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. The latest addition to Canon’s Powershot range is the £600 S10,armed with 2.1 mega pixels and a high performance 2x zoom . Claimed to be the smallest and , at 270 grams , the lightest camera in its class , it can store a minimum of 24 images on the standard 8Mb Compact Flash card ,At the other extreme, a staggering 3000 images can be captured the Powershot is equipped with a 340Mb microdrive.Last but not least, Leica announce the Digilux zoom featuring a 1.5 milion pixel CCD and a 3x zoom equivalent to 38-114mm in the 35mm format.It’s yours for £450,though it bears a striking resemblance to the £400 Fuji MX-1700 if you’re not so bothered about the prestigious nameplate.An intriguing accessory for the Digilux is the £159 Digicopy, Which allows digital copying of 35mm slides and negatives .

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

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

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

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’ .Whether some deserve such a title is debatable.

There’s a biography of the photographer beside each picture is deserving of its status.

A great book , but what’s interesting to note is that there’s no digital in there , and of the 93 images shown only nine of them are in colour . Now what does that say about photography ?

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 .

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 .

The XPan has a wide range of features including autoexposure bracketing , an integral motordrive and TTL centre-weighted average metering .

It is truly a camera that once you pick up , you won’t want to put down . Ten lucky PP readers will find that out for themselves .

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 . As favourite yau would expect to be offered the shortest price , and once again sigma does not disappoint . The 28 – 300 mm f3.5-6.3 is only £359.95 and this low price includes a FREE 72 mm AML filter wort £49.95! ,You only have to look at the form to figure out where to place your money .

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 . Dedicated hardware signal processing means less delay between shots ,while programmed image control options automatically compensate for differing light conditions – adjusting aperture and exposure accordingly . So , you get the best possible results in any given shooting situation . Add the longlife rechargeable battery , plus image editing and manipulation software and it’s no wonder the Power Shot S10 is giving the competition a run forits money . Catch one if yau can . For technical specifications and other ways to make digital photography faster , visit www.canon.co.uk/photocomputing or call 08000350350 .

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 . The elliptical shape of the wheel and the angle at which the spectators are standing are due to the fact that lartigue used a focal-plane shutter was intended or whether it was result of a lucky accident we are not told .