Olympus PEN E-P5: Old School Looks, New School Guts

Gear By on May 15, 2013

Olympus PEN E-P5

We’ve been seeing a lot of new cameras with old school looks lately, and again that’s old school, not Old School; though we gotta admit a Will Ferrell-based camera would be a treat. The latest retro-themed shooter is the Olympus PEN E-P5, featuring a 16-megapixel CMOS sensor (ISO range is 100-25600), autofocus system, 5-axis image stabilization system, and max shutter speed of 1/8000th, a first when it comes to compact system cameras, so you’ll be able to capture fast-moving objects with clarity. Olympus is asking for $1,000 for the body only, or $1450 for the camera with a 17mm f/1.8 kit lens and a VF-4 electronic viewfinder.

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Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera: Putting More Heat On Scorcese

Gear By on Apr 22, 2013

Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera

When you start to see musicals filmed on iPhones(!), it’s clear the quality gap between Hollywood’s directing legends and amateur movie-makers is narrowing. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera ($995) seeks to further blur that line. This snazzy, pocket-sized digital cinema camera includes powerful features such as a Super 16mm sized 1080HD sensor, super wide 13 stops of dynamic range, built-in SD card recorder for Apple ProRes, and lossless compressed CinemaDNG RAW capture. Now just hire an unemployed toddler to write a script better than Michael Bay and you’re set.

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MeCam, Wearable Video Camera: Capture Everything

Gear By on Apr 17, 2013

MeCam

I’ll admit 97% of my life is duller than the butter knives at Chuck E. Cheese, but sometimes, sometimes this blind squirrel finds a noteworthy nut. Example: Last week I met a second cousin of the former assistant producer of the Judge Joe Brown show! I can’t make this stuff up! Wearing MeCam ($49) will finally let me capture these magical moments as this hands-free wearable video camera can be worn as a necklace or get pinned on to anything. The small size, light weight, and ability to shoot 720P video in low-light conditions through its Infrared (IR) LED lights makes the MeCam a nice YouCam too.

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Lomo Belair X 6-12: Putting The Hip In Hipster Photos

Gear By on Mar 25, 2013

Lomo Belair X 6-12

Lomography’s Belair X 6-12 camera is an instant eye-catcher with its retro styling, but the pictures themselves may be even more unique. Let the medium-format film take your photography to special places with rich 6×12 panoramas, or take it older school with 6×6 square shots. We’re not saying this is the ultimate hipster camera, but we are saying the X 6-12 goes perfectly with skinny jeans.

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Canon Rebel SL1: Your DSLR Is So Tiny…

Gear By on Mar 22, 2013

Canon Rebel SL1

Hey Canon, your DSLR Is SO tiny, Verne Troyer lost it in his shirt pocket! Ah yes, the Rebel SL1 may inspire a new round of jokes, but that’s kind of the goal. The fact that this is the world’s smallest and lightest DSLR is the clear bragging point here for Canon. But if the specs were as small as the body, it wouldn’t be much of an accomplishment–they’re not. From the 18 megapixel CMOS APS-C sensor to  the front dial and dedicated ISO, exposure compensation and AF/AE lock buttons, there’s a lot of full-sized camera to be had in this small package. It goes on on sale next month for $799.

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Nikon Coolpix A: Small Camera, Big Sensor, You Can Shoot Nude

Gear By on Mar 6, 2013

Nikon Coolpix A

Nikon wants to give you what most point and shoot cameras don’t: a really good picture. To that end they’re delivering the Coolpix A ($1,100), a compact unit featuring a 16.2 megapixel APS-C, DX-format sensor combined with an 18.5mm (28mm equiv.) f/2.8 prime lens. Full manual exposure controls and the ability to shoot RAW are also on board. Note: RAW doesn’t mean naked in this case, but we asked Nikon and yes, you can be nude while you take photographs with the Coolpix A as well.

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Canon PowerShot N: Watch Yo’ Back, Instagram

Gear By on Feb 18, 2013

Canon PowerShot N

Has it irked the big camera companies to see Instagram soar to success? Do Swedish Fish stick to your teeth? Canon is looking to cut out the middleman with the new PowerShot N ($300), an ultracompact shooter with a touchscreen-based interface that selects the best filter for your photo. The 12-megapixel sensor, beefed up Wi-Fi, and pocket-friendly form, coupled with Instagram’s recent issues, could be a recipe for success here.

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Lehmann GoPro Unmanned Aerial Vehicle: Get High

Gear By on Jan 29, 2013

Lenhamm Gopro

Amateur filmmakers just scored a major victory. Instead of paying some sketchy helicopter pilot named Sal a cool 5k for that opening aerial shot, the Lehmann LA100 Unmanned Aerial Vehicle ($1,330) will do it for you. Just strap in a GoPro Hero 2 or 3 and give this thing a toss. It flies autonomously for five minutes at up to 300 feet before it comes back to you with the bird’s-eye footage. Or you could duct tape a camera to a seagull and cross your fingers. Your choice.

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