It was honestly bound to happen: and now it has. According to a report from the Wall St Journal found by Imaging Resource, Olympus will kill off their V series of cameras. The V series were always the more affordable options, but the problem is that those camera sales are being eroded away by mobile phones. There isn’t any word on the other point and shoot cameras like the XZ-2 and XZ-10, but when one thinks about Olympus these days, we often think about the Micro Four Thirds line of cameras. With the arrival of the EP5, the lineup has full mobile connection though it is also possible with Transcend Air cards for the rest of the pen lineup.
These cameras are designed to offer users something that they can’t get from their phones: better quality. The images are then easily ported over to the devices and then shared to the web. However, someone will soon need to put apps like Instagram and Facebook in the cameras without the use of the Android system.
Despite this news, the company had a tremendous stock rise today. According to the Wall St Journal report though, other manufactures such as Canon are even struggling with point and shoot sales. And for years, Canon Powershots were the absolute best that one could get. But with the recent competition from Fujifilm’s X series and Sony’s RX series with significantly larger sensors, we’re not very sure that the small sensor camera market can survive.
After reading the specs of this camera all I could think was “what else could they possibly add?” At a price that sits comfortably below the incredibly popular RX100 the new HX50V seems to be very capable on paper. The camera may not have the sensor of the RX100 but it does have GPS and Wi-Fi. It also doesn’t house the large f1.8 aperture of it’s bigger brother but it does have an extremely impressive 30x optical zoom. Trade offs like these may not even be a deal breaker for some but at the price of $449 it’s still a lot to ask for a point and shoot camera.
This new point and shoot from Sony appears to have it all, adding even a couple features that more expensive cameras don’t have like the Multi Interface Shoe. The show would allow use of Sony mics, flashes and other compatible accessories. Other main features include a 20.4MP 1/2.3″ Exmor R CMOS sensor that can capture full 1080p footage at 60fps or 10 still frames in a burst. As mentioned the camera packs a 30x optical zoom that Sony claims is twice as stable and fast when compared to their HX200V camera. For those who don’t speak optical zoom magnification the lens has a 35mm equivalent of 24-720mm with an five blade aperture of f3.5-6.3. In my opinion it’s quite the impressive feat since just a couple years ago these huge zooms were only found in bridge cameras.
The hot shoe, PASM modes and the exposure dial give you the idea that this is a serious point and shoot. Pro features along with the welcomed built in Wi-Fi and GPS make me wonder what else they could possibly through into this, my thought? Nothing. The future is exciting and this guy could be yours this May for $449.
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It’s been a while since we saw a new Ricoh camera–but something like what we saw recently had to be coming. For those of you not familiar, the Ricoh GR series of film point and shoots were legendary amongst street photographers for their excellent quality, ease of use, and small size combined with low profile looks. The previous generations of Ricoh GR compacts had small sensors, but manufacturers have been figuring out how to put larger sensors into smaller camera bodies. With that said, consider Ricoh’s latest camera–branded as the Ricoh GR (due to the total revamp of the camera) this point and shoot should instead be called a fixed lens camera. With a 28mm (equivalent) f2.8 lens (f3.5 in full frame) and an APS-C sensor with no low pass filter, Ricoh is coming back, fighting tooth and claw with Fujifilm, Nikon, and Sony in the large sensor compact market.
And for $799.95, it looks like quite the temptress.
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Photo courtesy of AP and Microsoft Paint
Weekend Humor isn’t meant to be taken seriously. So don’t, ya rube.
Size does matter, it seems, at least when it comes to a would-be photographer’s insecurity about the $200 point & shoot (s)he purchased on Amazon. Recently, there has been a clamor for Canon to do something to help lift the spirits of its point & shoot consumer base. A quick peek in the Amazon reviews of such cameras or the comments section of Photobucket will tell anyone that the owners of these cameras feel lacking when they put their work on the web for the world to see. Heeding the call of its flock, Canon ramped up production of the EOShell, a DSLR-sized case into which folks can pop their PowerShots. [click to continue…]
Along with the new Rebel cameras, Canon is announcing a brand new point and shoot camera. The new SX280 HS sports a 12.1MP sensor, 20x optical zoom, WiFi connectivity, a DIGIC 6 imaging processor, ISO performance up to 6400, and high speed burst capabilities at 14FPS and full resolution. Indeed, it is quite the speed demon. Now before you go and say, “my camera can go faster” just remember that this is a point and shoot dude. And it’s at full resolution! The camera also sports a 3.0 inch, 461k LCD screen.
The PowerShot SX280 HS digital camera is expected to ship in April 2013 for an estimated retail price of $329.99.
More hands on photos are after the jump.
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The Fujifilm X-F1 Compact Camera is the latest model to come out of the X-Series, and it breaks into a new class of camera for the series. While the X10 grazed the compact camera field, the X-F1 bravely enters and takes the center stage as their flagship pocketable compact camera. Bowing up to larger competitors like the Canon S100 and Sony RX100, this camera takes a stand as a new way of addressing a common consumer market. With its exclusive lens extension system and the trend-setting retro return to leatherette and metal bodies, this camera boldly stakes its claim in the top shelf as a premium compact camera.
Not one to breeze by on looks alone, the Fuji X-F1 boasts some impressive performance capabilities and the image quality that has become a trademark feature of the X-Series next to their undeniably sexy exteriors. The functionality and interface that Fuji has crafted for this particular model in their lineup also makes for an enjoyable and rewarding shooting experience that makes one wonder how necessary some of the larger and more unwieldy cameras on the market really are for the average daily carry.
So, obviously the Fujifilm X-F1 can boast considerably in various qualities and accolades, but how does this camera really measure up in daily use? I held this question fully in mind as I touted this little wonder around for a couple weeks and hope to impart a little of the experiences I had with this camera as faithfully as I possibly can. Let’s dive in to see just what makes this small image maker really shine and where it flounders.
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