Steves Digicams have reviewed the Samsung L77 digital camera, which offers a 7x internal optical zoom lens equivalent to 38-266mm, a 7 megapixel sensor and 2.5 inch LCD screen.

“Image quality was ok. While most of our samples are sharp, and show good exposure and color balance, I did see above average amounts of barrel distortion and chromatic aberrations. The internal 7x optical zoom lens offers much more versatility over the typical 3x zoom on most consumer compacts. Covering an equivalent zoom range of 38 - 266mm, it favors the telephoto end, however the 38mm wide angle extreme will afford decent interior and landscape photos.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Samsung L77 Review

ThinkCamera have reviewed the new Olympus E-410 DSLR camera.

“And then there’s Live View. The preview system offers a live feed from the Olympus E-410’s sensor, overlaid with an optional histogram, depth of field preview, grid screen, cross hairs… the works. It slows down operation, as the mirror needs to flip down occasionally to control autofocus, and this introduces an ‘interesting’ klack-klack sound to the proceedings. Nevertheless, it’s a useful addition to the DSLR arsenal and one that’s hard to live without once you are used to it.”

Website: ThinkCamera - Olympus E-410 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-410 Review

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

1st Place
In The Garden by Bridget

Prize: 1 copy of Powerretouche Full Pro Pack
Kindly donated by Powerretouche.
http://powerretouche.com

JPEG XR is the tentative name for a brand new JPEG format from Microsoft. Formerly referred to as the HD Photo file format, Microsoft have now submitted it to the Joint Photographic Expert Group (JPEG). If approved, JPEG XR will offer better image fidelity, higher image compression efficiency and flexible editing features. “Microsoft is very pleased that the JPEG working group is considering HD Photo as a new standard and we are committed to working cooperatively with JPEG and its affiliated standards organizations” said Tom Robertson, General Manager of Interoperability and Standards, Microsoft.

ScanCafé ProZone is a new photo scanning and restoration service aimed at pro photographers. Support for TIFF format, USB hard drive delivery, scanning resolution at 4000 dpi and personal account managers are offered. “We encourage photographers and hobbyists to test out ScanCafé and let us know what they think. If we aren’t the easiest, most time and money saving scanning service out there, let us know what we need to do to get there.” said Sam Allen, CEO of ScanCafé.

The BenQ E1000 digital camera features a 10 megapixel sensor, 3 inch LCD screen and 3x zoom lens. A full range of P/Av/Tv/M modes are offered, along with a Face-Tracking function and ISO speeds up to 1600. Availability of the E1000 varies from region to region. The BenQ E1000 will be first available in China in August.

The Canon CP520 is a new dye-sublimation thermal transfer compact photo printer. Quietly introduced by Canon Japan, the CP520 can print a postcard sized photo in 58 seconds. The stylish Canon CP520 offers print resolution of 300 x 300 dpi and weighs just 915g.

Website: Canon CP520 Product Page

The Fujifilm Z-Inspiration photo contest invites you to enter original photos inspired by the letter “Z”. Photographers of all levels aged 18-25 can upload their entries by August 31, 2007. Four winners will win a VIP trip to New York City to attend the FinePix Z10fd Launch Party in October. The trip will include $500 spending money, a NYC Helicopter tour and 2 Fujifilm FinePix Z10fd digital cameras.

Imaging Resource have reviewed the new Olympus E-410 DSLR camera.

“So it’s a mixed bag. Easy to use, great design, perfect size, nice features, good lens; but sometimes getting a good shot is harder than it should be. I hesitate to recommend the E-410 to the rank amateur, because I think too many of their images will be disappointing, especially indoors or in shadow. I do think it’s a good choice for those who need the smallest camera possible, and don’t mind tinkering with camera settings, and tweaking pictures after.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus E-410 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-410 Review

DPReview have reviewed the Leica M8 digital rangefinder camera, which has a 10 megapixel sensor, focal factor of 1.33x and an ISO range of 160-2500.

“Thankfully Leica made the great decision not to have an anti-alias filter on the M8, this means that the sensor can capture every last ounce of detail from those ultra sharp lenses, and as long as you’re shooting RAW you’ll be able to see that very clearly in the images.”

Website: DPReview - Leica M8 Review

DigitalCameraInfo have reviewed the GE G1 digital camera, which features a 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD screen and 7 megapixels.

“The GE G1 sells for a budget-friendly $199, but it isn’t worth it. Pictures in bright light were often overexposed, and it was nearly impossible to see anything on the LCD screen because of the horrible glare. Images in low light were either speckled with noise or infused with unnatural lighting from the flash. The GE G1 is one of the lowest priced digital cameras in the trendy ultra-slim market, but there are cameras that take better pictures for less.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - GE G1 Review

We’ve published 25 photos taken with the new Canon Digital IXUS 75 compact digital camera. The 7 megapixel Canon Digital IXUS 75 (also known as the PowerShot SD750) has a metallic finish, 3x zoom lens and 3 inch LCD screen. Take a look at our Canon Digital IXUS 75 photos, with the full review to follow soon.

Website: Canon Digital IXUS 75 Photos

Canon has released a new firmware update, version 1.1.0, for the EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera. This firmware update incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

  * Improves the look of images when played back on the LCD monitor.
  * Fixes a problem in the operation of the dials (Main, Quick Control, Vertical-grip Main).
  * Reduces the tendency to autofocus on the background instead of the main subject when shooting in AI Servo AF under certain conditions.
  * Corrects errors in the Italian and Simplified Chin1.ese menu screens.
  * Fixes a rare phenomenon in which the camera cannot start normally when the battery is inserted. (Version 1.0.9 only)

Website: Canon EOS-1D Mark III Version 1.1.0 Firmware Update

Panasonic have unveiled plans for a 8GB Pro High Speed SD memory card. Offering the fastest Class 6 Speed specification which guarantees minimum data transfer speed of 6MB/s, the Panasonic 8GB SD card will be available in September for $159.99. Panasonic is also planning to introduce a 16GB model later this year.

KammaGamma.com is a new digital photography website which focuses on the image quality of DSLR cameras. “There are many photographers who do not fully understand how their DSLR cameras really work or which RAW software has better image processing algorithms. We aim to change that.” said Max Penson, editor and author of KammaGamma.com.

Best4Reviews.com is a user-friendly online buyers guide covering everything that a consumer can buy. The site offers clear, concise consumer advice on a wide range of innovative products. New members have a chance of winning a Wacom Graphire 4 classic pen tablet during the Best4Reviews launch period.

The-Digital-Picture have reviewed the new Canon EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera.

“The Canon EOS 1D Mark III AI Servo AF accuracy problem: When using a telephoto lens on a bright, hot sunny day with an at-least-slightly backlit subject, AI Servo focus accuracy drops to very low. I used a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens most extensively during testing but also noticed the problem with a Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens when shooting soccer under the same conditions. If you must have higher hit rates in these conditions, you should probably keep a Canon EOS 1D Mark II N in your kit until Canon works out this issue.”

Website: The-Digital-Picture - Canon EOS-1D Mark III Review

PopPhoto have reviewed the new Canon S5 IS ultra-zoom compact camera, which features a 12x optical zoom lens equivalent to 36-432mm, optical image stabilizer and 8 megapixel sensor.

“The Canon PowerShot S5 IS feels good in the hand, whether shooting with the EVF or using the LCD viewfinder. For long-reach photography, we strongly recommend using the EVF and a two-handed grip to ensure stability, even with Optical Image Stabilization activated. We were able to achieve acceptably sharp images at full telephoto just over three full stops below the reciprocal focal length when shooting in this style—1/50 second on a 435mm lens.”

Website: PopPhoto - Canon S5 IS Review

Website: Read our Canon PowerShot S5 IS Review

DigitalCameraInfo have reviewed the Olympus E-510 DSLR camera, which features a built-in image stabiliser in the camera body. The E510 also has a new image processing engine that offers excellent noise performance and 3fps with a seven image RAW buffer in burst mode.

“Olympus made a concerted effort to keep its costs down on the EVOLT E-510. It nixed the folding LCD that was on the E-330 citing cost as the reason. The manufacturer claimed that its audience wouldn’t pay for a camera that cost more than a thousand dollars. Thus, the Olympus E-510’s retail price hovers at $999 for the two-lens kit. The body alone sells for $799 and the single lens kit sells for $899.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Olympus E-510 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-510 Review

Imaging Resource have reviewed the Nikon Coolpix L11 digital camera, which offers 6 megapixels, 2.4 inch LCD screen, 3x zoom lens (37.5-112.5mm), maximum ISO of 800 and a choice of 16 Scene modes.

“The virtue of this well-balanced compact camera is its simplicity. You could hand this to anyone and they’d be able to take pictures, video or record a voice memo. They’d know just how to hold it and which button to press to get a picture. Slide the Mode switch and they could take movies. And show them the Scene mode for a Voice Memo and they’d be able to record their thoughts, too. As a bonus, it offers several key Nikon technologies, including Face-Priority Auto Focus, that are really quite useful. It’s a nice little package, a real camera, at a very affordable price.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Nikon Coolpix L11 Review