CNET have reviewed the Samsung L830, a new 8 megapixel entry-level digital camera with 3x optical zoom, 2.5” LCD display, Face Recognition and compact aluminium body.

“The L830’s pictures generally look good enough for e-mailing and Web sites, but you should be careful when making prints; pictures shot at ISO 200 or below might look okay at sizes up to 8x10 inches, though ISO 400 or higher shots shouldn’t be blown up beyond 4x6 inches. Besides noise and softened details, the L830 suffers from significant barrel distortion when shooting at the wide end of the lens.”

Website: CNET - Samsung L830 Review

DIWA member Photoxels have reviewed the Olympus Stylus 830, a weatherproof digital camera offers a 5x optical zoom lens (36-180mm) and 8 megapixel resolution.

“What differentiates the Stylus 830 from other 8MP P&S digital cameras is that it is weatherproof, which means it can keep taking pictures even when it starts to rain or in conditions the camera can get wet or dusty. It can therefore be used at the beach, boating on the lake or ocean, hiking, skiing, or just traveling—without worrying about rain, sand or dust! Though splashproof, it is, however, not waterproof and cannot be soaked under water, like the Stylus 790 SW can.”

Website: Photoxels - Olympus Stylus 830 Review

The lucky winner of our fantastic Christmas Newsletter contest has been randomly selected from the PhotographyBLOG Newsletter subscriber list.

Fergus Wernham wins a 12 megapixel Kodak Easyshare V1253 digital camera, worth £199 / $299.

Research from Samsung Cameras reveals that more women are buying gadgets this Christmas than men. Six out of ten families said looking through pictures of friends and family was the number one Christmas family activity. Hannah Perry, News Editor of Heat magazine commented on the research; “Gadgets are no longer the preserve of the tech hungry male – we see women embracing technology all of the time without fear of them compromising on style or beauty. Cameras look so stylish now and the latest range from Samsung which are available in various colours make them ideal fashion accessories for today’s fashion conscious women.” The survey was carried out on 1766 UK adults throughout November 2007.

The Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) has called on Photolibrary to answer serious allegations that the company has not paid $2.2 million in commissions due to Index Stock image contributors. Four major North American photographer associations have affirmed their support for SAA’s actions to seek full accounting and payments of any monies owed to contributors. Advertising Photographers of America (APA) National President Martin Trailer stated, “APA supports the actions of SAA to investigate the accounting procedures of Photolibrary, parent of recently acquired Index Stock. APA believes the allegations made by Photolibrary’s controller are serious enough to justify a full review of the company’s accounting practices.”

UK magazine Amateur Photographer are giving away a rare Leica model O replica kit worth over £2,000 in its Christmas issue. The model O is a replica of the Prototype 2 camera, of which only 20 were made in 1923. The limited-edition kit was put together by Leica Camera AG to mark the 125-year anniversary of the death of Leica inventor Oskar Barnack. To enter the prize draw readers must collect four special tokens from AP issues. The closing date for the competition is Friday, 1 February 2008.

AKVIS Frame Suite 2.6, a program that applies frames and edge effects to pictures, now includes new Christmas decorations in the Pattern Library. You can now decorate a personalized Christmas greeting card. It’s also possible to generate a unique frame out of your own samples. Just save a square or rectangular pattern as a graphic file and use it to generate an original photo frame. AKVIS Frame Suite 2.6 costs $49 USD and a free 10-day trial version is available.

Kodak has recalled a novelty torch that was sold with multi packs of Kodak Max AA batteries. In a small number of cases the torch overheated causing a small part of the plastic housing at the bottom to melt. Customers will be provided with a replacement twelve pack of batteries. This product was sold in UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria, Bulgaria, Cameroon, Cyprus, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Romania, Greece, South Africa and Switzerland.

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Pentax K10D, which offers 10.2 megapixels, shake-reduction, dust removal system, 22-bit colour, three new shooting modes, 2.5 inch LCD screen and 11 point auto-focusing.

“Despite being over a year old, the Pentax K10D still compares well with other current mid-range enthusiast’s DSLRs. It is one of the few digital SLRs on the market with a weatherproof body, and combines this with outstanding build quality and design, superb performance and excellent image quality. Add moving-sensor image stabilisation and an effective anti-dust mechanism and you have what is unquestionably one of the best mid-range DSLRs on the market.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Pentax K10D Review

Website: Read our Pentax K10D Review

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Epson PictureMate 290 compact photo printer, which can produce a 10x15cm borderless lab-quality photo in just 37 seconds.

“Epson’s PictureMate PM290 is a neat and effective small-format photo printer. With its built-in CD rewriter and Bluetooth capabilities, it can handle most needs of any enthusiastic photo taker. Improvements could be made, such as bundling in the battery which makes this machine fully portable and redesigning the printer so both paper and power supply are carried internally. Even so, it stands up well against its competition and running costs remain low.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Epson PictureMate 290 Review

Digital Astrophotography is a new book from Rocky Nook that teaches you how to capture the night sky in all its glory. The book helps you sort out which cameras are best for the various celestial subjects, what to look for when buying a camera, and what accessories you really need. Digital Astrophotography by Stefan Seip costs $29.95 USD, £18.50 GBP.

The Kingston Media Reader is an external, hi-speed reader that supports 19 popular types of Flash memory cards. “The new media reader handles so many different card types that it’s ideal for the consumer or business professional who uses multiple card formats to transfer data, music, photos, videos and other files between mobile phones, cameras, PCs and other devices,” said Jean Wong, Flash memory product manager, Kingston. The Kingston Media Reader has a unique retractable chassis that keeps inserted cards safe. It also houses a short, compact USB cable for use on the go with a notebook. The Kingston Media Reader has a two-year warranty and costs $17.00.

The Samsung SPF-83V is a new 8 inch digital photo frame based on Microsoft technology. Photos can be viewed wirelessly from sharing sites such as Windows Live Spaces or from your PC. The Samsung SPF-83V frame also communicates with Windows Media Player and open standards such as RSS. “Our latest digital photo frames, based on cutting-edge technology from the Microsoft Research labs, are easy to use and are one of the few offerings in the marketplace that offer a ‘network’ approach to digital photo sharing.” said Christopher Franey, vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing at Samsung Electronics America. Price and availability of the Samsung SPF-83V to be announced.

The Royal Photographic Society has launched a new youth photography competition called IRIS-25, aimed at young people under the age of 25. IRIS-25 aims to prmote the growth of Digital Audio Visual photography among young people. “The production of AV sequences involves many skills useful in modern life, and can benefit the workers and leaders of tomorrow, teaching them to communicate, not only visually but also verbally; to look, listen and understand; and to express their ideas creatively with skill and sensitivity.” commented Maureen Albright, Organiser. The deadline for entries is 21st April 2008.

The Spyder3Pro and Spyder3Print from Datacolor are two new color management products for photographers. The Spyder3Pro is a display calibration tool that includes the only colorimeter available on the market offering a seven detector color engine. It is designed to deliver more precise control over white point and gamma. Spyder3Print is a unique print calibration solution that includes software and a Datacolor 1005 spectrocolorimeter to ensure accurate and consistent color. It makes creating printer profiles easy through its simple wizard-driven program. Spyder3Pro has a US price of $169 and Spyder3Print $499.

Take Your Photography to the Next Level is a new book based on a series of essays originally featured on the Luminous Landscape website. Photographers will learn what is required in order to grow in their creativity and to gain a deeper understanding of their craft. Author George Barr takes a practical approach with specific suggestions and enough ideas and exercises to keep you busy and creative for years to come. Take Your Photography to the Next Level costs $39.95 USD, £24.99 GBP.

Phil Holland has published an extensive review of the new Canon 1Ds Mark III, a 21.1 megapixel full-frame digital SLR camera with 5fps continuous shooting and 45 AF points.

“After shooting with the camera with a few days under numerous conditions I can confidently say the Canon 1Ds Mark III is easily the most versatile full frame digital SLR currently available. Currently the only thing similar on the market is the camera it’s replacing. The 1Ds Mark II. In terms of pure image resolution the only cameras that come close are digital medium format bodies and backs. I’ve used a range of PhaseOne backs now and I know they can squeeze out more detail. That said you lose a lot of flexibility for that gain in resolution and in price point.”

Website: Phil Holland - Canon 1Ds Mark III Review

Buy the Samsung GX10 DSLR single (18-55mm) or twin (18-55mm and 50-200mm) lens kit and get £50 cash back. To claim the cashback, log onto www.samsungcamera.co.uk/gx10cashback , download the redemption form, complete and return, along with proof of purchase and serial number to the address specified on the form. You will then receive a cheque within 28 days. This offer is valid until 31st January 2008.

Rob Galbraith has published an in-depth analysis of the auto-focus problems that have affected the Canon EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera since it was first launched.

“At long last, our analysis of Canon’s sub-mirror fix and firmware v1.1.3 for the EOS-1D Mark III is live. Does the hardware change and new firmware solve the camera’s AI Servo autofocus problems? Does the EOS-1D Mark III now match or exceed the bright light autofocus performance of its predecessor, the EOS-1D Mark II N? Here, in 8500 words and over 650 full-resolution photos, is our answer”

Website: Rob Galbraith - Analysing the EOS-1D Mark III sub-mirror fix and firmware v1.1.3

KoffeePhoto and Tokyo based JetGraph have joined forces to launch KoffeePhoto in Japan. KoffeePhoto is a free and unlimited online photo sharing solution. KoffeePhoto Japan will include all KoffeePhoto free and unlimited online photo sharing solution and local photo organizing software features. “With a preview of KoffeePhoto already available into Japanese, our exclusive partnership with JetGraph will help us reaching a consequent market share in Japan while providing our japanese users with a far better user experience thanks to local print services and local support.” commented Gilles Pommereuil, President of KoffeeWare, editor of KoffeePhoto. KoffeePhoto Japan is planned to start in March 2008.