Digital Camera Fiend - A Camera Review

Sony’s new Cybershot DSC H9 might not be a bad choice for families with budding athletes. The 8-megapixel digital camera was certainly built with the legions of soccer moms and dads in mind.

Sony debuts its new advanced sports shooting mode in the H9, and its other new Cybershot offering, the H7 (same camera, just a smaller LCD screen).

“This mode combines high shutter speed shooting and intelligent continuous auto-focusing,” according to a Sony rep.

The coolest part about this feature is that the camera can predict and focus in on where fast-moving subjects will be in the frame. That means you’ll see a lot less blur in your photos of junior racing towards the ball.

The H9 follows in some heady footsteps of earlier models of the Cybershot H-series–the Cybershot H2 and Cybershot H5.

Sony has improved on these earlier classics. The H9 has an amazing 15x optical zoom lens (blows the 12x threshold away), face identification (if your camera doesn’t have this technology, chances are it’s outdated), a 3-inch flip-up LCD screen, a 1/4000 shutter speed, movie mode with sound, and high-definition outputs.

That means you can view and share your photos or videos on an HDTV set and get the full high-definition effect. The Sony VMC-MHC1 HD component cable, which retails for about $40.
The Sony Cybershot DSC-H9 is no small camera, even though it technically falls under the category of “compact digital camera,” so you might not enjoy lugging it around. But if you’re not quite ready for the DSLRs yet still want impressive zoom and other capabilities, it won’t disappoint.

The Boulevard at Dusk, originally uploaded by thepres6.

A snapshot of classic Americana. There are so many strengths in this photo: the complimentary palette of colors, the composition, the angle of the shot, the vivid background, the reflection off the car…it’s hard to know where to begin when praising this photo, taken in Florida.

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC H5 is “the rarest of beasts,” says dpreview. “[It’s] a compact camera with handling and control close to a DSLR.” It’s recommended to both beginners and experienced photographers.

Why? It’s fun and easy to use and even left in it’s fully automated “idiot-proof” mode, it will consistently product quality photos. And there’s enough manual control to keep an experienced photographer interested.
The H5 was released in July 2006 and updates Sony’s very popular H2 model. The two cameras are nearly identical but the H5 costs about $100 more because of some of the fancy extras like an increased LCD screen (3 inches!) and seven megapixel resolution (compared to the H2’s six megapixel resolution).

The Good Stuff The Cybershot H5 has a 12x zoom which produces excellent 36-432mm shots, an accurate and fast focus (in bright light), excellent resolution and detail, a powerful flash, and a large, bright, contrasty screen that can even be seen in bright light.

Not so Good The camera has a bit of trouble focusing at the long end of the zoom especially in low light. The viewfinder is quite small (no doubt to make room for that 3-inch LCD screen), and it could maybe do with a bit of a higher top shutter speed.

But overall this camera comes highly recommended by many reviewers.

Update Sony just announced that it will be introducing a few new Cybershot H-models  in the coming months: the Cybershot H7 and the Cybershot H9. These big boys top the H5 with 15x stabilized zoom, eight megapixel resoltuion, and a few other goodies.

Most professional wildlife photographers put a modern twist on Teddy Roosevelt’s famous saying when shooting wild birds and animals: “Speak softly and carry a big lens.” It’s not unusual to see a serious wildlife photographer lugging big, bulky 500mm or 600mm lenses in their quest to get tight shots of a wild animal.
But what about the budding wildlife photographer or hobbyist who doesn’t have thousands of dollars to spend on heavy camera equipment? You can still get intimate wildlife shots if you know what to look for and apply a few simple tips.

1) Find Places where animals are not afraid of humans. And I’m not talking about your local zoo. Beaches are a great place where humans and wild animals often co-exist. In La Jolla Cove near San Diego, harbor seals and their pups sprawl out on the sand just feet from onlookers. Also you’d be amazed how tame the wildlife is in places that see a lot of tourists, like the rainforests of Costa Rica. I once walked down a trail in Manuel Antonio National Forest next to a wild deer!
2) Fast Framing. Moderate zoom lenses like a 28-105mm or 55-200mm allow you to tailor the framing to the scene quickly. Most of these new lenses come with image stabilization or vibration reduction, meaning you don’t necessarily need a tri-pod to ensure crisp, focused pictures–and that gives you more mobility.

3) Don’t be afraid of short lenses. Sometimes you can get great perspective by going wide with a short lens. Use the spectacular sunrises or sunsets and pristine surroundings as backdrops. Capture large flocks of geese as they soar overhead.

4) Get Down. Go low (on your belly, if need be) and move slow. It’s a little extra effort, but you might be surprised just how close you can get to your subject.

5) Be Careful! These are still wild animals after all. Use common sense. Is a great picture worth getting trampled by an angry moose or bitten by a venomous snake? Know your subjects and be respectful. You’re in their house.

These were compiled from a variety of sources, including writings from bird photographer Arthur Morris.

Set for a release in late April, the Olympus Stylus 780 is a rugged weatherproof compact digital camera with 7.1 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom.

Beginners will find the Stylus 780 easy to use. Choose from 20 scene modes including Candle, Available Light, and several underwater modes, for settings best suited to the conditions you’re in. Shadow Adjustment Technology optimizes the exposure of scenes with dark areas.

Like many new compact digital cameras, the Stylus 780 has a large 2.5-inch LCD screen which leaves no room for the traditional viewfinder. Those who prefer to shoot through a viewfinder may dislike this feature.

One thing everyone will like is the sturdy, stylish build of the camera. Its metal body comes in either silver (pictured) or black. The weatherproof build will protect the camera from unexpected raindrops and other light moisture.

The all-weather aspect and 5x zoom sets this camera apart from others in its class, but if these are secondary concerns for you, you may want to take a look at other compact digital cameras, like the new Nikon Coolpix S200 which is thinner and about $100 less expensive.
The Stylus 780 is priced at $350.

Oded Balilty was covering the violent struggle between Jewish settlers on the West Bank and Israeli forces last year when he captured this poignant shot of a lone Jewish woman challenging Israeli security officers.

“I saw this woman hesitate a little bit, and I saw the line of the police and I just grabbed my camera,” Balilty said. “It just was there.”

Balilty, an Associated Press photographer based in his hometown Jerusalem, went to this illegal West Bank outpost near Ra’malla where troops in riot gear were clashing with hundreds of stone-throwing Jewish settlers. Israel’s Supreme Court had earlier cleared the way for demolition of nine homes at the site.

At one point Balilty and his colleague decided to split up to cover more ground. It was then that he came upon the scene that would garner him the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography–photojournalism’s highest award.

“I feel like I kissed the moon. It’s amazing,” Balilty told AP reporters after receiving the award. “I never even imagined it would happen to me.”

Balilty, (pictured left) was born in 1979 in Jerusalem and has spent much of his career covering Israeli-Palestinian issues.

During his days in the Israeli Army he was a photographer for the magazine of the Israeli Defense Forces. After completing his military service he shot for ZOOM 77 agency and the daily paper Yedioth Ahronot. He joined the AP’s Jerusalem photo staff in 2002, as the Palestinian Intifada was climaxing.

He is also part of a team of photographers who were Pulitzer Prize finalists in the breaking news category for their coverage of the war in Lebanon between Israel and Hezbollah.

Nikon has revamped its family of Coolpix digital cameras just in time for the 10-year anniversary of the industry-leading product line.

Consumers are going to love the ultra-slim Nikon Coolpix S200, a 7.1 megapixel point-and-shoot camera with a 3x zoom-Nikkor lens. This entry-level camera has a sleek, aluminum body measuring just 18.5 milimeters at its thinnest portion.

Released just this spring, the camera retails for less than $250.

Nikon constructed the camera with its VR (vibration reduction) technology to reduce camera shake. Use it automatically in conjunction with optimal ISO settings and BSS (Best Shot Selector).

The Nikon Coolpix S200 has an ISO 1000 capability to aid in low light settings, although I personally haven’t yet had an opportunity to test its effectiveness.

Another feature manufacturers like Nikon and Canon have started putting into their compact digital cameras is in-camera correction. If you’re not pleased with your shots, you can always employ the built-in correction features like Face-Priority (finds and sharpens focus on faces), In-Camera Red-Eye fix, and D-lighting (improves underexposed images).

Or pay a little more for the Nikon Coolpix S500, which has slightly better features like a stainless steel body, ISO 2000 capabilities, and a lightning fast power-up time: .6 seconds.

Both are beautiful cameras that follow a tradition of quality cameras in the Coolpix family.

A perfect companion for the popular Canon EOS 20D, 30D, or Digital Rebel 350D XT, the EFS 17-85mm f/4-5.6 IS USM lens has a pleasing zoom range in a nice, light package.

This versatile lens, considered a wide angle to short telephoto zoom, has a built-in Image Stabilizer technology to reduce camera shake particularly in low light levels.

Canon lens reviewers find the EFS 17-85mm lens ideal for landscape photography, due to its very large depth of field. Crisp action shots will be a challenge unless there is abundant light or a flash is used for the main lighting.

Although the EFS 17-85mm is not a macro lens, it will focus down up to 1.5 feet, which is close enough to fill the lens with delicate subjects like flowers.

Overall, the great range of focal lengths and the image stabilization make this Canon camera lens a photographer’s friend.

The Canon EOS 30D is the upgrade to the Canon’s popular EOS 20D model. It was released exactly a year ago and was well-received by the photography community. It’s a fine piece of machinery and I would recommend buying one here.

The 30D isn’t an exciting or ground-breaking upgrade from the 20D, in fact it has the same CMOS sensor and image processor and 8-megapixel count.

The real improvements are a larger 2.5-inch LCD monitor, third stop ISO selection, an improved shutter, faster start-up from sleep mode, and a new spot metering option.

These are nice, but not “I’ve gotta get that” improvements, so if you already have the 20D, you don’t have anything to worry about. Those who don’t may want to take a look at the 30D, or its direct competitor, the Nikon D200.

Originally uploaded by down_the_rabbit_hole. Taken with a Canon EOS 30D.

Night shots can present extremely difficult photographic conditions. The dark night when this photo was taken in Jervis Bay, Australia posed quite a challenge, yet the photographer managed to capture a breathtaking shot.

“A lucky moment, in that all the elements were there, but tricky in putting them together because it was so dark I couldn’t see anything through the viewfinder,” the photographer said. “Added to this I was on a suburban street so I had to time the shots in between car headlights destroying the silhouettes of the trees.”

The silver reflection from the moon contrasts nicely with the tree silhouettes and inky sky.

The composition might be stronger if the tree branches didn’t partially obstruct the moon, but as the photographer noted, stepping to the side to avoid the obstruction would have ruined the symmetry of the photo.