Monday, May 7, 2007
10 Hot New Cameras
Top technologies and features are finding their way into the whole range of digital cameras, from compacts to D-SLRs
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8KThe Lumix DMC-FZ8K is a 7.2-megapixel compact digital camera with a fast 12x Leica DC Vario-Elmarit optical zoom (equivalent to 36-432mm on a 35mm camera), MEGA Optical Image Stabilization, plus ISO Control, 18 scene modes that set the camera for shooting popular subjects, 27 MB of internal memory, plus compatibility with high-capacity SDHC memory cards and more.
Panasonic's proprietary MEGA O.I.S. lens-shift image stabilization is now complemented by Intelligent ISO Control, which automatically increases the ISO in dim light to maintain shake-minimizing shutter speeds (and reduce blur in moving subjects). A multipurpose joystick makes navigating the 2.5-inch LCD monitor simple.
List Price: $349.
Contact: Panasonic, www.panasonic.com.
Specs
Sensor: 7.2 MP, 1/2.5-inch CCD
Lens: 36-432mm ƒ/2.8-3.1
LCD Monitor: 2.5-inch
ISO Range: 100-1250, 3200
Shutter Speed: 60 sec. to 1⁄2000 sec.
Media: SD, SDHC
Power: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Dimensions: 4.4x2.8x3.1 inches
Weight: 10.9 ounces
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9/BThis compact powerhouse includes a 15x optical Carl Zeiss zoom lens with Super SteadyShot optical image stabilization, a 3.0-inch tilt-up LCD monitor, plus a color electronic viewfinder, an 8.1-megapixel Sony Super HAD CCD image sensor, 31 MB of internal memory (plus a slot for Memory Stick Duo or Memory Stick PRO Duo media), a top shutter speed of 1⁄4000 sec., bursts of up to 100 shots at 2.2 fps at all resolutions and more.
New Face Detection technology automatically controls focus, exposure, color and flash to capture detail in faces in a scene. The Bionz processing engine introduced in Sony's A100-DSLR provides quick operation and improves image quality. ISOs up to 3200 are enhanced by Clear RAW Noise Reduction image-processing technology.
An optional VMC-MHC1 high-definition component cable lets you connect the camera directly to an HDTV set to show your images on the big screen, with or without visual effects and music. You can also shoot MPEG VX Fine 640 x 480 movies at 30 or 16 fps with audio and 320 x 240 presentation-mode clips at 8.3 fps.
List Price: $479.
Contact: Sony, www.sonystyle.com.
Specs
Sensor: 8.1 MP, 1/2.5-inch Super HAD CCD
Lens: 31-465mm ƒ/2.7-4.5
LCD Monitor: 3.0-inch
ISO Range: 80-3200
Shutter Speed: 30 sec. to 1⁄4000 sec.
Media: Memory Stick, 31 MB internal
Power: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Dimensions: not available
Weight: not available
Pentax Optio A30It was a Pentax Optio 430 that finally convinced me that digital photography could work for me after years of shooting film, so I was happy to see that the newest Pentax Optio model is a sharp camera, too. The slick little (3.5x2.3x0.9-inch, 5.3-ounce) Optio A30 features 10 megapixels and three Shake Reduction modes, along with a big 2.5-inch LCD monitor, Face Recognition Auto Focus and Auto Exposure, and high-quality MPEG-4 DivX 640 x 480 movies at 30 fps.
The Shake Reduction modes include sensor-shift, digital (adjusts the ISO according to scenic brightness, up to 3200) and movie (electronic shake reduction corrects shake blur via software). Face Recognition AF & AE finds and focuses on (and exposes for) faces in portraits.
Other features include quick operation, a handsome black-and-silver design, large-capacity SDHC memory-card compatibility, plus 22 MB of built-in memory, 15 shooting and playback modes, auto-tracking continuous AF for moving subjects, a 3x zoom with focusing down to 2.5 inches in super macro mode and more.
List Price: $349.
Contact: Pentax Imaging, www.pentaximaging.com.
Specs
Sensor: 10 MP, 1/1.8-inch CCD
Lens: 38-114mm ƒ/2.8-5.4
LCD Monitor: 2.5-inch
ISO Range: 64-1600, 3200 at 5 MP
Shutter Speed: 4 sec. to 1⁄2000 sec.
Media: SD, SDHC, 22 MB internal
Power: Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
Dimensions: 3.5x2.3x0.9 inches
Weight: 4.6 ounces
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