Going around in circles

It seems like ring flash is the rage now. We'd spotted an LED ring light for point-and-shoot cameras last week, and now we have the Ray Flash from Expo Imaging, as well as a conceptual shooter with built-in ring flash.

The Ray Flash is an adapter for your hotshoe flash unit and is currently compatible only with Canon's 580EX series and Nikon's SB800. This is clearly targeted at dSLR users who are venturing into fashion and portraiture photography. The light from the Ray Flash is soft and wraps around the subject, producing an almost shadow-less picture. The great thing about it is you still get to utilize the TTL (through-the-lens) function on the camera so your picture will be properly exposed.

Well, at a price of US$249.95 on its Web site, we think you'll be better off getting a ring flash unit from the manufacturer though.

The Ring Flash Camera is a concept camera by Lysandre Follet. Although there is no mention about its specification, it is not hard to gather from the tagline "now you're ready to become a fashion photographer" that this shooter is targeted at future David Lachapelle wannabes. Hopefully, when it's commercially available it won't go under the umbrella of Lomography.com and be overpriced.

Toss, catch and snap

Researchers Izumi Yagi and Mitsuyoshi Kimura at Okude Laboratory were probably playing a game of catch when the inspiration to develop the Tospom struck.

This ball-shaped camera takes a picture of the receiver when he catches the ball. The rationale, according to its inventors, is to engage the photographer and his subject while snapping a picture and also to "draw out a more natural and relaxed expression from the subject".

While its Web site gave a demonstration of how to use it, it didn't state how it worked. All we can figure out about the Tospom (besides taking pictures of the receiver) is that you can also hold a special bracelet over the ball to view old images. There is also no mention of image resolution or memory expansion slots.

The Tospom is currently being demonstrated at several research forum and international conferences. While it is not commercially available yet, we're sure it's going to take some really wacky shots (not of us) if it lands in our hands.

Don't mind us as we clear a section of the wall to pin up the pictures of unsuspecting passersby who're going to get a Tospom hurled at them.

Click for larger images:

Modify your Canon compact

It seems there is no gadget that cannot be hacked. When Sony's PSP was first released, a homebrew firmware was spotted online a few days later. Now, even digicam firmware can be modified to fully utilize its hardware.

The CHDK (Canon Hacker's Development Kit) is an open-source software that creates more shooting options (RAW image capture) and controls (max shutter speed of 1/60,000) for your Canon point-and-shoot that uses the DIGIC II and III processor. It is claimed by the developers that the camera's hardware is able to support many more functions, and is just being held back by the original firmware. What CHDK does is to "liberate" the system.

This upgrade is making its rounds on the Web, spawning fans and even its own forums where both programmers and users talk about their experience and how they can make CHDK even better.

It is stated by the developers that the firmware will not replace the original in the camera, and also that "the process is reversible". However, we don't advocate the usage of third-party firmware or upgrades because if the camera is damaged while using unauthorized software, the manufacturer's warranty is void.

If you're already using this firmware, you can share your feedback and experience here.

Sony unveils its smallest 1080i AVCHD Handycam

Sony calls its latest Handycam HDR-TG1 "the lightest and most compact AVCHD camcorder available in the market today". And it's not hard to see why. The TG1 comes in a handy 32 x 119 x 63mm, which is about the size of most compact still cameras today and weighs just 300g, thanks in part to its lightweight titanium chassis.

It's not just the tiny size of the TG1 that has captured our attention. Scroll through the specs sheet and you will find a plethora of onboard features, from 1080i video recording and 4-megapixel still image capture to Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound recording. It also sports a BIONZ processing engine (that is used on the Sony Alpha dSLRs) and Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar 10x optical zoom lens.
Read more »

Ring flash for compacts

Sometimes our macro shots turn out underexposed because we're blocking the light source. We don't like the harsh shadows created by the built-in flash, so we tuck and bend our bodies to awkward angles just to get some light on our subjects.

Well, those days may soon be over with the LED Ring Light from Marumi. With eight LED arranged in a circular fashion, your compact shooter's lens will protrude through the ring, while being attached to the three AAA-sized battery pack. A 12-cm flexible arm connects the flash to the power source so this gizmo can be adjusted to fit the majority of point-and-shoot units.

There are two light intensities to choose from, and the LED is daylight balanced so you don't have to worry about weird color cast on your subject. We harbored the thought of changing the LEDs to colored ones though, just for fun.

The ring flash is a bit pricey at US$126, but if you insist, you can get it here.

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