HTC Sensation

         This handset is only 6mm taller, a single millimeter wider, and -- at 11.3mm -- actually slightly thinner than the 4-inch HTC Incredible S. Putting aside the measuring tape and grappling with the pair confirms what those numbers suggest: the 4.3-inch Sensation is nigh indistinguishable from its more modest family mate.         HTC has gone from being an unknown manufacturer for bigger brands to one spewing out leading Android smartphones. The Desire was a landmark phone in the fight against the iPhone, but now tech has moved up a level - can the HTC Sensation stay at the sharp end?With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S2, the Motorola Atrix and (to a degree) the...

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Samsung Galaxy S II

                   The Samsung Galaxy S2 is almost impossibly thin when you pick it up – dimensions of 125.3 x 66.1 x 8.5mm mean it's one of the thinnest smartphones on the market at the moment, rivalling the likes of the iPhone 4 and Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc for the title.         We whipped out a ruler and checked, it's true. Admittedly, that measurement expands a little at the handset's bottom, where a curvy bump houses its loudspeaker, and around the camera compartment, which protrudes ever so slightly from the rest of the body, but even at its thickest point, this phone doesn't allow itself to go beyond...

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Pentax Optio RS1500

         Changeable covers may have been all the rage with mobile phones ten years ago, but, for whatever reason, the concept never really took off with compact cameras. With its latest RS1500 model, though, Pentax clearly reckons the audience for them is still there, with the camera equipped with ten changeable covers and two lens rings as standard.        The model follows Pentax's RS1000 which worked on the same principle, only the company claims that the covers may now be changed with greater ease and with no additional tools. And, should none of the ten provided quite suit the user's personality, they're invited to download further options from Pentax's...

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF3

          Panasonic's GF3 is the smallest, lightest, Micro Four Thirds compact system camera (CSC) that the company has introduced to date. In fact, it's so small that at first glance you could be forgiven for confusing this latest model with Panasonic's top-end compact camera, the LX5. Unlike the Panasonic LX5, however, the Lumix GF3 accepts interchangeable lenses and the reduction in size has, in part, been achieved by a redesign of the lens mount box.           Although it measures only 107.5 x 67.1 x 32mm, the GF3 is a little larger than the Sony NEX-C3. The NEX-C3 is the world's smallest interchangeable lens camera, but the GF3 has...

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Sony Cyber Shot DSC-HX7V

           Sony's 2011 Cyber-shot lineup has three compact megazooms in it: the high-end HX9V, the low-end H70, and, snuggled in between, the HX7V. The HX7V is essentially a beefed-up version of the H70, featuring the same lens and body size, but backed by a high-speed, 16-megapixel Exmor R backside-illuminated (BSI) CMOS sensor instead of a slower CCD sensor. That sensor among other things gives the HX7V many more shooting options, such as a Background Defocus mode to simulate a shallow depth-of-field, and creating high-resolution panoramas. And it does most everything quickly.  Specifications : Dimensions                                    ...

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Olympus PEN E-P3

           With its recent announcement of the PEN E-P3, E-PL3 (L standing for Lite) and the E-PM1 (M for Mini), however, Olympus has attempted to deal with this identity crisis as well as make a few other improvements. While sharing the same basic specs, the three new models are designed to appeal to different users. The PEN E-P3 sits at the top of the range and caters for advanced users, the E-PL3 is in the middle for those perhaps looking to upgrade from a high-end compact model, while the E-PM1 (Mini) is for photographers who want a very a compact camera that accepts interchangeable lenses.The Olympus PEN E-P3, aka The PEN or P3, will be on sale at the end of August, but the...

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Canon 7D Review

         The Canon EOS 7D is Canon's top of the range APS-C camera. Below it sit the compact forms of the 1000D, 450D and 500D, and above it the full-frame glory of the £200 more expensive EOS 5D MKII.The big difference between the 5D MKII and the 7D is inside. The 5D MKII is the cheapest of Canon's line-up to offer a full-frame sensor – the 7D has the same size image sensor as cameras such as the 500D, Nikon D5000 or Pentax K-x.          There's also a slight difference in resolution - the 5D MKII has the edge with its 21.1MP sensor, versus the 7D's 18MP APS-C CMOS.Build quality is basically indistinguishable from the 5D MKII. The body – with the exception...

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