Flipbac your shots

Digicams with tilt-and-swivel LCDs always have a place in our hearts. One reason is that they facilitate taking pictures in awkward angles. However, most point-and-shoots on the market do not come with such displays. This is because the implementation usually results in bulkier cameras.

But now, there is Flipbac, an angle finder which uses a mirror to reflect the scene off your LCD which simulates a screen that is able to tilt. What's more, this gadget can be used in either landscape or portrait mode due to its dual-hinge design. When not in use, it can also protect the display from scratches. The best part is, it doesn't seem to add much in thickness to the shooter.

But take note that since the view from Flipbac is a reflection, the scene will be shown as a mirror-image. So I guess you can forget about navigating menus with it.

Currently, Flipbac is compatible with most cameras that have a 3-inch LCD. The price of US$19.99 is pretty affordable and you can get from its Website.

Cozy Camera Bag keeps shooters warm

Cold weather does two things to your camera. First, it depletes the battery much faster, and secondly, when you move between indoors (warm) and outdoors, there is a chance that there will be condensation on the digicam sensor and lenses.

When photographer Billy Doran saw other shutterbugs holding their shooters inside their jackets in cold weather, he had a flash of brilliance: By stitching neoprene, nylon and fleece together, he created the Cozy Camera Bag.

This is a jacket for dSLRs (since most point-and-shoots are already quite portable) and you just have to slip your shooter in to use it. There is an opening on the right end for you to slip your hand in to operate the camera.

I don't know why it took so long for someone to figure this solution out for shooting in cold weather, but I'm glad Doran did. It is available online but the price is a little steep at US$139. If you intend to shoot a lot in winter land, then this jacket is a must. Just don't forget to keep yourself warm, too.

Canon working on black dot fix for new SLR

Canon has acknowledged the "black dot" problem that mars some shots taken with its new 5D Mark II camera and is preparing "correction firmware" designed to deal with the problem, the company said.

"We are currently investigating ways to improve and/or mitigate these phenomena. An announcement will be made on the Canon Web site when measures to address these phenomena have been decided," according to a statement dated 17 December that appeared on Canon's Australian support and service Web site.
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Limited edition Leica D-Lux 4

Famed camera and optics maker Leica has announced that it will be launching a limited edition version of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 equivalent, the D-Lux 4, in January 2009.

The collector's item will have a limited run of 10,000 and come in a silver-grey finish, instead of the usual black. But what makes it more exclusive would be its matching leather case, which its press release states will be in the same hue as the shooter.

At an earlier press event, Leica told us the retail price for the normal D-Lux 4 is S$950 (US$674.67), which is approximately S$200 (US$142.04) more than the Lumix DMC-LX3. It wasn't stated how much the limited edition D-Lux 4 will set you back, but we are sure it won't be cheap. There are rumblings on the Web saying that this premium version will sell for US$1,400, which is pretty steep for a point-and-shoot.

Would you pay so much for a collector's item? Share your thoughts with us below.

Adobe Lightroom 2.2 supports 5D Mark II

Adobe Systems released Lightroom 2.2 on Monday night, catching up the photography software's support for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and several other newer cameras, building in the camera profiles feature, and mashing a number of bugs.

The update (downloads available for Mac OS X and Windows) is the second half of Adobe's one-two punch for supporting the RAW image files produced by several higher-end cameras. The first half came in late November when Adobe updated Photoshop's RAW-conversion software.

RAW files provide more editing flexibility than camera-produced JPEGs, but they also require manual processing. Software such as Lightroom and Apple's Aperture can handle this processing, along with cataloging, labeling, and printing. With the constant parade of new cameras, the software must be frequently updated.
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