Hasta La Gadget!

Nikon clearly wants to make amends for its unspectacular J2 launch late last summer: it’s launching not one but two 1 series models that provide a stronger incentive to go Nikon among lower-end mirrorless cameras. The 14.2-megapixel J3 and 10.1-megapixel S1 mostly receive hand-me-down features from the semi-pro V2, although that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The leftovers give them uncommonly accurate 73-point autofocusing and an upgraded Expeed 3A processor that can handle 15FPS burst photography with continuous focus — three times the frame rate of the J2 in the same conditions. Apart from their resolution, the main separators between the J3 and S1 are the J3’s inclusion of a simple panorama mode and a slightly wider ISO range for the S1, which starts at ISO 100 versus the J3’s 160.

Both new bodies ship in February, when the S1 will lower the 1 system’s entry price to $500 with an 11-27.5mm lens, and the J3 will have a suitably in-between price of $600 with 10-30mm optics. The shooters will soon be joined by new lenses and accessories, as well. A 6.7-13mm (18-35mm equivalent), f/3.5-5.6 wide-angle lens and a 10-100mm (27-270mm equivalent) f/4-5.6 telephoto zoom don’t have definitive release dates, but should respectively cost $500 and $550. Scuba divers who want a J3 or S1 for their excursions will also get a WP-N2 underwater case in February, albeit at a $750 price that’s more expensive than the cameras themselves.

Continue reading Nikon unveils J3 and S1, takes 73-point AF and 15 fps stills to entry mirrorless cameras

Filed under: Cameras, Nikon

Comments

Source: Nikon

Americans wanting to leap into DSLRs with a Nikon D5200 have had no choice but to sit on pins and needles waiting for a release date. As of CES, we know that they’ll have a more comfortable seat very soon: the company has committed to bringing the advanced amateur camera to the US in late January for $900 with an 18-55mm lens in the box. Some of the D5200’s companion accessories should be available at the same time, including the $95 WR-T10 and $278 WR-10 wireless remotes, the $127 WR-R10 remote transceiver and the $75 WR-A10 wireless remote adapter. The D5200 isn’t the cheapest route into interchangeable lens cameras in the wake of these prices, but it potentially hits a sweet spot for those whose love of photography is just slightly more than a casual fling.

Continue reading Nikon D5200 to reach US photographers in late January for $900

Filed under: Cameras, Nikon

Comments

Source: Nikon

There’s no full-frame sensor or advanced mode dial here, but Sony has managed to line up a compelling set of features for its CES flagship point-and-shoot. At $199, the Cyber-shot WX80 offers a huge jump in performance with only a modest bump in price, making it by far Sony’s best value of the show. Granted, we haven’t seen sample images or video clips, but boy does this camera pack an impressive spec list. There’s a 20.1-megapixel CMOS sensor at the core, paired with a 25mm 8x optical zoom lens with SteadyShot OIS and a new lens-shift algorithm, improved autofocus, a 10 frames-per-second consecutive shooting mode, a top ISO of 12,800, 1080p video, a new intelligent flash for more even coverage and a 2.7-inch LCD.

On the software side, Sony’s brought over some features from the mirrorless camera line. There’s an improved selection of picture effects, like Toy Photo, Pop Color and four color highlight modes that display either red, green, blue or yellow in color with the rest of the frame in black and white. There’s also a “virtual cosmetic surgery” function, which changes skin tone, softens skin, removes shine, widens eyes and whitens teeth automatically with adjustable effect levels. As another Cyber-shot first, Sony’s added WiFi to the WX80, along with the same Smart Remote Control and Send to Smartphone features we’ve used with the company’s NEX-6.

The camera housing itself has a plasticky feel, despite the high-end internals — the WX80 may not look like a sub-$200 camera on paper, but its true colors shine through once you have it in hand. The display is fairly basic, and while it looks alright at a distance, the UI experience doesn’t exactly feel high-end. The camera will ship in pink, white and black finishes, and you’ll want to opt for the latter flavor if you’re after a somewhat-premium look and feel. You’ll need to hang tight for a few weeks before you have a chance to evaluate the WX80 yourself, but housing and display aside, Sony seems to have a winner here. Sneak a peek in our gallery below.

Continue reading Sony Cyber-shot WX80 packs WiFi, 10 fps shooting, 12,800 ISO in a $199 point-and-shoot (hands-on)

Filed under: Cameras, Sony

Comments

It’s 2013, and Sony’s pair of standard-definition Handycams are officially on their way off store shelves. The company has retired the SX45 and SX85, which first began shipping in 2011 for $199 and $249, respectively, opting instead to introduce an entry-level HD model for $249. The CX220 is an update to last year’s $299 CX190, offering enhancements in nearly every feature category. The Exmor R sensor has been boosted to 8.9 megapixels for stills and 2.3MP for video, with a 32/27x 29.8mm Carl Zeiss lens, AVCHD and MP4 recording options, and 60p captures now joining as well. At $279, the CX230 offers identical features, with the addition of 8 gigs of internal storage, while the PJ230 adds a built-in 13-lumen projector for $399. Rounding out the low end of Sony’s CES lineup is the CX290, which boosts the lens range to 50/27x, features Optical SteadyShot and offers an enhanced 2.7-inch LCD for $349.

We were able to look through the LCDs of all four new models in a variety of colors (several of which are represented in that family shot above). The first thing we noticed was the camcorders’ weight — they’re all incredibly light, with the PJ model as the one exception, since the projector infrastructure adds a bit of heft. Ultimately, if you’re in the market for a camcorder, it’d be worth saving up a bit more cash to add Optical SteadyShot with the CX290 to boost the overall quality of your footage, but if filming casual family outings is your primary objective, even the $249 CX220 will suffice, and it looks nice too, shipping in black, blue, red and silver beginning next month. The CX230, CX290 and PJ230 will also be available in February in black finishes. You can check out all four flavors in the hands-on gallery just below.

Filed under: Cameras, Sony

Comments

Yup, Sony’s still in the business of making sub-$100 pocketable shooters. The Cyber-shot W710 is set to retail for a mere 99 bucks this month, while its similarly-specced W730 counterpart will carry a list price of $139. Both cameras offer 16.1-megapixel sensors, 2.7-inch LCDs, 720p HD video modes, a 1 frame-per-second burst option and a top sensitivity of ISO 3200. You’ll also find software consistencies, with Intelligent Auto, Picture Effect and Sweep Panorama modes available on both versions. The bargain-basement W710 includes a 28mm 5x optical zoom lens, while the pricier W730 model packs a 25mm 8x lens with optical SteadyShot on board. Both offerings will ship later this month in silver and pink, with the W710 also available in black and the W730 being sold in blue.

We briefly tested both versions, and while neither offered a top-of-the-line shooting experience, they did seem to be perfectly sufficient given the price. We could see the W710 and W730 being a solid fit for younger photographers who don’t necessarily treat all of their electronics with the care required to justify a higher-end model, for example. The displays were bright, though the resolution is clearly in line with the MSRPs. Both cameras were very compact and lightweight, so you shouldn’t have any problem tucking one into your jeans pocket and carrying it around on a regular basis. Neither of these models would necessarily be the best fit for experienced photographers, however casual their craft, but beginners with a tight budget will likely find them to be perfectly adequate. You can see them in action in the gallery just below.

Continue reading Sony Cyber-shot W710 and W730 entry-level cameras start at $99, we go hands-on

Filed under: Cameras, Sony

Comments