200211 D.C.W

TAKE BETTERPEOPLE PICTURES!Simple techniques you can use to takebetter party, family & portrait shots

What camera settings to useHow to compose a great photoWays to avoid common mistakes

222 YOUR

PHOTOPROBLEMS

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EXCLUSIVE! VIRTUAL CAMERA REVIEWS ON OUR CD!2 CDS

CREATETHISGREAT IMAGE!

TOPPAINT SHOPPRO TIPSPLUS exclusive FULL software on our CD!

RESTOREDAMAGEDPHOTOSHow to fix tears, stains and creases quickly and easily

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ONE-CLICKFIXESSimple Photoshop and Elements techniques for better pictures2

SUB-£500 CAMERASLatest from Fuji, Konica,Toshiba, Olympus tested

7

IN-DEPTH HARDWARE REVIEWSColour printers, new digital cameras, mini-cams, gadgets and more!2

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WHICH PRINTER?6 inkjets from £100-£350on trial inside

7

Discover how to applyquick masks, motion blurs,layers and colour correctionwith our creative project!

148 pages of image-editingtutorials, kit reviews & more!

The definitive guide to better photos

Use our reference cards to help you buy the right kit –

they contain full specs and verdicts on 5 top cameras

EXCLUSIVETIPSCARDS INSIDE!

NEW!

MINI-CAMERAS RATED6 of the best pocketpleasers compared

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PRINTED IN THE UK

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DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE 03

STARTHEREEvery month we will show you how tocapture and create better pictures, giveclear, independent buyingrecommendations on the latest kit,and deliver two CDs packed with thebest PC software.

We use boxes, tips, quick fixes,quality photography, walkthroughsand diagrams to show you how toimprove your photographic andimage-editing skills

We have a cast-iron policy ofeditorial independence. All our kit is reviewed as-sold. We discourage our journalists from accepting giftsfrom advertisers.

We welcome your opinions on themagazine, ideas for articles,photography, thoughts and questions. Send them in today – see below.

Nick MerrittManaging EditorNick’s background is technology andimage-editing related. He’s launched,managed and built some of the UK’sleading publications in these areas.

Dylan ChannonSenior Art EditorDylan is a keen amateurphotographer and sits on the advisoryboard of Somerset College of Art and Technology.

Roddy LlewellynArt EditorRoddy studied photography atuniversity and is PPA Designer of theYear for his work on Create, amagazine for creative professionals.

Tim DalyPhotographer and writerTim is one of the UK’s leading digitalphotography experts. He’s writtennumerous books on the subject andhis photographs have been exhibitedacross Europe.

Simon DanaherPhotoshop guruSimon is a leading Photoshop expert,has written books on image editingand is a regular contributor to theworld’s leading image-editing title,Computer Arts.

Steve BavisterPhotographer and editorSteve is one of the UK’s best-knownphotographic writers, having editedand published Practical Photographyin the past.

Ed DavisPhoto retouching expertEd is a commercial photographer ofmany years experience. He is amember the National Association ofPhotoshop Professionals.

Aidan O’RourkeTechnical expertAidan is contributor to theManchester Evening News. Helectures on digital photographyaround the UK.

2

ello, and welcome to the first issue of Digital Camera Magazine. We hope youlike what we’ve done (and will overlook the odd inevitable issue one roughedge!). It’s been a busy few months putting it all together, so do please write in

and tell us what you think we’ve got right, what we’ve got wrong and how we can make iteven better.

So why us, now? Well, there are several reasons. The first is the obvious chest-beating one –we just felt we could do a better mag than those already out there. We want to be the very best title on the market, and we’ll be working hard to keep that promise as we develop.That’s why we’ve gone with two CDs, a big page size, great photography and high-qualityproduction values.

Another reason why we’re here is because we believe digital cameras are changing howpeople take and perceive photography, and this process is going to accelerate over the nextfew years. It’s not just that digital cameras are such wonderfully satisfying gadgets, or thatthe images they capture are rapidly closing in on 35mm quality, it’s that they give people areal chance to communicate visually in real-time. It’s possible to share memories andexperiences instantly by transmitting images to other people via the net. We believe we’reonly at the beginning of a very exciting process.

Then there are the practical advantages – the extra control and precision that digitalphotography can offer creative photographers or people just starting to explore what acamera can do. This is the core of what Digital Camera Magazine is about: the process ofcreating better photos, then printing, sharing and archiving them.

In the meantime, enjoy the issue and welcome to the club!

Regards,

Nick Merritt, Managing [email protected]

In issue 2, we test ten of the best cameras on sale for Christmas, and show you howto take perfect indoor/November party shots.

Remember November!H

Our promiseto our readers

We want your letters, ideas,photography, articles, tips and more!Write in today to the following areas:

Issues with your [email protected]

Your [email protected]

Photos for our [email protected]

Events, ideas, places to [email protected]

For help and [email protected]

Articles/ideas for [email protected]

Visit our website today!www.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk

c Departments

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DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE004

STARTS PAGE

18

Discover how you can improve your peopleshots.We explain how to avoid commonmistakes, take better pictures and tweakthem digitally for best-ever results

Hidden away!

Project

Watch out – there may be a digitalcamera hidden inside even the mostunlikely gadget.We reveal sixof the best

Create your own stunning composition.Follow our tutorial on how to make this pic!

PAGE

16PAGE

64

What’s hot inside your magazine this November

Contents DCM#01

ABOVE: We’ll help you take better people shots

Project

Getup&GoWe capture great autumnphotographs, show you how totake firework shots and more!

PULL OUTSECTION – FIND ITAFTER P98


2Every issue, we print the best digital photography wecan find. Turn over now and see some of the shots thathave inspired us this issue…

HOTSHOTSTURNOVER

TAKE BETTER PICTURESCreate a sense of intimacy 20Create a halo effect around hair 20Know when to use a fill-in flash 20Improvise a reflector for even lighting 21Choose the best camera settings 21Avoid over-posed pictures 23Photograph children 23Get better composition 25Use the zoom lens 25Create depth of field effects 86Take perfectly exposed photos 88

IMPROVE YOUR IMAGE-EDITING SKILLSReduce and remove red-eye 26Correct skin tones and remove colour casts 28Create shadows, shrink images 64Remove tears and rips 71Add missing picture regions 72Fix contrast and low saturation 74Use layers in Elements and Photoshop 76Get more from Paint Shop Pro 78Simulate depth of field on a low-end camera 83Correct converging verticals 90

USE YOUR PC BETTERFind a specific image in a folder of hundreds 120Improve your print quality 121Publish your photos to an online community 122

CREATIVE PHOTOSPAGE 86

MEMORIES RESTOREDPAGE 70

TRAILBLAZING CHINAPAGE 58

LONGLEAT PHOTOSPAGE 56

2THIS ISSUEWESHOWYOUHOWTO…Kit reviews

KONICA KD400-ZPAGE 34

OLYMPUS C-4000ZPAGE 36

ADOBE ELEMENTS 2PAGE 42

IOMEGA ZIP 750PAGE 45

6 MINI-CAMSPAGE 46

6 INKJET PRINTERSPAGE 49

1

2

1

The UK’s definitive reviewspackage every month

Every issue we’ll bring you not one, but two CDs –each one packed with exclusive full software likePaint Shop Pro 5. It’s a world first for a digitalphoto mag, and now it’s yours to keep for free

FULL Paint Shop Pro 5TRIAL Paint Shop Proversion 7.04TOURS 3D tours of ourmain camera reviewsTEST SHOTS for each ofour main cameras

ON DISC 1

EYEWITNESSHotshots gallery p06Frontline news p12Hidden gadgets p16

YOUR PHOTOS & LETTERSDay in the life p56Trailblazers p58Viewfinder p60

OFFERSMobile phone p98Subscribe! p144Save money p130Money off Paint Shop Pro 7 p133

HELP AND ADVICEPhoto clinic p70Your questions p90First steps p94

FOLD-OUT SECTION AFTER PAGE 9811 Firework tipsIsle of Purbeck photos & mapsWestonbirt

BUYER GUIDECameras p138Printers p140Memory cards p142Batteries p142

FULL ColorPilot 3.86FULL Arles Image WebPage Creator 3.3TRIAL Photoshop 7TRIAL PhotoImpact 8FREEWARE AhaView 1.1FREEWARE Cam2pc 2.0

ON DISC 2

FREEWARE IrfanView 3.7FREEWARE SlowView 1.0FREEWARE HotTEXTFREEWARE Plugin GalaxyFREE GIMP 1.2.4DRIVERS Kodak

5 VIRTUAL REALITY CAMERA TOURSTry before you buy! Our reviews come with thisunique CD extra: rotate and view each maincamera on-screen with our unique virtual-realitytour. It’s the next best thing to holding thecamera in your hands!

INCLUDES

OPINIONS & SHOPPINGVisit our website, read our reviews, postyour own views, see what other readersthink, then click straight through to buythe camera! It’s all part of the service

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SHOT OF THE MONTHDOWNHILL RACER ROB SCOTT“This was taken with a Nikon D1X with rear curtain-flash sync, battery-powered rear lighting and on-camera flash. I panned with the subject as he spunthe bike, which blurred the background.”

Fashion #01 Walcot StudiosNikon D1X

[w] www.thewalcotstudio.co.uk

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Adrian Rayment Rob Scott“I was given an assignment to shoot one of

the stars of the forthcoming film sequel, MatrixReloaded. I shot him performing martial arts, atBrompton Road Cemetery in London.”Nikon D1X with White Balance set to fluorescent

[e] [email protected]

03

Orchid Bob Garas“I used the macro setting to capture the

orchid, then combined it with a picture of a beein Photoshop to produce the final picture.” Canon G1 with two White Lightning 1200 Strobes

[w] www.geocities.com/bgaras2001

02

http://www.thewalcotstudio.co.uk


http://www.geocities.com/bgaras2001

www.dimage.minolta.com

The essentials of imaging

Made from durable magnesium, with a textured rubber

grip, there’s no denying the new DiMAGE 7Hi looks (and feels)

the business. More important still, it does it.

Its 2/3 type CCD has an effective resolution of 5.0 million

pixels, delivering A3 prints at 150 dpi. And its spec list reads like

a ‘What’s What’ on state-of-the-art digital photography.

To maximise the CCD resolution, it has a premium all

glass optical jewel Minolta GT lens with 7x optical zoom.

And to produce vivid, natural colours, Minolta Cx image

processing. Even shooting clear, low noise images, with fine

detail in shadow areas, is easily achieved with its 12 bit

A/D conversion system.

What's more, pictures can be shot at dazzling speeds – in

fact, at up to 3 fps at full resolution, capturing as many as 5

RAW, three TIFF or 10 JPEG images in one sequence (thanks

to its high volume, 64MB buffer memory).

And in Extra Fine mode, it can produce JPEG images at

2.5:1 compression (which not only makes it ideal for shooting

bright skies or shiny objects but also minimises loss in high

frequency areas of the image).

All this in a digital camera that also boasts a brilliantly

designed multifunctional electronic viewfinder (it has a 100%

field of view and 900 tilt mechanism), a real time Histogram

display, and Adobe RGB and SRGB selectable colour spaces

built in.

It’s even equipped with a flash sync. terminal that can be

connected to professional studio systems.

Enough to go to your head, isn’t it?

The new DiMAGE 7Hi

Way ahead of the game.

Those who are happy to let their hearts rule their heads, stop here.

Everyone else, read on.

http://www.dimage.minolta.com

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Soldier Grant Lynch“This was taken at a new First World War

memorial in London and then manipulated in Photoshop.”Nikon D1X with Photoshop

[w] www.specialimages.co.uk

07

Fashion #02 Walcot Studios“We do a lot of fashion photography at

our studio. We’ve just gone digital and thetime and cost-savings have been well worthit. We mainly use Photoshop for imageretouching rather than for creative effects.”[w] www.thewalcotstudio.co.uk

06

Laura Jo James Game“Laura Jo is an aspiring model and actress

who I photographed for her portfolio.”[w] www.inspiras.com

05

http://www.specialimages.co.uk

http://www.thewalcotstudio.co.uk

http://www.inspiras.com

010 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE

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Serenity Keith Moss“This is a calming shot captured in Deer

Hill Reservoir, near Huddersfield, late eveningin the winter last year.” Olympus E10

[w] www.finephotoart.net

10

Melancholy Angel Melanie Kipp”I took this in a cemetery in the

mountains of southern West Virginia.”Minolta Dimage 7 with infra-red filter

[w] www.caughtintimephotography.com

09

Strawberry Splash Michael ChiuSony DSC-F707 with Sony F1000 exterior flash


08

@NOW SEND YOUR PIC!Email us a 100K JPEG thumbnail of your bestshots! The best wins a 128Mb CrucialCompactFlash card each issue.

[email protected]

http://www.finephotoart.net

http://www.caughtintimephotography.com



Customer Information Centre 08705 111 999www.sony.co.uk‘Sony’, ‘Handycam’, ‘InfoLITHIUM’, ‘STAMINA’, and ‘NightShot’ are trademarks of Sony Corporation, Japan.

*Continuous shooting with flash switched off & LCD on (power save mode)

The new Sony F717.The only thing it hasn’t got is you.For a start, there’s the 5.0 effective mega pixel Super HAD CCD and 5x optical Zoom whichoffer superb picture quality over a range of distances. Then there’s the Carl Zeiss VarioSonnar lens which delivers crisp, distortion-free images and ultra-faithful colour reproduction.Add to that the innovative rotating lens unit which lets you shoot from virtually any angle, and you start to get a feel for the photography this camera is capable of.

Then consider the wide array of unique Sony noise reduction technologies. Slow shutter noisereduction helps you achieve clear, sharp images in low light. And the NightFraming modeenables you to capture perfectly framed, focused and exposed images in complete darknessby incorporating Sony’s infra-red NightShot, Hologram AF and pre-flash exposure systems.

And if that fails to impress, take a look at the F717’s photographic features. The manualfocus/zoom ring gives you increased control of each shot, while the histogram display helpsyou manage the exposure of every image. You can also enhance lighting options by attachingan external flash to the hot-shoe. And on top of this, you can select shutter speeds from 30seconds to 1/2000th second, or ISO settings up to 800, giving you the flexibility to shoot in allconditions from low light to fast action.

But we didn’t stop with what’s on the inside. The robust, ergonomic magnesium body isdesigned to offer all the controls you need at your fingertips, while the LCD menu system is asintuitive as it is comprehensive.

Of course, all this is academic without the power to keep going throughout a serious photosession. Which is why the F717 incorporates Sony STAMINA InfoLITHIUM battery technology,to keep you shooting for up to 210 minutes*, while the indicator on the LCD panel lets youknow exactly how long you’ve got left.

And when time is of the essence, simply hook up to your PC via the high-speed USB 2.0connection and let the supplied Image Transfer software do all the work for you.

So, put it all together, and the Sony F717 really is the camera that has it all. Well almost. The only thing you’ll want to add now is you.

http://www.sony.co.uk

he latest in the award-winning CanonPowerShot range boasts a range ofenhanced features.

The PowerShot G2 was voted European DigitalCamera of the Year 2002 by industry organisationEISA (European Imaging and Sound Association),and has built itself an enviable reputation amongkeen photographers for its combination of fast lens(f2.0-2.5), 4-megapixel resolution and in-depthphotographic controls.

The new model, the G3, ups the zoomingrange from 4x to 3x and retains a maximumaperture of f3.0, even at the telephoto end of therange. The new DIGIC processor doesn't justimprove picture quality (CCD control, exposure,focus, White Balance data, JPEG compression andmore), it consumes less power, too, prolongingbattery life.

Ergonomic improvements have been made to

the G3, including a new context-sensitive controldial and the ability to choose between JPEG andRAW picture storage after a picture has beentaken, and before it's saved to the memory card.

Another new feature is iSAPS (Intelligent Scene Analysis based on Photographic Space),where the scene, focussing and shootinginformation are analysed and cross-referencedagainst a huge Photographic Space data librarybuilt into the camera.

Luckily all these additions won't break the bank. At an anticipated price of £699 when it hits the dealers' shelves this November, thePowerShot G3 compares favourably in price withthe outgoing model.

Call Canon on 08705 143 723 to find out moreor go to its website for full details atwww.powershot.com/powershot2/g3/index.html

Are you a digital photographerwho fancies having a shot atdigital video? Are you put off bythe price of camcorders and don’t

want to leave digital still photography behind?Then the FinePix M603 from Fujifilm may bethe camera for you.

The FinePix M603 combines 3-megapixelstill photography with the ability to record 15or 30 frames per second video at 640 x 480.It’s compatible with Fuji’s new xD cardtechnology and has an IBM Microdrive, whichis able to store up to 30 minutes of video on a1Gb unit.

On the photography side, the M603 has a38-76mm lens (35mm equivalent) with 2xoptical zoom and 4.4x digital zoom. The ISOvalues are 100, 200, 400, 800 and 1,600 forrapid photography.

It’s fully automatic but has manual overridesfor tricky lighting conditions; control overmetering, focus and White Balance; and theability to annotate each picture with a 30-second voice recording.

The FinePix M603 with a 512Mb IBMMicrodrive is expected to retail for about £700when it goes on sale in this month.

What’s new inNovember ■Send us your news! Email [email protected]

Canon upgrades its award-winning 4-megapixel camera, and it hits the streets thisNovember with a bigger zoom and new DIGIC image processor

T


Award-winning digitalcamera gets a new imageprocessor and zoom upgrade■ See below

CANON POWERSHOTG3 £700Frontline

Fujifilm FinePixM603 combinesphotos and videoNEW TOOL

CORRECTSCOLOUR CASTSXe847 will auto-correct blue or greencolour shifts, usingtechniques based onhow people actuallysee a colour, ratherthan how thecamera sees it.There’s a trialavailable atwww.xe847.com for download.

NIKONTRAININGCOURSESThis autumn Nikon islaunching a series of training courses.Previously offeredexclusively to photoretailers, the coursesare now available toall Nikon owners.Visit www.nikon.co.uk/training to findout more.

DIMAGE 7HIGETSPROFESSIONALMinolta has usedPhotokina to launchan improved versionof its highly ratedDiMAGE 7. TheDiMAGE 7Hi gets anew Synchroterminal forintegration withprofessional studiolighting setups,improved sequenceshooting speed anda better HyperFinder.

EXTREME XIMinolta hasupgraded its DiMAGEX. The DiMAGE Xi has3.3-megapixelresolution, 1.2-seconds start-uptime and otherenhancements.

THEPOWERSHOT

G2 WASVOTED

EUROPEANDIGITAL

CAMERA OFTHE YEAR2002 BY

EUROPEANIMAGING AND

SOUNDASSOCIATION

QUICKSHOTS

CAMERAS

Tasty looking combination ofstill camera and digital video recorder■ See below

FUJIFILM FINEPIXM603 – £700

PowerShot G3 adds new features

Details Built-in flash and 4x optical zoom lens CCD type 1/1.8-inch Charge-Coupled Device (CCD)Total pixels (approx) 4.1 million Effective pixels (approx) 4 million Focal length 7.2-28.8mm (equivalent: 34-140mm) Digital zoom 3.6x (maximum 14x digital zoom isavailable when combined with optical zoom.) Max aperture f/2.0- f/3.0 Shutter speeds 15-1/2,000 sec. Slow shutter of 1.3 seconds and more, operates with noise reduction. Sensitivity Auto, or user-set ISO 50, 100, 200 or 400 equivalent White Balance control TTL Auto White Balance, Pre-setWhite Balance or Custom White BalanceExtras Wireless Control Shooting and playback are available. Computer-connected Shooting Available(Using included Remote Computer software. RequiredUSB connection to compatible computer) Storage media CompactFlash (CF) Card Type I or Type II Resolution (still image) Large: 2,272 x 1,704; medium 1: 1,600 x 1,200, medium 2: 1,024 x 768;small: 640 x 480 Resolution (movie) 320 x 240 or 160 x 120

5-megapixel camera withsome interesting features at this price■ See opposite

OLYMPUS CAMEDIAC-50 – £550

http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/g3/index.html


http://www.xe847.com

http://www.powershot.com/powershot2/g3/index.html

The time: 28th September 2002. The place: LondonWith the prospect of an attack on Iraq growing ever-stronger,the public got its first chance to take to the streets, with theanti-war demonstration in London at the end of September.

Organised by the Stop the War Coalition and the MuslimAssociation of Britain, as many as 400,000 peopledescended on London from across the country.

The demo was remarkably peaceful – indeed, there wassomething of a carnival atmosphere with somedemonstrators arriving in costume – George Bush, DarthVader and a group of people dressed as a tank were spotted.

Americans joined Muslims, Saudis and British from allover the UK, taking several hours to travel the route from theEmbankment, along the banks of the Thames, to Hyde Park.

One demonstrator, Chris Croome, whose photos of theevent can be seen at http://chris.croome.net/photos/2002/London_anti-war_demo_28_September had a badday. Not only did he break his zoom lens, but he also lost100 images (including dramatic pictures near Downing Streetwhere an orange smoke bomb was let off), when thebatteries went flat while he transferred his pictures to his PC.Despite this bad luck, we think the surviving images stillmanage to capture the spirit of the event. More pictures: news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2286687.stm


A new 5-megapixel successor tothe Olympus C-50 is set to bereleased this month, priced ataround £550.

Supporting the new xD memory format, itincludes a 32Mb Picture Card, TruePic image-optimisation technology (a first at this end of therange, according to Olympus), and a number ofautomatic and manually-adjustable settings.

It’s also the first Olympus to come with aLithium-ion battery and charger, which meansthe size of the camera can be reduced whilemaintaining longer battery life between charges.

Further highlights include anf2.8/f4.8 3x optical zoomlens, 5x digital zoom,manual exposurecontrol plus spot-metering features.The 5-megapixelCCD enables amaximum pictureresolution of 2,560x 1,920 pixels, withsix resolutions.

You can saveimages as JPEG orTIFF files; there’s amovie mode that canhandle 16 seconds ofvideo at 320 x 240 at 15 frames persecond; plus there are auto-bracketing,macro and panorama modes.

For more details and a full specificationlist, visit www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/digimg/intro.cfm?id=C-50ZOOM

Olympus C-50 ZOOMhits 5 megapixelsNew successor to C-40 ZOOM hits the streets in November

CAMERAS

Two new printers have beenreleased by Canon, both aimed atthe home market. The i320features 2,400 x 1,200dpi

resolution, USB 2.0 support and claims a printspeed of 54 seconds for a 4 x 6-inch 1,200dpicolour photo. It’s expected to cost around £69.

The i550, pictured opposite, features fasterprinting (45 seconds for a 1,200dpi 4 x 6-inchphoto) and the ability to take up to 150 pages inits sheet feeder. It also offers bi-directionalprinting, which means only two passes of theprinthead have to be made when outputtingcolour pages. Most importantly, it can outputprints at 4,800 x 1,200dpi resolution.

Both printers promise 25 years lightfastnessusing Canon’s paper, and can handle

borderless printing, too – find out more atCanon’s website, atwww.canon.co.uk/bubblejet

Smaller footprints plus better image quality reckons Canon

PRINTER Behi

ndth

eim

age

A public demonstration can be an idealchance to capture some great pictures. Theanti-war march in London revealed why

New entry-level Canon inkjets

Each month we will poll our readers about a key issue in digitalphotography, via our website, and report the results here. Visitdigitalcameramagazine.co.uk to find out more!

TALKBACK1 2

http://chris.croome.net/photos/2002/London_anti-war_demo_28_September

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2286687.stm

http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/digimg/intro.cfm?id=c-50ZOOM

http://www.canon.co.uk/bubblejet

http://digitalcameramagazine.co.uk

http://www.canon.co.uk/bubblejet

http://www.olympus.co.uk/consumer/digimg/intro.cfm?id=c-50ZOOM

http://chris.croome.net/photos/2002/London_anti-war_demo_28_September


LONDON UNITED KINGDOMVANITY FAIR

Research from Hewlett-Packardreveals that 64 per cent of

Britons are deeply embarrassed byphotographs of themselves, and 72 percent of all women hate their pictures. 52per cent of people questioned are happyto tweak their own images to makethemselves look better, while 18 per centof respondents would undergo majordigital surgery on themselves in order tolook ideal.

ST LOUIS USAROBOT WEDDINGS

A new robot photographer has been invented to take

wedding snaps, which don’t look posed orforced. Research shows that people don’tfeel as self-conscious being captured by arobot camera, resulting in more naturalimages. The robot is able to framepictures according to the rule of thirds.

TAIWANNEW LAW HITS SPIES

A new law is being passed toensure hotel, shop and

restaurant owners regularly sweep theirpremises for concealed digital cameras.Spying and voyeurism have become amajor problem in Taiwan, with intimatepictures being taken without people’sconsent, then cut to CD and traded.

SEATTLE USAMICROSOFT REINVENTS JPEGS

Microsoft has invented a newimage format, which compresses

image files to half the size of conventionalJPEGs. It’s part of its new Tablet PC but, asyet, there’s no sign that it will appear inits digital photography products.

LONDON UNITED KINGDOMKODAK SHOCKER

Bad news for Kodak DC5000ZOOM camera owners – it’s been

recalledby Kodakdue to apossibleelectric shockhazard. If youhave one,phone Kodak on 0870 243 0270to get itinspected and, ifnecessary, repaired.

JAPAN CHIPS GET BIGGER

Sony has upped the stakes witha new 6.15-megapixel CCD,

producing images of 3,040 x 2,024 pixels.

The CCD is also physically larger – it’sapproximately the same area as APS film. This means camera makers are now able to use standard optics acrossdigital and traditional product lines, andthus reduce prices.

WIDEANGLEWhat’s happening around the world

NEW EPSONEpson has updatedits photo printerrange with four newmodels. They includethe Stylus Photo 830,with up to 5760'optimised' dpi, andthe 1290S, whichreplaces the old A3-sized 1290, withimproved edge-to-edge printing. Find out more atwww.epson.co.uk

SONY DYESUBTwo new digitalhome printers arecoming from Sony.The DPP-EX7 andDPP-EX5 offerprinting direct fromMemory Stick orUSB, employ dye-sub printingtechnology, andhave image qualityof 3.8 megapixels.Find out more atwww.sony.co.uk

FASTER PCSPackard Bell's newiXtreme 9701 usesIntel's latest chiprunning at an eye-watering 2.8GHz toprovide moreprocessing power. Itbacks this up with512Mb RAM and a120Gb hard diskdrive. Available in PCWorld for £1,700.

QUICKSHOTS

Digital camera makers seem tohave been taken by surprise by thedramatic acceleration in digitalcamera sales. Canon, for example,

reckons that sales of its digital cameras willoutstrip those of analogue models as early as2003. That’s sales in numbers, not just by value.Indeed, Canon expects to make no fewer thanfour million digital cameras this financial year – 70per cent up on the year before.

Sony-commissioned research suggested inJanuary 2002 that digital camera sales would riseby 30 per cent, but by May the increase was 65per cent, year on year. While HP reckons 40 percent of camera owners in the UK have now gonedigital, another 40 per cent is planning to.

So why is digital taking off? We all know themain reasons – speed, editability, convenience and

so on – but HP has found anotherattraction. The company’s researchsuggests that people like the idea thattheir photos can be digitally enhanced tomake them look better, though thereare regional variations.

Northerners are themost likely to own adigital camera (41.5 percent), but are least likelyto resort to cosmeticadjustments. EastAnglians are the mostinsecure, with 31 per centadmitting that they throwaway unflattering photos and18 per cent using digital-imaging tricks.

Digital use set to rocketYou thought this year was exciting? Wait for 2003…

CAMERAS

Best Sellers

Informationsupplied bywww.dabs.com

BEST SELLERSony DSC-P9Cyber-shot£389

23SUB-£100Sipix StyleCamBlink£36.42

SUB-£300NikonCoolpix 2000£179.77

SUB-£800FujifilmFinePix S602£546.37

CANONEXPECTS TO

MAKE NOFEWER THAN

FOUR MILLIONDIGITAL

CAMERAS THISFINANCIAL

YEAR

http://www.epson.co.uk

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ince its invention over 160 years ago,photography’s most popular subject has alwaysbeen people – by a long way. While a relatively

small band of enthusiasts have specialist interests such aslandscape, still life or natural history, the majority of picturestaken are of family and friends. Whether we’re out having awonderful time or simply relaxing at home, we like nothingmore than to record the occasion for posterity.

But all too often the results disappoint – failing to capture the magic of the moment or the personalities ofthose present. Even people you know really well can gettense and nervous when a camera is pointed at them,resulting in awkward poses and cheesy grins that ruin theshot. Other images are let down by technical considerationssuch as poor composition, ghoulish red-eye, inaccuratefocus, wrong exposure or unflattering lighting.

Of course, one of the great advantages of using a digitalcamera is that you can review the pictures immediately, andshoot them again if they’re not quite right – or even salvagethem later on a computer.

Getting it rightBut sometimes the opportunity has gone and there is nosecond chance – such as blowing out the candles on abirthday cake. So it makes sense to get it right first time. Atthe heart of the problem is the fact that manyphotographers just pick up the camera and snap awaywithout thinking about what they are trying to achieve orhow to get the best from the situation.

However, with the right approach, a picture can be a trueand lasting portrait that reveals something of the realpeople or a treasured memento of a precious moment – not

just a superficial snapshot. The badnews about taking pictures of people this time of year is that it gets dark so early, and if you’reshooting after late afternoon the only option is to use the camera’sbuilt-in flashgun. The good news is

that over the next couple of months there will be loads ofparties, school plays and so forth, and you won’t findyourself short of subjects.

The problem with using flash is that it’s not subtle.Because it blasts light directly at your subject, you’re notgoing to get the best shots in the world. All too often youend up with white, over-exposed faces staring out from a m


People are easily the most popular subject, but you need to think carefully about what you aretrying to achieve, says Steve Bavister, if you want to produce pictures with lasting appeal

FEATURE

YOUR GUIDE STEVE BAVISTERSteve is a photographic journalist and freelance photographer. He is editor of ThePhotographer, a leading magazine for pro photographers, and author of ten bookson photography including Digital Photography and Take Better Family Photos

[email protected]

PHOTOGRAPHINGPEOPLE

PORTFOLIO STEVE BAVISTER

S

Shallow depth of field isolates thesubject from the background

Direct eye contact with the cameraengages the viewer

Muted background colours don’tdistract from the main subject

The model’s hair and arm posehelp to frame the face

WHY WE CHOSEOUR COVER PICTURE4

Even people you know really wellcan get tense and nervous whena camera is pointed at them


FEATURE


PHOTOGRAPHINGPEOPLE

black background. Worse still, your subjects may sufferfrom red-eye, caused by the flash reflecting back fromthe blood vessels at the back of the eye.

While red-eye is not difficult to correct using animage-editing program, why make work for yourselfwhen it can often be avoided?

Dealing with flashMany cameras feature a red-eye reduction facility thatwill diminish and sometimes eliminate red-eye in themajority of situations. If you don’t have such an optionyou could try switching on the room light – the pupil ofthe person you’re photographing will close down,reducing the risk of their eyes ending up red.

You can minimise the likelihood of over-exposurewhen using flash by not getting too close to yoursubject. Around two metres is a good working distancewith most built-in guns.

If you have children, though, and want to photographthem in the Christmas play, you may need to increasethe sensitivity setting on your camera, from ISO 100 to400 or even 800. The quality won’t be quite as good,but it will increase the effective range, and reduce thepossibility of under-exposure. Getting there early andbagging a front row seat is also a good idea.

Sometimes you’ll have to use flash, and it’s ideal for‘party’ pictures, but if you aspire to more than that –perhaps taking portraits with style and quality – it’s tothe many moods of daylight you should turn.

Making the most of natural lightIf, like many photographers, you associate taking picturesoutside with sunlight and blue skies, you might not beinclined to step through your front door with yourcamera in your hand at this time of year. But, in fact, the

gentle light you get in autumn and early winter is a lot more attractive than the fierce light of summer.Cloudy days in particular are perfect for peoplephotography of all kinds. Shadows are much softer and more flattering, minimising lines on more maturefaces. And even when the sun is shining, the fact thatit’s lower in the sky means you don’t get ugly, darkareas under the eyes, nose and chin as you do inbrighter weather conditions.

In fact, the position of your subject in relation to thesun is of prime importance – and different results will beachieved at different times of the day, as the sun rises,circles the heavens, and then sets.

Of all the kinds of lighting available to thephotographer, top lighting is probably the leastsatisfactory. You get it in the middle of the day, whenthe sun is at its highest. Because shadows are pointdown and relatively dense, it really is best avoidedwhenever possible.

The best times for portrait photography outside are morning and afternoon, when the sun is

1 Touching heads together creates a sense ofintimacy and avoids the camera sensor focusing on the background2 Shooting into the light puts a halo of light aroundthe girls’ hair and back3 Setting the built-in flashgun to give a burst of fill-in flash ensures that the faces are fully illuminatedand there’s an attractive ‘catchlight’ in the eye

4 Using the top end of thecamera's zoom range andplacing the girls somedistance from thebackground gives a three-dimensional effect

IMAGE EXPLAINED 3

1

2

3

4

An increasing number of digitalcameras allow you to select theaperture and shutter speed settings


closer to the horizon. Place the sun behind you and your subjects will be evenly lit, with a catchlight (a pointof light that’s a reflection from the sun) in their eyes,bringing them to life.

A simple way to make the light even more appealingis to improvise a reflector of the type widely used byprofessional photographers. Any white or reflectivematerial will do – a white piece of card, an old sheet ora square of polystyrene. Simply ask the person to hold itat waist height, so it’s not seen in the picture, and you’llbe astonished how much it improves the lighting.

If you have a friend on hand who can act as an‘assistant’, try positioning your subject so they’re lit

from the side, with the reflector held vertically on the opposite side to bounce light back into the shaded areas.

Reflectors are also valuable when taking pictures intothe sun – or contre-jour, as it’s also known. Thebacklighting from this arrangement can be attractivebecause of the ‘Ready-Brek’ glow it gives to hair andbody, but if you just shoot away you may end up with asilhouette. Setting your camera’s flash menu to provide‘fill flash’ can be an effective, but less controllable, wayof making sure people are fully illuminated.

When taking pictures outdoors in autumn and winter it’s a good idea whenever you can to get your

If your camera enables you to select the aperture, you have direct control over howmuch of the finished picture appears sharp. There is a zone, technically called thedepth of field, in front of and behind the point on which the camera lens is focused,which varies according to the size of the aperture. When you set a small aperture(confusingly, a big number such as f/11 or f/16), there’s a large zone of sharpness,with most things appearing in focus. When you set a large aperture (a smallernumber, such as f/5.6 or f/8), the zone is much narrower, and only the main subjectsharp. Choosing a small aperture is ideal where you want to show your subjects intheir natural environment. Selecting a large aperture is preferable where you wantto concentrate attention on the person.

APERTURE CONTROL2

By focusing on an area infront of the subject andchoosing a large aperturesetting, the subject isoutside the shallow area ofdepth of field. This createsthe unusual effect here

By selecting a small aperture,more of the subjects in theshot remain in focus. Unlike their traditional film equivalents, digitalcameras rarely offer a depth of field preview, so someexperimentation may berequired to get the result you want

1

1

Extreme depth of fieldeffects can be enhanced in an image-editingprogram. Here, the effect of shallow depth of field has been greatlyexaggerated by digitallyblurring the background

Learn more about depth offield in our cameratechniques feature onpage 86

1

You can make people look thinner byasking them to stand at 45 ̊to thecamera, rather than square on to it

As well as photographing people standing andsitting, try out shots of them lying on the floor orleaning against a walla


FACIAL EXPRESSIONSThe best way to get an interesting facialexpression is to be unobtrusive. Don’t ask yoursubject to ‘say cheese’ – instead, lie low and snapoff a few shots when they’re least expecting it

subjects to wear bright clothes, to stop them blendinginto their surroundings.

Camera settings The lens setting you use and where people arepositioned in respect to the background are importantfactors. If you want people to stand out, so theemphasis is on them rather than the surroundings, youshould use the top end of your zoom range and getthem to stand well away from the background. Whatthis does at a technical level is reduce the depth of field – the amount of the scene that appears sharp inthe finished picture. If you have a powerful zoom andthe backdrop is some way behind, your subject willstand out almost three dimensionally.

When you want to shoot an environmental portrait,showing people in their surroundings, you should dothe opposite – go for a wide-angle setting and positionpeople close to the background.

An increasing number of digital cameras allow you toselect the aperture and shutter speed settings, ratherthan leave it to the camera’s exposure system. If youhave this option, you can control the depth of field in adirect and creative way.

Taking candid photosWhether you shoot indoors or outside, getting yoursubjects to relax while you’re photographing them cansometimes be a challenge. As soon as you pick up yourcamera and point it in their direction many people gettense and nervous – with stiff body language andfrozen smiles ruining the shot. Or worse, they startacting up and pulling silly faces.

But there’s a simple way to avoid these problems –by shooting candid pictures. Instead of asking people topose, you photograph them when they’re unaware ofyou. This allows you capture them as they really are, attheir most natural, enabling you to get a glimpse oftheir real character.

And shooting candid pictures isn’t hard to do. Yousimply have to develop a different way of working.Instead of getting people to ‘Say Cheese’, you stand ata distance using a telephoto lens setting, waiting for theright moment to release the shutter. Expressions changein a fleeting second, and opportunities can arise and begone before you know it – blink and you miss them. Soyou need to concentrate on your subject completely,anticipating the right moment and acting decisivelywhen everything falls into place.

Of course, if you’re shooting candids indoors usingflash, the first picture you take will give the game away.Outside, though, you may be able to take a sequenceof pictures, especially if the person is immersed insome kind of activity or chatting to someone else.

The downside of candids is that you have littlecontrol over things such as lighting or background, andfor that reason you will almost certainly want to controlthe two approaches.

Taking posed photosIf you do go the posed route, be prepared to offerdirection rather than leave people to their own devices.The more you tell them what to do, within reason, themore confident they will be in your abilities. It’s best to

have some idea how you would like to start things interms of location, pose, lighting and composition, and then make changes as you go along.

The best way to put people at their ease is to chat tothem about things that interest them, such as theirhobbies or work – taking pictures as they grow moreanimated and lost in the conversation.

Photographing childrenThis works particularly well with children, who oftenhave a short attention span, and get bored with posingquickly. Subjects such as pop music and TV programmesare a good place to start, and a fund of knock-knockjokes or amusing stories can help break the ice with


Experimenting with wide-angle lens settings can produce some interesting effects whenshooting people. Wide angle lenses cause some interesting, if at times unflatteringdistortion of the facial features, and the wider the lens you use the more this will beapparent. You can also try experimenting with the Spherize filter in AdobePhotoshop/Elements on a normal picture to recreate the effect of a wide-angle lens.

WIDE-ANGLE CONSIDERATIONS2Only gloomy days it's a good idea to set yourcamera's flashgun to fire a burst of fill-in flashbalanced to the existing lighting to make sure thatyour subject is fully illuminated.

FILL-IN FLASH2

8

Before you take a picture, look aroundthe frame to see if there's anythingmessy or potentially distracting

When shooting indoors using room lighting,switch off ceiling lighting, which causes uglyshadows, and use table lamps insteadg

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youngsters. As any parent knows, if you’re bossy they’llstart to rebel. Encourage them to try different posesrather than telling them to – perhaps by getting them toplay with a favourite pet or toy, or asking them topretend they’re a princess or king.

One of the key things when photographing children is to get down to their level, both literally andmetaphorically. Crouching so you’re the same height asthem means you don’t get awkward expressions asthey strain to look up at you.

Babies are easy to photograph, because they staywhere you put them, but toddlers can be tricky becausethey tend to be in perpetual motion – rushing towardsyou when you try to photograph them. For that reason acandid approach is more likely to be successful.

Improving compositionAs with other areas of photography, composition playsan important part in portraiture. How big you make theperson in the frame, and where you place them is, to alarge degree, a matter of personal preference. Andwhile you will obviously want to enhance images onceyou get them on a computer, you don’t want to losequality by throwing too many pixels away – and it’s agood idea to get your composition as right as possible inthe first place.

One option is to include all of the person. This workswell if you want to show them in context, but can lackimpact because they often seem far away. For generalpicture-taking a three-quarters crop, typically from justabove the knees, is a good choice – the face isn’t sosmall in the frame but you can still see the background.For maximum impact, try cropping even tighter, to ahead and shoulders. You get lots of eye contact, and theonly real downside is you don’t see any of the setting.

If your camera has a zoom lens, it’s better to use thatto fill the frame with the subject, rather than movephysically closer. Avoid taking tightly cropped pictures ofpeople at the wide-angle end of your range – thedistortion that results is far from flattering.

As you go closer you need to make sure you focus onthe eyes because the depth of field is greatly reduced,and if the eyes are unsharp it tends to make the wholepicture look wrong.

When photographing one person, you’ll often want toplace them at the centre of the frame – though it’sworth experimenting with other positions, such as to theside, or even dynamic compositions such as at adiagonal, by tilting the camera.

When photographing two people together, youshould aim to capture something of the relationshipbetween them. If they’re related in some way, getting

them to put their arms around each other and tip theirheads together is a simple way to create a sense of intimacy. It also avoids the common problem of thefocusing sensor going between the heads and focusingon the background – with both people ending up out of focus.

With groups, try to avoid lining them up like a firingsquad. The key to success lies in making sure you cansee everyone’s face and that there’s some kind of shapeor structure. One simple technique is to create a‘triangle’, with the tallest person in the middle, andothers slightly in front and to the side.

Whoever you photograph, and however youphotograph them, one of the great advantages of usinga digital camera is that you can show your subjects theresults straight away, giving them immediate feedbackon how they’re coming across. And once they see theylook okay, they’ll noticeably relax, paving the way foreven better images.

Some digital cameras may give you the option toshoot in black and white, but for greater flexibilityshoot in colour and then convert the image on yourPC. Contrasty images work best when converting toblack and white but this can also be tweaked in yourcontrast settings in your image editor. Here we seevarious colour alternatives, as well as black and white,try experimenting with duo, trio and quadtones.1 Monochrome variation2 Sepia toned image3 Duotone image (black + yellow) 4 Duotone image (black + magenta)

01

02

03 04

EXPERIMENTING WITH COLOUR2

One of the great advantages of usinga digital camera is that you can showyour subjects the results straight away


Flatter people and make them look younger by using the flash whatever the weather.This softens shadows and bleaches lines. To reduce any potential harshness, secure apiece of tissue over the flash – this diffuses the lightf

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FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHINGPEOPLE

DESATURATE TO GREYShift the reds to greys. Under the Imagemenu, go to Adjustments and choose

Desaturate. This turns the red in the eyes to grey. In theLayers palette, click on the Create New Fill or AdjustmentLayer button and pick Hue/Saturation.

02

COLORIZE THE LAYERApply a new colour to the selected grey eyes.The Hue/Saturation dialog window appears

automatically. Add a tick next to Colorize, drag theSaturation slider to the centre (50%) and drag the Hueslider until you find the eye colour you want. Click OK.

03 REDUCE THE LAYER OPACITYArtificially applied colour can look fake so toneit down with layer transparency. Tone it down

by dragging on the Opacity slider in the Layers window.This allows some of the grey in the Background layer totemper the hue you chose.

04

ne of the most basic problems whenphotographing people, is red eye whenusing a flash. Red eye happens when the

bright light from a camera’s flash unit reflects off thethe subject’s retina. Some cameras have red eyereduction features built-in but even then, you maystill have this problem

Luckily, it’s something easily fixed. Many low-endphoto editing programs feature dedicated red-eyeremoval tools and wizards. The latest versions ofPaint Shop Pro, PhotoImpact and Photoshop elementsall do but surprisingly the gorilla of the bunch,Photoshop, expects you to do it all manually.

We’ve used Photoshop to show you how to fix itwithout recourse to fancy tools, but if you haveElements 2, take a look at our tip opposite.

Two steps to heaven There are several ways to approach the problemusing paint brushes and alpha channels, but herewe’ve chosen the most popular method using aneasy two-step technique: first turn the red to grey,then Colorize that grey to something else.

Using an adjustment layer also enables you totemper unrealistically coloured eyes by making thelayer partly transparent. Now take a look opposite:

Red-eyeremoval

SELECT THE EYESMark up both eyes with a selection marqueeready to edit. Use any of the selection tools

with the Shift key held down to select both affected eyesin the photo. For best accuracy, you should zoom in andtrace around the eyes with the Lasso.

01QUICK TIPS

8It’s a hoary old problem – people’s eyesgoing demonic red when taking photosindoors with a flash. It’s easily fixed…

FIXING RED-EYE IN ADOBEPHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 21 Select the Red Eye brushfrom the tools palette.2 Choose a brush from thepop-up palette and select anappropriate brush size. Youcan select the colour youwant to remove when youclick in the relevant part ofthe image. 3 Choose a replacementcolour, either via DefaultColours or Replacementcolour. You will probablywant a good, deep black.4 Choose a Tolerance (howclose in colour different pixelsmust be to the ones they arereplacing). The lower thetolerance, the closer thecolours need to be to thosethey are replacing.5 Click the pupils to changetheir colour.

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FEATURE PHOTOGRAPHINGPEOPLE

TUG THE CONTRASTAdding more contrast will prevent dark areas from colourising in subsequent steps.

In the Curves dialog window, tug the diagonal line down slightly from the middle in order to turn it into agentle curve.

02

ADJUST THE COLOUR BALANCEUse sliders to swing the emphasis from greensto reds in the photo’s midtones. Click OK, then

use the Add A New Fill or Adjustment Layer button tocreate a Color Balance layer. Gently move the sliders tocompensate one channel colour against another. Click OK.

03 NUDGE LEVELSModerate the colour change by adjusting theLevels balance to finish. Create another

Adjustment Layer, this time choosing Levels from thedrop-down list. A tiny adjustment is required here. In ourcase, a slight movement of the middle slider to the right.

04

aking skin look correct is very difficult becausepeople have an idea in their head what colourskin ought to look, regardless how the rest of

the image appears. Another problem is certain kinds of lighting conditions

or a predominance of colours like blue (like outside on asunny day) can affect the balance of all the othercolours, deadening them or making skin tones look cold.

Luckily your image editor contains tools which enableyou either to replace these colour casts or add warmcolours to your image to offset them.

On the other hand, once you begin editing a photofor skin tones, it’s easy to lose track and end up sendingeveryone’s faces pink instead of buff.

Fixing it up The quickest method is to experiment with Variationsunder Photoshop’s Image8Adjustments menu orElements’ Enhance menu, but careful use of multipleAdjustment Layers gives you more control. This isespecially important when you’re trying to add colour toskin (as shown here) rather than take it away. You cando something similar in Paint Shop Pro 7 although thetools here are less flexible.

Probably the best rule of thumb is: add reds, to warmup an image. Take a look opposite:

ADD AN ADJUSTMENT LAYERStart with a new Adjustment Layer for eachaction. Open the Layers palette, click on the

Add A New Fill or Adjustment Layer button and chooseCurves from the drop-down list. An Adjustment Layer iscreated and the Curves dialog window appears.

01

8

Correctingskin tonesGet that skin colour right!

QUICK TIPSUSING PHOTOSHOPThe best tool for repairingskin tones is Photoshop,because it enables you towork in CMYK mode (the fourcolours that make up printedcolours – Cyan, Magenta,Yellow and Black). You canprecisely adjust the CMYKvalues separately.

USING ELEMENTS 1 & 2The Variations tool (underEnhance) enables you to addmore of certain colours.

USING PAINT SHOP PRO 7Do something similar usingthe Manual Colour Tool toremove a cold colour castand replace it with a warmcolour category like ‘woods’.See www.jasc.com/tutorials/robin/ for more information.

M

Correctingskin tonesGet that skin colour right!

http://www.jasc.com/tutorials/robin

http://www.jasc.com/tutorials/robin

The fun and easy way to share your home moviesand digital photos on CD and DVD

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Preserve yourMemories

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For more information call us on 01895 424228or visit us at www.pinnaclesys.com/expression/digicam

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The Official Magazine

What will handwriting recognition, wireless networking and complete portabilitydo for you? Your complete guide to the next generation mobile computer!

Available 14 November 2002 priced £5.99 Call 0870 444 8470 to order a copy now!

Special edition with CD & free mousemat!

Microsoft and the Windows XP logo are either registered trademarks ortrademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries

From the makers of MicrosoftWindows XP: The Official Magazine

Tablet PCEdition



100% definitive

How our scoring system works

ello and welcome to the firstreviews section of DigitalCamera Magazine. As our

reviews section develops in future issues,it will be our aim to be the first to bringyou the very latest digital cameras andrelated software.

This month, with aftershave ads on TVpointing ominously to Christmas, wethought it would be a good idea to kickoff with some of the crop of compactcameras out on the market at themoment. We’ve taken a representativesample of cameras so you can see whatyour money will buy you in the £300 to£600 price range.

We have a slightly belated look atPhotoshop Elements 2 on page 42. Withits huge range of quality image-editingfeatures for the digital camera user on abudget, this program quite simply blowsthe competition away.

On a slightly different tack, digitalphotography isn’t just about the best kitat top prices. Many of us also want asecond, cheaper mini camera that issmall enough to slip in a pocket, andhandy for firing off a few shots whensomething catches our eye. We’vecompared six of the best in our two-pagereview of mini cameras on page 46.

What’s the best format for storing yourimage collection away from yourcomputer? A 750Mb Zip disc or a CD-RWdrive? We look at two solutions fromIomega on page 45.

Finally, all this great kit is no good ifyour printer coughs out bad quality prints or produces colours that fade fasterthan a British racing driver. We’ve put six colour A4 inkjets through the DigitalCamera Magazine labs. Check out theresults before you buy – we think you’llbe surprised…

H

NEWHARDWARE&SOFTWARE4

CONTACT OUR REVIEWS TEAMIf you have a comment about our reviews, or a product you

would like us to test, please email us at [email protected] our website at digitalcameramagazine.co.uk for reader verdicts

DIGITALCAMERAMAGAZINE

P34 P49P42

P45P36

4

CAMERA RANGEIs it better to pay abit more for a bit

extra? Our 'range' box on thebottom left-hand corner of thereview lists other camerassupplied by the manufacturer.

COMPARISON STRIPPeel back each right-hand page, line up

the Performance strip with theother strips, and compare the testshots from each camera.

OTHER MAKESIs there a better dealavailable from

another manufacturer?

3D CAMERA TOURSTry before you buy!Rotate and view each

camera on-screen with ourunique virtual reality tour.

LINKS TO THE WEBVisit our website foreven more info.

BEST BUY CAMERA – KONICA KD-400Z BEST BUY CAMERA – OLYMPUS IOMEGA ZIP 750

ADOBE ELEMENTS 2 LAB TEST – INKJETS

EACH SCORE IS OUT OF 100

90+ An outstanding and almostfaultless product. Buy it! 80-89 A well thought out productlet down by a few minor details70-79 A product that scores welland is worth considering50-69 Average. A middle-of-the-road product that certainly doesn'tset the world alight30-49 A below average product 0-29 Something that insults theintelligence of people everywhere

FEATURES Rates the strength ofthe specificationIMAGES Rates resolution, colourbalance, ability to handle varyingconditions and accuracyBUILD Rates styling and how wellthe camera has been constructedVALUE Rates whether the camerais good value for money

What our reviews icons mean

*C

WORTHA LOOK2

ON OUR CD All cameratest and comparisonshots are on-disc.

ON OUR WEBSITEReviews, links tosuppliers, readeropinions, latest prices.

WORTH A LOOKAlternative offeringsfrom rival cameramanufacturers.


3D TOUR Virtual tour ofthis camera can befound on our CD.

BEST BUY Awarded to afinal score of 90% plus.This product delivers what it promises.

DIGITAL RANGE Four to fivemanufacturer alternativesso you can see if it’s worthspending a bit more money.

£5

What you’ll want next, reviewed and rated

Our reviews are carefully crafted to give you all the info you need

■ FUJIFILM FINEPIX F401 P32■ KONICA KD-400Z P34■ OLYMPUS C-4000 ZOOM P36■ TOSHIBA PDR-T20 P38■ KODAK DX4330 P40

■ ADOBE ELEMENTS 2 P42■ QUICK FIX PLUG-INS P44

■ IOMEGA ZIP 750 P45■ IOMEGA PREDATOR 2 P45

■ SIPIX STYLECAM BLINK P46■ FUJIFILM FINEPIX A101 P46■ MUSTEK GSMART MINI2 P46■ FUJIFILM @XIA SLIMSHOT P47■ PHOTOCLIP 5-IN-1 P47■ SONY DSC-U10 P47

■ 6 SUB-£350 INKJETS P49

LAB TEST

MINI CAMERAS

ARCHIVING SOLUTIONS

SOFTWARE REVIEWS

MAIN CAMERA REVIEWS

Our mission is to ensure that when you buy acamera, you are completely informed about itsbest and worst features. To this end, weguarantee each review is:

■ IndependentWe have a cast-iron policy of editorialindependence. Suppliers never see a review until the magazine hits the newsagent■ AuthoritativeEvery review includes the manufacturer's range,

alternative options, test shots, standard shots, 3D virtual tours on our CD, plus directlinks to buy online, via our website■ ClearWe use diagrams, comparisons and boxes toensure each review delivers a definitive verdict

Reviews you can trust

Kit reviews



he F401 is one of the best looking ultra-compact digital cameras around, with a sleeksilver finish and glowing blue lights. The

camera’s on switch is the vertical strip of silver thathouses the three blue lights. Pull this back and theSuper EBC Fujinon lens pops out to provide a useful 38-114mm, 3x optical zoom range. The automaticaperture selection is based on a range of f2.8-f4.8/f7-f11.6, making the lens quite slow at full zoom. Whennot in use, the camera hides the lens behind a strongin-set cover.

Round the backTurning our attention to the reverse of the camera,there’s a small viewfinder at the top, which you reallyhave to squint through, but it does its job well enough.The LCD is bright, sharp and has the option of a 2 x 2grid overlay, which is great for composing shots.

The body feels tough and the build quality and finishis excellent. Buttons and switches feel well put togetherand small details such as the three blue lights certainlygive the camera a touch of class. A smart black case isprovided to protect the F401 while it’s not in use.

Fujifilm quotes a 1.9 effective megapixel rate for theF401’s CCD. However, as this is a Third Generation SuperCCD, it enables you to take 4-megapixel images as well.The 4-megapixel images are created from the 2-megapixel CCD resolution using Fujifilm’s own algorithmand will take up more space on your memory card.

One of the benefits of this latest Super CCD is a highISO range of 160/200/400/800/1,600 (though the lasttwo are only available at 1,280 x 960 pixels). Anotherpositive point about this CCD is its ability to record videoat 320 x 240 for up to 120 seconds at a good standardof quality.

Operation is straightforward, with mode switches andzoom controls all easy to reach. The menus shown onthe LCD are controlled by only a couple of adjacentbuttons, making this a very user-friendly camera. Thesubtle animations and bold colours of the menus helpmaintain the fresh stylish image of the exterior.

Fujifilm claims the F401 is capable of 450 shots offone charge with the LCD off. With the LCD on thisnumber drops to 200. The battery life impressed in ourtests and we didn’t need to change the battery onceduring a day’s shooting. The camera’s SmartMedia cardis kept under the same cover as the Lithium-ion battery.

Supplied in the box is a 16Mb card, which allows ninephotos to be stored at the 4-megapixel resolution, or 39at a resolution of 2 megapixels.

Supplied with the camera is a stylish cradle, whichgives added convenience for downloading images andcharging the battery. Alternatively, the power and USB

Fujifilm FinePix F401

REVIEWS

The FinePix F401 is the baby of Fujifilm’s F range, sitting below the F601. It shares some similar stylingfeatures with the F601, but it’s a lot more compact, and it has its own special charms…

FUJIFILM FINEPIX F401Price £400Resolution 2.1 megapixelsLens 38-114mm 3x zoomMemory 16Mb SmartMediaContact Fuji 020 7586 1477 www.fujifilm.co.uk

2-MEGAPIXEL ZOOM COMPACT

T


DIGITAL RANGE

FUJIFILM

F401 ZOOMPrice: £400Megapixels: 2.1

2600 ZOOMPrice: £220Megapixels: 2

A101Price: £120Megapixels: 1.3

£


5

LENS COVERHidden behind astrong silver cover, the lens iswell protected

7FLASHThe built-in auto-flash offers red-eyereduction and slowsynchro modes

7CONNECTIONSConnections forpower and USB are left open for the cradle

7


1

4

3

5

SAMPLE IMAGES ALL THESE IMAGES CAN BE FOUND ON OUR CD

VIRTUAL TOURTry before you buy! Rotate andview this camera on-screen withour unique virtual reality tour

*ON OURCOVERDISC

ON OURWEBSITEC

OPINIONS & SHOPPINGVisit our website, read our review,post your views, see what otherreaders think then click straightthrough to buy this camera!

digitalcameramagazine.co.uk

http://www.fujifilm.co.uk


WORTHA LOOK

MINOLTADIMAGE X£300/1.96MP

TOSHIBAPDR-T20£300/2MP

PANASONICLUMIX DMC-F7£280/2MP2 NIKON

COOLPIX 2500£260/2MP

CAMERA REVIEW REFERENCE CARD

BATTERYExpect the Lithium-ionbattery to last about 300shots when fully charged

7 CRADLEThe F401 offers ease of useand a stylish body, togetherwith a convenient cradle

7 VIDEORecord up to 480 secondsof continuous video with sound

7

Price £400Resolution 2.1 megapixelsLens 38-114mm 3x zoomMemory 16Mb SmartMediaContact Fuji 020 7586 1477

www.fujifilm.co.uk

Fujifilm FinePix F401

Fujifilm FinePix F401 FULL SPECIFICATIONSSensor 2.1 (effective) megapixel, 1/2.7-inch Super

CCD in interwoven patternImage size 1,600 x 1,200Lens Super EBC Fujinon 38-114mm

3x optical zoom (1.44x digital)Focus Auto and macro (10-80cm)Exposure Auto and Programmed AEMetering 64-zone TTLMonitor 1.5-inch colour TFT LCD (114,000 pixels)AE Compensation +1.5/-2.1 in 1/3 stopsFlash Auto-flash, Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synchro

Video output N/AMovie recording Up to 480 seconds with soundOther features DPOF, Exif 2.2Image storage SmartMediaBatteries Rechargeable Lithium-ionAC adaptor SuppliedSoftware DP Editor, FinePix Viewer, VideoImpressionWeight 185g (excluding battery)Dimensions 85.0(w) x 69.4(h) x 27.5(d)mmTransfer USBOS Windows 98/2000/Me/XP, Mac OS 8.6+

1

This is an excellent 2-megapixel ultra-

compact camera. It offers lots of style

and high image quality to back it up.

However, when shooting in the 4-

megapixel mode, the 16Mb SmartMedia

card is insufficient

Features

Images

Build

Value

84Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

Small and funkywith pretty goodimage quality

1111

KEY FEATURES

80

85

85

90

http://www.fujifilm.co.uk

Zinio

Insert=True Align=Middle

Closeup 1 Fujifilm FinePix F401

cables can be plugged straight into the camera. The FinePix F401 has reasonably fast operating

times. The lens is out and the camera ready to shootin just over two seconds. After taking a shot there isa delay of about two seconds before you can takeanother picture, but turning the post view option offdecreases this time. Taking a shot without pre-

focusing means delays of between 0.5 and 0.9seconds. Shutter lag on pre-focused shots is good,varying around 0.1 seconds. These figures mean youwon’t become impatient waiting for the camera tocatch up with you, and you’re less likely to miss ashot because of the camera.

With a range of 3.5m, the flash is moderatelyuseful and it’s powerful enough for the occasional

group shot in low light. It features the usual modesof Auto, Red-eye Reduction and Slow Synchro.

The menu includes a continuous shooting mode,which enables you to hold down the shutter so thecamera can fire continuously. And you are able tochoose whether it stores only the last four or thefirst four photos.

Image quality options enable you to select from0.3-, 1.0-, 2.0- and 4.0-megapixel images. Higherresolutions increase the size of the images produced,so if you plan to shoot at four megapixels, you’llbenefit from buying a 128Mb SmartMedia card.

Something that’s unusual to find with digitalcamera of this class is webcam functionality – butthe FinePix F401 has included it. This lets you use

conferencing software to show a real-time image ofyourself right across the world.

When in manual mode, you are able to selectexposure compensation, white balance and ISO, plusa self-timer option. Despite this rather basic menu,photos taken by the FinePix F401 show a high levelof colour accuracy, and the images appear sharp.

The optional ISO settings and exposurecompensation give a limited amount of manualcontrol and very good results can be achieved.In-camera metering and the automatic white-balance performs well with only the occasional slip-up. Image noise levels are very low, with none ofthe ugly patterns seen on some cheaper digitalcompacts. Even at the higher ISO settings the thirdgeneration CCD proves to be capable of deliveringabove average results.

The FinePix F401 fulfils the main requirements fora digital compact camera very well. It is suited tomost beginner photographers, offering good imagequality, excellent portability and a limited amount ofmanual control. If you need a flexible level of controlover shutter speeds and apertures, you’ll have tolook at a slightly higher-end model.


SKIN TONES2

5 PRO Good colour accuracy means that most skintones are well presented

CON Being limited to a resolution of two effectivemegapixels, prints over A4 show problems6OUTDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO The metering system is very reliable and, ifneeded, exposure compensation is provided

CON The optical viewfinder is cramped, making yourely largely on the LCD6INDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO The white-balance system causes no grief andthe flash has just enough power for low light shots

CON Although a very minor problem, the tripodmount is at the very edge of the camera6IMAGE QUALITY2

5 PRO For 2 megapixels, a lot of detail is present.Colour accuracy is good, with low levels of noise

CON It would have been good to have options forsharpness and colour saturation6

PERFORMANCEFUJIFILM FINEPIX F401

This is an excellent 2-megapixel ultra-compact camera. It offers lots of styleand high image quality to back it up.However, when shooting in the 4-megapixel mode 16Mb SmartMediacard is insufficient

Features

Images

Build

Value

84Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

Small and funkywith pretty goodimage quality

Fujifilm FinePix F401 FULL SPECIFICATIONS

WORTHA LOOK

Sensor 2.1 (effective) megapixel, 1/2.7-inch Super CCDin interwoven pattern

Image size 1,600 x 1,200Lens Super EBC Fujinon 38-114mm 3x optical zoom

(1.44x digital)Focus Auto and macro (10-80cm)Exposure Auto and Programmed AEMetering 64-zone TTLMonitor 1.5-inch colour TFT LCD (114,000 pixels)AE Compensation +1.5/-2.1 in 1/3 stopsFlash Auto-flash, Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synchro

Video output N/AMovie recording Up to 480 seconds with soundOther features DPOF, Exif 2.2Image storage SmartMediaBatteries Rechargeable Lithium-ionAC adaptor SuppliedSoftware DP Editor, FinePix Viewer, VideoImpressionWeight 185g (excluding battery)Dimensions 85.0(w) x 69.4(h) x 27.5(d)mmTransfer USBOS Windows 98/2000/Me/XP, Mac OS 8.6+

TURN THE PAGE TOCOMPARE TEST SHOTS

VIDEORecord up to 480seconds ofcontinuous videowith sound

7

ZOOM CONTROL3x optical zoom plus1.44x digital zoom

7

The F401 is one of the best looking ultra-compact digital cameras available, withsleek silver finishes and glowing blue lights

MINOLTADIMAGE X£300/1.96MP

TOSHIBAPDR-T20£300/2MP

PANASONICLUMIX DMC-F7£280/2MP

1

2 NIKONCOOLPIX 2500£260/2MP

180

185

190

185

BATTERYExpect the Lithium-ion battery to lastabout 300 shotswhen fully charged

7

LCD PANELThe LCD is detailed and thebrightness level can be adjusted

7

CRADLEThe F401 offers ease of use and a stylishbody, together with a convenient cradle

12

43

NEXT MONTHWE REVIEW THEFUJI FINEPIX F601;

ight from the word go, the Konica KD-400Zdoes not feel like a £400 camera. Its solid,metallic construction is reminiscent of the far

more expensive Canon Ixus and S30/S40 models. Andnot only is the Konica really well made, it’s really smallas well.

Slide back the lens cover (which is a bit stiff andawkward, it has to be said), and the lens pops out, ablue lozenge-shaped lamp below the lens twinkles anda short chime indicates the camera’s ready for use.Konica reckons it has got the world’s fastest start-uptime, and while we can’t confirm that with tests of ourown (not without getting together every camera onsale), it certainly is amazingly quick – a shade under twoseconds in our timings.

This speed is carried through into other functions. Wetimed the shutter lag at consistently below one second,and while that’s still far from instantaneous, it beatsmany mid-range rivals, including the new KodakDX4330 reviewed on page 40. Having said that, youcan’t take another shot until the image-saving process iscompleted, which takes a couple of seconds.

Playback is fast, too – photos take about a second toappear on the LCD, and zooming in to view fine detailand panning around images is fast. Price and sizenotwithstanding, the Konica’s general processing andoperating speed is excellent.

The optical viewfinder is a little cramped – theeyepiece is so small that it can take a moment to getyour eye positioned correctly, but it’s crisp and clearwith minimal distortion. And while the 1.5-inch LCD issmall, it’s bright, saturated and sharp. It updates quickly,too, so there’s no streaking, blurring and jerking if you –or your subjects – move.

The navigation controller is positioned right at thebottom of the backplate, but this doesn’t pose any realproblems once you get used to it. It’s a bit stiff andimprecise at first, but works well enough, and at leastKonica’s resisted any temptation to put an OK button inthe middle. Instead, the controller works in conjunctionwith a Menu/Set button directly alongside, and

between them they offer easy and logical navigation ofthe Konica’s attractive looking menu system (which canalso be set to either Basic or Detailed mode).

One step beyondIncreasing numbers of camera makers are swappingfrom Compact Flash or SmartMedia to SD/Multimediacards. The Konica goes further with two slots: one for anSD card and one for a Memory Stick. You can copy ormove images from one card to another as required and,in theory, the two slots can double the camera’smemory capacity. In practice, though, you’re more likely

to find the dual-format feature useful for swappingimages with a wider variety of other devices.

It’s hard to fault the other controls and buttons on theback of the Konica. The zoom buttons are small but easyto find, and zooming itself is quick. A trio of buttons tothe top-left control playback, the LCD display and imagedeletion, and they’re positive with good tactilefeedback. The flash mode and macro/infinity/self timeroptions are controlled by pressing right or left on thenavigation controller, respectively, to cycle through theoptions. This reduces the number of buttons on the backplate and works well.

Konica KD-400Z

REVIEWS

Konica says it’s ‘the world’s smallest camera in its class’. And at such a competitive price, is this camera toogood to be true? We put it through its paces to find out…

KONICA KD-400ZPrice £400Resolution 4 megapixelsLens 3x optical zoom, 39-117 mm equivalent, f2.8-4.9Memory 16Mb Multimedia card, plus Memory Stick slotContact Konica 020 8751 6121 www.konica.co.uk


R


DIGITAL RANGE

KONICA

KD3000Price: £300Megapixels: 2.2

KD100Price: £100Megapixels: 1.3


£

KD-310ZPrice: £330Megapixels: 3.2

5

ZOOM LENSCould maybe dowith being a bitwider at thewideangle end

7

SLIDING LENS COVERAlso acts as thepower switch

7TRIPOD BUSHUse this for long exposures to prevent camera shake

7

KD-400ZPrice: £400Megapixels: 2

4

5


3

DIGITALCAMERAMAGAZINE*ON OUR

COVERDISC

ON OURWEBSITEC



http://www.konica.co.uk



ZOOM LENSCould maybe do withbeing a bit wider at thewideangle end

7 SLIDING LENS COVERAlso acts as the power switch

7 TRIPOD BUSHUse this for longexposures to prevent camera shake

7

Price £400Resolution 4 megapixelsLens 3x optical zoom,

39-117 mm equivalent, f2.8-4.9Memory 16Mb Multimedia card,

plus Memory Stick slotContact Konica 020 8751 6121

www.konica.co.uk

Konica KD-400Z

Konica KD-400Z FULL SPECIFICATIONS

WORTHA LOOK

Sensor 4.13-megapixel CCDImage size 2,304 x 1,704Lens Hexanon 3x optical zoom, 39-117mm

equivalent, f2.8-4.9 (2x digital)Focus Auto and macro (10cm-infinity)Exposure modes Programmed AEMetering Centre-weighted, spotMonitor 1.5-inch TFTAE compensation +2/-2EV in 0.3EV incrementsFlash auto-flash, red-eye reduction,

night portrait, offVideo output N/A

Movie recording With soundOther features In-camera picture resizing,

voice annotationsImage storage SD card and Memory StickBatteries Rechargeable Lithium-ionAC adaptor Charger supplied, AC adaptor optionalSoftware Basic manuals and driversWeight 198g without battery or memory cardDimensions 94(W) x 29.5(H) x 56(D)mmTransfer USBOS Win98/Me, 2000 or XP, Mac OS 9.0 or later

HP PHOTOSMART812£400/4MP

KODAKDX4900£400/4MP

OLYMPUSC-4000£450/4MP

1

2 SAMSUNGDIGIMAX 410SE£400/4MP

The KD-400 is a remarkable camera. It’s

not just the size, build quality, results or

price which, individually, can be

matched by rival cameras. It’s the fact

that you get all four in a package that

really is hard to fault

Features

Images

Build

Value

90Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

Should a camerathis good be thisinexpensive?

178

190

190

197

KEY FEATURES

http://www.konica.co.uk

Zinio


Closeup 1 Konica KD-400Z

Photographically, the Konica is fairly limited. It’snot designed for photo enthusiasts, and its featuresare much on a par with those of other mid-rangecompact cameras. Half-pressure on the shutterrelease locks the exposure, and there’s also an

exposure compensation control that works in 0.3EVincrements. You do have to access the menus to getto this, though, and this illustrates a differencebetween snapshot cameras and those designed forenthusiasts – snapshot cameras offer many of thesame features, but in a less accessible form.

By default, metering is centre-weighted, butthere’s also a spot metering system for trickysubjects. Combine this with optional manual white-balance settings and you’ve got a camera that does

offer a fair degree of photographic flexibility in theright hands.

All the time you’re examining the Konica’soptions and controls, you continue to be struck byjust how small and how well made this camera is. It

oozes quality throughout, and where some digitalcameras can prove disappointingly plasticky, this oneis really quite exceptional.

That, and the very reasonable asking price, leavesyou wondering if the image quality is going to bethe weak link. But it’s not. Indeed, the Konicadoesn’t appear to have many weaknesses. Theexposure accuracy and colour balance areconsistently good, the autofocus is reliable and theimage quality is as good as you’ll get on a 4-

megapixel digital camera. More expensiveenthusiast’s models will give you more photographiccontrol, but any differences in outright image qualitywill be so small as to leave you wondering whetheryou’re just splitting hairs.

If the Konica does have a weakness, it’s thatthere’s no software bundle. You get a CD containingthe camera’s driver and a PDF-based instructionmanual, but that’s all. That won’t be a problem forthose who’ve got image-editing software already,though, and the Konica does connect to yourcomputer simply – it acts as an external drive,leaving you free to use Explorer if you want to viewand copy your photos to your hard disk.

There are lots of other 4-megapixel digitalcameras to compare the KD-400Z with, but few at£400. The two big-name rivals are HP’s PhotoSmart812 and Kodak’s DX4900, and the Konica is miles better than both of them. It’s better made,produces better pictures (certainly in the case of theHP) and it’s nicer to use. It’s not often we canrecommend a camera unreservedly, but for imagequality, price and build, the Konica KD-400Z is in aclass of its own.


SKIN TONES2

5 PRO Very good in all conditions, including overcastdaylight, sun and shots taken using the flash

CON None. A very good, reliable and consistentperformance all round6OUTDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO The Konica copes well with bright skies,which routinely confuse cheaper cameras

CON Highlights have a tendency to wash out onthe white doors, frames and T-shirts, for example6INDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO Konica’s smooth shutter release helps keephand-held shots sharp

CON Flash power looks low when set to auto indaylight when it’s balanced against ambient light6IMAGE QUALITY2

5 PRO The Konica might be tiny, but that doesn’tappear to affect its optical performance

CON A tendency to overexposure can blot out thehighlights, reducing your images’ dynamic range6

PERFORMANCEKONICA KD-400Z

The KD-400 is a remarkable camera.It’s not just the size, build quality,results or price which, individually, canbe matched by rival cameras. It’s thefact that you get all four in a packagethat really is hard to fault

Features

Images

Build

Value

90Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

Should a camerathis good be thisinexpensive?

Konica KD-400Z FULL SPECIFICATIONS

WORTHA LOOK

Sensor 4.13-megapixel CCDImage size 2,304 x 1,704Lens Hexanon 3x optical zoom, 39-117mm equivalent,

f2.8-4.9 (2x digital)Focus Auto and macro (10cm-infinity)Exposure modes Programmed AEMetering Centre-weighted, spotMonitor 1.5-inch TFTAE compensation +2/-2EV in 0.3EV incrementsFlash auto-flash, red-eye reduction, night portrait, offVideo output N/A

Movie recording With soundOther features In-camera picture resizing, voice annotationsImage storage SD card and Memory StickBatteries Rechargeable Lithium-ionAC adaptor Charger supplied, AC adaptor optionalSoftware Basic manuals and driversWeight 198g without battery or memory cardDimensions 94(W) x 29.5(H) x 56(D)mmTransfer USBOS Win98/Me, 2000 or XP, Mac OS 9.0 or later


The Konica doesn’t appear to have manyweaknesses. The exposure accuracy andcolour balance are consistently good

HP PHOTOSMART812£400/4MP

KODAKDX4900£400/4MP


1

2 SAMSUNGDIGIMAX 410SE£400/4MP

178

190

190

197

14

3

BATTERYThe Konica’slithium cell isrecharged off-camera

7LCDIt’s only a 1.5-inchunit, but it’s very sharp, brightand responsive

7NAVIGATION CONTROLLERA bit stiff but, like theother buttons, it’s positiveand feels well made

7

ver the past year or so, Olympus has gained agood reputation in the mid-range consumerdigital camera market. The reasons behind

this are plain and simple – robust, attractive cameraswith superb image processing and excellent usability.

The C-4000 ZOOM has been launched after thesuccess of the incredibly rugged and semi-pro feeling C-4040 ZOOM, and although it features the same basic design, it is a very different camera. Gone is the black,speckled metal feeling of the C-4040 that we like somuch, to be replaced by a slick, brushed metal andsilver plastic case.

Don’t get us wrong, the finish is top-notch and thecamera certainly feels strong enough to take a fewrough knocks but, all in all, it seems like it’s more proneto scratches, and lacks the professional feel of the C-4040. In terms of feature positioning, the C-4000 isidentical to the C-4040, sporting a 1.8-inch LCD, menucontrols, quick display control, exposure settings and aflash control button on the back. A Power/Mode dialsits on the top of the camera directly behind theshutter/W/T zoom controls.

UsabilityThe C-4000 ZOOM is a doddle to set up and use. Muchof this is due to the incredibly intuitive menu system.Appearing on the LCD, the colour-coded system enablesyou to do all the usual things – change resolution/filetype and so on, as well as set up white balance,sharpness, contrast and generally customise thecamera’s settings. It’s a simple, yet effective menusystem that puts other manufacturer’s convolutedsystems to shame. The virtual dial system (enabling youto cycle through mode options) is similarly intuitive.

The C-4000 sports a f2.8 3x zoom lens, with a focallength equivalent to 32-96mm in a standard 35mmcamera. Add to this the 3.5x digital zoom and you haveup to 10x magnification – impressive stuff for a camerain this price bracket. One thing that takes away fromthis, however, is the clunkiness of the zoom. It seems tojar slightly as you zoom in and out on a subject. None

of this affects the final shot, of course, so maybe we’rejust being picky.

Good images, vibrant coloursOlympus’ image processing is simply superb, and thethe company’s TruePic technology goes a long way tooptimise all elements of an image, including contrast,colour purity and gradation. As a result, Olympus boastsimages that are vibrant, well defined and feature agood tonal range.

Indeed, the TruePic technology seems to live up to thecompany’s claims – the C-4000 takes better qualityshots in all conditions. Indoor shots are refreshinglyvibrant, and shots capturing close-up subjects such asflowers retain a remarkable amount of detail – evenwhen the flash is used. The skin tones remain true tothe viewfinder in low-light conditions, thanks to thecamera’s excellent automatic white balancing.

The six pre-set white balance settings enable you toget the most out of daylight, overcast and fluorescent

Olympus C-4000 ZOOM

REVIEWS

The latest Camedia 4-megapixel camera packs in tons of features to a classy lookingbody. And the quality of the images is absolutely superb…

OLYMPUS C-4000 ZOOMPrice £449Resolution 4 megapixelsLens f2.8 3x zoom lensMemory 16Mb SmartMedia suppliedContact Olympus 0800 072 0070 www.olympus.co.uk


O


DIGITAL RANGE

OLYMPUS

C-4000Price: £449Megapixels: 4

C-300ZPrice: £299Megapixels: 3

C-220Price: £199Megapixels: 2

£

E-10Price: £999Megapixels: 4

5

SMARTMEDIAThe C-4000 comes bundled with a 16MbSmartMedia card

7BATTERIESThe C-4000 takes AAbatteries as well theOlympus-onlyLithium-ion versions

7VIDEOThe C-4000 outputsQuickTime videoand shows all theLCD menu screens

7E-20PPrice: £1,499Megapixels: 5

2

3

5



*ON OURCOVERDISC

ON OURWEBSITEC




http://www.olympus.co.uk



ZOOM LEVER3x optical zoom and 3.5xdigital zoom gives a totalzoom of 10x

7 MODE DIALChange betweenshooting modes withstandard mode dial

7 MENUMove through the C-4000’s excellent set-upmenu with these buttons

7

Price £450Resolution 4 megapixelsLens f2.8 3x zoom lensMemory 16Mb SmartMedia suppliedContact Olympus 0800 072 0070

www.olympus.co.uk

Olympus C-4000 ZOOM

Olympus C-4000 ZOOM FULL SPECIFICATIONS

WORTHA LOOK

Sensor 1/1.8-inch CCD solid-state image pickup with 4.13 million pixels

Image size 3,200 x 2,400 (in Print enlarge mode)Lens Olympus 3x multivariator zoom lens Focus TTL system iESP autofocus Focusing range 0.2 m – infinityExposure Programmed auto exposure, Aperture

priority auto and Shutter priorityMetering Spot metering. Multi-spot meteringMonitor 1.8-inch colour TFT LCD monitor AE Compensation ±2 EV in ±1/3 EV stepsFlash Auto, red-eye reduction, off, fill-in slow synch

Movie recording QuickTime Motion JPEG recordingOther features AF area selection systemImage storage SmartMediaBatteries Lithium-ionAC adaptor Not suppliedSoftware USB drivers, Camedia MasterWeight 290g (without batteries and Smart

Media card)Dimensions 110 (W) x 76 (H) x 70 (D) mmTransfer USBOS Windows 98/2000/NT/XP, Mac OS 9+/OS X

NIKONCOOLPIX 4500£599/4MP

CANONPOWERSHOT S40£549/4MP

SONYDSC-P9£469/4MP

1

2 KODAKDX4900£349/4MP

A range of creative and photographic

features are on offer – making this

camera suitable for both the beginner or

intermediate photographer looking for a

second, more compact camera

Features

Images

Build

Value

90Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

A fantastic sub-£500 4-megapixeldigital camera

1111

KEY FEATURES

90

90

93

90

http://www.olympus.co.uk

Zinio


Closeup 1 Olympus C-4000 ZOOM

lighting conditions. We were struck by the results of the AF area selection system, which enables youto move the metering point along a horizontal and vertical axis in the viewfinder, so you can focus on areas other than the centre of the shot.Impressively, a histogram also enables you to tweak

brightness levels from a graphical interface. In terms of creative control and features, the

C-4000 has much more to offer than your standard4-megapixel automatic camera. These are mainlywithin the camera’s comprehensive exposure andscene selection controls. The iESP autofocus workswell when you want to point and shoot, but morecontrol is possible. The usual spot metering is here,

plus multi-spot metering for setting up the exposurebased on several user-defined metering points.

One Mode of interest is the Scene Programmingmode. When switched to this, you’re presented with a graphical dial interface. Primarily aimed atbeginners, this enables you to choose the type of

shot you’re going photograph so the camera canadjust its settings accordingly.

The Scene modes include portrait, landscape,sports and night shots. And once you’ve become adept at adjusting manual metering functionality,you can save your settings and refer back to them atany time – again, this is a novel and genuinelyuseful feature.

Other highlights include the ability to record smallQT movies; five flash modes, providing a goodamount of control over artificially-lit shots; and anoise reduction feature for slow exposure shots.

In the box you get the normal USB lead for datatransfer, an AV cable and Olympus’ Camedia Master software for basic image management andediting. What is inexcusable, though (and we wishOlympus would sort this out), is the lack of arechargeable battery and adaptor in the box.Although you can buy a battery separately, youreally shouldn’t have to do so.

Having said this, the camera does take AAbatteries as well as Olympus-only Lithium-ionbatteries, which is handy if you run out of juice in aforeign location.

Olympus has built an affordable, 4-megapixelcamera that follows in the footsteps of its consumerrange. Fantastic image quality, a vast range ofcreative controls, excellent build quality and a neatdesign make the C-4000 a really great bit of kit. Ifyou’re looking for a sub-£500 camera that oozesclass and is extremely easy to use, then you needlook no further…


SKIN TONES2

5 PRO Skin tones remain excellent in almost allconditions – the auto white balancing is excellent

CON Colours can be rather washed out inartificially lit shots 6OUTDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO Great range of colours and tones, bright andcolourful images

CON Range of exposure settings can be a littlebaffling for beginners6INDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO Colours remain true and image qualitysharp – even in close-ups shots

CON Flash can be a tad bright and needs to becarefully adjusted6IMAGE QUALITY2

5 PRO Olympus’ TruePix technology means thatfine details in images are captured beautifully

CON Focusing on close-up subjects can be trickyjust using the LCD6

PERFORMANCEOLYMPUS C-4000 ZOOM

A range of creative and photographicfeatures are on offer – making this camera suitable for both thebeginner and intermediatephotographer looking for a second,more compact camera

Features

Images

Build

Value

90Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

A fantastic sub-£500 4-megapixeldigital camera

Olympus C-4000 ZOOM FULL SPECIFICATIONS

WORTHA LOOK

Sensor 1/1.8-inch CCD solid-state image pickup with4.13 million pixels

Image size 3,200 x 2,400 (in Print enlarge mode)Lens Olympus 3x multivariator zoom lens Focus TTL system iESP autofocus Focusing range 0.2 m – infinityExposure Programmed auto exposure, Aperture priority

auto and Shutter priorityMetering Spot metering. Multi-spot meteringMonitor 1.8-inch colour TFT LCD monitor AE Compensation ±2 EV in ±1/3 EV steps

Flash Auto, red-eye reduction, off, fill-in slow synch Movie recording QuickTime Motion JPEG recordingOther features AF area selection systemImage storage SmartMediaBatteries Lithium-ionAC adaptor Not suppliedSoftware USB drivers, Camedia MasterWeight 290g (without batteries and Smart Media card)Dimensions 110 (W) x 76 (H) x 70 (D) mmTransfer USBOS Windows 98/2000/NT/XP, Mac OS 9+/OS X


NIKONCOOLPIX 4500£599/4MP

CANONPOWERSHOT S40£549/4MP

SONYDSC-P9£469/4MP

1

2 KODAKDX4900£349/4MP

190

193

190

190

1

2

4

ZOOM LEVER3x optical zoom and3.5x digital zoomgives a total zoomof 10x

7MODE DIALChoose modes likeScene Programmingespecially forbeginners

7MENUMove through the C-4000’s excellentset-up menu withthese buttons

7

In terms of creative control and features, theC-4000 has much more to offer than yourstandard 4-megapixel automatic camera

he first digital cameras available to the publicwere generally expensive, bulky and notterribly well made. In the fast moving world

of digital technology things have changed dramaticallyfor the better. The Toshiba PDR-T20 shows just how farthings have advanced: it’s compact, stylish and offersadvanced technological features.

When not in use, the lens is hidden by a shiny metalcover, providing an extra level of protection. When thiscover is slid back and the camera switched on, the lensextends out and the flash pops up. Providing only amodest 38-76mm 2x focal range, the lens offers areasonably fast aperture of f2.8 at full wide angle and f4at full zoom.

Sensitive soulFlipping the camera over, we can see the mostinteresting feature – the touch-sensitive LCD. Toshiba hasbroken away from the usual interface design to createsomething unique. Held in your hand with the lenscover closed, you could be forgiven for mistaking thePDR-T20 for a PDA or mobile phone.

However a good idea it might seem, some peoplewill just find it too quirky and bothersome. Those who do approve of this system will probably like theanimated graphics and speedy operation. Although astylus is provided, it’s easy to use your fingers instead –but be careful you don’t scratch the screen. This systemallows you to paint directly onto the photo from withinthe camera, and optionally save the result.

Regardless of whether you like the touch screen, thefact of the matter is that it is hard to see the LCD instrong sunlight. And with no alternative opticalviewfinder this is likely to cause frustration.

Combining the reflective silver aluminium finish witha minimalist control pad makes the PDR-T20 one of themost stylish cameras around. To help keep it lookingshiny, Toshiba has included a soft and protective casethat’s a rather ugly green colour. The build quality of thebody is above average for a camera of this class. Thealuminium finish means that the camera feels tough

and reasonably weighted, and the lozenge shape fitsinto a pocket easily. The one major criticism of the bodyis the absence of a tripod mount.

In performanceThis camera uses a 3.7V 1035mAh battery, whichmeans it has a fair bit of power behind it. Coincidentally,the battery is identical to that used in the other digitalcompact cameras by Pentax and Fujifilm. Toshiba quotes120 shots off one battery charge with the flash at 100per cent. This is a reasonable figure but, unfortunately,the battery didn’t perform so well in our tests. It wasonly because we were carrying a spare battery that wewere able to continue shooting on a day out. On a

camera such as this, it’s crucial that the batteryperformance is excellent (because it lacks any opticalviewfinder, it’s useless without the LCD switched on).Stored under the same compartment cover as thebattery, there is the camera’s SD card. The card suppliedis 8Mb so it’s only possible to store six photos in thebest quality mode.

After pulling back the lens cover, the lens takesaround six seconds to extend and be ready to take ashot. Shot to shot times are good, with the cameraready to take another shot almost immediately. Afterpre-focusing on the subject, the shutter lag of the shot being taken is minimal for a digital compact ataround .1sec. Focusing times indoors are reasonable,

Toshiba PDR-T20

REVIEWS

We take a look at this touch-sensitive, ultra-compact digital camera with a stylishappearance and some unique features

TOSHIBA PDR-T20Price £300Resolution 2 megapixelsLens 38-76mm 2x zoomMemory 8Mb SDContact Toshiba 08704 424 424 www.home-entertainment.toshiba.co.uk


T


DIGITAL RANGE

TOSHIBA

PDR-T20Price: £300Megapixels: 2

PDR-T10Price: £250Megapixels: 2

PDR-M25Price: £250Megapixels: 2.2

£

PDR-3310Price: £400Megapixels: 3.2

5

FLASHThe flash has built-in auto flash,red-eye reduction

7SLIDING LENS COVERThe stylish metalliccover slidessmoothly over thelens to protect it

7POWERThe disappointingbattery life meansyou’ll have torecharge regularly

7

PDR-M81Price: £700Megapixels: 4.2

2

2 3

5



*ON OURCOVERDISC

ON OURWEBSITEC



http://www.home-entertainment.toshiba.co.uk


WORTHA LOOK

MINOLTA DIMAGE X£300/1.96MP

FUJIFILM FINEPIX F401£400/2.1MP

PANASONICLUMIX DMC-F7£280/2MP2 NIKON

COOLPIX 2500£260/2MP


JOG DIALUsed to control the in-camera menu or forfunctions such as zoom

7 TOUCH-SENSITIVE LCD SCREENA stylus replaces a button- operated LCD

7 BATTERY AND SD CARDThe battery and SD cardare stored inside a neat compartment

7

Price £300Resolution 2 megapixelsLens 38-76mm 2x zoomMemory 8Mb Secure DigitalContact Toshiba 08704 424 424

www.home-entertainment.toshiba.co.uk

Toshiba PDR-T20

Toshiba PDR-T20 FULL SPECIFICATIONSSensor 2.01 (effective) megapixel,

1/2.7-inch colour CCDImage size 1,600 x 1,200 pixelsLens 8-76mm 2x zoom lens. f/2.8 (W)/4 (T)Focus AF, macro (10-27cm)Exposure Program, AutoMetering TTLMonitor 1.5-inch colour TFT LCD (118,000 pixels)AE Compensation N/AFlash Built-in auto flash, red-eye reductionVideo output N/A

Movie recording N/AOther features Exif V2.2Image storage SD memory cardBatteries Lithium-ionAC adaptor SuppliedSoftware USB Driver, ACDSeeWeight 170g (excluding accessories,

battery and SD card)Dimensions 54(w) x 108(h) x 29.5(d)mmTransfer USBOS Windows 98/2000/Me/XP, Mac OS 9.0+

1

Although it provides a stand-out-from-

the-crowd appearance and handling,

the image quality is only average.

Build quality and looks are the main

selling points – especially if style is

important to you

Features

Images

Build

Value

73Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

Stylish but let down slightly byimage quality

1111

KEY FEATURES

70

70

85

75



Zinio


Closeup 1 Toshiba PDR-T20

ranging from 0.9 seconds to 2.1 seconds, dependingon the lighting. Image playback functions are veryfast and you can scroll around the image using yourfinger on the screen.

The built-in flash pops up as soon as you slideback the lens cover. In common with many compact

digital cameras, it lacks power. It has a red-eyereduction mode, which can be turned off throughthe camera menu, and although it will be enoughfor some low lighting indoor shots, it can’t be totallyrelied upon to deliver good results.

Through the camera menu there are a limitednumber of settings for image quality, with high andstandard quality modes for the highest 1,600 x 1,200 resolution. It features a range of ISO options to

choose from – 100, 200 and 400. In addition, there are five pre-set white-balance settings and anautomatic setting.

In order to help beginners get the best possiblephotographs from the camera, there are five scenemodes – Portrait, Portrait + Landscape, Macro, Sports

and Portrait + Night scene. There is also anautomatic control option and a Multi-shot option thattakes 16 small photographs and saves them as asingle image.

Style over substance?Image quality on the PDR-T20 is distinctly average,with occasional shots not appearing sharp and somefine details lost. Colour rendition is also average,

with pale skin tones and colours often under-saturated. The image noise levels are low, however,and respectable up to ISO 400. There are someimage artefacts present, but these shouldn’t benoticeable at smaller print sizes.

The in-camera metering performs well, butwithout exposure compensation to rely on, it mayprove to be problematic. The automatic white-balance system works intelligently, even coping wellwith some potentially tricky shop display lighting.

There are some features that are noticeablyabsent, which means that this is basically anautomatic camera with a limited degree of manualcontrol over image quality. The biggest concern forthis camera is the lack of manual modes. Somemore manual controls – especially exposurecompensation – would make an appreciabledifference to most photographers. Also, many peoplewill be disappointed with the absence of a videocapture mode – something that is almost standardon compact cameras at this price point.

Having said that, the PDR-T20 is still competitivelypriced, and worth considering if style is a big priorityfor you.


SKIN TONES2

5 PRO The resolution of the camera means a fullframe portrait shot contains reasonable detail

CON From a distance the camera’s resolution isinsufficient for fine detail6OUTDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO The metering and white-balance systems areusually reliable

CON In bright sunlight the LCD can be hard to see.No alternative optical viewfinder6INDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO The LCD is easy to see for composing shots. Thewhite-balance system copes with tricky lighting

CON There is no tripod mount, so achieving a sharpshot in low light can be difficult6IMAGE QUALITY2

5 PRO Selectable ISO settings and colour modes allowa small degree of user adjustment

CON Detail levels are only average and at an A4print size the failings will become apparent6

PERFORMANCETOSHIBA PDR-T20

Although it provides a stand-out-from-the-crowd appearance and handling,the image quality is only average.Build quality and looks are the mainselling points – especially if style isimportant to you

Features

Images

Build

Value

73Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

Stylish but letdown slightly byimage quality

Toshiba PDR-T20 FULL SPECIFICATIONS

WORTHA LOOK

Sensor 2.01 (effective) megapixel, 1/2.7-inch colour CCDImage size 1,600 x 1,200 pixelsLens 8-76mm 2x zoom lens. f/2.8 (W)/4 (T)Focus AF, macro (10-27cm)Exposure Program, AutoMetering TTLMonitor 1.5-inch colour TFT LCD (118,000 pixels)AE Compensation N/AFlash Built-in auto flash, red-eye reductionVideo output N/AMovie recording N/A

Other features Exif V2.2Image storage SD memory cardBatteries Lithium-ionAC adaptor SuppliedSoftware USB Driver, ACDSeeWeight 170g (excluding accessories, battery and SD card)Dimensions 54(w) x 108(h) x 29.5(d)mmTransfer USBOS Windows 98/2000/Me/XP, Mac OS 9.0+


JOG DIALUsed to control thein-camera menu orfor functions such as zoom

7TOUCH-SENSITIVELCD SCREENA stylus replaces abutton operated LCD

7BATTERY ANDSD CARDThe battery and SDcard are stored insidea neat compartment

7

Held in your hand with the lens coverclosed, you could be forgiven for mistakingthe PDR-T20 for a PDA or mobile phone

MINOLTA DIMAGE X£300/1.96MP

FUJIFILM FINEPIX F401£400/2.1MP

PANASONICLUMIX DMC-F7£280/2MP

1

2 NIKON COOLPIX 2500£260/2MP

175

170

185

170

1

2

3

odak’s digital camera range is changingquickly right now, and at the time of going topress it consists of two models in the

essentially point-and-shoot CX range, and two in themore advanced DX range.

‘Advanced’ is a relative term, however, and even themost generous-minded photographer will have to admitthat the DX4330 is pretty basic. With only exposure lock(half-pressure and shutter release) and an exposurecompensation function (via the menus) by way ofmanual overrides, you’re largely at the mercy of theautomated functions.

The DX4330 is switched on using the multi-functionmode dial on the top plate. The first position is the Auto setting, which handles flash, exposure andautomatic focus, while other positions optimise thesettings for sports photography, night scenes, landscapesand macro shots.

The DX4330 is simple enough to pick up and startusing straight away, and the controls on the back are scarcely more complicated. The four-way navigationcontroller has a central OK button for switching the LCD display on and off and navigating around thecamera’s menus. There are also Delete, Menu andReview buttons.

The DX4330 has a further Share button. In Reviewmode, this enables you to pick out specific pictures forprinting, emailing or for tagging as Favorites to help youfind them quickly. This feature works with Kodak’sEasyShare software. As soon as you hook your cameraup to your PC (either using the supplied cable or Kodak’sseparately-available Camera Dock), the pictures aretransferred, printed or emailed automatically.

The EasyShare software does its job very well. Youslot the camera into its dock and press the button (orhook it up to your PC via the USB cable), the softwarestarts and you are prompted through the transferprocess. Afterwards, you can use EasyShare to browseyour photo collection, add keywords (Labels), print,email your photos and run on-screen slideshows. It’s allvery user-friendly.

Nice and easy?Most keen photographers want to know what’s goingon with their cameras. And the simplest type of image transfer system is where your camera acts as an external hard drive and you view and moveimages across using Windows Explorer. You then go on to use whatever image-editor or cataloguingsoftware takes your fancy.

Although Kodak’s all-in-one approach is great forbeginners, it means they are only going to learn how touse the EasyShare software, and little about imagemanagement and image editing in general.

The drive towards simplicity has left the camera itselfwith one surprising omission – no white balance control.Granted, you can nearly always leave digital camerasset to auto-white balance and never give it anotherthought, but all Kodak’s rivals offer this feature, andmost experienced photographers will feel slightlyuneasy at the thought of it not being there.

But what’s the DX4330 like to use? In common withprevious Kodaks, it’s chunky enough but does not feelespecially expensive. The main mode dial’s got quite apositive metallic springiness to it, which feels goodinitially but soon proves a bit imprecise. On the back,

Kodak DX4330

REVIEWS

Kodak’s latest EasyShare software and cameras aim to bring digital photography to themasses. Does it succeed with the DX4330, or is it just too simplistic?

KODAK DX4330Price £300Resolution 3.1 megapixelsLens 3x optical zoom, 38-114mm equivalent, f2.8/5.1Memory 16Mb Multimedia cardContact Kodak 0870 243 0270 www.kodak.co.uk

3.1-MEGAPIXEL DIGITAL CAMERA

K


LENS38-114mm(equivalent) zoom:surprisingly crispand punchy

7POWER2x AAs or a singleLithium-ion CRV3cell – convenientand inexpensive

7

MODE DIALSpringy and firm, but a littleimprecise, too

7

1

3



*ON OURCOVERDISC

ON OURWEBSITEC

DIGITAL RANGE

KODAK

CX4230Price: £200Megapixels: 2

CX4210Price: £150Megapixels: 2

£

DX4330Price: £300Megapixels: 3.1

5

DX4900Price: £350Megapixels: 4

5



http://www.kodak.co.uk


WORTHA LOOK


SONYDSC P71£350/3.2MP

KONICA REVIOKD300Z£300/3.2MP2 HP PHOTOSMART

720£300/3.3MP


FOUR-WAY CONTROLLERThose central OK buttonsare always a fiddle to use

7 SHARE BUTTONOn-camera Share button fortagging images for emailingand printing

7 ZOOM CONTROLThe zoom is slow andyou’re restricted to amaximum 4x zoom

7

Price £300Resolution 3.1 megapixelsLens 3x optical zoom,

38-114mm equivalent, f2.8/5.1Memory 16Mb Multimedia cardContact Kodak 0870 243 0270

www.kodak.co.uk

Kodak DX4330

Kodak DX4330 FULL SPECIFICATIONSSensor 3.3-megapixel CCDImage size 2,160 x 1,440Lens Kodak Retinar 3x optical, 38-114mm

equivalent, f2.8/5.1 (3.3x digital)Focus Auto and macro (7-70cm)Exposure modes Program with ‘scene’ modes (macro,

landscape, sport, night, movie)Metering Multi-pattern TTLMonitor 1.8-inch ‘indoor/outdoor’ typeAE compensation +2/-2EV in 0.5EV incrementsFlash Built-in auto-flash, red-eye reduction, fill, offVideo output NTSC/PAL

Movie recording Yes, with soundOther features On-camera tagging for email, printing,

favouritesImage Storage Internal memory (8Mb) and SD card slotBatteries CRV3 Lithium-ion or 2 x AAsAC adaptor Not supplied (optional Camera Dock)Software Kodak EasyShareWeight 210g (without batteries)Dimensions 110.5(W) x 66(H) x 39(D)mmTransfer USBOS Win98/Me/2000/XP, Mac OSX

1

Kodak’s EasyShare system certainly is

easy, but it’s designed more as an

all-in-one solution for snappers

with little interest in learning the

technicalities. Image quality is reasonable,

but certainly not perfect

Features

Images

Build

Value

63Verd

ict

FINALSCORE

%

A good beginners’camera but lacksreal charm

1111

KEY FEATURES

55

63

62

70

http://www.kodak.co.uk

Zinio


Closeup 1 Kodak DX4330

the controls are similarly uninspiring. There’s a bittoo much play in the four-way navigation pad, andit’s too easy to push it in one of the four directionswhile you’re pressing the central OK button. Thismakes menu navigation a bit of an ordeal.

The battery requirements are modest (just a pairof AA cells or the supplied rechargeable CRV3 cell),

and the in-dock recharging is a neat and foolproofway to keep them topped up.

We’re less keen on Kodak’s recent swap fromCompact Flash cards to Multimedia cards, though.Compact Flash is the commonest and cheapestformat, and it’s hard to understand why Kodak’sdesigners couldn’t find space to slot it into the newDX range. It’s a nuisance, too, if you’ve already got a

Compact Flash card reader, as many digitalphotographers will have.

That’s not necessarily relevant, though, since theDX4330 is clearly aimed at digital first-timers. In thisrespect it does a good job, providing crisp, bright,colourful images with point-and-shoot reliability. Theimage transfer and tagging system might not appeal

to established digital photographers, but forbeginners it’s neat and accessible.

Picture reviewing is slow. Although the Kodakdisplays a low-res preview of each shot immediately,it takes a couple of seconds to render a full-resolution version on the LCD. Zooming in is slow –you’ll have to get used to watching that hourglass ifyou want to look at your shots close up, and you’re

restricted to a maximum 4x zoom level, too(contrast this with the Konica KD-400Z on page 34,which races through startup, image display andzooming, right up to 12x magnification).

The results delivered by the Kodak belie its fairlycrude feel and specifications. They’re sharp, colourfuland well exposed. It’s only when you get the finedetail that you start to see a loss in quality – not somuch in outright sharpness, but more in thesmudging of subtle tones. High-contrast detail comesout well, but low-contrast detail less well.

The DX4330 has a couple of nice touches thatother cameras don’t include, such as automaticpicture orientation to save you having to rotateportrait-format shots on your PC, and an LCDdesigned to be viewable in both bright daylight andindoors (though we found it a bit dim and lacklustrein both sets of conditions).

Beginners will be happy with this camera, and itdelivers a satisfactory blend of performance, qualityand price but, in reality, it does little better than anyone of a number of similarly-priced 3-megapixelcameras on the market. And, for a little moremoney you can get a lot more camera…


SKIN TONES2

5 PRO Good, both in direct sunlight and when usingflash indoors, with no unflattering colour shifts

CON Outdoor shots in overcast lighting have dull,pinkish tinge (exposure compensation might fix)6OUTDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO Good highlight control with a reducedtendency to highlight burn-out

CON Tendency towards underexposure and tonalcompression leaves many shots looking flat6INDOOR SHOTS2

5 PRO The white balance copes with mixed lightingand the flash balances with ambient light

CON A softer/smoother shutter release wouldreduce the risk of camera shake in low light6IMAGE QUALITY2

5 PRO Crisp, sharp and colourful with objects thathave clearly-defined detail and plenty of contrast

CON Tends to go mushy with detail that’s lesscontrasty, such as delicately shaded vegetation 6

PERFORMANCEKODAK DX4330

Kodak’s EasyShare system certainly iseasy, but it’s designed more as an all-in-one solution for snappers with little interest in learning thetechnicalities. Image quality isreasonable, but certainly not perfect

Features

Images

Build

Value

63Verd

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A good beginners’camera but lacksreal charm

Kodak DX4330 FULL SPECIFICATIONS

WORTHA LOOK

Sensor 3.3-megapixel CCDImage size 2,160 x 1,440Lens Kodak Retinar 3x optical, 38-114mm

equivalent, f2.8/5.1 (3.3x digital)Focus Auto and macro (7-70cm)Exposure modes Program with ‘scene’ modes (macro,

landscape, sport, night, movie)Metering Multi-pattern TTLMonitor 1.8-inch ‘indoor/outdoor’ typeAE compensation +2/-2EV in 0.5EV incrementsFlash Built-in auto-flash, red-eye reduction, fill, off

Video output NTSC/PALMovie recording Yes, with soundOther features On-camera tagging for email, printing, favouritesImage Storage Internal memory (8Mb) and SD card slotBatteries CRV3 Lithium-ion or 2 x AAsAC adaptor Not supplied (optional Camera Dock)Software Kodak EasyShareWeight 210g (without batteries)Dimensions 110.5(W) x 66(H) x 39(D)mmTransfer USBOS Win98/Me/2000/XP, Mac OSX


The DX4330 is clearly aimed at digital first-timers. In this respect it does a good job,providing crisp, bright, colourful images


SONYDSC P71£350/3.2MP

KONICA REVIOKD300Z£300/3.2MP

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2 HP PHOTOSMART720£300/3.3MP

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3

FOUR-WAYCONTROLLERThose central OKbuttons are alwaysa fiddle to use

7SHARE BUTTONOn-camera Sharebutton for taggingimages for emailingand printing

7ZOOM CONTROLThe zoom is slow andyou’re restricted to amaximum 4x zoom

7

hen it comes to image editors, there isnothing better than Adobe Photoshop. A long-term industry standard, its depth and breadth

of high-quality colour correction, image-enhancementand compositing tools make it an essential tool for anyprofessional digital artist or photographer.

However, at nearly £600, it’s beyond the budget ofmany people. So, what options are there for the digitalcamera user on a budget?

You could opt for Jasc’s popular Paint Shop Pro or afreeware offering such as The GIMP. Alternatively, youcould go for Adobe’s latest budget image-editingapplication, Photoshop Elements 2.

Elements 2 is a cut-down, digital camera-orientatedversion of Photoshop. It keeps and adapts certainPhotoshop features that the digital photographer willneed and discards other, more professional, print-orientated features.

The first release of the application offered an intuitiveinterface, excellent colour-correction tools, an innovativefile browser and an easy path to the higher-end worldof Photoshop. So what’s changed? Well, nothing interms of product positioning but, as far as features go,both beginners – and existing users who want toupgrade – will be in for a pleasant surprise.

The interface itself is elegant, and sports the familiarAdobe look and feel, and it works on both Microsoft’sand Apple’s latest operating systems (Windows XP andOS X 10.2 Jaguar).

What it offers the digital photographerThe main improvement to the creative-based tools inElements is within the Brush tools. Taking its lead fromPhotoshop 7, Elements 2 contains a variety of naturalbrushes, enabling you to echo traditional media effectswithin your digital artwork.

Although not as comprehensive and powerful asPhotoshop’s brushes (with dynamic controls that enableyou to alter brush shape, paint viscosity and otherelements as you paint), they do a fine job and are

Filters palette has remained much the same (butPhotoshop’s hasn’t changed in a long time, either), butthis is no real surprise.

Creative toolsThe only real addition as far as creative tools areconcerned is the Selection Brush. Add this to the MagicWand and Marquee tools that already exist in Elements,and you have a formidable number of tools for creatingcutouts and masks. Much like Photoshop’s Quick Mask,the Selection Brush enables you to paint on selectionsusing Elements’ range of brushes. Selection methods

Photoshop Elements 2

REVIEWS

A vast range of quality image-editing features for the digital camera user on a budget. We introduce thelatest release of Photoshop Elements – it’s a truly class act…

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2Manufacturer AdobePrice £69Contact Adobe 0208 606 40000 Website www.adobe.co.uk

IMAGE-EDITINGSOFTWARE

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The Picture Package feature lets you printmultiple versions of the same image or differentsize images on one sheet of photo paper

Photoshop Elements 2’s new Quick Fix dialogenables you to easily adjust images withoutwading through many menus

simple to use. The context-sensitive tool options barprovides access to all the brushes, as well as opacityand blending mode controls.

Layer styles (which enable you to automatically apply certain image effects) have been improved, andnow the quick creation of a wider range of professionaldrop shadows and bevels is easier than before. TheDrawing tools library has been updated, with morevector shapes available for use in your compositions.Enhancements to the ever-intuitive Liquify dialog comein the form of Wacom tablet support, which makespushing, pulling and warping your images a breeze. The

FEATURESNEW STUFF ■ Quick Fix dialog■ Smart Messages■ Glossary■ Selection Brush■ Create PDF Slideshows■ Import frame from video■ Attach email

ENHANCED STUFF ■ File Browser■ Variations dialog■ Picture Package■ Brushes■ Drawing tools library■ Layer Styles■ Liquify■ Save For Web

x

WHICH IMAGE EDITOR?2Budget: if budget is not aconsideration, get Photoshop 7. It’s as simple as that. If budget is a consideration, then it’s a toss-upbetween Elements 2 and Paint Shop Pro 7, with both offeringcomprehensive file-browsing and image-editing tools. We’d give the edge to Elements 2, though,

purely because it includes handyfeatures for correcting and publishingyour photographs.Features: the range of tools on offerin Adobe’s flagship app is stunning.While it’s true that Elements 2 doesmany of the things that Photoshopdoes on a consumer level, when itcomes to professional colour

correction and print-preparation tools,it just won’t wash. The ability toimport a frame from a movie file asan image is a boon. It also has a first-rate help system. Platform: finally, while Paint ShopPro is only available for Windows,Elements is available for both Macand PC platforms.

EXCLUSIVE!PHOTOSHOP 7 TRIALTry the very newest version ofPhotoshop for yourself

PAINT SHOP PRO 5Full version of this well-knownimage-editing software – see foryourself whether you need toupgrade to Elements 2

*ON OURCOVERDISC


WEBSITE www.adobe.com:80/products/photoshopel/main.html

http://www.adobe.co.uk

http://www.adobe.com:80/products/photoshopel/main.html


CREATIVE TOOLS2

5 PRO New brushes tools, Selection Brush andupdated Layer Styles features

CON The FX filter’s not updated. Mind you,Photoshop hasn’t seen a filter update in years6FILE BROWSING2

5 PRO The File Browser is intuitive to use, and hashandy new features and help system

CON It’s extremely hard to complain about thefile browsing and ease of use!6COMPATIBILITY2

5 PRO Elements supports all the major file formatsand the File Browser will even read EXIF data

CON Nothing to worry about here6ENHANCEMENT TOOLS2

5 PRO The new Quick Fix dialog and the Variationsdialog are excellent and intuitive to use

CON We’d like to see channels introduced intoElements – but, then again, it is only £696

PERFORMANCEPHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2

For under £70, you’re getting a greatimage editor with a plethora ofintuitive and powerful features. Theapplication also provides an easyroute up to Photoshop

Features

Navigation

Performance

Value

93Verd

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Elements 2 is the best budgetimage-editing app

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USING ELEMENTS 22

It keeps and adapts certain Photoshopfeatures that the digital photographerwill need, and discards other, moreprofessional, print-orientated features

ingenious, help-orientated feature is SmartMessages. If an error message occurs and there’s aword or sentence underlined, you can click on thisto help prevent the error happening again. It makesperfect sense and is a breath of fresh air – finallynew users can demystify error messages. A user-friendly glossary is now searchable from within theapplication, and Recipes (a crummy name weknow), which give step-by-step advice on basic and more complex image-editing techniques, hasbeen improved.

Finally there’s an enhanced Save For Web dialogthat lets you optimise your images for web output;an enhanced Create Web Photo Gallery commandfor quickly uploading folders of images to the web;the ability to quickly add an image to an email; andthe ability to create PDF slideshows.

We’d never say that Elements is a replacementfor Photoshop. However, for those wanting an easyroute into Photoshop – learning the basics of colourcorrection and compositing techniques – Elements 2is the best application around. And at £69, it’sstunning value for money.

1 Shortcuts barCreate a new file, open a document and print filesamongst other things in this handy shortcuts bar

2 FiltersThis palette enables you to apply certain specialeffects filters to a selection, layer, or entire image

3 RecipesThese ‘How To’ guides enable you to learn basic andmore complex image-editing operations

4 EffectsAdd various texture, vignette and frame effects yourimage using this palette

5 Undo HistoryRetrace your image-editing steps and neveraccidentally lose a great effect with this Photoshop-inspired palette

6 Tool OptionsThis content-sensitive tool bar changes as you changetools – providing all the options you need in the sameplace, every time

7 File BrowserSearch for, rename, open and rotate files using Elements’ intuitiveFile Browser

9 HintsThis palette is context-sensitive andchanges to give hints and tips onthe tool that’s currently selected

8 Layer Styles/LayersApply effects individual layers andmanage your layers for bettercomposite images here

The Elements interface is very similar tothe one in Adobe Photoshop. Here’show it works

can be combined (add a Marquee selection to aSelection Brush, say) and they can now be savedout and loaded back in. Adobe has added manynew tools that will please those of us who haveever taken a badly lit shot.

In our opinion, the most useful tool is the newQuick Fix dialog. This brings together a number ofimage-correction tools into one dialog. From withinthe Quick Fix dialog you can correct brightness,colour, focus, plus rotate the image. The top half ofthe dialog is taken up by a relatively large preview,displaying before and after results.

Another new dialog is the Colour Variationsfeature. A similar dialog is found in Photoshop, andprovides you with an easy and visual way to addand take away colour from your image.

Simply choose the area of the image you wish tocorrect (Midtones, Shadows, Highlights orSaturation), adjust the colour intensity and choose athumbnail in order to increase or decrease certaincolours within your image. As you click a thumbnail,the After preview box updates immediately.

Quick fixesA Red Eye brush is here for those less talented (orpatient) when it comes to removing glare manually,as is an Auto Straighten/Crop tool for automaticallystraightening up your images. These are both novel

additions to the app, but not exactly groundbreaking.Adobe has acknowledged that high-qualityphotographic paper is expensive to buy and can’t bewasted. For this reason, the company has includedthe Picture Package function (updated since version1). This enables you to print varied size images onthe same piece of paper – without messing aboutwith a DTP app such as XPress or InDesign. Contactsheets are also possible, as is the ability to stitchphotographs together to create panoramas.

Workflow toolsFinally, we should look at the workflow tools. Themain workflow tool in Elements 2 is the FileBrowser. Adobe introduced this in version 1 andliked it so much it put it in Photoshop 7. The FileBrowser in Elements 2 not only enables you tobrowse for files on your hard drive, but also lets yourotate, rename, reorder, label and view file type andEXIF data. It’s efficient, a doddle to use and doesexactly what it says it will do.

Batch processing tools go hand in hand with thebrowser, enabling you to quickly rename, changethe file format or resize multiple images at once. It’sfeatures like this that make Elements stand out fromother sub-£100 image editors.

Adobe has made an effort to introduce thebeginner to digital image editing. The first, and

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NEXT MONTHLOOK OUT FOR A TRIAL OF ELEMENTS 2 ON OUR CD;

ost digital photos require somerestoration in Photoshop, and that’swhere Optipix aims to help. The suite

consists of five filters that can be used in concert toimprove exposure, increase contrast, reduce noiseand sharpen edges, and they all work in 8- and 16-bit colour space.

The first step is to use the Exposure Blend toproduce an image with detail in both highlights andshadow. It works best with cameras that auto-bracket exposures: as long as the camera is steady,two differently exposed images can be blendedtogether with pixel-perfect accuracy (the Nudgefilter can be applied to images that are misalignedand it works in sub-pixel increments).

The technique is easier than simply cutting andpasting between shots, but it’s largely dependent

on the exposure levels of the images beingblended; it doesn’t work well if they’re too over- orunder-exposed and, of course, it’s limited to staticsubjects – even the slightest change in clouds, forinstance, can produce unexpected results.

Auto Contrast is a one-click tool for improvingimage contrast. You simply run the filter and itspreads the available colour data across the entirevalue range, so that your blacks are solid black, andyour whites are pure white.

It’s usually better to turn your image into a 16-bitfile beforehand, and then run Auto Contrast – theresulting image uses the full 16-bit spectrum andthe stretched histogram remains smooth.

An alternative to Exposure Blend is ImageAveraging, which adds any number of variouslyexposed shots into the buffer and averages theirindividual pixel values. This is useful for removingnoise from a photo (the averaging process graduallyremoves extreme colour values), and can generatesimilar results to the Exposure Blend. In reality,though, it’s not nearly as useful, and the results aregenerally desaturated, requiring further work to tidy

them up. The other two filters, Edge Enhancementand Safe Sharpening, endeavour to clean up yourdigital image, bringing out detail without amplifyingnoise. They work in a similar fashion to Photoshop’sSharpen and Unmask Sharp, and while the resultsare a definite improvement over the built-in filters,they still need to be applied subtly, otherwise youend up with harsh, contrasty edges.

Version 1.02 has made some majorimprovements to Edge Enhancement, although themain problem is that the preview window displaysthe image at 100 per cent. It would have been farmore useful to have some degree of magnification– you do find yourself hopping in and out of theplug-in to zoom in on areas independently.

Optipix is certainly greater than the sum of itsparts. But it doesn’t feel like you get a lot for yourmoney, and while some people will appreciate itspower, Optipix probably isn’t a wise investment forthe casual photographer.Overall, it’s a serious tool forthe serious digitalphotographer.

044

System Mac/PC, Adobe Photoshop 5.0+

Price $75 (£48) Website www.digitalfilmtools.com

This unusual filter adds dramatic shadow textures toyour photos.

To give the impression that the shadow is fallingacross the scene, it’s possible to skew the texture,and then use the luminance values of the image todisplace it. Obviously, the result isn’t strictlyaccurate in terms of how the shadow falls in 3D,but it’s certainly good enough to fool the eye. Itcan be used to produce soft blooms, fog, mist andglows using the masks alone without any shadowtexture. And that’s about it: it works, it’s fairly

painless to use and results are quick and believable. It’s the sort of tool that’s best used to jazz up flat-looking indoor shots.Little that Photoshop’stransfer modes anddisplacement filtersdon’t already do.

Reindeer Optipix 1.02

Ozone 1.0 Light!System Mac/PC, Adobe Photoshop 5.0+

Price $75 (£48) Website www.digitalfilmtools.com

Based on Ansel Adams’ system for still photography,this plug-in splits an image into 11 discrete zonesbased on luminance values, such that each zone istwice as bright as the one preceding it.

Once divided up, each zone can then be adjustedin terms of its luminance or red, green, blue, cyan,magenta and yellow hues. All of the adjustmentstake place within the preview window, so that youcan adjust the image before making a change.

You can tweak the colour or brightness values ofspecific regions of your photo, or even colourise

entire black and white images. And becausechanges take place across areas of similarluminance, it’s relatively easy to make alterationswithout affecting the whole image or needing tocreate masks. Not must-buy but usefulnonetheless for those withan artistic eye.

M

In thisinstance,Optipix isaveraging twoexposures toproduce athird, balancedimage

One shot ofthis abbey isexposed forthe brickwork(above); the other forthe cloudy sky (left)

The twoimages areblended,sharpenedand thecontrastimproved toproduce thefinal shot

REVIEWS PHOTOSHOP PLUG-INS

PLUG-INS OPTIPIX, OZONE, LIGHT!PhotoFixesRather than learn complex image-editing techniques to fix up a photo, use a plug-in instead. Steve Jarratt tests a few of the latest, in this irregular series

This suite of five tools promises to improve the exposure, contrast and detail of your shots

AT WORK

88

Price $100 (£64)System Any Mac or PC capable of running Adobe

Photoshop 5.0 or aboveManufacturer Reindeer Graphics IncWebsite www.reindeergraphics.comTelephone (001) 828 252-7515

DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE

79%FINALSCORE 58%

FINALSCORE

85%FINALSCORE

http://www.digitalfilmtools.com

http://www.digitalfilmtools.com

http://www.reindeergraphics.com

he main advantage of the Zip drive isthat it’s easy to set up – install thedrivers, plug it in and you can use it like

a floppy or hard drive. Any back-up software willtransfer your images to disk (or you can manuallycopy them across yourself), and finding yourimages again is easy with any cataloguingsoftware or your operating system’s Find function.

The same is true of CDs, although you’ll need aCD-RW and some special software such as theHotBurn program that’s supplied with the Predator2. In return for a lengthy formatting process – up to40 minutes per disc, around 130Mb of space and asevere performance hit – you can use it in exactlythe same way as a Zip disk.

Share and share alikeIf you want to share your photos with family orfriends, then the CD drive is the only way to go.While the CD-RW disc is less likely to work inanother machine, you can easily burn a CD-R thatplays happily in 99 per cent of all CD and DVDdrives, Mac or PC.

Zip drives are less portable – less people havethe drive, which makes it difficult to share yourimages with them via this format. The fact thatyou can only read from the most common format– the 100Mb disk – reinforces this point further.

Performance testsWe tested the drives by copying 500Mb of imagefiles, stored in various folders, to and from various

discs. While the Predator 2 enjoys the edge inregular reading and writing speeds, performancetook a nosedive when the CD-RW disc was usedas a virtual drive in Windows. Although it’s theonly category in which the Zip came out on top,it’s arguably the most important one if you wantto be able to use the CD-RW like any other drive inWindows. It’s not an issue, however, if all youwant to do is burn discs for yourself and friends foruse in a read-only capacity.

Which is best for digital images?While the Zip drive is easier to use and faster as adrag-and-drop drive, we feel it’s had its day. Zipdisks are far too expensive – around £10 eachcompared with £1.50 for a CD-RW, and can’t easilybe shared among friends and family.

Before you go out and buy the Predator 2,though, consider this. It’s overpriced – even with aUSB2 card in special promotional packs – and youcan do far better elsewhere. Mac users should lookfor Firewire alternatives, while PC owners shouldstart their search at www.pcindex.co.uk forcomparative prices.

T

Gimme some space!Iomega Zip 750 vs Iomega Predator 2 CD-RWWhat’s the best format for storing your image collection away from your computer? Cheap-but-slower CDs or expensive-but-quick Zip discs? Nick Peers looks at two solutions from Iomega

REVIEWSIOMEGA CD VS. ZIP DISC

HEAD-TO-HEAD VERDICTIOMEGA ZIP 750£152

If you want to be able to use yourdrive like a hard or floppy disk, thenthis definitely has the edge in termsof performance. But unless youregularly copy 500Mb of data asopposed to 50Mb of data, is theextra outlay worth it for a dyingstandard? We think not.

FEATURES 65%BUILD QUALITY 75%VALUE FOR MONEY 50%

IOMEGA PREDATOR 2£181

While CD is not as fast as Zip whenused as a removable drive, it’s still far cheaper and easy to share. Thatsaid, we suggest you shop elsewhere(Mac users will find plenty ofequivalent Firewire drives available)for a better deal.

FEATURES 70%BUILD QUALITY 70%VALUE FOR MONEY 55%

1

60FINALSCORE

% 65FINALSCORE

%

Read timein seconds(based on a group of files and folders totalling 500Mb)

Write timein seconds(based on a group of files and folders totalling 500Mb)

Zip CD-R

Zip CD-R

http://www.pcindex.co.uk

The StyleCam Blink is tiny, but maybe a fraction bulkier than theothers here – partly due to its use of a AAA battery rather than acompact lithium cell. This battery is handy in some respects,because you can get a replacement anywhere if the power goes.

The Blink is a still camera, video camera and, when connectedvia its USB lead, a PC/webcam. The video mode, though, isn’t all itseems. Indeed, the maker calls it a ‘streaming snapshot’ mode.Pictures are captured at a rate of three or four per second, thenassembled on your PC using the bundled AVI Maker program. Aframe rate of 3-4fps is obviously going to make for pretty slow andjerky movies, and it’s a pain having to assemble the framesmanually, too. So is the Blink really a video camera? Only just.

The picture quality from its 0.3-megapixel CMOS sensor istolerable, but only if you’re pretty undemanding and happy withthe novelty value alone. Exposure control seems pretty fair, bothindoors and out, but images aren’t very sharp, especially towardsthe edges. The @xia SlimShot is a better performer in this respect.

What you do get with the StyleCam Blink, though, is a goodsoftware bundle. As well as the AVI Maker application, you also getArcSoft PhotoImpression 3.0 (image acquisition, organisation andediting), ArcSoft VideoImpression, ArcSoftPhotoFantasy and ArcSoft PhotoMontage.

The StyleCam Blink promises a lot, but theresults and its capabilities are a bit lame.

SIPIX STYLECAM BLINK

REVIEWS MINI CAMERAS


The FinePix A101 is no styling masterpiece, but it’ssolidly made. Switch it on, and it’s ready for use afterjust a second or so. There’s next to no shutter lag,either, since it uses a fixed-focus lens with noautofocus delays. This fixed-focus thing isn’t as scary asit sounds because the tiny lenses on digital camerasoffer huge depth of field and the A101 offers picturesthat are sharp from 0.8m to infinity – and there’s amacro mode, too, set by a switch next to the lens,which lets you get as close as 8cm.

The controls on the back are easy to navigate, andthere’s really not much to do except pick the quality

setting and adjust the flash mode where necessary. The movie mode’s okay for occasional use, but the

8Mb SmartMedia card limits your movie duration to amaximum of 47 seconds, and at just 10fps with nosound recording, it’s not going to replace a camcorder.

The results from the A101 are very good, given thelimitations of any 1.3-megapixel CCD. Exposure isaccurate, colours reasonably punchy and detail assharp as 1.3 megapixels can be. There are few frills onthis camera, but it’s a snapshottool that’s easy to use andproduces good results.

FUJIFILM FINEPIX A101

The Mustek’s not much heavier than the SlimShot, butit’s significantly less pocketable, thanks to a protrudinglens barrel that kind of spoils the miniaturised effect. Itcontains a fixed focus lens, but you rotate the lensbarrel to switch between standard and macro mode.This gives the camera added versatility, and it’s easy toleave it switched to macro and muck up lots ofordinary shots by mistake.

The results from the Mustek are a disappointing. The1.3-megapixel CMOS chip occasionally produces somequite sharp results, but it is hard to know when that isgoing happen. The fixed focus seems a little too

heavily biased towards nearby objects, and we suspectthe shutter release is bleeping a fraction ahead of thepicture being recorded – we had a few mis-timedshots. With this in mind, the GSmart’s maximum(interpolated) resolution of 2.1 megapixels is just tooambitious.This camera is no rival for a ‘real’ digicam.

With care and familiarity, though, the Mustek mightdo better. And it has the advantage of a movie modeand the ability to hook up to your PC as a webcam.Like the SlimShot, it recharges viathe USB lead, so it gets top marksfor practicality.

MUSTEK GSMART MINI2

Price £140Contact FujiFilm 0207 586 5900Sensor 1.3-megapixel CCD

Lens 36mm (equiv)Memory 8Mb SmartMediaAccessories USB cable

Battery 2x AAsWeight 145g4

Price £40Contact SiPix 0870 241 4289Sensor 310,000-pixel CMOS

Lens Fixed focus, f3.0Memory 8Mb internalMovie mode Snapshots at 3-4fps

Battery 1 x AAAWeight 50g (est)4

Price £80Contact Firebox 0870 241 4289Sensor 1.3-megapixel CMOS

Lens Fixed f2.8Memory 16Mb internalAccessories Adjustable mount

Battery Rechargeable LithiumWeight 40g4

84FINALSCORE

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The @xia’s one of those little gadgets that just leaves you awe-struck. It’s light as a feather, will fit into your toppocket without any snagging or sagging and is ludicrously simple to operate. You switch it on, and the lens panelon the front pops out a couple of millimetres. Compose your shot with the good-sized optical viewfinder (no LCDdisplays on this baby), press the shutter release and a little bleep immediately signals the picture’s been taken.

The results from the 0.3-megapixel CMOS chip are predictably poor, but the colour and contrast are reasonable,even if the resolution isn’t, and the results are fine for novelty value and some unambitious web use. The SlimShotuses an ‘Autobrite’ system to manage high-contrast scenes, and the results are quite good in that respect.

What’s clever is the way the SlimShot recharges from your computer’s USB port. The controls are utterlyundemanding, too. One button on the back controls the mode – high res (these things are relative), low res, deletelast (picture) and delete all. Another button switches the sound effects on and off.

As an aide-memoire or a novelty camera for the kids, the SlimShot is wonderful. A bitmore memory would help – you can only take 26 high-res shots – but that’s just carping.

FUJIFILM @XIA SLIMSHOT

The list of things this gadget will do is absolutely barmy. You can shoot 1.3-megapixel digital photos andsequences, record 320 x 240 movies (with sound), record audio clips (and annotations with still images) and playMP3 files. Amazing.

Not surprisingly, there are compromises. The 1.3-megapixel CMOS sensor is adequate, but not as good as the1.3-megapixel CCDs in equivalent ‘proper’ digital cameras. You can control the white balance and exposurecompensation, but the LCD panel on the backplate has a lot to do (there’s no colour LCD preview screen on thiscamera), and it can be a bit of a faff.

The specs are good, with an excellent 64Mb of built-in memory plus a Compact Flash card slot, but the buildquality leaves something to be desired. There are dire warnings about over-rotating the swivelling batterycompartment (it doubles as a prop-up camera stand) and, sure enough, it feels quitedelicate – inserting batteries is awkward, too. Worse still, the ultra-flimsy card slot coverbroke as soon as we tried to use it. The controls on the back are okay, if a bit cheap-feeling.

PHOTOCLIP 5-IN-1

Next to some of the other miniaturised gadgets on the shelves, the Sony feels like it’s hewn from solid granite.Slide back the lens cover on the front and, in around a second, it’s ready for use. Uniquely, this camera has nooptical viewfinder, but relies instead on a dinky 1-inch LCD that’s nevertheless sharp, bright and responsive.

The photographic controls are accessed by a trio of buttons below the LCD – and you get a lot more control thanyou might expect. There are portrait, night shot and landscape ‘scene’ modes in addition to the default auto-everything setting, and the flash modes include auto, always on, always off and red-eye reduction. The dinky littlemenu system is reached using a dinky little button, but there’s not much else to sort out here beyond the imagesize and various initial set-up options.

The DSC-U10 will fit neatly in the palm of your hand, dangle from your wrist or sit in your pocket or bag. It feelssolid and sturdy, and with the lens cover slid back over the lens, generally well protected.

The image quality is pretty good, too. A little prone to lens flare, maybe, with slightlymuted colours, but good nonetheless – especially in a camera as tiny as this one.

SONY DSC-U10

NEXT MONTHSUB-£100 BUDGET CAMERAS;2

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ou can take all the digital photos you like andspend hours manipulating them to the nth degree, but even the best digital images

are not much use unless you can output them at a goodquality. Ideally, at a quality that can rival conventionalsilver halide photo prints.

Fortunately, the technology behind inkjet printing hasadvanced in recent years, and a print from a qualityinkjet printer is often as good as one processed by ahigh street lab.

The other, and equally important, advantage of digitalphotography is the degree of control that image-manipulation software – such as Photoshop or PaintShop Pro – offers over the final appearance of yourphotos. Unlike the results from a photo lab, printing yourown images at home on an inkjet printer gives youultimate control over the colour balance, cropping, printsize and even the content of the photo.

You can turn your snaps into photographicmasterpieces before outputting them – virtually in aninstant – at home.

However, if inkjet printing is so good, why hasn’t thewhole world moved over to it? There are two main

barriers to the universal take up of inkjet photo printing:longevity and cost.

Universal acceptanceFirst, many photographers who experienced the earlydays of digital inkjet photo printing remember withhorror their prints literally fading before their eyes. Thiswas largely due to the paper and ink technology of thetime. Air pollution and damage from ultra violet light isresponsible for making short work of inkjet prints.Fortunately, those problems have largely been sortedwith the use of advanced inks and special fade-resistantphoto papers.

These days, most prints from a photo inkjet printerwill probably offer an image that will be as stable andlast at least as long as a conventional silver halide print.As long as the finished photo is kept out of strongsunlight or displayed behind glass, then it stands a prettygood chance of giving years of pleasure.

Of course, one of the main advantages of digitalphotography is that if your print does fade, then you caneasily print off another copy, secure in the knowledgethat your stored digital images will still be there – fresh

YSUB-£400 PRINTERS

A4 INKJETS

EPSON STYLUSPHOTO 830Price: £99

HPPHOTOSMART 7350Price: £199

HPDESKJET 5550Price: £149

CANONBUBBLEJET S900Price: £329

CANONBUBBLEJET S820Price: £219

EPSON STYLUSPHOTO 950Price: £379

LAB TESTTOP TIP Looking for photo paper or ink cartridges? Try www.inkjet-cartridges.co.uk


A4 INKJETPRINTERS – FEATURES

CANONBUBBLEJET S900

CARTRIDGESSeparate ink tanks candramatically reduce therunning cost of a photoprinter. As with the Canon S820, the S900 hasphoto cyan and photomagenta cartridges.

FEATURESBuild When it comes to photo printers, the Canon S900really is the business. It looks the part and hasobviously been well engineered. Particularly welcomeare the separate ink tanks including the use of photocyan and photo magenta cartridges.

Printing When used in conjunction with Canon’s PhotoPaper Pro (one of the glossiest papers on the market)the results are impressive. However, most astonishingis the print speed, which makes some of the otherprinters on test here look as if they’ve been sedated.

8

CANONBUBBLEJET S820

CARTRIDGESCanon has pioneered separateink tanks in budget printers.They certainly save youmoney and you canvisually gauge how muchink you have left. Fitting iseasy and quick.

FEATURESBuild You can’t exactly call the S820’s styling exciting,but it cuts a fairly cool dash in its battleship grey.There’s a lid that opens up to access the individual inktanks, and controls are limited to two buttons: one forpower and one for paper feed.

Printing The use of six inks instead of the usual fourreduces grain in the output of the 820 – particularly onthings like flesh tones. The S820’s swift print speedmakes for a perfect balance between price and quality.

8

EPSON STYLUSPHOTO 830

CARTRIDGESEpson’s use of combined five-colour cartridge makes forhigher running costs andmore waste. Changingcartridges is easy. Eachcartridge has a microchipto monitor ink levels.

FEATURESBuild Flimsy is the best word to describe the buildquality of the Epson Stylus Photo 830, but don’t let thatput you off. The print speed is very good for the priceand the photo output is well up to Epson’s usually highstandard. Combined colour ink tanks make runningcosts a bit higher.

Printing Quiet in operation, the 830 makes for a goodbudget printer. Its quoted resolution at 5,760dpi(optimised) sounds a bit misleading as no separatevertical and horizontal resolution figure is quoted.

8

as the day you pressed the shutter button. The secondmain objection to the use of inkjet printers inphotography has been the cost of producing finishedimages. True, on a price-per-print basis, a 4 x 6 print willcost more to output from an inkjet than astraightforward package at a high street photo lab.

However, recent research indicates that people areonly happy with about 10 per cent of conventional filmimages that they have developed at a photo lab. Add tothis the horrific price that most photo labs charge forreprints and enlargements, and the inkjet option actually

begins to look rather favourable since with you’re notpaying out for the privilege of proofing your prints.

With a digital camera and PC you can proofeverything on-camera, or on-screen and just pick theimages that you want to print off.

Which printer? So, now that we’ve persuaded you that inkjet printing isthe way to go, which photo printer should you considerbuying? Well, we looked at six A4 printers that areneither absolute rock-bottom budget machines, nor

high-end output devices. Remember that most printer manufacturers sell their printers at a virtual loss, but make up their profits by selling you papers and ink. The running cost of a photo printer should be a factor you take into consideration when buying your printer.

For our lab test, we asked each manufacturer ofphoto printers to supply us with two inkjet models fortesting in the £100 to £350 price range. Photo inkjetstalwart, Epson, put forward the sophisticated StylusPhoto 950, and the brand new Stylus Photo 830, which

PAPERThere are two basic types: porousand swellable. Porous paper driesquickly and is scratch resistant. It’snot very glossy and is prone tofading. Swellable paper takeslonger to dry but has a higher glossfinish and resists fading better.

IN DETAIL3

EXPLAINEDLIGHTFASTNESSThe amount of time your photoswill last without fading. Depends onwhether it’s behind glass, the paperquality and the type of ink.

?



http://www.inkjet-cartridges.co.uk



CARTRIDGESSeparate ink tanks with newlyformulated inks providemuch longer-lasting printswhen used with Epson’sspecial photo papers. Notethe two shades of black forimproved B&W output.

FEATURESBuild For an A4 inkjet, the Epson Stylus Photo 950pushes at the group price bracket. The Epson 950 hassomething special about it: separate ink tanks and apaper cutter. The 950 can take roll paper and will evenprint directly onto a CD.

Printing A nice feature for digital photographers is theborderless printing facility that makes more of yourphotographic paper. The separate ink tanks featuredye-based quick-dry inks provide high-resolutionoutput at a very acceptable 2,800 x 1,440dpi.

8

is aimed at entry-level digital photographers. Our second manufacturer, HP, volunteered its new

entry-level photo printer, the Deskjet 5550. This no-frillsmodel with its curvy new styling offers HP’s newPhotoRET IV technology.

HP also presented us with its PhotoSmart 7350. Aswell as incorporating PhotoRET IV technology, thePhotoSmart 7350 has some unique tricks up its sleevethat enable you to print photos directly from yourcamera’s solid-state storage card. To do this it has fourslots that can accommodate the most popular formats of

storage cards: SmartMedia, CompactFlash, Memory Stickand MMD/SD.

Our final inkjet manufacturer in this test is a relativenewcomer to the photo printing market – but not to the world of inkjets, which it prefers to call BubbleJets.Canon has been in the imaging business for a long time and its latest range of ink printers offer someoutstanding results at reasonable prices.

Their main advantage is the use of separate ink tanks,which mean you can replace the coloured inks in yourprinter as each cartridge runs out. The two Canon

models on test here are the three-ink S900 and thephoto-specific S820, which Canon markets as a printerspecifically tailored to photo printing.

Down to specifics There are two schools of thought when it comes tomeasuring the resolution of an inkjet printer. Strictlyspeaking, a printer should quote two resolution figures:one for vertical resolution and one for horizontal. Thefigure in dpi (dots per square inch) may be unfeasiblyhigh in one direction but quite low in another. Be wary

EXPLAINEDINTERFACEThe way your PC connects to theprinter. All printers these days carrya USB connection but a few alsooffer parallel interfaces for use witholder PCs. USB tends to be fasterand more flexible, and is ourrecommended option.

INKThere are two types of ink used ininkjet printers: dye and pigment.Dyes are more common but fademore easily, while pigments lastlonger but aren’t as shiny.

?

PRINT TECHNOLOGYThere are two main types ofprinting technologies used inconsumer printers. The mostcommon is thermal inkjet wherethe ink is heated before beingused. The less common (used byEpson) is the cold Piezo method,where ink isn’t preheated.

IN DETAIL3

HEWLETT-PACKARDDESKJET 5550

CARTRIDGESThe ink cartridges in theDeskjet 5550 are a newdesign and there’s anoption to swap out theblack cartridge for a specialphoto version. Note the inkwarning light above.

FEATURESBuild Odd rounded styling and a flimsy casing letdown what is a very competent photo printer thatoffers true photographic quality when used with theoptional HP Photo cartridge. The main advantage withthe Deskjet 5550 is that it can double up as anexcellent general-purpose printer if you replace thephoto cartridge with a regular black version.

Printing Oddly, our test showed that the 5550’s printspeed was considerably faster than the HP 7350. Usinga USB2 interface could cut down print times a little.

8

HEWLETT-PACKARDPHOTOSMART 7350

CARTRIDGESBy using the optional photo inkcartridge, you candramatically improve thestability and lightfastnessof your prints. However, HPinks aren’t the cheapest onthe market.

FEATURESBuild The company that recently merged with Compaqhas decided to go for the digital photography marketin a big way – hence products like the Photosmart7350. Included with the printer are four memory cardslots for direct printing. The biggest disappointment isthe incredibly slow speed of the 7350. The figure of 27minutes for our test print was unacceptable.

Printing Good points for the 7350 is the use of newlyformulated inks that, when used with HP’s range ofPremium papers – offers 65 years of lightfastness.

8

LAB TESTTOP TIP If you find your printer’s installation software isn’t right for your PC, check the manufacturer’s website, all of them carry downloadable versions of the latest drivers


A4 INKJETPRINTERS – PRINTQUALITY

of the figures quoted. Also, high resolution doesn’tautomatically mean that a printer produces either asharper or clearer print.

Squeezing ever more dots into each square inch byfiring smaller and smaller droplets of ink at it isn’t thewhole story. It’s as much a matter of how the inkbehaves when it hits the paper and how the paperreacts. For example, it can be as different as the resultsof writing on Basildon Bond or blotting paper with thesame pen. One manufacturer, HP, eschews the ‘more dpi

is better’ argument with its PhotoRET IV technology.Although HP does offer a high dpi setting for those whowant it, the PhotoRET option offers faster printing withresults that the company claims are almost as sharp asthe highest resolution printer, despite printing at 300dpi.How does it do this? By layering up to 30 dots of ink,one on top the other, in order to build up subtlevariations in tone.

Does it work? Well, yes and no. It depends on whatyou’re looking for in a digital print. In terms of

sharpness… not quite. In terms of producing a goodprint… yes. PhotoRET IV is very good at mixing subtlecolours with its clever layering technology, but it’s stillno substitute for high-resolution printing. Just as well,then, that the HP print drivers have an option to skipPhotoRET IV and print at maximum resolution.

ConsumablesOf course, the printer manufacturers want you to buytheir range of inks and paper – that’s how they make

CANONBUBBLEJET S820

PRINT RESULTSColours Strong and strikingcolours but with a hue that isbelievable and not toooverblown. That is, perhaps, the bestway to describe the principal characteristics of the printoutput from Canon’s BubbleJet S820.

Resolution The dither pattern on the output all butdisappears, thanks to the combination of six inks andCanon’s excellent Photo Paper Pro which has all thehallmarks of a high quality photographic paper. Despitebeing a porous paper, Photo Paper Pro has theglossiest finish of any special photo paper and thisundoubtedly helps to sharpen the final output.

Blacks The blacks in the Bubblejet S820 print aren’t asblack as some of the other prints in this test, but theyare dark enough and still leave fine detail in theshadow areas of the image.. It is hard to criticise thequality of the S820 and it certainly holds its own with aconventional silver halide print. Canon quotes lightfastdata of 27 years.

8

CANONBUBBLEJET S900

PRINT RESULTSColours There’s little – ifanything – to separate thequality of output between theCanon S820 and the S900. Print speedmay be a bit faster, but that’s about it.

Resolution If anything, in our print test, there wasslightly more fuzziness around the edges of some ofthe colours, particularly where light areas juxtaposewith darker areas. In one or two areas, midtones had alittle noise about them but, once again, not such thatyou would be too bothered. Remember that all theprints here were outputted at each printer’s highestresolution so you would expect fairly decent results.

Blacks The strange thing about printing at thisresolution on Canon’s Photo Paper Pro, is that theimage is quite light at first, particularly in the blackareas, but after 15 minutes it develops (almost like aconventional photo) and exhibits strong but not solidblacks. Curious.

8


PRINT RESULTSColours For a printer ascheap as this one, the printquality really is outstanding. Thecolours are fairly natural and pleasing tothe eye. Another bonus with the 830 is the ability to print borderless prints. It’s amazing how much difference a borderless print can make to afinished photograph.

Resolution Because the Photo 830 uses a five-inkcolour cartridge, the gradients and dithering are good.Although the quality is good, there are a fewdrawbacks – notably the print speed and the cost. The830 may be cheap to buy but its wasteful five-inkcartridge and sluggish print times could cost more inthe long run.

Blacks Looking closely at the texture of the face wecan see that the amount of darker dithering used tomake up the shading in the texture of the skin is veryfine indeed.

8

EXPLAINEDPICOLITRESThe amount of ink that a printercan squirt in one dot can be as tinya 3 to 4 picolitres. A picolitre is amillion millionth of a litre.

?

WEB LINKS*MICROSOFT INSIDERPRINTING SOLUTIONSWEBSITEwww.microsoft.com/insider/printhelpMicrosofts’s Printing Solution Centerhas information ranging fromprinter set-up and driver installationto solutions for specific errormessages, establishing networks,and articles for Microsoft programsand operating systems.

PRINTER TEST IMAGEFind the test file we used togenerate the print results on thispage on our coverdisc A, look fora link to it on the disc intro page

*ON OURCOVERDISC

BUY A PRINTERYou can buy all these printers attheir latest prices via our website:


ON OURWEBSITEC

http://www.microsoft.com/insider/printhelp


http://www.microsoft.com/insider/printhelp


their money. But surely, any ink or paper will do, cuttinga few corners will get you prints for less? The answer isan emphatic “no.”

The manufacturer of your particular printer will havespent millions of research dollars formulating its ownbrand of ink and paper products to work perfectlytogether. The printer, paper and ink are sometimesreferred to as a ‘golden triangle’.

Replace any one of the three elements and thetriangle no longer works and your prints will look awful.

To get decent quality prints, simply use the ink andpaper recommended by your printer manufacturer.There’s no secret to it – just stick to those rules and yourphotos should print out perfectly.

Installation issuesPrinting out your photos on an inkjet printer is astraightforward affair once you’ve got your parametersset up. Installing the printer drivers is no more difficultthan putting any other piece of software on your PC.

And because all these printers use USB interfaces (thereare one or two with a parallel option), connectionshouldn’t be too taxing.

The things you have to set up via the driver whenprinting are the paper size and the paper type. Eachprinter behaves differently depending on the media that you are feeding into it. The HP models feature an automatic paper sensor that can distinguish betweenfour basic types of media and will deliver the correctdensity of ink and the right resolution for the media

HEWLETT-PACKARDDESKJET 5550

PRINT RESULTSColours Our print showscolours that are a bit too lively.The reds show up as scarlet whilea print of a banana had a definite greentinge to it. One good point about the HP photocartridge is that it now handles flesh tones moreaccurately. Previously, getting a believable flesh tonewith an HP tricolour printer was difficult.

Resolution Dithering of the lemons in our test printwas larger and rougher than we would have liked.The Deskjet 5550 should turn out very good printssince our test model had been fitted with HP’s brandnew photo cartridge that substitutes the plain blackcartridge with one that contains photo inks and black.HP offers better lightfastness – 65 years behind glass.

Blacks The blacks in the print are good but the glossyfinish of the paper is somewhat diminished in theblack areas. This is probably to do with the newformulation for the fade-resistant ink.

8

HEWLETT-PACKARDPHOTOSMART 7350

PRINT RESULTSColours The HP offers‘American’ colours. Apparently,the North American public prefervibrant blues and reds to the morenatural and muted colours that we Europeans aresupposed to prefer. This may explain why thePhotoSmart 7350 has a much brighter output.

Resolution The HP Photosmart 7350 ostensibly sharesthe same print engine as its cheaper sibling. But youwouldn’t think so from the results. We noticed somequite severe JPEG artefacts in the image, coupled withthe same over-enthusiastic colours. The use of the HPphoto cartridge is supposed to reduce the amount ofgrain in the prints that the 7350 produces. However, onclose inspection we didn’t notice a staggering amountof difference. There is a slight improvement in skintones where redness is reduced but, otherwise, youmay be better off by not investing in the photo ink.

Blacks Again, the blacks are good.

8

EXPERT TIP0

PRINTING PHOTOSPrinting photos isn’t verydifferent from other types ofprinting, although you do have afew more choices to make. Aslong as you set the print driver tomatch the type of paper thatyou’re using, and choose to printat a resolution that matches yourimage, then you should havefew problems.

If you’re printing out arelatively low-resolution imagethen don’t be tempted to rack up the printer resolution.You’ll simply be printing a finer grain and won’t be able to increase the clarity of theimage. What’s more, you’ll use more ink and it will takelonger. So, be careful aboutmaxing out on resolution… more isn’t always better.

A print is only as good as thesource that you’re printing on. Ifyou haven’t adjusted theimage’s levels and produced awell-cropped image, then yourprint will be disappointing.

Leave your print to dry for atleast 24 hours before youattempt to put it behind glass.It’s likely to smudge if you don’t.Crop your print to make a reallygood composition. Even anaverage photo can be improvedwith a good bit of judiciouscropping. Be creative.

MARK SPARROWPRINTING EXPERT


PRINT RESULTSColours As with other Epsonprinters, colours are reasonablynatural and not too warm or toocold – in fact, just right. If you’re fussyabout colour then you really will appreciate the StylusPhoto 950.

Resolution Separate ink tanks and the addition of alight black or grey option means that the print outputfrom the 950 is very high. Unlike the HP way of doing things, the Epson technology uses finer dots of ink at astonishingly high resolutions to produce the illusion of continual tones (as in a conventionalphotographic print).

Blacks The 950 really scores in its output of black andwhite prints. These are notoriously difficult to get righton most colour inkjets due to the use of colour inks toachieve a pseudo-monochrome finish. Having asecond, grey ink means that the atmosphere of a blackand white print is more achievable.

8

LAB TESTBUYERS’ TIP Factor in the cost of paper and ink, don’t just look at the headline price. Some companies charge less for the printer, but more for the consumables


that you are using. The other two makes of printersrequire manual setting of the paper types. So, if you’re using glossy photo paper you’ll have to set the driver accordingly. Likewise, if you’re using plain paper, then you’ll need to check that option before you print. You can also select the print resolutionvia the print driver and print in draft mode just to see if the print fits on the paper properly and looks roughly right.

All of the printers that we tested feature a range ofcustom options that you can set in the print driver. Youcan save these custom settings and even paper sizes sothat you don’t have to re-enter all the values each timeyou want to print out a picture. Options available forspecial features include things like borderless printing,special effects and even the tone of the image andother features like watermarks.

The new HP printers even have a range of photomanipulation features such as Digital Flash. You canadjust the images you’re about to print without going

into a full-blown photo program like Photoshop. It’s ahandy feature if you’re in a hurry. You can also set theway your printer handles colour. All the models on testhere handle Apple’s Colorsync system and for PC usersthere are controls that adjust how vivid the colours arethat your printer delivers.

Useful extrasBecause you’ll be using your printer mainly foroutputting photos, you may want a model that hasmemory card slots for printing direct from a CompactFlash card or SmartMedia.

Generally, the more you pay the more likely you areto find these little extras. Some Epson printers evencome with a roll paper feeder to turn your inkjet into amini photo lab. It seems like a good idea, but rolledpaper can be a devil to make flat and you may well findthat individual 4 x 6 glossy photocards are easier andcheaper to use. If you do like the idea of printing directlyfrom cards, make sure it’s a feature you’ll use. If you’re a

serious digital photographer you will probably want todownload your photos first and adjust the levels andcrop the image accordingly. Unless you’re one of theminority that can produce a perfectly exposed andcomposed print every time, then these card slots maybe an expensive gimmick.

Some photo printers – notably the HP range – offerduplex printing so that you can print on both sides of apiece of paper. While it may be tempting to print detailsof your photograph on the reverse side, the chances arethat your nice new print will be heavily scratched goingthrough the printer for a second time. Also, since HP’sglossy papers are the swellable variety, you may findthat they take quite a while to dry and will getsmudged if you put them through the printer againwithout allowing for enough time.

Test resultsAll the printers on test here are capable of deliveringextremely good results. Naturally, the quality of output

CANON S820 CANON S900 EPSON STYLUS PHOTO 830 EPSON STYLUS PHOTO 950

A4 INKJETPRINTERS – SPECIFICATIONS

SPECIFICATIONSAT A GLANCE

1Rating 95% 90% 86% 88%

Price £219 £329 £99 £379

Maker Canon Canon Epson Epson

Warranty One year, on site One year, on site One year, on site One year, on site

Telephone 0800 616 417 0800 616 417 0800 220 546 0800 220 546

URL www.canon.co.uk www.canon.co.uk www.epson.co.uk www.epson.co.uk

Print technology Bubblejet Bubblejet Micro Piezo Micro Piezo

Maximum resolution (dpi) 2,400 x 1,200 2,400 x 1,200 5,760 optimised 2,880 x 1,440

Maximum paper size A4 A4 A4 A4

Inks B, M, C, Y, PC, PM B, M, C, Y, PC, PM B, M, C, Y, PC, PM B, M, C, Y, PC, PM

Ink tanks Separate Separate Combined Separate

Paper capacity 100 sheets 100 sheets 100 sheets 150 sheets

Max/min weight of paper 64 to 105g/mm2 64 to 105g/mm2 60 to 255g/mm2 60 to 255g/mm2

Memory 80Kb N/A N/A 256K

Interface USB + Parallel USB USB + Parallel USB + Parallel

Borderless printing Yes Yes Yes Yes

Max print speed (mono) 4ppm 7ppm 14ppm 8.8ppm

Max print speed (colour) 4ppm 7ppm 13ppm 8.5ppm

Real test speed 2' 27" 2' 10" 3' 31" 4' 15"

Black cartridge cost £8.99 £8.99 £21.91 £9.99

Colour cartridge cost: £8.99 £8.99 £17.75 £10.34

Size 430 x 294 x 177mm 443 x 319 x 185mm 480 x 260 x 181mm 515 x 333 x 209mm

Weight 5.2kg 5.8kg 3.32kg 7.6kg

OS All Windows + Mac OS 9 and X All Windows + Mac OS 9 and X All Windows + Mac OS 9 and X All Windows + Mac OS 9 and X

5PRO Super fast,great output,separate inks

5

CON Bit dulllooking 5PRO Super fast,

great output,separate inks

5

CON Difficult tofind fault 5PRO Good smooth

output, very fast printing

5

CON Feels a bitfragile, noseparate inks

5PRO All-rounder,Duplex option,photo quality

5

CON Notparticularly wellbuilt, slow



EXPLAINEDDPILook out for the DPI figure quotedfor your inkjet printer. DPI stands forDots Per Inch. The higher the figure,the higher the quality… in theory.

?

http://www.canon.co.uk





depends on you using the correct combination of inksand paper. You’ll also need to set up the print driver forthe type of paper and the job that you’re doing. Oncethat is done, it’s a question of sitting back and waiting…and waiting, in some instances.

Canon’s BubbleJet s820 and BubbleJet S900 were the fastest of those in our lab test. Incredibly, theyripped through our test print in just over two minutes.This is not due to interfaces, but the efficiency of thedriver and the speed of the print-head. The fact that the Canon range uses cheap separate ink cartridges also makes it a very economical proposition for thedigital photographer.

The HP printers promise a great deal. HP makesmany claims for PhotoRET IV technology and the newphoto cartridge. In practice, we found that there wasvery little difference in the output between the printsusing the photo ink and those outputted with the blackcartridge. The print times count heavily against both theDeskjet 5550 and the Photosmart 7350. However, if you

want a reasonable photo printer that can also double upas a general-purpose inkjet then these two models areworth a closer inspection.

Finally, the Epson contingent. The Stylus Photo 830offers excellent photo output at an amazing price. Thedrawback is the running cost of the Epson combinedcartridge and the unreasonable cost of the blackcartridge. If you print a lot of photos you may find thatthe money you save on the initial investment is eatenaway by expensive consumables. So, if Epson is yourchoice, consider the Stylus Photo 950 that has theadvantage of using separate ink tanks and turning outimpeccable prints.

However, the printer that takes the prize for offering the perfect mixture of price, performance and featureshas to be the Canon S820. At £219, this is a reasonablypriced inkjet that offers incredible photographic qualityand a print speed that is truly unbelievable. Runningcosts should be low and the borderless printing featureworks perfectly.

HP DESKJET 5550 HP PHOTOSMART 7350

NEXT MONTHWE TEST AND COMPARE THELATEST CD BURNERS;2

esting a photo printer requires asource image that can stretch theabilities of the printer as well as

taxing the print driver to its limits.We had two test images: a fruit display

and a test card. The fruit display was takenwith a 4-megapixel Olympus E10 on abright day at noon, under a glass canopy.The canopy diffused the light and reducedthe highlights yet still provided a bright andwell-detailed image. Although the coloursare up in the yellow end of the spectrum,this is a good test of the printer sinceyellows can often turn a nasty greenishcolour. The test card was a PDF containing aportrait, an action shot, a black and whitephoto and a series of calibration tests.

The first aspect of our test was to seehow fast an A4 print takes with each printerbearing in mind that the test photo is a10.8Mb tiff file. To do this we set the printer

driver to maximum resolution. Unfortunately,this bypasses the PhotoRET IV technologywith the HP printers but it is the only way ofcomparing like for like.

For information we also noted the timetaken to print with the PhotoRET switchedon, since many users will be perfectly happywith that setting and will appreciate thetime saving option.

Each print was assessed for its sharpness,colour balance, grain and dithering. Welooked closely at the amount of blackdithering introduced in shadowy areas tosee if any roughness was introduced.

All the prints were laid out in a blind testand assessed against each other. These realworld tests are important since we don’t allscrutinise our photos with a magnifyingglass. The overall impression that a printgives may often be better from a distancethan a print that looks good close up.

75% 75%

£149 £199

HP HP

One year swap One year swap

0870 547 4747 0870 547 4747

www.hp.com www.hp.com

Thermal inkjet Thermal inkjet

4,800 x 1,200 4,800 x 1,200

A4 A4

B, M, C, Y + Photo B, M, C, Y + Photo

Combined Combined

100 sheets 100 sheets

60 to 90g/mm2 60 to 90g/mm2

8Mb 8Mb

USB2 + Parallel USB2

Only 4 x 6 Only 4 x 6

17ppm

9ppm 10ppm

21 mins (4' 35" PhotoRET) 11 mins 20 seconds

£16.45 £16.45

£21.14 £21.14

456 x 385 x 156mm 475 x 391 x 152mm

5.3kg 6.5kg

All Windows + Mac OS 9 and X All Windows + Mac OS 9 and X

5PRO Easy to usewhen printing frommemory cards

5

CON Very slow at its maximumresolution

5PRO Prints directlyfrom memorycards, producesindex pages

5

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YOUR PHOTOS


Each month, we give a digital camera to someone in aninteresting job and ask them to document a day’s work.To kick off, we went to Longleat Safari Park in Wiltshire…

MEET IAN TURNER…Ian is the Deputy Wardenof Longleat Safari Park inWiltshire. It’s his job tohelp care for the zebras,lions and giraffes. He’salso a keen amateurphotographer – his workis used to illustrateLongleat’s brochures. Weoffered him a Minoltadigital camera inexchange for a daylooking over his shoulder.Here are the results.

Many thanksto the staff atLongleat, and

Minolta UK, who kindlydonated time andequipment for this article.

e were sitting in our office trying tothink of interesting subjects for dayin the life pictures. Obviously, our

own jobs are out of the question – who wants to watch a bunch of stressed-outjournalists depth-charging gallons of coffee ona variety of ill-considered deadlines? Then itcame to us: where better to kick off this newseries than Longleat Safari Park, a place full ofpotentially fascinating wildlife shots. Evenbetter, it turned out that the Deputy Warden,Ian Turner, is a keen amateur photographer.Over to Ian…

STARTING TOP LEFTMorning time: the self-described MotleyCrew – Ian’s team of wardens at Longleat – getready for a day’s animal welfare. The first jobis to release the giraffes and zebras from theirheated shed, where they are kept overnight.At around 9am it’s time for them to hit thepark – it’s back to the shed when the last carleaves the park about 5-6pm.

Pet Corner: it’s feeding time. Val prepares fruitfor the guinea pigs, rabbits and birds.

Watch out for the gorillas… actually, it’s aquiet day for the gorillas, who spend much ofthe day watching TV. Visitors board the boatthat sails around Gorilla Island – watch out forthe hippos and pelicans in the water.

Lunch time: later on in the day, a quick checkon the zebra and giraffes. Their shed ismucked out while they’re outside. Next it’stime to give the animals their lunch. The foodin this shot is for the iguanas. Then it’s ontothe elephants (the one in the photo is seven-years-old – they can live for 20 years incaptivity), and the famous lions.

End of the day: The animals are led back intotheir pens for feeding and welfare. Ian sedatesa giraffe because some medicines have to be injected rather than fed. This giraffe –Roxanne – is being fed antibiotics to keep herhealthy through her old age.

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Dayinthelife 88

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CONTACT US@Now it’s over to you: we wantyour life in our hands (or onthese pages anyway). If youhave a visually interesting jobthat you think might make agood Dayinthelife, please emailus today at:

[email protected]

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88

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Ian Turner, armed with his camera,about to record his day’s work at

Longleat Safari Park

Ian Turner, armed with his camera,about to record his day’s work at

Longleat Safari Park


SINGAPORE

Photographed by: Stephanie ForseyLocation: this beach on Sentosa, a small island just off the coast ofSingapore, was a good place to escape the bustle of the cityCamera used: Minolta Dimage X

2

9

TrailBlazersEmail us shots of your destination, and the best one each month gets printed and framed. See opposite for more information!

Travel the world, see interesting things and shoot them

HONG KONG

Photographed by: Rachel SpoonerLocation: this shot of two fishing boats was taken on the island of CheungChow, one of the islands off the coast of Hong KongCamera used: Olympus 3030Z

2

BANGKOK

Photographed by: Andrew CrookLocation: situated on the upper terrace of Grand Palace in Bangkok, this isa model of Angkor Wat, a famous temple complex in CambodiaCamera used: Nikon Coolpix 885

2

SHANGHAI

Photographed by: Phil SowellsLocation: this shot of a man napping on his bike was taken in Shanghai Camera used: Pentax Optio 330

2

BEIJING

Photographed by: Phil SowellsLocation: the superb colours, textures, light and shade – this time inBeijing – are what captured Phil’s attention. The result is this lovely imageCamera used: Pentax Optio 330

2

BE INSPIRED WWW.LONELYPLANET.COM

Framedand

Returned

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NORWAY

Photographed by: Dave MusgroveLocation: this nicely composed shot of two canoeists was taken on UllaRiver in Central NorwayCamera used: Nikon Coolpix 4500

2

MALAYSIA

Photographed by: Steve TaylorLocation: one of the many beaches in Kelantan, in Northern Malaysia Camera used: Fuji Finepix F601

2

EGYPT

Photographed by: Mark PhillipsLocation: this shot was taken from a boat on the Red Sea, and shows ascuba diver checking out the famous coral on the coastline of Tiran islandCamera used: Ixus 330

2

GREECE

Photographed by: Dan GriliopoulosLocation: this landscape was taken at Meteora, in Thessalonika. Thebuildings on the vertical rocks are monasteriesCamera used: Olympus C-2020

2SYDNEY

Photographed by: Patrick JoscelyneLocation: this shot of the Sydney Harbour Bridge was taken in thesummer. The concrete pillars are purely for reassurance and decoration –they serve no engineering functionCamera used: Sony DSC-F707

2

2 …while you’re in that ramshackle cybercafé in the middle of some hellhole up amountain somewhere, and that’s send us the pictures! We want your digital photosdirect from the spot you’re visiting, with a few words on what made you want tocapture the event, the make of the camera, and your details. We’ll print the best here.

And, each month, one outstanding picture from a reader will be printed at thelargest size we can manage, framed and posted to their home.

■ We’re looking for landmarks, shots with lots of local interest, unusual events orjust something fabulously composed. Start planning that trip away today! Email us at [email protected]

YOUHAVE ONEMORETHINGTODO…


We want your letters! Email us at [email protected] and we’ll print the best


Viewfinder…to the first letters page. Like all firstissues, we’ve been stuck with the problemof how to fill a letters page when we’veyet to receive any letters. So rather than fill this valuable space with the made- up ramblings of our editorial team, weinvited a few digital camera owners to takea look at some early pages and tell us whatthey thought.

However, in future issues, we’d love topublish your comments. We’ve workedhard to get our first issue as right as wecan, but we know that it’s hard to get itperfect first time. For us to evolve andimprove, we need to know what you think,what we’re doing well, and what we cando better.

We hope you like the broad shape of themagazine and will forgive the oddinevitable launch issue rough edge. We’ll be working hard to smooth it out over thenext few months. Now write in, to

[email protected]

Nick Merritt Managing Editor

The UK’s biggest digital camera mag is lookingfor freelance contributors to help put distancebetween ourselves and our rivals.

We want to be the best digital title. If you’re aphotographer looking to get your work published,we can promise the highest production values and biggest page sizes so your work is shown off tothe maximum effect. Why squeeze your best stuff onto small, shoddy, cramped pages whenyou can let it loose around here instead?

We’re looking for wildlife, nature and landscapephotographers, plus events ideas/writers forGetup&go, submissions to our galleries, readerphotos, tutorial writers and much more.2 If you’re a journalist looking to contributetutorials and articles, email the editor directly [email protected] in the first instanceand let’s talk!2 If you’re an artist who uses digital photographyto create quality artwork, please email our art

editor at [email protected] If you’re looking to have your work published (itdoesn’t matter how experienced you are, all thatmatters is the quality of images), please email therelevant section: For Getup&go, email [email protected]. For submissions to ourgalleries, email [email protected] general picture enquiries, email [email protected].

Welcome… What’s your reviews policy?Dear DCM,The amount of information you get on yourcamera reviews pages is impressive and I like thePerformance strip you can turn back to compareshots. However, all the cameras you’ve reviewedare compacts. Is this deliberate or will you becovering higher-end cameras at a later date?David McNally, Bristol

DCM Thanks for the feedback, David. No, it’snot our policy to only review compacts. Our aim is to cover cameras mainly within the £250-£700 price range because this iswhere we believe most of the buying action is located.

However, we also realise that some of themost exciting stuff is only available in the£800-£1,000 price range, and usually includesthe kind of features that, in time, filter down

to the more reasonably-priced cameras. Sothey’re well worth looking at, to see what’sgoing to be the standard in a couple of years.

We’re also aware that many readers maywant to upgrade their cameras once they get into their stride with our camera techniquetutorials. So we will be covering a wider range in the future – being a launch issue, wewent with compacts in order to get arepresentative spread of cameras across ourtarget price range.

What image editorsare you covering?Dear DCM, Will you mainly be covering Photoshop? Mostpeople can’t afford to spend that much money ona piece of software, no matter how good it is.Brad Neaves, Swindon

DCM Our aim is to focus as much as possible onElements and Paint Shop Pro, as we believethese are the most widely-used home image-editing applications. Although we will usePhotoshop for some of the higher-end creativeprojects, it’s unlikely we’ll be using many toolsthat require Photoshop’s most advancedfeatures. Elements and PSP are just so goodand digital photography-friendly.

Are you doing two CDs andtips cards every issue?Dear DCM,It’s a weighty old magazine you have here, which is just as well at the price! I must say, I am impressed just how much of it there is, and by the overall feeling of quality throughout –it’s nice to see a magazine that finally takes us

digital enthusiasts as seriously as the traditionalphoto magazines.

But hey, we know how it works. You’ll drop thetwo CDs and tips cards first chance you get, eh?Steve

DCM Nope, no plans to do that, Steve! Althoughwe can’t guarantee everything will stay thesame forever, it’s two CDs every issue with fullsoftware, the fold-out section and – for anothercouple of issues at least – tips cards.

We know we can do two CDs every issuebecause we’re published by Future Publishing,which has being covermounting software foryears across more mags than anyone else inthe UK, so we have the resources to get thebest software first.

On to the price, we’re no more expensivethan a couple of the other mags on themarket, and we offer considerably better valueand production quality.

Do you accept submissions?Dear DCM,I would like to try to get my pictures published –do you accept stuff for publication?R Rix, Bristol

DCM Yes we do. If you’re sending in work to aspecific area of the mag, like the Galleries orTrailBlazers sections, email the addresses givenat the bottom of those pages. Otherwise, ifyou’re a professional, send in your work on CD(please include an SAE if you want it returned)and a covering letter. We are on the look outfor good photos we can use in our Getup&gosection, and cover features. See the box belowfor more info.

We wantyour articlesand pictures!Are you a digital photography/image-editing journalist? Or a photographerwith work you want others to see?Then we want to hear from you!

We’re the only digitalcamera magazine tocovermount two packedCD-ROMs every issue!










On sale now at all good newsagents!Or order direct, postage free* on 0870 444 8470

www.windowsxpmagazine.co.ukCD Edition £5.99

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The UK’s only official magazine for Windows XPEvery month, we deliver exclusive full software, updates

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100% authoritative

Your expert team

aking digital photos is only halfthe story. Once your image issafely ensconced on your PC

hard drive, you’ll probably wonder ifthere’s anything you can do to improve it.

That’s the beauty of digitalphotography – the control it offers overyour pictures, whether you want to addto them creatively or fix up little errorsand blemishes for a perfect result.

Each month in this section, we aim tobring you the best creative ideascombined with essential photo fixes andimage-editing techniques. We also aim toput as many of our tutorial files on our CDas possible so you can follow ourwalkthroughs, step by step. We’ll coverthe three main image-editing programs:Abobe Photoshop, Adobe PhotoshopElements and Paint Shop Pro.

This month, we kick off with ourcreative project on page 64, which shows

you how to integrate your digital photosinto a single piece of work, using avariety of techniques from addingshadows and shrinking images to motionblur. You’ll find all the files needed for thison our CD.

Take a look at our Photo Clinic on page70, where we take one fond, butdamaged, picture from a reader, repair itand show you how we did it. If you havean old image that has become faded,torn or maybe there are people you wantto remove from it, send it in – yourpicture might be repaired next month!

In our our Photoshop and Elementstechniques tutorials, we explain how to fix common photo problems andsimulate high-end camera effects onlower-end images.

Finally, don’t forget our Paint Shop Protips – just fire up your coverdisc softwareand use our handy guide.

T

PROJECTSTUTORIALSTIPSIDEAS4

CONTACT OUR TUTORIALS TEAMIf you have a comment, suggestion, or submission you would

like to make, please email us at [email protected]. Visit ourwebsite at digitalcameramagazine.co.uk

P64 P78P76

P74P70

4

KEY DETAILSYour quick referenceto any covermounted

extras, full or trial software, howlong each project or tutorial islikely to take you to complete,and what software delivers thebest results.

TOP TIPS, ONE-CLICK FIXESQuick ways to get

more from the program ortechnique under examination.

EXPLAINEDAny tricky jargon andconcepts are

explained in more detail here.

IN FOCUSWe talk about aparticular idea or tool

in depth, so you have a clearerunderstanding of key concepts.

WEBSITESMore info online isalways available.

CREATIVE PROJECT PHOTO CLINIC PHOTO FIXES

PHOTOSHOP/ELEMENTS TOOLS TOP TIPS

TIM DALYTim is a lecturer onphotography and is the authorof several best-selling digitalphotography books.

ED DAVISEd is a pro photographer. Heis also a member of theNational Association ofPhotoshop Professionals.

Expert guides to making and creating better pictures

Our tutorials are carefully crafted to give you more

Our mission is to ensure that our tutorialsbring you creative ideas, expert techniques,tips and quick fixes you can use in your own work.

■ AuthoritativeA leading professional in their field writesevery tutorial■ Valued addedWhere possible, we include image files, and full or trial software so you can try

the tutorial for yourself, delivering acomplete package■ ClearOur large page size means we can addextra elements, explanations and detail toeach tutorial

Tutorials you can trust

Your images■ PHOTO MONTAGES P64Create a stunning montage.

■ RESTORING A PHOTO P70Fix a damaged photo.

■ ENHANCING YOUR PICS P74Use Photoshop and Elements.

■ HOW TO USE LAYERS P76Unleash the power of layers.

■ COMPLETE GUIDE TO PSP5 P78Get the best out of PSP5.

■ MOTION BLUR P82Add movement to your photos.

IMAGE EDITING

PAINT SHOP PRO TOOLS

PHOTOSHOP AND ELEMENTS TOOLS

DIGITAL PHOTO FIXES

PHOTO CLINIC

CREATIVE PROJECT

They’re here to help you improve your skills

SIMON DANAHERSimon is one of the country’s topexperts on Photoshop andElements, and is currentlypublishing a book about them.

GEORGE CAIRNSGeorge is a university lecturerteaching Photoshop skills. Hehas written tutorials forComputer Arts magazine.



hen we thought of a project that woulddemonstrate a range of useful creativeimage-editing techniques, we wanted

something challenging that would demonstrate a rangeof Photoshop tools applied to everyday photographicthemes. So the idea of having kids playing in a paintboxseemed ideal.

Actually organising and photographing the separateelements was a big challenge. Luckily, we have our ownphoto studio here at Digital Camera Magazine, so wewere able to shoot each element digitally. Then weasked George to produce the final image.

We’ve placed all the files from this tutorial on our CD (disc A) for you to reproduce the final image.And when you’ve mastered the techniques here, whynot cut your own friends and family down to size,

combine them with the files on our CD and send athumbnail into us at [email protected]? The best images will be published in issue 3 and onewinner will receive a Crucial 128Mb CompactFlash cardfor their effort.

What you’ll learnIn this tutorial we’ll turn one little girl into a gang of kidsin a paintbox playground, using a variety of Photoshoptools and techniques. We’ll show you how to takesource images of our model and use masks to removeunwanted elements like backdrops. Then we’ll usemultiple layers to combine her with a specially shotbackground. To sell the illusion we’ll make the girlinteract with the background image by adding shadowsand footprints in the paint.

Being confident with masks and layers will give youskills that you can apply to many different digitalprojects. What was once in the realm of Hollywoodprofessionals is now achievable on your own PC withthe click of a mouse.

Well, quite a few clicks, as you follow our step-by-step tutorial over the next few pages…

Create your ownstunning photo montages

PROJECT

Take on the Hollywood pros as George Cairns shows you how to master a variety of Photoshop toolsand techniques to select a model and composite her into a specially shot background scene

MAKING MASKSLearn how to use Quick Mask to makecomplicated selections like isolating aperson from other picture elementsFIND IT HERE Quick Mask

YOUR GUIDE GEORGE CAIRNSGeorge has been writing tutorials and features for years inmagazines like Computer Arts Special and 3D World. He alsoteaches Photoshop to students at university level

[email protected]

CREATIVEPHOTOMONTAGE

PORTFOLIO GEORGE CAIRNS WEBSITE WWW.GEORGECAIRNS.COM

The source images of the girland the background can befound in tutorials/fairies/images on CD A


WPROJECT

KEY DETAILSON THE DISC

SKILL BOOSTER

TIME TO COMPLETEHOURS

8

TOOL SCHOOL7

PHOTOGRAPH THE BACKGROUNDThis element of the final composition was shotin our studio. We bought an art set from a local

store and shot it using our top-of-the-range HorsemanDigiFlex. The light cast across the set, simulating a windowpane, was actually a spotlight with a Gobo filter.

A DIRECT THE MODELEnsuring you get good shots is as much down to the model’s personality as anything

clever you can do at the shoot. We were very lucky thatMilan Upton really seemed to enjoy the absurd things weasked her to do.

B SELECT THE IMAGESWorking digitally meant we were able topreview images as they were shot, and re-

shoot if necessary. Once selected, we used our own CMYKtools on the elements (Photoshop’s CMYK filters areadequate but not up to top-quality repro standards).

C

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THANK YOUTO MODEL MILAN UPTON AND STYLIST GENIE, BOTH AT BOSS MODELS

HOW WE SHOTTHE INDIVIDUALELEMENTSPHILIP SOWELSPHOTOGRAPHER

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http://WWW.GEORGECAIRNS.COM

CDA/tutorials/fairies/imagesfilename/paintbox.tifTHE PAINTBOX

Everything you need tocreate this image is on your CDWe’ve put all the images, filters andplug-ins you need to create this imageon your cover CD

filename/peeking.tifPEEKING

filename/jumping.tifJUMPING

filename/sliding.tifSLIDING

filename/walking.tifWALKING

filename/hanging.tifHANGING

filename/looking.tifLOOKING

2

UNLOCK THE LAYEROpen Peeking.tif. Make sure the Layer Paletteis visible. If it isn’t, go to Window8Layers.

Notice the Layer thumbnail for the image is calledbackground and is locked. Double click on it and label it‘Peeking’. It is now unlocked and ready to be worked on.

PROJECT CREATIVEPHOTOMONTAGE

MAKING MASKSWe're going to use variousPhotoshop tools to isolate and remove the girl from the unwanted elements in the photographs (like the grey backdrop).

STAGE 1

ONE-CLICK FIX To clarify which tools this tutorial is referring to, hold your mouse over each Photoshop icon and a handy label will appear telling you its name


2

01 SELECT THE BACKGROUNDChoose the Magic Wand Tool [W] from theTool Palette. In the top menu bar set the

tolerance to around 34. Shift + click in the greybackground. A dotted line appears to indicate the selectedarea. Shift + Click to add extra parts to the selection.

02 USE THE QUICK MASKTo fine-tune the selected areas, click on theQuick Mask icon at the bottom of the Tool

Palette. The unselected areas turn red showing that theyare masked. However, some of the girl's shoulder hasbeen selected as well as the wispy strands of her hair.

03

TAKE A CLOSER LOOKZoom in using the Zoom Tool [Z]. To tidy up themask, choose the Brush Tool [B]. If you’ve got

a stylus use it to help you paint more accurately. Press Dto set the default foreground and background colours toblack and white.

04 FINE-TUNE THE SELECTIONSpray the Brush over the areas that should bemasked to turn them red, too. To adjust the

brush size, click on the Brush Preset Picker in the menubar at the top. Alternatively, activate the pressuresensitivity of your stylus using the adjacent airbrush icon.

05 NIFTY BRUSH WORKIf you spray red into a section you don't want,press Command + [Z] to undo the last stroke.

Use a softer brush near the edge of the figure for a lessjaggy selection. Press on the Tool Palette's Standard Modeicon to see how your selection is shaping up.

06

REMOVE THE BACKGROUNDYou will need to go back to Quick Mask Modeto fine-tune certain areas. When you've

finished, click on standard Mode and press the backspacekey to delete the unmasked background. The chequeredpattern indicates the transparent parts of the layer.

07 USE THE LASSO TOOLTo remove the rough book prop, hold downthe Lasso Tool icon. Select the Polygonal Lasso.

This tool creates a selection line between each point youclick on. Do a rough selection of the main areas of theprop book. Double-click or press Return to complete.

08 REMOVE THE BOOK PROPTurn on Quick Mask. Paint out the red areasnear her hands using a white brush (Press [X]

to change the foreground colour to white). Then go to Editin Standard Mode and delete the selected prop. The girlhas been isolated from the unwanted elements.

09

EXPERT TIP0

CHANGING YOURBACKGROUND VIEWPress [F] to replace all yourdesktop clutter with a plain greybackground that doesn’t distractyou from your work on theimage. Press [F] again to get ablack background.

GEORGE CAIRNSPHOTOSHOP LECTURER


4

IN FOCUS Enhance interaction by using filters

PAINT SHOP PROYou’ll be able to duplicate most of this tutorial in Paint ShopPro 5. Some of the shadow effects will be hard to do, though

PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTSIts Selection Brush is similar to Photoshop's Quick Maskmode. No Layer Mask function, though (see step 17)

GRAPHIC CONVERTOR (MAC)Although it'll open absolutely anything, it lacks theselection tools and layer controls of Photoshop

CUT HERDOWN TO SIZENow we're going to see howPhotoshop's layers enable us toposition and edit the girl to fitinto our main scene.

STAGE 2 2

INTERACTIONTo sell the concept of ourminiature maiden we need to make her appear tointeract with the elements inthe scene – especially the knifeand the paint.

STAGE 3 2

ADD SOME LAYERSOpen the file paintbox.tif and the Peekingimage. Click on the Peeking layer and drag it

onto the paintbox image. Notice that the paintbox imagenow has two layers. The Peeking image appears as aseparate layer on top of the background layer.

10 SCALE THINGS DOWNOn the Peeking layer choose Edit8Transform8Scale from the menu bar. A box appears

around the girl. Hold the Shift key to constrain the layer'sproportions and drag a corner box to scale her down. HitReturn. Move her into position with the Move Tool [V].

11 ROTATE THE LAYER ELEMENTSChoose Edit8Transform8Rotate to tilt thePeeking layer until the line of the stand-in

book matches the line of the background book. Scale herdown further if necessary. Fine-tune her size once moregirls have been added to the scene.

12

FUN WITH FILTERSPhotoshop lets you manipulate your layersin all sorts of amazing ways using a variety

of powerful filters. We'll use Motion Blur and OceanRipple to fine-tune the effect of the girl as she bouncesoff the knife and slides through the paint.

15

COPY THE BLADEUsing the techniques in Stages 1 and 2, cut outand position the girl from jumping.tif next to

the knife. Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select theknife’s blade. Choose Edit8Copy. Select Edit8Paste and anew layer is created containing the blade. Label it ‘Twang.’

13

ROTATE THE BLADEGo to Edit8Transform8Rotate. A box appearsround the blade. By default, it rotates around a

pivot in the centre of the box. Drag the pivot to the top-left corner where the blade begins. Rotate the blade inthe same way as the girl was rotated in Stage 2.

14

USING OTHERSOFTWARE

WWW.PLANETPHOTOSHOP.COM/RESOURCES.HTML T ADD TO FAVOURITES

On the Twang layer, goto Filter8Blur8MotionBlur. Type in the valuesshown. Reduce themaster opacity for thelayer to 85%.

Copy and paste a selectionof paint from thebackground layer. Motionblur the new layer to streakit. Apply Filter8Distort8Ocean Ripple.

WEB LINKS*PHOTOSHOP FILTERSwww.icnet.deSome handy filters here, which cansave you time when working withPhotoshop files. Now includesWindows XP updates.

www.planetphotoshop.com/resources.html

http://www.icnet.de

MAKING MOTIONDuplicate the Slide layer and place it on top ofthe original layer. Apply the motion blur filter

to the copied layer in the usual way. We need to makethe blur effect subtler so we can still see her expression.

PROJECT CREATIVEPHOTOMONTAGE

NEED FOR SPEEDLet's add some momentum toour character to put a sense ofmotion into our still image.

STAGE 4

ONE-CLICK FIX By pushing the numeric keys when using the painting or cloning tools, you can change the opacity of whatever you are applying


2

ME AND MY SHADOWShadows help to anchor ourcomposited youngster into the image.

STAGE 5 2

16 ADD A LAYER MASKSelect the blurred layer. Click on the Add LayerMask icon at the bottom of the Palette.

Painting black on the Layer mask makes the correspondingparts of the main layer transparent. Painting white on themask makes those areas of the layer solid.

17 USE THE GRADIENT TOOLSelect the Gradient Tool from the Tool Palette.Make the foreground colour black. Select the

Layer mask thumbnail. Click + drag with the mouse todraw a gradient across the girl. Now the blurred layershows through at her feet but doesn’t obscure her face.

18

ADD THE WALKEROpen walking.tif. Using the Magic Wand andQuick Mask, isolate the girl and remove her

background. Drag her layer onto the main image. Or go toSelect8All. You can then Edit8Copy her onto the paintboximage. Scale her and move her into position.

19 CREATE A SHADOWRight click on the Walking Layer Thumbnail toselect its transparency. Click on the Create a

New Layer Icon. Go to Edit8Fill. Set the contents of the fillto black. Press Command + D to Deselect the selection.

20 FLIP THE SHADOWZoom out. Go to Image8Transform8FlipVertical. Drag the Shadow layer below the

Walking layer. The light in the background scene is comingfrom the right and is casting shadows to the left. We needto make our shadow behave in the same way.

21

DISTORT THE SHADOWGo to Edit8Transform8Skew. A selection boxappears around the girl. Drag the handles on

the box until you've distorted the Shadow layer as shown.The key light in the image is quite high, leading to shortshadows. Hit Return when you're happy with the shape.

22 LIGHTEN THINGS UPThe shadow is too harsh so let's lighten it up.On the Layers Palette make sure the Shadow

layer is selected then reduce the master opacity of thelayer to 25%. To soften the edges go to Filter8Blur8Gaussian Blur and set that to 2.1.

23 TWEAK THE COLOURIn nature shadows aren’t grey. They are adarker version of whatever colour they are cast

onto. To warm this one up go to Image8Adjustments8Hue/Saturation>Colorize. Adjust the settings as shown.Tidy up the extra bits by her boots using the Erase Tool.

24

GROUPING LAYERS It’s easy to group different layerstogether if you want, so you canmove them around together –handy if you want to move anobject and its shadow at the sametime. Select a layer then click inthe box between the eye andthumbnail of the layer you want tojoin it to.

IN DETAIL3


4

IN FOCUS Add the final touches

TOOL PRESETSSave yourself some time – the new Tool Presets featureenables you to save and recall frequently-used tool settings

ADD FOOTPRINTSEmphasise the patter of feet bycreating some fairy footprints.

STAGE 6 2

CHANGE COLOURSHow to make one of our fairiesunique by changing the colourof her T-shirt.

STAGE 7 2

SELECT THE SOLESImagine our fairy-sized female has run through that blob of nearby paint and left a

trail. Select the Polygonal Lasso Tool [L] and give it afeather of 2. Draw around the sole of her boot to create afootprint shape.

25 SAMPLE THE PAINTCreate a new layer and label it Footprints.Select the Eye Dropper Tool [I] from the

Tool Palette and click on the paint nearby. The Foreground Colour matches the colour sampled. ChooseFile8Fill8Foreground Colour and create more footprints.

26 ADD A MASKTurn on the chain icon next to each footprintlayer’s Eye icon. Click on the top right of the

palette and choose Merged linked. Create a Layer maskfor the layer and select it. Go to Filter8Render8Clouds.Random sections of the footprints disappear.

27

THE ICING ON THE CAKEOnce all the fairies have been added youmay want to fine-tune the size of some of

them. Select all the elements belonging to a particularfairy by clicking its layer’s Link icon. Then when youscale its shadow its linked footprints will scale, too.

30

SELECT THE T-SHIRTClick on the Walking layer. Set the Magic Wandto a tolerance of 33. Click to select the white

areas of her T-shirt. Hold down Shift and click to add moreareas to the selection. Use the Quick Mask technique toisolate the shirt from the rest of the scene.

28

COLOUR THE SELECTIONWith the T-shirt selected, create a new layer.Click on the Tool Palette's Foreground Colour

icon. In Colour Chooser, click on Custom and choose acolour. Go to Edit8Fill using the foreground colour. In theLayer Palette choose the Multiply Blending Mode at 85%.

29

USINGPHOTOSHOP 7

WWW.ADOBE.COM/PRODUCTS/TIPS/PHOTOSHOP.HTML T ADD TO FAVOURITES

Use the Quick Masktechnique to add thegirl to the brush –you’ll need to rotateher to align with it.

Use the techniquelearnt in Stage 5 togive the other girlsshadows tinted tomatch the object theyare cast on.

WIN!@We want your creative efforts! Send them in and the best imagewins a great 128MB CompactFlashcard, courtesy of CrucialTechnologies. (Find out more aboutCrucial at www.crucial.com/uk

[email protected]

www.adobe.com/products/tips/photoshop.html

http://www.crucial.com/uk


PhotoClinic

Reconstructed: thephoto is saved! AFTERThrough the years the photo has become

folded, cracked, ripped, stained and damagedBEFORE

elcome to the Photo Clinic, the only fix-‘em-up section in any digital photo magazine.Each month we’ll set our experts the task of

repairing the most impossibly damaged, faded ordisappointing photos you have, and show the rest of us

how they did it. It doesn’t matter if your photo was shottraditionally or digitally – our aim is to show you howdigital tools can put them right.

First up in our new section is this disaster from JohnDugdale of Huddersfield. John told us: “I have researched

my family tree and wanted to give my research – plus afamily photo – to my grandmother, as a birthdaypresent. However, over the years, the picture hasbecome severely damaged. Can you help?” Enter EdDavis, a specialist photo retoucher…

Restoring a damagedphotographDon’t despair if a much-loved photo is damaged beyond repair. Our experts can help you out. Each month we’ll fix areader photo and show you how we did it, so you can apply the same techniques to your own pictures


W

TEARS AND RIPS Solution: put sections of theimage on separate layers.Move the layers into positionmaking them meet.

COLOUR IMBALANCE Solution: remove colour usingthe Desaturate command. Theimage will be re-toned oncethe retouching is completed.

MISSING AREASAND CRACKSSolution: find an area withsimilar tonal range, copy andpaste to fill the gap. Balanceout the tonal differences with Levels.

STAININGSolution: copy an unstainedpart of the boarder and paste itinto position over stain. Thenuse clone tool to repair it.

Got a picture that needs restoring? Send a JPEG to us at [email protected]. See below for full details!

Ed Davis is a London-based

advertising and corporate

photographer with many years

experience of studio and location

photography. He specialises in

image manipulation, and delivers

creative solutions that combine

photography and digital

technology. He is a member of

NAPP (National Association of

Photoshop Professionals)

Equipment used: a scanner

and Adobe Photoshop 7

[w] www.ed-davis-

photography.co.uk

YOUR GUIDE ED DAVIS

8SEND ’EM IN!@

@

We want your faded, damagedpictures today! Send them in, we’ll fix them up forfree, show everyone how we did itand send them back restored!

The sort of pictures we’re afterneed to be decent photos whichhave become damaged –unfortunately we can’t make badlycomposed/shot photos good.

■ Contact us via email, with a smallJPEG of the photo attached, and ifit’s right for the mag, we’ll get intouch. How’s that for a bargain?Email the following address:

[email protected]

PORTFOLIO ED DAVIS WEBSITE WWW.ED-DAVIS-PHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK



http://WWW.ED-DAVIS-PHOTOGRAPHY.CO.UK

www.ed-davis-photography.co.uk

www.ed-davis-photography.co.uk

STAGE 1 2


SELECT THE PRINTUsing the Lasso Tool, draw around a section ofthe print. Press (Ctrl + J) to put the selected

section on its own layer. Now all the parts of thephotograph have their own layers, delete the backgroundlayer by clicking on the layer and dragging it into the binat the bottom of the Layers Pallet.

REMOVE THE WHITERemove the white background from theimage using the Magic Wand Tool. Select the

tool, set the Tolerance to about 20 and click in the whitearea around the photograph. You can now remove theselected area by pressing the Back Space Key orEdit8Clear. All the white should now have gone. Repeatthis in the other pieces of the photo.

02 REMOVE THE RIPSThe base paper is visible on the ripped edge

(R1). To bring the pieces together, select the Eraser Tooland remove the white edge on each of the pieces (R2).Next, use the Move Tool to bring the ripped edgestogether (R3). Align the pieces using the Free Transformcommand. Finally merge the layers.

0301

DESATURATE THE IMAGEOpen Image8Adjustments8Desaturate or usethe short-cut Shift + Ctrl + U. This will remove all

colour from the image, leaving a monotone photograph.This makes it much easier to copy and paste from differentparts of the photograph.

THE DESATURATED IMAGEThis is what your image looks like now all thecolour has been removed. The original sepia

tone colour will be re-applied once the retouching workhas been done.

05 REMOVE THE BORDER STAINSUsing the Polygonal Lasso Tool with a 3 pixelFeather, make a selection around the border

area including the missing section. Make a new layer byclicking on the icon at the bottom of the Layers Pallet.

0604

SELECT A NEW COLOURWith the new layer active, use the EyedropperTool and select an area in the border that has a

little tone. This now becomes the foreground colour. Byclicking Ctrl + Backspace it will fill the selection with theforeground colour; you now have a clean border.

REMOVE THE PHOTO STAINSTo remove the ink stain, select and copy agood area close to the stain, then make a

loose selection around the stained area with theFeathered Lasso Tool. Use Edit8Paste Into. The piece youhave just copied is inside the selection and a Layer Maskhas been created in the Layers Pallet.

08 STRETCH THE COPYOpen Free Transform and stretch the copy so that it fits the space then adjust with Ctrl + L

or Image8Adjustments8Levels. This technique is a lotquicker than laboriously using the Clone Tool to repair any blemishes.

0907

R1 R2 R3

4

HOW TO RECONSTRUCTTHE RIPS The first thing we need to dois get each part of thedamaged photograph onto itsown layer.

STAGE 2 2REMOVING STAINS AND DISCOLOURATIONThe colour of this sepia-tonedphotograph is uneven, due todiscolouration over the years.It is also stained with blue ink.We need to remove thedifferent colours from the printbefore retouching.

EXPLAINEDDESATURATETo remove all colour from an imageleaving it monotone.

FREE TRANSFORMEnables you to copy an area withinan image and stretch it into anothershape. If the area selected containsfairly regular shapes and colours.you can use this technique to filltricky spaces with the image.

?

PhotoClinic

EXPERT TIP0

FILE SIZESEach layer you create increasesthe size of the file so keep thelayers to a minimum if memoryis short and merge as you go.

ED DAVISUSING LAYERS


Got a picture that needs restoring? Send a JPEG to us at [email protected]. See below for full details!

FIXING THE EYESelect the Lasso Tool (L) with the FeatherSetting at about 5 pixel. Make a selection

around the boy‘s good eye then use Ctrl + J. This will putthe eye on its own layer.

MOVE AND FLIPPress (Ctrl + T) or Edit8Free Transform. Oncethis is activated you can move the new eye

into place and flip the image by clicking onto the rightedge and dragging it to the left.

11 MOVE INTO PLACEOnce the copy of the eye is in place, click toaccept. Lower the opacity of the eye until you

can see the image (click Opacity in the Layers Pallet, andslide the percentage bar to the required level).

1210

MATCH TONESTo match the new eye with the skin, click Ctrl+L or Image8Adjustments8Levels. This brings

up a histogram of the tonal range. Slide the clear triangleover to the left to lighten the image.

REPEAT...By similarly copying and pasting good parts of the image we can cover large areas of

the photograph quite effectively. This will cut down thetime considerably.

14 ...UNTIL DONERemember to put everything on separatelayers so if you make a mistake, you can go

back a stage and get it right. When complete, merge allthe layers to flatten the image, for the final stage.

1513

COPY AND PASTEAs before, we can use the copy and pastemethod to replace the lost corner. In the image

you can see a balcony (top right-hand corner). We can usethis section to fill in the gap.

SELECT AND MOVEMake your selection. The Ctrl + J (the functionthat was used to put the eye on its own layer

in Step 1) is now moveable. Lower the opacity and placeit into position.

17 SCALE TO FITUse the Free Transform Tool to position thenew section in place. Click Ctrl + L or

Image8Adjustments8Levels to fine tune. Perfect!

1816

STAGE 3 2MISSING AREAS AND CRACKSDamage that removes detail from a picture can be hard to fix. Here’s how to goabout it.

STAGE 4 2ADDING MISSING PARTS Now we need to add in largeareas missing through beingtorn and lost.



CONCLUSIONp

SELECT THE CLONE TOOLUsing a separate layer, select the Clone StampTool, set the mode to normal, the opacity to

100 per cent and check that Use All Layers is selected.

SELECT THE BRUSH SIZESelect a brush size large enough to cover thedamage you want to correct, place the cursor

near the scratch, press Alt + click mouse to set the clonesource, then clone over the scratch.

20 GO BACK TO THE ORIGINALOnce all the cloning, cutting and pasting andadjustments have been made we need to

give it some colour again, so that the picture is returned toits original tones.

2119

STAGE 5 2CLEAN IT UPSmall imperfections, scratchesand specks of dusk still needto be removed.

STAGE 6 2CHOOSE THE COLOURFinally, we need to re-colourize the image, frommonochrome to whatever you like!

IN FOCUS Which colour?

USE THE TOOLSYou can choose any colour youlike from the hue and

saturation options within Photoshop. If youwant to continue with an aged feeling,sepia hues are the best. But you haveplenty of other options.

USE HUE AND SATURATIONTo open the Hue & Saturation dialog boxclick Image8Adjust8Hue & Saturation. This

presents a series of sliders you can use to add colourto your image.

CLICK THE BOXClick on the box marked Colourize. Movethe top slider and see what colours you

can get (click the box to ensure you see the changesin real-time). Job done!

22

23

24

If you have a much-loved family photo that you think is beyond repair, or needs retouching, send it to us, we’ll fix it upand send the new version back. Email [email protected] with a JPEG and we’ll see what we can do

This Magenta huerequires you to usethe Colourize controls– see next stepsopposite for how.

Stay with black andwhite for that 1940s feeling – youmay only need toadjust the contrast and brightness.

This is the colourwe’ve chosen as itmost closely matchesthe colours of theoriginal photo.

Easier thanyou might

think!What seems

to be adifficult jobcan oftenturn out tobe easier to

do than you realise. The keytechniques used for thistutorial are first, to make thewhole image monochrome,then match the different bits,and use the Free Transformtool quickly to stretch ‘good’parts of theimage overdamagedparts. Now tryit with yourpictures at home!

WE WANT YOUR PICTURES!


Follow these steps to clean up and sharpen an image before youprint it out – a bit of preparation makes all the difference…IMAGE PROCESSING

nkjet prints made straight from unprocesseddigital camera images can look dull andinsipid, so it’s useful to know a quick and

easy way to make things better.Just like processing film in conventional photography,

digital files need to be processed and prepared carefullybefore they are printed out, and they are just asintolerant of errors and sloppy workmanship. Despite thecomprehensive rescue tools available in the digitalworkflow, once an image has been badly processed andre-saved, the quality has gone forever. This tutorial takesyou through the five key stages of image processing:

setting highlights and shadows; image brightness; colourcorrection; colour saturation; and sharpening your imagefor print out.

In practice, it’s a good idea to run through the first four stages with every image you intend to keep,but the final sharpening phase should only be carriedout immediately before printing. Badly prepared imageswill never print out properly and will never show thefine details and sensitive colours present in the originalimage file. In camera aliasing, filters cause a drop inimage sharpness and, in turn, help to minimise the sizeof colour palette used to render the image.

This has a useful impact on image compression, withsmaller data created for storing low colour image files.Despite the loss, all this can be put back in your imagingapplication without too much aggravation. Never betempted to improve the look of your raw files byexperimenting with the contrast or sharpening settingson your digital camera – it’s much better to leave themon low or turned off altogether.

Finally, if you are ever in doubt about your sensitiveimage-enhancing skills, make sure you duplicate thebackground layer you are working on, leaving youroriginal image untouched.

Fixing low contrast andlow colour saturation

TUTORIAL

Disappointed with the quality of raw files opened straight from your memory card? Don’t be harsh on yourself – digitalcameras deliberately produce low contrast and low colour saturation results, but Tim Daly explains how to put them right

YOUR GUIDE TIM DALYTim has written several books on photography, includingThe Digital Photography Handbook, The Digital PrintingHandbook and The Desktop Photographer, and he continuesto write for The British Journal of Photography and AG. Hisphotographs have been exhibited across Europe

[email protected]

ENHANCINGYOURPHOTOS INPHOTOSHOP& ELEMENTS

PORTFOLIO TIM DALY WEBSITE WWW.PHOTOCOLLEGE.CO.UK

Use our trial of Photoshop 7 totry the fixes revealed here


ITUTORIAL

KEY DETAILSON OUR CD

More useful photo fixesNEXT MONTH

SKILL BOOSTER

TIME TO COMPLETEMINUTES PERIMAGE

5

10

2

2

2

2

THE RAW FILETransferred directly from the camera andopened in Elements, the raw file looks flat

and lacks the vivid colour of the original scene. Thegreens should be varied and bright and the blue skylooks muddy. These problems are easily rescued usingthe Levels dialog.

01 AVOID THE AUTO FIXIt’s tempting to fire off the Enhance8AutoContrast command if you want to see quick

results, but your image will lose quality immediately.Shadow areas will start to spread out and there maybe highlights where you least expect them. With thisexample, the sky has become too bright.

02 ANALYSING THE LEVELS HISTOGRAMA better way to alter image contrast is to

use Levels, found under Enhance8AdjustBrightness/Contrast8Levels. The black mountainshape of the histogram shows peaks at the shadowand midtone end, but little at the highlights.

03

EXPLAINEDPIXEL The basic unit of a digital image. A pixel is a single block or tile of colour.

CLIPPING GROUP A special group of layers whosebottom layer 'clips' away layersabove it.

TRANSPARENT PIXELS Have no colour, you can see rightthrough them.

?


http://WWW.PHOTOCOLLEGE.CO.UK

ONE-CLICK FIX0

USING THE QUICKFIX COMMANDA useful addition to Elements II isthe Quick Fix dialog. With allcommon adjustment toolspresented in a one-stop shop,you can easily make your rawimages better with a before andafter preview. This is ideal if youare new to digital photographybecause you can easily undomistakes or revert to your original file.

TIM DALYON ELEMENTS 2

4 Check out some very handy tips on taking and making betterautumn photos at www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/dlc/techniques/archive/autumn.jhtml

BETTER AUTUMNPHOTOS


EXPLAINEDALIASINGA grid of square pixels makes a badjob of describing curved shapes andlines. Aliasing was invented toreduce the visible jaggy lines orstaircasing effects in digital imagesand works by reducing contrast atshape edges. All digital camerashave an anti-aliasing filter fixed infront of the sensor to minimise thiseffect, but with a loss of imagesharpness and contrast.

?

SETTING HIGHLIGHTS AND SHADOWSThere’s a decent black shadow already, so

the first step is to set new highlight point. Pick up thetriangular slider at the far right of the Input Levels andmove it left until it sits at the foot of the blackmountain. If you go too far, pull it back to the right.

CORRECTING BRIGHTNESS Next, make the image brighter or darkerusing the Levels midtone slider. Move it to

the right to make your image darker and to the left tomake it brighter. You can also enter numerical valuesin the centre blue Input Levels text box. This imagewas brightened slightly from 1.00 to 1.10.

05AUTO COLOUR CORRECTIONOnce image brightness is set correctly, youcan turn your attention to colour balance.

As with the Auto Contrast command, the Enhance8Auto Colour Correction command has made thingsworse with a red cast visible in the midtone areas. Amuch better option is the Colour Variations dialog.

0604

BETTER COLOUR CONTROLEnhance8Adjust colour8Colour Variationsgives you better control over colour change.

Make sure the Midtone option is selected and reducethe Colour Intensity from its default midway position.This image, taken in early morning, was bluish, so theDecrease Blue thumbnail was clicked once.

IMPROVING COLOUR SATURATIONWashed-out colours can be enhanced usingthe Saturation slider. Do Enhance8Adjust

Colour8Hue/Saturation and move the saturation tothe right. Don’t go beyond +10 for this adjustment, oryour image will look posterised and overcooked. Don’ttouch the Lightness slider, or you’ll get a crude result.

08 FINE FOCUSThe final stage in the fixing process is totweak image sharpness before printout.

Don’t use the pre-set sharpening filter on a digitalcamera, as it can’t be removed once an image hasbeen recorded. This example shows an unsharpenedimage with blurred detail and soft edges.

0907

THE SHARPEN MORE FILTERSurprisingly, Photoshop Elements has foursharpening filters, designed to increase

contrast at shape edges. This gives the impression ofincreased sharpness, but it can be taken too far. Thisexample shows the destructive effect of twoapplications of the Sharpen More filter.

THE UNSHARP MASK FILTERA much better option is the USM filter, withvariable controls for the quantity and range

of sharpening. A good starting point is Amount 100,Radius 1.0, Threshold 1.0. Any more than this andyou’ll start to cause damage, especially if your raw filewas saved in camera as a low quality JPEG.

11 READY TO PRINTThe end result is brighter, cleaner and morelike the original scene. Badly prepared

images look even worse after printing because inkjetscan’t cope with excessive shadow areas or highlights.As your picture is perfect, any colour imbalance in theprint should be tackled using the printer software.

1210

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/dlc/techniques/archive/autumn.jhtml

http://www.kodak.com/US/en/digital/dlc/techniques/archive/autumn.jhtml

hotoshop is the pre-eminent digitalretouching, editing, colour-correction andpainting tool. Elements is rapidly becoming

the same for the home user. It's the idealaccompaniment to any digital darkroom, and it runs onboth Mac and Windows PCs. At its heart is the conceptof layers.

Layers are like a stack of clear celluloid sheets, ontowhich you can paint, copy, paste, adjust, clone and soon. Any changes made on one layer will not affect thelayers above or below it. When you create a new

document or open an image file, Photoshop presentsyou with a single layer: the Background layer. This is alayer unlike any additional ones you might add (thoughyou can convert it into a normal layer if you wish).

New layers can be created in different ways. You cancreate a new, transparent layer by clicking the NewLayer button at the bottom of the Layers Palette;duplicate an existing layer by dragging it onto the NewLayer icon; or copy and paste a selection from anotherlayer. In all these cases, Photoshop adds an extra sheetto the pile. You can think of the Layers Palette as

Photoshop's control centre. It's where the layeredstructure of your document is displayed and modified.Visually, the Layers Palette is simple to understand.Layers are added in the palette from the Backgroundlayer upwards, so opaque portions of upper layersobscure layers below them.

Layers have three components: image pixels,transparent pixels and layer masks (and, in Photoshop 6and 7, an additional forth component – vector masks). Inthis tutorial we'll look at what these components do,and how you can make the most of them.

Getting the mostout of Layers

TUTORIAL

Layers enable you to unleash the power of Photoshop's image-editing capability,Simon Danaher shows you how to use them to their full potential…

YOUR GUIDE SIMON DANAHERSimon Danaher is a digital artist specialising in Photoshop,compositing and 3D. He is also a consultant, trainer andauthor. Simon has been working professionally in thegraphics industry for over six years, and is currently writinghis second book on professional graphics techniques

[email protected]

PHOTOSHOP & ELEMENTS TOOLS

PORTFOLIO SIMON DANAHER


PTUTORIAL

KEY DETAILS

NoneELEMENTS LIMITATIONS

SKILL BOOSTER

TIME TO COMPLETEMINS

4

30-45

2

2

2

2

NEXT MONTHCloning, healing explored, plusElements 2 trial on our CD

2

OPEN AN IMAGELaunch Photoshop (try the trial on our CD)or Elements and open an image. The

document contains a background layer containing theimage pixels. Notice that we can't alter theBackground layer's Opacity slider or its visibility (the'eye' icon).

01 CREATE A NEW LAYERNow, create a new layer using the menucommand Layer8New8New Layer, or by

clicking the New Layer button at the bottom of theLayers Palette. We can paint on this new layer, orcreate some text and it won't affect the pixels in theimage below. Notice that we can alter this layer'sopacity and visibility.

02 DUPLICATE ITTo delete the layer, drag it to the trash iconat the bottom of the Layers Palette. Now

create a duplicate of the image by dragging thebackground layer onto the New Layer icon. Thisenables us to edit the image pixels in the duplicatekeeping a duplicate for safety. In this example we'veused the Clone tool to remove some of the tableware.

03

8 8EXPLAINED

PIXEL The basic unit of a digital image. A pixel is a single block or tile of colour.

CLIPPING GROUP A special group of layers whosebottom layer 'clips' away layers above it.

TRANSPARENT PIXELS Have no colour, you can see rightthrough them.

?

In this quick overview of basic layer functions, we show you how to create anew layer, add some text and edit an imageTHE BASICS

ON OUR CDUse our trial of Photoshop 7 toexplore the techniques here


4 Do you need Photoshop? You can do all the techniques mentioned below in Elementsand Elements 2. With the new Layer styles in Elements 2, the reasons for spendinghundreds of pounds on Photoshop 7 are disappearing – unless you’re a professional whoneeds to produce CMYK files. See our Elements 2 review on p42-43 for more details…

LAYERS INELEMENTS

SELECT THE IMAGEWe want to crop the image to make afamily portrait (without the breakfast in

view) and create a frame vignette. Before we committo cropping, add a new layer, then make a selectionusing the Elliptical Marquee tool.

05 MOVE AND FILLMove the selection by dragging with thearrow keys. Invert the selection by typing

command/control-shift-i. This means that everythingoutside it is selected. This is filled with white(Edit>Fill... and choose White from the pop-up menu).

06OPEN A NEW IMAGENow we’ve got simple layer usage under our belt we can move onto some

more complex stuff. We are going to work on a simple portrait that we intend to modify using variouslayer techniques.

04

FILL IN ANY GAPSFill in gaps with white using a rectangularselection. At the top of the Layers Palette

there are buttons next to the word 'Lock:'. With thevignette layer still selected click the first one. We canfill this layer with colour, without losing the ‘hole'.

08 LOCK ITLock the transparency and add a new layerto the stack. With it above the vignette

layer, alt-click on the dividing line between them inthe Layers Palette. The new layer is indented in thepalette and a small arrow appears next to it.

09CROP TO CREATE A BORDER With the vignette layer selected in the LayerPalette we can use the Move tool (V key) to

adjust its position. Once we’re happy with the position,we can switch to the Crop tool and crop the image sothat it leaves a bit of a border.


EXPLAINEDADVANCED USES/FEATURESLayers have many different controlsand options. Double click a layer toaccess the Layer Options palette.This large palette contains controlsfor advanced blending and maskingamongst other things.

?

READ ONHOW TO CHEAT ATPHOTOSHOP BY STEVE CAPLIN

;

WEB LINKS*[w] www.adobe.com[w] www.arraich.com/elements/psE_intro.htm[w] www.arraich.com/ps_intro.htm

Published by Focal Press ISBN 0240 517 024Price £24.99Website www.bh.com/focalbooks

A handy collection of quick imageediting techniques by the well-known illustrator. Check out somesample tutorials from this book inour sister magazine PCFormat.

Making use of layers gives you flexibility when you are editing digital images. Followour nine-step walkthrough on how to modify a portrait using layer techniquesUSING LAYERS

07

CHOOSE A PATTERNType Edit8Fill... and chose a pattern. Usethe ribbed pattern that comes with

Photoshop. Although it gives texture to the frame,we've lost the colour. Luckily layers can be blended sothat they affect those beneath in different ways.

11 OVERLAY THE PATTERNSelect the pattern layer, then chooseOverlay from the pop-up menu at the top

of the Layers Palette. We can still easily change thecolour of the vignette layer and the pattern willoverlay it.

12GROUP LAYERSThis is a way to group layers in Photoshopcalled a Clipping Group. Now if you fill this

new layer it will respect the locked transparent pixelsof the layer below it – in other words, the 'hole' willremain even though the layer is actually fully opaque.

10

8 8

8 8

8 8

http://www.adobe.com

http://www.arraich.com

http://www.arraich.com

http://www.bh.com/focalbooks

aint Shop Pro (PSP as its fans like to call it) isprobably the most popular piece of homeimage-editing software in the world, with

more than 20 million users. And thanks to the free version on our coverdisc,

hopefully a few more too.It’s an ideal package for retouching images, creating

web graphics and animations, and jazzing up your tiredold photographs.

But hang on, what about Photoshop? Althoughprofessionals swear by Photoshop, it’s not intended forbeginners, and figuring out how to achieve a seemingly

simple task can be a struggle. Paint Shop Pro, on theother hand, makes things simple for you.

It’s been around for more than ten years, and in thattime it’s been tweaked and honed to become thefriendliest yet most powerful graphics-manipulationprogram for home users that budget-conscious users can buy.

Paint Shop Pro 5 brought the program into themainstream and secured its popularity. Packed withfeatures yet a doodle to use, it’s full of possibilities, andover the next four pages we show you how to restoreold or damaged pictures; red eye removal; quick and

easy ways to get your snapshots onto the screen; andselections and masks. So let’s get started…

Restoring old or damaged pictures■ Adjust the overall gamma of an image in order tobring out more detail in the shadows. ■ Use gamma rather than just brightness to keep therelative weights of highlights, mid-tones and shadows.Go to Colors8Adjust8Gamma Correction…■ Make sure Link is ticked and tick the Auto Proofoption, so you can see any changes you make in realtime on the main picture.

Your complete guideto Paint Shop Pro 5

TIPS

You don’t need thousands of pounds to become an image-editing whiz – just Paint ShopPro 5 and this guide to getting the best from it

YOUR GUIDE NICK MERRITTNick has edited, managed or launched some of the UK’s leading technologymagazines, and has been writing about and using computers for longerthan he wants to admit

[email protected]

PAINT SHOPPRO5

WEBSITE www.futurenet.co.uk

Yep, it’s the full, no-holds-barred,complete version of Paint ShopPro 5, one of the ‘big three’image editorsFind it on the front of this mag


P

TIPS GUIDE

KEY DETAILSON OUR DISC

Discover our essentialcollection of tips, techniquesand skill boosters for AdobePhotoshop 5.5

NEXT MONTH

SKILL BOOSTER

TIME TO COMPLETEHOURS

8

2

2

2

2

2

OPEN A PATTERNYou can use patterns to add texture to a photo.Open one of the .tex files from the Papers

folder and save it under a new name. Use Colors8Negative to make it predominantly light, and increase thecontrast slightly. Select Flood Fill, then select the texture asthe pattern source.

01 ADD THE TEXTURESwitch to the photograph and use Masks8New8Hide All to create a mask that obscures

it. Select Masks8Edit so you’re working on the maskrather than the image, then click anywhere with theFlood Fill tool. The photo reappears, looking like it’s beenprinted on rough paper.

02 …OR USE LAYERS INSTEADYou can achieve a similar effect using layers.Instead of creating a mask, add a new layer to

the photograph. Set its Blend Mode to Multiply and pourin the pattern, then knock the Opacity back to about 40per cent. Other Blend Modes produce different effects –why not experiment?

03

8 8

PAINT SHOP PRO 5

TOOLBAR

88

Here’s a quick guide to thetools mentioned on thefollowing pages. Torearrange the toolbars, dragthe handles at their left-hand ends.

Selection

Mover

Freehand

Magic Wand

Paintbrushes

Picture Tube

Flood Fill

Text

888888

It’s easy to apply textures to your photographs to simulate the effect of grainypaper for example. Here’s howTEXTURES


http://www.futurenet.co.uk

■ Move the sliders – the shadows reveal more detailwhen you increase the gamma. Set it to a value thatlooks good without washing out the picture too much.■ Most scanned pictures benefit from a littlesharpening. Go to Image8Sharpen8Unsharp Mask...Tick Auto Proof and play with the strength until theimage looks better. Don’t overdo it, because toomuch sharpening makes extra noise.■ Most scanned pictures benefit from a little sharpening.Go to Image8Sharpen8Unsharp Mask… (the filter thatgives most control over sharpening). Tick Auto Proof and play with the strength until the image looks better.Don’t overdo it, because too much sharpening makesextra noise.■ Use the gamma function to lighten a picture upand reveal some details in the shadows

■ Try the Despeckle filter (Image8Noise8Despeckle) ifyou want to try to get rid of spots on the image.■ Use the Clone Brush if you need to remove lightflare. Copy and paste from nearby parts of an objectto try to recreate the proper look. This takes timeand a lot of experimentation – fiddle with the brushsettings and be very delicate with your strokes.■ The retouched area probably looks much smootherthan the rest of the image. No problem – use theSelection tool, choose Circle, and make a selection roundthe area. Now go to Image8Noise8Add… and apply abit of uniform noise to the selection area.

Red-eye removal ■ Make a copy of your picture by choosing theWindow8New Window menu. Zoom into one as far

as is comfortable to get a good look at the eye,while keeping the other normal size for reference.■ Make a new layer by choosing Layers…8New, andthen click OK to create the layer. Now choose the eye-dropper tool and select a colour from a normal-colouredpart of the pupil.■ Choose the paintbrush tool and select a very smallsize brush from the controls – it may even be onlyone pixel big. Now carefully brush over the red areasin the eye, watching the result in the unzoomedimage. Reselect colours as needed to match thebrightness of the pupil.■ Remove any stray bits using the eraser tool. Whenyou’re satisfied, choose Layers8Merge All (Flatten) toadd the layer to the picture. Save it under a differentname to the original, so you always have a copy.

SELECT THE SKYOne great use for layers is to replace skies inyour photos, with better ones. To make the sky

interesting here, use the Magic Wand to automaticallyselect the sky behind the statue, clicking and adding untilthe entire background is selected.

01 INVERT THE SELECTIONChoose Selections8Invert so that the selectionis enclosing the statue. Use the Rectangle or

Circle selection tool – hold down [Ctrl] as you remove thearea from the selection, until you have just the statueitself selected.

02 FEATHER IT Choose Selections8Modify8Feather… andfeather by three pixels. Load the new sky

image and, in the statue picture, choose Edit8Copy. Switch to the new sky image and choose Edit8Paste8As New Layer.

03

MOVE STUFF AROUNDThe statue is floating as a layer in front of thesky. Move it around using the Mover tool. Go to

View8Toolbars and tick the box next to Layer Palette tosee the two layers listed.

04 CORRECT EACH LAYER AS YOU WANT You can toggle layers on and off, adjust theiropacity (transparency), group them and

change their blend mode (how they’re drawn on layersunderneath them).

05 MORE ABOUT LAYERSLayers are a powerful tool – try adding morelayers to the image; the best way to

understand their power is to experiment. There’s moreabout layers on pages 76-77.

06

TIPS GUIDE

RESOURCESLooking for more tips and ideas? Dive into thefollowing websites…

Paint Shop Pro Users Grouphttp://pspug.orgA huge site and one of theoriginals, the PSP UsersGroup features an enormousamount of info, includingtutorials, reviews, forums,competitions, plug-ins, help,advice and, well, just abouteverything you could want.

2

Scanning tipswww.scantips.comAlthough scanning issimple, there’s a lot oftips and tricks you can useto improve your results –and this site is the biblefor everything scanworthy,with an enormous amountof excellent theoreticaland practical info.

2

2

PSP Tutorial Linkswww.psplinks.comYou want tutorials? It’s gottutorials. At least, it has linksto just about every tutorialsite on the web, organisedinto categories such asAnimation, Digital Painting,and so on.

2

8

JASCwww.jasc.com/learncenter.asp?JASC’s (PSP’s developer) site has a reasonablecollection of beginnertutorials, together withresources and hints for photoimage-editing, web graphicsand art creation. Many arebiased towards Paint ShopPro 7, though.

There’s so much you can do with layers – the walkthrough below is only a simple guidebut it’s enough to get you startedLAYERS


4 TIPS AND TECHNIQUEShttp://mardiweb.com/web/ for articles, tips and PDFsfor download – very useful

FREE TUBES AND BRUSHEShttp://autumnweb.com/Roxys/Tubes/2RoxysTubes.html for a good selection

OFFICIAL JASC SITEwww.jasc.com kindly agreed to us covermountingPaint Shop Pro 5, so visit and check out PSP 7

3 QUICK WEBSITES

http://pspug.org

http://www.scantips.com

http://www.psplinks.com

http://www.jasc.com/learncenter.asp?

http://mardiweb.com/web/

http://autumnweb.com/Roxys/Tubes/2RoxysTubes.html

http://www.jasc.com

http://autumnweb.com/Roxys/Tubes/2RoxysTubes.html

Paint Shop Pro 5 always hasthe right tool for your job

8CropThis simple toolwill become yourbest friend. It

simply enables you to select an areaof the image and discard the rest.Drag out a rectangular area, adjustthe edges by dragging them as youwish, then just double-click to crop.

8Magic WandGreat forautomaticallyselecting largeareas of a similar

colour. Just select the colour youwant, then click in an area. You canadjust its tolerance using the controlspalette, to be more or less sensitive.

TOOLS 2

8RetouchA quick and easyway to selectivelyapply varioushandy effects such

as lightening, darkening andsoftening. Just choose the effectyou’re after from the controls palettemenu and then paint it on.

8Picture tubeAn extremelypowerful little tool that canautomatically

draw a set of images as you movethe brush around. We’ll come to this in more detail later, but for now you can experiment with thepreset images and modes using thecontrols palette.

TIPS PAINT SHOPPRO5ONE-CLICK FIX If the shapes you draw aren’t quite right, try using a font instead. ‘Shapes’ fonts are available for free download at www.astigmatic.com


As well as its .psp format, Paint Shop Pro can savein all major formats.JPEG makes the smallest files at the expense ofquality (although you can vary the settingsdepending on how much space you have), and isbest for the web. PNG (.png) is great for the web if the imagedoesn’t have too many colours. TIFF (.tif) or Targa (.tga) are great for high-res,high-colour images. If you are manipulating filesfor printing, use TIFFs.

Working with images■ Use the Window8Duplicate command (or press[Shift]+[D]) as soon as you start to work on a newimage. That way, you’re working on a copy ofyour original, so if you accidentally save, you stillhave a backup to start over with.■ On a smaller display, things can get pretty crowdedwith all the toolbars open at once, so close the onesyou don’t need very often (such as the Histogramdisplay). You can always open them again later usingthe View8Toolbars… command.■ The toolbar (top), tool palette (left) and colourpalette (right) don’t have to stay where they are;you can drag them to any area of the screen andresize them however you like. What’s more, theyalways float in front of your picture and don’t getlost behind it.■ Use the View8Image Information… menucommand to get a one-stop collection of handyinformation about your picture, including itsresolution, how many layers it has, how big it willprint, and the amount of memory it’s taking up. Youcan also assign copyright information here.

Selections and masks■ To give the selection soft edges, go to Selections,Modify, Feather and enter a number. You’ll end up witha border of semi-transparent pixels that gradually fadeout to a see-through edge.■ Feathering is useful when you’re pasting animage onto a coloured background or trying to makeseamless joins.■ Use the Freehand tool to draw round irregular shapes.It doesn’t matter if your first attempt isn’t perfect – holddown [Shift] or [Ctrl] and draw round the pixels youwant to add or remove.■ Select Antialias to smooth the edges of anycurves. It’s best to feather the selection afterwards,once you’re happy with its shape.

■ The Magic Wand selects adjacent pixels of similarcolour, hue or brightness. Adjust the tolerance toincrease or decrease the range of colours it grabs.■ Don’t set the Magic Wand too high – you’ll havemore success if you use a moderate tolerance and[Shift]-click to add more pixels.■ You can use the Freehand tool to tidy up your shape.Sometimes it’s easier to select the things you don’twant. Use the Magic Wand to select the background,then reverse the selection using Selections, Invert. Thistrick is also useful when you want to apply an effectoutside a boundary.■ To move the selection outline on its own, switchto the Mover tool, hold down the right mousebutton and drag.■ To produce instant Op Art, use Selection, Load from disk to reactivate dots.sel. Invert the selection, set the background colour to white and press [Delete]. Strictly speaking, you don’t need to invert the

selection twice, but it makes it easy to rememberwhat’s in the .sel file.■ Masks are greyscale images that conceal parts of the underlying image. Black areas are opaque,white areas are see-through and grey bits aresomething in between.■ You can use a grey background and fill an expanded,feathered outline with black. Fill the original outline withwhite to complete the mask.■ Switch to the document you want to transformand go to Masks8New8From Image. Select themask document from the drop-down list and clickOK to place it over the image.■ To edit the mask, select Masks8View and Masks8Edit, then use the painting tools to make changes. Tomake the effect permanent, go to Masks, Delete, Yes.■ To see the result of your efforts, go to File8Preferences8 General8 click Transparency and setGrid Colors to None. ■

TOP TIP Using the right file format

BASIC TOOL Enables you to mark out rectangles, squares,ellipses, circles. You can combine them to

create more complex shapes – hold down [Shift] to add tothe current selection, or [Ctrl] to remove.

DRAGGING ITDragging the selection has the same effect ascutting and pasting it – you end up with a hole

in the picture. To move a copy of the selected area, float it(using Selections, Float) before you drag.

USING ITTry using a pattern fill to create a document fullof dots. Select the white background with the

Magic Wand, then invert the selection. Use Selection, Saveto Disk to save the outline in a .sel file.

8

01 02 03

The selection tool is your basic tool within Paint ShopPro 5. With it you can markout basic shapes and regions within an image

Paint Shop Pro 5 supports all the major file formats, which means it’scompatible across the range of image editors

SELECTIONS

LEFT JPEGs use a type ofcompression thataverages outcertain areas of animage, producing‘artifacts’ likethese. This is whythey’re unsuitablefor top quality print work

http://www.astigmatic.com

Ten PSP shortcuts No need todelve into those menus…Save [Ctrl]+[S]Resize [Shift]+[S]Rotate [Ctrl]+[R]Full screen preview [Shift]+[Ctrl]+[A]

Zoom [G]Crop [R]Eye Dropper [Y]Magic Wand [M]Eraser [E]Text [X] EMBOSSWORKS

www.cybia.co.ukThere are 20 different plug-in filters for

producing various embossing effects, in addition to theones already provided with PSP5 here. All manner ofeffects are available.

01 MEZZYwww.cybia.co.ukA set of 15 different filters that add a

mezzotint or screen-style to an image. As with all Cybiafilters, you can alter various parameters for an amazingnumber of combinations.

02 EDGEWORKSwww.cybia.co.ukYet more from Cybia, this time a set of 20

filters that produce different edge effects. These can beused to add a stylised print and Pop Art look to anything,à la Andy Warhol.

03

SIMPLE FILTERSwww.btinternet.com/~cateran/simple/#qt

A bunch of simple filters that do one particular thing. Youcan’t alter any of their parameters, but useful if you needto do something complicated.

04

REMOVING A PERSONThat yellow-shirted guy to theleft of the picture is slap

bang in the way and distracting from themain subject – as is often the case withholiday snaps. Let’s remove him, using theClone Brush.

01 ZOOM IN ON HIM …and select Clone Brush fromthe tools palette. Bring up the

controls palette and choose a brush.[Shift]+click on an area of nearby beach toset the clone source, then start brushinghim out.

02 SELECT SOURCE AREAMove the clone brush and itreplaces the area under the

cursor with the source area you chose.Select a new source area by [Shift]+clickingfrom time to time, so you don’t get arepeating pattern.

03 TIDY UPWe might as well get rid ofeveryone else, using the same

method. Take your time, and with a littlejudicious cloning, you can empty an areaof people to keep your subject the centreof attention.

04

FILTER FACTORYhttp://showcase.netins.net/web/wolf359/plugins.htm

Home to an astounding number of filters and plug-ins.Each set includes numerous abstract and more concreteeffects – it could take hours to see them all.

05 ADRENALINEwww.v-d-l.com/adrenaline.htmlA mix of freeware and inexpensive

commercial plug-ins, such as Old Movie, which turns yourimage into just that. NightVision, for example, simulatesthose army infra-red goggles – nice.

06


4 …PAINT SHOP PRO 7Includes vector graphics for drawing and specific toolsfor digital photography enthusiasts

…PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS 2Superior layer control and fully compatible with AdobePhotoshop. PSP 5 is a much smaller install though

… ADOBE PHOTOSHOP 7Different weight class of image editor, so comparisonsare a bit unfair. Still the best though

PAINT SHOP PRO 5VERSUS…

WWW.PSPIZ.COM/ T ADD TO FAVOURITES

2 So many plug-ins, so little time… but is what’s on offer right for you? Here’s ourpick of some of the best, plus where to get themPLUG-INS

Need to remove some lurkers from your holiday snaps? Time to wheel out theclone brush and get scrubbingCLONING

SHORTCUTS

http://www.cybia.co.uk



http://www.btinternet.com/~cateran/simple/#qt

http://showcase.netins.net/web/wolf359/plugins.htm

http://www.v-d-l.com/adrenaline.html

http://WWW.PSPIZ.COM/

http://www.btinternet.com/~cateran/simple/#qt

http://showcase.netins.net/web/wolf359/plugins.htm

Use either Adobe Photoshop or Elements (as we have here)to reproduce the effectsmentioned on this page

TUTORIAL

KEY DETAILSIMAGE EDITORS YOU CAN USE

SKILL BOOSTER

TIME TO COMPLETEMINUTES

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50

2

2

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TUTORIAL

YOUR GUIDE SIMON DANAHERSimon is a digital artist specialising in Photoshop, compositing and 3D.He has been working professionally in the graphics industry for oversix years, and is writing a book on professional graphics techniques

IMAGEEDITING

BEFORE & AFTER A STILL SHOT BECOMES DYNAMIC


he Radial Blur filter in Elements and Photoshopcan be used to simulate the effects of motionblur. Radial blur in Spin mode creates the

effect of rotating the camera with a slow exposure: parts

of the image towards the edges are blurred more thanthe centre, and the results can be both dizzying anddramatic. If the subject is also rotating while you twistthe camera it will appear unblurred, but the background

will appear blurred. As you can imagine, this is prettytricky to get right with either a traditional SLR or digitalcamera. Digitally it's simple, but it does take somepreparation work to get a good result.

How to add movement to your digital photographsCreate motion blurs in an image, using the motion blur tool in Elements. Simon Danaher shows you how

T

OPEN YOUR IMAGEIn this image we want to addsome movement. It would

have be nice if the girl had actually beenrocking and we'd followed her when wetook the picture to motion blur thebackground. But we didn't, so we’ll usemotion blur instead.

01CREATE A LAYERDuplicate the image bydragging the background to the

New Layer button in the Layers Palette. Ifwe try to do the trick of blurring one layerand erasing the unblurred one we won’tget the result we want because the girl'simage will be smeared in the background.

02SELECT THE CLONE TOOLThere is a sneaky way to getaround this, though. If we first

edit a copy of the image so that there isno girl in the background, then we canblur away without getting a smear. Selectthe Clone tool and begin to clone out thegirl from the duplicated layer.

03TAKE LOTS OF SAMPLESTo use the Clone tool, alt-clickwhere you want to sample

from – in this case, the window behind thegirl. Go carefully, and take lots of samplepoints. As you progress you'll have abigger area to sample from, which willmake it easier.

04

SWITCH TOOLSRemove a large section fromthe top so you can stop using

the Clone. Switch to the Marquee tool anddrag to select an area of window.Command/control-alt-drag to copy theselection. It doesn't have to be perfectbecause it will be blurred later.

05NOW IT’S BLUR TIMEAfter a while this is what weend up with. Not perfect by any

means, but good enough for our purposes.To add the motion blur, apply Radial Blur(Filter8Blur8Radial Blur) set to Spin modeand move the centre to the bottom nearthe base of the rocking chair.

06APPLY THE FILTERWith the filter applied to thecloned-out duplicate

background, make another copy of theoriginal background layer and move it tothe top of the stack. Use the erase tool torub out the background, making theblurred-on show through.

07TWEAK UNTIL HAPPYIf there's too little movementon the girl and chair, rectify this

by duplicating the original image againand applying Radial blur. Move it to the topof the stack and use a large brush to eraseeverything but the parts of the blur wewant to show through.

08

EXPLAINEDCLONING Copying pixels from one part of an image to another using abrush-like tool.

RADIAL BLURA blur filter that progressively blurspixels around a point.

STACKThe stack of layers in an Elementsdocument that are viewed in theLayers Palette.

?

What is it? Motion blur is most often found in sports photography and can add dynamism andmovement to still shots. Can my camera do it? To get the best effects you need to be able to controlthe exposure settings. Can I get around it? See our tutorial below…

4

WHY YOU’LL LOVETHIS TECHNIQUE

SEND ’EM IN!@

@Try out the techniques in this articlethen send us your pictures. We’llprint the best each month. Email usat the following address:

[email protected]


We’ve used Elements here butPaint Shop Pro (on our disc)and Photoshop all support thishandy technique

TUTORIAL

KEY DETAILSIMAGE EDITORS YOU CAN USE

SKILL BOOSTER


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BEFORE & AFTER SUBJECT STANDS OUT MORE

How to recreate a depth of fieldeffect with a low-end camera

igital image editing can help to addphotographic techniques that would otherwiserequire a more expensive digital camera. Only

the more expensive models give you the full features of

a traditional SLR such as varying the exposure, shutterspeed and f-stop.

However, using image-editing applications such asAdobe Photoshop and Adobe Elements can enable you

to add in those much needed depth effects. A typical use for depth of field is to separate the

subject of the picture from its background. In this tutorialthat's just what we'll be doing.

Are your snaps looking a bit flat? It’s easy to simulate depth in your photos with a bit of image-editing creativity. Here’s how…

D

RUN THE PROGRAMOur test image here already hasa minor degree of depth of

field blur, but a lot of cameras won't allowyou to change the settings to vary thedepth of field if you want a stronger effect.Enter Adobe Elements, which makes iteasy to blur selected parts of an image.

01CREATE A LAYERBy selectively filtering theimage we can increase the blur

of the background so that the foregroundsubject stands out more, and attracts theeye better. Duplicate the background layerby dragging it onto the New layer icon inthe Layers Palette.

02SELECT THE OBJECTUse the Polygonal Lasso tooland select along the right, top

and left sides of the image, plus roughlyaround the table and girl. Select theduplicated layer and hit Delete to erase thepixels. Nothing will appear to happen inthe picture…

03CHECK PROGRESS...but if you turn off the visibilityof the background layer by

clicking the Eye icon, we can see what hashappened and where we’re up to. Simplyrepeat the procedure outlined in theprevious step to cut out the fiddly sectionsunder her arms.

04

BLUR THE LAYERMake another copy of thebackground layer. This lets us

practice with blurring while saving theoriginal copy. With the new layer selectedin the Layers Palette and no selectionactive (command/control-d), applyGaussian Blur (Filter8Blur8Gaussian Blur).

05SELECT THE DEGREEOF BLURRINGAdjust the slider in the Gaussian

Blur filter to achieve the amount ofblurring you want. Click OK to accept theresult of the filter and apply the blur to thelayer. The result is good but the roughselection is a problem.

06ERASE ANY ROUGH BITSIn fact, even if we make amore accurate selection there

will probably still be an edge visible. Thebest way to deal with this is to paint it outusing the Eraser tool. Use a medium, soft-edged, brush and carefully erase theunblurred surround on the cut-out layer.

07TWEAK THE FINAL IMAGEThe results are very good usingthis method, but you can try

some other effects, too. Try changing theblurred layer's blending mode or applyingLevels (command/control-l) to adjust itsbrightness and contrast for the bestpossible quality.

08

EXPLAINEDLEVELS A tool in Photoshop and Elementsused to adjust contrast andbrightness in an image.

GAUSSIAN BLURA filter that is used to blur pixels in an image. It is named after the mathematician, Carl Friedrich Gauss.

POLYGONAL LASSOA selection tool that uses a seriesof straight segments (a polygon)to make a selection.

?

What is it? Depth of field is a photo technique often used to blur the background so objects in theforeground jump out of the picture. Can my camera do it? Many cheaper ones don’t have the controls.Can I get around it? Yes, we show you how to use an image editor to blur the background instead

4

WHY YOU’LL LOVETHIS TECHNIQUE

FIND OUT MORESEE OUR DEPTH OFFIELD TUTORIAL ONPAGES 86-87;

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FROM THE MAKERS OF


100% authoritative

Your experts

ne of the joys of digitalphotography is discoveringhow easy it is to view your

images on the LCD screen after taking them, and deleting the onesthat haven’t worked.

But if you have a relatively decentcamera – one costing upwards of £450– there’s the opportunity to do muchmore. Many useful and dramaticphotographic effects are within yourreach, accessible via the cameracontrols. We’ll show you how toachieve them.

Each month we’ll show you a coupleof key techniques, how they work,what they do and how you can use the same effect in your own photography.

This month we look at depth of fieldand exposure. Don’t be put off if thesetopics seem a little complicated to

begin with, the results will be wellworth the effort. And when you dotake a photograph you’re particularly proud of, email it to us [email protected] and we’llprint it in our Eyewitness section.

Also check out our monthly Q&Asection on page 90, where we’ll do ourbest to solve your camera andphotography problems. We’reinterested in all sorts of problems, fromtechnical questions to image-editingqueries. Please send us your questions to [email protected], and we’ll do our bestto tackle them within our pages.

And don’t worry if you’re new to digital photography because we’ve included a ‘get started’ guide inthis issue. Turn to page 94 to find out why you’re going to lovedigital photography…

O

TECHNIQUEQ&AGETSTARTED4

P86 P95P94

P90P87

CAMERA TECHNIQUE CAMERA TECHNIQUE Q&A

GET STARTED GET STARTED

Expert guides to taking better pictures


Our photography writers are here to help


■ AuthoritativeA leading professional in their field writesevery tutorial■ Valued added Where possible, we include image files, and full or trial software so you can try



Your camera■ CREATIVE DEPTH OF FIELD P86Take control over your imagesharpness with depth of field.

■ PERFECT EXPOSURE P88Get your camera exposure right the first time.

■ Q&A P90All your camera and image-editing queries answered!

■ GET STARTED WITH DIGITALP94Why you’ll love digital –taking, displaying and sharingphotos has never been easier.

FIRST STEPS

PHOTO HELP

CAMERA TECHNIQUES

CAMERA TECHNIQUES

■ For technical help/problems: [email protected]■ For submissions to our gallery section: [email protected]■ For general response and feedback: [email protected]■ For suggestions, ideas for articles: [email protected]■ Talk about the magazine and our tutorials with other readers: visit our website at digitalcameramagazine.co.uk

FURTHER INFOQuick ways to get more from

the technique or project that isunder consideration.

WALKTHROUGHWe don't just describea technique; we show

you how to do it step by step.

IN DETAILHere's where we talkabout a particular idea

or tool in depth, so you have aclearer understanding of the keyconcepts described.



SEND EM’ INWe want yourcontributions! Please

send in your suggestions, articleideas, tutorials, pictures and more.

TIM DALYTim is a lecturer on photography and is theauthor of several best-selling books aboutdigital photography and image-editingtechniques. His work has been exhibitedaround Europe.

AIDAN O’ROURKEAidan has contributed to the ManchesterEvening News and has been using digitalphotography for years. He’ll be answeringyour technical and photographic questionsevery issue.

CONTACT OUR TUTORIALS TEAMIf you have a comment, suggestion, idea or submission you would like to make, please email us at thefollowing addresses:

4









etermined by your lens aperture setting andyour proximity to the subject itself, depth offield is unique to photography. When looking

around us, the human eye focuses so quickly onsubjects at different distances that we hardly notice anytransition. In fact, we are blissfully unaware that wecan’t keep sharp focus on a close-up object and thedistant background simultaneously.

With photography, however, you can create an imagethat presents more information to the human eye thanhappens in reality.

Depth of field is a photographic term used to describethe range in which two objects at different distanceslook equally sharp, and can be varied from a matter of

millimetres to infinity. To use this technique, you need tocontrol the aperture.

Aperture and depth of fieldThe aperture is a variable-sized circular opening insideyour camera lens used to moderate existing light levelsfor a successful exposure, and it also determines depthof field. A typical lens has an aperture range like f2.8, f4,f5.6, f8, f11 and f16.

In terms of controlling exposure, an aperture of f2.8 isthe widest and lets in the most amount of light. At thef16 end of the scale, the aperture is at its narrowest andlets in the least amount of light. In depth of field terms,f2.8 produces the shallowest result with little sharp

TECHNIQUE

YOUR GUIDE TIM DALYTim has written several books on photography including The Digital Photography Handbook, TheDigital Printing Handbook and The Desktop Photographer, and he continues to write for TheBritish Journal of Photography and AG. His photographs have been exhibited across Europe

[email protected]

USINGYOUR CAMERA


D

To take control of your image sharpness, you need to get to grips with depth of field.Tim Daly shows how it’s an easy way of improving your photographs


ABOVE Professionalphotographers use bothshallow and deep depth offield to emphasise theirsubject matter to make muchmore memorable images

FAR RIGHT This image shows asweep of sharpness fromforeground to backgroundachieved with an aperture off16 and a focus point set at athird of a way in



detail beyond your chosen subject. At the f16 setting,sharper detail is rendered both in front of, and beyond,your main subject.

On budget digital compacts there’s usually a reducedset of apertures to choose from, such as f4 and f11. Onbetter compacts this will extend to five or six options,with a full range available on the top-price SLRs.

Aperture values are usually accessed via athumbwheel or menu on the rear of the camera body,but can only be selected in manual or aperture priorityexposure modes. In auto and other programme modes,

the camera meter decides on an appropriate aperturevalue to generate a correct exposure, without takingyour depth of field wishes into account. The aperturepriority exposure mode lets you take control of depth offield and leaves you to select a shutter speed.

The other factor in creating depth of field effects isyour distance from the main subject. If a landscapeimage is divided up into foreground, middleground andbackground, then it’s important to realise that you can’tseparate objects lying in the same plane with shallowdepth of field effects. As subjects get further into thebackground, it becomes harder to assign sharpness toone element and not the other. For mid-range zoomlenses found on most digital compacts, anything more

than five metres away will record with a similar level ofsharpness as the furthest parts of the scene.

Focus pointsEspecially important when focussing at close range is athird factor: your exact point of focus. A commonmistake when shooting portraits is to focus on thenearest part of your sitter, usually the tip of the nose,which can leave the eyes slightly unsharp. Instead, pickthe nearest and furthest parts you want sharp, thenfocus one third of the way in.

Depth of field doesn’t remain constant throughout thefar-reaching landscape and close-up photography. As youget closer and closer to your subject, the effective depthof field diminishes until it can be reduced to a matter ofmillimetres – even at maximum f16. If you want tocapture detailed images at close range your smallapertures will force you to use slower shutter speedsthan normal, and necessitate the use of a tripod.


EXPLAINEDIMAGE DETAIL In addition to affecting depth offield, aperture values also have abearing on the amount of finedetail recorded. A lens recording thesharpest detail best of all if it's setto the value in the middle of thescale. On a lens that ranges fromf2.8 to f22, the sharpest results willbe produced at f8.

CAMERA MODESFor many photographers, theaperture priority exposure mode ispopular because it lets you takecontrol of depth of field and leavesthe less crucial task of selecting anappropriate shutter speed to thecamera itself.

?

EXIF INFORMATION A much under-used feature ofdigital photography playback is thephoto information captured withyour image file. This panel ofsettings is recorded and storedwith most digital images and can be previewed on the camera LCD, or in your imagebrowser after transfer to your PC. The photo information recordsthe vital aperture and lens focal length settings so you can tell exactly how a depth offield effect was created. This imagewas shot with an aperture of f3.3to create the characteristic blurredout background.

IN DETAIL3

SHALLOW DEPTH OF FIELDThis effect is used to blur out a distractingbackground and allows a greater emphasis to

be placed on the main subject. This is created by selectinga large aperture like f2.4 or f4 and framing your subjecttightly in the viewfinder.

01TELEPHOTO LENSESUsed by wildlife and sports photographers, thiscreative effect can only be made using ultra

long telephoto lenses and won’t work on subjects sittingin the background. Compact users will need to invest in adigital SLR camera.

02WIDE-ANGLE LENSESThe nature of a wide-angle lens is to pushsubjects away from the photographer and this

example shows how an extensive depth of field can becreated from a nearby object to monuments severalhundred metres away.

03

As depth of field extends both in front of, and behind, your point offocus, it’s essential to pick the right spot to gain the best resultsFOCUS POINTS

NEXT MONTHTHE LENSAND FOCUSSING;2If you are interested in the long lens techniques used in sports photography, then visit the

professional sports photography agency, Empics, on www.empics.co.uk. Click on the sports fanssection and see if you can figure out how these great shots were taken

4

FURTHERINFORMATION

LEFT This advanced SLR has a thumbwheel selectorfor setting lens aperture values just beyond theshutter release. The current aperture, f5.6, isdisplayed in the LCD on the top plate

RIGHT The same photograph was taken twice usingdifferent aperture values. The image on the left wasshot at f4 and shows a noticeable background blur.The other image was shot at f16 and shows a muchmore distracting background

1

7

SEND ’EM IN!@

@Try out the techniques in this articlethen send us your photos. We’llprint the best each month. Email usat the following address:

[email protected]

http://www.empics.co.uk


orrect exposure is achieved through the rightcombination of aperture and shutter speed,and makes a world of difference to your final

image quality. Every digital camera has a built-in lightsensitive meter, which is used to determine all autoexposure functions and, on more advanced cameras, themanual exposure readout in the viewfinder.

Light meters can only respond to the brightest valuesin your subject, regardless of their size, shape andcolour, which means they can be fooled by everydaysituations. A perfect exposure results when thephotographer guides the meter into capturing a balanceof highlight and shadow detail. Too much or too littlelight will have a profound effect on image detail, toneand colour reproduction.

Aperture, shutter speeds and ISOThese three independent variables are entirelyinterlinked and when one is changed, another needs tobe changed to compensate. In addition to the creativeconsequences of using these scales, their primary

function is to enable the photographer to shootphotographs in widely different lighting conditions. TheISO scale sets the sensitivity of the image sensor andworks in an identical way to ISO speed in conventionalfilm. At low light levels, a higher ISO value like 800 isbest selected, so the sensor can operate with less lightthan normal.

At bright light levels, a smaller value like 200 is set.On basic digital compact cameras, the ISO value is fixed,but better models have a selection of different valuessuch as 100, 200, 400 and 800.

Once your sensitivity has been set, then the rightcombination of aperture and shutter speed is sought tomake a good exposure. The aperture is in your cameralens and is essentially a hole of varying size designed tolet more or less light reach your sensor.

Apertures are a uniform size on all cameras andconform to an international scale described as f numberslike f2.8, f4, f5.6, f8, f11, f16 and f22. At the f2.8 end ofthe scale, an aperture is at its largest and lets in themost amount of light available. At the opposite end of

TECHNIQUE USINGYOURCAMERA

C

Despite the convenience of rescue tools found in image editing applications, there’s nosubstitute for getting your exposure right first time. Tim Daly reveals how


ABOVE Contrary to yourexpectations, white subjectswill always be recordeddarker than you perceivethem. Snowy landscapeswill record grey and muddyif you leave the camera tojudge exposure. Lightmeters attempt to turnbright whites into a darkershade of grey and need tobe fooled for better results

How to get perfect exposure

the scale, such as f22, an aperture is at its smallest andlets in the least amount of light. To accompany theaperture scale is the shutter speed scale, again designedin a standardised range, but in fractions of a secondsuch as 1/1000th, 1/500th, 1/250th, 1/125th, 1/60th,1/30th, 1/15th, 1/8th, 1/4, 1/2 and 1s. At the1/1000th end of the scale, the shutter remains open forshort time, but at 1/2 second, the shutter remains openfor longer.

Metering systemsThere are three common metering systems used indigital cameras. Centre weighted on the left, matrix inthe middle and spot metering on the right.

Most digital compacts use the functional rather thanfoolproof centre weighted metering. Centre weightedmetering works by making an exposure judgementbased on subjects that are placed in the centre of theviewfinder. This is perfectly adequate for centrally placedcompositions, but can come unstuck if you intend toframe your subjects off-centre.

The much better matrix or segment metering systemis designed to cope with the greater demands of moreadventurous photographers. It works by taking individualbrightness readings from the four quarters of yourframe, plus an extra one from the centre. These fivereadings are then averaged out into a single exposurereading, resulting in a better balance.

The more complex spot metering system takes areading from a much smaller area, typically the tinycentre circle superimposed in your viewfinder. Useful forgetting accurate light readings from skin tones or othersmall and precise elements of a composition, asuccessful spot reading will emphasise this over otherless important parts of your image.

Where to take your readings The camera meter never knows which is the mostimportant part of the image. It can only respond tovariations in brightness so you have to trick the meterinto behaving differently. With so many different levelsof light reflecting off objects, the best exposure is atrade off between recording simultaneous detail in bothhighlights and shadow areas.

Most good digital compacts have an exposure lockbutton located close to your shooting hand, or accessiblewhen the shutter is half-depressed. Exposure lockenables you to take meter readings from the importantareas of your image, save the reading then recomposebefore shooting.

Camera histogramAll digital SLRs and quality compacts offer the benefit ofa Levels histogram where an image is played back onthe rear LCD preview monitor. If you find it hard to judgeif your image file is overexposed, check its histogram.

The histogram shows the quantity of pixels on thevertical scale together with their brightness values alongthe horizontal scale. At the left-hand end of the graphthere is the shadow point with the highlight point set atthe opposite right side. As each image is recorded, it’spossible to judge exposure by looking at the histogram.If this function is not available on your camera, it can beaccessed via the Levels dialog in your image editor.


EXPLAINEDSTOPS A stop is a photographic term usedto describe a single shift along theexposure scale. The term is derivedfrom the series of different aperturesettings which were traditionallychanged on the camera lens. With each shift up and down thescale would be accompanied by a recognisable click stop, hence the term stop. Whenanalysing exposure or the quality of processed images,professional photographers refer tovariations in brightness using ‘stop’as a key term.

?

THE EXPOSURECOMPENSATION DIALMost good digital compacts and allSLRs have an additional exposurecontrol called the exposurecompensation switch. Identified bythe ‘+/-’ symbol, this can be usedto counteract lighting situationswhich would otherwise fool yourlight meter. It works by allowingmore or less light to reach yoursensor as follows: to increaseexposure, use the + settings (forexample, +0.3), and to decreaseexposure, select the – settings (forexample, –0.6). Each wholenumber represents a difference ofone aperture value, commonlyreferred to as a stop.

IN DETAIL3

HOW TO RECOGNISEUNDEREXPOSUREUnderexposed images are dark, lack detail

and have muddy colours. With severe examples, solittle light reaching the sensor cells has caused brightred or green error pixels called noise. On the histogram,the pixel count is high towards the left-hand sidedescribing the large quantity of black or dark greypixels present.

HOW IT’S CAUSED Underexposure occurs when too little lighthits the camera sensor and causes dark

images with muddy colours. Underexposed images canbe rescued by imaging software, but excessive changeswill result in the sudden appearance of randomcoloured pixels and a deterioration in image quality.

Underexposure frequently occurs when shooting inlow light on automatic exposure mode, as the camerasshutter speed range may not extend beyond a fewseconds. A common cause of underexposure whenusing flash occurs when the subject is further than fivemetres away, as the small burst of light is too weak toreach out to distant subjects.

HOW TO RECOGNISEOVEREXPOSUREOverexposed images are bright, have little

detail and very washed out colours. In extreme cases,so much light reaches the individual sensor cells, that it spills over and influences adjacent cells, resultingin a spread out effect called blooming. Overexposedimages display a strong pixel count in the right-handhalf of the histogram.

HOW IT’S CAUSED Too much light makes pale and low contrastimages with burnt out detail which can not

be rescued by software trickery. Digital cameras rarelyencounter overexposure when set to automaticexposure mode, but it can still occur if too high an ISOvalue, such as ISO 800 is selected under bright lightingconditions. The commonest cause of overexposure withdigital compacts occurs when using flash to light anearby subject.

Close-up flash can still be too much light for a smallaperture value to cope with and will cause imagehighlights to white out. On fully manual modeoverexposure is caused by selecting a very slow shutterspeed or a large aperture.

01

02

03

04

How to recognise, and what causes, underexposure and overexplosure

PROBLEMS WITH EXPOSURE

NEXT MONTHSHUTTER SPEEDSAND MOVEMENT;2Go along to the exposure section at Say Cheese www.saycheese.com/simplesteps/camera_

basics/Exposure.asp for information on how light meters work, tools to lock in exposure,exposure distortion and exposure compensation

4

FURTHERINFORMATION

88

LEFT You can see the difference between anunderexposed and correctly exposed picture here. Thetop tree’s foreground is too dark because thephotographer hasn’t compensated for the brightnessof the sky. See opposite for more details on how toget this right

SEND ’EM IN!@

@Try out the techniques in this articlethen send us your photos. We’llprint the best each month. Email usat the following address:

[email protected]

http://www.saycheese.com/simplesteps/camera_basics/Exposure.asp


http://www.saycheese.com/simplesteps/camera_basics/Exposure.asp

2HOW DO I CORRECTCONVERGING VERTICALS?

■■ INTERMEDIATE

I’ve heard that I need to correctconverging verticals on

photographs of buildings. Why is thisnecessary and how do I do it? Ian Yates

Photographs of buildings generallylook more pleasing to the eye

when vertical lines are vertical or nearlyvertical. The problem is, in order toinclude the building within the frame, weoften have to aim the camera up, so thatthe building appears to be leaning back.If you are using a wide-angle lens, it’spossible to avoid converging verticals at

A

Q

IMAGE EDITING

ANSWERED!IMAGE EDITING

Converging verticals . . . . . . . . .90Picture resizing . . . . . . . . . . . . .91

PC USEDownloading to Windows . . . .90Improving scan quality . . . . . . .92

CAMERA USECropped images . . . . . . . . . . . .91Flash photography . . . . . . . . . .91Fuji’s xD card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Auto controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Hot pixels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93Field of view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

MEDIAWebsites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .91, 93Book . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

image capture stage by placing thebuilding within the upper half of theframe, and cropping off the lower halflater on.

If you’re too close or don’t have awide-angle lens, then you’ll need to aimthe camera up, which will give youconverging verticals.

These can be corrected at imagemanipulation stage using the Distort tool.Before we do this, let’s try to understandexactly what we are doing. A buildingcaptured with converging verticalsappears on the canvas as a rectanglewith a shortened upper side.

What we need to do is stretch thecanvas at the top to restore the shape asclose as possible to an even rectanglewith vertical sides. Imagine the canvas is made of rubber stretched out on aframe with extendible sides. Pulling the

If your image-editing program has a Distort or Transform function, fixing verticals is easy


We are looking up at thederelict mills of Ancoatsin Manchester. The

verticals are pointing inward and thefacade appears to be narrowingtowards the top.

Select the rectangle,apply Distort and drag theupper corners upward

and outward. Using a verticalreference line we can tell if moreDistort is needed.

Here we can see that theverticals are more or lessproperly aligned. There

may be slight curvature due to theeffect of your lens, but this isn’toverly noticeable.

We can now crop thecompleted picture – wehave lost some picture

information at the edges, but thearrangement of forms looks morepleasing to the eye.

top corners up and out makes therectangle even again. This is what we doat image manipulation stage – see thewalkthrough below.

2HOW DO I DOWNLOADPHOTOS FROMMY CAMERA?

■ BEGINNER

I’m having problemsdownloading photos from my

camera to my computer runningWindows XP. I’ve tried everything butnothing seems to work.Philomena Dare

There may be a number ofreasons why this is happening. ItA

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PC USE

may be the fault of the camera, theoperating system or the computer theoperating system is running on.

If the camera is new, then the chancesare the fault lies with the computerhardware or software. Doing a cleaninstall of your operating system, and thenre-installing the software supplied withthe camera may solve the problem.

There may be a hardware problem –try using the USB port with anotherdevice. Or there may be a conflictbetween the version of the camerasoftware you’ve been supplied with andthe OS you’re using – check with themanufacturer’s website or email it.

Another option is to use an externalcard reader (some printers have thembuilt in). They’re cheap, simple, compactand sometimes do the trick, even if acamera connection doesn’t work.

All your cameraquestions answered Send us your camera and image-editing queries and Aidan will do his best to help

01 02 03 04

PhotoHelpGot a question about cameras or images? Send your emails today to [email protected] and Aidan will do his best to help!

PORTFOLIO AIDAN O’ROURKE WEBSITE WWW.AIDAN.CO.UK

Aidan O’Rourke is a freelance

photographer who has been

working with digital imaging and

photography since 1994. He

created ‘Eyewitness in Manchester’

(part of Manchester Evening

News), the largest online source of

photos and information about

Manchester. He’s currently running

seminars on digital photography

around the country

[seminars]

www.aidan.co.uk/seminars/

index.html

YOUR GUIDE AIDAN O’ROURKE

HOW TO FIX CONVERGING VERTICALS22


http://WWW.AIDAN.CO.UK

http://www.aidan.co.uk/seminars/index.html

http://www.aidan.co.uk/seminars/index.html

You don’t need to rely on the good sense of your local photo processing lab

2HOW CAN I AVOIDCROPPING OFFMY PRINTS?

■BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

I often find that parts of myphotographs are cropped off

when I send them to be printed.Please could you tell me why thishappens and is there a way round the problem? Jeremy Bowman

Printing services often cropphotographs, removing a strip off

all four edges. A more serious problem may be a

mismatch between the shape of thewindow or frame used at imagecapture to the one use at printing stage.Cameras use many aspect ratios,ranging from panoramic to square.

If you capture an image using oneaspect ratio and wish to display it usinganother, then you have two choices:either include the entire image withblank borders or crop it so it fills thenew frame size.

We encountered this problem whenwe made a 6 x 4-inch print of a picturecaptured using a popular digital camera.Most digital cameras use an aspect ratioof 4 x 3 (that is, computer screen aspectratio), but the smallest standard printformat uses an aspect ratio of 3 x 2 (thesame as 35mm film). If you don’t wantblank borders, then you have to crop.

If the picture was originally 1,200pixels wide and 900 pixels high, you’llneed to crop the picture at the topand/or at the bottom reducing it to 800pixels. See our print techniques articlelater on.

A

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CAMERA USE

HOW AND WHEN TO CROP A PICTURE


2HOW CAN I SOLVE THEPROBLEM OF LACK OFDETAIL IN MY PRINTS?

■■ BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

I’ve tried resizing my photosand printing them out, but they

are completely lacking in detail. Whathave I done wrong?Tim Scott

It sounds like you may haveresampled the photograph down

to a small size rather than changed thedisplay size.

Here we are dealing with the thornysubject of resolution and print size – oneof the most misunderstood concepts indigital photography.

When measuring the size of digitalphotographs, there really is only one sortof measurement that’s important, and

A

Q

IMAGE EDITING

This photograph of the cathedral in Marseille was captured at 4 x 3 ratio. To print at 3 x 2 weneed to crop off part of the image. Here I’ve chosen to crop off the redundant lower edge.Unfortunately, cropping at print stage may cut into the left-hand cross – we will have to seehow it comes out but, next time, leave a bit more sky at the top!

that is the pixel dimensions. A digitalphotograph is a certain number ofpixels wide and high. Many digitalcameras produce pictures at 1,600 x1,200 pixels. The size you display theimage is up to you. If you’re making adigital print, then 200 pixels per inchwill give you good results.

This resolution gives a print size of 8 x 6 inches. A problem lurks on screen when preparing the image for printing because most digital

cameras produce images that have adefault setting of 72 pixels per inch (ppi),which is the resolution of the averagecomputer monitor.

At this resolution, our picture will fillthe entire screen area of a large size1,600 x 1,200 pixel monitor, which isapproximately 22 x 16 inches – far toobig to fit inside the dimensions of an 8 x6 print.

We need to change the picturedimension settings and shrink the display

size down from large screen size to small print size, and this is where manypeople go wrong – they reduce thedisplay size but keep the resolution at 72ppi.

The computer, being the dumbmachine that it is, will then resample theimage from 1,600 x 1,200 pixels (5.5-megabytes) down to 576 x 432 (justunder three quarters of a megabyte)throwing away over 85 per cent of thepicture information!

This photograph of Ile des Embiez, on thesouth coast of France, was captured at 4 x 3aspect ratio. To print it at 6 x 4 inches (3 x 2aspect ratio) we will have to crop the topand bottom of the photograph. The extrashaded border indicates the area that mightbe cropped when the photo is printed. Thebottom edge of the nearest yacht is cut off –perhaps it might be better to crop off awider edge at the top of the photograph

First we need to uncheck the Resample Imagebox. Now when we change the print dimensionsto 8 inches, the file is left unchanged, and theprint resolution is set to 200 pixels per inch. Thepicture will print correctly

When we select Image8Image size to changethe display dimensions of the picture, theresolution of the file is already set at 72 pixels per inch, giving a print size of 22.223inches wide. The obvious thing to do is changethe print size to 8 inches, but as the ResampleImage box is checked, Photoshop will resamplethe image down, losing 85 per cent of thepicture information

EXPERT TIP0FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY1 Avoid red-eye by using a flashthat’s as far as possible from thelens. This, of course, depends onthe camera you’re using butgenerally the further away andpreferably above, the better.

2 Switch on as many room lightsas possible – this will have littleeffect on the lighting in thepicture, but it will help to closethe pupils of your subjects’ eyes.

3 Don’t use the flash if there’savailable daylight, it may wellturn out better but you will needto hold the camera steady.

4 Do use the flash in very brightsunlight. It can fill in shadowsand make faces look better.

5 Use an external flash withouta synch cable. It can only bedone in very dark conditionswhen the camera’s autoexposure settings leave theshutter open for a long exposure.Turn off the on-camera flash,point at the subject – hold theexternal flash above your head –fire the shutter, and thenimmediately after it, the externalflash. Examine the result. If over-exposed, reduce the flashintensity and keep trying!

6

WEBSITE REVIEW www.canon.co.ukEase of use: unlike Nikon’s dark, flash-driven website with sound effects, Canon’ssite is an all-white affair with a standard layout Content: the site has details on current and forthcoming cameras, and talks about

the company’s Kyo-sei philosophy of ‘working together for the good of everyone’Verdict: we find the simplicity and lack of gratuitous Flash appealing

8

2


The solution is to change the displaysize without resampling the image. Youcan do this in Photoshop, but it’simportant to make sure you don’t checkthe box ‘Resample image’.

When you change the display size,you’ll see the resolution jump to 200ppi.That’s now the resolution (resolution ispixel dimensions divided by display size –1,600 divided by 8 = 200 pixels per inch).

Wouldn’t it be great if, when printingan image, the software automaticallyadjusted the resolution to the print size?Oh, and if it automatically adjusted thelandscape and portrait settings to save alot of wasted paper, too.

The more intelligent softwarepackages already do this but, for the restof us, the solution is to understandresolution. We’ll talk more about this inanother issue.

2HOW CAN I OVERRIDE AUTO-EXPOSURE?

■ BEGINNER

My digital camera hasautomatic controls only, but

there are times when I want to

Q

CAMERA USE

override them. Can you please tell mehow I can do this?Jane Fu

Auto-exposure is a marvel ofcamera technology, the result of

years of development work by talentedR&D teams. But there are times whenwe’d rather dump the auto-exposuretechnology and use manual settings. This

A

may be under unusual lighting conditionsor for creative work – roughly 20 per centof the time for many users.

The more expensive cameras havemanual over-ride, but if your cameradoesn’t have this facility, it is still possibleto exert your control and get the camerato do your bidding, not the other wayround! Auto exposure controls aregenerally adjusted for the average, but

EXPLAINEDFUJI’S XD PICTURE CARDWHAT IS IT? The Fuji xD picture card is a newtype of Flash memory card thatis considerably smaller andlighter than existing cards. Itwas released in mid-2002.

HOW IT WORKS:Similar to other Flash memorycards, the xD picture card isused to store image dataproduced by a digital camera orother image-capturing device.Inserted into the camera, it actsas the camera’s memory – theequivalent to film. Thedifference with the xD picturecard is that 0.79 x 0.98 x 0.07inches it is much smaller thanexisting cards and has a higher capacity – or at least itwill have a higher capacity infuture. Currently cards areavailable at 16, 32, 64 and128Mb. 256Mb cards arereported to be shipping later in2002. The card will featurefaster read/write speeds andlower power consumption.

DO I NEED IT? The card is an integral part in anumber of new Fuji cameras, soif you’re buying one of them,you will be able to try it out foryourself. PCMCIA and CF CardAdapters will be available, soyou will be able use a Fuji xDcard in your existing camera. But why would you want to do this? Since an 8Gb capacityisn’t available – and won’t be for some time – there isn’t a compelling reason to change to xD.

OUR VERDICTIt’s great to see innovation andimprovement in performance,but no matter how good thetechnology is, unless it satisfiesan urgent need, it is unlikely totake over as the standard.

? DEALING WITH AUTO-EXPOSURE1 It was a cloudy and overcast day when Itook this photograph in centralBirmingham using the Nikon CoolPix 990set to monochrome image capture. First Iaimed the camera towards the sky tocapture the clouds, but 2 the foregroundwas too dark to use.

3 So next I aimed the camera at thedarker foreground – the sky came out

completely white but 4 the fountain andwater surfaces were still a little dark, butthe exposure was usable

5 I selected the top part of the firstphoto and pasted it onto the secondphoto applying a graduated fill in black todarken the clouds a little more.

6 I didn’t need to do much to theforeground. All the main details wereclearly visible


IMPROVING SCAN QUALITYEven with scanning, there are ways to ensure your results are the best possible

2HOW CAN I IMPROVE THE QUALITYOF MY SCANNED PRINTS?

■ BEGINNER

Whenever I scan a print I’m disappointedwith the results – the colours are muddy and

the picture lacks sharpness. Is there anything I cando to improve the quality? Dawood Al-Turiman

The answer is not to scan prints, but to eitheruse a film scanner or to have your film

scanned by some of the excellent scanning servicesthat are available.

Despite advances in digital camera technology,film remains an excellent medium for the captureand storage of picture information. It doesn’t matterwhether the film is colour or monochrome, negativeor slide.

A high-resolution film scanner will extract anenormous amount of information from the film andturn it into digital format.

A print is a copy of an image on film. In theanalogue world, every time you make a copy you

lose information. In the case of a print from anegative, it’s possible to lose over half the pictureinformation – bright and detailed clouds burn out topatches of white, shadow detail is reduced to a darkpool of black and sharp edges are softened.

If the colour balance isn’t right because thechemicals haven’t been topped up correctly, you losecolour information.

So why bother making a print? Well, a printcontains more than enough picture information forour eyes to extract and we tend not to notice the lost

information. We may not realise that it’s a bad copyof a negative or slide – after all, the film is too smallfor our eyes to read and you’re unlikely to be able tomake sense of a negative.

The problem starts when, often using a low-costflatbed scanner, we make a copy of what is already arather ropy copy.

The best way to see the difference is to comparean image scanned from a print on a flatbed with onescanned from film. The answer is clear – always tryto scan from film!

A

Q

PC USE

This picture of a tram in St Peter’s Square in Manchester hasbeen scanned from the print. The automatic settings on themachine have made the print far too light, and there is a browncolour cast. Shadow and highlight detail has been lost

8

PhotoHelpGot a question about cameras or images? Send your emails today to [email protected] and Aidan will do his best to help!

2

This is the same picture scanned from the negative using a filmscanner. The colour is much closer to how it looks in real life –there is far more detail. It’s the same photograph, but howdifferent it looks when the two scanning methods are compared


How to handle areas too big for your lens…

If you try to do a time exposure on many digitalcameras, you get the ‘sky at night’ effect. Thelevel of noise is low, but noticeable (see theright-hand side of the picture).

2WHAT CAN I DO TO WIDEN THE FIELD OF VIEW?

■■■ EXPERT

As part of my job I often haveto photograph buildings but I

find that the lens on my NikonCoolPix digital camera isn’t wideenough to take in the full width ofthe building. I don’t have the budgetfor a digital SLR. What can I do? Lochlann Coggin

The Nikon CoolPix series has aset of screw-on lenses, including

a wide-angle (0.66x) converter. This turns a standard lens at its

widest setting, equivalent to 35mm,into a 24mm lens. It’s surprisingly

A

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CAMERA USE

UNDERSTANDING FIELD OF VIEW

Using the wide-angle teleconverter withthe Nikon CoolPix 990 I have managedto capture the full width of Lyme Hall,Cheshire, but there is curvature

Moving back and to one side enables usto capture the full width of the house,but the effect isn't satisfying

Looking from the other side of the pondgives us a classic shot, with a reflection

cheap at well under a £100. Soundsgreat, but there are problems withbarrel distortion and chromaticaberration at the edges. It simply isn’tpossible with a cheap screw-on lens ofthis type to achieve the quality of a35mm SLR lens.

At smaller sizes, or on web pages,you won’t notice the lack of quality, andthe lens is small and easy to carryround. If you want to preserve imagequality, it may well be better to movefurther back. We have been known toget our feet wet in a canal.

If you want to include the whole ofthe building and use your camera’sbuilt-in lens at its best, then that’s theonly easy option.

Or you can take a panorama. Holdingthe camera vertically, take a series ofoverlapping shots. Then simply stitchthem together in an image editor likeElements or Paint Shop Pro.

many routine pictures have characteristicsthat fall outside the average, such as abright sky and a dark foreground. Theaverage exposure is often below thecorrect level for the sky, so it comes outwhite, and above the correct level for theforeground, so it comes out dark. In thiscase, we can manipulate the camera andget it to do our bidding.

To expose correctly for the sky, aimthe camera at the sky, lightly hold downthe shutter, reposition it and take theshot. To expose correctly for the darkforeground, aim the camera down, anddo the same. We now have two picturesthat can be merged into one in imageediting later (see the box left for moredetails on this).

Many cameras have auto-exposurecompensation. However, if you’re aimingat a dark subject against a lightbackground, then you can set thecompensation to the plus setting, makingit overexpose, and vice versa. Apart fromswitching off the flash, there’s not muchyou can do to manipulate the auto-exposure settings, so if you really want totake control, then it may be an idea toget a higher specification camera.

2HOW CAN I GET RID OFTHE TINY SPOT?

■■ INTERMEDIATE

When I look at my digitalphotos, every image has a tiny

spot on the right-hand side. What isthis and can it be fixed? Ian Harris

The so-called ‘hot pixel’ isprobably generated by theA

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CAMERA USE

camera’s internal electronics. On longerexposures, you’ll notice more of thesepixels. More recent digital cameras havea noise reduction mode, but the problemis still there. In bright conditions withshort exposure times, the problem of hotpixels is less but, as in this case, theremay be a persistent offender – usually inone position.

I usually sort out the problem of ‘thephantom pixel’ manually by using thecloning tool in Photoshop (create anAction to take care of particularlypersistent problems).

There’s also a shareware program thatcan cure the problem. You can find it atwww.tawbaware.com

Here is the offending pixel, generated by thecamera's electronics. It's small but annoying. If there's just one, then it can be cloned outfairly easily.


This is a composite image consisting of seven overlapping shots. I have managed toinclude the whole facade within the frame, but you'll notice that it appears to curve round.This was the result of the changing angle of the lens as I moved it from left to right

FANSITE www.panoguide.comEase of use: the work of London-based photographer and IT professional JamesRigg, the layout of this site is simple, unsophisticated and easy to navigateContent: the site provides comprehensive and independent information about

making panoramas, particularly QTVR panoramas Verdict: good stuff

8

READ ON

Published by New RidersISBN 0735713006 Price £30.99Buy from www.amazon.co.uk

Who it’s for: expert Photoshopusers looking for time-saversWhat you get: lots of tips andtechniques from well-knownAmerican Photoshop expert ScottKelby. It focuses on getting thingsdone faster to a high standard.

PHOTOSHOP 7 KILLER TIPS

; 2

http://www.tawbaware.com

http://www.panoguide.com

http://www.amazon.co.uk

Email us your questions and we’ll help if we can. Contact [email protected] today!

DISCOVER HOW YOUR CAMERA WORKS, PLUS PRINTING AND SCANNING

Get started with digitalTaking, sharing and displaying photographs has never been easier. Thanks to digital cameras, you can dowhat you’ve always done – but better. Jeremy Gray explains why you’re going to love digital photography…


WEB LINKS*EPHOTOZINEwww.ephotozine.comAn online magazine aimed at bothbeginners and more experiencedusers, with lots of reviews, tutorialsand tips.

PHOTOEXPERTwww.photoexpert.co.ukWebsite run by scanner and printermaker, Epson, offering professionalphotographers’ portfolios and digitalphotography tips.

■ Flash: as with 35mm cameras, just about all digital cameras come with a built-inflash. This is connected to the exposure circuitry inside the camera so that the flashexposure is handled automatically. There are usually several flash modes, includingautomatic (the flash fires when needed), flash off, flash always-on, red-eye reduction(a series of brief pre-flashes that makes your subjects’ irises contract before the mainflash) and slow sync (to balance flash with ambient lighting).

■ Viewfinder: like 35mm compact cameras, digital cameras come with separateviewfinders that work in just the same way. You compose the image in theviewfinder and press the shutter button. But with digital cameras, you can alsocompose the image on the colour LCD panel on the back, as we shall see…

■ Lens: just like a traditional camera, digital cameras need a lens to focus the lightinto an image. Cheaper digital cameras come with a fixed focal length lens; whilemore expensive models come with a zoom. The focal lengths of digital camera lensesare much shorter than those of 35mm cameras because they’re focussing the imageon a smaller area, but the angles of view are similar. Indeed, digital camera zoomranges are often quoted in terms of their 35mm camera equivalents.

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igital cameras are getting better and cheaper

all the time. If you’ve been holding out for

the right time to switch to digital, you’ve held

out long enough!

So what’s so great about digital cameras? A whole list

of things. We look at these in more detail over the next

four pages, but they boil down to the following things:

■ Running costs: you’ll never have to buy another film

ever again.

■ Foolproof operation: reliable auto-everything.

■ No more waiting: you can see – and check – your

photos straight away.

■ On-the-spot editing: if you take a photo that goes

wrong, you can bin it before you take another

■ Image quality: 35mm still offers the potential for

higher quality, but less so with time – we explain why

later on in this article

■ Photographic control: digital cameras offer

photographic control such as different exposure modes

and sophisticated metering systems

■ Editability: you can do things with digital images

that would be next to impossible in a traditional

darkroom environment.

■ Convenience: you can print just the pictures you

want and store a collection of hundreds on a single CD,

which means they’ll never fade or get damaged.

■ Simplicity: you don’t even have to own a PC to use a

digital camera or display your images, thanks to high

street ‘developing’ services that can output your digital

photos onto photo paper.

D

INSIDEBACK

FirstSteps

CAMERA BASICS: FINDING YOUR WAY AROUNDThere’s little basic difference between conventional and digital cameras


http://www.ephotozine.com

http://www.photoexpert.co.uk

■ Navigation controller: digital cameras aremore sophisticated than film cameras. They willoften have more advanced photographic controls,and you need to be able to control the playback ofimages on the CCD. Many of these options arecontrolled by menus displayed on the LCD screen.To help you move around these menus and playback images, digital cameras offer a four-waycontroller on the back panel.

■ LCD: the LCD screen on a digital camera has anumber of functions: when you’re taking pictures,it can display the images as seen by the CCD – inother words, through the camera lens itself; itdisplays images already stored on your memorycard when you enter playback mode; and itdisplays the menus needed to set up your digitalcamera’s photographic options

■ Mode dial: this incorporates the on/off switch, set-up mode,record/playback, exposure modes and movie modes.


EXPLAINEDKNOW YOURMEMORY CARDS Instead of film, a digital camerauses a memory card. These comein distinct flavours and sizes:

CompactFlashCompactFlash is themost widely-usedmemory cardformat. Measuring

42mm x 36mm, CompactFlash(CF) cards are just a few mm thick.They come in a variety ofcapacities, from 8Mb (Megabytes)to 1,000Mb. The number ofimages you can store depends onthe capacity of the card and theresolution of the camera.Prices: 16Mb £15; 128Mb £66.

SmartMediaSmartMedia cardsare a little smallerthan Compact

Flash. Like CompactFlash, theycome in sizes of 8Mb right up to256Mb, though 128Mb is the mostreadily available maximum size.Prices: 16Mb £11; 128Mb £70.

Memory StickMemory Sticks are aproprietary format

used by Sony. There are long, anda similar thickness to CompactFlashcards. They come in sizes from8Mb to 128Mb.Prices: 16Mb £30; 128Mb £90.

Secure Digital(SD/Multimedia card)

Secure Digital (SD) cardsare growing inpopularity amongcamera manufacturers.

The smallest of all the cards, thesecome in a range of capacities from8Mb to 512Mb. Again, there’s littleoperational difference between SDcards and any other, butCompactFlash and SmartMedia aremore widely-used standards.Prices: 16Mb £20, 128Mb £135.

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■ Viewfinder: the viewfinder (usually referred to as the ‘optical’ finder todistinguish it from the LCD panel on the back) does not show you the photo asseen by the taking lens, so there may be some positional difference (‘parallaxerror’) with nearby subjects where what you see in the viewfinder doesn’t quitematch what the camera takes. However, the optical viewfinder doesn’t consumebattery power (the LCD panel does), and it can be easier to use in bright daylight,because of lack of glare.

■ CCD: this is the heart of a digital camera. It’s a light-sensitive electronic chipthat records images as a series of minute, individual dots of colour – pixels. Seenfrom far enough away, these pixels merge to form a photographic image. Thedigital image recorded by the CCD when you press the shutter button is saved tothe memory card immediately, ready for you to take the next picture.

■ Memory card: where traditional cameras store images on film, digital camerasstore them on memory cards. Memory cards come in different sizes that holddifferent numbers of images, depending on the camera. Once you’ve transferredthe images to your computer, you can wipe the memory card clean and use itagain, repeating this process indefinitely – digital photos cost nothing to take! Atypical memory card can store 16-30 images depending on the image quality youwant, but bigger memory cards are easily available.

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■ Video features: an increasing number of digitalcameras offer a ‘movie’ mode. In this mode, theyshoot short movie clips of 20-60 seconds or so (depending on the capacity of your memorycard), sometimes including sound. These moviescan then be transferred to your computer forediting and playback. The picture and soundquality won’t match that of a proper camcorder,but on the better digital cameras the quality is stillsurprisingly good.

■ Other buttons: digital cameras usually offer aselection of buttons on the top plate and/or the back.Typically, there will be buttons for switching flashmode, focus mode (autofocus/infinity/macro) andexposure compensation (for difficult subjects orlighting conditions). You’ll also find a button forswitching the LCD panel on and off, and another fordisplaying the menu system.

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BACK COMPOSITE

BACK INSIDE

CAMERA BASICS: HOW EVERYTHING WORKSThe main difference between digital and conventional cameras lies in the waylight is captured, and images are stored

CAMERA BASICS: HOW YOU USE ITView pictures on the LCD screen at the back of your camera

FirstStepsEmail us your questions and we’ll help if we can. Contact [email protected] today!


EXPLAINEDRESOLUTIONOne of the most importantspecifications to look for in a digitalcamera is its ‘resolution’, measuredin megapixels. We’ve explainedelsewhere how digital images aremade up of arrays of tiny pixels,and the more pixels in your image,the finer the detail it will display.

MEGAPIXELS Megapixels means ‘millions ofpixels’, and it’s the total number ofpixels used by the CCD. Forexample, a camera with a CCD that saves images measuring 1,800 pixels x 1,200 pixels will be a 2.16 megapixel (1,800 x1,200) camera.

The higher a camera’sresolution, the more you canenlarge its images before theindividual pixels become visible andthe image starts to break up. A 2-megapixel camera is about thebare minimum for snapshots; 3-megapixels is a starting point for enthusiasts; 4-megapixels is agood compromise between qualityand price; and 5-megapixelcameras represent the peak.

IMAGE SIZEIf you lack space on your memorycard, you can adjust the size of theimages as you take them, to fit onmore or fewer images. To packmore shots onto your memorycard, you need to reduce the size ofeach image, sacrificing quality.Conversely, to get the best possibleimage quality, you have to increase the image size, so you can fit fewer images onto yourmemory card. It’s up to you – butyour camera makes choosing theappropriate setting simple.

? Taking pictures with your digital camera is only the beginning. Your computer is the real hub of your digital photography systemWORKING WITH YOUR PC

■ CD-writer: essential for transportinglarge numbers of digital photos – CDs arecheap enough to buy, so you don’t have theworry of sending valuable items throughthe post, or not getting your discs back.They’re also ideal for backing up orarchiving your photos. Remember, digitalcamera images have no physical form, andif your hard disk fails and you don’t havebackups, they’re gone for good.

■ PC: the faster and newer your PC, thebetter it will be at handling high-resolution digital images. Any PC orlaptop with a 1GHz processor or fasterwill be fine. If you’re running WindowsMe, 128Mb RAM will be okay, but ifyou’re using Windows XP, you really need256Mb minimum. A good-size hard diskis handy – we suggest 40Gb minimum.

■ Monitor: this is often the weak link in anydigital photography setup because manufacturerstend to supply low-cost budget models as part ofPC systems. You need a good-size screen to start with – 17-inches is a bare minimum, but 19-inches is better. You also need a good qualityscreen. Look out for flat-screened MitsubishiDiamondTron and Sony FD Trinitron models(many independent makers use these tubes).

f you own a PC, you have the option to use

an image-editing program to remove any

flaws, errors or blemishes from your freshly-

taken pictures. Or you can use the program to take the

individual pictures and create new compositions from

them – it’s up to you. (We’ve covermounted Paint Shop

Pro 5, a free fully featured image-editing program you can

use for this purpose.)

Print, store and shareOnce you have the images as you want them, it’s a

matter of printing, storing and/or sharing them. How you

do this is up to you. To print, one option is to take your

memory card to Jessops, Boots and so on, who will then

output your photos onto photographic paper – in a similar

way to the old developing process.

If you have a decent colour printer of your own, you

can print them yourself. There are lots of options for this –

see our lab test this month for more information on A4

inkjet printers. While some cameras enable you to display

your images on TV, all cameras now hook up, via a PC, to

the internet, so you can share your pictures with friends

and family from around the world. And you can always

use your PC to archive images onto its hard drive, or burn

CDs full of images for a rainy day. The advantage of using

your PC for archiving purposes is that you always have a

fresh, as-good-as-the-day-it-was-taken backup of a

treasured picture, which means if your printed version

starts to fade with time, you an always dig into your

archive and print out a fresh, new replacement.

There are many advantages to using digital cameras

over the conventional sort, and we’ve looked at some

of them already in the opening section. The best reason,

though, is the opportunity to improve the quality of

the images, and then print or share them online with

other people…

I



READ ON

Published by ArgentumAuthor Tim DalyISBN 1902538102Price £10.99Website www.amazon.co.uk

It’s by Tim and it’s good. In-depthguide to digital imaging withinformation on scanning too. Thereis a bit of a Photoshop bias, butmany of the techniques can beadapted for other programs.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHYHANDBOOK

;

Published by Thames and HudsonAuthor Peter CopeISBN 0500542473Price £11.96Website www.amazon.co.uk

Handy, spiral-bound reference toeverything to do with photographyand, of course, digital photography.

THE DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHERS A-Z

■ Printer: for printing photos,inkjet printers are the onlysensible choice. They’reinexpensive to buy, and while thespecial papers and the inkcartridges are quite expensive,the costs are still lower (and theconvenience far higher!) thangetting enlargements done attraditional photo labs. Dedicated‘photo’ printers use six ink coloursinstead of the standard four, andthe quality is that little bit better. See our Lab test on p49

o get the most from your digital photographs,

you need a computer in order to store and

display your images, to print them, turn

them into web pages, run slideshows, email them and

edit them.

The great thing about computer systems is that you

can expand them as you go along, adding the devices

and internal components you need. But while upgrading

your printer, scanner and digital camera won’t be a

problem, improving other aspects of your PC’s

performance might be.

In particular, if your PC is more than a couple of years

old, it’s likely to have a pretty slow processor – by

today’s standards, anyway. It’s possible to limp along

with an old 500MHz Pentium III, but in order to work

with today’s high-resolution images you really need

something a lot faster. An entry-level 1GHz machine

will be fine for nearly every purpose, but if you can

stretch to it, a 2GHz PC will really race along, and you

shouldn’t have to think about upgrading again for quite a

few years to come.

Our annotated diagram on the previous page will show

you what else you need to look out for when you’re

planning your perfect digital photography system.

What kind of PC do you need, and what accessoriesand peripherals should you be looking for?DO YOU NEED TO UPGRADE?

THE INTERNET AND YOUR DIGITAL PHOTOS

Sending photosThere are a number of ways the net canhelp you share your photos. One of theeasiest is to send pictures to otherpeople as email attachments.

This can be done using MicrosoftOutlook Express, Outlook, NetscapeMail, AOL or whatever other emailservice you’re using.

Watch out for the file size of yourdigital photo. Bear in mind that unlessyou and the person you’re sending thephoto to are using broadband, filetransfer speeds via ordinary modemsare in the region of 5k per second.

That means a typical 1Mb digitalphoto will take a little over threeminutes to send and a similar amountof time to download when received atthe other end.

Also remember that some email serversput limits on the maximum file size youcan send to other people, so you mayneed to reduce the image first.

If the photo’s just designed to beseen on-screen and not printed, youdon’t need to send a full-sized version.Many beginner-orientated digital photoprograms will resize a photo foremailing in a couple of easy steps. Youcan also resize photos manually.Emailing photos to other people is easy.You just attach your photo as a file, orresize it to fit the screen dimensionsand embed it in the message itself

Online photo albumsA number of companies offer onlinealbums completely free. You set up youruser account, then choose the pictures

you want to upload. They’re thentransferred to the album site where youcan organise them, rename them, addcaptions and more. You can then inviteother people to come and look at yourphotos. One of the best examples is theservice provided by MSN (MicrosoftNetwork) at photos.msn.co.uk. Here youcan upload full-resolution files, organisethem into albums and slideshows, plusprint and send them to other people.You pay for any printing you have donebut the rest is free.

Your own websiteYou have even more control over thelook and presentation of your pictures ifyou create your own website. Nearly allNet accounts come with free web spacejust for this purpose, so you might as

well use it. You will need a web pagecreation program, and someinformation from your ISP about whereyou upload the finished pages, too, butit doesn’t take long to pick it all up.

Some image-editing programs, likeAdobe Photoshop, Elements and others,can automatically create web pagealbums from selected folders of images.

If you don’t mind spending a fewhours learning web design tricks,though, you can do it yourself. Serif’sWebPlus 7 (£30) is just one example ofa program that makes website designeasy, and you can even create webpages in Microsoft Word.

■ Matthew Richards shows you how tomake the most of photo communitieson page 122.

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■ Modem/internet connection:An internet connection is now prettywell essential for any kind ofcomputing activity, never minddigital photography. Photographers,though, will find they can emailimages to friends and relatives,create online photo albums andtheir own websites, and browseother photographers’ galleries. Thereare lots of interesting andinformative photography sites outthere to look around, too.See our tutorial on p122

■ Scanner: scanners come in twobasic types – flatbed scanners andfilm scanners. Flatbed scanners arethe cheapest and most common.They can scan prints anddocuments, which you place face-down on the scanning bed. You’llget better quality, though, byscanning your negatives and slidesdirectly. Flatbed scanners can onlydo this with special ‘transparencyadaptors’, and even then the imagequality isn’t as good as that you getwith dedicated film scanners.

■ Firewire ports: a newer, fasterand more expensive type ofconnection than USB. Many newcomputers come with Firewire(also called iLink by Sony, andIEEE1394 by the techies), and youcan get Firewire cards forinstalling in computers that don’t yet have it. It’s widely usedin the digital video market forconnecting camcorders to your PC,and some high-end scanners andstorage devices (plug-in harddisks) use Firewire too.

■ USB ports: if your computerdoesn’t have USB ports, it’sprobably too old for digitalimaging and you should thinkabout getting a new one! USB isnow the standard way to connectscanners, printers, digital camerasand other peripherals.

If you don’t have enough spareUSB sockets for all your gadgets,you can get USB ‘hubs’ for £50 orso, which only take up one USBslot but offer four more on top of that.



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NOVEMBER 2002Where to go, what to shoot

Getup&go

utumn is a time for celebration.Many ancient customs take

place at this time of year, most withone thing in common: a preoccupationwith fire. And fire and fireworks arestunning subjects to photograph – ifyou know how to capture them.

Bonfire Night may be the big one,but fireworks fill the skies every nightfor weeks, with public displayseverywhere. One of the best displays,on Primrose Hill in London, is free. InSussex, historic bonfire societies intowns such as Lewes and Rye staggertheir celebrations from September toNovember, so they don’t clash.

A simple bonfire and a few rocketscan provide good pictures, but for

images full of whiz and bang, headfor the large, organised displays – and take a tripod! Long exposurescapture colourful overhead bursts, anda tripod ensures exploding trails don’tlook ragged.

Don’t overlook the bonfires, they’rea great source of light. For dramaticimpact, silhouette onlookers againstthe flames, or use the glow of the fireto illuminate the faces of childrenwaving sparklers. Snap them watchingthe brilliant swirls of light they create.

At Hallowe’en, golden pumpkinsglow with candlelight, and childrendress in gruesome costumes andmasks. In Scotland, pagan firesocieties celebrate Samhuinn,

GET SOME INFORMATION Check the online listings at Firework magazine’s website [w] www.fireworks-mag.org for details of displays near you. SkyDreamz [w] www.skydreamz.com, has lots of picture

Lightuptheskies!

A

BONFIRE NIGHT We show you how to capturebrilliant fireworks at your localbonfire night

AUTUMN COLOURSCapture the glory ofautumnal colours atWestonbirt Arboretum

WILDLIFEGet yourself to the BritishWildlife Centre and snapbadgers, squirrels and more

LANDSCAPESWhere to go and what toshoot in Dorset in November.Includes maps and local info

THIS MONTH

8

8 8 8

Detach this section and take it on your travels!

PLUSDetailed maps for easy-to-usenavigation

EVENT Pete Martin uncovers the secret of how tophotograph firework displays and bonfire night

HOW TOCAPTURE

FIREWORKSFold out this

guide to find

11 top tips

http://www.fireworks-mag.org

http://www.skydreamz.com

DETAILS8

Getup&go to… ALTON TOWERS

GO TO… ALTON TOWERS

HOW TO GET THERE

WHAT IS IT?An adventure theme park

WHEN IS IT OPEN?Park season: 9.30am to 5.30pm from16th March to 3rd November

WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES?Alton Towers Hotel (you get discountedtickets if you stay here), disabled access,school and corporate groups catered for

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?■ Adults £25■ Children under 11 £20■ OAPs/disabled £15■ Family (two adults, two children) £74

MORE INFO[t] 08705 204060 [w] www.altontowers.com■ To order Ordnance Survey maps for this location call 0845 200 2712

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AIM FOR ALTONBy car: Alton Towers is clearly signpostedfrom the M1. Travelling north, takeJunction 23a Junction 15 off the M6.Travelling south, take Junction 28 off theM1 or Junction 16 off the M6

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res of fireworks plus links

SUGGESTED SETTINGSISO 100, shutter speed 1-2 seconds,aperture f8, focus infinity, flash off.Check photos on your LCD as you takethem and adjust as you go – a keyadvantage to using a digital cameraover a traditional one■ See tear-off factsheet for more tips

POST-SHOOTUse the contrast/brightness controls inyour image editing program to ensurecolours are bright against a dark sky

FIREWORKS PHOTOS

CAPTURE THE CARNIVAL ATMOSPHEREBridgewater’s massive Guy Fawkes Carnival is the biggest of its kind in the country, with over 100extravagantly decorated and brilliantly lit floats to photograph. This year it’s on Friday 8th November at

7.15pm, but get there early – last year 140,000 spectators attended!

8

ALTON TOWERSFIREWORKSAlton Towers stage four nights of

spectacular firework and laser displays aroundHallowe’en – visit the adventure theme parkon 26th-27th October and 1st-3rd November.The kids will be happy and you canphotograph the rides as well as one of thebest pyrotechnic displays in the country. Whynot round off the trip with a stay at the AltonTowers hotel?

8

BONFIREPARTIES Lewes in Sussex holds its

bonfire night on 5th November.Nearby Rye holds its celebration on9th November. Both are part ofcounty-wide bonfire celebrationsaround this time

8

EDINBURGHNIGHTEdinburgh’s Beltane Fire

Society celebrates Samhuinn on31st October, starting at about 9pmin the Old Town. Visit its website(www.bfs.samhuinn.org) for moreinformation, including the ancienttraditions behind this pagan festival

8

PRIMROSE HILLOne of the most popular London fireworkdisplays is free (donations are collected). It’s

held on Primrose Hill on 2nd November

filling Edinburgh’s Royal Mile withmacabre medieval processions, fireeaters and fireworks; while in Devonflaming tar barrels are carried aloftthrough the streets of Ottery St Mary.When taking photos, use a touch offlash to freeze the action and longexposures to capture the flames.

Asian communities celebrateDiwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights,most notably in Leicester. Fireworksincreasingly play a part in the festival,and you’ll get unusual and colourfulpictures. Or try the legendaryBridgewater Carnival in Somerset.Although there are few fireworks,100 floats take part, each ablaze withthousands of light bulbs. ■

Pete Martinspecialises intravel andcraft photos

EXPERT ADVICEAvoiding mistakes: The mainreason for dull, disappointingfirework pictures is exposure timesthat are too short. This is easyenough to rectify.

Try these settings: Forgetautomatic metering and setaperture and shutter speedmanually. With everythinghappening so far away, set theaperture to about f11, focus oninfinity and use the shutter tocontrol your images. The longer theexposure, the longer the radianttrails will be. Experiment withtimes, using the camera’s LCDdisplay to check results. Withpractice you’ll soon learn to judgewhere in the sky the bursts willappear and therefore where topoint your camera.

Get a tripod: It’s also vital tosecure your camera properly if youare using long exposures, to preventblurring. So use a tripod and ideally,a remote control if your camerasupports it.

MIDLANDS

8

http://www.altontowers.com

http://www.bfs.samhuinn.org

utumn is the perfect time tophotograph many of our smaller

native animals at their best. Squirrelsare out there busy stockpiling for the winter, and foxes and badgers can often be found in family groups asthe year's offspring prepare to leavetheir parents.

You’ll find grey squirrels in every parkin the land, but our native and far morepicturesque red squirrels are anothermatter. The demise of our woodlandsand the aggressive habits of the greyinterloper have caused a dramaticdecline in their numbers. Thoughmainly found in the coniferous forestsof Scotland (such as The Cairngorms),you'll see them at the National Trust's

Formby Point near Liverpool wherethey're tame enough to allow close-upphotos without a telephoto lens.They're also evident on Brownsea Islandin Poole Harbour and the Isle of Wight.

Urban environments attract foxesand badgers. You'll often see foxesfeeding in gardens in early evening,with lots of young cubs around at thistime of year. Badgers are increasinglyfound near modern housingdevelopments because their setts havebeen built on. It's illegal to disturb theirsetts so you must contact your localbadger group to locate the ones youare allowed visit. Alternatively, theBritish Wildlife Centre in Surrey has anumber of animals in captivity. ■

WILDLIFE WALKONTHEWILDSIDEWHO NEEDS EXOTIC WILDLIFE, SAYS COLIN SEDDON, WHEN YOU'VE GREAT ANIMALS ON YOUR DOORSTEP?

Getup&go to… THE BRITISH WILDLIFE CENTRE

WILDLIFE INSPIRATION [w] www.nfbg.org.uk The website of the National Federation of Badger Groups [w] www.mammal.org.uk The Mammal Society's website

NIGHT WATCHBadgers are nocturnal creatures soyou'll need a flash to capture them

8

AT THE WATERSIDEYou'll find otters in lakes, rivers and onrocky coasts

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Colin Seddonspecialises in wildlifephotography

EXPERT ADVICELying in wait: Small animalsphotograph better if you getdown to their level, so don'tstand there and snap away, trylying down. You’ll get betterpictures if you avoid makingnoise or movements. Setyourself up and wait for them tocome to you.

Using the camera: Avoid usingflash. A tripod is useful in thissituation – especially one with aflexible ball and socket head. Setan aperture priority meteringmode, and wide apertures todefocus conflicting backgrounds.

INTO POSITIONSquirrels are easily lured with bait suchas nuts and seeds

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PHOTO OPPORTUNITYOtter sanctuaries offer a chance to getclose to these elusive creatures

8

SURREY

GO TO… THE BWC

HOW TO GET THERE

DETAILS

WHAT IS IT?If you can’t get out into the wild, try aday out at the British Wildlife Centre,where you can photograph badgers, redsquirrels, foxes, pine martens and otherBritish animals in its collection

WHEN IS IT OPEN?This month it is only open 26th Octoberto 3rd November, but it reopens for theEaster holiday. Contact the Centre forfurther opening times

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?■ Adults £4■ Children £3

MORE INFO[t] 01342 834 658 [w] www.british-wildlife.co.uk■ To order Ordnance Survey maps forthis location call 0845 200 2712

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AIM FOR LINGFIELDBy car: The British Wildlife Centre atNewchapel, near Lingfield in Surrey is tenminutes from M25, Junction 6

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8KIT TO USELong lenses at wide apertures (f2.8, f4)help separate an animal from itsbackground, giving more definition andimpact. If you're hooked on wildlifephotography, consider upgrading to anSLR-type digital that will use these

POST-SHOOTIn the meantime, if your budget doesn’tstretch to an SLR, try using GaussianBlur in Adove Photoshop (Filters menu)to defocus the background slightly

WILDLIFE PHOTOS

http://www.nfbg.org.uk

http://www.mammal.org.uk

http://www.british-wildlife.co.uk

Dos and don’ts

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GETTING IT RIGHT: SHOOTING FIREWORKS

ADJUST SHUTTER SPEEDDo adjust the speed so it’s openfor longer, enabling you to getspectacular streaking effects

CHECK THE WIND DIRECTION Do make sure it’s coming fromyour back so smoke gets blownaway from your view

COMPOSE THE SHOTDon’t restrict your view but Do use people’s silhouettes as aneffective way of framing youroverall shot

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TRIPODBecause of the longexposure times, you

need to ensure your camera issolidly supported. Theabsolute best way to do thisis with a tripod.

LENSYou’ll get goodresults with your

camera’s built-in lens, but ifyour camera supports it, atelephoto lens produces evenbetter results.

VARIABLESHUTTER SPEEDCAMERAS

Variable shutter speeds letyou get brighter images andstreaking effects as rocketsburn through the sky.

EQUIPMENT: three items for better results

8STEP 1: Detach sheetfrom rest of section

Side A

How to fold this booklet: This is side A. Turn over for side B

STEP 2: Fold this sidein half horizontally

STEP 3: Now foldaround into a square

Side A

8 8

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TEAROUT FACTSHEET NO.1 NOVEMBER 2002

Getup&go

Shooting fireworks this autumn?It’s easy to take pictures thatare as spectacular as the eventsyou’re watching

SIDE B: OUT AND ABOUTIN DORSET

INDEX:■ Tips■ Equipment■ Dos/don’ts

2

5

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5Visit Corfe Castle in Dorest.Capture some of most stunningscenery in the the UK: Dorset’scoastlines, villages and historicsites will inspire you...

2■ Detailed maps ofhow to get there

TOPICS COVEREDWHAT’S IN THIS ISSUE

SIDE A: 11 TIPS ON HOW TOPHOTOGRAPH FIREWORKS

DON’TJOGTHECAMERA

To get good results you need atripod, and ideally (if yourcamera supports it) a remotecontrol. If you don’t have atripod, try securing yourcamera to a fence post orsomething similar and set theself-timer. The secret is toavoid doing anything that jarsthe camera because even theslightest vibration can blur theimage. The results won’t beideal, but if you’re lucky they’llbe good enough.

CAPTURETHEWHOLEFIREWORK

Use a slow shutter speed tocapture the rocket trail andburst all in the same frame.Anything from one to fourseconds should do the trick,depending on how long ittakes the firework to shoot upand explode. Experiment alittle to get the best results.

If you want to capture theeffect of a whole symphony offirework bursts, try leaving theshutter open for 10, 20 oreven 30 seconds and see whatresults you get.

ENSUREANINTENSEIMAGE

You’ll want a narrow aperturesetting so that the light is

4

3

2intense when it falls on the CCD, and not faded out as can happen with largeraperture settings. Goodsettings are f8 and f11.

SWITCHOFFYOURFLASH

You don’t need a flashbecause the fireworks supply enough light. If your camera doesn’t allow you to switch off the flash atnight, stick some maskingtape over it.

TRYTHESECAMERA SETTINGS

Try ISO 100, shutter speed of 1-2 seconds, aperturesetting f8, focus infinity andflash off. But don’t be afraid to experiment with longerexposures if your camera isrock-steady.

BEPREPAREDTry to get a good

position so you’re notphotographing the backs ofpeoples’ heads. See if you canset up your tripod on aplatform to avoid this. Don’tget too close as you want tobe able to get the rocket trailand explosion all in a singleframe (unless you are happyto stitch together panoramasback home on your computer).

SHOOTTHESMOKESmoke can reflect

light, and you can potentiallycompose some strikingpictures with it in-frame.

COMPOSETHESHOTLook around and see

ways that you can use thelandscape or buildings toimprove your shot. Tryshooting crowd shots aspeople crane their necks towatch the fireworks, or shootkids with sparklers. If there’s

ice or water in the foreground,you may be able to capturethe reflections of fireworks asthey go off.

ILLUMINATE FOREGROUND

OBJECTS Although we just told you toswitch off the flash on yourcamera, you can use it to greateffect if you want to illuminateforeground objects as thefireworks light up the skybehind them.

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Getup&goFIREWORKSWe’ve all shot firework displays in the past and there’s nodoubt that if you get it right the results can be spectacular.Conversely, it’s all too easy to fail to capture the sheer energy

and dynamism of a cracking firework display, ending up with weedybursts, limp trails and empty skies. No longer. Follow our guide belowand you’ll be capturing fantastic firework displays perfecty – and makeyour friends wonder how you did it.

■ Now send us your pictures! Email them to [email protected] with your name and afew words on how the shoot went, and we’ll print the best

SHOOTMULTIPLE BURSTSCapture a number of bursts in a single frame by locking

the shutter open and covering the front of the lens with card –remove it when the bursts occur, and cover it up again whenthey fade. Ignore the rocket trails but use them to calculatewhen the explosion is likely to occur. With a bit of patience,you can shoot a symphony of bursts. Once finished, rememberto close the shutter before removing the lens

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AVOIDCOMMONMISTAKESIf you’ve taken pictures of fireworks in the past and

been disappointed that they never come out as bright orexplosive as the firework display itself, you’ve been doingseveral things wrong. The basic problem is that light is notfalling on your camera’s CCD for long enough. Rectify this in two ways: use an ISO setting that’s low – about 100 (betterquality, less graininess); and adjust your camera’s shutter speedso that it stays open for longer (enough light hits the CCD tocreate a bright image).

101 02 03

PRESENT THIS VOUCHER ATCORFE CASTLE, AND GAINTWO ENTRY TICKETS FOR THEPRICE OF ONE

FREE MEALONE FREE BOWL OF SOUP OR CREAM TEAFROM THE CORFE CASTLE TEAROOM – WHENTWO PEOPLE ORDER (VALUED AT £3.25)

✃

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

Money off vouchers toCorfe Castle on side B

magazine

magazineDigitalCamera

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DigitalCamera


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Getup&go... routeplanner

Built by the Normans to guard the road ontothe Isle of Purbeck, it’s now owned by theNational Trust.While you’re there: Visit the castle, thentake a stroll along Corfe Common (walksleaflet available from Corfe Castle for 50p).Exhibition centre has interactive displays.Family-friendly? Baby-changing facilities atvisitor centre; baby carriers, highchairs andchildren’s menu. Children’s guidebook.Children must be accompanied by an adultwithin the castle.Money-saver: See left for money-off coupons– show them when you’re there and getmoney off food and entrance to the castle.

22 CORFE CASTLE

On the South West Coastal Path, it’s a goodplace to visit for country walks.While you’re there: Visit Clavel’s Tower atthe east end of Kimmeridge Bay, built in1820. Originally a folly, it’s now ruined. See itbefore it vanishes into the sea. Family-friendly? Not specifically, but belowthe tower there’s an Information Centre forthe Dorset Trust for Nature Conservation. Alsothe South West Coastal Path runs right throughthis area if you fancy a walk.

23 KIMMERIDGE BAY

Right by Corfe Castle, it’s six miles of trackbetween Swanage and Norden.While you’re there: Trains run everyweekend – find out the latest details of events and places to stay and eat atwww.swanagerailway.co.uk. The railwaypasses right by Corfe Castle.Family-friendly? There’s a ‘day out withThomas the Tank Engine’ week from 26thOctober to 3rd November.

21 SWANAGE RAILWAYThe Isle of Purbeck

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Lighthouse in use

Campsite

Caravan site

Castle

Country park

Golf course

Information centre

Museum

Nature/forest trail

Tourist feature

Picnic site

Preserved railway

Viewpoint

Youth Hostel

Map key

PRESENT THIS VOUCHER ATCORFE CASTLE, AND GAINTWO ENTRY TICKETS FOR THEPRICE OF ONE

FREE MEALONE FREE BOWL OF SOUP OR CREAM TEAFROM THE CORFE CASTLE TEAROOM – WHENTWO PEOPLE ORDER (VALUED AT £3.25)

✃✃

BASED ON ORDNANCE SURVEY MAPPING © CROWN COPYRIGHT, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:AM134/02

TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE!

Your guide to landmarks, places to visit, campsites and information centres on the Isle of Purbeck

ollow our Landscape guide opposite and you’ll be visiting some of themost beautiful scenery in the UK. If you visit the Isle of Purbeck, there’s

plenty to see and do, but if you want to make a few days of it, there’s arange of camp and caravan sites, nature walks, local landmarks, museums,woodland and even a preserved railway you can visit. It’s all centred on Corfe

Castle – as you can see below. Hopefully our Landscape guide will make youwant to make a trip to the castle and fire off a few photos. If so, the NationalTrust has kindly offered every reader a ‘two tickets for the price of one’ deal,plus a free bowl of soup or cream tea (if two people order). Just show thecoupons on this page, printed below and do send us your pictures!

DigitalCamera

PULLOUT NO.1

F

magazine

DigitalCameramagazine

http://www.swanagerailway.co.uk

s bright summer colours turn to rusty hues, autumn is one of the

finest times of the year to visit the National Arboretum at Westonbirt. Locatedon the edge of the GloucestershireCotswolds, Westonbirt draws over 300,000visitors every year. In over 600 acres of woods and 17 miles of walks, you canlose yourself for hours photographing someof the tallest, oldest and rarest trees in the world.

The collection was started in 1829 by the Victorian arborealist, Robert Holford. Inkeeping with many of the great landownersof the time, Holford commissioned planthunters to search for unknown and unusualtrees from around the world, including China,North America, South America and Japan.

Holford brought his own knowledge to theproject, experimenting with propagation andhybridisation, and laying out the great ridesand walks that still exist today.

Depending on the weather, in late Octoberto early November Westonbirt has some ofthe finest autumn leaf colour displays inEurope, with its Japanese acer glades awash with brilliant swathes of reds andyellows. Commonly known as maples, these vibrant specimens compete with eachother for your attention, and draw thousandsof photographers to Westonbirt from aroundthe country.

Dull weather can be the best conditionsfor photographing foliage. There are softershadows and highlights, and colours becomemore saturated. Keep the sky out of shot if it

is white and washed out, but make full useof it for colourful contrasts if it is blue andcloudless. And if the sun is out, go amongthe trees and shrubs where you can findbrilliant leaves backlit against it. ■

NATURE ABLAZEOFAUTUMNALCOLOURPETE MARTIN TAKES A STROLL AMONG THE TREES AT WESTONBIRT ARBORETUM

GLOUCESTERSHIREGetup&go to… WESTONBIRT

GO TO… WESTONBIRT

HOW TO GET THERE

DETAILS8

8

8

GET SOME INSPIRATION [w] www.chrishoneysett.com has black and white images of forest light and shadow [w] www.tonyhowell.co.uk/plants.htm has images shot at Westonbirt

AIM FOR TETBURYBy car: Westonbirt is three miles south-west of Tetbury on the A433 Bath road inGloucestershire. It’s 20 minutes north-eastof M4 Junction 18, and 20 minutes south-east of M5 Junction 13

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8SHOOTING OUTDOORSA shower hat is useful to cover thecamera in a sudden downpour whileyou keep shooting

USING A TRIPODMake a lightweight tripod moresubstantial by hanging your camera bagunder the centre column

POST-SHOOTIt’s relatively easy to remove peopleusing the cutout tools in Photoshop

NATURE PHOTOS

A

Pete Martinspecialises intravel andcraft photos

EXPERT ADVICEPatience is the name of thegame. Go for wide angle shotsand you'll have to contend withpeople wandering into frame, soset them up accordingly, andwait for the right person to bejust where you want thembefore pressing the shutter.Better still, zoom the camerainto its telephoto setting andlook for tight shots – perhaps ofa single specimen or branch.

WHAT IS IT?Run by the Forestry Commission,Westonbirt Arboretum houses one ofthe world's finest collections of trees

WHEN IS IT OPEN?It’s open 365 days a year from 10am to8pm (or sunset if that is earlier)

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?■ Prices vary according to season. InOctober and November tickets cost £5per adult, concessions £4 andchildren/disabled £. ■ In December entrance is free

WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES?Visitors' centre, restaurant, courtyardcafé, shop and toilets

MORE INFO[t] 01666 880 220[w] www.westonbirtarboretum.com

COMPOSE YOUR SHOTNotice how the trees and people havebeen framed in spaces of about a third

of the width of the picture

8

USE THE MACRO SETTINGUse your camera’s Macro setting tozoom in on items8

LIGHT AND SHADOWA shadowy foreground frames lighterareas further back in the shot8

DAY OUT AT WESTONBIRTIt’s open all year round, but now’s thetime to go, with the liveliest colours

8

http://www.chrishoneysett.com

http://www.tonyhowell.co.uk/plants.htm

http://www.westonbirtarboretum.com

arm days followed by cool nights bringearly morning mists – perfect for

atmospheric autumnal landscapes. Andwhere better to capture them than therolling Dorset countryside, with its downs and heaths, ancient beech woods andspectacular coastline?

Two popular locations are Cranborne Chase and the Isle of Purbeck. The Chase,with its high chalk downlands incised bywooded valleys, is renowned for widepanoramas. Rows of hills stretch away to the horizon, but get here well before the sun rises because the early mists soon turn to haze. Emerging shapes make good monochromatic compositions, while

strong sidelight will pick out the contours ofthe land.

Corfe Castle, the ruins of a Normanstronghold, was built to guard the road ontothe Isle of Purbeck. The surrounding villagenestles between two hills, so there are goodviews all day from a number of directions.

Morning light is best for Old Harry’s Rocks,the cliffs and sea stacks beyond Corfe.Beaches are photogenic in low light, withlong exposures blurring the waves into mistthat drifts between the rocks. KimmeridgeBay is another favourite for these moodyshots – especially on the receding tide, whenwet rocks reflect the rising light.

Dorset is a county of contrasts so don’tforget the evening light. Head west downthe ‘Jurassic Coast’ to where the wide bayand great sea arch of Durdle Door sweep outtowards the sunset. Or turn back onto theChase in search of Gold Hill in Shaftesbury.Captured in this ‘golden hour’, it’s a typicalDorset scene that can’t fail to work. Hoviscertainly thought so! ■

Getup&go to… THE ISLE OF PURBECK

DAYS OUT IN DORSET: [w] www.thedorsetpage.co.uk The best of the online Dorset Gazeteers, with loads of things to see and do, plus places to stay around the county [w] www.jurassiccoast.com A mine of fascinating information a

CATCH THE SUN RISINGShooting into the sun silhouettes Corfe’s church tower and treesagainst the mist. Work quickly because autumn mists don’t stay

around for long once the sun gets up

Islands inthe mist

LANDSCAPE Guy Edwardes explains why early morningstarts are essential to capture dramatic Dorset landscapes

W

8

SAVE £££SBring Digital Camera Magazine to Corfe Castleand save £££s on the entrance fee, plus get a freemeal when you’re there! See Side B of the ‘tearout’ factsheet opposite for the coupon andcomplete details

8

PURPLE MISTA one-stop graduated filtcontrol in this picture of C

flare when shooting into the sun –

8

FIND A GOOD VANTAGE POINTStanding high on West Hill enables you to photograph Corfe Castle from above, setting it against abackdrop of low hills rising from the morning mist. The brightly lit trees in the foreground help lift the

design and add an extra splash of colour

8

http://www.thedorsetpage.co.uk

http://www.jurassiccoast.com

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DORSET

GO TO… CORFE CASTLE

HOW TO GET THERE

8

8

AIM FOR WAREHAMBy car: Corfe Castle is on the A351between Wareham and Swanage, Dorset

8

bout the geology of the Dorset coast, now officially declared a World Heritage Site. This may seem dry but it will help you understand the landscape

GIVE US YOUR BEST SHOT! CAPTURECORFE CASTLE AND YOU COULD WINSOME HANDY PRIZES

The National Trust, in conjunction withJessops, is running a competition for thebest photograph of Corfe Castle. Thewinning image, as judged by theNational Trust, will be framed, gain youfree membership of the National Trustfor one year, and a £10 Jessops voucher.

■ For full details of the competition,prizes, entry form and rules, see thefile Corfe_compo.pdf on coverdisc 1.

WIN FREE NATIONALTRUST MEMBERSHIP

Guy Edwardesspecialises inin landscapeand travelphotography

EXPERT ADVICECamera use: Landscapes aren't justabout horizontal pictures. Don't beafraid to tip the camera on its endfor vertical shots. Patterns such asreceding hills work well like this.

Composition: At sunrise andsunset, low light and the smallapertures necessary to keepforegrounds and backgrounds infocus mean long exposures, so atripod is essential. This will alsohelp you refine your compositions.Graduated neutral density filtersreduce the brightness of the skyand help you record detail withoutlosing shadows; adjust the filter soits edge follows the horizon.

WHAT IS IT?Now in the hands of the National Trust,Corfe Castle originally guarded thegateway through the Purbeck Hills. It isbuilt from the local limestone for whichthis beautiful peninsula is renowned

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?■ Adults £4.30■ Children £2.15(Save money with our offer far-left)

WHAT ARE THE FACILITIES?Family centre, schools resources, Brailleguide, café, tours, shop and toilets

MORE INFO[t] 01929 481 294[w] www.nationaltrust.org.uk■ To order Ordnance Survey maps forthis location call 0845 200 2712

ter helps bring the bright sky underCorfe Castle at sunrise. Look out for lensespecially with zoom lenses

CROP YOUR SHOTThe graphic image seen here was cropped from one originallytaken on Cranborne Chase as a vertical picture. Landscapes

sometimes work well in either format so shoot both if you have the time

8

ETHEREAL MISTBeaches before sunrise are photogenic in lowlight. Here a long exposure of more than 30

seconds has blurred the waves into a mist that driftsbetween the rocks at Kimmeridge Bay

8

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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Founded in the late1960’s by the Lowefamily. Ralph Lowewould regularly take

his three children Mike, Geoffand Greg into the mountains,kindling a huge love of out-door life in all of them. Overtime, their interest becamecoupled with photographyand Greg became particularlyinterested in cine photogra-phy.

As his talents grew, sodid his need to protecthis expensive equipmentin this rugged environment.The very first Lowepro bagwas born, consistingof a modified rucksackwith an internal tubularframe. This design

evolved and eventuallyenquiries from fellowmountaineers con-vinced the Lowe’sto begin producingthe bags.

Lowepro hasenjoyed 12 years of

distribution withinthe UK. Recently setup as Lowepro UKLtd we are now locat-ed inWolverhampton. To

match the standardof our products, we are

dedicated to customerservice, aiming to ensure

that we meet the needs of

every customer.To be the best at what

we do, we invest heavily inresearch and development.Designed by and for peoplethat use fragile photographicand electronic equipment.Each product begins lifeas a concept, which isdesigned, redesigned andthen perfected.

This can be seen in ourproduct and has createdwhat we consider to be themost comprehensive rangeof protective cases availableon today’s market.

Across the range, specialfeatures are apparent. Fromoverlapping zipper systemsfor extra insurance againstrain and knocks to the AllWeather cover that hasbecome a legend of Loweprodesign, ensuring virtuallynothing can penetrate yourbag to your gear. Innovationsare born, and world firstsappear. Just look at the newLowepro DryZone 200 fullywaterproof backpack (opposite),and the incredible Street &Field modular system as liv-ing proof of our commitmentin pushing the boundaries ofaccepted thinking.

We recognise that the bestdesign is only the beginning.Our products are constructedof only the very best materi-als with over a dozen types in

our portfolio. We researchand rate materials on charac-teristics you may have neverthought of. Things like abra-sion resistance and quietoperation.

A quiet buckle could bethe difference between get-ting a shot and missingit. Lowepro side-releasebuckles are made from a flex-ible resin, which ensures thebuckles slide into positionvery quietly and preventbreakage.

Our metal snap hooks andD-rings are steel, welded forstrength, plated with brassto reduce rusting and powdercoated with black paint forextra weather protection.

Zips are not all the same.We demand the best, andspecify “self-healing” zipsthat can fix themselves ifteeth separate under pres-sure. A coating on the metalsliders prolongs wear.

The list goes on and on.Try a Lowepro bag for your-self to see the difference. Callinto your local photo store, orcall us on 01902 864646- we’ll help you to locate yourneares stockist.Lowepro.We’ll help take you places.

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Lowepro Nature Trekker AW - SRP £199; Lowepro Mini Trekker - SRP £99; Lowepro Orion Trekker - SRP £49

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CompetitionDon’t miss your chance to win one ofthree superb Lowepro backpacks andto see the quality of the product foryourself!

Simply answer our three questions,pop your entry form (photocopiesOK) off to arrive no later thanDecember 31st 2002.

Send your entries to:Lowepro UK (DCAM01 Comp.)Unit 6 Merryhills Enterprise ParkWolverhampton WV10 9TJ

Questions

Question one:Which member of the Lowe familyinspired the first Lowepro bag?

Question two: What are the side-release bucklesused on Lowepro bags madefrom?

Question three: How long has Lowepro been dis-tributed in the UK?

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230 £249330RS £334330RS+batt+case £364430RS £434430RS+batt+case £464

U10 £185*U20 £phone/ see webF77 £phone/ see webFX77 £phone/ see webP31 £189P51 £209P71 £269P2 £299P7 £319P9 £389S75 £389S85 £419F707 £699F717 £839*

C120 £154C220 + 64MB + case +batts + charger £229C300 + 64MB + case +batts + charger £314C4000 £399C730U £449C50 £phone/ see webC5050£phone/ see webE20P £979E20P+wide+tele £1249

SD9 Digital SLR + 17-35mm f/2.8-4 EX

£1699.99SD9 Digital SLR + 15-30mm f/3.5-4.5 EX

£1799.99please phone 01444 245316

for helpful advice and to order

2000 £1892500 £259775 £264885 £3694300 £phone/ see web4500 £5295000 £6995700 £879*D100 + MBD100 £1699*D1H PRO KIT £2949D1X BODY £3450D1X PRO KIT £3650

Q UA L I T Y M E M O RY C A R D S AT T H E L OW E S T P R I C E S I N T H E U K ?only £3.99 for next day de l iver y - p lease phone 0 1 4 4 4 2 4 5 3 1 6

D I G I T A L C A M E R A A C C E S S O R I E SRECHARGEABLE

BATTERIESCanon NB 1LH £29.99Canon NB 2L £35.00Canon BP511 £54.99Canon NP E3 £99.99Fuji 2HR-3UF 2 AA NiMH batteries £6.99Fuji NP60 Battery £39.99Fuji NP80 Battery **SPECIAL PRICE** £29.99*Kodak Travel Kit **SPECIAL PRICE** £19.99*Nikon EN EL1 (775/885) £39.99Nikon EN EL2 (2500) **SPECIAL PRICE** £34.99Nikon EN EL3 £49.99Nikon EN4 £89.99Olympus BU60SE Batts+charger £29.99Pentax D-LI2 **SPECIAL PRICE** £24.99*

INDEPENDENT BATTERIES/ CHARGERSHahnel 4 AA NIMH batts+charger £19.99Hahnel 4xAA NiMH 1800 mAH batts £12.99Uniross 6xAA batts+fast mains/car charger £34.99

PLEASE PHONE 01444 245316

FOR ALL OTHER ACCESSORIES NOT LISTED

WATERPROOF CASESCanon WP-DC100 £149.00 Canon WP-DC200s (for A30/ A40) £149.99 Canon WP-DC300 (for S30/ S40) £149.00 Canon WP-DC400 (for A100/ A200) £149.00 Canon WP-DC500 (for IXUS 330) £149.00 Canon WP-DC600 (for IXUS V2) £149.00Pentax O-WP1 (for Optio 330/430/RS) £199.99

OTHER SPECIAL PRICESNikon MB D100 Multi Function Grip £119.99*Fuji BC80 Battery Charger £39.99Fuji SC FX9 Soft Case (for 6900) £14.99Nikon SB80DX Flashgun £269.99Olympus FL40 Flashgun £319.99

www.parkcameras.co.uk

NEW 6656A BLK.................£TBANEW 6657A TRI -CLR ......£17.99NEW 6658A PHOTO .........£16.90NEW 8727A BLK...............£13.50NEW 8728A TRI -CLR ........£TBA

6615D BLK...............£17.996578D CLR...............£23.906578A CLR...............£38.836614D BLK...............£17.901823D CLR 30ml .....£23.501816A PHOTO .........£22.9951649A CLR...............£17.9951645A BLK...............£17.9951641A CLR...............£23.5051633M BLK...............£17.9051629A BLK...............£17.9951626A BLK...............£17.9951625A CLR...............£23.50

BC01 BLK...............£13.90BC02 BLK...............£13.75BC05 CLR ..............£15.90BC06 PHOTO.........£13.99BC10 BLK...............£23.50BC-20 BLK .............£16.90BC-21 Print Head....£29.99BC-22 PHOTO ........£15.90BC-23 BLK...............£17.99BCI-3 BLK.................£7.90BCI-3 C/M/Y ...each £5.90BCI-5 BLK.................£6.99BCI-5 C/M/Y each....£6.90BCI-5 PM/PCeach ...£6.90BCI-6 BLK.................£6.90BCI-6 C/M/Y each....£6.50BCI-6 PM/PCeach ...£6.50BC-30 BLK...............£22.90BC-31 CLR ..............£23.99BC-32 Photo............£24.99BC-60 BLK...............£17.99BC-61 CLR ..............£17.90BC-62 PHOTO.........£29.99BCI-10B BLK x3............£9.50BCI-11B BLK x3............£6.99BCI-11C CLR x3 .........£11.00BCI-21B BLK.................£4.99BCI-21C CLR ................£9.90

NEW BCI-24B BLK.................£5.90NEW BCI-24C CLR ................£9.90

BCI-61 CLR ..............£12.99BCI-62 PHOTO.........£17.90BJI-201B BLK.................£5.80BJI-201 C/M/Y ...each £5.50

NEW T033640 PhotoMag..£8.70NEW T033540 PhotoCyan£8.70NEW T033440 Yellow .......£8.90NEW T033340 Magenta ...£8.90NEW T033240 Cyan..........£8.90NEW T033140 BLK ...........£8.70NEW T032440 Yellow .......£9.50NEW T032340 Magenta ...£9.50NEW T032240 Cyan..........£9.50NEW T032140 BLK .........£17.90

T029401 CLR.........£15.90T028401 BLK .........£17.99T027401 PHOTO ...£12.50T026401 BLK .........£14.90T020401 CLR.........£14.50T019401 BLK .........£16.50T018401 CLR.........£13.99T017401 BLK .........£16.90T009401 PHOTO ...£13.90T008401 PHOTO ...£10.70T007401 BLK .........£12.50T005011 CLR.........£17.90T003011 BLK .........£15.99T001011 PHOTO ...£15.5020193 PHOTO ...£10.9920191 CLR.........£14.9020189 BLK .........£13.9920187 BLK .........£12.9020138 CLR.........£10.9020110 PHOTO ...£10.9020093 BLK .........£12.5020089 CLR.........£14.90

NEW 10N0016 BLK.............£17.90NEW 10N0026 CLR.............£22.00

17G0060 CLR.............£17.9917G0050 BLK.............£17.9013619HC CLR.............£23.9013400HC BLK.............£17.9912A1970 BLK.............£17.9912A1975 BLK.............£28.9012A1980 CLR.............£25.9012A1990 PHOTO .......£27.9915M0120 CLR.............£26.45

H.P. COMPATIBLE

C-1823D CLR ....................£13.30C-51625A CLR ....................£12.99C-51626A BLK ......................£9.99C-51629A BLK ....................£11.90C-51633M BLK ......................£9.99C-51645A BLK ....................£11.50C-51649A CLR ....................£14.99C-6614D BLK ....................£11.90C-6615D BLK ....................£11.90C-6578A CLR ....................£15.99

NEW 41620 A4 Photo Glossy Paper x50 ...............£12.00NEW 41622 A4 Photo Paper x50............................£12.50NEW 41624 A4 Premium Photo Glossy Paper x50..£17.50

41328 A3+ Premium Semi-Gloss x20...........£33.9541316 A3+ Premium Photo Paper 255g x20£29.5041143 A3+ Photo Paper 190g x20 ................£17.9941264 A3+ Photo Matte 167g x50 ................£27.9941334 A3 Premium Semi Gloss x20 .............£27.9541315 A3 Premium Photo Paper 255g x20..£25.0041261 A3 Photo Matte 167g x50...................£17.9941142 A3 Photo Paper 190g x20 ..................£17.5041125 A3 Photo Paper 120g x20 ..................£14.90

NEW 41330 Premium Semi Gloss Photo Roll.......£10.9041071 A4 Photo Glossy Film x15..................£17.9041332 A4 Premium Semi Gloss 251g x20......£9.5041287 A4 Premium Photo Paper 255g x20....£8.9941140 A4 Photo Paper 190g x20 ....................£6.9041126 A4 Photo Glossy 120g x20...................£5.99

NEW 41560 A4 ColourLife Photo Paper 245g x20£11.50NEW 41342 A4 Matte Archival Paper 192g x20 .....£9.50

41256 A4 Photo Matte 160g x50 ....................£7.9041106 A4 Photo Matte Adhesive x10 .............£7.9041061 A4 Photo Matte Paper 90g x100 .........£7.9041154 A4 Iron-on Transfers x10 .....................£8.9041176 Photo Stickers 5x4 ...............................£3.9941122 10"x8" Photo Card x30.........................£9.9941121 8"x5" Photo Card x30...........................£4.9041148 8"x5" Cards + Envelopes x10 ..............£5.9041134 6"x4" Photo Paper 190g x20 ..................£4.9941144 A6 Photo Stickers x20..........................£3.9041054 A6 Photo Card x50................................£5.9941147 A6 Cards + Envelopes x20...................£5.90

EPSON COMPATIBLE

DIGITAL CAMERA FOOD

SMARTMEDIA CARDS16MB 3.3V .................£7.5032MB 3.3V .................£9.4964MB 3.3V ...............£16.70

128MB 3.3V ...............£46.99

CLEANER CARTRIDGESCleans your Epson printer and improves performance.

CL-20110.......£6.90CL-20108.......£3.90CL-20093.......£3.90CL-20089.......£6.90

CL-20193 ........£6.90 CL-20191 ........£7.90 CL-20189 ........£3.90 CL-20187 ........£3.90

Photo Glossy PapersNEW CP274 A4 ICI Photo Glossy 2 sided 270g (20) .....£13.99

CPR0A3 A3 ICI Photo Glossy Paper 260g (20).......£17.75CPR050 A4 ICI Photo Glossy Paper 260g (50).......£16.99CPR020 A4 ICI Photo Glossy Paper 260g (20).........£8.50CPRO64 6x4” ICI Photo Glossy Paper 260g (20)......£5.50CS26A3 A3 ICI Photo Satin Paper 260g (20)..........£17.75CS2650 A4 ICI Photo Satin Paper 260g (50)..........£16.99CS2620 A4 ICI Photo Satin Paper 260g (20)............£8.50CP22-3P A3+ Photo Glossy/Photo Matte 220g (20) £17.99CP22-A3 A3 Photo Glossy/Photo Matte 220g (20) .£15.99CP22-50 A4 Photo Glossy/Photo Matte 220g (50) .£14.50CP22-20 A4 Photo Glossy/Photo Matte 220g (20) ...£7.99CARDS A5 Glossy Greeting Cards 220g (20) ..........£7.99CP22-A5 A5 Photo Glossy/Photo Matte 220g (20) ...£4.75

NEW CP1750 A4 ICI Photo Glossy Paper 170g (50).........£9.99NEW CP1720 A4 ICI Photo Glossy Paper 170g (20).........£4.99

CS50 A4 ICI Photo Satin Paper 170g (50)............£9.99CS20 A4 ICI Photo Satin Paper 170g (20)............£5.99

NEW CP3P A3+Photo Glossy Paper 150g (20)............£14.99CPA3 A3 Photo Glossy Paper 150g (20).............£11.99CP100 A4 Photo Glossy Paper 150g (100)...........£14.99CP50 A4 Photo Glossy Paper 150g (50)...............£8.99CP20 A4 Photo Glossy Paper 150g (20)...............£4.25CPA5 A5 Photo Glossy Paper 150g (20)...............£3.25

NEW CM314 A4 ICI Super Heavy Artist Paper 310g (20) .£13.99NEW CA240 A4 Artist Watercolour Paper 240g (10) ......£6.99NEW CM234 A4 ICI Photo Matte 230g (50) ..........................£9.99

CMH3P A3+ Photo Matte 2 sided 210g (20) ..............£11.00CMHA3 A3 Photo Matte 2 sided 210g (20)...................£9.99CMH A4 Photo Matte 2 sided 210g (50)...................£6.99

NEW CM1750 A4 ICI Photo Matte 2 sided 170g (50) ............£9.99NEW CM17100 A4 ICI Photo Matte 2 sided 170g (100) ........£12.99

CANA3 A3 Canvas Photo Paper 140g (20)............£13.50CANA4 A4 Canvas Photo Paper 140g (20)..............£5.99CHR3P A3+ Photo Matte 2 sided 130g (50) ..........£15.50CHRA3 A3 Photo Matte 2 sided 130g (50) ............£12.50CHR A4 Photo Matte 2 sided 130g (100) ............£7.75

NEW CM120 A4 ICI Photo Matte 120g (100) ........................£7.99

CMETAL A4 Silver Metallic Film (10)..........................£6.99NEW CHOLO A4 Silver Holographic Film .........................£7.95

CTFR A4 Transfers for T - Shirts etc. (10)............£7.99CLING A4 Cling Film 720 Dpi (10) ...........................£7.50

NEW CMAG A4 Magnetic Photo Sheets (5) ....................£7.90CLEAR A4 Transparencies for Projectors (20) .......£7.50CLAM A4+ DIY Laminate for Menus etc. (10).......£6.99CBUS DIY Laminate for Business Cards (50).......£5.99

NEW CDKIT CD & Zip Kit (50) Free CD Software.........£11.99CDM2 Photo Matt CD Labels 2 per A4 (2x10) ......£5.99CD2 Photo Glossy CD Labels 2 per A4 (2x10)...£6.50CD3 Photo Glossy CD Labels 3 per A4 (3x10)...£6.50CBC Glossy Business Cards 220g (10x10) .........£5.75

NEW CAB Art Canvas Business cards 10 per A4 (10x10)£5.90CAD20 Address Labels (adh) 10 per A4 (10x10) ....£5.99

NEW CMOUSEDIY Mousemat Kit (2) ..................................£5.90

Specialist Products

©

MX2 is theUK’s largestseller ofEPSON Inks& Photopapers.

MEMOREX CDR80/700MB 24 Speed.each 65p/10 PK £5.9980/700MB.............50 Pack Spindle £16.50CDR Audio 80min..99p each /10 Pk £9.45CDRW 650/74....99p each /10 Pack £8.99Hewlett Packard CDR80min/650MB.......79p each /10 Pack £7.50

MEMOREX MINIDISCSNEW 80min 5 Pack................................£6.75

USB KEY DRIVES32MB Key Drive ..............................£29.9964MB Key Drive ..............................£49.99128MB Key Drive ............................£79.00IOMEGACLIK 40MB ..............................each £7.99ZIP 100MB PC or MAC............each £6.99ZIP 250MB PC or MAC............each £9.75

Maxell LS-120 120MB Super Disc ...£6.75IMATION 3.5” DISKSNEW Black IBM 1.44Mb 10 Pack.......£2.99NEW Neon IBM 1.44Mb 10 Pack.......£3.50

MEMOREX DVD STORAGENEW DVD-R 4.7Gb.................................£5.90NEW DVD-RW 4.7Gb.............................£9.49NEW DVD+RW 4.7Gb.............................£9.99

TDK 5.2Gb DVD RAM..................... £12.99ePROMOCARD MULTIMEDIA SOFTWARENEW Multimedia Business Card kit £14.90NEW Business Cards......................... £9.90NEW Business Card Labels (120)...... £7.90

SAVE UP TO 70% ON EPSON INKMX2 is the UK’s largest seller of EPSONCompatible Inks & Print-Rite Ink Productsare our Best Performing Brand.

MX2 Computers Limited supplies to Home Users Only (sorry we do not supply Business to Business). Prices shown include any VAT & duties where applicable and are Accurate at time of going to Press E&OE.MX2 Reserves the Right to Change Prices. Please check our Website or Phone Us for up-to-the-minute Prices. The above Trademarks are recognised and used for illustrative purposes only.

P&P ONLY £1.95 PER ORDER. DELIVERY 3 -7 WORKING DAYS

THE UK’s No1 INKJET COMPANY

Web. www.mx2.comTel. 01481 740200Fax. 01481 740300Email. [email protected]

™

MX2 is the Best & Cheapest Place to Buy On or Off-Line Your DVD’S, MUSIC CD’S, GAMES & BOOKS...

NEW 6818 A4 Brochure & Flyer Gloss 160g (50)£8.99NEW 6984 A4 Photo Quality Paper 160g (25) ....£6.90

6832 A4 Premium Photo Glossy 230g (20)£9.506951 A4 Premium Photo Matte 230g (20) .£9.506040 A4 Premium Photo Paper 220g (15) .£5.991847 A4 Photo Glossy Paper 160g (20).....£5.9951634Z A4 Premium LX 95g (200)................£10.951853 A4 Photo Matte 2 sided 135g (100)£10.506945 15x10cm Prm Photo Paper (20) ........£5.996050 A4 Iron-on Transfers (10) ..................£9.996042 Greeting Cards + Env. (20) ................£5.493832 A4 Transparency Film (20) ..............£12.00

PR-101 A4 Glossy Photo Paper (15) ..............£8.90GP-301 A4 Glossy Photo Paper 165g (20).....£6.90HR101 A4 Photo Matte Paper 90g (200).....£16.50HR101 A4 Photo Matte Paper 90g (3x50)...£12.00HR101 A4 Photo Matte Paper 90g (50).........£4.99TR201 A4 T-Shirt Transfers (10) ....................£8.50

QUALITY RECONDITIONED HPCARTRIDGES FROM KMP & IT IMAGE

EACH DISCOUNTNEW C-T029 CLR......................£6.90......3 PK £20.52NEW C-T028 BLK......................£4.99......3 PK £14.52NEW C-T027 PHOTO ................£6.99 ...............£20.52NEW C-T026 BLK......................£5.99 ...............£17.52

C-T020 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-T019 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99C-T018 CLR......................£6.90 ...............£20.25C-T017 BLK......................£7.90 ...............£23.25C-T014 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-T013 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99C-T009 PHOTO ................£6.90 ...............£20.25C-T008 PHOTO ................£6.90 ...............£20.25C-T007 BLK......................£6.90...................TBAC-T005001 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-T003001 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99C-T001001 PHOTO ................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-T032140 BLK......................£6.99......3 PK £20.52C-T032240 CYAN ...................£5.90......3 PK £17.25C-T032340 MAGENTA ...........£5.90......3 PK £17.25C-T032440 YELLOW..............£5.90......3 PK £17.25C-20193 PHOTO ................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-20191 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-20189 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99C-20187 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99C-20138 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-20110 PHOTO ................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-20108 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99C-20097 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-20093 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99C-20089 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-20049 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-20047 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99C-20036 CLR......................£3.99......3 PK £11.50C-20034 CLR......................£3.99 ......3 PK £11.50C-20025 BLK......................£2.50........3 PK £6.99

EACH...........DISCOUNTNEW C-BC01 BLK ..................£9.95......2 PK £17.50NEW C-BC02 BLK ..................£9.90......2 PK £17.80

C-BCI-5B BLK ..................£3.99C-BCI-5 C/M/Y ..............£3.99C-BCI-10B BLK (x3) ...........£4.99 .....2 PK £8.99C-BCI-11B BLK (x3) ...........£5.99......2 PK £11.00C-BCI-11C CLR (x3)...........£7.50......2 PK £13.98C-BCI-21B BLK ..................£2.75 .....3 PK £7.50C-BCI-21C CLR..................£3.99......3 PK £11.00C-BCI-61C CLR..................£7.99......2 PK £15.00C-BCI 62 PHOTO ............£8.99......2 PK £17.00C-BJI201B BLK ..................£1.99 .....3 PK £5.50C-BJI201M Mag...................£2.50C-BJI201C Cyn...................£2.50 C-BJI201Y Ylw ...................£2.50

GOLDMEMBER£14.50

EPSON

MINORITYREPORT£16.99

PAPA ROACHLoveHateTradgedy£8.99

NOW 52Various

£12.99DEAD TO RIGHTSXBOXIMPORT £52.99

COMMANDO 2PS2UK £34.99

Photo Matte Papers

THE BEST NEW COMPUTER &INTERNET BOOKS STOCKED...

Digital Accessories

Film Food Game Food Music Food Food for Thought

NEW LEXMARK COMPATIBLEC-12A1970 BLK.............£13.90C-12A1980 CLR.............£14.75C-12A1990 PHOTO .........£TBAC-13619HC CLR.............£15.50C-13400HC BLK.............£14.75C-17G0050 BLK.............£14.65C-17G0060 CLR.............£14.65C-15M0120 PHOTO .......£15.90

SONY DVM 60min Premium (no chip)..........£4.90SONY DVM 60min IC Excellence (with chip)£7.90Panasonic AY-DVM 60min EK (no chip)........£4.90FUJI Hi8 P5-90 Heavy Metal Particle............£4.99FUJI 8mm P5-60 Metal Particle (2 PK).........£4.20FUJI 8mm P5-90 Metal Particle....................£2.49

MULTIMEDIA CARDS16MB ......................£11.9032MB .......................£14.9964MB .......................£36.99

Hewlett Packard Paper

UK CHART CD’S from Only £8.99

DIGITAL VIDEO FOOD

Integral Dual Compact/Smart Reader/Writer...................£17.99Integral Smart Media PCMCIA Adaptor............................£17.99Integral Compact Flash PCMCIA Adaptor.........................£5.99

BLADE 2£14.50

MARIO SUNSHINEGAMECUBEIMPORT £49.99

RED HOTCHILLIBy The Way£8.99

©

MONKEYBALL 2GAMECUBEIMPORT £49.99

OASISHeathenChemistry£8.99

Game Food Music FoodFilmFood

E.T£15.99

FilmFood FilmFood Game Food Music Food

COMPACTFLASH CARDS16MB .......................£11.2032MB .......................£12.9064MB .......................£17.90

128MB .......................£42.00 256MB .......................£79.99512MB .....................£179.00

NEW RELEASE NEW RELEASE NEW RELEASE NEW RELEASE

Refill your empty cartridges& SAVE £££s

Black Refill Kit (50ml)....£4.90 (100ml)..£6.99Colour Refill Kit (75ml)....£7.90 (150ml)..£9.99Black & Clr Refill Kit (125ml)......................£9.95Photo Refill Kit (150ml)...............................£9.99Black Ink (250ml)...£5.90 (500ml)£16.90C/M/Y Inks Each(250ml)..£6.90 (500ml).£16.99Photo Inks C/M/Y(250ml).£9.90 (500ml)£17.90Cleaning Fluid (125ml).£3.99 (250ml)..£4.90Ink Jector Kit (Kit without ink).............£2.90

Vectorjet Refill Kits & Inks

See website for full range of Inks

STORAGE MEDIA

Memory Stick for all SONY equipment32MB Memory Stick ......................£23.5064MB Memory Stick ......................£39.00128MB Memory Stick ....................£52.50

CANON COMPATIBLE

SECURE DATA CARDS32MB........................£27.9064MB........................£44.90128MB......................£69.00

NEWNEWNEW

INKJET PAPERSMX2’s comprehensive and best selling range ofcompatible inkjet papers, provides high qualityoutput and ultimate value for the enthusiast.

NEW MX2 PapersThe UK’s No 1 choice for the digitalenthusiast introduces a professionalrange of bright white Glossy & Matteinkjet papers for top Quality Photoprinting and the Ultimate value.

TBA M270G A4 MX2 Pro Photo Glossy 270g (40) ...........£TBANEW M240G A4 MX2 Pro Photo Glossy 240g (50) ...........£9.99NEW M200G A4 MX2 Pro Photo Glossy 200g (50) ...........£9.99NEW M220M A4 MX2 Pro Photo Matte 220g (100)..........£9.90NEW M160M A4 MX2 Pro Photo Matte 160g (150)..........£9.99

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Smart MediaFuji 16MB £9Fuji 32MB £15Fuji 64MB £26Fuji 128MB £49

Compact Flash (Type I&II) Fuji 16 MB £15Fuji 32MB £19Fuji 64MB £29Fuji 128MB £52IBM 340MB microdrive £125IBM 1GB microdrive £249

Multimedia CardsSandisk 16MB £19Sandisk 32MB £27Sandisk 64MB £49

Secure DigitalSandisk 16MB £23Sandisk 32MB £32Sandisk 64MB £49

Memory SticksSony 16MB £29Sony 32MB £39Sony 64MB £49Sony 128MB £89

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Kyocera Finecam S4 £369Minolta Dimage S304 £345Minolta Dimage X £289Minolta Dimage F100 £369Minolta Dimage 5 £499Minolta Dimage 7i £749Nikon Coolpix 2000 £179Nikon Coolpix 775 £269Nikon Coolpix 2500 £279Nikon Coolpix 4500 £527Nikon Coolpix 5000 £697Nikon Coolpix 5700 £869Nikon D100 Body £1699Nikon D1X Pro Kit £3879Olympus C120 £159Olympus C220 £179Olympus C300 Lux Kit £309Olympus C4000 £397Olympus E10 SLR £799Olympus E2ON SLR Bundle £1299Pentax Optio 230 £259Pentax Optio 330RS £326Pentax Optio 430RS £396Ricoh Caplio RR120 £199Ricoh Caplio RR10 £284Ricoh Caplio RR30 £257Ricoh Caplio RR1 £468Samsung Digimax 130 £125Samsung Digimax 230 £179Samsung Digimax 350SE £299Samsung Digimax 410 £349Sony Cybershot DSC-P31 £199Sony Cybershot DSC-P51 £229Sony Cybershot DSC-P71 £309Sony Cybershot DSC-S85 £499Sony Mavica MVC FD200 £427Sony Mavica MVC CD400 £799

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1-4 5+T028401 Stylus C60 Black £8.25 £7.99T029401 Stylus C60 Colour £8.50 £8.25T032140 Stylus C70/80 Black £9.99 £9.25T032240 Stylus C70/80 Cyan £6.75 £6.50T032340 Stylus C70/80 Magenta £6.75 £6.50T032440 Stylus C70/80 Yellow £6.75 £6.50T026401 Stylus 810 Black £8.25 £7.95T027401 Stylus 810 Colour £8.50 £8.25T015401 Stylus 2000P Black £8.99 £8.50T016401 Stylus 2000P Colour £10.99 £10.49

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1-4 5+T007401 Stylus Photo 790/870/875/890/895/1270/1290 Black £8.50 £8.25T008401 Stylus Photo 790/870/875/890/895 Colour £8.75 £8.50T009401 Stylus Photo 1270/1290 Colour £9.75 £9.45T017401 Stylus Colour 680 Black £8.75 £8.50T018401 Stylus Colour 680 Colour £7.99 £7.50

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Ref Description On SaleG/8ELK/CRT/1 Epson 800/850/860/1160/1520 Black £13.55G/8ELT/CRT/1 Epson 800/850/860/1160/1520 Tri-Colour £14.40G/EPHLK/CRT/1 Epson Photo Ex/700/750/1200 Black £15.25G/EPHLT/CRT/1 Epson Photo Ex/700/750 Tri-Colour £14.40G/ET8LT/CRT/1 Epson 790/870/875/890 Colour £14.50G/ET9LT/CRT/1 Epson 1270/1280/1290 Colour £14.99G/ET7LK/CRT/1 Epson 870/890/1270/1290 Black £13.50

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Ref Description Size On SaleSTI CF16 Compact Flash Memory Card 16mb £15.99STI CF32 Compact Flash Memory Card 32mb £21.49STI CF64 Compact Flash Memory Card 64mb £29.99STI CF96 Compact Flash Memory Card 96mb £60.00STI CF128 Compact Flash Memory Card 128mb £59.99

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On SaleCompact Disk MediaRef Description Quantity On SaleSONCDR1 Sony CD-R 74 Mins 1-9 £0.69SONCDR10 Sony CD-R 74 Mins 10-49 £0.593M15337 Imation 3M CD-R 80 Mins 1-9 £0.663M15337/10 Imation 3M CD-R 80 Mins 10-49 £0.56TDKCDR1 TDK CD-R 80 Mins 1-9 £0.69TDKCDR10 TDK CD-R 80 Mins 10-49 £0.59GBCDR1 Own Brand CD-R 80 Mins 1-9 £0.62GBCDR10 Own Brand CD-R 80 Mins 10-49 £0.57GBTHCDR1 Own Brand Ultra Thin Dual Case 80 Mins 1-9 £0.64GBTHCDR10 Own Brand Ultra Thin Dual Case 80 Mins 10-49 £0.59Unbranded in plastic sleeve. 1-19 20-49 50+3M15340 CD Recordable CD-R 80 Mins £0.44 £0.35 £0.303M15341 CD Recordable CD-R 80 Mins (on spindle x100) each £0.27Brand New Product3M15342 Printable Business Card CD’s each £1.25

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REF No. Description Size Quantity (sheets)100 2-500 600+

PP001 1440/2880dpi Photo Quality Paper 120gsm A4 £5.50 £4.99 £4.75PP002 1440/2880dpi Photo Quality Paper 160gsm A4 £6.50 £6.25 £5.50PP003 1440/2880dpi Photo Quality Paper Coated 2 sides 160gsm A4 £8.99 £8.50 £7.95PP004 1440/2880dpi Photo Quality Paper 120gsm A3 £13.50 £13.00 £12.50PP005 1440/2880dpi Photo Quality Paper 160gsm A3 £16.00 £15.50 £14.50PP006 1440/2880dpi Photo Quality Paper Coated 2 sides 160gsm A3 £18.99 £16.50 £16.00PP007 1440/2880dpi Photo Quality Paper 120gsm A3+ £15.95 £14.99 £14.00

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100% authoritative

Your experts

f you’ve followed all ouradvice, your photos will be infine shape. But that’s just the

start – now you have to store them,archive them, locate old pictures onyour hard drive or on CD and retrievethem. Each month we’ll bring you aseries of tutorials on the best way touse your PC.

We show you the digital photosupport built into Windows 98 and Me.We also take an in-depth look atWindows XP, as this new operatingsystem has a multitude of digitalphotography support features, includingphoto-transfer wizards, Filmstripthumbnail views and handy one-clickCD burning.

This month we’ve taken a look atseveral image-management tools youcan use on your PC, which can helpyou browse huge thumbnail archives in

seconds, so you can find the pictureyou’re after easily.

Once you have your pictures tohand, you need to print them. For mostpeople, the default settings on theircolour inkjet will often be enough, butif you’re after something morepowerful, our new series on printingtechniques on page 121 will show youhow to get the best results.

Finally, over the course of the nextfew months, we will look at how youcan use the internet to enhance your digital photo experience. Not onlyare there quick ways to publish yourimages online with image communitiesat places like Yahoo! and MSN, butthere are also tools for quick netpublishing built into Photoshop 7. And,of course, there are internet-basedphoto printing services. Over time,we’ll cover it all…

I

WINDOWSARCHIVINGPRINTINGNET4

P121 P124P118

P122P120

FURTHER INFOGet more from theprogram or technique

under examination.



WALKTHROUGHWe don't just describea technique; we show

you how to do it, step by step.

SEND ‘EM INWe want yourcontributions! Please

send in your suggestions, articleideas, tutorials, pictures and more.See the box below for details onwhere to send your emails.

IN DETAILHere's where we talkabout a particular

idea or tool in depth, so you have a clearer understanding ofthe key concepts.

PRINT TECHNIQUES IMAGE MANAGEMENT INTERNET

WINDOWS OUR WEBSITE

MATTHEW RICHARDSMatthew hasedited several

computer and internet titles, reviews digital camerasfor worldwide specialist press, as well as being a keen photographer.

JOE CASSELSJoe contributes tosome of the

UK’s leading PC titles. Hespecialises in the digital photofeatures built into Windows XP.

NICK MERRITTAs well as editingDigital Camera

Magazine, Nick also overseesMicrosoft Windows XP: TheOfficial Magazine, one of theUK’s leading PC titles.

TIM DALYTim is one of theUK’s leading digital

photo experts. He’s writtenmany books on the subjectand his photographs havebeen exhibited across Europe.



■ AuthoritativeA leading professional in their field writesevery tutorial■ Valued added Where possible, we include image files, and full or trial software so you can try



PC&Internet■ DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND YOUR PC P118How to use Windows Me andWindows XP to transfer, view and organise your pictures.

■ FINDING A STORED IMAGE P120Find the image you wantwithout having to openhundreds of files.

■ CREATING A TEST STRIP P121In the first of a series onprinting techniques, how to getperfect prints every time.

■ PUTTING YOUR PIX ONLINE P122Get your pictures published ona worldwide scale quickly,easily and for free with onlinephoto communities.

INTERNET

PRINT TECHNIQUES

IMAGE MANAGEMENT

WINDOWS

Using a PC to get the most from your digital photos

■ Talk about the magazine and our tutorials with other readers: visit ourwebsite at digitalcameramagazine.co.uk

■ For technical help/queries: [email protected]

■ For submissions to our gallery section: [email protected]

■ For general response and feedback: [email protected]

■ For suggestions, ideas for articles: [email protected]

4

CONTACT OUR TUTORIALS TEAMIf you have a comment, suggestion, idea or submission you would like to make, please email us at the following addresses:






he joy of taking digital photographs is thatyou can manipulate them easily. Once yourcamera is full of pictures, you only need to

copy them to your computer in order to free up space totake more snaps. This means that transferring picturesfrom your camera to your PC is an important skill tomaster, but how good at managing pictures are thevarious version of Windows?

As Microsoft Windows has developed, its handling ofgraphical files has became better and better. There arenext to no specialised photography tools in Windows 95.In Windows 98 there is a picture viewer, but you really

need your own photo-handling software (most camerascome with a suitable program). Windows Me includesthe Scanner and Camera Wizard (which you can launchthrough the Control Panel), thumbnail views in picturefolders and an enhanced picture viewer.

When it comes to handling picture files, Windows XPis the best of the lot. Most common photography tasksare easily accomplished via simple wizards, and yourarely need to install a software driver – the programthat tells your computer how to operate your camera.

In this tutorial we’ll be using Windows XP to showyou just how easy it is to transfer your digital photos

from your camera to your PC. Once you’ve got the cablecorrectly plugged in, the rest is a breeze. The Scannerand Camera Wizard is easy to follow with clear step-by-step guidance.

However, there’s more to transferring photographsthan simply moving pictures from camera to PC. Youneed to name the picture files suitably and place them in appropriately named folders so you can retrievethem at a later date without problems. Windows XPhandles this job well, but you might have to adopt more discipline if you’re working with an older versionof Windows.

Digital photographyand your PC

TUTORIAL

Windows Me and Windows XP boast sophisticated digital photo features. Joe Cassels explains how to use your PCto transfer, view and organise your pictures

YOUR GUIDE JOE CASSELSJoe Cassels writes regular tutorials for a wide range of computer magazines. He is anenthusiastic digital photographer with a track record of helping many people getmore from their PCs

[email protected]

USING YOURPC

PORTFOLIO JOE CASSELS

In this series we’re talking aboutWindows XP, as this contains anumber of new image andarchiving features especially fordigital photographers


TTUTORIAL

KEY DETAILSWHICH WINDOWS?

■ How to connect camera■ How to transfer files to PC

THIS MONTH PART 1

How to store and find picturefiles on your PC

NEXT MONTH

SKILL LEVEL


1

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2

2

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YOU NEED A USB LEADMost current digital cameras use the UniversalSerial Bus (USB) standard. The most technical

thing you really need to know is which cable to use and where to plug it in. Basically, the wider, flatter endgoes into the computer and the smaller end connects to your camera.

01 PLUG INTO USB SOCKETThis may be located in front of, or behind, yourPC. It will normally be labelled, but your cable

is unlikely to fit in any other socket. When the cable isplugged in and turned on, Windows should detect thecamera. In addition, Windows XP might recognise whichcamera you are using.

02 THEN INSTALL DRIVERIf Windows detects but doesn’t recognise yourcamera, you’ll need to install its driver and

photo-handling software. There’s little more to this thanpopping the CD that comes with the camera into thecomputer’s CD drive and following the instructions it gives you.

03EXPLAINED

THUMBNAIL A small version of a photo, oftenused for indexing purposes.Viewing a folder of pictures inThumbnail view is very similar tolooking at a contact sheet.

?

With Windows XP it really is just acase of plug and play…CONNECTING YOUR CAMERA

8 8


READ ON

Published by Future PublishingAvailable from WHSmithPrice £12.99Website www.futurenet.com

Created by the team behindMicrosoft Windows XP: The OfficialMagazine, it’s the only guide toWindows XP you need. Includeschapters on digital photography.

THE COMPLETE MICROSOFTWINDOWS XP HANDBOOK

;

EXPERT TIP0FREE UP MEMORYWhen copying photos, rememberto select ‘Delete pictures from mydevice after copying them’. Thisleaves your camera’s memoryfree so you can take loads more pictures.

JOE CASSELSWINDOWS XP EXPERT

WEB LINKS*MICROSOFTwww.microsoft.com/windowsxp/default.asp Home page for Windows XP at theMicrosoft website. Contains links todigital photography features andforums where you can get extrahelp and advice.

4 WINDOWS 98Almost no digital photo support in Windows 98.There’s the Picture Viewer but that’s it

WINDOWS MEA smidgen of digital photo support… the My Picturesfolder and the scanner and printer wizard

WINDOWS XPDigital photography is a key feature: thumbnail views,new editing and print tools, new transfer wizards

SHOULD YOUUPGRADE?


CONNECT THE CAMERAConnect your camera to your PC, using its USBcable. Windows should detect the hardware

and present you with a list of options. Choose ‘CopyPictures to a folder on my computer’ using MicrosoftScanner and Camera Wizard. Click OK.

FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONSThe Scanner and Camera Wizard starts. Youcan work directly with the pictures in your

camera without copying them to your PC first, but you runthe risk of deleting pictures before they’ve been copied soit’s not recommended. Click Next to begin.

02 SELECT THE PICTURESYou now see thumbnails of the pictures held on your camera. Scroll down to see

all of them. If there is a picture that you don’t want tocopy to your computer, clear the tick from the box at itstop-right corner.

0301

NAME YOUR PICTURESClick Next. You now need to provide a filename for the pictures and a folder to put

them into. It’s best to name the pictures after the place,event or main subject that they depict. Type this namewhere indicated.

NAME THE FOLDERYou now need to name the folder that locatesyour pictures. By default, this is the My Pictures

folder, but it’s useful to make a folder for each main groupof photos. Click Browse and Make New Folder. Type thenew folder name and click OK.

05 CLEAR THE CAMERAYou are now returned to the previous screen.To clear your camera once the pictures are

copied over, check the box next to ‘Delete pictures frommy Device after copying them’. This makes room for youto take more photos. Click Next.

0604

WAIT FOR THE PICTURE TRANSFERWatch as your photos are copied from yourcamera to your computer’s hard drive. Each

picture carries the name you selected, plus a number thatincrements with each picture copied. If you need to haltthe process at any time, click Cancel.

DELETE AND FINISHThe wizard deletes the pictures from yourcamera. Once complete, you are given the

option to publish to the web, order prints or finishworking, which is selected by default. Go with this settingand click Next. Click Finish.

08 VIEW YOUR PICTURESYou’re taken to the folder containing yourpictures, which you can see as thumbnails.

Double click on any thumbnail to see the picture in thelarger Picture and Fax viewer. Here you can flick throughthe photos or view them as a slideshow.

0907

8 8

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How to use Windows XP to copy overpictures from your camera to your PC TRANSFERRING YOUR PHOTOS

http://www.futurenet.com

http://www.microsoft.com/

t was a great trip. Beautiful scenery, fantasticweather – perfect, in fact, for reeling offhundreds of digital photos... to add to the

thousands of pictures that already lurk on your harddrive from all the other great trips.

How fast those happy memories can fade whenyou’re sitting in front of the PC, desperately trying tofigure out if DIGIPIX0001012.jpg is that staggeringpicture of the Taj Mahal or the one of you chasing nextdoor’s dog out of the garden.

How, then, do you find a particular image in a file ofthousands? The answer depends on the type ofcomputer you’re using. Windows XP already providesthumbnail/Filmstrip views and has a built-in pictureviewer. But the options on older operating systemsaren’t as good.

So it’s time to turn to one of the good file-viewingtools out there. There are a couple that are useful if youneed to browse a smallish number of images. For the

PC, Firegraphic XP (www.firegraphic.com) is a decentintegrated file viewer that enables you to view images,change file types and perform some basic imageediting. A similar tool for the Mac is iView MediaPro forOS9 and X (www.iview-multimedia.com).

Video thumbnailsAnother good option is Firehand Ember 6(www.firehand.com), which enables you to browsemultiple folders simultaneously and perform simpleediting tasks quickly. There’s an extension pack availablefor it as well, which adds various Windows XP-likefeatures like slideshows.

From the makers of PhotoImpact comes PhotoExplorer Pro 7 (www.ulead.com). One extra is that isenables you to play video, which is handy if you havebeen using the movie features on your camera.

If you are a fan of Paint Shop Pro, there’s acompanion tool called Jasc Media Center

(www.jasc.com), and if you’re a Nikon owner, you maybe familiar with FotoStation (www.fotostation.com) –there’s a trial there for everyone but Nikon users get anupgrade deal option.

But what do you do if you need to find an image in alist of 5-10,000? One of the most interesting tools we’vefound is a non-commercial piece of software created byHuman Computer Interaction Lab, a research departmentat the University of Maryland. Called PhotoMesa(www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/ photomesa), it’s been createdas part of a project into how people use computerinterfaces. As a result, it doesn’t quite have the slickness,speed or functionality of a full commercial piece ofsoftware, but it’s intuitive to learn and easy to use.

If you move your mouse across the thumbnails it willexpand each image like a magnifying glass. Left-clickand it will zoom further into the image; right-click and itwill zoom out. You can then select and drag the imageyou want – onto your desktop or into another folder.

TUTORIAL

YOUR GUIDE NICK MERRITTNick has edited, managed and launched some of the UK’s leadingtechnology magazines for nine years, and has been writing aboutand using computers for much longer

[email protected]

IMAGE MANAGEMENT

WEBSITE www.futurenet.co.uk


I

4 Adobe Photoshop 7 – the trial of which is on our CD –now includes a handy image browser. You can use itto overview and catalogue files – find it under theRecipe menu option

BROWSING INPHOTOSHOP 7

Locating a stored imageSo your PC is groaning with thousands of digital pictures. How do you find the one you want withoutopening hundreds of files? Nick Merritt reveals some answers

BROWSE THE THUMBNAILSWhen you browse a directory, images arepresented as small thumbnails. Multiple

directories are labelled and presented side by side.(Drawing the thumbnails can take some time.)

01 IMAGES EXPANDScan your mouse across the images to find theimage you’re after. As you do so, each image

expands so you can see what it is. Left- and right- click tozoom in and out of each directory.

02 DRAG AND DROPWhen you’ve located the right picture, simplychoose the ‘select’ tool (the arrow to the top-

left, above) and drag the image onto your desktop. Younow have it ready for use.

03

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WINDOWS XP The new digital photo features inWindows XP are a bigimprovement on earlier versionsof Windows. There’s the digitalcamera wizard that makes iteasy to download photos fromcamera to PC. The My Picturesfolder enables a range of usefulthumbnail views. You can resizeimages prior to emailing, do‘one-click’ attachments and viewfiles large-size without openingthem in an image editor.

IN DETAIL3

Firegraphic XP is handy if you arerunning an older version ofWindows (98/Me) and need tofind a file on your hard drive

It’s an interesting non-commercial tool, which shows the wayfile browers might evolve in the futurePHOTOMESA IN ACTION

http://www.firegraphic.com

http://www.iview-multimedia.com

http://www.firehand.com

http://www.ulead.com

http://www.jasc.com

http://www.fotostation.com

http://www.cs.umd.edu/hcil/photomesa


http://www.futurenet.co.uk

f you’ve taken time to colour calibrate yourmonitor and worked out the best printersoftware settings for your paper, there’s still

no guarantee of perfect prints each and every time. Teststrips help you to solve simple problems quickly.

Central to the craft of conventional darkroom printingis the test strip. When thin pieces of photographic paperare painstakingly exposed to different amounts of light,the photographer generates a useful selection ofvariations to choose from. Yet digital image-makersnever print out variations and place too much trust inthe self-correcting nature of printer software. Whenprints turn out wrong, most of us try anothercombination of printer software settings rather thanmodify the image in Photoshop.

With this straightforward technique, there’s no needto copy and paste tiny image sections into a new

document for proof printing. Instead, you can print aselection area onto a small sheet of paper from the veryimage you’re working on. Any paper size can be used,but it’s much more economical to set up a custom papersize in your printer software beforehand.

Every printer has its limitations on minimum mediasize, but an A4 sheet cut into four quarters will give youenough paper to test at least one image. It’s rare thatyou’ll need to make more than a couple of test stripsbut, if you do, label the corrections that you’ve made.Don’t adjust image size or resolution between tests andfinal print, or you’ll have to start all over again.

When test strips are ejected by the printer, it’simportant to let them dry before making your decisionbecause some papers with sticky top coats can take acouple of minutes to absorb ink and dry. Always judgeyour results under natural daylight.

TUTORIAL

YOUR GUIDE TIM DALYTim has written several books on photography including The Digital Photography Handbook, TheDigital Printing Handbook and The Desktop Photographer, and he continues to write for TheBritish Journal of Photography and AG. His photographs have been exhibited across Europe

[email protected]

PRINT TECHNIQUES PART 1


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4

Colour casts occur when one colour appears to dominate the print.Change the brightness of the image with your Levels controls, andprint colours will look more saturated and free from casts

WHAT ISA COLOUR CAST?

Creating a test stripA great picture needs great printing and often this is an area that lets digital photography down. No longer. Inthe first of a series on printing techniques, Tim Daly shows you how to get perfect printing every time

DEFINE THE TEST AREAMake sure your selection includes bothhighlights and shadows. Once your image is

ready to print, select the rectangular marquee tool. Makesure the feather value has been set to zero, then click-draga rectangular selection that includes a cross section ofhighlights, shadows and midtones.

01 SEND TO THE PRINTERMake sure your printer software recognisesyour selection. From the File menu choose

Print and in the printer software dialog box, select thePrint Selected Area option. This command will print yourselection in the centre of your chosen paper size. Use thesame paper for both test and final print.

02 ANALYSE THE TEST RESULTSMonochrome or toned images often printdarker than expected due to the way RGB

image colours are translated into printer ink colour.Shadow areas can also start to fill-in and prevent imagedetail from appearing. To correct your image, cancel theselection, then use your Levels controls.

03

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MAKING A TEST STRIP


Correcting problems with LevelsThe Levels dialog is the easiest way to manipulatemidtone brightness, the cause of most printingproblems. Move the triangular slider to the left tobrighten the image, or to the right to darken it.

TUTORIAL

KEY DETAILS

How to correct a colour castNEXT MONTH

SKILL BOOSTER


5

30

2

2

2

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ON OUR CDPhotoshop 7 trial, plus our printertest file printertestimage.pdf

WHAT MAKES AGOOD PRINT? The definition of a goodphotographic print is identical forboth digital and traditional photos.Good prints exhibit a rich tonalrange between small areas of fullblack shadows and clean whitehighlights; fine details are presentand visible without needing toscrutinise at close distance. Finally,the principal subject should beclearly emphasised usingvariations in light and dark todirect the viewer’s attention awayfrom irrelevant details. See ourprinter test file for more.

IN DETAIL3 Solve simple print problems quickly with test strips, and make better useof costly ink and paper consumables



ou’ve got some great digital photos, and youwant to show them off. How are you going todo it? You could email them to all your

friends, family and colleagues but, with lengthydownload times for even medium-resolution files,people get upset when their inboxes are clogged up.

Another way to share your photos is to create yourown website. This is better than email because you cansimply send people the address of your site and theycan then look it up if and when they want to. However,there are two basic problems with creating a photoalbum as your personal website. First, most of us onlyhave one website, as a function of the free web spaceoffered by whatever ISP (Internet Service Provider)we’re using. Second, driving traffic to a personal website

Most photo community sites are free to use, yet offera reasonably generous amount of free server space foryou to use. Another bonus is that communities arenormally divided into categories so you can showcaseyour shots in areas that are most likely to attract theright attention.

As well as providing a home for your digital photosonline, most commercially run communities also provideservices for ordering paper-based prints of your shots fordelivery in the post.

Choosing a serviceThere are many online community services available butmost of them are based in the US. This poses noproblem if you’re simply looking for someone to host

Putting your pix online

TUTORIAL

Getting your pictures published on a worldwide scale can be quick, easy and totally free.Matthew Richards shows you how to make the most of online photo communities

SHARINGYOURPHOTOS

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is a nightmare in itself. Apart from the people youactually tell, nobody will know where to look, unlessyou spend a lot of time promoting the site.

Community spiritThe best way to share your photos with an eagerlyawaiting public is via online communities. By far theeasiest to use is run by Microsoft, through its MSNservice, but there are many others to try (see opposite).

Online photo albums, or communities, have distinctadvantages over other methods of photo sharing via thenet. The design templates and mechanics for operatingthe site are already put in place on the net. All you haveto do is slot your photos into the spaces that are alreadywaiting for them – simple.

New MSN tools make uploading your photos easierthan ever. Here’s how it’s done…UPLOADING YOUR SHOTS

CHOOSE YOUR PHOTOSThe first time you upload shots to MSN Photos,the system will download and install the

necessary tools to your PC, which takes about threeminutes. Once that’s done, a thumbnail preview helpsyou choose shots to upload.

01 UPLOAD YOUR SHOTSOnce you’ve selected all the shots you want toupload, click the Upload button to transfer

them to the web. You can then rearrange the order inwhich photos are presented, rotate any shots asnecessary and add meaningful titles.

02 SHARE WITH A GROUPThe final step is to share your photos in anMSN Group. This goes beyond simply storing

your photos online, and gives access to your shots to theworld at large. Click the ‘Share photos in this folder’ linkshown on the previous step.

03

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YOUR GUIDE MATTHEW RICHARDSMatthew Richards reviews digital cameras for worldwide specialist press, as well as beinga keen photographer using both conventional 35mm outfits and digital systems. His mainareas of interest are sports, landscape and people photography

[email protected] PORTFOLIO MATTHEW RICHARDS

IN DETAIL3TALK ABOUT IT!Discussion boards and chatrooms, as well as email, are ideal for a little ‘constructivecriticism’ of your photos online. Make the most of these additional features withinMSN Groups.

TUTORIAL

KEY DETAILS

How and where to order printsover the net

NEXT MONTH

SKILL BOOSTER


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ON OUR CDFull software – Arles Image WebPage Creator on Disc B


WEB LINKS*RECOMMENDED SITESFor more general photo sharingsites, here’s a good selection…

MSN Photoshttp://photos.msn.co.ukMSN Groupshttp://groups.msn.comClub Photowww.clubphoto.comFotoTime www.fototime.comNikonNet www.nikonnet.comWebPhotoswww.webphotos.comWebshots www.webshots.comYahoo! Photoshttp://photos.yahoo.comPhotoboxwww.photobox.co.uk

your photos online, but if you want to take advantage ofprinting possibilities, you’ll need to pick a service thathas a UK operation. As our pick of the crop is MSN, let’sstick with that one and see how to get started.

The first thing you need to do is to get a Microsoft.NET passport. You can register for free atwww.passport.com, but if you’ve already got a freeHotmail account, the chances are that you’re alreadyregistered. From here, it’s one short mouse-click to theMSN Photos site at http://photos.msn.co.uk. The mainscreen provides options for adding photos to yourcommunity site, sharing photos online, viewing yourshots and ordering prints online.

The free MSN Communities service initially gives you 3Mb of online space to use, which is enough for up to about 20 photos at a resolution of 1,024 x 768pixels, depending on the amount of JPEG compressionyou use when storing them. However, once you’vestarted using the MSN Photos service, the storage space given to you is bumped up to 30Mb, whichprovides a lot more scope for creating multiple folders,or sets of photos and submitting them in a variety ofcommunity groups.


The best way to share your photos withan eagerly-awaiting public is via onlinecommunities. By far the easiest to useis run by Microsoft

Moving away from the task panes and into the mainarea of the page, further tools allow for simple rotationof photos and how they’re presented online, while a handy Photo Meter gives a bar graph indication of what you can do with your online photos, based onthe image size and quality they’re stored at. Rangingfrom one to five bars, a photo with a three-bar displaywill be suitable for emailing to friends, sharing online,home printing, or ordering prints online at a size of upto 4 x 6 inches.

More funSharing your photos is the main aim of any communitysite, but many add a little extra fun to the mix and,again, MSN Photo leads the way. As well as enablingyou to create pictorial puzzles based on your photos,you can order a wide variety of photo-based productsonline, bearing your own pictures. These include aprons,calculators, children’s watches, kit bags, mouse mats,mugs, sweatshirts, T-shirts and more besides.

To sum up, MSN Photos provides a quick, easy andfree way to store your digital photos online. However,you can also share them more effectively within the service by adding them to an MSN Group. In thisway, your photo albums will form part of MSNCommunities, and your shots can be added to a groupphoto album that already exists, or you can start a new one. Each group can also include other features,like a message board, chat room and email, helping tobolster the all-important community spirit. All in all, it’sthe perfect way of making more of your digitalphotography online.

MSN PHOTOSIN ACTION

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01 Quick linksThe quick links across the top of the window provide easy access to MSN Home, My Photos andGifts & Prints, as well as the Tips & Tricks help sectionof the site.

02 Photo TasksCommon photo tools are provided here, for addingphotos to the web folder, sharing a folder in MSNGroups, ordering prints online, and running a slideshow of pictures within the currently viewed folder.

03 More TasksThis task pane enables you to organise your photos byrearranging them on screen, copying or moving themto a different folder, or creating entirely new folders.

05 SelectionAs well as the individual tick boxes for selecting ordeselecting single photos, you can select or deselect allphotos within a folder using these links at the top andbottom of the screen.

06 MSN GroupsUse this icon for quick access to MSN Groups from within the MSN Photos service.

08 RotationIf you have a picture that should be inportrait mode and is displayed inlandscape mode, use these rotation tools.

07 Photo MeterOn a scale of one to five, the Photo Metergives you information on the size andquality of photos stored on the onlinesystem. More bars, the better the quality.

The MSN Photos at photos.msn.co.ukservice includes some great tools formaking everything easy and intuitive.Here are the most important ones

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EXPLAINEDUPLOADThis is the process of transferringdata (in this case photo files)from your digital camera or PC tothe internet. Likewise,downloading is the process ofcopying data from the Internet toyour own PC.

?

MSN Photos has everything youneed and more besides formaking the most of your digitalphotos online

Many online community sites forsharing photos have some greatfeatures, but most of them areonly available in the US

The only catch is that you have to remain an ‘activemember’ of the MSN Photo service, which means thatyou have to view your photos, or add, share or orderprints of them, at least once every six months,otherwise your photos will be permanently deleted. Youcan safeguard against this by signing up for the paid-forversion of the service, available through the samewebsite for £19.99 per year.

Keeping trackThe MSN Photo community site has some handyfeatures for keeping track of your photos, and theironline status. In a similar style to the excellent taskpanes that feature in Windows XP photo folder views,task panes within the site layout give you quick accessto tools for adding, sharing or ordering prints of photos.Other tools for organising your online albums includethose for rearranging shots, creating new folders,moving photos between folders or deleting old picturesto make way for new ones.

Particularly useful is the Storage Meter, which gives agraphical display of how much space you’ve used andhow much is still available, within your 30Mb allocation.

04 Storage MeterMSN Photos provides you with 30Mb of storage spacefor your online photos. Use the Storage Meter for aquick reference to how much of that space you’ve usedup and how much is still available.

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http://groups.msn.com

http://www.clubphoto.com

http://www.fototime.com

http://www.nikonnet.com

http://www.webphotos.com

http://www.webshots.com

http://photos.yahoo.com

http://www.photobox.co.uk

http://www.passport.com



ver the next few months, we want to turndigitalcameramagazine.co.uk into one ofthe UK’s biggest and most dynamic digital

photo communities, and we hope you’ll pop along tohelp us! We’ll be putting up articles from every issueof the magazine for you to download, plus you canmeet the team online in our forums and talk aboutspecific issues and ideas you want to share.

You’ll be able to meet thousands of other DigitalCamera Magazine readers, discuss each month’s

issue, swap tips and techniques, add your own kitreviews, read our tutorials, post your pictures andmuch more!

Plus you’ll be able to click straight through fromone of our camera reviews, to the relevant page at one of the UK’s top retailers, and buy it! Nobodyelse offers you such a simple, comprehensive service. In the meantime, why not visitwww.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk and start theball rolling…

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Visit Digital CameraMagazine online!The UK’s best digital photography magazine now has a fantastic communitysite on the internet – and we want you to join in today!

The most comprehensive digital camera site...



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Your magazine onlineDiscover tutorials, reviews, buyer guides,tips and places to meet and discuss eachissue with other digital photographyenthusiasts and users.

01 Buy kit onlineLink through to retailer websites and you can buy your cameras via the internet, in several simple steps – it’s so easy!

02 Become a member and get moreDon’t just look – become a member andyou’ll gain access to all the magazine’smaterial and extras, too!

03 Search for a reviewWe have tons of reviews up therealready and, as we grow, there’ll bethousands more added. Start now andyou won’t miss out.

Join our community of enthusiastsEach month meet up with other digital photography fans and let off steam, swapideas, get help, add your own reviews and much more!

Our forums 4

Comprehensive reviews from every issueLooking to buy a new piece of kit – camera, accessory or piece of software, perhaps?We’ll put our reviews online so you’re fully informed

Our reviews

02 Chat on our forumsAdd your opinions to our ongoing discussionsabout any aspect of digital photography thatinterests you – we want tohear it all!

02 Talk about kitPost your own commentson our kit reviews – it’s the best way to accessboth Digital CameraMagazine’s opinion of acamera, and the opinion ofother users!

03 Tell us about the magWe want to hear yourthoughts about the mag – what you like anddon’t like, and how youthink we can do better.Get writing!

01 Clear kit picturesWe make it easy to inspectthe kit you’re buyingbefore you part with yourhard-earned cash.

02 Comprehensivecamera testsWe put each camerathrough its paces so youknow exactly what toexpect if you do decide to buy it.

03 Clear verdictsWe make it obviouswhether each cameraoffers you good value for money.

4 Our homepage

Visit www.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk today!

www.digitalcameramagazine.co.uk

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elcome to the Digital CameraMagazine disc section. Within the nextfew pages you'll find details regarding all

the content we've provided on the two CD-ROMS. To help you get the best out of the magazine,

we've included software featured in the magazine,plus additional test shots from all the reviewedcameras, and files to enable you to follow ourmagazine tutorials. And you'll also find lots ofadditional software to help you get the most outof your digital camera.

For this first issue we are proud to present youwith the fully working version of Paint Shop Pro 5.This application has long been regarded as aserious, cost-effective alternative to Photoshop.

Paint Shop Pro is fully loaded with all the facilitiesyou need to edit your digital camera snaps. Crop, resize and image enhancement tools arewithin easy reach on the interface and moreadvanced users can use the software to addspecial effects to images. To help you get startedyou will find our extensive ‘get started’ tutorialstarting on page 94.

Enhance your imagesIf you prefer a simpler way to enhance digitalimages, then take a look at ColorPilot on disc 1.This superb tool adjusts the colour balance of poorly taken shots such as where poor lightinghas effected the colours of an image. The results

are extremely impressive and most of the work isperformed automatically by the software.

Our third full product is called Arles Web PageCreator. If you've ever wanted to publish your ownpictures on the internet, then this is the softwarefor you. Using a simple wizard it takes you throughan easy-to-follow process of taking a folder of images and building them into a thumbnailgallery, building all the HTML code ready to beuploaded to your web space.

■ Don't miss next issue. Again we'll have twopacked discs full of essential resources for yourdigital camera. On sale 21 November

Two CDs every month! Here’s what we’ve lined up for you this November…

Jeremy Ford is your host for this hands on, interactive section of the magazine. This isyour chance to get to grips with the software we’ve supplied…

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On your discsThis November…

START-UP THE DISCTo get started with the Digital CameraCD-ROMs simply insert them into your

drive. The interface should run automatically.However, if it doesn't, click the Start button andselect the Run option. Type D:\digitalcamera(where D is the drive letter denoting your drive)and press Enter.

01 USER AGREEMENTPlease read the first screen carefully andclick the Agree button to continue. You

will be taken to the main screen, for where you canprogress to the rest of the disc contents.

02 BROWSE THE DISCUse the menu bar at the top of thescreen to navigate to the different areas

on the disc – simply use your cursor to highlight themenu item and click the mouse button. Instructionson how you use each section of the disc areincluded on the interface itself.

03

Jeremy Ford is both the online editorand disc editor for Digital CameraMagazine. Each issue he'll be gatheringthe best software on CDs for your digitalcamera. And you'll also find him on thewebsite updating you with the latestnews, reviews and features oneverything digital camera related

■ Should you have query regarding theCD or website you can contact Jeremy [email protected]

Time to fire up your disc and see what’s in store for you. There’s awealth of software at your fingertips and it’s ready to use…STARTING UP


Our CD-ROMS provide special interactive features tocomplement the five digital cameras reviewed in themagazine. The two discs also incorporate a multitude ofsoftware and resources that will help you to get the mostfrom your digital camera.

We’ve packed the two CD-ROMs with software, resourcesand exciting interactive features. Disc 1 includes a virtual toursection, providing a hands-on experience for each of thereviewed cameras.

You can interactively rotate each camera through a full 360degrees, inspect intricate features in close-up and comparethe quality of example pictures taken with each camera. Nextissue, you’ll be able to rotate up-and-over too!

Disc 2 contains two full products ready for you to install,along with a library of software including drivers, plug-ins,utilities and demonstration products to enable you tocomplete the tutorials in the magazine.

Easy navigationQuickly and easily navigate both CD-ROMs using thisintuitive multimedia interface.

Click an item from the top row to select the main sectionand the relevant sub sections will be revealed in the yellowbar below.

Software installationFeatured software can be installed directly fromthe CD by clicking on the install icon displayed.In each section you will find a description of thesoftware, additional installation instructions ifrequired and a link to the product websiteswhere appropriate.

Virtual toursSelect ‘virtual tours’ from the main navigationbar to visit this special interactive feature.

The new menu displayed for this sectionoffers 3D Fly around, detail shots and test shotsfor each of the five reviewed cameras. Relevantwebsite links are also provided.

Test shotsThis section enables you to compare actualpictures taken using the reviewed digitalcameras. Choose a test shot from the fourprovided and, using the simple drag-and-dropinterface, you can select similar pictures fromtwo cameras and compare them alongside each other.

The CDs are crammed with informationbut navigation is straightforward


Using ourinterface

127

FLY AROUNDUse the pink arrows to the left and rightof each camera image to spin the

camera around. Rollover the outside arrows to autorotate the camera in that direction or click the insidearrows to manually rotate the camera to theposition you want.

01 DETAIL SHOTSNine detail images of each digitalcamera have been provided for your

inspection. Zoom in to the required close-up shot bysimply clicking the thumbnail or pressing thenumber key shown below each one.

02 TEST SHOTSWe’ve taken test shots in four differentlighting situations to enable you to view

the image quality of the individual cameras. Theseinclude a detail picture, a skin shot, plus indoor andoutdoor shots. See a large version of each shot byclicking the thumbnail or pressing then number keydisplayed below each image.

03

Our virtual tour enables you to get a proper feel for the five digitalcameras we’ve reviewed this issueVIRTUAL TOURS

www.maximumpc.co.uk/paintshoppro


et the white balance or lighting wrongon a digital camera and your imagecolours could turn out to be less than

realistic. So how can you make the sky more blue,the trees more green and remove that reddishtinge from granny’s face?

One approach is to use an image editor, likePhotoShop or Paint Shop Pro. These programs canproduce great results, but could be overkill if allyou want to do is alter a few colours. (And thesheer number of colour models can make themintimidating for the beginner – should you useCMYK/RGB/HLS?)

If you prefer the simple life, try Color Pilotinstead. Just choose a colour to change, areference colour you’d like to match, and that’s it.You can even use the same reference colours onmultiple images – ideal if you’re preparing picturesfor a catalogue.

Do your reds tend to be blue-ish, while your blues are mostly green? This program has the answer to all your colour-correction problems

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Color Pilot 3.86SOFTWARESPECIFICATIONS

PUBLISHER INVENTION PILOTPRODUCT STATUS FULL VERSIONCONTACT INFORMATION WWW.COLORPILOT.COMAS SOLD FOR $29.95

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OPEN AN IMAGESelect File8Open Image, and use thePreview window to browse through

the sample images. Double-click on swiss.jpg toopen it.

01 COLOUR CORRECTIONThis picture has a very poor colourbalance, especially in the sky. To try

automatically correcting it, just select Start on theColor Pilot toolbar.

02 MANUAL TWEAKSThe program will correct both colour andbrightness, then display the results in a

new window. That’s a big improvement, but thehouse is still a little dark.

03

COMPARE IMAGESTry increasing the Gamma value to 2.0,then click on Start again to create a new

image. Choose Window8 Tile to compare thepictures side by side.

04 CREATE A REFERENCE COLOURClose all your images, then openPIC41.jpg. This shot looks a little washed-

out, especially in the foreground – can we changethe grass colour?

05 MAKE YOUR SELECTIONOpen PIC38.jpg – that looks better. Clickon the Extract new color... button (the

one with the Enter arrow) and draw a box aroundan area of grass.

06

DEFINE A TARGET REGIONNow we've got a Grass reference colour, switch back to PIC41.jpg. Draw a

region in the grass here, indicating the colour we'dlike to change.

07 COPY COLOURSClick on Start, then select Window8Tile to compare the results. Color

Pilot has improved the colours, but left thebrightness untouched.

08 LEARN BY EXAMPLEKeen to learn more? Just choose anoption from the Examples menu – there

are 15 different choices, explaining all the key ColorPilot features.

09

Visit the website where you can findout much more information about thisproduct and how to use it4

http://WWW.COLORPILOT.COM

fter much practice, you’ve finally got acollection of digital photos that are goodenough to share with the world. Putting

them on a website would seem to be the bestapproach, but beware – there are a couple ofpotential gotchas you’ll need to avoid.

For example, it’s not a good idea to put all yourimages on one page. You might have ADSL, butlots of other people still have slow dial-upaccounts, and waiting 20 minutes for all thepictures to download will really try their patience.Some people recognise this, and try to create a

page of ‘thumbnails’ – smaller versions of yourpictures. Good idea, but if you just scale the imagein your HTML editor, then it will still use the full-sized version. And your visitors will still have towait an age for every tiny picture to appear.

The solution? Bypass all these potentialproblems by using Arles Web Page Creator to dothe hard work for you. Just point the program atyour images folder, and it can create thethumbnails, HTML index and image pages with asingle mouse click. And if you need a morecustomised approach, no problem – everythingfrom the thumbnail size to index and image pagelayout can be altered to suit your needs.

So you’re putting your photos on the web? Then you’ll want to create an index page –and here’s just the tool you need

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Arles Web Page CreatorSOFTWARESPECIFICATIONS

PUBLISHER DIGITAL DUTCHPRODUCT STATUS FULL VERSIONCONTACT INFORMATION WWW.DIGITALDUTCH.COMAS SOLD FOR $49

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LOCATE YOUR IMAGESArles Image Web Page Creator needssome images before it will work, so click

on File locations and use the Source folder box totell the program where your pictures are located.

01 BUILD THE INDEXClick on the All toolbar button, and theprogram will create the thumbnails and

index pages automatically. This status window willkeep you updated on what's going on.

02 VIEW YOUR RESULTSClick on the Show toolbar button to seethe index page in your default browser.

Hmm, it all works as it should, but what if thethumbnails are a little too small?

03

TWEAK THE THUMBNAIL SIZEClick on the Thumbnails tab, and changethe height and width values from 100 to

200. Leave ‘Lock aspect ratio’ checked to avoiddistorting the pictures.

04 MAKE HTML ADJUSTMENTSFor more customisation options, click onthe Index page tab. Here you can give

the page a title, or change the size and layout ofthe image table.

05 CHECK YOUR CHANGESFinished tinkering? Click on All again torecreate the thumbnails and image

pages, using your new settings, then click on Showto see the new look.

06

Arles makes it easy for your website visitors toquickly find their favourite photographs

Get rid of the Nag screen by entering the freeRegistration key you'll find at www.digitaldutch.com/arles/extern/netmag_special.html

Find out what other users have created withArles, at www.digitaldutch.com/arles/examples/showcase

At www.digitaldutch.com, you candiscover some clever ways to use this application4


http://WWW.DIGITALDUTCH.COM

http://www.digitaldutch.com/arles/extern/netmag_special.html

http://www.digitaldutch.com/arles/examples/showcase

http://www.digitaldutch.com

http://www.digitaldutch.com/arles/examples/showcase



Upgrade to Color Pilot 4ike Color Pilot 3? Thanks to DigitalCamera Magazine, you can buy ColorPilot 4.x now with a 5 per cent discount!

Upgrading to Color Pilot 4.x costs $28.45 (about £17) and include six months worth of free upgrades!

Poor colours can ruin the best photographer’swork, but Color Pilot makes it easy to compensatefor poor lighting or other factors leading tounsatisfactory colouring. The same technique canbe used to alter the colour of any subject matter –such as the colour of somebody’s clothing or hair.

If you find that you are using the same colouror a number of colours repeatedly, you can createa colour collection using the CollectionManagement tool. The new batch processingoption is a very useful tool if you need to applythe same colour effects to more than one

photograph. Once you have adjusted one image,you can save the changes you made to a‘processing file’. This can then be applied to anumber of images in the same folder.

Another new feature of Color Pilot 4 is theoption to create panoramas. This can be achievedby simply stitching together two or more imagesand then making the join invisible. Version 4 ofthe program has newly added support for non-24bit images, PMG, PCX and PSD file formats.

As well as all of these exciting new features,Colour Pilot 4 also includes a number of bug fixesand the improved interface will enable you towork even faster. You may not have your imagesalready stored on your hard drive for editing, butTWAIN support enables you to capturephotographs using your scanner beforehand.

Visit the special order page at www.colorpilot.

com/offer/future_cp.html for full details of the software and the offer. If you'd like to takeColor Pilot 4 for a test drive before splashing out on it, you can download a trial version fromthe website.

At the website you will also be able to view aseries of example, indicating just what Color Pilot4 is capable of producing.- Create collections of frequently-used colours- Batch processing of images- New Collection Manager- Store successful processings for repeat use- Open several files simultaneously- Support for additional languages- New Panorama function- Email images from the program- TWAIN support- New interface

Upgrade it!

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If you want even greater control over image correction, Color Pilot 4 will be right up your street

Upgrade to Arles Image Web Page Creator 4he latest version of Arles Image WebPage Creator not only includes anumber of bug fixes, but also a wide

range of new features to make it even easier topublish your images online.

The all-new Arles Image Explorer makes it easyto manage all the images you have stored onyour computer. The Explorer-like interface makesbrowsing through your pictures very simple, andfiles can be dragged and dropped to re-orderthem or moved to another application. Anyinformation you enter is automatically saved to adatabase which enables you to sort your files.

No matter which image editing program youhave been using to tweak your images, youshould find that Arles Image Web Page Creatorsupports the format you saved the file. In totalthere is support for over 20 file formats including

JPEG images (jpg, jpeg), Kodak Photo CD (*.pcd), Paint Shop Pro (*.psp) and Photoshop(*.psd, *.pdd).

There are a number of new options availablefor displaying your images. Framed galleries cannow be created with just a few clicks of themouse, and a slideshow effect can be created byconfiguring the next image page to beautomatically loaded after a certain delay.Individual images can be customised by simplyadding one of three different types of border,single pixel, button effect or 3D level. You can also protect your pictures by adding 3Dwatermarks to them.

You can also add drop shadows to images, withoffset, transparency, blur and colour all being fullyconfigurable. Image EXIF information can beviewed in the Image Explorer, and it can also be

included in your galleries by using the EXIF tags. If you would like to find out more information

about this program, you can view the full list offeatures by visiting www.digitaldutch.com.

Readers of Digital Camera Magazine and oursister magazine, .net, can upgrade to the latestedition of Arles Image Web Page Creator for just£25 (that's a saving of £16 on the regular price).To take advantage of this offer, you will need togo to our special offer page, which you can find atwww.digitaldutch.com/arles/extern/netmag_special.html. Here you will find orderinginstructions and a full listing of the great newfeatures you can use.

If you would like to try Arles Image Web PageCreator 4 before you buy, you can download a trial version from the website located atwww.digitaldutch.com.

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If you liked version 3 of to Arles Image Web Page Creator, take a look at what’s on offer in version 4

4

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The revamped Image Explorermakes it very easy to browsethrough your pictures and view araft of information about them

You can fine-tune the referencecolour you first choose to ensureperfect results every time

…and save yourself some money! Here’s how:






Hugely powerful and with more features than ever, this is the image editor used by professionals everywhere

Adobe Photoshop 7

BROWSE FOR FILESGot lots of photos stored on your PC?Select File8 Browse to navigate through

them, and just double-click on one to open it.

01 USE THE HEALING BRUSHOld photos often have scratches, creasesor marks. Adobe Photoshop now

includes the Healing Brush, to automatically clean these away.

02 PROTECT YOUR COPYRIGHTIf you're putting images on the web, add a Watermark (Filter8 Digimarc8

Embed Watermark) it'll help prevent others stealingyour work.

03

dobe has introduced so many newfeatures to Photoshop 7 that we can’tcover them all, but some stand out

from the crowd. The new File Browser, forexample, lets you quickly view thumbnails of thepictures on your hard drive. Improved PicturePackages let you print multiple images on onepage, and there are new web tools to simplify thecreation of image maps, rollovers and animations.The new Auto Color option simplifies colourcorrection, and a scripting plug-in adds JavaScript.

A

SOFTWARESPECIFICATIONS

PUBLISHER ADOBEPRODUCT STATUS 30-DAY TRIAL VERSIONCONTACT INFORMATION WWW.ADOBE.COMFULL PRODUCT COST £525

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The new PhotoImpact 8 can acquiredigital images directly from your digitalcamera, scanner or webcam. Onceyou've corrected any problems with thehost of colour adjustments, you canenhance your shots with photographiceffects like the star or spot filters. Thebundled web tools are a welcomebonus, simplifying the task of creatingbanners, icons, buttons, and other webpage components.

IMAGE EDITOR

PUBLISHER ULEAD SYSTEMSSTATUS 30-DAY TRIAL VERSIONCONTACT WWW.ULEAD.COMFULL PRODUCT COST £81

PhotoImpact 8

You’re proud of your digital photos(well, some of them, anyway) – sowhy not share them with your friends?PhotoMail 4.0 can acquire images fromany TWAIN source (that’s most digitalcameras or scanners), then lets youemail them, or post your images to awebsite. You can even build aslideshow that others can view withouthaving to install PhotoMail first.

PHOTO MANAGEMENT

PUBLISHER GETWARESTATUS 30-DAY TRIAL VERSIONCONTACT WWW.GETWARE.COMFULL PRODUCT COST $15

PhotoMail 4.0

Turn ordinary digital photos into worksof art, with this unusual and interestingtool. Once you've imported your image,just choose a painting style(watercolour, oil, chalk and more), thenuse the mouse to ‘paint’ directly overyour photo. The results can be veryimpressive, certainly much better thanthe similar effects filters you'll find inimage editors.

PHOTO ENHANCEMENT

PUBLISHER STREETWISE SOFTWARE, INCSTATUS 30-DAY TRIAL VERSIONCONTACT WWW.SWSOFTWARE.COMFULL PRODUCT COST $40

ProfessorFranklin

AcsSoft lets you build up an album ofyour digital photos, but that’s not all –you can add video and audio files, too.The completed album can be sharedacross the internet, or you can evendistribute them on CD (assuming youhave a CD writer, of course). A royalty-free viewer ensures everyone will beable to see (and perhaps hear) thecontents of your album.

FILE MANAGER

PUBLISHER ACSSOFT INCSTATUS 30-DAY TRIAL VERSIONCONTACT WWW.INTERLOG.COM/~ACSSOFTFULL PRODUCT COST N/A

MediaManager V6

Who needs a high-resolution digitalcamera? Panorama Builder takesvertical, horizontal or tiled sets ofpictures, then combines them to createa full panorama (even a full, 360degree view). Colour enhancement andimage matching are done automaticallyin seconds, so no skill is required (butyou can tweak the results manually ifthey're not quite up to scratch).

PANORAMA BUILDER

PUBLISHER ARCSOFTSTATUS 15-DAY TRIAL VERSIONCONTACT WWWW.ARCSOFT.COMFULL PRODUCT COST N/A

PanoramaMaker 3

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http://WWW.GETWARE.COM

http://WWW.SWSOFTWARE.COM

www.interlog.com/~acssoft

www.arcsoft.com


If importing pictures from your digitalcamera is less than easy, then take alook at cam2pc. It can auto-detectsome cameras (see www.nabocorp.firstream.net/cam2pc for the details)when they're connected, thendownload any pictures to the folder ofyour choice, and open them in yourfavourite image viewer. Bonusesinclude support for image renamingand rotation.

PHOTO DOWNLOADER

PUBLISHER NABOCORPSTATUS FREE/NON COMMERCIAL USECONTACT WWW.NABOCORP.FIRSTREAM.NETFULL PRODUCT COST N/A

cam2pc 2.0

Do your photos sometimes look a littleflat? Poor contrast, colour imbalancesand other lighting problems can becorrected in an image editor, but it’s notalways easy. This clever tool canenhance your pictures in seconds, andrequires no special knowledge at all –just adjust a slider or two until itproduces the desired result.

IMAGE ENHANCEMENT

PUBLISHER MEDIACHANCESTATUS FREECONTACT WWW.MEDIACHANCE.COMFULL PRODUCT COST N/A

CameraEnhancer 1.3

One of the longest-running and mostsuccessful shareware programs ever,Paint Shop Pro is still one of the bestimage editors around. Whether youwant to acquire images from camerasor scanners, tweak colour settings oradd special effects, you'll findsomething to help here (and web tools like Animation Studio 3 are awelcome bonus).

IMAGE EDITOR

PUBLISHER JASCSTATUS 30-DAY TRIAL VERSIONCONTACT WWW.JASC.COMFULL PRODUCT COST £70

Paint ShopPro 7

Don’t spend ages managing your digitalphotos – use a tool like PhotoAssist tokeep things simple. After downloadingall the images from your camera in acouple of clicks, you can freely arrangethem into thumbnail galleries. You canemail photos directly from the program,and it’s possible to print up to 20 shotson a single A4 page.

PHOTO MANAGER

PUBLISHER BURROTECHSTATUS LIMITED TO 10 DOWNLOADSCONTACT WWW.BURROTECH.COMFULL PRODUCT COST £9.50

PhotoAssist1.2

It doesn’t take long to build up a largecollection of digital photos, butFotoStation 4.5 is the ideal tool to helpkeep your collection organised. Notonly can you create albums for yourpictures, each displaying neatthumbnails, but you can also attachcomments and keywords to eachpicture. (Note: requires a full install ofQuickTime 4/5).

IMAGE MANAGER

PUBLISHER FOTOWARESTATUS TRIAL VERSIONCONTACT WWW.FOTOSTATION.COMFULL PRODUCT COST £40

FotoStation 4.5

DISC 1FULL SOFTWAREPaint Shop Pro 5.0DEMO SOFTWAREPaint Shop Pro7.04

DISC 2FULL SOFTWAREColorPilot 3.86Arles Image WebPage Creator 3.3

DEMO SOFTWAREAcsSoft PhotoAlbum & MediaManager 6.0 ArcSoft PanoramaMaker 3.0 Digital CameraEnhancer 1.3 FotoStation 4.5 PhotoAssist 1.2

PhotoImpact 8.0 PhotoMail 4.0 Photoshop 7 Professor Franklin'sInstant Photo Artist 1.04 XPhoto Lite 1.0Color Pilot 4.42Arles Image WebPage Creator 4.94

FREE SOFTWAREAhaView 1.1cam2pc 2.0Fine View 0.63Gimp 1.2.4IrfanView 3.75Power Albums2.04SlowView 1.0 RC1UltimateZip 2.7.1VCW VicMan'sPhoto Editor 6.998

Fuji FISNetColor Darkroom 1.0 FotoPage Platinum 2.5 Harry's Filters 2.0HotTEXTImage DoctorMelancholytron1.02PhotoFrame 2.0.1Plugin Galaxy 1.5 UnpluggedNick Sharpener

DRIVERSKodak Easyshare 2

1

Not sure what’s on which disc? Just check our fullindex below and navigate safely around bothpacked CD-ROMs

Full disc contents…

www.nabocorp.firstream.net

http://WWW.MEDIACHANCE.COM

http://WWW.JASC.COM

http://WWW.BURROTECH.COM

http://WWW.FOTOSTATION.COM

www.nabocorp.firstream.net/cam2pc

www.nabocorp.firstream.net/cam2pc

Here’s your chance to enjoy a massive discount on the very latest version of one of themost popular pieces of home image-editing software in the world

READEROFFER


he PC’s favourite image-editing program is enjoyedby over 20 million users worldwide. It’s the easiest,most affordable way to achieve pro-looking results

fast. There’s no need to waste time learning a high-endprofessional-orientated product, or to use slow, clunkyprograms that are more akin to painting by numbers thanproper PC image work – Paint Shop Pro can do everything youwant and more.

It’s packed with features and is robust enough forprofessional-calibre image-editing, as well as being easyenough for artists of all levels. This multi-skilled design programis perfect for creating banners, web images and logos, as wellas drawing vectors and fiddling around with photos.

Seventh heavenVersion 7 is stuffed with great features that make it a worthyupgrade from the version we’ve given you. The help system is wonderful – introducing you to Paint Shop Pro’s manyfeatures without having to dip into any jargon. Its interface isstraightforward and fuss-free, with menu commands that

automatically remove red-eye and fix blemishes caused bydust and scratches.

And there’s more…There’s a new Effects preview browser that makes it easy toadd special effects to your images – and you can fiddle aroundwith over 80 filters to preview effects without committingyourself to a decision.

The software also comes with an arsenal of colour-correctionfacilities, including channel mixers that enhance the red, greenand blue channels in an image by adding percentages of theother two channels. You might not know what that means yet,but Paint Shop Pro 7 makes it simple to mess around andexperiment with ideas.

Paint Shop Pro 7 has a strong web graphics slant, withfacilities to create and optimise images files for download overthe internet. There are built-in web tools, artistic drawing andtext tools.

And we shouldn’t forget the bundled Animation Shop 3,which enables you to design impressive animations.

T

PAINT SHOP PRO 7

lt’s packed with features and is robust enough for

professional-calibre image-editing, as well as being easyenough for artists of all levels

How to order■ Get your hands on this magnificent softwareNow you own the full version of Paint Shop Pro 5, you’re eligible toupgrade to Paint Shop Pro 7 at a reduced price.

■ Call Digital Workshop on 0870 120 2186, quote Digital CameraMagazine, and you’ll be able to order the program for the specialupgrade price of £41.07 – that’s over £52 less than the normal retailprice. [w] www.digitalworkshop.co.uk

Reader offer

Paint Shop Pro 7 really is the image-editing application of choice – see the boxbelow to find out how to save over 50% off the usual price

1

2

50% off the

usual price

Paint Shop Pro 7

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DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE CLASSIFIEDTO ADVERTISE HERE please email [email protected]

13 DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE4

SRBVIDEO/DIGITALCOPIER

3 sizesavailable for eye piecesupto 35mm,45mm, 55mm dia easy to fitmoney back g tee

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£22.95

CAMERADIGITAL/COMPACT MOUNT

FOR MOST CAMCORDERS & COOLPIXFits to front filter

thread (state size) via a stepping ring (extra - call for price)

SRB Copier suppliedwith full hints & tips, negstrip holder & correction filter.

SRB, 286 Leagrave Road, Luton, Beds LU3 1RBHOTLINE (01582) 572471 Fax. (01582) 572535

E-mail: [email protected]. P&P £1.95 per order. Subject to availability.

www.srbfilm.co.uk



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www.jetmedia.co.uk

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www.photobox.co.uk

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DIGITAL CAMERA MAGAZINE CLASSIFIEDTO ADVERTISE HERE please email [email protected]



www.linxshop.co.uk


Kit covered overleaf

s with a traditional camera, themore you pay for your digitalcamera, the more features and

better quality images you will get. Bear inmind that digital cameras are moreexpensive than their traditionalequivalents so don’t expect to get print-quality images from a digicam that costsless than £200.

If you just want to try out digitalphotography for fun and only intend touse the images to email to friends andrelatives or upload onto your website,then a simple point-and-shoot camerawith relatively low resolution may suityou fine.

If, however, you want to use yourdigicam as your main camera and intendto order prints of some of your images toput in an album, then you are going toneed to consider one of the megapixelcameras currently on the market. Theserange from simple point-and-shootcameras to fully featured SLR-style ones.

ResolutionThe resolution refers to the number ofpixels captured by the camera’s imagesensor or CCD. Early digital cameras and those at the low end of the markethave what is known as VGA resolutionwith 640 pixels across the image and 480 down.

At this resolution, an image can onlyreally be used for email or for putting ona website. If you print the image out ortry to enlarge it, it will appear pixelated.

The term megapixel is used to mean amillion pixels and refers to the totalnumber of pixels in an image. Forexample, the Canon PowerShot A10produces images with 1,280 pixels acrossthe top and 960 pixels across the bottom,making the total number of pixelsapproximately 1.3 million or 1.3megapixels. The greater the number ofpixels, the more you can enlarge the

image before it will appear pixelated.However, the higher the resolution of animage, the bigger its file size and themore storage space you’ll need. Somecameras quote two resolution sizes, inwhich case the larger image size isusually interpolated.

What happens is that the CCD has thenumber of pixels quoted in the lowerfigure, but some clever software addspixels to the image by evaluating the surrounding pixels and producingadditional matching ones. This enablesyou to print larger images without themappearing pixelated, but the quality of theimage suffers.

Budget (£0-£199)Cameras in this price range are designedmainly for snapshots. At or below the£100 price level, you’re into ‘webcam’territory – cameras designed to be usedeither connected to your computer asbasic video cameras, or carried aroundwith you for capturing short movie clipsor still images. The photographic featuresare usually pretty basic. You point andshoot and leave the camera to sort outexposure and focussing itself. There’s littlephotographic control on offer here, sothese cameras are only appropriate ifyou’re looking for cheap and cheerfulresults – though it has to be said thattheir simplicity of operation makes themideal for kids or photographic novices. Ifyou’re at all interested in developing yourphotographic skills, you need to buy atthe top end of this price range or you’llbe disappointed both by the results andthe lack of creative control.

Mid-range (£200-£599)It’s in this price range that you start to get‘serious’ digital cameras. Towards thebottom of the range, makers are stillselling point-and-shoot cameras that maynot offer much in the way of manual

control, but you may be able to applyexposure compensation for trickysubjects. Once you get to the £300-£400price range, lens quality improves, theCCD resolution increases and mostcameras incorporate zoom lenses.

Keen photographers should look out forcameras that offer a range of exposuremodes, from fully-programmed auto toshutter-priority and aperture-priorityautomation right through to full manualcontrol over both shutter speed andaperture. You’ll often get a choice of lightmetering patterns, too, from all-purpose‘pattern’ or ‘matrix’ systems designed forthe majority of subjects to ‘spot’ meteringthat reads the light from a central portionof the image only.

High-end (£600+)High-end digital cameras are designed forthose people who want the ultimate inboth picture quality and photographiccontrol. You can expect the range ofexposure modes and metering patternsdescribed for mid-range cameras, high-quality lenses and extended zoom ranges.You’re likely to get other advancedfeatures, too, like ‘auto-bracketing’. This iswhere the camera takes a series of threephotos of the same subject in rapidsuccession, but use different exposures –you pick the best exposure afterwards.

Nikon cameras offer a clever ‘Best ShotSelector’ for low light levels – it takes aseries of identical shots, but only saves the sharpest to the memory card.Your camera may also enable you to change the contrast, colour saturationand sharpness of your image before it’s saved, and some offer a RAW mode that preserves maximum-qualitypicture information for editing on yourcomputer. It’s also possible to buy digital SLR cameras, but these start ataround the £2,000 level and are aimed at professionals.

A

CAMERASPRINTERSACCESSORIES4

CONTACT OUR TEAMIf you have problems ordering the kit you wanted, we’d like to

know. Email our team at [email protected] with details ofyour experiences and we’ll do our best to help.

4

142142

140138

CAMERAS PRINTERS

MEMORY CARDS BATTERIES

5 steps to safe shoppingThese days, buying online isn’t the problem it used to be. Improvedsecurity and better knowledge have made buying online a pretty stress-free option. However, if you follow our checklist below, you’ll reducefurther whatever slight chance there is of problems:

CHOOSE YOUR SITEYou can’t go much wrong if you buy from one of theestablished retailers. We recommend Jessops.com, Dabs.com

and Amazon.com for starters.

Ensuring you make the right choice

Here’s where to find the kit you’re looking forBuyerGuide

1

USE A CREDIT CARDIf you are buying goods worth more than £100 in total, use acredit card. This is because in the event of any problems, you

are entitled to claim against the credit card company as well as theseller (you won’t get your money back twice but the company is thereto claim against if the seller has gone bust.) You might also get extrainsurance, so check with your credit firm.

2

NEVER PAY IN CASHIf you can’t pay by credit card, use a cheque or postal orderinstead. Don’t send cash through the mail, even by registered

post. Apart from the risk of theft, you can’t stop payment if you needto, and it’s impossible to prove how much you sent.

3

KEEP A RECORDKeep records if you’re paying by credit card over the phone.Print off web pages after you have entered your details on

them. Keep notes of exact times and the name of the person who tookyour order, if you’re paying by phone. Always keep your receipts.

4

DON’T USE A DEBIT CARDMany debit cards don’t have the protection or insuranceoptions afforded to credit cards, so avoid using one.

5


BUYER GUIDEWEBSITE Visit www.dabs.com – the prices quoted below are accurate as we go to press


DIGITALCAMERAS

1

22

Category Brand Product name Inc VAT Ex VAT

Compact SiPix SC1300 & PC200 Bundle £229.12 £195

Compact SiPix Stylecam Silver £41.12 £35

Compact SiPix SC2300 £163.32 £139

Compact SiPix Stylecam Blink camera £36.42 £31

Compact NISIS QuickPix QP1 digital camera £29.37 £25



Compact NISIS QuickPix QP3Pen digital camera £75.2 £64

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP 318 digital camera 2.3MP £139.82 £119

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP C200 digital camera AC £35.25 £30

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP 120 digital camera 1MP £88.12 £75

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP 812 digital camera 4MP £304.32 £259

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP PhotoSmart P130 £123.37 £105

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP 320 digital camera 2.1MP £139.82 £119

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP 620 digital camera 2.1MP ZM £182.12 £155

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP 720 digital camera 3.3MP ZM 269.07 229

Compact Hewlett-Packard (HP) Photosmart P7150 £151.57 £129

Compact zoom Hayes Zoom USB camera £57.57 £49

Compact zoom Hayes ZoomCam for iMac £59.92 £51

Compact Epson PhotoPC 2100Z £319.6 £272

Compact Epson PhotoPC 2100z/Photo 810 Bund £319.6 £272

Camera Epson Image Presentation camera £2,673.12 £2,275

Camera Epson Image Presentation camera £1,404.12 £1,195

Compact Panasonic LC5 £586.32 £499

Compact Panasonic LC20 £222.07 £189

Compact Panasonic SV-AV10 £280.82 £239

Compact Sony DSC-P5 Cybershot £487.62 £415

Compact Sony FD75 Mavica £821.32 £699

Compact Sony DSC-S75 Cybershot £316.07 £269

Compact Sony MVC-FD200 digital camera £433.57 £369

Compact Sony DSC-P31 Cyber-shot £175.07 £149


Not sure which camera to get? The following guideenables you to see how the type of camera you buyinfluences the pictures you take.

Budget (£0-£199)Cameras in this price range will have varying resolutions.Cheaper cameras may offer images measuring just 640 x480 pixels, or ‘VGA' resolution. This might sound okay forscreen display or for photos designed for web pagesbecause they'll still take up a good proportion of thescreen. In practice, though, the quality of the cameraengineering and the chip that records the imagecombine to produce still images that aren't really fit for anything.

You need to go for a 1-megapixel or 1.3-megapixelcamera to get anything like a usable picture, and for thisyou're likely to be entering the £100-£199 price range.It's worth it, though, because the camera design and

build quality will be better and the photos will be finefor web pages and postcard-sized prints.

Mid-range (£200-£599)This price range is where the bulk of digital cameras fall,and one where you'll see nearly as much variation inimage quality as you do in photographic features. At thebottom of the range are basic 2-megapixel cameras thatoffer reasonable picture quality – certainly good enoughfor 6 x 4-inch snaps. The image quality will start todeteriorate with prints of 7 x 5-inch and above, though.If you want to produce enlargements of this size, lookout for a 3-megapixel camera. These are cheaper now,thanks to the arrival of 4-megapixel and 5-megapixelmodels, but the image quality is still very good. You canproduce A4-sized prints which still look good, but if youget close up you will see a difference compared with theresults from a 4-megapixel camera.

High-end (£600+)If you can get good 4-megapixel cameras for £599 orless, why pay more? Because lens quality, overallengineering and photographic features count for a lot.You can get good cameras in the mid-range pricebracket, but if you can stretch beyond £600 you'llencounter some real class acts.

Not only do the lenses get the maximum definitionfrom the camera's CCD, the auto-exposure systems are more sophisticated and accurate, as is the auto-focussing. Both help produce super-sharp, perfectly-exposed shots.

But if you save up a little more cash still, you canmake the step up from 4-megapixel cameras to 5-megapixel models. With a 5-megapixel camera, sharp,smooth-toned A4 enlargements become a reality, andyou reach a level of quality that's hard to beat, evenwith the best 35mm cameras, film and technique.

RESOLUTION VS. PRICE

All the following cameras will be on the market from October 24th

CAMERAS GUIDE PRICES 1

MEGAPIXELThe measurement of a camera’sresolution in millions of pixels. Thegeneral rule is the higher the better.Anything from 3-4 megapixels usuallymeans good quality.

FUJIFILM FINEPIX F401Review on p32

KODAK DX4330Review on p40

BUYERS GUIDE DIGITAL CAMERAS

http://www.dabs.com


1CAMERAS CONTINUED






Compact Samsung Digimax 130 digital camera £116.32 £99

Compact Samsung Digicam 200 £163.32 £139

Compact Samsung Digicam 230 £175.07 £149

Compact Samsung Digicam 350SE £304.32 £259

Compact Samsung Digimax 410 £351.32 £299

Compact Kodak DX 4900 without dock £304.32 £259



Compact Kodak DX3900 Without dock £257.32 £219

Compact Kodak DX 4330 £269.07 £229

Compact Kodak CX 4230 £175.07 £149

Compact Minolta Dimage5 £504.07 £429

Compact Minolta Dimage S304 £327.82 £279

Compact Minolta Dimage X £304.32 £259

Compact Minolta Dimage 7i £821.32 £699

Compact Minolta Dimage F100 £386.57 £329

Compact Minolta Dimage F100 – Indigo £445.32 £379

Mini BenQ DC300 Mini digital camera £45.82 £39

Mini BenQ DC1300 £75.20 £64

Compact BenQ DC2110 £166.85 £142

Compact BenQ DC3310 £287.87 £245

Compact dabsxchange Pentax EI-2000 digital camera £304.32 £259

Mini Toshiba PDR-3310 £374.82 £319

Mini Toshiba PDR-T10 £205.62 £175

Compact Logitech Clicksmart 310 £49.35 £42

Compact Logitech Clicksmart 510 £99.87 £85

Mini Logitech Pocket digital £88.12 £75

Compact Casio QV4000 £428.87 £365

Compact Casio Exilim EX-S1 £264.37 £225

Compact Casio QV-R3 £334.87 £285

Compact Casio QV-R4 £381.87 £325

Compact Nikon E3 digital camera £5,521.32 £4,699

Compact Nikon D1 camera bundle without lens £4,052.57 £3,449

Compact Nikon Coolpix 775 £276.12 £235



SLR Nikon D100 – digital SLR body only £1,878.82 £1,599


Compact Nikon D1X – Pro Kit £3946.82 £3,359



SLR Nikon D100 digital SLR kit £2,231.32 £1,899

Compact Fujifilm FinePix A101 £111.62 £95


Compact Fujifilm FinePix 2800 zoom £284.35 £242

Compact Fujifilm FinePix 30i £287.87 £245

Compact Fujifilm Axia-ix 100 £96.35 £82

Compact Fujifilm FinePix F601 zoom £457.07 £389

Compact Fujifilm FinePix S602 £562.82 £479

Compact Fujifilm FinePix 401 £351.32 £299

SLR Fujifilm FinePix S2 Pro SLR £1,714.32 £1,459

Compact Fujifilm Finepix A202 £135.£12 £115



Compact Fujifilm FinePix S304 £374.82 £319


SLR Olympus E-10 Camedia £1,009.32 £859

SLR Pentax EI-2000 digital camera £304.32 £259

Mini l’Epsion L’Espion Spy camera £36.42 £31

Compact Olympus C-700 2.1mpixel 10x zoom £398.32 £339

Compact Olympus E-20P £1,408.82 £1,199

TOSHIBA PDR-T20Review on p38

KONICA KD-400ZReview on p34

OLYMPUS C-4000 ZOOMReview on p36

1

USING A PRICECOMPARISON SITEThe best way to ensure you get thelatest, best price is to use one of theinternet’s price comparison sites.These automatically search the webeach day searching for the lowestprices on a range of consumer goods.There are a few worth looking at – aswell as a number of handy digitalcamera-specific sites too:

■ www.pcindex.co.uk is worth alook. It’s pretty good on PC-relatedstuff, but its digital photographyinformation is skimpy.

■ uk.kelkoo.com has a good rangeof digital photography stuff, includingsecond-hand cameras. The majorbrands are represented but it’s weakon the smaller names.

■ www.simply-camera-prices.co.uk is probably the best ofthe three. Specialising in camerasunlike the above, its range is themost comprehensive.

http://www.pcindex.co.uk

http://uk.kelkoo.com

www.simply-camera-prices.co.uk

www.simply-camera-prices.co.uk

BUYER GUIDELATEST DRIVERS Here’s a site worth bookmarking: www.windrivers.com contains all the peripheral drivers you’re likely to need, in one simple location


DIGITALCAMERAS/INKJET PRINTERS

CAMERAS CONTINUED 1Category Brand Product name Inc VAT Ex VAT

Compact Olympus C40 Luxury Kit £96.35 £82

Compact Olympus C120 £146.87 £125

Compact Olympus C3020 ZOOM £428.87 £365

Compact Olympus C-4000 ZOOM £410.07 £349

Compact Olympus C300 Luxury Kit £299.62 £255

Compact Konica Revio KD400Z £346.62 £295

Compact Konica KD-100Z £92.82 £79

Compact Konica KD-3000 £257.32 £219

Mini Ericsson MCA-20 communicam £123.37 £105

Compact Canon VC-C4 Communications camera £786.07 £669

Compact Canon PowerShot S30 £468.82 £399

Compact Canon PowerShot S40 £527.57 £449

Compact Canon Vizcam 1000 desktop camera £1,291.32 £1,099

Compact Canon PowerShot A30 £193.87 £165


Compact Canon Ixus V2 £304.32 £259


Compact Canon Powershot G2 B&W 1GB Mdriv £821.32 £699

Compact Canon MV5 £675.62 £575

Compact Canon MV5i £727.32 £619

Compact Canon MV5IMC £880.07 £749

SLR Canon EOS D60 digital SLR £2,113.82 £1,799

Compact Canon Powershot A200 £170.37 £145

Compact Canon Canon AV products XM2 £1,878.82 £1,599

Mini Kyocera Online backup, 1yr subs WinCD £452.37 £385


Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 1220C 11ppm USB/Parallel £232.65 £198

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 350C £158.62 £135

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 350cbi £180.95 £154

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 1220PS w. Adobe s/w £370.12 £315

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 990cxi £178.60 £152

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 990CM 17ppm mono 175.07 £149

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 350CBI includes case £233.82 £199

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 845c £52.87 £45

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP DeskJet 995C £285.52 £243

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP PhotoSmart P100 £99.87 £85

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP CP1160 colour inkjet printer £139.82 £119

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP CP1700ps colour inkjet printer £428.87 £365

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP CP1700d colour inkjet printer £435.92 £371

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP CP1700 colour inkjet printer £339.57 £289

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet 1200 14ppm 1,200dpi £257.32 £219

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet 1200n 14ppm 1,200dpi £381.87 £325


Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP LaserJet 1000W 10ppm 600dpi £175.07 £149


Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP business Inkjet 2230 £304.32 £259

Desktop Hewlett-Packard Business Inkjet 2280 £457.07 £389

Desktop Hewlett-Packard Colour LJ4500 Fuser £186.82 £159




Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP Deskjet 450CI £222.07 £189

Desktop Hewlett-Packard HP Deskjet 450CBI £269.07 £229

Desktop Brother HL-1650 – 8MB £446.50 £380

Desktop Brother HL-1230 £173.90 £148



Desktop Brother HL-1470N £360.72 £307


Desktop Epson SC1520 1,440dpi 6ppm A3+ £370.12 £315

PAPER ANDLIGHTFASTNESSThere are two basic types ofprinter paper and either canmake a significant difference tothe quality of your prints. Porouspaper dries quickly and is scratchresistant. It’s not very glossy andis prone to fade. Swellable papertakes longer to dry but has ahigher gloss finish and resistsfading better. Each type of papercan affect lightfastness, which isthe amount of time your photoswill last without fading. This alsodepends on whether it’s behindglass and the type of ink used.

PRINTERS GUIDE PRICES 1



http://www.windrivers.com


PRINTERS CONTINUED


Desktop Epson Stylus Photo 2000P £428.87 £365

Desktop Epson Stylus Photo 890 £130.42 £111



Desktop Epson EPL 5900L £158.62 £135

Desktop Epson EPL 5900 £233.82 £199

Desktop Epson EPL 5900N £316.07 £269

Desktop Epson EPL 5900PS £351.32 £299

Desktop Epson EPL-6100 £264.37 £225

Desktop Epson EPL-6100N £351.32 £299

Desktop Epson EPL-6100PS £381.87 £325

Desktop Epson C62 £69.32 £59

Desktop Epson One Touch Bundle – C42Ux/660 £88.12 £75




Desktop Panasonic KXP-7100 Laser £146.87 £125



Portable Panasonic SV-P10 £143.35 £122

Desktop Canon BJC-5500 720dpi 7ppm A2 port £480.57 £409

Portable Canon BJC-85 720dpi 5ppm A4 portable £198.57 £169

Portable Canon BJC-55 portable printer USB £245.57 £209

Desktop Canon CP-10 photo printer £163.32 £139

Desktop Canon S500 £135.12 £115









Desktop Canon S820D photo printer £304.32 £259

Desktop Canon LBP -810 £186.82 £159

Desktop Canon S330 photo £76.37 £65

Desktop Canon S530D £240.87 £205

Desktop Canon S830D £292.57 £249

Desktop Sharp AJ-2100 colour photo printer £198.57 £169

Desktop Sharp AJ-1100 £76.37 £65

Desktop Sharp AJ-2200 £84.60 £72

Desktop Lexmark Z35 £55.22 £47




Desktop Lexmark Z65n £163.32 £139

Desktop Lexmark T520 £499.37 £425

Desktop Lexmark E210 £170.37 £145



Desktop Lexmark E322N £428.87 £365

Desktop Sony DPP-SV77 digital photo printer £292.57 £249

Desktop Sony DPP-SV88 photo storage printer £233.82 £199

Desktop Samsung ML-1650 electrophotographic £245.57 £209

Desktop Samsung ML-1651N £363.07 £309

Desktop Samsung ML 1220M £193.87 £165

Desktop Samsung ML7000/7300N/7050 lower feeder £205.62 £175

Desktop Samsung ML-1450 £233.82 £199

Desktop Samsung ML-1451N £351.32 £299

Desktop Samsung ML-1250 £193.87 £165

Desktop Samsung SM151P TFT Porsche designed 15 £99.87 £85

Desktop Kyocera Mita FS-1000N+ £481.75 £410

Desktop Kyocera Mita Drun Unit for FS1000 £327.82 £279

Desktop Kyocera Mita FS-1010 £240.87 £205

Desktop Kyocera Mita FS-1050T £445.32 £379

EPSON STYLUS 830Find out on p50

EPSON STYLUS 950Find out on p50

CANON BUBBLEJET S900Find out on p50

1

BUYER GUIDEBUYERS’ TIP Try to estimate the cost of paper and ink over the prices below. This is because some companies charge less for the printer, but more for the consumables


INKJETPRINTERS/MEMORYCARDS/BATTERIES

PRINTERS CONTINUED 1

MEMORY CARDS GUIDE PRICES

BATTERIES A(A/C ADAPTORS/CHARGERS/BATTERY PACKS) GUIDE PRICES


Desktop Kyocera Mita FS-1010N £452.37 £385

Desktop Kyocera Mita FS-1010T £393.62 £335

Desktop Kyocera Mita FS-1010TN £445.32 £379



Desktop Fujifilm Digital photo printer NX-500 £233.82 £199

Desktop Olympus P400E DYESUB photo printer £468.82 £399

Desktop Ricoh RXP-10 digital colour printer £351.32 £299

Desktop Optrox 6e 600dpi 30bit parallel £81.07 £69

Desktop Optrox 6f 600dpi 30-bit ISA £92.82 £79

CompactFlash Crucial Technology 16MB CompactFlash Type 1 £13.07 £11.13




Card Reader Lacie Hexa Media Drive 6 in 1 USB £45.82 £39

Card Reader Dynalink USB card reader/writer £29.37 £25

Card Reader Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP CompactFlash reader USB £37.60 £32

Memory Stick Sony Memory Stick floppy adaptor £57.57 £49

Memory Stick Sony MSA-CUS1A Memory Stick reader £54.05 £46

Smart Media Jenoptik Firewire Smart Media reader £52.87 £45

Smart Media Kodak 16MB Multimedia card £23.50 £20

CompactFlash Kodak 32Mb CompactFlash memory £22.32 £19

CompactFlash Kodak 64mb CompactFlash memory £34.07 £29

CompactFlash Kodak 128MB CompactFlash card £52.87 £45

CompactFlash Kodak 256MB CompactFlash card £111.62 £95

Card Readers Kodak CompactFlash card reader USB £22.32 £19

Card Readers Minolta CompactFlash card reader £81.07 £69

CompactFlash Minolta 8MB CompactFlash card £54.05 £46



Smart Media Minolta Dimage V Smart Media SSFDC 2MB £11.75 £10

Smart Media Toshiba Smart media 16MB £38.77 £33

Smart Media Toshiba 32Mb Smart media for PDR camera £69.32 £59

SD Toshiba 16MB (SD) Memory card £21.15 £18




SD Toshiba 512MB (CF) Memory card £233.82 £199

CompactFlash Casio 48Mb Compact Flash card £57.57 £49

Card Readers Fujifilm S1 Pro Firewire Card Reader £99.87 £85

Smart Media Fujifilm 16Mb Smart Media £17.62 £15

Smart Media Fujifilm 128Mb Smart Media £58.75 £50

XD Fujifilm x-D 16MB £11.75 £10

XD Fujifilm x-D 32Mb £17.62 £15

XD Fujifilm x-D 64MB £34.07 £29

XD Fujifilm x-D 128Mb £52.87 £45

Smart Media Olympus M-16PIE 16MB Smart Media card £17.62 £15



Adaptor Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP AC adapter for 315 camera £35.25 £30

Battery Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP rechargeable Lithium-ion £76.37 £65

Battery Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP Lithium-ion battery C912 £41.12 £35

Battery Hewlett-Packard (HP) HP digital camera starter kit £29.37 £25

Battery Canon Powershot S10 battery £29.37 £25

Adapter Sanyo Digicam 200 mains adaptor £88.12 £75

Adapter Sanyo Digicam 300 XGA mains adaptor £57.57 £49

Adapter Sanyo DigiCam 250/350/400 AC adaptor £52.87 £45

Battery Sony F950 camera battery £428.87 £365

Adapter Sony Mavica Stamina battery charger £99.87 £85

WHICH MEMORYFORMAT?Almost all new digicams comewith some sort of removeablestorage, usually in the form offlash memory cards. Flashmemory cards use solid statechips to store image files.Unfortunately, there is nostandard format as yet althoughCompactFlash and SmartMediacards are leading the market.

CompactFlash cards,developed by SanDisk, are aboutthe size of a matchbook whereasSmartMedia cards are smallerbecause they are no more than aflash chip on a card and containnone of the controllers orsupporting circuitry.

As far as performance goesthere is nothing really betweenthe different flash cards (SonyMemory Sticks, MultiMedia Cardsand PC Cards also use flashmemory), the main thing is tocheck that the digicam you buywill support one even if thereisn't one included in the package.To be honest, even if your cameracomes with an 8Mb card, you willprobably want to buy at least a16Mb card or higher for a 3-megapixel camera.

1

1


BATTERIES CONTINUED

Type Brand Product Name Inc VAT Ex VAT

Battery Sony NP-FC10 battery For DSC-P5/P9 £317.25 £270

Adaptor Sony AC-LS1 AC Adapter Cybershot P £45.82 £39

Adaptor Sony ACVF50 F Series AC Charger £35.25 £30

Adaptor Sony BCVC10 C Series AC Dual Charge £69.32 £59

Battery Sony NP-22H NiCAD rechargeable battery £57.57 £49

Battery Sony Lithium-ion battery £41.12 £35

Battery Sony NP-F330 Lithium-ion £34.07 £29

Battery Sony CR2032 Electronic Lithium-ion £1.76 £1.50

Battery Sony AM4ST-E4 AAA Stamina 4 Pack £3.52 £3

Battery Sony AM3STE-BM BMW Stamina £3.52 £3

Adaptor Minolta 2300/2330 Powerbox adaptor £35.25 £30

Battery Minolta NI-MH Rechargeable batteries £12.92 £11

Battery Minolta External battery Pack – Dimage £186.82 £159

Adaptor Minolta MainsPower adapter £49.35 £42

Adaptor Minolta AC Adapter – Dimage X £45.82 £39

Adaptor Nikon CoolPix 900/950 mains adapter £52.87 £45

Adaptor Nikon CoolPix 600 mains adapter £52.87 £45

Battery Nikon Coolpix 880 Lithium-ion battery £38.99 £33.19

Battery Nikon MBE5700 battery Pack £116.32 £99

Adaptor Nikon EH-53 AC Adapter 4500 & 5700 £41.12 £35

Battery Nikon MB5000 battery Pack – CP5000 £119.85 £102

Adaptor Fujifilm BC-80 Fast battery charger £52.87 £45

Adaptor Fujifilm 3V camera AC adaptor £29.37 £25

Battery Fujifilm 2HR-3UF rechargeable battery £9.40 £8

Adaptor Fujifilm BK-NH fast battery charger £52.86 £44.99

Adaptor Fujifilm DX-9/MX-700 Lithium-Ion battery £41.12 £35

Battery Fujifilm Rechargeable battery £34.07 £29

Adaptor Fujifilm AR-FX9 adaptor ring £25.85 £22

Adaptor Fujifilm NP-60 rechargeable battery £34.07 £29

Adaptor Olympus DIMO Adaptor £81.07 £69

Adaptor Olympus C-1400L AC adapter £64.62 £55

Battery Olympus Battery charger + batteries £69.32 £59

Battery Olympus C-1400 battery £17.62 £15

Adaptor Olympus C2000/2500 AC adaptor £64.62 £55

Adaptor Olympus C2000 CLA adaptor £19.97 £17

Adaptor Olympus C-21 AC adaptor £61.10 £52

Adaptor Olympus C960z AC Adapter £41.12 £35

Battery Olympus E10 battery pack Grip&Charger £581.62 £495

Battery Olympus E10 rechargeable battery £287.87 £245

Battery Olympus NHE rechargeable battery pack £52.87 £45

Adaptor Olympus Li-Po battery charger Kit £527.57 £449

Adaptor Olympus C-6AC Adaptor for Digi cameras £45.82 £39

Adaptor Olympus C-3AC adaptor for C-1 C-1 zoom £45.82 £39

Adaptor Olympus BU-60SE overnight charger £29.37 £25

Battery Olympus 4 x NiMH rechargeable batteries £14.10 £12

Battery Olympus AA battery Holder (E-Series) £17.62 £15

Battery Olympus Lithium battery (1 Pack) £10.57 £9

Battery Olympus Lithium batteries (2 Pack) £17.62 £15

Adaptor Olympus Battery charger (E Series) £264.37 £225

Battery Olympus E10 battery Holder – B-HLD10 £19.97 £17

Adaptor Konica AC adapter for KD400z £45.82 £39

Battery Konica Spare battery for the KD400Z £29.37 £25

Battery Canon Rechargeable batteries A10/20 £15.27 £13

Adaptor Canon S30/S40 battery charger £34.07 £29

Adaptor Canon Battery charger for Ixus £34.07 £29

Adaptor Canon AC power adaptor for S30/S40 £34.07 £29

Adaptor Canon ACK500 power supply DC coupler £135.12 £115

Battery Canon MV550i battery Pack £61.10 £52

Adaptor Canon A40 – compact power adaptor Kit £25.85 £22

Batteries Canon CBC-NB1 Ixus in-car battery £37.60 £32

Batteries Canon XM1/XL1 – battery pack BP930 £76.37 £65

Batteries Epson PhotoPC 700 battery £17.62 £15

Batteries Epson PhotoPC 700 battery/charger pack £57.57 £49

Batteries Epson PhotoPC 800 AC adaptor £51.70 £44

Batteries Epson PC850 battery £52.87 £45

MORE ABOUTMEMORY CARDSThe number of photos you canfit on, say, an 8Mb carddepends on the file size of theimages; and the file size of theimages depends on a numberof factors such as resolution,compression, colours, cameramodel and the shootingconditions. For example, on theHP PhotoSmart 318 (a 2.2-megapixel camera), you willget seven best-quality shots onthe 8Mb card supplied, but, onthe Nikon CoolPix 995 (a 3.4-megapixel camera), you willonly get one shot on its 16Mbcard if you go for full size andhighest resolution setting.

Compression formats canreduce file sizes by ten-fold andmore, enabling you to carrymore images on your card,often with very little overallloss in quality.

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Why two’s better than oneSo you think you’ve mastered digital photography, eh?Time to take a look at this cool way of generating 3Dimages with two cameras and a bit of luck…

tereoscopic photography is one particularphoto format which, in our opinion,shouldn't be off the beaten track, but in

the mainstream. The principle is simple – it's thevisual equivalent of stereo sound but, instead of apair of audio channels, a pair of photographs aretaken using a stereo camera, a pair of conventionalcameras, or one camera. Two photos are taken 6cm(two-and-a-half inches) apart, corresponding to thedistance the eyes are apart.

The photos are presented side by side and can beviewed using a stereo viewer or, if projected, usingspecial glasses. The viewer or glasses ensure thatthe left eye sees only the left picture and the righteye sees only the right picture. It's also easy to viewthem using the naked eye, similar to 'Magic Eye'pictures. The effect is a stunning sensation of depthand hyper-reality.

Interiors appear as they do in reality, with afeeling of volume and depth. Shiny, shimmerysurfaces look especially stunning. Our eyes are usedto seeing things from two slightly differentviewpoints – we are used to the effects, such asdiffering reflections. All in all, when you return toflat, or two-dimensional photography, the effect is,quite frankly, flat.

Stereo photography dates from the earliest originsof photography. It was all the rage in the mid-Victorian era after Queen Victoria tried it at the GreatExhibition in 1851. It was bumped out of fashion bymoving pictures.

Stereo was brought back into vogue in the 1950swith the craze for technical innovations. Many stereo

cameras and the Viewmaster viewer are a productof this era. Again, they were usurped as a method ofviewing the world by television, and later video.

Stereo photography has always been hindered bythe necessity to use some piece of gadgetry or otherto view the pictures. Today, developments in digitaltechnology present exciting new possibilities. Digitalimaging is particularly well suited to editing andpresenting stereo photography. Stereo photography isstill largely a mystery to the mainstream populationand its potential remains unexploited. We canremember the time when digital photography was seen in this light, so maybe it's time for stereo photography to make a big comeback…

S

Stereo photograph of the Angel of the North, Gateshead. Two photographs were taken around onemetre apart, giving a hyperstereo effect

NEXT STEPSNEXT ISSUE On sale everywhere from 21 November


Experimental stereo camera setupusing two Minolta Dimage X digitalcameras mounted side by side

● 21 digital cameras on test, from £100-£700!Looking to buy a new camera? Look no further as we put a massive 21cameras through their paces, and reveal the best. Plus we compare six ofthe newest CD-RW drives, bring you a bunch of essential Photoshop tips andshow you how to take great Christmas photos

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PHOTOGRAPHIC CONTRIBUTORS(Where not credited inside)

Future Network Photo Studio, Getty Images UK

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Agency, Last Refuge Limited

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iPhoto – Edit, share, print and organise.

www.johnlewis.com

iPhoto is included with all OSX ready Macs

A photo opportunity.

Picture your digital images beautifully organisedDigital cameras are revolutionising the way we take pictures. Now, Appleprovides the missing link to the way we save, organise, share and enjoy them.iPhoto lets you import your pictures from your digital camera, organise them,edit and improve them, and share them in a number of different ways. Andonce you see what iPhoto can do with digital pictures, you may never go backto using a film camera again.

All under one roofJohn Lewis department stores stock the whole OSX iPhoto-ready rangeincluding the Apple iBook, iMac and Power Mac G4 series, in fact any Apple product, including a wide range of monitors, printers, scannersand other accessories.

Satisfaction guaranteedAs well as the John Lewis reputation for quality and value to give you peace ofmind, we offer a free 2-year guarantee with every Apple computer as standard*.

Combined with service Our after-sales support service is designed to make your John Lewis experienceeven more positive. For example, the availability of installation professionals tohelp you set up your Apple computer and a free delivery service that saves you the hassle of carrying your purchase home yourself.

Apple trainedRegular customers know that they can talk to knowledgeable, helpful staff at John Lewis. That is why we ensure that our sales staff are fully trained byApple on an ongoing basis, so you can rest assured that you will get the bestproduct to suit your needs.

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Zinio

Width=753.84 Height=850.32

200211 D.C.W

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