Sony Alpha NEX-5

IN OUR shootout, we went out in the field and tested the Olympus E-PL1, the Panasonic Lumix GF1 and the Sony Alpha NEX-5 in a typical outdoor situation, recording stills and videos.

Each camera was tested by shooting nearly identical images and videos and then the results were eyeballed together on the same colour- calibrated monitor.

Usability

All three cameras performed reasonably well in terms of ease of use, although each takes a different approach to how common settings are accessed.

For example, while the NEX-5 takes a more minimalist approach (which means going through a lot of menus), the Panasonic GF1 has a lot of settings mapped to physical buttons (which results in quick access but may be confusing to some).

The Olympus hits the best balance however - although largely menu-driven, access to important settings requires only one or two button presses to get to and on top of that, the camera's iAuto mode allows even a novice to manipulate advanced settings without having to understand the technical terms.

In terms of usability, the E-PL1 has the best balance, although advanced photographers may appreciate the GF1's multi-button system for quicker access.

Samsung UA55C8000 TV

We peer into the third dimension with the Samsung UA55C8000 TV and like what we see.
IT IS funny that TVs are actually getting thinner these days as 3D technology is becoming more common - what we get here is a situation where the TV itself is gradually becoming closer to a 2D piece of paper while the display is gaining more depth :-)

Anyway, lame jokes aside, regular readers of In.Tech will probably already about know my fanatical interest in all things 3D and when the Samsung UA55C8000 came in complete with 3D glasses I was totally stoked.

Samsung Nx10

The Samsung NX10 is light on the shoulders but pretty heavy in the features department.

MOST photographers would agree that DSLR cameras take better pictures than their compact brethren but unfortunately portability is not a DSLR strong point.

After lugging one around during a holiday, you would probably need another holiday to recover from the inevitable sore shoulder, especially if you have a heavy model.

This is where Samsung intends to step in with its 14.6-megapixel Samsung NX10.

It does away with the conventional mirror technology that is a staple of DSLRs to produce a smaller, slimmer and lighter body.

But don't be fooled by its petite size, this camera can easily rival a full-fledged DSLR when it comes to specifications, which we will discuss in length later.

Moving on, the camera supports the proprietary NX-mount lens system and dedicated flashguns.

To date, Samsung has unveiled three different lenses - namely the 18-55mm OIS, 50-200mm OIS and 30mm pancake lens. "OIS" denotes built-in stabilisation technology.

For the purpose of this review, Samsung was nice enough to loan us a unit with the 18-55mm lens.