Canon HF200

Canon are world renowned for designing and manufacturer some of the best photographic lens. Their optics are associated with quality and have set the benchmark for other manufacturers with their range of SLR cameras and lens. This quality has found it’s way into their camcorder range with their HD video lens’s.

The Canon HF200 can capture HD video footage at a 1920×1080 resolution which is perfect for playing back your memories on a HD TV set. With a professional feature set including a 15x zoom, Super Spectra Coating, 3.89 MP CMOS sensor, face detection and image stabilisation.

The level of quality you get from a HD camcorder has a lot to do with the image processor and how well it removes noise from the signal it receives from the CMOS sensor. The HF200’s image processing engine is amongst the best and will help you achieve an excellent HD picture quality no matter what you are shooting. Other features designed to help you take amazing footage includes Canon’s Face Detection technology which can detect and track up to 35 faces simultaneously ensuring they remain in focus with the appropriate white balance and colour.

Following on from the HF100’s success the HF200 has received excellent reviews since it’s launch and continues Canon’s traditional of producing great photographic equipment.

For more help with choosing a Camcorder, visit this Camcorder Reviews website.

Canon HF100

The Canon HF100 is a light weight camcorder using memory cards to store quality HD video footage. The beauty of a pure memory card camcorder is there is no hard drive or tape mechanism to add to it’s bulk and weight. This means the HF100 is small, lightweight and ideal for taking with you wherever you go.

Another benefit of using memory card media is that there is no moving mechanism during recording. The positive effects of this are two-fold. Firstly with no moving parts the HF100 uses much less energy than hard disk or tape camcorders and hence has a better battery life. Secondly with no moving parts the Canon HF100 is less suseptable to bumps and knocks when recording.

The HF100 also offers the option of taking still digital photographs while you record up to 3.1 MP. While this level of pixels is not really a threat to the quality you get from a dedicated digital camera it is a conveninet feature if you don’t happen to have your camera with you and want to snap on of those spontanious moments.

If you need additional recoridng time over that provided by the standard battery there is the option of equiping the HF100 with a high capacity battery providing an enhanced battery life. The HF100 also has an intelligent battery indicator which will display the reminaing battety time down to the nearest minute.

There are a variety of options to watch your HD movie creations. You can play HD footage back directly on a HD TV or projector via the HDMI socket on the HF100. Or you can download your footage to a computer via USB. Another alternative is to burn your movies directly to a DVD using the Canon DW-100 (available seperately) and make sharing your movies and quick and easy process.

For more help with choosing a Camcorder, visit this Camcorder Reviews website.

Action Cameras

If you enjoy any sort of extreme or physical sport like me, then you’ll know that it can be hard to find a suitable camera to take with you. Having photos at the top of the piste can serve as a nice reminder, but it would be great if you could film your journey down, without worrying about your video camcorder breaking.

To be able to film yourself doing anything from mountain biking to water sports, then you should look into an action camera. Action cameras are small video cameras which work in most environments and can take a good bashing around. There are a few different varieties of action cameras, from popular self contained units to more expensive kits.

Self contained cameras, sometimes known as wireless action cameras, contain everything from the battery and memory card, to the lens and microphone in the one unit. They can be easily attached to you helmet, but most come with a combination of attachments meaning you can place them anywhere.
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JVC Everio X or JVC GZ-X900

The new JVC Everio GZ-X900, or Everio X, is a small, lightweight, all-in-one camera that combines Full HD video with a 9 megapixel still photo lens.

Key JVC Everio GZ-X900 Highlights

• Small and lightweight, less than 300g
• Full HD AVCHD 1920 x 1080 video
• Nine megapixel digital camera
• 10x slow motion playback
• Up to six 9 megapixel stills can be shot at 15 images per second
• Simultaneous 5 megapixel digital still shooting while recording Full HD video
• Photos can be shot at shutter speeds as fast as 1/4000 second without interrupting video
  recording
• Records video and stills to SDHC memory cards

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Nikon D5000 Digital SLR Camera

Nikon today announced the new Nikon D5000, a digital SLR camera.

The D5000 is aimed at both established SLR users and also those keen photographers who are new to SLR photography.

Nikon have packed a fair amount into the D5000 and as such can boast a range of features that they claim will deliver superior performance and image quality, which they usually only offer in their pro-level D-SLRs.

The Nikon D5000 has 12.3 megapixels which is pretty standard for this class of digital SLR but way above that found in compact digital cameras. This will help to deliver high quality images and high definition HD video.

Nikon D5000 Review

Photographers can view images on the variable angle LCD monitor in either a normal position on the back of the D5000 or swung out to be rotated or tilted.

The Nikon D5000 features Subject Tracking autofocus which automatically locks onto a moving subject. Even if the subject leaves the frame and returns, Subject Tracking AF maintains focus, making the D5000 ideal for capturing fast moving objects. In addition to Subject Tracking AF in Live View, the D5000 features Face Priority AF, which automatically detects up to five faces in a scene and focuses on the closest subject.

Nikon D5000 D-Movie Mode

The Nikon D5000 D-Movie Mode allows users to record HD movie clips at 1280 x 720 resolution and at 24 fps. When using the D5000 with any NIKKOR VR lens, D-Movie clips benefit from Nikon VR image stabilization, which automatically activates during recording to deliver added sharpness and image stability. VR image stabilization also extends the D5000’s performance in low-light situations. D-Movie clips are recorded onto an inserted SD or SDHC memory card and saved as Motion JPEG AVI files for easy editing with widely available video editing software.

Nikon D5000 Scene Selection Modes

Further bridging the gap between point-and-shoot cameras and more advanced D-SLRs are the D5000’s 19 automatic Scene Modes, which free users to capture beautiful images without having to manually adjust camera settings. With the broad range of automatic Scene Modes, including Sports, Portrait, Candlelight, Silhouette, Autumn Colors and more, D5000 is the perfect camera for anyone looking to make inspiring images in challenging photographic conditions.

The D5000 also incorporates a comprehensive set of in-camera editing features to make the most of captured images without the need of a computer. The D5000 also introduces several new Retouch features, including a Soft Filter effect, which applies a smooth appearance to faces or the entire image; Perspective Control, which helps correct distortions in perspective often encountered in photographs of architecture; and Color Outline, which creates monochrome outlines of objects in images by eliminating color and tonal gradations. The D5000 saves each of these edited images as a separate JPEG file, ensuring the original image is left unmodified.

With Nikon’s Picture Control Settings, photographers can select various image appearance profiles that include Standard, Neutral, Vivid, Monochrome, Portrait and Landscape settings. In addition, Picture Control provides the ability to create and store up to nine user-defined custom profiles to reflect each user’s personal preferences for hue, color saturation and image sharpening.

Nikon D5000 Playback Options

Extensive playback options allow users to review their photos in groups of four, nine, or 72 thumbnail images. Alternatively, users can select the Calendar View to easily group and select images by date. These playback features can be viewed either on the Vari-angle LCD or an HDTV with HDMI connectivity available via a dedicated HDMI port on the camera.

Nikon D5000 Features

Photographers will appreciate the combined benefits of the D5000’s 12.3 megapixel CMOS sensor coupled with Nikon’s EXPEED™ image processing system, which delivers highly detailed images with vibrant color reproduction and low noise across a broad ISO range. The D5000’s normal ISO range extends from ISO 200 to 3200, allowing for improved shooting in low-light conditions. Additionally, the D5000’s ISO range can be expanded to a Lo 1 setting of ISO 100 or a Hi 1 setting of ISO 6400, furthering the opportunities for previously impossible shots.

Nikon’s exclusive 3D Color Matrix Metering II, in conjunction with the EXPEED image processing system, contributes to the D5000’s ability to capture breathtaking images by instantly evaluating the exposure elements of each scene and comparing it to an onboard database of information from more than 30,000 images. These split-second calculations allow the D5000 to ensure the right exposure. To push creative boundaries even further, the D5000 allows picture-takers to also use Center-Weighted and Spot Metering for added personal control.

The Nikon D5000’s 11-point auto focus system utilizes Nikon’s exclusive Scene Recognition System with Face Detection to help create the best possible images in a variety of shooting environments. Nikon’s 11-point AF offers best-in-class speed and accuracy, helping to ensure sharp focus, shot-after-shot. Single-point AF is suggested for static subjects, Dynamic-area AF for moving subjects, Auto-area AF for spontaneous shooting and 3D-tracking with 11 AF points for maintaining accurate focus on a subject moving throughout the frame.

Paired with Nikon’s AF-S NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR image stabilization lens and the ability to shoot at four frames per second, the D5000 easily captures moments other cameras miss. Nikon’s VR image stabilization lenses reduce the blurring in images due to camera shake, allowing photographers to shoot hand-held at as many as three full stops slower than would otherwise be possible.*

The new D5000 also features the innovative Integrated Dust Reduction System, which offers both an electronic sensor cleaning when the camera is powered on and/or off and the Airflow Control System, which directs dust away from the sensor with every snap of the shutter. These functions work to clear image-degrading dust from the sensor’s optical low-pass filter, helping to ensure spot-free images. In addition, the D5000 features a Quiet Release Mode that reduces the mirror cycling noise for discreet shooting in sensitive situations, such as weddings and other ceremonies.

Nikon D5000 Expandability

Photographers and enthusiasts alike will appreciate the D5000’s system expandability, as the camera can work in conjunction with a variety of Nikon accessories including a broad assortment of NIKKOR AF-S interchangeable lenses. While the D5000 offers a versatile built-in flash, the camera is also compatible with Nikon’s Creative Lighting System and capable of Advanced Wireless Lighting when using the SB-900 Speedlight or the SU-800 Wireless Commander.

For those looking to document their photo excursions with geo-tagging, the D5000 is compatible with the optional GP-1 GPS Unit, which automatically records latitude, longitude, altitude and time information when a picture is taken.

The D5000 also works with Nikon’s powerful Capture NX 2 image editing software, for more advanced photographers seeking greater control over their post-capture images. Capture NX 2 simplifies the path to beautiful images with easy-to-learn editing tools and a highly versatile and elegantly simple interface, which streamline editing procedures.

Sony HDR-TG7VE Camcorder

Sony TG7VE

Sony have announced their new HDR-TG7VE Camcorder, which boasts 6 hours of full HD recording on 16GB of internal memory.

The Sony HDR-TG7VE is a lightweight and compact camcorder that fits into the palm of your hand. Despite being small, the TG7VE isn’t low in quality, as it’s body is made from tough titanium.

One key feature which holiday makers and travellers will love is it’s automatic geotagging with GPS and Map Index view.

Sony TG7VE Camcorder Review

Following on from the success of the TG3E, Sony have carried many of the features through to the TG7VE Handycam such as the sleek design and the tough scratch resistant titanium body.

The TG7VE has a decent amount of internal memory, 16GB, that allows for around 6 hours of storage in full HD quality and stereo sound. If that’s not enough for you, just add a memory stick.

The primary users of the TG7VE are those looking for a lightweight, compact camcorder, or Handycam as Sony prefer. It slips easily into a pocket or the smallest of bags. Travellers will find the GPS receiver and Geotagging useful. The Map Index feature shows where movie clips and still photos were taken as map pins on the LCD screen. This means you can identify your location when you’ve returned home.

As with most of the Sony range of cameras, the TG7VE comes with Face Detection and Smile Shutter technology. Blah blah, it’s really good (you already know how good it is) and even works in video mode.

Sony, Handycam and Memory Stick are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sony Corporation.

Buy Sony TG7VE Camcorder

The Sony HDR-TG7VE Full HD Memory Stick Handycam is available in the UK from May 2009. More details to follow.

Sony HDR TG7VE Camcorder Specifications

• Movie Format: HD AVCHD, SD MPEG 2
• Recording Media: 16GB Internal Memory
• Memory Stick Optional
• Image Device: 1/5″ Exmor CMOS Sensor with ClearVid Array
• Image Processor: BIONZ
• Photo: 4 Megapixels
• Lens: Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar
• Optical Zoom: 10x
• Digital Zoom: 120x
• SteadyShot
• Dolby Digital Stereo with Zoom Microphone
• Automatic Geotagging by GPS
• Face Detection and Smile Shutter
• Highlight Playback
• LCD: 2.7 inch Wide Clear Photo LCD Plus
• Weight: 230g
• Dimensions: 62mm(D) x 117mm(H) x 30mm(W)

Sony Cyber-shot W370

Sony Cyber-shot W370 Review

One of the best selling digital cameras is the Sony Cyber-shot W170. This 10 megapixel camera has recently been upgraded to 12 megapixels and is badged as the Sony W270.

The forthcoming Sony Cyber-shot W370 will extend this to 13.6 megapixels when release.

We will be publishing a review of the Sony Cyber-shot W370 shortly so check back soon.

Sony Cyber-shot W350

Sony Cyber-shot W350 Review

The Sony Cyber-shot W350 follows hot on the heels of the Sony Cyber-shot W150 and the W250.

We will review the Sony Cyber-shot W350 shortly.

Sony Cyber-shot W330

Sony Cyber-shot W330 Review

One of the most popular compact cameras is the Sony Cyber-shot W130 and this, along with the Sony W230, is the foundation upon which the Sony Cyber-shot W330 is based.

We will be publishing a review of the Sony Cyber-shot W330 shortly.

Sony Cyber-shot W320

Sony Cyber-shot W320 Review

The success of the Sony Cyber-shot W120 and W220 have led to the forthcoming introduction of the Sony Cyber-shot W320 digital compact camera.

We will be publishing a review of the Sony Cyber-shot W320 shortly.

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