Photo samples: Kodak PIXPRO AZ522 (Camera Review Coming Soon)
Color saturation out of the box is a little hard on reds, but thankfully detail isn’t overly sacrificed.
The AZ522 does a solid job of exposing in this back lit scene. Detail in white isn’t lost.
The AZ522 does not have the closest minimum focus for Macros, but shots come out nicely detailed.
Another close up shot from the AZ522.
Using a point & shoot image sensor, depth of field is respectable. Background blur is pleasant.
Solid color saturation and dynamic range. The AZ522 manages good exposures even on auto settings.
Reds and yellows tend to over-saturate slightly, but we still see detail in this flower pic.
Another good example of dynamic range. The sky is still blue, clouds still have detail, and the shaded side of the palm tree is not under-exposed.
At the longest end of the zoom however, details can start to soften. It’s difficult hand holding the camera unless you’re in very bright light.
AZ522 field of view fully wide.
AZ522 field of view fully zoomed in.
Direct sunlight pics come out well exposed with a minimum of fuss.
Indoor and lowlight pics showcase some aggressive noise reduction, but the OIS does a great job with hand holding. This pic was taken with a 1/4 second shutter and is still pretty crisp.
AZ stands for “Astro Zoom”, and Kodak isn’t joking…
Samsung unveils Galaxy Camera 2, Android powered Point and Shoot Super Zoom
Last year the Galaxy Camera was an interesting experiment. An Android powered media player with a point and shoot camera stapled to the back. WiFi, Bluetooth, and even LTE data connections were included allowing it to do anything but make a phone call. It continued a conversation for Samsung where they could create new product niches, and play with exotic gadgets.
Now they’re continuing this experiment with a sequel of sorts. The Galaxy Camera 2 is officially official. It sports a new 1.6GHz quad core processor (likely built off of the Exynos line) and a 21X zoom paired with a similar 16MP BSI CMOS sensor. While Sammy isn’t radically changing up the sensor, and it’s the same size as the old Galaxy Camera and Galaxy S4 Zoom (1/2.3″), they are bragging about a new image processing engine which they say will improve image quality.
NFC will make an appearance on this camera to include tap and share options. Of all the updates, I’m most looking forward to the larger battery, up to 2000mAh from 1650 in the OG camera.
What we don’t know yet is if the 4.8″ LCD screen will receive a resolution bump to 1080p as the original G-Cam had 720p LCD. Also no mention is made in the press release if we’ll see another LTE enabled camera or if Samsung will stick to WiFi only devices. And of course, we have no info on pricing and availability. Just a tease that the camera will be on display at CES, but so far this sounds like an uncharacteristically modest update from a company which we’re used to seeing deliver on audacious devices.
Full PR and more pics after the jump.
Continue reading “Samsung unveils Galaxy Camera 2, Android powered Point and Shoot Super Zoom”
My Favorite Phone of the Year 2013 (And What’s Wrong With It)
I hate writing articles like this. I really do. I cherish all the people who read my reviews, watch my videos, and I have a healthy respect for what my small sphere of influence represents. My entire life I’ve been a problem solver, and I like heading off bad situations before they happen. My most valuable contribution to this system is how I share my experiences using various devices. As we wrap up the year now on News Years Eve, and say goodbye to 2013, I felt it important to discuss what one phone had the biggest impact on my daily gadget use.
I feel it necessary to deliver this disclaimer: There is no such thing as a one size fits all tech solution. Just because this was my favorite phone of the year, it doesn’t mean I’m endorsing it for everyone, and I find debates surrounding which phone is “best” quite tedious. I chose the title “favorite” for a reason.
Enough preface.
My favorite phone of the year is:
Continue reading “My Favorite Phone of the Year 2013 (And What’s Wrong With It)”
Top 5 for the week starting Dec 1st, 2013 – LG G2 news, Batteries, and Cases!
These were the top read and most shared stories from SomeGadgetGuy last week! LG ruled the week, but we also got in a few accessories. Nice little round up as we wrap up 2013 and the holiday buying season!
Let’s jump in!
5 – Using a Ballistic Hydra Rugged case for iPhone 5 on an iPhone 5S
The nice thing about how Apple updates the iPhone with a tick-tock system, cases for the iPhone 5 largely work with the iPhone 5S. If you’ve been looking for a rugged case for the 5S, this waterproof case might do the trick!
4 – Review: Ravpower Lipstick Charger and Flashlight
This week, Chris took a look at a handy little portable charger + flashlight combo. RAVPower has become a favorite here at SGG, offering up very good mobile charging solutions at great prices. Looking to extend your phone’s run time out in the field, maybe this gadget will help?
3 – Ask Juan: Why won’t my Moto X show up as a USB drive on my Mac?
An opportunity to play a little tech support? On a tech blog? Who’d have thunk it? Robin has a problem with his Moto X and his Mac playing nice together. Seems this is a pretty common problem seeing how popular this post was last week…
2 – Real World Battery Test: The LG G2 – 47 hours to “Critically Low”
I don’t do a lot of battery bench marking. It’s very time consuming, and usage is very relative. What’s heavy to one person is light use for another. That said, when a phone comes along with exceptional battery life, I at least need to point out how it handled real world activities.
1 – Camera Test: The LG G2 on AT&T – video samples from a 13MP Android with Optical Image Stabilization!
And the number one story from last week was a doozy! LG made some pretty bold claims surrounding the camera on the G2. It’s only the second Android with optical image stabilization, and it has three times the resolution as the HTC One. Did the G2 camera live up to the hype?
We’re nothing without you readers, and we certainly can’t compete against the big blogs by ourselves. We always greatly appreciate not only the likes, but the sharing on social sites like Google Plus, Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit. The more we get to talk with other tech fans, the better we get, and soon we’ll be able to reward that participation with some fun contests coming up soon!
Thanks for reading, and if you feel we missed a big story this week, or you have a hot tip, please drop us a line on our Contact Page!
Camera Test: The LG G2 on AT&T – video samples from a 13MP Android with Optical Image Stabilization!
Monster specs!
The G2 is one of the first Android phones to rock the Qualcomm 800 processor here in the states. It’s also only the second Android handset to sport a camera with proper hardware optical image stabilization and a higher resolution sensor than the HTC One. This should be a recipe for camera phone success.
LG made some pretty bold claims with their ads, so let’s see if the LG G2 lives up to the hype!
Google confirms camera RAW support is coming to Android. So what’s that mean?
Blah blah blah abstraction layer… Herp derp blerp API’s…
Long story short, Google is trying to improve the software / hardware relationship our smartphone cameras rely on. This should expand the tool set developers have at their disposal when making photo and video services. Google specifically is discussing better multi-shot tech which should improve sport and burst modes and deliver more flexible HDR settings. An HDR photo depends on a series of pics taken quickly at different exposures. Other smart modes could be improved too, like the ability to take a series of shots to remove distracting elements from your photos.
All well and good from a consumer app-y position, but the idea of delivering RAW files could be really interesting for people who really want to control their photo output, even from their phones.
Continue reading “Google confirms camera RAW support is coming to Android. So what’s that mean?”
Friday fun: Will.i.am tries to explain his iPhone case…
It’s not like he built his career on trying to be a wordsmith or anything…