GeekSugar

5 Fun Lenses to Add to Your Camera Arsenal

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 06:30:38 PST

Having fun with your photos should be a requirement in 2012. If you're looking to up your fun quotient (and potentially come up with some seriously amazing images in the process) when it comes to photography this year, check out these lenses that can be swapped out for your regular DSLR lens.

Ooh La La: Sony Cybershot TX200V Is One Hot Camera

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 06:30:16 PST

No offense, Sony, but if Apple were to build a camera, it might look a little like the Sony Cybershot TX200V ($500). The sleek lines, 3.3-inch OLED touch screen, and glass body of the TX200V resembles an iPhone, but it's obviously packed with extra power in the optical department. An 18.2MP sensor, full HD 1080/60p video capture and recording, and quick focusing in low-light situations ensures that you capture the best images possible, while the airtight construction - making it water- and dust-proof - keep it safe in up to 16 feet of water or the depths of your bag.

While you have the option of three different hues - violet, silver, or red - the color splash is limited to the sides and rear of the camera, making the TX200V a little less conspicuous for candids. Look for the Sony Cybershot TX200V to hit stores on March 23 for $500.

Nikon Introduces Retro-Chic Coolpix P310

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:59:20 PST

We know that looks aren't everything, but man - the new Nikon Coolpix P310 is quite a looker. Coming with a retro-styled bod and a 16MP sensor, it's the pocket cam for professionals, and a great investment for mobile photographers who want a little more power behind their pics.

The camera itself comes with a 3-inch LCD screen on the back, improved image stabilization, 19 scene modes, full 1080p video recording, Eye-Fi SD card support, and is pocketable and light at just 6.9 ounces. It shoots fabulously well in low light thanks to high ISO and a wide angle f/1.8 lens, which means all those concert and party pics you like to take will look even better. Plus, a smart backlight HDR mode will piece together multiple shots to get you better clarity and vibrancy. The P310's manual mode - that lets you adjust shutter speed, aperture, and other settings - will help you step out of your "auto" comfort zone.

You'll be able to get your hands on the P310 sometime in March for $330, but in the meantime, check out Nikon's sample images in the gallery to see what this camera can do.

The Diana+ For Digital: First Impressions and Sample Pics!

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:49:40 PST

Photojojo was kind enough to send me the plastic Diana+ lens and digital adapter ($60) last week, allowing me to ditch the film while still getting that lo-fi feel to my images. Coming with three distance settings (1-2m, 2-4m, and Infinity), the Diana+ lens is a fun addition to your digital lens arsenal. Good news, plastic camera fans: if you already have a Diana+ lens, you can get the adapter for just $15.

Snapping on the lens is a breeze - just attach the adapter to your Canon or Nikon DSLR, then twist the lens on to the adapter and away you go. I found that the Diana+ works best when shooting in natural light outside, as opposed to indoors, and capturing pops of color. If you do grab this lens for your digital, don't bother trying to get close-up and macro images; that's not what this lens is for. It definitely creates a dreamy ambiance for your pics, so strap it on next time you're at the park with your friends, watching a parade, or taking a walk around town.

Want to see a few unretouched sample images? Click through the gallery!

GE Brings Affordability to Power Cameras

Kelly Schwarze — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:12:00 PST

With the amount of professional-grade DSLR cameras on the market today, the only thing stopping you from capturing vacation shots worthy of National Geographic is the prohibitive price point. Traditionally these powerful cameras cost close to $1,000 and more, but after this year's CES, GE hopes to make high-performing digital cameras an affordable option.

At the show, the company better known for its household appliances, unveiled a line of bridge cameras that include pro-level features for under $200. Check out specs and images for the new line of cameras in the gallery.

Source: GE

Polaroid Throws the SC1630 in the WiFi Camera Ring

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 03:15:01 PST

There's a trend in the air at CES - a WiFi-enabled camera trend, to be exact. Polaroid is among the companies offering a camera to get you online. The SC1630 Smart Camera harnesses the power of an Android-operating smartphone minus the monthly texting plan.

The 16MP, 3X optical zoom camera uses a 3.2-inch touch screen display to easily share pictures and videos across the World Wide Web of social networks, thanks to its included WiFi and Bluetooth connection. Photos are automatically organized within the camera by date, location, and those smiling people in the shot. Just like any other mobile device, the camera includes a geo-location feature so you don't forget where each memory was made.

The price of Polaroid's SC1630 Smart Camera is still up in the air; look for the camera to hit stores sometime in 2012.

Panasonic Lumix GX1 Offers Instagram-Style Effects Without Photoshop

Kristy Korcz — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:53:53 PST

Instagram has become an incredibly popular app for mobile photographers since its launch in 2010, and camera manufacturers are taking notice. Panasonic is hoping to lure mobile photography enthusiasts away from the smartphone by adding Instagram-style effects to its hardware. The Panasonic Lumix GX1 has two things going for it - its awesome retro style and customizable built-in photo filters that let you change the look and feel of your images without a secondary program like Photoshop.

Eight different filters - from "retro" to "toy camera" - give your photos a distinctive personality by adding a dose of color, contrast, and vignetting. The good news is, you can control just how much of the effect goes into your pics with the addition of a slider bar on the three-inch touchscreen LCD panel. Add a little or a lot - it's totally up to you. Additionally, the GX1 comes with a Touch Defocus tool that helps you achieve the Tilt-Shift effect, or just bring a subject into sharper focus by blurring out the background. You can even choose from four different aspect ratios, including 1:1 square if you can't get enough of that Instagram styling. An interchangeable lens model, the GX1 can be used with other Micro Four Thirds lenses as your skills improve.

You can get the Panasonic Lumix GX1 now for $700.

Early CES Leaks to Get You Excited For Next Week

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 15:05:22 PST

CES 2012 is coming up next week and we'll be there to bring you the latest tech news from Las Vegas! As usual though, the product leaks begin days before the show floor opens, so we'll be rounding up the juiciest of them all right here. Get excited and check out all the latest pre-CES leaks and rumors below.

Polaroid Tablet and Ereader - Some lucky tipster got an early look at what could be a tablet or slate ereader coming from Polaroid. There's front and rear cameras, but that's about all we know so far.
Nokia Lumia 900 - Coming with a 4.3-inch WVGA display, 512MB of RAM, and an eight-megapixel camera, we hope to see this smartphone at CES next week. Nokia's press conference is on Monday Jan. 10, so keep an eye out for our liveblog of the action!
Fujifilm interchangeable lens camera - This beauty picks up where the X100 leaves off. There are pics at the source link, so be sure to check out this retro-styled camera sure to make an appearance at CES. Update: Looks like specs and images of the Fujifilm X-Pro1 have surfaced.
Fujifilm's digital camera lineup - Speaking of Fujifilm, the company is prepped to introduce 19 new cameras at CES this year, some of which are available to view now.
Olympus weather-proof camera - There are little details about Olympus' next interchangeable lens camera, but the company may actually hold off until after CES to announce it. Let's hope not.
HP Envy Spectre - The super thin and sleek ultrabook teased in a new HP video looks to be a fierce competitor to the MacBook Air. No details are known yet other than the name, but boy, would I like to get to know Spectre a little better.

Samsung Announces DV300F Point and Shoot Ahead of CES

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:30:47 PST

You know you love taking self portraits and pics of you and your friends, so you'll probably love the new 16MP Samsung DV300F 2View camera that features a forward-facing 1.5-inch LCD viewfinder for picture-perfect shots.

Coming stocked with WiFi connectivity, this feature allows you to share images with Facebook, Picasa, Flickr, and YouTube and connect wirelessly to your home PC to transfer pics to your computer, freeing up space on your camera without ever breaking out a cord or adapter. What's more, you can create artwork in various different ways right on the camera. Just like one of our new favorite apps, Diptic, you can merge up to three different images (even from different cameras) right inside the camera. Other features include "Magic Frame," which comes with 12 styled backgrounds; "Artistic Brush," that changes your portraits or landscapes into black and white sketches and watercolor-styled images; and "Motion Photo," a video feature that allows you to capture one person's movements while freezing everyone else in the frame.

No word yet on when this camera will be available, but there are sure to be more details at CES.

Polaroid's Z340 Instant Camera Comes With a Digital Twist

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:41:35 PST

The success of The Impossible Project has shown that demand for the nostalgia of capturing memories via instant photography is strong. Years ago we mourned Polaroid's decision to stop producing instant film and cameras, but today's announcement that the Z340 Instant Digital Camera is finally available promises to breathe new digital life into one of our favorite mediums.

Polaroid's Z340 Instant Digital Camera ($300) integrates a 14MP digital camera with a ZINK-enabled printer directly in one gadget. The printer uses classic Polaroid-size three-inch by four-inch paper with ZINK's ink-free technology, which embeds the paper with cyan, yellow, and magenta dye crystals. The paper looks like normal white photo paper before printing, but the heat of the camera causes the crystals to activate and print the captured image. Within the camera itself you can choose to print using the basic Polaroid border or download additional photo borders.

The digital aspects of the Z340 include the 2.7-inch LCD screen and the auto saving of photos to the included SD card. Settings can be configured to automatically print each image as it's taken, or store pictures in the camera and wait to print until just the right frame is captured. Use the LCD screen for in-camera editing and cropping before storing or printing photos. Thirty sheet refills of the ZINK three-inch by four-inch paper are $20, a relative bargain considering old Polaroid film packs cost the same for much fewer prints.