Ultra Cool Gadgets

The new Olympus E-3 is the flagship of its Digital SLR line and provides the high-precision performance demanded by professional and enthusiastic photographers. It combines speed and weatherproof durability for capturing exceptional images in any situation. Olympus pioneered Full Time Live View and Dust Reduction technologies for digital SLR cameras, leading where others have followed. Now, the new E-3 enhances those technical innovations and raises the performance bar with the fastest autofocus in the world. Body-Integrated Mechanical Image Stabilization to stabilize every lens, a 10-megapixel Live MOS image sensor to capture beautiful images, and a magnesium alloy body for dust-proof and splash-proof durability join the impressive innovations developed for the E-3.
The E-3’s AF system works in the blink of an eye to ensure you never miss a shot. When combined with the Zuiko Digital SWD ED 12-60mm lens, the E-3’s AF technology works at speeds unmatched by any other camera in the world. An 11-point full twin-cross AF sensor system produces tack sharp images. Dual sensing arrays on horizontal and vertical axes are arranged in a unique half pitch shifted pattern for ultimate precision. Critical auto focus functions are faster: processing speed, object capturing, and tracking performance. A dedicated data processing engine and a new AF algorithm rapidly handle sensor information. New pixel multiplication technologies gives the E-3 an AF luminescence range of -2 to 19 EV for better low light shooting.

Technical Details

* 10-megapixel Live MOS image sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch prints
* 2.5-inch Live View LCD display; magnify directly on the LCD by 5, 7, or 10x
* Mechanical Image Stabilization with Supersonic Wave Drive
* Exclusive dust-free technology for spot-free photos
* Capture images to CompactFlash Type I/II, Microdrive, xD-Picture Card (Dual-Slot)

Customer feedback:

1. Olympus made major improvements to their pro line in almost every facet– structural, design, robustness, lens and imaging performance. The SWD lens performance paired with this body is outstanding. The imaging sensor and processor are very good also. Noise levels are on par with the Digic3 processors from Canon. A fantastic buy, I highly recommend this camera for both professional and serious photo enthusiasts.

2. I mostly photograph wild birds, usually with a Zuiko 300mm f2.8 lens, often combined with a 2.0X teleconverter. It’s a lot of lens, but the E-3 handles it superbly. Quick, accurate focus. Terrific exposure control, even in automatic settings. Enough pixels that you can crop in post-processing without compromising quality. Rapid shooting, even in RAW mode. I’m a fairly serious photographer and this camera does everything I need. It even feels good in the hand. All this an in-camera image stabilization as well. The IS alone allows you to shoot hand-held with a long lens down to 1/250 second. It’s sturdy, too. The camera and lens set up spend most days clamped to a tripod, balanced on my shoulder, banging into shrubbery, or perched on rocks or in swamps. It’s amazingly solid. Unlike the E-500, the E-3 sports a true USB-2 connection, so downloads of photos are much quicker.

With its powerful guide number of 21, the SB-400 is an ideal flash unit for beginners in digital SLR photography, but it is also useful for hobbyists and professionals looking for a handy i-TTL flash unit offering an effortless bounce flash function. The SB-400 has been specifically developed to provide photographers with an entry-level external flash unit which is compatible with i-TTL flash operation. When combined with cameras that are compatible with the Nikon Creative Lighting System, the SB-400 is controlled in i-TTL and D40′s M (manual) mode.
The SB-400′s flash head can be tilted in 4 steps–horizontal, as well as 60, 75, and 90 degrees–and has a flash shooting distance range of between 60cm to 20m (depending on the camera’s ISO setting). Slow Sync, Red-eye Reduction and other flash modes can also be set on the camera body, enabling users to enjoy brighter and more natural lighting for better flash pictures.

Technical Details

* Compact, lightweight Speedlight unit
* 18mm angle of coverage with Nikon DX format digital SLR cameras
* Bounce capabilities in 4 steps up to 90 degrees; flash shooting distance range from 2 and up to 66 feet
* Approximate guide number of 98.4 feet at ISO 200 (at 18mm zoom head setting)

Customer feedback:

1. If you need a small flash that is a lot more powerful than the on-camera flash on your compatible Nikon camera, this is a great flash. More than anything, it’s a better than on-camera flash that also has bounce capability, which none of the on-camera flashes do. For me, it doesn’t replace a full-featured flash like and SB-800 or SB-600, but is a lot smaller and lighter for many times when you don’t need the big mama. It’s not powerful enough for instance to bounce if the ceiling is higher than 10 or 11 feet with lower ISO settings, where the SB-800 can still reach. I have found I don’t use it as often as I thought I would, but that’s really because I’ve not gotten into the habit of using a fill-flash as much as I should. That’s not the fault of the flash. It is fully automatic, which really means there’s nothing to set or control on this unit. If your camera isn’t compatible, basically this flash won’t work for you. If it is compatible, it works great and seamlessly. I use it with a D200, D70 and CP8400, and it works great with all of them.

2. I really like this flash unit. The reason is simple: it is small and unobtrusive. Most flashes add weight and bulk to a camera, and I often find myself deciding not to attach the outboard flash to my DSLR. This flash, by contrast, is small and barely noticeable on my D80 or D200. This is a no-frills flash that simply does its job and does it quite well. It supports Nikon’s excellent iTTL flash system. Granted, if you are shooting a wedding or some other professional engagement, this would not be the flash of choice; the SB600 or SB800 would do better. But for casual shooting where more than the built-in flash is needed, this unit is extremely nice to have. And of course by using this unit instead of the built-in flash of one’s camera, the user can get more shots from the camera since the flash does not drain the camera batteries.

The Canon EOS Digital Rebel camera now has a new, faster, even smaller big brother. Sibling rivalries aside, the 8.0-megapixel Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR adds resolution, speed, extra creative control, and enhanced comfort in the hand to one of the smallest and lightest digital cameras in its class. Even with its advancements in ergonomic design and technology, this easy-to-use EOS digital camera is compatible with all of Canon’s EF lenses, including the EF-S lenses.
While many of the feature advancements and innovations on the new EOS Digital Rebel XT digital camera are inherited from Canon’s EOS 20D “prosumer” SLR, the two cameras’ most striking technological similarities are their use of Canon’s newly developed large-single-plate, high-sensitivity, high-resolution color CMOS imaging sensor technology. While the size of the APS-C CMOS sensor on the EOS Digital Rebel XT SLR is fractionally smaller than the APS-C CMOS sensor on the EOS 20D camera (22.2 x 14.8 millimeters versus 22.5 x 15.0 millimeters, respectively) accounting in part for the cameras’ 8.0- vs. 8.2-megapixel resolution rating, individual pixel dimensions are identical, and they both provide the same effective angle of view, equivalent to 1.6x the normal EF lens focal length.

Technical Details

* 8.0-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
* Includes Canon’s EF-S 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 zoom lens
* DIGIC II Image Processor provides fast, accurate image processing; captures images at a rate of up to 3 frames per second
* Fast start-up time–.2 seconds
* Powered by rechargeable Lithium-ion battery

Customer feedback:

1. I spent three hours yesterday playing with the brand-new Canon Digital Rebel XT digital SLR camera, and man, was I impressed. By now you probably already know Canon makes some of the best digital cameras in the world. Even though I’m a Nikon shooter when it comes to d-SLR (sorry, loyal Canon shooters!), I own a couple Canon compact digital cameras and love them, too. The DR XT’s image quality is once again excellent. I took a few indoor shots with the camera, both with and without flash, and then the store clerk let me download them to their PC. The JPEG pictures (I didn’t try RAW) looked excellent on the Sony LCD screen, on par with the more expensive EOS 20D d-SLR. Color tones were accurate and the resolution was really good. The improvement picture quality over the original DR (“DR Classic”? BTW it’s now $200 cheaper) comes from both the 2 extra megapixels and the better color accuracy.

2. The XT is amazing. The battery comes partly charged so you can immedietly start using the camera (thank you Canon!) I’ve already shot about 200 pictures with it and the battery hasn’t died yet. I can’t give you a comparison between the XT and the 20D as I haven’t owned a 20D, I can tell you a few things you may wish to know before buying. This camera, is TINY. Extremely tiny. I’m a woman in my early twenties and I have small hands. The camera fits just right in my hands, but honestly, I don’t see how someone with bigger hands would be 100% comfortable holding this. If my hands were any larger, they would be slipping off the bottom.
I had tried holding a 20D at a camera shop once and it felt too large in my hands to grip. The camera size is perfect for me, but just beware if you have larger hands. You may want to look into the battery grip, or test out holding the camera at a store before you order it. See the picture I uploaded above to get a size relation and how the camera fits in my hands.

The Nikon Coolpix L11 combines an array of high-quality components, including a 3x Zoom-Nikkor lens and a bright 2.4-inch LCD screen, with in-camera image-improvement features, housed in lightweight, compact, yet elegantly finished bodies. It boasts a powerful 3x Zoom-Nikkor lenses with a focal range equivalent to that of a 38-116mm (35mm equivalent), providing the freedom to zoom in for tight personal portraits or out to capture expansive outdoor scenes.
The Coolpix L11 also features 15 specially-programmed modes to automatically handle focus, exposure, white balance and other adjustments that help you take great pictures easily. The CCD delivers higher performance within tighter dimensions, greatly adding to the camera’s compact form and portability while offering a generous effective megapixel value of 6.0, ensuring the refined image clarity that users have come to expect from other members of the Coolpix family.

Technical Details

* 6.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 14 x 19-inch prints
* 3x optical zoom; 2.4-inch Super Bright LCD display
* Face-Priority AF automatically focuses on faces
* D-Lighting improves brightness and detail
* Powered by 2 AA-size batteries; stores images on SD memory cards

Customer feedback:

This is a great camera. I have used and owned several cameras, including three Canons (all great), a Panasonic (not so great), and now this one. This is what I wanted in a camera, things I think all of us are looking for:
1) Price – I was looking for a camera around $[...]. This narrows the field considerably.
2) Picture quality – Obviously, this is why you buy a camera. I would never buy a camera from a company that isn’t famous for them, such as Samsung. I compared the Nikon L11 to the Canon A550/560 since these two are really the best budget buys out there.
3) Size, AA batteries, SD card – all these features make for a great an inexpensive camera to use. The Canon is too bulky too comfortably put in your pant pockets.
4) Speed – this is also essential. Nothing is more annoying than a snapshot camera without the “snap”.