Friday, January 13, 2012
CES/PMA 2012 Round-up: Compact Cameras
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 12:00 PM
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 12:00 PM
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 07:00 PM
"Let's be crystal clear here -- Casio's playing up the design angle hard on the Tryx. And unsurprisingly so, might we add. The chassis is undoubtedly the differentiating factor that separates this shooter from a myriad others that are currently cluttering store shelves, but the real question is this: does it matter?"
Way back during CES 2011, I commented that the Tryx "does not sound like a very well-recieved camera to me". Well, the first consumer (Engadget's more mainstream consumer tech after all) review is out, and it does not look good. I'm pretty surprised no mention of the fixed 21mm equivalent lens is mentioned, but hey, when the battery life is bad, I guess that pretty much eclipses focal length choices in the list of complaints. Head on to the review to read how bad the battery life is.
Posted by Jason Dunn in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 03:00 PM
The "tiny video camera that you can slip in your pocket" market is more than a little crowded, and certainly getting chomped on by the new breed of cell phones capable of recording 720p video, but Casio has managed to come up with an interesting design that stands out from the competition. I've been looking for something with a larger screen, and better low-light performance, to replace my aging Flip Mino HD, so when this product his the market I'll be taking a close look at it...
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 08:20 AM
Casio over the years has always tried to be innovative. Sometimes they do things like build solid compacts with good image quality, or try to impress like their high speed video modes. Then there are times like this...
This is essentially a mashup of a pocket camcorder, stills camera, a digital photo frame, with a flourish of a cameraphone thanks to a dinky LED light. It is a 12 megapixel shooter with an articulating 3" HVGA LCD screen (or should that be articulating camera) and a fixed... 21mm equivalent lens. Now, I like my ultra-wides and all, but a consumer cam with a fixed ultra-wide does not sound like a very well-recieved camera to me. The 1080p videos better crop a portion of the sensor out, because ultra-wide lenses do not give a pleasing effect when whipped around on video, which is what most people are going to do with a lightweight camera like this. I stopped short of naming this the ultimate upskirt camera, given the wide-angle lens and articulating setup...
The TRYX is expected to be available in April for about US$250.
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 08:03 AM
Casio, ah, it's a name I still look out for, even though they're more miss than hit these days. I'm hoping they bring some good stuff this time round; their Best Shot mode was king for mainstream shooting 10 years ago, and still is not shabby even now. The cameras however... well, we will see.
Leading the pack here is the Exlim EX-ZR100, a compact with a 12 megapixel CMOS sensor, sensor-shift stabilised 12.5x 24-300mm equivalent f/3.0-5.9 zoom lens, 3" HVGA LCD, 1080p videeo mode, and Casio's fancy high-speed videos of up to 1000 FPS at thumbnail sizes. There's also a high-speed shooting mode that does 30 ten megapixel images at 40 FPS. Coming in March for US$300.
Next up is the EX-H30, a compact superzoom featuring a 16 megapixel sensor with a sensor-shift stabilised 12.5x 24-300mm equivalent f/3.0-5.9 zoom lens, 720p video... and none of the fancy stuff in the ZR100. It's essentially a cheaper less fancier version of the ZR100, which means it's slightly cheaper, at US$250. Also coming in March.
Lastly we have two similar budget cameras here, the EX-ZS10 and EX-ZS5. Both feature a 14 megapixel sensor with a 5x 26-130mm equivalent zoom lens, with the ZS10 carrying a f/3.2-6.5 lens, and the ZS5 carrying a f/2.8-6.5 lens. The ZS10 does 720p video, while the ZS5 does VGA. A 2.7" LCD screen comes standard for both. Expected in March for US$120 and $100 respectively. $20 just for a few tickboxes. Once again, the budget market...
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 03:30 PM
"Naturally, the inclusion of Hybrid GPS (read: engineered to find a location indoors as well as outdoors) is the standout feature and key differentiator, but the 14.1 megapixel sensor, 10x optical zoom and 720p movie mode are all fine additions. It certainly isn't the slimmest compact on the market, nor the cheapest at $349.99, but do the unique aspects of this thing make the price easier to stand?"
I think Engadget won't be the main place to go to for camera reviews any time, but the interesting thing to highlight here is the Casio's hybrid GPS system, which features the ability to get coordinated even indoors. Engadget tried it and it worked well. Now, any chance of a similar system for DSLRs?
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 12:00 PM
"The Casio EX-FH25 is a new ultra-zoom digital camera, sporting a 20x lens that provides a focal range of 26-520mm and offers sensor-shift image stabilisation to keep things steady. Also onboard the FH25 are a high-speed, high-sensitivity 10-megapixel CMOS sensor, 30 frames per second continuous shooting at 9 megapixels, a special pre-record mode which starts the recording as soon as the shutter is half pressed, and high-speed film recording up to 1000fps. In-camera exposure blending, High-speed Anti Shake and High-speed Night Mode are on-hand to help you make the most of the camera’s capabilities."
PhotographyBLOG certainly reviews cameras quickly, don't they? I posted news of the camera a couple of months back and they have a review of the EX-FH25 already. Unfortunately they were not very impressed with the camera; you really want that high-speed shooting and video to justify this not-very-cheap small-sensor camera.
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 01:00 AM
"It's now more than a year since we published our last superzoom group test and despite the hype surrounding mirrorless system cameras such as Micro Four Thirds or the Sony NEX, and the fact that entry level DSLRs are becoming more and more affordable, superzoom cameras are as popular with consumers as ever. It is easy to see why. The combination of a large zoom range from wideangle to super telephoto, DSLR-like ergonomics and an attractive price point guarantee that these cameras appeal to a very broad audience."
Following up on their travel zoom roundup, Digital Photography Review has released one on the travel zoom's big brothers; the super zoom cameras. As mentioned, despite mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras being the new must-have for manufacturers, the appeal of such "bridge" cameras still lies in their versatility at a low cost. This time round, the winners are not so surprising. Still, I can't imagine going back to using thumbnail-sized sensors in my cameras!
Posted by Lee Yuan Sheng in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 09:30 AM
"The Casio Exilim EX-FH25 is a new hi-zoom camera with a 26-520mm equivalent lens and a high-speed, high-sensitivity 10-megapixel CMOS imager. Featuring sensor-shift image stabilisation, the Casio EX-FH25 can capture photographs at up to 30 frames per second (fps) and a resolution of 9 megapixels."
Casio just announced a pair of superzooms, the EX-FH25 and the EX-H5. The EX-FH25, being part of the "F" lineup, offers consumer high speed videos which even now is mostly Casio's domain. Being able to do high speed videos can be fun; just don't try the 1000 FPS option since the resulting resolution is normally in the range of useless. The EX-H5 is a compact superzoom offering a 24-240mm equivalent zoom lens, joining the party started by Panasonic with its TZ series. Read more...
Posted by Chris Gohlke in "Digital Home Hardware & Accessories" @ 03:00 AM
"The Casio Exilim EX-FH20, like most all megazooms, is basically a puffed-up point-and-shoot camera. However, it's what Casio puffed it up with that sets it apart: the ability to shoot at 40 frames per second and 1,000fps video capture. In fact, these are really the only reasons to choose the FH20 over another megazoom. The camera can be a bit trying to operate, and its photo quality, even at its full 9-megapixel resolution, is just OK, leaning toward mediocre when you factor in the FH20's price tag. Unless you need the speed and the long lens more than you need great-looking photos, you'll probably want to pass on the FH20."
Some pretty cool features, but Casio's decision to implement these features in a camera with fairly poor photo quality is a mystery. Even though I'd really like to with one of these super high fps camera, I agree with the avoid advice for this camera
Posted by Jeremy Charette in "Digital Home Talk" @ 07:00 AM
So my girlfriend tells me I'm working too much, and that I need a hobby. Why not photography? Currently I shoot by numbers. As in, if I take hundreds of photos, statistically speaking, at least a couple will be good. Probably not the best approach.
I've been looking at DSLRs, but I keep coming back to the Casio EX-F1. It's not a DSLR in the strictest sense of the word (there's no movable mirror or optical though the lens viewfinder), but it does so much more than a pure DSLR ever will. HD video, ultra high speed video (up to 1200 fps), 60 fps stills, auto exposure bracketing (useful for HDR), 7 fps flash photos...it seems like there's nothing it can't do. It has a hotshoe for an external flash, and can accept standard 62mm lens filters and attachments. The price tag is a little steep at around $1000 USD, but that's comparable to what an entry level DSLR and some good glass would cost.
So, is the EX-F1 the best prosumer camera on the market...or not?
The Canon PowerShot S100 - The incredibly fun and small camera that offers you 12.1 megapixels with a bright f/2.0 lens and full 1080p video recording . MORE INFO
News Tip or Feedback? Thoughts Media SitesLoading feed...
Loading feed...
Loading feed...
Loading feed...
Loading feed...
Loading feed...
Loading feed...
Loading feed...
Loading feed...
Loading feed...