Nikon D3100 Review

Following its release, Nikon proudly claimed its D3000 to be the best selling digital SLR in Europe. Its successor therefore, the D3100, has the unenviable job of avoiding dropping the ball. No pressure then.

Fortunately for its maker and those looking for an affordable first DSLR, initial impressions are good. The D3100 incorporates a DX format CMOS sensor and is targeted at those trading up from a compact or bridge camera for the first time, as well as families wanting a decent capture device for pics of their tots.

Pentax Optio RZ10 Review

The past couple of years have seen the increasing popularity of long-zoom compact cameras, or “travel cameras” as they are often known. Typically these have a lens with at least 10x zoom, usually with a wide-angle of 28mm or wider, but in a body not much bigger than a pocket ultra-compact. Most are premium models loaded with extra features such as manual exposure controls, full HD video with stereo sound, built-in GPS tracking, stored travel guides and more, and as a result they are usually very expensive. The benchmark model for this type of camera, the Panasonic TZ10, costs around £240, while its Canon rival the PowerShot SX210 IS is currently selling for around £210.

Pentax has seen a handy gap in the market here, and has launched the Optio RZ10, a cut-priced compact that has a long-zoom wide-angle lens and HD video recording, but does without the extraneous bells and whistles, and as a result costs only around £130. As well as a 10x zoom f/3.2 – f/5.9 lens, equivalent to 28-280mm, the RZ10 is equipped with a 14-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD sensor, a 6.86cm (2.7in) 230k LCD monitor, 720p HD video recording and sensor-shift image stabilisation, really a pretty impressive inventory for the price.

Samsung EX1 Review

To say there is competition between Samsung and Panasonic is something of an understatement. They are the Chelsea and Arsenal of the consumer electronics world, arch rivals in almost every field in which they operate, and not least in the area of digital cameras. Samsung entered the digital camera market a year later than Panasonic, and at least at first didn't seem to take the new technology seriously, whereas Panasonic was producing top-quality cameras as early as 2001.

#- Photography Techniques: What To Keep In Mind The Views Taken.

Photography Techniques: What To Keep In Mind The Views Taken.

Panasonic DMC-GH2

Preview based on a pre-production GH2

When Panasonic first launched the GH1, its second Micro Four Thirds camera, it was widely seen as simply being a G1 with video shooting and a considerably more expensive kit lens. And, if your primary concern was stills photography then this wasn't an entirely unreasonable assessment. However, its real appeal was not that it had video, but that it offered what was, at the time, some of the most flexible, high quality video available. Again, the 14-140mm F4.0-5.8 kit zoom may not have been cheap but it had been specifically designed and built with fast, quiet autofocus and stepless aperture control to allow AF during movie shooting and exposure changes without sudden changes in brightness.