Hasta La Gadget!

Ever since we heard that Nikon was joining the league of mirrorless cameras, the whole world’s been waiting for its arch rival to make the next move in the battle of smaller prosumer cameras. Today, Canon finally gave away some hints about which camp it’ll side with — probably just sticking with traditional DSLRs, but smaller. Canon’s Masaya Maeda didn’t share any specific details, but here’s how he dodged Reuters‘ inquiry: “It’s not a question of whether or not you have a mirror. There is a consumer need for good-quality cameras to be made smaller. We will meet this need.” And to add some icing to that bland statement, Maeda reinforced that it wouldn’t be a challenge for his company to retain a mirror (hence a viewfinder, which is essential for obtaining better results and higher shooting rates) in a smaller design, and that they’ve made very small SLR cameras before (likely in reference to the film era). Whatever happens, here’s hoping that Canon’s new toy won’t be any bigger than the much-loved G11.

Canon developing smaller DSLRs to compete with mirrorless cameras? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 18:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’d obviously take this one with a grain (or two) of salt, but Nikon Rumors has it that Nikon’s fixing to give entry level DSLR buyers yet another option in the not-too-distant future. Of course, with the planet’s largest photo show coming up in just a few months (Photokina, if you’re curious), it’s about time that some of these rumors start to pick up traction. Truth be told, this isn’t the first time we’ve heard of the D3100 — a few months ago it was being bandied about as the D4000. Word on the street has it that the shooter will boast a 10 megapixel CMOS sensor, a dozen autofocus points and a fixed LCD on the rear (read: no swivel). But that’s just the beginning; the D3100 will purportedly boast 1080p and 720p movie modes, and each will support continuous autofocus while filming. Yeah, you read that right — continuous autofocus in video mode. That’s a killer feature that we’ve been begging for ever since the D90 became a reality, and while we’ll probably want to swap out the stock 18-55mm lens for something with a bit more flexibility, we couldn’t be happier to hear of these features hitting Nikon’s range. Look forward to a price and release “in a few weeks.” We are.

Nikon D3100 to split the D5000 / D3000 difference? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 07:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Letcool 350JP game console does double duty as handheld, digital camera originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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It’s sort of affordable by Mamiya standards, but the $17,990 asking price affixed to the outfit’s new RZ33 large-sensor digital camera kit is still apt to detract all but the most professional of professionals. Boasting a 33 megapixel CCD sensor, CompactFlash support and a promise to produce mind-blowing images, this beast-of-a-digicam is said to offer “cable-free digital operation [that’s] just as smooth and trouble-free as shooting with film.” As you’d expect, it’s fully compatible with all RZ system lenses, viewfinders and (most) accessories, and you’ll also find rack and pinion bellows focusing, inbuilt vertical-horizontal rotation and an optional interchangeable power winder. Hit the source link for the nitty-gritty, but only if you’ve got the cheddar to cover the biggest impulse buy of your life.

Mamiya churns out 33 megapixel RZ33 digital camera: yours for $18k originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:06:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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You know all those precious lenses you’ve been stockpiling for your SLR since the 90s? They’re still safe for another couple of decades, but in round about 2030, you’re gonna be trashing all that glassware and buying yourself a Wonder Camera. Why would that be? Canon is pretty confident that by then it’ll have figured out how to do a single lens capable of going from macro shots all the way out to a 5000mm focal length. And yes, apparently it’s small enough to fit in a young girl’s hands. This non-interchangeable lens is backed by an all-touch interface (say sayonara to your knobs and dials), an extremely high-resolution sensor, and image stabilization so advanced as to make shooting at that unspeakably high zoom range a viable option. Finally, the whole lurid dream is topped off with video-only capture. Canon argues you won’t need to shoot stills when its video is capable of keeping everything in focus all the time — you’ll just pick out your favorite scene from the movie reel. Go past the break to see the highfaultin video demo.

Continue reading Canon Wonder Camera Concept promises single-lens perfection (video)

Canon Wonder Camera Concept promises single-lens perfection (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Jul 2010 02:51:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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