Reviews
July 1st, 2010 by D-Photo
Phil Hanson encounters Samsung’s first Micro Four Thirds camera
Samsung has become known in the camera world for an often interesting but rarely exciting range of point-and-shoot compacts favoured by those who want images better than a cellphone’s but who aren’t overly concerned about the ins and out of photography. In other words, a significant segment of the digital market.
But Samsung has now branched out into serious territory with the NX10 Micro Four Thirds (MFT) and its own (currently limited) range 
of interchangeable lenses. Small, light and feature-rich, it’s a camera that’s bound to both interest and fascinate keen photographers.
Among these features is a remarkably compact pancake-type 30mm f2 fixed focal length ‘standard’ lens, equivalent to a 46mm full-framer. Pentax introduced a range of not inexpensive pancake lenses with its K10 and these became a major talking point. Samsung and Pentax used to have a collaboration agreement and although Samsung makes a point of saying that this camera is all its own work, you’d think its designers might have been inspired and impressed by the Japanese company’s compact glass.
BRAGGING RIGHTS
Another key feature is the sensor. Samsung went out on a bit of a limb here, fitting an APS-C sized CMOS sensor to the MFT body. The larger sensor should mean better high ISO performance, and possible bragging rights over the pixel count on this piece of silicon real estate: 14.6 useable megapixels from a 15.1MP total. However, the bigger sensor means the lenses also have to be larger than a typical MFT’s.
BODY BEAUTIFUL
A strength of the NX10 is a good looking and well thought out body with sensibly arranged controls and a shape that’s easy and comfortable to grip. Some users will appreciate both a pop-up flash and a hot shoe for an external unit.
It’s a camera that can be used quickly and intuitively. The extensive menus, in particular, are delightful to use and their graphics are among the best in the business.
The back is dominated by a 3.0-inch active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) screen that’s supposed to allow the photographer to view images in bright sunlight. In practice it’s still no daylight viewing nirvana, so users will find themselves putting eye to electronic viewfinder (EVF). These finders, so familiar in the video sector, are common to MFT cameras and are a main reason for their compact size and lightness.
But as someone who grew up with the conventional prism finders of single lens reflexes, I am not enamoured of the EVF. The NX10’s, for example, is quite slow to react and adjust when moving from light to dark subjects. It incorporates a sensor to detect the user’s eye so it knows when to turn on and off, but gets confused if the camera hasn’t been moved far from the face when changing from looking through the EVF to the back-mounted screen.
There’s also a now-common 1280 x 720 HD movie function at a fixed 30fps and the ability to shoot with or without mono audio.
RECIPE FOR A GOOD PANCAKE
Good on Samsung for providing a fixed focal length lens; let’s hope the company widens the range. Those used to zooms may find it odd having but one field of view and having to zoom with their feet, but it imposes a certain discipline on the photographer that can result in 
clever and well thought out photos. Other advantages are its light weight – a mere 85g – small size and a large maximum aperture that comes into its own in low light when flash would spoil the mood.
Optical performance at f2 is excellent. Sharpness is good and there’s plenty of contrast. It gets better a couple of stops smaller, but not by a whole lot.
ZOOM GLOOM
Also supplied with the body was an image-stabilised 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 zoom with a 58mm filter size. This covers the useful 28-85mm full-frame range. A 50-200mm f4-5.6 lens rounds out the current offerings, giving the equivalent of a 77-308mm spread.
The 18-55 is physically larger than one designed for a true Micro Four Thirds, but still stores in the corner of a bag and weighs only 198g. Sadly, the lens has a particularly plasticy ambience; the zoom function feels raspy and friction increases noticeably towards the long end. On the other hand, it balances nicely on the camera.
Optically, it’s one of the better lenses of its type that I’ve tried. There’s little light falloff and little distortion at the wide end, while the full tele delivers good contrast and sharpness.
IN THE DARK
With that fine f2 lens and the oversized sensor, I was expecting stellar low-light performance. The NX10 tops out at 3200 ISO, which might be seen as a little conservative in these days when 6400 and 12,800 are bandied about.
But 3200 is where the NX10 needed to stop. Although fairly typical for a modern APS-C sensor, there’s a fair bit of noise at that setting and it’s best left for must-get shots or creative effects. However, 1600 is quite acceptable and, with the f2 lens wide open, you can capture 
a lot of darkness.
CONCLUSION
The NX10 mixes the image quality and performance of a dSLR with the convenience of a point-and-shoot and, in doing so, Samsung makes a promising entry into the upper echelon of camera manufacturers.
SAMSUNG NX10 with 18-55mm lens – Specs
Manufacturer: Samsung
Model: NX10
RRP: $1600 with 18-55mm lens
Sensor: CMOS 28.4 x 15.6mm, 15.1MP, 14.6MP effective
Viewfinder: VGA (640 x 480) 614,000 dots, -4 +2 dioptre adjustment
Display: 3.0-inch AMOLED VGA (640 x 480), 614,000 dots
Shutter: 1/4000sec to 8 minutes, bulb
Shooting Modes: Smart Auto, Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Manual, Night, Portrait, Landscape, Scene (Beauty, Children, Close Up Test, Sunset, Dawn, Backlight, Fireworks, Beach, snow), Movie
Exposure Metering: multi, centre-weighted, spot
ISO: Auto, 100-3200
Focus Modes: Contrast autofocus, single, continuous, manual; face detection and focus assist
Media: SD to 4GB, SDHC to 8GB
File Format: RAW, JPEG, MPEG-4
Flash: TTL built-in pop-up, GN 11 at 100 ISO
Interface: USB 2.0, DC 9v in, HDMI
Battery: Rechargeable lithium-ion BP1310
Dimensions: 123 x 87 x 40mm
Weight: 353g without lens, battery and card
CONTACT
www.samsung.com/nz
PROS
- Competent all rounder
- Excellent image quality
- That lovely 30mm pancake lens
CONS
- Currently limited range of lenses, accessories
- Dreary EVF
Design 18
Performance 17
Features 17
Image Quality 17
Value for money 16
TOTAL 85/100
This article is from D-Photo 36. Click here to check it out.
June 26th, 2010 by D-Photo
Hans Weichselbaum runs his rule over the latest iteration of Adobe’s ubiquitous program
In February this year Photoshop quietly celebrated its 20th birthday, and Adobe just released the 12th generation of Photoshop. Yes, CS5 does indeed contain Photoshop version 12. In a new marketing and promotion strategy, Adobe announced April 12 as a ‘release’ day, not for the software, only for further announcements regarding the new features. At the time of writing (end of April) 
the program still hasn’t been released, but is expected to ship in the middle of May.
Is it worth upgrading? This is the key question. Every new version comes with a number of useful features. Some of them have been on our wish lists for years; others we didn’t even know we needed. Every now and then Adobe comes up with a new tool that is simply revolutionary. This time it is the new Content Aware Fill feature. It has received intensive attention in many weeks and months of rumours and leaks and sneak previews. But we’ll come to that later.
First you need to ensure that your hardware can support the new version. For Windows you need an Intel Pentium 4 or AMD Athlon 64 processor. Mac users require a multicore Intel processor, running Mac OS X v10.5.7 or v10.6. The program takes full advantage of 64-bit support and you should experience a boost in speed.
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June 23rd, 2010 by D-Photo
Pro dSLRs such as Nikon’s new top-of-range D3S exist in a rarefied atmosphere. Ashley Kramer samples the oxygen
If amateur photographers choose their cameras based on desire, then professional photographers select their tools based on need. When you make your living with a camera, you generally buy the best you can afford. If you’re successful enough, then you own flagships such as the two cameras in Nikon’s D3 series, which are the absolute top-of-the-range, no-expense-spared full-frame statements.
The D3 range consists of the D3X, which has been around since 2008, and the new D3S. They’re more or less the same camera except for one vital element: the sensor. The frighteningly expensive D3X uses a 24.5 megapixel unit and is orientated more at studio and static work such as fashion, landscapes and architecture, where every last iota of detail is critical. The relatively more affordable D3S features a 12.1MP sensor, which is optimised for a wide range of circumstances including high-speed shooting (nine frames per second) and low light conditions, where it truly excels.
Not much has changed in the update from 2007’s D3 to the D3S, either. The big news is a state of the art sensor with a dust removal system, HD video recording as well as dedicated info and Live View buttons. The full-frame (FX format) sensor found in the original D3 and D700 is known for its high ISO capability, but this updated model is even more sensitive. It has a native ISO range of 200 to 12,800 and can be hustled right up to 102,400.
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June 16th, 2010 by D-Photo
Can Canon lay the ghosts of the 1D Mark III to rest? Karim Sahai goes poltergeist hunting
Canon has a lot riding on its latest top-of-line EOS dSLR. Aside from needing to make a great camera, the company also has to retrieve the ground – and reputation – lost by the last 1D, the Mark III, following its release in 2007.
In that model, complex technical issues affected the revamped 45-point autofocus system in a large number of the cameras. Despite firmware releases and hardware service recalls, many pros felt the system remained flawed.
Canon’s problems were compounded by its main competitor, Nikon, releasing the potent and problem-free D3 just a few months later. With an effective marketing campaign and an enticing upgrade path, the D3 will be remembered as the camera that prompted many professionals to switch, and one which dealt an unexpected blow to Canon’s long-time dominance in the pro market.
Fast forward to 2010. Can the EOS-1D Mark IV restore Canon’s reputation? Will it satisfy the professionals for whom it was built?
In essence, the Mark IV is a powerful computer with a lens attached. It shares many of its predecessor’s features such as a staggering 10 still frames per second, extensive moisture and dust seals, and highly configurable function set. The Mark IV’s key improvements, meanwhile, are a 16.1 megapixel resolution (10 on the Mark III); a vastly increased 50-102,400 ISO range; superb low-noise 1080p HD video; and a total redesign of the autofocusing system.
Visually, apart from a larger rubberised connector cover, a higher resolution LCD screen offering great clarity, and the presence the triple perforation under the EOS-1 badge (onboard microphone), it’s hard to differentiate the Mark IV from its earlier incarnation.
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June 5th, 2010 by D-Photo
Ashley Kramer gets touchy-feely with Canon’s new Ixus
Touchscreens are obviously where the world is headed. Apple has made the touchscreen a critical presence on entertainment devices and, like it or not, the ubiquitous feature is coming to a camera near you. It’s a simple way for manufacturers to make cameras easier to use and to differentiate their products from the competition, especially now that the megapixel war is dying out. Canon has even looked into the idea of a touchscreen dSLR, but the stylish and well-finished Ixus 210 is its current touchy-feely compact camera.
Unlike the Nikon Coolpix S70 reviewed in the last issue of D-Photo, this Canon doesn’t attempt to do almost everything on the touchscreen – it has a few old fashioned buttons as well. The shutter release and zoom controls are conventional, as are the on/off, playback and mode selection buttons, which will make the basic operation quite familiar to most users. All other interaction is performed via the responsive 3.5-inch touchscreen, which is bright and crisp, if not quite as bright as the Nikon’s OLED screen. Don’t expect a selection of multicoloured iPhone-style icons though; the touch controls look much like the menu controls of any Canon compact, which is good because they’re as intuitive as a spoon, with no complex layers or strange options to befuddle users.
In addition to the touchscreen, the 210 IS Touch is well specified, with a 24mm optically stabilised lens that goes about as wide as any compact today. With a 5x optical zoom range, it’s got a fair amount of reach as well. There’s a very effective full-auto mode that makes its own decisions about what type of shot you’re taking, which is just what’s needed on a simple point and shoot camera.
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May 19th, 2010 by D-Photo
Harley Ogier gets panoramic with Sony’s new Cyber-shot
New to Sony’s Cyber-shot range of digital compact cameras, the DSC-WX1 makes full use of its high burst-shooting speed to offer some innovative and genuinely useful features.
The WX1 is a small and lightweight offering, perfect for the pocket or ultra-miniature purse. Build quality is to Sony’s usual high standards, and despite its compactness the camera still feels solid. Unfortunately for the fuller-fingered, the controls are tiny, certainly smaller than they needed to be given the space available. Even I had a little trouble and I’m usually pretty good with such things.
The real selling point of the WX1 is its high-speed capability, able to shoot at 10 frames per second in burst mode. This is particularly useful with kids or pets, if you don’t mind picking through 10 shots to find the one you were after.
Capitalising on its high speed, the WX1 offers an amazing ‘Sweep Panorama’ feature that’s sure to hook fans of landscape photography. To shoot a perfect panorama you just spin the mode dial, select a direction to sweep in (left, right, up or down) and click. You’re then free to pan across your subject as if shooting a video. The WX1’s motion detector stops you if you’re going too wildly off course, but it’s pretty easy to pan a camera in a relatively level arc.
Images shot with Sweep Panorama come out as a single, very wide JPEG – there’s no stitching together of multiple images to be done on the PC. The quality of these camera-generated images is brilliant; I only found a few very minor stitching errors in the many panoramas I shot, most of which I could have avoided with greater care.
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May 16th, 2010 by D-Photo
Harley Ogier goes full frame with Sony’s latest dSLR
The A850 is the latest addition to Sony’s Alpha range of dSLR cameras, bringing many of the flagship A900’s features back to the market at a considerably lower price.
Like its high-end predecessor, the A850 features a novel 24 megapixel full-frame image sensor. That means the sensor is the same physical size as a frame of 35mm film. This is larger than those used in lower end crop dSLRs and far larger than anything found in a digital compact. The result is a reduction in image noise, and improved performance in low light.
The full-frame sensor makes the A850 directly compatible with many Minolta lenses – great for anyone with an existing collection. The camera is also compatible with Sony Alpha crop lenses, though this restricts images to 11 megapixels. Still, if you’re moving up from a low or midrange Sony Alpha dSLR, your existing lenses remain completely usable.
Physically, the A850 is almost identical to the A900. The two share the same dimensions, weight and magnesium alloy case. The image sensor, optics and feature set are also much the same, with a few minor differences. The A850 shoots at a maximum of three frames per second while the A900 can manage five. Likewise, the A850’s viewfinder only shows 98 per cent of the frame while the A900 provides full coverage. In all honesty, moving to the top of Sony’s dSLR range won’t place you far ahead of where the A850’s capabilities lie.
Image quality is excellent. Colours appear rich and accurate with good dynamic range. The 24 megapixel sensor gives crisp, detailed images with a minimum of noise. While overkill for some, a sensor of that size certainly has its uses. I imagine it would be great for nature enthusiasts when paired with a long lens, such as Sony’s new 70-400mm f/4-5.6 zoom. Certainly, it makes taking photos of cats easier.
The A850 is great for those long shooting sessions, with a comfortable grip and well thought-out button placement. There are three user-definable banks of settings available on the mode dial, which is otherwise sparse – you won’t find the multitude of scene modes that have been creeping onto entry-level dSLRs for the last few years. There is an auto mode that works perfectly well, but to make the most of the A850 you really do need to delve into the manual controls. Beginners may have some trouble doing so, but anyone with enough of an interest in photography to go for a full-frame dSLR should be able to nut it out.
The only real disappointment was the total lack of Live View. I had hoped the A850 would boast the same highly impressive Live View implementation found on last year’s amateur A550, which turned out to be a useful tool for framing difficult shots. Sadly, it takes the more conventional route, keeping your eye locked tightly on the viewfinder.
Overall, the A850 is a well priced full-frame body, almost identical in features to the top-of-the-range A900. Serious amateurs and professionals should look closely at the A850: the extra cash that would go into many competitors’ full-frame offerings may be better spent on lenses and must-have accessories.
Sony A850 DSLR – Specifications
Manufacturer: Sony
Model: A850
RRP: $3999.95
Effective Pixels: 24.6 million
Image Sensor: 35.9 x 24.0mm CMOS
Viewfinder: 98 per cent frame coverage
LCD Monitor: 3.0 inches, 921,600 pixels (VGA), 100 per cent frame coverage
Shutter: 1/8000-30 seconds, bulb
ISO: 100-6400
Exposure Metering: Multi-segment, centre-weighted, spot, auto exposure lock
Media: CompactFlash, Memory Stick PRO Duo
File Format: cRAW (compressed), RAW, JPEG
Interface: USB 2.0, HDMI video out
Batteries: Rechargeable lithium-ion, approx 880 images
Dimensions: 156 x 117 x 82mm
Weight: 850g without battery or memory card
Reviewed with Lenses:
Sony 70-400mm f/4-5.6 zoom lens ($2799.95)
Sony 20mm f/2.8 fixed focal length lens ($1099.95)
Contact
www.sony.co.nz
PROS
- High resolution, full-frame
- image sensor
- Great picture quality
CONS
Design 18
Performance 16
Features 15
Image Quality 18
Value for money 17
TOTAL 84/100
This article is from D-Photo 35. Click here to check it out.
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