Tech News and Reviews
Digital Cameras
Panasonic HDC-SDT750 3D camcorder preview
0619 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
THREEE DEEE. Sorry, just had to get that out of our system. We just played with Panasonic’s HDC-SDT750 THREEE DEEE, er, 3D camcorder, and it certainly works as billed. The lens is designed for close-up depth perception in the 3 to 15 foot range, and doesn’t have any zoom capability. Luckily, it isn’t too hard to pop the screw-on lens off, giving yourself a regular zoomtastic 2D camcorder. When you do pop the 3D lens back on there’s a quick set of setup menus, which let you adjust the dual lenses within the 3D add-on with a few knobs hidden under a door on top of the assembly.
We didn’t get to do any free roaming with the camera, but that’s none too thrilling anyway: your preview image is a slightly fuzzy 2D on the built-in LCD. What we did do was watch the camera feed its 3D capture live to a Panny 3D TV (in one of the hilarious outfits provide for us by Panasonic, as pictured above), and while the 3D effect is certainly for-reals and non-janky, the actual image quality takes an obvious hit from the fact that a 1080p sensor is being cut in half to capture the dual images. It almost took us back to the early days of HD cameras, or your friendly neighborhood “HD” webcam, where the output resolution is clearly higher than the sensor is physically capturing. Similarly, we doubt the early adoption of cameras like this is going to be dramatic at first, and even after the tech is perfect we’re unsure how big of a consumer need there is for something like this, but with easy options like Panasonic’s own Micro Four Thirds 3D lens, the barriers to adoption are quickly disappearing. Er, we merely mean to say, THREEE DEEE.
Lumix DMC-LX5 review roundup: great hardware for a not-so-great price
0619 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
Reviews are starting to trickle out for Pansonic’s LX3 successor, the DMC-LX5, and so far they all seem to echo similar sentiment. The form factor hearkens back to its Micro Four Thirds darling GF1, at least from the top, with “dinky buttons” (in CNET UK’s words) on the back reminding you of its point-and-shoot bloodline. The pictures are solid if not characteristically warm — and the ability to simultaneously produce RAW and JPEG files is a nice touch — as is the choice of either Motion JPEG or AVCHD Lite video. The universal issue with this camera is the price; that £449.99 tag (the equivalent of $691 in US currency) doesn’t quite seem to match the offerings, especially when it’s about on par with entry-level DSLRs with interchangeable lenses (albeit without the slim look). As PhotographyBLOG puts it, Panny’s gotta hard case to make for a camera “that looks, at first glance to be very similar to a £299 model.” Hey, a hardware switch for changing the aspect ratio (just above lens barrel; 4:3, 3:2, 16:9, or 1:1) doesn’t come cheap. Much more detail can be found in the reviews below.
Note: It’s worth mentioning that this camera can be had for $500 at Amazon right now. Still pricey, but not $700 pricey.
Exclusive: Samsung NX100 in the wild
0619 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
Looks like we can take the guesswork out of today’s leaked render, after all. A generous (and, as usual, anonymous) reader just sent us a handful of pictures of what appears to be — quite convincingly, we might add — the Samsung NX100 we’ve been eying since a low-res snapshot came to light last month. According to our tipster, video on the camera is great and changing settings is easy, on par with DSLRs, but the of course size still doesn’t compare to point-and-shoots. And to repeat the earlier specs, now that they seem more likely: 4.74 x 2.8 x 1.36 inches, 9.95 ounces, an external GPS receptor, an external EVF with 201K resolution, and a (non-articulating) display that’s 921K AMOLED. A shame we can’t claim those fingers for our own just yet, but patience is a virtue. Or something like that — it’s not like we have a choice, might as well say something to feel better about it.
Sharp’s twin-lens 3D prototype camera isn’t a smartphone, yet
0619 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
Regardless of its ability to present a 3D image without glasses, we just weren’t very impressed with Sharp’s 10.6-inch display at the IFA show. That’s not to say that its parallax barrier technology doesn’t perform well at smaller sizes, like say, oh, the Ninentdo 3DS. In fact, Sharp’s 3.8-inch switchable 3D (400 x 480) / 2D (800 x 480) display did a decent job of tricking our eyes into seeing a 3D image by exposing different pixels to each eye though tiny slits placed in front of a normal LCD. What we didn’t see, though, was this smartphone-looking prototype (lacking radios, unfortunately) that combines that 3.8-inch parallax barrier panel with Sharp’s twin-lens 3D camera module. So unlike some other 3D prototype cameras we’ve seen, Sharp’s pup will present the 720p/30fps video in 3D immediately after taking the snap — no special glasses required. Of course, with Sharp promising a 3D cameraphone before the end of the year, well, you’ve now got a pretty good idea how it will look. Backside, front, after the break.
Nikon Coolpix S1100pj and S5100 hands-on
0637 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
Nikon’s new projector-equipped camera has broken cover today and we’ve naturally had a little play around with it. Regrettably, the Japanese DSLR dominator had pretty early firmware on board and refused to let us take any sample pictures or video, but we were able to compile a few impressions anyhow. Firstly, as to the S1100pj’s body, it’s your typical compact affair — feeling sturdy and light, it’s basically fit for its intended purpose, but no more or less than that. We found accessing the compartment for the battery and memory card a pain, as it doesn’t auto-lock when you close it, requiring an unnecessary bit of finger adroitness, and removing and replacing batteries can also be a fiddly affair. There’s not much good to say about the built-in “tilt stand” at the bottom, either — it only alters the angle of projection slightly and feels too plasticky — but at least it gives you an extra option.
On the plus side of things, the battery is a generous 1,050 mAh unit, and there’s a pleasingly instant access scheme for the camera’s most regularly used functions. Video recording has a dedicated button, as does switching to projector mode. Both seem to work quite well too, with the 720p video looking smooth and buttery, but then on-camera playback can be deceiving. We got to check out those 14 lumens of projection power in a dimly lit room, and came away with a pair of impressions. Firstly, you should be able to squeeze out a decent-ish 40-inch image out of this shooter if you set the right mood with your lighting, and secondly, focusing is a relative cinch with the included controls on top. All in all, given that it’s intended as a quickie display station at parties, we think the S1100pj does what it promises. We rarely praise compact camera software here, but we’d be remiss not to note the saturation adjustment tool on this touchscreen shooter. It was a particular highlight for us and something we could definitely see ourselves getting creative with.
We also spent some time with the S5100, which surprised us with its quick autofocus and generally snappy execution of instructions. Its 720p movie mode also looked competent, but bear in mind that it doesn’t allow you to zoom while recording video. Ah well, such is the fate of budget shooters, we suppose. Hit up the galleries for the hands-on imagery or skip past the break for video of the S1100pj’s projector in action.
Nikon’s new projector-equipped camera has broken cover today and we’ve naturally had a little play around with it. Regrettably, the Japanese DSLR dominator had pretty early firmware on board and refused to let us take any sample pictures or video, but we were able to compile a few impressions anyhow. Firstly, as to the S1100pj’s body, it’s your typical compact affair — feeling sturdy and light, it’s basically fit for its intended purpose, but no more or less than that. We found accessing the compartment for the battery and memory card a pain, as it doesn’t auto-lock when you close it, requiring an unnecessary bit of finger adroitness, and removing and replacing batteries can also be a fiddly affair. There’s not much good to say about the built-in “tilt stand” at the bottom, either — it only alters the angle of projection slightly and feels too plasticky — but at least it gives you an extra option.
On the plus side of things, the battery is a generous 1,050 mAh unit, and there’s a pleasingly instant access scheme for the camera’s most regularly used functions. Video recording has a dedicated button, as does switching to projector mode. Both seem to work quite well too, with the 720p video looking smooth and buttery, but then on-camera playback can be deceiving. We got to check out those 14 lumens of projection power in a dimly lit room, and came away with a pair of impressions. Firstly, you should be able to squeeze out a decent-ish 40-inch image out of this shooter if you set the right mood with your lighting, and secondly, focusing is a relative cinch with the included controls on top. All in all, given that it’s intended as a quickie display station at parties, we think the S1100pj does what it promises. We rarely praise compact camera software here, but we’d be remiss not to note the saturation adjustment tool on this touchscreen shooter. It was a particular highlight for us and something we could definitely see ourselves getting creative with.
We also spent some time with the S5100, which surprised us with its quick autofocus and generally snappy execution of instructions. Its 720p movie mode also looked competent, but bear in mind that it doesn’t allow you to zoom while recording video. Ah well, such is the fate of budget shooters, we suppose. Hit up the galleries for the hands-on imagery or skip past the break for video of the S1100pj’s projector in action.
Sanyo Xacti VPC-PD2BK 1080p pocket camcorder with 3x optical zoom
0637 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
With smartphones and point-n-shoot cameras doing most of our impromptu video recordings, it’s getting harder and harder to justify the purchase of these pocket-sized camcorders. Perhaps that’s why Sanyo is positioning its Flip competitor as a “dual camera” — capable of capturing 10 megapixel stills or 1080p/30fps MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video with stereo audio. Model VPC-PD2BK features an integrated USB jack that swivels out for some hot laptop mating sessions, a 3X optical zoom, 37-mm wide-angle lens, mini-HDMI port, and support for SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards. Look for it in September with a suggest price of $169.99 in North America.
Ricoh’s 10 megapixel, 10x zoom CX4 compact hits Japan next month
0637 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
Why, it seems like just yesterday we were talking about the CX3 and now here we are, but a few weeks away from the release of Ricoh‘s CX4. The camera is set to hit Japanese retailers on September 3, offering a 10 megapixel backside-illuminated sensor perched behind a 10.7x (28 – 300mm) zoom lens, with a three-inch LCD ’round the back. Ricoh is also talking up an advanced new image stabilization system, five fps burst shooting, 720p video recording, plus all the smile- and scene-detection modes you’d expect out of a modern shooter. MSRP for all this is set at 45,000 Yen in Japan, which equates to about 525 of your American dollars.
Olympus introduces mju-7050, FE-5050 and FE-4050 point-and-shoot cameras
0639 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
Fancy they aren’t, but Olympus‘ newest digicam trio will definitely get the job done in a pinch. Kicking things off is the mju-7050, a rather conventional looking shooter with a 14 megapixel CCD sensor, 7x optical zoom lens, an HD movie mode, SD card slot, 2GB of internal memory and a 3-inch rear LCD monitor. The slim and seductive FE-4050 offers up a 12 megapixel CCD sensor, 4x optical zoomer and a far less inviting rear, while the FE-5050 (shown above) steps thing up with a 14 megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom. Curiously enough, the outfit has refrained from dishing any further details beyond that, only saying that they’ll be hitting Japanese store shelves later this month. We can’t say the mystery is driving us mad, though.
Sony Alpha A55 makes articulating cameo, A33 and some rumored specs tag along
0639 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
In the market for a Sony shooter or two? The company’s upcoming lineup can’t seem to stay off the internet, which lucky for you serves as a great source for planning holiday gift plans. First up the Alpha A55, pictured above with an apparent articulating display. According to the DChome forums, there’s a 16.7 megapixel APS CMOS sensor, a translucent mirror, 15-point AF, 1080 / 60i video, 10fps continuous shooting, an ISO range of 100 to 25,600, dual memory card slots (we’d guess SD and MemoryStick), and an eventual retail price of $900 to $1,000. Also pictured on the site is the A33 — with an unmoving display — spec’d at a reported 14 megapixels, ISO range of 100 to 12,800, and 1080i video. The expected launch is August 24th, but bear in mind this all is just a rumor for now — keep your wallet and check and don’t do anything rash, k?
Samsung’s 12.2MP PL90 point and shoot packs inbuilt USB plug, 4x optical zoom
0653 days
by Arlene.L
in Digital Cameras
Convergence. The buzzword of the past decade is still working its magic across the consumer electronics industry, this time unleashing hot fury on Samsung‘s freshest point and shoot. The simplistic PL90 touts a 12.2 megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD around back and a VGA (640 x 480) movie mode with 30fps and 15fps options. The real kicker here is the integrated USB plug, which eliminates the need to tote around a USB cable, a (presumed) SD card reader or a machine with an inbuilt memory card slot. Newcomers to the digital world will likely appreciate the heavy amount of automated features meant to make the best of your terrible photo shoot selections, but considering that Sammy doesn’t even mention what breed of flash card this thing accepts, we suspect the pros should keep on keepin’ on. Everyone else can get in next month for $149.99.