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PMA 2005: CNET covers the show

PMA 2005: CNET COVERS THE SHOW

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The best of PMA 2005

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The best of PMA 2005
By Aimee Baldridge
Senior editor, CNET Reviews
(February 25, 2005)

PMA 2005 turned out to be a modest show, with few groundbreaking announcements. Many of the new cameras on the floor updated existing models, adding a little more resolution, a boost in speed, and a dash of style. But several products caught our attention, either because they blaze the trail we'd like to see the digital imaging market follow, because they offer noteworthy innovations, or simply because they make us wish we had a few thousand dollars burning a hole in our pocket.

Canon EOS 350D (Digital Rebel XT)

Canon EOS 350D

Arriving on the heels of news that the millionth EOS 300D (Digital Rebel) has been sold, the successor to that 6-megapixel consumer SLR offers 8-megapixel resolution, faster shooting, more flexible controls, and a design that's one of the most compact on the market. While it doesn't make any revolutionary changes, it encourages the trend of digital SLRs' incremental but important improvements across the board while pushing entry prices down. The original EOS 300D (Digital Rebel) will stay on the market at a reduced price, making SLR photography even more affordable. The EOS 350D will be available in March for US$999 (S$1,999) with an 18mm-to-55mm lens or US$899 (S$1,999) for the camera body only.

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Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505

Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505

Hybrid devices that capture high-resolution photos and MPEG-4 or -2 video are beginning to proliferate, and the EX-P505 is one of the most attractive manifestations of the trend. With a 5x zoom lens, a fold-out-and-swivel LCD, and an ergonomically appealing design, this little camera shoots both 5-megapixel stills and VGA-resolution MPEG-4 video at 30fps. The EX-P505 provides a nice balance of photo- and video-oriented features, including an optical zoom that works when you're shooting video. It will be available in March for US$499 (S$849).

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Eizo ColorEdge CG220

Eizo ColorEdge CG220

Unless you run a graphics shop or just have a whole lot of money, you probably won't be buying this US$6,500 (S$10,999) LCD monitor. But it brings an innovation to the professional world that we hope will one day trickle down to LCD monitors priced for serious amateur photographers: an Adobe RGB gamut. This color gamut is larger than the sRGB space; in other words, a photo created in the Adobe RGB space can include colors that will show up as the next-best color in an sRGB photo. You can shoot in Adobe RGB with a digital SLR and even a few point-and-shoots, but when you're viewing your images on your sRGB LCD monitor, you can't actually see all the nuances of color you've captured. Enter the CG220. In addition to color, this LCD gives you 14-bit processing for an improved grayscale tonal range size--and displays its fabulous images on a 22.2-inch screen. For the lucky few, it's available immediately from high-end imaging equipment retailers.

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JVC Everio GZ-MC500

JVC Everio GZ-MC500

When JVC launched its Everio camcorder line in late 2004, it was arguably the industry's first attempt to create serious consumer video cameras that recorded to flash memory cards and microdrives. Previous flash-memory-based models tended to be toy-size gadgets that captured low-quality footage. With the GZ-MC500, JVC raises the bar again by using three CCDs. In principle, that means the quality of its MPEG-2 footage will be improved, especially when it comes to color rendition. Like the other Everio models, this camera has a very compact, consumer-oriented design, but it offers some advanced features, including a manual focus ring. It can also capture 5-megapixel stills by way of pixel-shift technology and comes equipped with a pop-up flash. The GZ-MC500 will be available in March for the substantial price of US$1,800 (S$2,999), which includes a 4GB microdrive.

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Nixvue Vista Advanced Modular System
We were happy to see lots of newly compact, high-capacity portable photo-storage devices at the show, along with portable disc burners that transfer images to DVD instead of just the CD-Rs compatible with last year's bulkier units. Nixvue's Vista Advanced Modular System was our favorite, providing most of the features we look for in a portable photo-storage device. Its viewer sports a large 3.5-inch color LCD that can display both raw files and JPEGs; its compact, high-capacity hard drive has a verification function to make sure your images have been transferred uncorrupted; and its burner will archive images directly from your camera's memory card to DVD-RAM, DVD+/-R, or CD-R. Those three components are available in separate modules that fit together. The viewer alone will cost about US$300 (S$499); with a 40GB hard drive, it will run about US$500 (S$849) and with the disc burner about US$600 (S$999). All three modules will be available in April.

Olympus Zuiko Digital F2.0 35mm-to-100mm lens

Olympus Zuiko Digital F2.0 35mm-to-100mm lens

The F2.0 maximum aperture of this lens is available throughout its zoom range, which translates into 70mm to 200mm in 35mm-camera terms. If you're a portrait photographer who owns an Olympus E-1 or E-300 camera, those specs probably already have you eyeing your piggy bank with malice. The fast new lens is compatible with those two Olympus digital SLRs, and even if portraits aren't your thing, its wide maximum aperture should give you outstanding performance in low light. It will also allow lots of flexibility in depth of field. Despite its long focal-length range, this Zuiko Digital is relatively compact, making it an excellent choice on the road. For those who prefer a wider lens, Olympus has also unveiled an F2.0, 14mm-to-35mm (28mm to 70mm in 35mm-camera terms) Zuiko Digital. The only bad news is that the new optics won't be available until late 2005 and will likely have prices in the US$2,000 (S$3.2k) range.

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Panasonic Lumix camera line

Panasonic Lumix camera line

Panasonic has done an admirable job of incorporating a host of truly useful features into all of its new Lumix cameras, including the most affordable models. Their longer-than-average optical zoom ranges offer shooting flexibility, their large LCDs provide an ample view, and most notably, their optical image stabilization keeps photos from becoming a blurry mess in low light and when you're taking advantage of the ability to zoom way in. Since most digital photographers hold their point-and-shoot cameras out at arm's length when taking a picture, the modern snapshot is especially prone to camera shake, making image stabilization a much-needed aid. The new Lumix cameras will be available in March and April. For prices and more information on specific models, click here.

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Wacom Cintiq 21UX

Wacom Cintiq 21UX

With the Cintiq 21UX, Wacom combines the latest and greatest digital imaging technology with the oldest, most intuitive interface: You open up your image in Photoshop or your program of choice on the 21.3-inch LCD, then alter it directly on the screen with a tool held in the hand (in this case, Wacom's new Cintiq 21UX Grip Pen). This isn't the first interactive LCD system created by Wacom, but it's the biggest, and it incorporates new features such as 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity, a calibrated 1,600 x 1,200 display with a 170-degree viewing angle, and control touch pads that let you work more efficiently. Naturally, it doesn't come cheap: The 21UX will be available in March for US$2,499 (S$4,099).

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PMA 2005: what to expect at the show

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