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    • Kristen the designerKristen the designer

    Happy Fridays: Father’s Day gift ideas!

    June 10, 2011 | Posted by Kristen the designer

    So I’ve been all over the web the past few days looking for the best and most unique Father’s Day gifts. Here is the list I put together to share with you all!

    Above items:

    1 – Pop quiz math clock from Perpetual Kid
    2 – Super fun pool ball wine stoppers that you can find here!
    3 – Barbecue set for the golf lover from Uncommon Goods!
    4 – Those Guys Have All The Fun, a new behind the scenes book about the world of ESPN!
    5 – An amazing series that every dad is sure to love, The Planet Earth Dvd’s from The Discovery Channel!
    6 – Fun wallet made entirely from threads of stainless steel available at Hammacher Schlemmer
    7 – Camera for the active Dad that is waterproof, crush-proof, and freeze-proof from Adorama
    8 – Super modern leather gravity defying wine bottle holder from Home Wet Bar!

    Kristen the designerKristen the designer

    Adorama Special Giveaway!

    April 15, 2011 | Posted by Kristen the designer

    Craving instant gratification? Want to win some memories?

    NAPCP and our friends at Adorama are giving away a super-fun Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S Instant Film Camera!

    Complete with a pack of film to get you started, you can begin documenting those precious moments while the delivery truck is still within site. Just put your favorite lovies cheek-to-cheek, check the LED indicator, press the shutter and viola a beautiful credit card-size instant color photo is ready in minutes!  No pesky aperture. No converting from RAW.  Just sweet memories delivered instantly to the palm of your hand. Stylish, lightweight and compact, you’ll be fully single-focused and living in the moment.

    And to truly make this camera your own, a code for a free Skinit skin is included. Choose a stylish design or customize your own here!

    Feeling lucky? To be automatically entered in the giveaway just follow these rules using your Twitter or Facebook account.

    You must follow both @adorama and @napcp_tweets and tweet which Skinit design you would choose:

    I want (Enter your choice here. ex. Purple Flourish Skin) SkinIt for my new Fuji 7s from @adorama @napcp_tweets contest http://www.napcp.com/blog.php/2011/04/15/adorama-special-giveaway/#napcpfuji

    or

    You must like both Adorama and NAPCP and post a comment on both pages about which Skinit design you would choose.

    Example: ” I would love a Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S Instant Film Camera with the New York Yankees Skinit.”

    Ends midnight EST Thursday 4/21/11. Winner announced 4/22/11 by random drawing.

    And if you can’t wait … head on over and visit our friends at Adorama (link to site) and purchase your own today!

    UPDATE!
    We are very excited to announce the winner of our Adorama special giveaway! Natalie Mancino Hathaway is now the owner of a brand new Fujifilm Instax Mini 7S Instant Film Camera! Along with it she will receive a pack of film as well as a custom Skinit. Congrats Natalie! And a big thanks to Adorama for sponsoring such an awesome giveaway :)

    Alice ParkAlice Park

    Adorama Book Giveaway!

    November 10, 2010 | Posted by Alice Park

    And just to show how truly AMAZING Adorama is, they are giving away 3 very special prizes to their new NAPCP twitter followers today!  Here are the details:

    ADORAMA GIVEAWAY!! 3 Books will be going to 3 lucky winners!

    This easy to understand and jargon free book is the antidote to confusing camera manuals. It’s pocket-sized and covers all digital cameras from point-and-shoot to more advanced DSLRs. Just want to learn the basics? This guide will explain the different buttons and settings on your camera. So no more photos that are too light, too dark, out of focus or blurry.

    You can also learn about the advanced camera settings. There are concise explanations of aperture, shutter speed and ISO. This book is all about putting you in control of your digital camera. So next time you’re out taking photos, bring along the Gadget Scientist guide – it will help make almost any photographer, a better photographer.

    RULES:

    1)  Follow adorama (@adorama) on Twitter.  Follow napcp (@napcp_tweets) on Twitter.

    2)  Tweet:  I want to win @adorama’s “The Gadget Scientist” book today from @napcp_tweets!

    3)  Post a comment on this post to let us know that you’ve done so!

    DEADLINE: Thursday, Nov 11th at 11:59pm EST

    Good Luck & Happy Wednesday!

    UPDATE:

    Congratulations to our 3 winners: Wendy Hunter, Whitney Elizabeth, Amy Hunsinger! Enjoy your new books :)

    Thank you again to everyone who entered!

    Alice ParkAlice Park

    Moms Buying Guide: Top 5 Point & Shoot Cameras!

    November 10, 2010 | Posted by Alice Park

    We are here with Adorama Learning Center today to bring you their list of the Top 5 Point & Shoot Cameras in season!  Perfect timing for your holiday gift giving.

    For those everyday moments you want to capture at home, on vacation, and just to document, check out these amazing cameras and the reasons why they made our Top 5 List!

    1) Olympus E-PL1
    Price: approximately $550 (body only).

    Micro Four Thirds lenses have a shorter flangeback (back of lens to sensor distance), allowing for camera makers to make both lenses and cameras smaller and lighter while using full-sized Four Thirds sensors—the same found in Olympus DSLRs.  With the E-PL1, however, Olympus focused on value, trimming away the less used features, simplifying the body build, and lowering the price without sacrificing image quality or performance. Our field test showed the image quality to be outstanding, with very little shutter lag time. In the lab, the Olympus EP1 delivered a very good overall performance for a camera its size and good overall image quality for a camera with a Four Thirds sensor

    The Juicy Details: 12.3 MP Four Thirds sensor, Micro Four Thirds lensmount, live view, 2.7-inch LCD monitor, built-in pop-up flash, 720p HD movie recording with high-quality audio, multiple exposure, art filters (Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pinhole), mechanical and ISO boost image stabilization, digital leveler, dust reduction, face detection, shadow adjustment technology, 4 aspect ratios (4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 6:6), iAuto chooses best scene mode,. Shutter speeds 2-1/4000 sec, 3-inch LCD, Manual focus, ISO range 100-6400.

    2) Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1
    Price: approximately $675 body only.

    Panasonic didn’t waste any time stealing Olympus’s thunder, introducing the GF1 as the smallest, lightest interchangeable-lens camera on the planet (so far). The third member of Panasonic’s growing micro-four-thirds camera family (the slightly larger G1 and GH1 have built-in EVF viewfinders), the GF1 is said to have a quick autofocus and a responsive shutter release, two big concerns for anyone interested in shooting active subjects. It also manages to squeeze in a small built-in flash. The camera will accept any Micro Four Thirds lens made by Panasonic or Olympus, plus it has a slip-on optional electronic viewfinder, and can record HD Video, allowing aperture adjustments so the shooter can control depth of field.

    The Juicy Details: 12 MP Micro Four Thirds Sensor, 720p HD video in AVCHD Lite, JPEG and RAW, Face detection, AF tracking, 23-area AF, shutter speeds 60 sec-1/4000 sec, ISO 100-3200, up to 7-frame auto bracketing, color temperature settings 2500-10000K in 100K increments, flash synch 1/160 sec, 460K dot LCD monitor, outlet for plug-in EVF finder with 1.4 Million dots. Pre-set color quality My Color modes, choice of manual or autoexposure, choice of manual or autofocus.

    3) Sony NEX-5
    Price: Approximately $650.

    Sony has just started shipping the NEX-5 and at the moment, it’s the lightest MILC on the market. And yet…it’s the first in its class to utilize the larger DSLR-sized APS image sensor, and Sony is promising an entirely new level of image quality and performance from this camera. A newly-designed NEX mount series of lenses will be introduced. The camera borrows high-end features from its DSLR siblings, plus ease-of-use controls from Sony’s extensive line of point-and-shoot cameras such as an on-screen Help guide.

    The Juicy Details: 14MP APS CMOS sensor, new E-Mount lens system. Records on Memory Stick and all SD cards. 1080p AVHD and MP4 HD video at 60 or 30p, respectively. 25-point contrast AF system; 80 expert advice shooting tips; sweep panorama up to 23MP; 3-inch, 920K LCD; 6-image layering anti-motion blur, auto HDR, 49 segment meter, Dynamic range optimizer, creative color filter, noise reduction can be manually controlled. Up to 7fps burst rate, shutter speeds 30 sec-1/4000, bulb. Flash sync 1/160 sec. JPEG & RAW image capture. Sony claims unlimited burst buffer capacity in JPEG.

    4) Canon Powershot G12
    Price: Approximately $500.

    Canon overhauled G11, and the new G12 represents a tweaking, relatively speaking. In the G11, Canon took the gutsy, marketing-unfriendly step of reducing the pixel count to 10MP instead of the 14 MP found on its predecessor, the G10, and that resolution carries over to the G12. Fewer pixels mean there’s more room on the sensor and the individual pixels can be made larger, making the camera better able to record low-noise images in low-light situations.  The camera is also said to be faster, with a reduced lag time. There are dials that control aperture and shutter speed that should be comfortable for traditionalists, as well as an optical viewfinder! The big news? Canon added 720p HD video to the G12!

    The Juicy Details: 10MP CCD sensor, 720p HD video and stereo on-board mic, image stabilization (optical and digital), 28-140mm (35mm equiv) f/2.8-4.5 optical zoom lens, 2.8-inch flip-out LCD with 461k dots resolution, focus to under an inch in Macro mode. Shutter speed range 15-1/4000 sec, ISO range 80-3200, RAW and JPEG image files, HDR scene mode combines multiple shots, manual exposure controls.

    5) Nikon P7000
    Price: Approximately $440.

    A full-featured, self-contained premium compact camera, the P7000 is designed to appeal to traditionalists and DSLR owners who want a small, near-pocket-sized alternative to their big rigs. The P7000 represents a major overhaul over its predecessor, the P6000, with redesigned controls and a look that echoes classic rangefinder cameras. However, it is up to date with full HD video recording capability (it even has an external microphone jack—a first for a camera in this range), and a hot shoe providing access to the entire lineup of Nikon strobes.

    The Juicy Details: 28-200mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.8-5.6 lens, 921k dot LCD monitor, optical viewfinder, 1/1.7-inch, 10MP CCD sensor, ISO range 100-6400, boostable to 12,800. RAW NRW file capture, macro focus to within and inch, horizon indicator, vibration reduction, subject tracking, in-camera image editing, auto scene selector, subject tracking, face-priority AF, 18 scene modes, . 720p HD video at 24 fps, external microphone jack.

    Thank you so much to Adorama’s terrific Learning Center for this great article!

    Holly SissonHolly Sisson

    Photography Equipment Tips for Parents

    September 7, 2010 | Posted by Holly Sisson

    Many people have asked me for recommendations regarding photography equipment, which camera, lens, etc. First off, I have to admit that I’m a Canon girl, so I am most familiar with the Canon lineup, however you can easily find comparable products from Nikon, Sony, or whichever brand you prefer. (I would actually recommend either Canon or Nikon as they are the two most popular brands, which can be handy if you wish to sell equipment or purchase used lenses.)

    The number one thing that I recommend, for those about to delve into purchasing their first DSLR, is to purchase a stand-alone body, rather then the camera/lens combo. The reason for this is that generally speaking, unless you purchase a higher end model of camera, the lens that comes bundled with the camera is often not a very good lens. The camera bodies will improve over time, and the quality of the lens will show in the images.

    So, what do I recommend? For an entry level DSLR I don’t think you can go wrong with the Canon Rebel line. For example the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi from Adorama is an affordable stand-alone body. Next up I recommend something called a ‘prime’ lens, such as the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8. A prime lens is a fixed focus length lens, which means that is does not zoom, you have to use your feet to zoom in or out. Now, this may sound inconvenient, especially if you are photographing fast moving children. But there is a reason I recommend a prime lens, and it has to do with light.

    You may have noticed the f/1.8 in the above product name and wondered what it meant. Basically it has to do with the amount of light that the lens lets in, the smaller the number, the larger the opening (if you think of it as a fraction, it makes more sense, it is easy to see that f/1.8 is larger then f/5 for example). Why is more light important? Because it will allow you to shoot in lower light situations without using the flash (which generally ruins the atmosphere of the scene). Having a brighter lens allows for lower ISO values, ISO also controls the amount of light in an image, but with high ISO (more light) also comes degradation of the image.

    The Canon 50 mm f/1.8 is what is sometimes referred to as the ‘nifty-fifty’, a very inexpensive plastic lens, but a good starter if you have budget constraints. If you can afford to spend a bit more, I would recommend the Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 or, even better, the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8. I have owned the Canon 85 mm f/1.8 (before I upgraded to the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L, which is in a whole other category), and currently have the Canon 50mm f/1.4 mm, but definitely preferred the image quality of the 85mm f/1.8 over the 50mm f/1.4.

    Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 & Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II

    Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4, Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 & Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II

    The other reason that I recommend a ‘prime’ lens for the first lens is that it’s a good starting point for your photography. Some photographers don’t know what kind of photography they want to do at first. Will they want to take telephoto images (subject is far away) or wide-angle images? Starting with a fixed focal length lens can help you realize what is it you want to be able to capture, however it can definitely be handy to have a zoom lens, especially if you are photographing children. For a second starter lens I would recommend the Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II. This will allow you to shoot a bit wider, at 28mm, but also have the ability to zoom in on your subject at 105mm. The price you pay is that this lens isn’t very bright. At 28mm it has an f-stop of f/3.5, at 105mm it is f/4.5. It lets in a lot less light then your fixed focal length prime lens. But having the two lenses will give you the best of both, a great lens for lower light conditions and a more versatile lens for shooting outdoors in brighter conditions.

    Oh, and one more benefit for your brighter prime lens? You can achieve the beautiful out-of-focus background called ‘bokeh’ with a larger aperture lens. This is one of the reasons I upgraded to an even brighter prime lens with the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II, I just LOVE the bokeh I can achieve with it, see the examples show below. Part of achieving bokeh also has to do with the ratio of camera to subject/subject to background, but the beauty of digital photography is you can play and learn!

    I hope this blog posting has helped you, if you are in the market for a new camera and lens. Please post any questions below in the comments, I’ll visit regularly to answer them.

    Daughter and mother/daughter, with beautiful bokeh. Shot with the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II lens

    Shot with the Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L II lens


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