Hasta La Gadget!

Sigma knows that $9,700 is a lot of money to pay for, well, anything, so it’s couching the hefty price tag on its new flagship DSLR, the SD1, in the context of it competing against medium format digital cameras — whose prices don’t generally fall below five figures. Trouble is, as professionally inclined, well designed, and durably built as the SD1 may be, it still only packs a 15.3 megapixel CMOS sensor that spans 24mm x 16mm (or APS-C size). That means it’ll have to earn its stripes on the battlefield of image quality, which it’ll be ready to march onto in less than a month’s time. Sigma promises to start shipping units in early June, so if you have the cash to spare (plus a little extra to fund a suitably awesome lens), you can start building up your anticipation today. Full PR and camera specs can be found after the break.

Continue reading Sigma SD1 starts shipping in June for $9,700, has its sights set on medium format lovers

Sigma SD1 starts shipping in June for $9,700, has its sights set on medium format lovers originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 09:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Sigma  | Email this | Comments

We’re not the only site to put Nikon’s new mid-range DSLR through its paces. Plenty of others have taken the D5100 for a spin and we thought you might like to know: they’re all pretty impressed. The new 1080p30 video mode was much appreciated as was the larger, higher resolution swivel screen around back. The biggest props generally went to the improved high-ISO performance (which was already quite respectable on the D5000 it’s replacing) and the boost in autofocus speed, especially when using the LCD as a view finder in Live View mode. Oddly, the built-in effects also garnered a lot of attention. The Miniature Effect (a tilt-shift simulator) and Selective Color mode impressed reviewers the most with their surprising level of sophistication for in-camera processing. All of the effects can also be used when shooting video, so you can make your HD footage look like black and white 8mm by turning on Night Vision. Criticisms were relatively minor and applicable to most mid- and entry-level DSLRs — primarily that the body is plasticy and there is a slight lag in focus and shutter performance. The D5100 is an obvious upgrade over the D5000 and more than holds its own against its competitors, but if you want to dig deeper check out our review and the ones below.

Read – DPReview
Read – Photography Blog
Read – CNET
Read – Nikon Rumors
Read – Pocket-Lint
Read – Pocket-Lint (2)

Nikon’s D5100 impresses, captures children’s birthday parties with incredible clarity originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

The Micro Four Thirds form factor may be a compelling choice for those seeking portability with affordable prices and notable quality, but there’s no doubt that many folks are still loyal to the conventional DSLRs. If you’re one such Olympus fan who’s concerned about the fate of the larger E-series lineup, fret not: Akira Watanabe, head of product development, reassured PCPOP that the E-series models are here to stay because of their unique features, though his team’s still pondering over the idea of replacing the budget triple-digit line (like the E-620) with the PEN series, as suggested by his colleague previously. But shifting the focus back to PEN, Watanabe teased that his crew’s developing some MFT lenses to boost the portfolio, though little is revealed other than that these will cater users who have specific photographic needs. Very intriguing indeed — maybe some fisheye and tilt-shift love?

Olympus still loving E-series DSLRs, but teases new Micro Four Thirds lenses to confuse you originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 24 Apr 2011 19:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Electronista  |  PCPOP  | Email this | Comments

Nikon D5100 kit hits Best Buy shelves early, still costs $900 originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 11:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  Best Buy  | Email this | Comments

Okay, so Nikon kind of spoiled the surprise with this one, but we can now enlighten you with the full details of its upcoming midrange (or “advanced beginner” as Nikon calls it) DSLR refresh. The D5100 takes the spot of the venerable D5000, but follows the previous generation’s recipe for success pretty closely. The D5000 was a stripped-down D90 in a simpler, smaller package that came with an articulating LCD, and the D5100 just so happens to feature the same mighty 16.2 megapixel sensor as the D7000 (Nikon’s current high-end consumer DSLR) augmented with a flipout screen. Having the D7000’s internals helps the new shooter churn out 1080p video at 24fps, 25fps, or 30fps, depending on your preference for up to a maximum of 20 minutes. The D5000 is only capable of five-minute bursts of 720/24p video and isn’t able to continually autofocus, which the D5100 can. The D5100 also betters its predecessor in terms of physical fitness, coming in at a healthy 10 percent lighter and smaller, while a good number of the physical controls have been repositioned in order to allow for a new horizontal opening mechanism. That’ll be a well appreciated tweak for tripod users. The new screen’s also 17 percent thinner, we’re told, and steps up to a 3-inch diagonal with a 920k-dot resolution. Solid stuff. After the break you’ll find a full spec sheet along with some video action with the D5100. Pricing for this camera is set at $800 / €777 / £670 for the body only or $900 / €904 / £780 for the body plus an 18-55mm VR kit lens. The ME-1 external mic introduced alongside it — did we not mention the D5100 has an external mic input — will cost $180 / €139 / £120 and both are expected in stores on April 21st.

Continue reading Nikon D5100 and ME-1 external mic coming April 21st, we go hands-on (video)

Nikon D5100 and ME-1 external mic coming April 21st, we go hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments