Trusted Reviews reviewed the Konica Minolta Dynax5D/Maxxum5D and wrote:

“Superb performance, design and handling, fantastic picture quality and a huge range of features and options make the Dynax 5D a very strong contender in the budget D-SLR market. If you are looking for such a camera, this should definitely be on your shortlist. It may lack the 8.0 megapixel performance of the Canon EOS 350D, but it offers a wider range of features and it has the advantage of the excellent Konica Minolta anti-shake system, which is very hard to beat.”

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This cool tutorial was originally written by Dennis, a DeviantArt member based in Germany. The tutorial will show you how to use an adjustment layer (in this case Solid Color) and the layer mask to color only a portion of a black & white picture.

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Jeff Keller just posted his review on Fuji FinePix S9000 and wrote:

“What I liked: Very good photo quality (though see issues below), Good high ISO performance for a non-SLR camera, Nice focal range for an ultra zoom, 28 - 300 mm, Solid, SLR-style body with manual zoom/focus rings, Full manual controls, Fast startup, focusing, shot-to-shot speeds (assuming you’re not using RAW mode), LCD/EVF usable in low light, AF-assist lamp, good low light focusing, Hot shoe and flash sync port for external flash, Useful Natural Light, Anti-blur modes (though see issues below), No redeye, Good macro mode for an ultra zoom
Dual memory card slots, Excellent movie mode; zoom lens can be used during filming, Very good battery life, USB 2.0 High Speed support.

What I didn’t care for: While better than fixed lens cameras, images are noisier than similarly priced D-SLRs, Anti-blur mode works at stabilizing images, but increased noise limits output options; optical image stabilizers are better for this, Sluggish performance in some areas: RAW recording, continuous shooting write times, playback mode, Camera offers RAW mode but no software to do anything with it; RAW option is buried in setup menu, No focus distance shown on LCD/EVF in manual focus mode, Full shutter speed range only available in M mode, Body suffers from “button clutter”, Tiny memory card, no rechargeable batteries included ..”

Firmware update for the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II v1.1.4

What’s new?

1. Fixes the phenomenon of horizontal line noise appearing when P.Fn-21 is set to ON.
Fixes the phenomenon of horizontal line noise appearing occasionally in shots taken with P.Fn-21 set to ON at high ISO setting, depending on the shutter release timing.

2. Fixes the phenomenon of file number errors that occurred when shooting bulb exposures.
Fixes the phenomenon of file numbers not being sequential even if the file number setting is for sequential numbers if a CF card is replaced while the power of the camera is switched on.

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Samsung (CEO Lee Joong-Koo, www.samsungcamera.com) announces an agreement with Pentax to jointly develop Digital-SLR cameras.

The partnership between Samsung and Pentax will be based on sharing their respective competencies to enhance competitiveness in digital cameras.

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Fujifilm FinePix Z2 Zoom: the sensitive supermodel that’s naturally slim

New member of the ‘Z’ series adds class-leading sensitivity
Fujifilm today announced the launch of the FinePix Z2 Zoom, a super-slim digital compact offering 5.1 megapixels, a high resolution 2.5” LCD monitor and improved sensitivity up to ISO 1600, all housed within a chic, sleek body.

As anyone with an eye for the world of fashion knows, occasionally you may want to take discrete photos in low light. With an amazing sensitivity setting of ISO 1600, this model certainly won’t be dropped for a poor performance.

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Thank you for your continuous patronage of Konica Minolta products.

Konica Minolta has recently discovered a problem with some of its digital cameras manufactured between October, 2002 and March, 2004. The following products may be affected:

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Canon 70-300mm F4.0-5.6 IS USM with Canon EOS 350D by Greg Lavaty - Added 09.10.05

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1/500s f/8.0 at 160.0mm iso100 (100%crop)
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1/500s f/8.0 at 160.0mm iso100 (100%crop)
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1/250s f/6.3 at 115.0mm iso100 (Original - large file)

Canon 70-300mm F4.0 - F5.6 IS USM with Tamron 1.4x MC4 TC

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Sigma just announced its new digitally optimized fisheye lenses. The new Sigma 15mm F2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Lens and Sigma 8mm F4 EX DG Circular Fisheye Lens are equipped with a new multi layer coating technology that reduce both flare and ghosting.

Sigma 15mm F2.8 EX DG Diagonal Fisheye Lens PRESS RELEASE

Digitally optimized circular fisheye auto-focus lens - Sigma 15mm F2.8 EX DG DIAGONAL FISHEYE

This digitally optimized diagonal fisheye lens is equipped with a new multi-layer coating technology that reduces both flare and ghosting. This also ensures an accurate color balance and high definition results.

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Mark D. Segal compared both Canon EOS 24-105mm F/4 L IS USM with Canon EF 28-135mm IS USM and wrote:

“My findings and comparison of key specifications: Insignificant vignetting with either lens; The L lens has generally superior contrast; The L lens displays generally less chromatic aberration, but some exists in the same places where the 28~135 had more; At 105mm it is hard to see much difference in resolution even at 100% magnification; At 28mm and 50mm the differences of sharpness/resolution are obvious even at f8, which should be in the range of the “sweet spot” for both lenses; 24mm really expands the image area considerably compared with 28mm; at the telephoto end 105mm is enough for me, considering that I also have a 70~300mm; Maximum telephoto aperture of f/4 versus f/5.6 (twice the amount of light).”

RELATED ARTICLE

- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Reviews, Sample Pictures & Specifications
- Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM user reviews at Amazon
- Canon 28-135mm IS USM user reviews at Amazon