Sony Alpha DSLRA350X 14.2MP Digital SLR Camera with Super SteadyShot Image Stabilization with DT 18-70mm f/3.5-5.6 & DT 55-200mm f/4-5.6 Zoom Lenses Review

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(More customer reviews)This camera is really unbelievable for the price. If we're talking about the camera body (with no lens), I prefer it over the Canon Rebel XSi anyday (and I've used both). The problem for Sony is that their lens is sooooo crappy that the image quality goes straight down the toilet, and Canons lenses are for the most part very sharp and colorful.
The solution? Minolta lenses. I got my camera in the mail this morning and have played with it all day. From the second I unpacked the lens I was disappointed- even before I put it on the camera. It has an extremely cheap and plasticy feel, probably because it is cheap and made of only plastic. I'm actually pretty sure there's not a single piece of glass in the lens (which means, for those of you are new to this, that it sucks). I put it on and sure enough the results were not pretty. Don't run off to Canon's page so quickly, though- remember that this IS a 5 star review.
What makes up for sony's crappy crappy lens is the fact that you can use any Minolta lens from the past 20 years. In anticipation of purchasing this camera I brought 2 Minolta lenses from a garage sale a few weeks ago for a hundred bucks, and when I put them on the camera it was like magic. The autofocus still works in an instant, and the sharpness and color combined with Sony's 14megapixel sensor have left this former film-snob utterly impressed.
So my advice to advanced amateur photographers is to buy this camera. But just the body only. Save the hundred bucks to buy yourself a Minolta lens (or two). I thought I'd throw in the extra hundred bucks with this cam just to have an extra lens for my collection, and it was absolutely not worth it. I don't even know if I'll mount it onto my camera ever again. Seriously- It's a big plastic turd. I wouldn't buy it again if it was 20 bucks.
Also- I learned the complete menu for this camera in less than a day. The only negative things about this camera (except for the crappy turd plastico lens) are that it's not a full frame sensor (look it up, and then decide if you really want to spend and extra 1300 dollars to get a full frame sensor DSLR), and that there's a really dumb and pointless digital zoom button that is a total tragic use of space. I could think of ten more used/usable functions that could have gone there instead.
Really though, I couldn't be happier with this camera.

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With incredible 14.2 MP detail, Sony¿s ¿ (alpha) DSLR-A350 raises the standard of excellence for step-up digital photographers shooting both family memories and fine-art photos. Live Preview in a large 2.7¿ LCD screen links you and your subject -- and you¿ll have special features like super-quick AF response, continuous shooting at 2 fps while you see your subject in the viewfinder, Creative Style modes for quick recall of custom settings, and in-camera Super SteadyShot image stabilization that reduces blur with every Sony, Carl Zeiss and legacy Minolta a-mount lens.

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Olympus Evolt E620 12.3MP Live MOS Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization and 2.7 inch Swivel LCD (Body Only) Review

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(More customer reviews)I've had the E-620 for a few weeks now and am quite pleased. Other options I considered were the Nikon D5000, Canon T1i & XSi, Panasonic G1, Sony A300 & A350, and Pentax K200D & K20D. Some comments with comparison notes:
1) SIZE & WEIGHT -- There's no point in having a camera that is so bulky that it doesn't get much use. Only the Panasonic G1 is smaller than the E-620 but not by much. There is a more dramatic difference in the size of the lenses, with Olympus being much smaller than all but Panasonic. Makes for a very compact outfit. For anyone used to the size of film SLRs, the E-620 is very similar. My wife also found it the most comfortable for her to hold.
2) BUILD QUALITY & HANDLING -- Very impressed with Olympus here. Solid, dense and with lots of sensibly placed buttons for direct access to settings. The other cameras had a less solid, plasticy feel, and their larger grips still weren't large enough for a comfortable pistol grip with my average size hands. The Sonys, in particular, had awkward button placement. The E-620 has a different style of grip where you hold the camera in the same way as old film SLRs, and is more appropriate to such a small camera. I carry the camera comfortably in my *left* hand, grasping the body and lens barrel with my fingers on the zoom ring; this frees my right hand from having to support the camera while working controls, and leaves my good hand open (I'm a righty).
3) LENSES -- The kit zooms from Olympus are reputed to be of higher quality than the others, as well as being more compact. So far I have been very impressed. I didn't want to buy a camera only to feel the kit lenses needed replacing; I'd rather spend on lenses that offer new capabilities, like fast primes or dedicated macro lenses. For anyone interesting in using legacy manual focus lenses, inexpensive adapters are available to attach virtually any MF SLR lens to Olympus bodies; used lenses can be quite inexpensive on eBay. Panasonic is limited by a very small range of lenses. For a two lens kit, the E-620 was the cheapest option.
4) IMAGE QUALITY -- I wanted to spend my time taking pictures, not fiddling with them in post-processing; Olympus has the best out-of-camera JPGs of the bunch (Canon and Pentax, in particular, fall short here). Although the smaller Olympus sensors are reputed to be a bit noisier, what noise there is is primarily luminance noise, giving images a film-like grain, rather than the colored blotches of chroma noise. I've found noise very well controlled through ISO1000, even with noise reduction set to LOW. For printing up through 8x10 and monitor display, I don't think noise is a concern up through ISO1600 (certainly with noise reduction set to standard). One caveat: be sure to keep gradation set at NORMAL (the default), not AUTO, unless you really need it; using AUTO gradation will noticeably increase noise.
5) IN BODY STABILIZATION -- I prefer in body stabilization to lens-based stabilization for two reasons: in body works with all lenses, and lenses can be more compact. You only carry one body but you are likely to carry multiple lenses, so it pays to keep them small.
6) LIVE VIEW & LCD -- Olympus has the best live view implementation (maybe tied with Sony) with quite quick autofocus. This is very important if you want anyone, e.g. my wife or random bystanders, who's used to compact cameras to use your SLR for snapshots or the like. The tilt & swivel LCD is very handy and seemed more natural than Nikon or Sony's implementations.Overall, I found the E-620 to be the best value for a two lens kit.Here are a few notes on the other cameras I considered:
Nikon D5000 -- Good build & handling, but a bit bulky. Live view isn't great. Much more expensive for a two lens kit than the Olympus.
Canon T1i -- Not impressed by the build quality, felt plasticy. Not comfortable for me to hold. Out of camera JPGs not so good. Inferior kit lenses. Much more expensive for a two lens kit than the Olympus.
Canon XSi -- Not impressed by the build quality, felt plasticy. Not comfortable for me to hold. Out of camera JPGs not so good. Bulkier than the Olympus. Inferior kit lenses.
Panasonic G1 -- Limited lens selection; will take legacy MF lenses but doesn't offer image stabilization with them since it isn't in the body. Plasticy. Not much smaller than the Olympus. More expensive than Olympus for a two lens kit.
Sony A300 & A350 -- Hated the button placement--ruled them out on that alone. Live view is very good though.
Pentax K200D & K20D -- Poor out of camera JPGs. Great handling and build quality. Short on features. Kit lenses aren't great. No live view / live view useless.

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Olympus E-620 Digital SLR Camera 262160 Digital SLR Cameras

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Lensbaby 2.0 Canon EF Mount SLR Camera Lens (LB2C) Review

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(More customer reviews)This is great for those people who miss the selective focus aspects of the 4x5, but compact and easy enough to use on your digital or 35mm. I think the price is a little high for what you get, but that's not too uncommon these days.... I am a professional wedding/portrait photographer, and I do landscapes and wildlife on my own, andit adds a nice 'something different' to my work. I would recommend it!

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Panasonic DMC-GH1K 12.1MP Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Camera with 1080p HD Video Review

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(More customer reviews)Bottom line up front: this is a great stills and video camera. It is a freshly designed stills camera that gives DSLR performance with P+S ease and DSLR abilities. As a video camera it is the best implemented video system on a "stills" camera today.
This is an amazing camera but before I tell you why I would like to make a comment on the current situation of this camera. First it is disappointing that Panasonic has region coded the camera and that they are starving the US market. Check out the price difference between the US and Japan at Amazon JP. However, you cannot change the language from Japanese to English due to the region coding. Also, punish the companies that are overcharging (Big VALUE Inc. is/was charging a 1.67 price premium). I for one will never ever do business with a company that does that. If everyone boycotted these predator type companies, they would go out of business.
When people first look at the GH1 there is an initial sticker shock. Why would I pay so much more than the G1? The major reason the difference is warranted is because it has a far more expensive lens. The price difference of the 14-140mm lens and the 14-45mm that comes with the G1 accounts for 5/7 of the price difference of the cameras. On top of that the 14-140mm lens is specially designed for video as it has utterly silent focusing and aperture changes. Also, the aperture changes are step-less. This allows for very smooth lighting transitions. The remainder of the price difference can be attributed to the inclusion of the best seen-to-date video implementation in a "stills" camera and an upgraded sensor from the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12.1MP Digital Camera with Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens (Blue). If you are not planning on working with movies then the GH1 is probably overkill and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12.1MP Digital Camera with Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens (Red) would be your best bet. Also, the GH1 functions very much like the G1 for stills so any of those reviews will apply to the GH1.
STILLS
Panasonic markets this camera as like a DSLR only SMLR. I think that is a cool bit of marketing and is right on the mark. This camera has the best contrast detection autofocus on the market. It is as fast if not faster than my Nikon D40 and is almost as fast as my D700. This is a great technological breakthrough and is what allows the camera to be smaller than a DSLR while giving nearly identical performance. With this camera you will not miss photos of your children or other fast moving subjects while you wait for your camera to focus. Bravo.
What is also nice about a great contrast detection autofocus is that Panasonic was able to start with a fresh design from the ground up. The live view is the best implementation that I have seen to date. I never use live view on my D700, but I will always be using it with the GH1. It flips out and rotates 270 degrees. This means you can see it from the back, the front (for self portraits), the top, the bottom, and on one side. In addition, to the great screen articulation, the speedy contrast focus is the last piece that makes this live view great rather than painfully slow like it is on other DSLRs.
On top of the great live view, this fresh design allows this camera to handle exceedingly well. In many ways it takes the best of the point-and-shoot (P+S) world and mixes it with the best of the DSLR world. It doesn't have as many dedicated buttons as my D700 but the Q Menu system works very well and allows for quick changes of most shooting parameters. There is a detailed menu system but I don't find myself using it very much while shooting. I feel that this setup allows photographers moving up from the P+S world to feel immediately comfortable on this camera while also giving experienced photographers the control they need to work their craft.
I don't know what kind of plastic Panasonic uses on this camera but I love the way it looks and feels. Also, I think having a red or gold camera is cool and makes it look more like a toy rather than a "professional" camera. With the photographer unfriendly laws proliferating the world, it is nice to have an incredibly capable camera that doesn't look like a professional camera.
This is a micro-4/3s camera system. That has some pros and cons. The chip is smaller than most DSLR chips. A full frame (FX in Nikon speak) sensor is ~860 sq mm, a Nikon DX sensor is ~370 sq mm, the 4/3 sensor is ~225 sq mm, and the typical sensor used in a point and shoot range between ~25-50 sq mm. However, a 2/3 sensor like many TV shows are shot with is ~60 sq mm and a 1/4 sensor like most home video recorders is only ~10 sq mm. What does all of these numbers mean? From a "stills" perspective the 4/3 format is relatively small when compared to DSLRs. That means that for the same megapixel rating, the 4/3 sensor will have smaller photoreceptors and that means more noise. However, the 4/3 sensor is roughly 60% of a DX chip so while this is a great physics discussion, in real life you will not be able to tell the noise difference based on sensor size even with a picture blown up to 100%. This is born out by the GH1's excellent noise control up to ISO800. You can also still use shots taken at ISO 1600 and 3200 but those low light shots are usually better turned into black and whites for that noire grainy look. That is the "downside" (not really much of a downside especially when compared to the up side) of the micro 4/3 system. The upside is that because you have a smaller area to cover, you can make lenses smaller (less weight and less cost). You also get a 2x multiplication factor on your lenses. So now that 200mm lens gives you 400mm of reach. Yea. However, on the wide side of lenses you need a 7mm lens to get a 14mm viewing angle and those can get pretty expensive. The point of all of this mumbo jumbo is that this camera takes great pictures and the lenses are smaller than DSLR lenses. Less weight and smaller size with no noticeable image quality compromise equals great camera.
One thing that some people list as a negative on this camera is that in low-light the electronic view finder(EVF) gets dark, grainy and jerky (slow refresh speed). However, I look at it as a positive because that is how your picture is going to look. Unlike a DSLR which shows your eyes what the world looks like through the lens, the EVF shows your eyes what the sensor sees through the lens; an important distinction. So if you look through the EVF and see a dark (low light), grainy (High ISO), and jerky (slow shutter speed) image then you know you better shoot really carefully, move the subjects to more light, or light the photo with the built in flash (not recommended but if its all you've got..) or use an external flash.
On thing that is a negative is the slow 1/160 flash sync speed. This will be very limiting for off camera flash during bright light. With such a slow sync it will be exceedingly difficult (impossible?) to get shallow depth of fields while lighting. Most people probably won't use this feature but for those that do it will be a bummer. (FP mode and ND filters can help with this though)
I also love the face recognition on this camera. When I am taking group photos, the faces that I really care about are my families'. Now I can register 6 peoples' faces and it will focus on them. Nice
VIDEO
In many ways, this camera lacks some of the features of a dedicated video recorder. So why would I want to use this camera? After all, you can get a G1 and HD video recorder for the same price as this camera. There are two main reasons. The first reason is Depth of Field (DOF). As I mentioned earlier the micro 4/3 sensor has 4 times more area than the 2/3 sensor used for many TV shows and is 22 times more area than many video recorders. Smaller sensors = larger DOF. This makes it harder to isolate your subject from the background by having the background out of focus. Pay attention to movies when you watch them and you will notice how they shift focus to "highlight" their subject. If you have wondered why you can't do that with a home video recorder, now you know. If you shoot with a F4 lens on a 4/3 system you will need a .8 aperture on a 1/4 system to get the same DOF (by the way there is no such home video recorder). The second major reason to use the GH1 is the ability to change lenses. Right now there are not many micro 4/3 lenses. However, the micro 4/3 format is so flexible that, with an adaptor you can use just about any camera lens you want (Nikon, Canon, Leica, etc). The trade off is that you lose autofocus and metering with most non-4/3 lenses. The ability to change lenses grants two major benefits. First, you can put all sorts of exotic lenses on. For example if you put on a 7mm lens, you would give your video a perspective not often seen in home footage. On a 1/4 sensor of a video recorder you would need a 1.4mm lens to get the same perspective as the 7mm on the 4/3 system. (Most camcorders are not going to go wider than 4mm which is roughly equivalent to a 20mm lens on a 4/3 system.) Secondly, you can put exceedingly "fast" (a fast lens is one with a low aperture number. A lower aperture number means more light hitting the sensor so you can run your shutter speed faster. Hence fast lens) lenses on to get shallow DOF. You could easily put a f1.4 lens on this camera. You would need a f0.3 lens to get the equivalent DOF on a 1/4 sensor.
Anyway, it is relatively easy to make beautiful videos with this camera;...Read more›

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The Panasonic DMC-GH1 is called a Creative HD Hybrid because it records not only high-quality photos but also high definition 1080/24p or smooth 720/60p HD (High Definition) movies in AVCHD format. Continuous AF can be used while recording movies, to further boost operating ease. Taking advantage of its system camera design, the DMC-GH1 features the potential for unlimited photo expression by allowing the use of different lenses for specific shooting situations and subjects. High-quality sound recording with Dolby Digital Stereo Creator and a host of other creative options, including manual settings, giving the DMC-GH1 even greater versatility.Supporting the DMC-GH1's powerful full-HD movie recording function is a 12.1-megapixel high-speed Live MOS sensor and the Venus Engine HD image processor, which features two CPUs for outstanding processing capability. The LUMIX G VARIO HD 14-140mm/F4.0-5.8 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S., which is a versatile 10x zoom interchangeable lens, was designed for movie recording by including a silent and continuous auto focusing function and seamless aperture adjustment.FEATURES:
Intelligent Exposure (iA) Mode - Panasonic's Intelligent Exposure (iA) Mode simplifies face detection autofocus, AF tracking for moving subjects, optical image stabilization, scene mode selection, and ISO to make great pictures as simple as point-and-shoot. Concentrate on the subject in front of you--let the camera do the rest. The GH1 lets you enjoy making great photographs with ease!
Super Zoom 14-140mm Lens - Coupled with the GH1, the newly-developed 14-140mm (10x) zoom lens provides excellent wide angle to telephoto coverage. From landscapes to dramatic close-ups, this optic ensures first-class image quality in an amazing 35mm focal equivalent of 28-280mm! The integrated optical image stabilizer keeps your photos sharp and shake-free whi

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Sony Alpha NEX NEX5K/S Digital Camera with Interchangeable Lens (Silver) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have owned the Olympus EP-1, Panasonic GF1, also have a Nikon d90 and canon s90 so I have seen a lot of pictures from all these cameras. First I would like to say the MENU on the NEX is actually pretty GOOD. Yes, like everybody has said it would have been nice to have a dedicated button for iso, w balance etc..BUT it takes literally 1 second and you can change those settings, what's all the fuss about??? I actually find the Nex's menu LESS complicated than the EP1 that drove ME nuts! So..to all afraid of this camera because so many reviews mention the menu is horrible..to them I say what???
What is blowing me away most is the low noise at high iso plus the overall picture quality. I am one of those DSLR people who wants DSLR type quality in the smallest package possible. I admit I am NOT a pro photographer but I can change every setting on my D90 and I know how to go deep into DSLR settings and what they mean. I say this ONLY because the Nex-5 seems aimed at point and shooters moving up the quality ladder but supposedly don't know all that much about settings. Yes, the Panasonic GF1 and Olympus E-P1 seem to give you a "little more" manual control than this NEX-5 does..but it's pretty close..re: controls.
What the NEX-5 does in my opinion is especially in raw format Blow the doors off the GF1 and EP1 as to how much detail you can work with. On the GF1 in raw..often I STILL couldn't get skin tones to look right, shadows in lower light always had too much noise..and I ended up with too many grainy pictures. I am simply blown away with the NEX as to how much detail you can get back using raw...where the jpg may look like a total loss..you can often still get a great pic using raw.
For the point and shoot people..the raw conversion software that comes with the Sony is actually VERY good, powerful and EASY to use. Overall this is a SMALL camera that pretty much takes pictures in the same general ballpark as the better dslrs in my opinion. I think this may actually have less noise than my Nikon d90.
What I don't like..manually you can only choose iso 200, 400, 800, 1600 etc. I prefer a bit more control ala the GF1 where you can choose say a 640, 1000, iso or 1200 iso etc. That being said if you choose Auto iso the NEX Will at times choose isos such as 640, 1000 etc..not available manually.
Some of the gimmicks? like panorama or twilight handheld shooting where the NEX shoots about 5 pictures within about a second actually WORK and I think at times "these can give you pictures you simply can NOT get on a gf1, ep1" etc.
One other thing I am not thrilled about is overall color saturation is bit too punchy or high. This is not a problem as it takes a sec IF you want a bit less color saturation in your pics with any photo editor.
The NEX feels great in your hand. It feels solid as a brick YET seems to weigh much less than the gf1 and ep1 making the Nex easier to take with you!
There is no perfect camera and never will be. In my opinion though..if you don't need to change settings every 2 seconds..OVERALL this NEX-5 may be your best choice right now as far as mirrorless cameras go. Don't forget one huge reason the GF1/EP1 look so much better than point and shoot cams is the sensor size. Well the full sized dslr sensor in the NEX is MUCH bigger than micro Four..hence the lower noise...better overall IQ in my opinion.
UPDATE: The menu system never really bothered me, however, after updating to latest version 03 this Nex-5 is even WAY WAY better. The menu system now is downright EXCELLENT in my opinion. I am constantly blown away by how great this LITTLE camera is. What a WONDERFUL camera overall!!!

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The performance of a DSLR, in about half the size and weight.5 The NEX-5 is the interchangeable lens camera that goes wherever you do. Enjoy Full HD 1080/60i movies,2 astounding low-light pictures, continuous shooting up to 7 fps, incredible panorama shots, and Live View on a tilting 3.0-inch6 LCD.

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Sony Alpha NEX NEX5K/B Digital Camera with Interchangeable Lens (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)People, I LOVE this camera. I bought it thinking there was an 85% chance I was going to return it, but am happy to tell you that as soon as I uploaded my first pictures, I was smitten. I was most worried about picture quality, because I had previously owned a Sony a200 and a700, and ended up selling both for a Canon and Nikon, because the picture quality just wasn't up to snuff. My most recent camera was a D300s and I would say that the nex5 performs almost as well as it in most situations and even better in a few. And the nex5 video blows the D300s out of the water! Obviously everyone has different needs and preferences from their camera so all I can do is tell you what my needs were and why the nex5 is so great for them.
The picture quality was the most important thing for me, which was more than adequate so the next most important criteria was the LCD. The LCD on my D300s was a complete joke, as I couldn't see squat on that thing in even moderate sunlight. This was extremely frustrating but since it was based on an OVF anyway, I just dealt with it. But I started my photography in this digital age on a Canon S2IS which had a swivelling screen and full-time live-view, and honestly, I've missed that method of taking pictures ever since I moved up to dSLR's. The two things that I wanted most out of the LCD on the nex5 were adequate visibility in bright sunlight, and real-time exposure compensation, so that you know EXACTLY what your picture would look like before you take it. It passed both of these tests with flying colors. The second day I had it, my wife and I went fishing on the river, in the afternoon sun. Live view photography would have been impossible on my D300s but I had no problems with the nex5. Understand that it will get a little washed out, but I was still able to compose as well as I needed and set exposure almost spot on. When I got home and uploaded my pics, this was confirmed for me as they just looked amazing. The best part about it was knowing that I wouldn't have gotten any of those shots with my D300s, simply because I wouldn't have brought the dang thing because I already had a bunch of stuff to carry. The sony just fit in my pocket (cargo pocket, with 18-55) and was out of the way until needed.
The other great things about this little guy are the ISO performance, which is ridiculous (better than D300s) and the high-speed continuous mode. Just to be straight on this, it will take 7, full-resolution photos a second, but locks exposure and focus. If you want it to refocus and adjust exposure, the best it can do is about 2 1/2. Of course there's the panoramic mode (haven't tried it), HDR mode (don't like it), and twilight mode (don't like it). Oh yeah, and I love the detachable flash which is solid as a rock when attached, but since I hardly ever do flash-photography, I love to be able to get it out of the way for the majority of the time.
For me this is the best camera on the market right now. I tested it against the Lumix G2 and thought the picture quality is noticeably better on the Sony (I do think focus is faster on the G2 though - certainly a great camera too), not to mention the form factor is so much smaller! But, with all that said, I fully plan on selling it in the fall when the new batch of cameras come out because there are a few things that the nex5 doesn't have that I desperately want.
First of all, the menu sucks. There's no way around it - if you ever try to change the settings, you are going to be frustrated by it. I could live with that, but there are other things missing. As good as the LCD is, I really want an EVF, even if I have to have a slightly larger body. I also really need just a few more buttons, namely: ISO, Focus lock, AE lock, but I do like the minimalist approach, because I absolutely hate the millions of buttons that Canon and Nikon throw on their cameras. As I mentioned, the video is very good, and although it does have an exposure control, so you can increase or decrease the brightness by two stops at any time (kind of neat), I need full manual control over video. The only other things that I don't really like are just nagging things that I could live with, but I'm hoping will improve in my next purchase, they are: battery life, screen blackout, and shutter noise. Battery life goes really fast on this camera and spares are ridiculously priced at $70, but I can understand that it takes a lot of juice to run that screen, so I could live with it. The screen does black out when you take pictures for what seems just a hair too long. It's not terrible, and for a $700 camera it's actually very good, but it's just something that would bother me in the long run. The shutter is surprisingly loud. The first day I got it I took a picture of my wife taking a nap on the couch and it actually woke her up! I'm not saying it sounds like a freight train, but unfortunately, I love taking incognito pictures in crowded places and would definitely have to be a little more careful with this little guy.
So, all in all, this is my favorite camera I've ever owned. I mention that I plan on selling it only because I know that the evolution will be to bring more and more functions to this small sized, mirrorless style camera, otherwise I wouldn't. If I had to choose between every camera out there right now, I'd choose this one every time. But I'm keeping a keen eye out for the nex7 and gh2 that should be coming out this fall, and guess that one of those cameras will be pretty much perfect for me.
UPDATE
Now that they've started manufacturing adapters for the NEX, I got myself a Canon FD lens adapter which has really taken the camera to a whole new level. Understand that you will only have manual focus with any adapter but Sony makes it very easy by dedicating the bottom button to MF Assist which zooms in so you can make sure that your focus is sharp! Even though some of the lenses dwarf the tiny little NEX, it still handles very comfortably and efficiently. If you love this camera but are frustrated with the selection (or lack of) of lenses, check out the options on ebay - those old lenses are a real bargain now.

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The performance of a DSLR, in about half the size and weight.5 The NEX-5 is the interchangeable lens camera that goes wherever you do. Enjoy Full HD 1080/60i movies,2 astounding low-light pictures, continuous shooting up to 7 fps, incredible panorama shots, and Live View on a tilting 3.0-inch6 LCD.

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Sony Alpha DSLRA500L 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm Lens Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had my a500 for a few months and am very happy with my purchase. This is a great camera for someone wishing to switch from advanced point-and-shoot to full d-SLR. The menus are intuitive, and this camera is generally easy to use. It has some nice features like HDR imaging, manual live focus, and an amazing live view. I tested this camera with Nikon and Canon models in the same price range and felt this was the superior product. I also like that this camera has the autofocus motor inside the camera itself (unlike many similarly priced models by other brands), making it compatible with my 20-year old Minolta lenses. As you probably know, lenses are as important, if not more important, than the camera body so it's nice to be able to use older, reasonably-priced, solid glass. This generally takes nice low light shots although there is some noise at higher ISOs. This is to be expected from a camera in this price range. Also the kit lens is not the greatest, but this is usually the case with entry level SLR cams. I'd recommend buying the body only and picking up a 50mm prime lens. Then start shooting. I gave this 5 stars because it's great at what it is --- a starter SLR camera with some room for the photographer to grow. This of course can't compete with $2000-$3000 full frame models, but it has none-the-less exceeded my expectations. Great value. In general, I think this brand is underrated in the digital camera world. If you are in the market for your first d-SLR, give Sony a try.

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Exceptional picture quality, super-fast response and maximum shooting versatility come together with the Sony A500 camera. A 12.3 megapixel Exmor CMOS image sensor and BIONZ image processing engine deliver amazing image quality with high-sensitivity shooting at up to ISO12800. You can also expand your shooting opportunities with two Live View modes, Quick Auto Focus Live View and Manual Focus Check Live View. Plus, a 9-area tracking auto focus system makes it possible to capture high-speed shots with a fast shutter speed and up to 5 frames/sec continuous shooting. And it's easy to frame high and low-angle shots on the tiltable 3.0" LCD. The A550L comes with a DT 18-55mm lens zoom lens.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 12.1 MP Live MOS Interchangeable Lens Camera with 3-Inch Touch Screen LCD and 14-42mm Lumix G VARIO f/3.5-5.6 MEGA OIS Lens (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Panasonic G2 is a successor of G1, which is the first micro four third camera. G series focus on make the camera as small as possible without sacrificing image quality and control. G2 adds video recording and touch screen feature.
Panasonic G2 main specs
- 12 megapixel - four thirds sensor
- 3"' 460k resolution swivel and touch screen LCD
- 1,280 x 720 high-definition at 60fps
- Built-in Electronic viewfinder (1.44 million dots)
BODY DESIGN
Panasonic G2 weights 371 g / 13.09 oz body only, 593 g / 20.92 oz with battery, memory card and 14-42mm lens. It has dimension of 124 x 83.6 x 74 mm exclude protusion. Compared to regular DSLR camera, The package is significantly smaller and lightweight. Compare to advanced DSLR such as Canon 7D , G2 is approx. half the size and weight. As a result, it is more fun to carry around and it takes only a bit of room to store.
Like G1, Panasonic G2 has built-in electronic viewfinder which is helpful for composing photos, the rear 3' inch LCD is also very bright and nice to use. It can also swivel so you can compose a picture in unusual angle for example overhead or very low in the ground.
New in micro four third system, LCD screen is now equipped with touchscreen technology. You can touch the screen to select or change various settings and also you can touch the screen to set auto focus point.
Therefore, changing AF points in G2 is very fast. In regular DSLR camera, you might need to scroll around until you get AF point that you want. in G2, you just touch it. AF point could be also be enlarged or decreased for precision.
HANDLING
Panasonic G2 is nice to hold, thanks to the grip. It also has many dedicated buttons and switches. It has one main dial, camera mode dial, Release mode switch, Auto focus mode switch, metering switch, ISO button, WB button, Function button, AF/AE lock button, display button, delete button, live/lcd button, intelligent auto button, and video recording button.
As a result, control and handling is significantly better and faster than many entry level cameras where you need to dwell deep in the menu to change setting that you want.
IMAGE QUALITY
Image quality in low ISO setting is excellent. However, like all four thirds system camera, image in high ISO is not as good as regular DSLR camera that has APS-C sensor.
Image quality from ISO 100 to 800 is excellent. in ISO 1600, image starts to lose some details, sharpness and a bit of saturation. In ISO 3200, image starts to breakdown and 6400 is reserved only in emergency situation.
AUTO FOCUS PERFORMANCE
G2 is an very responsive camera. It shines in auto focus performance. AF speed is almost instantaneous whether in bright light or low light condition, I feel it can beat some beginner DSLR cameras. In G2, you can also touch the screen to set up AF point which is very convenient.
Auto focus tracking work well in slow moving subject, such as people walking, however, sometimes, it failed to track, especially fast or erratic movement. This is where the area G2 lacks compared to regular DSLR camera.
There are plenty to like about Panasonic G2
+ Small and lightweight relative to DSLR camera
+ Built-in high-res electronic viewfinder
+ Touch screen that allow you to change setting, set AF and flip image in playback
+ Swivel LCD screen help to compose photos in awkward angle
+ Fast Auto focus performance
+ Many dedicated buttons and switches
+ What you see is what you get (changing color balance, film mode shown in LCD)
+ Very good performance (responsive)
What I don't like about Panasonic G2
- Auto focus tracking is not reliable
- Image quality in ISO 1600 and above is not as good as regular DSLR
- Harder to achieve shallow depth of field (Defocus background)
- 1/2 to 1 second screen freeze after capturing photo
- Auto ISO is not very accurate and tend to stick with ISO 400
COMPETITORS
Samsung NX10 - Digital camera - prosumer - 14.6 Mpix - body only - supported memory: SD, SDHC - noble black
NX10 has bigger image sensor (APS-C) and higher-res (610k) AMOLED screen, however NX10 built-in viewfinder, body handling is not as good as Panasonic G2. G2 also slightly faster in auto focus performance.
Olympus PEN E-P2 12.3 MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and Electronic View Finder
Olympus E-P2 has a smaller design and more appropriate to be compared with Panasonic GF1 instead of G2. The main advantage E-P2 has is it has built-in image stabilization, however, it falls short in many areas such as slow auto focus especially in low light condition, low res LCD screen, and no built-in flash.
CONCLUSION
Panasonic G2 is the best flagship micro four thirds camera in 2010 with many new innovative technology such as touch screen LCD and full HD video recording. It is fun to use and carry around. However, G2 still has the same problem that has plague many four third system cameras which is image quality in high ISO setting. Despite it offers up to ISO 6400, but I recommend user to stick with ISO 800 or lower.
Subjective rating relative to mirrorless camera system 2010
Image Quality : 4/5 (with 14-42mm kit lens)
Features: 5/5
Performance: 5/5
Body / Handling: 5/5
Value for money: 3/5
For image sample and iso comparison, please visit my blog. You can find the address through my profile page. Thanks for reading.

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Panasonic DMC-G2 Interchangeable Lens System Digital Camera (Black)

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 12.1MP Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with Lumix G Vario 14-45 mm f/3.5-5.6 ASPH Mega OIS Lens (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)For those who don't know, the Panasonic G1 is the first (of hopefully many) camera that adheres to the new micro 4/3 format. What is so exciting about it? All SLR cameras use mirrors, prisms, and optical viewfinders so that the photographer can see what his/her subject "through the lens." SLRs have remained the defacto standard for most serious photographers because most find the whole viewfinder concept so appealing. The micro 4/3 does away with the mirrors and prisms, and replaces the optical viewfinder of SLRs with an electronic viewfinder. This allows the cameras that adhere to the standard to be much smaller (and wideangle lenses designed for this mount to be smaller as well). Onto the real review...
The EVF on the G1 is the first that I've seen that is remotely usable. While not as good as the OVF in my 5D, it is considerably better than the OVF in my older 350D. The first look through the EVF will impress anyone who hasn't used a Full-Frame camera before. While there is a noticeable lag (particularly when moving the camera around...a delay of a 10th of a second maybe), the fact that you can see a live histogram in the VF makes the lag completely worthwhile. Even better, the VF can increase the gain of the screen in darker conditions so you can actually see what you are shooting (it does get grainy, but it is better than seeing nothing at all). Finally, when you engage Manual Focus, the view in the EVF zooms in on your subject automatically which allows for perfect manual focus adjustments every time!! Without a doubt, this is the best interchangeable lens camera on the market if you are interested in manually focusing.
The articulating LCD is another design choice that is spot-on!! Why haven't other manufacturers caught on that "live view" is completely useless without an articulating LCD? Switching from the LCD to the EVF is as simple as putting your eye next to the viewfinder. There is a sensor there that detects when it is being used. The LCD doesn't have the super resolution of the new 5DMkII or the D700, but it has twice the resolution of my older 5D.
So is the camera pocketable? Not a chance. However, it isn't much bigger than the larger (with its kit lens) than modern superzoom Point&Shoot cameras. I bought it because I found that I was leaving my 5D (with 24-70 f/2.8) at home more often than not because i didn't want to carry so much weight. The G1, in comparison, is a joy to hold and carry. For me, the size is just right. Any smaller and the controls would be unusably small. Any larger and the camera would begin to resemble smaller DSLRs. Side Note: The kit lens has to be seen to be believed...it is SO small. Even the 45-200 lens (90-400) isn't much bigger than kit lenses for APS-C or FF cameras (let alone comparing it to the monstrous 100-400 lens that canon makes).
Noise is reasonable. I wouldn't go past ISO1250 for prints with the G1. ISO1600 and 3200 are more than useable for web viewing (which is how a majority of my pics are displayed). I never really understood how printable ISO6400 prints are suddenly required for every camera...how many people actually print a large number of images anyways? Downsized to Facebook or Picasaweb sizes, I would imagine that a ISO6400 G1 image would be more than adequate.
What I don't like is the lack of any large aperture lenses for the format. You can buy adapters to use standard 4/3 lenses but the older 4/3 lenses are likely larger than their future micro43 counterparts (and AF doesn't work with many of them). Adapters also exist for Leica M mount (I'm trying to convince my fiance that leica lenses are a better investment than the stock market right now...but I don't think that she is buying it). The depth of field for micro43 is already larger due to the smaller sensor so it will be hard to get subject isolation in photographs until large aperture prime lenses become available.
I'm really excited about the future of this format. Panasonic has promised a G1HD someone in the first half of this year (a G1 with video capabilities). In addition, 3 new lenses have been announced: a 7/14 f/4, a 14-140, and best of all a 20 mm f/1.7 pancake! Olympus also showed off a concept of a micro43 camera that looked no bigger than a small point&shoot. The future is exciting!

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The LUMIX G1 Ultra-Compact Digital Interchangeable Lens camera is as easy to use as a compact digital camera.It's a new-generation digital interchangeable lens camera that does away with the mirror box and complies with the new Micro Four Thirds System standard.It also features Full-time Live View for compact digital camera shooting ease and iA Intelligent Auto) for beautiful photos with point-and-shoot simplicity.In short, the G1 writes an entirely new chapter in the evolution of the digital interchangeable lens camera.

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