The new Pentax Optio Z10 is a compact digital camera with a 7x optical zoom lens, something of a departure for a company who typically produce compacts with 3x zooms. About the same size as a pack of playing cards and weighing less than 150g, the diminutive Pentax Z10 squeezes in a 38-266mm lens, 2.5 inch LCD screen and 8 megapixel sensor. Also featuring a sliding lens cover, Face Recognition, ISO 64-3200 and available in black or silver, does the Pentax Optio Z10 deserve a place on your holiday shopping list? Read our review to find out.

Website: Pentax Optio Z10 Review

The Canon Powershot SX100 IS ultra-zoom compact camera went relatively unnoticed amongst the vast number of new products that Canon recently announced as part of their Autumn 2007 lineup. The first model in a brand new series of cameras, the Canon SX100 IS is intended to bridge the price gap between the cheaper Powershot A-series cameras and the more expensive Powershot S5 IS. The Canon Powershot SX100 IS relies on AA batteries, just like the A-series, and has an 8 megapixel sensor and optically stablised 10x zoom lens, just like the S5 IS. Canon are targeting the family market who want a compact camera that covers all eventualities, so does the SX100 IS deliver the goods? Read our in-depth review to find out.

Website: Canon Powershot SX100 IS Review

The winners of the October 2007 Prize Giveaway have been randomly selected from the current list of PhotographyBLOG Newsletter subscribers.

Vincent Caruso, Pete Crundwell and Glyn Blackburn have each won a copy of Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2, the ideal digital photography software for aspiring photographers and business communicators who want to transform their digital pictures into professional-looking photos fast.

The Ricoh Caplio R7 is an 8 megapixel digital camera with a 7x zoom lens equivalent to 28-200mm on a 35mm camera, yet it’s only 23mm thick and weighs just 135g. A mere 6 months on from the previous R6 model, the Ricoh R7 adds more megapixels and a slightly tweaked user interface, whilst retaining the optical image stabilizer and 1cm macro mode of the R6. Does the new Ricoh R7 offer a better all-round package than the R6, and is it still our point-and-shoot camera of choice? Read our Ricoh R7 review to find out.

Website: Ricoh Caplio R7 Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 is a 10 megapixel DSLR camera with a difference - it’s currently the only DSLR to offer a free-angle, swivelling LCD screen, Live View mode complete with focusing, metering and white balance adjustments, and Face Detection system. Looking like a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 ultra-zoom compact on the outside, Panasonic have abandoned the retro look and feel of their first DSLR, the L1, and opted for a much more conventional design for the DMC-L10. Based upon the Four Thirds standard, other significant features include the new Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 kit lens, Supersonic Wave Filter system to remove dust from the sensor, and full range of scene and more creative shooting modes. As with the L1, Panasonic have introduced a DSLR camera that is radically different to what’s on offer from the other manufacturers - but should you choose the Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 instead of a DSLR from the likes of Canon, Nikon or Olympus? Mark Goldstein reviewed the Panasonic L10 to find out.

Website: Panasonic Lumix DMC-L10 Review

In anticipation of the Bonfire Night celebrations in the UK this weekend, I’ve trawled the web for the 10 best tips and tutorials on photographing fireworks. You still have a day or so to read through all this great free advice before you head out, so have a read and learn how to take great fireworks photos. Even if you don’t live in the UK, these great tips should come in handy on more than one occasion this year. And after this weekend, when you’ve taken lots of award-winning photos of fireworks displays, make sure to share them in our Gallery.

The winners of the October 2007 PhotographyBLOG Competition have been selected by a panel of judges. The theme for October was “Autumn” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Chertovo Lake by abravorus

Prize: 1 x 24x24” or 24x18” Canvas Print of a Photo of Your Choice
Kindly donated by Photo Artistry.
http://www.photoartistry.co.uk

Announced at the end of August, the new Nikon Coolpix P5100 camera arrives just 6 months after the P5000. Aimed at the enthusiast photographer who wants some control over what the camera is doing, the 12.1 megapixel Nikon P5100 offers Shutter-priority, Aperture-priority, and full Manual shooting modes. There’s a flash hotshoe which accepts external flashguns, 2.5 inch LCD screen combined with an optical viewfinder, optical image stabilization for blur-free images, and a 3.5x zoom lens (35-123mm). Billed as a backup to a DSLR, the Nikon P5100 costs £299.99 / €450 and competes with the likes of the Canon Powershot G9. Gavin Stoker took the Nikon Coolpix P5100 all the way to Japan in the 200th PhotographyBLOG review (!).

Website: Nikon Coolpix P5100 Review

The new Pentax K100D Super is a modest upgrade of the popular K100D camera, with a dust removal system borrowed from the pricier K10D model, SDM (Supersonic Drive Motor) lens support and new fastest ISO speed of 3200. The K100D Super also has an aggressive price tag of less than £400 / $600 (including kit lens). This new version of the K100D is otherwise identical to its predecessor, so do the new features and cheaper price really add up to a Super DSLR? Gavin Stoker found out...

Website: Pentax K100D Super Review

The Fujifilm Finepix F40fd is an 8 megapixel point and shoot compact camera with a 3x optical zoom lens and 2.5 inch LCD screen. Successor to the Finepix F20, which we gave a Highly Recommended award exactly one year ago, the Fujifilm F40fd also adds the ubiquitous Face Detection feature found on virtually all recent cameras, along with a slightly redesigned user interface and sleeker styling. Mark Goldstein found out if the F40fd still has what it takes…

Website: Fujifilm Finepix F40fd Review

The Samsung NV20 is a new 12 megapixel digital compact camera featuring the radical touch-sensitive user interface that debuted on the NV range in 2006. As well as the slight resolution increase, Samsung have also added Face Recognition and an expanded ISO range to their new flagship model. The 2.5 inch LCD screen, 34-102mm, Advanced Shake Reduction mode and stylish black metal body of the NV20 are exactly the same as on the older NV10 camera. So has the Samsung NV20 merely undergone a superficial makeover, or is it a genuine improvement compared to its predecessor? Mark Goldstein battled against the inclement British weather to find out…

Website: Samsung NV20 Review

The Canon Powershot G9 sees the welcome return of the RAW image format to the G-series of prosumer compact digital cameras. Controversially dropped from the previous G7 model, Canon have bowed to customer demand and restored RAW, once again making the Powershot G9 a great backup camera for a DSLR owner, or even a viable alternative. Other new features on the Canon G9 include an upgraded 12.1 megapixel sensor, larger 3 inch LCD screen, and improved Face Detection mode. From the outside the G9 looks virtually identical to the G7, so are there enough internal improvements to make the G9 a worthwhile upgrade? Mark Goldstein took the Canon Powershot G9 for a test-drive to find out…

Website: Canon Powershot G9 Review

The 73rd PhotographyBLOG Portfolio has been submitted by Toby Keller.

“These images encompass my Light Paintings series of long exposure photographs. They were made by the light of the full moon and feature traces of light created by various small powered light sources moving across the image plane.”

Website: Toby Keller

The Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd is the fourth ultra-zoom camera of 2007 to offer an incredible 18x zoom lens, joining the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 and Olympus SP-550 / SP-560 UZ. The S8000fd‘s lens starts at 27mm wide, just beating the 28mm lenses of the Panasonic and Olympus models, and ends at 486mm. There’s a new CCD-shift image stabilisation system to help ensure that your photos are sharp, an essential feature given the huge zoom range on offer, plus an 8 megapixel sensor, 2.7-inch LCD screen, electronic viewfinder, 1cm macro mode and Face Detection. With a retail price of £299 / $399, and a street price of around £225 / $350, the Fujifilm S8000fd is also a little bit cheaper than its rivals. On paper at least the Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd has a feature list that should meet the needs of most photographers, but does it live up to its potential? Carry on reading the world’s first review to find out…

Website: Fujifilm Finepix S8000fd Review

The winners of the September 2007 PhotographyBLOG Competition have been selected by a panel of judges. The theme for September was “Red” - you can view all of the entries in this gallery. Here are the 5 winners:

1st Place
Simply Red by donmac

Prize: ShutterPoint.com one-year subscription with 100Mb of storage space
Kindly donated by ShutterPoint.
http://www.shutterpoint.com

The Canon Digital IXUS 860 IS compact digital camera features a wide-angle 28-105mm zoom lens complete with optical Image Stabilizer to help ensure shake-free photographs. Known as the SD870 IS in the USA, other standout features include a 3.0” PureColor LCD, improved Face Detection Technology and 8 megapixel sensor. Billed as “the photographer’s IXUS” by Canon, the Canon Digital IXUS 860 IS retails for £299 / €449 / $399, but can already be found for a lot less online. Find out why we think this is the best ever IXUS camera by clicking the link below.

Website: Canon Digital IXUS 860 IS Review

The new Canon iPF6100 is a large format printer that uses a 12-colour pigment inkset and can print up to A1 in size. The iPF6100 can produce a borderless A1 glossy print in less than 4 minutes, and incorporates a built-in colour calibration system. A wide colour gamut is offered by the dual-head 12-colour LUCIA II pigment ink system which packs 30,720 nozzles into two 1” print heads. Can the new Canon iPF6100 compete with the likes of the HP Z3100? Jon Canfield found just enough room in his office to test it out.

Website: Canon iPF6100 Review

Our Portfolios section is back! The 72nd PhotographyBLOG Portfolio has been submitted by sh00.

“sh00, 19 year old photographer from France. As an urban exploration fan, I have most of the time a camera with me. All kinds of photos do interest me. More on my photoblog www.sh00.fr, regularly actualized. These pictures have been taken in La Rochelle’s harbor and in Marseille, France.”

Website: sh00

Last week saw the press launch of The Art of Lee Miller exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Curated by Mark Haworth-Booth and sponsored by Olympus, the retrospective marks the centenary of Lee Miller’s birth by bringing together photographs, writings, and art from across her life. We were there to witness this artist of the first electric century…

Website: Lee Miller Exhibition

The Canon PowerShot S5 IS is Canon’s top-of-the-range ultra-zoom compact camera, with an image-stabilized 12x optical zoom lens offering a focal range of 36-432mm, fast aperture range of f/2.7 – f/3.5 and an Ultrasonic Motor for silent auto-focusing. With an external flash hot shoe for use with selected Canon EX Speedlites, chunky hand grip and mode wheel, the S5 IS is very much styled like an entry-level DSLR camera. The 8 megapixel Canon S5 IS also benefits from a versatile 2.5 inch vari-angle LCD screen, Canon’s DIGIC III processor (as used in their range of DSLRs), Face Detection AF/AE/FE and ISO speeds up to a maximum of 1600. There’s a choice of 22 shooting modes, including Manual mode for creative control, and a 0cm Super Macro mode for extreme close-ups! With a recommended price of over £400, the Canon PowerShot S5 IS is competing directly with a lot of budget SLRs, as well as cheaper high-end bridge cameras, so does it offer enough to compete? Gavin Stoker finds out…

Website: Canon PowerShot S5 IS Review