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Ricoh R8 Digital Camera Review
The Ricoh R8 is a 10 megapixel digital camera. It has a 7.1x wide angle lens. The design is different to all the more standard digital cameras out there, with a stylish, retro look.
Why Buy the Ricoh R8?
The R8 is a step up from the more simple point and shoot cameras. This is true when it comes to build quality and picture quality. Among its features are image stabilisation, a 2.7 inch LCD screen (I found easy to see even in sunny conditions) and a face recognition setting for portraits. It also has an option to produce square photos.
Image Quality Ricoh R8 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
This is a shot with a lot of contrast. There are the bright areas of the boats and the wooden slats underneath the roof of the building. In addition there are plenty of shady areas under the trees. The R8 manages to bring out an impressive level of detail, especially in the lighter areas where it outperforms many cameras. This helps to make the detail on the boats stand out.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
In this photo sharpness stands up well and the scene also shows vivid colours. Many digital cameras tend to lose sharpness when the lens is fully zoomed out, but this camera copes with the scene better than most cameras manage.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
As in the first test shot the light colours on the boats are handled well. There is a very small amount of purple fringing, but in my opinion the R8 handles this very well when you take into account the longer than standard zoom lens. Focusing is again above average.
Outdoor 4 (Building)
The R8 does very well in this test. The brickwork on the building is sharply focused. Even in the shady areas the camera does a good job. When it comes to focusing the R8 is up there with the best compact digital cameras.
Outdoor Portrait
Looking at this photo I can see that the colours are very strong. That is fair enough if you like strong colours, but they are a bit too powerful for my own taste. Otherwise the level of detail the R8 manages to pick out is impressive.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
The sharpness of this photo is very good indeed and the R8 picks out the eyes very well. The skin tones are overdone. They give areas of the cheeks and nose a vivid pink that does not exist. This can also be seen in the lips.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
When I looked at the indoor shot with flash I felt the skin tone problem may have been down to the light produced by the flash. Even with the flash turned off the skin tones are harsh. Otherwise the photo is o.k., but could do with a touch of extra brightness.
Colours
The colours produced by the R8 have a different feel to them than those produced by most other digital cameras I have tested. They are certainly vivid and have plenty of brightness too. In some cases the strength of colour is too much for me.
Macro
This is another example of a sharply focused shot with plenty of definition. The R8 is well above average when it comes to close up shots.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600
At ISO 400 you should still be able to take a decent shot in brighter conditions, but darker areas will attract noise. Picture quality has broken down even more than usual at ISO 1600.
Overall
I found focusing and definition to be some way above average. The R8 also handled contrasting scenes well. Colours are very strong and I would prefer to see these toned down in a number of my test shots.
Shutter Lag
Shutter lag times were 0.34 seconds for a single photo and 8.98 seconds for five photos. With flash on times increased to 0.51 seconds for a single shot and 14.4 seconds for five shots. All of these times are standard times.
It took 2.36 seconds to turn the R8 on and take a picture. This is in line with the majority of digital cameras I have tested recently.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: Ricoh have given the R8 a bit of an old fashioned look. This helps it to stand out from the crowd. It is available in black, silver and in a two tone version.
Dimensions: 102 x 58.3 x 26.1mm
Weight: 168g
Batteries: Ricoh estimates you should be able to get around 270 pictures before the lithium ion battery needs to be recharged. Both a battery and charger are supplied with the R8.
Memory cards: 24mb of storage have been built into the R8. This is enough for around 7 photos. The camera is also compatible with SD and SDHC cards.
Ease of use rating: Good. There are one or two extra features to get used to when compared to a more basic point and shoot model. If you are planning to use the R8 as a fully automatic camera then you should be up and running in no time.
Points I like:
LCD screen clarity - novel design - sharpness
Where it could improve:
Skin tones in some portrait shots
Alternatives
There are not that many digital cameras that strike me as a clear alternative to the R8. Other 10 megapixel cameras with a wide angle lens include: Samsung NV24HD.
Verdict:
I like the Ricoh R8. It is certainly worth considering alongside some of the more widely recognised brands such as Canon, Sony and Panasonic. Aside from some issues with colour the R8 takes a decent photo in most situations.
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About the Author
What colour should i paint my holga camera?
so my holga's getting pretty old and it needs a little pain job. i'm up for any colour if it looks good. patterns are pretty cool too. i just cant make up my mind
If you go for white then go for the "Storm Trooper" while (see 1st link below).
The other option I like is a good green!
My 2 cents.
Mark
Colour Camera
WWII Pacific in Color Air Combat Gun Camera Archive Footage
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Colour $28.94 Basics Design: Colour explores the use of colour in graphic design. The book explores in depth what colours mean, their inherent associations and their cultural connotations. Building on this information, it then tackles how to control colour in a design in order to achieve a desired effect or fulfil a specific brief. Starting with the basic principles of colour - how light works, colour wheels, colour combinations and harmonies - the book builds on these principles and explains how the designer can accurately and intentionally control colour. Colour, the book argues, is the most immediate form of non-verbal communication. Humans naturally react to colour; we have evolved with a certain innate understanding of it. Colour is used to represent thoughts and emotions in a way that no other element of design can. As such, colour is a vitally important part of a designer's toolset. Fully illustrated with examples from contemporary designers that push the envelope of colour in design, "Basics Design: Colour" constitutes a comprehensive discussion of the effective use of colour in graphic design. |
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The Colour Of Life $2.39 The Colour Of Life |
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Colour Scheme $8.59 Colour Scheme |
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Colour It! $11.94 In Colour It , Daphne Astor and Karen Wright feature the work of 32 cutting-edge British artists, including David Hockney and Damien Hirst, in a coloring book aimed at children living in war zones: Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Ivory Coast. The images - from Peter Davies' crazy cluster of stars to David Remfry's dancing poodles - offer inspiration and fun to children for whom these qualities may be in short supply indeed. A portion of proceeds will be donated to UNICEF for each copy sold. |
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The Colour $17.42 Newlyweds Joseph and Harriet Blackstone emigrate from England to New Zealand, along with Joseph's mother Lilian, in search of new beginnings and prosperity. But the harsh land near Christchurch where they settle threatens to destroy them almost before they begin. When Joseph finds gold in a creek bed, he hides the discovery from both his wife and mother, and becomes obsessed with the riches awaiting him deep in the earth. Abandoning his farm and family, he sets off alone for the new goldfields over the Southern Alps, a moral wilderness where many others, under the seductive dreams of the "colour," rush to their destinies and doom. |
Finepix S1000fd Digital S. L. R. Camera Review
The Fuji Finepix S1000fd is a 10 megapixel super zoom camera with a 12x optical zoom lens.
Why Buy the Fuji Finepix S1000FD?
The Finepix S1000fd is that bit cheaper than most super zoom models. A large part of the reason for this is that it has a shorter zoom and one or two less features than some of its competitors. The upside of the Finepix S1000fd not having every bell and whistle is that it helps to make the camera that bit easier to use.
Image Quality Fuji Finepix S1000FD test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The Finepix S1000fd handles the colours and darker areas of the photos well. I am impressed with the definition showing on the name of one of the boats in the centre of the photo. Sharpness is good too. Some detail is lost from the brightest areas of the shot where the sun falls on the boat.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
Focusing is roughly in line with most other digital cameras in this shot. In terms of focusing this is the toughest test I run. The more distant parts of the scene are softer, but the majority of the shot is sharp enough. I would like to have seen greater brightness in the shot.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
There is a strong turquoise fringing showing in this shot. It is true that all super zooms have this problem (or more commonly purple fringing) to a degree, but this photo suggests the Finepix S1000fd suffers more than most others. This problem occurs in bright conditions, with light coloured subjects in the shot. It is likely that the problem will be evident even in smaller prints.
With the lens fully extended focusing levels are softer than average.
Outdoor 4 (Building)
This is another photo I would like to have seen a touch lighter. In the shaded areas there is a loss of definition in the photo. In the brighter sections the photo is much sharper than when the zoom lens was fully extended.
Outdoor Portrait
Working much closer to the subject makes for a sharply focused photo. The colours are quite strong, but they do lend a lot of warmth to the photo. I have used a white balance setting of shady to add some extra punch to the colours in the shot.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
The pop up flash unit produces plenty of brightness. This is a sharp photo. Perhaps some extra warmth in the skin tones would have improved the photo further.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
Using the natural lighting available the Finepix S1000fd manages to produce a light, bright photo. This works well for the darker areas of the hair. Noise is controlled well in the shot.
Colours
There is plenty of colour in my test shots, without the camera going over the top. With strong blues and greens this should help to produce colourful landscapes.
Macro
In super macro mode the Finepix S1000fd is able to get in very close to the subject. This helps to deliver a bright, clear photo with good level of detail. In fact this macro shot stands up very well against other similar digital cameras.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600
Fuji digital cameras tend to handle higher ISO settings as well as or better than other brands. That is the case with the Finepix S1000fd. Although noise is still apparent in the darker or more shaded areas of the shots the camera controls noise levels better than most cameras manage.
Overall
I am happy enough with the Finepix S1000fd. Ironically the one problem shot is the one where the zoom is fully extended. This after all is the key test photo for this camera. I also found some of my test photos a little dark.
Shutter Lag
Taking a single photo with the Finepix S1000fd clocked a reasonable time of 0.42 seconds. All my other tests produced slow times. Five photos took 19.63 seconds, a photo with flash 1.68 seconds and five photos with flash 20.47 seconds.
It took 3.08 seconds to turn the camera on and take a photo.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: The Finepix S1000fd is small for a super zoom camera. Like most of its competitors it has been modeled on a digital SLR.
Dimensions: 102.5 x 73 x 67.8mm
Weight: 325g
Batteries: Four AA batteries.
Memory cards: 24mb of storage are available to get you started with the Finepix S1000fd. I was able to store 11 photos before the memory was full. To increase the capacity if the memory card you can use xD, SD and SDHC cards.
Ease of use rating:Above Average. With the extra manual features the Finepix S1000fd is not as easy to pick up and get going with as a more straightforward point and shoot camera. The reason it earns an above average Ease of Use Rating is that compared to other, similar cameras you are likely to get to grips with it that bit quicker.
Points I like:
Easier than other super zooms - compact size for type of camera
Where it could improve:
Shot with zoom fully extended disappointing
Alternatives
If you would like to try a super zoom digital camera with a longer lens, better overall picture quality and one or two extra features try the Nikon Coolpix P80.
Verdict:
The Fuji Finepix S1000fd does most things well enough, apart from taking photos with the zoom fully extended. It is as easy to use as any super zoom camera and is also relatively compact.
Front View
Back View
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About the Author
Panasonic Digital Camera Reviews
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Cuisinart CSB-76 SmartStick 200-Watt Immersion Hand Blender The versatile stick design of the Cuisinart Smart stick Hand Blender lets users blend ingredients right in pots, pitchers, bowls, or clear plastic beaker that's included. A powerful 200-watt motor operates with an easy one-touch control. Blends drinks, purees soup, mixes pancake and crepe batters in seconds! Both stainless steel blending shaft and beaker are dishwasher-safe.... |
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Cuisinart SP-2 Stainless Steel Rechargeable Salt and Pepper Mills $50.49 SP-2 Features: -Salt & pepper mills. -Stainless steel housing design with embossed logo. -Rechargeable mills are always ready to use. -15-20 Minutes continuous run time. -Fine to coarse grind adjustment. -LED lights your food when grinding. -Charging base with charge and ready lights. -Clear spice holder container lets you know when to refill. -Overall dimensions: 9.92'' H x 3.11'' W x 6.6'' D .... |
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2 pack Foscam FI8910W Wireless/Wired Pan&Tilt IP Network Camera with IR-Cut Filter for True Color Images - 8 Meter Night Vision and 3.6mm Lens (67° Viewing Angle) - White NEWEST MODEL $197.98 Replacing the Foscam FI8918W, the FI8910W is the latest camera from Foscam Digital Technologies LLC. The FI8910W is superior in that it includes an embedded IR-Cut filter which dramatically enhances the picture and color quality by automatically adjusting the lighting exposure via mechanical filter to provide true and accurately colored images that are not washed out. If you previously used a FI89... |
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ALZO Digital Full Spectrum Light Bulb - ALZO 45W Photo CFL 5500K 91 CRI, Daylight balanced, pure white light, 2800 Lumens, Case of 4 $31.99 Case of 4 full spectrum light bulbs for daylight balanced lighting, energy star compliant, long-lasting at cir. 10,000 hours with 2800 Lumens output; low energy consumption, good for treating S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder), photo studio lights, or starting plant growth. These are Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs. Fits all medium-base E27/E26 sockets, but this is a large bulb that might ... |
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