Hasta La Gadget!

Who woulda thunk it? Half a year ago, finding a conventional point-and-shoot with integrated GPS was a chore, but these days, it’s growing tougher and tougher to find one without it. Pentax is joining the geotagging frenzy this evening with its Optio WG-1 GPS, a rugged 14 megapixel shooter that’s waterproof up to 33 feet, shockproof in nature and engineered with a “crushproof” body that can withstand weight force of up to 220 pounds (but not another Black Eyed Peas halftime show). You’ll also get integrated face detection technology, the ability to snap in sub-freezing temperatures, a 5x optical zoom lens and a 2.7-inch rear LCD. There’s also a 720p movie mode, HDMI output, IR control compatibility and support for Eye-Fi‘s wireless SD card. It’ll ship this April in black or yellow-green for $399.95, and if you’re uncomfortable remembering where you took each and every photograph, the GPS-less Optio WG-1 will also be available (in black or purple) for $50 less.

In related news, the company is taking this opportunity to issue a limited edition K-5 DSLR, with this one touting a silver body, a uniquely shaped grip and shock-resistant, scratchproof glass surrounding the LCD. Outside of that, everything else about the 16.3 megapixel shooter will remain the same as it ever was, and the $1,699.95 (body only) price point is most certainly no easier to swallow. For those still sold on the idea, Pentax will also be offering a trifecta of silver prime lenses: the 21m f/3.2 AL, 40mm f/2.8 and the 70mm f/2.4. Check out Sir Silver (and the full press releases) just after the break.

Continue reading Pentax reveals Optio WG-1 and WG-1 GPS rugged cameras, limited edition K-5 DSLR

Pentax reveals Optio WG-1 and WG-1 GPS rugged cameras, limited edition K-5 DSLR originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Well, isn’t this just cute? If you’ll recall, Ricoh’s CX4 was found to only be “slightly superior” the CX3 that came before it (and the same with the CX2 / CX3 before that). Fast forward a few months, and it’s the same song and dance all over again… but with different model numbers, of course. The fine folks over at Photography Blog recently put the similarly styled CX5 through its paces, and autofocus aside, it’s essentially the same camera as the CX4. The lone standout feature on the new guy is the Hybrid AF feature, which most certainly improves autofocus times, but critics were quick to point out that the focus time on the CX4 was never really an issue to begin with. In fact, the following line just about sums it up: “The CX5 is virtually indistinguishable from the slightly older CX4 in terms of its design, image quality and feature set, with only the faster AF system to get truly excited about.” Furthermore, the rest of the point-and-shoot world has evolved quite a bit during all of this time, making the CX5 an even less compelling option than the CX4 was during its own launch window. Feel free to hit the source link for the whole shebang, but don’t expect to leave feeling any warmer about that impulse buy you just made.

Ricoh CX5 reviewed: only marginally better than the CX4 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We had a feeling the Olympus XZ-1 would be a winner, and Digital Photography Review seems to think so, too — it called the 10 megapixel, full-manual point and shoot “the best photographers’ compact currently available” at the end of a thorough review. Most of the praise was heaped on that F1.8-2.5 Zuiko lens, providing an “unbeaten combination of range and brightness” whose potent, detailed low-light performance was practically enough to cancel out the publication’s worries about the lack of a adjustable noise reduction setting. Though the publication admitted that the camera lacked the customization of certain Micro Four Thirds cousins, it didn’t miss most of the advanced controls, preferring the streamlined menus and manual dials for easy access to common adjustments. (Battery charging over USB and a dedicated movie button were also deemed nice touches.) In fact, the only major ding DPReview had for Olympus was the complete omission of auto exposure and autofocus locks for focus-and-recompose shooting, but if you’re willing to snap shots using Olympus’s 11 AF points and aren’t looking to tote a set of expensive interchangeable lenses around, this might be the one. Dive into our source link to find out for sure.

Olympus XZ-1 reviewed: $499 for sweet simplicity originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 02:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thought Panasonic was done unleashing Lumix point-and-shoots for a bit? Us too, but apparently the compact cam fun isn’t over yet. Yep, in addition to the eight it released earlier this month at CES, the company has four new ones for your eyes only tonight. Naturally, we’ve got all the important details and few glossy shots below. Oh, and if that’s not enough for ya, you can always hit the break for the full press releases.

• Up first are two new powerful shooters joining the ZS family: the DMC-ZS10 and DMC-ZS8. Like the previous ZS cams, the 14.1 megapixel ZS10 has a 24mm ultra-wide-angle and 16x optical zoom Leica lens, records 1080p video, and sports a three-inch touch LCD. The specs certainly impress, but Panny’s also hoping you take its 3D Photo mode seriously — the setting can produce a “realistic 3D photo” by taking 20 consecutive shots and overlaying the best two. Naturally, the images can be viewed on any of the Viera 3DTVs. The ZS8 sports most of the same specs, but cuts it down to just 720p recording. No word on the pricing on these two, but they should be hitting shelves in March.

• Like its FX75 brother, the DMC-FX78 is all about Full HD. Packing a Leica 24mm wide-angle lens, the 12.1 megapixel FX78 can record full 1920 x 1080-resolution video in AVCHD. But beyond the recording specs, Panasonic has improved its 3.5-inch Smart Touchscreen, which basically allows you to control all the cam’s functions — autofocus, zooming, playback, etc. — with, well you know, just a touch. Like the ZS cams, the FX includes the 3D Photo mode. As you may have guessed, no pricing yet on this bad boy, but it will come in black, gold, and white in March.

• Last but not least is the rugged TS3. Like the DMC-TS1, the 12.1 megapixel shooter is completely waterproof, not to mention shockproof, freezeproof, and dustproof. Yep, it’s as proofed as they come, and throw in the fact that it packs a compass, altimeter, and barometer and you pretty much can swap this thing out for a ton of other gear. As an actual camera, the TS3 doesn’t sound too shabby either — it can record 1080p video, packs a 3D mode, and boasts a 28mm wide-angle Leica lens. Nope, no pricing, but it’ll join the others in March.

Continue reading Panasonic unleashes Lumix ZS10, ZS8, FX78, and TS3 point-and-shoot cameras

Panasonic unleashes Lumix ZS10, ZS8, FX78, and TS3 point-and-shoot cameras originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 25 Jan 2011 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony announced a heap of new Cyber-shot cameras earlier this week, and after spying the entire line posing Miss America-style at Sony’s CES booth, we decided to go hands on. The DSC-TX100V’s OLED screen, which is a Cyber-shot first, was definitely impressive in terms of clarity, brightness and color reproduction — despite only viewing a fellow convention goer obstructing the booth. The DSC-TX10 is also one the classiest looking ruggedized camera we’ve ever seen and thankfully lacks accents such as excessive rubber detailing. Sony wasn’t really down with us testinghow much grief it could actually take though. Similarly, we had hoped to check out the DSC-WX10’s 1920 x 1080 60fps video capture mode — since it’s the only digital compact to support it — but that idea got shut down the moment a few Sony VIPs arrived. Still, we did manage to take a few shots of each in the wilds of the convention center which you can check out in the gallery below.

Sony DSC-TX100V and the rest of the Cyber-shot posse hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 08 Jan 2011 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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