photokina2012

Hands-on with the Samsung Galaxy Camera, the Voiceless Phonecamera

Played around with the new Samsung Galaxy Camera very briefly at Photokina last week. It's basically a camera-fied smartphone that doesn't do voice calling. It does have 3G/4G/Wi-Fi connectivity though, so it's one of the first -- if not the first -- compact camera you can add a data plan to.

The Booths of Major Camera Companies at Photokina 2012

Photokina 2012 came to an end in Cologne, Germany today. If you weren't able to make the show this year and are wondering what the show was like, we've collected some photos of the fancy booths set up by major camera makers. Hopefully they can provide you with a glimpse of how the big brands went about showing off their latest and greatest wares.

The photo above shows the gigantic photo globe found between two of the halls. Called "the world's largest photo globe", it measures over 19 feet in diameter and was created as a collaboration between companies in the Photographic Industry Association.

Be Right Back After a Brief Pause To Our Coverage of Photokina 2012

If you're wondering why PetaPixel's coverage of Photokina 2012 -- the largest photo trade show in the world -- has been so slow, here's the explanation: it isn't intentional. Getting access to the Internet over here hasn't been as easy as I would have hoped -- the Wi-Fi at the hotel I'm at has been down for two days (I hear the same is true for other hotels as well), and there isn't free public Wi-Fi at Photokina.

Olympus Unveils the E-PM2, E-PL5, and X-Z2: Two Mirrorless and a Compact

Olympus is entering Photokina week with three new cameras: the E-PM2 and E-PL5 for its PEN Micro Four Thirds lineup, and the X-Z2 as a flagship compact camera. Both PEN cameras feature a 16.1MP CMOS sensor, a max ISO of 25,600, in-body image stabilization, a 3-inch touchscreen, touch shooting, 8fps continuous shooting, photo filters, RAW files with in-camera editing, and 1080i HD video recording.

Rolleiflex Still Happily Making Analog TLR Cameras, FX-N to Debut at Photokina

Did you know that Rolleiflex is still producing its high-end analog twin-lens reflex cameras? Apparently there's enough photographers out there buying them for there to be a small, niche market, because Rollei is planning to show off a new model at Photokina 2012 next week.

The FX-N is a 6x6 medium format TLR camera that is an updated version of the Rolleiflex FX, a camera that costs over $5,000. The only difference it has with its predecessor (or sibling) is that it features a new Heidosmat 80mm f/2.8 viewfinder lens and a Rollei S-Apogon 80mm f/2.8 main lens that offer a shorter minimum focusing distance of 55 centimeters.

Photokina 2012: Follow @PetaPixel on Instagram for the Inside Scoop

I'm going to be in Cologne, Germany next week, covering the latest and greatest photo announcements at Photokina 2012. In addition to posts -- and possibly live blogs -- on this website, I'll also be sharing photographs of the products, parties, and press events through our relatively new Instagram account: @petapixel. The photo steam may also be added to the sidebar of this blog. Follow along for the inside scoop!