Download: 11 Dec 2011

Sunday 11 December 2011

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Smartphones not killing camera sales

Smartphones not killing camera sales:

It's long been thought that the increasing capability of smartphone cameras is likely to be a threat to the sales of digital cameras, but no research from GfK has shown that the opposite is true.

Somewhat surprisingly, the result also shows that new digital compact system cameras, such as the Olympus PEN or Panasonic G series are also driving the market, and have not drawn customers away from the DSLR market. Growth of interchangeable lens products was up 17%.

The results of the research were revealed at the 2011 Imaging Summit in Nuremberg this week, with GfK global director of imaging Marion Knoche claiming that technical innovations were the main driving force for increased sales.

Admitting that smart phones are likely to have an impact on the sale of low-end digital cameras, with comparable pixel counts and autofocus capability, Knoche says higher end and more technologically advanced compact cameras were being demanded more as users became more enthusiastic about photography and wanted to take the next step.

Compact system cameras

Knoche highlighted that this is especially the case in China and the Asia-Pacific region, which also sees a higher proportion of compact system camera sales than in Europe.

Between January and September 2011, a fifth of all digital cameras sold had more than 16 million pixels, while the majority of mobile handsets sold still had fewer than five million.

Many mobile phones have obvious advantages over cameras, such as wi-fi capability and GPS technology, but more cameras are starting to see these kind of advanced features become inbuilt into the camera.

Via PhotoImagingNews

Source : Google Reader

Kodak reshuffling to avoid bankruptcy

Kodak reshuffling to avoid bankruptcy:

Struggling photography brand Kodak has hired law firm Sullivan & Cromwell's, in a bid to restructure its finances in order to avoid bankruptcy, according to reports.

Earlier in the year, Kodak employed Jones Day, sparking worldwide speculation that it was about to file for bankruptcy, as Jones Day is well known for working on such cases.

The reasons behind the switch in law firms remains unclear, however Kodak is remaining resolute regarding filing, seemingly keen to avoid it all costs.

Kodak has been facing increasing financial problems, with warnings last month that it could run out of cash if couldn't sell assets or raise new funds quickly. By the end of September, Kodak had $862m, down from $1.4billion a year previously.

Patents

As one of the early pioneers of digital photography, Kodak has a number of patents which it has been selling off in a bid to raise cash. Few details about the specifics of such sales have emerged so far.

Kodak is also attempting to sell its photo sharing and printing business, Kodak Gallery, with hopes for a large cash injection resulting in its sale. Recently, it sold its image sensor business, which helped develop the world's first digital camera sensor.

Last month, Kodak disclosed it was considering rescue financing, which is one of many options the company is considering.

Via Wall Street Journal

Source : Google Reader

DSLRs banned from London tourist attraction

DSLRs banned from London tourist attraction:

A historic tube station in Aldwych, which is a popular tourist destination, has banned the use of digital SLR cameras by visitors.

Now out of use, the station, which charges £20 for entry, has been used in a number of films and television programmes. A sign appeared outside the station reading "Due to their combination of high-quality sensor and high resolution, digital SLR cameras are unfortunately not permitted inside the station."

While many tourist destinations have a number of differing restrictions on photography, including not using flash or not taking photographs altogether, digital SLR cameras are not usually specifically banned from such places. Other areas, such as music venues have been known to ban DSLRs to prevent commercial photographers without a license or pemit from photographing acts.

Non DSLR cameras

The sign points out the "high quality sensor and high resolution" as the problem, but many non-DSLR cameras also feature such technology, including compact system cameras or the Fuji X100 which features an APS-C sized sensor in a compact body.

As the station is private property, the owners are free to make whichever restrictions they like, but it's likely many will worry about these kind of restrictions becoming more commonplace, especially as technology improves, and presumably has a negative impact on postcard sales.

Source : Google Reader

In Depth: Week in camera news

In Depth: Week in camera news:

Week in camera news

With December here, we're told it's officially OK to talk about Christmas, we've compiled some handy gift guides for you or the snapper in your life. We also took to the mean streets of er, Bath, to find out what type of camera you should be packing for all those festive markets that have magically sprung up in our town centres.

But it's not all festive jollity, there's also been good news for Nikon and a host of new camera reviews for you to enjoy. Read on to discover the weeks' top news and reviews, with links to the full story with each one.

Nikon news

It's been a doubly good week for Nikon, which not only announced the release of its new flagship flashgun, the SB-910, but we've also learned that the clean-up operation after flooding devastated the Thai factory is almost complete, with production beginning again in January and expected to reach normal capacity by March. Now can we have some shiny new DSLRs to look at please?

Confusion?

We never stop thinking of you, dear reader, and we know how confusing both effective focal length and these sensor sizes we keep going on about can be. Therefore, we've put together two handy guides to do away with that mystery. Read effective focal length explained to discover the real focal length of your lenses, and check out sensor size explained to get to grips with APS-C, full-frame and more.

Christmas news

Struggling to put pen to paper for your Christmas wishlist? Wonder no more, as we have kindly compiled our Best Christmas Gifts for Photographers which should appeal to every serious snapper out there. On the other hand, if you like your gifts a little bit quirkier and fun, try out Best cool gifts for photographers, which comes complete with a handy guide as to how good you need to have been to be in with a chance of receiving one.

Also this week we've been out photographing our local festive market in a bid to find out what the best type of camera for shooting street photos is. We pitted a DSLR against a compact system camera against a compact model. They all have their pros, they all have their cons, but which one will win? Find out in our best camera for street photography feature.

New reviews

Finally this week, we've been busy uploading new reviews for you to get your peepers on. Panasonic's latest compact system camera, the GX1 is designed to appeal to professional and enthusiast photographers. Read our Panasonic GX1 review to find out how it got on in our in-depth tests.

Got £10,000 to spare? You might be drawn towards the Pentax 645D, the medium format camera which is the company's first foray into the format. It features a whopping 40 million pixel sensor, and a CCD sensor which claims to exceed the image quality of a 35mm full-frame DSLR. See what we made of it in our Pentax 645D Review.

Looking for a beginner DSLR this Christmas? The Nikon D3100 is great for those just starting out, especially at its low-price point. We've updated the review to include in-depth analysis from our lab.

That's it for this week, you can let us know if you have any kit dilemmas over on our Facebook page or Twitter feed.

Source : Google Reader

Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar:

This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

This week we've looked at Sony's new dual-screened Tablet P - it's a clamshell Android tablet that's seriously different from anything else on the market. Read on for what we made of it.

Then we've got our definitive verdict on Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, plus the super speedy Intel Core i7 2700K processor and the entry-level Nikon D3100 DSLR.

Plus there's plenty more besides - read on to see all of this week's reviews.

Sony Tablet P review

The Android tablet is diversifying by the day, and here's one that… folds in half. Yep, the Sony Tablet P has dual screens and folds closed into something resembling a large glasses case. The slick lines and thin body of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 and even the Sony Tablet S are nowhere to be seen, this is a device aimed at a different money-clad consumer.

The clamshell design means it's ideal for keeping in a bag, with little or no chance of damaging the screens, and it's relatively light, too, at 375g. However, movie fans will likely prefer a single-screen tablet such as the Sony Tablet S, and we reckon gamers will wait for the PlayStation Vita instead.

Nikon D3100 review

The lines between consumer and prosumer is becoming increasingly blurred in the camera world, with entry level DSLRs equipping themselves with the type of features you would normally see on a camera hitting the £1,000 plus mark. The Nikon D3100 is the latest feature-rich entry level marker from Nikon and is a replacement to last year's D3000.

The camera has a refined sensor - now offering 14.2MP CMOS - Full HD movie shooting and some nifty new AF modes. And while it has a number of new features, it still retains the simplicity that the D3000 oozed. This makes the camera range a perfect one for those who have never tried a DSLR but want to give one a go.

Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich review

We'll jump right out and say it: Ice Cream Sandwich is the step forward Android has been crying out for. And in terms of how good you'll think Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich is, it all boils down to personal choice.

We're excited to see how manufacturers will customise it and extol the virtues to improve media or the home networking options, but others will simply be huge fans of the simplicity - our score is a mixture of the tools Google has offered up and the base level of performance on show. But make no mistake - Ice Cream Sandwich is the most accessible and easy-to-learn OS from Google, and that's going to be key in the wars against Apple and Microsoft.

Sennheiser X 320 review

The bundled headset that comes with the Xbox 360 is not really built for game-sound. It's for communicating with other gamers on Xbox Live, and that opens up a market for third party headsets which do both jobs at once. But while this Sennheiser headset sounds great, all the wires are an unwelcome addition to an otherwise wireless world.

Intel Core i7 2700K review

The 2700K is the new de facto king of Intel's line of LGA 1155 models. For us, it's the LGA 1155 socket that's really relevant to PC enthusiasts and gamers, not the high-falutin', server-derived LGA 2011 platform and its quad-channel silliness. The 2700K, then, is the fastest chip any mere mortal is likely to run in his PC any time soon. But it's still hardly any better than the 2600K and was thus barely worth Intel's bother bringing it out.

Intel core i7 2700k

This week's other reviews

AV accessories

Nvidia 3D Vision 2 review

DSLRs/Hybrids

Pentax 645D review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 review

Graphics cards

Asus GTX 560 Ti 448 Core DirectCU II review

Graphics tablets

Wacom Inkling review

Headphones

Sony MDR-ZX500 review

Hi-Fi Accessories

Logitech Wireless Speaker Adaptor review

Laptops

Novatech nSpire 2760 Black Edition review

Acer Aspire 7750 review

Samsung NS310 review

Media Streaming Devices

Apple TV review

Memory

G.Skill RipJaws-Z 16GB review

G.Skill ripjaws

Mice

SteelSeries Diablo III Mouse review

Logitech Optical Gaming Mouse G400 review

Mobile phones

Sony Ericsson Xperia Active review

HTC Explorer review

Modem Routers

Buffalo AirStation N-Technology HighPower ADSL2+ Modem Router review

Monitors

Asus VG278H review

Processors

AMD FX 4100 Black Edition review

AMD FX 6100 Black Edition review

Intel Core i7 3930K review

Tablet accesories

Kensington KeyFolio Pro Performance Keyboard Case for iPad 2 review

Kensington SecureBack Security Case review

Kensington AbsolutePower Laptop, Phone, Tablet Charger review

Logitech Fold-up Keyboard for iPad 2 review

Tablets

ViewSonic ViewPad 7e review

Televisions

Philips 46PFL9706H review

TV tuner cards

Elgato eyeTV Mobile review

Hands on reviews

Gaming

Hands on: Sony PS Vita review

Software

Hands on: Spotify Apps review

Spotify apps

Source : Google Reader

Nikon's Thailand factory expected to resume operation

Nikon's Thailand factory expected to resume operation:

Nikon has released an announcement regarding the state of Thai factories after the floods earlier in the year caused a major plant to cease operation.

The factory closure, which was caused by it being completely submerged underwater, has led to delays in the shipping of certain products, while it is also suspected that at least one product announcement, most likely the Nikon D800 DSLR, has been put on hold thanks to the crisis.

According to the latest statement, water pumping out by the Rojana Industrial Park authority was completed on November 26th, with Nikon hoping for a full restoration of infrastructure and production from January 2012.

Alternative production has already started in another factory in Thailand, with shipments of certrain products starting on November 30th. According to Nikon, this is earlier than than had been anticipated and will likely be good news for customers hoping to get their hands on gear before the Christmas period.

Sales figures

Meanwhile, it's less than happy news for Nikon's business performance estimates, which have been seriously impacted by the out of action factory. On November 4th, the company estimated 65 billion yen is thought to have been lost, with operational income down by 25 billion yen. That estimate remains unchanged, though Nikon says it will keep monitoring the situation.

While Nikon expects production to start again in January, it estimates that it will be March before the normal level of DSLR and interchangeable lens volumes is reached again.

Several other technology companies have been affected by the floods, with Sony delaying the availability of its new flagship NEX-7 compact system and Alpha 65 DSLT cameras because of it. Sony also supplies parts to Nikon.

Source : Google Reader

Nikon introduces flagship Speedlight

Nikon introduces flagship Speedlight:

Nikon has introduced a new flashgun to sit in its Speedlight range, the flagship SB-910 replaces the SB-900 and has been redesigned with new menus and controls.

The SB-910 includes several features which are designed for both on-camera or wireless flash photography. The new model combines enhanced operation with an extended zoom range of 17-200mm, along with three illumination patterns for extra control over flash coverage.

Nikon speedlight sb-910

Tilting head

Centre-weighted, Even and Standard illumination patterns are available for a variety of different shooting environments. Bounce flash capability is capable through a head that can be titled up to 90 degrees, down to 7 degrees and rotated horizontally through 180 degrees to the right and left.

A thermal protection system has been improved to allow more optimal heat detection and recycling time management.

The ergonomics of the flash have been re-designed, which includes clearer menus and a new groove in the selector dial, so you can feel when settings are changed. Illuminated buttons allow for good visibility in the dark, while the SB-910 incorporates hard cover (plastic) colour filters which are durable and easier to attach than the predecessor.

Nikon speedlight sb-910

Main features:

Professional i-TTL Speedlight - compatible with FX and DX format DSLRs.
Guide number: 34 (STD)/39 (CW)/ 31 (EVEN) m at ISO 100 at 35mm
Maximum guide number: 54.5m at SIO 100 (CW, FX-format, at 135 mm)
Centre-weighted, even and standard illumination patterns
Multi-step auto zoom
Redesigned ergonomics
Automatic detection of sensor format
High-speed recycling
AF-Assist illumination
Bounce capability
Thermal protection system
Hard-type incandescent and fluorescent colour filters
Automatic filter detection
Firmware

The Nikon SB-910 UK price will be £449.99 RRP, and will be available from 15 December 2011.

Source : Google Reader

Effective focal length explained

Effective focal length explained:

Focal length is the distance in mm from the optical centre of a lens to a point where a subject at infinity appears in sharp focus - usually usually the surface of a piece of film or a digital camera's sensor.

In the days when 35mm film cameras ruled the roost, we all got used to what the various quoted focal lengths of lenses meant. For example, we knew that a 28mm lens gave a wide-angle view while, say, a 300mm telephoto lens offered a much narrower angle of view that brought far-away subjects much closer.

These days, with digital cameras using different and generally smaller sized sensors, it can be harder to get a feel for the angle or field of view of a given lens. When you consider that some compact cameras have lenses with focal lengths as short as 6mm, it's almost impossible to know what sort of field of view that lens offers.

Effective focal length explained

To get around this confusing situation, camera manufacturers often quote their lenses or cameras as having a 35mm equivalent focal length. This is an indication of what the angle of view of a lens would be if it were scaled up to work on a 35mm film camera.

So, when you read that a compact camera has a zoom lens covering a range of 24-180mm… that isn't actually the actual focal length of the lens - it's the 35mm equivalent. This system of using a focal length equivalent works well for most of us as it makes comparing models of cameras and zoom ranges with different sized sensors so much easier.

Focal length magnification and crop factors

So, for compact cameras we have the whole focal length question pretty well sorted, but what happens if you use old 35mm SLR lenses on a modern digital SLR, most of which have smaller sensor areas than a frame of 35mm film? What happens then with things like field of view?

Well, in these situations manufacturers will quote a crop or magnification factor to indicate how much of the field of view a sensor can cover. With the popular APS-C sized sensors used in Canon and Nikon DSLRs, the crop factor is around 1.6 and 1.5x respectively.

This means if you use a 28mm lens on a Canon SLR camera that has a 1.6x crop factor, you need to multiply the focal length of the lens by 1.6; this gives us the focal length of 45mm. So, a 28mm lens when used on an APS-C format SLR will behave more like a standard lens on an old 35mm camera.

Other cameras with different sized sensors have different crop factors. For example, Four Tthirds and Micro Four Thirds cameras have a crop factor of 2x, which means that a 40mm lens has the same angle of view as a 80mm lens on a 35mm camera.

Unfortunately crop factor formulas don't work the other way round. If you were to use a lens designed to work on a camera with a 1.6x crop factor with a full-frame 35mm sensor, the lens won't project a full image onto the sensor and you would see dark vignetting in the corners of any images recorded on the camera.

Source : Google Reader

Panasonic Lumix Android phones coming spring 2012

Panasonic Lumix Android phones coming spring 2012:

Panasonic is set to bring its Lumix cameraphone range of smartphones to the UK and Europe in 2012, with the company eyeing up a spring launch.

This is according to the Nikkei business daily, which is reporting that Panasonic is currently in talks with "a major telecoms firm".

According to the newspaper it will launch a new range of smartphones in Europe first, then tackle the North American and Asian markets.

Overseas expansion

Panasonic has not been part of the mobile phone market for some time in the UK. Its last smartphone was released way back in the 2006.

It announced back in November that it was set to enter the UK market but this is the first time we have had an inkling of when the phones will start to appear.

Panasonic is hoping for big things from the overseas market. Out of the 15 million Android-based mobile phones it has earmarked to sell by 2015, half of these are to be sold abroad.

At the moment, Panasonic sells around 5 million handsets in Japan so it is hoping to triple its sales with the announced expansion.

Source : Google Reader

Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar:

This week we've reviewed Google's new Galaxy Nexus - the first Android 4.0 handset as well as the new, souped up Apple MacBook Pro.

We've also checked out a brand new 46-inch LCD from Philips as well as Sony's whacky personal 3D viewer.

Read on for all the reviews posted on TechRadar this week.

Philips 46PFL9706H review

The Philips 46PFL469706H is a milestone in TV design. Picture quality on an LCD TV was simply not possible until now, and it's all made possible by the new 'moth eye' filter. It uses tiny nodules to mimic similar structures found on moth's eyes and is used to eliminate reflections on the screen, resulting in a greatly enhanced perceived contrast range.

You have to see it to truly believe it, but it takes this TV from being a great contender to a market leader. There are a few niggles in the form of 3D crosstalk and some input lag when gaming, but otherwise it's a phenomenal achievement by Philips.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus review

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the world's first phone to run Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and comes with a plethora of top-end tech, including a huge but still massively high resolution screen.

There are some gadgets in geek-world that are announced and we just cannot wait to touch. Nokia's N95, the original iPhone, the T-Mobile G1 and Palm's first Pre. And the Galaxy Nexus fits firmly in that category. The big selling point here is not so much the handset – it's what powers the Galaxy Nexus. Google has redrawn its Android OS in probably the biggest overhaul since it launched exactly three years ago.

Sony HMZ-T1 Personal 3D Viewer review

If you've got money to burn and you're a big fan of 3D and own a 3D Blu-ray player, the Sony HMZ-T1 could be right down your street. While we really can't imagine head mounted 3D displays taking off in quite the same way that Walkmans did a generation ago, we rather like Sony's HMZ-T1 personal 3D viewer.

It's a bold and exciting spin on a familiar concept, and one that actually delivers on its promise of a virtual cinema experience. Its 3D performance is particularly mesmerising and if we could see our thumbs, we think they'd both be pointing upwards.

Philips Fidelio AS851 review

The AS851 is the first Android dock to launch into a market full of 200 million Android phones. So it's sure to be a hit, right? If only it were that simple…

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Late 2011) review

The late 2011 update to the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro is a mild refresh, but definitely a welcome one. It comes soon after a massive upgrade at the beginning of 2011, and the prices haven't changed, so we've no cause for complaint.

Apple macbook pro review

This week's other reviews

Cooling

Be Quiet Dark Rock Advanced C1 review

Cooler Master GeminII M4 review

Cooler Master Hyper TX3 EVO review

Gelid GX-7 Gamer review

Enermax ETS-T40-TA review

Mobile phones

Motorola Razr review

HTC Rhyme review

BlackBerry Curve 9380 review

Monitors

Asus VG278H review

Printers

HP Photosmart 7510 review

HP photosmart 7510

Televisions

LG DM2350D review

TV tuner cards

Elgato eyeTV Mobile review

Hands on reviews

Mobile phones

Hands on: BlackBerry Curve 9380 review

Internet

Hands on: Google Music review

Google music

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Source : Google Reader

Buying Guide: Best Christmas gifts for photographers

Buying Guide: Best Christmas gifts for photographers:

Best Christmas gifts for photographers

Knowing what to get the photographer that has everything can be a tricky business. Throw in the fact that many photographic accessories can cost a small fortune, and trying to pluck a present idea out of thin air can become even tougher.

Luckily however, help is on hand with our Christmas gift guide, which is stocked full of photographic goodies that any photographer would surely love to receive.

So, whether you're feeling flush and want to splash out on treat, or you're at the Scrooge end of the festive scale and are feeling the pinch this year, we've got a gift idea for you.

Let us know if you've spotted any other perfect photographic gifts in the comments box below.

Kenko 1.4x Teleplus Pro 300 DGX

Kenko 1.4x teleplus pro 300 dgx

Price: £135

Web: www.kenkoglobal.com

This third-party teleconverter promises to do much the same job as those from the bigger names, but at a much cheaper price. It contains multi-coated elements and maintains autofocus and metering functionality, and has a large lens release button to easily dismount optics.

Images captured with the teleconverter in place show a slight dip in contrast over those shot without, and details aren't quite as defined, although chromatic aberrations are kept to a minimum and the overall standard of images is still more than reasonable.

Read our Kenko 1.4x Teleplus Pro 300 DGX review

Manfrotto Pocket LED light

Manfrotto pocket led light

Price: £30

Web: www.manfrotto.com

With 12 LED lights and a sturdy, lockable hot shoe foot, the Manfrotto Pocket LED light is ideal pocket-friendly lighting aid for compact system cameras. Control is limited but at £40 so is the outlay.

Hama Close Up Lens Set

Price: £63

Web: www.hama.co.uk

A real lightweight alternative to a macro lens, this set of three filters screw directly onto the front of your lens. Each is filter has an increased magnification measured at 1, 2 and 3 dioptre and can be used individually or together. Image quality is good and the weight and price make this a holiday essential.

Colormunki Display

Colormunki display

Price: £125

Web: www.colormunki.com

The Colormunki Display calibrates monitors and projectors, and comes complete with a friendly software package which contains step-by-step guides and video tutorials. Ambient light is swiftly measured while display flare may also be taken into account, and the process takes under 10 minutes from start to finish. The results appear accurate, and the various image samples allow quick before and after comparisons post-calibration.

It's not the cheapest or fastest device, but it's ideal for those new to the process.

Lenspen Outdoor Kit

Price: £35

Web: www.jessops.com

Each pen is individually designed to tackle the removal of marks from your viewfinder, lenses and filters. The dry carbon compound works well, lightly lifting dirt, a good well priced outdoor lens cleaner set.

Jessops Shoe Fit Spirit Level

Spirit level

Price: £9.95

Web: www.jessops.com

A small, well-made device, which aids composition by showing how level the camera is. It easily slots into a hotshoe and remains secure once inside, although cheaper devices which do the same thing are widely available. It will also fit in a cracker!

LowePro Photo Sport AW

LowePro photo sport aw

Price: £100

Web: www.lowepro.com

Targetted at the more adventurous photographer, the LowePro Photo Sport AW is a lightweight, medium sized rucksack designed to hold a professional-size equipment. Its main padded body can contain a pro DSLR body such as the Canon EOS 5D Mk II with a lens attached, while around this compartment there's ample space to store items which may not require much protection, such as a jacket or toiletries.

Cokin ND Grad Kit

Price: £62

Web: www.cokin.co.uk

A good set of ND filters is essential if you looking to capture landscapes when on holiday, the trouble of course is choosing which to take. The ND Grad Kit by Cokin includes three P-Type neutral density filters at 2, 4 and 8 ND, along with a holder.

In addition to the kit you'll need to purchase and adapter ring that screws into the filter thread of your lens. Great set to pack for your travels

Wacom Bamboo Fun S Pen and Touch

Wacom pen and touch

Price: £100

Web: www.wacom.com

A junior tablet option from Wacom, the Bamboo Fun is equally happy to be used for image editing as it is for general operation and recreation by way of apps and games. Its design perfectly complements that of a Macbook Pro, while its pen is comfortable and the trackpad responsive to the touch. It only struggles when pinching to zoom in and out of images, but for more general drawing, brushing and cloning tasks it works more than satisfactorily.

Read our Wacom Bamboo Fun Pen and Touch review.

Paterson Fluorescent Studio Light Two Head softbox Kit

Price: £312

Web: www.patersonphotographic.com

The Paterson fluorescent twin kit contains everything you need for a studio constant light setup. The kit arrives in a handy carry case with padded interior to protect the lights and stands, and includes all power cables, bulbs and soft boxes needed.

Lastolite Brolley Grip with Translucent Umbrella

Lastolite brolley grip with translucent umbrella

Price: £27

Web: www.lastolite.com

Comprising a translucent umbrella and grip, this kit allows the photographer to shoot through the umbrella with a standard flashgun, creating a soft, diffused light ideally suited for portraiture.

The grip features a hotshoe and sockets for 8mm and 10mm umbrella shafts, and while there's no way of locking an umbrella in position once it's in the socket, once it's in it fits tightly and doesn't move around. The combination is also fairly lightweight, and so ideal for the mobile photographer.

Lastolite Hotshoe Tilthead

Lastolite hotshoe tilthead

Price: £22

Web: www.lastolite.com

This device holds a standard flashgun and allows it to be mounted onto a stand, where it can be directed towards an umbrella (for which a socket is provided), or tilted over a 180 degree angle.

Kood light yellow filter

Price: £12

Web: www.kood-international.com

This yellow grad filter is ideal for landscape photographers shooting in monochrome who want to emphasise clouds against blue skies, and its subtle effect is useful when other filters are inappropriate, but a sturdy case would be welcome.

Source : Google Reader

Buying Guide: Best photo book: 10 reviewed

Buying Guide: Best photo book: 10 reviewed:

Best photo book: 10 reviewed

A photo book of your own images is more than just a simple photo album. It's a personal collection printed and professionally bound in a form that wouldn't look out of place in a proper bookshop.

Such a product would have cost a considerable amount of money not so long ago, but thanks to the abundance of companies providing a photo book service, it's now easier and cheaper than ever to upload your shots and order a photo book using your computer.

We selected ten photo book companies and tested their services from start to finish. We looked at the design process, the freedom you have in creating your book, including text and image layout, the delivery times, and crucially, the finished product's print and bind quality.

Read on to discover what we found…

Blurb

Blurb 20-page large landscape with premium paper

Blurb offers a comprehensive set of tools to create your photo book in square and standard large portrait and landscape formats. The smallest option measures 18x18cm, while the biggest landscape book is 33x28cm.

To design your book you can choose between the Bookify Online service in your web browser or download the BookSmart software (available for Mac and PC). The tools allow for image placement, size adjustment and positioning anywhere across the page (or across a double-page spread).

There are many default layouts available, each of which can be customised to suit your preferences. The 'Edit Layout' mode is the platform for more intricate editing – a grid enables accurate positioning with x and y coordinates.

In the main layout there are trim and safe guidelines to help position images. Zooming in shows images in detail, providing a good feel for your creation. There's a page view line at the bottom of the screen, which can be used to shuffle the positions of pages. It's also easy to preview the book as if it were a final version.

Blurb software interface

Where Blurb really excels, however, is in its features for more demanding users. Blurb offers a plugin for Adobe Lightroom and InDesign (which is up-to-date and compatible with the latest CS5.5 version) to provide absolute creative control. If you don't have this software, you can get a professional to do the work for you and use the PDF To Book feature instead. Every angle is covered.

Once your book's designed, it's stored online, where you can even make it available for public purchase should you so wish.

Blurb's biggest drawback? Its delivery time. The 12 working days we had to wait after ordering was among the longest production time. The book looks good – the cover is well-finished and the ProLine end sheet and premium paper are effective, but the overall image quality is a touch more grainy than in the books of some of Blurb's competitors. On balance, however, Blurb is a professional experience from start to finish.

Product details

Price: £42.74 (20-page Large Landscape with Premium Paper (Lustre Finish), ProLine end sheets and Hardcover with ImageWrap)
Size: 33x28cm
Postage: £4.99; £11.99 (priority)
Web: www.blurb.com
Formats: Mac and PC download or online
Delivery time: 11 working days

We like

Good layout presets
Full creative control
Intricate adjustments possible
Plugins & PDF uploads perfect for professionals
Online book store

We dislike

Slow production and delivery
No large format options
Could do with more design detail regarding the spine gutter size

Score

4 stars

Apple

Apple 20-page xl hardcover book

Apple's Mac-only photo book service runs directly through its iPhoto program installed on all Macs. Hardcover books come in two sizes (both with 20-page pagination): L (28x21.5cm) costs £20.39; XL (33x25.4cm) costs £41.72. As with most products from Apple, that's rather expensive – in fact, it's the most expensive service in this test.

Using iPhoto is convenient, and it means that photos of any size can be used, unlike with some other companies. However, the collection of page presets is somewhat small, and you aren't able to make intricate adjustments to them. You simply drag and drop your images into ready-made templates. For some presets, this seems too restrictive. For example, on the 16-photo single page template, all 16 frames must be used for photos, and it isn't possible to use, say, the 16th space, for text.

Apple software interface

Fortunately, full bleed and double-page spread layouts are included, and the latter has the very cool ability to show exactly how your image will look when it crosses the fold – no more guess work! Once images are placed, they can be enlarged using a slider, and easily dragged around the image box area.

When Apple's photo book arrived nine working days after ordering, the packaging was an impressive sight. The book itself has a printed jacket rather than a print on the cover – Apple doesn't provide this option. Print quality is top notch, so it's just a bit of a shame that there isn't more room for manoeuvre in the production process.

Product details

Price: £41.72 (20-page XL Hardcover book)
Size: 33x25.4cm
Postage: £5.99 
Web: www.apple.com/ilife/print-products.html
Formats: Mac via iPhoto
Delivery time: Nine working days

Like

Easy to use
Photos already in iPhoto
Great for the novice
Gutter previews in double-page spreads

 Dislike

Expensive
Mac-only
The rigid presets offer no ability for tweaking the layout

Score

2 stars

Jessops

Jessops 26-page large landscape photo paper

Like Amazon, WHSmith and others, Jessops uses the CEWE PHOTOBOOK service for its photo book printing. The downloadable Jessops Photo software enables you to create photo books from A4 up to 30x30cm.

A Mac version of the software is available, but the shortcuts failed to work in our tests, and when attempting to use the photo book Assistant (for automatically filling pages and providing tips) the software was prone to crashing.

Images can be manually imported, synchronised with iPhoto, or pulled in from a Flickr account. There's a variety of preset page layouts, and it's also possible to assign image size and placement, and crop images within the new outlines. However, enlarging is made difficult by the need to open an image in a separate viewer, approximating the size, and then viewing it in the book format after.

Jessops software interface

For those without additional image-editing software, Jessops's built in Photo Show provides options to adjust hue and saturation, reduce redeye, crop, and apply effects. Or a one-click Auto Correct tool will tweak your images for you.

After placing the order, the book arrived just over a week later, which was a decent turnaround time. The way the pages are glued to the spine means the book can open flat on every page – there's no loss of image in the gutter, and as such, images spread over two pages are shown seamlessly. Images look true to the original files, and the print quality is great. Considering the limited features of the layout software, the end product is very good.

Product details

Price: £35 (26-page Large Landscape Photo Paper)
Size: 28x21cm
Postage: £3.91 
Web: http://photo.jessops.com/photo-books.html
Formats: Mac and PC download or online
Delivery time: Eight working days

 We like

iPhoto and Flickr integration
Built-in image editor
Well-finished end product

We dislike

Unstable software
Shortcut limitations in Mac software
Awkward photo enlargement

Score

4 stars

Bonusprint

Bonusprint 24-page landscape xl – hard cover

Bonusprint offers downloadable software, an online Flash-based design tool, and an iPad app. All three methods have a fast image importer that means you can create your photo book in a jiffy. Even large files in excess of 20Mb didn't prove a problem for the software.

The software has an intuitive layout, where clicking to drag an image's position or pulling its corners to resize will feel natural to designers and Photoshop users. Image aspect ratios can be retained, or you can crop and re-proportion images too. Photos can also be enlarged within the program by using a slider once an image is clicked, and it's also possible to set transparency for quirky effects.

Bonusprint software interface

Bonusprint's photo book software offers plenty of text options too. You can select from 90 fonts, use underline or strikethrough, select from a full colour gamut and apply drop-shadow effects.

The Landscape XL books start at £49.99 (add £5 for a printed cover), while the Large and Medium versions are a more affordable £24.99 and £13.99 respectively. Square book options are also available.

Postage varies depending on the book size ordered, and the extra £7.99 on top of the XL is something to consider when ordering.

Bonusprint's turnaround period was impressive, with the book landing on the doormat just six working days after ordering. The book has reasonable print quality, although prints have lighter tones, and shadow areas were less dominant than in the competition's prints – in some cases this may work as a benefit to avoid muddy shots, but it also means shots lack the same richness and depth they could possess.

Product details

Price: £49.99 (24-page Landscape XL – Hard Cover)
Size: 39x29cm
Postage: £7.99 
Web: www.bonusprint.co.uk
Formats: Mac and PC download or online, plus iPad app
Delivery time: Six working days

We like

Software, online, iPad options
Plenty of control over design
Quick image preview

We dislike

Expensive
Needs more pro-spec upload options

Score

3 stars

Yophoto

Yophoto 30-page printed hard cover

'The Professional photo book People' is Yophoto's bold website statement, and from what we've seen, that's a very apt description of the service.

The downloadable software is compatible with Mac and PC, and provides plenty of control. Placing images over single or double pages is no problem, and you can resize and reposition with accuracy. If an image gets too large for appropriate final quality, then a warning pops up to let you know.

Yophoto software interface

You can apply image effects with easy-to-use sliders for exposure, contrast, saturation, temperature and colour tints. Masks can add edging to an image, and clipart and backgrounds can be imported too. Working with the software was easy, although the latest Mac version did pose a couple of problems re-opening a book once the volume was unmounted – something that ought to be ironed out in future editions.

The book arrived a mere four days later, and the quality of the well-wrapped contents was impressive. What sets the Yophoto book apart from all the others is the traditional hand-threaded binding. This makes a much 'tighter' book – it's harder to turn the pages, but it's sturdy and has a quality feel about it.
The print quality is also very good, with detailed images that look bright and stand out from the pages.

The print colours were superior to all the other books in the test. 

Product details

Price: £34.99 (30-page Printed Hard Cover)
Size: 20x20cm
Postage: £4.99 (20x20cm); £5.99 (30x30cm) 
Web: www.yophoto.co.uk
Formats: Mac and PC download
Delivery time: Four working days

We like

Very fast delivery
Colourful and detailed prints
Threaded binding
Easy to use software 

We dislike

Tight binding increases the size of the gutter
Not as much versatility in size options as its competitors
Some software problems while re-opening saved books

Score

4 stars

Bob Books

Bob books 26-page large square hardback

Bob Books offers a download software package to manage your photo book creation, or if you want to entrust the work to the company's design team, a designer can do it for you (charges start at £15).

If you're going it alone, then the Bob Designer 2.0 software is capable, and includes a variety of preset layouts. You also have the ability to manually resize and position images yourself. Shots can be spread over a single page or a double-page spread. If resolution dips too low then a prominent warning sign will pop up in the centre of the image.

Bob books software interface

Bob Books uses the same base software as Jessops/CEWE, and therefore, the control over your photo book is fundamentally the same. The software isn't exactly the same, however, and we did find the Mac version suffered some instability – the program froze on more than one occasion when in the Photo Show editor.

Print quality is top notch. Images look as they should, and the ability to unfold the gutter completely flat is a huge bonus for displaying images that cross the gutter. The print quality is identical to that in the Jessops book, due the fact that it uses the same software – and one would assume – the same CEWE printing service.

Product details

Price: £37.99 (26-page Large Square Hardback)
Size: 30x30cm
Postage: £4.50 
Web: www.bobbooks.co.uk
Formats: Mac and PC download
Delivery time: Seven working days

We like

Photo Show editor for picture adjustment
Image position and size control
iPhoto and Flickr image integration
Premium paper
Design service available

We dislike

Unstable software
Awkward photo enlargement

Score

4 stars

Albelli

Albelli 24-page landscape xl

Albelli is a name you're likely to hear more of in future. A subsidiary of Albumprinter BV, this Dutch printshop is the largest in Europe, and it's rapidly expanding. UK companies Bonusprint and Fotobook were recently acquired alongside other European trading names.

Albelli's photo books can be created using a downloadable program, via Flash-based software in a web browser or by using an iPad app. Pointing the software to iPhoto or your main image directory previews images rapidly, and files in excess of 20Mb aren't a problem.

Albelli software interface

The software's layout is intuitive, and placing and repositioning images feels natural – whether importing an image at its original aspect ratio or resizing across a single page or a double-page spread. There's bags of control. Enlargement once an outline box has been positioned can be altered via a slider at the base of the image. Transparency, multiple fonts, a full selection of colours, and drop-shadow effects are also available.

Albelli's large-scale book is well-presented, but the images have shadow areas that look a little washed out compared with other competitors. Choosing the gloss paper finish proved to be a mistake. It's a question of personal preference, but the glossy images don't feel right in a book context, and the paper is prone to fingerprints.

Product details

Price: £54.95 (24-page Landscape XL)
Size: 39x29cm
Postage: £7.99
 Web: www.albelli.co.uk/products/photo-books
Formats: Mac and PC download or online, plus iPad app
Delivery time: Seven working days

 We like

Software, online, iPad options
Plenty of control over the design
Quick image preview

We dislike

Expensive
Needs more pro-spec upload options

Score

3 stars

Snapfish

Snapfish 20-page custom hard cover

Creating a photo book with Snapfish can only take place within your web browser as there's no downloadable software. Uploading files of a good size was no problem, including files up to 20Mb. However, the Flash-based interface can be very slow to activate, or will often time out entirely. Seeing a spinning circle of dots isn't uncommon, and that doesn't make the creative process any faster.

Creating your Snapfish photo book is a very pre-set affair that can limit creativity, particularly regarding the cover. On the other hand, if you're a novice, then the limited choices and drag-and-drop ease may work to your benefit, and there are a wide selection of single-page layouts. However, images can't stretch over more than one page, and when it comes to enlarging or resizing your shots via the Edit Photo section, the resulting pop-up area within the browser only offers a stepped zoom in/out mechanism that's limiting for precise control. Repositioning is far more fluid, but because it's not possible to see a direct preview of image position on the page, this can cause problems when attempting to make left-hand and right-hand pages correlate. On occasion, the edit window failed to load.

Snapfish software interface

Text can only be filled based on a pre-set design, meaning it's not possible to place your own words around or on an image.

Snapfish's order process was hassle-free, and the book arrived in an astonishingly fast four days. However, the final print quality, while passable, isn't great. The colours are flat, there's excess blacks in shadow areas, and the prints seem a little soft (particularly on the cover). The margin text also bleeds over to the back of the book, which doesn't look professional.

Product details

Price: £24.99 (20-page Custom Hard Cover)
Size: 28x20cm
Postage: £3.99 
Web: www.snapfish.co.uk/snapfishuk/photo-books
Formats: Online
Delivery time: Four working days

 We like

Fast turnaround
Easy drag-and-drop process

We dislike

Flat, sub-standard print quality
Restrictive design process
Problems loading images for editing
No downloadable software

Score

2 stars

Lulu

Lulu 21x18cm

Lulu's online service covers not only photo books but a wide variety of self-published eBooks and so on. Its photo book section is limited to 23x18cm and 21x18cm; while it may not provide the premium paper or large sizes of some of its competitors, it is a cost-effective way to print images on a smaller scale.

Images are limited to 10Mb. Shots can be imported from Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket and SmugMug. Laying out your book in Lulu's browser software involves dropping images into placeholders chosen from a range of presets. There are 44 layouts, but images can't be manually placed outside these.

Lulu software interface

However, it is possible to enlarge images via an accurate percentage slider or to click to drag the image around its placeholder confinement. The Flash-based software is slow to update an image to its native resolution, but a short wait will allow for an accurate preview. The final pre-print book view is also provided as a PDF for your records, or should you so wish, personal printing at home.

Production time was the slowest of all those on test. It took the book a fortnight to arrive. The quality of the book seems reasonable at first, but some pages were stuck together, which caused some tearing, plus subtle marks on the cover are also visible, and images have a more muted colour palette compared with the majority of the others on test.

Product details

Price: £14.47
Size: 21x18cm
Postage: £2.99
 Web: www.lulu.com
Formats: Online only
Delivery time: 14 working days

 We like

Cheap
Easy import from Facebook, Flickr, Photobucket, and SmugMug

We dislike

10Mb upload limit
Rigid layout
Small book sizes
Slow delivery time
Some pages stuck together

Score

2 stars

 Photobox

Photobox 26-page a3 personalised hard cover with premium quality paper and matt lamination

Photobox is among the better-known online printing companies. With an online-only production process, you'll need to ensure your browser has the latest Flash player installed.

Photos can be uploaded to your Photobox account, but there's a 10Mb limit per file. Should you have a gallery of larger shots, then the faff of resizing will eat up a lot of your time (and Photobox can't perform these adjustments).

Photobox software interface

The browser software enables you to reposition, crop, and enlarge images. However, the small browser window doesn't feel as intimate a work area as some of competition. It's not possible to work across a double-page spread either, and we encountered issues where text boxes got stuck in front of images.

Enlarge a shot to excess and a graphic notifies you of a dip in quality. If you're uncertain about anything else, then another big plus point is the live online chat feature, which enables you to ask questions and get responses in real time.

It took just over one week for the book to arrive. The image on the matte cover appeared dark and dull, and there was some blistering near the spine. The images in the book were good quality, but the limited file size may be problematic at larger print sizes. The biggest problem we experienced was that photo areas we left blank printed up as black boxes.

Product details

Price: £53.97 (26-page A3 Personalised Hard Cover with Premium Quality Paper and Matt Lamination)
Size: 37x28.5cm
Postage: £3.99
Web: www.photobox.co.uk/shop/photo-books
Formats: Online only
Delivery time: Eight working days

 We like

Good system for image-quality assessment
Live online chat

We dislike

Blank areas printed black
10Mb per image upload limit
Image preview is poor

Score

2 stars

Conclusion

Jessops 26-page large landscape photo paper

Verdict

Each photo book company put on test produced the goods to a good standard, but it's when examining the finer details that the differences can be seen.

At the lower end of the results some companies put too many restrictions on uploading sizes, and the web-only production process of others doesn't offer as much versatility as the rest of the competition.

Those companies with rigid drag-and-drop designs (Apple, Photobox, Snapfish, and Lulu) may be great for novice users looking for simplicity, but their services may not be appropriate for more demanding users looking for a truly personal product. However, Lulu does offer great value for money, and Apple's product is well-finished.

For the top-tier productions, however, it was a tough call separating the services.

Bonusprint and Albelli (fundamentally the same company with different branding) produced great products, and Blurb proved to have the best design software of them all. Blurb offers a truly professional system that's very stable, easy to use and it offers bags of control too. The final book wasn't our absolute favourite (though really not that far behind), but this has to be the professional's choice. Its biggest downside, however, is a fairly lengthy production and shipping process.

In second place is Yophoto, a UK-based company that produced a top-quality book in a short space of time. The company's software is easy to use and the final product's threaded binding is unlike any other finish on offer from this group.

But the companies that came out on top did so not for their design software – which proved a little unstable and lacking by comparison to others – but for their top print and binding quality. Separating Bob Books and Jessops is nigh on impossible, as the two books are identical, with the exception of the different company logos on the back of each book. For the casual user who'll only order the occasional book and doesn't have loads (if any) photo-editing software available on their machine, the downloadable service from both of these companies produces a final product that looks fantastic.

The flat binding means double pages don't lose any of the images in the gutter, and the fantastic paper and print quality just shines. Users with a higher design standard may choose Blurb for its PDF To Book and Adobe plugin features, while those looking for a more traditional, handmade feel will like Yophoto's product. But from a more casual user's point of view, both Bob Books and Jessops impress.

Disclaimer

Quoted prices are reflective of the order placed with each individual company. Not all books are the same size, or have the same paper finish or pagination. Delivery times are not guaranteed – the times we've reported are based on this reviewer's order experience.

Source : Google Reader