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What you just heard was the sound of five new FinePix cameras popping out of Fujifilm’s doors. Yippie! If all goes well, we’ll be seeing these SDHC-loving / xD-hating babies from late August. Let’s start working through the list: the 12 megapixel, 720p-video (24fps) F300EXR boasts auto-focus speeds that are “as good as” DSLRs, all thanks to the camera’s hybrid auto-focus system — a combination of Contrast AF (as used on most compacts) and Phase Detection AF (as found on most DSLRs). Other goodies include a wide 15x (24-360mm equivalent) “low noise” zoom lens, 3-inch high contrast 460k-dot LCD on the back, ISO settings up to a staggering 12,800, face detection and recognition (the latter lets you store optimum exposure and focus settings for up to eight faces), 360˚ panorama shooting mode, HDMI output, and image stabilization on the second-gen Super CCD EXR sensor. The price? You’ll have to cough up $329.95 for this bad boy.

Read on for the rest of the family.

Continue reading Fujifilm shoots out five new cameras: F300EXR, Z800EXR, Z80, JX280 and S2800HD

Fujifilm shoots out five new cameras: F300EXR, Z800EXR, Z80, JX280 and S2800HD originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cellphones with front-facing cameras might be all the rage right now, but Samsung continues to lead the field of cameras with front-facing screens — it’s bringing its total count of DualView cameras to six with the new flagship ST100 (pictured) and ST600. In addition to sharing a new larger 1.8-inch front screen, both cams feature the same 14.2 megapixel sensor with ISO 3200 sensitivity, a 3.5-inch rear display, and a new “jump shot” mode that uses the front screen to cue a group of people to jump and then fires off three quick snaps to capture the action. Adorable, we know. You’re also getting 720p video recording, a gesture-driven touchscreen interface, and smart face recognition that can recognize up to six manually chosen people and 14 automatically registered people. The big difference between the two is the lens — the $329 ST600 sports a protruding 5x wide angle optical zoom lens, while the $349 ST100 slims things down with a new 5x internal optical zoom. No exact word on ship dates yet, but you’ll be able to pick both of these up in a variety of metallic colors when they do hit — joy. PR after the break.

Continue reading Samsung ST100 and ST600 cams take DualView screens to the high end

Samsung ST100 and ST600 cams take DualView screens to the high end originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 10:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever since we heard that Nikon was joining the league of mirrorless cameras, the whole world’s been waiting for its arch rival to make the next move in the battle of smaller prosumer cameras. Today, Canon finally gave away some hints about which camp it’ll side with — probably just sticking with traditional DSLRs, but smaller. Canon’s Masaya Maeda didn’t share any specific details, but here’s how he dodged Reuters‘ inquiry: “It’s not a question of whether or not you have a mirror. There is a consumer need for good-quality cameras to be made smaller. We will meet this need.” And to add some icing to that bland statement, Maeda reinforced that it wouldn’t be a challenge for his company to retain a mirror (hence a viewfinder, which is essential for obtaining better results and higher shooting rates) in a smaller design, and that they’ve made very small SLR cameras before (likely in reference to the film era). Whatever happens, here’s hoping that Canon’s new toy won’t be any bigger than the much-loved G11.

Canon developing smaller DSLRs to compete with mirrorless cameras? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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While Sony may have its pricey NEX-VG10 camcorder sucking up the limelight at yesterday’s showcase, let’s not forget the electronic giant’s more humble photographic devices. Just a few steps away we stumbled upon these near-identical Alpha A390 and A290 entry-level DSLRs, with the former donning a tilting LCD and live view capability to live up to its bigger price tag. We can’t comment on picture quality due to the lack of sample shots, but we were certainly impressed by both cameras’ build quality — kudos to Sony for the much improved grip, and we also liked the firm chassis (plus its various knobs and flaps) that didn’t feel cheap despite sounding hollow. On a similar note, the 2.7-inch LCD looked sharp and served us well for all purposes, although we didn’t get to test it outdoor. What really bewildered us was the lens continuously auto-focusing while the camera remained stationary — that couldn’t be good for the battery, and we’d like to see how battery life fares in upcoming reviews. Anyhow, enjoy our hands-on photos.

Sony Alpha A390 and A290 DSLRs hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d obviously take this one with a grain (or two) of salt, but Nikon Rumors has it that Nikon’s fixing to give entry level DSLR buyers yet another option in the not-too-distant future. Of course, with the planet’s largest photo show coming up in just a few months (Photokina, if you’re curious), it’s about time that some of these rumors start to pick up traction. Truth be told, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the D3100 — a few months ago it was being bandied about as the D4000. Word on the street has it that the shooter will boast a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor, a dozen autofocus points and a fixed LCD on the rear (read: no swivel). But that’s just the beginning; the D3100 will purportedly boast 1080p and 720p movie modes, and each will support continuous autofocus while filming. Yeah, you read that right — continuous autofocus in video mode. That’s a killer feature that we’ve been begging for ever since the D90 became a reality, and while we’ll probably want to swap out the stock 18-55mm lens for something with a bit more flexibility, we couldn’t be happier to hear of these features hitting Nikon’s range. Look forward to a price and release “in a few weeks.” We are.

Nikon D3100 to split the D5000 / D3000 difference? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve all waited close to two years for this day to come, and now that it has, just a single question remains: “Does your credit card have the space?” Sigma’s SD15 — which is outfitted with a 14 megapixel Foveon X3 sensor, 3-inch LCD, True II processor, an ISO range from 50 to 3,200 extended) and support for SD / SDHC cards — is now available to order on American soil. Better still, both B&H Photo and Adorama show the beast as “in stock” for just under a grand ($989, if we’re counting), and the fine folks over at Akihabara News have managed to wrangle one for a glorious unboxing. Dig into those links below if you’re hungry for more, but don’t blame us if you come away a fair bit poorer.

Sigma’s mysterious SD15 DSLR finally ships to US, gets unboxed enthusiastically originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Letcool 350JP game console does double duty as handheld, digital camera originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Another entrant has entered the Micro Four Thirds ring, and it’s Panasonic delivering the Lumix DMC-G2 — a new shooter with similar still performance but, this time, some rather nice enhancements, the most major being a three-inch articulating touchscreen. You can control some aspects of the camera with a touch, perhaps most useful being tap-to-focus augmented by the camera keeping focus on whatever you tapped on, even if it moves around. But, a full suite of physical buttons and dials still await your fingers, enabling you to tweak settings without fiddling with menus. The 720p video recording now supports AVCHD, giving your SDHC or SDXC memory card a break, and there’s an input for an optional stereo mic. Ultimately still performance here is said to be identical to Panasonic’s more budget-minded DMC-G10, which clocks in $200 cheaper than the G2’s MSRP of $799, but lacks 720p video and the fancy touchscreen. Worth the extra cost? That depends on how deep your pockets are.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 reviewed, premium features warrant its premium price originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s sort of affordable by Mamiya standards, but the $17,990 asking price affixed to the outfit’s new RZ33 large-sensor digital camera kit is still apt to detract all but the most professional of professionals. Boasting a 33 megapixel CCD sensor, CompactFlash support and a promise to produce mind-blowing images, this beast-of-a-digicam is said to offer “cable-free digital operation [that's] just as smooth and trouble-free as shooting with film.” As you’d expect, it’s fully compatible with all RZ system lenses, viewfinders and (most) accessories, and you’ll also find rack and pinion bellows focusing, inbuilt vertical-horizontal rotation and an optional interchangeable power winder. Hit the source link for the nitty-gritty, but only if you’ve got the cheddar to cover the biggest impulse buy of your life.

Mamiya churns out 33 megapixel RZ33 digital camera: yours for $18k originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic FZ35 and Canon SX20 IS superzoom cameras shoot it out in group test, rise to the top originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 16:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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