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It Begins: Olympus Dropping Entry-Level Point-And-Shoot Line

OK, look at this post. Now, look at your smartphone. You were reading this on your smartphone, weren’t you? It’s OK, I probably would’ve been, too. Now, flip your smartpthone over (for those of you who really are reading this on your smartphone, don’t worry, I’ll wait for you to come back). Did you see that lens there? The one that works that camera that, let’s face it, you probably use more than anything else?

Congratulations, you’ve just observed the reason why Olympus has decided to drop its entry level point and shoots. This is something we talk about at Roberts often, and honestly it’s been a long time coming. But this is probably the first open admission that smartphones are killing the compact market. So it begins. And, while so far there’s no word about the future of Oly’s super-zoom line and Tough lines, we’re assuming that they’ll keep making those. For the time being, at least. It’s going to be interesting to see where the market goes from here.



Panasonic US Confirms G6 and LF1

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We’re going to be honest with you: we suspect we’re not the only camera blog you read. It’s OK. We understand. *sniff* So, we also assume most of you are probably by now already aware that Panasonic has announced a new G-series micro Four-Thirds mirrorless compact (their first one that’s just a “G” and not a “GH” or “GF” since 2008, says their graphic) dubbed the DMC-G6, and a somewhat more exciting new point-and-shoot called the DMC-LF1. I mean, every other tech blog in the world was talking about them Wednesday night (see, I read those other blogs too, it’s OK. Really). So, we’ll just do a quick recap here for anyone who does actually just follow us, but more in-depth stuff can be found other places quite easily. Mostly we’re just confirming that yes, finally, Panasonic US is showing that these will be officially coming over here, so now we can finally say something about them.

So, the one pictured above is the G6, and it’s a quasi-DLSR shaped mirrorless compact with a built-in EVF and a general design and feel made more for people used to DLSRs than people wanting a better point and shoot. It’s a 16 megapixel shooter with a newly designed processor and filter that offer increased performance and 3-5% gains in resolution over other Panasonic designs, as well as ISO up to 25,600 (extended) and 7 frames-per-second. It’s got wi-fi and NFC built-in, a 3″ tilt/swivel 1036k dot touch panel on the back, a new higher resolution OLED EVF, Panasonic’s well-respected movie mode and quality settings, and support for all the usual M4/3 accessories and lenses, including those made by Olympus, Metz, and Sigma. So far they’re only talking about it as a kit with a 14-42mm II lens, and no price has been mentioned yet.

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More exciting is the new LF1 compact camera. It’s smaller and simpler than their awesome LX7, but has an EVF built-in for people who prefer a viewfinder at all to the arms-length LCD-only shooting of most modern compacts. It’s got a 12 megapixel 1/1.7″ sensor, a 28-200mm equivalent f2-5.9 zoom, a high-rez EVF and rear 3″ LCD, wi-fi and NFC, support for Panasonic’s RAW format, vHD video, and a control rign around the front lens (a la Canon and Olympus’ counterparts in this range). And did I mention it’s smaller all-around than the already not-chunky LX7? I did? Good! What i can’t mention is the price, because there isn’t one yet, but I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for you.



Roberts Set To Carry Sony’s Cybershot TX30 Waterproof Compact

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I have just been informed this morning that Roberts will be carrying the new Sony Cybershot TX30. At least, I was told to make sure it went up for preorder, so, I assume we’re going to carry it and not just execute some poorly conceived post-April Fool’s April Foll’s Day joke (ha! Anyone can pull a prank on April 1st, but it takes skill to pull it off on April 3rd!). Anywho, once upon a time this type of camera was much more of a novelty (and pushed mostly by Olympus), but at this point it’s getting a bit more expected to say things like “it’s waterproof to 33 feet, shockproof for drops form 5 feet, and freezeproof to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.” Such a camera is no longer a novelty, it’s a demographic. But, in this case, it’s a demographic applied to Sony’s very solid T-series Cybershots. These cameras feature a “deck of cards” style with a slim body and a corner mounted lens that uses folded optics to keep the size down. There’s a sliding plate that serves both as a lens cover when closed and to turn the camera on and off. It’s a nice style for compacts, and I’ve been a fan of both Sony and Fuji’s cameras that use it for several years now. The TX30 has an 18 megapixel  1/2.3″ EXMOR-R (ie, backside-illuminated) sensor, a 5x optical zoom (though, no image stabilization. Not the real kind, anyway), and no buttons on the back. Instead of buttons you get a 3.3″ OLED touchscreen to work most of the camera’s menus, making it very much like a smartphone. If the image quality holds up to what other EXMOR-R units produce, this’ll be a solid camera, and one that can survive more than average circumstances of use. It’ll run $350ish, and come in your choice of pink, orange, blue, or black.

Get on the preorder list here: http://robertscamera.com/cybershot-dsc-tx30.html



Canon Announces New PowerShot SX280 HS

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You like zoom, right? Of course you do. Everyone likes zoom! It’s so… zoom-y. Zoom zoom zoom. Like the SX280 HS, it also likes zoom. As such, it’s brought 20x of it to the party, covering an equivalent focal range of 25mm-500mm f3.5-6.8. And, because getting the shakes out of a 500mm f6.8 is basically a superhuman task, the HS system wants us to know there’s some real IS happening in there to help out with things. It also wants us to know the conservative 12 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor is optimized for low-light performance so ISO can help us out, and will gladly extend all the way to 6400 for our convenience. Aaaand, otherwise, it’s a PowerShot HS, with all the usual niceness and auto-mode-favoring that goes with that. It’ll cost you $329.99 to own one next month, in black or red.



New Nikon Coolpix A and Coolpix 330. A predictable entry and a big WOW!

We got a treat yesterday when Jeff Penn, our Nikon rep, brought in two new cameras that will soon be in stock at our stores.

The Nikon Coolpix A is a camera that many folks are salivating for.  My first impressions of it were good, but I was hoping for a little faster auto focus.  But first the good;  The camera is very small and easy to handle.  In terms of a smaller point and shoot with a true APS sensor, it has the competition beat as of today.  The controls are easy to get to.  Coming from the P series Coolpix cameras, the layout is very similar.  The manual focus control is very easy to manipulate and offers you many levels of electronic zooming to allow for precise focus.  The images are very sharp, color is spot on.  It is supposed to have a sensor in it very similar to that of a Nikon D7000 SLR.  I believe it.  My only reservation is the speed of the auto focus.  Not quite up to snuff.  If SLR image quality in a point and shoot is what you are after, I would still seriously give this one a look.  Pricing will be $1099.95

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The Coolpix 330 was the real surprise for me.  Way to go Nikon!  This one you got exactly right.  I was expecting to be wowed by the Coolpix A, but the 330 is the one I would love to have for myself.

First, the speed.  Wow.  This thing is very fast.  As fast as many SLR’s out there.  The screen resolution is very high.  Colors pop off the screen.  It’s not an APS sensor like the Coolpix A, but it does have a larger, 1/1.7 in. CMOS sensor that dwarfs it’s predecessor in the P310.  They added RAW capture to this one.  Finally.  The close focus macro is the best that I have seen in a Nikon to date.  GPS and 5x optical round it out.  At $379.95 this will be a big contender.  It will give those Canon S110′s a run.  I can’t understate how impressed I am with this one!

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We should start to see these beauties by the end of this month (March 2013).  Can’t wait!



Nikon Announces New Coolpix A with DX Sensor, P330 With Raw

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Well well, would ya look at this? Why, it’s a Coolpix… with a DX badge. How cool is that? It’s a 16.2 megapixel DX sized sensor in fact, nestled behind an all-glass 28mm f2.8 equivalent lens. It’s dubbed the “Coolpix A,” and it’s going to be hitting the market sometime this month for $1,099.95 retail. In addition to the DX sensor and the 7 element, 5 group Nikkor lens you get a 3″ 921,000 dot LCD, PASM and RAW support, ISO to 3200 native (25,600 expanded), apertures from 2.8 to 22 in 1/3 stop steps, a top shutter speed of 1/2000, 1080p HD video, a built-in flash with a GN of 6 and a hotshoe with an unspecified x-sync speed, and support for all the expected wireless and GPS dongles, as well as an optional optical viewfinder and lens mount for a lens hood. Whew.

And, if that’s a little too cher for your taste, but you’d still like somethign with RAW support, the new Coolpix P330 might be your bag:

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Sure, it’s only rocking a 1/1.7″ sensor, but at least it’s a BSI type with a reasonable 12 megapixels on it. The lens is pretty all right too, being a 24-120mm f1.8-5.6 equivalent dealy with VR. There’s the 3″ LCD again, and PASM modes. ISO is 80-3200, but the push tops out at 12,800 on this one. HD video, usual dongles, pop-up flash without a hotshoe, yadda yadda how about I just tell you the price?  It’ll set you back only $379.95. See now, doesn’t that seem cheap after I anchored you with the $1,100 price above? You’re welcome.

Learn more about these two cameras and how you can own your own via the links below:

Coolpix A

Coolpix P330



Canon Adds Three More PowerShots To Long, Long History

We covered Nikon’s new point-and-shoots, and now it’s time to give Canon some love. More-so because Canon’s only got three models for me to look at, instead of seven. It’s hard, you know, staying clever and witty when you have to squint to see the details between these models and last year’s other than that you can still buy these new ones. It’s like those games they included in Highlights where you had to notice that the crab in the background has different sized claws in one picture. Except with cameras.

Anyways, today’s different-sized claws are the PowerShot ELPH 330 HS, the PowerShot ELPH 115 IS, and the PowerShot A2500. The two ELPH models belong to the higher-end, stylish line-up, while the A model is from their entry range. The lack of AA usage on the A model, though, indicates it’s a higher entry-level model.

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The ELPH 330 HS is the highest of the models, which you can tell by the “HS” at the end of the name. The HS designation means this camera has not only physical image stabilization (IS), but also a higher-sensitiviy BSI sensor which work together to give you better, crisper shots in more lighting conditions. It’s got a reasonable, low-light friendly 12.1mp, a 24-240mm equiv zoom, and wifi capabilities that will let you sync it with your iOS and Android devices for easier sharing of photos. If you don’t have such a device, or are too lazy to do the one-time set-up to use it, no worries, the ELPH 330 can share your photos to Facebook itself, with the ability to set the privacy level of them to boot. It sounds like you can even reply to comments made on them from the camera. There’s nothing about the 3″ screen being touch-enabled though, so, be prepared to key in those comments with a four-way controller (newer Kindle users will feel right at home here). It’ll come in black, red, or silver for a mere $229.99 next month.

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The Elph 115 IS is the next model down, and has to live with only the “IS” designation for it. It’s got an 8x (28-240mm) lens, 16 megapixels, and not a lot else special to mention. It’ll come in four “sleek” colors like blue, silver, black, and pink for $169.99 next month.

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The last (and cheapest!) option is the PowerShot A2500. 16 megapixels, 5x 28-140mm lens, and no AA usage or viewfinder to speak of, but hey, for $129.99 you can’t be too choosy  right? Well, OK, I suppose you can, but I don’t exactly see the market supporting it, is what I mean.



Nikon Announces, Like, A Zillion New Coolpix Of All Flavors

Having not really gotten their fill at CES, Nikon has taken some time today to announce another seven Coolpix models for its 2013 line-up. In the mix is one AA-powered compact, a li-ion compact, two waterproof models, one compact high-zoom, and two bridge-style ultrazooms. Whew. I’m going to do just a quick whirlwind tour of them below so neither you nor I have a chance to nod off in boredom going over these things. Most of them fall into the “If you need a new camera and this is in your price point, it’s worth looking at” category, with only a couple standouts that are worth the look even if you don’t actually need a new camera. And those are the two waterproof models.

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If the Coolpix AW1100 looks a lot like Nikon’s first rugged camera, the AW100, that’s because it essentially is. There’s still a 1/2.3″ sensor with 16 megapixels, still a 5x optical zoom with the same f3.9-4.8 range, same GPS… But, there are quite a few notable differences too. The 3″ screen hasn’t grown any, but it has switched to the better OLED type, and jumped up to a sharper 614,000 dots of resolution for better clarity. There’s wifi on board now, removing the need to hook up cables or SD cards to get your shots off the camera, and meaning paired with Nikon’s little doodad and your smartphone you could take pictures with the camera while it was at the bottom of a pool, and you were dry on a blanket having a mai tai (note, I’m being hyperbolic, wifi likely won’t work very well from a pool. But hey, at least you won’t have to dry it off before opening up the ports, right?). And, that pool can be a lot deeper now. The AW100 was waterproof to a reasonable 33 feet, and shockproof to 5, but the AW1100 pushes the waterproof up to 59 feet, and the shockproof to 6.6 feet. Freezeproofing to 14 degress Fahrenheit is still on tap as well. This new model will come in the same colors as the last one (orange, black, blue, and Larry-the-Cable-Guy), and will run $349.95 this month once they come in.

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The other cool model is the Coolpix S31, which updates the S30. Like the S30, it is a much more budget-friendly waterproof shooter, and it gets the price down by skipping the “ruggedized” portion of the show. There’s some basic shockproofing, sure, but only 3.9 feet. Good for toddlers and kidlin’s, less useful for hardcore adventure thrill-seekers. The waterproofing though is quite adequate for a budget shooter, protecting you to 16.6 feet, or deeper than any public pool I’ve ever been in. The sensor is a smaller 1/2.9″ one with 10mp, and the lens is only 3x, and the 2.7″ LCD doesn’t quite wow like OLED, but, considering this guy costs ha;f of his bigger bro, I think we can forgive that. It’ll come in white, pink, brown, blue, or yellow and cost a mere $119.95 later this month. That’s cheap, folks.

As for the other models, the CoolpixL28 is a 20mp, 5x compact powered by AAs that’ll cost you $120, and doesn’t have the tiny little plastic viewfinder of yore. The Coolpix S5200 is a bit higher up the foodchain with a sleeker metal body, 16mp BSI sensor, 6x zoom, and built-in wifi for $179.95. Over in the zoom camp, the Coolpix S9500 is the compact body with a big old 22x VR lens and an 18mp BSI sensor. it’c clearly aimed at the “travel zoom” category that Panasonic helped make with their TZ model Lumix line. The Coolpix S9500 will run you $349.95, and certainly be easier to manage on a vacation than a Rebel. The other two superzooms are the bulkier, faux-DSLR style. The Coolpix P520 is the better one (the P is for Professional, after all), and will be found sporting a 24-1000mm equivalent VR lens in front of an 18 megapixel BSI sensor with a 3.2″ vari-tilt screen. It’ll cost ya $449.95. The smaller model is the L820, with a 22.5-675mm VR lens and a 16 megapixel sensor for $279.95. All, again, this month or so.

Coolpix L28

Coolpix L28

Coolpix S5200

Coolpix S5200

Coolpix S9500

Coolpix S9500

Coolpix P520

Coolpix P520

Coolpix L820

Coolpix L820

 



Nikon’s Coolpix S6500 Is… A Camera…

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There’s not really much to call a headline for the Coolpix S6500. It doesn’t have a digital projector, it’s not a tank, it doesn’t launch along with any new accessories. It doesn’t have NFC, but it does have Wifi at least. mostly it’s just another annual refresh to the Coolpix S lineup. There’s a 12x zoom (25-300mm equiv), 16 megapixel BSI sensor, 1080p video recording, compatibility with Nikon’s smartphone app, and no VR metioned. Still, if not exactly stealing the day’s headlines, it’s a solid offering at its $219.95 price point, and in your choice of red, black, orange, or silver once it comes out.



Three new TG series point and shoots, TG-2 iHS, TG-830 iHS, TG-630 iHS

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Waterproof to 50′, shockproof to 7′, rated to endure 220lbf of crushing force and the colored ring is changeable for a personal touch.

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Waterproof to 33′, shockproof to 7′, rated to endure 220lbs of crushing force.

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Waterproof to 16′, shockproof to 5′

Three new Tough cameras is not a bad thing, folks. They’re all water-proof, they’re all rated to survive falls of at least 5′ (1.5m),to keep shooting in 14F (-10C) temperatures, as waterproof to 16′ (5m), to keep out dust, and they’re all being introduced  at retail prices lower than their predecessors had.

The TH-1 iHS is the biggest, baddest guy in the line here what with deeper maximum submersion at 50′, 7′ drop height, and a chassis to endure 220lbf of crushing force. While the TG-830 iHS can take the same physical punishment, it can only descend to 33′ and satisfy Olympus’ requirements. The TG-630 iHS lacks the rating for needed to have a pair of gymnasts standing on it, but it’ll take a dip in your pool and bounce from your hand without a fuss.

The two lesser cameras here are fairly priced also – as of today’s date Olympus says they’ll be about $200 for the TG-630 and $280 for the TG-830, which will get you the new TRUPIC VI image processor and a 12mp or 16mp back side illuminated CMOS sensor. So why spend another hundred on the $380 priced TG-2 iHS?

Because it’s got a whopping fast f/2.0 at 4.5mm (25mm equivalent) lens, 5fps at full resolution and up to 60fps at 3MP continuous shooting modes. It’s also got a mean looking body and changeable rings. And a built-in Manometer, displaying the elevation and water depth as well as a warning when you approach your 50′ submergence. I’m liking it. Pre-order pages will be up later today.