Ricoh has recently announced their new firmware upgrade for Caplio R3, 5.1 MP digital camera with 7.1x optical zoom. The new firmware will improve accuracy of the AF algorithm in the macro mode and improve accuracy of the vibration correction function.
- Download Caplio R3 firmware version 1.27 for windows
- Download Caplio R3 firmware version 1.27 for mac
Dave Etchells has just reviewed the Fuji Finepix S9000, a 9.0 megapixels Super CCD HR with 10.7 Fujinon optical zoom lens equivalent to 28-300mm lens on a 35mm camera.
In conclusion, Dave wrote: “As time goes on, the falling prices of digital SLRs make it harder and harder for high-end all-in-one cameras to find a place in the market. That said though, the Fujifilm FinePix S9000 makes a pretty compelling case for itself, offering an excellent 10.7x zoom lens (that extends to a very useful wide angle equivalent focal length of 28mm) and loads of resolution at a price a hundred dollars or more less than the least expensive d-SLR equipped with only a modest 3x zoom. It doesn’t quite approach the quickness or low light/high ISO prowess of most d-SLRs, but certainly does well enough in these areas to suit the needs of most amateur photographers.
A flash hot-shoe permits the use of powerful external strobes, and it even offers a threaded cable-release socket on its shutter button. (Why more digital camera makers don’t offer this is beyond us, it can’t cost more than a few pennies to add to a camera, and is very useful for all sorts of situations where you don’t want to jostle the camera by pressing the shutter button.) Control-wise, the Fuji S9000 offers a full range of exposure modes from fully automatic to fully manual, with program, aperture-priority and shutter-priority in between, as well as a good handful of useful scene modes. This is a camera that a pure novice can start with and grow into as their skills mature. No camera is perfect, and the S9000 has its own set of foibles, but on balance, it’s a great choice for enthusiast photographers on a budget. “
Sigma has recently announced their new lens for Pentax mount DSLR Camera. The new 28-300mm F3.5-6.3 DG MACRO is digitally optimized lens covers all the focal lengths from 28mm wide angle to 300mm telephoto with 10.7:1 high zoom ratio as well as macro capability.
The new multi layer lens coating and lens design reduce flare and ghost, which is a common problem with digital cameras and also creates an optimum color balance through the entire zoom range. This lens features two Special Low Dispersion (SLD) glass elements and four aspherical lenses for excellent correction of all types of aberration and displays a high level of optical ability. The use of aspherical lenses in the construction of this lens not only corrects aberrations but also produces a very compact and lightweight lens design.
The lens has a minimum focusing distance of 50cm at all focal lengths and is equipped with a macro mechanism for close-up photography at 300mm telephoto, allowing a reproduction ratio of 1:3. Moreover, the lens has internal focussing means that it has the advantage of a non-rotating front lens assembly, which is of great benefit when using polarizing filter and Petal-type hood.
Christian Harris at BIOS Magazine has just reviewed the Canon PIXMA iP8500, a printer with Canon’s ChromaPLUS print technology utilises eight coloured inks: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Light Cyan, Light Magenta, Black, Red and Green which produce vivid colours, reduced graininess and better contrast photo quality when compared to many pigment-based inks used in some other photo printers.
In conclusion BIOS Magazine wrote that Output from Canon’s Pixma iP8500 looked excellent in tests, with a broad dynamic range and sharp detail rendering in bitmaps. It rendered excellent curves and sharp text on coated paper, making it a good candidate for proofing page layouts. It also offered surprisingly full range of tones in the reds and oranges, as well as lots of detail in both shadows and highlights in landscapes dominated by grass, trees, and other greenery. If anything, saturation for these tended to be a bit too brilliant. Skin tones were warm but acceptable and relatively accurate. On the downside, text and graphics quality were more than acceptable, but not impressive on regular paper. Print speed was moderate, outputting at a rate of around 3.5ppm for monochrome text and 0.6ppm for colour photographs.
Avecmobile.com has an interesting article comparing the image quality of a 2 megapixel Nokia N90 to a compact digital camera. In conclusion they write:
” Photos taken outdoors on the Nokia N90 proved to be very nice. You can see plenty of detail at the front of the picture where we locked the auto-focus. In fact, the auto-focus system found the the hay at the front, while we couldn’t lock the digital camera on the small object at all. That’s why both photos above are focused a little bit further and not on the nearest hay. In any case, the digital camera image shows more details and its color balance is better.
… If you want to be absolutely sure you always have a camera with you, go for a high-end camera phone – the image quality is good, especially in outdoors pictures. Many holiday photographers only need a product like the N90 for keeping their sunny memories. For indoors or sports photography, capturing distant objects with a zoom, or if you believe you’ll be getting serious with photography, consider a dedicated digital camera and a phone.”
Debbie Grosman reviewed the ACDSee 8 Photo Manager at PopPhoto Magazine and wrote:
“For total beginners, ACDSee 8 may be all you need; you can do a good job fixing pics simply and keep track of all those images you’ve been snapping. For seasoned enthusiast, the program is a thorough tool that’s fun to use to manage your images, repair your snapshots, and figure out which ones you’re going to put the time into fixing in earnest. For everyone, the speed and simplicity of the interface makes working with the program a simple pleasure”
Nikon has recently announced the latest version of their image capture software which is now available for download. The Nikon Capture version 4.4.0 (windows) and 4.4.1 (Mac) updates add support for D200 RAW images and the color mode item in the advanced RAW tool palette.
Download Nikon Capture Software Version 4.4.0 (Windows) & 4.4.1 (Mac)
RELEASE NOTES
Nikon Capture version 4.4.0 (Windows)
If Nikon Capture version 4.4.0 is to be used in combination with Nikon View, please be sure that you are using Nikon View version 6.2.7 for full compatibility of files and most functions.
Improvements:
The new firmware version 1.02 for the Exilim Zoom EX-Z750 is now available at Casio Website. The firmware will add old photo scene “Revive Shot” to snapshot BEST SHOT scenes.
Dennis Hissink has written a preview of Nikon D200 and writes
“Operating the Nikon D200 is like having a smaller version of the Nikon D2X in your hands. The total operation of the D200 is inherited from the already famous Nikon D2x D-SLR. It is not only the look and feel of the body that makes you think “I am a PRO..”, entering the D200’s menu is giving you access to more than 40 custom settings. It took me quite some time to go through each setting, one after another. Compared to the Nikon D100 it is not just a simple follow-up, it is a complete evolutionary new generation that is presented by the Nikon D200. The large 2.5-inch LCD display offers a high resolution and is giving a perfect view on the images you have shot. The new display provides an ultra-wide 170° viewing angle from all directions. I had to try that out in the sun and yes also in sunny weather this LCD is rich in detail. Captured images can be blown up to 400%. This is handy and perfect for making sure that the captured moment is indeed the moment you wanted to hold onto forever. The magnifying function is perfect for checking the fine details.”
Charles Kozierok has posted an interesting thread at FredMiranda comparing the Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 II with Canon EF 50mm F/1.4 USM and Canon EF 50mm F/1.0 L
Crop comparison, near the center-bottom
Bokeh comparison
Please click on the images above to enlarge
He writes:
“#1. The 50/1.8 II has much more DOF than the other two lenses at the same aperture. This probably helps with its reputation as being very sharp for its size and cost. Overall it held up VERY well compared to its more expensive brethren.
