Digital Slr

IF WE had one beef with the light passing mirror technology that helped Sony's Alpha 55 win our 2010 Camera of the Year award, it was having to give up an optical for an electronic viewfinder. But now here comes an EVF that may change our minds-the world's first with an OLEO screen. And a high-resolution one at that. with a breathtaking 2.36 million dots.

Add a new APS-C sized CMOS sensor with a jaw-dropping 24.3 megapixeis, a new image processing engine, plus an electronic shutter that substitutes for the first curtain for faster shutter operation, and you've got the basis for some fascinating cameras.

The one that may make the most waves? The NEX· 7. This flagship E-mount interchangeable lens compact (ILC) sports both the new sensor and EVF, top ISO of 16,000 and Sony's new Th-Navi interface: 1Wo command wheels on top and one on the back let you adjust shutter speed, aperture, and ISO all at the same time, You can quickly tweak multiple parameters for other settings, too. This should help remedy the issues we've had with the NEX line's menu-heavy interface.

Sony has introduced the world's smallest and lightest mirror-less camera - the NEX-C3. Primarily an entry level camera, the (3 features a 16.2 megapixel APS-C size Exmore APS HD CMOS image sensor. The NEX -C3 that comes in 3 colors, black silver or pink, looks more vivid than the NEX 3. The camera comes with a 18-55mm (28-85mm equivalent) zoom lens for 70K yen (USS870)

A resolution of 16.2 effective megapixels, and the newly-developed Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor together deliver detailed, low-noise still and HD video images. The new 035 digital camera with Translucent Mirror Technology by Sony will be available from August 2011.

Panasonic introduced its latest interchangeable lens system camera with a built-in flash, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3. Its the smallest and lightest digital interchangeable lens camera with a built-in flash (for an), with its body size comparable to that of a smartphone and weighing a mere 7.830z (body only). The DMC-GF3's image quality comes from a large DSLR-sized 12.1 -megapixel sensor and newly advanced image processing technologies. The Lumix GF3 digital camera is based on the Micro Four Thirds standard of lenses, which includes Panasonic's 3D lens, thus the Lumix GF3 not only provides outstanding still photos, full-High Definition 1 080/60i video, but is also capable of shooting 3D still photos.

This remarkable reduction in size and weight is thanks to advancements in new mirror-free camera technology, and large DSLR format sensors that are more compatible with a new class of compact Micro Four Thirds (MFT) System lenses. This new class of Compact System Cameras offers a weight and compactness not seen in traditional DSLRs, yielding greater portability and creative control. The Panasonic Lumix GF3 will be available in black, white, red and brown bodies for a suggested retail prices of $699.99 with the 14mm lens kit systems shortly.

A teleconverter is an optical component that fits between camera and lens and increases the focal length without altering the minimum focusing distance. They are most commonly made in l.4x and 2x versions - although l.7x and 3x versions are also produced. Therefore, a 200mm telephoto combined with a l.4x converter would be equivalent to 280mm, while the same lens coupled with a 2x multiplier would be transformed into a 400mm lens. Converters are relatively inexpensive, light and compact, so are a convenient and economical way to expand the overall flexibility of your kit, making them a great choice for nature photographers in particular. However, there are disadvantages to using converters.

Capturing ‘natural looking’ waves

Blurry water - you either love it or loath it. I love it.

To render moving water milky, the right exposure time is essential ; too fast and the water can look messy. A good rule of thumb is to select a shutter speed of around one second or longer. This should create an attractive level of blur. Even lengthier exposures will create more atmospheric, surreal results.

Get prepared to head out into the great outdoors to shoot stunning scenery by ensuring you have the best techniques and the right gear

WE'RE NOT SURE if you've ever noticed, but the majority of stunning landscape images usually have some form of water in the scene.

Whether it's as subtle as a small river trickling through, or as obvious as a dominating sea in a coastal seascape, water represents a key element in many landscape images. One of the main reasons for this is because water is such a photographically pliable element. By using filters and/or manipulating the shutter speed, it's possible to record water in all manner of ways, from freezing its movement so droplets are suspended in mid-air, to using a long exposure to transform it into an ethereal mist. While potentially causing problems with our exposure, the reflective nature of water also plays its part in improving images too.

This simple compositional tool works by including a strong visual element in the bottom section of the frame to give extra interest

ONE OF THE BIGGEST problems facing landscape photographers can be summed up quite simply: the world is three-dimensional and a photograph is two-dimensional . One of the main reasons that landscape photographs fail is that they don't convey the sense of depth that our eyes perceive when we view a scene with our own eyes. Fortunately, there are a few compositional tricks we can employ to get round this problem.

Turn your average garden flora photography into beautiful still-lifes by learning how to master and manipulate the basics of daylight

JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SUBJECT, lighting is the key ingredient to success when photographing the plants growing and flowering in your garden. Good lighting will make your images stand out from the crowd, while poor lighting will undermine your efforts.

Early morning and late evening light are traditionally the best times for photography, with the sun's low position providing warmth and softness to the quality of light. However, neighbouring buildings, hedges and fencing mean that many gardens fall into deep shade prematurely. As a consequence, photographers may be forced to take pictures during the day instead. Daytime light can prove harsh and contrasty. However, when shooting close-ups, photographers possess far more control over lighting. It is possible to manipulate light, using shade, altering shooting position or through the use of flash or a reflector.

SONY UNVEILS THE A35

Sony has launched the Alpha 35 - a 16.2-megapixel digital SLR that will cost £680 (body only) when launched towards the end of August. Like the A33 and A55. the A35 benefits from Sony's translucent mirror technology, which allows the camera to shoot at up to 7fps (frames per second) using a new telezoom mode or 5.5fps at full resolution. The A35 steps in to an already busy sector of the market and laces stiff competition from canon's EOS 6000 and Nikon's 05100.