Panasonic gets official with Lumix DMC-G2 and DMC-G10 Micro Four Thirds cameras

Panasonic has the news day all to itself with its newfangled pair of Micro Four Thirds shooters, and in case you were wondering — yeah, this is the exact same duo that we saw slip out on Friday. Up first is the Lumix DMC-G2, which looks an awful lot like the G1 it replaces and is touted as the first interchangable lens system camera with touch-control shooting. Granted, we haven’t exactly warmed to the idea of using a touchpanel to fire off a shot, but hey, it is what it is. Other specs include a 12.1 megapixel Live MOS sensor, Venus Engine HD II technology, a 3-inch rear LCD and a 720p (AVCHD Lite) movie mode, though curiously enough a price and release date eludes us. Moving on, there’s the DMC-G10, which is supposedly the “world’s lightest” interchangeable lens camera with a viewfinder; this one packs the same 12.1 megapixel sensor and Venus Engine HD II as on the G2, but the 3-inch LCD lacks tilt / swivel / touch options. We’re still waiting on pricing for this one as well, but now is as good a time as any to mention that both fully support those obnoxiously expensive SDXC cards. Huzzah!

Panasonic gets official with Lumix DMC-G2 and DMC-G10 Micro Four Thirds cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 07 Mar 2010 10:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Mysterious yellow and black cards lead to wild Nikon speculation

You know what’s black and yellow all over, fits in the average mailbox and gets the imaginations of camera junkies running wild? These cards, that’s what. Over the past few days, mysterious cards have begun to arrive in the hands of Nikon users, and while the company’s name is nowhere to be found, the colors and hints are starting to build a case for something new. It seems a countdown from 8 has begun, with the first card stating “I am…” and the second “I am fun….” In case you weren’t aware, Nikon has yet to dabble in the Micro Four Thirds world (or even hint at a competitor like Samsung’s NX range), but whispers of a so-called EVIL lineup have been building steam. Nikon aficionados have pointed out that the countdown will end just prior to a UK press meeting on March 8th, which could very well mean that an all-new compact is just days away from being properly revealed. Or it could be nothing at all. Keep your expectations low — it’s better to be pleasantly surprised than deflated and alone, right?

Mysterious yellow and black cards lead to wild Nikon speculation originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 01 Mar 2010 01:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus PEN E-PL1 Micro Four Thirds camera now shipping for $600

Next month? Psshh. For those hankering for a slice of that oh-so-tempting Micro Four Thirds pie, Olympus’ new and improved PEN E-PL1 is now shipping (in blue and gold, anyway) from Amazon. If you’ll recall, the company told us that it wouldn’t be available until March when it launched three weeks ago, but hey, you won’t find us kvetching about early availability. For those who’ve forgotten, this compact camera touts the same 12.3 megapixel image sensor as the E-30 and E-620, and the $599.99 asking price also nets you a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko zoom lens. Good luck resisting.

[Thanks, Ron]

Olympus PEN E-PL1 Micro Four Thirds camera now shipping for $600 originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:22:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Polaroid PoGo instant digicam on sale next week, toilet graffiti will never be the same

We still don’t have the European or US release dates for the Polaroid Pogo instant digicam but they can’t be far behind the February 26th date just announced for Japan. Looks like we might see a price cut too, given the ¥10,000 (about $110) price in Japan compared to the $199 price announced at CES. Of course, you still have to shell out for the ZINK instant photo paper 10-packs scheduled to run for $4.99, or $12.99 for the 30-pack variety. As a camera, it’s not much with its 5 megapixel sensor, SDHC storage, weak-sauce LCD, and 0x optical zoom as we discovered during our hands-on. What it lacks in specs, though, is made up for by its novelty. 2-inch by 3-inch photo stickers in 60 seconds? Urban ego tagging just got a brand new playbook.

Also announced is a bevy of forgettable budget shooters, including the 12 megapixel t1235, 12 megapixel i1237 with touchscreen LCD, and 9 megapixel a930. Lady GaGa must be so proud.

Polaroid PoGo instant digicam on sale next week, toilet graffiti will never be the same originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 07:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Alpha ultra-compact concept hands-off: leaves much to the imagination

We’d love nothing more than to extol the merits of Sony’s Alpha ultra-compact concept with an interchangeable lens — which bears a striking resemblance at face value to Olympus and Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds standard — but alas, the little device is hidden behind glass. Furthermore, all the Sony reps we managed to corner wouldn’t answer our questions. Will the lenses be interchangeable with Sony’s current Alpha DSLR line, or any of the MFT lenses? What’s been cut from traditional Four Thirds models to accommodate for the drop in size? Radio silence, save for a repeat of this morning’s information and a finger point to the adjacent ”
Exmor APS HD CMOS” sign — which, as we know from this morning, is larger than a Four Thirds sensor, but we’re not sure how much. Still, enjoy the pics we managed to take from behind the glass — and also be sure to enjoy the shots of this morning’s other Sony announcements, the
Super Telephoto Lens (500mm F4 G) and the prototype Distagon T 24mm F2 ZA SSM.


Sony Alpha ultra-compact concept hands-off: leaves much to the imagination originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GE outs PMA 2010 range: X5, E1486TW, E1480W, J1455 and waterproof G5WP

Not sure if anyone clued you in, but there’s a reasonably large camera show going on in Anaheim, and the shooter news is flowing hot and heavy. General Imaging (or GE, as it were) has just busted out its 2010 range of point and shoot cameras, and while none of ’em are particularly mind-blowing, there are a few here worth paying attention to. The waterproof G5WP (ships in late Q2 for $179.99) is a natural successor to last year’s G3WP, offering up a metal enclosure, 4x internal zoom, a 12.2 megapixel sensor and your choice of gray, red or blue color schemes. The $149.99 X5 megazoom offers up a 15x zoom lens, a maximum ISO of 3,200 and a Q2 ship date, while the J1455 brings a 14.2 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom lens, image stabilization and a multitude of color options for $129.99. The ‘Power Series’ is seeing two new additions today in the 0.83-inch thick E1486TW ($179.99) and E1480W ($149.99), both of which include HD movie modes, optical image stabilization, a 14 megapixel sensor, an 8x optical zoomer and a 3-inch rear LCD. The company’s low-end C- and A-series cameras are also seeing updates today, all of which are detailed in the linked presser.

GE outs PMA 2010 range: X5, E1486TW, E1480W, J1455 and waterproof G5WP originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony intros Alpha DSLR concepts, ‘ultra-compact’ interchangeable lens model included

PMA is just kicking off in earnest down in Anaheim, and it looks like Sony has arrived in a big way. Looking to make a splash in a DSLR world dominated by Canon and Nikon, the outfit has brought a few of its best and brightest concepts to SoCal. Up first is an ultra-compact “interchangeable lens” concept, which is no doubt Sony’s attempt to get in on the fledgling Micro Four Thirds game before it blows up big. Few details on the device are available, but we’ll be doing our best to pry whatever specifications we can from the booth representatives in short order. Moving on, there’s a conceptual model of the Alpha A700 replacement, complete with an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor that promises full AVCHD video capabilities. There’s also a prototype of a Super Telephoto Lens (500mm F4 G) as well as a prototype Distagon T 24mm F2 ZA SSM, which ought to make wide angle junkies drool profusely. The company’s also dishing out a raft of accessories, including underwater housing devices, HD lenses and output cables, tripods / accessory packs and a Compact PictureStation photo printing kiosk. Stay tuned for some hands-on action from the show floor.

Sony intros Alpha DSLR concepts, ‘ultra-compact’ interchangeable lens model included originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Casio rolls out Exilim EX-S7 and EX-Z35 point-and-shoots at PMA

It’s a beautiful day in Anaheim, which makes it a perfect day to introduce a couple of compact shooters. Regardless of the fact that we just made that up, Casio‘s in full agreement, as it has just pushed out the new Exilim EX-S7 (shown above) and EX-Z35 (shown after the break) at PMA 2010. The pair of low-end cameras offer up 12.1 megapixel sensors, 3x optical zooms and direct-to-web upload options; the S7 ships with a 720p HD video mode and a 2.7-inch rear LCD, while the Z35 gets a VGA movie mode and a 2.5-inch LCD. Neither option will blow any minds, but the relatively low $139.99 / $109.99 (in order of mention) price points just might generate some interest from the novices in attendance.

Continue reading Casio rolls out Exilim EX-S7 and EX-Z35 point-and-shoots at PMA

Casio rolls out Exilim EX-S7 and EX-Z35 point-and-shoots at PMA originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Feb 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Olympus’ SP-800UZ 30x superzoom starts taking pre-orders

Thought your decision was made when Nikon’s P100 superzoom hit online stores yesterday? You might wanna give Olympus’ offering a quick peek as well, as today the SP-800UZ has debuted on Amazon with a similar shipping schedule of three to five weeks. It brings quite the punchy résumé too, with its 30x optical zoom and $349 price both being that little bit better than Nikon’s hardware. Additional enticements include a 14 megapixel sensor with dual image stabilization, AF tracking, 720p video recording, face detection and a 3-inch LCD. Just to make sure you’re completely comfortable with your purchase, the above price also includes a spare high-capacity battery, mini tripod, lens cleaning kit, and a USB card reader. Man, wish mobile operators treated us like this.

[Thanks, Ron]

Olympus’ SP-800UZ 30x superzoom starts taking pre-orders originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony’s DSC-TX5 is waterproof, freeze-proof, dust-proof, and headed for retail this April

Our early info on this diminutive shooter only indicated it’d be waterproof, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see some further optimizations thrown in for use in less hospitable environments. You’ll be able to go down to 10 feet under water with the TX5, drop it from a 5-foot height, or explore the tundra at temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius) without the camera throwing in the towel. So Sony claims anyhow. Other features include a now confirmed 10fps burst mode, a 10.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, 4x optical zoom plus optical image stabilization, and a 3-inch touchscreen on the back. The one thing that doesn’t make the transition from rumor to reality is the reputed 1080p movie mode — the TX5 makes do with a still desirable 720p video recording. Sony’s also kicking out the DSC-H55 (pictured after the break) today, which will have the same video mode, but adds a 10x optical zoom and a thicker, non-weatherproofed body. Both cams will happily write to Class 4 and above SDHC cards when they debut this April, priced at $350 for the TX5 and $250 for the H55.

Continue reading Sony’s DSC-TX5 is waterproof, freeze-proof, dust-proof, and headed for retail this April

Sony’s DSC-TX5 is waterproof, freeze-proof, dust-proof, and headed for retail this April originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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