Nikon looks like it is about to announce its first Android-based compact camera after snaps of the Coolpix S800c leaked online.
NikonRumours has published leaked photos of the purported snapper, showing two slightly different versions of the device, one with a curved body and another that looks a little more smartphone-esque.
The pictures reveal also few specs, like a 12x optical zoom and a 4.5-54.0mm lens. The touchscreen on the rear of the device also seems to show Android 2.3 Gingerbread.
Coming this week?
The site believes an announcement is due on or around August 22, which would be this coming Wednesday.
Previous speculation has been of a device with a 3.5-inch OLED touchscreen on the rear of the camera with build-in Wi-Fi and GPS and full access to the Google Play store.
NikonRumours also posted an image of the S800c in white. We'll let you know as soon as an official announcement is made.
The K-5 was announced at a time when a number of other manufacturers were updating their own lines with likely competitors, notably the Olympus E-5, Canon EOS 60D and Nikon D7000. It improves upon the Pentax K-7 with a new sensor and focusing system as well as a multitude of smaller customisations and refinements.
When you look at the Pentax K-5 vs Nikon D7000, Pentax K-5 vs Canon EOS 60D and Pentax K-5 vs Olympus E5, all three offer something different, but the Pentax K-5 can comfortably list a number of features which arguably make it the most intriguing of the group.
Features
The Pentax K-5 improves upon the K-7's burst speed, increasing the latter camera's 5.2fps rate to 7fps. Although there was some concern upon the K-5's announcement that the raw burst depth was limited to a disappointing eight frames at this pace, this was addressed by a firmware update which boosts the figure to 20 frames at the maximum speed.
While the K-7 had slightly unusual and non-standard video specifications, the Pentax K-5 allows Full HD 1920x1080 pixel recording at 25fps, and the other more standard 720p and VGA options. Audio recording is limited to mono via the on-board microphone, although a socket has been provided around the camera's side for external stereo recording.
Where there's movie recording there's also live view, which allows for autofocus in three ways, either through face-detection or the more standard phase- and contrast-detect options.
Using the contrast detection AF system during live view, and for focus prior to movie recording, the camera immediately zooms into the centre of the frame whenever the shutter release button is half-depressed, before quickly focusing and zooming back out again.
While the speed at which this happens increases the live view system's usability in different situations, occasional mis-focuses and problems with finding focus mean it can't always be relied upon when lighting conditions aren't optimum.
Nevertheless, in good light the system is accurate, speedy and more than convenient, and provides a preferable alternative to manually adjusting yourself (which, of course, is still possible).
The vibrant green light which illuminates the top-plate LCD makes all exposure information contained within it easy to read, while the equally powerful AF assist light springs readily into action wherever the camera senses it could help achieve focus.
The new SAFOX IX+ autofocus system inherits the eleven points of previous SAFOX modules, but these are spread over a wider area, and the most central nine are cross-type which makes them sensitive to both vertical and horizontal details.
In comparison with SDM-equipped optics such as the DA* 16-50mm f/2.8, the 18-55mm kit lens with which the Pentax K-5 is available delivers a reasonable performance overall, focusing only marginally slower in good light and takes just a little more time to confirm focus, once it has reached a rough approximation. As may be expected, this is done with considerably more noise from the lens's motor, and there's decidedly less fluidity in its movement, too.
Composition Adjustment Explained
The K-5 is one of a recent number of cameras to incorporate an electronic level for keeping horizons straight, but it also retains another one of the K-7's more interesting features, whereby the position of the sensor may be shifted to help with composition.
The sensor may be moved up, down, left or right up, and even rotated slightly to fit with a straight line - such as a horizon - within a scene. For most situations the electronic level function should provide sufficient guidance here, although the Composition Adjustment feature is the preferable choice when using the camera in conjunction with a tripod, where particularly fine adjustments may be awkward to perform using a tripod head.
For even speedier access it is also possible to assign the Composition Adjustment function to the Raw/Fx button. This feature is an extra benefit of the K-5's sensor-shifting Shake Reduction (SR) system which automatically moves the sensor to compensate for accidental camera movement that can blur images. Conveniently, the SR system works with any mountable lens.
Sony's latest 'tough' compact camera, the TX20, boasts a pretty comprehensive feature-set, with a 16.2MP 1/2.3-inch Exmor CMOS sensor, Carl Zeiss 4x optical zoom lens, a 921,000-dot, 3-inch touchscreen LCD screen and Full HD movie recording.
On top of these features, photographers investing in the new Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-TX20 get the added benefit of being able to submerge the camera underwater (to a depth of up to 5m), drop it from a height of up to 1.5m and keep using it in temperatures as low as -10C (14F).
While these specifications may not quite match up to the top-notch tough credentials of the Olympus TG-1, for instance, the water/shock/dust/freeze-proof design of the Sony TX20 should provide more than adequate protection against the rigours of everyday life – with the added bonus of being presented in a stylish and compact body.
The Sony TX20 replaces the older Sony TX10, but there's little, if anything, to tempt owners of the previous model into upgrading.
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But for those looking to invest in a rugged compact camera for the first time, the Sony TX20 - priced at £309 in the UK and $329.99 in the US - represents a keen contender in its field.
Build quality and handling
Far less chunky and cumbersome than your average rugged compact camera, the Sony TX20 is slim, stylish and perfectly pocketable. Just like its predecessor, the new camera sports a slender profile and neat sliding cover that conceals the lens, flash, stereo microphones and AF-assist lamp on the front of the camera when it's not in use.
Sliding the cover downwards reveals these hidden features and simultaneously powers the camera on, although you can also activate it using the power button on the top panel.
Outwardly, there's nothing to distinguish the Sony TX20 from the older TX10, save for the altered decals bearing the new model's name.
The controls – consisting of just the power button, plus a shutter release, zoom lever, playback and movie record buttons – remain in the same logical positions and are well-proportioned, making it easy to pick up the Sony TX20 and start shooting right away.
Around the back, the same 3-inch, 921,000-dot touchscreen from the TX10 remains in-situ. As before, the entirety of the widescreen-format LCD's surface area is only used when shooting movies. The rest of the time you're restricted to using the central portion of the screen, with black bars filled with interactive icons flanking it on either side.
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From here you can access and tweak most of the camera's key functions, including options such as the focus mode, flash control, burst mode and exposure mode, for instance.
The main menu icon in the top left-hand corner offers a quick route to the rest of the options on offer, with a stylish and clearly laid-out menu page materialising instantly.
The interface remains pleasingly simple, and the touchscreen is responsive enough to allay our fears brought on from past experiences with frustratingly nonreactive screens. However, the nature of the capacitive touchscreen means that its functionality is limited somewhat when operating the camera underwater.
But our main concern is that – in spite of Sony's assurances about the toughness of the Cyber-Shot TX20 – we can't help but feel that the build quality isn't quite up to the calibre of some rivals. The sliding cover remains a concern when it comes to the possibility of getting dust, grit and/or moisture trapped beneath it, increasing the chances of inadvertently scratching the lens or the area surrounding it.
Likewise, the plastic covers protecting the SD card/battery compartment and the connection ports – although they do sport rubber seals to guard against water and muck getting inside – don't offer the same reassurance provided by the double-locking mechanisms on some competitors.
Olympus has confirmed, after much speculation, that it is working on a new body for its range of Four Thirds lenses.
Akira Watanabe from Olympus Japan said that active development of a new camera was currently taking place, but was unable to give many more details.
Many had suspected that Olympus would no longer create cameras in its Four Thirds range, as the last time it introduced a new model was back in 2010.
Since then, it has concentrated on its smaller Micro Four Thirds options such as the PEN and the OM-D.
Speaking to TechRadar at a meeting in Frankfurt, Watanabe said, "Olympus regards its Four Thirds customers as its core customers and we are planning to make a body that will utilise our super high quality lenses."
Traditional
Watanabe was unable to confirm whether the camera would be a traditional DSLR type design or a mirrorless device.
Speaking about the challenges faced by DSLRs in a marketplace where compact system cameras are becoming ever more popular, he said that two key technologies need to be improved before DSLRs will be superseded - the AF system and the EVF.
He said that continuous autofocus was the biggest challenge, while EVFs needed to have a higher resolution, faster frame rates and better contrast.
