Friday, September 23, 2011

Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS Camera Review

Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS line has long been known for packing good image quality into tiny packages, and the latest version, the 12.1-megapixel Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS ($199.99 list) continues the trend. The 100 HS delivers fine images, good performance, and a good feature set—but nothing about it stands out. It’s a nice digital camera for the price, but don’t expect it to wow you.
Design
No bigger than a deck of cards, the 100 HS certainly upholds the pocket-sized legacy of the Elph line. It’s a rectangle with curved edges that make it easy to hold, measures 3.7 by 2.2 by 0.8 inches (HWD), and weighs 4.9 ounces. My test unit was a bright matte blue, but the 100 HS is also available in gray, pink, silver, and orange finishes, all with silver accents.

Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS View SlideshowSee all (7) slides

A zoom switch, Power button, and Automatic/Low-Light shooting mode slider switch sit on the top edge of the camera. The bottom houses a tripod mount and the battery/memory card housing. On the back are the rest of the controls: a five-button directional-pad, two menu buttons, and a dedicated button to start video recording from any screen.
The rest of the back of the 100 HS is devoted to the 3-inch, 230,000-dot LCD. It’s sharp without being anything spectacular; some cameras’ screens display 430,000 dots, significantly improving the sharpness of the screen, but those are generally found in more-expensive cameras.

Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS Specifications

Type: Compact
Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS Megapixels: 12.1 MP
35-mm Equivalent (Wide): 28 mm
Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS 35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto): 112 mm
Optical Zoom: 4 x
LCD size: 3 inches

The 4x, 28-112mm (35mm equivalent) optical zoom lens offers a decently wide angle, but it doesn’t quite hit the 25mm focal length of the Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T110 ($219.99, 4 stars) (which can zoom in to only 100mm). The lens’ aperture ranges from f/2.8 to f/5.9, which is slightly brighter than most compact cameras. The 100 HS will perform slightly better in low light, but the difference isn’t huge. The 100 HS’s cousin, the Canon PowerShot Elph 300 HS ($249.99, 4 stars), packs a slightly brighter (f/2.7) and slightly wider (24mm) lens, but you’ll pay $50 for the upgrade.
Canon’s user interface is simple enough, made up mostly of cascading rows down the Y axis of the screen. Most menu options are just icons, but they’re nicely explained when you scroll over them. If you’re shooting in automatic mode, you’ll never really have to use the menus. Changing scene modes and ISO sensitivities is easy enough in other modes.
Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS Performance
From boot-up to first shot, the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS takes an average of 2.1 seconds, fast for a point and shoot. Its recycle time (the time between shots) averages 2.5 seconds, and its shutter lag (the time between you pressing the shutter and the camera capturing an image) averages 0.6 second—respectable, but not spectacular .
Images delivered by the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS were decidedly mediocre. In the PCMag.com labs, we use Imatestto objectively measure image quality. The 100 HS scored a center-weighted average of 1,692 lines per picture height, a low number even for a compact camera—the Editors’ Choice Kodak EasyShare M580 ($199.95, 4 stars) averaged a sharp 2,127 lines, and even Canon’s PowerShot SD1400 ($229.99, 4 stars) averaged 2,152. The lower lines per picture height means images are likely to be soft, instead of clear and sharp.
Low-light performance is one of the touted features of the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS , and our test results showed why. If Imatest detects more than 1.5 percent noise in an image, it will likely be visibly grainy and noisy, and potentially unusable. The 100 HS kept noise under the 1.5 percent threshold all the way up to ISO 1600, which means it will take clear photos, without a flash, even in poor lighting conditions. The Kodak M580 could only shoot at ISO 400 before going over 1.5 percent, and the Sony DSC-T110 up to ISO 800. Some of the above-average performance is probably due to Canon’s HS System, which is built in to the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS and processes images after they’re shot to reduce noise. Whatever the cause, the 100 HS is Surprisingly good in low light for a compact camera.
The camera can shoot video at two different HD resolutions: 1080p24 or 720p30. Video was clean and sharp in my tests, though since Canon disables both zoom and autofocus when recording video (most manufacturers do this, since both functions make audible noise) you won’t want to move the camera around too much. Videos are recorded as .MOV files, which can be natively uploaded to sites like YouTube and Facebook.
As is standard for most compact cameras, the two connectivity options on the Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS are a USB port and an HDMI port. The HDMI port is an industry-standard mini-HMDI, and easily-found cables will plug your camera into your HDTV for playback. The USB connector is also an industry standard, mini-USB. The camera saves to SD/SDHC/SDXC cards.
The Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS is a decent camera, especially for $200. It doesn’t do anything spectacularly well, but it does everything serviceably and simply, and the price is definitely right. If you want better images, the Canon PowerShot SD1400 offers better photos and similar features in a same-size package, for just $30 more. For $50 more, the Elph 300 HS offers a brighter, wider lens and a few upgrades in its feature set and image quality.

Canon PowerShot Elph 100 HS

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Motorola i412 Boost Mobile Review

The $69 99 Motorola i412 Boost is an inexpensive, average feature phone that operates on Boost Mobile’s push-to-talk (PTT) network. It doesn’t do anything to stand out from the pack, but it’s a decent option for users that need a simple cell phone with PTT capability. Still, there are better options out there that aren’t much more expensive.
Design and Call Quality
A standard flip phone, the i412 is covered almost entirely in shiny blue plastic, save for a matte black band that runs around the perimeter of the phone. It measures 3.8 by 1.9 by .8 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.7 ounces. Though it isn’t a rugged phone, the i412 feels solid. The hinge is sturdy and the inside is made of black and gray soft touch plastic that feels nice and grippy. A thin external display shows the battery life, date, ringer status, and time, but it’s a bit awkward. The display is vertical, but the text reads horizontally, so you have to hold the phone sideways to read it properly. Inside, the 1.8-inch LCD has a depressingly low 128-by-160 resolution, which looks a bit soft and washed out. The number pad is comfortable, and the navigation and selection keys work fine. I had no problem making my way through the phone’s simple UI, though the multiple menu pages are a bummer to flip through.

Motorola i412 Boost View SlideshowSee all (6) slides

The i412 is an iDEN device with no Wi-Fi. Call quality was just okay. Incoming calls sounded a bit scratchy and robotic, and maximum volume in the earpiece was a touch too low. Outgoing calls sounded similarly fuzzy, though the phone did a decent job with noise reduction. The speakerphone goes very loud, but again had a scratchy quality. Calls sounded loud and clear through an Aliph Jawbone Bluetooth headset ($99, 4 stars), but voices were incredibly thin. Voice dialing worked fine once properly trained, and push-to-talk calls sounded good. The vibrate function was plenty alarming and battery life was decent at 6 hours and 25 minutes.
At one point in testing the earpiece stopped working completely. I checked every setting on the phone but to no avail. I had to power off the phone completely to remove and replace the battery before the earpiece began working again.

Motorola i412 Boost Specifications

Service Provider: Boost
Screen Size: 1.8 inches
Screen Details: 128-by-160, 65K-color TFT LCD screen
Camera: Yes
Motorola i412 Boost Network: iDen
Bands: 800, 900

Motorola i412 Boost Apps, Features, and Conclusions
Boost’s $50 per month plan offers unlimited voice calls, texting, and Web access, which is a pretty fantastic value. Better yet, that $50 monthly fee is reduced by $5 for every 6 payments you make on time, until you reach $35. Unfortunately, at 24kbps, the iDen network is the slowest digital mobile network in America. The phone’s Myriad Web browser did a decent job rendering basic WAP pages, but it certainly wasn’t quick. You can browse the Web in a pinch, but Web fanatics should look elsewhere.
Text messaging isn’t particularly advanced, but Motorola i412 Boost fine for a standard feature phone. I was able to send and receive messages easily, and the messaging menu was simple to navigate. Java-based email and IM support is included for AOL, Gmail, Windows Live, and Yahoo users, and there’s support for other IMAP and POP3 email accounts as well. The number pad is fine for typing messages, but you’d get a lot more chat for your buck by choosing a phone with a QWERTY keyboard.
The Motorola i412 Boost is a poor media phone. The 2.5mm headphone jack makes it difficult to find headphones. But with just 5MB of internal memory and no microSD card slot, you wouldn’t be able to fit music files on the phone anyway. The .3-megapixel VGA camera took very poor photos. They were so blurry and lacking in detail that they were nearly indistinguishable. It’s also difficult to get photos off of the phone (not that you’d want to), so you’re better off just ignoring the camera completely.
Motorola i412 Boost A number of standard apps are built-in, including a calendar and voice recorder, as well as a couple of Java apps. There’s also GPS support, but that’s about Motorola i412 Boost as far as extras are concerned. You can download additional ringtones, wallpapers, and games from Boost, but you can’t use your own.
While the Motorola i412 Boost is a decent option for Boost Mobile users looking for a simple push-to-talk device, there are better options available. The Motorola i296 ($49.99, 2.5 stars) is a hair less expensive than the i412, though it too suffers from dated features and mediocre voice quality. The Sanyo Incognito SCP-6760 ($79.99, 3.5 stars) doesn’t have push-to-talk, but Motorola i412 Boost does have a great QWERTY keyboard and nicer screen, along with much faster data speeds. But if you need push-to-talk, the decision is simple: for an additional $30, the Motorola Clutch +i475 ($99.99, 3.5 stars) will give you vastly superior voice quality, a much better screen, and a great QWERTY keyboard.

Motorola i412 Boost

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Panasonic TC-P50ST30 HDTV Review

LED-backlit HDTVs are all the rage lately, but the plasma panel continues to stick around. Standing tall among plasma-producing HDTV manufacturers is Panasonic, whose $1,499.99 (direct) Panasonic TC-P50ST30 is an affordable, feature-packed 50-inch plasma 3D HDTV with a great picture. While it has its share of flaws, the Panasonic TC-P50ST30 is a good choice if you want a big screen at a reasonable price, aren’t hung up on low power consumption, and can live with only three HDMI ports.
Panasonic TC-P50ST30 Design and Features
The TC-P50ST30 shares a similar minimalist design aesthetic as the good-looking LED-backlit Sony Bravia KDL-46EX720 ($1,599.99, 4 stars). The HDTV’s bezel is slightly curved, smooth, glossy black with few flourishes, distinguished by only a metallic Panasonic logo and a status light on the bottom edge of the bezel. It’s a simple look that emphasizes the screen, not the frame, and it serves the HDTV very well. The base is a simple, swiveling, glossy black rectangle that securely holds the screen in place with little wobble.

Panasonic TC-P50ST30 View SlideshowSee all (7) slides

The various ports are spread out between the left side and back of the set. On the left, there’s an HDMI input, two USB ports, and an SD card reader, a convenient way to share your photos and videos without transferring them off of your camera. The back panel holds two HDMI inputs, composite and component video inputs, an optical audio output, an antenna/cable input, and an Ethernet jack. Most HDTVs of this size have at least four HDMI ports, so seeing only three here is disappointing. If you want to plug in your cable box, media streamer box, video game system, and Blu-ray player, you’re going to have to either switch out cables occasionally, invest in an HDMI switch, or downgrade at least one of those devices to component video. On the right edge of the HDTV, you’ll find a few basic control buttons, including Channel Up/Down, Volume Up/Down, Power, and Menu.
Like many of today’s HDTVs, the TC-P50ST30 integrates a modest pair of stereo speakers. Two 10-watt drivers pump out decent sound that’s loud enough, but a home theater soundbar or dedicated surround system would be a good investment if you want the best aural experience from your movies and video games.

Panasonic TC-P50ST30 Specifications

Screen Size: 50 inches
Type: Plasma, HDTV
Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Panasonic TC-P50ST30 Speakers Included: Yes
Stand Supplied?: Yes

The 9-inch remote is large and comfortable, with big, well-arranged buttons equipped with a fairly bright red backlight. The navigation pad is the centerpiece of the remote, flanked by Menu, Vieracast, and Viera Tools buttons, plus smaller Sub Menu, Return, and four-color buttons. Above the pad are nine quick-feature and utility buttons for Power, Light, 3D, Closed Captioning, SAP, Input, Exit, Viera Link, and the HDTV’s Game mode. The standard Volume/Channel, number pad, and playback control buttons all sit below the navigation pad. It’s a well-thought-out remote that felt intuitive under my large thumbs.
Panasonic HDTVs typically come with a wide selection of Web apps via its Viera Cast service, and the TC-P50ST30 is no exception. But, here, you’ll need to either run an Ethernet cable or purchase an optional Wi-Fi adapter to hook the set up to your network. The TV comes with several common apps, including YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Video On-Demand, and Pandora Internet Radio, and you can download even more through the Viera Market. While there are a few premium, for-pay video game downloads, the Market is full of free and useful apps centered around sports, weather, news, TV, and general entertainment. It stands alongside Sony’s Bravia interface as one of the broadest libraries of Web apps available on HDTVs.
On one hand, the TC-P50ST30 is a 3D HDTV for only $1,500. On the other hand, Panasonic’s active shutter 3D glasses are among the most expensive available, retailing for $149.95 a pair. If you want to watch 3D with your family of four, be prepared to see the total cost of the HDTV shoot up past $2,000. A passive 3D screen, like the 47-inch LG Infinia 47LW5600 ($1,699.99, 4.5 stars), offers just as good an experience for a lot less. That set ships with four pairs of passive 3D glasses, and additional pairs are inexpensive.
Panasonic TC-P50ST30 Performance
We test HDTVs using a Chroma Meter and DisplayMate benchmarking software, and according to our tests, the TC-P50ST30 performs well. While it doesn’t get nearly as bright as LED-backlit LCD HDTVs, pumping out only 105.96 cd/m² from a fully illuminated screen, compared with the whopping 310.72 cd/m² put out by the Vizio XVT3D650SV ($3,699.99, 4 stars) LCD set, it reaches very low black levels. We measured black levels as dark as 0.03 cd/m², for an excellent contrast ratio of 1:3532. Colors were very accurate, varying only slightly from the ideal measurements. These are great numbers for any HDTV, but they don’t quite reach the peaks (and 0.01 cd/m²black levels) of the Editors’ Choice LCD HDTV, the LG Infinia 47LW5600. While plasma HDTVs have historically been recognized as capable of reaching deeper, darker black levels than LCD HDTVs, recent LCD models like the KDL-46EX720 and 47LW6500 have reached and even surpassed the standards set by plasma screens.
Plasma HDTVs generally consume much more electricity than same-size LCDs, and the P50ST30 follows suit. We measured the Panasonic TC-P50ST30 power consumption while playing Avatar, and it averaged 280 watts. That’s nearly twice as much power as the 65-inch Vizio XVT3D650SV, a much larger LED-backlit model. At the national average cost of 11.55 cents per kWh, that adds up to $0.16 per day and a total of $59.02 per year, if you watch five hours of television a day.
On paper, the Panasonic TC-P50ST30 looks like a good big-screen HDTV deal. It’s 3D-capable, well-equipped with Web apps, and gives you a large 50-inch screen for $1,500. Under the surface, it’s still a decent deal, as long as you don’t want to use the 3D. With expensive glasses you must purchase, there are less-expensive 3D options out there. If you’re willing to compromise a few inches on size and a hundred or two dollars on price, instead consider the Editors’ Choice Sony Bravia KDL-46EX720 or LG Infinia 47LW6500. The former costs only a little more than the Panasonic plasma and offers a better overall picture, and the latter not only reaches deeper black levels than the Panasonic TC-P50ST30, but uses passive 3D with much cheaper, readily available glasses (and includes four pairs for the price).

Panasonic TC-P50ST30

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Optoma 3D-XL Projector Review

Whether you’re delaying buying a 3D projector because you already know it won’t work with most of the sources you want to use it with, or you already bought one and then found out the bad news the hard way, the Optoma 3D-XL ($400 street) projector accessory could easily be the solution you’re looking for. Quite simply, it gives you a quick and easy way to turn 3D-ready into 3D-really, letting you watch 3D movies, TV, and games both in 3D and at the large size you can get only from a projector.
The 3D-XL’s sole purpose is to convert common 3D formats that won’t work with today’s projectors into a format that will work. Most of today’s inexpensive 3D projectors support DLP-Link and will work with a 3D computer that includes a Quad buffered, Open GL 3D-compatible graphics card. But that’s pretty much it.
At this writing, projectors have yet to move up from HDMI 1.3 to HDMI 1.4, so they won’t work with anything that requires an HDMI 1.4 port. Unfortunately, that includes Blu-ray players in general and at least the PlayStation 3 among game boxes. These projectors also tend to lack the settings that would let them show the 3D format that most cable boxes and the equivalent (like FIOS) use. What you’re left with is a 3D projector that’s mostly limited to 2D.

Optoma 3D-XL View SlideshowSee all (5) slides

Enter the 3D-XL. Plug it in between your projector and those pesky 3D sources it can’t handle, and suddenly you’ve got 3D. It’s just that easy. Read on.
The Basics
The 3D-XL measures just 1.2 by 11 by 7.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 2.4 pounds. Connectors on the back include two HDMI 1.4a inputs, one HDMI 1.3 output, an RS-232 port that you can use to control the unit from a PC, a USB service port for potential firmware upgrades, and a port for a potential upcoming optional IR emitter, according to Optoma. The emitter, if it becomes available, would add support for non-DLP-Link 3D glasses.
A slide switch on the back lets you choose between setting up for a single projector, with up to 720p 3D and 1080p 2D versus setting up for two projectors (which also requires two 3D-XL units) for up to 1080p 2D or 3D. For most people, that would be overkill, however, and they would need a professional installer to set up the two projectors properly.
Setup for a single projector, on the other hand, is almost trivial. Connect either one or two video sources to the HDMI inputs, connect your projector to the HDMI output, and plug in the power cord. The output mode slide switch comes set to the 720p 3D / 1080p 2D position, with clear plastic taped over it to ensure that it comes out of the box set for 3D and takes a conscious effort to change the setting.
Using the 3D-XL is just as simple. To watch in 2D, turn on your video source, projector, and the 3D-XL, and then, if necessary, press the button on the front of the unit to pick the right HDMI input. To watch in 3D, do whatever you have to at the source and at the projector to turn on the 3D features. For some sources that use a side-by-side format, you also have to press the SBS button on the front of the unit. In other cases the unit switches to the right format automatically.
Once everything’s set up, you can put on a pair of DLP-Link glasses, turn them on, and watch in 3D. Note that one pair of glasses comes with the unit, and you can get additional pairs from Optoma ($99 street). However, the 3D-XL should work with any DLP-Link glasses. Current prices at this writing start at about $70 each.

Optoma 3D-XL The Details

I tested the 3D-XL with a Sony PlayStation 3, using both 3D games and 3D Blu-ray discs, as well as with a FIOS set-top box, which uses side-by-side 3D format. For the projector, I used the Editors’ Choice Optoma GT720 ($800 street, 4 stars), which offers a native 720p resolution. There isn’t much to say about the results other than confirming that the 3D-XL worked as promised.
The two key issues you need to check before buying the unit are compatibility with your projector and compatibility with the video source. Optoma says that by the time this is posted, there should be a list of compatible projectors on its site. Note that the list isn’t likely to include every compatible projector, since the unit should, in theory, work with any 720p 3D ready projector that supports DLP-Link. However, the list will include projectors that Optoma has tested.
On the video source side, if the source you want to use isn’t one of the ones I tested, you should also check the format it uses. Optoma says that in addition to FIOS, it supports both Comcast and DirectTV. Beyond that, the Optoma 3D-XL is compatible with eight formats: side-by-side at 1080i50 and 1080i60 and both frame-pack and over-under at 1080p24, 720p50, and 720p60. If your cable company uses any of these, the 3D-XL should be able to handle it. For game playing, note that Optoma says that the unit works with Xbox 360 in addition to the PlayStation 3.
The one complaint I have about the Optoma 3D-XL is decidedly minor, namely that the slide switch on the back is mislabeled. The single projector position is marked as 720p 3D, which implies that you have to switch to one of the 1080p positions to watch 1080p 2D. This is confusing enough that even our contact at Optoma thought this was true (and confirmed it to us as true) until after we originally posted this story. The problem is that until you figure this out, you’re likely to waste time and effort moving the switch back and forth when you don’t need to.
Once you know this little secret, of course, there isn’t really a problem. But it would still be better if Optoma relabeled the switch to read something like: Single projector, 720 p 3D / 1080p 2D. With or without the labeling fix, however, if you want to watch Blu-ray 3D movies using your projector, the Optoma 3D-XL is the only game in town. Given how well the unit works, Optoma 3D-XL easy to recommend.

Optoma 3D-XL

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Olympus XZ-1 Camera Review

The feature set and performance of the 10-megapixel Olympus XZ-1 ($499.99, direct) is far beyond that of most compact digital cameras. Its standout feature, an extremely bright (f/1.8) lens, will allow you to give your flash a break and capture much more natural-looking photos. This bright lens, alongside an image sensor double the size of most other same-class cameras, produces the best images you’ll get from a compact shooter. There are also plenty of manual controls and accessory ports, which are a nice bonus. The only downside to the XZ-1 is that its size and price put it up against cameras with significantly larger image sensors. The Editors’ Choice Sony Alpha NEX-3 ($549.99, 4.5 stars) and Olympus’s own E-PL1 (3.5 stars), which currently lists for $499.99, will both deliver much better images and video for essentially the same price.
Design
The body of the XZ-1 measures 2.55 by 4.35 by 1.67 inches (HWD) and weighs 9.44 ounces. It may or may not fit in your pocket, and certainly won’t fit comfortably. If you’re looking for a truly compact camera, the Editors’ Choice Canon PowerShot S95 ($399.99, 4 stars) fills the bill, and costs $100 less.

Olympus XZ-1 View SlideshowSee all (11) slides

The lens on the XZ-1 is its best feature. Its diameter allows it to pass plenty of light through to the image sensor. So you can shoot at faster shutter speeds and lower ISO sensitivities to get sharper images. The XZ-1′s 4x optical zoom lens (28-112mm) opens to f/1.8 in the wide-angle and f/2.5 in the telephoto position. But putting a high-end lens in a compact camera means you need a cap to protect the lens. Most sub-$500 compact cameras use lenses with sliding shields that retract when you push the Power button. Not the XZ-1; you’ll need to manually remove the lens cap every time you want to shoot. Plus, if you turn the camera on with the lens cap attached, the lens comes out and the cap falls off. The chances of losing the very-necessary lens cap are high with this camera.
The image sensor is no slouch; it’s the largest you’ll find in a compact model: the 1/1.7-inch sensor’s surface area is 43mm². Still, though, there are new interchangeable-lens cameras with bodies only a little larger than the XZ-1, that integrate sensors five to eight times larger. ThePanasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 ($699.95, 4 stars) and Sony NEX-3 feature 225mm² and 370mm² sensors, respectively.

Olympus XZ-1 Specifications

Type: Compact
Megapixels: 10 MP
Media Format: Secure Digital Extended Capacity
35-mm Equivalent (Wide): 28 mm
35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto): 112 mm
Optical Zoom: 4 x
LCD size: 3 inches
Video Resolution: Yes

The 3-inch display on this camera is incredible. It’s an OLED screen, which offers a few key benefits over LCD. First, it shows very little motion blur, so moving subjects won’t leave trails on the screen. Second, its black levels are much closer to true black, so colors look amazingly vivid. The average 3-inch display is composed of 230,000 dots. The PowerShot S95′s 3-inch LCD is a step up at 461K dots. The XZ-1′s display, though, is filled with 614,000 dots. It’s a much higher-quality display than what you get with the much-more expensive Olympus E-P2 ($1,099.99, 3 stars), which sports a 230K-dot 3-inch LCD.
The manual controls we loved on the PowerShot S95 are also on the XZ-1, but the experience here is less pleasing. There’s a ring around the front of the lens and one on the back next to the display. On the S95, you can use these at the same time in manual mode to control shutter speed and aperture. On the XZ-1, the lens ring controls aperture, but the back ring wont control shutter speed unless you tap the exposure button first—it’s not difficult, just odd. There’s also no way in manual mode to set ISO sensitivity to Auto, a setting I use frequently. Auto-ISO is available in aperture priority and shutter priority modes, and in these modes the lens ring controls the aperture or shutter speed.
The XZ-1′s uses the bones of the interface found on the many other Olympus cameras, but it’s been spiced up a bit with color here, and text is much more legible thanks to the super-sharp display.
Performance
No point-and-shoot camera can keep up with the XZ-1. The camera boots and shoots in an average of 2.89 seconds, which admittedly isn’t all that exciting, but it averages just 1.15 seconds between shots, and shutter lag for each individual shot is a mere half-second—both extremely impressive results.
In the PC Mag labs we use Imatest to collect objective information about image quality. The XZ-1′s tests scores closely resembled the Editors’ Choice PowerShot S95: the Canon was able to capture a very sharp center-weighted average of 1,858 lines per picture height, and the Olympus XZ-1 averaged 1,777. Both cameras were also able to shoot at high ISO sensitivities without breaking Imatest’s threshold for visible noise in an image. Like the S95, the XZ-1′s noise level was below the 1.5 percent threshold all the way up to and including ISO 1600. Even at ISO 3200, when images showed higher than 1.5 percent noise, to my eye, photos weren’t unusable. In all real-world shooting tests, the XZ-1 truly dazzled me.
Video recorded by the XZ-1 looks great, and the camcorder functions are easy to operate. There’s a dedicated recording button, so with one press, the XZ-1 captures high-definition 720p30 video files. Video is captured in Motion JPEG format, which is compatible with YouTube and Facebook. While recording, you can use the optical zoom or press the shutter release half way to re-focus, though when doing so you’ll hear a slight sound from the lens motor in your recordings.
Olympus includes its proprietary digital accessories port on the XZ-1. You can add a stereo microphone, an electronic viewfinder, an external flash and more—from the Olympus Web site. There’s also a standard micro-HDMI out to connects the camera to an HDTV for image playback, and a proprietary USB port for connecting the XZ-1 to your computer.
There’s no denying the fact that the Olympus XZ-1 is a fast camera that produces top-notch pictures. But it’s big, and at $500, it’s pricey for a compact-class camera. On performance alone, though, it edges out our Editors’ Choice Canon PowerShot S95, which is much smaller and less-expensive. The problem is that that the XZ-1 is too big and expensive to compete with compact cameras, and lacks the features and performance to measure up to D-SLRs or interchangeable-lens cameras. If you want the best pocket camera, get the PowerShot S95, and if you want the best possible images for your $500 look at Olympus’s own E-PL1 or the Sony NEX series.

Olympus XZ-1

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Motorola XPRT (Sprint) Mobile Review

Sprint’s Motorola XPRT, essentially a clone of the Motorola Droid Pro ($199, 3.5 stars) on Verizon Wireless, has an unusual design for an Android phone: it pairs a portrait-oriented touch screen with a small hardware QWERTY keyboard below it. The XPRT isn’t particularly cutting edge. But with support for enterprise-grade encryption and a range of Microsoft Exchange security policies, the XPRT is a good choice for business customers looking for an Android smartphone for their globetrotting employees.
Motorola XPRT Design, Call Quality, and Apps

The Motorola XPRT measures 4.7 by 2.4 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 5.1 ounces, which is a little heavier than the Droid Pro. The XPRT is made of a mixture of glass and matte plastic, with a textured, soft touch back panel that makes the phone very comfortable to hold for long conversations. The 3.1-inch, 320-by-480-pixel touch screen is a little small and not particularly vibrant, but it’s a standard resolution compatible with most third-party apps. The QWERTY keyboard is roughly the same size as what you’d find on a BlackBerry, and the keys are sculpted similarly to the BlackBerry Bold series. Typing was a little cramped, but perfectly fine.

Motorola XPRT View SlideshowSee all (4) slides

The XPRT is a true world phone, with dual-band EV-DO Rev. A (850/1900 MHz), quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), and tri-band HSDPA 10.2 (850/1900/2100 MHz) support. It also has 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, but no 4G. It also works as a mobile hotspot for up to five devices with the appropriate $30-per-month Sprint option.
Call quality was good overall, with a warm, full tone in the earpiece, plenty of available gain, and clear transmissions through the microphone. I heard a little choppiness here and there, but it was nothing to be concerned about. Reception was solid. Hands-free modes fared worse, though. Callers sounded clear through an Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset ($129, 4 stars), which was good. But voice dialing recognition was hopeless, either over Bluetooth or through the handset microphone. The speakerphone was another disappointment, with a thin tone and not nearly enough volume to use outside. The oversize 1860mAh standard battery was good for an excellent 7 hours and 14 minutes of talk time.

Motorola XPRT Specifications

Service Provider: Sprint
Operating System: Android OS
Screen Size: 3.1 inches
Motorola XPRT Screen Details: 320-by-480-pixel, 16M-color TFT LCD capacitive touch screen
Motorola XPRT Camera: Yes
Network: GSM, CDMA
Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100
High-Speed Data: GPRS, 1xRTT, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA, EVDO Rev A
Motorola XPRT Processor Speed: 1 GHz

Under the hood, there’s a 1GHz TI OMAP Cortex-A8 processor. The XPRT runs Android 2.2; there’s no word yet on when we can expect an upgrade to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). There are seven customizable home screens you can swipe between. The UI didn’t feel quite as responsive as I would have liked; credit Motorola’s heavy handed social networking additions for the slowdown.
Aside from that, all the usual Android features are present, including free GPS navigation, excellent Web browsing and e-mail integration, and the ability to run over 150,000 third-party apps that are available in Android Market, plus Motorola’s added unified contacts and support for multiple Exchange accounts—perfect for a business looking to ditch old BlackBerry servers. The lowish screen resolution keeps this from being a true powerhouse device, though.
Motorola is trying to sell this phone to corporate IT managers, so the company says it’s more manageable than a standard Android device. Specifically, the phone supports pin or password lock, password recovery, and remote wipe for both the phone and microSD card, as well as a more complete set of Microsot Exchange security policies than the standard Android phone, according to Motorola. The manageability features still fall short of BlackBerry Enterprise Server, which lets you turn almost every feature of a BlackBerry on and off remotely.
Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions
For consumers, this isn’t a bad multimedia phone. There’s a standard-size 3.5mm headphone jack. Motorola buried the microSD card slot underneath the battery cover, and behind a plastic lever; my 32GB SanDisk card worked fine, and Motorola includes a 2GB card. There’s also just under 1GB of free internal storage.
Music tracks sounded a little bright through Samsung Modus HM6450 Bluetooth headphones ($99, 4 stars). Motorola modified the music player heavily; it streams Internet radio and displays lyrics to songs, which is cool. But it requires more taps to cue up each track than the stock player. Standalone full screen videos played smoothly, but my high-definition 720p test files didn’t play. Motorola altered the video player as well, adding a jukebox style scrolling display that looked cheap but worked okay.
The 5-megapixel auto-focus camera includes a dual-LED flash. Test photos looked good, with decent sharpness and detail, and some graininess evident in lower light indoor shots. The LCD made each photo I snapped look horribly grainy, but when I opened the pics on a PC, they didn’t look nearly as bad. Recorded videos maxed out at 720-by-480-pixels and a slightly choppy 20 frames per second, but they looked fine otherwise.
With this phone, Motorola is targeting companies with existing BlackBerry contracts, given the XPRT’s exposed QWERTY keyboard, Exchange connectivity, and enterprise encryption support. That said, if you don’t need the encryption or world phone capability, the XPRT doesn’t come close to matching class-leading devices on Sprint like the Samsung Epic 4G ($149, 4 stars) and HTC EVO Shift 4G ($99, 4 stars). Both of those devices have higher-resolution touch screens and connect to Sprint’s high-speed WiMAX data network, and we prefer them for those reasons.

Motorola XPRT

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Panasonic TC-P55ST30 HDTV Review

Panasonic recently released the TC-P55ST30 ($1,799 direct), a 55-inch plasma 3D HDTV sporting a 1,920 by 1,080 video resolution and a 600Hz sub-field drive. This model also comes with several web-enabled Viera features and can display 3D-compatible photos in three dimensions.

Panasonic TC-P55ST30 Design and Features

Again, this model’s design doesn’t differ too much from its smaller counterparts. The plasma screen is encased in a thin, glossy black bezel, all of which sits on a stand that can swivel 15 degrees. A speaker bar lines the bottom of this HDTV, though it’s seemingly invisible. Three HDMI inputs, one composite, component and digital audio input each can be found behind the screen. You’ll also find wo USB 2.0 ports, an ethernet port and an integrated ATSC TV tuner.
The Panasonic TC-P55ST30 features other performance enhancements than a 600Hz sub-field drive. For instance, this model comes with an Infinite Black 2 contrast ratio for sharper images and a 3D 24p cinema smoother to reduce motion blur in 3D content.

Panasonic TC-P55ST30 Specifications

Screen Size: 55.1 inches
Type: Plasma, HDTV
Panasonic TC-P55ST30 Aspect Ratio: 16:9
Video Inputs: Component, Composite, HDMI
Speakers Included: Yes
Stand Supplied?: Yes
Height: 33.5 inches
Panasonic TC-P55ST30 Width: 52.2 inches
Depth: 15.3 inches
Panasonic TC-P55ST30 Weight: 86 lb

Through Viera Connect, users have access to several web apps through either an Ethernet or WiFi connection. You can connect with people through Twitter, listen to music on Pandora, watch movies on Netflix and more through the service. And with Viera Link, you can control several Viera devices with the included remote. Just connect said devices together via HDMI cables. The Panasonic TC-P42ST30 is Energy Star 5.0- compliant with a lead and mercury free screen that could last for 100 thousand hours.

Panasonic TC-P55ST30

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Optoma TW610ST Projector Review

In most ways, the Optoma TW610ST ($1,000 street) is a typical DLP-based, WXGA (1280 by 800) projector. But it also offers something a little different to set it apart, namely: a short throw lens that lets it throw a large image from close to the screen. A short throw isn’t unique to Optoma, by any means, but it’s uncommon enough to earn special attention.
Short throw projectors like the TW610ST or the Editors’ Choice Optoma GT720 ($800 street, 4 stars) cost more than equivalent projectors with standard lenses, but if you need one they’re well worth the price. They can give you a large image in a small room, and they make it much easier to avoid shadows from people getting between the projector and the screen. Optoma says the Optoma TW610ST can throw an 80-inch diagonal (68 inches wide) 16:10 image at less than three feet. I measured it at 68 inches wide from exactly three feet.

Optoma TW610ST View SlideshowSee all (5) slides

The Basics: Connections and Setup
At 6.9 pounds, the Optoma TW610ST is light enough to carry with you occasionally, but heavy enough so you probably won’t want to make a habit of it. It’s more likely to end up permanently in one room, or on a cart going from room to room.
Setup is standard for a short-throw projector with manual focus and no zoom. The back panel offers a full set of connectors, including an HDMI 1.3 port for a computer or video source, two VGA inputs for computers or component video, one pass-through monitor port, and both an S-Video and a composite video port, which are both paired with a single set of phono plugs for stereo audio. Also included are three miniplug connectors for a microphone and for stereo audio input and output.

Optoma TW610ST Specifications

Engine Type: DLP
Type: Business

Brightness and Image Quality
Optoma rates the Optoma TW610ST at 3,100 lumens, which is increasingly the norm for this class of projectors. The Casio Green Slim XJ-A250 ($1399.99, 4 stars) that I recently reviewed, for example, is rated at 3,000 lumens. What matters more is that in real world use, the projector can stand up to typical office lighting, with any reasonable size image. In my tests, it was easily bright enough to use at 68 inches wide even with daylight streaming through the windows.
The TW610ST did particularly well for data image quality on our suite of DisplayMate tests. Colors were bright and vibrant, and black on white text was crisp even at the smallest sizes we test with. The few flaws I saw were decidedly minor. White on black text, for example, was unreadable at the smallest sizes, but you’re much more likely to be using black on white, and the smallest sizes we test with are smaller than you’re likely to use in any case.
As with most data projectors, video images weren’t in the same league as data images. The TW610ST handled shadow details in dark scenes better than most data projectors, but I saw some minor posterization (color changing suddenly where it should change gradually) in scenes that tend to bring out the problem.
One issue for both data and video is that the projector includes an electronic equivalent of an auto-iris. The basic idea—for either a real auto iris or the electronic version—is that it lets the projector automatically adjust to make dark images darker and bright images brighter. As is common with auto iris features, however, the TW610ST shows a noticeable lag between the image showing on screen and the feature reacting. The faux auto iris is on by default, but if you find it annoying, it’s easy enough to turn off.
A still more important issue was the rainbow effect, with bright areas breaking up into little red-green-blue rainbows. This is always a potential problem for any DLP projector, with some more prone than others to showing it. With data screens, I saw very few rainbows, but they showed up often enough with video so that anyone who’s sensitive to the effect will likely find it annoying for extended viewing. This by itself is enough reason to limit the projector to short video clips.
Other Issues
The Optoma TW610ST audio quality is better than average for this class of projector, and the two 5-watt stereo speakers put out enough volume to fill at least a small conference room. One other feature worth mention is 3D support using DLP-Link glasses. As more 3D material becomes available, this could become a highly useful feature, particularly in educational contexts. As with all DLP-link projectors, however, there’s some question about how practical it can be for classroom-size audiences, with glasses still selling for $70 or more each.
Ultimately, the TW610ST touches all the right bases. The data image quality is superb, the video quality is good enough for the short video clips you’re likely to use a data projector for, and being 3D ready helps guard against obsolescence even if you never wind up using it. If you need a bright, short-throw WXGA data projector for a conference room or classroom, with or without the occasional need to use it as a portable, the TW610ST is a prime candidate. It’s also a clear pick for Editors’ Choice.

Optoma TW610ST

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Camera Review

If you do a lot of shooting indoors or anywhere else with sub-optimal light, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 ($499.99 list) point-and-shoot camera is designed for you. Its big image sensor and bright lens work together to capture light and produce clean shots in most conditions. The camera’s speedy performance, manual controls, hotshoe, digital-accessories port make for a D-SLR-esque shooting experience in a smaller camera—but not that much smaller; the LX5 won’t fit in your pocket. The DMC-LX5 belongs among the best compact cameras available, like the Editors’ Choice Canon PowerShot S95 ($399.99, 4 stars) and the Olympus XZ-1 ($499.99, 3.5 stars). For its large size and the $500 you’ll spend, though, you can find cameras that aren’t that much bigger and come with D-SLR-size image sensors that dwarf the one you get with the DMC-LX5.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Design
The lure of the LX5 over other compact cameras is twofold. First there’s the lens: The wide diameter is extremely useful for shooting without a flash in low-light environments. With such a wide lens, you can pipe a lot of light to the image sensor all at once, instead of raising the ISO sensitivity (which makes the lens more sensitive to light, but can make for noisy images). In the wide-angle position, the lens can open all the way to f/2, and at the telephoto it opens to f/3.3. The focal length of the lens is 24-90mm (35mm equivalent), which works out to 3.75x optical zoom.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 View SlideshowSee all (12) slides

The second differentiating feature here is the size of the LX5′s image sensor. It’s as large as you’ll find in a compact camera: 1/1.63-inch (a surface area of roughly 48.56mm²). ThePanasonic Lumix DMC-FX700($399.95, 4 stars) also features a very bright lens (f/2.2), but features an image sensor that is about half the size—1/2.33-inch (roughly 28.5mm²).
All that lens and sensor power take up a lot of space—the LX5 is very thick and won’t fit comfortably in your pocket, if it fits at all. The camera measures 2.58 by 4.32 by 1.69 inches (HWD) and weighs a hefty 9.3 ounces.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Specifications

Type: Compact
Megapixels: Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 10.1 MP
Media Format: Secure Digital Extended Capacity
35-mm Equivalent (Wide): 24 mm
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto): 90 mm
Optical Zoom: 3.75 x
LCD size: 3 inches
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Video Resolution: Yes

If you’re comfortable spending $500 on a camera that won’t fit in your pocket, you should considering a mirrorless camera. Small mirrorless models are about the same size as the LX5, but they have image sensors that can be up to eight times the size of what you’ll get on the LX5. The Sony NEX-3′s($549.99, 4.5 stars) image sensor is APS-C size (370mm²), the same size found in many D-SLRs. The Micro Four ThirdsPanasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 ($699.95, 4 stars) looks a lot like the LX5 but offers a sensor that is 225m². Both sensors are much larger than the LX5′s, with comparable price and footprints.
Panasonic loaded the LX5 up with buttons, switches, and dials so you don’t have to dig through menus to change parameters. There are dedicated switches to change aspect ratio and focus, and a scroll wheel in the back for shutter speed and aperture. The PowerShot S95 and Olympus XZ-1 have similar controls, and add a second control ring around the lens so you can control both simultaneously. Of course, you can ignore all the controls and go into fully automatic shooting with face detection for simple shots.
Like many of its competitors, the LCD on the back of the LX5 sports a high resolution. The 3-inch display is filled with 460,000 dots so images look very sharp. If you’re sensitive to motion blur, though, you might detect moving objects leaving streaks as you compose your shots on this screen. The display on the same-price Olympus XZ-1 is even better: it OLED display crams in 614,000 dots, and provides much more contrast, and a significant reduction in motion blur.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 Performance
The LX5 and its low-light competitors are pricey, but they should be, they’re the fastest compact cameras you can buy. The LX5 boots and shoots in an average of zippy 1.85 seconds, it averages just 0.50 seconds of shutter lag, and wait time between shots is right around 1.38 seconds. If you want faster speeds, you’ll have to step up to a mirrorless or D-SLR camera—you can’t find a compact camera that’s faster.
In the PC Labs, we use Imatest to objectively evaluate image quality. The LX5 scored well, offering crisp shots and low-light images with little noise. In terms of sharpness, the LX5 scored a center-weighted average of 1,626 lines per picture height, a good score, though not as good as the Canon PowerShot S95′s 1,858 lines per picture height or the Olympus XZ-1′s 1,777.
You can crank up the ISO sensitivity on the LX5 pretty high before images became visibly noisy. According to Imatest, images with more than 1.5 percent noise are typically unusable. The Olympus XZ-1, Canon S95, and Panasonic LX5 all averaged less than 1.5 percent up to and including ISO 1600, fantastic results for compact cameras.
Video recording on the LX5 is fantastic—it’s the best experience you can get in a low-light compact camera. Most models can record 720p video, but the LX5 has the option of using the AVCHD codec for captures up to 17 Megabits per second rather than the 6-10Mbps on the other cameras. And there’s no lens noise when you refocus.
The LX5 features a hotshoe (for attaching external flashes) and a digital accessory port. You won’t find either on other compact cameras, typically you need to step up to mirrorless camera or a D-SLR. The camera also has a mini-HDMI port for video and photo playback on an HDTV, and a proprietary USB port for connecting the camera to your computer.
The Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 is one of the best compact cameras you can buy. The Olympus XZ-1 does add a few goodies (an f/1.8 lens, a sharper OLED screen, and a second control ring), and the Canon S95 is much more pocket friendly, but the LX5 does perform near the head of the point-and-shoot class. Still, though, if you’re okay spending $500 on a camera that won’t fit in your pocket, try a mirrorless or Micro Four Thirds model, which will give you much better image quality for a similar price.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5

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Samsung Dart SGH-T499 (T-Mobile) Mobile Review

The Samsung Dart is a lot like the old Dodge car with which it shares a model name: homely, sluggish, and not particularly capable. At first glance, the Dart is tempting, as it gets you a real Android smartphone for no money up front. But there are plenty of better choices at the T-Mobile counter, including the far superior LG Optimus T (Free, 4 stars).
Design and Call Quality
The Dart measures 4.1 by 2.4 by 0.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 3.8 ounces. It’s made entirely of plastic, with a matte dark grey underbody and a black front panel. The 3.1-inch plastic capacitive touch screen sports just 240-by-320-pixel resolution. That breaks many third-party Android apps and makes it tougher to navigate Android’s various scrolling menu panels. Worse, the screen feels rough, and has poor contrast, color accuracy, and viewing angles. System and Web page fonts look excessively large and pixelated, and typing on the on-screen keyboard felt stiff and cramped.

Samsung Dart SGH-T499 View SlideshowSee all (4) slides

The Dart is a quad-band EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz) and dual-band HSDPA 7.2 (1700/2100 MHz) device with 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. The Dart also works with T-Mobile’s software-based Wi-Fi calling, which helps in areas with poor T-Mobile signal. Regardless, call quality was generally poor, with a choppy, harsh tone in the earpiece, and significant audio dropouts even when standing outside (where I usually have stronger T-Mobile coverage). Clearly something is up with this phone’s reception. Callers said I sounded fine, though.
Calls sounded clear through an Aliph Jawbone Era Bluetooth headset ($129, 4 stars). Voice dialing worked perfectly over Bluetooth without training. The speakerphone was just okay, with not quite enough volume to use outside, and some distortion at the top two volume settings. Battery life was a little on the low side, at 7 hours and 48 minutes of talk time in EDGE mode; expect about half that in 3G areas.

Samsung Dart SGH-T499 Specifications

Service Provider: T-Mobile
Samsung Dart SGH-T499O perating System: Android OS
Samsung Dart SGH-T499 Screen Size: 3.1 inches
Screen Details: 240-by-320-pixel, 16M-color TFT LCD capacitive touch screen
Camera: Yes
Network: GSM, UMTS
Bands: 850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100, 1700
Samsung Dart SGH-T499 High-Speed Data: GPRS, EDGE, UMTS, HSDPA
Samsung Dart SGH-T499 Processor Speed: 600 MHz

Samsung Dart SGH-T499 Apps, Bugs, and Compatibility Issues
The Dart packs a 600MHz Qualcomm MSM7227-1 CPU running Android 2.2 (Froyo). There’s no word on when we’ll see an update to the current Android 2.3 (Gingerbread) for this phone, if ever. On the plus side, you free Google Maps Navigation for voice-enabled, turn-by-turn GPS directions, which is great on a free phone, as well as Android’s excellent, stock WebKit browser. But the low screen resolution and sluggish CPU response limits how much you’ll want to do with the handset.
You’ll run into trouble finding compatible third-party apps in Android Market, thanks to the QVGA screen; some of our standard benchmarks wouldn’t show up, for example. We also saw numerous bugs. Some benchmarks crashed several times before running all the way through correctly. One time in standby mode, the handset froze up, except for the four touch buttons beneath the screen. They’d light up, but the screen stayed dark. I couldn’t do anything until I rebooted the handset.
Samsung Dart SGH-T499 Multimedia, Camera, and Conclusions
Perhaps the Dart’s best use is as a music player. The standard-size 3.5mm headphone jack and easy-access, side-mounted microSD card slot are welcome. Samsung tosses in a 2GB microSD card to get you started, and there’s 134MB of free internal storage as well. Music tracks sounded clean and punchy over Samsung Modus HM6450 Bluetooth headphones ($99, 4 stars). Samsung’s music app wasn’t very responsive on this handset, but it was still easy to navigate and displayed large album art thumbnails. Standalone video files played smoothly, at least when transcoded to the phone’s (low) native resolution; none of my other test files would cue up.
The 3-megapixel camera has no flash or auto-focus. Test photos were a disappointment, with considerable graininess even in well-lit interior rooms, and overexposed outdoor shots with blown out highlights and just average detail resolution. Recorded videos maxed out at just 320-by-240-pixel resolution and 14 frames per second, but they were viewable in a pinch.
Two years ago, I could have made a case for a low-end Android phone like the Dart, especially with T-Mobile’s reasonably priced data plans. But the competition is just too stiff now; you can get something much better, even for free up front. The LG Optimus T features a higher resolution screen that’s compatible with more third-party apps, standard definition (640-by-480-pixel) video recording, longer battery life, and an overall nicer feel in day to day usage. I can’t think of a single reason to buy the Dart over the Optimus T. Heavy texters on a budget will prefer the MyTouch 3G Slide ($49, 3.5 stars), which features a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a better screen, and better voice quality. If you need something that’s inexpensive off contract, try the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type (3.5 stars), which isn’t a smartphone but delivers a better camera and better voice quality for only $139 unlocked at Newegg.com.

Friday, September 23, 2011

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