How to take that great holiday photo

It's one of the few times when all your friends and family are in the same room at the same time. That makes a holiday gathering the perfect family-portrait photo op. But it's not always easy to squeeze everyone into a single, well-posed, properly-lighted shot.

Here are some tips for making the most of the opportunity:

If you use a basic point-and-shoot digital camera, or prefer to rely on the camera to do most of the work for you:

• If your lens has wide-angle capability, this is the time to use it. Zoom the lens out to its widest angle. A 28-mm-equivalent is minimally sufficient; 24-mm is better. (Our digital camera Ratings, available to subscribers, points out which cameras feature wide-angle capabilities.)
• Then set the camera to program mode. Arrange your group as a triangle, with short or seated people on the ends, heads tilted toward the middle to avoid distortion. Taller or standing people should be in the middle. (If there are too many people to fit into one row, see the more advanced tips below.)
• Reduce red-eye by placing a light behind you.
• To add a vintage holiday feel to your portraits, use the setting for sepia tones, if your camera has one.

Claim Check: Olympus Stylus 1050SW

This camera taps a new technology to help you shoot in the cold.

We know cameras can freeze action shots. But which one do you reach for when it's freezing outside and you've got mittens or gloves on?

According to Olympus, it's new, 10-megapixel subcompact, the Stylus 1050SW, $300, is "great for extremely cold temperatures where gloves are a must." That's because the 1050SW lets you operate various functions by simply tapping the camera body. (The feature is also said to be useful for underwater photography.)

Here's how it works: To access various functions, you tap different sides of the body—left, right, top or back. For example, striking the right side of the 1050SW once lets you access several flash options. Then, tapping the right or left side scrolls through four flash options: auto, red-eye, flash on or flash off.

In shooting mode, you can tap the camera to control, among other things, flash settings and a shadow adjustment feature. In playback mode, tapping the camera lets you scroll through images.

How to save up to $70 on a great digital camera

Our digital camera Ratings tell you which cameras produce the best image quality or hesitate the least between shots. And our recommended cameras will tell you which models are the overall best performers—and best values. (Our Ratings and recommendations are available to subscribers.)

Now there's an easy way to find the best prices on all the digital cameras we test—including the highly-rated models—right from the ConsumerReports.org web site: ShopOnline.

Here's how it works: Find the camera that interests you in our Ratings table, then click on "Compare Prices." You'll be taken to a safe, ad-free, unbiased list of retailers and current prices for new models only (no used or refurbished cameras are included in our results).

Here are some prices I found at major online retailers, using ShopOnline, for three of our highly-rated cameras:

• The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T77 (click on image for a closer look), a very good, 10.1 megapixel subcompact with a 4x optical zoom, was for sale at prices ranging from $257 to $300.
• The Nikon Coolpix P5100, a very good, 12.1 megapixel compact with a 3.5x optical zoom, was available at prices ranging from $277 to $350.
• The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ28, a very good, 10.1 megapixel superzoom, with an 18x optical zoom, was for sale at prices ranging from $280 to $350.

(The above prices can change frequently and don't include shipping or tax, though merchants often don't charge for one or both of those.)

—Jeff Fox

Cool camera accessories for the holidays

Point-and-shoots and SLRs weren't the only products on view at the recent PhotoPlus Expo show in New York. Here are some cool camera accessories you may want to take a look at, some of which may make a great gift during this holiday season.

• Frames. Sony announced two new photo frames—the 10-inch DPF-D100 ($280), seen at the top right, and the 8-inch DPF-D80 ($180). (Click on both images for a closer look.) Both have 800x600 pixel screen resolution. Their aspect ratio is also 4:3, which is closer to the aspect ratio used on most digital cameras. Sony's other frames use a more rectangular 16:9 aspect ratio, which is what most HDTVs use. Unlike two other Sony frames, the new pair don't include HDMI outputs that let you hook up to an HDTV. The two new frames also accept most types of memory cards and support select RAW files.
• Lensbaby. Some of my favorite accessories at the show were at the Lensbaby booth. These lenses, known as selective focus lenses, let you purposely blur most of what you see in your compositions. It's a technique often used in Martha Stewart Living magazine, where you might see just one item in a still life in sharp focus, and then the rest of the composition has this wonderfully blurred quality. Recently, Lensbaby announced a new type of selective focus lens, called the Composer ($270), which has a ball-and-socket design that I think is an improvement over previous lenses, such as the Muse ($100 for plastic lens and $150 for glass lens) and the Control Freak ($270). Plus, all Lensbaby lenses have a new optic-swap system. For more, go to www.lensbaby.com.
• Photo viewers. If you're looking to spend a little more cash for the photo-enthusiast in your life, Epson recently announced two photo viewers: The P-6000 ($600) and the P-7000 ($800). These devices have two purposes: They offer a very large, 4-inch LCD that's very accurate in terms of color. So, you'll get a better idea of exactly what you're shooting, especially when traveling. They also provide you with a quick and easy way to back up your shots. The P-6000 has an 80GB hard drive capacity and the P-7000 has 160GB. Both also offer various slide-show features.
• Inkjet paper. The show had many printers on view and different photo papers, which can really affect how people view your images. Canson, which has a long history of making fine-art paper, has introduced 14 new papers for photo inkjet printers, including four new surface textures (for example, smooth, ultra smooth, textured and canvas). For more, go to www.cansoninfinity.com.

—Terry Sullivan

Three distinctive point-and-shoots

Hundreds of point-and-shoots were on view at the PhotoPlus Expo this past weekend in New York. Many offer the same ol' specs and features: 3x optical zoom, 10 megapixels. 2 1/2- to 3-inch LCD. Here are three that stood out:

The Nikon Coolpix P6000 (Click on image at right for a closer look), a pricey compact for $500, does have some advanced features, such as being able to shoot RAW files. But that's not what makes it unique: It has a built-in GPS that lets you tag photos with the geographic location at which they were shot. Here's how this works: The camera embeds location data in the EXIF data file. Once you embed this info, you can access it with any image editor and use it with online map programs such as Google Earth to see exactly where your photos are taken. (For more, check out our previous post on geotagging.)

How to save money on cameras this season

Times are tight. If you're shopping for a digital camera or camcorder this holiday season, you want to make every penny count. I've hunted down some of the latest bargains, both at last week's Photoplus Expo show in New York, and on the web. Here's what I found:

• Pentax offers both a DA L 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AL lens and an external AF200FG auto flash unit along with its K2000 SLR camera body. All for less than $700.
• Olympus has a limited edition "Komachi Kit" available for the holiday season, which includes an E-420 SLR camera body ($440 alone) and a 25mm f/2.8 Zuiko Digital lens, which they call a pancake lens due to its very small size. The kit comes in a fitted, hand-made brown leather case and also includes a 1GB CompactFlash memory card. All for $750.
• Some manufacturers are offering rebates: Tamron, a maker of third-party lens, has a rebate program on about a dozen lenses that range from $10 to $90 on specific lenses. If you buy select Canon lenses or external flashes, you can also get money back.
• Sony has an interesting trade-in program for cameras and camcorders. You can get an estimate online, including for non-Sony cameras and camcorders.
• Fujifilm is launching an online photo sharing and printing service called SeeHere.com. New users can get 100 free prints when they enter the promotion code "prints-2" when checking out.

You can find many fine, low-priced models in our digital camera Ratings and Ratings of camcorders. (Ratings are available to subscribers.) And to be sure you're getting the most for your money, also check out our newly designed Digital Camera Buying Guide and Camcorder Buying Guide on ConsumerReports.org

—Terry Sullivan

Cameras go to extremes at PhotoPlus Expo

Most of the major camera manufacturers are here at this year's PhotoPlus Expo at the Javits Convention Center in New York showing off their latest point-and-shoots, SLRs, camcorders and camera accessories.

Two products are generating a lot of buzz, though they're not quite ready for prime time:

One, from Olympus, is based on the innovative micro four-thirds system used by Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and combines a large sensor, similar to those SLRs use, with a small camera body. The camera (Click on image at right for a closer look) shown here at PhotoPlus Expo debuted last month at the Photokina show, in Germany. It will be similar to the first micro four-thirds camera, but the version I saw looked even smaller than the G1. (In case some Olympus SLR owners aren't interested in going the micro four-thirds route, the company also has another "concept" camera that will be based on the older, larger four-thirds camera design. This E series model should be out in 2009.)

A second camera, Leica's S2 (Click on the image at right for a closer look), is all the buzz among pros. This is truly an SLR-on-steroids, with a 37-megapixel image sensor, which is more than 50 percent larger than a full-frame sensor SLR. Although the model on view is still a prototype and the product may be modified, it's a really big, bulky camera, larger than almost any consumer or prosumer SLR. But what really adds heft to this camera is that the lenses are also gargantuan. So whereas the micro four-thirds products appear to be shrinking the size of cameras, Leica is expanding their size.

Neither the Leica nor the Olympus have prices yet. But the Leica will probably be more than $10,000. My guess is the Olympus will be around $700 or $800.

—Terry Sullivan

Full-frame SLRs drop in price

Camera manufacturers are churning out more and more digital SLRs with full-frame sensors, which are the size of one frame of 35mm film and significantly larger than sensors found in point-and-shoot digital cameras. While not cheap, these new SLRs are less expensive than in the past: The three most recently announced, Canon's 21-megapixel EOS 5D Mark II (Click on image at right for a closer look), Nikon's 12-megapixel D700, and Sony's 24-megapixel Alpha A900, all cost around $3,000. (Images of the Nikon and Sony SLRs are below.) In the past, most cost from $5,000 to $8,000.

But, you may be wondering, just what are the benefits of SLRs with full-frame sensors? There are at least two: They can handle a wider variety of lighting situations more accurately, and they limit the amount of visual noise that can distort and degrade an image.

To appreciate them, it's useful to look at the smaller sensors that point-and-shoots use. For example, consider the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W300, one of the models in our recent Ratings of digital cameras. (Model information and Ratings are available to subscribers only.) It's a 14-megapixel subcompact point-and-shoot digital camera. That's two more megapixels than the Nikon D700.

So, what gives?

Claim check—Nikon D90: The first SLR with hi-def video

The 12-megapixel Nikon D90 SLR, $1,000 (body only), claims to capture HD video with a "cinematic" 24 frames per second rate and resolution of 720p (1280 x 720 pixels). But the frame rate is too slow for many uses, and in our tests, resulted in flickering with horizontal panning or horizontal subject movement.

And while it's true that the D90's file resolution is 720p, images recorded at that setting contained far less detail, even in the best lighting conditions, than what most HD camcorders capture at similar settings. Those images were no better than those a VHS tape typically captures. In fact, the D90's video image quality fell short of that produced by the lowest-rated HD camcorder in our Ratings (available to subscribers), the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD1000. Because the Xacti records video at 60 fps, more than twice the frame rate of the D90, it doesn't display the flickering effect that's noticeable on video taken with the D90.

Another drawback of the D90: When we recorded video, most of its controls, including autofocus, were disabled. So, if your subject goes out of focus, the D90 won't automatically refocus. You can manually refocus, however.

Bottom line. Although the D90 lets you record HD video, its capabilities and performance are middling at best. It isn't a substitute for a decent HD camcorder. We'll report on the D90's still-camera capabilities soon.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1: A new kind of digital camera

Is it an SLR, a point-and-shoot, or neither? Panasonic's new Lumix DMC-G1, introduced today and available in mid-November (price hasn't been announced), defies neat categorization. In fact, it may well define a new class of digital camera.

What differentiates the DMC-G1 from all other cameras is that it combines key SLR features—a large image sensor and interchangeable lenses—with the smaller size and weight of a point-and-shoot. No, the DMC-G1 won't fit in your pocket or purse, but it is considerably smaller and lighter than the smallest SLRs out there—even when outfitted with a lens (details below). So if you've been considering an SLR for its superior performance and flexibility, but have held back because you're put off by the typical SLR's size and weight, the DMC-G1 (and the similar cameras that are sure to follow) may resolve your dilemma.

Nikon D90: The first D-SLR that records video

Camcorders, look out! Nikon announced yesterday its D90, a digital SLR camera that promises to do things that no point-and-shoot digital camera or even non-professional camcorder can.

Nikon says the D90 (Click on the image at right for a closer look) records both high-definition (720p) and standard-definition video using interchangeable lenses, while taking advantage of numerous other SLR benefits, among them low-light sensitivity, fast continuous shooting, and high-capacity batteries. Nikon says the D90 will be available sometime in September and list for $999 (camera body only) or $1,299 (with lens).

A few highlights:

• With a D90, you can shoot videos using many of Nikon's lenses such as its fish-eye and macro lenses, for the same creative control you get with stills. For example, with some lenses, you should be able to reduce the camera's depth of field enough that, when shooting video, the subject stands out because the background is noticeably out of focus.


• Because the D90 uses an image sensor very similar to the one found on the Nikon D300 (model information available to subscribers), you should be able to shoot decent quality video or still images in very low light without a flash. The D300 is the only model in our Ratings of digital SLRs (available to subscribers) able to capture, in low-light, images good enough to enlarge, even when set as high as ISO 3200. (Most SLRs can do so only up to ISO 800 or less, our tests found.) It was also one of only three SLRs with excellent overall image quality and dynamic range.

Tips: Taking your digital camera on vacation

It's vacation time and you're probably heading for the beach, park, or mountains armed with your trusty digital camera. Here are some things to keep in mind when packing to make sure you come home with lots of memorable shots:

Maximize your memory cards. If you haven't transferred all your old photos from the cards to your computer, do so before you leave. Then delete those photos from the cards, so you'll have as much free storage space as possible. If you typically shoot lots of photos on trips, figure out if you need to buy more storage before you leave. Remember that shooting video takes up a lot more storage than still photos.

Get your batteries into shape. Make sure you have at least two rechargeable batteries that are compatible with your camera, which will allow you to charge one in your room while you're out shooting. Or, if you're the cautious type, keep a fully-charged spare in your pocket—just in case—while you're out shooting that once-in-a-lifetime sight. Before leaving home, use the camera to check the batteries' levels and make sure they're all fully charged. And don't forget your wall charger. (If you're traveling abroad, make sure to bring an appropriate converter and wall-socket adapter). If your camera uses AA batteries, either bring an extra set of rechargeables, or buy disposables as the need arises.

Capture your own gold medal moments this summer

With the summer Olympics almost upon us, you may be in the mood for photographing athletic competitions—if not in Beijing, then in your own backyard or school stadium. Here are some features that can give you winning photos.

A long zoom. A digital camera with 10x or greater optical zoom—what we call super-zoom—will let you get closer to the action while maintaining good picture quality. Digital zoom almost always degrades quality, so turn this feature off. Some zoom lenses go as high as 20x optical zoom, such as the Olympus SP-570 UZ.

Fast action. If your camera is slow, you'll miss important moments. In most cases, this is not an issue on SLRs, but check our point-and-shoot Ratings (available to subscribers) for models with a short first-shot delay (also known as shutter lag) and next-shot delay.

Burst modes. All SLRs and a growing number of point-and-shoots have burst modes that let you fire off two, three, or more frames per second. A few, like the Casio Exilim EX-F1, can even do this with a flash. That's enough to capture a few half-twists off a high dive or a some fancy turns in a synchronized swimming routine.

Recovering lost photos: A quick how-to

It's not very hard to lose hundreds of photos from your digital camera's memory card in the blink of an eye. Just ask my colleague, Eileen McCooey, who asked for my help after accidentally erasing pictures of her recent summer vacation when she unintentionally reformatted the memory card.

Fortunately, if you know what you're doing, it's nearly as easy to recover deleted images as it is to erase them.

Here's how I rescued Eileen's photos:

1. I told Eileen to immediately remove the memory card from the camera. This is critical, because right after photos are deleted (or a card is formatted), they're usually still intact and recoverable. But once you use that card to store additional shots, you put your deleted photos at risk.


2. I knew there was software that could recover deleted files, because I had bought and used programs at home to help family members with similar problems. (Card makers Sandisk and Lexar both sell such software.)
   
   But I wanted to recover these photos in the office, without buying more software. So I Googled "freeware to recover memory card." Several hits seemed to fit the bill. But I wasn't sure if those downloads were both spyware- and virus-free, so I checked Download.com, which has a reputation for safe downloads.


3. At Download.com, I searched for "recover memory card" which turned up 82 hits. I tried a couple that appeared to be free (there was no "Buy now" displayed). One of them actually found the lost photos, but wouldn't recover them unless I paid up.


4. So, I used "Narrow Your Search" on the results page to find the few that actually were free. That turned up just four hits.


5. I downloaded and ran VaioSoft Recovery Manager 1.5 (click on image at left), which recovered nearly 500 photos in just a minute or two. There they were, on my hard drive. I copied them to a CD for Eileen. VaioSoft encourages users of its software to make a contribution to support its work.
   
   (Note to Mac users: Recovery Manager 1.5 runs only under Windows. You may need to hunt for alternatives through reputable freeware sites that cater to Mac users.)

How I accidentally erased my digital photos, then recovered them

It took me more than a year to shoot 488 photos and less than a second to lose them—purely by accident, when I unwittingly reformatted the memory card in my point-and-shoot camera.

These were photos I wanted to keep, capturing memories of my first trip to Yosemite, family and friends, even the before-and-after pictures of my kitchen renovation. But I foolishly ignored two commonsense pieces of advice every digital camera user should follow:

• Don't use your memory card for permanent storage. It's arguably the least robust, most vulnerable storage device you can use for archiving your pictures. Download images you want to save to your computer, an external hard drive, or a CD.
• Even if you don't peruse your camera's user manual cover to cover, at least crack it open to get some idea of how to use your camera’s controls and menus.

I shamefacedly admit that I did neither. While I printed out a bunch of pix, e-mailed others, and put a fair number up on a photo-sharing Website, close to half the shots existed only on the CompactFlash card that never left my camera.

Nikon Coolpix S600: Is it as quick as Nikon says, or did we all just get punk'd?

Just how fast is the Nikon subcompact Coolpix S600? According to the company's magazine ad featuring Ashton Kutcher, one of Hollywood's slick young actors, the S600 is the "fastest starting camera of its kind." (Mr. Kutcher can also be seen snapping away with a Nikon at www.ashtonscoolpix.com, along with Nikon's claims that the $300, 10-megapixel S600 takes "0.7 seconds from start-up to shoot.")

Of course there's fine print (aha!) below the claim warning that the S600's speed dominance is only "among compact digital cameras with 28mm zoom lens and optical vibration reduction as of 1/29/08." (The image at right is a digital version of one of Nikon's official print ad featuring Mr. Kutcher and the CoolPix S600 and S550 cameras. Click on the image to see a larger version of the ad which includes the disclaimer. We circled it in red so you can spot the fine print. If you have Adobe Acrobat software installed, you can also see the full-size ad on Nikon's online press center.)

Seeing those restrictions in fine print made us ask: Are Nikon and Kutcher messin' with our heads, like the actor does to his victims on the Candid Camera-style MTV show Punk'd. Or are he and the camera company on the level?

Digital cameras: New tests, Ratings reveal best models

Our upcoming digital cameras coverage highlights a shift in the camera marketplace that’s affected how we test cameras.

[June 4, 2008 UPDATE: The "Best digital camera" report from the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports magazine has been posted on our website. You can access certain portions of the report—which covers point-and-shoot digital cameras, digital SLRs, SLR lenses, and snapshot printers—for free. But, only paying ConsumerReports.org subscribers can access other portions, including Consumer Reports' digital cameras Ratings and Recommendations, digital SLRs Ratings and Recommendations, and snapshot printers Ratings and Recommendations. —Ed.]

Most digital cameras today have megapixels galore, a large LCD, fairly long battery life, and take fine pictures in good light. So new models are trying to distinguish themselves by adding new features, stylish designs and improved performance in difficult situations—shooting in low-light, compensating for back-light, and capturing fast-action sports scenes, for examples.

We've upgraded our digital camera tests to better evaluate these more ambitious models. How the new point-and-shoot cameras and digital SLRs fared in our more rigorous testing process can be seen in our latest digital camera Ratings (available to subscribers only) now online. These new camera Ratings, along with our new video guide to buying a digital camera (Click on the player at right), will help you find the best camera for your needs.

Here are some previews and highlights from the "Best digital cameras" report, appearing online soon:

• Our new tests reveal a wider range of performance results, with some cameras rising to the tougher challenges—and a number falling short.


• The performance distinction between point-and-shoots and SLRs is blurring. Hint: Some point-and-shoots excelled in dim conditions—traditionally an SLR strength—while a few SLRs faltered.


• Our new image-quality tests combine the judgments of our experts with software analysis for sharpness, color accuracy in a variety of conditions, and other attributes. The result: No point-and-shoot camera received an Excellent image quality score. Only two SLRs scored Excellent image quality—with some of the older models receiving lower image-quality scores than previously reported.


• A new "dynamic range" test evaluates a camera's ability to successfully capture a shot under widely varying light conditions. Cameras with high dynamic range scores are capable of rendering detail well in the very dim and the very bright areas of an image. The worst performers all but obliterated those finer points.

If you're taking advantage of Memorial Day weekend store sales and shopping for a new digital camera, you'll find more free digital camera buying advice on ConsumerReports.org.

Send us your digital camera questions

[June 25, 2008 UPDATE: Thanks to all who submitted questions and comments to us through this blog. You can find answers to some of the most common questions in the latest digital camera report from the July issue of Consumer Reports magazine. We've closed the comment section of this post. But if you still have digital camera questions, visit our digital camera discussion threads in our online Electronics discussion forums. —Ed.]

Digital camera manufacturers keep coming up with new and innovative features. On the surface, these should make cameras easier to use and help you take better pictures. Face detection, for example, tries to set focus, exposure, and color balance so that faces appear sharp, well exposed and the proper color.

But is face detection really all that helpful to you? Have you seen an improvement in your photos? Did you know that when a little green box appeared around your subjects, that the camera was trying to change the exposure, focus and color balance so that that particular subject looked the best? And what if you didn't want to use this feature?

We're interested in hearing questions like these from you about every aspect of digital cameras and digital imaging, which we can answer as part of our summer photography feature that will post online in June. We'll choose the questions of interest to most people.

The questions can include not only queries about digital cameras, but also lenses, digital imaging software, printing, and camera accessories. Also, if you have any questions on how digital imaging technology works, or particular features, we'd love to hear them.

Your input will help us create upcoming content on digital cameras and related products.

PMA2008: Consumer SLRs continue to evolve

As I mentioned in my PMA preview, the SLR market continues to be very competitive, especially for consumer-targeted models. The two that caught my eye at the show this year are, not surprisingly, the Nikon D60 and the Canon Rebel XSi, both of which were announced within the past week and a half. I got to check out each up-close and personal since both camera manufacturers had them at their show booths.   (Click on the image at right for a closer look at the Rebel XSi. You'll find a clickable image of the Nikon D60 SLR further down.)

Of the two, Canon's specs appear a little beefier (although we'll reserve final judgment until we get both models into our labs for testing.) As I mentioned in a previous post on lenses, Canon now includes an image-stabilized lens in the Rebel XSi kit. (Nikon is also shipping an image-stabilized lens with the D60.)

On the camera body, Canon has bumped up the megapixels to 12.2 from 10.1 on the Rebel XTi (which is still staying in the SLR product line). Canon claims that while they've increased the number of pixels on the CMOS sensor, they’ve engineered it in such away as to keep the visual noise low.

PMA2008: A Glimpse through the Looking Glass

There are lots of SLR lenses on view here at PMA2008. I'm not sure if there is more emphasis than previous years, but from low end to high, photographers are finding lots of intriguing pieces of glass.

On the low end, one intriguing development is that both Canon and Nikon are offering image-stabilized kit lenses in their consumer-targeted SLRs. You can tell when you look at the labels: Nikon's 18-55mm lens (click on the image at right for a closer look) has a "VR" (for "Vibration Reduction") at the end of the name. Canon's 18-55mm lens has the more commonly used "IS" at the end.

The primary benefit of  image stabilization is that you can get sharper photos in low-light, which often requires a slower shutter speed that makes your shots  more susceptible to camera shake. But word from the manufacturers is that these lenses have a better construction than previous kit lenses and have been tweaked to perform better. We’ll have the final word on how good these lenses are when we get them in to our labs, but if the claims true, better kit lenses in SLR packages would be good news for camera shoppers.

PMA2008: Sony Deepens its SLR line

This morning, Sony held a press conference at which they unveiled a new high-end SLR, which will be launched by the end of 2008. The SLR, which they're referring to at the moment only as "The Flagship," will include a 24-megapixel "Exmor" CMOS image sensor. (Click on the image at right for a closer look.)

The sensor will also be a full-frame sensor. (My previous post about the Canon EOS 40D digitial SLR has more details regarding full-frame sensors in the "Sensor Size and Lens Magnification Factor" section.)

In addition, this sensor will be image stabilized using Sony's Super SteadyShot system, which resides inside the camera body itself and so should work with any lens. (Canon and Nikon incorporate image stabilization into their SLR lenses.) Additional specs and features are sketchy on this camera for the moment, but it appears that Sony's commitment to SLRs is deepening.

The company also recapped many of their new product announcements from recent months, including two new consumer-targeted SLRs, both with live-view capabilities and articulating, swiveling LCDs. The two new SLRs are the 10-megapixel alpha DSLR-A300 ($800 with kit lens) and the 14-megapixel alpha DSLR-A350 ($900 with kit lens). (Click on the images for closer looks at the A350, on the left, and at the back of the A300, lower right.)

In addition, Sony revealed that they'll be entering the digital picture frame market by announcing three new S-series photo frames: DPF-V900 ($250), DPF-V700 ($190) and DPF-D70 ($140) digital photo frame models.

—Terry Sullivan

PMA2008: A Snapshot of New Cameras

There are lots of new digital cameras here at PMA this year, although many offer just modest changes from previous models, such as slightly more megapixels or a wider LCD. Here are a few of the more interesting ones I’ve come across since I arrived in Las Vegas yesterday:

The 10-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX35 (click on the image at right for a closer look) is a sporty ultracompact that has lots of intelligence—at least according to its specs. It boasts Intelligent Exposure (to determine or adjust for exposure), Intelligent ISO (to adjust ISO depending on whether the camera senses movement), Intelligent Scene Selector (to detect lighting conditions and set the camera to the appropriate scene mode), and face detection. But the smartest thing about this point-and-shoot is that its 4x optical zoom lens has a very wide wide-angle setting: the equivalent of 25mm for a 35mm film camera. The last point-and-shoot that made a big splash with this wide a lens was Kodak's EasyShare V570. List price will be around $350. It will be available in March in silver, black and blue.

GE or General Imaging, a newcomer last year, is back again this year with a compact for under $100. The 7-megapixel GE A735 will have a 3x optical zoom and a 2.5-inch LCD. It will also have smile detection and blink detection features, similar to Sony’s Smile Shutter feature. Not bad for a camera with a list price of $90 to $100.

There's quite a bit happening at the high-end point-and-shoot market too, a part of the market greatly affected by price drops in SLRs. Fujifilm released the FinePix S100FS (click on the image at left for a closer look), an 11-megapixel camera almost as large as an SLR. The reason for its size? It's got a 14.3x optical zoom lens (28-400mm, 35mm film equivalent). It's also got optical image stabilization, which Fujifilm says is a first for them. Other intriguing features include a menu setting (Film Simulation mode, which is where the "FS" comes from) that Fujifilm says will emulate the color of some of the company's great camera films, such as Provia and Velvia. There are many other features as well; Fujifilm says it's after the serious consumer, the "prosumer" in industry lingo, that may a camera that's like an SLR, but with a fixed lens. List price will be around $800 and it will be available in February.

—Terry Sullivan

PMA 2008 Preview: What's incoming in cameras and more

Each year, camera enthusiasts and pros wait to see what the major camera manufacturers will introduce at the annual Photo Marketing Association trade show (PMA), which will take place this year in Las Vegas from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. And while some companies opted to unveil some products at CES, just three weeks ago, most have chosen to stick with PMA08 to introduce not only cameras, but also lenses, printers, software, and photo accessories.

Starting Wednesday, I'll be at the show, posting the latest news about cameras and related products and services to this blog.

Although I expect a few surprises at the show, some developments and trends are already evident. Here's what I expect to see, by camera type or technology:

CES 2008: Wireless innovations for portable devices

Most of the buzz about wirelessness at the Consumer Electronics Show has been generated by products and technologies that seek to liberate HDTVs and other components that are usually connected by cables. But there have also been interesting announcements in traditionally unwired product categories. Here are three examples, from cameras, music players, and cellphones respectively:

Eye-Fi SD memory card. Some newer cameras have built-in Wi-Fi connections that enable them to wirelessly upload their photos to PCs, Macs and online photo and social networking sites over a home network. Now, any camera that accepts an SD memory card can have that convenience with the $100 Eye-Fi, a 2gigabyte SD memory card with a built-in Wi-Fi radio. (Click on image at right for a closer look.)

To receive photos in this mode, your computer must be turned on and running the Eye-Fi Manager software, a simple download from www.eye-fi.com. The card and software also allow any Eye-Fi-enabled camera to upload photos directly to 17 online sites, including KODAK Gallery, Shutterfly, Wal-Mart, Snapfish, Photobucket, Facebook, Webshots, Picasa Web Albums, SmugMug, Flickr, Fotki, TypePad, VOX, dotPhoto, Phanfare and Sharpcast. Eye-Fi is available now at Amazon.com, Buy.com, Walmart.com and other retailers.

Sennheiser MX W1 wireless stereo headphones. Even wireless stereo Bluetooth headphones have wires—the ones that connect the left and right speakers. Not the MX W1. (Click on image at left for a closer look.) The two-piece MX W1 uses a new wireless technology called Kleer, which, unlike Bluetooth, permits left and right speakers to link wirelessly. The headphones' twist-to-fit design keeps them securely and comfortably in the ear. Another advantage Kleer has over Bluetooth is that it transmits lossless 16-bit, 44KHz-sampled digital audio, the same quality that is recorded on a CD. Bluetooth, on the other hand, compresses audio prior to transmission, which degrades sound quality.

The MX W1 includes a small Kleer transmitter, about the size of a matchbox, which plugs into the headphone jack of your music source. The transmitter also allows you to link a second set of MXW1 headphones to share your tunes with a friend. The MX W1 also comes with a carrying case that doubles as a charger for the earphones and transmitter, allowing you to recharge the headphones up to three times without plugging it into a wall outlet. Sennheiser says playback time on a single charge is about three to four hours. The MX W1 will be available in May 2008 for a whopping $599.

Iqua Sun bluetooth headset. In what may be a first in mobile electronics, there's now a portable device that draws on the sun for power. The Iqua Sun BHS-603 (Click on image at right for a closer look) is a solar-powered Bluetooth wireless headset that will be available later in January for $100. About two inches in length and weighing under an ounce, the headset incorporates a photovoltaic cell that Iqua claims will use any available light, indoors or out, to charge its battery. The company claims the Sun delivers up to 12 hours of talk time, depending on available light; standby time, it says, can be infinite. In case your life isn't sunny enough, the device does come with a wall charger and the option to recharge via your computer's USB port.

—Mike Gikas and Paul Reynolds

CES 2008: Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1 makes sure you get your shot

If digital cameras were baseball players, Casio's new Exilim Pro EX-F1 point-and-shoot digital camera would definitely be suspect for taking steroids, And not for the usual inflated specs: It features a modest 6 megapixels, at the low end for a consumer digicam (although still enough for most people's needs). It also has a healthy 12x optical zoom (the 35mm film equivalent of a 36-432mm zoom lens). Still, there are other cameras with 15x, and even 18x, optical zooms.

Where the EX-F1 raises eyebrows is in its ability to take many shots rapidly, a feature referred to as burst mode, in a way that almost guarantees you won't miss a critical moment.

Most digital cameras have a burst mode, but until recently, rarely could one shoot more than 2 or 3 frames per second (fps). Professional SLRs can fire 5, 8, or even 10 fps, although sometimes you must reduce the images' size to get the faster burst. And, you generally pay through the nose for such speed.

Canon EOS 40D digital SLR: First impressions

An SLR (or Single-Lens Reflex) camera is the most complex type of digital camera on the market, providing the most options and control, while producing the highest quality images. As the SLR market has become increasingly competitive, manufacturers continue to expand the feature sets on their SLRs to make them even more powerful, more versatile, and easier to use.

This is just what Canon has done with the 10-megapixel Canon EOS 40D digital SLR (Click on image at right), which runs about $1300 (body only) or about $200 more with a 28-135mm kit zoom lens.

In Canon's product line, the EOS 40D is what you might call a step-up SLR. At first glance, it may seem that there's not much difference between the 40D and Canon’s entry-level, inexpensive ($600, body only), 10-megapixel Canon Rebel XTi. However, aside from sharing the same type of CMOS sensor and including Canon's dust-cleaning system, the cameras are very different. (Canon has two ways to help minimize dust on the sensor: a hardware-based element that the company claims shakes off dust automatically with ultrasonic vibrations, and a firmware/software feature, called Dust Delete Data. Both are used to help avoid dust spots from appearing on images due to any minuscule particles that land on the 40D's CMOS sensor.)

Related information on ConsumerReports.org:

• How to choose a digital camera
• Top-rated digital SLR cameras (available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers only)
• Digital SLR camera Ratings (available to ConsumerReports.org subscribers only)

 

Nikon Coolpix L15: A budget subcompact with smarts

You don't expect much in a camera that costs $150 or less, but Nikon's new 8-megapixel Coolpix L15 (Click on the image at right for a closer look.) offers quite a bit for the money. (List price is $150, but it has been offered online for as little as $128).

Major features include optical image stabilization, limited face recognition (the L15 can keep a face in focus), a 2.8-inch LCD, and in-camera red-eye removal. A feature called D-lighting can rescue dark or backlit pictures by improving brightness and detail.

Related information on ConsumerReports.org:

• Digital cameras: More fun and features for less $
• Buying Advice: How to choose a digital camera
• Ratings: Point-and-shoot digital cameras (available to subscribers only)

To see what D-lighting does, consider this shot I took with the L15 of my colleague, Terry Sullivan. (Click on the image, below left , for a closer look.) His face is brightly lit by the L15's flash, but the background isn't so well lit.

Now here's a JPG of the same image (Click on the image at right for a closer look.)  that the L15 produced when I applied its D-lighting feature. Notice how the background is brighter. (So, unfortunately, is the gray in Terry's hair, which is the price he must pay for technological progress). When you use D-lighting, the L15 preserves the original image alongside the new one.

One feature expressly for novices is Easy Auto Mode, which the user manual says is an automatic mode recommended for first time digital camera users. When I turned Easy Auto on, the camera appeared to behave the same as when the feature was turned off.

I suspect from what little the user manual says about this feature, that turning it on limits which settings are displayed in the menu displayed on the LCD and, perhaps, automatically tweaks them to reasonable values for the shooting situation. Because the user manual doesn't fully explain this feature, it's hard to know exactly what it does.

Another way the L15 tried to make things easy is by automatically setting the ISO sensitivity based on the scene mode you set and the surrounding light level. The ISO range is from 64 to 1000. However, I couldn't find a way to see what ISO the camera was actually using or a way to override it. So when it comes to ISO, using the L15 requires placing your faith in the scene modes and camera's smarts.

We haven't tested the L15 is our labs yet, but Nikon's Web site for the U.S. says that the L15 can take approximately 160 shots using alkaline AA batteries.

—Jeff Fox

Canon PowerShot G9: An SLR wannabe

Today's entry-level, point-and-shoot