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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Panasonic and Sony are always bitter rivals and while we appreciate the Panasonic HVX200, the Sony XDCAM EX-1 takes it up about 10 notches.  We love our Sony XDCAM EX-1 pro-level handheld video camcorder.   The XDCAM EX-1 knocks the socks off the Panasonic HVX200, so of course Panasonic had to step up.

Their latest offering, the MHC150 (terrible name), looks alot like the HVX200 except uglier and more generic. Their format of choice is AVCHD and the MHC150 boasts 1080p/60.  Its supposed to ship in the fall and should roughly match the XDCAM EX-1’s $6.5K pricing. We bet the specs and prices will be a bit lower grade then the XDCAM EX-1, specs which is a low budget shooter’s dream come true.

In other words, don’t get too excited about this Panasonic.  The good news is that it may be a hint of other things to come. Frankly we’d be disappointed if this was all they had to battle the EX-1 with.

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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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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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