A few days ago, we featured the Digital Rebel XTi. While there is yet to be any official word from Nikon US, Canon China's site has given us a peak at the said camera (known in China as Canon EOS 400D digital SLR camera, and in Japan as EOS Kiss Digital). This camera is said to feature a 10.0 MP sensor (APS-C 1.6x crop), anti-dust design for sensor cleaning, 9 point autofocus system and a buffer for 10 RAW images or 27 JPEGs.

The camera also sports a 2.5" LCD with 230K pixels, 1/200 sec flash sync, and boasts of shooting 3 frames per second. While its being a 35mm digital camera is but a speculation at this point, it is also reported to have a 1600 ISO setting, DIGIC II processor, and the Canon EF lens mount, which apparently is for the two new lenses (the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, and the EF 70-200mm f/4L USM). For this camera, CompactFlash format is retained by Canon for memory storage.

Every photographer knows that even the tiniest speck in the camera lens can prove disastrous in any photograph. With this issue in mind, Canon produced their own version of a dust-shaking camera. Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi SLR camera uses a Self Cleaning Sensor Unit to shake that dust away from the camera. It uses ultrasonic vibrations to shake dust off of the surface that keeps the low pass filter in front of the camera’s sensor clean. These ultrasonic vibrations can be activated for one second each time the camera is turned on or off, or via a command in the menu.

The dust that shakes loose from the camera is then captured into an adhesive strip so it won't float back onto the filter. Of course this technology doesn't guarantee a 100% dust-free camera lens, but in case that a speck or two remains, users can activate the Dust Delete Data function. This maps the size and place of any remaining dust, and the mapping information is attached as metadata to subsequent photos. Users can apply the dust delete function after they transfer the photos to a computer which subtracts the dust image from the photo.

The 10.1 megapixel EOS Digital Rebel XTi will be available in mid-September for the price of $899, which already includes a zoom lens kit. This model is Canon's latest offering right after releasing the EOS Kiss.

Two models after its launch on September 2003, Canon Inc. came up with the third entry-level to its single-lens reflex (SLR) digital camera lineup. Dubbed as EOS Kiss Digital X, the new camera is showing some sweetness already.

Combined with high-precision rapid auto focus action, the new model offers better image quality with 10.1 mln-pixel and 2.5-inch liquid crystal monitor.

With the additions and improvements to the new model, Japan's biggest digital camera maker expects to grab 45% share of the domestic SLR camera market by December. Executive-in-charge of Photographic Products Tomonori Iwashita said in a press conference, "We want to step up our efforts to provide a camera with rapid, comfortable functions and high-definition images."

Canon expects to sell 2.2 million units of SLR digital cameras this year.

Want to turn your Canon IXUS into a microscope capable of photography? Well it seems that the guys over at X-Loupe thought of the same thing. They recently produced the X-Loupe PRO, an attachment compatible with the Canon IXUS digital camera.

This contraption is actually a mini-microscope, and when attached to your IXUS, has the capability to take 5-megapixel pictures or even videos. Its LED lens ring gives you the freedom to adjust the light on your subject depending on your taste. Moreover, you could preview your shots by connecting the IXUS to your TV, so you could share your pictures instantly to friends and family. Its battery lasts for about four hours, or approximately 150 pictures.

The X-Loupe PRO comes in 60X, 100X and 150X lens, and you could get it with the Canon IXUS online for US$1449. Not bad for something that could be used both for creative and educational purposes.

So go ahead. Satisfy your curiosity for all things little (or big) with the X-Loupe PRO and Canon IXUS.

Canon has cameras for all sorts of people- cheapskates, photography aficionados, the middle-class consumer...and so on. Some could go as low as $200, while there would be those that would leave a $5000 dent in your bank account. But a more expensive camera could only mean that it takes crisper and better pictures than its cheaper brothers, right?

Well, judging from these pictures, that seems to be not the case. Photography aficionado, J. Vincent, decided to conduct a little experiment to see if the more costly and feature-packed Canon camera is really better at capturing objects and moments than the less expensive ones.

So what he did was he took pictures of a hot tub (sans the people, so don't overstimulate your imagination!) in various techniques. The two cameras that will be compared are the Canon S3 which has a $420-$480 price tag, and the Canon 5D which could cost you $3200 bucks without the lens and $4600 if you'd equip it with 100-400mm IS lens.

The results, well, see for yourself. If you ask me, I don't see much of a difference. Big waste of Benjamins? Well, let's hope not, for the sake of the consumers. To better compare the two Canon contraptions, the pictures from both cameras were  resized to 1280 pixels wide (which is common for emails and HD viewing), and 960 pixels tall. There were also full size crops from each camera and the pictures were also detailed at 300%. Go ahead and judge the pics and tell us your piece of mind.

  

 

This little project will be of interest mainly to owners of the Canon EOS 300D Digital Rebel camera, but the methods and ideas used in the build can be applied to other projects and adapted to be used with other digital cameras as well.

While I would not recommend trying this to your average person, tinkerers and dedicated photography enthusiasts should be able to get something out of this how- to whether they actually attempt to build the remote or are simply reading the instructions to learn something new and get ideas.

Using components that can be found easily at local stores like Radio Shack, you can create a versatile remote shutter controller for your Canon 300D for little outlay of cash.

You might even already have some of the parts needed laying around at home or find them inside some of the outdated electronics you no longer intend to use.

By making your own, as opposed to buying one from Canon or another commercial supplier, you can save yourself some money, and create a controller that best suits your own needs.

Why pay for features you don't need or miss out on the functions you do need? Add functions where you need them and remove the ones you don't.

Professional photographers and even non pros can benefit from the ideas contained in this how- to. So get your tools ready and be creative, you never know what useful mods you might end up with!

In a never ending search for great resources on Digital Photography, I recently came across this one: The Digital Picture.  Now I'm a Canon guy, and it slants that way, so it suits my 'lifestyle'.  If you're from the Nikon camp, you might like to check out Nikonians. 

There's a great section with detailed reviews on just about every lens you could imagine (for a Canon SLR body).  Their reviews and ratings track very closely with preferences and suggestions that pro photographer friends of mine have made.  So I'll assume they're pretty spot-on here.

You can also find some nice tips for shooting, and understanding what your camera is actually doing.  All in all it's a very nice collection of information about Digital Photography.  Whether you're Canon or not, it's worth a peek and a read.

The Japanese imaging conglomerate, Canon, recently confessed that they are looking at the possibility of halting the development and manufacturing of compact and single lens reflex (SLR) film models because the demands for both are getting smaller and smaller. Instead of allocating time and money for film cameras, they are planning on shifting their attention and resources to improve their existing digital models and develop new digital camera innovations.

Canon said that they would continue producing and selling current film camera models and that the final decision will be made while monitoring market demand.

This is another nail in the coffin of film. Earlier, Kodak announced that they are increasing their film prices. Recently, Nikon Corporation announced that it would stop producing most of its film cameras with the exception of a handful of professional products. Months ago, Konica Minolta Holdings bid farewell to the camera and photo film markets due to low demand and stiff competition.

With these at hand, it doesn't take a genius to realize that the film camera market have been shrinking to alarming levels in the past years because of the convenience and popularity offered by digital cameras. Film photography is definitely suffering a slow but sure demise.

After looking at the picture, you'd think that the Canon PowerShot S3 IS is more like a clone of its predecessor the S2. It may not be revolutionary, but more of evolutionary.

Additional features on the S3 not available on the S2 are:

New sensor (6MP versus 5MP)

Higher maximum sensitivity (ISO 800)

Bigger LCD screen (2.0-inch versus 1.8-inch)

New Sports mode

Record Histogram

Widescreen shooting mode (stills)

Fractionally larger and heavier

Another obvious difference is the color. A gunmetal grey PowerShot says "professional" more than a silver PowerShot says many. Before rushing to the store and buying anything, make sure this is really what you need. Retail price for the Canon PowerShot S3 Is is in at $480 USD.

Wow, what a great idea!  Rent lenses by mail through RentGlass.com.  Right now they only offer Canon lenses, but Nikon lenses should be available anytime now - or 'Spring 2006', as the site says.  It looks like lenses start as low as $17 for a single week and $51 is the highest.  Obviously, higher end lenses cost more than the cheaper lenses.  And if you rent for 2 or 3 weeks, the per week cost is slightly discounted.

The renter pays the shipping each way - which is automatically insured - on top of the rental cost.  While lens bodies are said to show typical wear, the optics are guaranteed to be flawless.  Currently the site is all first come, first served, so there's no way to really schedule a specific time period to secure a lens.  I don't have anything to compare it against, so I can't say if the costs and setup are good or not, but it all sounds fair enough.  A great way to try before you buy, if you ask me.  I've got my eye on a couple I'd like to try out before I shell out big bucks for new glass.