Canon Pixma MP550 – Review – 32

Canons stylish new MP550 doesn’t have the same level of features as other printers we’ve tested. For starters, there’s no wireless connectivity (for that you’ll need the dearer MP560), and it also lacks the fax function of the HP. Not that many people have use for a fax these days, but I guess some of us still cling on to the technology.

What the MP550 does have is excellent photographic print quality — in fact remarkable quality, considering it is basically just a CMYK machine.

Part of the secret behind the print quality can be found in Canon’s Chromalife100+ ink set, which uses a dye-based extended gamut CMYK set and dedicated black pigment ink for laser-quality text printing. The other part of the equation is the FINE bubble-jet print head, which is capable of droplets as small as two picolitres for grain-free, continuous-tone photographic prints.

I also have a lot of time for Canon’s print drivers and bundled ICC profiles, as the MP550 happily printed exceptional prints using other manufacturers’ premium media, with results unmatched by the other two machines on test.

A decent scanner is included, while the hidden main paper tray has a generous 300-sheet capacity (probably 60gsm plain bond).

Once I’d inserted the print head and loaded inks, I was good to go with loading the Canon software, which includes Easy-PhotoPrint EX and a nifty little Solution menu taskbar allowing easy access to all the MP550’s functions. The software setup took around 15 minutes in total, and using the supplied USB cable I was printing in no time at all.

Armed with a pack of A4 300gsm Canon Photo Paper Platinum, the MP550 offered excellent print quality; skin tones on my family photographs were realistic (keep out of the sun, Jeff!), while micro-details were easily discernable. As with the other two printers here, there was no visible dot structure, and even close checking with a magnifying glass failed to reveal much in the way of dot patterns. Black reproduction was just shaded by the HP, but not by much.

The MP550 also didn’t hang around in terms of print speed; my borderless A4 prints took a whisker over three minutes at the highest quality setting. Great stuff indeed. In fact the only nitpick I could aim at the MP550 is its build quality, which is lightweight in terms of construction compared to the other two.

Even considering this, it was a super result, and bearing in mind the all-rounder abilities of the MP550 — it is a home office device, after all — the printer certainly made an impression (no pun intended).

Canon Pixma MP550 – Specs

Print Speed: Up to 36ppm (text, draft)
Print Resolution: 9600 x 2400dpi
Cartridges: Black, cyan, magenta, yellow
Scanner: 48-bit, 2400 x 4800dpi
Copier: Up to 8cpm (black text), 3.8cpm (colour text and graphics)
Memory Card Compatibility: CompactFlash, Memory Stick, SD/MMC, xD
Dimensions: 450 x 368 x 160mm
Weight: 8.1kg

CONTACT

www.epson.co.nz

PROS

• Inexpensive,
• Excellent print quality and detail

CONS

• No inbuilt wireless
• Flimsy build

Design                      18
Performance             19
Features                   16
Image Quality           19
Value for money       18

TOTAL 90/100

This article is from D-Photo 32.

HP Photosmart Premium Fax C309 – Review – 32

Printing professional GARY PEARCE runs the ruler over three printers

Designed primarily for the home office, HP’s new A4 format Photosmart Premium Fax C309 is a feature-packed device with excellent performance as a photo printer.
Its wireless connectivity meant one less cable cluttering the spaghetti nightmare located behind my computer desk, and the decent scanner made a good fist of the documents and photographs I trialled during the test. The C309 is also able print automatically on both sides of a sheet of paper (or duplex print, in tech parlance), and those wishing to save on paper costs would be wise to take note of this feature.

Setup was easy, and after about 10 minutes of loading the excellent bundled software, I was up and running and had the C309 connected wirelessly. Printing, scanning and copying then began in earnest.

I was able to print labels directly to CDs and DVDs with a minimum of fuss using the nifty caddy system incorporated underneath the easy-to-read LCD screen/control panel.
The C309 has six dye-based Vivera ink cartridges on board (photo black/black/cyan/magenta/yellow) so there is no need to change black cartridges when swapping from text to photo printing.

Paper handling capacity is reasonable, but since the C309 can hurtle through black and white printing at 33 pages per minute, the 50-sheet output tray is going to need a lot of attention from the user.

It’s quite a bulky unit but the fashionable cream and grey aesthetics blended well with my Mac-based office.

Armed with a fresh pack of HP Premium Plus 280gsm photo paper, I set about reproducing some of my favourite photos — a variety of high-resolution and not so hi-res TIFF and JPEG files.

Printing a bordered A4 took around five minutes — a touch on the slow side but the printed result was very good. The C309 acquitted itself very well; my naked eye couldn’t perceive any sort of dot structure, while colours were well rendered and natural. Because it is basically a CMYK device (no RGB or orange/green — what did you expect?) vivid fluoro-like colours from flowers and insects were slightly muted. But ultimately the Photosmart Premium Fax C309 is a potent, feature-packed home office printer with a good level of photo printing performance.

HP Photosmart Premium Fax C309 – Specs

Print Speed: Up to 33ppm (black, draft); 32ppm (colour, draft); 12ppm (black, normal); 9.5ppm (colour, normal)
Print Resolution: Up to 600 x 600dpi (black, best); 9600 x 2400dpi (colour, best)
Cartridges: 5 – black, photo black, cyan, magenta, yellow, plus option XL
Scanner: 48-bit; up to 4800dpi
Copier: Up to 33cpm; up to 1200dpi (black text); up to 4800 x 1200dpi (colour text and graphics)
Fax: 3 sec/page; up to 300 x 300dpi
Memory Card Compatibility: CompactFlash, Memory Stick/Duo, SD/MMC, SDHC, xD
Dimensions: 468 x 473 x 283mm (W/D/H)
Weight: 10.4kg

CONTACT

www.hp.co.nz

PROS

• Amazing all in-one-solution with excellent wireless connectivity

CONS

• The price, but it’s hard to complain considering the amount of firepower on board

Design                      18
Performance             18
Features                   20
Image Quality           17
Value for money       17

TOTAL 90/100

This article is from D-Photo 32.

Olympus E-P1 – Review – 32

Harley Ogier tests the retro-chic EP-1
Look and Feel

Camera manufacturers exist in a flurried blur of technological change, so it’s nice to see someone tip their hat to tradition. The new E-P1 pays homage to Olympus’s Pen SLR, released 50 years ago and a camera famed for its pocketable size, phenomenal popularity and chic styling.

But for all that it bears a physical resemblance to a camera five decades old, under the hood the E-P1 is all 21st century. By subscribing to the new Micro Four Thirds standard, the E-P1 does away with the mirror and pentaprism of traditional SLR cameras. Instead of an optical viewfinder, the camera features a large 3.0-inch LCD monitor, making the E-P1 the lightest interchangeable-lens digital camera I’ve worked with.

Despite its light weight, the E-P1 sports a gorgeous all-metal body with leather handgrip. From the front it looks very much like a compact film camera; only when viewing the controls and monitor on the rear does the E-P1 resemble the piece of modern technology it really is.

Usability

Following traditional digital compact camera designs, almost all of the E-P1’s controls are located on the right-hand side of the camera; most shooting and playback functions can be operated one-handed.

The mode dial is recessed into the top of the body, accessible only via an exposed plastic wheel on the back of the camera. This definitely prevents flipping between modes accidentally, but also makes intentional mode changes a little difficult. Switching from one mode to the next is easy, but it’s not possible to quickly spin the dial to reach a mode on the opposite side.

Two scroll wheels are provided on the back: a vertical wheel near the top and an iPod-style mechanical click wheel below it. The click wheel also serves as a four-way directional pad with an ‘OK’ button in the centre. The directional pad is the best option for navigating menus, while the scroll wheels work well as traditional controllers of exposure, aperture and similar settings.

Image Quality

The E-P1 produces high-quality images with a lot of fine detail. I had some issues with image noise while shooting in the fully automatic mode, but was able to limit it to very reasonable levels using the camera’s noise reduction feature. The automatic mode also gives slightly oversaturated images, and over-exposes at night: the manual shooting modes can produce noticeably better results. The pre-programmed scene modes are a decent compromise for those not wishing to venture into full manual territory.

Being a fan of long exposures, I was delighted to find the E-P1 supports up to 60-second timed exposures in Shutter Priority mode. Most cameras don’t allow exposures nearly as long without going to Bulb, and it makes for some great fun if you’re dealing with night-time traffic, aircraft, starry skies or cats chasing laser pointers. At the shorter end of the scale, simple night landscapes are a breeze — the E-P1 gave some of the best performance I’ve seen to date on my Auckland City view.

Optical image stabilisation does a good job of eliminating camera shake; I found that my night shots came out perfectly sharp even without the two-second self timer. Shooting freehand in daylight is no problem —I don’t think I encountered a single case of motion blur, even though I did my test shooting on the go.

Performance

Like the Live View mode of most dSLRs, the E-P1 suffers from slow contrast-detect autofocus. Unlike a dSLR, however, there’s no option to switch back to the viewfinder and letting the much faster phase-detect autofocus do the work instead.

Panasonic’s Lumix G1, the first Micro Four Thirds camera to hit the market, didn’t suffer so obviously from this problem, and its autofocus performance was more in line with the average entry-level dSLR. Olympus doesn’t seem to have quite such a good implementation of contrast-detect at this stage.

If you carefully frame your shots and aren’t the quick-fire type, this isn’t likely to be a huge problem. The E-P1 has so much else going for it that slow autofocus shouldn’t be a deal breaker. However, expect to be a little disappointed if you’re after dSLR shooting speed.

Lens Compatibility

The E-P1 is available with either or both of two kit lenses: the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f2.8 and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6.

The 17mm (equivalent to 34mm in 35mm film terms) is a wide-angle pancake lens with a length of just 22mm and a weight of 71g. This makes it the perfect travelling companion for the E-P1 if you can do without a zoom. Alternatively, it allows you to carry the camera ready to shoot while your larger lenses are packed away.

The 14-42mm (28-84mm equivalent) is a compact and lightweight zoom lens designed specifically for the E-P1. In keeping with the camera’s concise design, the lens is collapsible to just 43.5mm, around half of its fully extended length.

Personally, I would have to stash a 200mm lens somewhere for those long-distance opportunities. Fortunately, there’s a small but growing number of Micro Four Thirds lenses on the market. Olympus also offers an adapter ring that allows the E-P1 to mount standard Four Thirds format lenses.

Finding the View

I can see why Olympus has omitted an electronic viewfinder from the E-P1; it would have taken up valuable space both inside the camera and on the back where the large LCD monitor is located. However, all it takes is one day of shooting in bright sunlight to realise that it can be a major disadvantage.

A snap-on viewfinder is available to match the 17mm kit lens, but this is useless once you start working with zoom lenses. The snap-on also lacks any kind of heads-up information, depth of field preview, and other such features one would expect of an in-camera viewfinder.

Conclusion

The E-P1 is a brilliant addition to the Micro Four Thirds range, especially for those wanting dSLR quality in a small form factor. Slow autofocus and the lack of a viewfinder may be problematic for some users, but others will love the high image quality and point-and-shoot ease of use.

OLYMPUS E-P1 – SPECS

Manufacturer: Olympus
Model: E-P1
Effective Pixels: 12.3 million
Image Sensor: 17.3 x 13.0mm MOS
Viewfinder: None
LCD Monitor: 3.0-inch, 230,000 dot LCD, 176 degrees viewing angle
Shutter: 1/4000 to 60 seconds, bulb
ISO: 200-6400 in steps of 1/3 or 1 EV
Exposure Metering: Digital ESP metering (324-area multi-pattern metering), centre-weighted, spot
Media: SD/SDHC
File Format: RAW (12-bit), JPEG, AVI
Interface: USB 2.0, composite video out, HDMI video out
Batteries: Rechargeable lithium-ion, approx 300 shots
Dimensions: 120.5 x 70 x 35mm
Weight: 335g (body only, without battery or memory card)

CONTACT

www.olympus.com

PROS

• Excellent image quality
• Point-and-shoot ease of use

CONS

• Slow autofocus
• No viewfinder

Design                      19
Performance             17
Features                   17
Image Quality           18
Value for money       17

TOTAL     88/100

This article is from D-Photo 32.

Pentax Optio W80 – Review – 32

Harley Ogier finds the Optio W80 to be a surprisingly 
good example of a modern ‘take anywhere’ camera

Design

At a glance, the Optio W80 really doesn’t look waterproof. It doesn’t look particularly shockproof, either. But having left the thing in the sink (intentionally), it is quite clearly fine when dipped in water. It’s also far sturdier than it looks; the kind of twisting and bending that usually starts cheap plastic cameras creaking has absolutely no effect on the W80. If the definition of elegant design is to make the solution to a difficult problem look easy, Pentax has definitely managed elegance here.

The W80’s controls are taken from the most basic digital camera designs; everything is a simple push button, from the zoom controls to the four-way navigation pad. There are no wheels, rocker switches or anything else that would be difficult to make waterproof without also making unusable. The most complicated control is the shutter, with its universal push-half-way-to-focus mechanism.

While this makes the camera look a little clunkier than its non-waterproof counterparts, it also means anyone can pick it up and use it without wondering why the mode dial is so hard to turn (solution: there’s a mode button instead, which won’t get clogged with wet sand).

Image Quality

Shots taken in full daylight are reasonably sharp and detailed, though with a disappointing amount of image noise. Manually setting the lowest possible ISO speed for the conditions goes some way to reducing this, but it’s not an all-around fix and a fair amount of noise always remains.

Oddly, I found low-light performance in the Night Scene mode to be particularly good. Down at ISO64 or 100, noise was lower than the average compact camera and images came out fine using a tripod and the W80’s self-timer. This suggests that perhaps there’s hope in other shooting modes to fine-tune out the noise, but the lack of serious manual controls makes it difficult to experiment.

Face Detection

The W80 implements some amazingly good face-priority autofocus, claiming to detect up to 32 faces simultaneously. I managed to detect at least fifteen from a still image, so I have no doubt this is true.

Face detection is nearly instantaneous — definitely the fastest I’ve ever seen. Tracking of moving faces works well, as long as they stay oriented toward the camera. The down side is a few mistaken recognitions (nope, that’s a tomato). These only last for a fraction of a second and are probably what lets the camera track real faces so quickly. As soon as motion stops, only real faces remain.

I can see serious potential for this in outdoor group shots during the kinds of recreational or sporting activities where you might need such a rugged camera.

Conclusion

Deceptively simple to look at, the Optio W80 is a feature-packed digital compact. Although not the highest rated in maximum depth or drop distance, it’s still one of the better offerings in today’s range of waterproof digital cameras that you can take anywhere.

PENTAX 
OPTIO W80 – SPECS

Manufacturer: Pentax
Model: Optio W80
Effective Pixels: 12.1 million
Lens: 5-25mm (35mm equivalent 28-140mm)
Viewfinder: None
Monitor: 2.5-inch TFT LCD, 230,000 dots
Shutter: 1/1500 to 1/4 seconds, up to 4 seconds in Night Scene mode
Aperture: f3.5-f5.5
ISO: 64-1600 auto, 64-6400 selectable
Shooting Modes: Auto, Program, pre-set scene modes, basic ‘Green’ mode
Exposure Metering: Multi-segment, centre-weighted, spot
Focus Modes: Face, multiple AF (9-point), spot AF, auto tracking AF, macro, super macro, infinity landscape, pan focus, manual focus
Internal Memory: 33.7MB
Media: SD, SDHC
File Format: JPEG, AVI, WAV
Flash: Built-in
Interface: USB 2.0, composite video out
Batteries: Rechargeable lithium-ion, approx 170 images
Durability: Waterproof (5m), dustproof, shockproof (1m), coldproof (-10°C)
Dimensions: 100 x 56 x 25mm
Weight: 136g with battery

CONTACT

www.irl.co.nz

PROS

• Waterproof, shockproof 
and coldproof

• Lightweight and compact

CONS

• Some problems with image noise

Design                      18
Performance             17
Features                   17
Image Quality           16
Value for money       16

TOTAL     84/100

This article is from D-Photo 32.

Apple Macbook Pro – Review – 31

Pro photographer Gary Baildon slips a new MacBook into his workflow

Apple Mac is the computer brand of choice for many photographers. In my own studio I use a 13-inch MacBook, chosen for its light, compact and travel-friendly yet powerful attributes. However, the new 15-inch MacBook Pro has a little more screen real estate, and the advantage of a faster processor and a FireWire 800 port (13-inch MacBooks are USB 2.0 only). It was going to be an interesting test, and a great opportunity to compare two of the best portable computers available, particularly when tethered to my recently purchased 24-inch LED display.

My workflow is already 100 per cent Apple-based, so the MacBook Pro slotted in quickly and easily. A simple transfer of my vital settings and applications from the 13-inch machine (wirelessly via OSX’s built in utilities) and we were ready to go.

STABILITY

OSX Leopard is the onboard operating system and it’s solid, stable and intuitive; and, in true Apple fashion, you needn’t spend any time messing with the software.

From the moment you fire up the Mac it does what it’s supposed to do and keeps on doing it without fuss, crashes or hard-to-find device drivers. The bundled software is excellent, too. With iPhoto, iMovie, iDVD, iTunes, Garage Band, Photo Booth, iWeb, iSync and much more on the hard drive, you already have a very capable machine without spending an extra cent.

Those who need or wish to use Windows can load Microsoft’s operating system to this Intel-based Mac and run it either in dual boot format or inside OSX as a virtual machine.

PROGRAMS

Of course, the cornerstone of any pro photographer’s workflow is a program from neither Microsoft nor Apple, but Adobe’s Photoshop, and more and more photographers are now partnering it with Adobe’s Lightroom. It’s the subject of another review altogether (see the final instalment of Hans Weichselbaum’s in-depth series from p58) but I can put my hand on my heart and say I now couldn’t live without Lightroom.

But while these applications are powerful, they also require lots of processing grunt and memory. Many a computer has suffered under the strain of these mega-apps that increase demands on resources with every subsequent release. The fact that cameras are upping the megapixel count with almost every new model just adds to the pressure.

The MacBook Pro, which in the base configuration supplied for review had a 2.53GHz processor and 4GB RAM, didn’t flinch at running several Adobe CS4 apps at the same time, and did everything it was asked of without complaint. Whether capturing live from the camera, editing in Lightroom or processing in Photoshop, it never missed a beat.

MIX ’N’ MATCH

I also use a 2.8GHz 24-inch iMac in the studio, and I’d have to say that the combination of the MacBook Pro and the Apple display offer virtually the same performance while giving you the flexibility to disengage the two and take the MacBook out on the road at a moment’s notice. In daily use the 15-inch machine didn’t feel much bigger or heavier in my bag than the 13, but the extra screen size, FW800 port and the significantly improved speakers were most welcome. The 15-inch screen made life easier on location, too, without the need to lug another monitor along.

CONCLUSION

Would I consider changing my 13-inch MacBook for a 15, despite the new range starting at $3499 and going all the way up to $4998? Yes. For all the reasons above — and also the less tangible ones such as pride of ownership, aesthetics and a cool factor of 11 (on a scale of 10).

APPLE MACBOOK PRO – SPECS AS TESTED

Manufacturer: Apple
Model: MacBook Pro 15-inch
Processor: 2.53GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
Storage: 320GB HDD
RAM: 4GB
Disc Drive: DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, 256MB DDR3 SRAM
Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, FireWire, USB2.0 x 2, SD card slot, audio in/out
Dimensions: 364 x 24.1 x 249mm (W/H/D)
Weight: 2.49kg

CONTACT

www.apple.co.nz

Pros

• Stylish
• Durable
• Sizzling performance
• Excellent battery life
• Relatively cool running

Cons

• Cons? What cons? This thing rocks!

Design                      18
Performance             18
Features                   19
Image Quality           18
Value for money       17

TOTAL     90/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 31.

Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T90 – Review – 31

Phil Hanson is seduced by the beauty of sony’s new compact

Sony’s T90 is such a cute and clever piece of design it’s almost irrelevant whether function follows its beguiling form. After a few minutes of handling and admiring this super-slim newcomer, its image quality could have been on a par with the Agfa Clack box camera from the mid-1950s for all I cared. Well, not quite, and more on that later.

The T90 is a member of the new Cyber-shot range introduced earlier this year. At only 15mm, it’s way thinner than the compact I often carry in my shirt pocket. Plus, the Zeiss zoom lens doesn’t telescope out when the ‘on’ button is pushed; it stays in place behind its glass cover in the top right corner. Or not — if the lens seems to be missing, that’s because the incredibly cool and sensible sliding-panel cover is in position. This slides down with finger pressure, turning on the camera at the same time. Slide it back and the power goes off.

A 3-inch screen dominates the back and the controls are… not there. This is another of the breed of touchscreen cameras, a technology that tends to polarise the marketplace.

The T90 records JPEGs and MPEG-4 video to Memory Stick PRO Duo cards and is largely automatic in operation.

HONEY, I SHRUNK THE CONTROLS …

Because the lens is out of the way in a corner, it’s easy to get a good grip on this baby body; it’s not only for the daintily handed. And a small hump on the left side gives something for the photographer’s second finger to rest against to help provide a firm, steady grip.

A tiny button on the camera’s top edge powers it up and down, if you’re not using the sliding cover. There’s also an equally wee joystick that zooms the lens, and sandwiched between these is a shutter button. Another little button on the bevelled edge immediately above the screen puts the camera in Play mode. Despite their Legoland size, the controls are surprisingly easy to use.

Everything else is worked by touching screen icons. Detractors of touch technology say it gets the screen filthy and that it’s too easy to push the wrong icon. I find I’m regularly wiping a screen anyway, and that with five minutes’ practice it’s easy to hit the icons with accuracy, even with my clumsy fingers.

IN THE PICTURE

The specs look pretty good: a 12.4 megapixel Super HAD CCD sensor and a Carl Zeiss Vario Tessar optical 4x zoom that covers the 35mm to 140mm full-frame equivalent range, and maximum apertures of f3.5 on the wide side and f4.6 at the telephoto end.

Using the camera is just so easy. For example, it focuses the scene before your finger even touches the button. Casual snappers will love this and other features such as intelligent scene recognition that make the T90 an excellent choice for those who just want the photo. More advanced photographers may become frustrated with the range of choices.

The Zeiss lens delivers a reasonable if not stellar picture, with a pleasing though slightly subdued colour palette. The camera is best used at 80 to 200 ISO speeds; by 400 there’s a lot of noise.

It’ll shoot reasonable widescreen and full-screen 720p movies at 30 frames per second.

CONCLUSION

The T90’s design is captivating and the camera has a feel of quality to it. Newcomers to photography will love how easy it is to take successful photos; but experienced photographers may find it’s a bit like a delicious-looking dessert — interesting and tasty, but why isn’t there more?

SONY 
CYBER-SHOT
DSC-T90 – SPECS

Manufacturer: Sony
Model: Cyber-shot DSC-T90
Effective Pixels: 12.1 million
Lens: 6.18-24.7mm (full-frame equivalent: 35-140mm)
Aperture: f3.5-f4.6
Monitor: 3-inch colour TFT LCD
ISO: Auto, 80 to 3200
Shooting Modes: Intelligent auto, easy shooting, program auto, movie (auto adjustment, high sensitivity, underwater), custom scenes (high sensitivity, twilight, twilight portrait, soft snap, landscape, beach, snow, fireworks, hi-speed shutter, underwater, gourmet)
Exposure Metering: Nine-point evaluative, centre-weighted average
Focus mode: Autofocus
Media: Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo, approx 11 MB built-in memory
File Format: JPEG, MPEG-4
Flash: Flash on/off, auto, slow synchro
Interface: USB, PictBridge
Battery: NP-BD1 lithium-ion rechargeable
Dimensions: 94 x 57 x 15mm
Weight: 151g including battery

CONTACT

www.sony.co.nz

PROS

• Great looks and styling
• Fits any pocket
• So easy to use

CONS

• Too much of a fashion statement?
• Pricey
• Few advanced features

Design                      19
Performance             16
Features                   16
Image Quality           15
Value for money       16

TOTAL     82/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 31.

Samsung WB550 – Review – 31

Jeska Innes takes Samsung’s powerful compact to the seaside

Giving the brand new Samsung WB550 a run for its money in the backyard just didn’t feel right. Its ultra-wide 24mm lens is just begging for gorgeous scenery. So off to the beach we went. I wore my bathing suit and the Samsung wore a canvas case. At this point I should probably point out that the WB550 is not a waterproof camera, and that we would not be frolicking in the waves together.

GETTING TO KNOW YOU

I’d already heard plenty about the WB550 before our special day. It has a lot of oomph for a pocket-sized camera and is getting noticed for this feature, rather than its fairly standard appearance. It’s hard to stand out in the crowded compact camera market, but the Samsung really does. Aside from the generous 24mm lens, it also boasts a 10x optical zoom, which is impressive for a point-and-shoot. It means the WB550 is a really versatile little camera, allowing you to, well, fit lots of stuff in your pictures or zoom in and shoot things in the far distance.

As we strolled hand in wrist strap along the sun-kissed shore, it was time to really test the Samsung out. Manual mode was first up. It was immediately noticeable that there was a lack of on-screen feedback. For example, when changing shutter and aperture settings, the LCD doesn’t lighten or darken to reflect the changes until you press the shutter release half way. There’s also no exposure meter on the screen. Amateurs may feel this makes it all a bit of a guessing game. Still, with much fiddling around, I managed to get a few decent snaps of a one-legged seagull that kindly offered its modelling services. Image quality was best below ISO400; after that point things started to get noisy.

FANCY-FREE

Automatic mode was a lot more enjoyable. No longer having to worry about individual settings, I was able to click with abandon and really make the most of that ultra-wide-angle lens. Rangitoto, one of Auckland’s dormant (for now) volcanoes, was a logical test shot. There was no need to move back and back through the sand into the car park to fit the whole beast in the frame, which was pretty cool. Focusing time was reasonably quick, and the ‘smart auto’ feature does quite a good job of identifying scenes; for example, the camera automatically jumped into macro mode for the ‘arty’ picture I took of an abandoned toy car sticking out of the sand.

SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT

The Samsung WB550 offers a lot of control. Face detection, smile shot, blink detection and beauty shot capabilities are all on board. These automatic features mean it really is quite hard to take bad photos. The smile detection proved to be quite enthusiastic; I had no idea one-legged seagulls smiled so much.

High-definition video recording and HDMI connectivity also come packed into the camera. It would have been nice if there were an HDMI cable included in the box, but its absence isn’t the end of the world. It’s fair to say this Samsung is loaded with functionality and does everything you’d expect at this price point. Safely home and dry, I uploaded the day’s images and was delighted with the bright and vivid results.

SAMSUNG WB550 – SPECS

Manufacturer: Samsung
Model: WB550
Effective Pixels: 12.2 million
Lens: Schneider 4.2-42mm (35mm equivalent 24-240mm)
Viewfinder: None
Monitor: 3.0-inch TFT LCD, 
230,000 dots
Aperture: f3.3- f5.8
ISO: Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
Shooting Modes: Auto, smart auto, program, manual, dual IS, scene selection, movie
Media: SD, SDHC, 21MB internal memory
File Format: JPEG, Exif 2.21, DPOF 1.1, MPEG-4
Flash: Auto, red-eye reduction, fill-in flash, slow sync, red-eye
Interface: USB
Battery: Rechargeable SLB-10A
Dimensions: 105 x 61.4 x 36.5mm
Weight: 225g without battery and card

CONTACT

www.samsung.co.nz

PROS

• Feature packed
• Ultra-wide-angle lens
• Generous zoom

CONS

• Lack of on-screen feedback

Design                      16
Performance             16
Features                   17
Image Quality           17
Value for money       17

TOTAL     83/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 31.

Leica Pradovit D-1200 Digital Projector – Review – 31

Gary Pearce examines Leica’s top-of-the-line digital projector

Diversity, it seems, is key to business survival. McDonald’s has added chicken salads and flat whites to its menu of burgers and fries, while giant Korean electronics company LG has teamed up with the Italian fashion gurus at Prada to develop a new range of mobile phones.

And now the pioneer of photography has entered the large-format display sector with a projector designed for photographic exhibitions.

The new Leica Pradovit D-1200 is a DLP design, a technology well regarded for image quality and the ability to produce better than average black-level performance compared with LCD.

The Pradovit D-1200 made its debut at last year’s Photokina trade fair and provided a major talking point. Essentially, the D-1200 is a slide projector with state-of-the-art optics and outstanding image quality, combined with high-resolution digital video capability. No wonder tongues were wagging following its introduction.

Resolution is a handy 1920 x 1200, giving an aspect ratio of 16:10 that is close to the 35mm format invented by Leica. Texas Instruments developed the single-chip DarkChip DLP light engine specifically for the Pradovit, while Leica’s Vario-Elmarit-P f2.8-3.1/33-42mm high-speed lens promises image widths of up to 9.5 m. With projection distances of one to 15 metres, the D-1200 is perfectly formed for large-scale photographic duties.

Brightness is a claimed 2000 ANSI lumen (1400 in photo mode), so it will work well in most situations where ambient light is present.

Getting Connected

There is a raft of connectivity options, too. HDMI 1.3a and DVI-D are on board, as well as two VGA (allowing up to WUXGA resolution), while the mandatory composite/YPbPR and YCbCR

Component/S-Video make up the video connectivity numbers. Both LAN and USB inputs complete the computer options, while separate RS232 input and output and a handy 12v trigger make the Pradovit a cinch for custom installation.

Lightweight magnesium casework has been used for maximum durability, and while the Pradovit won’t win any awards for beauty, the quality of componentry and Leica’s superior optics produced images that upheld the company’s fine reputation.
On The Screen 
After connecting the Pradovit to my Mac, it was fed a consistent diet of high-resolution TIFF and RAW image files. After a small amount of tweaking in the image menu (in the search for a neutral grey), I was quite amazed by the resolution and natural quality of the files I saw on screen.

The greens and autumnal oranges in landscape shots were extremely realistic, while the 16 x 10 resolution of the Pradovit made each image jump off the screen, but not in an artificial or enhanced manner. Digital noise was pretty much non-existent, making the Pradovit a class leader compared with any of the DLP displays I have experienced to date.

Moving to HD video produced similar results, with content from Blu-ray disc proving a satisfying experience. However, the D-1200 is not to be lumped in with the cheaper hi-res home theatre projectors; it is a serious exhibition projector first and foremost — with a price tag to match.

CONCLUSION

Leica’s new Pradovit D-1200 should be on the shopping list for any photographer wishing to display his or her work on a massive scale. The quality of its imagery will not fail to impress, and although expensive, it provides a window into the photographer’s subject without even breaking sweat.

LEICA PRADOVIT D-1200 DIGITAL PROJECTOR – SPECS

Type: DLP
Lens: Leica Vario-Elmarit-P
Aspect Ratio: 16:10
Resolution: 1920 x 1200
Engine: DMD single chip with Texas Instruments DarkChip
Contrast Ratio: 2500:1
Brightness: 2000 ANSI Lumen (1400 ANSI lumen in photo mode)
Operation Noise: 28dB (low lamp mode)
Connections: HDMI 1.3A, DVI-D, component, S-Video, Composite, VGA x 2 (max WUXGA resolution), RS232 in/out, 12v trigger
Lamp Life: 3000 hours
Dimensions: 300 x 104 x 268mm (W/H/D)
Weight: 3.6kg

CONTACT:

info@lacklands.co.nz

Pros

• Beautiful image quality
• Ruggedly built for durability
• Good light output for a typical exhibition installation

Cons

• It is a serious investment

Design                      16
Performance             18
Features                   20
Image Quality           19
Value for money       16

TOTAL     89/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 31.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 10-24mm f3.5-4.5G ED Lens – Review – 31

Nikon has brought a serious wide-angle lens to its amateur dSLR range, framing NEW opportunities for DX-FORMAT owners, says Harley Ogier

Wide Angle

The NIKKOR 10-24mm lens is equivalent to 15-36mm in 35mm film terms. This is real-estate wide; not a distorted fish-eye perspective, but sufficiently wide to make the smallest of rooms appear spacious. With a focusing distance of down to 0.24cm across the zoom range, the lens can also be used for close-ups of large subjects. This is great for product photography — home theatre or stereo setups, trade show booths and so forth. I wish I’d had the NIKKOR 10-24mm lens the last time I photographed a craft fair setup, where the aisles are narrow and you have to be halfway inside of one booth to photograph another in its entirety.

Together with an 18-200mm zoom lens and any Nikon DX-format dSLR back, the amateur photographer could have an impressive three-piece kit that would cover almost any situation.

Construction

The lens comprises 14 elements in nine groups, including two ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements and three aspherical lenses. This results in a relatively compact lens with extremely low distortion. I found no colour or perspective aberrations in any of my test shots, even right out in the periphery of images taken at the widest angle.

The lens looks and feels well constructed and is ergonomically designed. The zoom ring is large and rubberised, providing good grip. The focus ring is simply ridged plastic, which is still easy to turn.

There’s also a standard distance display in both feet and metres, which is omitted from some of the smaller and cheaper lenses out there. Like all of Nikon’s G series lenses, the NIKKOR 10-24mm has no aperture ring.

One thing notably missing is Nikon’s powerful vibration reduction feature, although given the focal length of the lens this is unlikely to be a major problem. I only had to toss away a few shots (out of several hundred) because of camera shake, and perhaps I was moving too fast for VR to have saved those images anyway.

Manual/Auto Focus

Instead of the usual choice of automatic or manual focus, the lens features either M/A (manual/automatic) or regular manual focus. The M/A mode allows a seamless transition from automatic to manual just by turning the focus ring. Doing so immediately overrides autofocus, even while focusing is in progress. This can be particularly helpful if you’ve just lined up a shot and have your eye to the viewfinder, only to find that the camera won’t focus. The M/A switch requires quite a bit of force to move, and could easily disrupt your careful framing. Being able to manually focus without the switch is surprisingly convenient.

Conclusion

The NIKKOR 10-24mm lens is an essential accessory if you’re looking to shoot wide, whether it’s real estate, scenery, products or portraits. While relatively pricey for the cash-strapped amateur, it’s a worthwhile investment that will add major functionality to a DX-format Nikon dSLR.

NIKON
 AF-S DX Zoom-
NIKKOR 10-24mm f/3.5-4.5G ED – Specs

Manufacturer: Nikon
Model: AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 10-24mm f3.5-4.5G ED
RRP: TBA
Lens Construction: 14 elements in 9 groups (2 ED glass, 3 aspherical lenses)
Focal Length Range: 10-24mm
Compatible Formats: Nikon DX, Nikon FX (in DX Crop Mode)
Zoom Ratio: 2.4x
Maximum Aperture: 3.5
Minimum Aperture: 22
Closest Focusing Distance: 0.24mm (across entire zoom range)
Maximum Reproduction Ratio: 0.2x
Filter Attachment Size: 77mm
Supplied Accessories: Front lens cap, rear lens cap, bayonet hood, flexible lens pouch
Dimensions: 82.5 x 87mm
Weight: 460g

Contact

www.nikon.co.nz

PROS

• Wide angle
• Low distortion
• Manual/automatic focus mode

CONS

• No vibration reduction

Design                      18
Performance             20
Features                   17
Image Quality           18
Value for money       15

TOTAL     87/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 31.

Canon EOS 500D – Review – 31

Phil Hanson finds a lot to like in Canon’s new dSLR

Apparently determined to fill every niche in the DSLR market, Canon split its Rebel series into an entry range, the 1000D, and a better specified line that has now morphed into the 500D.

As a result, the 500D has picked up a number of features from more expensive pro and semi-pro models, including spot metering, and is all the better for it. Many of its functions and much of the way it works mimic the high-line models, so it’s hardly surprising we keep bumping into pros who have already adopted the 500D as a backup body.

The 500D came along quite soon after the 450D, so what we have is an evolution rather than a revolution, and a good bit of it seems to have involved taking features from the far more expensive 50D. (As this was written, the 450D remained in the range as a cheaper alternative.) For example, the CMOS sensor goes from 12 to 15 megapixels and is similar to that in the 50D. The VGA 920,000-dot monitor is another nice addition and, for those who need or want it, there’s 1080p HD video. DiG!C 4, already seen in the 50D and the new 5D Mk II wunderkind, now provides processing power.

A look at pricing helps locate the 500D’s place in the pecking order. An EOS 1000D with the EFS18-55mm IS lens typically retails for $1079, while the similarly lensed 500D sells for just under two grand. A 450D with that lens costs around $1590. Meanwhile, a 50D body alone is now typically $2190.

HOW IT HANDLES

The newcomer has the same general look and feel as its predecessors. If you’re used to larger, heavier cameras — even its big brother the 50D — the overwhelming first impression is how light the 500D’s body and lens combo is. The body is quite light at 480g, but the 18-55 zoom lens is a flyweight at just 200g. It makes for a camera that can be lugged around all day without becoming a burden.

Other than for an integral grip that feels too small, the camera fits the hands well, even large hands, and most of the controls are in just the right place. My main gripe is the plasticy feel of the surfaces, although I know from years of ownership of a much earlier Rebel that that’s certainly not synonymous with flimsy.

Use of plastic is the key to the 18-55 image-stabilised lens’s light weight. It balances well with the camera body but I didn’t like the raspy plastic-on-plastic noise it made while zooming. Covering a 28-90mm full-frame equivalent, it’s a particularly useful lens, focuses quickly and takes a decent picture.

The big display screen shows key camera settings large and clear and they can be easily adjusted via a suite of well-placed buttons that Canon calls the Interactive Quick Control panel. However, it lacks the excellent selection joystick of the 50D and 5D Mk II — perhaps we’ll see it on the 550D.

The better screen also makes the Live View function more functional — but I don’t really see much point to this feature until such time as it can be tilted to assist framing when the camera is at a difficult angle. For those who do like it, Live View now offers face detection.

A GOOD LOOK

D-Photo used the 18-55mm kit lens for most of this evaluation, but also tried the body with a variety of prime Canon lenses and a couple of the top L lenses, the 24-105 IS and the 135mm f2.

The 18-55 does quite a reasonable job. Image quality is good, even when wide open, and although there’s little vignetting at the wide end, the fishbowl effect of bowed lines is obvious in shots of, say, buildings or furniture.

Nor can the kit lens match the L glass or prime focal lengths when it comes to resolving detail, particularly at the edges at wider apertures. It’s worth investing in some better quality (read: more expensive) lenses because, despite its price point and smallish APS-C sensor, the 500D processes a mean image. The detailed, clean output, along with colour rendition and the high quality of JPEGs, are all impressive. It continues to impress at speeds of up to 1600 ISO, where detail remains good but noise is just starting to take its toll. Images become softer at 3200 and noise more intrusive but it’s still very useable. The 6400 and particularly the 12,800 settings are best saved for emergencies or special effects. This is despite Canon’s high ISO noise reduction system that’s there to offer greater control over the amount of noise reduction being applied to JPEG files at higher ISOs.

Metering choices are evaluative, partial, spot and centre-weighted average; of these I found the four-degree spot and good old centre-weighted the most useful but, except during spot metering, there was a tendency to overexpose in bright light; fortunately, minus-correction is only a button push away.

CALL THE KEY GRIP

The ability to shoot movies may appeal to a wide range of buyers. Probably due to the smaller sensor, video doesn’t quite match the quality of the 5D Mk II’s, although it’s still pretty darned good. The camera can record high definition 1080p at 20fps or 720p at 30fps. Although the 720p mode produces a smaller sized image, it provides a smoother picture and is therefore a better choice for action. And yes, you can interrupt filming to take a still image, but there’ll be a short delay in the movie. Like the 5D Mk II, sound quality is nothing startling.

CONCLUSION

Canon ices its Digital Rebel cake with more pixels, HD video, a wicked viewing screen and enough ISO speed to shoot that black cat in a dark room. Add light weight, relatively small size and picture-taking competence and it’s a product to be reckoned with. Plus, it opens the door to Canon’s huge and wide-ranging photographic system.

NIKON  EOS 500D – SPECS

Manufacturer: Canon Inc
Model: EOS 500D
Effective Pixels: 15.1 million
Sensor: CMOS, 22.2 x 14.9mm with auto dust deletion
Monitor: 3-inch TFT colour LCD, approx 920,000 dots
ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400, 12,800
Shooting Modes: Auto, program, shutter priority, aperture priority, depth of field, manual. Creative modes: portrait, landscape, close-up, action, night portrait, flash disabled, creative auto
Exposure Metering: Evaluative, partial spot (9%), spot (4%), centre-weighted average
Focus Modes: Manual, one-shot, AI servo, AI focus
Media: SD, SDHC
File format: RAW, JPEG, RAW + JPEG, MOV
Flash: Retractable, auto pop-up or EX-series Speedlites
Interface: USB, miniHDMI, PictBridge
Battery: LP-E5 lithium-ion rechargeable or AA in optional BG-E5 battery grip
Dimensions: 128 x 98 x 62mm
Weight: 480g

CONTACT

www.canon.co.nz

PROS

• Light, compact and competent
• Excellent image capturer, especially with high-quality lenses
• Good quality HD video

CONS

• Slightly plasticy appearance and feel
• Needs better quality video sound

Design                      18
Performance             18
Features                   18
Image Quality           17
Value for money       17TOTAL     88/100

This article if from D-Photo issue 31.