1001 Noisy Cameras

ISO comparison crops from the Ricoh GXR system blocks

It looks like there are more CNet variations than countries in the UN ;-) Via Foto Actualidad, via dslcamera.ptzn.com, we learn of a new look at the Ricoh GXR system at the German CNet. They have intra-camera ISO crop comparisons of both the Macro block (we better start using their actual names), okay, the A12 block (50mm f2 lens with 12mp APS-C sensor) and the S10 block (GX200-like specs, 1/1.7x" sensor with 24-72mm eq lens).

CAUTION: The A12 page includes a very close close-up of a human eye!

Disambiguation
Some of our readers pointed out that the terms "comparison shots" apply to both when comparing pictures from the same camera, and also when comparing across cameras. So we will try to use the terms "intra-camera" and "inter-camera" to make it more clear.

Examples:
+ intra-camera comparison: ISO pictures from ISO 200 to 1600 from the Ricoh GRD3
+ inter-camera comparison: ISO pictures from ISO 200 to 1600 from the LX3, S90, G11, X1

It is going to take us a few weeks to get into the habit of using these terms on a consistent basis, so please bear/bare/bayer with us. We are not going to go back and edit previous posts. With over 3000 posts it would take a few months to retro-fit them - assuming insanity would not take-over beforehand :)

Countdown to Black Friday: Last day for Canon's $200 off two-lens kit instant rebates

Today is the last day for the Canon $200 OFF instant rebates, so if you are interested in the Digital Rebels, be sure to check them out. See the promotion details at Canon:

Last Day for $200 OFF Canon DSLR two-lens kit Instant Rebates

+ T1i + 18-55mm kit and the 55-250mm EF-S = $976 - 200 = $776

+ D-Rebel XSi kit w/18-55mm and the EF-S 55-250mm lens = $839 - $200 = $639

+ the 55-250mm EF-S lens ships in "4 to 7 weeks" but you lock the above prices the moment you place your order. You don't need to submit any rebates by mail.

+ Canon D-Rebel XS w/18-55mm ($480) + 75-300mm f4-5.6 III ($151) = $631 - $100 instant rebate = $531

+ 50D w/ EF 28-135mm ($1132) + 70-300mm f4-5.6 IS ($540) = $1672 - $200 = $1472

+ the 50D two-lens combo above is estimated to ship on November 30, but you lock in the price when you place your order.

+ you can have three of the four promotions in the same shopping cart. Only one of the two $200 OFF instant rebates promotions that include the EF-S 55-250mm lens appears.

Black Friday Compilation
Gadget blog Gizmodo.com has aggregated the various Black Friday tech-deals in two handy pages. Check them out: Page #1 includes digital cameras, storage, and computers, and page #2 includes printers, software and HDTVs.

We will dissect these as we get closer to the actual Black Friday. Also note that some retailers will be starting early and some will be extending their sales into next Saturday and the weekend.

As usual, we will be posting these as if we find them or as they find us at the Camera Deals blog and posting summaries and instant-alerts on the main blog. If you find any good deals that you'd like to share with everybody else, please let us know.

Other specials of potential interest
+ if you like open-box/refurbished Quantaray lenses at bargain basement prices, check TechforLess (thanks to Ryan Q for the tip!)

+ Fuji has a new $50 mail-in rebate on the big RAWzoomer S200-EXR. Good from Nov-1 to Dec-31. Drops the price to $430AR.

+ Sony Alpha A300 [reviews] with 18-70mm DT kit for $500 with free S&H. This has the 10mp CCD sensor.

+ last day for Samsung TL220 at $240 and TL225 for $270 at Buy.com. These are the dual (front and back) LCD screen models. Discount is via instant rebates in your Checkout page.

Previous updates
You can also check our previous "Countdown to Black Friday" updates but please note that a blog is a diary and the text, prices and availability are not automatically rewritten/updated when there is a change in status.

Two more Canon S90 reviews are out!

The Canon S90 review parade continues with two more! We start at Digital Camera Review, where they put the camera through the paces. The pixel-peepiential stuff is on page #2, including brick walls (be sure to listen to Pink Floyd's "The Wall" every time you pixel-peep a brick wall), and full-range intra-camera ISO comparisons.

Next we enter the Matrix and discover that Neo has a review site, NeoCamera.com, and he has just reviewed the S90 as well. NeoCamera has a different layout than most review sites, so be sure to take a deep breath before you try to speed-read through :) Of comparison-interest, the "Cropped Images" pages include comparisons to the Fuji F200 EXR [reviews].

You can check all the S90 reviews so far at its review cluster. If we missed any review that deserves to be included, please let us know!

And we close this segment with a custom-grip featured at Eolake and available from the designers at Kleptography, which has created custom accessories for other cameras as well (LX3, G9, DP-series, etc).

In terms of availability, we have just refreshed the S90 stock status page and the camera continues to be in-stock without problems at its opening price of $430 at many reputable retailers including OneCall and Abt Electronics.

And in perhaps a testament of its popularity, popular tech retailer Nuevo Huevo has a limit of five units per person. What? Are people stock-piling them thinking there will be another LX3-like shortage-phenomenon so they can sell them at a profit?

The S90 is showing signs of becoming a Powershot Cannibal - it could eat sales from both the G-series (G10, G11) and the high-end Elphs!

Samples from Canon 7D, Fuji F70 and Canon G11 at DC Resource

It is samples season at DC-Resource, where they have posted new galleries for three popular digital cameras, the hotly-debated Canon 7D using the 17-85mm f4-5.6 IS lense, the slim-line Fuji F70 EXR, and the G11, the new generation of the storied Canon G-series.

Speaking of the Canon G11, it recently received a brand new review at CNet Asia. The review includes a couple of ISO-crop comparisons to satisfy the pixel-peepeurs.

New review lists created (2 DSLRs, 5 compacts)

Now that things got quiet, it is time to add some of the hot new cameras to the Review Organizer. If you have any favorite cameras you would like to see added, please add them in the comments or send an email. You can check which cameras already have review-lists at the DSLR + iLC and the Compact/FixedLens review organizers.

Also, if you prefer a different user-interface for the DSLR review organizer, you can check the previous version at the DSLR Map. Both point to the same actual review-clusters, it's just a different front-page.

New Review Clusters created
+ Sony Alpha A550 reviews - with 14mp CMOS sensor
+ Sony Alpha A500 reviews - with 12mp CMOS sensor
+ Panasonic ZR1 (ZX1) reviews - another slim-zoom
+ Fuji F70EXR reviews - slim zoom with the SuperCCD EXR sensor
+ Casio EX-H10 reviews - slim zoom with 1000+ CIPA battery rating
+ Nikon Coolpix S1000pj reviews - the one with the built-in projector
+ Sony WX1 reviews - it has the Exmor (backlit) CMOS sensor
+ this update is now completed
+ more cameras will be added at a later time

For Reviewers Only
Both the Sony A550 and even more so the Alpha A500 are in desperate need of reviews! If you are trying to decide which cameras to review next, as you can see in the lists above, both the A500 and A550 need more reviews. Especially the Alpha A500!

Don't let the bad reputation of the CCD-based Alpha trio scare you away :)

Review Disasters: Panasonic FZ35 (FZ38) at Digital Photography School

We usually try to avoid a full-time vacation in Negative Town, but sometimes things beg for exposure. One popular website for photography beginners, Digital Photography School, has started churning publishing mediocre (to put it very politely) mini-reviews (again being very polite) of digital cameras. Today they have posted a review of the Panasonic FZ38 (FZ35) which is an epic disaster. Direct quote from the review:

"Panasonic has not indulged in a longish zoom camera before, unlike Canon, Nikon and Olympus, and its first such camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35..."

It looks like they need to take some classes at the Camera Review School :)

Poll on iPhone Photography

What do you think of iPhone Photography?
iPhone photography has been generating a lot of excitement, from photography apps to Chase Jarvis and his Best Camera project, which includes an online community and a book adding fuel to the fire.

So we have a poll for you. What do you think of iPhone photography? This is a multiple-answer poll, so please feel free to vote for all that apply, and write-in any "Other" options. Or use the comments section below.

And if you like polls, you can check our blog posts that have polls in them and see what our readers think about different topics. We don't close most of the polls, so you can vote at any time!

DSLR killed the video star?

We continue with the video mini-theme. Through Ryan Brenizer's blog, we learn of a new in-depth article at Wired looking at the impact DSLR-Video is having in the world of moving pictures, and cite specific examples.

It is interesting to note that a few years ago, hybridization/convergence was perhaps seen by some as more likely to go the other direction - advanced video cameras "eating" away at still cameras, but it looks like the tide is now perhaps heading in the opposite direction. Perhaps it was the pretty diagrams and loud barking of RED that got the DSLR world to take video very seriously and make it a priority. And the DSLR world managed to deliver actual products a whole lot faster than RED. We'd love to see RED succeed and make the market more diverse and competitive, but you can't take actual pictures using just the exciting new diagrams they publish every few months.

What's happening to Panavision to EOS/GH1 adapters?

For the speed readers out there, the headline says Panavision, not Panasonic :) Hot Rod Cameras says that according to their sources the adapters that let hybridographers use Panavision lenses on Canon Video-DSLRs and other video-friendly cameras (eg Panasonic GH1) will no longer be available from Panavision.

But fear not, Hot Rod Cameras is planning to build those adapters on their own!