Gadget Reviews

Canon’s EOS 7D is a pretty grandiose piece of image-recording equipment, whether you’re talking about its size, features or price. You’re probably aware of the 18 megapixel APS-C sensor and dual DIGIC 4 processors already, but we’ve all had to be a bit more patient than usual in waiting for the pro reviews to come out. Dpreview doesn’t disappoint though, with a thoughtful 31-page tome awaiting the keen reader, and we’ve also got more digestible video reviews from DPhoto Journal for the less patient among you. If you’re after direct comparisons against competing models, such as the Nikon D300s, you’ll find those sprinkled in among the reviews as well, with Cameratown throwing in a direct head-to-head with Canon’s own 5D Mark II. The 7D was found to produce “virtually no visible noise” all the way up to ISO 1600, and scored further points for its gorgeous 100 percent frame-covering viewfinder and fast 19-point AF. With a weather-sealed, highly ergonomic body design, ridiculously fast processing and a sensor so good that “in most situations the lens, rather than the camera, is likely to be the limiting factor,” the only thing reviewers could criticize was the somewhat uncompetitive pricing, but that’s likely to soften with time anyway. Read on… if you dare.

Read – dpreview review
Read – Photography Blog review
Read – Tech Radar review
Read – DPhoto Journal video roundup
Read – Cameratown comparison with 5D Mark II

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon EOS 7D gets high marks all around originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We had an all too brief hands-on with Canon’s PowerShot G11 way back in August, but the first real flood of reviews has only just recently started, and now seemed like as good a time as any to get you caught up on some of them. As you might expect, one of the real stand-out features is that swiveling LCD, which is not only good in and of itself, but “one of the best of its type” according to What Digital Camera. Other reviewers like Wired UK and CNET UK also found that G11 delivered some noticeably better results than the previous G10, with it aided especially by the surprising but welcome shift from the old 14.7-megapixel sensor to a new 10-megapixel one that offers an improved dynamic range and better performance at high ISO settings, among other advantages. On the downside, the camera is somewhat bulky, and PhotographyBlog says it fails to live up to Canon’s claims of it being the “ultimate compact,” especially when you consider some of the similarly-sized (but admittedly pricier) Micro Four Thirds offerings available.

Read – Wired.co.uk
Read – What Digital Camera
Read – CNET UK
Read – PhotographyBlog

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Canon PowerShot G11 review roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 11:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Need to catch up on today’s Apple news? Well, you can either fire up iTunes and download Apple’s video podcast of the event, or you can skip the endless game demos and marketing chit-chat and just peruse the links below. The executive summary? iTunes 9’s new app management, Home Sharing, and iTunes LP features are really nice, but it’s almost impossible to understand why Apple added a camera to the iPod nano and not the iPod touch, no matter what Steve says. Oh — and don’t forget the Palm Pixi!

The event

Live from Apple’s ‘It’s only rock and roll’ event
Video: Steve Jobs returns to the Apple stage

iPods

iPod nano unboxed, camera gets tested against the mean streets of Manhattan
iPod touch 3rd gen hands-on and video
iPod nano 5G with camera first hands-on!
Apple announces cheaper, more colorful iPod shuffle, new Special Edition
Apple updates iPod touch line, drops prices, adds top-end 64GB model
Apple adds video camera, larger screen to new 5G iPod nano
iPod classic bumped to 160GB, price stays the same at $249
iPhone OS 3.1 is official, available today
iPhone / iPod touch OS 3.1.1 is live!
iPod shuffle 2g is no more

iTunes

iTunes 9 bringing iTunes LP functionality, ‘beautiful new look’
iTunes 9 breaks Pre media sync… what did you expect?
Video: iTunes 9 Home Sharing and iPhone app management

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

Apple releases video podcast of Rock and Roll event, we’ve got you covered with the highlights originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 23:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Laptops

Lenovo IdeaPad U350 review roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 07 Aug 2009 10:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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There's no question that Alienware's M17x with dual-GPU system is one the most powerful -- if not the most powerful -- laptop out there right now, but at 15.4 pounds and a sub-two hour battery life, the definition of "laptop" is being stretched a bit here. A handful of reviews have hit the interwebs, and the none too startling consensus is you'll be paying for the best here, especially with configuration options that can slot up to $5,000 -- CNET Australia suggests looking at the ASUS W90 if you want a better bang for your buck. The capacitive buttons above the keyboard aren't too responsive, there's no multitouch, and Hot Hardware noticed some flex in the center of the keyboard, but on the flip side, you'll be running full HD video and the most taxing games with little to no strain -- and if you like your keyboard to look like a light show, there's eight different sections to customize with different-colored LEDs. Guide your mouse to the links below for more in-depth discussion.

Read - Hot Hardware Read - CNET Australia
Read - Co-Optimus
Read - PCPro

Filed under: Laptops

Alienware M17x with dual-GPU review roundup originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Aug 2009 20:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re in the market for a superzoom, and you’ve already decided that none of those Micro Four Thirds options will sway you, it looks as if you’ll be hard pressed to find a superior alternative to Panasonic’s minty fresh Lumix DMC-FZ35 (FZ38 in some regions). Both TrustedReviews and PhotographyBLOG managed to score a unit for review, and both outlets came away generally impressed. The former concluded that the outfit’s newest 18x zoomer was only marginally changed from its predecessor, but those who skipped on over the FZ28 should certainly give this one a look. In fact, it straight up confessed that to “get anything better than this, you’ll have to move up to a DSLR.” You may notice that this bugger doesn’t offer the greatest zoom nor the most megapixels in its class, but the stellar image quality and even more stirring video mode kept critics from suggesting any of those more marketable rivals. Don’t believe us? Check the read links below for all the proof you can handle.

[Thanks, TheLostSwede]

Read – TrustedReviews’ take
Read – PhotographyBLOG review

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35 superzoom reviewed: crème de la crème originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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