Photokina is going to be one hell of a show this year, and one of the many secrets being released and teased is that Sigma is coming out with with another DSLR, the SD14. Just from the name, DigitalDingus assumes it will be marketed as a 14MP DSLR, but will actually be a 4.7MP imager. Confusing? Yes, and the tradition continues in the world of image sensor spinning.
Preliminary Results? Pretty Good
The SD14 appears to put out some great images, just like the SD10 and the SD9 did many years ago. And this I won’t really debate because how can a person debate a camera in and of itself? What is to be debated, is the way Sigma and Foveon present their cameras in relation to all the other competitors on the market.
Sell Your Camera, Not Your Spin
The DSLR market is certainly competitive. The Megapixel Wars have been battling each other several years now, but why add to the problem of an already confusing consumer product by adding subjectively different terminology as well. Fuji is another company which loves to hype it’s ‘Honeycomb’ sensors. In fact, Fuji and Sigma (along with Foveon who make the imagers for Sigma’s SD DSLRs) are the two companies which I really have an issue with over any other camera manufacturers.
Sigma and Foveon are still telling the consumer, there is more than one ‘pixel’ which is absorbing light in their cameras. Not true. If this were true, the imager wouldn’t be 3.34MP in the former Sigma SD10 (as in 10MP imager–3.34MPx3). With the SD14, I’m assuming Sigma and Foveon have not actually made a 14MP imager. If they did, I’d certainly revise my preview and would be congratulating both companies for taking a giant leap in technology and honesty. I still have a small grain of hope come September 26, 2006, when Sigma will announce the full details (however, I am sure we’ll get a hold of the specs much earlier and post them here…as well as a gazillion other camera forums).
Why Sigma DSLR Images Look Good
Pixel. Pitch. Those two words need to be ingrained in every camera users brain. The reason why Sigma’s DSLR images have looked rather good, is because the imagers have an exceptionally high pixel size (i.e., pixel pitch) which are in the same league as the Canon 1DMKII imager. Having fairly large pixels in a DSLR will consistently produce great images. In fact, the Canon 1D, only a 4.2MP DSLR, released over 5 years ago, is still used by many professionals. Why? The pixel size is 10.8?m x 10.8?m. We will discuss pixel sizes in another article, but for now, the general consensus is the larger the pixel, the better the image. The larger the bucket of water, the more water you can capture…
Resolution Does Matter In The Overall World Of Photography
While pixel size is certainly the #1 priority in my book, if your overall resolution is not in the same ballpark as your competitor’s, your imager’s benefits become less of a benefit. For example, Nikon has released the D200 10.2MP and D80 10.2MP DSLR. Canon has released their 13MP 5D. If the Sigma SD14 is actually 4.7MP, we have at least double the pixel count and over 25% more resolution from other competitors (we have to remember in order to get twice as much resolution, you would need four times as many pixels).
Now, Sigma and Foveon are attempting to make a claim you don’t need high resolution imagers. This is somewhat confusing. Maybe Foveon just doesn’t have the technological and financial resources like Canon and Nikon have to make larger imagers. It takes a lot of money to research and develop larger imagers with more resolution, while still maintaining or exceeding image quality of a comparable smaller imager. Canon has virtually endless financial resources and in-house imaging, and Nikon already has Sony making most of its imagers, so these two companies already have a formula for creating competitive DSLRs.
Regardless of a manufacturer’s methods, the result has been creating an imager with more resolution. Why is it we see a few companies twisting the definitions of pixels and resolution, and duping an already-confused DSLR consumer market?
Resolution in itself is certainly not the only answer to a camera’s quality. We see many compact cameras announcing higher megapixels every 6 months. Compact camera resolution and DSLR resolution are pretty much in different categories since DSLRs still have larger pixels, and the image quality, is by far much better. So please don’t think I am saying resolution is better 100% of the time because in some cases, it is not. However, when you follow Nikon and Canon’s image sensor technology, their images have become better over the years in parallel to more resolution. This is not easy. And it’s not cheap. Which is why many camera manufacturers are not producing 10MP DSLRs currently.
Being The Oddball Sells
In today’s world of consumerism, not only does popularity sell…but being the outcast as well. If you have a competitor, or a few of them, and you know darn well there is no chance to compete because you flat-out don’t have the personnel or resources to compete on the same level, simply create a reverse-popularity market, and create yourself as the oddball product that is better than your competitor. Believe it or not, it works. And it works darn well. Take any popular product and do a little research on the smaller competitors. Then look at the smaller competitor’s marketing strategy. More than likely, you’ll see a form of ‘oddball advertising’. And on a curious note, some major competitors even use the smaller competitors’ strategies to further their market share! Overall, it’s a sea of marketing disinformation and confusion.
Don’t Compete With The Big Guys, Just Sell Yourself
Another point I’d like to make is if you’re a manufacturer who is struggling to survive and can’t compete with the big guys…don’t. Don’t compete with them. Just sell yourself. Just sell your product. If Foveon and Sigma would just sell their product for what it was, and not compare it to proven camera giants like Canon and Nikon, you wouldn’t be reading this editorial preview article. You’d simply be reading a preview on a cool new DSLR, improving on its previous DSLR model.
Would I Recommend A Sigma DSLR?
Well, I will not debate the SD DSLRs image quality because they are darn good. If I begin to compare them to other DSLRs, the amount of lenses available, the lens technologies such as Canon and Nikon, as well as new imaging technology from Canon and Nikon, the Sigma DSLR option becomes much less significant. If you’re a Foveon imager fan, then the new SD14 is certainly going to get you excited. But I would like to request if you are going to purchase a Sigma DSLR, you conduct some simple tests.
Most camera shops have displays of the latest DSLRs available and you can bring your own media card and take images, then go home and open them up in your favorite image editor. What I recommend, is waiting until the SD14 becomes available in stores, take some images with the SD14, then take some images with a Canon 20D and a Nikon D80 or D200. Take all the images home which you’ve shot and compare them. If the Sigma seems it’s better, then I am not one to tell you, you should do anything different. Buy the SD14. But if you like the other images from the Canon or Nikon, then go in that direction as well.
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?2006 by Jason Busch (DigitalDingus.com)
November 21, 2007
Compact digital cameras are such a craze today that almost every household has one.
The popularity of digital cameras has in fact overshadowed to near extinction the
use of cameras with films. But what is it about digital cameras that make even
the professional users go gaga over it?
Digital cameras may cost more than the ordinary camera but it is cost effective in the long term. Unlike ordinary cameras, digital cameras operate without expensive films. The photos can be stored in the user’s computer, or he can save it in a disc or have it printed in photo paper. It is said to be a good investment not only because it does capture memories, but also it allows the user to save on film expenses.
The mad rush for compact digital cameras has begun and even those who could not afford to buy one are saving for that precious digital camera. To make it a good investment, buyers of digital cameras should make sure they know what they are buying and that they are buying the digital camera that best fits their requirements.
Neophyte digital camera users believe that the higher the pixel of the camera, the better for them. The truth is, a digital camera’s pixel is only as good as the user’s requirements. It means choose a digital camera pixel depending on your needs and not just for the sake of buying a digital camera with high pixel.
Before considering the type of digital camera you need, it is practical to take note of your budget or allowance allotted for buying the camera. Digital camera makers come up with new models every six months that digital cameras that are highly priced before now can be more affordable for you later on.
Choosing a digital camera brand really depends on the preference of the user. There are brands that are highly priced because they are popular and the manufacturers have spent millions for advertisements. Good reviews will also depend on the preferences of the camera reviewers so better stick to the basic requirements of a good camera. Sometimes, buyers opt for well-known brands that have been in the camera business for a long time to make sure they are buying quality digital cameras.
Prospective buyers of digital cameras should be patient in reading the guide or manual because unlike the ordinary camera, digital cameras are a bit complicated to use the first time. It gets easier though once you get the hang of it.
When choosing which digital camera, take note of the optical zoom and not the digital zoom because the former does the real zooming. As to the matter of mega pixels, the higher the pixels, the more expensive it gets. However, if you just need to print your photos in small sizes, you do not need the higher mega pixels. When using digital cameras with the intention of printing your photos, it is ideal to choose the highest resolution but this will also mean each shot will require more memory storage. You also have to know that digital cameras come with software that will allow users to adjust the sizes of the photos. However, it is always best to change a higher resolution shot to lower resolution than the reverse because it has a tendency to become pixelized and the image will become blurred.
Whatever model of digital camera you choose, make sure it is appropriate for your requirements. If you are an amateur, start with a digital camera that has the basic requirements and a lower mega pixel so it will be affordable for you.
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Read more Compact Digital Cameras at our Digital Photography Site
November 3, 2007
The old saying ?a picture is worth a thousand words? was never more true. In the digital photography era photos can be used in more types of media than they could have before. Not limited to paper prints they can be used on web sites, in emails, in cellular phones, projected in presentations and more. When selling products online photos are a powerful tool that you must use. Here is how.
Web sites that do not include photos are boring. For example imagine that you are looking to buy a new MP3 player. After searching for ?mp3 players? you land on a web site that offers a new MP3 device. The site has a lot of information: specifications, user guides, capabilities descriptions and more but it does not have any photos of the device. You are most likely going to skip that site and move on to the next one.
This behavior is common to most consumers especially in this era of immediate gratification and impatience. Consumers do not want to spend time reading and figuring out what you are trying to sell. They want to see a photo and get a short snippet of what the main features of the product are and what the price is..
Just taking photos and adding them to a web site is not enough. Good photos can add a lot to a product image but at the same time bad photos can really damage that image. Here are some tips and concepts that can help taking good photos that in turn help selling products online:
Variation: Take more than one photo. Show the product from many angles: zoomed in and zoomed out and in different positions ? for example if the product is a clamshell-phone you should show it both in the opened and closed positions.
Quality: The photo quality must be as high as possible. Don?t confuse quality with file size or resolution ? we refer here to photographic quality: Follow the rules of good photography, use a tripod if long exposure is needed make sure the photo is not overexposed or underexposed and that it is not blurry.
Background: It is very important to shoot with the appropriate background. Usually you would stage a background that is in contrast with the product and that has no details or distracting objects that can catch the viewer?s attention. Make sure that the background is a matte color and that it does not reflect light. For example when taking a photo of a black computer mouse and keyboard use a white or light gray background.
Show details: Emphasize the product details. Every product has unique features or important details that you would like to draw the viewer?s attention to. The best way to do that is to take close-up photos of those details. You are not limited to physical details for example when selling an MP3 player that has long battery life take a close-up photo of the player?s LCD screen displaying the time left ?13 playing hours left?. Such a photo conveys credibility and is much more powerful than the product battery life specifications text.
Support the product description: Take photos that support the textual description of the product. For example if the text claims that the MP3 player comes in three colors: black, silver and red show three photos of the player in those colors.
Convey physical attributes: If your product has unique physical attributes that you would like to emphasize take photos that convey them. For example if the product size is important use a known size object in order to help the viewer visualize the size ? take a photo of the MP3 player next to a quarter coin to show how small the player is. It is much easier for viewers to visualize and understand measurements if they are put in reference with objects they know very well. This is much more powerful than specifying inches and ounces in a textual specification.
Keep file sizes small: Keep the photo file size small. When viewing a photo on a computer screen low resolution photos are more than enough. In most cases a VGA (640X480) picture is all that is needed and such a photo file size can be 50Kbytes or less. It is important to keep this in mind and not be tempted to put high resolution big photos files. Such big files load slowly on the viewer?s computer and in most cases the viewer will get frustrated from the slow response and would just skip to the next site.
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Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing and photography in general on http://www.printrates.com - a site dedicated to photo printing.
October 30, 2007
DIY Lens Hood.
Can’t find your lens hood well like any scout out there you should be prepared! OK I don’t mean you should carry the items but at the very least should know what to do if it ever happens to you. You will need some cardboard and an elastic band. Here’s what to do cut the cardboard into a 2 inch strip (this can be increased or decreased depending on your lens) roll the cardboard around the lens and use the elastic band to secure the cardboard. Before shooting check that your new lens hood does not appear in your shots at your lens widest angle. This lens hood is great for shooting through glass as it cuts out reflection and you can press right up to the glass.
DIY bean bag.
Have you got one of those beanie bags that can be used for all sorts of things like resting your camera on down low and then shooting an image? Well to save some space and on your baggage allowance. Why not take a home made one. What you need before you leave is a small resealable plastic bag and a cloth outer the cloth outer can be easily made as follows with a square piece of material sew two edges leaving one open. When you get to your destination buy some dried beans, peas etc.. Fill the plastic bag with what you bought insert the plastic bag into the cloth outer hey presto home made beanie bag. When you have finished or coming home empty out plastic bag and you can then reuse on you next holiday.
Night Shoots.
When going on a night shot take a small torch may sound silly but many people don’t bother. When they get to the site of the shoot they can’t see their equipment in their bags the settings on the camera are difficult to read etc, etc… A torch makes it easy to read the dials. OK your camera has a backlight but this uses battery power and could end with you having a flat battery half way though a shoot. If you are shooting somewhere and know that there may be light from cars etc.. Have a black mat cloth handy to cover the lens note the length of time the cloth is covering the lens and then add that to your remaining exposure time. Use a tripod when shooting at night this ensures your images are clear and sharp. If possible also use a shutter release cable while the camera in on a tripod this stops camera shake, if you have not got a cable release more and more cameras now a days come with a self timer to open the shutter. Remember if you are near traffic.
Shooting Images.
When taking pictures remember to take loads why well the shot that looks good in your view finder may not be the shot that’s any good when you get home and look at it in you photo editing software it could be un-sharp slightly blurred etc… So take a lot of each image that way at least one will be of the required standard. I know this contradicts what I have just said but leave a few shots left on you media card for your journey home, you just don’t know what you might come across and it would be a shame to miss out just because your media card was full.
Buying a camera.
I always say buy the best you can afford. When you have decided on the camera of your dreams remember that the media card that comes with your camera proberly only holds a few images at the highest resolution of your camera. When I bought my Fuji it came with a 16 Meg card at the highest resolution I couldn’t fit one image on the card!!! Once you have your camera remember you will need some sort of media card to hold images I would recommend 512MBs for a 4 mega pixel models, and 1GB for a 6 mega pixels and up why? Well if you paid loads for your camera always shoot at the highest resolution that way if you manage to shot a politician or footballer doing something they shouldn’t be doing at a low resolution it would only be able to be printed at a credit size where as the higher the resolution the greater chance a magazine will buy or at least give you a by-line credit for your work which could pay for your camera! To see what size you image can be printed at in a magazine check out Commercial Printing Information (CPI) small program I wrote to see how large an image could be printed in a magazine.
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John Hutchison has been a professional photographer on and off since 1981, he gained an LBIPP in 1990 from the British Institute of Professional Photographers so he has first hand experience! He worked for a newspaper for over 12 years dealing with flat copy and digital images till the begining of this year.
October 29, 2007
As a child one of my favorite pastimes was exploring the world through my binoculars. They went everywhere with me. I could spy on everything from trees, to birds to tiny insects passing by. I took them with me everywhere I went always looking for the next adventure. We lived on a big farm out in the middle of nowhere, so I had plenty to explore. My binoculars are more than a childhood memory, I still have them. I love to take them out and share them with my son in the hopes he will discover the same joy I remember feeling. It is like looking through to another world.
Today there is so much more to look at. The world has been changing and technology with it. I now enjoy using my digital camera to capture some of those favorite moments in time. The best part of my digital camera is that it is also a binocular. It is called a Digital Camera Binocular. You cannot only look off into the distance spotting your favorite wildlife; you can also take a digital picture of it.
The next time you head out on that hunting trip you don’t want to forget the digital camera binoculars. Then you will have the shot of the 20 inch buck grazing 100 yards in the distance, and should you miss it you will have proof of the one that got away.
Keeping an eye on your children as they play down the street will be a snap to do without interrupting them. You can find those stars in the solar system easily with the more powerful digital camera binoculars and the pictures will amaze you. There are a variety of birds and animals in your own backyard. A trip to the mountains would never be the same again. You can spot things that are so hard to see with the naked eye at a great distance you may have never noticed them before.
There may be many uses for digital camera binoculars and many are recreational. However the next time you go camping or sightseeing in the wild you will be amazed at the beauty all around you. With a digital camera right there photographs may never be the same.
Digital Camera Binoculars vary in price and quality. Before heading to the store look online for the best deals. Then you will be prepared to get the best product for your money. A new experience is waiting around the next corner. You will catch it all with these special binocular/camera hybrid. I enjoy showing my children all the birds and animals just like I found as a child. Have a wonderful adventure with them and don’t forget to share!
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Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Best Binoculars at http://www.bestbinocularsonline.com
October 28, 2007
When digital cameras were first introduced they were used mostly as digital replacement to film cameras. Users would shoot photos, print them and archive them in photo albums. As users became more sophisticated new ways to use digital photos were found. Here are a few.
The most basic thing you can do with a digital photo is print it and view it on paper or save it on a computer?s hard disk and view it on the computer screen. There are however some other ways to use and enjoy digital photos ? here are a few ideas:
Desktop photo wallpaper: Your computer desktop is a great place to display special photos. Setting a photo that you like as your desktop wallpaper allows you to view it every time you log on to your computer or have your application windows minimized or consume only part of the screen. You can also use software that allows you to choose a list of photos to rotate through as your desktop wallpaper: it can be done on a time basis (the photo is changed every X minutes, hours or days), or on a random basis (the photo is changed to a randomly chosen one every X minutes, hours or days).
Photos in your screen saver: When your computer is idle it can be programmed to do one of many things: turn off the monitor, go into standby mode or show a photo (either a full screen photo or a smaller photo that floats around the screen). You can program your screen saver to show a photo that you especially like or you can choose a list of photos the screen saver will rotate through (either on a time basis or on a random basis). Setting your photos as your screen saver or desktop wallpaper allows you to view and remember experiences on a continuous basis. Viewing is something that happens in the background, does not consume dedicated time.
Digital photo frames: Digital photo frames are devices that elevate photo frames up to the digital era. Traditional photo frames have a single paper print inside a frame that you hang on the wall, put on your desk or on a shelf. On the other hand digital frames embed an LCD screen that allows you to display different digital photos at different times. There are many types of digital photo frames some can receive the photos wirelessly from your computer while others has internal storage for up to a maximum number of photos. Other features include the ability to read memory cards content directly from your camera. Most digital photo frames can work in few modes: show a single photo until you manually switch to another one, roll through a list of photos or show photos randomly.
Photos in cell phones: New cell phones can do much more than voice calls. They include cameras and allow you to take photos and short video clips. They can also store photos and display them on their small LCD screens. If you have a photo that you like you can download it to your cell phone (usually using special software that is bundled with the cell phone) and set it as your cell phone wallpaper. In this way you carry the photo and its experience with you all the time and can share it with people you meet.
Photos as personal icons: Some software allow you to load any photo you like that will represent you when communicating with other users. MSN messenger is a good example ? when you chat with a friend you can set a photo that your friend will see that ?represents? who you are and what you feel. You can load photos that tell something about you and about what you?re going through ? maybe a photo from your birthday party if you had one in the last week or two ? or from your last trip abroad.
Digital photos in blogs and social networks: Social networks and personal blogs are extremely popular. Almost everybody has a page on one or more such networks. You can upload photos to your personal page that represent who you are and what you are going through. It is a good idea to keep those photos fresh ? if something happens to you, if you saw something interesting or if you took a photo that you would like to share with others for any reason ? upload it to your page and let everybody see and enjoy it.
This list is just a short example of what can be done today with digital photos. This list is far from being inclusive and what it really intends to do is to seed your imagination so that you can come up with more out of the box ideas for using and enjoying digital photos.
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Ziv Haparnas is a technology veteran and writes about practical technology and science issues. This article can be reprinted and used as long as the resource box including the backlink is included. You can find more information about photo album printing, photography in general and subjects like the jvc gr-axm17u camrea on Printrates.com
October 24, 2007
OK you have bought the camera here are some simple tips to help keep taking those pictures. Try to keep your camera in a camera bag when it’s not in use as the bag will help protect the camera from knocks, falls moisture and dust. Keep a silicon gel bag in the there to help reduce moisture, you may have got one or two with the camera if not they can be bought relatively cheaply from a camera shop or sometimes they may come with other high street purchases.
Keep it clean.
Like your car you want to keep it clean so it looks good it’s the same with your camera. Don’t use solvents to clean it, use a soft lint free cloth. If your camera has a LCD screen at the back to view your images breathe on it gently and then wipe with your lint free cloth or lens tissue. Lenses are a different matter use canned air to blow the dust off the lens surface or if not available us a bulb brush available for a few pounds/dollars from a camera shop. Here again you can breathe on the lens and wipe with a lens tissue it not advisable to wipe a dry lens as this could cause scratching. The beach is always a good place to get some good shots but it’s also a sandy place. Sand seems to get everywhere if you’re not too keen on taking your expensive camera to the beach buy a cheap disposable one. Also while at the beach you have sun creams and insect repellents these could contain oils or chemicals so limit places of contact i.e. hands keep them clean. Don’t what every you do fall into the trap of putting your sun cream or insect relent into your camera bag more than likely they will leak and you’ll have an expensive repair bill or an expensive paper weight if you can’t afford the repair bill.
Batteries.
Like anything, you pay for what you get. Batteries are no different some good some bad. A batteries life is dependant on a number of things brands, the length of use i.e. age of the battery, conditions the battery has been used in. Hot or very cold conditions can alter the battery life try to use your batteries at room temperature. Batteries for digital cameras are very demanding meaning that they use short bursts of high energy unlike convention batteries which are used for radios and torches. If you can try to by the manufactures battery as these are normally better than those rechargeable ones you can buy in the local supermarket. Now a days the manufactures produce a more expensive Ni-MH (nickel-metal hydride) rechargeable battery this type of battery is ideal as it’s best suited for use in digital cameras. If you need to store batteries store them in a dry cool place. If not using your camera for a while don’t leave the batteries in the camera as the battery could leak. When storing your batteries use a sealable bag to keep the batteries in so that condensation can’t attack and should the worst happen and the battery leaks it should not harm much. Fully drain a rechargeable battery once in a while as this will help with the battery life, you can use the LCD screen to do this as this uses quite a bit of power up quickly.
This article can always be found http://www.searchhuts.co.uk/portal/articles/activenews_view.asp?articleID=56
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John Hutchison has been a professional photographer on and off since 1981, he gained an LBIPP in 1990 from the British Institute of Professional Photographers so he has first hand experience! He worked for a newspaper for over 12 years dealing with flat copy and digital images.
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