Archive for May, 2008
Pentax debuts weatherproof Optio W60 (Digital Camera Review)
The latest waterproof camera in Pentax’s compact Optio series, the Pentax Optio W60, was announced this afternoon. Waterproof and freezeproof, the 10 megapixel W60 packs a 5x wide-angle zoom lens into an ultracompact body measuring only an inch thick. A 2.5-inch LCD and HD video capture round out the latest camera to jump into the waterproof pool. Read More…
We reported over the weekend on a study out of the U.K. suggesting that DSLR sales have continued to grow even as the average price of entry-level DSLRs has edged up. Initially, this bit of data surprised me a bit – not that consumer DSLR sales have continued to grow, but that average prices for new entries have increased. It’s seemed to me lately that getting huge amounts of performance for little money in the entry-level DSLR market is getting easier than ever: it really all depends on where you look. Read More…
In the build-up to PMA 2008, Pentax announced that a pair of new telephoto primes – a 200mm f/2.8 and a 300mm f/4 – would be joining its high-end DA* series of lenses this spring. We took a look at the DA* 200mm f/2.8 back in March and were, to put it mildly, blown away by the price-to-performance ratio it offered. Two months later, its much anticipated larger brother, the Pentax DA* 300mm f/4 ED [IF] SDM, has made its way into our eager hands. With a lot to live up to, we were interested to see how things would play out for the latest high-dollar, long-reach offering from Pentax. Read More…
When the heavily hyped, touch screen enabled Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX500 first appeared, I’ll admit that I largely wrote it off as an exercise in novelty – an FX35 with a touch screen slapped on and little else to justify its significantly higher price tag compared to our March Editor’s Choice winner. Scratch the surface, however, and it becomes apparent that Panasonic has slipped several upgrades into the FX500′s sleek casing. Read More…
In the brace of new Cyber-shot W models that Sony unveiled earlier in the year, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W150 falls squarely in the middle in terms of both price and features. You can get a bit more resolution by spending more, but in terms of zoom range and screen size, the W150′s 5x Carl Zeiss lens and 2.7-inch LCD are top of the series. All of this makes the auto-exposure W150 an attractive option for casual users looking for a bit more horsepower than a basic point-and-shoot provides. Read More…
The Sony Alpha DSLR-A200 is the follow-on model to Sony’s first DSLR, the entry-level A100. According to Sony, the A200 is faster, lighter, and easier to use than its predecessor, in addition to providing improved noise control and AF acquisition times. In a crowded entry-level DSLR field, it will be interesting to see whether these basic performance improvements keep Sony competitive. Read More…
[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital camera review, camera reviews[/tags]
Ask Engadget: What’s the best entry-level DSLR? (Digital Photography News)
, Digital Cameras
Don’t worry, we’ll get to you mid- and high-enders soon enough, but we’ve got a feeling this week’s Ask Engadget question will appeal to the masses. Granted, we’ve shot this inquiry out before, but a lot has happened in the DSLR realm in 3.5 long years, wouldn’t you agree?
“Summer’s coming up, and that means vacation time. I want to get an entry-level DSLR in order to best capture some of my upcoming adventures, and while I’d like to keep the cost low, I’m not against spending a bit of cash to get a really solid setup. What camera (and maybe even what lens) would your readers recommend for a newcomer?”
Go easy on the guy — he even admitted that he’s fresh to the game — but don’t hold back on explaining your answers in order to really give a good idea of why one camera is a better pick versus another. Right after that, send in a question of your own to ask at engadget dawt com — but make it good, alright?
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[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital photography news, digital camera news, camera news, photography news[/tags]
BenQ intros “world’s slimmest” 8-megapixel camera, the T850 (Digital Photography News)
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[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital photography news, digital camera news, camera news, photography news[/tags]
Round Up: Change is in the air at DCR (Digital Camera Review)
Some interesting stuff is on the way for DCR readers, not the least of which is our new Round Up editorial column covering a variety of topics relevant to digital camera users. Other exciting changes afoot around here include an updated look and feel for the site, a new “home” for our news coverage, and of course, the in-depth camera, lens, and accessory reviews you’re most interested in. Click the story link to see what else we have in store… Continue…
The relative simplicity of modern digital photography has given rise to a plethora of digital photography “how to” books over the years. Given the relative complexity of digital post-processing, it’s no surprise that how to guides for Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Photoshop Elements are among the most common. How can an author possibly stand out in this crowded market? Philip Andrews combines solid know-how and straight-forward instruction to make Adobe Photoshop Elements 6: A visual introduction to digital photography a remarkably good guide for first-time (and experienced) users of Photoshop Elements. Continue…
Fujifilm’s U.K. arm put a press release on the wire this morning outlining a new Fuji Z model, the Fujifilm FinePix Z200fd. Building on the platform of the successful Z100fd, the new model features a 10 megapixel sensor, the Z100fd’s familiar 5x zoom, Dual Image Stabilization, and several new soft features. Continue…
[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital camera review, camera reviews[/tags]
OmniVision claims 8 megapixel OmniBSI sensor turns cellphone imaging world “upside down” (Digital Photography News)
Digital Camera 101: As manufacturers continue pushing the Megapixel Myth by stuffing more and more pixels onto rapidly shrinking sensors, the outcome is poor performance on top of poorly lit images of increasingly low quality. Now OmniVision, the largest CMOS image sensor manufacturer today, says they’ve solved the pixel size problem though backside illumination (BSI) technology. In essence, BSI helps maximize photon collection by circumventing obstructive metal and dielectric layers on the top-side of the sensor die. The result is improved light absorption, thinner overall camera modules, and increased sensitivity and F stops with reduced crosstalk. However, as EETimes’ crack staff of Electrical Engineering super-nerds point out, BSI is not a new technology. In fact, several manufacturers lay claim to BSI patents. However, OmniVision seems to be the first to take the tech to mass production for consumers. To prove it, they’ll release an 8 megapixel OmniBSI CameraChip sensor brimming with the new tech for sample in June. Couple it with a decent cameraphone lens and image processing circuitry and we might be in for a treat.[Via EETimes]
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[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital photography news, digital camera news, camera news, photography news[/tags]
Canon EOS 5D Mark II in November? (Digital Photography News)
As rumors go, the Canon 5D Mark II is one of the more venerable of those back-room whispers to grace these pages. Now we’ve got the Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Field Guide on Amazon making a duplicate appearance on the publisher’s website. You know something we don’t Ms. Charlotte K. Lowrie? Guess we’ll find out in November-ish.
[Via Photography Bay]
Read — Amazon
Read — Publisher listing
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[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital photography news, digital camera news, camera news, photography news[/tags]
Pentax debuts weatherproof Optio W60 (Digital Camera Review)
The latest waterproof camera in Pentax’s compact Optio series, the Pentax Optio W60, was announced this afternoon. Waterproof and freezeproof, the 10 megapixel W60 packs a 5x wide-angle zoom lens into an ultracompact body measuring only an inch thick. A 2.5-inch LCD and HD video capture round out the latest camera to jump into the waterproof pool. Read More…
Some interesting stuff is on the way for DCR readers, not the least of which is our new Round Up editorial column covering a variety of topics relevant to digital camera users. Other exciting changes afoot around here include an updated look and feel for the site, a new “home” for our news coverage, and of course, the in-depth camera, lens, and accessory reviews you’re most interested in. Click the story link to see what else we have in store… Read More…
The folks at Olympus pioneered the long-zoom point-and-shoot digicam with the introduction of the 10x-zoom C2100 in 2000, and they obviously believe that size really does matter. The new Olympus SP-570 UZ features the longest zoom lens currently available on a point-and-shoot camera: a whopping 20x optic that goes from the 35mm-equivalent of 26mm to 520mm. With a 10 megapixel sensor, a hot shoe, and manual exposure control, the latest ultrazoom from Olympus promises a viable replacement to a DSLR and a bagful of lenses for casual shooters. Read More…
[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital camera review, camera reviews[/tags]
Sharp trumpets world’s thinnest 5-megapixel CMOS sensor (Digital Photography News)
Every so often, we catch Sharp tooting its own horn in regard to sensor size. Needless to say, small is most certainly superior in this discussion, and the aforesaid outfit is patting itself on the back once more for the RJ63SC100. This 5-megapixel CMOS sensor is said to be the industry’s thinnest at 9.5- x 9.5- x 6.6-millimeters, and it should fit snugly inside the already cramped innards of tomorrow’s cellphones just fine. Samples are slated to ship out at the end of May for 10,000 ($96) a pop, while commercial production should get going a month later.
[Via Impress]
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[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital photography news, digital camera news, camera news, photography news[/tags]
Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited Lens Review (Digital Camera Review)
Every major camera company has at least one thing they do exceptionally well. Pentax has long been famous for making some of the best prime lenses money can buy, and doing so at a reasonable cost. One of this year’s most impressive new lenses is the Pentax DA 35mm f/2.8 Macro Limited. When Pentax announced this new macro, which replicates the range of classic 50mm lenses on an APS-C sensor camera, I knew I had to find out if this lens would be a worthy addition for Pentax photographers. Read More…
[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital camera review, camera reviews[/tags]
FujiFilm’s Z200FD with “love timer” tells you when it’s over (Digital Photography News)
FujiFilm just busted out another of “Z” for Zoom, FinePix shooter. The 20-mm thin Z200fd follows-up the “surprisingly good” Z100fd with a 10 megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor; 5x, image stabilized, optical zoom lens; 2.7-inch LCD; SD/SDHC and xD card support; and ISO support up to 1600. It also features a new “love timer” with setting for near (1 heart), close-up (2 hearts), and sloppy-tongue-wrestling (3 hearts) depending upon the level of icky-sticky sweetness (or hipster annoyance judging by that pic) you’d like to capture. Set for release in Japan on June 7th for 40,000 or about $388 by the time it shows up Stateside to document your breakup.
[Via Impress]
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[eminimall ... ] [tags]digital photography news, digital camera news, camera news, photography news[/tags]
