Despite this construction we are OPEN!!!!!!!

Come in and BUY a camera!

Music is Art photo Contest Rules and Regulations!!!!

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Music is Art Photo Contest Grand Prize!!!!!

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Nikon D300s In-Stock Today

We were shipped The new Nikon D300s a couple days early.

$1799.99, they won't last long.

Olympus PEN 50yr Stop Motion Video

Olympus E-620

We recently got some of these in and they are pretty good cameras which give you a pretty good bang for the buck. On average they are $100 cheaper than the equivalent Nikons and Canons. So buy one of these and spend the money you save on a piece of good glass.






Here is a review of the E-620

Courtesy of Wired.com

Street Photos...How to

Photographer Clay Enos goes from shooting super heroes on the set of Watchmen to taking street portraits of random people. He shows us how to do a street-studio portrait session with a sheet of white paper, some tape, and a camera.




Courtesy of Wired.com

Olympus Tough 8000 Test

The Olympus Tough 8000 is one tough camera



here's a review

Odd Photography (Building tips over in China)

Building Tips over in China

The End of an Era (The Death of Film)

Kodak has recently decided to stop the manufacture of Kodachrome film.


Here is Kodak's statement right from the website

"Eastman Kodak Company announced on June 22, 2009 that it will discontinue sales of KODACHROME Color Film this year, concluding its 74-year run as a photography icon. Sales of KODACHROME, which became the world's first commercially successful color film in 1935, have declined dramatically in recent years as photographers turned to other films or digital capture. Today, KODACHROME represents just a fraction of one percent of Kodak's total sales of still-picture films.

Despite all its outstanding features, KODACHROME involves a highly complex development process that led photographers to experiment with and adopt newer KODAK films that deliver outstanding color images through a simpler workflow.

Although KODACHROME has very distinct characteristics and no film will give the exact same results, current users are encouraged to try other Kodak films. Kodak continues to bring innovative new film products to market, having released seven new professional films -- over the last three years alone. "

Here's a good article from Arstechnica on Kodachrome.

I think Nikon Needs to step their Limited Edition Gold Camera Game up.

As some you you may or may not know. Nikon recently put out a limited edition Gold D60. The camera is basically a D60 with gold coloring where there would normally be silver coloring on the camera body. There is also a "Gold Edition" Strap.




This camera is all well and good but I've seen far better limited edition gold cameras and I think it would be amazing to have cool gold digital SLR's like these cameras....


PENTAX LX



CANON F1



NIKON FM Gold



LEICA M3 Gold



PS .CLick on the pictures for more info on these fun cameras.

The Nikon System

Nikon D5000

When looking for information on the latest and greatest in digital cameras we usually go to

Digital Photography Review

They are a site that boasts...."Here you will find all the latest digital photography and imaging news, reviews of the latest digital cameras and accessories, the most active discussion forums, a large selection of sample galleries, a digital camera database and buyers guide and the most comprehensive database of digital camera features and specifications. We believe in quality, original, unbiased content."

It's a good site with a wide spectrum of info and manufacturers. There are sites with more specific information based on manfacturer but we prefer this one because of its unbiased approach.

The have a Preview/Review of the new Nikon D5000. (click on the link to check it out)

New Seminars....Coming Soon

We know it's been awhile since we had a seminar but fear not we will be having some very soon. The reason why we haven't had one in a while is that we are revamping the format of the seminars. We hope to go a little more in depth bu breaking the seminars up into separate sessions. For example the Basic Seminar we have now will be broken into two more detailed parts. We are doing this so we can give everyone more information and give everyone more individual attention.

We are also working on some new seminars. In the works we have a studio lighting seminar which will be taught by local Photographer Jeffrey T. Barnes and we also have a zoo outing planned where the seminar attendees will be able to saple the latest and greatest in Tamron lenses.

So please be patient with us. We are working long and hard to answer all of your questions about digital photography.

If you have any questions feel free to email us
thebox@cameraspot.com

Camera Truck

For all you film diehards


CAMERA TRUCK

Delaware Camera Alum shines

Check out this great photo of T.O. taken by Delaware Camera Alumni Jeff Barnes.

Way to go Jeff keep up the awesome work !

Why we've reached the end of the camera megapixel race

We found this article on ARSTECHNICA

Olympus Imaging's Akira Watanabe says 12 megapixels is enough for most users. Ars thinks he's on to something.

By Chris Foresman | Last updated March 8, 2009 8:25 PM CT

Akira Watanabe, manager of Olympus Imaging's SLR planning department, has officially thrown down the gauntlet and drawn a line in the megapixel sand. "Twelve megapixels is, I think, enough for covering most applications most customers need," he told ZDNet this week at the annual Photo Marketing Association convention. But is he right?

The megapixel myth

Megapixels are the digital camera market's equivalent of horsepower and megahertz—a single metric that consumers and marketers latch on to tenaciously, despite the fact that it hardly describes overall performance. Over the last several years, camera manufacturers have been pumping up the megapixels on each successive camera model, regardless of whether such increases offered any real benefit (hint: it usually doesn't).

Throwing more megapixels at the digital imaging problem is akin to bumping up the processor speed on a motherboard with a slow bus and small amounts of RAM, or adding a turbo to a small engine on a car with lousy brakes and wobbly suspension.

See, throwing more megapixels at the digital imaging problem is akin to bumping up the processor speed on a motherboard with a slow bus and small amounts of RAM, or adding a turbo to a small engine on a car with lousy brakes and wobbly suspension. The number of megapixels in a camera's image sensor is just one in a number of aspects that truly define how well a camera works.

In an image sensor, larger pixels mean better light-gathering capability. This translates to better low-light performance, better color accuracy, and in some cases better dynamic range. Sensors commonly come in a few different sizes: Full frame (24 x 23mm), APC-C (17 x 25mm), Four-thirds (13.5 x 18mm), and even smaller sensors on compact point-and-shoot models. As manufactures cram more pixels on a given sensor, those pixels get smaller and smaller.

Typically, this reduction in individual pixel size on a sensor reduces its ability to gather light, reducing its sensitivity. Now, manufacturers have devised a number of technologies to try and combat this problem, but jamming more and more pixels on a sensor quickly leads to diminishing returns in terms of image quality.

How many megapixels is enough?

The truth is, though, that 6MP is enough to make a very nice 8 x 10" print—in fact, I've seen very nice, though soft, 8 x 10" prints from early 3MP DSLRs. More pixels can mean larger prints or more room for cropping. But who's making larger prints, other than professionals? And with compact cameras offering up to 24x zoom ranges, exactly how much cropping would someone need?

"I personally believed, before starting the E-System, that 12 was enough," Watanabe said. "We interviewed many professional photographers, people in studios, about how many they needed in the future. Before we started the system, we had a rough idea we'd be at a plateau at 12 megapixels."

That figure, 12MP, is a pretty good limit for a majority of serious photographers. A large majority of professional portrait, event, and wedding photographers are using cameras in this range. But Watanabe doesn't mean to suggest that there aren't photographers with more demanding needs. "We don't think 20 megapixels is necessary for everybody. If a customer wants more than 12 megapixels, he should go to the full-frame models," he said.

And for casual users, whose images largely end up on sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa, or PhotoBucket, even 12MP is overkill. With a decent lens, something in the 6-8MP range will more than suffice. Keep in mind that with the increase in megapixels comes a resulting increase in file size. So shooting hundreds or even thousands of 12MP images means larger memory cards, more space eaten up on hard drives, and more time sorting and editing—all for images that are likely to end up viewed at no larger than 800 x 600px... or about half a megapixel.

Beyond megapixels

Digital SLRs have enjoyed a recent uptick in popularity

Along with the number of megapixels in a sensor, other factors affect the image quality of a camera. The dynamic range, or the range of tones the sensor is able to reproduce, is a rather important one. A high-pixel-density sensor's ability to perform well in low light, which we mentioned above, is another. But beyond the sensor itself, the two other major factors that come into play are the on-board image processing hardware and the camera's lens. This is one reason SLRs have had a resurrection of sorts lately: DSLRs offer better lenses, larger sensors, and often better image processing.

So, manufacturers are starting to focus more on features like wider or longer zooms, higher-quality lenses, low-light performance, dynamic range, and high-def video capabilities. We've already seen a pretty significant competition between Nikon and Canon for the high-ISO crown this past year or so, and the improvements gleaned from high-end DSLR designs are trickling down to compact cameras. Further, Fuji has recently begun focusing marketing on dynamic range with its new EXR sensor technology. And some compacts, such as recent Pentax and Canon superzoom models, as well as DSLRs, like the Canon EOS 5DmkII or Nikon's D90, have already begun to exploit digital sensors to capture HD video.

Though focusing solely on the number of megapixels made marketing and buying digital cameras easier, it seems that we are at a major turning point in the direction of further developments in digital camera technology. Much like cars have shifted from horsepower to safety and efficiency, and computers have shifted from mega- (and giga-) hertz to multiple cores and... well, efficiency, digital cameras will shift toward other aspects that reflect the "bigger picture" of a camera's performance.

Further reading

• Cambridge in Color has a good tutorial on digital camera sensor size.
• Digital Photography Review has tons of well-researched and thorough reviews of digital cameras. Most offer comparisons with previous versions which often highlight the fact that more megapixels doesn't always mean better images.
• A somewhat scathing discussion of the "megapixel myth" by photographer Ken Rockwell has further information on factors that make a good image.
• If you're looking for a better understanding of dynamic range, The Online Photographer has got you covered.

A new Seminar

We are starting a couple of new Seminars next month

Our Seminars

Here's what a typical Delaware Camera Seminar Looks like...

sure it looks a little boring but you learn a lot! Maybe next time we'll take and upload a video!


Since it seems like there has been a huge outcry for it we are going to start having regular Digital SLR seminars. Since there is alot more information to be learned in these we will be limiting attendance to 10 people per class. We hope to have them at least once a month and we also hope to be adding seminars on different subjects such as Picasa, Lighting, Sports Photography and some others. If you have any ideas for the kinds of classes that we should have feel free to write me. My email address is mark@cameraspot.com.

Here is the Flyer for the Digital SLR Seminar
Thursday March 5th at our Delaware Ave Location

And a Flyer for Our Basic Seminar on Feb 24th at our Transit Road location

Whats a GigaPan?

The Answer

Here's the most popular one at the moment.

President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address

Times are a changin

the Official Presidential photo taken of Barack Obama is the first one to be taken with a Digital Camera according to article below from Obama's Website.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

New official portrait released

Wednesday, January 14, 2009 08:13am EST / Posted by Dave Rochelson

Today we are releasing the new official portrait for President Barack Obama.

It was taken by Pete Souza, the newly-announced official White House photographer.

It is the first time that an official presidential portrait was taken with a digital camera.

You can see the portrait below, or click here to download a copy.

Instant Cameras are back

Well we have one Instant Camera back in stock and it is called the Fuji Instax 200.




"The Fujifilm Instax 200 Camera is a compact lightweight camera that uses the Fujifilm ISO 800 instant film to provide vivid, high-quality prints almost instantly. Its automatically-adjusting flash, high-resolution retracting lens and big clear viewfinder add up to excellent picture quality. Great for home use, outdoors, family occasions, and more.

The focus free lens is great for shots as close as 0.9', and the Auto flash is great for pictures in any light. combined with the use of the Instax film which carries a rating of ISO 800, this camera comes in very handy in low light scenarios. "

We've taken some test shots which you can come see in the store and the results were good. The quality is as good as if not better than the polaroid one step. The great thing about this is the picture is a "widescreen" format which is awesome in our HDTV world. The actual picture area is 2.5 x 4 which is a good size. There is even some space below the picture to write something if you wish.




We have a few of them in stock they sell for $59.99. A twin pack of film which will take 20 photos will set you back $24.99.

-MArk Miller

Nikon D700

Here is a little blurb that one of employees wrote about the D700 on our Flickr group a while ago.

"Nikon D700's came in today today, and we were absolutely blown away by how well it captured detail, and high ISO's. Anything in the 200-3200 range is completely usable for prints, probably even poster sized. The amount of detail the sensor is able to capture is beyond any thing I have seen, even in medium format film. It feels a bit larger than the D300, yet uses the same basic layout and a nearly identical menu system. So it remains as intuitive and easy to use as any of the other Nikon models.

We got a good sized Nikon shipment in today, and have a full line of professional full frame lenses in, including the new Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8, Nikkor 70-200 f/2.8 VR and the new Nikkor 60mm f/2.8 Micro.

And finally, SB-900's are in. With a huge zoom range from 17-200, and an even easier to use interface, but with even more features than the previous top of the line SB-800.

Stop in and try out some of this new gear, as well as the rest of the Nikon SLR and Coolpix lines, at either the Transit Rd, or Delaware Ave. location."

-Jon Capozzi

If the deal is too good to be true it probably is...

Not a day goes by where we get a request to match the price of an online vendor. Depending on the vendor we are sometimes able to match the price. There are legitimate stores like, Amazon, B&H, Adorama, Ritz etc. Then we have the "Rip Off" stores. The camera stores who sell products for half (or less ) of what we sell an item for. I won't name any names because I think that's slander but I will point you to this blog article in which this customer explains what happened to him when he dealt with an unscrupulous online vendor.

Abusive Bait and Switch Camera Store by Thomas Hawk

Mr. HAwk's article also references a PC World article called "Camera Confidential" which talks about the same subject.

Read these stories and don't get ripped off. And remember we do match legitimate advertised prices both local and on the web.

What do we cover in the seminar?

Alot of our customers ask questions such as " What do you cover in your digital camera class?" or "How basic is the seminar?"

My answer is that the seminar is about as basic as a digital camera class can be. We cover the basics of picture taking as well as the meanings if all of those digital photography buzzwords that you hear like, "Megapixels" "Optical Zoom" "Memory Cards" "Gigabytes" and so on. We will basically tell you what you need to know about the digital camera that you just bought and the multitude of things that you can do with the images that you have taken.

We also have a question and answer period at the end of the seminar where we wil answer specific questions about specific cameras.

Outr next class is Feb 3rd and will run from 7-9pm. It will be held at our Delaware Ave Location.

Photography Workshops

On February 3rd we will be offering our next "Intro to Digital Photography Seminar". During these classes we cover basic information about digital photography including basic photography techniques, what to do with your pictures after you take them and how to archive your pictures.




If our basic seminar is a little to simple for you the CEPA GALLERY offer workshops that cover a variety of topics including Photoshop, Digital SLR photography and even Black and White film photography.



Speaking of CEPA they have a members exhibition coming up soon which will showcase their members work. The Exhibition is from February 7 - March 21, 2009. Click on the above links for more information.

Nikon is coming to teach a class Feb 19th

D700 vs Canon 5D Mark II

As requested by reader Jim here is a comparison of the Nikon D700 and the Canon 5D MArk II. We would have done the comparison ourselves but we haven't had a 5D MArk II in stock yet.

Nikon D700 vs Canon 5D Mark II

Enjoy.

MM

Top 10 Myths about Digital Photography

I stumbled across this list on kriskrug.com. The article was originally printed on Microsoft's website but is nowhere to be found. Hopefully this will help those who fear digital to educate themselves and tap into the wonderful world that is digital photography.

“Myth 1: A digital photo is inferior to film.
Reality: Many of the first digital cameras, even the professional models, produced grainy, off-color images. Now, the better digital cameras, in all price ranges, offer photo quality that is at least on par with film. The best digital cameras often exceed the capabilities of film. Color, sharpness, lack of grain—today’s digital cameras produce great-looking photos, even when shown at large print sizes. Film is good—and improving too—but digital easily keeps pace.

Myth 2: Digital cameras are big and heavy.
Reality: Early on, it was tricky to squeeze all of a digital camera’s many components into a body that was as trim as a film camera. Camera manufacturers were also experimenting with new camera designs, to provided a new shape, size, and look to photography. The net result was big, cumbersome, and sometimes strange-looking cameras.

Today, the pendulum has swung. Professional and consumer cameras alike now have a more traditional appearance. Plus, there’s no shortage of small, featherweight digital cameras that don’t skimp on quality or features in achieving their tiny footprint.

Myth 3: Digital cameras are slow to fire.
Reality: The best digital cameras, at any level, offer a responsiveness that is equal to a comparable film camera. Put another way, it is possible to select a digital camera that will fire when you need it to. Unfortunately, there are still too many lesser digital cameras that have not been designed to take the picture quickly when the shutter button is pressed. So, while it’s not accurate to say that all digital cameras are slow to fire, it’s still true of quite a few.

Myth 4: Digital photography is expensive.
Reality: In 1994, one of the first digital cameras aimed at professional photographers sold for almost $18,000. Today, a similar—but much improved—camera for a pro can be purchased for about $2,000. The prices of digital cameras, at both the professional and consumer level, have plunged over the years, while the cameras themselves have only gotten better.

Still, the price of a digital camera is generally higher than a similarly equipped film camera. Essential peripherals, like a desktop printer or external memory card reader, add to digital’s cost. Whether digital photography is cost-effective for you is based on how you use a camera now, and how you anticipate using a camera in the future.

If you currently shoot lots of film and pay for lots of prints, or you have a business that uses photographs on a regular basis, then the higher up-front costs of a digital camera are quickly offset by savings on film, processing and perhaps even scanning your film into the computer. Some simple calculations will tell you where you stand.

Myth 5: Transferring pictures to the computer is slow.
Reality: Transferring pictures to the computer can be slow and tedious. But it doesn’t have to be. That’s because a variety of low-cost options exist that accelerate the transfer process.

For example, an external memory card reader that connects to the USB port on the computer is many times quicker than the serial port connection on many older digital cameras. And a memory card reader that connects to an IEEE 1394 (also called FireWire, or i.Link) port is noticeably faster than a USB-connected reader.

The fastest memory card readers transfer three or four high-resolution JPEG format photos to the computer in one second.

Myth 6: There is no good, affordable software for browsing and editing digital photos.
Reality: Software companies have heard the message on this one. The result has been the development of a wide range of inexpensive (less than $50), full-featured applications for viewing and adjusting photographs. Choosing from the many good software options is the tough part now. The My Pictures folder in Windows XP helps get you started—it offers the ability to organize, view, and even rotate photos.

Myth 7: Making prints from digital photos is difficult.
Reality: Software companies have heard the message on this one too. For example, the Photo Printing wizard in Windows XP streamlines the printing of photographs down to a few mouse clicks. Popular image browsers have also beefed up their photo printing capabilities.

Plus, if you’d prefer to leave the printing to someone else, online photo services manage this task for you. All you need to do is upload the photos to the service of your choice, pick the size of prints you’d like, then wait to receive the finished product in the mail.

Myth 8: Prints from digital photos look bad.
Reality: How true this used to be. In its infancy, digital photo printers produced prints that did not compare favorably with traditional photo prints. The so-so quality of images from early digital cameras didn’t help matters.

That’s all changed. Not only have digital printing technologies dramatically improved, camera and printer manufacturers are working hard to ensure that what the printer prints is of equal quality to what the camera captured. The net effect is digital photo prints that are often indistinguishable from old-fashioned film prints.

This is a good thing. Though digital photography offers many new opportunities for sharing your photographs, one of the most popular ways remains the tried-and-true print.

Myth 9: Organizing and storing digital photos is costly and time-consuming.
Reality: With Windows XP, you have all the tools you need to quickly and efficiently organize yu can reliably store your photos for years to come. The CD Writing wizard in Windows XP can help there, too.
Myth 10: Digital photography is too much fun.

Myth 10: Digital photography is too much fun.
Reality: Can’t debunk this one—it’s true! ”

Here are some links to other articles on the comparison of digital VS. film

Advantages and Disadvantages of Film and Digital

1-Year Cost Comparision for Film vs. Digital

Delaware Camera has a blog.

Welcome to Delaware Camera's Blog.

This blog will be a place for us to post up to date information as well as discuss various aspects of photography.