At Kirk’s Cameras, we have a lot of people coming in looking for a competitively priced entry-level DSLR that provides fantastic performance for first time DSLR buyers. The Canon EOS 1000D is often an option we will put forward to customers, let’s have a look why…

The EOS 1000D has been designed for those photographers who are keen to upgrade from a digicam to a far more capable, however easy going, DSLR camera. The camera is host to a 10.1 megapixel sensor, capturing great photos of an amazing quality and sharpness for those who aren’t so savvy with a DSLR. All over, the camera is small, however still includes a 2.5 inch LCD screen. It also has the ability to capture in 3.0fps continuous shooting mode in JPEG.

The camera has been updated in regards to its dust reduction, doing a professional job. Live View is also available on the EOS 1000D, along with a sharp and precise picture on screen and when printed. One of the best features about the EOS 1000D - which will captivate many photographers - is that operation time is very fast, with the highest quality. As an entry level DSLR, what is not to like!

Our friendly and experienced staff at Kirk’s Cameras are keen to meet with you at our Ringwood store, so come on in and ask as many questions as you like!

If you are on the lookout for a compact digital SLR with the capabilities of a larger model, look no further! Canon has released a new compact DSLR - the twelve megapixel EOS 450D. This camera has been all the rage in our Ringwood store, with many questions being asked, so lets have a brief look at some of the specifications!

On the surface the EOS 450D is a very similar camera to the previous EOS 400D, however there are various significant improvements. These include a 12 megapixel CMOS sensor, enabling photographers to take that clear, precise and professional image they desire. The EOS 450D has a whopping 3 inch LCD monitor, to view and edit all of your beautifully taken photos in fantastic quality.  The camera comes with a traditional inbuilt pop-up flash, to excite any avid photographer.

The EOS 450D is essentially a camera designed primarily to be refined and improved. The battery life is now of a higher capacity, and the viewfinder is larger than it has ever been. The Live View now includes both AF modes - contrast detect and passive. And, of course, the range of in camera editing options are endless, enabling you to chop and change as much as you like onboard and have your pictures ready to print!

Come on down to Kirk’s Cameras in Ringwood, and we will give you a demonstration of this fanastic camera, and advise you of all of the accessories you will need!

Image quality is one of the most important aspects to consider when purchasing a digital camera - if not the most important. Every photographer, no matter what experience level, wants to have those beautiful, sharp photos, but does higher resolution make the image quality better?

It is important to firstly understand what image resolution is. Image resolution describes the detail a photo or image holds. The higher the resolution - the better the detail within your photo. Resolution can be measured in a number of ways, however most typically via megapixels, and the more megixels you have the higher the image detail or resolution.

So, essentially, image quality based on higher resolution is very dependent on the photographers desired outcome. If you wish to have a a sharp and detailed image, then certainly, the higher the resolution the better the image quality. However, if you are quite an expressive or artistic photographer, you may feel that image quality is not necessarily a measure of the sharpness and detail of the picture - it may be, to you, that colour or richness defines the image quality. 

It is also very dependent on your camera and its megapixels, meaning that the less megapixels your camera has the lower the resolution and therefore the image quality. This is often based heavily on the amount of money you spend on your camera - typically a more expensive camera will have more megapixels or higher resolution in general. At Kirk’s Cameras we can guide you as to which cameras have the best resolution for the best prices - so give us a call or come on in!

Olympus’s new EP-1 camera has hit stores and we have had many of our customers come in to our store and quiz our staff about the specifications of this new and unusual digital SLR camera. A small, compact and attractive camera, the EP-1 possesses the features and abilities of that of a bulkier and heavier DSLR camera. Let’s have a look at some of the technicalities and abilities and this brand new camera…

The EP-1 includes a 12.3 megapixel sensor, allowing photographers to capture both still images and video with precise and sharp image quality. The EP-1’s sensor takes a rich, colourful picture that will more than satisfy any photographer, and to add to this the EP-1 includes a low-resolution, 3 inch wide LCD screen, with 176 degrees viewing angle. This enables photographers to takes beautiful photos, and view them on a high quality screen.

Despite its size, The EP-1 has the option of interchangable lenses, giving photographers many different alternatives of style and aspect in their images. Users can make the most of this pocketable camera, however still alternate their lenses to suit their needs and levels of ability. The EP-1 comes with a Built In Stabiliser, guarenteeing a reliable and stable image no matter where or how you take it!

Finally, what excites most people about the Olympus EP-1 is it’s ability to capture full High Definition video footage, at a level equal to a common cam-corder. Hand in hand with the sensor and option of inter-changable lenses, the EP-1 can capture the best in movie recording for your needs.

The team at Kirk’s Cameras look forward to hearing from you, so come on in to our Ringwood store and we’ll give you the low-down on this compact and clever DSLR!

Olympus’s new EP-1 camera has hit stores, and many of our customers are keen to discover the specifications of this new digital SLR camera. A small, compact and attractive camera, the EP-1 possesses the features and abilities of a more bulky and heavy DSLR camera. Let’s have a look at some of the technicalities of this wonderful camera…

12.3 Megapixel - The EP-1 includes a 12.3 megapixel sensor, allowing photographers to capture both still images and video with precise and sharp image quality. The EP-1’s sensor takes a rich, colourful picture that will more than satisfy any photographer.

HD Movie recording - The EP-1 is able to capture video footage in full High Definition, and - hand in hand with the sensor - takes a spectacular move, beyond the quality of many camcorders.

Interchangeable lenses - The EP-1, despite its size, has the option of interchangable lenses. Users can make the most of this pocketable camera, however still alternate their lenses to suit their needs and levels of ability.

3 inch LCD - The LCD screen included on the EP-1 is a large 3 inches wide, with low resolution, and its viewing angle is that of 176 degrees.

There are many more exciting new features included in the Olympus EP-1. A few other specifications include:

ISO 6400 (max)

Built In Image Stabiliser

Come and visit Kirk’s Cameras or give us a call, and we can give you the low-down on some more of the Olympus EP-1’s elaborate and exciting new specs!

When purchasing your new DSLR camera, it is important that you know what you need, and for what purpose you need it. Every single lens camera bought in a kit - whether digital or standard - comes with a ‘Kit Lens’. However, for our eager photographers, this kit lens may not be quite what you’re after - you may need to investigate your options of purchasing a specialty lens.

What is a ‘Kit Lens’? A kit lens is a starter lens sold bundled with a DSLR or SLR camera. It is generally an reasonably inexpensive lens, with basic qualities, but perfect for a beginner photographer. The kit lens you receive most likely will be a zoom lens, ranging from medium wide-angle to mild telephoto. Some higher end or more expensive DLSRs will not come with a kit lens, as they are expected to be bought separetly.

For a photographer looking to capture a specific style of image, a specialty lens may be the way to go. Specialty lenses are typically broken down into five categories - fast, fish-eye, wide, lensbaby and tilt and shift. A brief knowledge of each can assist you in making a decision.

A fast lens enables you to shoot in low light without compromising your shutter speed, and you can shoot extremely shallow depth of field. Many photographers love shooting landscapes and group shots - a wide lens is perfect, giving you the option of capturing a broad image. Effectively, a fish-eye lens is a super wide lens without the geometric correction - meaning that the edges of the image distort to fit the image in. The lensbaby is mounted onto the end of a bellows, allowing you to tilt the lens to change the centre of focus and create a smeared effect. Finally, the element of a tilt and shift lens can be moved side to side and up and down.

So, when you buy your DSLR camera, you need to know whether to purchase purely the body of the camera, or also the kit lens. Kirk’s Cameras in Ringwood are more than happy to advise you, and point you in the right direction, so come in and visit our team!

The hype is going to find out about Olympus’s most recent and exciting digital SLR camera. The Olympus EP-1 is a camera very alternate to most - if you are looking for something small, compact, reminiscent of the 1960’s style film camera with amazing specifications and abilities you are on the right track!

The Olympus EP-1 is based on the 35mm Pen camera, released in 1959. This Pen was produced to counter and challenge other companies to design a camera small enough to pocket with inter-changable lenses. Olympus has manufactured the EP-1 as a digital SLR, with all the capabilities of their standard DSLRs. The clever camera has a sleek appearance, combining contemporary with retro, giving photographers the wonderful option of a small, high quality and attractive digital camera.

In terms of performance, the EP-1 is top of the range. The Olympus E-P1 has a 12.3 megapixel sensor that is capable of capturing both still and HD video. Traditional features can still be found, including face detection, Art Filters, dust reduction, multiple exposures and magnified focus assist. Despite this, the Olympus EP-1 introduces brand new features, including HD video, digital leveling, 324-area matrix metering, onboard music and in-camera music integration to your video footage or still images.

When you receive your Olympus EP-1, two lenses are generally included in the kit.  The 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and the 17mm f/2.8, as well as a small optical viewfinder matched to the 17mm lens. A small flash will also debut with the Olympus E-P1 upon release. Come on down to Kirk’s Cameras to speak to one of our friendly staff, we’ll be happy to give you a demonstration and answer any queries you may have!

The Pentax K7 has many exciting and new adaptions for any passionate photographer. Let’s take a look at some of the changes and technical specifications of this exciting new digital camera…

Battery and Battery Life: The Pentax K7 comes with a brand new battery and charger. The brand new 7.2v 1,860mAh lithium-ion battery is reliable, rating at 980 image per each charge using the corded D-BC90.

Dust Removal: The Pentax K7 now includes a brand new DR II dust removal system. The K7 now includes a an element which vibrates the low-pass filter, removing dust from the filter. The dust alert system can check for the presence of dust on the low-pass filter, at the press of a button!

White balance: The K7 offers a wide range of new white balance settings, in both Automatic and Manual modes, and there more than ten white balance pre-settings. Colour Temperature Enhancement is used to retain and enhance the lighting tone - for example, enhancing a beautiful sun rise.

LCD: The Pentax K7’s exterior design includes a 3.0 inch LCD display with a huge 921,000 dots of resolution. The screen offers a view of wide 170 degree horizontal and vertical angles, and the screen does not reflect. 

Viewfinder: The optical viewfinder on the Pentax K7, which offers a 100% field of view and 0.92x magnification, has four interchangeable focusing screens. The viewfinder has now been made user-friendly to those photographers wearing glasses.

Flash: The Pentax K7 a brand new built-in popup flash. The K7’s inbuilt flash offers 28mm coverage and red-eye removal capabilities. The K7’s flash offers many opportunities for any avid photographer.

These are just several of the Pentax K7’s capabilites - the specifications can double and even triple from the list you see here! The team at Kirk’s Cameras would love for you to come down and visit, and give you a few more new details of the Pentax K7!

Now, for all our avid digital camera enthusiasts who aren’t so keen on the idea of a DSLR camera, Canon has released a digital compact camera with the similarities of a DSLR. The Canon SX1 IS is a sleek, clever and high quality camera, enabling its users to capture images of DSLR standard.

The Canon SX1 IS is almost identical to Canon’s previous model, the major differences hidden within the camera. Excitingly, Canon has introduced a CMOS sensor, replacing the traditional CCD sensor - a sensor saved primarily by Canon for DSLR cameras. In terms of features, the SX1 IS has numerous. The camera includes 10 megapixels, delivering amazing quality prints in up to A2 size, and has full high definition video recording. The 20x optical zoom lens enables users to capture distant objects clearly and crisply, and the 28mm wide-angle lens can assist you in shooting beautiful landscapes or group shots.

Along with these features, the Canon SX1 IS also includes both Face Detection Technology and Motion Detection Technology, along with an astounding 2.8inch LCD screen to view your photos back on. Image quality sits very high for a consumer-level digital camera, giving photographers a clear, colourful and precise image that can be altered with many on-screen functions and abilities. Capturing video footage on the SX1 IS is simple and of a very high standard. You can choose to shoot in black and white, sepia, vivid and many other in-camera display settings, unlike many digital cameras, requesting that you film in standard mode and switch to an effect after capturing the footage.

The Canon SX1 IS is a fantastic camera for those seeking flexibilty, without the ‘DSLR’ stamp. Kirk’s Cameras Ringwood would be more than happy to assist you in investigating this wonderful digital camera, so come on in!

Every piece of technology has a life span - some cameras will last years and years without a glitch, others will die within a few months or years. Accidents do happen - all it takes is a small drop to fracture the screen or dint the body. Or that awful moment when a glass of wine is knocked and liquid seeps into the inners of your camera. So, the question is, do you repair or buy new?

Nowadays, cameras are a household item - one that can be bought in any price range, with any level of quality. It is far less common to have a camera repaired, due to these low prices and options of brand new exciting functions and abilities. Digital cameras are updated more and more frequently, so often it is not advised to repair a camera that is three years old or more.

Deciding whether to buy new or repair is very dependent on the damage done to the camera. Repair costs for a digital camera can range from $150 to $400 or more, and a repairman can charge up to $120 per hour, plus GST, and your camera generally will be returned to you in one month. Five years ago, camera companies were sending out three to four cameras a week to be repaired, however now, this number has significantly dropped back to one - if that.

Warranty is always an issue when it comes to repairing or replacing. Thinking in advance is always a smart idea - when purchasing the original camera, consider buying from a dealer who supplies an Australian Manufacturing Warranty, and be sure to ask all the right questions. Ordering your digital camera online is always risky, some websites can easily void the warranty due to being an unauthorised seller.

The best option for your battered camera is to have it examined by a specialist - determine the issue, and the cost to repair. With such a huge, diverse range of cameras on the market, why choose to repair when you could upgrade for a similar price? You can easily build your own opinion when researching more camera resources.

Give Kirk’s Cameras a call, or come in down to our Ringwood store, and ask our fantastic team for some advice!