New Sony cameras

[PH81]

Does anyone think any more (compact) cameras will be released this year? Been hoping they will, as I haven't particularly loved any that are out at the moment - so never took the plunge and got one. Still a Sony fan though.

I figure Sony might have focused a lot of their time on that Alpha camera though, so assuming there's less chance. Oh, I hope there will be one! Have a few events on in November where a camera would be wanted :)

[akiralx]

Despite the good results a friend got with her Sony W50, I would check out the Panasonic FX range - the superb tiny FX01 (with 28mm wide angle lens) has recently been followed up by the FX07 and FX50, though there are doubts whether their Venus III engine suppresses too much detail when lowering noise. The FX01 is a great camera, I love mine.

[mch111782]

If my 2 threads are any indication, I am not overly impressed with the Sony W50 :mad:

[irwell]

If my 2 threads are any indication, I am not overly impressed with the Sony W50 :mad:

The Sony W50 is a very good camera, I have the W100 and
prior to that the old W1, I suspect your problem is operator
error rather than any defect with the camera.

Have you inspected the lens for any grease marks?

[mch111782]

The Sony W50 is a very good camera, I have the W100 and
prior to that the old W1, I suspect your problem is operator
error rather than any defect with the camera.

Have you inspected the lens for any grease marks?

----------------
Yeah, I don't see any grease marks or anything. It's not user error, because I've tried everything with it. I'm suspecting something isn't quite right with the lens. It's going out to a service center tomorrow.

It's definitely not operator error, as I've tried different modes and settings and always get the right side blurred. Who knows though, maybe it will come back from the repair place with "cleaned the lens" as the labor :) It's a possibility!:)

[PH81]

Despite the good results a friend got with her Sony W50, I would check out the Panasonic FX range - the superb tiny FX01 (with 28mm wide angle lens) has recently been followed up by the FX07 and FX50, though there are doubts whether their Venus III engine suppresses too much detail when lowering noise. The FX01 is a great camera, I love mine.

Yep, will do (well... have been) actually - the FX range is sorta my #2 option.

[bascom]

Does anyone think any more (compact) cameras will be released this year?
I expect them to announce new Fall cameras soon. All the other major companies have recently.

[irwell]

----------------
Yeah, I don't see any grease marks or anything. It's not user error, because I've tried everything with it. I'm suspecting something isn't quite right with the lens. It's going out to a service center tomorrow.

It's definitely not operator error, as I've tried different modes and settings and always get the right side blurred. Who knows though, maybe it will come back from the repair place with "cleaned the lens" as the labor :) It's a possibility!:)

Hope they will sort it all out for you, as I'm sure you will like
W50 if the problem is resolved. Let us know how you get on.
I have just taken delivery of an H5, this has a type of Image
Stabilisation, and the lens moves to compensate for any
camera movement, a little disconcerting at first!.

[punwit]

The image stabilization on the Sony cameras moves the CCD not the lens itself and you should be unaware of this process. If you feel the camera moving when image stablization is on I'd suspect you have a problem.

[coldrain]

The image stabilization on the Sony cameras moves the CCD not the lens itself and you should be unaware of this process. If you feel the camera moving when image stablization is on I'd suspect you have a problem.
I am fairly sure that the Sony H1/2/5 moves a lens element like the Canon S1/2/3 IS and Panasonic OIS system. The Sony A100 DSLR moves its sensor around.

[irwell]

I am fairly sure that the Sony H1/2/5 moves a lens element like the Canon S1/2/3 IS and Panasonic OIS system. The Sony A100 DSLR moves its sensor around.

This author indicates it does.
http://www.aakatz.com/h1whitepaper/part2.htm



The H1 White Paper

Chapter 2 - Image Stabilization

Image stabilization is a system that moves the lens elements of your camera in direct response to any physical motion of the camera - such as the inevitable shaking of your hands as they hold the cam.

IS counteracts camera motion using a pair of gyroscopes (vertical and horizontal) to cancel out "camera-shake" and the blurred ghosted images that result from it. Another way of preventing camera-shake is to shoot at a high shutter speed - so that even if your hands are shaking, the picture is taken so quickly that your motion doesn't matter.

The H1's image stabilization gives you approximately a 3-4 f-stop advantage over a camera without it.

But while IS can compensate for camera movement, it cannot compensate for subject movement. It can't stop your toddler from crossing the room while you shoot your picture. Therefore, IS is only really useful when shooting static, or relatively static subjects.

[punwit]

I stand corrected. I would like to ask though what the camera does that is disconcerting when you have the IS enabled. I've used the H5 for over a month and haven't noticed any obvious movement. And again my apologies for the misinformation.

[irwell]

I stand corrected. I would like to ask though what the camera does that is disconcerting when you have the IS enabled. I've used the H5 for over a month and haven't noticed any obvious movement. And again my apologies for the misinformation.

Have got used to it by now, that and the motor noise
were a bit unusual, still in the learning phase at the moment.
Actually the IS is sort of enabled all the time, one of those
functions where you have to turn it off and then a GREAT big
hand appears on the screen to warn you it is off.
I rather like all those little notices that pop up
to remind what the functions are.

[PH81]

I expect them to announce new Fall cameras soon. All the other major companies have recently.

You were right! http://www.dcresource.com/news/newsitem.php?id=3382. I'm still a bit "blah..." about these latest two cameras announced today though. Didn't like their predecessors, so not really excited about these releases. I'll still wait for some reviews though :)

What does everyone think of touch-screens?

[irwell]

You were right! http://www.dcresource.com/news/newsitem.php?id=3382. I'm still a bit "blah..." about these latest two cameras announced today though. Didn't like their predecessors, so not really excited about these releases. I'll still wait for some reviews though :)

What does everyone think of touch-screens?

Could be a good feature. No viewfinder though!!

[JungleRoom]

Personally, I think touchscreens are bad. Do they work? Sure, but really I want some good old hard buttons to push and not touch the scream. I'm not saying I've got greasy hands but touchscreen just doesn't say durable to me.

Wow, are people still complaining about manufacturers not putting optical viewfinders in ultracompacts. Let's face it: putting optical viewfinders in ultracompacts is not only old-fashioned but kinda weird. The lcd viewfinder works just fine and the optical one would just take extra space. I wouldn't buy an ultracompact with an optical viewfinder.

[Rex914]

Most LCD's still have very poor visibility in direct sunlight, so that's one area where optical viewfinders still hold an advantage.

[irwell]

Most LCD's still have very poor visibility in direct sunlight, so that's one area where optical viewfinders still hold an advantage.

Plus using the eye level viewfinder makes
for a steadier shot, as opposed to holding
the camera at arm's length.