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June 2009

 
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{ Thursday, June 25, 2009 }
  Final review of Olympus E-620 posted
I've posted my final review of the Olympus E-620 digital SLR. Follow the link to see how this low-priced (yet full-featured) camera performed in our tests!

Up next -- finally -- the Canon EOS Rebel T1i.

 
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{ Wednesday, June 24, 2009 }
  Rugged, everything-proof Pentax Optio W80 announced
Pentax -- one of the originators of the underwater digital camera -- has released their new Optio W80, which is water, dust, cold, and shockproof. I'm hoping to get one soon so I can throw it in with the Canon, Olympus, and Panasonic equivalents for a rugged camera mega-review. For now, here are the Optio W80's highlights:

Optio W80 [specs]

  • 12.1 Megapixel CCD
  • F3.3-5.5, 5X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 28 - 140 mm
  • Compact body is waterproof (to 16 ft/5 m), cold resistant (to 14F/-10C), and can be dropped from up to 3.3 ft / 1 m
  • 2.5" LCD display with 230,000 pixels
  • Auto Picture mode selects one of eight scene modes for you
  • "Pixel Track Shake Reduction" promises blur-free images without high ISO noise (we'll see about that)
  • Fast face detection feature finds up to 32 faces in the frame in 0.03 seconds; also features smile and blink detection
  • AF-assist "spot beam projector"
  • Adjustable dynamic range
  • "Digital wide" feature combines two images to create a 21mm-equivalent photo
  • HD movie mode records at 1280 x 720 (30 fps)
  • 33.7MB onboard memory + SD/SDHC slot
  • No word on battery life yet
  • Ships next month for $300; available in red, blue, and gray
continue reading »
 
  Adobe updates Camera Raw plug-in
Adobe has released version 5.4 of their Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop. Quite a few cameras are now supported, including the Canon PowerShot SX1 and EOS Rebel T1i, Nikon D5000, Olympus E-450/620, Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1, Pentax K-7, Sigma DP2, and the Sony Alpha DSLR-A230/A330/A380. You can download the update here.
 
{ Wednesday, June 17, 2009 }
  Nikon D5000 review posted
I've posted my final review of the Nikon D5000 digital SLR. Is this baby version of the D90 worth your hard-earned cash? Find out in the review!

As luck would have it, the 55-200 mm lens that came with my camera was a bad one, so the night shots will need to be reshot when a replacement lens arrives. Also, look for more high ISO shots later today.

 
{ Tuesday, June 16, 2009 }
  Olympus rolls out E-P1 Micro Four Thirds camera - preview available
Olympus has announced their first Micro Four Thirds camera, the E-P1. Taking substantial design cues from the classic "Pen" series of film cameras, the E-P1 is a compact, retro-styled interchangeable lens camera with the same bells and whistles as Olympus' regular D-SLRs. Like Panasonic's Micro Four Thirds cameras, the E-P1 is live view only and it can record HD movies. Unlike the Panasonic models, the E-P1 lacks a viewfinder and a built-in flash, though you can purchase both. I had some hands-on time with the camera and wrote up a detailed preview for you. If you want the short version, check out the specs below:

Olympus E-P1 [specs]

  • 12.3 Megapixel Live MOS sensor
  • Retro-styled metal body is the smallest interchangeable lens camera that you can buy
    • Body available in silver and matte white; lenses will be available in silver and black
  • Micro Four Thirds lens mount, with 2X focal length conversion ratio
    • Two new Olympus M. Zuiko lenses available: F2.8, 17 mm pancake lens and a F3.5-5.6, 14 - 42 mm zoom that can "collapse" to reduce its size when you're on the go
    • Support for "legacy" Four Thirds lenses via optional adapter; some will support autofocus, others will not
    • Adapters also available for Olympus OM and Leica R and M-mount lenses
  • Sensor-shift image stabilization
  • New TruePic V image processor, which offers better color (especially with violet), increased detail, and better noise reduction
  • Dust reduction system
  • 3-inch LCD display with 230,000 pixels
  • Live view with contrast detect AF, face detection, and handy Perfect Shot Preview feature
  • Full manual controls, plus iAuto mode with automatic scene selection
  • New 324-area metering system
  • Plenty of scene modes plus art filter and multiple exposure features
  • Refined user interface uses two dials on the back of the camera
  • Can record movies at 1280 x 720 (30 fps) with stereo sound and continuous AF (with select lenses) for up to 7 minutes
  • Optional optical viewfinder works with the 17 mm pancake lens; it is fixed-focus
  • New FL-14 external flash is designed to match the E-P1; will sell for $100 after instant rebate
  • SD/SDHC memory card slot (no xD, hurrah!)
  • HDMI port
  • Uses the familiar BLS-1 lithium-ion battery; 300 shots per charge
  • Shipping in July; body only price is $750; body plus 14 - 42 mm lens is $800; body plus the 17 mm pancake lens and viewfinder is $900
    >> Read our preview for more <<
continue reading »
 
{ Thursday, June 11, 2009 }
  Casio announces compact Exilim EX-H10 with ultra-wide 10X zoom
Casio today announced a compact camera with a powerful, wide-angle 10X zoom lens. The Exilim EX-H10 packs a 10X, 24 - 240 mm lens into a thin package, complete with image stabilization, a large LCD, 720p movie recording, and stunning battery life. Here are all the details:

Exilim EX-H10 [specs]

  • 12.1 Megapixel CCD
  • F3.2-5.7, 10X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 24 - 240 mm
  • Ultra-compact body is just 0.95" thick
  • Sensor-shift image stabilization
  • 3-inch LCD display with 230,400 pixels
  • Point-and-shoot operation, with plenty of scene modes
    • New scene modes include a vivid landscape mode with a "mist removal" function, a skin-smoothing Makeup mode, and a handheld night scene feature
  • Continuous shooting as fast as 10 fps, though at very low resolutions
  • Dynamic Photo function lets you combine several shots of a moving subject into a single photo
  • Records movies at 1280 x 720 (24 fps) until 4GB file size is reached
  • 35.7MB onboard memory + SD/SDHC card
  • Uses new NP-90 lithium-ion battery with incredible 1000 shot/charge battery life
  • Ships in July for $300
continue reading »
 
{ Wednesday, June 10, 2009 }
  Ricoh CX1 review posted
I've posted my review of the Ricoh CX1, a compact camera with a 9 Megapixel CMOS sensor, 28 - 200 mm lens, 3-inch high res LCD, and a host of unique features. Check out the review to see how it stacks up against the competition.
 
  June firmware update roundup
Playing catch-up once again, here are some recent camera firmware updates worth mentioning:
  • Canon EOS-5D Mark II: manual controls available while recording movies
  • Panasonic F3.5-5.6, 14 - 45 mm Micro Four Thirds lens: improves conitnuous autofocus, OIS performance in movie mode; decreases aperture noise in movie mode
  • Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3: improved auto white balance performance, MF-assist/AF-area selection, display of manual exposure assistance, behavior when lens cap is attached and camera is powered on
  • Ricoh CX1: ensures that camera retracts the lens when battery is low
  • Sigma DP2: improved autofocus performance, decreases intermittent camera freezes
 
 
  Eye-Fi introduces new "Pro" wireless SDHC card
Eye-Fi today rolled out a new "Pro" version of their wireless SDHC memory card. The big feature here is that you can now transfer RAW images to your computer, in addition to JPEGs and videos. I have a pair of Eye-Fi cards that I use for taking my studio test shots, and am definitely excited about RAW support. The Eye-Fi Pro also supports direct (Ad-Hoc) connections to wireless devices, without having to use a router. Eye-Fi cards can also upload your stuff to numerous photo and video sharing sites, automatically. The Pro card is now available for under $150.

For all Eye-Fi users, there's also a new Selective Transfer feature. This will only transfer photos to your computer that you've "protected" on the camera. This free update will be available via the Eye-Fi Manager software.

continue reading »
 
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