Archive for DSLR – Page 2

Go Silver with Pentax Limited Edition Silver K-5 AND Three DA Silver Lenses

DSLRs often come in black. And so if you are the type of person who is allergic to black, then you wouldn’t be interested in getting one of these latest digital gadgets. And chances are you’d stick to your old yet reliable point-in-shoot camera that comes in various colors, including your favorite which is silver. But have you seen shots taken by a DSLR? They’re fantastic, right? And for sure, you’d wish that there’s a silver DSLR available. But wish no more because Pentax recently announced that they are launching a limited edition silver K-5 and three DA silver lenses. Excited? Then, read more.

PENTAX Imaging Company certainly knows how to innovate and so this time their newest product is designed with the silver lovers in mind. Yes, it’s the first time you’ll see a Pentax DSLR in silver, including its mode dial, control buttons, and levers. But aside from the original external color, the K-5 Silver is also made tougher with its redesigned grip and shock-resistant, scratchproof reinforced glass on the rear LCD and top status panels. So with these added features, you get to enjoy improved handling, which is really very important for DSLR users like you.

Now, apart from the camera, PENTAX will also offer three popular PENTAX DA Limited Edition Silver Lens models designed for use with PENTAX digital SLR cameras. These include the smc PENTAX-DA 21mm F3.2 AL Limited Silver, smc PENTAX-DA 40mm F2.8 Limited Silver, and smc PENTAX-DA 70mm F2.4 Limited Silver.

This limited edition PENTAX K-5 Silver will be out in the near future. So watch out for it. For now, check out these PENTAX K-5 options at Amazon.

 

Hold Your Rig Firmly With The Gorillapod Focus

Professional photographers like you sure need a tripod that will support your big rig and won’t tie you down. It is because of this that Joby comes up with Gorillapod Focus with Ballhead X. It comes with aluminum socket and firm rubber grips that can support up to 5 kg. (11 lbs.) camera. Yes, you can enjoy here all the stability of professional tripod without costing and weighing that much. This tripod comes with wrappable and flexible legs enabling you to support and secure equipment in just about any surface. This means you can take shots you never could before.

The Gorillapod Focus is outfitted with aluminum sockets and first-rate injection molded thermoplastic to ensure snug joints that remains stable even after a lot of work and action. Its ring and foot grips are rubberized for enhanced stability even on difficult terrain. It also includes permanent universal ¼” tripod screw and 3/8” adapter screw which lets you mount cameras and professional tripod heads. You can directly attach the Focus to your camera or you can utilize it with the Joby Ballhead X, which is specifically made for the Focus.

What’s good about the Focus is it can accommodate video cameras and professional cameras with big zoom lenses. The legs of this tripod are made up of machined aluminum with anodized gunmetal finish. The plastic components are no ordinary; they are composed of high-quality Japanese ABS plastic instead. So what are you waiting for? Pre-order Joby GP8-BHEN Gorillapod Focus with Ballhead X bundle or get a Joby BH2-01EN Ballhead X for Joby Focus Flexible Tripod now and start capturing life’s precious moments and the beauty around you.

Sony Alpha DSLR-A290

If you love the Alpha A230, you sure will appreciate the Alpha A290 more. This new Alpha model comes with a body similar to the A290 but it has a more traditional grip that makes it more comfortable. The A290 is based on a Sony Bionz Image processor and an APS-C sized 14.2 effective megapixel image sensor. The said sensor is positioned on a moveable platter which provides it with its in-body SteadyShot image stabilization capability. With the unit’s optical viewfinder, it becomes capable of shooting at 2.5 frames per second. It also includes the company’s anti dust system which is made up of low-charge coating over the sensor. To remove dust, you just have to use the sensor shift mechanism.

The Alpha A290 comes with a very simple design. Its interface has fewer rear-panel buttons and it comes with a GUI design with extensive settings which is available via the LCD display. Also, this camera comes equipped with a pentad dach-mirror TTl optical viewfinder with 95% coverage, 0.83x magnification, -2.5 to +1.0m-1 diopter correction and a 16.5mm eyepoint. On the camera’s rear panel is a 2.7” LCD display with 230,400 dots of resolution. It offers five-step manual brightness control and live view capability.

Moreover, the Sony Alpha A290 is outfitted with a nine-point autofocus system with sensitivities ranging from ISO 100 (minimum) to ISO 3,200 (maximum) and shutter speeds range from 1/4000 to 30 seconds plus bulb. Metering is also achieved, thanks to the unit’s 40-segment honeycomb SPC. Sony has also equipped the A290 with Dynamic Range Optimization, built-in auto popup flash, as well as hot shoe for external flash strobes. Since this unit will be available in July, you can go for its predecessor, the Sony A230, which is available at Amazon.

The SD15 Digital SLR Re-announced!

The SD15 Digital SLR camera, the latest model included in the SD Series, was re-announced by Sigma Corporation last February 21, 2010. It was originally announced at the 2008 Photokina Trade Show, first showcasing it as the successor to the SD14.

After two years, the SD15 Digital SLR Camera is re-introduced to the market, boasting great features such as a 14MP Foveon X3 sensor, the same True II processor as the latest DPx models, and a larger 3.0″ 460k dot LCD. The 14 megapixel Foveon X3 direct image sensor can capture all primary RGB colors, so you can expect your photos to have really high color quality. Meanwhile, the True II image processing engine will provide high resolution power and reproduce high definition images. And with its larger 3.0″ 460k dot LCD, design is even made more user-friendly.

But the SD15′s features do not end there. Other features include SD card compatibility, ISO 100-1600 (50-3200 extended) sensitivity, and 21 shot raw buffer at 3fps and 5 frame auto bracketing for HDR-enthusiasts. And since most DSLRs are susceptible to dust entering the body, the SD15 mount is equipped with a dust protector and incorporated with sealing parts.

As for the SD15′s optional accessories, you have over 45 Sigma lenses such as ultra-wide, ultra-telephoto, macro and fisheye. You can also get dedicated flashguns (EF-530 DG SUPER, EF-530 DG ST and EM-140 DG) which offer fully automatic S-TTL flash dedication, a Power Grip (PG-21), Cable Release (CR-21) and Remote Controller (RS-31).

So, if you want a highly-reliable DSLR, choose the SD15 Digital SLR camera. But if you want to look at other options, you might want to check out Sigma SD14 14MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only) first.

What’s New? It’s the Sigma DP1x Digital Compact Camera

So you love the DP1 large-sensor compact camera? Now here’s good news for you. Sigma has just announced a revised version of the DP1; it is called DP1x digital compact camera. It features the same sensor and wide angle lens as its DP1 predecessor while its faster True II processor is derived from the DP2. For faster auto focus, this camera is also equipped with AF algorithm. The DP1x’s rear design is also based from the DP2 but it has a dedicated ‘QS’ (Quick Set) button and more noticeable control labels.

With the Three-layer Responsive Ultimate Engine (TRUE) II image processing engine, the camera’s overall image quality and processing speed is enhanced. Its exceptional image processing algorithm gives it high resolution power and duplicates high definition images. It is also equipped with Analog Front End (AFE) that converts color data into a digital signal. It allows the said camera to create high definition and beautifully colored images.

What would make you appreciate this digital camera even more is its superb multi-layer coating that lessens ghosting and flare. This feature enables you to take images even in difficult light conditions. Through its 16.8mm F4 lens and SLR-sized image sensor, you are provided with natural shallow depth-of-field. For your convenience, the DP1x integrates JPEG recording format. In addition, it comes with RAW data (X3F) recording mode to retain full image capture detail of highest quality.

The image processing software integrated in this digital camera is the Sigma Photo Pro 4.0 which easily and quickly transforms RAW data. The DP1x also takes pride in being outfitted with noise reduction algorithm that trims down Chroma and Luminance noise especially when processing X3F files captured at ISO400 or more. Interested? This camera may not be available in the market yet but its predecessor, the SIGMA dp1 can now be purchased at Amazon.