Product Reviews.
The following sections link to archived pages of reviews we've produced. Please feel free to comment and send us your thoughts.
Photoshop and Other Imaging Tools and plug-ins.
55mm Version 5
An excellent Suite of plug-in for emulating many real world filters and effects.
Exposure 1.0
An excellent Photoshop plug-in which emulates the look and feel of 35mm film.
Rectilinear Panorama Pro 1.2.1
A Photoshop plug-in for correcting barrel distortion and other optical distortions.
Painter IX Review
A look at the excellent natural media emulation and illustration tool from Corel.
Offsite Reviews
ACDSee 7 Powerpack
Image viewing, cataloging and editing
ACDSee Pro Photo Manager 8
Vview, process, edit, organize, catalog, publish and archives photos
Adobe Creative Suite 2 Premium Edition
Mmaster suite of creative tools for all aspects of digital, web and print design
Adobe Photoshop CS
Version 8 of the powerful photo & graphics editor
ArcSoft PhotoStudio v5
Basic digital image editing software
AutoFX AutoEye 2.0
Automated image enhancement plug-in for Photoshop
Digital Art Shop Photoshop Plug-ins
Special filters for pen & ink, photofilm and sketch effects
Dogwaffle v1.6
Powerful, professional paint program
Extensis Photo Imaging Suite
Creative plug-ins and file management for Photoshop
Mystical Tint, Tone & Color
Powerful image enhancement plug-in for Photoshop
openCanvas 3 & 3 Plus
High quality drawing program, Photoshop compatible
PD Pro (formerly Project Dogwaffle) v3.1
Powerful brushes and color controls in a unique paint program
Photo Genetics
Intelligent digital photo editing software
Sketch Master v1.19
Photoshop plug-in for creating painterly brush effects on digital photos
Virtual Painter 4
Apply powerful painterly and artistic effects to digital photos
Hardware
Intuos3 A5 Wide / 6x11 Graphics Tablet
A high resolution, high quality pressure sensitive digital pen & tablet
Zigview Viewfinder
Use this accessory with your digital SLR to grab unusual and low angle shots.
Offsite Reviews
Apple iPod 30GB (video model, 5G)
A multimedia player and PDA for music, video, movies and still images
Belkin Media Reader for iPod w/Dock
Transfer digital photos from storage cards to your iPod
Dazzle USB 2.0 Hi-Speed 8 in 1 Card Reader
fast, versatile card reader/writer
MemoryFrame USB Digital Photo Frame
LCD digital photo display device
The Nikon 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 G ED-IF AF-S VR DX Zoom-Nikkor lens is a compact zoom which, despite its small size, aspires to be something akin to it's bigger, beefier and significantly more expensive brethren. In fact, there is nothing from any lens maker (including Canon, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina, Olympus, Pentax, Leica or Sony) which covers the 18-200mm zoom range at this quality level with or without vibration reduction (VR). I tested the lens with four cameras: D50, D70, D70S and a D200. It's well made, operates smoothly and works in a range of lighting and subject conditions that makes a lot of other lenses look very bad indeed by comparison. More . . .
If it's true that good things come in small packages, is it also true that better things comes in even tinier packages? While the Nikon Coolpix L3 digital point & shoot camera may not be the smallest one around, it's certainly compact enough to make even technically knowledgeable people wonder just how many features can be packed into its diminutive case. In fact, the L3 is a full-featured, 5.1 megapixel camera, built sturdy enough for everyday use, and just large enough to be handled comfortably.
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The D200 is dust and water resistant and offers the same excellent ergonomics found in all of the professional line of Nikon camera bodies. This one is designed to be used all day, every day, and offers the magnesium alloy frame construction, assembly quality, balance, weight and control positioning needed to help you take shot after shot without frustration or fatigue. I tested the D200 with the following Nikon Nikkor lenses: 12-24mm f/3.5-5.6 DX zoom, 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 DX VR zoom, 17-55 f/2.8 zoom, 18-70 f/3.5-5.6 DX zoom, 70-300 DX ED zoom, 105mm f/2.8 micro, 50mm f/1.4, 70-200mm f/2.8 VR zoom, 70-210mm f/4 zoom, as well as the Sigma 18-50mm f/2.8 EX DC zoom. There is everything to like about the D200 and little or nothing to dislike. It's fully compatible with almost every modern SLR lens ever made by Nikon.
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The Nikon D50 digital SLR camera is the venerable manufacturer's offering to families interested in the versatility of an SLR combined with the automated ease of use of a point & shoot camera. The D50 is compatible with the entire line of Nikon/Nikkor autofocus lenses. It's also got lots and lots of buffer memory, which means that you don't have to buy the more expensive high speed SD memory cards. Using the very basic zoom lenses supplied with the review unit, the quality of images captured by the 6.1 megapixel sensor is very good. Add a Nikon 12-24mm wide angle zoom and image quality is even better, with crisp definition, stunning clarity, sharper focus throughout, faster zoom, and faster focus.
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Although Nikon's reputation for dominance in the professional photography business is well known, like Canon (its fiercest competitor), Nikon has also been producing a healthy selection of competitively priced consumer point & shoot cameras for many years. If you want some sort of guarantee of good quality, it makes sense to start considering a camera from a maker already known for its quality. Introduced in 2006. Fast F2.7-5.3 optics. Built-in Nikon Vibration Reduction (VR) is an absolute joy in situations where you can't stabilize the camera or when you're shooting at full zoom in average or poor light.
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The Nikon Coolpix S3 digital camera is a slim, portable device designed to be carried anywhere you might encounter an opportunity to take a photo. At six megapixels it's nothing to sneer at and offers a range of features and functions which make it worthy of consideration for anyone who needs a good quality, full featured point & shoot camera without the cost associated with the higher-end models. The time lapse movie mode was a riot and we caught everything from lilies unfolding in the morning sun to children building a crazy sand castle on the beach.
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Nikon Coolpix S4 Digital Camera
A fast, good quality, versatile 6mp point & shoot camera
Spyder2PRO Studio
Quick, accurate monitor calibration and color management
Books
Basic Critical Theory for Photographers
An excellent reference book on photographic analysis, cultural theories and historical perspectives.
Digital Collage and Painting - Review
A book for anyone interested in digital painting or creating digital collages with Painter and Photoshop.
Digital Heritage - Review
An excellent reference book covering the digitizing and preservation of artifacts, objet's d'art, and heritage archives.
d'artiste - Digital Artists Master Class: Matte Painting
Some excellent info for imageers, featuring top flight tutorials for pros and budding pros, and plenty of excellent images.
ILEX Digital Studio Series for Photoshop
Comprehensive Photoshop learning and reference books presented in a recipe based four/five-part series.
Window Seat: The Art of Digital Photography & Creative Thinking
An intense photojournal about the creative digital photography process
Offsite Reviews
Adobe Photoshop CS2 for Photographers
A detailed reference guide for advanced users
Adobe Photoshop CS One-on-One
A superb guide for beginner & intermediate users
Adobe Photoshop Elements 4 & Premiere Elements 2 All in One
A tutorial and reference guide
Al Ward's Photoshop Productivity Toolkit
A thorough explanation and library of Photoshop Actions
Color Confidence
The Digital Photographer's Guide to Color Management
Creating Striking Graphics with Maya and Photoshop
A case-study based reference and projects book on these excellent tools.
d'artiste: Character Modeling
Learn and understand techniques used by some of the best CG artists in the business
Digital Art Photography for Dummies
Techniques and ideas for creative shooting
Digital Photography Pocket Guide, 2nd Edition
A concise reference book
Digital Photography Workshops—Portraits
Aa good beginner to intermediate entry in this popular series of books
Expose 4
A compendium of the finest CG art and illustrations
Hidden Power of PhotoShop Elements 2
Learn this superb image editor
Julie King's Everyday Photoshop for Photographers
A Photoshop guide for digital photography enthusiasts
Mastering Digital Photography and Imaging
Authoritative and friendly guidance
Painter IX for Photographers
A comprehensive reference guide for intermediate & professional users of Painter
Photo Finish:
A Digital Photographer's Guide to Printing, Showing, and Selling Images
Photoshop 5 Productivity Kit
Creative reference for all versions
Photoshop 7 at Your Fingertips
A definitive reference text
Photoshop 7 Learning Studio
A top-notch learning tool for all levels
Photoshop CS Trickery and FX
Tutorials and examples for creating exotic FX in Photoshop
Photoshop CS2 QuickSteps
A comprehensive range of tutorials for Creative Suite 2
Photoshop for Right Brainers: The Art of Photo Manipulation
Intermediate+ photo editing techniques
PhotoShop Savvy 7
A detailed guide to PhotoShop 7
Sams Teach Yourself Adobe Photoshop CS in 24 Hours
G
et started quickly and easily
Shooting Digital: Pro Tips
Advice, guidance and how-to for digital photographers
Show Me! Adobe Photoshop CS
Well designed, step-by-step tutorials
The Art of Photoshop by Daniel Giordan
Excellent addition to any Photoshop collection
The Art of Photoshop CS2 Edition -
Advanced instruction & tutorial book and CD
The Essential Digital Manipulation Manual for Photographers
Advanced techniques in Photoshop
Got a tip or a favoured tool you want to share some information about let us know.
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