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Panasonic's wide-angle Lumix DMC-FX30 gets reviewed
Panasonic's 7.2-megapixel Lumix DMC-FX30 doesn't hold any world records in terms of size or amenities, but the point-and-shoot does manage to offer up some fairly decent innards for a relatively modest price -- none of which matter if performance suffers. To find out just how worthy Panny's wide-angle, OIS-equipped snapper is of your cash, DigicamReview took it for a spin and threw in its two cents (er, pence). Interestingly, the device was generally hailed as an excellent choice for those in the market for a pocketable camera, as the highly-regarded Leica 3.6x optical zoom lens, effective image stabilization, versatile 2.5-inch LCD, logical menu structure, and respectable image quality all took home praises. The only real digs on the shooter came from high amounts of noise when shooting with a cranked ISO (and even some at ISO 100) and the inclusion of red-eye in some snapshots, but both negatives aren't strangers to the handheld camera realm. Overall, reviewers seemed overly giddy about the FX30, and while we'd certainly give Canon's SD800 IS a glance before plunking down on this wide-angled digicam, the low price of the Panasonic just might help make up your mind.
Sony's feature-packed Cyber-shot DSC-G1 reviewed
One might wonder if Sony packed a little too much into the relatively compact DSC-G1, but as we'd already seen, even the CNET review crew didn't really think so. The only noticeable digs were the slightly larger-than-usual frame and additional weight added on, and unfortunately, the "slow-going" WiFi wizardry. To its credit, the WiFi features did seem to elicit quite a bit of smiles once the initial kinks were worked out, and while they weren't crazy about the "narrow, slow zoom lens" per se, the image quality seemed on par. Additionally, the digicam's 3.5-inch LCD monitor was dubbed "a television" in an of itself thanks to the impressive resolution, and the 2GB of internal memory along with an additional Memory Stick expansion slot was also highly regarded. Another seemingly minor thumbs-up was given to this unit's ability to accept "drag-and-drop" music file transfers to play back on the built-in media player, which is a much appreciated departure from previous cams that forced users to rely on Sony's SonicStage software. Still, $600 isn't chump change for a pocket-based camera, so be sure and read up on the full skinny before throwing down on the (admittedly flashy) G1.[Thanks, Antipathy]
Olympus Stylus 1000 digicam gets reviewed
Olympus' Stylus 1000 quickly got lost in the mishmash of other digicams that the company unleashed alongside of it, but if you came away less than enthralled about the lower-end units of the bunch, fret not, as Imaging-Resource took time to single out the flagship device just for you. The ultracompact 1000 boldly proclaims its built-in Digital Image Stabilization care of a highly obvious sticker on the front of the enclosure, but reviewers found that the feature proved more like a gimmick, and deemed it quite the "disappointment." Nevertheless, the control interface, button layout, size, in-camera editing, and all-weather operation received a fair amount of praise, but the run-of-the-mill perks still didn't seem to outweigh the digs. Most importantly, the cam tended to produce "oversaturated colors and blow out highlights," didn't fare well in macro mode, and the paltry internal storage may as well have been excluded to save a few bucks. Still, the Stylus 1000 was dubbed the best of the lineup, but considering all the quirks that even this unit has, we'd highly recommend reading the in-depth analysis before plunking down your $400.[Via Digital Photography Blog]
Sony's DSC-H7 / DSC-H9 CyberShots get official, pack 15x optical zoom
If you're here for surprises, you're not apt to leave satisfied, but if you're interested in a few extra deets on Sony's latest duo of megazoom digicams, this is the spot. Set to replace the DSC-H2 and DSC-H5 just about one year after their respective releases, Sony once again did a horrendous job keeping the DSC-H7 and DSC-H9 on the low, but we're not complaining or anything. Anyways, future H7 / H9 owners can look forward to a Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lens, 8.1-megapixel sensor, face detection technology, HDTV output, the ability to shoot up to 1/4000 of a second, Bionz processing engine (seen in the Alpha lineup), Super Steady Shot optical image stabilization, up to ISO 3200, and red-eye reduction. The H9 steps it up ever so slightly by adding a three-inch flip-up LCD (compared to the H7's 2.5-inch rendition) and Sony's own NightShot technology, which purportedly allows photographers to snap legible shots even in dark alleys. Notably, neither camera sports any kind of movie mode whatsoever, and those hoping to shoot in RAW will also be sorely disappointed, but if you're fine with those two oversights and the massive zoom tickles your stalking instincts, both cameras will be landing in April for $400 (DSC-H7) / $480 (DSC-H9). %Gallery-1827%
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ1 reviewed
The big company's little camera division that could has been doing it over and over for years now, and CNET Asia caught a preview of their new DMC-TZ1, the smallest 10x optical digital camera around. They seemed to find the 5 megapixel shooter's OIS and pixel binned 1600 ISO to be decent (despite the expected exaggerated noise at higher ISOs, of course), and its travel functions useful -- though its unique folded optics design seemed to impair zoom-in time, and the TZ1's removable lens cap raised an eyebrow or two. CNET still seemed to find it "very good," though, so being that it's a straight up point and shoot, if you're cool going without manual camera functions this thing might just be in your future.[Via DP Blog]
Leica announces C-LUX 1
The Panasonic-Leica cross-branding continues with the C-LUX 1, the venerable camera maker's latest licensed shooter. It's not at all different from Panasonic's 6 megapixel DMC-FX01 (besides the branding, of course), which is probably a good thing, since the FX01's a hot little number. If you didn't catch it the first time around, expect optical image stabilization, the latest Venus image processor, 3.6x optical zoom, and the signature super-simple Panasonic interface.[Via Photography Blog]
