A couple of weeks ago I did a story about the "Top Ten iPhone Apps for Photographers" and now another site has come up with a list of their top FREE photo apps. The main difference, of course, is that my list also included paid apps for the iPhone. The other difference is that the free list seems more focused on consumers and beginning photographers who use the iPhone and my list was more oriented toward professionals. All of which proves that the iPhone is being used by a broad range of photographers.

Photo news is usually pretty quiet ahead of the big Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in early January but third-party lens manufacturer Samyang has announced it will be releasing an 8mm f/3.5 fish-eye lens at the end of March. No word yet on price for this Olympus Four Thirds mount lens. The company has already released Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Pentax versions of the 8mm fisheye. More details in the press announcement below. PRESS RELEASE Samyang 8mm fish-eye and 85mm f/1.4 lenses designed for Olympus 4/3 system. Samyang company has informed that new lenses: Samyang 8mm f3.5 fish-eye and Samyang 85mm f1.4 with a mount for...

Last week I told you about the "Stussy" version of the Ricoh GR III digital camera and this week it looks like Casio is introducing a special "Hello Kitty" edition of its EX-Z90 camera. So if you're a fan of Hello Kitty, this 12-megapixel Casio with a 3x zoom could be the camera for you. It's not cheap though and I still haven't been able to determine if it's going to be sold in the United States. According to the TFTS blog, the pink and stylish Hello Kitty camera is Korea-only right now and will cost about $300. (The regular version...

The Ricoh GR III digital camera will be offered in a special new design from clothing manufacturer Stussy, reports Japan-based website Akihabara News. The Stussy makeover of the Ricoh GR III is being done to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of the US-based fashion company. Though all the features on the GR III are the same as the original version -- 10MP CCD sensor; 28mm f/1.9 lens; 4x digital zoom -- the Stussy special edition features a stylish blue ring around the lens and a few other trendy touches.  No word yet on whether the Stussified Ricoh will make it to the...

When I first wrote about the Polaroid Pogo mobile instant printer for DemystifyingDigital.com I thought it was an interesting device that needed a few more features. Zink, the company which makes the paper for the Pogo, is seeking to expand the options for instant printing with its new 4x6-inch instant paper. Though Zink's 4x6 paper is too large to work with the current Polaroid Pogo, it might be used in larger follow-up mobile printers from Polaroid. In the mean time, there is one printer on the market that can use the paper: the Pandigital Portable Printer with ZINK Technology. The Pandigital...

If you're shopping for a digital SLR for an eager novice photographer, I've put together a holiday camera guide of the best digital SLR cameras of 2009 for beginners. Check out my list of favorite DSLR cameras here and start shopping: there are only a few more days till Christmas!

I never thought of Canon's entry-level Rebel DSLR line as being particularly sturdy but apparently they're tougher than they look. This Canon EOS Rebel XT fell off a skydiver's helmet and plunged 3000 feet to the ground and still worked after impact. There were some minor damages -- a crack in the plastic body and wonky kit lens -- but otherwise the Rebel XT was in fairly decent shape considering it had dropped out of the sky at an estimated velocity of 120 miles per hour. The same can't be said for the Sony camcorder -- shown on the right...

If any of you out there is wondering what I'd like for Christmas if money was no option, I just might say this amazing new lens from NIkon: the AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II super telephoto lens. Yes, this lens is really for pros only since you're not likely to use it on your next family vacation. If you enjoy shooting sports though, I can't think of another piece of glass that I would crave more right now. (Ok, maybe a 400mm lens, buy hey.) The Nikkor 300mm f/2.8 VR II benefits from some interesting new technologies from Nikon which...

This is pure silliness but maybe that's why I like it. Check out what happens when Canon Boy (Romeo) meets Nikon Girl (Juliet) in this remarkably well-produced makeshift rap video.