Sony just announced two updated entry-level digital SLR models. The new Sony Alpha A290 and A390 cameras released today are successors to the last year’s Alpha A230 and A330/A380 respectively.

Compared to their predecessors, it seems not much has changed, the only obvious ‘change’ being the increase in megapixels to 14 megapixels for both the A290 and A390, as well as a $50 decrease in recommended retail price versus their 2009 counterparts.

Between the two newborn siblings today, the differences between the two are the presence of live view (At the cost of a smaller optical viewfinder) and a tilt-out LCD screen on the higher end A390. Neither camera has any sort of movie recording capability.

Sony Alpha A290/Alpha A390
(Entry-level digital SLRs)

• 14.2 effective megapixels (APS-C sensor, 1.5X crop)
• Sony/Minolta lens mount (1.5X crop factor))
• Dust reduction
• In-body sensor-shift image stabilization
• Alpha A290: 2.7 inch fixed position LCD
  Alpha A390: 2.7 inch inch dual-hinge, tilt-out LCD
• Alpha A290: 95% viewfinder with 0.83X magnification
  Alpha A390: 90% viewfinder with 0.74X magnification
• ISO speed range of 100 – 3200
• Alpha A290: NO live view
  Alpha A390: Live view; uses secondary CCD sensor inside viewfinder chamber
• 2.5 FPS continuous shooting mode
• Full manual controls with RAW mode and hotshoe; wireless flash control
• 9 point AF
• No movie mode
• Dual memory card slots for SD/SDHC and Memory Stick Duo
• Uses a lithium-ion battery (NP-FH50)
• Alpha A290: Available in July for $500 (with 18-55 mm kit lens)
  Alpha A390: Available in July for $600 (with 18-55 mm kit lens)

Panasonic just made a standalone announcement of a lone compact camera today. The new Lumix FX75 (AKA the Lumix FX70) is Panasonic’s latest touchscreen camera. The camera doesn’t feature any manual controls (a change from their old FX500 and FX550 touchscreen cameras) but does have a brand new ultra-wide angle lens that starts at 24 mm and with a very “bright” wide-angle aperture value of F2.2.

Panasonic Lumix FX75
also known as Lumix FX70 in some places
(Compact camera)

• 14 effective megapixels
• 24 – 120 mm (f2.2 – f5.9) 5X optical zoom lens
• Optical image stabilization (Power OIS)
• 3 inch touchscreen LCD
• No manual controls: point-and-shoot functionality with scene modes
• Touch shutter and cosmetic mode with skin softening and digital tanning
• 720p (1280 x 720) 30 FPS movie mode with sound
• Takes SD/SDHC memory cards (SDXC compatible too)
• Uses a lithium-ion battery
• Availability and price to be announced
• Comes in your choice of silver or black (pink and purple available in select places)

Today we’re posting a review of a simple and cheap camera, the Nikon Coolpix L22. I’ve also got the Nikon Coolpix L22 photo gallery online too. Click the link for the full review of the camera.

Read our review

New to the Digital ELPH (AKA Digital IXUS) line-up is the all-new Canon PowerShot SD4000 Digital ELPH (also known as the Canon Digital IXUS 300 HS). Unlike your average compact camera, this one’s pretty unique – it combines the “wide and fast” 3.8X zoom lens with a starting aperture of f2.0 (first seen in Canon’s own PowerShot S90) along with manual exposure controls (a rarity in Canon’s IXUS/ELPH line) and a new back-illuminated CMOS image sensor (which has found its way into at least one model in every camera maker’s current lineup).

The new 10 megapixel backlit CMOS image sensor allows the camera to take better quality images (ie less noise) than conventional CCD sensors traditionally used in compact cameras. That means, in theory, that you could use higher ISO settings (which are especially useful shooting in low-light) with lower noise levels… but we’ll put that to the test once we review the PowerShot SD4000 Digital ELPH in the near future.

Canon PowerShot SD4000 IS Digital ELPH
AKA Digital IXUS 300 HS
(Stylish compact camera)

• 10 effective megapixels (Backlit CMOS sensor)
• 28 – 105 mm (f2.0 – f5.3) 3.8X optical zoom lens
• Optical image stabilization
• 3.0 inch widescreen LCD (230,000 pixels)
• Full manual exposure controls
• Face, smile, wink and blink detection [Facepalm]
• 720p (1280 x 720) 30 FPS movie mode with stereo sound
  “High speed” QVGA (320 x 240) movies also available at 240 FPS
• Takes SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards
• Uses a lithium-ion battery
• Available in June for $350
• Comes in your choice of silver, black, red or white

Before this, the only players in the compact, interchangeable lens camera arena were Olympus, Panasonic and Samsung. Well, Sony hasn’t been sitting down lately as they’ve prepared two interchangeable lens cameras of their own to join in the fun. The brand new NEX-3 and NEX-5

Sony NEX-3/NEX-5
(Compact interchangeable lens cameras)

• 14.2 effective megapixels (EXMOR APS-C CMOS sensor, 1.5X crop)
• New Sony E-mount (1.5X crop factor)
  Compatible with Alpha mount lenses (sans autofocus ability) via adapter
• 3 inch ‘Sony TruBlack’ LCD (921,000 pixels) with two separate hinges for tilting
• Proprietary port where you can attach an external ‘popup’ flash or optical viewfinder
• ISO speed range of 200 – 12800
• Live view only with face and smile detection
• Auto HDR (High dynamic range) takes three pictures and combines them into one for improved dynamic range
• Handheld twilight/anti blur modes take six pictures and combine them into one for lower noise and sharper pictures
• Sweep Panorama mode automatically creates panoramas (up to 23 megapixels large) as you pan the camera
• 3D Photo feature in the works; will be available via future firmware update from Sony
• 7 FPS continuous shooting mode (up to 8 RAW or unlimited JPEG)
• Full manual controls with RAW mode
• 25 point AF
• HD movie mode with stereo sound recording, continuous AF, optical image stabilizer and dedicated start/stop button
  NEX 3: 720p Standard HD (1280 X 720) movies in H.265 codec
  NEX 5: 1080p Full HD (1920 X 1080) movies in AVCHD codec; 720p option (same as NEX3) available
• Dual memory card slots for SD/SDHC/SDXC and Memory Stick Duo
• Uses a lithium-ion battery (NP-FW50)
• NEX 3: Available in July for $550 (with 16 mm pancake lens) or $600 (with 18-55 mm kit lens)
  NEX 5: Available in July for $650 (with 16 mm pancake lens) or $750 (with 18-55 mm kit lens)

Along with their brand new “E-mount”, Sony also announced three new lenses to go along with this new system and they are:

• $300: 18 – 55 mm f3.5 – f5.6 “kit” lens with optical image stabilizer
• $250: 16 mm f2.8 “pancake” lens (No stabilizer)
• $800: 18 – 200 mm f3.5 – f6.3 super-zoom lens with optical image stabilizer

What’s unique about that 16 mm pancake lens is that you can actually attach (additional) conversion lenses to turn it into an ultra-wide angle/fisheye 12 mm lens. No word yet if the conversion adapter will be included with the lens or sold separately (but knowing Sony, it’ll most likely be the latter).

Here’s the Nikon Coolpix L22 Photo Gallery containing full-sized pictures taken by the camera. Be sure to check out the Nikon Coolpix L22 review as well.

Continue to the Coolpix L22 gallery

I’ve just posted my review of the Panasonic Lumix ZS7, AKA Lumix TZ10, the latest and greatest compact super-zoom Panasonic has introduced for 2010. The Lumix ZS7 has 12 megapixels of resolution, 12X optical zoom, a 3 inch screen, full manual controls and built-in GPS. Be sure to check out full-sized photos taken straight out of the camera in the Panasonic Lumix TZ10/ZS7 photo gallery too. Read our full review of the camera after the jump.

Read our TZ10/ZS7 review