Does the body color of a camera say anything about how it performs?
(Credit: Pentax)On September 16, Pentax launched the K-x, an entry-level-ish digital SLR that it's offering in navy, red, white, and black versions. While different body colors are not unusual for point-and-shoot digital cameras, offering more than a black dSLR is still rare. (In fact, just Pentax and Sony offer color options, currently.)
Unfortunately, after testing many snapshot cameras available in a single color as well as those offered in several colors, I've developed a working theory that the more colors a camera comes in, the more likely there's something wrong with the model.
It's not the case with all cameras, but more often than not that's how things shake out. It's especially true if its available in more than four options and if the company has gone with two-word color names like flaming red or warm silver.
Want examples? Check out the Nikon Coolpix S220, the Canon PowerShot SD1200 IS, and the Casio Exilim EX-S5. The Nikon and Canon come in six different colors, the Casio in five. And all three of them have issues with performance, photo quality, or both. (Though, if forced to go with one, the SD1200 has the fewest issues.)
All of these are lower-end models, too, which brings me to my next point: expensive point-and-shoot cameras come in three colors or fewer, and usually only in one: black. Serious photographers only buy black cameras, right?
Which brings me back to the Pentax K-x. The camera colors are definitely refreshing and will likely get people questioning you on the street. They also make the K-x more approachable for those switching from a pocket camera, which fits its entry-level status. But would you take someone seriously if they were shooting with a bright red digital SLR? I'm leaning toward "no." Much like laptops, colorful cameras are great until you want to be taken seriously.
30mm f2.8 DT Macro
(Credit: Sony)Today, Sony announced two new lenses, the 30mm f2.8 DT Macro lens (SAL30M28) and the 28-75mm f2.8 SAM lens (SAL2875) along with three new dSLRs. Providing an inexpensive entry into macro photography is the new 30mm f2.8 DT Macro lens which will sell for about $200 when it becomes available in October 2009. The lens is a DT series for Sony's APS-C sensor size cameras such as the new Alpha a550 and Alpha a500 announced today, as well as the Alpha a380 and Alpha a330. It features a distance scale in both feet and meters. Reflecting its economical price are a plastic lens mount and a small manual focusing ring.
28-75mm f2.8 SAM
(Credit: Sony)Adding to its already extensive line-up of full-frame lenses, Sony also announced the new full-frame 28-75mm f2.8 SAM lens along with the A850 full-frame camera today. A normal range telephoto zoom with a fast, constant 2.8 aperture, making it useful for portraits and available light shooting. The lens has a 42-113mm 35mm equivalent when used on a Sony APS-C camera body. It features a zoom-lock switch, circular aperture blades, and four aspherical lens elements. As well as a metal lens mount there is also a distance scale in feet and meters. There is a minimum aperture of f32 and a 67mm filter diameter. The new 28-75mm f2.8 lens will be available in September 2009 for about $800.
There are always a number of ways to get out of sticky situations. In the action role-playing-game Alpha Protocol, you must decide the best course of action. From Sega, developed by Obsidian, Alpha Protocol is set to be released later this year for Xbox 360, PS3, and the PC.
(Credit:
Sony Electronics)
Look! A hidden SD card slot!
(Credit: Sony Electronics)Sony announced its three new entry-level dSLRs for 2009, the Alpha DLSR-A230, A330, and A380, which replace the A200, A300, and A350 respectively.
The products preserve Sony's three-tier strategy for its low-end SLRs. The cheap A230 differs from the slightly-less-cheap A330 by the viewfinder and the tiltable LCD, plus the A330 will be available in brown. And except for its higher resolution sensor--14 megapixels versus 10 megapixels--the A380 is otherwise identical to the A330. Sony's big marketing points on these models is lighter weight and friendlier, more point-and-shoot-like guided operation.
But perhaps most notably, these models have dual memory slots, one of which takes SDHC cards and the other Sony's proprietary Memory Stick Duo. I can only imagine the internal politicking it took to pull that off.
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Sony DT 18-55mm f3.5-5.6
(Credit: Sony)To go with Sony's new compact and lightweight Alpha dSLR's announced today are four new DT series lenses. Designed for use with APS-C sized sensors, the new entry-level DT lenses have built-in-lens autofocus motors. The Smooth Autofocus Motor provides quiet, smooth autofocus with the new compact Alpha bodies.
Sony announced a pair of new compact, lightweight kit zoom lenses: The DT 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens has aspherical and ED (extra-low dispersion) lens elements. The DT 55-200mm f4-5.6 telephoto zoom lens has an ED lens element and its long range make it good for sports. They are available separately or in camera kits.
There are also two new compact DT series constant aperture prime lenses providing more creative control. The DT 50mm f1.8 is a fast 50mm lens, long a favorite in traditional photography. It is good portrait lens with its fast 75mm f1.8 35mm equivalent and shallow depth of field. Also announced is the 30mm f2.8 macro lens for getting the close-up shots. Both lenses have the built-in Smooth Autofocus Motor and are compact and lightweight.
The lenses will be available in July 2009 with the 18-55mm going for about $200, the 55-200mm for about $230, and the 50mm f1.8 for about $150. No pricing has yet been announced for the 30mm macro.
There's something of a cottage industry on the Internet of making parodies through artful subtitles of Der Untergang, a movie about the last throes of the Third Reich. And now there's one that takes on Nikon's D3X, the company's new $8,000, 24.5-megapixel SLR.
The subtitles depict Adolf Hitler coming to terms with the arrival of Sony's Alpha A900. One amusing moment comes when a minion listening to Hitler's rant comforts a weeping colleague, "There, there, I hear he shoots only JPEG." (In case the humor is lost on you, that's a jab at pixel-peeping camera snobs such as myself who prefer to shoot raw images.)
According to The Online Photographer, where I spotted the video Tuesday, the parody is by Nikon D3 photographer Samuel Vert.
(Credit:
Sigma)
Sigma has announced two new teleconverters for Sony mount tele-photo lenses--the APO Teleconverter 1.4x EX DG and the APO Teleconverter 2x EX DG.
The two new teleconverters are designed to work with fast-focusing HSM (hyper sonic motor) lenses; they are HSM-capable and are able to maintain the HSM's fast focusing speeds. Any lens used with the teleconverters must be a fast lens, f2.8 or higher, to make use of the teleconverter. If a non-HSM lens is used, focus is manual only, the autofocus will not work. Both teleconverters employ Sigma's Super Multi Layer coatings to reduce flare and ghosting.
Teleconverters go between the lens and the camera body, extending the len's focal length. They are for use with fast telephoto lenses, and are a favorite with wildlife and nature photographers. A 1.4x teleconverter extends the focal length by 1.4x, so a 200mm lens acts like a 280mm lens. A 2x teleconverter extends the focal length by 2x, so 200mm lens acts like a 400mm.
No pricing or availability information is available yet.
Sony has released a firmware update to its 12MP Alpha A700 DSLR. The update, version 4, adds two features that had been requested by users in several Internet forums. There is now a choice of +/-2.0EV, 3 shot EV bracketing, in both single and continuous modes. Also it adds the choice of "Off" to the high sensitivity noise reduction. Along with the added features, some improvement have been made such as improved auto white balance accuracy, improved high ISO picture quality, and improved communication consistency between the camera and the vertical grip.
Along with the A 700 firmware update, Sony has released updates its Image Data software, Converter SR, Lightbox SR, and Remote camera Control (A700 only).
All of the updates can be found on Sony's eSupport Web site.
We generally recommend installing the latest firmware updates for your camera, so you can get the most out of your gear. For more information on firmware updates for a specific camera, visit the manufacturer's Web site. Before installing any firmware upgrade, always take the time to read all of the documentation and follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully.
Coinciding with Tuesday's announcement from Sony of its new 24MP flagship camera, the Alpha A900, two new full-frame lenses were announced as well: the 16-35mm f2.8 ZA Vario Sonnar T* Carl Zeiss series lens (SAL1635ZA), and the 70-400mm f4-5.6 G series lens (SAL70400G). Since Sony uses an in-camera image stabilization system, SteadyShot, both lenses have the benefit of image stabilization.
The Vario Sonnar T* 16-35mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss series super wide angle zoom lens has a constant aperture of f2.8 though the zoom range. It is constructed with an extra-low dispersion (ED) lens element for better clarity and resolution, and a super ED element to reduce chromatic aberration. It features the Carl Zeiss T* lens coating technology, which minimizes flare and improves color and sharpness. The lens utilizes a Super Sonic wave Motor (SSM) autofocus drive system for fast and quiet focusing. It will be available in January 2009 for approximately $1,800.
The 70-400mm f4-5.6 G series super telephoto zoom lens is part of Sony's G-series line of premium lenses. The first thing you notice is its silver color, which indicates Sony's new design direction to give the high-end telephoto lenses a distinctive look. The lens has a variable aperture through the zoom range from f4 to 5.6, with a nine blade circular diaphragm for a pleasing out of focus effects. It has a minimum focusing distance of 3.8 feet, and like the 16-35mm lens it has a SSM AF drive system for silent precision focusing.
There is a focus mode switch and a range limiter switch on the lens, as well as three focus-hold buttons right on the lens barrel. The focus-hold buttons can be very helpful when shooting things like sports photography. When attached to the Sony Alpha A900 the AF hold buttons can be customized to activate the intelligent preview function. It will be available in January 2009 for about $1,500.
For more information of the Sony Alpha A900 24MP DSLR, read our hands-on preview.
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Sony)
Sony today announced an addition to their line of accessories for the Alpha digital cameras, the HVL-F58AM flash unit. A follow-up to the HVL-F56AM, the flash features Sony's new Quick Shift Bounce system, an innovative design where the flash head can pivot 90 degrees left or right on a horizontal axis (see photo). This lets the flash stay in the same orientation as the camera, even when the camera is held sideways for vertical shots such as portraits. You will now be able to make full use of the built-in bounce card even when the camera is rotated for vertical shots, a very useful benefit. This is in addition to the traditional pivoting up and down.
The HVL-F58AM has a guide number of 58 at 105mm and ISO 100, it also recycles in as few as 5 seconds. There is a large LCD screen that is 13 percent larger than its predecessor, a modeling flash for previewing flash effects, and high-speed synchronization at speeds up to 1/4000 of a second. As well as auto wireless flash control to control several wireless flashes. The HVL-F58AM will be available in September for about $500.
