July 2nd, 2009
Tips for photographing fireworks
Some of the most difficult events to shoot are fireworks displays. Even with automatic settings on a point-and-shoot camera, chances are very high that the photo will look dark, the fireworks will be blurred, the photo will look poorly composed, or all of the above. With Independence Day this weekend, here are a few tips that can make your Fourth of July photos look a little better.1. Use a tripod/sturdy surface: If you have a tripod, this is the simplest way to make your pictures focused and clear. By using a tripod, you can keep your shutter open longer, allowing more light in to capture more of both the foreground and the background as well as reducing blur. Even if you have a little point-and-shoot camera, you can buy miniature tripods at most major camera and electronics stores. If you can’t get your hands on a tripod, try to find some kind of sturdy surface where you are, whether it be a fence, a rock, a table, or something else that you can steady your camera on to reduce camera shake.
2. Frame the image: Framing is key. If you want a memorable photo, don’t just shoot the fireworks themselves, if you can avoid it. Try to get people in there, take note of whatever might below the fireworks (quite often its a river or lake, thus a shore is nearby too). Try out as many different angles when shooting these pictures, either by moving around yourself or simply moving the angle of your camera lens. Fireworks are a celebration. Keep that in mind when trying to capture a moment you want to remember.
Four more tips after the jump.
July 1st, 2009
Nokia launching 12-megapixel camera phone
Recently I wrote about a study that still finds camera phones sorely lacking behind regular digital camera technology. Well, Nokia is stepping up its game with the launch of a 12-megapixel camera phone later this year, according to PhoneReport. This follows up 12 MP model announcements from Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson. The best Nokia has to offer right now is the Nokia N86, which only an 8 megapixel camera.
While the series the model will belong to hasn’t been revealed yet (possibly the Nseries, but that’s just speculation), it will feature the much hyped Carl Zeiss technology. While an official annoucement date hasn’t been determined, PhoneReport is leaning more towards the Mobile World Congress 2010 in February, rather than Nokia World 2009 this September.
Would you be interested in picking up one of these? Will these 12 megapixel models finally rival regular digital cameras? What do you need in a camera phone to make it worth purchasing these days?
[Photo via UberGizmo]
June 30th, 2009
Canon cutting 700 jobs in Japan
Despite news that we might have hit bottom, not everyone has recovered yet. Canon Inc. is cutting 700 jobs in Japan, specifically within chip equipment operations. While the company says it will move some workers to other jobs within the company, that’s still a huge shift. Canon reps say that the optical products division, which includes microchip and LCD steppers, probably won’t turn a profit until at least 2012. This comes after news yesterday that Canon will combine the sales and production departments of its semiconductor steppers in order to increase responsiveness to customer demands amid the financial downturn.
June 30th, 2009
Point Grey debuts new 1.3 megapixel USB 2.0 camera model
Canadian digital camera manufacturer Point Grey announced a new model to their Firefly collection today. The Firefly MV is both Firewire and USB 2.0 compatible. The compact camera, retailing at USD $325, is targeted towards microscopy, bioscience, medical and visualization applications. Capable of shooting a 752×480 image at 60 FPS or a 1328×1048 picture at 23 FPS, the highlight of this camera is the highly sensitive 1/3-inch Sony IMX035 CMOS image sensor, which the manufacturers say produces a high signal-to-noise ratio, superior color fidelity, rolling shutter, and no smear images.
[Photo via Point Grey]
June 29th, 2009
Promote Systems debuts remote control for DSLRs
Promote Systems has released the Promote Control, a remote control for digital SLR cameras. Targeted towards both amateurs and professional DSLR users, the microprocessor-based product allows photographers to control multiple aspects of their camera, including exposure bracketing and time-lapse mode. Additionally, it can put the camera into Bulb mode automatically when performing bracketed exposures longer than 30 seconds. A full list of compatible cameras can be found on Promote’s website. The remote control is powered by two AA batteries and comes with a price tag of $299.
Would you consider buying this product?
[Photo via Promote Systems]
June 29th, 2009
Camera phones haven't outpaced regular digital cameras - yet
Ontela, a Seattle-based company that provides technology infrastructure to wireless companies that allows consumers to unlock the photos in their camera phones, released a research report today that finds camera photo uploads are still fewer than those from digital cameras. That might not seem like much news, but considering how frequently camera phone pictures and videos seem to be popping up in the news lately coupled with predictions that camera photos would account for 62 percent of pictures uploaded to the Internet this year, it appears that only 11 percent of photos on Flickr are produced from phones.
Does this surprise anyone? Any chance these numbers could change dramatically in the next year or two?
June 26th, 2009
How to take better vacation photos
Image stabilization, automated scene modes, and face, smile, or blink detection can only take you so far. To get the best photos, you need to know when and how to use all those fancy features of your digital camera, and you need to know a thing or two about composition and light. In a recent post on his New York Times Gadgetwise blog, Rik Fairlie shared 13 great tips for shooting better vacation photos. [Full disclosure: the photographer he interviewed for the Q&A is my husband, Dan Lipow, who teaches digital photography classes in exotic locales.] Here are a few tips that I found most useful:
June 26th, 2009
DXG unveils new site, offers discounts to celebrate
Camcorder maker DXG unveiled a new website with an online store today. To celebrate, they’re offering customers a 10% off coupon code (“DXG10”) on all DXG products purchased through the site through July 5.
Along with the discount code, DXG is offering up a value pack for the DXG-579VS, which the company has hailed as the “the first underwater video camera priced under $150.” This model can record up to 4 hours using external 8GB SD card at a 1280 x 720 resolution and 30 frames per second. Accessories in the package include four AAA batteries, USB and AV cables, camera pouch, wrist strap, photo-editing software, and an underwater casing for the camera, which is waterproof up to 15-feet deep. Normally, the casing retails at $50, so if you’re into taking your camcorder underwater, this is a pretty good deal.
[Photo via DXG USA]
June 26th, 2009
Sony settles digital camera lawsuit with CalTech
Sony Corporation has finally settled a a patent-infringement lawsuit that was filed by the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) over patents on digital camera technology. While the exact terms of the settlement weren’t made public, CalTech reps said that the situation was “resolved” in a filing in Los Angeles on June 23. Sony wasn’t alone though. CalTech sued six digital camera manufacturers on royalties for over 11 patents total. The five other companies were Canon, Nikon, Panasonic, Samsung and Olympus.
June 25th, 2009
RCA starts shipping EZ209HD
After being announced at CES earlier this year, RCA has started shipping its Small Wonder EZ209HD. The 720p HD mini-camcorder captures video at a resolution of 1280 x 720 in H.264 format. Thin enough to fit in your pants pocket, it’s quite a powerful little device with the ability to record 8 hours in HD mode, up to 8 hours in Sports mode, or up to 40 hours in Web Quality mode. The lowest selling price right now is $99.99. However, there’s only 256 MB of internal memory, so plan on budgeting for a large memory card to top off your purchase.
For a full list of specs, check out the ZDNet profile of the new RCA product.
Rachel started playing with her mother's old Brownie camera when she was just a toddler, working her way up from a Hello Kitty point-and-shoot to training on both film and digital SLRs. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
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