This snapshot of the busy New York intersection has been accessible through Street View feature for quite some time now. From the first sighting to the publication of this post, more than 11 hours have passed. I’ve sent a complaint to Google; let’s see if they act on this potentially disturbing scene immediately, if at all.

On a side note, I’m now convinced that the faces of people captured by Street View’s cameras are automatically blurred out. The sheer manpower required to blur out faces manually notwithstanding, I’d imagine anyone working for Google seeing a dead guy would keep him from appearing, right?

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In any case, thanks to its relative age, this high-end dSLR now goes for $200 less than its original $1300 launch price, from Buy.Com.

Olympus E-3 Digital SLR Camera – 10.1 Megapixel – 2.50 Active Matrix TFT Color LCD ($1050 from Buy.Com)

From Ads of the World (Thanks Teh Mordo!)

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Wait, what? Almost ten-thousand European simoleons for a camera? There’s a reason why professional photographers spend good money on cameras, lenses, and accessories like flash. It’s because these pricey gadgets truly make for a better picture.

Now don’t get me wrong; No one should ever doubt the image quality achievable through technology from Leica (better known to the average geek as the lens provider for the Panasonic Lumix line). But why would you that much for a camera that has average capabilities, all because it’s covered with leather and carries the name of a luxury brand?

In any case, technical specs for the 35mm, non-digital Leica M7, extremely-expensive edition or not, are available here. And if you really want to waste your money, availability info is here, from leicarumors.com:

The LEICA M7 Edition ‘Hermes’ will be available in the UK from December 2009 from authorised Leica dealers including the Leica Store Mayfair (www.leica-storemayfair.co.uk), at a suggested retail price of GBP8,550.

Photo source: flickr/stranger_than_Tokyo

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“Lucky in Love” mainly involves a Flash-game where players have to drag and rotate a series of photos to create a panoramic shot. It’s a pretty straightforward yet cumbersome game: not only do players have to properly align images as much as possible, they are also under time pressure. Obviously, the point of the game is to show how the auto panorama of the TX1 is way easier than manual photo-stitching (and, having used the camera, I agree). Whoever gets the highest score once the contest ends this December 30, 2009 will a Sony Cyber-shot TX1, so if you’ve got a fast mouse hand, try the contest here.

Not based in Asia but in the US? Not sure if Sony has anything planned for you guys, but the Sony Cyber-shot TX1 is currently available from NewEgg.com for $380:

SONY Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 Gray 10.2 MP Digital Camera

SONY Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 Silver 10.2 MP Digital Camera

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• Panasonic ZS1
• Panasonic ZS3
• Sony H20
• Canon SX200
• Samsung HZ10W
• Olympus Stylus 9000

…DPReview’s staff arrived at this very clear conclusion:

…the Panasonic twins ZS1 and ZS3 emerge as the obvious choice for general use, offering an extremely versatile 12x zoom range from proper wide-angle to 300mm equivalent and good all-around performance and image quality.

Both cameras did so well in fact that, despite legitimate competition from Sony’s, Canon’s, and Samsung’s offerings (sorry Olympus), DPReview slapped its “Highly Recommended” virtual sticker on both cameras from Panasonic.

Convinced? If you’re based in mainland US, you can buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS1 for $267 from NewEgg.com. Just click the link below to get started, and be sure to look out for the numerous combo deals available for this highly recommended camera!

Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS1 Silver 10.1 MP 25mm Wide Angle Digital Camera ($267, exclusive of applicable shipping and taxes)

To be clear on what you’re getting: few cameras can achieve 12x optical zoom out of the box; even expensive professional-level SLRs require specializes lens to achieve the 25-300mm range that’s the equivalent of the ZS1’s zoom capabilities.

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The video benefited from Magbanua’s wide arsenal of lenses. According to him, it features no color grading or even lighting whatsoever. Here’s the video description, edited for clarity:

We wanted to document something truly Filipino and came up with the idea of shooting a “Perya”. There really is no direct equivalent in English. It’s not as grand as a carnival, not as permanent and posh as an amusement park, there are no pumpkins nor cows in competition like a country fair. It is what it is—a Perya.

Shot in 1920 x 1080 at 24p. Transcoded to XDcam codec. Edited in Premiere Pro CS3.

No color grading was utilized. No additional lights used.

Lenses:

• 16-35 mm 2.8
• 17 mm TS
• 35mm 1.4
• 50 mm 1.4
• 85mm 1.4
• 100 mm 2.8 macro
• 70-200 mm 2.8

I’m no professional photographer, but all I know is that the 7D’s video quality definitely outdoes the Canon 5D’s. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, watch the above video in full-screen mode, fool.

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• Instruction manuals in 4 different languages (region-dependent)
• Warranty card
• Software CD
• Catalog of Cyber-shot TX1 accessories
• USB / TV-out cable
• NP-BD1 battery in a plastic case
• Changing dock and power cord
• Wrist strap (already attached to camera
• Paint pen (attaches to wrist strap, used to operate touch-screen

At first glance, that seems like a lot. Yet Sony could’ve done a little better with the bundle, including a Memory Stick and a basic camera case at the very least. I totally understand Sony wants customers to spend more on accessories (the included catalog makes this marketing push very obvious). But what’s wrong with whetting the new owner’s appetite right away? A 1GB memory stick provides enough capacity for decent use, while a cheap camera case would provide basic protection for the TX1’s stylish (and fingerprint-vulnerable) exterior?

In any case, watch out for updates as we put this camera through its paces. If you’re eager to own a Sony Cyber-shot TX1, B & H is selling this baby for $380. Available range from feminine pink to the understated gray.

c/o Technograph

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It’s also about time someone came out with a camera that aided cam-whoring! Let’s just hope your 4.6X optical zoom and 12.2 megapixel sensor deliver on image quality Samsung! Find out more on the camera advertised here:

• Samsung ST550 product page
• Samsung TL225 product page

And yes, the ST550 and TL225 are simply the same camera under different names, the latter apparently for the US, and the other for the rest of the English-speaking world (am I wrong? Comment below).

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Photos Courtesy Nikon USA

Nikon DS3

• Base ISO Range from 200 to 12,800, expandable from 100 to a staggering 102,400!
• 9 frames per second at full resolution
• 720p HD video recording with stereo microphone input
• Same amazing low light ability can be applied to movies
• 12.1 mp FX-format full frame CMOS sensor
• 51 point AF system, 3D Matrix metering and Scene Recognition System
• $5199.95 estimated selling price
• Scheduled for a November 2009 release from “authorized Nikon resellers”

Nikkor AF-S DX Micro 85mm F/3.5G ED VR lens

• VR II for up to 4 stops of correction
• Internal focusing design
• Use of an ED glass element
• 1:1 life-size reproduction ratio
• $529.99 estimated selling price
• Scheduled for a December 2009 release from “authorized Nikon resellers”

All I know is that integrating video capture capability into a $5000 camera is the least Nikon can do. Professional-level gadgets were never known for their value-for-money proposition (mostly), but every extra feature makes multiple digits seem more reasonable.

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