Tim Grey welcomes back Canon’s S-series

In the last round of releases under the PowerShot moniker, Canon apparently decided to buck the trend for ever-increasing megapixels and focus on the real business of taking photos: image quality.

As far as we can surmise, the rationale behind shrinking resolution was simple: extra pixels created more noise while shooting in low light, while photographers would rarely be making a print the size of a bus with a compact camera. With this in mind, Canon released two cameras that use a new 10 megapixel, 0.43cm2 sensor: the G11, whose predecessor had a 14 megapixel sensor, and the S90, the latest in the long-dormant S-series.

The G-series cameras tend to make professional photographers lusty, particularly the G10, which has found its way into the back pockets of shooters who use dSLRs. The cameras have great lenses, shoot RAW and go fully manual, but despite all their high-end functionality, the Gs aren’t really that slim. Enter the S90.

Gone are some functions, the swivel screen, and you’ll have to look at the monitor rather than ...full story

Panasonic has cheekily snuck out another two mirrorless micro four-thirds cameras with interchangeable lenses, the Lumix G2 and the G10, both featuring a 12.1 megapixel Live MOS sensor and a redesigned ‘Venus Engine HD II,’ which reportedly provides top-quality signal processing.

The G2 is an update on the G1 and GH1 models released last year, the first examples of a new breed of camera, challenging the assumption that bigger means better. By abandoning the mirror and physical viewfinder, Panasonic (in a joint venture with Olympus) were able to develop a compact camera with a sizeable sensor and the ability to change lenses.

The G2 uses a swivelling 3-inch LCD touch-screen interface that allows users to press on a subject to focus. Once a subject is selected, the camera locks onto its target and automatically tracks it movements. There’s also a high-res electronic viewfinder built in for those who prefer the traditional method.

The G10 abandons the tilting touchscreen and the high-res viewfinder for the sake of size, which keeps it neat.

Both cameras also record 720p video footage in AVCHD lite format designed to rival the quality of dSLRs while maintaining ...full story

How to use a tobacco grad filter to create a natural looking sunset when the sun is setting somewhere else.

Retro-styling is all the rage, particularly at Pentax, who’ve just released two new ranges borrowing from the schmick designs of days gone by.

The H90 series features a simple design in a two-tone trim, but despite the antique look, sports a 12.1-megapixel sensor and 720p video capabilities. It’s also got a 28-140mm equivalent lens, ISO up to 6400 and all the face-detection gadgets we’ve come to expect in the modern compact.

Also due for release is the rather sharp Optio I-10, a 12.1-megapixel compact in the mould of a little SLR. Available in pearl white and classic black, the I-10 features a focal range of between 28-140mm. There’s built-in ‘triple anti-shake’ and wireless remote shooting capabilities. Apparently, its face detection technology will recognise grinning cats and dogs, too.

Like Kiwi sportspeople, Kiwi sports photographers can mix it with the best of them, with local shooter Scott Barbour being named on the shortlist for the 2010 Sony World Photography Awards in the Professional Sport category.

Barbour has previously shot for Getty , and the photographer joins 189 other photographers from 48 different countries  competing for the L’Iris D’Or, all in the running to win $25,000 and professional Sony equipment.

Simply making it to the shortlist is an achievement in itself, as the 190 lucky (and talented) photographers were chosen from a pool of 37, 617 professional and 43, 745 amateur photography submissions.

“As in past years, the sheer number of entries from across the globe overwhelms us and reminds us of how universal photography is as a creative expression,” said Astrid Merget, Creative Director of the World Photography Organisation.  “We are thrilled to see the quality of entries once again heighten and even more pleased to see many returning photographers on the shortlist.”

Photographers are another step closer to becoming cinematographers, with Canon finally releasing its long-awaited firmware update for the EOS 5D Mark II.

The upgrade allows photographers more control over the way the 5D shoots film, letting users choose between 24fps and 25fps, framerates used in cinema and PAL broadcasting respectively.

It also fills in a major omission in the 5D firmware, as the upgrade allows videographers to operate movie shooting in shutter-priority AE (Tv) and aperture-priority AE (Av) modes, which enables users to manually adjust depth-of-field.

Sound processing has also been improved, with the sampling frequency changed from 44.1KHz to 48KHz and sound recording level can be adjusted manually.

While the firmware update isn’t available just yet, Canon promises it’ll be online at their site by mid-March 2010.

How to blur water for a dreamy effect

Image by Rommel Dela Cruz

Entries for the Canon D-Photo Amateur Photographer of the Year Competition are now closed, with literally thousands of submissions vying for the title.

An enormous kit bag full of gear is up for grabs, with more than $5000 worth of prizes there for the taking, including four Canon MP990 printers for category winners, and the grand prize of a Canon EOS 50D dSLR with a 17-85mm IS lens.

Along with the four category winners, an overall winner selected from all submissions will be awarded the title of D-Photo/Canon Amateur Photographer of the Year.

The winners will be announced in the next issue of D-Photo, which is only two weeks away! Until then, you can always Click here to view the galleries.