Hasta La Gadget!

Sony has unveiled its new NEX-3N camera, which is touted as offering professional-quality images from a light, compact body. This super compact camera weighs 210 grams, and offers a variety of features, both in terms of hardware and software. Those who want the quality and many features of a dSLR without the hassle will likely find the NEX-3N an intriguing, attractive camera.

The NEX-3N is an E-mount camera with an integrated flash and 3-inch LCD display, which can be flipped 180-degrees for easier photography sessions in many positions. There’s a zoom lever directly on the camera to make zooming easy when using a compatible lens, which can also be used to adjust digital zoom. Inside, users will find a BIONZ processor.

The ISO goes up to a high 16,000, and is offered in conjunction with hardware-level area-specific noise reduction. The noise reduction feature can be adjusted by the user for the best combination of sharpness and reduction; the best part, however, is that it can be adjusted for specific areas on an image. Sony boasts that low-light images still come out crisp with low noise in the absence of the flash.

The NEX-3N features an Exmor APS HD CMOS 16.1-megapixel sensor, as well as Auto Object Framing, which automatically determines the subject of a photograph and crops the image accordingly, producing a professionally framed image. Finally, the camera supports E-mount lenses, allowing for the creation of professional-looking blur effects without hassle. Telephoto, wide-angle, macro, and zoom lenses are all available.

No word on pricing yet.

[via Sony]

Sony’s new 16MP NEX-3N offers professional-quality photos, boasts compact design is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

With NVIDIA‘s reveal of the Tegra 4 System-on-Chip we saw the next generation of processing power with the ability to work with a separate piece of architecture for 4G LTE connectivity – with the Tegra 4i, NVIDIA integrates it all onto one single-chip solution. What you’ll see here is a smaller footprint made for smartphones on the mass market with a whole lot of next-generation power, but on such a level as you’ll find on the Tegra 4. Tegra 4i is NVIDIA’s way of pushing the latest and greatest in Tegra processing power to smartphones in a big way.

Tegra 4i vs Tegra 4

While the Tegra 4i (codename: “Grey” up until this week) is handling massive amounts of smartphones across the market across the world, NVIDIA’s Tegra 4 (originally called codename: “Wayne”) will be handling Tablets and what NVIDIA calls Superphones. This is a term NVIDIA has been using since all the way back when the original Motorola ATRIX was introduced to define their forward-looking approach to mobile computing. With Grey, NVIDIA retains a power greater than that of the Tegra 3 and gives it a boost while an i500 modem is integrated in with it.

The Tegra 4i works with R4 ARM A9 CPU architecture, this still employing 4-PLUS-1 technology with a fifth battery-saver core that works with low-power tasks for battery conservation. This is compared with the Tegra 4 which works with four ARM A15 cores (plus a fifth with the same technology onboard). The Tegra 4i also works with a 60 Core GPU arrangement rather than the 72 Core setup the Tegra 4 has.

Sizing up Tegra 4i

This little beast known as the Tegra 4i is what NVIDIA calls the “highest performing single chip smartphone processor [in the world]” when this article is published. While we’ll only be able to test this for ourselves when we’ve gotten our hands on the hardware, it would appear that their first show of power relies on the power per millimeter squared results from NV R&D, as you’ll see in a press deck shot here:

NVIDIA also shows a comparison between the S800 Krait CPU (used in some key competitor processors, mind you) and the CPUs of both the Tegra 4 and 4i. You’ll see here that the max Perf and Perf / clock are superior on the Tegra 4, while the size of the core is smallest on the Tegra 4i’s R4 A9 CPU, as is what NVIDIA says will be the raw ability to conserve battery power. It’s the Perf per millimeter squared, again, that shows the intense power of the Tegra 4i, working at more than double the ability of the Tegra 4 (based on size ratio, of course).

With Tegra 4i you’ve got a a new quad-core architecture with ARM R4 A9 cores clocked at 2.3GHz each. You’ve got your integrated i500 (Icera, that is) modem, and 60 GPU cores. Inside you’ve also got an integrated video engine, image signal processor, optimized memory interface, and some fabulous computational photography architecture (going by the name “NVIDIA Chimera”) as well.

NVIDIA Chimera

With the NVIDIA Tegra 4i we’re seeing another revelation in the abilities of the Tegra 4 family (including Tegra 4 and 4i at this point) to shoot great photos. With the reveal of the Tegra 4i, we’ve been shown (in brief) not only that this processor will enable phones to work with NVIDIA Chimera’s “Always On HDR”, but “Tap to Track” and “HDR Pano” as well. This is also the first time we’ve heard the brand “NVIDIA Chimera” attached to the suite of computational photography architecture features.

With Tap to Track you’ll be able to tap on your device’s viewfinder to keep focus and lighting based on a single object – and not just a person. Tap to Track is able to lock on to any kind of object and will retain a sensor on that object as long as it (or they) remain in view. This will be fabulous for tracking a soccer ball, for example.

With HDR Pano you’ll be working with panographic photos that collect multiple exposures instantly – not unlike the Tegra 4′s previously announced Always On HDR. Here you’ll get vibrant and wonderfully thick-colored panographic photos every time you shoot.

Phoenix Reference Phone Platform

With the Tegra 4i, NVIDIA begins creating reference platforms for each new processor. In this case it means you’ll be seeing a 5-inch display-toting smartphone with 1080p resolution across the front, an 8mm thin body, and 4G LTE connectivity. This device also works with PRISM 2, DirectTouch, and the full-on Tegra 4i build for NVIDIA Chimera Computational Photography Architecture use – snap away!

Wrap-up

In the end with the Tegra 4i you’ve got the second wing in a flying processor bird that is NVIDIA’s next-generation Tegra 4 family. With the NVIDIA Tegra 4i the company has presented their solution for entering the mass market in a way they’ve not attempted in the past. With this release, the Tegra smartphone floodgates can officially be opened.

Have a peek at the timeline below to gain more insight into what the Tegra 4 family is bringing to the market in the coming weeks and months. Expect the NVIDIA Tegra 4i to be in smartphones within the next few months and mass adoption to be on the market around the start of 2014.

NVIDIA Tegra 4i detailed: quad-core with wide market appeal is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Casio has launched its new EX-ZS30 compact digital camera. This point-and-shoot is aimed at beginners and features all the things you’d expect in a modern compact digital camera wrapped up in a stainless steel body. You can check out the device’s specs, as well as a gallery of pictures after the jump.

The EX-ZS30 has a 20.1-megapixel CCD sensor, giving a high enough resolution for any average user’s needs. The body itself is made from stainless steel, and is available in five colors: pink, purple, white, silver, and black. All of the functions and features are pretty basic, not surprising considering that the handset itself is aimed at beginners and those who want a simple camera for snapping pictures of their kids, friends, and pets.

To keep things simple, around back users will find dedicated buttons for the most common tasks performed, such as viewing and deleting images. To ensure that images come out as clear as possible, the EX-ZS30 offers Premium Auto mode, which auto-chooses both the mode and the processing necessary for the setting. This includes such modes that typically have to be selected manually, such as macro and night scenes.

To give uses their Instagram-like filter fix, there are eight “artistic effects” that can be applied to images: Pop, Sepia, Monochrome, Light Tone, Soft Focus, Toy Camera, Fish Eye, and Miniature. There’s also something called Dynamic Photo, which according to the announcement allows photographers to select eight moving character presets and combine them with a photograph.

[via Exilim]

Casio launches the 20.1-megapixel Exilim EX-ZS30 digital camera is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

The press images for both the Sony Alpha A58 and Sony Alpha NEX-3N have been released. It was only a couple of weeks ago when we saw some leaked images of the NEX-3N. Alongside the press images, we also found some important details regarding the cameras. The Sony Alpha A58 will be a SLT camera, and the NEX-3N will be a mirrorless camera. There will be 3 lenses that will be announced with the new cameras as well.

The Alpha A58 featured in the image above will have a 20 Megapixel sensor with an improved dynamic range, and 8 frames per second shooting speed. It will have a new 18-55mm, f/3.5-5.6 II kit lens. It should be priced somewhere between $600-$700. The NEX-3N will have a 16 Megapixel sensor and is priced around $500-$600. The NEX-3N’s main selling point is the electronic zoom dial featured on the camera.

There will also be 3 lenses available for these cameras. There will be a Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 with a price-point of $1600 to $1700, an 18-55mm II for A mount priced at around $200 to $300, and a 70-400G F4.5-5.6 II priced at a whopping $2400 to $2500. While they may make you a better photographer, the price points of these lenses are pretty steep.

There is no release date yet for these cameras, and it has been speculated that the camera wouldn’t be announced until April, but considering that so many details about these cameras have already been leaked, we may be seeing an announcement for them in the upcoming weeks. Sony is hoping that the refresh of its Alpha camera series will somewhat quell the decline in its digital camera sales.

[via Peta Pixel]

Sony Alpha A58 & NEX-3N press images leaked is written by Brian Sin & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

These leaked press images, purportedly direct from Sony, show off two of the company’s hopes for luring in advanced amateurs—with entry-level interchangeable lens cameras. More »