Digital Camera News, Reviews and Tips
The Kodak EasyShare M590 is a 14MP compact point and shoot camera with a 5x optical zoom lens, a 2.7″ LCD and 720p HD video capture. Kodak is also touting the M590’s ability to easily share images and videos on social media sites, such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube thanks to the Share button on the rear of the camera.
The Kodak M590 carries an initial retail price of $199.95. Check availability on Amazon.com.
More details in the press release below. [Read more…]
The Kodak Z981 is a 14-megapixel superzoom camera that offers the ability to capture RAW format images throughout its impressive 26-676mm (equivalent) zoom range.
So how does the Z981 stack up amongst other superzoom cameras? Read on to find out. [Read more…]
The Kodak Z950 is a 12MP point and shoot camera with a 10x optical zoom. It has built-in optical image stabilization and features a large 3-inch LCD. What surprises me about the Z950 is the number of features and amount of control available in a camera at a price point around $200. [Read more…]
The PMA 2010 International Convention and Trade Show is scheduled to take place February 21-23, 2010, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Southern California. PMA is the largest photographic trade show in the world. Surrounding PMA are a number of new product announcements from camera, lens and accessory manufacturers. Each year, we all watch these announcements to see what the next best thing in the digital imaging realm might be.
While we saw many product announcements from photo-industry manufacturers at CES 2010, the biggest announcements generally come in the days leading up to the PMA show. I’ll be reporting live from PMA this year and you may find some up-to-the-minute updates from Photography Bay’s Twitter account before it goes live on the homepage. So, if you’re that kind of gearhead, follow Photography Bay on Twitter.
This preview will showcase news and developments categorized by manufacturer and will be updated as new information comes in. Consider bookmarking this page through PMA to have access to the latest info at your fingertips.
If you have something to contribute or would like to discuss this topic further, please join the Photography Bay Forum and post your comments there. I’ll stay on top of the discussions and relay relevant information on this post.
Canon will not be attending PMA 2010; however, due to the proximity of Canon’s new camera releases to the event, I have included them in this report.
Canon EOS Rebel T2i: 18MP DSLR that serves as a replacement to the popular Rebel T1i. The Rebel T2i offers a number of advancements, including an improved metering system and a number of HD video recording options.
Canon PowerShot SX210 IS: 14.1MP point and shoot camera with a 14x optical zoom lens with image stabilization, 3-inch LCD and the ability to capture 720p HD video with stereo sound.
Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS: 14.1MP point and shoot camera with a stabilized 5x optical zoom lens, 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD and 720p HD video capture.
Canon PowerShot SD1400 IS: Ultra-compact 14.1MP point and shoot camera with a stabilized 4x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.
Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS: Basic 12.1MP point and shoot camera with a stabilized 4x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch LCD.
Casio EX-10HG: Introduced at CES 2010, the concept camera has received an estimated price tag of $400 and expect availability in October 2010.
Casio EX-FC150: 10.1MP point and shoot camera with a 5X optical zoom and Casio’s popular high-speed video and image capture.
Casio EX-S7: 12.1MP point and shoot camera with a 3x optical zoom, 720p HD video capture and a 2.7-inch LCD.
Casio EX-Z35: 12.1MP point and shoot camera with a 3x optical zoom, VGA video capture and a 2.5-inch LCD.
Fuji AV100: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, a 3x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.
Fuji AX200: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, a 5x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.
Fuji F80EXR: 12MP point and shoot camera featuring Fuji’s popular EXR sensor technology with a 10x optical zoom lens (27-270mm equivalent), 3-inch LCD and 720p HD movie capture.
Fuji GF670 Professional Medium Format Camera: Offers 6×6 and 6×7 format shooting with 120 and 220 roll film. The GF670 features an 80mm lens, rangefinder, aperture-priority mode for auto exposure, as well as manual exposure mode.
Fuji HS10: 10MP superzoom camera with CMOS sensor and 30x zoom lens, which offers a zoom range equivalent to 24-720mm. Also captures 1080p HD video.
Fuji JV100: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, a 3x optical zoom lens and 720p HD movie capture.
Fuji JX250: 14MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, a 5x optical zoom lens and 720p HD movie capture.
Fuji JZ300: 12MP point and shoot camera with sensor-shift image stabilization, 2.7-inch LCD, a 10x optical zoom lens and 720p HD movie capture.
Fuji JZ500: 14MP point and shoot camera with sensor-shift image stabilization, a 2.7-inch LCD, a 10x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.
Fuji S1800: 12MP superzoom camera with 18x optical zoom lenses for an equivalent zoom range of 28-504mm, 3-inch LCD, an electronic viewfinder and 720pHD video capture.
Fuji S2550HD: 12MP superzoom camera with 18x optical zoom lenses for an equivalent zoom range of 28-504mm, 3-inch LCD, an electronic viewfinder and 720pHD video capture.
Fuji XP10: Rugged 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD and 5x optical zoom lens. The X10 is shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof and dustproof.
Fuji Z70: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 2.7-inch LCD, 5x optical zoom lens and 720p HD video capture.
Fuji Z700EXR: 12MP point and shoot camera featuring Fuji’s popular EXR sensor technology with a 3.5? wide touch screen display in 16:9 format, a 5x optical zoom and 720p video capture.
Hasselblad H4D-40: 40MP medium format camera with 80mm lens and Phocus 2.0 software. Geared toward high-end 35mm format photographers.
HP CW450: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom and 2.7″ LCD.
HP CW450t: Touchscreen version of HP CW450.
HP SW450: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom and 2.7″ LCD.
HP PW550z: 12.2MP point and shoot camera with 5x optical zoom and 2.7″ LCD.
HP PW460t: 12.2MP point and shoot camera with 4x optical zoom and 3″ touchscreen LCD.
Gorillapod Magnetic: A Gorillapod with magnetic feet, which allows it to attach to any magnetic surface.
Ballhead X: Supports up to 11.1lbs and allows you to pan, tilt and rotate the attached camera atop the Gorillapod or other tripod.
Leaf Aptus-II 8: 40MP medium format digital back with a sensor size of 44×33mm and is capable of capturing images at a rate of 0.8 seconds per frame and a burst of 60 full-res images per minute.
Fisheye and Soft Focus Optics: New optics for Lensbaby Composer, Muse and Control Freak lenses.
Lowepro Slingshot AW Camera Bags: Updated version of the popular Slingshot series of camera bags, which rotate from back to front for fast and easy access to gear.
Nikon L110: 12.1MP superzoom camera featuring a 15x optical zoom lens (28-420mm equivalent) with optical VR image stabilization, a 3-inch LCD screen and the ability to capture 720p HD video.
Nikon L22: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 3.6x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch LCD and is powered by AA batteries.
Nikon P100: 10.3MP superzoom camera with a 26x optical zoom lens and optical VR image stabilization. The P100 can capture 1080p HD video, features in-camera HDR image merge and a 3-inch LCD.
Nikon S3000: Budget-friendly, 12MP point and shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch LCD.
Nikon S4000: 12MP point and shoot camera with a 4x optical zoom lens, a 3-inch (460k dot) touch-panel LCD and the ability to capture 720p HD video.
Nikon S6000: 14.2MP point and shoot camera with a 7x optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch LCD panel and the ability to capture 720p HD video.
Nikon S8000: 14.2MP point and shoot cameras with a 10x optical zoom, a high resolution (920k dot) 3-inch LCD screen and the ability to capture 720p HD video and stereo audio.
Nikon AF-S 16-35mm f/4G ED VR Lens: Nikon’s first ultra-wide zoom with VR for FX format cameras. The 16-35mm lens features Nikon’s Silent Wave Autofocus Motor and VR II stabilization technology.
Nikon AF-S 24mm f/1.4G ED Lens: A wide angle prime, compatible with both FX and DX-format DSLRs.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 9-18mm F4.0-5.6 Lens: Wide-angle zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-150mm F4.0-5.6 Lens: Wide-to-telephoto zoom lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras.
Olympus PEN E-PL1: 3rd-generation Micro Four Thirds camera with 12.3MP sensor, HD video capture and 14-42mm kit lens.
Olympus SP-600UZ: 12MP point and shoot camera with 15x optical zoom and 720p HD video capture.
Olympus SP-800UZ: 14MP superzoom “bridge” camera with 30x optical zoom and 720p HD video capture.
Pentax E90: Budget-friendly 10MP point and shoot camera with 3x optical zoom.
Pentax H90: Stylish 12.1MP point and shoot camera with 5x optical zoom and 720p HD video capture.
Pentax I-10: Retro-style 12.1MP point and shoot camera with 5x optical zoom, 720p HD video capture and 16:9 format LCD.
See my quick hands-on report of the Pentax Optio E90, H90 and I-10 here.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS7: 12.1MP point and shoot camera with 12x zoom, HD video recording and GPS capabilities.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2: 14.1MP rugged point and shoot camera that is waterproof, shockproof etc. Records HD video.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR3: 14.1MP point and shoot camera with 8x zoom and HD video recording.
Ricoh CX3: 10MP point and shoot camera with a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, a 10.7x optical zoom (28-300mm equivalent) and has the ability to capture HD video.
Samsung TL500: 10MP point and shoot camera with a 1/1.7-inch CCD image sensor, a 3x zoom f/1.8 lens and a 3-inch AMOLED swivel display. The TL500 supports RAW file capture and offers optical image stabilization.
Samsung TL350: 10.2MP point and shoot camera which features a CMOS sensor and 1080p video capture, as well as a number of high-speed video capture modes up to 1000 fps. The TL350 offers RAW file capture, a 5x optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, full manual control and 3-inch AMOLED display.
Samsung AQ100: 12MP point and shoot camera that is waterproof up to 10 feet and features a 5x optical zoom, 720p HD video capture and a 2.7-inch LCD.
Samsung SL605: 12MP point and shoot camera that is durable and dustproof, and features VGA video capture, along with a 2.7-inch LCD.
Samsung HZ35W and HZ30W: 12MP point and shoot cameras with 15x zoom and 720p video recording. The HZ35W offers GPS features.
Samsung TL110 and TL105: 14MP and 12MP, respectively, point and shoot cameras that record 720p video.
Samsung SL630: 12MP and budget friendly point and shoot with a 5x optical zoom and VGA-quality video recording.
Samsung NX Lenses: Samsung unveiled 5 new lenses for the NX10 and future NX-series cameras. The new lenses include the following:
SanDisk 64GB SDXC Card: Capable of 15MB/s read speeds and 9Mbps write speeds. For use with new SDXC-compatible devices.
Sigma SD15: DSLR with a 14MP Foveon X3 CMOS sensor that captures 12-bit RAW files, and has a continuous shooting speed of 3 fps and 5-point AF system.
Sigma DP2s: A slightly refreshed version of the DP2 and features a 14MP Foveon X3 CMOS image sensor, RAW image capture and a 24mm f/2.8 lens.
Sigma DP1x: A refreshed version of the original DP1, freaturing the large CMOS sensor and the TRUE II image processing engine found in the DP2 and upcoming SD15.
Sigma 17-70mm f/2.8-4 Macro OS HSM: Previously available in other mounts, Sigma has announced availability of this lens with Pentax and Sony DSLR mounts.
Sony Alpha DLSRs: Sony unveiled 2 Alpha DSLR concept models featuring AVCHD video capture, which should be out later in 2010.
Sony Alpha Compact Interchangealble Lens Camera: Sony unveiled a mirrorless Alpha mount camera featuring an APS-sized sensor, along with plans for additional compact Alpha mount lenses.
Sony Cyber-shot TX5: 10.2MP compact waterproof camera up to 10 feet deep with optical image stabilization and 720p video capture, and is also dustproof, shockproof and freezeproof.
Sony Cyber-shot H55: 14.1MP point and shoot camera with a 10x optical zoom (25-250mm equivalent), optical image stabilization, Sweep Panorama mode, 720p video capture and a 3-inch LCD.
As noted above, this PMA 2010 coverage is a work in progress, which will be updated on a rolling basis. If you’ve got something to say, please share it with the rest of us in the Photography Bay Forum. If you’re not already a member, you can join here for free.
At CES 2010 today, Kodak has introduced 3 new cameras – the Kodak Slice Touchscreen camera, Kodak Easyshare M580 and Kodak Playsport video camera.
As the name implies, the Slice is a touchscreen and it can store up to 5,000 in its internal memory. The Slice features a 3.5″ display, 14MP and a 5x optical zoom and carries an initial retail price of $349.95. The Kodak Slice Touchscreen camera should be available in April 2010. Check availability on Amazon.com.
The Kodak M580 features a 14MP sensor and 8x optical zoom. With the M580, you can tag photos for emailing and sharing online while still on the camera. When you connect the M580 to your computer with an Internet connection, press the Share button and it will automatically upload the files that you flagged. The M580 carries an initial retail price of $199.95 and should be available in April 2010. Check availability on Amazon.com.
The Kodak Playsport video camera shoots 1080p video and 5MP still frames. It can be submerged in water that is 10 feet deep. It has a 2-inch display and records to SD/SDHC cards up to 32GB in size for up to 10 hours of HD video on one card. The Playsport carries an initial retail price of $149.95 and should be available in April 2010. Check availability on Amazon.com.
More details and images in the press release below. [Read more…]
Advanced Imaging Pro has an interesting article on Kodak’s latest developments in sensor manufacturing. This was found via Flickr, which alludes to the possibility of a PMOS sensor.
The new PMOS apparently a new take on CMOS pixels and how they work on a camera sensor. In the Kodak PMOS the underlying polarity of the silicon is reversed, so the absence of electrons is used to detect a signal. This works the opposite way that normal pixels work: which instead detects electrons that are generated when light interacts with the sensor surface.
In addition to this, a new CCD sensor is being developed that, according to Samsung (as noted in the article), only uses 1/10th of the power that a regular CCD sensor uses: which means an insanely long battery life.
For current Olympus (and Panasonic) users, you can be glad to hear that the new sensors are focused on low-light photography, speed and HD video capabilities. However, we can still only just wait to see the results. When the Live MOS sensor was released it promised better low-light capabilities. In truth, it couldn’t match the capabilities of Canon or Nikon. Further, that isn’t a totally fair statement because of the fact that the sensor is smaller in size.
The new PMOS sensor could be what we see in the higher end pro camera models.
After slashing HIE-135 Infrared film 18 months ago, Kodak has officially killed Kodachrome film as well. Kodachrome has had served photographers for 74 years.
Here’s Steve McCurry reflecting back on some of his history with Kodachrome – “the gold standard of imagery” as he calls it.
More details on the death of Kodachrome in the press release below. [Read more…]
Kodak is dishing out final notices (I just got mine) on their online gallery storage. Not that it really matters to me. I use SmugMug and Flickr for sharing my images online. I have occasionally ordered a few snapshots or Christmas cards from Kodak; however, I will just upload the pics that I need at the time and get my pics or cards printed out. Perhaps some folks use Kodak’s service as their online storage solution. If you do, then you’ll have to keep ordering products in order to keep your photos online. [Read more…]
Cologne, Germany, September 23 — CCD Image Sensors from Eastman Kodak Company (NYSE:EK) have been selected again to power the most advanced cameras for professional photographers. Showcased at this year’s Photokina trade fair in Cologne, Germany, the new cameras – the LEICA S2, the HASSELBLAD H3DII-50, and the SINAR Hy6-65 – are based on both new and existing KODAK CCD Image Sensors, and further establish Kodak as the leading supplier of the most advanced image sensors used in professional photography. [Read more…]
Blogging has become so much more “mainstream” over the past couple of years. While many companies have blogs, it’s often seen as something that’s merely condoned or endorsed by the company; however, Kodak has gone a step further and announced that Jennifer Cisney will be taking the helm of the company’s blogosphere endeavors as “Chief Blogger,” in charge of A Thousand Words and A Thousand Nerds. For more info, check out the press release below. [Read more…]