Thursday, February 24, 2011

Shock news from Sony: NEX-3 is axed!

Sony has stopped making it's NEX-3 compact camera for the home (Japanese) market it seems. This is something of a shock considering that the model has only been on sale here in the UK for 8 months. This is probably an indication that the model will soon be axed over here too. Whether this means a new model is about to be announced is unclear. The NEX-3, along with the NEX-5, was Sony's first step into the world of mirror-less interchangeable lens cameras.

The NEX-3 boasts a 14.2-million-pixel Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor and delivers full 1920x1080 pixel HD movie recording in AVCHD format

Saturday, February 12, 2011

A580 DSLR - living in the shadow of A55?

The Sony A580 DSLR hasn't received the same level of attention that it's sibling, the A55 has. This may be due to the A55 (along with the A33) having the cool and sexy Translucent mirror technology, whereas the A580 comes with the more traditional mirror technology inside.

In terms of specification, other than the mirror technology and it's benefits, there isn't a great deal of difference between the two models.

Here's what they have in common:

Resolution: 16.2 MP Resolution
Sensor: APS-C sensor
Live View: Quick AF Live View
Video: Full HD AVCHD video
Rear LCD: 7.5cm LCD Screen with vertical tilt (A55 has swivel as well)
CPU: BIONZ processor with dual Noise reduction
Creative features:
  • Sweep Panorama with 
  • ISO: Up to ISO 12800 on both cameras
  • AF System: 15-point phase-detection AF system with 3 cross-type sensors
  • Image Stabilisation: SteadyShot INSIDE
  • Sensor Cleaning: Dual anti-dust system
  • HD Connector: HDMI® output
  • BRAVIA TV: BRAVIA® Sync to allow direct control of camera playback via TV Remote
Here's where they differ:
  • Viewfinder: A55 has EVF (1.15 million dots resolution) whereas A580 has optical viewfinder (95% coverage) 
  • High Speed Continuous Shooting: A55 has 10fps compared to A580's 7fps


So, one can see that in essence there is little between them and both would make ideal choices for the intermediate photographer or even a professional looking for a second body to complement their A900 or A700.


Price-wise they are similarly priced: A580 body currently £589.00 and A55 available for £649, so if you can do without the extra 3fps of the A55 and prefer an optical viewfinder to an EVF, you can save yourself  almost £60.00.



Tuesday, February 08, 2011

Canon announce EOS 600D and EOS 1100D DSLRs

Canon have announced two new DSLRs, available early April this year; the EOS 600D and EOS 1100D.

The 600D has the following features:

Features

  • 18-megapixel CMOS sensor
  • Scene Intelligent Auto mode
  • Full-HD EOS Movie
  • On-screen Feature Guide
  • 3.7fps continuous shooting
  • Wide-area 9-point AF
  • 1,040k-dot vari-angle 7.7cm (3.0”) screen
  • Basic+ and Creative Filters
  • Built-in wireless flash control 
The 1100D has the following features:

Features

  • Superior 12-megapixel image quality
  • On-screen Feature Guide
  • Creative Auto and Basic+
  • HD video capture
  • ISO 100-6400 sensitivity
  • Wide-area 9-point AF system
  • 63-zone iFCL exposure metering
  • 6.8cm (2.7”), 230,000-dot screen
  • Use with all EF and EF-S lenses 
Both cameras are essentially minor upgrades to existing models (the 550D and the 1000D). This may mean that bargains are to be had in buying the existing model in the next few weeks as their replacements entry into the market draws near. Already we are starting to see some price reductions in anticipation of the arrival of both models. Certainly I would hold off buying either the 550D or the 1000D until after the arrival of the new models.

Prices have yet to be officially confirmed but some retailers are quoting  £679 for the 600D Body and £499 for the 1100D with 18-55mm IS Lens.

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