ilc

Samsung's first NX camera with NFC

Continuing its full-court press in camera connectivity, Samsung introduced the NX2000 interchangeable-lens camera, which features a phone-like touch screen and easy Autoshare toggling.

Essentially a slightly more feature-rich version of the NX1100 (which in turn is the NX1000 with Autoshare capability and a bundled version of Adobe Lightroom 4, which also comes with the NX2000). Both are based on the same sensor as the NX210, though the NX2000 has an updated version of the image-processing engine. Samsung says that it results in better image quality and faster performance, and that autofocus performance falls somewhere between the NX1100 and NX300; it'… Read more

Hands on: Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6

Editors' note: The GF6 has not yet been announced in the U.S. This hands-on preview is courtesy of our sister site CNET Asia. The camera was subsequently announced in the US at a price of $599.99 for the 14-42mm standard zoom kit, and is expected to ship in June.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF6 comes as an update to the DMC-GF5. The new camera features a chunkier build and a sleek metallic design. With this iteration, Panasonic has added a few notable improvements such as wireless connectivity, a 180-degree tilting screen and a mode dial. This 16-megapixel interchangeable lens … Read more

Sony slowly fattens E-mount lens line

Sony adds to its E-mount lens line for the Alpha NEX series of cameras with a 20mm f2.8 pancake (30mm equivalent) that will ship in April for $349.99. Sony currently only offers one other pancake lens, a 16mm f2.8 (24mm equivalent). From a size standpoint, the pancakes are a nice complement to the skinny NEX bodies, but you'll usually get better image quality --and faster apertures -- out of their not-so-slim counterparts.

Sony also took the opportunity to announce standalone pricing and availability for the 18-200mm f3.5-6.3 power zoom E-mount lens that it unveiled … Read more

Nikon fleshes out interchangeable-lens camera line

LAS VEGAS--Nikon shipped the Nikon 1 J2 interchangeable-lens camera only five months ago and already it's obsolete. Given the lukewarm reception for such a meh update, especially given the flurry of competing products this past fall, it's neither surprising nor distressing that it's being superseded. Here at CES 2013, the company announced two new models in the Nikon 1 series: the Nikon 1 J3 and the cheaper entry-level model, the S1.

The J3 essentially has the same internals as the V2 in the body of the J2; the one physical difference is the mode dial has been … Read more

Samsung speeds up midrange mirrorless camera model

Ah, release creep hits Samsung. It's been only 8 months since the company shipped its NX210 mirrorless interchangeable camera and the company's already lining up its replacement. Granted, the NX210 did feel a little like a stopgap -- it was essentially the same camera as its predecessor with some wireless capabilities tacked on -- but if I'd bought one, I'd be a little cranky about now, because the NX300 offers some significant enhancements that potentially make it a much better camera.

The most obvious difference between the generations is the new retro two-tone design, à la … Read more

Make the resolution: Try a new lens for your camera

The most popular reason nonprofessionals buy dSLRs or other types of interchangeable-lens cameras is because they want better photos or faster performance than a point-and-shoot can deliver; the power of manual controls and interchangeable lenses seem to be a secondary concern. Nevertheless, I'm still routinely surprised when someone hands me his dSLR and it's set to auto and equipped with a standard kit lens.

The best (and cheapest) way to advance your photography is to switch out of auto; here's a map for venturing into that new territory. But the next best -- and not-so-cheap -- way … Read more

The best cameras for shooting video (roundup)

There are a lot of good reasons to choose a camera over a consumer camcorder for shooting video, including larger sensors, which tend to deliver better tonal range and enhanced depth-of-field flexibility, and better photo quality. And an interchangeable-lens camera (ILC) -- a dSLR, fixed mirror (Sony's SLT series), or mirrorless model -- imparts huge creative and logistical benefits over a typical point-and-shoot design.

Most consumer camcorders have pretty ugly polygonal bokeh until you hit the $1,000 or so price point. With an ILC, even the cheap lenses deliver better handling of out-of-focus areas. … Read more

Samsung expands NX lens line

Samsung gives the NX system a much-needed boost with a couple of key lens announcements: a nice-sounding yet reasonably priced 45mm f1.8 prime and what seems like a kit-quality 12-24mm f4-5.6 wide-angle zoom.

Both incorporate the system's i-Function intelligent operation, but they also both lack optical image stabilization; as more lenses arrive without OIS, I increasingly appreciate the cameras that use sensor-shift IS and are thus not dependent upon the manufacturers' decisions about the feature. It's true that as focal length decreases so do stability issues, but I've never met a focal length that couldn'… Read more

Never miss a shot with the Roberu leather holster

Like the idea of looking like a gunslinger in an old Western?

Online Japanese design shop Roberu has created a leather carrier that looks like a gun holster to carry mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras (ILCs) such as the Sony Alpha NEX-5N, Olympus Pen E-PL3, and Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF5, to name a few. … Read more