BrooklynDave gives an out of the box review and first impressions of the Canon EOS 30D digital SLR. The Canon EOS 30D has 8.2 megapixels of resolution making it perfect for large prints, a large 2.5 inch LCD screen capable of being viewed at almost any angle, high and low speed consecutive shooting and includes an EF-S 18-55mm lens.
In this review, he shows you what you get when you unbox the 30D and explains that if you have small hands, the camera might be a bit large for you. The Canon EOS 30D comes with a lithium-ion battery pack and charger and stores images on CF cards. There’s a lot to learn with the 30D, but overall everything is very well laid out and easy to use. It is recommended to buy a backup battery for extra power and a skylight filter to protect your lens. The Canon EOS 30D currently sells for approximately $1,399 U.S.
Gordon Laing of CameraLabs.com reviews the Panasonic DMC-FZ8 digital camera, their newest super zoom digital camera. The FZ8 is the successor to the FZ7, has 7.2 megapixels of resolution, 12x optical zoom and built in image stabilization.
The Panasonic DMC-FZ8 has a 2.5″ LCD screen that is very sharp. It’s optical zoom lens doesn’t extend too much keeping it compact. It also comes with a lens hood. Gordon demonstrates the FZ8 showing you the image stabilization feature and gives you a tour of the menu system. The FZ8 has plenty of manual controls if you like adjusting settings - but also has excellent automatic settings as well.
On the down side, noise levels can be a bit high while using the FZ8 at higher ISO’s (200 and above) that may smear out fine detail in your pictures. The Panasonic DMC-FZ8 is has an excellent price, currently averaging around $350.00 in the U.S. which is about half as much as competing super zoom digital cameras.
Panasonic DMC-FZ8 in depth reviews and sample photos:
Cameras.co.uk reviews the Canon PowerShot SD750 (Canon IXUS 75) digital camera. The SD750 has 7.1 megapixels resolution, standard 3x zoom lens and is about 19mm wide - making it very portable.
As you will see from this review, the SD750 has a very nice, large 3″ LCD screen which should help you when taking photos and navigating the menu system. The Canon PowerShot SD750 takes excellent photos and provides a wide variety of options for taking video. The SD750 currently sells for approximately $276.
TigerTV gives a video review of the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS ELPH digital camera. The SD850 has 8 megapixels of resolution, iso settings, 4x optical zoom, image stabilization and is trusted by many newspaper and magazine reporters around the world.
In this review they demonstrate the menu system, highlight the SD850’s most important features and provide an introductory tour to this camera. It has an impressive video frame rate of 60 fps which is useful if you want to slow your video down during playback. Currently the Canon PowerShot SD850 IS sells for approximately $382.
Canon PowerShot SD850 IS in depth reviews and sample photo:
Lori Grunin from CNET reviews the Canon PowerShot S5 IS digital camera which is a good megazoom camera that wants to be a digital SLR. The Canon PowerShot S5 IS has 8 megapixel resolution and a broad feature set - “automated if you want it automated, manual if you want it manual”, shoots video with separated stereo microphones and has a nice flip out LCD screen.
The S5 IS has a very sturdy feel despite its plastic body and provides an excellent grip. There is a problem with keeping the lens cap on and the location of the SD card slot may be a bit annoying. The biggest problem is the 12x lens which has been known to cause distortion on the sides of the lens as well as causing chromatic aberration. The Canon PowerShot S5 IS currently sells for approximately $499. For more details, be sure to watch the full video review.
Canon PowerShot S5 IS in depth reviews and sample photos:
Gordon Laing of CameraLabs.com reviews the Nikon D40X digital SLR. The D40X is basically the same camera as the Nikon D40 except for a big difference in resolution: The D40 has 6 megapixels and the D40X has 10.2 megapixels resolution.
The sensor in the Nikon D40X is the same as in the D80 and gives this camera a wider ISO range and faster continuous shooting (3 fps instead of 2.5 fps). The D40X is compact and well built with an excellent grip and is good at metering and giving you the correct exposure for the scene you are photographing.
Gordon gives you an in-depth tour of what it is like to use the D40 with plenty of footage from the 2.5″ LCD screen - including the help and menu system. There are a few flaws in the D40X such as the 3 point auto focus system, which is fine for some applications, but for taking photos of subjects that are moving all over the place you will be better off with a 9 point auto focus system as found on the Canon 400D Rebel XTi.
Ultimately if you really like the Nikon D40 but just want more resolution, the Nikon D40X will be the camera for you.
Chris Pirillo reviews the Canon PowerShot TX1 digital camera which are replacing his other two digital cameras (Canon PowerShot S2 IS and Canon SD700 IS). The Canon PowerShot TX1 is a hybrid digital camera and camcorder with 7.1 resolution and shoots HD video in 720p with stereo sound.
The TX1 has a nice 1.8″ swivel and lens with 10x OPTICAL zoom and supermacro for extreme close-ups. Chris says he is very happy with the image quality…I think his dog Pixie agrees.
On the down side, there is a problem with red eye on this camera as the flash is too close to the lens. This can be fixed by you with your favorite image editing software - but if you don’t like to take the time to do that you might be a little annoyed. Also the power button is a little hard to find, the camera needs to be used with a camera strap and the controls are a bit awkward.
Overall the pros outweigh the cons with the Canon PowerShot TX1 and its HD video, 7.1 megapixel resolution, stereo sound and more. In the end, Chris gives this digital camera a “B” and thinks they will do better with the TX2 - but, the PowerShot TX1 is a keeper! This camera currently sells for around $480.
Canon PowerShot TX1 In Depth Reviews and Sample Photos:
Here’s another review of the Canon EOS 400D Digital SLR, this time by Schmango. This is a 1o megapixel digital SLR and is a bit small if you have big hands - but you can buy an optional battery pack to give it a better feel. It comes with a standard 18-55mm lens, but he recommends to spend extra money and buy a 75-300mm telephoto lens.
The Canon EOS 400D has a nifty little feature that turns the LCD screen off when you are looking through the regular viewfinder. He recommends getting two 1GB image cards so you can alternate between the cards when storing them… in case you lose one. This digital SLR is compact and lightweight, has anti-dust, is a very good first digital SLR for beginners, fast and responsive, and more.
On a final note he recommends the Canon brand as they have more lenses to choose from compared to other brands. Be sure to check out our earlier review of this camera here: Canon EOS 400D Digital Rebel XTi Review.
Canon EOS 400D Digital SLR in depth reviews and sample photos:
Master video reviewer Gordon Laing of CameraLabs.com is at it again - this time reviewing the Olympus E-510 EVOLT Digital SLR. The E-510 is the successor to the E-500 and has many features including anti-dust, built in anti-shake that works with any lens and live view so you can compose your images on the LCD screen.
The E-510 has a more SLR like look than its near relative, the E-410. You’ll find it more comfortable especially when using bigger, heavier lenses. After a brief introduction, Gordon gives a demonstration showing you the menu system and live view. Unfortunately using auto focus with live view is a little time consuming - taking a couple of seconds for each photo. The E-510 has excellent image stabilization and Gordon gives an impressive demo of it in action.
Overall, the Olympus E-510 EVOLT Digital SLR is one of the most feature packed digital SLR’s to date with 10 megapixel resolution, excellent kit lens, anti-dust, anti-shake, live view and more. Currently the Olympus E-510 sells for around $809. For more in depth reviews and sample photos, see below:
Chris from PCMech.com reviews the Olympus SP-320 digital camera. This camera has been around for over a year but I shouldn’t discriminate older digital cameras, right? :) The SP-320 has 7.1 megapixel resolution for excellent print quality, a 2.5″ LCD screen and runs on 2 AA batteries. Image stabilization is available on this camera as well as a full manual mode.
The Olympus SP-320 has quick startup and shutdown, 25 mb of internal memory and up to 1 GB of additional memory with an optional xD memory card. You can also shoot video in either 15 fps or 30 fps with two different video qualities. This camera retails for around $249, but you can likely find it cheaper on eBay or other shopping sites.
For more in depth reviews and sample photos from the Olympus SP-320, see below:
BrooklynDave gives an out of the box review and first impressions of the Canon EOS 30D digital SLR. The Canon EOS 30D has 8.2 megapixels of resolution making it perfect for large prints, a large 2.5 inch LCD screen capable of being viewed at almost any angle, high and low speed consecutive shooting and includes an EF-S 18-55mm lens.
