Two options I recommend

The Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Excellent lens but you will need to get pretty close to your subject

The Tamron AF 90mm f/2.8 1:1 Macro More reach, you won’t need to get as close but a little more limited in use and more expensive

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A few days ago I mentioned “tagging” when announcing the release or Aperture 3. If you are not already taking the time to add keywords (aka tagging) to your images please take a few moments and think ahead 5 years when you want to find that photo of susie when she was blowing out the candles at her 3rd birthday. I would use the following keywords: susie, susie3, cake, birthday.

Iphoto, Aperture, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, Picasa and other programs allow you to easily add keywords to your images and once those go online the popular photo sites all allow search and sort by keywords. It is well worth the time invested. You may not consider the amount of photos you have now to be overwhelming but the numbers will only continue to grow, you will only continue to get more forgetful and the technology that will allow searching and sorting based on keywords is only going to get better – No reason not too in my mind.

Leave a comment with your thoughts on tagging. Look for a short How-to video on using Lightroom to efficiently tag large groups of images.

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It is hard for me to type T2i, its predecessor the T1i was just starting to feel natural and here, less than a year later, we have the follow up. Announced today and shipping in early March the T2i looks on paper to be an amazing camera at an equally amazing price. So much so folks are wondering where the rumored to be announced soon 60D will sit. The Rebel line has been Canon’s entry level line since 2003 with their introduction of the 300D, nearly seven years later the T2i takes that entry-level moniker and stands it on its head offering a very serious camera under $900.

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Here it is. . .

Full written review is coming soon along with a gallery of sample images.

Enjoy and remember to friend me on Facebook

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Each of the following offers an excellent value for quality/features. I will keep this post updated with my current recommendations. If you are looking for specific features ask me on twitter @camerarec or send me an email and I would be happy to  recommend something specific to your needs.

Super Budget
Panasonic Lumix LZ8K 8MP 5x Zoom Lots of features, easy to operate and image quality is excellent.

Budget
Canon PowerShot SD1200IS 10MP 3x Zoom Canon Powershot reliability and quality is a small stylish camera

Mid Level
Panasonic Lumix ZS3 10MP 12x ZoomHuge Zoom, HD video recording and excellent image quality in a form factor that slips into a pocket.

High end
Canon PowerShot S90IS 10MP 3.8x Zoom Extremely high quality images with very little noise, even at higher ISOs, almost DSLR like quality. Genius control scheme lets you have as much or as little control over manual shooting.

Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any questions.

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I have had it in hand for about 48hrs now and I can say the control scheme is awesome.   In my opinion a huge advantage of most DSLRs is the very nicely laid out buttons on the back that allow you to access ISO, focus, white balance and more without wading through menus.   The S90 lets you do exactly that – two control rings plus the mode dial make it insanely easy to change your settings and you can customize the large lens dial to control ISO, WB, zoom and more.

Speedy – Not only does the control scheme allow for quick setting changes the camera is very responsive. turns on and is ready to go quickly and shot to shot time is very good for a point and shoot.

Quality – I have only take 50 shots or so but the clear majority of those are excellent and especially at the higher ISO the lack of noise in some shots in stunning for a P&S camera.

Downsides – Battery life seems on the short side.  I haven’t run any scientific tests and I am certainly spoiled by DSLRs that easily get 500-1000 shots on a good battery but even for a P&S it seems short.  No HD video – this actually doesn’t bother me, but it is curious that Canon limited the video to SD quality.

Bottom Line – there is an awful lot to love about this camera, slips in a pocket, control scheme is genius and it takes excellent photos.  Buy a spare battery and you will be good to go.

Full review with sample photos and video coming soon.

S90 on Amazon

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CES saw a slew of new camera, new camera technology and accessories announced this year. I highlight some of the more interesting below.

The megapixel race has slowed and dare I say plateaued (this is a good thing) with camera manufacturers focusing on new features and better low light performance. Sure a good number of the models announced feature 14MP but we have been there for over a year now and some models announced are still at 10MP. Don’t get starry eyed about these 14MP cameras. Personally I would take a quality 10MP sensor, or even 8MP sensor over 14MP any day.

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