It's all too easy to take a photograph these days with the host of super-slim, super-light, fits-in-the-palm-of-your-hand, digital cameras. But if you are taking lots of photos, bumping around at a boisterous party or taking self-portraits, you are all too likely to end up with a case of the shakes -- and the resultant blurry, poorly defined pictures.
But now, technology has come to the rescue of the weary or nervous photographer. A new generation of cameras and recorders now come equipped with image-stabilization functions that will cure the shakes once and for all.
Image stabilization can be achieved through software as in digital image stabilization, most often seen in digital video recorders or still cameras with a DV function.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MANUFACTURERS
Digital video stabilization in effect uses software to recalibrate images to ensure that they come out with sharper outlines and greater definition. There is also optical video stabilization, in which the camera is built in such a way so that the lens group is able to shift itself through a plane perpendicular to the optical axis to counter the degree of image shake. This system is primarily found on still cameras.
As always, there are pros and cons. Digital image stabilization can often result in a artificial looking image, while optical image stabilization can be expensive to fix if the camera takes a hard knock that throws the shake sensors out of alignment.
For the well-practiced photographer, image stabilization probably isn't particularly important, but it certainly does no harm and can help improve the definition of photos taken in poor light when longer exposures are demanded.
The new technology is ideal for those who want clear photos without thinking too much about it. Getting shaken about on a train, your image stabilizer will be a godsend in recording the journey. Capturing images far in the distance with a powerful telephoto lens, the stabilizer will go some way to keeping the image sharp and clear, even if you don't have a tripod.
The benefits are particularly clear with something like the Canon Powershot S1 IS with its 10X optical zoom, which allows you to pick and choose your shots from a distance. Moreover, this powerful little camera is equipped with a USM driver to move its zoom through its full range in just one second. (Most other cameras need between four and six seconds to move through 10X of zoom.)
Probably one of the hottest cameras equipped with IS technology is the Panasonic DMC-FX-7 with its 3X Leica DC Vario-Elmarit optical zoom and the MEGA Optical Image Stabilizer system. At only 153g, it has a lot of potential in a tiny package.
If you want to keep a running record, you can check out the Sanyo Xacti C, which combines DV and still-photo functions. With its 3x optical and 12X digital zoom, the corrective measures provided by its digital IS will come in useful for all but those with the steadiest of hands. -- Translated by Ian Bartholomew
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
President William Lai’s (賴清德) March 13 national security speech marked a turning point. He signaled that the government was finally getting serious about a whole-of-society approach to defending the nation. The presidential office summarized his speech succinctly: “President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
RSS