Exciting new models!

Hi guys, prior to Photokina, we have had a lot of announcements of new cameras. However, we didn't get a chance to test these models until the event. Finally! NEW TECHNOLOGY! I am going to introduce a few of the most exciting models introduced.

The Nikon D90!

The D90 is a mid range from Nikon. It is in a sweet spot that most enthusiasts can afford and be completely satisfied with the performance. To top it all off, it can shoot HD movies! The first of its kind on a DSLR.

The Canon 50D!

The 50D is was an unexpected announcement this year. The 40D having only been released for a year. However, it is a full range upgrade. Guesses are the competition is pushing Canon to bring their new cameras sooner to the market.

The Panasonic G1!

This is my personal favorite announcement! finally, an innovation in the DSLR market that could shake things up forever. A DSLR without the SLR! No more mirror box in the casing, allowing the camera to be much smaller than conventional DSLR. The new attachment system, Micro Four-thirds, is also compatible with older lenses via an adaptor tube. The G1, as long as it lives up to the hype and specs it announced, could be the biggest thing since cameras were digitalized!

Photokina!

Photokina is around the corner, if you are a photographer, you know this is big! Which is why I have no time to update the blog! (EXCUSES FOR BEING LAZY) Anyways, regular blog posts should resume in a week. Please stay tuned.

The Extras

Man, I am getting pressed on all fronts! Finally sneaked a little time out for an update. Now last time I introduced the Joby Gorilla Pod, or the tripod in general. Today, we are going to go through a few essential accessories you don't wanna go shooting without!

1. High speed memory cards! Now a lot of customers have been asking us whats with all the memory card classes and speeds. Well, these are all classification on how fast data can be written and read off your cards. Faster = better, but you must make sure your camera supports the faster cards. As a rule, always check the manual on what class of memory your camera supports. Also, bigger memory cards does not = better! Why? cause big memory cards are expensive! Often, it is more economical to buy multiple 4G cards instead of a 16G card. With sizes and price of cards these days, its easier to sort your photo groups with by memory card instead of folders on your harddrive!


2. Extra battery! Digital camera's eat batteries. Do not be caught with no power. It is an extremely wise choice to carry an extra battery around always! This is common sense!


3. UV filters! Now this is one of the simplest upgrade you can get for your camera, it costs little, and have benefits that out weights that cost! First off, your photos will be much better quality since the filter is designed to suppress light flares. Second, it protects your original camera's lens! If you ever scratch the first piece of glass, you know its good bye for your camera. However, with a filter protecting your lens, you can replace the filter for as cheap as 20 bucks! Professional photographers know the importance of filters for their DSLR lenses, as some of these could cost more than their camera. The average user too should adopt this as their common practice. Trust me, better image quality + lens protection for under 20 bucks! Its a crime not to buy one!

Hehe, thats today's update. See you next time.

Pod! Pod! Pod!

Sorry for the lack of updates, ever since I took over marketing, we have been seeing massive surge of sales (hahahaha shameless self praise)! Anyways, today, I am going to change the subject a bit and talk about your accessories. Every self respecting camera men MUST carry a few essential items in their camera bag. It doesn't matter if you are professional or casual photographer, you are only wasting your camera's potential by not carrying these around. I shall start a mini series of blog posts based on accessories. First off, TRIPOD!

The Tripod is one of the most essential equipment you should carry around with your camera. Now, I understand your first reaction when you read tripod. "You crazy mate? that thing weights 5 pounds!" Well, as cameras have evolved, your tripod has too. Today, I am going to specifically introduce my favorite gadget to own. The Joby Gorillapod! Not only can this thing function as a normal tripod, it can also grab on to any service with a hole or crevice! Trust me, this is the absolute most versatile equipment you can carry around for your camera, and best of all, it weights practically nothing!

Why use a tripod when you have hands like a statue? Well, first of sir, I doubt the steadiness of your hands! Second, you can take your own photo without leaving your camera on ledges or 3 chairs stacked up. Third, you never have to ask a stranger to take a photo you won't like again! Another major advantage the tripod introduce is the abilityt o take shots eith slower shutter speed! For the laymen, that means more light can enter the shot, allowing you to use a lower ISO setting, in turn, making your photo more clear even at night! Trust me, investment in a good tripod is paramount in taking your photographic skill to the next level, and the Joby Gorillapod is the perfect price for any user, professional or casual!

ZoOom ZoooM ZOOom

Zooom!~ No, I am not singing Mazda's ad song (tho catchy). Hi guys, been really busy here lately, Photokina is almost here and you know... new models of cameras flying everywhere. today, I am going to keep it short and hopefully sweet. ZOOM! Zoom is the ability that your camera has to enlarge or close in on an object. It is also one of the key aspects you should consider when shopping for a camera. Now, it use to be easy to rate zoom ability before digital cameras were invented. Back then, zoom meant the ability of the optic lenses in your camera to close in on an object. But with digital cameras, a new concept was invented. thats the digital zoom! The digital zoom is a completely different method compared to optical zoom. Digital zoom simply means the image taken by the camera will be magnified via software. Now, combining what we learned about megapixel in my previous entry, that means your are taking a picture of lower resolution (megapixel count) to compensate for increased magnification! Therefore, when comparing between cameras, if you are deadlock between picking from two equally attractive choices, the one with the higher OPTICAL ZOOM ratio can be your deciding factor!

Note: Now, I am not saying digital zoom is bad, infact, all digital camera have it as a feature. But digital zoom is something you can achieve yourself at home after the picture is taken via software (ie. Photoshop). But Optical zoom is something you can only get from well designed and engineered optics, and it does not compromise on your pixel counts at all!

The Image Sensor! Your best friend~!

Hi guys, sorry about the late update. Been kindof busy here at Citiwide being almost summer and all (Hey, I multitask, a lot). Now on the last post, we were discussing about how MP count is often mistaken for the quality of the image taken by your camera. I also explained what it actually is and demythisize (my word) its importance. Now it is time to introduce the part that is actually responsible for the quality of your image. Behold, the IMAGE SENSOR! You may also see this called a CMOS image sensor or a CCD image sensor. CMOS and CCD simply refers to the two process used to create the sensors. They both have their pros and cons. However, as a recent trend, CMOS has been overtaking CCD in market share because of its lower cost and rapid technological advances. In either case, I will let you google that up yourself, we are here to discuss the actual sensor!

The image sensor is a... well sensor of light. Behind the lens of your camera, there lies a flat sheet of light receptors that is used to capture light and in turn convert light to an electronic signal. This sensor is what replaced film in the traditional camera (memory is storage for film... think of it as the film casing). As you know, the quality of film directly affects image quality in old cameras, and digital cameras are exactly the same. As a rule of thumb, large image sensors are better. A larger image sensor also means less noise (generally). If you are trying to understand the concept, think of an TIc TAc TOE board, and trying to draw pictures on it. With 3X3 squares, you are limited to really basic designs. If you upgrade that board to... lets say a chess board. Now, you can start drawing smiley faces and words etc. Now finally, upgrade the chess board to... lets say the seating plan of an Olympic stadium. Now, you can draw some pretty intricate designs. Your image sensor works exactly the same. The bigger it is, means more rows and columns of receptors there is. Therefore, the image you take will be more detailed with less noise! Now, combining your image sensor with Megapixels, when your camera has megapixel counts beyond what the image sensor can handle practically, the camera will fill out the spaces in between with guesses. These guesses generally becomes noise! Thats why you can find digital cameras from manufacturers you never heard of sporting 15 Megapixel but selling for 50 dollars! These are simply inferior products with a marketing gimmick. The golden ratio of megapixels and image sensor size is a mystery, and changes everyday as new photo technology emerges. However, generally speaking, interms of sensors, BIGGER IS BETTER! Now this is the layman version of explaining the image sensor. Its a lot more complicated than that, but I hope I gave you a brief outline.

Now why did I say generally bigger is better? Well as technology advances, what use to fit on your thumb can now fit on your pinky. So an image sensor 5 years ago the size of your thumb could just be as good as an image sensor found in current DC the size of your pinky finger! Also, different manufacturers have incorporated their own unique designs to stand out from competitors. The best thing to do, from a practical stand point, is to search the internet or ask your photohobby shop which brand has the best reviews or recommendations. Now due to commercial reasons, I cannot tell you on my blog posts, but if you send me an email, I will gladly reply you my recommendation. Now on my next update, I am going to introduce another key aspect you should consider when buying a camera, stay tuned!

Note: MP count is a feature of the image sensor, please do not be mistaken that they are two seperate things.

What to look for in a new camera!

Hi guys, this is Chris again. Many customers have been asking us about what to look for in a new camera. Well, first things first, a camera should be something you use personally for a pretty long period of time. So you should really pick one that fits your taste first. Decide whether you want a simple DC, DV (they take pictures too), a Prosumer, or a full fledged DSLR! They all have their pro and cons. I personally like a Prosumer, especially the new Lumix LX3.

Having decided what class of camera's you want, you have to look at specifications. One of the biggest misconception about cameras is Megapixel count. Having more megapixels DOES NOT mean your picture will be higher quality (I would be rich if I got a penny everytime I get a customer complaining why their new high MP camera's pictures are not as clear as than their older model). Megapixel simply means that the image you will take with the camera will be of a particular file size (that's the really simple way to put it). A larger file size means that when you open the file on a display, you can zoom/magnify the image more before you start seeing individual pixels. THAT'S IT! Of course, a camera with a low megapixel count will have its image quality compromised, but from a practical standpoint, starting from about 3.2 MP, the normal user won't be able to notice much difference after that unless they zoom in.

Now, what really matters in terms or spec is the image light sensor. this part is absolutely critical in the quality of the image. I will discuss why in my next entry! Check back in about 2 days to keep yourself updated!

Keep your hardware updated!

Hi guys, this is Chris (the blog master) from Citiwide. Heres a quick tip that can improve your dated or even brand new camera significantly! Your digital camera is a marvel of modern technology, since its transition from light exposed film to CMOS sensors (thats what most digital camera's use to capture light and turns into an image), the anatomy of the camera has changed too. Modern day digital cameras, be it a compact DC or a DSLR, are all controlled by microchips and software that runs them. Just like your computer, manufacturers routinely updates the software that runs your camera. These updates contain many beneficial features, such as software fix, better noise reduction algorithms, or even prolonged battery life to name a few. These updates are your best friend in prolonging your camera's longevity.

To update your camera, it usually requires you to go to the manufacturer's website, finding your model of camera, downloading the latest firmware (thats the software that runs your camera), and installing it on your camera (through memory card or USB cable, depending on your manufacturer's instruction). Now I do have to point out, although firmware upgrades are usually regarded as good, there is the rare chance that your camera could be a defective product, with its defect not showing up till you update it. The chances are very slim, maybe 3-4%, but it happens. In that case, make sure you back up a copy of your original firmware, just in case (these can be downloaded on manufacturer's website too).

Updating your firmware is one of the most overlooked camera maintenance. It is also one of the best way to see improvement to your camera's overall performance. Now make sure you put this on your todo list next time you do a camera tuneup/cleaning. You will be amazed at what a simple firmware update can do to your camera! Cheers!