Go Analogue with these USSR brands

If you really want to go purist with your photography, the only way to do it is to dunk your SLR and your hipster lomo cams into the river and go full on with a Russian SLR brand.  Your options, comrade:

FED.  Named after  Felix Edmundovich Dzerzhinsky, founder of the Cheka, the FED is a mass produced Soviet rangefinder camera mass produced from the 30's to the 90's.  Dzerzhinsky is also the name of the workshop that educated indigent kids to copy the Leica.  How can a camera produced for over half a century fail you?  Must be built like a Soviet tank.      

Kiev.  Speaking of Societ tanks, here's one built by the Societ Arsenal Factory in Kiev, Ukraine.  That's a piece of history and quite timely too with the events happening in the Crimea.  Low pricing makes this brand attractive, offering a mid-level camera for budget price.  Among circles it is known that Kievs are a tenths to a fifteenth the price of a Hasselblad, which it can compete toe to toe with in terms of features--its lenses for example are Zeiss designed.

Lomography.  Forget what I said about throwing away that lomo camera.  Apparently Lomography got its roots from Russia as well, founded in the 90's by Viennese students after their discovery of the LOMO PLC manufactured in St. Petersburg.  They deemed image distortions, oversaturation and other effects otherwise noted as fugly as a beautiful way to do photography.  

Zenit.  It's one of the first 35 mm cameras manufactured in the world, originating from both Belarus and Moscow, Russia by KMZ.  KMZ die cast the camera in the 60's allowing for mass production.  Go for the Zenit-E which is one of the most famous classics of this line.  

Zorki.  Also by the KMZ factory, the Zorki represents a line of 35mm cameras made from 1948 to 1978.  It's also one of the better known brands in the industry.  It used to be known as Leica clones, but later on it would build its on name and sport unique features.  

Travel and Shoot Like a Pro

Selecting a new digital camera can be tricky, you gotta narrow in the features that you want and if you're a beginner or just getting a feel of your new camera, it would be great to focus on the ingenious functions you care about the most. 

Ultra-wide Angle Lens
This nifty feature can pack in more people in one frame and take in as much of the landscape in every snapshot. If you're at a ball game or family reunion, well the bonus is you can fit everyone in one frame. Your best bet are cameras with OLED displays (short for Organic light-emiting diode) such digital cameras can eliminate that unwanted glare through its bright crystal clear screen.

Samsung TL320

Extreme Zoom Capability

Whether your photographing from the back of a Safari jeep or from the upper deck of a city tour bus, the magnifying power of an optical zoom lens is the deal breaker. Plus the image stabilization function that reduces blurring, makes sure all of your photos are rock steady.

Olympus SP-59OUZ 26x zoom

High-Def Videos
Leave the camcorder at home. Most DSLRs now can capture decent, broadcast quality video. It’s all a matter of how much memory you have and how much you can pack in. Now that’s professional quality video for the regular tourist- this is due to a unique combo of a superfast image processor and an extra sharp light sensor that’s capable of capturing video and film stills with exceptional quality.

Canon EOS Rebel T1l

Swiveling Screen

Some DSLR may or may not have this option, but if you’re a lone traveler it’s better that you do, a swivel screen of an HD video-enabled DSLR can help you nail selfies from every angle.

Quiet Mode
If you can switch off the faux shutter click in a snap and go steatlh, then this is one great feature to have on your digital camera. Quiet mode comes in handy inside churches, museums or certain local ceremonies. This is one of the best ways to capture local customs without much intrusion.

Online Casino Game: The Codfather Play and Win at Lunacasino!

Just when you thought slots were out, they pull you back in!

SkillOnNet gaming presents The Codfather,  a new online casino game you can play on Lunacasino!  A cross between the classic Sicilian-themed movie featuring Al Pacino and Marlon Brando and a gangster-style Under the Sea theme, The Codfather is one way to win the jackpot... like a BOSS!

Lunacasino continues to expand along with the expectations of its clients with the release of a new online casino slots game, The Codfather!  A 3 X 5 reel online slots game, the Codfather can be played activating between 1 to 20 paylines and offers 10 free games as you play along this murky underworld in fishy, Sicilian style.  Read on for more details on how you can play like a BOSS with a 60% BONUS!



The Codfather is one of four games released by prolific online casino game author SkillOnNet.  The online casino game developer was first to market The Codfather along with three other titles that are soon going to be launched: Spanish Eyes (for release on July 19th), Emperor’s Garden (July 26th) and Teddy Bear’s Picnic (August 2nd)—making The Codfather the freshest among all the new online casino games out there.

What makes The Codfather unique?  Apart from its out of this world theme, smooth graphics and game play make the whole experience a—pardon the pun—immersive one.  For starters, The Codfather’s music that’s played on loop is a zany rendition of the Sicilian Gangster theme that gives character to the original Godfather series.  Also, the game goes even further by providing animation that prevents an otherwise mechanical game that can be set on auto spin.  For example, the online slot machine’s wild card symbol is, of course, the Codfather, an angry-looking gangster fish, but whenever he appears on the reels, he gets animated doing a gesture that is haughty, beneficent and admonishing all at the same time.  Literally the creature feature of the game, the Codfather wildcard appears on reels 2, 3 and 4 and should be something you should hope for as a player.

The Codfather also features ten free games that triples your prizes and 5 Big Boss Bonuses, a current of wins that’s sure to sweep you towards a solid

Not only the graphics, sound and game play are of note in this slots game, it has brilliant details such as message line on the bottom of the reels that dishes out a lot of advice on how to play and what symbols you should watch out for, but also witty puns that are both true to theme and funny.  Here are a few examples:

“When the Codfather speaks... you’d better listen.”

Or, “The Codfather knows how to return a favour.” 

And finally, among other quotes, “Have you got the gills for the game?”   

This is a good sign that SkillOnNet is not only about putting up the usual bells and whistles on their online casino games, but are actually working towards strong, tight themes in their game output.  The Codfather is definitely a good choice for Lunacasino.

Don’t forget to cash in before play by putting in the code BOSS for a 60% bonus!

Lunacasino, named after the Roman goddess of the moon was launched in 2012. Licensed by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority Malta, the site is available in 21 languages.   Visit the Lunacasino site today and check out new online casino slots game, The Codfather!

Squito: Throwable Camera

A yes the perfect throw can now even take awesome mid-air shots. It's called the Squito! Maybe after the insect? Mosquito?

This throwable camera has huge potential for military, police, fire rescue, espionage and exploration.

 

What the Steve Hollinger's Throwable Camera Squito can do:
Capture end-to-end panoramas, full 360 degree images by automatically with a frame stitcher, and a remarkably stabilized video.

I guess we're just a few years away from having these camera balls around, if not real-life Pokemons :)

Fujifilm X20 Camera Review

Forget 'shirt pocket' cameras and go for the classic compact, the X20 is Fujifilm's latest offering in the larger models with more external controls, flash hot shoes, and large aperture zoom lenses.

Fujifilm X20 key features

• 12MP 2/3"-type X-Trans CMOS II sensor
• On-chip phase detection autofocus
• EXR Processor II
• 'Advanced Optical Viewfinder' with exposure information overlay
• 28-112mm equivalent, F2.0-2.8 lens with optical image stabilization
• Manual zoom ring and lens retraction mechanism
• Full manual control, Raw format recording
• 3" 460k dot LCD
• Full HD 1080/60p movie recording (36Mbps bitrate)
• Built-in stereo microphones, optional MIC-ST1 external microphone
• Film simulation modes for different color and monochrome 'looks'
• In-camera Raw conversion with all processing parameters adjustable
• 'Advanced Filters' image-processing controls, previewed live on-screen
• Focus peaking display for manual focus using the rear LCD
• Lens Modulation Optimizer for compensation of aberrations

The hobbyist compact sector is going through a revival with every major camera manufacturer now producing a model or two that offers full manual control and Raw recording, aimed as a second camera for enthusiasts who usually carry an SLR.

LunaCasino Acquires 8 New Slot Games from SkillOnNet

Improving its repertoire of online games, LunaCasino has recently acquired 8 new titles from popular B2B software distributor SkillOnNet Limited. The high-end 3D games are now ready to be played by online customers on LunaCasino.com, joining the other 90 plus games already found on LunaCasino.

SkillOnNet VP Marketing, Michael Golembo, said about the new slot games, "Good new games are what players want and good new games are what we give them. SkillOnNet’s aggressive release policy of one game per week is holding up, with eight new titles in the last eight weeks driving more revenue and attracting new players."

Included with the 8 games is Flip Flap an exciting new title featuring lush 3D graphics, enhanced sound, and a humour-filled theme sure to entertain players of all ages. Match up wacky cube-shaped faces for great prizes and multipliers for up to 20x the winnings. The other 7 new slot games also boast of stunning graphics and unique themes to cover all consumer interests and tastes.

"Wherever possible new SkillOnNet slots receive extra promotion and offline exposure and the release of Flip Flap is a good example of timing the launch to coincide with the Easter TV activity running now in Denmark. With its truly fresh and imaginative design this online casino slot game is already proving to be a winner!"

LunaCasino is a premiere online gaming website with over 100 slot machine, poker, blackjack, roulette and other popular casino games, all playable 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online via computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones and other internet ready mobile devices.

Nikon D600

Nikon launches its smallest and lightest full-frame DSLR camera for under £2,000- the Nikon D600.

The new consumer friendly Nikon D600 will fill the void between the top of Nikon's line of consumer DSLR cameras and the professional DSLR cameras. Perfect for those into full frame photography who are in need of an affordable FX format camera.

The Nikon D600 weighs 760g (with body, no batt) with a magnesium alloy frame, expect a sturdy top and rear cover and good weatherproofing. 5.5fps frame rates are a given with a battery life that can deliver up to 900 shots on dual SD cards. The shutter is set on 150,000 cycles with speeds from 1/4000 to 30s.