Sunday, September 27, 2009

Wacom Announces Bamboo 2nd Generation Tablets


Wacom Co. Ltd., has announced that Bamboo second generation will be available from October 3rd, 2009. The new consumer interactive tablet merges multi-touch functionality with pen tablet technology in a single device, providing a whole new interface for computer users. Bamboo ushers in a more intuitive, simple and inspiring way to work with computers.  Name of new models: Bamboo, Bamboo Touch, Bamboo Fun, and regional models of each global sales base.

Available date of new models : Beginning of October 2009. (October 3rd, 2009 in Japan)

Main features of new models : Merging pen and touch technology into one device brings the best of both worlds, making it even easier, quicker and more fun to use a computer. With Bamboo second generation, a simple tap with a finger on the digital pad will select an icon, open a menu or start an application.

In addition, a gesture using two fingers enables users to simply rotate an image or document, flip through a digital photo album or presentation, scroll through a blog or an Excel spread sheet and zoom in and out of a photo or map.

Bamboo is aimed at consumers who use computers as part of their digital lifestyle to communicate, share and create content. It enables anyone to be creative. It is the perfect tool for self-expression and personalization when producing everyday documents, presentations and blogs, or when communicating with friends, colleagues and family through social networking tools.

Bamboo Pen & Touch
Bamboo offers pen and multi-touch input in a single device and is ideal for consumers in the home office or workplace. It can be used to customize emails, letters, spreadsheets, presentations and documents with signatures, notes, doodles and scribbles. In addition, it simplifies navigating around the computer and the Internet.

Bamboo Touch
Bamboo Touch provides touch input only functions, the above mentioned intuitive, simple and inspiring experiences.

Bamboo Fun Pen & Touch
Bamboo Fun also combining pen and multi-touch input. It is a versatile device ideal for consumers who are keen to develop their creative skills. Users can easily produce more natural and authentic-looking paintings, sketches and drawings as well as retouch, improve, manage and share digital photographs.  Find out more at wacom.com.
official Wacom press release

Canon DSLR Remote Pro for Mac


Mac users, you can now control your Canon DSLR from a computer. Breeze Systems announce the immediate availability of DSLR Remote Pro for Mac 1.0; Mac OS X based software to control Canon DSLR cameras from an Intel Mac. Breeze Systems' highly regarded software has been used to control Canon cameras on Windows PCs since 2001. DSLR Remote Pro for Mac is the first full release of similar software for the Mac community. DSLR Remote Pro for Mac supports both current and older Canon cameras including the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, 1D Mark III, 1Ds Mark II, 1D Mark IIN, 1D Mark II, 5D Mark II, 5D, 50D, 40D, 30D, 20D, 1000D/Rebel XS, 500D/Rebel T1i, 450D/Rebel XSi, 400D/Rebel XTi and 350D/Rebel XT.

DSLR Remote Pro for Mac - Introductory Price US $75 until October 31, 2009

Adorama Commander Bag: Affordable And Portable


Camera bags are the bane of us all, and believe the perfect ‘all purpose’ bag doesn’t even exist. However I may have come close. My previous acquisitions have either been too large, too expensive (for me), or not practical enough. Now I’m sure many could find the perfect bag if money wasn’t an issue, but I’m not wired that way, at least when it comes to justifying a camera bag purchase. What I’ve wanted for a while now is a practical bag I can use every day to carry my basic gear (DSLR, two lenses, hot shoe flash unit and accessories) along with a laptop and business necessities. Most available options are just too expensive and too bulky.

Recently, however, I stumbled across an option that was so affordable; it was worth taking a gamble on. Adorama.com an online retailer and image processing site has provided me with several pieces of equipment in the past at reasonable prices. Their service is excellent, and catalog extensive. While I don’t want to shill for Adorama, I can say my past experiences with them have been positive. Adorama recently reduced the price of their ‘house brand’ camera bag called the “Commander” to a whopping $29.95 apparently due to overstock. This is a compact, water-resistant nylon bag that is available in gray and black.

When it arrived I was able to transfer almost everything in my cumbersome backpack to the Commander. It is compact, so some sacrifices had to be made, however, not in regard to the camera equipment. There is a compartment for a laptop, the center compartment comes divided into three sections and can be adjusted using Velcro panels, and a large zippered pocket. It’s deep enough for my camera body with attached Minolta 70-200mm f4 Telephoto lens. The front compartment has several pouches, pockets and zippered sections for accessories and business items. There are additional zippered pockets on the front and back for notebooks, documents, magazines, etc., and even a mesh water bottle pocket on the side. It’s been very useful on a day-to-day basis and allows me to keep my basic camera gear close. It’s built well and everything is accessible.

While it displays Adorama branding in the form of a large white logo on the lower, right corner of the bag facing, it is a fairly unassuming, generic looking bag, which is a plus in my opinion. Adorama is being a bit misleading in its product description however. Luckily for me I use a small form factor 13.3” laptop. While Adorama claims the Commander bag will support a 15” laptop, I’m not sure what the PR department was smoking at the time they made that claim. How they expect a 15” laptop to fit in a bag with dimensions of 12.5” x 12.5” x 7” is a mystery. I’m not sure what 15” laptop model is only 12.5” inches wide, but that would be the only model(s) that would fit in this bag. Mine barely does.

That being said, it turned out to be the perfect bag for cross-country air travel, as it was put to the test recently on a trip from Arizona to Rhode Island. When I arrived at the security station, all I had to do was remove my laptop, since it has to be in a separate bin, and sent the bag with camera equipment, accessories, doohickies, and all through the scanner. It couldn’t have been simpler. The Commander fits perfectly under an airplane seat and is quite accessible once the plane takes off. It was also quite comfortable on my walkabout around “beautiful downtown Woonsocket”. Not bad for 30 bucks.

Walking Around Woonsocket, RI


I was recently in Woonsocket, Rhode Island (should have never taken that left at Albuquerque) and found myself walking around the streets of “beautiful downtown Woonsocket”. No, it doesn’t sound right to me either. Actually the weather was very pleasant and I took advantage of the cloudy and 75 degree conditions. Since I wanted to pack lightly for my flight across the country, I left my favorite lens behind, the Sigma 70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro, and packed the Sony A100 kit lens instead; the quite capable Sony 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 AF.

The light zoom provided good results and the in-camera image stabilization of Sony DSLR gave me the additional stops I needed to hand-hold since I didn’t pack a tripod. I was actually in Rhode Island for business and didn’t even know whether I would get the opportunity to do a walkabout with the DSLR, and hate checking in baggage, so I wasn’t about to haul anything extra. Since the opportunity to shoot did occur, I thought I’d ignore all advice about creating HDR images and not use a tripod when bracketing exposures. Call me a rebel, or call me reckless, viewing the results is evidence that in-camera stabilization along with careful hand-holding can produce adequate HDR images; that and using the latest 3.2.3 version of Photomatix Pro from HDRSoft.

I’m happy with the results considering I only spent an hour walking around the historic buildings and streets of this small New England town. View the Woonsocket gallery.

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Five New Digital Camera Reviews Posted

New digital camera reviews posted in the Recent Digital Camera Reviews section.

  • Nikon Coolpix S620
  • Olympus SP-590 UZ
  • Panasonic Lumix ZS1
  • Samsung SL420
  • Sigma DP2

Self-Publish Your Own Photo Book

Joe Farace of Shutterbug.com has posted an informative article explaining easy ways to self-publish your own photo book.

Read entire article.

Google Releases Picasa 3.5


Google releases version 3.5 of its popular Picasa imaging and organization software. Picasa now has name tags, based on the same technology that powers name tags on Picasa Web Albums. With name tags, you can organize your photos based on what matters most: the people in them. In this new version, you can also more easily geotag photos using Google Maps, plus import photos from your camera and upload them to Picasa Web Albums in one step.

Download directly from Google.

Adobe Releases Photoshop Elements 8

Adobe has announced the release of Photoshop Elements 8. Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 software combines power and simplicity so you can make your photos look extraordinary, share your life stories in unique print creations and web experiences, and easily manage and protect all your photos and video clips. Automatically create perfectly lit shots that show every detail using new Photomerge capabilities — just one of the many great new editing options in Photoshop Elements 8.

Easily bring all your photos and video clips together in one convenient place, and then dive in to a full range of creative activities and share virtually everywhere.

Adobe Photoshop Elements 8 Plus includes the award-winning software, 20GB of online storage, and ongoing deliveries of exclusive tutorials, artwork, and templates delivered regularly to your desktop. Adobe is currently offering the basic version for $79.99 and Elements 8 Plus for $119 after $20 mail-in rebate.  Purchase both Elements 8 and Elements 8 Premier for $119 after $30 mail-in rebate.

Find out more at adobe.com

Diana Adaptor for Canon and Nikon DSLR


If you’ve been asking yourself ‘how can my Canon or Nikon DSLR produce images like the Diana’ ask no more. Seek psychological help, but ask no more. Actually I have a couple of Holgas and love using these classic no-frills plastic medium format cameras to get simple, artistic images. The Diana is the queen of such cameras and has quite the cult following. Lomography, distributor of optics from Hong Kong-based Diana has now made it possible to get Diana results without having to carry the camera. They have released affordable F+ lens adaptors for Canon EOS and Nikon F-mount SLR and DSLRs so there is no need to carry multiple cameras to get results.

Text from the Diana+ website…

With the brand new Diana F+ SLR adaptors you can now introduce the whole range of effects achievable with the Diana F+ lenses and accessories to your 35mm Canon EOS or Nikon F series cameras. Bring on Fisheye wackiness, sweeping wide-angles and close-up curiosity - just some of the fantastic effects you can experiment with when you combine the Diana F+ SLR Adaptors with the Diana F+ creative add-ons! Simply attach and twist the SLR adaptor to the Canon EOS or Nikon F mounts and then you are ready to slap on your Diana weapon of choice! These adaptors are compatible with Diana's 50 special-effect lenses. The lenses range from Super-wide, Telephoto, Close-up, and Pin-Hole.

The beauty of the SLR Adaptors is that they open up the whole series of Canon EOS and Nikon F cameras to the world Diana effects. This means whether yours is one of the earliest Nikon Fs from the late 1950s or an ultra-swanky Canon digital SLR – you can join in with the whole Diana experience!

See for yourself at the Lomography website.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Fall 2009 Youth Sports: First Photos


The Fall youth sports season if finally underway. The kids here in Gilbert, Arizona can compete and play in only 103 degree sunshine of September instead of the balmy 113 degrees of August. Lucky tikes! Currently the two most popular sports are football and soccer, so naturally that is what I’m shooting. Gilbert Youth Soccer Association and Gilbert Youth Football League offer some great, affordable programs for kids. While the football is very competitive for the older kids, the soccer, especially at the 4-5 year old level is enjoyable to watch, as the girls in this case, learn the fundamentals of the game. Of course at 4-5 years old, it’s pretty much six little girls running up and down the field trying to steal the ball from each other, even if on the same team.

My typical outdoor gear for youth sports is my trusty Sony Alpha 100 and the classic Minolta 70-200mm F4 AF Lens, affectionately called the ‘beercan’. While it was a typical sunny day in the Valley of the Sun(stroke) with lots of natural light, I still choose to utilize ISO 200 to ensure I freeze all of the action.

I’ve posted a handful of images and provided a link to the gallery, or it can be viewed from the Recent Photo Galleries section.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Pentax (and Sony) Thinking About Micro Four-Thirds Format


Speaking of Pentax, they may be investigating the possibility of producing a Micro Four-Thirds format camera to compete with Olympus and Panasonic. Stephen Sanderson, product coordinator at Pentax UK's Imaging Systems Division, has stated they are investigating different options. Apparently Sony is also contemplating a Micro Four-Thirds model. Micro Four Thirds is an interchangeable lens camera system first announced last year by Olympus and Panasonic. Manufacturers say they hope to win over compact camera users who find DSLRS 'big, heavy and difficult to operate'. The absence of a mirror box - a feature of digital SLRs - helps to keep down the size of the camera.

Olympus recently released the E-P1 to compete with larger DLSR models.  See the Recent Digital Camera Reviews section for a preview of the E-P1 from dpreview.com.

Pentax To Offer New K-x 12.4MP DLSR


Pentax has announced a new 12.4MP CMOS sensor DLSR for around $649 with an 18-55mm lends. Like all Pentax (and Sony) DSLR models the K-x includes built-in image stabilization. It also features Live View, HD Video capture, in-camera HDR, and 4.7 FPS capture speed among others. The K-x will even be available in limited, special edition colors such as red and navy.

New 14mm F2.8 Lens From Samyang


Lens maker Samyang has announced the release of a new 14mm f/2.8 IF ED MC Aspherical lens designed for full-frame and APS-C sensor DSLR bodies. Optical construction is based on 14 elements in 12 groups. Available in November.

Main features:
- Two ED lenses and two hybrid aspherical lenses
- High quality anti reflecting layers
- Field of view: for 35mm is 114 degrees, for APS-C - 92,5 degrees (Canon-89 degrees)
- Minimal focusing distance: 0,28m
- Provided for main systems like Canon, Nikon,Sony, Pentax with bayonete mounting.

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Free Rangefinder Magazine Subscription

Rangefinder Magazine provides a free yearly subscription to qualified photographers. I’ve been getting this subscription for a while now and I can attest to the quality of this periodical. If you haven’t perused a Rangefinder, I highly suggest you try it out. With articles covering individual photographers, techniques and equipment the primary focus is how to capture the image.

One of this month’s artists, Matthew Jordan Smith is an outspoken fan of the recent Sony A900 full-frame DSLR that features a 24.6MP CMOS sensor. According to Smith, “For my work, the Sony A900 is the best camera to use because it’s lightweight and has superb ease of use. The lenses are incredible with the Carl Zeiss optics.”

Other featured photographers this month are Rocky Schenck, Jeffrey Jacobs, and Patrice Gilbert with a article covering portraiture posing, and a look at the latest crop of fast UDMA memory cards. Sign up for a free subscription at http://www.rangefindermag.com/pages/subscribe.aspx.

Also don’t forget to check out Rangefinder Radio on the web.

Adobe Releases Lightroom 2.5 and Camera Raw 5.5 Updates

Adobe has released a 2.5 upgrade to Photoshop Lightroom and Camera Raw 5.5 for Photoshop and Elements. This latest upgrades include camera support for several new models including the Nikon D300S and D3000, Panasonic DMC-GF1 and Olympus E-P1. The Lightroom update also includes several corrections for issues that arose within previous releases such as Lightroom 2.4 on Windows continued to display the import dialog when a memory card was detected regardless of the preference setting "Show import dialog when a memory card is detected."

If you have automatic updates configured for Lightroom and Photoshop you will be prompted to download and install them. Manual installations can be downloaded directly from the Adobe website.

Monday, September 14, 2009

AdobeTV Is On The Air...Or At Least The Web

Damn, just when I thought I was already overwhelmed by training materials from the web, (Scott Kelby gets a lot of my free time) Adobe is providing hours and hours and hours and hours…(you get the point) of information covering its products. Calling this new evil incarnation AdobeTV they have set out to expend more of my limited free time with training episodes on everything from Creative Suite 4 to Photoshop Lightroom and Photoshop Elements. Add to the mix Channels covering Photo Editing, Print Design, Web Development, Photo Management and many more, my family may never see me again. The worst part of this plethora of information is that Adobe is providing it for free…SOB’s.

Like a piece of chocolate cake, how do they expect me to resist free online training and information? The simple answer is…I can’t. They even let you customize the homepage, save your favorite episodes in a personal library and provide RSS feeds to your favorite content. After I post this article I’m off to check out the Photo Management Channel. The kids can tuck themselves in can’t they? Can you be an absentee father while still being in the house? AdobeTV is chock full of tasty photo editing and manipulation goodness. So dig in.

New Flash Modifiers From Aurora


I love tinkering with light modifiers, whether home-made or consumer. The number of easy and affordable modifiers for shoe-mount flash units is expanding as more vendors release their own version(s). Using this type of modifier increases the usefulness of shoe-mount flashes and provides a convenient way to supply mobile light opportunities. Aurora has released their own line of shoe-mount flash modifiers including bounce cards, soft boxes and snoot. Similar to other products of this type, the Aurora units attach via Velcro strip and are collapsible for easy storage.

A while back I picked up a folding softbox from Opteka for my shoe-mount flash which doesn’t look as well constructed as the Aurora, but it does the job well enough. These modifiers do a great job of softening the harsh light from the flash, and at twelve bucks for the Opteka, I can’t complain about the construction. The Aurora softbox units are in the forty dollar range, but they are definitely built better and I like the look of these units, especially the snoot. $23.95 is a reasonable price for such an attachment. Joe Farace has posted an excellent article for Shutterbug covering these new products, including field testing and sample images.

Images From The New Sony Alpha 850 DSLR

LetsGoDigital has posted some sample shots from the new Sony A850 full-frame DSLR. Full frame 24.6MP DSLR for under two grand is enticing. They have a shot that includes the A850 and Carl Zeiss lens that I must admit made me bite my lip. I’m anxious to read some in-depth reviews on this camera as well as Sony’s other new additions, the A500 and A550, which I would expect will be coming soon as the street release dates draw near.

See the Sony A850 images from LetsGoDigital.com

Carl Zeiss Announces New 18mm Lens For Canon Mount

Canon shooters, Carl Zeiss AG has just announced a new wide angle lens for your full-frame arsenal. The Distagon T* 18mm f3.5 ZE lens has be designed for the EF bayonet mount and will be available soon.

SanDisk Announces 64GB Compact Flash Cards

If 16GB just isn’t enough memory for your shoots, SanDisk Corporation, the global leader in flash memory cards, today introduced a new line of SanDisk Extreme® Pro™ CompactFlash® memory cards with capacity up to 64GB. According to SanDisk this sets a new standard for fast, reliable, high-capacity memory cards designed for amateur and professional photographers. SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash cards feature a new SanDisk® Power Core Controller™, an advanced memory controller that enables lightning-fast read and write speeds of up to 90MB/s1, doubling the performance from previous SanDisk high-end camera memory cards. The cards are shipping worldwide now with storage capacities ranging from 16GB to 64GB.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

New Portraiture Gallery

I just posted a new gallery of portraiture. These are some recent images taken primarily with the Sony A100 and the Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro AF lens. Shots were a combination of in-studio lighting (AlienBees Strobes) and on-location natural lighting. Images were processed and manipulated within Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Lightroom 2.0.

Sept 2009 – New Portraiture

Seven New Digital Camera Reviews

Seven new digital camera reviews have been added to the "Recent Digital Camera Reviews" section.





Leica M9
Leica X1
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25
Olympus Stylus 9000
Kodak EasyShare Z950
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580
Canon PowerShot SD980 IS

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Canon EOS 7D Preview From Dpreview.com

Canon has announced the release of its new EOS 7D DSLR camera. Looking a lot like the EOS 50D the 7D utilizes new 18MP sensor, new AF system and new shutter mechanism to allow 8fps continuous shooting. Dpreview.com has posted a preview based on a pre-production model. I’ve added the preview to the Recent Digital Camera Reviews section or click the link below.

Canon EOS 7D Preview