Lensbaby tempts the serious crowd with Composer Pro lens peripheral

We’ve been big fans of Lensbaby for quite some time, but up until now, its wares weren’t exactly ideal for the professional crowd. It seems that the company’s angling to change that with its latest release, the duly-named Composer Pro. For all intents and purposes, this is a fresh take on the existing Composer, with an upgraded swivel ball / focus mechanism that delivers smoother focus and tilt control to those who need it to make ends meet. In case you’re wondering, the Pro is compatible with the Lensbaby Optic Swap System, and it’ll ship with either the Double Glass Optic ($300 for the bundle) or the new Sweet 35 Optic ($400) installed. Head on past the break for the full breakdown of specifications, and look for this one to ship momentarily from your fav-o-rite e-tailer.

Continue reading Lensbaby tempts the serious crowd with Composer Pro lens peripheral

Lensbaby tempts the serious crowd with Composer Pro lens peripheral originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 20:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nikon D5100 DSLR surfaces with 16.2 megapixel sensor, 1080p video recording

Been waiting for a new Nikon DSLR to slide in under that magical $1,000 mark? Then we’ve got some good news for you, as Digital Home Thoughts has now let slip some official details and pictures of Nikon’s new prosumer D5100 model. This one steps things up to a D7000-matching 16.2 megapixels from the 12 megapixel D5000, and boasts a 3-inch articulated display (side-mounted this time), 1080p video recording at both 30 and 24 fps (with autofocus!), ISO settings from 100 to 6,400, and an 18-105mm lens included in the kit (no body-only option available just yet, it seems). What’s more, Nikon’s also releasing a new ME-1 microphone alongside the camera to let you take full advantage of those video recording capabilities — check it out after the break. Look for this one to set you back $899.95 for the kit, with the mic running $159.95. Those are Canadian prices according to Digital Home Thoughts, though we’d expect US pricing to be the same.

Continue reading Nikon D5100 DSLR surfaces with 16.2 megapixel sensor, 1080p video recording

Nikon D5100 DSLR surfaces with 16.2 megapixel sensor, 1080p video recording originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GoPro 3D Sports Camera Kit Review [Video]

When Jaques Cousteau took his first underwater videos 80 years ago, they were simply of his wife Simone splashing around. More »

Next-gen iPod nano chassis hints at camera?

Here’s yet another juicy leak from China to go with your breakfast. Delivered by the same folks who brought us the sixth-gen iPod nano display module leak, this time we have what appears to be a chassis for the next touchscreen nano. According to Apple.pro, the circular hole at the top right is likely to house a little camera, which would bring back the good old days with the camera-donning fifth-gen nano. Obviously, to make space for such an imager here, the spring-loaded clip on the back would have to be downsized and shifted, which would explain why the four screws are off-centered here, unlike those on the current-gen nano (as seen in iFixit’s teardown shot after the break). That said, let’s not forget that this rumor is coming straight out of KIRFdom, so we’ll remain skeptical until this baby pops out around September time, as has been the case with most nano launches in the past.

Continue reading Next-gen iPod nano chassis hints at camera?

Next-gen iPod nano chassis hints at camera? originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 04 Apr 2011 00:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony kills A33 DSLR production, auctions off unused birthday cake

If you didn’t jump on an Alpha A33 when you had the chance, you’ll probably be disappointed when your eyes glaze over the next few words — Sony has discontinued production of the translucent mirror-packed shooter. On its site, the company has noted that production has halted in Japan, without specific reasoning as to why — though some might say that overheating sensor was just too much to bear. It’s not often that a seven month-old DSLR gets canned, but if Sony’s got a refined sensor waiting in a doubly refined successor… well, that’ll put a plug in the waterworks real quick.

Sony kills A33 DSLR production, auctions off unused birthday cake originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 03 Apr 2011 05:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony CEO casually mentions he’s supplying cameras to Apple

We were tempted to call it an April Fools’ joke, but it seems the story’s true: Sony CEO Sir Howard Stringer reportedly let slip that his company is producing cameras for the next batch of iPhones and iPads during a public interview with the Wall Street Journal. Traditionally, Apple’s sourced its sensors from OmniVision, including the delightfully backside-illuminated 5 megapixel CMOS unit you’ll find in the iPhone 4, but since Sony too has BSI tech and OmniVision has reportedly encountered delays, your next portable Apple product might house a Sony Exmor R sensor like the one we admired on the Xperia Arc. Mind you, that may not end up actually happening, because of the context in which Sir Howard revealed the news — according to 9 to 5 Mac, he said that the factory producing sensors for Apple was affected by the Japanese tsunami. Oh well.

Sony CEO casually mentions he’s supplying cameras to Apple originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 02 Apr 2011 14:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  source9 to 5 Mac, Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Zdenek Kalal’s object tracking algorithm learns on the fly, likely to make next 007 flick (video)

Microsoft’s own OneVision Video Recognizer may be novel, but if the folks in Redmond are seriously looking to take things next-level, they should probably cast their gaze across the pond. Zdenek Kalal, a researcher at the University of Surrey, has just created what may be the most sophisticated vision system known to the civilian world. In essence, it takes the mundane task of tracking objects to an entirely new platform, enabling users to select an object on the fly and have the algorithm immediately start tracking something new. Within seconds, it’s able to maintain a lock even if your object twists, turns, or leaves / returns. Furthermore, these “objects” could be used as air mice if you force it to track your digits, and if you teach it what your staff looks like, you’ll have a fully automated security scanner that can recognize faces and grant / deny access based on its database of white-listed individuals. Frankly, we’d rather you see it for yourself than listen to us extolling its virtues — vid’s after the break, per usual.

Continue reading Zdenek Kalal’s object tracking algorithm learns on the fly, likely to make next 007 flick (video)

Zdenek Kalal’s object tracking algorithm learns on the fly, likely to make next 007 flick (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 23:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Images leak out of Pentax NC mirrorless camera system, makes us long for summertime

At this point, we’re guessing that it’s just a matter of time before the likes of Pentax and Nikon toss their hat into the ever-expanding mirrorless camera ring, and at least for the former, it looks as if that could come sooner rather than later. If the (predictably grainy) image above is to be believed, the NC-1 is dangerously close to being ready for primetime, and according to leaked materials, it’ll be the world’s smallest mirrorless camera when it gets official in May / June. Purportedly, we’ll find a 14 megapixel sensor and a pair of lenses to choose from — an 8.5mm f/1.9 prime lens as well as a 5-15mm f/2.8-4.5 standard zoom. Crazier still, the NC system could be followed by a larger system in the summer, with that fellow sporting an APS-C sized sensor and compatibility with K-mount lenses. ‘Course, we’d invite you to chase all of this with a dash of salt for now, but you can bet we’ll be scrounging for more.

[Thanks, Andrea]

Images leak out of Pentax NC mirrorless camera system, makes us long for summertime originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NASA forced to abandon plans for 3D camera in next Mars rover, James Cameron not losing faith yet

Among the many great feats of his career, film director James Cameron counts the rather unorthodox achievement of being able to convince NASA to use a stereoscopic camera on its next Mars rover project. Unfortunately for him, us, and the hard working folks over at Malin Space Science Systems, technical snags have been encountered in the integration of the jumbo mastcam (pictured above) with the rover’s hardware and the resulting delays have caused NASA to nix the idea altogether. You might think that 3D visuals of Red Planet gravel will be no great loss, but the MSSS cams also had zoom lenses attached, whereas the research project will now be returning to tried and true fixed focal length imaging. Ah well, such is the bumpy road to interterrestrial enlightenment. NASA’s rover, titled Curiosity, is set to begin its voyage in November of this year, while Cameron and co remain upbeat about the future, saying they’re “certain that this technology will play an important role in future missions.”

NASA forced to abandon plans for 3D camera in next Mars rover, James Cameron not losing faith yet originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 10:04:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic Lumix GH2 review roundup: impressive video recording, murky still images

In case you’re still wondering if Panasonic’s mirrorless Lumix GH2 is worth your $900, we’ve rounded up a handful of reviews to provide a pointer for your next big purchase. While most reviewers agree that this Micro Four Thirds camera appears to be very similar to its predecessor, they universally praise the subtly improved ergonomics, speedy liveview autofocusing, and refined image quality, especially with its 1080p AVCHD video recording (although Digital Camera Resource Page did notice some artifacting in its clips). Noise is also a non-issue up to about ISO 800 or 1600, though it’s apparent that the 16 megapixel stills are comparatively dull and, like those from many other MFTs, aren’t quite on par with DSLRs — expect plenty of manual processing work here, as demoed by the good folks over at Digital Photography Review. All in all, the GH2 is a great kit for high quality video capturing, bundled with a pretty good still performance that requires some extra TLC afterwards — kinda ironic in a way, but hey, this isn’t a problem for lovers of video bokeh. Head over to the links below for some in-depth analysis and walk-through before you leave a small dent on your bank account.

Read – Digital Photography Review
Read – Photography Blog
Read – Camera Labs
Read – Digital Camera Resource Page
Read – Let’s Go Digital

Panasonic Lumix GH2 review roundup: impressive video recording, murky still images originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 27 Mar 2011 16:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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