Olympus E-3 DSLR to Capture Earth’s Beauty from Space Station

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., February 26, 2009 – Olympus Corporation commemorates its 90th anniversary by creating the ‘Olympus Space Project’ to photograph the majestic beauty of our planet and raise awareness to protect it. The company’s flagship E-3 digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera and ZUIKO digital lenses will journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on the next Space Shuttle Discovery mission.

Dr. Koichi Wakata, a Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut, will take images of the earth with the Olympus E-3 throughout his three-month mission on the ISS. Specifically, he will stay in the “Kibo,” which is the Japanese Experiment Module. It is located in the ISS and is Japan’s first manned facility where astronauts can conduct experiments for long periods of time. ‘Hope’ is the English translation for Kibo, and Dr. Wakata will be the first astronaut to inhabit the new experiment module. Images captured by Dr. Wakata will be available on Olympus’ Web site at http://olympus-space-project.com.

“For 90 years we’ve continued to develop innovative products that help improve peoples’ lives every day – from capturing memories to documenting environmental changes,” said F. Mark Gumz, president, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “Olympus cameras are used by the National Park Service to track air quality at our nation’s parks and by wildlife photographer Mitsuaki Iwago, whose images focus on global environmental issues and nature preservation. We’re taking this commitment to the next level by capturing our planet’s delicate beauty from space.”

Designed for professional and aspiring photographers, the E-3 offers amazing image quality, splashproof and dustproof durability, and a magnesium-alloy body that survives the toughest shooting environments. The E-3 complies with NASA’s standards for use in space. Olympus continues to be an innovator, developing new technologies to expand the frontiers of digital photography and leading where others have followed. Proof that Olympus enables consumers to capture it all. Product details are available at www.getolympus.com.

Details on the ISS, JAXA, the Japanese Experiment Module, Dr. Wakata and the next mission of the Space Shuttle Discovery are available at http://www.jaxa.jp/index_e.html.

Via Olympus press release

Step-by-step guide to taking the perfect image by PCAdvisor

From the article:

Until recently, the prohibitive cost of digital SLR (dSLR) cameras meant that many amateur photographers settled for budget-friendly point-and-click compacts. This is a shame, since dSLRs offer a great deal of manual control over settings such as aperture, shutter speed and white balance, helping you get the best picture in a wide range of conditions.

Today's dSLRs can be divided into two groups: entry-level cameras, and more advanced pro and semi-pro models. The visual similarities hide a huge disparity in features, which is reflected in their pricing. The entry-level Canon EOS 1000D costs around £400, for example, while the professional EOS-1Ds Mark III costs up to £7,000. But the latter offers far more than merely improved build quality and a higher pixel count.

Read the full article here.

Olympus E-620 announced

Filling another hole in its dSLR product line, Olympus takes on the Canon EOS Rebel XSi and Sony Alpha DSLR-A350 with the new E-620.

When it ships in May, it will be available in two configurations: a body only version for $699.99 and a kit including the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 lens for $799.99. Olympus will also offer a new battery grip and underwater housing to accessorize the camera.

Read full specs and comparison to its competitors (Canon EOS Rebel XSi and Sony Alpha DSLR-A350) here.

Via cnet news

NikonRumors on Nikon at PMA 2009

NikonRumors has a recap on the rumors around Nikon's product announcements on PMA09.

• D400 - to be released by July 2009
• New entry level Nikon DLSR
• New Nikon flash SB-700
  
• Lenses?

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4G ED VR lens discontinued

Nikonrumors via BHPhotoVideo says that the Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/4G ED VR lens was discontinued. Not a surprise seeing that price tag of $8200. Phew.

Via Nikonrumors

Canon Introduces the New TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L Tilt-Shift Lenses

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., February 17, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging and optics, today introduced two new Tilt-Shift lenses, the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L. These two new L series lenses expand the Company's extensive lens line-up of TS-E lenses giving photographers creative control over perspective and depth of field in their images. Both the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L are specialty lenses ideal for landscape and architectural photography and are compatible with all Canon EOS system single lens reflex cameras¹. The TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, a replacement for Canon's TS-E 24mm f/3.5L introduced in 1991, has significantly improved operability with low distortion when photographing buildings, consistent image quality throughout the image and reduced chromatic aberration when shooting at ultra-wide angles. The TS-E 17mm f/4L is the world's shortest focal length Tilt-Shift lens with full-frame 35mm coverage.

"These two new lenses are Canon's answer to photographers who have requested wider angle Tilt-Shift lenses, with the new TS-E 24mm for wide angles and the all new TS-E 17mm for ultra-wide angles. We continually seek to expand our optics portfolio to meet the demands of our photographers to ensure that they have the best tools available to capture some of the most stunning images on the planet," stated Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A.

An innovative feature on both the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and the TS-E 17mm f/4L lenses is Canon's new TS Revolving System. This feature allows tilting and shifting lens movements to be adjusted in parallel or at right angles to each other, with detents at 45˚ intervals. Additionally, once the TS Revolving System has been set, the orientation of the entire lens can be rotated freely through a range of ±90˚, with detents at 30˚ intervals. The amount of tilt is ±8.5˚ for the TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II and ±6.5˚ for the TS-E 17mm f/4L. The amount of shift is ±12mm for both lenses. The image circle diameter for both lenses is an impressive 67.2mm. (The diagonal measurement of the full-frame 35mm format is only 43.2mm.)

The high-precision glass molded aspherical and UD glass lens elements and accurate aspherical GMo along with a large diameter in new TS-E lenses deliver outstanding image quality, high resolution and super-low distortion to all edges of the image. Each lens incorporates a new type of anti-reflection coating, Canon's SubWavelength structure Coating (SWC) that continuously changes the refractive index on the lens surface via wedge-shaped structures more minute than wavelength of visible light. Canon's SWC helps minimize flare and ghosting caused by bright light from large angles of incidence. The new TS-E lenses are the 2nd and 3rd Canon EF series lenses with SWC, following the EF 24mm f/1.4L II USM that was introduced in 2008.

Pricing and Availability
The TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II is expected to ship in May for an estimated retail price of $2,199.00^*. The TS-E 17mm f/4L is expected to ship in May for an estimated retail price of $2,499.00^*.

Via Canon press release

Canon PowerShot SX1 IS DSLR-like superzoom reviewed

Gordon Laing at Cameralabs wrote a review on the Canon SX1 here:

Canon’s PowerShot SX1 IS is a 10 Megapixel super-zoom camera with a 20x optically-stabilised lens and a 2.8in flip-out screen. Announced in September 2008 alongside the SX10 IS, both cameras jointly replace the best-selling PowerShot S5 IS.

The two new PowerShot super-zooms share a great deal in common including the same lens, body, and sensor resolution. The main difference is the sensor technology itself, with the SX1 IS becoming Canon’s first non-DSLR to feature a CMOS sensor, which allows it to shoot full resolution images at a much faster continuous speed of 4fps while additionally offering movie recording in the Full HD 1080p format. In contrast, the SX10 IS with its conventional CCD sensor shoots at 1.4fps and records movies at a maximum VGA resolution of 640x480 pixels.

In addition, the SX1 IS swaps the 4:3 shaped screen and viewfinder of the SX10 IS for 16:9 widescreen versions, sports an HDMI port for connecting to HDTVs, and comes supplied with an IR remote for triggering the shutter or controlling playback.

DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G lens

Nikon has announced a new wide aperture DX Nikkor lens, the AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G.

The lens has a maximum aperture of f/1.8 which promises a bright viewfinder experience, and incorporates Nikkor's compact ring type Silent Wave Motor (SWM) for quiet focus operation, even with cameras like the Nikon D40 and D60 which don't have built-in motors.

The lens also features an optical design that gives a different look and feel to images taken with a zoom lens, and features a picture angle that is similar to the human eye.

It has a rounded seven-blade diaphragm opening, which makes out-of-focus elements appear more natural, and can focus down to 0.3 metres. When mounted on a DX-format SLR, the picture angle is the 35mm equivalent focal length of 50mm.

The AF-S Nikkor 35mm f/1.8G has two focus modes, M/A (manual override autofocus) and M (manual focus), where the M/A mode allows for instant manual switching during AF operation.

The lens will be available from 6 March for £199.99. It comes supplied with 52mm snap-on front and rear lens cap, bayonet hood HB-46 and a flexible lens pouch.

Via photographypress

Olympus E-3 firmware update released

Olympus has just released a firmware update for their E-3 professional DSLR. They hope to improve some auto focus functions with this update and extend the camera battery life.

The update is available at Olympus's website. Just hook up your E-3 to your computer through a USB port and follow the link. Be warned, the update will revert your camera to factory settings, so be sure to record any manually adjusted settings you'd like to keep.

Via DCReview

Nikon launches DSLR-compact hybrid Coolpix P60

Nikon has made a cunning move with the release of its latest model, the Coolpix P60 – a hybrid between DSLR and compact digital cameras.

Positioned squarely between the semi-professional and grab-and-go sections of the digital camera market, the P60 features a revolutionary 3-inch vari-angle LCD monitor screen, which can tilt itself in relation to the camera body for better shot composition while on the move.

Equipped with a 12-megapixel sensor, the camera takes sharp and rich images and allows a range of editing functions to be performed on board, delivering the results through an easy-to-use interface.

In addition, the model features an impressive wide-angle NIKKOR 26mm, 24x optical zoom lens which captures high quality images with ease.

With four anti-blur technology to ensure sharp imaging in a whole raft of different conditions, super-telephoto capability and smart portrait system for assisted snapping, this is a great choice for the demanding amateur photographer.

Via CCL

Do Everything for That Perfect Shot

A collection of photos of photographers who do their best to capture that perfect shot.

Photoshop Lightroom 2 Adventure Reviewed at cameralabs

From the review:

Photoshop Lightroom 2 Adventure content

Photoshop Lightroom 2 Adventure is arranged into 12 chapters, first detailing LR2’s Workspace and importing process followed by a guide to its various Modules. These are followed by sections dedicated to numerous ‘Developing’ techniques including tuning colour or applying special effects. After this comes a chapter showcasing ‘recipes’ used on-location in Iceland and Tasmania, before the book then concludes with sections on exporting, slideshows, printing and web galleries. We’ll now take a closer look at each chapter in turn.

The ‘Lightroom Workspace revealed’ chapter gives you general overview of LR2’s modules and a guide to the user interface. As LR2 is pretty flexible you learn how to adapt the interface to your needs and the available “real estate” on your screen. This is an essential kick-off where you learn how to handle the new application.

The chapter entitled ‘Importing Images into Lightroom’ is not only about the obvious but also explains the context between images, previews and other information stored in LR2’s vast database. This is very important to understand as it is considerably different from most other image-processing applications. It also explains how to import direct from a camera or any other folder, how to rename files on import, along with using metadata presets to make it easier to tag your images in batches and not just individually photo by photo.

Read the full review here

FujiFilm FinePix IS Pro DSLR reviewed

PoliceOne has a review of the FujiFilm FinePix IS Pro, designed to meet the requirements of law enforcement processionals, crime scene investigation, forensics and other official agencies. Designed for photography beyond the visible spectrum of the human eye, the camera is a solid, reliable product, offering a LiveView LCD, all sorts of polarizing, IR, UV filters to reveal gunshot residue, body fluids and blood stains, something you would not want to see in your living room.

From the review:

The FujiFilm Finepix IS Pro is a 12.3 megapixel digital SLR specifically designed for professional photography of images that go beyond the visual spectrum of the human eye. It was designed to be used with a selection of filters from PECA for limiting the spectrum of certain wavelengths to the image. It is based on the FujiFilm Finepix S5 Pro DSLR body, which allows it to mount the entire library of Nikon F lenses and iTTL flash systems, one of the largest selections in professional photography. The IS Pro uses Fujifilm's Super CCD Pro, a CCD designed to more accurately capture an image than conventional DSLRs.

Evidence photographers find themselves shooting at varied angles and situations. The technology for tilting the LCD is there and this would complete the IS Pro package. In its defense, however, I found I could read the LCD at oblique angles better than similar products, even with the supplied LCD cover on.

Read the full review here.