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Fujifilm X100S camera announced with fast AF and new 16.3MP X-Trans II sensor (hands-on video)

January 6, 2013 at 10:25 am

Although the official announcement by Fujifilm is pegged to happen tomorrow, the company’s UK website proved too eager to keep this camera under wraps for any longer. The Fujifilm X100S is the proud successor of the X100 APS-C fixed lens camera and has been revealed through a press release on its website. We’ve always said that Fujifilm listens to its customers and critics and the new X100S really keeps all the good parts of the X100 and improves on the not-so-good parts.

When we reviewed the X100 our main issue with it was its slow performance, both to autofocus (AF) and in general operation. Well, Fujifilm now claims that the new X100S has the world’s fastest AF of just 0.08 seconds under certain circumstances, a start-up time of around 0.5 seconds and a shooting interval of 0.5 seconds.
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Supposed Sony Nexus X images leak

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October 15, 2012 at 11:23 am

One upcoming Nexus smartphone is a sure thing, the LG Nexus 4, but could Google have partnered with more hardware vendors for multiple Nexus devices this time round? There have been persistent rumors that this could be true, and here we have a purported leak of a Nexus device made by Sony.

The blurry photos you see here were posted on Picasa and titled Sony Nexus X. We’re seeing a device styled much like Sony’s Xperia line but with on-screen navigation buttons and Google’s logo joining Sony’s on the back, but based on the quality of the photos this could very well be a fake. So what do you think?
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Asus 4.7-inch Padfone 2 demoed in video with new slimmer tablet dock

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October 14, 2012 at 3:25 pm

ASUS is a pretty innovative hardware company. It pretty much rules in the motherboard space and fed the netbook craze by pumping out new models practically every week. So, when we first saw the original Padfone we were impressed but not surprised. The Padfone was the ultimate all in one device, a 4.3-inch smartphone that could slide into a tablet dock to take on slate form which could then dock with a keyboard to become a notebook.

Unfortunately, the Padfone hardly found its way to the international market after being unveiled early this year, but fortunately, you may (hopefully) soon be able to pick up its successor. ASUS has a launch event scheduled in Milan on October 16th, which you can watch live, for the unveiling of the Padfone 2.

The second iteration of the Padfone will have a larger 4.7-inch 720p display, run on a quad-core SoC with LTE connectivity and sport a 13-megapixel rear camera. More importantly, the Padfone 2 tablet dock is now much slimmer and lighter than its predecessor, which admittedly was quite chunky — we’re sure to the dismay of owners of the original Padfone smartphone/dock who’ll find their devices incompatible with the newer version, but that’s life in the fast-moving tech world.
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Upcoming Google Nexus 4 smartphone by LG poses for camera in leaked pics

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October 11, 2012 at 2:21 pm

Whether it’s going to be called the Nexus 4, Nexus G or Optimus Nexus it’s now pretty much a sure thing that LG is going to be Google’s next Nexus hardware partner. We’ve already seen hazy photos of the rumored device making the rounds but now the folks over at the Belarusian Onliner got their hands on a pre-production LG Nexus and just published a bunch of beauty shots of the LG Nexus. They’ve even done us the favor of doing a side-by-side comparison with the iPhone 5.

The LG Nexus 4 device going by the model number E960 (a.k.a. Mako) will feature a 4.7-inch display with a 1280 x 768 resolution and run on a 1.5GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 SoC and 2GB of RAM. The device Onliner got hold of came with a relatively paltry 8GB of internal storage and an 8-megapixel rear camera, though we’re hoping that at least the former will get a bump up in the production model.

First assembled iPad mini pictures supposedly leak

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September 11, 2012 at 8:44 am

Apple’s long-rumored iPhone 5, iPad mini and iOS 6 event is tomorrow and although we’ve seen purported parts of the new smaller iPad, we had yet to see a finished assembled product.

Now a French website has published a number of photos, which could potentially show the iPad mini. As a reminder, the iPad mini has been rumored to feature a smaller 7.85-inch display with a 1024 x 768 (non retina) resolution, similar to the iPad 2’s resolution. The iPad mini would also come with an Apple A5X processor (like the iPad 3) and the new smaller dock connector.

We’ve included one more picture after the break and will let you make your own conclusions.
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Fujifilm X-E1 coverage: previews and sample images (video)

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September 10, 2012 at 4:18 pm

As expected, the Fujifilm X-E1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) was announced last week. It is a cheaper and more compact version of the X-Pro1, with the same excellent APS-C X-Trans CMOS sensor, sans any anti-aliasing filter, but missing the innovative hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder.

Instead, the X-E1 features a 2.36-million dot OLED electronic viewfinder, and you really can’t get much better than that. It is the same resolution as the Sony OLED EVF we were so excited about in the Sony NEX-7, A65 and A77, and we bet this is Sony-made too, though it’s rumored to be an updated version with better contrast. The X-E1 also gets a slightly smaller, 2.8-inch, and lower resolution, 460k dots, screen than the X-Pro1, to keep costs under control.

One of the main criticisms against the X-Pro1 and X100 (which we thoroughly reviewed here) was the slow autofocus and operating speed. Fujifilm is a company that listens, and claims the X-E1 can now focus in 0.1 seconds with the new Fujinon XF 18-55 F2.8-4 R LM OIS zoom lens which we was part of Fuji’s 2012-13 lens roadmap for the system. The camera also features a 0.05 second shutter lag, 0.5 second quick start (you can see our startup test of the X100 here) and 6 frames per second burst shooting.
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Pogo Connect is a pressure sensitive Bluetooth 4.0 stylus for the iPad 3 and iPad mini

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September 10, 2012 at 2:39 pm

People really like to draw on the iPad, even world famous artists, and that’s where styluses come in. The problem is that iPad styluses so far have simply been imitating your finger and relaying only their position through the touchscreen.

The Pogo Connect stylus from Ten One is about to add a whole new level of control by adding pressure sensitivity. The company claims hundreds of levels of pressure, requiring no calibration and working at all angles. The Pogo Connect will work with a number of popular iOS apps, like Brushes, Procreate and Paper that will interpret the level of pressure applied, for example, to change the thickness of the line you are drawing.
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Google’s Project Glass takes on the world of fashion at the Diane von Furstenberg catwalk show

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September 10, 2012 at 7:28 am

We’ve seen Google’s augmented reality eyewear in a variety of situations, worn by Google co-founder Sergey Brin at a charity event, in a TV interview with X Lab founder and even donned by skydivers parachuting on Moscone Center during Google I/O 2012 that saw the introduction of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, but each time it was under then confines of Google’s own universe.

Well now Project Glass has broken free and has taken on the catwalk at New York’s Fashion Week. Diane von Furstenberg partnered with Google and the augmented reality glasses were donned by models backstage and on the runway and by members of the production team for the past week. The glasses were also donned by the designer herself who was seen sitting next to Sergey Brin during the DVF show.
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Sony RX1 full-frame Zeiss Sonnar 35mm F2 mirrorless compact camera leaked

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September 9, 2012 at 3:44 pm

Well here is something we weren’t expecting. A compact Sony camera has just leaked, which is supposed to feature a full-frame sensor. Judging from the relative size of the lens to the body, this would certainly take the reins as the smallest full-frame sensor camera.

The Sony RX1 is a fixed lens camera (like the Fujifilm X100), but not just any lens, it’s sporting a Carl Zeiss Sonnar 35mm f/2.0. The lens has a manual aperture ring, a hefty zoom ring and a sweet copper-colored ring engraved with “35mm Full-Frame CMOS Image Sensor”.
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Panasonic GH3 Micro Four Thirds camera specs leak

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September 9, 2012 at 11:48 am

With Photokina 2012 only a breath away, camera fans are gearing up for some exciting announcements. One of the most anticipated cameras is the Micro Four Thirds Panasonic GH3, and it really couldn’t come soon enough. The widely popular Panasonic GH2, having been announced at Photokina 2010 two years ago, has not only proved an incredible stills camera but has also won the hearts of videographers everywhere — just have a look at some examples here and here.

The GH series sits at the top of Panasonic’s mirroless interchangeable lens camera (MILC) line with integrated electronic viewfinder, DSLR-style body and handling and top of the line specs. However, although Olympus presented the incredible OM-D E-M5 this year, Panasonic has been quiet on the high-end front.
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Sweet Venus! Taste the entire solar system with these lollipops

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September 9, 2012 at 8:22 am

We have to admit that we never thought planets looked particularly tasty, but this series of lollipops is here to prove otherwise.

Over at Etsy you can grab a bunch of ten hard candy lollipops with images of the Sun, Mercury, Venus, good-old Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and even that poor demoted dwarf planet Pluto.
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Tweaked HTC One X+ leaks: 1.6GHz quad-core Tegra 3 AP37, Sense 4.5 and Jelly Bean

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September 9, 2012 at 5:00 am

Let’s face it, you could do a lot worse than the HTC One X; after all, it sports one of the best displays out there and it proved a swift performer throughout our testing. Well, according to a purported leak, it now seems that the company’s flagship smartphone will be getting, together with a plus sign, a slight bump in specs.

An anonymous XDA developer going by the handle @Football4PDA has been actively tweeting on a number of new HTC devices and, in a latest tweet, has leaked a bunch of specs for the rumored HTC One X+ (previously leaked as Endeavour C2). The new device is said to feature a faster version of Nvidia’s Tegra 3 chip, the AP37, over the current AP33 found in the HTC One X. The new chip boasts slightly faster quad-core speeds of 1.6GHz and single-core speeds of 1.7GHz and 25% faster graphics performance, with the ability to drive displays up to 1920×1200.

More affordable Fujifilm X-E1 leaks with EVF and pop-up flash (pictures)

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August 24, 2012 at 3:39 am

It only makes sense for Fujifilm to release more mirrorless bodies for its XF system, and it seems the lonely X-Pro1 will soon be getting a younger brother. Ahead of Photokina 2012, a new Fujifilm camera has leaked, the X-E1. It looks like a cross between the X-Pro1’s front and the X100’s (you can read our full review here) top.

Astute observers will note that there is no hybrid optical/electronic viewfinder, but the viewfinder port in the back it tell-tale of a straight EVF. This makes sense as the X-E1 would be the more affordable choice for enthusiasts in comparison to the X-Pro1. We can also make out a pop-up flash port next to the hot shoe at the top.
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Fujifilm X100 discontinued, making way for the X200?

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July 30, 2012 at 4:34 pm

It’s pretty hard to hold back on our love for the Fujifilm X100. The compact mirrorless APS-C shooter received a glowing review from us and was one of our favorite pieces of tech for 2011. This is no small part because of its innovative hybrid viewfinder, traditional control layout and awesome image quality. In fact, the shooting with the X100 was the most fun we’ve had in a while with a digital camera.

Well it seems that Fujifilm might be getting ready for a successor of this popular camera, if this product page on Crutchfield is to be believed. The vendor has marked the X100 as discontinued. As if that’s not enough evidence, the X100 has received a pretty remarkable $200 price drop on Amazon, B&H and Adorama coming down to $999.
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