Kodak EasyShare M590 Review

By Andy Stanton, DigitalCameraReview.com Contributor

Review Summary:
The EasyShare M590 isn't short on good looks, but it does come up short in performance with lots of lag time between shots and an underpowered flash unit.

Pros

• Decent image quality
• 5x optical zoom
• Very attractive appearance

Cons

• Very slow shot-to-shot
• Chromatic aberration
• Underpowered flash

Kodak EasyShare M590 Full Review

 Kodak makes a wide array of point-and-shoot cameras which are very functional and reasonably priced. However, until recently "stylish" was not a word normally associated with Kodak cameras. The EasyShare M590 may change that perception.


The M590 is a small, thin, attractive, 14 megapixel point-and-shoot camera with an internal folded-optics lens, which means the lens does not move in and out when optical zoom is enabled. The M590 has other appealing features - optical image stabilization, 5x optical zoom, HD movie ability and a "share" button which allows the user to tag photos to be emailed or loaded to Facebook, YouTube, Orkut, Flickr, or the Kodak Gallery.
Kodak claims the M590 is the thinnest camera available with a 5x optical zoom at only 0.6 inches thick, and my own research confirms this. Kodak's online store lists the M590 for $199.95, though I've seen it from reliable online retailers for under $150. With all this going for it, the M590 appears to be a good choice for those interested in a modestly priced thin, stylish, camera with an internal folded-optics zoom lens. Let's find out if this is indeed the case.

Olympus E-PL1 Review

By Adam Crawford, DigitalCameraReview.com Contributor

Review Summary:
The E-PL1 offers the same good performance and image quality as its E-P1 and E-P2 predecessors at less cost.

Pros

• Pop-up flash added
• Great image quality
• Affordable price

Cons

• Slow AF system
• No optical viewfinder
• Cheaper build

Olympus E-PL1 Full Review

The Olympus E-PL1 is the latest and most affordable digital camera donning the "PEN" Micro Four Thirds nameplate, priced at $599 with the 14-42mm kit lens. Alongside its older siblings, the higher priced E-P1 and E-P2, the E-PL1 jumps into the game with many of the same specs, including a 12.3-megapixel LiveMOS sensor, sensor-shift image stabilization and full manual control.


The E-PL1 also has some new features that previous PEN models lack, including a pop-up flash, dedicated direct HD video button on the back of the camera and Live Guide controls for beginners. The Live Guide function allows you to use sliders to control in-camera settings like color saturation and brightness, as well as create shortcuts for blurring the background or capturing fast-moving action.
Like all Olympus PEN and Panasonic Micro Four Thirds cameras, the E-PL1 uses a live view LCD screen instead of a dedicated optical viewfinder, though fortunately the E-PL1 has an add-on EVF (electronic view finder) that can be slid into the hot shoe (we did not use one for our review).

Olympus's E-PL1 has a similar retro look as the E-P1 and E-P2, with a classic rangefinder body that is unassuming, compact and stylish, though not as retro-chic as the first two digital PENs. The E-P1 starts at $799 and the E-P2, the most expensive of the Olympus line, costs $1,099. So besides price, what are the other major differences among three seemingly-similar cameras? Keep reading our in-depth review of the E-PL1 to find out.

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BUILD AND DESIGN
The original Olympus PEN film cameras featured a half-frame 18x24mm film plane and were the answer to bulky 35mm film SLRs. In the 1960s, manufacturers wanted to create a more compact camera, which was possible because of the decreased size of the film plane needed, allowing twice as many exposures to be captured on smaller cameras. Today, Micro Four Thirds Digital PENs, which are much smaller cameras with interchangeable lenses, act as an answer to bulkier APS and full-frame digital SLRs.

Olympus's PEN Digital cameras are stylish and reminiscent of a classic rangefinder. Though it lacks solid metal construction like the E-P1 and E-P2, the E-PL1 is a finely-crafted machine that just coos "just take me with you." Like the original half-frame PENs, the E-PL1 varies from average entry-level DSLRs. The design, the size of the sensor, and the technology are all different (mainly due to the lack of mirror and means of achieving phase detection AF).
The Olympus E-PL1 is a combination of a manual control DSLR and an automatic point-and-shoot camera. The E-PL1, like a DSLR, has interchangeable lenses, a larger sensor than a point-and-shoot and the ability to control settings like aperture, shutter speed, etc. Don't let the price and look of the camera deceive you; this little bad boy blends a DSLR's power with the ease of a point-and-shoot, which adds to its appeal for both markets.
Ergonomics and Controls
The E-PL1 feels great in the hand and it has almost identical dimensions and weight as the E-P1 and E-P2. It also has more hand real estate than its predecessors, with a larger handle grip on the front right of the camera. The camera is built with hard plastic and an outer rim alloy, which gives the camera a sturdy feel. It also has something both of the first digital PENs lack: a pop-up flash. However, it doesn't have a dedicated dial that allows you to quickly dial in aperture and shutter speed, a feature of its predecessors.

I don't miss the dial because you can use the four-way controller to change those settings quite easily. Just press upward on the four-way dial and then use the directional controls to dial in your settings.
The basic setup of the buttons is pretty standard: it includes a mode dial with scene modes, aperture priority, manual, shutter priority, and art filters. The shutter button is reminiscent of an old-school film shutter, and the power button and the pop-up flash are also on the top of the camera.
A 2.7-inch LCD, which is used for framing and playback, has 230,000 dots of resolution and is located on the back. The E-PL1 has a four-way controller grid and an OK button in the menu that can also be used as a quick menu trigger for changing white balance, ISO, auto focus and other functions. The camera back also sports an info button, playback button, trash can for deleting images and a Fn button that can be assigned different functions or used to zoom in and out in playback mode.
Menus and Modes
The menu system is pretty standardized across the board for Olympus SLR cameras; the E-PL1's menu system is very similar to the high-end E-3. The easiest way to adjust settings is through the quick menu that is enacted when you press the Start/OK button in the middle of the four-way dial. Then you can access features like aspect ratio, AF settings, WB, ISO, face detection, color modes like i-Enhance, Vivid or natural (the default camera setting), and image stabilization modes.

When you press the Menu button, which takes you to a four-tabbed sub menu, you can change settings from assigning the Fn button to RC mode for an external flash through the hot hotshoe.
The Mode Dial on top of the camera is the real meat and potatoes for shooting; it gives you a range of options, from total manual control (M) to iAuto for more amateur photographers.
Here is a description of the shooting modes available on the Mode Dial:

• iAuto: The most automatic shooting mode. It gives you the option to use sliders for desired effects, including color saturation, image warmth/coolness, brightness, blur background, Express Motions (either blurring or stopping motion) and Shooting Tips, which gives you a tutorial on how to frame and execute different camera techniques.
• Art Filters: Six different in-camera effects called Art Filters are available, including Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama and Gentle Sepia.
• Program: Shutter speed and aperture are set by the camera, but you can change different parameters like exposure compensation.
• Aperture: User selects aperture speed while the camera adjusts shutter speed.
• Shutter: User selects shutter speed while the camera adjusts aperture speed.
• Manual: User selects parameters for exposure, including shutter, aperture, EV and white balance.
• Scene: Includes 19 different scene modes: Portrait, e-Portrait, Landscape, Landscape + Portrait, Sport, Night Scene, Night + Portrait, Children, High Key, Low Key, DIS Mode, Macro, Nature Macro, Candle, Sunset, Documents, Panorama, Fireworks and Beach & Snow.
• Movie: Two options for shooting, both at 30 fps. The first is 1280 x 720 HD video at 16:9 aspect ratio, and 640 x 480 at 4:3 aspect ratio. The good news is you can shoot video using the six art filters as well as in Program, Manual and Aperture priority modes.

Display/Viewfinder
The E-PL1 uses the LCD as its primary viewfinder, since it lacks a mirror system and an optical viewfinder. Although you can purchase a hot shoe mount Electronic Viewfinder VF-2, I shot without it, so I can't comment on its effectiveness.

The 2.7-inch LCD has a 100% field of view, like most point-and-shoot screens, and gives you accurate color reproduction on-screen for framing and playback. I had some trouble shooting on a sunny day during one of my field tests because the screen was hard to read when framing.
The monitor is also very prone to smudges, and needs to be cleaned constantly when shooting. This is just something you have to deal without a viewfinder, but it is not a deal breaker. Overall, using the LCD monitor for everything is easy, and easily adaptable if you're a DSLR user.

Samsung Launches New 2011 NX Series Lens Line Up

SEOUL, Korea – February 21, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a global leader in digital media and digital convergence technologies, today announced five innovative new lenses for its NX camera system. The new lenses bring more premium innovation to the range, featuring class-leading technology such as a premium portrait lens and lenses for movie capturing, opening new creative avenues for NX users to explore.
All of the lenses are compatible with Samsung’s unique i-Function system, which helps users create powerful effects easily through quick and convenient controls. The new launches, along with the five lenses released in 2010, mean that there are now 10 high-performance lenses available for the NX system, making this one of the most comprehensive ranges available in the Compact System Camera (CSC) market. Samsung’s new lenses have been created to allow users to maximize the potential of their NX system cameras, achieve professional-looking results and enjoy taking photos whatever their level of photography experience.
The new lens range includes Samsung’s 18-200mm multi-purpose Long Zoom Lens. This model features modes which are optimized for creating high-quality movie content with a single lens. The new long zoom lens also has a fast, silent Auto-Focus due to Samsung’s use of Voice Coil Motor (VCM) technology, so users can capture important events without recording the sound of the camera’s AF. The lens also features Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) to cancel out any hand movement and deliver crisp, clear images, even when a subject is far away.
Samsung has also launched a light, compact 16mm F2.4 Ultra Wide Pancake Lens. The bright aperture of this lens helps to capture wider images even in low light, and deliver a shallow depth of field. The new lens’ compact size and sleek design make it the perfect companion to the stylish NX camera range, and its ultra wide angle is ideal for taking landscape shots and deep perspective pictures.
For the ultimate in super fast and silent Auto Focus, Samsung’s new 60mm Macro Lens features a Super Sonic Actuator (SSA) to deliver a fast, quiet Auto-Focus and also has an Optical Image Stabilization so users never have to miss the timing of that perfect close up shot. For more advanced photographers, the lens offers the ability to manually fine-tune focusing using the Full-Time Manual Focus. 
The Premium Portrait Lens also launched today is the ultra bright 85mm F1.4 CSC lens, designed for professional photographers. This lens also includes the SSA to provide a fast and silent Auto-Focus. Like Samsung’s 60mm Macro Lens, the 85mm Premium Portrait Lens also includes the Full Time Manual Focus, giving advanced photographer’s greater control over their preferred settings. The bright F1.4 lens offers the ideal solution for capturing perfect and professional looking portrait pictures of friends or loved ones.   
Samsung’s 16-80mm Advanced Standard Zoom Lens is optimized for taking great movies and still shots. Like the 18-200mm long zoom lens, it has a fast, silent Auto-Focus and Optical Image Stabilization. To make capturing great footage easy in any situation, the lens includes VCM modes ranging from landscape to portrait.
 “At Samsung we are committed to ensuring that we remain at the cutting edge of imaging technology, and these five new lenses are testament to that ambition and the growing strength of compact system camera photography,” said Mr. Hyunho Chung, executive vice president and head of the Digital Imaging Business, Samsung Electronics. “These are products that a professional photographer would be proud to use, but we make them so easy to use that a novice could get amazing results every time, and that is a credit to our strong R&D team. We are continuing to innovate in this exciting market and we have more significant developments planned for the future, which will add to our growing strength in the compact system camera market.”

Casio Exilim EX-H20G Review

By Howard Creech, DigitalCameraReview.com Contributor | 12/31/2010

Review Summary:
The Casio H20 effectively combines a GPS unit and a decent compact 10x optical zoom point-and-shoot.

Pros

• Good image quality
• Effective on-board GPS
• 10x optical zoom

Cons

• Some ergonomic issues
• Expensive
• Slight overexposure

Casio Exilim EX-H20G Full Review

 Competing point-and-shoot cameras from major OEM's (original equipment manufacturers) like Nikon, Canon, and Olympus are often so similar (same basic "look", same resolution, almost identical LCD screens, rigidly similar control arrays, same zoom range, etc.) that I sometimes forget for a moment which camera I'm testing this week. Casio's cameras are always a little bit different, but maybe that's because Casio is more likely to be known for calculators and wrist watches than cameras.

Casio is a Japanese company that makes computer peripherals, musical instruments, digital cash registers, and audio equipment, in addition to digital cameras. Casio built the first all electronic calculator, the first digital watch, the first consumer digital camera with an LCD screen, and the first true ultra-compact point-and-shoot.

 
Casio recently introduced the Exilim EX-H20G (designed primarily for travelers), the first digicam combining a built-in GPS system with motion sensor driven autonomic positioning. What makes the H20 unique is that its Hybrid GPS system uses three-axis accelerometers and a three-way direction sensor to determine the shooter's location (since the last satellite contact) and then track him or her even when indoors or away from GPS satellite feeds.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 Review

By Jim Keenan, DigitalCameraReview.com Contributor | 1/11/2011

Review Summary:
The new GF2 adds an intuitive touch screen and a more svelte form factor. High ISO performance isn't on par with the best DSLRs, though overall images were very good.

Pros

• Somewhat smaller than GF1
• Full HD video
• Functional, fluid touch LCD

Cons

• Disappointing battery life
• Costs as much as DSLR
• High ISO performance could be improved

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 Full Review

 After partnering with Olympus on the development of the Micro Four Thirds System standard (an offshoot of the Kodak/Olympus Four Thirds System), Panasonic followed Olympus into the mirrorless/interchangeable lens class of compact digital cameras with 2009's Lumix DMC-GF1. The new genre of camera mated physically larger, more DSLR-like sensors into bodies resembling a large compact point and shoot, with the ability to change lenses like a DSLR while eliminating its bulky mirror assembly.


Since then, Samsung and Sony have joined the club, and barring some unforeseen event Nikon is expected to enter the market niche as well. But while Nikon (and presumably Canon) haven't made their presence known yet, Panasonic is back at the table with the Lumix GF2, a slightly more compact and lighter model that at a quick glance can easily be mistaken for the GF1 which still appears on Panasonic USA's website at this writing. Scheduled to reach market in January 2011, the GF2 is available in kit form with either a 14mm f/2.5 prime lens or a 14-42mm stabilized zoom; the former is our review unit.
Here's the field of view afforded by the 14mm.

Panasonic touts the new camera as being 19% smaller and 7% lighter than the GF1, and this amounts to about a 1/4 inch reduction in width, and about half that in height and depth. Weight savings (body only) equal about an ounce. Panasonic advertised the GF1 as the smallest and lightest camera of its type in the world at the time of its introduction; that title has now passed to the GF2.
The GF2 offers some modest upgrades over the GF1 - notably a 1080 HD video capability in the AVCHD format, touch control and a new user interface, and the ability to make use of Panasonic's new 3D lens, a 12mm f/12 wide angle. A Venus Engine FHD processing system takes over for the Venus Engine HD of the earlier camera and adds a stop on the high end of the ISO sensitivity range, now covering 100 to 6400. Scene modes and color presets increase by one (to 17 and 8, respectively).

Other features such as Panasonic's signature iA (intelligent Auto) automatic shooting mode, and 1 area, 23 area, face detection or auto tracking autofocus options are carried over. Resolution remains at 12.1 megapixels on the same physical-sized sensor (17.3 x 13mm) as the top Olympus DSLR, the E-5. There is no internal memory but the camera accepts SD/SDHC/SDXC memory media. Panasonic includes lens and body caps, a lithium-ion battery and charger, AV and USB cables, hot shoe cover, shoulder strap, battery case and stylus pen with each camera.
A lot that's familiar, a few things that aren't - let's see what the changes bring to what was a very nice starting point for Panasonic with the GF1.

COMPACT INTERCHANGEABLE LENS CAMERAS

Compact interchangeable lens cameras are a relatively new concept, since they take advantage of advances in camera technology and electronics to produce a device that is nearly as flexible and capable as most DSLRs, yet much more compact and lighter. In many cases, these cameras also overcome many of the complexities associated with full-size DSLRS, so they are the perfect step up for serious shooters who are looking to flex their creative muscles.

Unlike a DSLR, compact interchangeable lens cameras do not use a mirror to bounce an image from the lens to the viewfinder (in film cameras, this mirror flips up and out of the way to capture an image on film). Rather, these cameras rely on an electronic viewfinder.
Micro Four Thirds cameras, created by a joint venture between Panasonic and Olympus, feature four thirds-type sensors and are included in this category.

Most compact interchangeable lens cameras are shipped with wide angle prime or basic zoom lenses that provide a focal range from around 16mm to 55mm, suitable for close-ups and standard snapshots. But, the real benefit is that you can easily replace the standard lens and snap on a 200mm telephoto lens distance and sports photography. Companies like Sony also provide adapters for some of the compact interchangeable that allow using lenses designed for its larger DSLRs.  

Be aware, though, that a fast and long focal length lens can cost more than the camera itself – not unusual when you consider the better the lens, the sharper the captured image and capabilities of the camera (speed and resolution are not based on megapixels alone). Larger lenses can also add to the weight of these cameras, which are usually manufactured with a lightweight and durable metal composite, such as magnesium alloy.
Points to consider in selecting a compact interchangeable lens camera include the size of the image sensor (they vary in size, though all are much larger than sensors found in point-and-shoots and ultrazooms), the size and quality of the electronic viewfinder and/or presence of an optical viewfinder, and the speed and accuracy of the autofocus mechanism (which can be slower than the technology available with DSLRs). Also check out the functional ‘feel’ of the camera, since designs can vary and it’s best to have a device that fits and can be used comfortably.

Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS Review

By Howard Creech, DigitalCameraReview.com Contributor

Review Summary:
The PowerShot SD3500 is just as solid as any other Digital ELPH manufactured by Canon in recent years. Image quality is good, but we found the touchscreen to be finicky.

Pros

• Large 3.5-inch LCD
• Good image quality
• HD 720p video

Cons

• Expensive for class
• Some overexposure
• Touch LCD can be tricky

Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS Full Review

 Canon's SD series digicams are all about pocketable style and operational simplicity. These little cameras have been consistently popular with consumers since the first digital ELPH was introduced way back in 2000.

That's because they reliably deliver what consumers want in a point-and-shoot - an image capture device that makes great pictures, is easy to use, offers better than average performance, and is reasonably priced. The Canon PowerShot SD3500 IS is also one of Canon's only digital compacts with a touchscreen LCD.