Photo Club

Pre-PMA 2009: Nikon has unveiled the Coolpix P90 superzoom with 24x optical zoom. With 26mm – 624mm (35mm equiv.) zoom range this superzoom camera sports a 12.1 MP sensor, 3.0 inch tilting LCD and includes manual and auto features such as Scene Auto Selector, Smile Mode, Blink warning and P/A/S/M exposure modes. In addition, continuous shooting mode can deliver 45 images at 15 fps, with images being recorded before pressing the shutter button.

Press Release:

Nikon’s Ultra-Zoom Bridge Camera

Nikon introduces 24x zoom compact camera

Nikon UK is proud to announce the P90 compact camera that boasts an impressive 24x wide angle optical zoom. Its high-performance super-telephoto zoom, wide-angle capabilities and other powerful features are combined in an easy-to-use camera, making it ideal for users looking for the famous Nikon quality, in a camera that’s compact and portable.

Mark Pekelharing, Product Manager Consumer Products at Nikon Europe B.V: “This camera demonstrates Nikon’s devotion to camera enthusiasts. The amazingly powerful 24x zoom, 3.0-inch LCD screen with vari-angle tilt function, vibration reduction, and high sensitivity make the P90 a no-compromise bridge between a compact camera and a D-SLR.”  

Features to write home about
The P90 has an immensely powerful 24x optical zoom that offers the 35mm-equivalent of a 26mm wide-angle to a 624mm telephoto and is capable of shooting pictures as close up as 1cm. High-speed continuous shooting up to 45 shots at 15 fps means it is an ideal camera for sports photography and can even record images before you’ve pressed the button. Add to this its 12.1 effective megapixels and sensitivity up to ISO 6400, and it is clear why it excels in almost any shooting situation. Users can set it to full automatic or various manual settings using the camera’s four exposure modes (PSAM) and compose their ideal picture using the electronic viewfinder. The camera offers many other Nikon-quality features such as four Anti-blur technologies, Auto Scene and Face Priority AF, recognising up to twelve faces. It also includes the latest features, such as Smile Mode and Blink Warning, Nikon’s proprietary D-Lighting for optimising contrast and Quick Retouch. The camera can also record movies, including time-lapse movies and its 3-inch vari-angle LCD screen makes taking pictures easy even in challenging situations.

The P90 comes supplied with a USB cable, audio/video cable, strap and a software suite for COOLPIX CD-ROM. It will be available in Black All Nikon cameras come with 2GB free online image storage at Nikon’s my Picturetown service on mypicturetown.com.

Nikon Coolpix P90 specifications

Source: www.dpreview.com

Adobe has released updates to both Lightroom and Camera Raw adding raw support for 15 additional cameras such as the Canon EOS 50D, Canon EOS 100D, Nikon D90, Nikon D700 and several Leaf backs. Updates are free for Lightroom 2 and Photoshop CS4 users but Photoshop CS3 users have access to raw support for the same cameras in recently released Camera Raw 4.6.

In addition to the expanded raw support, the Lightroom 2.1 update addresses improvements in areas such as Photoshop integration, 64-bit utilization for both Vista and Mac OS X 10.5, and keyword migration.

Additionally, Adobe has posted a new set of camera profiles on Adobe Labs: http://labs.adobe.com

The Lightroom 2.1 update is available at: www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/.Photoshop
For Camera Raw plug-ins, go to: www.adobe.com/downloads/updates/

DOWNLOADS WILL BE AVAILABLE AS OF MIDNIGHT, OCTOBER 22

Olympus Four Thirds standard digital SLR camera : Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Masaharu Okubo) is developing a new interchangeable-lens digital SLR (single lens reflex) within the Olympus E-System. This new Four Thirds-compliant camera reinforces the company’s commitment to the standard. Positioned as a mid-level model, this new interchangeable-lens digital SLR camera is intended for anyone who wants to express their creativity through photography, whether they are an amateur just starting out or a profession with years of experience behind them. Introduction of the new camera is expected in the first quarter of the year 2009. The developed camera will be exhibited as a reference product at Photokina 2008.
Olympus E-system digital SLR camera
At the last Photokina in the autumn of 2006, Olympus declared in 2007, the second chapter in the story of the Olympus E-System would begin. One of the highlights of this chapter was the incorporation of “Full-Time Live View” function as a standard function for the first time in the industry, adding to the excitement already generated by other distinctive features of the E-System such as the “100% Digital-Dedicated Design” and “Dust Reduction System.” At present, the E-System camera lineup includes popular models such as the E-420 and E-520, as well as the flagship E-3. All of these cameras provide digital SLR camera users with the high picture quality, superior reliability and exceptional portability they need.

New Olympus SLR positioned between the E-520 and E-3
The camera announced today is being developed as an advanced amateur model that will be positioned between the E-520 and E-3. In terms of quality and performance, however, there is nothing mid-level about this model. It will inherit all the outstanding features of the E-3 such as the high-speed AF system using 11-points-full twin cross sensor and the built-in image stabilization mechanism with a correction effect of max. 5 EV steps. Other features include a new and updated feature to replace the current splash- and dust-proof function. Olympus hopes to release this new camera in the first quarter of the year 2009.

Olympus E-system Four Thirds DSLR camera
With the introduction of this new camera, Olympus will expand its line of Four Thirds System-compliant digital SLR cameras, providing a wider range of choices to a wider range of users from serious amateurs to professionals.

Leica C-LUX 3 digital camera : The Leica C-LUX 3 by Leica Camera AG, Solms, is a new elegant and high-performance digital camera from the Leica C-Lux line. The slimline compact Leica C-LUX 3 offers super easy operation and a clearly structured menu for carefree photography. The Leica C-LUX 3 has a strikingly clear design that concentrates on the essentials: capturing and reproducing images. This means that the Leica C-LUX 3 can be used more quickly and flexibly than many other models in those all-decisive moments. The user is not distracted by elaborate menus and is free to react much more spontaneously. The stylish digital camera Leica C-LUX 3 is available in the timelessly elegant colors black and white.

Leica LUX 3 camera lens
The color-coordinated cases of high-quality leather are a fashionable accessory that make the camera a stylish companion. Compared to the predecessor model, the C-LUX 2, the 10.1 pixel Leica C-LUX 3 offers many technical improvements. Its powerful zoom lens Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT 4.4-22 mm f/2.8-5.9 ASPH provides a wide focal length range from 25 to 125 mm (35 mm format), delivering stunning photos in true-to-nature color from wide-angle to telephoto. Starting at a focal length of 25 mm, the high-speed optics offer a virtually unique wide angle for this class of camera which is particularly useful for space-grabbing shots.

Leica C-LUX 3 offers optical image stabilizer
Whether for landscapes, architecture photography, interior views or group photos, the Leica C-LUX 3 can capture the whole spread of the subject due to its double-sized image field. Another new feature is the 5x optical zoom that significantly enlarges the camera’s telephoto range. The Leica C-LUX 3 also integrates innovative automatic functions. When they are switched on, the user just has to press the shutter release button to obtain a perfectly exposed and focused picture. In automatic mode, the camera automatically combines the many individual functions to suit the subject and the photographic conditions, controlling the O.I.S. image stabilizer, the automatic ISO control, the face recognition, automatic contrast compensation and automatic choice of scene mode. Improvements have been made to the face recognition function, for example, with which focus and exposure values are automatically adjusted to the faces in the picture. As for the automatic choice of scene mode, the camera selects the most suitable for the particular exposure.

Leica C-LUX3 features high performance optics
“The Leica C-LUX 3 sets new standards in the ultra compact camera segment, offering an unbeatable combination of superlative technology, high-performance optics and an extra stylish exterior – available for the first time ever in the trend color white for people who like fashionable accessories. The C-Lux 3 is therefore an absolute must-have for all those who enjoy spontaneous photography and are looking for a camera that is just as flexible as they are,“ says Stefan Trippe, Vice President Production and Engineering at Leica Camera AG.

Leica C-LUX 3 digital camera display and viewing angle
With a resolution of 230,000 pixels, the 2.5“ camera display of the Leica C-LUX 3 shows a brilliant image which helps the photographer compose the picture and accurately assess the result. Due to its generous size, the display can be viewed by several people at the same time. In wide-angle mode, the display can still be optimally seen even at a difficult viewing angle such as over a crowd of people, and can be switched to extra bright Power LCD mode for visibility in extremely bright ambient light.

Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT provides high image quality to Leica C-LUX 3
The powerful zoom lens Leica DC VARIO-ELMARIT 4.4-22 mm f/2.8-5.9 ASPH consists of seven lens elements in six groups, of which four elements are aspherical. The optics are individually matched to the camera sensor. Thanks to the skilful combination of optics, electronics and software, the user can enjoy high color fidelity, excellent definition and vivid contrast. With respect to the matching of color, contrast and definition, Leica Camera AG has developed its own profile around the image properties familiar to customers of Leica system cameras in their use in combination with professional film material and development.

Leica LUX 3 – Automatic exposure control and Light Situations
A further key to successful photography is the integrated optical image stabilizer (O.I.S.) that can be activated for exposure only or for both exposure and the camera display. Through consistent compensation of small hand movements, the image stabilization reliably prevents camera shake in any situation. The Leica C-LUX 3 also features “Intelligent ISO“ automatic exposure control, which automatically detects movements of the subject and raises the film speed to ensure a fast exposure time. With this and the MEGA O.I.S. image stabilization, sharply focused pictures are always guaranteed – even in difficult light situations such as twilight or interiors, and in the telephoto range.

Leica C-LUX 3 accessories and availability
The Leica C-LUX 3 has a metal body and great attention has been paid to manufacturing detail. The exclusive use of high-quality materials guarantees a reliable and robust product. The Leica C-LUX 3 comes with a battery charger, a powerful battery, an AV, USB and AC cable as well as an extensive software package. Fashionable camera cases in a choice of black or white are also available as accessories. The Leica C-LUX 3 will be on sale at Leica stockists� from October 2008.

Adobe has launched version 2 of its Lightroom raw processing and workflow tool. The result of feedback from professionals and a public beta process, version 2 of the software follows the basic structure of its predecessor but with a variety of tweaks and additions. The most obvious change is an increased ability to make localized changes. This include a gradient tool that allows alterations to be applied selectively across an image. Adobe Camera Raw has also been updated with support for the Olympus E420 and E520.

The local adjustment brush allows exposure correction, brightness, contrast, saturation, clarity, sharpening and toning to be ‘painted’ onto an image. The effects these painted selections have can subsequently be edited and refined, and the selected area modified.

Most of the other changes are in response to user requests, such as the inclusion of dual-monitor support and adjustments to the organization tools to improve the way it handles removable drives. The new ‘smart collections’ option automatically builds collections based on pre-chosen criteria.

In the long term, the most significant change to Lightroom 2 might be Adobe’s creation of a software developers kit (SDK) that will allow third-party developers to create plug-ins for various aspects of the program.

Lightroom 2 will cost £175 (ex-VAT) in the UK and $299 in the US. Upgrades from existing versions will cost £69 (ex-VAT) and $99 respectively.

Press release:

Adobe Releases Photoshop Lightroom 2

Major Software Upgrade Further Simplifies Photography Workflows

London — July 29, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the immediate availability of Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® 2 software, the photographer’s essential toolbox for managing, adjusting and presenting large volumes of digital photographs. With new enhancements such as dual-monitor support, radical advances in non-destructive localised image correction, and streamlined search capabilities, Lightroom 2 is a compelling upgrade that simplifies photography from shoot to finish. As Adobe’s first application to support 64-bit for Mac OS X 10.5 Macintosh computers with Intel® processors and Microsoft® Windows® Vista® 64-bit operating systems, Lightroom 2 also provides improved memory performance for dealing with large scale images.

“A worldwide community of photographers provided valuable insight and feedback, as part of the Lightroom 2 public beta program, ultimately helping us deliver a better product,” said Tom Hogarty, senior product manager for Lightroom and Camera Raw at Adobe. “We’ve considered their requests which helped us develop useful features that make it easier than ever for our customers to quickly refine, enhance and present brilliant photographs.”

Photoshop Lightroom 2: Smarter, Faster and More Accurate
The enhanced Library module in Lightroom 2 helps streamline and accelerate photographers’ workflows. With the ability to visually organise images across multiple hard drives, Lightroom 2 and its powerful Library Filter Bar makes it easy for users to quickly find the images they need. The Suggested Keywords feature helps photographers keyword their images by making intelligent suggestions based on their own previous efforts. New dual-monitor support allows users to expand their workspace, giving them flexibility to edit and organise images in a way that maximises an additional display.

In the Develop module, the new Local Adjustment Brush lets photographers fine-tune specific areas of an image to precisely adjust colour, exposure and tonal range without affecting other areas of the image. The new Graduated Filter expands the toolbox in Lightroom, allowing for edits to larger areas by applying gradually diminishing or increasing adjustment effects such as exposure, clarity, and saturation, alone, or in any combination. Lightroom 2 also helps photographers print more efficiently by quickly arranging photos of multiple sizes on one or many pages with flexible and customisable templates to maximise paper and ink. Intelligent algorithms automatically determine optimal sharpening for screen or print, producing crisper images faster. Developers can further extend the Lightroom workflow with Web, Export and Metadata Software Development Kits available at the Adobe Developer Connection, http://www.adobe.com/devnet/.

Ground-Breaking Innovation in Raw Technology
New raw technology gives photographers access to flexible camera profiles. Camera profiles are the visual starting point for the raw processing workflow, but image preferences vary for every photographer. To minimise surprises, Adobe is supplying default camera profiles that closely emulate the visual looks that photographers are used to seeing from their favourite camera, while also providing the ability to create highly customised profiles to suit different tastes. Camera profiles are available for immediate download on Adobe Labs (http://labs.adobe.com) for use with Lightroom 2 and Camera Raw 4.5, along with the DNG Profile Editor for the community to test and create their own profiles.

The Adobe Camera Raw 4.5 plug-in and DNG Converter 4.5 are also now available on Adobe.com and support over 190 camera models including the Olympus E 420 and E 520 models.

“One of the big reasons why Lightroom has become such a phenomenon among serious photographers is that Adobe built it with the input of a very vocal user community,” said Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP).  “Adobe really listens to the issues and challenges today’s photographers face and they’ve built a complete solution that not only meets the needs of photographers; it really feels like it was made just for us. The enhancements to Lightroom 2, combined with the power of Photoshop, give photographers the ultimate freedom to produce professional images quickly.” 

Pricing and Availability
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 is available now through the Adobe Store at www.adobe.com/store in English, French and German with the Japanese language version planned to be released at a future date. The estimated street price is £175 for new users with an upgrade price of £69 for registered users of qualifying Lightroom customers. Recommended system requirements are Macintosh OSX 10.4, 10.5 1 GHz PowerPC G4 or G5 or Intel® based processor, or Microsoft Windows® XP SP2 or Windows Vista Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise, Intel Pentium 4® processor, 1 GB RAM and a 1024×768 resolution screen. Additional information on product features, upgrade policies, pricing, and language versions is available on www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/.

About Adobe Systems Incorporated
Adobe revolutionises how the world engages with ideas and information – anytime, anywhere and through any medium. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

To say the 6MP Casio EXILIM Pro EX-F1 ($999, street) is a breakthrough is an understatement. As we’ve said before (April 2008), and the Pop Photo Lab confirms, the F1 is a far-reaching achievement on several fronts:

• It’s an impressive 12X zoom (36-432mm f/2.7-4.6 equivalent) electronic-viewfinder (EVF) still camera with optical stabilization and Excellent image quality.

• It’s the camera equivalent of a machine gun, packing a breathtaking 60 frames-per-second burst rate (7 fps with flash) and 1/4 0,000 sec top shutter speed.

• It’s a full-HD (1920×1080 pixels at 60 fps) video camera with stereo audio, zoom while recording, and HDMI output.

• It’s a high-speed/low-resolution video camera, shooting up to a blistering 1200 frames per second.

That last quality — high-speed video — means 1 sec of real time equals up to 40 sec of ultra-slow-motion video. Scientists and sports trainers will find practical uses for this, but the “Wow!” factor is universal. Check out our high-speed videos at www.PopPhoto.com/EX-F1.

In HD mode, the F1 serves up crisp, sharp, full-HD videos on an HDTV (connect it using your own HDMI cable).

Ricoh has introduced a successor to its GX100 pocket camera. The GX200 improves upon the earlier model with 12.1-megapixel resolution; Ricoh’s new Smooth Imaging Engine III image processor; and a 460,000-dot, 2.7-inch LCD. Ricoh says the camera’s f/2.5-4.4, 24mm-72mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens has also been enhanced to accommodate the higher resolution of the new sensor. The GX200 retains the optical image stabilization, removable electronic viewfinder (EVF), and advanced controls of its predecessor. The removable EVF attaches to the camera’s hotshoe to provide an eyepiece viewing option that offers a clear and accurate view when lens converters are used and in difficult lighting conditions. The hotshoe can alternatively accommodate an external flash unit.

The GX200 maintains compatibility with the optional DW-6 wide-angle lens converter that was first released with the GX100, and supports a new TC-1 telephoto lens converter and a hinged lens cap that opens and closes automatically when the lens extends and retracts. The DW-6 converter gives the lens a 19mm (35mm equivalent) wide angle and the TC-1 gives it a 135mm (35mm equivalent) reach. .

Olympus SP-570 UZ digital camera review : In August 2005, Olympus introduced the very first camera from the new SP-5 series; the SP-500 UZ camera. At the time it was a Megazoom camera that certainly featured high specifications; six Megapixels, a maximum ISO of 400 and an optical zoom with a 38-380mm range. Three years later, the fifth model of the SP-5 series lays before me; the Olympus SP-570 UZ, the most recent Megazoom model by Olympus.

Evolution of the Olympus SP-570 UZ
Looking at the specifications, we clearly see the evolution this model underwent. Instead of six, there’s now room for ten Megapixels on the small image sensor, and the sensitivity of 6400, albeit with a limited resolution, surpasses the ‘high’ 400 ISO setting of that of its predecessor. The optical zoom lens also went through a real change; now offering a 20x optical zoom, resulting in a huge focal range (26-520mm) which is a powerful magnification factor even for the enhanced photographer.

Digital camera developments
In only a few years time the digital camera has undergone considerable changes and is, in fact, still going through this process. It looks like this trend will continue for a while. We are not always happy with the changes, but all in all it is a logical evolution. As long as the quality is ensured and improvements are visible, there is no reason to moan. Though it is a good motivation to keep a finger on the pulse, since a manufacturer’s marketing department sometimes tends to overdo it. One example that goes for nearly every brand is the race for the highest ISO setting possible. The latter is hardly ever useful in practice and only looks good on paper. Although Megazoom cameras tend to lean towards the features of digital SLRs, they are in fact compact cameras with the smaller sensors that come with these.

Olympus SP-570UZ Megazoom digital camera
The Megazoom digital camera market remains interesting to the manufacturer. While a number of manufacturers have left this concept alone in order to focus fully on their DSLR cameras, a considerable group of consumers really seemed to appreciate this Megazoom camera. The features; compact, lightweight and super zoom, form a powerful combination to give cameras like the Olympus SP-570UZ the right to exist.

Olympus SP-570 UZ camera review
The Olympus SP-570 was introduced in January of this year, just before the PMA 2008 in Las Vegas kicked off, and only recently became available to the consumer. Thanks to all its setting possibilities and all-round capacities, the Olympus SP-570 UZ camera seems to be the perfect alternative to a D-SLR camera. It’s a camera that is easy to take with you at all times. Read the following

Nokia 8800 Arte review : Nokia has been playing an important role lately in the enhancement in the field of internet and mobile communication. Meeting the demands of the picky and trend-following consumer, the company put two new mobile phones on the market at the end of last year; the Nokia 8800 Arte and the Sapphire Arte. High quality materials and a classy appearance are the characteristics of these mobile phones. We will review the Nokia 8800 Arte, the black version of the two. Design, user’s ease and user’s fun are key words for this technological masterpiece. The 3.2 Megapixel digital camera, MP3 player, ambient light sensor and the internal memory of 1GB are just a few aspects of the promising Nokia 8800 Arte mobile phone.

Nokia 8800 Arte camera phone
The Nokia 8800 Arte has been equipped with a 3.2 Megapixel digital camera. The 8x digital zoom lets you get the object you want to capture, a lot closer. Still I wouldn’t recommend using the zoom function frequently since the quality of the end result drops drastically due to this zoom. The pictures turn out granular and blurred and the format of the pictures decreases. The camera features an auto focus and automatic light compensation, whilst it is also possible to adjust the brightness manually through the menu. In bad light situations, the night mode can be activated which compensates for the lack of the possibility to select an ISO setting. Where the normal mode achieves a bad result in badly lit circumstances; the night mode offers a slightly better result. You will have to do without flash, and that is a vast restriction in practising mobile photography. In this case; you will have to learn to live with colour noise and underexposure as obvious factors.

Nokia Arte review
In addition to setting the white balance, you can also add a few effects such as sepia or negative. The colour and contrast reproduction of the mobile phone’s monitor are not representative for the true colours. You can’t expect that, to be honest, since calibration is not playing a role in this segment for the time being. Mobile photography is an area that is not mature yet on the Nokia 8800 Arte. In particular the colour shifting, the limited dynamic range and the lack of a built-in flash make mobile photography with the 8800 Arte a true deed of courage. The Nokia 8800 Arte mobile phone feels at home in ideal circumstances and that’s when you can expect a reasonable photo quality. Read the full Nokia Arte review and check out the Nokia sample photos.

TrustedReviews have reviewed the GE E840s, a slim 8 megapixel camera with 4x optical zoom and 2.7 inch LCD.

“Perhaps the most surprising thing about the E840s is the image quality, which is much better than I had anticipated. It’s not really in the same league as some of the other compacts we’ve looked at lately, but then it costs half as much, and for a cheap camera it is really quite good. The lens produces some barrel distortion at wide-angle, but no worse than the ВЈ220 Nikon S600 I reviewed earlier this week, and while the overall image lacks a certain sharpness it is at least consistent from corner to corner. There is a little chromatic aberration towards the edges of the frame, but not enough to cause a problem in most circumstances.”

Website: TrustedReviews – GE E840s Review