Pentax Optio V20 ultracompact announced

By David Rasnake | 3/17/2008

Pentax has announced a mild update to its thin and stylish Optio V10 ultracompact today the Pentax Optio V20. The new V20 shares its predecessor's 8 megapixel sensor and 3 inch, 230K dot LCD, but replaces the V10's 3x optical zoom with a 5x version.

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Head to Head: Olympus Stylus 790 SW vs. Pentax Optio W30

By David Rasnake | 3/17/2008

With the first signs of spring already cropping up in many parts of the country, our thoughts turn to that most hallowed of American institutions: the beach trip. If you've ever witnessed what happens to ordinary digital cameras that come into contact with too much sand and saltwater, however, you'll understand that your vacation can be just as terrifying for your camera as it is relaxing for you. In this "vacation edition" of Head to Head, we revisit the similarly priced, similarly speced Olympus Stylus 790 SW and Pentax Optio W30 to find out which of these waterproof, dustproof compacts is king of the sand dune.

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Casio Exilim EX-Z9 announced

By David Rasnake | 3/6/2008

Casio is expanding its Exilim Z line of compact cameras with the introduction this morning of the EX-Z9. The Z9 is an 8.1 megapixel camera sporting a 3x optical zoom and a 2.6-inch LCD. Emphasizing ease of use, the camera features 23 "Best Shot" scene/situation preset modes as well as an "Easy" mode that greatly reduces the number of user-adjustable parameters.

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Olympus unveils E-420, new compact DSLR

By David Rasnake | 3/5/2008

In a midnight announcement, Olympus pulled back the wraps from its latest entry into the DSLR market: the compact E-420. Successor to the small and light E-410, the 10 megapixel E-420 offers several improvements - most notably, a contrast detection auto focus system that allows the E-420 to perform more like a point-and-shoot camera when using Olympus's hallmark Live View mode.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3: First Thoughts and Video Overview

By David Rasnake | 2/25/2008

Admittedly, it was hard to know what to expect from Panasonic's newest series of compact digital cameras, the FS models. Marketed as slightly down-market takes on the high performance, high style, easy-to-use theme established in Panasonic's ultracompact FX line, how much these cameras would sacrifice in terms of build quality, especially, was anyone's guess. After a weekend with the new Panasonic Lumix DMC-FS3, however, concerns about these cameras looking, feeling, and performing like budget units have largely been put to rest.

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Ricoh R8, R50 compact digital cameras announced

By David Rasnake | 2/19/2008

Ricoh has developed a reputation for offering up compact cameras with off-beat features that have strong niche market appeal, and the latest announcements from the company look to be no different. In a press release late yesterday, the company made speculations about a new model official, announcing the portable R50 and the high-spec, high-end R8 compacts.

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Reminder: Don't forget to vote for your favorite photo!

By David Rasnake | 2/7/2008

Just a reminder that voting in DigitalCameraReview.com's Point-and-Shoot Photo Contest ends tomorrow, February 8, at 5 p.m. EST. We had a total of 50 outstanding entries, and if you haven't yet taken a look at some of the great shots people are taking with their point-and-shoot cameras, head on over to our Point-and-Shoot Photo Contest Gallery. The winner of the grand prize, a Sony Cyber-shot T200 ultracompact, will be decided by your votes, so please take a minute to pick your favorite!

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Panasonic Lumix TZ5: First Thoughts

By David Rasnake | 2/6/2008

While we were out in Las Vegas last week for PMA, I had the chance to pack the new near-production Panasonic Lumix TZ5 compact ultra-zoom along for a helicopter trip out into the desert. While there wasn't time to conduct a detailed review, a day with the 10x successor to the popular TZ3 was enough time to form some opinions about where the update succeeds, and where it's still a little rough.

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First Look: Production-ready Sigma DP1

By David Rasnake | 1/31/2008

After all of yesterday's rumor and speculation died down, there it was, just sitting out in the open this morning when the PMA doors opened. The long-awaited Sigma DP1 compact concept is, in fact, production ready, and we've got the shots and the specs to prove it.

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Sony expands Alpha-mount lens offerings with two new zooms

By David Rasnake | 1/30/2008

Sony continues to expand the upper echelon of its glass offerings as well as its consumer lineup with the announcement today of two new high-performance zoom lenses. The top-shelf Sony/Zeiss Vario Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA offers the latest option for serious landscape and portraiture work, while the Sony 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G introduces a new mid-priced telephoto in a compact package.

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Panasonic unveils new compact Lumix models at Vegas press conference

By David Rasnake | 1/29/2008

At an ongoing press conference in Las Vegas this morning, Panasonic presented some top-level specs for several new compact models, including an update to the popular TZ3, a 25mm wide-angle compact, and several models offering true HD video recording and output.

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Enthusiast-level Nikon Coolpix P60 launched

By David Rasnake | 1/28/2008

Building on the basic concept introduced by the Coolpix P50, the 8.1 megapixel Nikon Coolpix P60 offers a fully manual control experience in a compact digicam. A 5x Nikkor zoom with Vibration Reduction optical image stabilization, a large, bright 2.7-inch LCD in addition to an electronic viewfinder, and Nikon EXPEED processing for noise reduction make the P60 seem like an another attractive option for advanced amateurs, or as an economical DSLR backup.

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