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21 Sep 08 Nikon Introduces New SB-800 Speedlight With i-TTL Technology

Designed For D2H Professional , SB-800 Offers Full Wireless Remote Control for Multiple Speedlights; New Level of

MELVILLE, NY, JULY 22, 2003 - (www..com), the world leader in , today introduced the SB-800™ speedlight, the foundation for a new Creative Lighting System. The SB-800 features powerful new i-TTL™ control system for automatic balanced fill- and advanced wireless lighting that delivers outstanding results creative new possibilities. The SB-800’s i-TTL Balanced Fill- control utilizes ’s new Advanced Data Communication system to introduce improved monitor-pre- and wireless operation.

Designed for professional and enthusiasts, the SB-800 offers groundbreaking new features when used with ’s new D2H professional camera. These features include advanced wireless control for multiple SB-800 speedlights that are controlled by a master speedlight, new Auto FP high-speed sync, new Value (FV) lock, color information communication for improved and a new Wide-Area AF Assist Illuminator that is tailored to the D2H’s new 11-area Multi-Cam 2000 AF sensor module. Combined with other cameras, the SB-800 offers performance comparable to the highly successful SB-80DX speedlight.

“While developing the new D2H professional camera, recognized the opportunity to create a new speedlight system that could harness the revolutionary technology incorporated in the camera and respond to professional ’ needs. The result is the SB-800 speedlight, ’s most system, featuring revolutionary new i-TTL advanced wireless control ,” said Richard LoPinto, vice president for systems at , Inc. “The SB-800 will find creative uses in studios, remote locations and any number of -taking situations where need to carry a compact, versatile and powerful light system that works automatically and maintains tremendous creative control,” he added.

SB-800: Advanced Wireless Lighting Control for Easier Creative Lighting

The SB-800 speedlight system features new wireless technology that enables to fully control up to four groups of SB-800 speedlights wirelessly. This set of four includes one Master Controller and three remote groups - each of which can contain any number of SB-800 speedlights for total lighting control. A majority of features for speedlights within each group can be individually controlled from the Master Controller. These settings are made and confirmed on the Master Controller’s large dot-matrix . All speedlights within this wireless arrangement can operate in i-TTL mode for completely automatic exposures - which are calculated via a new monitor pre- function that measures light from each source and combines them with overall camera exposure readings - producing an accurate, well exposed with balanced lighting. Each group within the wireless arrangement can also be programmed to different modes such as i-TTL AA, or , or any combination of these modes.

One of the most appealing features of ’s i-TTL wireless system is the ability to adjust compensation settings on the fly for each group of speedlights, from the Master Controller. This makes controlling light output from speedlights placed in hard to reach locations simple and effortless. The SB-800 makes multiple as easy as using a single speedlight mounted on a camera, without the hassles of cables or stands.

In addition to wireless , the SB-800 offers significant new features designed for high-speed and exceptional overall accuracy. Highlights of these new features include:

- Auto Adjustment using Color Temperature Information: The SB-800 achieves a high level of when used with the D2H camera. With changes in the duration of light emitted by a speedlight, there are slight variations of color temperature. Using the D2H in Auto mode, the SB-800 communicates these slight variations in color data back to D2H and the camera’s auto system implements the fine adjustment needed for overall excellent .
- FV-Lock: FV-Lock ( Value Lock) is comparable to the way an AE-Lock functions in a camera. Once the camera measures a correct value, the SB-800 locks this value until the resets it - helping to maintain the value for correct exposure of the subject.
- Auto FP High-Speed Sync : The SB-800’s Auto FP function can automatically fire the speedlight in i-TTL mode at up to 1/8,000 second, offering excellent opportunities to use in bright light with fast aperture .
- Modeling : A modeling feature in the SB-800 fires a stroboscopic burst of light for approximately one second, allowing to visually confirm lighting and shadow effects before shooting.
- Quick Recycle Pack: Included with the SB-800 Speedlight is the SD-800 Quick Recycle pack that cuts recycling time in the SB-800 to as short as 2.7 seconds for full power manual .
- Additional features: Additional features in the SB-800 include coverage, bounce and rotating head, large LCD read-out panel, accessory filters for special color effects and emulation of fluorescent and incandescent lighting, robust locking shoe, and autofocus assist light.

Seamless Functionality Within ’s Total Imaging System

The SB-800 offers 3D Multi-Sensor Balanced Fill- function with ’s F5, F100, N80 and N75 and offers Matrix Balanced Fill- with the N65 . The SB-800 also provides D-TTL performance with cameras including the D1x, D1H, D1, and D100. With the new D2H camera, the speedlight offers advanced i-TTL control. The D2H is also fully compatible with all DX-series speedlights, including the SB-80DX, SB-50DX and SB-28DX. The SB-800 speedlight will be available at authorized dealer locations in the fourth quarter of 2003.

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20 Sep 08 Basic Understanding of your Digital Camera Flash

Author: Chris Marshall

Many of us do not think twice about the usage of our ’s assuming that the camera will use the automatically as needed. however can and should be manually set in many scenarios resulting in high quality digital .

The most common usage of is when there is not enough ambient light for example when taking an indoor digital in a dark room. There are many other ways in which you can use your ’s to get high quality digital . One such usage is fill-in .

Before setting your to and making more efficient usage of it you should know a bit more of the technology and history behind . has been around for more than a century. During the early days of was implemented as a powder that was literally lit by either fire or electrical current. At that time was a risky business. today use a safe implementation by utilizing electronic tubes that are automatically synchronized with the camera’s shutter.

You have two options for using with your . The first option is using the internal . Practically all have build-in units. Most cameras also allow the usage of an external unit. Such units can be either mechanically attached to the or they can be connected to the camera via a cable and mechanically positioned on a tripod or any other mechanism. They are synchronized and controlled by the . External units vary in price and features. They can have different maximum light energy that they can emit and different mechanical (tilting, skewing).

In automatic mode the camera sensors evaluate the amount of ambient light in the scene. The fires the if the amount of ambient light is not high enough. There are limitations to the cameras automatic sensors resulting in either firing the when it was not needed or vice versa.

In some scenarios the usage of can result in poor digital . For example when the object is too close to the the light will be too strong and will wash out the object. Another example is in scenarios where the creates unwanted shadows in the digital . Yet another example is exaggeration of details such as when shooting a digital of an older person the skin wrinkles and imperfections details can be overly detailed.

’s units have a certain effective range. This is a limitation of how much light energy the unit can emit. Internal units usually have shorter range than external units. If the object in the is outside of the range the will not be effective and the object will be dark. On the other hand if the object is too close to the unit or the unit emits too much energy the object will be washed out. If your object is outside of your unit effective range you should turn off the and use slow shutter preferably with a tripod or another stabilizing mechanism. If your units allows the setting of the light energy that will be fired (usually by setting the distance to the object) make sure that it is set right to prevent washed out objects.

In some scenarios there will be enough ambient light to take a digital but without the usage of the the digital quality will be very poor. In such scenario if the camera is left on automatic mode it will not fire the . For example daytime with an object that is shadowed. If the object is wearing a hat it can create shades on the object’s face or when the object is lit from the side the object’s nose can create shades too. Putting the in manual fill-in mode will force the to fire. The will lit those shadowed areas and prevent the shades in the final digital . The object of course must be in effective range. Another example is an object that is lit from behind such as when taking a digital of an object against a sunset. Without a fill-in the will likely be just a dark silhouette of the object.

These were some basic concepts behind usage. There are many other advanced options for your . For example bounce can result in great digital in that mode instead of pointing the directly at the object it is pointed to some reflecting surface like a wall or a special reflector. The result is more natural light and color rich digital .

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19 Sep 08 Guide to Buying a Digital Camera

Author: Andrew Gates

The market today offers buyers a large number of choices, with products in widely differing price ranges, sizes and degree of operational complexity. From miniatures the size of a credit card, to fully functional (Single ) systems, you can buy a from manufacturers including brands such as , , , companies such as and , and consumer electronic companies like . Then there are other options that include the mobile phone manufacturers, and webcam suppliers.

The advantages of digital are numerous. Topmost is the fact that there is no processing: expensive both in cost and time. But there is also the advantage of smaller sized equipment, portable media and instant viewing. And if you don’t like what you see, you simply delete it and shoot again: no wastage.

If you like to take , being a digital makes a lot of sense. But which camera is the best one for you? In a field of excess abundance, how do you narrow down what you need? How much to pay? How many ? (What are they anyway?) Which brand? How much ?

Digital CamerasEvery shopper is different.

At MyShopping.com.au we recognise this fact, and so we list practically all brands and models from hundreds of suppliers. These listings include the cold hard digital data facts about each camera and a range of comparative pricings offered by different suppliers. But just as every shopper is different, every is different too. And just having the facts may not make you feel any more knowledgeable about which camera is right for you.

You could begin with the question: What sort of will you take with your new ? This is a valid starting point because from here you can begin to qualify your requirements in terms of technical capability and price. What sort of will you take with your new ?

Is it simply for happy snaps whenever you get together with friends and family at weekends and holidays? Or are you a serious bird watcher and you want to capture nature at its finest? Perhaps you want a camera for work to record your inventory, or recording information from a client. Maybe you’re a PI on a mission. The point is, you need to begin by recognising that your reason for buying a may not be the same as that of your best friend who is recommending the model she bought.

Once you’ve figured out the sort of you are going to take, you can then set about deciding on the type of camera that will meet your needs. If you need something highly portable that fits in your shirt pocket or your handbag and lets you take it anywhere you go, make size a big consideration. If you want to take seriously good , and you want to pursue an artistic endeavour, make image flexibility your main concern.

It might also be worthwhile considering your own position in the digital experience. Are you a novice about to buy your first camera, do you have some intermediate experience, or are you an advanced user?

Someone new to the market will likely not want to spend a lot of money, nor have a lot of mind-boggling features that leave you confused. There are cameras ideal for beginning users that have basic ‘point and shoot’ features including optical and digital lens, flexible media and built in . There is a huge range of cameras available with simple features at low cost.

If you consider yourself an intermediate user with some operational knowledge of technology, you may want to consider more advanced features that give you more control over the you take. These features usually come in a range of automatic settings and manual settings for capturing the image and different options in terms of and type (raw data, jpeg, tiff). Naturally there is some cost attached to additional features when compared to more basic cameras.

For advanced users, there are a lot of professional options you can consider; such as SLR view finding and lens interchange ability. Cameras in this range provide much greater control over the image, both before and once it is captured. These options include and aperture adjustment, and many cameras offer the ability to manipulate ‘in camera’, such as cropping, and brightness and contrast adjustments.

After the is taken

A further main consideration is what are you going to do with your once you have them? The great beauty of digital is the simple fact that you can store them on digital media such as CDs and media cards, and view them on computer screens and in many cases, your television. You need print only when and those you want to see, or show to others. Digital also gives fantastic opportunities to manipulate your using popular image manipulation programs, resizing them, altering brightness and contrast characteristics, and correcting problems such as , or removing skin blemishes.

Most are computer ready, able to plug directly into your PC or Mac using USB connectors. They usually include proprietary software allowing you to easily and instantly manage your image files in albums or slide shows. Many also include a video capture facility enabling you to take short motion .

What you want to do with your after you have them can have an impact on your choice of camera. If you want to make enlarged prints for example, you will want a high capacity (also talked about as ‘’). If you want for website use, you will want to get the best quality that can be reduced in without severe degradation.

Beauty is in the “I”

Great usually come from great conditions. You capture a great moment, the light is just right, the subject is at the perfect distance, the image is perfectly framed. But not every offers the flexibility to make the best of existing light conditions, or position. Most (certainly at the budget end) come with a built in automatic , which is terrific for happy snaps in darkened environments. And the automatic automatically does not ‘go off’ in bright sunny conditions. But in those times when you want to use the existing light, you need a camera that gives you manual control over the operation or not, of the .

Moreover, most in the lower and medium price ranges are highly automated. If you are moving from a traditional SLR camera where you have maximum control over , aperture and ISO speeds, it may be frustrating to not have easy access to the same range of tools to take advantage of existing light conditions.

In the more advanced (and therefore more expensive) range of , most lens and aperture functions are available in exactly the same way as other . What differs is how the colours and light of the image is translated through capture compared to the chemical processing systems.

You may want a wide range of focus options. Most have two different types of image magnification, lens magnification () that may be equivalent of a to 150 mm lens, and a digital magnification that may be to ten-fold (expressed as x10). This provides you with lens capability, which may be limited in its depth of field control and is subject to and movement if the conditions aren’t just right, and a digital magnification of the image. If being able to capture magnified distant is important to you, you need more , and a lens system that gives you some control over its focus and aperture management.

A final word on accessory

are electronic equipment. That means they run on , and if you use your camera a lot, you will find that you will be frequently replacing . Some cameras have rechargeable ; others simply use dry cells (AA), which you can of course load with rechargeable ones. It pays to have spare so that you always have a charged power source. Some cameras have docking stations to help manage the connection with computers. Many cameras have interchangeable lens systems, some of which may be compatible with traditional SLRs.

You can also print your own at home with special that handle standard paper, and connect directly to your camera. Although it may be less expensive to simply take your camera’s card, or a CD to your local camera store, and now many supermarkets and department stores, and use the automatic printing machines to print the you want.

There is a lot you can do with a , and you can pay les than $200, or more than $10,000. It all depends on how you see yourself as a , what you’re shooting, and what you want to do with your . At Myshopping.com.au you can very quickly compare specifications and prices.

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19 Sep 08 Consumer Reports - Digital Cameras

, which employ reusable cards instead of , give you far more creative control than cameras can. With a , you can transfer shots to your computer, then crop, adjust color and contrast, and add textures and other special effects. Final results can be made into cards or T-shirts, or sent via e-mail, all using the software that usually comes with the camera. You can make prints on a , or by dropping off the card at one of a growing number of photofinishers. You can upload the file to a -sharing Web site for , viewing, and sharing with others.

Like camcorders, have LCD viewers. Some camcorders can be used to take still , but a ’s is no match for a good ’s.

WHAT’S AVAILABLE

The leading brands are , , HP, , , and ; other brands come from consumer-electronics, computer, and and companies.

are categorized by how many pixels, or elements, the contains. One equals 1 million elements. A 3- camera can make excellent 8×10s and pleasing 11×14s. There are also 4- to 8- models, including point-and-shoot ones; these are well suited for making larger prints or for maintaining if you want to use only a portion of the original image. Professional use as many as 14 .

Price range: $200 to $400 for 3 ; $250 to $400 for 4 and 5 ; $300 to $1,000 for 6 to 8 .

IMPORTANT FEATURES

Most are highly automated, with features such as automatic (which manages the , aperture, or both according to ) and autofocus.

Instead of , typically record their shots onto - cards. and (SD) are the most widely used. Once quite expensive, such cards have tumbled in price–a 128-megabyte card can now cost less than $50. Other types of cards used by cameras include Stick, Smart Media and xD- card. A few cameras, mainly some models, use 3 1/4-inch CD-R or CD-RW discs.

To save , you transfer them to a computer, typically by connecting the camera to the computer’s USB or FireWire port or inserting the card into a special reader. Some can take cards and make prints without putting the on a computer first. Image-handling software, such as Adobe Photoshop Elements, Jasc Paint Shop, Microsoft It, and ACDSee, lets you size, touch up, and crop digital using your computer. Most work with both Windows and Macintosh machines.

The file format commonly used for is JPEG, which is a compressed format. Some cameras can save in uncompressed TIFF format, but this setting yields enormous files. Other high-end cameras have a RAW file format, which yields the image data with no processing from the camera.

typically have both an optical and a small color . LCD viewers are very accurate in framing the actual image you get–better than most of the optical viewfinders–but they use more power and may be hard to see in bright sunlight. You can also view shots you’ve already taken on the . Many provide a video output, so you can view your on a TV set.

Certain cameras let you record an audio clip with a . But these clips use additional space. Some allow you to record limited video, but the frame rate is slow and the poor.

A lens provides flexibility in framing shots and closes the distance between you and your subject–ideal if you want to quickly switch to a close shot. The typical 3x on mainstream cameras goes from a moderately wide-angle view () to moderate telephoto (105mm). You can find cameras with extended ranges between 8x and 12x, giving added versatility for outdoor . Other new cameras go down to 24 or 28 mm at the wide-angle end, making it easier to take in an entire scene in close quarters, such as a crowded party.

Optical zooms are superior to digital zooms, which magnify the center of the frame without actually increasing detail, resulting in a somewhat coarser view.

Sensors in are typically about as light-sensitive as ISO 100 , though some let you increase that setting. (At ISO 100, you’ll likely need to use a indoors and in low outdoor light.) A camera’s range tells you how far from the camera the will provide proper exposure: If the subject is out of range, you’ll know to close the distance. But can tolerate some underexposure before the image suffers noticeably.

Red-eye reduction shines a light toward your subject just before the main . (A camera whose unit is farther from the lens reduces the risk of . Computer editing of the image may also correct .) With automatic mode, the camera fires the whenever the light entering the camera registers as insufficient. A few new cameras have built-in red-eye correction capability.

Some cameras that have powerful telephoto now come with image stabilizers. These compensate for camera shake, letting you use a slower than you otherwise could for following movement. But an won’t compensate for the motion of subjects.

Most new 6- to 8- cameras come with full manual controls, including independent controls for shutter and aperture. That gives serious shutterbugs control over depth of field, shooting action, or shooting scene with tricky lighting.

HOW TO CHOOSE

The first step is to determine how you will use the camera most of the time. Consider these two questions:

How much flexibility to enlarge do you need? If you mainly want to make 4×6 , a camera with a 3- or 4- will be fine. Such a camera will also make an 8×10 print of an entire image without alteration that looks as sharp as one from a 6- or 8- model. But to enlarge the image more or enlarge only part of it, you’ll want a 6- to 8- camera.

How much control do you want over exposure and composition? Cameras meant for automatic point-and-shoot , with a 3x- lens, will serve snap shooters as well as dedicate hobbyists much of the time. The full-featured cameras in the 6- to 8- range offer that more-dedicated will want to have. Two of the more important are a range of 5x to 10x or more, which lets you bring distant outdoor subjects close and also lets you shoot candid portraits without getting right in your subject’s face, and a full complement of manual controls that you determine the and lens opening. ‘

Once you’ve established the performance priorities that you need from a camera, you can narrow your choices further by considering these convenience factors:

Size and weight. The smallest, lightest models aren’t necessarily inexpensive 3- cameras. And the biggest and heaviest aren’t necessarily found at the high end. If possible, try cameras at the store before you buy. That way, you’ll know which one fits you hand best and which can be securely gripped. In our tests, we have found that some of the smallest don’t leave much room even for small fingers.

type and life. All can run on rechargeable of one of two types: an expensive pack or a set of AA . In our tests of the cameras, neither type had a clear performance advantage. The best-performing cameras offer upward of 300 shots on a charge, while the worst manage only about 50. We think it’s more convenient to own a camera that accepts AA . You can buy economical, rechargeable cells (plus a charger) and drop in a set of disposable lithium or alkaline if the rechargeable run down in the middle of the day’s shooting.

Camera speed. With point-and-shoot cameras like the ones we tested, you must wait after each shot as the camera processes the image. Most models let you shoot an image every few seconds, but a few make you wait 5 seconds or more. They may frustrate you when you’re taking in sequence.

Your other cameras. If you’re adding a camera to your lineup or trading up to a more versatile model, look first for one that’s compatible with the other cameras. If it is, you can share cards and . Designs within a camera brand line are often similar. So staying wit the brand you have lowers the learning curve on the for family members who switch between cameras.

Copyright © 2002-2006 Consumers Union of U.S., Inc.

For the latest information on this and many other products and services, visit www.ConsumerReports.org.

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19 Sep 08 Why Buy Digital Cameras?

Author: Roberto Sedycias

started at a very high pace during the 20th Century. Like many other areas of development, also saw major developments in its field. Photographic has seen a constant improvement from way back in 1913 when a was produced till 1985 when was first introduced in by Pixar.

Basically is an electronic which captures and stores in a digital format without using any processing films. The first true was launched in 1988 by Company .This camera used a card for purposes. The latest models of are also able to record sound and video. These store on a small device called (). From the can be transferred to computer and the can be edited with the help of software like Adobe Photoshop.

Advantages of

Convenience of use: The foremost advantage of using the is that you don`t need to worry about buying films and changing the rolls. You can click as many you want, transfer them to computer, have a close look at them and get only the good ones printed after editing them thoroughly.

Edit options: The allow you to edit the in the easiest way with the help of software. The color, brightness and contrast of the can be adjusted and the image can be cropped and resized as required. This helps to optimize the of the .

Economical: are economical in the sense that they do away with the cost of films and the cost of processing. When are taken in bulk quantity the cost of films saved works out to a considerable amount.

Flexibility: You can view the you have just clicked on the of the and if you don`t like it you can retake the same.

Disadvantages of

Quality of output: For professional reproduction purposes the conventional camera is still the best as cannot match them in and depth quality.

Initial Cost: The initial investment cost for is higher than the camera. The cost of the camera for home use runs from around US$ 150 to $1000 whereas the professional models cost may go as high as US$20000.

Slower Speed: take some time for storing the which is unsuitable for action in which you need very fast clicks.

Important features

The quality largely depends upon its optic features, color depth, etc. While shopping for a one should take care of following.

High : of a depends upon its capacity to store the dots or pixels. The more pixels it can store the higher will be the . Cameras with a capacity of 5 or more are ideal for home while professional may look for a capacity of more than 7 .

Capacity: The capacity of the to store is also very important. The cameras have a built in capacity and additional card slot to store . The cost of the cards is high but nevertheless they are very important to serve the purposes of .

Bit Depth: This relates to the color capability or the capacity of a to reproduce colors. Good cameras are capable of handling 24 bit color which fulfills the range of the human eye.

and features: A good camera must have optical with automatic flashes in order to produce better .

Display: A good is important for a as it allows the user to flip through the he has taken.

The is certainly becoming more and more popular in the modern era and is set to replace the conventional ones for all general purposes.

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