There are tons of White Balance questions: Should I or shouldn't I? What about if I shoot RAW, I don't have to white balance right? Can't I white balance afterward when I get back home and do it in PhotoShop? Okay, let me set you straight :)

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It may seem like a rumor but Pentax held an invitation only event tonight in New York City tonight. Surely, at least one new product was shown. Speculation is running high that on Thursday, September 17, Pentax will officially announce their latest DSLR, the Pentax-X. It's said to be a 12.4 megapixel CMOS camera with HD Video and HDR capabilities. More information about what may be is available at Photo Rumors who caught the first glimpse of something in the shadows.

September 9th was the day that Leica officially announced its X1 fixed-lens digital rangefinder equipped with an APS-C sensor. Sony makes that sensor. But, it's also speculated to find its way into a Nikon compact sometime possibly in the near future. In March of this year Samsung released a press announcement timed with PMA '09 describing its NX camera line that also has the APS-C. Put this together with Sigma's DP-line that incorporates Foveon's X3 technology and you can see the field quickly getting more interesting. Pictures stand to be a lot better! And, if Nikon and Samsung can produce anything of good quality and bring it to market for far less than Leica's $1995 asking price the future could be a win-win for the photographic community.

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A Contents Overview

According to an analysis of the DSLR market worldwide Canon is getting some stiff competition from Nikon. According to German website PhotoScala, Nikon, although still smaller when compared to Canon, is gaining ground against the leader, somewhere around 10%.. You might find it of interest as to how other popularly mentioned companies including Olympus, Panasonic, and Sony have been performing in the DSLR sector. (Some familiar names are noticeably absent.) While this analysis shouldn't be considered the final word it may provide a view into this area of photography and how the cards are stacked.

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Jeff Ascough - a world's best wedding photographer currently at the top of his game has posted some pictures he took with the brand new Canon 7D digital camera. They look awesome!

Jeff used a provided camera with a provided 24L II lens. He was not able to fine tune the lens using the AF adjustment feature and he comments he would have preferred to use his own lens and fine tune them in the camera.

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The Leica M9 and X1 became a reality today giving the company a three-way punch for 2009. The Leica M9 is a full-frame digital rangefinder with interchangeable Leica lenses. Shipments are coming to dealers now. The X1 arrives to the market in December with an APS-C sensor. Then, there's the S2 medium format DSLR that is expected in the next 30-45 days. DPReview has a Hands-On Preview of the M9 along with a tour of the Leica Solms Factory that readers will find interesting.

Hands-On Preview...

Solms Factory Tour...

Additional Leica Product Links ...

Nikon recently introduced the 10.2 megapixel D3000 camera and combined it with an 18-55mm VR Image Stabilized lens priced at under an unbelievable price of $600. Features include 6 automatic exposure Scene Modes, in-camera image editing, 3 fps shooting, special effects, and quick image capture. Even in low light the D3000 will takes photos even at ISO 1600 that look amazing on the 3" LCD. All-in-all the D3000 comes in a compact size that will deliver even on a budget.

"This is a great first SLR and a genuine pleasure to use. It's fast and intelligent, with a good quality kit lens, and comes with all the advantages of Nikon's optical heritage. The ISO performance is great for the money, and the clear LCD makes it easy to make adjustments as you go along."

Recently, an online Leica brochure made an appearance before being put in the custody of a a required password. (At the time of this post the PDF was accessible HERE.) Not only in there mention of a full-frame 18 megapixel M9 but deeper down there's mention of an X1 digital rangefinder with fixed 24mm autofocus wide angle lens. However, it references that the X1 has a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor aka APS-C. Photographers will recognize this as a sensor used in many a DSLR camera. It's an interesting twist that if this is legitimate then 2009 may well be recognized as the year that Leica fired up its engines and actually brought to market the M9, S2, and X1. This is quite a feat in itself from one of the most respected names in photography.

In the 425th year of its existence, Hahnemühle FineArt adds two stunning new products to the innovative market for inkjet papers.

Woodstock, IL September 03, 2009 The traditionalists among photographers will be delighted about the new Fine Art paper Baryta FB. It was created at their request and represents a perfect addition to Hahnemühle’s award-winning range of Baryta papers.

Leica may be busier than anyone has thought. Not only should there be a new M9 full frame digital rangefinder with interchangeable lenses but there could be something that's being called an "X1." Speculation is that this might be a Micro Four Thirds camera based upon their relationship with Panasonic who just introduced the GF1. Or, it could be a code name for the D-Lux 5. Images, real or not, prove to be thought provoking as seen Here and also Here.Leica isn't exactly talking. Look for the announcements on 9/9/09.

The LUMIX GF1, the world’s smallest and lightest system digital camera with built-in flash*, packs powerful DSLR and HD video capabilities into a sleek and easy-to-use compact body

Introducing the EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, and EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lenses

The New Canon 7D represents Canon's new thinking as it battles the 1D Mark III issue and the 5D Mark II being a better sensor than it's flagship 1Ds Mark III. This will represent what Canon has done to address it's focus stain and also reveal Canon's engineering muscles in the low light high ISO arena.

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The EOS 7D Features Fast Eight fps Continuous Shooting, Class-Leading 18-Megapixel Resolution and Full HD Video Recording with Variable Frame Rates and Manual Exposure Control