Panasonic has released firmware updates for three of it’s micro-four-thirds cameras. The updates are for the Panasonic G1, GH1 and GF1 and attempt to fix problems with the auto-focus on each camera.

Panasonic G1 Firmware Update

The Panasonic G1 firmware update is available here and brings the following fixes to the camera…

1. Improved operation menu for image stabilizer ([OFF] will be added under [STABILIZER] only when LUMIX G VARIO 14-42 mm / F3.5-5.6 ASPH. / MEGA O.I.S. (H-FS014042) is attached).
2. Improved modulation accuracy of flash
3. Improved AF (auto focus) performance with lenses of other manufacturer.

[Read more…]

Photography Blog has managed to do a lengthy review of the Fujifilm FinePix F80EXR point and shoot digital camera.

The F80EXR has a 12 megapixel sensor along with a 3 inch active matrix TFT colour LCD display. It is capable of zooming at 10x optical and is also capable of capturing video in HD resolutions. The camera costs just less than $280.

Surprisingly the review mentions that the F80EXR actually performs worse than it’s predecessor even though it has more megapixels. The worse performance is only classed as being “slightly worse” though. [Read more…]

Amazon have an offer on at the moment that will give you a free $20 Amazon voucher when purchasing various Flip HD camcorders.

For a limited time, purchase one of the Flip UltraHD camcorders below and get an Amazon.com gift card worth $20. Simply add both the camcorder and the gift card to your Shopping Cart and we’ll automatically deduct the price of the gift card at checkout.

Applies only to products sold by Amazon.com; does not apply to items sold by other merchants on the Amazon.com website. Offer good for a limited time, while supplies last. Limit three per order. Terms of gift card use prohibit using any gift card funds already on your account to pay for new gift cards. At checkout, uncheck the box on the Payments page that reads, “Use your Gift and Promotional Balance.” See Terms and Conditions.

[Read more…]

In Store Solutions have launched a new webcam for Skype that allows 720p HD video calling. The camera is called the FREETALK Everyman HD and costs $49.

The new webcam is plug-and-play allowing it to easily be connected up to a computer to give an easy setup and excellent quality video.

“There is no higher performing, Skype Certified HD webcam than the Everyman HD, and the Everyman HD is available at just a fraction of the price of other HD webcams,” said In Store Solutions Product Manager Mike Padmore. “Unlike most High Quality webcams on the market today, the Everyman encodes the video signal in real time, meaning you do not need to utilize all of your computer’s resources while conducting a Skype video call.”

[Read more…]

Check out this video of the Apollo 11 Saturn V launch from back on July 16, 1969. The video has been captured at 500 frames per second with the 8 minutes of recording seen below representing just 30 second of the beginning of the rocket launch.

Narration is provided by Mark Gray who talks over the whole process of the launch including how the launch pad is cooled down and the protection around the rocket at the time of launch.

The video was captured on Camera E-8 that sits right on the launch tower. The video was shot on 16mm and transferred to HD. [Read more…]

Photography Blog have taken a Nikon Coolpix P100 for review to see if it’s any good and what it’s capable of. The review is several pages long, as usual with Photography Blog, and covers all aspects of the camera such as the technical specs, quality of pictures etc…

The Nikon Coolpix P100 is a 10 megapixel camera and is a successor to the P90 that was launched last year. The camera has a smaller sensor than last years camera which was rated at 12 megapixels. However, this new sensor is said to be faster than the previous version allowing it to capture up to 10 frames per second as well as providing a better signal-to-noise ratio.

The lens on the Nikon P100 goes from 26mm to 678mm (in 35mm terms) which is quite impressive in it’s self. The Nikon Coolpix P100 review points out that to get the same coverage on a DSLR you would need 3 or 4 different lenses. [Read more…]

Last July, we wrote about the Fufifilm W1 3D camera that had two lenses allowing 3D images and movies to be captured. Fujifilm have now introduced the HDP-L1 that acts as a media player for your W1 3D content.

The device connects up to your TV where you then plug in a memory card from the W1 3D camera and it lets the 3D material be played on screen.

As well as being capable of being connected to a TV the HDP-L1 also has a USB port to connect it to a Mac or Windows computer. The player can also display 2D content if needed. [Read more…]

Amazon keep a running list of the best digital cameras in terms of what sells the most. The list starts off with a couple of point and shoot cameras and is then followed by a Digital SLR camera followed by another P&S and then another DSLR. The list is updated hourly providing a fairly accurate result set of what’s running at a good price at the moment.

Lets take a quick look at the list and see what the best digital cameras are that have been selling at the moment. [Read more…]

Photography Blog have done another huge review. This time the camera being reviewed is the newly announced Panasonic Lumix G10 that is being launched along with the Panasonic Lumix G2 around this time next month.

The Panasonic G10 is a Micro Four Thirds camera that Photography Blog say is aiming to being the benefits of Micro Four Thirds to a wider audience with an agreesive price tag (£499 – $599 UK/US).

The G10 as of March, became the worlds lightest Micro Four Thirds camera. It weighs just 336g without lens and has some impressive specifications such as a 12.1 megapixel CMOS sensor along with the ability to capture video in 720p HD resolutions. The camera has a 3 inch LCD viewfinder. FOr storage it is compatible with SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards. [Read more…]

The Leica V-LUX 20 has been officially announced. Features included in the camera include a 12.1 megapixel sensor, 12 times zoom and GPS tagging. The camera is also able to capture video in a HD resolution of 720p.

The 12x zoom is optical that is provided by the 4.1-49.2mm f/3.3-4.9 lens. 4x optical zoom is also available on the camera.

The V-LUX 20 is Leica’s first camera that uses GPS tagging and allows for GPS co-ordinates to be captured and stored in the image EXIF data file allowing you to map where pictures were taken. As well as capturing and saving the GPS coordinates the camera also stores the local time that the images were captured. [Read more…]

Jetyo isn’t a company I have particularly heard of before, but this new camcorder looked unique enough to give it a mention.

What makes the Jetyo HDV-T900 camcorder stand out is it’s dual solar panels that allow it to charge rechargeable AAA batteries that are used inside it. The device is powered by 4xAAA batteries, and when rechargeable AAA batteries are used the solar panels built in, can be used to recharge the device.

Other technical features include a 5 megapixel sensor that can capture a 1280 x 720 image allowing it to record 720p at 30 frames per second. If still images are being captured then these are captured at 12 megapixels. [Read more…]

Two new photoGPS models have been launched by Jobo that bring more capacity and more locations to the GPS tracking devices.

The Jobo photoGPS 2 and photoGPS 4 are devices that sit on the hot-shoe of a camera and track GPS coordinates each time a photo is taken. When transferring images to a computer and the GPS information from the photoGPS module, the details are then merged.

These two new models have more coverage in streets, municipalities and POI’s by 23%, 42% and 27% respectively. [Read more…]