Nikon has officially announced the V1 and J1 as part of the new Nikon 1 advanced camera with interchangeable lens system. Both the V1 and J1 feature a 10.1 megapixel CX-format CMOS sensor and a dual core EXPEED 3 image processor. [Read more…]
Canon Puts 8-Inch Image Sensor in Telescope, Records Video at 60fps
Last year, Canon showed off an 8-inch CMOS sensor, which was roughly 40-times the size of the 5D Mark II sensor. We were all summarily impressed; however, Canon has gone off and put this massive sensor into a telescope.
What’s more is that they are recording video at 60fps using this massive sensor, which works swimmingly well in the low-light scenes of space. (I think everyone’s wishlist for the 5D Mark III just went up a couple levels of intensity.)
For all of the amazing details, the below press release is a must read. [Read more…]
Samsung WB750 Point & Shoot Camera Announced
The Samsung WB750 is a point and shoot camera that features a 12.5MP back side illuminated CMOS sensor and an 18x optical zoom lens.
The WB750 can record 1080p HD video and, at the same time, capture 10MP images without interrupting the video capture. The camera features an HDR mode that merges multiple exposures in camera. Additionally, the WB750 offers a variety of creative in-camera processing features for interesting filter or frame effects.
No word yet on price or release date. Check availability on Amazon.com.
More details and images below. [Read more…]
Canon PowerShot SX230 HS, ELPH 500 HS, ELPH 300 HS and ELPH 100 HS Announced
The Canon PowerShot SX230 HS is a new 12.1MP camera that is powered by Canon’s DIGIC 4 processor. The SX230 HS sports a 14x zoom lens (approx. 28-392mm equivalent) with image stabilization, along with a 3-inch LCD. Additionally, the SX230 HS can capture 1080p HD video as well as super slow motion video.
The Canon PowerShot SX230 HS should be available in March at an initial retail price of $349.99. Check availability on Amazon.com.
In addition to the SX230 HS, Canon has also announced several new PowerShot ELPH models – the ELPH 500 HS, ELPH 300 HS and ELPH 100 HS.
Lots of product shots and details on the new ELPH models below. [Read more…]
Canon Develops 8″ x 8″ CMOS Image Sensor
Canon’s R&D group has been eating its Wheaties, as evidenced by the recent 120MP CMOS sensor and the new 8-inch CMOS sensor. That’s the 8″ sensor above, just to the left of a 35mm sensor.
The new sensor is roughly 40 times the size of the sensor found in the 5D Mark II. It measures 202 x 205mm, or roughly 8″ x 8″ – holy cow! Canon says that it is “capable of capturing images in one one-hundredth the amount of light required by a professional-model digital SLR camera.”
Don’t expect to see these in your next DSLR though – this is just bragging rights for now. Get the full tech-speak and marketing buzz in the press release below. [Read more…]
Canon VIXIA HF S21 Camcorder Review
The Canon VIXIA HF-S21 is a compact camcorder that captures Full HD 1920 x 1080 in AVCHD format with a number of frame rate options. The Canon VIXIA HF-S21 is larger than entry-level camcorders like the Sony HDR-CX350V; however, it’s not so big to prevent you from toting it on family outings or other casual endeavors.
Read the rest of the review at Tech Tilt: Canon VIXIA HF S21 Camcorder Review.
Sony Cyber-shot TX7 Review
The Sony Cyber-shot TX7 is an ultra-compact point and shoot camera that is packed full of powerful features. To find out if the stellar feature list and spec sheet makes for a worthwhile camera, check out the review below. [Read more…]
Samsung TL350
The Samsung TL350 is a 10.2MP point and shoot camera which features a CMOS sensor and 1080p video capture, as well as a number of high-speed video capture modes up to 1000 fps. The TL350 offers RAW file capture, a 5x optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, full manual control and 3-inch AMOLED display.
The Samsung TL350 should be available in Spring 2010 at an initial retail price of $349.99. Check availability on Amazon.com. [Read more…]
Could Olympus DSLR’s be Getting a New “PMOS” Sensor?
Advanced Imaging Pro has an interesting article on Kodak’s latest developments in sensor manufacturing. This was found via Flickr, which alludes to the possibility of a PMOS sensor.
The new PMOS apparently a new take on CMOS pixels and how they work on a camera sensor. In the Kodak PMOS the underlying polarity of the silicon is reversed, so the absence of electrons is used to detect a signal. This works the opposite way that normal pixels work: which instead detects electrons that are generated when light interacts with the sensor surface.
In addition to this, a new CCD sensor is being developed that, according to Samsung (as noted in the article), only uses 1/10th of the power that a regular CCD sensor uses: which means an insanely long battery life.
For current Olympus (and Panasonic) users, you can be glad to hear that the new sensors are focused on low-light photography, speed and HD video capabilities. However, we can still only just wait to see the results. When the Live MOS sensor was released it promised better low-light capabilities. In truth, it couldn’t match the capabilities of Canon or Nikon. Further, that isn’t a totally fair statement because of the fact that the sensor is smaller in size.
The new PMOS sensor could be what we see in the higher end pro camera models.
Sony Back-Illuminated CMOS Image Sensor
Sony is about to shake things up in the digital camera world with a new image sensor. Those of you who think the Live View tech and articulating LCD panel are just gimmicks (see Sony A350 review) will enjoy this potentially revolutionary development. In the sample image below, you can see the potential that this new sensor technology brings to the table. A couple of the obvious benefits to photographers are low light shooting with lower noise levels, which results in better overall image quality. Currently, the prototype sensor is only 5 megapixels (which is probably plenty for most of us in most applications); however, you can expect Sony to push this tech to its limits and produce some astounding cameras in the near future.
PRESS RELEASE
Tokyo, Japan – Sony Corporation today announced the development of a back-illuminated CMOS image sensor (pixel size: 1.75µm square pixels, five effective mega pixels, 60 frames/s) with significantly enhanced imaging characteristics, including nearly twofold sensitivity*1 and low noise. This improved performance has been achieved by illuminating the backside of the silicon substrate, in contrast to conventional CMOS image sensors based on front-illumination technology. [Read more…]