Digital Camera News and Reviews

Ricoh CX5

There are an extreme amount of compact digital cameras out on the market. Many are similar to each other, but the
Ricoh CX5 is a bit different as it actually focuses on photography. Photography has now tested this 10 megapixel camera from Ricoh.

Some key features for the Ricoh CX5:
-10 megapixel back-illuminated image sensor
-10.7x optical zoom lens (28-300mm)
-Hybrid AF system
-3″ LCD screen (920K dots)
-Smooth Imaging Engine IV image processing engine
-720p HD video recording

Photography Blog ends up giving the CX5 a “Recommended” rating of 4 out of 5 possible stars. The camera gets a pretty good score on image quality, value for your money, design and features. Overall Ricoh has produced a good compact camera, but there are not many changes from the Ricoh CX4 so if if you own the CX4 is probably is not a good idea to upgrade. There is also a good deal of other good compact cameras from different brands so you should take a good look at the alternatives before you buy the CX5.
Read the full review of the Ricoh CX5 digital camera here.

Panasonic 12.5mm f/12 Lumix G 3D

SLR Gear has reviewed a 3D lens from Panasonic that is designed for the Micro Four Thirds system. The lens is called Panasonic 12.5mm f/12 Lumix G 3D and gives you the opportunity to take 3D-photos. It has two optical systems installed within the diameter of the lens mount that will create a stereo image. Let us hear what the website thinks about this Panasonic lens.

SLR Gear ends up giving the Panasonic 12.5mm f/12 Lumix G 3D a good review, but there are some shortcoming. Since the lens is f/12 you need a lot of light to take 3D pictures. You also need a big 3D TV and 3D glasses to really enjoy the photos that this lens produces. If you are into 3D-photography and are a Micro Four Thirds photographer this should be the lens for you, especially if you look at the reasonable price tag.
Read the full review of the Panasonic 12.5mm f/12 Lumix G 3D lens here.

Brother HL-4570cdwt

Printer Comparison is a reputable testing site on the net. They have now reviewed a color laser printer from Brother HL-4570cdwt that has wireless printing and is able to print up to 30 pages per minute, or so Brother claims.

Some key features for the Brother HL-4570cdwt:
-Print speeds up to 30 pages per minute in both black and color
-Print resolution up to 2400 x 600 dpi
-Automatic duplex printing
-800-sheet paper capacity
-Wireless, ethernet and USB 2 connecitivty
-Monthly duty cycle up to 60,000 pages

Printer Comparison ends up giving the HL-4570cdwt an overall score of 4 out of 5 possible stars. There are several good sides with this Brother printer including good print quality, large print capacity and the “Secure Print” feature. On the negative side we occasional print pauses and the display on the printer could have been made better. If you run a smaller business and need a fast color laser printer this Brother printer might be your choice.
Read the full review of the Brother HL-4570cdwt wireless color laser printer here.

Leica V-Lux 2

CNET UK has tested a superzoom camera from Leica called Leica V-Lux 2. When I think about Leica a superzoom compact camera is not the first thing that comes to my mind, but Leica have a good relationship Panasonic and the V-Lux 2 is almost the same camera as the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ100.

Some key features for the Leica V-Lux 2:
-14.1 megapixel image sensor
-24x optical zoom lens (25-600mm)
-Able to record high-definition 1080i video
-3″ fold out LCD screen
-Supports RAW file format

CNET UK ends up giving the Leica camera an overall rating of 3.5 stars out of 5. It does not get a top score because of the very high price tag compared to the Panasonic FZ100. There are several good points with the camera including useful zoom range, the video mode is good, stereo microphone and the fold out screen is nifty. On the negative side the reviewer finds aspects such as high price tag, the design is not Leica-looking and there is quite a bit of noise at higher ISO levels.
Read the full review of the Leica V-Lux 2 superzoom digital camera here.