Focoro beta

When Panasonic first launched the DMC-GF1, it looked like an enthusiast's compact camera. Subsequent iterations have dumbed down the line, which is why there's a bit of excitement about the DMC-GX1, which is what many DMC-GF1 owners would have liked to see as its successor.

What's new in the world of medium format? If you glanced through marketing literature, you might be misled about the current margin of separation between medium format and 35mm. The latest Hasselblad, the H4D-200MS, is claiming 200MP—and it delivers it, but only if your subject stays still. Back in the Olde Days, medium format cameras tended to operate by taking a shot for each of Red Green and Blue, which was fine when most of these were still-life or product shots. For the past half-decade, this sort of multi-shot exposure felt like a distance memory for most medium format users—most certainly for fashion and people-focused studios. The latest Hasselblads use a similar technique, but rather than take one shot per colour, it actually offsets the sensor to get finer-grained resolution, but with the same limitations on movement.

The crop of mirrorless cameras has bloomed, and there are some distinct markets differences which we feel warrants a further refinement to our categories for interchangeable-lens cameras (ILCs). At the same time, we are excited by the the sudden resurgence of enthusiast small-compacts. These camer…

Canon has, since introducing its flagship EOS-1 digital lines, had two distinct flagship models: the APS-H sized EOS-1D targeted for high-speed, action photography, and the full-frame (35mm) EOS-1Ds which has consistently won our musters as an outstanding studio camera, with the highest digital 35mm camera resolution on the market. The EOS-1D X clearly in neither of these lines, but instead forms their joining, a high-resolution, high-speed, full-resolution camera line. Canon is clearly positioning this as the only option any professional photographer will have if they want the best. A singular top-of-the-line lets everyone keep an eye-on-the-prize.

The Leica X1 was unique, both modern and retro, with its APS-C sensor and manual gestalt. Fujifilm, always one for venturing from the market norms—from its Super CCD sensors all the way back to its reduction optics system in its first digital SLRs—Fujifilm has followed Leica with its own APS-C retro shooter, the FinePix X100. The Fujifilm camera has a faster lens as well as integrated viewfinders—both optical and electronic—at the obvious cost of extra bulk. How the two compare against each other appears to have stirred much debate on the Web, with some favouring the X100's cheaper price tag (and in-built viewfinders) while others prefer the seeming simplicity of the X1.

Olympus has created a new variant of its digital PEN line for those looking for a slightly smaller, more compact, and simplified camera than its current PEN E-PL line. While, the E-PM1 lacks an orientation sensor, its simpler body and size may appeal to those looking to update from a compact (and at $500, its a better deal than the Nikon 1 series).