Steves Digicams have reviewed the Olympus E-510 DSLR camera, which features a built-in image stabiliser in the camera body. The E510 also has a new image processing engine that offers excellent noise performance and 3fps with a seven image RAW buffer in burst mode.

“The E-510’s 10-Megapixel imager offers plenty of resolution for producing large prints and high-quality cropped images. The E-510’s results were well-exposed, and color reproduction was realistic. The E-510’s image quality was very good at ISO 100 and 200 and at higher ISO’s, some noise becomes evident.”

Website: Steves Digicams - Olympus E-510 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-510 Review

Imaging Resource have reviewed the Olympus E-510 DSLR camera, which features a built-in image stabiliser in the camera body. The E510 also has a new image processing engine that offers excellent noise performance and 3fps with a seven image RAW buffer in burst mode.

“While their basic specs are quite similar, the E-510 really is a different camera from its smaller, lighter brother, the E-410. They both share the 10.0 megapixel image size, Live View, and the basic control and menu structure, but the E-510 has added functionality, a few extra buttons, and body-based image stabilization. Overall, it’s a better camera for the enthusiast photographer, a decision I came to reluctantly after using both in several different situations with some of Olympus’s other lenses and accessories. I love the E-410’s small size, but its lack of a sizeable grip make adding any accessories awkward. If you plan to expand your system beyond the 14-42mm and 40-150mm kit lenses, the E-510 is the better choice.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus E-510 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-510 Review

Sony have responded to recent comments about their upcoming Alpha DSLR cameras by starting a blog. Mark Weir, Sr. Technology and Marketing Manager for Alpha and Cyber-shot digital cameras, has published the first post.

“Many of you have asked for more information on the new Alpha cameras and lenses revealed last March at the Photo Marketing Association conference.  We would surely like to say more, but the competitive nature of the camera business doesn’t allow us to provide further detail just yet.  Even so, I want to assure you that the models are on schedule and that we are dedicated to fulfilling your high expectations for the Alpha system.”

Website: Sony Electronics Blog

Samsung are offering £100 off a GX-10 DSLR single or twin lens kit until 31st August 2007. The promotion applies to a Samsung GX-10 camera together with either a single lens (18-55mm) or a twin lens (18-55mm and 50-200mm). To be eligible to claim your cash back you must have purchased your qualifying Samsung GX-10 Digital SLR Camera and lens kit new (not second-hand) between 16th July 2007 and 31st August 2007 from a retailer in the UK or the Channel Islands.

ThinkCamera have reviewed the new Olympus E-410 DSLR camera.

“And then there’s Live View. The preview system offers a live feed from the Olympus E-410’s sensor, overlaid with an optional histogram, depth of field preview, grid screen, cross hairs… the works. It slows down operation, as the mirror needs to flip down occasionally to control autofocus, and this introduces an ‘interesting’ klack-klack sound to the proceedings. Nevertheless, it’s a useful addition to the DSLR arsenal and one that’s hard to live without once you are used to it.”

Website: ThinkCamera - Olympus E-410 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-410 Review

Imaging Resource have reviewed the new Olympus E-410 DSLR camera.

“So it’s a mixed bag. Easy to use, great design, perfect size, nice features, good lens; but sometimes getting a good shot is harder than it should be. I hesitate to recommend the E-410 to the rank amateur, because I think too many of their images will be disappointing, especially indoors or in shadow. I do think it’s a good choice for those who need the smallest camera possible, and don’t mind tinkering with camera settings, and tweaking pictures after.”

Website: Imaging Resource - Olympus E-410 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-410 Review

Canon has released a new firmware update, version 1.1.0, for the EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera. This firmware update incorporates the following improvements and fixes.

  * Improves the look of images when played back on the LCD monitor.
  * Fixes a problem in the operation of the dials (Main, Quick Control, Vertical-grip Main).
  * Reduces the tendency to autofocus on the background instead of the main subject when shooting in AI Servo AF under certain conditions.
  * Corrects errors in the Italian and Simplified Chin1.ese menu screens.
  * Fixes a rare phenomenon in which the camera cannot start normally when the battery is inserted. (Version 1.0.9 only)

Website: Canon EOS-1D Mark III Version 1.1.0 Firmware Update

The-Digital-Picture have reviewed the new Canon EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera.

“The Canon EOS 1D Mark III AI Servo AF accuracy problem: When using a telephoto lens on a bright, hot sunny day with an at-least-slightly backlit subject, AI Servo focus accuracy drops to very low. I used a Canon EF 300mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens most extensively during testing but also noticed the problem with a Canon EF 400mm f/2.8 L IS USM Lens when shooting soccer under the same conditions. If you must have higher hit rates in these conditions, you should probably keep a Canon EOS 1D Mark II N in your kit until Canon works out this issue.”

Website: The-Digital-Picture - Canon EOS-1D Mark III Review

DigitalCameraInfo have reviewed the Olympus E-510 DSLR camera, which features a built-in image stabiliser in the camera body. The E510 also has a new image processing engine that offers excellent noise performance and 3fps with a seven image RAW buffer in burst mode.

“Olympus made a concerted effort to keep its costs down on the EVOLT E-510. It nixed the folding LCD that was on the E-330 citing cost as the reason. The manufacturer claimed that its audience wouldn’t pay for a camera that cost more than a thousand dollars. Thus, the Olympus E-510’s retail price hovers at $999 for the two-lens kit. The body alone sells for $799 and the single lens kit sells for $899.”

Website: DigitalCameraInfo - Olympus E-510 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-510 Review

TrustedReviews have reviewed the new Sigma SD14 DSLR camera.

“Comparing images shot with the SD14 to the numerous 10-megapixel DSLRs that I’ve tested over the past year or so, the overall level of detail is clearly higher, although not by much. However it is in colour reproduction and dynamic range that the SD14 really shines. Converting the lossless 12-bit RAW images to 16-bit TIFF image files produces results that I would compare favourably to high quality colour transparency film, with a dynamic range of around eight stops, which is significantly higher than most other DSLRs.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Sigma SD14 Review

TrustedReviews have reviewed the new Olympus E-410 DSLR camera.

“Since the E-410 has the same sensor, lens and image processor as the E-510, it’s not surprising that the image quality is also identical. The 10-megapixel Four Thirds sensor, while physically smaller than the APS-C sensors found in most other DSLRs, still produces an equivalent level of fine detail, and high ISO noise control is as good as anything else on the market. As with the E-510, there is perhaps marginally less dynamic range than an equivalent APS-C camera, but if so it is barely noticeable.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Olympus E-410 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-410 Review

Four Thirds User have tested the Olympus E-510 DSLR camera’s built-in image stabiliser to find out if it really works as advertised.

“We’ve been testing the new Olympus E-510 in the test lab to find out just how effectively its new Supersonic Wave driven moving sensor image stabilisation system (IS) performs. 100s of test exposures later, we have our verdict. We’ve also done a cursory comparison of the effectiveness of Panasonic’s in-lens Mega OIS (optical image stabilisation) system featured in its high-end standard zoom, the Leica Vario Elmarit 14-50mm f/2.8-3.5, when fitted to an E-510.”

Website: Four Thirds User - Olympus E-510 Image Stabilisation examined

Olympus have released a new firmware update, version 1.1, for the E-510 DSLR camera. This update improves the reliability of writing to high-speed Compact Flash cards.

Website: Olympus E-510 v1.1 Firmware Update

Olympus have released a new firmware update, version 1.2, for the E-410 DSLR camera. This update improves the reliability of writing to high-speed Compact Flash cards. It also improves the preview of the white balance settings when in Live-View mode, and addresses the issue of file names being reset after images are deleted.

Website: Olympus E-410 v1.2 Firmware Update

TrustedReviews have reviewed the Olympus E-510 DSLR camera, which features a built-in image stabiliser in the camera body. The E510 also has a new image processing engine that offers excellent noise performance and 3fps with a seven image RAW buffer in burst mode.

“Despite the lousy weather the E-510 turned in some fantastic shots, thanks in no small part to the outstanding kit lens, which produced pin-sharp detail from corner to corner at all focal lengths. As usual the Olympus metering system was flawless, coping with every lighting condition I tried. Noise control was also superb, with virtually no difference between shots taken at 100, 200 or 400 ISO, and minimal noise at 800. There was some noise visible at 1600 ISO, but even at the default low noise filtering it wasn’t too bad, and did not affect colour balance at all.”

Website: TrustedReviews - Olympus E-510 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-510 Review

DCResource have reviewed the Olympus E-510 DSLR camera, which features a built-in image stabiliser in the camera body. The E510 also has a new image processing engine that offers excellent noise performance and 3fps with a seven image RAW buffer in burst mode.

“While I liked the Olympus EVOLT E-410, I couldn’t get over its too-small size. Thankfully, Olympus put out the E-510 at the same time, adding a larger grip, image stabilization, better battery life, and a bunch of extra features, all for $100 more. And don’t forget the 10 Megapixel CCD, 2.5” live view LCD, full manual controls, and dust reduction system that the E-510 shares with its smaller sibling. Like that camera, the EVOLT E-510 does its best with a little setting tweaking. Once you’ve done that, you’ll get excellent quality photos from an SLR that arguably offers more bang for the buck than any other.”

Website: DCResource - Olympus E-510 Review

Website: Read our Olympus E-510 Review

Canon has developed a new firmware update, version 1.0.9, for the EOS-1D Mark III DSLR camera. This firmware update incorporates the following improvements and fixes:

Improves the look of images when enlarged on the LCD monitor. Applies a slightly stronger sharpness setting to the LCD monitor when images are enlarged.
Improves the consistency of AI Servo AF under certain conditions. Reduces the tendency of the camera to autofocus on high-contrast backgrounds when shooting in conditions where AF detection is difficult, such as when the main subject is not completely covered by the AF frames or if the main subject’s contrast is low.
Provides countermeasures for Main Dial response errors (Main, Quick Control, Vertical-grip Main). Fixes a rare response error in the Main Dials in which they either did not respond when rotated or would change several clicks’ worth even if only clicked once.
Corrects errors in the Italian and Simplified Chinese menu screens.

The new firmware will be made available for download from the Web at the end of July.

It looks like the much rumoured and long-awaited Canon 40D DSLR camera, successor to the popular EOS 30D model (pictured), may finally be arriving. None other than the Camera & Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has spilled the beans by listing the Canon 40D on it’s PictBridge-certified product page, which was last updated yesterday. Normally we don’t comment on internet rumours, and with good reason in the case of the 40D, as it has been the subject of a lot of hot air since 2006. In this case, though, it seems that the 40D may finally be real - Canon are after all a member of the CIPA orgranisation. There’s obviously no specs or pictures - you will just have to entertain yourselves with a Google search until the Canon 40D is officially launched… (CIPA link found via DCViews)

Update 19th July: Somewhat unsurprisingly, CIPA have now removed the Canon 40D from their list of PictBridge-certified cameras…

Jessops is demonstrating the new Canon EOS 1D Mark III DSLR and offering free tips from Canon experts at four special events for enthusiasts and professionals. There’s also a half-price SanDisk 4GB CompactFlash card with every EOS 1D Mark III ordered on the day. The Jessops Demo Days take place in London and Birmingham on Thursday 19th July and Edinburgh and Cardiff on Thursday 16th August.

DCViews have reviewed the Nikon D40x DSLR, which features a 10.2 megapixel sensor, producing 3,872 x 2,592-pixel images, 3D Colour Matrix Metering II system and 2.5 inch LCD screen.

“The new 10-megapixel sensor provides a lower base sensitivity and now includes the full ISO range from ISO 100 to 3200. Noise characteristics remain the same with low noise up to ISO 800 and excellent detail in highlight and shadow areas. The D40’s already excellent dynamic range has been improved to eight and a half stops on the D40X. This may not be directly noticeable in day to day picture situations but in certain high contrast situations it could prevent the sky from washing out, which would mean the difference between getting a white blob or a nice blue sky.”

Website: DCViews - Nikon D40x Review

Website: Read our Nikon D40x Review