CameraRec » Thoughts

New Superzoom Leica Announced – Don’t buy!

toby — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:50:08 +0000

Leica announced a new 24x zoom today- The V Lux 3 – Available in January, sporting a 12.1MP CMOS sensor. The camera has a 4.5 – 108mm F2.8-5.2 image stabilized lens, equivalent to 25-600mm in 35mm film terms. The camera can do 1080p60 video capture with stereo audio and 12fps. Sound good? You could save yourself a whole bunch of waiting and save a few hundred dollars by buying the Panasonic FZ150. Seriously it is the same camera minus the Leica red dot. The FZ150, released this past August is quickly becoming one of my favorite superzooms. All the features of the above – which includes RAW shooting, serious FPS and loads of optical zoom make this an excellent choice for photographers wanting DSLR like performance in a smaller more affordable package. You still aren’t going to get the virtual zero shutter lag of using a DSLR but for just a tad over $400 this is a good deal.

7D vs iPhone 4s

toby — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:46:22 +0000

Quick and unscientific comparison of the Canon 7D with 24 f/1.4 L Lens vs the iPhone 4S

Canon 7D w/ 24 f/1.4 L Lens - 1/30s f/2.5 ISO 5000

iPhone 4s 1/15s at f/2.4 ISO 800 - HDR: On

iPhone 4s 1/15s at f/2.4 ISO 800 HDR: Off

50% crop, 7D resized to match. iPhone Left, 7D Right

iPhone 4s camera – Lag time compared

toby — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 01:43:37 +0000

“The camera has been improved: the 4S has an 8 megapixel sensor shooting pics at 3264 x 2448 resolution. That’s 60% more pixels that the old iPhone’s camera. The iPhone 4S’ camera has backside illumination, the new sensor will allow the camera to gather 73% more light, and it’s faster than the iPhone 4′s old camera. The new Image Signal Processor Apple designed will also enable face detection and 26% better white balance. Apple has compared the iPhone 4S’ camera loading times to other phones, and it turned out the iPhone 4S shoots the first photo in a second, with the second picture to follow in 0.5 seconds. ” Source: Mac Stories

I don’t really care about the comparissons to other phones, lets see how those times stack up against a few popular P&S cameras. My favorite little all around P&S is currently the HS300 which is ready to shoot in 0.36 seconds, the budget A495 Canon is a little slower at 0.42 seconds. To add in a dash of fairness that assumes these cameras are on and not asleep. If you look at time to turn on and be ready for a shot we are somwhere north of two seconds – an eternity if something exciting is happening. Sure the iPhone takes MUCH longer to turn on but how often do you actually have it off off, not just asleep. With the addition of the camera button on the lock screen iOS5 you are looking at a very respectable time and one that will often beat these P&S to the action. Used carefully the Iphone4 camera was capable of some excellent low light, low noise shots like and now the addition of more Megapixels, the backlit sensor and slightly faster lens and we may see the P&S market tanking even faster – Then again the P&S market doesn’t require an expensive month to month contract. One last thought The iPhone 4S does 1080p video recording with image stabilization(using the built in gyroscope) and temporal noise reduction)basically compares each frame and makes a guess as to what is noise and what is detail, tossing out much of the former). We should see some very nice video from this camera too and all with the ability to edit on the go. . . I would love to hear your thoughts – interested? Find me at http://www.facebook.com/Digital.Photo.Recommendations or on Twitter @camerarec

New Fuji X10 and Olympus Pen Mini

toby — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 15:05:41 +0000

Let’s take a quick look- on several levels these cameras are not in the same class, and may appeal to different photographers. A few key specs followed by my thoughts -

	Fujifilm X10	Olympus PEN Mini
Interchangeable Lenses	NO 4x zoom (28-112mm)	YES
Sensor Size	2/3″ EXR-CMOS	4/3″ Hi-Speed Live MOS Sensor
MP	12 MP	12.1 MP
Movie Mode	• 1920 x 1080 Full HD, 30fps • Stereo sound	• 1920 x 1080 Full HD, 30fps • Stereo sound
Optical Viewfinder	Yes	No
LCD	2.8″ 460K Resolution	3″ 460K Resolution
High ISO	12,800	12,800
-

These two newly announced cameras, one from Fuji and one from Olympus, are blurring the traditional lines of your pokcetable cameras. The X10 is the little brother to the very popular and seriously expensive X100 – Loved by just about all those that can afford it. Why are folks buying $1200 P&S that does NOT have interchangeable lenses? The sensor inside is the same size as used in your consumer level DSLRS, the interface is smart and shutter lag is non-existent. Not to mention it has that stylish retro look. The X10, price unknown but expected in the $500-$700 range, carries over most of the features from the X100 except the sensor. The X10 will have a 2/3″ sensor size, much closer to your standard P&S sensor. The Pen Mini, Olympus’ newest camera in the PEN line aims to bring the 4/3″ sensor size (much larger than the X10) to the masses with a very friendly and slightly dumbed down version of the earlier Pen models. I use Dumbed down in the sense of ease of operation for your mom and pop photographer. Those that want more manual control may want to consider the Fuji with its variety of mechanical controls that allow easy switching of settings and optical viewfinder. Bottom Line Thoughts - Olympus PEN Mini (E-PM1) – Buy it if you want a P&S that will give you excellent quality images, especially in low light. Operations may feel limiting to some photographers desiring more manual control but you have options to add other lenses, less pocketability with a large zoom but certainly more versatility, I am thinking soccer moms here! Fuji X10 – Buy it if you don’t mind the fixed lens and limited zoom but a true pocketable camera that will give you excellent quality images, easy manual control for those that desire it and a stylish look that is sure to grab some attention. This category of cameras is growing and includes the NEX I wrote about last week My thoughts are based on current reviews and a few hands-on reports – they may change as we see sample images from both the cameras. Which camera appeals to you?

Sony and Nikon Announcements

toby — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 18:28:21 +0000

Just a quick run down of SOME of the announced cameras Sony’s new A77 (Amazon video) (pre-order) $1400 Body Only

This is their flagship APS-C sized sensor, not full frame. Loads of technology crammed into this body of which the most significant is their translucent mirror technology which allows full time AutoFocus during video. This is the fast Autofocus, not that slow crap that is in the current Nikon DSLRs and Canon doesn’t have anything approaching. No flippy-uppy mirror means blazing fast FPS is also possible – 12fps.
OLED Viewfinder with 2 million dots resolution. 2x times the resolution of the gorgeous screens on the back of the newer Canon Rebels.
The world’s shortest release time lag at only 0.05 seconds. (How long it takes from having focus to taking the photo)
Face Recognition and face prioritizing – it will recognize family and friends and prioritize exposure of their faces
GPS
Tilt-able LCD

If I was an enthusiast just taking photos for fun, especially sports or fast action I would seriously consider this camera. Sony still lacks in the lenses department but this is improving. Sony NEX-7 (Wired Article) (pre-order) $1200 Body Only

This is most of the A77 tech crammed into Sony’s “pocketable” camera
APS-C sensor in a smaller body (larger sensor than the Micro 4/3 line)
10FPS
Offers a hot shoe, customizable dials, and tiltable LCD
Electronic viewfinder with 100% coverage
HDvideo with full manual control

Ths is being billed as professional camera that will fit in your pocket. Sure, with no lens it will easily slip into most pockets but the lens quickly adds bulk and the camera becomes a bit more awkward to hold. That said this camera is, size-wise, on par with the 4/3 line like the GF3 but offers a good bit more technology and not only better low light performance but better image quality all around. It is almost 2x the cost of the GF3 and other similar cameras and certainly more expensive than the entry level DSLRS. NEX – 7 Hands on video They also announced the NEX-5N (pre-order) $699 - 16MP APS-C sensor and touchscreen. This is designed to compete with the 4/3 line, price is similar but missing the hot shoe of the NEX-7 and the nice controls. Touch screens can be useful but not an excellent way to really get into the manual control of a camera. High FPS gives parents of sport/dance active children a really nice tool for capturing those shots. Nikon Announced the P7100 (Order) (Promo Video)- the successor to the P7000 that was billed as a Canon G12 competitor. The problem with the P7000 was the sluggishness of the camera. This looks to be addressed in the P7100 and it now offers a control dial on the front(love that) and the tilt-sivel LCD that has become so common on the larger P&S and entry level DSLRS

7.1x and 10.1MP
Ability to shoot RAW files
HD movie (720p) with stereo sound recording zoom and autofocus are available during recording
3″ 921K LCD
Optical Viewfinder – you be surprised how often I get asked which cameras still offer an optical viewfinder. This is one of the few that still does.

There is are a few more P&S from Nikon – nothing that looks to exciting except the AW100(rugged/waterproof) I wrote about yesterday I hope I have helped you make a bit more sense of these new releases. I will be expanding my thoughts on these over the next few days and I am always happy to answer questions or help you decide which is best for you. Find me on twitter @camerarec, use the chat link above or come post on the wall!

J.D. Power DSLR Survey

toby — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 02:34:28 +0000

J.D. Power Recently released the results of a survey of 4500 DSLR owners – A few key points they share

Online buyers spend an average of $937 on their camera.
Online buyers report taking an average of 918 photos per month using their DSLR camera.
A vast majority of online buyers (87%) say they “definitely will” recommend their DSLR camera to friends and family.
One-third of online DSLR buyers use their camera for shooting video.
While overall performance is cited as a reason for purchasing a particular DSLR model 31 percent of the time, online buyers cite previous ownership and brand reputation nearly as often.

There is some wording of the press release that makes me wonder how much these guys really know about cameras and although they crown Nikon the winner in the Pro category it is statistically very close, and in the sub pro or D-series(which to be honest isn’t completely clear what falls into that category from Nikon and Canon) it is declared a tie. The full press release for your pleasure is pasted below - J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Online DSLR Camera Buyers Are Most Satisfied with Picture Quality, While Camera Durability and Shutter Speed/Lag Time Provide Opportunities for Brand Differentiation Nikon Pro Series Ranks Highest in Online Buyer Satisfaction with DSLR Cameras WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: 19 July 2011 — Owners of DSLR cameras indicate they are highly satisfied with the picture quality of their cameras, but are notably less satisfied with durability and shutter speed/lag time, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera Online Buyer Study^SM released today. The study examines satisfaction among verified online buyers of digital single-lens reflex camera models. Responses were collected by PowerReviews—a social commerce network—and reflect the attitudes of actual DSLR camera owners who conducted their purchase using an e-commerce site. The study measures satisfaction among DSLR camera owners across five factors (listed in order of importance): picture quality (including picture clarity, sharpness and color); durability and reliability (including damage resistance, battery life and sturdiness); variety of features (including zoom, image stabilization and low light settings); ease of operation; and shutter speed/lag time (overall “speed” of the camera, including shutter lag time). Overall, online DSLR buyers indicate they are well satisfied with their cameras, with satisfaction averaging 887 on a 1,000-point scale. Among the five factors, camera owners are particularly satisfied with picture quality (917), but are least satisfied with the shutter speed/lag time and durability of their cameras (866 each). “Clearly, picture quality is crucial to online buyers of DSLR cameras,” said Larry Wu, senior director at J.D. Power and Associates. “However, owners expect no less than high-quality photos from their DSLRs, and other performance factors—such as durability and reliability, which is the second-most influential factor in overall satisfaction—have evolved as ways for DSLR camera models to differentiate themselves.” The Nikon Pro Series ranks highest in online buyer satisfaction with a score of 914. The Nikon Pro Series performs particularly well in shutter speed/lag time, durability and reliability and ease of operation. The Canon Mark-Series follows in the rankings with a score of 909, and performs particularly well in performance and picture quality. The Canon D-Series and Nikon D-Series rank third in a tie, each with a score of 889. The study also includes the following key findings:

Online buyers spend an average of $937 on their camera.
Online buyers report taking an average of 918 photos per month using their DSLR camera.
A vast majority of online buyers (87%) say they “definitely will” recommend their DSLR camera to friends and family.
One-third of online DSLR buyers use their camera for shooting video.
While overall performance is cited as a reason for purchasing a particular DSLR model 31 percent of the time, online buyers cite previous ownership and brand reputation nearly as often.

The 2011 Digital Single-Lens Reflex Camera Online Buyer Study is based on responses provided by PowerReviews from nearly 4,500 verified buyers who purchased a DSLR camera online. The study was fielded October 2010 through April 2011.

Geotagging your photos

toby — Fri, 03 Jun 2011 14:16:51 +0000

These days a fair number of Point and Shoot cameras and accessories sold for DSLRs offer the ability to geotag your photos without carrying a second device and messing with software after the photoshoot/walk, but until camera makers stick a GPS chip in all cameras we will need alternatives. One fairly painless option involves using your smart phone. Both Android and iOS devices have multiple apps capable of recording a “track” that can be later used to write the location into the image file. It is ~~important~~ critical that your camera time match your phone time so that the matching is accurate. For those without a smart phone you can carry just about any other GPS, including many car units, with you or you could consider the Garmin 405 GPS Wrist Watch. A benefit of the 405 unit. . it is a watch, gets a solid 8hrs of battery life when tracking and it is a watch Nothing bulky to carry around. A downside to the 405 is that it exports a TCX file,not all geotagging programs accept TXC files and you may need to convert the track to a GPX file first, something that is easy to do with a program like http://www.gpsbabel.org/ or if you have windows you can go straight from TXC to geotagging with http://www.geosetter.de/en/ Why Geotag? For me it is another way to classify and categorize my shots, I can easily find all images taken in Vermont or at a certain photogenic area when I am planning a return trip. I also enjoy seeing my images plotted on a map. Do you Geotag your photos? UPDATE – the Garmin 405CX is on gold box deal today $174

Olympus E-PL2

toby — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 23:53:19 +0000

The name doesn’t roll of my tongue but it certainly looks to be a wonderful camera and an excellent example of the micro 4/3 line maturing. Earlier model was the PEN E-P2 Key Features:

Redesigned 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 zoom lens (28mm-84mm equivalent) silent autofocus during still and video
3″ 460,000 dot LCD
In-body Image Stabilization
ISO 200-6400
720p HD recording
Live Guide II for previews and Art Filters/Enhancements
Face Detection with a focus on eye
Compatible with several accessories including the PENpal bluetooth module

For those that don’t know the micro 4/3 line sits between top of the line point and shoots and DSLRS. The sensors in 4/3 are much larger, 8x larger than you average P&S in the case of the PL2, which provides quality and low light performance virtually untouched by any P&S and nearing DSLR quality. The 4/3 line is really for someone that is willing to sacrifice a little bit of speed and low-light performance to have a much more portable camera. And someone looking for excellent video without the hassle of manual focus. I am intrigued by the PENpal bluetooth adapter ($80) that lets you store and send to bluetooth equiped devices(primarily your phone) images from the camera for sharing and uploading. It doesn’t seem to have quite the versatility that the wifi enabled samsung SH100 has but this isn’t just a point and shoot. I have a feeling that this may be the year where I feel comfortable recommending the 4/3 line to more than a handful of folks.

CES – Consumer Electronics Show = New P&S Cameras

toby — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 15:04:24 +0000

CES is RIGHT around the corner and with it new point and shoot cameras. And before the show has even started we have a leak – Casio will be announcing a new P&S with a unique hinge and swivel system – the Casio TRYX Reminds me of an older Nikon P&S that had swivel screen and the even earlier Nikon 990/995 (I had the 995 and loved all 3.1 MPs of that camera!!) Often these more unique cameras do not have the image quality to back up the quirky or maybe even useful features. Last time I checked when someone takes a picture they hope the quality is top notch. I do like Casio’s high-speed P&S and their waterproof digital P&S so let’s hope! New Camera Announcements - samsung SH100 – Wifi enabled with ability to use your samsung wireless phone as remote w/ live view! Chip inside this 14MP 720pHD capable camera lets you connect to your samsung phone(maybe other android phones too) and use the phones GPS for Geotagging and the screen for live view. To get excited about these possibilities I want you to imagine this scenario- you are about to take a group shot, one you wish to be in. Arrange your group- position yourself and instead of hoping everyone looks good you glance down at your phone and see a live feed of the group, nudge everyone a few feet left and snap the pic. Nice.

Kodak- has announced a series of new P&S. I have never been super impressed with the Kodak line unless you value ease of sharing over quality. Of note in this new line up is their first waterproof camera, the Play Sport for only $79 too. Kodak currently has a Flip competitor that does video and is waterproof and I often find myself recommending that to folks over the Flip for price and features so I am excited to see how this stacks up. Always like the idea of a go anywhere, don’t need to worry about a little wet, dirt etc camera. Canon- has announced a refresh of their budget line including what will probably become my budget travel camera recommendation. Other Rumors – Polaroid will be introducing a slick new, nearly instant print camera Nikon may introduce a mirrorless DSLR camera similar to the 4/3 models from Olympus Sony will be introducing a camcorder with projector Other manufactures including Canon will likely be refreshing at least some of their P&S line I will keep this post updated – seems unlikely that any major companies will be announcing new DSLRs – those will come later this spring with the T3i/600D and T3/1100D maybe at the CP+ expo in Japan. Nikon needs to replace the D5000 and that too should happen sometime later this winter or spring. Beyond the cameras the tablets and phones should make CES exciting – what are you looking forward to?

Sample D3100 Continuous AutoFocus

toby — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 17:45:58 +0000

Nikon made a big deal about their new D3100 being the first DSLR to continuously AF during filming. Based on the samples I have seen so far I am less impressed. This tech is in their new D7000 too and if you read the notes from Chase Jarvis and other’s who have been using the cameras for a few months they continued to use manual focus. For more information about shooting video with DSLRs read my post – shooting video with DSLRS is hard! Sample Via Oscar Cheng