Canon releases the HD Rebel T1i

Canon has just launched its first entry level DSLR: the Rebel T1i. The T1i has 15.1 megapixel and utilizes the DIGIC 4 chip which provides the same sort of image setting adjustment as the high end 5D Mark II.

The T1i is a HD video recorder too, capable of recording resolutions of 720p at 30 fps or 1080p at 20fps, far surpassing Nikon's D90. It is also able to record up to 4GB or 12 mins of 1080p video in MPEG-4 format.

Normal light sensitivity range are from ISO 100 to ISO 3,200 but with the special dark scene mode, it could go from ISO 6,400 to ISO 12,800, matching its much expensive siblings. A "creative full auto" mode allows amateurs to adjust aperture, exposure or shutter speed with ease. All shown via the huge 3" LCD display which also supports live view and face detection.

Expect the T1i to hit stores in May with the bod-only priced at USD800 (~RM2900). The kit which includes a 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 image stabilizing lens will also be available for USD900 (~RM3300).

To accompany the T1i, Canon has also launched the Speedlite 270EX as a replacement for the 220EX. When coupled with the T1i, it merges with the camera's interface so it could be controlled directly from the camera itself. The price for the 270EX has not been announced yet though.

Nikon D5000 Announced

Nikon Inc. today introduced the new D5000, a DSLR camera aimed at photo enthusiasts and those new to DSLR photography. Leveraging on Nikon's expertise and technologies found in its pro-level DSLRs, the 12.3-megapixel D5000 enables users to capture not only high resolution images, but HD video as well.

The D5000 features a 11-point auto focus system with Scene Recognition System with Face Detection and a versatile 2.7" Vari-angle LCD monitor with Live View, an important tool for capturing those difficult angle shots. It also activates Subject Tracking autofocus which automatically locks onto a moving subject, even if it leaves the frame and returns. Also featured are Face Pririoty AF, Wide Area AF and Normal Area AF.

The D5000's D-Movie Mode allows users to record HD movie clips (1280 x 720) at a cinematic 24 frames per second with sound and are recorded onto an inserted SD or SDHC memory card and saved as Motion JPEG AVI files for easy editing with widely available video editing software.

The 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor is coupled with Nikon's exclusive EXPEED™ image processing system which is capable of delivering clear and low noise photos from the normal ISO range of ISO 200 to 3200, and the expanded range of Lo 1 setting of ISO 100 or a Hi 1 setting of ISO 6400.

The D5000 will be available late April or early May with an estimated price of around RM3100 for the kit which includes the AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens while the standalone body retails at around RM2700 (Prices are rough estimates after conversion from USD).

Brush Up Your Photography Skills At The EOS Academy

Here's a piece of good news for all you folk that have recently jumped onto the DSLR bandwagon, and have yet to master the wonders of your new camera. The EOS Academy will be conducting photography workshops which have been specifically tailored to teach you the basics of digital photography, as well as various techniques on how to use your EOS digital cameras to their maximum potential!

Divided into two seperate workshops, you can choose from either the Basic Workshop or the Essential Workshop, based on your current photography knowledge.

The Basic Workshop has been designed with EOS 1000D and EOS 450D owners in mind, and this 2 hour course aims to highlight each of these DSLR's unique functions and how you can fully utilise them creatively. Course fee for the Basic Workshop is RM50 per pax.

As for the Essential Workshop, this course has been tailored for beginners with little or no previous experiences with DSLRs. This 1 day course teaches the basic operations of the EOS DSLRs and is suitable all EOS owners. Course fee for the Essential Workshop is RM220 per pax and includes lunch.

More information on the courses can be found on the EOS Virtual Community website here: http://tinyurl.com/djgo8t

N97

Nokia today unveiled the Nokia N97, the world's most advanced mobile computer, which will transform the way people connect to the Internet and to each other. Designed for the needs of Internet-savvy consumers, the Nokia N97 combines a large 3.5" touch display with a full QWERTY keyboard, providing an 'always open' window to favorite social networking sites and Internet destinations. Nokia's flagship Nseries device introduces leading technology - including multiple sensors, memory, processing power and connection speeds - for people to create a personal Internet and share their 'social location.'

"From the desktop to the laptop and now to your pocket, the Nokia N97 is the most powerful, multi-sensory mobile computer in existence," said Jonas Geust, Vice President, heading Nokia Nseries. "Together with the Ovi services announced today, the Nokia N97 mobile computer adjusts to the world around us, helping stay connected to the people and things that matter most. With the Nokia N97, Nseries leads the charge in helping to transform the Internet into your Internet".

Feature list and more pictures after the jump.

Sensing your 'So-Lo'

The Nokia N97 introduces the concept of 'social location'. With integrated A-GPS sensors and an electronic compass, the Nokia N97 mobile computer intuitively understands where it is. The Nokia N97 makes it easy to update social networks automatically with real-time information, giving approved friends the ability to update their 'status' and share their 'social location' as well as related pictures or videos.

Widescreen - Internet and entertainment

The home screen of the Nokia N97 mobile computer features the people, content and media that matter the most. Friends, social networks and news are available by simply touching the home screen. The 16:9 widescreen display can be fully personalized with frequently updated widgets of favorite web services and social networking sites. The Nokia N97 is also perfectly suited for browsing the web, streaming Flash videos or playing games. Both the physical QWERTY and virtual touch input ensure efficiency in blogging, chatting, posting, sending texts or emailing.

The Nokia N97 supports up to 48 GB of storage, including 32 GB of on-board memory, expandable with a 16 GB microSD card for music, media and more. This is complemented by excellent music capabilities, full support for the Nokia Music Store and continuous playback time of up to 1.5 days. The Nokia N97 also has a 5-Megapixel camera with high-quality Carl Zeiss optics, 16:9 and DVD quality video capture, and support for services like Share on Ovi for immediate sharing over HSDPA and WLAN.

The phone is expected to begin shipping early 2009.

HTC Touch Now Comes In Two New Flavors: 3G and HD

The HTC Touch family just got bigger with the recent introduction of two new models to the existing lineup - the HTC Touch 3G and the HTC Touch HD.
In a essence, the HTC Touch 3G is a 3G enabled version of the previous Touch, while the Touch HD comes with a 3.8 inch wide-screen VGA display (WVGA), a standard 3.5mm audio jack and a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus. The HTC Touch 3G will be available from the end of November and will retail at RM1,999 while the HTC Touch HD should hit the shelves by December at a retail price of RM3,399.
Full press release after the jump.

Sony Reveals World's Highest Res Full Frame D-SLR: α900

Sporting a 24.6 megapixel 35mm full-frame size CMOS sensor, "Exmor", the new α900 boast Dual BIONZ Image Processing Engines and built-in anti-shake StreadyShot INSIDE, also a world's first. The susgested retail price is RM9,999 for body only, but for the first 100 buyers, they will be getting a HVL-F58AM flash and a NP-FM500H rechargeable battery pack for free.

The α Convention 2008 is the first of its kind being held in Malaysia. The 3 day convention provides an avenue for α users to converge and share knowledge as well as experience with each other while they get inspired at the various sessions with the many professionals invited from locally and abroad.

Also announced during the launch is the price reduction of α lenses which was always a bit of a pinch for many α users due to its high price. The price reduction ranges from their low end models right up to their telescopic lense with reduction from RM100 to almost RM3,00.

Nikon D90 DSL(VC)R goes official

In a ballsy move that will either have you going yay or nay, camera boys Nikon have announced that video functionality will make its way into their latest DSLR, the D90. Recording video in M-JPEG format, what’s probably the niftiest part about this new functionality is that like a regular DSLR, you’ll be able to utilize various lenses (such as macro, wide angle and fisheye lenses) .



More information on the D90 are available here and here, but there’s still no word how much this bad boy will set us back in Malaysian Ringgit.
Full feature list after the jump.
Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the introduction of its newest DX-format digital SLR, the D90. More than just a new camera, the D90 represents a new era of digital SLR fun and creativity.
The first thing that will amaze photographers about the D90 is its stunning image quality, which takes its inspiration from Nikon’s flagship DX-format digital SLR, the D300. The D90’s image sensor and 12.3 effective megapixels combine with Nikon’s exclusive EXPEED image processing to deliver outstanding images featuring fine details, smooth tones, rich colors and low noise across a wide ISO sensitivity range.
The D90 is the world’s first* digital SLR camera with a movie shooting function that delivers genuinely cinematic results, enhanced by the creatively shallow depth of field made possible by the DX-format sensor. This is further refined by the optical quality and broad selection of NIKKOR lenses — the same lenses relied upon by professional photographers the world over. Thanks to the D90’s large image sensor, D-Movie images exhibit less noise than those of a typical camcorder, most notably in low-light situations.
The D90 also provides remarkable performance and operability, featuring Nikon’s exclusive Scene Recognition System that advances precision in auto focus, auto exposure, and auto white balance in diverse shooting situations. Live View mode allows shooting while confirming the subject on the large 3-in., approx. 920k-dot high-density color LCD and offers three contrast-detect AF modes to allow photographers to focus on any point in the frame, enabling a greater variety of composition. In addition to wide and normal area AF, the D90 offers face priority AF in Live View mode for even sharper pictures of people.
All of these powerful features and more are housed in a compact, comfortable-to-hold body, with intuitive controls. In other words, the D90 is a camera that will satisfy the requirements of passionate photographers who demand superior image quality and crave exciting new photographic possibilities.