Exclusive: Panasonic: big potential for CSC lens business in the UK

Exclusive: Panasonic: big potential for CSC lens business in the UK:
A spokesperson for Panasonic UK has described the "big opportunity" that Panasonic has in the additional lens market for its Micro Four Thirds G series of cameras.
Panasonic was the first company to introduce compact system cameras to the market, back in 2008, and is still maintaining its number one position despite a recent flurry of competitor brands joining the market.
There have been suggestions made in the past however that the sale of accessories for these type of cameras is limited.
Speaking to TechRadar, Barney Sykes from Panasonic UK said, "It takes time to build a strong lens business, consumers will go out and buy that second lens, but not as soon as they've bought the camera."
Panasonic currently has four lines in its G series, including the most recently announced Panasonic GX1.
Sykes told us that that between April 2008 and September 2011, 133,000 Micro Four Thirds cameras had been sold in the UK, which accounted for 68% of all compact system camera sales, while Panasonic's market share during that period was 54%.
Olympus shares the Micro Four Thirds format with Panasonic, so lenses are compatible with both brands.
"We do have a big opportunity to sell these customers lenses, there's a potential for 133,000 customers out there to purchase additional lenses.

Range

"Because we have so many cameras, it's a little bit different. You probably wouldn't find a GF3 user buying a second or a third lens.
"But users of the G3 are more inclined to learn a bit more about photography and to experiment."
Sykes said that the popularity of the 25mm Leica lens, which was launched in August, took the company by surprise, having sold out until November.
He also claimed the new X lenses, which includes the 14-42 power zoom lens were also performing well.


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In Depth: Panasonic GF5 rumours: what you need to know

In Depth: Panasonic GF5 rumours: what you need to know:

Panasonic GF5 rumours: what you need to know

Panasonic currently has four ranges in its Micro Four Thirds line-up, but what do we know about the successor to the GF3?
Keep following this page for more updates on the GF5 as and when they emerge.

Panasonic GF5 specs

Update, 19 March 2012: Leaked images appear to show the GF5 in the clutches of a model. Suggestions have also been made that noise control on the GF5 will be at the same level as the Canon EOS 7D or Canon EOS 60D - we can't wait to see if that's true.
The GF3 was announced in June 2011 and is the smallest system camera in Panasonic's line-up, so it would make sense to keep the small form factor.
Megapixel count had previously been suggested as 16 million, the same as found on the Panasonic G3, but recently a leaked photo appeared to show that it would in fact house a 12.1 million pixel sensor, as found on the GF3, but with the sensor having an improved design for improved Signal to Noise Ratio.
Sensitivity of up to ISO 12,800 has been hinted at, which would it make it lower than the Olympus OM-D, but in line with cameras lower down in the PEN line-up.
Micro Four Thirds cameras such as the Olympus PEN E-P3 and Panasonic GX 1 are known for having ultra quick focusing speed, and it's therefore likely that the GF5 will be no different, with 43rumors suggesting a speed of just 0.09 seconds.

Panasonic GF5 release date

It is of course hard to speculate on a release date of a product not yet in existence, but we can take a look at previous releases to give us an indication.
It is thought that the GF5 will be formally announced in April or May, making it less than 12 months after the GF3 announcement, with on-sale dates coming just a few weeks after - perhaps we will be seeing a GF5 on sale before Photokina, which takes place in September.

Panasonic GF5 price

The GF3 upon release had a recommended retail price of around £550, making it one of the cheaper compact system cameras on the market but still an expensive proposition for those used to compact cameras.
However, recently the price of the camera has tumbled to around £300 online, we even saw it on sale during Focus on Imaging for the ludicrously cheap price of £200 with the 14-42mm kit lens, showing that these cameras are becoming ever more accessible.
It's likely that a new camera would feature a similar RRP as its predecessor, however if Panasonic is trying to attract a new audience, it may consider lowering its price.

Panasonic GF5 name

Where's the GF4 you might well ask... Panasonic has a history of skipping the number four, as seen in the jump from LX3 to LX5, its premium compact camera, as the number four is supposed to be unlucky in Japan.


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Leica M10 to be announced in May?

Leica M10 to be announced in May?:
A leaked invite for a Leica invite taking place in Berlin has led to speculation that the premium company could be about to unveil a Leica M9 successor.
Revealed on the Steve Huff Photo website, the invite shows the date as May 10th, which could be a rather twee way of revealing that the M10 is just around the corner.
It wouldn't be the first time such a thing had happened, the M9 was announced on the 9th September, 2009, or 9/9/9.
The invite also says that a "whole range" of product launches will be revealed, so perhaps we will also be seeing an upgrade to the X1, Leica's compact model.

Pricey

The Leica M9 is the world's smallest full-frame interchangeable lens camera, and comes with a £5,000 premium price tag.
Recently, Fujifilm appeared to be taking on Leica with its X Pro1, which is retro in style, but features a smaller, APS-C sized sensor.
That said, in our lab tests, we found that the X Pro1 is capable of beating the M9 (and the Canon 5D Mark II and Nikon D700) so it will be interesting to see how Leica plans to take on the competition.
Rumoured specs include a 24 million pixel CCD sensor. Kodak previously manufactured Leica sensors, but since selling off its sensor division, they have been made by the new owners, Platinum Equity.
It has been suggested that new Leica cameras will use a Sony CMOS sensor. Sony is known for making sensors for other manufacturers, including Nikon, as well as having its own line of cameras.
via LeicaRumors


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Exclusive: Sigma: people 'staggered' by 46MP compact quality

Exclusive: Sigma: people 'staggered' by 46MP compact quality:
Sigma has said that people have been impressed by the quality of the images that are produced by its 46 million pixel compact cameras, the DP1 and DP2 'Merrill'.
The cameras use Foveon technology, which effectively means that three 15.3 megapixel sensors are stacked on top of each other, with each responding to different light wavelengths.
Speaking to TechRadar, Paul Reynolds from Sigma Imaging UK, said "People are staggered by the quality that the compact offers in terms of optical resolution.
"In theory, a compact can produce better images because the fixed optic has been specifically designed for the camera."
The DP1 and DP2 'Merrill' cameras are updates of the predecessors, with the Merrill name attached to reflect the co-creator of Foveon technology.
At 46 million pixels, the cameras are the highest resolution compact cameras in the world.

Line-up

Foveon X3 technology is shared across Sigma's camera line, including its flagship DSLR, the SD1 and the SD15.
The Sigma DP1M features a fixed 19mm f/2.8 lens, while the DP2M uses a fixed 30mm f/2.8 lens. Both models allow shooting in raw and JPEG format.
The price and release date for the cameras is yet to be announced, but it is expected they will retail for around £1000, making these a far from cheap proposition.


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Exclusive: Panasonic: 'smart' camera is an 'option for the future'

Exclusive: Panasonic: 'smart' camera is an 'option for the future':
A spokesperson for Panasonic UK has said that the company has discussed the possibility of using Android on its cameras in the future, after Polaroid revealed its "smart camera" during CES.
Barney Sykes told TechRadar, "We had a little bit of a discussion around having Android as the operating system."
"It's one option for the future, but we have to be mindful of the consumer and the warranty that we offer. If we open up the platform to third parties, then we lose control of the warranty that we could offer the customer, because you never know what you're downloading."

Smart specs

Polaroid's "smart" camera, features a 3x optical zoom, a 16 million pixel sensor, a touchscreen and integrated Wi-Fi and optional 3G capability for uploading images to social networks quickly and easily.
Using the Android operating system means a number of photography apps can be downloaded, along with others that are available on the marketplace, of which there are more than 400,000 available.
Sykes continued, "One of the issues is that we have so much optical technology in the cameras, even in compacts, we have Leica lenses.
"When you download something, it's got to be able to work with the optics of the camera.
"But it is very interesting, in particular when you look at some of the apps you can download, the filters, the effects you can make, it's an interesting step. It's always good to see innovation."
Last month, the electronics giant introduced the Panasonic Eluga smartphone, which also uses the Android OS.


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Camera gun seeks Kickstarter funds

Camera gun seeks Kickstarter funds:
American brothers Randy and Michael Gregg have developed a replica hunting rifle that takes photos instead of firing bullets.
Designed after the duo went out hunting and found a cute deer they couldn't bear to kill, they lined up the beast in the crosshairs of their rifle and snapped an image through the scope with a mobile phone.
Now, they're on the look out for investors to make the prototype a retail reality.
The device would work in a similar way to a rifle, however pulling the trigger would release the shutter of an inbuilt digital camera, stamping it with a time and date. The camera is also capable of zooming and recording video.

'Ammunition'

Images are saved to a memory card which, naturally, is housed in the same location as the ammunition magazine on a real rifle. A USB port would also be included.
The brothers believe that several groups of people would be interested in the tech, including "kill free" hunters and those training to be, er, real hunters.
At the moment, the brothers are using a Kickstarter page to try and raise the funds they require to put the camera into development.
They're looking for $15,500, with pledges of $150 or more guaranteeing you a "Kill Shot" if the product ever does get made.

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Exclusive: Sony: Nokia 41MP 'not new tech'

Exclusive: Sony: Nokia 41MP 'not new tech':
A spokesperson for Sony UK has said that the new Nokia Pureview 808 smartphone is an 'interesting' development, but has claimed that the technology inside it is nothing new.
Nokia's 41 million pixel smartphone grabbed all the headlines when it was announced a few weeks ago, but several people have since been quick to denounce the technology.
Sony UK's Paul Genge told TechRadar: "It's quite clear it's a development announcement more than a retailable proposition, the technology is not new, it's only what our cameras have done for about a year now."

Algorithm

Although it would seem that Nokia uses pixel binning for its camera, the company claims that it is using "proprietary oversampling algorithms to achieve the best performance", which it claims is better than standard pixel binning.
Users are able to capture 34 megapixel images in 16:9 and 38 megapixel shots in the 4:3 setting.
Sony cameras use what it calls by pixel digital zoom, which groups pixels together for increased sensitivity.
"In that respect, it's not especially stand out, but within the mobile sector, yes it is, so I can understand why it's drawn an awful lot of attention," Genge continued.
"But, it is still only a technological announcement, it's not a plausible retail solution yet."


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Exclusive: Sony: Canon would be welcome in the CSC market

Exclusive: Sony: Canon would be welcome in the CSC market:
A spokesperson for Sony UK has said that Canon would be welcome if it chose to enter the compact system camera market in the future, making it the final major manufacturer to do so.
Many expect Canon to announce a mirrorless camera at some point in 2012, but speaking to TechRadar, Paul Genge from Sony UK, said "Canon has a lot to concentrate on at the moment, with both the video side of the market and its professional core consumer base."
"They're trying to compete in the growth of the video market, which they themselves launched with the 5D Mark II, so they're innovating in that direction. They're a big enough company that could be innovating in other directions that we don't yet know about."
Sony was one of the early adopters of CSC technology, introducing the APS-C sized sensor NEX series in 2010. It has since been joined by Fujifilm, Pentax and Nikon, along with other models available from Panasonic, Olympus and Samsung.

Welcome

"If they [Canon] choose to enter the CSC market, they'd be welcomed by Sony because we want the market to grow, we want the consumer to have more confidence that it's the right direction to invest their disposable income into," Genge said.
Several rumours have hinted at the likelihood of an APS-C size sensor for Canon's entry into the market, which would directly compete with Sony's NEX range.
"They'll have to come up with their own solution as and when they're ready," Genge continued. "But for now at least, we'll continue developing, we'll up our game."
"The market can only get bigger by the number of players within it and developing technology and marketing the potential benefits, so it wouldn't be a bad thing if Canon did come in."

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Exclusive: Panasonic watching advanced CSC market 'closely'

Exclusive: Panasonic watching advanced CSC market 'closely':
A spokesperson for Panasonic has said that the company is watching very closely the advanced compact system cameras currently entering the market from rivals including Sony, Olympus and Fujifilm.
Panasonic was the first brand to launch a CSC, back in 2008, but it has since been joined by all but one of the major photography brands.
Recently, there has been a flurry of more advanced system cameras making an entry on the market, with the Fujifilm X Pro1, Sony NEX-7 and Olympus OM-D all appearing in recent months.
Panasonic currently has two models which could be considered as competitors for this level of cameras, in the shape of the G3 and the more recent GX1, but Barney Sykes from Panasonic UK says the company hasn't ruled out the possibility of an even more advanced camera coming soon.

Rivals

"We're reviewing what's going on in the market," he told TechRadar, "We've seen the Olympus OM-D and we're watching the Sony NEX-7."
Although Sony announced the NEX-7 back in August 2011, it was unable to launch the camera properly because of problems with the factory as a result of the Thailand floods. It is only now becoming available for retail.
"We have to introduce a product that's right for us, and fitting with our technology," Sykes continued, "so we're watching the market developments very closely, and if a trend is spotted then we will be quick to respond to it."

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Nikon D4 to come bundled with XQD card and reader

Nikon D4 to come bundled with XQD card and reader:
Nikon has confirmed that the initial shipments of its Nikon D4, the company's new flagship DSLR will come bundled with an XQD card and reader included in the price.
The Nikon D4 is the first, and so far only, camera in the world to use the new format of memory card, which was announced in the latter part of 2011.
Similar in size to an SD card, XQD is capable of faster read and write speeds than both SD and traditional Compact Flash cards.
So far, the only manufacturer producing the cards (and reader) is Sony.

Limited time only

A Nikon UK representative told us that the card and reader would be available as part of the D4 price until May 28th.
The D4 retails for around £4800 (body only), while a 16GB Sony XQD card costs around £145, with the reader coming in at £49, so the free bundle represents a significant saving.
Other manufacturers have yet to come on board with the XQD format, with Nikon itself reserving it solely for the flagship camera, and choosing to include CF and SD card slots on the Nikon D800.
Several memory card manufacturers have also been reluctant to enter the market while it still has a low adoption rate.



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Tamron to expand lens production

Tamron to expand lens production:
Tamron, which manufactures third party lenses for a wide range of cameras, has announced that is to build a new lens factory ahead of predicted growth in the interchangeable lens market.
According to a report which appeared in the Japanese magazine Photo Trade Express, Mario Ono the firm's president said that the company was planning to launch many new models, to include lenses for APS-C sized cameras.
New Micro Four Thirds lenses are also expected to be produced in the next five years. Tamron only joined the Micro Four Thirds alliance back in January, and is yet to produce any optics for the format.

Location

Tamron, which is a Japanese company, currently has three factories in Japan and one in China.
A new factory is currently under construction in Vietnam, which is apparently capable of lower production costs than in Thailand, where many other companies have set up factories.
It's also been reported that the factory has been built on 'steady ground', and is unlikely to be at risk of flooding. Last year, the effect of the floods in Thailand left some companies devastated, pushing back camera release dates and affecting the production cycles of companies including Sony and Nikon.


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Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

Review Roundup: This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar:

This week's hottest reviews on TechRadar

As well as the new iPad review, we've also got a whole host of other reviews awaiting your perusal on TechRadar.
We've checked out several new Intel Ultrabooks including Dell's XPS 13 and the Samsung Series 5 as well as the thin-and-light but officially not an Ultrabook Samsung Series 9.
And then there's the Panasonic DMP-BDT220 Blu-ray player among plenty of other cool kit. Check out the full list below.
Dell XPS 13 review
There's only so cheap you can go with a thin and light chassis, Intel Core i7 under the hood, 4GB of memory and a 128/256GB SSD. Dell hasn't managed to make the XPS 13 as cheap as some competing Ultrabooks but this shouldn't be a message of doom and gloom - we think Dell will manage to bring prices down. And despite the price, we think the XPS 13 is the most desirable Ultrabook we've yet seen.
And, because of its corporate-friendly features we think it'll become a fixture in many boardrooms. But it's far from being just good for business. It's an excellent choice for anyone wanting a highly powered, highly portable machine. We've just found our next PC. How about you?
New iPad review
We think Apple's new iPad is magnificent. It's definitely the best iPad ever, with a brilliant new pin-sharp Retina display and more powerful graphics the stand-out new features. A consequence of these upgrades is that it's slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad 2, but if you want one of those, Apple is leaving the 16GB Wi-Fi model on the market.
Let's face it, though, you don't want one of those. You want one of the new ones, especially as the new iPad is only a little more expensive and offers a visual experience you have to see to believe. Apple's MO is evolution rather than revolution, so owners of older models need not worry - there's plenty of life in them yet. But for anyone else looking for a new play thing, this is it.
Philips Fidelio L1 review
Designed for use in the home as well as on the move, Philips is hoping the new Fidelio L1s will strike a chord with that rare beast: the iPod owner who really cares about sound quality.
A lot of the music we put through the L1 cans sounded absolutely stunning. Acoustic tracks sound first class across the board. The A-minor twang of a guitar, the snap of a snare drum, the wail of a Roger Waters – it's all as sonically pure as any other headphones we've tested in recent times. But for as many tracks as we could find that made the L1s sound like the best headphones in the world, there were as many that brought them back down into the realms of normality due to a lack of punch at the low-end.
Samsung Series 9 review
The Samsung Series 9 900X3B is a fantastic-looking laptop that doesn't sacrifice usability like many ultra-portable laptops. Yes, there's a lack of power here, battery life is uninspiring and the price is colossal. Those things usually equate to a bad review, but the Series 9 commands a certain respect. The engineering and vision that's gone into making something beautiful and unique goes beyond benchmark scores and gripes over price. We made excuses for the original Apple MacBook Air, which wasn't usable as a main machine.
Panasonic DMP-BDT220 review
While the DBP-BDT220 has a seductively low price, it's by no means a budget proposition. Panasonic has produced a high-performance Blu-ray player that doesn't disgrace itself when partnered with equipment from higher up the food chain.

Other reviews

Blu-ray players
Panasonic DMP-BDT220 review
Cameras
Hands on: Sigma 30mm f/2.8 EX DN lens review
Hands on: Nikon D4 review review
CCTV
D-Link Home Network Camera DCS-942L review
Compact cameras
Canon IXUS 125 HS review
Hybrids
Fuji X-Pro1 review
Laptops
Samsung Series 5 Ultra review
Printers
HP TopShot LaserJet Pro M275 review
Speakers
Fidelio SoundRing DS3800W review
Storage
Seagate GoFlex Desk 4TB review
Televisions
Samsung UE55ES8000 review
TV accessories
Datacolor Spyder4 Express review


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Updated: Nikon D400/D500 rumours: what you need to know

Updated: Nikon D400/D500 rumours: what you need to know:
With the Nikon D4 and Nikon D800 released and out of the way, it's time for us to turn our attention to what is likely to be the next release from the company.
We already know that Nikon has big plans for the year ahead, especially with the Olympics almost upon us, so it seems fairly likely that another DSLR release could be on the cards.
The D300s has also been discontinued in Japan, following the country's new battery laws, so a new camera would seem to be an obvious outcome.

Nikon D400/D500 release date

As usual, we can only look to previous release cycles to take an educated guess as to when a new camera will be announced.
The D300s was announced almost three years ago, first making its appearance in July 2009, while its predecessor, the Nikon D300 came out just two years previously, in August 2007.
That would seem to suggest that we are well overdue a replacement, but perhaps hints towards a summer time release for the camera.

Nikon D400/D500 specs

As the D300s is a DX (APS-C crop factor) camera, it is some respects it is beaten by its lower valued brother, the D7000.
Therefore, it's possible that the D400 will take on a full-frame sensor, making it more like a 'mini' D4, and setting it well apart from the D7000. One rumour has suggested that this could be the case and that the pixel count will be 16 million.
If Nikon does decide to stick with the APS-C route, it would seem likely that a high resolution would be on the cards, given the recent introduction of the 36 million pixel D800. Maybe 24 million pixels, as seen on the Sony a77 (who is known to manufacture Nikon sensors) will be the magic number.
Other rumoured specs include 6fps shooting and 95% viewfinder coverage. A suggestion has also arisen that it will only use a single CF card slot, once again rejecting the XQD format found in the D4.

Nikon D400/D500 price

Again, we can only guess at the price based on previous releases, but it would need to be competitively priced to make it a worthwhile proposition.
A D7000 can be picked up for around £1200 at the moment, while the D800 currently retails at about £2400. It's likely, that a D400 price would sit somewhere between these two figures.

Nikon D400/D500 name

For months, if not years, the speculation is that the D300s replacement would be the D400, however, recently the suggestion has been that it would skip straight ahead to the D500.
Perhaps this will be to set it further apart from the D300, especially if it is going to be using a full-frame sensor.
Stay tuned for more details as and when they emerge.



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Nikon D4 labs data shows promising results

Nikon D4 labs data shows promising results:
We've got the Nikon D4 in for testing and have put it through our lab tests to see how well it performed, and we're pleased to say that the results are good.
Our lab includes a specially designed chart which is shot in carefully controlled conditions, with the resulting images analysed using DXO Analyser software.
We test for both signal to noise ratio - which indicates how clean an image will be, and dynamic range.

Rivals

We've found that the D4 beats the Nikon D3x, Canon EOS 1D MK IV, Nikon D700 and Canon EOS 5D MK II in our signal to noise ratio when shooting JPEGS.
In terms of raw images, the Nikon D4 beats everything aside from the Canon EOS 5D Mark II between ISO 1600 and 6400. Right up at ISO 6400, it is also beaten by the Nikon D700.
Dynamic range results are particularly impressive, with our charts showing that the JPEGs have at least 1 stop higher dynamic range than comparable cameras across the majority of the sensitivity run.
We are looking forward to pitting the D4 against the Nikon D800, the company's other major release this year, and also the newly announced Canon EOS 5D Mark III and Canon EOS 1DX.
Read our Nikon D4 review for more details, and stay tuned for more updates when they arrive.


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Exclusive: Sony: CSC growth predictions are 'conservative'

Exclusive: Sony: CSC growth predictions are 'conservative':
The estimated growth of compact system cameras for the coming year, are conservative, according to a spokesperson for Sony UK, who believes that the market still has a lot more room to grow.
Speaking to TechRadar, Paul Genge said, "We foresee the market growth continuing in this category, our expectation is that next year 30% of the UK's interchangeable lens business will come from compact system cameras, and that is only looking towards the existing manufacturers in the market."
Genge said that figures he had access to show that the CSC share was currently around 25%.
Sony introduced its first mirrorless cameras back in 2010, with the NEX-5. It's most recent introduction, the high-end Sony NEX-7 has faced production delays due to the flooding in Thailand, where the camera is manufactured.

Problems

"That took us out of the market in the peak selling period [Christmas], so that means that this year's figures are difficult to quantify, to talk about what could have been potentially possible, but now it has hit the stores, the response is absolutely fantastic.
"I think the 30% share next year is conservative. Our value share has increased significantly - obviously the NEX-7 is a premium product which helps the value share grow rapidly, but the volume share also shows big growth."

Users

Genge also said that he believed there are two distinct user groups interested in CSCs, those looking for a complementary camera to their DSLT (or Sony DSLT) camera, and those looking to trade up from a compact.
"We have to satisfy both, fortunately, we have got a range of three models which allow us to do that and appeal competitively in both areas.
"I think the market will continue to grow in those two areas, there's a lot yet still to be achieved in this field, in this category that's still in its infancy - so it's all good news."


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Samsung NX20 leaked photos appear online

Samsung NX20 leaked photos appear online:
A new set of leaked pictures, supposedly showing the Samsung NX20 have appeared online, ahead of what is expected to be an imminent release date.
Samsung was one of the early adopters of mirrorless technology, introducing the APS-C sized NX10 back in January 2010.
However, it has not competed well against rival brands including Panasonic, Olympus, Nikon and Sony, who all stand above it in the league charts.

Specs

The Samsung NX20 has been rumoured for a while now, and it is said to have a 20.3 million pixel APC-S CMOS sensor.
Other rumoured specs include 8fps continuous drive mode, in-built Wi-Fi, full HD video recording and a built in flash and electronic viewfinder.
Samsung's unique 'i-Function' lenses will almost definitely compatible. The lenses allow for certain functions, including aperture to be controlled directly from the lens itself, rather than on the camera body.
It would also make sense for Samsung to include Wi-Fi, as it already uses the technology in several of its compact cameras.
The leaked pictures show that t he NX20 has a DSLR-style chassis, which would keep it inline with some other Samsung NX products, but moves away from the more 'compact' stylings of the NX200.
Rumours suggest that the NX20 will be announced in May 2012, while there have also been murmurings that other products, including an NX1000 and NX300 will also be making an appearance this year.
Given the prevalence of mirrorless models in the market now, and with almost every other camera brand bringing something to the area, it will be interesting to see how Samsung responds.


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Canon aiming for 41% sales increase

Canon aiming for 41% sales increase:
It has been reported that Canon is aiming to cut its operation costs by introducing industrial robots in its manufacturing process.
The news, as reported by the Japanese stock market, the Nikkei, comes after Canon has introduced two new high-end DSLRs in to the market, in the shape of the Canon EOS 1DX and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III.
According to the reports, Canon estimates that the strong yen and an economic slowdown in Europe will have an effect on its operating profit.

Robotics

One of the ways Canon hopes to cut costs is by using more industrial robots in its production of toner, but is also apparently considering introducing them to produce interchangeable lenses for its SLR cameras.
It is thought that the introduction of the robots would save the firm around 400 billion yen, or $4.84 billion.
The report also says that the Canon is hoping to lift sales to 5 trillion yen or higher in the fiscal year of 2015, which would mean an increase of 47% from the year ending December 2011.
There have been several rumours suggesting that Canon will introduce a compact system camera in 2012, as it is the only major camera manufacturer without some form of mirrorless model on the market.

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7 Days in Cameras: Nikon D4 impresses in early testing

7 Days in Cameras: Nikon D4 impresses in early testing:
This week we've had the fun of tooling around town with a Nikon D4 strapped around our neck. Needless to say that we could probably cancel our gym memberships if this was a daily habit.
The good news is that the D4 has impressed well in our early tests, both judging from the lab results and our real world tests.
Elsewhere, we've been speaking to Sony and Panasonic to get updates on what they've been up to and we've had our eye on a camera gun that shoots images, not deer.
Catch up with all the week's happenings right here, each with links to the full story included:

Nikon news

Of course the headline news is that our Nikon D4 review is underway, you can already see the results from our lab data, which showed that it beats several other competitor cameras, including the Canon EOS 5D Mark II.
We also found out that the D4 comes bundled with an XQD card and reader, at least for a limited time anyway.

Sony news

Sony told us that it believes the Nikon D800 is 'pushing boundaries', but didn't view it as competition for its own Sony Alpha A900.
Rumours are still circulating that a new full-frame SLT camera from the company will be released soon, take a look at out our Sony a99 rumours page for more information.
Speaking of new SLT releases, Sony dropped the Sony Alpha a57 on us this week. Featuring 12fps shooting and a 16.1 million pixel sensor, we'll be keen to get the new camera in for review as soon as possible.
Sony also got talking about the Nokia 41 million pixel smart phone, pointing out that the tech inside it is nothing new - it's just a variation on what Sony has been using in its cameras.
Canon is currently the only major manufacturer without a CSC on the market, with many predicting that this will finally be the year that it decides to join the race. Sony says that Canon would be welcome, telling us that it only helps to raise the credibility of the format.
Finally this week, Sony also told us that the predictions for compact system camera growth are conservative, especially now its NEX-7 is finally available in the shops.

Panasonic news

Back in the mists of, er, January - the world got a little bit excited about the Polaroid smart camera, which is a compact camera featuring the Android operating system.
Panasonic has told us that it is an 'option for the future' - so we'll be keeping an eye out for how that develops.
Meanwhile, we've also been thinking to the future and looking at all the Panasonic GF5 rumours that are currently circulating.
Panasonic is also watching the 'advanced' CSC market very closely, as competition heats up from the likes of Olympus, Sony and Fujifilm. Could we be about to see an even more serious G series camera?

Samsung news

Samsung has been a little bit quiet of late, last announcing big back in August 2011. Rumours are circulating that a Samsung NX20 could be about to make an appearance in the next few weeks.
This seems to have been all but confirmed if the leaked pictures that appeared online are anything to go by. Samsung has somewhat struggled to compete with its rivals, so it will be interesting to see what it comes up with next.

Oddball news

Finally this week, we bring you the story of two American brothers who had a simple dream... to make a camera gun.
That's right, the pair wants to get to market a gun that doesn't hurt any cute animals, but instead "shoots" images of them.
How kind of them. The project doesn't actually exist yet, but if you think this is something that is up your street you can send them some funds to get it started.
That's it for this week, we're off to watch some rugby and put the D4 through its paces even further, stay tuned over the next week for more updates as and when they come.
Don't forget you can follow us on Facebook or on Twitter for all the latest updates. We've even succumbed to the Pinterest temptation, so join us there too!

Source :Google Reader

The New Mouse Computer LB-S210S2

The New Mouse Computer LB-S210S2:
The Japanese based manufacturer Mouse Computer is launching a new slim and light laptop, it is called the LB-S210S2 and although it may sound like an ultrabook, it is definitely not in that league. However, despite having some interesting ideas on marketing such as the free upgrades on the processor and internal memory, this is still really a base level machine.
However having said that here is a look at what the new LB-S210S2 from Mouse Computer has to offer the consumer. It has a small and neat 11.6 inch Glossy widescreen LCD display with a 1366 × 768 of pixel resolutions and there is a built in web camera, which is handy for making video calls etc.

The base model is powered by the Intel Celeron processor B800 with 1.50 GHz dual core, but currently Mouse offering the buyer a free upgrade to the slightly more powerful and responsive Intel Celeron B815 1.60 GHz dual core processor and the video is provided through the Intel high definition graphics card.

The memory is just 2 GB but Mouse are offering another free upgrade here, to 4 GB of RAM and the bad news is that there is only a 320 GB hard disk drive (HDD) available for storage purposes. Networking offers the normal IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN and there is the useful Bluetooth V3.0 + HS installed allowing the user to easily connect the laptop to other accessories.

Other features of the Mouse Computer LB-S210S2 is the multi card reader, a fast connecting USB 3.0 port and the very useful HDMI port allowing the laptop to connect to a larger screen such as an HDTV. While running everything will be, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit operating system.
Currently the Mouse Computer LB-S210S2 is on sale in Japan with a starting price of around $600, although it is not yet known if or when this laptop will be available elsewhere.
Source [Top Gadget]

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Copyright © 1999-2012 Geek With Laptop. The GeekWithLaptop.com RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal {at} geekwithlaptop {dot} com so we can take legal action immediately.More Information:

• Save $500 on the HP dv7 Quad Edition
• Dell shows off the XPS 13
• Mouse Computers launches the new 15.6 inch MB-P520B
• Mouse Computer offers the NB501X-0116
• Mouse Computer launches yet another new laptop

Source : Google Reader

How Much Does It Cost Apple To Build A New iPad? $316 Precisely

How Much Does It Cost Apple To Build A New iPad? $316 Precisely:
Apple started shipping the New iPad on March 16. The device itself was unveiled to public on March 7 at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, California. Despite the disappointment over the fact that this iPad looks exactly like it’s predecessor, demand for New iPad has been off the charts. Which means that Apple will sell millions of units around the world without any issues whatsoever. Have you ever wondered how much does it actually cost Apple to build one unit of this magical tablet? That would be $316 precisely.

As mentioned above, the New iPad is structurally no different than the iPad 2. It’s a bit heavier and a tiny bit thicker, that’s just about it in the design change department. However Apple has made significant improvements under the hood. The New iPad boasts a powerful dualcore A5X processor, 1GB of RAM, a quadcore graphics chip, a gorgeous Retina Display, 4G LTE support and a 5 megapixel iSight camera.
The base iPad model has always been a 16GB Wi-Fi only one. Ever since it was first launched in 2010, the base model has always been priced at $499. Apple has retained previous price points this time around as well, however their bill of materials has significantly increased due to technological improvements in the New iPad.
IHS iSuppli, a market research firm, tore down a New iPad as soon as they got their hands on it. They have discovered that previous component suppliers such as Qualcomm and Broadcom supply vital components for the third generation iPad as well. Their teardown reveals that the 16GB Wi-Fi only New iPad costs Apple $316 to build. The amazing Retina Display accounts for more than a quarter of this figure, as the Samsung supplied display costs $87 a piece. By retailing this particular iPad model at $499, Apple makes a profit of about 37% per unit. Naturally, as sales go up, so does the profit.
On the other hand, the top of the line 64GB 4G LTE iPad model leaves a greater margin for profit. It costs Apple $409 to build one unit, whereas it is retailed for $829. The 4G LTE chip is this variant happens to be cheaper than the display, which is the most expensive component in the New iPad. For sake of comparison, do remember that the display on iPad 2 cost $57. Apple would obviously wish that the 64GB 4G LTE model becomes the most sold variant, as it leaves behind room for a profit of approximately 51% per unit. However that is certainly not the case.

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Copyright © 1999-2012 Geek With Laptop. The GeekWithLaptop.com RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal {at} geekwithlaptop {dot} com so we can take legal action immediately.More Information:

• Apple Reveals Consumer Demand For New iPad Is Off The Charts
• New iPad Price, Features, Specifications, Availability And Shipment Information
• Is Apple Preparing iPad 2 Plus?
• Speculation around Apple iPad2 Release
• Download Tweetbot 2.1 Update For New iPad, iPhone And iPod Touch

Source : Google Reader

The Lesance NB S4533BD-SP by PC Koubou

The Lesance NB S4533BD-SP by PC Koubou:
It looks like PC Koubou or Unitcom, whatever you prefer to call them have been very busy recently and here is another new laptop from the Japanese based company. It is the Lesance NB S4533BD-SP, it is not an ultrabook or laptop designed for gamers, but never the less they have still managed to pack some serious specs into this 15.6 inch machine.
Buyers may expect more or their $840, but they will be getting a fast i7 processor, HM65 chipset and Graphics 3000 from Intel, but there is no web camera or Bluetooth available, so there are definitely a lot of pros and cons with this laptop.

The Lesance NB S4533BD-SP comes with a 15.6 inches glossy colour LCD high definition with a 1366 × 768 of pixel resolutions. It is powered by the high end Intel Core i7 2670QM 2.2 GHZ to 3.1 GHz quad core processor with a 6 MB cache (8 threads total) supporting the Intel HM65 Express chipset and with the Intel HD Graphics 3000 for video playback.

There is two 4 GB of DDR3-1333 RAM installed making up to 8 GB available. While for storage, there is a 750 GB hard disk drive (HDD) and for video and data sharing there is a cool Blu-ray read-write speed 8 (Blu-ray) Optical drive.

Networking comes via the normal Wireless LAN IEEE 802.11 b/g/n and LAN wired 1000 Base-T. Other useful features are the single standard speed USB 2.0, a couple of fast connecting USB 3.0, audio port, display output from the HDMI port, there is even room for a multi Card Reader for SD, MMC and MEMORYSTICK storage.
The vital statistics of the S4533BD-SP are 14 mm to 37 mm (H), 374 mm (W) and is 250 mm (D). The laptop weighs around 2.7 kilos with the lithium-ion battery pack installed that PC Koubou claim is good for about three hours of power.
The PC Koubou Lesance NB S4533BD-SP is already on sale in Japan with a starting price of around $840
Source [Tech Fresh]

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Copyright © 1999-2012 Geek With Laptop. The GeekWithLaptop.com RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal {at} geekwithlaptop {dot} com so we can take legal action immediately.More Information:

• The Lesance NB S3532-SP from PC Koubou
• PC Koubou launches the Lesance NB P3534-SP
• PC Koubou launches the Lesance BTO CLG667 TYPE-GXR
• PC Koubou launches the Lesance BTO GSN680GW TYPE-GX
• PC-Koubou release the Lesance BTO GSN801GAW

Source : Google Reader 

The New Mouse Computer LB-S210S2

The New Mouse Computer LB-S210S2:
The Japanese based manufacturer Mouse Computer is launching a new slim and light laptop, it is called the LB-S210S2 and although it may sound like an ultrabook, it is definitely not in that league. However, despite having some interesting ideas on marketing such as the free upgrades on the processor and internal memory, this is still really a base level machine.
However having said that here is a look at what the new LB-S210S2 from Mouse Computer has to offer the consumer. It has a small and neat 11.6 inch Glossy widescreen LCD display with a 1366 × 768 of pixel resolutions and there is a built in web camera, which is handy for making video calls etc.

The base model is powered by the Intel Celeron processor B800 with 1.50 GHz dual core, but currently Mouse offering the buyer a free upgrade to the slightly more powerful and responsive Intel Celeron B815 1.60 GHz dual core processor and the video is provided through the Intel high definition graphics card.

The memory is just 2 GB but Mouse are offering another free upgrade here, to 4 GB of RAM and the bad news is that there is only a 320 GB hard disk drive (HDD) available for storage purposes. Networking offers the normal IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wireless LAN and there is the useful Bluetooth V3.0 + HS installed allowing the user to easily connect the laptop to other accessories.

Other features of the Mouse Computer LB-S210S2 is the multi card reader, a fast connecting USB 3.0 port and the very useful HDMI port allowing the laptop to connect to a larger screen such as an HDTV. While running everything will be, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit operating system.
Currently the Mouse Computer LB-S210S2 is on sale in Japan with a starting price of around $600, although it is not yet known if or when this laptop will be available elsewhere.
Source [Top Gadget]

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Copyright © 1999-2012 Geek With Laptop. The GeekWithLaptop.com RSS Feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact legal {at} geekwithlaptop {dot} com so we can take legal action immediately.More Information:

• Save $500 on the HP dv7 Quad Edition
• Dell shows off the XPS 13
• Mouse Computers launches the new 15.6 inch MB-P520B
• Mouse Computer offers the NB501X-0116
• Mouse Computer launches yet another new laptop

Source : Google Reader