FUJI FinePix S3 PRO review – 006

Although announced at PMA Las Vegas in February 2004, this camera only arrived in New Zealand in December, reflecting the typically extended gestation period for cameras of this type.

Over the last ??? years, Fujifilm has worked closely with Nikon. By combining Nikon’s optical and system expertise with it’s own digital manufacturing competence, Fujifilm has developed some top quality digital SLRs.

The line started with the early Fujifilm DS 505 and 515 cameras – huge and clunky 1.5-megapixel dSLR’s with sports car price tags to match their weight.

While these seem like dinosaurs today, they offered Nikon lens and accessory compatibility to early digital adopters and taught Fujifilm’s engineers fundamental lessons about dSLR product development, functions and use.

These were followed much later by the highly successful 6-megapixel FinePix S1 PRO (based on the Nikon F60) and the FinePix S2 PRO (based on the Nikon F80), and both presented as professional digital SLRs. These cameras found willing and often passionate owners, usually with a fine collection of Nikon optics and an implicit understanding of Nikon ergonomics from years of 35mm ownership.

Fan Base

In this country, a band of devoted Fujifilm camera owners, particularly from the professional portrait and wedding fraternity, swear by their S1 and S2 cameras, with many owning both models, keeping their S1 as a ‘back up’ once they upgraded to the S2. It is very easy to see this lineage when handling the S3. Early criticisms of the S1 for being based on a ‘consumer’ grade dSLR were addressed by the S2’s move to the F80 body, seen as the base camera in Nikon’s professional range.

The S3 could have moved up yet another grade in terms of the Nikon donor body selected, but clearly Fujifilm market research proved this unnecessary as the new S3 is again based on the current F80.

Designer Detailing

First impressions of the S3 are extremely positive, as the body’s ergonomics are several steps ahead of the S2. If the S2 was somewhat functionally dressed by Levi Strauss, the S3 confidently wears Armani with a fit and finish worthy of that label. The design is smooth, sleek and curvaceous and the build quality is a great leap forward. Rubberised surfaces clad all of the handling areas and the detailing is superb. The inclusion of a second, vertical shutter release reflects feedback from users and, in particular, markedly improves portrait format lens handling.

Another significant improvement on first introduction is that the S3 relies totally on four NiMH AA format batteries. Consequently, the camera ships with a set of 2300 maH cells and a four-cell charger.

With the S2, which relied on two battery systems, there were frustrating times where one would replace the four AA batteries to find that the CR123 batteries were dead, or vice versa. Now, S3 owners need only carry and maintain several sets of NiMH batteries to ensure extended use. While using the camera it was apparent that battery life had been improved, which is likely to be a combination of less power hungry internal processing and LCD display, and improvements in battery technology.

Internal Workings

Let’s look at the heart of the S3 – the camera’s CCD. Fujifilm dSLRs use the company’s Super CCD technology, which is either a revolutionary piece of enabling technology or a crock of the proverbial, depending on the position adopted by the speaker. Historically slated by competitors, praised by users and frequently misunderstood by commentators, the technology is unique to Fujifilm. Armchair debates rage between proponents and detractors, often ending in agreements to disagree. Many of these arguments are driven, one way or another, by the need to justify a purchase already made.

However, when the technology talks, the B.S. walks and Super CCD answers the question by delivering high quality images. These require no apology and little or no ‘tweaking’ before being presented to critical audiences.

More Dynamic

The S3 has the latest fourth generation version of Super CCD, SR II, which combines two sets of imaging sensors to double the octagonal-shaped pixel count over the previous model.

There are 6.17 million S pixels – the high-sensitivity, low-noise pixels so familiar to S2 users. These are combined with a further 6.17 million low sensitivity R pixels, which handle the highlight exposure and combine to deliver the effective 12.34-megapixel count. This combination can provide up to a 400 per cent increase in dynamic range over an S2. Tones within captured images come from the SRII CCD providing a smooth, ‘film-like’ appearance.

Test images were all captured as full-size 12.34-megapixel Jpegs (at the maximum configurable 4256×2848 pixels) and it would be an extremely critical user who would need to capture images in the RAW file mode. The Jpegs open to 34.7MB in Photoshop to produce stunning, quality images.

Setting Selections

A wide palette of colour and contrast characteristics to match most film types is available by exploring the camera’s settings. Fujifilm provides a Normal setting plus two easily set film simulation modes. F1, negative, emulates the characteristics of a colour negative film, like Fujicolor NPS 160, a portrait product known for smooth skin tones and softer contrast portraiture. F2, chrome, delivers the high-contrast, high-saturation ‘look’ of a reversal film, such as the extremely popular Fujichrome Velvia. While a huge amount of information can be captured in 14-bit RAW mode, Fujifilm product specialist, Anthony Corban, suggested that for professional users, the time and effort associated with RAW processing and post-processing may not provide the quantum performance gains over the Jpegs.

Increasing The Options

The Nikon lens mount is unchanged and lens compatibility is assured for most current AF-S and AF-D/G-type lenses. Many older AF Nikon lenses (those pre-D) are fully functional apart from the loss of the 3D matrix metering facility. The 1.5 x focal length factor continues unchanged from the S2, a 24mm lens effectively becoming a 36mm optic on this format. The S3 has media slots for the Compact Flash/IBM Microdrive format, and for xD cards. Our testing was with a 1GB Microdrive.

Improvements have also been made to the viewfinder and LCD display on the S3. The camera’s already high eye point viewfinder now has even more eye relief and the viewable area increases to 95 per cent coverage. Users may select from five switchable AF focus points within the viewfinder.

Greater Nikon flash system compatibility, combined with a higher flash sync speed of 1/180 are further improvements over the S2 and these are available via a hot shoe or synchro terminal.

Bundle Of Joy

At present, S3 cameras sold by Fujifilm in New Zealand are bundled with the new Fujifilm Hyper-Utility software HS-V2 version 3.

This provides a RAW file converter, camera shooting software and Exif extractor. I used the software on an Apple PowerBook, running Mac OS-X 10.3.7, and a late model PC laptop, running Windows XP Pro SP2. The software is a great way to import, preview, sort and tag files for later retrieval and is highly configurable for each user’s layout and workflow preferences. In addition to a range of abilities, it can also prep files for printing and to create electronic proof sheets. It is also backwards compatible, recognising the S2 and S20 Pro Fujifilm models. An imminent free update to the software will allow shooting control of the S3 from a computer.

Conclusion

For those already using FinePix S1 or S2 cameras, the S3 represents an easy upgrade. The layout and controls will be familiar, while you can benefit from improved image quality and notable performance gains, including faster start-up, faster image processing and better ergonomics.

For those with 35mm Nikon familiarity, lens systems and accessories looking to make the move to a compatible digital SLR, the choice will likely be made between the S3 and the more accessibly priced Nikon D70 – another very good camera.

Canon 350D review – 006

Hats off to Canon, who has now become the undisputed market leader in the digital SLR race. Not only does it whip out a new camera with alarming regularity, it also manages to lower the price, up the specs and turn out a cracking little camera to boot. And so it is with the newly released 350D, big brother to the now defunct 300D.

A Troubled Beginning

Although undeniably popular, the 300D was a bit of a problem child. As an entry-level digital SLR at an attractive price, it blew the market away and had other manufacturers scrambling for their drawing boards. The camera redefined the ‘prosumer’ SLR market and it rightly deserves a place in the annuls of digital history.

On the other hand, however, as a photographic tool, it left a bit to be desired. Unfortunately, it was ‘ham-strung’ by Canon afraid of competing too fiercely with the then mid-level 10D. While still a great choice for the point-and-shoot user looking to move up to a true SLR camera, the 300D wasn’t really a ‘serious’ option for the veteran user, due to too many lost features. But enter the 350D…

Satisfying The Masses

I’m sure Canon was listening to the countless internet chat rooms that bemoaned the 300D’s shortcomings and has responded with a vengeance. The 350D is all of the things its older (and bigger) brother should have been, and so much more.

Using the impressive Digic II chip of the Canon 20D series, the new 350D is quick, responsive, well designed and most importantly, imminently user-definable. In fact, it uses a lot of the technology packed into the 20D and simply repackages it all into a smaller, lighter (plastic) body.

Want 8 megapixels with almost no noise up to ISO 800? – you got it. Like to customise white balance to the ’nth degree? – no problem. Need instant start-up, blistering write times and excellent playback and display functions? Again, no sweat. You get all of this, and more with the 350D.

Oh So Small

And did I mention how small and light it is?

I’m sure I did, but I make the point of mentioning it for two reasons. Firstly, because it really is amazing how small and light digital SLR’s are becoming. The polycarbonate body helps in this respect and even though it’s plastic, the fit and finish is excellent. There is no creaking of joints when you grasp the camera firmly, and all joins match perfectly (although I wouldn’t want to test this with a strong rain shower). With the 18–55mm, f4.5–5.6 kit lens attached, you get a super lightweight, go anywhere travel kit you can carry around all day and not even realise you’re holding a camera.

A Little Too Light?

However, secondly (and for some this may be where it gets a little more controversial), because it is so small and so light, I have some reservations about its potential as a camera for the ‘serious’ amateur photographer.

When I reviewed the Canon 20D a few issues ago, I expressed concern about its size and suggested this was as small as they should go and still have a camera body useable with longer (and heavier) telephoto lenses. Well, the 350D is smaller still, and much lighter than the 20D, making it too small (I think) for fast and heavy telephoto lenses. Attaching the optional battery grip to the bottom of the 350D would go some way to alleviating this problem, but I believe it would still end up being too lightweight for the task.

So if wildlife or sports photography is where you’re heading, the 350D is definitely not for you – look seriously at the 20D instead. Also, if you already have a selection of solid and heavy metal lenses, then I would also steer towards the 20D. But if you are looking at a top-end prosumer digicam with a fixed lens and will only ever use the camera for family get togethers, parties or as a lightweight travel camera, then I would strongly suggest you consider the 350D. In this market, at this price and with its myriad of excellent features, right now, it simply can’t be beat.

Lens Capture

The camera comes in two flavours: the traditional EOS all-black look (which I tend to prefer), or the more retro silver-grey finish in keeping with the digicam style. The kit also comes with the consumer grade EF-S 18 – 55mm f4.5–5.6 lens, one of the ‘S’ series of new Canon ‘digital’ lenses that only work on the newer digital bodies. The lens itself is very lightweight, constructed entirely of plastic (with no metal lens mount), and is a relatively ‘slow’ lens at f5.6. As with most consumer grade lenses it isn’t much to write home about in terms of image quality, being ‘soft‘ at the edges both wide open (f4.5) and stopped down (f22). You will get the very best out of this lens if you stick to the mid-range apertures (again this is true of consumer grade lenses) of f8 to f11.

Having said that, the central area is nice and sharp, with good strong colour reproduction and excellent contrast.

High Sensitivity

Images straight from the camera were punchy and vibrant, with a good amount of in-camera sharpness applied (this is user selectable). With the pro-featured Digic II chip running the image processing, the quality of the final prints is impressive. Low noise levels at very high ISO ratings have become something of a Canon hallmark and the 350D does not disappoint on this score. And while the kit lens might not make the most of all of this processing razzamatazz, one of the other better featured EF-S lenses introduced at the same time as the 20D most certainly will.

Lightening Quick

Canon’s menu screens are a joy to use, with all the information kept to just the one screen (with no downward scrolling necessary). The LCD screen is of a high quality. It is easy to read indoors and acceptable outdoors in bright sunlight. However, the text is a little on the small side and may cause problems for those of us with less than 20/20 vision.

Navigation around the image after it has been taken is exceptionally well handled and any information you would care to see can be brought up. Shooting information, histogram, flashing highlights and a smaller thumbnail image can all be seen at once, giving you complete confidence that you’ve got the shot at a glance. And just like the 20D, it’s lightning quick. There is virtually no delay in accessing this information, even when shooting larger RAW images. Very impressive, indeed.

Few Surprises

One of the small things that did throw me initially with the 350D was the sound of its shutter. Sounding very much like the ‘snick’ a pair of scissors make when you close them, ittook me a while to get used to this new noise. I was expecting a much more solid ‘shutter-like’ clunk, but after a while I actually started to enjoy the ‘snick’ sound, and it is certainly less obtrusive if that’s what you are after in a camera.

Generally speaking, there weren’t many more surprises, with everything else placed pretty much where you would expect it to be. Anyone coming from a late model Canon EOS film SLR will feel very much at home with the 350D, which is something I suspect Canon has gone to great lengths to make sure of.

On The Nose

Out of all the extremely logical button placements, the only one that I have slight reservations over is the exposure compensation button (which I use all of the time). It is placed very close to the top right of the LCD screen, just about where I park my nose when I am shooting.

I did find myself banging my thumb up against my nose from time to time, which may be all part and parcel of the ever-increasing trend to miniaturise and reduce camera sizes. Some find this a marvellous benefit of modern camera technology (perhaps those with smaller noses than I), but I’m not one of them.

Conclusion

Weighing up all of the pros and cons, I’d have to say that Canon has once again produced an exceptional photographic tool that will keep many fans very happy indeed. It is everything the 300D should have been, but wasn’t, and has placed Canon firmly at the top of the consumer DSLR tree once again. At 8 megapixels, with exceptional speed, excellent seven-point focusing, fantastic metering and impressive battery life, the 350D is an outstanding digital achievement for an unbelievable price.

Without doubt Canon is a world leader in digital camera production, and the 350D proves this admirably. Catch them if you can!

Epson Stylus Pro 3800 printer review – 167

Since its introduction, Epson’s Ultrachrome K3 pigment inkset has established a dominant position in the hearts and minds of legions of professional photographers and knowledgeable enthusiasts. With a wide colour gamut, a higher D-max of 2.3 and the virtual elimination of bronzing on prints, Ultrachrome K3 arrived with a hiss and a roar!

Subsequent glowing reports by Wilhelm Research International on the longevity of these inks when combined with selected Epson paper types served to seal the deal for many. It’s one thing for prints to look superb but when those prints can offer life expectancies greater than 100 years the left brain and the right brain are in a rare state of perfect agreement.

Where the heart and mind goes the cheque book invariably follows. Epson tells me that almost 70% of professional photographers in New Zealand and Australia use their printers! No wonder Epson continues to demonstrate strong support of our professional photographers’ events and awards programs!

This Ultrachrome K3 revolution began with the A3+ Epson Stylus R2400 and made its way into large format graphics printers in the form of the wide format Epson  Stylus Pro 4800, 7800 and 9800 models capable of A2 (17”), 24” and 44” wide paper handling.

I reviewed the Epson 2400 in the November 2005 issue of TPM and the 4800 model over two issues of TPM in March and April 2006. Regular readers will know that I was mightily impressed with both these printers.

The 2400 would go on to be the favourite printer of many amateur and professional photographers of my acquaintance. They love the quality, can live with the speed but can sometimes be a wee bit frustrated with the small ink cartridges.

The 4800 too has found a loving home with many professional photographers. The feedback I hear is that they’re just as happy today as the day they bought the beast. Not a hint of post-purchase dissonance.

However, in my idea of a perfect world, the 2400 and 4800 would not require wasteful and time consuming changeouts of the black ink cartridges. With these models it is necessary to switch between Photo Black and Matt Black in order to match these to different printing stocks.

In my idea of a perfect world, an A2 photo printer would not require two burly blokes to lift it, nor would it be as noisy as the 4800.

In my idea of a perfect world, an A2 photo printer would cost less than just under four thousand dollars including GST.

Fast forward to 2007 and hello, the clever boffins at Epson have been listening to the feedback from around the world, continuing to evolve the product and doing their part in the quest for printer perfection. Enter the Epson Stylus Pro 3800, an A2 photo printer which answers all of my “in a perfect world…” requests.

So here we go…
Matt Black and the Photo Black are installed simultaneously. No black ink changeouts necessary! The printer simply uses the right black for the job depending on what media you select in the printer dialogue box. There’s still some minor wastage but I’m assured that it’s tiny and the printer whirrs away doing all that’s necessary without user intervention.

There are four black cartridges, the two previously mentioned plus Light Black and Light Light Black and five colour for a total of nine on board.

Why all those blacks? Print a few long tonal scale black and white images and the question is both quickly asked and resoundingly answered.

I lifted the box all by myself, the 3800 is a svelte 19.8kg versus the 4800’s 39.4kg and physically not much larger than a 2400 A3+ printer.

How do they do it? Well, they’ve done away with an internal paper tray and replaced this with a 20 sheet cut sheet feeder. Also, the 3800 does not offer roll paper handling capability and that’s helped quite a bit in the weight and shape stakes. Neither of these are drawbacks for me as I’d rather use sheet paper anyway and I don’t need to have many sheets in the printer at one time.

It’s very quiet, way quieter than the 4800 where most of the noise comes from the vacuum system which flattens the paper. There’s no vacuum system in the 3800 and it seems none the worse for it.

The 3800 costs less than four thousand dollars, way less actually at $2699 including GST, and if you can live without some of the 4800’s features it looks damned attractive at that price point.

At 80ml each, the 3800’s pressurised ink cartridges cost round $124 each, track key data such as ink levels and usage rates and are only a bit smaller than the standard size 4800 cartridges which are 110ml.

The 3800 cartridges will be more expensive to buy – but more economical to use – than those for a 2400. It won’t be as economical to run as a 4800 though, particularly if you’re using the larger optional 220ml cartridges available for that model. That’s the thing with ink, buying in larger capacities saves money and delivers economy. A lot like soft drinks and nothing at all like petrol!

The quality of prints is identical to that produced on the more expensive 4800 and the print longevity is identical. Prints made using this ink system are now widely accepted as archival quality so you’ll be in good company with many professionals who sell their print work.

The 3800 is faster, Epson says more than 20% faster than a 4800, and I would not argue with that. Prints simply race out of the thing!

My testing of the 3800 involved a wide range of materials from Epson. I was particularly impressed with the UltraSmooth Fine Art Paper and the Enhanced Matte. Also tested was my old favourite, the Velvet Fine Art Paper. Although I’ll admit a distinct preference for these matt stocks anyone who has used an Epson printer will know that the Premium Glossy and SemiGloss Papers are also superb.

The automatic sheet feeder works brilliantly and the rear manual sheet feed and front manual feed facilities necessary for some paper types (and weights) are a dream once you master them. Overall, I found thicker sheet paper handling superior to the 4800 with far fewer mis-loading issues. Also, like the 4800, if you do poke a sheet in slightly off centre the printer warns of this and makes you get it right before you commence printing.

There’s a lot to like about the 3800 and in my short time with the printer I can honestly say I found nothing to dislike, apart from a flimsy door on the front print feeder tray. This may not be typical; the unit I tested had been elsewhere and I suspect that some clumsy writer may have damaged the thing before it got to me. Minor quibble.

The prints really are superb and with time and the trial of various paper types any photographer will get into a workflow producing output of which they can truly be proud. The combination of Micro Piezo print head technology and a minimum ink dot size of 3.5 picolitres results in 2880 dots per inch at the highest resolution. If you could see these dots you’d be working for NASA – this is continuous tone output that simply rocks!

The Epson software is excellent and provides a high level of control and customisation for advanced users. Epson’s advanced black and white mode offers quick and easy tone and contrast control and some nice effects are possible. The less experienced will still be making prints quickly and easily but will find that they can explore more of the options as their skills develop and as they become more demanding about their own print work. The printer dialogue is intuitive and it’s easy to find the paper you’ve chosen to use within this setup for a perfect match of paper and print settings.

So why would anyone buy an A2 photo printer? Most likely because you’re making and selling fine art prints, or have a requirement to produce large images for décor, education or promotion. Purchase cost aside, it’s faster and more economical than an A3; even if you make mainly smaller prints the A2 size is there when you need it. You might also be able to do away with buying expensive double mattes by doing first level matting or edge effects in Photoshop and printing for this effect on larger paper sizes.

Why would you buy the more expensive Epson 4800? Well, if you’re making heaps of prints and need higher capacity ink cartridges, or maybe the roll paper capability is important for batch production or panorama printing, or maybe you need a large paper tray because you’re churning out prints in huge volume.

More specifically, why would you buy an Epson 3800? Maybe you’re a 2400 owner wanting to make larger prints with the same quality. Or you’ve considered a 4800 but resisted for purchase cost reasons, the black ink swap out issue or the amount of desktop real estate available to you.

Thanks to the nice folk at Epson NZ for making this fabulous piece of gear available for review. It’s a tough act to follow and will be hard to improve on as it responds to so many of the suggestions made by reviewers of its admittedly excellent predecessors.
When I finally pull off that Big Wednesday win this baby is high on the list of items that I simply cannot live without!

Tim Steele

Travelling light with the Epson P-5000 – 162

For the travelling photographer storing images off your cards can be a bit of a problem. Carrying a laptop might not be an option so how about an Epson P-5000 80Gb Multimedia Storage Viewer with PictBridge, USB, SD and CF card connections?

If you are a photographer who likes to edit on the move the large 4.0” screen allows easy viewing once you have downloaded your images. I found it great to show the locals pictures of themselves taken on a recent trip to Shanghai.

Incidentally, I am one photographer who edits nothing until I get home, where all images are downloaded on to the Mac and backed up.

Now, back to the Epson P-5000. It can be battery operated, so it is great out in the field. It is only a little bigger than palm size, making it easy to handle and it fits into your camera bag with ease.

Out of all the digital gizmos that I have had to play with I found this the easiest; the instruction book was simple and easy to use and downloading the Epson Link2 software onto computer a dream. Downloading of images is as simple as falling off a log.

There is also a less expensive model, the Epson P-3000 with a 40Gb hard drive.

For the technocrats here’s all the info.

The Epson P-3000 and P-5000 use Epson’s Photo Fine Ultra technology which offers 24-bit true colour viewing with the world’s first four-colour filter LCD (red, green, blue and emerald green) in a portable display device. With these improvements the Epson P-3000 and the P-5000 have greatly expanded the visible colour gamut with coverage 119% wider than S-RGB.

They both feature a razor sharp 4.0” LCD screen (640x 480 pixels VGA) which is the largest in its class and continues Epson’s leadership in mini-LCD display products. 

The file transfer from memory card to disk is now up to 250% faster than previous models. 

The ability to display up to 64 thumbnail images per screen enables photographers to find specific images easily from amongst the hundreds that may be stored.

Close viewing and focus checking is simple with a one touch zoom key on both models. 

Both the models support a range of file formats including JPEG, Tiff, Adobe, DNG and multi-vendor RAW, as well as Audio, MP3, AAC and WMA and video playback, MPEG 1, 2 and 4, Motion JPG, DivX and WMV.

A very handy little package to have in the camera bag.

Thanks to Epson for letting me trial it in the field.

BC

Brian chose to fly Cathay Pacific

Epson 4800 Extended Test Pt1 – 151

In our issue 148 Adrian Barrett briefly described his experience with the baby in Epson’s professional wide format printer range.

Distributor Aarque Graphics offered The Photographer’s Mail an opportunity to better explore this printer and TPM’s managing editor Tim Steele was just the man for the job. This article is part one of a two part exploration of the printer.

Cards on the table, it’s no secret that

I’m a big fan of Epson’s products, with particular emphasis on their inkjet Photo printers. From a very good experience with their first Photo model, through the generations of product which have followed it, I have had an overwhelmingly positive experience with these devices. The company simply keeps improving the quality and longevity of their print output and the printers have become increasingly user friendly and more capable.

Some months ago I reviewed the R1800 and R2400 A3 printers in TPM and you may recall that I was particularly impressed with the 2400, with its Ultrachrome K3 inkset. So the opportunity to extend this experience with the 4800 model was far too good to turn down. While you were at the beach enjoying another golden New Zealand summer I was laboring over a hot printer in pursuit of the elusive perfect print.

The 4800 is the A2 capable baby of the pro range which steps up to the 7800 and 9800 models which can output up to 61cm and 112cm wide respectively.

It’s a big beast requiring two to lift and manoeuver it from car to desk but once ensconced in my home office its size seemed to dwindle, sitting comfortably on a regular 600 wide office desk.

If you’re familiar with Epson’s printer software interface you’ll be on familiar ground as the 4800 is no more difficult to drive than its smaller siblings. In addition to excellent sales and technical support, Aarque thoughtfully provides buyers with profiles for all Epson materials sold. This makes perfect output so much easier to achieve ensuring the optimum match between printer settings and paper.

The 4800 uses eight large ink cartridges available in either 110ml or 220ml sizes. The larger size cartridges provide greater endurance between changes and improved economy of operation. These are intelligent cartridges which cannot be incorrectly fitted and are sealed and chipped so that they may be removed and reinserted while still retaining memory of the quantity of ink remaining in each. I would use the larger cartridges for economy even though these protrude further forward of the printer than the smaller units which hide below folding covers on either side of the printer. Like the 4800’s smaller siblings, it’s possible to replace an empty cartridge in mid-print with no visible signs on the print providing the operation is carried out swiftly, say within three minutes.
For optimum results, the 4800 must be configured with either Photo Black (PK) or Matt Black (MK) ink cartridges depending on whether gloss or matt paper stocks are
being used.

A significant amount of ink is used in the process of change over of these black cartridges as around 40ml is held in the lines between cartridge and print head so frequent changes would become expensive. If I owned the 4800 I would more than likely leave it configured for the paper type most frequently used and outsource the rest of my output to my favourite commercial lab.

The first part of this test utilised the Photo black ink and a range of Epson glossy, semi gloss and semi matt paper stocks in both roll and sheet format. Rolls up to 40cm wide can be used and these load and transport easily. The printer has a built in cutter which slips easily and precisely through smooth paper stocks. For heavier or textured stocks which might snag the tiny moving blade it is possible to select cutter off, transport the paper forward and cut manually.

A large paper tray will handle most stocks up to A2 sheet. I tested with A3+, A3 and A4 materials in this tray without a single jam or print interruption. Sheets may also be fed directly into the printer where weights are heavier or material might be more subject to damage, such as canvas.

Like the less expensive 2400, the 4800 produces superb output with the Photo black ink on Epson’s Premium Glossy Photo Paper. These look like lab prints and it’s no wonder that so many professional photographers have embraced these as their printer of choice while retaining their lab relationship for larger, more specialist printing. If you’re an Epson user and you have not yet experienced the Premium Semi-Matte and Premium Semi-Gloss papers then I strongly recommend that you try these as I developed a preference for these over the benchmark Premium Glossy product. These surfaces look great under glass and are slightly easier to handle than the full gloss equivalent.

I’m convinced that having a printer such as this is a valuable learning tool for any photographer. In the month available for this test I learnt more about prepping files for print, scaling and output resolution and the use of Photoshop’s final adjustment layers than I’d learnt in the previous two years. The 4800 will improve your technique as well as
your output.

I also quickly found the limits of my digital SLR’s files and determined to explore the RAW capture facility that I’ve previously sworn to be completely unnecessary. In addition to being a highly revealing test of your digital camera, it is quick to reveal flaws in your scanner, scanning technique or scanning provider’s work. It’s a scenario well known to those of you who enjoy 2 channel hi-fi, improve any one component in your system and it reveals hitherto unheard deficiencies in the other components.

I also discovered that there is no need to over-prep files to ridiculous resolutions as the printer does a wonderful job of what must be interpolation to print at very high resolutions such as 1440 dpi. Initially I prepped everything to 300dpi minimum but found that 250dpi provided the same quality with slightly more manageable file sizes to work with.

It appears incredibly economical in operation, producing an enormous quantity of large prints while on test with hardly any apparent movement in the front panel bar graph indicating ink remaining. Cartridges are not cheap, and there are eight of them to replace, but for my use this would be an annual exercise and could be budgeted for.

The 4800 is your next step up if you’re presently enjoying either an Epson R1800 or R2400. It produces prints large enough for exhibition and sale and its asking price of $3495 plus GST seems entirely reasonable when compared to that of the 2400.

Epson’s growing reputation for print longevity has been well documented by Wilhelm Research International and this provides the icing on the cake by assuring users and print buyers that the prints which look so good today will also do so well into the future.

More next month.
In our next issue, Tim explores the 4800 with Matt Black ink and a range of matt, textured and canvas output surfaces from Epson. He also talks to Epson 4800 owners about their experience with the printer.

Panasonic PT-P1SDEA Review – 014

The Panasonic PT-P1SDEA Digital Slide Projector wants to bring the old slideshows Mum and Dad used to do into the 21st century. It has the usual A/V inputs for video/DVD players and a PC-monitor input to connect a computer. However, what sets the PT-P1SDEA apart is its unique ability to plug in an SD card straight from your camera and show a slideshow of the images.

Presentations On The Go

The PT-P1SDEA is very easy to set up and to use. Plug it in, slot in the SD card and you’re away. The projector automatically detects the inserted SD card and displays the images as thumbnails for you to choose individually with the remote, or view as a slideshow. The automatic slideshow features transition effects such as wipe, fade, split, blind, checker, slide-in and random. Powerpoint presentations can be converted to a sequence of JPEG images and transferred to an SD card using Panasonic’s Image Creator software. This feature, combined with the projector’s small size (smaller than a sheet of A4 paper) and light weight (only 1.3kg), means you can do portable presentations without having to lug around a laptop and a bunch of cables.

Light Sensitive

Image quality is bright, sharp and colourful, even in a brightly lit room. The projector’s Daylight View technology and Ambient Light Sensor automatically compensate for the amount of light in the room. You can also manually select between several picture modes such as Natural for dark rooms, Standard for normal lighting conditions, or Dynamic for very bright rooms. Photo mode uses Panasonic’s resizing circuitry to optimally display high-res photos with minimal loss of detail, while realtime keystone correction means you can tilt the projector up or down and the image always remains square.

Home Entertainment

While reviewing this projector, my kids loved watching DVDs projected on the wall. The projector can display standard aspect 4:3 or wide-screen 16:9. It can also be mounted on the ceiling, if desired. Being primarily designed for portability, the inbuilt speaker is small and somewhat tinny.

This was the feature of the machine that most annoyed me. If you are wanting to present a slideshow with a soundtrack, you will find that this machine does not do justice to music or voices. For higher quality sound to accompany your images, you will have to plug in your own external speakers. The sound would be adequate for business presentations in a small conference room, but cranking it up loud enough to watch DVDs led to obvious distortion. As well as the standard A/V and S-Video inputs, the PT-P1SDEA can accept component video using the PC input and an adaptor cable. I was unable to find any reference to a part number for the adaptor cable, which may make it difficult to find. However, this projector’s main purpose is portability and ease of use, rather than as a high-end home theatre projector.

Card Support

With portability as its main feature, security is an obvious concern. Thankfully, the PT-P1SDEA can be secured with a password so that none of the controls operate until the password is entered. Also, it can register an SD card as a key, so the projector will not work until that particular SD card is inserted.

So far this is the only projector with a built-in memory card slot. It only supports SD cards, which was a shame as I couldn’t use the Compact Flash cards from my Digital SLR. However, with SD cards being the most popular, Panasonic is obviously targeting the consumer market. No doubt other manufacturers will come out with similar models that support other memory cards in the near future.

Conclusion

The PT-P1SDEA is very easy to use and convenient in its portability. The image projection quality is good for such a small projector. My only criticisms were the sound quality and the restriction of only being able to plug in SD cards.

Out of the Darkroom – Printing Review – 16

The New Romantics

For some, the biggest disappointment accompanying the move to digital photography has been the loss of that most magical and mysterious of endeavours — time spent in the darkroom. The patiently crafted reward of seeing a print for the first time has been replaced by the instant gratification of the camera LCD and the computer screen. For some photographers, the romance is dead.

For others, the fun is just beginning. Not only are the hours once spent in the darkroom compensated by the extra picture shooting time, but technology has also brought within reach the ability to produce gallery-quality prints, with photographers able to control the final output of their lovingly crafted images.

This in no way detracts from the important part labs have to play in the image creation process; for many professional photographers there just isn’t enough time in the day to be responsible for shooting, editing and printing all their images. A good lab is invaluable for letting a photographer free up time to get out and shoot pictures, which is, after all, the reason most photographers actually became photographers in the first place. 

However, for those with fewer time pressures, or who find real enjoyment in seeing their images coming to life on paper, taking control of your printing can be an extremely rewarding experience. It can be an extremely frustrating and expensive exercise, too. This article aims to explain the different printing options available to photographers today, as well as giving a ‘sneak peak’ at the technologies that will be found in the printers of the future.

Your options

For most home or office-based photographers, the three main types of printers are inkjet, dye-sub and laser. The vast majority of photographers use inkjet printers, but this may begin to change with the new products currently being developed.

While Epson has pretty much had a stranglehold on the New Zealand photograpic printing market, Canon and HP have been busy developing new products, and the upcoming general release of Microsoft’s Vista operating system for PCs may also have a part to play in creating a more evenly spread market share. The coming year is almost certainly going to be one of exciting new developments.

Inkjet Printing

The most common form of printing for photographers, inkjet technology is relatively inexpensive, easy to use and gives good results. From cheap desktop printers to professional wide-format printers, many photographers print their own work every day — although often with mixed success.

Inkjet printers work by squeezing out a drop of ink onto paper, either by way of thermal or ‘Piezo’ technology. Most inkjet printers use the thermal method, where an electrical charge runs through the print head, causing a bubble to form (think Canon’s ‘BubbleJet’ printers), which transfers the ink to the paper. Other inkjet printers (Epson and related companies) use the Piezo technology, where an electrical charge causes a special crystal in the print head to expand and force the ink droplet onto the paper.

While inkjet inks are fairly cheap to manufacture, specially formulated inkjet paper is required. Think about what happens when you add a drop of ink to a kitchen paper towel — the ink bleeds out in all directions. The same thing happens when you print to normal paper using an inkjet printer — the ink dissapates away from the point of contact, leaving a dull-looking colour. Specialty inkjet papers are expensive but they are necessary to get a vibrant and archival print.

Added to the high cost of consumables is the business model used by most inkjet manufacturers, based on keeping the hardware cost low and the cartridge costs high, which ensures the initial cost of purchase isn’t prohibitively expensive.

Manufacturers want you to use genuine ink cartridges for financial reasons, but also because cheap third-party ink is generally of lower quality and can damage the print head. Cheap inks may also represent false economy, as they don’t produce the same number of prints, potentially making the cost-per-page the same as if you had used the recommended ink.

From a colour management point of view, low-quality ink isn’t recommended; the colour of the inks varies from batch to batch, so getting a consistent colour result becomes difficult. For most users the downsides of using cheap ink may outweigh the low price. There are some well-respected brands out there that may provide an economical and good-quality alternative, but do your homework first. Using third-party inks may not be a good idea in an in-warranty printer.

The three main players in the photographic inkjet market, Epson, HP and Canon, all have new technologies in development or close to release in New Zealand. Epson is tweaking the popular 4800 to create the 3800, which will be a 17-inch-wide printer, using the UltraChrome K3 (three black) inkset.

It will have all the inks onboard, removing the need to swap out Photo Black and Matte Black inks – great for cutting down on ink wastage. The 3800 will be a sheet printer only; it will not be able to take rolls of paper. The 3800 is building on existing successful technology. However, expect some new developments from Epson in the coming year.

Canon has a new range of printers in both desktop (Pixma Pro 9000, i9950) and wide-format (iPF-model) models, with the new printers having various combinations of ink. The wide-format printers are described as ‘12-ink printers’ but this doesn’t mean they have 12 separate coloured inks; rather, they have both Photo and Matte Black inks onboard, Photo and Matte Grey, Photo and Matte Cyan and Magenta, Yellow, plus Red, Green and Blue inks — making seven separate colours.

HP has generated keen interest with the recent release of its new ‘Z-series’ printers (Z2100 and Z3100, available in either 24- or 44-inch models), which have an onboard spectrophotometer to automatically calibrate and profile any paper type. This is an interesting technology and may well be the way of future developments for inkjet printers — maybe even trickling down to consumer-level models. It’s good news for users, as previously it’s been difficult to move away from third-party papers without needing custom profiles to get the best colour results, so it’s an interesting development from a company that sells its own-brand paper. HP has also introduced some new ink combinations, with the Z3100 having no dark Cyan, but a light Cyan, light and dark Magenta, Yellow, Photo and Matte Black, Grey and light Grey, Red, Green, Blue plus a Gloss Enhancer ‘ink’.

These brands are by no means the only ones available, but they are the ones most commonly used in the New Zealand photographic market today.

Dye-sub

Also known as ‘dye-sublimation’ or ‘thermal dye transfer’ printers, these printers have only relatively recently become available at a consumer level. Dye-sub printers are capable of high-quality results, and many instant photo booths use dye-sub technology to produce a continuous-tone photograph that looks similar to a traditional lab-processed image.

Rather than tanks or cartridges of ink or toner, dye-sub printers use rolls of ribbon made up of sections of coloured dye. These rolls are as wide as the paper, and the dye is deposited to the paper through tiny heating elements, which evaporate the pigment and transfer it to the paper.
The make-up of the ribbon varies from printer to printer. Some printers have Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black (CMYK) ribbons, while others have Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Overcoating/Laminate (CMYO/L) ribbons. The black dye is mainly used for type and to add depth to image shadows, and isn’t always included, with many dye-sub printers including the Overcoat or Laminate to protect the print

By their nature, dye-sub printers are less flexible in the range of types and sizes of paper on which they can print, and there generally aren’t third-party papers and ribbons available. Depending on the model, you may have the option to print using either a glossy or a matte finish ribbon — this is something to check before purchase.
In New Zealand the most common dye-sub printers come from Kodak, Sony and Canon. The original dye-sub printer was the Tektronix Phaser and the brand was sold to Xerox in 1999; the printers are still being produced but I could find no mention of them on the New Zealand website. However, if you are interested, contact your local Xerox office.

The future of dye-sub for the consumer market seems to be a wider range of finishes and papers and a reduction in price across the board, rather than any big technological changes over the next 12 months.

Laser Printing

While not generally considered acceptable for fine art or high-quality photo printing, a good colour laser printer may be a sensible option for some, especially those who would like to produce short run (less than 1000) colour prints of flyers, postcards or other documents.

Laser printers tend to be more expensive than inkjets, but ongoing costs are generally lower as the paper and toner are cheaper per print to buy. Unlike with dye-sub and
inkjet printers, specialised paper isn’t required.

Conclusion

Making your own prints can be expensive and time consuming compared with getting prints done at a lab, but the creative control and beautiful results that can be achieved can make the effort well worth it.

Before buying any printer, do some research; go online, ask around, and take your own images in for a live demonstration. 
Printing the images you have created is akin to darkroom work — but without the chemicals or the windowless rooms. Being able to let your imagination and creativity run wild — and seeing instant results — captures some of the old romance of darkroom printing.

Laser printers work similarly to photocopiers: a laser beam focuses on a revolving drum or belt, which creates an electrical charge in the places where the toner is to print. Electrically-charged toner is attracted to the drum or belt, and it adheres to the image areas. The paper passes through the printer and the toner is transferred to the paper in the image areas. This process is repeated for each colour: cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The toner is then fused to the paper using heat, or a combination of heat and pressure.

As mentioned, a laser printer isn’t acceptable for producing high-end photographic prints, but may be perfectly acceptable for entry- to mid-level applications. Laser printers are generally faster than inkjet and dye-sub printers, and are versatile.

HP has a new technology called ‘EdgeLine’, a hybrid of laser and inkjet technology, using two or more print heads with many ink nozzles that allow fast inkjet printing. It’s an interesting development and combines the speed and repeatability of laser with inkjet quality. Check the HP link below for more information.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H5 – Review – 16

The Cyber-shot DSC-H5 is a subtle update of the original H1 and shares many similarities with the recent H2. However, a couple of things give this camera an edge over its companions: it’s the first ‘big zoom’ compact camera to feature a 7-megapixel sensor (a new Sony 1/2.5” CCD) and it has a huge 3-inch LCD screen. But more on this later.

Coming To Grips

The H5 features a comfortable grip at the front, making it easy to hold and access the shutter button. In terms of general layout and menu design, there are a number of buttons at the back and on the top right of the camera — some of these are obvious, while others require a little experimentation and a quick read of the manual.

One of these features is a clever ‘Hand’ icon button that turns the Super Steady Shot image stabiliser on and off. This function allows photographers to use longer shutter speeds in low light and counteracts blur caused by camera shake.

There’s also an Image Resolution button (situated below the four-way controller) that allows you to select ‘record’ mode, or to delete images in ‘review’ mode. Although TIFF and RAW formats aren’t an option, the camera provides a choice of JPEG resolution settings and their optimum print sizes.

All Sorts

The Mode Dial is comprehensive and will satisfy both the novice and keen amateur photographer.

There is the usual automatic mode for the ultimate hands-off photography, or users can try the pre-programmed scene modes: High-Sensitivity, Night, Night Portrait, Beach, Sports, Landscape, Portraits and Movie. Every time you select one of these modes, the icon is ‘dialed up’ on the LCD (or viewfinder), providing a brief description. 

For the advanced user, the H5 offers Program AE with shift, Shutter-Speed priority AE, Aperture priority AE, and Manual exposure. These more advanced modes give the photographer greater control and more options, such as altering white balance, ISO etc.

Nice And Steady

The H5 has a quality Carl Zeiss 12x zoom lens with a focal length of 36-432mm (35mm equivalent), which is ideal for action and wildlife photography.  
However, such a long focal length can mean a camera is more susceptible to blurring, requiring the use of a tripod or a fast shutter speed with high ISO settings. This is where the Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilisation feature really comes in handy.

Another major plus is that this is a fast lens. Its maximum aperture ranges from f2.8 at wide angle to f3.7 at telephoto. The camera’s image quality throughout its aperture and zoom ranges is impressive, although I did notice some barrel distortion in full wide angle, and experienced minimal purple fringing in high-contrast areas.

Viewing Platform

WOW… The quality of the 3-inch LCD on the H5 simply blew me away. After using a number of dSLRs, I have to say this LCD puts many of them to shame.
Photographers have two viewing options with a simple press of the FINDER/LCD button: an eyelevel electronic viewfinder (EVF) using 115,000 pixels, or the high resolution LCD, which boasts 230,000 pixels and Sony’s Clear Photo LCD Plus technology.

You can set up, compose and review images on either one; both provide exposure information and the ability to display a histogram while reviewing images. 
Although there is no anti-reflective coating on the LCD, I found it was faultless in bright conditions and performed admirably at the beach.

Conclusion

To sum up, if you’re after a big zoom camera that won’t break the bank, but will provide you with many of the features of a dSLR, then the H5 deserves serious consideration.

After using this digital for a couple of weeks, I was well and truly hooked.  

Panasonic FZ-50 – Review – 16

If you think big is beautiful then you will love the new Panasonic Lumix FZ-50; it’s physically large, and huge on features. The swivelling screen and colossal zoom range are just two characteristics that will whet your appetite for this 10.1 million-pixel, 12x optical zoom camera.

In 35mm terms the crisp Leica Vario-Elmarit lens extends from 35mm through to a dazzling 420mm. Made by Panasonic under strict controls from Leica, this lens also adopts Panasonic’s own Mega Optical Image Stabiliser lens for sharp images under the toughest lighting.

Panasonic has taken the extra step of also including ISO sensitivity up to 1600 and having a ‘Hi-Sens’ mode in the scene setting for those who don’t understand the pros and cons of upping the ISO. As well as Auto ISO there is Intelligent ISO that raises the sensitivity depending on lighting conditions.

Fast and furious

Speed and accuracy are two attributes of this lens, quickly focusing under any lighting situation and precisely targeting your subject for sharp images almost every time. Should you need to, you can quickly switch to manual focus and use the focus ring.

When shooting at the drift nationals in Taupo, I only had to shift the ISO up to 400 to get sharp images of the racecars in this mad sport. Using the ‘Sport’ setting (one of 12 scene settings) and the continuous Hi shooting mode produced an excellent series of action shots.

The continuous setting lets you rattle off two frames per second, which is all right for playground shots of the kids but it could hardly keep pace with the action 
at the drift racing.

The 2-inch screen, with its 230,000 pixels, is great to use thanks to the swivel-turning motion that lets you reverse it when not in use to help protect it, or spin it into an unusual angle so you can get either a low or high angled shot.

This big bad boy also lets you shoot in either JPEG or RAW formats and comes with included SilkyPix software for editing RAW files on both PC and Mac. Adobe has just released its RAW file converter 3 that lets you edit files from this camera in Photoshop CS2 and Elements 4 and 5. The RAW files are simply fantastic, letting you adjust exposure, white balance and more after a shot has been taken.

Flash bonus

If the built-in flash isn’t doing the job then you can slip a bigger flash on the hot-shoe for more range and power. Panasonic’s DMW-FL28E flash should give you the extra punch you need, with the added benefit of being able to bounce the flash off a ceiling. The built-in flash has a reasonable range that can be extended by juggling the ISO. 
Picture quality is great, as long as you don’t have to alter the ISO higher than 400. Image quality quickly deteriorates with increased noise and a loss of edge detail once you do. Colour is rendered perfectly throughout the lens range and focusing is faultless.

Conclusion

This camera is more than just a big zoom with a fantastic image stabiliser, it can make movies and under most conditions it produces wonderful pictures and is only let down when the ISO is pushed up. The Leica lens shines and is the icing on the cake. If you enjoy being able to take control of the exposure but don’t want to carry a multitude of lenses then this chunky monkey could be the camera for you.

Focusing on Faces – Facial Recognition Technology

As a kid I loved the Jetsons — the robotic maid, the flying cars, the amazing gadgets. Facial recognition is the sort of thing you can imagine George Jetson using.
In the modern digital camera it transforms auto focus from a handy function into an accurate tool that targets your subjects, rather than just hitting whatever’s in the centre of the screen. It also lets you frame your subject the way you want, without awkward focus lock functions, as the face detect facility finds your subject’s face and locks onto it, no matter where they are on the screen. It will even follow your subject, should he or she move. 

We have to remember that auto focus took years to reach acceptable speeds, and in the early days it was faster to focus manually. Canon introduced the T80, a 35mm SLR with a bulbous auto focus lens, in 1985. This early attempt became the launch pad for the precise EOS series of auto focus cameras we know today. In fact, a whole slew of cameras started their auto focus lives in the mid 1980s, and it was Minolta that had the first real success, with its 7000 and 9000 models.

These early auto focus SLRs paved the way for nearly all of today’s cameras. But there have only been minor improvements in the last 20 years. While AF assist lights and infrared beams have increased the accuracy of focus, there have always been things that confused the systems if you didn’t stay alert.

The classic example is the focusing system targeting the space between your subjects and focusing on the background. The common cure was using focus lock, whereby a half press of the shutter release locks the focus. You put the target area on one of your subjects, lightly press the shutter release to lock the focus then recompose and press the shutter button all the way down to take the shot. Facial recognition systems speed this process up.

Facial detection is the next step in the battle for better pictures without having to do or know anything to get improved images. Read the reviews of these three pioneering models and get ready to leap into a Jetson-like future with this brilliant innovation.

Fuji Finepix F31FD

All the bells and whistles, lots of energy, a great body but comes with a short memory

Fuji has revamped its cameras to include facial detection, the best feature you will find on any camera this year. The metal bodied Finepix F31fd has 6.3 megapixels to play with and an ISO range that stretches to 3200; it’s an easy camera to operate, even if you use it to point and shoot.

Bigger, brighter, better

The 2.5-inch screen is packed with 230,000 pixels and can be viewed from almost any angle, which is fantastic if you are showing off the facial detection mode to your friends. If you don’t like all the info up on the screen you can turn it off, or choose the helpful grid that makes framing architecture a breeze.

Powered by a 1800mAh lithium ion rechargeable battery that allows you to take more than 500 shots, this camera takes some beating when it comes to battery performance. The battery charges in-camera and takes about fours hours to recharge; plan your charging overnight so you have it for the day.

A body made to hold

The body design is simple but with slick touches, such as the dimpled thumb-pad under the zoom control, which adds that special touch.

At 27.8mm thick there’s just enough body to make it comfortable to hold with one hand. The main mode control dial is positioned between the on/off button and the shutter release on the top of the camera, and you can easily switch between movie and still shooting modes.

If the thought of not having an optical viewfinder is distressing, the screen brightness can be bumped up to make viewing better in bright lighting situations. Using Intelligent Face Detect is equally simple, as this function has a dedicated on/off button.  

 This Finepix has a series of picture modes for yet more ease of use. These cover what could be called lifestyle scenarios: party, beach, museum, underwater (you’ll need the optional underwater housing to take advantage of this last function).

Advanced features

Should you possess some old-school photography skills, or wish to learn how to control exposure better, you’ll get a kick out of the aperture and shutter priority settings.

These two extra functions could catapult you from being on auto pilot to crafting images with more feeling, due to your selection of depth of field in aperture priority; or producing stunning action images by controlling the shutter speed in shutter priority.

This camera has an anti-shake feature that increases shutter speed to counter movement. Because the F31fd has an increased ISO sensitivity that reaches out to 3200, you’ll get great results until the camera exceeds the 800 ISO mark. Fuji, with its cunning super CCD, has smoothed out noise levels up to this point. However, the images at 3200, while better than nothing, aren’t that stunning, though it won’t be long until they are.

Face finder

Facial recognition is this camera’s best feature and the Fuji system is fast and generally accurate. The camera knows to adjust the exposure for skin tones and it also knows how many people are in the scene.

It will recognise up to nine faces and targets the head in the middle with a green box, while the other faces get a grey box. As long as the faces are turned towards the camera it will track where they are. This means no more out-of-focus images where the camera has focused between the subjects or on something in the foreground.

Having all this advanced technology is great, but does it make the images any better? You bet it does. I gave the camera a workout at my son’s end-of-year piano performance and the little Fuji performed brilliantly.

As soon as I pointed the F31fd at my little pianist the camera picked up on any faces turned my way. It didn’t matter if the camera was zoomed in, set to wide angle, or in the vertical or horizontal position, each time a face came into view the little box snapped into action and set the focus exactly right.

First class quality

The picture quality often suffered from the camera’s enthusiasm to increase the ISO sensitivity when it would have been better off using flash to compensate for the lack of light.

The test shots of my future concert pianist showed an increase in noise, due to the camera using an ISO of 1600 (the camera was set to Auto ISO). However, I found the results to be better than images from any other camera at this speed.

The Fuji Finepix F31fd has a body shape that is comfortable to hold, has the best noise control on the market, and a facial recognition system that is quick and accurate.

Canon IXUS 900Ti

More of those much-needed pixels are fitted into an even smaller body

This IXUS has gone a design step further than any other little Canon with its titanium shell, but it is what’s packed within that makes this 10 million-pixel compact worlds away from its siblings.

More Pixels, small body size.

Having 10 million pixels at your fingertips is fantastic but the DiG!C III processor is a major advance for Canon. This new processor boasts faster start times and quicker focus, plus ISO range to 1600. But the real boon for anyone buying a new Canon is the face detect function.

Making movies on an Ixus has always been fun, but the 900Ti has the ability to shoot a bigger 1024×768-pixel, 15 frames-per-second (fps) XGA high-resolution image that happily fills a big screen TV. It also has 640×480, 30fps shooting for smooth video of a longer duration. If you plan on making movies with this camera, get a big one, two or four gigabyte SD card, and keep an eye open for the next generation of HCDC (High Capacity Secure Digital) memory cards, which will hold 8GB and more. Canon has future-proofed the 900Ti by including support for the new card. 

Face detect.

There are several focus options. But when it comes to shooting family and friends, the face detect setting will blow the others out of the water. This setting lets the focus quickly home in on faces on the screen then track them if they move. Your subjects need to be facing you and should they turn away the little tracking box set over their face will switch off.

The main focus setting is called ‘Auto intelligent AF’ and with it set to ‘on’ it finds your subject, highlighting the area with a single or series of boxes. If you prefer your focusing set to the centre of the screen, a quick dip into the menu will let you turn off the AiAF setting.

Now screening.

The 2.5-inch screen packed with 230,000 pixels gives a clear image. If you encounter trouble watching the screen in bright light, Canon has included an optical viewfinder for backup. It only shows you the optical zoom view; if you use the 4x digital zoom it won’t be apparent in the viewfinder and you will have to switch back to the screen.

Canon builds exciting cameras and the 900Ti is packed with entertaining functions. The scene modes are a series of descriptive pictures that set the camera up for different shooting situations. There are even two underwater settings: ‘Aquarium’ for shooting through glass and ‘Underwater’ for when you turn the camera into a submersible with the optional underwater housing that lets you dive to 40m. Canon doesn’t stop with the scene modes. Slip the camera into the ‘M’ setting and you then have access to two of the most pleasurable features on almost any Canon: Colour Accent and Colour Swap. These let you play with the colour of an image, swapping colours or adding a colour accent to a black and white image. As enjoyable as it is to adjust image colours in-camera without the aid of a computer, doing the same with movies is even more fun.

In-camera editing.

Editing movies when you review them is yet another convenient function. This Ixus lets you cut out your movie mistakes, and when you save a clip you can make a new file or overwrite the old one. When reviewing still images you can categorise them and then use that category for a slide show.

You can’t fault the camera’s build quality, or the beauty of the images it produces. Brush your thumb across the control wheel and a matching control is superimposed on the screen, expanding the function your thumb is over as you roll it around the control. It’s a mesmerising feature that is actually useful once you stop fooling around with it.

Using the little Ixus at my son’s piano recital, it had no trouble finding faces when shooting vertical or horizontal images. It didn’t matter if the camera was in the wide angle or telephoto setting, the 900Ti hit the mark every time.

Image quality.

The images produced have natural skin tones and a realistic tonal range. Like the other models tested, noise is kept to a minimum but here I found it more noticeable in dark areas. This is due to more pixels being packed into the same physical area as 6-, 7- or 8-megapixel cameras. These pixels are smaller and are therefore more susceptible to noise.

Conclusion

The Canon’s strength is its diminutive size and useful set of functions. It is a simple point and shoot camera with a brilliant face recognition system that will have you shooting crisp, sharp party pics of your friends and family.

Canon IXUS 900Ti

More of those much-needed pixels are fitted into an even smaller body

This IXUS has gone a design step further than any other little Canon with its titanium shell, but it is what’s packed within that makes this 10 million-pixel compact worlds away from its siblings.

More Pixels, small body size.

Having 10 million pixels at your fingertips is fantastic but the DiG!C III processor is a major advance for Canon. This new processor boasts faster start times and quicker focus, plus ISO range to 1600. But the real boon for anyone buying a new Canon is the face detect function.

Making movies on an Ixus has always been fun, but the 900Ti has the ability to shoot a bigger 1024×768-pixel, 15 frames-per-second (fps) XGA high-resolution image that happily fills a big screen TV. It also has 640×480, 30fps shooting for smooth video of a longer duration. If you plan on making movies with this camera, get a big one, two or four gigabyte SD card, and keep an eye open for the next generation of HCDC (High Capacity Secure Digital) memory cards, which will hold 8GB and more. Canon has future-proofed the 900Ti by including support for the new card. 

Face detect.

There are several focus options. But when it comes to shooting family and friends, the face detect setting will blow the others out of the water. This setting lets the focus quickly home in on faces on the screen then track them if they move. Your subjects need to be facing you and should they turn away the little tracking box set over their face will switch off.

The main focus setting is called ‘Auto intelligent AF’ and with it set to ‘on’ it finds your subject, highlighting the area with a single or series of boxes. If you prefer your focusing set to the centre of the screen, a quick dip into the menu will let you turn off the AiAF setting.

Now screening.

The 2.5-inch screen packed with 230,000 pixels gives a clear image. If you encounter trouble watching the screen in bright light, Canon has included an optical viewfinder for backup. It only shows you the optical zoom view; if you use the 4x digital zoom it won’t be apparent in the viewfinder and you will have to switch back to the screen.

Canon builds exciting cameras and the 900Ti is packed with entertaining functions. The scene modes are a series of descriptive pictures that set the camera up for different shooting situations. There are even two underwater settings: ‘Aquarium’ for shooting through glass and ‘Underwater’ for when you turn the camera into a submersible with the optional underwater housing that lets you dive to 40m. Canon doesn’t stop with the scene modes. Slip the camera into the ‘M’ setting and you then have access to two of the most pleasurable features on almost any Canon: Colour Accent and Colour Swap. These let you play with the colour of an image, swapping colours or adding a colour accent to a black and white image. As enjoyable as it is to adjust image colours in-camera without the aid of a computer, doing the same with movies is even more fun.

In-camera editing.

Editing movies when you review them is yet another convenient function. This Ixus lets you cut out your movie mistakes, and when you save a clip you can make a new file or overwrite the old one. When reviewing still images you can categorise them and then use that category for a slide show.

You can’t fault the camera’s build quality, or the beauty of the images it produces. Brush your thumb across the control wheel and a matching control is superimposed on the screen, expanding the function your thumb is over as you roll it around the control. It’s a mesmerising feature that is actually useful once you stop fooling around with it.

Using the little Ixus at my son’s piano recital, it had no trouble finding faces when shooting vertical or horizontal images. It didn’t matter if the camera was in the wide angle or telephoto setting, the 900Ti hit the mark every time.

Image quality.

The images produced have natural skin tones and a realistic tonal range. Like the other models tested, noise is kept to a minimum but here I found it more noticeable in dark areas. This is due to more pixels being packed into the same physical area as 6-, 7- or 8-megapixel cameras. These pixels are smaller and are therefore more susceptible to noise.

Conclusion

The Canon’s strength is its diminutive size and useful set of functions. It is a simple point and shoot camera with a brilliant face recognition system that will have you shooting crisp, sharp party pics of your friends and family.