Digital Camera News and Reviews

Olympus E-P1

Olympus has announced new firmware for their Olympus E-P1 camera and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm and M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm lenses. Firmware version 1.1 improves operation when using C-AF (continuous AF) for the camera and AF operation for the lenses. As there has been a bit complaining about the autofocus speeds for the E-P1 camera this comes as a welcomes move from Olympus.

You can download firmware version 1.1 from Olympus Japan.

Lexmark Interpret S405

Trusted Reviews has tested the Lexmark Interpret S405 4-in-1 wireless printer. The S405 has a new ink system and a nice frosted black and grey design.

Some key features for the Lexmark Interpret S405 printer:
-Wireless printing
-Individual ink cartridges
-Print speeds up to 33 pages per minute
-Borderless 4″x6″ photos in less than 24 seconds

Trusted Reviews ends up giving the Lexmark Interpret S405 an 8 out of 10 score. It scores highest on print speeds and features, while scoring a bit lowest on value. The S405 seems like a fine all-in-one printer for its price.
Read the full review of the Lexmark Interpret S405 printer here.

Ricoh GR Digital III

CNET UK has reviewed the Ricoh GR Digital III compact digital camera. This compact from Ricoh is quite exciting because of its fast f1.9 28mm equivalent lens, high resolution LCD screen and focus on high quality over all.

Some key features for the Ricoh GR Digital III:
-f1.9 28mm prime lens
-10 megapixel image sensor
-High resolution LCD screen (920,000 pixels)
-ISO sensitivity 64-1600
-88MB built-in memory

CNET UK ends up giving the Ricoh GR Digital III a 8.8 point “Excellent” score. It gets such a high score because it is very good at what it is designed for, but most people might find its capabilities a bit lacking. If you are interested in such a compact camera the Ricoh GR Digital III seems like a very good choice.
Read the full review of the Ricoh GR Digital III camera here.

Canon XH A1S

Camcorder has reviewed the Canon XH A1S HDV camcorder. The Canon camcorder feature three 1/3-inch CCD sensors and records with HDV codec. With a price tag around $4000 it will be interesting to see how great the video quality is.

Some key features for the Canon XH A1S camcorder:
-Three 1/3-inch CCD sensors
-HDV codec
-20x HD lens (32.5 – 650mm)
-Canon DIGIC DV II HD Image Processor
-2.8-inch Widescreen LCD

Camcorder Info ends up giving the Canon XH A1S a pretty good review as you get quite a bit of features for the value, but there are other camcorders on the marked than can probably give you more for $4000. Tape-based media is a bit outdated and the reviewer thinks the build quality could be better, but the camcorder has a lot of adjustable features for being in this price class.
Read the full review of the Canon XH A1S HDV camcorder here.