Review based on a production X100 with Firmware 1.10
Digital camera reviews
Monday, 9 January 2012
Fujifilm FinePix X100 In-Depth Review
Review based on a production X100 with Firmware 1.10
Sigma SD1 Hands-on Preview
Preview based on a pre-production SD1 with firmware 0.94
The SD1 created a great deal of interest at Photokina 2010. Having used Foveon's original 4.7x3MP sensor in its SD and DP series of cameras, Sigma bought the sensor company in 2008 and instructed it to focus its efforts on high quality stills photography - specifically the 15x3MP sensor that the SD1 is built around. Now, not long after the originally-proposed launch date, the SD1 is here.
The first thing to be addressed has to be the price, and let's not dance around this: the SD1 is eye-wateringly expensive. Even with Sigma listing lens kits for pre-order at significantly below its own suggested price for the body alone, it's still a hugely expensive piece of kit. The company is talking in terms of the SD1 being a portable alternative to medium format cameras (which may not be entirely unfair, as the sensor has the potential to produce resolution similar to a 30MP Bayer-type sensor).
Sony Alpha DSLR-A580 Review
Review based on a production Sony DSLR-A580 with firmware version 1.11
The Sony DSLR-A580 is near-identical in terms of design and operation to its predecessor the DSLR-A550, and in terms of image quality very similar to its sister-model the SLT-A55. For this review we have therefore slightly shortened our usual review format, concentrating on the differences to the A550 and A55 respectively. To learn everything about the camera you are interested in, we recommend reading not only this review but also the full reviews of the DSLR-A550 and SLT-A55.
The Sony DSLR-A580 was announced, together with the SLT-A55, in August 2010. In Sony's slightly convoluted DSLR line-up it is firmly located in the mid-level bracket, competing with cameras such as the Canon EOS 600D/Rebel T3i and Nikon D5100.
Nikon Coolpix P300
Review based on a production Nikon P300, firmware v1.0
Pentax Q
Preview based on a pre-production Pentax Q running firmware 1.0
The Pentax Q is the smallest interchangeable lens camera on the market. And, just like the company's famously diminutive Auto 110 SLR from the late 70's, it achieves this by embracing a smaller format than its peers. Being built around a 1/2.3" sensor, the Q is a fraction of the size of even the smallest existing mirrorless cameras and is the first really pocketable model (though the protruding lens still means that'll have to be the pocket of your jacket, rather than your shirt or trousers).
Ricoh GXR Mount A12 Hands-on Preview
Preview based on a pre-production GXR Mount A12 with firmware 01
The ability to resuscitate classic manual focus lenses has been one of the unexpected side-effects of the development of mirrorless camera systems. Ricoh has responded to this trend by introducing the Mount A12 module for its GXR system. This module, featuring a Leica-style M mount, allows the fitting of a wide range of lenses onto a GXR body for the first time.
The GXR system may originally have aimed to offer optimized combinations of lens, sensor and processor, but the customer demand for the ability to mount other lenses was too much for Ricoh to ignore. There is, after all, a certain appeal to shooting a well-built metal lens on a small camera, but very few of us are willing to move back to film in order to experience it, or to spend considerable sums on a digital Leica. Ricoh clearly isn't content to sit on the sidelines as the mirrorless systems begin to respond to this pent-up demand.
Panasonic DMC-GF3 Review
Review based on a production DMC-GF3, Firmware version 1.0
With the arrival of the GF3, Panasonic further solidifies the distinctions between its existing G-series lineup. The enthusiast-targeted rangefinder aesthetic heralded by the introduction of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 appears for the moment to have given way to a new directive; producing the smallest, lightest G-series camera possible. The move towards smaller, lighter large-sensor cameras with fewer external controls is not limited to Panasonic of course, as both Olympus and Sony are also courting the mass market aggressively.
Olympus PEN E-P3 in-depth review
Review based on a production E-P3 running firmware 1.0
The Olympus PEN E-P3 looks a lot like its forebears - not just the E-P1 and E-P2 but, just as significantly, the company's film era Pen F camera. Significantly because, in an age in which the major electronics giants are building their photographic presence, Olympus is one of only a handful of companies with genuine heritage to turn to. And, despite modern cameras making high image quality more accessible than ever, there is an undeniable reverence for the look and feel of 1960s cameras.
Sony NEX-C3
Review based on a production NEX-C3 with firmware 01
The NEX-C3 is the first of Sony's second generation of mirrorless cameras, following the introduction of the 14MP NEX-3 and NEX-5 in mid-2010. If these first two models showed how committed Sony is to offering APS-C capabilities in a compact form factor, the point is underlined by the arrival of the still-smaller C3.
Sony is one of the companies with most to gain from a widespread adoption of mirrorless cameras. The inroads it made into the conventional DSLR market were pretty modest compared to its ambition, and there's clearly an opportunity to combine its in-house expertise from its Cyber-shot compacts with the interchangeable lens know-how it gained when it bought Konica Minolta, back in 2006.
Nikon CoolPix P7100 Preview
Preview based on a pre-production CoolPix P7100
When Nikon released the CoolPix P7000 last year, several commentators, including ourselves, remarked on its uncanny resemblance to the Canon Powershot G-series. Clearly intended to compete with Canon's G-series in the high-end compact camera market, the raw-enabled P7000 offered very similar ergonomics, as well as near-identical top-level specifications to the Powershot G12. Sadly, although it was capable of producing excellent image quality, the P7000 was plagued with poor operational speed and frustratingly glitchy on-screen menus. The overall impression was of a camera which was almost, but not quite finished for public release. It was a camera that we wanted to love, but just couldn't.
Samsung NX200 Hands-on Preview
Preview based on a pre-production NX200 with firmware 0.84
The Samsung NX200 is the company's fifth NX camera but only the third body design, and represents a significant step up for the series. It's built around a completely new 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor and wrapped in the series' first all-metal body. The result is a handsome camera of similar size to Sony's NEX models but one that takes a rather different approach.
Rather than offering a super-simplified interface for users upgrading from point-and-shoots, then a very different approach for more experienced photographers wanting to use the PASM modes, Samsung's NX200 has a single, consistent interface across all modes. The company appears to believe that a well-designed interface can be approachable to beginners without limiting the potential for more experienced users. To this end, it has refreshed its user interface, adding a simple interactive control screen that it calls 'Smart Panel,' which offers clear and quick access to all the key shooting settings.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH7 is a slim, stylish compact camera with a 16MP CCD sensor and a 4x optically-stabilized zoom lens, which covers a useful 28-112mm (equivalent) range. Similar in most respects to its predecessor the FH5, the FH7 features a new touch-sensitive LCD screen, which enables Touch AF - a feature which has trickled down from higher-end Lumix cameras which allows you to focus and release the shutter by simply touching the display.
With the FH7, Panasonic is squarely targeting the consumer-level point-and-shoot market, and as such, apart from its stylish, minimalist design, the camera is packed with beginner-friendly and 'lifestyle' features. Beauty retouch, Aesthetic and Makeup filters are all designed to quickly polish portrait photographs, and a built-in Image Uploader is intended to make it easy to upload captured files to Facebook or YouTube when either the camera, or memory card, are connected to an Internet-enabled computer. Speaking of connectivity, the FH7 does not feature an HDMI connection, only USB 2.0 for connection to a computer or television (AV out).
Canon PowerShot S100 Review
Review based on a production Canon PowerShot S100
When Canon revived its PowerShot S range with the S90 in August 2009, it was in acknowledgement of a clear demand from enthusiast photographers for high quality yet pocketable cameras offering extensive manual control. The S95, which followed almost exactly a year later, stuck with much the same formula - a relatively large sensor (at least in compact camera terms), a 28-105mm equivalent zoom lens with a fast F2 maximum aperture at wideangle, and a multi-functional control dial around the lens. But while its successor, the S100, looks much the same again on the outside, it is to all intents and purposes a brand new camera.
Crucially, the S100's three key imaging elements are all entirely new. The lens range has been extended wider and longer, to a 24-120mm equivalent 5x zoom; it retains the fast F2 maximum aperture at wideangle but is limited to a rather less-impressive F5.9 at telephoto (an inevitable consequence of the camera's compact dimensions). Secondly the S100 debuts Canon's latest DIGIC 5 image processor, which the company says is six times faster than the previous version, allowing more sophisticated image processing and noise reduction. But perhaps most significantly, the S100's image sensor is a Canon-made 12.1 MP 'high sensitivity' CMOS sensor in the 1/1.7" format (approx 7.5 x 5.5mm); only the second home-grown sensor the company has used in a compact camera after the PowerShot SX1 IS of 2008.
Canon says the new sensor employs technology similar to that used in its EOS SLRs, including an on-chip noise cancellation system, and microlenses which cover more of the sensor area to improve its light-gathering characteristics. The company claims that this results in reduced noise and increased dynamic range; the maximum available ISO has accordingly been increased to 6400. A 4-channel readout system also improves the continuous shooting rate, up to 2.3 fps compared to the S95's maximum framerate of 1.9 fps. For real speed freaks there's also a scene mode that can capture 8 frames at an impressive 9.6 fps, but it's limited to JPEG images only, with no manual control.
The new sensor also allows the S100 to offer this year's must-have feature: full HD movie recording at 1920x1080 resolution, with a 24P output framerate. Unlike the S95, optical zoom is available while recording movies. This enhanced video capability is supported by a revised control layout, that now includes a direct movie recording button underneath your thumb on the back of the camera. Other features enabled by the new sensor and processor include user control over noise reduction, and a white balance system that can adjust different areas of the image separately to compensate for mixed lighting (when the camera is set to Smart Auto mode).
The lens's optical image stabilization system has been updated too, with no fewer than 7 modes available for different purposes including macro, panning, video, and tripod work. The 'Intelligent IS' system will automatically select the mode it considers most appropriate for the current shooting situation. The S100's lens also gains a built-in neutral density filter, as seen on PowerShot G series, to allow the use of larger apertures in bright sunlight.
Also new to the S100 is its built-in GPS unit, similar to that used in the PowerShot SX230 HS 'travel zoom'. This not only allows you to tag images with the location at which they were taken, but also includes a logger function that can keep track of your movements (regardless of whether or not you're taking pictures) and plot the result on Google Maps.
In terms of external design, the S100 gains subtle finger and thumb grips, which should reduce the chances of it slipping from your grasp if you're not paying due care and attention. The camera is also available in a 'titanium silver' version alongside the more conventional black - this is not the shiny silver of the Elph / Ixus series, but a darker, matte-finish look.
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The S100 is available in an understated matte 'titanium' finish, as well as in black. |
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Compared to PowerShot S95 - key differences
The S100 is in effect a whole new camera compared to the S95; almost every key feature has been upgraded or updated:
- 24-120mm (equivalent) lens range, F2.0-5.9, built-in neutral density filter
- 12.1 MP 1/1.7" Canon CMOS sensor
- DIGIC 5 image processor
- ISO 80-6400
- 2.3 fps continuous shooting (9.6 fps for 8 frames in High-Speed burst mode)
- Full HD (1080p24) movie recording; H.264 compression, MOV format
- Optical zoom in movie mode
- Super slow motion movie recording (640 x 480 @ 120fps, 320 x 240 @ 240 fps)
- Direct movie record button
- Built-in GPS unit with image tagging and logger functions
PowerShot S100 vs PowerShot S95 - side-by-side
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| From the front, the S100 looks very much like the S95. It's fractionally taller to accommodate the GPS unit, and has a minimalist finger-grip on the front too. |
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| From the back the most obvious change is the S100's red direct movie recording button, but a few other buttons have changed function too. The 'Ring Func' button is customisable, offering similar options to the S95's 'S' button. |
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| The S100 is, if anything, marginally slimmer than its predecessor. The shutter button is larger, with a shiny silver finish, and the addition of the GPS unit has resulted in the displacement of the Ring Func button from the top plate. |
Ricoh GR Digital IV Preview
Preview based on a pre-production Ricoh GDR IV running firmware 1.02
With the announcement of the GR Digital IV, Ricoh updates its premium compact camera model. A successor to the GR Digital III, the GRD IV retains key elements from its predecessor. A fixed 28mm F1.9 lens sits in front of a 10MP 1/1.7" type CCD sensor, capable only of VGA video output. There's also a built-in pop-up flash and hotshoe. However, dig a little deeper and the changes are considerably more extensive.
Ricoh has taken the opportunity to introduce numerous enhancements to the GRD IV. As you might expect, there's an updated image processor that Ricoh is using to wring more out of the sensor. Beyond this the most notable addition is an image stabilization system that uses sensor-shift to counteract camera shake. Ricoh also adds its 'Hybrid AF' system with which they claim a 2x improvement in AF speed over the GRD III. And, in what has become something of a Ricoh tradition, the GRD IV features a cutting-edge display: Sony's WhiteMagic RGBW LCD screen that promises greater luminance than traditional LCD displays while consuming less power.
Olympus PEN Lite / E-PL3 Review
Review based on a production E-PL3, Firmware version 1.0
The Olympus PEN Lite/E-PL3 is identical in terms of output to the recently reviewed Olympus E-P3. We have tested to verify image quality (and of course include these tests in the review). Where appropriate, you will find our comments and judgements identical to those expressed in our in-depth review of the Olympus E-P3. Much of the original content in this article then is devoted to assessing features and functionality unique to the E-PL3.
From the outset, Olympus has positioned its E-PL lineup as a simplified, lower-cost alternative to its higher-end E-Px cameras. The release of the third generation Olympus PEN E-PL3 (dubbed PEN Lite) continues this tradition while sporting much of the functionality and nearly all of the performance gains of its big brother, the Olympus E-P3. One difference this time around, however, is the simultaneous arrival of the E-PM1/PEN Mini, which now becomes the entry-level model in the PEN lineup. The PEN Lite sits between the PEN Mini and Olympus' flagship E-P3, offering a combination of external control points and compact-camera-like handling that may appeal to those who want high image quality in a small package, and are ready to move beyond an 'auto everything' experience.
Sony SLT-A35 Review
Preview based on a production SLT-A35 with firmware 1.00
The format of this review has been slightly shortened as the Sony SLT-A35 is in terms of operation and image output very similar to the Sony SLT-A55 that we reviewed in August 2010. To learn everything about the SLT-A35 we recommend reading not only this review but also the full review of the SLT-A55.
The Sony SLT-A35 marks the second wave of Sony's radical SLT design, and does so in a way that offers to put the technology into more people's hands. This entry-level model incorporates almost all the features of the original A33 and A55, but includes what Sony promises is an improved 16MP sensor and handful of extra processing options. The only real losses are the articulated rear screen and $50 from the MSRP of the 18-55mm lens kit, compared to the A33, taking it down to $699.
Almost from the moment it bought Konica Minolta's DSLR division, Sony has been working on offering DSLRs with truly usable live view. Rather than clumsily adding live view to a conventional DSLR design, Sony has tried to offer it while retaining one of the key features that make DSLRs so desirable - their fast autofocus system. Its first attempts, using a secondary live view sensor built into the viewfinder prism, were promising but often resulted in cameras with distinctly different behavior depending on whether you were shooting in live view or optical viewfinder mode.
Sony NEX-5N review
Review based on a production NEX-5N with firmware 01
The Sony Alpha NEX-5N is the fourth model in Sony's NEX line of APS-C format mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. Just as the NEX-C3 replaces the NEX-3, the 5N is a direct replacement for its predecessor the NEX-5, using the company's latest 16.1MP CMOS sensor in place of the previous 14MP chip. Although the 5N is nearly indistinguishable from the NEX-5 on the outside (and is bound to be regarded as such by many casual observers), it is actually a very different camera, and one that is worthy of serious attention.
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX100V review
Review based on a production DSC-HX100V running firmware 1.0
The Sony Cyber-shot HX100V is the latest in a series of 'superzoom' cameras from Sony which are intended to combine the versatility and portability of compact cameras with a DSLR-like form factor and operational ergonomics. With the HX100V, Sony brings a host of new and updated features to its flagship superzoom model. The most obvious of these changes include a 16MP 'Exmor R' back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 30x optical zoom and full HD 1080p video capture. The HX100V mimics the form factor and handling of an entry-level DSLR in a package housing a 27-810mm equivalent zoom lens and a compact camera-sized 1/2.3" CMOS sensor.
Nikon V1 review
Nikon's 1 system represents the company's arrival in the mirrorless interchangeable lens camera market. Like its rivals, the company says it is targeting the compact camera user who wants better quality but is put off by the size and complexity of a DSLR. We spoke to the company when the system was first launched and wrote about our first impressions.
Fujifilm X10 review
The revival of the enthusiast camera sector over the past few years has been a surprising but welcome development in the industry. The widespread acclaim for the Panasonic LX3 has encouraged other manufacturers to join or re-enter the fray with high-end offerings of their own, resulting in excellent, high-spec cameras such as the Samsung TL500, Olympus XZ-1 and Canon S95.
Now it's time for Fujifilm to play its hand, which it has done with its X10. Conceptually it borrows our favorite features from the two distinct sub-types that have emerged in this category - it takes the fast lens from cameras such as the TL500 and XZ-1 and combines it with the optical viewfinder and extensive controls of the Canon G12 and Nikon P7100. Just to finish things off, Fujifilm wraps the whole thing in magnesium alloy bodywork that evokes its big brother, the X100 and the 1960's rangefinders it borrowed its styling from.
The X10's innards are as progressive as its exterior is staid. It features a 12MP, '2/3" type' sensor, which means it's between 26% and 40% larger than the sensors used by its enthusiast compact peers and twice as large as those used in almost all regular compacts. It also uses the company's unique 'EXR' technology that makes it easy to combine pairs of pixels to produce 6MP images that have either been averaged to reduce noise or differently exposed so that more highlight information is captured. The underlying chip uses conventional CMOS arrangement, rather than the back-side illuminated type that can help improve light capture in small sensors.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 review
Preview based on a pre-production DMC-GX1 with firmware 0.1
Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GX1 is the company's latest addition to its G-series lineup. And although the camera bears the '1' appendage in its model name, it is clear from even a cursory glance that with the GX1, Panasonic has provided the long-awaited spiritual successor to the highly regarded Lumix DMC-GF1. Of perhaps even greater significance, the move to introduce a separate GX product line (as opposed to releasing the camera as a 'GF4') would seem to suggest a long-term commitment by the camera maker to meet the demands of enthusiasts who embraced the GF1.
Launched back in 2009, the GF1 was, ironically, Panasonic's attempt to court compact-camera owners looking to upgrade, with what was then billed as, 'the world's smallest, lightest interchangeable lens camera'. Instead, the GF1's high quality Raw output and classic rangefinder aesthetic gained a strong and passionate following in the enthusiast market. DSLR owners looking for a second 'go-anywhere' camera with high image quality embraced the camera's external control points and its relatively compact Micro Four Thirds lens offerings.
Olympus E-PM1 review
Review based on a production E-PM1 running firmware 1.0
The classically-styled PEN series of Micro Four Thirds interchangeable lens cameras has given Olympus the opportunity to draw attention to the small, popular half-frame models that it produced in its film heyday. But it wasn't just the size and style of the PEN and Trip cameras that lay behind their success - it was also their simplicity. And it's this ethos that explains the E-PM1, or PEN Mini as it is likely to be promoted to its target audience.
The Pen Mini really does live up to its name. With a prime or collapsible kit zoom lens mounted, it is very small indeed. It isn't quite pocketable, but it's undeniably more convenient to carry around than any DSLR.
Sony NEX-7 review
When Sony first introduced its range of mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras in May 2010, the company was very clear about who it thought would buy the NEX-5 and its near-identical-twin NEX-3. Small cameras with APS-C sensors, we were told, would appeal to compact camera users who wanted to upgrade but would be intimidated by the bulk and perceived complexity of an SLR. The cameras were a sales success (especially in Japan), and their influence on this sector of the market has become increasingly clear, with Olympus's PEN E-PL3 paying extensive homage to their key design features, and Panasonic stripping-down its GF line from the enthusiast-friendly DMC-GF1 to the distinctly beginner-orientated DMC-GF3.
In practice, though, it wasn't just beginners buying these cameras. Many enthusiast photographers have been equally attracted to the promise of excellent image quality in a small, highly portable camera, fuelled by the ability to adapt almost any lens to fit. To its credit Sony has taken note and steadily increased the NEXs' appeal, with successive firmware updates to improve usability and add features.
Sony SLT-A65 Review
The Sony SLT-A65 was launched alongside the the long-awaited replacement for the DSLR-A700. Although somewhat overshadowed by its higher-end stablemate at the time of its launch, the cheaper SLT-A65 has more mass-market potential and we believe there's every chance it's the A65 that will have the greater long-term impact.
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