I want one
After seeing all the 3D printing stuff at SXSW I want one of these.
Olympus XZ-1
Cameras for me, are like handbags are for many women. You need the right camera for the occasion. An iPhone for everywhere, a compact for gigs, a mirror less camera for times when I’ve got a small rucksack with me, and a SLR for quality. (I’ve recently upgraded my SLR to a Sony A77). For the last 3 years my I’ve been using a Panasonic TZ-5 as my compact of choice. I bought it because it was a super zoom and I thought it would be great for capturing the stage from further back in the audience. But after three years it was showing it’s age. The image quality in low light was very poor. The max ISO is a very noisy and muddy ISO 1600. Although it’s good to have the extra zoom, the maximum aperture would drop to 4.9, not great for low light use. So often, I’d…
Sony A77
Sony recently released a new camera that may turn out to be a game changer, the Sony A77. This new 24 Mega pixel APS-C camera is a DSLT camera. Instead of using a standard mirror like a DLSR. DSLT cameras use a fixed semi-translucent mirror. 70-80% of the light passes through the mirror while the rest is bounced up to an auto focus sensor and because there’s insufficient light for an optical viewfinder, the main sensor is used to generate a live view on an Electronic Viewfinder. Many existing DLSR users will immediately be turning their noses up at the idea of using and EVF. As an existing Sony Alpha user, I have to admit I was unsure of this change. ‘Proper cameras have an optical viewfinder’. Also, like many camera users I’m insatiably hunting for better ISO performance and loosing 30% of the light isn’t going to help improve…
Sony NEX-5
Like many, I have found that I really enjoy digital photography and over the last five or six years developed from using ‘point and shoot’ camera to ‘using’ SLRs. My current SLR is a Sony A700 accompanied by an ever expanding and ever improving range of lenses. (28mm f/2.8, 30mm f/2.8 macro, 50mm f/1.4, 70-300G, 28-300, 90mm macro). But there are times when an SLR isn’t convenient, or in the case of gigs, allowed. So it’s useful having a more pocketable camera and for this reason I also use a Panasonic TZ5. Next year I’m going to SXSW for the first time and plan on taking most of my camera kit with me. But I’m not sure I want to drag a camera bag around all day and I’m not sure what the policy will be on using SLRs at some of SXSWs venues. I’ve used my Tz5 at numerous…