The Worst Camera Review

A review by CNET in the UK about a camera combat between the Camera phones, a digital compact camera and a digital DSLR has to be the worst review I have ever read. In fact the review is more like a primary school project and I think this is where it is aimed.

In this review they compare the picture quality between the camera phones: the Nokia 6300, Sony Ericsson K810i, Nokia N95 against the digital compact camera; the Canon IXUS 70 against a DSLR camera; the Canon 400D. Both normal and low light were compared for visual appearance only.

Although the conclusion was that the Canon 400D came out on top, the Nokia N95 was not that far behind. I hope people do not use this as a true review but as a negative control on what NOT to read.

Have a laugh at these quotes:

"colours came out fairly balanced if not a little yellow, but that's probably due to the lighting in the room."

".. but the shot came out a little blurry, which may have been due to moving our hands slightly when we took the shot."



Source

Stop Fungus from Damaging your Lens

Do you have fungus growing inside your lens? Have you ever looked through your camera lens recently? With the aperture wide open, and you see tiny growth which is the mycelium or structure of the fungi.

You see fungi grow in all condition but thrive in areas where there is particularly low water activity where bacterial microorganisms cannot compete. Over time, the fungi excrete secondary metabolites which etched the surface of the lens rendering it useless.

The best remedy is keeping the lens in a cool dry place. Here are some further recommendations to further reduce the risks:

Keep your lenses in a dry, cool place.

If you use your equipment in damp or humid environments, let it dry as soon as you return into a drier room.

Never leave your equipment in a closed (splash proof) camera bag when it need not be there. Leather lens cases are known to be especially bad, because leather is a natural product where fungi can grow before they proceed on to the lens. Synthetic materials are better, however there is no guarantee that it will be free of fungus.

As the majority of lens changes its length when focusing or zooming, outside air is sucked in and out during usage. In humid or moist environment, the insides of the lens may experience an increase in moisture or high water activity which is enough for any potential moulds spore to germinate given the right conditions. To ensure the optimum condition is created, an ideal way is to zoom the lens back and forth several times in a dry room or a room with very low moisture such as an air conditioned room prior to putting the lens or camera away. This is to replace moist air with dry air thereby creating an environment unfavorable for moulds to grow.

If you store your equipment in a sealed airtight case, adding a small bag of silica gel or other water absorbent material may help reduce moisture. You will need to monitor its status which is usually indicated by change color of the silica gel) regularly. As soon as the gel shows signs of saturation with water, it should be replaced or re-activated (heating to remove excess moisture) dried.

The ideal relative humidity to keep their lenses is roughly below 55%. Note, if you go below 30%, the lubricants in the lenses (diaphragm, focus, and zoom mechanisms) might dry out faster than you like. The ideal temperature would probably be around 20 – 25 degrees Celsius or 68 degrees Fahrenheit (Room temperature)

The Digital Camera Market in 2006

Here are some interesting facts for 2006 for digital cameras. According to Reuters, Canon has topped the market share in global digital camera shipments in 2006, however South Korea's Samsung Electronics jumped up the ranks to 5th place from 9th a year ago. Nikon is ranked 6th in the world.

Tokyo-based Canon shipped 19.7 million digital cameras in 2006 which accounted for 18.7 percent of the overall market. Canon's shipments jumped 23.3 percent from 2005.

In total, the Industry wide digital camera shipments in 2006 rose 14.5 percent to 106 million units from a year earlier. This was driven by the strong popularity of Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras. DSLR shipments grew 39 percent to 5 million units last year.

Sony Corp was No. 2 in the market with a 15.8 percent share, up from 15.2 percent in 2005. This was helped with the introduction into the DSLR market with the Alpha A100.

Eastman Kodak which is the only U.S. Company among the top five digital camera makers, ranked third with 10 percent, a drop from its 14.2 percent share a year earlier. This could be due to their exit of the DSLR market a few years ago.

Olympus Corporation came in fourth with a market share of 8.6 percent, down 9.8 percent in 2005.

The big winner in 2006 was Samsung, who displaced Nikon and became the fifth-largest seller of digital cameras in the world. Samsung has expanded its market share to 7.8 percent in 2006 which is a huge jump from the 3.8 percent it had a year earlier.

Nikon Corporation, the world’s second-biggest maker of professional cameras (DSLR) after Canon, ranked No. 6 in the overall digital camera market with a 7.6 percent market share in 2006.

Digital SLR Market
Canon also dominated the booming DSLR market, securing a 46.7 percent share in 2006, with its shipments rising 30.7 percent from a year earlier. But its share was trimmed from the 49.5 percent it had in 2006 amid increased competition from rivals.

Nikon cemented the No. 2 position in DSLRs with a 33 percent market share. Its shipments jumped 35.9 percent with the introduction of successful models such as the Nikon D50, D70s, D80 and the D200.

Sony, which purchased the DSLR unit of Konica Minolta Holdings, shipped 326,240 DSLRs in 2006, accounting for 6.2 percent of the market. A great result after being in the market for under a year.

Nikon Reliance on China Increases

It looks like Nikon will be sourcing more parts from China for its current and future digital cameras. By establishing Nikon International Trading (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd in China in March 2007, China will become a major supplier of parts and components for imaging products, including digital cameras, with improved quality control and more timely delivery. Operations will commence on April 1, 2007.

The International Procurement Office, established as a part of Nikon Hong Kong Ltd. in 1998, has played a role in Nikon's procurement strategy to expand its business steadily. Nikon foresees the need for improved management of an increasing number of parts procured in China, as well as increased quality assurance and improved delivery times as part of their imaging business production strategy.

It is for these reasons that Nikon has established this wholly owned international procurement subsidiary as a base for procurement operations in China.

According to Nikon management, the establishment of the local Chinese subsidiary will help to advance their production strategy, allowing them to provide high-quality products that respond even better to the users' needs, thus enhancing Nikon's already significant market presence.

Company Overview

Name Nikon International Trading (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.

Address 7th Floor, Tower A, Shenzhen Zhongtianyuan Logistics Centre
Taohua Rd., Futian Free Trade Zone, Shenzhen 518038, China

Capital US$500,000 (approx. ¥55,000,000; 100% from Nikon Corporation)

Representative Yasuaki Ishiguro, Director & General Manager

Employees Approximately 35 at outset

Primary operations Procurement and wholesale of parts and components for imaging products, testing and inspection of products, parts, and components, and technical guidance