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Back in the day when our phones did not come with cameras, the need for dedicated cameras, whether it be a cheap compact or a professional DSLR, were still needed. These days our smartphones are more than capable of taking impressive shots, leading some camera manufacturers, such as Nikon, to express their concern over how the compact camera market is shrinking. Well it looks like Nikon’s fears weren’t unfounded thanks to a new report by CIPA (Camera and Imaging Products Association). (more…)

Like It , +1 , Tweet It , Pin It | Compact Camera Shipments Down By 42.7% According To CIPA Report original content from Ubergizmo.

PENTAX RICOH IMAGING COMPANY, LTD. has announced that they will release their new compact digital camera “GR” in late May.

It features the new “GR LENS 18.3mm F2.8″ lens with 18.3mm focal length. Low-pass filter-less, APS-C CMOS sensor (16.2 million pixel) is built-in. The new “GRENGINE” image processor brings ISO 25600. High AF speed of 0.2 seconds and 4 frame/second shutter speed.

Still pictures up to 4928×3264; Movies up to 1920×1080.

Support functions for shooting are abundant. 9 effect modes such as “Retro” and “Miniaturize”, “Dynamic range correction” to reduce over-exposure or under-exposure, “Face detection AF&AE” to take a photo of a person easily and beautifully, etc.

Estimated price: around 100,000 yen
Dimensions: approx. 117 x 61 x 34.7 mm
Weight: approx. 245g (with battery and SD card); 215g (without)

Short Version

Sony’s compact camera with pro features including manual focusing and RAW support comes with a hefty price tag, but it costs that much for a reason: This is simply the best camera currently available for shooters who want something that fits in a front pocket but still delivers image quality so breathtaking, your friends will think you’ve been toting around a DSLR.

Long Version

Features:

• Large, 1-inch sensor (allows for amazing depth-of-field composition)
• Bright, fast  F1.8-4.9 lens
• Incredibly fast autofocus in a range of lighting conditions

Info:

• 20.2 effective megapixel sensor
• 3.6x zoom
• Availability: Ships Dec. 4 from Sony
• MSRP: $649
• Product page

The Sony RX100 is…

… a compact camera that proves good things do come in small packages. The bokeh (background blur) you can achieve with this camera is astounding, given its size. It’s also an extremely capable low-light shooter compared to others in this category, and has AF capabilities that are actually so fast they’ll take some getting used to if you’re coming from some recent mirrorless interchangeable lens systems, like the Canon EOS M.

But the Sony RX100 for…

… the photo enthusiast in your circle who stopped taking pictures because they got tired of lugging around heavy equipment. That applies to DSLR shooters, as well as compact system camera users who were just tired of keeping track of different lenses, or who felt almost, but not quite unburdened by things like the Olympus PEN series that still aren’t quite pocketable.

Because…

… the problem with the eternal struggle between image quality and portability in cameras is that you always end up making more compromises than you’re probably comfortable with. The RX100 is different, in that it’s a compact camera with an attached lens that will leave you thinking “This is good,” instead of just “This is good enough.” Check out the gallery of unedited photos straight from the camera below for a small sample of what the RX100 is capable of.

Click to view slideshow.

When we first got our hands on Sony’s full-frame compact camera, the Cyber-shot RX1, we were allowed to touch it, but we couldn’t use it for its stated purpose. Today, however, we got to put its 35mm image sensor and Zeiss Sonnar T* 35mm f/2.0 fixed prime lens to the test at a Sony event in San Francisco. Join us after the break to see a bit more of the City by the Bay and learn how the RX1 performed shooting stills and video.

Continue reading Sony Cyber-shot RX1 sample images and video

Filed under: Cameras, Sony

Sony Cyber-shot RX1 sample images and video originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 21:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Let’s say you’ve been considering a Leica X2 for the mix of a big APS-C sensor and retro styling, but a $1,995, fixed-range compact camera just isn’t exclusive enough. Leica has you covered with two extra-rare editions that rise above the pack. Provided you don’t mind someone else designing for you, the Edition Paul Smith spices things up with a mix of black, green and orange that reflects the UK fashion designer’s love of stripes and wilder colors. Is the small 1,500-unit batch of Paul Smith cameras still too common? There’s now an à la carte X2 option to limit the production run to exactly one. After picking from black, silver or new titanium colors for the main body, you can choose from a set of leather trim colors and get custom engraving to hedge against the unlikely event that anyone confuses your X2 with someone else’s. Prices aren’t immediately available for the October launches of both cameras. Not that it matters much — if you’re willing to even consider a special edition Leica, you already know that it’s within your price range.

Zach Honig contributed to this report.

Continue reading Leica X2 gets à la carte, Paul Smith editions to help you stand out from plebeian photographers (update: hands-on)

Filed under: Cameras

Leica X2 gets à la carte, Paul Smith editions to help you stand out from plebeian photographers (update: hands-on) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 17 Sep 2012 20:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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