Canon Launches Powershot S200 in India at a Price of 19995 INR

Canon India has introduced the new PowerShot S200 in India. The latest edition to the S-series is a slim pocked-sized camera body and is priced at 19995 INR. 

The camera features a Controller Wheel and Control Ring that suits people who want to shoot not only with Auto, but also photos to their own preferences with manual mode. The camera is equipped with Advanced DIGIC 5 imaging processor. The Advanced DIGIC 5 imaging processor enhances the camera’s HS System by incorporating an advanced algorithm to deliver exceptional image quality and also has built in Wi-Fi. WiFi capabilities on PowerShot S200 allows instant sharing and uploading. The Canon Image Gateway(CIG) allows instant uploading from the cameras. Users with smartphones can also use the CameraWindow app (available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store) to perform the same function.

The camera is equipped with a F2.0 lens, the company claims that its newly engineered specifically for the PowerShot S200, the device features a 24 mm Wide-Angle 5x Optical Zoom (24mm-120mm) lens with a F Stop of f/2.0–f/5.9.

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Sony Unveils Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras Alpha 7 and 7R

The much awaited cameras from Sony are now official, Sony’s new a7 and a7R digital cameras are full-frame interchangeable lens models.The company claims that these two cameras are the smallest full frame mirrorless cameras in the world and offer an unmatched combination of creativity, customizability and portability.

a7R Camera:

The camera has a 36.4 effective megapixel full frame sensor and no optical low pass filter, ensuring that the extraordinary resolving power is fully realized and resulting in an unprecedented level of detail and clarity in images. The camera features a new AF technology that delivers blazingly quick, accurate autofocus. Additionally, there are a total of three selectable sizes for the Flexible Spot AF frame, minimizing the risk of accidentally focusing on the wrong target.

a7 Camera:

The a7 camera features an advanced 24.3 effective megapixel full-frame Exmor CMOS sensor paired with the powerful new BIONZ X processor. This new camera has a Fast Hybrid AF system that combines phase- and contrast-detect AF methods to ensure speedy, accurate autofocus. It can also shoot at up to 5 fps continuously with non-stop AF tracking, allowing it to keep pace with fast- moving athletes, wildlife.

With these new a7 camera systems, Sony has completely redefined the look and feel of a professional-grade digital camera,” said Mike Kahn, director of the interchangeable lens camera business at Sony Electronics. “The a7 and a7R cameras are significantly smaller, lighter and more portable than any other full-frame interchange lens camera yet deliver image quality, power and performance that professionals and enthusiasts crave.”Both cameras feature full customization and control to meet the needs of the most demanding photographers. There are 9 different customizable buttons and 46 assignable functions that can be adjusted based on shooting preferences, including fully customizable front and back dials, a rear control wheel and an exposure compensation dial. Users can preview all changes to photographic settings in real-time on the high-contrast, 2.4 million dot XGA OLED Tru-Finder or the high-resolution tiltable 3″ LCD screen.

The a7R model features a 36.4 megapixel 35mm Exmor CMOS sensor – the highest resolution sensor in the history of Sony’s ‘a’ line – with no optical low pass filter for added resolving power and increased image detail. The a7 model boasts a 24.3 effective megapixel 35mm Exmor CMOS sensor and a Hybrid AF system.

Both cameras are equipped with advanced imaging features including a new BIONZ X processor; fast AF capabilities; a clear, bright XGA OLED Tru-finder, full HD 60p video recording, Wi-Fi and NFC connection, dust-and moisture- resistance and more.

The company claims that clear Image Zoom has been enhanced for video recording as well, allowing for close-up shots without sacrificing the pixel count. Other pro-style movie features include an audio recording level control and display plus a “live” HDMI® output for passing through video to an external monitor or recording device.

The new cameras both have on-board Wi-Fi and NFC capabilities for instant image sharing and transfer to compatible smartphones and tablets. The a7R and a7 models can access Sony’s platform of PlayMemoriesTM Camera Apps, allowing users to add new effects, filters, utilities and more. This platform includes new ‘Multiple Exposure’ app, which automatically combines sequential exposures into one creative shot, and ‘Smart Remote Control’4, which allows for direct control of exposure and shutter speed from a connected smartphone and is particularly useful for self-portraits or group shots.

The Sony a7R and a7 full-frame interchangeable lens cameras will be available for purchase this December. The a7R camera will be offered as a body-only for about $2300. The Sony a7 compact system camera will be offered with a 28-70mm F3.5 – F5.6 full- frame lens (model SEL2870) for about $2000. It will also be offered as a body-only for about $1700.

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Panasonic Launches Lumix GM1, 16 MP Camera with WiFi

Panasonic launches a new product to its LUMIX Digital Single Lens Mirrorless cameras. The new DMC-GM1 is a sleek camera with large Digital Live MOS Sensor based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard.

The GM1 is small in size and features a 16-megapixel sensor along with a a 3-inch tilting LCD. The device has a 1 / 16,000 shutter speed, does 1080p video recording, electric shutter and built-in wireless. All this is packed in a metal alloy frame, with aluminum dials and a brushed-steel finish to give it a premium look. The sensor is the same as that found in the GX7, the ISO is 25600 at the top. However, the kit lens is a 12-32 mm f/3.5-5.6 affair, custom designed to fit the GM1s small frame. The camera is priced at £629 in the UK,  it launches in black and  orange on November 8th. The availability and price is not yet out for the Indian market.

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Sony Cyber-Shot RX10 Camera Launches With 24-200mm f/2.8 Lens

Sony on Tuesday announced a few big new cameras and a handful of e-mount lenses. 

Among the more wallet-friendly territory is the RX10, a slick new camera that comes equipped with a 1.0-type, 20.2 effective megapixel back-illuminated CMOS sensor, 24-200mm f2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario Sonnar T zoom lens, and a BIONZ X processing engine along with an advanced AT system. The sensor is actually the same Sony used in the RX100 II, though the camera overall is much different from that pro-sumer point-and-shoot.

“The innovative new RX10 high-zoom camera is a natural extension to our popular RX family of products, carrying on its legacy of balancing compact size and high- performance imaging in the ultimate package,” said Patrick Huang, director of the Cyber-shot camera business at Sony Electronics. “It’s an unparalleled all-around performer that will leave enthusiasts, hobbyists and even professionals reaching for their DSLRs less and less.”

The RX10 also has a viewfinder onboard, lock-on AF system, the ability to shoot at 10 fps, and bright 3.0-type White Magic LCD. Other features include Full HD video shooting, flexible controls and settings for DSLR-like flexibility, and six customizable buttons.

Watch the video below to see the new Sony RX10 in action.

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Nikon Launches New DSLR, D5300 With Built in Connectivity Options(WiFi)

Nikon is introducing its first DSLR with built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, the D5300 is the update to the previously available D5200 and will take its place as Nikon’s top most camera for the beginner DSLR users.

The D5300 features some important updates from what we saw on the D5200 like a larger 3.2-inch rotatable display, a new image-processing engine and no low-pass filter on the camera’s DX-format sensor, which should result in sharper images, claims Nikon. Having said that, this camera replaces the D5200, adding a new 24.2-megapixel sensor without an optical low-pass filter, an EXPEED 4 processor for 1080/60p video and 5 fps stills and increased battery life, allows photography lovers to take 700 shots in a single charge, compared to 500 with the previous D5200.

Users can pair with Nikon’s Wireless Mobile Utility app for both Android and iOS, which allows to shoot from a smartphone or tablet and transfer images as well. However, the camera’s weight has also been reduced to 530 grams. The D5300 is expected to hit stores later this month in black, red and grey for $1,400 with an 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens or $800 body-only. 

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How To Take Good Images From Your Phone's Camera

These days digital cameras are found in a variety of other gadgets – including cell phones. In fact Camera Phones are one of the fastest growing segments of the digital camera market and with the improvements in the quality of what is being offered in some phones (higher megapixels, better lenses, high capacity storage) some believe that they are beginning to win market share away from the low end offerings of many digital camera manufacturers. 

So keeping that in mind, we present to you some basic tips to improve the quality of images that you click from your cell phone.

1. Stand Still

It is really difficult to keep still while clicking images with your phone. Even the slightest of movements can leave the image blurred. The shutter delay is what causes these blurs. 

Holding the camera really steady and even after the shutter is released, keep it steady for a few seconds more just to be sure. You could also try supporting the phone on a few books, table, against the table vase and get sharper images.

2. The Better The Lighting, The Clearer The Image

The better lit your subject is the clearer your image is likely to be. If possible shoot outside or turn on lights when shooting inside. Your phone’s biggest weakness is its inability to take good pictures in low light (unless you have a Lumia 920 or a HTC One), which means you generally will want to get as much light as you possibly can on your subject.

If your phone camera has the basic white balance features then experiment with them to get the near possible match.

3. Focus!

When you’re taking a close-up, your phone generally focuses on the element closest to the lens. Switching the focus can allow objects in the background to stand out instead, thus making a run-of-the-mill shot more interesting. To focus on an element, gently tap your screen’s viewfinder.

Wait for the subject to be in focus. Then take the shot. There are apps you can use to selectively focus areas in your image. More on apps later. 

4. Avoid Zoom

The built-in zoom in most phone cameras are not optical but digital. Hence, it is advisable to not zoom in to compose a picture because you are not really zooming. 

Instead, move closer to the object and crop the image later if you have to. You will notice a considerable difference in the quality of the image.

Most smartphones have 8+ megapixels of resolution and sometimes more. That means you can crop substantially and still have plenty of resolution left for display on the web.

5. Keep The Lens Clean

While most of us spend loads of money on buying screen protectors for the front of your devices, we must realise that there is a lens on the back of your device that needs maintenance too. 

Phones spend a lot of time in pockets, in bags and being used in all manner of weather and conditions and over time the camera lens can collect lint/dust and create a blurred image. Just give it a good wipe with a clean cloth. 

6. Keep The Background In Mind

We all have images in our phones that were ruined by poor background surroundings. From photobombing friends or garbage on the road, keep in mind that the background is as important as the subject.

Backgrounds should vary from shot to shot. You can either go for a subtle, clean background or one with motion and movement. 

7. The Default Camera App Isn’t The Only One You Can/Should Use!

Depending on your particular phone and the camera app that comes with it, you may have a few settings you can adjust before taking a picture. In almost every case, though, you can do better by grabbing a more advanced camera app.

Apps like Camera Awesome allow you to shoot in bursts and separates the AF lock from the exposure lock. Other apps like Camera+ have similar options for more controlled shooting.

There are a ton out there, so look around! 

8. Use Accessories! 

If you intend to use your mobile phone as a digital camera, then you would do well to add on some accessories to maximise the camera experience. 

Given the success of cameras on smartphones, more and more manufacturers are selling accessories specially designed for use with camera phones. These include camera phone tripods, Bluetooth adapters to transfer photos to a PC, and an attachable wide-angle lens.

When professional photographers want to up the quality of their shots, they often upgrade their lenses. If you have a good smartphone, there are plenty of lens add-ons that allow you to do the same.

An example is the Olloclip. Easy to slip on and off, the Olloclip is actually three lenses in one: macro, fish-eye, and wide angle. The HitCase for the iPhone 5 also comes with a wide-angle lens, which helps you in taking macro-shots.

9. Edit Later, Avoid Using Filters

While you’re better off tweaking some settings before you take the photo, you can always make a picture look better by editing it after you’ve downloaded the pictures to your computer.

Take your shots in color at high resolution to keep your options open on how to treat it later. You can always make it black and white on your computer, but you can’t make it colour if you take it in Black and White mode. 

Apps like Snapseed (free) can be used to edit photos easily. Snapseed is very easy to use, and less onerous or labour-intensive than Photoshop Touch. It can auto-fix photos, definitely, but it can be used to make subtle and even minute edits to photos that affect exposure, saturation, sharpness and contrast. In other words, it’s a fully-fledged photo editor that competes with iPhoto.

10. Experiment!

The beauty of all forms of digital photography (including that of camera phones) is the ability to shoot off many shots quickly and without cost. This means you can experiment with different modes and composition and discard those that you don’t want to keep.

Don’t be afraid to try interesting angles. Sometimes playing around with angles can make an image look contrived, and other times, it just works.

Most importantly, just like any other camera, practice. Practice practice practice.Take lots of pictures. Learn what you like and what you need to improve on. It takes a while to get into a groove where you really start to excel, so shoot often and keep only your best work.

Armed with these tips and techniques, you’ll be surprised what you can do with a simple camera phone.

Let us know your tips in the comments section below

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Sony SLT A77

At first when you pick up the A77, the immediate reaction is, that this is a big and heavy camera. The body of the camera itself is about 700gms add the 15-105mm lens and you get a 1.4 KG shooter. The camera is solid and weather sealed, thanks to the robust Magnesium alloy body. The ergonomics are brilliant and we preferred carrying the camera without a strap since the front grip of the body is nice and rubberized making for brilliant handheld use.

On the inside is where it all happens, instead of a traditional flapping mirror, Sony has instead used a translucent mirror. The fixed mirror sits in front of the 24.2 MP Exmor APS CMOS sensor and allows only 2/3 of the light on the sensor. The rest is bounced off to a 2.1 Million dot OLED viewfinder.  The top of the camera has a monochrome LCD, along with controls for ISO, white balance, exposure, and a viewfinder / LCD toggle.There are scroll wheels at the front and rear for your right index finger and thumb, and a very convenient power switch ring on the shutter button.

Controls are aplenty for those who like setups, a button for AE lock, display options. The left of the camera has microphone input, Mini USB and Mini HDMI ports, a PC Sync socket for connecting external lights, a remote control port, and an AC adapter jack.The camera also accepts SD/SDXC or Sony’s MemoryStick duo cards, rather than the usual CF.

Features and Controls

If you are looking for filters on a camera then, you probably need to look in the lower region of the price bracket, a pro shooter like the A77 usually does not carry those. But there is this camera that does HDR, Toy Camera and Miniature, plus a few filters like Vivid and Monochrome. Apart from the multiple face detect, it also has Smile-Shutter and a sweep panorama. You also have selectable 19 AF points and full manual focus guide. The camera body also has an orientation sensor that ensures that the camera is flat with the ground and performs like a bubble meter. We would have rather had a gyro/accelerometer that would have told us that our camera is straight even when looking up or down away from the flat surface.

A full bevy of manual controls along with selectable/dedicated buttons makes the use of the camera simple yet professional. The easy to navigate menu and the robust mode dial are simple enough for a novice user, and advanced enough for the pro-user.

The inbuilt GPS chip, which lets you geotag your photos and then plot them on a map using iPhoto, Picasa, etc is also wonderful, it does drain an awful lot of battery though. The GPS was also about 50-100m off the exact target. But works none the less

Lenses, Viewfinder and Display

The lens we got with the camera was a 15-105mm lens, but there are over 90 lenses available for Sony’s alpha mount and several adapters to allow mounting of Canon and Nikon lenses (Sans Autofocus) and more third party lenses from Sigma, Tamaron and the likes. The lenses are heavy duty and built to last, they do have excellent glass allowing for, dare i say, “crispy” images and wonderful low light performance. The lenses are also relatively cheaper than the lenses of say – Canon or Nikon, because Sony lenses don’t have Image stabilisation. That feature is inbuilt into the camera and works wonderfully well, not only allowing for great handheld video but also, impressive low light performance

The electronic viewfinder is the point of controversy, where some debate that nothing can be better that a optical viewfinder, I personally prefer the OLED viewfinder. My reason is simple, due to the display-esque nature of the viewfinder, a lot more information is available to the user. The ability to preview the image in the viewfinder is even better, so now without pulling out of the camera looking at the LCD and then taking another picture, one can click a picture, preview it within the viewfinder and move on.

But here lies another issue, if you are in single frame shot mode, then each click will show a preview before you click another, hence delaying the ability to click photographs in a scenario where you know your shots are good. You can press the button halfway through the preview, but its still not as fast as it would be on an optical finder. So, consider yourself pre-warned.

The LCD is filled by 921,600 dots, and has the wonderful TruBlack technology, so black infact that it mingles with the accuracy of photos adding contrast on the LCD. It’s viewable in sunlight, but still a little off. The LCD also attracts a lot if dust and grime, fingerprints and face oils so a wonderful screen protector will do wonders. if you cant find one you can always cut a Mobile phone screen protector and make your own DIY project. Although a 3 inch size should be easy to find.

The LCD is flippilty and Floppity! Okay, it has a 3 hinge mechanism (happy?)  and allows viewabilty for the camera with any possible angle, even forward. One issue arises here aswell, since the screen can face forward either from below or above the camera, in a situation where one has say a Microphone on top and and the A77 is placed on a tripod, it is practically impossible to view the LCD. In this situation a Canon Style flip-out to the side LCD wins by leaps and bounds.

Interface

The Simple interface is easy to go through, the best part is that its a single menu system that you navigate with the joystick. In Manual and Semi-Manual modes the Fn button allows for customizations of settings such as ISO levels, Shutter Speed and Aperture Size.

The menu is very easy to understand and customise, but is a little slow, the whole camera interface suffers from old man syndrome. Turn on the camera and the monochromatic LCD takes about 3 seconds, click the menu button and there is a simple pause for about a second or two. 

We also definitely agree with the proximity sensor issue, that we also highlighted in the video. Though the ability to shift to a full time Viewfinder display is there, its not the best solution. Shifting from the LCD to the Viewfinder, a simple proximity sensor turns off the LCD and turns on the Viewfinder, the lag is sometimes so much, that those precious seconds can make or break your shot.

Performance and Image Quality

Step aside people the A77 has arrived! Remove any and all doubts about the translucent mirror and the 1/3 light loss. The camera uses the same 24.3-megapixel APS-C seen in NEX cameras and possibly Nikon cameras aswell. Colors are accurate and clear, and images are sharp and clean. 

White balance problems occur indoors where everything seems a little warmer on the camera, but is easily fixed by selecting indoor on WB settings. The camera is stunningly sharp thanks to the impressive in-body IS that allows for images to be crisp even with shaky hands, even at night.

Low light performance, as mentioned many times, is impeccable. The camera shoots at ISO 24600 with boost, but we don’t recommend that. Images are Noise free till about ISO 800 and then you start to see grain in the images. 1600-3200 is still usable, but beyond that will bring you to the stone ages. By default the A77 will only go up to ISO 1600 in Auto mode, but you can set it to go as high as ISO 12,800 through the menu.

Although there is no real need for a 24.3 MP sensor, the large image size, and the crisp images allow for a 100% crop without any loss of detail. Images when shooting in RAW+ JPEG will take up almost 40-60 MB of space an will slow you down if you don’t have a high capacity and high speed card.

The A77 can shoot 12 full-resolution frames per second, and captures about 20 frames in two seconds before slowing down to allow a Class 10 standard card to buffer, get a faster card and possibly have limitless shooting. The best feature of the camera is now demonstrated, even at high fps, image sharpness and focus is in place. Out of the many continous images you will capture, rarely you will find flaws with it. Making it a semi-studio owners pride and joy.

Video Features.

SLR video is a big thing nowadays and Sony didn’t want to be left out, since video is their thing. Sony not only added Video but did something to set a benchmark for other companies. The SLT a77 focuses so brilliantly in Video mode that it almost performs as good as a professional broadcast camera with auto focus. The ability to capture 1080p video at 60p makes for fun video and playback at high speed or double the frame rate. Other formats include 1440 x 1080 @ 30fps, 640 x 424 @ 30fps, and 1080p @ 24fps. 

The ability to add an external microphone and a headphone out for monitoring make for a wonderful excuse to buy this camera, which offers exceptional – shallow depth of field – video.

Conclusion

The A77 is the only camera, that  not only lives up to expectations, but out performs them. Roughly a lac (about $2000) for the bundle sets it at a semi pro price point, but as a 1 Lac rupee camera it does a lot more.  Brilliant photography is just one element. Video features that wow, fast autofocus, weather sealed body and brilliant in-body image stabilisation just to name a few other. The camera does come with its own set of defects, including the laggy interface and the controversial viewfinder. What adds to the pie is the slow LCD to Viewfinder switch time and honestly the lack of a touchscreen (call me simple, but  a touchscreen would have improved video performance ten folds).

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Sony Launches Two New Cameras: Alpha 3000 And NEX 5T

Camera fans have split into groups. As they choose from point-and-shoot cameras or smaller mirrorless models and alot of u like the bulky, professional look and feel of DSLR cameras.

Sony has launched two new DSLR like cameras today Alpha 3000 and NEX 5T.
Sony Alpha 3000:

The Alpha 3000 has a Sony E-mount interchangeable lens with a Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor with an effective picture resolution of 20.1 pixels. It can also capture videos in high-definition resolution at 60 frames per second. This camera has a 3X digital zoom and the focal length is 27 to 82.5 mm. It has a 3-inch display with a “live view” feature. The camera has a rechargeable 1080 mAh Lithium NP-FW50 rechargeable battery. This camera weighs 281 grams and is priced $400 and is up for pre-booking.
NEX 5T:

The NEX-5T is a 16.1-megapixel device with Sony E-mount interchangeable lenses. It has the same Exmor CMOS sensor and can shoot 10 frames per second. It has a 3X optical zoom and a 4X digital zoom. The focal length is 24 to 77 mm. The camera has a 3-inch touchscreen display that can tilt 180 degrees. It also has NFC and built-in WiFi. This is a more compact camera, with approximately half the weight of the Alpha 3000, this camera weighs 116 grams. This camera is priced $700 and is up for pre-booking.

    “These target the entry-level user,” said Kenta Hanjo, a product manager at Sony Electronics, in a press briefing. “It’s for someone who owns a smartphone and point and shoot and wants to step up their photography.”

Both of these cameras have the same shipping date which is 8th of September 2013 for US. We will have to see when and for what price will these cameras come to the Indian market

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