AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota The good: The Canon PowerShot A2400 IS and PowerShot A2300 have very good picture quality for their class and are loaded with effects and filters.The bad: The cameras' flat buttons and cramped layout may make use difficult for some and shooting performance is slow, particularly shot-to-shot. The lenses require a lot of light or high ISOs when zoomed in. Battery life is short.The bottom line: The entry-level Canon PowerShot A2400 IS and its IS-less linemate the A2300 are simple cameras with nice picture quality for casual snapshooters, but the price difference isn't worth sacrificing the image stabilization.
When it comes to entry-level point-and-shoots, Canon's A-series PowerShots consistently excel in picture quality. That certainly holds true for the 16-megapixel A2400 IS and A2300.
The two simple sub-$150 ultracompact cameras are good choices for anyone whose needs don't extend far beyond the occasional fully automatic snapshot of patient subjects taken in daylight. I say that because the cameras perform fairly slowly and their photos get noticeably softer above ISO 200.
I reviewed the A2400 IS, but the only difference between the two models is optical image stabilization; the A2400 IS has it, the A2300 does not. For the $10 price difference between them, spend the extra money for the A2400 IS -- especially if you'll be doing any indoor shooting with the camera.
If low-light photos without the need for a flash or tripod are important to you, consider saving up a bit more money and getting the PowerShot Elph 110 HS, which is actually a better camera all the way around.
Picture quality As with most compact cameras, the A2400 IS' photo quality noticeably drops off at higher ISOs, so getting the best pictures really depends on how much light you have -- the more, the better. Fine detail and sharpness are very good up to ISO 200 (though a little sharpening with photo-editing software improves things). Photos get noticeably softer at ISO 400 due to heavier noise reduction.
Comparison of ISO sensitivities at 100 percent(Credit: Joshua Goldman/CNET)
Pixel peepers will see the image noise and artifacts at all ISO sensitivities, but it's really not visible at reduced sizes until you get to ISO 800. As long as you don't mind increased softness and noise -- including faint yellow blotching -- ISO 800 is usable for small prints and Web sharing. The camera's highest full-resolution sensitivity is ISO 1600 and I'd stay clear of it unless you really need to take a low-light photo.
On the other hand, because of consistent color at higher ISOs, the photos are better than those of other cameras at this price; they just get slightly washed out at and above ISO 400. In fact, color performance overall is excellent from the A2400 IS -- bright, vivid, and accurate.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Something to keep in mind, too, is that although the camera's lens starts at a bright f2.8 aperture, it shrinks to f6.9 with the lens zoomed in. That means when you go to use the full zoom, you're going to need a lot of light or a high ISO sensitivity to keep the shutter speed fast enough to prevent blur from motion or hand shake. (Another good reason to skip the A2300.)
Video quality is good enough for Web use, but nothing spectacular. Panning the camera will create judder that's typical of the video from many compact cameras, and you'll notice motion trailing on fast-moving subjects. The zoom lens does not function while recording, but you do have a digital zoom; I suggest not using it, as the results are not pleasant.
Shooting performance Shooting performance is OK; not fast enough for regularly photographing kids and pets, but not so slow that you'll get frustrated. From off to first shot takes about 2.4 seconds. The wait between subsequent shots averaged 2.8 seconds for us; using the flash bumped it up to nearly 4 seconds. Shutter lag -- the time from pressing the shutter release to capturing a photo without prefocusing -- is 0.4 second in bright lighting and 0.7 second in low-light conditions.
The continuous shooting speed is pretty slow, too, at 0.9 frames per second with focus and exposure set with the first shot. Again, if you're just walking around taking snapshots, these times are fine, but if you need something that's always ready when you are, this isn't the camera.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
Design and features The A2400 IS is a small, lightweight, and attractive camera. It easily slips into a small pocket without weighing you down and its metal casing makes it look and feel nicer than all plastic.
Part of the reason it is so small, though, is that Canon went with a 2.7-inch LCD; 3-inch displays are not uncommon at this price. It's not a bad size, though, and the screen gets bright enough that you can use it in the sun and still see well enough to frame shots.
A2400 IS: $149.99; A2300: $139.99A2400 IS: 3.7 inches x 2.2 inches x 0.8 inch; A2300: 3.7 inches by 2.1 inches by 0.8 inchWeight (with battery and media)A2400 IS: 5 ounces; A2300: 4.4 ouncesMegapixels, image sensor size, typeLCD size, resolution/viewfinderLens (zoom, aperture, focal length)5x, f2.8-6.9, 28-140mm (35mm equivalent)Highest resolution size (still/video)4,608x3,456 pixels/1,280x720 pixels at 30fpsA2400 IS: Optical and digital; A2300: Digital only A2400 IS: Li-ion rechargeable, 180 shots; A2300: Li-ion rechargeable, 230 shotsCameraWindow DC 8.7 transfer utility, ImageBrowser EX 1, PhotoStitch 3.1/3.2 (Widows, Mac)
Also helping keep the A2400 IS slim are its flat buttons, which can be difficult for those with larger fingers to press accurately. I found the Func. Set button at the center of the control pad was particularly tricky to press. Also, past Canon models either used a knob or switch to change between Auto and other shooting modes. With the A2400 IS it's done with the top of the control pad, which is too easy to accidentally hit.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
One thing that is nice to see is the new Help button that brings up a menu of topics including explanations of shooting options as well as shooting advice.
On the right side of the camera is a Mini-USB port for connecting to a computer or TV. The battery and SD memory card compartment is in the bottom of the camera behind a sliding door. It doesn't lock and slides open a bit too easily if you're going to be keeping this in a bag unprotected. Battery life is below average; you get about 180 shots per charge, less depending on your settings and use of the zoom lens and movie capture.
ISO sensitivity (full resolution)Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Fluorescent H, CustomAuto, Program, Live View Control, Portrait, Face Self-timer, Low Light, Fisheye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Snow, Fireworks, Long Shutter, Discreet, iFrame MovieNormal AF (Face, Tracking, Center), Macro, Infinity1.2 inches (Wide); 3.9 feet (Tele)Evaluative, Center-weighted average, SpotBurst mode shot limit (full resolution)
The A-series models are pretty much meant to be left in Canon's Smart Auto, which recognizes up to 32 scene types and adjusts settings accordingly. For more control, the Program mode lets you select things like white balance, ISO, and autofocus mode. Sadly, Canon dropped the My Color options from previous models that let you, among other things, adjust contrast, sharpness, and saturation. However, you do get the Live View Control mode, which enables you to adjust brightness, color, and tone with onscreen sliders and see what the photo will look like as you make the changes.
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET)
All of the shooting modes are laid out in one long row, requiring you to hunt through them all to find what you want: Program, Live View Control, Portrait, Face Self-timer (sets off a timed shot when a new face enters the frame), Low Light, Fisheye Effect, Miniature Effect, Toy Camera Effect, Monochrome, Super Vivid, Poster Effect, Snow, Fireworks, Long Shutter (exposure settings from 1 to 15 seconds), Discreet, and iFrame Movie (a format made for easy editing and viewing on mobile devices). There's plenty here to experiment with, but if you just want to leave it in auto, it does very well.
Conclusion If you're looking for an easy-to-use camera to slip in your pocket before you go out to an event or a walk around town, the Canon PowerShot A2400 IS is a safe choice. It might not be the fastest camera or the best deal, but you'll get reliably good results leaving it in auto. However, I can't recommend getting the A2300; the cost savings isn't worth giving up optical image stabilization.
AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota The good: Attractive and well-designed; capable of producing very nice photos; complete set of manual controls; solid 720p video.The bad: On the slow side, with subpar battery life; no low-compression JPEG option.The bottom line: Though we'd like it to perform better, dSLR shooters looking for a sidekick camera will find the Canon PowerShot S95's top-flight photos and a full manual feature set worth the tradeoff of its compact size.
Editors' note September 29, 2010: We updated the review to reflect that the HDR feature is not part of Canon's "HS System," which is really just Canon's way of marketing improved low-light performance.
When Canon shipped its PowerShot S90 about a year ago, it made a big impression on advanced photographers. Tiny with a wide-aperture lens and all the essential manual shooting features, it was practically irresistible for dSLR luggers. It did have a few flaws, however, some of which Canon has attempted to address with the successor, the S95. These include a 720p video-capture upgrade, improved image stabilization, and some minor tweaks to the design and feature set. Performance, though, remains on the slow end of acceptable.
The image quality is top-notch for a compact, although it's a shame that Canon doesn't offer a less-compressed JPEG option. One of my photos shot in best-quality JPEG was about 7:1, but most of them come in at about 12:1 compression. There's a visible difference between raw and JPEG shots. (I suspect the problem is that bringing back the Super Fine compression in its PowerShots would slow the cameras to a crawl.)
That said, the S95's JPEG photos are exceptionally clean and relatively usable up to ISO 400; plus, you can probably squeeze out a stop more if you shoot raw. That's a lot better than your typical ultracompact. The lens is sharp and bright, but there's some asymmetrical distortion at its widest. Metering and exposure are both good and consistent. I found that the defaults pushed the color saturation excessively, though our quantitative test results report that the S95 has relatively accurate color; the neutral color setting is not available in raw+JPEG shooting. The colors are similarly overwrought in videos, but overall the movie quality is pretty good, and despite being tiny, the stereo mics produce a surprisingly full-bodied sound for a compact.
The S95's performance improves over the S90's in some respects; unfortunately, it falls behind it in others. With a time of 2 seconds, it takes about 0.2 longer to power on and shoot. It's about 0.1 second faster at focusing and shooting in bright light, but the same duration slower in dim: 0.4 and 0.7 second, respectively. For two sequential JPEG and flash shots, it's slower by at least 0.5 second, running 2.3 seconds for JPEG and 3.3 seconds for flash, compared with 1.8 and 2.5 seconds for the S90. That's flipped for raw shooting, however, with the S95 clocking at 2.6 seconds shot-to-shot vs. 3.4 seconds for the S90. Burst shooting rises to 1.9 frames per second, but at low speeds like that it's immaterial. I don't yet have performance data for the S95's competing models, but aside from the one exception of daylight shooting, the S95 feels like it operates at a leisurely but not overly frustrating pace. The image stabilization works well, but the fact remains that the battery life is pretty short.
I have to admit: the S95 just has a body that feels nice. It's well built, with a slightly more textured finish than the S90. It's the smallest and lightest among its class, but as a tradeoff it's also the only model that lacks a hot shoe and the option for a viewfinder. Though it was nice to review a camera that fit comfortably in my front pocket for a change, it might feel a bit too small for some photographers. You should definitely try before you buy to ensure you don't need to move up to a slightly larger model like the G12, LX5, or TL500. Small can be great on ultracompacts where you're not trying to change the settings too often, but there's no point buying the S95 to run in complete auto.
The front ring can be set to control shutter speed, ISO sensitivity, exposure compensation, manual focus, white balance, stepped zoom, i-Contrast, or aspect ratio. The functions can be set independently of shooting mode, so that, for example, it can control focus in Manual mode or shutter speed while in aperture-priority mode. Am I the only one who wishes the ring controlled metering instead of i-Contrast or aspect ratio? It's a nice design, and because of it I ended up holding the camera more like a dSLR than a compact. You can quickly access the ring control assignments via a dedicated button on the top of the camera.
On top of the camera is a mode dial for access to the typical manual controls and scene modes. Plus there's the ability to save a group of custom settings for quick mode-dial access. I find the placement of the shutter button a little too far toward the middle--I feel like I have to reach--but that's just a personal preference.
The back controls remain basically unchanged from the S90, although the dial, which you use for adjusting contextual settings, operates better and isn't quite as free-spinning as the previous model. I do have the same problem as Josh, who reviewed the S90, with the review button: I kept hitting it accidentally. Otherwise, the camera follows Canon's typical PowerShot conventions. The Func/Set button pulls up adjustable shooting parameters, including ISO, white balance, color, bracketing (exposure or focus), drive mode (single, continuous, continuous with autofocus), metering, aspect ratio, quality, and dynamic range correction.
One not-so-pleasant holdover from the S90 is the inconvenient flash placement. Although it makes sense from a red-eye prevention perspective, most people hold their fingers right where the flash pops up.
2.8-inch articulated 461,000 dots3-inch fixed AMOLED 920,000 dots720/24p H.264 QuickTime MOV StereoManual iris and shutter in video
Though the camera isn't big on whizzy features, it does incorporate a now-common HDR mode, which automatically brackets and combines three exposures. For more details on the scene modes and special effects, read the review of the S90 or download the PDF of the S95's manual.
You'll still have to schlep your dSLR to photograph kids, pets, wildlife, and anything else that moves quickly or randomly, but the Canon PowerShot S95 is probably the best--if expensive--alternative that an advanced shooter will find in such a small package.
Shooting speed (in seconds) (Shorter bars indicate better performance) Typical continuous-shooting speed (in fps) (Longer bars indicate better performance)
AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota The good: The Sony Handycam DCR-SX45, SX65, and SX85 are easy-to-use ultracompact camcorders with good active electronic image stabilization and a built-in USB cable for quick uploads.The bad: The DCR-SX45, SX65, and SX85 produce very soft and noisy video with noticeable fringing on subjects even at small sizes. There are no mic or headphone jacks, and the electronic image stabilization won't help you with the lens fully extended.The bottom line: Sony's Handycam DCR-SX45, SX65, and SX85 standard-definition camcorders pack a megazoom lens at a reasonable price; one look at the standard-definition video, though, and you might regret not spending a bit more for an HD model.
The Handycam DCR-SX series is Sony's flash-memory-based standard-definition ultracompact camcorder. It's made up of three models that differ only by storage amounts: the SX45 has no internal memory; the SX65 has 4GB built in; and the SX85 has 16GB of internal storage. This review covers the SX65, however the SX85 is the best value. All of them have a 3-inch touch-screen LCD, a 60x optical zoom lens, and few cool features like a built-in USB connector for quick uploads and easy charging by computer. However, none of the features do much to improve video quality.
No, unfortunately, there's apparently no reason to make an excellent standard-def camcorder these days; the SX65's movies are mediocre at best--especially if you're watching them full-screen on a large TV or are used to the sharpness and clear details of high-definition content.
For Web use at small sizes the results are OK, though, and if you're not terribly concerned with video quality in the first place and want a reasonably priced camcorder that's easy to use, has a megazoom lens, and can fit in a coat pocket, this Sony is worth checking out.
Weight (with battery and media)4GB flash memory (3.8GB available); Memory Stick Pro Duo, SD/SDHC/SDXC cards3-inch LCD, 230K pixels (touch screen)Lens (zoom, aperture, focal length)60x, f1.8-6.0, 39-2,340mm (16:9), 44-2,640mm (4:3) (35mm equivalent)3 lux (1/30-second shutter speed)MPEG-2 (.MPG), Dolby Digital 2-channel stereo720x480 pixels (9Mbps)/640x480 pixelsRecording time at highest qualityBattery type, rated life (typical)Li-ion rechargeable, 60 minutesSony Picture Motion Browser, PMB Portable (Windows)
Available in blue, black, silver, and red versions, the SX65 is an attractive little camcorder. Its physical controls are textbook camcorder design with a start/stop button comfortably under the thumb at the back and a zoom rocker up top in front of a shutter release for snapshots in Photo mode. The whole package is roughly the size of a soda can. The hand strap is comfortable if a little low. Interestingly, it also acts as a cap for a full-size USB connector that's attached by a cable to the camcorder's body. This allows you to connect it directly to a computer to offload photos and video and charge the battery. Just above the strap is a small door hiding a power/charging input and AV output (a composite cable is included).
The battery juts out from the back, and above it is a button for changing between photo and video modes. Below the battery on the bottom of the camcorder is a card slot that supports both Memory Stick Pro Duo and SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.
Flip open the touch-screen display (there is no viewfinder) and you'll find four buttons in the body cavity, for power; entering Sony's Intelligent Auto mode; turning on and off an LED lamp under the lens; and changing over to Playback mode. The last of the I/O ports is in this cavity, too: an uncovered Mini-USB port. An optional cable can be used with this port to connect directly to an external USB storage device for quick saves without a computer. You can also copy content from the internal storage to Memory Stick or SD cards.
The touch screen is nice and sharp compared with other models in its class, but it was very difficult to see in direct sunlight. Luckily it rotates, so even if you can't see it you can change the angle. On the left edge of the screen there are virtual buttons for controlling the zoom lens and starting and stopping recordings, very helpful if you're shooting at a low angle or on a tripod. The menu system is good for those who don't make a lot of changes. In other words, it's responsive, but because all of the options are in one long row, it can feel like the list goes on forever. At least Sony lets you configure an opening menu screen with six items you frequently adjust.
AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota The good: Excellent video quality; extremely customizable; great lens and optical stabilizer; fast focus.The bad: No 720p recording capability; coarse, low-resolution LCD.The bottom line: Canon's XH A1 and XH G1 are excellent camcorders for entry-level professionals and independent filmmakers, with hard-to-beat prices for what they offer.Giving independent videographers something to choose from besides its popular but long-in-the-tooth GL2, Canon offers up two HDV models designed to appeal to the prosumer and entry-level pro markets. Derived from the same technology that the professional-level XL H1 uses, the XH A1 and the XH G1 HDV models trade the XL H1's interchangeable lens system to lower the cost by one-half to two-thirds the price of the higher-end model. The two XH models share a single body, but the G1 includes the equivalent of the XL H1's JackPack--HD-SDI output with embedded audio and time code, Genlock synchronization, and Timecode In/Out--a group of connectors critical for anyone trying to mix multiple video input sources. In addition, the SDI output is the only way to get 4:2:2 output. We tested the lower-end XH A1.
All things considered it feels comfortable shooting with the XH A1; though it weighs almost five pounds, it's still considerably lighter than most. All the buttons and controls sit in logical locations, grouped roughly by function and generally in the same locations as they appear on competing models. They're good sizes, and various bumps and divots in the buttons provide enough tactile feedback to operate without looking. A large chunk of the camcorder's architecture lets you determine the speed and subtlety with which shifts occur during shooting, including focus, zoom and exposure changes, and white-balance adjustments. (For a complete discussion of the controls, click through the slide show.)
On the lens barrel, rings of different sizes and textures operate focus, zoom, and iris. In response to complaints about the mushiness of servo-controlled focus, Canon offers a Slow speed option; that option, plus a distance readout help to maintain a finer control over focus response, but you'll probably still want to try it and compare to others if you're picky about the feel. I think it feels about the same as the Panasonic AG-HVX200's.
The same three 1/3-inch CCDs with 1080i (1,440x1,080) native resolution that drive the XL H1 sit at the center of the XH series' imaging system, and like the H1, both models can record in 1080i at 30F or 24F frame rates. The latter comes in two versions, one which records to tape at 24 frames per second, and one which downconverts from 24fps to 30fps/60i using 2:3:3:2 pull-down before recording for greater editing compatibility. Their feature sets share many of the H1's technologies, including a Digic DV II processor, Super-Range Optical Image Stabilization, and the H1's customization architecture. The XH cameras have fixed 20x zoom lenses rather than the interchangeable lenses on the XL, but they offer a wider-angle view: 32.5mm-to-650mm equivalent.
The lens and focusing system perform very well. The lens displays very good edge-to-edge sharpness, albeit with a tendency to display a bit of magenta chromatic aberration on the sides, and the center focus looks great, especially when zoomed in tight. As usual, Canon's optical stabilizer works exceptionally well, even all the way out to 20x.
With Instant AF enabled, the autofocus works quickly, and the Push AF, which activates an Instant AF override in manual-focus mode, speeds manual focus considerably. As noted in the XH series' documentation, there's a bit of an autofocus lag in 24F and 30F modes; it's perceptible, but if you shoot a lot in those modes and use AF, your shooting rhythm should adapt after a while. Canon moved the Peaking and Magnify focusing aids out to the body of the camera--they were in the menu system in the XL H1--and you'll rely on them pretty heavily; the tiny, low-resolution LCD is pretty difficult to work with.
AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota Pros Third-generation Intel Core i5 processor. Has a 27-inch HD display. Beats Audio. HDMI-in for expanded use. USB 3.0. Generous 15-month subscription to Norton Internet Security. A 2TB hard drive. Cons No Blu-ray drive. Bloatware. Bottom Line The HP Omni 27-1015t has plenty of great features. Big screen, great sound, faster processor? Check, check, check. But, where's the Blu-ray drive? By Brian Westover
If you're an avid movie watcher or video hobbyist, you probably already know about the video-friendly all-in-one desktop PC, the HP Omni 27. With the release of Intel's third-generation processing platform the Omni has gotten a hardware refresh. The new HP Omni 27-1015t offers faster processing and a double the hard drive capacity. Unfortunately, it drops the Blu-ray drive that came with the previous iteration. It's a move that hobbles the appeal of this all-in-one desktop, and wastes the potential of its 27-inch HD display. But in terms of other features and performance, the Omni 27-1015t is still a solid system.
Design & Features Outwardly identical to the Editors' Choice HP Omni 27 , the Omni 27-1015t features the same edge-to-edge glass covered 27-inch display, complete with true 1080p resolution (1,920 by 1,080). It's large enough—and sharp enough—to use as your primary television screen, with HDMI input giving the all-in-one monitor capability for another PC or game console. Though beautiful, the display lacks touch-screen functionality, as we've seen in the similarly-priced Sony VAIO L24 (SVL24114FXB) (though, it should be said, the Sony desktop's display is smaller at 24 inches). The Omni 27-1015t comes with impressive audio: Beats Audio provides crisp, clear sound, and an optional subwoofer for those who want their bass to really thump. It's a combination made in movie lover's dreams. That's why we were dismayed to see that this configuration—unlike the Omni 27—comes standard with a DVD drive only, not Blu-ray. Upgrading to Blu-ray is only $100, but with this display, at this price point, it should probably come standard.
Included with the Omni 27-1015t is a wireless keyboard and mouse. The keyboard has chiclet-style keys and runs on two AAA batteries, offering reasonably comfortable typing from up to 30 feet away—ideal for anyone wanting to use this as both PC and TV. The included wireless mouse has an ambidextrous design and tight, controlled clicking. While personal preference may lead some to pick up different peripherals, the included keyboard and mouse are better than most bundled accessories.
On the right of the system you'll find a slot-loading DVD+-RW recorder, along with several menu buttons and an HDMI-in port for connecting a TV tuner or gaming console. On the left, two USB 3.0 ports offer speedy connections for hard drives, along with jacks for headphones and microphone, and a card reader slot (SD,MS, xD). On the back of the system, you'll find four USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet port, and jacks for speakers and subwoofer.
Inside, the Omni 27-1015t packs 2TB of hard drive storage, double that of most mid-price all-in-ones, like the Apple iMac 27-inch (Thunderbolt) or Asus ET2700INKS-B062C , which both offer 1TB drives. You will find a fair amount of extras preinstalled on the system, like HP Games, Rara Music (a paid music service), Office 2010 Starter, and a generous 15-month trial of Norton Internet Security. You'll also get added toolbars in Internet Explorer (from Bing and Norton), desktop links to Ebay and Amazon, and HP branded utilities like HP Download Store, and HP Magic Canvas—a touch-optimized interface that simply feels inconvenient on a non-touch-screen device.
Performance The biggest updates to the Omni 27-1015t are internal, as the all-in-one boasts a 3.0GHz Intel Core i5-3550S dual-core processor, part of Intel's third-generation platform. Thanks to the new processor and 8GB of RAM, the Omni 27-1015t offers improved performance across the board, leading the category in several tests, such as PCMark 7 (3201 points) and Handbrake (1:09) and only being narrowly edged out in Photoshop (3:03) and CineBench (5.42) by the Asus ET2700INKS-B062C (Photoshop 2:58, CineBench 5.60), which boasts a Core i7 CPU.
Compared with others in the midrange all-in-one desktop category, the Omni 27-1015t offers improved performance and plenty of great features for the price, but drops some of our favorite features seen in the Editors' Choice Omni 27, namely the standard Blu-ray optical drive. The newer HP Omni 27-1015t does offer a large 2TB drive to compensate, making it a great deal for the price, but it doesn't quite replace its predecessor as the Editors' Choice.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS: Check out the test scores for the HP Omni 27-1015t
COMPARISON TABLE Compare the HP Omni 27-1015t with several other desktops side by side.
More desktop reviews: • HP Omni 27-1015t • Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 • HP Pavilion HPE h9-1120t Phoenix • Acer Predator AG3620-UR21P • Velocity Micro Vector Campus Edition (2012) • more
AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota The good: Excellent performance for its class; great viewfinder; control locations and operations streamlined over previous Nikon dSLRs; double SDXC-compatible card slots.The bad: No 1080/30p video.The bottom line: An excellent dSLR for experienced shooters or Nikon professionals looking for a relatively cheap option, the Nikon D7000 delivers on almost all counts, including the company's best shooting design to date.
When it comes to mid-to-high-end dSLRs, it takes quite a bit to float my boat these days. I'm not looking for whizzy new features, bold redesigns, or insane burst rates for either myself or the shoppers I advise; to me, the perfect camera just gets out of the way between my eye and the final photograph (and perhaps video). That's a lot more elusive than you'd expect. But shooting with the Nikon D7000 frequently came close to delivering the photographic tinglies in a way I haven't felt in way too long--I think since I gave the Canon EOS 5D Mark II an Editors' Choice Award almost two years ago. Of course, the usual caveats apply: it's not the right camera for everyone and it's not best at everything. But its combination of design, feature set, performance, and photo quality for the price is hard to beat (and will be especially so once the street price starts to drop).
There's a variety of new Nikon tech in the D7000 over older models, including a new Nikon-designed 16.2-megapixel sensor coupled with its Expeed 2 processor; with this pairing, Nikon ups its analog-to-digital conversion to 14-bit processing. There's also a new metering sensor and more sophisticated autofocus system. It's also Nikon's first dSLR to rise to 1080p HD video--albeit only 24fps--with the "added bonus" of full-time autofocus during video capture. And the body's construction, though not quite as tanklike as the D300s, incorporates an all-metal chassis with magnesium alloy covers (the rest is polycarbonate), and is sealed against dust and moisture like the D300s.
Photo quality is first rate, and, despite the resolution increase, stands up very well against the D300s as well as most competitors. Though I'd probably say the D7000's JPEG photos are clean up through only ISO 800, they remain very good through ISO 1,600. By ISO 3,200, shadow detail gets pretty noisy. You can eke out about a stop more of usability out the D7000's medium-high ISO sensitivities by using raw instead of JPEGs, or at least by tweaking the default camera settings. Granted, the images aren't noise-free, but the monochrome-grain appearance is more attractive than the in-camera err-on-the-side-of-color-noise approach, and there seems to be enough dynamic range that there's still shadow detail and little loss of sharpness.
Exposure and metering are solid and consistent, and it reproduces color faithfully when you want it to. Nikon pushes the saturation a bit in its default Standard Picture Control, but it doesn't display the wholesale color shifts we tend to see on lower-end models. However, when you compare the Neutral setting with all the others, you can tell it pushes the contrast to the point where you actually lose shadow detail.
The video looks solid, but not standout. It's sharp, but there's a little more color noise and moire than I like; I didn't have much problem with rolling shutter, though, which can usually be produced on demand. The full-time autofocus is pretty useless. Not only is it too easily confused, like most contrast autofocus systems--if your subject is moving it hunts a lot--but you definitely need an external microphone with it because the lens noise is very obvious.
Some users have reported issues with dead/colored pixels in low light video; we didn't experience any problems, though we'll definitely keep a watch on the issue. Update, 2/2/11: Nikon released a firmware update to address it. Update, 12/6/10: Nikon has acknowledged user complaints about the problem. It claims this is normal behavior, but that it will release a firmware update--eventually--to compensate. As I don't consider the video a compelling reason to buy this camera, and don't think it's up to really low-light video shooting, anyway, I didn't factor the problem into my evaluation. If it's important to you, however, I suggest you search the Web for updated information prior to purchasing it.
For all intents and purposes, with the exception of burst shooting, the D7000 runs neck and neck with the 60D for speed--and they're both really fast. Time to power on and shoot for the D7000 is negligible, much like it was for the D90. It takes a mere 0.3 second to focus and shoot in good light, rising to only 0.5 second in dim light. It typically takes about 0.6 second for two sequential raw shots (0.5 for JPEG), bumping up to 0.7 second with flash enabled. Shot-to-shot time is the only nonburst speed where the D7000 is slower than the more expensive D300s, but only by a bit and that's likely because the D300s uses faster CompactFlash. And the D7000's 5.7fps burst rate is quite good for a nonpro camera.
There are a bunch of autofocus options: Single-point AF; 9-, 21- or 39-point dynamic; 3D tracking; and full auto. Shooting with standard single-point autofocus feels almost instantaneous most of the time, and though the automatic AF is equally fast, it's just as bad as all other auto AF systems, chronically picking the wrong subjects. I couldn't thoroughly test the various dynamic AF options, but AF during continuous shooting seems to deliver similar performance to the D90. It's very good, but with the same problems that typically plague tracking AF systems; you have to carefully choose your settings based on the scene (such as going with the 9-point mode instead of the 39-point mode), for example, to prevent it from sliding off the subject and locking on something in the background, and it's not terribly effective for subjects moving toward and away from you, just those moving laterally.
In the D7000, Nikon tends to offer a lot of useful options on core features rather than whizzy but less essential capabilities. It's got two saved settings slots on the mode dial--less powerful than the settings banks in Nikon's older mid-to-high-end dSLRs, but with a more practical, straightforward implementation that means they're more likely to get used. I'm hoping that in the future (probably in a more expensive model) Nikon manages a combination of the two systems: saved, named banks of settings that you can mix and match and assign to the dial.
There are two SDXC card slots, which is both unusual and welcome, and you can configure them in functional ways: for overflow, backup, raw vs. JPEG, video vs. still. I was a little annoyed with the card-to-card copy, though. Thrilled to have it, but when it's done it just stops and goes dark. I copied a directory three times thinking the camera had died in the middle before realizing that it had, in fact, worked the first time.
Though it offers a maximum of three-shot exposure bracketing, it can handle up to a two-stop interval, which is unusual. Plus, it has a novel two-frame under/over bracket, which I imagine can come in handy. You can also set manual white balance from saved images on a card or by the typical measuring method--and they can be annotated and up to five presets stored; most cameras, especially in this class and down, offer only a subset of those capabilities. For video capture, you've got full manual exposure controls and a handful of microphone sensitivity settings.
Other, more common but nice to have capabilities include a relatively powerful intervalometer, user-definable spot sizes for center-weighted metering (6, 8, 10, or 13mm), and Eye-Fi enable/disable support. (You can read a full accounting of the D7000's features and operation by downloading the PDF manual.)
ISO 100 - ISO 6,400/12,800 (expanded)ISO 100 (expanded)/200 - ISO 3,200/6,400 (expanded)ISO 100 - ISO 6,400/25,600 (expanded)ISO 100 (expanded)/200 - ISO 3,200/6,400 (expanded)Viewfinder magnification/effective magnification9-pt AF all cross-type; center cross to f2.81/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/250 sec x-sync1/4,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/250 sec x-sync1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/250 sec x-sync420-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering II2,016-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering1,005-pixel 3D Color Matrix Metering IIH.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p/25p/24p; 720/60p/50p Monoaural720/24p Motion JPEG AVI Monaural 1080/24p/25p; 720/30p/24p/25p H.264 QuickTime MOV Monoaural720/24p Motion JPEG AVI Monaural Rated estimated max HD video length Manual aperture and shutter in video3 inches articulated 1.04 million dotsBody operating weight (ounces)$1,399.99 (with 18-135mm lens)$1,149.95 (with 18-105mm lens, est)$1,499.95 (with 18-105mm lens)
It's not a lightweight camera, but it feels very sturdy and well built, with a solid grip and enough heft to offset the weight of many heavy pro lenses. The viewfinder is lovely to use, especially compared with the dim, squinty ones found in the cheaper SLRs. It's relatively bright, with 100 percent scene coverage, an optional grid overlay, and large AF-area indicators. Rubber covers hide the connectors for composite and HDMI video, USB, and a mic and proprietary GPS connector.
But some of the best aspects of the D7000 are the changes from the traditional Nikon body design that I think are great. In addition to those already mentioned, like the user settings on the mode dial, there's a cleverly designed movie/Live View switch and dedicated record button. The location of the lock-release button for the release-mode dial on the D7000 is toward the back instead of the front (as it is on the D3s, for example). It's a subtle change, but I find it easier to use this way--I can hold it down with my thumb.
Nikon has moved the control for selecting among the AF modes (auto, single, and continuous) to a clever button-dial combination. Yay! The selection also appears in the viewfinder so you can change modes without taking the camera away from your eye. Double yay! And the camera uses a new battery grip that supports AA batteries as well as Nikon's proprietary lithium ion power.
Of course, I still have a few quibbles with the design, though no showstoppers. Nikon sticks with the traditional vertical arrangement of menu, white balance, ISO sensitivity and quality buttons down the left side of the LCD. The buttons feel identical, which requires that you pay a little more attention than I'd like.
My one big complaint about the camera's operation is that the Info display isn't interactive like it is on many models, even just as an alternative to all the direct controls (top). Instead, you can only access the less commonly needed settings, like button assignments and noise-reduction options.
I also ended up having to disable modeling flash; with a flash in the hotshoe, the flash compensation button triggers the modeling flash and I repeatedly blinded people and animals by accidentally pressing the button during normal camera handling.
The D7000 looks like both a compelling cheap alternative to the D300s and a significant upgrade over the D90 for not a lot of money. For video shooters, the cheaper 60D still has a slight edge; though many indie videographers tend to prefer 24p, at the very least it's nice to have the 30p option, and 30fps with full-time autofocus is more attractive to the mainstream user. Plus lots of folks, including me, love the articulated LCDs. But it's hard to argue against the better coverage for the viewfinder, faster burst shooting with a deeper buffer and fast autofocus, and a more durable body construction.
The Nikon D7000 stands out as a great camera for experienced photographers and pros who don't have specific needs like full frame or fastest burst possible. It's expensive for a first dSLR, and there are plenty of sub-$1,000 models to fill that need. But if you're ready to replace your current dSLR with something a little more powerful, a look at the D7000 should top your to-do list.
Shooting speed (in seconds) (Shorter bars indicate better performance) Typical continuous-shooting speed (in fps) (Longer bars indicate better performance)
ProsExcellent video quality. Solid image stabilization. LCD Sharp. ConsSometimes incorrect white balance. No Wi - Fi. Bottom linePanasonic SC-V700M is missing some of the useful Wi - Fi functionality found on competing consumer camcorders, but excellent video quality in a variety of scenarios to more doing lighting place for it. By Eugene Kim
Panasonic SC-V700M (list of $599.99) is one of a few camcorders consumer that can save a full 1080p60 video, and it adds the solid image stabilization and versatility 21 x optical zoom. It has no Wi - Fi and the other bells and whistles found in competing models, but offers excellent video quality even in low light, which won the HC-V700M our Editors' Choice.
Design and characteristics There is not much the deviance in the design of consumer camcorder nowadays, with the familiar shape of gun, handle and swing of the LCD, which can be found on the SC-V700M. 2.2 By 2.7 to 4.7 inches (detector) and 9.6 ounces, Panasonic SC-V700M looks like most of the other camcorders in its class. The button placement is also fairly standard, with the zoom toggle and still obturator image on top, with the record button on the back, where naturally your thumb. To the left of the zoom rocker is an automatic/manual button and a button for Image stabilization. The right is a cursor to change between video modes, Photo and reading. The niche inside LCD are mini USB, mini HDMI and AV ports, and a microphone 3.5 mm, Power button and button input toggle 1080i60/p60.
Screen LCD 3 inches with a resolution of 460 k-point, is net enough light for outside. It is a big improvement on the LCD of 260 k-point on the Canon Vixia HF R300 and the Canon Vixia HF M50, but drags resolution 921 k-point of JVC Everio GZ - GX1. The LCD screen is enabled at the touch, and menu navigation is sensitive. Full auto mode is fast and accurate, so you will not need probably digging into the menu for finer adjustments. Manual mode focuses, balance white, shutter speed and adjustment of the iris at hand, but change the video quality and some other functions requires digging deeper in the standard list menu.
Performance HC-V700M uses a sensor of MOS 1/2.33 inch with a 21 x optical zoom covering a 28-range lens of 717.4 mm (35 mm equivalent). The wide angle is good for the capture of large scenes in tight quarters and the zoom is much longer than the x 10 reach found on competitors as the Vixia HF M50, but not quite as long the zoom 25 x found on Sony HDR-PJ200. The lens opens to f/1.8 aperture at the end wide and f/3.5 at its scope in telephoto. It allows half of the amount of light as the Everio GZ - GX1, with its opening of f/1.2, but the HC-V700M exceeds that camera in low light scenarios.
Both the Interior and exterior, HC-V700M extremely crisp video offers. In the low light testing, HC-V700M was able to maintain fine details, even in some dark shadows. No there was virtually no noise of the image and the colours are generally faithful to life. I noticed some instances of inaccurate or slow white balance, which gives a yellow colour video. Outdoor images was equally strong, with vivid colors and accurate exposure. 1080P60 shooting produced an action smooth and fluid, with very little blurring or loss of detail. I noticed that the slight color fringe outside, with purple edges on objects of backgrounds brilliant, but it was less and less frequent as the fringes that arose with the GZ - GX1. Video quality overall was always sharper and smoother than the M50 Vixia HF, who also excels in low light, but above the to 1080i60.
Image stabilization is very good, even at extreme telephoto. Front and panoramic zoom through scenes are smooth, with shaking very sweet and discreet. There were occasional shift before pan quick shots, but it was not too serious and certainly preferable to a shot of scrapie. The audio quality is also good in my tests; the V700M was able to capture voices loud and clear, but outside of the camcorder picked lots of noise in the environment as the cars by the conduct or the rustle of the trees. Still image quality, like most of the other camcorders, is unsatisfactory. The image noise is generally low, but a persistent granulation embroiled some of the finer details, even in good light.
V700M in AVCHD files only, while the Canon Vixia models offer the ability to record AVCHD and MP4 format. Keep in mind that some editing programs, such as iMovie, do not support AVCHD to 1080p60, so you will need to convert your videos accordingly. The camera includes 16 GB integrated memory and has a single card slot that accepts SD, SDHC and SDXC memory cards. Mini HDMI port allows for playback on HD televisions and mini USB port facilitates the transfer of files between the camcorder and the computer. The V700M is not a Wi - Fi connectivity, which is included in the Canon HF M50 and JVC GZ - GX1. An included AC adapter charge the removable battery.
Conclusions In terms of pure video performance, it is difficult to find fault with the Panasonic SC-V700M. He delivered some the sharpest and richest in video details, that we have seen in a midrange consumer camcorder, but it also lacks some additional features of its competitors. JVC Everio GZ - GX1 is also capable of 1080p60 video and includes a set of really useful features of Wi - Fi, but it cannot compete with the net and clear video of the SC-V700M, especially indoors or in low light. The Canon Vixia HF M50 is narrow in terms of video quality and it has a few features Wi - Fi, but head to the 1080i60 and costs $50 more. If your budget is limited, the Canon Vixia HF R300, our entry Editors' Choice, delivers together solid video performance for its price of $350.
AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota The good: Generally excellent video quality and a straightforward, if somewhat unglamorous, interface highlight the Panasonic HDC-HS900, TM900, and SD800's capabilities.The bad: Wonky white balance and lack of a built-in neutral density filter are the two biggest drawbacks of an otherwise very good series of prosumer camcorders.The bottom line: Panasonic's trio of prosumer camcorders, the hard-disk-based HDC-HS900 and flash-based TM900 and SD800, deliver generally excellent video quality and provide the full set of manual controls and features advanced users want. But you have to be willing to baby the white balance a bit. The TM900 is my top pick of the three for its EVF, but if you're on a tight budget the SD800 should suit just fine.
Panasonic has a history of producing solid prosumer camcorders that deliver excellent video quality and performance, but have unexciting, functional designs. That tradition continues with the latest crop of models. Updates to last year's 700 series, Panasonic's 800/900 models--the HDC-HS900, TM900, and SD800--are fundamentally the same as their predecessors with some modest enhancements and slightly better video quality. They do, however, use the same trio of sensors and lens, as well as an essentially identical body design.
Series information: We performed a hands-on evaluation of the HDC-HS900, the hard-disk version of the camcorder, but aside from the few functional differences inherent in recording to the different media, the HS900 and TM900 should be identical. The HDC-SD800, on the other hand, is basically a stripped-down version of the TM900; it has the same sensor and lens as the others, so delivers the same video, but lacks an EVF, lens ring, and accessory shoe, provides only two-channel audio, and has a smaller LCD and no built-in memory.
Models in this series Download the manual (PDF)Primary media: 32GB flash, 1 x SDXCPrimary media: 220GB hard drive, 1 x SDXCPrimary media: 1 x SDXC no EVF, no ring on lens, smaller LCD, 2-channel audio, no accessory shoe
In good light, the camcorder can produce nicely sharp video, although it has some auto white-balance problems. Changing the white-balance setting and then back to auto usually fixes them, though. The low-light video quality is quite good, with relatively little noise (though some suppression artifacts) and decent color saturation. Better bokeh is one of the main reasons you might want to opt for a dSLR or ILC over a pricey camcorder; even the more expensive consumer camcorders have unattractive polygonal apertures.
In low light there's practically no color noise, although you can see quite a bit of smearing from the noise reduction. Still, the video looks surprisingly good and remains naturally saturated.
The still photos are pretty mediocre viewed at full size, but might work as small reference images. You might be better off sticking to frame grabs at 1,920x1,080 pixels.
The HDC-HS900 performs well, too, with fast, accurate autofocus that's not easily confused, warm sound, and a decent wind filter. There's minimal lens distortion at its widest, but that's probably because the lens doesn't get very wide; Sony seems to be leading the pack with that, which is one of the significant ways this whole class of models could improve. That, as well as more attractive apertures. As far as I know, there's no technical reason a $1,000-plus camcorder can't incorporate a seven-bladed aperture.
As with most advanced AVCHD camcorders that shipped in early 2011, using the best-quality 1080/60p mode is a bit of a pain. Because the AVCHD spec wasn't updated until the summer to support 1080p (note that there is no 1080/30p), the camcorder makes you jump through some outdated hoops and throws up annoying warnings when you switch in and out of that mode. This is one of the few complaints I have about the series. But I'd just switch into it and stick there because you really do want to use the maximum bit rate and resolution.
On the heels of its Outlook.com rollout, Microsoft today unveiled several updates to its SkyDrive cloud storage service.
According to a company blog entry, Web client SkyDrive.com has been given a new, modern design for desktop and tablet browsers, complete with instant search, a contextual toolbar, thumbnail multi-select, drag-and-drop organization, and HTML5 sorting. SkyDrive's revamped website, which will roll out over the next day, closely resembles the Windows 8 app, after which it was modeled.
With the integrated instant search option, users can quickly look for a file anywhere in SkyDrive, including various Office platforms.
Based on user feedback, Microsoft updated its sorting feature, now offering "sort by" options like name, date modified, date created, and size, as well as ascending or descending within each category.
Meanwhile, Skydrive for Windows and OS X will now provide faster uploads, with the help of under-the-hood bug fixes and performance improvements. Users can expect the PC update to hit their machine sometime in the next week. The Windows team also added more storage for app developers working with SkyDrive API.
Additionally, Android users can soon upload and share data from their mobile phones,with the new SkyDrive for Android app. It will available for download within a few weeks and joins the Windows Phone and iOS versions.
"With these updates and continued improvements to our back-end infrastructure, we're excited to leave preview and unlock new possibilities," group program managers Omar Shahine and Mike Torres wrote on the blog.
For more, see PCMag's review of Outlook.com and the slideshow above.
Watch Microsoft's "new SkyDrive" video below.
For more from Stephanie, follow her on Twitter @smlotPCMag.
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Google Fined $22.5M; Pinterest Open to All Gauss Malware Hits Middle East; Google Fined $22.5M; Pinterest Open to All By Stephanie Mlot August 10, 2012 09:36am EST Comments Tweet
Topping tech headlines Thursday, another cyber threat hit the Middle East, aimed at stealing personal details, including banking information.
Dubbed Gauss, the malware is somewhat unique, carrying characteristics never found in previous cyber weapons. Still, it bears a striking resemblance to aspects of Flame, malware that targeted the Middle East in May. The new malware grabs detailed information like browser history, cookies, passwords, and system configurations; it can also steal things like credentials for online banking systems and payment methods. According to research, Gauss began operating in September 2011, but was not discovered until June.
Meanwhile, Google has agreed to pay the Federal Trade Commission $22.5 million to settle charges that it misrepresented how it tracked users of Apple's Safari browser. While Google's actions did not violate U.S. law, the company did violate a March 2011 deal over Google's Buzz program, which required the search giant to implement privacy safeguards, and specifically banned it from future privacy misrepresentations. The FTC's $22.5 million penalty is the largest the commission has ever obtained for violation of a commission order.
In other news, social corkboard site Pinterest has officially stepped out of its invitation-only formalwear and into the more comfortable open-to-all registration. Rather than having to secure an invite, users can now just go to Pinterest.com and sign up. Users can also join via a Facebook or Twitter account.
Also making headlines Thursday:
ul.article_ul {list-style-type:disc!important;}ul.article_ul li {margin-left:30px!important; padding:0px 15px 5px 1px!important;}table.pcm_table1 {border-collapse:collapse!important; border:1px solid #CCC!important;}table.pcm_table1 td, th {border:1px solid #CCC!important; padding:3px;}Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet 2 Coming With Windows8: Lenovo bets big on Windows 8 with the ThinkPad Tablet 2.How to Hack NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover: We polled security pros for tips on how to hijack the newest resident of Mars, but don't worry, folks ? anybody who could actually do this doesn't need our advice.Ouya Nabs $8.6 Million in Kickstarter Funds, Opens Pre-Orders: The Android-based Ouya console ended its run on Kickstarter with nearly $8.6 million in user donations, and is now taking pre-orders that start at $109.Apple Back-to-School Deal Offers $100 Gift Card: Apple on Thursday unveiled its annual back-to-school discount, offering students a $100 gift card to spend on apps. Create Disposable Phone Numbers With Burner iPhone App: The new Burner app for iPhone generates throw-away phone numbers, which can be used for undercover operations or by those who simply prefer a deep layer of privacy. Nokia Sells Open Source Qt Platform to Digia: Nokia has unloaded its open source development platform Qt. Sound Shapes Instrument Game Hits PlayStation Store: Realize your lifelong musical dreams with Sound Shapes, newly expanded into the PlayStation Network this week.Boingo Buys Cloud Nine Media to Expand Wi-Fi Advertising: Wireless giant Boingo announced on Thursday its acquisition of Cloud Nine Media, a Wi-Fi sponsorship and location-based advertising company.Apple Sued in China Over Rights to FaceTime: Amidst its ongoing patent trial with Samsung, Apple is facing new legal trouble, this time in China over its FaceTime video calling software.Judge Tosses $147 Million Patent Judgment Against RIM: In a bit of good news for the troubled Research in Motion, a California judge this week threw out a $147.2 million patent judgment against the BlackBerry maker.Facebook Asks Users to Report Phishing Emails: Did someone try to dupe you into revealing your Facebook log-in credentials with a phishing email? Facebook wants to know.Amazon Cloud Player Comes to Sonos Wireless HiFi System: Amazon on Thursday extended the availability of its Cloud Player to the Sonos Wireless HiFi system.Pulse Newsreader Now Available on the Web: Newsreader app Pulse is expanding beyond the confines of mobile apps and bringing an HTML5 version of its service to the Web.Google Translate Update Adds Visual Translation Support: Never again find yourself stuck in a foreign land with fingers too tired to type every road sign in site, with the latest Google Translate for Android update.Apple Stores Now Price Matching iPhone Discounts: As rumors about the next iPhone swirl, Apple has begun matching the discounted iPhone prices from other major retailers and carriers.Boundless Brings Free, Digital Textbook Service Out of Beta: Boundless, the textbook-free option for students, started the next chapter of its service this week by coming out of private beta and opening its online doors to the world.Skype Launches Calling Cards in Mexico: Skype is providing users in Mexico with a new payment option via Skype Cards, launched Thursday.
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AppId is over the quota AppId is over the quota The good: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V is overflowing with shooting features, and has excellent photo and video quality and solid shooting performance.The bad: The HX9V might actually be too much camera for some users and there are a couple of minor design issues.The bottom line: Feature junkies in search of a compact megazoom should get the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V.
Editors' note: The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V was replaced for Sony's 2012 Cyber-shot lineup by the HX30V and HX20V. The HX9V is still available, however, so if you're not sure if you should spend the extra money to get the new HX30V, here are reasons why to go with one over the other. You should also consider the HX10V, which has the same lens as the HX9V, but Sony's new features and improvements for its 2012 Cyber-shots.
Sony has three compact megazooms in its 2011 lineup; the Cyber-shot HX9V is the most expensive. It's also the only one of the three (the H70 and HX7V are the others) that's not replacing a 2010 model. It's entirely new and hosts what seems like all of Sony's latest Cyber-shot technologies. That includes (for better or worse) a 16-megapixel Exmor R sensor, a 16x ultrawide-angle 24mm-equivalent Sony G lens, and a high-speed linear focusing system. It shoots video in full HD at 60p. It has a GPS receiver for geotagging photos while you shoot. Shooting modes go from a stripped-down Easy auto mode right up to full manual. It is one of the most capable compact megazooms I've tested.
That said, it's not always the easiest camera to use simply because there are so many features. If all you want is a long lens in a smallish body with a reliable auto mode, there are other options in this category worth considering. But if having something that's part camera and part gadget sounds appealing to you, check out the HX9V.
Weight (with battery and media)Megapixels, image sensor size, typeLCD size, resolution/viewfinderLens (zoom, aperture, focal length)16x, f3.3-5.9, 24-384mm (35mm equivalent)JPEG/AVCHD (.MTS); MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 (.MP4)Highest resolution size (still/video)4,608x3,456 pixels/1,920x1,080 at 60fps (progressive; 28Mbps)Li-ion rechargeable, 300 shotsYes; via USB to AC adapter or computerSD/SDHC/SDXC; Memory Stick Pro Duo; Eye-Fi Connected supportPicture Motion Browser 5.5, PMB Portable 5.0 (Windows), PMB Portable 1.1 (Mac), Music Transfer
Considering this camera's price and size, the photo quality is excellent. Or should I say, it can be excellent if you take full advantage of all the HX9V's shooting options. But even left in auto it turns out very good photos. The only real disappointment is that photos aren't very sharp even at its lowest ISO. However, there's little difference between photos taken at ISO 100 and ISO 400. Noise reduction kicks in more at ISO 800, which softens details and dulls colors. There's a noticeable increase in noise and noise reduction at ISO 1600 and ISO 3200, making colors more washed out and subjects appear painterly; you'll probably want to reserve these two highest sensitivities for emergencies when you need to shoot in low-light conditions or get a faster shutter speed regardless of the results.
On the other hand, if you're shooting a stationary subject, the HX9V's Handheld Twilight mode improves low-light results by reducing noise and blur from hand shake. In fact, there's a mode to help with just about every typical shortcoming with point-and-shoots. You might not be able to make huge prints or do a lot of heavy cropping, but for snapshots the results are excellent.
The 16-megapixel resolution is completely unnecessary and doesn't get you much more room to crop or enlarge. If you're looking at buying this instead of a high-resolution digital SLR, you'll be disappointed--especially at higher ISO sensitivities. That said, prints at 13x19 inches at ISO 800 with the lens fully extended still looked good, just soft. Overall, anyone looking for a snapshot camera for regularly making 8x10 prints or smaller or viewing on a TV or computer screen should be more than satisfied with the HX9V.
The default Standard color mode produces bright, vivid colors, but they aren't terribly accurate. Most people will find them pretty pleasing, though. If you want more accurate colors, the HX9V does have a Real color setting and three other color modes in addition to Standard. However, these things are not available in all shooting modes.
Movies captured by the HX9V are excellent as well. The 1080/60p and image stabilization makes for some smooth movement. Shooting fast-moving subjects with a pocket camera typically results in ghosting and judder, but that's not the case here. If you're looking for a single device for capturing photos and movie clips (it has a 29-minute continuous recording limit), this is one of the best options available. The optical zoom does work while recording, though you will hear it moving in quiet scenes, and the stereo mic produced good audio.
ISO sensitivity (full resolution)Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1,600, 3,200Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Fluorescent white, Fluorescent natural white, Fluorescent day white, Incandescent, Flash, CustomEasy, Intelligent Auto, Superior Auto, Program, Manual, Memory Recall, 3D Still Image, SCN, Background Defocus, Intelligent Sweep Panorama, MovieMulti AF, Center AF, Spot AF, Face Detection (Adult, Child)1.9 inches (Wide); 3.3 feet (Tele)Standard, Vivid, Real, Sepia, B&WBurst mode shot limit (full resolution)
The HX9V is packed full of automatic and manual shooting options. For the most control you can use a Manual mode with control over aperture and shutter speed. It's limited to two aperture settings each at the wide and telephoto ends (using a neutral density filter); f3.3 and f8 for wide and f5.9 and f14 for telephoto. There are a few more sets of stops available through the zoom range, too. Shutter speeds are adjustable from 1/1,600 to 30 seconds. It would've been nice to have aperture- and shutter-priority modes as well, but some control is better than none at all.
Don't want that much control? Program will handle shutter speed and aperture while you handle everything else, including color modes, contrast, color saturation, and sharpness. If you come up with a group of settings you like, the Memory Recall mode lets you store three groups of settings for quick shooting with your preferences.
For those who like to leave it in auto, there are three options: Easy, Intelligent Auto, and Superior Auto. Easy mode takes away all options except for image size (large or small) and enlarges onscreen text. Intelligent Auto picks from 10 scene types and turns on face detection, dynamic range optimization, and image stabilization. Superior Auto takes Intelligent Auto and adds three multishot modes--Handheld Twilight, Anti Motion Blur, and Backlight Correction HDR--to shoot photos with the best possible settings.
Why not just leave it in Superior Auto? Multishot modes like these rapidly take photos and overlay them to help remove blur, correct exposure, and reduce noise. However, they don't work well with moving subjects and they require additional in-camera image processing so they take longer than a simple snapshot taken with Intelligent Auto and other single-shot modes. If there's a chance your subject might be moving--even slightly--while you're shooting I'd stick with Intelligent Auto. Also, these multishot modes plus 12 other standard scenes are available in the HX9V's SCN mode so you can always pick the appropriate one when you need it. That said, Superior Auto does allow you to take full advantage of the camera's capabilities in an automatic mode.
Along with these options there's Sony's Intelligent Sweep Panorama mode for capturing horizontal or vertical panoramas with one press of the shutter release; this is unlike other cameras that require you to take several shots. Intelligent Sweep separates itself from Sony's regular Sweep Panorama by automatically detecting faces and moving subjects to avoid distortion. It's definitely one of those features you might not care about until you try it. Once you realize that it's fun and works well, you end up using it all the time. Added in to this mode is a high-resolution option that produces larger and better-looking results. And by larger I mean huge: the resolution is 10,480x4,096 pixels, and a single shot is about 14MB.
The HX9V's movie mode is the best I've seen on any point-and-shoot. It's capable of recording in full HD at 1080/60p at 28Mbps in AVCHD. It'll record at lower bit rates, too, in AVCHD or you can switch to MPEG-4 at resolutions up to 1,440x1,080. While you can actually enter a dedicated movie mode, you can also just press the record button anytime you want to start shooting. Pressing the shutter release while you're recording will grab 3-megapixel stills, too.
Lastly, there are three 3D shooting modes. The 3D Sweep Panorama works just like the Intelligent Sweep, but creates both a normal panorama shot and one that can be viewed in 3D on a 3D-enabled HDTV. As you sweep the camera it shoots separate photos for the left and right eyes, which is how it's able to create 3D images with just one lens. The Sweep Multi Angle works similarly by taking 15 photos at different angles as you sweep across a scene. The camera then coverts those into one photo. By tilting the camera back and forth during playback, the camera's built-in gyro sensor displays the image in a 3D-like view on the camera's LCD. Finally, there's the 3D still image mode that quickly takes two shots, analyzes subject distance between foreground and background, and creates a single 3D photo. The results are OK, but there's definitely room for improvement. For example, the modes can't handle anything moving, so it's really just for landscapes or stationary subjects. Also, it's pretty easy to see the image slices that are stitched together. Still, if you were already planning to buy an ultracompact camera and have already started collecting 3D equipment, this is one more reason to pick up the HX9V.
As for shooting performance, the HX9V is on par with other CMOS-based compact megazooms. From off to first shot is 1.6 seconds with a shot-to-shot time of 1.4 seconds. Turning on the flash, though, slows the camera down to 4.1 seconds between shots. Its shutter lag--how quickly a camera captures an image after the shutter-release button is pressed--is good at 0.4 second in bright lighting and 0.8 second in dim conditions with less subject contrast. The camera's burst shooting mode is capable of up to 10fps, but in our more demanding test it averaged 7.6fps, which is still very good. However, this burst shooting sets focus and exposure with the first shot, and once you've fired, you're stuck waiting for the camera to save the photos, generally a second or two per photo.
With all its capabilities, Sony managed to keep the overall design and usability pretty simple. The body is bulky, but all things considered it's still remarkably compact and I was able to keep it in my back pants pocket when I was out shooting with it. The screen is large and bright, making it easy to see in bright conditions (you'll still struggle in direct sun). There's a nice rubberized grip on front and a similarly textured thumb rest on back. You'll also find a programmable Custom button on top that can be used for fast access to exposure compensation, ISO, white balance, metering, and Smile Shutter, Sony's smile-activated shutter release.
Menus are easy enough to navigate, and if you're not sure what something does, there's a full manual stored on the camera. Though most people familiar with digital cameras will have no problems using the HX9V out of the box, some of the shooting modes have a lot of settings. It might take some time to get acquainted with all this camera can do.
There are two design choices that bothered me a little. The flash is on top on the far left and slides up from the body when needed. If you're not careful with your grip, your finger will prevent it from rising. It seems to be motor-driven, so mostly I was concerned with damaging the raising mechanism. There is at least room behind the flash once it's up for you to hold the camera. The other thing is the placement of the movie record button. The button is small and set in above the thumb rest, making it slightly difficult to press. Moreover, since it takes a couple of seconds for the camera to start recording, there were times when I pressed it and wasn't sure it was recording, only to have it start and stop because I had pressed it a second time. So part user error and part design problem there.
There are a couple of other design things to be aware of. For some 2011 Cyber-shots, including the HX9V, Sony switched to charging the camera battery in the camera via USB. You can charge it by connecting to a computer or the included wall adapter. However, it's a proprietary port on the camera, so if you lose the cable, you'll have to buy one from Sony. Also, the battery life is a CIPA-rated 300 shots. If you're shooting a lot of video, have the display brightness cranked up, or are using a lot of the multishot modes or burst shooting, this will cut into your battery life. If you buy a backup battery you'll probably want to buy an external charger as well, or just plan ahead.
Lastly, with all of this camera's capabilities it's easy to forget that it has a built-in GPS receiver and compass. In fact, Sony even neglects to mention it on the HX9V's product page on its site. Turning on the receiver requires digging into the main menu system (since it cuts into your battery life, it really should be easier to turn on and off), but once it's on it'll start searching for satellites. That can take up to several minutes depending on how much open sky is above you. The tagging abilities aren't as full-featured as those in Panasonic's Lumix DMC-ZS10. The camera seamlessly adds the information to a photo's EXIF data, so you can use software like Picasa or Google Earth to see where you were when you took your photos.
Conclusion: The more I used the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V, the more fun I had. A lot of that had to do with the fact that I kept finding new modes and settings to play with. It's not quite the ultimate compact megazoom, but it's pretty close--closer than any others I've tested for 2011. And if you want something to do double duty for movie clips and photos with a versatile zoom lens in a pocketable body, you want this camera.
Shooting speed (in seconds) (Shorter bars indicate better performance) Typical continuous-shooting speed (in frames per second) (Longer bars indicate better performance)
Comparison of ISO sensitivities at 100 percent(Credit: Joshua Goldman/CNET) 
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) 
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) 
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) 
(Credit: Sarah Tew/CNET) 
The biggest updates to the Omni 27-1015t are internal, as the all-in-one boasts a 3.0GHz Intel Core i5-3550S dual-core processor, part of Intel's third-generation platform. Thanks to the new processor and 8GB of RAM, the Omni 27-1015t offers improved performance across the board, leading the category in several tests, such as PCMark 7 (3201 points) and Handbrake (1:09) and only being narrowly edged out in Photoshop (3:03) and CineBench (5.42) by the Asus ET2700INKS-B062C (Photoshop 2:58, CineBench 5.60), which boasts a Core i7 CPU.
By Eugene Kim
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