Canon EOS 1100D - Entry level DSLR

The world of digital photography has three clearly defined segments. If you need to capture and store important moments of your life, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, than point-and-shoot's are for you. If you love shooting all kind of subjects but not very keen to explore complex techniques, the prosumer zoom's are for you. But if you're keen about the details and want flexibility while shooting a complex subject. You need a DSLR. A DSLR or Digital Single lens reflex camera comes wilh interchangeable lens body so you can choose a lens according the kind of shot required. Earlier a DSLR was meant for the professionals only, till some manufacturers launched some basic models in this category. EOS 1000D was the first effort from Canon in this segment and 1100D is a revised version.

Compared to its predecessor, the EOS 1100D is larger by two megapixels, has a faster processor, more colour sensitivity, high-definition video with a slightly Taster continuous shooting capability.

EOS 1100D fits pretty well in hand and is quite handy in most shooting environments. The illustrative mode lets you know about each settings in large fonts, very helpful for the novice user. The image quality has not improved dramatically in comparison to 1000D. The exposure and colour balance are quite acurate even in difficult lighting conditions. Low light shooting is handled quite nicely. The picture quality remained brilliant upto ISO 1600, at ISO 3200, we found the images a bit grainy but acceptable.

The 11OOD was spectacular in action photography. We used this intelligent autofocus mode while shooting some Hying birds, and the AT Servo mode performed superbly. Of course it can't match the quality of cameras like ID mark IV or 5D Mark II but for its price, 11 00D is a decent performer. Continuous shooting speed is decent while in jpeg mode but suffers a bit in RAW.

Video quality is good. EOS 11 00D offers true high-definition quality, not HD. But the picture is smooth and stable.

Samsung WB700 review

The WB700 is an update to the Samsung WB600, an impressive compact ultra-zoom camera that undercut its competitors on price without compromising image quality.

Samsung WB700

Things have moved on a great deal since summer 2010. The WB600's 15x optical zoom was the biggest ever to grace a compact-shaped camera. The WB700 has an 18x zoom, but that's not so remarkable by today's standards. Nikon got to 18x first with the excellent S9100 and the Olympus SZ-30MR recently smashed that record with its 24x zoom.

Samsung's camera should be a little cheaper than its rivals, but with the Nikon S9100 currently available for £200, the minimal difference is unlikely to sway many shoppers. The WB700 looks distinctly budget, though. The 3in, 230,000-pixel screen looks blocky, the back of the camera makes no concessions for aesthetics and the etched button labels are hard to see.

We like cameras that respond quickly to user input. Sadly, this isn't one of them. Just over two seconds to switch on a take a picture is acceptable, but 4.2 seconds on average between shots is far too slow. Switching from Smart to Program mode improved shot-to-shot time to 2.9 seconds, but that's still twice as slow as the Nikon S9100. The lack of an orientation sensor is another obstacle to expedient use, as it means that portrait orientated photos must be rotated manually after copying to a computer.

The amount of photographic control is more impressive. Technically minded photographers will appreciate the full complement of priority and manual exposure modes, manual focus and even automatic exposure bracketing. Casual users aren't forgotten, with a range of fun effects such as Soft Focus and Old Film. However, considering that selecting Old Film adds animated scratches to the live preview, it's disappointing that it's only available for photos and not videos.

The 18x zoom may not be record-breaking but it's still an impressive achievement, stretching from a wide-angle 24mm (equivalent) focal length all the way to a paparazzi-like 432mm. However, in order to achieve this, the WB700 uses just the central 14-megapixel area of its 16-megapixel sensor. This isn't good news for detail levels, as 1/2.3in, 16-megapixel sensors tend to produce a lot of noise, and the ensuing noise reduction smears details. In the WB700, there isn't even the small compensation of having massive 16-megapixel photos.

Comparing our studio test shots at ISO 1600, the WB700 was noisier than the 16-megapixel Olympus SZ-30MR and much noisier than the 12-megapixel Nikon S9100. At their slowest ISO speeds, the WB700 still exhibited a little noise and couldn't match the others for detail levels, especially towards the corners of frames at focal lengths between 50mm and 150mm.

In practice, these issues had little impact in brightly lit conditions, where its photos looked perfectly sharp when resized to fit a computer screen or for normal print sizes. However, the WB700's disadvantage was more apparent in low-light shots without the flash. Grainy noise dominated darker areas of photos and delicate tones were drained of all colour, giving an unsightly patchwork of coloured and grey blotches.

The WB700's videos didn't make the grade, either, not least because their 720p resolution can't match the 1080p videos from the Nikon and Olympus cameras. Optical zoom was available while recording but focus was fixed for the duration of clips. That wasn't a serious problem for wide-angle shots where a wide depth of field meant everything stayed largely in focus, but telephoto videos were often spoiled by inaccurate focus. Image noise was a problem once again, smudging details in bright light and obliterating shadows in low light.

Last year, compact ultra-zoom cameras were much of a muchness in terms of image quality. This year, the situation is reversed. The WB700 is by no means a disaster but – as other camera manufacturers are zooming ahead for image quality – Samsung remains in the slow lane.

Basic Specifications
Part Code	EC-WB700ZBPBGB
Review Date	9 Aug 2011
Rating
CCD effective megapixels	14.0 megapixels
CCD size	1/2.33in
Viewfinder	none
Viewfinder magnification, coverage	N/A
LCD screen size	3.0in
LCD screen resolution	230,000 pixels
Articulated screen
Live view
Optical zoom	18.0x
Zoom 35mm equivalent	24-432mm
Image stabilisation	optical, lens based
Maximum image resolution	4,320x3,240
Maximum movie resolution	1280x720
Movie frame rate at max quality	30fps
File formats	JPEG; MP4 (AVC)

Camera Controls
Exposure modes	program, shutter priority, aperture priority, manual
Shutter speed	16 to 1/2,000 seconds
Aperture range	f/3.2-7.3 (wide) f/5.8-7.6 (tele)
ISO range (at full resolution)	80 to 3200
Exposure compensation	+/-2 EV
White balance	auto, 5 presets, manual, custom
Additional image controls	smart filter
Manual focus
Closest macro focus	3cm
Auto-focus modes	multi, centre, flexible spot, face detect
Metering modes	multi, centre-weighted, centre, face detect
Flash	auto, forced, suppressed, slow synchro, red-eye reduction
Drive modes	single, continuous, self-timer, AE bracket

Physical
Memory slot	SDHC
Mermory supplied	23MB internal
Battery type	Li-ion
Battery Life (tested)	220 shots
Connectivity	USB, AV, micro HDMI
HDMI output resolution	1080i
Body material	plastic
Lens mount	N/A
Focal length multiplier	N/A
Kit lens model name	N/A
Accessories	USB cable
Weight	203g
Size	62x105x33mm

RICOH CX5 REVIEW

Introduction

Like Ricoh’s mid-level compact R series before it, the CX series maintains a steady and regular release interval. Since the beginning of 2004, Ricoh has announced a new model roughly once every six months, with the first CX released at the beginning of 2009. We are now on the fifth CX model and, like its predecessor, the Ricoh CX5 brings in a few refinements.

This time Ricoh has introduced a new hybrid AF system that combines a distance sensore with contrast detection AF. Ricoh claims a focusing speed of 0.2 seconds, which is twice as fast as that of the CX4.

Further to this, new super-resolution technology allows an expansion of the 28-300mm focal range to 600mm. Three new scene modes named ‘cooking’, ‘fireworks’ and ‘continuous golf swing’ take the total up to 14, and the Ricoh CX5 is now compatible with the wireless Eye-Fi memory card.

Build and Handling

Like the CX4, the CX5 houses a 28-300mm (equivalent), 10.7x optical zoom in a 29.4mm-deep body. Its 10-million-pixel sensor is the same as that found in the CX3 and CX4, as is the 3in, 920,000-dot LCD screen, which is crisp and bright but shows smudges quickly and needs regular wipes.

The CX5 has virtually no distinguishable exterior changes either, except for the built-in flash, which has been shifted further to the right to make space for the new hybrid AF sensor. Unfortunately, this increases the likelihood that the flash will be hidden behind the photographer’s hand. However, this also takes it further from the lens axis, which lessens the chances of redeye.

The zoom range takes just under two seconds to go from 28mm to 300mm, and the digital zoom reaches a staggering 2,880mm, though the quality of this type of zoom has always been poor and I would not advise using it. An 8-stop step zoom for the 28-300mm range is useful to achieve specific focal lengths.

DSLR users should feel at home with the CX5’s simple, sophisticated and classic design, although its fully automatic operation may frustrate them. That said, in use the CX5 is an interesting mixture of point-and-shoot simplicity and a vast number of bracketing options for white balance, colour and focus, manual tweaks such as exposure compensation and modes to control functions such as AF.

In fact, the CX5 features more AF modes than most DSLRs. Handily, the user can assign the function button to one of these controls, plus the adjust/ok button can be used to directly access ISO, white balance, exposure compensation, spot AE and AF, and image size.

Slick operation means there is virtually no shutter lag and images are processed quickly, even when bracketed over several exposures. Hybrid AF is responsive and snaps into focus in virtually any situation. It slows down in low-light but only slightly, helped by the AF assist light. In short, the CX5 handles really well.

Useful features from earlier models include a 1cm macro mode, 5fps over three seconds, and the ability to extract a still image from video footage when using the 120fps, 640x480-pixel VGA video mode.

Performance

The CX5 has an impressive 28-300mm zoom range,

boosted to 600mm using super-resolution technology.

Image quality drops a little at 600mm, and a steady hand is needed

Like the two models before it, the CX5 impresses in many situations. Auto white balance and autoexposure give well-exposed images with punch and contrast at lower sensitivities. Image quality is good at ISO 100 and 200, but beyond this the 10-million-pixel sensor is lacking when compared to its competition.

Noise is apparent at ISO 400 and 800, and I would use ISO 1600 and 3200 only as a last resort. However, the CX5 still produces pleasant A4 prints from lower sensitivities before smudging of detail is apparent.

While including more scene modes is intended to make life simpler, the sheer volume may, in fact, leave many users bewildered. Night landscape multi-shot is useful, but landscape and vivid give results that are far too saturated. I find most of the scene modes are best avoided, sticking to the auto mode and bracketing for exposure and colour when the camera struggles.

Verdict

Having been refined, the CX5 is, of course, the strongest CX model yet, but only minor refinements over the last few versions have resulted in a camera that may just be losing some ground on the competition, particularly in regards to image quality at ISO 400 and higher.

SPECIFICATION

RRP	£259.99
SENSOR	Approx 10-million-pixel back-illuminated CMOS
OUTPUT SIZE	3648x2736 pixels
FILE FORMAT	JPEG, CIPA multi-pic format, AVI movie
LENS	28-300mm (equivalent)
SENSITIVITY	ISO 100-3200
EXPOSURE MODES	Program AE
EXPOSURE METERING	Multi, centreweighted, spot
WHITE BALANCE	Auto, 6 presets and manual
LCD	3in, 920,000-dot VGA
FOCUS MODES	Manual, multi AF, spot AF, face-priority AF, subject tracking AF, continuous AF, multi-target AF, snap
MEMORY CARD	SD, SDHC
POWER	Rechargeable DB-100
WEIGHT	197g (including battery and memory card)
DIMENSIONS	101.5x58.6x29.4mm