Sony’s new Alpha DSLR-A230, A330 and A380. But for those who are fans of the maker’s cameras, here are the useful facts (courtesy of Crave):

*add about 1.8 ounces for battery and card

Most interesting about all three new models though is its support for SDHC cards, on top of typical support for Sony’s own Memory Sticks. Here’s to hoping the same happens to some future version of the PSP.

All three cameras will become available for pre-order “this week” from sony.com, for a sometime July release.

Turns out single-lens reflex (SLR) cameras have a flaw in their design that leads to more camera shake. Camera shake is of course bad for photography, because even the tiniest movement occurring while acquiring an image leads to lower-quality pictures. Ever been frustrated with blurry pics caused by hands that can’t keep still? That’s camera shake in action.

Anyways, the classic design of an SLR causes camera shake—even if said camera is perched securely on a tripod. That’s because in an SLR, the mirror which allows the user to see the image literally through the lens flips up when the shutter is pressed, allowing the camera’s sensor or film to save the picture. Unfortunately, that action also creates vibrations that cause camera shake and lead to lower-quality pictures, no matter how small these vibrations are. Read more

Who woulda thunk it?

The following:

• Drill with 1/4-inch bit
• Screwdriver
• Wrench

Well… well, continue reading please… Read more

Visit this album on Multiply and you’ll definitely appreciate the perks of having a rich aunt who owns a house in an upscale resort village. Photographic opportunities abound, especially if you’re looking for unobtrusive views of the sunset and moonrise for your photo album.

The problem is, you’ll need a perfectly still hand to properly capture these kind of scenes. And unfortunately, since no one can keep perfectly still (our heartbeats cause the tiniest kind of motion in our hands), it would do well to use a tripod.

Any photographer serious about capturing great photos—and even point and shoot owners are serious about this—should consider a tripod a crucial accessory. There are cheap ones out there anyway, and any point and shoot camera or dSLR worth their weight is designed to work with tripods. I was lucky enough to have a solid base to rest my camera on to keep the frame still; what if this wasn’t available?

Amazon has at least one tripod costing less than $25. I don’t think you can go lower than that.

(Image by Rico Mossesgeld)

So you’ve spent on your first dSLR, and it probably comes with kit lens. Eventually, you’ll realize working with just one set of lens is pretty limiting. The prospect of buying new lens to increase your versatility becomes more enticing.

That’s the subject of a great article on Gearlog, which attempts to take the literally endless suite of lens options and trim the list down into something not too overwhelming for dSLR newbies. Read more

A perfect example of “Now why didn’t I think of that?” making perfect sense: Photojojo recently made its Super-Secret Spy Lens available for purchase on its website. For at least $50, you get an SLR lens attachment that contains a 90-degree mirror inside, allowing users to point their camera away from the subject and still get the desired picture.

The setup works because it blends in with the camera very nicely, making your actual lens look longer than it really is. Perceptive subjects-to-be may suddenly notice that gaping whole on the side of your “lens” though.

This accessory is definitely a welcome boon for photographers wanting to capture candid moments without intimidating the subject(s) with their intrusive lens. The Super-Secret Spy Lens swivels 360 degrees, unfortunately making upskirts (by orienting the mirror upwards) and cleavage shots (downwards) that much easier.

Other issues to watch out for are lack of support for fish-eye and wide-angle lenses, and apparent vignetting (which may actually make the final picture look more awesome.

(image courtesy of Photojojo)

A great way to maximize your vacation expenses is to use your camera to save memorable moments for posterity. This could be photos of you and your loved ones, with a wonderful vista set as the backdrop.

But no one said you could snap these vistas without anyone posing in the foreground and use them as wallpapers. Better yet, if you have your own website(s), you can offer these home-made wallpapers as downloads to attract readers to your online properties.

Sometimes you come by these wallpaper opportunities thanks to pure luck. After a night of drinking at the beach, I ended up sleeping on a deck chair, with the crashing waves lulling me to sleep. A few hours later, the beautiful sunrise woke up. Luckily, my point-and-shoot was in my pocket, so I groggily pulled myself up, ambled closer to the water to compose a better picture. After snapping a photo for the ages (and my desktop), I dragged myself back to the deck chair and continued sleeping.

Of course, you have to size your landscape photos into sizes that work well with your display. Two great (and free) solutions are Picasa and resize2email.com. The former is a great photo manager, and allows you to somewhat control image resizing via its export function. If you’re looking for better control over the resizing process, you can give the latter—or any powerful photo editor like Photoshop—a try.

(image courtesy of Rey Agapito)

Perhaps within our lifetimes, the kinds of gadgets out there will become so many that it will become hard to keep track of all of them. But I also think that my Nokia E63 and my Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3 will continue being my important gadgets.

In other words, I believe the cell phone and camera will remain crucial in my life, regardless of whatever gadget-related developments we’ll face over the next few years.

Obviously, cell phones allow people to communicate with each other. And who wouldn’t want to take snapshots of important events in their lives for posterity? I bet a lot of you agree with in this regard, and would feel a bit naked without their mobile and camera.

On my own “most important gadget” list, the laptop follows the two items mentioned above. That’s because, as someone who makes a considerable living online, being able to access the internet wherever connectivity is available is very important.

But enough about me. I’m actually interested in you. What are your most important gadgets, and why? You can list only one item or five, just be sure to explain yourself!

The folks over at CrunchGear had nothing better to do than test out the Exilim FC-100’s super-slow motion capability. After some editing and slapping a soundtrack, here’s what they shared with us:

Read more

A point-and-shoot with a 2.7″ preview display, 3x optical zoom, and 10 megapixels of capturing power is pretty much standard nowadays. But, what if you throw waterproofness into the mix?

That’s the key feature of Fujifilm’s FinePix Z333WP. Aside from allowing you take photos in relatively deep water (like the Olympus Stylus 850), this FinePix also records video at VGA resolution, benefits from 12 on-board photo editing functions, and comes in black, green, and pink.

List price on Amazon: $200.

(image from Amazon)