Just popping in for a quick update. I'm still "on vacation" for another week or so, but I've been doing some behind the scenes work as well.

Added 9pm: I've added a special feature to this site, one that I've been wanting to do for a long time. If you're visiting the San Francisco area, or are just curious where some of my common sample photos are taken, check out the Jeff's Photo Spots page. You'll find maps, links to public transportation, and more about my favorite shooting locations!

Another new feature is a totally revamped links page.

It may look like the old one, but it's a new, database-driven system that I created. This new system allows companies to add their links to the page quickly. After filling out a form, the link is submitted to me for review. If everything looks good, I'll approve it, and it will be on the list. This is much faster than the current system, which had a backlog of six months. I also took this time to clean out the dead links and add a few new ones.

Added 1am: I have added three new fields to the Reviews & Info database. These include maximum aperture, sound recording, and whether a camera has an AF illuminator lamp. Note that I only (painstakingly, might I add) updated the most popular cameras, so older cameras don't have this data. The AF illuminator field is now searchable as well, so if you want to find a camera with this helpful feature, you can.

I hope everyone got the camera of their dreams this holiday season. As a reminder, I am not a technical support resource. If you're having trouble with your camera, contact the manufacturer, or use our message boards. If you want to learn more about how to use your camera, pick up a ShortCourses guide. Your purchase will also help defray the enormous hosting charges that I racked up over the past two months.

As seen on TV: today I'm posting a review of the HP PSC 2210 all-in-one. You may have seen the 2210 on television; you know, stick in a memory card, print a proof sheet, bubble in a circle next to the photos you want printed, stick it back in and press a button and voila -- prints. And they're great looking too, assuming you get the right ink and paper. Did I mention that it also copies, faxes, scans, and does everyday printing too?

Well, this is my last review of 2002. I may update the news page a few times, but otherwise, that's it for this year. I will be taking some well-deserved time off (read: sitting around the house doing nothing) and will be back in action in January. The CES show is coming soon and I know there will be some new stuff to talk about!

Thanks for a great year, and happy holidays!

Today I'm posting my review of the Olympus C-5050 Zoom. I actually had to go around Olympus' back to get this one, as the review units were (apparently) eternally backordered. I must say that I didn't have the highest expectations for this 5 Megapixel camera, but I was pleasantly surprised at how nice a camera it turned out to be.

Quick Saturday update: I have added a sharpness vs. noise comparison, plus a sample movie to the C-5050Z Review.

Oh, and one last thing. This is the first review where my shots of the other camera were taken with the new Canon EOS-D60 that I bought recently. My Olympus E-10 was getting a little worn around the edges, so it was time for an upgrade. Bear with me, as I'm still getting the hang of things.

I have posted a preview of the Minolta DiMAGE Xi. Since this is a pre-production camera, there are no test photos or a conclusion. I'm told a production model will be available in January -- hopefully this will tide you over until then.

I've also updated two recent reviews:

• Added tests and comments about purple halos/fringing to PowerShot S45 review; Also updated the redeye test section on Tuesday.
• Added sample movie to Coolpix 3500 review

And finally, the Olympus C-5050Z gallery has been updated.

Today I'm posting my review of the Nikon Coolpix 3500. I wasn't really enthusiastic about it for a number of reasons. Read the review to find out why I probably won't be getting a holiday card from Nikon this year.

Quick Tuesday update: I've added two items to my PowerShot S45 review since its original posting last week. First, I've re-shot the redeye test, with much better results this time around. I also added a second night shot. If the sun ever shows up, I will see if I can find any purple halos, like I found on the PowerShot G3.

I have my posted my review of the Canon PowerShot S45. As you've probably heard already, this "G3 light" is an excellent camera.

My work on this review isn't finished yet... I wanted to get it online in time for weekend shopping. Once the sun returns (sometime next week, I hope), I will re-shoot the night shot, and return to the church where the G3 had that weird purple halo problem, to see if the S45 has it as well.

News.com posted a story earlier this week that probably frightened some current owners of Sony digital cameras. Sony is reportedly working on a new Memory Stick Pro, which will ship in capacities of 256MB, 512MB, and 1GB sometime next year. The problem is that they are apparently not backward compatible with current Sony cameras.

According to the article, Sony has managed to make a 256MB card which current owners can use, but only after they remove the card and flip a switch. Like SmartMedia, it looks like the Memory Stick format may have run out of steam!

I raced out today to take pictures with a few cameras, before a big storm arrives tomorrow. So, I've got two new galleries for you:

Canon PowerShot S45
Olympus C-5050Z

Those of you who have $8000 to burn may be interested in my Canon EOS-1Ds review. For the rest of us, reading about this 11 Megapixel monster may be a bit depressing <grin>.

Added 1:30PM: Fuji Photo Film USA announced that certain FinePix S2 Pro cameras with specific serial numbers may be subject to an intermittent electronic malfunction that could render the camera inoperable. "Err" messages will appear on the top display panel and LCD monitor of the camera when the AA or lithium batteries are replaced, and the camera will not operate.

Fujifilm noted that the chance for a camera to fail while in use is very remote.

Fujifilm is notifying its dealers of the steps the company is taking to address customer inquiries related to this subject. The company is asking FinePix S2 Pro owners to visit its corporate Web site to determine if their camera may be affected. To view a list of serial numbers, please visit this page.

If the malfunction occurs or if the owner's serial number is listed, Fujifilm advises that the customer send an email to: digitaltech@fujifilm.com or call: 1-800-659-3854, option #1, to receive instructions on receiving free evaluation and service. Customers can also send their camera directly to Fujifilm at the following address:

Fuji Photo Film, U.S.A., Inc.
1100 King Georges Post Road
Edison, NJ 08837
Attn: Camera Repair - S2 Pro

A quick update on reviews. The Canon PowerShot S45 is in the building, and I'll be getting around to reviewing it in about a week. In the meantime, the next review will be of the Canon EOS-1Ds, and it'll be a long one - look for it on Monday or so. You can look at my photo gallery for the 1Ds right now.

Added 3pm: I've updated the Nikon Coolpix 3500 and Canon EOS-1Ds photo galleries (Canon gallery updated again on Thursday).

I have posted my review of the Fuji FinePix F402. I wasn't really excited about this camera for a number of reasons. The main reason is that $350 is a lot to pay for a camera with no zoom and minimal features.

The next camera to be reviewed is a polar opposite of the F402. The Canon EOS-1Ds is an 11 Megapixel monster that is extremely powerful, complex, and heavy! Reviewing it will take a while, so don't expect to see the review until the weekend.

Two new photo galleries for you today:

Canon EOS-1Ds
Fuji FinePix F402

Rumor has it that Canon has officially started selling the PowerShot S45 in the U.S. This is contrary to what I heard just ten days ago, but I'm checking again and hope to have an update later in the day.

Update 9:30am: It's true: the press release is out. The PowerShot S45 is officially announced in the U.S., with a list price of $649. This 4 Megapixel camera is essentially a PowerShot G3 in a smaller metal body. Right now, the only place you can read a review is over at DP Review. I'm going to try to get one ASAP.

Added 2:30pm: Nikon has released version 3.5 of NikonCapture, a software utility for their digital SLRs. This new version adds many significant features, including:

• RAW images taken with the D1X can now be opened at a size of ten megapixels (4,016 x 2,616 pixels). D1X RAW images can also be opened at a size of six megapixels (3,008 x 1,960 pixels), as in earlier versions of Nikon Capture.
• A Vignette Control function is now available to correct drops in marginal lumination in RAW images taken with D100 or D1-series cameras.
• A Watch Point function has been added that allows R, G, B, and average values for selected points to be displayed in the Information palette.
• Color Noise Reduction is now performed by means [of] a slider. Eleven levels (0–10) are supported.
• A large preview, 1,600 pixels on its longest side, can now be embedded in images saved in NEF format.
• Mac OS X version 10.2 is now officially supported.
• Camera control is now available with the D100 (requires version 2.0.0 of the D100 camera firmware).
• A histogram is now displayed in the progress dialog that appears when photographs are captured directly to the computer hard disk.

You can download the update for Macintosh and Windows free of charge.

Canon, Fuji, HP, Olympus, Seiko Epson, and Sony announced the proposal of a new industry standard that enables consumers to easily print photos by directly connecting their digital still cameras to their printers -- no PC required. This open standard, tentatively named "DPS," ensures compatibility across digital cameras and printers, regardless of brand, giving consumers the flexibility and simplicity to create high-quality photos.

The DPS version 1.0 document, which will be published formally later, is written for USB as a physical transport and Picture Transfer Protocol as data transfer protocol. Consumers can simply connect a DPS-enabled digital still camera to a DPS-enabled printer, using the camera to perform operations and easily print high-quality photos.

You can learn more about DPS here.

I'm back from my trip and have posted some photos from a pre-production Minolta DiMAGE Xi that I brought along with me.

Last month was the biggest month in our 5 year history! We had over 1.2 million visits to the site in November, a 26% increase since October. This doesn't surprise me too much, as digital cameras are once again a very popular gift this holiday season -- just look in the ads in the Sunday paper!

Recent reviews include the Olympus C-730 Ultra Zoom as well as the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-U10.