Minolta’s DiMAGE Xt is a very small digital camera indeed. It’s some 5 per cent smaller and 8 per cent lighter than the previous Xi model, and Minolta reckons that it’s the world’s slimmest digital camera. In practice, it feels about the same size as Casio’s Exilim EX-Z3 and the Pentax Optio S, but there’s one big difference.
Nikon CoolPix 3100 is pretty good value for a Nikon digital camera, and the 3.2-megapixel resolution is fine for general-purpose and snapshot photography. The styling is reminiscent of the older and more expensive 885 model, and is still used for the 4-megapixel 4100. But while it might look the same, the 3100 is a little smaller, a little lighter and – it has to be said – a little more plasticky.
Despite the ‘60′ in the name, the Canon PowerShot S60 is in fact a 5-megapixel digital camera, just like its predecessor, the S50. There have been a number of improvements, though, to increase its photographic appeal.
Most important among these is a brand new lens. The old S50 had a 3x zoom covering a focal range eguivalent to 35-105mm. When camera makers extend a lens’s zooming range, they usually add the extra range to the telephoto end -it’s the easiest thing to do, optically – despite the fact that what most photographers actually need is extended wide-angle capability.
Taking great photographs of children can be a stressful experience, especially if you’re conscious of the onset of boredom as you fiddle with your digital camera settings. .Memorable images never occur by accident, but happen as a result of thought, planning and the ability to anticipate a potential photo opportunity. Great portraits are more than just the sum of clever photographic techniques -they create a lasting impression of a particular day, event or rite of passage.
Pentax Optio 550 may be old, but it is still a good buy. The programmed auto-exposure mode provided by most digital cameras will only take you so far. It’ll provide perfectly acceptable snapshots, but it doesn’t provide the kind of creative control that more ambitious photographers will need. Why? Because programmed auto-exposure systems adjust the shutter speed and aperture in combination to get the right exposure. That’s fine if you don’t really understand much about photography but you miss out on the creative control possible when you can adjust the aperture and shutter speed independently.
