Digital Camera News and Reviews

Leica Safari Special Edition M8.2

Leica has announced a special edition of their M8.2 camera. The camera is called Safari Special Edition and comes with a special edition of the Leica ELMARIT-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH. lens.
The camera set is limited to 500 copies so this will be very exclusive pieces of photography equipment and the price tag of $10000 adds to the exclusivity.

Information from Leica:
With a production run limited to only 500 units , this special-edition “Safari” includes as well as the olive green painted LEICA M8.2 and the silver anodised finished LEICA ELMARIT-M 28mm f/2.8 ASPH.lens, an exclusive Billingham camera case and an elegant carrying strap, bearing an embossed Leica logo. The inspiration for the olive green paint has been the M cameras supplied by Leitz to the „Bundeswehr” (German Army) in the 1960’s as well as the LEICA R3 „Safari”, both of which are much sought after today and therefore very expensive.

The top cover, bottom plate, camera back and the leatherette „VULKANIT” covering are all coated with a resistant olive green paint finish, which provides a pleasant touch and grip. The top cover is also engraved with the traditional Leica script. All operational elements are finished in silver chrome and therefore match with the silver anodised lens.
LEICA ELMARIT-M 28 mm f/2.8 ASPH.

The LEICA ELMARIT-M 28 mm f/2.8 ASPH. lens has been very popular since its introduction into the M system. It’s very compact dimensions and outstanding performance also apply to this silver anodised version, exclusively available in the Limited Edition „Safari”. By using silver anodising on aluminium parts, the low weight of only 180 grams has been maintained. The lens is completed with a classic metal lens hood, also in silver anodised finish.
Billingham Combination Bag M „Safari”

The English Specialist manufacturer of high quality camera cases, Billingham, has produced exclusively for the new Edition „Safari” the matching bag in olive green with tan coloured top-grain leather trim. The Billingham Combination Bag M „Safari” is made of water resistant fabric „FibreNyte” and can take the complete „Safari” Set as well as further lenses and accessories.
The carrying strap: Genuine leather with Leica embossing

The outer side of this elegant carrying strap consists of tan-coloured calfskin, the inner side of anti slip pigskin. It’s very high quality can be seen for example by the carefully finished hemlines of the strap. An embossed Leica Logo also adorns the middle of the carrying strap.

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM

SLR Gear has tested the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM super telephoto lens. This lens has an excellent reach for wildlife photographers and I’m really envious of Canon users because there is no such lens for Olympus.

SLR Gear ends up giving the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens a very good review. The lens is able to produce sharp pictures, but not as good as the newer high end lenses from Canon. The lens also lack image stabilization and that can be a downside when you are out photographing.
Overall this seems like a very good wildlife lens if you can live without image stabilization and do not need faster apertures.
Read the full review of the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens here.

Buy the Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens from BH Photo.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25

Panasonic today announced the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 compact digital camera. It sports a 12.1 megapixel sensor, 3″ LCD screen and 5x optical zoom.

Some key features for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25:
-12.1 megapixel sensor
-3″ LCD screen
-5x optical zoom (29 – 145mm)
-50MB built in memory

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS25 will be available from April 2009 and cost about $250.

Press release:
Panasonic Adds Lumix DMC-FS25 To Its FS-Series Of Slim And Sleek Digital Cameras

DMC-FS25 Features Advanced Intelligent Auto Capabilities and a High-Powered Leica Lens in Ultra-Compact Body

MIAMI, FL (January 27, 2009) – Panasonic today announced the DMC-FS25 as its newest addition to the LUMIX FS-Series of digital cameras. The 12.1 megapixel DMC-FS25 features a 5x optical zoom and a 29mm wide-angle LEICA DC VARIO-ELMAR lens, a 3.0-inch intelligent LCD and is the top-of-the-line FS-Series model. The LUMIX FS models, a stylish sister-line of the highly-acclaimed LUMIX FX-Series, combine easy operation with a sleek look, enabling both beginner and advanced users to take beautiful digital photos with a camera that slips in a pocket.

Panasonic has enhanced the Intelligent Auto Mode (iA) on the DMC-FS25 from the previous FS models to now include AF tracking and Intelligent Exposure functions in addition to the standard Mega O.I.S., Intelligent ISO Control, Intelligent Scene Selector and Face Detection. AF Tracking enables the user to “lock” the focus onto a moving subject*1. The camera then automatically tracks the subject as it moves, keeping it in focus without the need to hold the shutter button halfway down. Additionally, Intelligent Exposure helps capture natural-looking images by suppressing blocked shadows and blown highlights. It continually monitors the light source in the shooting environment and automatically activates the backlight compensation function if it detects the subject is backlit.

The newly added dedicated iA button on top of the camera enables the user to enter iA mode directly without the need for entering the menu. This allows the user to automatically shoot in iA mode any time the conditions change without adjusting the camera’s settings.

“The DMC-FS25 is the new top-of-the-line model for LUMIX’s ultra-slim line of FS-series cameras,” said David Briganti, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “By incorporating some advanced features and technologies previously only found on our higher-end models, the DMC-FS25 offers users a stylish, pocket-sized digital camera capable of producing high-quality photos. This new model exemplifies Panasonic’s goal of providing photographers at every level with easy-to-use cameras that make photos appear professional grade.”

Other features of the DMC-FS25 include a Venus Engine IV image processor, which provides an advanced signal processing system and a shutter release time lag as short as 0.006 seconds. The Venus Engine IV also supports a High Sensitivity mode that lets the camera record at a setting of up to ISO 6400, sensitive enough to capture subjects in near-total darkness without using a flash.

An intelligent 3.0-inch LCD screen detects light conditions and automatically adjusts the brightness levels for viewing in sunlight conditions and dark places. It also helps to preserve battery life. Menus are clearer and easier to navigate with the Display Size option. The new Photo Frame mode lets the user put attractive borders around photos, so when printed, they look like postcards in picture frames. Also, the new My Scene setting lets users assign their most frequently used Scene modes to the setting, so they can easily access that scene instantly. The DMC-FS25 records WVGA (848 x 480) motion pictures at 30 frames per second in 16:9 wide-screen format, as well as standard VGA (640 x 480) format.

Other features of the LUMIX FS25 include:

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Macro Zoom function lets users pull subjects even closer to capture dramatic close-up shots by using the 3x digital zoom in the wide-angle.
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Bundled PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 software that features a Face Recognition function that recognizes the faces in photos stored on the computer, allowing the user to easily sort files by the people photographed. Using the software, motion pictures can also be uploaded directly to YouTube.

The DMC-FS25 will be available in silver, black and gold for a suggested retail price of $249.95 and will be available in April 2009. For more information, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48

Panasonic announced a bunch of cameras today and among them we find the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48. It sports a 5 optical zoom lens and a 12.1 megapixel sensor.

Some key features for the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48:
-12.1 megapixel sensor
-5x optical zoom lens (25 – 125mm)
-2.5″ LCD screen
-40MB built in memory

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX48 will be available in April 2009 and cost about $350.

Press release:
Panasonic Lumix Digital Camera Features Powerful 5x Optical Zoom In Slim Body That Fits In Pocket

New LUMIX FX48 Has 25mm Ultra-Wide-Angle LEICA Lens, Plus Newly Added Face Recognition in Panasonic’s Advanced iA Mode

MIAMI, FL (January 27, 2009) – Panasonic today expanded its popular LUMIX FX digital cameras series with the introduction of the 12.1-megapixel DMC-FX48, which features a 25mm ultra-wide-angle LEICA DC lens and a powerful 5x optical zoom (equivalent to 25mm to 125mm on a 35mm film camera), yet its slim profile makes it convenient to slip into a pocket. With a 25mm ultra-wide-angle lens and 5x optical zoom, users can capture nearly double the viewing space at the same shooting distance compared to standard 35mm cameras, thus the FX48 can photograph images with great width and depth. The FX48 also features Face Recognition, a new technology to Panasonic’s proprietary advanced iA (Intelligent Auto) mode.

“With Panasonic’s acclaimed FX-Series, we are pursuing high photo quality in a camera body that is sophisticated, easy-to-carry and intuitive to use,” said David Briganti, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “With features like Face Recognition and High Definition video capability, we are packing advanced and powerful features into a small, attractive camera that can easily be carried in a pocket or purse.”

The FX48 features iA mode, a system of technologies, such as MEGA O.I.S., Intelligent ISO Control, Face Detection, Auto Focus (AF) tracking*1, Intelligent Exposure and Intelligent Scene Selector, that engage automatically, without the user having to adjust any settings. New in 2009, Panasonic’s advanced iA adds Face Recognition, a feature that recognizes individual faces, making it a “personal verification system” in the digital camera. With the Face Recognition feature, a user can give AF and auto exposure priority to a single person in a group, ensuring that a particular person’s face will be focused and exposed beautifully.

With Face Recognition, when a familiar face is recorded several times, the camera will prompt the users to register the face. Once registered, if the familiar face appears in the frame again, the camera will display the name specified for that person and prioritize focus and exposure so that the registered face is bright and sharply focused*2. During registration, the user can change the icon that indicates when the registered subject is in focus and the person’s age can also be registered. When children less than three years-old are registered, the camera will automatically switch to the Baby scene mode when the child is in the frame. Furthermore, in playback, users can choose to display only photos that contain a specific registered face using Category Playback, so organizing and archiving photos by person becomes much easier.

Panasonic’s newly developed Venus Engine V integrates these advanced functions and controls the camera’s operation with high speed, high performance, and low-power consumption. Beyond the power of the conventional imaging engine, the Venus Engine V has twin CPUs to boast approximately 2.4x processing capability. The Venus Engine V improves its energy efficiency by 16%, when compared to the Venus Engine IV, thus extending the battery life to 350 pictures (CIPA).

The DMC-FX48 can also record High Definition (1280 x 720p) motion images at 30 fps. And, using the DMW-HDC2 component cable (optional accessories), the video can output directly to a television, such as a Panasonic VIERA HDTV, for easy playback.

Other features of the Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FX48 include:

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A bright 2.5-inch, 230,000-dot resolution Intelligent LCD that provides high resolution and a wide viewing angle.

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New Panorama Assist scene mode allows users to shoot a number of consistent photos, either vertically or horizontally, by aligning them according to a guide that overlaps the screen. Then using those photos and the bundled PanoramaMaker software, users can create dramatic panoramic images.
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High-Speed Burst (Speed Priority) that fires off approx. 10 shots per second*3.
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Macro Zoom function lets users pull subjects even closer to capture dramatic close-up shots by using the 3x digital zoom in the wide-angle.
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Bundled PHOTOfunSTUDIO 3.0 software that features a Face Recognition function that recognizes the faces in photos stored on the computer, allowing the user to easily sort files by the people photographed. Using the software, motion pictures can also be uploaded directly to YouTube.

The DMC-FX48 will be available in silver and black models starting in April 2009 for a suggested retail price of $349.95. For more information, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.