Showing posts with label point and shoot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label point and shoot. Show all posts
Friday, October 2, 2009
Yashica EZ F521 - A new digital rangefinder from Yashica!!
Okay, I lied, but it's close enough to get me very excited. exemode announced a new Yashica branded digital camera EZ F521. It sports a fixed 42.53mm (35mm equivalent) f3.0 lens. That's my favorite focal length, though I wish the lens could be faster. Sensor size is small (1/2.5) but the resolution is a not-overly-aggressive 5 megapixels. The thing I like the most is of course the retro styling. They even kept the Yashica font that gives it the perfect classic feeling. The only problem is that the lens is fixed focused (1.5m to infinity). The EZ F521 will beginning selling in Japan for 7980 yen. Can't ask for much at this price I guess (some Pentax lenses have their prices almost doubled over this past year...). More details at the official site.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Micro Four Thirds bridges the great digital camera divide
Today, an announcement from Olympus and Panasonic sent shockwaves through all the photography forums. The traditional gap between point and shoot and DSLR has been crossed. High quality, compact digital camera is now possible with the Micro Four Thirds format. This format standardizes a mirrorless interchangable lens digital camera with the same sensor size as the Four Thirds system. Imagine, a digital rangefinder with perfect framing, not made by Leica. Entry-level DSLR buyers will be delighted to find a much smaller camera delivering the same quality images, with a big LCD for easy composition. How many times have you heard people complaining about the small and dark viewfinder on entry-level DSLRs? This new system has the potential to steal A LOT of sales from Canon and Nikon. Watch out!
On a side note, we will probably see a Panasonic-made Leica-branded digital rangefinder in the future, but I think it's quite obvious Leica will exist only in name from now on.
Links
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Samsung NV7 OPS Reviews Roundup
Samsung has a lineup of stylish cameras that really sparks the imagination. The NV7 OPS grabs lots of attention with it's interesting design. Samsung should be praised for its innovation of different products, even if sometimes they are not of the best quality. Same thing with the NV7 OPS. The camera comes with interesting specs, notablely the 7x optical zoom 38mm-270mm Schneider-KREUZNACH lens. Unfortunately, the concensus is that image quality is mediocre. In addition, while the menu system is unique, it's not a great improvement over current systems. Let's hope Samsung can do better next time.Reviews from different sources:
Friday, March 2, 2007
Sony DSC-W200
Sony's new lineup of compact cameras includes the DSC-W200, DSC-W90 and DSC-W80. The W200 has the most impress specs for a compact, with W90 and W80 almost the same with 8.1 and 7.2 megapixels.
The W200 has a whopping 12megapixel 1/1.7" sensor. This is the most compact 12 megapixel camera to date. It's now 2 times the resolution of the Nikon D40, its entry-level DSLR (we'll see a 10 megapixel D40x soon though). The W200 spots a 3x optical zoom lens (35-105mm f2.8-5.5). What's interesting is that the lens for W90 and W80 are 35-105mm f2.8-5.2, very slightly faster probably because of the smaller sensors (1/2.5"). I hope this doesn't imply vignetting in the W200 (because the sensor is too big for the lens). It comes with all the standard features of this year: face recognition, ISO 3200, HDTV compatible (with optional cable). The LCD is 2.5" with 115K pixels, somewhat disappointing. I hope this translates into a cheaper street price to compete with great compacts from Panasonic and Canon.
The W200 has a whopping 12megapixel 1/1.7" sensor. This is the most compact 12 megapixel camera to date. It's now 2 times the resolution of the Nikon D40, its entry-level DSLR (we'll see a 10 megapixel D40x soon though). The W200 spots a 3x optical zoom lens (35-105mm f2.8-5.5). What's interesting is that the lens for W90 and W80 are 35-105mm f2.8-5.2, very slightly faster probably because of the smaller sensors (1/2.5"). I hope this doesn't imply vignetting in the W200 (because the sensor is too big for the lens). It comes with all the standard features of this year: face recognition, ISO 3200, HDTV compatible (with optional cable). The LCD is 2.5" with 115K pixels, somewhat disappointing. I hope this translates into a cheaper street price to compete with great compacts from Panasonic and Canon.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Canon Powershot TX1
This may be signs of times to come. It's Canon's newest hybrid HD Video camera that can also take 7.1 megapixel photos.
The HD Video features of this little camera is impressive. It can do 720p widescreen movies at 30 frames per second, with component video output to playback movies on a HDTV.
The photo features are nice also. The lens is a 10x optical zoom, with optical image stabilization. The DIGIC III engine, proven in may Canon cameras, features face detection technology to accurately focus on subjects. Personally I really like the way the screen flips out, though it's somewhat low resolution at 115,000 pixels.
The HD Video features of this little camera is impressive. It can do 720p widescreen movies at 30 frames per second, with component video output to playback movies on a HDTV.
The photo features are nice also. The lens is a 10x optical zoom, with optical image stabilization. The DIGIC III engine, proven in may Canon cameras, features face detection technology to accurately focus on subjects. Personally I really like the way the screen flips out, though it's somewhat low resolution at 115,000 pixels.
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Green Dalek Supersampler
The Lomographic Society has come up with a new color for the Dalek Supersampler - Green. This is a lot easier to swallow than the glossy hot pink original version. The surface is a rubber, which should be easier to hold as well.
The Supersampler is a camera that allows the photographer to capture four sequential panoramic shots on a single photo. There is a Speed Button to choose between 4 shots in 2 seconds or 4 shots in 0.2 seconds. It's a complete antithesis to the current high-tech digital cameras: no viewfinder, no instant preview, uses film, cheaply made. In fact, some users report the shutter string breaking after just one roll. Despite all this, the effect is very special that's hard to duplicate with digital.
It's not so much about the technical properties of the final photo, but rather the state of mind going into taking a shot with the Supersampler, or the absence of it. The Lomo rule, "Don't think, just shoot," applies to this camera and you'll be surprised at how good (or bad) the pictures come out. Be careful when you look at their web page though; a lot of the high saturation effects are created by cross-processing (developing the negative in a different kind of chemical from intended), so you'll need to find a lab who knows how to do this if you want that effect.
It's not a camera for everyone. If you have a camera nut in your circle though, it could be a very fine Valentine's Day gift :)
The Supersampler is a camera that allows the photographer to capture four sequential panoramic shots on a single photo. There is a Speed Button to choose between 4 shots in 2 seconds or 4 shots in 0.2 seconds. It's a complete antithesis to the current high-tech digital cameras: no viewfinder, no instant preview, uses film, cheaply made. In fact, some users report the shutter string breaking after just one roll. Despite all this, the effect is very special that's hard to duplicate with digital.
It's not so much about the technical properties of the final photo, but rather the state of mind going into taking a shot with the Supersampler, or the absence of it. The Lomo rule, "Don't think, just shoot," applies to this camera and you'll be surprised at how good (or bad) the pictures come out. Be careful when you look at their web page though; a lot of the high saturation effects are created by cross-processing (developing the negative in a different kind of chemical from intended), so you'll need to find a lab who knows how to do this if you want that effect.
It's not a camera for everyone. If you have a camera nut in your circle though, it could be a very fine Valentine's Day gift :)
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Panasonic TZ3
Panasonic introduced the new Panasonic DMC-TZ3 camera. Targeted at the active traveler, the TZ3 has sophisticated features in a compact package. Panasonic called this the "lady" camera, as opposed to the "girl" FX30.
Although targeted at more mature customers, the TZ3 is no less trendy than the FX30. It has a very useful 28mm to 280mm lens (10x zoom), at F3.3-4.9. F3.3 is a little slow for low light, hopefully the larger sensor is able to make up for it. The TZ3 is a 7.3 megapixel camera, but the sensor is actually 8.5 megapixel with a size of 1/2.35" (compared to normally 1/2.5"). This allows the TZ3 to capture true 16:9 aspect ratio images, as opposed to some camera where 16:9 means trimming the top and bottom pixels.
The TZ3 has the new features common to the FX30, like the SDHC support, Venus Engine III and the intelligent ISO mode. For travelers, a travel date mode and a memo mode is added. The travel date mode allows a user to set the departure date of the trip, and the camera will record and display the images in chronological order of the trip. The memo mode uses the internal memory (12.7MB) to store essential information, for example a photo of a subway map, that can be displayed quickly later. I can imagine this mode being very useful, because the TZ3 has a 3" LCD. A three inch LCD is very easy on the eyes, which makes showing off photos to friends a very enjoyable experience.
Make me wonder when we'll be able to watch TV on a camera :)
Although targeted at more mature customers, the TZ3 is no less trendy than the FX30. It has a very useful 28mm to 280mm lens (10x zoom), at F3.3-4.9. F3.3 is a little slow for low light, hopefully the larger sensor is able to make up for it. The TZ3 is a 7.3 megapixel camera, but the sensor is actually 8.5 megapixel with a size of 1/2.35" (compared to normally 1/2.5"). This allows the TZ3 to capture true 16:9 aspect ratio images, as opposed to some camera where 16:9 means trimming the top and bottom pixels.The TZ3 has the new features common to the FX30, like the SDHC support, Venus Engine III and the intelligent ISO mode. For travelers, a travel date mode and a memo mode is added. The travel date mode allows a user to set the departure date of the trip, and the camera will record and display the images in chronological order of the trip. The memo mode uses the internal memory (12.7MB) to store essential information, for example a photo of a subway map, that can be displayed quickly later. I can imagine this mode being very useful, because the TZ3 has a 3" LCD. A three inch LCD is very easy on the eyes, which makes showing off photos to friends a very enjoyable experience.
Make me wonder when we'll be able to watch TV on a camera :)
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