Crutchfield Staff Reviews : digital camera

Canon takes it up a notch with the 7D

ZakB — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:01:00 GMT

With the 7D, Canon has taken the crop-sensor camera to new heights. Photographers using Canon's "prosumer" xxD line of cameras are trained to expect sequential upgrades with each new model. In some cases, photographers were passing on the...(read more)

The Canon EOS 7D: First Impressions

Elijah — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:39:00 GMT

Wow! That was my reaction after checking out the new Canon EOS 7D . At a recent Canon product training session I had an opportunity to get my hands on a 7D. I had been patiently waiting this day for quite some time after hearing about this new DSLR, and...(read more)

Video: Samsung TL220 & TL225 Digital Cameras

Crutchfield Video — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:46:00 GMT

(Please visit the site to view this media) When Samsung loaned us two TL225 digital cameras to try out, we knew just what to do. We rounded up some Crutchfield employees, headed to a local eatery, and let them have some fun. The Samsung TL225 and TL220...(read more)

The Fuji FinePix F200EXR digital camera takes Manhattan

JRS — Thu, 28 May 2009 12:58:00 GMT

Working at Crutchfield has its perks. For example, I recently went to New York City and was able to borrow a brand new digital camera, the Fuji FinePixF200EXR . I would normally have taken my own camera, but I'm pretty hard on them and at the moment,...(read more)

Video: Canon PowerShot G10

Crutchfield Video — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:05:00 GMT

Zak and Chris star in our Crutchfield camera video review , discussing the Canon Powershot G10 digital camera. They point out several of the features of the G10, such as a large 3" LCD screen, and optional viewfinder. They also talk about the camera's...(read more)

Nikon Coolpix S210 and S550 Video

Crutchfield Video — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 19:01:00 GMT

We've posted a new Nikon camera review video at Crutchfield.com's Learning Center for you to enjoy. Amanda and Chris discuss the differences (and similarities) between the Nikon Coolpix S210 and Coolpix S550 point-and-shoot cameras. Chris shares what...(read more)

Tamron AF28-300 Di VC lens -- one versatile zoom

Travis P — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 20:37:00 GMT

I've been fascinated by jets since I can remember, and in recent years I've started photographing them at airshows. This spring I purchased a Nikon D60 and entered the realm of SLR photography. The camera kit came with two lenses, an AF 18-55mm Nikkor VR (Vibration Reduction) lens, and an AF 55-200mm Nikkor VR zoom lens. The AF 55-200mm was great for telephoto shots of airborne aerobatics, while the AF 18-55mm's wider angle lens worked better for static ground displays.

But that meant I had to tote both lenses around, and frequently change them out. I needed a better option.

So, I decided to give the Tamron AF 28-300mm VC (Vibration Compensation) a try.

The lens handled the bulk of my shots, both of subjects in the air and on the ground. Normally, telephoto zoom poses a challenge to a photographer without a tripod, but the lens' Vibration Compensation feature compensated enough for me to get some great photos.

Taken with the full 300mm zoom. Vibration Compensation kept the shot crisp and clean.

The Tamron lens is slightly heavier and wider than my Nikkor 55-200mm kit lens, but not longer when completely collapsed. Extended, it was about an inch and a half longer than my Nikkor lens. This didn't bother me at all, as I knew I was getting an extra 100mm of telephoto reach.

I shot with a wider focus (50mm) to get the entire formation in the shot as they flew overhead.

A locking mechanism on the side kept the lens in collapsed form. This secured it and prevented lens creep, that annoying telescoping motion of the lens as you walk around. The grooved rubber grip let me get a tight control on the zoom, and the autofocus was very quick.

One noticeable drawback was that the focusing ring rotated when in autofocus mode. This movement was right where my hand naturally held the lens and camera when steadying for a shot. This took a few minutes to get used to, as I had to keep repositioning my index finger to keep the camera still while it focused. The Tamron is a faster lens than my Nikkor telephoto starting at an f3.5, and once I got comfortable with my grip, taking shots was a breeze.

The Tamron’s 28mm is 10mm short of my kit lens, this just meant I had to step back a few feet to shoot the static displays on the ground at the show. The versatility of the Tamron AF 28-300mm VC lens let me leave the other lenses at home, and to easily get around the show and take photos. Also, I saved time by not having to change out lenses and possibly missing a great photo opportunity in the process.

By using the zoom (100mm), I could get this detailed shot while still behind the safety fence.

Olympus 850 SW: camera ready

Chris E — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 18:20:00 GMT

I’m no photographer, but like everyone else, I take lots of snapshots so we’ll have reminders of trips, recitals, and birthdays. We always put together an annual photo collage, showing where we went and what we did that year. It’s good enough for me that we have it recorded — the photos don’t have to be works of art.

My family loves to travel. We ski, and camp, and go to the beach as often as we can. This past winter we went to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We borrowed a good camera and took tons of pictures, but I was worried the whole time that we’d drop it in the snow.

Last month, we took the girls to Toronto to see Niagara Falls. Again, we had a loaner camera. Spray from the falls kicked up like crazy. The wetter we got, the more I worried about that camera.

I recently had the chance to try out a new waterproof camera: the Olympus 850 SW. I wrote about the camera for our catalog, and then my friend Dave and I filmed a short video, calling out its features.

To introduce this little camera to my family, I held it under the faucet and freaked them out. It’s also airtight, so we could take it camping or to the beach without stressing about sand or dirt getting inside. And it works in below-freezing temps, so we could confidently take it on the slopes.

I took this picture in the pouring rain:

Here’s a shot of one of our peonies, taken with the camera's macro (close-up) mode:

The 850 SW also takes panoramic pictures. It snaps three simultaneous shots, and then stitches them together inside the camera to create one seamless photo, like this one:

I took advantage of this panorama mode to take pictures of the whole gang at our family reunion a couple weeks back.

All in all, the Olympus 850 SW seemed like an excellent camera to take along on outdoor adventures. My family's a little rough on electronic gear, but this camera was rugged enough to keep up with us.

Photos made easy -- the Canon Selphy CP740 printer

KenSpike — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 17:39:00 GMT

I love digital photography. But it has its limits.

I can take hundreds of digital photos, store them on discs or hard drives, and have an exhaustive photo collection of the places I've been and the things I've done. But until recently, sharing "hard copies" of my photos involved walking up the stairs to the home office, loading the printer up with photo paper, downloading the pictures from my camera, and sitting around while they printed out. The Canon Selphy™ CP740 has changed that routine.

This compact printer turns out sharp and colorful 4"x6" pictures on demand with a minimum of fuss and set up. While it comes with software that allows you to connect it to your computer, I've had the most fun using the Selphy as a stand-alone printer. I simply pop the SD card from my camera into the CP740, find the picture I want, and hit "print." In a minute or so I've got a picture in my hands, ready to give to friends or relatives or just to stick on the refrigerator. And since you buy the paper and ink cartridge in a package, you've always got the right amount of ink for the photos you're printing, at a price that's very competitive with regular ink-jet printers or online photo printing services.

At a recent graduation dinner dance at my son's school, I was able to take individual pictures of all of the students, print them out on the CP740, and give each of them a photographic memento at the end of the evening. No waiting around, no emailed JPGs. It was one of the highlights of the event for kids and their parents. A few weeks later I was able to sit down at the dining room table with my son's grandparents and pick out and print the graduation photos they wanted right there and then.

Does the CP740 have limitations? Sure. It only prints 4x6 and wallet-sized pictures and has no editing capabilities. But for a reasonable price, the CP740 delivers great-looking pictures with a minimum of effort. And thanks to its small size, it's portable enough to take along to parties, reunions, or other events. Without a doubt, the Selphy CP740 puts the "snap" back into "snapshots."