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Canon's EOS 90D DSLR and mirrorless EOS M6 Mark II pack 32.5-megapixels
Photographers interested in mid-range models have a couple of new options now, since Canon has officially announced the EOS 90D DSLR and mirrorless EOS M6 Mark II. The announcement confirms specs that leaked last week, with both cameras sharing quite a bit of their hardware capability. 32.5 Megapixel CMOS(APS-C) Sensor DIGIC 8 Image Processor 4K UHD up 30p and 1080p FHD up 120p video recording with no crop Dual Pixel CMOS AF in Live View with 5,481 manually selectable AF positions Electronic shutter with a minimum of up to 1/16000th Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Technology The EOS 90D improves on its predecessor, the 80D that was introduced in 2017, with its new sensor that bumps resolution up from 24.2-megapixels to 32.5, full-width 4K video recording, a newer image processor inside and up to 10fps burst shooting with autofocus, compared to 7fps on the 80D. There's also a new autofocus joystick and a few other button tweaks, but the frame is largely the same as before. The 90D will go on sale in mid-September for $1,199 if you want just the camera body, while adding an 18-55mm kit lens takes the price to $1,349, or you can swap in an 18-135mm lens at a price for $1,599.
The best mirrorless camera for beginners
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read the full article here. After 60 hours of research and 25 hours of testing, we found the $600 Sony a5100 is the best mirrorless camera for beginners. It stands out from the dozens of competitors we considered by delivering superior photo quality while being easier to use right out of the box thanks to simple menus and controls. Plus, it offers enough flexibility to keep up with a new photographer's developing skills.
Fujifilm outs the X-T10, an $800 interchangeable lens camera
If you've been holding out for a cheaper model of Fujifilm's X-Series flagship, the X-T1, today is your lucky day. The company has just revealed the X-T10 interchangeable lens camera, featuring a 16.3-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS II sensor (with built-in phase detection autofocus), an EXR Processor II and compatibility with Fujinon lenses -- that's great news for people who are already invested in the ecosystem. It will also pack the revamped AF system Fujifilm announced last week, which is said to be speedier and more accurate overall, particularly in low-light conditions and when trying to capture moving subjects. Most importantly, perhaps, Fujifilm is pricing its X-T10 at a reasonable $800 (body-only), or you can shell out an extra $100 for the XC16-50mm kit.
Panasonic's GM5 mirrorless is still tiny and now has a live viewfinder
Panasonic has just launched the Lumix DMC-GM5 targeted at shooters who want high performance with a form factor that's about as small as you can make an interchangeable lens, Micro Four Thirds camera. To remind you (Panasonic has a dizzying array of MFT cameras that even confuses us), the GM5 is the successor to the GM1, the company's smallest form-factor ILC model. It's roughly the size of a pack of cards, and weights about 0.62 pounds including a battery and lens. Specs remain similar to the GM1, with a 16-megapixel sensor, 1080p/60fps video, a max ISO of 25,600, a 1/16,000 shutter speed and a new "snap movie mode," that allows photos and video to be taken at the same time. The other new toy is a 1,166K-dot live viewfinder (LVF) with a 100 percent FOV and full color reproduction. Ironically, most of those specs (other than the pixel count) are lower than Panasonic's LX100, a new compact, fixed lens MFT model also introduced today. Daniel Cooper contributed to this report.
Samsung's new NX1 flagship shoots 28.2-megapixel stills and 4K video
This week marks the start of Photokina, the camera show where pretty much every brand will unveil their latest and greatest pieces of kit. We'll hear from everybody in due time but right now, Samsung is in the hot seat. The tech giant just unveiled the NX1, the company's first camera that records 4K video. In addition to doing UHD footage at 30 or 24 frames per second and Cinema 4K at 24fps, it shoots stills with a 28.2-megapixel backside-illuminated APS-C CMOS sensor. In burst-capture mode, you can snap up to 15 frames per second at full resolution. ISO sensitivity now ranges from 100 to 51,200. Similar to the NX30, a more mid-range camera in Samsung's lineup, this has WiFi and NFC, along with a 3-inch Super AMOLED articulating display and a 1,366 x 768 electronic viewfinder. In this case, though, it's 802.11ac WiFi, there's Bluetooth too, and the EVF promises a shorter lag time of around 5ms.
Sony updates 'lens camera' lineup with QX30, interchangeable-lens QX1
At last year's IFA in Berlin, Sony announced its first two "lens cameras," a pair of point-and-shoot cams that clip onto your smartphone. You use your phone's display to control the camera, and while you can technically fire off shots using the integrated zoom toggle and shutter release, there's no built-in LCD. Given the limitations, they're not for everyone, but there's apparently been enough interest for Sony to keep the QX line going, with a 30x zoom version and a unique interchangeable-lens model that accepts any E-mount optic now making their debut here in Berlin.
Sony Alpha 5100 is the smallest APS-C camera with a built-in flash
If you've been holding out on purchasing an Alpha 6000 because you don't need an electronic viewfinder, Sony's got a mirrorless camera just for you. Internally, the Alpha 5100, which replaces the NEX-5T, is nearly identical to its pricier counterpart, with a 24.3-megapixel sensor and a BIONZ X processor. You also get a 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 power-zoom lens, bundled with the camera for $700 ($550 for the body only), and the same hybrid focusing system, letting you acquire a subject in as little as 0.07 second. It excludes an EVF, but the A5100 does have a 921k-dot display (with touch functionality this time) that flips forward 180 degrees for self-portraits. There's also built-in WiFi, XAVC S video capture and a top sensitivity of ISO 25,600. It ships next month in black and white.
Samsung NX mini review: a $450 mirrorless cam that fits in your pocket
It's been a long journey, but Samsung's managed to build out a compelling camera lineup that has something for everyone. Pros can get the high-end NX30; cameraphone addicts can pick up the Galaxy K Zoom; and selfie fanatics will probably go for the $450 NX mini, a tiny interchangeable-lens camera with a flip-up LCD that fits in your pocket. It's that latter model we're checking out today, and while it's hardly a professional workhorse, Samsung's entry-level mirrorless cam is a practical choice for the largest demographic any electronics manufacturer could hope to target: regular people.
A week with Leica's T, the most beautiful mirrorless camera money can buy
Leica's cameras have always been good-looking, and they've always been expensive. You might expect the German camera maker's most visually stunning model yet to cost more than a pretty penny, and it does, but at $1,850 (body only), it's also one of the company's most affordable interchangeable-lens cameras to date. The Leica T, machined from a single block of aluminum and hand-polished for 45 minutes, is not going to be produced by the millions and marketed around the world. And considering the nearly $2,000 you'll pay for each of the camera's brand-new lenses, you can definitely invest in a more capable camera system for less. But the T is a work of art, and people will pay ridiculous sums for a desirable piece. This one just also happens to take pictures.
Sony Alpha 6000 review: a do-it-all mirrorless camera that's worth every penny
By now, you've probably had a chance to shoot with a compact interchangeable-lens camera, or you've at least caught a whiff of that never-ending mirrorless cam hype. Sure, we've run into a few duds, but the last few years have brought a slew of models that exceeded our already lofty expectations, with Sony often leading the pack. Still, $800 (or £669 in the UK) is a lot to spend on any gadget, and while you'd probably be safe making a purchase based on Sony's reputation in this space, we don't blame you for wanting a review. We invite you to stick around even if you're not thinking about buying a camera today -- we're going to have some fun with this one. Sony's Alpha 6000 met its match with monkeys in Bali, delicious Hong Kong dim sum and the brilliant skyline of Singapore. Strap in and join us on a wild Southeast Asian adventure, powerful ILC in tow.
Leica's T mirrorless camera is built from a solid brick of aluminum
Leica's been making cameras for a full century this year, and to celebrate, it's just now getting around to releasing an interchangeable-lens camera that you might actually be able to afford... until you factor in the glass. Priced around $1,850 (without a lens), the T looks like a camera that you might want to own. Its core is chiseled from a solid brick of aluminum, resulting in a beautiful body (that's equally durable). There's a 16-megapixel APS-C sensor, a 3.7-inch high-res touchscreen, a 12,500 top ISO, 1080p video capture, a 5 fps continuous shooting mode and a pair of top-mounted control wheels for adjusting exposure. There's also integrated WiFi, and you can pop on an optional electronic viewfinder, if that's your thing.
Nikon's J4 mirrorless camera has more megapixels, 20fps burst speed
Good things happen when you cram a fast image processor into a small camera body, as Nikon has shown with its new mid-range 1 model, the J4. With the latest Expeed 4A imaging engine, the CX-sensor camera can now pump out 20 images per second in burst mode with continuous AF, which Nikon claims is the world's fastest (along with the pricey new V3). That's also a big bump over last year's J3, and most other specs have also improved: there's now 18.4 instead of 14.2-megapixels, 1080/60p video in lieu of 1080/60i (with 120fps at 720p), a 105 point PD/171 point contrast AF, a new touchscreen and built-in WiFi. One change photographers may not like is the use of MicroSD memory cards instead of industry standard SD cards, but at least the J4 is slightly smaller and lighter than the J3. It'll come in black, white, silver and orange (with an optional underwater housing) but there's no word on when, where or for how much. As a rough starting point, though, last year's model was $600 with the 10-30mm kit lens.
Sony's mirrorless A3500 looks like a rebadged A3000 with a new lens
According to a listing on its Australian site, Sony's just launched the A3500 mirrorless camera, but don't get too excited yet. It seems to be a mild reworking of the A3000 released just six months ago with an identical body and specs, like the 20.1-megapixel Exmor APS-C sensor, 1080p video and 3.5 fps continuous shooting speed. The new model has the same 499 Australian dollar price as the A3000 did (the older model is no longer available there), and it comes with a brand-new 18-50mm f/4-5.6 lens. There could also be some changes under the hood, as the footnotes mention a phase-change focus option coming via a firmware update. We can't be sure, though, since there's been no formal announcement to go along with the listing. In the meantime, we've reached out to Sony for an explanation.
How would you change's Sony's NEX-5R?
Most camera geeks agree that Sony needed to make up for the NEX-F3, and that it did so with style by producing the NEX-5R. When we placed this in the hands of our in-house camera guru, he was "thrilled." In fact, he described it as one of the best compact ILCs of 2012-2013, and that people should keep it in their mind the next time it came time to buy a camera. The question that needs to be asked, however, is did our man Honig get it right? If you're a shutterbug who put one of these through its paces, then share with us your impressions and feelings over on the forum.
Samsung's interchangeable-lens NX mini sports 1-inch sensor, fits in your pocket (hands-on)
Hey "style-conscious" men and women in your 20s and 30s, Samsung's got a new camera just for you. The electronics giant is touting its NX mini as the world's thinnest and lightest interchangeable-lens camera, and while it technically falls at the low end of the company's NX line, this new cam comes along with a 1-inch (smaller) sensor and a scaled-down lens mount, which means new lenses, though you can use larger NX glass with a $150 adapter. Without a lens, the camera weighs 158 grams (5.6 ounces), making it lighter than "some bananas" (the fruit), as Samsung demonstrated with a PowerPoint slide during a presentation earlier today. There's a 20.5-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor, WiFi, NFC, a 1/16,000 max shutter speed, 25,600 top ISO, 6 fps burst mode, 1080/30p video, a battery that can capture up to 650 shots with a full charge and a 3-inch HVGA flip-up touchscreen.
Olympus' tiny OM-D E-M10 mirrorless camera arrives next month for $700
Olympus has just made an offer that may be too good to refuse for those who couldn't afford the $1,000-plus OM-D EM-1 or EM-5 mirrorless cameras. It just launched the much more compact, but equally good-looking OM-D EM-10 Micro Four Thirds model for $700 (body only) or $800 with a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens. For that, you'll get many of the features from the higher-end cameras: the EM-5's 16-megapixel sensor with the TruePic VII image processor from the EM-1, 25,600 max ISO, built in WiFi, a 1.44-megapixel electronic viewfinder from the EM-5 and 8fps high-speed sequential shooting with 81-point AF (or 3.5fps with continuous autofocus). Unlike the EM-5 or EM-1, there's only 3-axis image stabilization instead of 5-axis, and the body also lacks the weather sealing of its pricier siblings. To go with the new camera, Olympus also announced another 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 power zoom lens that shrinks to nearly pancake proportions for $350, and a lightweight 25mm f/1.8 lens for $400. If less weight, less money and only slightly fewer features are sounding good, it'll arrive by the end of February -- check the source for more. Update: The article originally said the OM-D EM-10 had the EM-1's sensor with no optical low-pass filter. In fact, it has the EM-5's sensor and the image processor from the EM-1. The post has been updated to reflect that.
Canon's EOS M2 mirrorless camera promises double the focusing speed of the original
Canon (finally) launched its first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera last year and while we loved the design and the image quality of the EOS M, the focusing speed, well, left a lot to be desired. The EOS M2 looks set to answer that particular issue. Announced today, and ready to launch in a few weeks, the new ILC promises auto-focus speeds over 2.3 times faster than the EOS M. Canon credits its new Hybrid CMOS AF II system for the improvement, which expands the focus window it monitors up to 80 percent of the total viewfinder -- that's over double the size of the area on the camera's predecessor. The built-in APS-C sensor remains the same, although Canon has solved the curious blacked-out screen issue that occurred on the original EOS M whenever you took a photo. Canon's also crammed in WiFi connectivity for wireless sharing and, according to the PR shots, has left the design of the EOS M2 body largely unchanged. With a kit lens, it'll arrive later in December priced at 84,800 yen (roughly $820), or you can choose the body alone for 64,800 yen, putting the price around $627. Once we hear when and where the new ILC challenger is heading post-Japan, we'll let you know. We're hoping to play around with it very soon.
Bigger is definitely better: shooting with Sony's Alpha 7 and 7R full-frame mirrorless cameras
See those gorgeous twins up there? The ones with retro-styled magnesium bodies and massively megapixeled sensors? Known as the Alpha 7 and Alpha 7R, they're the latest objects of desire from Sony's imaging wizards, and I got to spend a few days shooting with both of them. Sony's betting big on its mirrorless camera business. The company helped to grow the market for these compact Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILCs), releasing regular (and significant) NEX updates since their introduction a few years back. To date, those compact models have been limited to APS-C sensors -- image quality was quite good, but the camera maker recently began pushing the limits, sprinkling much bigger, full-frame sensors elsewhere into its lineup. Now, it's finally time to meet Sony's new full-frame ILCs. But are they worthy of our affection, particularly when you consider that the 24.3-megapixel A7 will cost $1,700 and the 36.4-megapixel 7R will go for $2,300 (both prices for the bodies only) when they hit stores next month? Read on to find out.
Samsung Galaxy NX review: an overpriced Android-powered mirrorless camera
Samsung's flagship interchangeable-lens camera, the NX300, is by far the company's most impressive shooter to date. It offers stellar hybrid-autofocus capabilities, excellent image quality and integrated WiFi, and it retails for a hair over $550. For all intents and purposes, it's a very competitive option, if not one of the best deals on the market today. It's frustrating, then, that Samsung opted to price the Galaxy NX -- an Android-powered camera based on the NX300 -- at an obscene $1,700, lens included. If you're not a deep-pocketed early adopter, it's absolutely a dealbreaker. But I still enjoyed my two-week test with the Galaxy NX, and if you manage to overlook the MSRP, you might just fall in love.
Nikon hurt by falling DSLR prices, but still faring better than Canon
Nikon's finance department has been forced to revise its quarterly revenue forecast in a southerly direction due to the fact that entry-level DSLRs are selling for lower prices than it originally expected. One of the culprits is likely to be the D3200 shown above, which is currently going on Amazon for around $550 with a kit lens, or $150 below its list price. Looking to the future, the company also warns that sales of its Nikon 1 interchangeable lens cameras may shrink in 2014 due to "weak market conditions," despite the splash made by its recent ruggedized ILC, the Nikon AW1. The news isn't all bad, mind you, as the anticipated drops only add up to a few percentage points and Nikon says it's on course to make the same net profit it had previously projected -- a mostly stable outlook that struggling rival Canon can only dream of.
