How To Buy The Best Camcorder - Digital Camcorder Buying Tips

via Howdini on YouTube

Who knew there were so many camcorders to choose from? The wide variety of sizes, formats and prices can make the choice really tough. Professional photographer Nigel Barker helps navigate all the bells and whistles so you can find a camcorder that's right for your lifestyle and needs.

Digital Life - Four fun Halloween photo effects

Digital Life - Four fun Halloween photo effects

By Suzanne Kantra, Techlicious.com

Between the kids’ costumes, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating, there are a lot of photo moments to capture. To get great photos in these difficult lighting situations, though, you’ll have to do a little more than just point and shoot. So check out our tips for taking your photos up a notch. And we’ll give you ideas for special effects that will make an already spooky holiday even spookier.

Photographing jack-o-lanterns

Great jack-o-lantern shots capture both the glow coming from the pumpkin and the textures of the pumpkin’s skin and surrounding objects in low light.
Take this shot at twilight (about 20 minutes after the sun goes down) when the glow from your pumpkin will produce about the same amount of light as the sky. With the exposure for everything the same, your camera will easily capture details in the entire shot.

If you miss this window, put your camera in HDR mode (High Dynamic Range) mode (Cameras we recommend, like the $200 Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS have this). In HDR mode, the camera takes an overexposed shot to capture the pumpkin skin detail and an underexposed shot for the candle’s glow and then merges them together without your intervention. If your camera doesn’t have an HDR mode, you can merge photos of different exposures together using Adobe Photoshop Elements’ Photomerge Exposure editing mode.
Be sure you can’t see the flame of the candle when taking your shots. It will appear too bright as a spot in your picture. And use a tripod and set the camera’s self-timer to avoid the brief shake that inevitably occurs when you press down on the shutter button.

Shoebox app turns phones into photo scanners

By Athima Chansanchai via MSNBC.com



A new app released by a "memory sharing" site makes converting photo prints to digital a little easier by turning an iPhone into a mobile photo scanner.

Shoebox, the first app released by 1000memories, gives iPhone users the ability to scan and share large collections of photos and documents on Facebook and Twitter, as well as on 1000memories.

While it seems like it's impossible there was ever a time when cameras weren't digital, many of us have ample evidence there was such a thing as film and photo prints. Albums — and shoeboxes, as the video below shows — bursting with dusty images remind us that we used to spend time sitting down and reliving those moments with others, rather than solo clicking and commenting.

Samsung MV800 Pocket Camera with Flip Screen

via GeekBeat.TV



Cali Lewis gives you a glimpse at Samsung's upcoming MV800 pocket camera, a dynamic new camera with a flip up screen for self portraits. I kinda like this little camera, especially the ability to take some awesome self-portraits!

CNET TIP: When to use flash in bright light

Here's a video tip from our friends at CNET on when to use flash in bright light.

How to Buy a Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera

How to Buy a Point-and-Shoot Digital Camera - PCMag.com

"Follow these seven simple rules to find the perfect compact digital camera for your needs—and your budget.

By far the largest segment of the digital camera market, point-and-shoot models are compact, easy to use, and typically take great pictures with minimal effort. With a point and shooter, you simply press the shutter button, and the camera automatically adjusts shutter speed, aperture, focus, and light sensitivity to capture a clear image with optimal color. Unlike digital SLRs, which offer more manual control and interchangeable lenses, point-and-shoot cameras can slip into a pocket, and are often hundreds of dollars less expensive than their D-SLR counterparts.

Deciding to buy a point-and-shoot camera is the simple part, but with hundreds of models to choose from, selecting the best one for your needs and budget is no easy feat. Following our seven rules will help bring your perfect camera into focus.

CLICK on link above to see the seven simple rules.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Camera Sutra iPhone app not sexy, but does the job

Camera Sutra iPhone app not sexy, but does the job - iPhone app review - Dan Kricke | Appolicious ™ iPhone App Directory: "Armed with a clever name and a handful of neat effects, the $1.99 Camera Sutra iPhone app could be an fine addition to a novice photographer’s app collection.

Don’t be misled though -- despite sharing part of its name with the classic sexuality text, the Kama Sutra, there’s nothing scandalous about Camera Sutra. It is simply a no-frills photo effects app designed primarily for folks unaccustomed to putting filters on their pictures.

Camera Sutra’s interface could not be simpler. Once you open up the app, it looks like just the iPhone’s camera. Tapping anywhere on the screen opens up the wheel of effects you can use for your photo, and selecting an effect is as easy as sliding the wheel to the effect you want.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Best Beach Cameras Roundup

Best Beach Cameras - Best Beach Cameras Roundup | PCMag.com: "Technology and water don't mix. Delicate circuitry doesn't like to get wet, but it's summer and photo ops abound. If you want to capture photos or video of your outdoor adventures, a rugged, waterproof digital camera could be for you.

A fairly new product category, many point-and-shoot camera manufacturers are only on their first or second waterproof, ruggedized model. While they continue to get better with each iteration, you'll often have to pay more and make some sacrifices for a camera you can swim with. Our Editors Choice, the practically bulletproof Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2, for example, is a leaps-and-bounds improvement over its predecessor, last year's DMC-TS1, which had image-quality issues and problems with its waterproof casing. This year's model captures top-notch still images and HD video, but it'll cost you $400.

Rugged, waterproof cameras can also be bulky. Canon's first entrant in this category, the $300 PowerShot D10, takes beautiful pictures, but it's almost twice as thick as most of its competitors. The $230 Casio Exilim G EX-G1, on the other hand, is the slimmest waterproof camera we've seen, but it suffers in the image-quality department.

- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Nikon raises curtain on Coolpix camera with built-in projector

via Ben Patterson : Yahoo! Tech

What's the fun in squinting at snapshots on a two-inch LCD? Instead, try projecting your latest stills and video clips onto the nearest wall, courtesy of Nikon's latest (but pricey) compact camera.
Announced today and set for release in September for a hefty $429, the 12.1-megapixel Coolpix S1000pj looks like your typical compact digicam, complete with a 28mm wide-angle lens, flash, and a 2.7-inch LCD in back.

But the Nikon has a cool trick up its sleeves: a tiny, built-in projector capable of throwing a 40-inch image onto any nearby surface, good for showing off individual snapshots, slideshows, or even clips you've captured with the S1000pj's video recorder.

"Invisible flash" could eliminate bright camera bulb pops

Christopher Null : Yahoo! Tech: "Smile, you're on not-so-candid camera.

The bright and sudden pop of a flash bulb means photos are being snapped, and while it's (arguably) fun to have your picture taken, the harsh glare of a flash bulb often leaves subjects squinting and annoyed.

But what else can you do if natural light isn't an option?

Enter the so-called 'invisible flash' or 'dark flash,' which utilizes light waves outside the visible spectrum to illuminate your subject. Infrared and ultraviolet light is pulsed, with visible light frequencies filtered out, and a special camera sensor captures the invisible-to-the-naked-eye frequencies to create a finished image."

How to Buy a Digital Camera (courtesy of PC World)

If you're in the market for buying a new digital camera, better checkout this video from PC World—they help you focus on the features that are important to you.

Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS (CNET Product Review)

I want the Samsung Memoir™

Is the Samsung Memoir a mobile phone with a camera? Or a camera with a mobile phone? Either way, with 8.0 megapixels, Xenon flash and a host of dedicated camera functions, the Memoir sets a new standard. But the Memoir doesn't stop there. It's also a music player, a full web browser, a GPS navigation system and one of the most advanced touchscreen phonts in the world. Smile.

Dammit, I WANT this phone (grin).

A $200 Camera for Every Need

"Budget-minded shoppers, rejoice! Not only can you get a new digital camera for $200 or less, but you can find a camera for almost anyone at that price: pocket megazooms, feature-filled cams, wide-angle shooters, fashionable designs, and waterproof models. Here's what's coming soon or already on sale."

Cheap Netbooks Inspire More Wireless Gadgets

Cheap Netbooks Inspire More Wireless Gadgets - Business Center - PC World: "Look out for a deluge of wireless devices, including netbooks, sold at heavily discounted rates by the wireless carriers, as the operators battle to win customers during the economic downturn.

AT&T Wireless confirmed last week it has been selling two netbooks from Dell Inc. and Acer Inc. for US$99 apiece after rebates, but customers must commit to a two-year data service contract for $60 a month.

An AT&T spokesman said the carrier eventually wants to sell all kinds of embedded wireless devices that will work over its networks, including e-book readers, wireless cameras and in-car navigation devices."

8MP Samsung Memoir camera phone headed for T-Mobile

8MP Samsung Memoir camera phone headed for T-Mobile : Ben Patterson : Yahoo! Tech

"From the back, the Memoir looks just like a stand-alone camera, while on the front you'll find a touchscreen display complete with QWERTY messaging, a media player, and turn-by-turn directions.

T-Mobile has yet to announce exactly when the Memoir will arrive in its phone lineup—or for how much, for that matter—but on paper, it looks poised to become one of the top camera phones available in the U.S."

Hot gadgets at CES: Browser cam, LED TV, new Palm

Hot gadgets at CES: Browser cam, LED TV, new Palm - Life & Style - The State: "Although the International Consumer Electronics Show was smaller than it was last year because of the economic doldrums, there were still interesting new gadgets on display before the exhibition wound down Sunday. Here are some of the most attention-grabbing."

The Polaroid camera is back, in digital

Review: The Polaroid camera is back, in digital (AP) by AP: Yahoo! Tech

"A strange little ritual used to go along with Polaroid cameras. The shooter would grab the print as it came out of the camera and wave it in the air, as if that would stimulate the chemicals and make the picture appear faster. It didn't. Yet it felt dumb to just stand there, waiting for the picture to develop.

Polaroid stopped making film packs last year, so this little piece of tech culture will soon be just a memory. But just as the film-based Polaroid camera is fading away, along comes its digital replacement.

That's right: Polaroid was set to announce Thursday at the International Consumer Electronics Show that it is introducing a digital camera that produces prints right on the spot. You can even call them 'instant' prints, but they take nearly a minute to appear, so they're only as 'instant' as the old film prints."

NerdBoyTV ALERT: Preparing Strategically for Black Friday Deals

Courtesy of ABC News: Due to the tough economic times, retailers are giving deep, deep price cuts for merchandise on the traditionally busy Black Friday sale day. NerdBoyTV is passing this videoclip along so you can plan your shopping "strategies" carefully...hehehe...good luck and GO get those deals!

Hands-on Creative's Vado pocket cam

Hands-on Creative's Vado pocket cam : Gina Hughes : Yahoo! Tech

"Oprah might like the Ultra-Flip video camera, but that's because she hasn't laid her hands on the new Creative Vado. I got my hands on the Creative Vado this week, and compared to the other made for YouTube pocket camcorders, this one is by far the thinnest.

I recently reviewed RCA's Small Wonder, which I really like because it has a removable microSD card, and can be customized vinyl stickers, but the Creative Vado is simple, slim, and so easy to use.

The pocket video cam is as big as a cell phone but can hold 2GB of video. Video quality isn't the greatest at 640 x 480 but this will do when you're just uploading videos to video sharing sites.

My favorite feature is the zoom, since it's something I don't often see in small cameras like this one. It does have a built in speaker, microphone, and flip-out USB connector, which is all you need for your video sharing experience."