Compact Camera News

Many photographers rely on their camera’s sophisticated metering system to provide the “correct” exposure for the scene at hand. While this approach works well under a wide variety of lighting conditions, there are times when even the smartest camera can be fooled.

I recently received a ruggedized WG-50 compact camera from Ricoh and immediately embarked upon a challenging, thorny photographic adventure—the likes of which you can’t imagine. I emerged with just a few scratches—although it does look like I’ve lost some blood. I can’t reveal the location of this treacherous place for fear that others might be tempted to defy this danger—but I can tell you this much: it’s no bed of roses.

Ruggedized, submergible digicams are popular among travel and adventure photographers that want a compact camera they can use underwater or in wet, dusty conditions. The Ricoh WG-50 is a versatile new model that’s great for all your summer adventures from the mountains and desert to the sea.

Who needs a pocket-sized 5-megapixel camera these days? Well, what if it’s one that you can assemble yourself from a kit that only costs $130?

Canon announced some new photo goodies this morning: the PowerShot SX730 Compact Camera with a 40x zoom (24-960mm equivalent), and the Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM lens, which has built-in Macro Lites on the sides of the lens.

The Sony Cyber-shot RX100 V is a very compact and stylish camera with loads of power “under the hood.” It features a 13.2x8.8mm (aka 1-inch type) sensor with an image resolution of 20 megapixels. The camera’s high-speed lens system (f/1.8-f/2.8) has a zoom factor of nearly 3x (24-70mm, 35mm film equivalent). The sensor system and lens have not changed from the forerunner RX100 IV, but the new RX100 V has a remarkably faster and new AF system with 315 AF areas that cover 65 percent of the image.

Capturing “the decisive moment” is more than just clicking the shutter at the right time and it’s more than luck, too. It’s an artful combination of experience, talent, and preparation. Being prepared for the unexpected is just as important to photojournalists and documentary photographers as it is to a Scout and that includes selecting and using gear that can be deployed at that right time, even if preparing for a single shot or two takes several hours. Some of these tools may be obvious while others not so much.