The advantage of the rangefinder was its compact size over its main rival the SLR. Some also had interchangeable lenses. The biggest advantage of this camera in pre-autofocus times was the photographer could focus the lens through the viewfinder.

You could say this latest system camera; the Olympus Pen E-PM1 is related to the rangefinder design. Olympus has always strived to make their cameras as small and compact as possible, producing a range of half-frame 35mm film cameras some years ago. The Pen has most features found in a DSLR in a very small and compact camera, which allows for various accessories to be added to it.

The biggest advantage is different lenses can be acquired and attached to it. Though the 14-42mm zoom lens that comes with it really covers most eventualities. But for compactness, the lens can be taken off when stored in a small bag or even pocket. There is a range of lenses available for the Pen to make the camera even more versatile.

Anyone looking at a photo of this camera will note there is no built-in flash. However there is a flash hotshoe and a flash is bundled with the camera. The advantage of this is the flash is further from the lens resulting in a reduced chance of red eye. The disadvantage is this is one more piece of equipment to carry with the camera. But with more powerful flashes available for the camera, this increases its flexibility.

Further system accessories include a number of different viewfinders available, both electronic and optical. These are of great benefit as the view can be seen in very bright conditions (always a problem for viewscreens) also holding the camera to your eye keeps it that little bit steadier. A viewfinder is also a much more comfortable proposition for photographers who have been around for a while.

There are many other functions in this camera, most of which are found in other models of camera. Movie modes are now becoming standard, even in DSLRs and this camera is no different. Even there is an attachable microphone available to improve sound quality.

In all a lot of camera in a very neat size. Though one would wonder about having to carry around a compact camera and all the bits and pieces to go with it. On its own it is a compact, though not pocket sized with the lens attached. But with a suitable and very tidy bag, all the accessories you should need for it will fit comfortably.

There is a range of Pen cameras all with varying degrees of features, some with built-in lenses. So make sure when you are choosing, it is the right Pen that you are looking for.

Main Specifications:

Effective Pixels: 12.3 megapixels
Memory Card: SD
Image Recording: RAW (12-bit lossless compression), JPEG, RAW+JPEG, MPO (3D still)
Movie Recording: AVCHDAVI, Motion JPEG. Records in HD at various sizes.
Viewscreen Size: 3 inches. Approx. 460,000 dots
Shutter: 60 sec to 1/4000 sec
ISO: Standard 200 – 1600
Exposure modes: Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual and other scene modes

This camera will suit perfectly when taking our Creative Photography Course

Nikon D5100

The camera is smaller and neater then the D5000 but this doesn’t mean it has taken anything away. In fact some features have naturally been added and improved. One feature is the 1080p HD video and another is the 921k dot LCD screen, which can be used as a viewfinder for both stills and video. The screen is also hinged so it can be positioned in all sorts of different angles, enabling viewing from most positions.

The D5100 has a 16.2mp Nikon DX CMOS sensor, very similar to what is in the D7000, which is the next step up in Nikons range. Understandably the D5100 wouldn’t have other features the D7000 has but the final image quality would be very similar.

The D5100 has all you would expect from a DSLR. The standard exposure modes including Manual plus the usual scene modes. A maximum shutter speed of 1/4000 sec is adequate for practically all situations and an ISO range of 100 to 6400 will also suffice. However the ISO can be extended up to 25600 ISO.

A new set of features included with the D5100 is the Effects modes. On the exposure setting dial is “Effects” and these are a set of preset effects that can be added to an image when shooting it. One such effect is selective color where a color is keyed in and preserved in the image while all other colors are converted to black & white. Some may see this as an added gimmick but as this particular effect is commonly used in photography, it may be a nice attraction for some.

In the School of Photography we would recommend this camera as perfect for use in our courses.

At first glance the Samsung NX10 looks just like a DSLR…just about. It is slightly smaller then a DSLR but this isn’t the sole reason for this camera being classed as non DSLR. The main reason why this camera is classed as a Hybrid is because of the way the image is viewed through the viewfinder.

In a DSLR camera there is an optical viewfinder, the view comes directly through the lens via mirror and pentaprism and through the viewfinder at the back of the camera. This is what has always made the Single lens reflex design unique, the photographer can view through the picture taking lens.

Hybrid cameras use various means of viewing an image. The Samsung NX10 still looks like a DSLR because the viewfinder is in the exact same place, and when you look through, you see the image the camera sees through the picture taking lens. The difference is the view is transmitted electronically rather then by reflection. This isn’t any way detrimental. In fact the advantage of this electronic viewfinder is the photographer sees 100% of the image view, there isn’t any DSLR’s that can boast this.

The electronic viewfinder isn’t a new idea but has proven to be a very useful tool. The two advantages of this compared to using the rear screen as a viewfinder is: 1. The scene can be viewed in the brightest of conditions: 2. The risk of camera shake is reduced as the camera can be held firmly against the face.

The camera is very well featured and would give many DSLR’s a run for their money with features. Significantly it has interchangeable lenses, just like the DSLR. Plus plenty of focusing options, even manual focus. It has all the standard exposure modes including the all important Manual Mode for the creative photographer. The ranges of settings also impress with ISO ranges from 100 to 3200 ISO and shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/4000 sec, this camera is very versatile. A 14.6mp image sensor is also another proud feature on this camera.

The latest feature to be added to DSLR cameras is Movie Modes. This is nothing new to Hybrid cameras and the NX10 is no different with a HD quality movie mode with an impressive 1260×720 resolution.

This camera is a hybrid yet it has the capability of interchangeable lenses and a hotshoe for external flash. However because it is a Samsung and not a Nikon or Canon, the range of lenses/flash etc would be limited compared to the other big names. Not a major consideration but if one has big plans for expansion of photo gear, this camera may be found limiting.

As an entry level camera into serious photography, the Samsung NX10 should be a serious consideration when comparing to the likes of Nikons D5000 and Canons EOS Rebel range. When comparing specifications, there is little difference between these three cameras, though the Canon EOS Rebel T2i (550D) has slightly better spec but with a significantly higher price tag.

The samsung NX10 would be a perfect camera for use in our Creative and Digital Photography Courses.

iPhone See-View 3D

Today there are many ways of displaying photos outside of a computer or in print. Mobile or cell phones have now become a common way to show and share images. The iPhone is probably the most popular type of phone to do this.

In order to display images on these phones certain Apps are needed. Like computer programs there are many different types of Apps for different purposes. The See-View 3D Image Browser is one of them.

See-View is the revolutionary 3D image browser which makes viewing photos on your iPhone fun.

Groundbreaking technology specially adapted for the iPhone platform provides an intuitive experience by allowing you to glide through our 3D world. Rotate, zoom, spin and select as you put new life into a photo collection.The browser can also sort by colour, shape and content.

View up to 500 images, automatically clustered into groups of 30 for use on the iPhone. The photos are grouped by similarity using our mapping technology, making it easier to find what you want to see.

See an overview of the collection displayed on the face of each box and then dip into the box of your choice to see more of the same. Once inside the 3D space, move from box to box to view the entire collection.

This App is currently being developed for iPad.

This camera is one worth noting whether it ever becomes a success or not. For one it is a Leica, probably one of the most highly rated camera and optical manufacturers in the world. But this is their first step into the medium format world.

For those who do not know what is meant by “medium format”: The term goes back to film size. Medium format was a term used for 120 and 220mm film. A film size over double the size of 35mm, which was the standard for SLR cameras.

Medium format film cameras were much larger then SLRs due to this much larger film size. Traditionally medium format cameras lacked the bells and whistles of SLR cameras. Most of these cameras only had manual exposure and focusing, most didn’t even have a built-in light meter.

At first glance the Leica S2 looks like a slightly larger then average DSLR, though about the same size, if not smaller then professional DSLRs such as the Nikon D3 or Canon EOS1. Unlike other medium format digital cameras, it looks more like a DSLR. But the comparison stops there.

In medium format tradition, the body of the camera looks clean and clutter free. It lacks much of the knobs, buttons and lights that can be found on even the most basic entry level DSLR. Even when getting into the menus and settings, there is no sign of idiot modes such as subject programs. The one dial is on the top plate and it is a simple shutter speed dial. The other main button is the thumb wheel on the back of the camera. This controls and selects most of the menu functions.

Exposure functions include Manual, Aperture Priority, Shuter Priority and Program. ISO goes from 160 to 1250 but only in full stops. Metering options are Multi-point, Centre Weighted and Spot. Flash options include 1st and 2nd curtain sync.However flash sync is a sluggish 1/125 sec. A faster shutter speed can be obtained using lenses with a leaf shutter. Unlike all other DSLR cameras, there is only one focusing point for the autofocusing system.

This camera isn’t about automated marvels, it is a photographers camera that oozes build quality and delivers amazing quality images through the highest quality lenses money can buy and a 37.5 megapixel sensor. Yes that’s right…37.5 megapixels. That means images of 4992 x 7512 pixels delivering a 73 mb RAW file. There is no denying image sharpness is impeccable, even up to A1 size prints. The secret to these superb images is also in the lens quality. However the range of lenses at the moment for this camera are limited to just three; 38mm, 70mm, 180mm. The 70mm is the standard lens. However more lenses are on the way, one rumoured to be a zoom lens.

Images are taken in RAW format but there is an option to shoot in jpeg, for use as proofs. RAw images are saved to a Compact Flash card while the jpegs are sent to an SD card. Of course another option of saving images, which would be commonly used by photographers who would use this camera, straight to a computer.

It seems there is a downside to every camera. Some of the features could have been improved without any real sacrifice. However one important flaw is the way images are transfered off the camera. The industry standard is Firewire but Leica have chosen USB, which is about 20% slower. This can be a strain during a professional shoot, slowing down the shoot.

There is no doubt this is a professional camera. The features are aimed specifically at the professional ignoring the budding amateur and so is the pricetag. At a price of $23,000 body only, it is quite a bit more expensive then rival digital medium format cameras, not to mention many cars! But this is the price for sheer quality.

Want to learn how to use this camera, take a School of Photography.com course.

Some criticism has been made to the lack of new and improved features with some previous versions of Photoshop CS. However this version seems to justify itself with the amount of improvements and new features added.

Here are some of the new and improved features.

• Adobe Camera Raw 6 – ACR enables the ability to edit RAW images in its own workspace. ACR 6 is the latest version available with CS5. With this new version there is a variety of film-like effects, post-crop vignetting, noise removal with better control and higher quality sharpening.

• Refine Edge Tool – The new Refine Edge feature makes the job of creating complex selections with both hard and soft edges so much easier and more accurate. This is very apparent when attempting a selection around hair. A rough selection can be made, activate Refine Edge and brush around the intricate border of hair and this becomes a perfect instant result.

• Content-Aware Fill and Heal – In CS5 you can make a simple selection around an object and fill it via the new content-Aware option. which gives completely seamless results. You can also use CA technology with the spot healing brush painting out imperfections in a single stroke. Content-Aware makes healing simple and easy

• HDR Toning – This enables the creation of HDR images without taking bracketed exposures. The tool enables the creation of faux HDR image from one image. Even with this, all the HDR tools can be used including a Toning Curve.

• Lens Correction – A great tool for correcting lens distortion, particularly handy when correcting images taken with a compact camera. This has now been further enhanced with auto presets to make correcting lens distortion easier. It still has the capability of manually adjusting the image.

There are many more additions and tweaks to this program as compared with previous versions. Unlike some previous versions, CS5 is a worthy upgrade, particularly if you have CS3 or below. The increased speed of the program is also a welcome addition. Adobe was never accused of selling their Photoshop programs cheap but if you need the power this program provides, then it is reasonable value for money.

The amount of new DSLR cameras that come out is a steady stream to say the least. Canon are no strangers to marketing new upgraded models while the previous model hasn’t even left a dust ring on the store shelf. However with the Canon EOS 550D, there are some very good improvements and upgrades.

Less than a year after the launch of the Canon EOS 500D (Rebel T1i) comes the Canon EOS 550D (Rebel T2i). Canon started its entry level DSLR range with the EOS 300D (Rebel) and has worked through the numbers up to this. However this is no longer what would be considered an entry level camera. This title has been taken over by the much lower priced and spec EOS 1000D. In Fact the EOS 550D would be considered an upgrade for most entry level Canon owners.

The camera is light and easy to handle. One improvement made is the slightly bigger buttons and knobs for ease of use. Some other easy use features have been added as well such as a Display Off Sensor, which turns off the LCD when the user puts their eye to the viewfinder.

Some of the main attractions to the Canon EOS 550D (Rebel T2i) include:

• An 18MP CMOS sensor
• Large high resolution LCD screen
• Improved 63 zone metering
• High ISO ranges.
• HD Movie Mode

18MP CMOS sensor

The 18MP chip is the same as used on the much higher end Canon EOS 7D. There is a point where pixel counting becomes a thing of the past but it does aid in giving very high dynamic results.

Large high resolution LCD screen

The 3″ LCD screen bosts 1040000 dots resulting in a very clear view either used as a viewfinder (live view) or reviewing images.

Improved 63 zone metering

The EOS 500D has a 35 zone metering system. The new EOS 550D has 63 zones from which to read the exposure.

High ISO ranges.

The set ranges goes up to 6400 ISO, which isn’t bad. However using the Auto ISO it is possible to get a sensitivity equivalent to 12800 ISO.

HD Movie Mode

The capability to shoot movies using a DSLR is still unique to a few cameras. This model has gone one step further in including a full HD movie mode (1080p).

These are just some of the outstanding features available on the Canon EOS 550D. However don’t throw out the Canon EOS 500D brochure you’ve been drooling over. With the higher price of the 550D at launch, the Canon 500D will still be available at a reduced price.

Printers can be loosely divided into a few categories.

Firstly there is the enprint sized photo printer. These print photos of a similar size (approximately 6″x4″) to what you would get from your photo processor when developing film. They often can be acquired bundled with a camera and nearly all can be used without a computer. The camera or memory card can be plugged straight into them and out pops your printed photo with a minimum of fuss.

The advantage of these printers is they are simple to use and you can get your images printed in an instant. The disadvantages though are; they can only be used for printing small prints and the ink and paper is expensive. In fact more expensive then having your digital images printed by your local processor who has digital printing facilities.

Then there is the standard computer inkjet printer which has evolved drastically over the recent past. Most inkjet printers boast photo quality printing with various degrees of quality depending on the ink, paper and settings used. A good quality inkjet printer will print up to A4 size and borderless. Some are now even capable of printing directly from a memory card without the need of using a computer. Some will even have an editing screen built into the printer for previewing and sorting through the images on the memory card.

There are a few advantages to an inkjet printer. One is the printer can be used for general purposes, not just photographic images. Another is you can vary the size of your prints. And thirdly, though printing using these types of printers is still expensive, there is more scope for shopping around for the best deals on paper and inks.

Finally there is the combination printer/scanner/copier. These all round machines are very versatile and can achieve some good results. However some sacrifices are bound to be made in comparison to the dedicated printer in order to facilitate the other options in the machines. 

There is a lot of technical aspects regarding printers, as is the case with all digital appliances. However when comparing printers look at these few capabilities:

1. Resolution – The higher the resolution capabilities the better. Sharpness and colour saturation is better with high resolution printers, even if you don’t print your images at the highest available resolution on the printer.

2. Inks – In theory, the more colour inks that are used, the better the colour quality that can be produced. Printers usually have between four and six colours, including black. Some may have all the colours included in one cartridge while others will have each colour in individual cartridges. Which is better really is splitting hairs but economically in the long run, fewer colours in separate cartridges probably works out cheaper.

3. Speed – Not the most important aspect where printing photos is concerned. Some printers are faster at printing than others and the makers tend to put a lot of stock in this. However for most general purposes, speed is the least concern as long as the finished product is of good quality. Speed is more important when printing documents, in particular when large quantities is concerned.

Want to know more about digital printing?  Learn all about it in our Digital Photography Course. See full details at http://www.schoolofphotography.com/digital_photography_course.html

When you are shopping for a digital camera what is the most important feature you look for? Is it how many exposure functions the camera has? The type of memory card it uses? Is it compact or are you looking for a SLR camera? Whatever the answer to these three questions, the first question you may ask or more notably the first detail you will be told, either through advertising or the salesperson, is how many megapixels the camera is capable of producing. However is this the most important consideration for most amateur photographers?

Just a few years ago this was a very important consideration as digital cameras generally had a very low resolution. Every extra pixel available counted toward the ability to produce reasonably sized images and fine detail rendition. Now even the most basic of compact cameras that have recently hit the camera market has at least 4 megapixels of optical resolution. This is more than enough to produce a decent quality image of up to A4 (11″x8″ approx.) in size.

There are many compact digital cameras now using image sensors that can produce 5, 6 and 7 megapixel images. But is this really necessary, particularly for the occasional snapper who may only blow the dust off their camera at certain times of year? Not really, but there is an advantage to all these pixels for certain uses.

Even though cameras now seem to have more pixels than is needed, there still is the factor of choice in the size a person chooses to enlarge an image or how finely recorded their subject must be. For the serious enthusiast and for professional purposes, the more megapixels the better as this makes the image more versatile, though not necessarily of any better image quality.

So one fact has now changed regarding the image quality of a digital camera. No longer is the pixel resolution the main factor that it was when choosing a digital camera, as they nearly all have adequate resolution to produce a good quality image for most purposes.

We as consumers can now start looking at the other features in a digital camera and give them more consideration when buying. Most digital cameras are now packed with real photographic features that seemed to have been considered added bonuses rather than important features in the camera. Now that megapixels is no longer of too much significance, we can look past the usual advertising indicators and see what these cameras are really made of.