Hottest Cameras 2012

Looks plus performance made this svelte 2.2cm camera a winner. Into its slim profile (two AA batteries' width) is a long 8x optical zoom lens spanning a 28-224mm range (35mm equivalent).

At just 140g and weighing the same as an iPhone 4S, this Canon is also a full high-definition camcorder that will record in slow motion as well.

Pitch perfect, this retro-styled camera is top of the class for visceral appeal. Yes, it is pricey and heavy at 445g, but its construction is superb and so is its image quality.

Its headline features include a DSLR-class sensor, a groundbreaking and superb hybrid viewfinder and fast f2.0 lens.

With link to its past of film Pen cameras, Olympus infused nostagia into this Pen. But inside the metal body beats modern, hardcore photo smarts, making it a responsive machine that delivers pleasing colours.

A smart design in the telescoping kit lens shaves at least 20mm off the camera's thickness when the lens is packed to go.

Feature for feature, this Nikon matches the Canon 600D, from full-HD video recording to flip-out monitor.

Its resolution may be slightly lower at 16.2 megapixels, but it offers buckets of picture detail, noise management and colour range. Its grip and build quality are also slightly better.

Camera review:
Nikon D800 DSLR has a whopping full-frame 36.4 megapixel CMOS image sensor. This camera puts the competition to shame and is almost within the same league of the higher-end digital medium-format cameras which are typically two to three times more expensive. It will cater to advertising and fashion photographers who usually use medium-format cameras, as they need the granular details in their photos for use on giant advertising billboards.

The D800 sports a weather-resistant magnesium alloy body with the new EXPEED 3 image processor, 91,000 pixel metering sensor, a 3.2-inch display and the ability to record full high-definition 1,080p videos. The body is rock solid and has a strong grip. Button layout is well thought out and my fingers eased naturally into accessing the various functions.

With more videographers using DSLR for their work, the D800 also has a dedicated video record button to make life easier for them. In addition, there is a rear lever to easily switch quickly t live-view mode for viewing on the LCD screen instead of the viewfinder.

Landscape and nature photographers will like another, near-identical model, the D800E, as this has removed anti-aliasing properties in the image sensor to create even sharper images with finer details. However, without anti-aliasing, fashion photographers will not like the D800E as it is more likely to have the moire effect, which increases the jagged edges when shooting clothes with stripes.

Based on the big printouts shown, the level of details in the D800's images is incredible in both dark and bright areas. The D800E's images were even sharper.

Camera review:
This X-pro1 has a brand new 16.3-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS image sensor (1.5x crop factor) with a new complex color filter array that removes the need for an optical filter. It has a 3-inch display with 1,080p video-recording capability.

X-Pro1 marks the dawn of a new camera system with its X electronic lens mount and three new XF prime lenses with different focal lengths of 18mm, 35mm and 60mm. The retro looks might set old timers' hearts fluttering but it is not just the looks. Its die-cast aluminum alloy construction feels sturdy with texturised leather around the body for a comfortable feel and secure grip.

On first look, the control layout is almost the same as the Fujifilm X100 with its analog shutter speed dial and aperture ring. However, the X-Pro1 has a bigger four-button controller with a quick button and rear dial to allow you to change settings faster and more easily. There is also a programmable function button so you can choose to put your most used settings on it.

The hybrid viewfinder, which allows you to toggle it to work as an electronic or optical viewfinder, returns with a twist. When you change lens from 35mm to 60mm lens, there will be a smaller box to help you frame a picture when you are in optical viewfinder mode. I found the auto-focusing to be much improved from the Fujifilm X100 in all three lenses.

Camera review:
While many cameras manufacturers are jumping onto the mirrorless inter-changable lens camera bandwagon, Canon refuses to bit the bullet. Instead, it believes what consumers really want is a digital compact camera with bigger sensor size.

A huge sensor is the key ingredient to image quality. And the one inside the G1 X is humongous, almost 10 times that of an ordinary compact camera's and more than 6 times the size of the one in the G12 prosumer camera. It is 16 per cent larger than sensors in the Panasonic G and Olympus Pen mirrorless cameras.

Its 14-megapixel image sensor is only about 20 per cent smaller than APS-C sensors used in DSLR cameras and slightly bigger than Micro Four Thirds image sensors of Olympus and Panasonic mirrorless cameras. This is not a danity camera. The large sensor called for a large lens, which is slower than those of its competitors (f2.8 versus f2.0 or faster). The closest macro focus point is also a long 20cm away instead f the usual 1cm. But its metal body feels unbreakable in your hands and its well-crafted mode dial has a lovely precise movement. A useful front wheel helps to make settings changes convenient.

The image quality shows, at ISO 2,200, picture noise is well managed. That is DSLR standard. Even at ISO 6,400 for snapshots prints, you will have to look hard to find noise. But Canon was careful not to stray into DSLR territory where it reigns supreme. The sensor is still dwarfed by those in Canon's own DSLRs and, more crucially, some mirrorless models from Fujifilm, Pentax, Samsung and Sony.

The G1 X has a convenient 4x (28-112mm of 35mm equivalent) optical zoom lens, a rotatable 3-inch display and records full high-definition 1,080p videos. Like any PowerShot G series camera, there are plenty of manual controls with dials and buttons at the right places for you to fiddle with. Yet, unlike the previous models, it now sports a dedicated video record button.

There is an optical viewfinder but it is not much different from the rudimentary ones found in most compact cameras. Good thing the 3-inch LCD is superb, being sharp, vibrant and fully articulated. The autofocus was not as fast as its smaller G series siblings'. Five sequence shots take almost 10 seconds but shutter lag is minimal.

Fujifilm's X100, also a prosumer, cost more than the G1 X but it raises the bar in both build quality and new features. At its price point, the G1 X faces competition from lower0end mirrorless cameras and entry-level DSLRs, including Canon's EOS 1100. Without a doubt, the G1 X is one of the best fixed-lens cameras in the market but it lacks the looks and headline features to stand out.

Overall, I find the operation to be swift with fast zooming of the lens and quick auto-focusing. If the image quality is 80 per cent as good as a Canon DSLR camera, then this will be the best PowerShot G series camera ever.

Camera review:
It seems that retro design is now the in-thing. Olympus has taken its OM-1 film SLR camera body and imbued it with digital properties to give you OM-D E-M5. This Micro Four Thirds camera has a 16-megapixel image sensor (2x crop factor), 3-inch tilting display and a built-in electronic viewfinder. It can shoot 1,080p videos and still images at a speed of up to nine frames per second.

The OM-D E-M5 will be the first camera in a new OM-D series to add to Olympus' successful PEN Micro Four Thirds series. With a magnesium alloy body and a vintage leather feel, it ticks all the attributes in terms of feel and looks. Even after adding the vertical grip, the camera still feels lightweight. Furthermore, it is weather sealed for ruggedness.

The layout of buttons is really intuitive. I particularly love the two top dials that are next to each other. This allows for quick changing of the shutter speed and aperture in manual mode. The electronic viewfinder looks sharp and shutter lag feels minimal with spot-on auto-focusing.

Camera review:
Yet another new mirrorless camera enters the market, but with a designer's name on it. Designed by Marc Newson, it looks much bulkier and boxier than the images on the Internet. But maybe that is because the K-01 has a 16-megapixel APS-C image sensor. It also has a 3-inch display, full high-definition, 1,080p video recording ability and can shoot up to six still images per second.

When you lift it up, it feels like a plastic toy. But because of its bulk and the rubber texture around the camera, it actually gives you good solid grip. The top mode dial is a bit far from your resting thumb, so your thumb will need to stretch a bit to get there. Other than this, controls are generally user-friendly with the rear controls easily accessible. There are two top small colour buttons - green and red - that are customisable. The red button is used for video recording by default.

Most importantly, it accepts all Pentax K-mount lenses, including the new 40mm f2.8 lens that is only 9.2mm thin. When used with either the pancake lens or a normal K-mount lens, the auto-focusing is fast but probably not as fast as the Olympus OM-D E-M5.

Camera review:
This is Nikon's answer to the likes of slim prosumer camera, such as Canon's PowerShot S100 and the Olympus XZ-1. Armed with a 16.1-megapixel CMOS image sensor and a 4.2x (24mm-100mm of 35mm equivalent) optical zoom lens with a big aperture of f1.8 and lens-shift image stabilisation, the P310 will ensure you get your pictures sharp even in poor lighting conditions.

It also has a high-resolution, 3-inch display to help you compose a picture or shoot full high-definition 1,080p videos. At only 3.2-inch thick, it is really compact and slips into any pocket easily. The minimalist design looks good and your fingers will like the feel of the camera. It also has plenty of manual controls that are well located to allow easy changing of settings.

Personally, I like the fact that you can use the top dial and rear dial to change shutter speed and aperture quickly while in manual mode.

Camera review:
- 12-megapixels
- 24x zoom (25mmm-600mm, 35mm equivalent); f28-f5.2
- 3-inch 461,000 dot LCD, 202,000 dot electronic viewfinder
- 538g

Dubbed bridge cameras, superzoom stars such as this Leica are filled with functions and look more like DSLR cameras than the pocket digital models to which they are more closely related.

Its star feature is telescopic power that can magnify faraway objects with the flick of a finger. This camera clocks a modest 24x zoom compared to competitors with 35x and 42x zoom. There are pluses to this restraint. The lens remains a little faster, capturing more light, when pushed to its zoom limit. This also gives the camera's image stabilisation a better chance at stilling shaky hands and thus capturing a sharper image.

In a sea of 16-megapixel wonders, Leica has held back and stayed with a relatively low resolution of 12-megapixels. I will pick image quaility over resolution any day. So will most consumers, I suspect, once they realise that a high megapixel count usually exacts a toll in terms of colour and picture noise in photos. Those 12-megapixels can deliver a fine print, even one blown up to a third larger than an A4 sheet.

While the camera was not fast in starting up, taking abut 4.5 seconds, it was swift in shooting off five snaps in sequence without using the burst mode. A very zippy time of under 3.5 seconds on average was clocked. Shutter lag was minimal so once the focus is locked on, a shot can be captured in 0.1 second.

In full high definition camcorder mode, which starts recording at the press of a button in any camera mode, the soundtrack to the clear sharp video is a lush, spacious stereo. But the question of value begs to be asked. The V-Lux 3 is based on the much cheaper Lumx DMC-FZ150 from Panasonic, which also builds this Japanese-made model for the German firm.

Timing tests were almost identical. Close scrunity of the images from the two cameras showed that the Leica was perhaps a whisker ahead in clarity as small fonts where slightly more legible. The V-Lux 3 adds well-regarded photo and video editing software: Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements. Its international warranty is also double the length of Panasonic's.

Even with those features, you still have to pay a premium to own a camera with the iconic logo. Overall, Leica V-Lux 3 is a accomplished superzoom camera and full-HD camcorder.

Camera review:
- 16.1 megapixels
- 8x zoom, 25-200mm (35mm equivalent), f3.3-f5.9
- 3-inch 460,800-dot LCD
- 166g

To say that compact cameras take snapshots is downright wrong. Most are nowhere near snappy. "Slowshot" is a more apt label in many cases. Casio has always been known for its zippy cameras. But with the ZR20, this conjurer of compacts has hoisted the bar even higher. If I had not carried out the speed tests myself, I would not believe what this cute little thing is capable of. How little? It weighs little more than half a dozen AA alkaline batteries. It can justifiably thumb its nose at many mirrorless cameras and even some DSLRs.

Five shots in sequence without calling on the burst mode took a sizzlingly average of less than 2.6 seconds. This faster than what you will find in mirrorless cameras. But it was chickenfeed to the Casio. So I switched on the HDR mode, a software treatment, in which a single shot can choke much larger system cameras for a second or so. The ZR20 worked its guts out taking six to nine seconds to process the photo.

Ho hum, you say? There is a small but significant difference. Press the shutter button any time during the image crunching and this trooper is ready to shoot again with the same eagerness. Bravo, Casio, for giving priority to the photographer instead of the "Go away, can't you see I'm busy" signal that many other cameras would give when processing images. Can every camera designer busily stuffing devices with fancy tricks please take not and put this high on your to-do list?

This is still a compact with an average sized sensor. The image quality is above average but does not match the camera's stellar speed. The colours are tweaked for warmth and their vibrancy will surely please any compact camera user. Casio pioneered the HDR Art mode. Colours are boosted to borderline psychedelic levels. Good fun, but the novelty may wear thin.

In conclusion, the hidden gem is its HDR mode. Colours are juiced up to be more lively but remain fairly natural. Casio first featured slow-motion video four years ago, before others jumped in. The ZR20 still has the edge in the quality of such clips.

Camera review:
- 16.2 megapixel image sensor
- Expeed 3 image processor
- 3.2 inch display
- Dual card slot (CF and XQD)
- 1.34kg (with batteries)

This is the DSLR camera many of friends have been waiting for. With its magnesium alloy weather-resistant body, the D4 feels rock solid in your hands and ready to handle any abuse you can throw at it. The button layout is intuitive and shows how much thought has been involved in positioning each button.

For example, a small joystick is sited close to the AF-ON button to allow your thumb to move quickly between two controls. Nikon has even added a separate small joystick and AF-ON button for use when the camera is held sideways. For the growing number of videographers who use DSLR cameras, the D4 offers these features:
- A dedicated live-view button with a lever to toggle between still and moving images.
- A dedicated video-record button sits just beside the shutter release on the top of the camera
- Backlit rear buttons so that the controls are visible in the dark

The D4 has a new 16.2 megapixel CMOS image sensor that supports sensitivity settings from ISO 50 to an amazing ISO 204,800. It also features the latest Expeed 3 image-processing engine with a 91,000 pixel metering sensor and 51 autofocus points. In other words, the D4's operation will be blazing fast. Start-up is immediate. You are ready to shoot as soon as you power up the camera. Shut-down is slightly slower. It took about one second.

Shutter lag was almost non-existent. With either lens, autofocusing was breathtaking speedy. Autofocusing was spot on almost instantly in good light. Even in very dim conditions, without the help of the AF assist light, it took less than half a second to lock onto a focus. When shooting at 10 frames per second during the football match, the autofocusing was consistently fast and spot on.

This is the first DSLR that uses the new XQD card, which has a write speed of 125MB per second. With a 16GB XQD card, I was able to shoot continuously 53 images in simultaneous raw and jpeg format in five seconds before the buffer ran out of space. That is nothing short of amazing when you consider that not too long ago, you would have had time to make yourself a cup of coffee after shooting five frames of raw images.

The XQD card slot is the default slot, but you can switch to the CF card at any time. You can opt to create simultaneous back-up or have more storage space with the dual card slots. Personally, I would prefer a CF or SD card slot to the XQD which is not as easily available.

The image quality is stellar with sharp pixel rendition, vivid colours and crisp details, even in the dark areas. You can even make out individual strands of hair if you look closely enough. One downer is that the auto white balance tends towards blue under artificial lighting.

The D4's noise performance is stupendous. At IS) 1,600, the images look hardly different from those shot in ISO 400. Only at ISO 6,400 are noise artefacts more readily visible. Even at ISO 12,800 the pictures are still usable, but ISO settings above 12,800 are discouraged. The 1,080p videos are equally good too. But as with most DSLR cameras, they suffer from picking too much surrounding audio.

Lastly, the price may be jaw dropping but the D4's speed and build means that you do get what you pay for. Just ask any professional photographer - the D4 will be his natural choice.

Camera review:
- 23.3 megapixel full-frame image sensor
- Digic 5+ image-processing engine
- 61-point autofocus system
- 3.2-in display
- ISO range 100 to 25,600 (expandable from ISO 50 to 10,2400)
- Dual-card slots (CF card and SD card)
- Full high-definition 1,080p video recording
- 860g (without battery, memory cards)

It has been nearly four years since Canon wowed everyone with the outstanding quality of the EOS 5D MK II's still and moving images. Now its successor, the 5D MK III is here. A weather-resistant magnesium alloy chassis protects it against rain and dust. Combined with comfortable contours, the 5D MK III is sturdy yet almost effortless to hold, useful for long spells of shooting.

Sit the 5D MK III side by side with the 5D MK II and you would think you are looking at twins. The differences are more apparent from the back. The 5D MK III has a rear switch for toggling between still image capture and video-recording via the display. It even comes with a convenient start-stop button.

The button layout and controls are well thought out and intuitive, except for the useless Rate button that is used to rate how many stars a picture gets. It would have been more useful to replace the Rate button with a zoom-out button, as there is only a zoom-in (or magnify) button.

The new model has an SD card slot as well as the CF card slot of the 5D MK II. The SD card can be used to back up any picture you take, or just for extra storage. Users often complained about the 5D MK II's sluggishness, especially in autofocusing. Canon has responded by replacing the 5D MK II's 9-point autofocusing system with a 61-point system in the 5D MK III and by giving the new model an image processor that is 17 times faster. The result is clear. Start-up and shutdown are immediate. Shutter lag is not noticeable.

With a 24-105mm f4 lens, autofocusing is much faster than with the 5D MK II, and a shade faster than with the Nikon D800. In bright light, autofocusing is instant. There is a slight hesitation in dimmer conditions, though. Much more impressive is its ability to lock on to a focus point in extremely dark conditions within a mere two seconds. Most DSLRs would have given up by then.

Using a SanDisk Extreme III CF card rated at 30MB per second, I shot 12 images in Raw format in two seconds before the buffer ran out of space. This is fast enough for you to photograph football ace Lionel Messi as he is scoring a goal.

Image quality is simply stellar. Details are crisp; skin tones, natural. Colour reproduction is slightly more conservative than the D800's. But auto white balance is spot-on and consistent across both natural and artificial light.

Picture-noise performance is simply astounding. There are no noise artefacts before ISO 3,200 and only sporadic chromatic noise in the dark areas at ISO 6,400. Even at ISO 25,600, noise levels were equivalent to the D800's at ISO 6,400.

Video quality is equally brilliant and sharp. Even at night, the moving images do not show up as grainy. The camera does not pick up ambient audio readily and even the sound of autofocusing is hardly apparent.