Monthly Archives: March 2014

Smart, Sleek and Steady: Olympus Stylus® SH-1

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SMART, SLEEK AND STEADY: OLYMPUS STYLUS® SH-1 IS WORLD’S FIRST*1COMPACT WITH MECHANICAL 5-AXIS STABILIZATION

Advanced Image Stabilization, Powerful Zoom and Wi-Fi® Sharing in a Sophisticated Design

OLYMPUS STYLUS® SH-1 Digital Camera

OLYMPUS STYLUS® SH-1 Digital Camera

CENTER VALLEY, P.A., March 31, 2014 – Olympus introduces a breakthrough in the long zoom category, the STYLUS SH-1®, the first compact camera equipped with optical*2 5-axis image stabilization for both still images and videos. The STYLUS SH-1’s 5-axis mechanical image stabilization, originally developed for the Olympus OM-D E-M5®  interchangeable lens camera, combined with a powerful 24x, high-powered optical zoom lens, full 1080 60p HD video and built-in Wi-Fi*3, delivers outstanding performance in a body with an elegant look and feel.

Advanced technology, including a 16-megapixel backlit CMOS sensor and the TruePic VII image processor, the same found in Olympus’ award-winning OM-D®  series of interchangeable lens cameras, work in connection with the Olympus STYLUS SH-1’s impressive 24x optical long zoom lens, (48x*4 super-resolution zoom) which covers 25mm to 600mm*5 telephoto. This combination delivers beautiful image quality with high resolution, superior color reproduction and high sensitivity.

The in-body 5-axis sensor-shift image stabilization, now enhanced to support still images, corrects for various types of camera shake to deliver crisp images and video even when shooting in dark locations without a flash or tripod. The Olympus STYLUS SH-1 also incorporates a new hybrid image stabilization that electronically stabilizes movie shooting to easily create natural-looking recordings of children and other active subjects, even when the user is walking.

The design of the Olympus STYLUS SH-1 is inherited from the popular Olympus PEN® interchangeable lens system cameras. The top and main controls are built with aluminum alloy, and superior craftsmanship extends to every detail of the camera components, including the lens barrel, dials and grip.

Built-in Wi-Fi is easy to set up. Sync with the Wi-Fi network created by the camera by quickly scanning the QR code displayed on the camera’s 3-inch, high-resolution 460,000-dot rear touch LCD monitor with a smart device. The complimentary Olympus Image Share app synchronizes a user’s iOS® or AndroidTM  mobile device and the Olympus STYLUS SH-1 so the camera’s Live View is displayed on the phone. The camera can be fully controlled remotely by touching the Smartphone display, as if it were the camera itself, and users can send selected images directly to websites and social media.

The Olympus STYLUS SH-1 is equipped with an updated Advanced Movie Mode for powerful video recording functions, including fast 240 fps*6 (or 120 fps in 720p) High-Speed Movie, which allows users to capture subjects that move at split-second speeds, and 60-frames-per-second HD recording*7 for smoother images of moving subjects. Photo & Movie Capture allows users to simultaneously capture full-res still photos while recording Full HD video. The Time-Lapse Movie*8 feature compresses up to five hours of action into a 20-second time-lapse video.

Expanded creative capabilities include an Interval Shooting function for a maximum of 99 shots; High-speed burst shooting for capturing up to 11 fps in full resolution; Manual Mode for adjusting exposure parameters; Live Guide for adjusting color and brightness via touch sliders; an electronic Level Gauge for perfectly aligned photos; Touch screen controls for selecting the autofocus area and tripping the shutter and multiple Art Filters and Photo Story.

*1: Among cameras that carry out optical image stabilization on both still images and movies, as of March 31, 2014, according to Olympus research
*2: Optical image stabilization is defined by the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) guidelines and includes sensor-shift image stabilization
*3: “Wi-Fi” is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance
*4: Zoom magnification ratio from the wide-angle setting (including the optical zoom)
*5: 35mm equivalent
*6: The recording time for a single movie clip is limited to 20 seconds
*7: The maximum recording time for a single movie clip is limited to 29 minutes. Recording will automatically stop once the file size has reached 4GB
*8: Select from 1080p, 720p and VGA

U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Olympus STYLUS SH-1 will be available in May at an estimated street price of $399.99 (available in Black, White and Silver).
For a complete list of specifications, visit the Olympus website: http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/digitalcameras/long-zoom/sh-1.html.

Journalists interested in more information, review units and high-resolution images of the Olympus STYLUS SH-1 should contact Elin Boman, Mullen Public Relations, 212-885-3266, elin.boman@mullen.com, or Jennifer Colucci, Olympus Imaging America Inc., 484-896-5719, jennifer.colucci@olympus.com, or visit the Olympus website: http://asset.olympusamerica.com/login/.

ABOUT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC.
Olympus Imaging America Inc. is a leading provider of digital imaging and audio technology solutions, noted for their precision optics and ground-breaking technologies.

For more than 90 years, Olympus has innovated and developed best-in-class products that expand the boundaries of product design and functionality, empowering consumers and professionals alike to capture their stories. These include:

For more information about Olympus and their award-winning products, please visit www.getolympus.com or connect with us and other fans like you through our social and photographic communities: @getolympus on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest,Instagram and Flickr, as well as at www.penready.com.

Specifications and design are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.

All trademarks and registered trademarks listed herein are the property of their respective holders, in the U.S. and/or other countries.

©2014 Olympus Imaging America Inc.

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Renowned photographer Royce Bair to host nightscape star shooting seminar

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03-29-2014 (http://www.suindependent.com/)

Photographers with DSLR cameras can become proficient in shooting the night sky more easily and quickly than they might think.

Because of the recent advanced technology of our digital cameras, professional photographers or enthusiastic amateurs can now capture the Milky Way and the constellations, which are usually barely visible to the naked eye. Making the image even more interesting is the addition of foreground features to place the sky in context, and photographers can learn to do this with light painting. All this is available through the DSLR’s low-light sensitivity. Photographers just need to become familiar with using and adjusting the camera’s manual features such as aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance, and have the correct wide angle lens.

Click Photography Club of St. George will host a technical seminar on the art of star shooting, which will be presented by Royce Bair of Nightscape Meetup. The seminar will take place on Thursday, April 10 from 8-10:30 p.m. and is open to both Click members and nonmembers. Pre-event discounts are offered at http://BIT.LY/PTX4V7.

Full article at the source>

Canon celebrates production of 250 million digital cameras

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TOKYO, Japan, March 27, 2014—Canon Inc. today celebrated a camera-manufacturing milestone as combined production of the Company’s compact digital and interchangeable-lens digital cameras surpassed 250 million units on January 31, 2014

Canon EOS 70D Digital Camera

The EOS 70D, featuring
innovative autofocus technology

Canon Powershot G1 X Mark II Digital Camera

The PowerShot G1 X Mark II,
targeting the highest levels
of imaging performance

Canon, a company that has continuously produced cameras since its founding in 1937, began producing and marketing digital cameras in the mid 1990s. In 1995, when film cameras were still the norm, Canon launched its first digital camera, the professional-model EOS DCS 3* digital SLR camera.

At the time, compact cameras were leading the digital shift within the camera industry. In 1996, Canon announced its market entry with the introduction of the PowerShot 600, the Company’s first compact digital camera. In 2000, amid the market’s rapid growth, Canon launched the IXY DIGITAL (PowerShot S100 or DIGITAL IXUS in markets outside of Japan), featuring a ground-breaking compact, stylish body design that set the trend for compact digital cameras.

Subsequent models released by the Company reflected the diverse evolution of compact digital cameras with models becoming increasingly compact and lightweight, achieving higher sensitivity, incorporating more enhanced automatic functions, and realizing greater network connectivity. This evolution fueled robust growth as Canon’s cumulative production of compact digital cameras surpassed the 100-million-unit mark in 2008, and broke through the 200-million-unit threshold in December 2013. Aiming to further extend its production volume, in 2014 Canon launched a new lineup of compact digital cameras that let users enjoy high value-added photography, including the PowerShot G1 X Mark II, designed to deliver the highest levels of imaging performance, and the new-concept-model PowerShot N100.

As for interchangeable-lens digital cameras, while the market in the mid 1990s had consisted primarily of professional models, with the start of the 2000s, the segment rapidly took off. In 2000, Canon launched the EOS D30, developed as a “next-generation standard digital SLR camera” to satisfy the needs of a wide user base, from advanced photo enthusiasts to professional users. In 2003, Canon again led the market with the introduction of the entry-level-model EOS Kiss Digital (EOS Digital Rebel or EOS 300D), which set the stage for dramatic expansion of the market.

Since that time, Canon has successively launched innovative products that capitalize on the Company’s strengths in CMOS sensors, image processors and EF lenses, such as the professional-model EOS-1 series and EOS 5D series targeting advanced-amateur users, as well as the compact-camera-system EOS M series. As a result, in 2005, production of Canon interchangeable-lens digital cameras reached 25 million units and, in February 2014, surpassed 50 million units. Among the new products worthy of note that contributed to the realization of this milestone were the EOS 70D, featuring innovative Dual Pixel CMOS AF autofocus technology, and the entry-level EOS Kiss X7 (EOS Rebel SL1 or EOS 100D), which combines a ground-breaking compact, lightweight body design with advanced basic performance.

Canon will continue to refine its diverse imaging technologies based on its core optical technologies, striving to produce exceptional and reliable cameras and lenses that cater to the varying needs of photographers—from first-time users to advanced amateurs and professionals—while contributing to expanding the culture of photographic and video imaging.

* The EOS DCS 3, jointly developed by Canon and Eastman Kodak, was also sold under the Kodak brand.

 

Buying a camera: everything you need to know

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By: By David Pierce and Vlad Savov (www.theverge.com)

Cameras are everywhere. There’s one in your laptop, two in your phone, and probably a pair in your tablet that you’ve never used. There’s maybe one in your doorbell, even, or strapped to your head while you bomb the slopes. We’re taking more pictures in more ways and sharing them in more places than ever. Yet most of us use our cameras with the bare minimum of knowledge, just pointing and shooting and hoping for an Instagrammable moment. And even if you’re buying a camera because you’re ready to move beyond your iPhone and take pictures you’ll want to save forever, it’s hard to know what to do.

Camera companies don’t exactly make life easy, either. Spec sheets are laden with alien terms like ISO and f-numbers, and once you manage to get a grasp on what they mean, you’re still confronted with a spectacular variety of options. So we’ve put together this guide to help you navigate the quagmire of excess information, acronyms, and jargon. It’ll enlighten you about which specs are important when, and what cameras are suitable for whom. Sound good? Then read on!

Full article at the source>

25 Amazing Photos from the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards

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Recently, The World Photography Organisation announced its shortlist of the Sony 2014 World Photography Awards. The shortlisted photos were selected from around 140,000 entries from 166 countries. The 2014 Sony World Photography Awards Gala Ceremony will be held in London on 30th April.

The Sony Community team selected 25 amazing photos from all 4 categories, which are, Professional, Open, Youth and Student Focus. Take a look below and let us know which one of these are your favourite!

Here’s the Link to the Photos, Enjoy!

Canon Announces a New Super-Zoom PowerShot Digital Camera and a New Waterproof PowerShot Digital Camera

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The New, Super-Zoom PowerShot SX700 HS and Waterproof PowerShot D30 Digital Cameras Deliver Outstanding Performance and Versatility

MELVILLE, N.Y., February 11, 2014 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the addition of the new super-zoom PowerShot SX700 HS and the adventure-ready, waterproof PowerShot D30 to the PowerShot line of compact digital cameras.

Canon Powershot SX700HS Digital Camera

Canon Powershot SX700HS Digital Camera

The stylish and pocket-sized PowerShot SX700 HS camera features an impressive 30x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 25-750mm zoom range), built-in Wi-Fi®, and Near Field Communication (NFC™)1 capabilities helping to ensure high-quality images can be captured and easily shared. This focal range will allow a user to be able to photograph a flower that is close but also have the zoom to capture an image of wildlife that is in the distance – all in a compact camera. The new PowerShot D30 camera is the world’s deepest waterproof camera*, allowing for shooting up to 82 feet below sea level. This ready-for-adventure camera is also shockproof and cold and heat resistant. Both cameras produce breathtaking low-light images and offer 1080p full high-definition video so moving and still images can be clearly captured in many different environments.

“With the PowerShot SX700 HS camera’s incredible long-zoom capabilities and the PowerShot D30 camera’s ability to shoot underwater at a world-record depth of 82 feet, these cameras are capable of inspiring creativity when photographing wildlife, marine-life or everyday adventures,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. “In addition, consumers now have two excellent new digital camera options that allow them to create images and video that are not only high in quality, but easy and fun to use.”

The PowerShot SX700 HS Digital Camera

The 30x optical zoom PowerShot SX700 HS camera combines a 16.1 megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor and the DIGIC 6 Image Processor to create the Canon HS SYSTEM -allowing for excellent low-light performance. With Canon’s Intelligent IS, the PowerShot SX700 HS camera automatically chooses from various settings to help optimize image stabilization for the shooting condition.

The Wi-Fi® connectivity options in the PowerShot SX700 HS camera allows users to easily share beautiful images online with family and friends. Using the Mobile Device Connect Button, users can connect to a compatible smartphone, a compatible tablet or a Wi-Fi enabled computer. Connection to the computer is easily done using Canon iMAGE GATEWAY through the cloud2. For easy Wi-Fi connectivity, built-in NFC™ allows quick and simple pairing to compatible Android™devices. With NFC, users press the Mobile Device Connect Button and tap their NFC-enabled Android device to the PowerShot SX700 HS camera to send images from the camera to their compatible smartphone with ease. For even more convenience, photographers can control the camera remotely via the free Canon Camera Window app3 from virtually anywhere with their compatible iOS® or Android device3. After composing the image, the photographer controls the shutter from their compatible smartphone, so that the photographer can be included in the shot.

Zoom Framing Assist Auto has been enhanced to make it easier to keep a subject that is at a far distance in the frame of view. The camera also records high-quality 1080p/60p Full HD video through a dedicated movie button. The Hybrid AUTO mode allows users to record up-to four seconds of video every time a still image is taken, and then automatically joins the clips and pictures into a video that captures the essence of a vacation, an important event, or any time you are shooting many shots in a day. Hybrid Auto automatically recognizes the scene and optimizes camera settings to capture the highest possible image quality to create a great looking highlight reel in 720p HD video.

The PowerShot SX700 HS camera also features Creative Shot mode. Creative Shot mode is an easy yet powerful tool to add artistic effects to photos. In Creative Shot mode, users compose a shot and the camera analyzes the photo to apply a series of artistic elements. Creative Shot mode includes four categories with 46 filters total. The four filter categories are: Retro, Monochrome, Special, and Natural. Before an image is captured, users choose one of the four filter types and Creative Shot will automatically render five different variations of the shot in different composition, color and lighting styles, delivering creative, new perspectives automatically while still maintaining the original image.

The PowerShot D30 Digital Camera
Canon Powershot D30 Digital Camera

Canon Powershot D30 Digital Camera

The PowerShot D30, Canon’s latest waterproof camera, provides an ideal solution for those in need of a durable digital camera that can handle different adventures. The PowerShot D30 camera is waterproof to a record-breaking 82-feet below sea level, giving the open water diver 23 more feet of depth to explore in their underwater environment. The PowerShot D30 camera is also temperature-resistant from 14 degrees to 104 degrees Fahrenheit and shockproof to 6.5 feet. A great travel companion, the PowerShot D30 camera’s built-in GPS** tracker remembers where and when photos were taken so images can be captured along with the date, time and location of each moment.

With its sleek design and comfortable grip, the PowerShot D30 camera can quickly adapt from under-to-above-water shooting environments through the camera’s new Sunlight LCD mode. This feature reduces glare when shooting above water so capturing and sharing outdoor photos is easier than ever before. While in the water, however, the PowerShot D30 camera screen is bright and intuitive for easy, hassle free use. Smart AUTO intelligently selects the proper camera settings based on 32 predefined shooting situations giving users the best possible shot composition – while Intelligent IS automatically chooses from six different modes to help image stabilization for the shooting condition.

In addition, the PowerShot D30 camera also delivers excellent low-light shooting capabilities through the Canon HS SYSTEM – powered by a 12.1 megapixel High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor DIGIC 4 Image Processor. The PowerShot D30 camera also records stunning 1080p full HD videos through an easy-to-access dedicated movie button so moving images can be captured the instant they happen.

Pricing and Availability

The PowerShot SX700 HS digital camera will be available starting in March for a retail price of $349.99 in black or red.

The PowerShot D30 digital camera will be available starting in April for a retail price of $329.99 in blue.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. With approximately $36 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents registered in 2013† and is one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2013. In 2013, Canon U.S.A. has received the PCMag.com Readers’ Choice Award for Service and Reliability in the digital camera and printer categories for the tenth consecutive year, and for camcorders for the past three years. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visitingwww.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA.

For media inquiries, please contact pr@cusa.canon.com.

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† Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

* As of January 20, 2014. For compact type waterproof digital cameras.

** In certain countries and regions, the use of GPS may be restricted. Therefore, be sure to use GPS in accordance with the laws and regulations of your country or region. Be particularly careful when traveling outside your home country. As a signal is received from GPS satellites, take sufficient measures when using in locations where the use of electronics is regulated. GPS tracking does not work underwater.

1 Compatible with iOS versions 6.0/6.1/7.0, Android smartphone versions 2.3.3/4.0/4.1/4.2/4.3 and Android table versions 4.0/4.1/4.2/4.3. Data charges may apply.

2 One-time registration is required on Canon iMAGE GATEWAY online photo album.

3 This software enables you to upload images to social network services. Before uploading images, please be aware that image files may contain privacy related information such as people and places. If necessary, please delete such information. Canon does not obtain, collect or use such images or any information included in such images through this software.

All referenced product names and other marks are trademarks of their respective owners.

Availability, prices, and specifications of all products are subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by individual dealers and may vary.