Two lenses and two sensors, haven’t we seen this somewhere before? Panasonic’s first stereoscopic pocket camera in the Lumix DMC-3D1 is taking on the Fujifilm Finepix W3 (and W1) before it.

Capable of not only 3D stills like its rival, but also 3D video, the cunningly named 3D1 is currently the world’s most compact camera to offer such tri-dimensional dynamism. Official proportions are 108x58.5x24.1mm, so not much bigger than a single-lens, single-sensor combo. The Panasonic weighs 193g with card and 200-shot battery inserted, ensuring it will slip into a trouser pocket or purse.

Two lenses give double the options

There’s also plain old 2D stills and video accessible here too. Plus, since there are two lenses and two sensors – providing the 3D effect when otherwise in 3D mode – in 2D mode we’ve the option to shoot wide with one lens, and zoom in close with the other. Views via both lenses are presented side by side on the elongated 3.5-inch backplate LCD. By tapping between one image and the other, the user can determine whether to zoom with only left lens or only the right. It’s enough to make your brain ache.

Not doing anything to soothe the grey matter either is the Panasonic’s suggested price tag for the Lumix DMC-3D1: a wallet-battering £450. This would otherwise buy an entry-level DSLR or a mid-range compact system camera. So the 3D facility does command a premium – at least £200 by our reckoning – as in other respects, the camera is a regular Lumix point and shoot.

That in itself is a marvel of engineering of course, and the flat-fronted, outwardly minimalist metal build 3D1 is not without style, even if the slide-open-and-shoot faceplate owes inspiration to Sony Cyber-shots. Sony also offers 3D capture in the shape of its Sweep Panorama modes of course, but this is a software enhancement rather than the "true" stereoscopic capture offered by the Panasonic - not that Sony’s own realisation isn’t striking.

Photos and video in 2D and 3D

Though there is a dedicated power button on top of the 3D1, sliding down the lens barrier automatically wakes the camera from its slumbers and activates the back plate LCD. In the process you’re met by the twin lenses, here resembling the robot-like "eyes" of your very own Wall-E. Folded optics mean that at no time do the lenses actually protrude from the camera.

For 2D shots in standard 4:3 aspect ratio, a maximum resolution 12.1 effective megapixels are offered, while if opting for 3D instead – in widescreen format – resolution drops to 8 megapixels. Not that you’re going to notice any issue on a flatscreen telly, when Full HD clips themselves equate to only two million pixels. Speaking of video, here we’re indeed offered the Full HD 1920x1080 clips, outputting at 25fps, with the option of AVCHD or MPEG4 format video compression.

Photos and video are composed via the Panasonic’s bright and clear 3.5-inch, 460k-dot resolution LCD, the larger screen dimension coming in handy, because it also offers touch panel control, with touch shutter, touch focus and AF tracking into the bargain. With all this functionality controlled via the LCD it’s perhaps no surprise the only physical control at the rear of the 3D1 is a simple switch for flicking between 3D and 2D capture.

However, should you take a 3D photo, you can’t actually view it in stereoscopic fashion on the camera back, so in that respect Fuji’s lenticular-like display is still streets ahead. Instead, on the Panasonic, a 2D image is presented – you’ll just have to hook the camera up to a 3D TV with an optional HDMI lead to get the proper effect, 3D images saved as MPO files rather than JPEGs. It’s worth noting too that 3D images work best when the photographer composes a shot with something of interest in the foreground, middle and background of shot, thus providing depth. That's a little different to how you might compose a normal photo.

The majority of physical controls adorn the camera’s top plate. Though there are virtual versions offered via the screen as noted, we are still blessed with a conventional raised shutter release button ergonomically encircled by a lever for controlling the 4x optical zoom/s – which happily can be utilised for altering framing during video clips, though it’s slower to navigate any adjustments, as well as when composing stills.

Quality and performance 

The zoom range starts out wider than most too, with the complete focal range equivalent to 25-100mm on a 35mm film camera. However we did notice some loss of definition towards the edges of frame when shooting at maximum wideangle plus some slight barrel distortion, if we’re being picky.

In both 2D and 3D modes, the focus area is from 50cm to infinity at extreme wide angle and from 100cm to infinity at maximum telephoto. Additionally, when 2D shooting mode is selected, there’s the ability to focus as close as 5cm from your subject – but not in 3D mode. Likewise scene modes can only be accessed when shooting in 2D, as can video resolution and frame rates.

For 3D shooting, the maximum 1920x1080 pixels is the default and there’s no ability to adjust ISO manually – here running from ISO100 to ISO3200 in 2D mode, with a fully auto High Sensitivity mode stretching this to a maximum ISO6400 if the camera itself deems it necessary. For 3D, it really is pretty much just a case of point and shoot, which in truth is probably what you want. For low light shots, the camera performs best up to ISO800, whereupon noise starts to intrude in shadow areas of the image. At ISO1600 we’re starting to get a gritty appearance and this has extended across the image by ISO3200.

The High Sensitivity mode is only really worth bothering with at a push as processing softens the image generally and it starts to resemble a photograph less. In general terms, and under ideal daylight, colours are rich and vivid straight out of the camera, as they are with any £200 Panasonic Lumix snapshot camera. So if you’re only going to occasionally shoot 3D snaps, you’re better off saving a couple of hundred quid on a non-3D model.

However it has to be said, if you’ve a young family there’s an emotional draw to be had from taking a 3D photograph of a child who is changing rapidly and preserving them in that moment. You then have a 3D image of them "frozen" as a cute toddler to sentimentally revisit when they’re a bolshy teenager. For some that will be worth the not inconsiderable price of the 3D1’s admission alone.

Tags: Cameras Panasonic Lumix Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 3D Cameras Compact camera Compact cameras

Panasonic Lumix DMC-3D1 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 03 May 2012 13:43:00 +0100

The 16.3 effective megapixel Fuji X-Pro1 camera has barely left our side for the past two weeks. And it’s not purely because, with its sturdy high-end enthusiast metal build, plus Leica M8/M9-alike rangefinder styling, it is the sort of camera once bought you certainly want to show off.

This Fuji, the fourth retro-cool X-series model, and the first on which the lens can be swapped, arrives in a market where its closest digital competitors, aside from Leica’s own fixed lens X1, are the new Olympus OM-D and Sony NEX-7. Both those strong rivals likewise feature a built-in viewfinder. Slightly cheaper still, and also with a viewfinder is Nikon’s V1 compact. The Fuji is arguably in a different class though.

Set against the Fuji at a wallet-busting £1399 body only, such competitors also have price on their side, despite the Sony and Olympus being a not inconsiderable £999 without a lens.

There are three Fuji lenses available on launch, offering compatibility with the X-Pro1’s new X-mount, and all are fixed focal length or "prime" lenses rather than zoom - prime lenses traditionally offer the better picture quality. Covering various applications the "Fujinon" branded optics are a jack-of-all-trades f/1.4 35mm lens, a wide-angle f/2.0 18mm and a f/2.4 60mm macro/close up lens.

Gorgeous as the X-Pro1 may outwardly be, the question is, of course, do enthusiast photographers really want to have to invest in yet another whole new system of camera body and lenses?

A rival for the DSLR

Apart from Olympus and Panasonic cameras sharing Micro Four Thirds sensors and lens mounts, every other manufacturer has offered its own spin on the interchangeable lens compact, or, if you prefer, Compact System Camera (CSC).

Fuji’s secret weapon, and point of difference, in this regard is its sensor. It features an APS-C-sized 23.6x15.6mm chip, so physically larger than the most others in its compact system class – save for the Sony NEX-7 and Samsung NX200 - and a match for most consumer-level digital SLRs in that respect. But while this would be enough in itself to whet the appetite of most well-heeled photo enthusiasts, Fuji has gone further with its claims. It is suggesting that its unique "X-Trans" CMOS sensor - when working in tandem with its new EXR Pro processor - provides image quality that is a match for pro-level full-frame sensor DSLRs. While this is a lofty claim, it does go some way to lessening the blow of that price tag, providing pros with an opportunity to leave that bulkier DSLR at home.

It has to be said that, in terms of improved portability over a DSLR, while more compact the Fuji X-Pro1 is no "pocket rocket". It’s a sizeable, reassuring chunk of metal, to be transported around the neck or slung over a shoulder. You could place the die-cast aluminium alloy body in a jacket pocket without the lens, but the weight feels uncomfortable. With dimensions of 139.5 x 81.8 x 42.5mm, it weighs in at 450g including battery and memory card. As with a Leica camera, the build quality and attention to detail feels very high indeed.

Controls and features

Pictures and Full HD video – the latter selected via the drive mode button rather than a dedicated record button – are composed via the standard 3-inch back screen LCD, which here offers an incredibly high and clear 1,230,000-dots resolution. The alternative is the built-in 0.47-inch viewfinder, which offers a high 1,440,000-dots resolution and is dual use. This hybrid offering gives users the option of a regular optical viewfinder or an electronic version within the same window, an adjacent "view mode" button allowing the user to swap between the differing views. Furthermore, Fuji has very helpfully provided an eye sensor, so the main LCD neatly deactivates, and the EVF activates, as the user brings an eyeball level with it. The advantage of the EVF option is of course that you can not only compose, but also review captured images without taking your eye away to glance at the LCD below. As with a DSLR or advanced bridge camera, still captures are JPEG, raw or a combination of both.

Also DSLR-like, the available light sensitivity range stretches from ISO100 to ISO25600, while continuous capture speed is set at 6fps. It might have been nice for Fuji to have provided an angle adjustable LCD screen here to better facilitate otherwise awkward low or high angle shots, but with a viewfinder as well as back screen, it feels churlish to complain.

Coming after the X10, X100 and X-S1 premium-end Fuji cameras, the X-Pro1 shares their chunky dials and stiff action, with plenty of manual control offered. Like a DSLR, and unlike some of the cheaper CSCs, this is a camera that feels made to be gripped and operated in both hands, whereby the thumb of the left hand hovers over the "drive" mode button and the right forefinger is poised over the shutter release button, itself ergonomically encircled by the on/off switch.

The most prominent top plate dials govern exposure compensation (+/- 2EV) and shutter speed, here ranging from a manually selectable 1/4 sec to 1/4000 sec. A flickable switch just below the lens mount at the front allows the user to swap between single and continuous auto focus and manual focusing.

With no internal memory offered, images are committed to all varieties of SD card. Removable media share a compartment at the base, next to the provided lithium ion rechargeable battery, here good for 300 shots. While that’s adequate, it’s hardly class leading, and falls below the 330 shots of the cheaper Olympus OM-D and 335 shot battery duration offered by the Sony NEX-7. The result was that we found ourselves recharging the camera after two or three days of casual shooting.

Image quality and performance

In terms of image quality we were shooting in the main with the bright 35mm lens and achieving bags of detail across the frame, in daylight at least, plus some lovely subtle colour tones that are biased towards the naturalistic. For interiors and despite the camera’s steadying bulk, we did get some image-softening instances of hand wobble, while busier scenes do tend to confuse the auto focus, which is a tad tardy in locking on to target. It’s not a deal breaker though, as this is a camera for those who enjoy a spot of consideration and reflection before firing the shutter.

Here, of course, we get video too, though it doesn’t appear to be outwardly a prominent feature of the camera. There’s no dedicated record button and instead filming commences and ends with a press and subsequent press of the shutter release button.

Nevertheless the ubiquitous 1920 x 1080 pixels clips are offered with a cinema-style frame rate of 24fps rather than 25 or 30fps, and has the benefit of built-in stereo microphones. When filming, while auto focusing is offered, it is a bit slow to catch up and find your subject if you alter framing mid-recording, so the image will blur for a few seconds before snapping back into focus.

Once again experimentation is encouraged and, even after handling plenty of DSLRs and compact system cameras, we feel the Fuji will require an extended spot of practice and familiarisation to get the best out of it.

Tags: Cameras Fujifilm Fujifilm X-Pro1 Compact system cameras

Fujifilm X-Pro1 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:25:00 +0100

The travel zoom compact is still proving popular and Olympus is building a raft of small-bodied, big-zoom, low-cost cameras for 2012. Setting sail in the wake of the SP-620UZ ‘Ultra Zoom’ we reviewed a few weeks back (16 megapixels and 21x optical zoom) comes the more slender SZ-14 ‘Super Zoom’.

Resembling a flattened version of its bridge camera-like forebear, this latest digital compact fields a 24x optical zoom and 14-megapixel resolution, derived from a 14.5MP 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor. It costs an extra £20, but the price tag remains a very affordable £199.

Aimed at new photographers

Available in the silvery grey of our review sample, as well as black or red body colours, the SZ-14 measures 106.5x68.7x39.5mm and weighs 216g with SD card and rechargeable battery inserted. While it’s not the very slimmest travel zoom around it will still fit in a trouser pocket.

Given the budget price we also don’t get the built-in GPS facility that costlier travel zoom cameras like Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-TZ30, or indeed Olympus’s own SZ-30, additionally offer. But many may feel saving £100-150 in the case of the Panasonic is worth the omission.

Design and styling

The Olympus purportedly boasts a metal chassis, though the glossy exterior makes it look and feel more plasticky when held in the palm. At the back there’s a three-inch, 460k-dot resolution LCD screen for composition and review.

One benefit of the slightly larger body size is that we are provided with a bigger handgrip on the SZ-14 than most pocket zooms can muster. Unfortunately, because of the glossy faceplate, this is rather slippery to the touch, and could have done with the addition of a rubber strip or pad to provide a firmer hold. As a minor concession there is a small rubber rest at the back for the thumb.

Zoom and effects

With the image stabilised zoom lens here providing the 35mm film equivalent of a wide angle 25-600mm, and the camera itself looking rather spare and minimalist in terms of buttons and controls - of which there are fewer than we might practically have liked - Olympus piles on the under-the-bonnet gimmicks.

Once again we get Magic Filters. There are 11 such digital effects here, including the Olympus regulars of pop art, miniature diorama mode and the fluorescent "punk" effect, all of which are implemented at the point of capture, rather than in playback mode.

The newest option is a "fragmented" filter, as also witnessed on the SP-620UZ, and which produces a montage-type "tiled" effect – looking as if you’d cut the shot into squares and roughly stuck it back together. As a bonus for amateur videographers, most filters, with the exception of the latter, can be implemented when shooting video clips as well as stills.

Video too

Movie mode records at 1280x720 pixels, along with stereo sound and HDMI output lurking under a plastic side flap.

Fortunately the optical zoom can also be used for recordings, and without the sound cutting out each time you zoom. Though there is a low mechanical buzz to the zoom when gliding through its range, it’s quiet enough not to distract.

Navigation and picture modes

With no shooting mode wheel or obvious means of summoning up a virtual version, initially use of the SZ-14 is somewhat puzzling. With the camera powering up from cold in two seconds as long as time and date have been set first, eventually a poke of the "OK" button at the centre of a backplate control pad/ scroll wheel illuminates the uppermost option on a side-of-screen toolbar.

Tabbing back and forth through the options presented here reveals the default intelligent auto (iAuto) mode which automatically recognises a host of common scenes and subjects. There's also a more user-controllable program mode, a brief selection of the usual scene modes (optimised for shots of pets, portraits, landscapes, night scenes, sunsets, fireworks), the aforementioned Magic Filters, plus a self-stitching panorama and 3D mode.

Incidentally we did prefer to tab, because the scroll wheel at the back is very slippery and it’s otherwise hard to arrive at the setting you want without much back and forth. Either a larger wheel or stiffer "action" would benefit.

The Olympus’s pictorial panoramas are generated from three shots taken in succession and composited together, with a choice of panning horizontally from left to right, right to left, or shooting vertically up or down. Between each successive image, rather than a ghostly overlay of the previous shot guiding your hand, a floating target appears on screen, the camera’s shutter automatically firing when the user reaches the sweet spot.

The 3D image option is likewise generated from two shots taken from slightly differing angles. The MPO format file this generates is viewable only on a proper 3D telly, though a flat 2D JPEG is created for reference on the back of the camera.

Speed and low-light performance

Otherwise take a regular shot in iAuto or program mode and the SZ-14 is refreshingly swift to determine focus and exposure, doing so in the time it takes the user to blink. Take a shot and there’s a wait of around 3-4 seconds while a maximum resolution image is committed to memory, which is par for the course at this price.

Use the zoom in stills mode and it will get from extreme wide-angle to maximum telephoto setting in three seconds, slowing by roughly twice that if alternatively you’re taking a video while zooming.

If you are shooting in low light there is a modest ISO range stretching from ISO80 to ISO1600 selectable manually, or the option to use the pop-up flash located directly above the lens, with a side lever provided for its manual activation.

Despite being a budget model, the user-friendly SZ-14 still comes with a rechargeable lithium ion battery. This is good for a slightly underwhelming 200 shots from a full charge, with a mains adapter unit that plugs into the camera via its USB port being its means of re-charging. This in-camera charging pits the SZ-14 is out of action, but it can be charged from a vacant port on your laptop if you happen not to be near mains electricity.

Image quality

As you’d expect of an inexpensive snapshot, when examining image quality we find the Olympus SZ-14 acquits itself best when there is plenty of sunlight available – as long as that sunlight isn’t so harsh that the camera struggles to reproduce highlight detail and familiar bugbears like pixel fringing creep into frame.

We were able to get reasonably sharp results shooting handheld at maximum telephoto in the spring sunshine, however, shots occasionally benefited from tweaking in Photoshop to provide a bit more contrast. At the extreme 28mm equivalent wide-angle setting, the camera’s performance didn’t suffer noticeably from barrel distortion or loss of focus towards the edges of the frame. If conditions are a little duller then there are always the Magic Filter effects to fall back on to provide a more visual dynamism.

In terms of low-light performance, though detail softens slightly at ISO800 and above, we’d be happy keeping the results of images at the top whack, if comparatively modest, setting of ISO1600. Altogether not a bad jack-of-all trades performance - said with the understanding that your images will resemble snapshots rather than professional photos.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Olympus Olympus SZ-14

Olympus SZ-14 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0100

Buy a battery grip for your professional or semi pro digital SLR and it will come with a second set of essential controls to one side near the base, including an additional shutter-release button. That’s because grip and body make for a big and bulky bit of kit, so dual controls ease what would otherwise be an awkward stretch for the fingers if turning the pro DSLR on its side to shoot vertically, or "portrait fashion".

But why are we talking about pro DSLRs when we’re reviewing a Pentax point and shoot? Well because the 16-megapixel Optio VS20 is the first compact to our knowledge that also comes with two shutter-release buttons, both encircled by a lever for operating its 20x optical zoom, and with two screw threads for attaching a tripod, one located at the base and the other at one side.

While this makes sense on a chunky workhorse DSLR, as described above, on a camera that will slip into your trouser pocket the extra buttons feel a little superfluous. We can recognise Pentax’s intention to stand apart from the crowd, but could the VS20 prove more of a gimmick than a great idea?

Design and features

We had the black fascia-ed version in for review. Partly because of the extra buttons and the broader than average focal range delivered by its internally stacked zoom - which here is the equivalent of 28-560mm in 35mm terms - the VS20 resembles a bit of a brick next to your slender fashion-conscious snappers costing £100 more. With dimensions of 60 x 108 x 34mm it weighs 191g and has a gentle curve to one side of the faceplate by way of a handgrip and rubber padding at the other end to provide a steadier two-handed hold.

Lens reach aside, another thing this Optio has in its favour is the price. At a suggested £199 it is one of the cheapest travel zoom cameras around, though the identically priced 24x Olympus SZ-14 (14 megapixels) is another option for those on a budget.

Like that rival, one thing we might not necessarily expect on an entry model is a 3-inch backplate LCD providing a high-ish 460k-dot resolution rather than the standard 230k. In the absence of an optical viewfinder this is expectedly the only means of composing and reviewing shots.

However, the camera could be quicker in determining focus and exposure - the LCD visibly blurs with a half press of the shutter-release button - rendering the photographer blind for a second or so before the image presented drifts back into focus. Also the VS20 takes a leisurely four seconds to commit a full 16-megapixel resolution JPEG to memory, while maximum shooting speed is one frame per second, so this is not a camera for those in a hurry. 

On a more positive note, despite its point and shoot credentials and very few manual controls, we get a light-sensitivity range stretching up to ISO 6400. Stray above ISO 1600, however, and resolution drops to 5 megapixels to limit the appearance of image noise. Plus, while a grainy look is avoided, subject edge definition looks a little soft as a result.

Video and creative effects

A dedicated record button is provided top right of the backplate for filming video clips, a press of which commences capture no matter which alternative shooting mode might have been selected and otherwise in play at the same time; the 4:3 stills aspect ratio view on screen narrowing to present a 16:9 format.

Here we don’t get HDMI output however, just a joint standard definition AV output and USB 2.0 connection. And if you do try to zoom in during recording, you get a rather jerky digital cropping effect rather than access to the optical zoom, the action of which is smoother yet sound tracked by the low buzz of its mechanics. 

There is also a digital zoom accessible in stills mode that runs on from the end of the optical zoom if you continue to exert pressure on the zoom lever. This definition-losing crop provides the equivalent of a maximum 144x zoom, or an otherwise impractical 4032mm reach in 35mm terms that would be the envy of any paparazzi if it presented anything other than a pixelated blur.

For everyday snapping the VS20 offers a "smart" Auto Picture mode that compares the subject before the lens with 15 pre-optimised on-board settings and selects the most appropriate. The alternative is to tab to the next setting of Program mode, allowing access to a more expanded set of controls, such as the ability to adjust exposure between +/- 2EV and manually alter white balance. 

We also get the usual smattering of portrait, landscape and night shooting options, presented here with a press of the "mode" portion of the backplate control pad, plus a miniature effects filter, pencil sketch, fisheye and the aforementioned panorama mode that can produce effective results and a single elongated end image. That said, patience is required; it took us several attempts to avoid a stitched end result without obvious overlaps, and the miniature mode to us produced results that looked more like a lens fault than real life in miniature, due to just so much of the image being un-sharp.

Performance

And that’s rather the problem with the Pentax Optio VS20: its performance is inconsistent. We ended up with odd colour balances, odd exposures, the camera failing to find focus or merely focused on the wrong thing more times than we’d expect even with the caveat that this is a low cost budget model.

When the Pentax gets it right you can get crisp results at either end of the focal range, which stops us from dismissing it entirely however, and having such a focal range offered by a camera that will readily slip into any pocket is enough of a selling point on its own, without the need for the gimmick of extra buttons. Not once did we feel the need when turning the camera on its side to use the second set of controls – but when we tried them out purely for the purposes of completing our test, it was tricky to avoid the little finger of our right hand dangling in front of the extended lens. Also, the positioning of the integral flash top right of the faceplate means it’s too easy to also inadvertently obscure with a stray finger. The battery life is distinctly so-so too: 200 shots from a full charge.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Pentax Pentax Optio VS20

Pentax Optio VS20 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 17:18:00 +0100

Announced alongside the previously reviewed Canon IXUS 500 HS but £80 cheaper, the 125 HS (High Sensitivity) pocket snapshot is no mere doppelganger. Apart from its offering a near credit card sized width and height, plus the fashion-conscious exterior synonymous with the IXUS range, the headline specification is markedly different.

Price and design

Here we get a maximum 16.1 megapixels and 5x image stabilised optical zoom in comparison with the 500’s 12x zoom and modest 10.1 megapixels. In respect of its headline features, the 125 HS matches the current requirements for entry-level point and shoots, though the £229 asking price is considerably more than the marginally less flashy Nikon Coolpix L26, which also offers 16.1 MP and a 5x zoom, for just £99.

So IXUS models continue to command something of a premium. Yet, more positively, we prefer the design of the 125 HS to the pricier 500 HS; it is less boxy for one, with clean lines and soft rounded edges instead of sharp corners. We had the pale silver variety in for review, boasting the requisite minimalist look with buttons set flush to the bodywork. Pink, blue, red and green are the colour options.

Dimensions overall are a manageable 93.2x57x20mm, so the IXUS 125 HS will slip easily into the pocket of your jeans, while it weighs just 135g in spite of the metal construction – the solid, yet lightweight, build in part helping to justify some of the cost.

As with the IXUS 500 HS camera, the 125 features a backlit sensor, here a 1/2.3-inch CMOS chip, which helps Canon make its high sensitivity claims, as there is no restriction of the light path. It also features the latest-generation Digic 5 processor to help performance zip along. In terms of focal range, here the lens starts out at a wide-angle 24mm in 35mm film terms, running up to 120mm at the telephoto end. To prevent blur resulting from camera shake it features an optical image stabiliser which Canon claims offers up to a 3.5 stop advantage in lower light.

It all helps, as - in common with most credit card sized compacts - the camera lacks anything in the way of a handgrip and is distinctly slippery to the touch, with the thumb of the right hand automatically ending up pressed against the video record button - for instantly filming Full HD clips - if attempting a firmer grip. Thankfully then, this button is also recessed, so accidental activation is avoided.

Video and outputs

With this Canon there's a choice of 1920x1080 pixels clips at 24 fps or the option to drop down to 1280x720 and film at a smoother frame rate of 30fps.

There are also slow-motion and miniature effect options for those who want to get more creative still, though audio capture is mono only. To enable HD video and slideshows to be watched back on your HD TV or monitor, the Canon IXUS 125 HS does, commendably, find room for an HDMI port at the side of the camera, slap bang next to a joint port for USB/AV connectivity.

Both are protected by a rubber flap, which is perhaps the camera’s principle exterior weak-point, as we can see this tearing loose with repeated opening.

Underwhelming battery, but a good choice of storage

This IXUS comes with a rechargeable lithium ion battery resembling an after-dinner mint, though good for a slightly undernourished 170 shots from a full charge. The battery slides into the base of the camera next to a vacant slot for removable media card, in the absence of any integral memory.

Curiously here, Canon has opted for compatibility with all formats of SD card, rather than the tinier microSD it went for with the 500 HS – something of a blessing in our book since SD is still the more widely used format across digital cameras of all shapes and sizes.

Simple to use

A press of the on/off button on the top plate and this Canon powers up in just over a second, the folded optics of the optical zoom lens extending from flush to the body to maximum wideangle setting and the rear LCD simultaneously blinking into life. Keeping things really simple, and the exterior relatively uncluttered, there’s no shooting mode dial or wheel, merely a switch for flicking between full auto – here the intelligent scene and subject recognising "smart auto" - plus the more tweakable program auto.

Operation is intuitive and straightforward – as it should be. A separate playback button sits near the base of the backplate. The zoom is operated via the familiar lever surrounding the shutter release button with a forward facing lip that digs into the pad of the finger to provide sufficient purchase.

In stills capture mode the camera glides through the entirety of its focal range in fraction over two seconds, though it’s sound tracked by a wasp-like mechanical buzz. To miminise this distracting sound, the optical zoom slows right down when video clips are being recorded, and thus takes around 10 seconds to move through the same range. Still this is preferable to the zoom - or sound - being disabled when shooting video.

Stills and video are composed via the 3-inch LCD back screen presented in 4:3 aspect ratio, which, unusually for an unprepossessing pocket snapshot, offers a better than standard resolution of 460k dots. When recording video the display is cropped top and bottom to mirror how the clip will look when replayed on a widescreen flat panel TV.

In full auto mode the camera offers continuous auto focus, surreptitiously making adjustments as you pan around a room. Although focus can, of course, be directed to a specific subject with the usual pointing of the lens and a half press of the shutter release button.

Happily Canon includes the now ubiquitous AF tracking here, should the subject then decide to be on the move through your frame. Face detection is also a standard feature, close ups can be achieved down to 3cm from your subject, while burst shooting offers up to 5.8 shots per second at a reduced four megapixels resolution; otherwise it’s 2fps at full res.

A good selection of manual options too

Though this then is pretty much the "auto everything" camera you’d expect from its dimensions and price, for anyone who does want to make manual adjustments there is quite a variety of alternative record modes accessed with a press of the centrally located "function set" button at the rear.

Alongside Program mode, which allows user control over metering, colour mode, white balance and ISO range – here running from a fairly conservative ISO100 to ISO3200.

A side panel allows access to the likes of Movie Digest mode. As on the IXUS 500 and recent Canon models, if implemented this shoots a brief movie burst every time the photographer takes a still, gradually ‘building’ a short 720p movie of, say, your day’s sightseeing. Not essential perhaps, but a funky little extra.

As are a smattering of digital effects, such as the now ubiquitous tilt and shift lens apeing miniature mode, fisheye and toy camera options, while the ability is added to boost colour saturation or conversely render a shot in black and white. What’s missing here is a convincing panorama mode of the self-stitching variety, or any 3D capture option – both of which are gradually creeping into non-premium-priced rivals.

Performance and quality

As we found with the equally new IXUS 500 HS, capture timings are pretty much what you’d expect from a pocket camera. There’s the very briefest of pauses while the 125 adjusts focus and exposure with a half squeeze of the shutter release button, AF point/s highlighted in green with a beep of confirmation, then, following a full press, a wait of around three seconds for a Super Fine JPEG to be committed to memory.

In terms of picture quality - despite some obvious barrel distortion at maximum wide-angle setting - given that this is a humble snapper it’s a pretty capable one. For low light work, and in spite of a high pixel count on a relatively compact sensor, selecting anything up to and including the maximum ISO3200 delivers a very usable, if slightly softened, result. Stick to ISO800 and below however if you require the sharpest, aberration free results.

While not razor sharp, the pictures from the Canon IXUS 125 HS are some of the better ones we’ve seen produced by an unassuming pocket snapper, and will satisfy the casual photographer – arguably the camera’s target market.

Tags: Cameras Canon Canon Ixus 125 HS

Canon IXUS 125 HS originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:48:00 +0000

Canon’s IXUS range of pocket point and shoot cameras has always been as much about form as function - an approach that sets it apart from the parallel PowerShot family that concentrates more on function than form.

By way of an unofficial celebration of ten years of digital IXUS, 2012’s IXUS 500 HS harks back to the very first digital model in terms of its boxy almost retro design, sporting defiantly square edges rather than the gentle curves we’ve seen of late.

Good zoom, interesting design

When held in the palm the IXUS 500 reminds us of a travel set of playing cards you might purchase for a long train journey, and in fact the IXUS 500 HS has the air of a travel camera about it, not least because of the larger than average 12x optical zoom shoehorned into its modest frame.

Canon claims that this IXUS is the world’s slimmest camera at 19.2mm in depth to feature a zoom of this size, offering a focal range equivalent to 28-336mm on a 35mm film camera. The camera lens is supported by a seven-mode image stabiliser to help prevent the blurring effects of camera shake. There’s also a latest generation Digic 5 processor on board to ensure operation zips along, the zoom gliding through its entire range in 2-3 seconds. Powering up ready for the first still or video takes just a couple of seconds.

Overall camera proportions are 87.1x53.9x19.2mm and its metal body weighs a lean yet solid feeling 155g. Capture timings are pretty much what you’d expect from a pocket camera; the briefest of pauses while the camera adjusts focus and exposure with a half squeeze of the shutter release button, then, following a full squeeze, a wait of 3-4 seconds for a super fine JPEG to be committed to memory.

The maroon coloured sample we had for review made it resemble an enlarged throat lozenge but the IXUS 500 HS certainly looks the part for anyone wanting a stylish snapshot that doesn’t ignore the essentials. Blue, black or silver are the alternative UK finishes. What is perhaps less of an enticement is the price.

Expensive but capable

At a suggested £305 the cost of this "auto everything" snapshot is top end and in fact is getting close to a more fully featured bridge camera or even the street price for a premium compact like the PowerShot S100. Sure, bridge cameras with all those manual controls, knobs and dials aren’t as pretty and minimalist, but then again looks aren’t everything.

Get past the IXUS 500 HS’s appearance and drill into the feature set and of course you’ll discover Canon’s imaging expertise hasn’t taken a total backseat. The "HS" suffix of this model denotes ‘high sensitivity’ - in other words it suggests this is a camera optimised for a better performance in low light - an approach that starts with a back illuminated 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor not overly swamped with pixels.

Top stills resolution here is, for example, a modest 10.1 effective megapixels, which falls short of the 16 megapixels that is the across-the-board standard for point and shoots. However a by-product of fewer pixels crammed onto its smallish chip is less noise visible at higher ISOs, with a range stretching from ISO100-3200 offered here.

Compact cameras are hard to hold

If you deactivate the flash and attempt low light shots handheld, you’ll quickly discover there is not much of this camera to get a firm grip on, leading to camera shake at longer telephoto settings, and if you do support it with both hands and choose to use the integral flash, it’s very easy for a finger to stray in front. This is because the flash bulb is positioned near the edge of the faceplate. While not unworkable by any means, it’s symptomatic of the fact that the more you cram onto a physically small camera the more there are going to be compromises.

There’s no room for a traditional shooting mode dial here – nor is there an obvious button for alternatively accessing them, while the camera also omits the familiar four-way control pad or cross keys. Indeed, here the macro, flash, display and exposure compensation buttons (+/- 2EV) are arranged in the closest the camera comes to offering a cross keys formation, and are in fact used for tabbing through menu and toolbar options. As the button marking suggest otherwise to the new user, this operation is slightly confusing - which is not what you want from a regular point and shoot.

However below these is a "function set" button for subsequently implementing any features alighted on through use of said keys, with an initial press summoning up a toolbar shortcut of options along the left hand side of the screen. It’s here w e can set the file size, adjust IOS, metering and white balance in Program mode, or select from the range of "My Colours" modes, that include our favourite of the saturation boosting Vivid, which adds more punch to what can at times be a rather flat default standard setting. Equally self explanatory to this control, at the very bottom of the backplate is a standard "menu" button.

The camera’s top plate is equally sparce at first glance, though in fact features the essentials of a slightly raised shutter release button encircled by lever for operating the zoom plus teeny on/off button, playback button and, in lieu of that missing mode dial, a switch for flicking between full "smart" auto, which selects any one of 58 pre-optimised settings dependent on the subject being photographers, and program auto, which allows for more hands-on user control.

Video mode too

However the IXUS 500 HS does find room for a video mode with its own record button, capable of nigh instantly capturing full HD 1920x1080 pixels clips with stereo sound at 24 fps.

The camera also features a higher than average 460k dot resolution LCD back screen, at 3-inches in size and 4:3 in aspect ratio, which means that it swallows up most of the available real estate. As we’d expect from an IXUS, the space into which the backplate controls are crammed is relatively narrow and the buttons themselves tiny enough to require fingertip activation.

Tiny microSD isn't well suited to cameras

Despite there being room for the SD card format most widely used by digital cameras as the removable media of choice (there’s no internal memory), here Canon like Samsung has opted for the even smaller fingernail-sized microSD.

This means that while it’s easy to lose the miniscule card on a busy desktop, an adapter is also required for older card readers. In fairness to Canon however, the slot at the base provided is tight and compact, so that the card pops sufficiently clear with a downward press for it to be delicately pinched between finger and thumb. In other words you’re not "fishing" for it.

To enable HD video and slideshows to be watched back on your flat panel TV, the Canon IXUS 500 HS finds room for an HDMI port at the side of the camera, which nestles next to a joint port for USB/AV connectivity. The third covered compartment is for the provided lithium ion battery, which suffers slightly from the camera’s overall economy of scale in being a tad smaller than a standard AA battery and offering a battery life of an unspectacular 190 shots from a full charge. So you’ll want to pack the provided mains charger for anything longer than a weekend break.

Performance

In terms of picture quality, if light is not ideal - a cloudy day as opposed to blue skies – shots can look rather flat and soft straight out of the camera, whereupon it’s better to concentrate on close up subjects rather than risk those at the telephoto end of the zoom.

For low-light work, selecting anything up to and including ISO1600 delivers a very usable noise-free result however, as long as you can take advantage of a steady surface or tripod to rest on. In summation then, we’re not getting a quality that’s a great deal better than an average snapshot camera costing £100 less. And if it’s a big zoom you really need, then around £300 will buy you a 20x zoom on the likes of one of Panasonic’s current TZ series models, which also fit in a trouser pocket while providing extras such as integral GPS.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Canon Canon Ixus 500 HS

Canon IXUS 500 HS originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 02 Mar 2012 11:43:00 +0000

Upgrading 2011’s toughened Lumix DMC-FT3 from Panasonic comes the inevitable FT4 incarnation, boasting reinforced glass and rubber padding. Once again the headline stills resolution is 12.1 megapixels and GPS geotagging of images features, thereby broadening its appeal to include travelling types as much as the adrenaline junkies and the plain-old cack-handed.

Also very familiar is the claim that Lumix DMC-FT4 is waterproof to a depth of 12 metres, which is more than twice the capability of most rivals. Plus it’s shock-proofed against drops from two metres high, freeze-proof to -10°C and dustproof too. The built-in compass, altimeter and barometer remain from the previous model also. Hey, if it’s (nigh) unbreakable, don’t fix it, right?

Some of the predecessors problems remain

Unfortunately Panasonic doesn’t seem to have taken any notice of our grumbles about the FT3 either. So, with the exception of the large shutter release button, the rest of the controls on the camera have stayed too small and fiddly to be easily operated with wet fingers or while wearing ski gloves. A roughened surface to controls might have solved the former problem, while larger buttons than the standard-sized ones at the rear would have helped with the latter issue.

The zoom lens provided is, again, of the internally stacked variety, meaning that at no point does it protrude from the body, so avoiding it getting in harm’s way. Indeed it’s protected by reinforced glass to make doubly sure. It’s déja vu in terms of the FT4’s focal range too. Like the FT3 we’re offered a respectable 28-128mm in 35mm terms, which equates to a modest but still useful 4.6x optical zoom.

Instead of operating the zoom via a rocker switch or a lever encircling the shutter release – both of which would again be awkward with wet or gloved fingers - Panasonic has come up with two thumb-operated parallel buttons that the user hops between: one to zoom wide, the other to zoom closer. Not a completely satisfactory arrangement, but at least the zoom is swift to respond.

Gets going quickly

The camera is quick to power up too, in around two seconds, as long as the text prompt regarding the camera’s waterproofing abilities is ignored.

Still photographs and full HD video in a choice of AVCHD or MP4 formats are composed via the 2.7-inch LCD, which has the same lowly 230k-dot resolution as the FT3 predecessor. Fair enough, it’s adequate and mostly does the job, though you’ll still be cupping a hand around it in bright sunlight and if using it by the pool, where you’ll need to contend with reflections too.

The camera finds focus and exposure nigh on instantly: barely a blink passing between a half press of the shutter release button and an AF point being illuminated in green with a beep of conformation.

Great design

The mostly metal camera looks and feels the part though, resembling a toolbox with a lens, an impression enhanced by the visible screws at the four corners of the faceplate. Despite the extra bulk over a conventional compact due to the GPS antenna and extra padding, the FT4 remains on of the more stylish rough 'n’ tumble models around.

The camera’s proportions are a pocket-friendly 103.5x64x26.5mm, which is good news. It weighs a reassuring yet not uncomfortable 197g with rechargeable lithium ion battery and optional SD/SDHC/SDXC card loaded. Otherwise it’s a meagre 20MB internal memory to fall back on.

Shockproof, but potentially at the cost of waterproof

A curio is that, although the camera is supposed to be shockproof, Panasonic’s blurb mentions the fact that dropping the camera may affect the waterproofing, and if you have done so the camera should be checked over professionally before you take it for a dip – which rather undoes its usefulness.

On the whole and as largely expected from the brand, the Panasonic does seem more reliable than rivals however, including last year’s Fuji XP30, to give one example, which failed to pick up a GPS signal when indoors and died completely when we took it for a dip in the local pond.

By contrast, with more than a million landmark names stored, the Panasonic’s GPS was revealing our location via on-screen text indoors and out, and pinpointing it to our local district rather than just borough. It also survived being dunked in our local pond at arm’s length, though while the camera still worked we were slightly concerned to find a few small droplets of moisture visible beneath the lockable card/battery cover afterwards.

And video too

As mentioned, video also features here, with a dedicated one-touch record button located adjacent to the shutter release on the top plate, a press of which commences recording no matter what alternative stills mode has been selected.

Incidentally there’s no regular backplate mode dial, rather a dedicated button. A press of this and we’re offered a choice of feature limited "intelligent auto" (iA) for pure point and shoot operation, more expansive program and manual options, along with dedicated sports, snow, beach and snorkelling modes. There is also a miniature digital effect mode, 14 further scene modes covering the usual daylight and nigh time portrait and landscape scenarios, plus a software-based 3D photo mode which produces a widescreen ratio shot if the user pans left to right when shooting.

The resultant image is automatically generated by the camera and saved as an MPO file, so will of course require a 3D TV to view properly - you don’t get the effect via the camera’s own scree as it’s not lenticular, like say the "true 3D" Fujifilm W3. You do however get a low-resolution (1MB or thereabouts) video grab-like JPEG file generated by the FT4 alongside for reference, so you can at least see whether the framing is to your liking and try again if necessary.

A full resolution JPEG is committed to camera memory within the usual 3-4 seconds. This process is elongated if using one of the effects, with the miniature mode effect taking around 10 seconds to apply at the point of capture. As with competing cameras that offer such a feature, the portion of the image in sharp focus is narrowed to a central band, while top and bottom of frame are blurred so the impression given is that full-size buildings appear as toy town-like models.

Modes and menus

For tabbing through mode and menu settings a familiar four-way control dial is provided on the backplate, situated where it intuitively falls under the thumb. Set at points north, east, south and west are: exposure compensation options, flash settings, macro mode (down to an impressive 1cm from your subject), plus selftimer (two or ten seconds countdown).

Another intrinsic feature of the backplate is a dedicated delete button, located bottom right, that doubles as Panasonic’s short cut "Q.Menu" (Quick menu) control in capture mode. This presents a toolbar of key shooting options across the top of the LCD display, so users don’t have to scroll through multiple menu screens to change the likes of ISO. Speaking of which, this camera has a quite modest user selectable ISO100 to ISO1600.

Via this same toolbar we can turn GPS on or off, adjust pixel count, white balance, focus mode - switch on face detection or AF tracking - activate the burst mode, up to an impressive 14fps at 3 megapixels rather than the FT3’s 10fps - the LCD mode, or turn the LED focus assist lamp nestled alongside the built-in flash at the front on/off. It’s all very useful (and familiar) but again your fingers will be slipping about if hands or camera are wet.

Picture quality

In terms of picture quality the FT4 gives no better a performance than a non-toughened Lumix snapshot costing half its price. There are familiar bugbears such as loss of focus towards the corners of the frame at maximum wide angle and soft results shooting handheld at maximum zoom, so if you really don’t need the extra reliability suggested here, there is money to be saved.

However, more positively users may be tempted to try photography and videos in places and conditions that they wouldn’t even consider taking a regular compact - even if it’s just out in the rain and the snow - so there’s the opportunity for more images and greater experimentation, which is always very welcome.

Tags: Cameras Panasonic Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT4

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT4 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 27 Feb 2012 16:46:00 +0000

In recent months we’ve witnessed super zooms or "bridge" cameras straying into the luxury bracket. We’ve seen the Leica V-Lux 3 and Fujifilm X-S1 for example, matching semi-pro DSLRs for cost and many of their specifications. Though, like the aforementioned, it resembles a mini DSLR if you squint a bit, Olympus’s new 'ultra zoom" SP-620UZ is not one of those cameras however.

Massive zoom

Upgrading the 14-megapixel SP-610UZ, this model predictably boosts the effective resolution by a couple of million pixels to 16, from a total of 16.6MP on a 1/2.3-inch CCD. Its noteworthiness is not resolution however, but that it fields a 21x optical zoom, slightly curtailed from its forebear’s 22x. The S-620UZ’s focal range now starts wider but stops shorter in offering the 35mm equivalent of 25-525mm, as opposed to 28-616mm.

Without the optical or electronic viewfinder of more expensive models - which would add bulk as well as cost - Olympus users are left with the 3-inch LCD at the rear. It's a pretty standard 230k-dot screen resolution with which to compose stills and 720p HD videos and is unchanged from the previous iteration.

There is a SP-720UZ model that sits just above the SP-620UZ in the range, offering a better 460k-dot screen plus a 26x optical zoom. However resolution is a lower 14-megapixels, so it’s swings and roundabouts. The SP-620UZ’s overall dimensions are officially 109.7 x 74.3 x 73.7mm, while it weighs 435g with batteries and card inserted. It’s available in silver or black body finishes.

All the above has to be set against the fact that the Olympus SP-620UZ has a manufacturer’s suggested asking price of £179.99, with street prices bound to shave £20-30 off that. This indicates a lack of frills and tells us that this is very much a budget model among bridge models.

Built to a price

The mass market, as opposed to enthusiast-pitched pricing, makes itself felt initially only in the SP-620UZ’s rather plasticy exterior and its frill-free control layout. Although, the latter is as much to do with providing ease of use and an ‘approachable’ first impression as anything else.

The cost-cutting is also apparent in this Olympus being powered by four, bog-standard, alkaline AAs instead of the usual lithium ion rechargeable cells. Of course, any user can buy their own set of rechargeables relatively inexpensively. We can live with this to an extent, as here the combined weight of the batteries adds solidity to the SP-620UZ’s frame. Even if they do fall out each time you want to remove the DS/SDHC/SDXC media card that shares a slot next to them. The cover is also fiddly to slide shut, because the batteries don’t always sit flush in their loading tubes.

As this cover requires a degree of force to shut, and means gripping the camera tightly with both hands, it’s easy to accidentally activate the power button at the same time.

Fast enough

Still, the camera is reasonably responsive, powering up from cold in a couple of seconds if date and time have been set first. The lens is protected when not in use by a slip on (rather than clip on) plastic cap.

If shooting stills, nudge the zoom lever that handily encircles its shutter release button with a forefinger and it powers through its range from maximum wideangle to extreme telephoto in three seconds.

Zoom action is automatically slowed right down in movie mode to prevent jarring transitions however. If you do want to use the zoom you first have to turn off the sound via the movie menu. With HD video shooting (usually) being such a big feature of stills cameras these days this is a bit rubbish, as effectively the zoom is disabled if you want sound on your video clips.

Controls and design

It’s as a stills device then that the SP-620UZ serves amateur photographers best. A half squeeze of the shutter release button triggers the auto focus, which, while not quite as quick as the Olympus Pen range, it’s fast enough to get the shot. A full, fine compression quality JPEG is written to the card in 3-4 second; not massively quick, but not a deal-breaker either on a camera costing what it does.

The SP-620UZ’s control layout is clean-looking, sparse even. Up top we just have the on/off button, and large shutter release encircled by the zoom lever, both set forward on the tip of the handgrip. There is integral flash, the self-raising variety - by which we mean it has to be manually raised. There is no dedicated lever to do this, nor does it suddenly swing into action if you happen to select a flash mode on the camera. Indeed flash modes are disabled until you’ve activated it by hand.

At the back we have the fixed, 3-inch, 230k dot resolution LCD presented in standard 4:3 ratio. It's shunted to the left, leaving space for six controls to its right, located where they easily fall under the thumb.

A central "OK" button for selecting any menu or setting changes sits in the middle of a control pad-come-scroll wheel. The latter is especially sensitive, so much so that it largely negates its feature as a time saver. We found it all too easy to scoot past the setting we actually wanted, and so had to take a more gentle approach.

Playback, menu and dedicated video record buttons are also present and obvious. Less so is a button marked by an enigmatic question mark. Give this a press and you’ll discover Olympus’s built-in help manual. This allows users to search alphabetically by keyword if they know a function they’re looking for.

Aimed at less-experienced users

The emphasis here then is on a camera that is user friendly enough to just point and shoot. Olympus obviously expects us to do this, as no shooting mode dial or dedicated button is provided. The likes of intelligent auto and program mode are instead selected via an on-screen toolbar.

It’s via this same toolbar that we find 11 pre-optimsed scene settings for common subjects. There are daytime and night-time photography modes, and, slightly more interestingly, automatic 3D and panoramic image generation Plus the ability to apply digital effects filters at the point of capture.

The 3D feature, which generates an MPO file can be "seen" only via a 3D equipped TV, takes two images and merges them. The panorama option takes three shots in succession – the user lining up each successive shot via a floating ‘target’ on screen – and automatically blends them together. Neither mode is as sophisticated as, say, Sony’s 3D Sweep Panorama feature on its Cyber-shot cameras, but they do work, and the Olympus does cost less.

For those looking to shoot handheld in low light, the SP-610UZ is not massively exciting. With the lens supported by dual image stabilisation, there’s the ability to manually select ISO sensitivity up to ISO1600. While that’s modest, results at this top setting, though displaying some grain upwards of ISO800 are perfectly usable.

We were surprised to find that the SP-620UZ displays a live histogram revealing the areas of brightness in an image in capture mode if you press the top edge of the control dial/scroll wheel the requisite number of times. Exposure can be manually adjusted +/- 3EV.

Tags: Cameras Olympus Olympus SP-620UZ

Olympus SP-620UZ originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:15:00 +0000

The 12.3-megapixel E-PM1 - from a 13.1 MP Live MOS (or CMOS) sensor - is the new baby of the Olympus range of interchangeable lens compacts, or, as its manufacturer prefers, ‘Pen’ system. The other two models are the flagship E-P3 for just under a grand, plus the mid range E-PL3, which omits an integral flash but adds an angle adjustable back screen. Both were announced over the summer and are already covered here, on Pocket-lint.

So, for anyone looking to upgrade from a fixed lens point and shoot camera for the first time to ensure better quality images without going the whole hog and plumping for a DSLR, the E-PM1 is the most affordable Olympus Pen camera to date. As its ‘Mini’ suffix suggests it’s also the most diminutive, measuring 109.5x63.7x34mm and weighing 217g body only, or a still very manageable 265g with battery and card (all varieties of SD) inserted. And, seeing as the ‘Pen Mini’ is a lens swappable camera, more obviously aiming for mass-market acceptance than its two siblings, is it also the most accessible?

The kit

Olympus sent us a black-bodied E-PM1 kit that comes supplied with second generation matching black liveried f3.5-5.6 14-42mm zoom. This offers a focal range the equivalent of 28-84mm on a 35mm camera, so is a sound starter option if you don’t already own any compatible Micro Four Thirds lenses - of which there are currently 27 options.

The fact that the lens is the second-generation kit zoom means that this time there is less of an audible whirr when making its automatic adjustments during video capture. Aiding compactness, like its forebear, the lens features a retractable mechanism, which means it has to be first manually extended before a shot can be taken. Otherwise a press of the recessed power button set into the chrome strip on the top plate and the Mini is ready for action in just over a second. Suggesting a younger market for this Pen, Olympus has chosen to illuminate the power button in a cool blue, attention-attracting glow, especially for anyone attempting night photography.

In the box we also find a silver FL-LM1 flash that slides onto the vacant hotshoe, an accessory port for further optional extras like a wireless connectivity module located just below. As with the E-PL1, no actual flash bulb is included within the body, so you’ll have to remember to carry the one provided around with you.

Small and light

Whilst the lack of integral illumination seems to be going against the consumer friendly ethos for the camera, Sony does the same with its competing NEX models. Clearly, when it comes to making a sale, less, in terms of body shape and weight, is most definitely more. In fact, until the arrival of the Pentax Q, Olympus was pitching this as the world’s smallest and lightest system camera.

That said, the form and shape of the E-PM1 doesn’t stray massively from the solid retro look and feel of the E-P3 and E-PL1, which is a good thing, even if the narrower body - not much wider than your average travel zoom - makes the camera appear a little front heavy when the lightweight plastic kit lens is attached.

We would have also liked something in the way of a handgrip to enable one handed shooting, but get none here. Trying to shoot with just our right hand, we felt in danger of dropping the camera as the front surface is as smooth as slate, plus this inevitably introduces the possibility of soft shots in lower light, even if the camera does have in-body image stabilisation.

Good pedigree

The E-PM1 more expectedly shares a lot of previous Pen camera DNA, such as Olympus’ hand-holding Live Guide. Here, the making of adjustments to aperture to control depth of field can be previewed on screen in real time via a press of the ‘OK’ button before any shot is taken, and without needing to comprehend what such terminology means.

It also shares their lightning-fast auto focus system; in fact claimed to be the world’s fastest on launch, though Panasonic and Nikon have also since claimed similar.

In real terms it is operationally on a par with an entry level digital SLR - except in terms of sensor size of course - and in some respects, it exceeds their performance. This is partly down to the inclusion of TruePic VI image processor and the fact that the Olympus features 35 AF points spread over almost the entire sensor, so it is possible to direct focus onto subjects tucked away in the corner of the display. AF tracking and face detection then makes sure the subject remains in focus, even if it is on the move through the frame.

Effects

For low light shooting, without the use of the clip on flash, up to ISO12800 light sensitivity is offered, which seems somewhat incredible for a starter model, plus as noted we have the advantage here (over, say, Panasonic and Sony) of built in stabilisation. A further selling point comes in the form of Olympus’ digital effects art filters, a core feature of the Pen range since day one and now co-opted in some shape or form by almost everyone else.

As this is the junior model in the range we get just six art filters on the E-PM1, the effects of which can also be previewed before application. Here the choices include one of our favourites in “dramatic tone”, “diorama” a miniature effect by another name and the colour-enhancing “pop art”. There's also a self explanatory soft focus, grainy film look and pin hole. What’s more these effects can be applied to video as well as stills, and can be navigated with a spin of the scroll wheel at the Pen Mini’s back.

LCD, not OLED, screen

Both stills and video are composed via a fixed widescreen aspect ratio 3-inch, 460k-dot resolution LCD screen, as opposed to the OLED monitor of the E-P3 or the angle adjustable monitor found on the E-PL1. Here the LCD eats up most of the backplate of the E-PM1, with controls shunted over to the right hand edge of the camera.

These seem unnecessarily tiny and thus require fingernail precision to operate. Olympus gives a dose of spin to the control layout by referring to it as a ‘reduced button interface’ and we kind of see what it intends. We get a diminutive control pad encircled by scroll wheel, flanked by info and menu buttons, plus a dedicated playback control. The largest button here, which falls under the thumb at the top right-hand edge of the backplate, is one for recording video. There’s no dedicated delete button, which is an unexpected omission that no matter how great the camera is, always comes in handy.

Video

Like its Pen brethren the E-PM1 offers 1080i video, as long as the user has AVCHD compression format selected. Otherwise it’s 720p HD video recorded in the MPEG4 format, which offers more widespread compatibility, especially for those with older PCs.

As one might expect, HDMI output is included, port located under a side flap next to a shared hole for USB 2.0/AV out. Stereo sound is a further benefit, and one welcome feature we didn’t automatically expect to find on the entry-level ‘budget’ model.

Small is beautiful, or annoying?

Olympus seems to have opted for small is beautiful with every aspect of the camera, not only in the weedy back plate controls but also with regard to the on-screen display info, which we almost had to squint to make out at times.

The split-screen display you’re presented with, upon activating the camera and pressing ‘menu’ - in lieu of any dedicated mode button or wheel - seems more designed to look cool, rather than to provide a means of quickly and practically accessing shooting modes.

Image quality

In terms of image quality the E-PM1 is the very definition of a competent performer given its size, or lack thereof. It’s quick, it’s responsive, and if you can see the shot in your mind’s eye before squeezing the shutter release button, with the Pen Mini there’s a very good chance you’ll get it.

With kit lens attached we achieved some lovely DSLR-like shallow depth of field effects - keeping the subject in focus but throwing the background detail out to provide greater contrast. On the flip side, we did notice some obvious barrel distortion/fisheye effect when shooting closer subjects at maximum wideangle setting.

Art filters such as pop art proved a boon for enhancing winter colour. And while the results were not an exact match for a similarly-priced DSLR, with optimum glass, the form factor and optics combined meant that we were more likely to take the E-PM1 out with us, and therefore get that potentially winning shot in the first place.

For low-light photography without flash, we managed to achieve largely noise-free results up to, and including, ISO1600. Though from 3200 through to 6400 noise is more noticeable, images from the E-PM1 have a fine grain like consistency that is not too intrusive. At top whack ISO12800 we’re getting washed out colour, softened edges as well as grain. In other words, the tell tale “watercolour effect”, but it has to be said that the appearance of shots at this setting are no worse than most point and shoot compacts muster, sometimes as low as ISO1600.

Tags: Cameras Olympus Olympus E-PM1 Compact system cameras

Olympus E-PM1 Pen Mini originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 12 Dec 2011 09:00:00 +0000

A good zoom on a travel camera is a great idea, youll get closer to the action, and with cameras like this Exilim, you'll still be able to fit it in your pocket. And, although the original asking price was a hellish £299, we found the Exilim EX-ZR100 online for a much more competitive £179 at the time of writing.

So is this portable little shooter worth an investment, or is it something you should avoid at all costs?

Generous zoom

While the race for more and more megapixels may have slowed, if there’s one thing we can guarantee will have increased from one compact camera iteration to the next, it is that the zoom will have got bigger. Or, to put it another way, the focal range will have got broader. Here a 12.5x optical zoom may be modest in terms of the 30x super zoom or 18x "travel zoom" camera, but it helps further distance the Casio Exilim EX-ZR100 from smartphones with built-in lenses. Of course a longer lens is more prone to the blurring effects of camera shake, especially when used handheld, so here it’s supported by the effective method of sensor shift image stabilisation as a form of counter attack.

Although on-board software enhancements can artificially extend this Casio’s zoom range to a crazy 600mm equivalent, the true focal range is 24mm to 300mm in 35mm film camera terms. So it’s as useful for squeezing a group of friends into frame at maximum wideangle as it is for pulling faraway subjects that much closer at maximum zoom.

Build quality and design

The coolly outwardly confident Casio’s construction offers a greater proportion of metal than plastic, and in terms of the black version that we had in for review looks reasonably sophisticated. Pictures and Full HD video are composed and reviewed via 3-inch, 4:3 aspect ratio LCD at the back, which offers a higher than usual 460K dot screen resolution given that this is a point and shoot. Yet the fact that an extra large zoom has been shoehorned in means that it’s a little broader in depth and slightly more of a squeeze for the pocket than less well endowed 3x, 5x or 7x rivals.

On the upside, this means that room has been found on the EX-ZR100 for a proper shooting mode dial. Dimensions are a manageable 104.8x59.1x28.6mm and the camera weighs 250g with SD card and battery inserted. Although battery life wasn’t given on our supplied literature, we managed a fair 300 shots before we needed to re-charge.

With a press of the recessed top plate power button this Casio readies itself for action in two to three seconds, focus and exposure set more or less instantly with a half press of the shutter released button ergonomically encircled by the zoom lever. As image review is disabled as a default, the screen doesn’t freeze immediately you’ve taken a shot, so it’s on to the next photo in practically the blink of an eye; so no complaints there.

Other key features worth flagging up include a 12.1 effective megapixel resolution from a standard size 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor, which here is back-illuminated, theoretically suggesting a better low light performance. Casio hasn’t pushed the boat out in terms of manually selectable light sensitivity settings however, which here are a distinctly average ISO100-ISO3200. Performance isn’t bad at all though, with barely any degradation in quality if pushing upwards from ISO800 to ISO1600. Plus, while detail is certainly softer at top whack ISO3200, we got results that were still usable and relatively noise/grain free. We did however find it trickier to avoid soft shots shooting handheld, especially toward the telephoto end of the zoom. That’s despite a thin leather-effect handgrip at the front aiding purchase.

Lots of shooting options

The smaller-than-dime-sized shooting mode dial spins from one option to the next with a thumb-flick, there are no fewer than ten choices. To kick off we have regular subject-recognising single-shot auto mode plus the Casio only Premium Auto - the latter of which analyses the scene and automatically enhances the image for you - along with manual, aperture priority and shutter priority settings. So we do at least get some degree of hands on control.

As well as Casio’s regular smattering of pre-optimised, scene specific modes - known as "BestShot modes" - there are also two modes given over to current fad for high dynamic range (HDR) shooting. In regular HDR mode the camera automatically evens out highlight and shadow detail that might otherwise be lost, leaving a fairly natural looking image. In HDR art mode the camera delivers an overtly-processed shot with garish colours and hard outlines. Don’t get us wrong; this HDR art option can sometimes prove effective, particularly in drab conditions where you might not otherwise bother even pulling the Casio from your pocket.

There is a few seconds wait while the camera does its extra processing, but anyone selecting this effect isn’t going to be prioritising writing speed. Best shot selection gives a rapid fire sequence of images in "Normal" quality setting and a Panorama mode completes the shooting mode line-up. A helpful feature of the latter is that we were able to view our Panorama ‘building’ in a letterbox at the bottom of the screen as we were shooting it by panning from left to right holding down the shutter button.

Other features separating the Casio Exilim EX-ZR100 from the herd are the stereo microphones located on the top plate, where they’re sufficiently away from the ‘business end’ to help avoid overtly picking up the user’s finger movements. Plus there's a dedicated high-speed shooting button - a result of the Casio unusually deploying dual processing circuits - where a smart auto option might otherwise be on a rival, such as Panasonic’s Lumix series. Up to 40 shots-per-second at 10-megapixels isn’t bad at all, but high-speed capture isn’t available in every mode: notably not in premium auto.

Video is easy

As is increasingly the case, on even the humblest of digital stills compacts, top right of the backplate we find a dedicated video record button. Give this a thumb press and no matter what stills shooting mode is currently selected on the dial - video being notably absent- filming will commence. Should a stills opportunity present itself whilst 1920x1080 pixels video is being recorded the shot can be taken, but resolution is reduced down to a still acceptable 10-megapixels.

This being a Casio, slightly more is eeked out of the video mode than on competing brands, namely the ability to create slow motion footage by shooting at ridiculously high frame rates. On the ZR100 we have the ability to stretch up to 1000 frames per second (fps), opt for 480 fps or 240fps. It goes without saying that resolution drops in these modes also and so they should be viewed as fun extras rather than more ‘professional’ features.

However we did enjoy the final video option, which is the ability to vary shooting speed between 30fps (normal capture speed) and 240fps mid flow, so users can slow down portions of a sequence rather than shooting the whole thing at a pre-set speed. Though you can’t alter framing once you’ve begun recording, thankfully the full extent of the optical zoom can otherwise be accessed when recording ‘normal’ 30fps video as it can when framing up a still. Though its mechanical adjustments are noticeably slower, which not only has the effect of partly covering up its low mechanical buzz but also avoiding jarringly fast jumps. Should you want to hook the camera directly up to a flat panel TV for replaying HD video or photo slideshows, HDMI output and a separate joint AV/USB 2.0 port are hidden under a sturdy side flap. As usual there’s no HDMI cable in the box.

With separate image capture and playback buttons at the back, preferable to one of those annoying switches for otherwise swapping between them, the user has the advantage with the EX-ZR100 of being able to immediately jump back to capture mode in the midst of reviewing shots with a mere half press of the shutter release button. This is much more intuitive, and means you can leave a forefinger hovering over the shutter release as the thumb of your right hand operates the playback button.

In terms of said image quality, like most point and shoots this Casio suffers from visible pixel fringing between areas of high contrast – dark branches of a tree set against bright, blue skies for example - and this familiarly appears as a purplish halo effect around the outline of an object. Although, as noted earlier, we did get occasional soft results when shooting at maximum telephoto, for general use the quality is more than acceptable, with bright colours that just stay the right side of natural and flattering skin tones. Plus, if you are faced with dull conditions or subjects, then there is the HDR art feature to fall back on, in order to ‘rescue’ the shot.

Tags: Cameras Casio Compact cameras Casio Exilim EX-ZR100

Casio Exilim EX-ZR100 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 01 Dec 2011 22:50:00 +0000

Looking for a knockabout pocket camera with larger than average zoom that won’t cost the earth? The metallic silver VR-310 we had in for review – with black, red, or purple also available - is both attractive in an unassuming way, bit also an all-too familiar boxy rectangle.

However, it's still relatively rare that we come across a pocket camera that fits in a 10x optical zoom with focal range of a wide angle 24mm to 240mm - in 35mm terms - offers a mostly metal build, yet retails for a suggested £99. Which means the actual street price will be cheaper still. Can the VR-310 really be the bargain it seems, or have too many corners been cut so the product can hit this financial ‘sweet spot’?

Small and sleek

First impressions are good. Held in the palm it’s roughly the size of a bar of Imperial Leather soap, but rather more firm and solid to the touch. It doesn’t obviously feel plasticy or a budget item in any way. Olympus claims a fashionably slender depth of a mere 19.3mm, but that’s at its very narrowest point. Nevertheless this is a camera that will squeeze into jacket or jeans pocket.

There’s no mains charger supplied, Instead we get a mains adapter with plug and USB cable which means that the battery is charged within the VR-310 at all times, but with the added advantage of being able to charge the Olympus via the USB port of your laptop if you’re short on power without a mains electricity point to hand.

Some features are of course run-of-the-mill, such as the 230k-dot resolution 4:3 aspect ratio LCD screen occupying most of the backplate, attendant controls shunted over to a remaining inch on the right. Though the monitor is 3-inches in size, we found it hard to tell whether a shot was properly focused from a quick glance at the screen; it’s not as sharp as we would have liked. Factor in a sunny day, and visibility suffers further.

Control confusion

Another way in which the camera betrays its beginner status is the fact that video is 1280x720 pixels, though, OK, that’s still better than standard definition 640x480. Plus we do handily get a video record button on the back plate, even if there’s no physical shooting mode dial, nor indication of how such a feature is accessed. Fair enough, most of the VR-310’s target audience are likely to switch it on and start shooting without tabbing though function settings, but a button marked ‘mode’ would have been helpful at least.

Instead, such shooting options are summoned with a press of the uppermost edge of the four-way control pad positioned at the bottom right of the backplate, which is generically marked ‘info’. Once summoned these appear in the top right hand corner of the screen, and the user shuffles between them by tabbing right or left on the same pad. But as we say, finding them in the first place not as obvious as could be.

Using the default setting of iAuto (or intelligent auto), the now standard subject recognising mode is fine, but does occasionally get confused. There's also a program mode, for those who want to manually select the likes of white balance and ISO light sensitivity settings, from ISO80 to ISO1600.

Digital effects

This being an Olympus model we also get automatically applied digital effects, or as they’re exotically termed, ‘Magic Filters’. On the VR-310 we’re offered the unique punk, which lends images a crudely photocopied fanzine look complete with bright purple background. pop art, which boosts colours to garish effect, pin hole, which adds corner shading and drawing, which reduces subjects to thin wishy-washy outlines on a white background and is largely unusable.

Plus there are the self explanatory fish eye, softfocus and new addition sparkle, which adds twinkling reflections to shiny objects. Pictures are saved to either SD or SDHC card, a slot for which is provided alongside the battery at the base. They’re a fun addition and add a minor USP.

Simple to use

Otherwise the VR-310’s control layout is as unfussy as you’d expect to find on a £99 camera. The top plate features the shutter release button encircled by a lever for the zoom, an on/off switch and that’s it. The camera powers up from cold in a couple of seconds, finds exposure and focus with a half press of the shutter release in a further second, and commits a full, fine quality, 14 Megapixel JPEG to memory in around two to three seconds; all respectable timings for a snapshot camera.

We weren’t expecting the picture quality from the VR-310 to be any great shakes, and that proved to be the case. Under bright conditions some quite alarmingly obvious pixel fringing is visible between areas of high contrast, highlight detail is burnt out, while at maximum zoom camera shake results in soft and fuzzy imagery. Alternatively, at maximum wide-angle setting there’s a noticeable amount of focus fall-off towards the corners of an image. We found that close ups and portraits worked best, and though good results are achievable, these are the exception rather than the rule.

For low-light shooting, selecting any setting higher than ISO400 introduced image noise/grain into shot. If you do want to use the built-in flash for added illumination, you also have to watch carefully where fingers are placed, as it’s easy to obscure part of it and end up with images where half the shot is bright, the other in shade. Overall image quality isn’t a great deal better than that from an average smartphone – except of course here you get the advantage of the extra zoom power. But we’d argue that you need a flat and level surface or a tripod to get the best out of it.

We were even more disappointed to discover that we could record video when using the Olympus VR-310’s zoom, yet without sound. If we wanted sound, that meant the zoom was disabled. This seemed slightly odd, as the mechanical buzz of the lens making its adjustments was not particularly loud or intrusive.

Tags: Cameras Olympus Compact cameras

Olympus VR-310 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:09:26 +0000

At one time - say the mid 1970s to mid 1980s - projecting our photographs or Super 8 films was the chief way to share holiday exploits and pictorial adventures with friends and family. In the digital age, when most of our snapshots are dumped on a hard drive and promptly forgotten, it’s debatable whether anyone has been holding out for a means of projecting them.

Nevertheless, that hasn’t stopped Nikon from working its way through a couple of generations of its unique digital projector camera to arrive at the S1200pj, updating last year’s S1100pj. And, for families at least, being able to take a photograph or video then instantly display it to the kids via the nearest clutter-free wall at up to 60-inches wide does have a certain wow factor, undimmed with the passing of time.

More than just a compact camera

Although in terms of scale and portability it’s slightly broader than your average non-projecting compact, the solid feel 186g camera’s overall dimensions are roughly the size of a pack of playing cards at 107x63.4x22.6mm excluding projections. So it will still squeeze conveniently into a trouser pocket or handbag.

What may cause a little discomfort however is the price of this 14.1 effective megapixel snapper, incorporating standard issue 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor. At £399.99, you’re paying roughly £150 over and above a normal compact with otherwise the same headline spec. That's nearly enough to buy a portable projector, and stick with a normal compact camera. Because of the price, the projector has to be considered as the main reason for the Nikon’s purchase here, rather than merely viewed as a fun and funky add-on. iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch owners now have a further incentive with this latest generation model in that their devices can be hooked up directly for projection too, though the required cable costs extra, and this comes at the expense of HDMI output. Standard AV and USB 2.0 connectivity is retained.

We had the smart and sophisticated looking black S1200pj in for review, although it’s also available in shocking pink. Powering up in just over a second, which is remarkably swift for a compact, pictures are composed and reviewed in standard fashion via the perfectly adequate 3-inch back screen, which features the usual non-widescreen 4:3 aspect ratio yet a better than average resolution of 460k dots and anti reflective coating. Because of the built in projecting facility, there are two openings at the front of the S1200pj - one for the lens and the other for the projector, located slightly off the centre of the camera.

Good zoom, reduced shake

The 5x optical zoom lens equivalent to 28-140mm in 35mm terms is internally stacked so at no point does it project from the body, even when zooming in. It also features an automatically opening and closing lens cover for protection, whereas the projector’s cover has to be manually slid downwards or upwards to open and close. This is partly because this action automatically activates or deactivates said projector, removing the need for a separate button to do this and keeping operation intuitive and straightforward.

Use of the lens is backed-up with lens shift image stabilisation, though as with any pocket compact, the odd bit of blur as a result of camera shake can creep in here and there. Focus range of the camera itself is 30cm to infinity, or 3cm if opting for macro/close up mode.

A half-press of the shutter release button and the Nikon is capably quick in determining focus and exposure, the image relayed via the LCD momentarily blurring before snapping back into focus with a beep of affirmation and AF points visible on screen indicating that the photographer is good to take the shot. A maximum resolution JPEG is committed to 94MB internal memory or removable SD card. Nikon claims that around 220 shots can be squeezed out of a full charge of the supplied lithium ion rechargeable battery.

Projection

Projector brightness is a so-so 20 lumens, which means that an image can look a little indistinct when viewed on a wall in daylight, and projections are standard definition 640x480 pixels.

Optimum viewing size is from five-inches up to the aforementioned 60. To go smaller or larger, you simply step nearer or further back from the projection surface, twiddling the focus dial inset into the top plate. To get a clear view on the S1200pj’s screen doesn’t necessitate drawing the curtains entirely, but the less available light streaming in through the windows, the clearer and sharper the image certainly.

Aside from the focus wheel for the projector, most controls here will be familiar from any modern point and shoot camera, though the S1200pj omits any shooting mode dial, providing just a button marked with familiar camera icon that’s also titled ‘scene’ to press instead. Shooting video, here 1280x720 pixels, is commenced and curtailed with a thumb press of the camcorder style record button top right of the camera back.

Controls

The attendant backplate controls are playback, menu and delete, with a multi directional control pad in their midst. Ranged around this are settings for adjusting the flash options, exposure compensation, activating close up/macro focus or the self timer, either so the photographer themselves can squeeze into shot or so a low light image is protected against camera shake.

A press of the mode button and the user has access to ‘easy auto mode’, which best suited to first time users merely allows the image resolution (up to a maximum 4320x3240 pixels) to be changed if the main menu button is subsequently pressed – you can’t accidentally format the SD card in use or internal memory.

The next option along on the shooting mode toolbar offers the manual selection of 18 scenes modes, covering all points in between human portraits and those of pets. There’s also the ability to add a soft sheen or high or low key lighting effect to shots under the ‘special effects’ menu, which due to their visual blandness slightly defies the trade descriptions act.

The more regular digital filter effects like fisheye and miniature effect are selectable, but only for pre-captured images. So you can’t, for example, preview what an effect would look like before squeezing the shutter release button in the first place, as you can with, say, magic filters or art filters on Olympus compacts. The Nikon does at least let the user preview the results before applying them in playback mode, but it’s not obvious that the camera offers such creative touches if you’re not deliberately hunting for them.

Results

As we usually find with Nikon Coolpix compacts, exposure errs on the side of underexposure if anything, and in less than ideal light colours can therefore appear rather drab and sludge like, though projecting said shots can add depth and dynamism otherwise missing on a desktop.

For low light photography without flash, an ISO range is provided that runs from ISO80 to ISO6400, again a respectable level of spec for a compact camera. But at ISO3200 and ISO6400 resolution drops down to three megapixels to limit the gritty appearance of image noise, which is a slight if not uncommon cheat.

As the camera feels fairly weight gripped in the palm, we were able to achieve sharp results shooting handheld at maximum 140mm equivalent zoom setting, though conversely at extreme 28mm equivalent wideangle we did witness some focus fall off towards the corners of the frame, which was slightly disappointing if, again, not exactly unheard of.

Tags: Cameras Nikon Compact camera

Nikon Coolpix S1200pj originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:44:04 +0000

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 is the new flagship model in Panasonic’s FZ range of superzoom bridge cameras. It replaces the FZ100 and comes hot on the heels of the cheaper, but very similarly specified, FZ48.

For £120 more than the latter we find a camera with a vari-angle (adjustable) LCD screen, a definite advantage for those low or high angle shots when you can’t easily otherwise get an eye level. It uses a 460k dot, 3-inch screen but there's also a lower resolution 201k dot electronic viewfinder (EVF), located just above the screen.

Though enthusiasts will enjoy at least having the choice of using an EVF, unfortunately it didn’t quite jut out far enough to prevent our nose rubbing up against the screen below when pressing an eye level with the viewfinder. Incidentally, although a button is provided for switching between using the EVF or LCD to compose or review images, a more fluid transition still would have been provided by a built-in eye sensor. Admittedly this may have added to the cost/bulk.

Design

A flick of the small and stiff on/off switch, and the Panasonic powers up ready for the first still or video clip in a couple of seconds. Like most bridge cameras, so called because they offer a link in terms of approachability and performance between a compact camera and a digital SLR, the black-finished Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 signifies its increased sophistication over your average compact. It even has a hint of SLR styling about it, which might appeal to some.

Overall dimensions of the plastic, but solidly build camera are 124.3x81.7x95.2mm, and weight is a reassuringly hefty 528g. You'll see around 410-shots per charge with the lithium ion battery.

We did manage to squeeze the camera into the pocket of a winter coat, but generally this one to be worn about your neck or slung over a shoulder, rather than secreted away. Svelte, the Lumix DMC-FZ150 is not.

Bulky and zoomy

Its inevitable bulk, including a comfortably large handgrip, shutter release and zoom lever(s), is of course largely down to that much broader than average focal range offered by its retracting and extending 24x optical zoom. That’s the equivalent of 25mm to 600mm in 35mm film terms, with the camera automatically barrelling from one extreme to the other in as little as three seconds.

While not quite as big as the 36x optical zoom offered by the class leader in Nikon’s Coolpix P500 (also 12.1MP), we found the FZ150 offered plenty of extra poke for general subject matter, and its range can be further extended to a 32x equivalent if taking advantage of its ‘intelligent zoom’, which merely runs on from the end of the core optical range if you keep a finger on the zoom lever.

Unusually, there are two zoom levers; one encircling the shutter release button and a second on the lens housing, so in practical terms there’s a choice of zooming with right hand or left.

Still and video flexibility

And of course the breadth of framing options offered by such a range – from candid close ups to pulling the faraway that much nearer, paparazzi style - is unlikely to leave you frustrated by the fact that, unlike a DSLR, the lens on the front of the FZ150 cannot be swapped. For action shooters trying to get closer to sporting events, there is the ability to not only make use of that magnificent zoom but also capture up to 12 frames per second at full resolution, while a 220fps video option provides slow motion replay, at a greatly reduced image quality.

All told, the FZ150 comes across as a jack-of-all-trades device for amateurs who don’t want the perceived fuss of a DSLR, yet comes complete with top plate hotshoe for accessory flash, lens shield to minimise glare, and stereo microphones to make the most of the Full HD 1920x1080 pixels, 25fps video.

Thankfully, for moving images, the full optical extent of the lens can be used, though pickier pundits may be disappointed by sensor size. Instead of usual 16MP pixel count, the headline resolution of the Panasonic is a relatively modest 12.1 effective megapixels from a 12.8MP, 1/2.3-inch CCD. Presumably a decision taken to limit the appearance of noise at higher ISO settings - which can be pushed up to ISO3200. We appreciated being able to fast-track our selection of ISO speeds via a dedicated control, provided on the cross keys style command pad on the rear of the camera.

The camera commendably responds instantly to each inquisitive button press and option selection. This means that once you’ve found the settings you want, you can get on with the business of picture taking without really giving them more than a second thought. Give a half squeeze of the shutter release button and the FZ150 is as swift to lock onto target as its latest G series Lumix interchangeable lens Compact System Cameras, with an official timing given of 0.1 seconds. Not bad at all, given that this is neither officially a CSC nor DSLR.

We can’t claim that image quality is a sharp as that from a DSLR with physically larger sensor and better glass, but then such a zoom range on a DSLR would not only be prohibitively bulky but also prohibitively expensive to most. If you do want extra illumination in low light a spring-loaded pop up flash is provided above the lens and encircling the microphones, with a button sitting alongside the EVF requiring a press to raise it.

Modes and handling

For general handling of the camera we were able to comfortably snake three fingers of our right hand around the handgrip. Our forefinger hovered above the shutter release button and thumb came to rest on the slightly raised leather effect pad, with DSLR-style command dial at the back. This dial enabled us to scroll faster through black text on white background menu options than alternatively tabbing from one to the next using the cross keys at the back.

Newcomers may be daunted by the fact that the ten pence piece sized shooting mode dial on the top plate features a busy 14 choices. These include the usual creative quartet of program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual options plus various scene modes and custom settings. That said, highlighted in red the most obvious choice is intelligent Auto (iA), the Panasonic’s point and shoot setting whereby it can be left up to the camera to ‘recognise’ common scenes and subjects and select the most appropriate one. We’ve always found this a good fall back for when we’d rather be concentrating on following a subject than swapping settings on the fly. The dial has a reassuringly stiff feel to it (reassuring in that it’s tricky to accidentally jog it from one setting to another when fetching it in or out of a bag), and lines up with each setting with a definite click.

If the camera’s default colour settings aren’t doing it for you, then this, being a Lumix camera, has a creative control option on the dial, here indicated by a graphic of an artist’s palette. ‘Expressive’ is always our favourite option by way of providing a short cut to boosting the colour intensity of a subject, without making it appear unnatural in an alternative pop art mode sort of way. The other creative settings accessed here include the increasingly ubiquitous miniature effect, film grain, corner shading pin-hole, high dynamic range, retro and high key.

In addition to these, should the user be shooting in an alternative mode, such as program, with a press of the menu button we still get access to Panasonic’s ‘photo style’ settings, which again offer the ability for the user to tweak the look of pictures in camera. The choice in this setting is between vivid, natural, monochrome, scenery, portrait, custom or standard settings. Within each option there is the chance to individually tweak contrast, sharpness, colour saturation and noise reduction via plus or minus on-screen sliders, so those who love getting hands-on can do just that.

Image quality

As we noted at the outset, the FZ150 chiefly differs from the FZ48 in that its rear LCD can be flipped out from its storage position with screen facing the body, and rotated so that the screen is alongside it and facing the user, in the fashion of a camcorder. In this position the monitor can be tilted up or tilted down, allowing for the camera to be positioned low to the ground and the photographer still be able to see the shot they’re getting from a standing or crouching position, or raised high at arm’s length and for them to be able to do the same. Should you be interested in self-portraits, the screen can also be rotated so that it is facing the front of the camera.

In terms of image quality we were pleased that we were able to achieve reasonably sharp results when shooting handheld at maximum zoom. This isn’t always the case with more ambitiously specified super zooms, plus the camera avoids the tell-tale barrel distortion and obvious corner softness when shooting at maximum wide angle.

So this is indeed a versatile tool. In lower light it’s best to stick to ISO800 if you want to avoid image degradation all together, though higher options remain usable, and in brighter conditions we did notice some purple fringing when zooming in on high contrast portions of a shot. But, ‘twas ever thus, and this is only if you are really searching out such imperfection. Mostly the FZ150 is a reliable addition to the super zoom throng, even if it is one that plays it safe.

Tags: Cameras Panasonic Lumix

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ150 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:09:09 +0000

The Olympus VR-320, which falls into the ‘compact super zoom’ or travel zoom category, is the bigger brother to the VR-310. Fielding a 12.5x optical zoom that is a match for the similarly-featured Casio EX-ZR100 at twice the price and bettering its own sibling’s 10x.

In theory, all three offer the jack-of-all-trades ability to shoehorn groups of family and friends into frame, as well as pull faraway subjects that much closer, without the photographer having to move and inch.

Design

Outwardly the soap-bar-sized Olympus VR-320 and VR-310 cameras look identical, even if this time we had the sophisticated looking matt black version for review, rather than metallic silver. Speaking of which, you can get it in black, blue, red and silver.

The cost of that extra lens reach (24-300mm equivalent in 35mm terms rather than 24-240mm) the VR-320 is just £20 more than its £99 sibling. Once again the headline resolution on offer is 14 megapixels from a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor.

Though, as with the VR-310, Olympus is claiming a depth of a svelte 19.3mm for the VR-320, in fact the overall measurements with relevant bumps are a broader 100.6 x 58.2 x 28.5mm. That said, the camera slides conveniently and comfortably into the pocket of a pair of jeans. It’s a lightweight 158g too, with rechargeable battery and your choice of SD or SDHC card already inserted, plus a modest 33MB internal memory to fall back on. While this all sounds like good news for those who’d like a larger lens reach we do wonder if we can have both an impressive zoom and a low price.

Construction quality

Its maker is claiming a metal body for the VR-320, but if that’s the case it’s a little on the thin side, and the build could easily be mistaken for plastic on initial inspection. Still, Brownie points are to be awarded for the fact that small metal controls at the rear replace the plastic Christmas cracker style buttons we’ve seen on cheap Olympus point and shoots in the past.

The camera also feels respectably solid when held in the palm, while staying portable and lightweight. Though there’s not much in the way of a supportive handgrip at the front - just a raised bump running from the bottom of the faceplate up to just below the flash - a row of three raised strips at the back go some way to stopping the thumb slipping around when the camera is gripped in the right hand.

Controls and usability

The backplate and top plate controls have been kept to a minimum. Although the VR-320 is missing a traditional shooting mode dial or obvious mode button the controls are straightforward enough. The top of the camera features a large raised shutter release button, surrounded by a lever for operating the zoom. Sporting a raised lip at the front makes it possible to access this control while your eyes are otherwise trained on the regular 4:3 aspect ratio rear plate LCD.

Next to this, and set into a mirrored - and easy to cover with fingerprints - chrome strip running the length of the top plate is a small, recessed on/off button. Press it, and provided date and time have been pre-set, you’re ready for the first photo or video clip in around two seconds, lens extending from its storage position within the body to maximum wide angle.

The now standard-issue 3-inch, 230k dot LCD screen bursts into life at the back. Somewhat annoying though, and in common with the cheaper VR-310 model, we struggled at times to ascertain whether a shot was properly focused from a quick glance at the screen without toggling the zoom lever to enlarge a portion of the image. So, a sharper screen would be a real asset to this camera.

Still, a half squeeze of the shutter release button and focus is determined in around a second, the screen display momentarily softening before coming back into focus with a familiar green AF point displayed. Squeeze the same button fully to fire off a shot and a maximum 14-megapixel JPEG is captured and written to memory in the standard two- to three-seconds. Keep a finger on the zoom lever and the VR-320 will glide steadily from extreme wide angle to maximum telephoto in three seconds.

Video

If you alternatively want to shoot video then you get a pretty standard 1280x720 resolution at variety at either 30fps or 15fps and with mono sound. It remains to be seen who needs or wants 15 frames per second recording. A red camcorder-style record button is offered top right of the backplate to start video recording. Its location means that it automatically falls under the thumb, for easy access.

While this positioning feels right, the location of the flash at the front means that its all too easy for a middle finger to stray in front as you’re handling this Olympus. Inevitably, it’s something of a compromise on pocket models to find room for all the essentials yet retain barely larger than credit card-sized proportions.

What has also been compromised on this camera is use of the optical zoom when recording video. As with the VR-310 model, we have the choice of being able to alter our framing in the midst of recording or capturing sound - but not both at the same time. This seems overly cautious on Olympus’ part, as the sound of the zoom mechanism is nowhere near the noisiest we’ve heard.

Also, there’s no HDMI output provided here; just regular AV/USB output via a single port at the base, next to a screw thread for a tripod. This is also how the lithium battery is recharged, since no separate mains charger is provided. While this means that the camera is tied up each time you want to recharge the battery, an added convenience is that it can be additionally charged via an available USB port and is not just reliant on mains electricity.

Modes and settings

Although there is no standalone mode dial, shooting options are detailed via an icon displayed in the top right corner of the screen. Select this using the four-way control pad on the backplate and toggle left or right to see what else is available. As the default option here we have iAuto (intelligent auto), the increasingly ubiquitous scene and subject recognising point-and-shoot mode that ensures anyone can pick the VR-320 up and start photographing straight away.

The other options are program mode, which provides some limited manual control over the likes of white balance, macro/close up shooting, self timer, exposure and ISO speeds (ISO 80-1600), as well as single shot or continuous burst shooting. But again, this is all pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. Slightly more interesting are panorama mode offering the ability to shoot widescreen images vertically as well as the usual horizontal, an array of scene modes for portraits, night shooting and firework displays, plus Olympus’ regular digital filter effects or as they’re termed by the manufacturer, ‘Magic Filters’.

Here the filters number seven in total. We get the saturation boosting 'pop art', the corner darkening pin hole, perspective warping 'fish eye', ‘drawing’ – which in rather rubbish fashion reduces subjects to a thin black outline on an all-white ‘canvas’ – the self explanatory 'soft focus', the crude photocopy look of the unique 'punk' filter, and new addition 'sparkle', which adds reflective glints to shiny objects.

If any of this gets too complicated for newcomers, then help is at hand via a press of the button marked with an enigmatic ‘?’ at the bottom right hand edge of the backplate. Keep this button held down when selecting any of the camera’s menu options, and a brief text explanation will be provided. This saves a look at the camera manual proper – here only provided on a CD – or would do, if its function were more obvious in the first place.

Good and bad

While there are good and bad points about the VR-320’s operation, the same can be said of the picture quality delivered. A problem with any small camera that offers a broad focal range is that we can lose detail towards the corners at maximum wide angle and get images that are soft overall at maximum zoom, due to the blurring effects of unsteady hands and camera shake. Unfortunately both these bugbears are present without a particularly close inspection required, even in broad daylight and with conditions seemingly ideal.

Bright lighting also led to some obvious pixel fringing between areas of high contrast, while highlight detail was lost. On a more positive note, colours can be warm and attractive; it’s just a shame that these familiar bugbears can otherwise ruin the shot. On the whole then, the performance of the VR-320 is rather hit and miss, with sharply focused, richly detailed images hard to come by.

Tags: Cameras Olympus Compact cameras

Olympus VR-320 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 27 Oct 2011 19:01:41 +0100

The "travel zoom" market - meaning pocket compacts with extended lens reaches beyond, let's now say, 8x or more - has really taken off in recent years, with Panasonic's all-conquering Lumix TZ series, and recent TZ20 iteration, leading the pack. However its cameras aren't the cheapest. Enter Samsung with its WB (Wide and Big) series of pocket cameras, aiming to deliver both that longer lens reach as well as better value for money.

Design and specification

The latest example in the 18x optical zoom WB700 which, alongside the WB750, follows on from the 15x WB600 earlier in the year and looks utilitarian in a Russian tractor factory sort of way. But commendably it doesn't feel cheap - even with a current street price of £165, considerably less than the original £250 asking price. Dimensions are 99.5 x 59 x 21.7mm, so, though not the most slender contender out there it will squeeze in a pocket without too much trouble, weighing a manageable 203g.

There's not much in the way of an actual proper handgrip, but there is a gentle curve to the faceplate that at least hints at one, while two raised slats at the back equally prevent the thumb from sliding about.

As is increasingly the case with compact cameras, there is no separate mains charger included in the WB700's box. Instead we get a mains plug into which slots a short provided USB cable, the other end attaching to a vacant port on the camera. This obviously means that if you did decide invest in a spare battery, the camera would still be out of action each time you needed to recharge it. However it could be argued that at this lower end of the market it's hardly an issue.

We're pleased also to see the WB700 has stuck with the SD card as its media of choice, as recent models such as the SH100 have opted for the tiny and fiddly microSD as in its smartphones.

The solid feel WB700's lens starts out at a usefully wide 24mm and, with a nudge of the zoom lever that surround the shutter release button, arrives at a 432mm (35mm equiv.) 4-5 seconds later. It's optically image stabilised to avoid the blurring effects of camera shake from hand-holding towards the telephoto end of the zoom, and we were able to get some good results in normal daylight at this setting. With a maximum lens aperture of a so-so F/3.2, the headline stills resolution is 14.2 megapixels from a 16-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD, which suggests some pixels have been lost in the mix somewhere, and there's high-def video here too.

Press the power button and the Samsung readies itself from cold for the first shot in 2 seconds, lens extending to maximum wide angle setting followed by the rear LCD blinking into life so the shot can be framed up. A half squeeze of the shutter release button and there's a brief moment's visible adjustment before the image snaps into focus, green autofocus square appearing on screen with a bleep of confirmation that the user is good to go and take the shot.

Controls and performance

You'd expect there to be few manual controls on the WB700 and while that's the case there are at least some. The eight-option shooting mode dial that sits atop the camera, nestled between the power button and the shutter release encircled by the zoom lever, includes not only the fall-back of a subject-recognising Smart Auto option for pure point and shoot operation but also the creative quartet of program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual settings.

More expected perhaps is a dedicated camcorder-style video record button top right of the backplate, where it readily falls under the thumb as you grip the Samsung in the right hand. Press the red button and filming commences, conveniently no matter which mode has been selected on the top plate dial. The progress of the zoom in this mode is slow and steady, which lessens the effect on the (mono) audio of the mechanical buzz of its adjustments, plus Samsung claims it has also deployed noise-cancelling technology to further lessen any such distraction.

Whatever the tool we're pleased that at least the optical zoom can be used when filming video, which isn't always the case. Even more of a surprise for a budget model is that an HDMI output lurks under a flap at the side for hooking the camera up to your flat panel telly, though the required lead isn't provided. Apart from the aforementioned plug and USB cable, users merely get a quick start manual, software CD and wrist strap in the box.

The now ubiquitous digital effects filters, arguably started by Olympus with its Magic Filters and Art Filters on its own compacts, also make a fresh showing on this Samsung, as "Smart" filters. On board the WB700 are the comic book like halftone dot that makes a change from what everyone else is offering, plus, alongside that, what everyone else is offering in perspective warping fish eye and miniature modes, reducing everything to model village scale through selective blurring.

Surprisingly for a budget model with an expansive focal range, the Samsung WB700 delivers good edge-to-edge sharpness, for the most part avoiding softening toward the corners even at maximum 24mm equivalent wide angle setting. Colours really leap off the screen too on their default setting, and the images appear uniformly sharpened which can lead to an overly crisp digital look. Still, this does ensure that anyone who wants to merely point and shoot can do just that and come away with eminently usable results that require little if any post processing, except perhaps brightness adjustment here and there.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Samsung Samsung WB700 14 megapixels

Samsung WB700 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 17:31:23 +0100

Sony came to market with its first compact system camera duo in the NEX-3 and NEX-5 last summer, quickly securing the number one sales spot in the Far East, based largely on the fact that its system, when lens is removed, is truly compact.

This second-generation mirror-less Sony NEX, the NEX-C3, numerically replaces the year-old NEX-3, the baby of the range. Available with a black or silver body, it’s arguably the most approachable Sony compact system camera, or ‘CSC’, for anyone trading up from a pocket snapshot with the aim of gaining more ‘professional’ looking photographs. And of course, anyone who hasn’t already been swayed by direct rivals from the Olympus Pen, Panasonic Lumix G, Samsung NX or Pentax Q camera ranges.

Even with its manufacturer making a claim for the NEX-C3 as the world’s smallest and lightest in its class when first announced back in June, build quality is high and generally worthy of the brand. The black version we had in for review also lends the camera an air of sophistication.

Design

The Sony NEX-C3 consists of a slender body a smidgeon narrower in depth at 33mm than Olympus’ E-PL3 (37.3mm), to which is allied a comparatively hulking great kit E-mount lens; in this case a DSLR-like 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 standard zoom. Attaching the provided lens immediately makes the Sony NEX appear a little front-end heavy. Certainly it’s too much of a squeeze for all but the deepest of jacket pockets. The alternative is to go for the NEX-C3 kit that includes the 16mm ‘pancake’ lens if the ultimate in compactness is your goal.

The relatively minimal body-only proportions also mean that the Sony NEX-C3 once again omits a built-in flash. Instead, as with the NEX-3, there’s a covered port on the top plate provided for a small accessory flash that’s included in the box bundle we were testing -something it also has in common with Olympus’ E-PL3. It is however £50 cheaper, at £499, with bundled lens and flash than either that model or Panasonic’s latest competitor in the Lumix DMC-GF3.

Overall body dimensions for the Sony are 109.6 x 60 x 33mm, and the NEX-C3 body weighs a manageable 225g -officially 6% less than the old NEX-3. Again though, when attached, the supplied lens adds extra paperweight-like solidity, as well as a greater surface area to get a grip on when held in your palm. We do get an actual handgrip here too, ranged to the left hand side of the fascia. On this new model it has a gently rounded curve, in contrast to the flattened, squareish grip of the NEX-3.

Like its Olympus competitor, the Sony features an adjustable widescreen rear screen with limited angles of rotation -it tilts upwards or downwards. This, in the absence of alternative optical or electronic viewfinder, aids viewing in strong lighting plus makes low or high angle shots easier to achieve. Attached to the body via stiff, Meccano-like struts, its operation doesn’t feel as fluid as it could be however, an accusation we also levelled at the older NEX-3.

Like its predecessor, the operational on-screen function icons also make it appear as if the screen should be a touch screen -they’re large enough to warrant a finger prod -but it isn’t. However, with a resolution of 921k dots being the equivalent of a mid range DSLR’s spec, the screen display is usably clear even in sunlight and colours are rendered bright and vibrant with it. Despite this, the battery life is a better-than-average 400 pictures from a full charge, according to CIPA standards. Sony suggests it’s additionally 20% better in that respect than the performance of the NEX-3 and NEX-5.

As this is the junior model in the NEX range some functionality is curtailed however -for example, we don’t get the benefit of Full HD video. Instead, as with the NEX-3, 1280x720p clips in MPEG4 format are provided rather than 1920x1080 in AVCHD. In other respects though it’s a match for the best in its class, with a light sensitivity range that runs up to semi pro DSLR-like ISO12800. It's a match for the Olympus E-PL3 and E-P3 in this respect, and no change from its NEX-3 forebear. Plus, a headline stills resolution of 16.2 megapixels which is the joint highest among competitors (if pipped by Sony’s own NEX-7 at 24.3 MP) and from a larger APS-C sized CMOS sensor as found in a DSLR ‘proper’.

Controls

Having said that design-wise the NEX-C3 is not a massive departure from the NEX-3. Some controls and features have shifted around slightly, such as the integral stereo microphones moving from the top plate to the faceplate. Otherwise the playback button remains handily located on the top, alongside the shutter release button, encircled by the on/off switch.

At the back, the layout is near identical but has lost some button markings, with only display and exposure compensation controls flagged up as such. This is because when the screen is active the use of the buttons alongside it is highlighted with explanatory text. Buttons swap their actions around, depending on which mode you're in. This has enabled Sony to get away with having very few buttons and maintaining a minimalist design.

Less function-dedicated buttons does, at times, make it harder to get to the settings you want however. The NEX-C3 like its forebear requires a period of familiarisation before you can start confidently shooting. Sony claims to have re-vamped the on-screen user interface, though to our eyes it appears much the same, even if terms like aperture have been replaced with the more friendly ‘background defocus’.

The NEX-C3 also takes on other compact cameras with a new Picture Effect menu, affording access to: partial colour, retro photo, pop colour, high contrast monochrome, posterisation, high key and toy camera digital effects filters. Alongside these creative options, Sony’s much trumpeted 3D Sweep Panorama and auto HDR modes make a re-appearance -both compositing together images from a sequence of shots. Again though, you’ll need a 3D equipped TV to view the 3D panoramic shots. Plus, while we get HDMI and USB 2.0 output, there’s no standard AV port.

Performance 

As we expect from Sony, on default settings JPEG images are richly coloured and indeed richly detailed straight out of the camera. The same is true for video footage too, focus adjusting almost without you noticing if you change framing or positioning, which is how it should be. Even when shooting in bright sunlight, with auto HDR kicking in, we were able to achieve even and realistic looking exposures. The camera maintains highlight and shadow detail in the same shot, to get something closer to what our eyes were actually seeing at the time. If we were being picky, we'd note that the images shot in HDR did have a distinct digital look at times.

There are familiar bugbears such as pixel fringing if you examine shots closely, and it isn’t really worth straying above ISO6400 in terms of low light performance. But the NEX-C3 keeps such aberrations remarkably well under control. Once you’ve familiarised yourself with the settings that work best for you, or simply leave the camera on subject-recognising iAuto mode, it is just possible to just point and shoot.

Tags: Cameras Sony NEX-C3 CSC Compact system cameras

Sony NEX-C3 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Tue, 27 Sep 2011 13:09:28 +0100

Priced just a pound dearer than Panasonic’s rival Micro Four Thirds compact system camera, the Lumix DMC-GF3, and bundled with M.Zuiko Digital 14-42mm F/3.5-5.6 II T lens kit zoom, the Olympus E-PL3 is also being touted as the "Pen Lite". It sits between the flagship, enthusiast targeted E-P3 and the entry level E-PM1 (or "Pen Mini"#mce_temp_url#) and is available with either black, white, red or traditional silver colour body. It's a pretty compact camera too, with dimensions of 109.5 x 63.7 x 37.3mm and a body only weight of 265g.

Design

The E-PL3 immediately appears less chunky than its short-lived E-PL2 predecessor and will slip more comfortably into a jacket pocket if the lens is removed. The trim proportions and sleek brushed aluminium appearance of the new E-PL3 (in its silver iteration) have, however, come at a price. And we’re not just referencing the suggested £548.99 it will cost you.

The proper, if inelegant, handgrip of its E-PL1 and E-PL2 predecessors has been lost entirely, and so too has the integral pop-up flash. Instead, like Sony’s rival NEX range, we get a plasticy clip-on flash included in the box that attaches to the E-PL3’s vacant hotshoe. By contrast the Panasonic GF3 omits the hotshoe but has shoehorned in the flash, a decision that might have served Olympus better too, especially as Olympus is pitching this Pen at the "fun" lifestyle market.

On a more positive note, what is a big improvement here, and a first for the Olympus Pen range, is the addition of a very flexible screen. It likewise mirrors the screens of the Sony NEX range by being adjustable - up to a point. To operate it, the 3-inch, respectable 460k-dot resolution LCD panel is first pulled outwards from the backplate to a distance of about an inch, at which point it can be tilted up or down. It cannot be swung out sideways to be positioned alongside the body, as with a camcorder, nor can it be turned screen inwards to face the body for added protection when the E-PL3 is being transported. We also don’t get the touch screen operation recently introduced on the E-P3. However, there is an accessory port at the back, that, in combination with the hotshoe directly above it, allows the addition of accessories such as external viewfinder and the bundled flash.

What hasn’t changed since its predecessor is headline resolution; here again it’s 12.3 megapixels from a high-speed Live Mos (CMOS) sensor. Clearly Olympus is concentrating on form, features and function rather than simply upping the pixel count with each successive model. In fact, the Pen range’s resolution hasn’t been boosted since the introduction of the original E-P1 in late 2009.

Not that this truly matters at consumer level. The pitch here is again DSLR quality stills - plus full HD video - from a more compact, mirror-less form factor, and with the ease of use we’d expect from a compact camera too. In most respects the E-PL3 makes good on these claims.

Features

Before the camera can be used the supplied zoom has to be first manually extended. Like its predecessors it features a retractable mechanism so that it's as compact as possible when not in use. The downside is that unfurling this lens adds on a few extra seconds when powering up the camera, which otherwise is ready for the first shot in a couple of seconds.

The lens also feels very plasticy and this is accentuated in comparison with the solid metal feel of the camera body itself, which by contrast feels like it's built to last. This second generation lens does however deliver the benefit of near silent auto focus performance, which obviously comes into its own when video clips are being recorded (with stereo sound too), the image very briefly going soft as you manually adjust the zoom, before snapping back into focus. The beauty of the Micro Four Thirds system, shared by Panasonic’s Lumix G series, is that you have a much wider choice of lenses too, with 20 dedicated optics being available with Olympus branding and at last count 16 under the Panasonic brand.

The Pen range also offers body integral image stabilisation that in our personal experience gives it a very minor practical advantage over the Panasonic range, which doesn’t. The two development partners do, however, share a current claim of the world’s fastest auto focus performance (contrast, rather than phase detection AF). We tested a GF3 alongside and can confirm an identical performance.

With 35 AF points spread out across the surface of its sensor, the E-PL3 is certainly as swift as one would hope, with a half press of the shutter release button the image blurs very briefly before snapping into focus, the shutter firing instantly as you press down fully. As with a DSLR, JPEGs and RAW images can be committed to memory, either separately or shot in tandem. We elected to shoot "fine" (best) quality JPEGs with RAW files and were pleased with a writing speed of only a couple of seconds. Olympus claims this enhanced performance is also partly down to the inclusion of its new TruePic IV image processor.

For low light shooting without flash Olympus has extended its light sensitivity range from ISO 6400 to a DSLR-like ISO 12800 - handy if you forget to pack the clip-on unit here before heading out. Having said that, we’d argue that the performance above ISO 6400, which sees both a softening of detail and increase in image noise/grain, means that the upper end of the range are best avoided. But they’re there if you’re really stuck.

Though it takes several inquisitive button presses to find out how to adjust ISO (there’s no dedicated control), the promised ease of use is in part delivered via Olympus’ much trumpeted Live Guide function. This doesn’t have a button marked as such either, but as a default is summoned up with a press of the button marked "Fn" (function) on the upper ridge of the backplate, where, like the video record button, it readily falls under the thumb of the right hand when using the camera.

Live Guide allows Pen users to make real time adjustments to images - that is, they are able to witness what the effects might be before firing the shutter - and, say, defocus the background to give greater emphasis to subjects in the foreground, without having to understand the principles of adjusting aperture. There’s also the option to selectively introduce blur to emphasise motion - or as Olympus would have it, "Express Motions", which sounds like the after-effects of a fiery curry. All one has to do is drag the indicator on a slider bar up or down to control the degree of the effect applied. This adjustment is made by tabbing gingerly with the four way control pad at the back, or in swifter fashion via the scroll wheel (or "Live Wheel") that encircles it.

This being an Olympus, the other unique selling point here is a set of Art Filter digital effects that are located via the eight-option top plate shooting mode dial and applied when an image is captured, but can again be previewed before firing the shutter. There are six effects to choose from, rather than the ten on the range topping E-P3, so it’s a bit of a "best of". They include: pop art; miniature "diorama" effect; grainy black and white film effect; pin hole camera; soft focus and, our personal favourite, "dramatic tone" which delivers the kind of hyper real effect those used to experimenting with high dynamic range (HDR) images will have experienced. While best used in moderation, these effects are something to fall back on when faced with uninspiring inclement days, and of course save time otherwise labouring in Photoshop to achieve similar.

Performance

The supplied rechargeable battery is officially good for 330 shots, which is par for the course with this class of camera. It lives at the base of the unit adjacent to a slot for inserting optional SD/DHC or SDXC media card.

In terms of picture quality the E-PL3 is again no match for an actual DSLR with physically larger sensor and lens to go with it. For most of us not wanting the bulk of such a camera on a day-to-day basis, the quality delivered by the E-PL3 and its kit lens will certainly be good enough - and streets ahead of the average point and shoot for anyone wanting more "professional" quality. The success of shooting video with this Pen will depend on how smoothly you’re able to adjust the manual zoom, but with practice we were very happy with the results.

Tags: Olympus Micro Four Thirds Cameras Compact system cameras Olympus Pen E-PL3 12 megapixels

Olympus E-PL3 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 10:00:00 +0100

At one time all digital cameras were made this way. Fashioned obviously from plastic with a blue-grey hue and power coming courtesy of two bog standard AA batteries, they were viewed as PC peripherals rather than the lifestyle accessories of today.

Upon viewing the new Canon PowerShot A800 it’s like we’ve travelled back 10 years to those more naive, less self-conscious times. Which is a polite way of saying the entry level A800 is, stylistically, a bit of a lump. Red, silver or black are the alternate colours available. 

Design

Obviously the two AA batteries that have to squeeze into its chassis are partly to blame for wider than average proportions, but so too is the (almost) pocket money manufacturer’s suggested price tag of just £79, street/online pricing being more enticing still. We found the PowerShot A800 on sale for around £60 at the time of writing.

For your outlay, headline specification includes a 10-megapixel effective resolution from a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor and a 3.3x optical zoom; sufficient to do the job when pointing and shooting, if hardly, as expected, envelope pushing. Focal range is an equivalent 37-122mm in 35mm terms, so better suited to portraiture than those wider-angle landscape shots. Maximum lens aperture is also distinctly average at F/3.0.

Overall dimensions are 94.3 x 61.6 x 31.2mm and it weighs 186g, so it will still squeeze into pockets. A mirrored chrome ring that encircles the lens provides the only instance of “bling”.

If you require additional stabilisation, a screw thread for attaching a tripod features at the base of the A800, as does a large slide open cover holding the two alkaline AAs in place once inserted (good for a respectable 300 shots), a compartment also shared with the optional removable SD media card of your choice. As is the case with other latest generation Canon’s there’s no longer a modest internal memory to fall back on, so you’ll need that SD/SDHC/SDXC card from the off.

As could be predicted there’s no HDMI output here, just standard AV and USB connectivity under rubber flap at the camera’s side, the opposite flank featuring built-in speaker for replaying the camera’s video recordings.

Control

Backplate buttons and top plate controls are large and obvious, so anyone picking up the camera for the first time will soon be snapping away. The only two controls up top are for turning the camera on and taking a picture, which are inset slightly to avoid accidental activation when reaching for your camera when in bag or pocket. The modest zoom is operated via a thumb pad at the rear, beneath which is a separate playback button for reviewing shots.

Present are familiar cross keys style command pad with exposure, flash, close up and delete/self timer options set at four points around it, plus obvious function/set button at its centre for effecting changes. Beneath this again we find a separate control for switching between stills capture and video capture modes - a dedicated camcorder style record button might have been yet more obvious - along with a self-explanatory menu button for delving further into the A800’s function set.

Also present and correct are standard 4:3 aspect ratio rear plate LCD screen for composing and reviewing images - 2.5-inches in size and with a lowly 115k dot resolution - in the absence of a optical viewfinder. The boxy Canon’s screen is large enough and visibility good enough to function perfectly adequately for day-to-day use. 

Performance

The camera powers up from cold in just over 2 seconds, lens extending from its storage position flush to the body and rear screen blinking into life, response times aided and abetted by a Digic III rather than latest generation Digic IV processor. Slightly better than expected is a closest focusing distance of 1cm from your subject.

First time users and casual snappers are the target market here, with Canon’s scene and subject recognising “Smart Auto” technology on board as the default setting from among 16 JPEG-only shooting modes. Maximum ISO setting is the standard ISO 1600, and Canon has even thrown in its Low Light mode here, which effects a resolution drop to 2 megapixels to limit the appearance of image noise/grain.

A half press of the shutter release button and after a brief moment’s adjustment, focus and exposure snap into place, AF point/s appearing on screen as a turquoise rectangle. Press down fully to take the shot and with no discernable shutter delay a maximum 10 megapixel best quality JPEG is committed to card in around 3 seconds, screen briefly blacking out before freezing to display the captured image. Again these timings are average.

As a throwback to simpler times, video here is just a standard definition 640 x 480 pixels at 30 frames per second, to a maximum duration of an hour (requiring a 4GB card). If you want high definition look to the PowerShot A3200 IS or A3300 IS models, for £129 or £149 respectively, which also offer much better builds and styling.

Disappointingly, use of the optical zoom is disabled when recording; a digital variety kicks in instead, undoubtedly because the actual zoom makes a buzzing sound like a mechanical gnat when adjusted. When in stills capture mode, keep your finger on the zoom lever and the camera moves through its 3.3x range in all of 2 seconds, which is fine for framing up your shot.

There is a smidgeon of creativity belying the budget price tag on the A800 courtesy of the ability to select Super Vivid or Poster Art style digital effects to apply in camera from among the side toolbar that appears when selecting scene mode. We also get the familiar Canon “My Colors” options, with the ability to also shoot with a saturation boost or alternatively with a sepia tone.

In terms of image quality, “not bad” seems the most appropriate epithet. Shots are a little softer overall than one might have hoped although close ups work rather better than subjects in the middle distance, and as we mentioned, the lens isn’t really wide enough to squeeze all you might want into shot, so you find yourself shuffling forward and back as you might with a disposable camera to achieve the framing required.

Having said that we were able to achieve even exposures and natural colours, if on the default setting these do lack a little punch. Still, a quick application of Auto Levels in Photoshop adds a bit of contrast and has them looking their best. In terms of low light photography, good results are to be had up to and including ISO 800 - this isn’t a camera whose chip has been overburdened with pixels, after all - though noise/grain is inevitably visible across the entire frame at ISO 1600.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Canon Canon PowerShot A800 10 megapixels Compact cameras

Canon PowerShot A800 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 17 Aug 2011 09:40:19 +0100

On the look out for an entry level snapshot, and have a bit over £100 to spend? The A3300 IS has a suggested asking price exactly £20 more than its PowerShot “A” family doppelganger in the A3200 IS, give or take a couple of body colour options.

So, while many of our findings for the S3200 IS will inevitably be the same here, what do we get for the modest extra spend that separates these two metal bodied, 720P HD video-shooting peas from the same not unattractive pod?

Design

Well, in topping the A series of PowerShot point and shoots, the A3300 IS boasts a class leading 16 megapixel resolution (instead of the A3200’s 14.1 megapixels), a 3-inch LCD (instead of 2.7-inch) plus a slightly different array of colour choices for starters. This model is available in red, the striking can’t-miss-it electric blue we had in for review, plus silver and pink.

So the price of a takeaway for two buys you a couple of million extra pixels if needed, and a marginally wider LCD - neither of which in our opinion make a great deal of difference on an auto everything snapshot model. Dimensions are a pocket or purse friendly 95.1 x 56.7 x 23.9mm and the camera weighs a manageable 149g.

Under the bonnet of the A3300 IS there is a Digic 4 processor powering everything along with the camera powering up in 1-2 seconds, plus the usual retractable zoom lens, here 5x optical starting out at a wideangle 28mm in 35mm film terms supported by an integrated lens shift optical image stabiliser (hence the “IS” suffix) to reduce instances of camera shake/image blur when shooting at the telephoto end of the focal range (140mm), or in lower light without flash. Canon claims this allows A3300 IS users to shoot in just 1/8th of the amount of light that would be required to get similar results without such stabilisation.

Whatever, the camera doesn't feel so flimsy, nor is it so slimline, that a bit of wobble is going to be a problem anyway. Despite the budget price tag it feels surprisingly robust and solid when gripped in the palm.

Features and control

As this isn’t a camera that’s about manual features or true photographic control, Auto mode, or rather here “Smart Auto” dominates proceedings. This compares scenes and subjects before the lens with no fewer than 32 on-board settings, and, using the likes of face/subject detection technology by way of identification, pretty competently selects the most appropriate one.

As we’ve found on previous occasions this proves a reliable “wingman” when all you want to do is concentrate on subject rather than settings. But if even that sounds too complex, then there is an easy mode denoted by a heart icon on the shooting dial that removes most of the icons from the screen and deactivates various options to make taking a picture as straightforward as possible. That aside, on-screen prompts and “hints and tips” when the user makes various selections means that this is a model you can pick up and start shooting with without prior knowledge or digestion of the manual.

Also an expected feature of a point and shoot these days however is a group of creative effects filters. On the PowerShot A3300 IS, like the A3200 IS, we get six. These are the pinhole-camera style “toy camera”, plus monochrome, tilt and shift lens ape-ing miniature effect, perspective warping fish eye, super vivid and poster effect. Plus, as with past PowerShots miniature effect can also be applied to video recordings, whereby the camera records either 1.5, 3 or 6 frames per second to create the impression of a start-stop, time-lapse video.

Newer here and found on the familiar bottle top-like shooting mode dial part sunk into the top plate, though with its right hand edge exposed for easy adjustment, is a Live View control. As on the S3200 IS, what this allows is the individual adjustment of brightness, colour and tone, via three separate exposure compensation-type sliders that appear on screen, with the results of your tweaks shown in real time before the shutter release button is pressed. Such adjustments are more usually buried away within the menus, so it’s interesting and informative that Canon has chosen to bump some manual control to the fore on what is a camera on which most users will purely point and shoot. Reminds us of the Olympus Pen series in that respect.

Also of interest, and again located via a twist of the top plate shooting mode dial, is a new ”discreet” mode that automatically disables the flash and operational bleeps for shooting in places where flash is often banned - such as in cathedrals, museums and stately homes. The AF assist lamp is also disabled at the same time however; something that’s arguably more crucial seeing as most such places are by their nature dimly lit. Still, it’s useful to have such a setting at your fingertips rather than have to delve into various menu settings to achieve the same end.

Performance

Powered by a lithium ion battery offering 230 shots from a full charge, 20 images fewer than the A3200 IS. Picture quality wise, most of our observations of the S3200 IS model apply to the S3300 IS. Which is to say we very much enjoyed using the manual slider settings in Live mode and seeing the results of boosting saturation in real time, so we could backtrack if it looked like we were overdoing the effect before the shutter release button was actually pressed. This “gimmick” was the one we found ourselves using the most on the camera.

Otherwise images are commendably sharp and clear and colours natural, though we were blessed with clement weather for our test period - conditions in which snapshot cameras most commonly excel. Again, as with the S3200 IS we can’t use the optical zoom when recording video because of the sound of the lens making its operational adjustments, which is a shame but not a deal breaker at this price.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Canon Canon PowerShot A3300 IS 16 megapixels Digital cameras

Canon PowerShot A3300 IS originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 29 Jul 2011 10:03:00 +0100

As regards to truly compact, compact system cameras, Olympus may have got there first with its E-P1 in late-2009, but Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-GF1 wasn’t far behind, stealing some of its Micro Four Thirds system co-developer’s thunder by including the convenience of pop-up flash. As well as, for us, some lovely film simulation modes and marginally sharper results with the supplied 14-45mm kit lens.

In timely fashion Olympus’s new flagship model in the E-P3, which does now at last feature flash, coincides with the similarly third generation Panasonic series “GF” product in the new logically monikered DMC-GF3. This is not to be confused with Panasonic’s DSLR styled DMC-G3, also a Micro Four Thirds system camera and a recent release.

Design and build

Available in black, red or white body colours, the GF3 again features a neatly implemented pop up flash, but, in a move that may displease Lumix GF series enthusiasts, this has been placed dead centre above the lens mount. As a result, the GF3 now omits the hotshoe and attendant accessory port (for alternatively attaching an electronic viewfinder) found on its GF2 and GF1 forebears, and features a mono rather than stereo microphone set up. So arguably some creative flexibility has been sacrificed.

Perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised. Both Olympus and Panasonic have been successively releasing more user-friendly - don’t say “dumbed down” - products, in a bid to stretch their tendrils further than early enthusiast-level adopters and gain a slice of that mass market pie. Whereas besides the new E-P3 Olympus has also introduced new mid range E-PL3 and entry level E-PM1 “Mini” models, Panasonic’s new GF3 (along with the older in many ways superseded model in the GF2) stands alone against this invading trio. There are also the competing models in Samsung’s NX, Sony NEX and the new Pentax Q camera families to consider. 

The pop-up flash that has replaced the hot shoe and given rise to a curved bump above the lens - which may cause older readers to have a flashback to Sony’s Mavica series that used CDs as its recording media - has also produced a softer overall look, complete with sloping edges to the body. The GF3’s design therefore is both attractive and unthreatening. In being approximately 17% smaller and 16% lighter than the GF2, Panasonic was claiming the GF3 as the world’s smallest CSC with built-in flash on its June release date.

With or without our supplied 14mm (28mm film equivalent) fixed focal length test lens attached, one of 12 own-brand compatible optics, we can attest to it certainly being Panasonic’s most compact offering to date. For the first time we did actually manage to squeeze a Panasonic GF series into the pocket of our jeans, albeit with some discomfort. Overall dimensions are 107.7 x 67.1 x 32.5mm - so very similar to Sony’s new NEX-C3 at 109.6 x 60 x 33mm - and it weighs 264g with the necessities of SD card and rechargeable lithium ion battery loaded.

As we’d expect from previous generations of premium grade Lumix (including the peerless fixed lens LX5), build quality feels robust, with a small grip to the front and a thumbpad at the back. That said, the rubber cover protecting the HDMI and separate AV/USB port feels a tad flimsy and we can see this being torn from its hinges in time. Plus it’s also worth mentioning that the GF3 doesn’t feature body integral image stabilisation to protect against the blurring effects of camera shake, so a lens that does is required. The 14mm F/2.5 wideangle lens supplied with our review sample isn’t image stabilised, so despite its bright aperture in practice works best with exterior daylight or a pair of steady hands - preferably both. 

In addition, and unlike the Sony NEX-C3 and indeed Olympus’ even newer E-PL3, the Panasonic GF3’s backplate 3-inch, 460k dot LCD is non-angle adjustable and resolutely fixed. Vari-angle screens seem to be coming in big time, both on CSCs plus entry and mid range digital SLRs, so it is something we would have liked to have seen incorporated on the GF3; even if it had made for a marginally wider chassis. Next time Panasonic perhaps?

Take control

Like the Olympus, Panasonic’s 16:9 aspect ratio LCD is a touchscreen, which means that backplate controls are simple in appearance. Instant video record and intelligent auto (iA) buttons have been placed on the top plate, leaving space to introduce a new scroll wheel type command pad on the back, reminiscent of Canon’s PowerShot range and a first for the GF series. We’re not big fans of scroll wheels and find them rather fiddly; however you can just press down on the edge of the pad and tab through function items as you would do with a normal non-scroll pad. Or of course simply tap the corresponding item on screen, so it’s not the be-all and end-all. 

Like Olympus, Panasonic is making a claim for the world’s fastest auto focus with the GF3, and there is the usual ability to defocus backgrounds in DSLR-like fashion here using an arched on-screen slider, along with a smattering of digital effects, including the now ubiquitous miniature filter. Full HD 1920 x 1080 video with a frame rate of 25fps and in AVCHD compression format also features. In addition there’s the option to shoot in the more widely compatible Motion JPEG format, but with the caveat of a resolution dip to 1280 x 720 pixels.

Activating the GF3 is by the traditional means of flicking an on/of switch on the top plate, which is stiff enough to prevent accidental activation. Do this and the LCD immediately flicks into life, the GF3 ready for action in a second, which is DSLR-like fast. Press down on the shutter release button and, as its manufacturer boasts, the camera immediately responds, the view via the camera’s LCD momentarily softening as the GF3 determines focus and exposure, AF point highlighted in green. If the response is not quite instant, then it’s certainly near enough. Take a full resolution Fine quality JPEG and it’s committed to card in 2-3 seconds. There’s also the option to shoot RAW, either individually or alongside Fine JPEG, the result being a manageable wait of a mere second longer. 

Getting to key settings such as image quality is a case of either pressing the dedicated “Q.Menu” (Quick Menu) button on the backplate which thankfully hasn’t been squeezed out by the touch screen, or simply tapping the virtual “Q.Menu” button which is replicated on a virtual toolbar on the right hand of the LCD screen. With buttons both real and virtual responding instantly to the touch, as we’ve found with previous touchscreen Lumix models, utilising a combination of both seems to work best and feels the most intuitive. Curiously though, and no matter how hard we tried, our GF3 review sample wouldn’t let us delete any shots we had taken in-camera, even though we’d cancelled the image protect function in playback mode. We’ll put this down to a blip with our early review sample (Firmware version 1.0).

Performance

Auto focus in video mode is very impressive however, or at least was with our wide-angle test lens attached, softly and silently adjusting perspective in a non jarring fashion as we panned from one subject to another. We did inevitably get a bit of camera shake when shooting stills without flash handheld in available light - and the GF3’s more compact proportions and addition of non stabilised pancake lens perhaps give rise to this more than bulkier models in the Lumix range, so if low light really is your thing, and despite the relatively bright F/2.5 lens aperture, you’ll want to go for a stabilised lens option or pack a tripod.

When it comes to image quality, as usual we enjoyed the colour boosting results to be had from choosing the likes of Expressive shooting mode found amidst the new “Creative Control” modes. There’s no physical shooting mode wheel on the camera, which in part - along with the mirrorless build and junking of the top plate hotshoe and accessory port - allows for the smaller proportions and cleaner physical control layout. So instead we get a cool-looking virtual shooting mode wheel on screen.

Featuring in Creative Control mode alongside the pop art-like Expressive option are retro, hi key, sepia, high dynamic range and now obligatory tilt and shift lens apeing miniature effect mode. No fish eye option, but we can live without it. In default shooting mode, colours straight out of the GF3 are warm but in Expressive mode they have real punch, and this was the option we found ourselves using most for added drama, particularly when shooting street scenes.

The other thing to mention is that the inclusion of a new Venus Engine FHD processor on the GF3 has, suggests Panasonic, given rise to improved/low noise results at higher ISOs, including at ISO 3200 and maximum whack ISO 6400. Marginally so perhaps; we were still getting a soft and fuzzy appearance at the top setting, though admittedly it is usable at a push, but if we had a choice we’d go no higher than ISO 1600. We’ve included an example of a Russian doll shot with our 14mm lens at ISO 6400 so you can see what the quality is like. In general terms though we were happy with our results from the GF3.

Tags: Cameras Compact system cameras Panasonic Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:04:40 +0100

Looking for an inexpensive yet not unimpressive snapper to slide into your pocket this summer for casual use? For somewhere around the £100 mark, if we go by street/online pricing rather than the manufacturer’s own, the 14.1 megapixel, 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor Canon PowerShot A3200 IS (sibling to the 16 megapixel S3300 IS) resembles a capable and stylish contender for those looking for a slightly more expansive/better range of point and shoot options than their phone’s built-in camera allows.

Design

Dimensions are a pocket friendly 95.1 x 56.7 x 24.3mm and it weighs 149g including lithium ion battery and optional SD card, framing composed via the aid of a 2.7-inch, 230k dot standard 4:3 aspect ratio LCD in the absence of an optical viewfinder and with five brightness settings at the rear. Surprisingly at this price, the construction is mostly metal rather than the expected plastic, befitting our metallic silver coloured sample (pink, orange or “aqua” are also available).

Affording decent operational response times such as a 1-2 second power up from cold is a DIGIC4 processor, as found in cameras higher up the range, such as the enthusiast G12. Also featured is a 5x optical zoom starting out at a wide angle 28mm equivalent in 35mm terms, and supported by lens shift optical image stabilisation to avoid blur when shooting at the 140mm equivalent telephoto end (which largely appears to work), or in low light (up to ISO 1600 light sensitivity manually selectable). Maximum lens aperture is a so-so verging on bright F/2.8.

Video capture is included here too, at a high definition 720p and at 30 frames per second, recorded in H.264 compression format rather than the less widely accessible but increasingly common AVCHD. It’s slightly disappointing but not wholly unexpected that the optical zoom is disabled when shooting video and a digital alternative kicks in instead; doubtless to dampen the mechanical whirr of the lens making its adjustments, though it’s hardly the noisiest we’ve encountered. Otherwise, in stills shooting mode, the lens take around 3 seconds to travel from extreme wideangle to maximum 140mm equivalent telephoto. No HDMI output is provided: just regular USB 2.0/AV out port.

Canon further flags up the A3200 IS as the first A-series model to feature its dynamic optical image stabiliser, which counteracts any wobble resulting from shooting whilst walking at the same time.

Control

As we’d expect, Smart Auto mode features as the default setting. This compares scenes and subjects before the lens with no fewer than 32-on board settings, and, using the likes of face/subject detection technology, hopefully selects the most appropriate one. If that sounds too mind boggling, then there’s an easy mode that removes most of the icons from the screen and deactivates various options to make taking a picture as straightforward as possible. So this is a camera for complete beginners as well as those looking to update an old snapshot model.

A half press of the shutter release button and after a brief moment’s adjustment, focus and exposure is determined with a definitive bleep, AF point/s indicated on screen via the familiar green box. Press down fully to take the shot and a maximum 14.1-megapixel resolution JPEG takes 3-4 seconds to write to memory; not the fastest performance ever but forgivable here. 

Also de riguer for a point and shoot these days are a smattering of creative effects filters, which get their own setting on the eight-option top plate shooting mode dial. On the PowerShot A3200 IS we get six to choose from. These are the pinhole-camera style “toy camera”, plus monochrome, tilt and shift lens-apeing miniature effect, fish eye, saturation-boosting super vivid and poster effect. Here they’re enough to stop occasional snappers getting bored. 

As with past PowerShots, miniature effect can also be applied to video recordings, whereby the camera records either 1.5, 3 or 6 frames per second to create the impression of a start-stop, time-lapse video, which is pretty funky. 

New here and found on the familiar bottle top-like shooting mode dial part sunk into the top plate, though with its right hand edge exposed for easy adjustment, is a Live View control. Forget the name for a moment: what this allows is the individual adjustment of brightness, colour and tone, via three separate exposure compensation-type sliders that appear on screen, with the results of your tweaks shown in real time before the shutter release button is actually pressed. It’s another hand holding feature for those who occasionally want to do more than point and shoot, and welcome too as such adjustments are more usually buried away within the menus. So it’s interesting that Canon has chosen to bump some form of manual control to the fore on what is a camera via which most users will purely point and shoot.

Also of interest is a new “discreet” mode that automatically disables the flash and operational bleeps for shooting in places where flash is often banned - such as in cathedrals, museums and stately homes, off the top of our head. The AF assist lamp is also disabled at the same time however; something that’s arguably more crucial seeing as most such places are by their very nature dimly lit. 

The S3200 IS is further powered by a lithium ion battery offering 250 shots from a full charge, which is okay and falls roughly into line with other point and shoots. 

Performance

In terms of image quality the Canon PowerShot S3200 IS delivers an above average performance for its inexpensive price tag. We particularly enjoyed being able to adjust settings on the fly and see the results working or otherwise for any given subject via the sliders accessible in Live mode, boosting saturation there and then for example rather than waiting to see the results from say Super Vivid or Vivid “My Colors” option.

And given the relatively small lens and sensor results were surprisingly sharp, though obviously no match for a compact system camera nor DSLR. But then neither of those will fit in your pocket for that spur of the moment snap like the S3200 IS will. In terms of naturalistic low light shooting without flash, the S3200 IS produces largely noise free results up to and including ISO 800 unless you’re scrutinising files particularly closely. At ISO 1600 noise/grain is visible across the frame without zooming in to check, but not at all to ruinous proportions, so we’d be happy to use this top setting if pushed.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Canon Canon PowerShot A3200 IS 14 megapixels

Canon PowerShot A3200 IS originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 16:18:20 +0100

There’s a new travel zoom on the block in the shape of the Leica V-Lux 30, a 14.1 effective megapixel, 1/2.33 CMOS sensor incorporating, 16x optical zoom model with sophisticated accents yet familiar boxy styling. In fact, it resembles a re-badge-d version of a less expensive product that’s been out several months.

The latter is the challenge we find ourselves grappling with in the case of rating the Leica V-Lux 30, issued in sensible matt black. Outwardly and indeed inwardly it is the near spitting image of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20, its manufacturer’s own flagship travel zoom. The Leica is a suggested £550, the Panasonic is around £350, which is still a lot for what at its core is a point-and-shoot compact. Leica is renowned for its classic attention to detail, but, with headline features the same, are the differences here, many of them subtle - like a more flattened, less curvaceous handgrip and of course that fetching silver and red branding - worth an extra £200 of your hard earned, even if copies of Photoshop Elements 9 and Premiere Elements 9 are additionally bundled in the box?

Design and features

Powering up in 2-3 seconds, the V-Lux 30 certainly feels well built when gripped in the palm, slightly wider than lesser-specified models due to that 16x optical zoom. Overall dimensions are 104.9 x 57.6 x 33.4mm and the Leica weighs 219g with SD card and rechargeable battery inserted, so it will still easily transport in any trouser pocket however.

In terms of feature set, like its Panasonic cousin the Leica V-Lux 30 offers everything one could possibly want from a camera for the holidays, apart from the fact that it isn’t waterproof, dust proof, shockproof nor freezeproof. As well as that extended lens reach, equivalent of a creatively broad 24-384mm in 35mm terms - so as adept at pulling the faraway closer as it is at shoehorning group portraits and landscapes into frame - and a maximum aperture of F/3.3, the Leica includes a GPS antenna, set into its top plate.

As on the TZ20 this tags images with location and date, details secreted within the image’s EXIF file, location popping up on-screen as you’re scrolling back through pre-captured images, so there’s no danger of forgetting were you’ve just been. Though once activated this is “always on”, you can of course turn the feature off if you don’t need it and want to save a modest extra of battery life (incidentally good for a fair 260 shots), and there’s an also airline mode whereby GPS lies dormant when you power down the camera to board a flight, but automatically re-activates the next time you turn the camera on.

Full HD video capture also expectedly features, here at 1080i and 30fps in AVCHD compression format, frames composed with the aid of the 4:3 aspect ratio, clear 3-inch, 460k dot LCD screen at the back. This display obviously narrows, cropped with black bands top and bottom to ape 16:9 widescreen format when the dedicated video record button to the right of the regular shutter release on the top plate is pressed. The quality is pretty good however, with the complete extent of the optical zoom accessible while recording. The zoom action is smooth and steady and the camera a fairly quick to adjust focus as the user adjusts framing, so the shot only goes soft very momentarily. Sound is also impressive for a point and shoot, as stereo microphones are sunk into the top plate - just like on the Panasonic.

Control

Also to be found up top is a familiar bottle-top style shooting mode dial, with just the right amount of give to avoid accidentally slipping from one setting to another. But since video is a one-touch process, and recording commences without having to change modes first, video doesn’t feature on this 10-option dial at all. Instead, along with the expected subject recognising auto mode we get the creative quartet of program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual shooting modes. The other features are likewise identical to those found on the TZ20: custom mode, the latest must-have of a 3D mode, 29 selectable scene modes, and no fewer than two customisable “My Scene” modes for a shortcut to your favourite setting from the list.

Turn the dial to 3D mode and the camera screen prompts you to shoot while sweeping the camera through a narrow 10cm arc, which you do to a machine gun like burst of the shutter firing. These separate shots are then automatically composited together in-camera to form a single MPO format file, viewable only on a suitably equipped TV or monitor. The Leica’s backscreen remains standard 2D, although you can opt to capture a low-resolution 2D image alongside the MPO file, so at least you have something to view on the LCD and thus check your framing in situ.

As indicated by that shooting mode wheel, there is a degree of manual control offered by the V-Lux 30 for those who do occasionally want to do more than point and shoot. Unusually, we also get a dedicated “exposure” button on the backplate. This too featured on the Panasonic. Press it when in aperture priority mode to incrementally alter the lens aperture from F/3.3 to F/6.3 as desired and in conjunction with the familiar four-way control pad just below. Likewise give it a press in shutter priority mode to move from 1/4000 of a sec to 8 seconds. In manual mode, tweaks to both settings can be made and we also get a +/- 2Ev exposure slider flashing up on screen.

As we had previously reviewed the TZ20, everything about the V-Lux 30 felt familiar and intuitive - so it’s hard to tell whether this would have been the same coming to it completely cold. That said, there are no curveballs thrown here; controls fall readily under finger or thumb and settings - such as colour boosting “vivid” mode - are where you’d expect them to be within the menus.

Performance

In terms of stills image quality, blown highlights and instances of pixel fringing were the only semi-regular issues we could take with the Leica - and in fairness these are bugbears that blight 99% of all pocket cameras anyway, to a greater or lesser extent, which means that these aren’t deal breakers by any means. Low light performance isn’t anything special as might be predicted from a camera that calls it quits at the maximum manually selectable ISO 1600, with it being best to stick to ISO 400 if you want to avoid any noise in shots.

Colours are realistic however, the vivid option warm without being unnaturally so, and a good level of detail is held across the frame, with no tell tale fall off towards the corners when shooting at extreme wideangle. Yes, we occasionally got the odd soft shot when shooting at maximum telephoto handheld, but this again felt par for the course. Ultimately, in using the Leica over the course of a week’s activities we enjoyed being able to slip such a versatile snapper into our back pocket to quickly retrieve for that spur of the moment shot, and after utilising a focal range this expansive we always find it a real bind to have to go back to a “regular” 5x optical zoom.

Related links:

• Review - Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ20

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Leica Leica V-Lux 30

Leica V-Lux 30 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 16:17:36 +0100

With its slide open and shoot faceplate, mainly metal build, internally stacked lens and glossy good looks, the svelte and pocket friendly Fujifilm FinePix Z900EXR logically follows on from last year’s very similar Z800EXR, a previous Hot Product here on Pocket-lint.

Design

This new flat fronted model, on which at no time does the 28mm wide angle 5x optical zoom lens actually protrude from the body, is also being offered at the same suggested £199 asking price. A further incentive is that it’s now just 15.2mm in depth at its thinnest point, compared to its forebear’s comparatively “chunky” 16.9mm. So if you’re looking for a camera to slip into a trouser or jacket pocket and almost forget it’s there, the Fuji Z900EXR is a hot contender.

Overall dimensions are 100.8 x 59 x 18.2mm with protrusions and it weighs 135g without its battery good for 220 shots from a full charge or removable SD memory card, so is marginally lighter than the Z800EXR too.

In spite of this the 16 megapixel snapshot feels substantial and well built when gripped in the palm being mostly lightweight metal rather than plastic, although apart from some raised nodules at the back that fall under the thumb of the right hand, there’s no traditional grip offered. A gentle wave-like curve on the front of the Z900EXR provides a purchase point for the fingertips: simply slide open the faceplate to activate the camera, or shut it to turn it off. The Fuji takes around 3 seconds to blink into life from cold, not the fastest ever but adequate for a £200 snapper.

Features

Size and price aside, another impressive feature carried over from the Z800EXR is the larger than average 3.5-inch, 460k dot resolution widescreen aspect ratio screen at the rear. This takes up almost the whole of the Z900EXR’s backplate, with only room for one physical (and in fact largely superfluous) “home” button at the right-hand edge, so it’s logical that this LCD is also a touchscreen.

Happily it’s also one of the best implementations we’ve come across too, with icons large, clearly laid out and beginner friendly. This is a point and shoot model after all, and available in the usual range of colours, including the can’t-miss-it electric blue of our review sample.

As the Z900 is an “EXR” sensor model, from which it takes its suffix, the camera is further of note in that its 1/2-inch CMOS sensor can be deployed in three ways. Users can either opt to shoot in High Resolution mode, at full 16 megapixels, which is the default option, or with expanded dynamic range, whereby the camera takes two shots and combine them so as to attempt to retain both highlight and shadow detail. The third option, Signal to Noise mode, is for shooting in low light, where the purported improved light gathering abilities of the backside illuminated (no sniggering) sensor comes into its own.

Maximum lens aperture is F/3.9 though, so not especially bright. If you can’t decide which is the best fit, and to be honest we found the difference at times quite subtle, then leave the camera on scene-detecting EXR Automatic Mode and let it choose.

Performance

On this model you’re pretty much able to power up and start shooting straight away, though there are the usual smattering of program mode, scene modes and 360° panorama option for those who want to get creative. Without the need to re-learn how to use a camera because of the touchscreen however, we were still able to intuitively determine focus and exposure with a half squeeze of the shutter release button, and toggle back and forth through the focal range via the raised lever for operating the zoom that surrounds it. Taking a shot is still a full press of the same button - though there’s also a Panasonic Lumix-alike “Touch EXR Auto” option that fires a shot upon tapping your intended subject on screen - and likewise video capture gets its own top plate button, denoted with a movie camera icon rather than a more familiar camcorder-like red dot.

Press down on this and recording immediately begins, the camera losing the black bands that otherwise crop the left and right hand sides of screen in stills capture mode. The video image therefore fills the screen to better ape how footage will appear when replayed on your flat panel telly. An improvement over the Z800EXR is that on the Z900EXR the 28-140mm (35mm equivalent) optical zoom can now be utilised when filming; framing doesn’t just stay put at the point it was before you hit record.

We also get Full HD 1080p recording this time, rather than 720p, and at 30fps plus with stereo sound too courtesy of top mounted microphones. Furthermore HDMI output is included, whereas it wasn’t on its predecessor, so the Z900EXR has the now requisite boxes ticked. 

Within the shooting menu - again presented as at-a-glance square icons rather than a long list of options - we also get Fuji’s familiar film simulation modes, though here just the standard default of Provia alongside Velvia for more vivid results - which are a nod of recognition back to its film past and another unique selling point. Natural light and natural light with flash option also makes a re-appearance on a Fuji camera, giving users who can’t decide for themselves the chance to compare a subject taken with flash against one without.

All of this is pretty straightforward. So, like its predecessor, the only real Achilles heel of the Z900EXR is image quality occasionally being afflicted by the same issues your average £200 point and shoot has when left to its own devices, by which we mean purple fringing being visible between areas of high contrast on close inspection and occasional blown highlights, but neither are deal breakers.

Thankfully sharpness is maintained throughout the frame, even at extreme 28mm equivalent wide angle. For the most part colours are also warm yet naturalistic, with the Velvia option included to give a welcome boost to the saturation of landscape pictures. Despite its gimmicks and gizmos this is a snapshot camera after all, one to slip into your back pocket, and so as long as you’re not expecting DSLR or even compact system camera quality you won’t be disappointed.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact cameras Fujifilm 16 megapixels Fujifilm Finepix z900EXR

Fujifilm FinePix Z900EXR originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 24 Jun 2011 10:00:58 +0100

Updating last year’s WX5, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 is around £50 cheaper than its near numerical doppelganger in the current waterproofed DSC-TX10, though it’s unable to withstand the wet and the cold in the same way. Both cameras share a 16.2 megapixel effective resolution from a 1/2.3-type back illuminated Exmor R CMOS sensor, pictures written to a choice of Memory Stick Pro Duo or SD, SDHC or SDXC media cards which share a slot at the base.

Design

For us though, if you don’t need the destruction proofing, the WX10 has the edge for style - something the Cyber-shot range has long majored in. Feeling sturdy in the palm too thanks to a largely metal build, and marginally wider than the most svelte of compacts, the WX10 offers portable dimensions of 95 x 53.5 x 23.3mm plus a weight of 126g when housing card and battery.

It’s not merely a pretty fascia however. On the WX10 we also get SteadyShot image stabilised 7x optical zoom, so it almost strays into “travel zoom” territory, with a wideangle 24-168mm focal range in 35mm terms and bright F/2.4 maximum lens aperture. Happily the optical zoom can be deployed when shooting video too, but it’s far slower to move through the focal range than when framing up a still photo - no doubt to cut down on any distracting mechanical noise.

Said video here is Full HD 1920 x 1080 pixels utilising AVCHD compression, though there’s a resolution drop to 1440 x 1080 if opting for the slightly more widely compatible MPEG4 capture instead. Stereo sound is provided courtesy of twin microphones sunk into the top plate while a dedicated camcorder style record button features on the Sony’s backplate. Indeed, while from the front the camera looks trés chic, at the back the accent is on beginner friendliness, courtesy of dime-sized eight option shooting mode wheel and multi directional control pad. The attendant display, menu and delete/camera manual buttons do however almost require a microscope to find.

HDMI output for hooking up to a flat panel TV is offered via a side flap, whilst AV and USB connectivity is via a joint unprotected port at the base. There’s barely any concession to a handgrip on the WX10, just a sloping edge to the side of the faceplate, the thumb coming to rest on a familiar shooting mode dial top right hand side of the backplate. Though we didn’t feel in danger of dropping it, our fingers did skate around a bit.

Get shooting

In any event, with a press of the top plate power button the DSC-WX10 readies itself for the first shot in around 2 seconds. The lens extends from flush to the body as the LCD screen blinks into life accompanied by an audio flourish. Pictures and video are composed via the 2.8-inch, 460,800-dot resolution LCD, presented in 4:3 aspect ratio; the display is therefore cropped top and bottom when recording 16:9 ratio video.

Background defocus and HDR (High Dynamic Range) modes among the scene options further raise the WX10’s status, though in truth this is still closer to flashy point and shoot for the occasional photographer than premium enthusiast model, such as the Panasonic Lumix LX5. Still, give the shutter release button a half press and focus and exposure are determined almost instantly, AF points highlighted in green, so that the taking of a shot is pretty much one continuous, fluid motion.

Going some way to suggesting that the DSC-WX10 is a notch above your average sub-£300 “style cam”, its manufacturer is underlining the fact by also making a pitch for DSLR-like speed this time around. Not only do we get up to 10 frames per second continuous shooting at maximum stills resolution, we’re also provided with a magnetic coil focusing mechanism - resulting in a back-and-forth as opposed to rotational motion - for, suggests Sony, a lightning fast response.

If you own a 3D TV, then the WX10’s more otherwise gimmicky features may well be of added interest. Its predecessor in the WX5 was one of Sony’s first compacts to introduce 3D shooting; specifically the 3D “Sweep Panorama” feature. So, unsurprisingly, the WX10 builds on the stereoscopic functionality by including not just the lenticular print-like “cheat” of the multi-angle mode, allowing the camera to be tilted left and right for a “3D-like” effect, but also a new 3D stills mode proper. This option takes two consecutive shots - one for each eye - and combines them. If you haven’t got the requisite TV, then 2D panoramas can still be captured by hitting the shutter release and “sweeping” with the camera in an arc as indicated by the on-screen arrow, the resultant elongated picture automatically stitched together in-camera.

Thus, with barely any skill required at all except perhaps a steady hand, some really quite effective results are achievable, largely avoiding tell-tale unsightly joins or overlaps unless you are deliberately shooting a fast moving crowd at rush hour (yes, we tried).

Apart from 3D and panorama functionality, the other six options on the shooting mode dial include the shot-enhancing Superior Auto, scene and subject recognising intelligent auto plus regular (and more expansive) Program auto option. Also blessed with dedicated settings are a manual shooting mode which allows aperture and shutter speed to be tweaked, video (in addition to that dedicated record button), plus separate scene modes. There are 15 of the latter in total, covering the usual range of daylight and night portrait and landscape options. It all adds up to a comprehensive feature set that will prevent those trading up from an inauspicious snapper - but who don’t want to go the whole hog and opt for an enthusiast compact - from getting bored.

Performance

With battery life good for 360 shots according to CIPA standards, the WX10 will also last you for that weekend break - incidentally, said battery being charged in-camera rather than via the aid of a separate adapter.

We were fairly impressed with the DSC-WX10’s image quality - again given that this is a merely a soup-ed up snapshot with a small lens and physically small sensor. Edge-to-edge sharpness is well maintained and even on default auto settings, colours are realistically vibrant. If on occasion we got slightly de-saturated results when opting for the Superior Auto setting as it attempted to preserve highlight and shadow detail, we found it easy enough to turn the shooting dial to intelligent auto, program auto or manual instead. And though results at the top ISO setting of ISO 3200 are a little smudged and a little noisy, we’d still be very happy stretching to this option if the shot required it. In the case of the WX10 we want results straight from the camera that require little or no adjustment, and for the most part that is exactly what it delivers.

Tags: Cameras Compact cameras Digital cameras Sony Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 16 megapixels

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX10 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Thu, 16 Jun 2011 10:06:19 +0100

Looking for an inexpensive bauble with which to turn heads every time you take a snap? Photography stalwart Pentax is better known for practicality than trend setting, yet recent(ish) pocket snapshots including the Optio I-10 and RS1000 have bucked that expectation with cool retro styling and funky swappable faceplates respectively. Pentax, it appears, is suggesting that yes you can have style on a budget.

Design

The “gimmick” with the new Optio S1 - another inexpensive point-and-shooter at around £120 - is that our review sample sports a fully chrome outer shell with snazzy laser etched logo. It’s mirrored, so that you can see your face in it from just about every angle, making it an ideal aid to self-portraiture. If classy toaster manufacturer Dualit made cameras, they might look a lot like the Pentax Optio S1. Glossy black or aquamarine coloured versions are additionally available.

While the reflective surfaces look fantastic, they also inevitably mean that the S1 quickly becomes smudged with fingerprints, so you’ll be constantly wiping it clean. Width and height of the S1 are roughly similar to that of a business card, with a depth of 20mm, so thisPentax pocket rocket will slot easily into trouser or handbag. It weighs 126g when loaded with supplied rechargeable battery and optional media card - here a choice of SD, SDHC or SDXC. Battery life is rather underpowered however with just 180 shots provided by a full charge of the tiny rechargeable D-L178 lithium ion cell.

Still, give the top plate power button a press and the S1 is fast to respond, its lens shooting outwards from the body and rear LCD blinking into life with a happy “chirp”. You’re ready for the first shot (or 1280 x 720 HD video) in around 2 seconds, which isn’t bad.

Features

Headline features are an equally respectable 14-megapixel resolution from a 1/2.3-inch CCD wedded to a 5x optical zoom starting out at a wide angle 28mm in 35mm film terms and winding up at 140mm, retracted within the body when not in use. Pictures and HD video at 30 frames per second (which gets its own record button at the back), backed up by sensor shift image stabilisation, are composed with the assistance of a regular 4:3 aspect ratio 2.7-inch back screen, which, although being almost small by current standards boasts the standard 230k-dot resolution.

Being an auto everything snapshot model, also featuring is a heavy degree of hand holding in the shape of face recognition, smile capture (shutter fires when a grin is detected), blink detection plus 22 scene modes with the usual bias toward portraits and landscapes. Give the shutter release a squeeze and with contrast detection AF deployed, there’s a brief wait whilst focus visibly adjusts and the AF point appears highlighted in green. Take the shot and a full resolution image is committed to card or small internal memory in around 2 seconds - which again isn’t bad for the entry-level price tag here. 

Also found among the modes (a feature of the four-way command pad rather than being presented as a separate dial or button) are the default Auto Picture mode, which reportedly “recognises” up to 14 common scenes and subjects, plus regular Program Auto. We say “reportedly” because in our experience the Pentax’s default Auto Picture mode was a little more hit and miss than competing smart auto modes. The S1 was easily confused by busier scenes into opting for, to take one example, a close up setting when landscape would have been more befitting. The result: an entirely blurred frame. OK, so you can simply recompose the frame and try again, but the original “moment” will have been missed.

Performance

Including a top light sensitivity setting of ISO 6400 also seems to have been a little ambitious here. Images taken above ISO 1600 are just awful in appearance. To get the negatives out of the way in one go, it was also a let down that the 5x optical zoom could not be accessed in video mode. Instead we get a digital alternative that visibly and progressively crops in as you nudge the zoom lever; sophisticated it ain’t. Also, there’s a wait of a second or two between pressing the video record button and recording actually commencing - again, you can easily lose the moment.

Easing some of the hurt the S1 features a couple of fun digital effects modes in the now ubiquitous miniature and HDR (High Dynamic Range) mode - the former reducing the proportion of the image in focus to a narrow band (unusually, you can specify middle, bottom or top of frame), while the latter produces a weirdly coloured sketch-like effect verging on the “so bad it’s good”. As a default the colours are rather overly saturated - and though we did in fairness manage a handful of “keepers”, this was only by taking a lot of shots which we then whittled down.

Tags: Cameras Digital cameras Compact camera Pentax Pentax Optio S1 14 megapixels

Pentax Optio S1 originally appeared on Pocket-lint on Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:02:00 +0100