Save money on your holiday cards with these 8 photofinishers

Printing your holiday photo cards through a photofinishing Web site can save you time and money, especially if you do so in the next week or two. A number of sites are offering limited time discounts and free shipping. Below are some deals that I found at larger sites.

To take advantage of an offer, you must register with the site and provide contact information, such as your e-mail and shipping address. You'll also need to upload any photos you want to use on the card. Be sure to note the expiration dates on all offers:

• Shutterfly Save 20 percent on holiday cards. (The offer does not apply to note cards and calling cards.) Also, you can get free shipping on your order if you spend $30 or more. A comparison page lets you compare card types. Shutterfly has a wide array of other gifts, many of which are also being discounted.
• Kodak Gallery This site is offering free shipping on orders of $75 or more.
• Snapfish This site is offering free shipping on orders of 40 or more flat cards. They are also offering 20 percent off on everything in the Snapfish catalog.
• PEphoto.com They're offering 10 percent off orders of 25 or more photo greeting cards. Also, buy one photo album, get $10 off a second album.
• Walmart photo center Free shipping on greeting cards.
• Winkflash They're offering 40 percent off all holiday card orders.

• Clark Color labs Has several promotions: 40 percent off photo greeting cards; free shipping on photo gifts of $25 or more; 7 cents per prints; $8 off hardcover photo book orders of $20 or more.
• Photoworks Buy one photo calendar, get one free.

Olympus unveils the E-P2, its second SLR-like digital camera

Olympus Pen E-P2

For a little over a year, Olympus and Panasonic have attempted to popularize a new type of compact digital camera that has the image quality of an SLR. Panasonic already has three models—the Lumix G1, GH1, and GF1. Yesterday, Olympus introduced its second SLR-like (or micro four-thirds) camera, the 12-megapixel Pen E-P2.

In many ways, it has many of the same specs as the E-P1 such as body-based image stabilization, the ability to shoot HD-resolution video, a 3-inch liveview LCD and a compact retro camera-body design (although it will only be offered in black). Both are also available as kits with either of two lenses: the 14-42mm zoom or 17mm prime.

So what's new on the E-P2? The biggest change is a bundled electronic viewfinder. With the EP-1, you had to pay separately for an optional, glass viewfinder. The new viewfinder plugs into a new port on the camera body and slides into the hot shoe. The new port accepts other optional accessories, such as the new external microphone jack for using external microphones, that you'll have to pay extra for. However, just like the E-P1, there's still no built-in flash, which is disappointing, since you'll have to buy an external flash. Plus, you'll have to choose between using an external flash or viewfinder; the hot shoe can only accommodate one of these at a time.

4 Tips for Taking Great Parade Pics

There are lots of opportunities coming up for photographing seasonal parades, from tomorrow’s World Series victory parade to Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s.

Here are some ways to prepare to capture those special images:

Bring the right gear. To capture both close-ups and wider shots, you need a zoom lens with a fairly wide range. The typical 3x zoom of a point-and-shoot camera (Ratings available to subscribers) is barely adequate. A zoom of 5x or greater is better. Before the event, fully charge your camera’s battery and bring a fully charged spare battery. A lens cloth and an extra memory card are also helpful. If you’re using an SLR (SLR Ratings available to subscribers), bring a hood for the lens, which helps prevent flare and keep out stray light.

Plan ahead. Check the weather forecast. If it’s cold, bring gloves. If rain is likely, bring a plastic cover to shield your camera. Arrive well ahead of the parade start time, so you can photograph any interesting pre-parade activities and stake out a good position.

Get a good view. To avoid having heads and arms in the crowd from ruining your shot work your way to the front of the crowd. If you’re not sure you can do that, bring a small, lightweight folding stool to stand on. Or get to an elevated location, on a hill or on at a window above street level in a nearby building.

Make it interesting. Vary the types of shots, mixing close-ups of interesting people or props in the parade with wider shots of a float or the crowd. Shoot portraits of children or other interesting people using a wide aperture (f/2 to f/4) to blur the background and make their face “pop” If your camera has a burst mode (which all SLRs and some point-and-shoots do), use it to capture briskly moving subjects, such as baton twirlers.

If you’ve got more tips to share, post them below. —Jeff Fox

How I backed up 12 gigabytes of World Series photos

It’s fun sharing historic photos like this one, which I shot at last night’s World Series finale. Preserving the additional thousands of post-season shots I took at Yankee Stadium over the past few weeks may not be fun, but it’s important because it will let me mine that photo collection for all sorts of purposes for years.

There are numerous ways to create backups of important files. For a brief overview, see our video on computer backups (embedded below). Our computer backup system buying guide (available for subscribers) provides much more detailed advice along with brand-name recommendations of systems we’ve tested.

Since I back up a lot of photos and prefer quick access to them, I use external hard drives.

(Storing them externally also keeps my computer’s internal hard drive from becoming cluttered with image files.) And because I always make at least two backup copies of important photos (in case one set of copies is lost) before I delete them from the camera’s memory card, I use two drives.

To back up my thousands of post-season shots, after each game, I copied the shots from that game to a 1.5-terabyte (TB) external hard drive. Then I copied those files from that external hard drive to a second, more portable 500GB external drive. (I have a computer at a distant geographical location, so I occasionally take the smaller, portable drive with me and copy photos to the hard drive on that off-site computer.) Only then did I delete the photos from the memory card.

This approach may not be for everybody. If your needs are more modest, an inexpensive thumb drive or writeable DVD might serve just as well.

If you have tips to share on how you preserve your photo files, post them below. —Jeff Fox

Out in left field: How I took long-distance photos at the World Series

My photo of Shane Victorino striking the ball, taken from 330 feet away. (Click to enlarge.)
[Photo: Jeff Fox]

Whether you’re photographing a World Series game at Yankee Stadium, as I did last night, or your child’s soccer match, capturing sharp images while freezing the action in a sporting event poses two special challenges: You’re typically far from the action and your subjects are usually moving quickly and unpredictably.

The only practical way to conquer the distance problem is to use a powerful telephoto zoom lens. Unless it’s a very pricey one, though, extending a telephoto lens to its maximum length can introduce yet another problem, a significant reduction in the light that reaches your camera’s sensor.

To avoid an overly dark picture, you need to either use a relatively slow shutter speed (which would cause moving subjects to appear blurred) or crank up the camera’s ISO setting to increase light sensitivity. The latter can easily introduce graininess into an image, as we’ve found with many of the point-and-shoot cameras in our Ratings (available to subscribers).

If your camera has the necessary features, as virtually all SLRs and some point-and-shoots do, there are a couple of ways to cope with the unpredictability of your subjects’ movements: Set the camera’s autofocus to “continuous,” which automatically maintains focus on a moving subject, and shoot using “burst mode,” which takes several shots per second, increasing your chances of capturing just the right image. (The icon for burst mode is usually three overlapping rectangles).

Use your SLR camera to shoot a Halloween time-lapse video

Carved your pumpkin yet? If not, here's some inspiration in the form of a time-lapse video, an amalgam of sequential images condensing a longer period of time into a few minutes—in this case, the time it takes to play one verse of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."

You can make one yourself, MacGyver-like, with a digital SLR camera and a graphing calculator. Darren Rouse at Digital Photography School has posted a tutorial explaining how:

Buying a digital SLR camera? Follow these 4 steps

Digital SLRs are weathering the economic downtown better than point-and-shoots, say experts who track camera sales. Falling prices, innovative features, and superior performance are some of the reasons for this continuing appeal. (See also "Four steps for choosing a point-and-shoot digital camera.")

Still, not all SLRs are created equal: Our latest Ratings of digital SLRs (available to subscribers) tell you which models performed best and which fell short. But, if you're shopping for an SLR, choosing the best model for your needs also means making sense of a variety of factors. Here are some basic steps to help you get started:

1. Select the right type. Basic SLRs are smaller and simpler to use. Advanced SLRs are usually more rugged and offer the kind of performance serious photographers prize, including more accurate autofocus and faster burst modes.


2. Don’t skimp on performance. All the SLRs we tested are good or very good overall. Limit your choice to those that scored at least very good for image quality and versatility and can shoot to at least 800 ISO without graininess in the image. Battery life is important, too; most of the better performers took more than 400 shots per charge.


3. Consider special needs. If you often shoot above crowds, look for a swiveling LCD, a feature that’s not very common. To see greater detail when you view images on the LCD, choose a high-resolution LCD, found mostly on advanced SLRs. If you take lots of action shots, select a model with a burst mode that can capture the most frames per second. If you often shoot in low light, look for a model with the highest “Maximum ISO with best quality” in our our Ratings.


4. Decide on a lens. SLRs are usually sold with entry-level lenses that are adequate, but they often have limitations. You’ll capture better images with a higher quality lens. Models in our SLR lens Ratings include general-purpose standard zooms, telezooms for sports or nature photography, and superzooms, which offer the greatest zoom range (from wide angle to telephoto). All the rated lenses cost less than $1,000 and are available alone or bundled with a camera. There were some notable differences in price, ease of use, maximum aperture, and weight.

Our tests show that higher price doesn’t always guarantee a better lens. Some modestly priced models ranked higher in our Ratings than lenses that cost two or three times as much. If you’re buying a lens for a brand of SLR that doesn’t include image stabilization in the camera body, such as Canon and Nikon, check the Ratings for a lens that includes a built-in stabilizer. Because there’s no universal mount that allows a lens from any company to fit every SLR, we’ve grouped recommended models by the type of mounts with which they are compatible. Recommended third party lenses, available in separate versions for major SLR brands, are also listed. —Jeff Fox

Nikon tweaks top SLR, now with video

The Nikon D3s D-SLR digital SLR camera at the PhotoPlus Expo trade show. (Click to enlarge.)
[PHOTO: Consumer Reports]

Although Canon’s new pro SLR, the EOS 1-D Mark IV, is getting lots of press here at PhotoPlus, it’s by no means the only SLR being lusted after by pros and photo-enthusiasts. Nikon recently introduced a tweaked version of its D-series pro SLRs: The Nikon D3s is a 12-megapixel SLR with a maximum ISO setting of 102,400 (no, that’s not a typo) and a burst mode of 9 frames per second. Like Canon’s Mark IV, it’s built like a Sherman tank.

The main difference from its predecessor, the Nikon D3, is that the D3s features HD-resolution video capture. According to the specs, it can capture 720 HD video at 24 frames per second. Like Canon’s Mark IV, it should shoot very good video in low light, but the D3s doesn’t have the variety of video capabilities that the Mark IV has. Also, as with the Mark IV, you can add an external microphone for stereo sound.

However, the D3s does have a full-frame sensor, one that’s the same large size as a frame of 35mm film. Such a sensor eliminates any crop factor on lenses attached to the camera. The Mark IV has a crop factor of 1.3x.

Like the Mark IV, it’ll cost you a pretty penny: The list price is $5200.

If you’re in the market for an SLR priced more for the average consumer than for a professional, check out our digital SLR Ratings (available to subscribers). —Terry Sullivan

Canon’s latest digital SLRs on view at PhotoPlus

Canon EOS-1D Mark IV (Click to enlarge.)

Among the more interesting offerings at the huge Canon booth at this year’s PhotoPlus trade show were two new SLRs: The Canon EOS-1D Mark IV, $5,000, and the EOS 7D, $1700. (Both prices are for the camera body only.)

The 16-megapixel Mark IV is clearly designed for pros. However, it lacks the full-frame (35mm-sized) sensor of some high-priced SLRs. Instead, it uses a smaller APS-H sensor, which has a 1.3x crop factor. (This SLR spec essentially represents the additional magnification added by the sensor; in this case, a 1.3x crop factor gives a 50mm lens the same angle of view as a 65mm lens would have on a film SLR, which of course has no sensor to magnify its images.)

The Mark IV has many impressive specs, among them its ability to shoot up to 102,000 ISO, which Canon says allows you to photograph in extreme low-light situations. The camera also can shoot a blazing 10 frames per second. In addition, it offers many options for shooting HD-resolution video, including 1080 and 720p at different frame rates.

Canon EOS 7D (Click to enlarge.)

Although the 18-megapixel EOS 7D boasts more megapixels than the Mark IV, it actually has a smaller (APS-C) sensor and a crop factor of 1.6x. This camera, too, is quite speedy, being able to fire off 8 frames per second. Its top ISO is 6400 ISO. And, like the Mark IV, it shoots video in 1080 and 720p.

These models underline Canon’s commitment to including the capability for high-def-resolution video in their SLRs. At the show, the company further highlighted that commitment by building a mini-movie theater within its booth (I told you the booth was big), in which they showed a series of video clips shot by several cinematographers on Canon SLRs, including the 7D and the Mark IV. —Terry Sullivan

Leica’s ritzy compact digital camera: the X1

The Leica X1 digital camera, showcased at the PhotoPlus Expo. (Click to enlarge.)

This year’s PhotoPlus Expo, the consumer photo show in New York City, is certainly on the quiet side, with Pentax, Panasonic, and Adobe conspicuously absent. But one exhibit booth that’s hopping is Leica’s. The reason? The company known for ultra-high-end cameras was showing off its idea of a compact digital camera: the 12-megapixel X1, which comes with a 24mm fixed (no zoom) f/2.8 lens (which is equivalent to a 36mm lens on a film SLR camera).

In part, what makes this camera a cut above most point-and-shoots is that it includes an APC-S-sized CMOS sensor, the type most often included in SLRs. So it should shoot well in low light without a flash, as do SLRs and the newer micro-four-thirds type of cameras from Panasonic and Olympus.

Leica is not the first camera manufacturer to make a point-and-shoot with no zoom and a large sensor. Sigma tried with its DP1 and DP2. But I liked the design of the X1 far better. Check out the “Lost In Space” look of its popup flash, which has beautifully positioned controls and buttons. It also shoots in RAW (in a DNG format supported by Adobe’s image-editing programs) as well as JPEG, and will shoot up to 3200 ISO. However, I think they need to rethink the GUI and the menu structure, which look quite stodgy and old.

One other thing also sets this compact apart from most point-and-shoots: the price. It’s around $2,000. The X1 is slated to be in stores at the end of December. If that's too rich for you blood, check out our Ratings of more mainstream digital cameras (available to subscribers) , including recommended models that cost about 1/10th the price of the X1. —Terry Sullivan