Photo Review Reviews section

Leica X1

8.5 Rating

A very expensive, large-sensor compact camera with intuitive manual exposure controls and support for DNG raw file capture – but not video recording.Leica’s announcement of the X1 in early September 2009 took the market by surprise. Given the company’s liaison with Panasonic, many analysts expected to see a version of the Panasonic GF1. But the X1 is quite different. A fixed-lens camera with an APS-C sized sensor in a compact body, it provides only P, A, S and M shooting modes, doesn’t support video and lacks an optical viewfinder (one is available as an optional accessory).

Leica V-Lux 1

7.5 Rating

A capable, but pricey, prestige long-zoom digicam with some worthwhile features for digital photographers.Essentially a Panasonic DMC-FZ50 in Leica livery, the V-Lux 1 has taken just over a year to reach us. In that time, Panasonic has added two new models to its FZ line-up so the V-Lux 1 looks dated in comparison. Fortunately, it still has some worthwhile features for today’s digital photographers, including a reasonably large 10-megapixel imager and a fast, optically stabilised 12x zoom lens. Raw file capture is also provided but, despite Leica’s use of DNG-RAW in its other cameras, the V-Lux 1 appears to use the same file format as the FZ50.

Leica M8

A digital version of Leica’s prestigious rangefinder camera.Photographers have been using Leica’s M series rangefinder cameras for more than half a century and the new M8 represents a genuine combination of traditional and modern digital technologies. Apart from the LCD and array of buttons on the rear panel and the lack of a film-advance lever, you would never recognise the M8 as a digital camera. But inside its traditional-looking body is a 27 x 18 mm CCD chip with a 1.33x crop factor and 10-megapixel resolution plus a suite of electronic controls.

Kodak EasyShare Z812 IS

8.5 Rating

An easy-to-use long-zoom digicam with optical image stabilisation and functions to suit family snapshooters. Kodak’s EasyShare Z812 IS sports an 8.2-megapixel imager and optically-stabilised Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon 12x zoom lens, which covers angles of view equivalent to 36-432mm in 35mm format. A 2.5-inch ‘indoor/outdoor’ LCD cover much of the rear panel and the camera supports auto, P, A, S and M shooting modes plus a ‘Smart Scene’ mode that evaluates the scene and automatically selects the best scene mode and sensitivity setting.

Fujifilm Finepix X100

8.8 Rating

A fixed-lens compact camera for serious photographers, which features an APS-C sized sensor plus a hybrid viewfinder that combines optical and electronic systems.Although production of Fujifilm’s FinePix X100 was set back by the earthquake and tsunami that devastated north-eastern Japan, the factory in Sendai resumed production at the end of March and stocks were scheduled to arrive in Australia late in April. However, demand has been high and many retailers have pre-sold their stock, so it might still be difficult to obtain one for a month or so.

Kodak EasyShare Z1015 IS

8.5 Rating

A low-priced long-zoom digicam that can also record high-definition video clips.Kodak’s EasyShare Z1015 IS is the flagship model of the Z-series digicams, offering both the longest zoom range, the largest LCD monitor and raw file capture as well as P, A, S and M shooting modes. Featuring a 10-megapixel image sensor and 15x optical zoom lens plus sensor-shift stabilisation, it is competitively priced at $399 and comes with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery.

Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd

8.5 Rating

A keenly-priced long-zoom digicam with CCD-shift image stabilisation, which can use SD or xD-Picture Card storage media.With the release of the FinePix S8000fd, Fujifilm brings to market a smart-looking digicam with an 8-megapixel imager, one of the longest zoom lenses in the market plus a compact, and relatively light, camera body. The cheapest of three similarly featured long zoom cameras in the current market, the S8000fd has the distinction of being able to use both xD-Picture Card and SD cards (including SHDC), which are fitted in a single dual-format slot.

Fujifilm FinePix S7000

On test, the S7000 produced sharp images with accurate colours and well-balanced exposures in adequately-lit situations. Low light shots were clean and almost noise-free, and white balance performance was above average for both auto and manual settings. It took roughly four seconds to start up and shut down and capture lag averaged 1.0 seconds. The pop-up flash was powerful enough to illuminate an average room.

Fujifilm FinePix S6500fd

8.5 Rating

A competent and versatile camera for anyone who wants to learn the finer points of digital photography.Unveiled at Photokina in September, Fujifilm’s latest enthusiast digicam, the FinePix S6500fd, is the first to include a new LSI-based ‘Intelligent’ Face Detection technology (hence the ‘fd’ in the model name). Equipped with a 10x optical zoom lens (28-300mm equivalent) and sixth generation 6-megapixel Super CCD imager, it also boasts the second generation of Fujifilm’s Real Photo Processor technology. Taken together, these features promise the performance and versatility many enthusiasts require.

Fujifilm FinePix S100fs

9 Rating

An SLR-sized camera with advanced shooting capabilities.Fujifilm’s FinePix S100fs (the ‘fs’ tag stands for film simulation) is targeted at amateur photographers who want the manual controls and functionality of a DSLR without the hassle of interchangeable lenses. However, although the 11.1-megapixel S100fs is similar in size to some entry-level DSLRs, its image sensor remains significantly smaller (see below). On the plus side, the 14.3x optical zoom range on the Fujifilm camera is vastly wider than the 3x optical zoom range on most DSLRs’ kit lenses. It also offers video recording capabilities. On the minus side, it’s about 160 grams heavier than the D60 with the 18-55mm VR kit lens.