Archive for July, 2009:
Pentax K7 Firmware Update
Penatx Firmware update, click below to go to Pentax Japan for the Pentax K7 Firmware Update
Panasonic HS200 Review
The HS200 is something of a pocket battleship in that it packs a lot of top-end technology into a small and practical frame.
Both video and stills can be stored on a decent-sized 80GB hard disk along with multichannel audio. Full HD video resolution is offered while stills are captured at over 10MP. A good-sized f1.8 lens extends to a respectable 10x optically and there’s a flash alongside it.
Under the 16:9 colour LCD is a touchscreen for menu operation, while buttons are found for an optical image stabiliser, manual mode and the sockets. Menus are easy to negotiate and reveal all the regulars including colour night view, soft skin mode and red eye.
All the socketry is matched with the right cables, except the HDMI. Pictures are exceptionally clean and realistic. Hues are natural and rich with no problems recording even the brightest of reds. Detail is pin sharp, and even when shooting subjects in motion or low light we were happy with the results.
The auto functions, whether focus, white balance, or exposure, dealt capably and quickly with changes in the environment. Despite the upward-pointing microphone, sound was recorded to a high quality with virtually no handling noise audible.
The Panasonic HDC-HS200 features a 3MOS System and high-quality 12x optical zoom Leica Dicomar lens that captures both motion and 10.6-megapixel resolution still images with vivid colour and stunning detail. This system also features high 8.3-megapixel resolution for still images whilst simultaneously shooting video.
3MOS System
3 Full HD Sensors ensures high quality for both motion and still images
For videos of important moments you want to preserve, you want high image quality. That’s what Panasonic’s 3MOS System delivers, with a combination of optical technologies that further enhance the quality of full-HD images. The 3MOS System produces extremely accurate images with superb rendition of differences in darkness and light, rich colour expression, and a full 1,080 lines of horizontal resolution. This advanced technology helps turn once-in-a-lifetime moments into vivid, beautiful images
Still picture recording at 10.6MP
In still-image mode the HD camcorder can record stills with up to 10.6 megapixels.* When simultaneously shooting a moving picture, it can record still images with up to 8.3 megapixels.** This high pixel count and Advanced O.I.S. means that images look dense and beautiful. Also, when playing back the moving pictures you shot, you can capture 2.1MP still images of any scene you want. Panasonic’s HD camcorder lets you enjoy high quality in both motion and still images.
Panasonic HS20 Review
Panasonic introduced three new entry-level high definition camcorders: The HDC-HS20, HDC-TM20, and HDC-SD20. The HDC-HS20 and HDC-SD20 come as replacements for last year’s HDC-HS9 and SD9, while the TM20 is a new model for Panasonic: a “twin memory” camcorder that records to built-in flash memory or SD/SDHC memory cards. All three models record full 1920 x 1080 high definition video.
The HDC-HS20, HDC-TM20, and HDC-SD20 share a number of traits with Panasonic’s entire 2009 high definition lineup. Notably, Panasonic seems to be among the first of the major manufacturers to offer full support of Apple Macintosh computers, allowing easy file transfer so that files may be edited in iMovie. All three camcorders will also feature auto power LCD and quick power on to make it easier to catch spontaneous moments on video. These camcorders are equipped with a 5.1-channel surround sound system with 5 microphones and zoom microphone feature. All high def models from Panasonic this year can also be networked with a Panasonic VIERA television or Blu-ray player.
The three entry-level high def camcorders all have similar internal and external architecture, with the exception of recording medium. The HDC-HS20 will records to the 80GB internal hard disc drive or an SD/SDHC memory card. The HDC-SD20 will record exclusively to SD/SDHC memory cards. The HDC-TM20 will record to either 16GB of internal flash memory or SD/SDHC memory cards. The HS20 and SD20 will be available in black, while the TM20 will offer consumers a couple more color options: black, silver, or red.
CNET product brief
Description: The Panasonic HDC-HS20 is a hard disk drive and flash card-based, home-movie camcorder.Compared to other home-movie camcorders on the market, it is midpriced .This product weighs 12.7 ounces and has a sensor resolution of about 1.2 megapixels.
Pros: Has H.264 and AVCHD digital video formats, which is somewhat more favorable than some similarly priced camcorders.Supports manual focus, which helps savvy users to tape in hard-to-focus situations.Weighing a little over a pound without battery or media, this camcorder is reasonably portable.
Cons: Only has a 1.17 megapixel effective sensor resolution, which is somewhat lower than some similarly priced camcorders.
Suitability: A home-movie camcorder, suited for family use.This camera’s built-in light will facilitate shooting in dim environments.
Value: In general, this camcorder’s features are in line with its price.
Panasonic SW20 Review
The Panasonic SDR-SW20 is an extremely compact camcorder designed for underwater use. Eschewing a traditional look and feel, the SDR-SW20 has a rough-textured finish that should make it easier to grip in the undercurrents. Shooting in standard definition with a modest sensor/processor set, the video quality won’t blow you away, but it is a simpler and more compact alternative to buying an underwater housing for the camcorder you already own.In daylight, the camcorder showed excellent responses to changing light and focus. The lowlight performance was predictably poor, with lots of detail loss and grainy looking video. This is a tough little camcorder, though. We dropped it, sunk it, and gave it a rough going over. It took the abuse. For the right market, this could be the camcorder to consider.
The Panasonic SDR-SW20 comes equipped with a single 1/6-inch CCD with a gross pixel count of 640,000 (effective pixel count of 340,000 in 4:3 aspect ratio, and 300,000 pixels in 16:9). This is the most elementary imaging system you can expect to find on a camcorder from a major manufacturer. Like we stated in the introduction, the video quality definitely won’t blow anyone away. If you own a high definition TV but you’re only budgeted for a standard definition camcorder, this may not be the one to get, as you’ll only see the flaws and low resolution magnified on the big screen.
We tested the video performance by first bringing it into our testing labs and shooting a DSC Labs Chroma DuMonde color chart at an even 3000 lux. Under these conditions, the camcorder produced a poor image. We held it up in comparison to three other camcorders using similar, though not identical imagers, and it was the worst of the bunch. The image was exceptionally grainy and the resolution was very poor. The Panasonic VDR-D230, a DVD camcorder from last year with the same specs, produced a sharper image, though the color performance was about the same. The reduced performance could come from a difference in the lens or in the processing.
The Canon DC220 uses the same size imager and the same number of pixels. It produced much more saturated colors – oversaturated, by our standards, though some consumers may like them. The DC220 definitely retained more fine detail and the camcorder’s heavier application of in-camera sharpening worked to create a sharper image. Finally, we looked at the JVC GZ-MG130, which also had a 1/6-inch CCD. The image was not very sharp, but color performance was also very good amongst the competition, perhaps the best.
Because our charts are not submersible, we couldn’t do our more rigorous scientific testing. But we definitely wanted to see how the SDR-SW20 looked underwater. We dropped it in a modified 5-gallon water jug and recorded in 1/2-hour increments. As far as we could tell, the video looked as good as it did out of water. That is to say, this is hardly what you want to shoot a feature film on, but for little vacation videos where waterproofing is demanded, it’s fine.
Review From Camcorderinfo.com
Buy the Panasonic SW20
Olympus FE-5020 Review
The compact 1.0-inch thick body of the Olympus FE-5020 contains the combination of a 1/2.3″-type twelve megapixel CCD image sensor and an Olympus-branded 5x optical zoom lens which offers focal length equivalents from a very generous 24mm wide angle to a 120mm telephoto. A 2.7-inch LCD display with 230,000 dot resolution offers the FE-5020′s only option for framing and reviewing images, as there’s no optical viewfinder on this model. Sadly, there’s no true mechanical image stabilization. Instead, the Olympus FE-5020 offers what Olympus is calling “Digital Image Stabilization +” – presumably a form of software blur correction. ISO sensitivity ranges from a low of ISO 64 to a maximum of ISO 3,200 equivalent.
Olympus’ FE-5020 employs a contrast-detection autofocus system operating off data streaming from the camera’s image sensor, and the FE-5020 also includes face detection capability, capable of simultaneously detecting up to 16 faces in the framed scene. Olympus’ Face Detection function is linked to both the autoexposure and autofocus systems, ensuring that your subjects’ faces are taken into account when determining both these variables. It also allows for tracking of a subject’s face as it moves around the frame,once detected.
A total of 14 scene modes are offered in the Olympus FE-5020, allowing users some degree of control over their images without needing to understand the subtleties of shutter speeds and apertures. There’s also an Intelligent Auto mode which can automatically select the correct mode from a subset of these – either Portrait, Landscape, Night + Portrait, Macro or Sports. Another ease-of-use feature is an “In-Camera Help Guide” system that provides detailed descriptions of the effects that can be achieved with the Olympus FE-5020′s various set-up options and modes. Another unusual feature is Olympus’ “Magic Filters”, previously seen in some of the company’s E-System digital SLRs. Filters available in the FE-5020 include Pop Art, Pin Hole and Fish-Eye.
For viewing images on a television, the Olympus FE5020 has audio / video output connectivity, while images can be transferred to a PC over a USB 2.0 High-Speed connection. A rechargeable LI-42B Lithium Ion battery with charger is included with the FE5020, rated as good for 150 shots on a charge. Also included is Olympus’ Master 2 software for viewing and modifying photos. Images are stored in a useful 48MB of internal memory, as well as on xD-Picture Card memory cards. As with the company’s other cameras since August 2008, Olympus is also including an MASD-1 microSD to xD-Picture Card adapter in the FE-5020′s product bundle, allowing the use of microSD cards in the camera as well.