The best laid plans can so easily go awry, and while Samsung’s DualView TL225 digital camera – which has a second, front-mounted display – seemed like such a great idea, the end result is actually tipped as more than a little disappointing. Wired have been putting the TL225 through its paces, and they’ve concluded that not only does the second screen cause its own share of problems rather than solve them, the underlying camera itself is a let-down.
Thanks to previews on the company’s own site, the launch of the new Olympus PEN E-P2 Micro Four Thirds camera comes as little surprise. Still, we’ve been waiting to see exactly what tweaks and changes – beyond an optional electronic viewfinder – the company has made, and while we’ll save our final judgement until the reviews come in, right now it’s looking like a reasonable upgrade. The PEN E-P2 adds a continuous autofocus tracking system which can be used in both still and video modes, and adds that all-important accessory connector port for various add-ons to the hot-shoe.
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Olympus' own little Pen E-P2 tip may have been nothing more than a menu mention, but thanks to 43rumors we now have a better idea not only what the Micro Four Thirds camera might look like, but what its rumored rangefinder might look like. As for a timescale for the Pen E-P2's launch, Olympus have apparently sent out invitations for a press event on Friday November 13th at the Photo Fair in Stockholm.
Confirmation of Olympus’ second Micro Four Thirds camera, the Pen E-P2, has been spotted over at the company’s Chinese site. While there’s no actual product page for the E-P2 – and as such no definitive specifications – it is listed as a new camera under the Pen Digital category.
Double-take time again, when a press release drops happily proclaiming “digital camera for under $10k”, but when the manufacturer is Mamiya and the DSLR is the Mamiya DM22 you know you’re onto something special. Hot on the heels of their DM33 and DM56 cameras comes an “entry level” model, packing 22-megapixels, a vast 48 x 36mm sensor and an ISO range of 25 – 400.
Kodak’s recent performance may not quite live up to the company’s photographic heritage, but when they say they’ve got an “entirely new type of camera” lined up for CES we’ll still take notice. According to electricpig, a “highly placed source” at the company has revealed that Kodak are planning to bring both a new camera and a new camcorder to the electronics show in January, although details beyond that are more than scarce.
Canon’s latest DSLR, the EOS-1D Mark IV, has emerged, and it’s got the Nikon D3S firmly in its sights. The EOS-1D Mark IV packs a 16-megapixel sensor, 45-point autofocus system, 10fps continuous shooting and 1080p Full HD video recording, together with not one but two of the company’s DIGIC 4 imaging processors. Like Nikon, too, Canon are waxing about their ISO range: the Mark IV boasts up to 102,400 ISO, though it’s more usually found playing in the 100 to 12,800 bracket.
Retro-camera addicts may have remembered mutterings of Superheadz’s Digital Harinezumi camera a few months back, the unusually-shaped Japanese shooter promising Super 8 style images and silent video. At the time, finding one outside of its native country was tougher than selling Nokia shares, but now arch-importers AudioCubes have stepped in with a $169.99 sticker price.
Despite the clamoring for higher and higher resolution digital cameras, all it takes is one good idea and we’re willing to make do with far fewer pixels. Matty Martin’s PUNCH camera concept packs both a regular CMOS sensor and preview screen with an automatic hole-punch system: once you’ve snapped a shot, the camera rasterizes the image, scurries an array of different-sized pins into place, and – by “punching” it onto a piece of paper – makes a physical copy of the image.
Pentax have outed their latest entry-level DSLR, the Pentax K-x, complete with a 12.4-megapixel CMOS sensor, 2.7-inch LCD with Live View and a very attractive base price of just $649.95. That gets you the K-x and a bundled DA L 18-55mm lens, together with 720p HD video recording and image stabilization.
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