ByteSector.com have reviewed the 3-megapixel Olympus Stylus 300 Digital, a compact digital camera that is positioned in what Olympus call their “Stylish” category.

“The Stylus 300 makes it easy to take pictures anytime, anywhere. We found that this camera is a great unit for point and shoot photos, but it does not give the user much control over advanced options such as aperture size and shutter speed. The camera produces clear, crisp photos each and every time. We again found that the Stylus 300 does not capture audio while in movie mode. This is a fairly huge downside for this camera since many point and shoot photographers would like to take video clips.”

Website: ByteSector.com - Olympus Stylus 300 Digital Review

ByteSector.com have posted a review of the 5-megapixel Olympus CAMEDIA C-50 Zoom digital camera.

“The C-50 Zoom digital still camera is a great camera for any photographer. It provides a fair amount of control over the end result (the photo). The largest downside is the lack of audio capture in movie mode. Many other cameras come with this feature, but not the Olympus C-50 Zoom. With the amount of control this camera gives, we can fairly conclude that this is not a point and shoot camera that an amateur photographer will go out and purchase.”

Website: ByteSector.com - Olympus C-50 Zoom Review

Steves Digicams have reviewed the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 digital camera, which should be in your local photography shop now.

“Packing a 5-megapixel imager into a sleek body weighing only 6.3 ounces including memory and battery, the SONY DSC-T1 sets a new standard for image resolution per ounce. Considering its stylish body, 3x optical zoom lens and a 640x480 30 frame per second movie mode with sound, the T1 sets a new benchmark for fun factor per ounce as well. Its Automatic exposure mode will appeal to beginners needing the ease of use of a point-n-shoot, while its Program and Scene modes provide features desired by intermediate photographers.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 Review

The UK website Photo-i, run by Vincent Oliver, has just completed its interactive review of the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer.

“The R800 is for the creative photographer who wants the highest quality pigment ink printer currently available. I hope Epson don’t leave it too long before they introduce a larger format printer using the new UltraChrome inks and Gloss Optimizer. Wouldn’t it be nice if the delay on the 4000 printer was due to a re-design to incorporate the new inks. All we need now is the announcement of the Epson Stylus Pro 2300 - just wishful thinking.”

The R800 printer, which uses UltraChrome pigment inks, will cost $399 and will ship in February 2004. Cartridges will cost ?11.90 each and ?6.35 for the Gloss Optimizer cartridge (inc. VAT).

Website: Photo-i - Epson Stylus Photo R800 Interactive Review

Website: Read my review of the Epson Stylus Photo R800

Fujifilm FinePix S7000 Zoom: Possible power adjustment required for cameras manufactured prior to 15 December 2003

Fujifilm today announced that a number of early FinePix S7000 Zoom digital cameras may experience battery power depletion when used with some CompactFlash(tm) memory cards.

Fujifilm has already made the required internal modifications to cameras manufactured after 15 December 2003, and is no longer supplying affected units. However, the company advises that a limited number of cameras produced prior to this date were released to the UK market and may encounter this problem.

The nature of the fault is as follows:
Where certain CompactFlash(tm) cards are used within particular S7000s (see below), the batteries may exhaust fully in approximately 18 hours, whether or not the camera is in use.

This fault does not occur when the S7000 is used with either an xD-Picture Card(tm) or a Microdrive(tm), nor does it occur in any other Fujifilm products that offer a CompactFlash(tm) storage facility, such as the FinePix S2 Pro, S602, S602 Pro or M603 Zoom.

Cameras with serial numbers above 34L60001 (inclusive) were produced after 15 December 2003 and therefore will definitely not experience this battery drain problem.

In the short term, the problem can be avoided by unloading then re-loading the batteries just after the camera is switched off. The camera’s power supply will then perform normally.

Fujifilm is offering a priority replacement of the part / camera on affected units.  Naturally, this service is free and prioritised, and the camera will be picked up and returned by Fujifilm.  Customers can telephone 01234 245383 or email [email protected] to arrange collection of the camera.

In addition, Fujifilm will be pleased to carry out an assessment on any cameras purchased outside the UK, providing that the user is resident in the UK.

Explanation of power supply depletion
Some CompactFlash(tm) cards incorporate a large capacity condenser in the card. When the camera is switched off, the camera automatically discharges the condenser, but cannot fully discharge the large capacity condenser. The remaining charge in the card automatically switches on the internal electric circuit in the camera. Therefore, even if the camera is switched off, the battery is drained of power.

Adrian Clarke, Director of Consumer Products, Fujifilm UK, commented, “Fujifilm would like to apologise to anyone affected by this problem, but would like to assure customers that the issue has been resolved quickly. We would like to thank our customers for their continued support of our products, and should there be any cause for concern regarding the FinePix S7000 Zoom, we would encourage them to call the number quoted for more information.”

Last week’s issue of the UK magazine Amateur Photographer, which costs ?1.99 from your local newsagents in the UK, contained a review of the Nikon Coolscan V ED film scanner. The Coolscan V ED has a true optical resolution of 4,000 dpi and 14-bit A/D input conversion. It scored 91% and this is how the reviewer, Damien Demolder, summed it up:

“This really is a very good film scanner with both speed and accuracy on its side. I am not sure why we cannot scan more than one slide at a time, but if you can live with that you will be very pleased with this machine. Its scanning accuracy acknowledges the qualities of your camera lens, the performance of your exposure system and the finite characteristics of your favourite film. It can return what you feed it with nothing added and very little taken away - and that is how film scanners should behave.”

The Nikon Coolscan V ED costs around ?550 and is available in shops now.

Website: Amateur Photographer

Last week’s issue of the UK magazine Amateur Photographer, which costs ?1.99 from your local newsagents in the UK, contained a review of the highly anticipated Epson Stylus Photo R800 printer. The R800 scored 91% and this is what the reviewer, Damien Demolder, had to say about it:

“I am pleased with the detail this machine can produce, the way it puts down the tonal changes as smoothly as I recorded them, and that if there is grain in my film scans I can see it in the prints. In short, I like this printer very much. I am almost prepared to forgive it the time that it takes to print muy pictures to A4, but perhaps that would be going a step too far. I recommedn this printer as it is now, but if it could double or quadruple its speed I would tell you that you must go out and buy one. The finish is great, the colour is great, the detail is all there, plus it is easy to use and the prints seem to be durable. What more could you ask for - apart from A3?”

The R800 printer, which uses UltraChrome pigment inks, will cost $399/?299 and will ship in February 2004.

Website: Amateur Photographer

The winner of the 8th PhotographyBLOG Photo of the Week contest is ilach with the entry “Glimpse of Tao…”. There are no prizes as such for this contest, but the winning photo is displayed on the PhotographyBLOG homepage for a week, and the winner can display the Photo of the Week logo on their website if they wish.

The 9th Photo of the Week contest is now open. This is a weekly photography challenge where you decide who the winner is by voting for your favourite photos. It’s an open contest with no set theme and you can enter as many photos as you like.

LetsGoDigital have reviewed the 4 megapixel EasyShare DX6490 digital camera, a digital camera which features a 10x optical zoom lens (38-380mm focal length). The Kodak EasyShare DX6490 has a suggested retail price of ?399.99.

“When we take a look at the total EasyShare concept, camera, docking station and printer station, we may say that it is a thoroughly thought through and effective concept. The EasyShare CX6490 is a camera that performs great within the concept and puts down the base for a new generation of high quality digital cameras. The camera has put the bar higher and aims at the advanced user.”

Website: LetsGoDigital - Kodak EasyShare DX6490 Review

Well, the New Year has got off to a great start (not!) as my PC is experiencing more problems. After last week’s failure to boot up Windows, which was rectified by copying the system files from a floppy disk via DOS, my PC now seems to have some kind of mechanical failure. It starts to boot up into Windows, but then there’s a high-pitched noise, the hard drive stops spinning and the system shuts itself down. It has loaded Windows successfully a couple of times, but not for long. I’m guessing that the hard drive has some sort of physical damage and needs replacing, but as always there’s some data that I need to retrieve.

I’m writing this on a really, really old laptop, which is no fun at all I can tell you. If you’ve emailed me in the last couple of days, please bear with me as I try to get everything working again…

Mike Johnston’s Sunday Morning Photographer column discusses the thorny issue of photography and getting paid to do it.

“So here’s the upshot. I’m gonna keep writing “The Sunday Morning Photographer,” but only as long as I get to write about what I want to and say whatever I please. I’m being selfish, yes, but also practical. If I have to write on assignment every week, I’m afraid I’d lose interest. I’m not always right, and I’m not always interesting, and I’m not always writing about the things the majority of people want to read about, if we were to take a poll. But I find the freedom and the independence to be priceless. If everybody pays a few cents, then I can get compensated a little and also continue being a free agent. Sounds like it should work, don’t you think?”

Website: Sunday Morning Photographer: Working For Pay

Steves Digicams have published their review of the Epson R300M photo printer, which offers convenient and innovative features such as printing directly onto the surface of ink jet printable CDs and DVDs, and being able to print photos with or without a computer. The EPSON Stylus Photo R300M includes a 2.5” color preview monitor for viewing and selecting images before printing them.

“The bottom line - this is a good printer for day-to-day printing tasks as well as producing excellent photo-quality prints. The R300M can function as a photo printer and a high-speed, multi-format card reader when connected to the USB 2.0 port on the host computer. It’s affordable with an MSRP of only $229, just remember that the cost of special papers and ink cartridges can often add up to more than the price of the printer. We are pleased to see that Epson is now using the separate ink cartridges in their lower priced printers. Speedwise the R300M isn’t as fast as competing Canon photo printers, they are still the fastest inkjet printers we’ve tested yet.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Epson Stylus Photo R300M Review

DPReview have posted an extensive 21 page review of the 8-megapixel Sony Cybershot DSC-F828 digital compact camera.

“Where the F828 starts to disappoint is image quality, many observers had concerns about the very small pixel pitch of the camera’s eight million pixel sensor knowing that it would most likely lead to noisier images but what we weren’t prepared for were chromatic aberrations. This came as a surprise especially considering the F828’s lens carries not only the Carl Zeiss name but also the ‘T*’ notation indicating the use of special lens coatings. So in reality the F828’s biggest issue becomes chromatic aberrations, with noise a second place.”

Website: DPReview - Sony DSC-F828 Review

The Danish website Akamera.dk have published their review of one of the more popular consumer digicams, the 4-megapixel Canon PowerShot A80, which sells for around $399.

Website: Akamera.dk - Canon Powershot A80 Review

The winners of the December 2003 PhotographyBLOG Competition have now been decided. The theme for December was “Night” - you can view all of the 42 entries in this gallery.

The panel of 4 judges thought long and hard before deciding on the three winners:

1st Place
“Potsdamer Platz Berlin ” by tamos
View this entry

Judges Comments:
“Great example of a traffic light trails shot combined with an interesting angle and building in the background.”

“Very vibrant and colourful night photo that sums up the city very well.”

Prize: 1 copy of Digital Photography Captured Volume 1, kindly donated by KnowledgeTrek.
http://www.knowledgetrek.com

2nd Place
“Night” by P-F
View this entry

Judges Comments:
“A wonderfully dynamic image that has a sense of humor. The vibrating green neon shape is a sci-fi counterpoint to the incongruous Hooters sign.”

“It’s the sense of movement that made this image stand out from the other entries.”

Prize: 1 copy of Picasa, kindly donated by Picasa Inc.
http://www.picasa.net

3rd Place
“The Cancer” by shanelavalette
View this entry

Judges Comments:
“Who knows what is going on in this photo?! Has a very ominous air about it. Great title and description too.”

“The power of this image lies more in what you can’t see than what you can.”

Prize: 1 copy of Photos on CD and DVD 2.0 Deluxe, kindly donated by FastTrak Software.
http://www.fasttrak.com

Congratulations to the winners and thanks to everyone who took part. The judges commented on the high standard of entries, saying that it was difficult to choose just 3 photos from the 42 that were submitted.

Imaging Resource have confirmed the rumours by publishing a news story that more than hints at a number of 8 megapixel digital cameras being released in the next 6 months, hot on the heels of the Sony DSC-F828.

“As always at this time of year, we’re under NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) with essentially all the major digicam manufacturers. We know a lot of what’s coming over roughly the next 6 months, but can’t breathe a word of it to anyone.

Well, almost. While we can’t say anything about any individual manufacturer’s plans, it certainly doesn’t violate anything that we’ve signed to observe that 2004 is going to be the year of the 8 megapixel prosumer digicam.”

Website: Imaging Resource - NDA report: The 8 megapixels are coming!

ePhotoZine have reviewed the Reflecta DigitDia 3600 film scanner, which is capable of scanning 100 mounted slides at once!

“For a scanner costing over ?500, the DigitDia 3600 produces scan quality slightly below what we’d expect. Weak points include unsatisfactory dynamic range, slight image noise and lack of sharpness. The most noticeable of these points is the scanner’s inability to finely capture the darkest parts of a slide and at the other end of the dynamic range we also found some highlight details being blown out.”

Website: ePhotoZine - Reflecta DigitDia 3600 Review

It’s official - Adobe Photoshop CS automatically prevents you from making copies of world currencies. Adobe have added technology to it’s market-leading image-editing application that generates a warning message when someone tries to make digital copies of some currencies. Many users are now wondering what else is built into Photoshop CS that Adobe haven’t made public…

“Adobe Systems Inc. acknowledged on Friday it quietly added technology to the world’s best-known graphics software at the request of government regulators and international bankers to prevent consumers from making copies of the world’s major currencies.

The technology was designed recently by the Central Bank Counterfeit Deterrence Group, a consortium of 27 central banks in the United States, England, Japan, Canada and across the European Union, where there already is a formal proposal to require all software companies to include similar anti-counterfeit technology.”

Website: Miami Herald - Adobe Helped Gov’t Fight Counterfeiting

A-Digital-Eye have been providing some excellent coverage of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, over the last couple of days, including 3 reports with photos of photography-related products. It’s one thing reading all the press releases, but it’s also good to see the products “in the flesh”. Click the links below to actually see what has been announced at CES 2004.

Website: A-Digital-Eye

Website: A-Digital-Eye - CES Photo Gallery 1

Website: A-Digital-Eye - CES Photo Gallery 2

Website: A-Digital-Eye - CES Photo Gallery 3

Some more shots from the winter garden shoot…

View more Winter photos