What is “gray market” (parallel import) photo equipment? It costs less but is it worth it? Is it the same as “U.S. warranty” equipment? What are the risks in buying gray market gear? Does the gray market dealer matter? Learn more here.

Digital cameras have so many menus and options and custom functions, how do you set them up to take pictures? I wrote three articles on how I set up the Canon 20D camera. Although they are about the 20D, many of the settings are applicable to other models and brands of cameras.

Menu Settings
Custom Functions
Top Deck Controls

First there were the rumors, then the brief and “accidental” announcement on a website, then the official Nikon pre-announcement. Today it is official as Nikon announces the D50 and D70s. The D50 is a simpler and less expensive version of the highly respected D70. The D70s is a replacement for the D70.

DP Review has posted a hands on preview of the D50 which is well worth reading if you have a bunch of Nikon lenses and you are thinking about making the switch to digital, or if you want a less expensive backup for your D70. I will keep you posted when full reviews are available.

I was going on a short trip to the store at lunch time. Why take a camera? (I almost always have a camera with me.) How was I supposed to know I would witness an attampted stabbing?

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Today Canon announced rebates on two digital cameras, a bunch of lenses, several flash units, and some binoculars. If you are planning on buying one of these items, you have from now until July 15. More details are here and a list of rebate items follows.

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Due to the field of view crop of many current digital SLRs, the lenses we used on our film cameras behave different on our digital cameras. I have three new articles on my photo website that discuss this.

Field of View Crop In Digital SLRs

Depth Of Field For Digital SLRs

Hyperfocal Distance Chart For Digital SLRs

Good news for photographers with Nikon equipment. Today Nikon UK confirmed recent rumors of two new Nikon digital SLRs that will be introduced later this month. One will be a replacement for the Nikon D-70. The other will be a new and lower priced entry level camera.

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Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D)

DP Review has posted a full review of the Canon Digital Rebel XT, giving it a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, their highest. You can read the review here.

Pentax *ist DS Digital SLR

DP Review has posted a review of the Pentax *ist DS. The camera received a “RECOMMENDED” rating, the second highest that DP Review gives out. The camera is better than this rating would appear to indicate.

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Pope John Paul II, 1920-2005

In memory of a remarkable and loving man with deep convictions and high courage.

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Two recent magazine articles compare the following digital SLRs:

Canon 20D
Canon Digital Rebel
Fuji FinePix S3 Pro
Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D (Dynax 7D in the U.K.)
Nikon D70
Nikon D100
Olympus E-1
Olympus Evolt E-300
Pentax *ist DS
Sigma SD10

Get a summary of the results and some recommendations here.

There is some excellent software out there that is cheap or free. Read more at my son’s blog.

Every two year old needs their own digital camera, don’t you think?!

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May the joy of this season be yours!

Do you think $60,000 for a simple, point and shoot digital camera is a bit expensive?

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Sunset over Mo’orea, French Polynesia. Photo copyright (c) Jim Doty, Jr.

How long will your digital prints last? Based on the questions I am asked in person, the emails I receive, and the search words that bring people to my website, this is an important issue.

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The Epson 2200 is still one of the two or three best archival printers in the $1,000 or less class and the price is dropping (currently around $620, see farther down in this article).

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Our new grandson Ryan has arrived. You can see photos here or here.

So what happens when the newspaper photographers at the SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER each pick their ten best photos of the year?

Back in the 80’s and early 90’s I did freelance newspaper photography for a small town paper in Oklahoma. Back in those days, everything was shot on black and white film with short deadlines. I appreciate a truly fine, eye catching newspaper photo, especially since the time constraints on newspaper photographers are often severe.

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Cook’s Bay, Island of Moorea, French Polynesia. Photo copyright (c) Jim Doty, Jr.

More Tahiti and Moorea photos have been posted at my ImageEvent site.

A Celebration in Music and Dance.
Photo copyright (c) Jim Doty, Jr.

I am regularly asked how I set up my digital cameras. This article in three parts is based on the Canon 10D, but most of it is applicable to other models and brands of cameras.

Part One: Menu Settings
Part Two: Custom Functions
Part Three: Camera Controls

Konica Minolta 7D Digital SLR

DP Review gave the Konica Minolta 7D a “Highly Recommended” rating, their highest. If you’ve been waiting for a digital SLR for your Minolta lenses, this may be the camera for you. Due to a recent firmware update, DP Review retested this camera and recently updated their review. You can read it here.

The big PMA (Photo Marketing Association) trade show starts today in Orlando. I was checking out the convention schedule and learned that Creedence Clearwater Revisited headlines the “Big Night” performance.

This will date me, but I grew up on Creedence Clearwater Revival (and a lot of other bands from that bygone era). So who is CC Revisited and are they any good?

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Canon Digital Rebel XT (350D)

If you are thinking about buying a Canon Digital Rebel (or any other camera, come to think of it), DON’T DO IT. Canon just announded the new Digital Rebel XT (350D). With a new 8 megapixel sensor and compatibility with the new EF-S lenses, this should be a very popular camera. It is that time of year and PMA, one of the biggest photo trade shows of the year, begins February 20. Manufacturer’s are announcing new cameras and lenses right and left.

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Epson Stylus Photo R1800 Printer

The latest Epson wide carriage printer produces true archival quality prints with 8 inks in large paper sizes. This printer could be another winner for Epson.

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“Heu”, photo copyright Giranthon

I was looking at some of the recent posts at PhotoSig.com and ran across the wonderful portrait above. The expression, the face, the details, the coat, the setting, and the light all come together to create this great photo. Who is this person? What does he do? What is he thinking? I would be proud to have taken this photo. You can see more of the photographer’s photos and a much larger version of this photo by going here.

Pentax *ist DS Digital SLR

At last, there is a fine digital SLR that will take almost every 35mm lens Pentax has ever made. If you have a stable of Pentax lenses and have been wanting to go digital, the Pentax *ist DS may be just the camera you have been waiting for.

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Yosemite Valley via web cam

No snow, poor light, very little sunshine, and not much to inspire an outdoor nature photographer, so I wandered the U.S. and the world via webcam.

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The Olympus Evolt (E-300) is an eight megapixel digital SLR in the 4/3 format with a distinctive optical viewfinder that eliminates the typical SLR viewfinder hump.

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