Transparent Agenda

Best Enthusiast Camera 2008

Posted by admin under gfurry

LX3 takes the prize in the category or Best Enthusiast camera for 2008 See DPreview for the details.

Still time to pick one up for Christmas.

“Panasonic DMC-LX3 $410

If you want to get the same thing with a little more cache but the same performance get the Leica

“Leica DLUX 4 10.1-megapixel Digital Still Camera” (Leica) $849 Ouch! That’s a lot of dough for a red dot.

RED revolutionizes the high end photo market?

Posted by admin under gfurry

A picture is worth a thousand words. Well here is the picture. It looks vaguely familiar. I love the concept. Everything is configurable. Why buy a whole new camera when all you need is a new sensor? Read all about it on the RED web site and for an explanation of what it all means head over to Luminous Landscape.

Canon G9 for sale

Posted by admin under gfurry

I just received my LX3 so now my gently used Canon G9 is for sale. If you are interested post a comment and I will get back with you. Comes with an extra battery and a Gordy’s strap. I will even toss in a 2GB memory card. The G9 was replaced by the G10 and some folks are saying they prefer the G9 over the newer model. I noticed prices at Amazon are going up now that the camera is discontinued.

The G9 is a heck of a camera and built like a tank. I just wanted something with a wider angle lens that worked better is lower light. The LX3 seems to fit the bill so far.

Here is a review that should answer any questions you may have about the camera.

UPDATE My G9 has been sold

Canon G10

Posted by admin under gfurry

Canon today also updated the photopro favorite G9 to the G10. Looks like some nice improvements as well as at least one questionable upgrade.

The PowerShot G10 is the first G-series camera to offer wide-angle imaging via a 5x (28mm-140) zoom with optical Image Stabilizer. (G9 is 35-210) The addition of a 14.7 Megapixel sensor and Canon’s new DIGIC 4 image processor ensures exacting image quality. More megapixels? Why? I think the Panasonic approach makes more sense than squeezing more pixels into a tiny sensor trying to hit some line on a spec sheet. With the G9 you can go to 1600 ISO but anything above 400 is worthless.

For immediate, fingertip access to key settings, the PowerShot G10 includes a new dedicated Exposure Compensation dial and dual ISO/shooting mode dial.

Features at a glance:

* 14.7 Megapixel CCD sensor

* 5x wide-angle (28mm) optical zoom lens with optical Image Stabilizer

* RAW image recording plus support for Canon Digital Photo Professional

* DIGIC 4 for clear, sharp images, high-speed AF (including Servo AF) and fast response times

* Targets all the main causes of blur with High ISO Auto, optical

Image Stabilizer, Motion Detection Technology and Auto ISO shift

* Great people shots with improved Face Detection AF/AE/FE/WB plus

Face Select & Track and FaceSelf-Timer

* 3.0” PureColor LCD II (461k dots resolution) with wide viewing angle and optical viewfinder

* i-Contrast boosts brightness and retains detail in dark areas

* Dedicated Exposure Compensation and ISO dials

* 26 shooting modes with manual control and custom settings

* Accessories include tele-converter, Speedlite flashes and waterproof case

* Smooth, 30fps VGA movies

Read more at DPreview
Other thoughts The G10 is bigger and heavier than the G9 which is already a brick. It now shoots video in the H2.64 instead of the crappy AVI format of the G9

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 Review

Posted by admin under gfurry

The reviews are starting to come in for the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3. So far they are as I expected. Looks like a nice take everywhere camera if you want to go wide and into dark places. Pocket-lint has a nice review with a few pixs that look great for a compact camera. If you are not sold on the camera for pictures take a look at some of the amazing videos at vimeo. One look at the campfire sold me.

New Pentax Optio W60

Posted by admin under gfurry

Its about time. Looks like I will have to wait until July to replace my aging Optio WP. Hopefully it will be worth the wait. The new Optio W60 features 10 megapixels and a 5X zoom lens with 28mm wide-angle capability. The enhanced design of the Optio W60 allows the camera to operate up to 13 feet underwater for two hours and at extreme temperatures well below freezing. 5X optical lens covers focal lengths from 5mm to 25mm (approximately 28mm to 140mm in 35mm format)

Other important features and modes of the PENTAX Optio W60 include a High-Quality Movie mode with HD resolution up to 1280 x 720 pixels (comparable to a 720p HDTV) as well as Auto Picture mode, fast Face Recognition, Smile Capture, Blink Detection, an Underwater Movie mode, High Sensitivity Digital SR mode that automatically adjusts the sensitivity up to ISO 6400, and an LCD monitor with a 170 degree wide-angle view and Anti-Reflection coating to reduce glare.

Available in July 2008 for US $329.95 in a choice of two colors: Ocean Blue and Silver. More information is available here: www.h20camera.com.