Nikon has announced the Coolpix S800c – the first compact camera from a major manufacturer to openly use the Android mobile operating system. On one side it’s a 16MP BSI-CMOS compact camera with a 10x, 25-250mm lens built in, on the other it’s a 3.5″ OLED touchscreen device running Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). We’ve had an opportunity to use a pre-production camera and have prepared an overview of the first real compact camera/smartphone hybrid.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Pentax has announced the X-5, a 26x superzoom built around a 16MP backlit CMOS sensor. The X-5 is designed to closely resemble the company’s K-5 DSLR, despite being based around a 1/2.3″-type sensor. The lens offers a 22.3-580mm equivalent range, backed up with sensor-shift image stabilization. It can capture 1080p30 movies and features a selection of the multi-shot and image processing modes that have become common on CMOS-based cameras. It features a tilting 460k dot rear LCD and 230k dot electronic viewfinder. It is powered by AA batteries, giving around 500 shots per charge when used with NiMh rechargeable cells.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Fujifilm has announced the FinePix F800EXR, a raw-capable 20x compact superzoom with built-in WiFi. The F800 uses a 16MP CMOS sensor that offers the company’s dynamic range or noise-optimizing EXR technology. Its stabilized lens offers a 25-500mm equivalent range at apertures of F3.5-5.3. It can also capture 1080p movies and offers P,A,S and M shooting modes. A near-twin of the still-current F770EXR, the F800 omits the older camera’s GPS feature, but introduces WiFi Wireless Image Transfer for Android and iOS devices via the free ‘Fujifilm Photo Receiver,’ app.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Sony has launched four GPS-enabled 18MP CMOS zoom compacts, ranging from the 16x DSC-HX10V all the way up to the 30x DSC-HX200V. The DSS-HX20V adds a 20x zoom to the 10V’s specs and the HX30V gains WiFi on top of that. All four CMOS cameras offer nine creative processing filters and latest fast AF which the company says will focus in as little as 0.1sec and 0.2sec in low light, they also have high-res 920,000 dot LCDs. There’s also a less-expensive 16MP CCD 16X zoom model, the DSC-H90. All of the cameras feature at least 27mm equivalent wide-angle lenses.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Fujifilm has announced the X-S1, a premium-grade superzoom compact. The X-S1 is part of the company’s high-end ‘X Series’ and is built around the same 12MP 2/3″ CMOS sensor as the X10 compact. Despite the comparatively large sensor, it manages to include a 26X 24-624mm equivalent F2.8-5.6 zoom lens. It also features Raw shooting, a 1.44M dot electronic viewfinder and 460,000 dot rear LCD along with a rubberized coating and metal dials to emphasize its premium ‘Made in Japan’ status.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Canon has launched the PowerShot SX40 HS – a 12MP CMOS-based superzoom with 35x zoom. The SX40 steps into the place of the SX30 and offers a 24-840mm equivalent zoom range. It can shoot at up to 10.3 frames per second for 8 shots and can capture 1080p24 HD video. An ‘Intelligent IS’ system attempts to assess the shooting conditions and use the most appropriate stabilization mode, to make the camera’s huge lens range usable.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Just Posted: Studio comparison shots from the Sony DSC-HX100V. We’ve just got hold of Sony’s latest superzoom, the 16.2MP HX100 and shot our standard test scene with it. It’s built around the latest 1/2.3" (6.17 x 4.55mm) back illuminated CMOS sensor and offers a vast 27-810mm equivalent 30x zoom. Being Sony’s top-of-the-range superzoom, it features a manual control ring that can be switched between controlling zoom and or manual focus. We also have one of its main rivals – the Panasonic DMC-FZ150 in the studio and will add that to the comparison tool as soon as we can.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Panasonic has announced the DMC-FZ150 CMOS-powered 24X superzoom. The FZ150 is a replacement for the slightly unloved FZ100 and incorporates a lower-resolution 12MP sensor thatthe company says will outperform its predecessor’s 14MP chip. The camera retains a 25-600mm equivalent lens but now incorporating ‘Nano Surface Coating’ to mitigate the effects of internal reflections. And, just like its predecessor, the FX150 retains the ability to record Raw images. The FZ150 also shoots 1080p60 HD movies in the recently-created AVCHD Progressive standard.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Panasonic has released a firmware update for the Lumix DMC-FZ100 superzoom compact. Version 1.1 is intended to address occasional banding or shadow noise that can occur in specific shooting conditions. The firmware is available for immediate download from Panasonic’s website.
News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)