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

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Source: Nikon

Giving Sony phones hands-on time before they’re even announced must be in vogue this year. Hot on the heels of its look at what’s now called the Xperia T, Mobile-review has given the entry-level Xperia J a full inspection without even the hint of a press release in sight. The very, very early review makes clear that cost-cutting is the rule of the day: a 2010-era Snapdragon chip, 512MB of RAM and a fairly low-grade 4-inch LCD don’t afford much in the way of bragging rights. The absence of a microSD card slot doesn’t win any fans, either. Still, the Xperia J looks to be carrying a lightweight instance of Android 4.0 that keeps it reasonably up to date, the battery life is good and the 5-megapixel camera will capture some memories in a pinch. Sony could supposedly have its starter phone on the market as early as September, and for as little as 150 euros ($186) outside of a contract — no doubt the real selling point if it’s at all true, as the cost would be roughly half that of the already budget-minded Xperia U.

Filed under: Cellphones

Sony Xperia J gets a pre-unveiling hands-on, suggests we’ll get exactly what we pay for originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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