Lexar has recently achieved a notable accomplishment, securing seven Red Dot Awards in 2024 for Innovative Design and Excellence. The awards, presented at the Aalto Theater Opera House, honour Lexar’s product design and innovation across various categories, including their Workflow series, portable SSDs, memory, vehicle-mounted DVR USB flash drives, and a cardholder.
The Red Dot Awards, established in the 1950s and often likened to the “Oscars of Product Design,” recognize exceptional product design. An independent panel of experts, known as the Red Dot Jury, evaluates and selects winners based on their design achievements and innovations.
Fissal Oubida, General Manager of Lexar Co. Ltd, expressed the company’s gratitude for the recognition, highlighting the dedication and hard work of their team. Oubida emphasized Lexar’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of technology and design, consistently delivering products that meet the evolving needs of customers.
The award-winning products include the Lexar SL500 Portable SSD with Magnetic Set, Lexar ARMOR 700 Portable SSD, Lexar ARES RGB DDR5 Desktop Memory, Lexar Professional Workflow, Lexar Professional Workflow Go, Lexar Vehicle Mounted DVR USB Flash Drive C50V/A50V, and the Lexar C700 Card Holder.
These awards underscore Lexar’s commitment to innovation and excellence, reinforcing its position as a leader in the industry dedicated to providing advanced solutions to meet customer demands.
Canon India has announced the appointment of Mr. Toshiaki Nomura as the new President & CEO of Canon India, effective from 1st July, 2024
Mr. Nomura brings a wealth of experience to his new role, having been associated with Canon since 1999. Prior to this appointment, he played a pivotal role in leading Canon’s Business Imaging Solution (BIS) Division in the Canon Southeast & South Asia Region, where his strategic guidance led to significant and sustainable growth.
Expressing his enthusiasm for the new role, Mr. Nomura said, “India’s vibrant and dynamic market offers immense potential, and Canon India is at an exciting stage in its growth journey. By harnessing these opportunities and expanding into new segments, I am thrilled and honoured to lead the company through this transformative phase and collaborate with my talented team. Along with continuing our focus on strengthening core businesses of imaging and printing, I am particularly excited about contributing to the development of new businesses such as surveillance, business solutions, and industrial printing. By deeply understanding and addressing the unique requirements of the Indian market, it will be my endeavour to ensure our customers are consistently delighted with our high-quality products and services.”
Mr. Nomura’s extensive experience and strategic vision have been key drivers of growth and innovation in his previous roles. With him at the helm of Canon India’s operations, the company aims to continue its upward growth trajectory by aggressively expanding into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, developing new business segments, and strengthening its brand presence across the nation. Canon India remains committed to its mission of ‘Delighting customers always’ by contributing to Indian society and the economy through business innovations and community-centric initiatives.
In this video we conduct a speed test between the Vivo X Fold3 Pro and OnePlus Open. Both the foldable phones are the flagship products from Vivo and OnePlus and also feature the latest specs in the Android OS.
We put them through different tasks to see if they work well and also see how the processors are cycling to reveal who the winner is?
Fujifilm India has recently unveiled its latest innovation in the instax series, the instax mini SE, in a grand event featuring Bollywood star and Fujifilm India instax Brand Ambassador Kriti Sanon. The launch event, held in Mumbai, was attended by Mr. Koji Wada, Managing Director of Fujifilm India, and Mr. Arun Babu, Associate Director & Head of Digital Camera, Instax & Optical Devices Business at Fujifilm India.
Kriti Sanon’s association with the brand brings a fresh and dynamic energy, resonating well with the target audience. “I am thrilled to be a part of the Instax family,” Sanon expressed. “The instax mini SE is not just a camera; it’s a way to create and cherish memories instantly. Whether you’re at a party, travelling, or just hanging out with friends, the instax mini SE captures those special moments beautifully. It’s truly a must-have for anyone who loves capturing life’s moments in a fun and unique way.”
Mr. Koji Wada highlighted the brand’s commitment to innovation and customer satisfaction: “At Fujifilm India, our constant endeavour is to stand in line with our Group Purpose of ‘Giving Our World More Smiles.’ The addition to the INSTAX product line and the collaboration with Kriti Sanon marks an exciting chapter for INSTAX. As we progress towards completing 100 years in the upcoming decade, we strive to bring products that bring More Smiles.”
Echoing these sentiments, Mr. Arun Babu added, “The instax mini SE embodies our commitment to innovation and style. Kriti’s enthusiasm for capturing life’s moments mirrors our own, and her endorsement will undoubtedly enhance the appeal of the instax mini SE to a broader audience.”
The instax mini SE is designed with modern consumers in mind, offering instant prints with enhanced features such as brightness control and a sleek design. It will be available in green, blue, pink, purple, and light grey, with combo packs of 10 and 40 shots. The “mini SE Fun Pack” with 10 shots is priced at ₹8,499, and the “mini SE Joy Pack” with 40 shots at ₹9,999. The camera uses Fujifilm instax “mini” format films, developing in about 90 seconds, and features a 0.4x viewfinder for easy framing, a 60 mm focal length lens, and a 1/60 second shutter speed.
Nikon India Private Limited has unveiled the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4, a new addition to its lens lineup aimed at enhancing creative possibilities for photography and videography enthusiasts. Positioned as a versatile wide-angle prime lens, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 features a fast aperture of f/1.4, promising excellent low-light performance and the ability to create soft, appealing background blur.
Designed with videography in mind, the lens incorporates features such as a stepping motor for smooth and silent autofocus operation, minimizing operational noise during quiet shooting environments. It maintains a consistent angle of view while focusing, delivering natural-looking images without noticeable focus breathing. This makes it suitable for capturing cinematic moments with enhanced clarity and depth.
The lens also boasts a compact and portable design, measuring approximately 74.5 x 86.5 mm and weighing about 415 g, making it convenient for extended shooting sessions and well-suited for use with gimbals. It includes dust and drip resistance features, safeguarding it against environmental elements during outdoor use.
Expected to be available by the third week of July 2024, the NIKKOR Z 35mm f/1.4 will be priced at ₹89,995 across Nikon outlets in India, expanding options for photographers and videographers seeking advanced optical performance and creative flexibility in their imaging pursuits.
Nikon has recently launched the Z6 III in India, featuring a 24.5-megapixel partially stacked CMOS sensor. This release marks a significant advancement in camera technology, distinguishing it from its predecessors and higher-end models. The camera is priced at ₹2,47,990 for the body only.
The Z6 III’s sensor architecture is unique, with components arranged as bars at the top and bottom of the pixel area, rather than across the entire sensor. This partially stacked design enhances processing speeds up to 3.5 times faster than the Z6 II’s traditional BSI CMOS sensor, leading to notable improvements in continuous shooting, autofocus, video frame rates, and rolling shutter effects.
In terms of viewfinder, the Z6 III features an exceptionally bright electronic viewfinder (EVF) capable of up to 4,000 nits, enhancing visibility in various lighting conditions. Video capabilities are also a highlight, with the camera supporting 6K RAW recording at up to 60fps and 4K RAW at up to 120fps. Nikon reports a 20% increase in autofocus speed compared to the Z6 II, along with extended sensitivity down to -10EV for better low-light performance. The ISO range reaches up to 51,200 for videos and 64,000 for photos, accommodating detailed imaging in dim conditions.
The Z6 III includes an advanced in-camera Vibration Reduction (VR) system, achieving an 8.0-stop stabilization. This system also features focus point VR, reducing blurring around the edges and aiding in subject framing. The camera is built with robust materials, combining Sereebo P series carbon fibre and magnesium alloy, and is designed to withstand challenging environments. It offers dust and moisture sealing and can operate at temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius.
Set to be available by the end of June 2024, the Nikon Z6 III will be sold across Nikon outlets in India. This camera, with its innovative sensor design and advanced features, aims to attract both professional photographers and enthusiasts seeking high performance.
Vivo recently launched their first foldable phone in India, the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro. This is also the third foldable phone to enter the Indian market after Samsung and OnePlus, indicating that these types of phones in the premium segment are becoming popular with consumers. The OnePlus Open was also reviewed, and the appeal of these phones is not only their larger screen but also their impressive camera setups. The Vivo X Fold 3 Pro, co-developed with Zeiss like most of Vivo’s other flagships, will have its cameras tested in this review.
The unit received is in celestial black with specs of 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage capacity and is priced at ₹1,59,999 in India.
First things first, upon holding the phone, it feels remarkably light, thin, and slim, weighing just 236 g without the cover. Despite its lightness and slim profile, the grip is not very satisfying, though it may improve with continued use.
The camera module at the back lacks the fancy design of the OnePlus Open. It features a black circular module that Vivo calls Big Eye, designed to resemble a luxury watch. However, it mostly appears as a simple circular module, with some interesting details like the outer metal ring, but not much visibility within the module itself.
Specifications:
50 MP Main Camera with an f/1.68 lens and OIS
50 MP Ultra-Wide sensor
64 MP Telephoto Sensor with 3x optical zoom
Both inner and outer screen have 32-MP Selfie Cameras with f/2.4 apertures
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Processor
V3 Chip
Daylight Main Camera
The main camera of the Vivo comes with a 50-MP camera featuring an OmniVision OV50H sensor. It shoots at an actual resolution of 12.5 MP.
Images were shot in the Zeiss natural setting, and in most cases, the phone delivers pretty good images. It is able to produce sharp and crisp images. However, upon zooming in, the picture clarity isn’t the best compared to most cameras available today. Generally, it recognizes the scene well, but sometimes it tends to oversaturate or over sharpen the pictures. When the picture is oversaturated, it doesn’t sharpen the image, but when providing the actual scene, it tends to over sharpen, occasionally resulting in slightly underexposed images.
One observation while using the camera is that sometimes the screen display does not match the actual output. The final picture might be much better than what is shown, which can be misleading to the user. This might be considered nit-picking in most cases, and a regular viewer might not even notice such tiny details. However, these discrepancies can create doubt in the consumer’s mind.
Overall, the camera is decent in this case.
Daylight Wide Camera
The phone offers a 50-MP sensor with the wide camera, utilizing the Samsung JN1 sensor. The actual resolution of the wide camera exceeds that of the main camera at 13.8 pixels, and this difference is noticeable when zooming in on performance. There is increased clarity in the images when zoomed in, though, similar to widest lenses, significant zooming introduces a lot of noise.
In terms of overall image quality, the pictures are comparable to those taken with the main camera. They are pleasing to the eye, with the phone accurately recognizing scenes, though it sometimes oversaturates the pictures. Some distortion is also present in the images; for instance, in a picture of a car, the vehicle appears more stretched and wider than usual.
Daylight Telephoto
In the telephoto camera, the phone uses the 64-MP Omni Vision camera which comes with the OV64B sensor. This sensor has become quite popular in the industry, with OnePlus making it their go-to sensor for the telephoto lens. In previous reviews, this sensor was mentioned as one of the best telephoto sensors in the industry currently. The fact that more and more brands are using it indicates its success.
An interesting aspect of the telephoto category is that Vivo provides output at different actual pixels at different focal ranges. At 2x, it gives an output of 14.3 MP, and at 3x optical zoom and above, it provides an output of 18.2 MP. The performance of the camera is impressive. It is sharp, detailed, provides good output, and is definitely worth using.
However, there is a need to discuss this sensor further. Despite its quality, it has a challenge with the output it gives. There is a visible change in the colours of the image as one moves through the focal range, suggesting that this might be more of a hardware issue with the OV64B sensor rather than with the phones themselves. This issue has also been observed in OnePlus devices, initially thought to be fixable through software updates, but this has not happened. At the highest focal ranges, there is also noticeable colour fringing if a picture is taken at 100x.
Lowlight Main Camera
In low light, the camera demonstrates excellent performance. It accurately recognizes scenes and delivers a warm, saturated, and visually pleasing output. Even when zoomed in, its performance remains decent, with commendable handling of shadows and highlights.
Lowlight Wide Camera
In the wide category, the images appear satisfactory at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes apparent that the performance is below average. The images exhibit noticeable noise and significant distortion. Despite these drawbacks, the camera manages to maintain a commendable tonal range in the pictures, which is a positive aspect worth noting.
Lowlight TelephotoCamera
Much like its daylight performance, the camera excels in low light as well, delivering sharp, well-saturated images. The performance in this category was impressive.
Portraits
In portraits, the phone offers the option to shoot with 5 different focal ranges. This feature is beneficial for consumers, as Vivo now integrates it directly into portrait mode. In some phones, such as those with Leica lenses, Vivo has included similar options, which can be confusing for users. However, Vivo portraits generally exhibit warmth, saturation, sharpness, and overall good quality. Edge detection is reliable, even in backlit environments. The phone performs well in both daylight and lowlight conditions, excelling in bokeh performance, particularly in lowlight situations.
However, a notable drawback is that the camera tends to alter colours from the actual scene, especially evident in images shot at higher focal ranges. Additionally, despite settings indicating otherwise, skin smoothing is noticeable in photos.
Front Camera
Now, users have the option to utilize the back cameras for selfies, although the phone offers dual 32-MP front cameras for capturing pictures.
One notable observation about this phone is the significant disparity between what is displayed on the screen and the actual output, particularly with the front camera. The phone’s screen gives the impression of viewing images in 720p resolution, whereas the actual output is in HD quality. While zooming in reveals sharp details, selfies generally appear decent in most cases.
Video Performance
In terms of video, the phone allows users to shoot in 8k up to 30 fps and 4k up to 60 fps. One notable feature is the ability to shoot using all four focal ranges for video. However, when using the ultra-stabilization mode, the resolution drops to 1080p. Overall, the video output is good, with fast focusing and effective stabilization. The audio quality is also satisfactory, making it suitable for vlogging and similar uses.
Conclusion
So what do we think about the Vivo Fold 3 Pro Cameras, there are several aspects that stand out positively. The camera system delivers sharp, detailed output in both daylight and low-light conditions, which I find quite appealing. While there are areas where the cameras could be improved, this is common across most products. It’s worth noting that the market for foldable phones is growing, although it’s still relatively small. As for the price, at ₹1,59,999, it feels a bit high for a foldable phone in India. However, for anyone interested in a foldable phone with a strong camera, this could be a compelling choice.
Sony India has unveiled its latest additions to the microphone realm with the introduction of the ECM-W3 and ECM-W3S wireless microphones. Designed to redefine portability in content creation, these new offerings from Sony emphasize high-quality sound capture coupled with a lightweight build.
Featuring a two-channel receiver and two microphones, the ECM-W3, along with its counterpart, the ECM-W3S with a one-channel receiver and one microphone, cater to the diverse needs of video content creators. From Vlogs to interviews, these microphones facilitate superior audio recording, even in scenarios where the subject is distant from the camera. The ECM-W3 excels in interview settings and one-on-one conversations, while the ECM-W3S is optimized for vloggers and content creators, delivering natural and clear sound reproduction. Both microphones boast exceptional sound pickup capabilities while effectively reducing ambient noise, ensuring a pristine recording environment.
In terms of connectivity, the ECM-W3 and ECM-W3S offer versatility through Multi-Interface (MI) Shoe compatibility with Sony cameras, USB Type-C terminal, and a 3.5mm audio output. This broad compatibility extends to various devices such as cameras, smartphones, and PCs, enhancing convenience for users across different platforms. Compact and lightweight, these microphones prioritize portability without compromising on durability. Dustproof and moisture-proof design features make them suitable for outdoor usage, while the inclusion of a charging case ensures hassle-free charging on the go.
The ECM-W3 and ECM-W3S are priced at ₹39,990 and ₹32,990 respectively, and will be available across all Sony Centres, Alpha Flagship stores, Sony authorized dealers, e-commerce platforms, and major electronic stores in India starting from May 30th, 2024.
