I know, digital picture frames have been round for a while, available in various shapes and sizes. This one is different.

You can send the eStarling Digital Picture Frame photos via email or it can subscribe to a Flickr Photostream. It also takes 4 types of memory cards.

They're available at ThinkGeek on backorder.

Product Features

• Connects to Wireless 802.11 Network
• Displays Photos E-Mailed to the Picture Frame
• Displays Photos from Flickr RSS Feeds
• Displays Photos on a MMC/SD/MS/CF card

Specifications

• 7" color LCD Display
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g with Support for WEP encryption
• MMC/SD/MS/CF 4in1 card slot
• On-board Storage for Approximately 200 photos
• Views JPEG files
• External 120V/240V AC Adapter

My 2 Cents

As has been rumoured for the last 2-3 weeks, there is such a thing as a Nikon D40. Along with this announcement from Nikon (see below), was also a revealing of two new entry level products from Nikon.  The Nikon SB-400 Speedlight and the Nikkor AF-S DX 18-55 mm F3.5-5.6G ED II lens are designed to enable the amateur-photographer-on-a-budget to put together a reasonably decent kit.

Again, another smart move from Nikon.  Release an entry level DSLR along with some entry level kit (flash, lens, etc.) and in a few years time you'll have some amateur come professional photographers who will stick with your brand because they already own some kit. It'll be interesting to see how Canon respond the the D40's release.

If you wan't my opinion, the D40 looks like a great buy. For $799 AUD, you have a decent camera with the versatility that only an SLR has, as well as the beginnings of what may become an extensive Nikon kit. 

Nikon D40 News Release

NIKON™S NEW D40 DIGITAL SLR CAMERA IS THE SMALLEST AND EASIEST-TO-USE NIKON D-SLR EVER

• The D40 Inherits Incredible Picture Quality from Nikon's Photographic
  Expertise, Making it Easy for Everyone to Take Breathtaking Pictures
• Features an All-New, Visually Intuitive Interface, In-Camera
  Editing and Built-In Help Features for Just $599.95USD (approx $799.00 AUD) With a 3X
  Zoom-Nikkor Lens

If you've ever wondered why your vacation pictures dontt look as good as those magnificent landscapes and flattering portraits seen in countless glossy magazines, chances are you just haven't found the right camera. Nikon today introduced the new D40 digital SLR camera that's designed to offer consumers the ability to get higher quality, impressive looking pictures with the press of a button. While digital SLR cameras are extremely popular among professional photographers, some consumers have shied away from them because they are larger than compact digital cameras and some models can be complicated to the uninitiated user. Nikon addressed these concerns and more by designing the D40 as an ultra-compact, lightweight, 6.1-effective megapixel digital SLR camera with simplified new features, exceptional handling speed, and a redesigned, visually-intuitive menu system that brings digital SLR cameras to a whole new level of simplicity. Our customers constantly tell us that their memories just look better with Nikon's digital SLR cameras.

The image quality is always spectacular, displaying bright and vivid colors. A Nikon digital SLR captures the action shots and special moments perfectly because of its superb responsiveness. But they also tell us they wished digital SLR cameras were smaller, lighter and easier to use, said Edward Fasano, general manager for marketing, SLR System Products at Nikon Inc. With the introduction of the D40, Nikon's engineers have surpassed our expectations in meeting this challenge. The D40 packs in an incredible range of features and technologies, but even those using a digital SLR camera for the first time will be thrilled with beautiful pictures with vibrant colors, stunning sharpness and outstanding detail. And these same customers will be amazed at just how easy it is to take truly better pictures with the new Nikon D40."

The Nikon D40 is always ready to capture priceless expressions or special moments perfectly, eliminating the frustrations typically associated with compact digital cameras. The camera is ready to shoot virtually the instant it is turned on and with the ability to shoot 2.5 pictures per second, non-stop for up to 100 shots, you'll never need to wait for the camera to get ready for the next shot. The camera reacts instantly when the shutter button is pressed ensuring you never miss a great moment. The images are immediately processed and rapidly recorded to the camera's SD memory card.

The back of the D40 is dominated by a refreshingly large and bright 2.5-inch color LCD screen that displays everything from menu options, pictures in playback mode and Nikon's new visually-intuitive information display system that presents camera and shooting information in a clear, graphically represented way. The camera also features built-in help that can be accessed at the touch of a button and new Assist

Images that help you select appropriate settings for many camera features by displaying a sample image typical of that setting.
The D40's scene-optimized Digital Vari-Program modes allow users to capture nearly any type of scene without needing to fumble with camera settings. The D40 includes eight preset modes, including a new Flash Off mode that shuts off the camera's flash and boosts its ISO so users can easily take pictures in places where flash photography is not allowed, inappropriate or when they prefer the look of naturally lit pictures. As users gain experience with the camera, the D40 offers advanced controls such as Aperture-priority and Shutter-priority modes that offer greater creative control over the look and feel of their pictures.

Read the rest of this entry »

Whilst I’m not what you’d call a professional travel photographer or even a highly experienced travel photographer, I’ve had a reasonable amount of experience taking photos in the field over the past 4-5 years with various Nikon SLRs. The reason I’m writing this series of travel photography tips is to share my personal experience and the lessons I’ve learned whilst attempting the art of travel photography. I do not presume to be an expert and am definately not well known, but I have noticed a shortage of photography tips specific to all aspects of travel photography on the web and would like to help fill that gap.

My first post tackles the “what do I need?” question regarding equipment. We all know that sometimes we can get carried away and go out and purchase more than we need only to end up with an expensive toy that ends up sitting on the shelf collecting dust, or in the case of travel photography, you end up lugging around a 1kg lens through the tropical jungles of the Amazon for 6 weeks and never use it!

1. What do I need & What do I want?
It is important to seperate your equipment list into two categories being: what do I need? And, what do I want? So, in my opinion, the biggest tip I can offer you and one that I will expand upon later in this post: “Take only what is needed to be versatile in the field”. More on this later…

1.1 Be fast & flexible
Firstly, you need to determine the bare minimum. How little can you take without sacrificing the ability to be fast and flexible? Read the rest of this entry »