New Model - Panasonic GH2

Panasonic Lumix GH2



A new model is launch! The Panasonic Lumix GH2 is the newest Macro Four Third System camera. As its name suggests, Panasonic Lumix GH2 is the replacement model of GH1. We can still find significant differences, and we shall look at these differences now.

The GH2 is a 16 Mega Pixels camera which allows you to print big big size!

The material used for GH2 is slightly different - it is less "smooth" than GH1, giving it a more "rugged" feel
The camera mode dial in the camera’s hand grip has been moved back, something which benefits control.

Although the Panasonic Lumix GH2’s body is almost identical to the GH1, the hand placement is a bit different. The hand grip is neatly covered with rubber and allows for the GH2 to sit in the hand perfectly. The material is more refined and has a professional look. A beginner will be able to use it immediately.

The Panasonic Lumix GH2's 3.0-inch touch screen LCD screen that rotates up to 270 degrees.
LCD viewfinder or Live viewfinder with 17.5mm eye point and diopter adjustment, and 100% frame coverage. Of course, it's not much of a surprise that the LCD screen can rotate for the ease of taking self-portrait photos but I'm still loving it :) 'Cause it's a TOUCH SCREEN LCD! :)

What GH2 has that other cameras don't is its super fast Auto Focus. Panasonic boast it's AF as "Light Speed AF" so I guess you have the idea of how fast the AF is.

Did I mention that it has FULL HD video recording as well? Yup, following the trend of movie making, our GH2 is able to capture FULL HD video. So if you want to be the next Steven Spielberg, your dream is not too far at all :)

Currently GH2 is on sale now at $1599 (14 - 42 mm lens) & $2399 (14 - 140mm lens)

Here are the specifications:

Image Sensor Size	17.3mm x 13.0mm
Lens Mount	Micro Four-thirds
Image Sensor Type	Live MOS Sensor
Camera Effective Pixels	16.05 Mega Pixels
Recording File Format	Still Image: JPEG(DCF, Exif 2.3), RAW, DPOF compatible MPO (When attaching 3D lens in Micro Four Thirds standard) / Motion Image: AVCHD / QuickTime Motion JPEG
Image Quality	RAW, RAW+Fine, RAW+Standard, Fine, Standard, MPO+Fine, MPO+Standard (with 3D lens in Micro Four Thirds standard
ISO sensitivity (Standard Output Sensitivity)	Auto / Intelligent ISO / 160 / 200 / 250 / 320 / 400 / 400 / 500/ 640 / 800 / 1000 / 1250 / 1600 / 2000 / 2500 / 3200 / 4000 / 5000 / 6400 / 8000 / 10000 / 12800
Light metering system	144-zone multi-pattern sensing system
Light metering mode	Intelligent Multiple / Center Weighted / Spot
Exposure compensation	1/3EV Step ±5EV
Shutter speed	Still Images: 1/4000 ~ 60 and Bulb (up to approx. 2 minutes)
Still Image SCN mode	Portrait (Normal/Soft Skin/Outdoor/Indoor/Creative) / Scenery (Normal/Nature/Architecture/Creative) / Close-up (Flower/Food/Objects/Creative) / SCN (Peripheral Defocus/Night Portrait/Night Scenery/Sunset/Party/Sports/Baby 1,2/Pet)
Movie SCN mode	Portrait (Normal/Soft Skin/Outdoor/Indoor/Creative) / Scenery (Normal/Nature/Architecture/Creative) / Close-up (Flower/Food/Objects/Creative) / SCN (Peripheral Defocus/Night Portrait/Night Scenery/Sunset/Party/Sports/Baby 1,2/Pet) / (Activated by selecting Still Image SCN mode then pressing Movie Button. Still Image SCN modes without corresponding Movie SCN mode is recorded in mode suitable for the recording situation.)
LCD Type	3.0” TFT LCD with Touch Panel
Dimensions (W x H x D)	124 x 89.6 x 75.8mm  (excluding protrusions)
Weight	Approx.609g / 21.48 oz （SD card, Battery, 14-42mm lens included) / Approx. 904g / 31.88 oz （SD card, Battery, 14-140mm lens included) / Approx. 392g / 13.82 oz （Body only
Battery life (CIPA standard)	Approx. 330 images (LCD), Approx. 340 images (LVF) with H-FS014042 / Approx. 320 images (LCD), Approx. 330 images (LVF) with H-VS014140

Gift idea part 2

The Sony Alpha a290


The DSLR market is becoming increasingly crowded with low- and mid-range cameras that pack features present on professional models.

The 14.2 megapixels Sony Alpha a290 is small, light-weight body that makes it great for one-handed shooting and you wont feel weighted down if you chuck it in a bag on your way to the beach, it could be a good choice for you if you're travelling to many places in a day. The a290 is certainly an easy camera to learn with, particularly if you don't have much experience with the layout of other manufacturers' camera controls. In good shooting conditions, photographs look sharp and colours are bright and vivid, even using default settings.
The a290 does feature optical image stabilisation though, which did improve handheld shots, even at full zoom and of course it includes a handy built-in flash.

The 2.7-inch LCD screen displays bright and clear photo review opportunities.
Helpful guides are displayed on-screen as you cycle through the various available scene modes to assist novice users, as well as clearly indicating settings during shooting, allowing inexperienced photographers to capture pleasing shots in a variety of different conditions whilst understanding the ways in which different settings affect results.

If you are used to your compact digital cameras and somewhat nervous about making the leap to a DSLR, the a290 should definitely be on your mind due to its great ease of use.

While not a contender for "Best Low Light Shooter", the a290 nonetheless provides acceptable results in less than perfect conditions and pleasing results when better. Construction may well feel rather cheap, but it doesn't feel poorly constructed, and by using plastics rather than metals Sony has made a camera light enough for any bag.

And I think what makes it more alluring is the price. For just S$699, you walk home with a DSLR that is not too bad in features. Did I mention it has a image stabliliser in it's body? That is another plus point for SONY Alpha

Basic Specifications
Resolution:	14.20 Megapixels
Kit Lens:	3.00x zoom 18-55mm (27-83mm eq.)
Viewfinder:	Optical
LCD Size:	2.7 inch
ISO:	100-3200
Shutter:	30-1/4000
Max Aperture:	3.5
Mem Type:	MS Duo / MS PRO Duo / SD / SDHC
Battery:	Custom LiIon
Dimensions:	5.0 x 3.8 x 3.1 in. (128 x 97 x 80 mm)
Weight:	508 g (includes batteries)

The Fujifilm Finepix F300




If you are looking for an easy to use point and shoot camera that has the options and features of a higher end camera, then you may want to consider the Fujifilm FinePix F300 EXR. The F300 EXR includes all of the basic features you would find in a point and shoot camera plus a few more.
The F300 EXR has a comfortable design for use and easy menu navigation, the positioning of the mode selector conveniently located by the thumb that is set at a 45-degree angle for switching between modes easily.

The menu and jog wheel are efficient but with so many feature settings, it will take a bit of practice before you are comfortable with where everything is.

The autofocus is very quick and intuitive, you won't have to find it difficult getting the F300 to focus where you wanted it to, even on long distance shots.
The camera determines the focal point of the shot and tracks it as you or as the subject moves. f you take pictures of sports or fast moving small children this feature alone may make this your camera of choice.

The EXR mode improves image clarity, reduces noise, and increases dynamic range automatically or with manual adjustment. The net effect –a much better auto-shooting mode with higher quality images. The user can also adjust the aperture, speed, and lighting settings, allowing a custom image similar to what some higher end digital cameras offer.

Gift Ideas for Christmas Part 1 - digital still camera

So, christmas is around the corner. Bought presents for your loved ones yet? If you haven't, no fret here's something you might like.

Gift Idea 1: 

Fujifilm Finepix JX200



Basic Specifications
Resolution:	12.20 Megapixels
Lens:	5.00x zoom (28-140mm eq.)
Viewfinder:	LCD
LCD Size:	2.7 inch
ISO:	100-3200
Shutter:	8-1/1400
Max Aperture:	3.6
Mem Type:	SD / SDHC
Battery:	Custom Li-Ion
Dimensions:	3.7 x 2.2 x 0.9 in. (93 x 55 x 23 mm)
Weight:	130 g includes batteries

The Fujifilm Finepix JX200 is a 12 megapixel camera with 5x optical zoom and 28mm wide angle. What this means is that it allows you to print poster size photo without it looking “pixelated”. The 5x optical zoom makes it a better choice than average camera since it allows you to take objects that are further without physically having to move forward. The wide angle makes JX200 a nice camera to own when taking family photos – you no longer have to keep moving backwards to fit everyone in the picture. The JX200 also has a 2.7 Inch LCD display – small, but good enough for picture taking.

What makes it a perfect gift:
The Fujifilm Finepix JX200 is a value-for-money camera considering its price and specifications. It’s also available in a wide range of colours – silver, black, blue, pink & red so I’m pretty sure that there is one colour that suits him/her.

RSP: $199 includes 8GB memory card & case. [Special X’mas promotion at Song Brothers’ includes additional battery, screen protector & mini tripod. Available at Song Brothers Sim Lim Square #01-59, Song Brothers Funan #02-43 & Click! Tampines 1 #02-01]  

Gift Idea 2:

Panasonic DMC-F2

Specifications
Optical sensor: CCD 
Resolution: 10.1 megapixels 
Lens: Lumix DC Vario F2.8 - F5.9 
Zoom range: 4x optical zoom
Focal length: 33mm to 132mm
Light sensitivity: ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, Auto, High Sensitivity
Focusing: Normal, macro, quick AF, Face Detection
Shutter speed: 8 to 1/2000 seconds
Creative controls: Yes
Movie Mode:  [WVGA 848x480, 30FPS] [VGA 640x480, 30FPS] with sound
Other useful features: intelligent Auto, scene modes


If you are looking at something more stylish in design, you might want to consider the Panasonic Lumix DMC F2.

DMC F2 is a good 10 mega pixel camera operated by lithium battery. It has a 4x optical zoom, good for taking scenery photos. It’s coupled with Intelligent Auto, so you don’t have to worry about pressing on buttons to change to macro or night scenery mode – it does so automatically. It also has “high sensitivity” mode that is good for concert photos which the object is constantly moving.

What makes it a perfect gift:
For the price of $199, you can a stylish camera with pretty good photo quality. It’s available in the usual silver and black, with 8GB memory card and Case. [Available at Song Brothers Sim Lim Square #01-59, Song Brothers Funan #02-43, Click! Tampines 1 #02-01]  

DSLR Cameras VS Digital Still Cameras - Which one should U get?



It is almost normal for every family to own at least a camera these days. And if you are thinking of buying a new camera for the holiday season, you might be wondering which type of camera you should get. With the Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras getting more popular, it's no wonder if you are thinking of switching to the Big DSLRs instead of keeping your compact Digital Still Cameras (DSC). But is it worth the upgrade? Well, hopefully, after reading through this post, you'll find your answer.

Comparing Prices:
In terms of prices, the cheapest DSLR camera I know is priced at $699 ( Sony A290L Single Lens Kit) and can cost as high as $12 799 (Canon 1DS Mark III body only). For DSC, they come in range of prices but hardly any cost more than $900 dollars.

The usual $699 DSLR is the entry level of the DSLR cameras and is usually with minimal functions such as 2.5 FPS for cont. shooting, no live view etc. Using the same value, $699 can get almost "state-of-the-art" compact cameras like Canon's Powershot S95 (semi-pro) or Sony's DSC TX9 (compact slim camera) with functions such as HD movie recording, High Speed Cont. Shooting, ISO as high as 3200 (depending on individual models).

Comparing Functions:
In compact DSC, there are many "automatic" scene modes that you can choose from like Night Portrait, Children, Sports etc (depending on the models of your camera). Lately very common in DSC is the Automatic Scene Reconition function (the name varies from brands to brands but it's the same function), which made photography much easier for the general public. They usually would detect the object/subject and change the scene modes accordingly. For example, when taking a close-up shot, one no longer need to manually turn on the Macro Mode, the camera automatically senses and and changes its photo setting so you can get a good shot almost every time. Some brands of cameras also have special scenic modes like Casio, Fujifilm & Olympus cameras have Beauty Modes where they apply a softening effect on your portrait photos. Canon cameras have features like fish-eye effect, miniature effect apply to the photos as well.

DSLR on the other gives you more control over what you can do. The DSLR cameras give you the ability to control shutter speed and aperture. With the control of Shutter Speed and Aperture, you can do wonders, like capturing 1 drop of rainwater in the midst of a down-pour or get a misty flowing effect when taking waterfalls.

Picture Quality:

In terms of picture quality, I would say if you know how to operate a camera, both DSC and DSLR cameras can give you photos that are sharp & clear. If you know how to press the "half shutter" then it almost doesn't matter, in the day that is.

For night photos, the fact that DSLR allows you to adjust the shutter speed gives it a better edge over the DSC for night shots. Longer Shutter speed allows more light to enter the camera, giving you a nice photo without the worry of under exposure. Of course, that can only be achieve through the usage of a tripod/monopod. Longer shutter speed requires the camera to be fully stablised in order for the photo to be clear. The slightest move will cost the photo to be blurred.

Some DSC cameras do "okay" night photos. It's not enough to just judge by the ISO to guage if the camera can do good night photos. This is because, the higher the ISO, the "noisier" the photo turns out to be. By NOISE, I mean the "pixelated" & "grainy" on the photos when taken at high ISO level. However, the DSC do have "night mode" which puts them at a better position then the olden days DSC.

Comparing Size: 
Well, the other known name for the DSC is perhaps, compact cameras. As the name suggest, compact cameras tend to be small and fit into your bag pretty well. DSLR cameras on the hand, tend to be much bulkier, remembering you have to attach the lens to the body of the camera. 


My POV:
Well, I think you might be thinking that I'm crappy but I must still say this. Unless you are interested in photography, there's absolutely no point in buying a DSLR camera. In terms of prices, DSLR cameras are really much more expensive for functions that you might not use if you have no idea how to use them. And, in my opinion, buying a DSLR camera is an investment 'cause you will need to buy more lens in the future (ranges from the hundreds to a few thousands) and other accesories as well.

But, on the other hand, if you really want to go into photography, then I would tell you, go ahead but you might want to start with the basic model first. Usually, the lens that you own is more important than the camera body that you have. The type of lens used have a direct relationship to the kind of photos that you shoot. And if you are cultivating your hobby in photography, do be prepared to spend more money because like I've mentioned, it's an investment, a chain of accesories await you once you've taken the 1st step into DSLR: tripods, monopods, lens filters, flash etc.

Hopes the above will aid you if you have trouble in deciding on a DSLR or a Compact Camera.   

 

HTC Desire Z

Last week I've wrote on the HTC Desire HD, so now, let me give you my thoughts on the HTC Desire Z.
If I've failed to mention it in my previous post on the Desire HD, please forgive me, both the Desire HD and Desire Z are android phones.

From the photo, you might have realise what's the difference between the Desire HD and the Desire Z is that the latter has a QWERTY keyboard that slides out. Very very useful if you have big thumbs and fingers that often "touch" on the wrong letters on the touchscreen keyboard. It's called the Desire Z partly because of Z hinge it uses for its QWERTY keyboard. The Z hinge allows the QWERTY keyboard to slide smoothly out and gives your fingers ample spaces to rest on, ensuring you a fast typing experience.

The HTC Desire Z also has a 3.7 inch screen which makes watching videos, photos and surfing the internet quite an enjoyable experience. Text is automatically resize as you zoom in and out of the webpage. With Flash 10.1 built-in to the phone, you can view the webpages exactly the way they are.

What I like about the Desire Z is the ability to view all your emails on one screen. No more browsing each email accounts if you've multiple acc. They all download into one inbox so it saves you time when you check your emails.

The HTC Desire Z also lets you view, edit and create Microsoft Office documents if you need to. Good if you've deadlines to meet you and you don't want to waste time doing nothing on your way home or to work. 

Most importantly, HTC Desire Z is coupled with HTC Sense. Just to refresh your memory, HTC Sense is a service concept that HTC has come up with. With HTC Sense, you can manage your HTC Desire Z from a remote secure web portal: HTCSense.com. Features of this HTC Sense include you can use the remote portal to change from "silent mode" to "ringing mode" if you've misplaced your phone in your home and is trying to call your phone (which has silent mode turn on) to locate its position. It also allows you to lock your phone if you've realised that you dropped your phone while shopping so that the person picking it up will have no choice but to call you back and return your phone. Just you case you are worried that your data in your phone will be stolen, you can back them up in the portal and delete them from the phone using the portal. No more worries about your pictures getting posted online when you lose your phone!

With all the above mentioned features & functions, no wonder it's called a HTC Smartphone.

Just in case you need more info regarding it's specifications, here they are:

 

HTC Desire Z Specifications
CPU Speed	800 MHz
Platform	AndroidTM 2.2 (Froyo) with HTC SenseTM
Memory	Internal phone storage: 1.5GB Ram: 512MB (Actual available storage may differ depending on the software configuration of your phone)
Dimensions (LxWxT)	119 x 60.4 x 14.16mm
Weight	180grams with battery
Display	3.7 inches touchscreen with 480x800 WVGA resolution
Network	HSPA/WCDMA: -          Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz -          Upload speed of up to 5.76 Mbps and download speed of up to 14.4 Mbps Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHZ (Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent)
Onscreen navigation	Trackpad
Keyboard	Z-slider QWERTY keyboard
GPS	Internal GPS antenna
Sensors	G-sensor Digital compass Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor
Connectivity	Bluetooth® 2.1 with FTP/OPP for file transfer. A2DP  for wireless stereo headsets, and PBAP for phonebook access from car kit Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11b/g/n 3.5mm stereo audio jack Standard micro-USB (5-pin micro-USB 2.0)
Camera	5.0 Mega Pixels colour camera with auto focus & flashlight 720p HD video recording
Audio supported formats	Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media  Audio 9) Recording: .amr
Video supported formats	Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 9) Recording: .3gp
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Capacity: 1300 mAh Talk time: -          Up to 400 minutes for WCDMA -          Up to 590 minutes for GSM Standby time: -          Up to 430 hours for WCDMA -          Up to 430 hours for GSM (The above are subject to network and phone usage)
Expansion Slot	microSDTM memory card
AC Adapter	Voltage range: 100 – 240 V AC 80/60 Hz DC output : 5V and 1A

HTC Desire Z will reach your local reseller including US at the end of Oct 2010.

HTC Desire HD

Yesterday, I was invited to the HTC Desire HD & HTC Desire Z's launch and was rather impressed by the concept of "HTC Sense".

Yes, HTC Sense is NOT a phone but rather a "service" & a "concept" that HTC came up with. Well, I will elaborate further as I introduce you the new HTC Desire HD with HTC Sense.

Since the name is sooo long, I shall name it "Desire HD" from nw onwards. Desire HD has the shortest start-up time, 10 secs only, currently is the World's Shortest's Start-Up time. I personally witness this and I'm impressed. Really good when you are traveling, you don't have to wait so long to just get your phone on and working. 

Desire HD also has a 4.3" screen! This means easier typing on the touch-screen qwerty keyboard & better for your "eye sight" to read and watch your fav. ebooks or movies. :) 

If you like to take photos & videos with your phone, you would love the Desire HD. 'Cause, it allows you to take high quality photos with it's 8 MP camera & 2 LED Flashlight. Not forgetting the various camera picture effects that you can play with like Sepia etc. Desire HD also lets you take HD Video so you can capture videos & share it on your HDTV! So if you are taking a video on your trip & your want to show your whole family, you can easily share it on your HDTV so your family members don't have to crowd round you, just to see what you have recorded. 

I mentioned about HTC Sense in the beginning, and let me go into the details now. You can log into a web portal HTCSense.com to remotely manage your phone. All your msgs (from the time you start using your HTC Desire HD to the next time you want to change your phone) is automatically downloaded to the portal so even if you delete the msg from your phone and you want to retrive them, you can do so easily from the portal. 

If you lose your phone, you can lock your phone through the Web-portal too! so the person picking up your Desire HD, will not be able to use the phone and the only option for him/her is to call you back. If you are worried that the data inside your Desire HD is stolen while your phone is still on the lost, you can easily erase all data from the portal. Which is really cool! No more worries about your photo & videos being posted online or on weird websites!

The HTC Desire HD is only priced at SGD 888, which is definitely not an expensive smartphone considering the functions.    

HTC Desire HD Specifications
CPU Speed	1 GHz
Platform	AndroidTM 2.2 (Froyo) with HTC SenseTM
Memory	Internal phone storage: 1.5GB Ram: 768MB (Actual available storage may differ depending on the software configuration of your phone)
Dimensions (LxWxT)	123x68x11.8mm
Weight	164grams with battery
Display	4.3 inches touchscreen with 480x800 WVGA resoultion
Network	HSPA/WCDMA: -          Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz -          Upload speed of up to 5.76 Mbps and download speed of up to 14.4 Mbps Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 MHZ (Band frequency, HSPA availability, and data speed are operator dependent)
GPS	Internal GPS antenna
Sensors	G-sensor Digital compass Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor
Connectivity	Bluetooth® 2.1 with FTP/OPP for file transfer. A2DP  for wireless stereo headsets, and PBAP for phonebook access from car kit Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11b/g/n 3.5mm stereo audio jack Standard micro-USB (5-pin micro-USB 2.0)
Camera	8.0 Mega Pixels colour camera with auto focus & 2x LED flashlight 720p HD video recording
Audio supported formats	Playback: .aac, .amr, .ogg, .m4a, .mid, .mp3, .wav, .wma (Windows Media  Audio 9) Recording: .amr
Video supported formats	Playback: .3gp, .3g2, .mp4, .wmv (Windows Media Video 9), .avi (MP4 ASP and MP3) Recording: .3gp
Battery	Rechargeable Lithium-ion battery Capacity: 1230 mAh Talk time: -          Up to 320 minutes for WCDMA -          Up to 550 minutes for GSM Standby time: -          Up to 490 hours for WCDMA -          Up to 420 hours for GSM (The above are subject to network and phone usage)
Expansion Slot	microSDTM memory card
AC Adapter	Voltage range: 100 – 240 V AC 80/60 Hz DC output : 5V and 1A
Special feature	Dolby® Mobile and SRS surround sound Support sharing pictures, video or music to your big screen TV or PC display via DLNA® (Digital Living Network Alliance)