From the Manufacturer

Unleash your creative side with the first-ever Olympus X Series camera. Designed for those who want the quality of an SLR in a high-end point-and-shoot format, this camera provides a new, easy-to-use outlet for artistic expression. With the XZ-1 you'll capture high-quality still images and HD videos in any shooting environment thanks to its fast, super-bright, built-in Olympus iZuiko lens and its large, super-sensitive CCD sensor. <table align="right" cellpadding="3" width="300"><tbody><tr><td></td></tr> <tr><td><center>
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Olympus XZ-1 Highlights

Fast, super-bright f1.8 iZuiko 4x wide lens
The iZuiko f1.8-2.5 6.0-24mm (28-112mm equivalent angle of view in 35mm cameras) digital lens is a newly-developed 4x compact version of the legendary, high-quality ZUIKO Digital lenses featured with Olympus DSLRs. With a minimum aperture of f1.8 at wide-angle and a maximum aperture of f2.5 at telephoto, this lens assures fast shutter speeds for sharp low-light images. This aperture range also allows photographers to take portraits that highlight the subject by defocusing the background, a capability not possible in most compact cameras. The lens is specifically designed for clear, high-quality photographic performance with minimal ghosting or flare.

High-sensitivity CCD
Compared to existing 1/2.33-inch, 14-megapixel CCDs, the light-reception area of each pixel of the 1/1.63-inch, 10-megapixel CCD featured in the XZ-1 has been doubled. Superb, low-noise images can be shot even in dimly lit situations such as night scenes and indoor shots.

Advanced manual controls
The XZ-1 offers advanced manual controls that experienced photographers expect from larger digital SLR cameras. But, with the XZ-1, advanced features are easy to use. A control ring around the front of the lens and the wheel controller on the back provide immediate access to the most important manual settings like ISO, aperture and shutter speed to make it easy to adjust the camera on the move.

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</center></td></tr></tbody></table> New, 3-inch OLED monitor
Whether composing still images or HD videos, photographers will appreciate the XZ-1's sharp 3.0-inch OLED monitor to frame and show off still images and High Definition (HD) movies in detailed 720p. The LCD displays 610,000 dots in vivid color, reproduces colors and shades more accurately with deeper black tones, and consumes less power. The monitor also provides a wide viewing angle ensuring that images can be composed from even the most obscure angles.

Low-light performance
The XZ-1 has an easily accessible built-in pop-up flash to illuminate low-light subjects, reduce red-eye and fill in dark areas. The camera also features an AF illuminator to make it simple to focus in low-light situations. Additionally, Dual Image Stabilization further assures you'll get the shot you want while holding the camera: Mechanical Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization compensates for camera movement in low-light conditions when shutter speeds are slower while Digital Image Stabilization freezes the action with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds that prevent blurry images often caused by a moving subject. On top of all this, the XZ-1 also offers a Low-Light mode which automatically adjusts the ISO sensitivity up to ISO 3200 to take sharp full-resolution photos in dark places.

HD movie with HDMI control
Shooting video is as easy as ever with the new Olympus XZ-1 camera. The camera captures all the action in crisp 720p HD video at 30 frames-per-second. The XZ-1's easy-to-reach record button on the back of the camera body makes recording videos a breeze. If you're about to snap a photo and you realize a video would capture the spirit of the scene even better, simply press the record button and instantly you're capturing videos! The XZ-1 makes sharing your content easier than ever. Just connect it to your HDTV with an optional HDMI cable and use your HDTV's remote to control playback functions and navigate the camera's menus from the comfort of your couch.

TruePic V Image Processor
The XZ-1 pairs a high sensitivity 10 megapixel CCD sensor with the TruePic V Image Processor to produce clear and colorful photos using all the pixel information from each image to provide the best digital images possible. The image processor is noted for accurate natural color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal expression; it also lowers image noise in photos shot at higher ISO settings (ISO 100 to ISO 3200), enabling great results in low-light situations.

Hot shoe and accessory port
To expand the camera's versatility, the XZ-1 includes an accessory port that is compatible with select PEN camera accessories. Photographers can attach optional accessories like the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter, the VF-2 electronic viewfinder, or the newly introduced MAL-1 macro light. These optional accessories easily slide into the camera's accessory port and hot shoe.

Nikon Coolpix P300 f/1.8 Manual Pocket Camera


Tuesday February 8th, 2011 at 7:22 PM
Posted by: Photo-John

Listen up camera nerds and professional photographers! Nikon has stepped into the high-end pocket camera ring to compete with Olympus, Panasonic and Canon. The Nikon Coolpix P300 has a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor, full manual exposure controls, 1080p HD video, and – here’s the best part – an f/1.8 lens for better low light shooting and depth-of-field control. And yes – it really will fit in your pocket.

It’s hard to draw clear category lines with high-end compact cameras. But for me, a camera that actually fits in my pocket is a big deal. I listed Canon, Olympus and Panasonic in my intro. But to be fair, the only other truly pocket-sized high-end compact is the Canon PowerShot S95. The new Olympus XZ-1 is beautiful, and it was the first compact with an f/1.8 lens. But it’s actually a bit large to fit comfortably in a pants pocket – especially since the lens protrudes a bit even when the camera is turned off. Same with the Panasonic Lumix LX5. But since not everyone shares my definition of pocket-sized, I am being charitable here.

Nikon Coolpix P300 pocket camera with f/1.8 lens and manual exposure controls

I’ve had a Nikon Coolpix S8100 pocket superzoom camera to play with for a few weeks (read my Nikon Coolpix S8100 preview video and article). The first thing I did when I got the Nikon P300 press material was compare the dimensions to the S8100 to find out if the P300 is really a pocket camera. It’s pretty much exactly the same size as the S8100 and when it’s turned off the lens retreats completely into the body. So the answer is, yes – the P300 is most definitely a pocket camera. It’s a pocket camera with an f/1.8 lens (24-100mm f/1.8-4.9), full manual exposure control and 1080p HD video. Can I get a “hell yeah!!?”

Of course, you never can have it all. Digging into the specs and doing some careful comparison, I found a couple of downsides to the P300. While it does have a super fast f/1.8 aperture at the wide end of the zoom range, when you zoom in, the f/4.9 aperture is much slower than the Olympus XZ-1′s f/2.5 maximum aperture. But I’m sure that’s how Nikon was able to keep the camera so small. The Olympus XZ-1′s big telephoto aperture requires the lens optics to be much larger and that’s why it isn’t what I consider a true pocket camera.

The second compromise with the P300 is the sensor size. It uses a 1/2.3-in sensor. That’s standard for most compact cameras but considerably smaller than the Canon Coolpix S95, the Olympus XZ-1 and the Panasonic Lumix LX5. The smaller sensor means smaller pixels and probably compromised image quality compared to those other cameras. Does it really matter? To some photographers it will and to some it won’t. After all, it is a truly pocket-sized Nikon with a great lens and full manual controls. Personally, I’ve been very pleased with the Coolpix S8100 pocket superzoom I’ve been using. And I expect it uses the exact same sensor as the P300.

The new Nikon Coolpix P300 will be at available in March of 2011 and the suggested retail price is $329.95. If you want one, I suggest getting your pre-order in ASAP. I expect the P300 is going to be a hot seller.

Sony Announces the RX100, Touted as “Best Pocket Camera of All Time”

• DL Cade · Jun 06, 2012

Sony’s new Cybershot — specs and pictures of which were leaked just a couple of days ago — was just made official this morning, accompanied by quite a few nods of approval from tech and photo nerds everywhere. PC World are even calling it the “Best Pocket Camera of All Time,” and they may not be far off. That’s because the new Cybershot DSC-RX100 is a fixed lens point-and-shoot compact that packs a wallop.

At the heart of the camera you’ll find a whopping 1-inch sensor working in concert with an f1.8-4.9 Vario-Sonnar T* lens, a 3-inch 1,229k-dot LCD and a BIONZ imaging processor. As far as features go, the RX100 boasts 3.6x optical zoom at 100mm, 10fps continuous shooting, 80-25,600 expandable ISO range, RAW capabilities, full manual mode, 13 different effect options and 1080p/60fps HD video capabilities.

For a point-and-shoot it certainly is stacked with features; and that lens, which utilizes a seven-blade circular aperture, can keep f2.8 all the way through half the zoom range, making it much more versatile than other fixed-lens compacts on the market. Those who are interested will be able to pick up the camera starting in July, but be forewarned, she’s gonna cost you $649… and that’s before you grab any other accessories.