Digital Cameras Reviews

Archive for March, 2009

Olympus just announced it’s “new” E-450 four thirds shooter. Really though, it could have just as easily been announced as the E-420 plus, a tweak to the “world’s smallest DSLR” announced last year. Both cams share the same 5.1 x 3.6 x 2.1-inch and 13.4 ounce dimensions, 10 megapixel Live MOS sensor with live view, 3.5fps continuous shooting, 2.7-inch LCD, ISO 1,600 max sensitivity, and four thirds lens mount. So what’s new? Well, the E-450 has a newer TruePic III+ image processor, a longer 30-minute exposure, improved flash control, and now several “art filter” modes like “pop” and “soft focus” — pointless if you’re doing any kind of post processing on a computer. Then again, it’s only $699 when bundled with the ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 and ED 40-150mm f4.0/5.6 Zuiko zoom lenses. To prove just how entry-level this shooter is, it’ll be available exclusively on QVC (yes, that QVC) on May 9th.

Continue reading Olympus E-450 four thirds shooter is a tweaked E-420, still small

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Olympus E-450 four thirds shooter is a tweaked E-420, still small originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Photography Blog‘s just put up a rather exhaustive review of Canon’s PowerShot SX200 IS. If you’ve already forgotten, this little guy boasts a 12 megapixel sensor, a 12x optical zoom, and a 3-inch LCD. Among the standout features of the cam, they like the PASM creative shooting modes, and its versatile 12x zoom lens. Drawbacks for the camera include its video mode, LCD (which is a lower resolution than some rivals), and a Smart Auto Mode that leaves a little to be desired. Overall, they seem to think that the camera stacks up quite well against most of its rivals, though they did find that it feel a bit short of its main competitor, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ7. There’s one more shot after the break, and hit the read link for the full on review.

Continue reading Canon PowerShot SX200 IS reviewed, deemed pretty decent

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon PowerShot SX200 IS reviewed, deemed pretty decent originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 14:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s a pretty sketchy rumor, but we’re hearing that Canon’s working on a pro video camera based on a 12.1 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor similar to the one in the Rebel XSi. That makes perfect sense to us, actually — DSLRs with video capabilities like the 5D Mark II and the new Rebel T1i have definitely shaken up people’s expectations of prosumer video, and Canon’s sitting on a well-regarded camcorder division primed to pounce on a new market. According to CanonRumors, the new pro cam will look similar to the XL H1 pictured above with support for EF and EF-S lenses, sport fully manual controls as well as autofocus, and shoot 720p/30/60 and 1080p/24/30/60 to 56Mbit/s MPEG-4. Sounds pretty good, but aye, there’s a rub: word is that Canon’s DSLRs won’t ever get similar video features in order to protect this cam’s high-end $8,000 price tag — which sucks, but also makes perfect (if annoying) sense to us. It’s all rumor for now, but we’ll see how it pans out — the pro and prosumer video market are about to get crazy interesting.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon working on DSLR-based pro video camera? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Amazon and B&H have pre-order pages up for the hotly-anticipated Sigma DP2, and both conveniently list the camera at $649 — well, convenient for your information gathering needs, not necessarily for your wallet. B&H expects a May availability, while Amazon is going with a typically vague “1-2 months.” Maybe they both can be right.

[Via DigitalCameraInfo]

Read – B&H
Read – Amazon

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Sigma DP2 up for pre-order, retailing for $649 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You could say that this is the perfect USB flash drive for existing EOS 5D Mark II owners. We’d argue, however, that this is the perfect USB flash drive for those looking to just live vicariously while not shattering the bank. ‘Course, $129.99 for a 4GB USB key is pretty absurd, but at least that gets you Live View and a 1080p movie mode. Er, wait…

[Via Zungua]

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Storage

Canon EOS 5D Mark II flash drive: just 21.1MP shy of awesomeness originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As Pure Digital’s Flip cameras have amply demonstrated, there’s plenty of folks looking for nothing more than a dead simple digital video camera, and it looks like Japan’s Amadana is now looking to peel off a bit of that user base with its new SAL pocket camera. Somewhat notably, this one will let you connect it directly to another SAL camera to transfer videos without a computer, but it’s otherwise a bit on the lackluster side, with it packing just 2GB of internal memory and not able to capture anything higher than basic VGA video at 30 fps. The $200 price tag and two hours of battery life don’t exactly help things either, but if camera-to-camera video sharing is your top priority, you can look for this one to be available in Japan on May 22nd.

[Via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Filed under: Digital Cameras

SAL pocket video camera won’t mind if you mistake it for a Flip originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 08:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While we patiently wait for the Micro Four Thirds format DMC-GH1 with 1080p video to pop for purchase, we have to feed on whatever retail crumbs we can grub off Panasonic. As usual, our Japanese camera overlords will have first dibs on this ¥150,000 (less than $1,500 when it arrives Stateside) bundle that includes a 14-140mm lens starting April 24th. Think about it; we’ve gone from zero to four HD-capable video DSLRs in six months. Ok, ok, three-plus actually, since Micro Four Thirds cams are technically not DSLRs due to the lack of an internal mirror and prism — just humor us with GH1′s interchangeable lens mount, DSLR-sized sensor, and bevy of manual controls ok? Geesh.

[Via PC World],

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic DMC-GH1 Micro Four Thirds shooter with 1080p video landing April 24th originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’re not saying that this ¥9,980 ($100) OTAS watch with built-in pinhole-sized video camera and 8GB of flash memory can’t be used for constructive endeavors. Hell, maybe you’ll use it to ferret out corruption at the highest levels of government. Maybe the 80 minute, 352 x 288 pixel video you shoot provides the irrefutable evidence needed to put away a hardened criminal. We’re just saying we doubt it. Video sample and more pics after the break.

[Via Impress]

Continue reading Video: OTAS camera watch for tardy office pervs

Filed under: Digital Cameras, Wearables

Video: OTAS camera watch for tardy office pervs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One thing’s for sure — the producers of Life sure know how to weave modern day technology into the storyline. Just a few weeks back we saw a Time Capsule with all sorts of sordid evidence, and this week we witnessed a Nikon D90 + SB-600 combo nearly being an accessory to murder. But look, if this thing is good enough to shoot dead people, it’s probably good enough to photograph your cousin’s bar mitzvah.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Screen Grabs: Nikon’s D90 nearly an accessory to murder originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Mar 2009 02:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Kodak’s new Zx1 might be a tad more exciting, Kodak is also keeping at the EasyShare thing with its new Z980 zoomer. We’ve gotten to spend some time with the camera, and while we appreciate the price, the size and the endless zoom, we’re overall none too impressed. Check out our full impressions after the break.

Continue reading Kodak EasyShare Z980 unboxing and impressions

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Kodak EasyShare Z980 unboxing and impressions originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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