Panasonic G5 mirrorless camera gets September 13th release date in Japan

Posted on 23/08/2012 by Jamie Rigg

We enjoyed our short time with Panasonic's new mirrorless G5 in our hands-on last month, even if it was a little on the porky side. And, if you hail from the Land of the Rising Sun and had your heart set on one of these 16-megapixel shooters, Panny's announced you'll get your chance from September 13th. We're getting dangerously close to missing the stateside launch target of August, but where the US website is showing the G5 as unreleased, availability on Amazon tells a different story. We're reaching out for confirmation on that -- as well as pricing -- and will update should we hear more.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic G5 mirrorless camera gets September 13th release date in Japan originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 23 Aug 2012 10:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pentax intros X-5 superzoom camera with 26x lens, tiltable LCD

Posted on 23/08/2012 by Jon Fingas

We'd been worrying that Pentax would be left out of the flurry of new cameras in the run-up to Photokina. With the new X-5, there's reason to relax. The new shooter sits at the higher end of the by-the-numbers superzoom crowd, centering most of its energy on a 26x, 22-580mm equivalent lens as well as a backside-illuminated CMOS sensor that should keep the resulting 16-megapixel photos and 1080p videos relatively clean. Most of the effort to stand out from the pack, however slightly, involves previewing pictures rather than capturing them -- an electronic viewfinder and a tilting, 3-inch LCD will help perfect those macros and overhead concert shots. The X-5 won't shake the foundations of personal photography, especially not when it's using AA batteries for power, but hitting all those right notes at a $280 price could persuade more than a few of us to take the plunge after the September launch.

Gallery: Pentax X-5

Continue reading Pentax intros X-5 superzoom camera with 26x lens, tiltable LCD

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Pentax intros X-5 superzoom camera with 26x lens, tiltable LCD originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 22 Aug 2012 20:22:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Panasonic’s Lumix lineup grows: DMC-G5 Micro Four Thirds, DMC-FZ200 superzoom and DMC-LX7 hands-on and sample shots

Posted on 18/07/2012 by Michael Gorman

It's been nearly half a year since Panasonic's Lumix series of cameras got any new members, but today the company is introducing three more shooters to the family. First up is the DMC-G5, the latest addition to the company's Micro Four Thirds lineup. It's the successor to the G3 and packs a 16-megapixel sensor capable of shooting 1080p videos at 60fps and stills in up to 6fps bursts at a max 12,800 ISO at full resolution. The G5's LVF has a proximity sensor to automatically switch between it and the camera's 920,000-dot capacitive screen depending on which one you're using to frame your shots. When the G5 goes on sale next month, you'll have your choice of black, silver and white models.

Gallery: Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 hands-on

In addition to the G5, Panasonic's also introducing a new superzoom camera, the DMC-FZ200 and a high-end DMC-LX7 point-and-shoot. The FZ200 replaces the FZ150 and pairs a 12-megapixel sensor with a 25-600mm constant f/2.8 aperture Leica Elmarit lens with nano surface coating to reduce flare and ghosting. It has a 24x optical zoom and shoots 1080p video at up to 60fps along with stills in up to 12fps bursts, though its max ISO is only 6,400. Meanwhile, the LX7 has arrived sporting a 10-megapixel sensor and a 24-90mm, f/1.4-2.3 Leica Summilux lens with the same nano surface coating as the FZ200. Like its Lumix brethren, it shoots 1080p video at 60fps, and shares the same maximum 12,800 ISO as the G5. It'll be available in black and pearl white when it ships in August. We got to spend some time with all three, so join us after the break to learn a bit about what its like snapping pics with this trio of Panasonics.

Gallery: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 hands-on

Gallery: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ200 hands-on

Continue reading Panasonic's Lumix lineup grows: DMC-G5 Micro Four Thirds, DMC-FZ200 superzoom and DMC-LX7 hands-on and sample shots

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Panasonic's Lumix lineup grows: DMC-G5 Micro Four Thirds, DMC-FZ200 superzoom and DMC-LX7 hands-on and sample shots originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Jul 2012 01:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Samsung brings out WB100 camera with 26x lens for zoom-loving Brits

Posted on 29/06/2012 by Jon Fingas

Samsung has been quiet on the superzoom camera front, but it's leaping back into the fray with the WB100. The camera doesn't have the longest zoom we've seen, but with a 26x lens and a wide-angle 22.3mm minimum zoom, odds are that just about anything you come across during vacation will fit into the frame. A choice to use AA batteries instead of a lithium-ion pack also emphasizes that focus on travelers. We're otherwise looking at a very deliberately middle-of-the-road camera with a 16-megapixel sensor, ISO 80 to 1,600 sensitivity (3,200 if you like 3-megapixel photos) and 720p movie making. The company doesn't have pricing, nor word as to which countries get the WB100 treatment outside of the UK -- for now, you're most likely to see this camera slung around a suntanned British neck in Ibiza.

Continue reading Samsung brings out WB100 camera with 26x lens for zoom-loving Brits

Samsung brings out WB100 camera with 26x lens for zoom-loving Brits originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 29 Jun 2012 09:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fujifilm X-Pro1 mirrorless camera review

Posted on 27/04/2012 by Sharif Sakr

Fujifilm confirms X-Pro1 at CES

Fujifilm X-Pro1 interchangeable lens camera preview

Sony Alpha NEX-7 mirrorless camera review

Hear any mention of retro-styled cameras with exorbitant price tags and it's hard not to get suspicious. That kind of talk brings to mind Leica's incessant re-branding of Panasonic Lumix models, or those unicorn limited editions out of Japan that just leave us baffled. But it's okay, you can relax with the Fujifilm X-Pro1. At $1,700 for the body only it's crazily expensive, sure, but not when you compare to an $8,000 Leica M9-P. Besides, it's a legitimate heir to a strong line of Fuji shooters that includes the much-loved X100 and the more accessible X10. That's a strong pedigree, and no matter how deeply you peer into its mirrorless aperture, the X-Pro1 should offer up enough technology to stop you being cynical.

Like what, you ask? Well, a genuinely surprising bespoke 16-megapixel APS-C sensor, for starters, plus a hybrid viewfinder designed to keep everyone happy all of the time, and a Fuji X lens mount that already has a Leica M9 adapter available (plus others, like Nikon, if you scan eBay). It all adds up to something special, but before you go tweeting this article to whimsical rich uncles, there are also some complicating factors you ought to be aware of. Even in a utopian paradise where everyone could afford this sip of photographic luxury, it's far from certain whether everyone would choose it over other interchangeable lens cameras. Read on past the break and we'll explain why.

Gallery: Fujifilm X-Pro1 review