Photography Blog

Articles: PhotographyBLOG Holiday Gift Guide 2004

November 22nd, 2004

With only a few weeks to go until Christmas, it's time to start thinking about what you are going to buy for the photographer in your life, even if that's you! I've looked back over all the products that I have reviewed during 2004 and picked my favourites, from digital cameras to printers and books. I've also suggested some other products that may be worth looking at (which I haven't reviewed), and there are handy links to online shops so that you don't even have to venture out and brave the hordes of shoppers!

So, somewhat in advance, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Digital Compact Cameras

Under £200

	Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z10 The Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z10 is an ultra-zoom digital camera that promises a lot in exchange for a relatively small amount of cash. Based around a 3.2 megapixel CCD sensor and an 8x zoom lens that is equivalent to 36-290mm on a 35mm camera, the Z10 has an amazing list of advanced features that make you look twice at its budget price-tag. Read my Review Buy from Amazon.com - $257.94 Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £156.99 Buy from Pixmania.co.uk - £149 Check Latest Prices

	Olympus Mju 410 The compact Olympus µ[mju:] 410 Digital camera is an updated version of the popular Olympus µ[mju:] 400 Digital. Olympus have added a number of new features and improvements to this new model. The µ[mju:] 410 Digital gets a new TruePic Turbo image processor, sunshine LCD screen, wider ISO range, more scene program exposure modes, movie recording function with sound and PictBridge support. Read my Review Buy from Amazon.com - $289.94 Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £169.99 Buy from Pixmania.co.uk - £174

	Fuji Finepix F420 Zoom The FujiFilm FinePix F420 is by far the smallest camera that I have ever reviewed, measuring just 7.7cm wide and 6.9 cm high. Despite its diminutive stature, Fuji have still managed to fit in a 1.8 inch LCD screen on the rear of the camera and their 4th Generation Super CCD HR sensor inside it, which can realise 3 million effective pixels, producing 6 million recorded pixels. The FinePix F420 has a 3x optical zoom lens, equivalent to 36-108mm on a 35mm camera, which is housed inside a stylish brushed aluminum body. Read my Review Buy from Amazon.com - $417.94 Buy from Pixmania.co.uk - £198 Check Latest Prices

	Sanyo Xacti J4 Sanyo are not currently one of the major players in the digital camera market, with only a handful of models to choose from. What the Japanese manufacturer lacks in numbers, though, they more than make up for in terms of style and innovation, with cameras like the hybrid Xacti C1 (review coming soon!) marking them out from the competition. The Sanyo Xacti J4 also fits this description. On paper, it's just another point-and-shoot 4 megapixel model with a short optical zoom. In reality it's a very stylish, well-made, pocketable camera with lots of innovative features and great image quality. Read my Review Check Latest Prices
Also worth considering: Canon PowerShot A95, Kodak EASYSHARE DX7440, Olympus Mju Mini DIGITAL

£200 to £400

	Olympus Camedia C-5060 Zoom The 5 megapixel C-5060 Zoom is currently the second most advanced compact camera in the Olympus lineup, behind the 8 megapixel C-8080 Zoom. Probably it's main attraction is the 27-110mm lens, which opens up wide-angle photography again in a marketplace dominated by cameras with lenses that start at 35mm. The C-5060 Zoom is heavily based on the older C-5050 Zoom, but Olympus have added a number of improvements, including that wide-angle lens, a swivelling LCD screen and faster start-up and shutter-lag times. Read my Review Buy from Amazon.com - $499.94 Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £362.99 Buy from Pixmania.co.uk - £321 Check Latest Prices

	Fuji FinePix S7000 Zoom The Fuji FinePix S7000 Zoom is an updated version of the very popular 3 megapixel FinePix S602 Pro Zoom, featuring a brand new 6 megapixel 4th Generation Super CCD HR sensor. The Fuji FinePix S7000 Zoom is positioned by Fuji as an alternative to an SLR camera and is aimed at both the professional and amateur photographer. Read my Review Buy from Amazon.com - $493.94 Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £307.99 Buy from Pixmania.co.uk - £332 Check Latest Prices

	Fuji FinePix S5000 Zoom The Fuji FinePix S5000 Zoom looks very much like a traditional SLR camera in terms of styling, but it is actually more like a compact camera in size and weight. Despite its diminutive dimensions, the Fuji FinePix S5000 Zoom has a massive 10x optical zoom which is equivalent to 37-370mm on a 35mm camera. It also features Fuji's new 4th Generation Super CCD HR sensor and can record images in RAW mode as well as the JPEG file format. And all of this is available for just over £200, making the FinePix S5000 Zoom a bit of a bargain. Read my Review Check Latest Prices
Also worth considering: Canon Powershot S70, Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z3, Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ20

£400 Upwards

Olympus Camedia C-8080 Wide Zoom
First announced at the PMA photography trade show in February, the Olympus Camedia C-8080 Wide Zoom is one of a new breed of 8-megapixel digital cameras. It also offers a fast and wide f/2.4-3.5, 28-140mm integrated lens in a tough magnesium body, complete with a tilting LCD monitor and a host of photographic options that make it most suitable for the advanced amateur or professional photographer.
Read my Review
Buy from Amazon.com - $759.94
Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £446.95
Buy from Pixmania.co.uk - £467
Check Latest Prices

Also worth considering: Canon PowerShot G6, Konica Minolta DiMAGE A2, Sony DSC-V3

Digital SLRs

Canon EOS 20D
Technically speaking, I shouldn't be recommending this camera as I haven't actually reviewed it. Having said that, I have been happily using its predecessor, the EOS 10D, for the last 18 months, and although I have no plans to upgrade to the 20D, I have no hesitation in recommending what by all accounts is a tremendous camera.
Buy from Amazon.com - $1,449.99
Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £1,049.99
Buy from Pixmania.co.uk -£1,048
Check Latest Prices

Also worth considering: Nikon D70, Konica Minolta 7D, Canon EOS 300D

Printers

Epson Stylus Photo R800
The Stylus Photo R800 is a 7 colour, 5760 x 1440 optimised dpi inkjet printer that offers borderless printing at print sizes up to A4 and is aimed at the professional and amateur photographer. It uses UltraChrome Hi-Gloss pigment inks, which have previously only been used in the Epson 2100/2200 A3 printer. These pigment inks are archival quality, offering print life of over 80 years on certain papers. As if that wasn't enough, Epson have also introduced Red and Blue inks, which create a colour gamut rivalling that of silver halide photos, and they have reduced the ink droplet size to just 1.5 picolitres.
Read my Review
Buy from Amazon.com - $349.95
Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £218.99
Buy from Pixmania.co.uk - £199
Check Latest Prices

Also worth considering: Canon Pixma iP8500, HP Photosmart 8450

Accessories

	ColorPlus Ever wondered why the image displayed on your monitor bears little resemblance to the scene that you photographed? Or why the colours in the the print that you've just made are not true to life? The single biggest cause of poorly adjusted photographs, whether on screen or in print, is an uncalibrated monitor. ColorPlus, a new product from Pantone and ColorVision, is the most affordable hardware calibration device on the market, retailing for under $100/£100. It works with CRT, LCD and notebook displays, although it is currently only compatible with the Windows platform. ColorPlus is the answer to your colour nightmares. Read my Review Buy from ColorVision Europe - 109 Euros Buy from Amazon.com - $104.99

	Lensbaby The Lensbaby is the brainchild of professional photographer Craig Strong, who invented the Lensbabies Flexible Lens Mounting System (to give it it's full name) in an effort to replace his Holga film camera with a digital equivalent. It is described on the Lensbaby website as "the hybrid love children of an old-fashioned bellows camera and an up-tight tilt-shift lens", producing photographs with " the same soft, roughed-up look produced by a Holga". Read my Review

Books

	"Photo Finish" by by Jon Canfield and Tim Grey "Photo Finish" is a new book from digital imaging experts Jon Canfield and Tim Grey which explores the different ways of presenting your photographs after you have taken them. Capturing a great image is only half the battle; showing it off to the rest of the world is also an essential part of any photographer's workflow, whether it be to your family members, to clients or for an exhibition. Written from the viewpoint of the digital photographer, "Photo Finish" looks at a wide range of techniques, including printing using an inkjet printer, using traditional print labs and online print services, displaying images on the internet, creating digital slideshows, and finishing and exhibiting prints. Read my Review Buy from Amazon.com - $19.79 Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £13.99

	"Digital Photography Hacks" by Derrick Story "Digital Photography Hacks" is an up-to-date collection of 100 tips and ideas that will really help the digital photographer to improve their technique. Each of the 100 "hacks" has been contributed by real-world photographers who use them in their day-to-day jobs. The book is aimed at the photographer who is looking to move beyond the basics and contains sections on daytime and night-time photo secrets, using flash, photo projects, digital camera attachments, Photoshop and more. As the book was first published in May 2004, it even contains a section on getting the most out of your cameraphone! Read my Review Buy from Amazon.com - $18.87 Buy from Amazon.co.uk - £14.66

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