Cameracraft magazine – Taking your practical photography further
Portrait Professional, the downloadable software from Anthropics which resculpts face shapes while smoothing out skin imperfections and signs of ageing, has been updated to Version 8 and launched for Apple Mac as well as Windows PC. We tested it briefly as a first look in our magazine Master Photo>Digital.
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Leading UK veterinary charity, PDSA, has launched its search to discover the UK’s most photogenic pet. If your pet has star quality and is always posing for the camera, then why not enter their photograph into the PDSA pets’ gallery competition? Continue reading »
Nikon announced and released their long awaited D700 camera today in London, bringing the D3’s FX sensor to a wider market. dPhotoexpert was at the launch event. The D700 is closer to the D300 in physical design yet retains many of the D3’s advantages – in fact, it’s easier to say what it loses, other than weight and bulk, rather than what it offers.
Compared to Nikon’s flagship camera, the D700 offers one CF card slot, a 95% viewfinder coverage for the 12.1Mp sensor which has a new dust reduction system similar to the D300, and a slower frame-rate still twice the speed of a Canon EOS 5D – with the optional battery grip, it can manage 8 fps, and with standard EL3a batteries it delivers a respectable 5fps. The weather sealing is slightly improved over the D300, and the viewfinder/prism design is similar to the D3 but incorporates a pop-up flash. (Report – Richard Kilpatrick).
The D700 goes on sale in July with a UK RRP of £1999 inc VAT – more details will be added soon.
More details added by David Kilpatrick –
* Capture NX2 is required to process the raw files, and there is no update for either View NX or Capture NX (1.3.x) on any Nikon website to allow these to process D700 files – yet. Capture NX2 is provided as a 60-day free trial with the D700, but the CD does not update registered, purchased copies of NX. I’ve installed NX2 but the experience is not helpful when it comes to assessing the quality of the images – for this, I almost have to have ACR and to be able to study larger output sizes rapidly in the raw conversion window.
ACR and Lightroom are now updated to work with the D700, and the same goes for an increasing number of other raw conversion utilities.
We have an D700 here, we are using it now – the high eyepoint type viewfinder is one radical difference between this and the D300 body, and the experience of using the D700 is very different.
Following announcements that Sony has developed a backlight technique to enable extremely low noise exposures, we receive this press release which may or may not be related – a Sony CCD astrophotography camera capable of one-hour exposures and programmed sequences. Resolution seems a bit basic though.
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Kodak is introducing a new Single Use Camera in a distinctive design especially for the wedding market. The KODAK Wedding Single Use Camera features elegant white roses on a silver body – a subtle, sophisticated design for any wedding. Combining style and quality, this latest addition to Kodak’s single use camera portfolio includes one of the best films available, Kodak’s 800–speed film, which provides unbeatable clarity and sharpness to produce the highest quality prints.
Single use cameras adorn wedding tables across Europe but many are low-cost products which match the decor but lead to disappointing prints,” said Oreste Maspes, Director of Kodak Film Group Europe. “Brides need products they can trust on their big day and, with the introduction of the KODAK Wedding Single Use Camera, brides and wedding planners need not choose between style and substance. The new designs are elegant and will look good on any table which means the happy couple can trust that Kodak has blended looks, convenience and the unbeatable quality of KODAK Film in one package.”
The new KODAK Wedding Single Use Camera is available for purchase in 10-pack increments exclusively online at http://www.kodak.com/go/SingleUseCamera through the Kodak Store. To mark the launch, Kodak is offering customers a saving of £40 on each 10 cameras pack (instead of £80, customers will only pay £40). The offer is available from June 12 until August 31, 2008.
In addition to the sophisticated new look, the camera boasts an easy-to-use design. Placed on tables at wedding receptions, guests of all ages can easily capture wonderfully informal shots that perfectly compliment the formal photographs of the day. Once printed, the newlyweds have a record of their special day through their loved ones’ eyes. Favourite candid images can be scanned and uploaded to a PC for inclusion in thank-you cards, photobooks and even canvases.
Pentax UK has announced the launch of its cashback promotional offer.
* Cashback can be claimed on purchases of any Pentax K20D or K200D camera and lens kit between 11th June and 31st August 2008.
* £100 Cashback is available on any Pentax K20D Digital SLR camera and lens kit. £50 Cashback is available on any Pentax K200D Digital SLR camera and lens kit.
* Customers should visit www.pentax.co.uk to obtain an official promotion claim form and products must be purchased as new from an official Pentax dealer.
Nikon has announced the latest version of its image-editing software, Capture NX 2, an upgrade to the Capture NX introduced in 2006. Continue reading »
CLICKING on key mapping points of a face, then adjusting some simple overlaid Bezier curves using movable anchors, it takes only a minute to load a typical headshot portrait into Portrait Professional.
Update: coverage of the new Mac and PC dual platform improved Portrait Professional 8 is on line now.
Photographers looking for new ways in which to enliven their wedding portfolios and attract new customers need to look at new packages introduced by the impressive Georgian property of Wordsworth House, in the gem town of Cockermouth, Cumbria. Continue reading »
PENTAX UK has today announced the release of the Optio W60 compact digital camera. The W60 boasts improved underwater performance that enables it to operate at depths of 4 metres for up to 2 hours. It has also been dust and sand proofed to a certified JIS Class 5 Standard and can operate in temperatures as cold as –10°C, making it the ideal choice for both winter and summer holidays, as well as water and extreme sports.
One of the lightest waterproof cameras ever developed, it features a 10 megapixel sensor for exceptionally sharp images. It has also been fitted with a newly developed 28mm wide angle lens, which incorporates an impressive 5x optical zoom. The lens, designed specifically for the Optio W60, covers a focal range from 5mm to 25mm (approximately 28mm to 140mm in 35mm format) and features a refraction lens system so the lens never protrudes from the body while zooming. This flexibility enables the user to capture a wide variety of scenes, including expansive landscapes, architecture, and crystal clear telephoto shots.
In addition, the Optio W60 boasts enhanced video capabilities and can capture movies at resolutions as high as 1280 x 720 pixels, which is comparable to High Definition TV. The movie function also incorporates Pentax’s Movie SR (Shake Reduction) technology, which automatically corrects camera shake, and has been optimised for use underwater with the Underwater Movie Mode, which makes use of specific settings for shooting.
The Optio W60’s Face Recognition AF & AE function has also been improved to deliver beautiful portrait shots from a single setting. The W60 can now automatically set the focus and exposure, so that it can detect up to 32 faces at one time – all in as little as 0.03 seconds. This is complimented by a SmileCapture mode, which waits until the subject is smiling before releasing the shutter, and Blinking Detection, which alerts the photographer if the subject blinked at the point of capture.
The camera also features advanced Auto Picture which automatically selects the optimal scene mode from seven different options – Flower, Sport, Night Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene, and Standard modes. It also has a highly sensitive Digital SR (Shake Reduction) mode, which compensates for camera shake and subject blurring during still-image photography. This mode automatically adjusts the sensitivity, up to a maximum of ISO 6400, in keeping with the subject’s brightness, to permit a fast enough shutter speed to capture a sharp, clear image. In addition, an electric shake reduction function corrects blurring in images during image playback.
Finally, the 2.5-inch high-resolution (approximately 230,000 dots) LCD monitor is finished with an AR (Anti-Reflection) coating that cuts glare from reflections of external light while being bright enough to be viewed easily even in bright sunlight. The monitor’s wide viewing angle — about 170° both horizontally and vertically — means photographers can conveniently check their shot from nearly any angle.
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