Kodak Z980: 24x superzoom Review

Kodak Z980 Megazoom camera
The Kodak Z980 is an ideal camera for photographers looking to do more and get more from their digital camera,” said John Blake, General Manager Digital Capture and Devices, Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. “The versatile lens, combined with our exclusive Smart Capture feature, lets consumers shoot great pictures in any setting - from daylight to night or from close-ups to landscapes, the camera makes adjustments automatically."

Kodak Z980 camera features
• Kodak’s exclusive Smart Capture feature, which analyzes scenes and adjusts camera settings to deliver beautiful pictures more often;
• 26 mm wide angle/24X Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon Image Stabilized Optical Zoom Lens;
• HD picture and video capture;
• Vertical shutter release and detachable vertical grip, for greater comfort and control when shooting scenes vertically;
• Hot shoe for the optional Kodak P20 flash;
• 12 MP for prints up to 30”x40”;
• Bright and detail-rich 3-inch indoor/outdoor color display;
• Compatible with new Kodak WI-FI Memory Cards and Kodak SDHC/SD Memory Cards;

Canon Powershot SX10 IS Digital Camera Review

The Canon PowerShot SX10 IS is an excellent 10 MP point-and-shoot with a powerful optical zoom and an excellent wide angle for close-up shots. The manual control gives the camera excellent options for creative photography. A good performing "Super Zoom" with various features at a reasonable price. The optical zoom range is fantastic and the 28 mm wide angle is very handy indoors.
Other features include face detection, face tracking and face self-timer, which works on group shots by snapping when the photographer enters the frame. Both models boast full manual control, with a multi-control dial giving quick access to all key settings with the lightest caress of your fingertips.
The PowerShot SX1 IS packs a 10-megapixel CMOS sensor and can manage 4 frames per second in burst mode. It also does full high definition movies, capturing 1080p HD video at 30fps. You also get an HDMI connection for playing back on your HDTV. Sound is in CD-quality stereo, with optical zooming and face detection while filming. The SX10 meanwhile does VGA movies.

Canon Powershot SX10 IS digital camera specifications
Max resolution - 3648 x 2736
Low resolution - 2816 x 2112, 2272 x 1704, 1600 x 1200, 640 x 480, 3648 x 2048
Image ratio w:h - 4:3, 3:2
Effective pixels - 10.0 million
Sensor photo detectors -
Sensor size - 1/2.3 " (6.16 x 4.62 mm, 0.28 cm²)
Pixel density - 35 MP/cm²
Sensor type - CCD
Sensor manufacturer - Unknown
ISO rating - Auto, 80 ,100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
Zoom wide (W) - 28 mm
Zoom tele (T) - 560 mm (20 x)
Digital zoom - Yes, 4x
Image stabilization - Yes, Lens
Auto Focus - AiAF TTL 9-point (with face detection)
Manual Focus - Yes
Normal focus range -
Macro focus range - 0 cm
White balance override - 6 positions & manual preset
Aperture range - F2.8 - F5.7
Min shutter - 15 sec
Max shutter - 1/3200 sec
Built-in Flash - Yes, pop-up
Flash range - 5.2 m
External flash - Yes, hot-shoe
Flash modes - Auto, Fill-in, Red-Eye reduction, Slow Sync, Off
Exposure compensation - -2 to +2 EV in 1/3 EV steps
Metering - Evaluative, Center Weighted, Spot
Aperture priority - Yes
Shutter priority - Yes
Focal length multiplier -
Lens thread - Yes
Continuous Drive - Yes, 0.7 fps
Movie Clips - Yes, 640 x 480, @ 30 fps, 320 x 240 @ 60 / 30 fps
Remote control - No
Self-timer - Yes, 2 or 10 sec or custom
Timelapse recording - No
Orientation sensor - Yes
Storage types - SD/SDHC/MMC card
Storage included - 32 MB SD card
Uncompressed format - No
Quality Levels - Super-Fine, Fine, Normal
Viewfinder - Electronic
LCD - 2.5 "
LCD Dots - 230,000
Live View - No
USB - USB 2.0 (480Mbit/sec)
HDMI - No
Wireless - No
Environmentally sealed - No
Battery - AA batteries (NiMH recommended)
Weight (inc. batteries) - 600 g (21.2 oz)
Dimensions - 128 x 88 x 87 mm (5 x 3.5 x 3.4 in)

Pentax K2000 digital SLR

Pentax announced a new entry-level digital SLR today, known as the K2000 (and the K-m outside of the USA) -- plus two lenses and a ring flash. In an unusual move, Pentax is including an external flash with the K2000 kit, It has a built-in flash. Here are the details on the camera and the new toys that go with it.

Pentax K2000 [specs]

* 10.2 effective Megapixel CCD
* Support for all Pentax K-mount lenses
* Compact, yet easy to hold body (which has a stainless steel chassis)
* Sensor-shift image stabilization system, also used for dust reduction
* 2.7" LCD display with 230,000 pixels; camera does not support live view
* Optical viewfinder with 0.85x magnification and 96% coverage
* Full manual controls + auto scene selection mode
* 5-point autofocus system
* Can shoot continuously at 3.5 frames/second
* Adjustment dynamic range and shadow adjustment features
* RAW image format supported; in-camera RAW development feature
* Hot shoe foe external flash; 1/180 sec x-sync speed
* SD/SDHC memory card slot
* Uses four AA batteries; no battery life numbers yet
* Includes the new F3.5-5.6, 18 - 55 mm kit lens, plus the AF200FG external flash; a double lens kit (adding the new F4.0-5.6, 50 - 200 mm lens) will be available next year

Now onto the new accessories. The 18-55 and 50 - 200 mm lenses that I mentioned above are the first Pentax lenses with the "DA L" designation.
Two lenses that are definitely new are in Pentax's DA* line. First we have a new F1.4, 55 mm SDM lens.There's a new F4, 60 - 250 mm ED SDM lens.

Digital Camera Binoculars Reviews

Digital-camera binoculars let you take digital photos (and usually short videos) of what you see enlarged in the binoculars at 7X, 8X or even 10X magnification -- much larger than the 4X optical zoom most digital cameras offer.

However, if your aim to get very good image quality then you're better to buying regular binoculars plus an ultra-zoom digital camera. Ultra-zoom digital cameras can match or exceed the magnification offered by digital cameras by using sharp optical zoom, offering much better image quality than any camera binoculars now available. As with a lot of convergence electronics, camera binoculars are neither the best camera nor the best binocular, but the convenience factor may ultimately outweigh those drawbacks, as long as you're not expecting the best photos.

Other factors, such as image stabilization capabilities, would do more to improve the image output from camera binoculars. More megapixels might mean that you could make a larger print, but if the photo isn't great in the first place, there's not much benefit. Still, if your expectations for binocular and photo quality are not too high, camera binoculars can be both fun and useful.