New compact cameras can now take professional-grade pictures,filling the vacuum between easy-to-use digital cameras and bulky DSLRs. Panasonic Lumix GF5Rs 43,990 (approx) with14-42 mm lens Panasonic GF5 is the successor to the GF3 mirrorless compact camera. The 14-42 mm lens has two levers for adjusting focus and zoom,quite unlike the traditional rotating rings. Shutterbugs will have to buy better lenses as the kit barely has a 3x zoom lens. The body has a rubber grip on the right side,providing a better grasp. While the camera does have a fairly advanced manual mode,its best feature is the intelligent auto button next to the shutter button. The interface is button and touch-based. The 3-inch LCD screen has a touch-to-focus feature whereby users can touch any part of the screen and the camera focuses on that part,even blurring the background at times. With a good macro lens,those close-up shots should be much easier to shoot. For a camera with such a small body,the Panasonic Lumix GF5 performs really well. One test which makes the best of cameras break into a sweat is in low-light conditions. The GF5,however,impressed even at an ISO (light sensitivity) level of 6,400. With many other cameras,small grain-like pixels appear across the picture in low-light. But images taken in low-light from the GF5 were remarkably free of grains. Another positive is its quick and reliable autofocus system. Even though its picture quality does match that of a DSLR,the camera is good value for its size. The lack of a viewfinder or a tilting screen are a couple of negatives. Nokia 808 PureView So why would a mobile phone be featured in a list of sleek cameras aiming to replicate DSLR-like image quality? But then,how many mobile phones or cameras have a 41-megapixel sensor? In an age where manufacturers often cram dozens of megapixels on tiny sensors,Nokia 808 PureView has taken a step in the opposite direction. Its gigantic sensor produces pictures of just 8 megapixels. This is one of the best things to happen to cameras and users wailing about a loss in image quality due to small sensors will be delighted to use this Nokia mobile phone. For those who think they need more than an 8 megapixel output,Nokias blog rightly notes: 5 Mpix 6 Mpix is more than enough for viewing images on the PC,TV,online or smartphones. How often do we print images bigger than even A4? It isnt about shooting pictures the size of billboards! Instead,its about creating amazing pictures at normal,manageable sizes. The detail in each picture is simply staggering. In a hands-on session with the device,it was evident that photography no longer needs bulky gear. Although bokeh shots (where one part of the image is blurred and the other is sharp) were not the most stunning,most other pictures and videos were of very high quality. The flash is as powerful as that in most compact cameras. The phone also records video well,and has good sound reproduction in noisy outdoor environments. The camera application allows users to share pictures on Facebook and Flickr. One negative is that Nokia 808 PureView comes with Symbian OS,which will hopefully work smoothly. Rumour has it that a PureView Lumia (with Windows Phone OS) is coming soon. This phone will not come cheap. Based on the announced price in Europe,the India price will be around Rs 50,000. Canon Powershot G1X The G1 X is a compact camera with a large 1.5-inch image sensor. The G1 X comes with a 4x,28-112mm zoom lens,ISO range of up to 12,800,1080p HD video recording with stereo audio,3-inch swivelling screen and an optical viewfinder. It is much bigger than other compact cameras,but that is due to its larger image sensor and as a result better image quality. This one is a little different from other cameras mentioned here as it does not have an interchangeable lens. Available in India for Rs 47,995. Nikon 1 J1Rs 29,950 with 10-30 mm lensRs 39,950 with 10-30 mm and30-110 mm lenses Without exception,all professional cameras in the market look dull and industrial. How long has it been since we saw a really good-looking camera,which packs excellent image quality? Nikon 1 J1 has changed all that. The review sample was a beautiful white,with its rounded corners adding a smooth finish. This is one charming camera,whether one considers the body or the lens,or even the unique L-shaped flash. The package comes with two lenses (10-30 mm and 30-110 mm),which should be enough for beginners and for different kinds of pictures. The interface is button-based,which might be hard to use for those accustomed to rotating dials between various modes,shutter speeds,aperture values,etc. To access almost all settings,users will have to press two or three buttons. This is not the most ideal scenario but not too difficult to get used to over time. The Nikon 1 J1 is a generally fast and responsive camera. The auto focus works very well in good light and when the subject is not too close to the lens,otherwise it takes a little time to lock on to the subject but users will hit the sweet spot faster over time. The continuous shooting mode allows shooting a number of images one after the other. The performance in this mode was very good,making this camera a viable option for those who love the burst mode to make a photo montage. The camera also performed well in low light conditions,although its ISO level is limited to 3,200. Ultimately,the Nikon 1 J1 is a good choice for those who want a point-and-shoot camera,which gives you professional-grade lenses and image quality. For some,the lack of a viewfinder and having key settings stacked in the main menu will be frustrating.
