When the sky darkens, take out your camera

I am not crazy enough to risk my dSLR's longevity by shooting in the rain, but the people at Think Tank apparently think otherwise. If not, they wouldn't have engineered the Hydrophobia. Designed to be attached to the lens, just pull the raincover over the camera body and snap away when the rain clouds start gathering. Although there are alternatives out there, the Hydrophobia is seam-sealed for an added peace of mind. The strategically placed clear plastic covers enable you to view your LCD display. But what I really don't get about rain covers is why they come in different colors but never in all clear plastic?

So if you enjoy shooting wildlife and are willing to spend days on end waiting for your shot, or simply love capturing the rain, you can buy the Hydrophobia online for US$150. (Rain jacket for you not included!)

Sony debuts two feature-packed shooters

If you have an insatiable appetite for cameras loaded with features, the two latest offerings from Sony might just satisfy your cravings. The Cyber-shot DSC-W300 succeeds the W200, while the Cyber-shot DSC-H50 takes over the H9.

The W-series of cameras are known for performance in a compact form and the W300 definitely lives up to this name. Clad in a titanium-coated body, the 13.6-megapixel shooter boasts an "extra high speed" burst mode that allows you to shoot 3-megapixel pictures at a rate of 5 frames per second. This is one of the fastest shooting rates (considering the image resolution) we've seen in a compact camera. However, the 3x optical zoom is a tad disappointing when most compact point-and-shoot units now come with a 5x zoom lens.

The 9.1-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-H50 gives the photographer more creative freedom with extensive controls over exposure and color balance. The 15x zoom lens will bring faraway subjects closer and, coupled with a shutter that goes up to ¼,000th of a second, this camera is ideal for capturing sports. Also, get creative with your shooting angles using the 3-inch tilting LCD screen.

Both models also have the D-Range Optimizer (DRO) plus, a feature first seen in a compact like the Cyber-shot DSC-T300. The DRO plus automatically applies an image-correction algorithm when a picture is taken in a high-contrast condition. This will bring out more highlight/shadow details in the picture while still retaining overall exposure. The popular Carl Zeiss lens still makes a presence in these two cameras, as well as the usual features of face detection, smile shutter and intelligent scene recognition.

The W300 is priced at US$350 and the H50 at US$400. They will be available in the Asia-Pacific region at the end of April. Keep a watch on this space as we will update their availability and pricing as soon as we get the information.

New Lumix cameras coming your way soon

It looks like four of the new Lumix cameras announced at the recent PMA tradeshow in Las Vegas will be making its debut in Singapore very soon.

Enter the new FS family, designed to cater to shooters looking for ease of use when operating a camera. The FS3 (S$399) and FS5 (S$499) will sport manual shutter speed and aperture controls for you to exercise your creativity.

The LZ8 (S$349) and LZ10 (S$449) have certain similar features to the two new FS-camera, but run on two x AA batteries instead.

The LCD on all four cameras will adjust its brightness according to the environment you are in, so you won't have to squint when looking at the screen under the sun.

Though there may not seem to be any major upgrades, it is still worthwhile to keep a lookout for them. After all, all Lumix cameras come with the legendary Leica optics while the ease of use of the camera, has won them a share of followers.

According to Panasonic, these four shooters will be available by February. For readers outside Singapore, we'll try to update you when we get specific dates.

Be hip. Be square.

For those who love the square picture format, they often have to rely on their imagination when framing the picture before shooting, and crop it afterward on the computer. Well, there is a limit to our imagination, and frankly speaking, I won't want to think too hard when taking a shot.

Recently launched, the Ricoh R8 houses a 10-megapixel sensor and much more. Allowing you to shoot in 1:1 ratio aspect (that's square for you) is just a teaser of what else is available. You can also do in-camera editing like cropping or fine-tuning the brightness and contrast of your image. Sometimes we are not sure if a shot will look better in black-and-white, sepia or normal color. The color bracketing function lets you capture a shot and display it in the three different color modes to choose from.

With a 7.1x optical zoom lens covering from 28-200mm (35mm equivalent), this camera can easily tackle the problem of taking group shots in tight spaces or just to bring the subject closer to you by zooming in. The usual fare of face detection and multiple scenes mode are also part of the package.

The R8 should be on shelves for S$599 (US$440.44) by March 7 in Singapore. For elsewhere in Asia, check with your local retailers regarding availability at your area.

Chains and speeds up your downloading process

For the more serious photographer who uses a dSLR, the Delkin Image Router will be a great addition to his gear. It can read multiple CF (Compact Flash) cards in a single go, and transfer all the data on the cards to the computer via USB 2.0.

Ok, even though I don't even fill up one CF media when I shoot, I think this will be a good device to use after you come back from a shooting trip. For press photographers, I guess this will be even more popular as multiple parties can download their images to the computer. If you really have a lot to transfer, you can link up to three Image Routers together and do a simultaneous transfer of up to 12 cards!
However, you have to use an optional software, BackupAndBurn, to download your images. This software can rename your files as you download, or even sort out the different file formats you've shot to allocated folders.

I'd like to see an SD (Secure Digital) card version out soon, because most of our compact point-and-shoot use that. If not, I guess this will make for an expensive accessory to display and brag about. For about US$150, you get the Image Router itself, or for US$249 you have it bundled with BackupAndBurn. The Image Router will start to ship in April, and can be purchased online.

Filed under:  Digital Cameras
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