As you probably know, technical difficulties with the site prevented us from posting for the past few weeks. We think we have those ironed out, and Michael and I taped a show on Tuesday (five days ago).

Wouldn’t you know it - for some strange reason the audio went wonky halfway through. We don’t know why. At this point, we are considering the folllowing possibilities…

    Reasons  You Haven’t Been Hearing The Digital Photography Show:

1. The show is cursed: If anyone has a placed a dark malice on our podcast, would you please remove it? Thanks!
2. The show has swine flu: A couple of years ago, “swine flu” was all you heard about. Now, not so much. Where did it go? Into the internets? Can you prove it’s not true?
3. Michael is a double agent: Yeah, yeah, Michael seems really nice, but isn’t it always the ones you don’t suspect? Perhaps Michael is a double agent working for one of the other digital photography podcasts to sabotage ours. It could happen.

As you can see, this situation has me losing my mind.

We do hope to be on the air soon. In the meantime, you can read my photography blog at ScottsPhotoBlog.com and see Michael’s latest pictures at his Phanfare site.  You can also friend me on MySpace - it should be clear we need all the friends we can get.

Talk soon (we hope!)

Scott

I just wanted to check a couple of things with you.

1. Can anyone see show #88 in iTunes yet? I’m getting conflicting reports. Some people tell me they can, others cannot.
2. For those of you that have downloaded the second version of #88 either manually or via iTunes, is it working for you? Scott and I have both tested version 2 of the file and it works for us in iTunes (that is, it doesn’t die at the 3 minute mark). Just checking.

Thanks again for your support and patience. The new servers should be up and running this week.

cheers
Cameron

If you would like to contact us, please write us at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com

Michael

A site out there called “Nikon Blogosphere” (and since it may be a home for spammers, I’m not going to link to it here) reprinted one of my posts. Now, as those of you who are reading this may have noticed, I am writing in English. But it would appear that, for some reason, this site translated my words into another language and then back again into English. Either that, or I was really, really drunk when I wrote this. (Actually, you can see my original post by scrolling down the page to my March 3th entry.)

Here I am through the eyes of the Nikon Blogosphere. I’ve bolded some of my favorite translations; I think they read like poetry!

A internet site with which I am non intimate, PhotographyBlog, Ive seen of Nikons D60, their newfangled entry-level DSLR. This is a television camera we discussed extensively with Nikon in our audience, alive from PMA, on .

The revue seems rattling elaborated and exact. Mark Goldstein gives theNikon D60 a extremely recommended paygrade ,although he makes it readable that the tv camera isnt on the button redefining the class :

Where the D40x was basically a 10 megapixel variation of the 6 megapixel D40, the Modern D60 isa identical more or less improved rendering of the D40x. The D60 retains the like inwardness competencies - 10 megapixels, 3 tip AF, 3D Colour Matrix Metering II, 3fps outburst modality - whilst adding a low phone number of raw features that are nice-to-haves, preferably than being of the essence

What Mark does dear is the raw outfit lense, that features Nikons persona stabilisation techlnology, which Nikon calls VR .

The unmarried most significant Modern improver is the availableness of the fresh 18-55mm VR electron lens, which greatly extends the low-light capabilities of the D60. In outfit word form with this lense, the D60 isnt a solid Lot to a greater extent expensive than with the banner 18-55mm crystalline lens, thusId powerfully apprise every prospective novel D60 possessor to prefer the VR pick .

Michaels good word :Theres no pauperization for current D40 owners to rush along out and corrupt a D60- the differences are negligable. But if youre looking for a foremost DSLR ,he actually likes the D60, especially with that young look-alike stabilized genus Lens .

I will bespeak out that Canons newests DSLR, , as well comes with an figure stabilized electron lens in the like stove as the Nikons, and that early manufacturers, such as Sony, Pentax, Olympus and Pansonic, construct the simulacrum stabilisation right hand into their cameras bodies, which eliminates the demand to grease one’s palms more than expensive prototype stabilized lenses .

Its a problematical marketplace out at that place .

“It’s a problematical marketplace out at that place.” I couldn’t have said it any better. In any language.

Scott

Sony’s newest DSLRs, the a300 and its big sibling, the a350, have some advanced technology that makes that process easier, faster and less cumbersome. According to Sony:

When you switch to live view operation, an innovative new pentamirror tilt mechanism directs the subject image to a dedicated live view sensor positioned over the viewfinder eyepiece. 

Since I don’t think the people at Sony do a particularly good job of explaining why that’s significant, let’s see what the always informative and entertaining David Pogue of the NY Times has to say about this. He begins by explaining the limitations of current Live View systems, then outdoes Sony in explaining why their system works so much better:

Actually, a few recent S.L.R. models do, in fact, have this Live View feature, but it’s mostly a disaster. It works by flipping that mirror up out of the way, so that light from the lens hits the image sensor, which feeds the image to the screen. Trouble is, once the mirror goes up, no light hits the autofocus sensor, so the camera can’t focus.

So here’s what happens when you press the shutter button. There’s a noisy clank as the mirror drops down again; the screen goes black; the camera computes focus and exposure; the mirror lifts again; the screen comes back to life; and finally — a second or so later — the shot is recorded.

In other words, Live View on existing cameras is slow, noisy and deeply confusing. All of this silliness arises because the camera’s image sensor must do double duty: it’s responsible for supplying the screen with a live preview and for recording the shot.

Sony’s technical breakthrough on the A300, therefore, was this: “Duh! Put in another sensor!”

On this camera, turning on Live View sends light from that main mirror onto a second sensor, one that’s devoted solely to feeding the preview screen.  (Snip)

As a result, Live View is a completely different experience. The camera focuses quickly as you aim the lens, without ever blacking out the screen. When you press the shutter, the screen doesn’t go on-off-on, there’s no loud clacking, and there’s no baffling exhibition of mirror calisthenics inside the camera.

I was just talking to Laurel, our Queen of All Contests at The Digital Photography Show about how, based on what I’ve heard about Live View, I’ve never even tried using it on my Canon 40D. But I have to say, I’d at least play with it if I had one of these new Alphas. I’ve always said that if any company was going to threaten Nikon and Canon in the DSLR market, it was going to be Sony.  Nothing against any of the other manufacturers, but Sony has the deep pockets, marketing presence, and relationships with the major retailers to be a big player if they want to be.

Uh, anyone remember HD DVD?

And before I hear from outraged Pentax, Olympus, Samsung, Panasonic, etc users, I’m not saying that Sony’s cameras are necessarily the best for all shooters.  Pogue’s review lists several shortcomings of the Alphas that would be showstoppers for many photographers, especially enthusiasts. But by making Live View more usable on a DSLR, Sony has overcome one of the major obstacles experienced by people stepping up from a point and shoot: Why can’t I use it like I used my old camera?

Now they can.

Scott

The review seems very detailed and accurate. Mark Goldstein gives the Nikon D60 a “highly recommended rating,”although he makes it clear that the camera isn’t exactly redefining the category:

Where the D40x was essentially a 10 megapixel version of the 6 megapixel D40, the new D60 is a very slightly improved version of the D40x. The D60 retains the same core competencies - 10 megapixels, 3 point AF, 3D Colour Matrix Metering II, 3fps burst mode - whilst adding a small number of new features that are nice-to-haves, rather than being essential

What Mark does love is the new kit lens, that features Nikon’s image stabilization techlnology, which Nikon calls VR.

The single most important new addition is the availability of the new 18-55mm VR lens, which greatly extends the low-light capabilities of the D60. In kit form with this lens, the D60 isn’t a whole lot more expensive than with the standard 18-55mm lens, so I’d strongly advise every prospective new D60 owner to choose the VR option.

Michael’s recommendation: There’s no need for current D40 owners to rush out and buy a D60- the differences are negligable. But if you’re looking for a first DSLR, he really likes the D60, particularly with that new image stabilized lens.

I will point out that Canon’s newests DSLR, their entry-level XSi, also comes with an image stabilized lens in the same range as the Nikons, as do the Panasonic DSLRs.  Other manufacturers, such as Sony, Pentax, and Olympus  build the image stabilization right into their cameras’ bodies, which eliminates the need to buy more expensive image stabilized lenses.

It’s a tough market out there.

Scott

I gave him my advice, which I’m sure wasn’t as succinct or helpful as this tutorial, published in PC Photo, written by Photoshop guru and friend of The Digital Photography Show Rick Sammon.  Rick walks you through how to double process your image and combine the two versions into one final masterpiece. 

Rick makes the procedure as simple as possible by suggesting you use the erase tool to let the bottom image on your stack show through on the top image.  If you’re an advanced swimmer, you might want to use a mask instead. 

Masks are more forgiving than the eraser tool because you can always expand or contract your selection by painting in the opposite color. And if that discussion of masking has you confused, (it confuses me, and I wrote it!) Rob Sheppard gives a better explanation of basic masking technique on page three of this article, also from PC Photo.

Thanks, PC Photo!

Scott

The 3.5 inch touch screen LCD was beautiful and I loved how you could change camera functions - including the focus point - just by touching the screen.  The Sony T300 also has a bunch of extra features like Smile Detection, digital red-eye reduction and a variety of face detection modes.  It even has something I’ve never seen before - a function called, wait for it, Happy Face, that detects a frown in a picture and “turns it upside down” so it appears that the subject was smiling!

Some of these features aren’t necessarily things I’d use everyday (or, um, ever) but I’d love to play with them.

Plus, with it’s small size, highly pocketable design and huge LCD, the T300 would make a great photo viewer. What a terrific way to show your pictures to family and friends. (Of course, that’s the same justification I used for buying my iPhone, so I guess I can’t get away with it again.)

Given all that, imagine my disappointment when I read CNET’s detailed review of the Sony T300.  Reviewer Will Greenwald pretty much agreed with my initial assessment of the T300 (it’s pretty! it’s cool!) but, after using the camera, he found:

Quick performance and dozens of features are great, but in the end cameras have to be judged on the pictures they take. Unfortunately, we found the T300 seriously lacking in that respect. Even at its best, photos generally look soft, with haloing along edges. At its lowest sensitivity, ISO 80, we still see noise in flat colors, like gray. It becomes noticeable across the board at ISO 200, and by ISO 400 starts degrading detail. At ISO 3,200 photos look like they were painted with a worn-out kitchen sponge. {Scott’s note - what a great metaphor!}

Break my heart, Will! 

My search for the perfect point and shoot continues. I really like what I’ve seen of the Canon G9 (two of the attendees of our Las Vegas meet-up had and liked the camera) but it’s a little too big to serve as a a full-time point and shoot.

Scott

We talk about it on our soon-to-be-released episode #82, but I wanted to thank everyone in print for coming and for being so awesome.  Thanks Michael T, Michael C, Sherri, Rex, Ivonne, Raphael, Ian, Aaron, Scott (I hope I didn’t forget everyone and spelled everyone’s name right).

I also want to thank the companies who are so devoted to the digital enthusiast that they contributed some great giveaways for our meetup.  Michael and I loved playing Santa, especially with such great presents.  Thanks Wacom, Jobo, Nik Software, Thinktank Photo, xTrain, and DXO Labs!

Scott

Camera are sensing when the subject smiles, alerting you if your subject blinked in the shot, magically determing if you’re shooting a portrait, macro or landscape shot and adjusting their settings  automatically, setting the optimal focus and exposure settings for up to 15 faces in a single shot, shooting at frame rates faster than a digital video camera (60 frames per second), automatically fixing red eye in camera immediately after you’ve taken the shot) - the list could go on and on, but I’m getting tired!

We’re interviewing people for the show and getting a bunch of prizes  for the listeners who attend our meetup tonight (send us an email if you’re interested in joining us; you can contact us at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com).

Michael was up till midnight last night posting some shots of us at PMA.  You can find them at http://dps.phanfare.com/album/561709.

We’ll try and write more when we can.

Sc0tt

Got a nice call last night from a rep for Jessica Claire, a terrific photographer who invented the Shootsac.  We’re going to meet with Jessica on Thursday morning. We also plan on sitting down with Canon, Nikon, FujiFilm and, basically, anyone who’ll talk with us. 

Assuming we don’t’ screw up the recording, you’ll be hearing those interviews in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, it’s 7:00 in the morning and I’m sitting in the airport’s food court where I can’t help observing that, despite the early hour, the majority of people here are aren’t eating muffins or bagels, but huge turkey sandwiches, greasy burgers and fries. At 7AM! I don’t get it.

If you’re going to be at PMA, don’t forget to come to our meetup on Friday night! Email us at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com for the details, with “Las Vegas Meetup” in the subject line.  We’ll be having giveaways, contests, and fondly recalling our most embarrassing momemts on the show. 

Scott

For the photographer in me, it’s got some extra bonuses. No, not the built-in webcam, although that’s cute.  What’s got me jazzed is the new, larger-than-ever trackpad, which includes some of the functionality of the iPhone screen.  You can pinch your fingers to zoom into a photo, twist them to rotate the picture, and use a “swipe” of your fingers to flip from one shot to the next in iPhoto. That’s crazy cool.

Sweeeeet.

I’m a pretty entrenched PC user, but it’s ridiculous how Apple has cornered the market on sexy, fun and intuitive hardware that practically screams “use me!”  One day I’m going to win the lottery and make the switch. In that order.

Scott

I’ll figure out a way to get the rest of the audio out to you in the next day or two, so that everyone can, at the very least, enter the contest for a Shootsac.

Stay tuned!

Scott

While you’re there, feel free to take a look at some of our past contest entries, too - there’s some pretty great stuff there!

Scott

Thanks to the good people of Sightlines, Fotonomy and to Jennifer Elaine for the shoutouts! 

Scott

Two judges rated both cameras in five categories. The result: The Nikon trounced the Canon with a score of 45 to 37.  Here’s CNET’s conclusion:

What an upset! The Nikon D80 might be a bit more expensive than the XTi, but it’s clearly worth that extra couple of hundred bucks. Though they’re evenly matched for photo quality, the Nikon delivers enough extra oomph across the board to claim victory. But the Rebel ain’t the Rebel for nothing–we’re sure it’ll be back for a rematch next year!

I gotta say, though, with the XTi currently available on Amazon.com for $589 with the kit lens, and the similarly lensed D80 costing $878, it’s a bit of an unfair comparison. The D80 is more than 50% more expensive than the XTi. A fairer fight might have pitted the XTi against Nikon’s D40, which will set you back $449. 

Still, its interesting that the two companies never really have two models that are exact competitors at the same price point.  That tradition continues with Canon 40D costing (body only) around $1,300 and Nikon’s closest model, the D300, priced at $1,800. Weird. Or smart. Who knows.

Scott

Of course I haven’t! Lensbabies are so cool, I’m assuming that those of you who are really motivated will find a way to travel back in time and get your entries in by, um, two weeks ago.

OK, I did make a mistake. The correct end date for the Lensbabies contest is DECEMBER 30, 2007. 

Sorry! And good listening skills, Mike!

If you’re wondering whether to enter the contest, check out this review from GearLive.com. It will whet your lens-loving appetite for sure.   

Scott

Now, according to Canon, the latest firmware version for the camera, “improves autofocus tracking” when shooting outdoors in bright environments or when shooting low-contrast subjects. Since those are the problems that some people were having with the camera, I wonder if it will make the hardware repair unnecessary in some cases.  In any case, it’s kind of confusing.

It certainly would be nice if a firmware upgrade could save you from the trouble of shipping your camera back to Canon and having to wait for a repair. Even with Canon’s paying for the shipping both ways, that’s a hassle. 

This story from CNET has more on the issue and a link to the firmware upgrade.

Scott

It’s always harder to pick finalists than we anticipated, but we think the ones we’ve selected are great. But, then again, so were many of the other entries. Choosing is hard!

We’ll be announcing a winner in the next week or so. The prize? A sweeeeet Wacom Bamboo Fun Medium (there is no large, so you’re getting the biggest there is!), a $199 US value.

Good luck finalists! And thanks to everyone else for entering!

Scott

At the time, he didn’t know if the problem was limited to a certain batch of cameras and how Canon would make good. He said Canon would be releasing more information soon.

He was right.

According to Cameratown:

After a thorough investigation, Canon has found that some EOS-1D Mark III cameras may have an issue with the mirror mechanism, which is part of the autofocus optical system. This issue may cause inconsistent focusing accuracy or inconsistent focus tracking with moving subjects when using AI-Servo AF and continuous shooting modes, particularly in high temperatures. The EOS-1D Mark III cameras that could have this problem can be identified by serial number: If the serial number on the bottom of the camera is between 501001 and 546561, the camera might require an adjustment of its AF mirror mechanism. Please note that the issue occurs only in some EOS-1D Mark III cameras within this serial number range. If you are satisfied with the AF performance of your EOS-1D Mark III camera now, it will not be necessary to have it repaired for this issue.

If you live in the US or PR, you can call this number for more information: 1-800-828-4040 (toll free) 8:00 a.m. - Midnight, EST (M-F) 10:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., EST (Sat.).

If you live elsewhere, you have to find your own Customer Support Center.

Good on Canon for admitting there’s an issue and instituting a plan to fix it.  And I have to give major props to Rob Galbraith who extensively documented the focusing problem on his website. 

Rob was the first person I saw report on this, and he went to get trouble to prove this problem through repeated testing. Everyone who owns an affected camera owes him his or her thanks.

And, a question for you: If you had a camera within the specified serial number range, even if you hadn’t noticed any focusing problems, wouldn’t you have it evaluated for repair anyway? I would.

Scott

Adorama Camera has it for that same price but they’re throwing in a $500 rebate on two tabloid-sized very well regarded Canon printers . Here’s how they explain the math

$500 Mail in Rebate When you purchase A Canon Pro9000 (409.95 = ZERO after Rebate) or Pro9500 (749.95 = 249.95 after rebate) 

Now, if it’s really  a $500 rebate, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t be getting $90 back if you got the Pro9000, but, whatever. It’s still a great deal.

UPDATE: I just was doing a price check on BH Camera, and I see they also have this deal...only they don’t list it on the 5D product page - it’s only viewable on the Pro9000 page, and kind of buried there. 

Turns out its a Canon rebate, but its not being consistently or prominently promoted by every dealer. I guess they’re trying to keep it a secret. But now you know.

All of this is happening against a backdrop of rumors that the 5D will soon be replaced by its successor…the 6D, one assumes (but why not the 5E?). The rumors seem to be pointing towards a February/March 2008 release, but those guesses tend to be wrong as often as they are right. The USA’s biggest photo show is at the end of January, so that would make sense, but you never know.

Scott

The staff there is very democratic…I think there’s one camera from just about every manu-facturer...let’s see…Canon, FujiFilm, HP, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Ricoh Caplio, Samsung, Sony…who have they missed?  Sigma, I guess, but they have a lens on the list, so they still get a shout out. Did I overlook anyone?

Only manufacturer had two cameras on the list…wanna guess?

It’s Sony.  Sony!

Meanwhile, Apple got dissed. Not only did Pop Photo choose Adobe Photoshop Lightroom over Apple’s competing Aperture, but they selected the Nokia N95 as the cell phone of choice. Sorry, iPhone!

Of course, as an iPhone owner I could have told you that the camera function is woefully weak. Especially when you consider that as a photo viewer, the iPhone totally rocks, with its fantastic vibrant screen, and the cool ways you move between and zoom around your pictures.

Scott

Stephen Shankland writes:

The lens, formally called the AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC, is one of a host of new image-stabilized superzoom lenses on the market. Nikon has said its 18-200mm model is its all-time bestseller. Sigma recently added its own 18-200mm competitor. And Panasonic, whose lenses are compatible with Olympus SLRs and vice versa, also offers a 14-150mm model, which is the same range when translated into 35mm camera terms.

I was interested to see that Nikon has called their 18-200 its “all-time bestseller.” There’s obviously a large market for these (almost) all-in-ones. The Nikon model goes a little wider (it starts at 18mm vs the Tamron 28mm) and a little faster (a maximum 5.6 aperture at the long end, versus the Tamron’s 6.3).

Nikon’s lens is listed as $750 from at least one reputable dealer online. No pricing was announced on the Tamron model.  On BH Photo, Sigma’s model, which has the zoom range of Nikon’s lens and the aperture range of Tamron’s, sells for around $550. 

Do you have or want a lens in this range? For me, the relatively slow apertures would be a problem.  But the zoom range and optical stabilization are sweet.

Scott

Still, I’ll push past the pain and let you know that, incipient flu-like symptoms aside, I had a ball at PPE. Not as much fun as I would have had if Michael had come along, but a good time nonetheless. Here are some of the new and interesting things I saw (I’ll be talking more about these on the next few shows, and there will be some contests and give-aways as well).

OnOne Software’s New Programs Rock The House: OnOne was bringing it on with a couple of new and/or updated programs. The one that blew my socks off was PhotoTools. It’s a Photoshop plug-in that soups up your ability to apply and stack actions and filters. It’s also a great workspace where you can do almost all of your image-editing with easier-than-Photoshop tools. It incorporates a bunch of actions from Jack Davis and DPS favorite Kevin Kubota that really give your shots a professional and artistic feel. OnOne was also showing a very intuitive color-correction program called PhotoTune and an updated/upgrade version of PhotoFrame. You’ll hear more about these when we interview OnOne’s Mike Wong on an upcoming show.

Everyone Loves Wacom: The Wacom booth was insane with people trying to get their hands on tablets. Especially the Cintiqs, the tablets that are also a monitor: You draw and edit right on your image. Wow. I’ve never been to a photo show where people weren’t standing in line to get to the Wacom displays.

The Ubiquitous Rick Sammon: Rick was everywhere – it was nuts. Off the top of my head, I can remember he was doing presentations for MPIX, Lexar and xTrain. At the MPIX booth, I was standing at the back of the booth watching him talk about his photographs when the woman next to me whispered “His pictures are really good – does he have a website?” I told her to go to www.RickSammon.com. “Oh, that’s Rick Sammon?” she asked. “I know him. He’s cute!”

The Adobe Press Event: This year, I was again lucky to be invited to Adobe’s special press event. They always have them in a fabulous restaurant and this year was no exception – thanks, Grayz! Kevin Connor from Adobe gave us a sneak peek of Photoshop Express – Adobe’s still-in-development web-based image editing program. It makes heavy use of Flash technology to provide you with online photo editing (did you know that Adobe acquired Flash? I didn’t’). The program looked very cool. Even though it’s still in development, with a few rough spots, you could see the potential. It has more of a consumer-level Photoshop Elements feel than a true Photoshop vibe, but, hey, for a web-based program? Amazing. It really did look and operate like a desktop program. Very robust and feature-filled. How much longer will we be buying disc-based software, anyway?

Nik Color Efex 3.0 Gives You Results You Can See: Michael and I both have Color Efex 2.0, and the only thing we would have improved about the program was the preview window. We’ve talked on-air about how we found it a little too small to be truly effective. All that’s changed with version 3.0 which has a much bigger preview window. It also has a bunch of new filters and it uses Nik’s very cool U Point technology to precisely fine tune your effects.

Hip Photographer David Jay: I interviewed him for the show – this depressingly young entrepreneur (he’s 28 - kill me now!) has not only been ranked in the top fifteen wedding photographers in the world, but he also markets his own software and Lightroom plug-ins. David’s either an incredibly nice and sincere guy or he’s very good at faking it. He’s another one that was featured by a lot of different companies at the show. I bet he becomes another Friend of the Show. Although I have to say that he has one of those very nifty Flash-based websites where I can can’t find a darn thing that I want to.

The Super-Hot Nikon D3 – I didn’t get to play with the new Nikon D300 at the show, but I did have 20 minutes with the pro-level D3. I wish Michael were there! Not being familiar with Nikon’s interface, I had a hard time handling it. I can tell you it’s a very substantial camera – it feels as solid as a tank and only slightly less heavy. There are a million buttons and dials, including what appeared to be a microphone and record button. Can I podcast from my camera? Unfortunately, the guy from Nikon who was showing me around it was also unfamiliar with it – he couldn’t figure out how to change the ISO! That being said, it looks like an incredible piece of equipment, and the high-resolution LCD makes a huge difference in judging whether or not your shot is in focus.

Bling It, Baby!: Vertus Software showed a very impressive program called Bling It that does a very specific job: It makes your product shots look extraordinary, especially if you’re posting them on Ebay or another online auction site. Although I’m sure there are other uses from the program – which automates the task of masking your main subject out from the background and jazzing it up with text and special effects – it obvious application is to pimp out your Ebay auctions. It’s a consumer-level version of their very powerful Fluid Mask program. As one of the principals of Vertus told me, it’s all about the democratization of the technology – putting fantastically powerful tools into the hands of anyone willing to spend five minutes learning the program.

The Slim and Sexy ShootSac: Saying that we don’t feature enough products that appeal primarily to women, listener Leslie pointed me towards the booth for the Shootsac, a very light, well-made and useful shoulder bag that lives to carry and protect your lenses. It’s for the active shooter who’s holding and using his or her camera and wants quick access to different lenses. In its basic black version, it can be carried by anyone, but I can see why woman – or fashion-conscious men – would be attracted to its interchangeable cover. ShootSac offers a bunch of very attractive and stylish fabric covers to match your every outfit. You can even send them fabric for your own custom-made cover. It reminds me of that scene in Mel Brook’s High Anxiety where super-stylish Madeline Kahn is wearing a matching plaid suit, shoes and bag, and the camera pulls back to reveal she’s just gotten out of a coordinating plaid car.

Rock Stars Scott Kelby and Gary Fong: I wasn’t shocked that Scott Kelby was mobbed when he presented on the Kelbytraining stage at the show. I assume he was talking about his new Photoshop Seven-Point System – I couldn’t get close enough to tell! But I know that Scott has a huge following, so it wasn’t exactly news to see him in front of an overflow crowd.

But I was surprised that the other person who had people lining up to see him and his products was Gary Fong. Gary is a photographer who has a line of flash-lighting accessories as well as a bunch of other tools primarily geared towards the wedding photographer. I’d have to say his was consistently the busiest booth I saw …people were standing three and four deep to get to the long counter. Gary’s a very interesting guy – we’re going to try and get him on the show.

So, that’s it for my initial impressions. We’ll feature audio I taped at the show over the next few episodes, and I’ll tell you more about the products and photographers I saw at PPE. Now, I’m off to bed again. Cough, cough.

Scott

We’ll met in Manhattan at Mangano’s Heroboy at 494 Ninth Avenue.

I’ll have some books and other cool stuff to giveaway (no DSLRs - sorry!). 

Post below if you can make it. I’d love to meet you!

Scott

The Olympus E-3 is by far the most advanced Olympus digital camera I’ve used, very satisfying to shoot with, and one of the more compelling SLRs launched this season. Its design, though big, is ergonomically pleasing and handsome, and it gives you a feel of confidence and control. The E-3’s build matches the sturdy feel of Olympus’s high-end lenses, which are some of the tightest we’ve seen.

The E-3 is slated to cost $1,699, body only.

This brings me to an interesting question: What would it take for a new DSLR to really break through - specifically, one that isn’t a Nikon or a Canon, the two players who dominate the market?

I know there’s a fan base for Olympus hardware, but are they going to expand on that base with a $1,700 body?  Even with the E-3’s nice features, including an articulating LCD (I love these), built in wireless strobe capacity, and what’s said to be great autofocus ability, I don’t see anything here that’s going to shake up the sales charts.

I’m a Canon user, but I’d love to see another company come in and really step up the game. For example, I’ve always understood that most of the camera companies make the majority of their money off accessories. So why not give people a really kick-butt camera, with features like those on the E-3, for $999?  If you could convert them to your system of lenses and other add-ons, you’d be golden.  Once people start investing in your company’s products, you probably have a customer for life.

I keep waiting for a company to do this - to really underprice the camera and gain market share, but no one has yet.  That’s what I understand Microsoft does on the Xbox and Sony does with the Playstation 3 - they take a loss on the hardware, because they know they’ll make it back (and more) on games and accessories.

I thought that Sony, with their really deep pockets, might do something like that with their Alpha series, but as far as I can see, their prices are competitive, but not earth-shaking.

The other way to go would be to add some really new and exciting features, but I can’t imagine what those would be.  What’s left to add? 

What do you think? If you have a DSLR and an investment in lenses and other accessories, what would it take you to jump ship?

Scott

Anyone want to guess how much a hotel costs in the city at this late date?  Most are over $500/night. Yikes!

So, you never know…I thought I’d check here…anyone out there own a NYC hotel? Work at one?  Have access to a friends and family rate?

If so, please send me an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. 

Thanks,

Scott

Wondering what you can say about the tablet beyond the fact that it’s “fun?” Well, PC Magazine gave it several hundred words of praise, along with a 4.5 out of 5-star rating. They said:

If you’re artistically inclined, the Bamboo Fun is a great way to express yourself on your computer. The sleek pen tablet lets you draw and paint with ease, and the tablet itself is almost a work of art.

You can check out the whole article here.

And you can win a Wacom Bamboo Fun for free - only from The Digital Photography Show! (Well, only that we know of.) Check out the contest rules in Show #69 below.

The Bamboo Fun sounds great. The more serious enthusiasts among you (and you know who you are) should also check out the Wacom Intuos line.

Scott

The problem has been fixed, so if you try again, it should be OK.

Sorry!

Scott

It’s funny - feuds between companies are pretty rare (NBC and Apple not included) but everyone always imagines that they catfight like contestants on Big Brother. I didn’t believe the story when I heard it, so I called Tom Hogarty, the Lightroom, Camera Raw and DNG Product Manager over at Adobe.

Tom’s a very friendly and straightforward guy, and he immediately dispelled the notion that there would be some arbitrary or intentional delay in providing support for the 40D in any of those products.

Here’s what he wrote me in an email on this subject:

“When a new camera is released we always try to provide support for that camera’s native raw file format as quickly as possible.  But our decision not to comment publicly on future release timing does lend itself to an environment that encourages speculation and rumors.  Rest assured that there are no hidden agendas in our efforts to support new cameras and I look forward to providing the update that includes Canon EOS 40D support. “

As a 40D owner myself, this puts me at ease. I can’t wait to be able to play with my 40D raw images in Lightroom as soon as possible, and I have the feeling I won’t have to wait very long.

Scott

It was a great pleasure to finally meet Scott in person. The Lightroom tour was fantastic, but I rave about it on this week’s upcoming show, so I won’t get into it here.

However, I will show you the picture of me and the Photoshop Guru - and all around great guy - himself.

Scott

I am the finalist in the Loews Find Inspiratin Photo Contest: www.lowesfindinspiration.com and I am going to need everyone’s help in voting for my Blue Sanibel Shell from August 28th through September 8th. I am hoping that Scott and Micahel will announce offically on the next show.

The finalist picture is:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1169/1195974699_c700be4042.jpg

I can really use everyone’s help!!

Cheers,
Laurel

Congratulations, Laurel, we couldn’t be prouder!  It’s a lovely picture.

BTW, the Grand Prize is a room makeover. Think they’d build you a podcasting studio, Laurel?

Scott

The following is cut-and-pasted from Engadget:

D3

• 12.1 megapixel, full-frame friggin sensor! (23.9 x 36mm) Finally. ISO up to 6400
• 3-inch VGA live view LCD
• Two (count ‘em, two!) CompactFlash card slots for overflow, backup, or copying
• New EXPEED image processor
• 9fps in full frame, 11fps in DX crop; 51 point autofocus (with “3D focus tracking”)
• HDMI out with optional cable
• $5000, November release

D300

• 12.3 megapixel DX (1.5 crop) sensor
• 3-inch VGA live view LCD
• New EXPEED image processor
• 51 point autofocus
• $1800, November release

According the the always-on-the-nose Imaging-Resource.com, the D3 also features: ” a Virtual Horizon function that indicates (in both LCD and viewfinder) whether the camera is true and level, based on information from a built-in digital level sensor, or in-camera correction of chromatic abberations based on information on the lens in use. Others are features you expect to see on a camera of this level, such as dust and water proofing measures, a magnesium alloy body, tempered glass over the LCD display, and a shutter mechanism rated to last to 300,000 releases.”

In terms of pricing, the D300 will cost about $500 more than the 40D. Is it worth it?

Far be it from me offer an opinion, especially since both companies have adherents so passionate that, if you click on the Engadget link above, you’ll read a feud so intense that it will make you glad these people don’t have nuclear arms.  After one poster wrote “The D300 kind of leaves me underwhelmed. Again, it’s a nice camera, and a natural step up from the D40/D80, but I think the Canon 40D has a price/performance edge,” he or she got attacked more violently than a poodle at Michael Vick’s house. 

Can’t we all just get along?

We’ll have to get Dave Etchells from Imaging-Resource.com on the show to walk us through all these new cameras. Stay tuned!

By the way, why don’t camera companies follow the time honored protocol in which higher-numbered models have more features than their lower siblings? Wouldn’t it make more sense that the D300 was the higher-end model than the D3? The D300 should be 297 degrees better than the D3 in my book. 

Scott

Now I have to sell one of my limbs so I can afford it! Any takers?

Scott

Hi:
I have some photographs that I might like to sell and was wondering if you could speak about how to put a copyright watermark in my images also tips on selling images and what to watch out for. I don’t own a DSLR but do own a Canon A630.
I have have several thousand images, both negatives and slides from my Minolta X700 - 35mm days.
I have Adobe Photoshop Elements and IrfanView, but neither of these seem to use watermarks, can you recommend maybe a free software that
does this?

Coincidentally, I spoke on the show two weeks ago about www.BitsDuJour.com, a site that features another software deal everyday.  Well, wouldn’t you know that today they’re featuring a program called uMark Professional Image Watermarking. According to the site, uMark lets you:

Add your own visible watermark - text or a graphic - to any image.
Process multiple images. Watermark your complete portfolio at once.
Customize your watermarks - choose a font, angle, transparency, position and other options. Get exactly the effect you want.
Tile your watermarks so that they evenly cover your complete image. Your watermarked images will look as professional as the originals.
Make watermarked images without altering the originals.
Resize the watermarked images, and even generate thumbnails, in 1 step.

It’s not free, Allan, but at 50% off ($10) it ain’t bad. Let us know what you think. But the deal’s only good for today, so think fast!

Scott  

Global warming. A crisis in someplace called Darfur. Abuse of animals. AIDS in Africa. Human rights violations, genocides, poverty.

They all sound so terrible. So overwhelming. Someone should do something. But who?

How about you?

The Better World Show is about what you can do to make the world a, well, better place. A kinder, fairer, safer and healthier planet on which all of us can live.

Every week (or so) we’ll give you just enough information to get the broad strokes of what’s going on out there. We’ll have interviews with experts who understand these issues and who can explain them in ways that will move, enlighten and empower you.

We’ll also give you information on what you can do to make a difference. You don’t have to quit your job, leave your family or join the Peace Corps to be part of the solution. There are little things you can do, change or give that will help make a big difference.

It’s a tough world out there. Join us on our journey to make it a better one.

I’m doing the show with my good friend, the CEO of The Podcast Network, Cameron Reilly. Cam is brilliant on social issues. He’s been a great inspiration to me, as well as to many others. I’m just along for the ride, having fun, and enjoying the chance to give back to the world community what I hope will grow into a popular and useful resource.

I have to say that it’s very weird to do a show without Michael. I love Cam, but we don’t yet have the on-air chemistry that (I hope) Michael and I have. Listeners of this show will recognize that in The Better World Show’s opening, I try to follow the same format that we do here on this show, but Cam and I mess it up!  I think that only listeners of The Digital Photography Show will catch just how badly we do it.

And, since it is our first show, please forgive us the occasion bump or stumble.

The funny thing is, I could never have done The Better World Show without the encouragement and participation you’ve given us on this show. Your unbelievably nice feedback has given me the confidence to do the new show. Having “met” so many of you through email and other means, you’ve shown me just how many kind and giving people there are out there. Thank you for that. 

On a more practical level, the financial success of The Digital Photography Show has really helped sustain and grow The Podcast Network, which is hosting The Better World Show.  Without the support of our sponsors Alien Skin, Wacom and DXO Labs, and your support of them, we couldn’t be providing a resource like this. 

You can check out the show’s homepage at http://betterworld.thepodcastnetwork.com/ and listen from there, or, from that site, subscribe through iTunes, RSS, or other means. The show is so new, that it’s not showing up in an iTunes search yet, but it should soon. 

As we say on the first episode, big media makes the issues that challenge the world seem impossibly complicated and overwhelming. But we think we can present them in a way that’s easy to understand and relate to. Some of what the world most desperately needs are the things we’ve understood since Kindergarten – fairness, equality, freedom, and kindness. And we, in the privileged, developed world, really need to learn to share our toys.

If you get a chance, give it a listen. Send me an email at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com,  or leave a note on The Better World Show blog if you want to let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

And if you like what you hear, please help us spread the word. 

Go out in the world in peace,

Scott

According to an admittedly sketchy source, the specifications from the aforementioned camera have been discovered, so here’s a quick rundown on what to(hopefully) expect. Aside from the 14.4-megapixel sensor, rumor has it that you’ll find a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, NP-FM55H battery, a CompactFlash slot, support for JPEG / RAW image formats, anti red-eye technology, ISO 100 to 3200, and wireless flash support to boot.

According to the source of this rumor, the camera will also be full-frame, which would surprise me. 

Scott

This is from Panasonic’s press release:

Panasonic today expanded its LUMIX family of digital still cameras with the introduction of the LUMIX DMC-FZ18, an 8.1 Megapixel compact camera with an impressive 18x optical zoom. In addition to a premium 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC lens, the DMC-FX18 joins the LUMIX DMC-FX33 and DMC-FX55 as the first Panasonic digital cameras to offer the revolutionary Intelligent Auto Mode, which include Face Detection, Intelligent Scene Selector and Continuous Auto-focus functions, allowing users to easily capture clear, professional-quality images in any situation or setting.

According to Panasonic’s spokesperson, it sounds like all you’ll have to do is aim the camera and shoot.

“The Intelligent Auto Mode in the DMC-FZ18 does all the work for you, making photo-taking trouble-free,” noted Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.

I know what face detection and continuous auto-focus do, and they’re all good, but I’m kind of freaked out by the Intelligent Scene Selector.  Somehow, the camera “reads” the scene and knows if you’re taking a portrait, capturing scenery, or making a macro.  That’s pretty cool and little strange.

What’s next - will the menus in restaurants “read” me and know what I’m hungry for? When I go into The Gap will the right pair of jeans walk right up to me?  If I put a chicken into the over, will it scan the bird and automatically set the right time and temperature?

The camera of tomorrow, today.  But do you want a camera that figures all this out for you? Is it too much trouble to turn the “scene” button on your compact camera to “portrait” yourself?

Scott
 

We were nominated in the Cultural/Arts category, which was amazing, but we were also nominated in the People’s Choice, which was…staggering!

When you look at the caliber of shows we nominated with - some of the most popular in the world - it’s literally unbelievable.

What can we say but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!  According to the people at The Podcast Awards, over 335,000 people submitted more than 6 million plus nominations.  THAT MEANS YOU ALL REALLY CAME THROUGH FOR US!!! (And when I write in all caps like that, you know I REALLY mean it!).

You made this happen. 

I could go on and on, but words can’t express the deep gratitude Michael and I feel for your nominations. You’ve really touched us today, and you’ve inspired us anew.   

Once again, THANK YOU!!!!

With our sincerest appreciation,

Scott (and, I know, Michael too).

But the respected and hard-working Rob Galbraith, who has been documenting the Mark III’s problem, just installed the latest firmwared update to the camera, which Canon says is supposed to improve the autofocus. Does it? According to Rob, the sad answer is no:

As earlier sections of this article describe, on sunny, warm days, the EOS-1D Mark III’s ability to grab focus initially, hold focus on static subjects and track moving subjects is both unusably poor and no match for the camera’s predecessor, the EOS-1D Mark II N.
 
We’ve now shot and analysed about 3400 track, soccer and test frames taken over two days with v1.0.9 cameras, under the bright, warm conditions that trip up v1.0.8, and the results are effectively the same as before: lots of out-of-focus frames that should be crisply focused.

If I could afford a Mark III, this would really be bumming me out. Aren’t I lucky to be broke?

Read Rob’s detailed analysis here.

Scott

This sounds too good to be true, so I checked some other online vendors, and, sure enough, most had a single card for about that price - or sometimes, even more.

I’m such a I like having some extra cards around, and 2GB is a good size with my Canon 30D. I think I’ll grab this deal while it’s still available. You can find it here:

http://www.calumetphoto.com/store/sandisk2for1.

Let me know if you do, too, or if you know of any better deals.

Scott

BUY ME!!

Reviewer David Pogue, who seems freakishly productive, looks at the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, the Nikon D40X, the Pentax 10D, the Olympus E510 and the Sony Alpha.

He kind of slams the Digital Rebel, calling it “one of the least comfortable” SLRs and saying that the pictures looked  a little washed out and muted.

Like other reviewers I’ve read, he said the Pentax 10D is for more experienced shooters who shoot in RAW and are familiar with post-processing.

He loved the other models, though, concluding:

With three of these cameras — Nikon D40, Olympus E510, Sony A100 — you can’t lose. Let price, features and your existing lens collection, if any, be your guide. And then get outside while the days are long and the colors bright.

I really respect David’s opinions, so it makes me sad that he’s critical of my beloved Canon. You can read his take here.

Scott

CNET is offering a free online training course called “Digital Photo Basics.”

Here’s the cirriculum straight from CNET’s site:

Whether you’ve just bought a digital camera or are in the market for one, you’ll learn the basics of buying and using a digicam in this introductory primer on digital photography.

In this course, you’ll learn how to:

Choose the right digital camera for your needs
Discover the most important features to look for in a camera
Learn how many megapixels you really need
How digital cameras work differently than film cameras
Choose image editing software to enhance your photos
Set up a digital darkroom to retouch, print, and share your pictures
Compose better digital photos of friends and family
Crop photos, remove red-eye, and more
Edit your images to send to friends and family over e-mail
Get the most from your digital camera’s capabilities

The training sounds pretty entry-level, so I’m not sure if it’d be appropriate for any of you master photographers out there, but, then again, the price is right. There are weekly assignments and a moderated class chat, so it sounds pretty inclusive. 

I’m kind of swamped right now, otherwise I’d give this a shot. If you give it a look-see, post a note below and let us know what you thought. 

You can sign up here.

Scott

The less credible of the claims are the ones about an update to the much-loved Canon 5D - cleverly named the Canon 5D Mark II.  No word about what features it may have, but it does have a “Mark II” label on it.

One poster on Engadget confidently asserted “New canon Dslr will be annouced in late august for a fall release. We can expect new 5D, new 40D (30D), every models that approach their 18th months.” Well, I’ll believe it when I see it.

You can read Engadget’s article here.

Meanwhile, it does seem that Sony is releasing two new Alphas: Sony is describing them as the “Flagship” and “Advanced Amateur” models.  I’ve read elsewhere that one of these cameras is supposed to be full frame. The one pictured below certainly looks big enough to encompass a full frame, two extra batteries, a vertical grip and possibly a small kitten.

I generally recommend Canons or Nikons to DSLR shoppers, but I do have to admit that the Alpha line is full-featured, sexy and promising.

Engadget’s take on the new Sony’s is here.

Scott

I know what you’re thinking: What else can I do to help support my friends at The Digital Photography Show?

This year for the first time ever we’re going to go for an official Podcast Awardfrom, um, PodcastAwards.com.

Will you help?

1) Just click the link to go to www.po