Nikon D2X

Nikon has delivered a product that is close to being perfect, especially for the pros who are ready to let their wallets out for this amazing product. The D2 series has been designed completely fresh from the D1 series and D2x is a new entrant into this. This version obviously inherits lot of things from the family especially the key features of the D2 series. In the D2 series, Nikon has drastically improved, refined and innovated in many aspects of the camera be it the functionality, the aesthetics, controls, body design, frame, shutter etc. Further to the common features of the D2 series, D2X showcases additional improvements.

One major thing that Nikon has worked on in this series is the sensor as they have taken almost year between the releases of two D2 series members. Some of the major improved features over the previous versions include:

1. The vertical shooting grip has been provided with a command dial in the front.
2. It features a larger color LCD which is even brighter than before.
3. The camera features a built in Voice annotation.
4. You can set the White balance in Kelvin directly, and also the white balance gets its own sensor which is dedicated for the purpose and is placed in front of the prism. Custom white balance is very convenient to set and has been provided with two different methods to do it. The settings can also be saved using the names provided by you.
5. The D2X also feature the new FUNC button which can be assigned by the user and is placed in the front position of the camera. Though, the desired list of assignments is limited as compared to expectations, still it can provide a great deal of flexibility as compared to the older models.
6. The viewfinder has also been improved by providing extra information on the displays including all possible major settings can be seen on the finder itself. The blackout time has also decreased to minimal levels during shots, plus the shutter lag is also negligible making it one of the fastest cameras around.

So the Australian professional photographers, this is the camera for you if you are ready to do some really beautiful photography out there and capture the world in your D2X.

Fuji film FinePix F200EXR

Fujifilm after surprising a lot of people with the F30 and the F31fd models which includes sensors which are larger than what is normal in the other cameras of its category. Now Fujifilm is again back in the Australian market with a bang, and yet a newer product. This time they have the Fuji film FinePix F200EXR, in their bag. Looks like, this time they are all set with the Novel sensor technology that they came up with, for the low light photography. In a world were we see that digital cameras are being sold like any other ordinary product in the market, its really good to notice that Fuji film is really trying to put in some innovation in the cameras and are really interested in making the product really superior to others brands in the market, those offer similar products in a similar price range.

The Fuji film FinePix F200EXR uses one of the largest sensors which is 1/1.6” type and that would mean this would have a surface area of 0.45cmX0.45cm. The lens that comes with the Fuji film FinePix F200EXR provides the users a very useful range that is 28-140mm in 35mm film terms, on the other hand other contemporary digital SLRs’ provides a 28-85mm range. I would not call this lens the in the Fuji film FinePix F200EXR the fastest but it’s not slow as compared to its peers in the market either.

While shooting in out door situations you must have experienced the difficulty of shooting in different modes due to shaking and all especially if you are not having your tripod handy with you. But that’s no longer going to stay the same with the Fuji film FinePix F200EXR and its image stabilization feature; this is going to ensure sharp pictures every time you click on the shutter button. The other features those come packed with this are it has a 5X optical zoom, The Fuji film FinePix F200EXR has a 3 inch TFT review screen with 230,000 dots in that to give you a crystal clear preview of you snaps. It has ISO 3200 sensitivity, IR communication, VGA movie capture, and Aperture priority mode.

With all this packed inside the camera people in Australia are quiet likely to fall in love with the snaps that you take.

Canon Power Shot SD880

Canons are my personal favorite, and there will be numerous individuals in Australia who share the same views as there is a reason for it. I have seen that Canon is one of the pioneers in the imaging and optics related industry and some how that manage to get real good stuff in the market which you can categorize as real value for money. Like wise is the product Canon Power Shot SD880. It’s very affordable; it weighs 6.3 ounces, with a 2.2 inch height, 3.7 inches width, and 0.9 inches depth. It would absolutely have no difficulty in slipping into the pockets of you pant or your coat. The Digic 4 image processing engine now would produce 10 mp images for you than the earlier 8 mp. And also it comes with different modes for the scenes. The optical zoom is 4X a little greater than what normally shows up in its category and the lens covers an area of 28-112 mm and this is supposed to be a highlight of the Canon Power Shot SD880.

The Canon Power Shot SD880 this time has introduced H 264 codec which has replaced the earlier Motion Jpeg. The total number of scene modes is 16, and has the very well known stitch assistant for the panoramic views. The underwater usage capability is still there but not without the optional casing that you would have to buy separately from the market.

The new features are the pillow shaped buttons that certainly gives more easily while using the camera, and also the Print Share button is now customizable into a short cut key for accessing one of the nine shooting functions available.

As far as the shooting speed is concerned it’s a little on the slower side involving 1.2 sec for the first shot, and re-shoot would be 1.9 sec later. The shutter lag is just too good at 0.4 sec for well lit situations and 0.8 for under illuminated situations. However the time stretches a little bit for shooting with the usage of the flash. The 3 inch LCD panel works extremely well even under direct light and comes with a wide viewing angle.

What you would absolutely love about the Canon Power Shot SD880 is its picture quality. The colors every time would be natural and vibrant. Over all you would love the performance of the Canon Power Shot SD880.

Canon Powershot SD870 IS

Canon Powershot SD870 IS is an 8 Megapixel and 4x optical zoom camera from the PowerShot range of compact cameras of Canon. Foremost, its good performance features include good image quality, effective image stabilization and face detection. These features make it one of the most features packed compact camera in Australia.
Looking at the model number, it may seem that it is a family member of SD850 IS, but with its wider, 28mm-to-105mm, f/2.8-to-f/5.8, 3.8x optical zoom lens, it actually should be a successor of SD800 IS. It gives many advantages over its predecessor such as an 8.3-megapixel CCD sensor, a larger 3-inch, 230,000-pixel LCD, and Canon’s new Digic III processor. There are other cosmetic enhancements as well. The new processor brings along the Advanced Face Detection functionality for Canon, which is a very attractive feature as it can pick up to nine faces in a single frame. The faces can also be used for setting autofocus and exposure options.

There also some improvements in the looks especially the back side. The inclusions are the new format of Canon’s multicontroller pad which makes it similar to the SD750.  The response of this pad is much better than the SD800 IS.  An enhanced ring provided around the edge provides a much improved feeling. There is an interesting feature on the pad that when a thumb is placed on the pad in a specific orientation, the graphics on the LCD displays the options available on pressing the pad completely.

SD870 IS’s has also performed very well in the real tests. It’s very quick in starting up and taking pictures successively. Even with the flash turned, the response time was very quick. Plus the shutter lag is very less in multiple shooting conditions. These observations suggest that the camera is really packed with some really impressive features and provides a really good buying option for the Australian people.

However there is a minor limitation as well that the camera does not provide manual exposure controls and there is no optical viewfinder. Though the camera can be very well be used without these features these features can be helpful in some conditions.

Canon PowerShot SD850

Canon PowerShot SD850 IS is the new entry in the Canon’s SD series which is also called the Digital Elph line due to its compact sized camera range. The SD850 is an improvement on the previous version SD700 IS. The major improvements in the new version include an increase in resolution from 6.2 mega pixels to 8.3 megapixels which is in fact a very substantial and welcome jump. SD850 also features the new Digic III image processor, which introduces the feature of face detection and also an increase in the sensitivity to ISO 1,600 increasing from ISO 800. Therefore, the SD850 packs almost everything a compact point-and-shoot camera would require.

One thing you would have expected more is the optical zoom that is still 4x. The camera has very effective optical image stabilization technology that helps in keeping the images sharp and clear even if the clicking conditions are not steady.

If we talk about the design, there is not much differences between the SD850 IS and SD700 IS apart from the body colors. Also the multicontroller pad of the new model is even more improved than the really good one in SD800. You can experience better tactile response from the raised ring. There is an interesting feature on the pad that when a thumb is placed on the pad in a specific orientation, the graphics on the LCD displays the options available on pressing the pad completely. This really helps as you will not have to move away your eyes from the screen while you change the settings. Also it helps in managing the controller’s functions, as you are able to see only the active functions onscreen that you are currently using.

The image quality of SD850 IS is really impressive with accurate colors and enhanced sharpness especially when considering a compact camera. It is working very well with almost no noise at the least ISO setting. Even at higher ISO settings, noise hardly creeps in and becomes noticeable only at ISO 800.

The PowerShot SD850 is really a power house with only few shortcomings and will definitely be a favorite with Australians.

Sony HD Camera MHS-CM1

The Sony HD Camera MHS-CM1 is actually something that absolutely is not intended for the Professionals. In a nut shell it’s a low budget, likewise quality, disposable HD camera. It does good job with the video compression for example you would be able to compress 720P video within 4MBPS. But that’s what it’s born to do. Thus, there are no credits for having done a good job with the compression part.

But the real pain area with this Sony HD Camera MHS-CM1 may be said as, the poor picture quality. The automatic settings are also a little slow, and they tend to skip around before you have had a good setting session with your camera.

The focus and the Iris color balance is also in a constant flux. My understanding about the image sensor is that Sony has compromised on the quality aspect to keep the camera at a low budget. Also chances are that in the night time shots you would be able to see a couple of burned pixels, or vertical streaks. These are all due to the cheap image sensor that has been used in the Sony HD Camera MHS-CM1.

How ever if you are looking for bullet points for the merits and demerits of the Sony HD Camera MHS-CM1 then that would be as follows.

The Pros

1. It is easy to use as not many options are there to be messed up with. The opening and the closing of the LCD panel controls the switch on and off.
2. The camera performs best at the factory settings that is 720P for video and 5M for stills.
3. The camera has normal USB ports. And there is also a light (not very bright though) along with it. At times this feature does come in handy.

The Cons

1. The camera does not have an integrated lens cover.
2. The settings are in constant flux. And there is a problem with the zoom setting too.
3. Shooting at 1080P would cause focus related problems.
4. No flash light provided for still photography.
5. The movie record button is also not positioned very conveniently.

Cyber shot T900

The Cyber shot T900 Digital Camera by Sony is moderately priced and is the latest entry in the Slim T line of digital cameras. As far as stills are concerned this Sony Cyber-shot T900 Digital Camera does a good job with 12 mega pixel images. It also has a 4x optical zoom. Which I would say is also decent. The prime human interface is the 3.5 inch LCD display. Needless to say it’s all touch screen. But the sad part if it’s far from being prompt & responsive. But what it does well is review of photos.

While testing this T900 Digital Camera did a splendid job with the color accuracy and recorded the pictures very well. Another good thing that was noticed was its good continuous shutter speed. The captured stuff was quiet good with decent amount of clarity and sharpness. Image stabilization was also noticeable. But what actually disappointed me was the amount of noise in the pictures. There was a major distortion issue with the Sony Cyber-shot T900 Digital Camera. Also chromatic aberration that was primarily there due as a result of the small lens. The next noted down side of Sony Cyber-shot T900 Digital Camera was its limited aperture range. Also some important photographic controls such as the white balance were not to be found in this T900 Digital Camera.

The Sony Cyber-shot T900 Digital Camera has good looks though with the full metal body and at the back there is nothing except the LCD display. The only buttons on the Sony Cyber-shot T900 Digital Camera are the power button and the shutter on the top of the camera. There is also a zoom ring around the shutter along with a switch to help you toggle between stills and movies.

Now a point that you might be concerned with is in all the controls like I said earlier is through the LCD display thus you would have to touch the LCD screen off and on causing you to leave your finger prints. This could be a hindrance to review the pictures. So if you see that as an issue then its best for you to look for a different model. As a matter of fact then you might not be interested in any of the touch screen enabled cameras.

Sony Cyber-shot T90

Sony is a very trusted brand name. Photography for some is a passion. Sony offers a wide range of digital cameras with a lot of advanced features. The latest model from their stable is Sony Cyber-shot T90 Digital Camera which is gaining popularity in Australia these days.

The image sensor of Sony T 90 is based around a 1/2.3” super HAD CCD. It has 12.1-mega-pixel resolution coupled with branded 4x optical zoom lens. Its equivalent focal length ranges from 35mm wide angle to 140mm. The maximum zoom apertures vary from 3.5 to 4.6. Macro focusing is possible to a minimum of 1cm because Sony T 90 consists of powerful magnifying glasses. Sony T 90 boosts (and rightly so) of wide touch screen display with on screen icons for easier camera control.  On screen display allows you to adjust the zoom and other control by the mere touch of your finger on the camera screen and hence it is so easy to operate.

Sony Cyber-shot T90 Digital Camera offers ISO sensitivity ranging from 80 to 3,200 equivalents, and includes both true mechanical image stabilization as well as digital stabilization. This allows the camera to be more sensitive; by virtue of this one gets a higher shutter speed and it also reduces motion blurring.

Sony Cyber-shot T90 Digital Camera also has face detection capabilities. It can differentiate children and adults and accordingly prioritizes one individual’s face before clicking. Sony T 90 also has a feature, which makes it sensitive enough to detect if somebody is blinking. You will also find a smile shutter button on your Sony T 90 and it clicks the photo automatically once it finds you smiling.

Sony Cyber-shot T90 Digital Camera also has features like 720p MPEG-4 high definition video, a dynamic range optimizer function, it has both USB/video out put connections and last but not the least it has 11 scene modes along with an intelligent scene recognition mode. Sony Cyber-shot T90 Digital Camera is a smart, stylish and sleek machine/camera. It is also very handy to use.

You can buy your Sony Cyber-shot®T90 Digital Camera on line through any of the sites mentioned here. Due to competition they will offer you the best available deal. ShopFerret.com Deals Direct, Harvey Norman, Dick smith, Officeworks, ebay, Bing Lee, getprice.com.au. Alternatively you can also get your Sony Cyber-shot® T90 Digital Camera in your near by reliable electronic shop, if you want to get the feel of the product before purchasing the same.

Sony Cyber-shot S980

The latest introduction from Sony of S980 has features similar to S950, but instead of 10 mega pixels of S950, Sony Cyber-shot S980 comes with 12.1 mega pixels. Often companies manufacture too many products with minor differences, to avoid letting the customers opt for other brands. Sony cyber shot S980, falls in to that category. Let us take a look at the  Sony Cyber-shot S980 Digital Camera:

The features of S980 are as follows:

1. Cheap Price- Available at a price of around $245 Australian Dollars.
2. 12.1 mega pixels enable to get sharp images.
3. The display screen is 2.7 inches wide.
4. It has a very good contrast ratio.
5. The steady shot feature helps in taking clear photos, without blur and gives good result in when the photos are taken from a moving vehicle. So, S980 can prove a best companion while traveling. The images are sharper due to inbuilt steady shot feature.
6. Even in low light, the images would be clear.
7. It is equipped with 8 face detection.
8. Is available in 3 colors- black, pink and silver.
9. Once the battery is fully charged, it is capable of taking more than 300 photos.
10. Comes with 12 MB in built memory, the capacity can be increased by using memory stick.
11. Saves power automatically, if the camera is not used for 3 minutes. Thus, even if you accidentally forget to switch off the camera, you won’t run out of battery
12. It is a light weight model and weighs 4.8 ounces only.

Sony Cyber shot S980 does not have many of the features that are available in the latest cameras such as viewing the images on HDTV. You may find the 2.7 inch screen small, as 3 inches LCD screen cameras are available in the market, having wider lens. This product is too close to S950 in terms of features and too far from advanced models. It can get lost in between.

What makes Sony Cyber shot S980 an attractive bargain is the low cost. The cameras in the range of 12.1 mega pixels with HD feature and wider LCD screens are available at a higher price. So, this camera has a cost benefit and offers a best deal within the budget range.

Sony DSC-G3 Cyber-shot

The credit of introducing world’s first Wi-Fi camera in Australia goes to Sony. DSC-G3 cyber shot is the world’s first ever still camera, which is Wi-Fi enabled. Let us take a look at the  Sony DSC-G3 Cyber-shot Digital Camera:

The salient features of this camera are as under:

1. You can transfer the photos from the camera to your home page directly or to 5 popular sites without the use of USB port or any another wire.
2. Through camera, you can inform your friends and family about the site where you have uploaded the photos.
3. With 10.1 mega pixels, the image created is detailed and has superb clarity.
4. The 3.5 inches wide LCD screen enables to the see the person, place or thing to be shot clearly.
5. The camera has inbuilt memory of 4 GB. This can be further increased using memory stick.
6. Other amazing features are blink detection and smile detection, ensuring, that none of the photos will turn out with eyes closed and will capture the best smile.
7. Its auto focus feature targets the image to be captured, and produces the best result.
8. Other standard features such as adjusting to twilight, cloudy, daylight, under water etc enables you to take the best photo any time during the day or night and at any place.
9. Its slim and sleek figure is very attractive and weighs only 590 grams. So, it is easy to carry.
10. It is priced at $514.  Since the product is shipped from USA, you will have to bear the shipping cost.

There are a few drawbacks of this camera:

1. The Wi-Fi is extremely slow and does not respond many a times.
2. The camera is equipped with virtual keyboard, but the stylus is not included in the accessories.
3. The photos can be loaded only on the 5 sites decided by Sony. Popular sites such as flicker or facebook are not included. There is no provision to alter the standard sites or to add another site as per your requirement.
4. The battery consumption is very high.

Overall, if you crave for the new technology in camera, than Sony DSC-G3 Cyber shot digital camera can prove a best deal.

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