Nikon mystery firmware unmasked

With the debut of the Nikon D90, a third and mysterious L firmware module appeared below the A and B readouts on the camera. Until now, no one has really known what it was for.

Estimable former CNET freelancer and prolific book author David Busch took the time to solve the mystery and share the results in his blog: it's for the updateable lens database. Not the most thrilling news in and of itself, but interesting when you consider that it can also hold lens-specific distance information, which can theoretically improve performance of many of the subsystems, such as metering and Live View autofocus, in the D90 and all supporting dSLRs.

Via CNET Crave

Rear view mirror with built-in video camera

Those who drive will know that when accidents happen, fingers start pointing and blame would be pushed around. The best way to solve this problem is to have a neutral third party who saw the accident. Enter the rear view mirror with a built-in video camera means you can now find out who's at fault even without a human witness.

This device clamps onto your existing rear view mirror and has a 2.5-inch LCD on the left side to show you what's being recorded. The adjustable lens ensures you get a clear shot of the front. As for storage, it relies on SD cards so you can transfer the clips to a computer for viewing. A nice touch to the videocam is that it automatically begins recording once you start your vehicle.

If you're interested, Brickhouse Security is shipping the gadget for US$400. I think this is a small price to pay for an extra eye on the roads.

Via Coolest Gadgets

An Unlikely Weapon--a photography documentary

Find the above picture familiar? It was taken by photographer Eddie Adams during the Vietnam War. On the left is General Nguyen Ngoc Loan, and on the right, a Vietcong. The General was vilified after this photo was published worldwide, and some people said two lives were taken when Adams pressed the shutter--the General's and the Vietcong's. Some critics argued that a third life was destroyed, too, for the photographer was haunted by this picture for a long time.

An Unlikely Weapon: The Eddie Adams Story is a documentary that explores Adams, who passed away in 2004, as an artist who had shot for various publications, from Times to Penthouse. But the emphasis would be on his documentation of 13 wars and how he got so jaded by violence that he decided to take pictures of celebrities instead.

The film will open on April 10 in New York. It is not yet confirmed whether any cinemas in Asia will be showing it, but I'm pretty sure you can grab a DVD copy from online stores in due time.

Via PDN Pulse

White Leica M8 suits Stormtroopers

If you have about 10 grand to spare in the economic downturn, what would you do with it? Invest in safe stock options? Or plonk it on this shiny, white limited-edition Leica M8?

This shooter was spotted on tech blog site, Luxist, which reported that following the Safari edition, Leica will be announcing a white version real soon, with extremely limited quantities to be produced. The German camera maker has yet to announce a price, but another tech blog site Crunchgear estimates the white digital rangefinder camera will cost the same as the Safari version, which totals to about US$10,000.

I wonder if the lens accompanying the M8 will be white as well? That will really make it a collector's item as Leica had previously only manufactured its optics in mainly silver or black barrels. So a white one would definitely stand out.

Via Luxist and CrunchGear

Only 16, and probably tomorrow's superstar photographers

I looked at the pictures I snapped when I was 16, and then looked at what Chrissie White and Eleanor Hardwick have shot, and felt real despair. How on Earth did these two 16-year olds conceptualize such mind-blowing images?

White hails from Seattle, while Hardwick is based in Oxford. However, the works between these two ladies are so eerily similar they could have been easily mistaken for each other's photographs. Also, their snaps have been featured in established publications such as BBC.

Maybe it's a trend that young photographers are adopting these days, but I noticed that both White and Hardwick take incredible self-portraits. While some critics may say that they are narcissists, I would prefer to think of their efforts as an act of self expression.

White has agreed to be featured on our Snapshots column, so check back with us soon to see more of her works. As for Hardwick, she has yet to reply, but you can view more of her pictures on her Web site.

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