If you’re tired of cameras from Canon and Nikon, you may want to look into the Konica Minolta Maxxum series of cameras. In particular, in this article, we discuss the features of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D.

The Maxxum 7D is a midrange digital SLR. It offers optical image stabilization with any lens. It has a unique Anti-Shake system that works with all lenses and also has an proficient control layout.

The Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D is finished in a businesslike matte black – similar to most standard DSLRs. Its angular styling, although conventional, looks good. The body, a hybrid of magnesium-alloy and plastic, is sturdy and well crafted. The grip is nicely contoured and feels secure, and without a lens, the camera weighs about 30 ounces, which is an ounce or two heavier than average for this class.

The Maxxum 7D omits the separate status LCD and instead relies on the camera’s main LCD to display shooting settings, which is an appealing design convention. On this particular Maxxum, the large 2.5-inch LCD has room to show more settings than the usual status LCD. These settings include ISO, color mode, and image parameters, to name a few.

The optical system of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has noticeably been carefully designed to allow one to take great photos. The digital camera comes with a 6.1 megapixel resolution and an Anti-Shake mechanism.

The Anti-Shake mechanism prevents image blur created by camera motion. This mechanism is built in the Maxxum 7D’s body and works by shifting the CCD. This enables it to function with all Konica Minolta autofocus (AF) lenses.

In addition, the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D’s sophisticated AF system incorporates nine focus points. You can designate the active point yourself or leave all of them active and let the camera decide which to use from shot to shot. You can also set the camera to automatically switch to continuous or tracking AF operation if it detects subject movement.

The Maxxum 7D offers a broad range of exposure selections. These consist of all four standard exposure modes; three light-metering modes (14-segment honeycomb, center-weighted, and spot); ambient exposure compensation either in half-EV increments to plus or minus 3EV or in one-third-EV increments to plus or minus 2EV. The sensor’s sensitivity can be set to auto or from ISO 100 to ISO 3,200 in 1EV increments.

The user controls of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D are where they should be for the advanced photographer’s camera. The most significant features are controlled by means of dedicated external buttons, rather than being in the menu system itself.

Other shooting settings, including exposure adjustments are controlled with thumb and forefinger command wheels. The white-balance control is one of the quickest and most flexible available, consisting of a rotating switch surrounding a button that ingeniously accesses several menu choices.

You will find a dial on the camera’s top-left side for setting flash or ambient exposure compensation. The same adjustments can also be made using the forefinger wheel, which seems to be more efficient. As a whole, control position and operating efficiency on this camera are among the best on any DSLR.

The Konica Minolta 7D’s advertised battery life is more or less sufficient for a full day’s shooting. If a long battery life is very important for you, you can always pack along some extras – buy them at your local camera store.

The Minolta 7D stores your photos in CompactFlash Type I/II memory cards. You can also use a MicroDrive should you choose. Pictures are transferred easily from the camera to the PC with the USB 2.0 interface.

Of course there are some quirks I noticed in the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D, and of course you want to know what they are. One such peeve is that the camera is slow to start-up. You are also restricted to one JPEG compression ratio in raw-plus-JPEG, and there is no way to avoid noise reduction processing in high ISO images.

I do hope this review of the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D has been of help to you. If you’re looking for a decent professional SLR camera to take shots with, then the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D might be tough to beat. Of course, do your own research first before shelling out your cash. Happy shopping!

Share This

The good thing about independent digital camera reviews is that are unbiased. Some digital camera reviews however, confuse potential; buyers because they praise every camera they review.

The only time you should not trust a digital camera review is when it is carried out by the manufacturer themselves. You are not likely to get the whole truth about a camera from the company that makes them are you? I don’t doubt if the situation were reversed I would do exactly the same. For obvious reasons you are only going to promote the good points as it is not a good idea to shoot yourself in the foot bringing any bad points to peoples attention.

The best digital camera reviews available are those found in specialty magazines, special websites catering to techie stuff and unofficial digital camera reviews. This is because these digital camera reviews are always truthful. These reviewers and critics are never afraid to list down the good as much as the bad points of digital cameras. These digital camera reviews usually point out the difference between the products that a certain manufacturer has released and how it is worse or better than the previous one. We may knock the critics at times but if it wasn’t for them we may all be taken for a ride more often. One more thing, most of the time, these digital camera reviews are actual first hand experience with the product itself and not just some advertising agent asked to come up with flowery words to capture you and your wallet.

Another best source for a digital camera review is one that you can write yourself. This does mean that you have at the very least been an owner and user of the digital camera in question though. Be careful to read the specs, options and features that you need to try out, be on the lookout for words such as weatherproof, meaning that they are splash resistant as to waterproof that are water resistant. You don’t want to get your newly bought weatherproof camera wet, just to prove to yourself that the things they claim are not true. After doing so, then you can write your own digital camera review or reviews, depending on how many things you’ve learned from your digital camera. Be sure to indicate that your review is an on-hand experience with the product and not just some wild guess.

Digital camera reviews that are honest without criticizing for the sake of it make for good reading and a better understanding of the product itself. Manufacturers do not like bad publicity so contact them if for any reason your camera does not perform as claimed.

Share This

The vast majority of digital camera users will not even use half of the functions it contains; as a result some people are often sold the wrong type. When you finally make up your mind that you are going to buy a digital camera; have you worked out what you are going to ask for? Below are listed a few things that may be of assistance when you come to choose. If this is your first camera then you must be honest with yourself if you have no idea what functions you would want your camera to have.

Will you be taking it everywhere with you? Even with the overall reduction in cost and improvement in abilities and design during recent years, the cost is still something to factor in. Some people like to manipulate the images on their computer but this is only possible with more modern home computers. If you can get a free camera as part of a computer upgrade this might be worth looking into. Manufacturers usually do a deal with an image manipulation software company and supply it when you buy a digital camera, however item such as printers and special paper will need to be purchased separately.

While many home printers are fine for general printing, you will need a special printer to carry out photo printing as well as special ink cartridges. By adjusting the megapixel setting up to the maximum you will ensure your pictures are of a much higher quality. Digital cameras need memory cards for picture storage; some have a small built in memory as well. The storage capacity of some current storage cards can go up to 32 gigabytes; all the most up to date cards have one thing in common, and that is they can all store hundreds of images even at very high resolution.

The more user-friendly your model is, the more likely it is you will use it. Some come very well equipped but are awkward to use which, in today’s world, there is no excuse for. Digital cameras use a great deal of power, especially the screen so even if they are not supplied, rechargeable batteries should be used; these can last for many hundreds of shots and will save a great deal of money. The more up to date digital cameras are complemented with a decent size LCD screen; this screen allows for greater shooting flexibility in addition to making it easier to view them afterwards.

Today, the viewfinder is being fitted on fewer types although screen sizes have increased dramatically but are the biggest drain on the battery. For those of you that like to get a little closer to the action, you can’t beat the image results from an optical zoom. Digital zoom only cameras should really be avoided as pictures using a digital only zoom are usually less clear. Better quality models will usually come with a tripod socket as it can be another one of those really useful additions, so ensure when you buy a model where this is fitted. Perhaps now you will be able to buy a digital camera with a little more self-assurance than before.

Share This

My wife and I began selling photos online over two years ago as a way to earn a little extra money out of something we enjoyed. At the time we had a little 4 megapixel point-n-shoot camera but since my wife knew a little about photo editing from studying graphic design in college. At the time we thought we knew about photography, we soon realized we didn’t know that much at all.

When we began selling our photos online we only earned $16 in our first month. Given that this was something we were passionate about we persisted and, with lots of research we raised the amount to $270 in six months. Since it was only a part time hobby we honestly didn’t expect it to earn so much money as soon as it did, but our early success convinced us of the possible potential and we immediately purchased in a digital SLR. It has been over two years later and we’re now making around $600 each month with a modest portfolio of around 700 photos listed with eight agencies. We’re still considered hobbyist photographers who create stock photos in our spare time.

Who sells photos in the microstock market? I’ve reached hundreds of other microstock stock photo sellers through the internet and have been amazed at the variety of individuals who are contributing to this market, each with a similarly impressive variety of reasons. There are retired couples who simply want to see their photos published and I have met people who make tens of thousands of dollars each month. For some microstock is their job and for others, like myself it is simply a portion of my overall income. Amazingly, one of the largest groups of contributors are photography students – both those who have chosen photography as their career and hobbyists who study for fun.

Why is microstock so good for students? There are three reasons microstock is so great for students: freedom; money; and education.

To participate with Microstock is free and there are no set work hours, no bosses and most importantly, no due dates. Microstock pays money which is great given that photography isn’t a cheap endeavor. If you are interested in learning about the commercial side of photography Microstock is also a great way to educate yourself. What better teacher than a global market of photo buyers?

Isn’t microstock ‘bad’ for the industry? If you do any research about microstock you will quickly find that it’s controversial. The concept only works with the Internet and high quality digital cameras, so it’s still relatively new. Subsequently there are still many professional stock photographers with strong feelings about the impact microstock is having on the industry.

I’ve personally spoken with a few of the world’s most successful stock photographers and they’re not noticing any impacts on their business from microstock. They know that their photos compete on quality and not price (microstock photos sell cheaper but in higher quantity) and their will always be buyers interested in the top level of the market, regardless of the price.

It’s also understandable that many of the photographers who now make a living with microstock have displaced some ‘traditional’ stock photographers. This happens with any technological change as big as the Internet and digital photography and it’s understandable that those on the receiving end are not happy about it.

To be sure, Microstock has brought new buyers to the market. Prior to Microstock small businesses, charities and bloggers weren’t big purchasers of stock photos when each image cost $350 or more. Now that blog size images are $1 and print size images are $10, you can imagine how sales have increased.

Now you might be wondering, how much can I earn in microstock? That question depends on both the quality and quantity of photos you can produce. Many people who work full time and have a portfolio of 7,000 high quality images earn over $20,000 per MONTH! On the flip side some contributors with only a handful of images earn just a few dollars a month. Like me, you will most likely find yourself between these two extremes.

I earn just a bit under $1 per photo per month. You can find monthly earnings, figures and links to various portfolios with a quick Google search. With this information you can quickly compare your portfolio or photography skills to figure out, more or less, how much you could expect to earn with your photos in the microstock market.

Is microstock easy? Not at the beginning, it isn’t. Many online agencies require a test submission which is generally stricter than their typical review process. Microstock agencies also review submissions based on what sells, which is images that are super sharp, noiseless and commercially appealing. Because of this initial review many of the established and highly skilled photographers experience early rejections and quickly dismiss the microstock opportunity. You can start with some of the middle tier agencies which don’t require you to pass a test. In doing this you can easily get an idea of what types of photos are being accepted and which ones sell well. After that, it’s relatively easy to start earning money.

Here’s two of my best selling photos. Each is a simple shot taken with the intention of selling for stock, but with no more preparation that being in the the necessary place with my camera. Both these photos earn over $30 per month though their success varies between agencies.

It’s also not easy to create above-average success. The average per-photo earnings of many of the top microstock contributors can be up to ten times what I currently make, so you can imagine the difference in the quality and appeal of the photos they produce. They also need to repeat this success many times to create a portfolio large enough to raise their earnings above average.

How can I improve my chances of success? These are my top tips for people getting started selling their photos in the microstock market:

Managing your expectations can often sound easier than it actually is. A typical sales pitch might read, “click here to start earning money from the photos sitting idle on your computer”. That’s not exactly realistic and you’ll soon quit if you begin with this expectation in mind. Do your own research to figure out what sells, create these photos well, and be smart about how you contribute. Concentrate on workflow.

If you wish to contribute many photos it makes tons of sense to have an efficient workflow so you don’t waste time doing unnecessary and repetitive tasks. Do your research and refine your process so you can put a quality product into the market as efficiently as possible. Microstock is business. If you’re more of an artist than an actual commercial photographer you may want to seriously consider if you and microstock are a good match. Don’t get me wrong, artistic photos will sell in the microstock market, but not nearly as well as commercial photos.

Research. Don’t stop with the few ideas I have already given you. It is important to get all your questions answered before you begin so you save time and don’t accidentally do anything that doesn’t work to your advantage. There are blogs written for people selling photos in the microstock market, read these as well as other sites.

6 Microstock Sites Where You can Make Money from Your Photos

Here are a number of Microstock programs that offer photographers money for their images: Shutterastock, Dreamstime, Crestock, fotolia, 123rf, Stockxpert.

Share This

Save time, money and effort while sharing and storing your live photos. Take advantage of the BEST photo compression method available on the planet. Quickly and easily unite any number of photos into highly-compressed, easy to post e-mail, or albums and rich slideshows that can be viewed on any computer without installing any helper software including Love2Photo itself!

Now you can feel the admiration from your family and friends when they get these quick-loading albums that they can view and print directly from the Web or local media with just a simple mouse click. And the great thing is they can be on any computer! This process makes it easy for people to concentrate on the beauty of your photographs and not become frustrated in trying to open them.

You can easily protect your albums with a password, extract photo, organize pictures by date and name, add descriptions, and more!

You can also save time emailing, copying, backing-up and moving photos thanks to Love2Photo’s compression capabilities. Friends and family will also save time downloading your albums or viewing them online.

Often you will find that emailing huge photo files often end up exceeding your email providers file size limits and the image never gets to its destination. Avoid the disappointment of not being able to share your greatest photographs with others simply because of limited message size.

Click your mouse and Love2Photo will automatically compress photos selecting the best compression routine to fit email size restrictions.

Love2Photo Helps Your PC Run Faster Too! It’s a fact that the more files you have in the system the slower your computer runs. With thousand of files you need to run frequent disk checks and defragmentation routines just to keep the system alive. With Love2Photo you’ll be able to compress thousands of image files into compact one-file albums. Your PC will thank you!

Make your friends happy by giving them this software as a gift; motivating them to send their best photos. It is easy to do by simply selecting the Gift option when you order Love2Photo.

Share This

How to Use an HP Digital Camera

When one first buys an HP digital camera, one might have many questions as to how to properly use it. Using an HP digital camera is easy for those who are technologically savvy, but for the many people who are just getting used to the idea of a digital camera, there is some important information that they should know before using one.

When one first buys an HP digital camera, one might notice its pixel capability. Now, some people who have no idea what a pixel is will overlook that information. However, knowing what a pixel is can make all the difference in picture quality.

If one were to zoom in on any picture that one takes on a digital camera, or any photo that is on a computer, lots of small blocks would be noticed. These blocks are called pixels, and the quality of an image is usually described in terms of those pixels.

When using an HP digital camera, there are generally two types of zoom functions: optical zoom and digital zoom. Simply put, an optical zoom is how far the camera lens can extend from the body of the camera. A digital zoom works in conjunction with the optical zoom, because where the optical zoom will focus on something, , the digital zoom will take that intended picture and stretch the pixels of the picture to make it look larger.

The other most common thing people have trouble with is figuring out how to get the pictures off of the HP digital camera and onto their computer. This step is as easy as attaching the USB cable that came with the camera to the camera on one end and the computer on the other. Also, instead of the computer, some printers also have the capability to have the pictures directly transferred to them.

For more information on how to use an HP digital camera, consult the user’s guide that comes with the camera. Or, search the internet for help on a particular question. An HP digital camera is a lot of fun once the owner has figured out how to use it.

Share This

Get the Accessories to Go Along with Your Kodak Camera

A Kodak camera is a great tool for capturing all kinds of images. Taking pictures of your kids, your pets, important landmarks, vacation pictures and more; there’s no limit to what you can take a picture of. But when you want your pictures to come out as clear and exceptional as possible, you want to buy a brand name you can trust. That’s where Kodak comes in; when you have a good camera, you want the accessories to go with it.

You can find all sorts of things when you search for a Kodak digital camera accessory using your favorite search engine. You can find cases and straps so that you can carry your Kodak camera with you at all times. You can find extra film or film cases that keep your film free from dust and damage. You can even find memory cards and extra batteries or chargers for your Kodak digital camera. There’s no limit to what you can add to your Kodak digital camera but you don’t want to spend a lot of money.

Search the internet and search for the best deals for your Kodak digital camera accessory. You can even try an internet auction site, such as Ebay, where you can bid on the latest Kodak digital camera accessory. Get the best deals by bidding early and sometimes you can even get the latest Kodak digital camera accessory for pennies on the dollar.

So, check the internet today and add to your great camera with the latest Kodak digital camera accessory. You could be a professional in no time, all you have to do is obtain all the accessories, aim your camera and you’re well on your way to producing quality photos the Kodak way.

Share This

No Matter What Moments You Want To Keep Forever

It doesn’t matter what you want to film using your Kodak professional digital camera, you can bet that when you start snapping photos, you are getting the quality you never thought you’d experience with a digital camera. That’s because if anyone knows about cameras, it’s Kodak. The Kodak professional digital camera is created by a company who has been in the business for a long time and knows exactly what you require from a digital camera.

The Kodak professional digital camera has all sorts of different features, depending on the model you buy. If you’re a beginner and you don’t know which Kodak professional digital camera will give you the features and capabilities that you’re looking for, ask the associate at your nearest camera retailer. These professionals know the difference between the different models and they can be the best judge of which model will be the best buy for your money.

When you take pictures with your Kodak professional digital camera, you can transfer all of the pictures to your computer so that you can sort them, label them and even print them into beautiful professional prints that you used to only be able to get with traditional film.

If you’re not sure and you want more proof, you can try the latest camera reviews. That way, you can see which Kodak professional digital camera you should buy. You can find camera reviews on all sorts of consumer websites. Do an internet search using your favorite search engine. Then, with the ultimate camera in hand, you can go out and start snapping away at all your favorite life moments.

Share This

All Olympus digital cameras have digital image stabilization that eliminates blurs that may result from a shaking camera or moving subjects and allows the user to take crisp as well as clear pictures with greater degree of sensitivity as well as quick shutter speeds. Olympus digital cameras also have all-weather reliability thanks to their durable design that contains protective seals and gaskets that allow the user to shoot pictures with confidence in rain or shine. Also, they use bright capture technology that allows one to clearly preview every picture irrespective of whether the lighting is low as it does not require a flash to capture a picture in such conditions.

Power and Versatility of the Olympus Digital Cameras

Olympus digital cameras have manual as well as automatic controls that allow the user to enjoy the option of taking full control of their pictures or letting the camera do the work for them. With expanded capabilities, the Olympus digital cameras have no limit to what one may do with them and one can have add-on lenses, flashes, underwater housing and much more. In addition, they have zoom and lens quality par excellence and the impressive zoom helps the user frame and capture fantastically accurate shots with the same precision-crafted optics as are used in digital SLRs.

The Olympus SP-350 is a full-featured and solid as well as elegant and compact camera that has many advanced manual functions that are perfectly complemented by easy, automatic options that deliver outstanding performance during the day as well as at night. It has one-touch printing as well as 30 different shooting modes and settings that can be customized to suit individual preferences and also has conversion lens/extra flash compatibility. It is ideally suited for just about everybody.

Its 30 shooting modes allow the user to capture fast-paced sports or peaceful landscapes and whatever is the occasion there is a shooting mode available. To get better and newer perspectives one can change the lens or attach external flash to lighten up the scene. Also, it has a large 2.5 inches LCD where everything looks better as well as bigger on the large color display. It retails for approximately $350.

Share This

The first Nikon cameras, made during the early days of film photography, depended on optics from Zeiss, a German optical maker that produced some of the absolute best camera lenses. Around the middle of the 20th century, Zeiss-Nikon lenses were the standard for professional quality lenses throughout the world. Nikon’s reputation in the camera market quickly reached the top and their line of Nikon professional digital cameras is equally as good, if not better.

While other camera makers were quick to jump on the digital bandwagon, Nikon wanted to make sure it made the conversion right. Since their biggest base relied on a Nikon professional digital camera. As market forces changed, Nikon also tries to give amateur photographers the opportunity to have the quality professional use in a Nikon professional digital camera.

Nikon Has Success On Every Shutter Click

Similar to the company’s Nikon professional digital camera less expensive units have made their way into the hands of serious amateurs and those that buy by brand name only. Nikon’s reputation as a top camera makers is unparalleled in the photography world.

In August 2006, the release of five models of its Cookpix line, added to their reign as one of the top Nikon professional digital camera, and brought them to regular folks. All models can be found between $200 and $400 and they all have a five-star rating from consumers. The rating encompasses issues such as ease of use, dependability, quality of pictures among others. Their goal is to enable amateurs to have the same photo experience as those using a Nikon professional digital camera.

The Nikon D80, at about $1,000 is not considered to be a Nikon professional digital camera, but shares many of the features. Improved auto-focus and interchangeable lenses make it an amateur’s dream. It boasts 10.2 mega-pixels, wider flash range and longer battery life.

The Nikon professional digital camera D2X has more features than most amateurs will use in a lifetime. With a price tag pushing $5,000, this camera has it all and does it all. If they find a way for it to pay for itself, they may have an exceptional winner.

Share This