Photo-Video Cam

Taught Your Kids About Budgetting

2009-01-22T01:18:00.000+07:00

Teenagers nowadays do not understand the value of earning and spending money. This is undeniable that they are consuming a lot, spending on something that doesn’t really urgent. They were not oriented that investing is necessary even if they are still students. As parents, the closest relation, you play an important role for their development. You should be able to teach your kids on how to save money. Maybe it is a good idea taught them budgeting or something like debt consolidation.

They should be able to understand the concept of money and investment as early as childhood. This will prepare them to learn money management, as they grow old. Once your children have learned how to count, that is the perfect time for you teach them the real meaning of money. You should be consistent and explain to them in simple ways and do this frequently so that they may be able to remember what you taught them. Teach them to earn money, how to lower bills instead increasing it.

Always explain to them the value of saving money. Show them about financing ideals, basic economic laws and debt settlement. Make them understand its importance and how it will impact their life. It is important that you entertain questions from them about money and you should be able to answer them right away.

Jewelry Photography with Photo Studio Box

2009-01-18T01:00:00.000+07:00

For those who are selling on ebay or online, or any jewelry store owners, taking quality jewelry photos is a daunting task.

You are selling a product that is relatively expensive, and requires a high quality photograph to showcase your jewelry product. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. In your case, a picture might worth a thousand dollars! A good piece of jewelry could retail for $1,000's or more.

As such, there should be no compromise on taking jewelry photography. The jewelry photo you take should be sharp, high detail and depicting the real color. In particular if you are selling diamond, gem stones, and other precious metals of which the color could easily distorted by light that is not suitable for jewelry photography.

By using a "photo studio box" product, a jeweler or jewelry seller can take high quality jewelry photos in a snap. No more running wires all over the place, and no more setting up different lighting tripods at different heights and at different angles.

Using this photo studio in a box system, you simply need to place your jewelry item inside the studio box, adjust the flexible LED lights to create the desired light intensity and reflection angles. Then take the photo with your camera. Viola, it's done. It sure makes life much easier. Most important, it will save you lots of time. Time that you can spend to promote and advertise your business, instead of spending countless hours on setting up the "perfect" stage for your jewelry photography session.

To achieve an optimum jewelry photography result, you should adjust the color setting of your camera to compensate for the various lighting effect that might affect the photo quality.

For example, if you want a whiter background and a "whiter" jewelry exposure. You might want to lower the color setting, and vice versa. Also, for diamond in particular, a daylight colored LED light is best suit to do the job. Using these daylight colored natural lighting will be least likely to distort the color of the diamond on the final photo.

With most higher end photo studio box system, this daylight natural color LED lighting is usually a standard accessory.

In short, if you are serious about making high quality jewelry photos that will attract the attention of potential customers. Using a quality photo studio box is essential. You might save a small amount with those cheaper "tent-style" fabric version. But with this tent type photo box version, a high quality lighting effect jewelry photo session would be more difficult and time consuming to achieve.

Dan Ennis is the distributor of Photo Studio Box. A product specially made for taking jewelry photography and other small to medium size products. Please visit http://www.PhotoStudioBox.com for more info.

Travel and Scenic Photography 101

2009-01-12T00:58:00.000+07:00

When you're driving through the mountains somewhere, and you notice a car parked half off the road and some guy leaning to the left to avoid a branch with his Rebel 2000 camera in the act of focusing, you've met me. I do this because, to me, a trip isn't fulfilling unless I've preserved that beauty for posterity. I'd like to share some of the techniques that make scenic photography such a wonderful artform - simple, yet elegant.

First off, equipment. As much as the cheapo disposable camera beckons, get real. These cameras have fisheye lenses which I call "spam" lenses. They cram everything in, with equal blurriness and boringness. Good photos are sharp, unless you use blur for artistic effect. Sharp comes from an adjustable lens. It can be a fixed lens or a zoom, but it must focus specially for each picture. Fixed lenses are limiting for scenic pictures, where to frame the shot you may need to move long distances. Imagine using a fixed lens on the Washington Monument, when you're half a block away! Zooms get my vote, even though they often don't have as wide an aperture, which limits their capabilities in low light situations.

Practically speaking, an SLR is the absolute best. They are lightweight, and can be used with top quality lenses. Film SLRs tend to be less expensive, but have the limitations of film, meaning you have to get it developed and so forth. Digital SLRs are VERY expensive, so for the budget conscious either go with a film SLR or a high quality basic digital camera. With digital, resolution is also a critical factor, so look at the specs before you buy.

OK, we've got the camera, emotions are running high, and that's great, but not too great! Sometimes I find a spot that is so wonderful, I start shooting like a madman, only to be disappointed by the pictures. What happened? Emotions. When you experience a place, there are sounds, aromas and breezes as well as the visuals of the spot. Needless to say, you can't photograph all of these elements, only the visual. When overwhelmed by the spectacle of a scenic hotspot, we are often overwhelmed by all of these elements.

So what to do? Look through your camera. The viewfinder does not lie (usually). Try to see what you are looking at as the finished picture. Most people perfunctorily take pictures, hoping that somehow the shot will come out great. If you wonder how the pictures came out when you are on the way to the drug store to get them, you're doing something wrong. At the moment you click the pic, you should know exactly what you will get. (Of course with digital, that's not a trick!).

Now, I was a tad dishonest in saying that you can't capture all of the elements of a scene. You can hint at them. For starters, motion. Yes, even in a still picture, there is motion. Something happened before, during and after your picture. In a mountain vista scene, you may find something that hints at motion, whether it be a branch of a tree that has been swaying in the breeze, or a river flowing through the valley below. These add a sense of motion.

Then there's the "rule of thirds." When you place the main object of the picture smack-dab in the middle, it is static and boring. Place it one third of the way from either side, and you IMPLY motion. Put the horizon in a landscape photo a third of the way up or down, not across the middle.

Remember, when a person looks at a picture, their eyes move. You want to frame your photo to help that movement. If you can find some lines in the scene, such as a skyline, cloud formation, path through the forest, etcetera, use it interestingly, and with the rule of thirds to draw your viewer's eyes into the picture.

Avoid "summit syndrome." You get to the top of Mount Washington and shoot the majestic vista. Great. The pictures come out ... boring! How? No PERSPECTIVE. Big vistas will be flat unless you have an object in the foreground, such as a rock or a tree, to give them perspective. Then the eye really grasps how big this scene is. People enjoying the view is a real winner, because the viewer may identify with their emotions, giving the image real impact.

Cheese! Yes, you do have to take the family photos. It's obligatory. But when you do, make sure that they show the LOCATION of the photo. Otherwise, you might as well do it on your driveway. Frame the scene in context, with landmarks as part of the picture. Find a way to tell as story in the picture, such as little Sara climbing up the rocks by the waterfall.

Finally, any element in the picture that hints at more senses than just the visual will make it remarkable. Actor headshots for example, tell a story about the subject. You can almost hear them saying their next lines. If you photograph a garden, the viewer may experience the aroma of the flowers. A tourist street with an accordion player on the corner may have your amazed friends whistling "Dixie."

In summation, picture taking on travel is recording the experience in a satisfying way. Use motion, perspective, sensory, storytelling and so forth, to bring your photos to life. Oh, and needless to say, make your job easy and go to great places! See you at the overlook!

Seth Lutnick is a photographer, composer, and performer. He has taken thousands of scenic photos, recorded two albums of original music, and appeared on stage, TV and film. Visit his website - www.getitdone.biz - for more detailed plans on photography, music, health and education, and extensive product links for the resources to fulfill your goals.

Some Basic Tips On Using Your Camera

2009-01-09T00:54:00.001+07:00

It's true that taking photos is as simple as running out and grabbing a cheap five dollar camera. But taking good, quality photos has never been easier. So lets explore some quick ideas that can help you take photos that you will be happy to share with friends and family.
Photography as an art has never been more exciting or enjoyable. Todays photography enthusiast has many styles, topics, and tools open to them. Plus, the blending of digital with print makes the craft of taking photos very versatile.
Here are four tips to help.

Get a little closer, don't be shy. One of the biggest mistakes most beginning photographers make is shooting from so far away. They leave too much distance between themselves and their subjects. Instead, get up close and personal. Fill up as much of the camera frame, with your subject, as you can. You can always reshape, trim, and resize a good quality shot. But you can't continue to blow up a distant subject and hope that it will come into focus. It just won't happen.
This tip springs directly from #1(above)... focus your shot on only one subject. Determine what the main subject of the photo will be, and catch that image. Try and find the one key subject, person, or event that accurately portrays the feeling you are trying to capture.
In addition to getting one subject, in your photos, you will want to make the background of the photo as simple as possible. Busy, distracting backgrounds pull the attention away from the central theme of your photo. The subject of your photo is absolutely the most important element, and anything that detracts from the subject can ruin your shot.
Finally, you want to take your subject out of the exact center of the frame. You do this by using the rule of thirds. Imagine having a camera lens split into 9 equal sized boxes, 3 across and 3 down (like having a tic-tac-toe game printed right on your camera lens). Where those "tic-tac-toe" lines cross, should become the focusing point of your subject, when you are arranging to take your photo.

Based on this tip, every time you compose a shot, the main subject of your photo should be located primarily on one of these "third" lines.
These are just four very basic tips and strategies to help improve your photos. As you know, photography skills can always be improved. In fact, most professional photographers exhibit a life long passion for learning new techniques, photography angles, and photo inspirations.

Yvonne Volante is an author, webmistress and camera junkie. She has a site at www.ylcamera.com which is a great source for camera information. Please be sure to visit www.ylcamera.com

Online Casino

2008-12-26T12:30:00.000+07:00

Recently, there are many online gambling sites that provide you with casino games which you can found on Vegas. Every kind of game has their online parts in the web. From poker to sports betting, every gambling activities can be access via online just like on USA online casino. This is just like commercial market today, many corporation offer an easy life like do everything on your home. When you play online casinos, you can enjoy gambling from the comfort of your couch.

First of all, online gambling is an online casino. They will entice new players by requiring them to deposit some amount of money. Then, you will be given your private account that you can use to gambling in their site. Deposit can be made through credit cards, fire pay or wire transfer.
What's more, online casinos can be classified into two groups based on their interface. Online casinos could either be web-based or download-based.

Web-based casinos are forms of online gambling wherein users may directly play online casino games without having to load any software to the local computer. Online gambling is mainly presented in the browser plugins like Macromedia Flash, Shockwave, or Java.

On the other hand, download-based online casinos are the most common online gambling sites in the Web. Here, online gambling users have to download certain software in order to play the casino games. And because it has pre-downloaded software, it is faster to initiate casino games on it compared to web-based casinos.

Don’t worry from being cheated because most of the software is protected by anti-cheating software.

Digital Revolution with Canon Digital Camera

2008-11-28T10:57:00.000+07:00

By: Saris Hunsanugrom

There were times when cameras were considered to be a rich man's luxury but nowadays, clicking pictures with camera has become an important part of our daily events. With the constant improvement of technology, cameras have undergone a sea change and it was in the late 1970's when digital cameras saw the light of the day.

The first digital camera was Sony Mavica, an analogue camera that used video floppy. However, since then, various brands launched digital cameras such as Nikon, Kodak Casio, JVC, Sony and Olympus to name a few. However, Canon Inc. Japanese MNC specialized in the manufacturing of computer printers, photo copiers and cameras. Canon started its operation in the year 1934 with Kwanon camera.

Ever since Canon started manufacturing its camera operation, it became a hugely successful company and a cynosure of camera lover across world. Presently, Canon digital camera is well known for its state of the art technology and advanced features that make it a well known brand name. Some of the high end Canon digital camera includes Powershot series like Powershot G9, SX 100 IS, S5 IS and TX1.

Canon digital camera EPH services include Powershot SD 950 IS, SD 890 IS, SD 790 IS, SD 870 IS, SD 770 IS, SD 1100 IS, SD 750, SD 850 IS, SD 800 IS and SD 1000. Canon digital camera's A series includes A 460, A 550, A 470, A 560, A 580, A 570 IS, A 630, A 710 IS, A 590 IS, A 720 IS and A 650 IS to name a few.

Apart from Canon digital camera, Canon is famous for its Canon EOS camera system that comes with Single Lens Reflex (SLR) technology. However, for amateurs who love to shoot and capture moments of love and joy, the Canon digital camera Powershot series is the best digital camera that comes with DIGIC processor and state of the art design.

Some of the highly rated Canon digital camera include Canon Powershot SD 1100 IS that supports 8 mega pixels and 3X zoom. Some other quality features include image stabilization, auto focus features for perfect shot. It supports JPEG file format and has a 2.5" LCD display with 32 MB of internal memory as a part of Secure Digital Memory Storage feature.

Canon Powershot SD950 IS comes with 12 mega pixel and 3.7 optical and 4X digital zoom feature. It also supports movie and sound mode. Its basic features include image stabilization, auto focus, 2.5" LCD display, Secure Digital Memory of 32 MB. Canon Powershot A590 IS includes image resolution of 8 mega pixels and optical and digital zoom of 4X, face detection focus, movie mode and manual and auto exposure along with 32 MB memory and 2.5: LCD screen.

Canon Digital Rebel XTi / Canon 400D comes with 10.1 mega pixel, file format of RAW and JPEG, DIGIC II processor, 9 point CMOS auto focus, micro drive support and automatic vibration and dust reduction. Apart from it, there are numerous other Canon digital cameras that are famous for its quality image and resolution features.

Article Source: http://www.freeforallarticles.com

Gadget News

2008-10-17T05:24:00.001+07:00

Gadget is a term which came from English, means a peripheral or an instrument that has a purpose and for some reason make human life easier. Gadget is designed and fabricated more sophisticated compared with recent technology. Nowadays it is not very hard to acquire information about new products like cellphone, pc or Ipod. Gadget advisor is one of the website that offer a dozen post about new gadgets and stuff.

There is one article that i read before in Gadget advisor about Universal remote from Logitech. They claimed that this remote can synchronized with almost every signal in home peripherals. This a very good gadget indeed, because very confusing to have many remote for each devices like DVD player, TV, Air Conditioner etc. The website is covering a lot of interesting post inside, but it will takes time of course. It is worth it, that is my personal statement because you can get useful information and news inside.

For Personal computer user, Firefox is likely the most popular internet browser. According to online survey, almost 92 % uses Firefox to surf the internet. Why Firefox is very popular? because Firefox is very high compatibility and easy to use even for amateur. It offers user to personalize the Firefox like the way you want, you can add plug in or application to enhance your experience when surfing the net. Find more about best Firefox extensions here. For Pc users sometime losing data can be like hell. File that you have gathered from quite a time or important file for your business suddenly disapearred and you don't have any idea what happened. This can be avoided by using backup online. By using this service you can store your important data and file on dedicated server that proved more reliable than your PC. It is the best choice to safe your data.

Nokia N96

2008-10-05T17:18:00.003+07:00

Nokia N96 is evolution version from N95. This multimedia phone with 2,8 inch QVGA claimed to become one of most wanted gadget for those who loves video because of its 16 GB internal memory and still expandable. One of N96 best feature is the memory can be expanded up to 24 GB.

The entertainment mobile phone, this is Nokia called N96. They packed N96 with TV Digital Live, GPS, 5 MP cameras with Carl-Zeiss lens, superior sound and also supported N-Gage games. This mobile phone can store up to 40 hours of video content regardless of your source, from computer, Nokia video center or other internet source through USB 2.0, Bluetooth, WLAN or HSDPA. Nokia is also introducing Geotagging feature which has never been used before for commercial purpose.

Nokia N96 mobile phone supports various video formats like MPEG-4, Windows Media Video or Flash Video. If you visit Nokia Video Center, you can found many videos and movie trailer, comedy or hot news from world content provider like You Tube, Reuters and Sony Pictures.
N96 is also offer a slimmer and lighter design than its predecessor N95. Both of its side is covered with solid shiny black. The keypad for N96 is glossy backlit keypad, this keypad provide you a better experience than rubber keypad on N95. Below is some of main features inside Nokia N96 mobile phone, but you can also know it as mobile entertainment phone.

Operating Frequency

WCDMA2100/900 (HSDPA) / EGSM900, GSM850/1800/1900 MHz (EGPRS)
Automatic switching between bands and modes
DVB-H Class C, 470-750 MHz

Power Management

Battery: Nokia Battery BL-5F, 950 mAh
Talk time: up to 160 / 230 minutes (WCDMA / GSM)
Stand-by time: up to 200 / 230 hours (WCDMA / GSM)
Video playback: up to 5 hours (offline mode)
Music playback: up to 14 hours (offline mode)
TV playback: up to 4 hours (DVB-H)

Display and User Interface

2.8” QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) LCD TFT display with up to 16 million colors
User Interface: S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2
Active standby screen, Multimedia menu

Data Transfer

WCDMA HSDPA 900/2100 MHz with simultaneous voice and packet data (PS max speed DL/UL= 3.6Mbps/384kbps, CS max speed 64kbps)
Dual Transfer Mode (DTM) support for simultaneous voice and packet data connection in GSM/EDGE networks. Simple class A, multi slot class 11, max speed DL/UL: 177.6/118.4kbps
EGPRS class B, multi slot class 32, max speed DL/UL= 296/177.6kbps
GPRS class B, multi slot class 32, max speed DL/UL= 107/64.2kbps

Main camera

Up to 5 megapixel (2592 x 1944 pixels)
Carl Zeiss Optics: Tessar™ lens
Auto-focus, auto-exposure
F-number/aperture: F2.8
Focal length: 5.2 mm
Focus range 10 cm to infinity
Dual-LED camera flash, video light, recording indicator, auto-focus assist light

Secondary camera

VGA (640 x 480 pixels) sensor

Video Recording

Video capture in MPEG-4 up to VGA at 30 fps
Digital Video Stabilization
Video clip length: limited by storage
Video file format: .mp4 (default), .3gp (for MMS)
Settings for scene, video light, white balance, color tone

Photography

Still Image resolutions: up to 5 Megapixel (2592 x 1944 pixels)
Still Image file format: JPEG, EXIF
Location tagging: automatic insertion of capture location into images
Settings for scene, flash, sequence, self-timer, color, white balance, contrast, exposure compensation, guides

NP-FM91 Becomes Rare Product

2008-09-08T01:09:00.002+07:00

This is one of battery pack family for Sony Camcorder. NP-FM91 is very recommended for traveling or outdoor purposes because it offers a long lasting power for estimated 12 hour.

But recently i searched one for my handycam but sadly it becomes rare product. Hardly find it over the internet, the local shop but i still haven't found one. For some people the battery is not very important, but for documentary cameramen like me, long lasting battery power equal my life. Because if i use only standard battery, the maximum time just between 45-60 minutes even if LCD is off and use only Viewfinder.

Backup Data Properly

2008-08-11T01:08:00.007+07:00

Computer data can be very important to us, especially those of us who make a living on the computer. Don’t think that other jobs like photographer or a director doesn’t concern computer. When storage hard disk suddenly broken, the headache is going to attack them. For that very reason, it’s easy to tell that if we lost our computer data, it would completely destroy a majority of us.

The ideal way to ensure that you never lose your precious data is to back it up and keep backing it up. Back it up at least once a week, with once per day being the recommended way to do it, even it is a troublesome.

Another way you can back up your data, programs, and files, is to burn them directly to a data CD or DVD. This way, you can select which files or folders you want to keep. You’ll need either a CD or DVD burner, which you can get for a great price these days. The discs are cheap as well, which only makes this method of backing things up that much better. Don’t take a risk as much as you can take, if you are in a middle of a job, losing data is the ultimate mistake. Refer to millennium lifestyle if you are searching a good product for backing up purposes.

Whether it’s for your business or for personal reasons, you can’t go wrong backing up your data. You should always strive to back things up properly, as this will ensure that the data will always be there when you need it. This way, if you computer happens to crash or you lose everything on your hard drive, you’ll always have your backup files to go back to. This in itself can save you a lot of time, effort, and quite possibly even money - just for the simple fact that the files are all but a copy away to restore.

Blurry Image VS Tripod

2008-07-28T23:07:00.004+07:00

Tripod is one of most essential equipments for photography. Its only purpose is to reduce the blur in picture. You will always see a tripod or monopod in a professional photographer’s bag. A tripod is a perfect answer when taking pictures in dark places, or dim light. Slower shutter is needed, and increasing the chances of blurring, so tripod will come very handy.

Aluminum tripod is widely used over the world, but now when carbon fiber is developed, tripod is become lighter and better. Although there’s quite a huge shift in pricing, some photographers think that investing in a lighter and more durable model of tripod is worth it – especially if they’re in the game for the money! Before you decide to buy one, you must consider how you plan to use the camera.

Wedding Photo Session Tips

2008-07-10T23:23:00.001+07:00

Wedding is a sacred moment. As photographer we must capture every moment, no room for errors because the session can not be replayed. So to avoid that, please be consider to research everything you must know for the wedding event. The simplest way is to sort to 5 W and 1 H, check below:

WHAT
- Candid Vs Formal.Which one do the groom and the bride prefer most?
- Choose the right type of camera. Film or Digital? SLR or Medium Format?
- What object will you shoot? Cars, Decoration, Food, Souvenirs?
- Will they need a mini studio?
- What kind of album do they prefer? Traditional VS Exclusives, 4R Print VS Collase, Mini album, DVD file etc
WHO
- Who is gonna be the object? The bride and Groom? Family? Friends? Relation?.
- Know the bride and groom. Avoid making mistakes.
WHEN
- When it will be done? Days, time?
- Avoid missed the day. Match the schedule with yours
WHERE
- Where it would be done?
- Address of the Bride and Groom
- Address of the Hotel they staying, in what room?
- Address of the Bridal
- Address of the Reception event
WHY
- Why they picking us?
- Why they pick a specific location? ask for the explanation.
HOW
- How will we work? using Digital or Film
- How much the crew we will asking for help
- Prepare anything that we will need the most. Camera, Flash, Lenses, CF, Battery, Mass Media Storage, etc
- How is the condition of the reception chamber? Do we need a halogen or not?

And dont forget to ask the RUNDOWN. It will help you to be prepared, we cant never be too prepared.

Technorati Tags: wedding, tips, trick, photo, session

Canon EOS 20D

2008-06-14T00:26:00.003+07:00

I was using Canon EOS 20D for this photo. Very friendly camera, easy to use with default program. When i play a bit with manual, it was still easy to grasp. I am still an amateur, but within 12 hour i can personalize and get know better this camera.

Technical Details

CCD resolution: 8.25 megapixels
ISO equivalent: ISO 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200
Maximum shutter speed: 30 seconds
Minimum shutter speed: 1/8000 second
Resolution modes: Fine/Normal settings: 3504 x 2336, 2544 x 1696, 1752 x 1168 pixels; RAW 3504 x 2336 pixels
Optical zoom: 3x
Digital zoom: N/A
Autofocus: TTL-CT-SIR with a CMOS Sensor
Focal length: 18 to 55 millimeters
Maximum aperture: f3.5
Aperture modes: f3.5-5.6
Memory: Type I and II CompactFlash card
Maximum high-resolution images: 3.6 MB per image (Large/Fine)
Burst mode: Yes, 23 shots (Large/Fine JPEG) or 6 shots (RAW or RAW+JPEG)
Continuous shooting speed: Approximately 5 frames per second
Delay between shots: Information unavailable
Rapid-fire shots: Information unavailable
Display size: 1.8 inches
Viewfinder: Eye-level SLR (with fixed pentamirror)
Flash type: Auto pop-up E-TTL II autoflash (retractable)
Red-eye reduction: Yes
Tripod mount: Information unavailable
Image types: JPEG, RAW formats
In-camera editing: Information unavailable
Manual features: Focus, exposure, white balance, shutter
Special features: LCD monitor has 12 languages provided (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese)
Software: Canon's Digital Photo Professional (Version 1.1), EOS Solution Disk (Version 8.0), and Photoshop Elements 2.0
Batteries: One Battery Pack BP-511A
Size name: Digital SLR
Width: 5.7 inches
Height: 4.2 inches
Depth: 2.8 inches
Weight: 24.2 ounces (body only)

Quantum QFlash T5D-R Digital Flash Head

2008-03-11T00:05:00.002+07:00

Connect a Qflash 5d-R to a camera using a Dw series QTTL Adapter and have Qflash a strong, amply dedicated flare that mimics the features of camera manufacturers’ flashes. - When teamed with a FreeXWire structure, Qflash receives your camera’s TTL vulnerability commands wirelessly. Wireless fill-flash offsets are establish on the D and Dw series QTTL adapters, or on the camera. Wireless Linked Auto with Qflash - Ratios Set upward an on-camera Qflash and one or two distant Qflashes with FreeXWires. Control the ratios of the distant Qflashes wirelessly from the board of the on-camera Qflash. All Qflashes chase the f/stopover of the camera as you alter it.

Size w/o Reflector	6 x 6 x 3" (15 x 7.5 x 7.5 cm)
Flash Power	150 watt-seconds
For Normal Reflector	160' ISO 100(50m)
Weight	26 oz. (720g)
Auto Range ISO 100, Normal ISO 100 Tele	113' (35m) 228' (70m)
Turbo Compact Qpaq	3.0 sec 2.5 sec 1.9 sec 200w/s Qpaq-X 400w/s
Setting Manual/Auto	25 precision 1/3 stop Auto settings 19 precision 1/3 stop Manual settings
Setting Manual/Auto	150 wattseconds flash power (versus 50 ws typically for shoe mount)

Canon’s EOS-1D Mark III

2008-02-24T21:57:00.003+07:00

Remember that autofocus fix that Canon was supposedly working up? Turns out, the company isn’t quite ready to start accepting faulty EOS-1D Mark IIIs just yet, but it is shipping out upgraded versions to new buyers. Rob Galbraith managed to wrap his hands around not one, but three of the new DSLRs in order to substantiate his findings, and what he found was noticeable improvement. In summary, the sub-mirror fix was said to boost the performance of the AF, as it enabled the camera to deliver “about the same number of in-focus frames whether it was warm or cold.” Unfortunately, it seems that the solution still left a lot to be desired; Mr. Galbraith noted that it still couldn’t match the EOS-1D Mark II N, and implied that there was still room for betterment. ‘Course, we’re really just scratching the surface on his thorough (and we mean thorough) look at the sub-mirror fix and v1.1.3 firmware, so if this issue has been hounding you, do yourself a favor and check out the read link.

Sony HDR-FX1; First 3 CCD HDV Camcorder

2008-02-24T21:53:00.001+07:00

At 12:30 AM today, the move to consumer high-definition video shuttled from a slow crawl to a fast pace with Sony’s simultaneous worldwide introduction of the first 3 CCD consumer HDV camcorder, the HDR-FX1. The new HDR-FX1 utilizes the 1080 lines horizontal resolution / 60 interlaced frames per second frame rate for the HDV specification, which records to standard MiniDV tapes. The HDV spec was agreed upon as a standard by Sony, JVC, Canon, and Sharp for new high-definition consumer camcorders last year. Along with the announcement of the new Sony HDV camcorder comes support from major video editing software companies including Apple and Adobe.

The HDR-FX1 is what we will consider to be the benchmark in video technology available for consumers and prosumers alike,” said Linda Vuolo, Product Manager for Sony Camcorders US, as she announced the world’s first HDV 3 CCD camcorder.Although the HDR-FX1 is technically the first HDV camcorder, the HDV specification is based on a compression standard first introduced in a JVC camcorder HDV specification. That camcorder from JVC was the first consumer HD camcorder, the GR-HD1. The GR-HD1 also had a companion camcorder, the JY-HD10U, based on the same technology in JVC’s professional line. “JVC is proud of our leadership in helping to launch the HDV format with the introduction of our GR-HD1 18 months ago. We welcome Sony’s decision to join us in supporting the format,” said Dave Owen, General Manager of Video at JVC in reaction to the Sony announcement.

The key distinction between the JVC HD camcorders and the Sony HDR-FX1 is their shooting mode. The JVC camcorders shoot 720 lines of resolution at a rate of 30 progressive frames per second, while the Sony shoots 1080 lines of resolution at 60 interlaced frames per second. The two rates contain nearly identical amounts of information; however, one offers the benefits of progressive scan, and one a higher resolution picture. Both camcorders compress the information into an MPEG2 signal and save it on standard MiniDV tapes. Like the JVC, the HDR-FX1 is capable of recording a standard DV signal as well as an HDV signal.

Which Camera should I Buy?

2008-02-23T16:22:00.003+07:00

Fundamentally, all cameras are the same and, given the same settings, a cheap camera will take the same photograph as an expensive camera. The extra money gets you improved image quality and more control over how the picture will look. A camera is a box with a hole in it. You can make one -- called a "pinhole camera" -- using a shoe box with a window of transparent paper on one side and a small hole in the opposite side. Adding more controls, mainly to do with the lens, produces different types of cameras.

Types

Disposable Camera. These one-time use cameras are easy to carry and take surprisingly good shots. They are great for people shots at parties. You can even get "underwater" cameras, for scuba diving or at a sandy beach. Compact "Point-and-Shoot" Camera. Perfect for snapshots. I use one for most of my personal shots and a few professional shots. I like a small, pocket-sized camera with a flash (for people's faces), a self-timer (to include myself in the shot), a wide-angle lens (28mm-equivalent for impact), and a panoramic mode (looks cool!). Most people seem to like a big, zoom lens, but I don't as I prefer "wide" shots over "tight" shots, and a bigger lens increases the size and weight of the camera. SLR. This is the choice of semi-pro and professional travel photographers. The Single Lens Reflex feature -- which allows the viewfinder to look through the main lens instead of its own fixed lens -- allows you to remove and replace the lens. Interchangeable lenses give you more creative control of your shot. You can make a super-wide shot with a 'short' lens, or enlarge a very distant object with a 'long' lens. My favorite lens sizes are 28, 35, 50, 135, and 300mm. You can also control the aperture (the size of the hole) which allows you to decide what is, and what is not, in focus. The downside to the SLR is that you now have more equipment to buy and carry. Medium- and Large-Format. These are big film cameras -- their size allows you to use larger film, producing a higher quality/resolution image. The equipment is large and heavy and, therefore, inconvenient for basic travel purposes. Look for a camera with the simplest layout of the features you need and, as with the stock market, only invest in what you understand.

Azden 320ULX UHF Wireless System

2008-02-13T02:13:00.000+07:00

Sound Matters

Azden's latest 320 series discrete dual-channel system is smaller and smarter than all other previous units. We reviewed four components, finding that the UHF dual receiver is powerful and allows selections of up to 240 channels. For the professional videographer, the flaws we uncovered don't seriously impact the Azden 320 series, when compared to wireless systems that cost much more.

Kit Overview

Inside our Azden 320ULX kit were the 320UPR receiver, a 30XT plug-in transmitter, a 30BT bodypack transmitter and a little workhorse Azden EX-503L omni-directional lapel microphone. For connection between the receiver and the camera, Azden includes a dual-plug XLR-to-stereo mini-plug output, as well as a stereo mini 1/8-inch output connector for smaller cameras. The five-page User's Guide kit is rudimentary, but an Azden sound technician quickly answered a cold call about a switch that the specs did not define. Lastly, the kit comes equipped with its own carrying case. There's also a 320ULT kit ($995), which replaces the 30XT with another 30BT bodypack, for those who don't need the handheld functionality.

Small, Light, Compact

Along with its small size, the 320UPR is lightweight, even with the two AA batteries that run this receiver. That's a plus for camera-mounted use. UHF systems pull more power, but the DC jack will charge batteries in the camera or from an external source.
It's easy to read the two digital LCD readouts, with channel selection, battery strength and incoming signal status. This is not a diversity receiver, but the flexible high-gain antennas did the job of bringing in two strong UHF signals on 240 selectable frequencies in our tests. On-off switches and cable lock-down rings do the trick. However, the power switches face the front of the camera, which makes it a hassle if you must mount the receiver before setting up mics and channels.
For those who prefer detachable sound packs, the camera shoe is removable, and Azden provides Velcro to stick the receiver onto a belt pack slung on your tripod or waist. You're still hooked to the camera, so Azden gives you 36 inches of cord with the supplied 1/8-inch output connector to the camera. For XLR connections, unfortunately, you have only 20 inches of play. Both cords send discrete audio output onto separate channels on your tape.
The 30BT and 30XT transmitters also have LCD displays for channel selection and battery strength, as well as an indicator labeled AF Level. The literature doesn't explain, but this readout shows mic levels. It doesn't work very well for fine tuning. Both mics have recessed level gain controls, which you can adjust with a supplied tool stored inside the battery compartment of the 30BT receiver. The 30XT adjustment tool is stored inside the 320UPR receiver, and Azden provides a spare.
The 30XT transmitter runs on a 9-volt battery and has a convenient muting switch, as well as a power switch. It has a recessed phantom-power switch for microphones that require them (that information is not in the manual). The lock-down ring at the cable jack is a nice feature.
The 30BT unit features a belt clip and runs on 2 AA batteries with a simple on-off switch, but it has no muting switch. There are no batteries needed for the EX-503L electric condenser mic, and the frequency response is between 50Hz and 19kHz. We were pleased with the sound.

In the Field
We tested both the 30XT and 30BT transmitters in five physical situations: outdoors with direct line of sight; with and without telephone/power lines; indoors; indoors through one exterior wall (receiver outdoors); and through a second wall. Needless to say, the quality of the signals broke up through the two walls, but it was great through one. Results for the remaining four environments were very good. In all tests, we put from three to 51 yards between ourselves and the transmitters. We found that the signal strength was equal for both systems, with the 30XT having approximately ten yards more range over the 30BT bodypack transmitter when operating in the ideal condition of direct line of sight without power lines between the units.
For the 30XT, the maximum distance for direct line of sight without power lines came in at 51 yards; with power lines, audio broke up at 38 yards. Through a residential building wall, breakup did not occur until 15 yards. The device became unusable after passing behind the second building wall at 16 yards. For the 30BT bodypack unit, we got the same results, except that the test of direct line of sight without power lines was limited to a range of 41 yards.

Tenba Backpack (PB-15C)

2008-02-13T02:07:00.000+07:00

Up to 15″ laptop, motorized camera body, 4 lenses, flash & up to 34 media cards. 110 cubic inches of zippered storage.

OUTSIDE DIMENSIONS
14.00″L x 11.00″W x 19.00″H in / 35.56″L x 27.94″W x 48.26 “H cm

INSIDE DIMENSIONS
13.00″L x 5.00″W x 18.00 “H in / 33.02 “L x 12.70 “W x 45.72 “H cm
Specifications are approximate.

If you need to pack a medium-sized photo kit that includes a 12″ or 15″ laptop, then check out the PB-15C. This digital-age backpack has a lot of space for large and small gear, including a D-SLR with a mounted 300mm F/2.8 or 400mm f/4 lens. For medium format gear, use the built-in adjustable dividers and adjustable cushions. The laptop or any gear near the left or right side can be grabbed easily through a Quick Access Port while slinging the backpack to one shoulder. No need to put the backpack down and open the top. Need to carry a tripod? That’s easy. The straps are mounted to the bottom of the backpack. Whether you’re on a day trip or a trek, you can configure the robust harness system to fit your body. The adjustable waist/hip belt is removable for daily use and minutely adjustable for longer hikes. Also standard are the strap adjustments for sternum and shoulder strap for the perfect fit, plus D-Rings for attaching your favorite accessory, be it media wallet, cell phone or MP3 player.

TIP :
Use the Removable Mobile Workstation creatively! An easel is built in, so you can stand it up on any flat surface. If you’re processing files, clearing media cards or preparing for a shoot, keep your tools handy.

Metz mecablitz 58 AF-1 digital

2008-02-09T07:29:00.000+07:00

Mecablitz 58 AF-1 digital for Canon or Nikon or Olympus/Panasonic or Pentax/Samsung: new star in the compact flash sky. It looks sleek, meters the flash lighting every which way, is intuitive to use and tremendously powerful. Designed by one of the leading industrial designers for technical products in Germany – equipped with innovative developments - the Metz mecablitz 58 AF-1 digital provides state-of-the-art secondary reflector technology, high-performance power management, newest-generation multi-zone AF metering flash, full vertical tilt reflector system, the latest special functions, USB interface for software updates via Internet, and lots more. The new Metz premium model as system flash appartus for varius digital cameras of the marks Canon, Nikon, Olympus/Panasonic or Pentax/Samsung

Nikon D3, Full-Frame

2008-02-09T07:24:00.000+07:00

It’s here, after perhaps the longest period of speculation ever Nikon has today lifted the covers on their first full-frame digital SLR, the new 12.1 megapixel D3. The D3 is all about speed and sensitivity, twelve megapixels on a big CMOS chip means large photosites (8.45 µm pitch to be precise) and that adds up to base sensitivity of ISO 200 to 6400 with an additional two stop boost over that (up to ISO 25600). The other side of the speed story (apart from blistering AF and shutter lag) is that the D3 can shoot at nine frames per second with AF tracking or eleven frames per second without. Other headline features are a newly branded EXPEED image processor, a new 51-point AF sensor, color AF tracking, dual CF compartments (with UDMA support), an amazing 3.0″ 922,000 pixel LCD monitor with Live View (including contrast detect auto-focus), HDMI video output and even a virtual horizon function which can tell you when you’re holding the camera perfectly level. There’s too much to fit here so we crammed as much as we can into a preview.

Canon PowerShot A720

2008-02-07T14:49:00.000+07:00

Review based on a production Canon PowerShot A720 IS

The PowerShot A720 IS is a minor update to the A710 IS and is the latest in Canon's popular 'A-series' of cameras offering a strong feature set and good degree of user control at a competitive price. It isn't the smallest or most powerful camera in the World, (or even in the Canon range), but it does a little bit of everything and gives a good degree of control over what the camera is doing, if you want it. This focus on making small cameras that do their job well has seen Canon dominate this sector of the market for some time so it will be interesting to see if the A720 IS does anything to upset this situation. The specification highlights are:

8.0 Megapixels and 6x zoom
Optical Image Stabilizer
DIGIC III processor with Face Detection AF/AE
ISO 1600
17 shooting modes including VGA movies (30 fps) with sound
Optional accessories available, including Underwater Case

Key differences compared to A 710 IS

As mentioned above the A720 IS is an incredibly subtle revision of the A710 IS. The full extent of those changes reads something like:

More pixels (8.0 vs 7.1 million)
Face detection AE/AF
ISO range extends to 1600

Glidecam 2000 Pro

2008-02-06T12:42:00.000+07:00

Imagine a world in balance. Imagine smoothness, freedom and grace. With the Glidecam 2000 Pro your camcorder seems to float, always balanced, isolated from your hands undesirable motions. Now you are free to move with your camera-panning, tilting, booming or running without any camera instability or shake.

The Glidecam 2000 Pro is a lightweight, hand-held, camcorder stabilizing system which works so well that it allows you to shoot incredibly smooth and graceful shots even while going to extremes like running up and down stairs or traveling over rugged terrain. And when it comes to normal shooting, like walking or moving the camera slowly around someone, the results are equally magical.
Shot after shot, move after move, the Glidecam 2000 Pro delivers beautifully smooth and professional results. So good in fact are the pictures it produces that is by far the best and most versatile camcorder stabilizer available on the market today.
The Glidecam 2000 Pro's offset handle grip is attached to a free floating, precision Gimbal, which allows your hand to move up and down, and side to side, thereby isolating your hands unwanted motions from the camera. The up and down movement alleviates the bouncing, pogo type action so often associated with our competitors system, because their handle cannot move up and down.
The camera platform moves back and forth, and side to side, to quickly allow you to adjust the cameras horizontal balance. By varying the amount of counterweight disks on the base platform you adjust the camera's vertical balance. When balanced properly the camera floats, ready for you to move into action.
The Glidecam 2000 Pro will support any camcorder or movie camera weighing up to 6 pounds. It is quick and easy to set up and balance. Allows unrestricted Booming and unrestricted 360 degree Panning. Only 14.5" tall. Made of precision Aluminum. Can also be used as a Monopod, no-tools telescoping base, with positionable weight discs that allow you to achieve dynamic balance. You can easily attach a small LCD monitor to the base monitor mount hole if needed. Weighs 2.1 pounds without counterbalance disks. Camcorder not included.

Price $295.00

SPECIFICATIONS :

X,Y Head Dimensions: 6" x 4.25" x .75"
Base Platform Dimensions: 4" x 10"
Central Support Post: 1" diameter
14.5" tall in shortest mode
19" tall in longest mode
Weight: 2.10 pounds without counter weight discs.
Each Counter Weight Disc averages 2.95 ounces
The Glidecam 2000 Pro includes 14 counter weight discs.
14 counter weight discs = 2.58 pounds
Camera Plate has 1/4" mounting holes
Assembly Required

VariZoom AVIATOR

2008-02-06T12:39:00.001+07:00

Our new dual-arm stabilizer represents the culmination of years of refinement and development. With an impressive and unique array of standard features, the Aviator is the ultimate system for professional cameras 5-15lbs.

Price: $4999.00

NEW Dual Arm - The Aviator's newly-developed dual-dynamic arm system is extremely fluid, lightweight, and solid. It can bear cameras 5-15 pounds swiftly and smoothly and offers up to 38" of vertical travel. Twenty-five precision bearings and four custom-manufactured stainless steel springs ensure silent, zero-failure performance.

NEW No tools required for adjustment - The Aviator sled has been streamlined so that all necessary balance adjustments can be made quickly and easily. The comfortable knurled grip can be twisted to adjust gymbal position and provides precise control over the sled.

NEW FlowTech Gimbal - Classic design has been improved with a contoured, ergonomically-sloped extension grip for improved handling and the ability to add a zoom control. Precision 3-axis gimbal delivers consistent fluid motion with six sets of bearings. The lightweight, rugged gimbal ties the system together effortlessly.

NEW Form-Fit Vest - This new improved vest includes a contoured chest pad, torso-gripping 4-point buckle system, and height-adjustable chest plate. The lightweight, cool vest hugs and supports the upper body, making it possible to fly heavy cameras for extended periods.

Precision Gear Drive Stage - Micro-adjustable gear drive stage enables extremely precise tuning of horizontal balance. Quick-release dovetail camera plate allows rapid setup and breakdown in the field.

Power, Vision, Balance - At the base of the sled, a 7" 16:9 NTSC/PAL color monitor serves as a large external viewfinder. A proprietary Li-Ion battery w/ LED capacity indicator is standard (V-lock, AB, NP1 mounts available on request at no extra charge). The monitor and batteries serve as counterweight for vertical balance and their positions can be adjusted for fine-tuning.

Custom Rolling Case - A form-cut foam insert protects and secures the system components inside, while the wheeled case with telescoping handle ensures effortless transport. Padded carry pouches hold the toolkit, cables, monitor, and training DVD.

Low Mode Included - A low mode system for small to medium cameras allows stabilized low perspective shots.

Training DVD - VariZoom stabilizers take some time to master, but the included training DVD takes you through the setup and operation step-by-step with a professional FlowCam operator.

Options - The Aviator comes standard with a sophisticated Li-Ion battery system, but if you prefer to use your own V-lock, Anton Bauer, or NP1 battery, we can substitute the appropriate mount at no extra charge. If you have any other special requests, then give us a call and we'll be glad to discuss your needs. Because these units are hand crafted and assembled, the options are wide open.

It is always our goal to manufacture products of the highest quality. Long life and reliability serve both the customer and the manufacturer. We stand behind our stabilizers with a 3-year arm/vest warranty and a 1-year warranty for the sled and case. Please look closely at the product pictures and see the detail in our machining and finish. If you have a question or need some help, call us on our toll free line 888-826-3399. Hands-on stabilizer demonstrations are available in the Los Angeles area, just call us to schedule.

Buying best Digital Camera

2008-02-04T20:54:00.000+07:00

Choosing digital camera is enough elaborate, since a lot of merk's various option and upe at marketing. Own best digital camera your friend haven't must equal you best option.

So, the first needs to be answered be been utilized for what buy that digital camera? What to take family photograph while holiday or you plot to become photographer? This will help your to narrow your option criterion.

Hereunder there is umpteen opinion of a variety circle:

Camera for Internet / enamel, to take family photograph etc.: There are many men use digital camera to document person photograph then transferred by via enamel to family or friend. For its purpose, digital camera that modestly and relative is a steal at the price ranging $100 until $200 and has ability less than 5 MegaPixel is was enough.

Camera to photograph online ala auction event: With more and more business takes place at Internet, you may also need one camera to take photograph of antique furniture that you will sell. So, you require one one cameras can take images on enclosed hall, its distance is thereabouts 12 inches of objects. Thus, one camera consisting of 5 8 MegaPixel is enough becoming be utilized for its need. Price of this camera is not expensive and categorised middleweight camera.

One camera to take photograph with good quality for web page, desktop publishing etc.: Now, if you require one camera for taking photograph which are utilized to build desktop or website publication, you require camera with 8 12 MegaPixel. This camera have plug in bulk that you gets to use to add your photograph quality. Even though price it last expensive, they provide best option for penggunanaan feature and creativity. That camera can also result photograph to be printed until 8×10's measure inch with good quality.

Beside said one upon, you also need to regard issue any other as ergonomics of camera. It that terasakan will while you grip you on-hand camera? Are you comfortable with measure and its weight? What enough practical to be taken in / at portable and enough easy to be run daylong?

Then has to be regarded too for flash affix / Flash, since this tool is indispensable to the lighting of its more result optimal according to condition and situation when photographs.

Hence, this is momentous for you to know ala a hair's breadth to your camera need to be able to been ensured that you obviously buy best digital camera for alone.