Compact Camera News

When it comes to Bridge cameras, Panasonic has established itself as one of the major players. The new Panasonic FZ2500 has a new 20x lens system (a Leica DC Vario-Elmarit) that covers a focal length range of 24 to 480mm (35mm film equivalent in 3:2 mode). The lens speed is f/2.8 in wide angle and f/4.5 at maximum focal length. Those very long tele settings require powerful image stabilization and the FZ2500 delivers with an optical and electronic hybrid stabilizer system which is able to level out up to 5 axis movements. We do note that when recording 4K videos only the optical stabilizer is available. The 13.2x8.8mm sensor has 20MP resolution.

We were at Sony’s press conference yesterday to unveil the blazing fast RX100 V compact camera and afterwards we got a chance to try out with this speedy little bugger. The biggest headline about the Sony RX100 V is that can shoot at 24 frames per second, which is the world’s fastest continuous shooting speed for a compact camera and faster than even the most expensive professional digital SLRs on the market.

Instant photography is enjoying a resurgence among both young snapshooters and even some pros, with several makers — from established brands to startups — offering cameras and films to scratch that instant itch. Most photo buffs know the Polaroid story; how the company went bankrupt and is now operating as essentially a brand licensing company putting the Polaroid name on everything from TVs to Blu-Ray players to tablets to, yes, cameras and film. 

Photokina, the world’s largest imaging show, will open its doors in Cologne, Germany in a week and an array of new cameras, lenses, and assorted photo accessories are set to make their debuts at this massive event.

Ever since its introduction in mid-2015, the DXO One miniaturized camera for iPhone and iPad has enjoyed a small but loyal following for its compact form factor, sharp 32mm-equivalent lens, 1-inch/20.2-megapixel sensor, and impressive image quality. Today DXO announced what they call a “major update” for the device that’s sure to expand its popularity.

OK, we admit it: We’re so enthralled by the insane 83X focal range of Nikon’s Coolpix P900 superzoom camera that every so often we have to post a demo video, just because. With its amazing built-in 24-2000mm lens, the P900 is impossible to beat if you want to travel light and have compositional options galore.

Like the Olympus Pen, the Panasonic GX8 and the Fujifilm X-T10, the Df’s clean lines, sharp edges and large controls are reminiscent of the finest cameras of film’s glory days in the 1980s and 1990s. They are part of the “retro style” trend that, in the words of the inimitable Yogi Berra, is “déjà vu all over again.”