Canon goes resolution-crazy with a 250-megapixel sensor

 

Canon has developed a 250-megapixel CMOS APS-H sensor   While 50-megapixel cameras offer more than enough resolution for most people, Canon thinks you might be hankering after a bit more, 200-megapixels more to be precise, as it's just revealed a 250-megapixel sensor. The new APS-H sensor is said to be the world's highest resolution CMOS sensor for its size. Earlier this year Canon showed it was serious about resolution when it unleashed the full-frame 5DS and 5DS R duo which pack 50-megapixel sensors. The newly-developed sensor makes those look positively low-res by offering a 250-megapixel (19,580 x 12,600 pixels) resolution, and doing so on a smaller APS-H-size (29.2 x 20.2 mm) sensor. The increased signal volume of sensors with larger pixel counts can traditionally cause problems such as signal delays and slight discrepancies in timing, but the new sensor has an ultra-high signal readout speed of 1.25 billion pixels per second. Canon says this is thanks to advancements in circuit miniaturization and enhanced signal-processing technology. Installed in a camera prototype, the resolution of the sensor is reported to have made it possible to read the lettering on an airplane flying 18 km (11 miles) from the shooting location, which is impressive whatever lens was being used. The sensor can also be used to record video footage at a resolution 125 times that of Full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixels), and 30 times that of 4K (3,840 x 2,160 pixels), though only at five frames per second. This would let users crop and magnify video images while retaining Full HD or 4K resolution. Though we don't expect to see a 250-megapixel DSLR on the shelves of our local camera store any time soon, Canon says it's considering the application of this technology in specialized surveillance and crime prevention tools, ultra-high-resolution measuring instruments and other industrial equipment. Source: Canon   http://www.gizmag.com/canon-250-megapixel-sensor/39290

Olympus Air A01 turns your smartphone into a mirrorless camera

 

The Olympus Air A01 lets users take DSLR-like images and use interchangeable lenses with their smartphone Image Gallery (10 images) Olympus has announced its Air A01 add-on camera for smartphones, which turns your Android or iOS device into a very capable mirrorless camera, will be getting a wider release and heading to the US. Previously only available in Japan, the Olympus Air A01 is a smartphone-controlled camera similar to the Sony QX1, but features a Micro Four Thirds lens mount with a matching 16-megapixel sensor and is an open platform for developers. We've previously seen a number of add-on cameras for smartphones which claim to offer DSLR-like features, including the Sony QX100, Kodak Smart Lens and more recently the DxO One. However, because they all feature built-in lenses they're more like compact camera equivalents rather than interchangeable lens cameras. The Olympus Air A01 is different in that it allows users to mount Micro Four Thirds lenses, in the same way the Sony QX1 uses an E-mount. In addition to its Micro Four Thirds mount, the Air A01 features the same 16-megapixel Live MOS sensor (17.3 x 13 mm) and TruePic VII image processor as cameras like the OM-D E-M5 II. This enables a burst speed shooting at 10 fps (frames per second) an ISO range up to 12,800 and Full HD 1080p video recording at 30 fps. RAW capture is also possible, and the Air A01 features a silent electronic shutter with a 1/16,000-second maximum shutter speed. Once the Air A01 is wirelessly connected to a smartphone or tablet users can then control it using a dedicated OA.Central for Olympus Air app. This allows focusing, using a FAST 81-point AF system, by tapping the screen of the smartphone, and making changes to settings such as exposure, white balance and ISO speed. Smartphone photographers can also use the app to access to the same P, A, S and M modes as on an interchangeable lens camera, apply filters, or instantly transfer images. While the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth enabled Olympus Air A01 can store images and video on a microSD card, they can also be automatically uploaded and securely stored on Amazon Cloud Drive. The device itself measures 56.9 x 57.1 x 43.6 mm (2.2 x 2.3 x 1.7 in) weighs 147 g (4.2 oz) and can be clipped onto a smartphone using the included smartphone holder. The built-in battery is said to be good for 320 shots on a full charge. The Air A01 can also be used when not attached to a smartphone, enabling use in situations and positions it might be difficult to use a traditionally shaped camera, and automatically knows which way around the cylindrical device is being held. It also features a tripod mount which could be handy for remote shooting. In addition to appealing to smartphone photographers who want better quality and the creative freedom allowed only by an interchangeable lens system, the Air A01 will also be of interest to developers and makers as it's an open platform. This means developers can produce their own apps for the camera using the available software development kit and makers can easily create accessories. The Olympus Air A01 will be available in the US from this month in black or white for US$300 body-only, or $500 bundled with a 14-42-mm EZ lens. It will also launch in Canada in August, unfortunately no other international availability has been announced yet. Product page: Olympus Air A01

Panasonic's Lumix G7 boasts 4K video and photo skills

 

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7 is a budget-friendly 4K-shooting mirrorless camera which has inherited a number of high-end features (Credit: Panasonic) Image Gallery (6 images) Panasonic's Lumix DMC-G7 feels like it's as much a little brother to the 4K-toting GH4, as a follow-up to the G6. It's being billed as the mirrorless camera to bring the full benefits of 4K video to the rest of us, thanks to its ability to shoot 4K footage at 30 fps, and then extract 8-megapixel stills from it. While we've seen those features before, the G7 is arguably the first time they've been built into a mirrorless camera which is simultaneously powerful and accessible to the masses. The Panasonic G7 features a 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds (17.3 x 13.0 mm) Live MOS sensor paired with an improved Venus Engine image processor to deliver high quality images in a variety of conditions. It has an extended ISO range of 100 to 25,600 and is capable of firing off bursts of full resolution images at 8 fps (frames per second) in AFS, or 6 fps in AFC when using its mechanical shutter. It can do this for around 13 frames if shooting RAW, or more than 100 if shooting JPEG files. However, while that's all well and good, it's going to be the formerly high-end 4K capabilities making their way down the Panasonic mirrorless line-up which make the G7 stand out from the crowd of mid-range mirrorless cameras on the market. First off, it can record 4K footage at a 3,840 x 2,160 resolution at 30/24 fps and 100 Mbps, along with Full HD 1080p footage at 60 fps. The camera also boasts a number of photography-based 4K features including Panasonic's 4K Photo mode which lets users select a single frame out of a 4K video to extract as a very usable 8-megapixel JPEG image. This is a function which was added via firmware to the GH4 and FZ1000, and has also featured on the LX100 and CM1 smartphone camera. In addition to extracting a still from a video, 4K photo bursts can also be recorded while the shutter button is pressed, using the shutter button to start and stop recording, or in a pre-burst mode which initiates a 4K video sequence one second before and after the shutter button is pressed, giving users 60 extra images to select from. This mode can be great for capturing very quick moments and impressed us when we tried it out on the CM1 smartphone camera, even though it only offered an additional 30 shots because of the slower frame-rate. Autofocus uses a contrast-based AF system which features 49 areas along with Panasonic's Depth From Defocus technology to ensure speedy and accurate subject acquisition with speeds of up to 0.07 seconds. A new algorithm is also said to vastly improve AF tracking by recognizing not only color, but also the size and motion vector of a target. Other autofocus modes include Eye Detection and Touch AF, while features like Focus Peaking are there for those who like to take a more manual approach. The Panasonic G7 is styled similarly to the GH4 and G6, and as such looks like a small modern DSLR. There's a chunky grip along with plenty of control dials for changing settings. It measures 124.9 x 86.2 x 77.4 mm (4.92 x 3.39 x 3.05 in) and weighs in at 410g (0.90 lb) with a battery and SD card. On the rear there's an OLED electronic viewfinder with 2,360k dots, and a three-inch free-angle LCD touchscreen with 1,040k dots. Other features of note include the ability to shoot and export time lapse videos, Low Light AF for focussing in -4EV low light conditions, and a Starlight AF mode which lets you shoot better images of the night sky. There's also the inclusion of built-in Wi-Fi which means the camera can be controlled remotely via a smart device, giving users the ability to remotely focus and shoot with a live preview, and then share the results. The Panasonic Lumix G7 is available for preorder now, and is expected to ship in June. It will set you back US$800 with a 14-42-mm kit lens, or $1,100 with a 14-140-mm lens.   Product page: Panasonic Lumix G7

The trillion-frame-per-second camera

 

Imagem meramente ilustrativa não tendo relação com o artigo abaixo. Wed, 04/29/2015 - 1:58pm The Optical Society WASHINGTON—When a crystal lattice is excited by a laser pulse, waves of jostling atoms can travel through the material at close to one sixth the speed of light, or approximately 28,000 miles/second. Scientists now have a new tool to take movies of such superfast movement in a single shot. Researchers from Japan have developed a new high-speed camera that can record events at a rate of more than 1-trillion-frames-per-second. That speed is more than one thousand times faster than conventional high-speed cameras. Called STAMP, for Sequentially Timed All-optical Mapping Photography, the new camera technology "holds great promise for studying a diverse range of previously unexplored complex ultrafast phenomena," said Keiichi Nakagawa, a research fellow at the University of Tokyo, who worked to develop the camera with colleagues from an array of Japanese research institutions. Conventional high-speed cameras are limited by the processing speed of their mechanical and electrical components. STAMP overcomes these limitations by using only fast, optical components. Another optical imaging technique, called the pump-probe method, can create movies with an even higher frame rate than STAMP, but can only capture one frame at a time—limiting its use to processes that are exactly reproducible. “Many physical and biological phenomena are difficult to reproduce,” said Nakagawa. “This inspired me to work on an ultrafast camera that could take multiple frames in a single shot.” Nakagawa himself experienced the need for such a camera while he was a master's student studying how acoustic shock waves changed living cells. Scientists believe mechanical stress, like that caused by acoustic waves, might increase bone and blood vessel growth, but they had no tools for capturing the dynamics of such a fast, transient event as a shock wave passing through a cell. "Since there was no suitable technique, I decided to develop a new high-speed imaging technique in my doctoral program," Nakagawa said. STAMP relies on a property of light called dispersion that can be observed in the way a misty sky splits sunshine into a rainbow of colors. Similarly, STAMP splits an ultrashort pulse of light into a barrage of different colored flashes that hit the imaged object in rapid-fire succession. Each separate color flash can then be analyzed to string together a moving picture of what the object looked like over the time it took the dispersed light pulse to travel through the device. In the first iteration of STAMP, which the team described in a paper published in Nature Photonics in August 2014, the number of frames that the camera could take in a single shot was limited to six. Currently, the team is constructing an improved STAMP system that can acquire 25 sequential images. Nakagawa believes the number of frames could eventually be increased to 100 with current technology. Nakagawa notes that because STAMP operates on the assumption that all the differently colored daughter pulses interact with the imaged object in the same way, the camera should not be used to image samples whose optical properties change over the range of wavelengths STAMP uses. Even given STAMP's limitations, the technology has enormous potential, Nakagawa says. His team has already used it with image electronic motion and lattice vibrations in a crystal of lithium niobate and to observe how a laser focused onto a glass plate creates a hot, rapidly expanding plume of plasma. Nakagawa notes that the camera could be used to explore a wide range of ultrafast phenomena for the first time, including the laser ignition of fusion, the phase transition of materials, and the dynamics of a Coulomb explosion, an event in which intense electromagnetic fields (for example from a narrow laser beam) can force a small amount of solid material to explode into a hot plasma of ionized atomic particles. "I think it is important to note that there might be many potential applications of STAMP that I have not imagined," Nakagawa said. "I hope more researchers will become interested in STAMP." SOURCE: The Optical Society

Team develops faster, higher quality 3-D camera

 

Image of a 3-D camera (Camera brand not related to the story below) When Microsoft released the Kinect for Xbox in November 2010, it transformed the video game industry. The most inexpensive 3-D camera to date, the Kinect bypassed the need for joysticks and controllers by sensing the user's gestures, leading to a feeling of total immersion into the game. Microsoft sold 8 million Kinect units within 60 days, making it the fastest-selling electronic device ever. "But then something interesting happened," said Oliver Cossairt, assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Northwestern University's McCormick School of Engineering. "Microsoft made the software available for the 3-D capture part of the device. People were able to integrate this inexpensive consumer device into a variety of platforms, including robotics and navigation." But users quickly discovered the Kinect's limitations. It does not work outdoors, and it produces relatively low-quality images. Now, Cossairt's team has picked up where the Kinect left off and developed a 3-D capture camera that is inexpensive, produces high-quality images, and works in all environments -- including outdoors. Supported by the Office of Naval Research and the US Department of Energy, the research is described in the paper "MC3D: Motion Contrast 3D Scanning," presented on April 24 at the IEEE International Conference on Computational Photography. Nathan Matsuda, a graduate student in Cossairt's lab, is first author, and Mohit Gupta from Columbia University is co-author and collaborator. Both first and second generation Kinect devices work by projecting light patterns that are then sensed and processed to estimate scene depth at each pixel on the sensor. Although these techniques work quickly, they are less precise than expensive single-point scanners, which use a laser to scan points across an entire scene or object. Cossairt's camera uses single-point scanning in a different way. Modeled after the human eye, it only scans parts of the scenes that have changed, making it much faster and higher quality. "If you send the same signal to your eye over and over, the neurons will actually stop firing," Cossairt said. "The neurons only fire if there is a change in your visual stimulus. We realized this principle could be really useful for a 3-D scanning system." Another problem that plagues the Kinect: it does not work well outside because the sunlight overpowers its projected light patterns. The laser on Cossairt's camera, however, can be sensed in the presence of the sun because it is much brighter than ambient light. "In order for a 3-D camera to be useful, it has to be something you can use in everyday, normal environments," Cossairt said. "Outdoors is a part of that, and that's something the Kinect cannot do, but our Motion Contrast 3-D scanner can." Cossairt believes his camera has many applications for devices in science and industry that rely on capturing the 3-D shapes of scenes "in the wild," such as in robotics, bioinformatics, augmented reality, and manufacturing automation. It could potentially also be used for navigation purposes, install on anything from a car to a motorized wheelchair. Cossairt's group received a Google Faculty Research Award to integrate their 3-D scanning technology onto an autonomous vehicle platform. Their scanner will provide high-quality 3-D scans in real time without only a fraction of the power of competing technologies. Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by Northwestern University. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

A camera that powers itself

Wed, 04/15/2015 - 10:03am Holy Evarts, Columbia Univ. School of Engineering and Applied Science A video camera based on a self-powered image sensor can run indefinitely without an external power supply. Image: Computer Vision Laboratory, Columbia EngineeringA research team led by Shree K. Nayar, T.C. Chang Professor of Computer Science at Columbia Engineering, has invented a prototype video camera that is the first to be fully self-powered—it can produce an image each second, indefinitely, of a well-lit indoor scene. They designed a pixel that can not only measure incident light but also convert the incident light into electric power. "We are in the middle of a digital imaging revolution," says Nayar, who directs the Computer Vision Laboratory at Columbia Engineering. He notes that in the last year alone, approximately two billion cameras of various types were sold worldwide. "I think we have just seen the tip of the iceberg. Digital imaging is expected to enable many emerging fields including wearable devices, sensor networks, smart environments, personalized medicine, and the Internet of Things. A camera that can function as an untethered device forever—without any external power supply—would be incredibly useful." A leading researcher in computational imaging, Nayar realized that although digital cameras and solar panels have different purposes—one measures light while the other converts light to power—both are constructed from essentially the same components. At the heart of any digital camera is an image sensor, a chip with millions of pixels. The key enabling device in a pixel is the photodiode, which produces an electric current when exposed to light. This mechanism enables each pixel to measure the intensity of light falling on it. The same photodiode is also used in solar panels to convert incident light to electric power. The photodiode in a camera pixel is used in the photoconductive mode, while in a solar cell it is used in the photovoltaic model. Nayar, working with research engineer Daniel Sims BS'14 and consultant Mikhail Fridberg of ADSP Consulting, used off-the-shelf components to fabricate an image sensor with 30x40 pixels. In his prototype camera, which is housed in a 3D-printed body, each pixel's photodiode is always operated in the photovoltaic mode. The pixel design is very simple, and uses just two transistors. During each image capture cycle, the pixels are used first to record and read out the image and then to harvest energy and charge the sensor's power supply—the image sensor continuously toggles between image capture and power harvesting modes. When the camera is not used to capture images, it can be used to generate power for other devices, such as a phone or a watch. Nayar notes that the image sensor could use a rechargeable battery and charge it via its harvesting capability: "But we took an extreme approach to demonstrate that the sensor is indeed truly self-powered and used just a capacitor to store the harvested energy." "A few different designs for image sensors that can harvest energy have been proposed in the past. However, our prototype is the first demonstration of a fully self-powered video camera," he continues. "And, even though we've used off-the-shelf components to demonstrate our design, our sensor architecture easily lends itself to a compact solid-state imaging chip. We believe our results are a significant step forward in developing an entirely new generation of cameras that can function for a very long duration—ideally, forever—without being externally powered." Source: Columbia Univ.

Hands on: Polaroid Socialmatic

 

The Instagram logo-inspired Socialmatic from Polaroid Image Gallery (11 images) Polaroid has been teasing us with the release of its Socialmatic camera for a while now, and after some delays it is finally shipping. We got our hands on the company's big square Android-based digital camera with built-in zero-ink printer at CES 2015 and can also confirm it actually works as advertised. At 5.2 in wide, 5.2 in high and 1.2 in thick, the Socialmatic isn't exactly pocketable, but we suppose that's fair since we've never been able to fit a camera and photo printer in a pocket up until this point anyway. (Polaroid also introduced the Zip pocket printer at CES this year.) Whether or not many people will feel comfortable pulling out the clunky, goofy Instagram logo-inspired device for a few snapshots remains to be seen, but the concept of being able to instantly print 2 by 3-inch photos or stickers or share them via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth will certainly have an appeal to some consumers. Polaroid is banking on the look and its brand name generating some interest among both the retro and social obsessed. "Polaroid created the original social network; allowing people to instantly share a moment in time with others," said CEO Scott W. Hardy. Regardless of who, exactly, is the target market for the Socialmatic, it is straightforward and easy to use, with the big 4.5-in touchscreen for framing up shots and a simple process that would allow even an Android rookie to take and print a photo in less than a minute. We had our Socialmatic take this shot of its neighbor from the CES show floor and it printed out with no hassle. For the more tech savvy, the whole Android ecosystem is also there. You could easily use this device to peruse Facebook and Twitter when you aren't printing out tiny pictures of yourself and your friends. Each Socialmatic photo taken has its own QR code that can be scanned to theoretically (and somewhat creepily) track the history and whereabouts of each print. All this ties back to Polaroid's own social platform, the Socialmatic Photonetwork, as well. The Socialmatic's main camera is a 14-megapixel shooter, and it also has a 2-MP selfie camera. On board there's 4 GB of storage and a microSD slot, with Polaroid saying the device will ship with Android 4.4 KitKat. The Socialmatic is shipping now through Photojojo, starting at US$299. Amazon is also taking pre-orders now and will start shipping February 1. Product page: Polaroid

World’s fastest 2-D camera, 100 billion frames per second, may enable new scientific discoveries

 

Photographers have been pursuing the capture of transient scenes at a high imaging speed for centuries. Now, Washington University engineers have developed the world's fastest receive-only 2-D camera that can capture events up to 100 billion frames per second. This image is also the cover illustration of the Dec. 4, 2014, issue of Nature, in which Wang's research appears. A team of biomedical engineers at Washington University in St. Louis, led by Lihong Wang, PhD, the Gene K. Beare Distinguished Professor of Biomedical Engineering, has developed the world's fastest receive-only 2-D camera, a device that can capture events up to 100 billion frames per second. That's orders of magnitude faster than any current receive-only ultrafast imaging techniques, which are limited by on-chip storage and electronic readout speed to operations of about 10 million frames per second. Using the Washington University technique, called compressed ultrafast photography (CUP), Wang and his colleagues have made movies of the images they took with single laser shots of four physical phenomena: laser pulse reflection, refraction, faster-than light propagation of what is called non-information, and photon racing in two media. While it's no day at the races, the images are entertaining, awe-inspiring and represent the opening of new vistas of scientific exploration. The research appears in the Dec. 4, 2014, issue of Nature. "For the first time, humans can see light pulses on the fly," Wang says. "Because this technique advances the imaging frame rate by orders of magnitude, we now enter a new regime to open up new visions. Each new technique, especially one of a quantum leap forward, is always followed a number of new discoveries. It's our hope that CUP will enable new discoveries in science -- ones that we can't even anticipate yet." This camera doesn't look like a Kodak or Cannon; rather, it is a series of devices envisioned to work with high-powered microscopes and telescopes to capture dynamic natural and physical phenomena. Once the raw data are acquired, the actual images are formed on a personal computer; the technology is known as computational imaging. The development of the technology was funded by two grants from the National Institutes of Health that support pioneering and potentially transformative approaches to major challenges in biomedical research. "This is an exciting advance and the type of groundbreaking work that these high-risk NIH awards are designed to support," said Richard Conroy, PhD, program director of optical imaging at the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, part of the NIH. "These ultrafast cameras have the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of very fast biological interactions and chemical processes and allow us to build better models of complex, dynamical systems." An immediate application is in biomedicine. One of the movies shows a green excitation light pulsing toward fluorescent molecules on the right where the green converts to red, which is the fluorescence. By tracking this, the researchers can get a single shot assessment of the fluorescence lifetime, which can be used to detect diseases or reflect cellular environmental conditions like pH or oxygen pressure. Wang envisions applications in astronomy and forensics, where the advanced imaging frame rate could analyze the temporal activities of a supernova that occurred light years away, or track and predict the movements of thousands of potentially hazardous pieces of "space junk," refuse of old satellites and jettisoned space craft hurtling about at high speed in outer space. In forensics, CUP might be used in reproducing bullet pathways, which could once again open up the Kennedy assassination conspiracy theories and revive a more accurate analysis of the strange physics of the "magic bullet." Wang and his collaborators essentially added components and used algorithms to complement an existing technology known as a streak camera, which measures the intensity variation in a pulse of light with time. While a streak camera is fast, it gives only a one-dimensional view, which "is not intuitive -- much analogous to watching a horse race through a distant vertical slit," Wang said. "We expanded the view into 2-D space, more like what we see in the real world." CUP photographs an object with a specialty camera lens, which takes the photons from the object on a journey through a tube-like structure to a marvelous tiny apparatus called a digital micromirror device (DMD), smaller than a dime though hosting about 1 million micromirrors, each one just seven by seven microns squared. There, micromirrors are used to encode the image, then reflect the photons to a beam splitter which shoots the photons to the widened slit of a streak camera. The photons are converted to electrons, which are then sheared with the use of two electrodes, converting time to space. The electrodes apply a voltage that ramps from high to low, so the electrons will arrive at different times and land at different vertical positions. An instrument called a charge-coupled device (CCD) stores all the raw data. All of this occurs at the breathtaking pace of 5 nanoseconds. One nanosecond is a billionth of a second. Wang's work with CUP pushes the dimensional limits of fundamental physics and also pushes the limits of deep imaging of biological tissues, one of Wang's research specialties. "Fluorescence is an important aspect of biological technologies," he says. "We can use CUP to image the lifetimes of various fluorophores, including fluorescent proteins, at light speed." In the astronomy world, CUP can be a game-changer, Wang says. "Combine CUP imaging with the Hubble Telescope, and we will have both the sharpest spatial resolution of the Hubble and the highest temporal solution with CUP," he says. "That combination is bound to discover new science." This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health grants DP1 EB016986 and R01 CA186567.

Best Compact Cameras 2014 - republishing -

 

Which are the best compact cameras of the year? Here's our pick of the Best Compact Cameras Olympus TG 1 While there’s no arguing that the compact camera market is coming under increasing pressure for both the smartphone and CSC market, there’s still a lot to be said for having a dedicated camera with a fixed lens that you can easily take everywhere.The good news is that there’s still a broad range of attractive compacts cameras on the market, and of a wide range of varieties to suit every need.                                 Here are some of the best compact cameras currently on the market. Sony RX100 III Sony RX100 III Street price: £699 If you’re looking for the very best in compact cameras, Sony’s RX100 series has long been the place to turn to. The RX100 III represents the third in the series, and is arguably the best yet. It features a pop-up electronic viewfinder, vari-angle LCD screen and Sony’s impressive Bionz processor. It also retains the 1in sensor that has made the range so popular, delivering some excellent images along the way. At around the seven hundred pound mark the RX100 III is certainly not cheap, although it’s one of the most complete compacts going. Best Compact Camera for: The very best in pocketable imaging Read our Sony Cybershot RX100 III review Panasonic Lumix TZ60 Panasonic Lumix TZ60 Street price: £330 If you’re in the market for a travel compact, the chances are that you’re aware of, or have been pointed in the direction of, Panasonic’s TZ range. The TZ60 is the latest in a long line of impressive travel compacts and boasts all of the range’s hallmarks. These include a large 30x optical zoom, HD video capture and a large LCD screen. The model now also benefits from Raw capture as well JPEG capture, as as a result you could argue its the most complete travel compact to date. Best Compact Camera for: Those wanting excellent image quality in a body suitable for long travels Read our Panasonic Lumix TZ60 review Olympus TG-3 Olympus TG-3 Street price: £340 There are a wide range of waterproof and generally lifeproof cameras on the market, with Olympus certainly producing more than its fair share. Sitting at the top of its tough compact tree is the TG-3 – a model that’s so much more than simply a tough compact. The camera features an impressive 5fps burst mode, excellent battery life and will stand up to all life can throw at it. Best Compact Camera for: Putting through its paces on the beach or the slopes Read our Olympus TG-3 review Sony RX1 Street price: £1850 Sony RX1 Despite being priced well outside the reach of most people’s wallets, the Sony RX1 is nonetheless a serious prospect for the well-heeled enthusiast. Where the RX1 is really excels is with regards to image quality, as Sony have managed to cram a huge full-frame sensor in to its relatively compact body. The model also features a fixed 35mm Carl Zeiss lens that’s as sharp as a pin, along with a wide range of other high-end features. If you’re looking for the very best in compact imaging and have a large budget, the RX1 is the one for you. Best Compact Camera for: The very best in image quality Read our full review of the Sony RX1

Kodak gets into the 360-degree video arena, with the PixPro SP360

 

The Kodak PixPro SP360, with some of its optional extras

Image Gallery (2 images)

We've recently been hearing a lot about systems that record 360-degree video, although they mostly appear to be either professional setups or offerings from relatively small startup companies. That changed yesterday, however, when JK Imaging announced the new Kodak PixPro SP360 actioncam.

As can be seen, the camera has a compact cube-shaped body, topped by a fixed dome lens. It can be remotely controlled via Wi-Fi using an iOS/Android mobile device or a Mac/PC computer, although it also has its own menu button and LCD status screen.

It can shoot in one of five viewing modes: front (212º), dome, 360º panorama, ring/sphere, and a top/bottom split-screen that simultaneously shows 180º front and rear views. Examples of these modes can be seen in the video at the bottom of the page.

Once the raw footage has been downloaded to a computer, users can pan left, right or up within shots, then save the shot – as seen from that vantage point – as a separate video file. This means that the final edited video can consist of shots seen from a variety of angles, and in a variety of viewing modes.

The 103-gram (3.6-oz) camera itself shoots video at 1080p/30fps, has a 16-megapixel MOS sensor, and records MP4 files on a user-supplied Micro SD or SDHC card. Power is provided by a lithium-ion battery, that allows users to shoot approximately 160 minutes of video per charge. The SP360 is also dustproof, water-resistant, shockproof to a drop height of 2 meters (6.6 ft) and freeze-proof down to -10º C (14º F).

Other features include a 10fps burst photo mode, time lapse, and a motion detector setting that only starts recording once the subject starts moving.

The PixPro 360 is available now, and is priced at US$349 for the basic package.

Source: Kodak

 

HTC goes into the actioncam market, with the RE

 

HTC's pipe-like RE actioncam

Image Gallery (5 images)

Although HTC is best-known for its smartphones, today the company announced its venture into another product category – actioncams. The company has announced the RE, a viewfinder-less waterproof video camera that looks sort of like something you'd find in a plumbing store.

The RE has a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor, an f2.8 146-degree lens, and records 1080p/30fps video. A sensor in its hand grip automatically turns the camera on when it's picked up – there's no power switch. From there, a quick tap of its single shutter button snaps stills, with a longer press required for video.

Using the upcoming Android/iOS RE app, users can access recording features such as time-lapse, plus the app screen serves as a remote viewfinder for setting up and reviewing shots.

Footage/photos can be streamed to a paired smartphone (and onward to the cloud) via Bluetooth, and recorded on a user-supplied microSD card. One charge of the RE's 820-mAh battery should reportedly be good for approximately 1,200 photos or 1 hour and 40 minutes of continuous video recording.

As mentioned, it's also waterproof – it's rated to IPX7, meaning that it can be immersed for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter (3.3 ft).

 

Source: HTC

 

FPS1000: The low cost, high speed slow-mo camera

 

The FPS1000 captures slow motion video at up to 18,500 frames per second for the price of a decent compact

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Slow motion video is undeniably cool. It's not only visually intoxicating, it gives you a mind-bending perspective on the most fleeting of life's moments. Slow something down enough, and your brain can begin to catch up on the physics, dynamics and emotional content of events that transpire in the blink of an eye. The FPS1000 is a small, hand-held camera designed to capture slow motion video at up to 18,500 frames per second for the price of a decent compact instead of your typical US$100,000 slow-mo rig.

Just about anything fast or destructive becomes infinitely more fascinating in slow motion. The high speed physics of violence, for example, are at once completely alien and totally familiar, and when you add fluid dynamics and elastics to violence, things get even more intriguing.

Typically, though, you need extensive equipment to capture things in high speed. Your average video DSLR will capture between 24 and 30 frames per second, with many cameras now pushing that to 50 or 60 fps in 1080p HD.

By dropping the resolution and the bitrate of its video compression, the iPhone 6 can record 240 frames per second in 720p HD, enough to slow down playback to a tenth of the original speed and play back at a "regular" cinematic 24 frames per second.

The FPS1000 Platinum, which has already been successfully backed on Kickstarter, can record 720p at an impressive 550 frames per second, but allows up to a whopping 18,500 fps depending on how far you're willing to drop your video resolution.

With a starting price of UK£299 (US$480) for the silver model, UK£599 (US$960) for the gold model and UK£899 (US$1,445) for the beefed-up platinum model, the FPS1000 is a super-compact machine that weighs less than a mobile phone and fits comfortably in the palm of your hand.

It comes with a 50mm f/1.4 lens, but it uses the popular C-type lens mount, which means it's cheap and easy to get adapters to suit pretty much any type of lens you've got sitting around. It's got its own LCD on the back, and up to 32 GB of onboard memory, which can be accessed through USB. There's also a micro SD card slot, and it's powered by an external 5 volt power supply.

Once you get up into the super high frame rates, your resolution suffers greatly. At 18,500 fps, for example, you're down to just 64 x 64 pixels. But the platinum version will do 640 x 480 at 1,500 fps, which is a decent resolution for online sharing if you can get enough light into the camera. It defaults to RAW capture, but its creator Graham Rowen is looking into a software solution to output compressed video as well.

Considering that broadcast grade high speed cameras like the Phantom Flex go for between US$50,000 and $150,000, the idea of a tiny, simple and cheap option like the FPS1000 is actually pretty cool.

In much the same way that the DSLR has democratized film-making, devices like this could eventually bring serious slow-mo gear to the mass market. Personally I'd be holding off for FPS1000 generation two or three – as memory technology gets quicker and cheaper, devices like this should improve at a rate of knots – and the FPS1000's image isn't clear enough to compete with high level gear, at least, not in these sample videos. But the idea has a lot of potential.

Rowen's Kickstarter campaign still has almost a month to run if you're interested in snagging an FPS1000 of your own, with deliveries slated to begin in January 2015 if all goes to plan.

You can check out the camera and what it can do in the video below.

Source: Kickstarter

 

Best Compact Cameras 2014

 

Which are the best compact cameras of the year? Here's our pick of the Best Compact Cameras

Olympus TG 1

While there’s no arguing that the compact camera market is coming under increasing pressure for both the smartphone and CSC market, there’s still a lot to be said for having a dedicated camera with a fixed lens that you can easily take everywhere.The good news is that there’s still a broad range of attractive compacts cameras on the market, and of a wide range of varieties to suit every need.                                

Here are some of the best compact cameras currently on the market.                        

 

Sony RX100 III

Sony RX100 III

Street price: £699

If you’re looking for the very best in compact cameras, Sony’s RX100 series has long been the place to turn to. The RX100 III represents the third in the series, and is arguably the best yet.

It features a pop-up electronic viewfinder, vari-angle LCD screen and Sony’s impressive Bionz processor. It also retains the 1in sensor that has made the range so popular, delivering some excellent images along the way.

At around the seven hundred pound mark the RX100 III is certainly not cheap, although it’s one of the most complete compacts going.

Best Compact Camera for: The very best in pocketable imaging

Read our Sony Cybershot RX100 III review

 

Panasonic Lumix TZ60

Panasonic Lumix TZ60

Street price: £330

If you’re in the market for a travel compact, the chances are that you’re aware of, or have been pointed in the direction of, Panasonic’s TZ range.

The TZ60 is the latest in a long line of impressive travel compacts and boasts all of the range’s hallmarks. These include a large 30x optical zoom, HD video capture and a large LCD screen.

The model now also benefits from Raw capture as well JPEG capture, as as a result you could argue its the most complete travel compact to date.

Best Compact Camera for: Those wanting excellent image quality in a body suitable for long travels

Read our Panasonic Lumix TZ60 review

 

Olympus TG-3

Olympus TG-3

Street price: £340

There are a wide range of waterproof and generally lifeproof cameras on the market, with Olympus certainly producing more than its fair share.

Sitting at the top of its tough compact tree is the TG-3 – a model that’s so much more than simply a tough compact.

The camera features an impressive 5fps burst mode, excellent battery life and will stand up to all life can throw at it.

Best Compact Camera for: Putting through its paces on the beach or the slopes

Read our Olympus TG-3 review

 

Sony RX1

Street price: £1850

Sony RX1

Despite being priced well outside the reach of most people’s wallets, the Sony RX1 is nonetheless a serious prospect for the well-heeled enthusiast.

Where the RX1 is really excels is with regards to image quality, as Sony have managed to cram a huge full-frame sensor in to its relatively compact body.

The model also features a fixed 35mm Carl Zeiss lens that’s as sharp as a pin, along with a wide range of other high-end features.

If you’re looking for the very best in compact imaging and have a large budget, the RX1 is the one for you.

Best Compact Camera for: The very best in image quality

Read our full review of the Sony RX1

What is VIEVU²?

 

(pronounced VēVū Squared – it’s a square camera after all)

A feature-rich, small form factor wearable video camera. It is hands free, rugged, and waterproof. Best of all, it streams and stores real time video to your iPhone or Android smartphone (no need for a cable). Once videos are on your phone, you can edit and upload to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube or simply email, text and store them in your DropBox folder. VIEVU² eliminates the need to transfer videos later. No desktop computer required!

Camera Features

• Selectable Video Resolution: 1920×1080 HD, 1280×720 HD or 640×360 SD
• 1.5hr + Streaming/Recording at 1080. Over 2 hours at Lower Resolutions
• 16 GB Internal Storage
• Field of View: 95 Degrees. No ‘Fish-Eye’ Distortion
• Built in 802.11 Wi-Fi for Live Streaming
• Dimensions: 1.9″ x 1.9″ x .75″
• Weight: 2.4oz
• Military Grade Anodized Aluminum housing
• Waterproof (IPX5, Non-Submersible)

App Features

The VIEVU smartphone app connects the VIEVU² camera to your iPhone or Android smartphone to stream live video, make settings changes on the VIEVU² camera and act as a viewfinder. It also has a built-in video editing feature to trim the video length. Video can easily be uploaded to YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Dropbox, Email, or Texted directly from your smartphone – no computer required.

Easy to Use, Built Tough, Not a Toy.

 

The LE body worn camera used by over 4000 police agencies worldwide.

The LE3 is rugged, waterproof, and easy to use. The camera clips to a uniform to record both the actions of the wearer and those in its field of view. LE3 features include HD video resolution, 16GB internal memory and up to 12 hours of record time. The LE3 camera is powered by VIEVU’s VERIPATROL™ software system. Video evidence is securely stored and catalogued with a FIPS 140-2 compliant digital signature process, to verify the video has not been altered. Additionally, if the camera is lost or stolen, VIEVU’s VidLock security software will prevent unauthorized access to video evidence.

 

GoPro announces Hero 4 models with 4K/30fps recording and touchscreen display

 

The GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition will offer 4K recording at 30 FPS

 

GoPro has just announced three new models in its popular Hero actioncam line. The followup to the Hero 3, aptly named Hero 4, adds 4K recording at 30 frames per second. This should be a big improvement over the 4K/15fps seen on the previous model.

Recording in 4K is a nice feature to have, but as Hero 3 Black Edition owners will know, trading resolution for frame rate is frequently not worthwhile, as videos can look quite choppy when recorded at a maximum of only 15 frames per second. The Hero 4 Black Edition should solve that problem, allowing anything to be captured in Ultra-High Definition with smooth motion. Additionally, it can record 2.7K resolution video at 50 fps, and 1080p at 120 fps. That 120 fps recording mode will open up some really cool slow-motion options.

The Hero 4 Black also features improved sound quality that promises to double the dynamic range of last year's models.

The still photo options haven't seen much in the way of the changes from the Hero 3 Black. The Hero 4 Black still captures images up to 12MP, with a burst fire mode that shoots at 30 photos per second. However, improvements have been made to the night capture mode. These low-light improvements also apply to time-lapse photos.

In terms of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, GoPro is promising 50 percent speed improvements over the previous models, which should allow for better connectivity to smartphones.

Another key functionality boost is HiLight Tag, which allows users to quickly mark a moment in a video on the fly. This will make it easier to go back and find the specific moment while editing. Manual control of recording has also been improved, allowing users to adjust color, sharpness, ISO limit, exposure and so on.

The slightly more affordable Silver model (seen above) offers many of the features of the Hero 4 Black, but it loses the 4K/30fps, 2.7K/50fps and 1080p/120fps capture modes. The Silver does, however, add a touchscreen display to allow users to see and frame shots more easily.

Additionally, GoPro is also releasing a budget model, which it's just calling the Hero. This one lacks any of the higher frame rate and resolution features, but it's still able to capture video in 1080p at 30fps, or 720p at 60fps.

All of the new models are set for release on October 5. The new Black comes with a retail price of US$499, and the Silver will set buyers back $399. As for the new budget model, it's launching with a modest $129 price tag.

 

Product page: GoPro