New Blue Nikon Coolpix 3200 Digital Camera

Amazon.co.uk: Nikon Coolpix 3200 Blue Digital Camera (3.2MP, 3x Opt Zoom) All the usual specifications, except it's blue! You can read the full specifications on Nikon's website.

A guide to digital image resizing

Digital Image Resizing: "One aspect of digital images which seems to cause a lot of confusion to beginners is the matter of image size. There are three basic measures of image size - Pixel count - e.g 3000x2000 pixels, -Physical size - e.g. 4' x 6', -Resolution - e.g. 72 pixels per inch (ppi)" (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Troubleshooting Your Images

Solutions from PC Magazine: Troubleshooting Your Images: "Nothing is more frustrating than looking at a photo you took of a once-in-a-lifetime event only to find that it didn't turn out. Maybe it is blurry, dark, or 'noisy.' Many new digital-camera owners become so frustrated that they give up entirely, or keep replacing their cameras, hoping to find one that magically takes the photo they want every time. Instead of throwing your hands up, if you spend a little time looking at your problem images, thinking about what might have happened, and practicing with your camera on your pets, children, or garden, you'll be ready to grab those images of a lifetime when it really matters. In this article we discuss a variety of common causes of poor digital images, and present some tips on diagnosing and correcting the problems." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Pretec to Show new Digital Camera/Camcorder at CES 2005

CameraTown.Com:: "Pretec's DV6403 with with 4MP CCD, 30fps VGA MPEG4 DV Recorder, and 3X optical 4X digital zoom, weighs only 200 grams. The DV6403 can also adopt ASP (Advanced Simple Profile), enabling high quality and high-definition video experience to even savvy users. Price at $399, the Pretec DV6403 should start to ship in January 2005."

Top Digital Camera Newbie Mistakes to Avoid

Top Digital Camera Newbie Mistakes to Avoid: "Digital cameras are great! They let you experiment and learn without the hassle and expense of film developing. They give you the freedom to take more pictures--lots more pictures! But they also open up a whole new world of technology and terminology that even proficient film photographers may not be familiar with. Fortunately, you can bypass the confusion by visiting the links in this article to learn about and avoid the most common pitfalls and mistakes many new digital camera owners make." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

10 Tips to Enjoy Digital Photography

CameraTown.Com: "An estimated 10 million digital cameras were sold nationwide this holiday season and experts agree new camera owners will take hundreds of photos each in the first weeks. Yet most consumers have no idea how to manage, properly save or get the most enjoyment out of these photos. Here are tips to organize and share digital photos from Wind-Up Labs, maker of HeyPix!, a new digital photo organizer and sharing service."

I4U News - Plush Web Cam: Garfield Cam Buddy

I4U News - Plush Web Cam: Garfield Cam Buddy "The Cam Buddy connect via USB and are optimized to use for video chat on MSN or Yahoo messenger. A microphone is built-in. Besides Garfield there is also a Doreimon and 12 other plush web cams available. The Garfield Plush Web Cam sells for $44.99 at DVD-Supply (currently additional $5 off with coupon)."

Olympus Stylus Verve Digicam Review

digitalcamerainfo.com: "While the Stylus Verve lacks some performance elements offered on competing models, the fashionable design, ample automatic controls and affordable price makes the camera a strong deal. Ideal for point-and-shooters in search of portability and style, for under $300, you really can't beat the Verve."

You can read my review of the Olympus Mju Mini Digital / Stylus Verve here. The Olympus Mju Mini Digital is available from Amazon.co.uk for £195 including VAT and free postage.

CES 2005 coverage

CES 2005 - Let's Go Digital have setup a new website to cover the CES 2005 show - starting on the 6th of January 2005.

Kodak's new image: Kodak Growing

Kodak's new image: printer friendly version: "This year, Kodak's EasyShare brand has almost 19 percent of digital camera sales in the United States, a very close second to Sony and ahead of Canon, according to IDC, a technology research firm. 'Kodak is up because they are really committed to ease of use and they communicate that very well,' said Michelle Slaughter, the director of digital photography trends at InfoTrends/CAP Ventures, a market research firm." (found at Digital Photography Blog)

CES Bans Bloggers

CES Bans Bloggers: "'The CEA spent more time qualifying attendees this year to make sure everyone in attendance has a legitimate attachment to the consumer electronics industry, said Kristen Peiffer, a CEA spokeswoman. The show is not open to the general public, and the CEA does not allow the blogging community or other independent observers to attend the show.' "

H1/Proback 645H Experience

H1/Proback 645H Experience: "Color and details were excellent. Because the P25 does not use an AA filter the images get a more natural sharpness than with a Canon 1Ds Mk. II. That said the 1Ds Mk. II did also do an excellent job using prime lenses." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

DCRP Review: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1

DCRP Review: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1: "The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-L1 is a decent camera for those who value size over features and photo quality. The L1 is ultra-compact and stylish, and it comes in four colors. While it's easy to hold, some of the controls are microscopic. The LCD is small as well, but it's viewable in both in bright outdoor light and dark rooms."

The Sony Cybershot DSC-L1 is available from Amazon.co.uk for £185 including VAT and free postage.

Olympus Stylus Verve / Mju Mini Digital Review

megapixel.net: "With subjects photographed under sunny conditions, the Stylus Verve yields consistently well-exposed images. The highest image quality is obtained when images are captured in the lowest sensitivity range, 64 to 100 ISO, when the subject is uniformly lit, and when the zoom is past the widest angle."

You can read my review of the Olympus Stylus Verve / Mju Mini Digital here. The Olympus Mju Mini Digital is available from Amazon.co.uk for £195 including VAT and free postage.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T33

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T33 "'Sony offers in several Asian countries the Sony DSC-T33 5MP Digital Camera, a more stylish shaped version of the recently introduced Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T3. Similar to the Sony DSC-T11, that was introduced a bit after the Sony DSC-T1, the DSC-T33 is technically the same as the DSC-T3, but has a different styling.'"

Nikon Coolpix 4800 Digital camera review

Pocket-Lint: "Like the larger 8800, the new 4800 includes a large, x8.3, optical zoom lens, made up from moulded ED glass elements, offering the equivalent of 35-300mm zoom. Speed is also consideration, 1.3 seconds separating full wide angle to full telephoto zooming. There is a digital booster function included but access to this is protected by having to repeat the depression of the zoom rocker to migrate across from the optical zoom. The body itself is bulky and all plastic. While this gives you plenty of camera to hold onto for not much weight the tendency to scratch is high."

Canon PowerShot A85 review by PC Magazine

Canon PowerShot A85 review by PC Magazine: "In Canon's ever-growing arsenal of consumer-level compact digital cameras, the 4-megapixel Canon PowerShot A85 replaces the popular PowerShot A70. Unfortunately, the A85's images suffer from a lack of sharpness. If you can find it cheap enough (it usually sells for under $300) it's still a decent buy, but we recommend the Kodak EasyShare LS743 for its smaller size and sharper images."

Ricoh announce the R1V Digital Camera

PhotographyBLOG -:- Press Release: "Ricoh have today announced a successor to the Capio R1 digital camera (read my review). The R1V has the same 28mm lens and compact body as the R1 - the main upgrade is the new 5 megapixel sensor (the R1 had 4 megapixels)."

Konica Minolta Dimage E40 Preview

Just in case you missed the previous post - I've put a preview of the Konica Minolta Dimage E40 on line - it's a 4 megapixel, 3x optical zoom ultra compact metal bodied digital camera, with a large 2" screen. You can read the preview here.

Be the first to find out when the full review is completed by subscribing to the newsletter!

FujiFilm FinePix S3 Pro DSLR First Look(s)

Smartshooter has sample images on-line and has the following to say about the Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro DSLR: "It's hard not to upgrade to this camera, I cannot give it high enough marks after shooting it for a week. If you shoot on-camera flash, wedding images, editorial work or you are disappointed in the digital highlight detail of your camera, move up to the S3 right away. Beware, that if you add the S3 to your bag and plan to shoot the S2 as a backup, you will soon be disappointed in your trusty S2 because this camera is so much nicer to shoot and the files it creates are pretty amazing."

Luminous Landscape have the following to say: "The Fuji S3's claim to fame is its enhanced dynamic range through the use of its proprietary Super CCD SR II sensor, with two separate photo-sites – one to record the normal exposure range, and the other just the highlights. The camera can be set to record just using the S (normal) pixels, or also with the R (highlight) pixels as well. These are then combined in the Raw file, and you have the choice within the Fuji Hyper Utility II Raw conversion software, or via in-camera settings if generating JPG files, to blend these either automatically, or in varying degrees."

Olympus C-470 / D-590 Review at DCResource

DCResource: "The Olympus D-590 Zoom ($299) is a compact point-and-shoot 4 Megapixel camera. The D-590Z is designed for people who want to pick up a camera and use it without worrying about complex settings. That means it has no manual controls of any kind, but Olympus figures that their target audience won't miss them."

The Olympus C-470 is available at Amazon for £149 including VAT and free postage.

Canon Powershot A95 Review at PC Mag

PCMag: "The Canon PowerShot A95 is a fun, powerful 5-megapixel camera. Style-conscious point-and-shooters might want to look for something smaller, such as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1, but if you go that route, be prepared to pay more for less. In addition to a host of features and manual controls, the A95 offers excellent image quality, making it a very good buy ($325 street)."

The Canon Powershot A95 is available at Amazon.co.uk for £224 including VAT and free postage.

Digital Cameras 2nd most popular search in 2004

Digital Photography Blog: "Proving how hot they are at the moment - 'Digital Camera' was the second most searched for term on Google's Zeitgeist 2004 list in their 'Popular Consumer Electronics' section. Digital Cameras were only beaten by the popular iPod in this category."

More Boxing Day Sales

Further to yesturdays post - I also spotted the Nikon 3200, a 3 megapixel, 3x optical zoom digital camera available at Boots for £99.

Boxing Day Sales - Price Watch

I hope you have had a great Christmas, and if you've been brave enough to venture the shops on Boxing day you may have noticed some of these special offers. So far, there hasn't been much in shops that has been significantly cheaper than the on-line store prices, but the following stood out:

Casio QV-R61 - 6mp, 3x optical - £199 Dixons
Fuji Finepix A403 - 2mp Super CCD (interpolates to 4mp), no optical zoom - £45 Dixons
LUMICRON 521Z3 - 5mp, 3x optical - £99 Currys.

DigiCamReview.co.uk Gallery Updates

DigiCamReview.co.uk Gallery Updated: I just thought I'd let you know that I've updated and added the following galleries:

Konica Minolta Dimage E40 Gallery (read the preview)
Kodak Easyshare DX7440 Gallery
HP Photosmart R507 / R607 Gallery

I hope you enjoy looking at these images - and I hope you have a great Christmas!

Konica Minolta Dimage E40 Preview On-Line!

"Available in shops now from £149 including VAT - the Konica Minolta Dimage E40 is a compact 4 megapixel digital camera, with a 3x optical zoom lens (equivelant to 32mm - 96mm on a 35mm camera), and a large 2" TFT screen. The camera is made out of metal, and records 320x240 / 15fps videos with sound. The camera is very compact with the following size: 88.5x24x54.5mm (without protuding parts), and only weighs 125g (without the battery and SD card)"

Have a look at my quick preview with photos of the camera, specifications and box contents here.

Be the first to find out when the full review is completed by subscribing to the newsletter!

Top 5 Digital Still Camera brands

CameraTown.Com: "The NPD Group/NPD Techworld has listed the top 5 Digital Still Camera brands on their website, based on total Dollar Volume in October 2004. Volume for October hit $244,785,500 with Canon taking top market share at 22.4%, Sony with 19.6%, Kodak with 12.5%, Olympus close behind with 12.3%, and Nikon rounding out the top five with 12.1%. Volume information is derived from the Photo Specialty, Electronics/Appliance, Computer/Office Superstores, Mass Merchant, and Mail Order channels."

Happy Christmas from DigiCamReview!

Over the next few days I expect site updates will be fairly sporadic as I spend time with family and friends. 2004 has been a great year with this site going from strength to strength, and I expect 2005 will be an even better year, with Digital Cameras becoming even better - smaller, faster, cheaper, with even more choice!

If you haven't found the review you have been looking for, email me, and I'll add it to my list of digital cameras to review next year! The HP Photosmart R507, and the Kodak Easyshare DX7440 reviews may be slightly delayed, but I hope to have them up sometime after Christmas.

Thanks for reading DigiCamReview - I hope you have a great Christmas. God Bless you.

Olympus E-300, a nitpicker's review

Olympus E-300, a nitpicker's review: "The E-300 (called Evolt in the U.S., why?) is the first affordable digital SLR from Olympus, following in the footsteps of the E-1 of last year, of which I hold a very high opinion. Having owned both the E-10 and E-20 fixed-zoom SLRs and three high-end, non-SLR Olympus models, I grew to like the way in which Olympus designers make their compromises (if any camera maker says theirs don't make any, they are just lying)." (found at Digital Photography Blog)

New York Times on three-C.C.D. cameras

New York Times on three-C.C.D. cameras - Engadget - www.engadget.com: "Roy Furchgott reviewed four three-C.C.D. video cameras ranging in price from $700 to $6,500 for th New York Times. The lowdown? Three-C.C.D. cameras have come way down in price but are still more expensive their single-chip counterparts"

Microdia’s 3GB SD memory card

Engadget: "a company called Microdia says they’ll have a 3GB SD memory card for sale soon, as well as a 3GB MMC card, a 2GB miniSD, and a 2GB RS-MMC cards. Sooner or later these things are going to be cheap enough (2GB SD cards are expected to price out at around $250, we don’t even want to think about how inexpensive these will be in a year) that you’ll have to think really hard about whether you still want to carry around a separate dedicated digital audio player rather than just load up one of these high-capacity cards with MP3s and pop it into your phone."

Epson P-2000 Multimedia Storage Viewer Review

DPReview: "Unveiled at Photokina, the Epson P-2000 is an upgrade to the P-1000 storage/viewer that adds an improved screen, wider file support, USB 2.0, a much bigger hard drive, better battery life and an SD card slot, plus numerous other enhancements. As well as offering 40GB of hard disk storage for your digital camera images and a stunning crystal-clear screen to view them on, the P-2000 can be used as a personal entertainment center', with support for AVI and QuickTime movies and MP3/AAC audio files. It can also display raw files from Epson, Canon and Nikon cameras. So is the P-2000 the ultimate digital camera accessory, and can it really replace a laptop when shooting in the field?"

Consider this when buying your digital camera

News Journal: "This is the first part of a series on buying, using and producing good photos with a digital camera. When purchasing a digital camera there are ten things you should consider. Here are the first five questions. 1) What kind of lens does the camera have and is it made of all glass?"

Minox DC-6311 Review

Digit-Life: "When you look at this camera, you notice right away its genetic similarity with the previous model MINOX DC-5211. As in the previous case, there exist several dozens of cameras which are actually different only in their names on the housing. Claiming no completeness, I'll give you a list of cameras, which appearance hints at their immediate relationship. Ai-6330, BENQ DC C60, Genius G-Shot P633 ,Premier DC 6330, Rekam Presto-T60, Rollei Prego dp6300 , RoverShot RS-Z60..."

Using Image Calibration Techniques to Reduce Noise in Digital Images

Using Image Calibration Techniques to Reduce Noise in Digital Images: "This article is about a method of reducing noise in images taken with digital cameras - especially long exposure and/or high ISO images taken with digital SLRs. The simplified workflow presented here is derived from more advanced techniques of noise reduction (known as calibration) that are used in scientific and technical imaging. Because of limitations in the software tools commonly available to mainstream photographers, and because of limitations to the image-making equipment, there are several significant differences between the technique described here and a proper calibration of a scientific image. Still, the method here can result in significant aesthetic improvement to many digital images that suffer from noise." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Sony Announces World's Smallest miniDV Camcorder

PhotographyBLOG: "Sony presents the world's smallest and lightest miniDV camcorder* and ultra-modern designed DVD Handycam (*As of November 2004)"

Gizmodo : Digimaster SD Card with USB Interface

Gizmodo : Digimaster SD Card with USB Interface: "Taiwanese OEM vendor Digimaster is releasing this SD Card that also has a USB 2.0 interface on the flip size, meaning you can use it in devices that support SD (cameras, phones, PDAs, etc.) and then flip it around and put it in a laptop or PC as a flash drive. And if I did the currency conversion correctly, the 256MB version will be only $40 or so."

Fujifilm FinePix A340 Review

Digital Cameras - Fujifilm FinePix A340 Digital Camera Review - Imaging-Resource: "Fuji FinePix digital cameras have always been associated with good image quality and color, with solid performance even at the lower-end of the line. With a 4.0-megapixel CCD and 3x optical zoom lens, the Fuji A340 offers the same point-and-shoot convenience as Fuji's earlier entry-level models, but with greater flexibility from its four preset scene mode and longer maximum exposure time, as well as more resolution from its larger sensor. Its color is very bright and highly saturated, likely to be appealing to many consumers, even though it's not technically 'accurate' color."

Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Review

Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 Digital Camera Review: Imaging-Resource: "The Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2 was easily a Dave's Pick, capitalizing on fast shutter-lag, excellent exposure and creative control options, and an excellent image stabilization system. Though the Konica Minolta A200 is a slightly pared-down version of the A2, I see many of the same excellent features that I praised on the A2, such as fine-tuned creative adjustments for contrast, saturation, and hue; a full range of exposure control modes for any experience level; a high-resolution 8.0-megapixel CCD; and a sharp 7x optical zoom lens. The result is a camera with a really compelling set of features and capabilities, but at a "street" price fully $150-200 less than that of the A2."

New Competition: Digital Camera Starter Kit!

To enter the competition, all you have to do is subscribe to the DigiCamReview newsletter on the top right of this webpage, this will enter you into this competition, and automatically enter you into all future competitions! The newsletter is sent out once a week with the latest news, reviews, tips, and price watch details, as well as information about future reviews.

The competition prize for January will consist of:
- Tamrac Padded Digital Camera Case - worth £14.99 (details)
- Bytestor 128mb SD Memory Card - worth £11.99 (details)
- Uniross Charger and 4 NiMh AA 2000mAh batteries - worth £12.99 (details)

Total prize value: £39.97!

The competition results will be posted on this website on the 22nd of January 2005 - and the winner will be notified via email!

December's competition results are here.

Review: Canon Digital IXUS 500 (S500 Digital Elph)

Review: Canon Digital IXUS 500 (S500 Digital Elph): "I was using the Canon Digital IXUS (aka. S100 Digital Elph) for about 4 years and made about 20.000 pictures with it. I was very satisfied with this nice camera, but I thought it would be time for a new toy. I bought the Canon Digital IXUS 500 (aka. S500 Digital Elph) two months ago and made about 2000 pictures with it. My first impression of the camera was very good. I first noticed that it is much faster than my old IXUS, when shooting several pictures in a sequence. Also I noticed the new focus system, which shows me, which parts of the image it regards as the relevant ones. I made the first picture series on my birthday with difficult light conditions, but the camera performed very well. No focus problems, all images are very sharp and the colors are excellent. I think they made some big improvements over the last years. You can have a look at the pictures here."

Panasonic DMC-FZ3 Review at megapixel.net

megapixel.net "The Panasonic DMC-FZ3 is one of two recently released cameras — the other being the FZ20 — that are equipped with 12X zooms and image stabilizers. The design of the FZ3 has much in common with the FZ20 (see below). Like the FZ20, the body of the FZ3 is dominated by the lens, and aside from the bright metal lens trim, the body is composed of a polycarbonate that is offered in either a silver or black finish."

Fortune Magazine's Best Tech Roundup

PhotographyBLOG: "This 5-megapixel model produces impressive shots for a $350 camera, but the thing that makes it special is its friendliness for beginning digital photographers. The R707 uses adaptive lighting to help the user take the best possible images in difficult situations, and it also has a help system that analyzes photos and recommends steps the shooter can take to create better shots."

You can read my review of the HP Photosmart R707 here. The HP Photosmart R707 is available from Amazon for £179 including VAT and free postage.

The Kodak Easyshare LS755 now available in Europe too - DCVIEWS

The Kodak Easyshare LS755 now available in Europe too - DCVIEWS: "Kodak Europe has quietly introduced the 5 Mp, 3x zoom Easyshare LS755 digital camera. The sleek body of this new camera, which was originally developed for the Asian markets, is not the only difference from the other members of the LS series. The images of the LS755 are stored on an xD-picture card, while the rest of the family uses SD/MMC cards."

Special Offers on Digital Cameras at Amazon.co.uk

See Amazon's Electronics and Photos / Digital Cameras section for details of digital cameras available with a free case at Amazon.co.uk.

Other special offers available:

Olympus Mju 410 White - exclusive to Amazon.co.uk - Claim a free leather case as sold for £14.99.
Olympus C310 - Claim a free charger, batteries and leather case as sold for £24.98.
Kodak Printer Dock V3 - Claim a £40 saving when you buy this with selected Kodak cameras.
Epson PictureMate - Claim a PictureMate Carry Case as sold for £19.99.
Kodak CX7530 or LS753 - Claim a free 128MB SD card as sold for £11.99.
Pentax S30 (read my review) - Claim a free leather case as sold for £19.99.

You can also get a free case with the Kodak Easyshare DX7440 - a 4 megapixel digital camera, with a 4x optical zoom lens and a massive 2.2" screen on the back - it's only £129 including VAT and free postage - this is £30 cheaper than anywhere else on the internet, so it's a real bargain! Click here to buy!

Lumicron 521Z3 5 megapixel 3x optical zoom £129

Price Watch: The Lumicron 521Z3 - a 5mp, 3x optical zoom digital camera, with a 1.6" TFT screen, is available in Dixon's stores for £129. (Also sold as the Medion MD 40696)

Dixon's also have the CASIO EX-Z3R - a compact 3mp, 3x optical zoom digital camera with a large 2" TFT screen, for £119 - Currys (part of the Dixons group) have the same camera reconditioned for £99.

Jacobs have the Konica Minolta Dimage X20, a compact 2mp, 3x optical zoom digital camera for only £69 in stores.

Fujifilm FinePix F440 Review at PCMag

PCMag: "The 4.1-megapixel Fujifilm FinePix F440 is a decent camera wrapped in a small, square package. And—let's face it—it's cute, which can be an important factor for many buyers of ultracompact cameras. When you turn the camera on, it emits a series of beeps—that sounds like R2-D2. Cool little blue lights come on, the powerful lens pops out, and you're ready to shoot—after 3.5 seconds, the longest shutter lag in this roundup. (On the other hand, recycle time between flash shots was the lowest: 2.7 seconds)."

The Fuji FinePix F440 is available at Amazon for £205 including VAT and free postage.

Fujifilm FinePix S5500 / S5100 Review at CNET

CNET: "The Fujifilm FinePix S5100 replaces the S5000, which we praised for its features and form factor but criticized for subpar image quality and shortcomings in its design. The new model offers the same 10X zoom lens and a handful of feature and performance improvements, although some design drawbacks remain. The biggest change is the sensor; the previous model's 3-megapixel SuperCCD HR has been replaced with a conventional 4-megapixel CCD, and image quality is much improved." (found at Digital Photography Blog)

The Fujifilm FinePix S5500 is available at Amazon for £244 including VAT and free postage.

Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 Review at Pocket-Lint

Pocket-Lint: "The Z3 marks the top end of the Konica Minolta Z series cameras, boosting the 10x optical zoom lens of its predecessor, the Z2’s with a new, 12x 35-420mm (35mm film equiv’) optical zoom lens. An essential gadget for any long zoom digital camera is an anti shake system and the Z3 uses a stabilised 4MP CCD." (found at Digital Photography Blog)

The Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 is available from Amazon for £267 including VAT and free postage. You can read my review of the Konica Minolta Dimage Z3 here.