Archive for the ‘Digital Compact Cameras’ Category:
FujiFilm FinePix T300 Review
At the heart of the Fujifilm FinePix T300 digital camera sits a 14 megapixel CCD image sensor, which allows capture of not only high-resolution still images, but also of high-definition 720p video at 30 frames per second. The Fuji T300 places its sensor behind a FUJINON-branded 10x optical zoom lens, with actual focal lengths ranging from 5 to 50mm. This equates to the same range as a 35mm camera with a 28mm – 280mm lens, a useful wide angle to a moderate telephoto Maximum aperture ranges from f/3.4 at wide angle to f/5.6 at telephoto. Given the powerful telephoto reach, mechanical image stabilization is obviously a necessity to fight blur from camera shake, and the Fuji FinePix T300 includes sensor shift stabilization.
The Fuji FinePix T300 lacks any form of optical or electronic viewfinder, instead relying on a 3.0-inch LCD display with 230,000 dots of resolution, roughly equivalent to a 320 x 240 pixel array, with each pixel comprising separate red, green, and blue colored dots.
It also includes both smile and blink detection capability, automatic red-eye removal, and a motion panorama mode that stitches up to three separate shots into a single image.
FujiFilm FinePix F550EXR Review
“Shoot with beautiful quality and never miss the moment”. This is our concept for EXR-CMOS and the backed up technologies behind are below. With conventional sensor design, light has to pass through a layer of wiring before it reaches the photo diodes. This reduces the amount of light hitting the sensor. But with a BSI (Backside Illumination) sensor, the wiring layer and photo diodes are reversed so sensitivity is improved a benefit that’s particularly obvious when shooting in low light conditions. Thanks to newly developed EXR Processor and BSI CMOS, super fast transfer circuit made it possible for fast process and reading the files. The real benefit here is it can take high speed shooting and Full HD movie
The Fuji F550 EXR comes equipped with GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) technology to pinpoint your images with location information. This is then useful for cataloguing and archiving by place or sharing your images on the world wide web by place. As well as this the F550 is able to shoot Raw files in addition to standard JPEG. The F500, on the other hand, is very nearly the same camera but without either the GPS or Raw capture and has a slightly slower burst rate when shooting.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX9 Review
Nikon COOLPIX P7000 Review
The Nikon Coolpix P7000 is a the new flagship model in Nikon’s extensive range of Coolpix compact digital cameras. The Coolpix P7000 is the successor to the one-year-old P6000, but it offers a new design and extra features that make it a completely different proposition. The P7000’s most obvious competitor is the equally new Canon PowerShot G2, with both cameras looking eerily similar at first glance
The familiar Menu button accesses the usual Nikon menu system, which is clear and easy to navigate. Press this when in Auto capture mode and there’s just two menus, Playback and Settings.
The Picture Control option allows you to tweak the look and feel of your images, with 4 presets and a Custom option on offer. The contrast, saturation and sharpening level of each preset can be individually adjusted too, so you should be able to find a setting that suits you. Distortion control automatically corrects barrel distortion, useful for all those 28mm shots of close-up architecture with converging verticals, but it does have to be turned on before you take a picture.
In playback mode, pressing the same menu button affords access to rudimentary image editing, including Nikon’s exposure adjusting D-Lighting function, Skin Softening and Miniature Effect, image slide shows, plus the ability process a RAW file in-camera if required. you can move up and down the nine levels and as you do so, the current tone range is displayed as a flashing area in the main image, allowing for more precise verifcation of the exposure. A button to the right features the familiar trashcan icon for deleting images on the fly and completes the rear of the P7000.
Canon Powershot G12 Review
Canon announces the PowerShot G12 today, an update to the advanced G series, alongside the PowerShot SX30 IS packing a wallop with a 35x optical zoom lens. These cameras offer enthusiast-focused features like RAW shooting and manual exposure modes.
The HS System: Premium Canon image quality, even in low light
The PowerShot G12 is the first G-series model to feature Canon’s HS System – a powerful combination of a high-sensitivity 10.0 Megapixel CCD sensor and high-performance DIGIC 4 processor designed to provide outstanding image quality in all lighting conditions, including low light.
The inclusion of the HS System allows shooting at higher ISOs with excellent image quality – enabling users to capture exceptional images in all conditions. This extended ISO range allows users to shoot darker scenes without engaging the flash or using a tripod – capturing correctly-exposed images using only the available light. In situations when use of the flash is necessary, a higher ISO will enable users to extend its effective range and illuminate the subject more effectively. Higher ISOs also enable users to utilise faster shutter speeds – freezing motion to capture moving subjects with a reduced risk of blur.
Allowing users precise control over the ISO level, the dedicated ISO dial now allows adjustments in 1/3 stop increments. In addition to this, a new Auto ISO level adjustment feature allows users to pre-configure the maximum ISO setting they wish to use during shooting and specify how the camera selects the ISO to obtain the best balance between image quality and shutter speed.
In very dark situations, Low Light mode can be used to extend the ISO range up to ISO 12800, with the ability for users to control ISO and white balance to accurately capture the ambience of a dimly-lit environment. Users can also capture fast-moving action with the ability to shoot at up to 4.2 shots per second.
Genuine Canon Lens with Hybrid IS
The PowerShot G12 features a premium 28mm wide-angle 5x optical zoom lens, allowing users to capture sweeping landscapes and get closer to distant subjects during shooting. Benefiting from Canon’s extensive heritage in lens design, the lens has been developed using the same processes and quality standards employed to manufacture Canon’s range of EF lenses, ensuring the capture of sharp, detailed shots while still having a compact size so the lens can retract completely into the camera body when not in use.
Counteracting camera shake and enabling photographers to capture shots in darker conditions, the PowerShot G12’s optical Image Stabilizer allows shooting at shutter speeds approximately 4-stops slower than would be otherwise necessary to achieve a sharp shot. Also included in the PowerShot G12 is Canon’s Hybrid IS technology to increase the effectiveness of the optical Image Stabilizer when shooting macro subjects. The PowerShot G12 can focus as close as 1cm to a subject, and the slightest lateral movement of the photographer can negatively affect image quality, making it difficult to capture blur-free shots without the assistance of a tripod. Hybrid IS counteracts unintentional shift and angular movement – two kinds of camera shake that become particularly pronounced as image magnification increases.
Flexible shooting
Flexible shooting and playback is provided by the PowerShot G12’s 7.0cm (2.8”) high-resolution Vari-Angle PureColor II VA LCD screen. The rotating Vari-Angle design offers easy framing from a range of angles, such as when shooting at ground level or overhead. To accommodate a range of shooting styles, the PowerShot G12 also features an optical viewfinder (OVF) with diopter adjustment, allowing users to match the OVF to their vision. After image capture, photographers can also utilise the newly integrated RGB histogram during playback, allowing them to instantly check the exposure of a shot in detail.
Take complete control
As well as offering Full Manual control and a range of semi-automatic modes, the addition of a new Front Dial provides swift and convenient access to settings during shooting. Users can either prioritise the Front Dial or the rear Multi-Control Dial as the main way of controlling the camera, or use a combination of both. For example, the Front Dial can be set to control aperture in AV mode while the Multi-Control Dial controls white balance or shooting aspect ratio, or it can be used independently, with the rear Multi-Control Dial disabled to prevent accidental changes to settings.
For advanced amateurs and professionals, the PowerShot G12 also shoots uncompressed RAW images and includes Canon’s Digital Photo Professional (DPP) software, providing the ability to edit images after capture. Sharing the same post-editing environment as the EOS system, the PowerShot G12 fits seamlessly into a photographer’s existing workflow.