Digital Camera Information

Now here is an interesting alternative method to cleaning your DSLR sensor. It is an adhesive-based DSLR sensor clearer called DUST-AIDâ„¢ that will offer a unique solution for DSLR camera photographers seeking a safe and easy way of cleaning their dusty sensors.

It was developed and tested for contamination using extremely sensitive Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), the same technology used in scientific instrument such as the Foss Milkoscan FT-120 which is used to measure low levels of different components in milk. The DUST-AID was invented by a landscape photographer who primarily works with film but needed digital capabilities for advertising / contract shoots. It seems more like an advance version of the 3M Post it Notes and I’m surprised 3M aren’t involved.

“I wanted a fast way to remove dust that didn’t use flammable liquid or canned air,” says Ross Wordhouse, DUST-AID inventor. “I travel extensively on airlines for my photo business so many of the methods just didn’t work for me. I knew there had to be a better answer that works quickly, easy and can pass airport security.”

Born out of frustration and a desire for a high-performance solution, DUST-AID employs a unique combination of three main elements – an ultra low-adhesive foam tape, pad and a re-usable wand. The patent-pending DUST-AID cleaning device is a blend of three different tape and foam layers, tested and designed to protect the sensor filter during dust removal. The final layer, which actually touches the sensor filter, includes an adhesive specifically designed for glass applications with one of the lightest tack levels available. This glass cleaning adhesive has been FTIR tested, which showed no residue contamination after 100 applications. Dust-Aid will have a suggested retail price of $39.95.

Did you know you can now turn your photos into real US postage stamps with PhotoStamps. And yes, the stamps are officially authorized by the US Postal Service so it’s real. PhotoStamps from Stamps.com are a valid U.S. Postage, based on a technology called PC Postage. Stamps.com, the company behind PhotoStamps, has been a United States Postal Service approved provider of PC postage since 1999. When PhotoStamps first launched in 2004, it was the first ever customized postage product in the United States with over 13 million PhotoStamps sold.

To create PhotoStamps all you need to do is upload a photo, customize it and place your order. The customization interface allows you to zoom, move, and rotate your image, and then select one of 10 different border colors to match your image. Cost of the PhotoStamps varies depending on the seven different postage denominations ranging from 24 cent postcards to 39 cent regular first class to $4.05 for packages. The minimum order is one sheet and each sheet contains 20 PhotoStamps labels.

This product is simply unique as I can order stamps based on some of my best pictures; I totally recommend it.

The Zigview digital angle viewfinder is an accessory that attaches to the optical viewfinders of most digital SLR camera. It allows you to preview the image on the LCD screen prior to taking the photo. As you may know, most digital SLR cameras do not allow the image to be previewed due to the mirror in the single lens reflex mechanism. www.press-photos.com has reviewed the digital viewfinder and this is what they conclude.

“Ok having tried the Digital Viewfinder out it seems that the refresh rate is far to slow to be of any real use the screen disappears in to a wash of color that is impossible to decipher, which when moving with the press pack after someone who doesn’t want their picture taken it will prove impossible, you are rather better off just holding your camera over your head and taking pot shots on a wide angle in the general direction of the target.

I shall try it later this week with the motion detector and see if there is any mileage with that element of it, but initial thoughts are that this will not cut the mustard for me, however if you have mobility problems and like to shoot at very low angles (at things that do not move too fast) then this could be right up your alley.”

source

Fantasea which specializes in underwater photography equipment has a new underwater housing for the Nikon D50. Called the FD-50 the housing will be available in January 2006. The unit allows you to take great underwater shots with extensive automatic & manual control options at an operating depth up to 60 meters/200 ft.

Price includes anti flooding insurance and standard lens port. The features for the FD-50 housing are:

1. On/Off, Mode select menu
2. ISO, Exposure compensation
3. WB, Image quality
4. Playback and trash
5. Multi selector control
6. Main Dial command
7. Monitor zoom
8. Nikons 5 PIN sync socket for external flash
9. Magnified optical viewfinder
10. Light control for LCD screen.
11. Exchangeable ports system
12. Exposure compensation and much more.

Price includes anti flooding insurance and standard lens port.

Source

Nikon has decided to conduct a voluntary recall on some EN-EL3 Rechargeable Li-ion Batteries for Nikon Digital-SLR cameras. The Nikon EN-EL3 battery pack is provided as a supplied accessory with the purchase of Nikon’s digital SLR D100, D70, and D50 cameras. It is also sold separately at retail under Nikon’s model number 26265. The EN-EL3 battery pack involved in this recall was first distributed by Nikon in May 2004 and is still being sold at retail.

Nikon claim that on rare occasion, the battery may overheat causing it to become deformed or, in the worst case, to catch fire and hence cause a hazard to the consumer. Nikon has received notification of four cases of such batteries worldwide, and has decided to implement a voluntary recall and replacement program. Owners can return the affected battery back for a free replacement.

The voluntary recall is limited only to those units of the Model EN-EL3 bearing the following lot numbers:

First 3 digits: Recall Lot Numbers

44A- 44AC

46A- 46AC, 46AD, 46AE, 46AF, 46AG, 46AH, 46AI, 46AJ, 46AK, 46AL, 46AM, 46AN, 46AO, 46AP, 46AQ, 46AT, 46AU, 46AV, 46AW, 46AX, 46AY

47A- 47AA, 47AB, 47AC, 47AD, 47AE, 47AF, 47AG, 47AH, 47AI, 47AJ, 47AK, 47AL, 47AM, 47AN, 47AO, 47AP, 47AQ, 47AR, 47AS, 47AU, 47AV, 47AW, 47AX, 47AY

48A- 48AA, 48AB, 48AC, 48AD, 48AE, 48AF, 48AG, 48AH, 48AI, 48AJ, 48AK, 48AL

49A- 49AA, 49AB, 49AC, 49AD, 49AE, 49AF, 49AG, 49AH, 49AI, 49AJ, 49AK, 49AL, 49AM, 49AN, 49AP, 49AQ, 49AR, 49AS, 49AT, 49AU

4AA- 4AAA, 4AAB, 4AAC, 4AAD, 4AAE, 4AAF, 4AAG, 4AAH, 4AAI, 4AAJ, 4AAK, 4AAL, 4AAM

4BA- 4BAA, 4BAB, 4BAC, 4BAD, 4BAE, 4BAF, 4BAG, 4BAH, 4BAI, 4BAJ, 4BAK, 4BAL, 4BAN

4CA- 4CAA, 4CAB, 4CAC, 4CAD, 4CAE, 4CAF, 4CAH, 4CAI, 4CAJ

For the USA visit here

For Europe visit here

For Australia visit here

For Hong Kong visit here

The world’s largest independent manufacturer of zoom and fixed focal length lenses, Sigma Corporation has announce the launch of the new 28-105 F2.8-4 DG lens. This lens has a large aperture with standard zoom for both Digital SLR Cameras and 35mm Film SLR Cameras.

The standard zoom lens covers frequently used focal lengths from 28mm to 105mm and allows a large aperture of F2.8 at the 28mm focal length. This lens is very convenient for a wide range of applications such as snap shots and indoor photography. In addition, the new lens has a new multi layer coating and is design to reduce flare and ghosting (common problem with digital cameras) whilst also creating an optimum color balance throughout the entire zoom range. The lens is also aspherical which reduces the various aberrations throughout the entire zoom range.

This lens has minimum focusing distance of 50cm (19.7 inches) throughout the entire zoom range and it also has a maximum magnification of 1:5.5.

The specification is shown below:

Focal Length : 28-105mm
Minimum Aperture : F22
Lens Construction : 12 Elements in 11 Groups
Angle of View : 75.4 - 23.3 degrees
Number of Diaphragm Blades : 8pcs
Minimum Focusing Distance : 50cm (19.7”)
Maximum Magnification : 1:5.5
Filter Size : 72mm
Lens Hood : Petal Hood
Dimensions : Diameter 77mm (3”) x Length 81mm (3.1”)
Weight : 405gr / 14.3oz

The main difference between the Nikon Speedlight SB-800 and the SB-600 flash unit are as follows:

The SB-800 has..

1. More power
2. Color filter
3. 5th battery
4. CLS master
5. Diffuser dome
6. Pull out reflector card.
7. External battery pack connector.
8. SU-4 mode.
9. AA mode.
10. Manual adjustment down to 1/128.
11. GN mode.
12. Ttl socket.
13. Sync socket.
14. Modeling light button.
15. Minus 7 degree tilt for close up work.

Although the SB-800 has more features and is more expensive, most people would not need all that extra power.

For example:

The color filter is not a big deal as you can get a Rosco cine gel sample pack from your local professional photo store for free or just a couple of bucks. The sample filters fit exactly on the flash unit.

The fifth battery is not necessary as you may not really need that much power. The SB600 has 4 batteries, however recycling is a bit slower.

The diffuser dome, IMHO, is not that important. If you understand the principles of light, any diffuser that is placed close to the source does not
really diffuse light but causes to cut its output. In this case the dome is basically attached to the light source and reduces the light ouput of the unit and the diffusing result is negligible. If you still want to put a diffuser attached so close to the light, get one of the diffusers which come in the Rosco sample gel and attach it to the camera.

For people who use multiple flash photography, the SB-800 is the best choice due to the ability to set it as the MASTER and has the SU-4. For the majority of people who just wants a flash that fills in all areas and is especially great in low light, the SB600 is perfect the choice.

Nikon SB-600

Nikon SB-800

One of the great features of the full framed sensor by Canon is the ability to view the field at wide angles. As you may know, two lenses may have the same focal length, but the effective angle of view will differ with the size of the sensor. Therefore the angle grows narrower as sensor size gets smaller. This results in an image that looks like the focal length was that of a telephoto lens. See picture below.

As the 35mm full-frame sensor allows for the same angle of view as a 35mm film camera, you can now choose any lens you prefer (Digital or film camera). Why waste all those old Canon lens.

The Koren Times has featured a report that Samsung Electronics has developed the world’s first 16-gigabit (Gb) NAND flash memory chip, using the in-house developed state-of-the-art 50-nanometer design rule technology. The current semiconductor industry standard for mass production is 80-nanometer technology.

At its annual press conference in Seoul, the world’s biggest memory chipmaker unveiled the prototype of the new NAND flash, saying it will be able to boost storage capacity in a wide range of digital consumer electronic devices including cellular phones, MP3 players and especially digital cameras such as SLR. This will be a huge compliment as pixel sizes increases.

Samsung says the world’s highest-density flash memory chip can store data equivalent to 200 years of a 40-page daily newspaper, 8,000 digital music files or 32 hours of DVD-quality music files on a single chip. The world’s most profitable chipmaker‘s fingernail-sized NAND flash boasts the industry’s smallest cell size of 0.00625 square microns per bit. The cell size has been reduced by 25 percent from that of the 60nm technology applied to the 8Gb NAND memory developed last year.

Samsung expects the 16Gb memory device to accelerate further expansion of the NAND flash memory market, eventually replacing mini hard disk drives (HDDs) and HDDs for personal computers as mainstream memory storage devices. Apart from other memory chips, flash memory can retain and store information even when the power supply is switched off. Korea’s semiconductor giant plans to mass-produce the chip in the latter half of next year.

Hwang Chang-gyu, president and CEO of Samsung’s semiconductor business, said in a news conference today “I am confident that the 50nm 16Gb NAND flash will not only heighten Korea’s national image as a global semiconductor powerhouse but also provide Korea with an opportunity to shore up the international competitiveness of information technology industry in decades to come..’’

According to the world’s second-biggest semiconductor maker, the global market for the NAND flash memory market will reach $18 billion by 2010, up from $10.1 this year.

Lowepro has recommended the D-res 40 Aw camera bag for the Nikon D200 in their 2005 product catalogue matrix. Check out the snapshot of the 2005 digital matrix below; it is the fifth line from the bottom. Unless I’m mistaken, Lowepro must have some internal knowledge that the Nikon D200 is coming out soon. Interestingly, there is no bag recommended for the Canon 5D.
To download the Lowepro full 2005 digital matrix click here.

On a totally different note, a friend of mine has given a fantastic link to a free e-book on getting out of debt and making a surplus of money. This is great if you really want the extra money for the Nikon D2X or the Canon 5D. Check it out at here.