Tech Blog - Page 2

It’s Thursday morning and I’m sitting in a Starbucks in New Westminster, BC. Across from me is Gord Webster from Fujifilm. I’ve known Gord for going on five years; he’s one of those guys who gets photography and–more than that–he’s the type of guy that gets cameras, too. On the table in front of us is Fujifilm’s X-Pro1. Gord doesn’t say

anything, he’s just letting me take it in. 

There are a few things that I’m thinking at this point: ‘It’s gorgeous,’ is one of the them. ‘It’s looks like a classic,’ is another. I finally manage to voice something: “I want one.”

Gord smiles at me with a chuckle and shakes his head. “I can’t leave it with you right now, I’ve got another show to go to... but how about next week?” I agree, and silently repeat the words 

Earlier this week I reviewed the Canon Digital ELPH 520HS. Long story short? I liked it: it’s what the market has come to expect from Canon in a point and shoot, carrying the weight of a long legacy with grace. The Digital ELPH 530HS is a slightly different beast: it’s what happens when Canon decides to take the things people like about smartphones, and merge them with a camera. Does it work? Click through to find out.

Photographers: you’ve got a new way to organize, edit, and share your photos today, courtesy of Sony and… the PlayStation 3? That’s right, if you’re a PlayStation 3 owner, you can now download Sony’s PlayMemories Studio from the PlayStation Network store. It’s a new way to leverage your game console for something other than games. It’s $14.99 to buy, but it’s free to PlayStation Plus members, and new Sony Cybershot camera customers.

Almost 12 years ago Canon released the PC1001, also known as the Digital ELPH S100. It was my first digital camera, packing a 2x optical zoom and a 3 megapixel sensor into a body that was about the size of a deck of cards. It took Compact Flash memory cards and was an absolute wonder to my much younger self. With it, I started down the path of digital photography and never looked back.

Every year Canon has evolved this pocket-sized model, adding new features, switching storage types, or refining the design. It’s been a while since I picked up an ELPH, so I was thrilled when a box of them showed up on my doorstop, on loan courtesy of Canon and Future Shop. The Canon PowerShot ELPH 520HS and 530HS look like twins, but some design choices set them very much apart. We’re going to look at the 520HS today.

The New iPad hit stores on Friday, and the camera in it is all the buzz... but as a photographer I’m actually far more interested in another aspect of it altogether: that gorgeous screen, and Apple’s newly released iPhoto app.

Being a bit of an iGeek, I didn’t hesitate to pony up the $5 for iPhoto. The desktop app is part of my workflow at home on my iMac for my point and shoot camera and my iPhone photos; for my DSLR I stick with Aperture. You might be wondering what I mean by workflow (pros and keen amateurs: stick with me, not everyone’s at the same skill level!). Your workflow as a photographer are the steps that you go through AFTER the photo has been taken, to get it where you want it digitally, and looking how you want it to.

At an event in Toronto earlier today, Fuji launched its new lineup of cameras for the spring season, with the X-Pro1 taking most of the spotlight. The new addition to the X-Series that will give Fuji its first true interchangeable lens system, but there are also tweaks to the XP waterproof line and a new compact EXR model throw in too.

Olympus has announced the much awaited OM-D Micro Four Thirds camera. Inspired by its iconic namesake the OM cameras from the 70s, the OM-D is a rugged, splashproof and dustproof 16 Megapixel camera that brings many notable innovations to the line of ILC's (Interchangeable Lens Cameras).

If you’re looking for the best and most versatile action sports camera then you’ve found it in the GoPro Hero2: Outdoor edition. This camera is the original Hero on steroids. With an improved lens, higher mega-pixel rating, wider variety of shooting modes, and a faster frame rate (up to 120 frames per second in WVGA mode) this camera is the best of the best.

For many, Valentine's Day gift shopping can be a bit of a challenge. Finding the right gift for your significant other can be demanding and just plain stressful. There are way too many people out there who believe you need to get a Valentine's related gift to show your affection, but why buy those diamond earrings, box of chocolates or bottle of fancy wine when you could get something just as meaningful, but more practical? 

Sony roared right out of the gate from day one of CES 2012, making a slew of announcements from celebrities and online content, to Crystal LED and displaying the re-born Walkman. 

Embracing Android probably makes a lot of sense for Philips. Like other manufacturers that have flocked to Google’s popular operating system, Philips is creating hardware products that complement the software. These include an MP4 player, headsets and speaker systems.

in terms of features, image quality and versatility, Samsung's NX line can go toe-to-toe with most of the competition and in this range of compact ILC's but its higher price and relative newness to the camera market has kept consumers going for cheaper, more recognizable and more developed systems. Will the new NX200 with its new styling and 20.3 megapixel sensor and 7 frame per second shooting capability change some minds, we think so.

There was a time when sharing photos meant gathering around a slide projector and seeing blown-up versions of pictures appear on a screen. There was a certain elegance in the storytelling qualities of a proper slideshow. This is something Nikon seems to want to bring back with their S1200pj camera/projector combo.

Sony's NEX 7 ($ 1200) is the most accomplished compact mirrorless camera coming to the market. This is a prosumer-oriented compact APS-C sensor camera that has a 24 megapixel sensor and 2.4M dot OLED electronic viewfinder built into its magnesium alloy body and yet still finds room for a pop-up flash and Alpha hot shoe.

We spent some time with a pre-production model (the NEX-7 is slated for an early 2012 release, pending production ramp up in flood-stricken Thailand). Here are our impressions.

I know what you’re going to ask; hey DRUT can I get an action-sports camera that can do everything? The answer is yes. Look no further than the ContourROAM HD camera.

The ContourROAM camera boasts an aluminum body that is waterproof to 1m, a 170° wide-angle lens, 3.5 hour battery life, rotating lens, and even an horizontal laser...