Digital Cameras

Sony’s new everything-proof Actioncam is definitely a worthy opponent to the likes of the GoPro HERO, although sometimes people just want a user-friendly video camera that can go in the water. Well, that’s where the Sony Handycam HDR-GW66VE comes into the picture. It’s a compact HD camcorder that can be submerged to a depth of 10 meters (33 feet) for up to an hour.  Read More

Seen in prototype form at CES earlier this year, Sony has now officially unveiled its latest set of digital recording binoculars designed to give travelers, wildlife watchers and sports fans a closer view of the action. Succeeding the DEV-3 and DEV-5 units released in 2011, the new DEV-50V binoculars boast a new waterproof design that is 30 percent smaller than its predecessors, along with higher resolution OLED eyepieces replacing the previous LCD versions.  Read More

Third-party lenses are sometimes looked down upon by the sort of photographers who insist you can only take a good photo if your lens says Canon or Nikon on it. But, not only do some outperform their branded counterparts, others do something which mean they don't even have first-party rivals. The new Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM Art, for example, is the world's only zoom lens to achieve a maximum aperture F1.8 throughout the entire range.  Read More

With their ability to pick out humans by their heat signatures, long-wave infrared (LWIR) thermal imaging cameras are a valuable asset for soldiers – and alien predators. Unfortunately, non-alien built ones are expensive and so large that they need to be mounted on vehicles. In an effort to make a LWIR camera cheap and small enough for an individual soldier to carry, DARPA is working on a five-micron camera that offers a reduced size without sacrificing performance.  Read More

The Ricoh GR series of cameras has been a cult classic with street photographers since the release of the GR1 in 1996, thanks in part to their understated styling, quality glass and durable build. However, in recent years digital versions of the GR have suffered the curse of relatively small format sensors and their image quality has been surpassed by rival shooters. Now Ricoh is fighting back by re-launching the GR with a large DSLR-like APS-C sensor.  Read More

Sony has added to the functionality of its NEX-5R and NEX-6 mirrorless cameras with the launch of two new PlayMemories Camera Apps. Light Shaft is a tool which lets users add a dramatic ray of light to their photos, while the altogether more useful-sounding Motion Shot app identifies the moving subject in a high-speed burst of frames and merges them into a single image.  Read More

Breffo, the firm behind the eight-legged Spiderpodium gadget dock, has revealed another spidery product, the Adventure Camera Kit. The new device, which can hold any compact camera or action-cam with a typical tripod thread, is designed to be used in situations where a normal tripod couldn't cut it – such as hanging from railings, or attaching it to a tree branch or bike handlebars.  Read More

Pinhole cameras – that use a pin hole rather than a lens – have been around since the beginning of photography and could be, to coin a popular phrase, a form of "vintage" innovation. A recent Kickstarter project aims to bring this established photographic methodology back to today's users in the form of an assemble-it-yourself cardboard pinhole camera.  Read More

One of the most defining facets of any filmmaker’s style is how they position and move the camera. Though the time honored “tripod or dolly?” choice expanded with the advent of the Steadicam operator-controlled motion system in the 1980’s, the cost of even renting one (and the operator) have remained out of reach for the new breed digital filmmakers. Enter the MōVI M10 handheld gyroscopic camera mounting system from Freefly Systems – a motorized, triple gimbal system that provides rock-solid smoothness under ridiculous amounts of motion, both small and large, and for a fraction of its cost could offer what the Steadicam does – and potentially a whole lot more.  Read More