Digital Cameras

GoPro’s HERO HD is certainly one of the most popular actioncams on the market, perhaps more so now that its long-awaited LCD viewfinder/playback screen is available. As is the case with other digital cameras, however, the glare of direct sunlight can make it difficult to see what’s on that screen. Also, as we noted in an actioncam video comparison, the HERO’s underwater shots tend to be a little on the soft-focus side. Well, two new products from camera gizmo-maker XSories are designed to address both of these situations. Read More

Over the years Sony has shown its ability as a genuine innovator in the digital imaging space - in the early days of Gizmag the (then) bleeding-edge, 5-megapixel Sony F707 digital camera was a treasured part of our kit - and its latest venture looks like it could be holding that line. That venture is the company's move into digital binoculars with two models - the DEV-5 and DEV-3 - which boast full HD video recording, 7.1 megapixel still capture, optical image stabilization, 3D recording, HDMI output and (on the more expensive DEV-5) geotagging via an in-built GPS receiver. Read More

Ricoh has now detailed its new Leica M-mount unit for the modular GXR photographic system and announced a release date. In addition to the wide range of Leica lenses, users of the 12 megapixel GXR MOUNT A12 module will also be able to access other mount configurations via a conversion adapter. There's a silent electronic shutter feature for those quiet occasions, some new creative scene modes and a number of useful lens correction settings. Read More

Tilt-shift photography is one of those things that you’ve probably seen already, even if you don’t know what it is. It involves taking high-angle photographs of large-scale scenes in which the top and bottom of the shot are out of focus, creating the shallow depth of field that people usually associate with photos of small objects. The result is photographs of things such as city streets, in which all the people, cars and buildings look like tiny models. The effect can be achieved using custom lenses or software ... or now, the tilt-shift-dedicated NeinGrenze 5000T camera. Read More

If your holiday snapping demands the versatility of up close macro photography and telephoto zoom in one compact camera then a wide-angle superzoom will likely be at the top of your shopping list. Olympus believes that it has you covered with the announcement of a successor to its SP-800UZ superzoom compact camera. The new model retains the same image resolution and movie quality as its predecessor but gets a zoom boost, gains SDXC and Eye-Fi support and is a touch thinner and lighter. The creativity features also benefit from new additions, including a 3D capture mode and Magic Filter additions. Read More

Last August, we did a side-by-side video comparison of Drift Innovation’s HD-170 actioncam, and the ever-popular GoPro HERO HD. While we liked the HD-170’s image quality, LCD screen, ease of use and swiveling lens, we noted that it lacked the HERO’s replaceable lens, and that it was considerably longer (although narrower) than the GoPro camera. Well, with its new compact Drift HD, Drift Innovation has addressed both of those shortcomings. Read More

Sony has announced a pair of compact cameras, the Cyber-shot TX55 and WX30, both featuring a 16.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS image sensor and full HD 1080i AVCHD movie recording capabilities. The TX55 is billed as world's thinnest full HD camera, at 12.2mm (0.48 in) thick. The new arrivals are due out in September. Read More

Since the advent of compact digital cameras, tiny tripods (or minipods, or whatever you want to call them) have become a pretty common sight. They’re often even included as part of a digital camera package, along with the ubiquitous lens-cleaning cloth. Given that they appear to be a popular tool, Gerber has done the obvious, and built one into its new Steady multitool. Read More

Panasonic has added another superzoom to its FZ-series camera range. The LUMIX DMC-FZ47 features a 25 - 600 mm equivalent zoom lens with a special coating that's claimed to reduce ghost and flare, and a brand new sensor capable of recording 1080/60i high definition video. It also features a host of creative photography options, including those seen in the company's DMC-G3 camera announced in May. Read More