Spring is here. People’s spirit may be getting better despite the bad economic news. In a recent email newsletter, Nikon introduces 8 new Coolpix models in hope of freshing up their businesses. No, these are not completely new, some have been on sale since February.
The new models are in Nikon COOLPIX P (Performance), S (Style), and L (Life) series. The Coolpix P90
is a 24x super-zoom (most expensive) while the Coolpix L19
is the most economic compact new model you can get with a Nikon brand.
One of the S (Style) series model is the Coolpix S230 with 10 megapixel sensor, 3x Zoom-NIKKOR lens, and a huge bright 3.0-inch high resolution touch panel LCD. It comes with 5 elegant colors, which look great even thought they are not as sensational as the colors of Canon PowerShot SD780.
Multiple gadget blogs (Engadget, CrunchGear) are reporting the Kodak 24x megazoom point-and-shoot digital camera Z980 that will be officially introduced at 2009 CES. The camera features a 12 megapixel sensor, 24x (26mm – 624mm?) stabilized optical zoom lens, detachable vertical grip with shutter release, and HD video recording capability.
Posted in
Point & shoot on January 5th, 2009.
2 Comments.
Sony has taken the face detection technology to a new height with the launch of its compact DSC-T200 with a smile shutter mode. Are you always too slow to to press the shutter release button when someone smiles? Try this camera. It can actively identify human faces and takes the photo when someone smiles. Check out the video below. It is amazing!
Posted in
Point & shoot on October 27th, 2007.
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This is an amazing macro photo. What strikes me most is that the photographer (nutmeg66) has taken many amazing close-up photos with a cheap point and shoot camera (Canon PowerShot A640). One of the testimonials by another Flickr user sums it up well:
“I’m amazed with the results you get in your photos. Your nature shots are incredible. Many users of expensive DSLR’s must be hanging their heads in shame. I hope you continue to inspire.”
The equipment is certainly quite important for good macro photography but it is only as good as the photographer. The photographer needs to have patience, skills, and some luck.
This may surprise some: the cheap P&S cameras have a great advantage compared to DSLR cameras for macro photography: greater depth of field (DOF) at the same aperture and same equivalent focal length. In general, the DOF becomes narrow as you get closer to the subject at given aperture. It becomes difficult to record the entire subject of interest in sharp focus when you try to get as close as possible to capture the details (at highest possible magnification). The reason for enhanced DOF is mainly due to the smaller sensor sizes in P&S cameras compared to DSLR cameras. For an in-depth discussion of this subject, please read these excellent articles:
Posted in
Digital photography on July 25th, 2007.
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