Here is this week’s (July 24-30 2010) digital camera review roundup:

• Camera Labs finds that the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H55 [QuickPrice Check] is not a low light camera but otherwise “if you’re in the market for an affordable compact super zoom with an exceptionally versatile range the Cyber-shot H55 won’t disappoint you.“
• PhotographyBLOG highly recommends the Samsung ST5500 [QuickPrice Check - UK]

and finds that even though image quality is just fine, “the Samsung ST5500 / CL80 offers a winning combination of one the best touchscreen interfaces and most impressive AMOLED screens of any digital camera currently on the market.”

• If you ever wondered whether the new Digital Interchangeable Lens (DIL, aka “mirrorless DSLR”) cameras are making an impact, read the Sony a (alpha) DSLR-A390L [QuickPrice Check] review by DPReview who finds that “The A390 [doesn't] stand out from [the] new generation of mirrorless interchangeable lens camera.“
• Imaging Resource recommends the Panasonic Lumix FT2 [QuickPrice Check - UK] as a tough camera that “can take a beating, moves easily from the pool to the patio, and takes quality photographs and better-than-average videos.“
• Photoxels highly recommends the Samsung TL500 / EX1 [Specs], “a compact system camera with exceptional handling and impressive image quality.
• For more camera reviews, to get a second opinion, and just to read the best reviews on the Web, visit our Reviews Matrix.

Continue Reading »

Dan Bailey is a professional adventure, action and travel photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska. “Adventure photography” he writes, “is a dangerous business. By it’s very nature, it means that you’re often putting yourself out there into extreme outdoor situations where you could likely get hurt.”

He’s fallen off a cliff, been stepped on by trail runners, ridden over by mountain bikers, smacked in the head by ski poles, and have been run over by vehicles.

In “My 5 Worst Injuries as a Pro Adventure Photographer,” he details his 5 worst injuries.

Read the article at: Dan H. Bailey’s Adventure Photography Blog.

When shooting High Dynamic Range (HDR) photos, the photographer must bracket the pictures. “Bracket” is just a fancy technical term which means that you take the same shot with different exposures: typically, one exposure as measured by the camera’s meter (mid tones); a second underexposed to capture detail in the highlights (high tones); and a third overexposed to bring out the detail in the shadows (low tones). Since one picture rarely has the capability to retain detail in the high, mid and low tones, we bracket and then combine the three pictures into one in post processing to obtain a HDR picture.

Depending on the complexity of the lighting situation of your scene, you may choose to take even more than 3 photos, varying the amount of over and under exposure in each photo. You can use the Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) function or manually dial in a positive or negative exposure using the exposure compensation function of your camera. Some cameras allow only 3 AEB shots; others 5 or more, and you may be able to specify 1/3 EV, 2/3EV or 1EV (or even finer intervals) over/under exposure with each shot.

The question then becomes, How much do I need to bracket? How much over and how much under exposure? The quick answer is to make sure you’ve obtained all the tonal information present in the scene.

Brian Matiash answers this question in more detail in an excellent article on LensProToGoBlog.

The Coca Cola Camera

See it here.

[@BarbaraFischer]

Macworld September 2010 Cover

The Apple iPhone 4 has really set a new standard in the mobile phone camera. The image quality of both stills and video is now good enough for even professional production work, well kind of. Indeed, the iPhone 4 (just the phone, not the whole cover) on the September 2010 Macworld magazine cover was photographed and post-processed entirely on another iPhone 4 by photographer Peter Belanger.

[@clickzilla1]

Continue Reading »

Win an Apple iPad WIFI-3G (32GB) at WomenInPhotography.org FACES Juried Photo Competition Deadline – August 15th

Women In Photography International (WIPI) celebrates women’s work with the juried competition FACES. Top jurors will choose 1st and 2nd place winners plus 104 Honorable Mention photographs. Placement winners as well as Honorable Mention winners will be showcased in WIPI’s online gallery at womeninphotography.org.

Los Angeles, CA (PRWEB) July 30, 2010

Women In Photography International (WIPI), the #1 resource center for women photographers worldwide is taking submissions for “FACES,” a juried online photo competition. The First Place winner will receive an Apple iPad WIFI-3G (32GB) tablet and Second Place winner, an Apple iPad WIFI (16GB) tablet. Both winners will also receive a ten image gallery presentation. Jurors Sarah Hughes, Getty Images/NY, Milton, Photographer’s Gallery /Los Angeles, and Sophie Mörner. Photographer and Founder of Capricious Publishing, New York will choose winning images along with 104 Honorable Mention photographs to be showcased in WIPI’s online gallery and remain in the WIPI archive for years to come. http://womeninphotography.org/wipihome.html

WIPI is looking forward to seeing images of peoples “FACES” from all ages, all races, male and female from birth through centenarian years.

Continue Reading »

Samsung TL500 / EX1

Just Posted! Samsung TL500 / EX1 Review

The Samsung TL500 / EX1 shoulders its way into the compact system camera category with exceptional handling and impressive image quality. It hits almost all the right spots, minus a few exceptions, and seems to be able to win the hearts of serious photographers.

[ Read more in our Samsung TL500 / EX1 Review... ]