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Canon quietly launches the M10 mirrorless camera
Just a few weeks after Canon launched its first decent mirrorless camera, the EOS M3, it has revealed a tiny, cheaper sibling, the EOS M10. The camera arrived in Canon's store with no press release or price, but judging by the specs, it's essentially a stripped-down version of the M3. It sports a lightweight, more basic body, and is equipped with an 18-megapixel instead of a 24.2-megapixel sensor. It's pretty darn similar otherwise, however: it has the same 49-point AF, 25,600 max (expanded) ISO, 3-inch, 1.04 million dot touchscreen and shoots 1080/30p video.
Canon's pricey PowerShot G3 X compact is all about the zoom
By recent standards, Canon's new PowerShot G3 X is a nicely-equipped compact camera. But, arriving days after Sony's RX10 II, it's hard for it to avoid tough comparisons. Both cameras have 1-inch, 20.2-megapixel sensors with 25,600 max ISO. The G3 X's main weapon is the 25X optical zoom with a 24-600mm (35mm equivalent) field of view, handily trumping most models in terms of focal length, including Sony's. It also has five axis image stabilization, surprising for a compact camera and yet handy with such a big lens. Other features include a 2.36-megapixel EVR, 3.2-inch multi-angle LCD screen, dust and water resistance, WiFi/NFC wireless capability and 1080p/60fps video with clean HDMI output.
Sony's latest high-end superzoom shoots in 4K
The new Sony Cyber-shot RX10 II has huge boots to fill, as the original RX10 superzoom is one of the best cameras we've ever seen. To up the ante, Sony has piled on a lot of new features, with the splashiest being 4k video. Like the flagship A7R II and compact RX100 IV, the RX10 II now captures 3,840 x 2,160 video by reading out the entire 1-inch, 20.2-megapixel sensor. It then oversamples at 4K or 1080p to maximize sharpness and minimize moire and anti-aliasing. To top it off, you can shoot in nearly full HD at a stellar 240fps, or up to 1,000fps at an effective resolution of 800 x 270. Sony points out that it would take about 80 seconds to play back just 2 seconds of video shot at that speed.
Windows 10 takes up less space and lets you easily kill bloatware
Microsoft is finally fixing a few of the most hated things about Windows. In a blog post, the software giant revealed that compared to Windows 8.1, Windows 10 will take up as much as 6.6GB less space, will re-install faster and possibly be easier to rid of crapware. To achieve those goals, Microsoft is using "Wimboot" disk compression to reduce system file and app sizes. To make sure it doesn't compromise performance, the OS will check your system RAM and other parameters before installing it. Also, instead of being stuck with files needed to recover from a failure, you'll create your own to backup and restore the OS and apps on PCs and tablets (Windows phones already have this feature). It added that the new technique will still allow recovery from "severe corruption."
Canon's newest connected cameras: when a smartphone still won't do
You know the drill: Smartphones are making compact cameras obsolete, killing the category and yada yada. But still! Camera makers launch a seemingly endless number of new models at CES, and Canon is a great example of that this year. It just unveiled no fewer than eight compact, superzoom and video cameras in the PowerShot, ELPH and VIXIA lines, along with a Pixma photo printer. The common thread among them is wireless connectivity: Each features WiFi and NFC (other than the ELPHs and VIXIA HF R600), letting you get social with your smartphone sans the optical drawbacks. The wireless aspect also provides connectivity with peripherals like Canon's Connection Station CS100 or the new Pixma MX492 photo printer.
Panasonic's LX100 makes huge compact leap with 4K video, MFT sensor
If you're thinking about buying Sony's sublime RX100 III compact camera, Panasonic has just made that decision a lot more difficult. The new $899 Lumix DMC-LX100 is leaps and bounds ahead of its LX7 predecessor and the most sophisticated compact the Japanese company has ever built. For starters, Panasonic has trumped the RX100's 1-inch sensor by equipping the new model with a Micro Four Thirds-sized, 12.8-megapixel MOS chip, the same size used on its big-boy interchangeable-lens models. Though it's cropped compared to its mirrorless models to allow for different aspect ratios, the sensor is still 50 percent larger than the LX7's 1-inch model. It's also got a fast Leica 24-75mm (35mm equivalent) f/1.7-2.8 lens, a wide-screen, 2,764K dot LVF (live viewfinder) and 4K video capture. Some of those specs put it on par with the company's flagship GH4, and well ahead of all its other interchangeable MFT models.
Sony's new tablet lets you play PS4 games and call your mother
There's a French phrase, un beau affreux, which means that something is ugly and beautiful at the same time. As soon as we got our hands on Sony's Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact, we wished the French had also come up with a phrase that means simultaneously colossal and small. That's the paradox at the heart of the company's tablet, which packs an 8-inch display, but thanks to its 6.4mm thickness and 0.6-pound weight, feels almost insubstantial, as if you'd still try to fit this into a pocket. That's not a criticism, either, because if you found the Galaxy Note to be a bit too small for your needs, this could replace it in your affections.
Fujifilm X30 has a futuristic viewfinder to go with its vintage looks
Fujifilm was one of the first companies to turn compact cameras from "dying category" into "retro-tinged lust object," and its latest model, the X30, is no exception. The redesigned magnesium body still looks sharp, but Fujifilm has added an OLED XGA (2.36 million dots) viewfinder with a blistering 0.005-second lag in place of the last model's optical version. It also has a bigger, higher-res 920K-dot tiltable screen, longer battery life and WiFi connectivity -- which finally brings features like remote smartphone snapping. Core features remain the same, namely the 2/3-inch, 12-megapixel X-Trans II sensor; EXR Processor II; and the 28-112mm-equivalent, f/2.0-2.8 zoom lens. It also has the last model's $600 price tag, which may give some enthusiasts pause -- especially since Sony's stunning, $800 RX100 III is only a short rung up the price ladder.
Sony's Xperia Z1 Compact finally comes to the US
When we reviewed Sony's Xperia Z1 Compact, we concluded that it's exactly what a miniature flagship should be: big features in a small package. But despite the handset's many merits, Sony hasn't so far managed to offer it through any carriers in the US. Instead, starting today, it's selling the Z1 Compact direct from its own webiste, for a price of $550. The device is unlocked, of course, so at least you get the choice of whichever GSM carrier takes your fancy -- although its LTE bands don't make it especially friendly with AT&T.
Nikon's Coolpix S810c is a second attempt at an Android compact camera
Liked the idea of Android apps with a proper camera attached? Still itching for a Nikon camera over a Samsung one? Then perhaps the new S810c will win you over where its predecessor didn't. To start, the rear touchscreen is bigger (3.7 inches this time) while the body of the camera is thinner than the S800c that came before it. There's also a longer 12X zoom with a 16-megapixel sensor, while on the non-imaging side, it gets GPS and a headphone jack if you're looking to check audio quality on video or simply play things back and use the point-and-shoot more like a media player than a camera. Compared to the model that appeared two years ago, this one's running Android 4.2.2. Not the latest, sure, but way beyond the Android Gingerbread OS we wrestled with on the older camera. Nikon has also tacked on its own commenting system too, meaning you can type your thoughts and attach 'em as soon as the photo's taken. If your missives simply can't wait for uploading to Facebook and Twitter, you'll have to wait until early May, when the camera arrives for $350.
Casio's new EX-100 camera makes it harder to mess up the shot by taking nine different ones (hands-on)
Casio, famed creator of nostalgic digital watches, calculators and often unremarkable point-and-shoot cameras, just surprised us at Japan's premier photography show. Its EXILIM EX-100 is arguably the most interesting compact camera we found on the CP+ show floor this year. Keeping a constant f/2.8 aperture while still offering 10.7x zoom should mean plenty of light reaches the point-and-shoot's imaging sensor -- good thing that the show floor had a suitably stylish demo area to zoom into and see how it fared. While we didn't have samples to scrutinize fully, we were pleasantly surprised by the results we saw on the substantial 3.5-inch screen, which articulates in all the directions you'd expect it to. Underneath, there's even an extra fold-out stand to prop the camera up both horizontally or vertically, although we'll admit the device itself is a little chunky compared to the competition. What really interested us was a new dual-bracketing setting that captures a shot nine times, varying two parameters (white balance, exposure, focus, color saturation, shutter speed) in the process. In short, making it harder to flub a shot if whoever's holding the camera doesn't quite get the fundamentals. While there are four presets, you can pick which variables are switched up within the "premium bracketing" mode. The camera launches at the end of March, but the decent fixed lens and unusual software talents don't come cheap; 89,000 yen ($873) puts the EX-100 in a pricier... bracket than current favorites like Sony's RX100M2 ($750), and a similarly specced Olympus Stylus 1 ($700). For now, it also remains a Japan-only prospect.
Olympus' $700 Stylus 1 compact tempts enthusiasts with 28-300mm constant f/2.8 lens
After watching Sony rejuvenate its compact lineup with the RX-series, Olympus is having a go as well with its latest effort, the Stylus 1. It looks to be a step up from last year's Stylus XZ-2, bringing a more DSLR-like form factor and new 1.44 million dot EVF. The fixed lens is also markedly improved, thanks to a constant f/2.8 aperture over the 28-300mm (35mm equivalent) 10.7x zoom range and a close-focusing 2-inch macro distance. While it carries the same smallish 1/1.7-inch, 12-megapixel sensor as the Stylus XZ-2, it's gained the fast touch AF system from the Olympus PEN ILC series. Other features include a 3-inch, 1.04 million dot tiltable touchscreen viewer, a hybrid control ring for functions like focus or shutter speed, WiFi sharing with a smartphone app, and 1080/30p HD video with 240fps slo-mo at 320 x 240. It'll be up for grabs in December for $700, so if you're thinking of slipping one in your pocket instead of (or along with) your smartphone, check the gallery of press shots below.
Leaked Fujifilm X-A1 hints at a more mainstream mirrorless camera
Fujifilm looks set to extend its range of retro-styled mirrorless cameras, if we're to believe a leaked press release and publicity shots for an unannounced model, the X-A1. The camera, which first appeared on Czech camera retailer Fotoskoda (before it was quickly taken down), looks to become the fourth model in Fujifilm's interchangeable lens X-series, with a 16-megapixel APS-C EXR CMOS sensor. Like the $700 X-M1, Fujifilm's latest shooter is said to include a 3-inch tilting LCD, on-board Wi-Fi, and a "very fast" startup response time to get you snapping in less than 0.5 seconds. The absence of Fujifilm's magical X-TRANS sensor, which has been a big feature on the higher-end models, makes us think this may be a significantly cheaper model, possibly aimed at those looking for their first foray into the world of interchangeable lens compacts. There's no word on when the X-A1 might become available, but expect bold red and blue variants when it does, alongside the more traditional Fuji-ish black.
Nikon feels the pressure from smartphones, says it needs to 'change the concept of cameras'
With slumping point-and-shoot camera sales and falling earnings, even a conservative company like Nikon can see the writing on the wall. President Makoto Kimura told Bloomberg that the number of people dropping compact shooters in favor of smartphones is "exploding" and that his company has created a new imaging business team to address the problem. He said that its task is "to create a product that will change the concept of cameras," adding that such a device will come to market in less than five years. Kimura didn't respond when asked if Nikon might build its own smartphone, though he said "(a new device) could be a non-camera consumer product." Whatever it turns out to be, given the current trend in smartphone sales and the fact that its imaging division nets 84 percent of Nikon's revenue, a little more diversification surely couldn't hurt.
Leica's mystery Mini M camera outed as X Vario with 16.2-megapixel APS-C sensor
Leica had teased that June 11th would see the Mini M added to its lineup, and now it's made good on its promise. Now known as the X Vario, the compact cam crams a 16.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor inside an aluminum and magnesium body bound in leather trim. As for glass, the shooter packs a fixed Vario Elmar 18-46mm zoom lens (or 28-70mm in 35mm format), paired with an aperture range of f/3.5-6.4 and ISO of 100-12,500. The camera also packs a 3-inch 920k-dot LCD, and can capture 1080p and 720p video at 30fps. The X Vario is already available at Leica stores and vendors, but those angling to sling one of these on their shoulder will have to extract a princely $2,850 from their bank accounts. If you're happy to window shop, head to the source for a closer look.
Panasonic launches $500 Lumix DMC-LF1 enthusiast compact with WiFi, NFC
Panasonic's just unveiled the 12-megapixel Lumix DMC-LF1 compact for fans of high-end compacts like Canon's S110 who may not want to snap with a smartphone camera. But the social set will still be able to share images to their handset or tablet thanks to the LF1's built-in WiFi with NFC pairing and included app. Meanwhile, most cellphones definitely can't compete with the 1/1.7-inch, 12-megapixel CMOS sensor and 28-200mm equivalent f2.0-5.9 Leica zoom lens. Other specs include 1,920/60i video with AVCHD and MP4 recording, POWER OIS, a 200K EVF, a variety of shooting modes like panorama, and full manual control. There's no set arrival date, but it'll run a hefty $500 or so -- perhaps a hard sell against certain photo-clever handsets.
Olympus unveils Stylus XZ-10 with f/1.8-2.7 zoom, smartphone sharing app
Olympus is carrying on the recent compact camera trend of fast-ish zoom lenses and wireless sharing capability with the launch of the 12-megapixel Stylus XZ-10. The new model follows in the footsteps of the company's top compact dog XZ-2 model, sporting a slightly smaller 1/2.3-inch sensor and a wider range 5x optical zoom with a similar f/1.8-2.7 iris. Otherwise, it's aimed more at the casual carry-around crowd with a 40 percent smaller body, touch-screen focus selection, control ring exposure adjustment, a 3-inch 920k dot TFT LCD, art filters (in the smartphone app), image (or film) stabilization and 1080P 30 fps HD video. Olympus is also trumpeting its smartphone OI.Share capability, allowing images to be sent wirelessly to an iOS or Android device and edited with the included app -- provided you have the optional Toshiba FlashAir card. It'll be arriving in March in black, brown or white at a rather steep-sounding £349, which equates to $550, though exact US pricing hasn't been revealed yet. See the PR after the break for more nitty-gritty.
2014 Ford Fiesta gets MyFord Touch, smarter Sync voice commands
For all of Ford's emphasis on Sync, it's hard to deny that Fiesta drivers usually sit on the bottom rung of the automaker's technology ladder when they're denied MyFord Touch and the related perks of larger vehicles. Pick up the keys to a higher-spec 2014 Fiesta, however, and you'll be in for a treat. The compact will stuff a 6.5-inch touchscreen and MyFord Touch into the center stack, with a few software upgrades over what we've already seen in cars like the Focus and Fusion. The highlight is undoubtedly the more direct voice command system -- the Nuance-driven recognition no longer demands that we specify music categories or radio formats to start playing tunes. Bluetooth smartphone pairing and navigation by address should be streamlined at the same time. Motorists will have to wait until 2013 to reap the rewards, but it could be worth the wait to drive away with Ford's better electronics in an affordable ride.
Samsung Galaxy Camera review: a 21x compact shooter brought to life by Android
There were no heckles, boos or crickets for Samsung's reps back at IFA. But it's fair to say that the atmosphere following its unveiling of the Galaxy Camera was as muted as it was polite. It didn't help that most journalists in that meeting room were there primarily to see the Galaxy Note II, which was undoubtedly the show's headline act. It was also worrisome that Nikon had recently released a half-hearted Android camera of its own -- the Coolpix S800c running on lowly Gingerbread. And finally, some folks in the room -- ourselves included -- may have been put off by Samsung's talk of "convergence," in reference to the fact that the Galaxy Camera has a micro-SIM slot for HSPA+ cellular data. After all, the whole notion of converged hardware has lost the sheen it once had. Hybridized, perhaps. Modular, maybe. But please, not a camera-phablet. Here's the thing, though: the Galaxy Camera is not a converged device. It's a camera, plain and simple. It just happens to be one that's hooked up (in a multitude of ways) to the glorious world of Android. More specifically, we're looking at full-throttle Jelly Bean sitting astride the same optically stabilized 21x zoom lens and almost half-inch 16-megapixel sensor that have already been deployed in Samsung's WB850F WiFi camera. These are components which far exceed anything you'd find in even the most image-conscious smartphone. If you want to put a label on it, it's probably more meaningful to describe all this as software convergence. The same OS and cloud-connected apps that have so radically transformed phones, tablets and TVs are now also being deployed in a camera -- and there's no reason why they shouldn't be just as invigorating in this new role. At the very least, don't dismiss this device as a curiosity until you've read our take on it.
Nikon 1 V2 mirrorless camera hands-on! (video)
If you followed the launch of Nikon's J2 interchangeable-lens compact recently, then waking up to today's announcement of a higher-specced V2 probably won't come as a huge surprise. Nevertheless, whereas the J2 was frustratingly incremental compared to the J1, the V2 will likely represent a more significant upgrade when it lands on shelves at the end of November. For a start, the magnesium alloy camera has been bestowed with a sizable grip, which makes a vast difference to its ergonomics -- it feels much more secure and manageable in the hand, without hurting the small and lightweight appeal of this form factor. Nikon has found room for a pop-up flash too, which is certainly nice to have. The mode dial has moved to the top of the camera and now includes the four main shooting modes (P/S/A/M) -- a change which, in one fell swoop, helps the entire remainder of the control system to become more intuitive and accessible. A new processing engine allows the camera to shoot 15 fps with continuous focus (versus 10 fps with the V1), with Nikon claiming that AF speed has been improved as well. And as for the bad news? It's waiting for you after the break.
