SlashScope

CNET have published their review of the Sigma SD14 DSLR camera. ‘The SD14's body design is very similar to its predecessor, the SD10. While not the fanciest design, it is functional and has a comfortable, contoured grip. Sigma places most of the hard-button controls in logical, easy to reach places. Two dials atop the camera let you select the drive mode and exposure mode. The drive dial also doubles as the on/off switch. While their knurled edges provide a good grip, the camera did inadvertently turn on in my bag on more than one occasion.

Worse than that, though, are the menu-based controls, which feel like they belong on an entry-level point-and-shoot instead of a pricey dSLR. You can get to a menu for ISO, white balance, image size and image quality with one button press, but once there, you press one of the four-way control buttons to change each setting. Unlike some cameras, which let you move either way through the choices (moving from ISO 200 to either ISO 100 or ISO 400, for example), the SD14 makes you cycle forward through all possible choices. That means that if you want to go from ISO 200 to ISO 100, you have to press the up controller four times after pressing the button to access the menu.’

Read: Sigma SD14 - CNET

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A review of the Olympus E410 DSLR camera has been posted over at Pocket-Lint. ‘Barely 6 months on from the launch of the E400, Olympus announced an updated version of that camera which, while almost identical, has a couple of important differences. Overall, its design, build, and shooting options remain unchanged (also read my Olympus E400 review for more specifics on these), the E410 includes a new, Matsushita-made Live-MOS sensor that affords the previously unique-to-Olympus-DSLRs Live View feature; rather flatteringly to Olympus, in my view, Canon’s new top-end EOS 1D Mk III has a version of the system.’

Read: Olympus E410 Digital SLR camera Review – Pocket-Lint

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Camcorder Info have published a review of the Sony DCR-HC38 camcorder. 'The Sony DCR-HC38 is a tiny step up from Sony’s actual entry-level, the HC28. The primary difference, a 40x optical zoom, may actually be the most compelling reason to buy it. The manufacturers know that people respond to big numbers, and 40x is about as big as we’ve seen. But there’s precious little else to this camcorder. The HC38 has virtually no manual controls and a poor menu system. But cheap and easy count for a lot, and Sony has those areas covered. There’s not much to the sideways dome shape of the DCR-HC38’s front side. Its 40x optical zoom lens has a focal length of 1.9mm-76mm and a filter diameter of 30mm. Beneath the lens is the oval NightShot Plus infrared light sensor, followed by the built-in stereo microphone located at the bottom. This is a relatively standard layout for a MiniDV camcorder. Some manufacturers like to mount the microphone on top, but based on the DCR-HC38’s compact size, it would make sense to keep it out of finger reach. To the left of the lens is the lens cover switch.'

Read: Sony DCR-HC38 Camcorder Review - Camcorder Info

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PC Magazine have published their review of the Nikon Coolpix S50c digital camera. 'Boasting a wonderful iPod-like scroll wheel, which also activates a beautiful GUI, the compact 7.2-megapixel S50c has a big, 3-inch LCD and a non-telescoping lens. Interestingly, though, the "c" in the S50c name stands for the Coolpix Connect service. The camera has built-in IEEE 802.11b/g networking that can transfer pictures in one of two ways: sending the photos through e-mail (the Picture Mail feature) or storing them on a server (Nikon's Picture Bank feature). Both require a wireless LAN access point that supports a Wi-Fi connection to the Internet. Like Nikon's previous models with integrated wireless abilities, such as the Coolpix S7c, you can also hook up through a T-Mobile hot spot. But the S7c was limited in some ways. For example, you couldn't send a full-resolution image via e-mail with the S7c. The S50c has no such limitation.'

Read: Nikon Coolpix S50c Review - PC Mag

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A review of the Samsung Digimax L74 Wide digital camera has been posted over at CNET Asia. ‘As its name implies, the L74 Wide specializes in taking wide-angle shots. Its 3.6x zoom lens starts at a 28mm-equivalent angle of view, letting you fit more into your shot, which tends to be much more useful in everyday situations. For example, a 28mm-equivalent lens can get more people into a group photo, or frame a tall building without forcing you to step back as far as you would with a 35 or 38mm-equivalent lens. In an attempt to help keep your shots steady, the L74 Wide includes Samsung's Advanced Shake Reduction, an electronic image stabilization system that boosts ISO sensitivity and speeds up the shutter for high-speed and zoomed-in shots.’

Read: Samsung Digimax L74 Wide – CNET Asia

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Digital Trends have published a review of the Sony HDR-HC7 camcorder. 'The Sony HDR-HC7 looks like so many other camcorders with its horizontal configuration and silver-toned body with black accents. In fact, it looks similar to the Canon HV20 except the tape compartment is slightly more compact. The two companies are fierce rivals so the look-alikes must come from different factories, right? The HC7 measures 3.25 x 3.25 x 5.5 (WHD, in inches) and tips the scales at 23.2 ounces including battery and Memory Stick Pro Duo card. Tiny it isn’t but it feels very substantial. The front is dominated by a 10x Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* optical zoom with a reasonable 20x digital zoom; still we suggest you disable the digital zoom since quality drops a bit from pure optical. Below the zoom is a stereo mic and next to it is an input for optional microphones that fit in the hot accessory shoe. You’ll also find an infrared port that beams light when you’re in the NightShot mode. With this feature you can record subjects in complete darkness but they’re a monochrome green. My cat’s eyes looked pretty cool but this is best used for sleeping babies or you can use it as a light walking in the dark, checking things out on the LCD screen! Next to the Nightshot sensor is an auto pop-out flash for still images.'

Read: Sony HDR-HC7 - Digital Trends

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CNET have published a review of the 8-megapixel Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 digital camera. ‘The plastic body feels a bit cheap, and the grip--a bit larger than the H5's--could use more of a rubbery texture. Sony also "improves" upon the simple 4-way-plus-set navigation controls of the H5 by adding a scroll wheel and now-Sony-standard Home and Menu buttons. I love the scroll wheel, but it takes a little while to get used to the operation for adjusting shooting settings. You toggle between changing the particular setting and changing the settings values with the OK/Set button; the changeable option turns yellow. In theory, it's all very logical. But in the heat of the shoot, it requires a little too much thinking. Still, it makes sense, so it shouldn't take long to adapt.’

Read: Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 (black) - CNET

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A review of the BenQ DC X725 digital camera has been posted over at Trusted Reviews. ‘At first glance the X725 looks superb. It bears a very strong resemblance to the excellent Casio Exilim EX-S770, even down to the 3x zoom Pentax SMC lens. It is almost exactly the same size as the S770, measuring approximately 93 x 61 x 20mm. I say approximately because I measured it myself. Its official dimensions according to BenQ’s website are 91 x 60 x 14.7mm, and 12.5mm at the thinnest point, which would make it the thinnest 7MP camera in the world. What they’ve done is made the right-hand end of the camera taper slightly, so they can measure it just on the thinnest edge, but in my opinion that’s cheating. In reality it’s 20mm thick including the retracted lens and LCD monitor, and 15mm across the thinnest part of the body. That’s still pretty remarkably skinny, but it’s not 12.5mm. I don’t have any scales handy, so I can’t check the 120g dry weight, but then that doesn’t sound unreasonable.’

Read: BenQ DC X725 Review - Trusted Reviews

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Digital Camera Review have published a review of the Canon Powershot SD850 IS digital camera. ‘The camera features a 4x Canon optical zoom lens that provides a 35 to 140mm (35mm film equivalent) focal length range and image stabilizer; a Digic III processor which Canon reports provides improved image quality and functionality, particularly with the Face Detection and Red-Eye Correction technologies; ISO sensitivity to 1600, and an 8 mega pixel sensor and 2.5 inch LCD monitor along with a viewfinder. The SD850 IS targets that portion of the P&S market whose members don’t need or want manual controls. There is the capability for the shooter to make some adjustments to the images produced by the camera in areas such as color, saturation, sharpness, ISO sensitivity, etc., but primarily the SD850 IS was designed to permit the shooter to capture images with minimal fuss on his or her part.’

Read: Canon Powershot SD850 IS Review - Digital Camera Review

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CNET have published a review of the 10-megapixel Canon EOS-1D Mark III digital SLR camera. 'At first glance, the 1D Mark III doesn't look all that different from its predecessor, the 1D Mark II N. It still has a built-in vertical grip, with duplicate shutter and control buttons, so you don't lose functionality when changing grips. In fact, from the front, the most noticeable difference is that the Mark III has a steeper slope to the camera top on the nongrip side and a smoother slope from the prism hump on both sides. However, even that is difficult to see unless you're very familiar with both cameras. Turn the Mark III around, though, and you'll see that things have changed quite a bit, largely due to the addition of a 3-inch LCD. This has forced Canon to move some buttons around to make up for the fact that the LCD now extends to the left edge of the camera. Menu and Info buttons move above the screen, while the playback button drops to below it. The Select button from the Mark II N is now obsolete, thanks to the Mark III's Set button, which is mounted in the middle of the large scroll wheel, much like the scroll wheels found on the EOS 30D and 5D. Another feature drawn from those siblings is the tiny joystick controller, which is used to navigate between various menus, among other things.'

Read: Canon EOS-1D Mark III - CNET

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A review of the compact Fuji FinePix Z5fd digital camera has been posted over at Pocket-Lint. ‘The Fuji FinePix Z5fd is a sleek slice of metal that has a slide-open front plate that also turns the camera on and off and protects the lens and flash when shut. The Z5 logo lights up when activated as well and this adds an extra sparkle to an already gleaming design. The Raspberry Pink liveried model I had to test is an all metal bodied machine with nice ergonomics barring the lens position; it sits right in the top left corner (viewed from above) and means stray fingers can accidentally cover the lens.’

Read: Fuji FinePix Z5fd digital camera Review – Pocket-Lint

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Trusted Reviews have published a review of the ultra-compact Pentax Optio A30 digital camera. 'The specification is ambitious to say the least. The A30 is a 10-megapixel ultra-compact with a larger-than-usual 1/1.8-inch CCD sensor, flush-folding 3x zoom f2.8-5.4 lens (38mm-114mm equiv.), 3200 ISO maximum sensitivity, 2.5-in 232K pixel LCD monitor, DivX movie recording, face detection, manual exposure options and no less than three types of shake reduction, all in a camera measuring 57.5 x 89.5 x 23.5mm and weighing just 130g. That wish-list of features puts it straight into the top bracket of digital compacts alongside the best of Canon’s Digital IXUS range and Sony’s N-series cameras.'

Read: Pentax Optio A30 - Trusted Reviews

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LetsGoDigital have published their review of the Nikon Coolpix P5000 digital camera. ‘On paper the Nikon P5000 seems like an ideal camera for the experienced photographer who does not want to carry the complete SLR equipment, but demands a lot from a camera. With a 10 Megapixel resolution, the Nikon Coolpix P5000 is up to date with the latest trends. This resolution gives more than enough space to be able to make large prints or to edit the image extensively. For the advanced photographer it is also convenient that besides being able to do everything automatically, the camera’s aperture and shutter speed preferences can be operated manually.’

Read: Nikon Coolpix P5000 Digital Camera Review

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A review of the Canon PowerShot A570IS digital camera has been posted over at Digital Camera Info. ‘The Canon PowerShot A570IS looks very similar to the rest of the Powershot A series cameras. The left side of the camera bulges to form a rounded grip, and it's labeled Canon PowerShot A570IS in trademark type. The telescoping lens assembly features a removable bezel with a rounded profile. The very small optical viewfinder is nearly centered above the lens, and the small flash is in the upper right corner. Three holes form a microphone grille between the grip and the lens. There is a small, multi-purpose lamp near the viewfinder that provides focus assist, a self-timer indicator and red-eye reduction. The edges are rounded, and the body plastic has a two-tone metallic finish.’

Read: Canon PowerShot A570IS Digital Camera Review

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Megapixel.net have published their review of the Nikon Coolpix S500 digital camera. 'The Nikon Coolpix S500 is an ultra-compact camera that integrates a 7.1 megapixel CCD, a VR stabilized 3X optical zoom, and a 2.5-inch monitor. The body is surfaced in a champagne coloured brushed steel dotted with some bright metal highlights. And, although small, the Coolpix S500 has a reasonable weight that imparts it with a solid feel. Four controls are located on top of the camera. On the right, there is the power switch and the shutter release. In between is a rectangular LED that glows green when the camera is on, and blinks slowly when it is in sleep mode.'

Read: Nikon Coolpix S500 - Megapixel.net

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A review of the Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 camcorder has been posted over at PC Magazine. 'Unlike last year's model, the HD2 lets you store video on SD and SDHC memory cards. Video is encoded as an MPEG-4 file, to keep file sizes small. So, if you're using a 2GB memory card and capturing video at the highest quality setting, you'll be able to store about a half-hour of video (28.5 minutes, to be more exact). For still images, you can capture almost 600 7MP stills (at the highest quality setting) on a 2GB memory card. Although you can choose a 10MP setting for stills, I would avoid doing so because the camera uses interpolation to get larger file siz The zoom range, which applies to both stills and video, doesn't have a true wide-angle view, but you can purchase an additional 0.6X Wide & Macro adapter, which is essentially two lenses combined into one. You also have the option of separating the two functions and using just the Macro portion of the combo lens. The accessory lens fits right over the camcorder's lens, but it's not a flawless solution, since both its wide-angle and macro configurations—especially the macro—distort the image around the edges of photos and video. But for $100, this accessory is not a bad way to go to get a few wide-angle shots into your composition.'

Read: Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2 - PC Mag

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CNET have published their review of the Fujifilm FinePix F40fd digital camera. 'Fujifilm was among the first camera makers to push up to ISO 1,600 and beyond in compact cameras, thanks to its effective noise-reduction algorithms. That resulted in a parade of double-digit F-series cameras that employ Fuji's Real Photo Technology--a group of features aimed at shooting usable photos in low-light, among other, situations. The latest of those cameras is the FinePix F40fd, which offers an 8.3-megapixel Super-CCD-HR sensor, sensitivity up to ISO 2,000, a 2.5-inch LCD, and a 3x, 36mm-to-108mm f/2.8-to-f/5.1 zoom lens. However, you won't find optical or mechanical image stabilization, which puts it one step behind many of its competitors, some of which also offer 4x or even longer zoom lenses, too.'

Read: Fujifilm FinePix F40fd - CNET

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Camcorder Info have published their review of the JVC GZ-MG555 HDD camcorder. ‘The specs of the JVC Everio GZ-MG555 give the impression of a mighty camcorder. On the outside, JVC has packed on a host of manual controls, smartly placed and easily accessed. On the inside, the 1/2.5” CCD is among the largest in the consumer market. The 30GB hard drive is commensurate with other HDD camcorders in its price rage. But we have been disappointed by Everios in the past, and take specs sheets with a grain of salt. The truth can only be found by putting it in your hand. That truth: the GZ-MG555 is great for some users, but maybe not the best value in its class.’

Read: JVC GZ-MG555 Camcorder Review - Camcorder Info

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A review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 digital camera has been posted over at Neo Camera.com. ‘This point-and-shoot digital camera is well suited for various types of snapshots. The strong point of the FX30 is its wide-angle lens which greatly helps with outdoor architecture and interiors. Note that for interiors, this camera's limited ISO performance, discussed below, means that moving subjects should be avoided. The 28mm equivalent lens gives an angle of view roughly 25% wider than the typical ultra-compact camera which starts at 35mm. The camera's casing feels quite solid and even the door covering the USB and A/V connections feels sturdy.’

Read: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 - Neo Camera

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Pocket-Lint have published a review of the Samsung L700 digital camera which features a 7-megapixel image resolution, a 3x optical zoom and a bright 2.5-inch LCD display. 'Announced at CES earlier this year, the L700 is like most of the other cameras that Samsung launched at the same time, a 7-megapixel snapper with a 3x optical zoom. The L700 offers a 2.5-inch display on the back, numerous picture modes, as well as the ability to record movies in MPEG4 at 30fps. When it comes to performance, the L700 is fairly middle of the road. The camera is easy to use, but nothing out of this world. '

Read: Samsung L700 digital camera Review - Pocket-Lint

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A review of the 7-megapixel Nikon Coolpix L12 budget shooter has been posted over at CNET. ‘Like most budget cameras, the 7-megapixel L12 focuses more on automation and simplicity than on customization. Besides white balance and a handful of scene presets, the camera automates most shooting settings, including ISO sensitivity. When shooting in low light, the L12 automatically boosts sensitivity up to ISO 1600, a potential problem for noise-wary shooters. Surprisingly, the L12 offers manual white balance along with the standard selection of incandescent, fluorescent, cloudy, sunny, and flash white balance presets.

Despite its otherwise unimpressive attributes, the L12 boasts two high-end features we were surprised to see in a budget camera. Nikon's optical Vibration Reduction shifts the camera's 35mm-to-105mm equivalent lens to help reduce shake. Face-priority autofocus identifies subjects' faces and adjusts camera settings to best capture them. Both of these features are usually found on higher-end cameras like Nikon's Coolpix S500, and it's good to see them appear on a $200 shooter.’

Read: Nikon Coolpix L12 - CNET

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Trusted Reviews have published their review of the Fujifilm FinePix F40fd digital camera. ‘The F40fd is one of the latest in the line, announced in January this year, alongside a basically identical model made exclusively for Argos, the F45fd. It is an 8.3-megapixel model featuring Fuji’s 1/1.6-in SuperCCD HR VI sensor and Real Photo Processor II engine, as well as Fuji’s hardware-based face detection technology. Other features include a 2.5-in 230k LCD monitor, 2000 ISO maximum sensitivity, and interestingly the ability to use both xD-Picture and SD memory cards, although it does NOT accept SDHC cards.’

Read: Fujifilm FinePix F40fd – Trusted Reviews

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CNET have published their review of the JVC Everio GZ-HD7 camcorder. 'The HD7 can output in two different 1080i formats. The first, 1920x1080, dubbed "FHD" for "Full HD," uses variable bit rate compression for a theoretically better picture. The second, 1440x1080, dubbed "1440 CBR" uses constant bit rate compression, and is the HD format you must use if you wish to edit your video with iMovie; iMovie doesn't speak FHD. On Windows, I suggest you stick with the bundled Cyberlink software for playing, editing and burning your FHD video. Figuring out which third-party software will work with FHD and how to finesse it takes some major Googling.'

Read: JVC Everio GZ-HD7 - CNET

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