brittle over time. Another feature digital cameras have is that they also have the capability of recording sounds and videos as well as pictures. Imagine being able to record your baby's precious laugh as you're taking pictures without having to run for the video camera.

Types

Video Cameras The main purpose of these are to record actual moving images. Aside from the professional video camera used in professional movie productions, there are the camcorders and webcams. The camcorder is generally used by the general public to capture memorable pictures and sounds of their lives.

One can watch playback directly from a liquid crystal display on the camcorder itself or connect it to their television set or computer for viewing. Webcams are cameras that are attached to computers and usually used to view the person you are communicating with via instant messaging.

Live-preview Digital Camera One has the ability to frame and preview a photo before taking the picture. These have the capability of making mini movies although they're typically used for small spur of the moment type of filming as the quality is not quite as good as an actual camcorder. These are divided into two different types of categories

Compact Digital Camera Small and easy to carry, these cameras are widely popular with the majority of amateur photographers. An excellent camera for capturing personal moments to be cherished for years to come. Due to having a smaller zoom capability than your DSLR cameras and a larger range of depth to be in focus, professional photographers tend to think the images are flat looking.

Bridge Cameras Similar to SLR type of cameras, these share the advanced features of the DSLRs while still sharing the live-preview capability and smaller sensor sizes of the compact camera. They provide zoom lens capability to allow some creativity in taking photos. Bridge cameras are considered in a class that falls between the compact and the professional DSLRs.

Digital Single Lens Reflex Camera (DSLRs)

These professional cameras allow for greater flexibility in photographing subjects with interchangeable lens, sensor size and quality, control among many other features. With the DSLRs one has the capability of taking professional looking photographs and the ability to resize to larger views for professional looking pictures.

Whatever your needs are, you are sure to find a digital camera to fit your lifestyle.