Hasta La Gadget!

This week we got the opportunity to take a peek at a hero device from none other than camera manufacturers Pentax, their MX-1 showing itself to be quite the looker for the 2013 Summer season. This machine is the very first advanced compact camera the company has ever presented, here showing a 12-megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom, and a solid body with a classic look. This camera also comes with a 3-inch tilting display that’ll allow you to hold your unit above or below, the display pointing out at your face from any forward angle.

The lens on this machine is a 28mm F1.8 wide angle, making sure your next-level photos bring on a life that’ll make you want to stick with Pentax through the future. The middle of this device is a texturized rubbery black while the top and bottom are a cool metallic with brass panels up top and down below. This machine will be available sometime inside 2013, likely by the time Summer rolls around.

Also revealed this week was the Pentax Q10′s new ultra-vast collection of body colors. You’ll now be able to pick 100 different custom color combinations for the Pentax Q10 – and it still feels so nice to use this classic body and set of controls. Have a peek at pure red here and create your own at the Pentax studio online. You’ll be able to pick your own body color and your own grip color – go wild!

For those of you that didn’t see this camera back when it was announced in September of 2012, it’s a real live interchangeable lens system-toting camera with a 12.4-megapixel sensor all in the size of “a pack of cards.” It’s small and it’s powerful, those two things are certainly true. Have a peek at a whole lot more CES 2013 coverage in our CES portal and be sure to stay tuned to our Pentax tag for more camera action all year long!

Pentax MX-1 digital camera hands-on: advanced compact in a retro body is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It’s time to have a close-up look at the newest model wearable camera ready for 1080p recording, direct-to-Facebook live streaming, and the ability to connect to your smartphone for remote control – the Looxcie HD. This machine builds on the abilities of the past with the original Looxcie Bluetooth video camera that we reviewed back in April of 2011. Back then the camera was an ear-wrap sort of situation while here we’ve got a slightly larger machine, made for mounting to your hiking backpack, your helmet, or basically anything flat that you’ll be able to stick to with the sticky pads included in the box.

This machine is roughly the size of a harmonica, able to fit in your pocket quite easily with the included soft material drawstring bag. Also in the box is a Ball Cap Clip, a Helmet Mount, and a Bike Mount, the helmet mount including a couple of stickers and mounts so you can work with more than one helmet if you do so desire. Though the camera is not meant to be tossed down a flight of stairs, it is delivered in such a form as to be damage resistant – you wont have to worry too much about dropping this device out of your pocket onto a hard surface, essentially.

This machine connects to your smartphone via wi-fi this time around, working with a variety of apps like the “Looxcie Mobile app” as well as the Facebook app and LooxcieDesktop. Each of these apps works with iPhone and Android, Facebook, or Windows and Mac, so you’ll be compatible almost no matter what. You’ll be able to control what quality video you’re recording on the camera from your smartphone, turn on streaming (and collect video at the same time if you like), and connect to Facebook – where the stream will be streaming.

You’ll be connecting to your computer to move video to your machine with a microUSB slot that sits at the back of the device, the back being covered by a “water resistant” cover included in the box. The battery that attaches to this unit is a 1200mAh in capacity, this being able to stay alive for several hours (we’ve not run out yet) of video at a time. You’ll be collecting video on a microSD card that you’ll have to supply yourself, the slot under the battery inside the device able to hold up to 32GB class 10 microSD/microSDHC cards for lots and lots of video storage.

The camera’s sensor is able to capture up to 1080p HD, but you’ll be able to switch between that and 720, 480, or 320p resolution if you like. You’ve got a 650 mV/lux-sec low light-friendly sensor working here with automatic light correction (hooray!) for indoor/outdoor operation – you’ll see this in action in the hands-on video above. Each video clip is saved to MP4 format – that being iTunes friendly, they make sure to note – and is easily uploaded to any number of online services without conversion.

There’s a variety of additional accessories you can buy for this machine including a windshield mount and a carrying case, and the folks at Looxcie have been around long enough now that you can bet they’ll be keeping the ecosystem strong for some time. This machine will cost you a grand total of $329 USD if you pick it up online right this minute, and it’s available on the market now.

Looxcie HD Explore Review is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Fans of Sigma’s compact series will be delighted by the news of this new camera. Dubbed the DP3 Merrill, this compact camera comes with the same 46-megapixel (15.3-megapixel equivalent) Foveon X3 APS-C sensor as seen on its two other DP Merrill siblings as well as the SD1 DSLR. Where the DP1 came with a 28mm-equivalent lens and the DP2 with a 45mm-equivalent, this new DP3 packs a 75mm-equivalent lens (marked 50mm), and yes, it’s still F2.8. The focal length might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it can still do macro at down to 22.6cm (with up to 1:3 magnification), and at 400g, this should still catch the interest of Foveon fans.

The DP3 Merrill uses True II image processing engine and boasts a ISO 100 to 6400, and it offers nine focal points, 7fps continuous shooting, a 3-inch 0.92-megapixel LCD and a more intuitive UI. Sadly, for video it’s still stuck with VGA resolution. We’ll let you guys know when we get a price and a date, so stay tuned.

Continue reading Sigma DP3 Merrill packs a Foveon X3 sensor and a fixed F2.8, 75mm-equivalent lens

Filed under: Cameras

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Via: Engadget Chinese

Source: Sigma

Nemotek Technologie is a manufacturer of customized wafer-level cameras. The company announced the world’s first wafer-level high-definition camera module called the Exiguus A15-B1. This camera module supports 720p HD resolution in an ultracompact form factor.

The camera offers dual element HD and reflowable wafer-level lenses that provide lower distortion, better resolution, and higher image quality. The camera also utilizes replicated lenses on glass wafers instead of traditional plastic. The manufacturer says that these features make the A15-B1 ideal for front-facing camera applications for smartphones, tablets, notebooks, gaming systems, and other portable devices.

The camera offers a 1/6-inch, 1.2 megapixel reflowable wafer-level camera solution with an active pixel array of 1296H x 976V. The camera module also has a CMOS image sensor and the embedded image processor featuring sophisticated functions such as automatic exposure control, automatic white balance, flicker avoidance, and defect correction.

The camera is able to capture 720p HD video at 30 frames per second and provides lowlight sensitivity during video recording. Other features of the camera module include automatic image enhancement, parallel and MIPI data outputs, and multi-camera synchronization. The manufacturer also says that the camera module can be directly reflowed onto the printed circuit board making system design and manufacturing easier and more cost-effective. The camera module is currently being sampled by manufacturing partners.

Nemotek shows off first wafer-level 720p HD camera module is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

This beast we’re looking at right here is the Samsung NX300, just announced this week as the company’s hero 3D-capable mirrorless camera – and it looks just as nice as it appears to work. What we’ve got here is not a SMART CAMERA, not a Android camera like the GALAXY Camera, but a full-on flagship made to be your professional digital top-notch hero for every single 3D photo you shoot from now on – and it feels just about as high quality as it gets, 20.3 MP APS-C and all.

The NX300 is Samsung’s replacement for the NX210, bringing this beastly 20.3 MP APS-C CMOS sensor to replace that last-generation machine along with a set of features that are not to be missed. You’ll be getting a full-on 3.31-inch AMOLED touch display, 1080p video shooting abilities at 60 frames per second, and of course a massive ISO range of 100 to 25600. You can take burst shots at 8.6 photos per second too – snap em up!

The maximum shutter speed on this next-generation camera is an undeniable 1/6000th of a second, meaning you’ll be able to capture a lion leaping in for the kill on your favorite zebra this summer season without a hassle. This this device isn’t technically part of the same push for Samsung’s SMART CAMERA lineup, you’ll still be rolling out with built-in dual-band wi-fi and you’ll have the ability to connect to the device with your smartphone, too. The NX300 is part of Samsung’s line of devices that have their own Android and iOS app to rock and roll remotely – upload at will and use a remote viewfinder as well!

Have a peek at the Samsung tag to see what else Samsung has presented this week and check out the full details of the company’s excellent offering for web-ready cameras for 2013. Also be sure to jump in on our CES 2013 hub to see all of our hands-on action and up to the minute updates all week long!

Samsung NX300 hands-on: 3D mirrorless top-tier action is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.