Have a penchant for clicking photographs of the night sky and the stars? Canon has got you covered with the new EOS 60Da DSLR camera. Upping the ante from the EOS 20Da, the 60Da comes with a modified infrared filter and a low noise sensor with heightened hydrogen-alpha sensitivity that promises great cosmic photos.

The 60Da packs in an 18MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 3-inch Clear View swiveling LCD, ISO speeds up to 6400 which is expandable up to 12800, nine-point AF, manual controls and RAW as well JPEG image recording capabilities.

The 60Da will be available from this month for $1,499.

Press Release

Canon has expanded its DSLR lineup on the eve of 25th EOS anniversary. Joining the league is the EOS 5D Mark III that sits between the EOS 5D Mark II and EOS-1D X model. The EOS 5D Mark III is equipped with 22.3 megapixel full-frame Canon CMOS sensor along with DIGIC 5+ imaging processor, 61-point AF system and continuous shooting speed of 6fps that delivers topnotch quality images.

The EOS 5D Mark III also gives videographers to cheer about allowing them to record videos in 1080p full HD resolution at variety of frame rates (24p, 25p, 30p), longer recording time up to 30mins, improved noise reduction and built-in headphone jack.

Rounding up the feature set are its rugged body with magnesium alloy body covers, stainless steel mount and dust and moisture resistant design, silent shooting modes, 3.2-inch Clear View II LCD with 1.04m dot resolution and support for CF as well as SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III will be available in United States by end of this month at a starting price of $3500.

Press Release

Panasonic announced the new 10x optical zoom powered Lumix SZ7 and SZ1 digital cameras that offer HD Video and 25mm wide-angle lens in a compact body. The 14-megapixel Lumix SZ7 can shoot full HD videos and with Light Speed AF, it has a super-fast focus response time of approximately 0.1 second – making it easy to capture spontaneous must-have photos. On the other hand, the 16-megapixel Lumix SZ1 features 720p HD video recording capabilities.

The Lumix SZ7 and Lumix SZ1 feature two new shooting modes – Miniature Effect and Panorama Shot. In Miniature Effect mode, the peripherals are defocused while saturation and contrast is emphasized to make the picture like a diorama. Video recorded in Miniature Effect mode is played back in 10x fast-forwarding, making it comical and fun to watch. Panorama Shot makes it possible to shoot a horizontal or vertical panoramic image by taking consecutive shots and then overlaying the photos for the effect of a panoramic photo.

To help ensure the LUMIX SZ7 and SZ1 are easy to use, both digital cameras feature Panasonic’s popular iA (Intelligent Auto) mode. In iA mode, a suite of technologies are automatically engaged and the camera chooses the best setting based on the shooting environment. For instance, iA includes the new High Dynamic Range (on the SZ7 only), Intelligent Handheld Nightshot (on the SZ7 only) and Motion Deblur (on the SZ7 only) together with AF Tracking, Intelligent ISO Control, MEGA O.I.S., Face Recognition (on the SZ7 only)/Face Detection (on the SZ1 only), Intelligent Scene Selector and Intelligent Exposure.

Other features of the new LUMIX SZ-Series include:
- 3in LCD that automatically adjusts the backlight based on the environment’s lighting
- The LUMIX SZ7 features a MOS sensor to support full-HD video, while the LUMIX SZ1 features a CCD sensor
- USB power charging in addition to the conventional AC power supply
- 3D Photo Mode allows the user to take 20 panning shots and then the camera automatically selects the two most
suitable images – one for the right eye and one for the left eye – to synthesize a 3D composite. Available on the
LUMIX SZ7 only
- Dedicated video record button which lets users instantly start recording a video without having to make any extra
settings. Additionally, the full 10x optical zoom is available in video recording mode
- High-quality stereo sound via Dolby Digital Stereo Creator accompanies the realistic HD videos. The stereo zoom
microphone comes with zoom noise reduction system and the Wind Cut function that blocks noise from background wind

Sony has announced speedier memory cards that support the new XQD specification. The recently approved and licensed format from CompactFlash Association, XQD cards are touted for its speed and performance that can capture up to 100 frames in RAW format in continuous shooting mode.

The new XQD card from Sony is compatible with Nikon’s D4 DSLR that promises to give a write and read speed of up to 1Gbps and 125MB/s respectively.

Sony XQD card will be available in 16GB and 32GB capacities at a price of $129.99 and $229.99.

Sony India has expanded its point-and-shoot camera lineup with Cyber-shot DSC-TX55. Sony takes pride of touting TX55 as the world’s slimmest camera that is just 12.2mm thick or a size of a standard AA battery.

But despite the thin form factor, TX55 is packed with features, which includes a 16.2 megapixel Exmor R sensor that takes excellent pictures in low-light functionality, 5X optical zoom support, full HD video recording with dual-recording function that captures still images while shooting a video, 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen display, 3D Sweep Panorama support and memory support via Memory Stick Micro and microSD/SDHC.

Sony will sell the camera in colors of Gold, Black and Silver for Rs. 19,990.

Panasonic’s another product announcement apart from the 3D-toting 3D1 is Lumix GX1. It’s a Compact System Camera which Panasonic claims to take outstanding photos in a very compact form factor. Lumix GX1 boasts a 16MP Live MOS sensor, Venus Engine for image processing and Contrast AF support that has a higher accuracy as compared to Phase difference system AF when shooting with bright lens and low F value.

Additionally, the camera features high ISO sensitivity up to 12800, Light Speed AF that can focus on subjects in about 0.09 secs, touchscreen display, full HD video recording at 30fps and interchangeable lenses support, including that of Lumix G lens range as well as other Four Thirds System lenses that can be mounted via an optional mount adapter.

Lumix GX1 will be available in black and silver bodies in mid-December starting with $699.99 for the body.

Panasonic has announced a new compact digital camera that supports recording images and videos in both 3D and 2D. The Lumix 3D1 is equipped with a two 25mm ultra-wide angle lens that allows a user to capture 3D images at 8 megapixel resolution or video in full HD 1920×1080 60i resolution.

Since the camera adopts a twin-lens design, a user can also take advantage of the two lenses to record 2D images and videos simultaneously. The 2D images are captured in resolution of up to 12 megapixel and videos in full HD.

Apart from that, the camera supports 4X optical zoom, AVHCD or MP4 format support, Intelligent Auto mode, optical image stabilization, AF Tracking, Face Recognition, Intelligent Scene Selector and more.

Panasonic will start selling the Lumix 3D1 just in time before Christmas in December for $499.99.

Press Release

Sony has expanded their point-and-shoot digital camera offerings with two decent additions – TX55 and WX30. TX55 is touted as the world’s thinnest camera that can record videos in full HD resolution (AVCHD). The camera features a 16.2 megapixel Exmor R sensor that improves picture quality in low-light scenarios. Additionally, it comes with Sony’s new ‘By Pixel Super Resolution’ technology that captures at 16 megapixel resolution extending the camera zoom to 10x without experiencing quality loss. The camera also comes with Dual Rec function that captures 12 megapixel still photos simultaneously while shooting full HD videos.

Other things present in the TX55 are 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen display, 3D Sweep Panorama support, Memory Stick Micro and microSD/SDHC card support.

The WX30 on the other hand is spec’d similarly to the TX55 but is not that aesthetically pleasing like TX55 and comes with a smaller 3-inch LCD.

Both the cameras will be launched in Europe in September whereas expect TX55 at the same time in US for $350.

Canon and Nikon may be undisputed leaders in the DSLR market but both companies lag behind competition when it comes to the burgeoning compact mirrorless digital camera market. Today in an interview with Reuters, Canon’s camera division head, Masaya Maeda hinted that the Japanese company is considering “the technical aspects” required to launch a compact mirrorless camera.

The mirrorless cameras are subjected to price competition but Maeda says their entry would not push down camera prices. In fact, some analysts believe Canon can hit a jackpot with the lesser expensive cameras due to their reputation in the market.

Maeda also confirmed to launch “an interesting product next year” but didn’t say if it will be a mirrorless model or some other model.

[Via engadget]

Sony has expanded its NEX line with the new NEX-C3 camera. Sony claims it as the world’s smallest and lightest digital camera with interchangeable lens that weighs just 225g. NEX Series is known for its ease of use with variety of features and gives DSLR-like quality with the help of APS HD CMOS sensor that is capable to take pictures at up to 16.2 megapixels or record video up to 720p.

The camera also features a tilt-able 3-inch Xtra Fine LCD; new Photo Creativity Interface to make it easier with ‘technical jargons’ for novice users; a real-time Picture Effect to shoot an image or video with effects like Partial Colour; Retro Photo; Pop Colour; High Contrast Monochrome; Posterisation; High-key and Toy Camera; 3D Sweep Panorama; HDMI mini connector and more.

Just like the previous NEX cameras, the NEX-C3 is also compatible with A-mount lenses with the help of adapter.

For professional photographers, Sony also announced the A35 from the Alpha series with Translucent Mirror technology that allows high-speed shooting as well as continuous autofocus in image and video mode.

The A35 is equipped with a 16.2MP Exmor APS HD CMOS sensor, which means better looking pictures even in low-light scenarios. One feature that is newly introduced is Tele-zoom high speed shooting that magnifies a central portion of an image by 1.4x while shooting at 7fps.

Additionally, the camera comes with 1080i HD video recording support in AVHCD format, electronic viewfinder, 3-inch Xtra Fine LCD, 1200-zon evaluative measuring, Sweep Panorama 2D and 3D, auto HDR and more.