PCWorld.com have just published an interesting article which compares brand-name inkjet cartridges with cheaper third-party ones. I’ve recently tried out some third-party cartridges on my Epson Stylus 890 printer (and experiened clogging problems) - do any of the third-party cartridges in PCWorld.com’s test fare any better?

“Buying third-party ink online can be frustrating. Some retailers’ Web sites don’t identify products by name, only by printer or cartridge compatibility, so getting a steady supply of an ink you like can be a challenge. Computer Friends, whose generic inks are unidentified on its Web site, sent us G&G ink to fill most of our initial order for Epson C82-compatible ink but completed the order later with a different brand.”

Website: PCWorld.com - “Cheap Ink Probed”

London Summer’s Evening #1	London Summer’s Evening #2	London Summer’s Evening #3
London Summer’s Evening #4	London Summer’s Evening #5	London Summer’s Evening #6

I haven’t posted any photos for a while, simply because for one reason or another I haven’t taken any during the last couple of weeks. Last Thursday I managed to get out and about near Westminster. I’ll be the first to admit that these shots have almost certainly been taken by someone else before me, but I’ve never taken them, so here is my take on a couple of well-worn subjects. Using a tripod in the middle of a busy place like the South Bank was an interesting experience. You immediately become the centre of people’s attention, with people commenting “he looks like he knows what he’s doing” and “look at that photographer”. It’s amazing how one piece of equipment can so drastically change peoples’ opinions of you.

New digital cameras are often positively marketed as having more megapixels than rival models. More megapixels, however, might not necessarily be a good thing, as Bob Atkins of Photo.net explains in his latest article, “Size Matters”.

“There’s a lot of attention paid in the digital camera world to pixel count. Cameras are often categorized by the number of pixels they have in their image sensor. However not all pixels are equal and, as in many contexts, size matters!”

Website: Photo.net - “Size Matters”

The Conclusion to my Online Print Services Review has just been posted.

Online Print Services Review - Conclusion

I’m planning to test more online print services in the near future, so if there are any others that you think should be part of the Review, let me know and I’ll add them to the list.

Steve’s Digicams have just published what I think is the World’s first ever review of the HP Photosmart 7960 photo printer, which was only announced last Tuesday.

“Even in this small size on a web page you should be able to easily see how much better the HP 7960 is at printing true black and white than other inkjets. The printer we are comparing here is the 4800-dpi Canon i9100 which is a superb and fast color printer. However the B&W prints that it makes have a decided blue-silver cast to them, especially when compared to the HP 7960’s deep and rich blacks and intermediate grays.”

Website: Steves Digicams - HP Photosmart 7960 Review

Part 7 of my Online Print Services Review has just been posted. I’ve taken a look today at the Epson Stylus 890 inkjet printer, assessing price and print quality, then awarding an overall rating.

Online Print Services Review - Part 7 - Epson Stylus 890

As a reminder, in this new 7 part Review, I’m taking a look at some online print services that operate in the United Kingdom and letting you know what I think about the service and print quality that I’ve received from each one.

I will be posting the overall Conclusion of the Review tomorrow.

In all of the hulabaloo surrounding yesterday’s Sony DSC-f828 announcement, I completely missed this second digital camera from Sony. The new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-U50 is aimed squarely at the hip ‘n’ trendy student market:

“Just in time to capture quick photos of the kids leaving for school or for the students themselves as they gear up for a memorable academic year, Sony’s new pocket-size Cyber-shot? DSC-U50 digital camera is being introduced to make it easier to capture the memories in stylish fashion.

Available in three eye-catching colors (black, silver and metallic orange), the new digital camera features a 180-degree rotating lens that makes it easy to take self-portraits with friends. Its two-megapixel CCD lens and quick power-on capability ensure that both candid and framed shots can be captured and printed with confidence or shared via e-mail.”

Here is Sony’s breakdown of what the Cyber-shot DSC-U50 has to offer:

- Pre-Flash Metering: For capturing a subject with a scenic background under low-light conditions, the camera illuminates the subject and calculates exposure through the lens directly from the CCD for accurate flash metering. Adjustable flash level and red-eye reduction insure great flash shots.

- MPEG Movie Mode (Video only): For those moments when a simple still picture doesn’t capture the entire mood, DSC-U50 camera captures up to 15 seconds of MPEG video (160 x 112 pixel resolution) that are perfect for emailing to family and friends.

- Bright LCD Monitor: For framing a picture accurately, the reflective LCD absorbs and reflects the ambient light through the LCD to improve brightness outdoors.

- Supplied Rechargeable NiMH Batteries: The unit come supplied with Sony’s Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) AAA Stamina batteries with external charger.

- Print Directly to Printers: Via a USB connection, users can print their images directly any PictBridge? compatible printer.

Priced at about $250, the U50 digital camera that is designed for fun will be available online at SonyStyle.com and at retailers nationwide in early October.

Website: Sony Press Release

Michael Reichmann has published a new article, “A Digital Workflow Primer”, which should be an interesting read for both beginner and more advanced digital photographers alike.

“One of the most frequent requests I get from readers is ? can you please explain from start to finish the steps taken in creating a print. What they mean by this is not just what to do first in Photoshop, but the entire creative journey, including the tools used.

With this article I will attempt to do so, but please be aware of two things. Firstly, it’s just one man’s approach. There are a multitude of ways of accomplishing the same or similar tasks, and every photographer will do things somewhat differently.  Secondly, what is described below applies to this specific image. Every photograph is, of course, different. Another image may require different approaches and tools, though what’s shown below is typical of how I work with a non-problem image.”

Website: Luminous Landscape - A Digital Workflow Primer

LTL Imagery is a small business based in Vancouver, Canada, whose website offers a lot of information for the digital photographer. Here are some links to get you started:

- Dynamic Range in Film Scanning

- All About Digital Image Resolution

- Film Scanning Pointers

- Digital Photographic Printing

- Film v Digital

Part 6 of my Online Print Services Review has just been posted. I’ve taken a look today at Jessops, assessing delivery time, packaging, price and print quality, then awarding an overall rating.

Online Print Services Review - Part 6 - Jessops

As a reminder, in this new 7 part Review, I’m taking a look at some online print services that operate in the United Kingdom and letting you know what I think about the service and print quality that I’ve received from each one.

I will post samples from the Espson Stylus 890 inkjet printer and the overall conclusion of the Review during the wekend.

The recent rumours have turned out to be true, as Sony have today announced their new flagship digital camera, the Sony DSC-F828.

Website: Sony DSC-F828 Press Release

“Expert photographers know that image quality goes beyond pixel resolution, and with today’s new product announcement from Sony Electronics, they will soon find a digital camera that measures up to their discerning eye by exceeding the capabilities of current technology.

The latest model (DSC-F828) in Sony’s popular line of Cyber-shot? F-series enthusiast cameras represents the next level of digital still photography, which these enthusiasts will surely appreciate. With its lens-centric design, the new camera is encased in a black, magnesium alloy body, and is the first to incorporate Sony’s recently announced four-color filter CCD technology and Real Imaging Processor?.”

Here is Sony’s breakdown of what the F828 has to offer:

- Resolution: Sony’s 8.0-megapixel CCD image sensor provides the Cyber-shot DSC F828 camera with a maximum image size of 3360 x 2460, equating into 11 x 17-inch prints at 200 dpi or 8.5 x 11-inch prints at 300 dpi.

- Optics: The new camera features a Carl Zeiss? Vario-Sonnar? T* 7X zoom lens (28 - 280mm, 35mm equivalent) with manual zoom for greater framing control, to fully extract the performance of the 8.0-megapixel CCD sensor.

- Five-Area Multi-Point Auto Focus: The camera evaluates five separate areas of the frame and intelligently focuses on the subject, displaying the selected focus point, or the user can choose any of the five points for manual control.

- NightShot? Infrared System: Enables the camera to capture infrared images in total darkness at a distance of up to 15 feet.

- NightFraming System: To capture crisp images in low or no light, this feature illuminates the subject with the NightShot system for proper framing, focuses with Hologram AF? illuminator and lights the scene with the appropriate amount of flash.

- Image File Formats: In addition to JPEG and TIFF formats, the camera supports Sony’s RAW format, which allows the photographer to change the parameters of an image (e.g., white balance and color depth). Software will be included for converting RAW files.

- Video Recording: MPEG-VX Fine mode records video at 640 x 480 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second, up to the capacity of the storage device, for TV-quality video.

- Bundled Accessories: The camera comes with an InfoLithium? M battery, AC adapter/in-camera charger, A/V output cable, USB cable, lens hood, shoulder strap and lens cap.

In addition to all that, the F828 has a Type I/II compact flash slot (MicroDrive compatible), as well as Memory Stick Pro, which in itself is a radical departure for Sony, whose digital cameras have always used the proprietary memory stick format.

The Cyber-shot DSC-F828 camera will be available in mid-November with a suggested price of about ?900 / $1,200 / ?1299. The DSC-F717 model will continue to be available at about $800.

As usual there are already a large number of first looks, previews, hands-on tests and news articles. Here’s a summary of the best ones:

Website: A Digital Eye

Website: DP-Now

Website: DPReview

Website: Imaging Resource

Website: LetsGoDigital

Website: Steves Digicams

Steve’s Digicams have reviewed the 4.1 megapixel Kodak EasyShare DX6440, which has a 4X Schneider 33 - 132mm zoom lens and retails for around $400.

“With a four megapixel imager, a super-sharp Schneider Kreuznach Variogon 4X optical zoom lens, and lots of manual control, Kodak have positioned the EasyShare DX6440 at the high- end of their consumer digital camera product line. In addition to the advanced features desired by experienced amateur photographers, it includes automatic and scene modes which allow novices to achieve the same excellent results. “

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Kodak EasyShare DX6440 Review

PhotographyBLOG visitor Alex King has let me know about a new photography software program that he has written. Photos 4 is a web based application for managing (storing, cataloging and retrieving) digital photos, and is aimed at anyone who is comfortable installing and configuring PHP & MySQL and wants to manage their digital photos.

Website: Photos 4

Canon has launched a new service that offers online ordering of lab-quality photo prints for all CANON iMAGE GATEWAY (CiG) members in the UK. Since its launch on 27th January 2003, the CiG site has attracted and registered over 31,000 members. Statistics collected so far show that the U.K. boasts the largest number of members. At present, statistics show that Canon Digital IXUS V3 owners are the most likely customers to visit and use the site.

“Canon, leader in photographic and imaging technology, is pleased to announce the UK launch of its new Print Fulfilment Service, which enables Canon (UK) digital camera customers to order prints online via the CANON iMAGE GATEWAY (CiG) portal. Canon has appointed A-One-M, a specialist photo-print laboratory and distribution house to print and distribute the photographs. The service will be extended to other European countries in the near future.

The Service is exclusive to CiG members who gain site membership, and 100MB of free storage space, by purchasing any of the latest Canon compact digital still cameras or digital SLRs.  Photos are held in intuitive member-defined albums, which can be shared online at the member?s discretion. The Print Fulfilment Service allows users to select either whole albums or individual photographs for printing, and define variables such as number of copies, print size, cropping/image centering and media type before submitting their order.  If the image resolution of a selected photograph is too low for the enlargement size requested, the CiG image gateway generates a warning before submitting the order.  Payment is by credit card and prints are delivered by post within two working days.”

Website: CANON iMAGE GATEWAY

A few days ago I posted this story about the Sony DSC F-828, complete with a photograph of the new camera. That seems to have been a bit of a hoax, however, as this new posting over at DPReview shows. Someone has posted an excerpt from the August edition of the French magazine “R?ponses photos”. It looks like the F-828 will have the world’s first 8 megapixel CCD in a compact digital camera, together with Sony’s new sensor featuring the extra emerald colour sensor, and an impressive 28-200mm f/2-2.8 lens.

Of course, it goes without saying that this could all be an elaborate hoax as well…

Website: DPReview- Sony Forums

Part 5 of my Online Print Services Review has just been posted. I’ve taken a look today at Bonusprint, assessing delivery time, packaging, price and print quality, then awarding an overall rating.

Online Print Services Review - Part 5 - Bonusprint

As a reminder, in this new 7 part Review, I’m taking a look at some online print services that operate in the United Kingdom and letting you know what I think about the service and print quality that I’ve received from each one. I’ll be posting further updates to this Review throughout this week, so stay tuned.

The websites Digital Photography Now and photo-i.co.uk have both taken an in-depth look at the new No.59 Black and White Ink Cartridge from HP, which was announced earlier in the week. This cartridge will be compatible with most of the new printers that HP are about to introduce, including the top-of-the-range HP Photosmart 7960.

This is what DP-Now editor Ian Burley has to say in his 4-page article about the No.59 cartridge:

“HP’s new No.59 ink cartridge really does make the job of producing consistently neutral black and white prints easy without having to resort to complicated printer profiling. Indeed, I’m so impressed by the results I have seen, I’d recommend professionals to look at this offering from HP if they are looking for saleable quality professional mono printing, even though HP is not targeting the pro market here. HP even confidently answers some challenges when it comes to print longevity.”

Website: DP-Now

Website: photo-i

Steve’s Digicams have reviewed the 3.2 megapixel, fixed lens Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P32, which currently retails for around $230.

“The Cyber-shot P32 is a compact 3.2-megapixel digicam that delivers good images. It’s the little brother of the DSC-P72 and DSC-P52. The DSC-P32 has no optical zoom. The DSC-P52 features a 2x optical zoom lens and the DSC-P72 has a 3x zoom and a Smart Zoom. The Smart Zoom is a new feature for these cameras and is usable at 2.0M resolution or less. I was surprised to find that this feature worked exceptionally well. The pictures created with Smart Zoom did not exhibit the usual “enlarged-jaggies” that we see from all the other digital zoom cameras out there.”

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P32 Review

Steve’s Digicams have reviewed the 2 megapixel Canon PowerShot A60, which currently sells for around $200.

“The bottom line, this is an excellent camera for those who just want to take good pictures without much fuss—but it’s also for those that want more than just a fully automatic point-n-shoot.”

Website: Steve’s Digicams - Canon PowerShot A60 Review

DPReview have reviewed another entry-level digital camera, this time Phil takes his usual in-depth look at the 3.2 megapixel Canon PowerShot A70.

“The A70 is such an easy to use camera you can drop it into the hand of a pure beginner and they will be off taking excellent images. Later they will want to begin to experiment, the A70 provides control of ISO sensitivity, exposure (aperture priority, shutter priority or manual) as well as manual focus. These are all things we don’t normally expect to see on an entry level digital camera.”

Website: DPReview - Canon PowerShot A70 Review