About.com Digital Cameras

July Fourth Photography Tips

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:30:39 +0000

The Fourth of July holiday can create a lot of great memories, from the family parties to the traditional picnic food to the fireworks.

Fireworks photography can help you capture some of those memories permanently in digital images.

Capturing high-quality fireworks photos is a challening hobby for beginning photographers. With the proper equipment and some fireworks photography tips, however, you'll have a better chance of having success. I hope these tips can help you capture some cool fireworks photos this holiday weekend!

Fujifilm Looks to Expand Market Share in India

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 17:35:09 +0000

Fujifilm hopes to increase its digital camera market share in India, reaching 15% market share by mid-2012. Such an increase in market share would make Fujifilm one of the top three camera manufacturers in India.

To achieve its desired market growth, Fujifilm plans to introduce at least 10 new models in India every year and work to increase its DSLR line in the country.

Current estimations place Fujifilm's market share in India at about 3%, trailing several camera makers, including Canon, Kodak, Nikon, and Sony.

Nikon D5000 Among Top Sub-$750 Cameras

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:51:00 +0000

If you're looking to make a transition from a point and shoot digital camera to a beginner-level DSLR, my list of the top five cameras for under $750 should give you a good starting point in your research.

The recently released Nikon D5000, pictured here, heads the list, along with models from Canon, Olympus, Pentax, and Sony.

We discussed the release of the D5000 in May, and it has proven to be a popular digital camera for those looking for an introductory DSLR camera. The other models on the list of best sub-$750 digital cameras will work well, too, offering plenty of resolution, high-end LCD screens, and very strong continuous shot and burst modes.

Keep in mind that many DSLR cameras are sold as camera bodies only without lenses. Other DSLR cameras are sold as a kit, containing a basic lens with the camera body. For those more familiar with today's ultra-compact, point and shoot models, a DSLR model represents a big transition. But it will provide very good image quality and, thanks to its manual-control features, it will help you learn more about photography than a fully automatic point and shoot model.

Eye-Fi Pro Aimed At Advanced Photographers

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 23:17:24 +0000

For advanced photographers, Eye-Fi wireless memory cards haven't typically carried many great features aimed at them ... until now.

The Eye-Fi Pro ($149 MSRP) can store up to 4GB of data, and it supports both JPEG and RAW, along with many video formats. Through a service called WebShare, it also can automatically upload photos to a variety of photo and video sharing sites through a Wi-Fi connection, for a subscription of about $10 per year.

Finally, Eye-Fi Pro is part of the new announcement from the company that all Eye-Fi customers will have access to a service called Selective Transfer, which allows you to only automatically upload photos that you select with your camera's "lock" or "protect" feature.

Photo courtesy Eye-Fi

Turn Your iPhone Into a Canon DSLR Remote

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:30 +0000

Using a new application for your iPhone or iPod Touch, you now can remotely operate many models of Canon DSLR cameras. The application allows for easy self portraits, odd-angle photos, and controlling multiple stationary cameras at once.

The application, called DSLR Camera Remote for iPhone and developed by onOne Software of Portland, Ore., allows you to shoot pictures, control shutter speed, set white balance, and preview images on the iPhone or iPod Touch. Using a "Live View" feature, you can display the viewfinder's current image on the iPhone or iPod. The full-featured application costs about $20, and a scaled-down version costs $2. For a list of compatible cameras, visit the onOne Web site.

The only downside to the DSLR Camera Remote for iPhone product is that you must have a WiFi-enabled computer available. You connect the Canon camera to the computer over a USB or FireWire connection, and the iPhone then communicates with the computer over a WiFi network. Still, if you have all of the necessary equipment, the DSLR Camera Remote for iPhone is a very cool application.

Screen shot courtesy onOne Software

Reader Q&A #2 Posted

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:38:36 +0000

The next installment of answers to camera questions from readers of the site has been posted. Just click the link.

In this installment of the site's "Digital Camera Q&A" series, we will discuss tips for selling photos for publication, advice for buying a DSLR camera, and advice on Pentax cameras.

If you have questions about digital cameras that you'd like answered, simply send me an e-mail. I'll continue publishing new Digital Camera Q&A articles every few weeks. Thanks to everyone who has submitted questions so far! (And, if I haven't answered your question yet, hang in there; I just ran out of space in this article.)

Casio's EX-H10 Offers Thin Body, Big Zoom

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:17:42 +0000

Casio has combined two of its areas of strength as a camera manufacturer -- big zoom lenses and thin camera bodies -- in its Exilim EX-H10 model, recently announced.

The EX-H10 offers a 10X optical zoom lens (24mm-240mm) in a camera that measures only 0.95 inches in thickness. Few ultra compact models can match such a large zoom lens. Casio also included an impressive 12.1 megapixels of resolution with the EX-H10. Another interesting feature is the inclusion of some wide-angle capabilities in this model's lens.

About the only thing Casio neglected was stylish colors: The EX-H10 will only be available in black when it appears on store shelves in mid-July at an MSRP of about $300. The EX-H10 looks like a strong mid-summer model.

Photo courtesy Casio

Fujifilm Offers Touch Screen Camera in Japan

Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:56:24 +0000

It isn't available in the United States -- yet -- but it looks like it'll be worth the wait.

Fujifilm has introduced a touch screen LCD in a point and shoot model, the FinePix Z300, in Japan only. The Z300 has a large, 3.0-inch LCD with scratch-resistant glass. With the touch screen, Fujifilm didn't need to include buttons on the back of the camera, leaving more room for the LCD screen.

You can use the touch screen to manage files and operate the menus. The Z300 has a 5X optical zoom lens and offers 10 megapixels of resolution. In Japan, the Z300 will be available in pink, white, purple, and black, and it will carry a 40,000 yen price tag (about $400).

No other details are available yet on the Z300, including whether Fujifilm has any plans to eventually offer this model in the United States. If and when the company does bring the Z300 to America, it will be a welcome option. Touch screen LCD models are a handy and rarely found option, especially in a beginner-level camera. If the Z300 comes to the United States, though, a slightly smaller price tag may be required to compete in a crowded marketplace.

Photo courtesy Fujifilm

Nikon D300s Information Leaked

Sat, 13 Jun 2009 23:28:09 +0000

The Nikon Rumors Web site recently published a screen shot and other information about a new Nikon DSLR, apparently called the D300s and apparently designed to replace the D300 (pictured here, compare prices). The D300s will show significant improvement over the D300 in its video modes.

The screen shot showed the information displayed on the LCD of a D300s, revealing some details about the new model. Among the leaked information about the Nikon D300s:

SD and Compact Flash memory card slots.
12.3 megapixel image sensor
Shoots video in HD
Dimensions of 5.8 by 4.5 by 2.9 inches
Weight of 1 pound, 14 ounces without battery and memory card

Photo courtesy Nikon

Sony Introduces Underwater Photo Accessories

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 20:54:25 +0000

For those looking to try underwater photography, Sony has introduced marine packs for some of its W series and T series Cyber-shot digital cameras.

The MPK-WE marine pack (about $135-$200, Compare Prices) works with W series Cyber-shot models, while the MPK-THH and MPK-THGB marine packs (about $155-$230, Compare Prices) work with T series models. The marine packs offer waterproof protection up to 132 feet.

In addition, Sony has introduced sports packs that allow underwater photography up to about 10 feet in depth. The SPK-WB sports pack (Compare Prices) works with the Cyber-shot DSC-W290, while the APK-WB (pictured here, Compare Prices) and the APK-THAB work with certain W and T series Cyber-shot models. The sports packs cost between $60 and $100.

Just make sure the Cyber-shot model of camera you own matches the underwater housing you want to buy.

Photo courtesy Sony