September 18, 2009

Review: Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras

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Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens for Canon Digital SLR Cameras is Canon’s newest “L” series lens. its first mid-telephoto macro lens to include Canon’s sophisticated Image Stabilization. With the highest quality optics available, combined with near-silent Ultrasonic focusing and life-size close-up capabilities without an adapter, the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM is simply unrivalled.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L IS USM 1-to-1 Macro Lens Lens Specifications:

  • Focal Length & Maximum Aperture: 100mm 1:2.8
  • Lens Construction: 15 elements in 12 groups
  • UD Glass: 1
  • Diagonal Angle of View: 23.4 degrees
  • Focus System: Inner focusing system with USM. Full-time manual focus available. Read More »

August 07, 2009

Review: Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless All-In-One Photo Printer

Canon PIXMA MX860 Wireless All-In-One Photo Printer lets you print from any room in your home and boasts incredible 9600 x 2400 maximum color dpi with 1pl and a 5 individual ink tank system. Canon PIXMA MX860 is fully integrated 35-sheet Auto Document Feeder means fast copying or scanning of your originals so you can tend to other tasks while the printer is at work. Canon PIXMA MX860 is  built-in Auto Duplex Printing prints 2-sided documents without having to manually flip the pages. Additionally, various security features like password protected PDF’s means you can feel safe about the creation and distribution of your most confidential files.

A Super G3 High-speed Fax along with networkable Ethernet means every aspect of your business can run as efficiently as possible. Thanks to Dual Color Gamut Processing Technology your copies will maintain the integrity of the original while you produce remarkable scans with 4800 dpi. With computer-less printing capabilities via compatible memory cards, PictBridge and optional Bluetooth your images are easy to view with a 2.5 inch LCD. Its versatile feature set also makes for a top-of-the-line photo lab so all of your printing needs are met in one machine that can virtually fit anywhere whether you’re on a PC or Mac.
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July 29, 2009

Review: Nikon D300S – expand your creativity through stills and movies

Amsterdam, the Netherlands, 30th July 2009 – Nikon announces the D300S, a camera to broaden the possibilities for today’s creative image makers.

The D300S brings HD movie capability, a faster frame advance rate of 7fps and dual CF and SD memory card slots to offer new opportunities to explore creative imaging. Built upon the widely acclaimed D300, the D300S incorporates the same DX-format 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor, professional 51-point autofocus system and commended EXPEED image processing in a discrete compact body.

Robert Cristina, Manager, Professional Products for Nikon Europe, comments: “The D300S is designed for today’s generation of creative image makers who want to combine brilliant stills in photography with the creative potential of video capture. The DX format has the advantage of lens magnification, compact size and affordability making the D300S a really exciting package for anyone looking to take their photography to another level”.

Capture and Edit HD Movies in stereo
The D300S comprehensively extends DSLR HD movie capture by adding external stereo sound input, autofocus capability and premieres in-camera movie editing. External stereo microphone support adds more realistic sound to shooting movie clips, and a new dedicated LV button makes switching between stills and movies easier than ever. In-camera movie clips can be edited by simply selecting the start and stop points during playback. Also, the new Type C HDMI interface enables editing to be carried out on an HD display if desired.
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July 01, 2009

Review: Canon EOS 5D Mark II In-depth

Back in August 2005 Canon ‘defined a new DSLR category’ (their words) with the EOS 5D. Unlike any previous ‘full frame’ sensor camera, the 5D was the first with a compact body (i.e. not having an integral vertical grip) and has since then proved to be very popular, perhaps because if you wanted a full frame DSLR to use with your Canon lenses and you didn’t want the chunky EOS-1D style body then the EOS 5D has been your only choice. Three years on and two competitors have turned up in the shape of the Nikon D700 and Sony DSLR-A900, and Canon clearly believes it’s time for a refresh.

So here is the 5D Mark II, which punches high in terms of both resolution and features, headlining: 21 megapixels, 1080p video, 3.0″ VGA LCD, Live view, higher capacity battery. In other words, a camera that aims to leapfrog both its direct rivals, either in terms of resolution (in the case of the D700) or features (in the case of the DSLR-A900). Full detail below.

Key features / improvements

  • 21 megapixel CMOS sensor (very similar to the sensor in the EOS-1Ds Mark III)
  • Sensor dust reduction by vibration of filter
  • ISO 100 – 6400 calibrated range, ISO 50 – 25600 expansion (1Ds Mark III & 5D max ISO 3200)
  • Auto ISO (100 – 3200) in all modes except manual
  • 3.9 frames per second continuous shooting Read More »

July 01, 2009

Review: Canon PowerShot SX1 IS

Canon’s popular superzoom range of cameras began with the release of the PowerShot S1 IS back in 2004, and has been incrementally upgraded each year with more features and more pixels, with the last update being the PowerShot S5 IS announced in May of 2007. In September of 2008 Canon announced dual successors to the S5 IS. The cheaper of the two models is the Powershot SX10 IS, which features a 10 MP CCD sensor behind a 20X image stabilized lens, with the more expensive camera – the SX1 IS – adding RAW mode, a CMOS sensor, faster continuous shooting speed, and HD 1080p video recording.

Canon pioneered the use of CMOS sensors in digital SLRs (starting way back in 2000 with the EOS D30) – and they have long been used in cheap imaging devices (such as mobile phones and no brand ‘keychain’ digicams), but until now they haven’t made their way into mainstream compact cameras. The reason has been simple; they just haven’t been good enough. CMOS sensors have more circuitry built into the chip itself than CCD sensors, leaving less room for actually capturing light. This isn’t a problem when you’re working with a sensor with a large surface area, but at very small sizes it means lowered sensitivity – and that means noise and all the image quality problems associated with removing it.

Any problems with CMOS on large (DSLR) sensors were fixed long ago, and it is now the dominant technology in all but the cheapest models. The quest to fix them for smaller sensors has taken a lot longer, but it’s one that continues because the possibilities offered by the on-chip processing capabilities of a CMOS sensor are simply too enticing for camera manufacturers to ignore (quite aside from the fact they use less power and are, in theory, a lot cheaper to mass produce). Read More »

July 01, 2009

Review: Canon EOS 500D

Just 14 months after the launch of the EOS Rebel XSi (450D), Canon has unveiled its latest model, the Rebel T1i (500D). It’s the fifth generation of Rebel and enters the market at a difficult time – in the midst of a global economic downturn and against the fiercest competition we’ve ever seen in the entry-level DSLR sector. So what has Canon done to make this latest model in the longest-established family in the sector live up to the edgy and exciting image implied by its US naming?

The 500D/T1i doesn’t quite have to be the everyman camera that its predecessors were. The introduction of the Rebel XS (1000D) in June 2008 means the T1i no longer has to appeal to everybody who doesn’t want to stretch to buying into the 50D class. As a result, the 450D was able to bulk up its feature set to include a selection of features that price-conscious shoppers don’t necessarily realize they want, such as a larger viewfinder and spot metering. The result was probably the most complete Rebel we’d seen.

There’s a full explanation of the differences between the 500D/T1i and it predecessor on the coming pages but, in general terms, it’s a gentle re-working of the 450D. So you get the 15MP sensor much like the one that appears in the 50D, helping this to become the first entry-level DSLR to feature video (and 1080p HD video at that). You also get the lovely 920,000 dot VGA monitor that has been slowly working its way down most manufacturer’s DSLR line-ups. There are a handful of other specification tweaks that come from the use of the latest Digic 4 processor but essentially this is most of a 50D stuffed into the familiar 450D body.
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