For the longest while, your options were highly limited in the waterproof / rugged point-and-shoot arena. In fact, it was arguably better to just buy a standard P&S camera and a waterproof casing for said camera than to worry over any of the standalone waterproof alternatives. When Canon introduced its PowerShot D10 earlier this year, we immediately noticed that this waterproof shooter was quite unlike the models before it. Outside of a somewhat bulbous casing, it didn't look drastically different than some of the thicker, non-waterproof options out there. Not to mention the respectable 12.1 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom and ten meter waterproof rating. Needless to say, we couldn't resist the opportunity to grab this bugger and test it out for a week along the shores of Playa Tamarindo in Costa Rica and Lago Cocibolca in Nicaragua, so follow us past the break to find out if this cam is the perfect accessory for your upcoming beach holiday.

It's hacky and requires some fiddling, but EOS 5D Mark II owners interested in maxing out their video abilities will want to check out the new Magic Lantern firmware developed by Trammell Hudson. The new code adds a tons of features, including on-screen audio meters, audio and video gain control with the option to disable the auto settings, zebra stripe masking of overexposed areas, and on-screen aspect ratio overlays -- and what's more, it's billed as an "open platform," so there should be many more plugins and tweaks forthcoming. Caveats apply with this early release, though: you need to reload the firmware if the camera so much as goes to sleep, and battery drain appears to be an unresolved issue. Still, we're certain these problems will be fixed over time, since we're guessing there's gonna be tons of interest in this -- if Canon would just throw us some autofocus in addition to those new manual exposure controls, we'd be all set.

[Via Wired]

Last week all the Nikon fanboys supporters were out in full-force critiquing the D5000, so we couldn't let another week slip by without giving Canon advocates (and haters, we don't discriminate) a similar chance with the T1i. Hitting the market at just about the same time, this well-specced entry-level DSLR packed a few niceties than alternative units simply did not: 1080p video, a 15.1 megapixel sensor and a price tag below $1,000. That said, there are still some areas that we reckon Canon could've improved upon, and if you feel the same way, we'd love to hear about it. Are you kosher with the 20fps 1080p mode? Is the image quality up to snuff? How's that stock lens treating you? Cut loose, won'tcha?

We'd heard it was coming and now it's here -- the just-released EOS 5D Mark II 1.1.0 firmware update adds a much-longed-for manual exposure control to the video mode. That ought to warm some budding filmmaker hearts our there -- and the rest of us can enjoy a few other minor enhancements. Fun for the whole family!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Hey, it's no autofocus, but Canon's sent word that a free firmware update is coming for the EOS 5D Mark II that'll enable manual exposure control while shooting video, including ISO and aperture settings and shutter speed. Excited? Yeah, us too. No word on what else the update might entail, but it looks like we won't have to wait long either, as the company's saying to expect the download sometime in early June.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Sure, EOS Utility will let you control the Canon DSLR of your choice from the comfort of your PC, but what if you want to add one more enticing level of indirection to the equation? Well, sport, for that, you'll need a little app for the iPhone from onOne called DSLR Remote, which connects via WiFi to a utility on your computer -- which is in turn cabled to your camera. It's not on the App Store just yet, but there'll be two versions available: Professional, for an introductory price of $9.99, which allows you to control a host of camera settings, and the $1.99 Lite, which simply lets you fire the shutter. The coolest part might be Live View compatibility, which would make a great poor man's security camera (if you can call a 5D Mark II a poor man's anything) -- if only it weren't for the instant rejection the app would face had they made it 3G-compatible, right?

[Thanks, Collin]

People are already using Canon's groundbreaking 5D Mark II to shoot feature films, but we never thought we'd see the next Jaws captured with a DSLR. 'Course, whether or not Mr. Spielberg will actually choose to use one remains to be seen, but at least the option's there now. Famed underwater imaging company Sea&Sea has just outed its newest waterproof casing, promising to keep the 1080p-capable DSLR safe for up to 60 meters under the surface. The only issue? It'll set you back almost as much as the camera body, or ¥283,500 ($2,998). Good thing you've got a Hollywood-sized budget, yeah?

[Via Akihabara News]

The summer looms, and so too does the summer vacation season. Despite the economy there are visions of great trips brewing in the backs of peoples' minds, visions that will soon turn into (hopefully) great memories -- and (hopefully) great pictures. Some folks wouldn't dream of going on those trips without an SLR slung 'round their neck or hanging at the hip, but then there are plenty of others who'd much prefer something a little more pocketable. Even for aspiring photographers there are times when lugging around five pounds of glass just isn't going to work.

There are dozens and dozens of cameras intended for casual shooters all the time or serious shooters some of the time, with models suitable for pockets of every shape and size -- and for wallets of equally varying dimensions. So, let's take a look at some of this summer's greatest, and see which comes out ahead, shall we?

Make no mistake about it, the low / mid-range DSLR battle of early 2009 is on. Just over a month ago, Canon shook up the entry-level DSLR game with a shooter that packed a 1080p video mode, a 15.1 megapixel sensor and a price tag well below the magical $1,000 mark. Right around a fortnight later, Nikon not-at-all-coincidentally issued a new shooter in its own range, one that was no doubt built to rival the previously mentioned EOS Rebel T1i. Just this week, both of these bad boys showed up on our doorstep, and we've spent every waking minute since mashing buttons and capturing memories in order to give you our take on the pair. Care to hear more? Jump on past the break... and be sure to leave your fanboy suit at the door.

We can't quite recall if the last week in April of 2008 was jam packed with camera introductions, but you can go ahead and pencil this little stretch down as quite an important time in the lives of DSLR junkies. Nary 24 hours after we gave you our pair of pennies on Nikon's D5000, Canon's EOS Rebel T1i (its arch enemy, just so you know) has arrived. Based on specifications alone, the T1i looks like a much more serious shooter than the D5000, though its kit package -- which also includes an 18-55mm IS EF-S lens -- runs you $50 more and omits that all-too-intriguing articulating display.


Instead, you get a fixed 3-inch Live View display (like the more expensive D90 over on the Nikon front), a 1080p movie mode (which trumps all Nikon DSLRs at the moment and matches the mighty EOS 5D Mark II), a ISO sensitivity up to 12,800 (the D5000 tops out at 6,400) and a 15.1 megapixel sensor (compared to the 12.3MP sensor in the D90 and D5000). We're going to run out and pit these two against each other in order to bring you a more thorough showdown soon, but for now, hop on past the break to see how the T1i -- which is shipping to the public today as well -- stacks up against the D5000 on paper. Oh, and check out the gallery if you're intrigued by world class knock-down-drag-outs.

Streaky lines on your G10 photos? Don't call MUFON, hit up your local Canon repair center. The company is acknowledging an issue that results in small, horizontal defects like that pictured above. Apparently such aberrations seem to appear at random, regardless of camera settings, but the affected units' serial numbers are at least easy to pick out at the read link. Not exactly good news for Canon, hot on the heels of the 50D vertical banding fix, but at least it isn't attempting some sort of cover-up.

Update: LimeyHoya commented to let us know Canon USA has posted up the same notice, meaning you can now figure out if you're affected without having to ponder any abstract Google Translate koans.

[Via Impress]