The consequences of the Dpreview / Amazon takeover

Amazon.com has purchased Dpreview.com on the 14th May 2007 and it will be interesting to see if the reviews by Phil and his team are NOT biased and are editorially independent from AMAZON. Imagine after a few month of Dpreview under the CONTROL of Amazon management. Who is really in control? Who controls what can be said? Who controls the final content? Who controls what can be reviewed? AMAZON that's who. Amazon will use the creditability of Phil Askey to promote or demote products according to who pays the biggest advertising dollars.

Is Phil still able to write a genuine negative review on a new camera when the manufacturer pays Amazon.com big advertising dollars? I do not think so. The big corporations have taken over the site so that more profits can be made. Phil is just an employee with a JOB. His job description is to write in-depth reviews for Dpreview.com unless otherwise instructed by Amazon.

I do not see big changes for the first 6 months, however by the end of the year when Christmas shopping begins, there will be changes.

Bye bye Dpreview.

Canon Excel in 2007 First Quarter

The first quarter financial results in 2007 looks very healthy for Canon and this was expected. Here's what they say in the first Quarter report for 2007.

“Looking back at the global economy in the first quarter of 2007, economic expansion was fairly steady despite brief concern over the economic impact of such factors as the global downturn in stock prices. The U.S. economy continued to display growth, supported by healthy employment conditions and healthy consumer spending, despite a decrease in housing investment and a moderate slowdown in corporate capital investment.

In Europe, while exports appeared somewhat sluggish due to the appreciation of the euro, the region indicated a trend toward moderate recovery as domestic demand expanded in major European countries, boosted by such factors as increased consumer spending owing to improvements in the employment environment. Within Asia, the Chinese economy maintained a high growth rate while other economies in the region also enjoyed generally favorable conditions. In Japan, the economy maintained a trend toward recovery thanks to such factors as increased capital spending fueled by strong corporate performances and gradual improvements in consumer spending.

As for the markets in which the Canon Group operates, within the camera segment demand for digital single-lens-reflex (SLR) cameras and compact digital cameras continued to realize healthy growth during the quarter.”

" Within the camera segment, demand for digital SLR cameras fueled growth, with the EOS DIGITAL REBEL XTi model, launched in September 2006, selling particularly well which, in turn, led to expanded sales of interchangeable lenses for SLR cameras. Sales of compact digital cameras also continued to expand steadily with healthy demand for the PowerShot SD800 IS model launched in October 2006, which features the DIGIC III image processor. The company strengthened its lineup of compact digital cameras with 6 new models in 2007, including two stylish ELPH-series models and four PowerShot-series models that cater to a diverse range of shooting styles."



Source

Phantom Miro 3 - 2200 frames per second

Now here is a rugged camera, the Phantom Miro 3. Although it has a low resolution of 0.26 mega pixels, it has a super quick frame rate of 2200 frames per second!

The camera was revealed by Vision Research, their first member in a new line of Phantom high-speed digital cameras at the NAB in Las Vegas, Nevada, (16 - 19 April 2007) and SAE World Congress in Detroit, Michigan (16-19 April 2007), .

The Phantom® Miro line is a compact, light-weight, rugged family of cameras targeted at industrial applications ranging from biometric research to automotive crash testing.

The first member of the family, the Phantom Miro 3, is optimized for applications such as Hydraulically Controlled, Gas Energized (HYGE) crash simulations used in the automotive industry. Rated to survive 100g acceleration (WOW!) this rugged camera can take 512 x 512 images at up to 2200 frames-per-second (fps).

Reduce the resolution to 32 x 32 and achieve frame rates greater than 95,000 fps. With an ISO rating of 4800 (monochrome, saturation-based ISO 12232), the camera has the light sensitivity for the most demanding applications. With shutter speeds as low as 2 microseconds, the user can freeze objects in motion, eliminate blur, and bring out the image detail needed for successful motion analysis.

The camera accepts any standard 1" C-mount lens.Selectable 8-, 10- or 12-bit pixel depth allows the user to choose the dynamic range that best meets the demands of the application.

The Miro 3 has a number of external control signals allowing for external triggering, camera synchronization, and time-stamping. The camera has both dynamic RAM and internal flash memory for non-volatile storage. Internal battery power allows the camera to be used in an un-tethered mode and ensures data survivability in case of loss of power.

The camera ships with a trial version of Image Systems' TEMA Starter for Phantom motion analysis software.

Specifications

Key Features :
Resolution: 512 x 512
Frame rate: 2200 fps at 512x512 (0.26 mega pixels), >95,000 fps at 32x32
Minimum exposure: 2 microseconds
Sensitivity: 4800 ISO monochrome, 1200 ISO color (ISO 12232)
Built-in memory: 1GB or 2GB (optional)
Integrated flash memory: 2GB or 4GB (optional)
Pixel bit-depth: 8-bits standard, 10- & 12-bits optional
Record time: (max resolution, standard configuration) 16.3 seconds at 500 fps
Camera control: 10/100 Ethernet
Camera signals: Trigger, Strobe/IRIG out, Ready, Sync, IRIG in
Video out: PAL & NTSC
Lensing: 1" C-mount
Size: 4.3" x 2.6" x 3.2" (W x D x H); 11cm x 6.5cm x 8 cm
Weight: 2.0 lbs, 0.9 kg
Power: 20-32VDC, 12W
Battery: Poly-Lithium

Source

New Sony Alpha's

I'm not sure how long before Sony will announce the release of the next generation Alphas'. That's right, there seems to be two new upcoming models. Does this mean Double the Trouble for Canon and Nikon?

Anyhow, the two new models will be categorized as follows:

1. A High End Amateur Model - This model is marketed to advanced amateurs seeking higher performance and more specifications than the A100. It has a newly developed image sensor, BIONZ processor and integrated Super SteadyShot.

When you look at the pictures below, this model will not have a spring loaded flash and has to be raised manually like Konica Minolta Maxxum 5D/7D series. As it is based on the Minolta maxxum range, it will be very similar in size to Minolta 7D. It appears to have electronic wireless remote capability, spot/area/center weighted metering selector (focus area selector is not present on the multifunction joystick/pad). As for memory, it takes both CF and memory stick cards. Other buttons present includes DOF, AEL, AF/MF, Super-Steady-Shot, Function, C, 2 multifunction dials, 1 multifunction thumb dial, viewfinder diopter adjustment dial, S/A/C/MF focus selector, IR sensor, Mode dial, ISO button, WB button; LCD buttons - menu, LCD mode, delete, play; and some others.

2. A Flagship Model for Professional Photographer - This professional model is marketed to meet the performance and specification requirements of professional photographer. Again it has a newly developed image sensor, BIONZ processor and integrated Super SteadyShot

It has very similar controls to the high end amateur model except for a couple of extra buttons such as Drive which goes through single, bracket, continuous), no picture modes except for standard M/S/A/P (free space on the dial is likely to be replaced by programmable "memory" modes). Based on the analysis of the pictures, Sony has made only minor changes to the exterior and it looks closer to the Minolta 7000. I'm sure the internals will be awesome. Some say Full frame? We'll see.





























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Film versus Digital Resolution

Here is an interesting diagram by ClarkVision which depicts his research on the correlation in mega pixels between the different 35mm films at variable ISO levels.

He says:

"While my research is preliminary, it does seem to agree with what people are saying, and because people look at different things (image smoothness versus spatial detail), it shows there is a lot of room for interpretation."



It is the second diagram (see below) that's really interesting as he tries to correlate film resolution against the different DSLR on the market. Based on his diagram, the sensors in some DSLR camera, notably the Canon 1Ds mark II have already exceeded the resolution in film.



Source: ClarkVision