Version 1.2 of the K10D’s firmware adds support for the new Pentax Remote Assistant 3 software, which allows photographers to control one or more cameras from a USB-connected computer. Remote Assistant 3 provides timer, bulb and interval-shooting options in addition to real-time control.Pentax has also updated its Photo Browser 3 and Photo Laboratory 3 desktop software. Photo Browser 3.11 provides integration with Remote Assistant versions 1 and 3, and supports data from the Pentax DA* 16mm-50mm f/2.8 and DA* 50mm-135mm f/2.8 lenses. Photo Laboratory 3.10 adds native support for Intel Macs and improved white balance adjustments.

In addition, the company has released a RAW codec for 32-bit versions of the Windows Vista operating system, which allow Vista’s Photo Gallery to open RAW files from the following Pentax cameras: K10D, K100D, K110D, *istDS, *istDS2, *istDL, *istDL2, *istD.

Website : Pentax Upgrades SLR Firmware and Software

Here’s a great article about how to photograph baby’s first year. “Get down to their level - Don’t just stand there, sit down. Lie on the floor. Get to the child’s level. She’ll feel less threatened if you’re eye-to-eye with her, and may be more playful and responsive. At baby’s level, you can also better see those beautiful eyes. Baby making eye contact with the camera is essential.

If you don’t wish to lie on your belly, you can still shoot waist-level. The Olympus Evolt 330 is a DSLR with a a right-angle live LCD monitor that can be turned facing upwards so you can hold your camera low down and shoot. Several compact models also have rotating LCD monitors. But if your DSLR lacks this feature, the Pro Optic Right Angle Finder II (right) fits over the optical viewfinder of most DSLRs and using a periscope-type optic lets you look down to see the image. Here are four of my favorite poses…

• The Come Hither look: This is great for babies as young as a month old! Get a bolt of shiny fabric from a fabric shop and lay it out on the floor, folded here and there. Lie baby face up on the fabric, and fold some fabric over so baby’s partially covered. Shoot straight down. She’ll look gorgeous.
• The Burrito: When baby is old enough to lift his head while lying on his stomach, he’s ready for this pose. Put baby on a clean white blanket on the floor. Drape another blanket or a towel over his head. Then, wait for him to lift his head off the floor and smile (see sample).
• The TV Pose: A variation of the Burrito, but without the second blanket. Baby lies on stomach facing camera, rests chin on both hands. (This also works with older kids who can take directions)
• Cruisin’: When baby is old enough to almost walk, she may “cruise” or walk while holding onto a couch or chair. Have a low piece of furnaiture or a post ready, and get a shot of the pre-toddler holding on. Bonus points if you capture that look of pride at this new accomplishment! “

Website :  How to photograph baby’s first year

Imaging Resource posted some performance data of the newly released Canon nEOS-1D Mark III camera. To summarize the article, the Canon Mark III’s performance was excellent overall, starting with a startup time that was really faster than our human reflexes. Full AF shutter lag was almost as fast as prefocused and manual focus lag times, which were also excellent. Full Autofocus, the time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, it is 0.069 second. The prefocused performance, time to capture after half-pressing and holding shutter button, is only 0.054 second.

Continuous HI mode speed was very impressive, but we noticed performance varied depending on the lens and especially the aperture used. Stopping down lenses to very small apertures slowed continuous-mode shooting, apparently because the lens aperture must return to its maximum setting between each shot for metering and/or focus determination. For best continuous speeds with the Mark III, use L-series lenses and shoot with the lens wide open. Again, keep in mind that this is a prototype, so these numbers may change once we test a full production unit.

At Continuous HI Large Fine JPEG format, it is only 0.11 second (i.e. 9.52 frames per second), for the time per shot averaged over 11 shots. Shutter speed at 1/400s and lens used in the test is the EF 70-200mm f/4L USM @ f/4.

Website : Canon EOS-1D Mark III Performance Data

The Pentax K10D is based around an APS-C sized CCD imager with an effective resolution of 10.2 megapixels. It uses a 22-bit Analog-to-digital converter, and a new processing engine dubbed “PRIME” (Pentax Real IMage Engine). The K10D has a dust-proof, weather resistant body with a stainless steel chassis and some 72 seals that allow the camera to be used in dusty and/or rainy environments. The sensor sits on a free-floating electromagnetically controlled platter that can move horizontally, vertically, and even rotationally. Here’s a brief look at how it compares against the nearest competition from the Camera Labs:

Nikon D80 - “Arguably the biggest rival for the K10D is the Nikon D80. At first glance the K10D appears to thrash it in terms of features including built-in image stabilisation, dust removal, environmental sealing and impressive RAW capabilities; the K10D’s also cheaper. But in our view, the D80 simply out-performs the K10D in day-to-day use. We shot with a D80 throughout the entire period of this review and saw first-hand how it handled exactly the same situations as the K10D. There were many occasions when the K10D required exposure compensation, while the more sophisticated metering of the D80 remained un-phased. We also preferred the output from the D80 using the default settings, although to be fair this is subjective. See our Nikon D80 review and video tour for more details.”

Canon EOS 30D - “Canon’s mid-range DSLR is an interesting rival for the K10D, and like the D80, it initially appears to come-off badly in terms of features. The K10D boasts slightly higher resolution, built-in anti-shake and anti-dust, environmental sealing, the chance to swap focusing screens and impressive RAW capabilities. Look a little deeper though and the 30D has several aspects in its favour including a magnesium alloy body, 5fps continuous shooting, superior metering and again more consumer-friendly output using the default settings. That said the K10D’s cheaper than the Canon 30D, so unless you need 5fps and aren’t willing to tweak image settings, the K10D represents much better value. See our Canon EOS 30D review for more details.”

Sony Alpha A100 - “The Sony Alpha A100 is a natural rival for the K10D as both are 10 megapixel DSLRs featuring in-camera stabilisation which also doubles-up for anti-dust duties. In practice we found the Sony A100’s Super SteadyShot proved slightly more effective than the K10D’s Shake Reduction, although neither were as effective as lens-based solutions at longer focal lengths. In its favour, the K10D’s anti-dust was more effective in our tests and while its default output wasn’t as punchy as the A100, it did boast lower noise levels at higher sensitivities. The A100 may be cheaper than the K10D, but if you’re willing to learn how to tweak the settings, it’s worth spending the extra on the Pentax. See our Sony Alpha A100 review for more details.”

Website : Pentax K10D compared with Nikon D80, Canon 30D, Sony A100

Here’s the conclusion of the D40x review from ePHOTOzine: “While the D40x lacks some of the more sophisticated options of bigger cameras, it’s certainly well specified in the budget market and readily capable of taking on the Canon EOS 400D. The body is light and compact, but this means that all the functions that would otherwise be on dials etc, are hidden away on menus.

The lack of a top-mounted LCD is a drawback because the information that is displayed on the rear LCD never stays there for very long. The help system for the beginner is rather packed away and not immediately accessible.

While the shooting speed of the camera is a long way off the marketing claims, with just modest performance, it’s the ease of use of the camera and the results that count the most in this marketplace. On that score, the D40x is easy to pick up and start shooting with because the more advanced functions are kept out of the way initially, and the results, while lacking a great deal of sharpness thanks to the kit lens, are generally pleasing.”

Nikon D40xPlus points:

• Nikon D40×10Mp resolution
• Nikon D40xHelp system
• Nikon D40xSmall and compact
• Nikon D40xGood quality images
• Nikon D40xWell saturated colours
• Nikon D40xGood built-in flash

Minus points:

• Nikon D40xShooting speed isn’t great
• Nikon D40xPictures not super-sharp
• Nikon D40xSome noise at ISO100
• Nikon D40xHelp system is buried
• Nikon D40xOnly sRGB

Website : Nikon D40x Review by ePHOTOzine

The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) announces the winners of the XVII edition of the TIPA Awards. This year, the editors of the 28 member magazines from 12 European countries that voted for the best imaging products in Europe in 2007, awarded 36 photo and imaging products. (www.tipa.com):

1. D-SLR ENTRY LEVEL:Nikon D40X - With a resolution of 10 megapixels and a sensitivity range from 100 to 3200 ISO, the Nikon D40x is an excellent D-SLR for those entering the world of digital photography, with superb image quality and a very fast shutter response. In a kit package with an 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 zoom lens, it comes with many advanced features and offers a shooting rate of up to three frames per second. The D40x is light, compact and boasts a high quality 2.5in LCD display for camera set-up and image review.
2. D-SLR EXPERT: Pentax K10D - With a rugged build quality featuring no less than 72 weather and dust seals, the Pentax K10D offers a solid specification: 10MP sensor, image stabilization; 11-point autofocus system; sensitivity range from 100 to 1600 ISO; high definition RAW mode plus JPEG; sensor cleaning system and interchangeable viewfinder screens. The ergonomics have been expertly designed, making the camera a useful tool in the field for the enthusiast photographer. Including an 18 - 55mm lens and coming in at a price under 1000 euros, this D-SLR represents a genuine, high quality alternative to some more expensive professional camera bodies.
3. D-SLR PROFESSIONAL: Canon EOS-1D Mk III -  This is an impressive D-SLR that shoots at a staggering 10 frames per second with a full resolution of 10MP. It also offers an 19-point autofocus system, a weather-sealed body, a triple mode sensor cleaning system, a permanent Live View mode and a full complement of user-defined custom functions. All this adds up to greater control and enhanced creativity for the working photographer, making the Canon EOS-1D Mark III the ideal tool for professional sport, action and wildlife photography.

Website : TIPA awards 36 imaging products as the best in Europe 2007

Pentax K10D is Digital SLR camera, announced September 13, 2006, is featuring 10.2 effective megapixels, CCD-shift type Shake Reduction, a new Dust Removal (DR) system incorporating PENTAX-original Special Protect (SP) coating to help keep the CCD surface dust-free, and a shift mechanism to shake dust off the CCD. The Pentax K10D the first Water-Resistant Digital SLR featuring 72 seals throughout the camera to allow photographers to continue shooting even in rainy environments. Pentax K10D is available in US for $899.95 (body only).

Here’s a conclusion from the review at PhotographyBlog: “The Pentax K10D is an excellent mid-range digital SLR camera that manages to achieve the difficult task of being intuitive to use whilst offering a lot of complex functionality. Pentax have included a number of genuinely useful innovations that help to make the K10D stand out from the crowd. The various new shooting modes, dust and water-resistance, anti-shake and dust-removal systems are all extremely welcome at this price-point, and there are many more nice touches too numerous to mention.

The K10D will more than satisfy all those people who are keen to upgrade from a film-based Pentax system, providing more features and capability than the entry-level models that the company has previously released. You should also seriously consider this camera if you don’t currently have any vested interest in the likes of Canon or Nikon, as it offers more bang for your buck than similarly priced models. Indeed, the Pentax K10D offers a wealth of features, ease of use, speedy operation and excellent image quality at a very competitive price.

The main negative aspects of the Pentax K10D are the supplied 18-55mm kit lens, which feels cheap and ill-matched to the K10D body, the noisy shutter release mechanism and auto-focusing system, and the lack of dedicated buttons for ISO and white balance. Overall we can highly recommend the Pentax K10D - not only does it have an attractive price-tag, but it is also a solidly-built, intuitive and responsive digital SLR that will meet the needs of the serious photographer.”

Website : Pentax K10D – Review at PhotographyBlog

Here’s the summary of article from Thom Hogan: “The D40x retains all the things that are likeable about the D40 and gives you a 10mp sensor that produces images that are arguably slightly better than the D80 can produce (at least for JPEG files).”

Drawbacks

• Kit lens blues. The 18-55mm is a more than decent lens, but I’d like to have the option to buy a body only (you do with the D40x). The D40 would have been killer with an 18-70 VR or 18-135mm VR, by the way. The current purchasing option is a bit limiting.
• Nother new battery. Did we really need another new battery just because the camera is a smaller size?
• Not for the late-to-the-party film converts. If you’ve got mostly AI, AI-S, and older AF lenses and are just now getting round to going digital, the D40 (or D40x) isn’t the camera you want, as you’ll be resorting to manual focus.

Positives

• Small and beautiful. Makes you wonder why Four Thirds designs (e.g. Olympus) were necessary. And for a consumer camera, the frame rate, mirror return, shutter lag, and autofocus are fast enough to feel snappy.
• Most of what you need. While it would have been nice to have a DOF Preview button, everything else you’re likely to want is there, including spot metering.
• Excellent Image Quality. State of the 6mp art. State of the 10mp art. Enough said.

Website : Nikon D40 and D40x Review by Thom Hogan