Hasta La Gadget!

The DSLR market just seems to keep on speeding up, and it looks like Olympus might be lagging back toward the caboose a bit with its latest full-body DSLR, the E-5. It’s the successor to the E-3, jumping to 12.3 megapixels and adding 720p recording with full exposure controls, plus a handy swiveling LCD. But, according to reviews, it just doesn’t quite compare to something like a much cheaper Nikon D7000. PhotographyBlog liked the improved image quality and the rugged build, but not the ugly rolling shutter effect in video recording and the poor high ISO performance. Similarly DigitalCameraReview says this $1,699 beast “feels like a modest update to the E-3,” a sentiment shared by Pocket-Lint as well. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

Olympus E-5 DSLR reviewed: solid upgrade for E-3 owners, not much appeal for anyone else originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 10:08:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pentax’s K-5 DSLR has been around for a little while now, but it’s only just recently received enough reviews to establish something of a critical consensus. The short of it is that the camera largely addresses most of the criticisms leveled at the K-7 it’s replacing — namely, lackluster image quality and poor high ISO performance in particular — but those improvements come at a fairly hefty cost. The K-7 costs about $300 more than the Nikon D7000, which Digital Photography Review notes has a similar sensor but a “significantly more versatile AF system.” Photography Blog also came to some similar conclusions, but notes that the “headline-grabbing top-speed of 512000 is frankly unusable,” and suggests that Pentax should have simply followed Nikon’s lead and capped things at 25600. Despite that high price and some minor issues, however, DP Review says the camera is a “no-brainer” upgrade for current Pentax users, but obviously still something of a tough sell for Canon or Nikon users. Hit up the links below for some additional takes on the camera.

Read – Digital Photography Review
Read – Photography Blog
Read – Imaging Resource
Read – Pocket-lint

Pentax K-5 review roundup: solid but pricey upgrade from the K-7 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 00:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ever heard of Ona? Up until last week, we hadn’t either. Turns out, Ona’s a purveyor of “fine” camera bags and accessories, and given that it’s the holiday season, we figured it prudent to have a gander at the outfit’s latest and greatest — you know, just in case you’ve a camera lover in your family who you’ve yet to buy for. The all-new Union Street ($279) is quite clearly an upscale messenger bag on the outside, but the internals are arranged in a way that the amateur photog / gadget lover would appreciate. There’s room for a few pens (of the lens and / or ink variety), a smartphone, a navigation system, a 15-inch (or smaller) laptop and — according to Ona — a DSLR along with three lenses. The other notable aspect is the waxed canvas exterior (dubbed Waxwear), which is generally more rugged and weather resistant than your average patch of suede or leather. How’s it all shake out? Join us after the break for our pair of pennies.

Continue reading Ona Union Street DSLR / laptop messenger bag review

Ona Union Street DSLR / laptop messenger bag review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 11:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re shopping for a new lens of some sort, you’ve come to just the right place. Here’s ThePhoblographer’s list of the best lenses you can get your hands on without breaking the bank. More »

Oh, sure — Pentax may have thrown one in gratis on its K-7, and Nikon has done the same on its D3S, but none of that really matters if you’re the proud owner of a Canon, now does it? For those fed up with accidentally moving their mode dial during a critical shoot, Canon is now offering a chargeable service for the EOS 5D Mark II and EOS 7D cameras. For the tidy sum of $100, the outfit will install a Mode Dial with a center-located lock button — the goal here is to prevent the wheel from moving during “normal camera operation,” while simultaneously milking an extra Benjamin out of the outfit’s loyal customer base. ‘Course, there’s a glass half-full / half-empty way to look at this. You could bang on Canon for not including this from day one, or you could be grateful to have the option at all. Your move, cynic.

Canon will now add locking mode dial to your EOS 5D Mark II or 7D… for $100 originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 02 Dec 2010 02:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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