Canon PowerShot S90 10MP Digital Camera

The Canon PowerShot “S” series began in 1999 with the PowerShot S10 as a line of point and shoot cameras. Back then, the S10 had better features, construction and image quality than other compact cameras produced by Canon. The S80 came out in 2005 and after a 4-year hiatus Canon released the sleek and stylish PowerShot S90 with its new design elements never before seen in a Canon compact camera.

The Canon PowerShot S90 10MP digital camera equipped with 3.8x wide angle optical image stabilized zoom and a large 3-inch LCD screen is a worthy successor to the PowerShot S80. It is a small, compact camera designed to work well in low light. It also comes with a number of exciting innovations. By today’s standards, its 10 megapixel resolution is relatively modest. 

However, knowledgeable users know that 10MP is more than enough for regular photo shoots. What is more important is that the PowerShot S90 can take high quality images at lower ISO’s in dim light, thanks to a very fast f/2.0 lens.

Features of the Canon PowerShot S90

Like the other PowerShot “S” compact cameras before it, the S90 is designed for the advanced amateur who wants something more than just a point and shoot camera. It is small, light and has a slim profile. Just slip it in your pocket or purse and you’re good to go.

With a high sensitivity sensor and DIGIC 4 noise reduction, the PowerShot S90 is significantly more sensitive than other 10MP cameras. The bright 5/2.0 lens allows you to shoot in low light conditions. It also has a Macro setting so you can get even closer.

An interesting new feature is the control ring around the lens. Depending on your setting, you can use it to manually adjust the focus, exposure, step zoom, ISO or white balance.

The camera is equipped with a wide-angle 3.8x optical zoom, equivalent to 28-105mm, along with Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer to reduce the effects of camera shake. Its Ultrasonic Motor operates quietly at high speed with precise control. The wide angle lens lets you take pictures of large groups of people.

The PowerShot S90 has a 3.0-inch high resolution LCD screen at the rear that allows a wide viewing angle. Images are clearer and brighter. Multiple coatings on the LCD screen eliminate visual interference due to scratches, dust and reflection.

Different shooting modes are available, including Auto, Program, Tv (Shutter Priority), Av (Aperture Priority), Manual, Custom, Movie, Scene and Low Light. It also has 17 Special Scene Modes. Amateur users can set the camera to full Auto and get the best shots by letting the S90 deal with the technical details. Advanced users can set the camera manually to get the shot “just so”.

You can shoot images in RAW mode and in JPEG. RAW images can be transferred to a computer for editing with image-adjustment software.

What’s in the Box

The Canon PowerShot S90 camera comes with a battery pack and charger, neck strap, a Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, USB interface cable, and AV cable.

How Well Does It Work?

The PowerShot S90 is definitely one of the best compact cameras produced by Canon. It’s a quality camera that you can take with you for those times when you don’t want to lug around a bulky DSLR.

The camera is light and very compact. Some people may find it too small for their hands, but the general idea here is to have a camera that you can easily slip in a pocket and be ready to use anytime.

For amateurs who simply want to point and shoot, this camera gives excellent shots without any fuss. If you are a photography hobbyist, you can tinker around with focus, aperture, shutter speed and everything in between to get an image exactly the way you want it.

The menu system is easy to follow and you can manually adjust the settings. The front control ring works very well, but there is a small issue about the one at the rear. It sometimes moves too freely and you can easily change the settings by mistake.

When it comes to performance, nothing can beat the PowerShot S90 in its class, especially in low light performance. The camera also takes amazing pictures under all kinds of conditions. It has a built-in flash that pops up when it’s needed.

The video mode is the S10’s main weakness. Video mode is low resolution instead of the more desirable 720p video. The battery also runs down very quickly, so if you plan on taking a lot of pictures or videos you should have a backup battery on hand.

Video mode and battery life issue aside, the Canon PowerShot S10 does its job well. It takes quality pictures even in low light. The camera is simple enough for amateur photographers to use, but has enough versatility and challenge for the more advanced user.

Recommendation

This Canon PowerShot S90 is one of the best compact, point-and-shoot cameras available today. If you are looking for a digital camera that works well under any condition, this is the one you should get. You can buy this camera at major retail stores or online at Amazon.com.

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Great Points to Shoot Portrait Photography

Portrait photography is the most popular form of photography. Most people who know how to point and shoot a camera are all portrait photographers. However, there are of course, differences in its quality. Professional portrait photographers have certain characteristics that let them get the best out of their subjects. A portrait photo does not only mean a person’s image. In a way, it shows character and emotion. If you want to start shooting portraits and don’t know the essential elements, fear no more because these five tips can give you a head start.

Here are 5 great points on how to shoot portrait photography.
 

Rapport

Building rapport with your subject is the firs thing that you should learn. Interest in knowing your subjects is a plus. If you get to know your subject and they know you, your they will become more comfortable in front of the camera. When the shoot comes, you have better chances of getting the best natural expressions of the people you are photographing.

Personality

Always make sure that your photos will show the personality of your subject. You will only know this if you know the person. Make sure that their personality shows in their faces. Personality usually appears when the subject is not expecting a shot, so you have to be ready to take the picture when the opportunity comes.

Lighting

Most photographers prefer natural lighting. However since you want to emphasize the person’s face and character, you should always consider using artificial lighting. Be sure that light is evenly distributed, or that it satisfies the angle that you want to emphasize. Lighting can have a great effect especially if your they want a serious picture.

Background

Most portraits have light backgrounds to emphasize the subject. You can also use the environment to add more character to your subject. Also, be sure that the colors of your background and the dress of your subject compliment each other. Sometimes backgrounds become the flaw of a picture because the photographer took it for granted.

Plan
Be sure that you are ready before you go to the photo shoot. Not only that you have all the equipment that you need, but be sure that you can handle the job properly. Prepare all the necessary materials and be sure to bring a good topic for conversation so that your subject can relax while you are shooting.

Portrait photography is a really enjoyable hobby. If you’re serious in making it your career, you can be sure that it can be lucrative as long as you perfect your craft. However, remember that you should have the heart for the job because portrait photography’s first requirement is interest.

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Tips for Posing a Wedding Photo

How many times have you looked at a wedding photo and thought it was absolutely amazing?  The real personality of the bride seems to just shine through or the couple are posed in such an interesting and unique way that you can't help but wonder how the photographer did it.  Or have you ever looked at a wedding photo and thought it was very amateurish and rather boring?  What makes one so good and eye catching and appealing while the other one is so boring and dry?  And how can you be the photographer that takes a breathtaking wedding photo rather than the one that takes the boring pictures?

First you may want to really study any wedding photo that catches your eye.  What is it about this picture that appeals to you?  Is it the pose, the setting, or the use of a decorative element in the picture?  Compare those things to the picture that is less than appealing.  What is that one lacking that the first photo has?  How would any of these different elements help that dry and boring picture?

Very often the key to a successful wedding photo is how it is posed.  Today's brides typically want poses that are interesting and unique.  Decades ago portraits were posed by having the subjects look directly at the camera and it was often thought to be bad manners to smile, so the expression on the faces of the subjects is somewhat dour and unhappy.  But today's wedding photography typically includes poses with the bride and groom staring at each lovingly or while sharing a laugh.  They may both be looking off to one side of the wedding photo or out a window next to them.  It's also not unusual to even shoot a picture of them walking away from the camera, off to that new life together!

Posing for a wedding photo might also include a different angle than just head-on.  Many are taken from above, looking down on the bride or the couple.  These types of shots thin the face and the body.  Close-ups are also very common even if they don't get the entire wedding dress in the frame.  A close-up of the bride's face while she holds her bouquet to her face and looks down or to one side is a favorite wedding photo for many.  Never think that you need to get every detail of every element of the wedding in every picture; this is a common mistake for many and so wedding pictures often look crowded or busy.  Back up a bit or zoom out, or zoom in on one particular feature or detail.

And the last thing to remember for a great wedding photo is for everyone to relax.  Tensions and emotions usually run high at weddings but those tensions can show up on pictures very easily.  Tell a few jokes or even use a hand puppet if you must; whatever you need to do to get everyone to relax!

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Canon PowerShot SD600 6MP Digital ELPH Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

The Canon PowerShot SD600 is my idea of a point-and-shoot digital camera. It is compact, easy to use, and has one of the best image qualities for cameras in its category. If all you need is a digital camera that takes great photos indoors and outdoors without “gimmicky” features, the SD600 is exactly what you are looking for.

Quick Overview

The Canon PowerShot SD600 retains the original classic look conceptualized by Digital ELPH designer Yasushi Shiotani. Beyond its looks, Canon adds cutting edge technology that delivers what discriminating photographers want in a camera. It features a 2.5” LCD screen, 6 Megapixel resolution, and 3x optical zoom with UA lens. You get sharp pictures faster with its DIGIC II, iSAPS and 9-point AiAF (Artificial intelligence Auto Focus).

A total of 16 shooting modes are available, plus you get My Colors in-camera photo effects, which is great for special effects to enhance your shots. Movie clips can be recorded at 30fps in VGA mode.

Canon SD600 Features

What all that technical stuff boils down to is this: the Canon PowerShot SD600 is a stylishly compact and solidly built camera that allows you to take really good pictures not only outdoors in bright sunlight but also indoors and in other low-light situations. Most digital cameras fail at indoor pictures, but not the SD600. In addition, its Auto setting automatically sets faster shutter speed to minimize image blurring.

At 2.5 inches, the LCD screen allows you to compose your shots and review them without eyestrain. The screen also has a wide angle of view, making it easier to share playback with others.

With 16 shooting modes, a bad picture is a thing of the past. The camera’s shooting modes include Auto, Manual, Portrait, Indoor, Underwater, Night Snapshot, Color Swap, Kids and Pets, Sepia, Black and White, Stitch Assist, and more. You can even apply My Colors photo effects before and after taking pictures. This allows you to customize your images even without a computer. Color Swap and Color Accent modes let you apply color effects to images and movies without the help of a computer or image-manipulation software. You can also take underwater pictures with the optional waterproof case.

If you want to take a video clip, the SD600 won’t let you down. You can record 30fps VGA movie clips up to 1GB in size. A memory card is necessary to expand the camera’s 16MB Canon memory card. The Compact recording mode allows you to record up to 3 minutes in low resolution for convenient email sharing.

Printing multiple images has never been easier. The SD600’s Print menu simplifies printing directly to any PictBridge-compatible printer even without a computer. Of course, you can still download your images to a computer and print from there.

What’s in the Box

This is what you get out of the box: Canon PowerShot SD600 digital camera, Lithium battery pack NB-4L, 16 megabyte memory card SDG-16M, battery charger, Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM, wrist strap, USB interface cable, and AV cable.

Accessories

If you go for underwater shoots, you will need the optional waterproof case (Canon WP-DC3 for the Powershot SD600). You can bring the camera underwater up to 40 meters deep. You may also find the Soft Leather Case useful, along with the PowerShot metal and leather neck strap and compact AC power adapter. Although the camera comes with a battery pack NB-4L, you may want to have an extra battery pack handy for those “just in case” moments.

The Powershot SD600 comes with a 16MB Canon memory card, which you will find woefully inadequate for all those images and videos you plan to take. The camera is compatible with SD/MMC memory cards. The cost of memory cards has gone down, so you should get a 2GB card at the very least. A Sandisk memory card has a faster speed, so you may want to get this. Otherwise, the Kingston memory card is a good alternative.

What You Will Like About the PowerShot SD600

People who buy digital cameras usually want two things in a camera: it must be easy to use and must take excellent pictures. That’s exactly what the SD600 does. In addition, it is solidly built and ultra-compact. Amateur photographers will find the Auto Focus mode helpful (just point and shoot), while more experienced photographers will like that it also allows manual shooting. One of the best things about it is the good photography even in low light.

If you’re concerned about the 6MP resolution, especially now that 8MP and 10 MP digital cameras are common, just keep in mind that you won’t notice the difference unless you intend to make large poster size prints with your pictures.

What You Might Miss

If you’re a big fan of personalized images, you may be a bit disappointed that the camera has no titling capability. It does not have a calendar feature either, and there is no indicator meter for the battery. You can’t tell how much battery you have left until the camera dies on you.

Unlike other models like the SD700, this digital camera does not have an “anti-shake” feature, but you will get sharp pictures nonetheless. If you have a problem with shaky pictures, try shooting through the viewfinder. This will give you a firmer and more stable grip.

The Bottom Line

This is a great camera for the price, and it takes good quality pictures even in low light. It’s very compact and easy to use. If you are looking for a no-fuss, point-and-shoot camera, the Canon PowerShot SD600 fits the bill perfectly. You can purchase it at Amazon for only $499.99.

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Tips on Capturing Moments in Travel

Traveling is one of life's greatest pleasures. Capturing those precious and exciting moments is even more pleasurable, especially if it's a once-in-a-lifetime trip. For the photo enthusiast, taking pictures of everything in sight is as important as going to these places.

So how can you exercise good travel photography? Here are some tips:

1. Choosing the right variety of camera

• Purchasing the perfect camera can be as hard as deciding where to go on a vacation. A primary consideration for travel photography is whether to get a single lens reflex camera or a SLR, or a point-and-shoot type. They each has their own benefits and disadvantages.

• In SLR, lenses can be interchanged. A photographer can view exactly what the lens is seeing because of its reflex viewing system. Point-and-shoot, meanwhile, have viewfinders that adjust the view of the image automatically. They are easier to use than the SLR, but its viewing range is a bit limited.

2. Selecting the right kind of film

• The dilemma in choosing the right kind of film can be solved by determining the output desired and the traveling conditions in which the pictures will be taken. You need to choose between a color negative or a color side if you want to take colored pictures. The benefit of using a color negative is that it tends to be forgiving of corrections in color or errors of exposure. Professional photographers, however, go for slide films because almost all commercial reproducing is produced from transparencies.

3. Researching for the trip

• Knowing the right information about the place your visiting is as important as shooting the pictures. Planning the trip in detail enables the photographer to improve on the quality and quantity of opportunities where he can take great pictures. It is essential to read before a trip. Browse through materials such as travel guides, magazines, maps and newspapers. Also, try to talk to someone who has actually been their. The information that they can give will be very valuable.

4. The right way in creating a travel journal

• The pictures taken during a trip should tell a story, and should not be just a jumble of random pictures. It should chronicle the trip from start to finish. It is important to track the dates that the pictures were taken.

One should not turn down the experience of travel, just the same, as one should not forget to capture precious images from that trip. Perfect planning and having a keen eye for a good image can be the key to achieving everything.

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Canon PowerShot SX130IS Review (Part 2)

Canon really hit the nail on the head with this product. This digital camera has all the bells and whistles that actually matter. First of all, its ergonomic design makes it a pleasure to use and hold the camera. All the major controls are ready to be put to use instantly. It’s a point-and-shoot camera in the real sense of the word. You can start using it straight out of the box.

The Powershot SX130IS is a combination still camera and video maker. You can use the zoom function even while recording a video at 720p resolution. The video is recorded in stereo sound.

Its 12x wide-angle optical zoom allows you to capture astonishingly clear images even from a distance. This camera performs at high speed while keeping power consumption low. With Canon’s Optical Image Stabilizer, camera shake is controlled even while zooming in, so your images remain sharp and steady.

The downside when zooming in while in video mode is that the camera does not auto focus. You have to use the shutter to re-focus.

The camera has many fun and functional features. The Miniature and Fisheye modes are a lot of fun to use. With the Smile Detection mode, a picture is taken without using the shutter when a smile is detected.

The LCD screen is big, bright and clear. It has an auto-rotate feature, so the images you view are always right side up. Images on the screen are very clear even in bright sunlight.

Some people may find the PowerShot SX130IS a bit bulky, but it’s not really that much bigger than a regular point and shoot camera. Besides, it has a nice heft that many people like. It’s an improvement on the older PowerShot SX120IS, which does not have the HD video capability.

The only thing lacking in this digital camera, which would have made it close to perfect, is a viewfinder. On the other hand, many people prefer using the LCD screen when taking pictures or movies. Only a few people use a viewfinder, so most users will not miss this feature on the PowerShot SX130IS.

Recommendation

With a digital camera that’s close to perfect, there’s no other recommendation possible except to buy it. Prices are lower than ever, and you can purchase the Canon Powershot SX130IS offline at department stores or online at Amazon.com.

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About Canon PowerShot SX130IS 12.1MP Digital Camera (Part 1)

It’s not often that you come across a marvelous piece of photographic equipment that seems to be perfect in every way. The Canon PowerShot SX130IS is a 12.1MP digital camera with 12x wide-angle optical image stabilized zoom equipped with 3.0-inch LCD screen. It’s a digital camera that you can use to capture special moments with the special people in your life.




 
Canon PowerShot SX130IS Highlights

The Canon PowerShot SX130IS has a sleek, ergonomic design with all major controls at your fingertips. The 3” LCD screen is larger than most LCD screens found on other digital cameras. It also has a wide viewing angle, making it easier to see what you are shooting. In addition, the high-resolution screen provides clearer images during playback.

Videos can be taken in 720p high density, even while using the 12x wide angle optical zoom. The camera is loaded with basic functions that you will find extremely useful, plus some cute gimmicks that are a lot of fun such as Fisheye Effect for stills and Miniature Effect for movies and stills.

The PowerShot SX130IS features Smart Flash Exposure technology. This uses the proper flash by analyzing the lighting conditions to help ensure that your images are not over or underexposed. Your photos will retain all the details and lifelike colors even under low light. When combined with the Smart AUTO feature, your pictures will come out clear and sharp all the time. The PowerShot SX130IS will take care of all the technical details for you, with 28 predefined shooting conditions to choose from for optimum results. You can take a picture of your friends, a flower, or a landscape. Each time, your images will be crisp and color-rich.

Canon’s DIGIC 4 Image Processor delivers better picture quality even at high ISO. Noise is reduced, so there is no blurring or fuzziness in the images. With its 12.1 megapixel resolution, the Canon PowerShot SX130IS gives incomparable detail and depth to your images. Shots can be enlarged to create clear 13 x 19-inch posters. Any section of an image can be cropped and enlarged with no loss in quality.

This camera uses two AA-size batteries as its power source. In my opinion, this is one of its most practical features. Size AA batteries can be purchased anywhere, so it’s good to know that you can easily get new ones at any local store. You don’t need any special chargers or power adapters. You don’t have to worry about running out of batteries. In fact, you can always pack a few spares.

What’s in the Box
When you purchase this digital camera, you will get the PowerShot SX130 IS camera body, a wrist strap, an AV cable, USB interface cable, and the Digital Camera Solution CD-ROM. Two AA-alkaline batteries are included so you can start shooting with your new digital camera.

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