Pma2009
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Sigma DP2 finally takes some pictures, doesn't disappoint
Sigma has been doling out bits and pieces of information about its new DP2 camera since last fall, but it's just now letting folks use it to actually take some pictures and, judging from LetsGoDigital's results, it doesn't look to disappoint. Of course, the camera is still in pre-production form, but LetsGoDigital certainly seems to be plenty impressed with its abilities so far, with the "Super Multi-Layer Coating" on the lens helping to reduce lens flare, while the 41mm f/2.8 lens and 14-megapixel FOVEON X3 image sensor combine to deliver some great depth of field. Hit up the link below for some full-size sample images, plus another hands-on look at the camera itself.
Samsung NX Series camera gets the hands-off treatment
Samsung has already offered up plenty of press shots of its new NX Series "hybrid" camera, but we're guessing most folks are still a bit more interested in some up-close, unpolished shots of the not-quite-compact, even if it is being kept just out of the reach of the teeming masses at PMA. In case this one slipped past your radar, the big news here is the camera's use of an APS-C sized image sensor, which is normally only found on full-size DSLRs, and should result in some better than usual shots from a camera this size. Better still, that means you'll also still be able to attach at least a few different lenses to the camera, which you can catch a glimpse of by hitting up the links below.Read - Pocket-lint, "PHOTOS: Samsung NX digital camera"Read - Photography Bay, "Samsung NX Series - A Closer Look"
Pandigital's 10.4-inch PanTouch Clear WiFi digiframe is industry's thinnest
Pandigital just got official with its PanTouch Clear line at CES this year, but already the company's stepping things up with the industry's slimmest digiframe. The 10.4-inch PAN1000DWPCF2 was introduced at this year's PMA expo in Las Vegas, and aside from the 1,024 x 768 resolution, 2GB of internal storage space, 6-in-1 card reader, inbuilt WiFi, USB socket and support for audio / video playback, the device also ditches the traditional "rear housing" to make it just 0.33-inches thick. From what we can tell, this here frame is probably the one to snag if you're dead set on hanging one upside your wall, and the programmable on / off times enables you to leave the office knowing that your frame will go dark at the appropriate strike of the clock. Pandigital plans to toss in a dark espresso wood frame as well as white and charcoal interchangeable mats, but you'll have to wait until May to hand over your $229.99 and bring one home.[Via CNET]
Samsung's TL320 digital camera gets hands-on treatment
We've been keeping our eyes peeled for the snappy, handsome Samsung TL320 ever since we first spied it. Well, now it's on hand at PMA 2009, and the fine folks at Pocket-Lint have gotten some time alone with the 12.2 megapixel digicam, and we have to say -- it's looking pretty sweet. If you'd forgotten, this baby boasts 5x optical zoom, a 3-inch HVGA AMOLED display, 720p video recording, an HDMI output, dual image stabilization, plus some really awesome twin analog gauges for checking out memory capacity and battery life. The TL320 is expected to be available in May of this year for about $380. Check out another shot after the break, and hit the read link for a full set.
Olympus' Micro Four Thirds camera launching this summer
We're not gonna get excited just yet, but Olympus has shown one of its cards at PMA , and it happens to indicate at least one of its Micro Four Thirds cameras will be hitting retail channels this summer. That jibes with a rumor we heard back in late January. From what we can tell, there's still a dearth of detail / specs on this hunk of retro hotness -- a shame, too, since it'd have pretty much every camera aficionado's attention right now. With several months to go, we get the feeling the company's gonna play this one close to the chest for a little while longer.
Panasonic's new Lumix DMC-GH1 does 1080p video in a Micro Four Thirds form factor
Not even a year after its Lumix DMC-G1 got all the glory as the first Micro Four Thirds camera on the market, Panasonic is back with a slightly tweaked version in the DMC-GH1. We say slightly tweaked since the exterior is more or less the same, but under the hood the camera has 1080p recording at 24 frames per second, or 720p recording at 60 fps, which the camera stores to AVCHD format. Panasonic has also included continuos auto focus, something lacking from most DSLRs with video capability. Users can set the shutter speed and aperture manually, and record stereo audio -- with an optional external mic if they so choose. The camera shoots 12.1 megapixel stills just like the G1, and now offers iPhoto-style Face Recognition in addition to Face Detection to make sure particular people are well exposed and in focus. No word yet on price or availability.[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Sigma DP2 gets real with its bad self
We saw the Sigma DP2 poking around in preproduction form last month, but the update to the DP1 just had itself a little announcement down PMA way. The new model has a faster f/2.8 lens on top of a 14 megapixel Foveon X3 sensor and 20 percent faster image processor, along with a revised control layout and slightly lighter body. Interestingly, max ISO has been dropped to 1600 from the 3200 we saw in the prepro models -- too bad, night owls. No word on pricing or availability just yet, we'll let you know when we find out. [Via Akihabara News]
Casio's new EX-Z29 10.1 megapixel compact does WVGA video
It's not HD, but we'll still give Casio's new EX-Z29 props for trying. The primarily bland compact camera (Casio itself describes the shooter as "Sleek & Sturdy") offers up a 848 x 480 video record mode and direct-to-YouTube setting to go along with the 10.1 megapixel sensor, 3X zoom and 2.7-inch LCD. The "Sturdy" camera is 0.91-inches thick, offers Anti Shake DSP for mildly less blurry photos and hits retail this month for $150, available in black, pink, blue, silver or purple. There's another photo of the camera after the break, brace yourselves for all its splendor.
Sony announces DPP-FP97 and DPP-FP67 photo printers
Not content with just showing off new TVs, home theater systems, Blu-ray players, and cameras, Sony also unveiled at PMA two new photo printers for giving your digital memories a more tangible existence. The $120 DPP-FP67 and $200 DPP-FP97 create 4 x 6 prints in 45 and 67 seconds, respectively. Additionally, the FP97 (above and to the right) also sports HDMI out and a 3.5-inch LCD. No fancy Bluetooth connectivity like Dell's Wasabi, unfortunately, but the pair does support a variety of cards including SD, SDHC, MMC, xD and of course, Memory Stick. Look for these to help you finish that picture album when they hit retail channels sometime in May.
Kodak introduces EasyShare Z915 with 10x zoomer
While a smattering of other camera outfits decided to out most of their new point-and-shoot models a few weeks prior to PMA, Kodak has kept with tradition by breaking their new kid out here in Vegas. The EasyShare Z915 is a markedly standard 10 megapixel shooter, boasting a 10x image stabilized optical zoom lens, the company's own Smart Capture feature to automatically snag the best shots, support for AA batteries, a 2.5-inch rear LCD and an SD / SDHC card slot. It'll be available in red, blue, black and gray this April for a completely respectable $199.95. Trouble is, you'll probably forget this thing even exists by then. Full release is after the break.%Gallery-45665%
Sony's CyberShot DSC-HX1 camera gets official, coming March for $500
Sony has finally shown its cards for PMA this year, and that Ten of Clubs up its sleeve looks to be the CyberShot DSC-HX1 we heard about last week. According to the presser, it's the company's first digital camera with sweep panorama technology for up to 224-degree horizontal and 154-degree vertical panorama shots with the push of a button. It's also sporting a 20x optical zoom, 1/2.4-inch Exmor CMOS sensor for 10 frames per second at 9.1 megapixel resolution, a Sony G lens and 1080p HD movie recording. Look for it this March for around five Benjamins.
Pentax X70 leaks out in full ahead of PMA
Well, it looks like those intrigued by that Pentax bridge camera that turned up yesterday didn't have to wait too long to get the full scoop on it, as the camera has now produced yet another leak ahead of the big PMA show, this time with complete specs and a name: the X70. Among the stand-out features here is a 24x optical zoom, along with a more than adequate 12 megapixels, a 2.7-inch LCD, and a number of reasonably high-end features, including "reliable shake-reduction," 720p video recording, settings from ISO 50 to ISO 6400, and a high-speed shooting mode that'll let you capture up to 11 images per second. What's more, while Pentax still isn't saying anything official about the camera, it has already turned up on B&H's website with a price of $399.95, though there's no indication of a release date just yet. Update: Pentax has pushed out the official presser, with an April release date.Read - PentaxForums.comRead - B&H
Samsung's hybrid NX Series camera: point-and-shoot with DSLR-like image sensor
While we still prefer the Micro Four Thirds approach (we love lens selection, so sue us), Samsung's conceptual NX Series is still looking pretty boss for those needing a true (or close to true) point-and-shoot frame. Announced here at PMA, this new "hybrid" camera maintains the slim stature of a standard pocket cam, yet includes an APS-C sized image sensor that is traditionally found on DSLRs. In layman's terms, that means this camera will boast a larger surface area "to gather light and produce higher-quality images than comparable digital camera systems." In order to keep things thin, the electronic viewfinder (EVF) replaces the DSLR mirror box, but details beyond that are scant. The good news, however, is that Sammy plans to commercialize the NX line and have 'em shipping by the second half of this year. Is the P&S-DSLR gap finally being bridged? Guess we'll find out (not so) soon enough; per usual, the full release is just after the break.Update: It looks like the NX-series does have interchangeable lenses -- a press shot we just received shows what look to be a couple different zooms.%Gallery-46068%
Epson's R-D1x digital Rangefinder locates our analog hearts
There's something undeniably sexy, romantic even, about modern digital rangefinders. Perhaps it's the bevy of tactile controls that stand in such stark contrast to the button-less touchscreen trend infecting consumer electronics. Perhaps it's nostalgia. Whatever it is, the Epson R-D1x just created a momentary pause of reverence amongst Engadget editors. Not much has changed since the R-D1 (followed by the R-D1s) was introduced four years ago: that 6 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor, RAW and JPEG support, and Leica M and L glass compatibility remain. Epson just modernized things a bit by adding a handgrip (model R-D1xG), a bigger 2.5-inch LCD, support for the SDHC card format (up to 32GB), and improved EDiART image processing. But this shooter isn't about the specs, it's about emotion. Ships April 9th for an undisclosed price estimated to be around $2,000.[Via Impress]
Olympus' E-620 raises the bar for entry-level DSLRs
Olympus just joined the pre-PMA pileup with the announcement of its E-620 DSLR for entry-level enthusiasts. The E-620 is a mash-up of Olympus' semi-pro E-30 and entry-level E-520 in a compact body approaching Oly's own E-420 (the world's smallest DSLR when launched). The resulting cam brings a 12.3 megapixel Live MOS image sensor with sensor-shift image stabilization, 7-point AF, TruePic III+ image processor, built-in wireless flash controller, and a fully articulating, 2.7-inch tilt-and-swivel live-view LCD. It also features Olympus' Art Filters which take in-camera image enhancements a bit beyond sepia. Expect the E-620 body to ship in May for about $700; $800 with the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 lens. Front-side front after the break.Read -- Press release Read -- DP Review preview Read -- DigitalCameraInfo first impression
Panasonic reveals new LUMIX bounty prior to PMA
Ah, the sweet smell of PMA. While the camera-filled trade show is still over a month away, Panasonic's not wasting any time in outing its new LUMIX lineup -- which we already saw with Euro model names earlier today. Up first is the ZS-series, which contains the 10.1 megapixel DMC-ZS3 ($399.95) and DMC-ZS1 ($299.95), both of which boast a 25mm ultra-wide angle lens and a 12x optical zoom. The ZS3 is marked as the planet's first digicam to feature HD video recording in AVCHD Lite (a subset of AVCHD restricted to 720p, yuck), and the twin CPU Venus Engine HD provides the power to handle it. Next is the DMC-FX580 ($399.95), a compact 12.1 megapixel shooter with a 5x optical zoom and a swank touchscreen on the rear. For the argonauts in attendance, there's the DMC-TS1 ($399.95), a rough and rugged 12.1 megapixeler with AVCHD Lite capturing abilities (guess it's numero dos?), a 4.6x optical zoom and a waterproof / shockproof chassis. Every last one will be available in April, and you can fill your mind with more knowledge on each in the read links below.Read - ZS-Series (DMC-ZS3 and DMC-ZS1)Read - DMC-FX580Read - DMC-TS1
