Power to the pixel

PDR-M5 is a 2.14 million pixel

Saveral digital debuts to report this month . First from Toshiba, the PDR-M5 is a 2.14 million pixel model with a 3x optical and 2x digital zoom that can also capture up to 16 minutes of video.Armed with 8Mb SmartMedia storage easily upgradeable to 64Mb,the Toshiba can shoot consecutive images at one frame-per-second and download quickly to PC or Mac.A snip at £650.

Medium-format camera of the year

Contax 645

Desirable is the word that sums up this stunning modular roll-film newcomer . check out the superb build quality,exquisite optical standards and the elevated price tag.

Also in the running : Mamiya 7, Pentax 645N , Bronica ETR-SI

APS camera of the year

Canon EOS IX7

A worthy winner because of its compact body size , easy-to-understand control layout and slick performance .Retaining the lens mount means lenses from 35mm EOS models fit straight on.

Also in the running : Contax T-ix , Canon IXUS II , Nikon Pronea S

35mm Compact camera of the year

Pentax Espio 200

Whit its elongated 48-200mm zoom the zoom the Espio boasts the longest telephoto reach of any compact ,though

You’ll need fast film to get the best out of it .

Also in the running : Contax G2 , Olympus mju series , Ricoh GR1 and Samsung Vega 140S

Icons of Photography £19.95 , Prestel , ISBN 3-7913-2001-7

As the 20^th century winds down , so the book business winds up , with publishers cashing in on our nostalgia for all thinga 19 something .Icons of photography sets out to give us the very best in 100 years of image-making and is a book which educates and inspires with some great pictures. Many are famous , some are funny , and all of them carry the mantle of ‘icon’ .

Metz 40MZ-1 Flashgun worth £180

The Metz 40MZ-1 is solidly built and packed with features.It boasts a powerful Guide Number of 40 ( ISO 100,m )

and dedication with almost every modem SLR via the SCA module system .

Hasselblad XPan outfit worth £1600

mages on the same roll of 35mm film . It’s beautiful to handle ,exquisitely built and the 90mm lens offers

Each montly winner bags a Hasselblad XPan outfit worth a cool £1600. The outfit comprises camera and 90mm f/4 lens , spirit level,tripod quick coupling plate , shade and strap .

The XPan is a remarkable rangefinder camera that allows yau to take panoramic as well as standard-size i

exceptional image quality .

SIGMA Second to None

The SIGMA 28-300 mm f 3.5-63 / F ASP Hyperzoom

Until now the hyperzoom race has not been truly run . You need more than one runner to provide a true photo finish , and now SIGMA has entered the market with their fabulous new aspherical 28 – 300 mm lens , there can be only one winner !

Immaculate pedigree combined with a stable in frorm ensures that already the sigma 28-300 mm has been installed as favourite .

The Power Shot S10 will make you even faster

The new Power Shot S10 digital camera can stop anyone in their tracks . Its blistering performance is thanks to an outstanding overall specification . The USB interface provides rapid image transfer and increased compatibility with both PC and Mac formats , And because reduced shutter lag gives faster image capture , the S10 leaves other digital cameras for dust .

Photographer of the decade 1911 – 1920

Jacques – Henri
Lartigue

Born 13 june 1894 ; died 12 September 1986

Lartigue was a French photographer , largely unrecognized until late when he was dubbed the ‘ discovery of the century.’

He started taking pictures is shown right taken in 1912 . Titled Grand Prix of Automobile Club of France . he panned the camera so that the car is sharp .