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.podcastawards.com.

2) Click on the small blue text in the top box that says “Click here to nominate.”

3) When there, you can enter us in People’s Choice and one other category. But since we probably will never win the People’s Choice, don’t bother with that one.  

Just nominate us in the Cultural/Artscategory. Don’t nominate us for any other category – if you nominate us for more than one category (with the exception of “People’s Choice,”) neither vote counts!

You have to fill out our show’s name and our URL like this:

The Digital Photography Show

http://www.thedigitalphotographyshow.com

4) Then, you have to go to the bottom of the pageand enter your name, your email, and whether you’re a podcaster, listener or both.

5) Hit “Submit” and you’re done!

You can only nominate us once, so when you’ve taken care of this, you’re done!

Will you take three minutes and help us out?We’d really appreciate it.

And if you have other podcasts you enjoy, be sure to nominate them, too. Especially our friends on The Podcast Network. Spread the love. (Just not in the “Cultural/Arts” category, OK?)

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It would mean a lot to us to be nominated.

Scott

Now, I’ve never seen a new camera come out where there weren’t a few people in the forums complaining about problems with its focus. But in this case, the issues have been extensively documented and demonstrated by Ron Galbraith, an objective and very careful observer.

In an extensively detailed note on his webpage, available here, Ron say’s there are four main problems with the camera’s autofocus:

1.  
   1. Under certain conditions, the EOS-1D Mark III has difficulty acquiring focus initially. In a multi-frame burst, the camera will sometimes shoot three to five frames before a moving subject comes into focus, and occasionally a moving subject will not actually snap into focus before the burst is completed.
   2. Under certain conditions, the camera is unable to properly track a moving subject. We’ve shot numerous sequences of 20+ frames where no more than five or six frames are in focus, even when the AF point has been on the subject throughout.
   3. Focus can shift slightly but constantly at times when the subject isn’t moving. Under certain conditions, the subject may not actually come into focusthrough a sequence of frames, even though the point of focus can be seen to be shifting throughout the sequence. This is true whether the camera is set to AI Servo and focus is active throughout the sequence, or when it’s set to One Shot and focus is activated between each frame.
   4. When tracking a subject that’s moving somewhat erratically, the camera is far too quick to shift focus elsewhere- to the background or, with a field sport like soccer, to a player passing through in the foreground. With the first three problems, autofocus settings changes don’t make things better or worse. With this problem, Custom Function III-2, AI Servo Tracking Sensitivity, does have an impact. But regardless of how this Custom Function is set, it’s not possible to make the camera’s tracking sensitivity be right. There’s more on this ahead in the article

This is all devastating to me, as I have been (not so secretly) lusting for this $4,500 beauty. I suppose I should be grateful to Ron as I absolutely can’t afford this camera, and these problems have an inhibiting effect on my desire. Still, like my six-year old tries to believe in Santa Claus, even though all common sense tells him that the idea of an extremely large man flying around the globe and descending down our chimney doesn’t really make sense, I want to believe that somewhere out there is the perfect camera, just waiting for me. 

Could the Mark III not be perfect?

It looks that way, and I have to confess that it’s very hard to type this with my keyboard drenched in tears.

Scott

Our friend and Photoshop guru Scott Kelby had said he wasn’t thrilled with the sharpening in Lightroom’s first version; hopefully, the upgrades will earn his seal of approval.

You can get the Mac and Windows updates here.

Scott
 

Get Apple’s new web browser for Windows, Safari. According to CNET:

Apple’s Safari may not be rewriting the rules for Web browsing on Windows just yet, but it’s leading the way with one significant change: photographs with better color.

Unlike the prevailing browsers on the Internet–Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox–the Apple browser supports different ways of encoding images that can mean richer, deeper colors. With the beta version of Safari now on Windows, Mac OS X users aren’t the only ones who’ll be able to see the difference.

However, Apple won’t keep that edge for long. Mozilla’s forthcoming Firefox 3 browser, due to ship in beta form this July, likely will include support for richer color, said Vlad Vukicevic, a technical leader at Mozilla and a photo enthusiast.

Together, the moves could help boost the Internet beyond the orbit of the sRGB color scheme, a broadly supported but limited standard initially introduced by Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft. But it’s not likely that Web photography will achieve sRGB escape velocity until the dominant Internet Explorer also follows suit.

sRGB is fine for most people today, said Brad Hinkel, author of Color Management in Digital Photography and more recently a Microsoft project leader. But it doesn’t encompass the full gamut of colors that the human eye can perceive or that can be displayed on the latest monitors.

“I’ve seen them. They’re knock your socks off, intensely amazing–beautiful, vibrantly rich colors,” Hinkel said. “Getting color management into Safari, into the browser and on the Internet is a great thing.”

I didn’t see any differences on the pages I tried, but the image would have had to have been encoded with a better color profile than most browsers can read, like Adobe RGB.

However, I loaded this test page, and could see the difference then. 

Read the whole article here and get Safari here.

Scott

According to the NYT, the goals of their article was to ask “nine prominent New York City-based photographers to recommend where to shoot the ultimate in vacation photos; you know, ones that people will actually want to look at.”

Shockingly, my childhood home didn’t make the list. One would think the historical value alone would be worth capturing!

Check out the article here.

Scott

Featuring fanstastic noise reduction, 10.1 megapixels, three sensor-cleaning technologies, new autofocus and metering systesms, dual DIGIC III image processors, a 3 inch LCD with Live Mode, and an insane 110 consecutive full-resolution JPEG burst shooting speed, it’s hard to know how the Mark III could be outdone.

According to this teaser from Engadget, though, Nikon may be looking to unseat it.

We’ll admit, we certainly like where all this is going, but until we hear anything official, you’ll still have to restrain yourself and take this tidbit with a spoon of NaCl. Just days after getting wind of D3 rumors galore, a “photo editor at a major newspaper” has tipped us on a phone call he received from Nikon in which his presence was requested at a meeting where a “new professional camera that is leaps and bounds better than anything Canon is offering” would be showcased. As expected, that’s about all the details he could pry from the caller, but since the meeting is purportedly scheduled for June 26th, at least we’ve got some sort of timeframe to get our hopes up about.

This would be very exciting news if it actually turns out to be news – as opposed to baseless rumor.  Still, we can dream, right?

It’s hard to believe anything could be “leaps and bounds” better than the Mark III, thought. What’s left to throw into a camera? A calculator? A hat stand? A microwave oven? 

I’ll be checking all the news sites on June 26th to see if anything’s unveiled. Come back and see if the rumors are true.

Scott

It managed to eke out a “Recommended” rating on DPReview,  but just barely.

As a walk around camera with better-than-average movie capabilities and a big zoom the TX1 has a lot to recommend it, and it’s important to stress that handling is to a fairly large extent a personal thing, so I wouldn’t write it off completely. Just don’t buy it thinking it’s a replacement for a ‘proper’ HD camcorder and be aware that the ergonomics are, well, unusual.

I’d really, really recommend going to a store and trying it for yourself before committing; this is a cool, fun gadget with surprisingly good image quality, but for me it’s not a camera I found easy to live with – especially not at the best part of $500. I’d personally forget the movie stuff, save my self $150 and go for a Panasonic TZ3, which might not be as cute but has a more useful zoom range and handles like a proper camera. There is undoubtedly a market for this kind of product, but I think Canon needs to go back to the drawing board before it launches the TX2.

Other reviewers also stuggled with the TX1’s unusual ergonomics. CNET gave it a six out of ten, noting the TX1’s “extremely awkward design; so-so still image quality,” and ”sluggish performance” while PC Magazine more generously found it to be a 7.2:

The TX1 has an atypical design; you swing out a camcorder-style 1.8-inch LCD and hold the unit vertically to shoot. It’s difficult to grip, and your index finger naturally rests over the lens when you touch the top-mounted shutter button. And the TX1 suffers from a frequent problem that plagues ultracompacts: The flash is so close to the lens that the red-eye reduction feature is largely ineffective.

We also noted a few glitches with image and video quality. At ISO speeds of 400 or higher, photo graininess becomes very noticeable. We also saw occasional artifacts around bright lights when shooting video.

However, in the end, the PC Mag reviewer did recommend it “overall, though, the camera is a solid choice. You can find models that shoot better stills, and dedicated HD camcorders will beat the TX1’s video quality. But the TX1’s pocketable design and under-$500 price put it in a class by itself.”

I love cool new gadgets, and the TX1 is sexy and cutting-edge enough that I could see it being used in the next James Bond movie. But for me, the killer would be that the LCD is only 1.8 inches. That’s not big enough to shoot with, especially if you’re holding the camera at arm’s length to take a video. 

So, I love you Canon, but next time, go for a bigger design with better ergonomics and a screen you can actually see. Don’t worry about making it pocketable – who’s gonna carry one of these around in their slacks, anyway? “Is that TX1 in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?”

I’m excited about the convergence of digital cameras and camcorders. Especially HDTV ones.  Bring on the TX2, baby!

Scott

I know it’s not always 100% reliable, but, really, what is? 

Everyone I know practically lives in Wikipedia, too. 

A while ago, I was speaking with the charming and talented Cameron Reilly, the CEO of The Podcast Network. I said to him “someone could make a lot of money selling a t-shirt that says ‘Everything I know I learned on Wikipedia.”

Wouldn’t you know that son-of-a-gun went ahead and made one?

However, since he’s Mister Always-Promoting, he had to add “…and The Podcast Network” to it.

What do you think?

If you want to purchase one, you can help support The Podcast Network by buying it here.

If you’d want the shirt without “and The Podcast Network” added to it, send me a note at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com and I’ll see if Cam will do an alternate version.

And why not one that says “Everything I know I learned on The Digital Photography Show?”  Hellloooo, Cam??? What are you thinking???

Scott

Whew!

On our next show, we’ll critique and judge the finalists with Kevin Kubota, a great photographer and teacher. 

I don’t have a particular gift for prognostication, but with so many beautiful photographs entered into the contest, I’m sure we’ll hear from some of you who think we’ve chosen wrong.  We’ve already gotten one comment from someone who noticed the finalists posted on our Phanfare site and strongly disagreed with our decisions.

Hey, it’s an art not a science.  We worked hard to choose what we thought were the 14 best finalists, but other eyes will see it differently.  If there was another picture you really loved, feel free to post about it below.  I’m sure the photographers will appreciate the positive feedback.  

In the end, there can be only one photo chosen to receive the grand prize of a Wacom Graphire 6×8 tablet.  .

But all these finalists are winners.

Exhaustedly,

Scott

Here are the scores:

1. Canon Rebel XT: 8 out of 1o
2. Nikon D40: 7.5
3. Pentax K110D: 7.5
4. Pentax K100D: 7.5
5. Olympus EVOLT E-500: 7.1

You can read the shootout here.

Scott

So, are the companies that make these claims telling the truth. Um, not really.

DP Review has posted a great article on this. They looked at several compact cameras and concluded thusly (I love saying “thusly!”):

Many decent compacts can produce almost SLR-like quality at their lowest ISO, but whatever the marketing departments of the camera manufacturers may like you to think, there is no way you can get acceptable results from a small sensor compact at high ISO settings – some struggle even at ISO 400. The only exceptions are the Fujifilm FinePix F30 and F31fd, which use a combination of large pixels (lower megapixel count), clever sensor design and clever noise reduction to produce decent results at ISO 800 and usable results at ISO 1600 (the ISO 3200 mode is, however, a step too far).

You can read Simon Joinson’s whole article here.

While we’re on the subject of compact cameras, Mike Johnston of The Online Photographyer wrote a blistering article about point and shoots. He says that from his perspective, and with his years of experience and knowledge, he’s found this: “Here’s the upshot: they’re all sh**.”

Except he doesn’t use the asterisks…he actually says the “s” word! Right there on the internets!!! Who knew they allowed that kind of language?

He goes on:

These disreputable little excuses for cameras can kill the ardor of any budding enthusiast or extinguish the desire to learn in any noob or neophyte. They exist to prevent accomplishment, stymie satisfaction, and permanently obfuscate the acquisition of relevant knowledge. You can hardly be a photographer with a point-and-shoot (the occasional exception proves the rule), and you cannot learn photography with a point-and-shoot, and if a point-and-shoot is your only experience of photographing, you will most probably neither want to learn more about photography nor be a photographer anyway.

Sheesh! Mike’s article is interesting and opinionated. I don’t agree with his conclusions, though. Obviously, point and shoots are not as capable as DSLRs, but they still offer a wealth of opportunities to take great pictures and have a great time doing so. Will they all be keepers? Will you get wonderful shots in low light? Are the the best choice for fast moving action or artistic impression? No, no, no and no.

But they slip into your pocket or small bag, they’re inexpensive, you can take them almost anywhere. They allow you to get casual shots you might otherwise miss. And while you may not be able to learn as much with them as you can with a DSLR, you can certainly learn composition.  You can even be inspired by them to move up to a more capable camera: I know I was.

And why does everyone need to learn about photography, anyway? Some people just want to capture a moment, not an award.

No sh**.

It doesn’t seem like I can link directly to Mike’s discussion, but you should be able to find it in the middle of this page.

Scott

In the article, Scott said:

I couldn’t have done it without the guys at The Digital Photography Show. Their podcast is outstanding, and they’ve been a true inspiration to me.

Actually, he didn’t say anything like that at all. Darn it! But he did say this, likening his love of teaching Photoshop to the role of a resturant critic:

I find a place I love and want to tell people about it. Same thing with Photoshop tips. When I discover a cool tip, I can’t keep it to myself.

Scott’s a great guy: Smart, funny and incredibly generous with his time and knowledge.

Best of all, he’s also the guest for our next show, posting later this week.

Don’t miss it!

Scott

I have to admit that ever since 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina those words make me nervous. What was it this time? Terrorism? War? Floods?

I nervously opened the email to find that the BREAKING NEWS was the release of two new Canon cameras that make incremental improvements over their predecessors.

The Canon S5 replaces the S3. A lot of people loved that camera, but not me.  My main problem with it is that I don’t like the electronic viewfinder, which I find hard to see. The LCD screen is better, but it’s a little small.

However, it does take good pictures and exceptional videos for a still camera. The new version at least features a bigger LCD along with a bunch of other goodies, including face detection and improved autofocus. 

The SD850 replaces the SD700 (why it’s not the SD750, I don’t know) with more megapixels, face detection focusing and, yes, improved autofocus, too. 

They’re on the homepage now at Cameratown.

Here’s some of what Canon had to say about this BREAKING NEWS. Not surprisingly, they’ve very excited about their new cameras, too:

From soccer moms snapping still photos and movie clips of their kids from the sidelines with a single digital camera to party-goers wanting to capture important moments on the social scene with a discreet digital camera that can unobtrusively slip into a clutch purse or shirt pocket, Canon’s market-leading line of PowerShot cameras fits any lifestyle. Adding to the breadth of an already auspicious product portfolio, Canon U.S.A., Inc. is proud to announce the PowerShot S5 IS and PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH cameras.
Along with a full complement of the trendsetting style elements featured in the current PowerShot lineup, the new models add a dash of technical advancements including Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), Face Detection technology, in-camera Red-eye Correction and 8.0-megapixel resolution. Users will now have all the features needed to assure that once-in-a-lifetime moments will be vibrantly and vividly saved for years to come.

“The PowerShot S5 IS digital camera meets the demands of active family photographers and discerning photo hobbyists looking for high-end features and maximum photo flexibility, while maintaining the light weight, trim profile and affordability of a point and shoot digital camera,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. “With a broad range of features and a powerful ultra-zoom lens, it is no coincidence that the PowerShot S5 IS digital camera’s look and feel evokes the sense of a small, lightweight SLR.”

The PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH camera also has an impressive array of top-tier photo features including an advanced ultra-compact zoom lens and optical viewfinder to easily capture, record and share brilliant images under a full range of shooting conditions, all within a curvaceous, eye-catching compact design.

“The PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH camera continues the strong tradition of Digital ELPH imaging excellence and eye-catching style. Created out of Canon’s intimate understanding of the camera user’s needs and wants, the PowerShot SD850 IS Digital ELPH camera delivers the most up-to-date innovations in camera engineering and design. Our new product lineup provides an unmatched scope of offerings for consumers needing a digital camera with superior functions and style, backed by the Canon legacy of superior quality,” added Mr. Ishizuka.

I love Canon, but can someone tell them that the reference to “soccer moms” is a little dated? Luckily, the cameras sound pretty cutting-edge.

Scott

To the human eye, that flower in the photo is reddish orange, that sky is light blue, that sun shines brilliant yellow.

But when software tells a printer to reproduce that image, it uses a long, unwieldy set of numbers and letters to describe those colors — and a totally different set of characters to describe shades that are a tad lighter, or a bit darker, or a whole lot brighter. The upshot is that most laymen would have to attend the computer equivalent of Berlitz to learn how to get the shades they want.

But if Xerox has its way, that will not be true much longer. This week the company introduced the software equivalent of a translator that can turn plain color speech into fluent computerese. Type the command, “Make the sun a brighter yellow,” and the printer will read, “Go with color CIELAB[88, -3, 64].”

“You shouldn’t have to be a color expert to make the sky a deeper blue or add a bit of yellow to a sunset,” said Geoffrey Woolfe, a principal scientist in the Xerox Innovation Group, who is based in Webster, N.Y., near Rochester. “So we’re providing that middle layer that turns plain speech into mathematical code.”

Color experts are already impressed. “They’ve taken common words and modifiers and transformed them into mathematical directions,” said Roy S. Berns, a professor of color science at the Rochester Institute of Technology, which has just inaugurated a doctoral program in color science.

Now, if only they could get something like this going for digital camera, we’d be in business. I could just tell my Canon “take better pictures” and my photography would immediately improve! Of course, I can’t get my partner or kids to listen to me, so I bet my technology is going to be stubborn, too.

Scott

According to Cameratown’s email

ZipZoomFly is advertising that they have the Canon EOS-1D Mark III in-stock – however it’s at a $500 premium ($4999) with “Free” shipping. I guess if you really need it and money isn’t a factor then here you go.

First of all, you have to love a company that charges a $500 premium but gives you free shipping!

I did a little research – BH Photo has the Mark III as “approximate delivery May,” Amazon.com has it available with no date and Penn Camera doesn’t list it all.

So, does ZipZoomFly really have them? Do they have a contact at Canon that’s slipping them some early production models? Do they have a time machine and they’re buying the Mark IIIs from the future?

I don’t know, and I’m not about to spend $5,000 to find out.

If you’re tempted to be the first one on your block with the Mark III, keep this in mind, though. On ResellerRatings.com, ZZF has an average score of 5.6 out of ten, while BH gets a 9.51, Penn Camera gets a 10 and Amazon rates only a 6.21 (I have to say I shop from Amazon all the time and never had a problem, so who knows how reliable ResellerRatings is). 

Scott

As digital single-lens-reflex cameras have become more affordable, more people — overwhelmingly women, according to the Professional Photographers of America — are starting photography businesses. They often begin as part-time ventures, sometimes on top of full-time employment elsewhere.

Sales of digital cameras, especially the higher-end S.L.R.’s, have skyrocketed. High-resolution cameras with more than six megapixels are the fastest-growing segment of the camera industry, jumping to 36 percent of the market in 2006 from 21 percent in 2005, according to the Consumer Electronics Association.

Almost all the buyers already own digital cameras, but the new S.L.R.’s, with their quick auto focus, lighter weight and cheaper-than-last-year price, prove too tempting.

And buyers can use the money-making potential of their new businesses to justify their purchases. Acquiring a name for the business seems simple; many women just tack the word “photography” after their own names. Many have no need for a studio, because most of the pictures are shot in natural light outside, or at the client’s home.

Michael and I have been watching how people who are new to the digiphoto world are trying to make money off their craft/business. We’ve covered the microstock sites before (like iStockphoto) and here’s another example of how digital photographers are trying to make some bank off their bank-busting hobby.

Not everyone is thrilled with the rush of enthusiasts into the business of photography:

Some large studios and old-guard photographers are feeling undercut; the backlash is apparent on many photography message boards, where “MWAC” means Mom With a Camera.

While there will always be a place for the professional, there is not doubt that thanks to digital technology and the Internet, the amateur now has access to audiences and customers they never could have previously reached. Bloggers are competing with traditional journalists, hobbyists are selling their photos, and podcasters (hello!) are reaching ears that used to belong to the radio. It’s a brave new world, folks, where you get to consume AND create.

Welcome to the future.

Scott

Well, they are getting cheaper. Not inexpensive, mind you, but cheaper.

And they’re getting easier to use, too. After all, you can always set it on “automatic” and shoot away until you feel brave enough to start making manual adjustments. And even on auto, it will still give you better pictures and a more responsive shooting experience.

We’re not the only one to notice this. PC Magazine just ran a story entitled Easy to Use D-SLRs (we eshew the hyphen) that advocates for the most misunderstood of cameras.

Author Terry Sullivan writes:

When people ask me what cameras produce the best quality photos, I always tell them D -SLRs (Digital-Single Lens Reflex) do. They usually reply, “Oh no, that’s a serious camera. I just want something that’s easy to use for taking snapshots.” I am here to tell you the latest generation of digital SLRs come with enough ease-of-use features to help-along all but the most novice of photographers.

Granted, D-SLR cameras give you lots of options and features for total command and creative flexibility. I also understand that all these settings may intimidate to some casual users. To address this, camera companies have been working hard to include plenty of easy-of-use features on their devices. Of course to make things really simple, many D-SLRs come with an Auto mode that lets the camera figure out the shutter speeds and apertures for you. Thankfully, all the camera discussed have this handy setting.

See? We told you so. Sullivan covers five DSLRs that combine low cost with ease of use.

Now, if the camera companies could just make DSLRs pocketable, we’d have the perfect camera!

Scott

Canon, Tokyo, Japan, took the top market share in global digital camera shipments in 2006, and Samsung Electronics, Seoul, South Korea, jumped to fifth place from ninth a year ago, Framington, Mass.-based researcher IDC said.

Canon shipped 19.7 million digital cameras in 2006, accounting for 18.7 percent of the overall market. Canon’s shipments jumped 23.3 percent from 2005, accoridng to IDC.

Industrywide digital camera shipments in 2006 rose 14.5 percent to 106 million units from a year earlier, driven by the strong popularity of DSLR models geared toward photo enthusiasts and professionals and growing demand in emerging markets, IDC said. DSLR shipments grew 39 percent to 5 million units last year.

Sony Corp., Tokyo, Japan, was No. 2 in the market with a 15.8 percent share, up from 15.2 percent in 2005, benefiting from its entry into the DSLR market, according to IDC. Eastman Kodak Co., the only U.S. company among the top five digital camera makers, ranked third with 10 percent, a drop from its 14.2 percent share a year earlier. Japan-based Olympus Corp., which came in fourth, trimmed its share to 8.6 percent from 9.8 percent in 2005.

 ”The big winner in 2006 was Samsung, who displaced Nikon and became the fifth-largest seller of digital cameras in the world,” said Christopher Chute, an IDC analyst.

Samsung expanded its market share to 7.8 percent in 2006, a huge jump from the 3.8 percent it had a year earlier. Its shipments more than doubled, IDC said.

Nikon Corp., Tokyo, Japan, the world’s second-biggest maker of professional cameras after Canon, ranked No. 6 in the overall digital camera market with a 7.6 percent market share in 2006.

Canon also dominated the growing DSLR market, securing a 46.7 percent share in 2006, with its shipments rising 30.7 percent from a year earlier. But its share was trimmed from the 49.5 percent it had in 2006 amid increased competition from rivals.

Nikon secured the No. 2 position in DSLRs with a 33 percent market share. Its shipments jumped 35.9 percent. Sony, which bought the DSLR unit of Konica Minolta Holdings shipped 326,240 DSLRs in 2006, accounting for 6.2 percent of the market.

I’m a Canon DSLR shooter, but I think Nikon makes great ones, too. They certainly deserve to be number two.

I don’t know what’s behind Samsung’s huge surge. I can’t think of a single camera they make that stands out in any category, but that’s just me.  Can you?

It sounds like Sony is doing well with the Alpha, which got Camera of the Year fromvlast year. 

Competition in the DSLR category benefits everyone, including lower-end cameras that keep improving to keep up.

Scott

So, when my laptop broke (who knew that dropping it from six feet would be bad?) and I had to get a new one, I was only too happy to order Vista as the operating system.

Big mistake.

The computer was pretty powerful for a laptop, and I had all of Vista’s advanced graphics features turned off. But Vista still ran slower than molasses in January. In fact, I’d often mouse click twice thinking the first one hadn’t taken, then have to deal with the fact that I was now one click further along than I wanted to be.

But the worst problem was how much hardware and software still isn’t compatible with the system. Now, you could say that this isn’t Microsoft’s problem, but how do you explain this: On their homepage for Vista, Microsoft touts its integration with Foldershare – a program made by, you guessed it, Microsoft.

Now, Foldershare is a program I depend on for my work in producing The Digital Photography Show. It keeps my laptops synchronized with my desktop, and it’s a must have. In fact, I checked that it worked with Vista prior to my purchasing the system.

Yet, despite Microsoft’s claim, I couldn’t get Foldershare to work. I wrote Microsoft’s technical support staff about the problem. I tweaked and tinkered with the system, read the online help files, uninstalled and reinstalled. Finally, I got this response from Microsoft:

Since Windows Vista has been broadly available on January 30, 2007, the FolderShare client for this version of Windows is not developed as of this time. We received a feedback (sic) that the current client version works flawlessly with Windows Vista, however we cannot assure you that the result will be the same for all users. The FolderShare client available for download is not tested to work properly with Windows Vista and it may or may not work with the software. This is one of the possible reasons why you are having this issue.

What a great example of Microsoft-speak. When they say “works flawlessly,” they mean, of course, “may or may not work.”

Now, would you say that’s consistent with Microsoft’s assertions on its Vista product page?

I wouldn’t. To my mind, it’s blatantly false advertising.

Is it legally actionable? Can I sue? (I’m actually a Microsoft shareholder, so maybe that wouldn’t be in my best interests.) Can I now get Microsoft products and “may or may not” pay for them?

This is Microsoft’s own software and it doesn’t work with their operating system. Helloooooooo! What’s wrong with this picture?

In the end, I’ve been forced to exchange my new laptop with one running trusty old Windows XP. It’s the only time in my life I can remember not having the latest operating system and the only time I’ve ever had to pay extra to downgrade!

Thanks, Microsoft. And when I say “thanks,” I mean, of course “screw you.”

Scott

DIGG THIS

March 10, 2007: Welcome to far from home forty second episode of The Digital Photography Show!

I’m writing this on the red-eye from Las Vegas to Washington, DC. Depending on whether you judge by where I’m coming from or where I’m going, it’s either 2:24 or 5:24 in the morning. Which means I’m going to hate myself later today, but I’m too keyed up and uncomfortable to get any sleep on the plane.

The frequent interruptions from the pilot don’t help. Did I need to know that we had approached cruising altitude? That I could – indeed should – apply for a US Airways Visa right aboard this very plane? That if I ordered from the online catalog during the flight I’d save $30 on a $100 purchase? That he was lighting the fasten seat belt sign as we were approaching slight turbulence? That he was lighting the fasten seat belt sign again? Is this a flight or an infomercial?

In any case, one of the things I’m so excited about is the great chat you’re about to hear with Chuck Delaney of the New York Insistitite of Photography (NYIP). Chuck tells us about NYIP and what makes it the leading solution for those looking to hone their photographic skills in settings and timeframes that work for them.

He also is making available to one of our listeners a free enrollment in NYIP’s Fundamentals of Digital Photography course, a $300 value. As a former NYIP student myself, I’m sincere when I tell you this class will greatly expand your knowledge and skills. Listen for the instructions on how to win in the show, and send us the answers to the trivial contest at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com by March 30, 2007.

Our main reason for inviting Chuck on was to act as our second celebrity guest judge. The first one, Rick Sammon,was a hard act to follow, but with hundreds of contest-judging experiences under his belt, Chuck more than holds is own.

Listening to Chuck critique photos is a master class in itself. Be sure to check out the contest finalists at www.dps.phanfare.com to see what Chuck is talking about.

And congratulation to our winner! We’ll post his image on this page later in the week, after he’s had a chance to be surprised when he or she hears that he or she has won (yeah, we’re mean like that).

The winner will receive the dreamy Intuos III 6X8 – a $329 value! Check out just how cool a tablet can be here.

Next week, we’ll be announcing our next contest. It’s the nuttiest one yet, so brace yourselves.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art. Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us there on the blog. Write us anytime at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. For any reason. We’re lonely!

You’re the tops, you’re the Mona Lisa, you’re the tops, you’re the Tower of Pisa. You’re a melody in a symphony by Straus. You’re a Shakespeare sonnet, a Bendel’s bonnet, you’re Mickey Mouse!

Scott

{pca-e11eba2a10f7d5387ed9368086fe3a37}free krystal movies stealgranny movies fuckingteen movies tiffanyfemale movies ejaculationmovies tgpaza moviesfight bum moviecum shot movies free Map

For those of you who imagine that these events are very glamorous and smoothly run, please allow me to peel back the curtain and share the reality of how my first day went. It started inauspiciously. Just before I left my hotel room to attend the first event, which was billed as a press “Sneak Peek,” I decided to give my metal-framed glasses one quick wipe. Imagine my delight when, midway through the cleaning, the metal frame snapped cleanly apart in my hand.

I’m not one of those people who wear glasses because they make me look smart. I’m one of those people who wear glasses because without them I make Elmer Fudd seem eagle-eyed.  This was not good. I walked to the Convention Center in a blurry haze, noticing that only did the attendees look good, but they looked even better in double vision.

Upon arriving at the huge Convention Center I asked the woman at the front desk if she could perhaps give me some scotch tape to hold my glasses together. The look she gave me suggested that scotch tape there was as precious as water in a desert, and that sparing even half an inch presented her with an insurmountable hardship. But after much begging and pleading, I convinced her to surrender a half inch of that rarest commoditiy.

After a few minutes of getting lost in the cavernous conference center, I finally found the press room. “Why,” the somewhat stern woman who was staffing the room asked me with the serious glare of a school librarian, “aren’t you at the press Sneak Peek luncheon?” 

I pointed at the sign that said “press room.”

“Um, I am?” I said with the confidence of a true coward. The whole time I was thinking “she’s being mean to me because my glasses are held together with tape like a character from Revenge of the Nerds.”

“The event isn’t being held here,” she proclaimed, as if talking to a slow five year old. “It’s in the south building.”

“OK,” I said cheerily, thinking “of course the press event isn’t in the press room. Why would it be?”

“You have to go downstairs and take the shuttle bus,” she instructed me.

“A bus? I can’t walk?” The day was hot, and I was already sweating.

“Not unless you want to walk half a mile,” she said.

I didn’t. I waited for the bus and went to the South End. Upon arriving, I saw a luncheon with about fifty tables of ten, but the event seemed to be wrapping up. It was 12:50 and the Sneak Peek was billed as 12-3.  What gave?

I asked a server for some food and she told me they closed the kitchen at 12:45 and it was impossible to get another plate. Desperately hungry, I found an unopened platter and devoured a turkey sandwich.  After a while, I noticed I was the only one with there with a press pass. I asked around and realized that the luncheon was being hosted by a subgroup of PMA which, I think, concentrates on framing. Was this the Sneak Peek?

Just then, Devin from JPEGMag, whom I met in November at the Photo Plus Expo, arrived. He too was wearing a press pass. He looked around at the mostly disbanded gathering. “Um, is this it?” 

“I don’t know,” I said unknowingly.

He approached a guard. “Do you know where the Sneak Peek is?”

The guard confidently pointed us at door at the end of the hall. We were thrilled until we found that the door led, literally, to an empty loading bay. 

“I don’t think that’s what we’re looking for,” Devin told the guard.

The guard shrugged. 

Eventually, we did find the Sneak Peek, up an escalator not anywhere near where the shuttle had dropped us off.

Happily, when we got there it was great. I don’t know how Devin did, but I met representatives from Joby, Fuji, Lensbabies, Bogen, Crumpler, Lynda.com, and a new (?) service that looks very interesting, Sharpcast. We also got to check up with our good friend from DXO Labs, Luc Marin.  We’ll definitely be having these companies on the show, and, yes, we’ll be hitting them up for discounts and freebies for our listeners. 

It would have been Nirvana if, after I broke my glasses, I didn’t turn around and break my out-of-warranty $2,000 notebook computer!!!

This is turning into the most expensive road trip ever.

Oh, things aren’t going much better for poor Michael, either. Through a series of flight delays and cancellations, his original arrival time of 3:30 is now pushed back to, I think, 1:00 am.  Then, we have to get up early to meet with Adobe. 

Oh well, tomorrow’s a new day. And, hopefully, one with fewer disasters.

Will you cross your fingers for us?

We’ll be posting again soon.

Scott

 

 

“

 

I’m so excited! Micheal and I have set meetings with Adobe and Nikon (have you seen their announcments about the new D40X? I don’t get the point of increasing the specs for an entry level camera unless they’re discontinuing the old model (so now they have two entry-level cameras? Huh?). But since the D40X is is more expensive than its little sibling, my guess is they’ll both endure.

Well, we’ll ask the Nikon reps about this when we see them. I’m sure we’ll also be having tons of ad hoc on-the-floor interviews and demos over the three days of the show. And, of course, we’ll be scratching and clawing for all the giveaways and discounts we can extort cajole for you.

Michael arrives tomorrow, so tonight I’ll be gambling and getting into trouble quietly preparing for the big show. We’ve already set up meetings with two show listeners – if you’re going to be in the area, shoot us a line at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com and we’d love to meet you. 

Stay tuned to the blog – we’ll try and update daily with the coolest things we see.

Scott

IwantitIwantitIwantitIwantitIwantitIwantitIwantitIwantit!!!!!

Scott

But if you ever wondered when you need a model release, what restrictions there are on selling an image, or if it’s OK to take pictures with your cell phone in the locker room and sell them on Ebay, this is the show for you.

We want your help, too. If you have any questions you’d like to get answered about the rights – and responsibilities – of photographers, post them here or email them to us at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. We’d be happy to ask them to our expert.

Remember, ignorance of the law is no excuse. Hopefully, however, ignorance of geography is OK, because I always hated that subject.

Scott

Capture NX is very cool. It takes a new approach to approaching your image, with new tools and metaphors for improving your pictures. If you’re used to Photoshop or any other image editor, it takes some getting used to. That’s not a bad thing, but it is a thing.

Nikon Releases Major Upgrade to Capture NX Software
MELVILLE, NY (February 16, 2007) – Nikon (www.nikondigital.com) yesterday released an upgrade to its highly acclaimed Capture NX software. Capture NX version 1.1 boasts several new improvements including increased performance, full support for Intel-based Mac OS X computers, and optimization for Microsoft’s Windows Vista operating system.

In addition to these advancements Nikon has made several usability updates based on software testing and customer feedback. Capture NX 1.1 now sports a simpler user interface that has added improvements such as resizable palettes for histograms and curves and levels adjustments.

Capture NX 1.1 is designed specifically for photographers, providing a unique and user-friendly interface featuring tools that serve photographers needs, without the complexity and clutter of other image editing applications. The software can be used with JPEG and TIFF format images from any source, and its patented U Pointâ„¢ technology offers photographers a dramatically simplified way to edit their pictures by enabling them to enhance specific areas of a picture selectively, without the use of masks, selections, or layers. Capture NX 1.1 also works with Nikon’s RAW (NEF) format images, and inherits Nikon’s robust RAW processing capabilities for the highest quality results from NEF files.

Check out the upgrading goodness here at http://www.nikonmall.com/captureupgrade/. You can also listen to The Digital Photography Show #37 if you want to hear our interview with Michael from Nikon. You can read the whole press release from Nikon on Cameratown. 

Scott

According to Popular Photography, it’s going to be a Photoshop replacement for a lot of people. This is from the print version (I can’t find the article online):

So, is the company that brought us one of the most-used imaging tools about to quash its own invention? Perhaps for some photographers, it will. If you rarely dodge, burn, or compositite – if you’re not the kind of image fixer who regularly works on small areas of your picture at a time – you may never need Photoshop again. And if you’ve never used Photoshop before, Lightroom, rather than Photoshop’s little sister, Photoshop Elements, may now be the best program for those who are new to shooting digital or working with RAW Images. Lightroom is a simple and sophisticated tool for the kind of people we know best: the ones who really love photography.

First, an aside: Who decided that Elements is Photoshop’s little sister as opposed to little brother? Does software have a gender? If so, is Lightroom a boy or a girl? And how do you know?  I’ve always been too polite to ask.  I may have to call Debbie Grossman, who authored this piece and does a lot of wonderful writing for Pop Photo, and find how she determines the software’s sex.

Otherwise, Lightroom sounds very cool.

If you want to find out more about Lightroom, check out these online training resources, all of which, I think, have some free videos you can watch.

The National Association of Photoshop Professionals, featuring the beautiful and talented Scott Kelby: http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/
Photoshop Padawan Matt Kloskowski’s site: http://www.lightroomkillertips.com/
Michael Tapes has lots of free videos at: http://pictureflow.fileburst.com/_Tutorials/Photoshop_LR/01/index.html
Luminous Landscape has some videos, but they cost $12 (might be worth it, they have a good reputation): http://tinyurl.com/2h9f6v

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HP recently broke the $10,000 per gallon mark with some of its color inks and I didn’t hear anyone complain—despite it being for a popular consumer line of photo printers. Currently, HP’s Magenta ink for its Photosmart 8200 series sells for $9.99 at most stores along with the required Y, Lc, Lm, B, and C inks at the same price. However, HP only puts 3.5ml in the M cartridge, 4ml in the C, 5.5ml in the Lc and Lm, and 6ml in the Y. Do the math and the Magenta ink is $2.85/ml (compared to $1.15/ml for all colors in Canon’s Chromalife #8 ink set and $1/ml for its #6 inks). Ok, HP’s inks may produce prints that last longer than Canon’s, but there are 3,785 ml in a gallon, making the final price for magenta ink an astronomical $10,788/gal!

So, it should be good news that Kodak is coming out with a new line of inkjet printers that they’re trumpeting as real cost-savers. This is from Steve’s Digicams:

NEW YORK, Feb. 6 — Eastman Kodak Company today entered the consumer inkjet industry with a revolutionary new product line for the home. KODAK EASYSHARE All-in-One Printers will enable consumers to affordably print crisp, sharp documents and KODAK lab-quality photos at home using premium, pigment-based inks that will save consumers up to 50 percent on everything they print. The three new printers provide ultimate levels of print quality and ease-of-use, while offering low total cost of ownership compared to other leading consumer inkjet printers on the market.

The EASYSHARE AiO Printers use Kodak’s premium, pigment-based ink, priced at $9.99 for a cartridge of black ink and $14.99 for a five-ink color cartridge (US MSRP). For every $15 spent on color ink and $10 spent on black ink, consumers can print the same number of pages at half the cost of other consumer inkjet printers.When the KODAK Photo Value Pack is purchased, a 4 x 6-inch photo costs as little as 10 cents per print.

But did you notice the catch in that press release? Unlike Canon, Epson and HP, who are smart and sensible enough to use single-color ink cartridges, the Kodak uses a five-ink color cartridge! That means that if you run out of blue (printing a lot of sky pictures?) or green (any landscape photographers out there?) you have to throw away the entire cartridge, even if you have plenty of the other colors left!

Hello!!!! Earth to Kodak!!! What are you thinking?  

What are the odds that you actually save any money with Kodak’s wasterful technology? My guess is, not good.

That’s too bad for consumers, because ink jet refills really are ridiculously expensive.

We’ll talk about this with Mike when he’s a guest on the show next week. He’s a great who’s very tech savvy. Check out his column and then check him out on the show next week.

Scott

I’ve read some people think there are other, undocumented issues that these upgrades provide, although I couldn’t say if that’s more than just urban myth. Still, here’s the list of what Nikon will cop to for the latest Windows version of the D40 upgrade:

The product will be “Certified for Windows Vista”.
Support for the new USB Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) has been added.
The PTP option in the setup menu’s USB item will be modified to MTP/PTP. The icon will also be modified
The range of possible settings for the Date option in the setup menu’s World time item will be changed to 2000-2099.
An issue that caused the ISO auto feature to be disabled, when a two-button reset operation was performed with ISO sensitivity set to any option other than ISO 200, has been resolved.
When attempting to edit images, which had already been edited using a computer, with options in the D40’s retouch menu, the camera sometimes froze.  Therefore, images that have been edited using a computer can no longer be edited using the camera.
An issue that prevented accurate recording of flash output value when manual flash photography was applied with use of the Nikon Speedlight SB-400 has been resolved so that flash output value is accurately recorded.
Errors in English, Polish, Swedish, and Traditional Chinese menus have been corrected.
When white balance is fine-tuned, ” ” or “?” will be displayed with the following icons:
White balance mode icon in the shooting information display
White balance mode icon in the shooting menu
When the mode dial is set to a Digital Vari-Program and the AF-area mode setting is changed, the AF-area mode setting will no longer revert to the default setting with the following operations: 
The camera is turned off
Monitor and exposure meters turn off automatically (auto meter off)
The electronic analog exposure displays will flash in the viewfinder and the shooting information display when:
The brightness of the subject exceeds the range that can be controlled by the camera, whether too bright or too dark
While in P (Programmed Auto) exposure mode with the built-in flash raised

That’s a lot of stuff! But why even bother to read the list? Just download the upgrade and start enjoying the free booster pack for you cam.

There are also upgrades for the D80, and both come in Windows and Mac flavors. Steve’s_Digicams links to them here.

Scott

 

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Reporter Tony Hoffman printed ten test shots at a variety of online services, chain stores, kiosks, and  two personal 4×6 photo printers.

His results were surprising (at least to me). His favorite among the online services were the number one ranked Sony Imagestation (which I’ve never even heard of), dotPhoto and Shutterfly. Kodak Easy Share Gallery, and MPIX, both of which I’ve gotten great prints from, ranked in the middle of the pack. The poorest performers were Yahoo! Flickr and Yahoo! Photos!

Yahoo, indeed.

CVS had the highest rated kiosks. Surprisingly, fashion-forward Target took last place.

Of the two personal photo printers he rated, the Epson Picturemate Flash just edged out the HP Photosmart A716 (hey, catchy name, HP!)

Overall, the online services and personal printers trounced the kiosks, which Hoffman found “disappointing.”

Scott

You can get $200 back on a 30D or $600 back on a 5D! At that price, I’m tempted.

However, I would strongly caution you to make copies of everything you submit with your rebate claim. In all my years of filing for rebates (and I buy a lot tech toys) Canon is the only company that I ever had to fight with to get a legitimately deserved rebate.

Luckily, I had the backups to support my claim, but without them, I would never have seen my money. Buyer beware.

Scott

According to Ransom Riggs, these have.

This is a really interesting look at some of the most influential photographs of all time. I don’t think they’re all truly world-altering, although many have changed how we see and take pictures.  However, they are all great photos and Ransom’s commentary really brings them to life with illuminating historical perspectives and interesting backstories.

I found this article while reading the always-interesting The Online Photographer.

Scott

I was importing the images through Bibble’s RAW converter, then saving them as PSDs. But when I went to save them as JPEGS, that option wasn’t available, as you can see below.

Where had my “save as jpg gone?”

 I finally figured it out. Want to take a guess what was going wrong? We’ll give the answer in next week’s show.

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Today there’s an article called “More Camera, More Style, Less Price.” I love the opening:

As you grow older, you begin to ponder the eternal questions. What is the meaning of life? What happens to our souls after death? And how much digital camera can you get for $300?

All right, that last question isn’t so much an eternal question as an annual one. I’ve been asking it in this column every year since 2001. And the answer is always the same: a lot more than last year.

This year, 11 companies submitted their best cameras with a street price under $300. The contenders are the Canon A630, the Casio Exilim Zoom EX-Z700, the Fuji FinePix F30, the Hewlett-Packard Photosmart R827, the Kodak EasyShare C875, the Nikon Coolpix S7c, the Olympus Stylus 740, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX3, the Pentax Optio A20, the Samsung Digimax NV3 and the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W100.

The article goes into depth about all these models, offering pros and cons for most. But I’ll kill the suspense and list the big winner here:

The photo-quality winner is the big, homely Canon A630. Not only are its colors the truest and its details the sharpest, but it has more photographic features than any other model (optical viewfinder, autofocus lamp, manual controls, and a tie for biggest sensor). It also has the only 4X zoom in this roundup, plus the only flip-out, rotating screen that lets you shoot over people’s heads or below waist level.

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We highly recommend you try out the program and see if you like it. We do!

Scott

What kinds of specials? We have giveaways and show discounts just for you! Make sure you listen – and listen early – to the next two episodes of The Digital Photography Show!

I gotta go nap now…

Scott

 

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

November 01, 2006: Welcome to the terrifying twenty fifth episode of The Digital Photography Show! Why is it terrifying? Because Michael and I taped it so close to Halloween! Boo!

Today’s guests are two guys from ExpoImaging, makers of the Expodisc. On a recent episode of this show, guest Scott Kelby raved about the Expodisc, saying that it made perfect white balance as easy as…insert metaphor here (I’m too tired from late night trick-or-treating to think of anything but raiding my son’s candy jar for another package of MnMs).

The boys of Expodisc were nice enough to give away a copy of their product to one of our listeners. Check out the show for what you need to send us via email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com by November 12, 2006.

Michael and I also talk about our upcoming trip to PhotoPlus Expo, the huge photography exposition where we’re going to make friends, book guests, secure advertising deals and, very possibly, learn the secrets of levitation. Hey, you gotta aim high.

And, of course, we’re going to try and grab a bunch of free stuff for you, too.

Thanks for joining us and thanks to Alien Skin for the sponsorship! And don’t forget about their 50% off offer on Exposure for listeners of this show. Call 1-888-921-7546 and tell them The Digital Photography Show sent you. Please leave you comments in the forum or email us at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com.

Who’s the best audience in the world? You are! Go make great pictures.

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

October 24, 2006: Welcome to the tenacious twenty third episode of The Digital Photography Show! Why is it tenacious? Because Michael and I taped it without a guest. Yup, it’s just us, shooting the breeze about all things related to digital photography.

But just because we don’t have a guest, doesn’t’ mean we don’t have some exciting news. Our sponsor, Alienskin, is offering a huge 50% off their new program Exposure only to you, the listeners of The Digital Photography Show!

We’ve raved about Exposure before on the show, and many of you wrote to us to tell us you downloaded the program and loved it. This is your chance to get it at half off! Call 1-888-921-7546 and tell them The Digital Photography Show sent you.

But they’re only selling 100 copies at this price, so if you’re interested, don’t wait too long!

We even a have a prize this week. It’s Alienskin’s Image Doctor. You can win it by helping us spread the word about The Digital Photography Show. Just send an email to TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com with the message “I Told A Friend” in the subject line.

Now, obviously, we won’t know if you did or didn’t. That’s between you and your conscience. But we sure would appreciate if you did!

Also, you have to promise to write a brief review of Image Doctor and send it to us. Did you like the program? What did you do with it? You can even send an MP3 file, and we’ll put it in the show!

Other than that, Michael and I talk about how I recently had a photo published in the Richmond Community Calendar. We also cover Scott Kelby’s new book, The Digital Photography Book, the Microsoft Raw Viewer (see post below), the new 10MP Samsung camera phone (ditto), and the CNET shoot out between the Digital Rebel and the Nikon D80.

We finish up with an interesting review of Apple Aperture from our wonderful listener Allen Rockwell.

Thanks for joining us and thanks to Alienskin for the sponsorship! Please leave you comments in the forum or email us at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com.

You rock!

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LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

October 13, 2006: Welcome to the terrifying twenty third episode of The Digital Photography Show! Terrifying, why? Because we taped it on Friday the thirteenth, of course!

Today’s guest is Rick Sammon. What can you say about Rick? Not only is he a great photographer, the author of 27 outstanding books on photography, and a genuinely deep thinker, he’s also one of the all-around nicest guys you’d ever want to meet.

Rick shares with us some his favorite tips including “See the Light” and “Think Selectively.” He also shares with one lucky listener the chance to win his latest book Idea to Image in Photoshop CS2. Listen in for instructions on what you need to find on his website to submit your email.

Please put “Idea to Image” in the subject line of your email so we know you want to enter the contest. Send the correct answer to us at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com by October 27, 2006.

Michael and I also talk about Michael’s photography weekend in Vermont, the pros and cons of trying out beta software (hello, Adobe Lightroom!) and a photography tip from our listener Jordan. It involves a coffee cup. Really.

You can see Michael’s pictures here www.stein.phanfare.com.

And, of course, we have to give a huge shout out to Alien Skin, makers of Exposure, Blow Up, Image Doctor and, most importantly, our first digital photography sponsor!!! We want to thank Alien Skin for their huge show of support, and we want to remind you all that you’re allowed to buy nothing but Alien Skin products for the rest of your natural lives. Well, OK, maybe some food. And a shirt. But that’s it.

Thanks for joining us. Please leave you comments in the forum – and be sure to welcome Alien Skin aboard! – or email us at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com.

Y’all are the greatest!

I just downloaded the beta, and am learning how to use the program. It’s not love at first sight – I find the program runs slowly on my 2.8 Ghz Pentium DualCore with 1 Gig of ram. 

But there’s a lot to like here, and the workflow and program layout are pretty cool.  Here’s what Adobe has to say about their latest version:

The Photoshop Lightroom beta is a new, exciting product built from the ground up for professional photographers. It is an efficient, powerful way to import, select, develop and showcase large volumes of digital images. It allows you to spend less time sorting and organizing images, so you have more time to actually shoot and perfect them. The Photoshop Lightroom beta program aims to get direct product feedback from the photography community, via the Adobe Labs web site, so that photographers will have an impact in what Adobe actually ships.

Since the beta is free, there’s no downside to downloading installing it if you’re interested in playing with a new toy. You can find it here, in both Mac and PC versions.

And we are going to try and get someone form Adobe on the show to tell us all about Lightroom. If you play with the program first, you might enjoy the interview more.

If you have the previous version, and are curious to hear what you missed, be sure to re-download the show.

By the way – to all those who wrote I should just get a Mac – I am accepting donations.

Actually, I was at an Apple store yesterday, and I was thinking that the new wide-screen iMac is pretty dreamy…

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