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Panasonic has recently unveiled the new additions to their Lumix G series. The Lumix is a micro four thirds camera, also known as a point-and-shoot camera designed with the aspiring yet less tech-savvy photographer in mind. With a sturdy body just like that of DSRLs,  micro four thirds cams are slightly smaller and slimmer because of the lack of a mirror that are present in digital single lens reflex cameras.

The G10 is an upgrade to Panasonic’s earlier models, the G1 and G2. The G10 allows a wide array of functions found in a DSLR in a novice-friendly design. The G10 sports a 12.1 mega-pixel sensor. Although not so large as the others in the market, the G10 allows for a full 1024 by 720 HD video capture -a feature that can be commonly seen only in expensive digital SLRs.

The G10 is slightly pricier than most micro four third cameras, but with the addition of a 14-42 mm kit lens, it is a bargain considering that it allows you to attach other lenses depending on your preference. Feature-wise, the G10 is loaded to the teeth. It is equipped with an AF tracking that allows easy focusing on moving subjects, and custom color modes. The lens, too, is also equipped with an image stabilizing feature to reduce image blur caused by vibrations or camera shake.

Do you want a sturdy yet handy camera for the road? Panasonic’s newest Lumix the DMC-TS2 is the answer. This waterproof, dustproof, shockproof and freezeproof camera is the best company for a road trip or adventure. It can withstand the elements without compromising quality. The rigors of the real world will surely devastate the capacity and the capability of a regular digital camera but not the Lumix DMC-TS2. With a zoom that can go from 28 to 128mm, and a strong megapixel sensor, the digital camera has a body that is designed to take a beating. Cool, right? For those looking for a 100% rugged digital camera, this newest model from Panasonic is the camera to buy.

Casio has something new to offer to camera enthusiasts and it is called the EXILIM EX-FH100. It has a 24-240mm lens –a feature that is great for portraits and landscapes.

With a lens this powerful, you can also take photos from long distances and nope, the camera is not as bulky as those for professionals. This camera is not slow either. In fact, it has a unique speed that will surprise digital camera enthusiasts. Its high speed video will fire up your video taking power and it can even capture up to 30 images on its 40 frame/second mode. Experts say that this new camera from Casio will sell like hot cakes so why not buy the new Exilim and give it a try?

Canon ELPH is the new kid on the block. Boasting high quality in a small body, this Canon PowerShot is dream come true for those who want high quality photos without carrying a heavyweight.

The SD4000 IS is very much capable of taking high quality images even if there is low to no light. Its BSI CMOS sensor (10 megapixel) is designed specifically to enable the camera to gather more light.

This digital camera is perfect to bring along any time of the day to any place on earth. Its stabilized zoom ranges from 28 to 105 mm. The camera also boasts a widescreen LCD for viewing.

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Here is your second lesson for your digicam lingo. Let’s start with B&W, not the candy and not the restaurant –this means black and white so if someone wants a picture in B&W you already know what it means.

Backlight

This has got to do with your digital camera’s hardware. This is what illuminates your LCD display. The LCD display is where you can view your photos, videos, etc.

Burst Mode

This is your camera’s capability to capture images in a speedy manner through continuous frame capture.

DC Battery

No this does not mean District of Columbia, it means “direct current”. You can see this in your battery for example a 9v DC battery is a direct current battery.

DSLR

You read this one almost all the time but what does it mean? DSLR stands for Digital Single Lens Reflex camera. A DSLR can change lenses. Many of this type of camera are produced by Sony, Fuji, Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Sigma, Kodak and Olympus.

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Getting acquainted with digital camera lingo if important if you are planning to buy a new camera – so let us start with the first lesson:

Optical Zoom vs. Digital Zoom

These two are two different things. If you are given a 10x optical zoom this denotes of the length of your lens’ zoom. Digital zoom on the other hand is the digital magnification of an image.

A/D Converter

Many do not know what an A/D converter is. What is that is that it converts analog info to digital info through a series of numbers. If you are looking at a camera’s A/D right now, the higher the bit rate of the A/D the better.

AF

This stands for auto focus. This is a system that focuses your lenses automatically.

Movie or Video formats

There are many video formats to choose from, it can be divx, avi, mpeg, what have you. You can choose any format you like as long as you have the appropriate program to play the said format.

Photo Courtesy of Pentax

News about Pentax adding four new body colors for its K-x cams is good news for many pentax fans and you can now get them from Pentax stores. The new colors include orange, green, purple and bright blue. It seems these candy-colored digital cameras will fly off the shelves faster than expected because of the attractive color additions. The usually colors for the Pentax K-x are black, navy blue, red and white –not that these colors are not attractive, it is just that the new color additions are quite refreshing.

If you do not believe this news however you may refer to the Pentax Webstore and take a look at the company’s press release last April 23^rd, 2010.  The K-x digital SLRs from Pentax in the new colors are exclusive for pre-order at this time. The new colors are limited edition colors so be sure to go to website if you want one.

Canon’s superiority in producing high quality optics is proportioned to its prices. Although reputed to be very expensive, Canon lenses are still sought after by professionals and serious hobbyists. Just take for example the photographers you see in events, these are the people that invest in their equipment and they’ve made a choice in investing in the brand they trust, Canon.

A look at Canon’s best –and expensive- lens line-up might just explain why Canon’s optics is well sought out despite its price.

Canon’s L-series lens might make your jaw drop to the floor when you see the price tag, but don’t pass out just yet.

The “L”, believe it or not, stands for “Luxury.” Like a Ferrari, or LV bags, only the finest materials are used to make the fine, great performing optics that is the L-series. Distinguished by its white body and a red line circling the frame, only high quality glass and metal make it to become an L-lens.

Although all Canon lenses are generally made with superior quality, backed up by decades of Canon’s experience in optics, what the L-lenses have over the rest of Canon’s roster is superior performance and build. The L-lenses are built to out-perform and out-last, and leave everyone else in the dust. Design-wise, the L-lenses are characterized by the use of super-low dispersion glass, fluorite and aspherical elements that really pushes optical performance to it’s peak. Delivering the sharpest images, with the widest aperture, and ultra fast and quiet focusing, the Canon L-lenses are definitely worth all the penny it costs.

Photo Courtesy of RentPhotoStuff.com

Value and quality for money, this seems to be the trend in any market lately. Even in the world of photography, a hobby (or profession to some) that is known to be one of the most expensive, leading companies are competing to attract even the most budget-conscious consumers.
A look at Canon’s trend, the market leader, we can see how it has changed, and how it approaches the market and its consumers. Known to make the best, and also expensive, optics and camera bodies, Canon decided it would also be wise to accommodate people with tight pockets.

The debut of Canon’s Digital Rebel (Canon 300D) began the revolution of sub $1000-dollar Digital SLRs. The term rebel appropriated the 300D, as the current market then, only had expensive prosumer cameras with prices ranging above the $1000-dollar mark such as the 10D. By August 2003, the revolution began.

Since the release of the 300D and recent advances in digital optics technology, Canon continued to introduce entry-level DSLRs alongside their more expensive prosumer cameras. It meant that the Digital Rebel wouldn’t be alone in the rebellion. In 2005, the 300D was replaced by a more updated and upgraded version, the 350D, which reigned the entry-level market.

This trend continues to the present day, and Canon’s Rebel series is becoming more and more innovative and more powerful, almost to a point of becoming a semi-prosumer camera. From the 300D and 350D, the advances of the 400 to the 450D, to the current market entry of the 500D and 550D, Canon doesn’t seem to run out of market ideas and still staying below the $1000-dollar mark.

Good news Pentax lovers, the camera manufacturer just released new information about their newest addition to their firmware line for the K200D, K20D, K2000/K-m and K10D. The firmware you buy would depend on what kind of model you have. What makes many photographers happy is that this K-series DSLR firmware improves recording image stability for SDHC memory cards. If you already have the firmware for your Pentax digital SLR camera, you can get your free update at Pentax’s website.

Just make sure that you choose the right update version though. You can also get an update for your K-7 firmware and  can get Pentax RAW codec for windows.