Aug. 19, 1839: Photography Goes Open Source
(Wired)
On 19 August 1839, Frenchman Louis Daguerre, after receiving a lifetime pension from his government revealed the secrets of his daguerreotypes. After that, 'no one wanted to have a portrait painted; everyone wanted a daguerreotype. Studios opened all over Paris. "Daguerreotypomania" spread from Paris to the rest of France, then across the continent, across the channel to England and across the Atlantic to America'. US-based magazine Wired has an interesting series of short articles on the major leaps in the history of photography.

At Beijing Olympics, Photographers Shine
(NPR)
For one Olympic competition, such as the 400 meters, Getty Images' photographer Michael Steele starts preparing more than four hours before the start of the race. He tells NPR how he has to anticipate how athletes might celebrate a victory. 'Sometimes they don't even celebrate, and then you're thinking '"There's no picture there! Why haven't you celebrated?" But generally in an Olympic final, they do something.' Also: Read BJP's interview of Jude Edginton, who shot Britain's young hopefuls on their home turf.

Over the years, the British Journal of Photography has reviewed hundreds of cameras from the leading manufacturers. Here is a list of all digital SLRs and links to their BJP reviews (registration required).

It was the worst-kept secrets of the summer. Last Thursday, in an private briefing with BJP, under a Non-Disclosure Agreement, Canon was showing off its new EOS 50D digital SLR. And on Monday, Nikon was doing the same with its D90 camera featuring video capabilities.

However, these meetings just confirmed what many photographers knew for days if not weeks. The 50D had been the subject of numerous rumours and speculations, and even an official confirmation when Canon's Chinese website published the camera's full specifications ahead of its launch. The page was quickly pulled offline, but it was already too late: copies of the page reached forums and specialised websites, thanks in main part to Google's habit to host a cache of each page it indexes.

The same happened with Nikon, which saw the full specifications of its new DSLR published days before on websites such as Nikonrumors. In fact even Nikon UK's group marketing manager Jeremy Gilbert acknowledged the leak. 'I'm sure you've all gone to Nikonrumors, but this is the official announcement,' he told the many journalists attending the press briefing and hoping for some surprise announcement.

For full coverage of the new mid-range additions, check BJP's article on Canon EOS 50D and our preview of Nikon's D90. Our 03 September print issue will also feature extended coverage of the two new cameras.