Sony's NEX-7 may be fast approaching its first birthday, but that doesn't mean the company's ready to give up on pushing out updates. The camera's first new firmware version, 1.01, should be hitting today, bringing with it the ability to disable the Movie Record button to avoid accidental taps (finally!), boosted image quality with a wide-angle lens, improved audio playback and expanded EV bracketing. An option to disable the EVF eye sensor doesn't appear to be included with this revision, unfortunately. Other updates hitting at the same time include E-mount lens firmware v.01 that'll enable NEX-5R/NEX-6 Hybrid AF functionality with older lenses, A65/A77 firmware v1.06 and A37/A57 firmware v1.03, both of which deliver the ability to enable/disable the movie record button while also adding a variety of lens compensation options for select Alpha optics. All of these updates should now be live -- head over to the source link below for the hook-up.
Sony Alpha firmware updates bring record button disabling on NEX-7, DSLR lens improvements originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Oct 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Everyone loves a sequel, right? This here is the K-5 II, the new DSLR from Pentax, making an appearance on the show floor, here at Photokina in Germany, alongside the rather similar, if somewhat pricier K-5 IIs. Let's start with differences between the K-5 and the K-5 II, shall we? Megapixel-wise, we're still talking 16.2, though the II models have the new SAFOX X AF sensor, which delivers the promise of better low-light sensitivity and quicker auto-focus. On the rear, that 3-inch, 925k LCD promises a sharper image and better image angles -- both looked pretty good in our time with the camera.
As for differences between the K-5 II and IIs? Well, you wouldn't be able to distinguish between the two, if it weren't for the difference model names on there front. So, what are you paying that extra $150 for? Well, the premium ditches the low-pass filter, promising sharp images (though you're losing anti-aliasing in the process). On the top of both, you got a big monochrome display and a somewhat tricky function wheel that makes you press down a button to turn.
Both of these guys are coming to a camera store near you next month for $1,200 and $1,350, respectively.
Continue reading Pentax K-5 II and K-5 IIs hands-on (video)
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Pentax K-5 II and K-5 IIs hands-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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We've been watching out for the D600 since images leaked a couple of months ago, and today it's been made official: a full-frame DSLR that's priced ever-so-slightly closer to the reach of mortals (read: "high-end enthusiasts") who perhaps can't claim everything off their tax. At just shy of $2,100 (update: €2,150 in Europe), the 24-megapixel camera's US list price is significantly lower than that of the 36-megapixel D800, and undercuts Canon's rival EOS 5D Mark III and Sony's brand new full-frame Alpha A99.
What's more, aside from the resolution, you're getting something pretty close to the D800 -- including a weather- and dust-resistant magnesium alloy build, fast Exspeed III processor, and AF that works down to f/8 -- but here it's all contained in a body that sheds a full 15 percent off the D800's weight. It feels great to hold a full-frame DSLR like this, which is barely any heavier or more conspicuous than an APS-C shooter like the D7000.
Nikon is also making a big deal out of the fact that the D600 handles wireless transfers and triggers using the new WU-1b widget, which is identical to the familiar WU-1a we reviewed on the D3200 except that it plugs into the camera's USB port rather than the HDMI port. There's an Android app to allow your mobile device to communicate with the camera, and an iOS app is set to land by the end of September.
Read on a few more initial impressions and a quick look at the D600's high-ISO performance.
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Nikon unveils lightweight, full-frame D600 DSLR -- hands-on and low-light samples (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 13 Sep 2012 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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