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June 2009 News Archive

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Tuesday, 30 June 2009 - Sony 70-300mm G SSM lens Review
The Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G SSM lens fills a much needed gap in the Sony lens lineup for the serious or semi-professional photographer. Built as part of the professional G series of lenses, the 70-300mm G SSM is designed for high optical quality and reliability. It is designed for use with an Alpha DSLR using either an APS-C sensor or full frame. Read the review here.

Tuesday, 30 June 2009 - Nikon 16-85mm VR DX Nikkor lens Review
The Nikon 16-85mm f/3.5-5.6 ED VR AF-S DX Nikkor lens is a general purpose all round mid-range lens. It is designed to offer better image quality than the entry level lenses but lacks the fast optical speed of the pro lenses. Being a DX lens design its effective focal range is 24-127mm which makes it useful for taking wide photos of interiors as well as portraits at the telephoto end. This is a lens that can be happily be left on the DSLR body if only one lens is required during travel. Read the review here.

Thursday, 25 June 2009 - Pentax announces the Optio W80 Weatherproof camera
PENTAX UK is pleased to announce the launch of the PENTAX Optio W80 digital compact camera. The W80 boasts outstanding dustproof (IPX 6 or JIS Class 6) and waterproof (IPX 8 or JIS Class 8) capabilities - for up to two hours underwater at a depth of five metres and can operate in temperatures as cold as -10°C. The new W80 is also shockproof and can withstand a fall from a height of one metre, making it the ideal choice for any outdoor pursuit including holidays and extreme sports.

Key Features:

• 28-140mm (equiv.) x5 zoom lens
• HD movie recording
• 12.1 megapixel imaging sensor
• Auto picture mode
• Face Recognition and Smile Capture modes
• Large 2.5" LCD screen

For more information on the Pentax Optio W80 read here.

Tuesday, 23 June 2009 - Canon announces PowerShot SX200 IS cashback offer
From Thursday 25th June, Canon is launching a cashback offer on the award winning PowerShot SX 200 IS.

PowerShot SX200 IS Cashback £40 / €45
RRP £359.00 / €429.00 RRP inc. VAT
Colours Black / Blue / Red

Valid from Thursday 25th June 2009 until Monday 31st August 2009.

Readers enquiries: For further details and full terms and conditions please visit www.canon.co.uk/powershotcashback

Monday, 22 June 2009 - Panasonic updates firmware for DMC-GH1,G1
and LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-VS014140)

A new firmware is released for Panasonic LUMIX G Micro System cameras and a lens. The firmware Version 1.1 for DMC-GH1 allows faster burst shooting and improves control of shutter speed and stability of AF in movie recording. It also enhances performance and compatibility of the camera in other points. The firmware Version 1.3 for DMC-G1 improves the compatibility of Micro Four Thirds lens. The firmware Version 1.1 for LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-VS014140) improves O.I.S. in movie recording mode and compatibility of Micro Four Thirds camera.

Panasonic invites all users of DMC-GH1, G1 and LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm / F4.0-5.8 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S.(H-VS014140) to apply the updated firmware. The new firmware and detailed information will be available worldwide at http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/, at GMT 6:00 on 22nd of June, 2009.

Thursday, 18 June 2009 - Sigma Lenses Announced
Today Sigma announced the price for the new 10-20mm f/3.5mm EX DC HSM lens of SRP £649.99. The 18-250mm DC OS HSM lens has a SRP of £559.99 for both the Pentax and the Sony mounts.

Read more about these Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM and 18-250mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM lenses.

EA Comments: It is interesting to see that although both Sony and Pentax DSLRs have in build image stabilisation systems the 18-250mm lens is still provided with optical image stabilisations giving uses the choice of which system they prefer. The Sigma 10-20mm f/4.5-5.6 EX HSM is one of photographers favourite wide angled zoom lens and it is good to see that Sigma have essentially made an optically fast version of this lens.

Tuesday, 16 June 2009 - Olympus E-P1 Digital Compact Camera
Today Olympus introduce their first Micro Four Thirds digital camera, the E-P1. The E-P1 provides digital SLR image quality in a compact camera style body. The camera has a retro style which points back to the early days of the original Olympus Pen camera but is very much a modern day camera. The Micro Four Thirds brings the benefits of the standard Four Thirds but the lack of an internal mirror makes for a more compact body and more compact lenses (whilst maintaining compatibility with the standard 4/3 lenses via an adaptor).

The Key Features are:

• Micro Four Thirds System
• 12.3MP Live MOS imaging sensor
• TruePic V Image Processor
• In body Image Stabilisation
• ISO 100 to 6400
• 3fps continuous shooting
• Auto scene recognition
• Face Detection
• Dual dial controls
• HD movie recording
• Art Filters
• Multiple Exposure

Read about all the features of the Olympus E-P1 here. 

EA Comments: The Olympus E-P1 is a significant piece of photographic technology. Although it is not the first Micro Four Thirds camera (that goes to the Panasonic G1 and GH1) it is the first designed as a compact camera. It is aimed at the same market as the Panasonic LX3, i.e. for photographers who want a quality compact with decent image quality and exposure flexibility. Its big advantage is that it has a much larger sensor which gives it the potential image quality of the DSLR cameras. Image noise levels and dynamic range should be much improved compacted to the typical compact camera. The 17mm f/2.8 lens I can see getting a lot of use. It provides the equivalent of 34mm which is just right. I use to use a 35mm lens on an SLR as my standard lens. The 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 is just a general purpose lens with the equivalent focal range of 28-84mm. The lenses are significantly smaller than the typical 4/3 lenses to be in keeping with E-P1. No doubt more lenses will be introduced that should add to the cameras appeal when wanting to travel light but keeping the flexibility of having variety of lenses.

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 - Canon SELPHY CP790 Photo Printer
Canon today announce the SELPHY CP790 compact photo printer. The SELPHY CP790 is designed for ease of use and sports a large 3" LCD display screen. It is provided with an integrated carrying handle and storage bucket for easy transport.

Main Features:

• Dye Sublimation Technology
• 3" LCD Screen
• Auto Image Correction
• Minimum printing time of 47 seconds (postcard prints)
• Photo Diary Layouts
• Optional Battery Pack

For further informtion on the Canon SELPHY CP790 Printer read here.

Wednesday, 10 June 2009 - Canon SELPHY CP780 Photo Printer
Canon today announce the SELPHY CP780 ultra compact printer that replaces the CP760 printer. Designed for fun and for the family it can produce prints in under a minute. It is available in pink, blue, silver and white.

Main Features:

• Dye Sublimation Technology
• 2.5" LCD Screen
• Auto Image Correction
• Minimum printing time of 47 seconds
• Three memory card slots

For further information on the Canon SELPHY CP780 Printer read here.

Monday, 1 June 2009 - Sony World Photography Awards 2010
The 2010 Sony World Photography Awards are open for entries from today, Monday 1 June 2009.

With categories for both professional and amateur photographers, the Sony World Photography Awards is one of the world’s largest photographic events. The awards are a platform for both established and emerging photographers and in 2009 the competition attracted over 60,000 entrants from 139 different countries.

The competition for professional photographers incorporates 12 categories across three genres – commercial, fine art and photojournalism/documentary. The overall winner will take the coveted L’Iris D’Or title together with $25,000 (USD) along with Sony camera equipment. The 36 category finalists will then be exhibited in galleries across the world as part of the Sony World Photography Awards Global Tour throughout 2010 and 2011. More information here.

Monday, 1 June 2009 - Panasonic Updates firmware for DMC-LX3
A new firmware is released for Panasonic’s premium manual compact camera DMC-LX3. Firmware Version 1.3 improves performance including auto white balance. The firmware also rectifies several minor issues to enhance operation.

Panasonic invites all users of DMC-LX3 to apply the updated firmware. The new firmware will be available worldwide at http://panasonic.jp/support/global/cs/dsc/, at GMT 6:00 on the 1st of June, 2009.

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