Digital Cameras: What is new?

[rpm]

What is new in digital cameras?

If you’re still using an older digital camera – say, older than two years – the market has plenty of surprises in store for you.

 

[bwana]

A growing number of compact, affordable digital cameras are banking on consumers’ growing sophistication regarding camera equipment and are bringing out models that, while easy to carry, feature lenses that work well in low light and produce images that rival those taken by high-end digital SLRs.

DSLR lenses are also getting better and while the lenses on a P&S might be improving they're generally still put in front of a much smaller sensor.

Buying a digital SLR in the past meant having to suffer through cleaning your camera’s image sensor – the main light-gathering chip in the camera – or sending the unit in to the manufacturer to have it professionally cleaned. Neither of those options was fun.

I don't know of a Canon DSLR manufactured in the last five years that didn't have some sort of sensor cleaning built in.

Perhaps the most amazing new feature introduced of late isn’t actually available on a production-model camera yet. But it’s coming. Manufacturer Lytro has introduced a technology that lets you focus your images after the picture has been taken.

Interesting technology but I haven't yet seen a photo where everything is in focus at the same time.

 

[Valis]

Perhaps the most amazing new feature introduced of late isn’t actually available on a production-model camera yet. But it’s coming. Manufacturer Lytro has introduced a technology that lets you focus your images after the picture has been taken.

So is this going to be like those American cop shows where they take a blurry pic from a security cam and then zoom in on the guy's eyeball to get a crisp clear picture off the reflection in his eye? Hahahahahahaha!

 

[Edduck]

So is this going to be like those American cop shows where they take a blurry pic from a security cam and then zoom in on the guy's eyeball to get a crisp clear picture off the reflection in his eye? Hahahahahahaha!

This lytro tech is pure speculation to me until they produce a public prototype and people get to use the camera for real. I am sure it is easy to produce a similar effect by taking photos throughout the focal range on a DSLR and then use a flash script to cycle through the pics depending on the focal length the image was taken at, just as they do with their examples.

 

[charlieharper]

Still super keen to get into DSLR Photography! Eyeing the Canon 550D and Canon 600D. Good started DSLR Camera's, for both video and photography.

 

[Edduck]

Still super keen to get into DSLR Photography! Eyeing the Canon 550D and Canon 600D. Good started DSLR Camera's, for both video and photography.

I just saw Orms in Cape Town has a great deal on the 600D + 18-55mm IS + 55-250mm IS + 16Gb SD + Backpack for only R11000!!! https://www.ormsdirect.co.za/photog...-reflex/canon/canon-eos-600d-twin-lens-bundle They ship nationwide btw

 

[ponder]

This lytro tech is pure speculation to me until they produce a public prototype and people get to use the camera for real.

You do realise this work was covered in Ren Ng's thesis for his Ph.D at Stanford where he not only had to submit the theory but also the hardware & results from a real camera for peer review???

Camera Body: Contax 645 medium format
Digital back: Megavision FB4040 (Uses Kodak KAF-16802CE sensor)
Microlens array: Adaptive Optics Associates (part# 0125-0.5-S, custom manufactured)

Above is covered in pages 39-44 of his thesis wrt the prototype if you are interested in reading it which is from 2006.

 

[Creag]

I just saw Orms in Cape Town has a great deal on the 600D + 18-55mm IS + 55-250mm IS + 16Gb SD + Backpack for only R11000!!! https://www.ormsdirect.co.za/photog...-reflex/canon/canon-eos-600d-twin-lens-bundle They ship nationwide btw

This does look like a good deal. Better than the prices I have seen for a similar bundle for the 550D.

I was looking at the Nikon 5100 and Canon EOS 550D. Both look really good. These guys (dpreview.com) give the 550D a better rating. Nikon seems to give more value. As I am looking at just starting out with this as a hobby, it's going to be a tough choice.

The future of digital photography is definitely looking extremely good.

 

[hilton]

I don't know of a Canon DSLR manufactured in the last five years that didn't have some sort of sensor cleaning built in. :confused

The 1100D/T3 has no sensor cleaning ability. You have to open up and use your toothbrush.

Not sure why they did this though.

 

[bwana]

The 1100D/T3 has no sensor cleaning ability. You have to open up and use your toothbrush.

Not sure why they did this though.

Bizarre.

 

[Logo]

What is new in digital cameras?

If you’re still using an older digital camera – say, older than two years – the market has plenty of surprises in store for you.

Just a couple of things. Firstly soft focus is not only a post processing trick you actually get soft focus lenses. The Dallmeyer Portrait lenses were patented in 1884 they were the first soft focus lenses.

Great lenses on small sensors still does not give you the quality of a great lens on a large sensor. These small sensors on point and shoots will always be the problem.

Self cleaning sensors have been around for some time now it really isn't something new.

Lastly the lytro camera is currently one of my pet peeves It is a limited application camera and it doesn't bring anything to photography that can't be done at the moment with a DSLR. And secondly it is reported that it will cost in the region of $500.