Gizm0 - Gadget Blog for the Technology Obsessed.

It seems here at Gizm0.com all we talk about are cameras, maybe we should start a camera blog or hire a few more writers. Anyhoo, we can’t help it, cameras are the ultimate gizmos, shooting pics, recording audio and now shooting HD video?!  That’s right folks, meet the newest HD camcorder, the very svelt Panasonic DMC-TZ5K.

We’re not talking low-res, 15 fps here.  No, this is full blown 1280×720 HD resolution at 30 fps! You can even zoom around when you’re shooting that glorious HD video, and when you’re done, simply plug it into your HD plasma to watchurbate amongst your brethen, or roommates, or whatever.

The TZ5 is the most capable camera we’ve seen so far in the new class of point and shoot HD video. On the still picture side, it rocks 9 megapixels and a novel Clipboard function, which lets you take pics of hard to read things like maps in a way that makes it well, readable. There’s also of course the Leica 28mm lense and 10X optical zoom. We don’t think it records stereo sound, but we’re pretty sure it will eventually. If you need to replace that clunky camcorder, grab one of these now for about $349.

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Casio’s Exilim Z9 may not rock 13 megapixels like the Sony W300 we just featured, but it does come in pink, and orange, and all sorts of colors girls and non-geeks find adorable.  That alone may win it a spot in a teenager’s pocket, but Casio Exilim Z9 is no toy.  Rocking 8 megapixels, 23 best-shot pre-sets, an easy mode for people who want to take pictures, not think, and a 3X optical zoom.  It also shoots video ready-made for Youtube.

According to Bill Heuer, Vice President of Casio’s Digital Imaging Division, “Casio’s innovative YouTube Capture Mode allows videos to be recorded and uploaded directly to YouTube in as few as 3 steps, making the EX-Z9 perfect for online video enthusiasts.”

Feature Highlights:

• Stylish, slim, compact model featuring 8.1 million effective megapixels and 3x optical zoom.
• Generous 2.6-inch wide LCD display
• 23 Best Shot Modes for high quality images
• Anti Shake DSP for reducing photo blur due to shaky hands or moving subjects
• Easy Mode for simplifying the camera settings
• Casio’s Face Detection technology for maintaining a sharp focus

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Sony Cyber-shot W300 

The Sony W300 is the first point and shoot to cross 12 mega pixels, stuffing a whopping 13.6 mega pixels into its compact point-and-shoot frame.  There are also a few “pro” features thrown in, like high-speed shooting at an impressive 5 frames per second, although they had to drop the megapixel count to just three for that to work.  There’s image stabilization built in and ISO up to 6,400.   Don’t get too excited about that either,  manufacturers usually promise more then they can achieve at the highest ISOs.  Still, an ISO of 6,400 makes ISO 1,600 seem like a reasonable proposition.

In addition, to the above, the Sony W300 sports a 3X optical zoom and a reasonable $350 price - its due to ship in May.

Sony Cyber-shot H50

If the optical zoom is really important to you, you might want to opt for the companion Sony Cyber-shot H50, which sports an unusually high 15x optical zoom, but takes down mega pixels down to 9.1.  While sacrificing pixels, the Cyber-shot H50 is a more powerful camera in many ways.  Besides the optical zoom, which is quite impressive for a point and shoot, the Cyber-shot H50 also rocks a powerful flash.  It can illuminate subjects up to 55 feet away.  There’s also optical image stabilization as well as a dynamic range optimizer to keep blow outs and highlights in check.  Its scheduled to come in at $400 but might just be the more useful camera overall.  Point and shoots aren’t usually used to make poster-sized prints, and  9 quality megapixels is enough for gorgeous 8×11 prints.

We also like this matte-gray finish - very new and very modern.  Sony is trying to take the lead and the Cyber-shot H50 as well as the Cyber-shot W300 stuff more features then we’ve seen in a point and shoot.  No word on their movie modes, we’ll update you as we find out more.

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Ricoh’s Caplio is a pretty interesting offering - part of that fancy point and shoot category everyone is jumping into.  The Ricoh R8’s point of differentiation is a a serious 28-200 mm focus range.  It also zooms out by a 7.1x factor for long shots.   The Ricoh R8 is an update of the Ricoh R7 and is taking that Sigma DP-1 look, which itself is a take on the Leica M8 minimalism.   ISO on the Ricoh R8 is 1,600, which would be sweet for low-light shots.

The lower budget Ricoh Caplio R50 shares the same 10 megapixel lense but has a more modest 36-180mm 5X optical zoom.  We’re not going to show you the R50, looks like every other silver point and shoot.  No word on pricing.  Fairly interesting, but given the competition, we’d rather have that Sigma DP-1.

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Let’s start with the basics. The Sigma DP-1 is what you might call a fancy point and shoot. Its also a thousand dollars. Oh yeah, its also not a Canon or a Nikon. Worse, there’s no built in flash (just a hotshoe), and no zoom - just a 16.6 mm fixed local length lense (roughly equal to 28 millimeter S.L.R. point of view). For goodness sake, it doesn’t even have an optical viewfinder standard. So what’s so hot about it? Well, try a brand new 14 megapixel Foveon image sensor. Do we have your attention yet?

Guess who they’re gunning after? The Leica M8. Do you remember how much one of those bad boy costs? $7,500. That’s right. Besides, that optical viewfinder thing, well you can buy one as an add-on for $150, so while annoying, its still roughly $6,350 less then the Leica M8.

Oh we’d wish they’d use a little red paint in the design though - a splash here, a line there. Something that takes this camera from not only a perfomer, but a design as well. That’s what the Leicas are - digital versions of Rolex and Omega watches, something that not only works but shows off well.

We’ll get you reviews as soon as we can but for now, we can’t recommend something that takes this much work to take good pictures and look sexy at the same time.

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With the announcement of the Canon Eos Rebel XSi (e.g. the Canon 450D), one has to pause.  Yes, the newly unveiled Nikon D60 is a great update to the D40 and D40x, but being resolution whores, its hard to miss that the Rebel XSi is 12 megapixels to Nikon D60’s 10 megapixels.   Despite Nikon fanboy assertions otherwise, Canon is not a toy company, 12 megapixels is not just a number.  Canon  has their sites set on killing the megapixel race (24 megapixels on their top camera, the Mark III).  Even hardcore Nikon man Ken Rockwell  has given Canon props for their superior resolving ability when he compared the Canon 5D to Nikon D3.  We also noticed that Canon has a much more generous 3″ LCD “Live View” display, as compared to Nikon D60’s 2.5″.  That’s a huge difference if you want to enjoy the photo you just snagged.  2.5″ sucks.

Nikon D60 does have one very sweet feature - its called Active-D Lighting.  Basically it compensates  for all of those blown highlights that make digital photography and cinematography so challenging.  According to Senor Ken Rockwell, “This feature automatically identifies highlight areas that will be lost, and does its best to bring them under control. It works, and it works automatically.”

So which do we get for our entry level DSLR?  Well the Nikon D60 is slightly more affordable then the Rebel XSi,  (about $750 with lense kit at Adorama vs Canon Rebel’s $799 at J&R).

This reminds us of the battle between Sony and Panasonic camcorders.  The Panasonic HVX200 never had the resolution of the Sony FX-1 or Z1 (they’re both HD camcorders).  The Panasonic was always given credit for producing better looking, more filmic images - probably because of the way they handled dynamic range and highlights, while Sony always resolved better, which matters when you’re considering blow-up to theatrical size screens.

Therein lies your answer.  Are you planning on printing your pics to enormous gallery size displays?  If so, all the way to the high end, Canon is a better choice.  If the D3 can’t resolve as well as the Canon 5D, which is half the price, then resolution whores should stick to Canon.  If however, glorious photos without too much photoshop work is what you’re after, the Nikons are better choices, all the way down to the Nikon D40 (which is what the D60 essentially replaces).  Us?  We’re resolution whores, because we can do whatever the hell we want with the pic in Photoshop, except pretend we shot it in 12 megapixels!

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Wanna see the Sigma DP1 being manhandled by overexcited gearheads? This crossover between a point and shoot and DSLR boasts 14 megapixels and a gorgeous Leica/Canon G9 rugged style. Looks kinda hefty to us. What do you think?

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There’s a new breed of cameras gaining in popularity - the crossover or high end point and shoot.  There’s of course the Canon G9, and now Sigma DP1.  Besting the Canon G9’s 12 megapixels, the Sigma DP1 boasts 14 megapixels.

Dropping this Spring, the Sigma DP1  employs a “14-megapixel Foveon sensor that defines its shooting characteristics. The new three-layer silicon technology (also used in the SD14) captures each portion an RGB image in one pixel instead of three and allows the sensor to be several times larger than for other point-and-shoots this size; this provides both a major lift both to resolution as well as color response” this according to the good folks at Sigma.

Most exciting too us (besides the high pixel count) is the shallow depth of field capability of the Sigma DP1. Using “a custom-tailored 16.6mm f4 lens that can produce a shallow depth of field effect normally impossible with compact cameras.”  We don’t know the price but we’re guessing its going to be competing with the $400-$500 Canon G9.  No word on video capability but if its not at least 720P like the Lumix FX35, we’d be disappointed.

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Sony is showcasing their Sony Alpha 24.8 Megapixel DSLR for all the world to salivate.  Referring to this pixel beast as the “flagship” Sony Alpha, experts suggest that the 24.8 megapixel chip will “only” be able to produce about 24 effective megapixels due to sensor limitations.  Still, that’s more than twice the megapixels of the upcoming Nikon D60 DSLR.

Now you can take pictures of your pet cat and turn into a billboard for all the world to see.  The Sony Alpha flagship (model not yet determined) will still feature the Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar lense, and upgrade options will include a lense with a minimum f2.8 aperture and manual focus override.

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Coming in March, Panasonic’s Lumix FX35  is a good looking chap sporting the famous Leica badge, 10 megapixels and to us, the sweetest spec, 720P HD video!  Hitting your wallet for $350, Lumix FX35 features a 25 mm ultra-wide Leica lense, 4x optical zoom, optical image stabilization and the ability to take pics at HD 1920×1080.  The HD era has (finally) hit your point and shoot folks.

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