The Bokeh Filter is a physical lens that attaches to any mainstream DSLR and blocks out small pieces of light to create the desired patterns. Changing the cool blurry streetlights behind your ladyfriend into hearts? Cheesetastic. But used subtly (that would mean using no shapes that are also found in a box of Lucky Charms), this could bring a really cool element to some photos. And hell, if you're going for outright cheese, might as well do it naturally and not in the edit room, right? [Bokeh Filter via Geekologie]

You'll want to use the lens in there, along with some kind of cardboard holder, and mount it onto your cellphone camera. It won't be pretty, but the shots that come out will (provided everything you're shooting from now on is within an inch of your camera). [Flickr via DIY Photography via MAKE]

Photorumors, who caught the camera, isn't releasing the name of the shop in hopes of wringing some more information out of them, but the a805 was priced at EUR 2,000, which means about $2,860—much more than the $2,000 we all thought the DSLR would cost. It's also suspiciously similar to the a900. We're talking carbon copy with a different model number similar. On the other hand, it does match up just about perfectly with the leaked a850 manual, so the camera probably will look just like its older brother when it's released. It still could be a mistake (and we certainly hope the price is), but this one looks pretty plausible to us. [Photorumors]

The image associated with this post is best viewed using a browser.It looks like a pretty simple mod, both in materials required and construction method: It only needs a couple pieces of particle board, the aforementioned peephole lens, the spare lens shield that came with his camera, and of course some duct tape. The only possible caveat: The replacement wide-angle lens is significantly smaller than the camera's lens, so there's a circle around all of the shots. On the other hand, it's sort of cool; it makes everything look like you shot it through a hotel door. Check it out, we're sure it can be modified for other makes and models of DSLR. [Instructables]

Is this as good as a real macro lens? Of course not. But this costs a few bucks for the tape whereas the real lens costs hundreds to thousands of dollars. Check the video to see how to do it. [Lifehacker]

Dark Roasted Blend has a nice collection of strange photos of professional and amateur photographers ridiculously trying to get that elusive Perfect Shot. Here you have a few of them.

Check the rest of the series here. [Flickr via Dark Roasted Blend]

It's still a good price for all that it does. It's not a super fast lens—a decent F3.5-6.3—but it has an optical image stabilizer, which does wonders at the outer zoom ranges. The only other 18-250mm I could find any cheaper was this $450 Tamron, but there's no mention of stabilization. I spent a week or so taking all kinds of pictures—here's a sampling for you to critique, marvel at or simply disparage.

The trouble comes when you start doing math. If you bought an entry-level DSLR camera from Canon, Nikon, Sony or Pentax—all compatible with the appropriate models of this lens—chances are you already have a lens, more than likely something in the 18-55mm range. That means that the chances of you being able to pick up a complementary lens in the 55-200mm or even 55-250mm range for under $200 are high. Suddenly, you're outfitted exactly like you would be if you bought this 18-250mm lens, and you'd probably have saved money doing it.

And as I said, it's not a fast lens, and many would probably recommend something with more performance. If you're going to buy multiple lenses, why not buy ones that are dedicated to particular tasks? I call your attention to this Listmania list on Amazon, which shows nice budget-minded Canon "prime" lens selections. If you're looking at the used pricing (which we highly recommend is the way to go if you're not a pro), you can see that $530 would get you two, maybe three really nice fast lenses to augment your kit lens, in assorted focal ranges.

I'm not going to bash Sigma—I'm not pretending to be experienced enough to know a great lens from a crappy one of equal spec, but my time with this lens—paired to a Canon T1i—has been fruitful, especially out of doors and in locations where a little extra zoom could reduce the need for cropping and the inevitable lack of crispness that comes as a result. A pro photographer buddy I was talking to recently said that Sigma was a reliable maker of cheap lenses to go with Nikon, Canon and other DSLRs. He said among his collection of about 12 lenses, a few were Sigmas.

In the end, I have to face down my own laziness: The smartest thing to do is not to buy the single 18-250mm lens and hope for some decent light. No, the smartest thing to do is put money into multiple lenses, Sigmas or otherwise, and learn when to use which.

Now, if you more experienced shooters want to share your knowledge of Sigma, Tamron, any of the big camera makers, or the wisdom (or stupidity) of buying lenses used, this here's your chance. Please, hit the comments below. [Sigma]

In Summary:
Excellent single lens for covering range from 18mm to 250mm in an entry-level DSLR from Canon, Nikon, Pentax or Sony

Some camera kits already come with two lenses that cover 18-55mm and 55-200mm, or one that goes from 18-105mm or 18-200mm, making most of this lens redundant

Even though image stabilizer does allow for improved shooting in low light or at extreme zoom, there are better specialty lenses at each particular focal length, possibly cheaper when bought used

The lenses provide a 6x zoom range, which to make a comparison in the optimistic spirit of this project, is roughly equivalent to a 220mm lens on a 35mm camera. Neat! But it's still a BlackBerry cellphone camera. The lens is affixed to your handset with a special back cover, and will only set you back $17. [BerryReview via Ubergizmo]

The extender, which is basically a $50 periscope that attaches to your SLR lenses by way of an adapter, allows you point that zoom lens at a "fake out" object, and then shoot pics of the real subject to your immediate right or left. The extender even swivels 360 degrees, in case your subject is a slippery one, and is able to dance about your periphery to your right and left with relative ease. Actually, if that's the case, the person may have gotten wise to you, and the police could be coming soon. In any event, the pics will look fantastic.

More seriously, amateur and professional photogs alike understand that people just look better in photos when they don't know they're being photographed. This adapter, while somewhat creepy (just hit the link and watch the woman snap a few pics in public), gets that job done. [Photojojo]

That's the bit of your eyesight that doesn't capture too much detail but does excellently at detecting motion...so the extra data hopefully wouldn't be too distracting. Essentially its a clever way of augmenting your normal checking of the road, and avoiding being side-swiped by a fast-moving vehicle that was sitting outside your normal vision zones.

Simple and blindingly obvious, when you think about it... and could have potential uses in all sorts of places. I know it'd help with my skiing... or at least would've helped me avoid that dumb snowboarder who knocked me flat last year when he wasn't watching where he was going. Hopefully it's a concept that'll be a reality soon.

On September 23, 2008, Lensbaby, LLC (formerly known as Lensbabies, LLC) is launching an entire new system of selective focus lenses at the Photokina tradeshow in Cologne, Germany (Hall 5.2 C021).

Three new Lensbaby lenses – The Composer™, The Muse™ and The Control Freak™, – make up the new line of products. Each features the new Lensbaby Optic Swap system. The new Muse and the new Control Freak replace the current Original, Lensbaby 2.0, and Lensbaby 3G lenses, which will be phased out immediately. With the Composer, Lensbaby introduces a completely new lens, based on a ball and socket configuration that delivers smooth selective focus photography with unparalleled ease of use and greater precision.

All Lensbaby lenses provide photographers with a new way to control depth of field by bringing one area of a photo into sharpest focus with that Sweet Spot™ surrounded by graduated blur. By bending the Lensbaby lens, the photographer moves the sharp area around the photo for customized creative effects.

The new Composer retains its position after being bent and is easy to use even with one hand. Photographers do not squeeze the lens to focus, but can simply tilt the lens to a desired angle and then focus with a barrel focusing ring. The Composer stays in the desired bent position without requiring a locking mechanism and features the new Lensbaby Optic Swap System. The Composer’s barrel focusing ring has a unique design that becomes more sensitive (requiring greater rotation to move the optic in and out) as you approach infinity, making it easer to focus on subjects from 10 feet to infinity.

“The Composer introduces a new level of ease and precision to selective focus photography,” said Craig Strong, Lensbaby president and co-founder. “We developed the Composer because our photographers are interested above all in creating powerful, interesting photos. With its greatly enhanced ease of use and more reliable results, the Composer will make it more intuitive for photographers to realize their personal creative visions.”

The Muse replaces the Original Lensbaby and Lensbaby 2.0 lenses while being very similar in appearance and functionality. Photographers will still focus by compressing the lens and move the sweet spot by bending the flexible lens tubing. The key update for the Muse is its new Lensbaby Optic Swap System.

The Control Freak updates the Lensbaby 3G by adding the Lensbaby Optic Swap System. With The Control Freak, photographers compress to focus, bend to move the sweet spot, and then push a button to lock the lens in place. Once locked, photographers can adjust the fine focus with a barrel focusing ring and fine tune the tilt by rotating its three metal posts.

“While we expect the new Composer, with its smooth and precise operation, to be our most popular lens, we continue to offer the Muse and the Control Freak because each photographer has their own shooting style. The Muse is for photographers who shoot fast and loose and The Control Freak is best for shooters who have a step-by-step approach,” said Strong.

All three lenses - the Composer, Muse, and Control Freak – feature the Lensbaby Optic Swap System and will ship with one optic installed. Additional optics are available as optional accessories. When a photographer wants to change the optic in their Lensbaby, they will simply pop the optic out and drop in a different optic using an Optic Swap Tool supplied with the new optic. Each optic has different features and image qualities, allowing photographers to choose the look that fits their creative style.

At launch, the Lensbaby Optic Swap System will include four interchangeable optic options:

1) Double Glass: A 50mm multi-coated optical glass doublet that is the same optic that was in the Lensbaby 2.0 and Lensbaby 3G lenses. Retail price: US$85.00
2) Single Glass: a 50 mm, updated, uncoated optical glass singlet similar to the optic that was used in the Original Lensbaby. At f/2, the Single Glass Optic is one full stop brighter (2x as bright) than the previous Original Lensbaby Optic. Retail price: US$35.00
3) Plastic: a 50 mm f/2 plastic singlet that maximizes blur and diffusion in a dreamy way that Holga™ and Diana™ camera lovers will especially appreciate. Retail price: US$35.00
4) The Pinhole/Zone plate: an optic cup with an f/177 aperture hole to allow for pinhole photography and an f/19 Zone plate opening. Users can slide a toggle inside the optic to change to back and forth between Pinhole and Zone plate mode, allowing further artistic exploration. Retail price: US$35.00

The first three optics listed above are all 50mm fixed focal length. They all feature magnetically levitating interchangeable aperture disks that allow aperture settings from f/2 to f/22.

The Single Glass, Plastic, and Pinhole/Zone plate optics will be sold individually as well as in an Optic Boxed Set to retail for $95.00.

Lensbaby President and Co-Founder, Craig Strong, stated, “Lensbaby photographers tend to be very creative. The new Lensbaby Optic Swap system will give photographers greater freedom to take photos that reflect their unique visions.”

Strong continued, “With the new Composer lens and the Lensbaby Optic Swap System, photographers will be able to choose a lens body that fits their bending style: fast and loose, smooth and precise, or step by step. Then photographers can choose an optic that expresses their individual artistic vision.”

Product Pricing and Specs:

The Composer – Smooth and Precise

* Priced at US$270
* Ships with the Double Glass optic installed (a multi-coated optical glass doublet)
* Features the Lensbaby Optic Swap system
* Focal Length: 50mm
* Focus Type: Manual
* Features a unique barrel focusing ring that becomes more sensitive (requiring greater rotation to move the optic in and out) as you approach infinity, making it easier to focus on subjects from 10 feet to infinity.
* Aperture Type: Interchangeable levitating aperture disks
* Apertures: f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22
* Minimum Focus: about 18” (46cm) / Maximum Focus: Infinity
* Size/Weight: 2.5” (6.35cm) high x 2.5” (6.35cm) wide / 5.5 oz (155.9g)

The Muse – Fast and loose

* Priced at US $150 with the Double Glass optic installed; US $100 with the Plastic optic installed
* Ships with either the Double Glass optic installed or the Plastic optic installed.
* Features the Lensbaby Optic Swap system
* Focal Length: right around 50mm
* Focus Type: Manual...Fingertip, actually
* Aperture Type: Interchangeable levitating aperture disks
* Aperture: f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8
* Minimum Focus: approximately 12” (30 cm) / Maximum Focus: Infinity and beyond
* Size/Weight: 2" (5.08cm) high x 2.5" (6.35cm) wide / 3.7 oz. (104.9g)

The Control Freak – Step-by-step

* Priced at US$270
* Ships with the Double Glass Optic installed
* Features the Lensbaby Optic Swap system
* Focal Length: 50mm
* Focus Type: Manual/Fingertip, with barrel fine focus
* Aperture Type: Interchangeable levitating aperture disks
* Aperture: f/2, f/2.8, f/4, f/5.6, f/8, f/11, f/16, f/22
* Minimum Focus: approximately 12” (30 cm) / Maximum Focus: Infinity
* Size/Weight: 3" (7.62cm) high x 3" (7.62cm) wide / 5.7 oz. (161.6 grams)

[Lensbaby]

ULTRA-ZOOM, ULTRA-WOW, ULTRA-NOW - CANON ANNOUNCES THE POWERSHOT SX10 IS DIGITAL CAMERA
PowerShot SX10 IS Offers the Zooming Power of a Digital SLR in a Compact Camera

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., September 17, 2008 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today introduced the expansion of the ever-popular ultra-zoom SX-Series, the PowerShot SX10 IS digital camera. The new digital camera features a wide-angle (28 mm - 560 mm) 20x optical zoom lens, an Optical Image Stabilizer (OIS), Canon's new DIGIC 4 image processor and a smooth, curved grip that fits in the hand comfortably. This compact camera is capable of capturing long-range shots of soccer field action from the bleachers or sunsets from your hotel balcony easier. Photographers can now quickly zoom in close enough to capture facial expressions and details from far away.

In addition to its ultra-zoom capabilities and new DIGIC 4 image processor, the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS digital camera is loaded with a full range of performance and convenient features that camera enthusiasts have come to expect from Canon - 10.0 megapixel resolution, Genuine Canon Face Detection Technology, large 2.5-inch vari-angle LCD screen and MovieSnap mode for capturing high-resolution still images while shooting video.

"The PowerShot SX10 IS digital camera feature set has been enhanced to provide even greater zooming power and creative control, offering the photo enthusiast a compact camera at a price they will appreciate," said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. "With the ability to shoot in wide-angle, consumers no longer need to choose between getting their loved one or the background in the shot."

For users whom movie capability is an important consideration, look no further. The Canon PowerShot SX10 IS digital camera offers consumers many creative possibilities, including the ability to shoot VGA movies. The PowerShot SX10 IS digital camera can capture individual movies up to one hour or 4GB per clip, all while utilizing the new Voice Coil Motor (VCM), which enables faster focusing speed while reducing focusing noise.

Additionally, the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS digital camera comes equipped with 24 shooting modes, ranging from fully automatic to manual, and is easily accessible through an SLR-style mode dial located on top of the camera. While in manual shooting mode, a variety of settings can be selected through the screen, including Program AE, Shutter-speed priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual exposure and Custom mode.

Canon DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor
The newly upgraded DIGIC 4 image processor, a proprietary technology, accounts for the camera's higher performance levels, including significantly improved signal processing speed and higher image quality.

One of the most important new features made possible by the DIGIC 4 image processor is Servo AF, which is a form of continuous focus tracking for moving subjects. By pressing the shutter button half-way, the camera can track subject movement up to the instant of exposure, resulting in sharper photographs. Additionally, the processor's high ISO speed noise reduction processing has improved substantially to enable consumers to shoot high-quality images, even in extremely dark situations without the use of a flash. The new Intelligent Contrast Correction function automatically improves image quality in high-contrast shooting situations.

The Genuine Canon Face Detection technology has evolved even further, thanks to DIGIC 4. Improved features include the ability to recognize human faces at most angles. Another innovation is the Face Detection Self-Timer, which automatically takes a photo two seconds after a new face enters the scene.

Availability and Pricing
Scheduled to be available in late October, the Canon PowerShot SX10 IS digital camera will have an estimated selling price of $399.99*. Kit contents will include four AA Alkaline batteries, a USB interface cable, an AV cable, a neck strap, lens cap, lens hood, Canon's software suite and a 1-year Canon U.S.A., Inc. limited warranty.