pma
Latest
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
Agfaphoto DV-5000G game-playing camera hands-on
Well we finally got our grubby mitts on the recently discovered Agfaphoto DV-5000G camera / camcorder / game player, and we've got pictures to prove it. Unfortunately for us, seeing the device in person didn't change what we already know is true -- you can't play NES games on it, thus making ownership of the device a way less attractive offer. Of course, that's our little niggle with the camera -- you may think it's just what the doctor ordered, and maybe these pictures will help you arrive at that decision.%Gallery-15173%
Hands-on with Sigma's DP1
Sigma was showing off their digicam slab of tech, the DP1. To the untrained eye, it doesn't look like much. But Sigma's put the same 14.1-megapixel APS-C sized Foveon CMOS sensor used in its SD14 DSLR into this tiny package. There's a f/4, 28-mm (in 35-mm equivalent terms) lens, but what really impressed us was the build quality on this unit -- not a creak or bit of flex to be had on the camera. It's definitely a high-end piece of photo jewelry. %Gallery-15066%
Kodak's PMA 2008 booth tour
Kodak wasn't showing off too much new product at this year's show -- or if it was, none of the gear was stuff we follow -- but can you really get a good feel for a trade show without touring the booth of the company whose name is synonymous with photography? Of course not, which is why we gathered together a gallery which pretty well represents everything you'd see had you been here yourself. Isn't that great? We trudge out to Las Vegas so you don't have to.%Gallery-15096%
Canon's PMA 2008 booth tour
Canon's got a lot of product to fit under its umbrella, so the booth is quite the monster. Just about everything in the digital photo workflow is covered here, from the cameras (duh) right up to the final print. All interest/skill levels from amateur to pro are covered too. Check out all those lenses, only to be topped by what looked like a museum collection of Canon point-and-shoots. And yet, Canon found time and space to put in some really big, beautiful prints just to get you back to what photography is all about.%Gallery-15102%
Hands-on with Kodak's new EasyShare Z1012 IS
Those of you looking for a hybrid camera could do a lot worse than Kodak's new EasyShare Z1012 IS: besides the handy optical image stabilization, you're also getting a 10 megapixel sensor and whopping 12x optical zoom. Not too shabby for a $300 cam, not too shabby at all. Check out the gallery below for all the angles.%Gallery-15072%
Sony's PMA 2008 booth tour
Sony's booth has to be pretty big to hold all the imaging goodies, so here's a whirlwind tour of it. You know Sony's making a play for the big boys in the DSLR arena, so the alpha-series had a good amount of serious-looking real estate. The fleet of Sony point-and-shoots were also on display; with all the colors, shapes and sizes the display looked like a candy counter. Tech development also got some floor space, and the live demo of face detection used by Sony's Handycams was particularly fun.%Gallery-15073%
Hands-on with General Imaging's E-1050
Another colorful point-and-shoot, you say? Yes, but with a difference: General Imaging's E-1050 uses Geotate's clever approach to geotagging your photos. Add that to a 10-megapixel sensor, 5x zoom, electronic image stabilization and face detection and red eye removal that's in vogue this year, and you've got an interesting little package. Unfortunately, the unit was tethered by its HDMI port to a TV, so we couldn't play around with the unit and give away our location, so we'll have to wait and see if geotagging is enough of a checkmark to differentiate this little digicam. %Gallery-15064%
Nikon's PMA 2008 booth tour
Step on down into Nikon's booth with us. Lots of goodies on display here, but what really struck us was how much the central section of the booth was taken up by (gasp!) photos. Seriously, it had a bit of a gallery feel, except with way more people. But we're here to get our geek on, so it's over to the gear counters we go! The stripped-down D3 body was nice, and Nikon showed off one in cross section as well, just so you don't have to cut your own in half. %Gallery-15070%
Hands-on with Samsung's GX-20 DSLR
Here's twin brother to Pentax's K20D DSLR, the Samsung GX-20. It looks like a nice bit of kit, and we're really curious to see if any differences between the two as a result of Samsung doing its own thing with the JPEG processing. If you've been watching either this model or the K20D, you know the specs: 14.6-megapixel CMOS, live view LCD and ISO that you can crank up to 3200. Note the Pentax KAF mount, so you can put Pentax glass on this body; and there are some nice lenses in the Pentax stable to be sure. Also, Samsung was showing off their extended grip with wireless capability.%Gallery-15063%
Geotate wants to geotag the world
The highlight of an otherwise lackluster PMA 2008 came not from Nikon, Canon, or any of the other big name companies, but rather General Imaging: GE's new camera division announced that it will release one of the world's first point-and-shoots with embedded GPS. Well, to say that the E1050 has true GPS would not be totally accurate -- but the very features it lacks are what make it possible to incorporate geotagging capabilities in the first place. You see, this model only contains a GPS radio courtesy of New Zealand-based Rakon, but no baseband chip to process the data in order to create a "fix"; rather, an NXP Semiconductor spinoff called Geotate provides server-connected software that does the heavy-duty calculations once photos have been transferred over. This results in almost no hit to battery life or endless waits for a solid fix.It works like this: every time the shutter is triggered, the camera's memory card briefly captures the raw data from the GPS radio, associating it with each photo. Then, once the pictures have been imported into Geotate's proprietary client, auxiliary location data is downloaded from a central server, which is then synthesized with the camera data using local resources to establish actual coordinates. What's more, the Geotate software hooks in to Wikipedia as well as the popular mapping and photo-sharing services, giving you real-world information about your shots while also allowing you to map them out and upload to Flickr, Picasa, and friends. Geotate tells us that besides the E1010, we can also expect to see the platform incorporated into future cams designed by Taiwanese OEM Altek, with such a reference design pictured in the gallery below, along with one for a geotagging peripheral that snaps into a DSLR hotshoe. In the longer term, Geotate hopes to embed its low-cost solution (all that's needed is a small radio and some flash memory) in all sorts of products, from PCs to sneakers to soda bottles. And that's where the name of the company comes from: Geotate stands for "GEOgraphic noTATion," with the ultimate goal being the creation of an ecosystem in which we search not by "what," but by "where."%Gallery-15065%
Hands-on with Pentax's new Optio lineup
There doesn't seem to be a lot of excitement when Pentax releases new cameras in its Optio range -- do you people only love them for their DSLRs? -- but nonetheless, we gave them the same hands-on treatment that everyone else gets. Below you'll find the new S12, E50, and M50 in all their seemingly-unpopular glory, despite the fact that they seemed like fairly stylish, solidly-built products to us. Still with us? Great, we've got a lot of multi-colored point-and-shoot action in store for you.%Gallery-15027%
Hands-on with Sony's new W series Cyber-shots
Sony fans, the fun's not over yet. Besides going hands-on with that pair of new 300-series alpha DSLRs and that alphabet soup of H, S, and T series cams, we also managed to take a look at all four new W series Cyber-shots. Differing mostly in resolution and optical zoom, the 10.1 megapixel DSC-W170, 8.1 megapixel DSC-W150 and DSC-W130, and 7.2 megapixel DSC-W120 all feature the company's "smile shutter" technology, which we found to work pretty well at recognizing our grins during a demo. Look for these to start shipping in March and April, for between $200 and $300.%Gallery-15044%
Hands-on with Sony's new T, S, and H series Cyber-shots
While it's always great to see your consumer point-and-shoots get a decent spec bump or two, Sony's not really offering too many breakthrough new features in the latest refresh to its T, S, and H series Cyber-shots. Still, it was nice to check out the updated DSC-H3, DSC-S700, and DSC-T200 at Sony's PMA booth in the form of the DSC-H10, DSC-S750 / S780, and DSC-T300, respectively. Ranging from $150 to $400, and from 7.2 to 10.1 megapixels, the four cameras in this gallery seem like they'd be a fine upgrade to folks already hooked on their MemorySticks.%Gallery-15046%
Hands-on with Panasonic's seven new Lumix models
Wow, that's a lot of Lumixes! If there's one thing to be said for Panasonic's digital imaging division, it definitely gives the consumer quite a large variety of models to choose from. And some, like the TZ4 and TZ5, offer pretty compelling features, such as a relatively monstrous 10x optical zooms in a relatively pocketable form factor. For the full list of models in the gallery below, which run the gamut from 8.1 to 10.1 megapixels, be sure to check out the official announcement post from a few days back.%Gallery-15029%
Hands-on with Sony's new a300 and a350 DSLRs
Just in case you thought that Sony was, you know, making up those snazzy new alpha DSLRs with articulating, live-view LCDs, we're here with a plethora of hands-on shots to prove that they're the real deal. Since you already know the specs by now -- 10.2 megapixel (a300) or 14.2 megapixel (a350) sensors, 2.7-inch screen, ISO up to 3200, and traditional CF slots -- we'll just let you get right to the eye candy below.%Gallery-15043%
Olympus Stylus lineup hands-on
Basic point-and-shoot digicams is what the Stylus line is all about, and the trend continues. Up here are some shots of the 840, 850SW and 1030SW. 8-megapixels on the 840 and 850SW with 5x and 3x zoom, respectively. And if you vacation includes some light snorkeling (or you like taking pics in the rain), note that the 850SW is shockproof 1.5-meters and to waterproof to 3-meters. Need more megapixels? Step on up to the 1030: 10.1-megapixels and a 3.6x zoom and waterproof to 10-meters.%Gallery-15030%
Olympus' new FE series hands-on
As the press release last week made clear, Olympus did a refresh across its lineup for PMA. We'll hit up the entry-level, ultra-compact FE series here. Across the board, the FE-310, FE-340 and FE-350 get treated to an 8-megapixel sensor and LCDs ranging from 2.5 - 3-inches. The FE-350 trades off the 5x zoom for 4x, but you get a 28-mm wide angle perspective on the world, if that's your sort of thing. And the "HyperCrystal" LCDs were certainly bright, we'll give them that. One definite theme we're seeing in digicams now is the inclusion of face detection, and the FE-series is in on the party there, too.%Gallery-15028%
Olympus SP-570 UZ ultra zoom hands-on
Fujifilm may have laid claim to "smallest 12x zoom," but Olympus' SP-570 UZ blows by that with a 20x optical zoom. In case you didn't know, the "UZ" stands for "ultra zoom." Not a bad piece of glass; f/2.8 - f/4.5 with dual image stabilization so you can actually use the 20x end of the lens. The 10-megapixel sensor and full manual control options make sense on this high-end digicam, as does the hot shoe for a flash. Not all the niceties have been sacrificed, though -- face detection is in there too, for when you hand the camera over to a "less-enthusiastic" shooter.%Gallery-15031%
Hands-on with Fujifilm's new FinePix lineup
So where do you turn if you want the DSLR-like ergonomics but you're not big on the idea of picking which glass will be the best bet on your shoot? Fujifilm has some stuff to show you. New models to the FinePix lineup start out with the S100fd which lays claim to the world's smallest 12x zoom camera. Hopefully the "Picture Stabilization" will produce crisp looking shots from the 10-megapixels when the lens is racked out without boosting the ISO to grainytown. Moving up the line to the S8100fd gets you optical and electronic stabilization (thank you) on the same 10-megapixel resolution. The top of the heap, though, is the S100FS. You get an 11-megapixel sensor and a 14.3x zoom. Dual stabilization is a given for that kind of reach, and you can crank up the ISO to 6400 by binning down the resolution to 6-megapixels. The $800 price is pretty close to DSLR territory, but like we said, some people like the simplicity.%Gallery-15032%
