Gizmodo: pma 2008

Sony's Next Gen Alpha A900 DSLR: 25 Megapixels, Due By September

Haroon Malik — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:30:00 EDT

Sony's Alpha A900 practically blew us away when we first had an opportunity to grope it, which was way back during PMA '08 in January. Well, it looks like the Sony lads are again showing off their 25MP full-frame pro sensor toting DSLR in Japan, along with a launch date of August/September. Our pals at Master Chong were able to grab a whole slew of new images of the device, as well as shots of the neat looking, clear-bodied iteration pictured above. [Master Chong; Thanks, Felix]

PMA Round Up: The Lean, No BS Version

matt buchanan — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:05:04 EST

Megapixels, ISO, live view, DSLRs and point-and-shoots, oh my! It was cold, wintry and brutal in Vegas—I actually needed a coat, plus I think I caught a cold. Relive the best (and worst) of my glories, plus a sweet video treat.

DSLRs
First Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi Hands On: Your XTi Is Now Junk
A Word About the Canon EOS 5D Successor
Shifty Eyes on Sony Alpha 350: Shooting From the Hip
Hands On Nikon D60 With Stop Motion Movie Walkthrough

Point-and-Shoots
Hands On Olympus Stylus 1030 SW Indestructo-Point-and-Shoots
Hands On Panasonic Lumix TZ5 10X Zoomer and HD Camcorder
Fujifilm S1000fd and S8100fd Ultra-Zoom Pro-sumer Camers have 12x and 18x Zoom
Sony DSC-T300 Sony's Top Line Slim Cam
Poll: Is HD Video the Next Must-Have Point-and-Shoot Feature?

Other cool stuff
Sony's 25-Megapixel Full-frame Sensor Lands in Massive Sony DSLR
Leica M8: A Camera for Life
Korean Engineers Develop Miraculous 20,000 Year Photo
Panasonic's Wannabe Ninjas

Okay, some BS
An Unfortunate Grope of SmartParts' Fugly Digital Photo Frame/Printer
Hands On Fujifilm S100FS Faux DSLR: Why?

If you want absolutely everything, here's your ticket.

And now, what you've really been waiting for, from the crazy dudes at DigitalCameraInfo:

Is HD Video the Next Must-Have Point 'n' Shoot Feature?

Eric Sheline — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 11:32:25 EST

At PMA 2008, it seemed like everyone is adding HD video recording to their digital point 'n' shoot lineup: Panasonic's TZ5 and FX35, Samsung's NV24HD, a few Kodak EasyShare cameras and even one Canon PowerShot, the TX-1. Though Sony, Nikon and Fujifilm are still notably missing from the bandwagon, and Canon doesn't seem to be pushing hard just yet, we predict that 720p video recording is the next big upsell, now that image stabilization, face recognition and in-camera editing are nearly ubiquitous. The question is:

Delkin ImageRouters Can Dump 8 CF Cards At Once

matt buchanan — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 10:30:00 EST

Delkin's ImageRouter is for photogs who are in need of some serious dumpage, and fast. The basic unit lets you unload four Compact Flash cards simultaneously. The thing takes up about as much room as the Xbox 360's power brick, though fortunately it doesn't weigh a metric ton. If you want to get stupid ridiculous, you can daisy-chain two blocks together onto the powered USB port to handle a total of eight CF cards. Unfortunately the software doesn't work for Macs yet, so if you plugged it into one you'd just see four separate drives, killing the convenience factor of dumping about a million photos at once. It's $149 w/o software, jumping to $249 with the Windows-only utility. [Product Page]

The Most Massive Lens at PMA 2008

matt buchanan — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:41:00 EST

It's not quite the biggest lens ever, but this 1000mm focal length lens was the biggest piece of glass we could find at PMA, and the fattest mofo that Sigma pumps out. This bazooka-sized kit carries an appropriately explosive price —$22,000—and can swallow a man's head whole. Believe me, Eric's head is not tiny. He didn't shove his head all the way in, because he was afraid he wouldn't get it back. You could see genuine fear on his face. Fear. [Sigma]

Panasonic Booth Acrobats Bounce Around Like Wannabe Ninjas

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 23:30:00 EST

We know most of you guys would prefer hot booth babes filling up our megapixels, but Panasonic's above all of that sexyist mess. Instead, they gave us some freerunners hopped up on caffeine, rainbows and Abercrombie cologne running and rebounding like ADD children. [PMA @ Giz]

Korean Engineers Develop Miraculous 20,000-Year Photograph

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 22:30:00 EST

Tucked into a dark and tiny corner of the PMA showfloor is a revolution made by a small Korean company called Wooyoun: metal photographs that last for 20,000 years. These images depicting the Democratic US presidential frontrunners (and no Republicans) were chemically etched in a patented, print-like process—probably with stuff that gives improperly masked technicians some horribly debilitating ailment. They'll last up to 1,000 years under the hot unforgiving sun. Hear that? Screw biodegradability. Put another way, that Hillary card you see in the gallery will outlast her reign by at least 15,000 years.

An Unfortunate Grope of SmartParts' Fugly Digital Photo Frame/Printer

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 21:30:00 EST

Digital photo frames were the spammiest product spam at CES, lurking around every corner with their crappiness so I still have a biley taste in my mouth. SmartParts' efforts to pile crappy function atop crappy function with a built-in photo printer, unsurprisingly just amounts to one big crapgasm. On the front, it looks like any other generic frame, but peer behind its faux-elegant bezel and you'll see some serious junk in the trunk.

I will admit it's kind of cool watching the printer add layers of dye sublimation to add build one full picture, but the novelty quickly wears off. It takes about a minute to print, and it's instantly touchable. But the photos suck. This is a pre-production model, so it could get better, but the sample I printed removed all subtlety from the photo—shadow detail lost, whites blown out and noticeable bleed.

The paper stock is mediocre and you can't even upgrade—you buy proprietary cartridges for $20 that have 36 sheets, with dye cartridge to match. Then you've gotta buy a new one. The printer, as you can imagine, adds a ~~little~~ lot of heft. This hunchbacked mess is not the digital photo frame you were looking for. [Giz @ PMA]

GE's E1050 Camera: Touchscreen, GPS, Blink and Face Detecting Cameras

Brian Lam — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 19:37:19 EST

Impressive. I didn't think GE had it in them to meet the regulars of the camera world with popular features like smile detection, higher ISO support, and even a touchscreen, built-in GPS and blink detection. There are new low end A series, the slim G series, and midrange E series cameras, too. [BW]

Leica M8: A Camera for Life

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:08:12 EST

Leica fanatics are different than regular people, so it's no surprise Leica's taking an entirely different—but brilliant—approach with its M8: It's everlasting. Instead of dropping an M9 or M10, Leica is offering substantial upgrades to the M8 itself—mechanical and digital components, so it'll slowly evolve into a new camera. The first package is a sapphire LCD screen, which can only be scratched by a diamond, plus a new, quieter, less shaky shutter, at a cost of around $1,800.

Here's how it works: You reserve an update spot at leica-camera.com, and then they'll tell you when you can send in your camera. They'll pick it up, ship it to Germany and install the updates and the latest firmware, then send it back to you. In a nice move, participation in the upgrade automatically extends your warranty by another two years. This first sapphire update package will be available in March, and they'll offer up fresh ones as they develop them, including, from the way it sounds, even a new sensor at some point. [Leica]

Sony's 25-Megapixel Full-Frame Sensor Lands in Massive Sony DSLR

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:44:47 EST

This is something of a surprise. We sorta didn't expect Sony's 25-megapixel full-frame serious pro sensor to land in a Sony DSLR. The cam's details are scant as hell—it doesn't even have a name, just "flagship model system." All we could squeeze out of recalcitrant reps, other than what we already know about that sweet sensor, is that it's definitely an '08 release and has a 3.5-inch LCD that's got at least a megapixel of resolution (the a700's screen was name-checked), plus it has built-in image stabilization. Since it's so prelim, no other specs, price or more definitive release date. Looks like the D3 and EOS-1Ds Mark III might have some new competition.

Hands On Panasonic Lumix TZ5 10X Zoomer and HD Camcorder

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:00:57 EST

First off, you can zoom while recording movies in 720p. It's a nice, slow 'n' steady zoom too, not a jerky or overly fast one, keeping things smooth while you shoot. The LCD is big and bright enough for HD videorecording on this kind of level, though it's not astounding or anything. It's sorta hard to tell just how silky and pristine the video is without hooking it up to a real live HDTV, but based on our fondlage, this could be a great point-and-shoot for bloggers (or even regular people!) who want to be able to shoot quick clips in HD since it's light but feels up to taking some abuse. [Original Post]

Hands On Fujifilm S100FS Faux DSLR: Why?

matt buchanan — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 09:00:13 EST

Okay, I get prosumer cams like Canon's G9 or even Fuji's other big-zoom shooters. The S100FS, I do not get. It's the same size as a DSLR. It costs the same as a DSLR ($799). But it's not a DSLR. And not in a good way.

Its showstopper feature, the ridonkulous ISO ratings, fell way short, though you should keep in mind this is a pre-production model, and it could get much better before it ships: A few snaps shot at 6400 had mad noise, evident even in playback on its LCD screen. That aside, I still can't really feel for this camera. The only feature I can say is neat is the tilting screen but Sony has it too on their new alphas. Maybe some more extensive testing would reveal otherwise, but my based on initial impressions, if you're going to pick up a camera that weighs, feels and is priced like a DSLR, just get a DSLR. [Giz @ PMA]

First Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi Hands On: Your XTi Is Now Junk

matt buchanan — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:36:13 EST

Unlike Nikon's D40x update, the D60, I'm pretty sure the Canon guy would've noticed if I swapped out my XTi with the XSi Indiana Jones style, and not just because it's tied to the table (I really wanted to). It feels more solid, both in the material (not as toy-like) and in the grip, which now uses the same kind of rubber roughage as the 40D to feel more manly.

Its interface is sexier, with subtle shading and color options, which look even better thanks to the great LCD screen (a necessity with live view, which well, worked). Shooting produced a more satisfying click than than the XTi as well and the autofocus was definitely snappy. We obviously couldn't subject it to lotsa photo tests right here, but if the specs and our bit of time add up correctly, this is the new entry-level DSLR king. [Giz @ PMA]

A Word About the Canon EOS 5D Successor

matt buchanan — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 23:30:45 EST

Interesting bit just tossed our way by the Canon rep when we asked about a 5D follow-up, slightly paraphrased: The EOS-1Ds line (their full-frame pro DSLRs) is on a three-year upgrade cycle. The 1Ds Mark II came out in 2004, and the Mark III dropped in 2007. The EOS 5D came out in 2005.

Draw your own conclusions.

Kodak's EasyShare Z1012 IS

Sean Fallon — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:02:54 EST

The Z1012 IS represents Kodak's latest addition to the line of EasyShare digital cameras. Features include: a 10-megapixel resolution, 12X optical zoom with optical image stabilization, high ISO (up to 3,200), and advanced settings like program, aperture and shutter priority, as well as full manual mode—all in a ultra-compact design. Expect to see the EasyShare Z1012 IS for $299.95 sometime in the first half of 2008. [LetsGoDigital]

Shifty Eyes On Sony Alpha 350: Shooting from the Hip

matt buchanan — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:50:48 EST

Confirmed: The Sony Alpha 350 is perfect for crotch-shots, limited only by the LCD's viewing angle, which is good, but not great. They weirdly didn't have the A300, but the A350 is the exact same, except for MP count—even the Sony rep said so. I'm honestly not too big on the body otherwise—too many buttons on maybe?—so I'm not sure the up-and-down LCD is going to sway me. Fujifilms' S100FS has one too, plus the awesome ISO performance, so it might be better suited to "dark" purposes. I'm gonna Battlemodo 'em later tonight.

Hands On Olympus Stylus 1030 SW Indestructo-Point and Shoots

matt buchanan — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:40:41 EST

Point-and-shoots bore the hell out of me, and most of the PMA P-and-S spam has all bled together at this point. But, I really like the shock- and water-proof armor Olympus has on its otherwise unremarkable 10MP Stylus 1030 SW. It's a steely hardass with style, and I love the exposed. It's actually very lightweight, but you still get a sense of its solidity in your hand (or banging it on the table). Its lesser sibling Stylus 850 SW is lesser both in person and on paper.

Hands On Nikon D60 With Stop-Motion Movie Walkthrough

matt buchanan — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 18:48:08 EST

Pop quiz: Which one of these is the D60, and which one is a D40? You can't tell, can you? Ha! That's because it really is pretty much the same chassis (and guts) so if you know the D40x, you know the D60. The best new thing is the stop-motion movie stringer, which is quick, if simple—here's the whole process:

[PMA 2008 Coverage @ Giz]

Sony A300 and A350 DSLRs Have Two-Way Tilting Live View

matt buchanan — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:00:01 EST

Sony is officially the last one to the PMA DSLR party, getting real with the A300 and A350 DSLRs we glimpsed earlier. The entry-level 10.2MP A300 (same CCD sensor as the A200, $800 w/lens) snaps away at "about 3fps," 100-3200 ISO, built-in image stabilization (vs. Nikon and Canon's lens approach) and indeed sports that oddball 2-way tilt screen for live view—good for semi-discretely shooting from your crotch, Chen-style. The A350 has the same features, but packs in 14.2MP (hey Sony, not the highest in its class), fires at 2.5fps in continuous shooting and will run $800 for the body.

SONY INTRODUCES TWO MAINSTREAM DSLR CAMERAS WITH
UNIQUE "QUICK AF LIVE" VIEW SYSTEM
SAN DIEGO, Jan. 30, 2008 - Sony is bringing live-view shooting to its digital SLR camera line with today's introduction of a 14.2-megapixel  (alpha) DSLR-A350 camera and 10.2-megapixel α (alpha) DSLR-A300 model. Both cameras feature new technologies that make picture taking faster, easier, and more familiar for first-time DSLR users.

Quick AF Live View System

They both offer Sony's new "Quick AF Live View" technology so you can frame photos on the camera's LCD without sacrificing auto-focusing speed common to other live-view systems.

Sony's innovative Pentamirror Tilt mechanism directs light to a dedicated live view image sensor, enabling fast and responsive TTL phase-detection auto-focusing, even during live view. Eliminating the focus delay of other systems, the new models are equally responsive whether using live view or optical viewfinder.

With its two sensor design, Quick AF Live View can even continuously focus-track the subject and provide live view during burst shooting, helping you capture that special moment.

Taking further advantage of Quick AF Live View is the models' variable angle 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD ™ screen. This makes it easy to frame scenes from high or low positions difficult to reach when using an eye-level viewfinder.
With Live View and an adjustable LCD, the cameras do not need to be in front of the user's face, allowing parents, for example, to maintain eye-contact when photographing their children.

"Mainstream users stepping up to DSLRs are looking for a similar experience to their point and shoot cameras, but without compromise in speed or performance" said Phil Lubell, director of marketing for digital cameras at Sony Electronics. "Quick AF Live View gives these new models a familiar shooting style without compromising speed - ideal for the growing market of first-time SLR users."
Exceptional Image Quality

The new models produce images with fine detail, rich tonality and vibrant color due to their APS-C CCD image sensors and BIONZ® processing engine. To aid shooting in low light, Super SteadyShot® image stabilization enables shutter speeds 2.5 to 3.5 steps slower than otherwise possible, with every compatible Minolta Maxxum® and Sony α (alpha) lens (sold separately) attached to the camera.

High sensitivity operation at ISO 1600 and 3200 and very low noise are made possible by the user-selectable high-ISO noise reduction features. Sony's D-Range Optimizer delivers suitable tonality and exposures with rich shadow and highlight detail, even under high contrast situations.
Powerful Performance, Easy to Use

The DSLR-A300 model can shoot about three continuous frames per second and the DSLR-A350 model can shoot up to two-and-a-half continuous frames per second, when using the optical viewfinder. Both are powered by the Bionz processing engine and supplied InfoLITHIUMTM battery for fast start-up times, quick response and long battery life - up to 730 shots per full charge when using the optical viewfinder and up to 410 shots per full charge in live-view mode.

Both models feature lighter, slimmer bodies for easy handling; an improved user interface; an automatic pop-up flash; a comfortable camera grip with an easily accessible mode dial; an anti-dust system to keep the CCD image sensor clean for spot-free pictures; and JPEG and RAW file format support. Both have a slot for CompactFlash™ Type I/II media cards.

An adaptor for Memory Stick Duo™ media cards is also available for the cameras and sold separately.
The new DSLR-A300 and DSLR-A350 cameras are compatible with a range of accessories, including the ergonomic Sony VG-B30AM vertical grip. Also available as an option is the new Sony HVL-F42AM flash unit. It offers advanced features such as automatic white balance adjustment with color temperature information, adjustable bounce angles, ADI metering and wireless remote operation to suit the needs of most photographers.
Price and Availability

The DSLR-A300 kit with a DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens will ship in April for about $800. The DSLR-A350 camera body will be available in March for about $800, and the DSLR-A350 kit with a DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 3.9x zoom lens will be available for about $900 at the same time. Both models will be available at sonystyle.com, Sony Style® retail stores (www.sonystyle.com/retail), military base exchanges, and authorized dealers nationwide. Pre-orders begin online today at www.sonystyle.com/dslr.

[Sony]