Has anyone tried their hands yet on Adobe’s new web image-editing tool, Photoshop Express?

I took a test drive and found it stylish, intuitive, social, and equipped with the very necessary image-editing functions. Completely appealing.

Just like Adobe’s Photoshop Lightroom, it neatly organizes and tells you in a glance how many photos you have in your library and the respective albums they are in.

Intrigued but skeptical as I am, I logged in to my Facebook account from Photoshop Express, half expecting something totally inconvenient that will prompt me to end my test drive. But I was pleasantly surprised at how easy I was able to access to my photos on Facebook.

I moused over one of my recent favorites to find options to edit, download, or embed it on my blog. Intuitive.

The editing options were less than power-packed, but definitely comprehensive enough for the purpose of image-editing on the web. It’s not meant to replace serious image-editing anyway.

The Gallery is another neat way to share your albums with the community and your friends.

I like the convenience of it all. Definitely worth recommending to your Facebook, Picasa friends.

The Nikon D300 is the highly anticipated replacement for the successful Nikon D200, sporting tons of advanced new features that makes me itch to upgrade mine. 12.3-megapixels CMOS sensor, Nikon EXPEED image processor, Multi-CAM 3500DX with 51 autofocus points, self-cleaning sensor unit, 3.0-inch LCD with 922,000 pixels, and LCD Liveview shooting mode are the most notable changes and additions.

As for the Nikon D3, it is a dream come true for all the Nikon shooters who have been praying for a full-frame camera. Full-frame sensors offer various advantages such as having no crop factor and better noise control. Headline features include ISO sensitivity of 100-25600, 12.3-megapixel full-frame sensor, Nikon EXPEED image processor, Multi-CAM 3500DX with 51 autofocus points, 9fps continuous shooting or even 11fps in DX crop mode, 3.0-inch LCD with 922,000 pixels, and LCD Liveview shooting mode.

Nikon D300
Price: US$1800
Availability: November 2007

Nikon D3
Price: US$5000
Availability: November 2007

Looks like Amazon spilled the beans on Canon’s upcoming 40D DSLR. This highly-anticipated camera is actually rumored around the internet for a while now, but Amazon just went ahead and confirmed it all.

Availability: September 20, 2007
Price: US$1,299 (supposedly body only)

Most notable improvements from Canon 30D are the 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC III image processor, large 3.0-inch LCD, 6.5fps continuous shooting speed, huge 75 JPEG/17 RAW buffer, and sensor dust removal system.

Full technical specs below:

» 10.1-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality poster-size prints

» Large 3.0-inch LCD display with enhanced Live View and broadened color gamut

» 6.5 frame-per-second continuous shooting capability (for bursts of up to 75 Large/Fine JPEGs or 17 RAW images)

» sRAW mode; 35-zone metering system; integrated Self-Cleaning Sensor Unit

» Powered by BP-511A, BP-511, or BP-512 lithium-ion battery pack; stores images on CF cards

» Resolution: Approximately 10.1 million effective pixels (total pixels: approximately 10.5 million)

» Recording pixels: 3888 x 2592

» Sensor type: CMOS sensor, with primary R-G-B filtration

» Sensor size: 22.2 x 14.8 millimeters

» Pixel size: 5.7 microns square

» Lens focal length factor: 1.6x

» Sensor dust removal: EOS Integrated Cleaning System; active removal of dust by vibrating front low-pass filter; automatic removal of dust spots, in Canon Digital Photo Professional software (v. 3.1 or higher)

» Maximum frames per second: 6.5 frames per second (fps) at full resolution

» Maximum number of frames / burst: JPEG: 75; RAW: 17

» Shutter speeds: 30 seconds to 1/8000, plus Bulb (1/3 or 1/2-step increments)

» Flash sync speed: Up to 1/250, with EX-series Speedlites

» Anticipated shutter durability: 100,000 exposures, based on Canon test methods

» Computer interface: USB 2.0 (Hi-speed)

» Image recording storage media: CompactFlash (CF) cards (type I or II, including Microdrives)

» Card compatibility: “FAT32″ compatible–OK for cards over 2GB

» Image format options: JPEG (choice of “Fine” or “Normal” compression); RAW (Canon .CR2 RAW file format); RAW + JPEG (any JPEG file size available; JPEG file written as separate file)

» Analog to digital conversion: 14 bits per channel (16,382 separate tones from brightest to darkest, for each channel)

» Resolution options: “Large”–3888 x 2592 (approximately 10.1 million pixels); “Medium”–2816 x 1880 (approximately 5.3 million pixels); “Small”–1936 x 1288 (approximately 2.5 million pixels)

» File numbering: sRGB color space: IMG_0001.JPG or IMG_0001.CR2; Adobe 1998 RGB color space: first character is always underscore (_)

» Folders: Automatically created for image storage; new folder can be user-created with “Manual Reset” function; folders cannot be freely selected on memory card by the photographer

» Highlight tone priority: Expands tonal range of bright highlights by about one stop; ISO range limited to 200 to 1600; activated by C.Fn II-3-1

» Data verification: “Original Image Data” can be appended to each image via Custom Function IV-6-1; requires optional Canon Original Data Security Kit OSK-E3 to check authenticity

» Live View viewing options: Camera’s LCD monitor; computer monitor, via USB; computer monitor, via wireless transmitter WFT-E3A

» Manual focus: Viewed on LCD monitor, with option to magnify focus area 5x or 10x

» Autofocus: Possible–C.Fn III-6-1 active, press AF On button; mirror drops down temporarily while AF On button is pressed, allowing AF to function

» Silent mode Live View shoot: Mode 1: First shutter curtain remains open; shooting up to 6.5 fps possible; Mode 2: Quieter option; 2nd shutter curtain doesn’t close until user’s finger is taken off shutter button

» Accessory wireless transmitter: Canon WFT-E3A (optional, dedicated wireless transmitter)

» Attachment to camera: Attaches to base of camera; totally integrated with EOS 40D’s design

» Wireless transfer methods: 802.11b or 802.11g; link speed: approximately 11 megabits/second (802.11b) or 54 megabits/second (802.11g)

» Connection method: Infrastructure or Ad Hoc (802.11g functions in Ad Hoc mode)

» Maximum wireless distance: Approximately 490 feet (150 meters), if “receiver” has its own antenna (depends on environment)

» Wireless channels: 11 (in North American market)

» Ethernet (wired) transfer: Yes; Ethernet 100Base-TX (maximum distance approximately 1,000 feet); link speed: approximately 100 megabits/second

» Transfer options: 1. FTP mode (images sent to folder on host computer); 2. PTP mode (remote control of camera possible from computer); 3. HTTP mode (view camera’s files using web browser; remote firing of camera possible)

» Security options: Encryption: WEP or TKIP/AES; authentication: open system, WPA-PSK, or WPA2-PSK

» USB “host” capability: Plug compatible USB devices into WFT-E2A, for use with the EOS 40D; GPS devices (write GPS time, coordinates, and altitude info into each file’s EXIF info); external hard drive (connect compact external USB hard drive, and write files directly from camera to the hard drive as if it’s an additional memory card)

» LCD monitor: 3.0-inch (diagonal) TFT color; approximately 100% coverage; approximately 230,000 pixels on monitor; approximately 140 degrees viewing angle

» LCD monitor brightness: Adjustable in 7 levels (via Menu)

» Video-out: Yes (to standard TV monitor); NTSC or PAL, selectable on Menu

» Number of AF points: Nine, all cross-type AF points

» Center AF point: Unique hybrid cross-type AF point; world’s first high-precision AF point with both horizontal and vertical high-precision; additional standard precision, cross-type sensors for lenses from f2.8 to f5.6

» AF point selection: 1. Manual AF point selection via 9-way multi-controller on back of camera; 2. automatic AF point selection

» AF activation: Shutter button, or new AF On button at back of camera

» AF modes: One-Shot AF (for stationary subjects); AI Servo AF (for tracking moving subjects); AI Focus AF (auto selection of One-Shot or AI Servo AF)

» AF sensor: Entirely new Canon CMOS AF sensor

» AF sensitivity range: EV -0.5 to 18 (at 73 degrees F / 23 degrees C, ISO 100)

» Shutter speeds: 30 seconds to 1/8000 second, plus Bulb (1/3 or 1/2-step increments); x-sync at 1/250

» ISO range: 100 to 1600, in 1/3-step or full-stop increments; ISO can be expanded to 3200 via C.Fn I-3-1

» Auto ISO: Can be set in any exposure mode, including P, Tv, Av, and M; ISO usually based at 400; typical auto range is 100 to 800, depending on conditions; manual exposure mode: auto ISO fixed at 400

» Exposure modes: Manual, Aperture-priority (Av), Shutter-priority (Tv), Program AE

» Full-auto modes: Green Zone, Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Action, Night Portrait, Flash Off

» Metering: 35-zone metering sensor; Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points); Center-weighted metering; Partial metering; Spot metering at center of picture (approximately 3.5% of picture area)

» Metering range: EV 0 to 20 (all patterns, at normal temperatures)

» Exposure compensation: Possible in P, Tv, Av, and A-DEP exposure modes; +/- up to two stops, in 1/2 or 1/3-stop increments (via Quick Control Dial)

» Autoexposure bracketing: Possible in P, Tv, Av, M, and A-DEP exposure modes; +/- up to two stops, in 1/2 or 1/3-stop increments

» Compatible flashes: All Canon EX-series Speedlites, including new Speedlite 580EX II

» Camera menu sets flash: Yes (580EX II only, as of August 2007)

» E-TTL II flash metering: Flash metering not linked to active AF point; distance from compatible EF lenses now used; entire metering area can be averaged using Custom Function 14-1

» Modeling flash: 1-second burst of flash possible at 70Hz when depth-of-field preview button is pressed (580EX/EX II, 550EX, 420EX, MR-14EX, MT-24EX, and Speedlite transmitter only)

» Wireless E-TTL: Fully compatible, including ratio setting over six-stop range

» Flash exposure compensation: Up to +/- 2 stops can be set on camera body (can also be set on compatible Speedlites)

» Built-in flash: Covers lenses as wide as 17mm (27mm equivalent); Guide Number 43 (feet)/13 (meters), ISO 100

» Viewfinder focus screen: New interchangeable “Ef” series focusing screens; standard screen: Ef-A–precision matte screen very similar to EOS 30D; optional Ef-D screen–precision matte with grid lines; optional Ef-S screen–Super precision matte (superior manual focusing with fast lenses, f1.8 to f2.8)

» Viewfinder display: Similar to EOS 30D; new: ISO is always displayed; new: B/W shooting mode icon; new: maximum burst available now two digits

» Dioptric adjustment: User-set from -3.0 to +1.0 (range can be extended using optional Canon dioptric Lens E, plus rubber frame Eb)

» Mirror lock-up: Possible via Custom Function III-6-1

» Eyepiece shutter: None (cover is provided on included strap)

» Color space: Standard sRGB or Adobe 1998 RGB (separate setting on Menu)

» White Balance: Auto; Pre-set (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Flash); color temperature (set by user from 2500K to 10,000K in 100K increments); custom (shoot white object or 18% gray card, base WB on that neutral object)

» White Balance correction: Fine-tuning of overall color, in any white balance mode; amber-blue correction, in 9 steps; magenta-green correction, in 9 steps; set on graph on LCD monitor, using 9-way controller; both types of correction can be combined

» White Balance bracketing: Three separate files written with a single click of the shutter; can be varied in the amber-blue direction, or the magenta-green direction; can be adjusted up to +/- 15 mireds (equivalent to 3 steps on the 9-step adjust scale); can be combined with standard auto exposure bracketing (9 files written to CF card)

» Picture style: Extensive range of settings for user to tailor color, contrast, sharpness, etc. to their preference; same characteristics as previous EOS SLRs with Picture Style control

» Black and white recording: Set via monochrome setting within Picture Styles menu

» Computer connection: USB 2.0 Hi-speed, via small “B”-type USB connection

» Remote control: N3-type push-in terminal (same as EOS 20D, EOS-1D Mark II, etc.)

» Video-out: Single-pin mini-jack

» Direct Printing compatibility: PictBridge printing to compatible Canon and other brand printers

» Compatible images: JPEG, RAW, or sRAW, if they comply with DCF protocol

» Preview effects on camera’s LCD: Printing effects can be previewed (includes brightness, levels, contrast, color saturation, color tone, and color balance–face brightener and red-eye correction cannot be viewed)

» Connection to printer: Via USB cable included with camera

» DPOF image marking: Compatible; images can be “tagged” while reviewing on LCD monitor

» Battery: BP-511A, BP-511, or BP-512 (rechargeable lithium-ion, same as EOS 30D) (BP-511/BP-512: 1100mAh; BP-511A: 1390mAh)

» Shooting capacity: Approximately 1100 shots (at 68 degrees F / 20 degrees C); approximately 800 shots (at 32 degrees F / 0 degrees C)

» Charger unit: Canon CB-5L or CG-580 (also can be charged with compact power adapter CA-PS400)

» AC adapter: AC adapter kit ACK-E2 (optional; consists of adapter AC-E2, and “dummy battery” DR-400)

» Battery grip (optional): Battery grip BG-E2N or BG-E2

» Date/time back-up battery: CR2016 lithium battery–coin-type; user-replaceable (estimated life 5 years)

» Body exterior material: Magnesium alloy top, front, and rear covers

» Chassis material: Polycarbonate and stainless steel

» Lens mount: EF lens mount; metal; compatible lenses: all Canon lenses for EOS cameras

» Compatible with EF-S lenses: Yes

» Custom functions: 24 custom functions, in four distinct categories; 9 entirely new custom functions

» Operating temperature range: 32 degrees to 104 degrees F, at 85% or lower humidity (0 degrees to 40 degrees C)

» Dimensions (W x H x D): 5.7 x 4.2 x 2.9 inches (145.5 x 108 x 73.5 millimeters), very slightly larger than EOS 30D

» Weight (without battery or CF card): 26.1 ounces (740 grams), approximately 1.4 ounces (40 grams) heavier than EOS 30D

Measuring at 2.6 x 2.6 x 5.3in and weighing in at just 0.75lb, it is perfect for non-professionals who wants something lightweight and HD-capable. With its 1,920 x 1080 30fps recording, revamped image stabilization system, and Leica Dicomar lens, the HDC-SD5 is definitely a performer.

Price: US$999.99
Availability: September 15, 2007, pre-order from Amazon now.

Technical Specifications:

Signal system 1080 lines, 60 fields Weight (w/o Battery) 0.75 lb Dimensions (W x H x D) 2.6 x 2.6 x 5.3 inch

Image sensor
1/6-inch CCD image sensor
Total pixels: 560 k x 3

Effective pixels
Motion Picture: 520 k x 3(16:9)
Still Picture: 520 k x 3 (16:9)

Lens
Auto iris, 10x power zoom
F 1.8 to 2.8 (f = 3.0 to 30.0mm)
35mm equivalent
Motion picture: 42.9 to 429 mm (16:9)
Still picture: 42.9 to 429 mm (16:9)
Filter diameter 37 mm
Zoom 10x optical zoom, 25/700x digital zoom

Monitor 2.7” wide LCD monitor (approx. 300 k pixels)
Microphone Stereo Zoom Microphone
Speaker Dynamic type
White balance adjustment Auto / White Set / Outdoor / Indoor (with IR sensor)
Standard illumination 1,400 lux

Minimum required illumination 5 lux (1/30 low light mode) (1 lux in Magic pix mode)

High-speed shutter 1/30 - 1/8000 (Motion Picture), 1/30-1/8000 (Still Picture)

Recording media SD Memory Card, SDHC Memory Card

USB Card reader / writer function ( No copyright protection support)
High-Speed USB (USB2.0) (miniAB)
Pict Bridge-compliant
Flash Available flash range: approx. 1m to 2.5m
Standard accessories AC Adaptor, Battery Pack, IR Remote Controller, USB Cable,
component Cable, AV-Cable, CD-ROM (HD Writer Ver 2.0)

Motion pictures
Compression MPEG4-AVC/H.264 (AVCHD standard compliant)
Transfer rate HG: approx. 13 Mbps (CBR)/ HN: approx. 9 Mbps (VBR)/
HE: approx. 6 Mbps (VBR)
Picture size HG: 1920 x 1080, HN/HE: 1440 x 1080
Audio compression Dolby Digital (Dolby AC3)/ 2ch

Still pictures
Compression JPEG (DCF/Exif2.2 compliant)
Picture size 1920 x 1080 / 2.1MEGA (16:9)
HE: approx. 6

“Navizon is a positioning system that works by triangulating signals from Wifi and/or Cellular towers. It is based on a community of users mapping the wireless landscape in their area and collecting Wifi and Cell towers locations all around the world. Once the data collected is shared with the rest of the network, everyone can benefit from Navizon’s virtual GPS, even on devices that do not include a GPS chip.”

If the area that you live in is blanketed by WiFi and has cellphone signals, Navizon has the potential of being really accurate.

I was recently asked to write a review for Buy.com’s digital cameras section. I’ve never bought anything from Buy.com, but I figured I’ll take a quick look. Well, I was pleasantly surprised! Here are my views.

“Buy.com has the largest selection of Top name brand Digital Cameras at the lowest prices and free shipping offers.

With over 2 million products and 8 million customers, Buy.com is the destination for Digital Cameras”

The Good

Upon entry of the online store, I was presented with a neat list of popular digital cameras, ranging from professional digital SLR to consumer point-and-shoots, sorted nicely by megapixel count. Got a specific requirement such as minimum optical zoom or LCD screen size? Buy.com allows you to filter out the digital cameras that do not meet your requirements.

Most online stores have only technical specifications for the digital cameras that they sell. But not true for Buy.com, they have detailed non-biased reviews on many digital cameras to help you make an informed choice.

The Price

Canon Digital Rebel XTi Black, Body Only: $673.12 on Buy.com vs. $675.15 on Amazon.com.
Canon PowerShot G7: $464.33 on Buy.com vs. $463.99 on Amazon.com.
Fujifilm F40fd: $255.99 on Buy.com vs. $264.95 on B&H.

As you can see, Buy.com is definitely competitive when it comes to pricing. And if you use Google Checkout, you can even shave another $10 off the final price.

The Not-So-Good

My only complaint is the lack of digital SLR from brand names other than Canon. It would be great if they at least carry Nikon digital SLRs too. My apology to Buy.com. Looks like they do carry the whole range of Nikon digital SLRs too! But then my complaint becomes that these Nikon digital SLRs are somehow not as easily found as Canon and Olympus. After clicking on “Digital SLR” under Browse, the “Manufacturer” option for refining the search lists only Canon and Olympus. But by doing a search for “Nikon digital SLRs“, all the popular Nikon bodies such as D200 and D80 appear.

The Online Destination For Digital Cameras

So, whenever you are looking to get a new digital camera online, do remember to check out Buy.com!

Digital compact cameras are getting amazingly comparable to SLRs. Especially with the introduction of Canon’s new PowerShot S5 IS.

With the previous PowerShot S2/S3 IS, Canon did a great job in combining great image quality with a 12x zoom lens. But what they are lacking is a flash hotshoe. Which in my opinion is a great loss, as flash photography is really rewarding when you can put on a flash with a tiltable head. It is also one of the key difference between them and a Canon DSLR. But the PowerShot S5 IS just closed this gap between compacts and SLRs by having a flash hotshoe, which supports Canon Speedlites (220EX, 430EX, 580EX) with E-TTL.

The PowerShot S5 IS also features:

• 8-megapixel
• Stereo sound recording
• DIGIC III processor
• Optical Image Stabilizer
• 2.5-inch LCD
• Face Detection for auto-focus
• Support for SDCH/SD and MMC memory cards

From my experience with the Canon PowerShot S2 IS before I upgraded to a DSLR, I have no reservations in recommending this latest successor in the PowerShot S range of cameras.

Availability: Early July 2007
Pricing: US$499.99

Sony has announced its new Cyber-shot DSC-G1 slim digital camera. Its 6.0-megapixel resolution might seem little, but those who understands the megapixel myth would know better.

What’s extraordinary about this camera is its wireless capability, 2GB of internal memory, and its huge LCD. With built-in WiFi, the DSC-G1 is able to wirelessly transfer photos to another compatible camera or DLNA-compatible computers.

Other features:

• 3.5-inch LCD screen with 921,000-pixel resolution
• 6.0-Megapixels Super HAD™ CCD
• 2GB internal memory - stores up to 7,500 VGA-quality or 600 6-megapixel photos
• Album Editor software allows you to search photos by color, face or similarity to another image.
• Super Steady Shot® image stabilization
• Light sensitivity up to 1000 ISO
• Carl Zeiss® 3x optical zoom lens
• MPEG4 movie recording with sound
• WiFi technology
• DLNA - Digital Living Network Alliance

The Cyber-shot DSC-G1 is expected to launch next month, priced at around US$600.

It has only been about four months since Nikon introduced the entry-level D40 digital SLR. But Nikon’s updating it anyway with the new D40x.

Differences:

• 6-megapixel to 10.2-megapixel
• Range of ISO setting starts at 100 instead of 200
• 2.5fps to 3fps
• 1/200 flash sync speed, down from 1/500

Looks like the slightly higher price than D40 won’t get you much of an upgrade. Forum discussions have shown that most people would rather pay a little more and get a D80 instead.

The D40x will be available next month for US$729.95 for the body only, or US$799.95 for the package including its 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G ED II AF-S lens.

Group shots… More often than not, one person would ruin the photo by blinking or squinting. A good way to solve this is to get the group to close their eyes for about three seconds before taking the shot. Still, no guarantees.

But that might soon become a thing of the past, as Canon is currently working on Blink Shot Technology that detects blinking eyes. Upon detecting a blinking eye, the software will stop the picture from being taken. If the technology works without flaw, any shot that gets fired would certainly guarantee nice opened eyes. Combine this with the three-seconds technique, no one should be feeling sleepy in your photos.

No word on when and on which camera it will debut on. But if I have to guess, it will definitely be on a point-n-shoot and not a DSLR.