Digital Camera News and Reviews

Sigma DP2

Sigma has released new firmware for their Sigma DP2 compact camera with a large Foveon sensor. Firmware version 1.02 improves the autofocus and makes it possible to access magnified live view with a button press in manual focus mode.

Some key features for the Sigma DP2:
-14 megapixel Foveon sensor
-2.5″ LCD screen
-41mm f/2.8 lens
-ISO sensitivity from 50 to 1600
-weight 260 grams

You can download and read more about the new firmware at the Sigma website.

Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II

Imaging Resource has reviewed the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II printer. This inkjet photo printer is supposed to be three times faster as the Pro9000 Mark I printer.

Some key features for the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II printer:
-Maximum 4800×2400 dpi FINE printhead technology
-Photo Lab quality 11-inchx14-inch color photo in approximately 1 minute 25 seconds
-Support for fine art paper up to 13″x19″ with two separate paper paths
-Ambient Light Correction feature; optimizes color output to match the specified lighting condition

Imaging Resource ends up giving the Canon Pixma printer an excellent review as the printer makes very good photo prints. The printer is faster and is able to print large prints of good quality. The reviewer thinks that the more you print the more you will like the Pixma Pro 9000 Mark II printer.
Read the full review of the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II Inkjet Photo printer here.

Sony Alpha 900

Buy-n-Shoot has reviewed the full frame Sony Alpha A-900 DSLR camera. This DSLR feature an amazing 24.6 megapixel sensor so it will be interesting to see how this massive camera performs.

Some key features for the Sony Alpha 900 camera:
-24.6 megapixel full frame sensor
-In-camera image stabilization
-3″ LCD screen
-HDMI output with PhotoTV HD compatibility
-5fps continuous shooting

Buy-n-Shoot ends up giving the Sony Alpha A-900 a “Platinum” reward as the camera is able to take pictures of excellent quality at high resolution. One downside is that at higher ISO levels there is quite a lot of noise which degrades the image quality. Of course the price tag can also be a downside, but if you need so many megapixels on a full frame camera there will be a high price to pay.
Read the full review of the Sony Alpha A-900 DSLR camera here.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 / FX550

Photography Blog has reviewed the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 compact camera (also known as Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 in USA). This digital camera feature 12.1 megapixels and 5x optical zoom.

Some key features for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX580 / FX550:
-12.1 megapixel sensor
-3″ LCD touch screen
-5x optical zoom (25 – 125mm)
-40mb built in memory
-HD video with 1280 x 720 pixels quality
-Venus Engine V processing engine

Photography Blog ends up giving the Panasonic Lumix camera a “Recommended” rating as the camera has many neat features, but some of them are hidden in the menu system so it can be hard for a new photographer to find them. The camera is able to take pictures that are crisp and clear, but there is some noise over at higher ISO levels which is not a surprise in this camera class.
Read the full review of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX550 camera here.