Compact Camera News

Canon’s PowerShot G10, Nikon’s COOLPIX P6000, And Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-LX3: Which One’s Right For You?

Tamrac’s Evolution Series
Tamrac’s new Evolution series merges backpack and sling bag in a convertible design that facilitates access when the pack is worn. The bag has a fully customizable, padded lower camera section, plus upper tier for personal items, and will hold a tripod. The Evolution 8 also holds a 15.6” laptop. And for you messenger bag lovers...

Nikon’s S-Series COOLPIX
There are three new S-series COOLPIX cameras from Nikon. The S8000 features a 10x optical zoom ED glass lens, a four-way Vibration Reduction (VR) Image Stabilization System, ISO settings to 3200, and a 3” LCD screen. It can record HD movies with stereo sound and has a Sport Continuous mode. Colors for the S8000 include black, red...

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?

It wasn’t too long ago when the use of a CMOS chip in a digicam was a sign of a cheapie camera. Well, the tide has changed, with CMOS today reflecting the highest level of capture in our newest digital point-and-shoots. Yes, there continue to be CCD holdouts even in innovative designs, but the writing is on the wall, spelling an eventual fade-out of the Charge-Coupled Device. And today, the Backside Illuminated (BSI, or simply “backlit”) CMOS sensor is slowly but surely moving into center stage—at least among small-sensor point-and-shoots, for improved light reception at the sensor, hence clearer, tonally fuller, and more detailed images. We’re also seeing quite a few long-zoom models and more GPS-enabled cameras, with a digital compass to boot, mostly in travel/outdoors-oriented designs. The “rugged” category continues to grow, as well as features such as sweep panorama mode (just swing around with your finger continually on the button) and touchscreen displays. But perhaps the new feature that stands out most is Wi-Fi capability. One camera is even Android-powered. The latter may not be smartphones, but they certainly appear to be the smart way to go for the wireless generation. With those trends in mind here’s our roundup of the digicam class of 2012. (Please note that this report contains both cameras on the market as of spring 2012 and those announced to be available when this article goes to press. Check with the various manufacturers for current availability.—Editor)

The DxO One is a pocket-sized camera module for the Apple iPhone or iPad that offers a one-inch sensor with 20MP resolution and a fixed focal length of 32mm (35mm film equivalent). The camera uses the iPhone and an app as both the control center and electronic viewfinder.

We all know that photography is all about light, and even the best cameras make mistakes rendering what they "see"—yielding images that are either too bright or too dark. If, like most of us, you prefer nailing exposure in the camera (instead of fixing things in post), you've come to the right place.