The Fujifilm HS50EXR is a bridge camera with an SLR-like design and a super zoom lens. The camera has very good workmanship/finishing; the body and the lens system are large and robust.
The Sigma DP3 Merrill is the latest Sigma camera with the new Foveon sensor. With this sensor, the camera can capture complete RGB information for every single pixel and doesn’t need to interpolate colors like all other digital cameras with Bayer pattern sensors. The APS-C sized sensor offers a resolution of 14.7MP, referred to by Sigma as equivalent to 45MP resolution of a standard sensor ((4704 x 3136 pixel x 3 RGB data per pixel).
The Nikon D600 is the smallest of the company’s full-format sensor cameras yet due to the same seals and protections as the Nikon D800 and its very robust body, it can be used outdoors under rugged and rainy weather conditions.
The X20 uses an X-Trans sensor just like all new Fujifilm X cameras. Instead of an APS-C-sized system it’s a 2/3 inch sensor, which is slightly smaller than APS-C, but still very large for a compact camera. In combination with the moderate resolution of 12MP the camera offers very clean and noise-free images.
Our initial report on the Canon EOS-1D X appeared in the Image Tech section of our homepage at www.shutterbug.com and was based on a preproduction model. This is our final report based on a factory-ship model.
The EOS Rebel SL1 is an ultra-small SLR system; in fact it is smaller than many bridge cameras and even lighter than many other digital cameras.
Nevertheless it’s a real SLR system with Canon’s APS-C-sized image sensor, which is a little smaller than other APS-C-sized sensors made by Nikon, Sony and other manufacturers. Due to itsvery small body the grip on the right hand side is also is a bit smaller than usual and the handling of the camera is a bit tricky for photographers withlarge hands. The small body doesn’t allow for a status LCD on the top, so all information on image parameters and menu settings are shown on the LCD screen on the back.
The Sony A37 is an SLT system with a fixed and translucent mirror. Because of this setup it is able to produce a Live View image even while recording still images or shooting video. At the same time, the camera is able to use its Phase Detection AF system because the mirror reflects the image onto the AF sensor. This allows the use of the AF system even in continuous shooting mode. The camera offers a high-speed burst mode of up to 7 frames per second, which is a very high result for an entry-level system.
Fujifilm’s X100s follows the X100 and offers enhanced imaging features and functions. The most important difference is the new sensor--the X-Trans CMOS sensor uses aspecial RGB mosaic pattern and offers higher resolution compared to the sensor in the X100. The new sensor has special mirco lenses that result in a very sharp and brilliant image, which is then enhanced further with the camera’s new EXR II image processor.
The Sigma DP2 Merrill is dedicated to Dick Merrill (1949-2008), a photographer and engineer who developed/invented the Foveon sensor technology. The camera is based on former DP compact Sigma cameras, but uses the newest generation of the Foveon X3 sensor. This sensor records all three RGB values for every single pixel and has an image resolution of 4704x3136, or 14.75MP. Because of the multiplication of three RGB layers, the camera gains a “resolution” of 44.25MP. Officially, Sigma specifies the resolution of the sensor even higher: the spec sheet uses the gross resolution with 4800x3200 pixels (x three layers) and therefore indicates that the camera has a resolution of 46MP.
The Nikon Coolpix P7700 offers numerous function buttons to change image parameters and exposure modes very quickly and efficiently. On the top side of the large body are three dials. The first dial on the left-hand side allows the user to set up the most important image parameters like ISO speed, white balance, and image quality (resolution and JPEG compression) directly. The LCD shows the chosen image parameter setting on the screen when the photographer turns the setup dial and presses the center button.