Canon 1100D

    

    The bottom-end of the interchangeable lens camera has become fiercely competitive with manufacturers culling features and cutting-corners to offer a tempting upgrade path from compact cameras, at the most attractive price. As a result we've seen control dials, orientation sensors and even focus motors disappear to reduce the manufacturing costs of these entry-level, gateway cameras. From the consumer's perspective, of course, we've also seen technologies once only in the reach of the professionals filter down to almost compact camera prices.

For several years, Canon and then Nikon were able to carve up the sub-$1000 DSLR market between themselves, without any particular concern about other players in the market. But this hegemony was never likely to last, especially once the electronics giants such as Panasonic, Sony and Samsung had time to prepare their own competitors. Eventually even Canon had to respond to the arrival of these companies' increasingly impressive low-end offerings, most notably with the splitting of its Rebel series into a multiple model range.

In June 2008, rather than just letting the outgoing model's price drop when the next camera was introduced, Canon launched a completely new model that sat below its then very recent Rebel XSi/450D. The Rebel XS (EOS 1000D in Europe) was unashamedly a cut-down version of the XSi but its mixture of a well trusted sensor and compelling price tag have seen it continue to sell strongly, particularly at the price-conscious end of the market.

Two-and-a-half years is nearly two lifetimes in contemporary camera terms, so it was beginning to look like the XS might turn out to be a one-off, until the launch of its replacement in February 2011. The Rebel T3 (EOS 1100D) builds on a successful formula and takes it further, offering a strong (if not exactly cutting-edge) set of features in a body that suggests it should be very capable of competing on price.

The 1100D takes a series of familiar-sounding components and folds them together in a distinctly conventional but still capable-sounding package. So there's a 12MP CMOS chip that is likely to date back to the 450D/XSi, coupled with Canon's now-standard 9-point AF system and the 63-area iFCL (Focus, color and luminance sensitive) metering system first seen in the EOS 7D. These combine with the equally well-known Digic 4 processor to offer a camera that's unlikely to offer much in the way of surprises (which should also mean the avoidance of any nasty ones).

Sitting alongside the Rebel XS (1000D), it's clear that T3 (1100D) is very slightly larger but only by a fraction. The new model eschew's the 1000D's textured plastic, instead being constructed of smooth, rather low-density materials.
The rear view shows the 1100D has been updated in line with more recent Canon DSLRs, gaining direct access to live view/movie shooting and a Q button for the interactive 'Quick Control' displays.

Canon EOS 1100D specification highlights:

• 12MP CMOS sensor
• 9-point AF system (up from 7 on the 1000D)
• 63-area iFCL color-sensitive metering (from EOS 7D)
• 720p movie recording at 30 or 25fps (H.264 compression)
• 2.7" LCD, 230,000 dots
• ISO 100-6400 (no expansion)
• Basic+ creative point-and-shoot mode
• Eye-Fi wireless SD card compatible menu options

Nikon D3100

DX-format, 14.2 effective megapixel CMOS image sensor [NEW]
- Softly defocused backgrounds that only a D-SLR can produce

Nikon equipped D3100 with a newly developed CMOS sensor for outstanding subject detail and smooth color gradation. Whether shooting photos or full HD movies, the sensor is crucial to image quality. The high pixel count of D3100's sensor produces photos of striking clarity, revealing all the nuance of the original scene with minimum noise - ideal for intricately detailed textures and grain-free background defocus.

EXPEED 2-Nikon's new image processing engine [NEW]
- Faithful color reproduction and smooth, beautiful gradations

Welcome to a new level of excellence with EXPEED 2. We've leveraged our vast technological know-how to bring you Nikon's most advanced image processing engine yet. EXPEED 2 maximizes CMOS sensor performance for clear, lifelike images that exhibit vivid colors, reduced noise and smooth tonal gradations for outstanding photos and movies.

ISO sensitivity 100-3200 (expandable to ISO 12800 equivalent)
- Great performance and less blur in dimly lit settings

Hi 2 (ISO 12800 equivalent)

ISO 3200

ISO 1600

A maximum ISO of 3200 (standard range) lets you shoot at fast shutter speeds, reducing camera-shake blur in dimly lit scenes. Twilight and indoor shots come alive with a refreshingly natural look without the need for a tripod or flash. Moreover, fast shutter speeds make it easy to freeze action in dynamic situations such as children at play and sports events. For added versatility, D3100's Hi 1 and Hi 2 settings effectively boost ISO to the equivalent of 6400 and 12800, respectively.

Active D-Lighting - Beautiful balancing of light and shade

Shooting in bright sunlight often produces pictures with extreme contrast between light and dark areas, resulting in loss of tone and detail. Active D-Lighting effectively combats this by preserving important details in shadows and highlights. The results are optimally exposed photos that better reflect the scene as you saw it.

Without Active D-Lighting

With Active D-Lighting

Picture Control - Customizing images before the shot

Expand creative expression with Picture Control. Six settings - Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape - let you determine the look of photos and full HD movies before you shoot. In addition, sharpness, contrast, brightness and saturation can be adjusted to customize settings.

Portrait

Natural, lovely skin tones

Vivid

Increased color saturation

Monochrome

Black and white images, including tints

 

 

 

 

 

 

Type	Digital Single-Lens Reflex (DSLR)  camera
Lens mount	Nikon F mount (with AF contacts)
Effective pixels	14.2 million pixels
Image sensor	23.1 x 15.4 mm CMOS sensor
Image size (pixels)	4,608 x 3,072 - Large 3,456 x 2,304 - Medium 2,304 x 1,536 - Small
File format	1) NEF (RAW) , 2) JPEG, 3) NEF (RAW) + JPEG
Media	SD (Secure Digital) memory cards *1, SDHC- and SDXC-compliant
Frame advance rate	Up to 3 fps *2
ISO sensitivity	ISO 100 to 3200 in steps of 1 EV; Can also be set to approx. 1 EV above ISO 3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent) or to approx. 2 EV above ISO 3200 (ISO 12800 equivalent); auto ISO sensitivity control available
Movie	Frame size (pixels) and frame rate: 1,920 x 1,080; 24 p - 1,280 x 720; 30 p - 1,280 x 720; 25 p - 1,280 x 720; 24 p - 640 x 424; 24 p Maximum Recording Time:10 min. File format/Video compression: MOV, H.264/MPEG-4 Advanced Video Cording Audio recording device; Supported:monaural recording with built-in microphone.
LCD monitor	3-in., approx. 230 k-dot TFT LCD with brightness adjustment
Power source	Battery; One rechargeable Li-ion EN-EL14 battery AC adapter (optional);EH-5a AC adapter; requires EP-5 power connector
Dimensions (approx.) (W x H x D)	124 X 96 X 74.5mm
Weight (approx.)	455g without battery, memory card, or body cap, 505g;with battery and memory card but without body cap
Major supplied accessories	EN-EL14 rechargeable Li-ion battery, MH-24 battery charger, AN-DC3 camera strap, ViewNX 2 CD-ROM, Ferrite Core (2 types)

DFI LANParty DK P55-T3eH9 Motherboard

DFI is a well known and rather popular brand among enthusiast everywhere. It is known for its high performance motherboards that take overclocking to the next level. DFI achieves this through a mix of design innovations, with the software to match. As many other top ranked manufacturers have done, DFI split its more enthusiast-friendly products in to a separate line aptly named LANParty. Their latest board to join this line seems poised to continue in the performance tradition that past DFI boards have set.

The DFI LANParty DK P55-T3eH9 motherboard is designed around the Intel P55 chipset. This chipset allows the board to support the following technologies innately: Intel LGA 1156 Core i7 and Core i5 processors, DDR3 memory operating in Dual Channel mode up to 1333MHz officially, and either NVIDIA SLI and ATI CrossFireX graphics mode using matching video cards. 

DFI chose to integrate the following onboard devices in to the DK P55-T3eH9: six SATA II ports (RAID 0, 1, 0+1 and 5 capable) on the Intel P55 controller; one e-SATA port and one ATA-133 IDE port on the JMicron JMB363 controller; two SATA II ports (RAID 0 and 1 capable) on the JMICRON JMB322 controller; fifteen USB 2.0 capable ports (7 in rear panel, and 4 onboard headers supporting 2 ports each); one Intel GigE Ethernet port in the rear panel; Realtek 8-channel HD audio codec with integrated S/PDIF optical and RCA component output ports; integrated power, system reset, and CMOS reset buttons; 2-digit diagnostic LED display; and PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports in the rear panel.

Specifications Overview:

 

 

Board Layout

The DK P55-T3eH9’s layout is well thought out, with no real tight areas on the board. DFI seemed to cover the board hot spots with an interconnected heat pipe cooling solution as well. The one flaw was the lack of active cooling integrated in to the heat pipe cooler, but this is easily remedied. While I could find no definitive serial number marking on the board, the board revision is silk-screened to its surface just above the PCI slots, with the board tested being a revision A. For the board’s power needs, DFI chose to use high quality polymer solid-electrolyte capacitors.

The board’s CPU socket area is obstruction free, with all power components directly surrounding the socket of an unobtrusive low profile design. The heat sinks covering the power components are far enough back so as to not interfere with CPU cooler placement. DFI chose to use the standard LGA1156 4-hole based hold-down mechanism for securing the CPU cooler. Just above the CPU socket and hidden behind the cooler are the rear panel USB standby power jumper, the S/PDIF header, and the PWM fan header. The rear panel PS/2 standby power jumper and the 8-pin ATX12V power connector are to the upper right of the socket. The CPU fan header is located to the right of the socket, along the edge of the board.

The onboard DDR3 slots are located underneath the CPU socket, sporting a bi-colored arrangement scheme. Dual Channel memory mode is active with modules placed in like colored slots, with the black colored slots being reserved for the primary memory modules. Below the DIMM slots are the ATA-133 IDE port, the 24-pin ATX power connector, and the fan 4 header. The DRAM power indicator LED is located in the lower right corner of the board.

The board’s P55 chipset is located just under the secondary and tertiary PCI-Express x16 slots, covered by a low profile cooler. This cooler also acts as a termination point for the onboard heat pipe cooler. The 8 onboard SATA II port are located just below the chipset cooler, with the Intel controlled ports being those colored florescent orange. The standby power LED, Chipset fan header and BIOS flash header are located to the left and upper left of the SATA II ports, with the front panel header being in the lower left corner of the board. The onboard power and system reset buttons, as well as the CMOS reset and backup BIOS clear jumpers are located just above it. The 4 onboard USB 2.0 headers, as well as their tied standby power jumpers, are located to the upper left of the chipset cooler.

DFI incorporated 7 total card slots in to the DK P55-T3eH9’s design: 3 PCI-Express x16 slots, 2 PCI-Express x1 slots, and 2 PCI slots. The onboard floppy port and serial port header are located along the outer edge of PCI slot 2, with the 2-digit diagnostic LED display located just above them. The diagnostic display is useful in troubleshooting system boot related issues, using the debug codes that it displays during system initialization. The CMOS battery is located in between the lower portion of the secondary and tertiary PCI-Express x16 slot. A floppy style power port, as well as the infra-red and front panel audio headers, are located just above the secondary PCI-Express x1 slot. The floppy power connector is used to provide additional power to the board and video card slots when 2 or more video cards are in use. The chassis fan and CD_IN headers are located directly above the primary PCI-Express x16 slot.

DFI integrated with following ports in to the DK P55-T3eH9’s rear panel: PS/2 keyboard and mouse ports; a CMOS reset button; 5 USB 2.0 ports; 1 shared e-SATA / USB 2.0 port; 1 mini-USB port for use with the BIOSecure cable; 1 Intel GigE Ethernet port; and 6 analogue and S/PDIF optical and RCA component audio output ports. The integrated mini-USB port is used in conjunction with the included BIOSecure interface cable for flashing the BIOS to or from a connected remote device or board.

Ipad vs Apad

 

   Not many people know what an aPad is. This is not surprising since it is not advertized like the iPads from Apple. The good news is that if you know about iPads, then you almost know what an aPad is.

The awareness is growing by the day and a good number of individuals are accepting the aPad as a nice alternative to the iPads. 

aPads originated from China. They are known as the Asian alternative for the iPad. Some people call it a iPad clone.

It is nice to know that aPads have some striking features which will interest you. This article focuses on the difference between the aPad and the iPad

 

The most striking difference is the Operating System. The aPad or ePad has the Google Android Operating system which is also used in a large number of cell phones and PDAs. The beauty of this is that it works seamlessly with Google Applications like Gmail, Google calendars and Google Maps. Emails and calendar information is synchronized when the aPad device is connected to the Internet via Wifi. iPads on the other hand runs on iOS 3.2.2 which also runs on the iPod touch and earlier versions of the iPhone. It works seamlessly with other Apple products and services.

Just like the iStore, applications for the aPad are available on the Android Marketplace. With thousand of free Android applications available, one will still have fun downloading and using these programs.

Another striking difference is the price. An Android aPad can be purchased for less than $100. This is not the same for the iPad. Although the iPads are more sleek, the aPad, for the price, has virtually the same functionality and more including the webcam (in some aPad models) and an SD/Mini SD slot that can hold up to 32 GB! Transferring data to and from the SD card is a big advantage.

aPads come in difference sizes, the most popular ones are the 7" and the 10" widescreen versions. The price range between the 7" and the 10" aPads is not that much. iPads for now are all 10". Some individuals prefer the 7" version because of the compact size.

Overall, the aPad is an excellent option if one has a tight budget.