CES 2015: Photography news blog

Memory manufacturers announce super-hi-speed 4K-optimised Micro SD cards

With a spate of action cameras beginning to flood the imaging world, Kingston and Lexar both showed off new super-fast SD cards to support the increasing demands of ultra-high-definition video on portable ‘go-anywhere’ capturing devices.

Kingston’s new UHS-I, speed class 3 (U3) standard card boasts read and write speeds of up to 90MB/s and 80MB/s respectively, and should handle fast drive-mode stills shooting as well as full HD, 3D and UHD video-capturing needs very well indeed. Available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB capacities, these cards have been designed to keep up with the action, and are listed as being shockproof, waterproof, X-ray-proof and resistant to extreme temperature. UK pricing is yet to be finalised, but we’ve been told by Kingston that prices are pencilled for £9 (16GB), £17 (32GB) and 64GB £35, making these highly affordable options.

Not to be outdone, though, Lexar threw a range of UHS-II (U3) cards into the mix, with a stated read speed of up to 150MB/s, which is blisteringly fast. The Lexar range doesn’t include a 16GB version, but instead offers 32GB, 64GB and 128GB storage at launch. Expect to see these cards available to buy imminently, priced around £47 (32GB), £85 (64GB) and £146 (128GB). Both Kingston and Lexar’s cards look like a good fit for newly announced UHD capable camera devices, such as the Sony FDR-X1000V 4K Action cam. We look forward to putting both options through their paces in the near future.

We’ve had a look at a new clip-on lens from Olloclip, tailored for the iPhone 6 and Phone 6 Plus. Its front-and-back design fits over both cameras, allowing the one thing literally every photographer in the world (probably) has been waiting for – wideangle selfies.

Also on the table was an interesting addition – a 3D-printed phone case. This is till very much at the prototype stage, but it’s something we may well see in the future.

Nikon unveils D5500 DSLR

Nikon has revealed a new DX-format DSLR with a 3.2in vari-angle touchscreen, claiming it is ‘exceptionally portable’.

Features include a 24.2-million-pixel imaging sensor and an ISO range of 100-25,600. There is also a new Nikon 55-200mm DX lens. For full details, plus prices and availability, click HERE

See our video of the Nikon D5500:

Sony reveals new prototype Alpha 7 lenses

The next generation of FE lenses has been unveiled, with Sony’s CES stand showcasing new macro, wideangle, travel zoom and adapter lenses for its latest generation of full-frame cameras. It’s exciting to see the range of the Alpha series expand with these new models. See here for the full story and more images of the prototypes.

Sony 4K camcorder with 1in sensor

OK, it’s a video camera and not a stills camera, but what is interesting about the Sony FDR-AX33 4K camcorder is that it uses a 20-million-pixel, 1in sensor. Sound familiar? It is most likely a variation of the sensor used in the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-RX100 III. Which begs the question – could a future Sony camera use the same sensor to record 4K video footage?

More details on the camcorder here https://store.sony.com/4k-camcorder-with-1-sensor-zid27-FDRAX33/B/cat-27-catid-ces-2015-camcorders

Sony announces FDR-X1000VR and HDR-AS200VR action cameras

Sony has announced two action cameras at CES 2015, including the 4K Sony FDR-X1000VR. The FDR-X1000VR will be available from April 2015 and the HDR-AS200VR from March 2015. Prices are yet to be confirmed.

See more details about these cameras.

See our video of new Sony launches:

https://youtu.be/TriPh2QdS-k

Samsung announces small portable SSD with big storage 

During its opening press conference, Samsung introduced its new solid state drive, the T1 Portable, a stylishly designed drive with speedy Micro USB 3.0 connectivity and up to 1TB storage. The drive doesn’t just look good, though, as it is shock-resistant and can withstand extreme temperature conditions thanks to its built-in Dynamic Thermal Guard technology, making it suitable for working in harsh environments.

For security purposes, the T1 SSD features 256-bit AES encryption so that the entire drive can be password protected. Measuring only 71 x 9.2 x 53.2mm, this drive will fit easily into most small accessory pockets, and it will only add 30g in terms of weight, which is an added bonus. Available in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB sizes, the T1 portable SSD will be available soon with prices starting at around £155.

CES Unveiled shows off imaging technologies of the future

DSLRs and lenses aside, plenty of cool niche imaging gadgets make their debut at CES. Here are some of the most interesting new imaging technologies we’ve spotted so far in our roundup from the ‘CES Unveiled’ event.

Panasonic announces TZ70 travel camera and a host of other new models

Panasonic has unveiled the TZ70 asthe successor to its popular TZ60 travel camera. See here for Andy Westlake’s first impressions review. Also on the stand were a number of new compact models, including the SZ10, which comes with a ‘slimming mode’. We run through them all here.

See our video of the TZ70 here:

https://youtu.be/96TkGvckFZc

Pentax announces new DLSR and lenses

Pentax brand owner Ricoh Imaging has announced that it plans to launch a new K-mount DSLR in the spring. The as-yet unnamed camera will carry an APS-C-sized CMOS imaging sensor.

Also on the cards is a new 18-50mm K-mount zoom, also due out in the spring.

We can also expect a ‘high-magnification’ super-telephoto K-mount lens, and a ‘large-diameter’ telephoto zoom, although the launch dates for these products have not been decided.

See more here in our full article.

Canon PowerShot bridge camera and storage device revealed

The Canon PowerShot SX530 HS bridge camera is among a raft of new compacts announced to coincide with this week’s CES show in Las Vegas, USA. Also launched by Canon at CES is the Connect Station CS100. Read more about the Canon launches in our full article.