Check out the November issue of Macworld magazine for an
extensive digicam feature. Unfortunately, Macworld has decided to
cease posting magazine articles on its web site so you'll need to
find the hard copy to read this otherwise comprehensive review.
Likewise the newest issue of PC Magazine also has a digicam
feature, this one online at http://www.pcmag.com/article/0,2997,s%253D1590%2526a%253D17485,00.asp
Finally, below is an article from a recent Wall Street Journal
column on digicam web sites.
Kent Lufkin
November 5, 2001
E-World
Web Sites Offer Whole Picture
When Picking a Digital Camera
By THOMAS E. WEBER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
WITH HOLIDAY SHOPPING on the horizon, you may be thinking about buying a digital camera this year -- either as a gift for a loved one or maybe as a treat for yourself. But jumping into the world of digital photography can be daunting, thanks to a thicket of technical specifications and jargon.
Fortunately, you can find help online. A handful of smart, informative sites devoted to digital cameras have evolved on the Web. They offer reviews and guidance, along with opportunities to ask questions of fellow visitors. For anyone about to plunk down hundreds of dollars on photographic equipment, these sites boast must-read material.
But they aren't just great resources. These sites are also remarkable for the way they're produced. They're mostly garage businesses, put together by a handful of people working out of basements and dens.
They aren't affiliated with any big media conglomerates or established photography magazines. Instead, in the best tradition of Internet publishing, they have given individuals a global voice.
"This has all grown by word of mouth," says Phil Askey, who runs a site called Digital Photography Review (www.dpreview.com1). "If you have quality content, people will come."
MR. ASKEY IS a 29-year-old former Web developer who launched his site in his spare time early in 1999 with a single review of a Canon digital camera. By the end of 1999, he had given up his full-time job for good. He publishes DP Review from his home in London, working with his wife, Joanna, and a few contributors.
Visitors to the site find a front page dominated by daily news updates, mostly concerning new digital-photo products. (Recent headlines: "Possibly the Smallest Digicam in the World?" and "Pentax Announces Optio 430.") But the heart of the site is its library of Mr. Askey's painstakingly detailed reviews of individual cameras.
A typical example is his September review of Nikon's Coolpix 885 camera, a 19-page opus neatly organized into sections on overall design, controls, features and specifications. The review is extensively illustrated -- the camera is shown from every conceivable angle -- and discussions of control panels are supplemented by photos showing actual readouts on the camera.
Mr. Askey also provides sample images taken with the camera, which can be compared with similar images from rival cameras. For hard-core devotees, these include images of color test strips and resolution charts as well as everyday snapshots of people and outdoor scenes.
Visit the E-World Center2.
Best of all are Mr. Askey's "Conclusions" pages. He boils each camera down to a list of pros and cons. For the Coolpix 885, he favored the small size and weight, but panned the length of time the camera takes to boot up. He winds up by proclaiming it "an ideal camera for those just getting into digital photography who are looking for a compact camera that they can 'grow into.' "
DP Review was seen by more than 2.3 million unique visitors last month, according to Mr. Askey. It and similar photo-review sites make money by displaying ads and linking to retailer sites. When readers click through to a store to buy a camera, the site operator gets a commission.
"I've been profitable from day one," says Dave Etchells, proprietor of the Imaging Resource(www.imaging-resource.com3).
November 5, 2001
E-World
Web Sites Offer Whole Picture
When Picking a Digital Camera
By THOMAS E. WEBER
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
WITH HOLIDAY SHOPPING on the horizon, you may be thinking about buying a digital camera this year -- either as a gift for a loved one or maybe as a treat for yourself. But jumping into the world of digital photography can be daunting, thanks to a thicket of technical specifications and jargon.
Fortunately, you can find help online. A handful of smart, informative sites devoted to digital cameras have evolved on the Web. They offer reviews and guidance, along with opportunities to ask questions of fellow visitors. For anyone about to plunk down hundreds of dollars on photographic equipment, these sites boast must-read material.
But they aren't just great resources. These sites are also remarkable for the way they're produced. They're mostly garage businesses, put together by a handful of people working out of basements and dens.
They aren't affiliated with any big media conglomerates or established photography magazines. Instead, in the best tradition of Internet publishing, they have given individuals a global voice.
"This has all grown by word of mouth," says Phil Askey, who runs a site called Digital Photography Review (www.dpreview.com1). "If you have quality content, people will come."
MR. ASKEY IS a 29-year-old former Web developer who launched his site in his spare time early in 1999 with a single review of a Canon digital camera. By the end of 1999, he had given up his full-time job for good. He publishes DP Review from his home in London, working with his wife, Joanna, and a few contributors.
Visitors to the site find a front page dominated by daily news updates, mostly concerning new digital-photo products. (Recent headlines: "Possibly the Smallest Digicam in the World?" and "Pentax Announces Optio 430.") But the heart of the site is its library of Mr. Askey's painstakingly detailed reviews of individual cameras.
A typical example is his September review of Nikon's Coolpix 885 camera, a 19-page opus neatly organized into sections on overall design, controls, features and specifications. The review is extensively illustrated -- the camera is shown from every conceivable angle -- and discussions of control panels are supplemented by photos showing actual readouts on the camera.
Mr. Askey also provides sample images taken with the camera, which can be compared with similar images from rival cameras. For hard-core devotees, these include images of color test strips and resolution charts as well as everyday snapshots of people and outdoor scenes.
Visit the E-World Center2.
Best of all are Mr. Askey's "Conclusions" pages. He boils each camera down to a list of pros and cons. For the Coolpix 885, he favored the small size and weight, but panned the length of time the camera takes to boot up. He winds up by proclaiming it "an ideal camera for those just getting into digital photography who are looking for a compact camera that they can 'grow into.' "
DP Review was seen by more than 2.3 million unique visitors last month, according to Mr. Askey. It and similar photo-review sites make money by displaying ads and linking to retailer sites. When readers click through to a store to buy a camera, the site operator gets a commission.
"I've been profitable from day one," says Dave Etchells, proprietor of the Imaging Resource(www.imaging-resource.com3).
E-mail Tom Weber at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Mr. Etchells, 47, declines to discuss financial details but says he managed to turn the site into a full-time business gradually, without going into debt. He gets help from his wife ("She's the long-suffering model" in the sample photos, he says.) and his two teenage sons, who help produce test photos and maintain the site's database.
Mr. Etchells, 47, declines to discuss financial details but says he managed to turn the site into a full-time business gradually, without going into debt. He gets help from his wife ("She's the long-suffering model" in the sample photos, he says.) and his two teenage sons, who help produce test photos and maintain the site's database.
ALONG WITH THE SITES of Mr. Askey and Mr. Etchells, two other sites comprise the core of digital-camera wisdom online. Steve's Digicams (www.steves-digicams.com5) is the creation of Steve Sanders, a photography enthusiast in Florida. And Digital Camera Resource Page(www.dcresource.com6) is produced by Jeff Keller in California.
These sites all compete with each other, especially when it comes to being first with news of a new camera or a review of an especially interesting model. But it's still a fairly collegial group. The editors often refer to reviews at competitors' sites and even offer links. For readers, it can be helpful to compare reviews of a specific camera at each of the sites.
An occupational hazard for these Web-site editors is a constant barrage of e-mails asking for help picking out the right camera. Mr. Keller says some readers have even offered to pay him to pick out a model to buy. He turns them down.
Receive e-mail notifying you of the latest publication of E-World. See the Personal Journal e-mail setup page7 for details on how to subscribe.
"I honestly can't answer what's best" for other people, he says. "You have to make up your own mind."
Mr. Keller and his rivals do have some tips for approaching the reviews, though. The most important thing, they say, is to decide what the camera will be used for. Then, select possible candidates accordingly. The new crop of four and five megapixel cameras can produce giant enlargements, but they're overkill for those who mainly want snapshots or 5x7-inch prints.
Most of all, they say, look at the sample photos and make sure you're impressed with the image quality.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
URL for this Article:
http://interactive.wsj.com/archive/retrieve.cgi?id=SB1004910803481025480.djm
Hyperlinks in this Article:
(1) http://www.dpreview.com/
(2) http://interactive.wsj.com/archive/retrieve.cgi?id=SB1003700858294355120.djm
(3) http://www.imaging-resource.com/
(4) mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
(5) http://www.steves-digicams.com/
(6) http://www.dcresource.com/
(7) http://interactive.wsj.com/user-cgi-bin/searchUser.pl?action=emailalert
