Digital Camera News, 1/17/08

[David Rasnake]

Eye-Fi wireless SD card to offer direct iPhoto uploading

As expected, not a lot of interesting imaging news came out of this week's Macworld Conference & Expo, which wraps up tomorrow in San Francisco. WiFi-enabled SD card manufacturer Eye-Fi did offer one bit of interesting camera news during the event with the addition of iPhoto compatibility to the company's photo transfer system.

 

The Eye-Fi card uses WiFi transfer technology to wirelessly upload photos directly from your digital camera over a wireless network. Previous implementations worked primarily with a dedicated on-computer folder or online photo sharing sites. According to an Eye-Fi press release filed Monday, a downloadable upgrade will allow Macintosh users to bypass online sharing-site transfer and upload the photos directly to Apple's iPhoto software via their home wireless network.

Current Eye-Fi users can download the Mac update; new versions of the product will ship with the upgrade, which also provides setup support for Apple's Safari browser.

We're expecting an Eye-Fi test unit any day now, and will give the card's new capabilities a test drive during our product review.

New Panasonic AAs promise doubled battery life

If you're a Canon PowerShot A-series user, take note: the tech blog Engadget.com reported yesterday that Panasonic has released a new lineup of alkalines billed as "the longest lasting AA battery cell in the world."

According to reports, Panasonic's EVOLTA line of batteries last between 1.3 and 2 times longer than conventional alkaline batteries. Scheduled ship date is in late April. According to Engadget, expect a 15% price premium for the improved performance.

Check out the full story here.

Pentax will push DSLR development, official statement says

Speculation around what to expect from Pentax at the upcoming PMA show has reached fever pitch, with recently leaked photos of a potential new DSLR from Pentax partner Samsung only adding to the rumor noise.

A cryptic statement from Pentax appearing on the PMA Newsline today confirms (not surprisingly) that the company "will keep focusing on DSLR" for 2008, according to Pentax exec Hitoshi Sasaki.

"The segment will demand not only the cameras but also interchangeable lenses and accessories, contributing much to the expansion of sales and profits," Sasaki continued. "The lens line will further be enriched this year." The statement mentioned possible upgrades to Pentax's Optio compacts as well.

No official word on what shape these new lens additions might take, or on whether a new camera body or bodies are forthcoming for PMA.

Corel PhotoImpact X3 provides another affordable editing suite

According to a Tuesday press release from software maker Corel, another cost-effective photo editing solution should be hitting the market any day now.

Corel's PhotoImpact X3 promises to bring together "easy-to-use photo editing, inspiring photo projects, and amazing digital art to make digital photography and image creativity fun, fast, and easy." Focusing heavily on one-click fixes for common editing tasks, the latest upgrade to Corel's ongoing PhotoImpact software line is targeted to hobbyists and home users looking for basic functionality.

The new software and complete product information are already available through Corel's website. Pricing is $69.99 for the full version, and $49.99 for the upgrade. Look for an in-store release in a few weeks.

[usapatriot]

Good news about Pentax, I am highly interested in Pentax DSLR offerings.

[CalebSchmerge]

I have to admit that I haven't been too excited about the Pentax offerings. They just don't seem to have quite as much going for them as Nikon and Canon. The huge range of lenses and flashes makes those more attractive. You invest in your glass, not camera.

[usapatriot]

I do not like Canon or Nikon due to their high prices and lack of in body image stabilization. Their lenses are also a lot more expensive. Therefore, for my next camera (will be purchasing in the summer/fall of 08') I will consider only Pentax and Olympus, Sony is a no-no. Unless Canon or Nikon come up with some decent entry level DSLR's with stabilized kit lenses there is no chance that I will buy one.

[CalebSchmerge]

I don't think its too bad to have in lens stabilization. In camera is neat, but there are a lot of times when i don't need it. I would just as soon use in lens on the lenses that need to be stabilized. Further, the new kit lens out soon for Nikon is the 18-55mm VR lens, which answers one of your pleas. Also, their prices aren't that high. You end up paying less in the end because everything that you buy carries over. Flashes, lenses, and more. Also, you can buy nice used lenses for cheap. My micro lens was nearly half of what you would pay at a store. Some of it is personal preference, but I just like Nikon.

[David Rasnake]

I've shot all three (Nikon, Canon, Pentax) at various points, including Canon and then Nikon commercial stuff, and appreciate each one for something different. That said, I've settled on Pentax equipment for my personal kit, based precisely on the statement "You invest in your glass, not camera."

While the range of new lenses isn't as broad from Pentax, and the focus is more semi-pro than pro in their glass, two factors sealed the deal for me: use of legacy glass (I have lots of Pentax lenses, including some 67 pieces that I use occasionally), and the straight-up quality of their optics at any particular price point. Pentax's 50/1.4 is a stunning lens (I think it's one of the best 50mm primes on the market from any manufacturer at any price), and the DA* glass offers professional-quality optics sub-$1000. Sigma/Tamron top glass mostly extends to the K mount as well, which fills the gap at the top end, but let's be honest: that's a place most of us are never going anyway.

I'll get off my Pentax soapbox now, lest I be accused of bias...

dr

[usapatriot]

Also I am interested in Pentax because of their lower prices than the rest of the competition, I am a student so I do not have a lot of money to spend on different things.

So far, the only think I do not like about Pentax is the fact that they use SD cards instead of CF cards because I already have two of those. I guess I will have to buy an SD card when I probably get a Pentax DSLR this summer.

I am hoping that the rumored Pentax K200D is that SLR. Hopefully it will have only 8-megapixels so it will still have the excellent noise performance of the K100D and will have a bigger buffer for faster and longer burst shooting. Finally I hope the camera overall is a bit quicker compared to the K100D.