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Productive Shopping For Digital Cameras
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21 Sep 08 Nikon Digital Imaging Software Business Enhanced by Collaboration With American Developer, Nik Software, Inc.

Partnership Will Lead to Exciting New Developments in Imaging Software for

TOKYO, Feb. 14 — Corporation (Michio Kariya, President) is pleased to announce collaboration in the field of imaging software for with American software developer, Nik Software, Inc. (formerly nik multimedia, Inc., Mr. Michael J. Slater, President & CEO; headquarters in San Diego, California).

With this collaboration, the technologies of both companies will be merged to develop and market innovative software products based on new concepts. This new relationship will enable a stronger presence and guarantee a leading role in the imaging software market.

To further the success of this collaboration, has also made equity investment in Nik Software, Inc. (hereafter “Nik”).

Behind the collaboration

As the popularity of increases, software applications that allow users to enjoy and expand the possibilities of their digital with management, enhancement, and processing tools become more and more important. Well aware of this fact, offers a selection of software applications including the image management and enhancement application, PictureProject, and the advanced image processing and editing application, Capture.

and Nik, with its own digital imaging software technology, have maintained a cooperative relationship since 2004.

Recognizing the significant benefits this collaboration will have in fortifying the digital imaging software business of both companies, as well as in offering users simple and fun to use software that appeals to the very broad digital market, and Nik have decided to expand and reinforce their ties.

* Overview of the collaboration
* Technical cooperation in the development of digital imaging software.
* Worldwide distribution, utilizing channels established by , of
products developed jointly.

* Plans for the future
With integration of ’s technology with Nik’s digital imaging software technology, the introduction of digital imaging software, based on new concepts, that incorporates innovative technology, versatility, and unique advantages is scheduled.

Harnessing the strengths of both companies and establishing a cooperative relationship in the software business will further the development of next-generation digital imaging software. The resulting software will offer users a wide variety of benefits in working with their digital , as well as offering greater performance from both personal and imaging. Together, all of these new possibilities and advantages will provide both companies with greater opportunities and a stronger position in the software business.

* Nik Software, Inc. corporate profile

President & CEO: Mr. Michael J. Slater
Offices: San Diego, California U.S.A. (Corporate Headquarters)
Hamburg, Germany (European Branch Office)
Primary business: Development and sales of digital imaging software
Primary products: nik Color Efex Pro(TM) (digital filters), nik
Sharpener Pro(TM) ( sharpening
software), Dfine(R) ( noise reduction
software)
Establishment: Established in 1995; Incorporated in 2001

* Statement from Mr. Michael J. Slater, President & CEO of Nik Software,
Inc.:
“This cooperative agreement enables both and Nik to fulfill their common commitment to continuously develop advanced products and technology for the booming digital market. We look forward to working with to build a strong digital imaging software business by leveraging both our companies’ proprietary technologies and -imaging know-how.”

For further information regarding the /Nik collaboration:
* Members of the press
Corporate Communications & IR Dept. Corporate Strategy Center,
Corporation
Bldg., 2-3 Marunouchi 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, 100-8331 Japan
Mr. Hatori or Mr. Enomoto
+81-3-3216-1032

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21 Sep 08 Finding A Digital Camera Online

Author: David Faulkner

The great international market bazaar known as the Internet has rapidly made inroads on the territory of traditional brick and mortar retailers, and has in fact become the preferred shopping venue for millions of consumers. The Internet allows people to shop a their convenience from the comfort of their homes without spending money on gas and time fighting traffic.

Internet shopping also allows consumers to comparison shop online, reviewing the features of different items and finding the best prices. While there are, of course, things that should not be purchased online like perishable foods or live animals, it would be very hard to run a search for a non-perishable item an not find someone, somewhere ., who is selling it on their website.

Concerns About Shopping Online

Electronic items are especially in demand for online purchase, and many thousands of people have bought or considered buying a online. While the chances of getting scammed when purchasing a high-end item like a online do exist, they are probably greater than the chances of being cheated by a regular store or by purchasing a camera through the classifieds.

Internet retailers, like traditional ones, live and die with their customer base, and if they cannot get repeat business, will be doomed. Being conned when you purchase you online guarantees you will not be a return customer, and also guarantees bad publicity for the seller.

People buy for different reasons; environmentally conscious consumers like them because there are no polluting chemicals involved in the production of digital . Others like them because they allow instant viewing of a , and because there are software which can turn even the most amateur into a budding Ansel Adams.

If you’re considering buying a online, you can feel good both about doing you small part to protect the environment, and about owning a technology which appears to be the future of amateur . While your online purchase may not get you the superlative quality that professional create with and darkrooms, it will get you started, and the technology is improving by leaps and bounds.

What To Look For In A

When shopping for your on line, research its capacity and pixilation; the greater its pixelation number, the better the and detailing of your will be. But the price you pay for a online will increase as its pixelation does.

The number of your can store is determined by its capacity; however, you can always purchase extra capacity by getting an additional card, just like you can buy extra for your personal computer. The very first could hold up to thirty , making them competitive with 36- rolls of photographic .

Today, however, even priced in the medium range will store a hundred of more . Once you’ve settled on ho much pixilation and capacity you need, and found the camera website offering it at the best price, you should be ready to buy your digital cameral online!

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19 Sep 08 History And Type Of Digital Cameras

Author: Roberto Sedycias

A is such a camera that will take either video or still snaps digitally. It records the digitally on a light-. Some can take still snaps as well as video and audio. The have become very popular nowadays and more and more people are opting for rather than regular cameras.

are technologically much advanced and have many user-friendly features that are usually not found in regular cameras. One such very good feature is that it displays the image on the camera’s screen just after you catch it. Thus you can click and record millions and millions of , keep the ones you want and discard the others. After the or videos are recorded, you can edit the and thus can be a virtual master of the background, people etc. Imagine the fun when you can change the background of a taken at your home to be changed to a Hawaiian beach, or changing the hair color of your sister to a wild pink and many other things. The choices are unlimited.

Nowadays can be incorporated in many devices like PDAs or mobile phones or computers etc. Some like also use specialized .

technology has evolved from the similar technology that first recorded television . It was in 1951 when the first video tape recorder was used to capture live using television cameras. They converted the information in electrical impulses and saved the information on magnetic tape. It was actually due to NASA`s space technology that used digital to capture of surface of moon and advanced computer technology that led to major developments in digital .

Government was also using this technology in forms of spy camera and the time that being spy satellites and it contributed immensely in advancement of science of digital imaging. Soon private companies like , etc were releasing professional for ordinary people. Their strong marketing tactics worked and today are found everywhere.

There are many varieties of and we will discuss some of them. Compact are one of such varieties and are designed to be small as well as portable. The miniature versions are called subcompact cameras. Though they do not have much advanced features or excellent but they are very simple to use and easy to carry around. are stored using Lossy compression in JPEG format. Such cameras are generally equipped with a low power, built-in usually sufficient for close subjects. Live preview is generally used for framing the . They are perfect for casual and home use.

Another type are Bridge cameras that are higher-end cameras. They resemble DSLRs and also share some advanced features with them but just like , the framing is done with help of live preview and they also have small sized sensors. A FinePix Bridge camera is also equipped with super that give you a chance to take very distant shots, though at the cost of .

Another type is Digital single cameras that are based on SLRs or single- cameras. These cameras are characterized by the presence of a mirror-. Other types include rangefinder and are generally used for cameras, professional modular that are assembled from different modular components and used for specific purposes. The common brands for such cameras include Mamiya and Hasselblad.

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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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18 Sep 08 Digital Camera: a Buyers’ Guide

Author:

A takes still or videos or both by recording the on a light- digitally. Most still cameras can record moving video and sound as well, apart from still . The sales and popularity of have increased now compared to the cameras.

have a feature for viewing the image that is recorded immediately on the Camera display screen, the feature that is not available in cameras. Other features include such as the facility to capture a lot of on a small chip, record video along with sound, edit the , delete the not required etc. are now available along with many devices ranging from mobile phones and PDAs to vehicles.

The camera perhaps has been affected more by the than any other products. The are not a new phenomenon. The first was released by in the U.S. market around 15 years ago. The DCS-100 model at that time with 1.3- was available for about $13,000. The have emerged with more features and are available at comparatively lesser prices, even to the extent of $80 at select stores.

The biggest benefit of technology is the capability. You can view the on the camera itself, on a web page, a computer monitor, or on paper after printing. The can be connected to the printer directly through the USB port for printing . People can afford to buy a today as the prices have fallen with the availability of more features.

It is important for you to know the issues of image for comparing models. The unit of used for displaying digital data by is called Mega (MP). More the , the higher the of the final image. Still you need to compare recorded with your actual requirements.

Some typical found on are:

256×256 – This is available with very cheap cameras. quality is unacceptable.
640×480 – Suitable for posting over a web site or for sending by email.
1216×912 – This is good for printing .
1600×1200 – This is a High standard with around 2 million total pixels.
2240×1680 – This is available on most 4 mega cameras.
4064×2704 – This is available on high-end with 11.1 .

Some High-end can record of over 12 million pixels. Most have 16 million pixels. have 20 million pixels. For comparison sake, it is stated that the quality of is approximately around 20 million pixels. Some types of are Point and Shoot, Semi-Professional, Bridge and SLR.

You need to know the complete package offered when you compare the prices of . You can look for the availability of image-editing software, carry case, add-on card and USB cable for working on your computer, when you want to compare the prices and the features offered. Other general features that you can look into are the availability of an , a timer, a built-in , a date & time stamp, optical feature and optical of good quality.

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18 Sep 08 The Early Digital Camera

Author: Roberto Sedycias

A is basically a digital device that enables to be captured. are stored electronically rather than on . This process involves converting light into electrical charges, and then translating this back into the image that was seen through the LCD. Although the is a recent addition to the world of , the concept of the possibility of a was begun in the 1950s.

The early concept of the was closely linked to television technology. It began with digital being recorded on scanners and in the form of digital . In 1951 broadcasting companies were recording as electrical impulses and onto magnetic tape from their television cameras, and this paved the way for technology to begin. By 1956 electrical impulse recordings were common practise within industry, and began to dream of a device.

The first record of a patent for a type of was in 1972 when Texas Instruments patented a camera that did not require . However, the patent revealed a more analog based design rather than a , and there is no record of whether the camera was actually created. What the patent does show, however, is that interest towards a was growing with the idea that the need for could be removed. A pioneer in the history of was Steve Sasson, an engineer at . Digital were of the moon were being transmitted via satellite by NASA, using a mosaic sensor, and he saw the possibility of a for commercial use. In 1972 he began to group together available equipment used within the industry to create an image digitally rather than on .

Central to this early concept of the , and still used by today, is the Charged Coupled Device. The detects light and colour intensity and then converts this information into electrons. The value of each cell in the image is then read, and converted to binary format to make the image computer compatible. Steve Sasson produced his first image in 1979. The image took a total of 23 seconds to take, and a further 23 seconds to read from the playback unit. Although the image was less than perfect, it showed that the was a possibility. had developed a camera that developed from light, but it was never manufactured for the public.

The first camera to be marketed was the Mavica electronic in 1981. It was not a true as the image was recorded on mini disc, and then attached to a television or video. It was more a freeze frame video camera but it greatly influenced people`s attitude to the recorded image. It made public the possibility of a camera that stored using techniques other than . It still used more television technology but was the first hand held with the general idea of usage. Cameras that could transmit via satellite became popular, but were used by the media only due to the expense incurred. The possibilities were becoming apparent and were used for news coverage. The first camera for general use with a computer was the Apple Quicktake 100 camera which appeared in1984. In 1986 the RC-701 was used for coverage of the Olympics, with quality printed in the newspaper. This showed the possible quality, and the desire for the was born.

The first mega sensor was invented in 1986. It contained 1.4 million pixels and was suitable for a image measuring 5×7 inches. In 1987 accessories for storing, printing, manipulating, transmitting, and recording digital came onto the market, with the DS-P1 arriving in 1988. This is arguably the first true as recognised today, boasting a 16MB card. With the arrival of JPEG and MPEG standards in the 1990´s, the face of the was changed for ever. marketed the first readily available that met all standards, with the DC40 in 1995.

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17 Sep 08 The Early Digital Camera

A is basically a digital device that enables to be captured. are stored electronically rather than on . This process involves converting light into electrical charges, and then translating this back into the image that was seen through the LCD. Although the is a recent addition to the world of , the concept of the possibility of a was begun in the 1950s.

The early concept of the was closely linked to television technology. It began with digital being recorded on scanners and in the form of digital . In 1951 broadcasting companies were recording as electrical impulses and onto magnetic tape from their television cameras, and this paved the way for technology to begin. By 1956 electrical impulse recordings were common practise within industry, and began to dream of a device.

The first record of a patent for a type of was in 1972 when Texas Instruments patented a camera that did not require . However, the patent revealed a more analog based design rather than a , and there is no record of whether the camera was actually created. What the patent does show, however, is that interest towards a was growing with the idea that the need for could be removed. A pioneer in the history of was Steve Sasson, an engineer at . Digital were of the moon were being transmitted via satellite by NASA, using a mosaic sensor, and he saw the possibility of a for commercial use. In 1972 he began to group together available equipment used within the industry to create an image digitally rather than on .

Central to this early concept of the , and still used by today, is the Charged Coupled Device. The detects light and colour intensity and then converts this information into electrons. The value of each cell in the image is then read, and converted to binary format to make the image computer compatible. Steve Sasson produced his first image in 1979. The image took a total of 23 seconds to take, and a further 23 seconds to read from the playback unit. Although the image was less than perfect, it showed that the was a possibility. had developed a camera that developed from light, but it was never manufactured for the public.

The first camera to be marketed was the Mavica electronic in 1981. It was not a true as the image was recorded on mini disc, and then attached to a television or video. It was more a freeze frame video camera but it greatly influenced people`s attitude to the recorded image. It made public the possibility of a camera that stored using techniques other than . It still used more television technology but was the first hand held with the general idea of usage. Cameras that could transmit via satellite became popular, but were used by the media only due to the expense incurred. The possibilities were becoming apparent and were used for news coverage. The first camera for general use with a computer was the Apple Quicktake 100 camera which appeared in1984. In 1986 the RC-701 was used for coverage of the Olympics, with quality printed in the newspaper. This showed the possible quality, and the desire for the was born.

The first mega sensor was invented in 1986. It contained 1.4 million pixels and was suitable for a image measuring 5×7 inches. In 1987 accessories for storing, printing, manipulating, transmitting, and recording digital came onto the market, with the DS-P1 arriving in 1988. This is arguably the first true as recognised today, boasting a 16MB card. With the arrival of JPEG and MPEG standards in the 1990´s, the face of the was changed for ever. marketed the first readily available that met all standards, with the DC40 in 1995.

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