PhotographyBLOG has reviewed the Samsung WB650 compact digital camera. FYI, the Samsung WB650 is also known as the Samsung HZ35W. This 12MP compact camera comes equipped with a 15x (24-360mm) optically-stabilized lens and a large 3-inch AMOLED LCD screen. The Samsung WB650 also has several auto modes, which are perfect for beginners who wants to take great photos. Additionally, there are also advanced A/S/M shooting modes for the more experienced user. Here is a verdict:
Finally, as with most Samsung cameras, the WB650 has price on it’s side, officially costing £100 / $50 less than its main rival, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ10. While the image quality isn’t quite as good in terms of noise, the longer zoom, AMOLED screen, and more sophisticated A/S/M modes make the WB650 a very capable and crucially cheaper alternative to its Japanese competitor. Highly recommended.
The Samsung WB650/ HZ35W is now available in black for £299 ($349). [PhotographyBLOG]
Image-acquire has reviewed the Sony DCR-SR68 camcorder that provides a 80GB hard disk drive, so you can capture and store up to 61 hours (LP mode) of video footage. The DCR-SR68 also delivers sharp, high-resolution images thanks to a professional-quality Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, while the 60X optical zoom lets you capture tight shots from a distance. This affordable video recorder also has a 2.7-inch Clear Photo color LCD monitor, the SteadyShot image stabilization, a variety of scene recognition modes and fader effects and a digital still photo mode. Here is the conclusion:
Despite the fact that you’re probably going to need a pretty high-tension computer to get the most out of this camcorder, don’t worry. This is still a terrific camcorder regardless of its all-consuming hunger for accessories. The range is delightfully long and the controls seem to work pretty smoothly, so there’s no trouble there. There’s sufficient storage for twenty DVDs’ worth of material, and all of it at a pretty reasonable price, too.
You can buy the Sony DCR-SR68 camcorder for $349.99 at SonyStyle. [Image-acquire]
Dpreview has a comprehensive review of the recently released Olympus E-PL1 Micro Four Thirds camera. As a reminder, the E-PL1 boasts an accessory port for add-ons such as the electronic viewfinder. This 12-megapixel camera also features a simplified ‘Live Guide’ interface, a 2.7-inch LCD screen (230,000 dots), a built-in flash, a 720p HD video recording (MJPEG compression), ISO 100-3200, and 6 “Art Filter” creative effects. Here is the verdict:
The E-PL1 is the first mirrorless camera to marry its size and image quality advantages to the accessibility of a compact camera. Olympus has simply slipped an easy-to-use interface on top of its PEN DSLR-in-a-smaller-box concept. That power is there if you want it, even if the pared back design means the operation isn’t as quick as it can be with the other PENs. Point-and-shoot users won’t get the very most out of the camera but, thanks to an excellent JPEG engine, it’s likely they’ll spend much of their time too delighted by their pictures to worry about it.
You can purchase the Olympus PEN E-PL1 for $599.99. See more pictures after the jump. Read more
Image-acquire has a brief review about the Panasonic FH22 compact digital camera. The 14MP digicam features an 8x optical zoom, a 4x digital zoom, a 3-inch LCD touchscreen display, a variety of scene and white balance modes, a nine-point AutoFocus, and a built-in flash. Here is a verdict:
Great resolution, onboard memory, plenty of features and a terrific zoom come together to make an excellent quality camera. Though again, it suffers from a slim design that may pose some challenges in ease of use, there’s more than enough here to make up for that.
[Image-acquire]
The Sigma DP2 pseudo-DSLR camera is now available to pre-order at Amazon. This high-end compact digital camera is equipped with a 14 megapixel Foveon X3 direct image sensor, a 2.5-inch TFT color display, a ‘True’ image processing engine, a built-in flash and a 24.2mm (41mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens. The DP2 is capable to record images in RAW or the widely used JPEG in four resolution modes. It also offers five Exposure modes as well as three Metering modes. Pre-order now for $649, although an estimated ship date remains unknown. [Electronista]
Rolei has recently introduced its latest rugged digital camera Rollei X-8 Sport at IFA show in Berlin. The model shown has Chuck Norris photo nicely fitted on its frontal exterior, which probably tried to suggest the toughness of the camera – literally. True enough, the Rollei X-8 Sports is a lightweight sturdy camera at only 158g, featuring resistance to moisture, dirt and cold, waterproof to 10m, and able to withstand 1m drop. Other specs include up to 1600 of ISO, 8 megapixels, and 3x optical zoom. The Rollei’s “Chuck Norris” X-8 Sport will be available sometimes in October for an undisclosed price. We believe the “clean-cut” version will also be available. We’ll keep you posted. [Techdigest]
