Dave's Picks

Nikon's J1 answers the demand for a truly compact system camera, and does it with style... (more)

Nikon's J1 answers the demand for a truly compact system camera, and does it with style
Nikon bided its time before entering the compact system camera market, and when it finally did so, wasn't afraid to take a path untrodden. The Nikon J1 adopts a rather smaller sensor than its main rivals, but in doing so also offers a worthwhile savings in weight and size--not only for the camera body, but perhaps more importantly for its lenses. That's not the only attention-grabbing feature, either. An unusual hybrid AF system and a speedy new EXPEED processor make the J1 swift even by SLR standards, and all this in a body that looks less camera than fashion accessory. Inquiring minds must know, though: how does that smaller sensor fare against its system camera rivals, and does it offer enough advantage over enthusiast compacts? To find out, click here and read our Nikon J1 review. (minimize)

Olympus refines the Pen series with a faster, simpler design... (more)

Olympus refines the Pen series with a faster, simpler design
Equipped with an improved lens and a more ergonomic body style, the Olympus Pen E-PL2 addresses several shortcomings of the previous model and refines the company's low-cost compact system camera design. The Olympus E-PL2's new lens design is smaller, lighter, and a little longer, with a more stable lens design and fast, silent autofocus. It even accepts accessory lenses. The E-PL2's 3-inch LCD is also higher resolution than any of the Pen predecessors, and the new Accessory Port 2 is compatible with more new gadgetry, including a bluetooth module that sends your pictures directly to a camera phone. Its 12-megapixel sensor still captures great images, and the Olympus E-PL2 tests faster than its predecessors. Click here for more on the Olympus Pen E-PL2! (minimize)

A great quality lens and smart design make the XZ-1 a choice premium digital camera... (more)

A great quality lens and smart design make the XZ-1 a choice premium digital camera
Long a pioneer in quality small cameras, Olympus has finally entered one of the more popular categories among digital cameras with the Olympus XZ-1. Competing with the Canon S95 and Panasonic LX5, which also have 10-megapixel sensors and wide-to-mid-range zooms, the Olympus XZ-1 merges ideas from both into a premium pocket digital camera with a very special lens. The XZ-1 is not only special because it has a 28-112mm, f/1.8 lens, which is 1/3 stop faster than its rivals, it is the first time Olympus has branded a lens with the Zuiko name. Our tests show that it's not just window dressing: This i.Zuiko lens has impressive corner sharpness, especially at wide-angle, besting its rivals. It sports an OLED display, and the ability to add the excellent VF-2 electronic viewfinder made for the Olympus Pen cameras. Sensor image quality is quite good from ISO 100 to 400, but noise suppression starts to soften detail from 800 and up a little more than its rivals. That doesn't take away from the potential of the XZ-1 for all manner of photography, though, as it still produces better results optically than other cameras in its price range. It's an impressive first offering in the premium pocket digital camera market. Click here for more on the Olympus XZ-1! (minimize)

One fine, take-anywhere digital camera designed with the photographer in mind... (more)

One fine, take-anywhere digital camera designed with the photographer in mind
In the battle for supremacy raging between high-quality pocket digital cameras and high quality mirrorless digital cameras, only two cameras are already considered legendary, and only one of those still has an f/2.0 lens: the Panasonic LX5. Its small Leica-like body actually includes a Leica-branded lens, now with a longer zoom, and both its f/2 lens and its 10-megapixel sensor are tuned for better image quality in low light. A 3-inch LCD and small, lightweight body round out the package, but it's the image quality and camera design that make the Panasonic LX5 special. Unlike many other recent camera designs the Panasonic LX5's low-light prowess and image quality is not dependent on special multi-shot modes, it just comes down to a refined sensor design and a fast, high-quality lens. Click here for our review of the Panasonic LX5. (minimize)

Another competent camera in the compact system space... (more)

Another competent camera in the compact system space
With its unique curved slab shape, the Samsung NX100 really stands out. Smaller than past Samsung compact system cameras, the NX100's retractable kit lens helps keep it small. Its 14.6-megapixel CMOS sensor is APS-C sized, and its 3-inch display is a 640x480 AMOLED. Unlike its larger predecessor, the Samsung NX100 has no flash and no electronic viewfinder, but it does have a hot shoe for attaching an electronic viewfinder or an external flash. We found its interface endearing and innovative, and enjoyed our time with the Samsung NX100, but had a little trouble with noise suppression in the JPEG files and wobbly videos. Our investigation led us to the RAW files to decide whether the Samsung NX100 was only for consumers, or whether it would also work for enthusiasts. Overall we were impressed with the Samsung NX100's speed, style, and image quality, especially in the RAW files. Click here to see all the details in our Samsung NX100 review. (minimize)

A great all-in-one imaging solution for travel photographers... (more)

A great all-in-one imaging solution for travel photographers
Superzooms are rather like the Swiss Army knives of the digital camera world. Where some cameras seem tuned for a specific task, superzooms like the Sony HX200V aim to cover every possibly shooting situation. All that zoom reach means compromises must be made. Done right, you get a great travel companion. Done wrong, no amount of zoom will help you. On paper, the Sony HX200V looks impressive: a 30x zoom lens, 18 megapixel sensor, tilting display, geotagging, and more. How does its real-world performance measure up? Read our Sony HX200V review and find out! (minimize)