Pentax Optio S6
Pentax today introduced two new cameras. The first camera is the Optio S6, which comes just a few days after the Optio S60 and Optio 60 were introduced (confused yet?). Here are the specs on this ultra thin camera:
Olympus SP-310/350
Olympus has introduced a whole bunch of new cameras today, though there are no D-SLRs to be found. The first two cameras are part of the new SP-series of cameras. Here are their specs:
Olympus SP-500 Ultra Zoom
There's another member of the SP family, and this one's an ultra zoom. For those waiting for a new UZ camera from Olympus with image stabilization, your wait goes on. Here are the specs on this model:
Olympus Stylus 600
Next up we have a new addition to Olympus' Stylus line of weatherproof cameras. This one has more in common with the Stylus 300 and 400 than the newer 500 and 800 models.
DSC-T5 review is here I've posted my review of the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5. This is the latest addition
to Sony's very popular T-series of ultra thin cameras.
Canon SD550 gallery started I've uploaded a bunch of photos from the new Canon PowerShot SD550 Digital ELPH (also known as the IXUS 750). I've found that Canon has snuck in a few extra features on this camera in addition to the larger LCD (nothing exciting, though).
{ Thursday, August 25, 2005 }
Digimax i5 reviewed I have posted my review of the Samsung Digimax i5, their first ultra thin camera. I'm hoping to update the review with battery life info this week, so stay tuned for that.
The ultra thin camera hit parade continues with a look at the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 in a few days.
{ Wednesday, August 24, 2005 }
Wednesday's photo gallery update
If you like photos from compact metal cameras, then today is your lucky day -- I've got two galleries worth!
Canon EOS-5D
Canon today introduced a whole bunch of new products, and the first shouldn't be much of a surprise if you keep up with camera rumors. This camera is, of course, the EOS-5D, which is kind of a "middle child" between the EOS-20D and the EOS-1Ds Mk II.
Canon EF mount; since the sensor is full-frame, there is no lens conversion ratio to worry about; in other words, if the lens says 16-35, that's what it will be on the 5D; unlike the 20D, this camera can NOT use EF-S lenses
2.5" LCD display
DIGIC II processor
Can take up to 30 JPEGs or 17 RAW images at 3 frames/second
9 point autofocus with 6 invisible supplemental focus points
0.2 second startup time
New Picture Styles feature has preset sharpness, color tone, and saturation settings for various situations (e.g. portrait, neutral, landscape)
New automatic and "intelligent" noise reduction system
Compact and durable body; unusually "streamlined" for a full-frame camera
No built-in flash; hot shoe and flash sync port available
CompactFlash Type II slot
USB 2.0 High Speed supported
Can take 800 shots per charge using included li-ion battery (CIPA standard)
Canon EOS-1D Mk II N For those with higher budgets, there's a camera for you too. The EOS-1D Mk
II N gives a poorly named camera some new features and an even sillier name.
Here are the specs on this super D-SLR:
EOS-1D Mk II N
8.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor
Canon EF lens mount; 1.3X lens conversion factor
All-metal, weather resistent body
DIGIC II processor
Can shoot at 8.5 frames/second for up to 40 RAW or 48 JPEG images
New 2.5" wide-view TFT LCD display
Startup time drops from 0.3 to 0.2 seconds
Same Picture Styles feature as the 5D
RAW and JPEG images can be saved to separate memory cards (the camera has
both CF and SD card slots)
Improved playback mode (see press release for details)
Included NiMH battery pack gives you a whopping 1200 shots per charge (CIPA
standard)
Canon intros two new lenses and one flash To go along with the two new EOS Digital cameras, Canon also announced two new
lenses as well as a flash. Here are the quick stats on those:
EF 24 - 105 mm F4L IS USM lens; image stabilizer gives you three stops
of shutter speed flexibility; dust and water resistent; 45 cm minimus focus
distance throughout the entire focal range; ships in September for $1249
EF 70 - 300 mm F4-5.6 IS USM lens; replaces the 75 - 300 IS lens; same
image stabilizer abilities as the 24-105; two IS modes to choose from; ships
in September for $649
Speedlite 430EX external flash; replaces the 420EX; guide number of 43/141
(m/ft); minimum focal length drops to 14 mm; supports E-TTL II flash metering;
40% faster flash recycle time compared to 420EX; Priced at $299
Canon PowerShot SD450/SD550 Digital ELPH Two of the most popular models in the PowerShot SD series of cameras have been updated (already). The changes are fairly minor, with the larger LCD display being the biggest new feature. Here are the specs for these two cameras:
Canon PowerShot A610/A620
Next up we have two new additions to the PowerShot A-series. The A610 and A620 are the successors to the very popular PowerShot A95 and they have a similar design to the A510 and A520. Here are the specs:
Panasonic FZ30 review posted I've posted my review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30, an 8 Megapixel ultra zoom camera. I went into more detail than usual since there's so much interest in this highly anticipated camera. Enjoy!
Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6 Konica Minolta today added a new member to their DiMAGE Z-series of ultra zoom
cameras:
Kodak EasyShare V550 review I've posted my review of the Kodak EasyShare V550, a surprisingly nice compact point-and-shoot camera. Up next: the Panasonic FZ30!
{ Monday, August 15, 2005 }
Monday gallery updates I added a couple more photos to the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 gallery and also started three new galleries as well:
HP Photosmart 385 printer review Today I'm posting our second printer review in a month, and it's of the HP Photosmart 385. This is a compact and portable printer with a 2.5" LCD display and numerous memory card slots. We've got two more printers lined up for reviews in the next month or so, so stay tuned for those. Eventually these will all end up on a separate site. If you have any feedback about our printer reviews, please post it in this special thread in our forums.
{ Friday, August 12, 2005 }
HP Photosmart R817 reviewed I've finally posted my review of the HP Photosmart R817, a compact camera with a 5X zoom lens and a ton of cool features.
{ Wednesday, August 10, 2005 }
False alarm After some digging by Panasonic, it turns out that my FZ30 really is a production model after all! The DMC-FX9 and DMC-LX1 are production models as well. Sorry for the scare!
{ Monday, August 8, 2005 }
Update on FZ30 gallery, printer review I have bad news about the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ30 photo gallery I posted last week. Turns out that the camera isn't a final production model after all, even though that's what I was told. It's "very close to final" according to Panasonic, but since I only evaluate cameras that you can actually buy in the store, I'll have to reshoot all the sample photos when a production model becomes available. I'm not sure if the FX9 and LX1 are also pre-production, but I'm working on finding out. I apologize for this mess -- naturally I'm not happy about it either.
Update: See above.
In other news, I made a few updates to our HP Photosmart 8150 printer review from a few weeks back. This is pretty close to the type of review we'd be doing on a printer review site.
Kodak market share continues to grow The latest numbers from IDC show that Kodak is increasing their share of the US digital camera market. Kodak's market share is now up to 23.8%, followed by Canon (20.6%), Sony (18.3%), and Olympus (11.7%). Kodak took over the number one spot from Sony at the end of last year.
{ Friday, August 5, 2005 }
Yet more Panasonic sample photos I've updated the three Panasonic galleries that were started earlier this week:
Four exciting new galleries Today I have four new photo galleries, including three exclusive galleries taken with production-level models of Panasonic's latest cameras. Look for more photos from those three cameras by the end of the week!
Kodak EasyShare P880 I never thought I'd say this: Kodak has some really cool new cameras. The new EasyShare P-series cameras sure don't look like Kodak cameras, nor do they sound like them from the specs. Naturally, both of these models will be reviewed when the time comes. And here's cool new camera number one:
F2.8-4.1, 5.8X optical zoom Schneider-Kreuznach lens, equivalent to 24 - 140 mm
Manual zoom and focus rings
2.5" LCD display plus electronic viewfinder (237k pixels)
25-point hybrid AF system + AF-assist lamp
Full manual controls; shutter speed range of 16 - 1/4000 sec
32MB onboard memory + SD/MMC card slot
Hot shoe plus PC sync port; supports new Kodak P20 Zoom Flash ($150)
First EasyShare camera to support the RAW image format; user can turn RAW images into JPEGs or TIFFs right on the camera
Can record video at 640 x 480 (30 frames/sec) until memory is full; user can zoom during filming; editing functions include trimming, splicing, cutting, and merging clips; user can also export frame grabs
All the usual EasyShare stuff: in-camera tagging for e-mail, printing, and favorites
Optional telephoto conversion lens
PictBridge-enabled
Ships in September for $599 (wow, that's quite a deal)
The second new Kodak camera is equally nice. This one's an ultra zoom with image stabilization, set to give Canon, Panasonic, and Sony a run for their money. Here are the early specs on this one:
F2.8-3.7, 12X optical zoom Schneider-Kreuznach lens with optical image stabilization; lens is equivalent to 36 - 432 mm; I can't help but think that this lens has been seen on other cameras in this class
2.5" LCD display plus electronic viewfinder (same as P880)
25-point hybrid AF system
32MB onboard memory + SD/MMC card slot
Full manual controls; shutter speed range of 16 - 1/1000 sec
Same RAW and sharing features as described above
Can record VGA video (30 fps) with sound until memory card is full; cannot zoom during filming like the P880 can
Hot shoe for external flash (including the new Kodak one)
Optional wide-angle and telephoto conversion lenses, plus filters (55 mm)
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T5 Sony has added a new member to their T-series of ultra-thin cameras, and it's pretty stylish. Here are the specs on their latest camera:
