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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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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According to the most hardcore HD camera nerd out there, Senor Mike Curtis, the new Sony XDCAM EX-1, the so-called Baby CineAlta, maybe be the best video camera under $10K. (after that its the Red One but forget its starting $17K price, its nearly triple the cost of the Sony EX-1 if you figure in the lense and everything else).

If you haven’t heard by now, its loaded to the gills with pro specs - three 1/2″ CMOS chips, full raster 1920×1080, 1080/24p, solid state P-2, variable frame rate, 4.7 lbs, (steadicam Merlin friendly!). If you’re still holding on to that HVX200, Mike says the EX-1 is “significantly better” then the HVX.

Nerdy spec wars aside, “put the footage of the Ex1 next footage of the HVX and there is no two ways about it - the EX1 is the best looking image ever seen on a camera under 10k.” so sell that HVX, cop that EX-1 or rent it out for $200/day, what’s the problem?

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