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.

Konica Minolta Dimage E40 Press Release

PhotographyBLOG: "Konica Minolta UK News - The Konica Minolta DiMAGE E40 has been introduced to the UK, in limited distribution. This model represents the first DiMAGE E series model since the DiMAGE E323. The primary features of the DiMAGE E40 are:4 Megapixels, 3x Optical Zoom, 2.0” type LCD Monitor. In addition to the standard accessories a case and charger/mains power adapter are included. SRP £179.99 The limited quantities of this model are expected to be exhausted before Christmas."

Previous posts about the Konica Minolta Dimage E40: Konica Minolta Dimage E40 Review, Konica Minolta Dimage E40 Available now.

Fujifilm FinePix F455 available in Black

The 5mp, 3.4x optical zoom lens Fuji FinePix F455 (Announced September '04) is now available at Jessops. The camera features a 2" TFT screen, and records videos with sound.

Canon PowerShot IXUS IIs / SD110 Review

Canon PowerShot SD110 Digital Camera Review: "For the $299 retail price tag and $200 street price, the Canon PowerShot SD110 provides great competition in its point-and-shoot price range. For the beginning user who wants an easy to use camera, look no further. This Canon comes with 3.3 megapixels, which is enough to make great 8 x 10-inch prints, something most beginners don't do anyway."

Acer enters digital camera race with 3 new digital cameras

Digital Photography Now - News - Acer enters digital camera race: "Starting off the new Acer digital camera range is the CR-5130, with a guide price of £149. The main difference between this and its two siblings is its relatively small 1.5' LCD monitor screen. However, like the others, it features a good range of shooting modes, with manual options. The mid-range £199 model is the CS-5530. This has a large 2.5' screen and is of a slim design. At the top of the range is the 6MP CR-6530. Finished in a black and silver, the CR-6530 is quite eye-catching. The back of the unit is dominated by another 2.5' screen."

Konica Minolta Dimage E40 Review

Index Digicam publish the first on-line review of the 4 megapixel, 3x optical zoom Konica Minolta Dimage E40 - a digital camera with a 2" TFT screen, that I announced the other day.

2005 Predictions by Thom Hogan

2005 Predictions by Thom Hogan: "Final score: 16.5 out of 31. Considering how outrageous most folk thought my 2004 predictions were, well, I'll consider that a decent score. Let's see if I can be more outrageous (or maybe more accurate) this time around" (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Pentax Optio S5i Review at DPReview

Pentax Optio S5i Review: Digital Photography Review: "The Pentax Optio S5i is an upgrade of the popular S4i with an extra million pixels, some minor styling changes and a couple of new features. The S5i is almost unfeasibly small — thanks in part to the innovative sliding lens first seen at the start of 2003 in the Optio S (and since in several Pentax and Casio models) — yet is more feature-packed than most other ultra-compacts. In an ever-growing market, and with a handful of outstanding competing models (see recent reviews of the Canon PowerShot SD300 and Panasonic DMC-FX7 for example), does the Optio S5i have what it takes to become the pocket camera of choice?"

The ultra compact Pentax Optio S5i is available at Amazon.co.uk for £234 including vat and free postage.

Phase One P25 Field Report

Luminous-Landscape: "This is the final part of a three part review of the Phase One P25 22 Megapixel back. The first was of a pre-production prototype in the summer of 2004, and the second was a comparison with the Canon 1Ds Mark II. I have now been working with my own P25 in a Contax mount version for several weeks, including a major landscape shoot in Big Bend Texas and a commercial assignment in Canada. Here are my impressions."

Canon India zooms in on digicams to boost growth

Canon India zooms in on digicams to boost growth "'Canon India plans to expand its digital camera (digicam) business to account for 25 per cent of the target turnover of Rs 700 crore by 2007. “The market for digicams is expected to grow by 100 per cent in the next five years,” director and GM, consumer imaging and information division, Alok Bharadwaj said. “Digicams contributed a revenue of Rs 11 crore this year compared with Rs 2.3 crore last year. Next year, we expect digicams to contribute Rs 40 crore of the target turnover of Rs 330 crore.” This year, 100,000 digicams were sold through the legal route in India. Of Canon’s $30-billion global revenues, digicams contribute around $6 billion.'"

Digitized and Brought to Life

Washingtonpost: "The true power of digital photography never really hit me until I came face to face with the dashing young Australian grandfather I had never met - on my 21-inch computer screen. A home scanner, coupled with a cheap photo-editing program, allowed me to blow up the few tiny images of him my family had saved so I could get my first close look at his melancholy face."

Police cars get digital cameras

SeattlePost: "It's just a small camera tucked up near the rearview mirror of the Seattle police patrol car, but it signals a leap forward in technology and, some say, a next step in police accountability. While many other departments have begun using digital recording devices statewide, Seattle is alone in including a wireless capability that enables officers to download the images from their patrol cars directly to the precincts."

Global Positioning System (GPS) Data Added To Photos

CNET: "With each photograph, the camera attaches descriptive data--information like date and time, make and model, white balance settings and whether the flash was used. Among the 300 or more types of data that can be attached are Global Positioning System coordinates that pinpoint where the photograph was taken. Most digital cameras can't be connected to a GPS receiver, so they can't automatically tag images with coordinates. But interest in the combination is growing."

Night Photography - Digital Photography Tutorial - Photoxels

Night Photography - Digital Photography Tutorial - Photoxels: "Can My Camera Do Night Photography? For successful night photography you need a digital camera that allows you to keep the shutter open for a long time, anywhere from 3 to 30 seconds. Check your camera specifications in the User's Manual under Shutter Speed. The shutter speeds available will be given as a range, e.g. 30 sec. - 1/2,000 sec." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Digital Camera Prices Fall as Christmas Approaches

PhotographyBLOG: "Digital camera prices fell 7.4 percent to an average of about $192 as manufacturers released new models and discounted older lines to take advantage of expected heavy demand during the holiday season. New high-end models in the six- to seven-megapixel range have begun hitting the market, forcing prices down across the board and delivering exceptional values in the largest segment of the market, the three-megapixel category,' said NPD analyst Stephen Baker." You can read the full article here.

Digital cameras are this years top gift

Digital cameras getting holiday focus "Twenty five percent are shopping for DVD players. But the market is nearly saturated with DVD players - 70 percent of U.S. households now own one, while only 39 percent own a digital camera. - Consumers paid $649 for a 1.5-megapixel Canon PowerShot digital camera in 1999, for example. This fall the average price for a 3-megapixel camera was $207, according to the NPD Group in Port Washington, N.Y. The research group expects prices of the entry-level cameras to fall below $200 during the holiday season." You can read the full article here.

Steves Digicams - Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 - User Review

Steves Digicams - Konica Minolta DiMAGE A200 - User Review: "Konica Minolta's DiMAGE A200 is a 8.0-megapixel high-performance digital camera that is perfect for all levels of photographic experience from advanced amateur to creative beginner. Equipped with Konica Minolta's Anti-Shake technology featuring a unique CCD-shift mechanism that offsets handheld shaking, it is easy to capture sharp images with the DiMAGE A200, even in low lighting and without the use of a tripod."

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 Review at Imaging Resource

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 Digital Camera Review: "The Panasonic DMC-FZ20 combines a 12x optically stabilized zoom lens with a 5 megapixel sensor and a host of features designed to entice novice and enthusiast alike. (The Panasonic DMC-FZ20 is very similar to the FZ15 model, the biggest difference being its 5-megapixel CCD vs the 4-megapixel chip on the FZ15.) True to its Leica heritage, the Panasonic FZ20 's long zoom shows very good optical quality, and the rest of the camera happily measures up as well. Read on for all the details, but if you're in the market for a long-zoom digicam with optical image stabilization, the Panasonic FZ20 looks like a good bet."

The 5mp Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 is available at Amazon for £394 including vat and free postage.

Free Tamrac Camera Case and Special Offers

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.

DCRP Review: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150

DCRP Review: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150: "The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150 ($499) is an ultra-compact, ultra-responsive digital camera with a whopping 7.2 Megapixel CCD. Other features include a 3X zoom lens, limited manual controls, VGA movie mode, and an AF-assist lamp. The P150 is available in silver, blue, or black bodies."

The Sony Cybershot DSC-P150 is currently the cheapest 7mp digital camera, and is available from Amazon for £284 including VAT and free postage.

Kodak EasyShare CX7530 review at CNET

Kodak EasyShare CX7530 review - Kodak EasyShare CX7530 Intro - Digital Cameras - CNET Reviews: "A million more pixels aren't the only improvements in the Kodak EasyShare CX7530, an upgrade from the the EasyShare CX7430. You also get twice as much internal memory (32MB), a larger 1.8-inch LCD, improved performance, and the ability to select a noisy but useful ISO 800 sensitivity. Other enhancements to the CX7530 include more zoom-in power (8X) during picture review. You'll want to add rechargeable batteries and a memory card to your shopping list, but this fast-operating, simple-to-use 5-megapixel camera will please snapshooters who value quick response over manual controls." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

The 5mp, 3x optical zoom Kodak Easyshare CX7530 is available from Amazon for £159 including VAT and free postage.

Olympus Camedia D-590 / C-470 Review

Steves Digicams - Olympus Camedia D-590 - User Review: "With a 4-megapixel CCD imaging sensor, the D-590 Zoom is able to produce sharp, vivid images at a wide range of print sizes up to 11 x 14 inches. Its high quality 3x optical zoom lens covers 35-105mm (equivalent in 35mm photography) with a maximum aperture range of f3.1 - f5.2. It also features a 4x digital zoom, which delivers a total seamless 12X zoom when combined with its optical zoom."

The Olympus C-470 / D-590 is available from Amazon for £149 including VAT and free postage.

New Digital Camera: Jetyo Technology Co. Ltd's LT-33

New CCD PC cameras: Slim PC/digital camera has built-in microphone: "Jetyo Technology Co. Ltd's LT-33 is a slim digital camera that also functions as a PC camera. It has a built-in microphone and measures only 87x57x26mm. It has optional built-in 8M flash memory and support for SecureDigital card. It supports JPEG, AVI and WAV file formats. It has a 3MP CMOS image sensor and is powered by two AAA batteries."

Japan's Pentax to make key digital camera parts via BASO

Forbes.com: Japan's Pentax to make key digital camera parts via Chinese joint venture - report: "TOKYO (AFX) - Pentax Corp plans to start manufacturing core digital camera components around January through its Chinese joint venture with BASO Precision Optics Ltd of Taiwan, the Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported, without citing sources. The operation is expected to produce camera modules, some of which will be shipped to Pentax's digital camera factory in the Philippines and the rest will be sold to third parties."

HP Grabs Top Awards Across Its Consumer Electronics Portfolio

PhotographyBLOG: "HP Grabs Top Awards Across Its Consumer Electronics Portfolio; Nine Innovation Awards from Consumer Electronics Association among 21 Garnered in Last Three Months - Consumer Electronics Show honorees include the HP Photosmart R707 Digital Camera (pictured)"

You can read my HP Photosmart R707 Review here. The HP Photosmart R707 is available for £179 (get a free flight!) / $299 from Amazon.

SportsShooter - Hands on with the Canon 20D

SportsShooter.com - News: Hands on with the Canon 20D: "There is a lot to like - actually love - about Canon's new 20D digital SLR. There's the 8.2 meg-pixels. A beefed up buffer (over it's predecessors), now 23-frames. The great color. Low noise even at high ISO settings. And the much talked about improved auto-focus capabilities. Leaving the technical aspects of this camera to more capable reviewers like Phil Askey and Rob Galbraith, what I will do here is try to give Sports Shooter readers a hands-on look at the Canon 20D after using it for 3 weeks at various assignments, including football and baseball games. My comments will be limited to my impressions on the 20D and how it handled under 'game conditions'." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Lucky Sevens: 7-Megapixel Cameras

Lucky Sevens: 7-Megapixel Cameras: "If you wanted an enthusiast or compact camera with a bit higher resolution than 6 megapixels but didn't want to spend around $1,000 for an 8MP camera, you were out of luck - until the recent release of a slew of 7MP cameras. For just $500 to $700, there is now a wide range of cameras that can produce images of up to 3,072-by-2,304 pixels, suitable for making razor-sharp 11-by-17 prints - even after some cropping. In this batch we also include the Fujifilm Coolpix E550, which uses Fujifilm's own SuperCCD HR sensor, which is rated at 6MP and has a 12MP hardware interpolation mode that brings its images in line with those of the 7MP cameras." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Best Digital Imaging Products of theYear - PC Mag

Best Digital Imaging Products of theYear - PC Mag: "PC Magazine wrap up the year with their Best of the Year feature which covers everything from notebooks to digital cameras. Taking out the prize in the Digital Camera Enthusiast section is the Olympus C-8080 and the Leica Digilux 2. Winning the DSLR section is the Nikon D70 and the Canon EOS 20D "

Digital Printer Test Strips at Outback Photo

Digital Printer Test Strips "I use test strips to allow me to easily evaluate the effect of minor adjustments to my prints; these allow me to quickly fine tune my prints to that one exceptional print."

Kodak set for gamble on re-entry to Japan

Digital Photography Blog: "Japan's digital camera market is a brutal battleground where even some of the country's leading manufacturers are finding it difficult to survive. In spite of buoyant demand, many Japanese manufacturers are struggling to make profits in the face of double-digit price declines due to the large number of competing suppliers. So it came as something of a surprise that Kodak, which has never had an easy time in the Japanese market, decided last month to enter the fray. The US group quietly launched two new cameras and its proprietary digital printing system for the Japanese market."

Digital Camera Media Safe In X-Ray Machines

Imaging-Resource News: "Recent tests found no evidence of X-ray scanner damage to digital camera media cards or to the images they hold. The tests of scanner models currently in use in the U.S. transportation industry were jointly conducted by the International Imaging Industry Association (I3A), the leading global association for the imaging industry; SanDisk® Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), a manufacturer of digital media cards; and the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA)."

I4U News - JVC Everio GZ-MC200 Digital Camcorder Review

I4U News - JVC Everio GZ-MC200 Digital Camcorder Review: "I decided to get the cube shaped JVC Everio GZ-MC200 and not the GZ-MC100 because of the way to hold it during video shooting. The JVC Everio records DVD Quality video in MPEG-2 with AC-3 audio. It has a maximum bit-rate of 8.88Mbps. Directly recording video onto a 4GB CF Micro Hard-drive is the big technological achievement of the Everio. Switching the Camcorder on takes about 5 seconds. That is maybe the biggest issue with the JVC Everio I found so far."

Canon IXUS 40 Review at Cameras.co.uk

Review of Canon IXUS 40 and Where to Find the Best Prices: "The Canon IXUS 40 is an ultra slim digital camera. It is a stylish model aimed at people who are looking for a digital camera to carry around with them easily and take a variety of pictures without too much fuss and bother. It is a four megapixel camera with a three times optical zoom lens. The feature set is pretty standard and as cameras go the IXUS 40 is easy enough to use. Overall the camera is likely to appeal to the social photographer rather than someone who is more serious about their photography."

New Digital Camera: VuPoint 5.2mp DC-MP5331-VP

CameraTown: "Today VuPoint Solutions introduces our new camera, model number DC-MP5331-VP, which will be featured at the CES in January 2005. Located in the South Hall at booth 35616, VuPoint Solutions will be demonstrating the new product along with our enriching line of digital cameras ranging from VGA models to 10* Mega Pixels. This state of the art camera has a 5.2 Mega Pixel CCD sensor. It is slim and compact, yet powerful with a wide 2.5" LCD display screen, a 3x optical zoom, 3.6x digital zoom and built in SD card reader slot. The list price for this camera is $499.99"

The camera looks identical to the BenQ DC E53, and is almost the same as the Konica Minolta Dimage E40, except the E40 is a 4 megapixels digital camera with a smaller 2" TFT screen.

Digital camera sales continue strong growth

DPReview: "A study by InfoTrends/CAP Ventures predicts that worldwide digital camera revenue will reach $24 billion by the end of 2004, and will exceed $30 billion by 2009. Europe, the United States and Japan top the table for digital camera sales this year while it is expected that Asia and Rest of World (ROW) regions, which currently has a combined share of 10%, will share 33% of the revenue by 2009."

Fujifilm announces UK pricing for S3 Pro

DPReview: "Fujifilm has now announced its SRP as £1599 ($2499). The S3 Pro has a Super CCD SR sensor that gives a 12 megapixel output. The SR chip features two photodiodes at the same photosite which enables an extended dynamic range. Other features include film simulation modes, equivalent to changing film type to suit shooting conditions, the ability to adjust the dynamic range and color space selection. The FinePix S3 Pro will be available in January next year."

New Digital Camera: GE GlamCam

Gizmodo: "Basically, it's a 1.3-megapixel webcam with built-in mirror and 8MB of flash memory on board so you can snap pics even if you're away from the PC. If it's as small as I think it is, I think it'll be pretty great—definitely worth swapping out a plain Jane compact for. It won't actually be out until after CES, though, and will retail for a $100."

Nikon Coolpix 8800 Review at DCResource

DCResource: "At first glance, the Nikon Coolpix 8800 ($999) looks like the Coolpix 8700 from earlier this year but with a 10X zoom instead of 8X. That's true, but there's more to the story than that. The CP8800 is the first Nikon digital camera with VR (vibration reduction) technology -- the same image stabilization technology used on Nikon's 35mm lenses. Now you can take those telephoto shots without worrying about camera shake! Other new features on the CP8800 include a larger, much sturdier body, i-TTL support with select external flashes, improved battery life, and a new "digital flash" technology known as D-Lighting."

BBC NEWS | Technology | PC photo printers challenge pros

BBC NEWS | Technology | PC photo printers challenge pros: "Home printed pictures can be cheaper and higher quality than those from High Street developers, tests shows. A survey carried out by PC Pro magazine looked at which of 100 home photo printers offered a better deal than handing your snaps to a photo lab. The tests found that images from top PC printers kept their colour longer than professionally produced photographs. But using the wrong printer cartridge could means snaps fade in months, warned the magazine." You can find the PCPro article over here.

Olympus C-70 / C-7000 Review at Megapixel.net

megapixel.net: "This new Olympus camera, the Camedia C-7000 (called C-70 in Europe), offers a 7.1 megapixel resolution and a 5X optical zoom. The body of the C-7000 is a totally new design. Though, to anyone familiar with Olympus cameras, the C-7000 contains a number of design cues that are recognizable as originating from previous Olympus models."

New Konica Minolta Dimage E40

Available in on-line stores now! (£149 at Expansys, and BestCameras) Although no information is currently available on Konica Minolta's website(s) - the Konica Minolta Dimage E40 is a 4 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens, and a 2" TFT screen on the back, it takes SD memory cards and a Lithium-ion rechargable battery. The style, design and specifications may look and sound familiar, that's because they are - this digital camera is identical to the BenQ DC E43 (press release), the Minox DC4211, the Centon DC4s, the Rollei Prego DP4200, the Voigtländer Virtus D4, the Maginon Slimline X4, and the Premier DC4331. What are your thoughts on this, would you still be interested in a review of the Konica Minolta Dimage E40?

Previous Konica Minolta Dimage 'E' range digital cameras were the E223 (read my review here), the E323, the E203, and the E201.

Click here for a bigger picture of the Konica Minolta Dimage E40. Click here for more pictures of the Konica Minolta Dimage E40.

New Best Budget Digital Camera of 2004!

You may have already spotted it at the top of the home page, due to the 'Highly Recommended' rating I gave the Pentax Optio S30 in my review, the Pentax Optio S30 is now DigiCamReview's Best Budget Digital Camera of 2004! Buy now from Amazon.co.uk for £99 - this camera is fully featured yet is available at a bargain price! If you buy from Amazon.co.uk you can claim a free leather case worth £20, and a battery charger for £2.99 (saving £10) making this digital camera an even better bargain!

Runners up: Canon Powershot A400 (3mp, 2x optical, £110), Kodak Easyshare CX7330 (3mp, 3x optical, £99)

Nikon Digital Camera Problem with high-powered rechargable batteries?

PhotographyBLOG: "PhotographyBLOG reader Craig Coussins has alerted me to a potential issue with current Nikon digital cameras that use rechargeable AA NiMH batteries. Craig is a Coolpix 8700 owner and recently experienced the problem outlined below when he tried to use some new NiMH 2400 mAh batteries." Make sure you have a read through the comments on the site.

Kodak EasyShare DX 7590 Review at Pocket Lint

Pocket-Lint: " The Kodak DX7590 is the update of the DX6490 launched last year and the most obvious change from the model it replaces is the extra million pixels: the resolution has been bumped to 5MP. The camera is slightly Jekyll and Hyde, in that it offers a dual personality with two levels of control. The Jekyll part is a user-friendly, point and shoot-ability that’s combined with the Hyde element that provides a host of manual controls for the more advanced snapper." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Pentax Optio S5i Review at Imaging Resource

Imaging-Resource: "Overall, the Optio S5i is amazingly full-featured for a subcompact model, delivering good (although slightly understated) color and tone in an incredibly tiny package. If you're looking for an ultra-compact camera with a full feature set, the Optio S5i is hard to beat. The camera's 5.0-megapixel CCD produces very high resolution images, and the camera offers a wide range of preset shooting modes and exposure control options to suit a range of user levels. Excellent for travel and as a "take anywhere" camera, the Pentax Optio S5i arguably packs more photographic capability per cubic inch than anything else on the market."

The Pentax Optio S5i is available at Amazon.co.uk for £233 including vat and free postage.

Nikon Coolpix 8400 Review at Imaging Resource

Imaging-Resource: "Image quality was generally excellent, with loads of resolution, in-camera sharpening that struck a good balance between perceived sharpness and minimal artifacts, good (if somewhat bright) color, and a lens that kept chromatic aberration largely in check yet maintained good sharpness in the corners of the frame. The two standout features of the Nikon 8400 are its fast shutter response (among the best we've seen in a prosumer camera), and its super-wide 24-85mm equivalent zoom lens. A Nikkor add-on wide-angle adapter pushes the wide end of the lens's range to an incredible 18mm, unheard of in prosumer digicams, other than "fisheye" adapters."

Canon EOS-20D DSLR Review at DCResource

DCResource: "I'll be blunt: the Canon EOS-20D is the best reasonably priced digital SLR that I've tested. And by reasonably priced I meant under $2000. There's so much to like about the 20D, I don't know where to start. Photo quality is excellent, with photos having an ultra smooth look to them. Color and exposure were both accurate. Personally I'd crank the sharpness up another notch, but that's just me. Noise levels are very low, even at ISO 1600 -- try that with your fixed-lens camera!"

Fuji FinePix A330 Review at CNET

CNET: "Fujifilm's entry-level FinePix A330 has a basic feature set that won't scare away even the most hesitant digital-photography newcomers. And you can enhance its ease of use with the optional PictureCradle CP-FXA10 dock, which charges an included battery pack and makes connecting to a computer or a TV extremely simple. The FinePix A330 also works as a Webcam for Windows XP users, although you have to supply your own microphone. When it comes to snapshot performance, this 3.2-megapixel camera is slightly faster than its predecessors, but it won't break any speed records. Still, casual snapshot photographers who aren't looking for quickness will likely be pleased with its decent photo quality." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Sony, Samsung to share patents

Reuters: "Sony Corp. and Samsung Electronics said they had agreed to share patents on basic technology to speed up product development and avoid adding to a growing number of cross-border patent disputes. The cross-licensing deal allows the Japanese and South Korean electronics giants to tap each other's vast patent portfolios of basic technologies. However, it will exclude key technologies that help differentiate their products, such as those related to Sony's hit PlayStation game consoles."

DCViews RSS News Feed

"On popular request we've added an RSS news feed to our website. This news feed is a general XML based format for distribution of structured content that is widely used to distribute news headlines. Through a so called RSS Reader, the software which enables you to view this RSS data, you get the latest news headlines from your favorite sites delivered to your desktop. You'll find the link to the RSS feed marked with the XML logo shown in the image above. For more information on RSS news feeds and readers you may read on at www.xml.com"

You can find their RSS feed here. If you don't have an RSS Reader - you can use Bloglines, a web based RSS reader that makes it very easy to manage and view the news from all your favourite websites. You can start using the DigiCamReview RSS feed using bloglines by clicking here. Or alternatively here's the direct link to the RSS feed.

Pentax Optio S30 Review On-Line

DigiCamReview.co.uk - Pentax Optio S30 Review: "The Pentax Optios S30 is a compact 3 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 35mm -105mm on a 35mm camera) and an aluminium body. It has a 1.6' Colour TFT screen. The camera comes with 11mb memory built into the camera, and can be upgraded with an additional SD card. The camera takes 2 AA batteries, or a CR-V3. The camera also records unlimited 320x240 videos at 30fps with sound. The camera can be bought for £99 (UK) / $179 (US Optio S40/4mp) from Amazon. The camera is compact with a size and weight as follows: Dimensions: 89 x 58.5 x 25.5mm, 125g without battery and card."

Lexar’s USB FlashCard

Engadget: It's the most obvious solution to all our memory card problems - a mini usb memory card, that plugs straight into your computer's usb port, and plugs straight into your digital camera (of the future). I thought of this earlier in the year - someone must have been listening :) - It will be available in sizes up to 1gb and be priced competitively with Compact Flash. Engadget say: "If you had to choose between a camera that used CompactFlash or a camera that used UFC, it’d be mighty tempting to go with UFC since you would never have to make sure you have a card reader handy to transfer photos to your computer."

Nikon Coolpix 5200 Review at digitalcamerainfo.com

Nikon Coolpix 5200 Digital Camera Review - Nikon Digital Cameras - Digital Camera Reviews - digitalcamerainfo.com: "The Nikon Coolpix 5200 is primarily meant as a point-and-shoot model. Although it has some manual control options, without a Manual mode, the user is limited to tweaking the Auto mode, instead. The camera is small and sleek, and is lightweight enough to be easily slid into the back pocket of a pair of pants. The meager body holds a 1/1.8-inch, 5.1 effective megapixel CCD, and a 1.5-inch LCD, which is a little on the small side. The fast menu controls makes this camera perfect for the point-and-shoot user looking for a camera with clean lines that's easy to use. The Nikon Coolpix 5200 retails for approximately US$499.95."

The Nikon Coolpix 5200 is available at Amazon.co.uk for £205 including VAT and free postage.

A Tale of Two Cameras - A Digital Guide from Pfucata

A Tale of Two Cameras - A Digital Guide from Pfucata Here's an excellent guide, almost like an on-line book, that explains the differences between DSLR, Point and Shoot, Depth of Field, Megapixels plus more. Well worth a read. (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Casio Announces 6 Megapixel QV-R62

PhotographyBLOG Press Release: "That's where the new digital camera QV-R62 from CASIO comes in: with 6.0 megapixels and 3x optical zoom, it brings concentrated power for photos full of life. Now all that's left to do is to press the shutter at the right moment and you won't miss any situation. Thanks to the Direct On function, the digital camera is ready for use extremely quickly1 and the minimal shutter release time lag of approx. 0.01 seconds makes sure that you won't miss a single tobogganist when you're shooting the winter activities. The result is photos in a fantastic quality that look great on the 2-inch TFT colour display."

Samsung announces 2.11 MegaPixel digital camcorder the VP-D907i

Samsung announces its first 2.11 Mega Pixel digital camcorder, the VP-D907i - DCVIEWS "Samsung announces its first 2.11 Mega Pixel digital camcorder, the VP-D907i. The model has 10x optical zoom, a 4.1-41 mm focal length lens, a 2.5” LCD viewer and built-in flash light."

December's Competition Winner!

December's competition winner of the 128mb SD Memory card is:

Nir Zohan!

Congratulations! If you didn't win this time - simply subscribe to the newsletter, and you will be entered into next month's competition!

HP Photosmart M307 Review On-Line

Read my full review: "The HP Photosmart M307 is a compact 3 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 39mm -117mm on a 35mm camera). It has a 1.8' Colour TFT screen. The camera comes with 16mb memory built into the camera, and can be upgraded with an additional SD card. The camera takes 2 AA batteries. The camera also records unlimited 320x240 videos at 30fps with sound. The camera can be bought for £110 (UK) / $169 (US) from Amazon."

An introduction to White Balance, the underused control

PC Review: "The human eye has a remarkable ability to adjust to different light conditions. Not only do our eyes have built-in auto-focus system and auto-exposure capability, but we also have automatic colour balance built into our brains. A white object will appear white to us whether viewed in sunlight or under overcast skies, or indoors under incandescent or fluorescent lighting that is because the human brain has the capability to compensate for such changes in perceived colour. A very efficient system indeed!"

Get Interactive with DigiCamReview!

Interact with DigiCamReview - there are many ways to interact with this site - you can enter the competition to win a memory card, subscribe to the newsletter (on the top right of this page), subscribe to the RSS feed to keep up to date with this site (or simply use bloglines if you've no idea what that means), email me with feedback, news or links to other sites, or to let me know what you would like me to review next, or perhaps you want some questions answered, simply use the Questions and Answers section!

Other recent features you may be interested in: Have you ever dropped your digital camera?, my favourite digital cameras of 2004 / Christmas buying guide, you can Claim a free case when you buy a digital camera, or have a look at my latest price watch where I point out any digital camera bargains I've seen.

120 minutes with the Epson RD-1

Photo.net: "All in all, I’m not sure I’ll be buying an RD-1. Now at $2000-2200, I think I would have a hard time saying “no”. Even at $3000, if I knew that I could get one or two fast/wide lenses, I think my desire for a digital rangefinder would easily overcome the price tag. But right now I’m really on the cusp, I love digital and I love rangefinders. But so far, my 120 minute “fling” with the Epson RD-1 wasn’t enough to totally convince me to take the plunge."

Canon EOS 20D Review at Creativepro.com

Camerapro: "Canon's latest digital SLR defines and refines the mid-priced, high-resolution camera line. Offering 8.2 megapixels in a compact body that takes interchangeable lenses, the EOS 20D is gathering momentum as today's "it" camera. Ben Long takes a look." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Canon Powershot S70 Review at CNET

CNET: "In general, the Canon PowerShot S70 takes excellent photos, properly exposed and sharp, with neutral, accurate colors. At the camera's best light-sensitivity setting, ISO 50, the photos display very little noise; at ISO 100, there's a bit more but not enough to seriously impact the overall image quality. At ISO 200 and 400, however, the noise became obtrusive." (found at Digital Photography Blog)

The Canon Powershot S70 is available from Amazon.co.uk for £351 .

Nikon Coolpix 8400 Review at Steve's Digicams

Steve's Digicams: "The Nikon Coolpix 8400 features the widest-angle of coverage of any digital camera available today, offering photo purists and creative photographers the answer to their search for true wide-angle photography from a compact digital camera. The Coolpix 8400 provides users with 8.0 effective megapixel performance and a versatile ultra-wide 24-85mm (35mm equivalent) zoom Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass lens. An optional wide-angle converter takes the camera even wider to an unmatched 18mm of coverage."

The 8 megapixel Nikon Coolpix 8400 is available for £519 from Amazon.co.uk.

Olympus C-470 / D-590 Review at Cameras.co.uk

Possibly the first on-line review of the new 4mp, 3x optical zoom Olympus C-470 Digital Camera at Cameras.co.uk: "The Olympus C-470 is a straightforward, easy to use digital camera. It has four megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. It is aimed at anyone who would like a digital camera that they can just pick up, turn on and start taking pictures with. You can get started with the C-470 without needing to spend a long time with your head in the instruction manual."

The Olympus C-470 / D-590 is available at Amazon.co.uk for only £149 including vat and free postage.

JVC Everio GZ-MC200 4GB Digital Camcorder First Impressions

I4U: "When the JVC Everio GZ-MC200 and GZ-MC100 digital camcorders got announced in September, I knew I had to get me one of those. First my fear was that this cool and small digital camcorder would only be available in Japan, but then Amazon.com started to list the JVC Everio for pre-order in October. These new Victor JVC Camcorders are now shipping and are available globally."

Wrist PDA digital camera

Engadget: "The Eittek digital camera wristwatch is not only a wrist camera that can shoot and store 25 images with a 1.7mm lens, it’s a PDA as well, so you can calendar, store telephone numbers, to-do lists and whatever else you need for those stealth camera projects."

Tom Swift's new camera, ready for space and spies

CNET: "Clifford Ross has invented a camera capable of producing negatives containing 100 times as much data as the average professional digital camera." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Photography Basics by Andy Lim

Andy Lim posts his guide to photography basics, with example pictures that help explain what is going on. This guide is really good as it's the basic foundation to all photography, film and digital. It covers optical zoom vs. digital zoom as well as other things such as exposure compensation. (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Claim a free case when you buy certain digital cameras at Amazon

For example, buy the Pentax Optio S30 Digital Camera (3MP 3x Optical) and you can claim a free leather case worth £20, and not only that, but you can claim a battery charger for only £2.99! Visit Amazon.co.uk to find out more.

Other deals: Olympus C-310 - claim a free charger, batteries and leather case worth £25, Olympus Mju 410 White - claim a free leather case worth £15, Canon Powershot A400 - claim a free case worth £15. Claim a free memory card with the Kodak CX7530, and LS753.

Konica Minolta Dynax 7D / English Review

Konica Minolta Dynax 7D / English: "We have been waiting for a long time for this to happen. Konica Minolta has launched the long awaited camera Dynax 7D. What was the expectation about and what does Minolta stand for in the SLR world? I'm sure there are some digital photographers who are not truly aware of the recognition of this company. Here are some facts." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Canon PowerShot SD200 / IXUS 30 Review

Digital Cameras - Canon PowerShot SD200 Digital Camera Review, Information, Specifications: "Slightly smaller than many preceding Canon Digital ELPH models, the Canon PowerShot SD200 features the great looks and sharp design that are the ELPH signature. Very compact and quick on the draw (thanks to a smoothly operating retractable lens design), the PowerShot SD200 is a convenient point-and-shoot digital camera with a handful of extra exposure features for added flexibility, and a larger LCD display than previous models of this size in Canon's lineup."

The 3mp, 3x optical zoom Canon IXUS 30 is available from around £200 (see Kelkoo.co.uk), and the 4mp version, the Canon IXUS 40 is available for £224 from Amazon.co.uk

Fujifilm FinePix E550 review at CNET

Fujifilm FinePix E550 review - Fujifilm FinePix E550 Design - Digital Cameras - CNET Reviews: "The bright 2-inch LCD is a big selling point for this camera. It provides a sharp and detailed preview of your photo that isn't possible with the usual 1.5- or 1.8-inch screens on other compact models. With a display of this size, it's easy to distinguish between the different menu items. The selections are highly context-sensitive, so it may take a while to learn which features are associated with the various modes."

The 6mp Fuji FinePix E550 is available from Amazon.co.uk for £315.

Nikon Coolpix 8800 review at Pocket-Lint

Nikon Coolpix 8800 review: "Nikon seems determined to cover all their bases with innovations and models different enough to keep both consumer and professional interested. Their last major release was the D70, a universally well received sub-£1000 SLR system. Now, the Coolpix 8800, once again, offers a lot of camera for not a vast amount of cash." (found at Digital Photography Blog)

Panasonic announces 3MP mobile phone sensor

Panasonic have announced a 3 megapixel mobile phone sensor, it features image stabilisation, and auto-focus. More information can be found at DPReview.

Epson P-2000 multimedia storage album review

Digital Photography Now - Features - Epson P-2000 multimedia storage album review: "Epson’s brand new P-2000 portable multimedia storage album is just reaching the stores at the time of writing this review. It comprises a 2.5in 40GB battery-powered hard drive, SD/MMC and Compact Flash Type I/II memory card slots and a superb 3.8 inch Photo Fine VGA LCD display. A compact world-standard mains AC adapter/charger is included, along with a desk stand and wrist strap."

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7 Review

DPReview review the 5mp Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX7: "Announced at the end of July (alongside the lower-spec FX2), the DMC-FX7 is an ultra-compact replacement for the well-respected FX5. As well as being smaller than the FX5, the FX7 boasts the Venus II engine for improved responsiveness and the new two-mode MEGA O.I.S image stabilization used to great acclaim in the FZ3/FZ15/FZ20 models. Panasonic has also managed to squeeze a huge 2.5-inch LCD screen onto the back of the FX7, though it did so at the expense of an optical viewfinder"

Read my review of the Panasonic Lumix FX7 here. Available at Amazon for £289 / $430.

Have you ever dropped your digital camera?

I've dropped both metal bodied and plastic bodied digital cameras from about waist height, and they have all survived - the cameras in question were all digital cameras that had internal lenses (eg the Konica Minolta Dimage X31), or a lens without a zoom (eg the Sony Cybershot U40) - I guess that if I had dropped cameras that had the normal extended zoom lens, then I may not have been so lucky.

It made me think - has anybody done any research or testing on camera survival when dropped? So far all I have found is that the Ricoh Caplio 400G Wide has been tested to 'withstand a drop test from 90 centimeters' - does anybody else have any information, or any personal experience?

Badge keeps paparazzi out of the picture

Times On-Line: "CELEBRITIES hounded by paparazzi may at last be able to emerge from behind their dark glasses without trepidation.

By wearing a specially designed electronic badge that jams electronic cameras, they will be able to prevent photographers from taking unwanted pictures.

The “privacy protection system” being developed by Hewlett-Packard will allow the publicity-shy to transmit an infrared signal to any nearby compatible camera. Once activated, the camera’s software will automatically blur beyond recognition the face of anybody wearing the badge, New Scientist magazine reports."

Konica Minolta Dimage X50 Review at CNET

CNET: "Konica Minolta's ever-fashionable X series climbs the resolution ladder with the addition of the 5-megapixel Dimage X50 to its stable of small and swift ultracompacts. And like its siblings, the X50 is a great take-everywhere companion." (found via Digital Photography Blog)

Fujifilm FinePix S5100 / S5500 Review

digitalcamerainfo.com: "The Fujifilm FinePix S5100 was announced in August 2004 and made its debut on the market at the retail price of $499. The successor to the FinePix S5000, the S5100 adds more megapixels on a different type of imaging processor and fifty bucks to the price tag. The digital camera touts 4.23 and 4 effective megapixels on its 1/2.7-inch CCD. The most prominent feature of this FinePix model is its Fujinon 10x optical zoom lens; equivalent to 37-370mm zoom range in 35mm format."

Mirra Digital Shoebox Personal Server Review

CameraTown.Com: "Making backups, whether to a CD, DVD, or external hard drive takes time, and while we all know how important it is, most usually do not get around to it until it is too late. Unlike most documents and music files that can be re-created, most photographs are memories that we cannot go back and recreate. The Digital Shoebox from Mirra was designed to solve this problem, and at the same time, provide solutions we didn't even realize were possible, at least not for most home users."

Konica Minolta Dimage X31 Review at CNET

CNET: "If you want to look good while taking snapshots, the slender Dimage X31 delivers style and portability as well as some fun, creative options at a low price." (found via Digital Photography Blog)

You can read my review of the Konica Minolta Dimage X31 here.

Canon Powershot A95 Review

megapixel.net: "The PowerShot A95 is the newest camera to be released in Canon's A-series, and is a logical evolution from the A80, itself replaced by the A85. Equipped with a 5 megapixel CCD and a 3X optical zoom, the A95 is mostly distinguishable from the A80 by the name stenciled on the grip, and by the blue lettering indicating its resolution on the lower right of the camera's front."

DCRP Review: Pentax Optio 750Z

DCRP Review: Pentax Optio 750Z "The Optio 750Z ($499) is Pentax's entry into the growing field of 7 Megapixel cameras. Building on the Optio 555 from last year, it offers a 5X optical zoom lens, full manual controls, dual focusing system, VGA movie mode, and rotating LCD display."

Olympus E-300 Test Drive - PC World

Olympus E-300 Test Drive - PC World 'This is one of the most interesting single-lens-reflex cameras to come out in a long time. It doesn’t look like an SLR because it’s missing the familiar penta-prism hump on top of the camera. It gives the E-300 significantly less height than other digital SLRs, which makes it easier to pack away.' (found at Digital Photography Blog)

A Remote Tribe are about to get digital cameras

Digital Photography Blog: "it seems a remote tribe in Papua New Guinea are about to get digital cameras and a photo printer! Sounds a little like colonial missionaries imposing jackets, ties and english upon natives in the Congo a few years back to me....

'The isolated Huli Wigmen of Papua New Guinea don't know it yet, but they are about to land in the digital world. Or is the digital world about to land on them? Either way, it's coming by way of an expedition with Silicon Valley ties that will soon arrive in their village. The excursion is the brainchild of Richard Bangs, a Seattle adventurer and travel promoter, who persuaded Hewlett-Packard to provide digital cameras and a printer for the trip."

Digital Camera Fights Crime

The Eureka Reporter: "Neighbor ‘shoots’ suspected burglars with digital camera - On Sunday afternoon, a neighbor’s quick thinking led to the recovery of a stolen loaded firearm and apprehension of two alleged juvenile burglars."

Digital Camera Vocabulary

KRT Wire: "Digital camera equipment and technology have a unique set of vocabulary terms and definitions. Here's a partial list of key terms explained."

Price Watch...

I spotted the Kodak Easyshare DX7440 - a 4 megapixel, 4x optical zoom digital camera with a large 2.2" LCD screen available for £129 including vat and free postage at Amazon.co.uk - this camera is currently available with a free case worth £15! This is at least £30 cheaper than anywhere else according to Dealtime.

Nikon Coolpix 8800VR Review

Steve's Digicams: "The flagship of Nikon's Coolpix series, the Coolpix 8800 offers the longest zoom range available in the 8- megapixel category, and is the first 8-megapixel 10X zoom digital camera with Vibration Reduction (VR). VR automatically detects and compensates for the small camera movements that cause image blur. This offers the user the ability to shoot at shutter speeds up to three stops slower without the risk of camera vibrations blurring the image. It features an 8.0 megapixel effective CCD (3,264 x 2,448-pixels) and a 10x Optical (35-350mm) Nikkor lens, with Nikon's Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements. It has a high resolution (235,000 pixel) electronic viewfinder (EVF) for through-the-lens viewing and a 1.8" vari-angle color LCD monitor."

The Nikon Coolpix 8800 VR is available at Amazon.co.uk for £599 including vat and free postage.

Pentax Optio X Review

Steve's Digicams:"Offering twice the versatility in digital imaging, the PENTAX Optio X opens with just a twist of the hand and positions the lens on one side for shooting freedom and the generous LCD monitor on the other side for viewing ease. With 5.0 effective megapixel clarity, a 3X optical zoom and a unique design that allows both above-the-head and hip-level shots, the Optio X also features a high-performance, 2.0 inch, low-temperature poly silicon TFT color LCD monitor."

The Pentax Optio X is available at Amazon.co.uk for £299 including vat and free postage.

Sony Cybershot DSC-L1 Review

Steve's Digicams: "The Sony CyberShot DSC-L1 packs a 4.1-megapixel imager, 3X-optical zoom lens into a stylish little package just smaller than a candy bar. Measuring just 3.7" x 1.7" x 1.1" (95 x 44.3 x 25.7mm), the L1 is powered by a InfoLithium battery pack, and features Sony’s Real Imaging Processor circuitry, delivering outstanding shot-to-shot speed, stamina and quick start-up time for catching the action when it happens."

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

Most popular digital cameras

Digital Photography Blog: "It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas and we've noticed a remarkable upturn in the number of visitors to Digital Photography Blog over the past month. It seems that Digital Cameras are among the most popular gifts this Christmas. As a result we thought we'd compile a list of the 10 most searched for Digital Cameras on this site over the past couple of weeks."

Ricoh Caplio R1 review at Pocket-Lint

Ricoh Caplio R1 review: "If you think you've seen this camera somewhere before, it's because the spec is virtually identical to Ricoh's Caplio RZ1. This model features a 4.8x, 28-135mm (35mm film camera equivalent) wide-zoom lens. Its brother, the Caplio RZ1, features a slightly slimmed down specification and a more 'traditional' 35-105mm 3x optical zoom lens. Apart from the lens focal ranges involved, the cameras are very similar, featuring 4MP effective resolution that is ample for prints all the way up to A3." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

I4U News - Olympus Miniture Wireless Digital Camera Pill

I4U News - Olympus Miniture Wireless Digital Camera Pill "Olympus announces a wireless digital camera pill that can be swallowed by patients. Olympus started clinical trials at medical institutions in the USA, Europe and Japan. Commercial launch of the camera pill should be in 2006. The high-tech pill replaces conventional endoscopes that require a tube to be inserted."

Kodak Easyshare CX7330 Review On-Line!

Kodak Easyshare CX7330 Review I review the £99 / $143 Kodak Easyshare CX7330 - a 3 megapixel digital camera with a 3x optical zoom lens. Find out whether the images are as good as they should be, and whether the Kodak really is as easy to use as Kodak say it is, in my full review.

Get the Most from Your Digital Camera book review

DPNow: "Get the Most from Your Digital Camera was first published at the end of October, so it's right up-to-date. It's a full-colour, 160 pages publication and Amazon's synopsis is: "Appealing to the fast-growing number of people who are replacing their point-and-shoot cameras with digitals, Simon Joinson explains the basics - how digital cameras work and basic information about image files, how to take better pictures and how to manipulate them using any of the basic free manipulation software packages available (as well as Photoshop)."

Digital Photography in the News

Digital Photography Blog: Links to "How to Choose a Digital Camera - 'What should I get if I want to buy a digital camera?' What to Know About Digital Photography - 'From megapixels to memory cards, options abound for the digital camera buyer. We'll try to make your decision a little easier.' and 'Daring to go digital - 'Unique camera store forgoes film, processing'"

Sony Cybershot P-72 Review

OC-Service: "Generally it is a good camera for its price, its easy servicing allows to take nice pictures even those who are not interested in photography. It is small and light – that allows to take it everywhere. What I would like – the shutter time support." found at Digital Photography Blog.

Kodak Easyshare CX7330 Photo Gallery On-Line

DigiCamReview.co.uk Gallery :: Kodak Easyshare CX7330 Photo Gallery I've uploaded a number of sample photos taken with the Kodak Easyshare CX7330 - a 3mp, 3x optical zoom digital camera available from Amazon.co.uk for only £99 including vat and free postage. Expect the review soon!

File Formats Made Easy

Popular Photography Magazine: "JPEGs, TIFFs and RAW files. Do you really know which to use when? Here's help - When an image is captured by your camera's digital sensor, a series of settings are applied as alterations to the original raw data. In many high-end cameras, this raw data can be retrieved 'un-touched' as a RAW file, but most digital cameras save your photos as JPEGs." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Konica Minolta Dynax 7 Digital Review at Photohobby.net

Konica Minolta Dynax 7 Digital Short Review at Photohobby.net "The good thing is 7D file seem to have the best color while compare with other DSLR, almost no need to touch up any color of the file straight from camera. KM has nicely done indeed with their image processing algorithm, CxProcess III, which take quality of the file to the next level in DSLR market." (found at PhotographyBLOG)

Olympus C-70 C-7000Z review at CNET

Olympus C-7000Z review - Olympus C-7000Z Intro - Digital Cameras - CNET Reviews: "Packed with more than three-quarters of a million pixels per ounce, this Olympus C-7000Z is typical of the breed of compact alternatives to a digital SLR or an EVF-equipped camera. Full manual controls; your choice of JPEG, TIFF, or raw file formats; versatile movie features; and a 5X zoom lens that takes you out to 190mm (35mm equivalent) as well as focuses to less than one inch in macro mode are among this camera's more interesting assets. The only extras a serious photographer could wish for would be support for add-on lenses and an external flash connection; this camera is otherwise ready for just about anything you can throw at it." (found at Digital Photography Blog).

Available at Amazon.co.uk for only £329 inc vat and free postage.

Pentax Optio S40 review at CNET

Pentax Optio S40 review - Pentax Optio S40 Intro - Digital Cameras - CNET Reviews "Flexible automatic-exposure options, easy manual focus, and histogram-assisted exposure adjustments will please snapshooters who want to fine-tune pictures on the fly, but the Pentax Optio S40 lacks the manual controls enthusiasts look for. This ultracompact, 4-megapixel Pentax loses points for its average image quality and performance, but its biggest shortcomings are found in optical and LCD viewfinders that give you the worst of both worlds." (Found at Digital Photography Blog)

Fuji FinePix S5100 S5500 Review

Digital Cameras - Fuji FinePix S5100 Digital Camera Review at Imaging-Resource "The Fuji S5100 advances the cause even further, with a 4.0 megapixel CCD, a 10x optical zoom lens, and a host of exposure features. While it still sports a super-easy fully automatic mode, the Fuji FinePix S5100 goes beyond basic "point & shoot" capability with Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual modes, as well as a few scene modes. The Fuji S5100 offers very long-zoom capability and greater exposure control at a surprisingly affordable price."

Canon PowerShot S1 IS Review at Photoxels

Canon PowerShot S1 IS Review: Digital Camera Reviews - Photoxels "Image quality of the 3MP image sensor is very good and allows up to 8x10 in. prints. Image detail is excellent, noise is very low at ISO 50, there's a bit of CA in certain high contrast scenes. Shutter and autofocus responses are a mixed bag: fast under bright conditions, and a noticeable shutter and AF lag at full telephoto and in low-light situations. In Continuous Shooting Mode, the EVF/LCD freezes as each picture is taken, making it difficult to follow action." (found at Digital Photography Blog)

Samsung DuoCam MiniDV Camcorder and Camera

I4U News - Samsung DuoCam MiniDV Camcorder and Camera - SC-D6040: "This interesting MiniDV Camcorder solves the issue of taking hi-res still images with a Camcorder by having a 4.1 Mega-Pixel camera integrated. The video camera has 10x optical and 800x digital zoom and a 680,000 CCD. The 4.1 Megapixel digital camera has 3x optical zoom and 6x digital zoom and comes with 16MB of memory."

Fujifilm FinePix E550 Review at Digital Camera Info

DigitalCameraInfo: "The Fujifilm FinePix E550 has a 1/1.7-inch, 6.3 MP CCD, a large 2.0-inch LCD screen, and manual control over white balance, exposure compensation, ISO, focus, aperture, shutter speed, light metering settings, and flash. It captures video in two ratios at 30 fps, and still images in five resolutions. The controls and the main LCD Menu are logical and simple to navigate. However, the camera only has four scene modes; this, when paired with the numerous manual controls, appears to place this camera into the gray area within the general point-and-shoot grouping."

Price Watch...

Spotted the following in today's paper:

Medion Slimline 3 megapixel digital camera, 28mb built in memory £49 at Somerfield
Premier 3 megapixel digital camera £49 at Woolworths (looks very similar to the BenQ DC E30)
Lumicron LDC-4013 4 megapixel, 3x optical zoom digital camera £79.99 at Toys R Us

Which digital camera is best?

Lexington Herald-Leader | 12/02/2004 | Which digital camera is best?: "That's when the questions start swirling. How many megapixels are enough? What's the difference between optical zoom and digital zoom? Can this thing shoot good pictures of my kids behind the birthday cake as well as behind home plate?"

Gizmodo : R/C Aerial Photography

Gizmodo : R/C Aerial Photography: "Gary Dickerson pointed out these folks over at the RC Groups forums who have been rigging up small digital cameras to their R/C airplanes and getting some fantastic low-altitude aerial pictures. The trick is to find cameras that are light enough not to affect the handling of the planes too much, like the 2-megapixel Sony DSC-U40 that Gary rigged up with a custom mount and a hand-built trigger."

You can read my review of the Sony Cybershot DSC-U40 here.

PhotographyBLOG -:- Reviews -:- HP Photosmart M407

PhotographyBLOG -:- Reviews -:- HP Photosmart M407: "this is one of the first reviews of the M407 published on the Internet. The M407 is a 4 megapixel camera with a 3x optical zoom, 1.8 inch LCD screen and the usual HP emphasis on ease-of-use. With a street price of around �140/$180, does the M407 have what it takes to survive in the cut-throat world of the entry-level digicam?"

Christmas' Top Selling Digital Cameras!

I know it may be a bit early to know the whole picture, but so far Amazon's number one christmas sellers appear to be:

1. Olympus C-310, 3mp, 3x optical zoom digital camera only £99 inc. vat.

2. Olympus Mju Mini Digital, 4mp, 2x optical zoom digital camera £195 inc. vat. (available in 6 colours, read my review)

3. Panasonic Lumix FX7, 5mp, 3x optical zoom digital camera £289 inc. vat. (available in 4 colours, read my review)

4. Pentax Optio S30, 3mp, 3x optical zoom digital camera £99 inc. vat.

See my updated Christmas Buying Guide for more recommendations for great gift ideas, and why not enter the competition to win a memory card for your new digital camera.

Australian man fined for snapping topless pix; camera phone destroyed

Engadget:"The Nokia cellphone of a 25-year old man fined $500 ($388US) for snapping pictures of topless women on a Sydney beach without permission will be destroyed as part of the punishment for his crime. The first person to be arrested in New South Wales for this offense, Peter Mackenzie’s reported M.O was to stroll the beach, pretending to be on a call, and snap dozens of pictures of sunbathing women."

Non-photorealistic Digital Camera

Photo.net: "The multi-flash camera captures real life images and renders them in a non-photorealistic line-form. Ramesh Raskar describes this process as computational photography. Raskar modestly insists that while "it's something you can't do with film, it certainly is not a replacement for photography, or Photoshop for that matter". Non-photorealistic imaging is an easy way to convey ideas/images and has myriad applications for technical and medical imaging." (via PhotographyBLOG)

Canon 1Ds MKII vs Phase One P25 Digital Back

Luminous-Landscape: "OK. Let's cut to the chase. Which is the better camera system – the Canon 1Ds Mark II, or the Phase One P25 on a medium format camera like the Contax 645? Once again, I'm afraid that I'll have to disappoint. There's no absolute winner. Each one has its strengths and weaknessess, and based on this, as I've detailed above, if you're lucky enough to be able to afford one or the other, you'll have to make your own decision based on your particular photographic needs." (via PhotographyBLOG)

DPReview reviews all 7mp digital cameras

All of the following have a 7 megapixel sensor, click below to read the reviews:

Sony Cybershot DSC-V3 Review - 4x optical zoom lens, 2.5" screen.
Canon Powershot G6 Review - 4x optical zoom lens, 2" flip out screen.
Casio EX-p700 Review - 4x optical zoom lens, 2" screen.
Olympus C-7000 / C-70 Review - 5x optical zoom lens, 2" screen.
Pentax Optio 750Z Review - 5x optical zoom lens, 1.8" flip out screen.

Olympus M:robe MR:100 MR:500 Video

I4U: " The Olympus m:robe MR-100 is a 5GB MP3 Player with a red and black design. The Olympus m:robe MR-500 is a photo player with 20GB HDD and built-in Camera. Sorobangeeks has in time for the Japanese launch of the Olympus m:robe Music and photo player a video demoing briefly booth cool looking gadgets. "

Curitel 2.1 MP Digital Camera phone with MP3.

I4U: "Curitel announces a small 2.1 Mega Pixel Digital Camera phone with MP3 Player.The Curitel PH-K1500 measures 94x48x23mm and weighs 127g. The back-side of the phone looks like a normal digital camera. The mp3 phone has : 1Gb flash + 512Mb SDRAM storage. The Curitel PH-K1500 will be available in Korea for $500 this December."

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150 Review Photoxels

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P150 Review - Digital Camera Reviews - Photoxels: "The Sony P150 is similar to the P100 in every respect but one: Though the image quality of the Sony P100 is very good, the image quality of the Sony P150 is simply excellent with one of the highest detail available on a P&S, even approaching that obtainable on some of the best Prosumer models. Noise is very low and negligible at the lowest ISO 100. There is very little observable chromatic aberration (incl. the dreaded purple fringing) in everyday shots." (via Digital Photography Blog) The Sony P150 is available at Amazon.co.uk for £285, and is currently the cheapest 7mp digital camera available.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 Review - Globe Technology

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 Review - Globe Technology: "In the end, the Lumix DMC FZ-20 is still a fantastic camera. The picture quality is stunning for a five megapixel model, and the optical image stabilization quickly becomes indispensable. The move towards more manual control will certainly impress the more pro-oriented shutterbugs, and even though it's no replacement for a digital SLR model, it's certainly a great backup model." (via Digital Photography Blog)

Sigma SD10 Review at CNET

Sigma SD10: "The SD10 incorporates an upgraded Foveon X3 sensor, a three-layered imager with 3.4 million pixels and 10.3 million photodetectors. The new sensor partially overcomes the SD9's biggest weakness, which was its lack of high ISO sensitivities for low-light photography. But Sigma failed to correct most of the SD9's design and performance flaws, and the SD10 remains substantially less versatile and well rounded than competing dSLRs."

DCRP Review: Casio Exilim EX-Z55

DCRP Review: Casio Exilim EX-Z55: "The Casio Exilim EX-Z55 ($449) is an ultra-compact 5 Megapixel camera with a large 2.5' LCD display and class-leading battery life. A slightly cheaper model, the EX-Z50 ($399), has a 2-inch screen and slightly lower battery life. Both cameras make up Casio's entry into the crowded ultra-compact field. I'll be looking at the Z55 here -- read on to find out how it stacks up against the competition. "

Sony DSC-V3 Review at Imaging Resource

Sony DSC-V3 Digital Camera Review "Having now worked and lived with a production sample for a couple of weeks, I can say that the Sony DSC-V3 digital camera is a very compelling/appealing entrant in the high-end digicam derby. It's exceptionally responsive, in terms of both shutter lag and shot to shot cycle times. Image quality is very good, with good color (if a little bright on highly-saturated colors), and its images are sharp from corner to corner."

Nikon Coolpix 8800 VR Review at megapixel.net

megapixel.net: "The Coolpix 8800VR currently sits at the top of Nikon's pyramid of Coolpix digital cameras. Evolved from the Coolpix 8700, the Coolpix 8800 is equipped with a 10X optical, and an 8 megapixel resolution. Moreover, it is the first in the Coolpix line to offer an image stabilizer, a system Nikon calls Vibration Reduction — VR for short."

Digital Cameras cost 31% Less than 2003

Digital Cameras cost 31% Less than 2003: "Other key categories that helped push prices lower included digital cameras, which fell 31 percent from 2003..." "The average 3 mega-pixel digital camera now sells for $207 and seems poised to be under $200, making it the hot product for the holiday season. "

Camborg: New NHJ Foxz3 3.2MP Ultra-Thin Digital Camera

Camborg: New NHJ Foxz3 3.2MP Ultra-Thin Digital Camera "The Foxz3 features 3.2 Mega-Pixel and a 2 inch preview screen. The kick are the measurements of the Foxz3: （W）100mm ×（H）58mm ×（D）12mm. At 12mm it is thinner than the Casio EX-S100. Of course the casio has better optics. The weight of the Che-ez Foxz3 is 86g. NHJ also releases the Foxz3 as Hello Kitty version. The Foxz3 should still go on the market in December in Japan."

Digital Camera Basics - A primer by Bob Atkins

Digital Camera Basics - A primer: "Digital cameras are confusing to a lot of new users. In this basic guide to digital camera technology we hope to try to give digital beginners at least some basis to use in deciding which digital camera is appropriate for them. When shopping for a digital camera it's at least good to know what the basic terms like white balance, pixel, ppi and dpi mean and how they affect image and print quality. It's also important to know the difference between things like optical zoom and digital zoom as well as the advantages and disadvantages between storage formats such as Compact Flash (CF), Microdrives, Sony Memory Stick, Secure Digital (SD), Multimedia and camera interface technologies such as USB 1.1, USB 2.0 and Firewire IEEE 1394." (via PhotographyBLOG)

Digital photo kiosks are dandy, but not all are created equal

Digital photo kiosks are dandy, but not all are created equal: "'There was a time when one-hour film processing seemed like a great deal. The P-I printed out 12 test pictures from a CD at a variety of local digital print kiosks. See how they rated. "

Olympus C7000 Digital Camera Review at A-Digital-Eye

Olympus C7000 Digital Camera "Measuring just 4"(W) x 2.3"(H) x 1.7"(D), and weighing a mere 7.7 ounces, the C-7000 is the smallest 7.1-megapixel, 5x optical zoom digital camera in the world. The camera's metal body is finished in a sophisticated Premium Titanium color that has a retro look reminiscent of earlier Olympus digital cameras." (found at PhotographyBLOG)