Samsung EX2F point-and-shoot with f/1.4 lens hands-on (video)

Samsung EX2F pointandshoot with f14 lens handson video

We’ve been generally unimpressed with the latest round of basic point-and-shoots, including those from Samsung’s mid-range Smart series, but we do tend to take heed whenever a manufacturer opts to focus on optics rather than bumping up the megapixel count to boost sticker appeal. Compared to sub-$200 shooters, there’s a fairly limited market for $549 pocketable models — a price point that often prompts would-be owners to dig beyond superficial specs in search of full manual control, solid high-ISO performance, fast focusing and a lens that enables both low-light shooting and shallow depth of field. Samsung’s EX2F appears to fit the bill, offering a 12.4-megapixel 1/1.7-inch CMOS sensor, a top extended ISO setting of 12,800, a 3-inch VGA-res AMOLED display and — the crown jewel — an f/1.4-2.7, 24-79mm lens. That optic delivers an additional one 2/3 stop of sensitivity over the EX2F’s predecessor, the two-year-old TL500. Other advantages include a lighter magnesium alloy body, an NX power pin-enabled hot shoe for adding an external mic or flash, and a new micro-USB trigger cable.

Though the EX2F was noticeably lighter than the 2010 model during our hands-on, it retains much of the TL500’s heft — at least from a size perspective. The camera’s footprint makes it too bulky to slip in a pocket, as we were able to do with the Sony RX100, though the flip-out AMOLED display is certainly a welcome addition. An NX-like smart UI mode enables instant access to key settings, as do the dual control dials, which let you adjust shooting modes (on the right) and capture speed (on the left). There’s also a new in-camera HDR mode which merges two back-to-back shots (one underexposed and the other overexposed) in order to retain additional shadow and highlight detail. The camera was quite responsive during a quick shoot earlier today, powering on, focusing and capturing an image quickly. We’ll need to spend much more time snapping outside of an office environment before passing any formal judgement, but it’s easy to see the appeal of such of device — and the advantage over less-abled point-and-shoots. For now, you can take a closer look in the gallery below, and in our hands-on demonstration after the break.

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Samsung EX2F point-and-shoot with f/1.4 lens hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 09 Jul 2012 17:27:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Robotic Camera Mimics Eye Movement

For all of our advances in robotics, robots still have trouble reproducing the complicated movements of the human eye. We have not had the ability to effectively mimic the movement of our eyes, so researchers have been creating robots with unnatural eyes. However, now their eyes will be crafted more like ours. Researchers at Georgia Tech have finally created robotic cameras with a more natural eye movement thanks to piezoelectric cellular actuators.

robot eye
A piezoelectric cellular actuator is able to expand or contract when current is applied, which turns signals into motion in the actuator. The research is being conducted by Joshua Schultz and assistant professor Jun Ueda.

This research can lead to not only more lifelike robots, but better surgical robots and a host nof other applications as well. It’s a big step for robotics.

[via The Verge via Geekosystem]


World’s fastest camera used to detect cancer cells in real time

In the world of medical technology, detecting cancer cells are extremely important to monitor and prevent metastasis – the spread of a disease from one organ  to another. However, detecting cancer cells is a difficult task. It will require a high-throughput instrument that is capable of examining millions of cells in a short span of time. That’s why a team of engineers from UCLA developed a high-throughput optical microscope that has the ability to detect cancer cells with sensitivity of one part per million in real time.

(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Hamilton robot capable of detecting and treating breast cancer, Sony flashes new high-definition wearable video camera,

Casio releases EX-N1, EX-N10 and EX-N20 EXILIM cameras

Casio Computer Co., Ltd. today announced the release of new EXILIM compact digital cameras that come in a variety of colors and textures to match any lifestyle. The new EX-N1, EX-N10 and EX-N20 cameras all have rounded bodies that are easy to grip, and employ a CMF Design approach based on materials and finish in addition to color. These three elements are integrated to realize uniquely appealing designs, with a range of variations to appeal to the preferences of a broad spectrum of users. …

Nokia: PureView Camera Technology Hitting Lumia ‘Very Soon’ [Nokia]

In an interview with Neowin, Nokia’s vice president of worldwide developer relations, Richard Kerris, has explained that the company’s PureView camera technology currently featured only in the 808 is coming to the Lumia range “very soon”. More »

Reuters cooks up remote camera rigs for 2012 Olympics, mounts them where humans can’t tread

Reuters cooks up remote camera rigs for 2012 Olympics, mounts them where humans can't tread

Sure, the 2012 Olympics may be gearing up for HD, 3D and even Super Hi-Vision broadcasts, but that doesn’t mean still photography has lost its appeal. In fact, Reuters photographers Fabrizio Bensch and Pawel Kopczynski are taking Olympic photography to the next level, perching remote-controlled camera rigs in stadium rafters. The system, which the duo has been developing since 2009, can turn, adjust focus and receive commands wirelessly. Once stills are snapped, they’re sent to an editing system and then off to distribution. The team is spending more than 12 hours a day installing the cams at different Olympic venues before the games kick off on July 27th. In the meantime, you can sprint to the source for photos of the setup.

Reuters cooks up remote camera rigs for 2012 Olympics, mounts them where humans can’t tread originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 05:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Nexus 7 gets Camera Launcher app

The Nexus 7 may not have a dedicated camera for pictures, but it does feature a front-facing camera for video conferencing. It’s perhaps understandable that Google didn’t include a dedicated Camera app, but it’s a bit of a party pooper for those fascinated with funny camera effects. Fear not, friends, as Paul O’Brien of MoDaCo has published a Camera app for the Nexus 7 to the Play Store.

You don’t need root, and the app doesn’t require any special permissions either – just download, install, and you should be good to go. It will give you access to the various face effects added in Ice Cream Sandwich, plus 720p video recording if you’re desperate enough to use it with the 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera.

Still, you’ll have to one of the lucky few who received the Nexus 7 at Google I/O. The final versions of the tablet are expected to ship to customers later this month, and those in the UK will even have the option of walking into a retail store to purchase one. While you’re waiting, why not check out our Nexus 7 and Jelly Bean reviews?


Google Nexus 7 gets Camera Launcher app is written by Ben Kersey & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.


Nikon releases D4 firmware 1.02 with minor display, formatting, network stability improvements in tow

Have you managed to get your hands on Nikon’s elusive D4 full-frame DSLR? It should be smooth sailing from here, with the occasional firmware update being your only critical acquisition going forward. D4 firmware 1.02 brings a handful of minor fixes, but if you’re in need of any of the enhancements listed below, it’s surely a must have:

  • Format memory card can now be added to My Menu.
  • Gamut for Adobe RGB images displayed in the camera’s monitor has now been changed. This enables more vivid display of images.
  • The stability of network connections when the FTP upload option is selected has been increased.
  • When recording movies using a lens with an aperture ring in [P] or [S] exposure mode, and Aperture ring selected for Custom Setting f10: Customize command dials>Aperture setting, the minimum aperture was applied. This issue has been resolved.
  • When a still image captured during movie recording with 1920 ×1080; 30 fps; crop, 1920 × 1080; 25 fps; crop, or 1920 × 1080; 24 fps; crop selected for Movie settings>Frame size/frame rate and Live frame grab selected for Custom Setting g4: Assign shutter button was displayed in Capture NX 2 or ViewNX 2, the position of the focus point displayed differed from actual recording position. This issue has been resolved.
  • An issue that caused the camera to freeze when attempting to format a memory card (setup menu > Format memory card) while the camera was connected to a network in HTTP server mode has been resolved.

OS X and Windows users alike can hit up the source link below to get their download on.

Nikon releases D4 firmware 1.02 with minor display, formatting, network stability improvements in tow originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 04 Jul 2012 21:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google patent filing would identify faces in videos, spot the You in YouTube

Google patent filing would identify faces in videos, spot the You in YouTube

Face detection is a common sight in still photography, but it’s a rarity in video outside of certain research projects. Google may be keen to take some of the mystery out of those clips through a just-published patent application: its technique uses video frames to generate clusters of face representations that are attached to a given person. By knowing what a subject looks like from various angles, Google could then attach a name to a face whenever it shows up in a clip, even at different angles and in strange lighting conditions. The most obvious purpose would be to give YouTube viewers a Flickr-like option to tag people in videos, but it could also be used to spot people in augmented reality apps and get their details — imagine never being at a loss for information about a new friend as long as you’re wearing Project Glass. As a patent, it’s not a definitive roadmap for where Google is going with any of its properties, but it could be a clue as to the search giant’s thinking. Don’t be surprised if YouTube can eventually prove that a Google+ friend really did streak across the stage at a concert.

Google patent filing would identify faces in videos, spot the You in YouTube originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 15:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Solmeta N3 geotagging module for Nikon DSLR review: fast GPS locks, minimal battery drain

Solmeta N3 geotagging module for Nikon DSLR review fast GPS locks, minimal battery drain

There’s a reason “Nikon GP-1 alternative” is a search phrase that finds its way into Google’s simplistic query box frequently. Put simply, the only GPS add-on with Nikon’s name on it is universally seen as a poor purchasing decision. For one, it’s still right around $200… despite the fact that it’s pushing four years old. But perhaps more importantly, it’s a major battery hog and takes eons (read: four to five minutes) to get a solid GPS lock if you attempt to conserve your juice by having it shut down each time you flick your camera’s power switch to ‘off.’

Recently, we embarked on a road trip that took us through sparsely populated areas of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon and California. For the purposes of using a geotagging module to accurately journal the precise locations of thousands of shots through some of America’s most pristine wilderness, we strapped Solmeta’s Geotagger N3 atop a Nikon D3S. For those unaware, the N3 was first introduced at CES 2012, and just recently started shipping directly from the company’s Hong Kong headquarters to purchasers all over the globe. Much to our surprise, it managed to not only outgun the GP-1, but it also exceeded even our lofty expectations. Care to hear more? Join us after the break.

Continue reading Solmeta N3 geotagging module for Nikon DSLR review: fast GPS locks, minimal battery drain

Solmeta N3 geotagging module for Nikon DSLR review: fast GPS locks, minimal battery drain originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 03 Jul 2012 13:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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