Living

Last year's Nikon 1 J1 promised some professional features for the amateur photographer looking to move on up and man was it a huge disappointment. The Nikon J2 is a virtually identical camera packed with even more gimmicky features for amateurs with some dollar to burn. As Nikon's first affordable, compact, interchangeable-lens camera, the J1 fell flat when compared to the competition. It had a smaller 1-inch sensor than the rival micro four thirds offerings from Panasonic and Olympus not to mention the excellent APS-C sensor NEX cameras from Sony. Smaller sensor means crappier image quality. The camera's functionality was basically designed for a someone who had no idea what they were doing. Yes, you could swap out the lenses, and its design was beautiful, but in the end it amounted to nothing more than a $650 dressed-up-point-and-shoot. The new Nikon 1 J2 adds a new "creative mode" that makes the camera feel more like a point-and-shoot than before. In short, a...

Jul 30, 2012 5:00 PM   Everything in life is cooler and more epic in slow motion. So Fastec's new TS3 compact high-speed camera is easier to carry than traditional slo-mo gear allowing you to capture and study spontaneous moments—frame-by-frame. Remember, the best high-speed camera is the one you've got with you. At nine inches in length and weighing almost five pounds you're probably not going to be carrying the TS3 in your pocket all day long. But for remote shoots or extreme adventures where carrying larger and heavier gear is problematic, this is the perfect solution. At its full resolution of a non-16:9 1280 x 1024 the camera is able to capture 500 frames every second. But at lower resolutions it's supposedly capable of running as fast as 20,000 fps. The camera is compatible with C-mount or Nikon F-mount lenses, but keep in mind that while its size makes it easier to travel with, in many situations you'll probably need additional lighting gear to compensate f...

Jul 24, 2012 1:31 PM   Lytro, the mind-boggling, anything can be in focus camera, now works with Windows. Which means, Windows computers can process and edit Lytro's proprietary image file format that could previously only be done with OS X. These are the specs needed to run the Lytro desktop software: OS: Windows 7 (64 bit) ONLY Home, Professional, or Ultimate CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo or better RAM: 2 GB or more Graphics: DirectX 10 Lytro is also selling a tripod and USB wall charger (that cuts charging time by 30%) for its obelisk-shaped camera. [Lytro] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Jul 25, 2012 12:00 AM   Sony's New SAL55300 zoom lens is an all-purpose telephoto lens for Sony's line of A-Mount cameras. It zooms considerably further than the existing 200mm SAL55200 for just $100 more. For a $300 lens, 5.5 times magnification is impressive zoom. As for other specs, the lens opens all the way up to f/4.5 when it's zoomed out or to f/5.6 when it's zoomed in. The lens will mount directly onto both Sony's DSLRs and its recent, excellent SLT cameras. To get it onto NEX cameras like the awesome F3 you'll need to use an adapter. This budget beast will be available in September. [Sony] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

Jul 24, 2012 11:40 AM   If you're not blown away by the selection of lenses available for your Sony NEX or Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera, Kipon has just announced its own adapter that lets photographers use older Canon EF mount lenses, complete with electronic aperture control. Kipon's adapter isn't the first to offer such functionality—Metabones has one that's been on back-order for ages, but it only works with Sony's NEX mirrorless cameras. Kipon's offering will work with Micro Four Thirds cameras as well, like the Olympus PEN E-P2, but currently a lot of other questions are left unanswered. Will it support other electronic functionality like autofocus or image stabilization? Can Canon's newer EF-S mount lenses also be used (with some compromises)? And most importantly, when will the adapter be available and will it be cheaper than Metabone's $400 solution? [Kipon via DPreview] View the original article here This post was made using the Auto Bl...

Canon's compact, large-sensor camera is finally here. Until now, Canon was the last major manufacturer that didn't offer a mirrorless, interchangeable-lens camera, and from what we can tell it was worth the wait. The Canon EOS M looks like a beast. And it's pretty cheap, too. Get ready to swoon. As we previously suspected, the Canon EOS M is basically a shrunken version of the new T4i DSLR. It carries the same groundbreaking, continuous Live View autofocus that's ideally suited for video; the same beautiful capacitive touchscreen that makes changing settings a breeze; and the same 18-megapixel APS-C image sensor and Digic 5 image processor that should capture beautiful photographs even in difficult shooting conditions. All that, and a 22mm lens for $800. Sounds great! But as with all mirrorless cameras, jamming tons of fun into a smaller body means making some sacrifices on functionality. We've yet to find a camera that definitively nails the compromise. Is the Can...