Casio Exilim EX-S100 review

EX-S100 Features:

• 3.2-Megapixel effective CCD imager
  
• Credit card-size stainless steel body, only 0.66" thick
  
• Still Image: 2048x1536, 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480
  
• Uses world's first transparent ceramic 2.8x optical zoom lens
  
• Lens covers 36-102mm (in 35mm equivalence)
  
• AVI 320x240 Movies with audio, length limited only by available memory
  
  
• Contrast type AF selectable between spot, multi
  
• Focus modes include pan focus, macro mode, infinity, and manual focus
  
• 23 Best Shot scene modes, plus 1 custom mode
  
• 9.3 Megabytes of internal memory
  
• 4 to 1/2000 sec. shutter speeds
  
• Built-in flash with Red Eye Reduction
  
• 2" TFT color LCD monitor
  
• 4X playback zoom magnification
  
• USB 1.1 data transfer to PC or Mac computers
  


• Lithium rechargeable Casio NP-20 battery and charging cradle included


• Secure Digital/MMC card slot for memory expansion
  
• DPOF, Exif Print, Print Image matching, and PictBridge compatible
  

The Casio Exilim EX-S100 was developed to be the flagship of the Exilim "S" series, and as such, embodies all the brand concepts. Key features of the EX-S100 include a 3.2-megapixel CCD image sensor. The Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 is a 3 megapixel digital camera with a 2.8x optical zoom lens that offers a focal length of 36-102mm and a large 2-inch LCD screen and rechargeable np-20 battery.

The Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 is no different with dimensions of 88mm (W) x 57mm (H) x 16.7mm (D) and weighing just 113g without the battery and storage card fitted. All of this is housed in a stylish and hard-wearing metal casing. But is the Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 just too small for its own good? Carry on reading my extensive review to find out if it's actually a good camera or not.

The Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 has a 3.34 megapixel, 1/3.2 inch CCD that delivers 3.2 effective megapixels. The camera's 2.8x optical zoom lens is equivalent to a 36-102 mm lens on a 35mm format camera. There is also a 4x digital zoom available. There are 5 image sizes (2048 x 1536, 2048 x 1360 (3:2), 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 640 x 480 pixels, powerful NP-20 battery) which are recorded as JPEGs in one of 3 image quality settings (Fine / Normal / Economy). The EX-S100 supports SD and MMC memory cards and there is also 9.3MB of built-in memory.

The Casio Exilim Card EX-S100's dimensions are 88mm (W) x 57mm (H) x 16.7mm (D), and it weighs 113g without the NP-20 battery and storage card fitted. The camera is powered by Casio's proprietary rechargable lithium-ion battery. There is a metal tripod mount in the left of the bottom of the camera. The PC interface is USB 1.0 (via the supplied cradle). There are no NTSC / PAL AV outputs, so you can't connect the EX-Z55 to your TV. Printouts can be made without going through a computer, though, by directly connecting the Casio Exilim Card EX-S100 to a PictBridge-compliant printer.

The EX-S100 features a stainless steel body, a hallmark of the EXILIM CARD series, which has been polished to a brilliant shine through a special process. It is created entirely of metal, right down to the screws, for a true feeling of high quality. The front of the camera has been given a fresh look, with a theme of circular patterns to highlight the shape of the lens, while the back of the unit features a more square look that matches the impressively large 2.0” TFT LCD screen. In keeping with the distinctive form of the other models in the EXILIM CARD series, the lens area itself protrudes slightly from the body of the camera. Its NP-20 battery can last about 3 hours.

Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS camera review

The delightfully compact Digital IXUS 800 IS combines IXUS style with advanced photographic features. Experience sharper flash-free shooting with ISO 800 and a 4x optical Image Stabilizer zoom lens, rechargeable Canon NB-5L battery.

• 6.0 MP CCD
  
• 4x optical zoom with optical IS
  
• ISO 800
  
• Elegant design
  
• DIGIC II and iSAPS
  
• 2.5" LCD
  
• 16 shooting modes and My Colors
  
• Widescreen recording and 30fps VGA movies
  
• PictBridge and Print/Share button
  
• Software and CANON iMAGE GATEWAY*


• Accessories : Extend shooting possibilities with a range of optional accessories, including a Waterproof Case (40m) WP-DC5 and High Power Flash HF-DC1 NB-5L battery.

The Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS is a 6 megapixel digital camera with a 2.5 inch LCD screen, li-ion NB-5L battery and optical viewfinder. For the first time ever on a Canon compact, the IXUS 800 features image stabilizer technology to help combat camera-shake. Canon have also extended the optical zoom lens to 4x, giving an effective focal length of 35-140mm. Under the surface, the Canon Digital Ixus 800 IS uses the same advanced DIGIC II processor as the company's digital SLR cameras for fast performance and image processing. There are 14 different scene modes on offer for beginners and a more advanced Manual mode for those who desire greater control. VGA movies at 30fps, a My Colors mode that allows special in-camera colour effects, and PictBridge and USB 2 support complete the specification. So does the Digital IXUS 800 IS carry on the good name of previous IXUS compacts? Read our latest review to find out.

As a rule with Canon digital cameras you know roughly what you are going to get before you turn them on. The IXUS 800 IS is no exception. This camera is capable of producing sharp images and strong colours. For me that is the ideal combination when you are looking to buy any camera. Also camcorder battery can be used in camera.

The Canon Digital Ixus 800 IS has a normal shooting mode, Self-timer (2 secs. 10 secs. or Custom) and a Continuous mode, which allows you take up to 2.1 frames/sec until the memory card is full. There are a number of different My Colors photo effects on offer (My Colors Off, Vivid, Neutral, Sepia, Black & White, Positive Film, Lighter Skin Tone, Darker Skin Tone, Vivid Blue, Vivid Green, Vivid Red, Custom Color). The Macro setting allows you to focus on subjects that are as close as 2cms. The camera offers 2 auto-focusing systems - 9-point AiAF and 1-point AF (Fixed centre). The built-in flash offers 5 different modes (Auto, On, Auto Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synchro and Off). The flash range is 50cm-3.5m (W) / 2.0m (T). An AF assist beam and Flash Exposure Lock are also available. Noise reduction is automatically applied to exposures greater than 1.3 seconds. The powerful NB-5L battery can last for about three ours with continuous working

The Canon Digital Ixus 800 IS's dimensions are 90.4 (W) x 56.5 (D) x 26.4 (H) mm, and it weighs 165g without the battery and storage card fitted. The camera is powered by a rechargeable Li-ion Battery which allows you to take up to 240 shots before needing to be recharged. There is a metal tripod mount in the center of the bottom of the camera.

In my view Canon digital cameras are some of the more complicated to use. I have reviewed so many now that I know where to find everything, but if you are new to them it may take you a short while to fully get to grips with the camera and better charger NB-5l battery

The Canon Digital IXUS (NB-5L) series of digital cameras has been successful for many years. At this time, the new Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS leads the series, and will undoubtedly enjoy a warm welcome from the IXUS enthusiasts. We had the opportunity to test the Canon IXUS 800 IS during a long period of time. Whether or not Canon set a new benchmark for their compact camera line can be read in the following Canon Digital IXUS 800 IS digital camera review.

Sony DSC-D700 camcorder review

Sony DSC-D700 (NP-F550) specifications

• lens / zoom : 28 mm - 140 mm (5x) (dig: 2x)


• focus / macro : auto | manual / 20 cm /


• metering mode :


• aperture : auto | manual / F2 - F2.4 - F13.2


• white balance : auto


• shutter : auto | manual / 4s - 1/2000s


• exposure :


• flash / mode : pop-up / external


• viewfinder :


• iso ratings : 100 / 200 / 400


• image size : 1344 x 1024


• image format : tiff / jpeg (exif)


• image compr. :


• lag/cycle times :


• remote control : self timer 1s / 30s / time laps


• video options :


• audio options :


• connectivity : video


• storage : pcmcia II, memory stick


• Power acceessories : Li-ion NP-F550

Sony's CyberShot Pro D700 is definitely the "king of the hill" of the sub-$2000 digital cameras. Newer digicams may be topping the 2 megapixel mark these days but the 1.5 megapixel D700 has got it all! The Sony DSC-D700 (np-f550) caused quite a stir in the Digital Photography world when it was announced last year. Many people were excited by it's specifications: five times zoom, full SLR-TTL viewfinder, 1.5Megapixel CCD and all the manual controls you'd expect to find on a true SLR.

True SLR with a big optical viewfinder, a huge 2.5-inch color LCD, 5X zoom lens with manual focus and zoom control, variable ISO 100-400, builtin popup flash or external "clip on" strobes with the hot shoe mount, 1/2-inch 1.5 million square-pixel progressive scan CCD, JPG or TIF image capture (1344 x 1024 pixels), ATA Type II memory card (CompactFlash, SmartMedia or MemoryStick cards in PCMCIA adapter too) and it's powered by the infamous Sony NP-F550 LITHIUM rechargable battery, more Sony Battery here..

Unfortunately due to the high price ($1699) and short supply (the newsgroups were buzzing with availability news earlier this year) it's not had the impact we all expected it would. Those who did venture (and were fortunate enough) to get hold of one weren't disappointed, finally I've got my hands on one and have the opportunity to share an in-depth review of the camera with you.

The D700 has the largest focal length zoom of any camera in its class except for its 2MPixel brother, the new Sony NP-F550 which also sports a 5X zoom (and that one is a Carl Zeiss!) The 700's lens is a F2-2.4, 5.2-26mm (35mm equiv 28-140mm) optical zoom with 13 elements in 10 groups. Threaded for 62mm filters. The minimum object distance is 20cm in all focal lengths, macro is automatic.

Sony MiniDV DCR-TRV50 review

• Imaging Device : 1/4" 1,550K Gross Pixels, Advanced HAD™ CCD


• Video Actual : 970K


• Still Actual : 1,390K


• F : 1.8-2.2


• Focal Distance : 4.2-42mm


• 35mm Conversion : 48-480mm (Camera Mode) 40-400mm (Memory Mode)


• Filter Diameter : 37mm


• Optical Zoom : 10X


• Digital Zoom : 120X


• Focusing : Full Range Auto/Manual


• Minimum Illumination : 7 Lux (0 Lux with NightShot® Infrared System)


• NightShot Infrared System : Super NightShot®, Color Slow Shutter


• Shutter Speed : 1/4-1/4000 (AE Mode)


• Memory Mode : Yes, 1360 x 1020, 640 x 480


• MPEG Movie EX Mode : Yes, 320 x 240, 160 x 112


• Viewfinder : Color (180K)


• LCD : 3.5" Color (246K)


• Accessory Shoe : Yes (Intelligent)


• Portable Printer Capable : Yes


• Video Input/Output : Yes/Yes (Special and S-Video)


• Audio Input/Output : Yes/Yes (Stereo)


• i.LINK DV Interface (IEEE1394) : Yes, 4 Pin


• USB : Yes


• USB Streaming : Yes, 320 x 240 ( up to 30 FPS)


• Headphone Jack : Yes (Mini, Stereo)


• Mic-Input : Yes (Stereo)


• White Balance : Auto, Outdoor, Indoor, Hold


• Exposure : Yes/Dial (24 Step)


• Power Consumption (VF/LCD/VF+LCD) : 3.4W/4.5W/4.8W


• Battery Code: NP-QM91D

Sony's MiniDV DCR-TRV50 is their upgrade to the popular DCR-TRV30. The camcorder is a standard form factor, with many neat features and good still quality. From its professional Carl Zeiss lens to the 3.5-inch LCD, and everything in between, the DCR-TRV50 screams quality. It is unequivocally Sony's top consumer model, and well worth the expense. Power battery code : NP-QM91D.

The DCR-TRV50 MiniDV Handycam Camcorder gives you a huge, easy-to-view color LCD and massive megapixel resolution, making it the odds-on favorite for delivering exceptional-quality digital video, digital audio, and digital still images every time you turn it on. This unit also features Sony's revolutionary Network capability through its Bluetooth adapter which allows you to connect to the internet without the need of a computer (adapter sold separately).

The Sony DCR-TRV50 has a 1/4 in. 1.5 Mega Pixel HAD CCD. The effective video pixels used is 970K while the still is 1,390K, but more about the still performance later. The DCR-TRV50 has a 10x optical, 120x digital zoom while the horizontal resolution is rated at 530 lines, the top for the MiniDV format. Mini DV digital recording format delivers 3X color bandwidth of VHS and lower signal to noise ratio compared to analog formats and provides stunning video performance.

The CCD in the TRV50 is of enough resolution to capture 1,360 x 1,020 digital stills onto the included 8 MB Memory Stick--about a 1.38-megapixel image and sony NP-QM91D. That resolution is currently tops in the digital-camcorder world (the digital still resolution of camcorders hasn't risen nearly as fast as that of digital cameras), and is good for prints up to about 6 by 9 inches. As far as video is concerned, Sony claims the high-resolution CCD translates into a video resolution of around 530 horizontal lines.

An upgrade of the DCR-TRV50 over the DCR-TRV30 is the addition of a touch panel LCD screen. The LCD is 3.5 in. and 246K pixels. The camcorder also has a color viewfinder. If you have an area that is under or over exposed or an area that you want to put in focus all you have to do is touch on it an the camcorder adjusts automatically. This is a great intermediate between automatic and manual control. It gives the inexperienced user a way of tackling the camcorder controls which can be very daunting.The camcorder usb can be used in sony laptop battery.

The DCR-TRV50 includes wireless Bluetooth connectivity, just like the MicroMV DCR-IP7. In fact, the DCR-TRV50 has the same Bluetooth functions as the DCR-IP7BT and the DCR-PC120BT. In addition to digital stills, you can record pretty poor quality, 160 x 112 resolution MPEG video to the Memory Stick or you can store 320 x 240 resolution MPEG video. Sony makes up to 256 MB memory sticks currently. Unlike other MPEG1 movies, MPEG Movie EX will allow you to record uninterrupted to the full capacity of the Memory Stick media. For example, the 128MB Memory Stick media will record up to 85 minutes of non-stop MPEG videos.

The DCR-TRV50 adds USB streaming, which has also been added to many other Sony digital camcorders. This feature allows the user to hook the camcorder up to their camcorder and stream 320 x 240 video, NP-QM91D battery, effectively using the camcorder as a web cam. This feature can be used to shoot video for emails, for the web, or for videoconferencing.

Olympus E-500 camera review

The Olympus E-500 digital SLR – main features:

• 8.0 million pixels with Full Frame Transfer CCD


• 6.4cm/2.5” HyperCrystal LCD (215,250 pixels)


• Supersonic Wave Filter for dust protection


• Light and compact penta type design (for classic SLR look)


• Single AF, continuous AF and manual focusing


• 49 area AE sensor


• ESP, centre-weighted average and spot exposure meteringplus high light basis and shadow basis spot metering


• Professional AE lock functionality


• Sequential shooting at 2.5fps in HQ (1/8) and SQ JPEG format up to the full memory


• card capacity when using high-speed media, such as SanDisk SDCFX (Extreme III)


• IR Hybrid Type Cut Filter for equalisation with human eyes


• 1/3 EV ISO steps


• TruePic TURBO image processor


• 21 scene programme and scene select programme modes


• Dual slot for CompactFlash/Microdrives and xD-Picture Cards : can well edit in laptop with laotop battery charger


• Built-in pop-up flash


• User-friendly menu with detailed and simplified display


• Weight: 435g, size: 129,5 x 94,5 x 66mm


• Compatible with the complete range of Olympus E-System lenses and many


• accessories 1600mAh Li-ion 7.4V rechargeable Olympus BLM-1 battery

As digital photography has gained popularity and become affordable for just about everyone, increasing numbers of photographers are demanding the higher quality and flexibility that only an SLR camera can offer, with the availability of interchangeable lenses, external flash systems and other accessories. Now, with the Olympus E-500, the promise of creative digital SLR photography is within everyone’s reach.

The Olympus EVOLT E-500 is one of the bargains among entry level digital SLR cameras. The E-500 is an alternative for the budget-conscious over Canon's EOS 350D and Nikon's D50. The camera comes with a Supersonic Wave Filter, large 2.5-inch LCD monitor and a full range of shooting modes and functions. Though not the most minute in its class, the E-500 holds a slight ergonomic edge over the popular EOS 350D. The button layout on this shooter, as compared with its predecessor the E-300, is logical and well-thought out. Its four-directional buttons double as dedicated keys for white balance, autofocus, ISO and metering,a well designed digital camera battery.

Shooting options on the E-500 are numerous and varied. This dSLR offers a breathtaking total of 15 scene modes typically available on point-and-shoots, along with four advanced shooting setting. Canon's EOS 350D and Nikon's D50 pale in comparison with only six scene modes to match. Other features on the E-500 include a new 49-division light-metering senso, rechargeable BLM-1 battery.

You can continue shooting without flash at about 0.5-second intervals in both JPEG SHQ and RAW formats. With flash, timings obtained were approximately doubled. We measured the file-write time for the E-500 on our ultra-high-speed 1GB CompactFlash card to be around 4.2 seconds when shooting in RAW and one second faster in JPEG SHQ. With a maximum resolution of 3264x2448 pixels, images can be saved as RAW, TIFF or JPEG in three quality settings, with compression levels ranging from 1/2.7 to 1/12.

The E-500's 1,500mAh Lithium-ion Olympus BLM-1 battery pack performed reasonably well in our tests. We managed to capture over 300 frames on a single charge with plenty of card formatting, picture review and use of LCD to check camera status etc. The E-500 has a built in "Supersonic Wave Filter" sensor cleaner that runs each time you turn on the camera (it vibrates 35,000 times per second to shake off dust)

The E-500 should secure Olympus a place on the lucrative consumer D-SLR shelf alongside the Nikon D50, Canon EOS 350D and Pentax *ist DL. It is a very well designed digital camera battery, combining excellent picture quality, outstanding performance and lots of creative versatility. The E-500 has so many features that it will take the real enthusiast some time to figure them all out, whereas relative beginners can simply leave the camera in Auto and get great results every time. We believe that this camera might well put Olympus back in the top three of camera manufacturers where they belong.

Nikon D100 camera review

Nikon D100

Nikon's D100 Digital SLR is lightweight, easy to use, 6 Megapixels strong, and has a street price under $1,500. It's hard to imagine that four or five years ago it took more than $20 Grand to buy a Nikon-bodied 6 Megapixel Digital SLR. Its OEM battery code is en-el3.

Nikon D100 hardware and software feature :

• 6.1-megapixel CCD delivering a maximum image resolution of 3,008 x 2,000 pixels.
  
• SLR design with true, TTL optical viewfinder.
  
• 1.8-inch TFT color LCD monitor.
  
• Interchangeable “F” mount lens design, accommodates a wide range of Nikkor lenses.
  
• Manual and automatic focus modes, with adjustable AF area selection.
  
• Program, Flexible Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, and Manual exposure modes.
  
• Shutter speeds from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds, with a Bulb setting for longer exposures.
  
• Depth of Field Preview mode.
  
• TTL exposure metering with three modes.
  
• Adjustable sensitivity from 200 to 1,600 ISO equivalents. (plus 3,200 and 6,400 as "ISO Boost" options)
  
• User-selectable white balance with eight modes and manual adjustment.
  
• Three Color modes, plus a color balance fine-tuning adjustment.
  
• Hue, Tone, and Sharpness adjustments.
  
• Built-in, pop-up flash with five operating modes.
  
• External flash hot shoe.
  
• Continuous Shooting, Auto Exposure Bracketing, and Self-Timer modes.
  
• JPEG, uncompressed TIFF, and RAW file formats.
  
• Image storage on CompactFlash Type I or II memory cards, or IBM Microdrive.
  
• USB cable for connection to a computer.
  
• Included CD-ROM loaded with Nikon View 5 software.
  
• NTSC video cable for playback on a television set (PAL for European models).
  


• Power from lithium-ion nikon en-el3 battery pack, optional AC adapter, or optional Nikon Multi-Function battery pack.
  


• Optional remote control accessory.
  

Compare to other nikon digital cameras, Nikon D100 dgital camera has its own advanced point as below :

• Picturequality: The consensus among experienced usersis that the D100 produces pictures equal to the"best of the best" pro digital cameras. In fact,many professional photographers actually preferthe output quality of the Nikon D100 over theNikon D1x.


• The battery:The small, lightweight rechargeable Lithium Ion en-el3 battery keeps on going, going, going. Typicalcomments from D100 owners... "500+ shots and thebattery meter still shows full..." "I took overa thousand pictures in two days and neverrecharged the battery..." "The camera sat idlein my camera bag for weeks, I took nikon en-el3 out &shot all day long... and never ran low onpower..."


• The batterycharger: Two or three hours for a full charge ona completely dead battery. No need to ever drain& refresh the battery. And the charger &power cord are small enough to put in one of theside pockets of a camera bag. That means thatI'll never get stuck high & dry if I'm on atrip, because I can easily recharge the batteryif I need to. I also carry a small 12v DC to110v AC power inverter with me, which simplyplugs into my truck's 12v accessory plug andeasily powers the charger.


• The weight.It's really lightweight. Which makes it apleasure to carry around, even one-handed.
• The size &shape: The grip fits my hand nicely (andsecurely). And it takes up less room in mycamera bag, which means I can carry one morelens.
• The built-inflash. It's right there for unexpected /unplanned flash situations. Sure, a dedicatedexternal speedlight is always better, but forthose quick candid flash shots or unexpectedtimes when a little fill flash boost is needed,it's right there, just a flip of a button away.Yes, I also have & use a 'real' speedlight(a Nikon SB-80DX), but it's not very quick tomount if I see an unexpected photo moment thatneeds a little fill flash.


• The placement of the LCD screen. It's dead center - whichmeans no nose prints. On the other hand, it'sright under your nose, so on a cold orvery humid day, breathing through your nose fogsup the inside of the included snap-on clear LCDscreen cover. The top corners of the clear LCDscreen cover have enough of an air gap to allowthis to happen. Solution? I took my LCD coveroff and put it back in the box. (And I think thecamera looks better without it.)


• The wide ISO range. ISO 200-1600 in 1/3rd stop increments,plus Hi-1 (ISO 3200) and Hi-2 (ISO6400).


• Nikon'ssoftware: The included Nikon View software(free) does a good job of viewing & basicprocessing of Raw files. Also included is atrial edition of Nikon Capture software,considered to be the best raw file processingsoftware in the industry. You can use Nikon Capture free for a 30 day trial, then it'saround $100 to buy a permanent registration codeif you decide to continue using it. I stronglysuggest buying Nikon Capture.