Casio Exilim EX-Z280 / EX-Z33 Ahh, another day, another set of compact cameras from Casio. Here's what I
can tell you about these two low-cost Exilims, starting with the more interesting
of the two, the EX-Z280:
Exilim EX-Z280[specs to come]
12.1 Megapixel CCD
F2.6-5.9, 4X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 26 - 104 mm
Sensor-shift image stabilization
Ultra-compact body
2.7" LCD display with 114,960 pixels
Point-and-shoot operation, with tons of Best Shot (scene) modes
Handheld Night Scene feature
Enhanced Dynamic Photo feature (think "green screen") now lets you add
animated clip art to a photo
Records movies at 1280 x 720 using M-JPEG codec
35.7MB onboard memory + SD/SDHC slot
Uses NP-80 lithium-ion battery; 250 shots per charge
Ships next month for $179
Exilim EX-Z33[specs to come]
10.1 Megapixel CCD
F3.1-5.6, 3X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 35.5 - 106.5 mm
2.5" LCD display with 230,400 pixels
Point-and-shoot operation
Records movies at 848 x 480 and 640 x 480
16.9MB onboard memory + SD/SDHC slot
Uses NP-82 li-ion battery; 210 shots per charge
Comes in black, light pink, vivid pink, silver, and blue
Olympus introduces E-600 digital SLR Olympus is quietly announcing their new E-600 digital SLR today. The E-600 is a "lite" version of the E-620 (see our review), with the following features removed: backlit buttons, multiple exposures, aspect ratios. The camera also has three fewer art filters. With the E-420/450 and E-520 models all discontinued, the E-600 is now the entry-level Olympus D-SLR. It's set to ship in November for $599, which includes a 14 - 42 mm lens.
For more details and a few photos of the camera, click the link below.
Sony introduces full-frame Alpha DSLR-A850 Back in May, Sony introduced a trio of entry-level digital SLRs. Today they
have three more, covering the midrange and semi-pro markets. The big kahuna
is the Alpha DSLR-A850, which is essentially a slightly stripped-down version
of Sony's flagship A900 full-frame D-SLR. Here's what it has to offer:
Sony Alpha DSLR-A500 / DSLR-A550 If you don't need a full-frame camera, then you may be interested in the next
two D-SLRs: the Alpha DSLR-A500 and A550. These cameras use a newly designed
CMOS sensor and a new noise processing algorithm, and Sony says it will excel
in low light. I'll put that claim to the test when I review one of these, but
until then, the specs:
Supports all Minolta/Sony A-mount lenses, with a 1.5X focal length conversion
ratio
Sensor-shift image stabilization
3-inch LCD display with 230,000 pixels can tilt 90 degrees up or down
Refined live view system uses a dedicated CCD near the viewfinder
to provide fast AF, face detection, and smile detection
Camera can also use the main sensor for precise focusing in manual
focus situations; frame can be enlarged by 7 or 14 times
Optical viewfinder has 95% coverage and 0.80X magnification
Full manual controls, with an ISO range of 200 - 12,800; shutter speed
range is 30 - 1/4000 sec (plus bulb)
9-point autofocus system
Continuous shooting rate of 4 fps (live view) or 5 fps (viewfinder)
Auto high dynamic range feature combines two exposures into one for improved
dynamic range; camera can compensate for slight differences in composition
Hot shoe for external flash
Dual memory card slots support SD/SDHC and Memory Studio Duo media
Optional battery grip
HDMI output
Uses NP-FM500H li-ion battery; 480 shots per charge with live view, 950
shots with the optical viewfinder
Ships in October for $750 body only, or $850 with an 18 - 55 mm lens
Two new Sony lenses Along with the three new cameras come a pair of lenses. The first is a low-cost F2.8, 30 mm Sony DT macro lens. This lens is designed for APS-C cameras like the A500 and A550, and will sell for around $200. The other lens is an F2.8, 28 - 75 mm zoom (non-DT), which will ship in November for $800. Both of these lenses use Sony's SAM ultrasonic lens motor, for fast and quiet focusing.
Canon PowerShot SD970 IS reviewed I've posted my review of
the Canon PowerShot SD970 IS Digital ELPH. This camera
has a 5X (37 - 175 mm) lens, an ultra-sharp 3-inch LCD, HD movie recording,
and tons of point-and-shoot features. Check out the review to see what
I thought about it.
Speaking of reviews: after the new camera announcements are over in a week
or so, I'm going to post a survey asking you (the readers) what cameras you
want me to review the most. Stay tuned!
{ Wednesday, August 19, 2009 }
Canon announces PowerShot G11 Canon today announced six new PowerShot cameras. As usual, they didn't provide
anything in advance (so much for all the time I spent trying to convince them
that we're trustworthy), so these stories were put together hastily.
The first camera I'm going to talk about is the PowerShot G11. It's not
often that you see a new model with a lower Megapixel count than its predecessor,
but that's what happened here: the G11 is 10 Megapixel, compared to over
14MP on the G10. Here's what else is new on this somewhat underwhelming new
G-series camera:
Canon PowerShot S90 IS It's been a long time coming, but the replacement for the PowerShot S80 is
finally here -- about four years later than expected. This is a compact camera
with a fast wide-angle lens, large LCD, and a full suite of manual controls. Here's
more:
Canon PowerShot SX20 IS Moving now to ultra zooms, the first of the new SX-series models is the SX20
IS. This replaces the SX10, adding a higher resolution CCD, HD video support,
and HDMI output. Here are the specs:
Canon PowerShot SD940 / SD980 IS Digital ELPHs That leaves us with a pair of Digital ELPHs, Canon's compact and stylish
models. One of them marks Canon's entry into the touchscreen camera market.
Here's more:
New Casio Exilim EX-Z90 and EX-Z450 Casio has announced two new compact cameras today. While the
cameras may look different, they have a lot of features in common. And here
they are:
F3.1 - F5.9, 3X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 35 - 105 mm
Ultra-compact body comes in pink and black
2.7" LCD display with 230k pixels
Point-and-shoot operation, with over 30 scene modes
New Intelligent AF "automatically detects non-human photo subjects ...
and determines the focus and exposure area" -- isn't that what cameras
have been doing all along?
Dynamic Photo feature lets you cut out a moving subject and place them
into another image; now requires one shot, instead of two
Records movies at 1280 x 720 (24 frames/second) using M-JPEG codec; dedicated
movie recording button
Samsung HZ15W review posted, underwater camera comparison canned I've posted my review of the Samsung HZ15, also known as the WB550 (yes, it's Samsung day here). This compact camera features a 24 - 240 mm lens, 3-inch LCD, and HD movie recording, all in a small package. Click the link to see what I thought about it!
Unfortunately, I've decided to skip the rugged/underwater camera comparison that I was planning. I'm still very backlogged, and new cameras are about to arrive on my desk, and therefore spending time on a subject that's been well-covered by twoother sites just isn't worth it. Apologies to those who were looking forward to this article, and huge thanks to the manufacturers for letting me hold their cameras hostage for so long.
Samsung intros two cameras with front and back LCDs If you've been chomping at the bit for a digital camera with two LCDs, your
wait is now over. Samsung today introduced a pair of cameras that have a big
LCD on the back, and a smaller one on the front. The screen on the front can
help you take self portraits, countdown the self-timer, or scare kids with
clowns. Sound good? Read on:
F3.5-5.9, 4.6X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 27 - 124.2 mm
Optical image stabilization
3-inch touchscreen LCD with 230,000 pixels on the back of the camera lets
you control camera functions by using gestures; camera provides haptic feedback
as you do so
1.5-inch screen on the front of the camera helps with self-portraits, shows
camera settings, counts down the self-timer, or frightens excites children
with a clown face
Ultra-compact body comes in silver, red, and blue trim
Smart Auto mode selects a scene mode for you
Records HD movies at 1280 x 720 (30 fps) using H.264 codec
Samsung CL65 has GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth; takes pictures too Samsung also introduced a new camera loaded with gadgets: GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
and an iPhone-like control system. Here are the details on the ultra-compact
CL65:
Samsung CL65
12.2 Megapixel CCD
F3.6-4.8, 5X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 35 - 175 mm
Optical image stabilization
3.5" touchscreen LCD with a whopping 1.152 million pixel resolution; gestures
can be used to control certain camera functions, with camera offering haptic
feedback
Built-in GPS allows for automatic geotagging
Wi-Fi allows user to e-mail photos or upload them to popular photo and
social networking sites
Bluetooth 2.0 support for transferring photos to mobile phones or computers
User can "tilt" camera to move through photos or change shooting
modes
Smart Auto mode selects a scene mode for you
Records movies at 1280 x 720 (30 fps) using the H.264 codec
Final Olympus E-P1 review posted I've finished my final review of the Olympus E-P1. How does this compact, retro-styled
interchangeable lens camera perform? Check out the review to find out! I will be reshooting a few of the Chinatown photos in the next few days, as they were taken at ISO 200 instead of 100. Done!
Lots of new cameras have been introduced recently, and I'd love to hear which
ones you want me to review. Post your suggestions in this
thread in our forums!
{ Thursday, August 6, 2009 }
New Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 and TX1 with high sensitivity CMOS sensor Sony has introduced a pair of cameras
that use their brand new "Exmor R" CMOS sensor.
This new sensor is "back illuminated", allowing for better low light
performance than traditional CCD sensors (click the link below for more details).
Sony says that the Exmor R has twice the sensitivity of a typical CCD, and
this
sample
photo (shot at ISO 2500) is quite impressive for a compact camera.
This sensor allows for the same features that come on Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
super zoom, including sweep panorama, handheld twilight and anti-motion blur
modes, and super-fast continuous shooting.
The first two cameras to use the Exmor R sensor are the DSC-WX1 and DSC-TX1.
One's compact, and the other is really compact. Here are the details:
10.2 Megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor has twice the sensitivity of traditional
CCDs
F2.4 - F5.9, 5X optical zoom Sony G lens, equivalent to 24 - 120 mm (too
bad the max aperture at telephoto isn't fast like at the wide end)
Optical image stabilization
2.7" LCD display with 230,000 pixels
Compact body is less than 0.8 inches thick
Point-and-shoot operation with auto scene selection
Face, smile, and blink detection
Can take up to 10 photos at a whopping 10 frames/second
Sweep panorama feature lets you "pan" the camera to capture a
giant image with a 185 or 256 degree field-of-view
Handheld twilight and anti-motion blur features rapidly shoot a series
of images and combine them into one to allow for sharp photos in low light
or fast action situations
New "pet mode" minimizes blur and removes pet redeye
Records video at 1280 x 720 (30 fps) with sound for up to 29 minutes
11MB onboard memory + Memory Stick Duo slot
Uses NP-BG1 or NP-FG1 lithium-ion battery; 350 shots per charge
F3.5-4.6, 4X optical zoom lens, equivalent to 35 - 140 mm
Traditional T-series body is 0.65 inches thick, comes in
silver, gray, pink, and blue
3-inch touchscreen LCD display with 230,000 pixels; screen now supports
"flick" action to browse through photos
Uses NP-BD1 or NP-FD1 li-ion battery; 250 shots per charge
Ships in September for $380
Along with the two cameras comes a rather bizarre accessory called the Party-shot. Compatible
only with the WX1 and TX1, this camera dock will seek out faces and smiles,
compose
photos using the rule-of-thirds, and take pictures -- automatically. It can
tilt up to 24 degrees and pan 360 degrees courtesy of two AA batteries. If
you're tired of holding your camera, the Party-shot can be yours next month
for a rather steep $150.
New night shots, at last After a month of waiting, the fog finally departed, and I was able to
take the night shots that you all know (and maybe love). Thus, I've added updated Olympus SP-590UZ night photos to the 2009 Super Zoom Shootout and there's now a night picture in the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W290 review, as well. I've also taken the photos with the Olympus E-P1, so I can finally complete that review.
I still owe you new night photos for the Nikon D5000 review, but apparently there's not a single replacement telephoto lens to be found at Nikon HQ. I'm getting pretty close to giving up on that one and moving on.
{ Tuesday, August 4, 2009 }
Nikon announces Coolpix S1000pj with built-in projector Nikon has revealed four new Coolpix models today, though none of this is news
if you read any of the gadget blogs or rumor sites (this
blog post on DPReview pretty much sums up my feelings on this issue). The first camera is something I never knew that anyone needed:
a compact camera with a built-in projector.
Really.
Nikon Coolpix S70 sports touchscreen OLED display, 720p movie mode Next up is the Coolpix S70, which is one of a very small group of cameras
to use an OLED display (and a touchscreen one at that). OLED screens have better
contrast, color, and viewing angles than traditional LCDs. Here's
more on the replacement to the Coolpix S60:
Nikon Coolpix S570 / S640 There are two Coolpix cameras left to go. The Coolpix S570 and S640 replace
the S560 and S620 respectfully, and they offer the following features:
