Olympus E-P1 meets 50-200mm SWD lens monstrosity, hilarity ensues

We’ve already seen plenty of the Olympus E-P1, but when we dropped by Olympus’ booth today at IFA we just couldn’t resist slapping on the biggest lens they had, courtesy of the micro four thirds to standard four thirds adapter, and shooting a bit of dramatic show floor footage. The verdict? It’s totally impractical, especially because there’s no autofocus during video with certain lenses, meaning we’re stuck working the manual focus ring, D90-style. Still, we didn’t expect anything different, and our short film entitled “People Wandering Around, Totally Out of Focus” really made the effort worth while. Oh, and for our money? The white model is about twice as sexy as the gray. Videos are after the break.

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Olympus E-P1 meets 50-200mm SWD lens monstrosity, hilarity ensues originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change Olympus’ E-P1?

Just look at that little bugger. Ain’t it just so cute? All jesting aside, the adorably retro piece of kit you’re inevitably peering at above rings up at $799 to $899, meaning that it’s priced way too high to be slotted in most consumers’ impulse buy category. Olympus’ E-P1 was launched with high hopes, and it pretty much held the weight of the Micro Four Thirds world on its shoulders. During our time with the unit, we found image quality to be satisfactory overall and the design to be simply stunning, but we certainly didn’t come away feeling it was flawless. For those of you who overlooked the entry-level DSLR in order to try something different, how has that decision treated you? Are you full of remorse? Could you not be happier? Spill all in comments below.

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How would you change Olympus’ E-P1? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 23:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s ultraslim ST45 digital camera is sadly devoid of clowns

We’ll be honest — we were hoping that from now on Samsung would be including creepy clown displays on the front of all their 12.2 megapixel shooters. If for some strange reason you’re not into that idea, however, the ST45 should be right up your alley. A pretty noteworthy 16mm thin, this guy features an ISO sensitivity up to 3200, a 2.7-inch LCD screen, and all the goodies you expect from Samsung: Smart Scene Recognition with 11 (count ’em!) picture settings (Portrait, Night portrait, Macro, etc.), Digital Image Stabilization, Self Portrait & Frame Guide (for all those double-chin masking MySpace one-handed self-pics), and the obligatory Face Detection. This bad boy will be available in the UK in red, black, blue, or grey, sometime late this month. PR after the break.

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Samsung’s ultraslim ST45 digital camera is sadly devoid of clowns originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leica M9 and X1 leak out ahead of schedule

Wondering what Leica has up its sleeve for that destined-to-be-overshadowed event on the 9th? Well, wonder no more: these pics of the long-rumored M9 and something called the X1 just leaked out, along with some specs. We’re told the M9 will sport a full-frame 18.2 megapixel sensor and improved low-light performance, but the real surprise is the X1, pictured above, which’ll supposedly have a 12 megapixel APS-C sensor, a fixed 24mm lens and that funky grip handle, by which we’re oddly fascinated. Maybe Leica’s got some surprises left for the 9th after all — pic of the M9 after the break.

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Leica M9 and X1 leak out ahead of schedule originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 12:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canon EOS 7D now official, coming end of September for $1,899

Now everyone pretend to be surprised here. Canon’s gone official with what everyone has already seen and read about in detail, the EOS 7D. Specs look to be exactly what we heard, too: 18 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with 8 frames per second continuous shooting, 1080p 24fps HD video with full manual control, a 3-inch LCD, 19-point AF system, and wireless flash control. Mum’s still the word on pricing and availability, though. Hit up the read link for the full press release, as well as some hands-on impressions care of Digital Photography Review.

Update: Canon’s press release has now gone live. Price is $1,699 body-only or $1,899 with an EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM zoom lens, and target launch is set for end of September.

Read – Press release
Read – Hands-on

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Canon EOS 7D now official, coming end of September for $1,899 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Leica to announce new cameras on September 9th, absolute best day to stand out in the headlines

We know Leica’s target demographic is decidedly less consumer and more devoted professional photography, but even still, September 9th isn’t exactly the most apt timing to maximize press coverage on a next generation camera lineup when your competition of the day will be Apple’s annual iPod event and the release of Beatles Rock Band. Still, the urge to make announcements on 9-9-2009 at 9:00AM ET has gotta be too hard to pass up, and possibly not topped until 10:00AM on October 10th of next year. Video teaser after the break; no idea what we’re expecting to see from Leica (M8 successor, perhaps?), but we can all but guarantee it won’t be priced for mass consumption.

[Via Pocket-Lint]

Continue reading Leica to announce new cameras on September 9th, absolute best day to stand out in the headlines

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Leica to announce new cameras on September 9th, absolute best day to stand out in the headlines originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung’s upcoming WB5000 24x zoomer shoots RAW photos and HD video

Samsung has a new one in the works, the WB5000, presumably offering the price advantages of an 24x zoomin’ all-in-one with some of the features and image quality of a DSLR — that’s the dream, anyway. The camera shoots 12.5 megapixel stills, with full manual controls, face detection and support for RAW formatted images, while also offering HD recording and a relatively compact form factor. True details are scarce, but it sounds promising on the surface. The WB5000 should be out in the fourth quarter, no word on price just yet.

[Via Engadget Spanish]

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Samsung’s upcoming WB5000 24x zoomer shoots RAW photos and HD video originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 10:13:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How would you change Pentax’s K-7 DSLR?

Pentax may not be the first name you think of when scouting a new DSLR, but it’s certainly closer to the top now than it was prior to the K-7’s release. The semi-pro cam saw positive review after positive review flow in, giving even the Nikon and Canon faithful reason to pay attention. At right under $1,300 for just the body it didn’t come cheap, though the high-def movie capture mode, ability to snap HDR shots natively and 14.6 megapixel sensor help to justify the MSRP somewhat. What we’re really after here are your thoughts; for those that bought in, have you been pleased? Is the low-light performance sufficient? Is the autofocus snappy enough for your tastes? Or more importantly, how happy are your clients with the results? Comments are all yours, so get to it!

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How would you change Pentax’s K-7 DSLR? originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 29 Aug 2009 01:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More Sony Alpha 500, 850 info leaked?

We’ve already seen plenty of leaked info on Sony’s upcoming Alpha DSLR — the 850 (including what is presumably its user manual). Well, now the German site DigitalKamera’s got some more info on it, as well as the a500. First up, the a850 will boast a 24.6 megapixel sensor, a 35mm CMOS sensor, an ISO range of 100 to 6400, and will be capable of shooting 3 frames per second, with a 3-inch, VGA display. The a500 — about which a lot less info has been previously leaked — will have a 12.3-megapixel sensor, an up 12800 ISO, with two live view modes (quick autofocus and direct view). There is still absolutely no official word on either of these bad boys, though we’re hearing September — so maybe we’ll catch a glimpse of them at IFA — we’ll keep our eyes peeled until then. There’s a shot of the a500 after the break.

[Via 1001 Noisy Cameras]

Continue reading More Sony Alpha 500, 850 info leaked?

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More Sony Alpha 500, 850 info leaked? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W1 slammed in early review, company responds point-by-point


Akihabara News’ early review of the Fujifilm W1 3D Camera pretty much laid everything out from the get-go with its headline, “The worst camera ever made: the review.” It assuredly caused more than a few raised eyebrows, not the least of which from Fujifilm itself. In an interesting and welcoming move, the company invited the publication to a face-to-face meeting — not for some physical redemption, mind you, but to address all the points of disappointment. There isn’t a lot said to alleviate concerns, and the common thread among all replies is pretty much that this is a new field that currently caters to a very small niche, and there’s gonna be speed bumps for time to come — in other words, better luck next time. Still, it’s somewhat refreshing to see a major company tackle the subject head-on and in public view — now if only we could make this an industry-wide trend.

Read – W1 3D camera review
Read – Fujifilm’s response

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Fujifilm Finepix Real 3D W1 slammed in early review, company responds point-by-point originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:12:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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