UK Digital Cameras Blog

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 offers good quality images and has a 2.5-inch screen that makes it an “excellent choice” for buyers looking at compact digital cameras, one reviewer suggests.

According to digicamreview. com, the 7.2 megapixel model performs well in a number of light and locations and comes equipped with a wide-angle lens and, despite this, is still “noticeably cheaper than many of its rivals.

In an article for the site, the reviewer highlights the slim measurements of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 and states that the camera can also be purchased in silver or black.

“The stylish design and colour scheme and choices look very good,” it notes adding that the camera is also great for slipping “very easily into small pockets”.

“The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX30 is an excellent ultra compact digital camera - image quality is very good with great colour and detail.”

According to Panasonic the camera also features Venus Engine III technology - which allows greater sensitivity settings.

One of the most notable features on the Canon Ixus 860 IS is its “rather professional” range of macro options, according to a new review.

In an article for the Irish Independent this week, Marie Boran states that the eight-megapixel model comes with a wide angle lens that has enough power to take nature shots that “David Attenborough would approve of”.

However, Ms Boran pays particular attention to the macro options that come with the
Canon Ixus 860 IS, stating that they can be particularly useful for 1:1 ratio shots.

“You can go into super-macro mode with the Ixus 860, so even though this Canon camera falls into the point-and-shoot category, it actually produces rather professional pictures for its price range,” the reviewer states.

She adds that a range of hidden features and the “idiot-proof” nature of the camera mean that “even the most amateur photographer” will have fun with the unit.

In addition, the Canon Ixus 860 IS comes equipped with total anti-blur solution and DIGIC III for lightning fast response.

The Olympus FE-340 is simple to use and has plenty of features for its modest price tag, according to one reviewer.

It is reported that the eight-megapixel model might be “unfussy”, but it offers high quality images both inside and outside as well as being “small enough to slip into a pocket”.

Cameras. co. uk states that users can expect good colour resolution and extra features such as 5x optical zoom, face detection as well as a range of colours that includes silver, black, pink and blue.

“I am impressed by the results produced by the FE-340. As I mentioned … this is one of the less expensive pocket cameras and the photo quality is very good,” the review concludes.

The Olympus FE-340 also comes equipped with a TruePic III Image Processor, shakeproof anti-blur mode, perfect shot preview and a 2.7-inch LCD Screen and is also available in a range of bundles.

The Canon IXUS 80 IS offers style and performance in a lightweight and pocketable package, according to a review.

According to Trusted Reviews, Canon has launched a large number of the IXUS range and the models have become “almost as synonymous with digital compact cameras as the Apple iPod has with mp3 players”.

However, the site notes that the Canon IXUS 80 IS goes one further in terms of style by offering four different colours - Classic Silver, Caramel, Chocolate and Candy Pink.

It is suggested that this move by Canon could be intended to target the female and fashion-conscious buyer.

“This is a camera designed to appeal more to the fashion conscious than the connoisseur and as such it serves its purpose. It’s well made and very attractive,” the site concludes.

The eight-megapixel Canon IXUS 80 IS offers 3x optical zoom with optical Image Stabilizer as well as motion detection technology and an enhanced face detection system.

The Panasonic Lumix TZ5 has been given a full review by one website - in the
deserts surrounding Las Vegas.

According to digitalcamerareview .com, the opportunity to travel to Las Vegas presented the perfect opportunity toput the Panasonic Lumix TZ5 to the test and concludes it is “an extremely strong
contender in a crowded field”.

As the successor to the TZ3, the 9.1-megapixel model has a lot to live up to, the site suggests, adding that the inclusion of a “familiar 10x Leica wide-angle zoom” and compact
body is welcome.

The camera’s three-inch screen is also highlighted and boasts a 460,000-pixel resolution that the reviewer adds “makes everything … look crisp and bright on-screen”.

Available in silver, black and blue,the Panasonic Lumix TZ5 should have enough style to tempt many customers and the site concludes that “as a snapshot camera … I really enjoyed working with the TZ5.”

Olympus has announced the latest in its range of “popular and highly-rated” digital cameras, according to the Trusted Reviews website.

The site reports that the new Olympus E-520 semi-pro digital SLR will to build on its predecessor the Olympus E-510 as well as the manufacturer’s expertise in building premium photographic equipment.

It is reported that the Olympus E-520 not only “ticks all the right boxes” in terms of the amount of features it offers, but also improves performance by giving users a maximum frame rate of 3.5 frames per second.

The camera is equipped with body-integral sensor-shift image stabilisation as well as autofocus and a self-cleaning sensor. However, it is the Shadow Adjustment Technology that the site states is noteworthy.

“This is a new feature … which enhances the apparent dynamic range by brightening shadow areas,” it adds.

For those considering a more compact model, the manufacturer currently offers the ten-megapixel Olympus MJU 1010 in silver, blue and black.

A new digital camera from Fuji could bridge the gap between compact and digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) models, it has been suggested.

In an article for dpreview. com, Richard Butler notes that the Fuji Finepix S100FS attempts to offer the increased level of “control and range” that buyers have sought for some time without having to carry the extra weight of a DSLR.

Mr Butler notes that Fuji Finepix S100FS is “an interesting package” that has an extra large sensor, a lens that is able to cover a zoom range of up to 4.3x and boasts the latest version of the manufacturer’s Super CCD sensor technology.

“[There are] some photography-related features that have been added too, such as presets designed to mimic the behaviour of specific Fuji films and a dynamic range expansion mode,” the review notes.

The camera comes equipped with a 2.5-inch TFT LCD screen, dynamic range expansion mode and TTL 256-zone metering.

With digital photo frames becoming more and more popular as gifts for loved ones, a review suggests that one model from Kodak is a stylish option.

According to Stuart Miles of Pocket-lint. co .uk, digital photo frames that look great are not only becoming a “hot property”, but also represent an ideal gift for friends and family.

He adds that in particular the 10-inch Kodak EasyShare EX1011 is an effective panel as it comes with a “minimalist but modern look” while offering a range of features that include Wi-Fi connectivity.

Mr Miles also highlights the 128MB of built-in memory and music and video playback that all adds to a package that is able to “stand out from the crowd”.

“[The Kodak EasyShare EX1011] is a good all round photo frame that offers the added bonus of being able to stream your images over the network and manage them easily without having to mess around with memory cards,” he states.

Earlier this month, vnunet. com also praised the Kodak EasyShare EX1011 for its compatibility with a range of formats and drew attention to its compatibility with Kodak’s online photo service.

There is no shortage of high performance high definition (HD) camcorders available thanks to the competition currently being stirred up by some of the world’s best manufacturers, it has been suggested.

In a recent article for Pocket-lint. co. uk, Chris Hall notes that more people might are considering buying a HD camcorder in time for summer and that it is not too difficult to find a model that delivers.

He recommends manufacturers such as Sony, JVC and Canon, and suggests simple controls and high quality footage as central to making sure the model you choose is right.

One model that was praised by the Trusted Reviews website was the JVC GZ-MG575, which the website noted was like the JVC GZ-MG505EK in terms of being a “consummate all-rounder”.

However, more specifically the review stated that the unit created video of an “excellent” quality and for its price represented a “tasty prospect for family holiday duties”.

A new device that allows cameras to take billion-pixel images that users can then zoom in on to reveal minute details is set to “revolutionise” the digital camera market, according to reports.

Newspaper the Times says the Gigapan gadget uses a miniature tripod-mounted robot to “command” a standard digital camera and take several hundred separate shots of a single scene.

Photographers can then uses computer software to stitch the images together into a single panorama that they can zoom in on and explore like a three-dimensional image, it adds.

In a shot of the South Bank and River Thames in London, the publication says Gigapan users were able to zoom in on individuals in pods on the London Eye, as well as the exact time shown on the face of Big Ben’s tower, even though they were “hundreds of metres away” when the shot was taken.

The Times adds that the Gigapan could transform digital photography in the same way
Google Earth has revolutionised satellite imaging.

Gigapan was created by experts at Carnegie Mellon University in the US.

The team’s chief architect, Randy Sargent, said: “Our goal is to bring the world closer together by making it possible for anybody to take these panoramas and show them to people across the world.”

Existing digital cameras with panorama stitch functions include the Kodak EasyShare Z1285, the Kodak Easyshare ZD710 and the Nikon Coolpix S51c.