October 14th, 2008
Nikon D90 Reviewed: Great image quality and performance. Video mode? Not so hot
DPReview and PhotographyBlog both posted full, hands-on reviews of the Nikon D90 yesterday. The general consensus among the reviewers (including our sister site CNET’s Lori Grunin who posted her review earlier in the month) is that the D90 is an excellent and highly recommended enthusiast’s dSLR.
All three reviewers agree that image quality is excellent, though DPReview notes “it can need a bit of tweaking of the internal settings to tailor the output to specific needs,” and complains of soft JPEG output compared to its peers, noting that more of the captured dynamic range could be incorporated. (PhotographyBlog disagrees, saying “The out-of-camera JPEGs are in fact quite sharp at the default settings if you use a sharp lens to begin with.”) CNET’s Grunin points out that “As usual for Nikon, the D90 tends to underexpose, and the dynamic range of bright shots fares better than dark.” All three agree that you can easily compensate for any perceived deficiency here, though.
Performance was universally lauded, with DPReview stating “We can’t think of a single instance in which the camera wasn’t available for shooting when we wanted it,” and Grunin notes “For all but continuous shooting, it’s about as fast as the [Nikon] D300, and overall one of the fastest in its class.”
When it was first announced, the big news about the D90 was that it was the first dSLR to include a video shooting mode (with 720p HD output no less). After putting the video mode to the test, though, all three reviewers found limitations with it.
October 10th, 2008
Can these cell phones replace your digital camera–and your dermatologist?
Eight-megapixel camera phones are no longer so unusual–we’ve known about the Sony Ericsson C905 for a while and the recently announced Samsung Pixon has been getting a lot of buzz since it was announced last week. But the LG Renoir and LG KC780 (announced October 2 and yesterday, respectively) have added so many camera features that it’s easy to forget that these are cell phones. Both sport Schneider-Kreuznach certified lenses, built-in flash units (the Renoir’s is a Xenon flash) and adjustable light sensitivity up to whopping ISO 1600. In addition to image stabilization, face detection, and smile detection, the LG handsets both offer video recording and include some interesting shot modes that you won’t even find in some camera cameras, such as Smile Shot (which automatically triggers the shutter when your subject is smiling) and the oddly intriguing Beauty Mode, which lets you “remove spots and imperfections on people’s faces.”
The Renoir is the more interesting of the two–it’s an iPhone-esque 3G touchscreen phone that includes WiFi and GPS features, allowing you to geotag photos and e-mail or upload them easily and even offers a manual focus option. The video capabilities are also more high-end, with 120 fps slow-motion video and 5 fps time-lapse recording. There’s even built-in support for DivX and Xvid encoded video.
The Renoir will begin shipping in Europe this month (and expand to other markets afterwards) and the KC780 will follow in November.
October 7th, 2008
Remember Vivitar cameras? Here’s what’s in store next for the brand
Back in its heyday, the Vivitar brand meant well-priced, good quality lenses, flash units, and SLR film cameras, but more recently it’s been associated with a generic, though broad line of digital cameras. One of the most recent–a limited edition gold version of a ho-hum 7-megapixel point and shoot–had the dubious distinction of being the official camera of the 2007 HBO Emmy’s Luxury Lounge (”Celebrities like Debra Messing, Cheryl Hines, Kathy Griffin, and James Gandolfini were amongst the first to receive the limited edition camera!”). Well, the parent company that produced those cameras filed for bankruptcy and last week canned all of the staff at its European division after selling the storied brand name to Sakar International, a consumer electronics ODM that claims to be the number one supplier of digital cameras to the mass retail channel. (Side note: I recently checked out one of Sakar’s licensed digital cameras–a cheapie Crayola-branded kids camera.)
What does all this mean? It means that you’ll be seeing more Vivitar-branded digital cameras and other digital-photo-related gear on the market as Sakar tries to capitalize on the venerable brand name (which dates back to the early 1960s, though the company itself was established 70 years ago). Sakar plans to introduce cameras priced from $70 to $300, leveraging Vivitar’s existing SKUs, patents, and engineering to bring higher-priced models to Sakar’s existing base (the company did not purchase Vivitar’s equipment or facilities).
Via DCViews
October 3rd, 2008
Amazon sets up post-Photokina shop: Canon G10 and 50D now shipping
In the calm after the Photokina 2008 storm, there’s a lull in digital camera-related news this week, but Amazon is hoping to cash in on some post-Photokina camera shopping at least. The e-tail giant has launched a special storefront dedicated to cameras announced at the show, with a big splash page on its Camera, Photo & Video section. The exciting news is that hot new cameras like the Canon PowerShot G10 and Canon EOS 50D are starting to ship. Though Amazon doesn’t have the former in stock and lists a 1 to 2 month lead time for shipping the latter, there are links to third-party sellers who do have the cameras in stock. Same goes for the Nikon D90. Amazon lists it as a pre-order but then links to a slew of third-party sellers with the camera in stock.
September 26th, 2008
My Favorite Digital Camera Accessories at Photokina: the Lensbaby Composer
While there are certainly interesting cameras to discover at Photokina 2008, there are also a slew of digital camera accessories being shown off. My favorite comes from Lensbaby (formerly known as Lensbabies), which announced three new “selective focus” lenses for digital SLR users. I’ve been a longtime fan of Lensbaby (particularly the 2.0 version that came out last year) and the lenses have come a long way over the years.
Lensbaby Composer
Looking significantly more polished than previous versions , the new Composer is based on a ball-and-socket design (rather than the original plastic bellows-like design) making the control easier, smoother, and more precise. The lens retains its position after you set it and rather than focusing the lens by squeezing it as the previous versions required, it actually sports a traditional barrel focusing ring. Another new design feature is that the Composer uses Lensbaby’s new Optic Swap System, which allows you to switch among four different optics (double glass, single glass, plastic, and pinhole). The Composer ships with the double glass optic installed for $270. Additional optics can be purchased and swapped in for $35 each (or $95 for a boxed set of three).
The company also announced the Lensbaby Muse, which replaces the original Lensbaby and the Lensbaby 2.0 (and looks and functions much like them), but features the new Optic Swap System. It ships with either the double glass optic installed ($150) or the plastic optic installed ($100). And finally, there’s also the Lensbaby Control Freak, which replaces the Lensbaby 3G and also adds the Optic Swap system. It ships with the double glass optic installed for $270.
September 24th, 2008
New Digital Camera Announcements and More from Photokina 2008
Photokina 2008, the world’s largest photographic and imaging tradeshow, officially kicked off yesterday, but there have been lots of new product announcements in the leadup. Here are some highlights of products being shown and announced at the show in Cologne, Germany.
The biggest pre-show blast came from Canon on September 17. Though the rest of the product announcements were overshadowed by the long-awaited release of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon also announced upgrades to five other cameras, including:
Canon PowerShot G10
This is an update to the extremely popular G9. The G9 has been the compact shooter of choice among many pro photographers (including my husband) and, happily for their wallets, the G10 isn’t really a must-have update. Resolution has been bumped up from 12 to 14.7 megapixels, but probably the most significant spec change is the switch from a 6x zoom lens (35- to 210mm equivalent, f/2.8-4.8) to a wider but shorter 5x zoom lens (28- to 140mm equivalent, f/2.8-4.5). Canon also updated the processor to its new Digic 4 and switched to a higher-resolution (but still 3-inch) LCD. The G10 will ship for $499.99 in October.
Canon PowerShot SD880 IS
This is an update to my favorite Canon point-and-shoot, the SD870 IS. In fact, I’d just recommended the 870 to my cousin-in-law, but was able to stop her before she pulled the trigger when I heard of the SD880’s impending release. I wouldn’t have recommended the upgrade just for the bump in resolution from 8.3 to 10.3 megapixels. In fact, since one of Rachel’s big concerns is shutter lag, I might have recommended that she stick with a lower-resolution camera. But since the 880 sports the new Digic 4 processor (plus a slightly bigger sensor), there should be at least a slight performance increase. I also like that Canon stuck to a nice wide-angle lens, but increased focal length from 28- to 105mm to 28- to 112mm equivalent. Also slated for October release, the 880 will ship for $349.99.
Canon PowerShot SD990 IS
This is an update to the SD950 IS, which bumps resolution up to a crazy 15 megapixels. I thought 12.4 in the SD950 was already overkill, to be honest, though both cameras do have bigger sensors than you typically find in such tiny cameras. The other big change is a sleek and curvy new design, which will come in a limited-edition red version to commemorate the 100 millionth PowerShot camera manufactured (available only Canon’s online store www.canonestore.com). Also shipping in October for $399.99
Canon also announced two new megazooms, the PowerShot SX10 IS (10 megapixels and a whopping 20x 28- to 560mm equivalent, f/2.8-5.7 lens) and the PowerShot SX1 IS, a similar camera but the first PowerShot with a CMOS sensor that is being released to European and Asian markets, but not in the U.S.
Pentax K2000
This new entry-level SLR from Pentax targets folks that are upgrading from a point-and-shoot camera. Rather than trying to compete feature-for-feature with similarly priced favorites like the Canon Rebel XS or Nikon D60–or adding features or upping the specs of its existing entry-level offering (the Pentax K200D)–Pentax focused on making the new model easier to shoot with. In addition to a new lightweight and compact design, the K2000 sports simplified menus and user interface, with Auto Picture modes and a dedicated help button. Additionally, instead of dropping the price lower than its competitors, Pentax opted to include everything a dSLR newbie needs in the kit: The $699.95 bundle will include the camera, an 18- to 55mm f/3.5-5.6 lens from the company’s new DA L series of budget lenses, as well as a Pentax AF200FG flash unit. The kit is expected to ship in November.
Sigma DP2
Following up on Sigma’s much-ballyhooed DP1 (the first compact camera to use a full SLR-sized sensor), the DP2 is essentially the same camera (with the same 14-megapixel Foveon X3 sensor that’s used in the DP1 as well as Sigma’s SD14 dSLR) but with a different lens and Sigma’s new image processor. Rather than the DP1’s 28mm equivalent, f/4.0 lens the DP2 sports a 41mm equivalent, f/2.8 lens. Pricing and availability not yet released.
September 18th, 2008
More details on Canon EOS 5D Mark II
As promised, some more details on the hotly anticipated EOS 5D Mark II.
Unlike most of the yearly ho-hum updates out there (a few megapixels here, a couple of features there), the EOS 5D Mark II announced yesterday is worth the three-year wait: the full-frame sensor has been boosted up to 21.1 megapixels, the LCD is a high-resolution 3-inch beauty (like more recently released competitors), Live View shooting has been added, the sensitivity range has been raised to ISO 50 - ISO 25,600, auto focus points have been bumped from 9 to 15 points, and continuous shooting speed has been bumped from 3- to 3.9fps. Best of all, however, Canon has added HD (1920×1080,16:9) video capture at 30 fps (there’s also a standard TV quality 640×480, 4:3 setting as well), besting recently announced competitors like the Nikon D700 and Sony Alpha DSLR-A900. In fact, the consumer-oriented Nikon D90 is the only other dSLR to offer a video mode at the moment.
Canon plans to ship the 5D Mark II by the end of November for $2,699 (body-only) or in a kit version with the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM zoom lens $3,499, making it very competitively priced compared to the competition.
For an excellent features comparison among the EOS 5D Mark II, close competitors, its predecessor, and even its big brother the EOS 1Ds Mark III, check out Lori Grunin’s post at CNET crave.
For more details than you ever wanted to know about the camera, see DPReview’s comprehensive hands-on preview.
September 17th, 2008
Canon finally announces 5D Mark II, as predicted
The rumor mill predicted a September 17th announcement date and here we are, right on time. Canon finally announced the long-anticipated successor to the EOS 5D, named (as expected) the EOS 5D Mark II. Check back later for an updated, more thorough post, but for now see the links below for more info:
Canon USA’s EOS 5D Mark II pages
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Online Press Kit
DPReview’s exclusive hands-on preview (of preproduction unit)
September 16th, 2008
More hints about the Canon EOS 5D replacement
I don’t usually go in for rumor-mongering and all that, but I’ve been getting so many queries about the eagerly awaited Canon EOS 5D replacement that I feel obligated to pass these links along:
CNET Crave’s Stephen Shankland deconstructs Canon’s big tease of a Web ad.
NeutralDay, shall we say, “reconstructs” the same ad.
CameraRumors.com addresses the rumor that there may be two Canon5D replacements.
French site EOS Numérique publishes alleged specs for the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and an announce date (tomorrow!).
September 15th, 2008
Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-G1, smallest and lightest interchangable lens camera
On Friday, Panasonic announced the first camera to support the new micro Four Thirds standard created by Olympus and Panasonic to deliver interchangeable lenses and other SLR-like features in more-compact form factors. The G1 is a bit smaller than the smallest dSLR on the market (the Olympus E-420), which the micro Four Thirds standard accomplishes by blowing off the “single lens reflex” part of the equation (i.e., the mirror and prism that allows the viewfinder to see directly through the lens of an SLR) but maintaining a dSLR-sized sensor. Poised to compete against high-end compact cameras like the Canon G9 (and upcoming G10), and Panasonic’s own recently released Lumix DMC-LX3, as well as entry-level dSLRs, the G1 packs a 12.1 megapixel Live MOS sensor, sports a high-resolution 3-inch flip-out LCD viewfinder, and comes in the two decidedly non-SLR-like colors of blue and red as well as a standard black.
Not surprisingly, Panasonic also announced two micro Four Thirds lenses: the Lumix G Vario 14-45mm (28-90mm equivalent), f/3.5-5.6 lens, which will be the standard G1 kit lens, and the Lumix G Vario 45-200mm (90-400mm equivalent), f/4.0-5.6 telephoto lens. Both include optical image stabilization and will be available when the G1 ships in November. Pricing is supposed to be announced in early October.
Early expert previews are already available: Lori Grunin offers a good description at CNET’s Crave and DPReview got an exclusive early look at a prototype and has posted an in-depth hands-on preview.
Janice Chen has been covering technology for almost two decades. She got her hands on a Nikon Coolpix 900 back in 1998 and has been a digital camera enthusiast ever since. See her full profile and disclosure of her industry affiliations.
Recent Entries
- Nikon D90 Reviewed: Great image quality and performance. Video mode? Not so hot
- Can these cell phones replace your digital camera–and your dermatologist?
- Remember Vivitar cameras? Here’s what’s in store next for the brand
- Amazon sets up post-Photokina shop: Canon G10 and 50D now shipping
- My Favorite Digital Camera Accessories at Photokina: the Lensbaby Composer
Most Popular Posts
- Remember Vivitar cameras? Here's what's in store next for the brand
- More details on Canon EOS 5D Mark II
- Amazon sets up post-Photokina shop: Canon G10 and 50D now shipping
- New Digital Camera Announcements and More from Photokina 2008
- My Favorite Digital Camera Accessories at Photokina: the Lensbaby Composer
- Can these cell phones replace your digital camera--and your dermatologist?
Top Rated
- Remember Vivitar cameras? Here's what's in store next for the brand+3 votes
- Can these cell phones replace your digital camera--and your dermatologist?+3 votes
- Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-G1, smallest and lightest interchangable lens camera+2 votes
- Amazon sets up post-Photokina shop: Canon G10 and 50D now shipping+1 vote
- New Digital Camera Announcements and More from Photokina 2008+1 vote
- More details on Canon EOS 5D Mark II+1 vote
- Canon finally announces 5D Mark II, as predicted+1 vote
- Nikon D90 Reviewed: Great image quality and performance. Video mode? Not so hot+1 vote
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