Archive for January, 2008

After the announcement of the Pentax K20D, Samsung imemdiately rushed its own version under the name of Samsung GX-20. There is no surprise here since the contracts/agreements between Pentax and Samsung allow them to share the 14.6MP CMOS sensor developped by Samsung and to produce cameras that are essentially identical: same electronic hardware, slightly different body, distinct JPEG algorithms, menus adapted to each brand.

Finally, the announcement that we were expecting from Canon for today (in preparation of next week’s PMA) is about a low-cost consumer D-SLR camera: Canon EOS 450D.

The most significant features are:

• 12.2 MP CMOS sensor
• Improved 9-zone AF system
• Continuous shooting at 3.5fps for up to 53 JPEG (6 RAW)
• Spot metering
• 14 bit A/D image processing
• Highlight Tone Priority (feature borrowed from EOS 40D)
• Auto Lighting Optimiser (improves the shadows in the image)
• 3.0″ LCD monitor
• Live view mode, suported by contrast-detect AF
• Larger viewfinder
• Redesigned menus (including My Menu as seen in EOS 40D)
• New, larger, higher capacity battery
• SD/SDHC Flash cards
• New battery grip (BG-E5)

If you add the price to these features ($799 for the body only, or $899 for a kit with the 18-55mm stabilised zoom lens) , you get a camera that should be aptly located on the market. Not a revolution, not an Earth-shake, but a solid contender to give pleasure to many amateur photographers adept of the association of ease of use and performance, without the hassle of the complexity of an EOS 40D and its price.

Sources:

• DP review
• DP review brief hands-on
• PhotographyBLOG

First, here comes the Pentax K20D at the high end of the market:

• DP Review
• DP Review brief hands-on
• PhotographyBLOG
• Photos K20D @ PhotographyBLOG
• PopPhoto

Then comes the Pentax K200D, for a less expensive price point:

• DP Review
• PhotographyBLOG

Simultaneously, they also announce a batch of high-end lenses to add to the already interesting line of Pentax lenses for their photo reflex cameras.

• Press Release
• 200mm f/2.8 (Specifications @ DP Review)
• 300mm f/4 (Specifications @ DP Review)
• 35mm f/2.8 Macro (Specifications @ DP Review)
• 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 (Specifications @ DP Review)
• 55-300 f/4-5.8 (Specifications @ DP Review

I always thought that our neighbours of the United Kingdom could be stranger than most aliens (not people from other countries, but beings from outer space, mind you). Now, according to the Sun, Brit women find more relaxing to go surfing the web (18%) than having sex (7%).

You’re free to find the reasons why.

The new Samsung 14.6 mega-pixel sensor will be found in the new Pentax K20D. Probably a pretty good camera to be seen at the next PMA.

Source: DPR.

PhotographyBlog is wondering whether Sony’s promise to add some more new product in PMA next week will bring us a new D-SLR (either the entry-level Alpha 300 or the flasgship high-end Alpha 900).

We’ll see.

One of many optical illusion-based paintings from Bev Doolittle.

Click on the thumbnail image to enlarge it

My photo is just Ok, but it’s not as nice as the one from Rémy Robin, hereafter, which I thank for allowing me to present it here:

Copyright Rémy Robin - All rights reserved
Click on the thumbnail image to enlarge it

Orange-backed Troupial (Icterus croconotus, Troupiale orange). Brazil, 2007.

Just found on the net, a group of photos of what could be the next D-SLR from Sony: the Sony Alpha 300.

Update: this last image is of the Sony Alpha 200 and
absolutely NOT of a possible Sony Alpha 300 (in the previous photos).

I will try to find more about this.

Source: EK-gadgets.

Actually, Palm users were waiting for the release of a Vista-compatible version of the Palm desktop software (companion to the Palm PDA). Here it comes now under the cute name of version 6.2.

Download from Palm web site.

Some Amazon stores are showing accessories compatible with the yet-announced Canon EOS 450D. The speculation is going fast knowing that it is the rumoured replacement for the entry-level D-SLR of Canon. But these Amazon stores are only slightly more regulated than eBay. It is probably only store owner trying to attract visitors.

Click on the thumbnail image to enlarge it

Hummingbirds are awfully difficult to shoot in a photo: They move fast, they never stay put, they’re small. But they are so beautiful.

Brazilian Ruby (Clytolaema rubricauda, Colibri rubis-émeraude). Brazil, 2007.