Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150

Just Posted! Panasonic FZ150 Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 is a well-featured super zoom camera that both beginners and serious amateur photographers will enjoy using. But it’s not just features for the sake of it; all of them work very well, giving you the confidence that every picture you take has the potential of being a keeper.

[ Read more in our Panasonic FZ150 Review... ]

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3

Just Posted! Panasonic GF3X Review

What is cute as a button and delivers DSLR performance and image quality? The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 [GF3X] is a compact mirrorless DSLR that may well become the favorite of point-and-shoot photographers desiring a small, lightweight and quality Interchangeable Lens Camera. Read our review to find out why.

[ Read more in our Panasonic GF3 [GF3X] Review… ]

Samsung NX200

Just Posted: Samsung NX200 Review

The Samsung NX200 continues to challenge existing compact mirrorless DSLRs with a fast and responsive Interchangeable Lens Camera that captures great images. It features 20.3MP resolution on an APS-C CMOS (23.5 x 15.7 mm) image sensor, a large and bright 3.0-in. AMOLED (Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode) display screen (614k-dot), Smart AUTO, PASM, Scene modes, i-Function, Smart Filters, In-Camera Panorama, RAW file, Continuous Shooting 7fps, and HD movie 1920 x 1080 @ 30fps with stereo sound.

Read more in our Samsung NX200 Review.

Olympus E-PL3

Just Posted! Olympus E-PL3 Review

The Olympus E-PL3 scores high marks with lightning fast AF, very good image quality, a tiltable LCD and manual modes. It’s an interchangeable lens camera that, once you’ve taken the time to set it up the way you like to work, will delight the beginner or enthusiast photographer.

[ Read more in our Olympus E-PL3 Review... ]

Samsung MV800

Just Posted: Samsung MV800 Review

We have just published our review of the Samsung MV800 [QuickPrice Check], an ultra-compact with 16.1MP resolution (on a 1/2.3-in. CCD image sensor), 5x wide-angle optical zoom (26-130mm equiv.), Optical Image Stabilization, 3.0-in. Flip-Out Touch-screen LCD (288K-dot), Smart AUTO, P, Night Shot, Live Panorama, Magic Frame, Picture in Picture, Smart Filter, Effects, 3D Photo, Pose Guide, Zoom Noise Reduction, Intelligent Portraits, and HD 720p Movie 1280×720 @ 30fps.

The Samsung MV800 is an ultra compact digital camera with a unique MultiView Flip-out LCD that makes taking self-portraits a snap. Add in lots of filter effects and you have a fun P&S camera ideal for taking pictures with that special someone.

Read more in our Samsung MV800 Review.

Nikon 1 V1

The Nikon 1 V1 is a compact mirrorless camera with very good image quality and low light capability. It accepts interchangeable lenses, features very fast AF using a new hybrid Phase-detect AF/Contrast detection AF and Continuous Shooting of up to 60fps at full resolution. Find out if the Nikon 1 V1 is the right camera for you.

Read more in our Nikon 1 V1 Review…

Sony SLT-A77, 70-200mm at 200mm (300mm equiv.), P, 1/320 sec., f/5.6, Pattern, ISO 1600

We attended the Sony Press Briefing this morning at Polson Pier, Toronto and got to try out all the new Alpha and NEX cameras. Also available to try were the new A-mount and E-mount lenses. We share our hands-on first impressions here and will report in more detail as we get production models for reviews.

First impressions are that the Sony NEX-7 [QuickPrice Check] and Sony SLT-A77 [QuickPrice Check] are definitely going to garner lots of interest among enthusiasts. I like that Sony is fearlessly forging ahead with using the APS-C large sensor and there’s no hint of going backward with using small sensors in their interchangeable lens cameras. An interchangeable lens camera with a small sensor just does not make much sense to me: why waste money on a camera body and expensive lenses and equipment when you are not getting any appreciable image quality and low-light capability gain?

Sony SLT-A77, 50mm (75mm equiv.), P, 1/160 sec., f/4, Pattern, ISO 320, Cropped and Sharpened

Sony SLT-A77

Sony Alpha SLT-A77
The SLT-A77 is Sony’s flagship DSLR. It sports some impressive features: 24.3MP on an APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) EXMOR APS HD CMOS sensor, Sensor-shift Image Stabilization, 3.0-in. tilt and swivel LCD (921k-dots) with TruBlack technology, a very bright, clear and detailed XGA OLED electronic viewfinder (2.3M-dots), PASM, RAW, Shutter Speed range of 1/8000-30 sec. plus B, impressive Continuous Shooting at 12fps, ISO 100-16000 (plus ISO 50), Movie 1920 x 1080/60p AVCHD 2.0 with stereo sound, Weatherproofing — and, of course, full-time and blazingly fast Phase-detection AF with 19 points (11 points cross type) made possible in great part thanks to its translucent mirror design.

Other features that may appeal to you are: built-in GPS, top panel LCD, electronic level gauge, Dynamic Range Optimizer, Picture Effect (Posterization, Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color, High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera, Soft High-Key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature), flash sync socket.

The OLED EVF is big, bright and very detailed. We’re glad that Sony is now using the same argument we put forth about the advantage of using EVF vs. OVF: with an OVF, the photographer gets to see what is coming thru the lens and way back when, that was a big advantage over rangefinder cameras and their parallax problem; with an EVF, the photographer gets to see exactly what the sensor is seeing and is going to record, including WB, picture effects, etc. It’s way better than the small tunnel-like OVF on entry-level DSLRs and getting awfully close to the big OVF on full-frame DSLRs.

Sony’s tilt and swivel LCD on the SLT-A77 has three hinges. The LCD is hinged at the bottom of a back panel, and the back panel is hinged at the top to the body. You can lift the back panel all the way up so that the LCD faces the front, above the pop-up flash bulge. However, if you pop the flash up, you won’t be able to see the LCD monitor from the front. The LCD is also hinged to the back panel so that it can swivel and this gives it a great freedom of movement. So, if you need your LCD to tilt and swivel, you’ll be happy.

Continuous Shooting at 12fps at full resolution is quite impressive, either for sports photography or to catch the moment in fast action. There’s no mirror slap and hardly any blanking of the screen. Touch the shutter release button and it blazes along.

The Sony SLT-A77 is priced at CAD $1500 (US $1400, UK £1150, 1300 €) body only or about CAD $2150 (US $2000, UK £1650, 1900 €) with the new SAL1650 DT 16-50mm F2.8 SSM kit lens (CAD $800 or US $700 sold separately).

Sony NEX-7, 34mm (51mm equiv.), P, 1/4000 sec., f/5.6, Pattern, ISO 16000, Cropped and Sharpened

Sony NEX-7

Sony NEX-7
Unlike some compact mirrorless DSLRs that seem to miss one or more features, the Sony NEX-7 has not only managed to cram in a built-in OLED electronic viewfinder, but also a pop-up flash and a hot shoe for an external flash. Technical specs: 24.3MP on an APS-C (23.5 x 15.6 mm) EXMOR APS HD CMOS sensor, 3.0-in. tilt only LCD (921k-dots) with TruBlack technology, a very bright, clear and detailed XGA OLED electronic viewfinder (2.3M-dots), PASM, Shutter Speed range of 1/4000-30 sec. plus B, impressive Continuous Shooting at 10fps, ISO 100-16000 in Manual mode (ISO 100-1600 in AUTO), Movie 1920 x 1080/60p AVCHD 2.0 with stereo sound, Contrast-detect AF with 25 points. Note that there is no sensor-based image stabilization; instead, image stabilization is dependent on whether the lens attached supports it or not.

Other features that may appeal to you are: Smile Shutter, Auto High Dynamic Range, Sweep Panorama, Picture Effect (Posterization, Pop Color, Retro Photo, Partial Color, High Contrast Monochrome, Toy Camera, Soft High-Key, Soft Focus, HDR Painting, Rich-tone Monochrome, Miniature), iAUTO, Scene Modes.

The NEX-7 is bigger than the NEX-5N but does not feel unwieldy. I like the tilt-only LCD, which is what I only need: a tilt up for comfortable close up macro shooting or when the camera is on a tripod. The OLED viewfinder is very bright, clear and detailed. The Contrast-detect AF is fast. We will need to wait for a production model to judge the image quality, especially the high ISO low noise capability.

Enthusiasts will welcome the return of PASM modes. There is also what Sony terms the “TRINAVI” operation, which essentially allows you to customize 3 dials: the two dials on the top of the camera and the dial on the back. The left top dial controls program shift/aperture/shutter speed (depending on whether your shooting mode is P/A/S) and the right top dial controls exposure compensation. In Manual mode, the left top dial controls the shutter speed and the right top dial controls the aperture. The dial on the back controls the ISO in all 4 shooting modes. There are also 6 other (5 pre-defined plus one customizable) sets assigned to the three dials that you can cycle through by repeatedly pressing the unmarked button located besides the shutter release button (Focus, WB, D-Range, Creative Styles, Picture Effect, Custom). What I was not able to ascertain is whether there is a quick way to get back to default for a shooting mode (i.e. P/A/S/Exp. Comp.) or do I have to cycle through all the options to get back to deault?

The Sony NEX-7 is priced at CAD $1200 (US $1200, UK £1000, 1200 €) body only or about CAD $1400 (US $1350, UK £1100, 1350 €) with the new SEL1855 E-mount 18-55mm (27mm-82.5mm equiv.) F3.5-5.6 kit lens.

Interestingly, we received Sony-branded 8GB Class 10 SDHC memory cards to try out the cameras, though the cameras still accept Memory Stick cards.

Sony Canada had invited for the occasion a ballet school and flamingo dancer so we could try out the cameras with live subjects. They did a great job. There was strong natural backlighting (no seamless background and studio lighting) and so it was pretty challenging to properly expose the subjects. It was also a cloudy day and it was actually raining outside, so no outdoors pictures. Since the cameras were pre-production, we cannot post images for comparison purposes, and you should take the pictures posted here for illustration purposes only.

We also played with the SLT-A65, NEX-5N, tried the various lenses, and there was also the NEX-VG20 video camera that will accept all the E-mount lenses (but which we did not try).

Fujifilm FinePix X100

Just Posted! Fujifilm FinePix X100 Review

The Fujifilm X100 is a rangefinder-styled digital camera with drop-dead gorgeous retro looks. Under the hoods of this beautifully-designed digital camera, there is a quality 35mm [equiv.] F2 Fujinon lens, an APS-C CMOS sensor and an image processing CPU engine that all work together to capture outstanding image quality rivaling the top end DSLRs.

[ Read more in our Fujifilm FinePix X100 Review... ]

Sony SLT-A35

Just Posted! Sony SLT-A35 Hands-On Preview

The Sony SLT-A35 brings lightning-fast Live View AF to the DSLR thanks to its unique translucent mirror. It incorporates the advantages of a DSLR and provides pretty much all the features serious amateur photographers have come to expect from a DSLR with the added bonus of practical features from the point-and-shoot cameras.

[ Read more in our Sony SLT-A35 Hands-On Preview... ]

Just Reviewed! Samsung NP-QX410-S02CA Notebook

Samsung NP-QX410

The Samsung NP QX410 is an elegant and stylish notebook. It has great performance and battery life, is built on a solid aluminium frame and incorporates some very nice features. We gave it a test run.

The Samsung NP QX410-S02CA has a 2.66 GHz Intel Core i5 processor and a NVIDIA GeForce 310M graphic card, which make for fast 3D gaming or HD video editing. The performance is variable and the processor throttles down when you are surfing or writing a report (thus consuming less power), and speeds up when the application requires it.

The Samsung NP-QX410-S02CA features 4GB DDR3 RAM, a 500GB hard drive, a built-in webcam, 3 USB ports, 802.11abg/n WiFi Capable/WIMAX, Bluetooth, a 4-in-1 (SD, SDHC, SDXC, MMC) card slot, an HDMI port, a VGA and a RJ45 (LAN) connection. There is also an input for a microphone and an output for a headphone.

The edge-to-edge back-lit screen is brillant and sharp. The laptop weighs slightly over 5 lb (2.3 kg) with standard battery and measures 13.7 X 9.7 inches (34.8 X 24.6 cm). The thickness is barely over 1 inch (2.7 cm).

Whereas most laptops are getting rid of the DVD drive to save on size and weight, Samsung chose to keep it. With the HDMI port you can connect it to your HDTV to watch movies in high resolution.

Other Features

• The USB port allows you to recharge USB devices without having to power on your computer.
• The Easy Content Share enables DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) devices to interconnect and share video, music and photos. All the latest Samsung TV and multimedia players come equipped with the DLNA feature. You can wirelessly transmit your video clips to your Samsung TV without connecting it through a cable.
• A security lock port for a Kensington key lock.
• The Samsung Recovery Solution enables you to reinstall the drivers and the system software.

Battery Life

After performance, battery life is one of the most important issue for a laptop. Most of the laptops will not exceed 4 hours, which is not enough to last a day if you are always on the go necessitating a frantic search for an appropriate power outlet to recharge.

Notebooks with the low power Intel Atom CPU can reach up to 5 to 7 hours but they have small screen sizes and are not suitable for gaming.

Samsung claims that its 6-cell battery can last up to 7.7 hours. We are not sure what screen settings and applications you run most often. We did use it to watch DVDs for about 4.75 hours before it went into hibernation. When we run several applications simultaneously, the battery lasted between 4 and 5 hours. Switching off the wireless feature will probably increase the battery life, but since most of us go online, this is not practical. Recharging the battery takes about 2 hours.

Screen

The screen is 14-in. but looks bigger. The image is bright and crisp. The glossiness did not bother us at all. The viewing angle is good though, like all laptops screens (glossy or matt), it’s not great under the sun.

Sound

The sound from most laptops tends to be tiny. The sound from the Samsung is actually quite strong though (2 X 1.5 watts stereo speakers with a sub-woofer), of course, not as good as from a pair of dedicated external speakers. The SRS feature improves the bass. We like the sound and are impressed at how loud it can be.

Heat & Noise

Depending on whether you actually use your laptop on your lap or not, the heat generated by a laptop can become an issue. A hot laptop is never pleasant to use, whether the bottom or the top gets too hot to use comfortably after a few hours. Fortunately, the Samsung NP-QX410 does not get overly warm and is pleasant to work with. It is also very quiet and we never heard any loud fan noise.

Keyboard

We like the keyboard with the elevated palm rest and the large touchpad. The key buttons are large, easy to press and quiet.

Tests Results

How does the Samsung NP-QX410-S02CA compare to the other laptops? We used the PerformanceTest 7.0 to evaluate the performance of the computer and compare the results with those of the Thinkpad X220, which had received considerable positive reviews.

The Samsung NP-QX410-S02CA fares pretty well compared to the Thinkpad X220. Although both are equipped with an Intel Core i5 processor (M 560 @ 2.66 GHz for the Samsung and 2520M @ 2.50 GHz for the Thinkpad), the Thinkpad X220 far exceeds the Samsung NP-QX410-S02CA in processing power.

The Samsung fares better in 3D-Graphics, and is equal or better in CD and disk speed. Note the Thinkpad comes standard with 8 MB RAM, twice that of the Samsung, so we should expect better performance in the Thinkpad.

Conclusion

The Samsung NP-QX410-S02CA is a solidly built laptop with an aesthetic design. Although it is not meant for heavy gaming and video processing, it is powerful enough to handle most games, including 3D, as the test results show. There should also be no problem if you want to use it for video and audio editing. Its relatively long battery life, even though not 7 hours, is a definitely plus. We like the bright LED screen as it is easy on the eyes. If you already have a TV with DLNA feature, the Samsung would be a good fit.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10

Just Posted! Panasonic ZS10 / TZ20 Review

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 / TZ20 is a compact ultra zoom digital camera with 14.1MP resolution (on a 1/2.33-in. MOS), 16x wide-angle optical zoom (24-380mm equiv.), optical Image Stabilization, 3.0-in. (460k-dot) Smart Touch LCD, 3D Photo Mode, Touch AF Tracking, Intelligent Scene Selector, Intelligent AUTO (iA) mode, GPS, and Full 1080p HD movie 1920 x 1080. Find out if it is still the perfect travel camera.

[ Read more in our Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS10 / TZ20 Review... ]

Samsung SH100

Just Posted! Samsung SH100 Review

The Samsung SH100 is an ultra compact digital camera with built-in Wi-Fi capability. It is sleek and well built, with a touch screen interface that smartphone users will instantly feel comfortable using. In fact, the overall user experience is a pleasant one. Find out more about the SH100′s pretty impressive wireless capabilities.

[ Read more in our Samsung SH100 Review... ]