New Technology Reviews!.: digital

Nintendo will offer digital versions of Wii U and 3DS games as it battles iPhone

<div class="ex"><p align="center"><img alt="Nintendo will offer digital versions of Wii U and 3DS games as it battles iPhone" src="http://www.new-technology-news.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Wii-U-470-75.jpg"></p><p>Nintendo intends to combat Apple’s ever-increasing encroachment on the gaming market by offering digital versions of games sold through retail stores.</p><p>The Japanese giant announced its first losses in 30 years on Thursday, with the iPhone’s dominance of the handheld arena thought to be a factor in underwhelming Nintendo 3DS sales.</p><p>Now the company plans to let gamers choose between a physical copy of new games or a digital copy which can be downloaded onto the device by activating a 16-digit code, loaded onto the SD card.</p><p>The first game to go on sale using the new system will be New Super Mario Bros. 2 for the 3DS, which is launched in August and sees the company adopt a similar approach to the PS Vita.</p><h3>Fighting back in 2012</h3><p>The move is seen as lowering the risk for retailers, who won’t have to contend with as many unsold discs and cartridges, while it also impacts the second hand-games market despised by studios.</p><p>The first annual losses encountered by Nintendo (about $533m, £329m) make the next twelve months absolutely crucial.</p><p>The company expects sales of the 3DS to fight back and reach expectations, while the Wii U launch later this year will surely be do or die for the company.</p><p>A strange rumour on Friday suggested the company might actually attempt to build Android into the new Wii U. If that happens we’ll eat our Wii Balance Boards, sideways. However, we guess anything’s possible?</p><p><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/techradar/allnews/%7E3/oQNz8NmeqFU/story01.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">View the original article here</a></p><p></p><div style="clear: both;"></div><div class="snap_nopreview sharing robots-nocontent"><ul><li class="sharing_label">Want to share?:</li><li class="share-email share-regular share-service-visible"><a class="share-email share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/nintendo-will-offer-digital-versions-of-wii-u-and-3ds-games-as-it-battles-iphone/?share=email&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to email this to a friend">Email</a></li><li class="share-print share-regular"><a class="share-print share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/nintendo-will-offer-digital-versions-of-wii-u-and-3ds-games-as-it-battles-iphone/#print" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to print">Print</a></li><li class="share-digg share-regular"><a class="share-digg share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/nintendo-will-offer-digital-versions-of-wii-u-and-3ds-games-as-it-battles-iphone/?share=digg&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to Digg this post">Digg</a></li><li class="share-facebook share-regular"><a class="share-facebook share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/nintendo-will-offer-digital-versions-of-wii-u-and-3ds-games-as-it-battles-iphone/?share=facebook&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Share on Facebook">Facebook</a></li><li class="share-reddit share-regular"><a class="share-reddit share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/nintendo-will-offer-digital-versions-of-wii-u-and-3ds-games-as-it-battles-iphone/?share=reddit&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to share on Reddit">Reddit</a></li><li class="share-stumbleupon share-regular"><a class="share-stumbleupon share-icon" href="http://www.new-technology-news.net/nintendo-will-offer-digital-versions-of-wii-u-and-3ds-games-as-it-battles-iphone/?share=stumbleupon&nb=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Click to share on StumbleUpon">StumbleUpon</a></li><li class="share-twitter share-regular"><div class="twitter_button"><iframe allowtransparency="true" src="http://platform.twitter.com/widgets/tweet_button.html?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.new-technology-news.net%2Fnintendo-will-offer-digital-versions-of-wii-u-and-3ds-games-as-it-battles-iphone%2F&counturl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.new-technology-news.net%2Fnintendo-will-offer-digital-versions-of-wii-u-and-3ds-games-as-it-battles-iphone%2F&count=horizontal&text=Nintendo%20will%20offer%20digital%20versions%20of%20Wii%20U%20and%203DS%20games%20as%20it%20battles%20iPhone:%20" style="width: 97px; height: 20px;" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></li><li class="share-end"></li></ul><div class="sharing-clear"></div></div></div>

Nintendo will offer digital versions of Wii U and 3DS games as it battles iPhone

Nintendo intends to combat Apple’s ever-increasing encroachment on the gaming market by offering digital versions of games sold through reta...

GameStop begins selling Android tablets with free games

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="215" mce_src="http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/4033/gamestoptablets540x358.jpg" src="http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/4033/gamestoptablets540x358.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="324" />Say what you will about GameStop, as many have and will, but you can accuse them of being anything less than shrewd business. To that end they’re expanding their mostly console and portable video game stock to include Android tablets from Samsung, Asus and Acer, starting in a few select stores today. The tablets will be pre-loaded with seven free games including Dead Space and Madden NFL 2012.</div>
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The first tablets on sale are the Acer Iconia Tab 100, Asus Eee Pad Transformer and Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1. The tablets won’t cost any less than they do at other retail locations, and if GameStop’s regular pricing structure is anything to go on, they’ll probably be more expensive than at least a few. But gamers hungry for a new mobile experience can practice the time-honored tradition of trading in old consoles and game discs for store credit, which can be used to purchase a new Android tablet. GameStop has already expanded its trade-in and used programs to cover general gadgets like the iPhone and iPod, and presumably, you’ll soon be able to trade in your Samsung Galaxy Tab or Acer Transformer as well. GameStop may integrate these tablets with its mobile streaming service Spawn Labs at some point in the future.</div>
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This may seem like an odd move for a company so well-established in the lucrative game console retail space, but if you take a look at some of the games coming out for Android lately, it makes a lot of sense. Check out the graphics in Shadowgun or Modern Combat 3, and you’ll see almost the rival of any Xbox or PlayStation 2 game. Who knows what can be done with upcoming hardware like the quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 found in the Transformer Prime, and with HDMI output already on many Android devices and native controller support coming with Ice Cream Sandwich, Android tablets are beginning to look a lot like gaming hardware, to say nothing of specialized smartphones like the XPERIA Play.</div>
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With downloaded games making up a bigger and bigger chunk of the digital market, GameStop finds itself in the same position that bookstores were five or six years ago. They can continue to make most of their profits off of software which will soon be available at the click of a mouse, or they can diversify and begin delivering the one thing that can’t be replicated with a broadband connection: hands-on, instant hardware gratification. It could be the difference between GameStop being the next Barnes & Noble (appropriately, since they used to be owned by them)… or Borders.</div>
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GameStop begins selling Android tablets with free games

Say what you will about GameStop, as many have and will, but you can accuse them of being anything less than shrewd business. To that en...

Obama to use Tumblr in 2012 campaign

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The US president, Barack Obama, will turn to Tumblr in his attempts to secure a second term in 2012, following the successful use of other social networking tools in his 2008 rise to power.</div>
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Obama famously used Twitter and Facebook in 2008, and will now look to another blogging platform in Tumblr to boost his popularity with an increasingly tech obsessed and connected nation.</div>
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Using the http://barackobama.tumblr.com/ address, Obama's team are already sending out messages, the first encouraging people to join in and add their own stories during the campaign.</div>
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Trolls</h4>
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"There will be trolls among you: this we know.We ask only that you remember that we're people—fairly nice ones—and that your mother would want you to be polite," concludes the post.</div>
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It seems likely that there will also be a Google+ account, although a seemingly official account was deleted from Google+ back in July despite appearing on search engine results even now.</div>
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British politicians are also embracing social media as they look to reach out to voters, although the now quickly fading and much mocked Digital Economy Act perhaps suggests that – with some notable exceptions - understanding of the modern digital world is not at its most complete in the Houses of Parliament.</div>
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Obama to use Tumblr in 2012 campaign

The US president, Barack Obama, will turn to Tumblr in his attempts to secure a second term in 2012, following the successful use of o...

Ricoh does portable digital projectors

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-90933" height="152" mce_src="http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6701/ricohpjwx3231n.jpg" src="http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6701/ricohpjwx3231n.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="ricoh-pjwx3231n" width="384" />I used to think that portable digital projectors would be the next big thing, but I am mistaken as the particularly niche market did not really take off as intended. Still, there seems to be enough sales volume to keep it going, and Ricoh clearly intends to fly the digital projector flag high by announcing their most recent entry with a range of portable projectors that are touted to deliver ‘low weight, brilliant image quality, and optional advanced, model-specific networking capabilities”.</div>
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Ricoh does portable digital projectors

I used to think that portable digital projectors would be the next big thing, but I am mistaken as the particularly niche market did not...

DC Comics go online with Justice League 1

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<img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-86504" height="248" mce_src="http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4539/dccomicsonline.jpg" src="http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4539/dccomicsonline.jpg" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 640px;" title="dc-comics-online" width="384" />The online revolution continues to spread its wings, moving on from the music industry to movies, TV shows and series, books, magazines and newspapers – and it shows no signs of slowing down. Webcomics have proved that they can compete with old school comics, but it is time traditional powerhouses like DC Comics took a closer look at what the digital format can do for comic books. Downloaded copies of comics hardly contribute a decent amount to the company’s bottomline, but DC Comics hopes to turn things around by launching the new Justice League comic today – where future DC Universe comic books will also be made available online the same day that printed editions arrive at newsstands and comic book stores for sale.</div>
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DC Comics go online with Justice League 1

The online revolution continues to spread its wings, moving on from the music industry to movies, TV shows and series, books, magazines ...

Buying Guide: Best DSLRs for video: £500-£1000

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Most stills cameras – whether a DSLR, compact system camera (CSC) or one of Sony's latest SLT (Single Lens Translucent mirror) models – come equipped with a video capture mode.</div>
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If you're looking to spend upwards of £500, but less than the crucial £1000 mark, then there's a wide choice available that each offer their own pros and cons. The more you spend doesn't always equate to a 'better' movie mode, however, so there's a lot to consider.</div>
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In our guide to the best DSLRs, SLTs and compact system camera (CSCs) under £1000 we'll explore every detail through from operability to final capture and audio quality.</div>
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While we've seen all these cameras individually and assessed them on their overall ability, this feature solely focuses on each of the camera's movie capture abilities. The selection of models represents the most prolific cross section available on the market within the price bracket. So which of these sub-£1000 models is best for video capture? Read on…</div>
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<img alt="Sony alpha 55" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Sony%20Alpha%20A55/A55_16-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Sony%20Alpha%20A55/A55_16-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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The Sony Alpha A55 is among the first of a new breed of camera. Dubbed an 'SLT' (Single Lens Translucent), the A55 may appear like a DSLR from the outside, but its internal construction is quite different. The mirror inside is translucent which means light can permanently pass to the sensor while reflected light is always fed the autofocus sensor.</div>
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As technological as this may sound, all you need to know is that this allows for true continuous autofocus that's perfect for tracking moving subjects during movie recording.</div>
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Auto focus</h4>
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The A55's continuous autofocus works like a dream, indeed it's the best continuous AF system for movie of any stills camera, though it's not without its issues.</div>
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Clever though it may be to quickly slide focus between one subject and another, there's little choice as to what the camera will focus on as the camera always focuses on the most central point. Should someone walk through your shot, for example, the camera will quickly adjust to this new subject, even if that's not your intention.</div>
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What the A55 lacks is the ability to easily toggle the focus on or off, or manipulate the focus sensitivity. It is possible to pop many lenses into manual focus using their direct AF/MF switches, but this isn't a practical way of 'pausing' the focus.</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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The A55's movie shooting mode doesn't venture outside of the automated Programme mode either, which means beyond the ability to control exposure compensation and exposure lock (AEL) during capture there's little else at your disposal.</div>
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LCD</h4>
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Design-wise the A55 comes equipped with an LCD screen that's mounted on a vari-angle bracket. This means the screen can be moved away from the camera and rotated through a variety of angles – it's most useful for waist level shooting for lower-angle shots.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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With Sony, as per Panasonic cameras, the choice to use AVCHD as its primary movie capture has a series of benefits and downsides.</div>
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On the one hand the H.264 compression is very good as it maintains high quality while rendering small file sizes. The 17Mbps data rate is high for a camera of this type, and a minute of footage equates to around 135MB.</div>
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On the other hand, the native MTS files captured aren't useable in most computer programs or editing suites (VideoLAN - VLC can read them though not always smoothly) and this means files need to be decoded into a different format, such as the larger MOV file type, using (free) software such as Windows Movie Maker or Apple's iMovie.</div>
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The 'Full HD' branding of the A55 comes with a slight pinch of salt: the sensor captures files at 25fps in an interlaced format, i.e. odd lines are captures on one pass of the sensor, even lines on the next pass. It can be hard for the human eye to recognise this as a problem until, that is, fast moving subjects show signs of 'tearing', which is a like seeing one frame in one position and the next frame slightly offset from the other half.</div>
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Downgrade to Sony's 'AVC' capture and you'll get progressive capture, but at a 1440x1080 resolution with a far lower data rate that's then upscaled (to Full HD). This secondary option produces MP4 files direct from camera that are more immediately useable, but the quality just isn't as top notch.</div>
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Audio</h4>
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Audio is handled by the camera's built in microphone, though this will pick up surrounding sounds such as the lens's autofocus. However, flip open a panel to the left side of the camera and a 3.5mm microphone jack means you can record using an external mic with improved results.</div>
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Overall the A55 is up there with the best when it comes to point-and-shoot capture and continuous autofocus. It's not 100% reliable, however, as using the sensor's SteadyShot image stabilisation system will cause overheating (resulting in cut out) after around nine minutes depending on the ambient temperature. It's not an exclusive Sony issue, but one to be aware of.</div>
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Key video specifications</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>£600 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>APS-C sized sensor (1.5x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080i (1920x1080px)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>25fps<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression and file format:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>H.264 for AVCHD video and AAC audio compression, AVCHD format requires decoding; 1440x1080 Motion JPEG format playable straight from camera as MP4 files<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure mode:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Programme mode with exposure compensation, AEL, ISO control and (prior to recording only) aperture adjustment<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>HDMI-C out port with Bravia Sync, 3.5mm audio jack for external microphones</div>
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<img alt="Panasonic g3" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Panasonic%20Lumix%20G%20series/G3/G3%20Product%20shots/G3k_slant1442-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Panasonic%20Lumix%20G%20series/G3/G3%20Product%20shots/G3k_slant1442-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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Panasonic's champion mid-level compact system camera, the Lumix G3, is small in body but big on its automated movie features.</div>
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The camera's 3in, vari-angle touchscreen LCD screen extends from the side of the body and can be rotated through any angle. The G3 even includes a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) that, due to the camera's construction, can be used during capture for extra stability where needed (this isn't possible with any DSLR camera).</div>
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Auto focus</h4>
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What really sells the G3's movie mode is the camera's continuous autofocus (AF-C) mode combined with the touchscreen technology. Pressing a finger onto the screen itself dictates the point of focus and this can be used in real time during recording – the camera glides the subject into focus and rarely over- or under-focuses due to the controlled speed of focusing.</div>
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Focus can be achieved anywhere across the screen, meaning even subjects to the edge of the frame aren't out of reach. For more accurate focusing the 1-Area AF Mode realises a square-shaped focus area that can also be resized with the drag of a finger.</div>
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Face Detection, Subject Tracking and a 23-Area auto mode are also available. Pop the camera into single autofocus mode (AF-S) and focusing is just about as quick as it gets, owed to the impressive live view AF speed, but can falter a little from time to time.</div>
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Manual focus is also available and a 'macro-landscape slider' shows on screen to assist with focus distance, but its generalised terms aren't overly helpful and no full-size zoom assist to show the recording in actual size on the screen means tweaking focus can be problematic.</div>
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Using the zoom during recording can cause a bit of a battle with the autofocus system too, as the focus here fails to keep up.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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Although the G3 fails to offer full manual control (something seemingly reserved for the higher pegged Lumix GH2 model), the AVCHD 1080i capture at 50 fields per second (output at 25fps for PAL or 60i output at 30fps for NTSC standards) is of good quality, though the MTS files will need to be decoded into MOV files (using software such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker) for use with other devices.</div>
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Exposure compensation is available, but this is only prior to commencing recording rather than during capture.</div>
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Exposure itself can occasionally 'jump' between levels as the light changes, though slow shifts in light won't cause such problems. In addition to AVCHD, a Motion-JPEG capture is also available which produces larger-sized AVI files of lesser quality but which require no processing for use straight from camera.</div>
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Audio</h4>
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Sound-wise the G3 has an onboard stereo microphone in front of the hotshoe, or a 2.5mm (yup, not a standard 3.5mm fitting!) mic jack is available for external microphones. The onboard mic's location keeps it out of reach from the lens and no autofocus sounds are audible in playback.</div>
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Overall the G3's a great point-and-shoot bit of kit for video capture that can accurately track subjects and glide between focal depths with accuracy. It's just the lack of manual controls that hold it back.</div>
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Key video specs</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>£619 with 14-42mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Micro Four Thirds Sensor (2x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080i capture (1920x1080px) maximum resolution<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>50i (25fps sensor output) PAL / 60i (30fps sensor output)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>H.264 for AVCHD video and AAC audio compression<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>AVCHD format MTS files require decoding; M-JPEG<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure mode:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Programme mode<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus modes:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Full time (AF-C), Subject Tracking, Single (AF-C) and Manual (MF) focus options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>HDMI & A/V outs, 2.5mm mini audio jack for external microphones</div>
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<img alt="Nikon d5100" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Nikon%20D5100/Product%20shots/Nikon%20D5100%20body%20front%2023by4-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Nikon%20D5100/Product%20shots/Nikon%20D5100%20body%20front%2023by4-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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The thing that really sells the D5100 is its 921k-dot, 3in, vari-angle LCD screen. As this is mounted on a side hinge it's possible to turn it away from the camera and rotate it through any angle. This provision is particularly useful for video capture where a waist-level or high-up shooting position may be desired.</div>
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It's worth noting that the D5100 was released before the more budget Nikon D3100. However, the latter release benefitted from live view improvements that translated into faster movie autofocusing. When the D5100 was released these improvements had not been rolled out so, as a benchmark, the D3100 is actually a more capable video-shooting machine in terms of its autofocus ability.</div>
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Auto Focus</h4>
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The D5100 offers edge-to-edge focusing across the whole screen, and it's possible to move the AF-Area focus point anywhere using the d-pad. In addition there are Face-Priority AF and Subject Tracking AF modes that do a good job of selecting subjects and recognising their movements, yet can't always follow this up with the swift autofocus to maintain focus at all times.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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Although the D5100 offers a 24 or 25fps frame rate choice at both 1080p and 720p, the resulting (1080p) MOV files equate to around 150MB per minute and have the same excess compression characteristics of the D3100's files.</div>
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There's just not the biting detail that you'd expect from a Full HD file because of this, plus exposure can 'jump' between brightness levels in certain circumstances.</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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Control-wise, the Programme mode takes care of all the settings and, despite the screen relaying aperture and shutter values these are only displayed as a carry-over from the stills shooting side, they're not values that apply to the movie capture – the camera takes care of all that.</div>
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The only exposure control that can be tweaked live during capture, is exposure compensation adjustment.</div>
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As well as a built in mono microphone the D5100 adds a 3.5mm microphone jack for use with external microphones. When using the in-built option it's easy to pick up lens focusing sounds, so the capacity to use an external mic is a significant and essential benefit.</div>
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Key video specifications</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>£690 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>APS-C sized sensor (1.5x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">LCD screen:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>3in, 921k-dot, vari-angle<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080p capture (1920x1080px)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>24 or 25fps<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>H.264 video compression and Linear PCM audio<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>MOV<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure mode:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Programme shooting mode<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Full time (AF-F), Single (AF-S) and Manual (MF) focus options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>HDMI-C and mini-USB AV out ports</div>
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<img alt="Canon eos 600d" class="aligncenter" height="144" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Canon%20600D/Canon%20600D%20release%20date%20price-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Canon%20600D/Canon%20600D%20release%20date%20price-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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The direct competitor for Nikon's D5100, the Canon EOS 600D has notable similarities – most prominently a 3in, vari-angle LCD screen. However in the Canon camera's instance the screen is as high a resolution as they (currently) come, at a whopping 1,040k-dots. The articulating mount means it can be put through almost any angle for unusual framing and is particularly useful for lower-angled shots when capturing video.</div>
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Auto Focus</h4>
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The 600D utilises a contrast-detection autofocus system when in live view (and therefore movie mode), which is far from swift off the mark. Indeed focusing isn't any better than the budget Canon EOS 1100D model and has trouble with over- and under-focusing when attempting to acquire focus. It's therefore best not to re-focus during movie capture unless you're tweaking manual focus only.</div>
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Unlike the Nikon D5100, the 600D doesn't offer a continuous autofocus option during movie capture.</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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Although the autofocus isn't great, the 600D offers plenty of manual control – through from aperture and shutter speed to ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation, everything is at your disposal should you so wish. Of course a quick flick of a button in the main menu can also set the exposure to 'Auto' for point-and-shoot simplicity too.</div>
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Movie Digital Zoom</h4>
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One quirk of the 600D is the Movie Digital Zoom option that gives an additional 3x magnification without loss of resolution (it can offer up to 10x mag though this will come with some loss of detail).</div>
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As the 1920x1080 Full HD movie resolution only equates to around 2-megapixels in total, it's far smaller than the full 18-megapixel sensor on offer. By using a smaller portion of the sensor, the camera is able to multiply its zoom capabilities.</div>
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Theoretically the 600D's sensor could fit three 1080p captures side by side across its sensor, hence the 3x equating to no detail loss.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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Video files are captured at 24, 25 or 30fps and rendered as MOV files using the H.264 compression codec.</div>
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Quality is very good overall, with a (variable) 45mbit/sec data rate in our test squeezing some 360MB of footage into a single minute.</div>
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Audio is dealt with using on on-board microphone, though those looking for better sound will be pleased to see the 3.5mm mic jack for external microphones. The linear PCM sound quality is good (though can get distorted due to wind when using the built-in mic).</div>
<h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">
Key video specifications</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>£700 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>APS-C sized (1.6x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">LCD screen:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>3in, 1040k-dot, vari-angle<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>1080p capture (1920x1080px)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>24, 25 or 30fps<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>H.264 video compression and Linear PCM audio<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>MOV file format<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Programme and Manual shooting options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus mode:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Single (AF-S) and Manual (MF) focus options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectiveity:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>HDMI-C and mini-USB AV out ports, 3.5mm jack for external microphones</div>
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<img alt="Olympus pen e-p3" class="aligncenter" height="168" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Olympus/Olympus%20PENS%202011/E-P3_silver__rightside_EW-M1220-XL-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Olympus/Olympus%20PENS%202011/E-P3_silver__rightside_EW-M1220-XL-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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Like a suped-up version of the E-PL2 (as found in the under £500 section of this article), the latest Olympus PEN E-P3 has a lot of video control on offer.</div>
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This is the first PEN model to introduce AVCHD capture, though this doesn't directly replace the Motion JPEG capture of previous models – both options are available.</div>
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AVCHD capture uses better compression for smaller files that then need to be rendered outside of camera, whereas M-JPEG is a series of JPEG images replayed as a movie (AVI format) that can be used straight from camera.</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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The E-P3's movie capabilities have some great quirks: Full manual control means aperture, shutter and ISO options can be adjusted for absolute control. However none of these settings can be changed during capture, a significant oversight that could have stepped up the camera's capabilities considerably.</div>
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Pressing the one-touch movie button will start recording rolling, but accurate composition is flawed here as the E-P3 uses a different portion of the sensor for movie capture. This causes cropping, i.e. the original frame you thought was going to be captured will suddenly be more 'zoomed in' and lose the surrounding edge (this even occurs if set to 16:9 ratio in stills mode). Small details like this hold the E-P3 back from having a more pro-fulfilling movie mode.</div>
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Auto focus</h4>
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During recording there's the option of continuous autofocus, single autofocus (both of which can have the addition of manual override) or manual focus.</div>
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The E-P3's continuous autofocus mode is the one that particularly impresses, as it eases subjects into focus with little problems. It's a frustration that the focus point can't be moved around during capture, which becomes yet more of a misgiving when considering the E-P3's touch-sensitive screen (that's rendered useless in movie mode). It should have taken a leaf out of the Panasonic G3's book and allowed for full touchscreen focus control during capture.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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The E-P3's 20Mbps data rate should produce high quality, though compression seems a bit over the top at times – looking in detail areas reveals processed, 'fuzzy' edges. A lower 'Normal' compression option is also available as a further space-saving option.</div>
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Sound is captured via the on-board stereo microphone, though wind noise can be an issue. While it's possible to employ an external microphone the Olympus-only Accessory Port means there's only one current microphone (SEMA-1) available. A standard 3.5mm fitting for third party microphones would have made more sense and opened the camera up to an even wider audience.</div>
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Overall the E-P3 improves capture options from previous models but fails to iron out small details that would have taken this good camera to levels of greatness.</div>
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Key video specifications</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>£799 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Micro Four Thirds (2x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Screen:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>3in, 610k-dot, OLED touschsreen<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080i capture (1920x1080px) maximum resolution<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>60i (output as 30fps)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>AVCHD or Motion JPEG recording<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Full Manual and Auto shooting options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Continuous (AF-C), Single (AF-S) with Manual Focus override available<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>HDMI-C and mini-USB AV out ports, accessory port for Olympus SEMA-1 microphone</div>
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<img alt="Pentax k-5" class="aligncenter" height="189" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Pentax%20K-5/k-5%203-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Pentax%20K-5/k-5%203-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="252" /></div>
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Pentax's K-5 is the company's most able video-shooting DSLR, capable of capturing Full HD 1080p clips at 25fps in the Motion JEPG (AVI) format.</div>
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Although the K-5's body is rugged and weather-sealed, which makes it hard wearing and ideal for use in sandy or rainy conditions, there aren't too many movie-based perks for the videographer.</div>
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Auto focus</h4>
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The main thing lacking from the K-5 is that there's no autofocus available during video capture – instead it's only possible to predetermine the focal point and then commence recording after.</div>
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When attaining focus prior to capture, the K-5's focus system, as per its live view operation, is very quick and will zoom in to the image (to actual size to ensure accurate focus is made).</div>
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Manual focus is also available, but this isn't always practical as assessing focal distance isn't easy to judge using a DSLR. It's made more tricky by the K-5's lack of a manual focus assist (to show the image zoomed in to actual size on screen for more accurate focusing).</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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The K-5 makes up for its AF shortfall elsewhere by the provision of Aperture Priority exposure control (though the aperture can only be set prior to recording) and the inclusion of a 3.5mm mic jack to connect an external microphone.</div>
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Exposure compensation and exposure lock are available during capture for more critical exposure decisions, as in Aperture Priority mode the camera auto-adjusts the exposure level.</div>
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Other fun options include 'Cross Processing' and Digital Filter modes that can also be applied to videos to add an 'arty' edge (but once they're applied there's no way of removing the final effect).</div>
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Performance</h4>
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The K-5's final movie quality is very good, though there are some signs of grain in shadow areas. The rendered AVI files are also huge, with a minute of footage eating up some 430MB of space (though this is why the quality is high). A three-tiered compression option accessible via the main menu means file size can be reduced by compromising further on quality should you need the extra space. Sound-wise it's mono recording only, which is of adequate quality, though not a match for straightforward stereo sound.</div>
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Key video specs</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>£930 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>APS-C sized (1.5x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">LCD screen:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>3in, 921k-dot<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080p capture (1920x1080px)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>25fps<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Motion JPEG and mono sound<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>AVI file format<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Programme and Aperture Priority shooting options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Fixed pre-focus only and Manual (MF) focus options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>HDMI-C and mini-USB AV out ports, 3.5mm jack for external microphones</div>
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As the price bracket increases so does the expectation for more features and greater control over video making, though this won't be realised in every purchase.</div>
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Despite the Pentax K-5 being the most expensive of the cameras on test in this price bracket, it's the only camera that doesn't offer any autofocus ability for its movie mode. While, arguably, some of the other cameras' autofocus modes aren't of pratical use, and therefore obsolete, this is certainly an area Pentax needs to see some progression in. The AVI files are good quality, but the file sizes are huge and this just isn't going to cut it for more pro-grade applications either.</div>
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The other two remaining DSLRs – the Nikon D5100 and Canon 600D – are very similar on paper and have some great features, but are quite different beasts.</div>
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The vari-angle screens of both cameras are very practical for movie shooting and the 3.5mm mic jack of each model means external microphones can be connected for sound recording. The D5100's continuous autofocus is a step in the right direction, but it's not fast enough to deal with all subjects and the video files are a little 'choppy' rather than 'cinematic' in playback.</div>
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Although the Canon 600D's files may look the better of the pair, its single autofocus system is no better than that found in the Canon EOS 1100D, which mis-focuses by such a margin that it's next to useless (this could explain why Pentax avoids implementing such a system in the K-5).</div>
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Then things step up a notch.</div>
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The E-PL3's movie capture abilities are great, there's full manual control and the continuous autofocus is fantastic too. The letdown is in the final quality however, which lacks the sharpness and clarity of its peers due to over-processing. But still a very strong effort that's a breeze to use.</div>
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The Sony Alpha A55 also puts in a sterling effort. Its continuous autofocus is very, very fast and equally as accurate, which allows for swift focusing between a variety of subjects. However the A55's main autofocus strength is also its main 'weakness' in other regards: as the camera can only autofocus to the centre-point of the screen there's a lack of control; no single autofocus features; nor are there manual controls. But it is the cheapest one of the bunch here, and for that it's a grand performer that's far faster than anything else out there.</div>
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At the top of the tree is Panasonic's G3. For the snap-happy consumer crowd this camera has (almost) everything you could need. Final quality is great, the touchscreen is fantastic for changing focus points during capture (something the Olympus E-P3 failed to address), the continuous autofocus is very smooth as is the ability to track moving subjects. I</div>
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t may not be quite as swift as the Sony A55, its 2.5mm mic jack is annoying and there's no full manual control. But what you do get, however, is a device that's small, affordable, endlessly useable and will appeal to the wider masses that want good video capture and controls right at their fingertips.</div>
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Buying Guide: Best DSLRs for video: £500-£1000

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Buying Guide: Best DSLRs for video: £500-£1000

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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Times New Roman','Bitstream Charter',Times,serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px; padding: 0.6em;">
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<img alt="" class="aligncenter" height="90" mce_src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Nikon%20D5100/Product%20shots/Nikon%20D5100%20body%20front%2023by4-200-200.jpg" src="http://cdn.mos.techradar.com//Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Nikon%20D5100/Product%20shots/Nikon%20D5100%20body%20front%2023by4-200-200.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px auto 12px; max-width: 640px;" width="120" /></div>
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Most stills cameras – whether a DSLR, compact system camera (CSC) or one of Sony's latest SLT (Single Lens Translucent mirror) models – come equipped with a video capture mode.</div>
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If you're looking to spend upwards of £500, but less than the crucial £1000 mark, then there's a wide choice available that each offer their own pros and cons. The more you spend doesn't always equate to a 'better' movie mode, however, so there's a lot to consider.</div>
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In our guide to the best DSLRs, SLTs and compact system camera (CSCs) under £1000 we'll explore every detail through from operability to final capture and audio quality.</div>
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While we've seen all these cameras individually and assessed them on their overall ability, this feature solely focuses on each of the camera's movie capture abilities. The selection of models represents the most prolific cross section available on the market within the price bracket. So which of these sub-£1000 models is best for video capture? Read on…</div>
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<img alt="Sony alpha 55" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Sony%20Alpha%20A55/A55_16-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Sony%20Alpha%20A55/A55_16-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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The Sony Alpha A55 is among the first of a new breed of camera. Dubbed an 'SLT' (Single Lens Translucent), the A55 may appear like a DSLR from the outside, but its internal construction is quite different. The mirror inside is translucent which means light can permanently pass to the sensor while reflected light is always fed the autofocus sensor.</div>
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As technological as this may sound, all you need to know is that this allows for true continuous autofocus that's perfect for tracking moving subjects during movie recording.</div>
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Auto focus</h4>
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The A55's continuous autofocus works like a dream, indeed it's the best continuous AF system for movie of any stills camera, though it's not without its issues.</div>
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Clever though it may be to quickly slide focus between one subject and another, there's little choice as to what the camera will focus on as the camera always focuses on the most central point. Should someone walk through your shot, for example, the camera will quickly adjust to this new subject, even if that's not your intention.</div>
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What the A55 lacks is the ability to easily toggle the focus on or off, or manipulate the focus sensitivity. It is possible to pop many lenses into manual focus using their direct AF/MF switches, but this isn't a practical way of 'pausing' the focus.</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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The A55's movie shooting mode doesn't venture outside of the automated Programme mode either, which means beyond the ability to control exposure compensation and exposure lock (AEL) during capture there's little else at your disposal.</div>
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LCD</h4>
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Design-wise the A55 comes equipped with an LCD screen that's mounted on a vari-angle bracket. This means the screen can be moved away from the camera and rotated through a variety of angles – it's most useful for waist level shooting for lower-angle shots.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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With Sony, as per Panasonic cameras, the choice to use AVCHD as its primary movie capture has a series of benefits and downsides.</div>
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On the one hand the H.264 compression is very good as it maintains high quality while rendering small file sizes. The 17Mbps data rate is high for a camera of this type, and a minute of footage equates to around 135MB.</div>
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On the other hand, the native MTS files captured aren't useable in most computer programs or editing suites (VideoLAN - VLC can read them though not always smoothly) and this means files need to be decoded into a different format, such as the larger MOV file type, using (free) software such as Windows Movie Maker or Apple's iMovie.</div>
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The 'Full HD' branding of the A55 comes with a slight pinch of salt: the sensor captures files at 25fps in an interlaced format, i.e. odd lines are captures on one pass of the sensor, even lines on the next pass. It can be hard for the human eye to recognise this as a problem until, that is, fast moving subjects show signs of 'tearing', which is a like seeing one frame in one position and the next frame slightly offset from the other half.</div>
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Downgrade to Sony's 'AVC' capture and you'll get progressive capture, but at a 1440x1080 resolution with a far lower data rate that's then upscaled (to Full HD). This secondary option produces MP4 files direct from camera that are more immediately useable, but the quality just isn't as top notch.</div>
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Audio</h4>
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Audio is handled by the camera's built in microphone, though this will pick up surrounding sounds such as the lens's autofocus. However, flip open a panel to the left side of the camera and a 3.5mm microphone jack means you can record using an external mic with improved results.</div>
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Overall the A55 is up there with the best when it comes to point-and-shoot capture and continuous autofocus. It's not 100% reliable, however, as using the sensor's SteadyShot image stabilisation system will cause overheating (resulting in cut out) after around nine minutes depending on the ambient temperature. It's not an exclusive Sony issue, but one to be aware of.</div>
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Key video specifications</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>£600 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>APS-C sized sensor (1.5x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080i (1920x1080px)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>25fps<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression and file format:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>H.264 for AVCHD video and AAC audio compression, AVCHD format requires decoding; 1440x1080 Motion JPEG format playable straight from camera as MP4 files<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure mode:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Programme mode with exposure compensation, AEL, ISO control and (prior to recording only) aperture adjustment<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>HDMI-C out port with Bravia Sync, 3.5mm audio jack for external microphones</div>
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<img alt="Panasonic g3" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Panasonic%20Lumix%20G%20series/G3/G3%20Product%20shots/G3k_slant1442-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Panasonic%20Lumix%20G%20series/G3/G3%20Product%20shots/G3k_slant1442-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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Panasonic's champion mid-level compact system camera, the Lumix G3, is small in body but big on its automated movie features.</div>
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The camera's 3in, vari-angle touchscreen LCD screen extends from the side of the body and can be rotated through any angle. The G3 even includes a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) that, due to the camera's construction, can be used during capture for extra stability where needed (this isn't possible with any DSLR camera).</div>
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Auto focus</h4>
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What really sells the G3's movie mode is the camera's continuous autofocus (AF-C) mode combined with the touchscreen technology. Pressing a finger onto the screen itself dictates the point of focus and this can be used in real time during recording – the camera glides the subject into focus and rarely over- or under-focuses due to the controlled speed of focusing.</div>
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Focus can be achieved anywhere across the screen, meaning even subjects to the edge of the frame aren't out of reach. For more accurate focusing the 1-Area AF Mode realises a square-shaped focus area that can also be resized with the drag of a finger.</div>
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Face Detection, Subject Tracking and a 23-Area auto mode are also available. Pop the camera into single autofocus mode (AF-S) and focusing is just about as quick as it gets, owed to the impressive live view AF speed, but can falter a little from time to time.</div>
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Manual focus is also available and a 'macro-landscape slider' shows on screen to assist with focus distance, but its generalised terms aren't overly helpful and no full-size zoom assist to show the recording in actual size on the screen means tweaking focus can be problematic.</div>
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Using the zoom during recording can cause a bit of a battle with the autofocus system too, as the focus here fails to keep up.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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Although the G3 fails to offer full manual control (something seemingly reserved for the higher pegged Lumix GH2 model), the AVCHD 1080i capture at 50 fields per second (output at 25fps for PAL or 60i output at 30fps for NTSC standards) is of good quality, though the MTS files will need to be decoded into MOV files (using software such as iMovie or Windows Movie Maker) for use with other devices.</div>
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Exposure compensation is available, but this is only prior to commencing recording rather than during capture.</div>
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Exposure itself can occasionally 'jump' between levels as the light changes, though slow shifts in light won't cause such problems. In addition to AVCHD, a Motion-JPEG capture is also available which produces larger-sized AVI files of lesser quality but which require no processing for use straight from camera.</div>
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Audio</h4>
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Sound-wise the G3 has an onboard stereo microphone in front of the hotshoe, or a 2.5mm (yup, not a standard 3.5mm fitting!) mic jack is available for external microphones. The onboard mic's location keeps it out of reach from the lens and no autofocus sounds are audible in playback.</div>
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Overall the G3's a great point-and-shoot bit of kit for video capture that can accurately track subjects and glide between focal depths with accuracy. It's just the lack of manual controls that hold it back.</div>
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Key video specs</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>£619 with 14-42mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Micro Four Thirds Sensor (2x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080i capture (1920x1080px) maximum resolution<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>50i (25fps sensor output) PAL / 60i (30fps sensor output)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>H.264 for AVCHD video and AAC audio compression<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>AVCHD format MTS files require decoding; M-JPEG<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure mode:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Programme mode<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus modes:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Full time (AF-C), Subject Tracking, Single (AF-C) and Manual (MF) focus options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>HDMI & A/V outs, 2.5mm mini audio jack for external microphones</div>
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<img alt="Nikon d5100" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Nikon%20D5100/Product%20shots/Nikon%20D5100%20body%20front%2023by4-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Nikon%20D5100/Product%20shots/Nikon%20D5100%20body%20front%2023by4-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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The thing that really sells the D5100 is its 921k-dot, 3in, vari-angle LCD screen. As this is mounted on a side hinge it's possible to turn it away from the camera and rotate it through any angle. This provision is particularly useful for video capture where a waist-level or high-up shooting position may be desired.</div>
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It's worth noting that the D5100 was released before the more budget Nikon D3100. However, the latter release benefitted from live view improvements that translated into faster movie autofocusing. When the D5100 was released these improvements had not been rolled out so, as a benchmark, the D3100 is actually a more capable video-shooting machine in terms of its autofocus ability.</div>
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Auto Focus</h4>
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The D5100 offers edge-to-edge focusing across the whole screen, and it's possible to move the AF-Area focus point anywhere using the d-pad. In addition there are Face-Priority AF and Subject Tracking AF modes that do a good job of selecting subjects and recognising their movements, yet can't always follow this up with the swift autofocus to maintain focus at all times.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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Although the D5100 offers a 24 or 25fps frame rate choice at both 1080p and 720p, the resulting (1080p) MOV files equate to around 150MB per minute and have the same excess compression characteristics of the D3100's files.</div>
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There's just not the biting detail that you'd expect from a Full HD file because of this, plus exposure can 'jump' between brightness levels in certain circumstances.</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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Control-wise, the Programme mode takes care of all the settings and, despite the screen relaying aperture and shutter values these are only displayed as a carry-over from the stills shooting side, they're not values that apply to the movie capture – the camera takes care of all that.</div>
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The only exposure control that can be tweaked live during capture, is exposure compensation adjustment.</div>
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As well as a built in mono microphone the D5100 adds a 3.5mm microphone jack for use with external microphones. When using the in-built option it's easy to pick up lens focusing sounds, so the capacity to use an external mic is a significant and essential benefit.</div>
<h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">
Key video specifications</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>£690 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>APS-C sized sensor (1.5x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">LCD screen:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>3in, 921k-dot, vari-angle<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080p capture (1920x1080px)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>24 or 25fps<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>H.264 video compression and Linear PCM audio<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>MOV<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure mode:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Programme shooting mode<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Full time (AF-F), Single (AF-S) and Manual (MF) focus options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>HDMI-C and mini-USB AV out ports</div>
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<img alt="Canon eos 600d" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Canon%20600D/Canon%20600D%20release%20date%20price-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Canon%20600D/Canon%20600D%20release%20date%20price-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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The direct competitor for Nikon's D5100, the Canon EOS 600D has notable similarities – most prominently a 3in, vari-angle LCD screen. However in the Canon camera's instance the screen is as high a resolution as they (currently) come, at a whopping 1,040k-dots. The articulating mount means it can be put through almost any angle for unusual framing and is particularly useful for lower-angled shots when capturing video.</div>
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Auto Focus</h4>
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The 600D utilises a contrast-detection autofocus system when in live view (and therefore movie mode), which is far from swift off the mark. Indeed focusing isn't any better than the budget Canon EOS 1100D model and has trouble with over- and under-focusing when attempting to acquire focus. It's therefore best not to re-focus during movie capture unless you're tweaking manual focus only.</div>
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Unlike the Nikon D5100, the 600D doesn't offer a continuous autofocus option during movie capture.</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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Although the autofocus isn't great, the 600D offers plenty of manual control – through from aperture and shutter speed to ISO sensitivity and exposure compensation, everything is at your disposal should you so wish. Of course a quick flick of a button in the main menu can also set the exposure to 'Auto' for point-and-shoot simplicity too.</div>
<h4 style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 1.2em; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">
Movie Digital Zoom</h4>
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One quirk of the 600D is the Movie Digital Zoom option that gives an additional 3x magnification without loss of resolution (it can offer up to 10x mag though this will come with some loss of detail).</div>
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As the 1920x1080 Full HD movie resolution only equates to around 2-megapixels in total, it's far smaller than the full 18-megapixel sensor on offer. By using a smaller portion of the sensor, the camera is able to multiply its zoom capabilities.</div>
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Theoretically the 600D's sensor could fit three 1080p captures side by side across its sensor, hence the 3x equating to no detail loss.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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Video files are captured at 24, 25 or 30fps and rendered as MOV files using the H.264 compression codec.</div>
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Quality is very good overall, with a (variable) 45mbit/sec data rate in our test squeezing some 360MB of footage into a single minute.</div>
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Audio is dealt with using on on-board microphone, though those looking for better sound will be pleased to see the 3.5mm mic jack for external microphones. The linear PCM sound quality is good (though can get distorted due to wind when using the built-in mic).</div>
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Key video specifications</h4>
<div style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 24px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>£700 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>APS-C sized (1.6x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">LCD screen:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>3in, 1040k-dot, vari-angle<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>1080p capture (1920x1080px)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>24, 25 or 30fps<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>H.264 video compression and Linear PCM audio<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>MOV file format<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Programme and Manual shooting options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus mode:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Single (AF-S) and Manual (MF) focus options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectiveity:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>HDMI-C and mini-USB AV out ports, 3.5mm jack for external microphones</div>
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<img alt="Olympus pen e-p3" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Olympus/Olympus%20PENS%202011/E-P3_silver__rightside_EW-M1220-XL-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Olympus/Olympus%20PENS%202011/E-P3_silver__rightside_EW-M1220-XL-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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Like a suped-up version of the E-PL2 (as found in the under £500 section of this article), the latest Olympus PEN E-P3 has a lot of video control on offer.</div>
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This is the first PEN model to introduce AVCHD capture, though this doesn't directly replace the Motion JPEG capture of previous models – both options are available.</div>
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AVCHD capture uses better compression for smaller files that then need to be rendered outside of camera, whereas M-JPEG is a series of JPEG images replayed as a movie (AVI format) that can be used straight from camera.</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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The E-P3's movie capabilities have some great quirks: Full manual control means aperture, shutter and ISO options can be adjusted for absolute control. However none of these settings can be changed during capture, a significant oversight that could have stepped up the camera's capabilities considerably.</div>
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Pressing the one-touch movie button will start recording rolling, but accurate composition is flawed here as the E-P3 uses a different portion of the sensor for movie capture. This causes cropping, i.e. the original frame you thought was going to be captured will suddenly be more 'zoomed in' and lose the surrounding edge (this even occurs if set to 16:9 ratio in stills mode). Small details like this hold the E-P3 back from having a more pro-fulfilling movie mode.</div>
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Auto focus</h4>
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During recording there's the option of continuous autofocus, single autofocus (both of which can have the addition of manual override) or manual focus.</div>
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The E-P3's continuous autofocus mode is the one that particularly impresses, as it eases subjects into focus with little problems. It's a frustration that the focus point can't be moved around during capture, which becomes yet more of a misgiving when considering the E-P3's touch-sensitive screen (that's rendered useless in movie mode). It should have taken a leaf out of the Panasonic G3's book and allowed for full touchscreen focus control during capture.</div>
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Performance</h4>
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The E-P3's 20Mbps data rate should produce high quality, though compression seems a bit over the top at times – looking in detail areas reveals processed, 'fuzzy' edges. A lower 'Normal' compression option is also available as a further space-saving option.</div>
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Sound is captured via the on-board stereo microphone, though wind noise can be an issue. While it's possible to employ an external microphone the Olympus-only Accessory Port means there's only one current microphone (SEMA-1) available. A standard 3.5mm fitting for third party microphones would have made more sense and opened the camera up to an even wider audience.</div>
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Overall the E-P3 improves capture options from previous models but fails to iron out small details that would have taken this good camera to levels of greatness.</div>
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Key video specifications</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>£799 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Micro Four Thirds (2x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Screen:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>3in, 610k-dot, OLED touschsreen<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080i capture (1920x1080px) maximum resolution<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>60i (output as 30fps)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>AVCHD or Motion JPEG recording<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Full Manual and Auto shooting options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Continuous (AF-C), Single (AF-S) with Manual Focus override available<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>HDMI-C and mini-USB AV out ports, accessory port for Olympus SEMA-1 microphone</div>
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<img alt="Pentax k-5" mce_src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Pentax%20K-5/k-5%203-420-90.jpg" src="http://mos.futurenet.com/techradar/Review%20images/PhotoRadar/Pentax%20K-5/k-5%203-420-90.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="420" /></div>
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Pentax's K-5 is the company's most able video-shooting DSLR, capable of capturing Full HD 1080p clips at 25fps in the Motion JEPG (AVI) format.</div>
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Although the K-5's body is rugged and weather-sealed, which makes it hard wearing and ideal for use in sandy or rainy conditions, there aren't too many movie-based perks for the videographer.</div>
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Auto focus</h4>
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The main thing lacking from the K-5 is that there's no autofocus available during video capture – instead it's only possible to predetermine the focal point and then commence recording after.</div>
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When attaining focus prior to capture, the K-5's focus system, as per its live view operation, is very quick and will zoom in to the image (to actual size to ensure accurate focus is made).</div>
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Manual focus is also available, but this isn't always practical as assessing focal distance isn't easy to judge using a DSLR. It's made more tricky by the K-5's lack of a manual focus assist (to show the image zoomed in to actual size on screen for more accurate focusing).</div>
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Exposure</h4>
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The K-5 makes up for its AF shortfall elsewhere by the provision of Aperture Priority exposure control (though the aperture can only be set prior to recording) and the inclusion of a 3.5mm mic jack to connect an external microphone.</div>
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Exposure compensation and exposure lock are available during capture for more critical exposure decisions, as in Aperture Priority mode the camera auto-adjusts the exposure level.</div>
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Other fun options include 'Cross Processing' and Digital Filter modes that can also be applied to videos to add an 'arty' edge (but once they're applied there's no way of removing the final effect).</div>
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Performance</h4>
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The K-5's final movie quality is very good, though there are some signs of grain in shadow areas. The rendered AVI files are also huge, with a minute of footage eating up some 430MB of space (though this is why the quality is high). A three-tiered compression option accessible via the main menu means file size can be reduced by compromising further on quality should you need the extra space. Sound-wise it's mono recording only, which is of adequate quality, though not a match for straightforward stereo sound.</div>
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Key video specs</h4>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Approx price:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>£930 with 18-55mm kit lens<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Sensor:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>APS-C sized (1.5x magnification)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">LCD screen:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>3in, 921k-dot<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Maximum resolution:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>1080p capture (1920x1080px)<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Frame rate:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>25fps<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Compression:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Motion JPEG and mono sound<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">File format:</span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>AVI file format<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Exposure modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Programme and Aperture Priority shooting options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Focus modes:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Fixed pre-focus only and Manual (MF) focus options<br style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; line-height: 1.5;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" mce_name="strong" mce_style="font-weight: bold;" style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia,'Bitstream Charter',serif; font-weight: bold; line-height: 1.5;">Connectivity:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>HDMI-C and mini-USB AV out ports, 3.5mm jack for external microphones</div>
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As the price bracket increases so does the expectation for more features and greater control over video making, though this won't be realised in every purchase.</div>
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Despite the Pentax K-5 being the most expensive of the cameras on test in this price bracket, it's the only camera that doesn't offer any autofocus ability for its movie mode. While, arguably, some of the other cameras' autofocus modes aren't of pratical use, and therefore obsolete, this is certainly an area Pentax needs to see some progression in. The AVI files are good quality, but the file sizes are huge and this just isn't going to cut it for more pro-grade applications either.</div>
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The other two remaining DSLRs – the Nikon D5100 and Canon 600D – are very similar on paper and have some great features, but are quite different beasts.</div>
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The vari-angle screens of both cameras are very practical for movie shooting and the 3.5mm mic jack of each model means external microphones can be connected for sound recording. The D5100's continuous autofocus is a step in the right direction, but it's not fast enough to deal with all subjects and the video files are a little 'choppy' rather than 'cinematic' in playback.</div>
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Although the Canon 600D's files may look the better of the pair, its single autofocus system is no better than that found in the Canon EOS 1100D, which mis-focuses by such a margin that it's next to useless (this could explain why Pentax avoids implementing such a system in the K-5).</div>
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Then things step up a notch.</div>
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The E-PL3's movie capture abilities are great, there's full manual control and the continuous autofocus is fantastic too. The letdown is in the final quality however, which lacks the sharpness and clarity of its peers due to over-processing. But still a very strong effort that's a breeze to use.</div>
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The Sony Alpha A55 also puts in a sterling effort. Its continuous autofocus is very, very fast and equally as accurate, which allows for swift focusing between a variety of subjects. However the A55's main autofocus strength is also its main 'weakness' in other regards: as the camera can only autofocus to the centre-point of the screen there's a lack of control; no single autofocus features; nor are there manual controls. But it is the cheapest one of the bunch here, and for that it's a grand performer that's far faster than anything else out there.</div>
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At the top of the tree is Panasonic's G3. For the snap-happy consumer crowd this camera has (almost) everything you could need. Final quality is great, the touchscreen is fantastic for changing focus points during capture (something the Olympus E-P3 failed to address), the continuous autofocus is very smooth as is the ability to track moving subjects. I</div>
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t may not be quite as swift as the Sony A55, its 2.5mm mic jack is annoying and there's no full manual control. But what you do get, however, is a device that's small, affordable, endlessly useable and will appeal to the wider masses that want good video capture and controls right at their fingertips.</div>
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Buying Guide: Best DSLRs for video: £500-£1000

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