Archive for May, 2010:
HTC Touch Diamond2 Review
The Touch Diamond2 sports a Qualcomm MSM7200A processor running at 528MHz. It has 512MB ROM (317MB accessible), 288MB RAM (192MB accessible), and has a microSD/HC expansion slot for added memory. The resistive touchscreen is 3.2″ and is WVGA 480×800 resolution, making for a pixel density of 292ppi (the Touch Diamond’s screen is 285ppi and the iPhone’s screen is 164ppi). It’s a quadband GSM (850/900/1800/1900) phone with dualband UMTS (900/2100) with HSDPA and HSUPA. It also has assisted GPS, WiFi b & g, Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR, USB 2.0, FM radio, and an accelerometer for screen rotations in Opera Mobile, while viewieng the photo gallery, and while emailing. The rear camera is 5MP with auto focus and no flash, and the front camera for video calls is VGA resolution. Powering all of this is a 1110mAh battery.
The Diamond2 is undoubtedly a sweet looking device. It uses a mix of metals and plastics, which gives it a high quality look while saving on weight. You may agree that the Diamond2 lacks the stunning visual appeal that the original had. Missing is a D-Pad, but the interface on the Diamond2 is finger-friendly enough to where the D-Pad isn’t missed. The 3.2″ screen is larger than the original Diamond, but really, the screen is just taller.
MIO MOOV A430 GPS Review
To display map data, the Mio Moov A430 uses the NAVTEQ-powered MioMap 2008, which combines Australia-wide road coverage and 12.5 million addresses. The main menu is divided over two separate screens, with separate submenus for each option. All the usual GPS settings are present and accounted for, including POIs (points of interest), favourite destinations, recent locations, a fuel locator, and a Tripmeter tool. If you’re new to GPS technology, the Mio Moov A430 provides an inbuilt tutorial that takes you through all the core functions with explanatory text. This should prove particularly useful for older users who aren’t computer-savvy.
Over all a great entry GPS unit at an affordable price
Sony NEX-3 Review
The CMOS is much larger than the Micro Four Thirds sensor, leading to some major benefits: maximum image size is 4592×3056 pixels, or 39×26cm in print-speak. Note that a larger sensor leads to a more narrow depth of field, closer to that of a 35mm SLR.
It has two major and highly appealing features from the earlier, compact DSC-HX5V: an amazing panorama feature that can be used with the camera horizontally or vertically (you’ll love the rapid fire of the shutter as it shoots the sections!); high burst rate.
The Sony NEX-5 has one even better spec: AVCVHD movie shooting in Full HD: 1920×1080 pixels
Several hot features were brought over from recent Alphas and Cyber-shot digital cameras, including Sweep Panorama, Auto High-Dynamic Range shooting, Handheld Twilight, and Anti-motion-blur modes, each of which strategically combine and align several images into one seamless one. It’s pretty impressive stuff. As if that weren’t enough, Sony’s also announcing an upcoming upgrade (even before the cameras ship!) that will enable a special 3D Sweep Panorama mode that will work with several as-yet unannounced Bravia TV sets coming in July 2010.
Both the Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 sport a wide, 3-inch LCD with 921,000-dot resolution. The surprise is that the super-slim LCD tilts up 80 degrees and down 45 degrees for easy viewing. With TruBlack technology borrowed from Sony’s picture frames, shooting in or out of doors is a pretty good experience.
Though by name the new cameras are Alphas, they no longer use the Alpha mount; instead Sony has christened a new E-mount, for which two lenses will ship right away, both as kit lenses. The first is a fairly standard 18-55mm f/3.5-6.3 lens with Optical SteadyShot, and the second is a 16mm f/2.8 pancake prime lens. Both have a beautiful aluminum barrel in brushed gunmetal gray.
An adapter is available for mounting Alpha lenses, but autofocus will be disabled with the NEX cameras. Two converters will also ship for use with the 16mm lens: an Ultra Wide Converter with a 12mm equivalent view, and a Fisheye Converter.
Finally, an 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 OSS lens is planned for shipment some time this year.
Both the Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 accept both Memory Stick Pro-HD Duo and SD, SDHC, and SDXC media.
Sensor. The Sony NEX-3 and NEX-5 have the company’s third generation Exmor sensor. It is an APS-C sized HD-CMOS sensor that Sony says is 60% larger than a Four Thirds sensor, and 13 times larger than a typical video camera sensor, so they expect performance gains in both areas.
Dust. The Sony NEX cameras have a dust abatement and removal system, where they’ve included a charge-protection coating on the low-pass filter, and they also vibrate the low pass filter to shake dust free.
Processor. Sony doesn’t say much about the new Bionz processor beyond that it’s the third generation of the chip. Looking at the images, it could be a big part of what’s improved their image quality so much.
Autofocus and metering. The Sony NEX-3 uses contrast-detect autofocus only. It has two autofocus modes AF-S for single and AF-C for continuous focusing. There are three autofocus area modes, including Center, Multi, and Flexible Area modes. You can also choose full Autofocus, DMF, which allows you to adjust focus after the autofocus operation, and Manual Focus. Focus is fast and fairly accurate. See the Shooter’s Report or Performance tab for more.
The Sony NEX-3 has the option of Spot, Center-weighted, and Multi-area metering.
Optics. Sony’s new lenses are designed to respond more quickly than conventional SLR lenses can, with the express purpose of enabling autofocus while shooting video. Most SLRs either disable autofocus while capturing video, or else they essentially ruin the bit of the video where you’re focusing because of the lens motor noise and the excessive focus and exposure changes required.
Canon IXUS 300 HS Review
Canon introduces the 300 HS, a compact able to takes videos in super slow motion
With the development of compact sensors and interchangeable lenses reversed, Canon changes the burst mode idea.
Burst mode: 8 frames per second, up to 240 video mode, and playback in super slow motion: what are some of the choosing arguments for this compact atypical as ambitious.
The IXUS 300 HS, it is called, embeds a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor backed by the excellent Digic processor-IV, well known owners of the SLR 550D . Their advantage? A powerful image processing, capable of climbing into the high sensitivities as a reflex, and offering, according to the manufacturer, up to 60% less noise than traditional compact.
The IXUS 300 HS do not forget to incorporate many fun ways. Among the 22 scene modes, we find the effects miniatures and big nose, an intelligent flash, to lead the shadows even at midday, and an outbreak of shooting by detecting smile, nod, or retarder face detection. Not bad! It even offers a semi-manual for insiders.
There remains the question of optics, the Japanese manufacturer has offered a great opening (f / 2), which permits in practice the background art, portraits and more vivid shots faster. However, a small disappointment for the zoom (3.8 stabilized, where the SX 210 IS manufacturer offers the same 14x), also disappointment for the wide-angle 28 mm only, where others (such as Sony) can easily reach 24 mm, or a very wide angle.
HD video capture – added flexibility in one stylish package
For moments that lend themselves to video, the IXUS 300 HS offers 720p high definition movie recording with high quality stereo sound. The lens’ quiet drive system allows users to zoom during recording with minimum audio interference, while the optical Image Stabilizer can also be engaged to reduce the effects of camera shake in video footage. An integrated HDMI-mini port makes it straightforward to share images, allowing pictures and video to be viewed directly on any HDMI-compatible screen, including HDTVs.
Olympus Pen E-PL1 Review
The brand new E-PL1 is the third Micro Four Thirds camera from Olympus, following on from the E-P1 and E-P2 models which were launched in 2009. The Olympus E-PL1 is a more affordable mass-market camera, with a plastic rather than metal chassis, smaller and lighter body, and a redesigned user interface that’s simpler to use. The easy-to-understand, non-technical Live Guide provides direct on-screen control over key image effects like depth-of-field and sharpness, while the addition of a built-in flash makes the E-PL1 more versatile in low-light. Other key features of the E-PL1 include 12.3 megapixels, 2.7 inch LCD screen, sensor-shift image stabilisation, one-touch HD video recording, Supersonic Wave Filter for automated sensor cleaning, a sensitivity range of ISO 100-3200, 6 different Art Filters and 3fps continuous shooting for up to 10 raw images. The Olympus E-PL1 is available now in silver, black, blue, champagne gold and red at a retail price of $549 body only, £549 / $599 for a single lens kit and £699 for a twin zoom kit.
Ease of Use
The Olympus E-PL1 is the sixth member of the growing Micro Four Thirds family, joining the E-P1 and E-P2 models and Panasonic’s G1, GH-1 and GF-1 line-up. All of these cameras take advantage of the mirror-less nature of the Micro Four Thirds standard to offer a smaller and lighter solution that more traditional DSLR cameras, targeting those users who want to trade up from a compact but who are scared away by the size and complexity of a DSLR. With it’s all-plastic body the E-PL1 is one of the lightest models in this category, weighing 300g, and it’s also a little smaller too, measuring 120.6 x 69.9 x 36.4 mm. Both the more expensive EP-1 and EP-2 cameras have metal bodies, so the E-PL1 has shed weight and lowered cost by using a plastic construction, although it still feels reassuringly well-made with very little flex in the overall design. The depth and weight increase when the supplied poly-carbonate mounted 14-42mm kit lens is fitted, making the E-PL1 instantly more DSLR-like, but fitting a pancake lens like Olympus’ 17mm or Panasonic’s 20mm creates a compact overall package that will particularly suit street photographers looking for an indiscrete camera.
The more modern styling of the E-PL1 is a lot more neutral than the overtly retro design of the E-P1 and E-P2 and will mostly appeal to the younger and more inexperienced audience that this model is aimed at. Our black review sample with silver metal accents looked quite stylish in an understated kind of way, although it lacks the more cohesive design of its predecessors. There’s a generous, textured black plastic hand-grip on the left-front of the camera which I prefer to the original E-P1, and a shiny black panel on the rear where most of the controls are located. The E-PL1 is better constructed than you’d expect given its relatively small size, light weight and budget price-tag, certainly on a par with most entry- and mid-level DSLRs.
Large metal neck strap eyelets are located on top of the camera at the sides, with the rear dominated by the fixed 2.7 inch LCD screen, another cost-cutting measure (the E-P1 and E-P2 both have a larger 3 inch screen). When it comes to storing your photographs the E-PL1 uses SD / SDHC cards, an important decision by Olympus as this format is much more popular than the xD-Picture cards that most Olympus compacts use. The BLS1 battery which provides up to 500 shots under the CIPA testing standard (note that this drop to 280 images if using Live View all the time) is housed next to the SD slot, both protected by a plastic lockable cover. Also found on the bottom of the camera is a metal tripod mount located almost in the centre of the camera body, although not in line with the lens.
As with the E-P1 and E-P2, there is no optical viewfinder as on a DSLR. Instead, you can choose to buy the excellent detachable VF-2 viewfinder which slots into the E-PL1′s hotshoe on top of the camera and is tilt-able to 90° so the camera can be used as you would a medium format model and with 100% field of view. The EVF has its own newly included port, situated just below the E-PL1′s hotshoe and protected with a slide-off piece of plastic that will quickly get lost in the recesses of your camera bag. This port also allows the attachment of an accessory microphone if so desired via the EMA-1 adapter. New for the E-PL1 is the much-requested built-in pop-up flash, activated by a switch on the rear. This uses a folding design to raise the flash as high as possible above the lens, much the one on the Panasonic GF-1.
Once you have captured a photo, the Olympus E-PL1 has a good range of options when it comes to playing, reviewing and managing your images. You can instantly scroll through the images that you have taken, view thumbnails (up to 25 onscreen at the same time and in a Calendar view), zoom in and out up to 14x magnification, view slideshows, delete and protect an image, add a sound clip and set the print order.
The Edit option offers a number of different ways to alter the look of an already-captured photo, including merging 2 or 3 into one, shadow adjustment, redeye fix, cropping, changing the aspect ratio, converting to black and white or sepia, boosting the saturation, resizing and applying the e-Portrait filter. The Info button toggles detailed settings information about each picture on and off, such as the ISO rating and aperture / shutter speed, and there are small brightness and RGB histograms available.
In summary the Olympus E-PL1 is an easier-to-use and crucially cheaper PEN model that doesn’t compromise too much on features and build quality, although serious photographers will miss the key controls that have been removed to make the camera simpler.