Sabtu, 23 Maret 2013

Fujifilm Finepix S8400W - New Superzoom Camera ( 44x ) with Wi-Fi connectivity

Fujifilm Finepix S8400W Superzoom Camera 44x with Wi-Fi connectivity



Fujifilm announced FinePix S8400W with 44x optical zoom lens and Wi-Fi connectivity to the camera. The name might sound familiar, because Fujifilm announced the S8400 - along with the S8200, S8300 and S8500 - at CES 2013. The change here, as designated by the appended W, is wireless functionality.

The Wi-Fi will offer you an autosave feature, so you can send your images directly to your PC or your smartphone or tablet.

To do so you'll need to install the appropriate app: for PCs that's the Fujifilm PC AutoSave software. But if you're living on the move, then you'll be after the Fujifilm Camera Application from either iTunes for iPhone and iPad, or Google Play for Android.

Wireless connectivity is becoming increasingly common on cameras, giving the user the advantage of the connection of their mobile device, but the quality of the proper camera: you'll be able to share those zoomy pictures in a flash.

Aside from the Wi-Fi, the camera offers that huge 24-1056mm (in 35mm terms) lens with optical image stabilisation, although you'd always be advised to support it at the far end of the zoom.

There's a 16-megapixel BSI sensor at the core with ISO running up to 12,800 and shooting speeds of up to 10fps. If you're happy to take a knock down in resolution, it'll give you 60fps or 120fps.

There's an electronic viewfinder in place along with a 3-inch LCD display and plenty of controls so you can access the full range of features easily. 

The Fujifilm FinePix S8400W will be exclusive to Currys in the UK, pricing is still to be confirmed.

Via Pocket-lint

Jumat, 22 Maret 2013

Panasonic Lumix Waterproof Camera DMC-FT5 review

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT5 review




Rugged, waterproof cameras are perfect for skiing and watersports, but they're also a sensible option for the beach, fishing, mountaineering, off-road cycling, building sites and drunken nights out. The FT5's rugged credentials are better than most. It's able to withstand submersion to 13 metres, drops from two metres and 100kg of pressure. Its blocky design inspires confidence but we found the small buttons tricky to press when wearing gloves. Otherwise, operation is straightforward, with a Q Menu button revealing the most often-used functions and a Mode button making up for the lack of a dedicated mode dial.



GPS is built in and nearly all of our outdoor photos were accurately tagged, although one batch was mysteriously plotted in the Arctic Ocean. A small LED blinks intermittently to remind you that the GPS is enabled – we wish there was a physical GPS switch that worked independently of the camera's main power button.


This is the first FT-series camera to include Wi-Fi. It's essentially the same implementation that we saw in last month's Lumix SZ9, with an Android (but no iOS) app handling wireless transfers and remote control. The FT5 adds the ability to use the app as a remote viewfinder while recording video – something that we'd anticipate using more often than remote photo capture. The camera can also transfer photos wirelessly to a PC or NAS over a home network.

It's extremely quick to take photos, averaging 0.7 seconds between shots in our tests. There are lots of burst modes on offer, including 10fps with fixed focus or 5fps with continuous autofocus. This is by far the best performance we've seen from a rugged camera, and it should come in handy for fast-paced outdoor pursuits.

The capable video mode is another useful asset. It's definitely worth choosing MPEG-4 if you're using the Android app, as the remote shooting mode inexplicably drops the AVCHD resolution to 720p, and AVCHD videos can't be transferred wirelessly. Picture quality was excellent and autofocus and zooming were smooth, but there was a faint mechanical chatter in the soundtrack – possibly from the optical stabilisation.


Photo quality was generally up to scratch, but the FT5's premium price doesn't equate to premium image quality. There was some evidence of detail-smearing noise reduction even in brightly lit shots, although it thankfully wasn't as pervasive as on the Panasonic SZ9. Dense textures such as foliage had a mushy quality on close inspection, especially in shady conditions where the ISO speed was pushed up a little.

Indoor photographs suffered from noise too, especially on skin tones and hair textures where problems are easier to spot. The FT5's much faster performance means you can have more shots to choose from, which may make a bigger difference to the overall quality of photos. On balance we'd pick the D20, but if the Wi-Fi functions appeal, the FT5 is a worthy alternative.


Kamis, 21 Maret 2013

Canon EOS 100D - Smallest and Lightest dSLR



 Canon EOS 100D - Smallest and Lightest dSLR

Canon EOS 100D

Canon has announced a new, smaller, DSLR camera in its EOS line, the Canon EOS 100D. It is Canon’s smallest and lightest APS-C digital SLR yet, with the company looking to compete with smaller and lighter models from rival interchangeable lens systems.

The Canon EOS 100D positions itself between Canon’s smallest EOS model, the EOS M and looks like it upgrades the Japanese company’s entry-level DLSR, the EOS 1100D, pulling some of the EOS M characteristics into a more conventional DSLR design.


More conventional it might be, but the EOS 100D does carry that badge of being the smallest and lightest camera in its class. Canon isn’t highlighting this by accident, it’s fully aware of the fierce competition from the likes of Sony NEX line, Samsung NX and Panasonic and Olympus’s Micro-Four Thirds systems.

Sitting at the heart of the camera is an 18-megapixel sensor backed by the DIGIC 5 processor. It offers manually selectable sensitivity up to ISO 12,800, with a 25,600 if you really need that picture in low light, and a capture speed of 4fps.


Like the EOS M, the EOS 100D has a 3-inch touchscreen on the back, expanding your control options over those on the body itself. The controls on the body look pretty conventional too, with a top-mounted mode dial giving you quick access to the major shooting modes, and the body buttons letting you access the most pertinent shooting settings.

You’ll get creative functions with a range of filters, an in-camera guide to help budding photographers start, as well as Full HD video capture, all bundled together in a package that will cost you £569.99 (body only) or £699 with EF-S 18-55mm IS STM lens.


We’ll bring you more on the Canon EOS 100D when we get our hands on the new compact DSLR model.

via PL

Panasonic Lumix DMC - TZ40 with 20x zoom - Review

Panasonic Lumix DMC - TZ40 with 20x zoom - Review


In the smartphone age if there's one thing that a consumer compact camera needs then that's zoom. And the TZ40 has plenty of it. The 24-480mm equivalent from the 20x optical zoom lens is nothing new though: it's the same lens as found in the TZ30 that came before it, which means the same f/3.3-6.4 maximum aperture range too.

For those unfamiliar with the jargon: the maximum aperture is the widest possible the lens opening can be at a given focal length, and in the TZ40's case that means less light can enter as the zoom extends. The more light that goes in, ie, the wider the aperture (smaller the number), not only means a shallower depth of field - that blurred background effect - but also that the camera won't need to process the sensor's signal as harshly, which in turn should result in a cleaner, sharper image.

But wider maximum apertures equate to physical size and increased expense. And so the TZ40's tactic of sandwiching itself somewhere in the middle comes clear: it's a small-bodied design that, while it doesn't have the very widest or creative maximum aperture control out there, will still cater for most situations without too many issues. It avoids excessive size and therefore excessive cost implications too - as its £329 price tag attests. If you want that bit more then you'll need to investigate those more premium compacts which, in turn, will mean investigating the depths of your pockets too.

For the cash the TZ40's zoom range is still vast and capable. That's partly because the lens comes with an optical image stabilisation system that works on a five axis system. In English that means that the lens elements can move by microscopic amounts in multiple directions to counteract handshake and not only provide a steady preview image but a potentially sharper final shot too. It's an essential at the 480mm equivalent zoom setting, otherwise holding that shot steady and well-framed is tricky.

We have nothing but praise to sing for this latest Panasonic stabilisation system - it almost cradles the image and keeps those zoomed-in shots dead still so long as you've got a decent hold of the camera. It's up there with the best in class, if not the best of the bunch compared to its competitors - although we're still waiting to see some of the forthcoming competitor models such as the Sony WX300, so it will be interesting to see how far the bar could yet be raised.

Speedy autofocus

All of that zoom lushness wouldn't be much use if the accompanying autofocus system wasn't up to scratch. Here's an area where we have little qualms; Panasonic's been on top when it comes to autofocus speed for a while now and the TZ40 sure doesn't disappoint.

Previously names such as "light speed autofocus" and similar such marketing terms were banded about. The TZ40 seems to have brushed such terminology aside, leaving it to show off for what it is: a bloomin' speedy system as divided into a variety of focus area types - spot, face detection, tracking, 23-area and 1-area.

There's an option to suit almost any given situation and the ability to utilise the camera's touchscreen functionality makes 1-area focus, for example, all the more relevant and easy to use. Simply press onto the screen to make physical adjustments with the touch of a finger, something that's even more accurate with the smaller Spot focus point. Lovely stuff.

Autofocus at the wider angle settings is almost instant, and while less speedy as the zoom extends we're still generally impressed with how fast the camera can lock on to a subject. Even the AF Tracking option which, with a down press of the rear d-pad, locks onto its target subject and does a grand job of recognising and following it around the screen.

Fiddling around with this tracking feature just using our own hands showed that the TZ40's quite a capable machine. The tracking icon continued to follow from a five finger open hand through to fist or any number of contorted digit combinations - all at a very reasonable speed. However the focus itself couldn't keep up as rapidly as the tracking area followed and so, despite some promise, we found it tricky to get super-sharp shots of subjects in motion.

Another top focus feature is the close-up macro option. Hit down on the rear d-pad and AF Macro can be selected where the camera's zoom is still usable, otherwise there's the Macro Zoom option which fixes the lens to its widest-angle setting and uses digital zoom - ie, an image size crop which is then upscaled for output - to give results an even more magnified appearance. We're not so keen on the second option of the two as clarity is lost. In the AF Macro mode it's possible to get extremely close up to subjects and still achieve focus. It's a mini marvel, even if - as per any camera with a zoom lens - the close-focus distance is limited as the zoom increases.

From autofocus to burst speed and the bar remains high: the TZ40 can snap away at 10 frames per second and put away six consecutive images, or at five frames per second with autofocus enabled for up to 100 consecutive shots. None too bad, just don't expect the world from continuous autofocus.

Tech explosion

The TZ40's main swathe of newness comes in the form of sharing. We've got on-board Wi-Fi as well as one-touch NFC.

There's also another layer of techie goodness in the form of GPS (global positioning satellite) that can geotag an image's location as well as built-in map data - ours came on a separate SD card for the case of this test - which TZ40 models will have built in.

The thing with all this tech is that if it's not easy to use then it becomes a pain. GPS is easily switched on or off via the camera's quick menu and has a three bar measure to show signal strength, so that's all fine and dandy.

The Wi-Fi system is a bit better than some we've come to use, such as Canon's setup, but we did find that we hit a number of hiccups along the way when testing it out.

There are plenty of ways to use the TZ40's Wi-Fi system: download an app to your Android or iOS device and it's possible to control the camera via your smart device; there's a playback on TV option; and images can be sent in real time or post-shooting - deep breath for this list - to smartphone, PC, cloud (Lumix Club account only), web service or AV device.

However, as it stands we'd find it quicker to pop the SD card into the side of a computer, offload the images and drag them into whichever service we wanted them to arrive. That being the case all the connectivity cleverness definitely has its limitations, but for that special image and sticky situation it could well be the Wi-Fi sharing option that comes to the rescue at the least expected of moments. We're glad it's available and look forward to its simplification and evolution over proceeding TZ-series models.

It's also worth pointing out that there's an impact on battery life when using the sharing-based tech, but that switching off such modes will get you up to in excess of 300 shots per charge. That's better than previous TZ-models and gets a thumbs up from us.


New sensor: new pixel count

As much brand, spanking, new tech as gets crammed on board, a camera is principally a camera - it’s all about the pictures.

As we alluded to at the beginning of this review, the TZ40 squeezes in an extra 4-megapixels of resolution compared to its TZ30 predecessor but as the sensor size is no larger that befroe it means each pixel is smaller and, therefore, there's some impact to image quality. Not much, but it is there.

This is a two-fold thing really: while we wouldn't deem the TZ40's images "better" than the TZ30's due to some presence of colour noise in shadow areas from low-middling ISO sensitivities, it's not particularly disruptive. So while we ultra-geeky photo fans might shed a tear at the presence of some image noise, the key target user of this camera is unlikely to really notice it nor care too much.

And that's because the TZ40 takes great images. As we're previously alluded to this camera is an enabler: it packs in a massive zoom range, great macro mode, speedy autofocus system and we've managed to snap some great shots in real-world situations. That's what counts the most.

A close-up shot of Rita Ora (above) at an intimate acoustic gig, the crisp image of a heron paused waiting for a fish - or perhaps just bread - at London's Regent's Park: it's all easily achievable using the TZ40.

Indeed right into the four-figure ISO settings shots are more than usable, and even at that 18-megapixel resolution. And let's not forget: that resolution is more resolute than eight 1080p HD televisions arranged side by side. So when such scale is viewed at a smaller presentation size - whether a printout, on a website, social media site, laptop screen or the like - a lot of those finer imaging blemishes are essentially "hidden" away somewhat.

If we're hyper-critical then there's some slight chromatic aberration in the form of purple fringing towards some subject edges, and image processing will produce slightly mottled, artefact-laden edges in fine detail areas, but that's all part and parcel of how a camera works and expected from a compact. Take a look below at the 100 per cent crop of the heron shot shown above - given that it's shot at ISO 1000 it's a fine example of what can be achieved from this camera.

Higher up the ISO scale - which maxes out at ISO 3200 in its standard mode - and shots do yet softer and there's more image noise, but no more so than nearby competitors in our view. The TZ40's Venus engine does a grand job of processing shots while retaining detail.

There's also a batch of creative options accessible from the main mode dial: impressive art, high dynamic, cross process, toy effect and more can have their uses, although some seem to push images to excess in our view. Not quite as refined as Olympus's Art Filter selection perhaps. Fun enough to play with, but once they're applied there's no going back as there's no raw file backup with the TZ40.

Overall the Lumix TZ40 might not match up to larger-sensor, pricier competitors, but then that's not what it's pretending to be. This is a one-size-fits-all travel zoom that, from what we've seen in our time with it - despite the increase in resolution compared to its predecessor that we'd rather have gone without - will keep its near competitors at bay. It's a li'l cracker.

Verdict

We've always had a soft spot for the TZ-series, and the TZ40 has just made that a little bit softer. We don't feel that the push to an 18-megapixel resolution was necessary, but that doesn't stop the TZ40's combination of 20x optical zoom, excellent image stabilisation system and Venus processing engine from opening up a world of image potential. We've snapped close-up, from afar, in all manner of conditions and, despite some quibbles when viewed at absolute scale, the overall sense is that pictures are great.

Add accurate and super-fast autofocus which is handily controlled via the touchscreen, improved battery life and all manner of other tech and we're left scratching our heads as to which other travel zoom competitor could take on this Lumix and win.

We may have our moans about using some of the Wi-Fi options and how slow they can be, but suspect that they'll come in handy at the least expected of moments. Better to have them there rather than not, and a definite nod to where the whole compact camera world is headed. It's not as fluid as the Samsung Galaxy camera by any means, but the TZ40 wins on ease of use, pocketable size and picture sharpness by comparison.

The Lumix TZ40 doesn't offer those approaching-pro features such as a wider aperture range or larger sensor size that some may want, but then that's not what this camera is about at all. Within its class it's an absolute gem; a real enabler that, in the increasing presence of smartphone photography, quickly proves its worth and shows how relevant compact cameras still are.

All this for £329 is rather reasonable too. It's not a budget camera, but considering what's on board we think the TZ40 is worth every penny.

Source: Pocket-lint

Canon dSLR EOS 700D and 100D announced

Canon dSLR EOS 700D and 100D announced


Canon has announced two new DSLR models as it tries to stay relevant in a world that is becoming increasingly dominated by compact system cameras.

The new mid-level EOS 700D - the replacement to the EOS 650D - and the brand new entry-level EOS 100D plan to offer consumers the full capabilities of a DSLR in a smaller package; no need to compromise picture quality for space in your camera bag. These latest models are still larger than the current crop of CSC cameras available and still considerably larger than the rather sluggish EOS M launched late last year.

"The EOS 100D offers a range of simple controls and a helpful in-camera feature guide, perfect for those looking to explore the world of DSLR photography for the first time but without the bulk normally associated with a DSLR," claims Canon while the EOS 700D is talked up as "Canon’s most advanced consumer EOS model to date."

Both models include an 18-megapixel sensor, and both come boxed as conplete kit options with the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens - one of the key benefits to sticking with the EOS DSLR format as Canon continues to offer a huge range of EF-S lenses.

The EOS 100D features an APS-C sensor and an optical viewfinder. Those happy with that will get a camera that measures 116.8 x 90.7 x 69.4mm, weighs 407g, and features a 3-inch touchscreen display on the back.

Meanwhile, the EOS 700D comes with slightly better features to justify the its higher price point. It boasts a 5fps burst mode, a wide 9-point all cross-type AF system and vari-angle Clear View II LCD touch screen.

The EOS 700D is available from late April, and will cost £619.99 for the body only and £749.99 if you opt for the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens.

The EOS 100D is due for simultaneous release and is a touch cheaper at £569.99 for the body or £699.99 with the 18-55mm STM lens.


Via: Pocket-lint

New Canon Digital Camera PowerShot SX280 HS and SX270 HS

New Canon Digital Camera SX280 HS and SX270 HS

Canon SX280 HS

Canon has announced two new PowerShot SX models, the PowerShot SX280 HS and PowerShot SX270 HS, as it hopes to convince those looking for a new camera that it is the brand to help them.

The new models feature the company's brand new DIGIC 6 image processors, a 20x optical zoom and offer Full HD 60p video.

Canon also boasts that the new PowerShot SX280 HS features Wi-Fi and GPS so you can share your photos that you've captured with the models' 12.1-megapixel high-sensitivity CMOS sensor and they can all be viewed on a 3-inch screen - useful if you haven't got a larger screen on your phone or tablet.

Trying to stand out from the crowd, the PowerShot SX280 HS and PowerShot SX270 HS feature a new Hybrid Auto mode that records the four seconds before every shot in 720p resolution, before using Smart Auto to determine the best settings to capture the "perfect shot" according to Canon - a trick phone brands like HTC have been offering for some time now.

At the end of each day, the four-second clips are merged into one to tell the “behind-the-scenes” story of the day’s images.

Stills can also be transformed by using one of seven different Creative Filters, including Fish-eye Effect and Miniature Effect among others.

Those not looking for GPS and Wi-Fi can opt for the SX270 HS instead.

The two models will be priced at £299 and £279 respectively and will be on sale in early May.

via: Pocket-lint

Senin, 18 Maret 2013

Olympus Digital Camera PEN E-PL5 Interchangeable lens Review

Olympus Digital Camera PEN E-PL5 Interchangeable lens Review


 For users upgrading from a simple point-and-shoot to an interchangeable lens camera, the Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5 is a very good model to transition to. Out of the box, the E-PL5 takes great photos. It does take time, however, to learn some of the features of the camera, for which there are plenty.

Lots of settings and a deep menu mean there’s much to explore with the camera, but users entering the ILC category for the first time will discover new ways to shoot with this Micro Four Thirds variant. Compared to a few other cameras in the MFT category, the E-PL5 offers a lot of features for a decent price of $699 with a 14-42mm kit lens ($650 for body alone), although it isn’t the most affordable mirrorless camera you can buy.

Features and design



The E-PL5 has a simple design that doesn’t vary a whole lot from other cameras in the PEN series; while it doesn’t have as much of a retro styling as the E-P3, the similar classic cues are noticeable. But the fact that it’s a slimmed-down mirrorless camera that offers many of the benefits of a larger DSLR is a welcome feature – just don’t expect it to work exactly like a DSLR. If you’ve ever lugged around a cumbersome camera on your most recent vacations and outings, you will immediately appreciate the E-PL5’s smaller size and lighter weight. The camera weighs in at less than 16 ounces, so it’s much easier to tote. But its Live MOS sensor is larger than a typical point-and-shoot, allowing it to capture better image quality (although smaller than that of a compact DSLR or mirrorless offerings from Sony and Canon). As an interchangeable lens camera, you have a selection of Micro Four Thirds lenses – from macro to super-telephoto – to choose from, which enhances the types of photos you can shoot while retaining a user experience not unlike a point-and-shoot camera.

Like high-end luxury cars with features that eventually trickle down to affordable models, the E-PM2 has some of the features found in the more expensive but excellent O-MD E-M5, such as the sensor and autofocusing system (but not the 5-axis image stabilization). The feature set in the E-PL5 is comparable to other cameras in its class, including Olympus’ PEN Mini E-PM2. Don’t be surprised if you do a double take: the E-PL5 and the E-PM2 are nearly identical in looks and features. Both cameras have the same 16-megapixel Live MOS Micro Four Thirds sensor; TruePic VI image processor; 200-25,600 ISO; 1/4000-to-60-second shutter speed; 1080i high-def video recording, 460k dot 3-inch touchscreen LCD; creative filters; dust reduction system; in-body image stabilization; and burst shooting of up to 8 frames per second. Neither camera has a built-in flash; instead, Olympus includes a small, detachable flash that slips into the hot shoe. There’s no viewfinder, just live view through the LCD.

What the E-PL5 has that the E-PM2 doesn’t is a tilting LCD (up to 170 degrees), a mode dial, a larger grip that comes off the camera body if you want to shave a few grams, and a few more function buttons. If you can live without those extras, save yourself $100 and go with the E-PM2. We like the tilting LCD as it lets you get a better vantage by aiming the camera and adjusting the screen so you can see when you’re shooting with the camera high and low. It also lets you see yourself when taking self-portraits if you flip the screen up to the full amount. The angled screen is also useful for reviewing photos or showing photos to friends on the camera. We were sold on this feature, but ask yourself, is it essential if you are on a budget? Both displays are touch sensitive and responsive, which makes navigating through menus, selecting items, or playing back photos easy. On the E-PM2, however, some of the screen real estate is eaten up by the menu options .

The E-PL5 uses Olympus’ FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) AF System to autofocus quickly by assigning 35 separate focus points within the field of a picture. It also has face and eye detection, so it can identify the subject and make sure it’s focused on a person, rather than another object in the photo. If it’s the object you want, you can use manual focus to get the picture right.

What’s in the box

Contents were the same for both cameras. Both come with with some standard goods such as the strap, lithium-ion battery, battery charger, and cables. The cameras we tested came with a M.ZUIKO Digital 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R kit lens. An external flash that attaches to the hot shoe was also included.

The lens is versatile for day-to-day shooting, but it is on the big side. The reason is that, unlike other zoom lenses that retract in and out, this kit lens stays physically extended. While the camera is still highly portable, the lens does make the camera a little bulky after a while.

Olympus includes a little bag to carry the flash. That is the only “carry” accessory. The camera doesn’t have any kind of case to carry the camera, which isn’t typically included with cameras anyway. We just mention it because you’ll want to shop for a good bag when you purchase your E-PL5, just for safekeeping. And make sure your bag will accommodate the large-size lens, if you stick with the 14-42mm lens.

Performance and use

 

When we turned on the camera and began to play with it we noticed some of the strengths right away. We used the automatic and semi-automatic settings as most users of this camera would. A few casual images snapped around the house with natural light appeared much brighter than similar shots taken with our DSLR that’s a few years old. As Olympus claims, we found the autofocusing to be relatively fast. This camera typically doesn’t exhibit any large lags between shots, except in the case of low light and using special effects. Video performance was smooth and stayed in focus and sound quality was also good, but the camera’s strength lies more in still photos.

While the camera performs well in low-light settings, it does need light, obviously. We braved the cold to take a picture of the full moon over a lake in near darkness; besides the light emanating from the moon, there was light from the window behind us. The camera wasn’t able to get a decent photo of the moon. A better shot would have required a tripod and some well-chosen manual settings.

In other low-light pictures, in the warmth of indoors, we were able to get very clear shots that appeared in crisp focus. However, the photos took on the reds and oranges of the available light, which affected the coloring of the photos. We didn’t see too much noise in most of the shots.

Both cameras offer art filters that add effects like sepia, black and white, polarization, and the soft lighting used in portraits. These effects are widely available in photo editing software, but the camera lets you snap pictures with the effect in use. It’s fun to play with. It will come in handy when you see the perfect photo that you want to apply a grainy black and white effect or a sepia brown filter over the photo. These effects will be familiar with users migrating from simple point-and-shoots, but more advanced users will probably eschew their usefulness.

Conclusions

 

Both cameras performed well and gave us crisp, focused photos. We were finding it difficult to justify the $100 to spring for the E-PL5 over the E-PM2. But then we started tilting the screen out to review photos or framing the best angle for a shot, and it became a “must have” feature. We also like the settings dial, which is styled more like a DSLR camera; the E-PM2 functions more like more like a point-and-shoot cameras; that means a few extra steps to change from full auto to manual or art effects.

Both cameras are good entries into the Micro Four Thirds category, and will serve new users well. The picture quality and ability to play with a number of settings make it a good choice for photographers who like to tweak shots and play around with different ISO and other settings. If you can live without the extra features, such as a tilting screen and settings dial, you can save a few dollars and go with the Pen Mini E-PM2. Our preference, if you’re going for this price point and feature set, is to spring for the extra features offered with E-PL5.

Highs

  •     Fast autofocusing system
  •     Takes very good photos
  •     Tilting screen for angled shots or self-portraits
  •     Special effects and filters allow you to take fun pictures

Lows
  •     Requires playing around to learn features and settings
  •     Lens is a bit big on what is otherwise a compact camera
  •     Higher price tag when there’s a comparable Olympus camera with similar features

Source: DT

Canon PowerShot S110 Review

The Canon PowerShot S-series has some of the most advanced compact cameras around. The latest, the PowerShot S110, not only uses a new, better sensor that pushes the ISO up to 12,800, but it has a faster autofocusing system, too. The big feature here is integrated Wi-Fi for the wireless transfer and upload of photos, but are these features – plus the camera’s ability to take great photos – enough to justify the $450 price tag?

Features and design

Since the PowerShot S90, the S-series from Canon has become one of the better high-performance compact point-and-shoot cameras you can buy. Such is the case with the PowerShot S110: With an exterior design that hasn’t changed drastically since S90, the S110’s form factor is small enough to fit easily inside an empty pants pocket yet feels comfortable in the hands (one-hand operation is totally doable). The S110 has a noticeably more-solid construction than, say, Canon’s A-series, but it does have a bit of a heft – you’ll feel it pulling down your shirt’s front pocket, for example.

Don’t confuse this compact cam with all point-and-shoots. While it is easy to operate, there are more advanced components and features. Internally, the S110 shares many of the same specs as the S100, but there are enhancements. The S110 uses a new 0.59-inch (diagonal) 12.1-megapixel “High-Sensitivity” CMOS sensor – the same sensor found in the larger PowerShot G15 – with a max ISO of 12,800 (versus the S100’s 6,400). The autofocusing has also been improved to be faster with reduced lag times (issues that hindered older S-series cameras) and slightly faster burst mode (10 frames per second in the High-Speed Burst HQ mode). The 3-inch LCD (rated at 461K dots) is now touch capable, letting you select, pinch, and slide like you have been trained to do on your smartphones. Otherwise, the S110 offers the same features as the S100: a 5x optical zoom; 24-120mm focal length (35mm equivalent); f/2.0-5.9 aperture, 15-1/2000 of a second shutter speed; and RAW image capture.

The biggest upgrade, however, is the inclusion of Wi-Fi. With it, you can transmit content directly to another Canon Wi-Fi-enabled camera; to a PC or Mac via a network access point; a compatible Wi-Fi-enabled printer; a smart phone or tablet running Canon’s CameraWindow app on Android or iOS; or Canon’s Image Gateway portal (via a network access point), which you can use to send your images straight to a Web service like Twitter and Facebook. Image Gateway requires a one-time setup through your computer, which means you’ll also have to register the camera and create a Canon account (talk about an unnecessarily long process just to tweet an image!). If you have a smartphone, use that as an intermediary to upload your images instead. Also, you can use your smartphone’s GPS to geotag your images with location info; the S110 lacks built-in GPS, which the S100 had.


In terms of usability, the S110 can’t match the ease of an iPhone or one of the many Android devices. It’s terribly hard to set up, and the menu options are a bit convoluted. For example, when we first tried to pair the camera with an iPhone 4S, there was no indication that the setup process had completed, but the status bar continued to indicate that it’s “working.” We decided to cancel out, but after launching the CameraWindow app on the iPhone, the camera showed up; it seems that the pairing was successful. There’s a bit of a long delay before the camera and phone starts talking to each other, but once the camera recognizes the iPhone, we could grab an image or video off the S110 and send it to Facebook, YouTube, or an email address (sorry, folks, no Twitter or any other social networking service via this method). Also, we couldn’t get the geotagging feature to work on our review unit. We had better luck connecting to a network access point via Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) as well as typing in the network’s password (entering passwords is much easier, thanks to the touchscreen).

One useful feature introduced in the S90 is the control ring that surrounds the lens, which the S110 retains. The user can make on-the-fly adjustments to an often-used setting simply by turning it. You can program it to work with only one of several settings, such as exposure compensation (brightness), manual focus, white balance, and zoom. (We think it works best for exposure comp, but that’s just us.)

With the previous S100, Canon added a grip on the front to rest your fingers on. That grip has disappeared with the S110, and the front of the camera once again has a clean look consisting of the lens, control ring, microphone, and autofocusing lamp. The top has a mode dial (for quick access to various shooting modes), zoom lever surrounding the shutter button, an on-off switch, an indicator that lights up blue when Wi-Fi is enabled, and a flash that automatically pops up and down when activated (don’t physically push it down; it’ll retract back into the camera on its own when it’s not needed).

Finally, there’s the issue with the touchscreen. It’s very responsive, and it’s fine for playback, selecting items onscreen, punching in our access point’s password, and picking a focus point. But because it’s so large on this small camera, there’s little room for your left-hand fingers to hold onto the camera properly and steadily without nudging on the screen; this is an issue if the touch-shutter function is enabled, as we always inadvertently touch the screen with our knuckle and shot something we didn’t want (something we encountered with Canon’s EOS M camera). The “getting started” guide instructs us to hold the camera with thumb against the left side of the camera and index finger cradling the bottom, like some kind of “L” shape. Sorry, but it feels unnatural to hold a camera this way.

Trust us, it hurts us to say these things about a camera series we appreciate, but we wish there had been better solutions to these design compromises. Otherwise, the buttons, dials, and touchscreen are easily accessible via the right hand (except that tiny power button).

What’s in the box

Like the camera’s minimalist design, besides the S110, there’s very little that comes in the box. You’ll find the battery (NB-5L, rated at 200 shots), battery charger, USB interface cable, wrist strap, “getting started” booklet, and a CD containing editing software and a full PDF manual.

Performance and use

Despite whatever flaws, at the end of the day this is a seriously great compact camera for shooting still photos. Think of it as a car with a small turbo-charged engine. The improved autofocusing is faster and there’s shorter lag time (although it’ll need to work much harder in low light). Startup time is good, at approximately a second.

In normal shooting conditions, the camera does well on its own in auto or program mode. Image quality is generally excellent, although there are times when we needed to adjust the exposure compensation, even in normal daylight. That’s the beauty of cameras like the S110: Unlike smartphones or the most basic point-and-shoot, it lets you take control and fine-tune the adjustments. The colors in the images we shot were generally warm and accurate.

The S110 will impress you with its low-light performance. Although the camera can be pushed up to a max ISO of 12,800, you should never go that high unless you like a lot of noise – it’s true for most compact cameras of this size. You’ll get nice, clean photos at around ISO 1,600, but you’ll still get usable images at ISO 3,200. At ISO 6,400, use those at small sizes for sharing on the Web or through e-mail.

The Canon PowerShot S-series has some of the most advanced compact cameras around. The latest, the PowerShot S110, not only uses a new, better sensor that pushes the ISO up to 12,800, but it has a faster autofocusing system, too. The big feature here is integrated Wi-Fi for the wireless transfer and upload of photos, but are these features – plus the camera’s ability to take great photos – enough to justify the $450 price tag?
Features and design

Since the PowerShot S90, the S-series from Canon has become one of the better high-performance compact point-and-shoot cameras you can buy. Such is the case with the PowerShot S110: With an exterior design that hasn’t changed drastically since S90, the S110’s form factor is small enough to fit easily inside an empty pants pocket yet feels comfortable in the hands (one-hand operation is totally doable). The S110 has a noticeably more-solid construction than, say, Canon’s A-series, but it does have a bit of a heft – you’ll feel it pulling down your shirt’s front pocket, for example.

Don’t confuse this compact cam with all point-and-shoots. While it is easy to operate, there are more advanced components and features. Internally, the S110 shares many of the same specs as the S100, but there are enhancements. The S110 uses a new 0.59-inch (diagonal) 12.1-megapixel “High-Sensitivity” CMOS sensor – the same sensor found in the larger PowerShot G15 – with a max ISO of 12,800 (versus the S100’s 6,400). The autofocusing has also been improved to be faster with reduced lag times (issues that hindered older S-series cameras) and slightly faster burst mode (10 frames per second in the High-Speed Burst HQ mode). The 3-inch LCD (rated at 461K dots) is now touch capable, letting you select, pinch, and slide like you have been trained to do on your smartphones. Otherwise, the S110 offers the same features as the S100: a 5x optical zoom; 24-120mm focal length (35mm equivalent); f/2.0-5.9 aperture, 15-1/2000 of a second shutter speed; and RAW image capture.

The biggest upgrade, however, is the inclusion of Wi-Fi. With it, you can transmit content directly to another Canon Wi-Fi-enabled camera; to a PC or Mac via a network access point; a compatible Wi-Fi-enabled printer; a smart phone or tablet running Canon’s CameraWindow app on Android or iOS; or Canon’s Image Gateway portal (via a network access point), which you can use to send your images straight to a Web service like Twitter and Facebook. Image Gateway requires a one-time setup through your computer, which means you’ll also have to register the camera and create a Canon account (talk about an unnecessarily long process just to tweet an image!). If you have a smartphone, use that as an intermediary to upload your images instead. Also, you can use your smartphone’s GPS to geotag your images with location info; the S110 lacks built-in GPS, which the S100 had.

The S110 is an amazing little camera that thinks it’s a more powerful shooter, and it backs it up with its picture and video quality.
In terms of usability, the S110 can’t match the ease of an iPhone or one of the many Android devices. It’s terribly hard to set up, and the menu options are a bit convoluted. For example, when we first tried to pair the camera with an iPhone 4S, there was no indication that the setup process had completed, but the status bar continued to indicate that it’s “working.” We decided to cancel out, but after launching the CameraWindow app on the iPhone, the camera showed up; it seems that the pairing was successful. There’s a bit of a long delay before the camera and phone starts talking to each other, but once the camera recognizes the iPhone, we could grab an image or video off the S110 and send it to Facebook, YouTube, or an email address (sorry, folks, no Twitter or any other social networking service via this method). Also, we couldn’t get the geotagging feature to work on our review unit. We had better luck connecting to a network access point via Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) as well as typing in the network’s password (entering passwords is much easier, thanks to the touchscreen).

One useful feature introduced in the S90 is the control ring that surrounds the lens, which the S110 retains. The user can make on-the-fly adjustments to an often-used setting simply by turning it. You can program it to work with only one of several settings, such as exposure compensation (brightness), manual focus, white balance, and zoom. (We think it works best for exposure comp, but that’s just us.)

With the previous S100, Canon added a grip on the front to rest your fingers on. That grip has disappeared with the S110, and the front of the camera once again has a clean look consisting of the lens, control ring, microphone, and autofocusing lamp. The top has a mode dial (for quick access to various shooting modes), zoom lever surrounding the shutter button, an on-off switch, an indicator that lights up blue when Wi-Fi is enabled, and a flash that automatically pops up and down when activated (don’t physically push it down; it’ll retract back into the camera on its own when it’s not needed).

On the back of the S110, the 3-inch touchscreen takes up three-fourths of the space. To the right of the screen there’s a thumb grip/rest, speaker, ring function selector button, dedicated movie button, playback button, menu button, and a control dial with a four-way and center button for various functions including macro/manual focus (left), flash (right), display (down), exposure compensation/Wi-Fi (up), and function/set (center). The cover on the right opens to reveal the digital and HDMI ports. The bottom has the tripod socket and battery and SD card (up to SDXC) compartment. Despite what seems like a lot of buttons and dials, overall the camera design is minimalist.

Call us nitpicky but there are some design issues we must point out. For some reason, Canon has changed the on/off button into a small recessed thing that isn’t as easy to press as in previous models. We don’t know how tightly packed the components are inside now that Wi-Fi has been added, but surely there’s plenty of space on top for a larger button that’s more substantial, right? Then, there’s the pop-up flash. When it’s down, it’s fine. When it pops up, it leaves little room for your left index finger to steadily hold onto the camera. We try not to use the internal flash when we take photos, but for the times that call for it, this flash placement can be a nuisance. As we mentioned in our S100 review, it’d be nice to include a hot shoe for a small external flash. But doing so would require the camera to be bigger than it is – which would defeat the point of this small camera – so it’s a compromise.

Finally, there’s the issue with the touchscreen. It’s very responsive, and it’s fine for playback, selecting items onscreen, punching in our access point’s password, and picking a focus point. But because it’s so large on this small camera, there’s little room for your left-hand fingers to hold onto the camera properly and steadily without nudging on the screen; this is an issue if the touch-shutter function is enabled, as we always inadvertently touch the screen with our knuckle and shot something we didn’t want (something we encountered with Canon’s EOS M camera). The “getting started” guide instructs us to hold the camera with thumb against the left side of the camera and index finger cradling the bottom, like some kind of “L” shape. Sorry, but it feels unnatural to hold a camera this way.

Trust us, it hurts us to say these things about a camera series we appreciate, but we wish there had been better solutions to these design compromises. Otherwise, the buttons, dials, and touchscreen are easily accessible via the right hand (except that tiny power button).
What’s in the box

Like the camera’s minimalist design, besides the S110, there’s very little that comes in the box. You’ll find the battery (NB-5L, rated at 200 shots), battery charger, USB interface cable, wrist strap, “getting started” booklet, and a CD containing editing software and a full PDF manual.
Performance and use

Despite whatever flaws, at the end of the day this is a seriously great compact camera for shooting still photos. Think of it as a car with a small turbo-charged engine. The improved autofocusing is faster and there’s shorter lag time (although it’ll need to work much harder in low light). Startup time is good, at approximately a second.

In normal shooting conditions, the camera does well on its own in auto or program mode. Image quality is generally excellent, although there are times when we needed to adjust the exposure compensation, even in normal daylight. That’s the beauty of cameras like the S110: Unlike smartphones or the most basic point-and-shoot, it lets you take control and fine-tune the adjustments. The colors in the images we shot were generally warm and accurate.

The S110 will impress you with its low-light performance. Although the camera can be pushed up to a max ISO of 12,800, you should never go that high unless you like a lot of noise – it’s true for most compact cameras of this size. You’ll get nice, clean photos at around ISO 1,600, but you’ll still get usable images at ISO 3,200. At ISO 6,400, use those at small sizes for sharing on the Web or through e-mail.

If you’re looking to shoot video, the S110 doesn’t disappoint. As with many new video-capable Canon cameras, the Full HD 1080p (24 fps) video quality is clear and smooth with good autofocusing. Audio quality is decent, but not great. The S110 is fine for capturing a few short videos of your family vacation, but it’s not designed for shooting a motion picture, obviously.

Where the camera stumbles is in shooting fast action shots. While Canon touts a burst mode of 10 frames per second, that’s in the High-Speed Burst HQ mode (found in the scene mode). Otherwise, the camera can only handle 2.1 fps. As long as you stick to portraits, still life, or slow motion, you should be OK.

Battery life is good. We were able to get a weekend of casual shooting (roughly 138 photos) and occasional video without having to recharge (we made sure to power down when walking around, and we never used Wi-Fi). The small battery will be limiting if you put the camera through an intense workout.

As you can probably tell from our earlier description of the camera’s Wi-Fi capability, it feels like it’s still in beta and needs polishing. You can transfer files wirelessly to a computer, but it’s way faster to just plug the SD card into a computer. You also need to connect to an access point for many instances, and even then you are limited in where you can upload your images. We wish the CameraWindow app could do more, such as some quick editing and posting to more social networking sites; we would also like Canon to follow Sony’s example and use smart phone as a viewfinder for remote shooting. With the S110, Wi-Fi feels more like a novelty than a real useful feature. It requires you to do so much in order to get it to work, yet you get very little reward out of it.
Conclusion

It’s a given that you’ll get better performance from a camera with a larger sensor, but more convenience out of a smart phone. So, where does the S110 fit in? It fills that niche where you want excellent image quality but you don’t want to lug around an interchangeable lens camera, no matter how compact some mirrorless ones are. The S110 is an amazing little camera that thinks it’s a more powerful shooter, and it backs it up with its picture and video quality. Plus, it’s easy to stow; we stashed it in our back pocket without feeling overburden, yet it was easy to take out when it came time to shoot.

If you want a great camera that takes great photos – even in most low-light situations – put the S110 on your list. With that said, realize there are issues. The Wi-Fi, for us, is half-baked; we almost wish it wasn’t there. While camera companies are compelled to add some form of connectivity to their products, the Wi-Fi features in the S110 seem like more trouble that it’s worth. What it needs is simpler, no-brainer setup and instant sharing capabilities to a variety of sites, plus more features out of the CameraWindow app.

Whether you care about having the Wi-Fi or not, the S110 will not let you down when it comes to image quality. Following the successes of the S95 and S100, the S110 continues to be Canon’s most excellent pocket cam. If you don’t need Wi-Fi, consider the S100, which is still on the market and you may be able to find it for less than the $430 list price. But, buy this camera for its prowess in photo taking, not because it has Wi-Fi.

Highs
  •     Great photo quality and performance, even in low light
  •     Faster autofocusing than predecessors
  •     Easy to use, yet has plenty of user-adjustable options

Lows
  •     Wi-Fi not the easiest to use, somewhat half-baked
  •     Slow continuous shooting
Source : DT