Is anyone else as flummoxed by the negative consumer and expert reviews of this camera as I am? If I were paranoid, I'd think a conspiracy existed to drive down the cost of this remarkable camera. The range of controls is very broad, their setup is intuitive, and the camera's performance is exemplary. Not only am I pleased with how the camera handles and what it will do, but I'm WAY pleased with the images it produces. I've had my camera for a week now; I've played with all the shooting modes and have taken pictures in all sorts of lighting. As long as the camera is set correctly for the shot, images are consistently superb. The ones that have been anything less than stellar were caused by my own hastiness or error. Movies also are awesome, and stereo sound is a huge plus. Maybe I just lucked out and got a good copy. Maybe it isn't really the fantastic piece of photographic wizardry I believe it is. But I am a long-in-the-tooth advanced amateur with perfectionistic tendencies. And in my estimation the S5 IS is an amazing tool. Minor issues inherent in a camera of this sensor size and lens zoom range do exist. According to the many expert camera reviews, there presently is not a mega-zoom on the market that is completely free of chromatic aberration and some noise at higher ISOs. If you're planning to print poster-sized images, get a 35mm digital SLR and some very expensive lenses--you'll be pleased with nothing less. But if you're looking for a go-anywhere camera that bridges the gap between that big D-SLR and the teensy little super-compact in your photo bag, if most of your prints are average size, and you do the majority of your viewing on a computer, look no further. You can't go wrong with the S5 IS.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Review : Canon PowerShot Pro Series S5 IS 8.0MP Digital Camera with 12x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom
Review : Olympus PT-E01 Underwater Housing for EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR Camera
The PT-E01 underwater housing is made of durable transparent polycarbonate with grips and levers fashioned out of durable polycarbonate. The transparent nature of the housings ensures that users can view their shots with ease, as well as show off the stylish bodies of their cameras. To reduce glare caused by sunlighton a digital camera LCD, the housing features an LCD hood located on the outsideback of the housing that makes viewing the LCD easier above and below water Olympus has thought of everything to keep digital cameras safe and dry within the housings. O-ring seals, special rubber rings engineered to fit perfectly within corresponding grooves, expand under water pressure to tighten the seal when the shells of the housings are locked. Furthermore, safety locks on all of the housings prevent accidental opening. The housings' stainless steel nickel-plated brass mechanical control buttons, also sealed with silicon O-rings, allow full access to the cameras' functions and menus. With the touch of levers, zoom and shutter are easily operated. For crystal clear shots, the integrated flash diffuser panel cuts down on glare fromparticles suspended in the water that otherwise would create a haze in the image. To deliver more flash options under water an external FL-36 flash can be placed inside the PFL-01 Underwater Housing and supported by the PTBK-E01 flash bracket also available for the EVOLT.
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Review : Canon Digital Rebel XT 8MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 Lens (Silver)
The XT is amazing. The battery comes partly charged so you can immedietly start using the camera (thank you Canon!) I've already shot about 200 pictures with it and the battery hasn't died yet. I can't give you a comparison between the XT and the 20D as I haven't owned a 20D, I can tell you a few things you may wish to know before buying. This camera, is TINY. Extremely tiny. I'm a woman in my early twenties and I have small hands. The camera fits just right in my hands, but honestly, I don't see how someone with bigger hands would be 100% comfortable holding this. If my hands were any larger, they would be slipping off the bottom. I had tried holding a 20D at a camera shop once and it felt too large in my hands to grip. The camera size is perfect for me, but just beware if you have larger hands. You may want to look into the battery grip, or test out holding the camera at a store before you order it. See the picture I uploaded above to get a size relation and how the camera fits in my hands. For anyone who is migrating to this camera from a standard point and shoot digital camera, you cannot frame the image you are about to take using the LCD screen on the back. You must look through the viewfinder. The LCD screen is soley for menu use and preview mode after the picture has been taken, nothing more. Something I've noticed is the camera makes a ratteling sound when moved around. I couldn't figure out what the heck it was, and then I finally reazlized it's the hinges from the pop-up flash. It sounds like they are loose when the flash is closed. I went to Best Buy and looked at their display model, and yep, it has the same problem. Well, it's not really a *problem* but frankly something ratteling around like that sounds cheaply made to me. My Canon film SLR doesn't make that sound. I use a 420EX Speedlite flash with my SLRs so the popup flash doesn't concern me, but it was something I noticed and thought I would share. I love that Canon gave the option to have a black finish over a silver one. The startup time is instantaneous which is absolutely wonderful. The burst mode is excellent with 3 fps. It's extremely quiet. The image quality is excellent. You can get photo quality prints at 20x30, and even then I bet you could push it further. I really can't elaborate more then what other reviews have said. If you are looking for a step into the digital SLR world, this is the ticket. Or you can even check out the newly reduced original Digital Rebel, but for the extra hundred bucks or so, I would just get the XT. You will not be sorry. Two upgrades I would make right away: Get a Speedlite flash and the Canon 28-135mm lens. Also, I don't know why people are submitting bad reviews grading Amazon on shipping for the Rebel XT. When I preordered the XT from Amazon (not from another 3rd party), it said it would be released March 20th. I got my Rebel XT in the mail yesterday (the 22nd) which if you ask me, is pretty darn good. Want something right away? Then walk into a store and buy it instead of ordering from the internet.
