Cameras
Find out about the latest Nikon, the greatest Sony or whatever camera you have or aspire to have. Be it still camera or video camera or even as the boundaries blur, phone camera!!
| See also : | Camcorders | Canon Cameras | Digital Cameras | Digital SLR | Flash memory |
| Fuji | General Electric | JVC | Kodak | Olympus | |
| Polaroid |
At the start of 2008 GE launched a range of cameras into the UK. While some were on show and have been reviewed during the year as they became available. Not even a dummy mock up of this unit was available at the time, finally it has become available, was the wait worth it?
A lot was made at the initial event of all cameras sharing the same manual. Well this unit does have the same ‘Superior Features’ sheet featuring Face Detection, Panorama Stitching, Smile Detection and Blink Detection but while the manual itself is in five languages it varies quite considerably simply because the controls are in vastly different places. The reason, this is an almost totally touchscreen camera.
Ricoh has quite a history in camera design and development dating back over fifty years. The latest
GX200 camera continues their tradition of robust quality.
My own history with Ricoh dates back around thirty years when the first 'real' camera I was allowed to use was my fathers compact 35mm range-finder camera. I was allowed to take it away on a school trip! The results even in my inexperienced hands were good. That experience led to my 18th birthday present of a Ricoh KR10 SLR camera. Over 25 years later I still have that camera along with a couple of Pentax K-mount lenses.
This is a rather nice camera. It takes great still images and good movies. It is not a pocket camera and not a large (DSLR size) unit. Therefore my only doubt is where in the market it will fit, the other slight problem is that it stores images on MS Pro cards but as a Sony you should expect that.
The Sony Cyber-Shot DSC H50 is 11x9x8cm, the middle figure can increase by 3.5cm when the lens is fully extended. It weights 440grams, this again makes it an in between unit, it comes with two fairly substantial anchor points for the supplied neck strap, again I am undecided about this. The rear has a huge 6x4.5cm TFT display and this not only sits flat but can be tilted either up or down by up to 90degrees by a very clever articulated arm.
Looking more like a toy than a serious piece of equipment, the Flip is one of those devices whose performance exceeds its appearance.
Why, when you probably have a mobile phone that is capable of capturing video clips as part of its functionality, would you also want to weigh yourself down by carrying a camcorder? Two obvious reasons immediately spring to mind. These are ease of use and image quality. Both of these attributes form part of the concept behind the Flip Video Ultra camcorder from the appropriately named Flip Video UK Ltd.
This looks very like a DSLR but it isn’t. In some ways it’s a poor mans DSLR accept that the lens is fixed but what a lens and it has over 14x optical zoom. The other big bonus it is a lot cheaper than a DSLR.
It is 12.5cm wide 9cm tall and between 15 and 21cm wide dependant on where the lens is. It is not light at 970grams. So the neck strap is all important, in fact it will look exactly like a DSLR but it will cost a great deal less. Anyone who has focused using the sides of the lens on a DSLR will love the fact that’s exactly what you do here. Most DSLR come with the basic 18-55mm lens and should you require more that’s another lens to carry around.
Heavily involved in the high definition arena, despite some setbacks, Toshiba has developed a camcorder to take advantage of the technology.
Many more years ago that I care to admit, I spend an enjoyable summer season as a beach photographer at a local holiday resort snapping away at holiday makers in the hope they would purchase my photos. The camera, a French Sept, was a converted movie camera designed for heavy duty work and had a clockwork motor. It was certainly heavy enough to double as a weapon of considerable destruction. How things have changed as I look at the Toshiba Camileo Pro HD camcorder.
Having recently reviewed a couple of quite weighty still units this Camcorder and still camera comes as quite a change. Given that it takes good still and superb movie images it could well give you the best of both worlds in your pocket.
The HDR-TG3 is 11.5x6x3cm and weights less than 300grams. This is another of a range of products recently received without instructions. Let me clarify my French is poor and the only other language I speak apart from English is double dutch. There were four manuals in the box, each had three languages but none were English.
For those that remember my review of the ‘Flip Video Ultra’ in June this is a very similar product. However there are ‘swings and roundabouts’ so read on to find out what’s better and what is not.
I would suggest anyone also reads my review of the Flip Video Ultra 30-6-08 as then you will be better able to judge which might suit you best. This is 11x6.5x2cm and weights 150grams; mine was predominately white with a grey rubber material below the small TFT on the back. Let's start with the base, this has a screw for any tripod you might care to use. The right side (from the back) has an A/V socket and a slider high quality to long play that can give twice the length of recording.
This review has taken longer than usual, partly as I have had a few computer problems, but probably mainly because it is rare for me to be challenged by such a good camera as I rarely get to review a DSLR.
I think the majority of professional photographers use a Canon unit of some sort. This is quite light and a semi professional photographer friend of mine was quite envious. Of course the real professionals have umpteen lenses and numerous tripods. What I tested was with a single 18-55mm lens. I rarely start with the weight but this was only 770grams with neck strap attached, the only extra a professional would need to use would be an external flash gun.
Cameras, watches and a look back at a product that first appeared 25 years ago were the subject matter on view at a lofty location.
The Millbank Tower, on the south bank of the Thames, provides a panoramic view of the London landscape. It is also a popular location for companies wishing to show off their new wares. A recent example of this was Casio using this location to present its new EXILIM compact digital camera models along with several watches that included a couple of models belonging to the EDIFACE and PRO TREK families. The occasion was also used to make the 25 anniversary of the original Casio G-SHOCK timepiece.
Adding to its range of digital cameras, GE has released its E1035 model which looks remarkably similar to the company’s E1235 offering.
click to enlarge Opening the box reveals the camera unit; Lithium-ion rechargeable battery; battery charger with power lead; 1GB SD card; and leads for USB and AV connectivity. You also get a wrist strap, Quick Start sheet and software CD containing an electronic version of the User Guide plus ArcSoft PhotoImpression.
It is described as a notebook web cam, I see no reason why it should not be used with any flat panel and even with a CRT monitor, the latter maybe with a couple of sticky pads.
The Microsoft VX7000 is 6.5cm wide and 2.5cm tall, the camera is 2cm deep but there is a weighted articulated arm behind this that folds over the top of the panel. It has a 1.35metre USB lead protruding from the back base of the camera. The camera is grey apart from the face that is black with chrome trim round the lens and on the right edge where the inbuilt microphone is. If you add a chromed button on the top you have described everything.
Those who read my launch report at the start of the year will know the ‘A’ series are what GE consider to be their entry level offerings. It is a nice simple to use camera.
click to enlarge The GE A835 digital camera is small at 9x6.5x2.5cm the last figure can increase by 3cm when the zoom is fully out. It is silver grey in colour with a chrome strip along the top and sides and it weights around 170grams with its 2x'AA' batteries inserted. The front of the camera has the lens with the flash above and to the left, at the nearest it is 1cm from the lens. The right side has the anchor point for the wrist strap.
One of the latest batch of Digital Cameras from Kodak. Having recently (06-07-08) looked at a quite reasonable offering from them can this pocket offering match up.
click to enlarge
Certainly an item aimed at the novice user but this is not helped by a user guide (12 languages) that
does not go into enough detail. There is help on the camera that would be enough for the intermediate
user but would they be using it? The Kodak M893 digital camera measures 9x5.5x2cm, the last figure the width can double under zoom.
While many digital cameras can equal or even better the 10MP image size of this FinePix S8100 I cannot think of any that come up to the 18x optical zoom that it offers.
click to enlarge It is 10.5x9x7.5cm when off in your hand or hanging round your neck however when fully zoomed you need to add another 6cm to the 9cm width. It weights a tad under 500 grams. It comes with a 68 page Basic Manual and while this does very little to explain all the 'bells and whistles' it will get even the novice going.
Flip is not an expletive but rather a nice handheld camcorder that costs less than £100. The most important points are that the quality is superb and it is extremely easy to use and transfer or watch the output.
click to enlarge The Flip Video Ultra is 10.5x5.5x3cm and weights only 140grams. It comes in four colours, mine is a creamy white with orange sides. It is powered by two 'AA' batteries (supplied) and it's internal memory can record an hours action. It comes with a drawstring bag and a wrist strap. There is a folded card for the instructions and delving in the box will find the leads to connect the Flip Video to your TV.
This is the second camera I have seen from the launch earlier this year (see article on 23-01-08). This on is from the ‘G’ range and is an 8MP offering with 4x zoom face detection, image stabilization and in camera red eye removal and panoramic stitching.
click to enlarge The G2 from General Electric (GE) is available in silver, black and red measuring 10.5x6x2cm, these are both minimum and maximum dimensions as the Aspheric glass lens uses a periscope type zoom where the zooming all takes place inside the unit. The lens and flash are level with each other and in my tests this produced less than brilliant flash results when images taken were a little further away.
A last minute decision took me to a central London hotel for news of a new product that has already taken America by storm.
Flip is the name and flip is the action that reveals a concealed USB connector. But just what is this product whose name is derived from a user-instigated action? The Flip is a digital camcorder aimed at the mass consumer market and has been designed around the three core concepts of fun, simplicity and quality. Available in a choice of white, black, orange or pink, the Flip provides out-of-the-box point and shoot capability.
This looks like a small DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera while is not it does have a range of features such as a decent continuous shooting mode only normally found on DLSR units.
click to enlarge It is 10x7x7cm when switched off, the lens can jut out by another 3.5cm. It is of course black and it weights around 360grams with - shock horror - the supplied 4x 'AA' batteries inserted. It is supplied with a neck strap partly as most wrists would soon get tired with that weight and probably partly as DSLR units always come with neck straps.
A 12MP mass market digital camera is still rare, a 5x zoom one even rarer, this offering from Kodak is both. Even with both those advantages it looks like a standard small digital camera.
This is a very dark grey unit with a silver flash and silver ring round the lens, it is 9x6.5x3.5 when switched off. The 3.5cm width doubles when on full zoom. It weights around 175grams. For a camera with potentially so many plus points to find it is powered by two 'AA' batteries is unexpected.
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