There’s never been a better time to invest in a digital camera for the holidays. Summer is right around the corner; days of beach trips, music festivals, lounging around on hot days, barbeques and Christmas parties. Summer is the archetypical Australian season, often bringing out the best of our climate. It’s a time for catching up with friends, family and enjoying the heat. If you want to make this summer special, you’ll want to capture the memories for the future - why not invest in a summer camera to keep a record of your adventures?

To keep your camera functioning well into the season, you’ll want to get it serviced. The constant heat and humidity of the Australian summer can take its toll on delicate camera components, causing zoom lenses to become sluggish or even causing the camera to malfunction. Kirk’s Camera Supply can service cameras to get them in prime condition for summer.

Kirk’s Camera Supply stocks a great number of cameras perfectly suited to the summer months. Many of these are highly portable, so you can slip them in your handbag or backpack and take them everywhere you go. Take, for example, the Panasonic DMC-TZ20. This comes complete with a nifty GPS tagging feature so you can find out exactly where your photos were taken in the future! It’s compact form factor, high image quality and touch screen make it perfect for taking on trips.

Ruggedness is important when choosing a camera for summer. You’ll want it to survive the wear and tear of on-the-go use, all whilst providing great performance and ease-of-use. The Olympus E-P3 combines top notch build quality with old school looks - with the trend towards all things ‘retro’, it’ll be sure to make you a hit this summer!

You’ll need accessories if you want to get your digital camera ready for the coming summer. Don’t stress out about filling your old camera SD cards - buy a few new ones to keep on hand. You’ll never need to worry about getting too ‘snap happy’ again! Not only will they provide you with all the storage space you need for high-quality images, but their fast transfer speeds make it a breeze to get your images on to your hard disk.

Let’s not forget about camcorders - you’ll want to make some great home movies this summer! We carry all manner of camcorders and accessories, including discs, memory cards and even tapes. A portable camera tripod will make shooting footage even easier - some of our models can even fit in your handbag and work great for still cameras too!

Kirk’s Camera Supply carries everything you need to keep your summer memories intact. From great compact cameras to camcorders, SD cards to tripods and beyond, we’re your one-stop-shop for all your holiday camera needs. Get ready for summer and talk to a Kirk’s sales consultant today!

Looking for a compact, colourful camera to take with you on trips? The new DMC-TZ20 may be just what you need. With its 24mm Leica lens and 14.1 megapixel MOS sensor, the DMC-TZ20 produces quality images at a price far lower than comparable DSLRs. It can even shoot up to 10 frames-per-second in continuous mode.

Perfect as a holiday camera or for your children, the DMC-TZ20 includes a 3-inch touch screen for easy navigation and review of your photos. Our only complaint about the display is its relatively low resolution, but this will only be noticeable to hardcore photographers and doesn’t affect the actual quality of your images.

Optical zoom is included at 16x, and the included 3D image feature is worth trying out. Another cool feature is its GPS tagging ability, letting you keep a record of where your memories occurred. All in all, the TZ-20 is a great camera for taking with you on your travels, or even just to keep some memories of your kids.

What’s the first thing that you notice about the Olympus E-P3? It looks so old-school! Mimicking the design of older cameras with its sturdy build quality, the newest member of Olympus’s E-P line boasts several useful features not found on its predecessor. First and foremost, the E-P3 features a built-in flash, allowing shots not possible with the EP-1 and 2. The autofocus processor has also been enhanced, providing super-quick focus for those who couldn’t stomach the 1-second focus time of its older brothers.

An interchangeable lens systems means the E-P3 will satisfy those looking to dabble in the dSLR world without having to commit to an expensive camera back and lens. Coming complete ‘out-of-the-box’, the E-P3 is perfectly suited to snap-happy retro fans everywhere who want reliable build quality and high quality photos.

The E-P3 is also capable of Full-HD video (1080i/60p) and includes a touch-screen for ease of navigation. Combine this with an improved grip and awesome looks, and you’ve got yourself one heck of a camera.

Panasonic’s DMC-GF3 comfortably straddles the top of the line when it comes to compact digital cameras. Based around the same 12 megapixel sensor as its predecessor the GF2, the DMC-GF3 is capable of some pretty stunning images for its size. Where it improves upon the GF2 is its processor - analysing autofocus data 120 times a second, it presents the user with an exceptionally smooth response.

Though similar in appearance to a mini dSLR in appearance, the GF3 is a compact digital through and through - though a very good one. Its obvious lack of an internal mirror keeps it from encroaching on dSLR territory, though it still has an interchangeable lens system for consumers who wish to experiment a little with their photographic side. Taking this into account, it’d even make a great ‘casual’ take-everywhere camera for hobbyists or professional photographers.

iA (Intelligent Auto) is included, as with many of Panasonic’s cameras, and also includes a touchscreen for quick access to most of the camera’s features. When it comes to video, the GF3 is a star - it’s even capable of full-HD 1080i shooting. For a quality compact camera packed with features, the DMC-GF3 is a worthy contender.

A highly compact and lightweight camcorder, the SDR-S71 improves upon its predecessor the SDR-S50 by offering dedicated SD Card recording. SD Cards are readily available, fast and inexpensive, and accessible by nearly all modern computers for home video editing. The SDR-S71 also includes special features that allow you to produce high-quality movies with ease.

One of the highlights of the SDR-S71’s design is its powerful 70x optical zoom. Of course, with such a great zoom range, handshake becomes an issue. That’s why Advanced O.I.S. handshake stabilisation is included to give you a better image. Couple this with a 33mm (35mm equivalent) wide-angle lens, iA focus technology and wind-noise cancellation, and you’ve got yourself a pretty powerful pocket DVC. In addition, the included software makes sharing your videos with your friends quick and easy. The SDR-S71 is an all-round performer.

Who knew that HD cameras could get this tiny? And 3D-capable, to boot? The HDC-SD900 is one of Panasonic’s most recent additions to the burgeoning field consumer HD camcorders. Boasting Panasonic’s high-sensitivity 3MOS image system, this little machine packs 11.49 million effective motion image pixels of excellence into its slender frame. What’s more, it uses SD cards!

Most interesting is the HDC-SD900’s ability to produce dynamic 3D content. With the optional VW-CLT1 3D conversion lens, you can produce high-definition 3D video on-the-fly, ready to play back on your 3D-capable TV system. Also featuring Panasonic’s iA image enhancement technology, a 3.5″ LCD touchscreen and HYBRID O.I.S. image stabiliser, the HDC-SD900 is hard to beat.

Sample Video - Source: Cnetau; You Tube

Filters are an important part of the photographer’s arsenal. Whether you are a professional or an enthusiastic amateur, filters are essential for achieving a variety of effects. Cokin Filters, made in France, are amongst the best filters for photographic use. Their reliability and versatility make them excellent additions to the working photographer’s bag of tricks.

Cokin Filters come in all manner of types and styles, for applications such as colour correction, polarisation and artistic or special effects. The selling point of the Cokin design is its Creative Filter System. In this system, the filters are square, but may be attached to a wide range of lenses. This is accomplished via a crew-on lens adaptor system. Provided that the filter is sufficiently large to cover the lens, the filter can be attached to virtually any camera.

Kirk’s Camera Supply, as part of its mission to provide quality photographic equipment, carries a range of Cokin filters and adaptors. Our trained staff are more than happy to consult with you regarding Cokin filters and accessories. If you are just starting out with extending your photography or are a seasoned veteran, we can assist you with finding the right filter for your applications. Call our store today, or drop in to ask your questions in person.

For more information contact Kirks Cameras Melbourne.

The new EOS 1100D from Canon is their latest entry-level digital SLR, packing all of the features one might expect from Canon into an affordable unit. Successor to the 1000D, the 1100D features HD video recording and high performance still shooting improving upon its predecessor.
The 1100D’s 12.2 megapixel CMOS sensor capture quality, high-resolution images, which are then processed using Canon’s sophisticated Digic 4 image processor. Its ISO range is wider than that of the 1000D, ensuring better quality images in low and high lighting conditions. In addition, HD video can be recorded and then played back on your HD television, allowing you to quickly shoot quality video footage without the need for a separate digital video camera.

The 1100D is replete with features, but still very easy to use. It’s aimed at those making the transition from the compact digital camera to the DSLR. Settings are essentially automatic, but can easily be changed for extra control over your images. The Feature Guide contains a ‘glossary’ of all of the 1100D’s features and modes, so you can quickly and easily find out how to get the shots that you want. It makes an excellent point-and-click camera for those looking for something a little more robust than their compact digital unit.

Kirk’s Camera Supply stocks the Canon 1100D, so give us a call to check current prices. In addition Kirk’s also carries a wide range of camera accessories to complete your photographic experience.

For more information contact Kirks Cameras Melbourne - Your First Choice for Digital Cameras in the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne, close via the Freeway to Donvale, Box Hill, Nunawading, Vermont, Glen Waverley, Bayswater and many more.

Canon’s new EOS 600D digital SLR is an attractive entry-level/enthusiast camera suited for a wide range of applications.  A model up from the hard-to-top 550D model, the 600D includes such improvements as a swivelling screen for multi-angle viewing and Full HD video recording. Wireless flash control and additional filters complete the upgrades. But, does the performance of the 600D exceed its older brother, or merely match it?
The 600D uses an impressive 18-megapixel CMOS sensor to capture images and Canon’s Digic 4 image processor for compression and manipulation. Full HD video recording, which is virtually standard with all of Canon’s latest DSLRs, is accomplished at 24, 25 and 30 fps (frames-per-second). The quality of Full HD recording on a DSLR is actually comparable to many digital camcorders, so you don’t have to worry about leaving your video recorder at home. Another interesting feature is the video snapshot mode, which allows you to take a small amount of footage (a few seconds) and then arrange it on the camera.
Despite its power, the 600D is easy for beginners to use. The automatic adjustment features automatically choose the best settings for optimum picture quality – all you need to do is point and click. The wireless flash option is a godsend for avid photographers, as multiple flashes can be positioned anywhere around a subject and triggered without the need for complex wiring or fiddling with lots of settings.
The Canon EOS 600D is a great camera for those making inroads into the world of the Digital SLR. Its extensive but easy-to-use feature set makes is ideal for enthusiasts and amateurs alike. Call Kirk’s Camera Supply for prices, or drop into our Ringwood store to ask about purchasing your 600D.

For more information contact Kirks Cameras Melbourne.

Whether it’s a compact digital camera, a digital SLR or even a mobile phone camera, storage is a common concern for all modern photographers. The mass adoption of digital photography has spelled the end of the limitations of film. One of film’s most pressing limitations was how many shots could be stored at once without having to reload and develop. Digital camera storage, based on solid state memory, has alleviated this problem. Thousands of images can be stored on the one thumbnail-sized card.

There are many varieties of digital camera storage media out there, and it’s important that you choose the right one. Kirk’s Camera Supply carries digital storage media for most cameras. Our range of capacities means that you can find the right amount of storage at the right price for you. For most applications, a 2-gigabyte storage medium is a good start. Digital memory prices are falling all the time (roughly halving every year!) so we can assure you of an excellent deal.

Digital storage comes in several different formats. SD cards (and the even smaller, fingernail-sized micro-SD cards) are among the most popular, and currently store up to 32 Gb. CompactFlash cards are slightly bigger and thicker, and have been used in digital cameras since the early days. They are often considered the most rugged cards for photographic use. MemorySticks are used primarily by Sony cameras, and come in many varieties for different cameras and purposes.

All modern photographers should place great importance in their choice of digital camera storage. Size isn’t the only factor either – quality of manufacturer and build is important to avoid data errors, which may corrupt your photos. It’s important to choose an appropriate card when you buy your camera if it doesn’t already come with one. Come into our store today, and ask which card is right for you.

For more information contact Kirks Camera.