eK-gadgets info

Goodies :

• 15X optical zoom lens
• Optical image stabilization
• Large, tilting 3-inch LCD display; sharp, with good low light visibility
• Full manual controls
• Fast focus, shot-to-shot speeds
• AF-assist lamp; good low light focusing
• Nice continuous shooting mode
• Face detection and redeye removal features work well, though limited to just two shooting modes
• Optical zoom and image stabilization can be used in movie mode
• Fun (though not terribly useful) NightShot feature
• Remote control and (huge) lens hood included in box
• Support for conversion lenses
• USB 2.0 High Speed protocol supported

Baddies :

• Soft images with smudged details due to heavy noise reduction
• Strong purple fringing for an ultra zoom in 2007
• Build quality a step down from previous models; slippery right hand grip
• Redeye a problem, though it can be removed in playback mode
• Below average battery life
• Clunky, confusing menu system
• No image compression options or RAW support
• Small electronic viewfinder
• Poorly placed command dial makes it too easy to change settings accidentally
• Lens retracts too quickly after entering playback mode
• High sensitivity mode can produce some pretty lousy photos, is best avoided
• Very slow battery charger included
• No Mac image browser included; Music Transfer software did not recognize MP3s
• Full manual only on CD-ROM

Via : Dcresources

Nokia has a long history of developing “fashion phones,” combing elements of high-tech and fashion together in stylish (and expensive) handsets. The 7900 is just such a phone. These renderings are subject to change, but certainly reveal a rather attractive phone. The keys are arranged in a triangle pattern, with a similar pattern mirrored on the back of the phone. There looks to be an offset D-pad, as well as purple backlighting. Blegh. Specs are spartan at the moment, but it’s clear that the phone features UMTS, 1GB of internal memory, 230 hours of standby and 3 hours of talktime, and a 240 x 320 screen. Not bad, not great, but there real virtue here is in the design. Expect this to be confirmed, or denied, but Nokia in the coming weeks.

The HTC Advantage X7500 is an interesting piece of design, even though most people who see it come away wondering the same thing: “Who’s it for?” It is an internet tablet with 3G telephony built-in, and we’d have to spend some quality time with the strange, two-piece contraption, but there is no denying the appeal of letting those two powerful magnets slap together. Also, now that Windows Mobile 6 is officially on board, we should see some better media, and more functional Office editing on this “Smartphone’s” 5-inch touch screen.

Via : Infosync

Canon SLR (single-lens reflex) owners now have an answer to Nikon’s 18-200mm ultrazoom–as long as they’re willing to buy a non-Canon lens.

Japanese lensmaker Sigma this week announced it’s begun selling its 18-200mm ultrazoom for Canon SLR cameras.

These lenses are flexible, but typically have lower image quality than zoom lenses with narrower ranges or “prime” lenses with a fixed focal length. They’re convenient, though, and often are called “vacation lenses” because they’re popular with people who don’t want to carry a big, heavy bag of better lenses.

Sigma’s new lens is available for Canon cameras now; later models will arrive for Nikon and Sigma’s own SLR cameras.

There aren’t any optical tests yet for the Sigma lens to compare it to the Nikon, but a little compare-and-contrast with the rest of the specs:

• Sigma’s costs $820 compared with about $750 for Nikon’s.

• Both lenses have image stabilization technology, called optical stabilization (OS) in Sigma’s case and vibration reduction (VR) in Nikon’s. Nikon says its second-generation technology will give four F-stops of improvement, meaning that a person who can take steady images at 1/125 second without VR can shoot at 1/8 second with it. (Even if your camera is steady, moving subjects still are blurry, though.) Sigma is mum about the gains from its OS technology.

Unlike other clocks, this one “uses a mere 33 lights spinning at 30 revolutions a second to simulate 8000 individual lights.” Product page. Continue reading to see it in action.