Heather

A walk in the city with the Fuji X20: First pictures

19/03/2013 By Heather

Update: Check out our x20 full review, homemade macro test, Photoshow gallery, Advanced mode test, and high ISO test.

Nothing could have delighted us more than the phone call we received this morning in Mat’s studio. A single copy of the Fujifilm x20 had just arrived at our local camera store, and it was waiting for us to pick it up and take it home. (Yes, we anthropomorphise our cameras!)

Unfortunately, Mat was knee-deep in work for his studio, so I decided to take our new Fuji friend out for a inaugural stroll myself.

I have to say that, for a camera with a small sensor, the image quality is very good. I have yet to see the colours and dynamic range in RAW format as Lightroom has not yet released a software update for the X20 and X100S, but the colours of the JPGs that come straight out of the camera seem natural and pleasant. Shadows seem a little bit too dark in some shots, but we will see the true potential of the camera in the RAW files.

Nikon presents the new Nikkor 32mm f/1.2 lens for the Nikon 1 series

13/03/2013 By Heather

Do you own a mirrorless camera in the Nikon 1 series? Then you’ll be over the moon to hear that Nikon is prepared to released a new lens for the system … and it’s a goodie.

It will be a 32mm f/1.2 portrait lens, which is the equivalent of an 86.4mm focal length on a full-frame camera. Both large and fast, it will make a great addition to any Nikon enthusiast’s collection. Not to mention it looks quite fine paired with the V2.

The OM-D Successor 2013? What we’d like to see…

10/03/2013 By Heather

There is no doubt that Olympus has struck gold with the creation of the OM-D E-M5, a mirrorless camera with a compact body and a level of image quality that would rival even the newest low-to-mid end DSLRs from Nikon and Canon. This incredible image quality remains intact even at high ISO levels and slow shutter speeds thanks to its internal image stabilisation. (Read our full review to find out more.) If that weren’t enough, this camera is also a looker, with its attractive retro-styling. In short, the OM-D E-M5 is pure perfection, and even comes at a reasonable price for the amount you receive in such a small package.

So, on a camera as perfect as the OM-D E-M5, where could Olympus possible make improvements? Having owned the camera for over a month now, here are a few suggestions we’d like to put forward to Olympus, if they’ll lend us an ear!

Samsung NX1100 Manual Posted on Samsung Website

08/03/2013 By Heather

It seems that Samsung is popping out new mirrorless cameras faster than reproducing rabbits. Less than a mere year after the release of the NX1000, Samsung has added yet another mirrorless camera to its NX line-up – the NX1100, which is said to be a minor upgrade from the NX1000.

The specs include: a 20.3 MP sensor, ISO 100-12800, a 3-inch LCD screen, 8fps continuous shooting, built-in WiFi, and RAW and JPG shooting.

Nikon Coolpix A: The new point-and-shoot with a large sensor

05/03/2013 By Heather

With the photography world’s attention fixated upon the long-awaited release of the Fujifilm x100s and x20, Nikon has been laying low, seemingly uninterested (or unprepared) to challenge its competitors with a new high-end point-and-shoot of its own.

What a surprise, then, when today, Nikon announced the pending release of the new Nikon Coolpix A, a compact point-and-shoot camera with a fixed 18.5mm lens with a maximum aperture of f/2.8 and a large 16-megapixel DX sensor. Interestingly, the DX sensor, used in entry-level and semi-professional Nikon DSLRs, is much bigger than the CX sensor found in the Nikon 1 mirrorless series. This begs the question: will we one day see a mirrorless DX camera from Nikon?