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2 CDS EXCLUSIVE FULL SOFTWARE WORTH £80 ON OUR CDS!

NEW!

The definitive guide to better photos

132 pages of
image-editing
tutorials, kit
reviews & more!
SONY DSC-F717
RATED INSIDE
Our expert view of Sony’s new
5-megapixel marvel

TURN YOUR PHOTOS


INTO WORKS OF ART
Our exclusive CD software and
tutorial show you how
£100-£800
WHICH CD BURNER IS CAMERAS
RIGHT FOR YOU? COMPARED

20 CHRISTMAS
We test six of the latest inside and
reveal the winner

2 IMAGE-EDITING HELP & TUTORIALS


Ideas, advice and techniques to improve your pictures CAMERAS TESTED
We reveal the ideal features for the best
prices – it’s your complete buying guide DECEMBER 2002
9 771479 001003

TAKE BETTER NIGHT


PHOTOGRAPHS!
7 7 7
RESTORE FADED PICS PERFECT PORTRAITS 50 PHOTOSHOP TIPS r low-light/indoor shots
£4.99

Easy tricks you can use to improve you


12

Make old, washed-out We show you how to create Essential techniques for
colours as good as new this great image every Photoshop user PRINTED IN THE UK
SETTING UP IN
NEW MEDIA
In the first of our series of features on going freelance in new media,
3D and illustration, find out exactly what it takes to go it alone

3DS MAX 5
All the new features of 3ds max 5 explored. Check out the fully
working 30-day demo on the cover CD – and don’t forget the massive
45-step tutorial

PHOTOSHOP TO A BRIEF
An insightful, tutorial-based look at the thought processes and
techniques behind professional editorial illustration

A4 LASER PRINTERS ON TEST


Five of the best lasers go head-to-head in our in-depth group test.
Plus, reviews of Cinema 4D R8, AXELedge 2 and the Canon EOS D60

ON SALE NOW
2
MEET
YOUR
TEAM 2 Our promise
to our readers

4
STARTHERE
Every month we will show you how
8
Nick Merritt
Managing Editor to capture and create better pictures,
give clear, independent buying
Nick’s background is technology and
recommendations on the latest kit,
image-editing related. He’s launched,
and deliver two CDs packed with the
managed and built some of the UK’s
best PC software.
leading publications in these areas.
We use boxes, tips, quick fixes, quality

8 Dylan Channon
Senior Art Editor
Happy Christmas! photography, walkthroughs and diagrams
to show you how to improve your
photographic and image-editing skills
Dylan is a keen amateur We have a cast-iron policy of editorial

A
photographer and sits on the advisory
nd welcome to our second issue. Before I say any more, I have to thank you all for
independence. All our kit is reviewed as-
board of Somerset College of Art the amazing response to issue one. Not only did we sell out of WHSmith – a rare sold. We discourage our journalists from
and Technology. and hallowed event (if you work in publishing), but the response from everyone accepting gifts from advertisers.
has been fantastic. Emails and letters have flooded in with compliments, suggestions and We welcome your opinions on the

8
Roddy Llewellyn ideas – it’s been more than any of us were expecting and the team thanks you all. magazine, ideas for articles, photography,
Art Editor thoughts and questions.
Roddy studied photography at Send them in today – see the email
We’re very pleased and relieved to say that judging from most of the emails, we’ve more or addresses below.
university and is PPA Designer of the
Year for his work on Create, a less put out the magazine you seem to want. Which means I can junk emergency Plan B –
we won’t need to send the lads round after all. That’s not to say everything’s perfect. From

c
magazine for creative professionals.
next issue, we’re rebalancing our image-editing tutorials to take account of the legions of

8
Tim Daly non-Photoshop users out there, so look out for that. We’ll also be adding video tutorials to
Photographer and writer complement our magazine projects. Departments
Tim is one of the UK’s leading digital
photography experts. He’s written We want your letters, ideas, photography,
numerous books on the subject and But that’s for next month. This month, because of the time of year, we’ve gone for what is a
articles, tips and more! Write in today to
his photographs have been exhibited very comprehensive round-up of cameras on-sale this Christmas. We rate 21 of the best (we the following areas:
across Europe. know the cover says 20... er, consider the additional camera a freebie...) broken down into Issues with your discs
three key price ranges. 10 cameras get a page each, five-high price cameras get a spread support2@futurenet.co.uk

8 Tom Ang
Photographer and journalist
each in the usual way, while the budget cameras get compared over two pages. Your letters
letters.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
Tom is one of the UK’s leading Photos for our galleries
photography writers, contributing to a
Enjoy the issue and do please keep writing in! gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
multitude of traditional and digital Events, ideas, places to visit
magazines. This month, we let him getupgo.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
loose on the Sony DSC-F717. For help and advice
help.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
Articles/ideas for publication
8
Steve Bavister
editor.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
Photographer and editor
Nick Merritt, Managing Editor Visit our website today!
Steve is one of the UK’s best-known
editor.dcm@futurenet.co.uk www.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk
photographic writers, having edited
and published Practical Photography
in the past. In issue 3, we show you 50 ways you can improve any picture

8
Ed Davis

2 HOW WE SHOT THE COVER


Photo retouching expert
Ed is a commercial photographer of
many years’ experience. He is a
member of the National Association It’s the most important page of any
of Photoshop Professionals. magazine and it’s the one we spend
the most time over. We chose the

8
Aidan O’Rourke model, Jenni Williams, based on her
Technical expert glamourous yet approachable look,
Aidan is a contributor to the and hired stylist Jeannie Bolét to do
Manchester Evening News. He
lectures on digital photography 8 8 the make-up. The photographer was
Philip Sowels and he shot Jenni using
around the UK. our in-house high-performance
Eyelike Digital mounted on a
Horseman Digiflex body using Nikon
ISSUE 3 ON
;
lenses. Finally, the colour was
3
SALE 19TH DEC tweaked and retouched in Photoshop

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 003


Contents DCM#02
What’s hot inside your magazine this December

STARTS PAGE
25
20 Christmas
cameras tested!
So many cameras this month we can’t move! But you will discover
which one you should buy this December
£100-£200 Starts page 54
£200-£400 Starts page 25
£400-£900 Starts page 42

PAGE
Getup&Go Top night/indoor
68 Discover the glories of
photographing frost, Christmas
photography tips
lights and winter animals PAGE

Creative portraits 16
We reveal the tricks you can
Our project shows you how to photograph PULL OUT use to take dazzling photos – no
SECTION –
and combine images for fantastic results! FIND IT matter the lighting conditions
AFTER P98

004 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


Kit reviews Your 2 coverdiscs
2 NEON LIGHTS
PAGE 16
WILDLIFE IN AFRICA
PAGE 62

2
SHUTTER SPEEDS
PAGE 86

THIS ISSUE WE
SHOW YOU HOW TO…
LIGHT AND DARK
GETUP&GO

The UK’s definitive reviews


package every month TAKE BETTER NIGHT/INDOOR PICTURES
Capture neon 18
Take photos of street lights 18
Use the ‘B’ setting on your camera 18
Photograph the moon 19
Use the flash indoors 19
10 CAMERAS FUJI FINEPIX F601
PAGE 25 PAGE 44 PAGE Capture creative silhouettes
Use a tripod
20
21

Instant Photo Artist


Turn your photos into works of art in easy steps!
120 Get the right exposure times at night
Light a scene indoors using existing lights
Create a ‘streaking’ light effect
21
21
21
Every issue we’ll bring you not one, but two CDs –
SONY DSC-F717
PAGE 50
PHOTOIMPACT 8
PAGE 52
each one packed with exclusive full software. This
month, enjoy Instant Photo Artist, Paint Shop Pro 7
£ 80
OF FULL
IMPROVE YOUR IMAGE-EDITING SKILLS
Extract an object from a background 68
XTRAS, Firegraphic XP – all full and yours to keep!
SOFTWARE Create a glass effect 72
ON DISC 1 ON DISC 2 IN TOTAL!
Create a rippled reflection 72
FULL Professor Franklin’s FULL Firegraphic XP 3.5
Instant Photo Artist FULL Paint Shop Pro 7
Add a spotlight to an image 73
PLUG-IN ColourWorks
TRIAL Instant Photo XTRAS Deluxe Colour-correct and restore a faded photo 74
Effects Picture Buzz FULL iCorrect Entré 4.0 PLUG-IN Galaxy 1.0 How to adjust lighting 77
BUDGET CAMERAS 6 CD BURNERS TOURS 5 x 3D tours TRIAL Elements 2 PLUG-IN Filters Unlimited
TEST SHOTS for each of FREEWARE JPEG Resizer PLUG-IN Flood Clone an area of an image 78
PAGE 54 PAGE 57
our main cameras FREEWARE Rota 0.7 PLUG-IN OldMovie 1.30 Use Photoshop 7’s Healing tool 80

INCLUDES IMPROVE YOUR CAMERA SKILLS


5 VIRTUAL REALITY CAMERA TOURS
Try before you buy! Our reviews come with this
unique CD extra: rotate and view each main
Regulars Vary your shutter speed
Understand your lens
86
88
camera on-screen – it’s the next best thing to
holding the camera in your hands! EYEWITNESS HELP AND ADVICE
Hotshots gallery p06 Photo Clinic p74 USE YOUR PC BETTER
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
Visit our website, read our reviews, post Frontline news p12 Your questions p90 Use the My Pictures folder 96
your own views, then click through to
buy the camera! Develop/print using a photo website 98
www.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk YOUR PHOTOS & LETTERS FOLD-OUT SECTION AFTER PAGE 98
Remove colour casts prior to printing 100

2
Reader profile p10 11 landscape photography tips
Viewfinder p22 Norfolk Broads photos & maps
Day in the life p38 Salisbury Cathedral
Trailblazers p62 Photographing frost and snow
Winter animals HOTSHOTSTURNOVER
OFFERS Christmas lights Every issue, we print the best digital photography we
Subscribe! p64 can find. Turn over now and see some of the shots that
Software upgrade offers p123 DEALER BANK have inspired us this issue…
Visit our website for reader reviews! Money off Firegraphic XP p124 Pages: p101-119

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 005


Hotshots
Images with impact
SHOT OF THE MONTH
CRACKED UP THE WALCOT STUDIOS
“The man was captured on a Nikon D1X. The
cracked mud effect was done using an emulsion-lift
technique – soak a 5 x 4 Polaroid in warm salty
water until the surface cracks up, then remove and
dry. It was scanned, then both images were
combined in Photoshop.”
[w] www.thewalcotstudio.co.uk
Hotshots

02

03

04 02 SEASIDE Darrin Jenkins ABIPP


“Birds and sky are separate shots taken before
the two men, then cleaned up in Photoshop. The
final image was interpolated using GF Print Pro.”
PhaseOne Lightphase fitted on a Horseman Digiflex
[w] www.photohall.com/DarrinJenkins

03 WATERFALL Jal Schrof


“This is Multnomah Falls in Oregon, located
along the Columbia River Gorge national scenic
area. It’s the second highest falls in the US.”
Olympus C2100UZ
[w] www.pbase.com/run4est

04 BOY AND BALL Rob Scott


“I shot this with the white balance set to
fluorescent, using a rear curtain flash sync,
exposed at 1/60th second at f8.”
Nikon D1X
[e] rob.scott@futurenet.co.uk

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 007


The essentials of imaging

The Dimage F100.


The Top Gun of digitals.

The F100. The only digital camera in the world, which if it detects a moving subject, focuses,
locks onto it and ensures that it stays focused, wherever it is in the frame.

Now thanks to Minolta’s Area AF, you can capture in-


focus shots at the touch of a button.
The Dimage F100’s Area AF system with its extra-wide
focusing area automatically seeks out your target through its
Subject Tracking AF system, locks on and stays locked on no
matter where it is in the frame; 9 o’clock, 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock
or 6 o’clock.
Even if it’s coming straight at you there’s no need to
worry, the Dimage F100 will automatically adjust the active
focus frame to keep your subject in focus.
With an effective 4 megapixels, a Minolta GT 3x optical
zoom lens and Minolta’s Cx ProcessTM, high quality images are
guaranteed.
The F100 is the only camera with Automatic Digital
Subject Program Selection, a system which, when set to Auto,
automatically assesses the shooting conditions and adjusts the
program to match the scene, portrait, landscape, night portrait,
sunset or sports action modes.
Couple this with Macro, for super crisp close-ups, fast
start-up, rapid focusing, movie recording with audio, audio
recording, e-mail copy facility and rapid picture to picture
shooting capability and you’ve got yourself a rather special
camera. The best of the best. The Top Gun in fact.

www.dimage.minolta.com
Hotshots

05

06

07 05 BUTTERFLIES Bob Garas


“I used the macro to capture the bud
image, then combined it with picture of
some butterflies in Photoshop.”
Canon G1 with two White Lightning 1200 Strobes
[w] www.geocities.com/bgaras2001

06 SURF Keith Moss


“Arma, who is lead singer of SURF,
captured in a recent gig at Glasgow
Barrowlands, exposed for 30th sec at f5.6.”
Fuji S1 Pro
[w] www.finephotoart.net

07 SLAITHWAITE RESERVOIR Keith Moss


“I captured this with the colour setting on
high, for 60th sec at f11.”
Fuji S1 Pro
[w] www.finephotoart.net

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 009


2ProfileMe and my camera

Robert Ganz
QUEBEC, CANADA
robert.g@infosilem.com
Robert saw our call for gallery
contributions in issue one and
immediately emailed us. We’re pleased
to showcase some of his work on this
page – it’s an impressive mix of scenes
and techniques.
01
He tells us: “I bought my first digital
02 camera (a Casio QV2000UX) in early
2000, then moved onto the Canon G1.
Now I work with the Canon D30. Along
the way I’ve also owned a Nikon 775,
and now a Canon IXUS as point-and-
shoot digitals.”

The excuse Robert gave his wife to invest


in digital was the birth of their second
son in 2000. Now for the real reason:
“yes, I’m a bit of a gadget fanatic, and at
the time digital photography seemed to
finally be at a point where the results
were approaching what I could get with
regular point-and-shoot film cameras. So
I took the plunge.”

The main benefits of digital to Robert are


immediacy and convenience: “Digital
enables me to shoot whenever and
wherever I like without concern for film
and developing costs. This is a huge
03 advantage as I am free to shoot in
situations where normally I might not,
04 and I can photograph subjects as
creatively as I like.”

He continues: ”I know right away if I’ve


got the shot I want – if it’s sharp; if it’s
exposed properly. The immediate
feedback allows me to learn extremely
quickly and removes any uncertainty
I would have (as an amateur) with
film. The camera goes with me
everywhere I go, and I never pass up an
opportunity to take a picture. No doubt
about it – my digital camera has made
me a better photographer.”

@
NOW SEND US YOURS!
01 OLD UNION BROOK, NOVA SCOTIA 03 BATHTIME FUN
Canon G1, two photos stitched together Canon D30, 50mm 1.8 lens, flash
Email us a 100K JPEG thumbnail of your best
shots! The best wins a 128Mb Crucial
02 FATHER-IN-LAW ALBERT 04 CROSSROADS CompactFlash card each issue.
Canon D30 handheld in available light Canon G1, 250D closeup lens gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk

010 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


The new Sony F717.
The only thing it hasn’t got is you.
For a start, there’s the 5.0 effective mega pixel Super HAD CCD and 5x optical Zoom which Of course, all this is academic without the power to keep going throughout a serious photo
offer superb picture quality over a range of distances. Then there’s the Carl Zeiss Vario session. Which is why the F717 incorporates Sony STAMINA InfoLITHIUM battery technology,
Sonnar lens which delivers crisp, distortion-free images and ultra-faithful colour reproduction. to keep you shooting for up to 210 minutes*, while the indicator on the LCD panel lets you
Add to that the innovative rotating lens unit which lets you shoot from virtually any angle, know exactly how long you’ve got left.
and you start to get a feel for the photography this camera is capable of. And when time is of the essence, simply hook up to your PC via the high-speed USB 2.0
Then consider the wide array of unique Sony noise reduction technologies. Slow shutter noise connection and let the supplied Image Transfer software do all the work for you.
reduction helps you achieve clear, sharp images in low light. And the NightFraming mode So, put it all together, and the Sony F717 really is the camera that has it all. Well almost.
enables you to capture perfectly framed, focused and exposed images in complete darkness The only thing you’ll want to add now is you.
by incorporating Sony’s infra-red NightShot, Hologram AF and pre-flash exposure systems.
And if that fails to impress, take a look at the F717’s photographic features. The manual
focus/zoom ring gives you increased control of each shot, while the histogram display helps
you manage the exposure of every image. You can also enhance lighting options by attaching
an external flash to the hot-shoe. And on top of this, you can select shutter speeds from 30
seconds to 1/2000th second, or ISO settings up to 800, giving you the flexibility to shoot in all
conditions from low light to fast action.
But we didn’t stop with what’s on the inside. The robust, ergonomic magnesium body is
designed to offer all the controls you need at your fingertips, while the LCD menu system is as
intuitive as it is comprehensive.

Customer Information Centre 08705 111 999


www.sony.co.uk
‘Sony’, ‘Handycam’, ‘InfoLITHIUM’, ‘STAMINA’, and ‘NightShot’ are trademarks of Sony Corporation, Japan.
* Continuous shooting with flash switched off & LCD on (power save mode)
Frontline
What’s hot this December ■ Send us your news! Email news.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
MINOLTA
DIMAGE XI
Popular thin camera gets a
boost to 3 megapixels and
new image editing software
■ See below
CANON SMARTBASE
MPC200
Another printer rolls off the
Canon production line, this
one a multi-function device
■ See opposite
FIRMWARE
UPGRADES
New firmware upgrades
mean better performance for
Nikon and Pentax owners
■ See below

New firmware
Minolta Dimage Xi QUICK
SHOTS upgrades
available now
hits the high street
NEW FUJI
PAPER
Fuji have announced
the availability of Several new firmware upgrades
their new range of
have been announced for a
professional inkjet
number of Pentax and Nikon
Successor to Dimage X boosts the pixels and comes with an image papers. Branded
Fujifilm Multijet, all
CAMERAS cameras. Firmware refers to
editor to make post-shoot processing easier three papers offer the software inside your camera which
instant drying and helps make it work, and upgrading it
high brightness. The
enables you to get improved performance
Premium paper is

T
he latest in Minolta’s popular Dimage Like other cameras in its class, it can also from your existing camera.
TO AID THE series of cameras, the Xi, has just gone capture video (up to 35 seconds with audio) and
the same weight
(270gsm) and finish First up is an update for the newly-released
RETRIEVAL OF on sale (look out for a full review in the up to 30 minutes without audio – handy for voice as photo paper – 10 Pentax Optio 330GS, which helps it work with
NUMEROUS next issue of Digital Camera Magazine). memos for instance. And an in-built email copy sheets will set you
back about £8. High
a wider range of CompactFlash cards. Available
IMAGES FROM Based on the pre-existing Dimage X case
design, the new model boosts the number of
feature drops a 640 x 480 pixel copy onto your
memory card for transfer directly into an email
Quality (210gsm) in both Mac and PC versions, to install it,
simply visit the website www.pentax.co.jp
MEMORY, THE megapixels to 3.3 but is still small and slim program, without needing to re-size in an image
comes in at £10 for
20 sheets. /digital/dls/en/o330gs1win_s.html
CAMERA enough – at only 20mm – to fit comfortably in a editor first.
NEW CANON
(Windows) or www.pentax.co.jp/digital/dls/
ENABLES YOU pocket. It also manages a 3x optical and 4x digital To aid the retrieval of numerous images from
SCANNERS en/o330gs1mac_s.html (Mac), downloading

TO SORT zoom, giving an effective zoom range of 12x.


Minolta claims that at 1.2 seconds, the Dimage
memory, the camera enables you to sort images
into date-labelled folders as you capture them.
Two new scanners
from Canon hit the
the file then copying it onto a CompactFlash
card and inserting it into your camera.
IMAGES INTO Xi has the fastest start-up time of any digital And the camera comes with a new Viewer streets this month, Nikon has also announced new firmware
DATE-LABELLED camera with an optical zoom. We haven’t program which, when images are downloaded to both offering 2,400 x
4,800dpi resolution,
upgrades for the D100, D1X/D1H. Both
FOLDERS AS confirmed this yet ourselves though. PC, gives you the ability to perform basic image or 48 bit colour and updates add features for Adobe RGB images,
Other features include two autofocus modes – video editing functions – from adjustments to support for EXIF 2.2, better battery power
YOU CAPTURE ‘Wide’ gives a large focus area for quick point-and- colour, brightness, saturation etc, to histograms
USB2. They include
an Integrated Film detection and lens information in EXIF headers.
THEM shoot photographs, while ‘Spot’ uses a small area and curves. Adapter Unit for To upgrade your cameras, you’ll need to
continuous scanning
at the centre of the image to focus (great if you We’ll be taking a closer look at the Dimage Xi contact your nearest Nikon Support Facility.
of 35mm film,
want to single out a specific subject in a group). in next month’s issue, on sale on 19th December. (regular photographs ■ Find out more information at www.nikon-
to digital). The 5000F euro.com.
retails for £170
Number of effective pixels: 3.2 million
while the 8000F
Camera sensitivity: Auto,. ISO 50,100, 200, 400
Focal length: 5.7-17.1mm (35mm equivalent 0
costs £199 including
37-111mm) Photoshop Elements.
Max aperture: f/2.8-f/3.6
Max magnification: 0.06x (1:16.7) – equivalent to 0.4x PHOTOSHARING
(1:2.5) in 35mm format MADE EASIER
Shutter speeds: 2sec to 1/1000sec A new application,
Exposure control: programmed PhotoLightning,
Flash range: Wide: 0.25-3.2m, Telephoto: 0.25-2.5m
claims to make it
Flash modes: Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Fill-
Flash, Flash Cancel, Night portrait
easier to people to
Self-timer: 10 seconds share their digital
White balance control: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, photos. Images can
Tungsten, Fluorescent be tweaked then
Image resolution: 2,048 x 1,536, 1,600 x 1,200, 1,280 bundled into
x 960, 640 x 480 electronic albums,
Image resolution (video mode): 320 x 240 turned into prints or
File formats: JPEG, TIFF, JPEG (MOV), WAVE
shared online.
Memory media: SD, MMC
PC interface: USB1.1
There’s a trial on our
Battery: Lithium-Iron CD, or you can visit
External power: sold separately www.photolightning.
OS compatibility: Mac 9.2-OSX, Windows 98-XP com for more info.

012 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


Canon aiming for
smarter printing
New multi-function printer/scanner also offers direct
printing without need for a PC
Another printer rolls off the Canon that realistic photographic look (A4 and 4 x 6-
production line this month but this inch), and scanning up to A4, 600 x 1,200dpi.
one has several features which A key feature for digital photographers is direct

Behindtheimage
PRINTERS may be of interest to all us printing – just plug in the card and go. This is
digital photographers. compatible with CompactFlash, SmartMedia, SD
The SmartBase MPC200 Photo includes the and Memory Stick card formats – no xD though.
ability to scan, print in colour, make copies and If you do wish to hook it up to your PC, the
accept memory cards for direct printing (that is, printer comes with additional software to help
printing without needing to connect the camera you work with EXIF data and extra tools for
to a PC first). precision printing and colour matching.
On the printing side, the MPC200 offers ink jet Those worried that a printer with so many
printing at 2,400 x 1,200dpi, at 14 pages per functions needs an acre or two of desk space can
minute (mono) and 10 pages per minute rest assured its footprint is only 40 x 55cm. Out
(colour). It can also handle borderless printing for now, the printer should cost around £200.

Here’s the moment Alain Robert – France’s


homegrown Spiderman – climbed London’s
Canary Wharf building in the rain. Freestyle

The time: 18th October 2002. The place: Canary Wharf


You have to be a bit insane to want to climb up the
smooth side of a skyscraper on a cold, wet British
morning with nothing between you and hurtling death
than the unreliable skin of your fingers.
French lunatic – in the nicest possible way – Alain
Robert didn’t finish his plan of climbing Canary Wharf due
to the weather, only reaching the 35th floor before being
rescued by a window cleaner, but disappointment for him
didn’t stop the odd decent photograph turning up. Alain is
famous for climbing up buildings freestyle, having scaled
the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Luxor
Pyramid and Sydney Opera House amongst many.
Nikon’s Christmas presence His aborted ascent was watched by amazed workers,
including a startled Oliver Nicholson, an IT worker at one
Register at Nikon’s website and grab yourself a bundle of goodies… of Canary Wharf’s trading companies, who managed to
snap off these fantastic pictures of Alain as he climbed
Getting a Nikon D100, Coolpix past his office, proving there’s no better way to a great
5700, 5000 or 4500? Nikon wants photo than being in the right place at the right time.
you to register at www.nikon.co.uk
PROMO and grab yourself a range of
Although Alain had to be rescued
accessories to boot. We’re not sure exactly how by a window cleaner, he wasn’t too
this works as information was a bit sketchy at upset – he managed to climb Canary
deadline (so don’t blame us if this thing is a pile Wharf in 1995 anyway
of rubbish) but Nikon claims that anyone buying PICTURES BY OLIVER NICHOLSON

2
one of those cameras will get you a claim on a
gift worth anything from £90 to £300.
One of the ‘presents’ is apparently a
TALKBACK
1
subscription to a ‘major photographic title.’
Well, we’re not listed so we don’t recommend
Tell us what you think! Our website forums at
wasting your valuable earth pounds on that
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk are just the place. Add your
particular gift idea… comments, ideas and more and join the Digital Camera club!
Visit www.nikon.co.uk for more information.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 013


WIDEANGLE
What’s happening around the world

CALIFORNIA USA thought was the non-proprietary JPEG


COMPOSE YOURSELF standard, has bagged another victim.
Hewlett-Packard has patented a Forgent Networks, which previously
camera that decides the best somehow got Sony to cough up, has
interpretation of a shot of you, frames it pulled in another victim, Pegasus Imaging
accordingly in your viewfinder so bits Corp. However, while Pegasus has paid up,
aren’t chopped off, and captures it. the terms of their licence appears not to
concede the validity of Forget’s patent.
CALIFORNIA USA
DIGITAL CAM SCANS CANADA
If Hewlett-Packard has its way, SONY’S FOCAL PROBLEM
you’ll soon be able to scan Sony Canada has announced some
documents using a digital camera. HP’s initial production Canadian F717s
camera will enable you to snap the will produce out-of-focus images when
document, once with flash to drown out shot using the Hologram AF setting. If
ambient light, the other with a low-power your camera has one of the serial QUICK
flash to retain it. The two images are then
combined and adjusted to bring the text
numbers listed at www.sony.ca/sonyca/
customersupport_dscf717.shtml, contact
65,535 colours and digital zoom. There’s
no flash but you can vary the brightness
enable users to download digital photos
from their online picture albums, into their
SHOTS
up. Hey presto, a scanned image. your Sony Centre for a fix. and image resolution. compatible mobile phone. From there,
they’ll be able to email, message and ONLINE
USA LONDON UK COLOGNE GERMANY share images to anyone else with a PICTURE
PRINTING
JPEG LAND GRAB AGAIN PHONES TAKE PICTURES PHOTO MESSAGING ON YOUR PHONE compatible mobile phone – tantamount A new service from
The company that suddenly claimed The latest mobile from Vodafone, Kodak is testing a new wireless to text messaging with photos. We’ve got PhotoBox prints and
the rights to what everyone the GX10, gets a camera capable of mobile imaging service that will a feeling this is going to be very popular. delivers your photos
and – if you wish –
stores them online
via its website at

Nikon aims for better images


www. photobox.
co.uk. Images are
uploaded into
Albums to share, or
formatted for use on
your own website.
New software aims to improve your image editing experience
BLUR’S BACK
UK company Snell
FILES CAN A new version of Nikon Capture has
just been released by Nikon. Version
memory, prior to being
written to its
and Wilcox has
NOW BE 3.5 now includes a number of new memory card. This
found a way of
improving digital
READ, CAMERAS features including capture control for upgrade will cost video quality. By
WRITTEN OR the D100, support for Mac OS X, 10 megapixel around £160. exposing a frame for
24fps, (the blurring
output for D1X files, the option to output large Find out more
DISPLAYED UP thumbnail files (1,600 x 1,063), better noise about both these
giving a better

TO 15 PER reduction and a new use adjustable Auto Vignette products at


impression of
motion) and also
CENT FASTER, Control which will correct for ‘fall off’ with certain www.nikon.co.uk capturing the image

WITH SAVES lenses at large apertures. at 240fps, they then


blend the two
On the Mac side, files can now be read, written
UP TO 25 PER or displayed up to 15 per cent faster, with saves
sequences together
on computer to give
CENT FASTER up to 25 per cent faster. Noise reduction offers a a blur effect.
range of options: Low, Moderate, High, to a slider
choice of 10 levels. 100 MINUTE
CHARGER
Other news from Nikon this month includes a Always running out
new memory upgrade for the D1X, which enables of battery? The new
the camera to retain 21 JPEGs (up from nine) in MH-C401FS 100
minute charger could

2
be what you need. It

3
Information
supplied by BEST SELLER SUB-£100 SUB-£300 SUB-£800 recharges AAs in 100
www.dabs.com Fujifilm Mustek Sony Cybershot Canon mins. Find out more
FinePix A202 Gsmart II Mini DSC-P71 Powershot G3
Best Sellers £128 £45.82 £257.32 £598.07
at www.maha
energy.com

014 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHING AT NIGHT

YOUR GUIDE STEVE BAVISTER


Steve is a photographic journalist and freelance photographer. He is editor of The
Photographer, a leading magazine for pro photographers, and author of ten books
on photography including Digital Photography and Take Better Family Photos

bavister@easynet.co.uk PORTFOLIO STEVE BAVISTER

How to photograph
in the dark
The short days and dull conditions of winter may seem to limit your photography but, in fact,
Steve Bavister says they provide a great opportunity to try out some different techniques and subjects

016 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


4
O
ne of the challenges of taking pictures this time some ideas). While those who like their creature comforts
of year is the light – or, more accurately, the lack can crank up the central heating and improvise a studio at WHY WE CHOSE Lack of haze at dusk means
of it. When you get up in the morning it’s dark; home suitable for everything from portraits to still-life. THIS PICTURE crisp, sharp images

by the time you get home from work it’s dark again. And Other ideal subjects include historic buildings such as Slow shutter speeds capture
during the few precious hours in between, the sky is all too castles and cathedrals, and neon-signed nightlife such as a variety of light sources
often a bland, Tupperware grey, with correspondingly low clubs and bars – with streets you wouldn’t look at twice
levels of illumination. during the day suddenly coming to life as floodlights and
No wonder, then, that many photographers mothball illuminations are switched on.
their gear for the winter months, and hibernate in front of The term ‘night photography’, though, is misleading. The
the TV until spring comes round again. best time to take pictures of street scenes and buildings is Reflections on water add interest
But if, instead of regarding the relative lack of light as a actually at dusk, just after the sun’s gone down and while to overall composition
problem, you start thinking of it as an opportunity to try there’s still plenty of blue in the sky. If you leave it any later
something new, your picture-taking will get a much-needed
boost, and you’ll feel motivated to keep on shooting.
If you’re prepared to wrap up warm, it’s a really great
time to capture some cracking urban landscapes and
The best time to take pictures of street scenes and buildings
country scenes (see this month’s Getup&go section for is at dusk, when there’s still plenty of blue in the sky

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 017


FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHING AT NIGHT

2
CAPTURING NEON
When capturing what looks like a well-lit area against a
vast expanse of night sky, you are likely to end up with
a small splash of light in a black background. Instead,
zoom in on the areas of light so they dominate the final
image. Most neon lights shine at the same intensity, so
try a standard exposure of 1/15sec at f/5.6, ISO 100.
This amusement park ride required a longer exposure
though to get the blurring – about 1sec.

make sure the camera’s white balance system doesn’t should do just fine. Those fortunate enough to have a
What makes night photography so compensate for them – or the pictures will be flat and digital SLR and longer, heavier lenses should consider
uninspiring. If you have a choice, set the controls for investing in something a little more robust. Most digital
appealing are the bright, vivid lights daylight balance, and you’ll capture the vibrant warmth cameras feature shutter speeds down to at least 1/2
which mercury-vapour and tungsten illumination gives second or 1 second, while many go down to 4, 8, 15 or
the sky will come out a dense black with the lights as to subjects. even 30 seconds – which, as our table shows at the end
burnt out highlights. As a rule of thumb, an hour before of this feature, is more than adequate for the vast
it gets dark is when you should begin shooting for the Getting the exposures right majority of nocturnal activity.
best results. In bright street lighting you might just get away with Only a handful of models feature a ‘B’ setting that
In the days of film, shooting at night was, well, a hand-holding, especially if you increase the ISO setting, enables you to hold the shutter open for as long as you
nightmare – the enormous contrast range meant getting but the risk of camera-shake is always present. Bracing like, but this is far from essential unless you really get
the exposure right was tricky and unpredictable, and it yourself against a lamppost or resting the camera on a bitten by the night photography bug. If you want to add
wasn’t until you picked up the prints you found out wall can help, but if you’re serious about nighttime animation to your low-light shots, try including moving
whether you’d been successful or, more commonly, not. shooting a tripod is virtually essential. cars, whose front and rear lights will streak across the
Working digitally means you see the results Overall, a tripod is one of the most useful accessories picture during long exposures.
immediately, and on many cameras can fine-tune the you can have and we’ll be looking at other ways you In fact, you can make this the whole point of
exposure to get the balance right. And you can might benefit from owning one in a moment. wonderful special effects picture by finding a good
obviously tweak images on the computer later to If you have a ‘compact’ digital camera you don’t need vantage point on a flyover and looking down on a busy
improve matters further. What makes night photography a particularly heavy or sturdy tripod. As long it has stable road and shooting as traffic passes below – see overleaf.
appealing are the bright, vivid lights, and you need to legs, isn’t flimsy, and features an adjustable head it A tripod on its own won’t protect you from shake. If

018 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


a
If you have a digital SLR with a separate flashgun there many effects you can try. Tilting or
twisting the head of the gun so it bounces off a wall or ceiling indoors will give you illumination
that’s more appealing. You may also be able to take it off the camera completely, and connect it
by means of cord – to give you the choice of lighting the subject from the side or above.

2 FILL-IN FLASH AND CREATIVE LIGHTING


you jab the shutter as you take the picture you’ll jar the can get an aerial view of the shadows striding out
camera and get blurring. A gentle, steady squeeze is purposefully across the landscape.
what’s required. Unfortunately, few digital cameras Another option worth considering if you want pictures
allow you to take the picture using a cable release, with bags of impact is to have a go at creating some Most cameras have a variety of flash modes. Fill-in flash works by softening otherwise
though some do offer remote firing via an optional silhouettes. This couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is harsh shadows cast by other light sources. Most cameras calculate the best flash-to-
remote control, and it can be worth getting one if you find a scene in which the background is much brighter external light ratio automatically. Using the fill-in flash option can produce much more
plan to shoot in low light a lot. than the main subject – shooting into a setting sun is a attractive results. For instance, use it to give a low-powered burst, rather than the full
A simple alternative that’s available on most cameras sure-fire way of achieving that – but do take care to monty, so the subject is still illuminated but other lights are also captured.
is to use the self-timer designed to enable you to avoid flare. What’s important is that your main subject
include yourself in the picture. During the gap between has a strong graphic shape – such as the human body, a
you pressing the release and the shutter actually firing, leafless tree, a derelict machine or a statue.
which is typically 10-12 seconds, any movement will Some silhouettes can be a bit bland, and adding a
have ceased with the result that pictures are pin-sharp. coloured background in the computer can be an
effective way of adding interest.
Shoot the moon
Winter nights are often exceptionally clear, which makes Frost and fog
it a great time to photograph the moon. While it It’s not just the extremes of the day when the light can
looks big when viewed by the human eye, once you be photogenic – or frustrating low in intensity. Fog cuts
point a camera at it you’ll realise how little of the frame light levels dramatically, but changes the landscape
it fills. So a decent zoom lens is essential, plus a little completely, with only objects close to the camera clear,
cropping and enlargement using your image and those behind receding to the distance.
manipulation program. To get the best results, shoot Frost, too, brings plants to life, giving you the chance
when the moon is full and from a location where to capture interesting details of foliage that would look
there’s the minimum of ambient lighting. If you must dull without the dusting of white.
shoot from an urban area, try doing so after midnight, Flash storms, meanwhile, come and go in an instant,
when most people have gone to bed and switched their but if you can be ready for the moment when sub
lights off. breaks through after a shower, you’ll encounter some of
For something completely different you can also take the most dramatic lighting around. There’s more about
pictures by the light of the moon. With their lack of this is this month’s Getup&go section, towards the back
colour and unusual lighting, moon images of this kind of the magazine.
give the appearance of a totally alien landscape. Also worth photographing when light levels are low
One thing you won’t want to do when photographing are waterfalls, and if you have one near you it’s worth
the moon is use flash. Though you do often see people checking it out on an overcast day. If you want to
at concerts trying to illuminate stars from the 83rd produce stunning pictures of a waterfall you need to blur
row back, their efforts are futile. In fact, the range of the movement of the water to an atmospheric froth,
most built-in flashguns is about four metres at standard and to do that you need a longish shutter speed,
ISO settings. typically between 1/15sec and 1/2sec.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t be used outside at Such speeds are much easier to achieve when
night. On the contrary, by using flash to illuminate a there’s not so much illumination, and the lower contrast
subject, such as a person or group, in the foreground you get on a dull, dank, dark day helps maintain
and allowing a long exposure to register a nighttime maximum detail too. If you have direct control over your
scene, such as a city skyline, you get a wonderful three- shutter speed try different settings, because the results
dimensional effect. And the good news is that many are never predictable. Check the first shot for the
digital cameras feature special Night Portrait mode that accuracy of exposure as well, because the highly
works it all out for you. Position yourself around two reflective nature of the water can cause in-camera
metres from your subject, either brace yourself or use a meters to under-expose.
tripod, and fire away. Take a look at the result and adjust
your distance accordingly. Using the flash indoors
The important thing to be aware of when using flash Not everyone, though, is a fan of the great outdoors, but
outdoors is that the range isn’t as great as indoors, happily there are many indoor projects that can be
because there are no walls or ceiling for it to bounce off. tackled this time of year.
Why not have a go at shooting some serious pictures
Country pursuits of people? This is a good time to experiment with the
Twilight is a great time to head off to the country and flash, to find out when it works well and when less so.
capture some great images as the sun goes down. Discover what happens when you vary the lens setting
While the landscape in winter lacks much of the foliage and how far you are from the subject, and note what
and colours that make it appealing in summer, the stark seems to be the optimum combination for the future.
shapes of trees and of the texture of the land itself Check out the effectiveness of your camera’s red-eye
more than make amends. Shadows can play a big part reduction system – if it has one. Not all work
in creating a sense of depth in photographs, and in successfully in every situation, so try it out so you
winter you can take pictures when shadows are at their understand its limitations and can work around them.
longest and most photogenic on almost any bright day, Most cameras have a number of flash modes, one of
as the sun never rises very high above the horizon. The which is usually called flash-off or flash-cancel. As the
secret is to find a vantage point such as a hill where you name indicates, this prevents the flash from firing. The

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 019


SILHOUETTES
Capturing silhouettes is easy – all you need is a
strong light source behind your subject, and a
subject with an interesting shape

020 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


g
If you have direct control over selecting shutter speeds on your camera, try a range when
photographing moving subjects – the faster, the less blurry. If you have a digital SLR, you can
produce a dramatic effect by zooming the lens during the exposure. With the right subject, the
centre of the picture seems to ‘explode’ out to the edges

2 YOU AND YOUR TRIPOD


exposure is made entirely on the basis of the light in
the room, which is often a lot more interesting and
appealing than the frontal blast of a flashgun, which all
2 SLOW SHUTTER EFFECTS
Most photographers have a too often results in unflattering lighting of the subject Once your camera is firmly anchored on a tripod you can open up a new and exciting
love/hate relationship with their and ugly shadows behind. world of picture-taking creativity. Because the shutter is open for longer than normal, any
tripods. While the benefits of The best place to start is by using window light, part of the subject that moves will blur. This works particularly well with moving lights
using one are enormous, preferably in a room that has the largest expanse of which will streak – cars, stars in the sky. Try these settings: for stars, keep your shutter
having to lug it around is a glass. Find yourself a willing subject, and experiment open several hours (if your camera can handle it); for moving cars, try 8-10 seconds.
pain. But you know what with placing them in different positions in relation to
they say: no pain, no where the light is coming from. If they are facing the
gain, and if you want to door or window, the light will be even and soft. If
tackle those subjects they’re sideways-on to it one half of the face will be
effectively you really dark and the other well lit.
have no choice. Holding up a piece of white paper on the shaded
side will give more attractive and balanced illumination.
If you put the person in front of the window you will
tend to get a silhouette.
To counteract what will almost certainly be low light
levels, try increasing the ISO rating of your camera. Up
to ISO 400 the quality is usually okay, but beyond that
noise and other problems can sometimes be excessive.
Then take some trial pictures and examine the results. If
there’s any blurring or other signs of unsharpness you
STABILITY PREVENT SLIPPAGE will need to support the camera in some way, using a
Spread the legs wide to Make sure the locks on tripod or, if not, a table or a stack of books.
give the tripod a low the legs are fully
centre of gravity, this will tightened, so there's Framing and composition
improve stability no slippage Using a tripod when photographing people has the
added advantage of allowing you to frame and
compose the shot and then lift your head away from
the camera so you can chat away to them so as to get
the best possible expression.
One of the great advantages digital has over film is
that it can compensate for different lighting sources,
which means you can take pictures using normal
household lighting. Avoid, though, shooting when the
illumination is coming from a bulb and shade on the
STOP THE SHAKE HANDS OFF ceiling. Table lamps and stand lamps are much better,
Only extend the central Don’t hold onto the and you can move then around to get the best results.
column if you have to – tripod as you're likely to A couple of table lamps placed one each side of the
it increases the risk of cause vibration rather subject at the same height as their head and a metre
camera-shake than stop it or so away gives a flattering result.
Most flexible of all, though, is an anglepoise lamp,
which you can put exactly where you want. Place it so
NIGHT EXPOSURE GUIDE it’s just above the person’s head and angled down,
with a sheet of white card at waist height to bounce
The difficulty with taking pictures at night is calculating light back up, and you are replicating a classic fashion
the exposure. So to help you we've put together a lighting setup.
guide to some of the more common subjects you'll
want to tackle. Please note that these are only Going further
suggestions, and that it's always sensible to bracket If you’re serious about portraiture and have some cash
widely when taking pictures at night. All figures to spend, you can buy inexpensive tungsten studio
assume that you're using an ISO 100 film setting. lights that work well with digital cameras because
they’re a continuous light source.
Buildings with blue still in the sky 1/15 sec at f/5.6 Whatever you photograph this time of year, and
Buildings against dark sky 4 sec at f/5.6 wherever you photograph it, take great care with
Funfairs/amusement parks 1/4 sec at f/5.6 your focusing. Low light levels mean depth of field (the
Brightly-lit buildings 1/4sec to 1/15sec at f/4 zone of the picture that will appear sharp in the finished
Floodlit buildings and monuments 1 sec at f/4 image) is more limited, because the camera will be
Neon signs 1/4 sec f/4 setting large apertures. So, if in doubt, use your focus
lock to ensure the important part of the subject is kept
Illuminations 1 sec f/5.6
sharp. Our table opposite has some recommended
Traffic trails 8 sec at f/8
settings – give them a try and send us the results to
Fireworks/lightning 8 sec at f/11
gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk!

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 021


Viewfinder
We want your letters! Email us at letters.dcm@futurenet.co.uk and we’ll print the best

Welcome… DCM Thanks Andy. I’ll make it easy for you –


drop them all except for us!
DCM Just hope Him Indoors doesn’t cite us in
the court case Laura…

…to issue 2’s letters page. ‘Wow’ – that’s all Binding issues Surprised
I can say to the incredible response we’ve I’m sure you’ve heard this already, but excellent I was very surprised to see this new magazine in
had to issue 1. Many, many thanks to all magazine! One minor comment re the layout – WHSmith and even more surprised at just how
those kind people who have taken the time the type of binding used and the printing of good it is. Love the large format and the software
to write in to tell us how much you like the articles and photos close to the centre spine make in a DVD case is great too. Hope all future ‘full
mag. Issue 1 was to all practical intents, a some parts difficult to read. software’ comes in cases like this. Only one minor
sell-out and that very rarely happens. I Chris Atkinson gripe so far – not sure about worth of the camera
hope we can give you the mag you want review cards – the info in the mag is good
as we move forward over the next few DCM Fair point, we’ll be adjusting our page enough. Maybe it’s more useful to have some
months – we have some very exciting designs slightly in future issues. software ‘shortcuts’ on the cards.
plans. In the meantime, here’s a few of the Graham Richardson
responses we’ve had. Nice looks but not perfect
Now write in, to DCM has nice design, easy-to-follow tutorials (and DCM Thanks Graham, please keep the
letters.dcm@futurenet.co.uk The Future style lots of them), and useful pull out sections. The suggestions coming in. One reason we have
As a long term reader of PC Format and Amiga cover disc was good but it would be great if you the cards, detachable sections and so forth, is
Nick Merritt Managing Editor Format, I appreciate the Future Publishing style could provide tutorials on the CD. They’re the to offset the large page size elsewhere. We
and am impressed by your new mag. As a quickest way of learning how to use image- wanted key bits of the mag to remain portable
wannabe digital photographer the tutorials and editing programs. I can learn far more in half an – for instance, you can take the reviews cards

For the record 2


reviews are very interesting. The website, like the hour using a disc tutorial than I would reading a to the shops to help you compare cameras
magazine is also superior to the competition. book or following a magazine tutorial. more easily than the whole mag. But point
Ken Lourie John Piper taken, we’re looking at shortcuts and ideas
Our apologies to those readers who had a cards for future issues.
problem seeing the whole of the disc DCM Always great to see a ‘Future’ reader DCM This was actually on our ‘to-do’ list for
interface on their screen last issue. We’ve along for the ride – we hope we can match the issue one but there was so much to get right I’ve getup&gone!
fixed the problem this issue, but don’t standards of those two fine magazines. we had to leave it out. We’re looking very I really like the pullout Get-up-and-go feature
worry – your CD contents are still there. closely at putting that right for issue three. which gives me enough projects to work through
All you need to do is adjust your screen Like the size before the next issue drops on my doormat. I am
resolution so you can get more on it – Although £4.99 is a little more than the average Size matters sure it will become a valued resource. I love
then you can see the whole interface. To digital camera mag, I do prefer this larger format Wow! At last a magazine with clear tutorials. I love ‘playing’ around with macro. Any plans for a
do this, open your Display or Display and the varied content of the magazine and am the size although I’m having difficulty keeping it tutorial/project on that topic?
Properties Control Panel. Click on the looking forward to more reviews, tutorials and hidden under my pillow. I’m going to bed early so Ron Martin
Settings tab. Then move the Resolution anything digital. Just deciding which other mag to that I can get some reading in. I think Him Indoors
slider up a notch and click Apply, then OK. ‘drop’ now though. is going to get wise to my ‘headaches’ soon! DCM Tim tells us he’ll have something on
Andy Bilton Laura Bryant Macro very soon…

We want The UK’s biggest digital camera mag is looking


for freelance contributors to help put distance
We’re looking for wildlife, nature and landscape
photographers, plus events ideas/writers for
editor at dylan.channon@futurenet.co.uk.
2 If you’re looking to have your work published (it
your articles between ourselves and our rivals.
We want to be the best digital title. If you’re a
Getup&go, submissions to our galleries, reader
photos, tutorial writers and much more.
doesn’t matter how experienced you are, all that
matters is the quality of images), please email the
and pictures! photographer looking to get your work published, 2 If you’re a journalist looking to contribute relevant section:
we can promise the highest production values and tutorials and articles, email the editor directly at For Getup&go, email getupgo.dcm@futurenet.
Are you a digital photography/image- biggest page sizes so your work is shown off to editor.dcm@futurenet.co.uk in the first instance co.uk. For submissions to our galleries, email
editing journalist? Or a photographer the maximum effect. Why squeeze your best and let’s talk! gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk. For general
with work you want others to see? stuff onto small, shoddy, cramped pages when 2 If you’re an artist who uses digital photography picture enquiries, email picdesk.dcm
Then we want to hear from you! you can let it loose around here instead? to create quality artwork, please email our art @futurenet.co.uk.

022 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


Preserve your
Memories
on CD or DVD

From your camcorder…

From your digital camera…

From your PC…

…to your TV.

The fun and easy way to share your home movies


and digital photos on CD and DVD
• Capture from digital cameras and camcorders
• Photo and video manipulation tools
• Create motion menus
• Automatic slideshow creation
• Automatically fit your slideshow to your music
• Automatic label creation

For more information call us on 01895 424228


or visit us at www.pinnaclesys.com/expression/digicam
www.pinnaclesys.com
CHRISTMAS CAMERAS WHICH CAMERA?

Canon PowerShot A40 HP Photosmart 720

Kodak DX4330 Minolta F100


DIGITAL
CAMERA
MAGAZINE

Nikon CoolPix 2500 Olympus Camedia C-300

DIGITAL
CAMERA
MAGAZINE

Panasonic DMC-F7-S Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P71

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P9 Toshiba PDR-3310

10 Christmas
cameras tested
Mark Harris reveals the ideal features for the
best prices – it’s your complete buying guide
t often seems as though you no sooner buy offering less than 2-megapixel resolution, stick it back ion rechargeables offer the best performance but it’s

I a digital camera than it becomes obsolete.


But at last the race for higher resolution has
on the shelf, no matter how sexy and light it feels.
Second, make sure you’re comfortable with the body
helpful if you can use AA cells in an emergency. All
the cameras we tested come with USB connectivity to
calmed down a bit and manufacturers are finally and controls. The next most important element is the either PC or Mac and most can output to a TV.
starting to realise that we’re interested in more than lens. Basically, the bigger and brighter the better – look Cameras in this price range should offer a degree of
just raw image size. With a decent 3 to 4 megapixel for a maximum aperture of f2.8 or less. An optical manual control over exposure, sharpness and colour
CCD now well within the average user’s budget, most zoom (2.5x or more) opens a lot of doors balance, and many also come with a host of digital
of the cameras in this month’s group test emphasise photographically – think carefully before buying a fixed effects and extras such as capturing movies, sound
ease of use, expanded power and memory abilities, focal length camera – and remember, a digital zoom is recording and webcam capability. Only you can decide
and even those elusive creatures, size and styling. no substitute. whether these are right for you, but try to remember
That’s not to say that pixels are no longer important The camera should come with at least an 1.5-inch what you’re buying the camera for and don’t get
– if you want physical prints from your camera you colour LCD screen. Ideally it’ll have a power-saving dazzled by features (MP3 playback was last year’s fad)
should aim for at least 3-magapixels for 8 x 10-inch small black and white LCD too. The jury’s out on that you’ll rarely use.
prints. And even if you’re fully digital, the higher the electronic viewfinders – many give in framing Over the following pages, we’ve rounded up the
quality of your initial image, the more artistic accuracy, only to take in image drag and eyestrain. best of the latest digital cameras between £230 and
opportunities you’ll have on your desktop. Don’t worry too much about which card format it £430, with verdicts on each and cast-iron
If you’re spending £300 plus on a digital camera, uses, but memory isn’t cheap, so look for at least a recommendations on the best for value, performance
you should expect a few basics. First of all, if it’s 16Mb card supplied. Power is important too – Lithium- and an overall Christmas champion.

025
WHICH CAMERA? 2-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT
7
1 FITTING OTHER LENSES
This ring release button
allows you to fit
close-up, wide-angle and
telephoto lenses
7
CAMERA CONTROLS
Controls by the LCD
are multi-functional
and not
always intuitive
7
1 1 RECORDING VIDEO
Microphone by the
flash enables sound
recordings on movies

Canon PowerShot A40


The latest PowerShot is a heavyweight contender for best entry-level digital camera
on the market, with fantastic image quality and a host of nifty features

A quarter of a kilo seems a lot when other


C
anon is no stranger to the world of
CANON
POWERSHOT A40 photography, and the PowerShot A40 reflects

Price £230
that pedigree in its solid, if unexciting
appearance. With its straightforward compact styling, the
2-megapixel digital cameras are slipping
Resolution 2MP
Lens 35-105mm
equiv, f2.8-4.8
A40 will hold few fears for the first-time digital imager –
which is helpful, as most experienced users would
subtly into pockets these days
Memory 8Mb CF consider a 2-megapixel CCD very much entry-level
technology these days. You might also take offence at Alongside the Auto mode (which allows almost no addition of continuous shooting, macro and red-eye plus
Contact details its sheer chunkiness – a quarter of a kilo (even before user interaction), there is the Program mode, where slow-synch flash modes, there’s plenty here to
Canon 0870 241 2161 you add four AA cells) seems a lot when other 2- you can set spot focus and metering, flash mode, challenge keen users. A helpful Stitch mode should
www.canon.co.uk megapixel digital cameras are slipping subtly into white balance, adjust sensitivity, and exposure simplify panoramic images, but only uses half the LCD.
pockets these days. compensation and digital effects. There’s also an The LCD screen doesn’t overawe – it’s muddy in low
ON OUR intriguing Manual mode, where you can select the light, with colours fading to grey and some noise. Image
C WEBSITE On the starting blocks shutter speed from 1/1500 to 15 seconds, and choose drag isn’t too bad, though, and it’s much more at home
The conventionally-mounted 3x optical zoom (35- between two aperture settings. Unfortunately, the A40 outside, with sunlight causing few problems.
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
Post your views, see what other 105mm equivalent) is nippy, quiet and ready for action doesn’t suggest the correct exposure, so it’s very much a Inside, 8Mb of CompactFlash storage is a bare
readers think then buy this camera! just a second or two after powering up, making this a case of shoot and see. minimum, but you won’t mind that when you see what
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/ handy camera for snatching snaps. The main control dial You’ll probably spend most time in the Program the A40 can achieve. Pinpoint focusing, rock solid
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN
=2&RCN=13&RPN=209&sp=&v=3 on the back offers just a handful of choices, but they’re mode, which combines good flexibility with accurate metering and some of the most glorious, rich colours
a refreshing selection on such a low-priced model. automatic exposure and focusing systems. With the we’ve seen on any digital camera, let alone a 2MP.

VERDICT CANON POWERSHOT A40


COLOUR 2 SKIN TONES 2
Solid, entry-level camera
with great features
The A40 is the John AT A GLANCE
Major of the cameras FEATURES 88 11
on test – you wouldn’t IMAGES 90 11
look twice at its dull,
grey styling and
BUILD 75 11
underpowered CCD.
VALUE 90 11
But with excellent

85%
manual features and the FINAL
best all-round images SCORE
on test, it’s definitely a
model you should Faultless colour reproduction A little washed out and
curry favour with… across the spectrum strong on red

026 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


3.3-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT WHICH CAMERA?
7
VIEWFINDER
Big camera, tiny 1
viewfinder – why?

1
7
RECORDING VIDEO
This tiny hole
next to the lens is
the microphone

7
CONTROLS 1
Key features are easily
accessible but more
sophisticated controls
are harder to reach

HP Photosmart 720
With a curiously old-fashioned feel in this group of space-age, sexy gadget cameras,
the Photosmart is also the bulkiest on test here

N
ot only does the Photosmart 720 look
suspiciously similar to a mid-1970s Instamatic The 720 has no problems with sharpness or HP
PHOTOSMART 720
on steroids, it also shares the bloated user-
friendliness of many modern Kodak digital cameras. focusing, delivers accurate if understated Price
Resolution
£300
3.3MP
So what has HP squeezed into this, the bulkiest
model on test? Surprisingly, not a lot. Its 3x zoom lens is skin tones and good flash performance Lens 34-102mm
equiv, f2.6-4.8
slightly brighter (f2.6) and more wideangle (34mm Memory 16Mb internal
equivalent) than others, but its only other claim to fame buried inconveniently three levels down in the LCD get a message on the LCD saying ‘Focusing’. It’s clear plus SD slot
is a small monochrome LCD on top. menus. The LCD is nothing special, with vertical lines, this isn’t a camera for anyone in much of a hurry. Contact details
This saves power because you don’t have to turn on image drag and poor performance in low light. Luckily, the wait is often worth it. The 720 has no HP 0870 547 4747
the main LCD to check battery life, image quality and The 3.3 megapixels deliver a maximum of 2,048 x problems with sharpness or focusing, delivers accurate if www.hp.com/uk/create
other basic exposure information. Unfortunately, there are 1,536 pixels resolution from a 0.555-inch CCD. Although understated skin tones and good flash performance.
few other features to fill up the screen. It has no macro you do get some decent results from this spec (bright, Metering and colour are bit erratic, though – you might ON OUR
or infinity focus lock, no preset programs for landscape or accurate colour reproduction and good skintones), like a want to bracket a stop on important shots. C WEBSITE
sports, no spot metering and no digital effects. lot of digital cameras, there was a slight tendency to Video clips can be shot with audio, thanks to the in-
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
underexpose photographs. built microphone but the file format is AVI-only, which Post your views, see what other
Simple to use HP’s Photosmart comes with 16Mb of internal could be a limitation for Mac users (this camera claims readers think then buy this camera!

Almost all the shooting functions are covered in buttons memory, plus a slot for a Secure Digital card. Write time it’s MacOS compatible). Add to this six white balance digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN
– even movie record gets its own shiny disc – except to the internal memory is slow, and even slower to the settings and auto red-eye reduction and you have a =2&RCN=13&RPN=245&sp=&v=3
exposure, white balance and ISO adjustments, which are card. Add this to a focusing time that’s so slow you even competent if unspectacular performer.

VERDICT HP PHOTOSMART 720


COLOUR 2 EXPOSURE 2
Bulky, entry-level model
with solid performance
It’s hard to think AT A GLANCE
who this camera is FEATURES 71 11
aimed at. Casual users IMAGES 76 11
will be deterred by
its sheer size and
BUILD 66 11
more confident users
VALUE 70 11
will shy away from its

71%
basic capabilities. FINAL
Performance is fine, SCORE
though, and the mono
LCD is a nice touch Superb colour reproduction shows what The HP has a tendency
this camera can do to underexpose

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 027


WHICH CAMERA? 3-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT
7
LENS
No lens cover on the
1 38-114mm-
equivalent zoom lens

1 7
BEGINNER-FRIENDLY
The share button
tags images for print
1 and/or email use
7
CONTROLS
‘Rocking’ menu
button navigation
saves on stuff to press

Kodak EasyShare DX4330


An unthreatening camera for beginners, but can a large LCD make up for an
embarrassingly short list of extra features? Time for a closer look…

The DX4330 couldn’t be any less threatening to


I
f Kodak has got a bit of a reputation for
KODAK
DX4330 making ‘my first digital camera’, where the

Price £300
shutter is clearly labelled SHUTTER and the
menu comes complete with dancing pixies, it’s purely
a digital virgin if it had Japanese cartoon
Resolution 3.1MP
Lens 38-114mm
equiv, f2.8-5.1
because it churns out digital cameras like the DX4330
over and over again. That’s not to say there’s anything
characters plastered all over it
Memory 16Mb MMC/SD wrong with user-friendly, ergonomically-designed bits of
technology, but it sometimes limits the audience to almost silent, and there’s an admirable absence of format images to portrait when playing back is too little,
Contact details those who are afraid to take a few exploratory steps. shutter delay. too late.
Kodak 0870 2430270 Feature-wise, the Kodak is nothing to get excited The Kodak comes with 16Mb of sluggish internal
www.kodak.com Pokemon photography about. Metering, focusing and white balance are purely memory, plus a slot for a SD/MMC card (none supplied).
The DX4330 couldn’t be any less threatening to automatic, although a closest macro focus of 7cm claws While this makes it impossible to take the camera
ON OUR a digital virgin if it had Japanese cartoon characters back some points. You can’t set sensitivity, and even the out on a shoot without a card (admit it, we’ve all done
C WEBSITE plastered all over it. The tough ABS case is rounded camera itself can also choose between ISO 120 and ISO it…), it equally means you’ll have to stump up more
and comfortable in the hand and, overall, it’s 200 equivalent. money if you want the convenience of using a card
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
Post your views, see what other conspicuously smaller and lighter than previous efforts This is less awkward than it sounds, since the reader over USB.
readers think then buy this camera! from the US film giant. The controls are a masterpiece of (admittedly large) 1.8-inch LCD is poor in low light, with Image quality is a real mixed bag. Focus and
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/ simplicity – all nigh-on perfect, except the rocking murky shapes only sporadically appearing from a noisy sharpness are remarkably good, but exposure varies
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN
=2&RCN=13&RPN=254&sp=&v=3 navigation dial with one of those fiddly nipples you brown background. Colours are washed out, and a wildly and colours have a tendency to blur into each
press to select. Zooming the optical 3x lens is fast and gimmicky feature that automatically rotates landscape other. The flash is okay, but underpowered.

VERDICT KODAK EASYSHARE DX4330


METERING 2 EXPOSURE 2
Beginners’ camera that
offers little for enthusiasts
Poor LCD performance AT A GLANCE
and erratic metering FEATURES 55 11
aside, this is a decent IMAGES 63 11
digital camera for a first-
time user. But they’ll
BUILD 62 11
quickly exhaust its
VALUE 70 11
potential and this is a

63%
camera that will rapidly FINAL
limit, rather than SCORE
expand horizons
Very poor metering on what should Spot-on exposure and exceptional
be a straightforward shot sharpness bring this scene to life

028 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


4-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT WHICH CAMERA?
7
MENU CONTROLS 1
Zoom controls double
up as menu
navigation buttons
1
7
CAMERA CONTROLS 1
Dedicated exposure
compensation button
is a boon for
experienced users

7
LENS
3x zoom lens
has a host of
autofocus options

Minolta Dimage F100


Combining raw 4-megapixel power with functionality to rival SLRs, the F100 will top
a lot of Christmas lists this year. There’s plenty here you’ll like

Minolta has packed virtually every feature a


W
hen the time comes to whip out your credit
MINOLTA
card and buy one of these digital cameras, F100
reassure yourself that the boiler will definitely
last another winter. Yes, the Dimage F100 is nearly £200
serious photographer will need into its very Price £400
Resolution 3.95MP
more expensive than some of the models on test, and
yes it is just a machine for taking pictures, but it does
portable, 185g, squared-off metal case Lens 38-114mm
equiv, f2.8-4.7
that one thing very well. Memory 16Mb MMC/SD
up and even full manual is intuitively controlled via the zoom. The LCD screen is everything you’d expect from a
Sophisticated without being showy main menu controls (along with tele- and wide-zoom £400 digital camera – sharp, responsive and very Contact details
Minolta has packed virtually every feature a serious controls). You can spot-meter and focus, adjust accurate. Again, the only drawback is during zooming, Minolta 01908 200400
photographer will need into its very portable, 185g, sensitivity and white balance, and tinker with sharpness, when it often loses focus. The second black and white www.minolta.co.uk
squared-off metal case. The auto mode is confident contrast and colour saturation until you’re blue in the LCD will help to extend the battery life.
and accurate, selecting from one of five dedicated face. As well as a raft of digital features, the F100 boasts The good news continues in the sharpness and ON OUR
programs as conditions dictate but still allowing basic a first in its tracking autofocus system. The concept is focussing stakes, where the Minolta achieves near- C WEBSITE
adjustments of exposure compensation, flash and that the Minolta will lock onto a moving subject and perfection. Unfortunately, auto-metering and colour
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
drive mode (auto-bracketing is definitely a feature we’d keep it constantly sharp, but don’t expect too much from reproduction aren’t nearly so good – the F100 delivers Post your views, see what other
like to see on more digital cameras), plus macro and this first generation system – it can’t keep up with flat, unexciting images more often than not. Of course, readers think then buy this camera!

image quality. speeding cars, let alone scampering pets. you can tweak these on your PC, or even adjust colour digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
But turning the dial to manual really brings the F100 Menu navigation and handling are enjoyably in camera, but it’s less than you’d expect from such an review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN
=2&RCN=13&RPN=225&sp=&v=3
to life. Aperture and shutter priorities are simple to set effortless, with the only niggle being a rather sluggish accomplished camera. Flash performance is good.

VERDICT MINOLTA DIMAGE F100


COLOUR 2 SKIN TONES 2
A good but high-
maintenance camera
The F100 has most of AT A GLANCE
the features you’d FEATURES 90 11
expect on a digital SLR IMAGES 75 11
and yet retains the
simplicity and handling
BUILD 90 11
of a compact. Images
VALUE 75 11
are sharp, but the

86%
exposure system needs FINAL
watching – this is a high SCORE
maintenance camera for
experienced users Note how the greens have A little strong in the red,
turned muddy and lacking depth

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 029


WHICH CAMERA? 2-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT
7
NO VIEWFINDER
1 Lack of an optical
viewfinder
means you’re relying

1
on the LCD
7
CAMERA CONTROLS
Zoom controls double up as
1 magnifying/thumbnail
controls in playback
7
LENS
The lens
rotates through
225 degrees

Nikon CoolPix 2500


As befits a stylecam, the CCD is a mere 2 megapixels and the CompactFlash card included is just 8Mb
in size, but scratch the surface and the bones of a more competent snapper emerge

There’s nothing seriously wrong with focusing


R
ule number one in the lifestyle technology
NIKON
COOLPIX 2500 design handbook is that whatever you’re

Price £260
making should look like something else.
The Coolpix 2500, with its shiny two-tone case
or exposure, but there’s little to push the 2500
Resolution 2 MP
Lens 37-111mm
equiv, f2.7-4.5
and uber-chromed controls, is clearly trying to be a
cross between a dictaphone and a handheld games
above average
Memory 8Mb CF machine. A slide of the power switch wakes the screen
up and introduces the 2500’s point of difference – a dozens of bizarre programmed exposure modes, for ever seen, and it as reacts sluggishly to changing light
Contact details rotating lens. You can’t help but be impressed by everything from fireworks to museums? As strange as conditions. Adjusting the brightness might help in full
Nikon 020 8481 6875 Nikon fitting a 3x zoom lens and a flash into a space they sound, it’s worth using them because some of the sunlight, but it makes little improvement to the noise.
www.nikon.co.uk not much bigger than a Zippo, and it’s always handy to camera’s best features (including low light noise There’s a fun picture-in-picture function here to take
have a camera that doubles as a mirror (the lens rotates reduction) can only be accessed through them. your mind off it all.
ON OUR 180 degrees). Another notable feature of the 2500 is its lack of an Write time is very slow for 2-megapixel images,
C WEBSITE optical viewfinder and reliance on the 1.5-inch colour and the results aren’t going to take your breath
Design gimmicks aside LCD. This puts a strain on the power supply, so you’ll away. There’s nothing seriously wrong with focusing
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
Post your views, see what other The latest CoolPix is a worthy addition to Nikon’s digital have to be careful keeping the custom Lithium-ion or exposure, but there’s little to push the 2500 above
readers think then buy this camera! stable. How many stylecams enable you to not only battery fully charged – no option to use AA cells here. average. Images are slightly biased to blue, although
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/ adjust the white balance, but also set it manually? How And we’re sorry to have to say it, but the LCD is far from not enough to raise concerns. Flash coverage is
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN
=2&RCN=13&RPN=219&sp=&v=3 many have macro modes that enable you to focus to an the best around. Colour reproduction is good and image noticeably uneven – possibly due to the size of the
astonishing 4cm (best on test)? And how many have drag average, but it’s one of the noisiest screens we’ve tiny flash unit.

VERDICT NIKON COOLPIX 2500


COLOUR 2 FLASH 2
Reliable stylecam with some
limitations – notably the LCD
To fit a well-featured 3x AT A GLANCE
zoom digital camera FEATURES 72 11
into such a small, sexy IMAGES 67 11
package is a real
achievement. But as
BUILD 72 11
you can get a million
VALUE 69 11
extra pixels for just a

70%
few quid more, you’ll FINAL
have to be certain that SCORE
its convenience and
portability are worth the Again, blue dominates an Drop-off in the centre is due
performance trade-off otherwise acceptable shot to the small flash

030 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


3-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT WHICH CAMERA?
7 1
CAMERA CONTROLS
Fiddly zoom controls
1
work backwards –
push for wide-angle;
1
pull for telephoto

7
VIEWFINDER
Viewfinder comes
complete with
diopter adjustment

7
FLASH
Flash needs to be
manually pushed
down after use

Olympus C-300 ZOOM


It’s not the smallest camera on test, but the new C-300 ZOOM combines first-class
DIGITAL
CAMERA
MAGAZINE
features with superb ease of use – and the Olympus sense of style

While a fair bit heftier than its film-driven


W
ith its champagne casing and sliding lens
OLYMPUS
cover, there’s no mistaking who makes the C-300 ZOOM
C-300 ZOOM. Perhaps more than any other
manufacturer, Olympus has found a winning style
cousins, the C-300 shares their uncomplicated Price £300
Resolution 3.3MP
formula (based on its fantastically successful mju: 35mm
range) and stuck with it.
layout and user-friendly elegance Lens 36-100mm
equiv, f2.9-4.4
While a fair bit heftier than its film-driven cousins, the Memory 16Mb SM
C-300 shares their uncomplicated layout and user- Although the ‘ESP’ metering system handles even the card slot cleverly masked when the lens cover is
friendly elegance. At the heart of the Olympus is a 3MP tricky situations well, spot metering and exposure open, to prevent accidental removal. The time taken to Contact details
CCD, allowing maximum resolution images of 1,984 x compensation are right at hand, and adjustment of write to the card isn’t an issue because a memory buffer OLYMPUS 020 7253 2772
1,488, with optional TIFF recording. white balance, sharpness, contrast and sensitivity are holds up to three shots before the shutter freezes. It’s www.olympus.co.uk
Getting the light there is a 2.8x zoom lens controlled also possible, enabling you to improve your results. this kind of attention to detail that makes the Olympus
by an annoyingly small zoom rocker. The handling is stand out from other models in its price range. ON OUR
otherwise faultless, with a superlative menu navigation Key functions In action, the C-300 reliably delivers well-exposed, C WEBSITE
system means that a mere six buttons can cope with Skipping through the various program modes is sharp pictures with spot-on focusing. A slight yellow/
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
the full range of the C-300’s extensive features. simplicity itself, from macro red-eye to flash reduction to red colour cast is apparent now and again, which Post your views, see what other
The LCD is large, responsive, bright and adjustable, continuous mode takes only seconds. The only function delivers some nice warm skin tones but doesn’t work readers think then buy this camera!

plus the optical viewfinder, though on the small side, missing that might disappoint a keen user is any sign of nearly as well on foliage. But, overall, this is a well- digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN
has the thoughtful addition of a range of diopter settings a manual or priority exposure mode. thought out camera that will have you taking pictures =2&RCN=13&RPN=270&sp=&v=3
for short- and long-sighted users. Images are stored on a 16Mb SmartMedia card, with quickly out of the box.

VERDICT OLYMPUS C-300 ZOOM


SKIN TONES 2 COLOUR 2
Great features and handling
make the C-300 a winner
It’s a real pleasure to AT A GLANCE
use a camera that’s had FEATURES 90 11
so much thought gone IMAGES 80 11
into it. From the 1.8-inch
LCD and the menu
BUILD 90 11
system to the exposure
VALUE 89 11
options, this is a

90%
camera that will FINAL
please and challenge SCORE
almost everyone.
Recommended Warm skin tones But the same yellow cast takes
are flattering the punch from these flowers

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 031


WHICH CAMERA? 2-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT
7
LENS
There’s an impressive
1 Leica zoom lens on
this camera
7
1 1 CONTROLS
Intuitive button
design and layout on
the rear panel makes
this easy to use
7
FLASH
The tiny flash is a cause
for concern – it won’t
fully light larger/more
distant subjects

Panasonic Lumix DMC-F7-S


Panasonic’s DMC-F7-S represents one of the new generation of style digital cameras, sticking two
fingers up at heavyweight monoliths that cost nearly twice as much and aren’t half the fun

This is the smallest and lightest camera on test,


I
n a group test where 3.3 megapixels is the
PANASONIC
LUMIX DMC-F7-S norm and 4 megapixels isn’t unheard of,

Price £280
you’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s no
room for a humble 2-megapixel model – especially one
thanks in part to only sporting a modest 2x
Resolution 2MP
Lens 35-70mm
equiv, f2.8-4
with only a 2x optical zoom.
The casing alone sums up what the F7 is all about –
35-70mm equivalent zoom
Memory 8Mb MMC/SD silky brushed aluminium at the front but only colour-
matched ABS plastic for the back panel. everyday snapper. It’s lighter on features than that the Lumix’s rear panel gets quite warm during
Contact details The snap-back lens cover/power switch to the some others as well, but still packs in a macro mode, use – perhaps the classy custom Lithium-ion
Panasonic 08705 357 357 minimalist array of buttons behind are well thought out. spot focusing and metering, white balance and rechargeable is responsible? Either way, we can report
www.panasonic.co.uk You swap between recording and playback with just a sensitivity options, exposure compensation and a few that the battery life is good.
touch of a top-mounted slider, and the controls are well digital effects. But it’s in Panasonic’s performance that the trade-off
ON OUR laid out. But the mechanics are a little less impressive. The LCD screen is good – crisp and responsive, between style and substance becomes clear. Metering is
C WEBSITE The zoom whines like a spoilt child and the shutter although it’s not great in low light. You choose how rarely better than average and it’s one of the worst
stutters as though it can’t make its mind up. much info is displayed on it – all very clearly – and models on test for a wandering focus. The flash isn’t
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
Visit our website, read our reviews, there’s never any doubt about which button does what. always as dire as our test photo suggests, but it’s much
post your views, see what other The smallest and lightest Memory storage is courtesy of a modest 8Mb Secure happier with closer subjects.
readers think then click straight
through to buy this camera! Thanks in part to a modest 2x 35-70mm equivalent Digital card (it can also use sister format, Multimedia But it’s not all bad news – we can report that the
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/ zoom, the DMC-F7-S is less suited to portraits and cards) and access times are perfectly acceptable. An 2-megapixel CCD does its best, with great picture
distance work than the competition, but it’s fine for an oddity that might come in handy over the winter is sharpness and good colours.

VERDICT PANASONIC LUMIX DMC-F7-S


COLOUR 2 FLASH 2
Average performance in a
great point-and-shoot body
A little short in zoom AT A GLANCE
length and light on FEATURES 70 11
features, the DMC-F7 is, IMAGES 61 11
nevertheless, a very
usable digital camera.
BUILD 85 11
Worth considering as a
VALUE 65 11
second camera for when

74%
portability and style are FINAL
more important than SCORE
image quality
The Lumix can deliver rich, The flash did fire on this
saturated colours shot, but was pretty useless

032 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


3-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT WHICH CAMERA?
7
LENS
This small window by
the lens is the 1
autofocus illuminator
and self timer lamp

7 1
CONTROLS
Zoom controls look
small but are actually
very precise

1
7
MENU PAD
Access the flash
modes, self-timer,
Playback and
Macro options

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P71


The P71 has everything the digital virgin could need – including a hefty
3.2-megapixel CCD, ease of use and a great price tag…
DIGITAL
CAMERA
MAGAZINE

S
ony’s Cyber-shot range has settled down to
a standard design – a centrally-mounted As you’d expect from a Sony, ergonomics SONY CYBER-SHOT
DSC-P71
viewfinder with the lens to its left. This is a
comfortable setup (for right-handed users, at least) and and build quality are first rate. The zoom Price
Resolution
£300
3.2MP
gives both hands room to play behind the camera. And
with the amount of features Sony has packed into its controls are swift and effortless… Lens 39-117mm
equiv, f21.8-5.3
tiny case, you’ll need them. Memory 16Mb MS
quality are first rate. The zoom controls are swift and rechargeables. Like the P9, its bigger brother on test, the
Size and resolution effortless, and all the controls are clear and logical. P71 isn’t home to an excellent metering system, and Contact details
The 39-117mm equivalent zoom feeds into a 3.3- Menu navigation is managed by a four-way, push-to- you might want to dial in an extra stop to brighten up Sony 08705 111999
megapixel CCD, giving a very respectable 2,048 x 1,536 select dial, which is never ideal – you have to press your images. www.sony.com
maximum image size. Focusing is a strong point on the them very carefully to avoid going up or down instead Focusing and CCD are great, though, for sharp edges
DSC-P71, with a 10cm closest macro, plus spot and of selecting the highlighted item. and reliable colours. This is a digital camera that ON OUR
manual focus options for normal shots. The LCD is absolutely excellent, with bright, rich flourishes after dark, with impeccable flash performance C WEBSITE
You can spot meter, too, and set exposure colours, little drag and great response. It might just have – wonderfully exposed images even at a wide-angle
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
compensation to +/-2EV. It’s a shame there’s no control been our test sample, but hitting the up button on the setting. The lack of manual exposure controls means this Post your views, see what other
over shutter speed or aperture, but you can adjust navigation dial often caused the LCD to annoyingly blank is a camera very much aimed at novices, but there are readers think then buy this camera!

sharpness, white balance and ISO settings. There are out for a moment. several settings to enable you to adjust for specific digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN
many digital effects and a 2x digital zoom. Storage is a 16Mb Memory Stick, naturally, and the lighting conditions. You can also set the camera to =2&RCN=13&RPN=212&sp=&v=3
As you’d expect from a Sony, ergonomics and build Cyber-shot is powered by a brace of AA-sized NiMH capture rapid bursts of 16 images at a go. Nice stuff.

VERDICT SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-P71

A great value novice camera FLASH 2 SKIN TONES 2

but lacks manual controls


With its smooth ease of AT A GLANCE
use, top components, FEATURES 85 11
good value and good IMAGES 87 11
performance, this is a
very safe investment for
BUILD 90 11
a first-time digital buyer
VALUE 90 11
or someone who has

90%
outgrown an old FINAL
1-megapixel model SCORE
Absolutely faultless Accurate skin tones, but some
flash performance detail lost in the shade

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 033


WHICH CAMERA? 4-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT
7
VIDEO
Front-mounted
microphone delivers

1 okay mono sound. You


can record up to the
memory’s limit 7
BUILD QUALITY
Tough all-metal
casing instead of the
silvered plastic found
on other models
7
1
1 LENS
Lens can focus down
to 10cm in macro
mode. Images are
crisp and sharp

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P9


Another typically smart digital camera from Sony, the DCC-P9 adds impressive
4-megapixel capabilities to the stylish Cyber-shot range

If you want evidence of what difference a


I
f you want evidence of what difference a
SONY
CYBER-SHOT DSC-P9 hundred-odd quid makes these days,

Price £430
just compare the DSC-P9 to its cheaper
sibling, the DSC-P71. The P9’s 4-megapixel CCD captures
hundred-odd quid makes these days, just
Resolution 4MP
Lens 39-117mm
equiv, f2.8-5.6
images that are 20 per cent larger than the P71’s 3.3MP
chip, yet it’s over 50g lighter and nearly 1cm smaller in
compare the DSC-P9 and the P71
Memory 16Mb MS each direction.
The P9 also benefits from a real metal casing instead Handling is first class, with a top-mounted dial Ironically, the camera displays both the shutter speed
Contact details of silvered ABS – and even slightly higher quality selecting the main modes and a four-way, push-to- and aperture on the LCD – taunting you with what you
SONY 08705 111 999 buttons, if that sort of thing appeals to you. select rocker navigating the LCD menus. From the can’t alter. The LCD is absolutely superb, delivering sharp,
www.sony.com menus, you can tinker with numerous settings, including bright images across the full range of lighting conditions.
Big pictures spot metering and focusing, white balance, sensitivity Access time, for both recording and playback, is
ON OUR The 4-megapixel images are so large – 2,072 x 1,704 and exposure compensation. admirably short. Image quality is good, too – the CCD
C WEBSITE pixels (or 2,072 x 1,515 in the TV-shaped 3:2 mode) – It’s a shame that there’s no aperture or shutter gained a perfect score for sharpness, although colour
that even the 16Mb card supplied starts to look priority mode, especially when Sony has gone to the reproduction is less inspiring. Blues and greens suffer at
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
Post your views, see what other miserly. At full quality, you’ll fit just seven images on trouble of adding manual focus and a spread of digital the expense of skin tones and reds.
readers think then buy this camera! the Memory Stick, making a larger card an immediate effects (black and white, sepia and so on) that you’ll The metering was also variable, often underexposing
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/ must-have. Zoom range is a not-quite-wide-enough rarely take out of the box. This is probably to produce flat images that don’t do justice to the 4MP
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN
=2&RCN=13&RPN=248&sp=&v=3 39mm to 117mm equivalent, but it’s nippy enough understandable, given the target audience of novices, chip. However, the P9’s flash is superb, with bright
between the extremes. but we’d expect to see more fine-control at this price. images and great coverage.

VERDICT SONY CYBER-SHOT DSC-P9


SKIN TONES 2 EXPOSURE 2
A fantastic camera but where
are the manual features?
Sony’s flagship 4- AT A GLANCE
megapixel model is a FEATURES 82 11
real class act, with great IMAGES 88 11
performance going hand
in hand with smooth
BUILD 90 11
ease of use. The only
VALUE 80 11
flies in the ointment are

86%
the slightly high price FINAL
and the lack of useful SCORE
manual controls, which
you’d want at this end Good skin colour is let down Again, an extra stop would
of the market by poor exposure have livened up this scene

034 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


3.2-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT WHICH CAMERA?
7 1
MENU
Central button sets LCD
brightness and chooses
items on menus
1
7 1
LENS
Zoom lens is a wide
35-105mm equivalent

7
CONTROLS
Extremely quick
zoom controls are
easy to operate

Toshiba PDR-3310
The TARDIS of digital cameras, Toshiba’s PDR-3310 squeezes excellent functionality
into a supremely portable and – at 3.6 inches across – pocket-size casing

T
oshiba has produced one of the smallest
camera on test and one of the few that could Handling is superb, with the diminutive TOSHIBA
PDR-3310
truly be called pocket-size. With only a handful
of buttons on the back, its looks suggest a low-tech Toshiba’s buttons falling to hand more easily Price
Resolution
£400
3.2MP
point-and-shoot, albeit one with a nice metal casing.
Powering it up reveals a fast 3x zoom lens and than on some much larger designs Lens 35-105mm
equiv, f2.8-4.8
automatic flash, and brings to life an impressively crisp Memory 16Mb SD
and colourful 1.5-inch LCD. metering to aperture and shutter speed are up for grabs. 3.2MP CCD, and are stored on the 16Mb Secure Digital
Exposure control is mostly automatic but there are two card supplied (MMC cards are supported). Contact details
In use aperture and three longer exposure times available – With all these features, you would think this camera Toshiba 01276 622 222
Handling is superb, with the diminutive Toshiba’s buttons this is great for people looking to step up a notch. is onto a winner, but when it comes to performance, the www.toshiba.co.uk
falling to hand more easily than on some much larger Using the menus is straightforward, thanks to some Toshiba is a real disappointment. Colour reproduction is
designs, and delivering good feedback. clear graphics (you can even change their colour) and variable, and when it’s bad, it’s awful – a blue cast sucks ON OUR
All the controls you need for basic shooting line up navigation controls that are five separate buttons rather the life out of your images. There is a slight tendency C WEBSITE
along the top of the camera: zoom, macro/infinity than a single five-way rocker. towards overexposure but its long exposure modes
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
focusing and flash modes, but the fun really starts when Picture capture is fast, but lacks a burst or continuous mean you ought to get good night shots. Visit our website, read our review,
you hit the menu button. Here you can choose image mode, even the 3310’s short writing delays could Metering is equally patchy, with some images post your views, see what other
readers think then click straight
quality, movie mode, exposure and white balance become irritating. Zipping through your recorded images, wallowing in gloom. Good sharpness and focussing only through to buy this camera!
settings, and in the corner nestles the gateway to the though, is as fast as flicking through a photo album. highlight the 3310’s problems, which include very digitalcameramagazine.co.uk
manual mode, where everything from focus and Images up to 2,048 x 1,536 can be captured by the lacklustre flash performance.

VERDICT TOSHIBA PDR-3310

Disappointing performance COLOURS 2 FLASH 2


from a promising camera
This is the high end of AT A GLANCE
the price range for a FEATURES 86 11
3.2MP camera, and IMAGES 68 11
despite the first-
class feature list and
BUILD 90 11
build quality, Toshiba
VALUE 70 11
might be asking

74%
too much money for FINAL
what are often very SCORE
average images
Great focus, but blue Disappointing flash
cast deadens colours performance in the dark

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 035


WHICH CAMERA? VERDICT
PRICES All our prices are based on manufacturers’/suppliers’ recommendations at time of press. However, visit www.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk for latest and, in most cases, lowest prices

Our verdict HOW WE TESTED


EACH CAMERA
You might wonder how we come up with such
precise percentages for each category. Here’s how:
As a rule of thumb, you can currently get an extra Features: we noted every feature that the
megapixel of resolution for every £100 you spend digital cameras come with, then rated them
– where you stop depends on the size of your compared with each other. We then weighted
wallet. We think the best value right now is in the these ratings – a good shutter speed range is more
3MP models – you can get a well-specified, user- important than a digital zoom – and turned them
friendly model without breaking the bank. into a percentage.
Some of the most noticeable developments have Images: we shot a number of identical test photos
been in memory storage. Almost all the cameras came at each camera’s maximum resolution. We used
with a 16Mb card – which is really the bare minimum fine compression (JPEG) even if TIFF capture was
you’ll need if you’re taking digital imaging seriously. available, to replicate normal use. We then rated
Few cameras at this price yet come with CompactFlash the sharpness, colour, focus and metering on each,
II compatibility, and IBM Microdrives remain conspicuous plus special shots to assess skin tones and flash
by their absence.
One conclusion you could draw from this group test is 4 THE WINNERS
OLYMPUS C-300 AND SONY’S DSC-P71
performance. We then weighted all these to come
up with a final comparative percentage figure.
that there is an evident trade off between style and Build quality: this combines various aspects of the
performance. It simply doesn’t seem possible to squeeze Its features list reads like a roll call of must haves – camera, from ease of use and weight to quality of
the best technology into the smallest cases – you can manual control of almost every function, tracking components (especially the LCD) and casing
either go for the sexiest slip of a digital camera that autofocus, auto-bracketing, a second mono LCD material (metal or plastic).
may have performance drawbacks, or opt for a sensible and much more besides. Build quality, ergonomics Value For money: at some point you’ll actually
snapper that won’t get your heart racing. and styling are entirely first rate and, at the heart have to part with some cash for the camera. This
of it all, an extremely impressive 3.95MP CCD. As it is, rating is our opinion how far your pennies will go.
Best value the F100 demands an experienced user to get to grips Overall: this is simply the unweighted average of
The clear winner for value is Canon’s remarkable with its raw power and make the most of its the four ratings above.
PowerShot A40. Despite being the cheapest digital outstanding potential.

4 BEST VALUE
CANON POWERSHOT A40
camera on test, it came out top in image quality, the
2MP CCD producing some stunning colours and with by Overall winner
Common features
All the digital cameras on test have exposure
far the most reliable metering system. It’s also one of In the tradition of all the greatest group tests, we have a compensation, movie capability and at least a 2x
the few cameras on test with a manual exposure mode. dead heat for first place. The Olympus Camedia C-300 digital zoom. All except the HP 720 have special
Its few drawbacks – a less than perfect LCD and a certain Zoom has a larger (1.8-inch) LCD, a wider focal length exposure programs for certain conditions (eg
chunkiness – are more than made up for by its flexibility and great ease of use features like a memory buffer and sports, night shots) and all except the Kodak 4330
and bargain price tag. diopter adjustment. Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-P71 has all have some kind of white balance adjustment.
sexier styling, spot and manual focusing and a neat
Best technology rechargeable battery. Both scored exactly the same in Connectivity and software
4 BEST FEATURES
MINOLTA DIMAGE F100
If it wasn’t for its average performance, the Minolta
Dimage F100 would have swept the competition aside.
our image tests, with P71 delivering perfect flash shots
and the C-300 having more reliable metering.
All the models tested have USB connectivity and all
the drivers and viewing software you’ll need.

PRICE EFFECTIVE MAX IMAGE 35MM FOCAL MAX SHUTTER CLOSEST SPOT FOCUS MANUAL PRIORITY OR
SPECIFICATIONS PIXELS RESOLUTION LENGTH EQUIV. APERTURE SPEED RANGE FOCUS (CM) FOCUS MANUAL EXPOSURE
AT A GLANCE
Canon PowerShot A40 £230 2MP 1,600 x 1,200 35-105 2.8-4.8 15-1/1500 16 Y N Y
HP PhotoSmart 720 £300 3.15MP 2,048 X 1,536 34-102 2.6-4.8 2-1/1000 20 N N N
Kodak DX4330 ZOOM £300 3.1MP 2,160 x 1,440 38-114 2.8-5.1 4-1/1700 7 N N N
Minolta F100 £400 3.95MP 2,272 x 1,704 38-114 2.8-4.7 15-1/1000 20 Y Y Y
Nikon CoolPix 2500 £260 2MP 1,600 x 1,200 37-111 2.7-4.8 2-1/3000 4 N N N
Olympus Camedia C-300 £300 3MP 1,984 x 1,488 36-100 2.9-4.4 2-1/1000 20 N N N
Panasonic DMC-F7 £280 2MP 1,600 x 1,200 35-70 2.8-4 2-1/2000 10 Y N N
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P71 £300 3.3MP 2,048 x 1,536 39-117 2.8-5.3 Not stated 10 Y Y N
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-P9 £430 4MP 2,272 x 1,704 39-117 2.8-5.6 Not stated 10 Y Y N
Toshiba PDR-3310 £400 3.2MP 2,048 X 1,536 35-105 2.8-4.8 8-1/2000 17 N Y Y

036 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


NEXT MONTH

; 3 WE TEST SIX
IMAGE EDITORS

CAMERA IMAGE TEST RESULTS


Compare each test image with the others in our handy table below.
You’ll also find the full-size, high-res versions on our coverdisc. We tested
skin tones, colours, flash, resolution and sharpness

CANON HP PHOTO KODAK MINOLTA NIKON OLYMPUS PANASONIC SONY SONY TOSHIBA
POWERSHOT A40 SMART 720 DX4330 F100 COOLPIX 2500 CAMEDIA C-300 DMC-F7 DSC-P71 DSC-P9 PDR-3310

COLOUR
DETAIL
FLASH
EXPOSURE
SKIN TONE
CENTRE OR SPOT
WEIGHTED METERING
MEMORY TYPE
& SUPPLIED
SOUND? POWER SIZE (MM) WEIGHT (G) AC ADAPTOR FEATURES % ? EXPLAINED
BATTERIES
AA: standard batteries you can get
Y CF 8 Y 4 AA 110 x 71 x 38 250 N 85% from anywhere.
Custom Li: these are custom
N 16 internal, SD Y 4 AA 118 x 75 x 53 255 N 71% Lithium-ion batteries than are
N 16 internal, MMC/SD Y CRV3 111 x 66 x 34 210 N 63% usually specific to individual
cameras/manufacturers.
Y MMC/SD 16 Y Li+ CRV3 111 x 52 x 32 185 N 86% CRV3: special rechargeable batteries
you can get at most camera shops.
N CF 8 N custom Li+ 114 x 60 x 32 165 Y 70%
Y SM 16 N 4 AA or 2 CRV3 118 x 66 x 50 240 N 90% MEMORY
Y MMC/SD 8 N custom Li+ 104 x 51 x 32 150 Y 74% CF: CompactFlash – the most
widely-used format.
Y MS 16 N 2 AA NiMH 125 x 58 x 44 245 N 90% SD: Secure Digital – small but
growing segment of the market.
Y MS 16 Y custom Li+ 114 x 52 x 36 206 Y 86%
MS: Memory Stick – proprietary
Y SD 16 N custom Li+ 91 x 57 x 32 175 Y 74% format to Sony.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 037


Dayinthelife 8
8 This man took a day out of his life to climb a mountain…
This month we get an eyewitness report of seven hours
spent up Ben Nevis with freezing weather and bad
sandwiches. Oh, and the views really were spectacular…

G
eorge Gill and his partner Sheena
Pittaway have never been scared of
a good walk but this was a little
unusual, even for them. Inspired by a leaflet
they found at their local gym, they decided to
shake things up a bit and scale a mountain.
They hiked for seven hours, raised £1,500 for
the Neurofibromatosis Association (say that
after a few) and came home without a

a
MEET GEORGE single blister. Not bad for a day’s work.
George is an advertising They were joined by 198 others – all hiking
manager at Future for various charities – most of whom made
Publishing (who own our it for the after-hike drinks.
souls) and Sheena is a
publisher in the same STARTING TOP LEFT 8
department. Although Early doors: even the birds weren’t up at
they’ve always loved the 5.15am on Saturday 22nd October.
great outdoors they
weren’t tempted to Rucksack rescue: luckily the mountain rescue
climb a mountain until team were on hand when someone dropped
Ben Nevis beckoned. their rucksack down a 200m ravine. And you
though the job involved heroically rescuing
naive daytrippers...

A brave face: Sheena looks cheerful despite


the cold weather.

Say cheese: the complimentary ham and


Many thanks to Rab, who cheese sandwiches were a bit on the dry side.
donated all George and
Sheena’s hiking gear for Strike a pose: Sheena at the halfway point,
8

the trip. complete with Fluro identity tag.

Stragglers: looking down the zig-zag path at


the ant-like tail end of the group.

Weather beaten: at this point, Mountain

@ CONTACT US Rescue deemed the weather conditions too


difficult and stopped the ascent for safety 8
Now it’s over to you: we want reasons, a little way from the top.
your life in our hands (or on
these pages anyway). If you Ray of light: after the snow, the rain. This
have a visually interesting job rainbow appeared on the way back down.
that you think might make a
good Dayinthelife, please email
us today at:
Mission south: nearing the bottom, a pint
was in order. The next day all flights were
editor.dcm@futurenet.co.uk cancelled due to the freak gales so our heroes
had a long car trip home from Glasgow.

038 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


8
8

8
Nevis range has seen for 17 years
This is the earliest winter the
8

8
8

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


GOING UP A MOUNTAIN? 2
For weather information in the UK [w] www.met-office.gov.uk [w] www.bbc.co.uk/weather
9

039
It's truly total image editing software. Manage and edit your digital photos with drag-
and-drop ease. Create 3D images while applying special effects -- you don't even have
to buy a plug-in first. If Web creation is more your style, produce graphics and entire
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albums to CD! Available at www.ulead.co.uk

Ulead PhotoImpact 8
4
NEWHARDWARE&SOFTWARE
100% definitive

Kit reviews
What you’ll want next, reviewed and rated
MAIN CAMERA REVIEWS
Our reviews are carefully crafted to give you all the info you need

W
e’ve made several slight Another tweak is to our CD-based
improvements to this month’s virtual tours. Last month, you could ■ PENTAX OPTIO 430RS P42
reviews section, which we swoop around left-to-right; this month, ■ FUJIFILM FINEPIX F601 P44
hope you like. First, we’ve added Tom you can also swoop over-and-under. We ■ PANASONIC DMC-LC5 P46
Ang, Mark Harris and Rod Lawton to our hope this gives you an even more ■ MINOLTA DIMAGE 7I P48
■ SONY DSC-F717 P50
reviews team. realistic ‘try-before-you-buy’ kind of feel. CAMERA RANGE OTHER MAKES
Tom is one of the UK’s most respected Our final improvement lies in the way Is it better to pay a Is there a better deal
SOFTWARE REVIEWS bit more for a bit available from
photography journalists and someone we have linked our website to our
■ PHOTOIMPACT 8 P52 extra? Our 'range' box on the another manufacturer?
we’re extremely pleased to have on the reviews. Some readers have made the
bottom left-hand corner of the
magazine. We’ve let him loose on the fair point that our quoted prices are review lists other cameras 3D CAMERA TOURS
MINI CAMERAS
Sony DSC-F717. His review of this new usually higher than the price of cameras supplied by the manufacturer. Try before you buy!
5-megapixel monster is the only one online or on the high street. This is ■ CREATIVE PC CAM 300 P54 Rotate and view each
■ KONICA KD100 P54 PERFORMANCE STRIP camera on-screen with our
you’ll need to read. because we have to go with what the
■ OLYMPUS C120 P54 Peel back each right- unique virtual reality tour.
Rod is someone who will be familiar manufacturer says is the camera’s
■ CREATIVE PC CAM 750 P55 hand page, line up
to many readers of photography maximum price at time of publication. ■ HP PHOTOSMART 320 P55 the Performance strip with the LINKS TO THE WEB
magazines – good to be working with But we agree we can do better. So, in ■ SAMSUNG DIGIMAX 130 P55 other strips, and compare the test Visit our website for
you again, Rod! Mark Harris also joins our addition to this guide price, you’ll now shots from each camera. even more info.
reviews team – as ex-deputy editor of T3 find a URL that takes you directly to the LAB TEST
magazine and a reviewer for Which?, camera’s listing in our price database on ■ 6 CD-RWS P57
Mark’s knowledge of digital hardware is our website. This database uses the How our scoring system works
second to none. Good to have you all on- latest, up-to-the-second prices from FEATURES Rates the strength of
EACH SCORE IS OUT OF 100
board, chaps! Dabs.com – it’s well worth a look. the specification
90+ An outstanding and almost IMAGES Rates resolution, colour
faultless product. Buy it! balance, ability to handle varying
80-89 A well thought out product conditions and accuracy
BEST BUY CAMERA – FUJIFILM FINEPIX F601 PANASONIC DMC-LC5 BUDGET CAMERAS let down by a few minor details BUILD Rates styling and how well
70-79 A product that scores well the camera has been constructed
and is worth considering VALUE Rates whether the camera
50-69 Average. A middle-of-the- is good value for money
road product that certainly doesn't
set the world alight
30-49 A below average product
DIGITAL
CAMERA 0-29 Something that insults the
MAGAZINE intelligence of people everywhere

P46 P54
PHOTOIMPACT 8 LAB TEST – CD-RWS What our reviews icons mean

*
ON OUR CD All camera 3D TOUR Virtual tour of
test and comparison this camera can be
shots are on-disc. found on our CD.

ON OUR WEBSITE BEST BUY Awarded to a

C
Reviews, links to final score of 90% plus.
suppliers, reader DIGITAL This product delivers
CAMERA
MAGAZINE
opinions, latest prices. what it promises.

P44 P52 P57 WORTH A LOOK DIGITAL RANGE Four to five

2
Alternative offerings manufacturer alternatives
WORTH
A LOOK £
5
from rival camera so you can see if it’s worth
■ Independent alternative options, test shots, standard manufacturers. spending a bit more money.
Reviews you can trust We have a cast-iron policy of editorial shots, 3D virtual tours on our CD, plus direct
4

Our mission is to ensure that when you buy a independence. Suppliers never see a review links to buy online, via our website
camera, you are completely informed about its until the magazine hits the newsagent ■ Clear
CONTACT OUR REVIEWS TEAM
If you have a comment about our reviews, or a product you
best and worst features. To this end, we ■ Authoritative We use diagrams, comparisons and boxes to
would like us to test, please email us at editor.dcm@futurenet.co.uk.
guarantee each review is: Every review includes the manufacturer's range, ensure each review delivers a definitive verdict
Visit our website at digitalcameramagazine.co.uk for reader verdicts

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 041


REVIEWS 4-MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL CAMERA
PENTAX OPTIO 430RS
Price £450
Resolution 4 megapixels
Lens 37.5-112.5mm equivalent, f2.6-4.8
Memory 1Mb internal, Compact Flash card slot
Battery life Lithium-ion rechargeable
Contact PENTAX 01753 792731 www.pentax.co.uk SAMPLE IMAGES ALL THESE IMAGES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR CD

Pentax Optio 430RS


Why should you have to choose between compact dimensions and photographic control, when with the Optio
430RS you can have both?

4
* ON D
igital cameras vary widely in their
OUR
COVERDISC construction quality and general feel. Some

4
models right at the bottom end of the market
feel as if they might have come from an Airfix kit, while
even some mid-range cameras are cursed with a
creaky, 'budget' feel.
Not so the Pentax. It’s reminiscent of the Canon
Digital Ixus, sharing that same cast-iron feel, precise
controls and elegant, smooth-edged design. Unlike the
VIRTUAL TOUR Ixus, though, the Pentax offers 4-megapixel resolution,
Try before you buy! Rotate and
view this camera on-screen with plus full manual control in addition to its point-and-shoot
our unique virtual reality tour. AE mode. This in itself is unusual, since most pocket
digital cameras’ creative control ends with an exposure
ON OUR
C WEBSITE compensation option. The Pentax builds on this
photographic control with a choice of three metering
OPINIONS & SHOPPING
Post your views, see what other
modes, with multi-segment, centre-weighted and 3
readers think then buy this camera!
spot options.
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN= Stereoscopic pictures
2&RCN=13&RPN=170&sp=&v=3 Uniquely, though, the 430RS can also take stereoscopic,
or ‘3D’ pictures. How’s this done? It’s a long-established
photographic technique – you take two identical shots
but from slightly different positions (the difference 7 7 7
corresponding to the distance between the average pair
of eyes). The shots are printed out and placed directly MODE DIAL POWER BUTTON
LENS
When you turn the
alongside each other. A little soft, with Turn the mode dial
to get into some camera off, the lens
Then, when you look at them through the special uncertain focussing at
digital effects automatically retracts
macro distances
viewer, they’re superimposed. But your left eye ‘sees’
the left image, your right eye sees the ‘right’ image and
DIGITAL RANGE
your brain constructs an apparently three-dimensional from the slightly different viewpoint. Print out the shot digital filter is an unusual anamorphic lens effect that
PENTAX image – stereoscopic cameras simply duplicate the and the viewer will give you that 3D effect. can compress images horizontally or vertically. It’s not
430RS parallax effect of two-eyed vision. The only difference is The Pentax has some other surprises, too. Turn the immediately obvious what you might want to use this
Price: £450
5

that you can’t move around the scene to see ‘behind’ mode dial all the way round to its farthest position and for, but if we think of something we’ll let you know.
Megapixels: 4
objects, but the illusion of three dimensions, even you enter the realm of digital effects. This is a collection So the diminutive Pentax packs in lots of features,
330RS viewing the two sample images printed in the Pentax of digital filters, which include a black and white mode then, but how well does it perform? This is where things
Price: £370 manual, is uncanny. and a range of colour filters, from sepia through red, get a little disappointing.
Megapixels: 3.2 There’s no special magic in the way the Pentax pink, violet, blue, green and yellow. Black and white In absolute terms, the 430RS's picture quality is pretty
330GS accomplishes this digitally. You simply take one shot fans shouldn’t get excited at this point, though, because good. There’s not much wrong with the exposure
Price: £300 using half the frame, move the camera slightly to one the colour filters aren’t meant to mimic those you’d use system, and the colour rendition is natural with good
£ Megapixels: 3.2
5
side (the instructions offer suggested distances) then in black and white photography. Instead, they simply contrast. But the images it produces just aren’t as sharp
shoot the same scene (precise positioning is crucial) apply an overall colour shift to colour images. The final as those generated by many of its rivals. It outperforms

042 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


CAMERA REVIEW REFERENCE CARD

Pentax Optio 430RS


Price £450
Resolution 4 megapixels
Lens 37.5-112.5mm equivalent, f2.6-4.8
Memory 1Mb internal, CompactFlash card slot
Contact Pentax 01753 792 731
www.pentax.co.uk

KEY FEATURES
7 7 7
BUTTONS NAVIGATION CONTROLLER ZOOM CONTROL
The buttons are small The four-way pad You get 3x optical
but positive to use is nicely positioned zoom with this camera

PENTAX OPTIO 430RS FULL SPECIFICATIONS


Sensor 4.13-megapixel CCD Other features Stereoscopic shooting mode
1
Image size 2,304 x 1,712 Image storage 11Mb internal memory, CompactFlash
Lens Pentax power zoom 37.5-112.5 card slot
equivalent, f2.6-4.8 Batteries Rechargeable Lithium-ion
Focus Auto, manual, macro AC adaptor Optional (recharger included)
Exposure modes Program, manual Software ACDSee image cataloguing/
Metering Multi-segment, centre-weighted, spot editing package
Monitor 1.6 TFT Weight 200g (without battery or card)
AE compensation +2EV to 2EV in 1/3 increments Dimensions 92(w) x 59(h) x 32(d)mm
Flash Auto, on, off, red-eye Transfer USB
Video output N/A OS Win98/Me/2000/XP,
Movie recording Up to 30 seconds, no sound Mac OS 8.6

2
KONICA OLYMPUS MINOLTA FUJIFILM
WORTH KD-400Z C40Z DIMAGE F100 FINEPIX F401
A LOOK £400/4MP £500/4MP £400/4MP £350/4MP

Nicely made, but Features 88 1


Images 72 1
the image quality
Verdict

Build 91 1
could be better Value 79 1

87%
The Optio 430RS feels like a classy FINAL
camera, both in terms of its build quality
and the feel of its controls. It crams in
SCORE
lots of features, too, including full
manual control. Ultimately, though, its
images lack that final ounce of sharpness
Pentax Optio 430RS

1
Closeup
TURN THE PAGE TO
PENTAX OPTIO 430RS
COMPARE TEST SHOTS PERFORMANCE

2 SKIN TONES
1

5 PRO Good and neutral, and the exposure system


keeps harsh shadows under control

6 CON Indoor flash shots can tend to bleach out facial


tones – a perennial problem with on-camera flash

2 OUTDOOR SHOTS
4

7 7 7
NAVIGATION

5
CONTROLLER
ZOOM CONTROL PRO Exposure is generally accurate, with a general
BUTTONS The four-way pad tendency to favour shadows over highlights
You get 3x optical zoom

6
The buttons are small, is well positioned
with this model CON Images are a little undersaturated, though
but positive to use on the camera this is easy enough to alter using software later

3.3-megapixel models, but it isn’t up with the best This is a small camera, but its control layout doesn’t so you’ll need the colour LCD on all the time if you
2 INDOOR SHOTS
of the 4-megapixel cameras. really feel cramped at all. want to keep a check on images remaining, the
It was interesting to be able to use the Pentax quality setting, flash mode and so on.
Out-performed and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LC5 side by side, In terms of speed, the 430RS proves more of a
This reveals itself in two ways. First, image definition because while the Panasonic demonstrated much mixed bag. It’s quick enough in playback mode, and
just isn’t quite as crisp as it could be. Yes, you can better image quality from the same-sized CCD, the its menu navigation is far snappier than the Lumix's.
nudge the sharpness up in your image-editor, but Pentax's controls proved far more satisfying to use. But the start-up time does seem unduly leisurely,
this is no substitute for real, inherent sharpness.
Second, fine textural detail tends to descend into a
bit of a digital mush. You notice this most in areas of So the Pentax packs in lots of features, 5 PRO Good colour balance indoors, too, thanks to
effective white balance control

6
comparatively even tone, like distant vegetation or,
as you’ll spot in one of the sample shots, textured then, but how well does it perform? This CON Available light shots really need a lens with a
wider maximum aperture than this one

wood, for example.


This does tend to take the edge off what is is where things get a little disappointing 2 IMAGE QUALITY
otherwise quite a likable camera. And many users
will find the slight compromise in image quality
unimportant when weighed against the Pentax's The LCD display on the 430RS is tiny compared and there's a fair degree of shutter lag between the
features, design, compactness and build quality. with that of the Panasonic, but it’s crisp and bright moment you press the button and when the picture
All of these are certainly very good. The main (a bit too bright, actually, to give a realistic is actually taken.
mode dial is firm and positive, and not easy to turn impression of brightness and exposure) and works The closest rival to the Pentax at the moment is
accidentally, and the four-way navigation pad on the well in all lighting. Status icons are displayed over Konica's KD-400Z, reviewed in issue 1. The Pentax
back plate is similarly positive to use. The other the image, but without the compositionally- has more features, but the Konica is £50 cheaper
buttons are small but, again, feel well made and confusing strip employed by the Lumix. The only and produces slightly better results. It’s also got a
firm, and all the controls are pretty well positioned. thing the Pentax doesn’t have is a mono LCD panel, really nice design. 5 PRO Images are good at normal viewing
distances, thanks to the natural colour rendition

6 CON Big enlargements or close-up viewing


reveal a slight softness

PENTAX OPTIO 430RS FULL SPECIFICATIONS 1 Nicely made, but


the image quality
Features
Images 72
1
1
88
Verdict

Sensor 4.13-megapixel CCD Movie recording Up to 30 seconds, no sound


Build 91 1
Image size
Lens
Focus
2,304 x 1,712
Pentax power zoom 37.5-112.5 equivalent, f2.6-4.8
Auto, manual, macro
Other features
Image storage
Batteries
Stereoscopic shooting mode
11Mb internal memory, CompactFlash card slot
Rechargeable Lithium-ion
could be better Value 79 1

79%
Exposure modes Program, manual AC adaptor Optional (recharger included) The Optio 430RS feels like a classy
Metering
Monitor
Multi-segment, centre-weighted, spot
1.6 TFT
Software
Weight
ACDSee image cataloguing/editing package
200g (without battery or card)
camera, both in terms of its build FINAL
AE compensation +2EV to 2EV in 1/3 increments Dimensions 92(w) x 59(h) x 32(d)mm quality and the feel of its controls. It SCORE
Flash Auto, on, off, red-eye Transfer USB crams in lots of features, too, including
Video output N/A OS Win98/Me/2000/XP, Mac OS 8.6
full manual control. Ultimately,
though, its images lack that final

2
KONICA OLYMPUS MINOLTA FUJIFILM FINEPIX
WORTH KD-400Z C40Z DIMAGE F100 F401 ounce of sharpness
A LOOK £400/4MP £500/4MP £400/4MP £350/4MP

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 043


REVIEWS 3-MEGAPIXEL COMPACT
3x OPTICAL
ZO

FUJIFILM FINEPIX F601 ZOOM


OM
f

=8
.3
-
24
.9m
m
Price £490
Resolution 3.1 megapixels
Lens 36-108mm, 3x optical zoom
Memory 16Mb SmartMedia
Contact Fujifilm 020 7586 1477 www.fujifilm.co.uk SAMPLE IMAGES ALL THESE IMAGES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR CD

Fujifilm FinePix F601


Improvements to the FinePix F601 Zoom – the latest in a line of Fujifilm’s vertical-format
digital cameras – prove that there is more to this camera than just eye-catching looks

3
DIGITAL
CAMERA
* ON F
ujifilm is one of only a few manufacturers MAGAZINE
OUR
COVERDISC that produces digital cameras in a vertical
format. The F601 Zoom is one of these
cameras, and is positioned towards the high-end of
Fujifilm’s current F range.
7
As though carved elegantly from a chunk of metal,
AUTOMATIC LENS COVER
the vertical format of the body is eye-catching and When not in use, the
makes the camera very easy to slip into a pocket. lens is well protected by
the automatic cover
Combined with this unusual design are soft curves, great
VIRTUAL TOUR overall build quality and an attractive silver finish.
Try before you buy! Rotate and
view this camera on-screen with The control layout on the rear of the camera is

7
our unique virtual reality tour. straightforward and easy to use. A touch of the power

ON OUR
button and the lens is out of the body in just under
three seconds. It’s a Super Fujinon 3x zoom lens, with a
4
C WEBSITE reasonable 36-108mm (35mm equivalent) range and
POP-UP FLASH
The flash is well
positioned and doesn't
OPINIONS & SHOPPING f2.8 to f12.4 apertures. interfere with your hold
Post your views, see what other In macro mode you can achieve focus when as of the camera
readers think then buy this camera!
close as 20cm to your subject. There’s no need to
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN= worry about losing lens caps with this camera because
2&RCN=13&RPN=200&sp=&v=3 the lens cover is automatic and recessed inside the
camera body.
The LCD on the back of the body is of average size
7
at 1.5 inches, but it’s clear, bright and offers an STYLISH BODY
DIGITAL RANGE The smooth metal
optional grid line overlay to aid composition. There is
FUJI no histogram facility as there is on some other
finish not only makes it
look nice, but it’s
FinePix S602 pocketable too
manufacturer’s offerings, and the viewfinder is small
Price: £595 and has no diopter adjustment for spectacle wearers.
Megapixels: 3.1
A Third Generation Super CCD model is used, with
FinePix F601 three effective megapixels and the option to have
5

Price: £490 six recorded megapixels. These 6-megapixel images when either of the two highest ISO settings is selected, The menus shown on the LCD are colourful and
Megapixels: 3.1 are created from the CCD data by Fujifilm’s special the image quality setting is automatically set to 1,280 x operate quickly. In the manual mode a wide selection of
FinePix F401 algorithm and they can help create large prints. A 960 pixels. settings is available. It enables you to select aperture-
Price: £350 downside of this is that the increased file size will fill priority, shutter-priority and manual exposure, where
Megapixels: 2.1 your SmartMedia card quickly. Mode settings you can set either the shutter or aperture.
The CCD enables the F601 to capture high-quality 640 At the top of the camera, a dial controls the modes. In addition, there is control over ISO, sharpness,
FinePix 2600
Price: £220 x 480 videos with sound up to 223 seconds on a These are Audio Recording, Movie, Auto, Scene and metering, exposure compensation, white-balance and
Megapixels: 2 128Mb SmartMedia card. Most other digital cameras can Manual. The Scene mode is particularly useful for focussing. There is certainly enough manual control to
only manage a shorter and smaller resolution video. beginners and provides five scenes – Portrait, satisfy most people’s demands but, should you want to
FinePix A101 Fujifilm’s Third Generation Technology helps the Landscape, Sports, Night and 40-Frame continuous leave it up to the camera, the Auto mode works well.
£ Price: £120
5
F601 provide an ISO range of 160, 200 (standard), shooting. The 40-Frame continuous mode automatically The F601 uses a high-power 3.7v NP-60 Lithium-ion
Megapixels: 1.3
400, 800 and 1,600. This wide range is impressive, but sets the image quality to 1,280 x 960 pixels. battery. With the LCD on, Fujifilm states approximately

044 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


CAMERA REVIEW REFERENCE CARD

Fujifilm FinePix F601


Price £490
Resolution 3.1 megapixels
Lens 36-108mm, 3x optical zoom
Memory 16Mb SmartMedia
Contact Fujifilm 020 7586 1477
www.fujifilm.co.uk

KEY FEATURES
7 BATTERY AND SMARTMEDIA 7 CONTROLS 7 MODE LIGHTS
Both the Li-ion battery and The control system The relevant mode is lit
SmartMedia card are stored is straightforward, up, so you know which
under a sliding cover making it easy to use one you’re working in

Fujifilm FinePix F601 ZOOM FULL SPECIFICATIONS


Sensor 3.1 (effective) megapixel, 1/1.7-inch Video output PAL
1
Super CCD in interwoven pattern Movie recording Up to 544 seconds with sound
Image size 2,048 x 1,536 Other features DPOF
Lens Super EBC Fujinon 36-108mm 3x optical Image storage SmartMedia
zoom (1.44x digital) Batteries Rechargeable Lithium-ion
Focus Auto and macro (20-80cm) AC adaptor Supplied
Exposure modes Programmed AE, shutter-priority, Software DP Editor, FinePix Viewer, VideoImpression,
aperture-priority, Manual Adobe PhotoDeluxe
Metering 64-zone TTL, spot, average Weight 220g (excluding battery)
Monitor 1.5-inch colour TFT LCD (110,000 pixels) Dimensions 72.0(w) x 93.0(h) x 34.0(d)mm
AE compensation +/– 2EV in 1/3EV increments Transfer USB
Flash Auto, red-eye reduction, slow synchro OS Windows 98/2000/Me/XP, Mac OS 8.6+

2
KYOCERA PANASONIC CANON SONY
WORTH FINECAM S4 LUMIX DMC-LM40 POWERSHOT S30 DSC-P9
A LOOK £500/3.87MP £470/3.9MP £450/3.2MP £430/3.9MP

Slim and stylish, Features 1


90

1
90
with a performance Images
Verdict

Build 95 1
to match Value 85 1

90%
Despite being small, the F601 packs a
good range of features and produces
FINAL
excellent images. The only negative
SCORE
points are the barrel distortion and the
size of the SmartMedia card when
shooting in 6-megapixel mode
Fujifilm FinePix F601

1
Closeup
FUJIFILM FINEPIX F601
TURN THE PAGE TO PERFORMANCE
COMPARE TEST SHOTS

2 SKIN TONES

5 PRO The FinePix F601’s third generation Super CCD


produces very faithful and clear skin details

1 6 CON If using the highest sharpening level, there can


be some excessive sharpening artefacts

2 OUTDOOR SHOTS

3
4
7 7 7
BATTERY AND
SMARTMEDIA

5
Both the Li-ion battery CONTROLS MODE LIGHTS
PRO The automatic metering is reliable and the 3x
and Smartmedia card The control system is To show which mode zoom lens provides flexibility for most situations

6
are stored under a straightforward, and you are in, the relevant
CON On some shots barrel distortion is evident.
sliding cover easy to use mode is lit up This is easiest to spot on architectural shots

150 shots can be taken, or with the LCD off, this The pop-up flash is well hidden when not in use some shots is barrel distortion, and this is particularly
2 INDOOR SHOTS
number rises to 300. Throughout the tests of this and has a range of 4.7 metres. With the option of evident on the architectural shots. This is the biggest
camera, few battery charges were needed and the such high ISO settings there may be situations let down for the image quality of the F601, but it
number of shots possible on one charge should suit where using a high ISO is preferable to the flash. can be corrected in digital-imaging software and, for
most people’s needs.
Fujifilm provides a 16Mb SmartMedia card that
will store six photos at the highest quality setting or As though carved elegantly from a chunk
12 if the 3-megapixel mode is chosen. This is stored
alongside the battery in a compartment on the side of metal, the vertical format of the body
of the camera. A cradle is provided with the camera
is eye-catching and makes the camera 5 PRO The high ISO settings enable the camera to
take sharp shots without using the flash

6
so you can easily download your images and charge CON In situations where the flash has to be used,
its limited power may result in some bad shots
the battery.
For people who don’t like waiting while their very easy to slip into a pocket 2 IMAGE QUALITY
digital cameras process information, the F601 is
great. Besides having a quick start-up time, menu
navigation and image playback is also fast. Generally, shots taken with the F601 are very many shots, most people won’t notice. Thanks to
In a well-lit room there is a delay of 0.7 seconds good. Colour accuracy is excellent, as is resolution. comprehensive image-quality settings you can fine-
from the time the shutter is pressed to the shot The metering and focus systems perform very well tune elements such as image sharpness and
being taken, and when the subject is pre-focussed and images appear sharp and detailed. Image noise metering to your own taste in the menus.
this time drops to 0.1 seconds. Switching the lens to levels are low, although they increase with the ISOs, The F601 bridges the gap between a beginner’s
full zoom and switching the macro mode on causes as one would expect. camera and an enthusiast’s camera extremely well.
the focusing time to increase the delay to 1.5 The lens provides a reasonable zoom range and Image quality in our test shots was excellent on
seconds. Shot-to-shot times are good with little there were no problems with chromatic aberrations the whole and a good amount of manual control
delay between shots. in our tests. However, one noticeable problem on is provided. 5 PRO The 3.1-megapixel CCD captures a high level of
detail and the lens ensures images appear sharp

6 CON At the two highest ISO settings the image size

1
is reduced and noise levels are acceptable

FUJIFILM FINEPIX F601 ZOOM FULL SPECIFICATIONS


Slim and stylish Features 1 90
Sensor 3.1 (effective) megapixel, 1/1.7-inch Video output PAL
with a performance Images 1 90
Verdict

Super CCD in interwoven pattern Movie recording Up to 544 seconds with sound
Image size 2,048 x 1,536 Other features DPOF Build 95 1
Lens Super EBC Fujinon 36-108mm 3x optical
zoom (1.44x digital)
Image storage
Batteries
SmartMedia
Rechargeable Lithium-ion
to match Value 85 1

90%
Focus Auto and macro (20-80cm) AC adaptor Supplied
Exposure modes Programmed AE, shutter-priority,
aperture-priority, Manual
Software DP Editor, FinePix Viewer, VideoImpression,
Adobe PhotoDeluxe
The F601 packs a good range of FINAL
Metering
Monitor
64-zone TTL, spot, average
1.5-inch colour TFT LCD (110,000 pixels)
Weight
Dimensions
220g (excluding battery)
72.0(w) x 93.0(h) x 34.0(d)mm
features and produces excellent
images. The only negative points are
SCORE
AE compensation +/– 2EV in 1/3EV increments Transfer USB
Flash Auto, red-eye reduction, slow synchro OS Windows 98/2000/Me/XP, Mac OS 8.6+ the barrel distortion and the size of
the SmartMedia card when shooting

2
KYOCERA PANASONIC CANON SONY in 6-megapixel mode
WORTH FINECAM S4 LUMIX DMC-LM40 POWERSHOT S30 DSC-P9
A LOOK £500/3.87MP £470/3.9MP £450/3.2MP £430/3.9MP

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 045


REVIEWS 4-MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL CAMERA
PANASONIC DMC-LC5
Price £600
Resolution 4 megapixels
Lens 33-100mm equivalent, f2.0-2.5
Memory 32Mb SD card
35mm EQUIV
33-100
Battery life Rechargeable Lithium-ion
Contact Panasonic 08701 505610 www.panasonic.co.uk SAMPLE IMAGES ALL THESE IMAGES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR CD

Panasonic DMC-LC5
A proper camera, with proper dimensions, proper handling and proper controls? It sounds like an enthusiast’s
dream, but does the LC5 deliver what it promises?
3

* T
he Panasonic DMC-LC5 is one of the fruits of a
ON OUR
COVERDISC partnership between electronics giant
Panasonic, and top camera maker Leica.
Panasonic provides the electronics, while Leica provides
the optics.
In fact, the 33-100mm lens fitted to the DMC-LC5 is
visually identical to the Canon zoom on the PowerShot
G2, the old Casio QV3000-EX and the outgoing HP
PhotoSmart 715. However, the Leica-badged version
VIRTUAL TOUR boasts aspherical (expensive!) lens elements and, for all

3
Try before you buy! Rotate and
view this camera on-screen with we know, internal differences.
our unique virtual reality tour. In any event, its performance on the Panasonic is
quite exceptional. We’re used to all 4-megapixel
ON OUR cameras offering largely similar performance, but the
C WEBSITE LC5 pushes back the boundaries for 4-megapixel
OPINIONS & SHOPPING CCDs. It’s not just the outright detail renditions, which
Post your views, see what other is as good as it gets at this CCD size, but the visual
readers think then buy this camera!
punchiness at all magnifications, allied to excellent
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
review/reviewproduct.asp?RGN=
saturation and contrast. High contrast normally
2&RCN=13&RPN=216&sp=&v=3 means highlight or shadow detail ends up being
clipped, but the Panasonic performs very well in these
respects, too.
7 7 7
Impressive electronics
ZOOM LENS FLASH
Much of this is due to Panasonic’s electronics (not just LENS Options include red-
A cracker, visually
DIGITAL RANGE the Leica-badged lens), which do an impressive job. All The manual identical to the eye, slow synch,
focussing ring is a Canon unit in the and slow synch
PANASONIC this is topped off by good exposure control, which
resists the tendency towards overexposure. Generous
nice touch PowerShot G2 second curtain

DMC-LC5 exposure brings out shadow detail and produces the


5

Price: £600
Megapixels: 4 most reliable snaps, but tends to leave highlights The DMC-LC5 will gain even more friends with its big, many of the more advanced photographic functions
burned out and unrepairable – bad news for high-quality chunky design. Here’s a camera you can hold and use such as exposure compensation, bracketing and so on
DMC-LC40 photography. With digital cameras, it’s easier to recover comfortably, without having to worry about which have to be accessed via the menus. In a camera of this
Price: £470
shadow detail than it is to rescue burned-out highlights. buttons you might press accidentally. type, it would be better to have them placed on control
Megapixels: 4
The Panasonic’s performance is matched by powerful The Panasonic does have flaws, and however dials that are readily accessible.
DMC-F7 photographic controls, which include program, aperture- impressed you might be by its photographic results, you The menus and status icons on the display are fairly
Price: £280 priority, shutter-priority and full manual control, plus both can’t ignore them. Its relatively slow start-up time is a crudely designed and take up a good deal of space. We
Megapixels: 2 exposure and focus bracketing. This is a camera disappointment, but the big surprise is the sluggish and mis-composed a good number of shots because of the
DMC-LC20 designed for serious, discerning photographers and even unresponsive menu system. The controller itself is darkened status strip along the bottom of the LCD,
£ Price: £230 the LCD panel is a cut above the rest. Measuring no less spongy and imprecise, and there’s a small but tedious which fools your eye into thinking the frame area is

5 Megapixels: 2 than 2.5 inches across the diagonal, it’s wonderful both
for composing and reviewing shots.
lag between the button-presses and the menu
responses. This is all the more annoying given that
narrower than it actually is. And while the manual
focussing ring around the lens is a nice touch, a

046 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


CAMERA REVIEW REFERENCE CARD

Panasonic DMC-LC5
Price £600
Resolution 4 megapixels
Lens 33-100mm equivalent, f2.0-2.5
Memory 32Mb SD card
Contact Panasonic 08701 505 610
www.panasonic.co.uk

KEY FEATURES
7 CONTROL WHEEL 7 LCD 7 MODE DIAL
The wheel is mushy and Luxuriously The automatic
imprecise – not exactly a large, though exposure control does
high point! could be brighter an impressive job

PANASONIC DMC-LC5 FULL SPECIFICATIONS


Sensor 4-megapixel CCD Video output
1
PAL/NTSC Composite, audio (mono)
Image size 2,240 x 1,680 Movie recording 320 x 240, with sound
Lens Leica 33-100mm equivalent, f2.0-2.5 Other features Manual focus ring with focus confirmation,
Focus Auto, manual, macro focus bracketing
Exposure modes Program, aperture-priority, Image storage 32Mb SD card
shutter-priority, manual Batteries Rechargeable Lithium-ion
Metering Multi-pattern, centre-weighted, spot AC adaptor Supplied (also acts as recharger)
Monitor 2.5-inch TFT Software Drivers, ArcSoft PhotoImpression (PC only)
AE compensation +2EV to -2EV in 1/4EVincrements Weight 360g (without battery or card)
Flash Auto, on, off, red-eye, slow synch, Dimensions 127.5(w) x 82(h) x 63.4(d)mm
slow synch second curtain, Transfer USB
flash compensation OS N/A

2
NIKON CANON LEICA OLYMPUS MINOLTA
WORTH COOLPIX 4500 POWERSHOT G2 DIGILUX 1 CAMEDIA 4000Z DIMAGE F100
A LOOK £600/4MP £650/4MP £750/4MP £450/4MP £400/4MP

Terrific performance Features 95 1


Images 98 1
marred by some Build
Verdict

83 1
ergonomic flaws Value 90 1

87%
The DMC-LC5 is refreshingly easy to FINAL
handle and comes with an oversized 2.5-
inch LCD. The picture quality is superb for
SCORE
its detail, saturation, contrast and tonal
range. Its minor control layout and menu
response time let it down, though
Panasonic DMC-LC5

1
Closeup
TURN THE PAGE TO
PANASONIC DMC-LC5
COMPARE TEST SHOTS PERFORMANCE

2 SKIN TONES

4 5 PRO The fast lens and high sharpness make it


good for grabbed and candid shots

6 CON Watch out for a drift towards the magenta in


outdoor shots. Not that much to complain about

1
2 OUTDOOR SHOTS

7 7 7
CONTROL WHEEL LCD MODE DIAL 5 PRO Tremendous contrast and saturation, with
very good exposure control. Vivid landscape shots
The wheel is mushy
and imprecise – not
Luxuriously
large, though
The automatic exposure
control does an 6 CON Tendency towards magenta, but easy enough
to remove in software where necessary

2 INDOOR SHOTS
exactly a high point! could be brighter impressive job

zooming ring would be better still, rather than the could practically park your car in it. And the Pentax shortcomings the DMC-LC5 might have. It’s easy to
time-consuming motor-driven zoom buttons on the Optio, which is less than half the size, still manages fall in love with its giant-sized LCD and it has one
backplate. Many camera makers could learn a thing to accommodate CF cards. more valuable feature we haven’t mentioned yet –
or two from the designers of Minolta’s DiMAGE 7, We’ll finish our griping with the switchgear. The minimal shutter lag. It can take a moment or so to
one of those rare digital cameras that handles as power switch on our camera had what appeared to focus on nearby objects, but at most normal
well as a traditional film model. be a locking button. This doesn’t actually do shooting distances the shutter lag is very brief
A lot of this is bound to sound like nit-picking, but
the Panasonic has so many good points that these
niggles really do spoil it somewhat. We did like the We’re used to all 4-megapixel cameras 5 PRO The f2 maximum aperture allows higher
shutter speeds, so less risk of camera shake

6
screw-on LCD shade for using the Panasonic’s LCD in
bright lighting, but it made some of the control offering largely similar performance, CON Can struggle to focus in low light, hunting
around at the longest end of the zooming range

buttons trickier to get at. It only drew attention to


the fact that glare is a problem with this camera – but the LC5 pushes back the boundaries 2 IMAGE QUALITY
the Pentax Optio 430RS we were testing alongside
has a bright, contrasty LCD that works fine without
any such aids. anything of the sort, the focus mode dial on the indeed. Most digital camera users have by now
It’s also disappointing that Panasonic has gone for front is nice, but easily left at the wrong setting, and learned the two-stage shutter release technique
SD memory card storage. Whatever the advantage when you’re toggling the playback/record switch (you wait after applying half-pressure for the
of SD cards for manufacturers, they offer few for around the base of the mode dial, it’s all too easy to camera’s autofocus to catch up), but with the Lumix,
users, being more expensive than CompactFlash or move the mode dial, too. you hardly need it.
SmartMedia and not yet widely available in larger Back to the good points. The image quality The DMC-LC5 is a frustrating camera. It’s so good,
capacities. Space saving can hardly have been an generated by this camera is so good that many you just wish it could have gone the few inches to
issue. If you took the works out of the Lumix, you people will gladly overlook any operational be an absolute classic. 5 PRO Sharp detail, with crisp images at any viewing
distance. The lens and the CCD do a terrific job

6 CON Images can look a little ‘granular’ when


viewed on-screen at 1:1 pixel magnifications

PANASONIC DMC-LC5 FULL SPECIFICATIONS 1 Terrific results


marred by some
Features
Images
90
91
1
1
Verdict

Sensor 4-megapixel CCD Movie recording 320 x 240, with sound


Image size 2,240 x 1,680 Other features Manual focus ring with focus confirmation, Build 83 1
Lens
Focus
Leica 33-100mm equivalent, f2.0-2.5
Auto, manual, macro Image storage
focus bracketing
32Mb SD card ergonomic flaws Value 90 1
Exposure modes Program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority, manual Batteries Rechargeable Lithium-ion

89%
The DMC-LC5 is refreshingly easy to
Metering
Monitor
Multi-pattern, centre-weighted, spot
2.5-inch TFT
AC adaptor
Software
Supplied (also acts as recharger)
Drivers, ArcSoft PhotoImpression (PC only) handle and comes with an oversized FINAL
AE compensation
Flash
+2EV to -2EV in 1/4EVincrements
Auto, on, off, red-eye, slow synch, slow synch
Weight
Dimensions
360g (without battery or card)
127.5(w) x 82(h) x 63.4(d)mm
2.5-inch LCD. The picture quality is SCORE
second curtain, flash compensation Transfer USB superb for its detail, saturation,
Video output PAL/NTSC Composite, audio (mono) OS N/A contrast and tonal range. Its minor
control layout and menu response

2
NIKON CANON LEICA OLYMPUS MINOLTA
WORTH COOLPIX 4500 POWERSHOT G2 DIGILUX 1 CAMEDIA 4000Z DIMAGE F100 time let it down, though
A LOOK £600/4MP £650/4MP £750/4MP £450/4MP £400/4MP

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 047


REVIEWS 4.95-MEGAPIXEL CAMERA
MINOLTA DIMAGE 7i
Price £799
Resolution 4.95 megapixels
Lens 28-200mm, 7x Manual Zoom
Memory 16Mb CompactFlash
Battery life 200 shots
Contact MINOLTA 01908 200400 www.minolta.co.uk SAMPLE IMAGES ALL THESE IMAGES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR CD

Minolta Dimage 7i
Based on the popular Minolta Dimage 7, the Dimage 7i is an updated model with a number of
upgrades and tweaks

3
* ON T
he Minolta Dimage 7i is not an entirely new
OUR
COVERDISC camera. It is based largely on the older
generation Minolta Dimage 7. Minolta has
addressed many of the weaknesses of the original
Dimage 7 in this new model and naturally retained all 4
the strengths that made the original Dimage 7 such a
popular camera.
Although it’s a reasonably compact camera, it’s not
small enough to fit in a large coat pocket. However, the
VIRTUAL TOUR body of the camera is constructed from magnesium
Try before you buy! Rotate and
view this camera on-screen with alloy, giving it a very strong and rigid feel, while also
our unique virtual reality tour. ensuring it’s light. The hand-grip is comfortable and the
shutter release well positioned.
ON OUR
C WEBSITE Control overload
OPINIONS & SHOPPING There are a large number of controls placed over the 4
Post your views, see what other 7i’s body. For most people, this will be a boon, as it
readers think then buy this camera!
enables you to change almost any setting quickly
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
review/reviewproduct.asp? without having to resort to the main menu. However,
READER RGN=2&RCN= some people might find it over-bearing at first, or just
REVIEW
NOW 13&RPN=224&sp=&v=3 plain dislike it.
ONLINE
Here’s the way it works: you select one of the two
DIGITAL RANGE main dials on the left of the body, and then turn this 7 7 7
MINOLTA dial to the desired setting you want to change, such as
CONTROL WHEEL VIEWFINDER
ISO. Then, pressing the button in the centre of the dial, MACRO The control wheel To aid composition,
Dimage 7Hi use your other hand to simultaneously move the dial by The Dimage offers both the LCD viewfinder
locks in the off
Price: £1,099 tele- and wide-angle position when can be rotated
Megapixels: 4.95 the shutter-release, causing the ISO setting to change. In macro shooting not in use though 90 degrees
this way, you can change many of the camera’s settings
Dimage 7i without having to turn the main LCD or Electronic
5

Price: £799 Viewfinder on. The main LCD monitor is large at 1.8 inches and has the display and is y useful if you’re uncertain whether a
Megapixels: 4.95
The lens offers a good 7x optical zoom, 28-200mm been improved over the one on the old Dimage 7. It is correct exposure is going to be achieved.
Dimage 7 (35mm equivalent) range and is very versatile. It’s quite very bright, clear and recessed almost a centimetre The CCD has 4.95 megapixels, which combined with
Price: £699 fast, at f2.8-f3.5 and is an advanced apochromatic (APO) within the casing to help keep it protected. the 7x optical zoom lens, provides the potential for
Megapixels: 4.95
lens, meaning it’s very high quality. The lens is zoomed The Electronic Viewfinder has also been improved excellent results. ISO settings of 100, 200, 400 and 800
Dimage F100 manually, which gives far more precise control than any and is one of the best of its type. SLR users may still are possible and there is a video mode that can record
Price: £399 electronic zoom system. It also allows you to zoom in or find these electronic displays hard to get used to for up to 60 seconds. There is also the option for two
Megapixels: 3.95 out far quicker. Manual focussing can be performed via though. Diopter adjustment is provided for people who continuous advance modes of approximately 7fps and
a focus ring at the base of the lens. Whilst in the wear spectacles. 2fps, though when using the 7fps mode, the image size
Dimage X
£ Price: £299
manual focus mode, you can enlarge the central portion Another improvement over the Dimage 7 is the is reduced to 1,280 x 960 pixels.

5 Megapixels: 1.96 of the viewfinder, making it easier to check if the


subject is in focus.
addition of a live histogram. This is quite small and can
be turned off if necessary. It sits in the lower centre of
Power is provided by a set of AA Ni-MH rechargeable
batteries. With the EVF on, Minolta says these batteries

048 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


CAMERA REVIEW REFERENCE CARD

Minolta Dimage 7i
Price £799
Resolution 4.95 megapixels
Lens 28-200mm, 7x manual zoom
Memory 16Mb CompactFlash
Contact Minolta 01908 200 400
www.minolta.co.uk

KEY FEATURES
7 DEB 7 CROSS KEY 7 FUNCTION DIAL
The Digital effects button The four-way cross A host of features lie
offers a host of key speeds navigation beneath the
photographic features through the menus function wheel

Minolta Dimage 7i FULL SPECIFICATIONS


Sensor 2/3-type CCD with 4.95 effective Video output NTSC and PAL
1
megapixels Movie recording 60 seconds with sound
Image size 2,568 x 1,928 Other features Interval recording
Lens Minolta GT 28-200mm 7x zoom lens Image storage CompactFlash I/II
Focus Auto, continuous, manual, macro (13cm) Batteries 4x AA
Exposure modes Program, aperture priority, shutter AC adaptor Not supplied
priority, manual Software Driver and Dimage Viewer
Metering Multi-segment, centre-weighted, spot Weight 525g
Monitor 1.8 inch (118,000 pixels) Dimensions 117(w) x 90.5(h) x 112.5(d)mm
AE compensation +/- 2Ev in 1/3 increments Transfer USB
Flash Pop-up ADI with red-eye reduction and OS Windows 98/Me/2000/XP,
pre-flash TTL Mac OS 8.6+

2
OLYMPUS NIKON SONY Fujifilm
WORTH E-20 COOLPIX 5700 DSC-F717 FinePix S602
A LOOK £1,299/5MP £1,999/5MP £899/5MP £599/3.1MP

Feature-rich camera Features 95 1


90 1
that produces some Images
Verdict

Build 85 1
great results Value 85 1

89%
The Dimage 7i is a very good, FINAL
versatile camera. It’s let down slightly
by noise levels at the higher ISO
SCORE
settings and occasionally slow
focussing. Otherwise, operation is
quick and the controls comprehensive
Minolta Dimage 7i

1
Closeup
TURN THE PAGE TO
MINOLTA DIMAGE 7I
COMPARE TEST SHOTS PERFORMANCE

2 SKIN TONES

5 PRO Colour accuracy is good, making skin tones


life-like and the lens ensures fine details are sharp

6 CON Focussing can be slow or inaccurate. This is


especially a problem for action portrait shots

2 OUTDOOR SHOTS
4
1

7 7 7
DEB CROSS KEY
The Digital The four-way cross FUNCTION DIAL
effects button key speeds A host of features lie
5 PRO The wide-angle end of the sharp lens offers
good potential for landscape shots

6
offers a host of navigation through beneath the
photographic features the menus function wheel CON Image noise levels, while reasonable at low
ISOs are a let down compared with other cameras

will allow approximately 200 shots to be taken. This the manual preset option is useful. The metering include large RAW files for the best possible quality,
2 INDOOR SHOTS
is an area the Dimage 7i falls behind the system could be a bit more reliable, but with or Fine JPEGs for convenience.
competition, but an extra set of batteries isn’t hard the histogram function and ease with which The Dimage 7i offers several unique features for
to carry in a pocket. exposure compensation can be applied this is not a its class. It provides about the widest feature set of
major problem. any digital camera other than the more expensive
Out and about
When using the Dimage 7i, if the shot has been pre-
focussed, shutter-lag is minimal at under 0.1 The body of the camera is constructed
seconds, with only a slight rise to 0.7 seconds
without the pre-focussing. These figures are heavily from magnesium alloy, giving it a very 5 PRO The pop-up flash is powerful, has manual
controls and external flash units can be added

6
dependant on lighting and the subject being
photographed. For example, on a macro shot the strong and rigid feel, while also ensuring CON In situations where flash can’t be used, the
highest ISO setting is on the limit of usability

time the camera takes to focus increases the overall


figure to slightly over two seconds. it’s light. The hand-grip is comfortable… 2 IMAGE QUALITY
The focussing system also causes the loss of a
shot or two where it can’t keep up with the
movement in the frame. In these situations, pre- Minolta states the pop-up flash has a range of up Digital SLRs. Image quality is generally very good
focussing with the manual focus can help reduce the to 3.8 metres, it offers pre-flash TTL and there is and the lens is one of the best compared with other
chance of losing the shot. On a more positive note, provision for manual flash compensation. It proved digital cameras in this price range.
shot to shot and playback times are very good. to be very capable in our tests and there is the This is a camera for enthusiasts or beginners
Looking through the test shots taken with the option of adding an external flash. who want to push their photography to the next
Dimage 7i, it was clear there are no major problems Image noise levels at the lower ISO settings are level. It comes reasonably close to providing the
with image quality. The auto-white balance setting low enough to ignore but can be distracting at the benefits of a Digital SLR and, as such, is certainly
copes reasonably well with tricky lighting and highest setting of ISO 800. File formats available worth a look. 5 PRO The CCD provides high-resolution files. Colour
accuracy and metering are also very good

6 CON Image quality isn’t class-leading, but the user


control and the lens are class-leading

MINOLTA DIMAGE 7i FULL SPECIFICATIONS 1 Feature-rich camera


that produces some
Features
Images
95
90
1
1
Verdict

Sensor 2/3-type CCD with 4.95 effective megapixels Movie recording 60 seconds with sound
Build 85 1
Image size
Lens
Focus
2,568 x 1,928
Minolta GT 28-200mm 7x zoom lens
Auto, continuous, manual, macro (13cm)
Other features
Image storage
Batteries
Interval recording
CompactFlash I/II
4x AA
great results Value 85 1

89%
Exposure modes Program, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual AC adaptor Not supplied
Metering
Monitor
Multi-segment, centre-weighted, spot
1.8 inch (118,000 pixels)
Software
Weight
Driver and Dimage Viewer
525g
The Dimage 7i is a very good, FINAL
AE compensation
Flash
+/- 2Ev in 1/3 increments
Pop-up ADI with red-eye reduction and pre-flash TTL
Dimensions
Transfer
117(w) x 90.5(h) x 112.5(d)mm
USB
versatile camera. It’s let down slightly SCORE
by noise levels at the higher ISO
Video output NTSC and PAL OS Windows 98/Me/2000/XP, Mac OS 8.6+
settings and occasionally slow
focussing. Otherwise, operation is

2
OLYMPUS NIKON SONY Fujifilm
WORTH E-20 COOLPIX 5700 DSC-F717 FinePix S602 quick and the controls comprehensive
A LOOK £1,299/5MP £1,999/5MP £899/5MP £599/3.1MP

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 049


REVIEWS 5-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM SLR
SONY DSC-F717
Price £850
Resolution 5 megapixels
Lens f/2 – 2.4 5x zoom lens
Memory 32Mb MemoryStick
NIGHTFRAMING MODE
Battery life InfoLithium 10 hours
Contact Sony 08705 111999 www.sony.co.uk SAMPLE IMAGES ALL THESE IMAGES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR CD

Sony DSC-F717
Loads of power and ability are jammed into an unconventional but practical design.
Tom Ang rates Sony’s new top-of-the-range digital camera

3
T
hree years ago, Sony’s designers dreamt up
* ON OUR
COVERDISC an original camera design: the F505 featured
a fat lens swivelling on a lop-sided camera
body. It was stylish, distinctive yet worked well. Little
wonder, then, that it has undergone four generations of
evolution to emerge as the Sony F717 – sleeker, faster,
3
easier to use and offering better image quality.
The Sony F717 represents a version step up from the
F707. There is improved handling from more rapid start- 4
VIRTUAL TOUR up, better shutter response and faster auto-focusing.
Try before you buy! Rotate and
view this camera on-screen with There are also increases in specifications such as taking
our unique virtual reality tour. the ISO speed equivalent to 800, offering more white
balance presets, a hot-shoe for electronic flash and
ON OUR allowing MPEG movie recordings to be limited only by
C WEBSITE available memory. The fast Zeiss 9.7 – 48.5mm zoom –
OPINIONS & SHOPPING offering a very respectable f/2 to f/2.4 maximum
Post your views, see what other aperture – is the camera’s Jewel in the Crown. However,
readers think then buy this camera!
minimum aperture is only f/8.
digitalcameramagazine.co.uk/
review/reviewcategory.asp?sp=
&v=3&RGN=2&RCN=15 Usability
The part of the camera you would grab hold of is the
lens housing – it’s a little smaller than a soft drink can.
DIGITAL RANGE
This way, the camera feels well-balanced. This 7 7 7
configuration avoids the somehow slightly embarrassing
SONY zooming in and out of a lens typical of so many HOLOGRAM AF
NIGHTFRAMING
Twin lamps
A low-power laser illuminate a scene POP-UP FLASH
F717 cameras. The lens housing carries zoom and focusing projects a pattern of with infra-red to The pop-up flash
5

Price: £850 controls as well as a pop-up flash, hot-shoe and USB dots to help focus in enable photography works automatically
Megapixels: 5 the dark in total darkness but can be disabled
socket. A firm swivel attaches the lens to the body that
MVC-CD400 carries everything else. Overall, this form produces a
Price: £800 package that is a pleasure to handle, but the resulting L- Despite the liberal sprinkling of buttons – fourteen – become popular with undercover surveillance as it
Megapixels: 4 shape is rather bulky. plus three dials and a five-way rocker switch, the can record an image in black and white even if you
F707 An unusual feature is the possibility of manually camera is surprisingly easy to use. The combination of can’t see a thing, with only two spooky red glowing
Price: £799 controlling the zoom or focus using the large knurled logical keying, menu structure and on-screen feedback spots on the lens to give you away. The Nightframing
Megapixels: 5 ring on the lens. Although the control is indirect – the gives confidence in the settings. Even the obscurer makes normal colour images, using infra-red to help
lens elements are driven by a motor – this semi-manual features such as white balance were easy to work out. frame and focus.
FS85
Price: £750 control of the zoom is more rewarding than relying on This is a pleasant contrast to others in which even the
Megapixels: 4 the usual tiny rocker switch. Some photographers may way to power on is not obvious. Quality images
find the manual focusing useful for some work; other The Sony F717 offers two modes designed to extend The camera takes over two seconds from pushing the
FDSC-P9 people will find the size and resolution of the electronic picture-making horizons deep into the night. Both power on button to be ready for work. Not bad.
£ Price: £550
5
viewfinder (180K pixels) way too low for accurate rely on the use of infra-red beams from the camera Autofocusing performance is also in the ‘not bad’
Megapixels: 4
focusing, if perfectly usable for composing images. to penetrate darkness. The Nightshot mode could category, which means for most purposes it is

050 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


CAMERA REVIEW REFERENCE CARD

Sony DSC-F717
Price £850
Resolution 5 megapixels
Lens f/2 – 2.4 5x zoom lens
Memory 32Mb Memory Stick
Contact Sony 08705 111 999
www.sony.co.uk

KEY FEATURES
7 EXPOSURE REFINEMENTS 7 EYEPIECE CORRECTION 7 MAIN CONTROL
The three buttons here give Dioptre correction for the The navigation switch
sophisticated control viewfinder is necessary to sometimes registers
over exposure obtain a sharp view the wrong choice

SONY DSC-F717 FULL SPECIFICATIONS


Sensor 5.02 megapixel, 2/3-inch 5.24MP CCD Flash Auto, forced, off
1
Lens Carl Zeiss, f2~2.4, 10x zoom Video output NTSC or PAL switchable
Focus Auto and manual 9.7 ~ 48.5mm Movie recording MPEG EX/HQX
Exposure modes Program AE, shutter speed priority, Other features MPEG video recording, hologram AF system,
aperture priority, full manual, scene manual white balance, spot metering
and movie. Sony exclusive NightShot Image storage Memory Stick
and NightFrame modes Batteries NP-FM50 7.2v Info Lithium
Metering Multi-pattern, centre-weighted AC adaptor Included
averaging, spot Weight 696g with battery and Memory Stick
Monitor 1.8-inch 123,200 (560 x220) pixels Dimensions 127.5(w) x 82(h) x 63.4(d)mm
TFT colour Transfer USB/USB2
AE compensation +/- 2EV, 1/3EV steps OS Win98/Me/2000/XP, Mac OS 8.6

2
NIKON OLYMPUS MINOLTA OLYMPUS
WORTH 5700 E20 DIMAGE 7i CAMEDIA 5050
A LOOK £999/5.3MP £1,399/5MP £999/5MP £899/5MP

A usable 5-meg Features 80 1


Images 95 1
camera capable of
Verdict

Build 90 1
very good results Value 80 1

84%
With its many easy-to-use features and FINAL
friendly layout of controls teamed up with a
first-class lens, the Sony DSC-F717 appears to
SCORE
have it all. But it’s let down by sloppy
software and slightly sluggish operation in
crucial areas like burst rate and auto-focus
Sony DSC-F717

1
Closeup
SONY DSC-F717
PERFORMANCE

2 SKIN TONES

5 PRO Accurate colours thanks to accurate white


balance adjustments

6 CON Slightly too much colour and contrast for


best skin tones

7 2 OUTDOOR SHOTS
4

EXPOSURE REFINEMENTS

7 7
Three buttons here give
sophisticated control
over exposure – setting
auto-exposure lock, EYEPIECE CORRECTION
spot-metering and auto Dioptre correction for MAIN CONTROL
the electronic The navigation switch

5
as well as manual PRO Lively colour and good sharpness make it
white balance. viewfinder is sometimes registers the
excellent for all static objects

6
necessary to obtain wrong choice but is
a sharp view otherwise easy to use CON The wide-angle views are rather limited
without accessory

adequately fast and accurate although it does hunt indication battery reserves through display of the The results are worth the wait: generally sharp
2 INDOOR SHOTS
backwards and forwards, making it too slow for fast- working time remaining. and richly detailed, the lens is clearly top-notch.
moving situations. Three focusing zones are offered, On the software side, the supplied Pixela While the long focal length is great (35mm
which can be manually chosen. In low light, a lamp application is disappointing. The installation process equivalent of 190mm) we sorely miss having a
projects a pattern of red spots to aid focusing; this can trip up the innocent, with no instructions on wider view with the shortest setting equivalent to a
can be distracting to portrait sitters and is not
recommended for candid photography. The focus
assistance can be turned off. The part of the camera you would grab
Shutter-lag – the time it takes for the camera to
make the exposure after you have pressed the hold of is the lens housing – it’s a little 5 PRO Sharp and detailed, impressive at close-up
range with good flare control

6
shutter button – is noticeable but, for most purposes,
it is quick enough. smaller than a soft drink can CON The wide-angle views and close-up range
are limited

Sony claims pictures can be taken at up to two


frames per second for a burst of three frames but to what to do with the USB drivers (if not installed, the mere 38mm (but a wide-angle attachment is 2 IMAGE QUALITY
obtain this, you have to set a special burst mode. computer may not recognise the camera). The available). Images offer bright colours that tend
This quickly fires off three frames whether you want Pixela software is clunky (it would not download to give a glossier, richer view of the world than
all three or not: we can’t see much sense in this from a mounted volume – you have to dig down real life. As a result, skin-tones are somewhat
way of working. into a folder) and it is slow, resulting in tedious brighter and rich, rather than accurate. Shots taken
However, set normally, the camera can manage download times of over 90 seconds to transfer at moderately high ISO speeds are marred by
at best one shot only every two or three seconds. 32Mb through USB 1.0. In contrast, download the shadow noise.
On the plus side, the camera’s efficiency is excellent same files using FotoStation is completed in just over The Sony F717 is desirable kit – it’s a pleasure to
– with speedy battery charging and the reassuring 60 seconds. use and is capable of high-quality imaging.

5 PRO Tremendously sharp detail rendition, very crisp


images at any viewing distance

1 6 CON Images have a tendency to look granular


when viewed at a pixel level
SONY DSC-F717 FULL SPECIFICATIONS A pleasure to use,
Sensor 5.02 megapixel, 2/3-inch 5.24MP CCD Video output NTSC or PAL switchable
delivers some high Features 80 1
Lens Carl Zeiss, f2~2.4, 10x zoom Movie recording MPEG EX/HQX
Images 95 1
Focus Auto and manual 9.7 ~ 48.5mm Other features MPEG video recording, hologram AF system,
quality results
Verdict

Exposure modes Program AE, shutter speed priority,


aperture priority, full manual, scene Image storage
manual white balance, spot metering
Memory Stick Build 90 1
and movie. Sony exclusive NightShot
and NightFrame modes
Batteries
AC adaptor
NP-FM50 7.2v Info Lithium
Included With its many easy-to-use features Value 80 1

84%
Metering Multi-pattern, centre-weighted Weight 696g with battery and Memory Stick
averaging, spot Dimensions 127.5(w) x 82(h) x 63.4(d)mm
and friendly layout of controls teamed
up with a first-class lens, the Sony
FINAL
Monitor 1.8-inch 123,200 (560 x220) pixels
TFT colour
Transfer
OS
USB/USB2
Win98/Me/2000/XP, Mac OS 8.6 F717 appears to have it all. But it is let
SCORE
AE compensation +/- 2EV, 1/3EV steps
Flash Auto, forced, off down by sloppy software and slightly
sluggish operation in crucial areas like

2
NIKON OLYMPUS MINOLTA OLYMPUS burst rate and auto-focus
WORTH 5700 E20 DIMAGE 7i CAMEDIA 5050
A LOOK £999/5.3MP £1,399/5MP £999/5MP £899/5MP

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 051


REVIEWS IMAGE-EDITING SOFTWARE

ULEAD PHOTOIMPACT 8
Manufacturer Ulead
Price £90 (£77 ex VAT), upgrade £50
Contact Adobe 01327 844 880
Website www.ulead.com WEBSITE www.ulead.com/learning/pi.htm

Ulead PhotoImpact 8
PhotoImpact is the unsung hero of image-editing packages. Often bundled with cameras and scanners in
a limited edition, the full version is a potent tool

* ON M 2 USING PHOTOIMPACT 8
any people know Ulead’s PhotoImpact from
OUR
COVERDISC the LE versions bundled with cameras and
scanners. The full product, though, now in its
PHOTOIMPACT 8 TRIAL eighth incarnation, sits well with all its better-known The interface is clean,
Try the very newest version of
this program for yourself. competitors. New features make it particularly suitable and provides easy
for touching up photographs and making creative use of access to the program’s 01 04

them in all kinds of projects. tools and effects


There are some interesting ideas of Ulead’s own
making in PhotoImpact 8, such as dynamic range 1 Toolbox 02
There are so many tools available, 03
extension. If you have taken a series of shots of the PhotoImpact 8 uses a two-column
toolbox down the left-hand side.
same subject, perhaps bracketing them at different
exposures, the software can take advantage of this by 2 Stock image
looking at all the images and creating a composite with You can overlay rulers on any photo 05
image, if you need to know its
an improved dynamic range. measurements or crop it to an
exact size.
Extra camera filters, including those for adding
3 Easy Palette 08
starbursts to bright areas of pictures, spot filters for The Easy Palette is a quick way to
display all kinds of image-related
cameos and a film-grain filter for arty, fast-film SLR 06

x FEATURES
elements. The list on the left-hand
effects. These generally work well and have a good pane shows the categories.
07
range of adjustment in all their key parameters. 4 Path Library
The right-hand pane shows items from
NEW STUFF For those people, who would rather their software the selected category and you can
■ Automatic level, adjust, colour just got on and made adjustments itself, without a lot of
drag-and-drop from there. My
Palette acts like a visual clipboard.
and enhance
mouse twiddling, there are now several auto-processing 5 Browse Manager 6 Quick Command 7 Properties 8 Image editor
■ Match background colour The Browser Manager is a quick way to The Quick Command Panel Open PhotoImpact’s Properties As you would expect with a
■ Merge multiple shots to
commands. These produce good adjustments of level, get at everything from textures and provides fast access to all kinds dialogue to see the format and modern image editor, you can
materials to image samples and of effects, filters, image layers size of the current image, along control colour content in a
improve dynamic range colour and enhancements, using sensible default values. animated GIFs. and the program’s undo history. with its other properties. number of different ways, all
■ Mend unsightly joints in from the Colour Panel.

stitched images Creative tools


■ Star, gradient, spot, film-grain, You'll find plenty of new or improved features in the
diffuse glow filters

2 TOOLS COMPARED
design and web sections of the program, too. You can
■ De-interlace to improve
now type text directly onto an image, for titling or
video stills
■ Poster printer for large captioning and you can store selections and masks
Ulead PhotoImpact 8 JASC Paintshop Pro 7 Adobe Photoshop
print-outs separately from the images to which they’re applied, so Elements 2
■ Java-Script slideshow they can be used on others in separate sessions. Red-eye removal ✓ ✓ ✓
The editable lasso tool provides adjustable control Painting tools 12 7 7
ENHANCED STUFF points, so you can tweak the exact shape of a selection Correct lens distortion ✓ ✗ ✗
■ Lighting correction around part of an image. Cropping is made easier by Blend to background colour ✓ ✗ ✗
■ Lens distortion adjustment the Shield Crop Area facility, which fades out areas
■ Improved control over
Photo-stitching ✓ ✗ ✗
outside a prospective crop. Photo Frames ✓ ✓ ✓
image tone
■ Colour adjustment for There's a lot to be said for
Photo Album Management ✓ ✗ ✗

86%
FINAL
scanned images PhotoImpact 8, with handy tools SCORE Support Photoshop layers ✓ ✓ ✓
■ Colour replacement for digital photographers. Very
Multiple images on sheet ✓ ✓ ✓
competitive with Elements 2.

052 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


2 CDS! FANTASTIC FULL PROGRAMS AS SOLD FOR OVER £100

THE COMPLETE GUIDE


ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
TO GET STARTED WITH
THE WORLD'S MOST
POPULAR IMAGE
EDITOR

2CDs
INSIDE
THIS BOX
LOOK OUT FOR IT!

ON SALE NOW £7.99


REVIEWS BUDGET CAMERAS

CREATIVE PC CAM 300


At this price level, it becomes hard to judge in advance It’s unfair to judge the PC Cam 300 just as a still
how much image quality you’re going to get. The camera, though. It can also shoot movies with sound,
specifications can be misleading, because the cheapest and hook up to your PC to act as a real-time webcam.
cameras use the cheapest CMOS imaging chips and The movie quality isn’t a whole lot better than the still
lenses, and there’s a distinct difference between a quality, and if you’re that keen on high-quality footage
jumped-up ‘webcam’ and a low-cost digital camera. you should buy a digital camcorder instead.
The Creative PC Cam 300 demonstrates this In fact, the PC Cam 300 is a cheap way to have fun. It
altogether too effectively. It does use a CCD rather than slips in under our £100 limit, but we include it to give
a CMOS chip, but it doesn’t make any difference in the an idea of what you get for what

67%
long run. The native resolution is just 640 x 480 pixels, money. Just don’t expect the quality FINAL
SCORE
and software interpolation is used to produce the the specs might suggest. Want good
Creative’s 1,280 x 960 still images. stills? Buy a proper digital camera…

4
Price £85 (1,280 x 960 with interpolation) Movie mode Up to 75 seconds
Contact See local resellers Lens Fixed focus, f3.0 Battery 4 x AAA
Sensor 640 x 480 CCD Memory 8Mb internal memory

KONICA KD100
The 1.3-megapixel Konica simply doesn’t provide There are other likable things about this Konica,
the levels of sharpness you’d expect from a 1.3- like the way it uses just a pair of AA batteries and
megapixel CCD. the SD memory card slot for when the 8Mb of
Maybe that was too much to hope for all along. internal memory just doesn’t go far enough. And
The KD100 certainly gives you a lot for your £100, there’s a movie mode too.
and it feels like a neat, well-made camera. It’s got What a shame, then, that the images just aren’t
both a mono LCD status panel for image quality, sharp enough. They’re as good as you’ll get with
flash mode, remaining shots and other info, so you any other camera at this price, admittedly, but
can save on battery power if you don’t want to that’s not necessarily saying very much – pay a

67%
use the LCD monitor. You’ll need this to use the little bit more (for the HP, for FINAL
SCORE
exposure compensation feature or change the example), and you’ll cross an
white balance. important quality threshold.

4
Price £100 Lens 2x digital zoom Battery 2 x AA
Contact Konica 0208 751 6121 Memory 8Mb Internal Weight 120g
Sensor 1.3-megapixel CMOS Accessories USB cable

OLYMPUS C120
The Olympus is the most expensive camera here, and compensation and manual white balance control
although it comes in slightly above our £150 Although exposure, contrast and colour saturation
maximum, you should to do better by shopping are fine, compared with the HP, the C120 isn’t sharp
around. The C120 feels like a class act. Bigger than enough. Interestingly, it uses a positively microscopic
you might expect, the design is robust, with a sliding CCD measuring a third of an inch across the diagonal,
lens cover that doubles as a power switch. and a similarly minute 4.5mm f4 lens to go with it.
On the back, the controls are simple. Olympus Maybe these cost-saving components push the
cleverly gets the four-way navigation buttons to performance envelope just a little too far. Either
double as flash, self-timer and (digital) zoom controls. way, the C120 is a very good camera spoilt by

75%
The control system is quick, intuitive and clutter-free. lacklustre image quality. You’ll love FINAL
SCORE
It also reveals this camera’s extensive photographic using it, but you won’t particularly
controls, offering optional spot metering, exposure enjoy the results.

4
Price £170 Lens 2.5x digital zoom Battery 4 x AA
Contact Olympus 0870 241 4289 Memory 8Mb SmartMedia Weight 190g
Sensor 2-megapixel CCD LCD 1.6-inch LCD panel

054 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


NEXT MONTH

; 3 WE REVIEW AND RATE SIX


CARD READERS

CREATIVE PC CAM 750


The PC Cam 750 costs £25 more than the PC Cam computer to act as a webcam too. The extra memory
300, but boasts twice the internal memory and a capacity is pretty well soaked up by the higher-
higher-resolution CCD – the resolution isn’t quoted resolution stills and video, but it’s worth it for the
directly, but appears to be 1,024 x 768. quality improvement.
Its (interpolated) 2-megapixel images are a whole Having said that, quality is a subjective judgement,
lot better than those of the cheaper Creative webcam, and while many people might be happy with what
and while there’s some pretty fearsome unsharp this and the other Creative webcam do, others will be
masking going on in-camera to boost the visual surprised at the soft results. You can easily see and
crispness, the results are still better than the Konica’s hear what’s going on, but as creative (no pun

75%
and it trades punches well enough with the Samsung. intended) tools or as a means of FINAL
SCORE
Like the cheaper PC Cam 300, the 750 shoots recording memories, these
movies with sound and audio clips, and it links to your cameras are not what you need.

4
Price £110 (2-megapixel stills with interpolation) Movie mode 100
Contact See local resellers Lens 47mm (equiv) f3.8 Battery 4 x AAA
Sensor 1,024 x 768 CCD Memory 16Mb internal

HP PHOTOSMART 320
Aimed squarely at the point-and-shoot market, the 320 The HP’s box says it offers ‘auto focus’. It doesn’t. It
is no oil painting, but it’s robust and jolly enough, with uses a fixed, ‘pan-focus’ lens, so while everything
a good control layout and especially good specifications should be adequately sharp from 74cm to infinity, don’t
for the money. go taking any close-ups.
While all the other cameras in this roundup struggle The 320 is a bit more primitive than the Olympus,
to reach what we’d consider a minimum quality Konica and Samsung in that you can’t control the
threshold, the HP steps over it with ease. Its images are exposure with EV compensation and you can’t adjust
the best here, not just for sharpness, but for exposure, the white balance, either, but at this price point you’re
colour, contrast and overall clarity. It even gives off a not exactly in David Bailey territory anyway. In any

90%
nice ‘clonking’ shutter sound when you take a picture, event, the HP’s better image quality FINAL
SCORE
but it is a bit slow to save them to the internal memory outweighs any gripes about
or an SD memory card. omissions like this.

4
Price £150 Lens 4x digital zoom Accessories Optional camera dock
Contact Firebox 08705 474 747 Memory 8Mb internal mem, Battery 2x AA
Sensor 2-megapixal CCD SD card slot Weight 160g

SAMSUNG DIGIMAX 130


Given the price, the overall feel of the Digimax 130 is The Digimax 130’s colour balance can drift a little,
very good. It’s reasonably sophisticated, with and the results look a bit gritty and oversharpened
EVcompensation and white balance controls. A switch close-up but, overall, it produces crisp, colourful shots
around the lens mount swaps between the standard within the limits of its modest resolution.
‘pan-focus’ mode and macro mode for close-up shots. The Digimax 130 doesn’t have a movie mode,
On the top, a mono LCD status panel saves you having mind, and the pictures are still of marginal quality for
to use the colour LCD all the time, and the LCD panel all but the most undemanding snappers, but it’s a
itself isn’t a bad one in this price range, either. well-made camera that’s also easy to use. The mode
The Digimax 130 runs on a quartet of AAs, so dial is clear and positive, and the buttons on the top
plate mean you don’t have to keep

83%
battery replacement and spares aren’t a problem, and FINAL
SCORE
while it comes with 8Mb of internal memory, there’s digging through the menus. A very
also a slot for CompactFlash cards. good, basic little camera.

4
Price £130 Lens Fixed-focus lens with CompactFlash slot
Contact Samsung0208 862 9311 macro switch Battery 4 x AA
Sensor 1.3-megapixel CCD Memory 8Mb internal memory, Weight 190g

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 055


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CD-RW DRIVES LAB TEST

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D
igital photographs may be effectively free, but computer into a service centre or your local dealer and ON TEST
you still have to store them somewhere. asked to have one fitted, or you can buy one that you CD-RW DRIVES
Contact sheets can be slipped into a drawer simply plug into an available socket on your PC. In this
for safekeeping, but the data files that represent all your test, we’re looking at the external, plug-in variety AOPEN
digital images need a different kind of storage. because you can fit them yourself with very little EHW-4048
Price: £123
The easiest way to store them is as data files on disturbance to your computer.
some form of disc. High-resolution digital cameras create Before you start, though, you need to check
LACIE
big files and, although you can leave these files on your whether you have either a USB2 or FireWire socket on FUSION CD-RW
hard drive, you should archive them for safety and to your computer. Most modern PCs have USB2 fitted and a Price: £105
stop your hard drive filling up. Floppy discs don't hold few have FireWire. It's the opposite way round with
enough data, so you need to look at Compact Discs recent Macintoshes. PHILIPS
JR24CDRW
(CDs) that you can record to once (CD-Recordable or CD- If you have a PC, don't be confused with the older Price: £113
R), or rewrite to many times (CD-ReWritable or CD-RW). USB standard. Although you can connect USB2 drives to
CD-R discs are rated to hold 700Mb and CD-RWs a USB socket, the drive will run much more slowly than PLEXWRITER
650Mb, but both these ratings drop when you format under the USB2 standard it was designed for. USB2 is 40/12/40U
Price: £157
the discs (around 680Mb and 535Mb, respectively). This around 20 times faster than USB and a little bit faster
is still a lot of room and with typical photo image JPEG than FireWire. LACIE
files running at under 500K, you should be able to store Connecting any of these drives is a very simple CD-RW 40X12X48
Price: £128
over 1,000 images on a single disc. procedure. All you do is plug the power connector into
the drive, install the driver software on your computer
SMARTDISK
How to add a drive and connect the drive to your PC via its USB2 or FireWire PORTABLE CD-R/W
If you don't already have a CD-RW drive in your PC, cable. The operating system should then recognise your Price: £200
there are two ways to add one. You can take your new drive just like one of your existing ones and you

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 057


LAB TEST CD-RW DRIVES – COMPARISON
TOP TIP If you want to be really sure your photo archives are safe, burn copies of all your CD-Rs and keep them in another place, preferably another building

3 IN DETAIL AOPEN LACIE PHILIPS


SESSION EHW-4048U FUSION CD-RW JACKRABBIT JR24CDRW
A file or files recorded to a CD-R
disc in one set. Because you can
only record once on any area of a
CD-R's surface, but won't
necessarily want to fill the whole
disc in one go, the CD-R operating
system allows for many separate
sequential recordings on a single
disc. Each of these is referred to as
a session.
DIGITAL
CAMERA
MAGAZINE
PRICE £123 PRICE £105 PRICE £113
CONTACT AOpen CONTACT Lacie CONTACT Philips
WEBSITE www.aopen.com WEBSITE www.lacie.com WEBSITE www.philips.com

FEATURES FEATURES FEATURES


This is a substantial drive with an external power This is a neat looking CD-RW drive, based on notebook There’s something of a feeling of déjå vu in this oddly-
supply, so it’s not ideal for transporting around. As an drive technology but, again, with an external power named JackRabbit CD-RW drive. It’s basically the same
addition to a desktop PC, however, it’s robust and easy supply. The pressed metal lid to the drive hinges up to mechanism as the LaCie Fusion, in a slightly different,
to use. Coloured cream and metallic blue, the EHW- reveal a mechanism where it’s all too easy to cream and silver case and with an extra blue button.
4048U takes a standard USB2 cable at the back and inadvertently touch the delicate laser lens. Once the The JackRabbit is just as noisy, too, with high-speed
there’s a miniature slide power switch. The drive is disc is in place and the lid closed, the neat, coloured whirs whenever it reads and writes. The Philips drive
supplied with a copy of Nero and its sibling InCD, which LED indicators show when the drive’s reading and uses a technology called Thermo Balanced Writing
? EXPLAINED capably handle both CD-R and CD-RW uses. writing, but you can tell this, anyway, by the high-level
of whines, clicks and clunks it makes.
(TBW) to check the speed capability of disks, in much
the same way AOpen uses JustSpeed.
DAISY-CHAIN PERFORMANCE
The technique of plugging one The drive uses built-in JustSpeed software, which PERFORMANCE PERFORMANCE
FireWire peripheral, such as a AOpen claims checks the write speed capability of The Fusion CD-RW is only rated at 24x 12x 40x speed, Two identical mechanisms working with the same
scanner, into the back of another, CD-R and CD-RW blank discs. This should result in more so you shouldn’t expect too much. However, taking software, so how would you expect their performance
such as a CD-RW drive, with the CD- reliable file transfers. over 20 minutes to format a CD-RW impresses this lack to compare? You’d be right if you said they’d be the
RW drive then plugging into the The drive is very quiet, making the indicator LED on of speed on you. The CD-RW read speed is pretty much same. All results from the Philips JackRabbit were
back of the PC. Two or more its front face useful to confirm that the drive’s working. by the book, taking around twice as long as the AOpen within one second of those from the LaCie Fusion. This
peripherals can then work through It produced good times from our read and write tests, drive. The write speed, however, is less than 30 per means the CD-R read speed was very good and the
the same cable, cutting down on reading the full 100Mb of files from a CD-R in just over cent slower. other read and write results were fair but not as good
the nest of leads that would three-quarters of a minute. Writing took a little longer, When it comes to CD-R discs, the LaCie 24x device is as from some other drives in the group.
otherwise proliferate. at 1 minute 18 seconds, but is still an impressive result. quicker than its speed rating would suggest. It took just The only test in which the two drives differed was in
Switching to CD-RW media, we were surprised to 1 minute 25 seconds to write our test basket of files, the initial formatting of a CD-RW blank. The JackRabbit
record exactly the same time writing our basket of only 8 per cent slower than the AOpen drive, which is drive completed the task in 17 minutes 42 seconds,
files to a rewritable disc. When you look at the rated rated at 40x. The read time for the same set of files some 15 per cent faster than the Fusion. This is a
speeds of CD-RW drives the middle figure – always the from the CD-R was even better, coming in 35 per cent worthwhile improvement, but you have to consider
lowest – shows that faster than the how often you will

5 5 5
PRO JustSpeed increases CD-RWs normally PRO Smart styling, good AOpen. Overall, you PRO TBW increases format a CD-RW disc.
writing reliability on take longer to write. indicators and easy gain from the writing reliability on Probably only once
high-speed CD-R media In this case, of course, access for changing discs compact dimensions high-speed CD-R media for each disc, so it’s

6 6 6
it could mean that of the LaCie Fusion, not really a reason to
CON Separate black- CON Random resets, CON Like the Lacie –
block power supply and the CD-R speed is noisy, exposed and don’t lose as random resets, noisy, choose one drive over
bulky 5.25-inch design slower than it should laser mechanism much as you might exposed laser mechanism the other. This drive
be, but this doesn't think from the gives adequate

90% 73% 76%


FINAL tally with results
FINAL performance of its
FINAL performance for
SCORE SCORE SCORE
from the other drives notebook-technology archival of even high-
in the group. mechanism. res photo image files.

will be able to copy files to and from it by dragging and to group images with the same theme or that were With CD-R, you use a specialist program like Nero or
dropping them in the normal way. taken at the same time. This is particularly true if you EasyCD Creator to put together one or more folders of
use CD-RW discs, as opposed to CD-R, to hold your files you want to copy. Both programs offer their own
How to archive your photos archive. Because you can rewrite to a CD-RW disc, you file browsers where you can drag and drop files and
Once you have your CD-RW drive connected, there are can add extra images to existing folders. The only way folders, but nothing is actually recorded on the disc until
several ways in which you can archive your photo to do this with a CD-R disc is to write the whole folder you select a specific option to do so. At this stage all
images onto it. You can use specialist album software, with the original and extra files to the disc again. files are written in one go. If you want to add more at a
which organises your images and can save onto hard The procedures involved in saving files to CD-R and later date, do so in a separate session.
drive or CD, or you can simply copy the files themselves, CD-RW discs are rather different. To copy images to a
just like any other computer files. CD-RW disc, load the disc and wait for the operating Costs and types of drive
It’s best to rename the files so that the name system to recognise it. You can then use it just like a A USB2 or FireWire external CD-RW drive will cost you
suggests each file’s contents. You may also find it useful floppy disk – a big one – by dragging and dropping files. between £100 and £200, depending on the model.

058 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


PLEXTOR LACIE CD-RW SMARTDISK
? EXPLAINED
PLEXWRITER 40/12/40U FIREWIRE 40X12X48 FIREWIRE PORTABLE UDF
CD-R/W Stands for Universal Disk Format
and is the data format used on
both CD-R and CD-RW discs. It uses
a process called ‘packet writing’,
which improves the speed of
writing and reduces the room the
data takes on the disc. The same
format is used on DVD discs.

PRICE £157 PRICE £128 PRICE £200


CONTACT Plextor CONTACT www.lacie.com CONTACT SmartDisk
WEBSITE www.plextor.be WEBSITE www.lacie.com WEBSITE www.smartdisk.co.uk

FEATURES FEATURES FEATURES


The PlexWriter 40/12/40U is wrapped in a brushed
aluminium case with metallised plastic end pieces.
This drive's massive and there seems no good reason
why it should be. True, it’s based on a 5.25-inch
In many ways this is the most elegant drive in the
group. Using notebook drive technology, it requires no
0 EXPERT TIP
Although it still uses an external power supply, this is mechanism and has an internal power supply with just power supply of any kind, drawing all it needs directly
SIMON WILLIAMS
small and can be tucked away fairly easily. At the back a kettle lead connecting it to the mains, but it's from its FireWire connection. This simplicity of design PC EXPERT
are phono outputs for an audio signal, as well as a approaching the size of Johnny Vegas’s lunchbox. also makes the compact SmartDisk device very
NO BLANK DISCS
power switch. The unit is based on a 5.25-inch drive The drive is hidden within the case, so you can't see portable – just plug it into any PC or Mac to have a
Apart from checking that the
with a black fascia and tray and is quiet in operation. its status lights and can't tell when it’s active. At the working CD-RW. CD-R or CD-RW discs you buy are
back are twin FireWire sockets, so you can daisy-chain Although notebook-based drives are more expensive rated for the top speed of your
PERFORMANCE another FireWire device through the CD-RW drive. than desktop ones, it’s hard to see why SmartDisk’s drive, avoid buying blanks which
This drive was marginally quicker at writing to a CD-R device should be twice the price of the LaCie or Philips. don't have printing on their
disc than any other USB2 device in the group, handling PERFORMANCE obverse sides. Some types of disk
the 100Mb in our test file basket in just 1 minute 16 If you're working with a PC, you should check it has a PERFORMANCE blank are so similar on both sides,
seconds. It read from them quickly, as well, but no FireWire adaptor before choosing either this or the The SmartDisk is the slowest CD-R device in the group. that it's easy to put the disc in the
faster than the Fusion and JackRabbit drives. SmartDisk drive, as FireWire is still not as common in It's write time, at 1 minute 59 seconds, is a full 40 per drive upside down. While this
When it came to CD-RW discs it wasn't quite as fast the PC world as USB. The performance results we cent longer than any other drives and it took a minute won't cause damage to the drive,
as the AOpen drive at either reading or writing, obtained were a mixed bag. The CD-RW read and to read the data back, when most of the others were it can take a while to work out
recording times of 47 seconds and 1 minute 31 write times were worse than any of the USB2 drives doing it in half that time. The drive is only rated at 16x, what you’ve done!
seconds, respectively, but spookily returned exactly the and the formatting time was poor, too. where most of the others show 40x or 48x in their
same time for formatting a CD-RW blank. All these Move to the CD-R tests, however, and things look a specs, so you shouldn't expect much more.
results are quite acceptable for archiving picture files lot better. The write time, at 1 minute 19 seconds, was However, things change when running a CD-RW
and Plextor provides a blank CD-RW and five CD-Rs in the middle of the field and reading 100Mb in just 30 disc. Suddenly the drive pepped up and wrote our
capable of handling the high-speed transfers. seconds put this drive ahead of the others in that test. 100Mb in 1 minute 31 seconds – well up with the rest
Plextor uses Sanyo's BURN-Proof technology to The LaCie drive is quiet in operation and is well of the group, though still not the fastest. The read time,
prevent buffer under-runs and its own PowerRec II handled by the copies of EasyCD Creator and Direct at one minute 28 seconds, was similarly quick and
firmware to CD with which it you soon come to

5 5 5
PRO BURN-Proof and determine the PRO BURN-Proof comes bundled. PRO Draws all its power the conclusion
PoweRec II technologies optimum speed technology and twin A blank disc of from FireWire port, so is that this is a very
improve reliability at which to write FireWire sockets each type is also easily portable usable CD-RW drive.
* WEB LINKS
6
any particular disc.
6 6
supplied, though the SmartDisk uses
CON External black-block CON Very big, drive CON Expensive in
power supply and We certainly had access lights hidden and CD-RW is only comparison with other JustLink to guard USEFUL LINKS
relatively high price no problems slow CD-RW transfers certified to four- FireWire drives against buffer under- Try these website for further
with reading or speed, which seems run errors, and like

82% 82% 78%


information on CD-RWs
FINAL writing data on
FINAL short-sighted given
FINAL all the drives we
SCORE SCORE SCORE
CD-R or CD-RW discs the drive’s 12x write saw no problems www.aopen.com
during testing. speed rating. during our tests. www.dabs.com
www.lacie.com
www.orangemicro.com
www.philips.com/pcstuff
Apart from the discs – which are well under a pound a socket for personal listening to audio CDs and a volume that moves it from the edge to the centre of the CD, are www.plextor.be
piece – there is no further expense involved. control. There's usually an LED indicator to indicate positioned where they are easy to touch. www.smartdisk.co.uk
All six drives reviewed here follow the same basic whether the drive is reading or writing. You should be careful when loading or removing a
design. They take a standard CD-RW drive, the type Notebook CD-RW drives are much smaller, thinner disc from one of these types of drives not to
found in a either a desktop or notebook computer, put it and simpler. They have spring-loaded eject mechanisms, inadvertently touch the delicate mechanism. This
in a separate, external case and add the necessary which pop the disc trays open by a couple of warning is important for the LaCie and Philips drives in
electronics to make it work with USB2 or FireWire. They centimetres, so you can pull them open the rest of the this group, too, even though they have hinged lids rather
provide power supply, usually in the form of an add-on way by hand. An eject button and read/write indicator than slide-out trays.
‘black block’, a connecting cable and there you go. are normally built into the front edge of the disc tray.
The desktop style of CD-RW drive has a powered disc One thing you have to be particularly careful with Discs for drives
tray that slides out from its front and into which you put when using a notebook-style CD-RW drive is that the If you add a CD-RW drive to your PC for storing your
the disc you want to load. It also has a headphone laser and lens mechanism, together with its carriage photo images, you will find they are usually rated

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 059


LAB TEST CD-RW DRIVES – SPECIFICATIONS
TOP TIP Want to add a FireWire CD-RW drive and also improve the sound quality of your system? Creative’s Audigy soundcard includes a FireWire socket as standard

SPECIFICATIONS
AT-A-GLANCE
1 AOPEN
EHW-4048U
LACIE
FUSION CD-RW
PHILIPS
JACKRABBIT JR24CDRW
PLEXTOR
PLEXWRITER 40/12/40U
Model EHW-4048U Fusion CD-RW JackRabbit PlexWriter 40/12/40U
Manufacturer AOpen LaCie Philips Plextor
Website www.aopen.com www.lacie.com www.philips.com/pcstuff www.plextor.be
Price inc VAT £123 £105 £113 £157
Warranty 1 year 2 years 2 years 2 years on-site
Connection type USB2 USB2 USB2 USB2
Rated CD-R write 40x 24x 24x 40x
Rated CD-RW write 12x 12x 12x 12x
Rated CD read 48x 40x 40x 40x
Buffer size 2MB 8MB 8MB 4MB
Buffer protection system JustLink Seamless Link Seamless Link BURN-Proof
Power supply External External External External
Hot Plug-in Windows XP Yes Yes Yes Yes
Compatible with XP/2000/Me/98SE. Mac OS 8.6, 9, X XP/2000/Me/98SE XP/2000/Me/98SE and Mac OS 9, X XP/2000/Me/98SE
Bundled software Nero 5, InCD EasyCD Creator Basic, DirectCD EasyCD Creator 5, DirectCD, Toast Nero, InCD
Bundled media 1 x CD-R, 1 x CD-RW 1 x CD-R 1 x CD-R 5 x CD-R, 1 x CD-RW
Size (mm) 159 x 246 x 53 130 x 174 x 35 128 x172 x 35 169 x 248 x 58
Score 88% 73% 76% 82%

TEST RESULTS
Write CD-R (min:sec) 1:18 1:25 1:25 1:16
Read CD-R/CD (min:sec) 0:46 0:34 0:34 0:34
Write CD-RW (min:sec) 1:18 1:41 1:40 1:31
Read CD-RW (min:sec) 0:41 1:27 1:27 0:47
Format CD-RW (min:sec) 11:40 20:20 17:42 11:40

something like 40x 12x 48x. These three numbers mind. Companies like Verbatim, Sony, TDK and PTY, though here the changing layer is a metal alloy, which
? EXPLAINED represent the speeds at which the drive can record on a among others, produce good quality CD-R and CD-RW can be made to change back and forward between
CD-R disc, rewrite on a CD-RW disc and read from any blanks and can still be bought relatively cheaply from two ‘phases’, with different optical characteristics.
BURN kind of CD, respectively. The higher the numbers, the websites such as dabs.com. An area that has been changed from a 0 to a 1 can be
A pretty inaccurate colloquial term
faster the drive. changed back again to a 0, providing the ability to
for recording a block of data onto a
CD-R disc. It presumably comes
It's important to buy the right kind of discs to use Isn’t technology wonderful? rewrite the disc.
from the misapprehension that the with your CD-RW. Discs are rated at different speeds and You probably know that both CD-R and CD-RW drives The phase change involved in writing a CD-RW disc
laser beam in a CD-R drive ‘burns’ you may find you see a lot of errors if, for instance, you use laser beams to write data to their discs. The takes longer than the change in the light-sensitive dye
little pits into the surface of the disc. try and write a CD-R disc certified to 4x on a 40x drive. common term for this process is ‘burning’, though in fact in a CD-R. This is why CD-RW drives, which can also
In fact, it changes the state of the More likely these days, though, the drive will detect the ‘melting’ would be more accurate. In a CD-R drive, the handle CD-Rs, have different speed ratings for the two
dye with which its surface is coated.
slow disc and only write to it at 4x. Faster discs may laser beam changes the composition of a light-sensitive types of media. Most CD-RW drives can write CD-R discs
cost a bit more, but slow ones will leave you waiting a dye, trapped between the surface of the disc and a nearly twice as fast as CD-RW.
lot longer when you save your photos. shiny, metallised layer beneath.
More expensive branded discs tend to give fewer An area of the disc that has been changed then Buffer under-run errors
problems than cheap unbranded ones. What you have represents a ‘1’, while an unchanged area remains a ‘0’. A buffer under-run error is a rather odd technical term
to ask yourself is how much you value the photos you’re Since all computer data is represented as a series of describing a problem that can arise when burning a
committing to these discs. You probably want them to zeros and ones, a CD-R disc can hold any kind of data, CD-R disc. On old CD-R drives, there is no mechanism to
stay stable for tens of years if they’re to have a similar including a digital photo image. The change made to the find the end of a particular stream of data (ones and
life to conventional photographic prints. disc’s surface is permanent, so this is Write Once Read zeros) if, for any reason, the process is interrupted in
Since each disk can hold many photos, it's probably Many (WORM) technology. mid-burn. Unless the end of the file is written, the disc is
worth paying the extra money and having the peace of A similar process takes place in a CD-RW drive, rendered useless.

060 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


NEXT MONTH

; 3 WE TEST AND COMPARE THE


LATEST IMAGE-EDITING
APPLICATIONS

HOW WE TESTED
EACH CD BURNER
LACIE CD-RW SMARTDISK ow do the times we've recorded 16 seconds. Even reading from the CD on
FIREWIRE 40X12X48 FIREWIRE PORTABLE CD-R/W
H compare with the figures provided
by the manufacturers? To start
the fastest CD-RW took 30 seconds.
Better, then, to compare the drives one
CD-RW FireWire 40x12x48 FireWire Portable CD-R/W with, CD-RW drives are rated at such and with another, to determine which one will
Lacie SmartDisk such a ‘speed’: 12x, 40x or 48x, for save your photos quickest. If you save a
example. These figures referred to the base complete 16Mb memory card’s worth of
www.lacie.com www.smartdisk.co.uk
speed for early CD drives, which was pictures to one of these CD-RW drives, you
£128 £200 150K/s. On this basis, a 3x drive will transfer want to know which one’s going to leave
2 years 1 year 450K/s; a 6x one 900K/s; a 12x one you hanging around longest. The answer
1.8Mb/s and so on. A 48x drive should would appear to be the SmartDisk FireWire
FireWire FireWire
transfer 7.2Mb/s. Portable CD-R/W.
40x 16x As with all manufacturers figures, these From this quick bit of maths, you can see
12x 10x ratings should be taken with a pinch of salt, that any of these drives will save a typical
48x 24x as they normally refer to ideal conditions. day’s shooting in just a few seconds and
They don't, for example, take into account although you want good performance for
2MB 2MB
the time taken to prepare the data to be your money, the difference between fastest
BURN-Proof JustLink written and they usually only refer to writing and slowest is not earth-shattering. Other
Internal None required a constant stream of data to the drive. Our factors clearly come into play.
Yes Yes tests are a bit more ‘real-world’. Things like the size of the drive, how easy
Theoretically, 100Mb of data – the size of it is to connect, how much noise it makes
XP/2000/Me/98SE. Mac OS 8.6, 9, X XP/2000/Me/98S. Mac OS 8.6, 9, X
our mixed set of files – should be written to and even the supporting software will make
EasyCD Creator 5, DirectCD, Toast EasyCD Creator 5, DirectCD, Toast a 40x drive (6Mb/s) in around 17 seconds. a difference. If you're going to make an
1 x CD-R, 1 x CD-RW None In fact, the fastest of the drives under test investment of £100 or more, you might as
managed it in a rather lengthier 1 minute well get the best all-round value.
200 x 275 x 59 140 x 179 x 23
65% 78%

WRITE AND READ TIMES


1:19 1:59
0:30 1:00
2:33 1:31
1:39 1:28
18:00 17:29

The most likely reason for an interruption is when the each other. FireWire (which is also known by the
memory buffer, which temporarily holds the data being standard which describes it, IEEE1394, and by Sony as
burnt, empties unexpectedly. This can be because data iLink) was originally developed by Apple Computers. It is
is being read from a source, such as a slow drive, which therefore much more prevalent on Macintosh machines
can't deliver it quickly enough. It might also be because than on PCs. It offers a maximum data transfer rate of
the computer running the drive is asked to do 400Mb/s, which is quite nippy.
something else at the same time as burning the CD-R, The Universal Serial Bus (USB) has been available as
so it can't devote enough time to keeping the buffer standard on new PCs for several years. In its original
full. Hence the term ‘buffer under-run’. form, USB1.1, it had a maximum data transfer rate of
Over the years, buffer under-runs have ruined more just 12Mb/s – not really much good for connecting
CD-Rs than any other problem with the technology. external drives. The speed of transfer would be
Several companies have developed solutions, all of governed by the low rate of the USB link, rather than
which provide a way to continue burning the disc after the speed of the drive to which it was connected.
an interruption. The best-known technology and the first USB2 ups the data transfer rate to 480Mb/s, 20 per
to appear was BURN-Proof, developed by Sanyo, but cent faster than FireWire. This new type of USB link is
there are now others, such as JustLink and Seamless compatible with older USB1.1 peripherals, but when
Link, which do a similar job. used with USB2 add-ons, such as four of these CD-RW
drives, takes advantage of its much faster data transfer
USB and FireWire rate. Connected with either USB2 or FireWire, modern
These two standards for connecting electronic CD-RW drives rated at up to 48x can move data without
equipment to exchange data have grown up alongside any bottleneck caused by a low-speed connection.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 061


TrailBlazers
Travel the world, see interesting things and shoot them THIS MONTH AROUND THE WORLD RACE, KENYA, YELLOWSTONE PARK

8 Email us shots of your destination, and the best one each month gets printed and framed. See opposite for more information!
201 Photographed by:

2
Colin Worley
WE WANT YOUR Location: View of a street
DIGITAL PHOTOS! parade, Bali
Camera used: Olympus
Capture your travel experiences on film, C-2100 UZ
and bring a bit of your destination home
with you. Not only can holiday photos help 202 Photographed by:
you remember people and places, but Mark Foreman
sharing them is a great way to include Location: Kenya –
other people in your travels – so why not Masai Mara
share your favourite pictures with other Camera used: Nikon F65
readers of Digital Camera Magazine?
Send us pictures that capture the
essence of your holiday or travels, along
with a few words on what made you want
to capture the event, the make of the
camera and your details.
Each month, one outstanding picture
from a reader will be printed at the
2

largest size we can manage, framed and Picture of


posted to their home. This month’s winner
is Colin Worley for his stunning picture of a
the month
street parade in Bali – we love the
composition, colours and use of depth-of-field.
We look forward to seeing your pictures!

8 Email us today at:


gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk 01

2 WHERE OUR READERS HAVE BEEN…

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062 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


203 Photographed by:
Patrick Joscelyne
Location: Grand Canyon
Camera used: Fuji F601

204 Photographed by:


M Carmen Santos
Location: Santillana (Santander –
Northern Spain)
Camera used: Nikon Coolpix 775

205 Photographed by:


03 Simon Kirwan
(www.thelightbox.com)
Location: Albert Dock, before
the Clipper 2002 Round the
World Race
Camera used: Fuji S602Z

206 Photographed by:


Colin Worley
Location: Statues around the Po
Lin Monastery, Lantau Island,
Hong Kong
Camera used: Olympus C-210
05
207 Photographed by:
Patrick Joscelyne
Location: Half Dome,
Yellowstone Park,
Camera used: Fuji F601

T BE INSPIRED!
www.nationalgeographic.com/
photography/photolinks.html

06
SEND YOUR
PHOTOS

We’re looking for landmarks,


shots with lots of local
interest, unusual events or
just something fabulously
composed. Start planning
that trip away today!
■ Email us at
gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk

04 07

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 063


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4
PROJECTSTUTORIALSTIPSIDEAS
100% authoritative

Your images
Our tutorials are carefully crafted to give you more

Expert guides to making and creating better pictures


CREATIVE PROJECT

A
h yes, there’s nothing like trials of PhotoImpact 8 and some Paint
taking the perfect photo then Shop Pro Xtras on our CD, which we hope ■ CREATIVE PORTRAITS P68
loading it into an image editor add some balance. But look out for some Photos recreated as art
to mutilate it with an alien skin effect, Paint Shop Pro and Photo Impact-specific PHOT0 CLINIC
guaranteed to make your partner proud. tutorials from next month. ■ RESTORING OLD COLOUR P74
Or not. We’re glad to say mutant men Our creative project is from one of the Revitalise old photos KEY DETAILS EXPLAINED
or women aren’t what this magazine is US’s top portrait photographers, who has Your quick reference Any tricky jargon and
TUTORIAL
about. At least not at the moment. switched to digital because of the artistic to any covermounted concepts are
■ ADJUSTING LIGHTING P77 extras, full or trial software, how explained in more detail here.
Instead, it’s our aim to bring you a range control it offers. You’ll find all you need to Get it right every time long each project or tutorial is
of useful creative ideas and tools to help duplicate our end-result yourself, overleaf likely to take you to complete, WALKTHROUGH
PHOTO FIXES
you improve your images. and on our CD – when you’ve mastered and what software delivers the We take you through
We had a few emails in response to the techniques, why not try it on a ■ CLONE STAMP TOOL P78 best results. the tutorials in
Doctor the bits you don’t like easy-to-follow steps. You just
our tutorials last issue, mainly about a subject of your own?
possible over-reliance on Photoshop and We’re particularly pleased with this PHOTOSHOP TOOLS TOP TIPS, ONE- can’t go wrong.
CLICK FIXES
not enough space devoted to other month’s Photo Clinic – Ed has pulled off ■ PSHOP 7 HEALING TOOL P80
Quick ways to get WEBSITES
image editors. We aren’t sure about this another masterpiece, somehow restoring Subtly retouch your images
more from the program or More info online is
as there was a lot of Paint Shop Pro stuff an old 1970s faded photo into a bright, TOP TIPS technique under examination. always available.
too, but it is a key question for us. We’ll almost perfect, modern-looking image. ■ 50 PHOTOSHOP TIPS P82
be looking closely at this from next issue. Finally, those of you who are Get more out of Photoshop
This issue, in fact, nearly all of our Photoshop jockeys will like our 50 Your expert team
projects and tools tutorials are oriented to tips – there’s something there for any They’re here to help you improve your skills
Elements and Elements 2 but you’ll find skill level.

CREATIVE PROJECT PHOTO CLINIC TUTORIAL

TIM DALY ED DAVIS


Tim is a lecturer on Ed is a pro photographer. He
photography and is the author is also a member of the
of several best-selling digital National Association of
P74 photography books. Photoshop Professionals.
P77
PHOTO FIXES TOP TIPS

MICHAEL CAMPBELL SIMON DANAHER


Michael is one of the USA’s Simon is one of the country’s top
P68 P78 P82 top portrait photographers, experts on Photoshop and
having captured a number of Elements, and is currently
world-famous names. publishing a book about them.
Tutorials you can trust ■ Authoritative
A leading professional in their field writes
the tutorial for yourself, delivering a
complete package.
4

Our mission is to ensure that our tutorials every tutorial. ■ Clear CONTACT OUR TUTORIALS TEAM
bring you creative ideas, expert techniques, ■ Value added Our large page size means we can add extra If you have a comment, suggestion, or submission you would
tips and quick fixes you can use in your Where possible, we include image files, elements, explanations and detail to each and like to make, please email us at editor.dcm@futurenet.co.uk. Visit our
own work. and full or trial software so you can try every tutorial. website at digitalcameramagazine.co.uk

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 067


PROJECT CREATIVE PORTRAITS

YOUR GUIDE MICHAEL CAMPBELL


Ex-Brit Michael is one of America’s top photographers and photo compositors. His
commissions include work for Dr Jonas Salk, Princess Anne and Sir Anthony Eden.
He now lives in San Diego, California

Michael@MichaelCampbell.com PORTFOLIO MICHAEL CAMPBELL WEBSITE WWW.MICHAELCAMPBELL.COM

Combining elements
for creative portraits
The great benefit of digital photography is that it enables you to easily composite different images for creative portraits.
Award-winning photographer, Michael Campbell, shows how to add a touch of the fantastic to a photo of a child

S 7TOOL SCHOOL
ince photography was first invented, there but I eventually tracked some down in the gardens of
PROJECT
has been the argument that it is not an the old Spanish Mission at San Juan Capistrano. I took
KEY DETAILS artistic medium because it ‘simply’ records photographs of the flowers from several different
2
REFLECTION IN WATER
ON THE DISC the reality of the scene in front of the camera. This camera angles, using a Fuji S1 digital camera and Tamron
Learn how to make it appear that the
■ You’ll find images of all the argument has been refuted for many years by such zoom lens. model is sitting by a pool of rippling
elements you need for this proponents of the medium as Alfred Stieglitz, Ansel water using the Zigzag filter.
tutorial on CD 1, in the
Adams and many others whose works have sold in art Back in the studio FIND IT HERE Filter/Distort/Zig-Zag
tutorials/project/images folder.
■ Plus find a trial of Elements 2. galleries around the world. The next step was to photograph the girl in the studio,
using a three-light system with umbrellas and White
2 SKILL LEVEL Photographer as artist Lightning strobes. The background was a roll of grey butterfly, a shadow for the wings and the girl’s body and
8 1 But digital photography makes this criticism redundant – paper – the colour didn’t matter because we erased it a reflection of her in the water. Finally, we used a
the artist can now use digital techniques to create anyway. Several exposures were made with slight lighting adjustment technique to add a bit of drama to
2 TIME TO COMPLETE images of scenes that only exist in the imagination. variations of the camera angle and perspective. the image.

3 HOURS In this tutorial I’ll show you how I turned a little


girl into a fairy sitting on a waterlily. Finding waterlilies
in Southern California is not as easy as you might think,
Once the studio images were captured, it was time to
fire up Adobe Photoshop. We had to extract the girl from
the studio background and create fairy wings from a
On the following pages, I’ll go through the whole
process, step-by-step, so you can create your own fairy
on a lilypad…

HOW WE
PREPARED
EACH ELEMENT
MICHAEL CAMPBELL

8 8
PHOTOGRAPHER

CREATE A BACKGROUND PHOTOGRAPH THE GIRL CORRECT THE COLOUR BALANCE


A I photographed several water lilies in bloom B I used a studio grey paper background. The C Because of the preponderance of grey in the
IT TOOK A THREE-STAGE from different angles and perspectives at the lighting was a simple, three-light setup with photograph, the resulting grey colour cast
PROCESS TO GET THE FINAL Spanish Mission (above), so that I had some options white umbrellas in White Lightning strobes. I needs to be .removed. Do this via Curves under the
IMAGE OF OUR LITTLE FAIRY
when it came to compositing the final image. I used a Fuji photographed the girl from the same angle as I had used Image, Adjust menu option, by clicking the middle
S1 digital camera and Tamron zoom lens. for the lily pad so that the perspective was consistent. eyedropper on the grey background paper.

068 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


Everything you need to
create this image is on your CD
We’ve put all the images, filters and
plug-ins you need to create this image
LILIES MODEL WINGS

2
on your cover CD
filename/lily.tif filename/model.tif filename/wings.tif

CDA/tutorials/lilypond/images
PROJECT CREATIVE PORTRAITS
TOP TIP Rather than use the Extract tools in Photoshop, you can simply cut out the girl and save the image with the path as an EPS

STAGE 1 2 IN FOCUS Extracting the girl’s body


MAKING MASKS
ISOLATE THE HEAD EDGE HIGHLIGHTER TOOL ERASE TOOL
Just as per last month’s tutorial, 01 In order to extract the girl’s head from the This enables you to Use this to fine-tune parts
the first thing we need to
background, first paint around the head to choose bits of the image of the Edge Highlight that
do is isolate the elements we
isolate it from the background. This then enables you want to keep. aren’t quite right.
want, from the elements we
us to fill the region we want to keep with a Mask, then Adjust the brush size via
don’t want.
extract it. the menus on the right.

0 EXPERT TIP
MICHAEL CAMPBELL
PAINT AROUND THE GIRL’S HEAD
PHOTOGRAPHER
02 Select the girl’s head with the rectangular
USE THE MAGIC
WAND TOOL selection tool, then use the Extract command
To select part of a photo for later (Image menu8Extract). In Photoshop 7, you’ll find it under
use, use the technique in last the Filters menu item. Use the Edge Highlighter tool to
month’s project: because the paint around the head, including all the loose hair.
background is mainly neutral
grey, select the Magic Wand
tool, shift-click in the grey part
and fine-tune by selecting
the Quick Mask tool at the
bottom of the Tool Palette. Paint
in any missed bits using the
Brush tool and then delete the
unmasked background.

MASK THE FOREGROUND


03 In the Extract menu, use the Fill tool to mask
the areas you want to keep. If the mask colour
covers the entire image then you’ve left a gap
somewhere. Go back to the Brush tool and fix it. Notice
the gaps in the hair have been painted over.

PARTIAL EXTRACTION RESULTS FINISH THE EXTRACTION ADD SOME WINGS


04 Further work with the Masking brushes and
05 Save the Transparency mask by clicking on the
06 The next step is to add wings to our little
History tools may be required. Select another Layer and holding down the Command key girl. Mask out the butterfly wings as per
area of the subject using the Rectangular Selection tool. (Mac). On the PC, click on the Add a Mask icon at the above and save the image for later (we used an old
Return to the Extraction window and continue to paint the bottom of the Layers box, then make a selection using photograph of a Monarch Butterfly). Later we can adjust
green border around the bits you want to keep. the Magic Wand. Save the selection as an Alpha Channel. the colour and transparency.

070 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


PAINT SHOP PRO PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS PHOTOSHOP 7

4
EXTRACTING There’s no Extract tool as in Photoshop but it’s otherwise easy There’s no Extract filter in Photoshop Elements 2 but you can use The Extract tool has been moved from the Images menu
FOREGROUNDS to cut objects out and mask areas you want the Selection Brush instead of fiddling with the Magic Wand option and can now be found under the Filters menu item

WWW.MCCANNAS.COM/PSHOP/PHOTOSH0.HTM T ADD TO FAVOURITES

STAGE 2 2
BLEND THE IMAGES
We’ll tweak the images for
best results then composite
them together.

FACIAL RETOUCHING ADD THE BACKGROUND AND SIZE UP TO THE FINAL IMAGE
07 You might want to do some minor facial 08 SUBJECT LAYER 09 Decide the shape and size of the finished
retouching, like remove the extra catch of light Paste in the girl from stage 1, and the lilies canvas and make the image size have
in the eye. It is easy to sample the black from within the into separate layers. Ideally you want to resize and those dimensions. It may be larger or smaller than the
pupil using the Eyedropper tool, then paint in that colour resample images as little as possible as each time you do layers you have. Do this via the Canvas Size option from
again to remove it from the pupil of the eye. so degrades the quality. the Image menu.

* WEB LINKS
PHOTOSHOP PLUG-INS
www.boxtopsoft.com/plugpage/
Claims to serve over half a million
plug-ins for Mac and Windows –
worth a look for its mix of practical
and creative tools.

SIZING THINGS ADJUST THE WINGS SHAPING THE WINGS


10 Resize both background and foreground to fit 11 Use the Hue8Saturation control (under 12 You will have to resize the wings and rotate
using the Free Transform tool under the Edit Image8Adjust) to make the wings them into position. Use the Transform tool
menu. It’s better to reduce rather than enlarge. When you approximately the same colour as the dress (ensure the under the Edit menu to rotate them, then Free Transform
have got it the way you want it, crop the parts outside the Preview box is ticked so you can see what’s going on). to adjust the size.
frame to save memory space. Now add the wings. Just move the sliders until you’re happy, then click OK.

DISTORT THE WINGS ADD THE SECOND WING MAKE THE WINGS TRANSPARENT
13 If you don’t hold down Shift when you Free
14 Simply duplicate the layer (Duplicate Layer
15 Ideally we want to be able to see through the
Transform, you can distort the wings into a under the Layer menu option) with the first wings, so adjust the opacity slider in the Layers
more fairy-like shape. Fairy wings look better if they are wing and chose the one on the lower layer. The wing on palette to give a degree of translucency, until you are
elongated slightly. the right side has to be distorted more to make it appear happy with the results.
to be lined up at an angle to the first wing.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 071


PROJECT CREATIVE PORTRAITS
ONE-CLICK FIX Distort images using the Liquify option under the Image menu

STAGE 3 2
ADD SOME EFFECTS
Now the basic elements are
composited together, we need
to add some extra effects like
shadows and ripples to give it a
polished, artistic feel.

DROP SHADOW LAYER CREATE A REFLECTION BLUR THE BACKGROUND


16 Create a shadow under the girl and above the 17 Make a duplicate layer of the girl and flip it 18 To add the effect of a shallow depth of field,
background. This layer is set to multiply (via vertically using the Transform tool. You can select the Background layer (the one with the
the drop-down menu in the Layers Palette). Use a soft then position and reduce the opacity as before. Add a lilies) and apply a Gaussian Blur – Filter8blur. (See last
airbrush with a shadow colour sampled from the image zigzag filter effect (Filter menu then Distort). month’s project for more details on this).
using the Eyedropper. Paint below the girl’s legs and dress.

IN FOCUS Creating a glass effect


THE GLASS DISTORTION FILTER DISTORTION SMOOTHNESS
19 Add a glass distortion to the wings to This slider adds a certain This defines how large
make them more fairy-like. Find this amount of grain to the the grain is, enabling you
under the Filter menu option8 Distort8 Glass. You can image – how the glass to choose wavy thick glass,
either first merge the layers with the two wings or distorts the light. or thin, relatively
treat them separately. undistorted glass.

ADD A SHADOW TO THE WINGS


20 To add a shadow, create a new layer. Again set
to multiply mode, and then use the airbrush to
add a faint shadow to the wings. You can reduce the
opacity of the shadow and apply a gaussian blur to soften
it, if you like.

3 IN DETAIL
WATERCOLOUR
Give your final image a
watercolour painting effect by
choosing Filters8Artistic
8Watercolour. Set your options to
Brush detail: 14; Shadow intensity:
0; texture: 1. Experiment with
these settings for different effects.
TEXTURE
Enables you to choose
the type of glass effect
you want. PULL IT ALL TOGETHER
21 You can adjust each layer with Level or Curve
SCALING adjustments. Find these under the Image8
Affects the density of the Adjust menu option. Both Levels and Curves enable you to
texture – how blocky or alter brightness and contrasts within different colour
grainy it is. ranges, but Curves gives you a lot more fine control.

072 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


CUSTOMISE YOUR TOOL LAYOUTS

4
USING There’s a new option in the Preferences menu option that
PHOTOSHOP 7 enables Photoshop to remember where you keep your tools

WWW.ADOBE.CO.UK/PRODUCTS/PHOTOSHOP T ADD TO FAVOURITES

STAGE 4 2
GET THE
LIGHTING RIGHT
Once the image has been
constructed and tweaked,
we need to ensure all
the highlights and shadows
match so it looks like a
consistently-lit scene.

LIGHT FOR IMPACT MORE ON LIGHTING EFFECTS FADE LIGHT EFFECT


22 Add a lighting effect to make the subject stand 23 Lighting Effects is an excellent tool. You can 24 Often after getting back to the full-size image
out. Go to Filter8Render and choose Lighting use the values shown here as a basis for one finds the lighting effect was too coarse.
Effects, and choose a soft Omni light from the Light Type experiments, but feel free to experiment. You can also You can soften it by using the Fade Lighting Effect option
pull-down menu. Lower the Intensity and increase the change the colour of individual lights or even make the from the Edit menu, to reduce the effect.
Ambience levels until you get a spot effect on the face. light negative.

IN FOCUS Finished result!


A QUICK RECAP REFLECTIONS SHADOWS
27 Here is our fairy on the lilypad, ready for The zigzag filter helps You can pull out the subject
printing and framing. To recap: we’ve create a nice watery from the background with
composited three images together, adjusted each reflection in a scene. shadows underneath, and
element for the best overall result, then tweaked the lighting effects on top.
lights, contrast and colours to get the final effect.

ADJUST THE SHADOWS ON THE FACE


25 You’ll notice other details that need tweaking.
For instance, the shadows under the girl’s eyes
seem too pronounced now so lighten them with the
clone tool set on 20% and on Lighten mode (select Clone
Stamp tool and right-click to find this option).

@ WIN!
We want your creative efforts!
Send them in and the best image
wins a great 128Mb CompactFlash FINAL ADJUSTMENT
card, courtesy of Crucial 26 You often need to do a final adjustment with
Technologies. (Find out more about
the levels and curves adjustments. Using the
Crucial at www.crucial.com/uk
Adjustment layer you can try out an alteration without
gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk having to keep it if it doesn’t work. Find it under New
Adjustment Layer under the Layer menu option.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 073


PhotoClinic PORTFOLIO ED DAVIS WEBSITE WWW.ED-DAVIS-PHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

Got a picture that needs restoring? Send a JPEG to us at picdesk.dcm@futurenet.co.uk. See below for full details!

How to restore an old


YOUR GUIDE ED DAVIS

Ed Davis is a London-based
advertising and corporate
photographer with many years
colour photograph
experience of studio and location
One of the major downsides of conventional photography is the way colours can fade over the years, ruining old memories
photography. He specialises in of people and places. But there’s a way to resurrect even the most washed-out old photos…
image manipulation, and delivers
creative solutions that combine

W
photography and digital e all have them – boxes stuffed with old Don’t throw out those old photos – there’s a good ago. It was our first holiday abroad in the south
technology. He is a member of pictures of ourselves, friends or relations chance even the most colour-damaged can be of France. My son is now 25 and about to become a
NAPP (National Association of from the 1970s. The fashions might resurrected into something approaching a reasonable father for the first time. I would like to give him this
Photoshop Professionals) look awful – the hideous flares and the feather-cut representation of the original memory. photograph to remind him of the good times we had
Equipment used: a scanner
hairstyles – but, more worrying, is the way the For example, this faded photograph was sent us when he was a little boy.”
and Adobe Photoshop 7
colours in your pictures have been affected by time. by Fiona Harris, from Southend. She says: “This Fiona’s in luck. Here’s how we went about
[w] www.ed-davis- Your memories are literally fading before your eyes! photograph of my son playing was taken 20 years knocking this picture into shape…
photography.co.uk

BEFORE The colours are faded, inaccurate and ruined.


A kind of reddy-brown cast has appeared AFTER Colours are repaired – the
photo is saved!

■ RETOUCH THE
PAINT SPOTS
Solution: remove paint
spots and imperfections
using the Clone tool.

■ UNEVEN PATCHES
OF DISCOLOURATION
@ SEND ’EM IN! Solution: select the area
and change its tonal
We want your faded, damaged values using the

8
pictures today! Hue/Saturation
Send them in, we’ll fix them up for Adjustment.
free, show everyone how we did it
and send them back restored!
■ OVERALL
The sort of pictures we’re after
COLOUR FADING
need to be decent photos which Solution: remove red
have become damaged – tint, rebalance and
unfortunately we can’t make badly re-colour the image using
composed/shot photos good. the Curves Palette.

■ Contact us via email, with a small


JPEG of the photo attached, and if
it’s right for the mag, we’ll get in

@
touch. How’s that for a bargain?
Email the following address:

picdesk.dcam@futurenet.co.uk

074 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


STAGE 1 2
HOW TO GET RID OF THE
BLUE PAINT SPOTS
Using the Cloning tool, take a
colour sample close to the
damaged area, overlay it on the
blue paint and blend it in.

USE THE CLONING TOOL COVER THE PAINT SPOTS… …UNTIL THEY’VE GONE
01 Select the Cloning tool from the Toolbar.
02 Take the cursor to an area next to the paint
03 Continue to remove the remainder of the
Pick a soft edged brush from the Brush Palette spot you want to remove. Hold down the Alt spots in the same way. This happens to be
on the Option Bar. A circle will appear representing the key, click and drag the cursor over the pain spot, release blue paint; the process is the same for dust particles,
brush size – make sure it is large enough to cover the area the Alt key, then click the mouse to activate the clone. blemishes and imperfections.
you wish to clone.

STAGE 2 2
BALANCING
DISCOLOURED AREAS
This photograph was on a pin
board, exposed to direct sunlight
with other photos overlapping.
This caused uneven fading of
the colours.

SELECT THE DISCOLOURED AREA ADJUST THE HUE AND SATURATION CUT IT OUT
04 Using the Lasso tool, with a feather setting of
05 Click Layer8 New Adjustment Layer8 Hue/
06 If the discolouration is along the edge of the
10 pixels, make a selection around the Saturation8 OK. Use the Cloning tool to cover photograph you can Crop it out. The top of the
discoloured area. This will give the selection a soft edge, any discrepancies. Merge the image with the Adjustment photograph is damaged; it seems that part of it has been
making the difference in tonal range less visible. Layer. On the Layers Pallet, click the arrow in the top-right exposed to more sunlight then the rest. It could have
corner, and in the drop-down menu select Merge Visible. been cause by another object lying on top of it.

STAGE 3 2
OVERALL COLOUR FADING
The colour of this photograph is
patchy; the pigments of the
photographic paper have reacted
to sustained daylight exposure.

CHANGE THE DEFAULT SETTINGS SET THE COLOUR RANGE COLOUR CORRECTION BY NUMBERS
07 There are different methods of changing the 08 In the bottom right-hand corner three boxes 09 Set the values for the CMYK colour ranges.
colour of an image in Photoshop. Using Curves with eyedroppers will appear. Their function is Change the values to Shadow: C=75 M=63
has flexibility and can be adjusted in many ways. The first to take readings of the colour make up on the image: Box Y=62 K=100, then Click OK. Now the Mid-tone: C=50
step is to change the default setting of the Curves Palette: 1 Shadow; Box 2 Mid-Tone; Box 3 Highlight. Double-click M=40 Y=40 K=10, then click OK. Now the Highlights: C=5
Click Image8Adjust8Curves (short cut CTL-M). on the first box and the Colour Palette will appear. M=3 Y=3 K=0, then click OK . The new settings are ready.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 075


PhotoClinic
Got a picture that needs restoring? Send a JPEG to us at picdesk.dcm@futurenet.co.uk. See below for full details!

STAGE 3 CONT’D 2

DEFINE THE HIGHLIGHTS WHAT CAN GO WRONG? DEEPEN THE SHADOWS


0 EXPERT TIPS 10 Open the Curves Dialog Box, click on the third 11 If you click on an area that has too much 12 Click on the first eyedropper (Shadow), find a
Eyedropper (Highlights), select an area of the colour, the image will be bleached out. On the dark area, for example the shadow in the
ED DAVIS
USING LAYERS photo that should be white and click. The red is neutralised example above the eye dropper was clicked in the skin wheel arch and click. This removes the reds from the
and the image changes to a more natural tonal range. tone instead of the white area. shadow areas.
BRUSH SIZE
You can increase and decrease
the size of the brush by pressing
the square brackets [ ].

MOVE AROUND
To move around your image
whilst retouching, press the
space bar and the hand
symbol will appear.

WHAT CAN GO WRONG? BRIGHTEN THE IMAGE WHAT CAN GO WRONG?


13 If you click on an area that has too little 14 The Mid-tone eyedropper is used to neutralise 15 As we are dealing with greys and mid-tones,
colour such as the ground or the pavement, the greys, the image will appear brighter. Find clicking on an area that has colour, such as the
the image will go very dark. To undo the last selection, a neutral grey area and click. If the area you select is not green edging of the child’s T-shirt, will cause the colour of
click Ctrl-Z. grey the image will have a blue, green or red colour cast. the image to change. In this case to blue.

p CONCLUSION
Colours have
been
restored! This
was a trickier
and more
technical restoration than last
month’s but we
think the final BRING BACK THE COLOUR MAKE THE SKIN TONE NATURAL EVEN THE LIGHTING
result has been 16 Using the Hue/Saturation Palette (CTRL U) the 17 To warm up the flesh tones, adjust the 18 Open the Levels Palette (CTRL-L) a histogram of
worth it. Now colours can be adjusted bring up the green red and yellow. Select the colours from the Edit the image will appear. The Highlights Mid-
send in yours! leaves, the blue car, and the reddish-brown shutters. Click drop-down menu until the skin tones look natural (see In tones and Shadow areas are shown on the graph. Slide
the Edit menu and select a colour to adjust. Focus graphs). the tabs along the graph until the image looks evenly lit.

076 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


TUTORIAL PHOTOSHOP & ELEMENTS TOOLS

YOUR GUIDE SIMON DANAHER


Simon is a digital artist specialising in Photoshop, compositing and 3D.
He has been working professionally in the graphics industry for over six
years, and is writing a book on professional graphics techniques
PORTFOLIO SIMON DANAHER

How to adjust lighting


Photoshop Elements has some built-in tools to help get the right lighting, but Simon Danaher
shows you how to exercise manual control over the foreground lighting

etting lighting right is one of the most difficult aspects of photography. In low In Flash, which we’ll take a look at below. There are also other techniques used to

G
TUTORIAL
KEY DETAILS light or strong backlight conditions your camera's flash may be all the
illumination you have control over, but what can you do if you forget to
ensure an even spread of tones.
In both Photoshop and Elements 2, there’s also the excellent Lighting Effects filter
2 ON YOUR CD enable the fill-in flash option for a picture?
Photoshop Elements can save a picture that is spoiled by an underexposed
(find it under Filters, Render) which you can use to cast light or add spotlights to
specific areas of an image. We talk more about this filter in the Project on pages 68-73
You’ll find a trial version of
Photoshop Elements 2, which foreground due to strong background lighting. There’s a number of tools, including Fill- if you want to experiment.
you can use to explore the
effects outlined opposite.

2 SKILL BOOSTER
3

2 TIME TO COMPLETE

15-20 MINUTES

? EXPLAINED 01
OPEN YOUR IMAGE
Open your file. The image 02
FILL FLASH
In the Enhance menu you'll 03
SATURATION CONTROL
Use a Saturation control 04
EQUALIZE
Another approach is to run
LEVELS here has an underexposed find the Adjust Lighting sub- because the colours in the the Equalize command on the
A tool in Photoshop and Elements foreground. This has occurred because menu and the Fill Flash... command. shadow area have a different saturation image. Choose Image8Adjustment8
used to adjust contrast and the subject is sitting in front of a Selecting this will open a panel that level. We’ve decreased the saturation Equalize. This results in a better spread
brightness in an image. window, and the camera sets its auto- enables you to increase the brightness level to compensate – too much and the of tones, but it’s quite image-
exposure by the lighter background. of just the shadow areas in the image. flesh tones flatten out. dependent. It works well for this image.
HISTOGRAM
A graph showing the distribution of
brightness values in an image.

NOISE
Noise can occur in both analog and
digital photographic systems,
especially in low light. It manifests
itself as random colour and
brightness shifts in the image from
pixel to pixel. Heavy JPEG
compression can also result in
'noisy' images.
REDUCE THE NOISE APPLY SCREEN MODE ERASE DUPLICATE
SELECTION 05 However, increasing the 06 Another approach involves 07 With this method the whole 08 To increase brightness,
An area of the image surrounded brightness of the shadow duplicating the layer and of the image gets affected so duplicate the screened layer
by 'marching ants' – a dashed black areas also increases the noise in an applying it in Screen mode. Screen is we need to control it. Use the Eraser and adjust its opacity. Load the erased
and white one pixel border. If a
image. Reduce the noise by applying like shining a slide projector image on a tool to paint out the background from layer as a selection (command-click it)
selection is active all editing only
effects this layer.
the Filter8Noise8Despeckle filter. This screen and adding another image over the Screen layer revealing the original then add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment
does a good job of reducing grain. the top – the image gets brighter. background beneath. layer to reduce the saturation.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 077


TUTORIAL ENHANCING YOUR PHOTOS IN ELEMENTS & PHOTOSHOP
YOUR GUIDE TIM DALY
Tim has written several books on photography, including The Digital
Photography Handbook, The Digital Printing Handbook and The Desktop
Photographer, and he continues to write for The British Journal of
Photography and AG. His photographs have been exhibited across Europe

tim@photocollege.co.uk PORTFOLIO TIM DALY WEBSITE WWW.PHOTOCOLLEGE.CO.UK

Removing & adding with


the Clone Stamp tool
If your landscape photographs are spoiled by the inevitable electricity pylons, then Tim Daly is here to show
you how easy it is to paint them out with the Clone Stamp tool

C 7TOOL SCHOOL
ommon to both Photoshop and Photoshop that the result can stick out like a sore thumb. Images
TUTORIAL
Elements, the Clone Stamp tool is the most are created with intricate and complex colour gradients
KEY DETAILS useful tool for retouching unwanted image that are impossible to reproduce with a paintbrush and
2 ON OUR CD details. Found at the base of the Elements toolbox and
shown by an old-fashioned office rubber stamp icon, it is
any uniform areas of colour look obviously retouched.
The real skill in using the tool lies not in the actual
LOCATING THE CLONE STAMP
Confusingly called the Rubber Stamp tool
Find our trial of Photoshop in Photoshop 5.5, the Clone stamp is
Elements 2. not to be confused with the Pattern Stamp tool that has painting out, but in the selection of the sample area located on the toolbar, here.
an additional checkerboard symbol. itself. For less noticeable background areas, this is not so
2 SKILL BOOSTER The Clone Stamp tool offers an easy way to explore important as any slight errors will be less noticeable, but
5 the real magic of digital photography, and works by on foregrounds, your work needs to be carefully carried filters. Like all other painting and drawing tools in the
sampling or copying a section of your image, then out. The Clone Stamp tool is very useful for removing box, the Clone Stamp tool can be modified by brush
2 TIME TO COMPLETE pasting it over another area in real time. If you’ve ever scratches, dust and hair from your flatbed and film size, shape and opacity, plus vary its blending mode,

15 MINUTES
PERIMAGE
tried to paint out an area of a digital photograph using
an airbrush loaded with colour, then you’ll already know
scans, and will cause less damage to your image than
image filtering using the despeckle, dust and scratch
(although its most useful work is carried on the default
Normal blending mode).

2 NEXT MONTH

DUPLICATION The Clone Stamp tool can be used to remove part of


Re-sizing digital images.

an image or duplicate an area…

? EXPLAINED
USING THE PRINT
PROOF PREVIEW
An advanced preview function is
offered via the Proof Colours option
found in Photoshop’s View menu.
This tool modifies the monitor THE RAW FILE USING ALIGNED MODE USING NON-ALIGNED MODE
appearance of your image to match 01 Transferred directly from the camera and 02 Aligned mode lets you continue retouching 03 Non-aligned mode is set when the Aligned
the likely outcome from a chosen opened in Elements, the raw file looks flat different areas of the image, but changes the box is left unchecked and is used when you
inkjet paper type. You own personal
and lacks the vivid colour of the original scene. The sample area as you move. The distance from sample want to repeatedly use the same sample area in
Proof Setup needs to be set up first
by picking one of the options under
greens aren’t varied and bright and the blue sky looks area to painting area is kept the same, so you need to different parts of the image or even from another open
the Custom menu. muddy. These problems are easily rescued using the have two sets of eyes to watch what you’re copying image window. This is great for cloning patterned details
Levels dialog. and where you’re pasting it. from your image like foliage or clouds.

078 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


View a QuickTime movie on advanced Cloning techniques at the Discover how to use the Clone tool in Paint Shop Pro 7 at the

4
CLONING IN PHOTOSHOP following website: www.apple.com/creative/resources/ following URL: www.jasc.com/tutorials/nieuwenstein/
& PAINT SHOP PRO 7 ttphotoshop/609clonetool.html psp7clone.html

0 EXPERT TIP
TIM DALY
ON BRUSH SIZE
USING THE BRUSH
SIZE CURSOR
Make sure you’ve set up your
tool preferences to show the
rounded brush size cursor, rather
than guessing the size of your
brush tip with the stamp or
crosshair cursor. Change it by
doing Photoshop Elements8
Preferences8Display & Cursors
MAKING THE FIRST SAMPLE RETOUCHING YOUR IMAGE AVOIDING A HERRINGBONE PATTERN and choose the Brush Size
04 With your non-mouse hand hovering over the 05 Move the cursor away from the sample point 06 An easy mistake to make is to keep painting cursors. If your tool
Alt key, move the Clone Tool over an area of and position it over the area you’d like to retouching without changing the sample suddenly reverts to the crosshair
cursor, it’s because you’ve
the image you’d like to sample. Press and hold the Alt remove. As you start painting, a tiny crosshair will point causing repeat ‘herringbone’ patterns to appear.
pressed Caps Lock on your
key down and then click once with your mouse. Notice appear to tell you which part of the image you’re Fixed at the same distance, the sample will start to
keyboard by mistake.
the tool icon changing as you make the sample. cloning, so you don’t start drifting into another colour repeat and look obvious. Keep sampling similar but
area by mistake. different areas and your work will look more convincing.

RETOUCHING GRADIENT COLOURS WORKING WITHIN SELECTION AREAS CONSTRAINING YOUR BRUSH
07 The hardest task to achieve is matching a 08 To make your retouching accurate, and 09 For an even more accurate application you
complex area of image colour like a gradient. prevent it from overspilling into unwanted can set your Clone Stamp brush to run in a
Taken from the wrong place, your retouching will stand areas of your image, fence off the area to retouch first perfectly straight horizontal or vertical line. Click and hold
out and look artificial. It’s important to try to think ahead with a selection tool like the Lasso. This restricts your the Shift key down as you paint, and avoid that shaky
and choose a sample area that has the same gradient painting area to exactly the parts you want to alter and mouse control. This is very useful if you have to re-
going in the same direction as your painting. is great for geometric shapes and subjects. establish a straight edge in a restoration project.

? EXPLAINED
SAMPLING
The term sampling is used in many
AMENDING SMOOTH AREAS SELECTING THE AREA APPLYING THE NOISE FILTER different contexts in digital
10 An unfortunate by-product of using a soft 11 Using the Noise filter easily solves the 12 From your Filter menu, pick the Noise8Add photography, but in this instance it
edges brush is the gradual smoothing out problem. First, restrict the smooth area by Noise option as shown. Colour images are simply means copying. Just like a
of your image – especially if retouching was widespread carefully selecting it with the lasso tool, making sure best served with the Gaussian noise option and for black simple copy-and-paste command,
the Clone Stamp tool replicates a
in a single area. With most original pixel detail replaced you zoom into at least 200% to make an accurate job. and white shots make sure the monochrome option is
small group of pixels then places
by the Clone Stamp, areas lose their texture and can Next, apply a 15-pixel feather so the filter effect blends checked. Choose a low value such as 2% to add a bit of them elsewhere in the image.
look obvious. in with the surrounding area. texture to the smooth area.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 079


TUTORIAL PHOTOSHOP TOOLS
YOUR GUIDE SIMON DANAHER
Simon Danaher is a digital artist specialising in Photoshop, compositing and 3D. He
is also a consultant, trainer and author. Simon has been working professionally in
the graphics industry for over six years, and is currently writing his second book on
professional graphics techniques

letters.dcm@futurenet.co.uk PORTFOLIO SIMON DANAHER

Using the new Healing tool


in Photoshop 7
Photoshop 7 has a new feature, the Healing tool, which is like a turbo-charged Clone. Simon Danaher shows you
how to get the most from this powerful tool

S
ince version 7 of Photoshop there have been marks, artifacts and things that just shouldn't be there performs some sophisticated blending of the original
TUTORIAL two very useful new tools included in the from any digital image while, at the same time, and source pixels to remove the unwanted parts. This
KEY DETAILS program. These are two Healing tools – the preserve the background image. makes the tool well suited to backgrounds that are

2 ON OUR CD
No Healing tools in Elements 2
Healing Brush and the Patch tool. Both perform similar
tasks but work in different ways and are more suitable Easier than cloning
random or not uniform in appearance: a background
with a definite pattern or structure will not fare so well.
but much else is the same. in different situations. Cloning, of course, is just as good at this but requires Although you have to take each image as a case in
Both, however, are extremely powerful tools, capable more skill; with the Healing tools you can more or less itself, grass, stone (and most natural surfaces) are
2 SKILL BOOSTER of producing invisible adjustments to images that will erase a blemish as if you were sweeping away eraser suitable targets for healing.
3 leave your peers thinking you've secretly been studying dust from a page. Whereas the Clone tool replaces the Another typical use for the Healing brush is to
the black art of Photoshop retouching for months with a pixels in an image (or modifies them depending on the remove blemishes from skin – and that's exactly what
2 TIME TO COMPLETE grand master. The Healing tool can remove blemishes, opacity and blending mode of the tool), the Healing tool we'll look at in this tutorial.

15 MINS

2 NEXT MONTH
Colour correction.
HEALING BASICS The Healing brush is designed for simplicity and has been
targeted especially at photographers. Here’s how

3 IN DETAIL
ADVANCED THE ORIGINAL PICTURE START REMOVING THE LINES… …UNTIL THEY’VE DISAPPEARED
USES/FEATURES 01 The Healing Brush is very good at working 02 Select the Healing brush. It's the tool 03 Take another sample point and finish
Note that you can set the Healing on random, noisy and organic backgrounds. with a plaster on it, then in the tool bar off the rest. You should only need a
Brush to different apply modes if you In this example we’ll remove some lines from the select the brush size – about 10 and make it soft single stroke per line to eradicate them. Repeat for
are not getting the results you expect.
woman’s face – perhaps she’s requested it, perhaps edged. Zoom into the woman's right eye, option-click the opposite side. It helps to zoom out and view
If you want to get more advanced, try
changing the apply mode.
you’re just after perfection. Either way, it’s quite on a portion of clear skin nearby then paint over the the result as it can look different. The result is pretty
simple to do. first few lines. much invisible.

080 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


4
The patch tool tends to affect pixels near by. If you need
PROTECT to work on an area without affecting neighbouring pixels,
YOUR PIXELS make a selection to protect them

FIXING INJURIES Though you might not be able to heal an injury as fast in real life, in
Photoshop you have ultimate in alternative medical treatment

REMOVE A BRUISE SELECT THE CHEEK BLEND THE AREA


01 Another example might be if your subject 02 Select the Healing tool again, but since the 03 Paint away the yellowish area. Notice that
has an injury that needs repairing. Makeup area we want to fix is a bit more diffused, the result doesn’t look great until you release
is an option, but it requires a certain skill! Healing can use a larger brush, say 16 pixels. Zoom into the eye the mouse – it’s only then that the blending occurs.
come in handy here. and option-click on the cheek. Repeat for the purple section but sample closer by.

WORK ON THE EYE USE THE DODGE TOOL USE THE SPONGE TOOL
04 Using a smaller brush diameter work on the 05 Notice that it has improved but still looks a 06 The final trick is to use the Sponge tool in
upper eye. This section is more difficult and
the trick is not to fix it perfectly in one go – sometimes
little dark. Switch to the Dodge tool. Use a
low opacity of 20% and dab lightly to lighten the skin,
Saturate mode to make the skin look
healthier. Use a low opacity and stoke to increase the
* WEB LINKS
[w] www.adobe.com
it just won’t happen like that. being careful not to affect the fold above the eye. colour above the eye. The result is a pretty good fix.
[w] www.digitalretouch.org/
Photoshop7.html
[w] www.adobe.com/web/tips/

Patching offers a different method if you phs7healing/main.html

THE PATCH TOOL want to heal images

? EXPLAINED
Clone – to copy pixels from one
place to another.
Dodge – to lighten pixels with the
Dodge tool
Burn – to darken pixels with the
Burn tool
Saturation – the measure of how
‘colourful’ a colour is. Murky colours
are said to be desaturated while
vivid ones are saturated.
REMOVE THE BLOTCH DRAG AND FIX THE COMPLETED PICTURE Alt/Option – Windows PCs have
01 The Patch tool also works well. Select it in
02 Select a region that’s clear of blotches. The
03 When you drop the selection the pixels are and Alt key; Apple Macintosh
users will find either an Alt or
the Healing group popout, then in the Patch tool works like the lasso when you merged with those underneath, and the
Option key, depending on the age
Option bar set its mode to Destination. Use the patch use it. Once selected, drag the region over the part you blotches vanish. You can use this procedure to fix all of their Mac.
tool to fix some of the blotchiness on the man's skin. want to fix. The pixels will be picked up and moved. kinds of skin blemishes to create perfect portraits.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 081


TIPS ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

YOUR GUIDE NICK MERRITT


Nick has edited, managed or launched some of the UK’s leading technology
magazines, and has been writing about and using computers for longer
than he wants to admit
nick.merritt@futurenet.co.uk WEBSITE www.futurenet.co.uk

50 Adobe Photoshop tips


and time-savers
Photoshop has evolved over the years, becoming more complex and sporting a greater number of features
and tools, yet Nick Merritt’s top tips prove that the interface has remained pleasantly simple to use

I
mage manipulation is often considered a black

PREFERENCES
TIPS GUIDE
KEY DETAILS art, largely because so much of it is intuitive Tweak the preferences to help you get
and subjective. Fortunately, many problems
the results you want
2 ON OUR DISC can be overcome through a bit of judicious digital
Find a trial of Adobe Photoshop imaging. While Photoshop can’t fix a poorly composed
Elements 2 – most of the tips photograph, it can compensate for a photograph’s
mentioned here will be
applicable to it as well shortcomings or even restore tired old prints.
Find it on the front of this mag
General tips
2 SKILL LEVEL To quickly reset all the Preferences to their
01
5 default settings hold down Ctrl-Alt-Shift (Win) or
Command-Option-Shift (Mac) at startup and click ‘yes’
2 TIME TO COMPLETE to delete the modified Photoshop settings file.

2 HOURS
02
The Interpolation option determines how
Photoshop interprets an image’s colour as a result

2 NEXT MONTH
Discover our essential
of resampling or transforming. Bicubic is slowest but
highest quality, while Nearest Neighbour is faster but at
collection of tips, techniques the cost of quality. ADJUSTING TRANSPARENCY SETTINGS DISPLAY AND CURSORS
and skill boosters for Adobe When using the History palette (Show History The Transparency Preference enables you to adjust the Adjusting the Painting Cursor enables you to set
Photoshop Elements. 03
under the Windows menu), you can step back size and colour of the squares on the transparent varying levels of precision when you are actually
through alterations of your document one at a time. layers – useful if your base image resembles this drawing on-screen. This can help you avoid the
Checking the Export Clipboard option under Edit8 pattern. Gamut warnings tell you of any parts of an problem of having a huge brush obscuring the area
04
General Preferences enables the current clipboard image which won’t convert to CMYK or print properly. upon which you are trying to draw.
contents to remain available for other applications, even
when you have quit Photoshop. Photoshop offers two methods for saving selectively removes data) to reduce the size even
07
Check the Auto-update open documents option images for the web: the first way is to Save further, but at a cost to quality.
05
to automatically save your work each time as… a GIF, JPEG or .png. This method offers no With images such as photographs or pictures
11
you jump between Photoshop and ImageReady. comparison between the formats. containing continuous tone JPEG allows not only
Documents will automatically update after jumping, The second and more effective way is to Save for 24-bit colour support, but also maintains the subtleties
08
whether this is checked or not. Web… This option displays a window giving in brightness and hues.
2up or 4up views of your image. The top left is the Files can be reduced in size by compressing the
12
Optimising images for the web original image, and the others can be used for data. JPEG selectively removes data (known as
Optimising images always involves a degree of comparative display. lossy): the greater the compression, the ‰ more data
06
compromise: although the need to reduce We don’t recommend GIF for 24-bit images that is lost and the greater the reduction in quality.
09
images to a resolution of 72ppi tends to lead to a lack of such as photographs or pictures containing Progressive JPEGs are great because they
13
detail, it reduces the amount of memory the image continuous tone because it degrades the quality. download as low-res versions first, giving you a
takes up on the server. It also reduces the download As with JPEG, Photoshop also supports a lossy basic image, and then proceed to download more data
10
times to a browser. method of compression for GIF (one which that improves the quality.

082 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


PHOTOSHOP BASICS PHOTOSHOP 5.5 TIPS DIGITAL CREATIVITY

4
THREE USEFUL http://graphicssoft.about.com/library/course/ www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/Way/9571/ – www.digital-creativity.co.uk/links.html – oriented
WEBSITES bllps5pre.htm – some good ‘get started’ stuff enthusiast site with some handy information specifically towards digital photographers

14
Crop your image so that only relevant parts are
kept (use the Crop tool). Hold down the
Control/Command to get fine positioning near the edges
WEB IMAGES Adjusting images for the web is simple with
Photoshop’s built-in tools
of the images to be cropped. PHOTOSHOP
You may have to resize the image to reduce TOOLBAR
15
download time: Image8Image Size. If you Here’s a quick guide to the
have not changed the resolution of your image, tools mentioned on the
do so before changing the image size (generally by following pages. To
rearrange the toolbars, drag
pixels 72ppi). the handles at their left-
Once resized, use Unsharp to put back some of hand ends.
16
the detail lost in the resizing process.
If you are working on Mac, bear in mind that a
8 Selection
17
PC’s windows gamut (colour range) display is 8 Mover

8
darker than the Mac. To see the effect, jump to
Lasso
ImageReady and select View8Preview8Standard
Windows Colour. SAVING FOR THE WEB
When saving files for the web, ImageReady will show
RESIZING IMAGES
For web work you don’t need to go any higher than
8 Magic Wand

Layers you how the file will look displayed using various file 72dpi, due to the limitations of monitor/display 8 Airbrushes

18
Get into the habit of naming layers. With
Photoshop, you have the ability to use up
formats and resolutions, and tell you approximate
loading times.
technology. When converted, save your files either as
GIFs or JPEGs.
8 Paintbrush

to 8,000 of them (memory permitting). 8 Clone tool

8
Using the buttons along the base of the palette
19 Text
to create new layers circumvents the Layer
properties dialog box.

20
Holding down the Alt/Option key and using
the Layer button calls up the Layer Properties
LAYERS There are a number of time-savers when creating
complex images: Layer names, colour codes and layer sets
dialog box.
A quick and simple way to duplicate an existing ? EXPLAINED
21
layer is to drag an existing layer to the new
LEVELS VERSUS CURVES
layer button. This creates a perfect copy, and adds the There are usually multiple ways of
word copy to the layers name. achieving an effect in Photoshop
Holding down the Alt/Option key when and this is certainly true when it
22 comes to improving the contrast of
performing this operation calls up the Layer
Properties dialog box for naming and colour coding. an image; but which one to use?
Often, the decision has a lot to do
Using layer sets to group layers together, allows
23 with intuition and past experience.
for greater organisation and control of the However as a general guideline,
layers, enabling you to group layers with their Curves are much better suited to
effects or to organise buttons for a website design. handling tone in grayscale images
By linking layers together, separate images can or if you’re working with a single
24 Colour channel. Levels work better
be moved and transformed as one item without
with colour images or when you
you having to merge all the layers together.
want to work with an entire image,
A layer or a selection from a layer can be ADJUSTMENT LAYERS SAVING LAYERS rather than a single Colour channel.
25
copied to a new layer Layer8New Via Copy (use Adjustment layers enable you to make changes to Photoshop enables you to save files with all the layers
the Alt/Option key as well if a layer needs naming). your image without being forced to keep them. Once remaining, as PSD files – with up to 8,000 of them in
This method is great for splitting an image into you’re happy with what you’ve done, select Merge to a Photoshop 6 file. Version 7 now includes the ability
multiple layers for editing! retain everything. to save layered TIFF files.
One of the most flexible ways to make
26
corrections to an image is to use Adjustment
layers. These provide control over how your edits When creating original work on the Mac that may they partially select pixels, leading to less obvious
29
are made. First select the drop-down list Layer8 be transferred to the Windows platform, it’s good selection edges.
Adjustment Layer and choose from the various practice to set this option to always add the relevant Creating a Polygon Lasso is often quicker than
33
options, or use the button on the Layer palette to pop three-letter file extension. fiddling with paths or masks. The trouble is, it’s
up the list. easy to forget where you started. A simple double-
Erasing/altering images click, though, will join up the start and end points.
Saving files Use the Magic Eraser to click anywhere in the You can use the transformation tools on the Edit
30 34
The Mac version enables specific options to background to remove any pixels within your menu to modify selected parts of your image, but
27
display a thumbnail of the image in its File icon chosen tolerance setting. you can also scale, rotate and resize the selection itself
or full size to include a 72ppi PICT preview for Photoshop’s Background Eraser is even smarter via the Select menu.
31
applications that require this option when importing a than its Magic Eraser. Choose a tolerance You can increase or reduce a selection by a
35
non-EPS file. setting, pick ‘continuous’ sampling, and then drag the fixed number of pixels via the Modify sub-menu
Another Mac-specific option is whether to eraser along just outside the boundary of the object on the Select menu.
28
display Mac and/or Windows thumbnails you want to preserve. Hold down Shift while dragging to create perfect
36
of an image when a file is highlighted in the Open Photoshop’s Magic Wand tool is useful, but circles or squares with the elliptical and
32
dialog box. Colour Range selections can be subtler because rectangular marquee tools respectively. Hold Shift-

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 083


PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2
TIPS ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

4
USING THE SOFTWARE Most of these tips are applicable to Elements 2. The
ON OUR CD ones which aren’t mostly include the web tips

ONE-CLICK FIX The Lighting filter (under Render) adds light to specific areas of an image WWW.OUTBACKPHOTO.COM/WORKSHOP/PHOTOSHOP_CORNER/PHOTOSHOP.HTML T ADD TO FAVOURITES

Option-Drag to draw them from the centre.

37
Need to extract an object with a tricky outline
from an unwanted background? That’s what
5.5’s Extract Image option is designed for. Trace
ALTERING IMAGES You can use tools to add
information to photos quickly
around the outline, and then fill the area you want

6 TOOL SCHOOL to extract.

38
Photoshop has a very useful Magnetic Lasso tool,
CLONE STAMPING but from version 5 on, it also comes with a
The Clone Stamp tool is Magnetic Pen, which is very useful if you want to create
one of the most powerful a path that follows the shape of an object. Find these
and flexible tools in from the Lasso and Pen toolbars.
Photoshop. Although it is
The Polygon Lasso tools is a lot quicker than
often over-used and 39
juggling paths, but if you make a mistake
abused, it is more than
worth taking the time to you’ve got to start again, haven’t you? No. You can hit
learn to use it well if you the Delete key to backtrack one node at a time.
want to clean up images.
The key is to know which Fixing up and printing
brushes and sizes to use Stills taken from video footage can look pretty TRANSFORM TOOL INCREASE/REDUCE SELECTION
and when. It’s equally 40
poor, but you can reduce noise and improve The Transform tool can be used to stretch a selection Another way of altering the content of a selected area
important to vary your
clone selection detail by picking two or more frames with little to fill an area. It can be used to repair damaged is found via the Select, Modify menu item. This can
throughout to avoid movement and using blending modes to combine them photos, with large areas of missing information. Access add a border, or smooth, expand or contract the
creating mirrored artifacts in a single still. it via the Edit menu item – Free Transform gives you selection. Again, this can be useful when you are
in the image. Finally, Underexposure is the biggest problem with fine control, Transform uses pre-defined settings. adding missing information by duplicating another
although you may be 41
amateur photography. Try saving a grayscale area of the picture.
tempted to use the
copy of the image, loading it as a selection, then
Blend and Transparency
options when cloning,
filling the image with 50% grey and using the Color place a cutout against a different-coloured Switch to Quick Mask mode, dab over your
47
don’t! Apply your clones Dodge option in the Fill dialog. background. The Defringe option on the Layer menu is subject’s retinas with a suitably-sized brush, go
to a separate layer that To clear up marks and blemishes, use the designed to put this right. back to normal mode, invert your selection then tweak
you can control to your
42
Dust & Scratches filter, then add some noise to You can quickly copy an area of an image by the Hue/Saturation sliders to restore a realistic colour.
heart’s content. 45
simulate grain, save the result as a Snapshot, then use it selecting it and then option-dragging it with the Most of the time you’ll want the cursor to
48
with the History Brush to paint over damaged areas of Move tool – the copy becomes a floating selection you reflect the size of the brush you’re using – you
the original. can move around at will. It can be a handy alternative can set this via the program preferences. Pressing Caps

3 IN DETAIL 43
The Clone Stamp tool is the usual choice for
blotting out spots and blemishes, but in even-
to cloning.
When you want to edit a selected part of your
Lock at any time reverts to precise crosshairs.
It’s near-impossible to create decent-looking
46 49
THE EVILS OF toned areas like skies, the Blur tool is quicker, easier and image, copy and paste it first. This creates a clipping paths around human hair, so try
COMPRESSION often gives much smoother, more seamless repairs. duplicate of the selected area on a new layer, so that softening the outline with the Airbrush, using the final
Most digital cameras store images Anti-aliasing is great for smoothing selection you don’t have to mess with the original image while background colour, and then create the clipping path a
using some sort of compression.
44
edges, but can produce fringes if you then you’re experimenting. few millimetres away.
While compressing the images
maximises the number that can be
stored on the memory card, it also
compromises the image quality.
50 Improving colour contrast
Most digital cameras use JPEG
compression to reduce the amount Underexposure is a common problem with point-and-shoot cameras, but simple to correct...
of information where there are
large swathes of a single colour or
try to average colour values in This picture has a lot of detail and contrast we’ve continued onto bring some depth of field to
certain areas. In both cases, this
and is well framed, but underexposed. the trees. This trick can add depth to an otherwise
produces digital artifacts that mar
the image. While most cameras Fortunately, improving the colour contrast is a flat picture, but be careful not to go too far or the
enable you to set the level of simple task. darks areas will posterise.
compression, which can help Start by adding a levels adjustment layer Adjusting the white and black points will
reduce the presence of these a (Layer8New Adjustment Layer8Levels). d wash out other parts of the image. To
artifacts, most images still need Make sure that the Channel is set to RGB and the bring the tone on the castle down, drag the
some cleaning up.
Preview box is checked. midpoint slightly to the left. The completed
Click and drag the white point slider to the picture has a much better colour balance than the
b left until it’s just under the rising curve of the original scan.
histogram. The reflecting light on the castle is To illustrate the differences between the use
already quite bright, so it’s important not to drag the
e of Levels and Curves in improving colour
slider too far or the castle will burn in. contrast, turn off the Levels layer and add a Curves
Next, click and drag the black point to the layer. Even with multiple handles and tweaking, the
c right. You would normally stop where the resulting image doesn’t have the depth of field that Adjusting the colour contrast will help
curve starts (as with the white point) but in this case the Levels version does and is too bright. bring this picture’s quality up.

084 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


4
TECHNIQUEQ&A
100% authoritative

Your camera
Expert guides to taking better pictures
Our tutorials are carefully crafted to give you more

CAMERA TECHNIQUES

M
any thanks to all those Our other camera techniques feature
readers who wrote in last looks at that most vital part of your ■ SHUTTER SPEEDS P86
month, complementing us on camera, the lens, and how altering the Discover how to add blurring
the clarity of our camera tutorials. focus or the lens itself can add drama to your photos – or snapshot a
split-second event
We’ve tried hard to make camera to even the simplest photos.
technique as easy to understand as As ever, try out the techniques we CAMERA TECHNIQUES FURTHER INFO or tool in depth, so you have a
possible so it’s good to know we’re suggest where you can (some of the ■ THE LENS AND FOCUSSING P88 Quick ways to clearer understanding of the key
hitting the mark for at least a few effects require a higher-level camera We show you how creative use get more from concepts described.
of the lens can add more the technique or project that is
people. This month, to tie in with our than is typical), send in the results to
under consideration. EXPLAINED
cover feature, we explain how shutter the address below-right and we’ll print dynamism to a photograph
Any tricky jargon and
speeds can be manipulated to give the the best in next month’s issue. PHOTO HELP WALKTHROUGH concepts are
effect of movement in your pictures – ■ Q&A P90 We don’t just describe explained in more detail here.
or to slow fast-moving objects into a Problems solved Aidan solves this month’s crop a technique; we show
split-second frame of action. Also this month, Aidan solves another of your problems, from camera you how to do it step by step. SEND EM’ IN
We want your
It’s a technique anyone can use in grab-bag of your camera and image to image editing
IN DETAIL contributions! Please
everyday shots to add some very cool editing questions. Keep them coming in
Here’s where we talk send in your suggestions, article
‘milky’ effects to moving water, or, as and he’ll do his best to sort them out. about a particular idea ideas, tutorials, pictures and more.
we’ve mentioned in our Night Aidan’s also keen to publicise his series of
Photography feature, to moving lights digital photography seminars and
(also see this month’s Getup&go for workshops, where he’ll be revealing Your experts
some slick lighting effects captured some expert tips and techniques. Find out Our photography writers are here to help
inside Salisbury Cathedral). more at www.aidan.co.uk
TIM DALY
Tim is a lecturer on photography and is the
author of several best-selling books about
CAMERA TECHNIQUE – SHUTTER SPEEDS CAMERA TECHNIQUE – LENS Q&A – BLACK AND WHITES
digital photography and image-editing
techniques. His work has been exhibited
around Europe.

AIDAN O’ROURKE
Aidan has contributed to the Manchester
Evening News and has been using digital
photography for years. He’ll be answering
P88 P90 your technical and photographic questions
every issue.
Q&A – RED-EYE Q&A – EXPOSURES
4

CONTACT OUR TUTORIALS TEAM


If you have a comment, suggestion, idea or
submission you would like to make, please email us at the
following addresses:

P86 P91 P92 ■ For technical help/problems: help.dcm@futurenet.co.uk


■ For submissions to our gallery section: gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
■ For general response and feedback: letters.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
Tutorials you can trust ■ Authoritative
A leading professional in their field writes
the tutorial for yourself, delivering a
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■ For suggestions, ideas for articles: editor.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
■ Talk about the magazine and our tutorials with other readers:
Our mission is to ensure that our tutorials every tutorial. ■ Clear visit our website at digitalcameramagazine.co.uk
bring you creative ideas, expert techniques, ■ Value added Our large page size means we can add
tips and quick fixes you can use in your Where possible, we include image files, extra elements, explanations and detail to
own work. and full or trial software so you can try each tutorial.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 085


TECHNIQUE USING YOUR CAMERA

YOUR GUIDE TIM DALY


Tim has written several books on photography including The Digital Photography Handbook, The
Digital Printing Handbook and The Desktop Photographer, and he continues to write for The
British Journal of Photography and AG. His photographs have been exhibited across Europe

tim@photocollege.co.uk PORTFOLIO TIM DALY WEBSITE WWW.PHOTOCOLLEGE.CO.UK

Shutter speeds
and movement
If your camera lets you set shutter speeds manually, you can capture a range of moving
subject matter but, as Tim Daly explains, knowing when to press it is a different matter…

A
ABOVE The shutter can be camera’s shutter controls the amount of time All digital cameras suffer from an effect called shutter
used to create some unusual that the sensor is exposed to light. Like lag caused by a slight delay when data is captured,
and stunning visual effects apertures, shutter speeds are organised into a processed and stored on the memory card. This prevents
standard scale, but measured in fractions of a second. you taking another image immediately while the data
FAR RIGHT This waterfall was Unusually for an international measurement, shutter from the previous image is filed away.
captured using a slow shutter speeds are expressed in old-fashioned fractions rather
speed of 1/2s and, most than decimal values and are typically arranged as Which cameras lag most
importantly, with the camera follows: 1/1000th, 1/500th, 1/250th, 1/125th, 1/60th, Budget cameras suffer most of all from shutter lag, as
tethered on a tripod 1/30th, 1/15th, 1/8th, 1/4, 1/2 and 1 second. they have little or no built-in memory buffer, but on
At the 1/1000th end of the scale, the shutter more expensive compacts and SLRs, built-in memory
remains open only for a short time, but at 1/2 second, acts as a kind of temporary storage facility so you can
the shutter remains open for longer. Like the aperture keep on shooting.
scale, one step along the scale will either double or If you’re stuck with a camera with lag problems,
halve the time that the sensor is exposed to light. consider shooting low-quality JPEGs for a faster

086 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


Anticipation is everything at sporting events. See pictures from the recent Commonwealth NEXT MONTH

4
FURTHER Games at www.nikon.co.uk/gallery/commonwealth_games/. This site has award-winning 3 USING YOUR
FLASH
INSPIRATION images by professional photographers at the top of their game

turnaround. On better cameras, uncompressed file


formats such as TIFFs may give much better image
3 IN DETAIL
quality, but will increase the shutter lag due to the time FLASH SYNCHRO SPEED
taken to process and store the files. Many digital cameras have a built-
in flash unit that fires under fully
automatic settings. If external flash
The decisive moment units are used, the right shutter
The greatest photographic skill that only comes with speed must be set accordingly. All
practice is knowing instinctively when to press the cameras have a maximum flash
shutter. All the best documentary photographers and synchronisation shutter speed, such
photojournalists have developed this ability as a sixth as 1/60th or 1/125th. If faster
sense and can predict when to press the shutter. shutter speeds are selected, then
the resulting photographs display a
The term decisive moment was first used by the
characteristic strip-like error. This is
French photographer, Henri Cartier-Bresson, founder of due to the moving shutter curtain
the internationally-acclaimed Magnum Photo agency. only revealing a portion of the
Cartier-Bresson declared that all photographers should sensor at any one time when set
be able to know exactly when a subject best presents to faster speeds. Unless dedicated
itself to the camera, hence the term ‘decisive moment’. flash program modes are available
to match the external flash unit,
Practice your skills of anticipation by shooting a
the camera must be operated on
sequence of a person performing a simple task or shake occurs when too slow a shutter speed is selected, ABOVE Panning is not an exact science and plenty of fully manual mode.
activity. Try to predict beforehand which stages of the coupled with a slight movement of the photographer’s trial shots need to be taken before results like Synchronisation speeds are only
action will provide you with the best photo opportunity, body as the exposure is taken. Even the slightest sway this are produced used when attaching external
both in terms of composition and defining the essence will cause the lens to move during exposure, and result flash units to prevent errors like
of the task itself in a single shot. The results usually in a blurred picture, regardless of how well you focussed camera on a tripod. Experiment with shutter speed this from happening. Most
problems occur when the camera
occur when you’ve captured the right facial expression in the first place. settings from 1/2 to 1/8th of a second and if this
is left on auto exposure or aperture
together with a key moment of activity. doesn’t create enough blur, then move the camera itself
priority mode and a fast shutter
Unintentionally blurred images are generally caused Camera shake during exposure. speed is selected to cope with
by camera shake rather than poor focussing. Camera The problem occurs most frequently with digital compact Moving subjects should be photographed from side- bright light conditions.
zooms set on the telephoto end of the scale, and on, so any movement trail is captured within the frame.
especially in low light conditions. As telephoto lenses Better digital cameras enable you to keep the shutter
WHAT MAKES A capture far off subjects, any slight body movement will held open on the B setting for indefinite periods of

GOOD PICTURE? cause the viewfinder image to change composition


dramatically. Camera shake can be solved by setting a
time. With this technique, any moving bright lights
record as streaks, and static objects record as they
Photography lets us contemplate later events shutter speed of 1/125th of a second or faster, but if appear. Ultra-long exposure tricks are often used by
that happen in the flash of an instant. Not just you haven’t got faster shutter speeds architectural photographers to blur-out moving people,
restricted to high-speed events, a sporting can’t be used, use a tripod or steady yourself against a leaving the static and important architecture to dominate
moment of glory or the sight of a rare animal in wall. Ultra-long telephoto lenses used on digital SLRs the composition.
the wild, but everyday life occurrences. The need a minimum 1/250th to offset the increase in This kind of exposure trick is made using special light-
luck factor can never be overestimated, camera shake because of the extra weight and reducing filters called neutral density filters. Without
but good photographers make their luck by awkward balancing involved. If light levels are too low causing colour imbalance, ND filters reduce the light
being ready and in the right place at the to use a fast shutter speed, make your ISO higher or use levels drastically, enabling the photographer to pick a ? EXPLAINED
right time. If you’re keen to try your hand at fly- a flash instead. shutter speed of several seconds without running the
on-the-wall documentary-style photography, risk of overexposing the image. Blurring effects are
SHUTTER RELEASE
Digital cameras have an
you’ll get a better strike rate if you always have Fast & slow shutter speeds easily mimicked in image-editing applications using the electronically-driven shutter that
your camera switched on, set to aperture Faster speeds record motion and movement by Gaussian Blur filter. does not produce the same
priority and close to hand around your neck or capturing a fleeting slice of the action. Fast shutter satisfying clunk when released as
in your pocket. technique forms the key to the best wildlife and sports Panning old-fashioned mechanical shutter.
Award-winning photo opportunities like photography, but knowing where to position yourself to A firm favourite with motorsports enthusiasts, the Only digital SLR cameras turn the
viewfinder momentarily dark
this come and go in an see the action is important too. As a general guide, technique of panning conveys all the drama and
during an exposure, as compact
instant, but if you’re not 1/250th of a second is necessary for most non-running excitement of a finely-tuned machine at top speed. cameras use a separate viewing
ready to take advantage human movement; for running and jumping action, Panning works when the camera tracks the position of a window to the taking lens and no
of them, you’ll always 1/500th of a second is necessary; and for very fast moving object during exposure. such blackout occurs.
have regrets. This action, such as motor sports, horse racing, cricket and The panning technique is based on a slower shutter
miraculous shot of a football, 1/1000th of a second and over is needed. speed and needs to be practiced. Arrange your shooting
jumping dog was With fast shutter speeds, light hits the sensor only for position so that the moving object passes from one side
captured at exactly a very short time, so light of a higher intensity must be of your viewfinder frame to the other, and select a
the right time. used to compensate. To increase light intensity, larger
aperture values like f2.8 or f4 should be selected. If little
shutter speed of 1/15th of a second. Press your shutter
just as the moving object appears and immediately
@ SEND ’EM IN!
natural light at the scene prevents the selection of a fast follow its path by moving your camera. As the shutter Try out the techniques in this article
then send us your photos. We’ll

@
shutter speed, increasing the ISO value from 200 to 800 closes, the resulting image will display a sharpish
print the best each month. Email us
will solve the problem. moving object against a very streaky background. The
at the following address:
Movement within photographic images can be a very same kind of effect can be applied to the backgrounds
expressive and atmospheric tool for creating a sensation of frozen movement photographs using the Motion Blur gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
of activity and action, but you do need to anchor your filter in Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 087


TECHNIQUE USING YOUR CAMERA

The lens and


focussing

Understanding exactly how a camera lens works is the key to more dynamic
photographs. Tim Daly shows how the design and specification of a lens can
determine the kind of subjects you can tackle with confidence

A
ABOVE Wide angles do allow lens is described by its focal length in body. At the higher SLR end of the market, removable
you to cram in just about millimetres such as 50mm or 18mm. The prime lenses are available, but their simpler optical
everything, but straight lines angle of view (how much of the scene can construction enables a far higher image quality. Many of
will never look the same be seen through the lens) has a direct link to this focal the world’s best photographers use prime lenses rather
length. In the familiar territory of the 35mm film camera than a zoom, which is seen as a jack of all trades, but
FAR RIGHT This image was world, a 50mm lens is referred to as a ‘standard’ lens master of none. Prime lenses are available in all focal
captured with an ultra-long because it comes close to giving the same angle of lengths from the specialist wide-angle fish eye to the
telephoto lens, pre-focussed view as the human eye. In the digital world, light- ultra-long telephoto lens.
on a set point. Not even the sensitive image sensors are physically smaller than
fastest photographer could 35mm film and the equivalent standard lens has a The wide-angle lens
pull focus on a subject running much shorter focal length. This month we take a look at Wide-angle lenses are best employed in confined spaces
towards him the different lens types (each lens usually has or in situations when you are forced into a position close
information on the focal length printed on its inner rim) to your subject. Wide angles have the visual effect of
and how they affect the photos you capture. pushing a subject away from you and can be a useful
tool if you need to photograph an object showing its
The prime lens perimeter edges. With this versatility comes an
Also called the fixed focal-length lens, this kind of lens unfortunate compromise with added distortion.
does not have the ability to zoom close or pull away If you are not holding your camera in a level position,
from a subject. Fixed focal-length lenses are found at the wide-angle lens will exaggerate any vertical or
the cheaper end of the digital camera market to keep horizontal lines into converging triangles. This can be an
costs down and cannot be removed from the camera effective way to make graphic and dynamic images out

088 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


The fashion catwalk is one of the hardest photographic assignments and needs a careful choice NEXT MONTH

4
FURTHER of lens and expert focussing. Take a look at the stunning images from the recent London Fashion 3 BETTER
COMPOSITION
INSPIRATION Week at www.nikon.co.uk/gallery/fashion_week

The Nikon Coolpix 4500 is fitted with a such as f4 instead of f2.8. In practical terms, this is
practical zoom lens with a focal length of less useful for shooting in low light and achieving 0 EXPERT TIP
7.85-32mm, which is equivalent to 38- shallow depth of field effects. The maximum aperture
155mm in a 35mm film camera setting is rarely constant across a zoom’s range, often TIM DALY
LENS CARE
changing from f4 at the wide-angle end to f5.6 at the
telephoto end. Macro zooms, another potential feature
KEEP IT CLEAN
Like spectacles and contact
to look out for, are specialised lenses offering a tool for lenses, camera lenses are
close-up photos. manufactured with a special anti-
reflective coating that helps to
Autofocus improve image quality. This
Digital cameras use autofocus to remove the human multicoating is designed to
improve both contrast and colour
error out of taking a picture. Most cameras have an
reproduction, yet is easily affected
Some manufacturers produce lens autofocus target in the centre of the viewfinder that is
by grease from fingers. Once
adaptors that clip over your existing lens best placed over the main subject and this works smeared with a tiny amount of
to expand the scope of your camera faultlessly – providing the subject is centrally placed. natural oil from your skin, the
Autofocus is activated by half-depressing the shutter performance of a lens drops
button and placing your subject in the centre of the dramatically, creating flat contrast
of mundane subjects, but much less useful for making a extra weight and potential problems with the frame, until a green confirmation light appears in the images with washed-out colours.
If your lens does get
faithful documentary image. With portrait photography photographer’s balance. Focussed on a tiny object in the viewfinder display.
inadvertently greasy, clean it only
too, this distortion effect will cause facial features to distance, an extended telephoto lens will start to Autofocus is unable to focus on low contrast subjects with special lens-cleaning tissues
become pulled in all directions. wobble, making it essential to grip the camera steady or like large areas of flat colour, and will track the lens back or, for more serious cases, an
use an extra support like a tripod. For long lens work, a and forth in error. Solve this problem by recomposing alcohol-free spectacle wipe.
The telephoto lens good idea is to choose a faster shutter speed like and focussing on an edge of the subject, then pressing Tiny specks of dust, sand and
At the opposite end of the scale is the telephoto lens, 1/250s to avoid the unwanted effects of camera shake. the autofocus lock on your camera. The lock holds the human hair will reduce your
image sharpness and this should
loosely described as anything with a focal length greater focus setting in place, so you can recompose and shoot
only be removed by using a
than a standard lens. The telephoto is most useful for The zoom lens more creative results. blower brush, available from
making distant subjects much bigger in your viewfinder Many digital cameras are sold with a zoom, which Another common autofocus problem occurs when a all photographic retailers, or a
and cropping out unwanted peripheral detail. has a variable focal length such as 7.85-32mm. A zoom subject falls outside the central portion of the frame and soft artists’ paintbrush. Any grit
In addition to travel, sports and architectural lens lets a photographer have the freedom to frame the camera sets focus on another object in the distance or sand that comes into contact
photography, the telephoto is extremely useful for subjects set at variable distances. Zoom lenses are by mistake. with your lens can potentially
etch a permanent scratch and
portrait photography, as little distortion occurs. All fashion essentially stepless, enabling the photographer to
ruin it forever.
magazine front cover photographs are taken with a long carefully frame and compose different subject variations Clip-on lens filters
telephoto lens because an effect called foreshortening from the same position. For those digital cameras with fixed focal-length lenses,
creates a very flattering result. With foreshortening, the This is particularly useful when close access to your clip-on lens filters can be screwed onto the normal lens
physical distances between near and far elements
become much more compressed and the opposite of
subject is out of your reach – like detail on the upper
reaches of a building. At the shorter 7.85mm end of this
to give you an added tool for both wide-angle and
telephoto work. The best products are made by camera
? EXPLAINED
the wide-angle effect is created. scale, the lens is wide-angle; at the longer 32mm end manufacturers and are designed to complement the LENSES AND COVERAGE
Telephoto lenses are physically longer than standard of the scale, the lens is telephoto. Many zooms have a main lens. There are no additional aperture settings on a Strange as it may seem, all lenses
or wide-angle lenses. With this increase in size comes maximum aperture that is not as wide as a prime lens, clip-on and it often reduces your maximum aperture. project a circular image onto the
image sensor, but only the
rectangular portion in the centre of
the circle is actually recorded. The

LENS SETTINGS Three pictures of Toronto harbour demonstrate the


results you get using different lens settings
term lens coverage describes the
extent of this circle, where wide-
angles lenses like fish-eyes create
small image circles that do not
quite cover the sensor.

8 8
@ SEND ’EM IN!
Try out the techniques in this article
then send us your photos. We’ll

@
WIDE ANGLE NORMAL TELEPHOTO
01 This image was taken of the harbour area in
02 The same scene was shot using the zoom lens
03 Finally, the maximum telephoto setting was
print the best each month. Email us
at the following address:
Toronto, Canada using a zoom lens on wide- set halfway between wide and telephoto. It selected in order to frame as tightly around a
angle setting. The lens captures more of the scene in both captures much less of the harbour area. detail as possible. gallery.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
vertical and horizontal dimensions.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 089


PhotoHelp PORTFOLIO AIDAN O’ROURKE WEBSITE WWW.AIDAN.CO.UK

Got a question about cameras or images? Send your emails today to help.dcm@futurenet.co.uk and Aidan will do his best to help!

YOUR GUIDE AIDAN O’ROURKE

All your camera


Aidan O’Rourke is a freelance
photographer who has been
questions answered
Send us your camera and image-editing queries and Aidan will do his best to help

2
working with digital imaging and Our eyes perceive the image as
photography since 1994. He desaturating the colours, or throwing the appearance of photographs on web sharp because we look at a computer
created ‘Eyewitness in Manchester’ away the colour information, the pages – how much sharpness would screen from further away than a book
(part of Manchester Evening
HOW DO I GET BETTER resulting mono-chrome image you recommend? or newspaper. Also, because the tiny
News), the largest online source of
BLACK AND WHITE PIX? doesn't necessarily look right. Take a Damian Nolan pixels on the computer screen are
photos and information about CAMERA USE look at these four images below. emitting light, there is a slight halo
Manchester. He’s currently running ■ BEGINNER The monochrome capture setting Looking at images on the web, effect around each one, making them
seminars on digital photography They say black and white is on many digital cameras has been
A I notice a huge range in image appear to merge into a smooth area.
around the country
Q superior to colour, and my specially configured to emulate black quality. A key factor is sharpness, and Sharpening an image for display on
camera has a black and white setting. and white film. I don't think many photographs appear less sharp a web page can be done in any
[seminars] Is it worth using, or is it better to shoot manufacturers would put a than they ought to be. People often image-editing software program. You
www.aidan.co.uk/seminars/ in colour and remove colours in my monochrome capture setting on their say that my images are bright, need to increase the contrast
index.html image editor? I read somewhere that range of cameras as a mere gimmick, punchy and appear to ‘jump off the between neighbouring lighter and
black and white capture is a gimmick. so I say, use the monochrome capture screen’. The reason for this is careful darker level pixels. When viewed
Xavier Quinn setting and experiment. manipulation of the sharpness. from a distance, our eyes perceive

2
But what exactly is going on when this as sharpness.
Was it the same reviewer who we sharpen an image on a web The amount of sharpness to apply
A said digital zoom was a page? First of all we have to depends very much on the image. If
gimmick? I beg to differ. Many
HOW MUCH SHARPNESS? understand that a computer screen is there is a lot of detail already, for
cameras have a black and white INTERNET actually a very low-resolution image example leaves and branches, then
capture setting and it is useful. Why? ■ BEGINNER display medium – only 72 pixels per only moderate sharpening should be
Well, while it's true that you can The sharpness settings in my inch. Even a low-quality newspaper necessary. If there is less detail, then
make black and white images by
Q image editor seems to improve image has 150 dots per inch. more may be required.

2 ANSWERED!
IMAGE EDITING
2DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO BLACK AND WHITE
SHARPNESS SETTINGS . . . . . . . .90 There’s more than one way to make a black and white image, but which is best?
JPEG COMPRESSION . . . . . . . . . .91

CAMERA USE
BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOS . . . .90
FLASH EFFECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
SHUTTER DELAY . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
F-NUMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91
AUTO-EXPOSURE SETTINGS . . . .92
FILTERS AND OPTICAL TRICKS . . .92
NIGHT SHOOTING . . . . . . . . . . . .93
HISTOGRAMS EXPLAINED . . . . . .93

MEDIA
This photo was taken in This black and white version This was made using This photo was taken in
WEBSITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91, 93
BOOK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91 01 colour using the standard 02 was made in Photoshop 03 Image8 Mode8Greyscale. 04 B/W. The grass has come
settings on a Nikon Coolpix Elements 2 by using See how there is a out darker overall, and the
digital camera. Image8 Adjust8 Desaturate. difference in the tonal values. tones of the flowers are different.

090 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


8
FANSITE REVIEW www.steves-digicams.com
Content: at first sight, www.steves-digicams.com looks like Joe Public's home page,
but it has the depth of coverage of a professional website, with a wealth of
impartial and up-to-date information.
Verdict: if you haven't already come across it in a search, try it, and if you're hungry for new
kit, you'll get hooked on the detailed camera reviews and photos!

2
HOW DO I STOP RED-EYE
2 JPEG COMPRESSION
You don’t need to rely on the good sense of your local photo processing lab
; READ ON
KODAK WORKSHOP SERIES:
WHEN USING A CAMERA? DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY,
A BASIC GUIDE TO
FLASH EFFECTS NEW TECHNOLOGY
■ BEGINNER
When I take pictures of large
Q groups of people with a flash,
there’s a really weird effect – it’s as if
the eyes are large and glowing. What’s
the reason for this and is there
anything to remedy the effect?
Tom Noble
At JPEG high, evidence of compression is only At JPEG low, distortion is caused by At JPEG medium, the distortion is less
Red-eye is caused when light noticeable if you look closely compression. Pixels are grouped in squares
A from a flash bounces off the
noticeable, but details are still unclear

2
rear of the eye and back into the lens. There are many ways to ruin a to pay – the more JPEG compression
Red-eye is at its most pronounced
A perfectly good photograph you apply, the more the image
Published by
ISBN
Silver Pixel Press
0879857978
when the pupil is open wide and the when preparing it for the web. One of becomes degraded. Price £16.99
flash is close to the camera lens. To
WHAT’S THE BEST RATIO? the most common is to apply too So what level of JPEG compression
Written by Jenni Bidner
IMAGE EDITING
Buy from www.amazon.co.uk
reduce red-eye, move the flash away much JPEG compression. JPEG is a should you apply? Generally, I use
from the lens – ideally directly above – ■ BEGINNER clever and useful image format. JPEG high for images on the web, This is one of only a small
and try to make the pupils contract by What compression level should By using some remarkable as it represents the best balance number of digital photography
increasing the ambient light or using a
Q I use for photos on web pages? number-crunching when saving the between image quality and file books on the shelves. If you
want things explained in detail
pre-flash or some other red-eye I’ve heard you need to use JPEG low image, it can reduce the size of the size. Images of 500 x 375 generally
at a basic level, this is the
reduction method. quality to reduce download time. file on disk to a fraction of its size on come out at around 60k – smaller book for you. This edition was
When you move back from your Would you recommend this? screen, thus saving disk space and if there are plain areas, higher if published in 2000 and though
subject, the red-eye effect becomes Ciaran Sheridan download time. But there is a price there’s a lot of detail. the principles of digital
more pronounced because the angle photography remain the same,
between the flash and the lens the equipment has moved on.

2
Thorough, well written and
becomes smaller so that it is virtually a camera to take the picture at the enabling more or less light to pass
useful, it’s in need of a bit of
the same, and this means the flash is right time, then you have to spend through the lens. The aperture, or
updating – especially the photo
firing directly into the eye. more money! ‘amount of open-ness’ (related to the
The level of reflection can be quite
WHY SHUTTER DELAY? Italian word, 'aperta', meaning open) is
of the ancient laptop on page

2
15. Go to www.borders.co.uk
high – like cats’ eyes. There is also a CAMERA USE described by the f-number. If it is set for more information.
spreading of the light, making the ■ BEGINNER at f2, (think of one over two or ‘half
white disc seem to take up the whole Why is there a delay between open’) then the lens is at its widest,
Q WHAT’S AN F-STOP?
?
of the eye, which is a nightmare to pressing the shutter and the allowing the largest amount of light
correct through image enhancement. picture being taken? CAMERA USE to enter. EXPLAINED
On-camera flash is really only Jeremy Woodward ■ ■ INTERMEDIATE If it is set at f4 (one-over-four or CMOS: Complementary Metal
effective up to a distance of about ten Can you explain the f-numbers ‘one-quarter open’), then the amount Oxide Semiconductor. A type of
feet. Try to avoid taking flash photos of On most cheaper digital
Q and why the number increases of light is reduced by half. On a zoom image sensor offering
people beyond that distance.
A cameras there is a shutter when I extend the zoom lens? lens, the f-number increases as the advantages over the CCD
(Charge Coupled Device) sensor
delay or lag, which can make all the Tim Jackson zoom is extended. As you increase the
used in most digital cameras.
difference between a world-beating amount of zoom, the area of capture
image and a lost opportunity. There F-numbers are found on lenses, (and thus the amount of light passing
are two causes – focusing time, and
A and refer to the amount of light through the lens) is reduced.
Matrix metering: a method of
autoexposure where the
the time it takes for the camera’s the lens allows to pass through – the If you’re using a zoom, there are frame is divided up into areas
electronics to fire the shutter. bigger the number, the less light. They two reasons for keeping the camera each measured separately.
Certain light combinations, for
Being able to capture the image at are similar to fractions, which describe steady – there is less light coming
example, bright sky in the upper
‘le moment juste’ or just the right a smaller amount as the number into the camera, necessitating a area and dark foreground in the
split-second is, in my experience, increases (though the relationship isn’t longer exposure time, and because lower area, are recognised and
absolutely essential. The higher- exactly the same). you are magnifying the central area, adjusted for, giving a more
end digital cameras have virtually Like the human eye, lenses have any camera movement will become precise level of exposure.
What lovely eyes you have… see last month’s
issue for fixing red-eye in your image editor eliminated the delay, so if you want an iris that opens and closes, more apparent.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 091


PhotoHelp
Got a question about cameras or images? Send your emails today to help.dcm@futurenet.co.uk and Aidan will do his best to help!

V TECH FOCUS
THE FOVEON X3 SENSOR
2
HOW DO I STOP LIGHT
What it is: digital images are AUTOEXPOSURES?
made up of a grid of pixels,
CAMERA USE
each one a specific colour.
You’d expect each pixel in the ■ ■ INTERMEDIATE
image to correspond to a pixel When I’m shooting at dusk with
in the camera’s sensor, but it’s Q the flash switched off, the auto-
not quite as simple as that.
Nearly all consumer digital exposure makes the picture look much This capture was made at standard settings – Here the exposure compensation is set to With the exposure compensation set to minus
cameras have a CCD or CMOS lighter than the original scene. Is there the exposure was one third of a second at f4. minus two, but the sky is too dark and the one, the scene I saw in front of me was the
The sky is light and the lights are overexposed exterior walls are black same as on the LCD screen
sensor with one layer of anything I can do about this?
photosensors, each one
David Fleming
capturing one colour only. The
sensors are arranged in a Too little and the picture will be too and make the picture lighter than it you to view the picture immediately –
mosaic pattern of red, green, The job of autoexposure is to dark, and the dark areas will hardly should be. In this case, you need to I often hold it up next to the scene
blue and green. The colour A regulate the amount of light rise above black. In daylight, use autoexposure compensation. and compare the levels of light on
information is then interpolated entering the camera – too much and autoexposure should work okay, but Setting it to minus one should restore screen and in reality. When they more
to give a full colour image.
Clever but, unfortunately, the
the picture will be too bright, and shooting outdoors at dusk, it has a the scene to how it should look. The or less match, you know you’ve found
interpolation process leads to a light areas will burn out to white. tendency to misread the conditions digital camera’s LCD screen enables the right level.
degradation of image quality.

2 IMPROVISING YOUR OWN FILTERS


The Foveon X3 is a new type
of image sensor developed by
US-based company, Foveon.

How it works: like colour film, Improvise with filters and other optical devices placed front of the lens
it has three layers, and is able
to capture red, green and blue There are times when, even with a digital camera,
at each pixel location. The
result is an image with a
it’s necessary to use a filter at image-capture stage.
similar tonal resolution to a The trouble is, most compact digital cameras aren’t
conventional sensor, but with geared up to filters. This is when we need to do that
three times the colour thing I love to do – improvise!
information. Because no
If you’ve moved from SLR film to compact digital
interpolation is necessary, the
processing of the picture you may well have some filters in your camera bag.
information becomes simpler These can easily be used with any digital camera –
and the image quality is higher. you can either hold them over the lens or use Blu
It can also be used to capture Tack to secure them to the front of the camera.
high-quality video and high-
resolution photography.
So why would you use a filter? Sometimes, it’s
necessary to use a neutral density filter to reduce
Where to get it: you currently the overall level of light entering the camera. You
have a choice of only one – the might want to use a powerful flash, or a slower
Sigma SD-9 SLR camera,
shutter speed in bright light – say, to achieve a
available on the Jessops
website by special order for a blurred effect on moving objects like cars.
mere (!) £2,200. If you had to choose one filter, then a polarising
filter is very useful because it reduces glare and
Find out more: has the same effect as a neutral density filter.
www.foveon.com
It’s also fun to experiment with those good old
filters such as starburst, kaleidoscope and diffusion.
With a digital camera you can see the results
straightaway and fine-tune the effects – purely
optical effects have a charm of their own.
This image resulted when I took the photograph with the teleconverter lens still attached. The result is a vignetting effect
If you don’t have a filter handy, then it’s easy to around the edges reminiscent of 19th century photography
use a pair of sunglasses – those with polarising
filters are useful. effects can occur by accident. I shot the Manchester telescopes. The optics may not be as good as a
An old magnifying glass or prism can produce Ship Canal photo with the teleconverter still proper lens, but often the attraction is in the
interesting effects, which are often more interesting attached, giving a vignetting effect. I also like to imperfection – and you learn more about
and more unique than Photoshop filters. Some experiment with shooting through coin-operated photography by doing it, so go forth and improvise!

092 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


8
MANUFACTURER SITE www.fujifilm.co.uk
Content: looking at Fuji's UK website www.fujifilm.co.uk it's clear the company places
a high value on local involvements and good causes. Stunning images by
photographers take up more than half the screen area, rotating when you click
'refresh', and partnerships are flagged up, including Mencap and the London Eye.
Verdict: it's nice to see a corporate site that doesn't just try to promote the corporation.

2
HOW DO I TAKE BETTER
levels of light are often far beyond
the sensitivity range of the camera.
Within the frame we may have a
pitch-black sky at the bottom end of
2UNDERSTANDING HISTOGRAMS
Check the exposure of your images with a histogram
NIGHT SCENES? the scale, and a cluster of very bright

2
CAMERA USE street lights shining directly into the
■ ■ INTERMEDIATE lens at the top end of the scale. Even
Shooting night scenes after dark the human eye will find it difficult to
Q often produces disappointing adjust to such a wide range of light
HOW DO I USE HISTOGRAMS?
results – the lights are burned-out to levels. In a photograph, we get the IMAGE EDITING

white, the colours are brown and ‘bleached out’ effect. ■ ■ ■ ADVANCED
there’s a lack of detail in the shadows. So what’s the solution? First, it’s My digital camera has a histogram
What can I do? generally better to shoot while
Q display on it. There’s a histogram on
Dave Turner there’s still some light in the sky. Not my image editor, too. Please can you
only does it look better than a black explain what a histogram is and why it
Night scenes are often difficult sky, but dusk light lifts the level of is useful?
A to capture successfully. What ambient light, ‘topping up’ the Simon Hardy
you see is a magnificent floodlit artificial lights, so you’re not reliant
square with facades lit up by warm, on them alone. The histogram is a graph that
glowing lamps. You set the camera The other thing you have to avoid This image of Hemingborough Minster in Yorkshire shows a healthy spread of
A shows light levels in an image. The
up on your tripod or a solid surface, is artificial light shining directly into levels from black to white horizontal axis shows the levels
switch off the flash and fire the the lens – move away from lights and from 0 (black) to 255 (white). The
shutter. What you get is a messy try to hide them behind lampposts or vertical axis shows the number of
image full of flare, burnt-out patches other obstacles. You’ll also need to pixels in the image displaying each
of white and areas of black. What has use a lens hood or hold your hand level. So in a low key picture – that is,
gone wrong? over the lens to block stray light rays one in which the brightness levels are
Photography is all about brightness coming in from the side. towards the lower end, we would
levels. In a photograph you have to The final thing you need to do is expect to see a peak at the left-hand end
capture a range of light from dark to set the autoexposure compensation of the graph. In a high key image, we
light. In ‘average’ lighting conditions to minus one or two. Looking in the would expect to see a peak at the right-
– the light levels from the darkest LCD you can experiment with hand end.
black to the whitest white should fall different levels of underexposure. You The histogram can tell us a lot about
well within what the camera can can even merge these multiple shots the picture. Like a doctor looking at a
handle in one exposure. When later, combining the optimally- patient’s cardiograph, we can tell from
shooting night scenes, however, the exposed parts of a range of shots. the histogram whether we have a
‘healthy’ exposure. The ideal exposure is
The double exposure of the Burj Al Arab Hotel in Dubai shows dark tones one where we have good levels from
bunched up at the left-hand end of the scale and very few at the top end. This is black to white, with a nice smooth curve.
what we would expect of a night shot like this

Levels
The histogram is very useful in itself,
but in the Levels control we can go
even further and make adjustments
to it. Levels is essentially a histogram
which you can manipulate. It’s the tool I
use all the time to restore images to
This disastrous image was captured on black
and white film at the magnificent Zwinger
good health. Take a dull and muddy
Palace in Dresden in August 1992. image, go into Levels (In Elements,
Unfortunately, I placed the camera directly in Image8Adjust8Levels), look at the
front of a lantern emitting very bright light
histogram, click on ‘Auto’, look at the
image and go into Levels again see what
This much more pleasing image of the
Telecoms Building in Abu Dhabi was shot on
has happened.
Kodachrome film in September 1992. I have We’ve had a few questions about
excluded the street lamp on the upper left, Levels, so I’ll be discussing the Levels
which is still causing flare. This can easily be This photograph of a snowy Heaton Park in Manchester shows a very limited range
removed. There is still a small amount of of tones at the top end of the scale. There are only mid to light tones in this image
control again in a future edition of Q&A.
colour in the sky, which enhances the image

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 093


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4
WINDOWSARCHIVINGPRINTINGNET
100% authoritative

PC&Internet
Using a PC to get the most from your digital photos
Our tutorials are carefully crafted to give you more

WINDOWS

A
lthough it’s not necessary to Firegraphic XP – on our coverdisc –
have a PC to use a digital gives you all the functionality of ■ HOW TO USE THE MY PICTURES
camera (there are lots of Windows XP’s built-in tools, plus a few FOLDER OPTIONS P96
ways to develop images without more. Install it right away and see Discover how Windows XP
connecting to a computer), in our what we mean. makes it easy to file and
retrieve your photos
opinion a PC is essential for taking When we talk about the extra FURTHER INFO SEND ‘EM IN
digital photography to another level. power and flexibility offered by the INTERNET Get more from the We want your
If all you want to do is bash out PC, one of the things we have in ■ SHARING AND DEVELOPING program or technique contributions! Please
YOUR PICTURES ONLINE P98 under examination. send in your suggestions, article
snapshots, then you’ll do fine without mind is the internet. The net is
ideas, tutorials, pictures and more.
one. But, by doing so, there’s an awful revolutionising the way photographs We reveal the online services
EXPLAINED See the box below for details on
lot of power and flexibility you’ll miss are gathered and shared, with all that can add to your digital
Any tricky jargon and where to send your emails.
out on. sorts of services devoted to developing, photography experience
concepts are
The latest PCs running Windows XP filing, collecting, sharing and emailing PRINT TECHNIQUES explained in more detail here. IN DETAIL
contain all kinds of digital photo- images, plus much more. Matthew ■ HOW TO REMOVE Here's where we talk
WALKTHROUGH about a particular
friendly features, including the ability Richards tells us all about it on COLOUR CASTS P100
We don't just describe idea or tool in depth, so you
to view thumbnails in a variety of page 98. Why colour casts occur and
a technique; we show have a clearer understanding of
ways. PC expert, Joe Cassels, takes us If your aim is to output onto photo what you can do about them
you how to do it, step by step. the key concepts.
through the various ways Windows XP paper rather than into the electronic
achieves this. ether, Tim Daly reveals how to prepare
But despair not, owners of older images, remove colour casts and get Your experts
versions of Windows, because you can the best print results, in part two of his MATTHEW RICHARDS NICK MERRITT
have a thumbnail viewer, too. ongoing series on page 100. Enjoy! Matthew has As well as editing
edited several Digital Camera
computer and internet Magazine, Nick also oversees
PRINT TECHNIQUES – REMOVING COLOUR CASTS WINDOWS – MY PICTURES INTERNET – DEVELOPING titles, reviews digital cameras Microsoft Windows XP: The
for worldwide specialist Official Magazine, the UK’s
press, as well as being a leading PC magazine.
keen photographer.
TIM DALY
JOE CASSELS Tim is one of the
Joe contributes to UK’s leading digital
some of the photo experts. He’s written
UK’s leading PC titles. He many books on the subject
P96 P98 specialises in the digital photo and his photographs have
features built into Windows XP. been exhibited across Europe.
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4

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tips and quick fixes you can use in your Where possible, we include image files, extra elements, explanations and detail to
own work. and full or trial software so you can try each tutorial

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 095


TUTORIAL USING YOUR PC
YOUR GUIDE JOE CASSELS
Joe Cassels writes regular tutorials for a wide range of computer magazines. He is an
enthusiastic digital photographer with a track record of helping many people get
more from their PCs

joe@cassels.org.uk PORTFOLIO JOE CASSELS

How to store and


manage your photos
Last month we transferred pictures from our camera to the PC. Now Joe Cassels sees how we can store
images once they are safely on our computer

W
indows XP uses a file-management system other folders if you like – it all depends on how you you probably created these when you transferred your
TUTORIAL
that can be likened to a filing cabinet in an organise things. photos here. Double-click a folder to open it and see
KEY DETAILS office. Individual files such as documents, its contents, or click-and-drag photos onto it to deposit
2 ON OUR CD programs or, in our case, digital photographs (the Organising your files them inside.
If you don’t have Windows XP, equivalent of sheets of paper) are grouped together in You already have a folder called My Documents, and
then you can gain most of the folders (the cardboard folders within a filing cabinet). inside this folder there is another folder called My Naming your folders
features mentioned opposite by
installing Firegraphic XP 3.5 from These folders can, in turn, be grouped together in bigger Pictures. You can move directly to My Pictures from the It helps to name each folder after the place or event
our coverdisc (Win98 only). folders that are stored on your computer’s hard drive Start Menu. This is the best place to put your that you photographed, but you can create whatever
(the office filing cabinet). photographs, but it will rapidly become unmanageable if system of sub-folders that works best for you. Try
2 SKILL LEVEL The main difference between XP’s system and an you cram hundreds of pictures in there. to keep the number of pictures in a folder lower
1 office filing system is that XP’s folders can hold much This is where making sub-folders helps. You may find than 100 or you'll end up getting lost trying to find the
more than cardboard folders. You can stuff them full of that My Pictures already has a number of sub-folders – right one!
2 TIME TO COMPLETE

30 MINUTES
Exploring the main folder where
2 THIS MONTH PART 2
■ Exploring your photo index.
■ Using your picture viewer.
USING THE MY PICTURES FOLDER your photographs are stored

2 NEXT MONTH
Printing and sending pictures
by email.

8 8
? EXPLAINED
PIXEL OPEN MY PICTURES MAKE A NEW FOLDER FILL THE FOLDER
Every item you see on screen is 01 Click on the Start button and move the 02 Right-click anywhere in this window, except 03 Click once on New folder and type a
made up of little dots. Each dot is
known as a pixel. Realistic digital mouse pointer to the top of the right-hand directly over a folder. You'll see a drop- name for it that describes your pictures.
photos contain many thousands of column. Move down to My Pictures and click. This down menu. Move the mouse to hover over New and Now click-and-drag the images you want to store
different coloured pixels. The opens the main folder where you should store your a second menu appears. Move to the top of this menu in this folder, letting go once the image file overlaps
fewer pixels an image contains,
photographs. You may see several folders if you and click Folder. You'll have different items in this last the folder icon. Repeat for each picture you want to
the smaller and less detailed it is.
already have photos stored here. menu, depending on the programs you have installed. keep here.

096 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


Some programs, like Paint Shop Pro, make themselves the default image

4
CHANGING THE viewer which can be annoying and time-consuming. To change this back
to the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, go to the Folder Options control
PICTURE VIEWER panel, click the File Types tab, click each relevant file type and Change

FOLDER VIEWS Different views suit different


tasks. Which one is right for you?

0 EXPERT TIP
JOE CASSELS
WINDOWS XP EXPERT
FILMSTRIP VIEW THUMBNAILS VIEW TILES VIEW THUMBNAILS
01 Open a folder of photos within My Pictures. 02 Click View8Thumbnails to change the folder 03 Choosing View8Tiles provides you with
To see thumbnails of your
pictures instead of file icons,
If necessary, click View8Filmstrip. This properties. This view shows all the pictures large file icons, showing the file type choose View8Thumbnails in
shows thumbnails of the folder images along the in the folder as thumbnail images. Double-click a (which, in this case, is a JPEG image) and the size of Windows Explorer.
bottom of the window, with one of the pictures thumbnail to open the larger image file. Sub-folders the related image in pixels. Tiles view is good if you
enlarged in the middle of the window. show up to four images on the folder icon. need to sort images.

; READ ON
HOW TO DO EVERYTHING
WITH WINDOWS XP

ICONS VIEW LIST VIEW DETAILS VIEW


04 Switch to icons view as above. Icons are 05 This view enables you to cram loads of files 06 Switching to this view lets you see lots of
smaller than tiles so you can see more into the same window. They get arranged file information. This is handy if you need to Published by Osborne McGraw-Hill
items on screen at the same time. You get less in columns, so you can view over 100 files at a time. trace a picture taken on a certain date, or if you want Author Curt Simmons
information about the files though. Choose this view if However, you get very little information about the to sort your images by file size. You still get very small Available from Amazon.co.uk
you need to handle more than 20 files at a time. files and it can be fiddly clicking and dragging them. icons so moving things around can be a bit fiddly. Price £17.99
ISBN 007219300X

See how much you can do with XP.


Includes its new updates such as

USING THE PICTURE VIEWER Zoom, rotate and watch a slide


show with this clever tool
faster boot features, better security
and improved web browsing.

* WEB LINKS
MICROSOFT

8 8 Newsgroup:microsoft.public.
windowsxp.photo

www.microsoft.com/
windowsxp/default.asp
Home page for Windows XP at the
Microsoft website. Contains links to
digital photography features and
forums where you can get extra
help and advice.
START THE VIEWER ROTATE THE PICTURE VIEW THE SLIDE SHOW
01 Open My Pictures and double-click on a 02 This picture was taken in Portrait view (with 03 Click the button marked with a projection
picture file. This launches the Windows the camera on its side). Turn it upright by screen to start the slide show. You'll see all
Picture and Fax Viewer. Use the right and left arrows using the clockwise or anti-clockwise rotate buttons. pictures in the folder shown full size, which usually
to advance or go back through the images. Click on These are indicated by two green triangles each with fills the screen. This picture is now in portrait view.
the plus and minus magnifying glasses to zoom in or blue arrows showing the direction of rotation. Delete This won't fill the screen – which is why there are
out of the current image. an unwanted picture by clicking the red cross. black borders on either side.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 097


TUTORIAL SHARING YOUR PHOTOS

YOUR GUIDE MATTHEW RICHARDS


Matthew Richards reviews digital cameras for worldwide specialist press, as well as being
a keen photographer using both conventional 35mm outfits and digital systems. His main
areas of interest are sports, landscape and people photography

matthew.richards1@ukonline.co.uk PORTFOLIO MATTHEW RICHARDS

Buying prints online


For top print quality, Matthew Richards explains why it often pays to order your prints
online rather than using your inkjet printer

H
ome printing is the most obvious way to get have escaped you. Using the task panes that are software to download to make the whole process
TUTORIAL
your digital photos onto paper. With inkjet displayed on the left-hand side of photo folders, you can smoother and slicker.
KEY DETAILS printers offering high resolutions of up to view images as slide shows, copy them to CD, print Some ISPs are getting in on the act. Take the popular

2 ON OUR CD
Trial version of Batch It Pro,
5,760dpi for around £100, the DIY printing option looks
tempting. But looks can be deceiving.
them out and order them online.
For professionally-produced prints, all you have to do
UK ISP, Supanet, for example. The outfit has just signed a
deal with top online photo service, PhotoBox, through
which will enable you to build First, while printers are relatively inexpensive, the is click the link entitled ‘Order prints online’ and a wizard which users can share photos online as well as order
web galleries quickly and easily. running costs can be a nightmare. Good-quality glossy is launched to guide you step-by-step through the prints over the internet. Register now through Supanet

2 SKILL LEVEL
paper costs around 50p per sheet, and a single A4
photo can cost that much again in ink. Second, inkjet
process. It also gives you options of who you want to
order your prints from – the list includes companies like
and you’ll get your first ten prints for free. For full
details, go to www.supanet.com
2 photos often have an ‘inky’ look that makes them Fujicolor, Jessops and Bonusprint.
second best compared with using ‘proper’ photo paper. If you’re not using Windows XP, that needn’t hold you Size matters
2 TIME TO COMPLETE back. Many photographic companies and online When using an inkjet printer at home, we’ve all tried

20 MINUTES In the system


As a digital photographer, if you’re using Windows XP,
communities (see last month’s online section of the
magazine) offer online printing services. Some work
printing full A4 photos from relatively small digital
originals – normally with blurry results. Online printers

2 NEXT MONTH the refinement of the system’s picture folders won’t direct from your web browser, while others offer tend to be fussier about the size of the originals. For
.Creating a basic photo website.

USING JESSOPS ONLINE Jessops, that stalwart of all things photographic, is a


good starting place for ordering your prints online

3 IN DETAIL
CHRISTMAS IS COMING
Online print services are ideal for
creating personalised calendars,

8 8
jigsaws, mouse mats and more
besides. It could be the ideal
answer if you’re stuck for what to
get someone for Christmas…

DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE INSTALL THE PROGRAM CHOOSE YOUR PHOTOS


01 First of all, you need to download the 02 Once you’ve downloaded the installation 03 The ‘Quick Add’ feature in Jessops’ software
Jessops online ordering software. After file, it only takes a couple of minutes to set makes it really quick and easy to add
connecting to the internet, use your web browser to up the program, called Jessops Print@net, though photos to your online print request. All you have to do
go to www.jessops.com and follow the link to Internet you’ll need to restart your PC for the changes to take is browse your folders, choose your photos and order
Printing. Click the Download link to copy the software. effect. Now you’re ready to get going. the prints.

098 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


8
THIS MONTH
Getup&go
Where to go, what to shoot DECEMBER 2002
UNFOLD
THIS -PAGE
SECTION!
■ Maps of Norfolk
■ Top photo tips
■ Places to visit
■ Pocket guide

BASED ON ORDNANCE SURVEY


MAPPING © CROWN COPYRIGHT, ALL
RIGHTS RESERVED: AM134/02

EVENT Wiltshire
photographer,
Steve Day, reveals to us
the range of our religious
architectural heritage
ritain has a wealth of fine sacred
B architecture. Even if you’re not
blessed locally with masterpieces such as
WILDLIFE York Minster or Salisbury Cathedral, most
We take the High Road to villages have an attractive parish church.
Kincraig in Scotland to get The beauty of photographing churches
impressive deer shots is the diversity of images that is possible.
With many set in their own grounds or
ancient graveyards, you can often remove
all sight of modern life, and a prominent
position often permits landscape views
from far afield. Their very permanence
ensures they’ll still be there tomorrow, so
if the light isn’t right, you can just go
back when it’s better!
Naves are built on an east/west axis,
so there’ll be a variety of lighting effects
CHURCHES on the facade throughout the day. Winter
Christmas is a great time to is a good time for pictures because the
capture Britain’s wealth of low sun creates good shadow detail,
sacred architecture highlighting the architecture.
With their soaring vaulted ceilings and
stained glass windows streaming
colourful beams of light across the floor,
church interiors are great subjects – but
they can be challenging to photograph.
Natural light is always best, both to
preserve atmosphere and minimise
disruption to worshippers. Flash gives an
unpleasant artificial effect, even when
used to fill in shadows. Use a tripod if
LANDSCAPES you can, and try to avoid lighting
Snow and frost transforms extremes by composing pictures to
a landscape – we go in exclude overly bright windows. Or come
search of the white stuff back on a dull day.
HOW TO There’s plenty of good subject matter,
CAPTURE if you look around. Symmetrical views
LANDSCAPES straight down the aisle always look
Fo ld out this good and you’ll find wonderful tombs,

The spirit
guide to find graphic interplays between columns
10 top tips! and vaulting, stained glass windows, and
lots of candles burning, especially around
Christmas time.
It’s worth bearing in mind that some of

of Christmas
the major cathedrals (St Paul’s is one)
XMAS LIGHTS deter or charge for photography inside
Lights, camera, action: the building, and many small rural
IMAGES © STEVE DAY

capture the glitter and churches are kept locked much of


sparkle of Christmas the time. We recommend that you check
before you make a trip.
Detach this section and take it on your travels!

8 8 8 GET SOME INFORMATION [w] www.salisburycathedral.co.uk – official website with facilities and times of opening, special events and so on
Getup&go to… SALISBURY CATHEDRAL Wiltshire

IMAGES © STEVE DAY


SALISBURY CATHEDRAL

8
AIM FOR SALISBURY
By car: from London, take the M3 until
the A303. Follow the A338 to Salisbury.
From Bristol, follow the A36 south. From
Southampton, follow the A36 north.

BY GEORGE HOW TO GET THERE

8
8
Sometimes even the ordinary can inspire.
Simple light and colour differences draw
PRISONERS OF CONSCIENCE WINDOW this small carving detail away from its dark
8

Stained glass windows are best shot on dull days to help you record the bright colours. This
background to highlight it
window was created in association with Amnesty International

© CROWN COPYRIGHT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: AM134/02


BASED ON ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPPING
DETAILS

8
WHAT IS IT?
Salisbury has one of our most famous
and beautiful cathedrals. Built in the
English Gothic style, it was started in
1220, and its elegant 404-foot spire was
completed in 1315.

WHEN IS IT OPEN?
It’s open 365 days a year from 10am to
CHOIR PRACTICE
8

8pm (or sunset if that’s earlier).


Choir practices are a good photocall opportunity, and are generally easy to set up – just ask
your local church authority, and offer to supply prints. Take plenty of shots to ensure success
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Free, but you're welcome to make a
donation. £3.50 is suggested.

WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES?


There’s a restaurant in the Close. Go to
www.visitwiltshire.co.uk for tourist
information about accommodation.

MORE INFO
[t] 01666 880 220
[w] www.salisburycathedral.co.uk
DARKNESS INTO LIGHT
8

This Advent candlelit service required a


one-hour exposure, using a series of shorter
exposures to capture processions of candles. A heavy
INDOOR SHOTS
8

tripod was used and a black cloth held in front of the


lens between ‘exposures’
USE THE RIGHT KIT
Use a tripod for all internal shots. A
small aperture (around f11) will keep
everything in focus and the resulting
shutter speed of 30 seconds and
EXPERT ADVICE upwards will ensure visitors wandering
through your shots do not record in
Supporting the camera: If tripods the image.
SALISBURY CATHEDRAL AT DAWN aren't allowed, pop a small Stained glass windows are best
5 8

Reflections are a useful device for filling the frame with colour when shooting a sunset or beanbag in your pocket. Mould it shot on dull days to help you record
sunrise. Meter predominantly for the sky to retain the rich colours, then recompose and shoot around a handy column or the the bright colours. Zoom in to take an
Pete Martin
specialises in back of a pew to support your average meter reading, and then zoom
CLOSE QUARTERS travel and camera for longer exposures.
The south west of the Close is one of the few points around Salisbury Cathedral where it is craft photos out to recompose your picture.
possible to shoot using a wide-angle lens without getting converging verticals
Getup&go to… TRAFALGAR SQUARE LONDON
CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

8
AIM FOR LONDON
By underground: ditch the car and travel
into the West End on the Underground. Get
off at Oxford Circus and walk down Regent
Street, around Piccadilly Circus and onto
Trafalgar Square. Head to Charing Cross to
do it the other way round.

HOW TO GET THERE

© CROWN COPYRIGHT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: AM134/02


BASED ON ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPPING
EVENT TURNING ON THE CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Pete Martin sets out to capture the festive spirit at large in every high street at Christmas
DETAILS

8
ay before Martin Luther first used homes and towns light up for the festive CAPTURE THE MOOD
W 5
WHAT IS IT?
candles on a Christmas tree to depict season. Whether it’s your family decorations, If the weather’s too bad to get out, Every Christmas the Norwegian
the stars lighting up the heavens, light the traditional lights around the harbour in experiment with lighting indoors government sends a tree to the
played an important role in our Christmas the little Cornish fishing village of Mousehole people of Britain in gratitude for
the shelter offered to their king
celebrations. The Romans placed oil lamps in or the grand Regent Street illuminations in
during the Second World War. Often
living trees to celebrate their festival of our capital city, there are opportunities up to 75 feet in height, this giant
Saturnalia, and the Vikings burnt Yuletide wherever you live to capture the glitter and spruce stands in Trafalgar Square
logs to safeguard the sun. Today, most sparkle of Christmas. from 5th December until Twelfth
The best time to stop shopping and start Night, lit in the traditional Norwegian
manner with 500 white lights.
EXPERT ADVICE shooting your Christmas lights is at dusk,
It is the perfect focal point for festive
when the darkening sky still has enough pictures of London’s great British
Exposure: it’s a good idea to
experiment with aperture and light to record as a deep blue. landmark, with its floodlit fountains
shutter, viewing the results until This, and the warm glow spilling out from and grand buildings. Just don’t
you get the right exposure. An try to get pictures there on New
Pete Martin
shop windows, will ensure that strings of
average meter reading is a good Year’s eve.
specialises in
travel and
bulbs decorating trees or hanging in garlands Just a stone’s throw away are the
place to start. Aim for some
craft photos
detail in the shadows but make across the street have a richly coloured Regent Street lights. This year the
sure the lights don’t burn out backdrop rather than end up as pinpricks of lights were switched by Pop Idol
and lose their colour. light against the black of night. winner, Will Young.
Use a tripod, setting exposures long
GO FOR REFLECTIONS WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES?
5
Lens: a long lens bunches up the
enough to capture the full cycle of any Wet pavements reflect the lights and Everything the West End has to offer!
perspective to make groups of
illuminations appear closer flashing illuminations. And don’t worry if help fill the frame with colour
together, while tightening the its been raining – rain is a great opportunity COST?
focal plane so that lights either Nothing – just turn up.
as wet pavements create interesting
side defocus into soft glowing
reflections that help fill the frame, as do the MORE INFO
spheres. The wider the aperture,
the softer the focus. trails of car lights passing through the shot. [w] www.regent-street.co.uk
If the weather’s too bad to get out, follow
Post-shoot: experiment with a Martin Luther’s lead at home by setting up
stocking over the lens to still-life shots of your own decorated
simulate soft focus filters, or
Christmas tree, focusing in tight on fairy
simply turn to the host of filter
effects available on your image bulbs reflected in glass baubles or spiky
program for ethereal effects. Use spruce branches draped in tinsel and
Photoshop’s Lens Flare (Filters, silhouetted against the bright glow of
Render) to add extra impact to
flickering church candles.
5
light sources within the frame, or LOOK UP
buy a set of star filters for your It’s all about experimenting with light and Consider using unusual angles for
digital camera. focus, so play around and have fun. It’s what photos with more impact
Christmas is about!

GET SOME INSPIRATION [w] www.regent-street.co.uk – Regent Street’s online service has a potted history of its famous Christmas Lights and details of the Switching On ceremony
Side A Side A This is side A. Turn over for side B
dreamy effect. saturated colours.
to fold this booklet: the shoot, and we'll get in touch! want to create an ambient, and more deeply-
your name and a few words about
8 8 8 How
Don't use fast speeds if you 200 – this gives richer
around into a square in half horizontally from rest of section getupgo@digicammag.co.uk with
STEP 3: Now fold STEP 2: Fold this side STEP 1: Detach sheet moving subjects like waves. instead – around 100 to
Email a small JPEG to to 'freeze frame' fast- settings. Go slow
■ Now send us your pictures! Do use fast shutter speeds Don’t use fast ISO
CONTROL THE SHUTTER SPEED USE SLOW ISO SETTINGS
lucky) and more
locations, snowscapes (if you’re
Norfolk Broads – riverside
great photographs around the
the best places to capture
5 Visit
sky scenes with the sun.
how to get there photography to help you fill your
IMAGE © TOM MACKIE

■ Detailed maps of it, consider it for sunset


If your camera supports
2 TELEPHOTO LENS 03
ideal for tripod photography.
when you close the shutter –
SIDE B: OUT AND ABOUT to reduce vibration and jigging
2 IN NORFOLK
remote control that enables you
spectacular pictures Many cameras have a
for you and shoot some

NORFOLK/LANDSCAPE
winter? Make the weather work
RELEASE/REMOTE 02
landscapes this CABLE
5 Capturing
■ Dos/don’ts might look blurry.
■ Equipment have one, your landscapes
■ Tips captures the scene. If you don’t
INDEX: the camera is rock-steady as it
exposures, to ensure
Use this for longer01
TRIPOD
SIDE A: 10 TIPS ON HOW TO
2 PHOTOGRAPH LANDSCAPES
WHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE when the sun is low in the sky.
TOPICS COVERED better results Achieve this by photographing
which add depth to a scene.
Do try to capture long shadows,
>

three items for


EQUIPMENT: CHOOSE THE TIME OF DAY
DECEMBER 2002 TEAROUT FACTSHEET NO.2
Dos and don’ts
GETTING IT RIGHT: CAPTURING MOOD
DETACH HERE

FOLD ALONG THIS LINE SECOND


6

Getup&go
FOLD ALONG THIS LINE FIRST
.
Getup&go HOW TO PHOTOGRAPH LANDSCAPES
Very few subjects and late in the afternoon, the combination of a bright sun by using a telephoto lens. breaks. Generally, the faster aim at a neutral object instead
make a more when the sun is at more of an sun, dark clouds and Alternatively, capture the the shutter speed, the more and use that as a reference.
satisfying photograph angle in the sky. Longer reflections in wet ground all at effect of the sun’s light on dramatic and frozen the shots;
than a beautifully-shot shadows add depth to a scene. the same time. You might different objects by using a the slower the speed, the REFLECTIONS
8 even capture a rainbow – if wide-angle lens. Obviously, be more everything blends
9 Water can produce
landscape. While Britain has
some of the most varied and THE RIGHT WEATHER you’re lucky. very careful indeed – avoid together creating a dreamier, reflections, especially at this
3
Don’t just limit your looking directly at the sun more abstract feel. time of the year as trees
photogenic landscape in the
world, many photographers landscape photographs to CAPTURING THE either by eye or through a change colour and you get a
sunny days at the height of
5 SUNSET SUN lens. Only observe the sun ICE AND mix of colours reflecting off
will only consider wheeling
the summer. Sometimes, If your camera supports via a telephoto lens when the
8 SNOW the water. You can control the
out the camera in spring and
summer, when the weather is capturing a scene just after a different lenses, you can get sun has almost vanished Bright, reflected light can fool level of reflection by using a
warm. This is a shame because storm offers the chance to get the effect of a larger sunset behind the horizon, as a your camera’s exposure polarising filter, enabling you
some of the best landscape telephoto lens will act like a settings, so to get a more to capture fish or rocks just
opportunities can be found magnifying glass. Capturing accurate reading of light levels, below the surface.
when the weather becomes sunsets won’t require settings
colder, the air clearer and any more sensitive than
storms, frosts or snow add an ISO100-200 film speed.
unusual dimension to the
familiar. Here’s how: SCALE
6 There are two ways to
THE RIGHT LIGHT deal with matters of scale. One
1 The secret to a great is not to worry – shoot the
landscape photo is ensuring object and have some fun
you get good quality light. with the illusion of small
You need to consider the light objects being much larger than
sources, directions, how they really are. The other is to
shadows might fall on the ensure the full impact of a big

IMAGE © STEVE DAY


landscape, what different subject is delivered properly,
by including something

IMAGE © TOM MACKIE


elements might be lit at COMPOSING SUNSETS
different times in the day 4 familiar in the scene to ensure
The great news is that sunsets aren’t that hard to there’s some sense of the
and what position the sun is in MILKY EFFECTS
capture, so the secret is finding a good one. The best way to relative sizes involved. 10
the sky. Give a milky effect to streams and add real style to
get the most from a sunset, is to look out for objects that will
otherwise fairly humdrum river and stream scenes, by securing
look good in silhouette against the sky. One potential problem WAVES
THE TIME OF DAY your camera tightly (either via a tripod or on a rock or log if
2 with photographing sunsets is getting the right exposure 7 AND COASTS
Some of the best you must), setting your shutter to open for a 1-2 second
setting – if you’re having problems, point the camera to a If your aim is to capture waves
landscape shots can be found exposure, a slow film speed (around ISO 100-200) and using a
brighter or darker patch of the sky elsewhere, lock in those breaking dramatically over
when it’s close to sunset, or at remote control/cable release to work the camera remotely
exposure settings and shoot the area you’re interested in with rocks, set a fast shutter speed
dawn – longer shadows are (avoiding vibration).
those settings. to freeze the wave just as it
found early in the morning
2 ONLINE PRINTS 01
AND GIFTS
WITH MSN
Renowned for never missing a trick,
Microsoft has a range of options to
complement its online ordering 02
service at http://photos.msn.co.uk Prints, calendars and even
expert advice and deals on
accessories are all part of the
PhotoBox service

03
07 08
01 Tips & Tricks
Apart from ordering your best photos online, the
Tips & Tricks section might just help you take better
photos next time around.
04
02 Browse gifts and prints
Order your prints online here, as well as items from 05
the extensive range of photo gift ideas. There are
also options for buying photo-editing software and
digital cameras and accessories. For £10.99 (including postage),
03 Customer service you can turn your favourite
If you need a little extra help with ordering holiday snap into a jigsaw puzzle
your online photos, the Customer Service link is the 06
one to click. There’s plenty of advice to demystify at Jessops online
the process.

04 Read this!
For a full breakdown of all the terms and conditions
relating to printing your photos online, as well as
sharing them in groups or via email, click the ‘Read
Before Opening’ link.

05 Mouse trap 06 Capture your memories 07 Prints 08 Gifts


Treat your mouse to a nice new mouse mat bearing Microsoft has ideas for improving your Use this quick link to ordering prints from The full range of photo gifts and products
one of your own photos (preferably not a big, scary image, and capturing your memories, but the Fujicolor online service. It’s handy if such as mugs, T-shirts and baseball caps,
cat) and you’ll make it feel much more at home. It its favourite idea seems to be buying a you don’t have Windows XP and its folder as well as ordering options, is available
costs just £5.66 – you know your mouse is worth it. copy of its software program, Picture It! tasks for the same purpose. direct from this link on the web page.

? EXPLAINED
example, the Fujicolor service is typical in the way it around four minutes to upload a single, good quality depending on what you want, and how many you’re DPI
places warning icons next to print sizes that it thinks are 3-megapixel photo. ordering, but it’s well worth shopping around to see Modern inkjet printers use
too big for the image file you’re submitting. Upload times get a lot worse if you try to maintain what’s on offer. incredibly high print resolutions
Common print sizes for online ordering tend to range the highest quality of your camera by using compressed Shopping around is also a good idea for standard up to nearly 6,000dpi. This is due
through 10 x 15cm, 11 x 17cm, 13 x 19cm and 20 x TIFF format files. Unlike JPEG compressions, TIFF prints. With so many competing companies keen to to variable droplet technology,
which enables droplets of ink as
30cm options. For single megapixel shots, we’d advise files retain all the quality of the original image, get up and running with their new online ordering
small as three or four picolitres in
sticking to the two smallest sizes, which are roughly but the price you pay is (usually) much larger file sizes. facilities, many are bending over backwards to attract
size – that’s almost microscopic.
equivalent to 6 x 4 or 7 x 5-inch prints. However, if A 3-megapixel image might well result in a 4Mb file new customers. Supanet (via PhotoBox) offers you
you’re using 2 megapixels or above, you should be okay and, using a normal dial-up connection, it will take your first ten prints for free, and Jessops provides a
to go with slightly larger sizes. For best results, don’t around 20 minutes to half an hour to upload. That free software download to operate its service efficiently,
order 12 x 8-inch prints unless you’re using a 3- adds a hefty amount to the bill, if you’re not using and gives you ten free 7 x 5-inch print. Trying a variety
megapixel or 4-megapixel camera. an unmetered internet account and have to pay for
every minute you’re online. It’s a good idea to keep
of different services not only enables you to compare
quality between competing companies, but also
* WEB LINKS
Upload times upload times in mind when you’re getting ready to means that you can rack up quite a sizeable collection RECOMMENDED SITES
Broadband connections are ideal for uploading large place an order. of free prints. The list of companies offering
image files, but normal dial-up services are fine for online services for printing digital
photos is growing all the time. For
smaller photos. A lot depends on the quality of Photo opportunities What a bargain!
now, though, here’s a list of some
settings. For example, a 2-megapixel photo will typically Glossy photo prints are just the tip of the online ordering Prices tend to vary considerably between different of the best. If you’ve got your
range from 200k to 500k in low or high quality JPEG iceberg. The internet really comes into its own when suppliers. Bonusprint is excellent value at just 25p for a own favourites, why not let us
settings (300k to 750k for 3 megapixels, and 400k to you go for novelty items. Gift ideas include calendars, 6 x 4-inch photo (the company also has a minimum know by emailing us at the office?
1Mb for 4 megapixels). Since an average dial-up T-shirts, baseball caps, mugs, coasters. Basically, if you order price of 25p). Jessops is slightly dearer at 34p and
connection uploads files at around 3k to 4k per second can put a picture on something, there’s someone out while PhotoBox looks expensive at 49p per print, the MSN Photos
http://photos.msn.co.uk
at best (even on a 56k modem), you’re looking at there who’s willing to do it for you. Naturally, prices vary price comes down if you order larger quantities. For
Jessops
example, order 20 photos from PhotoBox and it will
www.jessops.com
only charge you 24p per print. Fujicolor charges 45p per Supanet
With so many competing companies keen print, without discounts for larger quantities, making it
quite pricey.
www.supanet.com
Fujicolour
to get up and running with their new For delivery, it’s normally best to allow a week or so
for prints, and up to a fortnight for ‘gift’ items like T-
use www.msn.co.uk
Yahoo! Photos

online ordering facilities, many are bending shirts, mugs and so on. That makes the process a lot
less immediate that printing your photos on your own
http://photos.yahoo.com
Bonusprint

over backwards to attract new customers inkjet printer, but the results are usually better.
www.bonusprint.com

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 099


The Digital Printing Handbook: A Photographer’s Guide to Creative Printing

TECHNIQUE PRINT TECHNIQUES PART 2

4
Techniques by Tim Daly – amazon.co.uk – is a great book if you want to get
FURTHER into doing your own digital prints, or if you want to extend your
READING knowledge (even if he does say so himself!)

YOUR GUIDE TIM DALY


Tim has written several books on photography including The Digital Photography Handbook, The
Digital Printing Handbook and The Desktop Photographer, and he continues to write for The
British Journal of Photography and AG. His photographs have been exhibited across Europe

tim@photocollege.co.uk PORTFOLIO TIM DALY WEBSITE WWW.PHOTOCOLLEGE.CO.UK

Correcting colour casts


Even the best photographers end up with colour casts on their prints, but Tim Daly has a few tricks up his sleeve…

F
aithful colour reproduction is a process made shot under a midday sun, looking ‘colder’ and perhaps
TUTORIAL
complex by the introduction of an enormous less appealing. Towards the end of the day, natural light
KEY DETAILS variety of cameras, scanners and printers becomes redder and produces warmer and more
2 ON OUR CD
Adobe Photoshop Elements 2
working with completely different standards.
Colour casts make an image look dull and muddy
inviting results. Your choice of location can also have a
dramatic effect on colour reproduction with even an
trial version. and prevent the bright colours showing through. Yet innocuous canopy of trees will cast a deathly green

2
casts are easily removed as long as you know the colour across any portrait sitter unlucky enough to be
SKILL LEVEL fundamental principles of the colour wheel. positioned underneath.
5 In all colour reproduction there are six colours
broken into three opposite pairings: red and cyan; Casts created by artificial lighting & printing
2 TIME TO COMPLETE magenta and green; plus blue and yellow. When colour This kind of light is produced in a narrow range such as The best place to observe colour casts is in a neutral

30 MINUTES casts appear, they are caused by an exaggerated


amount of one of these six colours. Casts are simply
green or orange. Domestic light bulbs are usually based
on a tungsten filament and produce deep red-orange
colour area, preferably grey

2 NEXT MONTH
removed by increasing the opposite colour until it
disappears altogether.
results. In contrast, fluorescent tubes produce a heavy
green cast that will instantly suck the life out of any
some prior tweaking, with the cheapest adding a
persistent colour cast to all your images.
Calibrating your printer paper.
Surprisingly, the colour of natural daylight is far from colour photograph. If it still appears on your print, even though you’ve
consistent and can vary depending on the location and On the print side, olour casts can occur due to the corrected your image on-screen, try using the Color
time of day. Photographs taken in the early morning will combination of ink and printing paper from different Controls in your printer software. See below for how to
inevitably appear more bluish than the same subject manufacturers. Very few inkjet papers will work without remove a cast step-by-step in an image editor.

REMOVE A CAST The variations dialog in Elements is the first place to start if
you’ve never done any colour printing before

3 IN DETAIL
WHITE BALANCE
All photographic film and digital
8 8
sensors are calibrated to work under
an exact measurement of light
colour, commonly referred to as
colour temperature. Digital cameras
have a white balance setting,
used for re-calibrating the sensor
to a different light source, such USING VARIATIONS USING COLOR BALANCE CONTROLS USING YOUR PRINTER SOFTWARE
as a fluorescent tube. The human 01 Your image is displayed in six different
02 Corrections are made by increasing 03 If all else fails and your prints still emerge
eye, however, adjusts itself
variations with the original one at the the amount of the opposite colour and with an unexpected cast, try changing the
seamlessly so we are never aware
centre. Casts are removed by simply clicking on the this change becomes instantly visible in the image colour balance settings in your printer software. This
of the subtle changes in colour
temperature when waking from a best looking option. Control over more delicate shifts window. For removing casts from artificial light, will apply another correction in addition to anything
sunny outdoors to a fluorescent lit in colour can be made by sliding the scale from Coarse apply your corrections with the Highlight option set in your imaging application. Once perfected, they
room indoors. towards Fine, and best results are achieved working selected. The example on the left had cyan and blue can be saved, stored and applied to any future images
with the Midtone option selected. casts removed. printed using the same paper and ink combination.

100 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


4
CAMERARETAILERS
Everything you need

DealerBank
18 pages of places to buy from
Look here for the latest prices on the newest kit

CAMERAS PRINTERS

A
s with a traditional camera, the image before it will appear pixelated. control, but you may be able to apply
more you pay for your digital However, the higher the resolution of an exposure compensation for tricky MEMORY CARDS BATTERIES
camera, the more features and image, the bigger its file size and the subjects. Once you get to the £300-£400
better quality images you will get. Bear in more storage space you’ll need. Some price range, lens quality improves, the
mind that digital cameras are more cameras quote two resolution sizes, in CCD resolution increases and most
expensive than their traditional which case the larger image size is cameras incorporate zoom lenses.
equivalents so don’t expect to get print- usually interpolated. Keen photographers should look out for
quality images from a digital cameras What happens is that the CCD has the cameras that offer a range of exposure
that costs less than £200. number of pixels quoted in the lower modes, from fully-programmed auto to
If you just want to try out digital figure, but some clever software adds shutter-priority and aperture-priority
photography for fun and only intend to pixels to the image by evaluating automation right through to full manual
use the images to email to friends and the surrounding pixels and producing control over both shutter speed and
relatives or upload onto your website, additional matching ones. This enables aperture. You’ll often get a choice of light
5 steps to safe shopping
then a simple point-and-shoot camera you to print larger images without them metering patterns, too, from all-purpose To prevent or handle the unlikely event of receiving faulty or damaged
goods, why not follow our checklist below – you’ll reduce whatever
with relatively low resolution may suit appearing pixelated, but the quality of the ‘pattern’ or ‘matrix’ systems designed for
slight chance there is of problems:
you fine. image suffers. the majority of subjects to ‘spot’ metering
If you want to use your digital cameras that reads the light from a central portion
as your main camera and intend to order Budget (£0-£199) of the image only.
CHOOSE YOUR SITE OR RETAILER
prints of some of your images to put in Cameras in this price range are designed 1 Online, it’s wise to stick to the bigger retail brands. On past
an album, then you are going to need to mainly for snapshots. At or below the High-end (£600+) experience, we recommend Jessops.com, Dabs.com and
consider one of the megapixel cameras £100 price level, you’re into ‘webcam’ High-end digital cameras are designed for Amazon.com for starters.
currently on the market. These range territory – cameras designed to be used those people who want the ultimate in
USE A CREDIT CARD
from simple point-and-shoot cameras to either connected to your computer as both picture quality and photographic 2 If you are buying goods worth more than £100 in total, use a
fully featured SLR-style ones. basic video cameras, or carried around control. You can expect the range of
credit card. This is because in the event of any problems, you
with you for capturing short movie clips exposure modes and metering patterns are entitled to claim against the credit card company as well as the
Resolution or still images. The photographic features described for mid-range cameras, high- seller (you won’t get your money back twice but the company is there
The resolution refers to the number of are usually pretty basic. You point and quality lenses and extended zoom ranges. to claim against if the seller has gone bust.) You might also get extra
pixels captured by the camera’s image shoot and leave the camera to sort out You’re likely to get other advanced insurance, so check with your credit firm.
sensor or CCD. Early digital cameras exposure and focussing itself. There’s little features, too, like ‘auto-bracketing’. This is NEVER PAY IN CASH
and those at the low end of the market photographic control on offer here, so where the camera takes a series of three 3 If you can’t pay by credit card, use a cheque or postal order
have what is known as VGA resolution these cameras are only appropriate if photos of the same subject in rapid instead. Don’t send cash through the mail, even by registered
with 640 pixels across the image and you’re looking for cheap and cheerful succession, but use different exposures – post. Apart from the risk of theft, you can’t stop payment if you need
480 down. results – though it has to be said that you pick the best exposure afterwards. to, and it’s impossible to prove how much you sent.

At this resolution, an image can only their simplicity of operation makes them Nikon cameras offer a clever ‘Best Shot KEEP A RECORD
really be used for email or for putting on ideal for kids or photographic novices. If Selector’ for low light levels – it takes a 4 Keep records if you’re paying by credit card over the phone.
a website. If you print the image out or you’re at all interested in developing your series of identical shots, but only Print off web pages after you have entered your details on
try to enlarge it, it will appear pixelated. photographic skills, you need to buy at saves the sharpest to the memory card. them. Keep notes of exact times and the name of the person who took
The term megapixel is used to mean a the top end of this price range or you’ll Your camera may also enable you your order, if you’re paying by phone. Always keep your receipts.

million pixels and refers to the total be disappointed both by the results and to change the contrast, colour saturation DON’T USE A DEBIT CARD
number of pixels in an image. For the lack of creative control. and sharpness of your image before 5 Many debit cards don’t have the protection or insurance
example, the Canon PowerShot A10 it’s saved, and some offer a RAW options afforded to credit cards, so avoid using one.
produces images with 1,280 pixels across Mid-range (£200-£599) mode that preserves maximum-quality
the top and 960 pixels across the bottom, It’s in this price range that you start to get picture information for editing on your
4

making the total number of pixels ‘serious’ digital cameras. Towards the computer. It’s also possible to buy CONTACT OUR TEAM
We can’t make guarantees on quality of service from our
approximately 1.3 million or 1.3 bottom of the range, makers are still digital SLR cameras, but these start at
advertisers, but if you do have problem – or have had praiseworthy
megapixels. The greater the number of selling point-and-shoot cameras that may around the £2,000 level and are aimed
service – we’d like to know. Email us at letters.dcm@futurenet.co.uk
pixels, the more you can enlarge the not offer much in the way of manual at professionals.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 101


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CP22-A5 A5 Photo Glossy/Photo Matte 220g (20) ...£4.75 C-BJI201Y Ylw ...................£2.50 Photo Inks C/M/Y(250ml).£9.90 (500ml)£17.90 41154 A4 Iron-on Transfers x10 .....................£8.90
NEW CP1750 A4 ICI Photo Glossy Paper 170g (50).........£9.99 Cleaning Fluid (125ml).£3.99 (250ml)..£4.90 41176 Photo Stickers 5x4 ...............................£3.99
NEW CP1720 A4 ICI Photo Glossy Paper 170g (20).........£4.99 STORAGE MEDIA Ink Jector Kit (Kit without ink).............£2.90 41122 10"x8" Photo Card x30.........................£9.99
41121 8"x5" Photo Card x30...........................£4.90
CS50 A4 ICI Photo Satin Paper 170g (50)............£9.99 MEMOREX CDR
CS20 A4 ICI Photo Satin Paper 170g (20)............£5.99 80/700MB 24 Speed.each 65p/10 PK £5.99 41148 8"x5" Cards + Envelopes x10 ..............£5.90
©
Photo Matte Papers 80/700MB.............50 Pack Spindle £16.50
CDR Audio 80min..99p each /10 Pk £9.45
DIGITAL CAMERA FOOD 41134 6"x4" Photo Paper 190g x20 ..................£4.99
41144 A6 Photo Stickers x20..........................£3.90
NEW CM314 A4 ICI Super Heavy Artist Paper 310g (20) .£13.99
COMPACTFLASH CARDS 41054 A6 Photo Card x50................................£5.99
CDRW 650/74....99p each /10 Pack £8.99 16MB .......................£11.20 41147 A6 Cards + Envelopes x20...................£5.90
NEW CA240 A4 Artist Watercolour Paper 240g (10) ......£6.99 32MB .......................£12.90
NEW CM234 A4 ICI Photo Matte 230g (50) ..........................£9.99 Hewlett Packard CDR 64MB .......................£17.90 See website for full range of Papers
128MB .......................£42.00
NEW
NEW
CM1750 A4 ICI Photo Matte 2 sided 170g (50) ............£9.99
CM17100 A4 ICI Photo Matte 2 sided 170g (100) ........£12.99
80min/650MB.......79p each /10 Pack £7.50
MEMOREX MINIDISCS
256MB .......................£79.99
512MB .....................£179.00
EPSON COMPATIBLE
CANA3 A3 Canvas Photo Paper 140g (20)............£13.50
NEW 80min 5 Pack................................£6.75 SMARTMEDIA CARDS SAVE UP TO 70% ON EPSON INK
CANA4 A4 Canvas Photo Paper 140g (20)..............£5.99 16MB 3.3V .................£7.50 MX2 is the UK’s largest seller of EPSON
NEW CM120 A4 ICI Photo Matte 120g (100) ........................£7.99 USB KEY DRIVES 32MB 3.3V .................£9.49 Compatible Inks & Print-Rite Ink Products
32MB Key Drive ..............................£29.99 64MB 3.3V ...............£16.70 are our Best Performing Brand.
Specialist Products 128MB 3.3V ...............£46.99 EACH DISCOUNT
CMETAL A4 Silver Metallic Film (10)..........................£6.99
64MB Key Drive ..............................£49.99 SECURE DATA CARDS NEW C-T032440 YELLOW..............£5.90......3 PK £17.25
NEW CHOLO A4 Silver Holographic Film .........................£7.95 128MB Key Drive ............................£79.00 32MB........................£27.90 NEW C-T032340 MAGENTA ...........£5.90......3 PK £17.25
CTFR A4 Transfers for T - Shirts etc. (10)............£7.99 64MB........................£44.90 NEW C-T032240 CYAN ...................£5.90......3 PK £17.25
IOMEGA 128MB......................£69.00 NEW C-T032140 BLK......................£6.99......3 PK £20.52
CLING A4 Cling Film 720 Dpi (10) ...........................£7.50 CLIK 40MB ..............................each £7.99 C-T029401 CLR......................£6.90......3 PK £20.52
NEW CMAG A4 Magnetic Photo Sheets (5) ....................£7.90 MULTIMEDIA CARDS
ZIP 100MB PC or MAC............each £6.99 16MB ......................£11.90 C-T028401 BLK......................£4.99......3 PK £14.52
CLEAR A4 Transparencies for Projectors (20) .......£7.50 C-T027401 PHOTO ................£6.99......3 PK £20.52
CLAM A4+ DIY Laminate for Menus etc. (10).......£6.99 ZIP 250MB PC or MAC............each £9.75 32MB .......................£14.99 C-T026401 BLK......................£5.99......3 PK £17.52
CBUS DIY Laminate for Business Cards (50).......£5.99 64MB .......................£36.99 C-T020401 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50
NEW CDKIT CD & Zip Kit (50) Free CD Software.........£11.99 Maxell LS-120 120MB Super Disc ...£6.75 Memory Stick for all SONY equipment C-T019401 BLK......................£2.50......3 PK £6.99
CDM2 Photo Matt CD Labels 2 per A4 (2x10) ......£5.99 IMATION 3.5” DISKS 32MB Memory Stick ......................£23.50 C-T018401 CLR......................£6.90......3 PK £20.25
CD2 Photo Glossy CD Labels 2 per A4 (2x10)...£6.50 64MB Memory Stick ......................£39.00 C-T017401 BLK......................£7.90......3 PK £23.25
CD3 Photo Glossy CD Labels 3 per A4 (3x10)...£6.50 NEW Black IBM 1.44Mb 10 Pack.......£2.99 128MB Memory Stick ....................£52.50 C-T014401 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50
CBC Glossy Business Cards 220g (10x10).........£5.75 NEW Neon IBM 1.44Mb 10 Pack.......£3.50 C-T013401 BLK......................£2.50......3 PK £6.99
C-T009401 PHOTO ................£6.90......3 PK £20.25
NEW CAB Art Canvas Business cards 10 per A4 (10x10)£5.90 MEMOREX DVD STORAGE C-T008401 PHOTO ................£6.90......3 PK £20.25
CAD20 Address Labels (adh) 10 per A4 (10x10) ....£5.99 C-T007401 BLK......................£6.90......3 PK £20.25
NEW CMOUSEDIY Mousemat Kit (2) ..................................£5.90 NEW DVD-R 4.7Gb.................................£5.90 DIGITAL ACCESSORIES C-T005011 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50
NEW DVD-RW 4.7Gb.............................£9.49 Compact flash & Smart Media C-T003011 BLK......................£2.50......3 PK £6.99
© C-T001011 PHOTO ................£3.99......3 PK £11.50
DIGITAL VIDEO FOOD NEW DVD+RW 4.7Gb.............................£9.99 accessories... C-20193
C-20191
PHOTO ................£3.99......3 PK £11.50
CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50
SONY DVM 60min Premium (no chip)..........£4.90 TDK 5.2Gb DVD RAM..................... £12.99
SONY DVM 60min IC Excellence (with chip)£7.90
C-20189 BLK......................£2.50......3 PK £6.99
ePROMOCARD MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARE NEW 6-in-1 Reader/Writer...............................................£26.90 C-20187 BLK......................£2.50......3 PK £6.99
Panasonic AY-DVM 60min EK (no chip)........£4.90 C-20138 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50
FUJI Hi8 P5-90 Heavy Metal Particle............£4.99 NEW Multimedia Business Card kit £14.90 Dual Compact/Smart Reader/Writer.....................£17.99 C-20110 PHOTO ................£3.99......3 PK £11.50
FUJI 8mm P5-60 Metal Particle (2 PK).........£4.20 NEW Business Cards......................... £9.90 Smart Media PCMCIA Adaptor..............................£17.99 C-20093 BLK......................£2.50......3 PK £6.99
FUJI 8mm P5-90 Metal Particle (2 PK).........£5.95 NEW Business Card Labels (120)...... £7.90 Compact Flash PCMCIA Adaptor...........................£5.99 C-20089 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50

MX2 is the Best & Cheapest Place to Buy On or Off-Line Your DVD’S, MUSIC CD’S, GAMES & BOOKS...
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FOR CHRISTMAS DELIVERIES, ORDERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MONDAY 9TH DECEMBER
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MX2 Reserves the Right to Change Prices. Please check our Website or Phone Us for up-to-the-minute Prices. The above Trademarks are recognised and used for illustrative purposes only.

Merry Xmas & a Happy 2003 to all our Customers from Everyone at MX2
BUY NOW...
Just pay 10% deposit now and
In 9 months when the balance is due, you have the choice of either paying the the balance in full completely interest free or you may commence paying by
WE DO NOT monthly installments over 36 months at which interest would then be applicable
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IMPORTS! Webtrader Code of Practice 2 FINANCE OPTIONS
Warehouse Express Ltd
PO Box No.659, Norwich NR2 1UJ
www.warehouseexpress.com
Buy on-line Secure 24hr Shopping @ Accessories
Tel: 01603 626222 Fax: 01603 626446 www.warehouseexpress.com 1 2 1 2

58mm Lenses and Adaptors E-10 & E-20P Accessories


Special Offer
www.warehouseexpress.com
1. Tele Converter Lens TC-DC58.. £69.00 1. Telephoto Lens 420mm
Yes with every digital 2. Wide Converter Lens WC-DC58. £99.00 3 4 TCON-300............................ £699.99 3 4
Dane-Elec memory cards are
REE camera purchased 58mm Close Up Lens 250D... £89.00 2. Support Arm TCON-SA2....... £199.99
built to the highest quality Telephoto Lens 200mm
FWORTH this month you will
receive a CD Rom of
and are compatible with all
Conversion Lens
Adaptor LA-DC58................... £15.00
3.
TCON-14B............................. £219.99
Wide Angle Lens 28mm
the leading digital cameras 52mm Lenses and Adaptors
OVER £50 ThumbsPlus 3.33 on the market WCON-08B........................... £199.99
SmartMedia 64MB.......................................... £19.99 5 6 4. Macro Lens 35mm MCON-35£109.99 5 6
which will thumbnail today. All cards 3. Tele Converter Lens TC-DC52.. £69.00
CD and store all your come with a 10 year SmartMedia 128MB........................................ £39.99 4. Wide Converter Lens WC-DC52.. £69.00
5.
6.
Li-Po Battery Kit..................... £599.99
Li-Po Battery.......................... £299.99
52mm Close Up Lens 250D... £89.00
images on a data- full 10 year guarantee CompactFlash 128MB.................................... £39.99 Conversion Lens
7. Remote Control Cable........... £54.99
guarantee 8. Leather Case for E-10/E-20P £39.99
base for easy access CompactFlash 256MB .................................. £79.99 5. Adaptor LA-DC52................... £15.00
Professional Neck strap......... £14.99
CompactFlash 512MB .................................. £159.99 Conversion Lens 7 8 7 8
Adaptor LA-DC52B................. £15.00 Lenses & Adaptors
Top Ten Digital Cameras... Batteries & Power
6. Canon NB-1L Lith-ion Battery. £25.00
9. 1.45x Telephoto Lens
10.TCON-14............................... £79.99
Canon NB-1LH Lith-ion Battery. £25.00 9 0.8x Wide Angle Lens
Canon EOS D60 Fuji FinePix S602 Fuji S2 Pro Konica KD-400z Canon G3 10 WCON-08.............................. £139.99 9 10
7. Canon NB-2L Lith-ion Battery. £25.00
8. Canon BP-511 Lith-ion Battery.. £54.99
11.Macro Lens MCON-40...........£79.99
12.Lens Adaptor CLA-1.............. £19.99
Battery Charger CB-2LSE...... £35.00
Battery Charger CB-2LTE....... £35.00 Batteries & Power
Car Battery Charger CR-560.. £89.99
9. AC Adaptor Kit ACK500.......... £35.00 11 12 13.C-6AG AC Adaptor 6.5v......... £49.99
AC Adaptor Kit ACK600.......... £26.00 E-7AE AC Adaptor 3.3v......... £49.99 11 12
AC Adaptor Kit ACK700.......... £35.00 Bags & Cases
Camera Cases Soft Case for C-1................... £19.99
Soft Case for C-1z................. £19.99
£1899 £559 £1699 £349 £579 10. CanonSoft Case SC-PS600.. £15.00 13 14 Soft Case for C-2................... £19.99
11. CanonSoft Case SC-PS300.. £15.00 13 14
12. CanonSoft Case SC-PS500.. £15.00 Leather Case for C-200......... £29.99
Minolta Dimage 7i Nikon Coolpix 5700 Nikon D100 Olympus C-5050z Pentax 430RS 13. CanonSoft Case SC-PS800.. £15.00 Leather Case for C-2040z..... £29.99
14. CanonSoft Case SC-PS700.. £30.00 Leather Case for C-700uz..... £29.99
15. CanonSemi-hard Leather Case for C-3020z..... £29.99
Case SHC-PS300................... £30.00 15 16 Leather Case for C-3040z..... £29.99
Leather Case for C-40z......... £29.99 15 16
Waterproof Cases 14.Leather Case for C-4040z..... £29.99
Leather Case for E-10/E-20P £39.99
16. WP-DC200.................................. £99.00
WP-DC200S............................... £99.00 Flash Equipment
17. AW-PS200.............................. £149.00 17 18 15.FL-40 Flash Unit.................... £399.99
WP-DC600..............................£149.00 16.FL-BK01 Flash Bracket..........£79.99 17 18
WP-DC100..............................£149.00
£769 £879 £1699 £PHONE £389 WP-DC500..............................£149.00
FL-CB01 TTL Cable............... £49.99
17.FL-CB02 Hot Shoe Cable...... £69.99
18. WP-DC300..............................£149.00 18.FL-CB03 PC Socket Cable.... £49.99

Our Full Selection of Digital Cameras... EOS D30 & D60 Accessories 19 20
19. Battery Grip BG-ED3.............. £149.99
1 2
Canon £8 mth
PowerShot A100................ £129 or
Konica Olympus Canon BP-511 Lith-ion Battery...£54.99
20. Car Battery Charger CR-560.. £89.99
KD-100z.............................£99 or £8 mth C-1......................................£149 or £8 mth
PowerShot A200................ £149 or £8 mth KD-3000.............................£259 or £11 mth C-120................................. £149 or £8 mth
PowerShot A30................. £179 or £8 mth KD-400z New.....................£349 or £15 mth C-2..................................... £169 or £8 mth
PowerShot A40................. £209 or £9 mth KD-500z New.................... £469 or £20 mth C-200 zoom........................£189 or £8 mth 1 2 Lenses & Adaptors
Digital IXUS V2................. £269 or £12 mth C-220 zoom....................... £179 or £8 mth
Digital IXUS V3 New......... £329 or
Digital IXUS 330................ £289 or
£14 mth
£13 mth Kyocera C-300 zoom kit ................. £329 or
C-730 Ultra zoom New...... £PHONE
£14 mth
Batteries and Power
1. Fish Eye Lens FC-E8.............£219.99
Wide Angle Lens WC-E80..... £149.99
3 4
Powershot S30.................. £379 or £16 mth Finecam S3X .................... £299 or £13 mth C-4000 z ........................... £399 or £17 mth 2. Wide Angle Lens WC-E68..... £139.99
Powershot S40.................. £449 or £19 mth Finecam S3L New............. £299 or £13 mth C-4040z............................. £549 or £23 mth Wide Angle Lens WC-E63..... £105.99
Finecam S4 ...................... £399 or £17 mth 1. Sony NP-F550
Powershot S45 New.......... £459 or £20 mth C-50 zoom New................. £PHONE 1.5x Teleconvertor TC-E15ED.. £149.99
Powershot G2.................... £529 or £23 mth Finecam S5 New............... £499 or £21 mth C-5050 zoom New............. £PHONE Lithium Battery....................... £49.99
2. Sony NP-FM50 3 4 3. 2x Teleconvertor TC-E2......... £105.99
Powershot G2 Black kit..... £649 or £28 mth E-10................................... £749 or £32 mth 4. 3x Teleconvertor TC-E3......... £219.99 5
Powershot G3 New............£579 or £25 mth See web for Kyocera offers E-20P Plus free lenses...... £1249 or £53 mth Lithium Battery....................... £54.99 6
EOS D60.......................... £1899 or £80 mth 3. Sony NP-FC10 Lens Adaptors
EOS-1D............................ £4399 or
EOS-1Ds New................... £PHONE
£200 mth Leica Panasonic Lithium Battery....................... £54.99 UR-E2 Lens Adaptor Ring..... £9.99
Digilux 1 .......................... £639 or £27 mth Lumix F7........................... £259 or £11 mth 4. AC-SQ950D AC/DC
Digilux 1 Kit ..................... £699 or £30 mth Lumix LC20....................... £219 or £10 mth 5. UR-E3 Converter Adaptor...... £9.99
Adaptor/Charger.................... £139.99
Casioor
EXSLIM EX-S1 ................. £249 £11 mth Minolta
Lumix
Lumix
LC40........................£469 or
LC5..........................£549 or
£20 mth
£23 mth 5. BC-VM50 AC Info 5 6 6.
UR-E4 Lens Adaptor ring.......£9.99
UR-E5 Lens Adaptor ring.......£9.99
7 8
EXSLIM EX-S2 New.......... £279 or £12 mth Lumix FZ1 New................. £PHONE LITHIUM Charger.................. £54.99 UR-E6 Lens Adaptor ring.......£9.99
Dimage X.......................... £299 or £13 mth
DCC-L50 DC Info 7. UR-E7 Lens Adaptor ring.......£9.99
GV-10................................ £209
GV-20 New........................ £259
or
or
£9 mth
£11 mth
Dimage Xi New.................. £319
Dimage F100 ................... £369
or
or
£14
£16
mth
mth Pentax LITHIUM Charger.................. £69.99
8.
UR-E8 Lens Adaptor ring.......£9.99
Slide Copying Adaptor ES-E28 £59.99
QV-R3 ............................. £329 or £14 mth Dimage 5........................... £519 or £23 mth Optio 230.......................... £249 or £11 mth 6. AC-LS1 AC Adaptor................ £44.99
QV-R4 ............................. £369 or £16 mth Dimage 7i ......................... £699 or £30 mth Optio 330GS New............. £259 or £12 mth Batteries and Power
Dimage7Hi New................. £949 or £40 mth Optio 330RS .................... £319 or £14 mth BC-VC10 InfoLITHIUM
QV4000............................. £439 or £17 mth
QV5700 New..................... £499 or £21 mth Optio 430RS ..................... £389 or £17 mth Charger, C- series................. £69.99 7 8 9 10
9. Nikon EN-EL1 Lith-ion Battery.. £39.99
Nikon Sony Camera Cases Nikon EN-EL2 Lith-ion Battery.. £39.99
Contax
N Digital New.................... £4499 or £190 mth
Coolpix 2000 New............. £189 or
Coolpix 2500..................... £269 or
£8 mth
£12 mth DSC-U10 New................... £189 or £8 mth
Nikon EN-EL3 Lith-ion Battery.. £49.99
10.AC Power Adaptor and
DSC-U20 New................... £229 or £10 mth 7. Sony Soft Case LCS-MVC4.. £24.99
Coolpix 775........................£249 or £11 mth Battery Charger EH-21.......... £59.99
8. Sony Soft Case LCS-CSP..... £19.99
Fujifilm
@xia Slimshot................... £74.99
Coolpix 885........................£369 or
Coolpix 3500 New............. £PHONE
£16 mth DSC-P31 ...........................£179
DSC-P51 ...........................£209
or
or
£8 mth
£9 mth Sony Semi-soft 9 10
AC Power Adaptor EH-53...... £39.99
11. Quick Battery Charger MH-52.. £24.99 11 12
Coolpix 4300 New............. £399 or £17 mth DSC-P71 ...........................£279 or £12 mth 9. Case LCM-SX........................ £44.99
@xia ix-100 ...................... £99 or £8 mth Coolpix 4500 .....................£529 or £23 mth DSC-P5..............................£329 or £14 mth MB5000 Battery Pack............ £124.99
FinePix A202 New............. £139 or £8 mth Coolpix 5000......................£699 or £30 mth DSC-P7..............................£359 or £15 mth Sony Semi-soft
FinePix A204 New............. £189 or £8 mth Coolpix 5700 .....................£879 or £37 mth DSC-P9 .............................£399 or £17 mth 10.Case LCS-FX........................ £44.99 Bags & Cases
FinePix A203 New............. £219 or £9 mth D100 ................................. £1,699 or £72 mth DSC-F77 New................... £359 or £15 mth 12.Nikon Case for 775................ £9.99
FinePix A303 New............. £269 or £12 mth D100 + 24-85mm...............£1,949 or £82 mth DSC-FX77 New................. £399 or £17 mth Marine Housing 13.Nikon Case for 885............... £19.99
FinePix 2800..................... £289 or £13 mth D100 + 18-35mm...............£2069 or £88 mth DSC-S85............................£449 or £19 mth
FinePix S304..................... £349 or £21 mth DSC-F707..........................£799 or £34 mth 11. MPK-P5 Marine Housing....... £229.99 11 12 14.Nikon Case for 995................ £29.99 13 14
D1X Body Only.................. £3499 or £160 mth
FinePix 30i........................ £289 or £13 mth D1X Pro Kit........................£3799 or £160 mth DSC-F717 New................. £789 or £34 mth 15.Nikon Case for 5000.............. £29.99
12 VF-MPK5 Filter Kit................. £99.99 Nikon Case for 5700.............. £29.99
FinePix F401 New............ £PHONE D1H Body Only................. £2779 or £120 mth Mavica FD200................... £479 or £20 mth
FinePix F601 ..... ............. £469 or £20 mth D1H Pro Kit........................£2999 or £126 mth Mavica CD400................... £799 or £34 mth Tripods and Remotes Nikon Case for D100............. £44.99
FinePix M603 New............ £599 or £25 mth Ultimate Kit Bag 5000............ £149.99
FinePix S602 ............ £559 or £24 mth
FREE MB-D100... 13.VCT-D480RM Miscellaneous Accessories
S2 Pro. New..................... £1699 or
S2 Pro + power pack........ £1799 or
S2 Pro + power pack
£72 mth
£7 mth Nikon FREE Gift Offer ...With every D100
Tripod + Remote................... £64.99
14.VCT-D680RM
13 14 Remote Release Cord MC-EU1£99.99
15 16
16.Lens Hood HN-E5000............£14.99
+1GB Microdrive............... £1949 or £82 mth Tripod + Remote................... £94.99
Buy a Coolpix 4500, 5000, 5700 or 15.RM-DR1 Wired LCD Hoods
Kodak
Easyshare DX3215............£139 or £8 mth D100 between 1st November
Worth
£249.99
Remote Controller.................. £49.99 LCD Monitor Shade 900/995. £19.99
17.LCD Monitor Shade 5000...... £19.99 17 18
Easyshare CX4210 New... £139 or £8 mth 2002 and 31st January 2003 Flashguns
EasyShare DX3500........... £179 or £8 mth
and you'll receive a free gift
15 16 Lens Caps
Easyshare CX4230 New.. £189 or £8 mth 16.HVL-F1000 Flashgun............ £119.99
EasyShare DX3700........... £229 or £10 mth worth up to £300 directly Lens Cap for 885................... £5.99
EasyShare DX3900........... £279 or £12 mth Lens Cap for 990/995............ £5.99
from Nikon UK. Memory Sticks & Accessories 18.Lens Cap for 5000................. £5.99
Easyshare CX4300 New... £PHONE
EasyShare DX4330 New £279 or £12 mth
17.Sony Memory Stick 16MB..... £29.99
EasyShare DX4900........... £279 or £12 mth
Visit our website 1 2
EasyShare LS443 New..... £349 or £15 mth Sony Memory Stick 32MB..... £39.99 17 18
Kodak Camera Dock II..... £50 for details Sony Memory Stick 64MB..... £49.99
DCS Pro 14n New ............ £PHONE Sony Memory Stick 128MB... £89.99
18.MSAC-US1A Memory Stick Lenses & Adaptors
Reader USB.......................... £64.99 1.Wide Conversion Lens WL-FX9. £99.99
Memory Cards & Portable Bulk 19.MSAC-US5 MS 2.Tele-Converter Lens TL-FX9... £89.99 3 4
Fuji SmartMedia 32MB.......................... £13.99 Reader/Mouse USB.............. £79.99
Storage Fuji SmartMedia 64MB.......................... £24.99 Compact Flash (8X USB)
20.MSAC-PC2 Memory Stick
19 20 3.Adaptor Ring AR-FX9.............. £27.99
Fuji SmartMedia 128MB........................ £49.99 64MB...................... £39.99 4.Wide Angle lens for 4800/6800...£64.99
Fuji Compact Flash 32MB..................... £19.99 128MB.................... £69.99 PC Card Adaptor................... £64.99 37mm Adaptor ring for
Fuji Compact Flash 64MB..................... £27.99 256MB.................... £129.99 4800/6800............................... £26.99
Compact Flash Fuji Compact Flash 128MB................... £54.99 Compact Flash (12X USB) 5.2X Telephoto lens for
Fuji Compact Flash 256MB................... £109.99 64MB...................... £44.99
Compact Flash 16MB ....................... £24.99 Fuji Compact Flash 512MB................... £249.99 4800/6800............................... £64.99 5 6
Compact Flash 32MB......................... £19.99 128MB.................... £74.99
192MB.................... £109.99 37mm Adaptor ring for
Compact Flash 64MB......................... £29.99 XD-Picture Cards 256MB.................... £139.99
2000mAh AA NiMH Batteries 4800/6800............................... £26.99
Compact Flash 128MB....................... £44.99 XD 16MB............................................... £9.99 Compact Flash (16X USB)
Compact Flash 256MB....................... £89.99 XD 32MB............................................... £12.99
1GB........................ £749.99 The most powerfull Batteries and Power
Compact Flash 512MB....................... £189.99 XD 64MB............................................... £22.99
XD 128MB............................................. £44.99 Compact Flash (24X USB) 6. Fuji NP-80 Lithium ion Battery.. £39.99
Compact Flash 1GB........................... £449.99
256MB.................... £169.99 AA NiMH batteries 7 8
XD USB Reader.....................................£34.99 7. Fuji NP-60 Lithium ion Battery.. £39.99
ULTRA Compact Flash MindStor 512MB.................... £379.99 ever!! 8. BC-80 Fast Battery recharger... £49.99
Ultra Compact Flash 128MB.............. £59.99 5GB................... £349.00
Memory Sticks Pack of 4 £12.49 9. BC-60 Fast Battery recharger... £49.99
Ultra Compact Flash 256MB.............. £119.99 10GB.................. £429.00 32MB...................... £24.99
64MB...................... £39.99 For our full Ansmann range see 10.AC Power Adaptor AC-3V...... £29.99
Ultra Compact Flash 512MB.............. £249.99 20GB.................. £499.00 website for details
128MB.................... £74.99 11. AC Power Adaptor AC-5VH... £29.99
Secure Digital (SD) NEW Nixvue Vista
Secure Digital 32MB........................... £24.99 10GB.................. £499.00 Bags & Cases 9 10
Secure Digital 64MB........................... £34.99 20GB.................. £599.00 IBM Microdrives NEW Quantum
Secure Digital 128MB......................... £69.99 30GB.................. £699.00 340MB.................... £169.00 Fuji FinePix Camera Cases
Secure Digital 256MB......................... £139.99 See website for details 1GB........................ £229.00
LCD Screen Shade Battery Fuji Soft Case for A101...........£14.99
Fuji Soft Case for 1400........... £17.99
Uno Mas Multi Reader packs from
Card Readers & Adaptors The ultimate card reader Available in: Fuji Soft Case for A201...........£14.99
Lexar Universal Reader USB.................. £44.99
Lexar SmartMedia Reader USB..............£26.99 Accepts all the main memory card types in 1.5” - 1.8”, 2”, 2.25”, £199 Fuji Soft Case for 2600z......... £14.99 11 12
Lexar Compact Flash Reader USB.........£26.99 popular use without the need for adaptors. 2.5” (diagonal).. £14.97 12.Fuji Soft Case for 6900.......... £29.99
Sandisk Imagemate Dual CF/SM.............. £22.99 Lexar Memory Stick Reader USB........... £44.99 See our web- Hard Carry Case for S1.......... £144.99
Sandisk Imagemate Dual CF/MS.............. £22.99 Lexar Flash Path Adaptor (for SM)......... £49.99 As above with site for more
Sandisk Imagemate Dual CF/SD...............£22.99
Uno Mas Multi Reader USB 2.0 £54.99 magnifier.......... £29.59 details
Lexar C/F to PCMCIA Adaptor................ £10.99

• Highly Commended Outstanding Service Award 2001 • Independant Retailer of the Year 2002 • Highly Commended Outstanding Service Award 2001 • Independant Retailer of the Year 2002
EMAP Practical Photography & Digital
...PAY SEPT 2003 REE
FWORTH
Yes with every digital
camera purchased
this month you will
Photo Awards 2002

the balance in 9 months - Interest Free OVER £50


receive a CD Rom of
ThumbsPlus 3.33 We are delighted to
have won the
which will thumbnail
NO DEPOSIT FINANCE CD and store all your
Also available: you pay nothing now and spread the repayments over 24 or 36 months (interest bearing)
Minimum balance for finance £150
images on a data- Independant Retailer
base for easy access
of the year 2002
A big thankyou to

Fifteen Best Buys For prices or further information visit our website @
www.warehouseexpress.com
everyone who voted for us

1/2 Casio QV-2900UX Lexar Digital Photo Player Kirk ‘L-Brackets’ SENSOR SWAB Sandisk 6-in-1 Reader

www.warehouseexpress.com
Price A compact device that connects directly to a tel- Prices from The ImageMate 6-in-1 memory card read-
Camera evision set, providing an enjoyable and £124.95 er is the world's first hi-speed, USB 2.0,
Offer convenient way to view images stored multi-card reader.The reader has slots
on CompactFlash and SmartMedia for CompactFlash, Microdrives,
memory cards. It offers a variety
SmartMedia, SD, Memory Stick and the
of view options and comes
complete with a remote £39.99 MultiMediaCard. It is also backward
compatible and can be used with
control. Per 12* computers based on USB 1.1

• 2.1 million Pixels


Was £399 Digital SLR CCD Cleaner
Custom made for your Digital SLR
• 8x Optical zoom (40-350mm) Sensor Swabs are designed for cleaning the exposed CCD/CMOS chips
• 1cm Macro Focus
Now Only These right-angle quick release "L brackets" fit to the base of your cam- on Digital SLR cameras. Clean room manufactured and sealed, these
era so you can quickly release, turn, and remount your camera for either swabs are the ultimate in purity. Sensor Swabs are Recommended by
• Full Photographic controls £198 £64.99 a horizontal or vertical shot. No more flipping your tripod head on its
side or upsetting your shooting position.
Kodak and Fujifilm. £49.99
• 1.8" Colour TFT Screen
*Available for most Digital SLR models

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 Adobe Photoshop 7 for Photographers Ansmann DIGICAM Power set Tiffen MEGAPLUS Lenses Hakuba Memory Card Cases*
• Written by Martin Evening •
The MEGAPlus line of accessory lenses max- The perfect solu-
£69.99 This 480 page book has been £44.95* imize the performance of your digital camera tion for keeping
and outperform even the best manufactur- your memory
written for photographers to cards safe from
help them understand and ers' lenses. Get creative control when
*Includes batteries damage.The strong
use the incredible power of you need it most - the moment you polypropylene outer
Highly take the picture. Available in Wide- casing plus the rub-
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angle and Telephoto. Phone for cam- ber moulded interior
Recommended manipulation. era compatibility. compartments offer
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this compact carrying
The ultimate in Battery and charger technology solution.
The No.1 image editing package for the photo enthusiast. It £29.99 An ultra fast "intelligent" charger which can fully charge a set of 1800mAh
AA NiMH batteries in under 3 hours.With a wide range of power inputs
offers the perfect combination of power and simplicity so you
can do more with your photos.
plus 4 interchangeable primary plugs it can be used virtually anywhere in From £64.99 £7.99* *Available for CompactFlash, Smartmedia,
the world. Memory stick, SD, MMC

Ergorest Multitripod Image Recall Software Fuji @xia Slimshot Underwater Digital Cameras Minox Digital Leica M3
The ultimate camera support accessory
Support your camera in any
ImageRecall is a very efficient software
package for recovering lost digital
images.This package is universal and
The Worlds smallest digital camera (Guinness
World Records 2002) SeaLife A Minature Digital Classic
situation.The Ergorest can be
suitable for use with all types of digital This 6mm thin, credit card sized camera Reefmaster MINOX has equipped this
used as a car window mount, miniaturized LEICA M3
as a tripod, macro- and repro- film from ANY manufacturer. Simply with its metallic silver shell is compact, classic camera of the
The new SeaLife
stand, shoulder or chest sup- plug in your card into a card reader, run sleek and remarkably affordable. As well ReefMaster Digital fifties with a 1.3 million
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Cameras are used by details in the metal hous-
left or right hand use and recovery.This package can recover any time, the @xia SlimShot's controls divers the world over ing, which accentuate the
will take optional equip- all major image file types. are simple and easy to master. and offer underwater design, make this new
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heads, fluid heads etc. of up to 200 feet. item and an absolute eye-
These digital cameras catcher among digital
are further expand- cameras.
able with all ReefMaster
Find out more - visit our website
£59.95 £29.99 £74.99 lenses, flashes and acces- From £399 £229
for details. sories.

Canon Photo Printers Canon Flatbed/Film Scanners Graphics Tablets


S330 NEW..... £79.00 or £8 mth S830D NEW.. £279.00or £13 mth FS4000US...................................................... £649.00 or £28 mth
S530D NEW.. £229.00or £10 mth S900.............. £299.00or £13 mth D1250UF2...................................................... £149.00 or £8 mth Photo Printers EPSON The Graphire2
S750.............. £299.00or £13 mth S9000............ £449.00or £21 mth D2400UF......................................................... £219.00 or £10 mth Stylus Photo 810...................£92.00 or £8 mth Stylus Photo 915
S820D............ £329.00or £14 mth Stylus Photo 830 NEW......... £99.00 or £8 mth The Graphire2's pen and
cordless mouse make the
£149 Canon D1250UF2 Stylus Photo 890...................£139.00
Stylus Photo 895.................. £139.00
or
or
£8 mth
£8 mth perfect solution, now you
£449 Canon S9000 ‘High speed film & flatbed Stylus Photo 915 NEW......... £169.00 or £8 mth can easily edit your digital
Stylus Photo 925 NEW......... £239.00 or £10 mth
'The professional scanning’ Stylus Photo 1290.................£319.00 or £14 mth photos or make a quick
A3+ photo printer' USB Cable 2M...................... £4.99 sketch.
• 2400 x 1200 dpi resolution • Flatbed & Film scanning
• Fast Print speeds • 1200 x 2400 dpi NEW NEW
• Advanced Microfine Droplet Technology • USB 2.0 interface Only
• Single Ink technology
• High Colour inks which offer greater colour
range and high optical density Canon FS4000US
Photo 830 Photo 895 Photo 925
£169 £74.99
• Borderless printing
‘Dedicated professional film Award winning graphics tablets
£299 Canon S900 scanning’ EPSON Graphire 2...... £79.99 Intuos2 A4
'The state of the art photo printer' Flatbed/Film Scanners Perfection 2400 Photo Regular..... £399.99
• 4000 dpi optical resolution Home Photo
• 2400 x 1200 dpi resolution
• Fast Print speeds
£649 •35mm & APS film scanning Perfection 1260 Photo NEW... £99.00 or £8 mth Studio.. £99.99 Intuos2 A4
Oversize.... £449.99
•SCSI & USB interfaces Perfection 1650 Photo............. £149.00 or £8 mth
• Advanced Microfine Droplet Technology Perfection 1660 Photo NEW... £169.00 or £8 mth Intuos2 A6... £159.99 Intuos2 A3...... £659.99
• Single Ink technology Perfection 2400 Photo NEW... £199.00 or £9 mth Intuos2 A5..... £279.99
• High Colour inks which offer greater colour Cintiq 15x...... £1,399.00
Perfection 2450 Photo............. £299.00 or £13 mth
range and high optical density
• Borderless printing Canon Camcorders Expression1680 Pro.............. £829.00 or £35 mth
Tiffen Lenses
Canon CP100 G30Hi £259.00 MVX1i £1,049.00
£229 'Portable photo quality printing G35Hi £289.00 MVX2i £899.00
Expression Perfection 2450 Perfection 1260 £199
V60Hi £349.00 DM-XM2 £1,749.00
in an instant' 1680 Pro Photo Photo
• Compact and simple design for V65Hi £379.00 DM-XL1S £2,899.00
convenient use MV500 £499.00 MEGAPlus Telephoto Lens

950
• Direct printing with Canon's digital cameras Epson Stylus Photo 950 Boasting not only EPSON's highest printing reso- 2X Tele (37mm)................................... £64.99
• 6x4" true photo quality prints MV500i £549.00 lution but also the smallest dot size available
• 300 x 300 dpi dye-sublimation printing MV550i £699.00 from any inkjet printer, EPSON's new A4 Stylus 2X Tele (43mm).................................. £69.99
• Fast, borderless prints MV5 £649.00 NEW NEW Photo 950 outputs stunning photographic prints. MEGAPlus Wide Angle Lens
MV5i £699.00 NEW MVX1i MV4i MC Media handling includes an automatic paper cut- 0.56X Wide (37mm)............................ £64.99
NEW NEW NEW
MV5i MC £799.00 NEW ter for printing on roll media, edge-to-edge print- 0.75X Wide (43mm).............................£69.99
ing on cut sheet media and direct printing onto
Digital Printers £349 inkjet-compatible CD-Rs as standard.

Canon CP-10..... £249.00


Sony Camcorders
Canon CP-100.... £229.00 DCR TRV140 £349.00
S330 Photo S530D S830D DCR TRV238 £429.00
Fuji NX-500........... £249.00 DCR TRV240 £499.00
Olympus P-330NE.. £369.00
Epson Stylus Photo 2100 The new Stylus Photo 2100 offers excellent media DCR TRV340 £519.00
Film Scanners flexibility and the highest resolution available DCR TRV16 £469.00

2100
Olympus P-400E.. £469.00 DCR TRV18 £549.00
Sony DPP-MP1.....£259.00
NEW from EPSON. With a full 329mm printable width, DCR TRV25 £759.00
MINOLTA Nikon Sony DPP-SV55 ..... £329.00
the Stylus Photo 2100 can print edge-to-edge on
A3+. It is also the first EPSON printer to use light
DCR TRV50
DCR PC8
£1,179.00
£749.00
Minolta Scan Dual II................ £329.00 Nikon Coolscan IV ED............... £549.00 DCR PC101 £999.00
Minolta Scan Dual III.............. £PHONE Nikon Coolscan 4000 ED.......... £1,199.00 Sony DPP-SV77........£499.00 black in addition to cyan, magenta, yellow, light DCR PC120 £1,129.00
Minolta Scan Elite 11................. £499.00 Nikon Super Coolscan 8000ED £2,599.00 DCR TRV950 £1,649.00
Minolta Scan Multi PRO............ £2,099.00 magenta, light cyan and black, to enhance grada-
DCR VX2000 £2,599.00
Microtek Umax tion. DCR-IP5 £1,099.00
Scanners Scanners DCR-IP7 £1,099.00
£549 DCR-IP55 £1,249.00
DCR-IP220 £1,329.00
Powerlook III
Scanmaker 4800 £119.00 Graphic.....................£669.00
Scanmaker 5700 £399.00
Scanmaker 8700 £699.00
Powerlook III Pro.... £839.00
Powerlook III
visit our website www.warehouseexpress.com
Coolscan Super Coolscan Over 6 million hits a month
Multi Pro Dual II 4000ED
Coolscan IV ED
8000ED
ArtixScan 1100... £1,399.00 Photo.................. £999.00
Filmscan 35........ £149.00 Powerlook 1100
Filmscan 1800.... £239.00 Graphic.................... £779.00
Filmscan 3600.... £449.00 Powerlook 1100 Pro £949.00
ArtixScan 4000T. £699.00 Powerlook 1100
For the complete range Photo.................. £1,099.00
Full range of microtek scan- Powerlook 2100XL £1,699.00
D.Res visit our website ners available visit our web-
site for details Powerlook 3000 Pro £3,299.00
The first camera bags designed specifically for
digital cameras, D-Res pouches have an ultra- Photographic Digital Camcorders
gentle brushed tricot lining, and storage for memo-
ry and batteries.
D-Res 8s 2.5”x1.5”x4”............. £10 D-Res BeltPack AW 9”x5”x6”..... £32 Digital camera lenses
D-Res 8 2.5” x 1.5”x5.25”........ £12 D-Res 200 AW 3.5”x2.5”x6.5”.... £19
D-Res 10 AW 4”x2”x4.5”.......... £13 D-Res 220 AW 6”x2.5”x6.5”...... £25 8mm F4 EXFish Eye............ £529.99 or £23 mth
D-Res 20 AW 3.5”x1.5”x5”......... £15 D-Res 240 AW 10”x2.5”x6.5”.... £49 14mm F2.8 EX...................... £719.99 or £30 mth
D-Res 25 AW 3.5”x2.5”x6”......... £16 D-Res 300 Computer Care...... £49
D-Res 30 AW 6”x2.5”x6”.......... £19 D-Res 4 2.25”x0.5”x4”............. £8 15mm f2.8 Fish Eye.............. £399.99 or £17 mth Computers Astronomy Optics
D-Res 40 AW 7”x5”x6”............ £25 D-Res 5 3.25”x1.25”x4.75”...... £11 20mm F1.8 EX DG............... £299.99 or £13 mth
D-Res 50 AW 9”x5”x6”............ £29 D-Res 6 3.25”x1.25”x5”........... £10 24mm F1.8 EX DG............... £269.99
28mm F1.8 EX DG............... £224.99
15-30mm F3.5-4.5 EX DG... £529.99
or
or
or
£12 mth
£11 mth
£23 mth
 News Desk  Our Full Range
Digital Camera bags 20-40mm F2.8 EX DG......... £519.99
24-70mm F2.8 EX DG......... £319.99
or
or
£22 mth
£14 mth
 Latest Products  Over 14,000
For the complete range visit our website
28-70mm f2.8 EX DF............ £299.99
70-200mm f2.8 APO............. £699.99
or
or
£13 mth
£30 mth  Special Offers Product Lines Saturdays, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Channel Islands delivery extra. 24hr deliv-
ery not applicable to chq. payments. E. & O.E. Prices subject to change. Goods sub-
ject to availability. We do not send goods on approval except by prior arrangement
100-300mm f4 IF & 2x filter £699.99 or £30 mth
• Highly Commended Outstanding Service Award 2001 • Independant Retailer of the Year 2002 • Highly Commended Outstanding Service Award 2001 • Independant Retailer of the Year 2002
16 The Broadway 115 Lower Church Road
HAYWARDS HEATH B U R G E S S H I L L
West Sussex, RH16 3AL West Sussex, RH15 9AA
FAX:01444 450200 Fax: 01444 245319
FOR ALL USED EQUIPMENT CONTACT
Tel: 01444 412181 Tel: 01444 245316
W H Y B U Y F R O M P A R K C A M E R A S ?
EOS AND DIGITAL PRO DEALER - Fantastic Low Prices - Expert Advice (look at the proof!!):
DIGITAL IMAGING DEALER THE ONLY UK DEALER WITH ALL
PROFESSIONAL DEALER
PIX DEALER THESE ACCREDITATIONS!!
GO CREATE DEALER

EOS 1Ds EOS 1D D1X PRO KIT EOS D60 KITS D100 DSC F 717 COOLPIX 5700
N E W

N E W
PRO DIGITAL SLR PRO DIGITAL SLR PRO DIGITAL SLR - 6.3 Mega Pixel
- 5.47 Mega pixels - Accepts all Canon EF lenses - 6.1 Mega pixels - 5 Mega Pixel
- 11.1 Mega pixels - 4.15 Mega pixels - 5 Mega Pixel chip
- 35mm size CMOS chip - 8 Frames per second - Accepts all Nikon lenses D60 + 1GB
SRP £5499.99
deal 1 PRICE - low noise CCD sensor - 5x Optical zoom - 8 x Optical Zoom
- Accepts all EF lenses - 3 Frames per second SRP £2499.98 £1999.99* - built in speedlite - Carl Zeiss lens
- Accepts all EF lenses - Full manual control
DCM PRICE SRP £5499.99Deal 2 PRICE
DCM PRICE DCM PRICE DCM PRICE DCM PRICE
SRP SRP SRP D60+grip+batt SRP SRP DCM PRICE
SRP
£6999.99 PHONE £5499.99 £4199.00 £4349.99 £3699.00 SRP £2499.98 £2075.00* £1899.99 £1579.99 £899.99 £749.00* £999.99 £869.00*

POWERSHOT G2 CAMEDIA C-50 POWERSHOT OPTIO 430RS OPTIO 330GS EXILIM EX-S2
- 4 Mega Pixels
- 3x Optical zoom
N E W S40
(Additional wide angle
and teleconverter lenses
available)
- Full manual control
UY
- F2.0-2.5 Aperture lens
- Full ETTL flash compatibility
STAR B - 5 Mega Pixels - 4 Mega pixels
- 3x Optical zoom - 3x Optical zoom - 3.0 Mega Pixels - 2.0 Mega pixel
- Direct printing to canon CP-10 & CP-100 printers - 4 Mega Pixels
- High Quality lens - 3x Optical zoom - 3D Picture mode - 3x Optical zoom - 3x Optical zoom
- Small and lightweight - Full manual control - Solid metal casing - 3D Picture mode - 11mm thickness
Black G2 + 1GB MD £669.98*
DCM PRICE DCM PRICE DCM PRICE DCM PRICE
DCM PRICE DCM PRICE
SRP SRP SRP SRP SRP SRP
£749.99 £499.99 £549.99 £469.00* £549.99 £439.00 £499.99 £389.00* £299.99 £259.00 £299.99 £259.99*

O T H E R D I G I T A L C A M E R A S MEMORY CARDS AT LOW PRICES!!


Smart Media Compact Flash
A100 £134 2000 £179* C120 £149 DB100 digibinos £239* U10 £185* Fuji 16MB £7.99 Fuji 16MB £11.00
A200 £149 2500 £249 C220 £172* Fuji 32MB £12.00
230 £249 U20 phone Fuji 32MB £16.00
A30 £189 775 £249 C220 Luxury kit £222 DX3215 £120* Fuji 64MB £22.00
330GS £259 F77 phone Fuji 64MB £23.00
A40 £209 885 £344* C300 £259 DX3215 + Docking Toshiba 128MB £39.99*
330RS £309 FX77 phone Fuji 128MB £44.00
IXUS V2 £259 4300 £399* C300 Luxury kit £295 Station £179 Fuji 128MB £44.00
430RS £389* P31 £170* Sandisk 2 x 128MB £73.00
IXUS V3 £349 4500 £529 C4000 £376* DX3500 £149*
P51 £199* Sandisk 256MB £80.00
IXUS 330 £279 5000 £685 C730U £429* DX3700 £209* Other Cards
P71 £255* Fuji 256MB £88.00
S30 £369 5700 £869* C50 £469* DX3900 + Docking
P2 £259*
S40 £439 D100+MBD100£1689* C5050 £585* SD9 Digital SLR £1295 P7 Station £229* 64MB Secure Digital £49.99
S45 £489 D1H PRO KIT £2949
£319*
64MB Multi Media £44.90 IBM Microdrive
E20P £979 SD9 + 17-35mm f/2.8-4 P9 £389* DX4900 £259*
G2 £499.99 D1X BODY £3499 E20P + 1GB £1169 £1699.99 S85 LS443 + Docking 16MB XD card £7.99
EOS D60 £1875 D1X PRO KIT £3699 SD9 + 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5 F707
£409*
32MB XD card £12.99 1GB £189.99*
£649* station £379*
EOS 1D £4199 please phone 01444 245316 £1799.99 F717 64MB XD card £21.99 1GB travel kit £209.98*
£749*
EOS 1DS Phone for helpful advice and to order 128MB XD card £39.99*

DIGITAL CAMERA ACCESSORIES Sony Memory Sticks and Accessories


BATTERIES SRP OUR PRICE
MAINS ADAPTORS
Canon NB 1LH £29.99 Canon ACK-500 £35.00 Sony MSA 16mb Memory stick £49.99 £20.00
Canon NB 2L £35.00 Canon ACK-700 £35.00 Sony MSA 32mb Memory stick £79.99 £27.00
Canon BP511 £54.99 Fuji AC5V £29.99 Sony MSA 64mb Memory stick £129.99 £35.00
Fuji NP60 Battery £39.99
Nikon EH21 £39.99 Sony MSA 128mb Memory stick £249.99 £60.00
Nikon EN EL1 £39.99
Olympus CR-V3 £9.99 Olympus C6AG £49.99 Sony MSA 128mb Memory stick - deal for 3 x 128Mb sticks £749.97 £175.00*
Olympus CR-V3 twin £18.79 Pentax K-AC2E £39.99
Sony MSAC US1A USB Reader £69.99 £59.99*
Pentax D-LI2 £29.99 Sony USB Mouse and cardreader £84.99 £69.99
Sony NP FM50 £49.99* WIDE/ TELE LENSES
Hahnel 4 AA NIMH batts+charger £19.99 Canon WC DC58 wide (G2) £99.00
Canon TC DC58 tele (G2) £69.00
CARD READERS Fuji WL-FX9 wide (6900/S602) £99.99
Sandisk USB CF+SM dual reader
Olympus USB dual reader
£34.99*
£49.99
Fuji TL-FX9 tele (6900/S602)
Nikon WC-E63 wide
Nikon TC-E2 tele
£89.99
£105.99
£105.99
order on line at
Fuji DM-R1 Firewire dual reader

ALL FITTED CAMERA


CASES
£69.99 Olympus WCON-08 (3020)
please phone/see web for others + adaptors
£129.99
w w w. p a r k c a m e r a s . c o . u k
CALL FOR PRICES ON
All prices include VAT @ 17.5% Opening times Monday-Saturday 8:30-5:30pm. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Switch. Alternatively, send cheque to Park Cameras Ltd,115 Lower Church Road, Next day delivery
Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9AA. Figures in Brackets Indicates stock level held at unrepeatable prices at time of going to print. NB Goods will not necessarily have been sold at SRP for 28 days prior
Memory cards £3.99
to this. Prices correct at time of going to press, check on website for latest prices. E&OE. * = Please mention Digital Camera Magazine
Other £6.99
FOR ALL FUJI DIGITAL CAMERAS AND ACCESSORIES VISIT

www. p a r k c a m e r a s .co.uk
FINEPIX S602 FINEPIX S2 PRO
- 3.3 Mega pixel chip - 6.1 Mega pixel chip
- 6 Mega pixel output - 12.1 Mega pixel Output
- 6x Optical zoom - Compatible with Nikon
- 2.8-3.1 Aperture lens AF lenses BODY ONLY
- Full manual control BODY ONLY - Full manual control
SRP £1995.00
- 1cm Macro mode SRP £699.99 - ISO 100-1600
- Manual focusing ring OUR PRICE - Firewire download
- Continuous - Continous shooting OUR PRICE
autofocus £534.99 2fps for 7 shots £1660.00
- MPEG Movie mode
S 602 + 128MB CARD+ S 602 + TL- FX9 S2 PRO + S2 PRO + S2 PRO +
DUAL CARD READER Teleconveter S 602 + 1 GB microdrive NIKON AFS 24-85mm NIKON AFS 24-85mm NIKON AFS 17-35mm F2.8
SRP £889.97
SRP £1029.98 SRP £2395.97 + 1GB MICRODRIVE
SRP £3544.99
SRP £799.98 OUR PRICE SRP £2395.97
OUR PRICE OUR PRICE
OUR PRICE OUR PRICE OUR PRICE
£599.99 £ 624.98 £719.99* £1899.98 £2695.00
£2049.97

@xia Slimshot FinePix A204 FinePix A203 FinePix A303 FinePix S304 FinePix F601
S AV E
£££££££s
ON FUJI
PA C KA G E
D E A LS -
-
640 x 480 resolution
Autobrite lens
-
-
2 Mega Pixel CCD
3 x Optical Zoom
-
-
3 Mega Pixel CCD
3 x Optical Zoom
-
-
3 Mega Pixel CCD
3 x Optical Zoom
-
-
3 Mega Pixel CCD
6 x Optical Zoom
-
-
3 Mega Pixel CCD
6 Mega Pixel output
- Credit card size - XD picture card - XD picture card - XD Picture card - XD picture card - 3 x Optical Zoom
- 8mb built in memory - High quality lens - Small and compact - Small and Compact - 2.8-3.0 Aperture lens - Cradle included

camera only £64.99* £184.99* £219.99* £259.99* £344.99* £429.99*

+ 64MB card n/a £204.99* £239.99* £279.99* £364.99* £449.99*

+ 128MB card + card reader n/a £254.99* £289.99* £329.99* £414.99* £499.99

NX-500 F U J I D I G I T A L C A M E R A A C C E S S O R I E S
- Thermo Autochrome system FUJI MEMORY CARDS BATTERIES, CHARGERS AND AC ADAPTORS
- No Inks required BK NH Fast charger + 2 NiMH AA Batteries £49.99
- 306 dpi print resolution COMPACT FLASH BC 60 Fast Charger (for NP-60 batteries) £49.99
- Smart media slot Fuji 16Mb £11.00 BC 80 Fast Charger (for NP-80 batteries) £39.99
Fuji 32Mb £16.00 NP-80 Rechargeable Lithium Battery (4800, 6800, 6900) £34.99*
- Approx 145 sec. per print Fuji 64Mb £24.00 NP-60 Rechargeable Lithium Battery (F401, F601) £39.99
- Use through the TV via a AV Fuji 128Mb £44.00* 2HR-3UF Twin pack of AA NiMH batteries £6.99
cable or through the computer via a USB cable. Fuji 128Mb 20x speed £50.00* 5V Car Adaptor £29.99
Fuji 256Mb £88.00* AC-3V Mains Adaptor £29.99
Fuji NX500 Fuji NX500+ Fuji 256Mb 20x speed £99.00* AC-5V Mains Adaptor £29.99
extra 100 sheets of paper Fuji 512Mb 20x speed £199.98*
NOW IN STOCK! MICRODRIVES WIDE ANGLE AND TELEPHOTO
SRP £279.99
NOW IN STOCK! WL-FX9 (wide converter + adaptor ring for finepix 6900) £99.99
IBM 1.0GB + PCMCIA Adaptor £209.98
SRP £319.94 TL-FX9 (tele converter + adaptor ring for finepix 6900) £89.99*
OUR PRICE £149.99 IBM 1.0GB £189.99*
OUR PRICE £184.99 SMART MEDIA AR-FX9 adaptor ring £27.99
Fuji 16Mb £7.99 FUJI SOFT CASES
Fuji NX 500 Printer paper (20 sheets) £7.99 Fuji 32Mb £12.00
Fuji 64Mb £22.00 SC FX9 Soft Case (for Finepix 6900/ 4900) £14.99*
Fuji NX 500 Printer paper - 5 packs (100 sheets in total) £35.00* Fuji 128Mb £44.00 SC FX602 Soft Case (for Finepix S602) £29.99
Fuji NX 500 Printer paper - 15 packs (300 sheets in total) £99.90 MULTIMEDIA Finepix 2800 Soft Case £10.99*
Fuji 64Mb £44.90 Finepix 2600/A204 Soft Case £14.99
OTHER FUJI DIGITAL CAME R A S CARD READERS AND SOFTWARE
XD PICTURE CARD
Fuji 16Mb £7.99 Fuji Zio! USB Smartmedia Card Reader £29.99
Fuji Finepix F401 £319.99* Fuji DPC-R1 USB xD-picture and SM Card Reader £35.99
Fuji 32Mb £12.99
Fuji Finepix F401+128MB Card £359.99* Fuji DM-R1 Fire wire cardreader £69.99
Fuji 64Mb £21.99
Fuji Finepix A202 £129.99* Fuji 128Mb £39.99* Fuji PCMCIA Adaptor for IBM Microdrive £24.99*
Fuji Finepix A202+64MB Card £149.99* Fuji Utility software HS-S2 £129.99

All prices include VAT @ 17.5% Opening times Monday-Saturday 8:30-5:30pm. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Switch. Alternatively, send cheque to Park Cameras Ltd, 115 Lower Church Road, Burgess Next day delivery
Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9AA. Prices correct at time of going to press, check on website for latest prices. E&OE. * = Please mention Digital Camera Magazine Memory cards £3.99
Other £6.99
I N D E P E N D E N T E X P E R T A D V I C E

www. .co.uk

FUJI KONICA FUJI FUJI


Finepix S304 KD400 Finepix A202 Finepix 2600
£338 £338 £128 £198

CANON FUJI NIKON OLYMPUS


Powershot A40 Finepix 2800 Coolpix 2000 C220 Zoom
£208 £278 £178 £178
EVERY CUSTOMER GETS
D I G I TA L C A M E R A S
£2 OF DIGITAL PRINTING FREE
MAKE & MODEL CAMERA +32MB +64MB MAKE & MODEL CAMERA +32MB +64MB MAKE & MODEL CAMERA +32MB +64MB
CARD CARD CARD CARD CARD CARD
Canon Digital Ixus 330.................. £298 £314 £321 Kodak DX3700 ............................. £218 see website see website Olympus C700 .............................. £378 £389 £400
Canon Digital Ixus V2 .................. £278 £294 £301 Kodak DX3900 ............................. £268 £284 £291 Olympus C730 .............................. £428 £442 £453 EXTENDED WARRANTIES
Canon Digital Ixus V3 .................. £338 £354 £361 Kodak DX4330 ............................. £268 see website see website Olympus camedia c120 ................ £148 £159 £170 AVAILABLE FROM £20
Canon Powershot A200 ............... £148 £164 £171 Kodak DX4900 ............................. £268 £284 £291 Olympus E10 ................................ £798 £809 £820
Canon Powershot A30 ................. £188 £204 £211 Kodak LS443 ................................ £348 see website see website Olympus E20 ............................. £1,098 £1114 £1121
Canon Powershot A40 ................. £208 £224 £231 Konica KD 3000 ........................... £258 £274 £281 Oregon Scientific Dshot III .............. £68 £79 £90 FREE QBEQ
Canon Powershot G2 ................... £548
Canon Powershot G3 ................... £598
£564
£614
£571
£621
Konica KD100 ................................ £88
Konica KD200Z ............................. £218
see website
see website
see website
see website
Pentax EI100 .................................. £98
Pentax Optio 330GS ..................... £248
£114
£264
£121
£271
PHOTOGENETICS 2.0
Canon Powershot S30 .................. £378 £394 £401 Konica KD300Z ............................. £378 see website see website Pentax Optio 330RS ..................... £308 £324 £331 WORTH £24.99
Canon Powershot S40 .................. £468 £484 £491 Konica KD400 .............................. £338 see website see website Pentax Optio 430 ......................... £418 £434 £441 WITH EVERY PURCHASE
Canon Powershot S45 .................. £468 £484 £491 Kyocera Finecam S3X ................... £298 see website see website Pentax Optio 430RS ..................... £428 £444 £451
Casio Exilim EX-S1 ....................... £168 see website see website Kyocera Finecam S4 ..................... £348 see website see website Ricoh Caplio RR1 ......................... £468 £479 £490 COME AND MEET OUR
Casio GV10 Blue .......................... £208
Casio GV10 Red ........................... £208
£224
£224
£231
£231
Minolta Dimage 5 ........................ £398
Minolta Dimage 7 ........................ £688
£414
£704
£421
£711
Ricoh Caplio RR10 ....................... £248
Ricoh Caplio rr120 ....................... £168
see website
£179
see website
£190
VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Casio QV2900ux .......................... £308
Casio QV4000 .............................. £398
£324
£414
£331
£421
Minolta Dimage 7Hi ..................... £958
Minolta Dimage 7i ....................... £678
£974
£694
£981
£701
Ricoh RDC-i500 ............................ £398
Ricoh RR30 .................................. £248
£414
see website
£421
see website
MISS PIXEL
Casio QVR 3 ................................. £288 see website see website Minolta Dimage E203 .................. £198 see website see website Samsung Digimax350SE .............. £288 £304 £311
Casio QVR 4 ................................. £328 see website see website Minolta Dimage F100 .................. £358 see website see website Samsung Digimax 410 ................. £328 £344 £351 £15 OF DIGITAL
Fuji Finepix 2600 .......................... £198
Fuji Finepix 2800 .......................... £278
£209
£289
£220
£300
Minolta Dimage X ........................ £288
Nikon Coolpix 2000 ..................... £178
see website
£194
see website
£201
Sony Cybershot DSC P2 ................ £328
Sony Cybershot DSC P7 ................ £368
see website
see website
see website
see website
PRINTS WITH ALL
Fuji Finepix 30i ............................. £278 £289 £300 Nikon Coolpix 2500 ..................... £248 £264 £291 Sony Cybershot DSC P9 ................ £408 see website see website ORDERS OVER £500
Fuji Finepix 6800 .......................... £398 £409 £420 Nikon Coolpix 4300 ..................... £398 £414 £421 Sony Cybershot DSCS75 ............... £468 see website see website
Fuji Finepix A202 ......................... £128 £142 £153 Nikon Coolpix 4500 ..................... £518 £534 £541 Sony Cybershot DSC-707 ............. £867 see website see website
Fuji Finepix A203 ......................... £218 £232 £243 Nikon Coolpix 5000 ..................... £698 £714 £721 Sony Cybershot DSC-31 ............... £178 see website see website COMPARE & CONTRAST
Fuji Finepix A204 ......................... £188 £202 £213 Nikon Coolpix 5700 ..................... £868 £884 £891 Sony Cybershot DSC-P5 ............... £408 see website see website DIGITAL CAMERA SPECIFICATIONS
Fuji Finepix A303 ......................... £268 £282 £293 Nikon Coolpix 775 ....................... £248 £264 £271 Sony Cybershot DSC-51 ............... £188 see website see website SIDE BY SIDE
Fuji Finepix F401 .......................... £328 £339 £350 Nikon Coolpix 885 ....................... £358 £374 £381 Sony Cybershot DSC-71 ............... £278 see website see website
Fuji Finepix F601 .......................... £458 £469 £480 Olympus C1 (c-you) Zoom ............ £168 £179 £190 Sony Cybershot DSC-85 ............... £498 see website see website
Fuji Finepix S304 .......................... £338 £352 £363 Olympus C220 zoom .................... £178 £189 £200 Sony Cybershot U-10 ................... £188 see website see website
Fuji Finepix S602 .......................... £548 £559 £570 Olympus C300z ............................ £258 £269 £280 Sony Mavica CD400 ..................... £738 see website see website FREE MINI TRIPOD WORTH
Kodak CX4210 ............................. £138 see website see website Olympus C3020 ............................ £338 £349 £360 Sony Mavica MVCFD200 .............. £428 see website see website £8 WITH EVERY CAMERA
Kodak CX4230 ............................. £178 see website see website Olympus c4000z ........................... £378 £389 £400 Sony Mavica MVC FD75 ............... £348 see website see website
Kodak DX3215 ............................. £130 see website see website Olympus C50zoom ....................... £468 £482 £493

READERS AND ADAPTERS C O M PA C T F L A S H ( T Y P E I & I I ) S E C U R E D I G I TA L


Fuji ZIO USB Smartmedia reader/writer .............................................. £29 Fuji 16MB ........................................................................................... £15 Sandisk 16MB .................................................................................... £22
Expert USB Compact Flash reader ...................................................... £24 Fuji 32MB ........................................................................................... £18 Sandisk 32MB .................................................................................... £30
Sandisk Compact Flash adapter ......................................................... £15 Fuji 64MB ........................................................................................... £26 Sandisk 64MB .................................................................................... £46
Fuji 128MB ......................................................................................... £48
SMART MEDIA IBM 340MB microdrive .................................................................... £110 MEMORY STICKS
Fuji 16MB ............................................................................................. £9 IBM 1GB microdrive ......................................................................... £238 Sony 16MB ......................................................................................... £29
Fuji 32MB ........................................................................................... £14 Sandisk 16MB .................................................................................... £15 Sony 32MB ......................................................................................... £42
Sandisk 32MB .................................................................................... £20
Fuji 64MB ........................................................................................... £26
Fuji 128MB ......................................................................................... £48 Sandisk 64MB .................................................................................... £28
Sony 64MB ......................................................................................... £62
Sony 128MB ....................................................................................... £98 share & print
Sandisk 128MB .................................................................................. £50
Sandisk 16MB ...................................................................................... £9
Sandisk 32MB .................................................................................... £15 Sandisk 256MB .................................................................................. £98 B AT T E R I E S A N D C H A R G E R S
NO LENGTHY DOWNLOADS
Sandisk 64MB .................................................................................... £28
M U LT I M E D I A C A R D S
4 X 1200 mAh ................................................................................. £6.50 TO GET STARTED
Sandisk 128MB .................................................................................. £52 4 x 1800 mAh ............................................................................... £11.50
Toshiba 128MB .................................................................................. £50 Sandisk 16MB .................................................................................... £19 4 x 1200 mAh & mains charger ..................................................... £16.50 1
Sandisk 32MB .................................................................................... £24 4 x 1800 mAh & mains charger ..................................................... £20.50 Upload digital images to on-line album.
Sandisk 64MB .................................................................................... £44
2
All prices include vat (and delivery for orders over £100). Prices subject to change Store, share or order prints.
3
Prints delivered direct to your door.
www. .co.uk FREE 50mb on line photo
FOR ALL THESE GREAT DEALS AND MORE VISIT OUR WEBSITE album storage
FREE registration
call 0870 745 1036 FREE £15 worth of prints with
or fax 01484 845 947 or e-mail sales@internetcamerasdirect.co.uk
every purchase over £500
*Secure on-line ordering at internetcamerasdirect.co.uk we use a 128 bit model to encrypt your credit card details within the browser on your PC. The details are not
decrypted until downloaded onto our server. This is the most secure model. InternetCamerasDirect.co.uk, Unit 14, New Mill, Brougham Road, Marsden, Huddersfield HD7 www.icdphotos.com
6BJ
DIGITAL IMAGING SALES
AT A&P COMPUTERS
■ Olympus C-300 ■ Kodak DX4900 ■ Toshiba Pocket PC
with 100 sheets of e740
Luxury Kit
Inkjet Photo Letter Paper!

£299 inc VAT


Dock not included
£499.38
£318 inc VAT
inc VAT

■ Hewlett Packard
■ Fuji Finepix 401 ■ Toshiba Satellite Photosmart 130
includes additional
1400-253s Inkjet Printer
64MB SmartMedia card

£349 inc VAT


£880.08
inc VAT
£129.25
inc VAT
Please call to check latest pricing.
If you can’t see it here, please call our sales team and ask. (01483) 821000. While stocks last. E&OE. Prices are correct at time of publishing.

NE
ORDER HOTLI
THE WHOLE
(01483) 8210
00 A&P Computers Ltd
Unit 5 Walnut Tree Park, Walnut Tree Close,
Guildford, Surrey GU1 4TR
Tel: 01483 821000 Fax: 01483 880011

SOLUTION AND MORE E-mail: digitalcameras@ap-computers.com


Web: www.ap-computers.com

DIGITAL CAMERAS Minolta C3020PHONE for SPECIAL DEAL PRICE Nikon LS40 USB . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE
Canon D’Image X . . . . . . . . .£279 C4000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE Nikon LS4000 Firewire . . . . . . .PHONE
EOS D60 . . . . . . .PHONE C5050 NEW MODEL . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE FLATBED SCANNERS
D’Image Xi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£319 Canon D2400SB + film hood . . . .£299
EOS1D IN STOCK . . .PHONE for price E20 + Olympus tele + wide
D’Image 7i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE convs while stocks last .PHONE Canon N1240U USB A4 . . . . . . . . .£99
Ixus V2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE D’Image 7Hi NEW MODEL . . . .PHONE
Digital Ixus-330 . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE PRINTERS E T C
Powershot A10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£139
D’Image
D’Image
5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£499
F100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£359
Pentax Canon CP-100 6x4 direct printer .£209
Powershot G2 black kit . . . . . .PHONE Optio 330RS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£349 Canon S820 A4 photo . . . . . . .PHONE
Nikon Optio 430RS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£429 Epson Photo Stylus 895 . . . . . . . .£169
Powershot G2 . . . .PHONE
D1X body inc battery Sony Epson Photo Stylus 1290 . . . . . . .£319
& charger . . . . . . . .PHONE DSC-P31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£169 Epson Photo Stylus 2100 . . . . . . .£549
DSC-P51 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£189 Olympus P200 handheld A6 . . . . .£259
Powershot Pro 90IS . . . . . . . . .PHONE
Powershot S10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£299 DSC-P71 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£249 Olympus P330 Dye Sub A6 . . . . .£359
D100 SLR NEW MODEL . . . . . .PHONE DSC-P7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£299 Olympus P400 Dye Sub A4 . . . . .£439
Powershot S20 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£349 18-35mm DAF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£389 DSC-P9 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£369
Fuji 24-85mm f3.5/4 AF-S . . . . . . . . . . .£339 DIGITAL VIDEO
Finepix S2 SLR . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE Sigma 15-30mm . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£529 CANON
Finepix S602 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE SB50DX flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE DSC-S85. . . . . . . . . . . . £419 MV-500i NEW MODEL . . . . . . . . . .£539
SB80DX flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE MV-550i NEW MODEL . . . . . . . . . .£709
Finepix F601 . . . . . . . .PHONE Coolpix 2000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£179 DSC-F707 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£710 MV-450i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£745
Coolpix 2500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£269 MEDIA MV-5i . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£699
Finepix A202 . . . . . . . . . .£129 Coolpix 4300 NEW MODEL . . .PHONE Compact flash, Smart media . .PHONE
Coolpix 4500 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE M-5iMC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£829
Finepix A203 . . . . . . . . . .£219 Memorex CDR 50 pack . . . . . . .£20.00 SONY
Finepix A204 . . . . . . . . . .£185 Coolpix 5000 . . . . . .NEW LOW PRICE
Coolpix 5700 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE Panasonic DVM60 dig video tape £7.99 DCR-TRV130 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£349
Finepix A303 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£259 FILM SCANNERS
Finepix S304 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£339 Olympus Canon FS4000 . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE
DCR-TRV140 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£319
Finepix F401 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£319 C120 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£149 Microtek 4000T (4000dpi) . . . . . . .£899 DCR-TRV-18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£515
Kyocera C220 Luxury Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£219 Minolta Scan Dual 2 USB . . . .PHONE DCR-TRV-25 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£709
Finecam S3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£279 C300 Luxury Kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£289 Minolta Scan Pro Multi 35mm or DCR-PC8E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£719
Finecam S4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£439 C2040 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£339 Medium format . . . . . . . . . . . . .PHONE DCR-PC120E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .£1069
Website : a-d-2.com ALL PRICES CORRECT AT TIME OF COMPILATION. CARRIAGE EXTRA. E&OE.
We welcome visitors to our new showroo m on the A40
• West of High Wycombe & free parking.
Look for your map on www.digitalfirst.co.uk
OLYMPUS P300E DYE-SUB PRINTER
NATIONAL MAIL ORDER £49.99 (WITH FREE SHIPPING)
FREEPHONE 0800 043 3344 GOOD WORKING ORDER • WINDOWS 95/98/XP/2000
Enquiries & Helpline: FULLY
CHECKED BY OLYMPUS TECHNICIANS AND COMPLETE IN EVERY WAY .
ALSO AVAILABLE WITH A SET OF PAPER/RIBBON SUFFICIENT FOR 60 PRINTS FOR ONLY
01494 88 33 99
FIRST FOR DIGITAL £69.99, SAVING £15 (AGAIN WITH FREE SHIPPING)
A FURTHER
Secure On-Line Shopping 128-bit encrypted shopping basket THIS PRINTER USED TO SELL FOR £249.99.
www.digitalfirst.co.uk • Email info@digitalfirst.co.uk IT PRODUCES OUTSTANDING POSTCARD SIZE PRINTS IN JUST UNDER 2 MINUTES

Offices & Showroom: Unit 12 • North’s Estate • PIddIngton


HIgh Wycombe Bucks • HP14 3BE
External Battery Kit EBP-100 ..£189.99
Monday - Friday 9am - 6pm • Sat 9am - 1pm Flashgun 3600HS(D) ..............£129.99
• C50 Zoom £474.99 ........................................

Subject to Availability • E & O E • Prices Subject to Change without Notice


Flashgun 5600HS(D) ..............£249.99
......................................................................................
• C5050 Zoom £589.99 ........................

MasterCard/Visa/Switch/Amex/Cheque/Council or School/University Orders.


COURIER: Cameras £7.50 Scanners/Printers £9.95 • Jiffy Bags £3.95
•Dimage X ......£289.99 • E10P Zoom £749.99* ......................
CANON
Memory Cards & Cases £1.99 • Prices include Vat @17.5% Minolta Leather Case Dimage X£19.99 • E20P Zoom £1,099.99* ......
• FS4000US ..........£649.99
Lithium Battery Dimage X ........£29.99
• Dimage F100 £349. 99 • E20P Zoom Pro Kit*£1,299.99* HP
.... TCON-14B 200mm & WCON-08B 28mm lenses
Minolta Leather Case F100 ......£19.99 *Free Olympus P300 GWO Printer • Photosmart S20..£209.99
CANON Lithium Batteries F100................£9.99
Minolta Case 304/404 ..............£19.99
. E10/20 Accessories:
TCON-300 420mm lens ..............£579.99
MINOLTA
• Powershot G2 £499.99 ....
......................................................................................
• ScanDual 2 £279.99
NIKON Coolpix TCON-SA2 Support Arm ..............£179.99
.... ................

• Powershot G3 £589.99 ..
TCON-14B 200 mm lens ............£199.99 • ScanDual 3 £299.99 ................

• Powershot S30 £369.99 .. • 2000 £179.99


................................................................ MCON-35 macro ......................£99.99 • Scan Elite 2 ....£469.99
• Powershot S45 £464.99 .. • 2500 £249.99
................................................................
WCON-08B 28mm lens ..........£179.99
• Scan Multi 2 £1,299.99 ..............
B-30LSP Li-Po batt/charger Kit£579.99
• Ixus 330 £349.99 ................................ • 4300 £399.99
..................................................................
Olympus General Accessories • Scan Multi Pro £1,899.99
• Ixus V2 £279.99 ..........................................
• 4500 £529.99
................................................................ AC Mains Adaptor ....................£49.99 MICROTEK
MINOLTA SCANDUAL • Ixus V3 £329.99 ..........................................
• 5000 £799.99
................................................................
Case to fit 1/2000/3000/1400 ..£27.99
• Filmscan 35 ....£119.99
35MM NEG&SLIDE SCANNER • D60 £1,949.99
................................................
• 5700 £874.99
................................................................
Case to fit 4/8/9 Series ............£12.99
• Filmscan 1800£199.99
Aqua Housing 8 Series ..........£129.99
Speedlite 550EX......................£269.99
£279.99 Speedlite 420EX......................£169.99
• D100 £1,749.99
.................................................... 16mb Panorama Card ..................£19.99 • Filmscan 3600£399.99
Speedlite 220EX......................£129.99 • D1H £3,199.99
..........................................................
32mb Panorama Card ..............£32.99 • Filmscan 4000£749.99
64mb Panorama Card ..............£64.99
NB-1L Battery for Ixus..............£29.99
NB-2L Battery for Powershot....£39.99
• D1H Kit £3,389.99
..................................
128mb Panorama Card ..........£139.99 NIKON
NB-5H Battery for S10/S20 ......£29.99 • D1X £3,575.99
........................................................
Card Case - Leather ..................£12.99 • Coolscan IV £549.99 ..............
Telephoto Lens 1.45x................£67.99
BP-511 Battery for D60......£49.99 • D1X PRO KIT ..£3,649.99 Wide Lens 0.8x ......................£119.99 • Coolscan 4000£1,149.99
SC-PS300/400/800 Case ..........£19.99 NIKON LENSES Macro Lens ..............................£68.99 • Coolscan 8000£2,299.99
BG-ED3 Grip for D60........£129.99
...................................................................................... AF-D 18/35mm ................£429.99 43mm Lens Protection filter ....£12.99
CANON LENSES: AF-S 17/35mm f2.8 ........£1,199.99 43mm ND 4x ............................£19.99
EF USM 20f2.8 ..................£1,169.99 General Nikon Accessories 49mm ND 4x (2100/700) ............£19.99
EF-L USM 16/35f2.8 ............£1,169.99 SB28DX Flashgun ..............£299.99 49mm Lens protect. (2100/700)£16.99 EPSON
EF USM 20/35f2.8 ................£329.99 ‘Accredited Stockist’
SB-22S Flashgun ............£119.99 Dimo/Power MO 640mb ..........£99.99
Perfection
CASIO SB-80DX Flashgun ..........£269.99 Flash Film Scanner ................£159.99
• 1260 Photo £89.99
EPSON PHOTO 925 • QV-4000 ......................................
99
£449. SB-50DX Flashgun ..........£159.99 Fast Charger incl 4 Batts ..........£65.99
External Flash FL40 ................£329.99
......................

MEMORY CARD SLOTS PRINTER c/w 1 Gig Micro Drive ................£599 99 SC-17TTL Sensor Cable ....£59.99 ...................................................................................... • 1640SU Photo ...... £269.99
£219. 99 FUJI Finepix Battery EN-EL1 ..................£39.99
Battery EN-EL2 ..................£39.99
PENTAX • 1640 SU .......................... £229.99
• A202 £129.99
............................................................
Battery EN-EL3 ..................£49.99 • Optio 430RS £379.99 ............ • 1660 Photo .................. £149.99
• A204 £189.99
................................................................ Battery EN-4......................£84.99 • Optio 330RS £309.99 ............
• 2450U Photo ............ £299.99
... • A203 £219.99
................................................................
URE 2-8 Lens Rings ..each £12.99
• Optio 330GS ..£269.99 .Expression
Case CS-E880/885 ............£19.99
. • A303 £269.99
................................................................

CS-P11 Case (5700) ..........£34.99 Optio Case ..................................£9.99


• 1600 .................................... £549.99
• A304 £349.99 Case 990/995/990..............£29.99 K AC-2E AC Adaptor ................£39.99
• 1600 PRO £719.99
................................................................

• A401 £319.99
................................................................ AC Adaptor EH-31/EH21 ....£49.99 DL-22 Battery ..........................£29.99
......................................................................................
......................

. • F601 £459.99
..................................................................
AC Adaptor EH53AC ..........£39.99
SONY • 1680 .................................... £639.99
• S602 £549.99
................................................................
Flash Bracket S K - E 9 0 0 ....£58.99
• DSC-P2 £329.99 • 1680 PRO ...................... £789.99
Wideangle WC-E24 ............£69.99
MICROTEK
..............................................

• S2 Pro ...................................... £1,799.99 W i d e a n g l e W C - E 6 3 ..........£99.99 • DSC-P5 £439.99


• ScanMaker 5600£199.99
..........................................

Fuji Accessories W i d e a n g l e W C - E 8 0 ........£119.99


AC Mains Adaptor ....................£29.99 Fisheye FC-E8 ..............................£209.99
• DSC-P9 £399.99 ..............................................
Including Neg & Slide Adaptor
OLYMPUS C4000 Case ............................£19.99/£29.99 Telephoto TC-E15ED ........£119.99 • DSC-S75 £399.99 ....................................
• ScanMaker 8700 S/F £599.99
NP100 Batt .................................£39.99
4MEGAPIXELS • 3X ZOOM NP80 Batt ..................................£42.99
Telephoto TC-E2 ................£99.99 • DSC-S85 ..............£43999
Telephoto TC-E3ED..............£209.99
£379.99 NP60 Batt ................................£34.99 • DSC-P20 £169.99
Slide Copier ES-E28..................£62.99
CANON
....................................

BC80 Charger ..........................£54.99 Nikon Filterkit (4) ......................£37.99 • DSC-P31 £179.99 ....................................

BC60 Charger ..........................£49.99 28mm Lens Protection Filter ....£12.99


• DSC-P30 £159.99 • Photo S330 .............. £74.99
SM R2 USB Reader ..................£69.99 MD-D100 Grip ........................£234.99
....................................

0.8x Wide (2900)......................£54.99 MB-E5700 Lenshood ................£17.99 • DSC-P51 £199.99 ....................................


• Photo S900 .......... £299.99
0.79x Wide Kit (4/6900) ..........£89.99 . HR-E5700 Grip ......................£119.99 • DSC-P71 £269.99 .................................... • Photo S530D ........ £219.99
1.5x Tele Kit (4/6900) ..............£89.99
......................................................................................
OLYMPUS Camedia • DSC-P717 £799.99 • Photo S820D ........ £269.9
KODAK
............................

• C220 Zoom £179.99 SONY ACCESSORIES • Photo S830D .... £279.99


• DX3900/Dock £329.99 ..............................

NP-F550 battery for Mavica . . £ 5 4 . 9 9


• Photo S9000 £399.99
..............

• DX4900 Camera £369.9 ..


9 .• C220 Luxury Pack* £209.99 NP-FM50 battery for Cyber-Shot£54.99 ..
...................................................................................... Leather case, 64MB SM card & 4 NiMh + Charger
M e m o r y S t i c k 8 M B ............£12.99 Canon Ink Cartridges
MINOLTA Dimage • C720 Ultra Zoom £369.99
...
Memory Stick 16MB ............£19.99 BC1-6C/M/Y/Blk/PC/PM each ....£7.99
• Dimage D7i........£69999 • C730 Ultra Zoom £429.99 BC13EC/EM/EY each ..................£6.99
CANON D60
....
M e m o r y S t i c k 3 2 M B .........£26.99
• Dimage D7Hi ..£929.99 • C300Luxury Pack* ....£299.99 M e m o r y S t i c k 6 4 M B ..........£34.99 BC13EBK ....................................£8.49
6.3 MEGAPIXELS • Dimage D5 ........£479.99 Leather case, 64MB SM card & 4 NiMh + Charger
P C M C I A A d a p t o r ............£69.99 BC124BK ....................................£5.49
£1,949.99 Case MB-D1 for D5/7 ..............£39.99 • C4000 Zoom ...................... £379.99 F l o p p y D i s k A d a p t o r ........£69.99 BC124C ....................................£11.99
1/2 PRICE ACCESSORY KITS WITH EACH CAMERA PURCHASED
64 OR 128MB PLUS USB C ARD READER PLUS TAMRAC
DIGITAL CAMERA CASE
FROM £34.99

HP 99
MS into CF..............................£39.99
Trio SD/MM/MS into CF..........£39.99
• Photosmart 100 £119. . CANON . PCMCIA 4 in 1
HP Ink Cartridges SM/MM/MS/SD ................£49.99
PS100 ......................C6657A £29.99 • CP100 .......................................... £209. 99
SM Adaptor
PS1115 • 1215/8 • 1315 Blk51645G £20.99 KP-36IP Paper (36)............£17.99 S M into PCMCIA ............£39.99
NiMH Batteries Kenko
Same ..............Colour C6578D£42.99
FUJI
EPSON • NX500 .................. £149.99
A6 Paper Cartridge (20) ......£8.99
2 x 1800mAH ...................£6.99
GePe 5hr Charger
Digital Camera Lenses
2xTele ........................................£34.99
‘Accredited Stockist’ & 4 Batteries 1800mAH ....£29.99 0.5x Wide..................................£32.99
• Photo 810 £79.
......................
99
OLYMPUS GePe 1hr Charger 0.43x Fisheye..............................£39.99
• Photo 830 £89.99
...................... • P330NE ............£299.99 & 4 Batteries 1800mAH ..£39.99 Microtech Media Vault OLYMPUS C300
• Photo 890 ................ £159.99 • P300E Special ......£49.99 Ansman Digital Powerpack Kit CHOICE
• Photo 895 ................ £169.99 Bundled with 60 Paper/Ribbon£69.99
...................................................................................... Belt-fitting 3000mAH ..........£39.99
CF/SM/MS/MM/SD/PC ............£19.99 LUXURY PACK
• Photo 915 .................. £159.99 A6 Paper & Ribbon (60)............£29 .99
99
USB Express Ohnar Digital Slide £299.99
• Photo 925 .......... £219.99 • P400 .................................... £479 Intelligent Cable • DB25 or HD50 Duplicator................£69. 99

Ribbon for 50 A4 prints ..........£59.99 Lens Adaptors from £ 6.99


TV Monitor ..........................£79.99 A4 Paper (100) ..................................£79.99 SCSI to USB .............. £59.99
• Photo 950 £339.
................
99
A5+ Paper (25)............................£34.99 IBM Microdrive AVer Fotoplay
340MB £99.80
Images directly onto your TV £69.99
• Photo 1290 £314.99
..........
340MB Travel Kit £129.80 Cokin Digital Filter Kits
• Photo 1290s ......£329.99 Compact Flash 512MB £129.80 G300 ..................................£19. 99
• Photo 2100 £519.99
............
10 Year Warranty • Lexar Drivers
512MB Travel Kit
1GB
£159.80
£189.99
G350 ..................................£24. 99
G400 ..................................£34. 99
Epson Accessories (not included) 16MB..........................................£11.80 1GB Travel Kit £219.99
USB A-B Printer Cable 1.8m ............£6.99 32MB..........................................£15.99
Mindstor 1/2 Price Value Pack
USB A-B Printer Cable 3m................£9.99 64MB ........................................£24.99 Purchased with Camera
128MB........................................£39.99 10gig ......................£349.99 (Prices in brackets if bought separately)
Parallel Port Printer Cable 1.8m ..£6.99
256MB........................................£89.99 20gig ......................£399.99 For CF or SM-type Cameras:
Epson Paper 64mb CF or SM memory Card
A4 (20) 141g....................SO41126 £5.99
Smart Media • 10 Year Warranty 30gig ......................£499.99 USB CF or SM Card Reader
16MB............................................£7.99
A4 (20) 194g....................SO41140 £6.99 32MB..........................................£13.99
Nixvue Album Lowepro Digital Camera Case OLYMPUS E10
A4 (50) 194g Archival...SO41342 £10.99
A4 (100) 102g .............SO41061 £7.99
64MB..........................................£24.99 10gig ......................£379.99 ONLY £34. 99(£39.99) 3.8 MEGAPIXELS • 4 X ZOOM
128MB ......................................£44.99 20gig ......................£429.99 w i t h .....................................................
128mb £44. (£49.99) 99

A4 (20) Prem 255g..........SO41287 £9.99 Lexar MemoryStick • 5 Year W’ty Traveljack ..................£39.99 For xD-type Cameras: £749.99
A4 (50) Prem 186g..........SO41256 £8.99
A4 (20) Prem 255g ......SO41332 £11.99
16MB ........................................£19. 80 Nixvue Vista 64mb xD memory Card
USB xD Reader
3 2 M B .......................................£24.80
A4 (20) 215g Archival....SO41349 £10.99 6 4 M B ........................................£39.80
10gig ......................£399.99 Lowepro Digital Camera Case
20gig ......................£449.99
Roll 8x 0.1m 255g..........SO41303..£12.99
A4 (100) 89g ..........................SO41059 £5.99
1 2 8 M B ......................................£69.80
Multi Media • 10 Year Warranty 30gig ......................£549.99
ONLY £54. 99 (£59.99)
w i t h ....................................................
1 2 8 m b £ 6 4 . 99 ( 6 9 . 9 9 )
A3 (20) 141g ..................SO41125 £17.49 16MB..........................................£15.99 Printerjack ..................£49.99
32MB..........................................£29.99 For MMD/SD-type Cameras:
A3 (20) 194g ....................SO41142 £17.99 Firewirejack ................£69.99 64mb SD memory Card
64MB..........................................£39.99
A3 (100) 89g Special....SO41065 £14.99 Image Tank USB SD Reader
A3 (20) Prem 255g......SO41315 £24.99 Lexar CF USB • 5 Year Warranty Lowepro Digital Camera Case
10gig/Powerbank ........£259.99
A3 (20) Prem 255g ....SO41334 £24.99
A3 (20) 195g ArchivalSO41344 £24.99
32MB 8 x speed ........................£24.99
64MB 8 x speed ........................£34.99 20gig/Powerbank ........£299.99 ONLY £54. 99 (£59.99)
128MB 8 x speed ......................£59.99 w i t h..........................................................
1 2 8 m b £ 7 4 . 99 ( £ 7 9 . 9 9 )
A3 (20) 215g GlossySO41350 £24.99 30gig/Powerbank ........£349.99
256MB 8 x speed ....................£109.99 Spare Battery ..............£59.99 For Memory Stick-type
A3 (50) Heavy Matt ..SO41261 £19.99 Cameras:
A3+ (20) 141g................SO41133 £18.99
SD • 10 Year Warranty Case ..........................£16.99 64mb Memory Stick
32MB..........................................£29.99
A3+ (20) 194g ......................SO41143 £24.99 64MB..........................................£39.99 Hahnel Accessories USB SD Reader OLYM
MPUS P300 PRINTER •
A3+(20) Prem 255g ..SO41328 £34.99 128MB ........................................£5999 Universal AC supply..............£29.99 Lowepro Digital Camera Case
xD - Picture Card 99 WO STOCCK*
GW
A3+(50) Heavy Matt ..SO41264 £29.99 HL80 Battery (Fuji, Kodak) ..£29.99 ONLY £59. (£64.99)
A3+ (50) 195g ArchivalSO41340 £33.99
A3 (100) 105g....................SO41068 £22.99
32mb ........................................£14.99
64mb ........................................£24.99
128mb ......................................£44.99
HL-E1 Battery (Nikon)........£29.99 w i t h 1 2 8 m b £ 8 4 . 99 ( £ 8 9 . 9 9 )
...........................
£49.99 * GOOD WORKING ORDER
HL-1L Battery (Canon) ......£19.99
A3+ (100) 89g ..........SO41066 £24.99 VanSon Ink Cartriges for Epson
HL-2L Battery (Canon) ......£19.99 VL193 (Photo 750)
A3+ (20) Prem 255gSO41316 £32.99 HL-511 Battery (Canon) ......£34.99 VL187 (440/460/640/660)
A6 (50) 188g ............SO41054 £5.99 Microtech CameraMate HL-200 Battery (Minolta) ..£19.99 VL093 (750/1200)
4x6 (20) 194g ............SO41134 £5.99 VL110 (EX700)
Epson Colour Cartridges
USB for CF • CF2 • MD & SM £49.99 Lowepro 1/2 Price only £4.99 each
USB for MS • CF • CF2 & MD ....£49.99
1200 ........................TO01011 £19.99 FIREWIRE for CF only ....................£59.99
Digital Camera Cases
1270/1290......................TO09 £16.99 PARALLEL PORT for SM only ....£39.99 D-Res 30AW ............................£17.99
750 .................................SO20193 £14.99 PARALLEL PORT for CF only....£39.99 D-Res 25AW ......................£15.99
870/890/790/875 ..............TO08 £13.99 MICROTECH ZIO D-Res 20AW ......................£14.99
740/1160..................SO20191 £17.99 USB 4 models: D-Res 10AW ......................£12.99
Photo/700/EX ..........SO20110 £13.99 SM or CF1+2+ MD or MM ................£29.99 D-Res 8 Pouch ..................£12.99
400/600/800/850 ....SO20089 £14.99 or Memory Stick........................£34.99 D-Res 8S Pouch ................£10.99
810 ................................TO27 £15.99 DAZZLE 6-IN-1 READER D-Res 6 Memory/Battery Wallet ....£9.99
2000p ............................TO16 £25.99 SM/CF/CF2/MD/SD/MM/MS ......£59.99 D-Res 4 Memory Wallet ......£7.99
CANON 830D PRIINTER
C70/80 Cyan ................TO322..£11.99
FUJI FIREWIRE DUAL CF/SM £59.99 Tamrac
MEMORY CARD SLOT
C70/80 Magenta ..........TO323..£11.99
JACTRON 6-IN-1 READER Digital Camera Cases
C70/80 Yellow ..............TO324..£11.99
SM/CF/CF2/MD/SD/MM/MS ......£49.99
FLASHPATH
5692 (S) ..............................................£12.99 £279.99
5693 (S/M) ................................£14.99
C70/80 TriColour C/M/YTO325..£21.99 SM Floppy Disk Adaptor ..........£49.99
5694 (M) ....................................£15.99
C60 ................................TO29..£20.99 LEAD DATA EXPERT USB
SM or CF/CF2/ MD ..................£19.99 5696 (L) ......................................£17.99
950 ....................T0332/3/4/5/6..£8.99
LEAD DATA USB DUAL
2100 ..T0342/343/344/345/346 £9.99 SM/CF/CF2/MD ................................................£24.99
Epson Black Cartridges LEAD DATA 5-IN-1
740/1160 ................SO20189 £17.99 SM/CF/CF2/MD/SD/MM ......................£39.99
1200/750/640/440........SO20187 £15.99
Photo/4/5/6/700/EX .......SO20093 £14.99 Members of
1270/1290C870/890 ......TO07 £14.99
TO07 x 2 ..................................£24.99
Adaptors
CF into PCMCIA......................£10.99
Trust-on-Line
2000P ............................TO15..£24.99 CF 2/MD into PCMCIA ..............£16.99
810 ................................TO26 £18.99 SM into CF2............................£39.99
C60 ................................TO28..£23.99 Our site is encrypted to the safest 128-bit standard
C70/80..........................TO321..£21.99
950 ................................T0331 £8.99 and your browser may need updating for access to our basket
2100 ........................T0341/348 £8.99
2100 ..............................T0347 £9.99

WWW .digitalfirst.co.uk
On your discs
Two CDs every month! Here’s what we’ve lined up for you this December…

This December…
Jeremy Ford welcomes you back for Digital Camera Magazine’s second interactive
chapter and introduces the superb software you’ve all got FREE on this month’s discs

W
elcome to issue 2 of Digital Camera reviews for other website visitors to access. Paintshop Pro 7 XTRAS is our next free product.
Magazine. If you bought the first And finally, it’s worth a visit just to enter our This is a superb collection of more tubes,
issue then you’ll already have a good competition where you can win the highly frames and textures plus some secret weapons
idea of what to expect this time around. But rated Konica Revio KD-400Z 4.13 megapixel for great effects.
before I tell you about this issue’s highlights I’d digital camera. Next we have iCorrect Entrée which can
like to tell you a bit about the Digital Camera Now back to this month’s CD. This issue we automatically correct the colour balance of any
Magazine website. You can find the site at have four full products for you to keep: Instant of your less-than-perfect shots.
www.digitalcamera.mag.co.uk and once you’re Photo Artist, Paintshop Pro 7 XTRAS, iCorrect And finally Firegraphic XP 3.5 is an excellent
online you’ll find reviews and content from Entrée and Firegraphic XP. tool for managing large collections of images,
past issues of the magazine plus exclusive Instant Photo Artist is an impressive and enabling you to view, edit, print and much
Jeremy Ford is both the online editor content such as reviews, features, and tutorials. surprisingly easy-to-use application that more in Windows 98.
and disc editor for Digital Camera Plus our Web Forums give you the chance to enables you to turn any digital image into a
Magazine. Each issue he’ll be gathering ask questions or help other magazine readers work of art using one of five brush types and ■ Don’t miss next issue. Again we’ll have two
the best software on CDs for your digital with their queries. You’ll also have the 16 textures, along with several other tools for packed discs full of essential resources for your
camera. And you’ll also find him on the opportunity to write and submit your own creating unique images in a matter of minutes. digital camera. On sale Thurs 19th November.
website updating you with the latest
news, reviews and features on
everything digital camera related

■ Should you have query regarding the


CD or website you can contact Jeremy at
STARTING UP Time to fire up your disc and see what’s in store for you. There’s a wealth
of software at your fingertips and it’s ready to use…
jeremy.ford@futurenet.co.uk

START-UP THE DISC USER AGREEMENT BROWSE THE DISC


01 To get started with the Digital Camera 02 Please read the first screen carefully and 03 Use the menu bar at the top of the
CD-ROMs simply insert them into your click the Agree button to continue. This screen to navigate to the different areas
drive. The interface should run automatically. page details our rights and responsibilities to you of the disc – simply use your cursor to highlight the
However, if it doesn’t, click the Start button and and vice versa. You will be taken to the main menu item and click the mouse button. Instructions
select the Run option. Type D:\digitalcamera screen, for where you can progress to the rest of on how you use each section of the disc are
(where D is the drive letter denoting your drive) the disc’s contents. included on the interface itself.
and press Enter.

120 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


Using our
interface
The CDs are crammed with information
but navigation is straightforward

Our two coverdiscs add huge value to your magazine this


month. There’s a wealth of software and resources stored on
there to help you get the most from your digital camera plus
some special interactive features that enable you to get some
hands-on experience with the five cameras we’ve reviewed
this month. Here’s what you’re getting for your money:
Disc 1 includes a virtual tour of each main camera we’ve
reviewed, giving you clear instructions on how to interactively
rotate each model through a full 360 degrees, and rotate up
and over it to see it from every angle. You can also inspect
intricate features close-up and compare the quality of
example pictures taken with each camera. Short of buying
the cameras yourself this is the most comprehensive inside
information you can get on the subject, before you buy0.
Disc 2 contains two full products ready for you to install,
along with a library of software including drivers, plug-ins,
utilities and demonstration products to enable you to
complete the tutorials in the magazine.

Easy navigation
Quickly and easily navigate both CD-ROMs using the
intuitive multimedia interface. Click an item from the
top row to select the main section and the relevant sub
sections will be revealed in the yellow bar below.

Software installation
VIRTUAL TOURS Our virtual tour enables you to get a proper feel for the five digital
cameras we’ve reviewed this issue
Featured software can be installed directly from
the CD by clicking on the install icon displayed.
In each section you will find a description of the
software, additional installation instructions if
required and a link to the product websites
where appropriate.

Virtual tours
Select ‘virtual tours’ from the main navigation
bar to visit this special interactive feature.
The new menu displayed for this section
offers 3D Fly around, detail shots and test shots
for each of the five reviewed cameras. Relevant
website links are also provided.

FLY AROUND DETAIL SHOTS TEST SHOTS Test shots


01 Use the pink arrows to the left and right 02 We’ve provided nine detailed images of 03 We’ve taken test shots in four different This section enables you to compare actual
of each camera image to spin the each digital camera so you can have a lighting situations to enable you to view pictures taken using the reviewed digital
camera around. Rollover the outside arrows to auto really thorough look at each of them. Zoom in to the image quality of the individual cameras. These cameras. Choose a test shot from the four
rotate the camera in that direction or click the inside the required close-up shot by simply clicking the include a detail picture, a skin shot, plus indoor and provided and, using the simple drag-and-drop
arrows to manually rotate the camera to the relevant thumbnail image or pressing the number outdoor shots. See a large version of each shot by interface, you can select similar pictures from
position you want. key shown below each one. clicking the thumbnail or pressing then number key two cameras and compare them alongside
displayed below each image. each other.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 121


Instant Photo Artist
Transform even the dullest photo into a mini work of art with this powerful yet
friendly image effects program

* SOFTWARE
SPECIFICATIONS
PUBLISHER STREETWISE SOFTWARE
PRODUCT STATUS FULL VERSION
CONTACT INFORMATION WWW.SWSOFTWARE.COM
AS SOLD FOR £29.95

W
hile you can easily blow hundreds of
pounds on industrial-strength image
editing software, trying to figure them
out can be an exercise in frustration. As a
straightforward, easy-to-use photo effects
program, Instant Photo Artist is hard to beat – OPEN AN IMAGE WHAT’S YOUR STYLE? REVEAL THE OUTLINE
finally, a program that lives up to its name. 01 When you open Instant Photo Artist 02 The Style Browser dialog box will appear, 03 You’ll now see a faint blue line marking
Instant Photo Artist is great for turning a so-so you’ll be prompted to open a file. Select offering Impressionistic effects. Choose a out the base photo. Guide the brush over
shot into something much more interesting. the photo you want to work on. JPEG, TIFF and other style that’s suitable for the image – a cubism filter the image and begin painting. The direction of your
Simply select an image that you want to popular file formats are supported. won’t do much for a family snapshot, for instance. mouse will determine the direction of the brush.
use, choose a painting style and then begin
painting over a faint outline of the image.
While not as intuitive as Photoshop Elements,
Instant Photo Elements still lets you add some
very attractive effects to photos, with a fine
degree of detail possible – and, of course, it’s
totally free while Photoshop Elements will set
you back £70. To begin with, it’s sensible to
pick a reasonably uncomplicated image and get
used to painting over the outline with the
customisable brush sizes. Start off with a single
focus shot, for example, a portrait photo or an
object. The program is able to acquire images
from a TWAIN source, such as a scanner or EXPERIMENT WITH BRUSHES PAINT IT BLACK REVEAL THE ORIGINAL
digital camera, and is able to open photos 04 Try some new techniques using the 05 The five back circles show the area your 06 Clicking Reveal shows the original photo,
saved in all popular file formats. pencil, brush, chalk, marker or airbrush. brush takes up. You can vary the size by enabling you to clarify key areas. If you
When a tool’s selected, the brush shapes selector ticking Auto Size, and moving the brush at speed. continue painting over the image with Reveal
changes to show different styles and effects. Clicking More gives you custom colours. selected, all of the original image will appear.

4
Streetwise Software’s website whets
your appetite for even more ingenious
photo editing software PLAY WITH TEXTURES HAVE FUN WITH SPLATTER PHOTOGRAPHIC PROWESS
07 In the ‘More’ palette, there’s also the 08 For radical effects, tick the Splattered 09 In the Style Browser, there are Charcoal,
option to add textures to your photos. Paint and Add Noise boxes in the Paint Painting and Photographic options as
Not as comprehensive as those offered by Attributes dialog boxes. The pressure of the brush well as Impressionist, the latter enabling some
Photoshop Elements, but still an interesting option. strokes you make can also be adjusted from here. attractive newsprint and airbrush effects.

122 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


Upgrade it! …and save yourself some money! Here’s how:

Streetwise Software products


Streetwise software has produced a number of different products ideal for use with your digital camera snaps

professional in a matter of seconds. And best of you’ve thought about but never got around to
all, you don’t need any special talents or doing because you didn’t have the art supplies
experience to do it. at your fingertips.
The fact is, there are hundreds of dollars Talking of creativity, the program also offers
worth of effects stored in this software. Simply help if you’re in need of a bit of inspiration.
select a category and browse previews of your There’s a whole gallery full of top quality
photo using thousands of professional photo designs for you to use in your own work,
effects to enhance it in different ways. Photo created by Professor Franklin’s in-house artists.
edge, for example, looks brilliant and can be The software manufacturer claims that these
applied with a single mouse click. Try the are “not just another collection of cheesy cards
Artistic Edge Effects, apply Professional Lighting and calendars” but; “top-quality designs that
or add Photo Frames. Create Impressionist you’ll be proud to present on any occasion.”
Paintings, Watercolours, Pastel Sketches or turn Quality clip art with a bit of a difference? It’s a
your photo into a Mural or Jigsaw. tempting offer and the program seems user-
friendly too – which is always a bonus.
Print Platinum
Professor Franklin’s Print Platinum software
enables you to design printable, original work
on your computer and reproduce it to suit your
needs. You can make personalised greeting

4
cards, design calendars for presents, print out
colour photos and do tons of other stuff you
would usually pay someone else a lot of

W
Photo Effects can transform e’ve had a lot of fun using the full money to do.
your photographs – and version of Instant Photo Artists 1.04 The best thing about Print Platinum is that
comes FREE on Digital on this month’s CD. The ability to you can print out something unique and
Camera Magazine’s coverdisc

4
literally paint over your images produced some personal in minutes – a lot more satisfying than
this month
very satisfying and unique results. The shelling out for a store-bought card that loads If you haven't already tried Instant
developers behind Instant Photo Artist have of other people have already got. It gives you Photo Artist then install the full
also developed several other programs suitable the tools to produce the creative projects version from this month's CD
for digital camera users including Instant Photo
Effects (trial version on the CD) and Print
Platinum. Details on these and other software
products can be found on the Streetwise
Software website at www.swsoftware.com. But
to save you from going online we’ve provided
you some details on both Photo Effects and
Print Platinum, below.

Photo Effects
Professor Franklin’s Instant Photo Effects means
that professional photo editing is only a few

4 4
mouse clicks away – talk about simplifying your Photo Effects enables you to use With masses of built-in filter effects
life! You can use your ideas and translate them filters to changes the edges of your you can instantly transform your
into real, vibrant effects that look totally image – like in the example above pictures using Photo Effects

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 123


Firegraphic XP 3.5
Sick of ploughing through hundreds of images just to find a favourite shot? Sounds like
you need this superb photo viewer and organiser

* SOFTWARE
SPECIFICATIONS
PUBLISHER FIREGRAPHIC
PRODUCT STATUS FULL VERSION
CONTACT INFORMATION WWW.FIREGRAPHIC.COM
AS SOLD FOR $39.95
SERIAL NUMBER 6610-8aa5-4999-8668-8362-e9b3

S
pend any time with a digital camera
and a PC and you’ll soon start to
acquire quite a collection of shots on
your hard disk. While sorting and naming them
all can be a pleasant diversion on a winter’s
evening, it’s a pain if you want to track down a GET YOUR BEARINGS FIND THE IMAGES START A SLIDE SHOW
photo in a hurry or have to slog through 01 When the program installs, you’ll see the 02 The Explorer Window displays the folders 03 To combine images in a slide show,
hundreds of files strewn all over your main Explorer Window, which manages on your PC in the pane on the left. choose Slide Show from the Tools menu,
computer. That’s where Firegraphic XP, a Folder Pane, Images Pane, Preview Pane, Properties Double-click to open a photo then right mouse click or click the icon of the film strip. All images selected
powerful image-browsing application, comes Pane, and Toolbar. ‘full screen’ for this effect. will become a slide show.
in. Every popular image format is supported by
Firegraphic XP, so it’s an ideal way of viewing a
large body of images in ‘thumbnail’ format.
Even better, the program comes with basic
editing and manipulation tools, enabling you to
resize, crop, grayscale and rotate. A browser
interface gives quick access to all of your files,
and despite its name, you don’t need Windows
XP to run this program – it works fine on earlier
versions of Windows too. Another neat feature
is the ability to create directories of your
favourite photos which can then be inserted
into a slideshow.
This is a great way of showing off holiday SLIDE SHOW SETTINGS FIND ANY PHOTO MANIPULATE IMAGES
photographs, for instance, without having to 04 You can change the slideshow via the 05 The program’s got powerful searching 06 In Image menu you can rotate a photo,
load each shot into an image viewing program Tools menu, Options. Click on the Slide tools. From the Edit menu, choose Find. grayscale it or alter its size. To crop, select
beforehand. An essential program for digital Show tab. Under Sequence, select Forward, You can search by author, keyword, file name, Marquee from the Tools menu and draw around
camera owners. Backward or Random for the order. subfolders or location. the area to cut out. Easy.

Upgrade to Firegraphic 5.5


Gain even more control over how you work your images

Y
ou’re bound to have built up quite a delete them, print them out and even get photos to very specific dimensions, such as
collection of digital images on your them directly from the camera. 4 x 6 and 5 x 7, for example.
hard drive already and over time, The latest version of the software includes You’ll discover these and other new
organising these files will become a pain. several enhancements. There’s the new features when you try out the 30-day trial of

4
Firegraphic XP is the ideal all-in-one preview feature that enables you to preview Firegraphic XP 5.5 on this issue’s coverdisc.
Firegraphic’s website gives more detailed
information on finding, organising and solution for managing your library, making it photos in a folder by pointing the mouse To order the product please visit
presenting your photos to best effect easier to view your images, move them, cursor on said folder, and the ability to crop www.firegraphic.com for details.

124 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


iCorrect Entrée 4.0
iCorrect automates colour cast correction for neutral shades

* SOFTWARE
SPECIFICATIONS
PUBLISHER ICORRECT ENTREE 4.0
PRODUCT STATUS FULL VERSION
CONTACT INFORMATION WWW.PICTO.COM
AS SOLD FOR £14

i
Correct Entrée is a program designed
to correct the colour levels of a range
of different image types including
those from digital cameras and scanners. As
soon as you load an image into the program it
will automatically try and set the correct colour GETTING STARTED SCREEN SETTINGS FIND YOUR IMAGE
levels. If you do not agree with the automatic 01 Close all programs that you have running 02 Click the ‘Test Monitor’ button and work 03 From the file menu, Browse to the
settings you have the option to override them and Install iCorrect from the CD. Start through the instructions. This will image (toodark.jpg) on the CD.
and fine-tune them. If the colour is slightly dark the iCorrect software – from the Start Menu8 calibrate your screen’s brightness and contrast to You will see two similar versions of the
or too light, you can adjust the brightness and Pictographics8iCorrect. match printer output. same image.
contrast levels. By default, the program
automatically sets black and white points, but
if your image does not include these colours,
you may achieve better results by turning off
these settings.
If you find that your image contains
unwanted colour casts, these can be removed
with a few clicks using neutral in the colour
correction tool. Experiment with this tool – you
can easily undo the last change you have
made, or even all of them.
Once you are happy with changes you have
made, you can save the newly corrected image
as a new file. LIGHTENING THE IMAGE REPLACING TONE FINAL TOUCHES
iCorrect Entrée includes a sample image so 04 Click once on a light part of the 05 Check the ‘Auto mark Black/White’ 06 Compare the pattern on her dress with
that you can test out the various options background. This ‘mark’ lightens the options. This cleans the dark and light the original. Adjust the brightness and
available without using your own pictures. image, removing the warm colour cast effect from shades and replaces some of the warm tones with contrast ’til you’re happy with the colour. Select
the background. a more neutral shade. ‘save as’ from file menu.

0 EXPERT TIP
INDOOR SHOTS RESURRECTED
Even this limited version of iCorrect can work
wonders, particularly with photos taken indoors
or at night with slow shutter speeds. Scan
some old prints that are too dark (we all have
them) and create something to be proud of.
Upgrade to iCorrect 4.0
If you’re happy with iCorrect Entrée and are serious about your digital camera, why not upgrade to the
more powerful edition of the software?

iCorrect 4.0 proven colour correction technology to adjust your colour. In the past, the only way
Even if you don’t have any experience with amateur digital photography enthusiasts. to make colour corrections was to rely on
photo editing, iCorrect’s technology makes frustrating colour-editing tools like curves,
your digital pictures look like the work of a iCorrect Professional 4.0 sliders, or variations. With iCorrect
professional photographer. Based on The iCorrect(tm) Professional Photoshop(r) Professional, you can make the Colour
Pictographics’ iCorrect Professional, it brings plug-in gives you a revolutionary, new way to Right(tm) by simply clicking on the image.

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 125


IMAGE EDITOR IMAGE ENHANCEMENT IMAGE EDITOR IMAGE MANAGER IMAGE TOOL

Photoshop Jasc After VicMan Photo Pic Print Rota 07


Elements 2.0 Shot Editor 6.999 1.16

PUBLISHER ADOBE PUBLISHER JASC PUBLISHER VICMAN PUBLISHER DUNCAN LAIDLAW PUBLISHER TSURUZOH TACHIBANAYA
STATUS DEMO STATUS TRIAL STATUS FULL VERSION STATUS DEMO STATUS FULL VERSION
CONTACT WWW.ADOBE.CO.UK CONTACT WWW.DIGITALWORKSHOP.COM CONTACT WWW.PHOTO-EDITOR.NET CONTACT WWW.PICSPRINTCOM CONTACT WWW.BA.WAKWAK.COM
FULL PRODUCT COST £69 FULL PRODUCT COST £39.95 FULL PRODUCT COST FREE FULL PRODUCT COST $32.50 FULL PRODUCT COST N/A

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0 After Shot picks up where your Now you don't have to fork out Pics Print enables you to batch print The JPEG format works by taking an
software offers the perfect digital camera leaves off, getting you hundreds of pounds for a quality all of the images in a folder, camera image and compressing the data
combination of power and simplicity from photo snapping to photo image editor. This highly acclaimed or selection at once. Wizards enable within it – once an image has been
so you can do more with your sharing quicker than you can say application is free of charge and you to quickly and easily perform converted to a JPEG file, you can’t
photos. From quick corrections to "cheese." Designed with digital comes with a wide range of essential common printing tasks, such as retrieve the original image from it.
creative editing, you can easily camera users in mind, After Shot features for both novice users and creating posters, album-sized prints, Rota 07 software preserves the
achieve high-quality results. It’s ideal offers the tools you need to perform high-end designers. With VCW greeting cards and thumbnail sheets image quality of a jpeg file as it is
for digital camera image editing and common photo tasks quickly and VicMan's Photo Editor you can refine with maximum ease. Your print-out is rotated. For this reason it’s called a
enhancement and uses the excellent, easily such as basic editing tools and your digital photos, draw artwork, displayed on-screen exactly as it “loss less” rotate utility as more of
Photoshop interface for ease of use. image enhancement. and produce graphics for the Web. would appear on paper. your original image quality is saved.

Full disc contents…


February 2 Maker 1.0
Not sure what’s on which disc? Just check our full DISC 1
FULL SOFTWARE Ashampoo PicPerk 4.1.2
index below and navigate safely around both Instant Photo Illuminator 1.50 Rota 0.7
packed CD-ROMs Artist 1.04 Batch It Ultra 3.2 TIM USB Trans 1.2
Image VCW VicMan Photo
DEMO SOFTWARE Broadway 4.1 Editor 6.999

1 Instant Photo
Effects Picture Buzz

DISC 2
Jasc After Shot
PhotoFlair 2.0.1
PhotoImpact 8.0
photolightning
PS PLUG-INS
ColourWorks Deluxe
Digital ROC
FULL SOFTWARE Photoshop Plug-in 1.1.1
Firegraphic XP 3.5 Elements 2.0 Edge & Frame
iCorrect Entrée 4.0 Pics Print 1.16 Galaxy 1.0
Paintshop Pro 7.0 Filters Unlimited
FREE SOFTWARE Flood

2
XTRAS
20/20 2.2.7 nik Color Efex!
CoffeeCup Free OldMovie 1.30
DEMO SOFTWARE
Viewer Plus 2.5 Panopticum Fire 3.0
Firegraphic XP 5.5
EXIFRead 1.03 Power-Retouche
iCorrect 4.0
Image Xenofex
iCorrect Pro 3.0
Enhance 3.2.2
Paintshop Pro 7.0
JPEG Resizer 1.0 DRIVERS
Aephid
Oscars JPEG Thumb- Kodak Easyshare
Photokeeper 2002

126 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 127
DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE CLASSIFIED
TO ADVERTISE HERE please email dcamclassifieds@futurenet.co.uk

128 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 129
NEXT STEPS
NEXT ISSUE On sale everywhere from 19 December

Play games on your camera!


Future Publishing,
30 Monmouth Street, Bath, BA1 2BW

Customer services [t] 01458 271 100


[w] www.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk
It's true. Digital cameras are even cooler than you already knew. We can hardly believe it
EDITORIAL & ART
Nick Merritt Managing Editor
on Martin, we love you. Yes, that's you Ron Martin, the [e] editor.dcm@futurenet.co.uk

R
CAN YOUR CAMERA HANDLE IT? Dylan Channon Senior Art editor
reader who posted the piece about Digita scripting on our
[e] dylan.channon@futurenet.co.uk
website a couple of weeks ago. Got one of these? Then in principle, your camera can be reprogrammed to do Richard Llewellyn Art Editor
We thought digital cameras were pretty cool already but when pretty much whatever you like. Including playing Doom. Find out exactly how [e] richard.llewellyn@futurenet.co.uk
Elizabeth Raderecht Operations Editor
Ron told us there was a way to play classic arcade games on a here: http://digita.mame.net/readmed.htm
camera we almost exploded with excitement. Then we came down EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS
HP PhotoSmart 912 Kodak DC265 Pentax EI-200 Steve Bavister, Rob Mead, Aidan O’Rourke, Pete
to earth – it had to be a con, right? Until that is we read the post and
HP PhotoSmart 618 Kodak DC260 Minolta Dimage Martin, Vicki West, Mark Harris, Will Smith, Tom
followed the links. HP Photosmart C500 Kodak DC220 EX Zoom 1500 Ang, Michael Campbell, Ed Davis, Tim Daly,
A community of games enthusiasts has used Digita scripting – the Kodak DC290 Pentax EI-2000 Simon Danaher, Joe Cassels, Matthew Richards
computer code which controls the operation of many digital cameras
PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTORS
– to reprogram a camera. Previously, in our ignorance, we thought (Where not credited inside)
Digita scripting was a way of getting a digital camera to do useful Future Network Photo Studio, Getty Images UK
but let's face it, slightly worthy technical tasks. Until that is, the ART CONTRIBUTORS
clouds parted, a ray of light shone and Ron's forum post appeared Andrew Mclaughlin/AMC Art, Boss Model Agency
like an angel from the heavens. (You’re fired – Ed.)
Yes, you can use Digita scripting to program your camera (and you ADVERTISING
can be 100 per cent sure we'll be telling you all about it over the [t] 020 7317 2600
Michelle Blackwell Ad Manager
next few months)... but sod it, let's cut to the chase. You can play [e] michelle.blackwell@futurenet.co.uk
Doom on your camera. You really can. Adenaline-fuelled action on-screen with Doom: the ultimate first person shooter Ben Shoesmith Sales Executive
Now we aren't sure either about the legality of downloading [e] ben.shoesmith@futurenet.co.uk
[t] 020 7317 0259
some of these games (although Doom looks OK), nor what
downloading them onto your camera might do to your warranty so
NEW MEDIA
don't go blaming us if your camera self-destructs or the boys in blue James Brown Group New Media Manager
knock on your door – it's your risk, we are merely doing our [e] james.brown@futurenet.co.uk
Jeremy Ford Senior Disc Editor
journalistic duty to report what's going on. You have been warned. [e] jeremy.ford@futurenet.co.uk
But providing a weblink can't do any harm, so check these out: James Guest New Media Development
[e] james.guest@futurenet.co.uk
Steve Pashley Online Editor
About Digita: www.csd.net/~cgadd/digita/index.html [e] steve.pashley@futurenet.co.uk
About Doom: http://digita.mame.net/
More games: http://roger.trideja.com/dc290/index.html CIRCULATION AND MARKETING
Wow, see you all next month. Clare Tovey Production Manager
The Digita scripting inside digital cameras can be reprogrammed for games Diane Ross Production Coordinator
Mike Thorne Team Buyer

2 Next month – on sale 19 December


Jamie Malley Circulation Manager
Fiona Tully Marketing Manager
Marie Spicer Subscriptions Executive

SENIOR MANAGEMENT

2
Dave Taylor Group Publisher
John Weir Publishing Director
Colin Morrison Managing Director
Greg Ingham CEO

■ 50 ways to improve your pictures Printed in England


© Future Publishing Ltd 2002
Our experts reveal the definitive list of ways you can improve any
photograph – from taking it, to correcting it in an image editor. Plus we rate
card readers, 6 camera-enabled mobile phones, and start new series on
Paint Shop Pro and PhotoImpact 8.
2 FREE CDs
Look out for two CD-ROMs, Disclaimer
Getup&go section, tear-out factsheets and gatefold covers
eight pages of events and are published in UK editions of the magazine only. All
■ Don’t forget to reserve a copy of Digital Camera contributions to Digital Camera Magazine are accepted
inspiration to Getup&go to, and on the basis of a non-exclusive worldwide licence to
Magazine at your newsagent, or subscribe publish or license others to do so, unless otherwise
five more tips cards! agreed in advance in writing. We reserve the right to edit
See page 64 for full details! letters. We cannot accept liability for mistakes or
misprints, or any damage to equipment or possessions
arising from use of this publication, its discs or software
■ Due to unforeseen circumstances, it may sometimes be
necessary to make last-minute changes to advertised
content, for mag and discs.

130 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE


A photo opportunity.

iPhoto – Edit, share, print and organise.


Picture your digital images beautifully organised Combined with service
Digital cameras are revolutionising the way we take pictures. Now, Apple Our after-sales support service is designed to make your John Lewis experience
provides the missing link to the way we save, organise, share and enjoy even more positive. For example, the availability of installation professionals
them. iPhoto lets you import your pictures from your digital camera, to help you set up your Apple computer and a free delivery service that iPhoto is included with all OSX ready Macs
organise them, edit and improve them, and share them in a number of saves you the hassle of carrying your purchase home yourself.
different ways. And once you see what iPhoto can do with digital pictures,
you may never go back to using a film camera again. Apple trained
Regular customers know that they can talk to knowledgeable, helpful
All under one roof staff at John Lewis. That is why we ensure that our sales staff are fully
John Lewis department stores stock the whole OSX iPhoto-ready range trained by Apple on an ongoing basis, so you can rest assured that you www.johnlewis.com
including the Apple iBook, iMac and Power Mac G4 series, in fact any will get the best product to suit your needs.
Apple product, including a wide range of monitors, printers, scanners
and other accessories. If you want to know more, then visit your nearest
John Lewis shop.
Satisfaction guaranteed
As well as the John Lewis reputation for quality and value to give
you peace of mind, we offer a free 2-year guarantee with every
Apple computer as standard*.
* See in store for details
WHICH DO YOU WANT:
STYLE OR PERFORMANCE?

WHY COMPROMISE?

■ Powered by the new 3rd Generation Super CCD sensor for outstanding picture quality and unrivalled movie performance
■ Unbeatable colour and low noise - even in the lowest light ■ 3.1 million effective pixels (producing 6.0 million recorded pixels)
■ High sensitivity (ISO 160-1600*) & ultra-low noise ■ Precision 3x Super EBC zoom lens ■ Full photographic control
■ High-resolution VGA movie capture ■ Easy picture transfer and battery recharge with included USB PictureCradleTM (Premium Kit)
*1280x960 mode only

THE FUJIFILM FINEPIX F601 ZOOM


www.fujifilm.co.uk/di | 020 7586 1477

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