Hands-on: Sony DSC-TX1 review

Sony showed off its new camera range in London today, and while the weather was drab the goods on show were not.

Starting with the slim-line Sony TX1, TechRadar was given a hands-on with the device which, despite its diminutive size, boasts a number of interesting new features.

Straight from the off the TX1 is a lovely camera to use. Its brushed aluminium styling makes it a great looking device and its size means that it fits nicely in the hand when taking an image. Once you've shot your masterpiece, the large LCD on the back means that you can view and tweak images with ease.

But it's when you turn the lights out that the TX1 really gets to work. Blessed with an EXMOR R technology (which offers backlight to the CMOS sensor), the camera is said to work superbly well in low-light situations. While we couldn't try this out in the mid-morning – even though the weather was pretty dire – the demos we were shown were impressive. Blacks were really black (no, really, they were) and the pictures generally looked sharper.

Sony told us that they were not "chasing the megapixel count" anymore and focusing more on making the likes of the 10MP sensor that the TX1 is equipped with. It's a good move, too.

What we could try out was the impressive touchscreen back. Controls have definitely improved since Sony's last iteration. Pictures can viewed with the flick of a thumb and turning on features like Smile detection and zooming on particular parts of an image are better that before.

One of the most impressive things about the TX1 is that it takes the Panorama Sweep mode last seen in TX1's bigger brother, the DSC-HX1. Even with a smaller body on the camera, the mode is a joy to use.

Flick to the mode and you can pan either left or right, and even up and down to get a 185-degree panorama shot. The best thing about the feature is that it works. And quickly.

Within seconds you have a full-flowing picture of the vista you've just shot. While these images can only be played out on computers and TVs – and the back of the camera if you want to squint – Sony did hint that it is in talks with getting certain photo-labs to print the long-ified pictures out.

Clean, slim and easy to use, the TX1 carries on Sony's seemingly effortless task of bringing cameras with both style and substance to the market. And if you want to check it out for yourself, you can do so in September when it will be out in the shops costing around £350.

More pictures below:

Hands-on: Sony Party-shot review

One of the more intriguing devices to come out of the minds of Sony has to be the Party-shot.

Read the press release about the device and you are fairly underwhelmed: "A totally new concept in fun photography, Party-shot acts as your 'Personal Photographer', automatically taking beautiful pictures without your intervention."

But seen it in action and it's actually pretty impressive. Well, to watch it do its thing at least.

The device clips on to the bottom of your camera – if you have one of the new WX1 and TX1 Cyber-shots – and, without any human interaction, scours the room for faces to take photos of.

Watching it do its thing is quite unnerving. Like some mini Terminator, it positions the camera at face height, then it whirs, rotates finds its victim and snaps away. Continuously. Until you move your face.

While the whole thing sparks of gimmickry, it could be pretty useful for those who are too lazy to pick up a camera and point it at someone or, more pertinently, for the host of a party who wants to be in every photo and not just taking them.

The Party-shot is battery operated and with just two AA batteries inside it should last around 10 hours – enough time then to take pictures of yourself cleaning up the puke left by over-eager partygoers.

We suspect that the battery on your camera will probably run out before this though, as the Party-shot does constantly control your camera's zooming focusing.

So, if you are at a party in September and some weird thing in the corner of the room starts to turn menacingly at you, don't get scared and think it's a robot from the future sent back to kill you but the Party-shot (which will set you back around £130), ready to "keep you in the picture as you enjoy special moments with friends and family".

Be warned though: It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with. It doesn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until its batteries are dead... or if you switch it off.

Hands-on: Sony DSC-WX1 review

Sony is extremely excited that its new Exmor R sensor has made its way into the compact market.The technology means that photographers can eke more light out of even the most ink-black of shooting conditions.

Both the new DSC-WX1 and DSC-TX1 have been blessed with the CMOS technology that was last seen in the company's HX1 cameras. To fit the tech into the body of a compact cam is no mean feat.

While the WX1 is a chunky camera, especially when compared to its stablemate the super-slim TX1, it's because the unit is sporting a zoom-friendly Sony G lens rather than the Exmor R tech.

The camera is a sturdy and solid as you would expect from a Cyber-shot, and has a number of features which will help most with their shot-taking in low-light situations.

These include a hand-held twilight mode which fires off six images in less than a second and layers them on top of each other to create a much sharper and more detailed shot.

The results are impressive. A demo we saw put both the TX1 and WX1 way ahead in low-light shooting quality than most other compact cameras we have seen on the market.

While most the functions of the WX1 can be found on the more stylish TX1, the chunkier compact does beat it on optical zoom size (5x).

And when you use the camera's pièce de résistance, the Panorama Zoom, you have a few more degrees to play around with – a 256-degree panorama, compared to the TX1's 185 degrees.

With Sony believing that its new compact sensors are almost twice the sensitivity of conventional sensors, there's no denying that the camera is a brilliant piece of technology.

With image clarity – especially in low-light – that not even the most hardened pro can turn their nose up at, the WX1 is definitely something a bit special.

The camera will be out in September for £330. And don't forget, you can also connect it up to the Party-shot!

More pictures below:

Sony Adds Exmor Sensor, G Lens to New Cyber-shots

Sony is the latest big-name company to announce point-and-shoot cameras for the fall. Two new Cyber-shot models offer high-end features previously found only in the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1 megazoom camera.


n particular, both the Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 and the Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 include the Exmor R CMOS sensor, which the company says produces excellent low-light shots at high ISO settings due to a revamped design. Sony says the Exmor R sensor captures more light in dark environments, due to the fact that light-blocking circuitry has moved to the bottom of the sensor.

The Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 also features a "premium" Sony G Lens; previously, until the debut of the bulky DSC-HX1 earlier in 2009, the G Lens was available only in the company's digital SLR cameras and high-end camcorders. Now, the DSC-WX1 offers the same optics in a pocketable frame.

In addition to the company's unique Sweep Panorama mode (also in the DSC-HX1), both upcoming Sony models feature a couple of new in-camera tricks. The DSC-TX1 and the DSC-WX1 each have a "Handheld Twilight" feature that takes six pictures in rapid succession at different exposure settings and then combines the images to create low-light shots with increased dynamic range.

Both cameras have ISO levels ranging from 80 to 3200. Although many point-and-shoot cameras generate a noticeable amount of noise at ISO settings of 800 and above, I took a few quick test shots during some brief hands-on time with the cameras, and the "Handheld Twilight" mode produced surprisingly sharp images at high ISO levels.

Aside from the shared features, the new Cyber-shots are very different animals. The 10-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 is a fashionable, ultraslim (0.66 inches thick) camera with a 3-inch-diagonal touchscreen LCD, a 4X optical zoom (35mm to 140mm) bolstered by optical image stabilization, and 720p HD video recording (MPEG-4 files at 30 fps). Other than the shutter button, zoom, and playback buttons, controls for all camera operations are on the touchscreen. A stylus is included with the camera; but during my hands-on time, I found the screen responsive to finger gestures.

The DSC-TX1 will be available in gray, blue, pink, and silver for $380 starting in September.

Despite carrying a lower price, the Cyber-shot DSC-WX1 is a higher-end compact Cyber-shot, geared toward performance-minded buyers.

It offers a wide-angle, optically stabilized Sony G Lens with a 5X optical zoom (24mm to 120mm), 720p HD video recording (MPEG-4 files at 30 fps), and a 2.7-inch LCD screen. The DSC-WX1 will be available in black starting in October for $350.

Sony's Party-shot Can Aim the Camera, Snap Pictures for You

Auto focus, auto flash, scene selection and even smile detection. Today's cameras have automated just about everything involved in snapping a picture but still require someone to point them. Not any longer. Sony has developed a base unit for cameras that swivels them around through 360 degrees and tilts them up and down to follow people in a room and, when the time is right, snap a picture.

The device, called Party-shot, runs on a pair of AA batteries and is compatible with two new digital cameras that Sony will begin selling in September. The dome-shaped device includes some motors but all of the tracking is done by the digital camera.

Aiming is done by facial recognition software that works off the image coming through the camera's lens. The camera monitors the image and scans for faces and, when it finds one, sends instructions to the base so that it can continue to track someone who might otherwise go out of the frame.

It then judges when the composition or pose is right and snaps a picture.

In a demonstration on Thursday the camera coped quite easily with tracking a small number of people close by although sometimes got confused when a greater number of people were in range or people were further away. The automatically snapped pictures were a mixture of good, funny and bad. Owners probably wouldn't want to keep all of the photos but during the limited demonstration it did snap some that would probably be worth keeping.

The Party-shot will go on sale in Japan on Sept. 4 and costs ¥14,910 (US$157). It will launch simultaneously with one of two cameras that can be used with it.

The Cyber-shot TX1 is a stylish and slim model at 14 millimeters thick and comes with 4X optical zoom and a 3-inch touchpanel screen. The second camera, the Cyber-shot WX1, has a conventional 2.7-inch display and 5X optical zoom.

Both cameras use Sony's 10-megapixel "Exmor R" image sensor, which has better sensitivity then previous sensors so works better in low-light conditions. With the new sensor the cameras can manage 10 full-frame pictures per second so you can burst shoot a short scene.

They also have Sony's "Sweep Panorama" feature that allows for super-wide panorama shots. The camera takes up to 100 pictures as the user swings it from one side of the panorama to another and automatically matches and stiches the images together so the result is a very wide picture.

The TX1 will launch on Sept. 4 in Japan and cost around ¥43,000 and the WX1 will go on sale on Sept. 18 and cost ¥40,000. In the U.S. the TX1 will be available in September for $380 and the WX1 in October for $350.

Nikon's Digital Camera is the First with a Projector

That LCD on the back of your camera can get a little crowded when family and friends are all clamoring at once to view your images. Nikon is intent on changing that with the introduction of the Nikon COOLPIX S1000pj, the world's first camera to a feature a built-in projector.

The COOLPIX S1000pj will capture 12-megapixel images, use a 2.7 inch LCD and offer 5x optical zoom. It will sell in September for $429.95 MSRP.

The S1000pj shoots 12-megapixel stills and standard-definition video, and can then project the images and video on a screen up to 40 inches in width at a resolution of 640x480 at 30 frames per second (standard definition). (A 40-inch screen size requires a throw distance of 6 feet between the camera and screen.) Nikon's built-in software allows for themed slideshows, featuring transitions, effects and music to compliment the images.

A speaker also embedded in the camera will play back audio. To round out the projector experience, a wireless remote and projector stand and screen will also be included.

The LCOS-based projector in the S1000pj is actually Nikon's own pico-projector technology.

Nikon also announced a major upgrade to its S60 touch-screen camera. The new S70 features a 3.5-inch OLED display, promising improved color and contrast. The S70 will also be Nikon's first compact point and shoot that will be able to capture high-definition video (1280 X 720 at 30 progressive frames per second, or 720p30.) The camera will capture 12-megapixel still images, offer 5X optical zoom and be available in September for a suggested price of $399.95.

Nikon also introduced two cheaper cameras: the speed-oriented Nikon COOLPIX S640, which can start up in .07 seconds and the economically priced Nikon COOLPIX S570. The S570 lacks optical image stabilization but includes digital image stabilization. Both will be available in September for a suggested price of $249.95 and $199.95 (respectively).

Detailed specifications for each camera can be found in the chart below. Check back at www.pcmag.com for full reviews.

Specifications	S1000pj	S70	S640	S570
Megapixels	12	12	12	12
Optical Zoom	5x	5x	5x	5x
LCD	2.7 inch	3.5 inch OLED	2.7 inch	2.7 inch
Video	Standard-Def	High-Def (720p30)	Standard-Def	Standard-Def
Image Stabilization	Optical	Optical	Optical	Digital
Price	$429.95	$399.99	$249.95	$199.95

Leica S2 37.5MP uber camera gets price and release date

Al Warmington on the one camera to rule them all

Leica has put the finishing touches on its new S-System camera, the Leica S2, and announced the full retail price and release date. We won’t beat about the bush – this camera costs a cool £15,995.

If that figure just made you spray hot tea all over your computer screen in abject horror, then unfortunately you’re just not in the kind of photographic league Leica is aiming for. You might want to brace yourself for this one too: those 16,000 bones won’t even get you a lens. That’s just the price of the body.

Leica explains that it doesn’t want to “just bundle an entry-level lens with the S2”, but would rather give consumers the choice of spending another few grand on their preferred lens. The cheapest, the SUMMARIT-S 1:2.5/70 ASPH, starts at £3,096. Suffice to say this is not the camera for taking holiday snaps.

And if you’re feeling really flush you can spend £19,092 on the Leica S2-P with sapphire glass monitor and ‘platinum service’ support. We assume that means that if your camera inexplicably breaks down, Leica will instantly dispatch a new one to you. On the back of a rare eagle.

So, why all the expense? Well, these are the specs: the Leica S2 has a 30mm x 45mm sensor which is 56% larger than you’ll find in other lowly DSLRs and provides staggeringly large, 37.5 megapixel images.

Naturally, with such a large sensor, there’s a noticeable impact on the speed at which images can be processed (not to mention how many photos you can fit on a standard memory card). In fact critics have been, well, critical of the 1.5FPS shooting speed, especially in light of the price, although Leica has been quick to point out that “Speed was a primary concern”.

In fact it gets away with it because the Leica S2 is class above other cameras.“We believe we will have the fastest autofocus in the medium format category, the fastest frame rate, and the fastest image processing,” said Christian Erhardt, Leica’s VP of Marketing.

So if you’ve got a few grand tucked away and a house or two to remortgage and want to print a baby photo the size of a barn door, the Leica S2 might be up your street. It’s going to be available in October.

Link: Leica (via DPReview)

Panasonic DMC-ZR1 Lumix Digital Camera

World's First 0.3mm Thin Aspherical Lens With 8x Optical Zoom

Panasonic introduced the new LUMIX DMC-ZR1 digital camera, featuring the world's first 0.3mm thin aspherical lens*, allowing for a compact body that still features a powerful, 25mm-ultra-wide-angle, 8x optical zoom** LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens. Known for its long-zoom, yet compact digital cameras, Panasonic's newest ZR1 compact digital camera gives consumers increased flexibility.

"The ZR1 answers the call of consumers looking for a truly pocketable digital camera, while still featuring a zoom more powerful than typical compact cameras," said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "We know consumers want to catch every shooting opportunity, and with the ZR1, this is possible through unique features such as the ultra-wide-angle lens and Panasonic's popular iA Mode."

With a zoom range of 25-200mm, the ZR1 allows for both expansive scenery photos as well as close-ups. This powerful zoom also works during video recording. The 12.1-megapixel resolution allows photos to be greatly enlarged while still retaining outstanding detail.

Another key feature of the ZR1 is its fast, high-speed Auto Focus (AF). This, combined with a high-speed start-up of only 1.1 second, helps the ZR1 to catch even the quick action shots. Making this camera even more versatile and easy-to-use, the ZR1 has a 2.7-inch Intelligent LCD, and a powerful battery life with the highly energy-efficient image processing LSI -- Venus Engine V*** -- which takes approximately 330 pictures during a single charge. As found in all Panasonic LUMIX cameras, the ZR1 features Intelligent Auto (iA) Mode, now with POWER Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.), which features double the repression power, compared to MEGA O.I.S., the previous image stabilization system, to help capture blur-free images.Other features of the DMC-ZR1 include:

• Additional Intelligent Auto (iA) Mode Features
  • Hand-Shake Component -- Answers the problem of natural hand-shaking that goes along with pressing the shutter button.
  • Face Recognition -- Up to six faces can be registered, and up to three can be simultaneously recognized to show their names once registered.
• Travel Mode -- Users can quickly organize information related to travel, including destination, date and time. Playback of these photos is just as easy, by designating the date or period of travel on the calendar menu interface.
• High Dynamic Mode -- Helps to capture a scene with moderate exposure even when the scene may contain both bright and dark areas.
• PHOTOfunSTUDIO 4.0 -- Included software allows the user to view, edit and archive captured photos and videos. It features dramatic speed-up of operation and also allows users to store and sort photos by a specific, recognized face in the image.

The LUMIX DMC-ZR1 will have a suggested retail price of $279.95 and will be available in September 2009 in black, red, blue, and silver.

Nikon announces two new digital SLRs

Nikon has announced the launch of two new digital SLRs for the second half of 2009, one an easy-to-use entry-level model, and the other a more sophisticated semi-pro camera.

First up is the new D3000, a 10.2-megapixel entry-level DSLR that will be going on sale next month priced at £429.99 body-only or £499.99 with an 18-55mm kit lens. The D3000 id a companion model for the high-spec D5000 launched earlier this year. It features an 11 point autofocus system with tracking AF, a three-inch LCD monitor and a plastic body. It weighs in at a relatively lightweight 485g body-only, and measures 126 x 97 x 64 mm, almost exactly the same size as its closest rival, Canon's EOS 1000D.
Other features include EXPEED image processing, a very fast start-up time, 1600 ISO maximum sensitivity and 3fps continuous shooting. It also has a Guide mode, which helps beginners with visual demonstrations of the best way to take difficult photos, as well as suggestions for more advanced techniques. The D3000 will be hitting the shops around August 28th.

Nikon’s other DSLR launched today is the D300s, an upgrade of the successful D300 launched early last year. It features the same tough environmentally sealed magnesium-alloy body, the same 12.3-megapixel CMOS image sensor, and the same 51-point Multi-CAM3500DX autofocus system as the D300. It also has the same superb 920k 3.0-inch LCD monitor with twin-mode live view.

The new features that set the D300s apart from its predecessor are slightly improved continuous mode performance (7fps versus 6fps), a faster start-up time and more importantly the addition of HD video recording with stereo audio, which is fast becoming a must-have feature for new high-spec DSLRs. It can shoot at 1280 x 720 resolution at 24fps, and there is the option to connect an external microphone for better audio quality. The D300s also features an HDMI output socket for connection to a HD TV.

The D300s goes on sale at the end of August, priced at £1499.99 body only.

Nikon has also announced two new DSLR lenses. The F-S DX Nikkor 18-200MM F/3.5-5.6G ED VR II is a multi-purpose 11.1x wide-telephoto zoom which replaces the popular AF-S DX VR Zoom Nikkor 18-200MM F/3.5-5.6G IF-ED, providing smoother operation and improved image quality. It goes on sale in early September priced at £729.99.

The other new lens is a new fast telephoto zoom, the AF-S Nikkor 70-200MM F/2.8G ED VR II. As well as the fast shutter speeds provided by its f/2.8 aperture the new lens features VRII optical image stabilisation, making it an ideal choice for wildlife or sports photography. It can be used with both DX and FX format cameras. It’s not cheap though. It goes on sale in November priced at a hefty £1999.99.

Lenses

Author	Cliff Smith
Published	30th Jul 2009

Panasonic Unveils High Zoom, Ultra Slim Compact

There has been a deluge of camera announcements in the last week (including from Pansonic itself) and it doesn't look set to stop anytime soon...

Adding to the downpour today is Panasonic which has announced the 'Lumix DMC-ZR1' - a compact with a difference. Namely inside you will find the world's thinnest aspherical lens at just 0.3mm thick. This helps cut the bulk of the ZR1 to just 97.8 x 54.6 x 26.0 mm and weight to 131g despite also packing in a 12MP CMOS sensor, 22mm ultra wide view and 8x optical zoom.

The ZR1 is no slouch either with a 1.1 second start-up time while there's image stabilisation, facial recognition for up to six people and geo-location technology (not specifically geotagging) which enables photos to be organised and played back via by the time, date and location they were taken. Elsewhere you'll find a 2.7in LCD on the back and battery life is excellent managing approximately 330 pictures from a full charge (based on Camera & Imaging Products Association [CIPA] standards).

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZR1 goes on sale in September with black, blue and red finishes available. A midrange RRP of $280 (£169) should do nothing to put potential customers off...

Link:
Panasonic Lumix Digital Cameras

FujiFilm FinePix F70EXR 10X Long-Zoom Camera

FujiFilm announced the new FinePix F70EXR, a sleek, compact digital camera with a 10X long zoom Fujinon lens. The FinePix F70EXR, the second camera to use EXR sensor after the F200EXR, has a 10 Megapixel Super CCD EXR imgae sensor.

The camera offers the EXR Auto mode that not only automatically recognizes the scene and selects the ideal shooting mode, but also switches the sensor to the perfect capture mode for the conditions. It includes the Multi-Frame technology and offers the Pro Focus Mode to combine two or three burst shots together and the Pro Low-light Mode to solve the problems of noisy low light shots. There are five Film Simulation Modes. FinePix F70EXR features an ISO up to 12800, CCD-shift type image stabilization, Face Detection and a 2.7-inch LCD monitor.

The compact 10x zoom digicam can record 640 x 480 pixels at 30fps. It supports SD and SDHC cards. FujiFilm FinePix F70EXR will be available in August 2009 for $279.95.

Samsung WB550 digital camera

Getting a broad focal range from a non-interchangeable lens camera needn’t necessitate purchase of a bridge model that won’t fit in your pocket. Witness Samsung cramming a 10x optical zoom (24-240mm equivalent) into its latest WB550 compact, the "W" indicating a wide-angle lens at 24mm and the "B" that aforementioned big zoom.

At a width of 36.5mm though, the 12.2 effective megapixel camera nevertheless feels chunky and reassuringly weighty gripped in the palm at 225g, bucking the trend for svelte fashion-conscious compacts.

Plastic of build with chrome detailing, around the back is a large 3-inch, 230k dot LCD screen in the absence of any optical viewfinder, with a nicely firm dial on the top plate providing a choice of eight shooting modes – including one for high definition 1280 x 720 pixel movie clips, with, unusually for a compact, an HDMI port built into the camera’s side. Also handily large are the shutter release button encircled by a rocker switch for operating the zoom.

The WB550 offers a broader range of light sensitivity settings than most point and shoots, starting out at ISO 80 and topping out at ISO 3200. While that sounds impressive, resolution drops to 3-megapixels at the higher setting to limit noise. And it appears to work, shots taken at ISO 3200 comparable to the results from rivals at ISO 1600. With little discernable shutter delay, it takes around 2 seconds for a full resolution JPEG to be written to memory – here in the form of either removable SD or SDHC card, or paltry 21MB internal capacity.

Found via the shooting mode dial set into the right hand edge of the top plate (mirrored by a "virtual" version onscreen) is Smart Auto, Samsung’s interpretation of the intelligent auto point-and-shoot functionality offered by Panasonic’s Lumix and Canon’s IXUS ranges. Select this and the camera will in theory recognise the intended subject and switch its internal settings accordingly, with 11 pre-optimised scenes to choose from. For example point the WB550 at a close object and it’ll jump to macro mode (focusing as near as 5cm), direct it at one further away and landscape mode will be chosen.



Also on-board for beginners are the now ubiquitous face detection, blink detection, smile mode – capturing an image when a grin is detected – plus Samsung's own beauty shot option, automatically retouching out spots and freckles.

For photo enthusiasts, there’s the ability to select program or manual settings – with the chance to change focus area, metering, single or high speed capture, ISO and white balance therein. Manual adds the ability to tweak shutter speed and aperture on screen via a "command lever" set into the top right-hand corner of the camera back. Being a narrow and uncomfortable lever, with seemingly enough surrounding space for it to have been made larger, it’s one of the few black marks against an otherwise pleasant to use, intuitive device.

Neural nets clean up digital snaps

Indian researchers have designed a neural network system that can remove noise and sharpen edges in digital images much more efficiently than current software.

Scientists at the Coimbatore Institute of Technology used a Modified Recurrent Hopfield Neural Network to reverse severe blurring and noise deliberately added to small (256-pixel) images.

The new inverse filtering system can quickly process an image, reducing distortion, noise and blurring, while using only limited computer resources.

Cleaning pixels one by one

Many image editors and photo cleanup software have built-in tools designed to remove noise and sharpen up edges. However, any clean-up process that works by changing individual pixels leads to degradation of the image and loss of information.

Earlier attempts at inverse filtering of an image relied on the image having a high signal-to-noise ratio. Other approaches require huge amounts of computing power.

The new neural net approach reduces information loss while reversing blurring caused by lens aberrations, and also reducing noise. Analysis shows that quality is improved by up to 67 per cent using the new approach, with results taking just half the time of less effective methods.

The scientists suggest that distortions in an image due to atmospheric disturbances could be unraveled and a photo taken on a hot, hazy day made acceptable. Because their neural network requires far fewer resources, it could also be built-in to cameraphones, boosting their notoriously poor image quality.

Fujifilm FinePix Z30 Review

Like most of the big camera companies, Fujifilm makes a wide range of models to suit every type of photographer, including high-spec professional SLRs such as the S5 Pro (review coming soon), powerful superzooms like the S100FS and S2000HD, high-tech luxury compacts like the F200 EXR and F100fd, and simple budget compacts such as the J50 and J12. It also makes a popular range of cameras aimed at the more style-conscious consumer, including models such as the Z100fd and the Z20fd. Today I'm taking a look at the latest in the Z series, the FinePix Z30. It's a 10.0-megapixel 3x zoom ultra-compact with a 2.7-inch 230k monitor, currently selling for around £130.



Even at first glance there's little room for doubt as to exactly what sort of camera the Z30 is. The slim, rounded plastic body, the simplified controls and the fact that it's available in a range of colours including pink, purple, orange, white and black, are a sure-fire indicator that this is a camera for people more concerned with style than with substance. Its relatively low price makes it a good choice if you're looking for a present for a fashion-conscious teenager, and its extremely simple controls mean that even those with the shortest attention spans should be able to work out fairly quickly how to take pictures with it.




The Z30 is very compact and lightweight, tipping the scales at approximately 131g including battery and measuring just 90.5 x 59.0 x 25.7mm. Despite the rather toy-like plastic body the build quality is up to Fujifilm's usual high standard and the camera feels solid and well made. The shiny finish resists dirt and scratches, and the curved shape is inherently strong, although it does make the camera rather slippery and hard to grip securely. There's no denying that it's a nice looking camera, although the white finish and the rubber-covered buttons on the back do remind me of a Sinclair ZX80, and not in a good way. (If you don't know what a ZX80 is, ask your grandparents.)

The Z30 is a very simple point-and-shoot ultra-compact, and as such is doesn't have a lot of features or options. It has only automatic operation, with a choice of basic or standard auto modes, plus 16 fairly mundane scene modes and an automatic scene recognition mode, which is the best default setting for ease of use. Menu options are limited to the basics, including image size/quality, ISO setting, white balance and exposure compensation, but precious little else. The only colour options are between standard or high saturation mode, and there are only two focus mode options. What it does have however is a "Blog" mode and an online auction mode. This is a camera for the Internet generation.


The external controls consist of a double row of rubber-covered buttons to the right of the monitor. Presumably the rubber coating is intended to help resist dust and splashes, but the Z30 is not waterproof like its sibling the Z33. In practice the controls are extremely fiddly, particularly the zoom control, which is very small and hard to press accurately. The zoom action itself is very slow, but at least it has nine steps between wide and telephoto, so accurate framing is possible.

I'm not a big fan of sliding-cover cameras, but in fact the design of the Z30 does work fairly well. The curved shape means that the cover is less likely to come open in your pocket, and the lens is positioned far enough away from the corner that you don't end up accidentally getting your finger in the way when holding it two-handed.


The Z30 features a dedicated button to immediately start recording video, although it is limited to 640 x 480 resolution at 30fps with mono audio and no optical zoom. The video quality is reasonably good, but the sound quality is pretty dreadful thanks to the small and very tinny microphone.

The only other features of note are a couple of unusual self-timer modes, a couple-timer and a group-timer. These use the face detection system to count the number of faces in the frame, and then start the timer countdown when everyone's in position. It's a simple feature but one that could come in useful for exactly the type of social snapshot photography for which the Z30 is designed.

When it comes to overall performance the Z30 is going to need to practice a bit more if it wants to make it to the 2012 Olympics. It starts up quickly enough, in approximately two seconds, and shuts down again almost instantly as soon as the cover is closed. In single-shot mode its shot-to-shot cycle time is a little over three seconds, which is a bit on the slow side, and it’s no faster in continuous shooting mode.


The autofocus system is a bit slow, and I did find that it wasn’t always entirely accurate, beeping to confirm focus on several shots which later turned out to be blurred. It copes fairly well in low light despite the lack of an AF assist lamp.


I suppose that the sort of consumer who’s going to choose a Z30 probably doesn’t care too deeply about image quality, but even so I found that the Z30 has a number of significant problems. I’ve already mentioned the unreliable autofocus, but other issues include very poor automatic white balance, which tends to put a distinct cyan cast over daylight shots, and very mediocre lens performance. Wide-angle images don’t show any barrel distortion or chromatic aberration, although this is due mainly to image processing rather than optical quality. The corner sharpness is very poor, and centre sharpness isn’t far behind it.

Dynamic range is very limited, and in high-contrast situations the camera tends to expose for the highlights, resulting in very dark featureless shadows. Colour rendition in standard mode is over-saturated, especially red tones which come out far too bright, and the high-saturation “Chrome” mode looks positively psychedelic. Image noise is also a problem, with significant noise at 200 ISO, getting progressively worse up to the maximum 1600 ISO.

Olympus E-P1 Micro Four Thirds camera outed

Pictures of the Olympus E-P1 have appeared on the internet, showing off a camera with a distinctly old-school look.

It may have a rangefinder feel to it, but underneath the retro chassis is Olympus' revered Micro Four Thirds technology, which brings DSL capabilities to the most compact of cameras.

Pen F homage

Specs haven't been leaked as far as TechRadar can gather, but the rumour mill has churned out the following details: the body is 120 x 70 x 35mm; raw images can be snapped at 13MP; and at the rear is a nifty 3-inch LCD.

The camera is said to also feature 11-point autofocus, ISO 6400 sensitivity and will even pipe out 720p video to SD card.

The Olympus E-P1 is all set to ship to retailers this July for around $900. There's no confirmation if and when the camera will see the light of day in the UK.

If you check out the Olympus' Hong Kong website, it looks as if the camera is in homage to the company's Pen F range – and could well tie in with the 50th anniversary of the snapper.

Either way, it looks like a thing of beauty to us.

UPDATED

Olympus has confirmed that the E-P1 is coming out in the UK and it is available in July, with prices starting from £699 (complete with 14-42mm zoom lens kit).

If you want to spend a bit more you can fork out £749 for the camera and a 17mm pancake lens and viewfinder.

Find out more by pointing your browser to www.olympus.co.uk.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 DLSR Camera Review

Does the first Micro Four Thirds camera impress?

We hesitate to put Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 in the DSLR category of cameras, because it technically isn't. However, it seems to make sense to place this camera in amongst those that it competes with to an extent in terms of features, performance and price.

In a traditional SLR, you view through the lens, via a prism and mirror which retracts when you snap off a shot. The Micro Four Thirds standard changes that, doing away with those antiquated mechanics and replacing them with a new-fangled electronic system instead. The result is a camera that is substantially smaller, but still has all the benefits of an interchangeable lens camera.

The first concern, of course, is the viewfinder. Electronic viewfinders aren't something you really boast about, especially given the poor quality that appears on many superzoom cameras and camcorders. But the EVF on the G1 is striking. Exquisitely sharp, it will basically give you all the information from the display on the back, making changing settings without moving the camera a breeze. It also gives you a 100% field of view.

The rear 3-inch display is articulated, so you can fold it out and angle it for high- or low-angle shots, or even to line-up self portraits, as well as being able to fold it away so it doesn't get scratched. It's a versatile solution, and with 440k dots, it's sharp enough to use for image previews.

This setup means that, rather than the awkward Live View setup that conventional DLSRs have to adopt, you get the best of both worlds, and it works very well indeed. Both the viewfinder and display benefit from auto switching, so when you put the camera to your face, the screen turns off, and when you move it away again, it switches it back on. Small details like this make the G1 a pleasure to use.

The camera itself looks like a miniature SLR, with the handgrip on the right housing the SD/SDHC card and the battery. The layout of the controls and dials is also pretty regular. It might look a little daunting at first because you effectively have the same control options as an entry-level DSLR, only sitting on a smaller device.


The main shooting mode dial is on the top right and a focus mode dial on the left. The main menu controls lie on the back to the right of the screen, giving you ISO, white balance, AF mode controls, and metering mode controls, with the central menu button opening a more conventional menu, which effectively you don't need when changing shooting options. The Quick Menu on the top gives you access to things like the image size, flash controls, image stabilisation, which would normally be hidden away, which makes it easy to change these options too.

The rear display can also be set to show a Live View image, or all the settings, or simply turned off. To change many of the settings, there is a clickable wheel mounted in the front of the handgrip. Simply click it to select what you want to adjust, and off you go: for example in aperture priority it will change the aperture, as well as exposure compensation.

This set-up of controls and the ease of accessing them does make it much easier to try things you might otherwise avoid, with the added advantage of having a live view of the effect through the viewfinder, making it a great camera to explore photography if you are a learning enthusiast.

Shooting modes start off with Panasonic's iA, or intelligent auto. "Smart" systems can be a little hit and miss, but iA performs very well. It seems to cope with diverse conditions well and is good at identifying the scene and what you are trying to do. You also get the program, aperture, shutter and manual modes, before you get into the scene selections (like you'd find on a compact) as well as portrait, landscape, sports, macro and night.

Some of these mode positions are pretty much rendered unnecessary, because iA often jumps into these modes. We also like the colour position, because you can easily change the colour balance for artistic effect.


Having spent some time with the G1, it's clear to say it behaves very much like an SLR camera when you want it to, and does all the things that you wished your compact camera did. Where as your compact camera will probably fudge it's way through scene selection or destroy low light images with noise, the G1 fares much better, thanks to the proper lens, with plenty of glass to let the light in.

ISO runs up to 3200, but as you turn up the ISO you see it on the screen buzzing away with the top two settings of 1600 and 3200 being distractingly noisy. You can detect the noise at ISO 400 and 800, but for online shots it saves you from the flash in lower light conditions. When shooting in iA it displays the ISO setting as you press the shutter, so you can at least jump in and change things if you see that lighting conditions are too low – perhaps move your subject out of a shadow to get a finer image.

We tested the camera with the 14-45 kit lens (28-90mm, 35mm equiv), a nice compact lens, with a touch of barrel distortion on the wide end, but also featuring Panasonic's Mega Optical Image Stabilisation again making low light or middle zoom shooting just that little bit sharper.

It isn't the fastest lens, f3.5 at the wide end, and with this being a new system of cameras, your options are limited to four specific lenses, but set to expand. Yes, there is a degree of compromise here, but there is an adaptor for Leica M and R mounts, as well as a Four Thirds adapter.


But there are other neat tricks, for example the manual focus will zoom in on your focal point so you can get it perfect at the right spot, rather than guessing from the whole picture. It's an interesting option, again made possible by the Micro Four Thirds format, and can be really useful for producing great detailed shots perfectly.

Generally image quality is very good; colours are bright and natural and in well-lit conditions image detail is good. However, in shadows, particularly with high contrast, detail is lost rapidly (in JPEGs at least) so advanced users may wish to deploy RAW shooting to maximise performance in these conditions.

Focusing is fast and accurate for the most part with plenty of focusing options to get you on target. We did struggle with the chain (see the test images), but on the whole, it’s a pleasure to use. Metering is good, exposure seemed spot on the majority of the time too, but some very bright shots, including some with a flash in the hotshoe, did lead to over exposure on the first pass.

One of the interesting things is how the G1 handles indoor shots without having to increase the ISO much and without resorting to the flash. The OIS helps those slightly longer exposures so you can get a decent shot, something that some entry-level DSLRs don’t do so well.

It is equipped with a mini-HDMI and besoke socket for connection to your TV or PC. We were a little disappointed to find that it wasn't a standard Mini-USB, meaning yet another cable in the bag.