UK Digital Cameras Blog

The latest Sony Cybershot is to launch across Europe in November, it has been announced.

Available in white, green, blue, pink and black, the Sony Cybershot T2 boasts a an impressive four gigabytes of internal memory, which the firm says allows snappers to store 1,250 “top-quality” images on the device, organised automatically into albums for ease of use.

Equipped with an 8.1 megapixel sensor, the camera is designed to be useful to frequent internet users and incorporates Sharemark technology, which resizes photos for viewing on the web, and also comes with pre-loaded picture motion browser portable software.

In a statement the firm said: “The social networking phenomenon has swept through Europe and now with the T2 it couldn’t be simpler to upload your favourite pictures directly to blogs and image-sharing web sites.”

For easy viewing, the Cybershot T2 has a 2.7 inch touchscreen display and can also be connected to Sony Bravia televisions.

The device will join other devices in the Cybershot range, including the T100, which earlier this year scored a four out of five rating from photographyblog.com.

Canon’s EOS 40D digital camera has scooped top marks in a review on respected gadget website tech.co.uk.

The firm has made ambitious claims about its latest offering, saying on its website that the device combines “power and versatility in one supremely equipped tool for the discerning photographer” and suggesting that it is designed to help snappers “raise your game”.

It has incorporated a range of features into the camera designed to maximise picture quality, with a special dust prevention and cleaning system “that reduces, repels and removes dust” built into the device.

In previous reviews, experts have been positive about the EOS 40D but the latest review from tech.co.uk has branded the 10.1 megapixel camera with a 6.5 frames per second capacity a “must buy”, saying it is “a beautifully engineered upgrade”.

“Despite its complexity, the 40D feels easier to use than the 30D. The menus, derived from the EOS1D range, are clear and logical and a new custom mode remembers your favourite settings,” the review said.

The review team concluded that “for committed Canon users who want a camera they won’t grow out of quickly, the 40D is a no-brainer”.

The new Kodak EasyShare V1253 has scored a solid eight out of ten in a new review on gadget website pocket-lint.co.uk.

Available in either black or white, the camera allows photographers to take high-definition still images and video, with the latter feature including compression technology that means that memory is used up slower as movies are recorded.

Face detection technology, digital image stabilisation and a rechargeable battery also come as standard with the EasyShare V1253.

Despite the camera offering 12.1 megapixels, reviewer Stuart Miles highlighted the fact that snappers are not restricted to that size, commenting that there are “eight different resolutions available right down to 1.2 megapixels”.

He added that in environments where there is plenty of light and users have thought about what they are trying to capture, the EasyShare V1253 is capable of producing “stunning” images and can pick up “lots of detail at both 12 megapixel and nine megapixel resolution”.

On the CNET.co.uk blog Crave, writer Rich Trenholm said after a road-testing the camera that it has a “rather good 20mm macro function for getting close-ups”.

Panasonic’s latest high-definition camcorder has been praised for its innovative features and good quality image capture.

Announced in July, the HDC-SX5 hit the market in September and despite it being slightly larger than its rivals, owing to its DVD recording feature, has managed to impress the review team at tech.co.uk.

They described the grey and black body as “impressive” and said that users “who want a good choice of tape less media coupled with superb quality pictures and sound…really can’t go wrong with the HDC-SX5.”

With its advance optical image stabiliser, Panasonic say users can “record clear, beautiful, blur-free images with vibrant colours” that “when viewed on a high-quality big-screen TV are simply breathtaking in quality”.

It also comes with a wide screen that the firm claims allows several people to watch clips filmed with the camera at once but the feature that has really stolen the show is pre-rec, a system which stores up to three seconds of video on the camera while it is on standby.

This helps users avoid missing crucial moments by allowing them to hit record to preserve what was just filmed.

Snappers in search of the perfect camera to help them capture great nature shots have been advised to look to digital devices.

Forest Mims III, a writer specialising in electronics, wrote in his column in the US publication San Antonio Express-News that digital cameras offered photographers the opportunity to compose stunning shots of the world around them.

“A good DSLR is much more expensive and provides far more control than a basic point-and-shoot consumer-level camera. The good news is that even an inexpensive point-and-shoot camera can provide very high quality images.

“In my experience the digital camera is among the most powerful and flexible tools ever designed for amateur scientists and naturalists.”

He encouraged more people to take digital cameras with them when they are out and about, adding: “Maybe you will capture a fabulous image that wins a contest or becomes a magazine cover.”

Technology giant Hewlett Packard advises those looking to take great nature photos to choose a camera offering image resolution of at least four megapixels and take advantage of features such as sports and continuous mode.

It adds that patience is also useful, as it can sometimes take a while for the perfect shot to come along.

The popularity of the iPod has helped boost Apple’s profits this year, it has been reported.

Over the last few months, the firm updated its popular iPod Shuffle and iPod Nano devices, which can hold up to 240 and 2,000 songs respectively, and also launched the elegant iPod touch, which utilises a touch-screen interface and can hold up to 3,500 tracks.

According to the firm, global sales of iPods and songs from its iTunes online music store made up 36 per cent of its earnings.

Business analysis firm Screen Digest said: “The results indicate continued strong demand for iPods. Sales of the device since launch now total 120 million.”

The organisation predicted that 25 million iPods would be sold during the three-month Christmas period, bringing the total number of devices sold this year to 55 million

iPods of all descriptions continue to be popular in the UK, with reviewers paticualrly impressed by the new device on the block, the iPod Touch.

Cliff Joseph of computeractive.co.uk said that despite it being more expensive than other iPods, “the touch-controls and wireless internet put the Touch at the top of our Christmas list”.

Photographers bought more compact cameras in September this year than they did in the same month last year, it has been reported.

According to Amateur Photographer magazine, a new report from research from GfK Marketing Services has revealed that Brits snapped up 355,500 cameras last month, a dramatic increase from the 294,100 sold in 2006.

The magazine quoted the report as saying: “Up to this month the value in the market reported a year-on-year decline with a falling average price. As of September this has been reversed with such a large number of sales going through, the sheer volume of units sold has now propped the value back up.”

Around seven per cent of all cameras sold were digital SLR’s, with the market for the devices continuing to hold steady.

In a separate report, Kodak said that digital technology was helping snappers explore new ways to capture special moments.

“From printing and personalising gifts, to sharing pictures and videos online, consumers are increasingly inventive with their images and the growth of digital media has fed a sense of pride in our photography – we want to show it off,” John O’Grady, Kodak’s managing director of consumer businesses for the European, African and Middle Eastern region.

The Canon PowerShot A460 has scored a rave review from a technology writer who suggested that it could be an inspiration for other manufacturers designing similar cameras.

Canon describes the PowerShot A460 as the “ideal take-anywhere camera for all users”, touting its ease of use and compact size as two of the device’s strongest features.

Although it is small, it comes with a five megapixel sensor and four times optical zoom which “lets you get close to the action without sacrificing quality”.

Doug Harman, a writer at technology site pocket-lint.co.uk, said in his review of the device that it is “well above par” compared to devices at the same level and gave it a mark of nine out of ten.

“The PowerShot A460 is an entry level digital compact with some neat and advanced features that make it look a cut above the run of the mill models.”

“If you want a basic reasonably priced snapper, you’d be hard pressed to beat the PowerShot A460 and some day, perhaps, all entry-level camera makers will aspire to built point and shoot models this way,” he added.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC TZ3 appears to have more than lived up to the buzz surrounding it after one reviewer described it as “a winner”.

In August, DigitalCameraReview. com revealed that digital camera fans had spent more time reading up about the device than any other digital camera in July, with users keen to discover more about the camera’s features.

Its compact body manages to incorporate a 28mm Wide Angle Leica Lens, ten times optical zoom and a 7.2 megapixel sensor, as well as a three inch screen.

Reviewing the DMC TZ3, letsgodigital. org said that the camera had shown itself to be a worthy successor to other cameras in Panasonic’s range, commenting: “Panasonic made it an ideal combination. Sufficiently compact for carrying with you at all times, equipped with a large optical range and besides that equipped with a real wide angle.

“[Someone] who wants to simply take pictures without a lot of trouble or manual settings will find the TZ3 the perfect tool.”

Overall, the review concluded that the device “is a winner among the Megazoom cameras and obviously entitled to carry the name of Traveler Zoom”.

Many people buy digital cameras in order to capture happy moments for posterity but now a new initiative is inviting photographers to share their most joyful images with the world to help raise money for charity.

Photo website Snapfish has agreed to donate £1 to children’s charity NCH for every image submitted to its Snap Happy photo contest that demonstrates what happiness means to the photographer.

Members of the public will then be able to view and vote on the images until November 30th, when the snapper who captured the most popular image will receive a HP notebook computer.

Helen Vaid, managing director of Snapfish EMEA, said: “We want people to capture and share their pictures of happiness as part of the SnapHappy initiative, which will help raise money and happiness for a good cause.”

The contest has already attracted the support of several celebrities, including Cold Feet actress Fay Ripley.

Photographers must be over the age of 18 to enter and can submit up to ten images.