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January 25, 2008

Samsung launches new flagship DSLR – the GX20

DSLR

Samsung has today launched the 14.6 mega-pixel GX-20 DSLR.

This is the first model from the company to be built around its own CMOS sensor, which is 23.5×15.7mm (APS-C sized) and has been designed and built by Samsung in Korea.

The camera, which is expected to be priced around £699.99 (with an 18-55mm lens), also boasts an Enhanced Digital Filter which the manufacturer says “allows a greater dynamic range of exposures and can also be used to add various effects or compensate for missing pixels after taking a picture”.

Coupled with this, is a wide view 2.7 inch TFT LCD (delivering 230k pixel resolution) and live view through the optical viewfinder or LCD display.

To prevent image blur, the camera offers built-in Optical Picture Stabilisation (OPS) technology, which means it shifts the CCD to counter any movement of the cameras body.

Samsung claims that its new flagship is “robust enough” for taking quality pictures in wet, sandy or dusty conditions. It has 72 water-resistant and anti-dusting body seals and a Dual Dust Removal System for removing particles from the sensor.

Additional shooting features include a one-touch RAW button, for switching from JPEG to RAW capture. RAW files can be checked on the LCD and then be directly converted to JPEG format via the built-in converter.

The GX-20 also offers continuous shooting at 3 fps, and an X sync. terminal for external Flash.

This new model is said to be aimed squarely at the prosumer market.

Robert King, commercial director of Samsung Cameras explains: “With the launch of the GX-20 DSLR, Samsung has a full digital camera line-up ranging from convergent compact digital cameras through to high-end fully-featured digital SLRs.

“This product is the start of an exciting DSLR range for Samsung as it is our first DSLR with our own manufactured CMOS sensor. This is a very important step for Samsung which is set to support our expansion in this competitive product sector.”

source:sky

January 25, 2008

Canon EOS 450D DSLR

CanonESO450D

As was predicted, Canon has launched its latest DSLR, the EOS 450D – or – for our American brethren, the Digital Rebel XSi.

A replacement for the 400D, that’s been getting a little long in the tooth, the new model features a 12.2-mega pixel CMOS sensor, EOS Integrated Cleaning System, a 3-inch LCD (that’s 50% brighter than the one on the 400D) and now with Live View – the debut of such tech on a consumer model from Canon, and a new 9-point AF system.

The camera also ditches the compact flash card format in favor of SD.

The DIGIC III image processor and a redesigned menu system is borrowed from Canon’s EOS-1 pro-level range while a choice of 13 custom functions allowing the user to customize the camera to their shooting style will please enthusiasts.

The EOS 450D features:

12.2 Megapixel CMOS sensor
Canon’s EOS Integrated Cleaning System
3.5 frames per second
3.0-inch LCD with Live View shooting
9-point wide-area AF system with f/2.8 cross-type centre point
Picture Style image processing parameters
DIGIC III image processor
Digital Photo Professional RAW processing software1
Compact and Lightweight body
Fully compatible with all Canon EF and EF-S lenses and EX-series Speedlites

Other improvements over the earlier model include a more lightweight body (the 450D weighs less than 475 grams), an improved grip design, a new high capacity battery good for 500 shots, 14-bit processing and RAW, expanded PictBridge functionality, more rapid response times and spot metering.

The EOS 450D Body only is priced at £599.99 and the EOS 450D plus a 18-55mm lens kit is £679.99. Both are available from March 2008 in the UK.

For our international readers, the body-only cost in the US will be $799, with complete with 18-55mm lens kit costing $899. European pricing comes in at 749 euros for body only and 849 for the kit.

source:sky

January 24, 2008

Digital Hero 3 “tough-nut” wrist-cam

Wrist-cam

The Digital Hero 3, just gone live for sale over on I Want One Of Those, is described as a “real tough-nut” digital camera.

It’ll do you 3-megapixel stills and up to 54 minutes of video with sound, whether you’re up a mountain in the snow, out at sea in a storm, or up to 30 metres under water.

Simple to use, this tough and chunky piece of kit can be strapped to your wrist, kayak paddles, dirt bike handlebars or your wind-surfer, so perfect for capturing those extreeeme sporting moments.

Shockproof, waterproof and – apparently – idiot proof, the cameras has 16MB of onboard memory but is expandable up to 2GB with an SD card.

source:sky

January 23, 2008

Seitz Launches 160 Megapixel Digicam

Seitz

Swiss company Seitz Phototechnik has just launched a whopping 160 megapixel digital camera. While most high-end D-SLRs can shoot images that size up to 24 x 36 mm, this monster can go up to 60 x 170 mm, which frankly is a helluva lot more. But you kind of guessed that when we mentioned the 160 megapixels, didn’t you?

You need to be really serious about the kind of pictures you’d want to shoot with the Seitz 6×17, since it’s around 18 inches wide and weighs close to 10 pounds. Oh, and it also costs $44,414.

The 6×17 Digital employs a digital scanning back made by Dalsa. Scanning cameras employ a linear light sensor detector similar to that used in flatbed scanners; it moves across the field of view to take the photo rather than using a two-dimensional sensor that captures the entire scene simultaneously. It’s a good way to get high resolution, but it comes at a cost: it takes a single second to take a full-resolution 7,500×21,500-pixel image.

The official site also gives you the option of buying a tablet PC with the Seitz 6×17, which makes sense considering the size of each full-res image would be close to 900 MB.

Source: tech2

January 23, 2008

Olympus Stylus 790 SW

790 SW

It’s a decent-looking camera that weighs less than 5 ounces also it is available in several other colors.

Olympus took several measures to shield the camera from harm. There’s a floating internal circuit board. The housing for all internal components was cast from one mold, as opposed to several separate pieces riveted together. That reduces the likelihood, Olympus says, of small breaches or fractures. Seals and gaskets are waterproof. And there’s a water-repellent lens coating.

What’s more, the lens is less likely to suffer damage because it doesn’t protrude, as lenses on many other cameras do. Even so, Olympus oddly sells a $15 optional silicone skin to protect it against bumps and scratches.

Important score! the 7.1-mega pixel model produced perfectly fine, if not exceptional, results. The camera did inadvertently snap at least one picture after hitting the ground, but as with any digital camera you can instantly dispose of duds.

Stylus has several useful features common to digital cameras nowadays, including image stabilization (to protect you from the shakes) and face detection (for properly focusing on your subjects’ mugs). It also has a fairly standard 3X optical zoom and more than two-dozen different shooting modes.

Still, some features are missing. I wish the camera had an optical viewfinder rather than making me frame the shots on its 2.5-inch LCD display, which is difficult to make out in direct sun. But I can’t hammer Olympus too hard, because a lot of other point-and-shoots are designed these days without a viewfinder.

I had other quibbles: I’m not crazy about the placement of the zoom controls on the upper portion of the camera’s back side. I’d prefer the controls to be on the top. The on screen menus could be more intuitive.

And Olympus (along with Fujifilm) continues to use a small proprietary memory card type called xD rather than the more universal Secure Digital, or SD, cards.

I heard a slight issue with shutter lag, the time it takes to capture an image after snapping a picture. The lag was a moment longer than on my compact Canon digital camera. That’s a problem when you’re trying to get your kids to pose.

The battery could also last longer. Olympus says you’ll get about 200 pictures on a charge, but battery pooped out after less than half that. It takes about five hours to charge the battery again.

Overall, the Stylus 790 is an excellent choice for people who tend to be hard on their high-tech gear. Though not bulletproof, it’s a good-looking and reasonably priced camera that should more than survive the rigors of an active lifestyle.

Source: usatoday