As a prelude to our full Canon EOS 450D / Digital Rebel XSi review we have just posted our hands-on preview of the 450D. This is the latest in line of the popular ‘Digital Rebel series’ of compact digital SLRs and features a twelve megapixel CMOS sensor with Live View and dust reduction. Other headline changes include a 3.0" LCD monitor, SD/SDHC storage, High ISO noise reduction and a range of other features handed down from the EOS 40D. Our ‘hands-on preview’ articles are essentially the first half of a review which will at least give you a taste for the design and operation of the camera, full review to follow within the next two weeks.

Source: www.dpreview.com

read more from " Canon EOS 450D / Rebel XSi hands-on preview "

Panasonic has introduced its new Lumix DMC-TZ50 digital camera with a 10× optical zoom, 9.1 megapixel resolution, integrated 802.1b/g Wi-Fi wireless networking, and the ability to upload images directly to Google’s free photo sharing service Picasa. And to let people leverage that Wi-Fi on the go, the camera comes with 12 month of free access via T-Mobile HotSpots.

"This advanced digital camera makes it possible for users to share their photos with friends and family with unprecedented ease and without a computer," said Panasonic’s national marketing manager for imaging Alex Fried, in a statement.

Users can set up a single email account with their TZ50 to receive notifications from Picasa; if they can pick up email on a cellphone or other mobile device, it’s easy for users to register an account, then receive and forward the URL for their Picasa gallery along to friends and family—all without using a computer.

The TZ50 packs a 3-inch LCD display along with a 28mm wide angle lens and the capability to record 720p high-definition video. (Users can also hook the camera up to a big screen using a component cable.) The camera also features Panasonic’s intelligent exposure technology, digital red-eye corrections, face detection (supporting up to 15 faces in a frame), continuous autofocus, and intelligent ISO with a high-sensitivity more all the way down to ISO 6,400. The TZ50 stores images to SD/SDHC cards, offers PictBridge compatibility, and intelligent scene selector that senses ambient conditions and automatically selects an appropriate scene mode.

The Lumix DMC-TZ50 will be available in May for a suggested retail price of $449.95.

Source: news.digitaltrends.com

read more from " Panasonic's Lumix TZ50 Beams to Picasa "

has teamed up with Nikon to launch a photography competition aimed at young photographers.

The Hello! Young Photographers Award is open to photography students aged 18-30.

Launched to mark the celebrity magazine’s 20th year, the top prize is £5,000 cash, plus a photo shoot commission for .

‘Demand for quality photographic work has never been greater as our culture becomes increasingly dominated by visual imagery,’ states the magazine’s website.

Judges will include Penny Lancaster Stewart and Terry O’Neill.

The categories are: At Home/Interiors; Reportage; Weddings and Celebrations; Babies and Parenthood; and Fashion.

A maximum of three images can be uploaded per category.

An exhibition of the best images will take place at the Getty Images Gallery in London later this year.

The runner-up will bag £2,500 and a two-day internship with a Getty Images photographer.

Category winners will receive a Nikon D40 digital SLR.

The closing date is 27 June.

For details visit www.hellomagazine.com/youngphotocomp

Source: www.amateurphotographer.co.uk

read more from " Hello! magazine and Nikon launch photography contest "

Total Image Nation is a new website which aims to bring photographers together. Total Image Nation features jobs, competitions, work experience, exhibition opportunities, member’s exhibitions, events, online portfolios and more. There are two different types of membership to Total Image Nation, Basic (free) and Full (£18 per year).

Total Image Nation Press Release

NEW PHOTOGRAPHERS WEBSITE LAUNCHED!

Total Image Nation is a photographer’s collective and online resource created and maintained by photographers for photographers. After a lot of development work and some really great group exhibitions the Total Image Nation team are proud to announce the launch of their new website.

Total Image Nation’s aim is to bring together photographers and enable them to share information, support each other and gain opportunities through working together. Membership covers the UK and beyond, with photographers working in a wide range of styles and specialisms.

Visit http://www.total-image-nation.co.uk for jobs, competitions, work experience, exhibition opportunities, member’s exhibitions, events, online portfolios and more. Members can take part in Members Exhibitions across the country, create a portfolio on the Total Image Nation website and submit and receive regular updates on upcoming events, opportunities, reviews and competitions.

There are two different types of membership to Total Image Nation, Basic and Full. If you want to get invitations to Total Image Nation exhibitions and events you need to sign up for Basic Membership, (it is completely free of charge)- you will be able to select whether to get a daily or weekly newsletter, or not get newsletters at all- just invites!

If you would like all the benefits of Basic Membership- but with the added extras of an online portfolio and profile, access to opportunity listings such as jobs, exhibitions and competitions, and also to be able to take part in photographic exhibitions across the UK- then Full Membership is the one for you! Currently it is just ВЈ18 per year… and you can even get free membership by being an active member!

http://www.total-image-nation.co.uk

Source: feeds.feedburner.com

read more from " Total Image Nation Website Launches "

Photo Contest for Panoramio : ATP, a manufacturer of flash memory products, announced that it is launching a long term global promotional partnership program with Panoramio, a geotag-oriented photo sharing website. This partnership will be kicked off with a co-hosted world wide photo contest which will focus on geotagged photos. Starting on April 1st 2008, Panoramio users can submit photos tagged with GPS location data in four categories designed to inspire the unique advantages of the geotagging feature scenery, heritage, travel, and unusual location. Winners will be chosen monthly to receive a variety of ATP high performance products including the new widely acclaimed GPS Photo Finder, the world’s first on-the-go geotagging device.

ATP Photo Finder
“This partnership was very natural as both ATP and Panoramio offer complimentary product offerings which help enable the geotagging feature in digital photography. Our Photo Finder is the most convenient, universal way to geotag photos on the fly while Paroramio offers the most comprehensive solution to online geotagged photo sharing,” said Michael Plaksin, ATP Vice President of Sales and Marketing. “We are looking forward to the continued development of this program, as together our solutions offer the complete user friendly geotagging solution”

Photo Contest fot Panoramio Community
Since its founding in 2005, Panoramio had seen rapid growth to 1 million registered users by October 2007. In July 2007, Panoramio was acquired by Google. Currently, most of the photos uploaded to the site can be accessed as a layer in Google Earth, with new photos being added at the end of every month. The site’s goal is to allow Google Earth users to learn more about a given area by viewing the photos that other users have taken at that place. The ATP Photo Finder allows users to add geographical information to their digital photos without the help of a computer or any software. It is universally compatible with any digital camera using jpeg image files, giving users the convenience of a single device to geotag pictures from multiple camera brands and models.

Source: www.letsgodigital.org

read more from " Photo Contest for Panoramio users "