Ricoh CX4 Compact Digital Camera With Superzoom
August 19, 2010
The Ricoh CX4 is the modernised, updated version of the company’s popular CX3 compact digital camera. While the new model has had a fairly major redesign and offers a number of new features which are useful indeed, it also takes a lot of the positive factors from the last phone and integrates them into the new body in order to create the perfect blend of new and old. It looks like the new Ricoh CX4 will come in black, silver, and pink at least.
The 10 megapixel camera keeps the high resolution 3 inch LCD display on its back end. The “workmanlike yet stylish” camera packs a 10.7x wide angle optical zoom lens and a 10mp back-lit CMOS sensor. It can even record 720p video in JPEG. Like with the last Ricoh model there are 11 different scene settings so that you don’t need to fiddle around with some of the more intricate manual settings in order to enjoy the best looking photos possible.
Subject tracking auto-focus ensures that the subject of pictures always remains in focus and will reduce blur to 3.7 shutter speed stops; ideal for taking photos in poor lighting or with masses of zoom. The night vision may sound like a voyeur’s favourite toy but it actually takes four shots at different exposures and then combining the results to give a better quality picture. Finally, there’s also some creative modes that let you become a kid or a more creative photographer (depending on the mode you choose).
The Ricoh CX4 will be available in the US in September costing the equivalent of about £250 and should hopefully follow suit in the UK shortly after.
Do you need night vision on your camera?
What digital camera release are you eagerly waiting for?
Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W3 Goes All 3D… Much Like Everything Else
August 17, 2010
You can barely turn around at the moment without being smacked in the face by an albeit beautifully realistic and gloriously good looking 3D-this or 3D-that. As if Sky 3D TV and 3D camcorders weren’t enough, the new Fuji Finepix offers 3D photo taking at a not entirely unreasonable £400 price tag. Fuji will also be offer 3D printing services because obviously the typical home computer and all-in-one printers isn’t really going to generate the kind of results you’re looking for.
You don’t need to wear the special glasses because the Finepix Real 3D uses lenticular technology. The camera has two lenses spaced roughly the same distance apart as a person’s eyes. The two images are then combined on furrowed 3D paper in order to create the 3D effect without giving you a headache.
From a practical point of view that means that you can view the 3D pictures directly on your camera or you can have them printed on 3D paper and then stick them in your photo album, hang them on the wall (bit scary in the middle of the night until you get used to it) or do whatever else you wish with them.
The Finepix Real 3D W3 also enables users to film 3D home video in much the same way although you obviously can’t print a home video to paper. You can, however, view it in 3D on your camera viewer or even on a 3D enabled TV, and there will presumably be more tech coming along soon enough that will give you even greater options of what to do with it.
Fujifilm has also said that they will be launching a 3D printing service to coincide with the W3 which goes on sale in September and will cost around £400 each.
Are you into the 3D craze yet?
Want to see yourself in full, glorious 3D hanging on your wall at home?
Nikon S1100pj Projector Cam Details Leaked
August 16, 2010
Imagine being able to wander round while on holiday taking photos and then getting back to your room and beaming the results directly on to your hotel room wall. No need for a PC or TV and you don’t even need any extra leads. That’s what the unique Nikon S1000pj digital camera did and the S1100pj, the next incarnation, will do exactly the same thing while also featuring a few extra nifty little features – we don’t think you have to take it in that rather nauseous looking citrus green but that may just be your thing.
The Nikon S1000pj was a phenomenon in its own right. Not only was it a really good quality camera but it also had the unique feature of a built in pico projector. It was surprising that the camera didn’t have a massive cult following, in all honesty, but obviously it performed well enough that Nikon felt it was worth upgrading and improving and they’ve certainly done that with some extra features and tech loveliness.
One of the few complaints you can have had with the original was that it was clumsy, at best, if you wanted to edit video. You couldn’t do so while it was being projected onto a wall or other surface for obvious reasons. The new remote control means that you can do exactly that making litle edits and tweaks on the fly and with the backing of a decent size picture.
There’s also a touch screen because there’s some kind of unwritten law that states new gadgets must in some way feature a touch screen (thank Apple for that). The phone will cost the equivalent of about £290 which really isn’t bad considering the features you’re getting.
Would you buy one if it were only available in metallic lime green?
Can you even get metallic limes?
Holidaymakers and fancy cameras don’t mix
July 22, 2010
An interesting survey around British holidaymakers gadget use tells us that 44% of British holidaymakers have missed great photo opportunities because they didn’t know how to operate their fancy camera. Another nice stat reveals that a clumsy 22% have either lost or broken their gadgets while on holiday.
More light heartedly (at least for those of you who like to laugh at other people’s physical defects) is that flabby snaps taken on foreign beaches have encouraged 58% of people that it was time to go on a diet. Meanwhile, the sight of a Mediterranean sun shining off a balding napper has perturbed around a quarter of men, who thought that their locks were still long and golden. Don’t stand up yet, stats fans, there is more. Over 40% of Brits have been left red faced and quite possibly flabbergasted by embarrassing holiday snaps which have turned up on photo sharing sites.
Those stats are courtesy of our friends at reevoo.com. Meanwhile, in a survey carried out in my living room just now, 0% of gadget reviewers have admitted to taking bizzare, artistic photos of their feet while on holiday and 100% owned up to burying their mate’s phone in the sand one time in Mallorca, but it was a rubbish phone so that was ok.
What do all these statisics and lies tell us;
1) Work out how to use your camera before you stumble across Antonio Banderas in a Marbella fish and chip shop.
2) Buy a simple camera for taking on holiday. You’ll be drunk when you take most of the photos and then you´ll end up bashing it off an ice cream stall anyway.
3) Buy a mirror and work out if you need a diet / wig before splashing out on trunks and snorkelling equipment
4) Never go on holiday with a gadget reviewer.
Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ38EB-K Digital Camera Review
July 9, 2010
So, you want a modern digital camera but you don’t want one of those pretty little pink things which weigh about 2 ounces and are as thin as a digestive biscuit which has been cut in half and then trodden on? What you want is a camera which looks like a camera, right? Let’s take a look at the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ38EB Digital Camera then.
Design
This camera is black, solid and study. It looks like it was built in the days when a camera was a camera, a bag of fish and chips cost 3d and we had a chance of winning the World Cup. It’s almost enough to make tears of nostalgia well up.
Notable Specifications
This model has 12.1 megapixels, 18x optical zoom and Panasonic’s optical image stabilisation system. It has an extremely quick start up time of 1.2 seconds and Intelligent Auto Mode with Face Recognition. You can also shoot 720p HD videos.
Value
Does just a little over £200 sound fair? I think so. Take a little stroll down Internet Street and you will find just what you are looking for.
Summary
It may look like an old fashioned camera but the Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ38EB-K Digital Camera has more hi tech elements in its insides than many more modern looking machines. This is a really good combination of classic styling, sensible features and ease of use. Anyone could pick this one up and start taking good pictures, but it also leaves you room to grow and learn how to use the other available functions.
Buy from Amazon |
33 megapixel camera launched
July 8, 2010
Serious, and seriously well off, photographers may be tempted to shell out almost 12 grand on the new Mamiya RZ33. This powerful camera gives you a quite frankly astonishing-well-I’ll-be-darned-how-much-did-he-just-say 33 megapixels, along with some other excellent features.
This super camera shall soon be walking amongst us and you can expect a full review to pop up on this site shortly.
Panasonic Lumix TZ7 Digital Camera Review
July 8, 2010
Everyone has different needs when it comes to camera shopping. Some people want a cheap, virtually disposable one which they can take on holiday and then forget about until next year. Then there are the camera fiends who love to spend hours poring over their settings and gently agonising over shutter speeds. The Panasonic Lumix TZ7 looks to me like one for someone in the middle of those two groups. At first glance this one might be a good choice for someone who wants a good camera, will get good use out of it and look after it well but isn´t overly concerned about doing too much technical fiddling themselves. Let’s look at some of the details to see if I am right.
Design
There is a 3 inch LCD with wide viewing facility, which should be more than adequate for most people’s needs. The camera itself is nicely presented, attractive and slimline without appearing fragile or gimmicky. The normal Panasonic Lumix TZ7 Digital Camera comes in black, brown and silver while there is also a special edition in a daring red colour.
Notable Specifications
12X optical zoom, 25mm ultra wide angle lens and HD Movie Recording are all good features which will help you take better photos and movies. This model also comes with the scary sounding Advanced Intelligent Auto Mode with Face Recognition. I am going to try and fool it by putting on a variety of different disguises, just to prove that I can still outwit machines.
Value
Have a look online and you will see that around 200 of ye olde English pounds are enough for you to buy this little beauty.
Summary
Anyone looking to take great pictures and HD videos with a minimum of fuss will be tempted by this one. The Panasonic Lumix TZ7 Digital Camera is attractive, good value, easy to use and has a lot of good features.
Buy from Amazon |
Canon EOS 500D Digital SLR Camera Review
July 8, 2010
There are so many good quality digital cameras on the market just now that it can be a little bewildering if you go into an online shop and try and find one which is right for you. The Canon EOS 500D Digital SLR camera is basically the rival to the Nikon D5000. The Canon model offers several very attractive features which make it a useful addition to the company’s extensive range of machines while being a machine which is pretty simple to use straight from the box.
Design
We are talking about a camera which is nice and sturdy and which has a clear, easy to use display screen.
Notable Specifications
The two most important details to take note of are the 15.1 megapixels and the full HD 1080p video capability, which place this model above the similarly priced options in Canon’s own range. The quality of the video shooting option, in particular, sets it apart from many of its rivals.
Apart from those details it contains a wide number of features which you can explore as you get used to it and want to experiment with different types of photos.
Value
A brief spell of internet browsing should lead you to the conclusion that £600 will get you the Canon EOS 500D Digital SLR camera. This is not at all a bad price for a camera which outpunches the majority of cameras in this price range.
Summary
It has been suggested that is a great choice for someone taking their first steps towards becoming a more serious photographer. It is easy to use on the factory settings, despite being feature packed, and most people should find that they are able to start shooting great pictures straight away, while knowing that they can gradually learn more tricks and techniques to improve through time. It is also a camera which you should not have to think about upgrading for a long time.
Great prices on Amazon
Sony Nex-5 Camera Review
July 7, 2010
So, what kind of camera does £600 get you these days? Let’s have a look at the Sony Nex-5 camera and find out.
Design
This is one of the first cameras to enter the market for mirrorless digital cameras, where space is freed up to make a more compact and more lovable camera possible. Someone got paid to come up with the name, “Alpha compact interchangeable lens digital cameras” to describe this development.
The style is sturdy and modern, with the latest technological developments allowing Sony to pop some serious hardware into a small and fairly lightweight frame.
Notable Specifications
Camera buffs will be pleased to see that Sony have addressed the old problem of continuous autofocus and exposure adjustment during the shooting of videos. Non camera buffs may also nod sagely at this point if they wish. Other features which may be more important to some people than to others include; Anti motion blur mode, Auto High Dynamic Range shooting, Handheld Twilight and the rather dramatically named 3D Sweep Panorama.
The Sony Nex-5 supports 1080i AVCHD video shooting and gives a not unreasonable 14 megapixels on photos.
Summary
If you are considering spending this much on a camera then you are obviously pretty serious about taking really good photos and 3D Sweep Panoramas. This being the case you will be delighted at the style and functionality of the Sony Nex-5.
Samsung ST70 Compact Camera Review
June 29, 2010
If Charles Darwin were still alive I have a theory which I would really like to put to the famous scientist. My idea is that surely the appearance of so many compact gadgets is going to affect the evolutionary path of the human being. I can imagine future generations possessing tiny yet incredibly nimble little fingers, ideal for holding diminutive gadgets, pressing little buttons and turning tiny dials. Anyway, if my theory is correct then the Samsung ST70 compact camera is likely to move us onto the next stage in the process, due to its very compact design. Visually it is a hugely attractive camera, but does it put style and visual impact over usability and picture quality?
Design
This is the area where the Samsung ST70 camera scores most highly, particularly for those who like their gadgets small, slim and attractive. The depth of this little beauty is under 17mm and it is as high and as wide as a credit card. The screen is 2.7 inch in size for playback and picture framing purposes. The whole thing weighs as much as 120 grams of, well anything really.
Notable Specifications
There is a very respectable 5x optical zoom tucked inside the small casing. The Samsung ST70 offers 14 megapixel facilities and produces an impressively good photo for such a compact camera.
Particularly useful in such a tiny, light camera are the digital and optical anti shake mechanisms which should ensure that you avoid the kind of blurring which you might expect.
Summary
The Samsung ST70 compact camera is a fine looking fellow and offers all the features which any reasonably well evolved human being could possibly ask for in a digital camera. In answer to my initial question, no it doesn’t lose out on quality and functionality due to its reduced dimensions.
Search for it online and you will find it for around £150, which seems to me a very reasonable price for an attractive, modern model which is likely to turn heads whenever you use it. The size and weight of this little camera probably makes it an ideal purchase for someone who likes to carry a discreet but high quality camera with them most of the time, to be prepared for unexpected photo opportunities.
