Sony DSLRA500Y Alpha 12.3 MP Digital Camera + Twin Lens Kit (18-55mm & 55-200mm)

At the heart of the 12.3 MP DSLR-A500 is a new Exmor CMOS sensor that ensures crisp low-noise images, packed with fine detail and vibrant colours. Sharing powerful on-chip noise reduction techniques with the full-frame DSLR-A900, this advanced sensor works with processing algorithms handled by the high-speed BIONZ engine to deliver premium images plus razor-sharp shooting responses. Dramatically reduced picture noise now allows super-sensitive shooting at up to ISO12800, allowing attractive results when shooting handheld in challenging situations like candlelit interiors.The A500 offers a crisp, high-contrast 3-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus screen with the same tilt range for clear, comfortable composition and reviewing shots.

Panasonic Lumix GH1KEB9R 12.1 MP Compact System Camera - Red

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 "Great stills? Yes! Great videos? Yes again!" 2009-09-06
By K. Lim
First of all, I bought a G1 when it was released just a while back (read my review too). It was love at first sight and till now I still absolutely adore it. It's cute, light, takes great stills and best of all - it was extremely FUN to use. The interface was very user-friendly and the iA mode kept things simple for my point & shoot moments. It was HARD not to like the G1! Anyway, a few months later Panasonic announced the GH1. I was excited. Full HD videos in that compact body? What!! Then they announced its release price. £1299? They must be joking. But they weren't. I hesitated a bit at first but eventually I gave in to temptation (and became a thousand pounds poorer). So here I am, now a proud owner of the GH1. And this review is about the GH1 and the 14-140mm kit as a whole, not just the camera body.



Let me be clear: People looking to buy the GH1 do not buy significantly better still image quality. In fact, if you're reading this review, you probably know about it already. Heck, the 14-45mm G1 kit lens actually performs very slightly better than the 14-140mm GH1 kit lens at the 14-45mm range. The good bit? The flexibility of the 28-280mm focal length (after taking the crop factor into account) is much, much handier than you think. A superzoom lens isn't for pixel peepers. So if you're looking for pro-quality images, look elsewhere. Skip the four-thirds and APS-C formats too. You're better off spending the money on a full frame DSLR body. For those who are still interested in learning more about the GH1, do continue reading.



THE GH1 AT FIRST LOOK:

The layout of the GH1 is certainly similar to the the older G1. Again, it has a nice rubberised finish and feels very well-built. Surprisingly, my newer and more expensive GH1 body is 'made in China', whereas the older G1 is 'made in Japan'. While irrelevant, I felt a bit cheated when I saw this (but got over it pretty soon). The interface, just like the G1, is very intuitive and gives photographers the manual control they need (albeit in a simple and straight-forward fashion). The creme de la creme? The newly-added video capture button which allows you to take videos instantly, even while in photo capture mode! This means you won't miss out on any important video moments while using the GH1. High five for you new fathers! The single caveat in the new GH1? It's simply less well-balanced than the G1 in terms of handling. The new 14-140mm lens weighs more than the body which makes things a bit weird, especially after using the G1 with the excellent 14-45mm. Still, this is just a personal opinion. Do try it for yourself.



THE GH1 FOR STILLS:

Superzooms do come with compromises, deal with it. Overall image quality is great, with the tele end being a bit softer at wider apertures. The OIS also works wonders, as in the G1. Now to satisfy your curiosity: the image quality of both the G1 and GH1 are virtually indistinguishable at lower ISO settings. However, I can certainly see an improvement of the high ISO noise control over the G1. The GH1 now takes perfectly acceptable stills at ISO 1600, whereas anything above ISO 800 for the G1 was pretty hard to work with. Plus, I can make great small/medium prints with the GH1 even at ISO 3200 (in certain conditions). Also, the autofocus of the GH1 'feels' faster, although I might be wrong about this one. In short, it's hard to fault the GH1 as a high-end digital still camera. Do take note that in low light situations the slow aperture range (f/4.0-5.8) does feel 'limiting'.



THE GH1 FOR VIDEOS:

This is where the £1300 price tag starts to make sense. And this is the main reason anyone would consider buying the GH1 over the G1. Ever shot full HD 1080p 24fps videos with stereo sound in a digital camera? No? Then you don't know what you're in for. There are so many things which make the GH1 such a great video recorder: FULL HD capture, the 28-280mm focal length, great stereo sound (and even better with the optional mic), the continuous auto-focus, the manual controls, shallow depth-of-field, quiet stepless aperture control... and so on. This has got to be the best video experience ever for still photographers, you've just got to try it to believe it. 5D Mark II? What, no articulated screen? Oh boy.



CONCLUSION:

Of course, you can blab all day about buying both a decent DSLR and a good consumer camcorder to get the best of both worlds. Then again, I do not want both a DSLR and a camcorder when I'm on a vacation. I want something which allows me to take great holiday stills and videos simulatenously with the least compromise on quality, all in one small package. The GH1 does just that. Plus I can just enjoy myself and not miss out on any importany moments, without needing to lug around multiple gadgets (or lenses).



Yes my Nikon D700 and 24-70/70-200 f2.8 combo takes better still images anyday, but the kit weighs a lot more and isn't exactly the traveller's best friend. And it doesn't take videos too.To be honest, the GH1 doesn't come cheap and will certainly be tough for most to justify its cost. To conclude, it doesn't get all five stars for the steep pricing and slightly worse handling. However if you're able to live with the compromises and the cost of this convenient little thing, you'll find that you have an awesome piece of technology waiting to remind you of how fun photography/cinematography(?) is.

 "A true hybrid camera!!" 2009-08-29
By MR Y WADA
I always wanted a proper high quality hybrid camera and I can say that this is the one to get. It takes brilliant HD videos in stereo and the still photos are amazing. I just came back from a family trip to the Jurassic Coast. It took brilliant photos and videos of the trip. Usually, hybrid cameras have very poor video capabilities. I have a video camera but it takes poor quality photos. I am no professional photographer but this camera does both jobs very well. I no longer need to take a camera and a video camera on trips. It really kills two birds with one stone. One more thing that makes this great is that the videos I take with my GH1 plays on my PlayStation 3 (videos need to be in ACVHD format)!! Just insert the SD card into the PlayStation 3 and you can view both the photos and the videos. I have loads of .mov files in my NAS drive that I cannot view with my PlayStation 3. Those days are now gone. Now I can store all the GH1 videos on my NAS and watch all the videos via my PlayStation 3 as well...but this time in HD!!



The only problem is the price. It is very expensive. As my wife was visiting her family in Japan, I had her buy it in Japan for 65% of UK price...Why are Japanese goods in the UK still so expensive?




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Sony DSLRA500L Alpha 12.3 MP Digital Camera + Zoom Lens Kit (18-55mm 3.5-5.6)

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At the heart of the 12.3 MP DSLR-A500 is a new Exmor CMOS sensor that ensures crisp low-noise images, packed with fine detail and vibrant colours. Sharing powerful on-chip noise reduction techniques with the full-frame DSLR-A900, this advanced sensor works with processing algorithms handled by the high-speed BIONZ engine to deliver premium images plus razor-sharp shooting responses. Dramatically reduced picture noise now allows super-sensitive shooting at up to ISO12800, allowing attractive results when shooting handheld in challenging situations like candlelit interiors.The A500 offers a crisp, high-contrast 3-inch Clear Photo LCD Plus screen with the same tilt range for clear, comfortable composition and reviewing shots.
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- Sony's Latest DSLR with 12.3 MP EXMOR CMOS Sensor
Shoots up to 5fps
BIONZ Image Processing Engine with Nine Point Autofocus
Features Include: Smile Shutter, Steadyshot inside and HDMI Port
3 LCD screen with 2 -way Tilt and Live View
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 "Mid range marvel" 2010-06-08
By A. S. Styles
The Sony Alpha 500 sure is one hell of a camera for its price.

It has all the advanced features you want from a mid level camera without the £700 price tag. The new Exmor image sensor is a revelation providing low noise photographs upto ISO 800 and usable photographs upto 3200. At 12.3 megapixels the images are nice and detailed and this resolution means you can do A3 sized prints/canvas without worry of getting a pixelated image.



This camera is fast too so it can handle sports photography no problem, on the JPEG FINE setting it can fire around 5 frames per second in good light and fires about 30 in a 10 second burst (buffer starts to slow frame rate down a tad). The shutter itself goes down 1/2000th sec which will freeze any amount of motion you point the camera at.



The LCD liveview screen is good quality and allows you to compose decent shots without trouble. It is also really handy that it tilts so you can hold it over your head in a crowd and still take decent shots. The optical viewfinder is bright and clear and is as good as a camera without liveview and there is a simple selector switch to choose between the two aiming methods.



The 18-55mm SAM kit lens this camera comes with is a good quality lens and is fine for portrait and landscape work. It autofocuses quickly and produces good images with no noticable ill effects.



Battery life is very good and I can believe the rating of 1000 shots on one charge if using the optical viewfinder, the camera also has power saving options that are adjustable. If you do find yourself turning the camera off between shots it is not a problem as it starts up very quickly (1-2 seconds).



To sum this camera up; it is an excellent buy at this price point with a decent kit lens. And for those who are unsure of how this compares to other cameras I would say this matches the Canon 450D in performance, which would actually cost more as it does not come with a lens for this price. Also not to mention the 450D is not as fast in continuous shooting and does not have a tiltable liveview screen. This camera is well worth the purchase.

 "Sony's little treasure!!!!" 2010-04-28
By C. Eason (Kenilworth.UK)
In a world where all the camera snobs insist on Nikon this and Canon that, it comes as a refreshing change to find a so called mid range camera that can rub shoulders with the best of them.

Sony itself can be accused of dampening the A500 down by touting its bigger brothers with their big price tags.

At the moment the Sony camera range appears over crowded with all the A2- A3-A4- and A500 ranges and to be honest none have them have set the world on fire.

Until now!!

Ive been a keen photographer for twenty five years, at the age of 15 i got my first proper camera, the Ricoh Mirai.

Recently ive been using my Nikon 700 to produce brochures for a local florists, but i thought i would test out my new spare camera- Sony Alpha 500.

With a little bit of tweeking, the Sony matched the quality of the Nikon with ease which was a shock for me, infact you would have to take the photos to a lab to pick out any trivial differences.

Its a very user friendly camera with very impressive systems inside to produce extremely high quality pictures.

You really need to look at the specs. Its also quite a big manly camera which is good for me as some other cameras, epsecially compacts can look really girly.

This is a message for anyone thinking about buying a Dslr, dont listen to the fan boys!!!!!


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Panasonic Lumix GF1 12.1MP Digital System Camera 14-45mm Lens Kit - Black

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dmc-gf1 with 14mm-45mm lens Black
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- Whether you're a beginner or a more advanced photographer, the DMC-GF1KEB-K is your digital camera. Available in three different colours, this digital SLR camera comes equipped with a 12.1-megapixel sensor and an HD-ready video mode, not forgetting an intelligent viewfinder and a host of use-friendly features. In fact, with the DMC-GF1KEB-K, you can record AVCHD videos with resolutions of 720p and take frame-worthy, highly detailed pictures. This digital SLR camera boasts excellent ISO sensiti
- vity and accurate white balance, which means you'll get nothing less than the best. The DMC-GF1KEB-K's Venus Engine HD processor works with the Intelligent Auto mode to automatically select the most suitable contrast and exposure settings and activate face recognition - for top-quality results. What's more, the DMC-GF1KEB-K includes a whole load of scene modes, including portrait, scenery, pets and close-up, so you can get creative instantly. Get the best photographic performances with the D
- C-GF1KEB-K from Panasonic!
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 "Convergence technology that works" 2009-12-21
By MosiMapk (Russia)
Fed up as I was of lugging about small back packs full of lenses, adapters, filters etc and wanting DSLR quality I settled on the GF1. This is a small ( although not compact ) camera that will just about fit in a pocket. As others have described its technical qualities I wont repeat them - they are however staggeringly good. The real advantage to the semi novice is the combination of easy point and shoot photography, DSLR quality and size. In a world of technology convergence the GF1 will meet almost all of your everyday needs. It is however not compromised by this convergence. Do shop around. Prices vary enormously. The cheapest `package' deal was found by bartering on Tottenham Court Rd, London. Cheaper than Amazon

 "important battery issues fixed read before you buy anything!!!" 2009-12-13
By dylan (England)
CAVEAT EMPTOR!!!!!!!!!! great camera, good video response, fits in a lowepro rezo 10, works well with transcend 16gb sd cards, which are the most sensibly priced, no performance issues, but ONE MAJOR LETDOWN, THE CAMERAS FIRMWARE(SOFTWARE)including updates from the panasonic site, BLOCK THE USE OF NON PANASONIC BRANDED BATTERIES AS SOLD ON amazon TO UNWITTING CUSTOMERS OF WHICH I WAS ONE, which cost around a quarter of the price at less than £10.00 each, as opposed to £50.00 up for the identical product labelled with Panasonic, and chipped inside like the INKJET manufacturers have done TO FORCE YOU TO PAY EXTORTIONATE PRICES FOR THEIR OWN LABELLED CARTIDGES, HOWEVER HELP IS AT HAND, I FOUND A HONG KONG BASED SELLER ON EBAY UK, called BUYITNOWHK selling chipped "SIDO" branded batteries for £16.99 a pair airmailed to your door, so they slip under the customs net...i.e. no import duties and THEY WORK JUST FINE with all firmware versions of panasonic cameras using the BLB13 type batteries.......HAPPY DAYS.....the cameras now a goodun!!!!! TELL YOUR FRIENDS THE EVIL EMPIRE OF EXTORTIONATE CONSUMER RIP OFF'S HAS BEEN STRUCK A MIGHTY BLOW (after a little research on the net forums, to see who had an answer!)





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2 x Li_ion Batteries for Panasonic BLB13

Compact and high-performance Li-ion battery for your standard use. Advance

Li-ion technology improved energy density.Short circuit and overload protection.A Class Li-ion Battery CellISO9001:2000Applicable Certificate: CEHigh Capacity Battery: 1400 mAh

Voltage: 7.4V (compatible with 7.2V)Compatible with Panasonic DMC-G1 DMC-GF1K, DMC-GH1 DMC-GF1C, DMC-GF1

 "LX3 to GF-1" 2009-11-15
By Sn Baines (st albans, hertfordshire United Kingdom)
Purchased the GF-1 to replace my much loved LX3 , Main reason is because i like taking a lot of pics of people esp my young fast moving son ! The GF-1 focus is as fast as my Nikon Dslr and shutter lag is as fast as my Nikon.

The longer zoom is also better for people and throws out the background better then the LX3 due to the larger senser and despite the slower GF-1 lens.

The IQ has really really impressed me more then anything , if you look close the GF-1 blows away the LX3 and matches a DSLR basically, Awesome IQ in a small package this is the dream ticket.

The build of the camera is fantastic feels very metal and solid and all the quick buttons are there for the most common stuff ie ISO, White Balance etc.

Screen is Brilliant and easy to compose even in bright sunlight.

Iso performance is about 1 stop behind my Nikon D50 which in my book is damm good as The D50 gives excellent 1600 ISO,, The GF-1 Is def usable at 1600 ISO though but 800 ISO is great, Raw development will yield even better results.

Talking of Raw and Jpeg some reviews have said the Jpeg processing is lacking a bit compared to some while this may be true i have found the camera gives Fantastic Jpeg results when i use Dynamic mode with the Contrast turned down and NR turned off and I personally do manual white Balance, This setting gives much better Blues and Greens and almost produces those famous Olympus colours on this setting.

Black and white Dynamic mode is Fantastic just like The LX3.

The Movie seems like a very nice extra but was,nt the reason for me to buy in any case.

While the GF-1 is larger then the LX3 which can be pocketed the loss of this is worth the sacrifice for me as the extras like faster focusing, better DOF control, speed of use and superior IQ put the GF-1 in the DSLR bracket.

The slightly larger size makes for good handling as well and although the Zoom lens is not as portable and fast as the pancake lens is it still very good and has IS and also adds to the handling as more to grab hold of.

Basically I Love this Panasonic and has made me want to take Photos more then ever B4.

 "a little to early to tell - but first impressions are very favourable" 2009-10-16
By T. Nielsen-marsh
It really is too early to tell yet - but first impressions are very favourable. It was a choice between the G11 and this - and this won out - probably because I always found my G9 difficult to do close up work with and the additional lenses never quite worked well.



It was immaculately packaged, arrived on time and is a high quality object. I seldom read a manual - so it's good that the controls are intuitive. Working out what some of the settings do can be a little challenging, so the manual is a godsend. Pity it's not really written in English. It's a good approximation - but some of the explanations do take some fathoming out. This affects understanding quite a lot really and for a camera of this price is inexcusable. I am hoping that someone somewhere now writes up a real handbook that explains all the functions in a way that makes more sense.



Initial images are crisp and sharp - better than my G9 - but it will take a while before I can tell how much better it is. One snag so far - and it may be solvable somewhere - is that the control for bracketed exposures (I am playing with HDR) is also the control that sets the timer. This appears to mean that you cannot set the timer to control bracketed shots and thus have to keep your finger on the big shiny button! I hope I can solve this one without going to the expense of buying a remote release, otherwise camera shake is going to be an issue.



Nothing that I read in pre-release reviews picked this up.



More anon perhaps.








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- Plus £50.00 Cashback From Panasonic UK Via Claim Form (valid until 5-4-2010)
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 "An excellent combination" 2010-04-14
By Keith Henry
This camera is a DSLR that you will actually take with you. It's still a fairly big piece of kit - it reminds me of the 35mm range finder that I had when I was a kid (an Olympus TRIP 35).



Put it on intelligent-auto mode and it's a camera anyone can use, and the interface to open up all the manual options is well designed and fairly easy to learn. Pass it to your point and shoot friend and they'll be able to use it, and if you're a DSLR user you'll feel at home.



The 20mm f1.7 lens is excellent and effortlessly takes rather nice bokeh effect shots. The body struggles a bit at ISOs above 400, but the wide aperture means that I rarely need them. Natural light and indoor shots come out great. It'll struggle in a darker environment like a nightclub, but it's also still to big to take on that sort of night out.



It fits in the pocket of my long overcoat, but is too heavy and bulky to carry there comfortably.



It's an excellent travel camera.

 "A Peach of a camera!" 2010-03-28
By Ian Gervais (London, United Kingdom)
I love this camera! I read numerous positive reviews before buying it and even then, it surpassed my high expectations. I usually use my Nikon D80 when picture quality is imperative but found it too big to carry with me all the time, particularly on holiday. The GF1 gives me the picture quality I want but is eminently portable. The GF1, particularly with the 20mm pancake lens, is a joy to use. I now take it out everywhere with me and have consequently taken many more pictures.

The one minor disappointment is the cost and the quality of the optional Electronic Viewfinder (DMC-LVF1) which is adequate but overpriced. I think I'll wait for the price to drop (between £100-£120 seems reasonable to me) before I buy or hopefully Panasonic will listen to it's customers and upgrade the resolution.

If image quality, portability and low-light capability are high on your list of priorities, I would recommend GF1 unreservedly.

 "Gem of a camera ... appalling manufacture support" 2010-01-17
By Mr. Anthony D. Armstrong (united kingdom)
I purchased my GF1 from Amazon in November 2009, I have been a working photographer for several years, and the purchase was to replace a Canon G10 which had served me exceptionally well.



The GF1 itself is simply a gem, its low light capability is at least 3 stops better than the G10, and while not as compact offers greater flexibility. It has been my in the bag take everywhere camera since purchase for the moments that a large SLR are just to cumbersome.



Now the bad news, in early january went to turn the unit on, and nothing on the LCD screen, nor the accessory viewfinder. Camera still powers up, focuses fine and captures images, but both viewing options are dead. I contacted Panasonic and shipped the unit to them under warranty to have it repaired. I have just received their response telling me the damage is the result of impact, and will not be covered. Having now trawled the interweb I have discovered Panasonic are renowned for their denial of responsibility dating back to the FX7 / 8 and 9 models. A lengthy tirade is readable on photo.net from the dozens of disgruntled customers.



This has left a very very bitter taste in my mouth, the quote of repair £312 plus VAT. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't baby my equipment, it is a tool to be used, but I can categorically state this camera has never suffered from impact outside of normal use, if its not capable of withstanding normal day to day use then their are issues to be addressed.



So while I endorse the product for its image quality, I'd give panasonic the biggest thumbs down for product support.



Buy at your own peril (and check your insurance paperwork for cover)



On the upside, camerasure insurance ... I cannot speak highly enough of, they paid the bill without question.

 "Excellent camera" 2010-01-08
By Porrig
How do I rate this camera? Well, once I had it for a few weeks I sold ALL of my DSLR gear as it was redundant for my needs. I regard myself as a serious hobbyist and for my interests - street photography, urban, landscape and capturing a growing family - this is ideal. Excellent build, a joy to use and portable along with excellent image quality.



Love it. My best camera purchase ever.

 "Ideal for travelling" 2009-12-08
By Mr. T. Russell (Edinburgh, Scotland)
This is a truly marvellous camera from Panasonic. It has most of the functions of a SLR but none of the bulk or weight. With the 20mm lens fitted it is ideal as a "take it anywhere" camera but it has a larger sensor than most compacts and, therefore, handles low-light scenes much better. Most of the common functions are available without delving into menus and Panasonic's "intelligent" setting is useful if you're not too experienced. The zoom lenses that fit it are not large and a whole outfit could be easily carried in a small photo bag. Highly recommended if you want high quality images without the hassle of a large SLR.


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