The Ikea Cardboard Camera (no kidding!)

I have a love-hate relationship with Ikea, I love about half the stuff in the store (especially the cheapo stuff in what I call the flea-market area), and the other half (ugly modern furniture) just leaves me cold. I'm not sure which category to put this in: at a recent trade show Ikea was handing out Ikea-branded re-usable cardboard digital cameras in their press kits.

The camera is apparently a fully-functioning digicam wthat will shoot up to 40 exposures. You can then transfer the images to your computer via a flip-out USB plug. The camera runs on a pair of AA batteries, and the internal memory is emptied (after downloading, of course) by inserting a paper clip into the trash-hole. It uses two AA batteries (something I like since you can replace them anywhere if they run down). I don't know the specs for camera resolution.

With everyone snapping away with their iPhones these days I'm not sure how big the market is for an almost-disposable digital camera, but what the heck, if Ikea sells them for just a few bucks (as they probably will), I'm sure there will be lots of them placed on tables at wedding receptions or stuffed into Christmas stockings.

Please visit my main site: I hope you'll take a look at the many free tutorials on my main site.  There is also a camera-buying guide there that I'm currently updating.

Nikon D3200 24mp DSLR Announced: $699

In the never-ending quest to be king of the megapixel pile, Nikon today announced a somewhat amazing (and amazingly priced) consumer-level DSLR that features a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor (this is quite a leap from the 14MP Nikon D3100 camera that it is replacing).  The camera supports a high-speed shooting rate of 4fps (frames per second) and has an ISO range of 100-6400 (with 12,800 available in extended range).

The camera features a 3-inch LCD and has a Live View mode that lets you view your scenes live on the LCD as well as both 1080p30 and 1080p24 video recording modes with full-time autofocus.  There is also a built-in microphone jack.

The D3200 will be sold as a kit with Nikon's AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens and is set to hit stores in late April. The suggested price is $699.95--so I imagine it will be even less when it hits the street. Nikon is also introducing a Wi-Fi add-on accessory (the WU-1a Wireless Mobile Adapter) that will sell for $59.95, and clips into the side of the camera to add wireless file transfer and shutter control. This feature lets you transfer files directly from the camera to your smart phone, and also lets you control the camera using your phone from up to 50 feet away. 

Sound sweet? It does to me. It continues to amaze me that consumers these days can shoot with cameras that pros would have killed for just a few short years ago. And my guess is that cameras like the D3200 will find a place in pro bags as a backup body.

My Exposure book on Kindle. My book Exposure Photo Workshop is available as a  Kindle book and you can view it in full color using your iPad, iPhone, etc. with a free app. It's the most comprehensive book published on the subject of exposure and Shutterbug Magazine called it, "...the best book ever published on the subject."

Nice YouTube Review of My Exposure Book

I found this great review of my book Exposure Photo Workshop on YouTube. (The Amazon link at left is for the newer edition, by the way.) My thanks to Diana Varela, the very nice woman in the video for giving the book such a nice review and for doing such a professional job with the video! Please visit her site Zoo Animal Photos. There are lots of great photo tips on her site!

National Geographic Traveler Photo Contest

Have you ever fantasized about traveling elbow-to-elbow with a National Geographic photographer? Here's your chance--it's the first prize in the National Geographic Traveler magazine photo contest. If you win first prize you get to travel to the Galápagos Islands in the company of a National Geo photographer. I know a lot of pros that would jump at that prize. Anyway, rather that just reword their announcement, I'll just post it for you.

How It Works
To enter the contest, submit your photos to National Geographic Traveler between April 5, 2012, and July 11, 2012. Photos can be from your travels or your own backyard! Submit as many photos as you’d like.

Prizes
First Prize: A ten-day Galápagos Photography Expedition with National Geographic Expeditions, where the winner and a guest will travel with a National Geographic photographer
Second Prize: A two-and-a-half-day photo workshop at Santa Fe Workshops
Third Prize: Admission to a National Geographic Travel Photo Seminar
Merit Prizes: Seven U.S. $200 gift certificates to B&H Photo

Winning images will be showcased in the National Geographic Traveler magazine and on the National Geographic Traveler photo contest website.

Enter Contest
More Information: Read the official rules and find more information about the contest at NationalGeographic.com/ TravelerPhotoContest.

My contest book:  If you're looking for some inside information on photo contests and how to win them, be sure to check out my book Winning Digital Photo Contests. One of the people that I interview in the book, coincidentally, is a judge for many of the National Geographic contests.