Feb 23

Nikon CoolPix ‘Style’ and ‘Life’ series hands-on

Posted in: hands-on, nikon, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, Today's Chili

What, it wouldn’t be a camera convention without Nikon (and everyone else, for that matter) showing off a basket of new point-and-shoots. We knew what the company was bringing — selections from its “Style” and “Life” series, as well as the P100 superzoom we covered earlier this week — and now we’ve gotten our hands on the L22, S4000, L110, and S8000. There isn’t much to say, frankly — a collection of pocket shooters of various feature sets and various price ranges to cater to various demographics and psychographics. Still, we know you need to get that “fix” when it comes to pictures of gadgets, so let’s get on with it, shall we?

Gallery: Nikon L22, S4000, L110, and S8000 hands-on

Nikon CoolPix ‘Style’ and ‘Life’ series hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Feb 22

Samsung PMA roundup: hands on HMX-U20, eyes on AQ100 and SL605

Posted in: camcorder, hands-on, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, samsung, Today's Chili

Samsung’s curvaceous HMX-U20 was on display at PMA, but unfortunately one of its key selling points — the optical 3x zoom — was not working on the floor model.The picture itself was hard to see from the small LCD, so for now we’re just gonna comment on the shape, which though unique and purported to be more ergonomic, to us seems like it’d be a pain in the pockets (of course, they didn’t let us pocket it to find out, but we digress…). Also at the show were the waterproof AQ100 and scratch-resistant SL605, but unlike Sony’s frosty setup, these weren’t touchable. Don’t let that stop you from enjoying the pictures below — and don’t forget our earlier hands-on impressions of the TL350 and TL500!

Gallery: Samsung HMX-U20 hands-on

Gallery: Samsung AQ100 and SL605 eyes-on

Samsung PMA roundup: hands on HMX-U20, eyes on AQ100 and SL605 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags:
Feb 22

GE’s ‘Create by Jason Wu’ camera collection unveiled, we go hands on

Posted in: hands-on, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, Today's Chili

Keep it simple, stupid. There’s no better way to describe the “Create by Jason Wu” collection unveiled at PMA by General Imaging (a.k.a. GE). The fashion designer’s point and shoot could not be easier: you can shoot, choose flash, and view galleries. That’s it — and in fact, if you need a cue, the shooter reminds you to “hold still” while taking a shot. You’re definitely picking this up for style over substance, but still it’s pleasantly light and captures surprisingly decent images. As for the nitty-gritty specs, we’re looking at 12 megapixels, 3x optical zoom, and a 2.7-inch LCD. The battery charges via wall adapter or the retractible USB plug, which is also how you movie images to your computer of choice. Color options? White, black, gold, red, yellow, blue, green for a metal finish; and white, black and grey for leather. A 4GB version is $180, and 8GB is $230 — no memory cards accepted here, folks. Look for the camera to debut, of all places, via Home Shopping Network on March 16th. Press release after the break, shots below — and while you’re looking, we’ve also got an eyeful of the rest of GE’s point-and-shoot PMA collection.

Gallery: GE’s ‘Create by Jason Wu’ camera collection hands-on

Gallery: General Imaging’s PMA collection hands-on

Continue reading GE’s ‘Create by Jason Wu’ camera collection unveiled, we go hands on

GE’s ‘Create by Jason Wu’ camera collection unveiled, we go hands on originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGE  | Email this | Comments

No Comments
Feb 21

GE outs PMA 2010 range: X5, E1486TW, E1480W, J1455 and waterproof G5WP

Posted in: camera, digicam, digital camera, DigitalCamera, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, Today's Chili, waterproof

Not sure if anyone clued you in, but there’s a reasonably large camera show going on in Anaheim, and the shooter news is flowing hot and heavy. General Imaging (or GE, as it were) has just busted out its 2010 range of point and shoot cameras, and while none of ’em are particularly mind-blowing, there are a few here worth paying attention to. The waterproof G5WP (ships in late Q2 for $179.99) is a natural successor to last year’s G3WP, offering up a metal enclosure, 4x internal zoom, a 12.2 megapixel sensor and your choice of gray, red or blue color schemes. The $149.99 X5 megazoom offers up a 15x zoom lens, a maximum ISO of 3,200 and a Q2 ship date, while the J1455 brings a 14.2 megapixel sensor, 5x optical zoom lens, image stabilization and a multitude of color options for $129.99. The ‘Power Series’ is seeing two new additions today in the 0.83-inch thick E1486TW ($179.99) and E1480W ($149.99), both of which include HD movie modes, optical image stabilization, a 14 megapixel sensor, an 8x optical zoomer and a 3-inch rear LCD. The company’s low-end C- and A-series cameras are also seeing updates today, all of which are detailed in the linked presser.

GE outs PMA 2010 range: X5, E1486TW, E1480W, J1455 and waterproof G5WP originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Feb 2010 13:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePR Newswire  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Feb 21

Casio rolls out Exilim EX-S7 and EX-Z35 point-and-shoots at PMA

Posted in: camera, digicam, digital camera, DigitalCamera, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, Today's Chili

It’s a beautiful day in Anaheim, which makes it a perfect day to introduce a couple of compact shooters. Regardless of the fact that we just made that up, Casio‘s in full agreement, as it has just pushed out the new Exilim EX-S7 (shown above) and EX-Z35 (shown after the break) at PMA 2010. The pair of low-end cameras offer up 12.1 megapixel sensors, 3x optical zooms and direct-to-web upload options; the S7 ships with a 720p HD video mode and a 2.7-inch rear LCD, while the Z35 gets a VGA movie mode and a 2.5-inch LCD. Neither option will blow any minds, but the relatively low $139.99 / $109.99 (in order of mention) price points just might generate some interest from the novices in attendance.

Continue reading Casio rolls out Exilim EX-S7 and EX-Z35 point-and-shoots at PMA

Casio rolls out Exilim EX-S7 and EX-Z35 point-and-shoots at PMA originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 21 Feb 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceDPReview  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Feb 20

Samsung’s PMA gifts: HD pocket camcorders, point-and-shoots with AMOLED screens

Posted in: 1080p, camcorder, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, samsung, Today's Chili

Hey, didja hear the news? PMA is just about upon us, giving all the camera makers a perfect opportunity to refresh their lineup. In no particular order, here’s what Samsung is providing, all set for a Spring 2010 release:

  • New HMX-U15 ($230) and HMX-U20 ($250) 1080p HD pocket camcorders shoot H.264 and feature HDMI out, image stabilization, a 2-inch LCD, and some simple edit options. The U20 also throws in a 3x optical zoom and 10 megapixel stills, while the U15 instead takes 14 megapixel stills.
  • The TL500 is a 10 megapixel camera with 24mm ultra-wide angle lens with an articulating three-inch AMOLED display, perfect for spying around the corner. It supports RAW format, shoots VGA video, and is due out for a hair less than $450.
  • The 10 megapixel TL350 claims 1080p HD video recording with a maximum speed of up to 1,000 frames per second — which invariably drops the video resolution to 138 x 78, but hey, sacrifices must be made. The three-inch AMOLED display and look for it set you back about $350.
  • A pair of 12 megapixel point-and-shoots for the lower end, the waterproof AQ100 ($200) and the “scratch resistant” SL605 ($130), both with 2.7-inch LCDs and 5x optical zoom. The former shoots video in 720p and the latter just VGA.

Plethora of pressers after the break, and we’ll be catching our flight to Anaheim shortly to give hands on impressions and take pictures of cameras that’ll put our DSLRs to absolute shame.

Gallery: Samsung AQ100, SL605, TL350, TL500, and HMX-U20

Continue reading Samsung’s PMA gifts: HD pocket camcorders, point-and-shoots with AMOLED screens

Samsung’s PMA gifts: HD pocket camcorders, point-and-shoots with AMOLED screens originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Feb 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Feb 18

Sony’s DSC-TX5 is waterproof, freeze-proof, dust-proof, and headed for retail this April

Posted in: camera, digicam, digital camera, DigitalCamera, point and shoot, sony, Today's Chili, waterproof

Our early info on this diminutive shooter only indicated it’d be waterproof, so it’s a pleasant surprise to see some further optimizations thrown in for use in less hospitable environments. You’ll be able to go down to 10 feet under water with the TX5, drop it from a 5-foot height, or explore the tundra at temperatures as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celsius) without the camera throwing in the towel. So Sony claims anyhow. Other features include a now confirmed 10fps burst mode, a 10.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor, 4x optical zoom plus optical image stabilization, and a 3-inch touchscreen on the back. The one thing that doesn’t make the transition from rumor to reality is the reputed 1080p movie mode — the TX5 makes do with a still desirable 720p video recording. Sony’s also kicking out the DSC-H55 (pictured after the break) today, which will have the same video mode, but adds a 10x optical zoom and a thicker, non-weatherproofed body. Both cams will happily write to Class 4 and above SDHC cards when they debut this April, priced at $350 for the TX5 and $250 for the H55.

Gallery: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5

Continue reading Sony’s DSC-TX5 is waterproof, freeze-proof, dust-proof, and headed for retail this April

Sony’s DSC-TX5 is waterproof, freeze-proof, dust-proof, and headed for retail this April originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceSony  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , , ,
Feb 13

Ricoh CX3 reviewed, just marginally better than CX2

Posted in: camera, digital camera, DigitalCamera, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, reviewed, Today's Chili

Ricoh’s CX2 seemed to impress a-many reviewer when it launched last autumn, so it’s sort of odd to see the camera’s successor hitting the market so soon after. The appropriately named CX3 recent sat down on the test bench over at Photography BLOG, and while critics were quick to point out how appreciative they were of the extras (a 720p movie mode, namely), they couldn’t help but notice what a small step forward this was from the prior model. In fact, they found little to no good reason for existing CX2 owners to upgrade, though they did deem the image quality to be “excellent” and noted that newcomers shouldn’t hesitate to give this one a whirl. Still, we were disappointed to hear that the low-light performance was underwhelming despite promises that it had been improved, and for $400, you’ve got a lot of other options in the point-and-shoot realm.

Ricoh CX3 reviewed, just marginally better than CX2 originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Feb 2010 11:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePhotography BLOG  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: , ,
Feb 03

Ricoh CX3 gets back-illuminated CMOS sensor, much geek lust

Posted in: 720p, camera, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, Today's Chili

Just like clockwork, here’s Ricoh — six months after its last CX series refresh — with a new superzoom point-and-shooter to tempt us into breaking open those piggy banks. The package on offer is compelling: there’s a new 10 megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, an enhanced noise reduction algorithm borrowed from the GR Digital III, and a 3-inch 920k-dot LCD, while the 10.7x optical zoom lens (28-300mm in 35mm equivalence) is carried over from the CX2. 720p video recording — fast becoming a standard feature in compact cameras — is present and accounted for, with recording in 16:9 ratio available to the ubiquitous Motion JPEG format. The CX3 is arriving this month, with early prices of AU$499 ($441 in US currency) matching the cost of the current generation.

Ricoh CX3 gets back-illuminated CMOS sensor, much geek lust originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 03 Feb 2010 06:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Amateur Photographer  |  sourcePR Wire  | Email this | Comments

No Comments | Tags: ,
Feb 02

Nikon Coolpix P100 joins the superzoom party at 26x (updated)

Posted in: nikon, point and shoot, PointAndShoot, Today's Chili

Nikon just fired off its first pre-PMA camera announcement with the new Coolpix P100 superzoom, which packs a five-way stabilized 26x optical zoom lens in front of a 10.3 megapixel CMOS sensor with ISO 3200 sensitivity, Backside Illumination and Active D-Lighting. Yeah, it’s not quite the 30x zoom from the new Olympus SP-800UX, but the lens can also do macro shots at 0.4 inches, and there are in-camera HDR features, a 40-shot pre-shooting cache, and a 3-inch 460,000-dot tilting LCD. We’re also told the P100 shoots 1080p video, but we don’t know anything about frame rates or formats yet — we’re looking for more, we’ll let you know. Should be out in March for $400; peep the full PR after the break.

Update: Just got word from Nikon that it shoots in MOV (H.264) format at HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) 30fps, HD 720p (1280 x 720) 30fps, VGA (640 x 480) 30fps, or QVGA (320 x 240) 30fps.

Gallery: Nikon Coolpix P100 26x superzoom shoots 1080p video

Continue reading Nikon Coolpix P100 joins the superzoom party at 26x (updated)

Nikon Coolpix P100 joins the superzoom party at 26x (updated) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Feb 2010 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |   | Email this | Comments

No Comments