New compact camera AgfaPhoto released the DC-600uw

AgfaPhoto released the DC-600uw new compact camera. It features water-resistant up to 10 meters and can withstand pressure of up to two bar (29psi). The camera has a 6MP sensor, a 2.4" LCD and includes Face Tracking and video recording for easy sharing on YouTube. It also tough built and construction against dust and dirt, just in case you drop it you don't have to worry.

Uhingen, Germany, June 29th; 2009: AgfaPhoto presents the AgfaPhoto DC-600uw, its new underwater and outdoor camera. The AgfaPhoto DC-600uw digital camera can withstand pressures of up to two bar, and is water-resistant at depths of up to 10 meters.

The new DC-600uw takes videos with sound in YouTube format, which can then be immediately uploaded to any compatible online platform.The AgfaPhoto DC-600uw can now be purchased for 149 euros (manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including value added tax).

Refined technology, with an aquatic look
Using the AgfaPhoto DC-600uw is incredibly easy, even when snorkeling and diving. The unique red quick selection button allows for quick change from land mode to underwater mode, while the 2.4 inch display helps select what to shoot.

The camera’s face tracking function automatically recognizes faces, and brings them into clear focus. With its easily distinguished glowing blue color, five-times (5X) digital zoom, six megapixel resolution, high degree of light sensitivity up to ISO 1600, and support for the most common scene modes, the new AgfaPhoto DC-600uw is the right choice for any summer vacation. A strong partner on land too

The AgfaPhoto DC-600uw is also ready for any outdoor adventure. Whether mountain biking or playing volleyball at the beach - the camera’s robust construction protects it if accidentally dropped, and also protects it against dust and dirt.

The AgfaPhoto DC-600uw weighs 131 grams, and fits easily into almost any pocket or bag. Included with the AgfaPhoto DC-600uw is a carrying case, a carry strap, a USB cable and video cable, two AA batteries, an instruction manual, and a software CD-ROM. Additional color variants will be available in July 2009.

Read rest of entry

DIGITAL CAMERA PENTAX OPTIO W80 WATERPROOF & SHOCKPROOF

PENTAX ANNOUNCES ITS MOST SHOCK AND WATERPROOF DIGITAL COMPACT CAMERA EVER: THE OPTIO W80

Pentax released new waterproof and shockproof digital camera PENTAX OPTIO W80 with 12.1 Megapixels, 5x optical zoom 28-140mm, HD movie recording 1280x720 pixels at 30 frames per second, face detection, shake reduction.Pentax's OPTIO W80 is its most rugged and waterproof point-and-shoot yet: it goes 16 feet underwater, survives drops from 3.3 feet and works in 14 degree weather.

GOLDEN, CO (June 24, 2009). The manufacturer that builds digital cameras to go boldly where none have gone before has announced the PENTAX Optio W80. More adventure-proof than ever, this latest PENTAX digital camera is waterproof, dustproof, coldproof, and now shockproof enough to withstand impact from a fall of more than three feet (one meter).
PENTAX first introduced dunkable digital cameras in 2003 to the delight of outdoor enthusiasts, travelers and families everywhere. Today, the PENTAX Optio W80’s waterproof design withstands depths of up to 16 feet (5 meters) to protect from rain and spills, as well as allowing full underwater photos and video for up to two hours. On dry land, the rugged, shockproof design protects against drops of up to 3.3 feet to protect the camera from hard use and occasional spills. Also featuring 12.1 megapixels, a 5X internal optical zoom (equivalent to 28-140mm), a slim one inch body, and a wide angle 28mm lens, the Optio W80 offers an expanded perspective that is ideal for landscape, group and more confined shots. With a PENTAX-developed imaging engine and a high-performance PENTAX zoom lens, the Optio W80 delivers brilliant, high-quality images with well-defined details. A Super Protect (SP) coating applied to the mineral crystal cover of the internal zoom lens helps repel water, grime and finger marks.

Other important features in the Optio W80 include a:

• Coldproof design that allows the camera to be used in sub-freezing temperatures of 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius), ideal for cold weather activities such as skiing and snowmobiling.
• 2.5 inch LCD monitor that features anti-reflective coating, making it easy to view, even in bright sunlight.
• Widescreen, HD movie capture that records resolutions up to 1280x720 pixels at full-speed 30 frames per second.
• Fast Face Detection technology that sees up to 32 faces in 0.03 seconds, with Smile Capture and Blink Detection, for perfect portrait shots.
• Pixel Track Shake Reduction (SR) that ensures sharp images in any lighting condition, without adding high ISO noise. Digital SR and Movie SR are also available.
• Close focusing, Super Macro mode that brings out the details in even the smallest subjects as close as 1 cm (less than one inch).

Features :
12.1 Megapixels
12.1 Megapixels for detailed images that can be printed in large sizes.

5X Internal Optical Zoom
5X internal optical zoom in a slim 1 inch body is equivalent to 28-140mm.

Wide angle lens
Wide angle 28mm lens gives an expanded perspective to images, ideal for indoor, landscape, or group shots.

2.5 inch LCD screen
2.5 inch LCD monitor features anti-reflective coating, making it easy to view, even in bright sunlight.

Waterproof
Waterproof design withstands depths up to 16 feet (5 meters) to protect from rain and spills, as well as allowing full underwater photos and video.

Shockproof
Rugged Shockproof design protects against drops of 3.3 feet, ensuring the camera is protected from hard use and the occasional “spills” on dry land.

Coldproof
Coldproof design allows the camera to be used in sub-zero temperatures of -10° Celsius (14° Fahrenheit), ideal for cold weather activities such as skiing and snowmobiling.

HD Movie Capture
Widescreen, HD movie capture records resolutions up to 1280x720 pixels at full-speed 30 frames per second.

Face Detection
Fast Face Detection technology sees up to 32 faces in 0.03 seconds, with Smile Capture and Blink Detection, for perfect portrait shots.

Shake Reduction
Pixel Track Shake Reduction (SR) ensures sharp images in any lighting condition, without adding high ISO noise. Digital SR and Movie SR are also available.

Super Macro Mode
Close focusing, Super Macro mode brings out the details in even the smallest subjects as close as 1 cm.

Read rest of entry

ISO Settings in Digital Photography

ISO Settings in Digital Photography
by Darren Rowse

What is ISO?

In traditional (film) photography ISO (or ASA) was the indication of how sensitive a film was to light. It was measured in numbers (you’ve probably seen them on films - 100, 200, 400, 800 etc). The lower the number the lower the sensitivity of the film and the finer the grain in the shots you’re taking.

In Digital Photography ISO measures the sensitivity of the image sensor. The same principles apply as in film photography - the lower the number the less sensitive your camera is to light and the finer the grain. Higher ISO settings are generally used in darker situations to get faster shutter speeds (for example an indoor sports event when you want to freeze the action in lower light) - however the cost is noisier shots. I’ll illustrate this below with two elargements of shots that I just took - the one on the left is taken at 100 ISO and the one of the right at 3200 ISO


100 ISO is generally accepted as ‘normal’ and will give you lovely crisp shots (little noise/grain).

Most people tend to keep their digital cameras in ‘Auto Mode’ where the camera selects the appropriate ISO setting depending upon the conditions you’re shooting in (it will try to keep it as low as possible) but most cameras also give you the opportunity to select your own ISO also.

When you do override your camera and choose a specific ISO you’ll notice that it impacts the aperture and shutter speed needed for a well exposed shot. For example - if you bumped your ISO up from 100 to 400 you’ll notice that you can shoot at higher shutter speeds and/or smaller apertures.

When choosing the ISO setting I generally ask myself the following four questions:

1. Light - Is the subject well lit?
2. Grain - Do I want a grainy shot or one without noise?
3. Tripod - Am I use a tripod?
4. Moving Subject - Is my subject moving or stationary?

If there is plenty of light, I want little grain, I’m using a tripod and my subject is stationary I will generally use a pretty low ISO rating.

However if it’s dark, I purposely want grain, I don’t have a tripod and/or my subject is moving I might consider increasing the ISO as it will enable me to shoot with a faster shutter speed and still expose the shot well.

Of course the trade off of this increase in ISO will be noisier shots.

Situations where you might need to push ISO to higher settings include:

* Indoor Sports Events - where your subject is moving fast yet you may have limited light available.
* Concerts - also low in light and often ‘no-flash’ zones
* Art Galleries, Churches etc- many galleries have rules against using a flash and of course being indoors are not well lit.
* Birthday Parties - blowing out the candles in a dark room can give you a nice moody shot which would be ruined by a bright flash. Increasing the ISO can help capture the scene.

ISO is an important aspect of digital photography to have an understanding of if you want to gain more control of your digital camera. Experiment with different settings and how they impact your images today.


source:
http://digital-photography-school.com/iso-settings

Read rest of entry

When is the Best Time to Buy a Digital Camera? 3 Questions to Ask

When is the Best Time to Buy a Digital Camera? 3 Questions to Ask
by Darren Rowse

The answer to this question will depend upon your specific situation. Here’s three different ways of deciding if
now is the best time for your purchase:

1. Do You Need a Digital Camera Now?

I’ll get the most obvious one out of the way first - do you need a digital camera now? I was in a digital camera shop recently and got chatting to a sales guy that I know and he said to me ‘ the best time to buy a digital camera is when you need one’. Sounds pretty obvious - but I think there’s something in it. You see many people in the market for a digital camera get into the ‘waiting game’. First they wait for the new models to come out, then when they are released they wait for them to come down in price, but then rumors start circulating on new
models around the corner and so they wait for the new models…. you get the picture.

If you need a new digital camera now (maybe you’re going on a trip, maybe there’s a wedding coming up that you want to photograph etc) then now is probably the best time to buy. Do some shopping around, read some reviews, negotiate a good price and actually make a decision.

Buying Advice: If you need a digital camera now - buy it now.

2. Do you want ‘the latest’?

If you’re not in such a hurry for a digital camera but instead want the latest model it might be worth waiting a couple of months.

Digital camera manufacturers have an annual cycle of announcing and releasing new cameras and there are two main times of the year when they all come out.

The majority of digital cameras are announced early in the new year (January to February) and will actually make it to stores in February to March. There is a second round of announcements in September with those cameras hitting stores usually in November in the lead up to Christmas.

In my experience of covering the digicam market - there is generally less new cameras released at the end of the year and they tend to be more of a ‘tweak’ nature than real updates (although in the last year or two even many of the start of year releases are ‘tweak’ updates too).

While you could go out and get a fairly newly released camera today - it could be worth waiting a couple of months for the new range of digital cameras.

Of course when a new camera comes out you tend to pay a premium for it - which leads us onto our third question.

Buying Advice: If time and price isn’t an issue then wait for the next round of cameras to be released in February
- March next year.


3. Is Price a Major Consideration?

Ok - so if the need for a camera isn’t urgent and you don’t mind if you don’t have the very very latest released camera - you might be more interested in getting a good deal.

If price is what you’re more interested in than features now could be a good time to start shopping around. This will probably vary a little from place to place but here in Australia the lead up to Christmas and the week or two after Christmas is a great time for shopping. We tend to have our biggest sales between Christmas and New Year while in the US there tends to be a lot of great sales after Thanksgiving (right now).

There are a lot of great sales online also. I’ve seen some real discounting happen around the web over the last week or two. Check out our digital camera shop which aggregates deals from a number of online sellers for a guide to prices. Amazon also has a ‘Today’s Deals Page for Digital Cameras‘ that is worth keeping an eye on.

The other reason that now is a good time to buy if price is your main consideration is that stores will be wanting to clear stock for the new releases to come out in the new year. Right up until all the new cameras hit the stores (and particularly in the days following them arriving) there can be some great deals to be had as retailers try to clear stock.

Buying Advice: Start shopping around now and watch out for sales and good deals.

source : http://digital-photography-school.com/when-is-the-best-time-to-buy-a-digital-camera-3-questions-to-ask

Read rest of entry

Center Your Subject for Action Shots

Center Your Subject for Action Shots

By Brian Auer

We hear a lot about things such as the rule of thirds and not centering your subject for better composition. But there are times when you should actually center your subject to ensure that you get the shot. Action shots are typically a one chance situation. This can include sports, racing, performances, etc.

The problem with these action scenarios is that the main subject is usually moving quite fast and you only have one opportunity to capture a given moment. Spend too much time thinking about composition rules will ultimately result in missed shots. Here are a few reasons why you should think about centering your subject (and some tips for action shots):

* It’s easier for your AF camera to focus on the subject when centered — nothing worse than a sharp background and blurry subject. The caveat to this is if you have your camera set to spot focus somewhere other than the center.
* Most manual focus screens have additional feedback at the center of the frame — use it!
* Center your subject and you won’t miss a shot due to over-thinking the composition.
* Leave a bit of extra room around the main subject so that you can crop for better composition later.
* Use continuous AF to track the action — especially when the subject is moving toward or away from you.
* Get the dang shot!

source: http://blog.epicedits.com/2009/05/12/center-your-subject-for-action-shots/

Read rest of entry