Posts Tagged ‘cameras’
Cameras, *Cameras*, CAMERAS!
It’s a ‘fast news’ day (a fast f/1.4 day) on the camera front with three new cameras reviewed in the past 24 hours as Sony makes the right kind of ‘noise’ with the world’s teeny-est APS-C mirrorless – with a matching teeny-weeny price.
Cutting Edge from Pentax
First up, though, is Pentax’s double play from a few months back, the K-5 II and K-5 IIS, successors to the K-5. These get a detailed examination by Shawn Barnett in DPReview. (The two cameras are only marginally different.)
These DSLRs set themselves apart from the crowd with their weather-resistance, 100-percent coverage optical viewfinder, and shake-reduction image stabilzation. Having an APS-C CMOS sensor, these are not full-frame DSLRs but compete with the big boys.
The K-5 II (and its sibling) has a number of cutting-edge features, perhaps none more so than Composition Adjustment. This “allows you to actually move the sensor around in the camera to adjust your framing instead of tediously moving the camera on a tripod, show Pentax’s prowess at using digital technology for all it’s worth.”
DPReview’s write-up has paging that may not be immediately evident so be sure to click on the arrow link or use the choice-list to read the entire review (or whichever sections interest you).
A Big Rig from Fuji
The Fujifilm HS50EXR gets the once over from George Schaub in Shutterbug. This bridge camera’s standout feature is its 24-1000mm (35mm equivalent) zoom range – a 42x ratio.
Other noteworthy features include customizable settings, multi-swivel LCD screen, and USB and HDMI slots.
This camera’s image quality is rather uneven. On the one hand it records very good colour and is excellent at skintones; on the other, noise is manifest even at ISO 200.
This is a chunky camera and so it would suit a photographer with big hands.
A Bargain from Sony
The Sony NEX-3N is reviewed by Joshua Waller in ePHOTOzine. And this one’s standout feature is that it probably packs more features per square millimetre than any other camera!
To begin with, this teeny thing (110 x 62 x 34.5 mm) would fit into a child’s pants pocket yet it has, among other things, an APS-C CMOS sensor, 16 megapixels, white balance settings, video mode, and HDMI and USB.
It also has HDR mode, Panorama mode, and more. Some specs, such as shutter response and shutter speed range, are right ‘up there’. What is ‘down there’, however, is this kit’s price, making it one of the best value-for-money propositions around.
DPReview’s Five Best Compact Cameras
Image via CrunchBase
The folks at DPReview waded through their reviews of compacts and earlier today selected the five that, in their opinion, are the best.
The “five of what [DPReview] think[s] are the best compact cameras on the market right now” include two Panasonics but nary a Nikon, with one each of Canon, Olympus and Sony. The only surprise is that this is not much of a surprise because, despite the strengths of the P7700 and the popularity of the Coolpix, Nikon is a little behind the curve in the Compact category.
The Sony RX100 presence on this list is surely not a surprise. Its image quality and cutting-edge technology are what distinguish this compact. However, it’s nothing to look at, being very business-like and functional; all straight lines, edges and corners, it is the plain girl in the school. The Lumix DMC-FZ200 veers to the other extreme; it is an overdone medley of curves, ridges and bumps, including an awkward-looking, massive bulge for the grip.
Camera reviews pay a lot of attention to image quality, features, technology and specs while design, styling, and ergonomics, though mentioned in passing, tend to take a back seat. Sony’s RX100 and Panny’s DMC-FZ200 are cases in point. Why don’t camera makers learn a lesson or two from 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino?
As we are on the topic of design, styling, and ergonomics, we may as well point out that in these categories the Canon and Olympus are the winners; these being the PowerShot G15 and XZ-2 respectively. The Canon is a little more stylized; the Olympus, more sedate. Interestingly, in terms of features and specs the two are neck-and-neck.
Each of these five cameras ranks at the top of the class but each also has its own particular characteristics and strengths. For instance, the Lumix DMC-ZS20 is great for travel because of its GPS and database of a million landmarks and also for tyros because of its ‘iAuto’ mode. On the other hand, comparatively speaking the Olympus XZ-2 has features that more advanced users would prefer, including extensive customization.
Any of these five cameras would be ideal for that everyday second camera or to give as a present to a teen. DPReview’s compare-and-contrast will let you choose just the right one.
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