Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
While Sony released a ridiculous number of point and shoot cameras at CES 2010, a couple of the standout Cyber-shot cameras are the HX5V and the TX7. I spent a little while at Sony’s booth with both of these cameras and came away with an overall positive first impression. [Read more…]
The SDXC card specification has been announced for more than a year now. However, it’s only now that we are starting to see products supporting this new specification. There are a few important things to note about SDXC cards and how they fit into photographers’ gear bags.
The SDXC specification comes from the SD Association, which is an industry standards organization founded by Panasonic, SanDisk and Toshiba in 2000. If a manufacturer is going to use SD technology in product, they have to license the right to use that technology from the SD Association. Most, if not all, of the major camera manufacturers are members of the SD Association and license the patents and other intellectual property necessary for developing SD-compatible cameras and memory cards.
There are a number of different specifications that the SD Association has developed over the past decade, including SD, miniSD, microSD, SDHC, miniSDHC, microSDHC and SDXC, among others. Each specification has its own limitations or capabilities. For instance, the original SD specification offered storage only up to 2GB. When SDHC came along, it took the capacity up to 32GB. The latest specification, SDXC, offers storage capacities up to 2TB. [Read more…]
As you are probably aware, video is a big trend in the professional photography realm right now. Nikon, Canon and Pentax are all producing DSLRs that can record very high quality video. Many photographers are taking this convergence of technology as an opportunity to expand their creative horizons. And, whether you like it or not, video in DSLRs is here to stay.
For those of you wanting to get the most out of your DSLR’s video recording capabilities, you need to treat it a little more like a proper video camera. That means, you need to keep it stable and be able to obtain critical focus. Certainly, a tripod or monopod is a good way to do that. But what if you want to be a little more mobile? There are plenty of solutions for that as well.
Zacuto was one of the first manufacturers to offer a dedicated mobile video solution for DSLR owners. Zacuto’s selection of DSLR video kits have grown to include more entry-level kits. I got a chance to check out some of the more affordable Gunstock Shooter Gorilla Kits at Imaging USA this week and have to say that they are pretty impressive. [Read more…]
The Casio EX-10HG is a new concept camera that was not part of any announcements at CES 2010. A handful of EX-10HG prototypes were on display in Casio’s booth on the CES showfloor.
The EX-10HG is essentially an EX-FH100 with one important difference – it includes a hybrid GPS system built-in to the camera. This is not just a geotagging camera. The EX-10HG has a full-fledged GPS system, complete with map system powered by Google Maps. [Read more…]
While at CES 2010, I had the opportunity to handle the new 14.6MP Samsung NX10. Unfortunately, I couldn’t take any image samples from the camera because it was a pre-production model. The good news about the camera though, is that it was mostly functional and gave a good idea of what to expect from the NX10 that we’ll soon see on store shelves. [Read more…]
Canon had the new EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II lens on hand at CES 2010. I had the chance to get my hands on it for a few minutes. [Read more…]
Casio unveiled four new point and shoot cameras at CES 2010.
The Casio EX-FH100 features a 9MP CMOS sensor, 10x optical zoom and 720p video recording. The FH100 can capture 9MP images at 30 fps burst speed and can record video at 1000 fps. The FH100 carries a retail price of about $400. Check availability on Amazon.com.
The EX-Z2000 offers a 14.1MP sensor, 5x zoom, 3-inch LCD at 460k dot resolution. The Z2000 also has sensor-shift stabilization and HD video recording. The Z2000 carries at a retail price of about $230. Check availability on Amazon.com.
The EX-Z550 has a 14MP sensor, 4x optical zoom and 2.7-inch LCD. The Z550 also offers sensor-shift image stabilization and HD video recording. The Z550 carries an initial retail price of about $170. Check availability on Amazon.com.
The EX-H15 features a 14.1MP, 10x zoom and 3-inch LCD at 460k dot resolution. No word yet on price or availability.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
Vivitar announced a number of affordable point and shoot cameras at CES 2010. Ranging from 5MP to 14MP and $69 to $199, there are a dozen or so new ViviCam models available with a variety of spec options and bright colors.
Get the full run down in the press release below. [Read more…]
Yesterday, Canon introduced Wireless File Transmitter units for 3 of its DSLRs – the 1D Mark IV, 5D Mark II and 7D.
The Canon 1D Mark IV will use the WFT-E2 II A unit.
The Canon 5D Mark II will use the WFT-E4 II A unit.
The Canon 7D will use the WFT-E5A.
All models offer 802.11a/b/g connectivity, FTP mode for transfer even remotely over the Internet, camera linking for firing up to 11 cameras simultaneously, and several other features.
The E4 II A and E5A is currently available at an initial retail price of $699.99.
The E2 II A should be available in the first quarter of 2010 at a yet to be announced price.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
Panasonic introduced new SDXC cards in 64GB and 48GB capacities at CES 2010.
SDXC cards are a new standard from the SD Association that allows for capacities ranging from 64GB to 2TB. SDXC cards also have a speed advantage over the SDHC format. The SDXC format has a theoretical speed of 104MB/s to potentially 300MB/s in the future.
It is important to note that SDXC cards are not compatible with camera models that are not specifically designed with the SDXC format in mind.
The Panasonic 64GB SDXC card carries an initial retail price of $599.95, while the 48GB SDXC card has an initial retail price of $449.95.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]