DSLR

Back in black - Olympus announces new E-P2 camera

By Alan Brandon

22:04 November 8, 2009 PST

Just six months after announcing its first digital PEN camera, the E-P1, Olympus has announced the second model in its Micro Four-Thirds family. The E-P2 offers several features including an accessory port, auto-focus tracking, and two new art filters. Read More

Canon’s new EOS 7D DSLR and the first Hybrid Image Stabilization lens

By Gizmag Team

07:21 September 5, 2009 PDT

Canon’s new EOS 7D will be released later this month with a USD$1700 tag. Key features include eight FPS continuous shooting, 18-Megapixel Resolution and full HD video with variable frame rates and manual exposure control. Three new lenses were also announced, being the EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM, EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS and an interesting EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM featuring Canon's new Hybrid Image Stabilization (Hybrid IS) technology, which compensates for both angle camera shake and shift camera shake, and is designed especially for macro photography. Read More

Sony adds new Alpha DSLRs

By Alan Brandon

21:55 August 31, 2009 PDT

Sony has announced two new cameras in its Alpha range of consumer-oriented DSLRs. The DSLR-A550 and the DSLR-A500 feature two live-view focus modes, in-camera high dynamic range (HDR) capability, and low-light performance with sensitivity of up to 12800 ISO. The new Alphas also feature tilting 3in (7.6cm) LCDs as well as a new in-camera SteadyShot feature. Read More

AstroScope gives your DSLR night vision

By Alan Brandon

22:23 August 13, 2009 PDT

The AstroScope, from night vision manufacturer Electrophysics, is a modular adapter that adds night-vision capability to DSLR cameras and camcorders. Designed for use by the military, law enforcement, news agencies, and well-heeled enthusiasts, the AstroScope night vision adapter fits between the camera body and the lens to capture high-resolution images at night and in low-light situations that are otherwise too dark for standard digital cameras. Read More

Invisible Flash sheds new light on photography in the dark

By Paul Ridden

06:17 August 6, 2009 PDT

As technology becomes available to help those wishing to avoid the annoying flash photography of the paparazzi get some payback, researchers Dilip Krishnan and Rob Fergus from New York University have developed a system for taking dazzle-free photos in poor lighting conditions which could result in celebs not even knowing they're being photographed. Named dark light flash photography by its creators, the system uses light waves beyond our visible range and special software and algorithms to produce photos comparable in quality to a long exposure shot. Read More

Leica's 37.5 megapixel S2 professional DSLR camera due in October

By Paul Ridden

06:25 August 3, 2009 PDT

It was first seen in September 2008 at the Photokina trade show in Cologne, Germany. Now manufacturer Leica has announced that its compact top end professional S2 DSLR camera system will be available from October. The S2 sports an impressive 37.5 megapixel (MP) pixel count, has a 30 by 45mm sensor, a super fast Maestro image processor, an OLED top panel information display and a newly developed precision autofocus. There's a whole bunch of new lenses too. But before you rush to pre-order, you'd better sit down, take a deep breath and prepare yourself because the recommended retail price is a whopping UK£15,996 for the camera body alone (with a US price set at US$22,995). Read More

Energi To Go range promises portable power for almost any gadget

By Mick Webb

17:45 July 5, 2009 PDT

Energizer has teamed with XPAL Power for its new “Energi To Go” range and hardly a niche has been left uncatered for, with a portable iPhone shaped charger, solar powered units and even a USB powered charger that connects directly to DSLR batteries. Read More

Magic Lantern unofficial firmware for the EOS 5D Mark II shows Canon how it's done

By Darren Quick

17:06 July 1, 2009 PDT

Canon might want to consider putting a certain Trammell Hudson on the payroll. Hudson has developed an enhancement to the firmware of the Canon 5D Mark II digital SLR camera to make the already impressive camera an even more attractive option for shooting professional video. Dubbed ‘Magic Lantern’, the new firmware includes both audio and video fixes and is a completely open platform, meaning users are free to extend the Magic Lantern firmware themselves. Read More

Olympus goes back to the future with the retro-styled E-P1 digital camera

By Alan Brandon

18:05 June 19, 2009 PDT

A modern reinvention of the classic Pen camera from the 1960s and 70s, Olympus' E-P1 rolls a compact point-and-shoot form factor and full-size DSLR features together in a way that seems to defy categorization. There's something undeniably appealing about a 12.3-megapixel camera with interchangeable lens system, 720p high definition video, image stabilization and stereo audio recording that you can carry in a classic leather half-case, but the E-P1 is almost as notable for what Olympus left out. Alan Brandon zooms in for a closer look. Read More

Shrinking displays, growing resolution

By Darren Quick

01:13 June 12, 2009 PDT

While most of the focus is on bigger and bigger displays, microdisplay manufacturer, Kopin, has gone in the opposite direction, producing the world’s smallest 600 x 480 resolution VGA color-filter LCD. The tiny display, which measures just 0.27-inches diagonally, was made possible by shrinking the color dots down to a mere 2.9 x 8.7µm (microns) - to put that in perspective a strand of human hair is about 100 microns wide. Read More

The Zacuto Gunstock Shooter series takes DSLR filmmaking to the next level

By Mick Webb

17:11 April 18, 2009 PDT

Any budding filmmakers looking to emulate Hollywood style 35mm motion pictures using their own Digital SLR cameras should take a look at the recently released Zacuto Gunstock Shooter series. A combination of industry standard features and compact design is set to see independent filmmaking taken to the next level. Read More

Olympus announces lightweight E-620 Digital SLR Camera

By Noel McKeegan

04:21 February 25, 2009 PST

Olympus has extended its digital SLR range with the unveiling of the E-620. The new addition will sit in the middle of the company's SLR line-up led by the flagship E-3 and extending through to the compact E-420. The E-620 is pitched as an "all-in-one" model that combines some of the best elements of the higher end units - like the flip-out rotating screen - with a high-degree of portability. Read More

SanDisk ships 45MB/s Extreme IV CompactFlash Card

By Noel McKeegan

23:57 September 23, 2008 PDT

SanDisk has used the Photokina trade fair to announce a 12.5-percent jump in speed (now 45 megabytes per second) and the addition of a 16-gigabyte version to its Extreme IV high-performance memory card line. Read More

Nikon’s new 12 megapixel D700

By Emily Clark

04:12 July 9, 2008 PDT

The D700 is Nikon’s soon-to-be-released, top of the line digital camera for non-professional photographers. Packing a whopping 12.1 megapixels, the D700 offers superior picture quality throughout a wide ISO sensitivity range. Read More

Panasonic’s launches Digital SLR DMC-L10 Camera

By Mike Hanlon

12:45 August 31, 2007 PDT

August 31, 2007 Panasonic today unveiled its second digital single-lens reflex camera (SLR) the DMC-L10. The DMC-L10 features an advanced 2.5-inch free angle Live View LCD which can rotate 270 degrees, enabling versatile shooting options, and making it easy and convenient to shoot from high or low angles. There’s also a 10.1-megapixel Live MOS Sensor, the company’s Venus Engine III image processor, face detection technology, dust reduction using a Supersonic Wave Filter system and the camera uses the open format of Four Thirds lens mount system. Most importantly, it’s a significant step for Panasonic, so we’ve added the company’s launch powerpoint presentation to the image library in its entirety. Read More

Canon to release of The World's Fastest Digital SLR

By Mike Hanlon

February 22, 2007 Canon is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its top-selling EOS single lens reflex camera system by announcing the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR, the world's fastest digital SLR camera. At 10 frames per second, the 10.1 megapixel EOS-1D Mark III digital SLR can fire huge motor-driven bursts of 110 Large JPEGs or 30 RAW files because it employs the new Dual DIGIC III image processor engine, providing enough computational horsepower to do parallel processing at a rate unmatched by any other digital SLR. The all-new 10.1 megapixel, APS-H size CMOS sensor is the most light-sensitive and innovative sensor that Canon has developed to date. It features a new microlens array and a more efficient pixel structure for ultra-low noise, resulting in exceptional image quality and an amazing ISO range of 100 to 3200 with extensions to ISO 50 and a highly usable ISO 6400. Scheduled for initial U.S. shipments in Spring, the estimated selling price of the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR will be similar to that of its predecessor, the EOS-1D Mark II N Digital SLR. A ready to shoot EOS-1D Mk III weighs in at only 1,335g (225g lighter than its predecessor, including battery). Read More

Now a GorillaPod for zoom lens SLRs

By Mike Hanlon

November 8, 2006 The world’s most influential gadget media has been raving about the Joby since it was released early this year, and now comes the news that the serious photographers amongst us have been waiting for. Firstly, the GorillaPod is a mini-tripod with flexible legs designed to grip, twist and bend around anything handy – railings, rocks, branches, poles etcetera. The ball-and-socket joints rotate 360 degrees and it is a very handy addition to a full-size tripod, can do lots of things that said traditional tripod cannot do, and being light and small, almost completely replaces said tripod with much less hassle. Then came the Gorillapod SLR – same as the original tripod except it could hold the extra weight of a full SLR camera. Now comes the announcement that counts - the Gorillapod SLR Zoom can handle all of the above plus a zoom lens - 3 kilograms in total weight - all pointed in exactly the right direction whilst weighing in at a diminutive 241 grams (8.5 oz). Read More

FinePix S9100 faux dSLR

By Mike Hanlon

August 25, 2006 Fujifilm has announced the successor to the FinePix S9000 in the form of the FinePix S9100. Looking for all the world like an dSLR (it’s not), it will nonetheless compete with entry level dSLRs when it ships in September, based on its US$599 price, 10.7x (equivalent 28mm – 300mm) Fujinon optical zoom lens, 9.0 MPX CCD sensor and high light sensitivities (ISO 80-1600). Read More

Nikon's new 10.2 MPX D80 Digital SLR to sell for US$1000

By Mike Hanlon

August 10, 2006 The digital prosumer camera market went from red hot to white hot yesterday when Nikon announced the 10.2-megapixel D80, a replacement for its 6.1-megapixel D70s. The D80 will represent remarkable value when it hits shelves next month for an estimated selling price of US$1000 for the body only and US$1300 for the body and an 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S IF-ED DX Nikkor Lens. Many of its features have been taken straight from professional cameras in the Nikon range, with many of the attributes of the D200at half the price. It can shoot at speeds of up to 3 frames per second, for up to 100 consecutive shots (in JPEG Normal mode), powers up in only 0.18 seconds and captures a picture with an imperceptible shutter lag time of just 80 milliseconds (0.08 seconds). A new 11-area auto- focus system (from the D200) detects focus with superb precision and can even track a moving subject across the frame, shifting focus instantly and automatically to any of the 11 auto-focus points that detect the subject. Read More

New FinePix S3 Pro UVIR Digital SLR photographs in the Ultraviolet and Infrared Spectrums

By Mike Hanlon

August 10, 2006 Fujifilm has broken new ground by releasing a digital SLR camera capable of taking photographs in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) light spectrums. The FinePix S3 Pro UVIR has been designed for use in the science, medical and fine art disciplines, with its most intriguing applications coming in the field of law enforcement investigation. Law enforcement agencies have used UV and IR photography for years to uncover evidence not easily seen by the human eye, such as gun shot residue and blood stains, as well as to recover altered, burned or obliterated writing. IR photography is also used in nighttime surveillance. The FinePix S3 Pro UVIR will also attract a lot of interest from the technical-scientific community, plus fine arts, portrait, and wedding photographers. Legendary photographers such as Minor White and Ansel Adams brought IR imaging into the art world with their stunning American landscapes, and used IR as a way of creating unique and beautiful images that set them apart from others in their field. Many of today's top portrait and wedding photographers have made IR photography an essential part of the services they offer to their clients. Priced at US$1800, Fujifilm's FinePix S3 Pro UVIR will be available beginning September 2006. Read More

Sony enters the digital SLR camera market

By Mike Hanlon

June 8, 2006 Sony has taken a long time to enter the digital single lens reflex (D-SLR) camera market but the somewhat belated release of the DSLR-A100 system has been both decisive and with enormous commitment. The system uses a 10.2-megapixel APS CCD image sensor and combines advanced SLR features with other Sony digital imaging innovations, most notably Super SteadyShot image stabilization, a new technology that shifts the image sensor to compensate for camera movement – the first time that image stabilisation has been done inside the camera rather than in the lens. It was introduced with 19 high-quality Sony lenses, and will be compatible with most of the former Konica-Minolta Maxxum mount lenses. Read More

New Pentax 10mpx and 18mpx digital SLRs at PMA 2006

By Mike Hanlon

February 26, 2006 Pentax Imaging Company will announced two new digital SLR cameras at the upcoming PMA 2006 which will open tomorrow(February 26 to March 1) in Orlando, Florida. Pentax has confirmed that the company will unveil a yet-to-be-named 10 megapixel digital SLR camera body, tentatively scheduled for a formal launch in Autumn 2006. Pentax also will preview the Pentax 645 medium format digital SLR camera for the first time in the United States. Offering professional-quality digital image reproduction with 18 effective megapixels, a Kodak-developed extra-large CCD image sensor with 18.6 total megapixels (tentative), a Pentax -original 645AF lens mount, the 645 Digital will maintain compatibility with existing smc Pentax 645 interchangeable lenses. Read More

The first digital SLR with true "Live View"

By Mike Hanlon

January 28, 2006 Since the introduction of the first single-lens reflex (SLR) camera, photographers have prized SLRs because they can see with the naked eye, through an optical viewfinder, exactly what is passing through the camera's lens. The "reflex" of a mirrored shutter that bends light to the camera's viewfinder, and then snaps open rapidly to create exposures, makes this possible and gives the SLR its advantage. But this SLR advantage, while delivering high-performance speed and accuracy, has one drawback in the digital age. Because the image sensor is blocked by the mirror and shutter until the moment the shutter button is pressed, the mirror and shutter mechanism prevents a traditional digital SLR from viewing and composing a photo using only the camera's Liquid Crystal Display as a viewfinder. The solution to this technical challenge is the revolutionary Olympus EVOLT E-330 digital SLR - the world's first interchangeable lens digital SLR to feature a true "Live View" image on the LCD screen, in addition to the optical viewfinder, and unite the best of both worlds. Read More

Samsung enters digital SLR market with 6 megapixel GX-1S

By Mike Hanlon

January 22, 2006 It was just a matter of time before Samsung entered the prosumer and professional SLR marketplace and it has been known for some time that the Korean giant has been collaborating with Pentax. So no-one is surprised that the first Samsung offering is a rebadged Pentax *ist. Accordingly, the Samsung GX-1S weighs in with a 6.1 megapixel CCD, 2.5 inch rear screen, ISO levels up to 3200, 2.8 fps burst mode, USB 2.0 and an SD card slot and is Pentax Lens compatible. It will come as a body-only or with a new 18-55 Schneider D-XENON lens. No pricing info yet, but you can expect a price in the sub-US$700 area, given that it probably won’t be much different to the Pentax offerin’s price. Read More

The world’s first 39 megapixel digital SLR camera

By Mike Hanlon

January 22, 2006 Hasselblad is creating a new standard of digital image quality for professional photographers with the announcement of a new camera and three camera backs based on the combination of Hasselblad’s new, true 39 megapixel CCD sensor and its unique Digital APO Correction (DAC) technology. This new line of products features the new Hasselblad Natural Color Solution, which takes digital photographic color reproduction to an entirely new level. The new products also deliver images of unsurpassed sharpness and resolution and at the same time reduce any moire effect to a minimum – a first in the history of digital photography. Read More