Olympus has just come up with a limited edition ‘all-black’ PEN E-P2 kit (two for countries outside the US), which comes with a black PEN E-P2, limited edition black 17 mm f2.8 pancake lens and your choice of a basic external flash OR external electronic viewfinder.
They’ve also announced two new lenses for the Micro Four Thirds system (PEN and Panasonic users rejoice) which cover the telephoto end of the focal range. The 40-150 mm f4.0-5.6 lens will go for $300 when it gets released in November while the 75-300 mm f4.8-6.7 will come with a much pricier tag of $900 when it hits shelves in December.
Canon broke the news of their new EOS 60D digital SLR today. The new EOS 60D brings an unexpected change to Canon’s digital SLR line up as it’s now positioned somewhere between the entry-level xxxD/Rebel series and the 7D. It sports a couple of upgrades versus the 50D, but also a few downgrades as well (most notably build quality and accessibility of some settings). This makes the 7D somewhat of a spiritual successor to the 50D… and the 60D a completely new animal.
Canon EOS 60D
(Digital SLR camera)
- 18 effective megapixels (APS-C CMOS sensor, 1.6X crop)
- Canon EF/EF-S lens mount (1.6X crop factor)
- 3 inch flip out and rotate LCD (921,000 pixels)
- ISO speed range of 100 - 6400 (Expandable to 12800)
- 0.95X optical viewfinder magnification with 95% frame coverage
- 5.3 FPS continuous shooting mode
- Built-in wireless flash control
- Full manual controls with RAW mode and live view
- 9 point autofocus; all are cross-type sensors
- 1080p full HD (1920 x 1080) movie mode with sound; uses H.264 codec, supports manual exposure and full-time continuous AF
- Creative Filters and RAW conversion available in playback mode
- SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot
- Uses a lithium-ion battery (LP-E6)
- Available in September for $1100 (body only) or $1400 (with 18-135 mm IS kit lens)
Canon also announced a bunch of new L lenses and updated their extenders for telephoto lenses; all of which have a new ‘anti-smear’ coating which resists fingerprints and water:
- EF 8-15 mm f4L USM; available in January 2011 for $1400
- EF 70-300 mm f4.0-5.6L IS USM, now has weather-sealing, improved optical design and more effective image stabilization, also Canon’s smallest ‘white’ lens yet; available in October for $1500
- EF 300 mm f2.8L IS USM II, more effective image stabilization, improved optical design and lighter weight than Mk I version; available in December for $7000
- EF 400 mm f2.8L IS USM II, more effective image stabilization, improved optical design and lighter weight than Mk I version; available in December for $11000
- EF 1.4X Extender III and EF 2X Extender III; available in December for $500 each
Sony introduced two pairs of new digital SLR cameras today dedicated to the entry-level SLR market. The first pair, part of Sony’s new SLT series, feature their new Translucent Mirror Technology which uses a translucent mirror to pass light to both the autofocus sensor and CMOS simultaneously. Since the mirror doesn’t need to move (Sony has substituted the optical viewfinder with an electronic one), it allows the SLT camera bodies to be smaller and the cameras can continuously shoot/focus more quickly than conventional SLRs.
The other pair of digital SLRs Sony has laid out for today are more conventional. Those two new Alpha SLR cameras are entry-level models with high speed continuous shooting modes and full HD movie capabilities. And oh, Sony even has 3 new lenses for their A-mount system, which I’ve listed further down the page.
Sony SLT A33 and SLT A55
(Digital SLR cameras)
- Exmor HD APS-C CMOS sensor, 1.5X crop:
SLT A33: 14.2 effective megapixels
SLT A55: 16.2 effective megapixels
- Sony/Minolta A-lens mount (1.5X crop factor)
- Sensor-shift image stabilization
- 3 inch flip down and rotate LCD (921,000 pixels)
Electronic viewfinder (Tru-Finder, as Sony calls it) has 1.15 million dots, 100% frame coverage and 1.1X magnification
- ISO speed range of 100 - 12800
- SLT A33: 7 FPS continuous shooting mode
SLT A55: 10 FPS continuous shooting mode
- Full manual controls with RAW mode
- SLT A55 only: Built-in GPS for geotagging
- Various multi-shot modes:
In-camera HDR mode combines 3 pictures into one high dynamic range photo
Multi-shot noise reduction combines 6 pictures into one ISO 25600 shot
Handheld Twilight does the same thing but varies ISO just to get a sharp photo in low light
- Sweep Panorama mode records and creates 2D or 3D panoramas from panning the camera around
- 15 point autofocus
- 1080p full HD (1920 x 1080) movie mode with stereo sound; uses AVCHD codec, supports manual controls and full-time continuous AF; supports external microphones
- Dual memory card slots: Memory Stick Duo and SD/SDHC/SDXC
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- SLT A33: Available in September for $650 (body only) or $750 (with 18-55 mm kit lens)
SLT A55: Available in October for $750 (body only) or $850 (with 18-55 mm kit lens)
Sony Alpha A560 and Alpha A580
(Digital SLR cameras)
- Exmor HD APS-C CMOS sensor, 1.5X crop:
Alpha A560: 14.2 effective megapixels
Alpha A580: 16.2 effective megapixels
- Sony/Minolta A-lens mount (1.5X crop factor)
- Sensor-shift image stabilization
- 3 inch flip down and rotate LCD (921,000 pixels)
- ISO speed range of 100 - 12800
- 7 FPS continuous shooting mode
- Full manual controls with RAW mode
- Live view using main CMOS sensor or secondary CCD in viewfinder chamber
- Various multi-shot modes:
In-camera HDR mode combines 3 pictures into one high dynamic range photo
Multi-shot noise reduction combines 6 pictures into one ISO 25600 shot
Handheld Twilight does the same thing but varies ISO just to get a sharp photo in low light
- Sweep Panorama mode records and creates 2D or 3D panoramas from panning the camera around
- 15 point autofocus
- 1080p full HD (1920 x 1080) movie mode with stereo sound; uses AVCHD codec and supports manual exposure
- Dual memory card slots: Memory Stick Duo and SD/SDHC/SDXC
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Alpha A560: Available in 2011 for $650 (body only) or $750 (with 18-55 mm kit lens)
Alpha A580 will be available in October for $100 more
Sony has announced three new A-mount lenses which will be available beginning October:
- $200: Sony DT 35 mm f1.8
- $250: Sony 85 mm f2.8
- $1250: Carl Zeiss Distagon 24 mm f2.0 T* SSM
Nikon has just introduced their new entry-level digital SLR model along with four SLR lenses. The Nikon D3100 sports improvements in various areas and a bunch of new features.
Nikon D3100
(Entry-level digital SLR camera)
- 14.2 effective megapixels (DX size APS-C CMOS sensor, 1.5X crop)
- Nikon F-mount (1.5X crop factor); autofocus only available with AF-S type lenses
- 3 inch LCD
- ISO speed range of 100 - 3200 (Expandable to 12800)
- Full manual controls with RAW mode and live view
- 11 point autofocus
- 1080p full HD (1920 x 1080) movie mode with sound; uses H.264 codec, supports full-time continuous focus
- Photo effects and video trimming available in playback mode
- SD/SDHC/SDXC memory card slot
- Uses a lithium-ion battery (EN-EL14)
- Available in September for $700 (with 18-55 mm f3.5-5.6 VR kit lens)
Nikon also announced four lenses which will become available in September:
- $400 - (DX format) Nikkor AF-S 55-300 mm f4.5-5.6 VR zoom lens
- $1050 - Nikkor AF-S 28-300 mm f3.5-5.6 VR super-zoom lens
- $1300 - Nikkor AF-S 24-140 mm f4 VR zoom lens
- $1700 - Nikkor AF-S 85 mm f1.4 portrait prime lens
Canon has come up with three new compact cameras today. The PowerShot S95 and PowerShot SX130 cameras are fairly subtle upgrades to last year’s models, with notable improvements in the movie recording department, but nothing game-changing here… The SD4500 Digital ELPH/IXUS 1000 HS is the most interesting of the bunch, I must say. Not only is it the first ELPH/IXUS to have such a large amount of optical zoom (that’s a whopping 10X lens with image stabilization), it also sports a backlit CMOS (which as you may have guessed, can do a bunch of fancy ‘high speed/slow motion’ tricks with stills and videos, and it also can record full HD movies (another first for Canon’s ELPH/IXUS line).
Canon PowerShot S95
(Compact camera)
- 10 effective megapixels
- 28 – 105 mm (f2.0 – f4.9) 3.8X optical zoom lens
- Optical image stabilization
Incorporates new ‘hybrid’ stabilization compansates for shift and lateral movement; Canon says this is especially useful for closeup shots
- 3 inch LCD (461,000 pixels)
- Full manual controls with RAW mode
- Enhanced Smart Auto mode
- New HDR mode takes and combines 3 pictures in a row into one HDR photo
- 720p HD (1280 x 720) 24 FPS movie mode with stereo sound
- Takes SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Available in September for $400
Canon PowerShot SD4500 IS Digital ELPH
also known as Digital IXUS 1000 HS
(Compact super-zoom camera)
- 10 effective megapixels (Backlit CMOS sensor)
- 36 - 360 mm (f3.4 – f5.6) 10X optical zoom lens
- Optical image stabilization; new Dynamic IS mode for heavy amounts of camera shake
- 3 inch wide touchscreen LCD (230,000 pixels)
- No manual controls
- New Best Image Selection mode takes 5 pictures in a row and picks the best one
- High-speed burst mode shoots full-resolution photos up to 8.4 FPS
Movie frame rates can be boosted to 240 FPS at low resolutions
- 1080p HD (1920 x 1080) 24 FPS movie mode with stereo sound
- Takes SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Available in September for $350
- Comes in your choice of silver, brown or pink
Canon PowerShot SX130 IS
(Compact super-zoom camera)
- 12 effective megapixels
- 28 - 336 mm (f3.4 – f5.6) 12X optical zoom lens
- Optical image stabilization
- 3 inch LCD (230,000 pixels)
- Full manual controls
- 720p HD (1280 x 720) 30 FPS movie mode with stereo sound
- Takes SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
- Uses 2 AA batteries
- Available in September for $250
Not having a noticeable bunch of updated features in their latest 3 compact camera models, Olympus has wisely kept a low-profile in announcing their new MJU/Stylus 7050, FE5050 and FE4050 cameras. These three cameras are really, really incremental updates to their recent predecessors with just mere up in megapixel counts (14 megapixels for the first two models, 12 megapixels for the latter). Other specifications remain the same as the previous models.
After showing off proof of concept, prototype and pre-production units on the camera for quite a while now, Fujifilm is finally ready to launch the world’s first 3D compact camera! And here it is - the Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3 (What a mouthful) sports dual image sensors, dual lenses (kinda reminds me of Kodak a few years ago, minus the part about 3D), has a built-in “glasses-free” 3D display and can take photos AND videos in 3D!
Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D W3
(Compact 3D camera)
- Dual 10 megapixel CCD sensors
- 35 – 105 mm (f3.7 – f4.2) 3X optical zoom lenses; one on each lens
Lenses are 75 mm apart to record pictures in 3D
- NO image stabilization
- 3.5 inch widescreen 3D LCD (1,150,000 pixels); displays pictures/movies in 3D without requiring glasses
- Full manual controls and auto scene mode selection
- Various 3D image modes with parallax control; camera uses Multi Picture MPO image format for 3D images
- Advanced 2D mode can take two pictures at different zoom positions, color settings or sensitivity at the same time
- 720p HD (1280 x 720) 24 FPS movie mode with sound; movies can be recorded in 2D or 3D
- Capable of outputting 3D images/movies onto your 3D TV via HDMI
- Takes SD/SDHC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Available in September for $500
Nikon has just announced two new compact Coolpix cameras today - the follow-up to their very unique “projector-camera” as well as a pretty conventional, entry-level model. As of now, Nikon remains the only manufacturer making digital cameras with built-in projectors.
Nikon Coolpix S1100 pj
(Compact camera)
- 14 effective megapixels
- 28 – 140 mm (f3.9 – f5.8) 5X optical zoom lens
- Optical image stabilization (Vibration Reduction)
- 3 inch touchscreen LCD (460,000 pixels)
- Built-in projector can project images/video in playback up to 47 inches in size (up from 40 inches on the original S1000pj)
Focus knob at the top of the camera allows you to focus projected images for distances up to 7 feet
- New: Camera can also link up to your PC and double as a ‘conventional’ projector (S1000pj could only do pictures from the camera itself)
- Nikon’s usual Smart Portrait system: Face, smile and blink detection, redeye removal, skin softening, tools for various effects in playback
- No manual controls
- 720p (1280 x 720) 30 FPS movie mode with sound
- Takes SD/SDHC/SDXC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Available in September for $350
- Comes in your choice of silver, black, green or violet
Nikon Coolpix S5100
(Compact camera)
- 12 effective megapixels
- 28 – 140 mm (f2.7 – f6.6) 5X optical zoom lens
- Optical image stabilization (Vibration Reduction)
- 2.7 inch LCD
- Smart Portrait: Face, smile and blink detection, redeye removal, skin softening
- No manual controls
- 720p (1280 x 720) 30 FPS movie mode with sound
- Takes SD/SDHC memory cards
- Uses a lithium-ion battery
- Available in October for $180
- Comes in your choice of black, blue, purple or pink
