Digital Technology News, Camera, Camcorder and Cool Gadget Reviews

Nikon has revamped its D5000 DSLR to reveal the D5100, boasting an improved vari-angle screen smaller dimensions and Full HD movie mode.

The D5100 repleaces the D5000 and will deliver image quality on a par with the D7OO0, but in a smaller, less expensive body, claims Nikon.
Measuring around 10% smaller than D5000, it will sit the range between the D3100 and D7000 and cost £669.99.

The D5100 measures 128X97X79MM and weights around 560G (without battery or memory card).

The new monitor offers a 170′ angle of view and is 17% thinner than the D5000′s screen, according to Nikon. It carries a resolution of 921,000 dots, as opposed to 230,000 on the D5000. Read the rest of this entry »

The 12-megapixel Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 might just be the best Micro Four Thirds camera you can buy. This compact  interchangeable-lens camera has a body size that’s comparable to a small point-and-shoot, but its images and speed rival that of a D-SLR.

The GF2 also spices things up by offering a touchscreen and the ability to shoot real 3D photos via the optional Panasonic Lumix H-FTO12 12.5mm f/12.3D G Lens. Still, it’s tough to recommend the GF2 over our Editors’ Choice pick, the Sony NEX-3, which offers similiar size, a lower price and larger image sensor.

Like all Micro Four Thirds cameras, the GF2 offers D֊SLR-like speed and image quality, but in a compact body. This is achieved by using a larger image sensor. The Panasonic GF2 can power on and shoot in an impressive 1.27 seconds, and can continuously shoot at 3.2 frames per second. And there’s almost no shutter lag. Read the rest of this entry »

Previous EOS models had to be set manually, primarily based on the colour saturation you wanted. Now there is an Auto Picture Style option – which picks the saturation and contrast to suit the picture the camera sees. It will be interesting to see how successfully this works.

The usual Green Zone fully-automatic exposure mode has been replaced with an A+ Scene Intelligent Mode option. This is said to intelligently use autofocus, AWB, AE, Auto Lighting Optimizer and Auto Picture Style to create an ultra-smart do-it-all exposure mode. Most useful, perhaps, is the new Feature Guide with on-screen captions that tell you the point and purpose of each SLR option. Read the rest of this entry »

The EOS 1000D is the camera that refused to die. By tradition, as the low-cost, beginner-friendly D-SLR in the EOS dynasty, it should only have lasted a year in the Canon range before it made way for the next new pretender. But its now time to say goodbye. After nigh-on three years, its successor has finally been announced…

Known as the Rebel T3 in North America, the HOOD is named as if it were simply just a minor update of Canon’s best-selling budget D-SLR body. But don’t be fooled by the badge, and the similar looks – inside this camera has been built completely from scratch.

At the heart is a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor – providing a 20% improvement in resolution over its predecessor – while the maximum sensitivity of the sensor takes a giant two-stop leap to ISO 6400. Read the rest of this entry »

The brand new Samsung NX11 has been announced at this year’s CES and looks to update the NX10 with both i-Function lens compatability and a new design.

Rather than an overhaul of the original NX10, the new NX11 offers improvements including compatibility with Samsung’s i-Function lenses providing an additional function button on the lens for quick adjustment of the most prominent options such as shutter speed, aperture, ISO and so forth.

Design-wise, the NX11 is similar in form to the Samsung NX10, albeit with a change in grip design to make shooting easier and more comfortable. Elsewhere there’s a brand new Panorama mode that can capture a panoramic image in real time by moving the camera. Read the rest of this entry »

The Pentax RZ10 is one of the latest mid-zoom compacts to arrive. It has a 14.1 MP sensor, HD video capture at 720p and a 28-280mm zoom lens. You also can get sensor-based and ISO-based image stabilization modes plus Face Recognition, Blink Detection and Smile Capture options.

The Pentax Optio RZ10 also has one of the fastest start-up times of any compact currently available. Read the rest of this entry »

The CX4 is the latest advanced compact from Ricoh. It has an eye-catching specification.

The Ricoh CX4 features the 10 MP CMOS back-lit sensor that debuted in the CX3, which also offers HD video capture at 1280 X 720 pixel resolution and at a frame rate of 30fps. A 10.7X optical zoom, offering a focal range of 28-300mm in 35mm equivalent terms, is also present.

One area in which the CX4 has been improved over its predecessor is image stabilization.

A 3-inch, 920k-dot LCD screen remains as does the lack of Raw capture and full manual control. Rather than add Raw capture, Ricoh has added a new host of ‘Creative Shooting Modes’. These modes apply filters such as Cross Process and Soft Focus to images captured.

The CX4′s focusing system is both fast and accurate, and subject tracking also performs well. The design of the camera is such that shooting with it is a pleasure, while a reasonably well-designed menu system also helps.

The 645D uses a Kodak 40 MP CCD sensor, which outputs at 7264 X 5440 pixels in 14-bit Raw (PEF or Adobe DNG) or JPEG. At 44 X 33mm in size it’s smaller than a true 6 X 4.5cm frame but still 1.7 times larger than a full-frame sensor. This means its new lenses have a 0.79X crop factor.

The processor is the Prime Engine II, which also features in Pentax DSLRs, from the K-x up to the K-5. It provides a conservative ISO 100-1600 range, though of little issue as medium format has traditionally been for use in controlled studio environments or landscape scenarios. Read the rest of this entry »

The Pentax x90 offers a 26X optical zoom (26-67mm equivalent) as well as HD movie recording and control over shutter speed and aperture.

Stabilization is handled with a mechanical, sensor-shift based approach rather than an optical lens-based or ISO system. The addition of a 720p HD movie mode is also a bonus, even if it does come in the less desirable Motion-JPEG format.

The design of the camera is extremely indicative of the intention, being that isn’t shaped to resemble a small DSLR. Annoyingly the grooved ring around the lens barrel doesn’t alter focus, nor can it be removed to attach any accessories. The viewfinder and LCD are disappointingly low res and make detail difficult to make out at times. Read the rest of this entry »

The Fujifilm JV100 includes a 12.2 MP sensor and 3X optical zoom lens. The optic begins at 37mm and ends at 11mm, and so isn’t particularly suited for any photography which requires a wide angle of view.

There’s a sensitivity-based stabilization system available, which adjusts the ISO for a forced faster shutter speed when shooting in low light and HD quality movies can be captured at a maximum resolution of 720p. These are limited to 15 minutes in length, during which the optical zoom may be called upon. Fujifilm has also added Face Detection and a Smile and Shoot mode. Read the rest of this entry »