Visibly best photo quality and somewhat improved performance make the Nikon D300 a significant upgrade over the D200 and an first-class all-around choice.

When you build up the follow-up to a hot camera, how do you turn up the heat? When Nikon shipped the D200 a few years ago, it’s combination of speed and photo quality blew away the limited competition, and provided a powerful, relatively cheap alternative to Nikon’s then top-of-the-line D2X. The D300 faces a far more crowded field. Not only does it take on its venerable and now lower-priced predecessor, but also a cluster of far-from-shabby dSLRs just at or below its price: the Canon EOS 40D, the Sony Alpha DSLR-A700, the Olympus E-3, and the Pentax K20D.

Nikon’s offering up a body-only box of the D300 as well as two kits: one with a DX 18mm-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED AF lens (27mm-202.5mm equivalent with the camera’s 1.5x crop factor) and one with a DX 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens (27mm-300mm equivalent). We tested the latter kit, and also practised the camera with two non-DX lenses: a preproduction version of the 14-24mm 2.8G ED and the 24-70mm f/2.8G ED IF.

For the most part, Nikon sticks with the tried-and-true body design and interface of the D200, with its intelligently laid out controls. The dust- and weatherproof body weighs a hair over 2 pounds, and feels as solid as a bit tank. The viewfinder is bigger and brighter, with 100 percent coverage. There are a few behaviors I’m not fond of, like the hard to manipulate metering dial (discussed in my more-detailed analysis of the design) and occasionally problematic AF-mode navigation (discussed below), but find the camera’s operation comfortable and fluid. Nikon carries over the ultraflexible user-settings menus, which consists of two banks–shooting settings and custom settings–with four nameable slots each.

Based on the description , the 3D tracking mode seems like an optimal solution for shooting well-defined subjects–those with strong color contrast relative to the background and which occupy a large percentage of the scene–that remain within the frame. And in shoots at a local dog run, it worked best for portrait-type situations, where it tracked the dogs’ wildly moving heads while they themselves remained relatively stationary within the frame. Nevertheless, for shots where the subject moves too quickly to keep in the viewfinder–as happens with most of the other dog-run shots–Nikon advises using the 51-point dynamic AF without the 3D tracking. That works relatively well. However, we miss the AF-group visual feedback provided by the D200.

Like Canon, Nikon has a lot invested in lens-based optical-image stabilization technology, so the D300 lacks the in-body sensor-shift stabilization that Sony, Pentax, Olympus, and Panasonic offer. That’s not a big deal if you already have an investment in Nikon’s VR lenses or don’t really use/care about stabilization. But if you do care about it and making your first dSLR purchase, or contemplating shifting from another brand, then do not discount its importance; the fact that the two kits require a choice between VR and non-VR lenses foreshadows future lens choices you will have to make.

You can read more about this product here:  Nikon D300 DX 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera

Canon has declared the new EOS Rebel XSi, which is a 12.2 megapixel consumer level DSLR that packs a ton of “pro” upgrades. At the Rebel XSi’s initial introduction it was available in a body-only configuration for $799 and a kit configuration with the new EF-S 18-55mm IS lens for $899. It’s now considerably less.  You are able to order each of these configurations at Amazon via the following link provided at the bottom of this review.

Canon arrogates that the new Auto Optimization feature, which is available via the custom function settings, aids in righting exposure and contrast errors. Canon calls that it will lighten dark areas of a scene while assuring that bright areas maintain tonal detail. We have not found much use for this feature; nevertheless, it should be a deal breaker one way or the other.

The Rebel XSi is pictured with the Nikon D60 and Sony A350, two of its biggest competitors. After reexamining all three of these DSLRs, we do not think you could go wrong with any of them. We think the Rebel XSi has the best overall image quality of the three; nevertheless, each of them produces great images overall.

There are several factors that should go into your purchasing decision if you’re considering these cameras. If you’re coming out from a point and shoot camera, the Sony A350 (or it’s 10 megapixel sibling, the A300) possibly a comfortable move due to the convenient and fast autofocus in Live View mode. As an alternative , the lower price tag and light weight of the Nikon D60 may be your cup of tea.We recommend getting your hands on each of these DSLRs and see how they feel in your hands. The A350 gets the best grip and body for our hands; nevertheless, the new XSi feels much better than the XT and XTi.

We extremely recommend the Canon Rebel XSi for anyone shopping for a DSLR in the entry-level range. It is a great camera that’s a number of advanced features with which you are able to grow as a photographer. Ultimately, if you have never used a DSLR before, we recommend that you find out a copy of Bryan Peterson’s Understanding Exposure with your new camera. It’s a invaluable guide to learning and growing with any DSLR. At approximately $15, it will be the best bang for your buck that you ever spend on photography.

Read more about this amazing dslr camera here:  Canon Digital Rebel XSI

Its feature set is introductory even by entry-level measures, but the Nikon D3000 presents the photo quality and performance you anticipate when stepping up to a dSLR, with an optional interface that’s very novice friendly.

While many shooters are producing the leap from a point-and-shoot to a dSLR, makers are still in the observational stage when it comes to finding out the appropriate design and functional characteristics that define a camera for that audience. Til now, Nikon looks to have gone the farthest with its tries; the D3000 aims newcomers by implementing an entire show-me-how-it’s-done shooting mode without sacrificing the traditional manual controls one expects on a dSLR. For whatever reason, be it an attempt to simplify or straightforward cost cutting, the D3000 also bears the most stripped-down feature set I’ve seen so far in that class, but at least it does not forfeit performance and photo quality too.

For the most part, the D3000 appears, feels, and functions like a typical low-end dSLR. It is a bit heavier than its classmates, but not importantly so, and feels well made and firm, with a nice grip. A programmable Fn button–you may set it to control the self-timer, release mode, image quality, ISO sensitivity, white balance, or Active D-Lighting menus, as well as to on/off switch a grid display in the viewfinder–lies under your left thumb, though it is a bit difficult to differentiate from the flash pop-up/compensation button that sits above it by feel alone. Behind the shutter button confined by the power switch are the exposure compensation and info buttons; the latter toggles the back display.

As usual, the top mode dial is segregated into the scene, PASM (Program, Aperture- and Shutter-priority, and Manual), and full auto modes. Nikon adds up a twist here, a guidebook mode that allows various levels of step-by-step help for a limited number of common shooting scenarios. There’s Easy operation, which, like Auto, allows access to a limited number of options, as well as an Advanced mode, which describes the appropriate settings for the chosen scenario and then allows you to change the settings yourself. For example, in Easy Operation/Distant Subjects it puts you into the Sports scene mode–the camera tells you what it’s doing, which is really nice–then optionally provides you with the option to adjust flash, release mode, and AF area mode settings. The choices are not specific to the scenarios, nevertheless, which would be useful. My one highly minor quibble with this is that the controls do not always function the same in this mode as when shooting generally; so, for instance, here you would adjust shutter speed with the up/down buttons on the multiselector, while you would generally use the command dial to change the speed. This could confuse some people.

I also like Nikon’s execution of the interactive information display. The adjustment choices are arrayed around the edges of the display, which makes the one you are looking for easier to find compared with some of the more cluttered full-screen layouts of competitors. On the other hand, you do have to navigate sequentially through the choices, which you do not have to do with control panels that allow you to move up, down, and sideways. My larger gripe here is with the multiselector, Nikon’s four-way switch with OK button in the midst. It does not have a lot of travel and feels kind of mushy to operate. You may read the LCD in direct sunlight, however.

Read more about the product here :  Nikon D3000 10MP Digital SLR Camera

The Olympus Evolt E520 is a high tech digital SLR, that features face detection technology which tracks up to 8 faces, shadow alteration technology and in body image stabilisation. Refresh to the E-510 amends autofocus in live view mode and throws in a handful of minor sweetenings. With a brilliant feature set  and customization alternatives that set it apart from most of its challengers the E-520 appears very competitive on paper, but the viewfinder and image quality (particularly in ambitious shooting conditions) are far from class-leading and taken in general the camera struggles to stand out from the crowd. Recent price cutting have made the E-520 seem a lot more attractive, and the results in good light are impressive at normal print sizes, with satisfying color and first-rate optimised JPEGs – and an first-class kit lens.

As we mentioned before, The Olympus E-520 is a brushed up version of Olympus’s upper-entry-level camera, the E-510. As such it is a somewhat bulked-up E-420 with image stabilisation, which makes it one of the most feature-packed and customizable cameras available for below £500/$800. It misses some of its sibling’s compact chic but offers a bigger, longer-lasting battery and a more familiar grip shape to those people familiar with modern-day DSLRs.

Its Four-Thirds sensor (2.43cm2) provides 10 million pixel output and a Live view system that has become popular since Olympus initiated the idea a few years back. It is obviously a camera that comes from a company with a strong heritage of making products for photographers, with valuable features such as highlight and shadow spot metering modes sitting alongside a plethora of beginner-friendly point-and-shoot modes.

The entire market has become a much more competitive place since the E-510 1st hit the market in Mar 2007, therefore has the cutting-edge version done enough to stand out against the progressively slick APS-C offerings?

New features (compared to the E-510)

* Larger, 2.7″ LCD display (versus 2.5″ on the E-510)
* Contrast detect autofocus (with select lenses)
* Face detection in live view mode
* Auto Gradation (Dynamic Range enhancement)
* Faster continuous shooting speeds (3.5 vs 3.0 fps)
* Wireless flash control (Up to three groups)
* Additional Image Stabilization mode for panning

For more details about this product visit this page:  Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera

Did you know that you still have time to get the best deals and gift ideas this holiday season at Amazon.com? Do not forget- 2 days left to order for Christmas with FREE Super Saver Shipping! We’ve compiled these popular deals below from all types of categories, ranging from toys, to electronics, to jewelry:

• Windows 7 Netbooks Under Starting $350: Find the biggest selection of netbooks with Windows 7 Starter in the Amazon.com netbooks store. http://www.amazon.com/notebooks-laptop-computers/b/?ie=UTF8&node=679517011&tag=meetingcontin-20
• Blu-ray Players Under $200: The high-def experience doesn’t have to be expensive. Amazon.com has Blu-ray players from brands such as LG, Samsung, and Sony with prices below $200. http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000445341&tag=meetingcontin-20
• Great savings on new cutting-edge HP Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer: The world’s first web-connected home printer powered by touch. Quickly print movie tickets, maps, coupons, lab-quality photos and more. All without a computer and now at a very low price. http://www.amazon.com/Photosmart-Premium-TouchSmart-All-Printer/dp/B002MCZIUG/?tag=meetingcontin-20
• Movies & TV Gift and Boxed Set Sale : To find that last minute gift without breaking the bank, shop our Movies & TV Gift and Boxed Set Sale with savings of up to 60% off select DVD and Blu-ray, from Dec. 2 – Dec. 22, 2009 while supplies last. http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?node=509168&tag=meetingcontin-20
• Up to 40% Off Kitchen & Home Gifts: Save up to 40% on perfect gift for everyone on your list, from the Master Chef to the Home Decorator to the One Who Has It All. Plus, check out our editor’s picks to discover the hottest gifts this season. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/browse-/1063504?tag=meetingcontin-20
• Amazon Kindle Wireless Reading Device: 6” E-ink® Display with Global Wireless : Kindle is Amazon’s most wished for, most gifted and #1 bestselling product. This year, give them what they really want and have it delivered in time for the holidays! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015T963C/?tag=meetingcontin-20
• Top Holiday Deals & Frustration-Free Packaging in Toys : Shop our top holiday deals in Toys and find great savings on toys, games, puzzles, and more. Also save on toys in Frustration-Free Packaging. Say no to wrap rage- Amazon.com is now offering over 100 bestselling toys, electronics, and household items in easy-to-open Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging. They’re the same great products at the same great prices–just less packaging. http://www.amazon.com/Toys-Holiday-Event/b/?ie=UTF8&node=360960011&tag=meetingcontin-20
• Bestselling AT&T Phones from $.01 : Check out the incredible prices on AT&T devices. Upgrade to bestsellers like the BlackBerry Curve 8900 or the LG Xenon GR500 Phone for only a penny (with new service plan). http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html/?&docId=1000447551&tag=meetingcontin-20
• Extra Discounts on Magazine Subscriptions: Magazines make great gifts, and during December some are as low as $5 after instant discounts including Disney FamilyFun, Redbook, Country Living and more. http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html/?node=604932&tag=meetingcontin-20
• Save over 30% off the Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer: While supplies last, get the Canon PIXMA iP100 Mobile Photo Printer for only $169.99—that’s over 30% off! The rugged, compact iP100 Mobile Printer delivers remarkable quality and print-anywhere portability. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0012W9APQ?tag=meetingcontin-20
• Diamond Stud Earrings- Best Deals of the Season: ‘Tis the season for diamond studs. For a limited time, shop our best prices of the season on select diamond stud earrings sold by Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=2237565011&tag=meetingcontin-20
• Video Games- 18 Days, 18 Deals: Now is the time of year when anticipation builds more with each passing day. It’s also the time of year when Amazon Video Games has scores of fantastic deals happening all at once. There is no better way to celebrate the season than with a mashup of daily anticipation and fabulous deals! Starting Tuesday, December 1 and continuing for 18 consecutive days, Amazon Video Games will be featuring one new, terrific deal for your gaming pleasure. Quantities will be limited! http://www.amazon.com/b/?node=409566&tag=meetingcontin-20

It’s easy to get confused over some of the terms applied to macrophotography. Even the name itself is sometimes misunderstood. Macrophotography is not microphotography, which involves microfilm and other miniature images; nor is it photomicrography, which is taking pictures through a microscope. Nor, necessarily, is it close-up photography, which, strictly speaking, applies to a tight shot in cinematography. Macrophotography is generally the production of closeup photos, usually taken from a foot away or less. Because the terms macrophotography and close-up photography are nevertheless used interchangeably these days, I’ll do so in this blog. There are several other terms that cause confusion:

Magnification. In macrophotography, the amount of magnification is usually more important than how close you can get to your subject. For example, if you’re photographing a coin and want it to fill the frame, it makes little difference whether you shoot the coin using a 50mm lens from 4 inches away or with a 100mm lens from 8 inches away. Either one will produce the same magnification. Because of this, close-up images and the macro capabilities of cameras and lenses are usually described in terms of their magnification factor, rather than the camera/subject distance. Moderate close-ups may involve 1:4 or 1:3 magnifications. Larger-than-life-size images may involve 2:1 or 4:1 (or 2X or 4X) magnifications. The small stone carving in Figure 7.2 was photographed at approximately a 1:4 ratio.

Perspective. Subject distance does make a difference in terms of perspective, however. Although the same size image can be taken from farther away or closer to produce the same magnification, the apparent perspective of the image will change. Objects in a scene that are significantly closer to the lens than other objects will look larger and out of proportion. I’ll address this aspect in more detail later.

Backfocus. This is the tendency of some autofocus systems to focus behind the intended subject rather than spot on it. (Frontfocus errors also exist, but they are less common.) The phenomenon is not limited to macrophotography, but does tend to be more obvious in close-up shots. You can diagnose this problem by laying out a tape measure, photographing it on a slant with focus set on some mid-point, and then seeing if the point of focus is where it should be. Frequently, backfocus problems can be fixed by the camera’s vendor.

Depth-of-field/depth-of-focus. Depth-of-field is the range of a subject that appears acceptably sharp at a particular lens opening. Changing to a smaller f-stop increases depthof-field, while opening up a lens reduces it. Wide-angle lenses have more depth-of-field than telephoto lenses at the same magnification. Depth-of-focus is the amount you can increase the distance between the imaging sensor or film and the subject and still retain sharpness. Although often confused with depth-of-field, this term is most often applied to “fixed” setups where the sensor/film or flat subject is moveable, such as photoreproduction cameras or scanners.

You’re ready to start shooting close-ups. I’m ready to give you some helpful tips. Try these on for size as you shoot your first macros.

Focus carefully. Some cameras allow switching autofocus to a center-oriented mode or spot mode or let you choose which focus sensor to use. Use those features if your subject matter is indeed in the middle of the picture or somewhere within one of the focus zones. Or, switch to manual focus if your camera offers it. You might want to use aperture-priority mode and select the smallest f-stop available to increase the depth-of-field. And keep in mind what you learned about how depth-of-field is arranged: Two-thirds is allocated to the area in front of the plane of sharpest focus, and only one-third to the area behind it.

Watch alignment. If you’re shooting your subject head-on, check to make sure the back of the camera (where the sensor is located) is parallel to the plane in which your main subject lies. That’s the plane you’ll be focusing on and where the maximum amount of sharpness lies. If the camera is tilted in relation to the plane of the main subject, only part of the subject will be in sharp focus.

Stop that jiggle! If your subject is inanimate and you’re using a tripod, consider using your digital camera’s self-timer or remote control to trip the shutter after a delay of a few seconds. Even if you press the shutter release button cautiously, you may shake the camera a little. Under incandescent illumination with a small f-stop, your camera will probably be using a slow shutter speed that is susceptible to blurring with even a little camera shake. Use of the self-timer or remote control will let the camera and tripod come to rest.4.)

Stop, look, listen! Wait a few seconds after you hear the camera’s shutter click before doing anything. You might have forgotten that you’re taking a long time exposure of a couple seconds or more! The click might have been the shutter opening, and the camera may still be capturing the picture. If you have picture review turned on, wait until the shot shows up on the LCD before touching the camera.

Point-and-shoot digital cameras are ballyhooed as great close-up gear because the LCD display makes it easy to frame your photo accurately without fear of accidentally clipping off part of the image due to the parallax error difference between what the optical viewfinder sees and what the sensor actually captures. Yet, can you really view an image and check focus on an LCD with a 1.5-inch diagonal measurement?

I’ve used non-SLR digital cameras with generous 2.5- inch LCDs and worked with EVF cameras with decent-sized internal LCD viewfinders, and none of them were as good as the least expensive dSLR when it comes to framing and viewing an image.

If it seems as if shutter lag and other features of digital cameras were designed to make action photography difficult, the reverse is true for the macrophotographic realm. Many features built into every digital camera make these image grabbers ideal for taking close-up pictures. If you’ve been doing macrophotography with film cameras, a few sessions with a digital camera will convince you that digital technology is exactly what you’ve been waiting for.

Back panel LCDs are no picnic to use outdoors in bright sunlight, either. The image is often washed out and difficult to see. Although an increasing number of point-and-shoot cameras boast close focusing capabilities down to less than one inch, they really aren’t the ideal camera you’d choose for macrophotography.

On the other hand, dSLRs not only provide a big, bright look at what you’re shooting, you can press the depth-of-field preview to gauge the sharpness, too. Their zoom lenses focus close even at telephoto positions—something lacking in many snapshooter-oriented digital cameras, which work in macro mode only at the wide-angle setting.

Digital SLR autofocus is faster, and the lack of shutter lag means you can snap off a picture  the instant your dragonfly hovers into the field-of-view—not a second or two later. A dSLR is more likely to have an external flash connection than a non-dSLR, so your close-up lighting setups can be more sophisticated. There are special macro lenses and other close-up accessories like ringlights for digital SLRs that aren’t readily available for fixedlens cameras.

Many of the most enjoyable types of digital photography are, unhappily, seasonal. If you love to shoot baseball or football sports action, you’ll have to wait until baseball or football season kicks off. Should your passion be shooting autumn colors as the leaves change after summer’s end, you’ll have to wait until September and October of each year. Wildlife and nature photography isn’t impossible during the winter months, but it’s usually more exciting during the Spring. Architectural photos often look their best with leaves on the surrounding trees.

Weddings seem to proliferate in June. Just when you get really involved in a particular type of photography, the “season” for it ends. But close-up photography is a photographic pursuit you can enjoy all year long. Each April,
I’m out there chasing down blossoming flowers and looking for interesting bugs to capture on digital film. In July, I end up at the beach shooting shells and shore creatures. Come late September, I grab close-up shots of leaves. And during the long winters, I have my macro tabletop set up so I can shoot pictures of anything that captures my fancy. Indeed, close-up photography and portraits are what I photograph most during the cold months.

Those who own single lens reflex cameras suffer from a singular disease: Lens Lust. I didn’t make that term up. You’ll find references to Lens Lust all over the Internet, in user groups, and any gathering that includes two or more photographers. Lens Lust isn’t limited to digital SLRs;it infects anyone who owns a camera with removable lenses, including those of the film SLR and rangefinder persuasions.

I’ve fallen victim to it myself. I worked for two years as the manager of a camera store, and a hefty chunk of what I earned was diverted to my favorite vendor’s dealer personal purchase program, as well as to acquiring good used equipment brought to me for trade-in. I ended up with 16 different lenses for my 35mm SLR, including optics like 7.5mm and 16mm fish-eye lenses, a 35mm perspective-control lens, and other specialized lenses. Additional lens collections for my 120/220 SLR camera and Leica rangefinder followed.

These lenses served me well for a number of years and, in fact, should have been sufficient when I went all-digital because they could be used with my new dSLR, too. But then Lens Lust struck again. I wanted, needed newer lenses optimized for digital photography. My initial 27mm–105mm zoom (35mm equivalent), furnished with the camera, was soon supplemented by a 42mm–300mm (equivalent) zoom and an 18mm–36mm (equivalent) wide-angle zoom.

If enough of you buy this book, a better macro lens, another image-stabilized lens, and a 1.4X teleconverter will follow. Lens Lust is incurable.

Lens elements aren’t necessarily glass, in any case. Some very good lens elements can be made of plastic, and research into ceramic lens elements continues. If I happen to mention “glass” in this book, I’ll be referring to amorphous silica, not a lens. If I need a synonym to keep from using the word lens three times in one sentence, I’ll substitute optics, instead.