I am going to doubt the fact that the MI6 agents are so stupid that they don’t erase highly classified images on a camera if they plan to sell it on eBay, but I’ll go with the wave and say the news is real.

Apparently a funny James Bond agent from the MI6 sold a secondhand Nikon Coolpix camera on eBay for just £17 (some $30) and simply forgot to erase those classified rocket launchers pictures and hand-drawn graphics of terrorist links, most of them related to Abdul al-Hadi al-Iraqi, a high-ranking al-Qaeda officer.

The new 28-year old owner from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire found them all along with his own, after a vacation in the US.

That’s either an unimaginable mistake for the agency or this guy is a great Photoshop wiz and managed to do a great job with those files. Local police is investigating the whole thing.

Source (image courtesy of Chaz Folkes)

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You may or may not remember but I’m really excited when it comes to traveling and that is, mainly because I have my camera with me, to immortalize every little detail that I like. Tired of my own Fuji, I decided to take a look at Nikon and their new COOLPIX P6000 which is both for the enthusiasts and also for professional photographers.

Unless you need a fashion camera (need great looks) Nikon COOLPIX P6000 could be exactly what you’ve been looking for by now: high-quality pictures and stunning clarity. Why all these? The 13.5 megapixel 1/1.72 inch CCD image sensor helps while the DSLR features of the camera are a really nice add-on. But let’s get a few details about it before we make up our minds:

• 4x Wide Angle Optical Zoom-NIKKOR ED Glass Lens t
• the new EXPEED Image Processing feature
• Optical VR Image Stabilization
• new COOLPIX RAW mode (.NRW) with Windows Imaging Component which allows you to take and edit pictures in RAW mode with Windows Vista. (note: that’s something I’ve long wanted in a smaller cam)
• 2.7-inch High Resolution LCD with an Optical Viewfinder
• ISO 64 - 1600 at full resolution (3200 and 6400 at three megapixels)
• external flash and other lens accessories
• Ethernet port, that allows you to automatically upload your pictures to Nikon’s my Picturetown photo storage and sharing service
• incorporated GPS module which will geo-tag the taken pictures
• SD card slot because “we” photographers can never get enough space to store our pictures.

It sure looks promising, but I’d hold my horses before getting the $499 out of my pocket and wait for a couple of reviews that talk about image quality, the AF speed and burst speed. Available from this month we should know more soon. My biggest concern is if a compact camera with a 13.5 megapixel sensor can come up with a decent IQ.

Our friends at Testfreaks know more about it. Check them out.

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Though I’ve been writing about digital cameras for over 3 years now, I can’t consider myself a professional photographer, simply because I’m not. However I do know when a camera is worth the money, I can see the specifications and who is it going to be happy with a certain model. Take the Pentax gift for example. The Japanese company is planning to release a wide-angle 10 megapixel budget camera to the market, dubbed Pentax Optio E60.

Optio E60 is a 32-96mm equivalent wide-angle lens that helps frame wide portrait shots, scenery, or other very horizontal subjects, has a beginner focus that includes a fully automatic mode that changes all settings itself, has face detection, 3x zoom factor and for those with a little bit more experience it packs ISO-based blur correction.

The new Optio E60 runs on AA batteries (no Li-ion batteries here) and should be shipped on black (only) from October. Price should be close to $140.

My opinion? Too bad it doesn’t have optical image stabilization and what’s with so many (absurd) megapixels?

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