We’ve seen Panasonic’s 3D camcorder, but the company is also releasing a standalone lens that will allow otherwise stock still cameras to shoot 3D. More »
Like Panasonic’s new 3D-capable HDC-SDT750 camcorder but don’t want to shell out $1,400 for a brand-new kit? Get a load of this Micro Four Thirds lens. That’s right, Panny’s just announced an interchangeable 3D lens that affixes to the standard Lumix G-series mount, meaning any of the company’s new sub-DSLR shooters could see in stereo with a firmware hack update. Sadly, compatible models are still “to be announced” and even the lens pictured above is just a prototype, but we won’t have too long to wait for the real deal — the Japanese manufacturer says it’ll be on sale by the end of the year. Press release after the break.
Continue reading Panasonic will offer interchangeable 3D lens for Micro Four Thirds by year’s end
Panasonic will offer interchangeable 3D lens for Micro Four Thirds by year’s end originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
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.
While Sony may have its pricey NEX-VG10 camcorder sucking up the limelight at yesterday’s showcase, let’s not forget the electronic giant’s more humble photographic devices. Just a few steps away we stumbled upon these near-identical Alpha A390 and A290 entry-level DSLRs, with the former donning a tilting LCD and live view capability to live up to its bigger price tag. We can’t comment on picture quality due to the lack of sample shots, but we were certainly impressed by both cameras’ build quality — kudos to Sony for the much improved grip, and we also liked the firm chassis (plus its various knobs and flaps) that didn’t feel cheap despite sounding hollow. On a similar note, the 2.7-inch LCD looked sharp and served us well for all purposes, although we didn’t get to test it outdoor. What really bewildered us was the lens continuously auto-focusing while the camera remained stationary — that couldn’t be good for the battery, and we’d like to see how battery life fares in upcoming reviews. Anyhow, enjoy our hands-on photos.
Sony Alpha A390 and A290 DSLRs hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 16 Jul 2010 19:53:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Well, that was quick. Right after yesterday’s surprising announcement, Sony flew its yet-to-be-released NEX-VG10 camcorder into London just in time for today’s showcase event. Naturally, we had to get our hands on this shiny baby, and boy we were impressed. In case you missed the news, this snazzy device is the world’s first consumer HandyCam with interchangeable lens, meaning you can share E-mount lenses with your young NEX DSLRs, or take advantage of the abundant A-mount lenses with the help of an adapter. Likewise, there are also hot and cold shoe mounts on the mic shaft to cater your current camera accessories. Read on for our thoughts on the rest of the camcorder — we’ve put together a little sample clip for you at the end as well.
Gallery: Sony NEX-VG10 HD camcorder preview
Continue reading Sony NEX-VG10 HD camcorder preview
Sony NEX-VG10 HD camcorder preview originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
What a way to celebrate 25 years of the Handycam brand, right? Out of absolutely (almost) nowhere, Sony has just upended the entire prosumer camcorder universe, and it may very well sway you from purchasing that Canon EOS 7D for video purposes. For all intents and purposes, this is Micro Four Thirds for your camcorder, but since Olympus and Panasonic own that specific technology, Sony’s left calling the NEX-VG10 an “interchangeable lens HD camcorder.” Moreover, it’s the first Handycam to sport an Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor (the same one found in the NEX-5 and NEX-3), and it’ll shoot 1080p (1,920 x 1,080/60i at 24Mbps, if we’re being precise) with a wealth of E-mount and A-mount lenses. When not handling live action, it’s also capable of snapping stills at 14.2 megapixels, and the 18-200mm lens that’s bundled with it is about as versatile as they come. Budding videographers will also appreciate the Quad Capsule Spatial Array Stereo Microphone (yes, seriously), not to mention the 3-inch swivel display, Optical Steadyshot image stabilization, BIONZ processor and twin accessory shoes. There’s no internal storage to speak of, but it will accept SDHC / SDXC (huzzah!) in addition to MS Pro Duo. Get ready to get wowed this September when it lands for around $2,000.
Continue reading Sony issues NEX-VG10: first interchangeable lens HD camcorder
Sony issues NEX-VG10: first interchangeable lens HD camcorder originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | Comments
Another entrant has entered the Micro Four Thirds ring, and it’s Panasonic delivering the Lumix DMC-G2 — a new shooter with similar still performance but, this time, some rather nice enhancements, the most major being a three-inch articulating touchscreen. You can control some aspects of the camera with a touch, perhaps most useful being tap-to-focus augmented by the camera keeping focus on whatever you tapped on, even if it moves around. But, a full suite of physical buttons and dials still await your fingers, enabling you to tweak settings without fiddling with menus. The 720p video recording now supports AVCHD, giving your SDHC or SDXC memory card a break, and there’s an input for an optional stereo mic. Ultimately still performance here is said to be identical to Panasonic’s more budget-minded DMC-G10, which clocks in $200 cheaper than the G2’s MSRP of $799, but lacks 720p video and the fancy touchscreen. Worth the extra cost? That depends on how deep your pockets are.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 reviewed, premium features warrant its premium price originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The past year has seen both Sony and Samsung unveil tiny interchangeable lens cameras designed to compete with the Micro Four Thirds units from Panasonic and Olympus, and now Nikon’s getting in the game as well — company president Makoto Kimura told Bloomberg Nikon will introduce a “new concept” mirrorless cameras with enhanced video functions as early as this year. (That sort of sounds like the Canon G11 competitor with DSLR tech Nikon was hinting at earlier this year, but we can’t tell if they’re the same.) Kimura says that Nikon is “intensively” focused on developing the new mirrorless product as part of a plan to increase SLR revenue — Nikon’s goal is to increase interchangeable lens camera sales a whopping 80 percent over the next three years. That’s ambitious, but if Nikon can produce a tiny shooter with some of the D3S‘s low-light capabilities and the ability to accept even a subset of its modern family of lenses, we don’t think it’s out of the question. We’ll see what happens.
Nikon planning “new concept” mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras with enhanced video modes originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Panasonic has released more details of its upcoming Micro Four Thirds (M4/3) camcorder, the mysterious AG-AF100, which was originally announced back in April. And while we have no price or firm launch date (we’re still looking at the end of the year), there is a lot for videographers to get excited about.
Most important, the camcorder will work with all of Panasonic’s G-series lenses, those made for the existing M4/3 stills cameras. This, by extension, means that you’ll also be able to use the available adapters to put just about any 35mm lens on the front.
Then come details of the shooting formats. The AF100 will shoot AVCHD video in 1080 and 720-line sizes, at frame rates of 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25 or 23.9p (this last mimics the frame rate of traditional film cameras). Up to 12-hours of footage can be captured to the twin SDXC card slots, and the camera will talk to microphones and other video hardware via standard XLR and HD-SDI sockets.
For a (presumably) budget-friendly price, a large-sensor camcorder with access to thousands of great lenses is a sweet prospect. It might not have the flexibility of video-shooting DSLRs like the Canon 5D MkII, but neither will you need to bolt on so many accessories that it ends up looking like a Borg. The (PDF) link to the product details is dead right now, but in the meantime you can read a little more at the intermediary DP Review page.
AG-AF100 details (PDF) [Panasonic via DP Review]
See Also:
Panasonic’s new 8mm fisheye lens brings a 180º field of view to the Micro Four Thirds camera range, allowing photographers the opportunity to shoot both the sky and their own feet at the same time.
On the MFT-system, with its half-frame sensor, the 8mm ƒ3.5 wide-angle is the equivalent of a 16mm fisheye on a 35mm camera. And these ultra-wide lenses are one of the few kinds of glass that don’t really need a super-wide maximum aperture: even an ƒ2 fisheye wouldn’t give you a super-shallow depth of field here, and because you aren’t zoomed-in on one detail far away as you would be with a longer lens, you don’t have to worry about camera shake, either. Just slow the shutter a little to get enough light at night.
Other than just being wide, the lens also lets you slide in a piece of gel-filter into the rear for creative, Lomo-like effects, and the seven-bladed aperture should shape any out-of focus highlights you manage to achieve into pleasing blurs. The stepper-motors used for focussing are silent (for movie making) and the lens can focus as close as 10cm (four inches).
The UK price has been announced as £730 ($1,060), which should probably bring it in at under a grand in the US, possibly in July.
Panasonic Introduces World’s Smallest and Lightest Digital Interchangeable Fisheye Lens [Panasonic]
See Also:
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
