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Flip MinoHD

Gordon Mah Ung — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:55:05 -0500

We’re big fans of Flip Video’s incredibly easy-to-use pocket-size video cameras, but it’s been difficult to wholeheartedly recommend them given the superior video capabilities of today’s point-and-shoot digicams.

Flip’s new MinoHD changes that. This svelte camera is the same size as the standard-def Mino (4”x2”x.06”) but can record an hour of H.264-encoded 1280x720 720p video. The quality of the video ranges from fair to good, with noticeable video compression occurring on occasion. The MinoHD puts digicams and other SD-resolution microcams to shame; however, it’s not the right choice for enthusiasts who put a premium on image quality. Footage shot with an HDV 1080i or even 720p cam will easily outclass the MinoHD.

But that’s not what the MinoHD is about. This camera is all about spontaneity—the ability to whip out a camera at a moment’s notice in order to capture HD video and share it. While larger-format cameras certainly produce better-quality video, they won’t satiate the needs of your inner voyeur. Want to grab video of your buddy falling down a flight of stairs and get it on the Internet ASAP? The MinoHD will record the event in all its HD glory, and you can upload and edit your mini masterpiece from any computer with an Internet connection.

Once you’ve shot your video, flip out the built-in USB port, plug it into a PC, and you can upload the video as fast as your Internet connection will allow. The built-in app even has rudimentary titling and trimming capabilities. There are a few downsides, however: The camera is in bad need of a stabilizer and the composite-out video is a disappointment, but these issues don’t outweigh the fun you’ll have with this camera.

FujiFilm F40fd

Steve Klett — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:27:50 -0600

If you are all about achieving the highest possible image quality (even at the expense of other features), Fuji’s F40fd is the camera in this roundup for you.

Images were noticeably sharper and slightly more vivid—with less noise at high ISO speeds—than those produced by the other cameras reviewed here. You can expect to get nice 5x7 prints at 800 ISO. This quality comes with a bit of a performance trade-off, as the F40 was more sluggish in shot-to-shot performance, and the 3-second startup time is nearly twice as slow as that of the other cameras reviewed here. And unfortunately, the F40 does not offer optical image-stabilization.

Like the 780 and W80, the F40 has effective face-detection. However, unlike those two cameras, the F40’s may be used in playback mode as well—you can use it to take a quick look at up to 10 faces in a picture to make sure no one has their eyes closed or is sticking out their tongue.

Of the three cameras tested here, the F40 has the most solid-feeling construction. And the 2.5-inch LCD was the nicest, too. And, the F40 also lets you use both SD and xD memory cards.

Unfortunately, slow performance and the lack of image stabilization mar what is otherwise a very solid camera.v

Olympus Stylus 780

Steve Klett — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 19:13:31 -0600

Olympus’s Stylus 780 packs a 7.1 megapixel sensor, a 5x optical zoom, a crisp 2.5-inch LCD, and face-detection technology into a weatherproof camera body that is slightly larger but more stylish than the Sony DSC-W80’s.

Like the W80, the Stylus sports dual image-stabilization, pairing mechanical optic adjustments with optional faster ISO speeds when excessive hand shake is detected or lighting conditions are poor. Results were excellent in good lighting situations, but unlike the W80, this cam also performed well when lighting was less than ideal.

The 780 also includes shadow adjustment and panorama scene modes, which aren’t offered on either the W80 or the FujiFilm F40fd (reviewed here). Shadow adjustment can be activated with a simple button press and will automatically change exposures to compensate for areas of high contrast or backlighting.

The 780’s noise reduction also performed acceptably, delivering occasionally serviceable results up to ISO 1600 and reliably usable images at sub-800 ISO. The macro modes were also noteworthy for delivering nice, sharp images. Color saturation was good, as well; outdoor images, particularly, were bright and vivid.

Overall, however, image quality was not quite up to the standards set by Fuji’s F40fd, but if you live in harsh climates or like to shoot pictures in the rain, the Stylus 780 is a rock-solid choice.

Sony Cyber-shot DCS W80

Steve Klett — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 18:19:44 -0600

Sony’s 7.2 megapixel DSC-W80 boots quickly, and its 3x zoom lens focuses with minimal shutter delay. Plus, this cam includes a traditional, if tiny, optical viewfinder!

The W80’s optical image stabilization—at low shutter speeds the camera will move a lens element slightly to compensate for hand shake—performed well in our tests. To further combat hand shake, Sony pairs this feature with increased ISO speeds, depending on shooting conditions, which served up mixed results due to high noise.

The W80 also sports the latest buzz in digicams—face-detection technology. This may sound like bunk, but it actually works. Enable face detection, and the camera will seek out and frame up to eight faces in a shot, ensuring they are in sharp focus. We did notice a significant improvement in group-portrait shots when using this feature.

Image quality was decent—shots were well exposed with good color saturation. However, noise artifacts became quite obvious at 400 ISO and above, rendering the higher ISO settings all but useless.

Fujifilm FinePix V10

Steve Klett — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 11:11:23 -0500

Are digital cameras now headed in the direction of “smartphones”? gotta wonder when you hear about a point-and-shoot camera games—what’s next, a camera that makes phone calls?

OK, we jest, but if you spent some time with Fujifilm’s FinePix V10, you wouldn’t blame us. As a camera, this is a very capable, very user-friendly, very stylish, compact point-and-shooter. It takes nice 5.1 megapixel photos at ISO speeds up to 1600, thanks to its aggressive, and effective, noisereduction capabilities (though, you’ll still be happiest with images shot at 400 ISO and below).

Its large 3-inch LCD is bright, sharp, and almost makes up for the absence of a traditional viewfinder. The LCD real estate is put to good use, offering a 30-thumbnail display and a useful Post Shot Assist mode that shows the last three snaps alongside the live viewfinder window.

The camera gains up nicely in low-light situations but can still be problematic in bright sunlight. The V10’s a relatively snappy performer, too, with shot-to-shot intervals of less than 2 seconds; plus it offers several burst-mode options, and its 10-step, 3.4x optical zoom lens is smooth, quick, and quiet. The only real glaring chink in the V10’s shiny armor is its lackluster battery life—ours needed a recharge before we hit 100 shots. This is no doubt due to the fancy-pants LCD, and the games, which, quite frankly, are a gimmick.

The camera sports four titles: Number Puzzle, Block Buster, Maze, and Shooting Game (yes, those are the real names.) All of them are more frustrating than fun to play using the camera’s controls, which thankfully are excellent for the V10’s true calling—picture-taking. Photogs can safely ignore the games and focus on the camera’s manual controls, which allow you to quickly and easily perform exposure compensation and white balance tweaks. And the V10 includes a healthy stable of scene presets, covering just about every imaginable shooting condition from nighttime to sports.

The games might be disposable, but the V10’s capabilities are very worthy of consideration—just make sure you also consider an extra battery, or two.

Month Reviewed: October 2006

VERDICT: 8

URL: www.fujifilmusa.com

Kodak EasyShare V570

Steve Klett — Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:30:09 -0500

Ever have that problem where you want to take a nice group picture of your friends, say at the Grand Canyon, and you just can’t get ‘em all in the frame? So you ask them to keep backing up a step and before you know it… oops!

Well, this camera will help make your next vacation a bit safer. The V570 packs two lenses into its sleek body: an ultra-wide angle (23mm) and a 5x optical zoom (39mm-to-117mm). This amounts to all the standard capabilities of a point-and-shoot, plus the ability to go to wide-angle for group portraits and the like.

Of course, with dual lenses you’re talking about dual 5-megapixel image-sensors, which translates into a higher price compared with competing single-lens cameras. We think the added functionality of the dual-lenses is worth it, especially when you take into account the camera’s overall solid image quality, particularly indoors. There is, however, a noticeable hitch in the LCD viewfinder image when the camera makes the jump from 39mm to 23mm—you must depress and re-press the zoom controls to make the viewfinder register the switch.

Call us old-school but we miss having the optical viewfinder in addition to the LCD, for composing shots. That said, the 2.5-inch LCD is crisp and performs well in all but the brightest outdoor settings, and the camera’s controls, including automatic scene modes, are easy and comfortable to use. A 30fps MPEG-4 movie mode is offered, but the video suffers from severe grain, rendering it an afterthought at best.

An included panoramic picture mode guides you through the process of snapping up to three pictures, providing image overlays on the LCD and then stitching them together in-camera. This is pretty cool, as you can immediately view the results—which were quite good in our tests—and determine whether you need to retake the shots.

If you’re looking for simplicity and flexibility, the V570 is well worth consideration. (Note: Kodak has already released an updated 6-megapixel version, the V610, with integrated Bluetooth capabilities and a 10x optical zoom, for $50 more.)

Month Reviewed: September 2006

Verdict: 8

URL: www.kodak.com

Konica Minolta Dimage X1

Steve Klett — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 14:38:46 -0600

The X1 makes it clear that Konica is well aware of our penchant to gravitate toward, hold, and purchase shiny objects. However, unless you care little about performance and getting the highest-quality images possible for your dollar, there are better options available.

The X1 looks great on paper: It’s the first compact camera with folded optics to sport an 8-megapixel CCD and anti-shake technology. The anti-shake mode kicks in automatically when hand movement is detected, adjusting the lens accordingly. It’s effective; we’d rather have it than not. It’s particularly useful in low light and when shooting video—a slick indicator light comes on to let you know when anti-shake is on.

The smooth, metallic body is comfortable to hold, and the buttons are well-placed for easy use. We especially like that you can customize the functions of the four-way controller on the back of the camera.

Unfortunately, while the body finish looks nice, it’s impractical. It’s prone to fingerprints, and is highly reflective—so much so that shots can be difficult to compose outdoors in direct sunlight (there’s no optical viewfinder, so you must use the LCD). To make matters worse, the LCD display is very grainy, which makes it hard to tell if your snaps are correctly exposed in the field.

All of this might be forgivable if the X1’s image quality was tip-top, but it’s average at best. Noise was more prevalent overall than with other competitive cameras we’ve tested—and its fastest ISO speed is a lowly 200. Outdoor shots tended to be well-exposed with good color saturation, but just not as sharp or vibrant as other compacts we’ve tested lately, such as Canon’s SD500.

Also, the X1’s a pretty sluggish performer: Lag time between shots at the highest resolution was a bit more than three seconds, which is below average. Video quality was also average and capped at 20fps—30fps is becoming the norm these days.

Indeed, once you get past the X1’s looks, there’s not much to warrant a recommendation, given the performance of its competitors.

Month Reviewed: March 2006

Verdict: 5

URL: www.konicaminolta.us

Nikon D50

Gordon Mah Ung — Fri, 17 Feb 2006 16:44:17 -0600

Nikon’s D50, the company’s latest foray into the sub-$1,000 digital-SLR category, outstrips most other budget bodies in its class and kicks much point-and-shoot ass.

Much of that capability comes from the D50’s lineage. The body feels and functions like a detuned D70, which was itself a breakthrough product. The D50 sports the same imaging sensor as the more expensive D70, and delivers terrific bang for the buck.

The body is rated for 2.5fps, which sounds slow, but thanks to fast write times, the D50 will shoot almost continuously until your memory card is full (provided you own a fast card, of course). We tested the D50 with a SanDisk Ultra II SD card and only experienced slowdowns shooting RAW or at high ISO. Nikon likely switched to SD to save space and make the D50 smaller.

The body is plastic but feels solid. Ergonomics are good but a few things irked us. First, you have to use the menus to switch metering modes. And there’s only one command dial, so changing exposure settings in manual mode is cumbersome; it’s much easier with two dials. Hobbyists will also miss a mirror-lock feature for macro or telephoto work, and we hate that the top LCD lacks a backlight. Grrr.

The biggest weakness of the camera is in perception though. At 6.1MP, many consumers will pass on the D50 in favor of a point-and-shoot with a higher pixel count that costs about the same. That would be a mistake. With its larger CCD sensor, the D50 will shoot far superior images to any point-and-shoot on the market today.

With a mirror lock-up feature, and a better viewfinder, this would be a Kick Ass camera, without a doubt. Coming off the full-frame EOS 5D (reviewed in April) and its spectacular viewfinder, the D50 finder looks like a disposable camera’s. That shouldn’t be a deal breaker, though, as the D50 is a great bargain.

Month Reviewed: March 2006

Verdict: 8

URL: www.nikonusa.com