NIKON and Canon Vixia

The Nikon D60 is a compact 10.2 MP DSLR but also much larger than the typical point and shoot cameras.Unlike some of the higher end DSLRs, it isn't heavy at all.The kit comes with a 18-55 mm VR zoom lens which is more or less the equivalent of a 3x optical zoom lens on a point-and -shoot camera.The camera performs flawlessly-switching between menus is quick and prompt.Firing a trigger immediately clicks a photo-hardly any delay as compared to point and shoot cameras.Information and help is available at every step in the menu.Set the D60 to auto and just about anyone can use it.
The image quality is great-photos turn out crisp and color reproduction is also pretty good.There is hardly any visible grain with the ISO level at the 100 and 200.The various modes-aperture priority,shutter speed priority and program mode work well.In addition to JPEG,the camera also shoots in RAW so quality is maintained.Even though the D60 uses a CCD instead of a CMOS sensor, there is a still significant difference in the quality between a D60 and a P &S.The D60, like most DSLRs is filled to the brim with features.The D60 gives you the control over each and every component of the camera.There are also the typical presets for different lighting scenarios to keep things simpler.The interface has been designed to be as simple as on a point-and-shoot.For example,the shutter speed and aperture size are displayed in real life like illustrations that update in real time when you point it at an object.
The camera runs on SD and SDHC memory cards and it is powered by a Liion battery.The flash is fairly powerful.Being a DSLR a horseshoe is available so you can mount additional flashes to it.
D-SLRs may be great to learn photography and take professional shots but it isn't something practical for everyday use.Set everything to Auto and you are down to a camera that behaves like any other P&S.If you want to get into serious photography after having used a P &Sfor a while then a beginner DSlR like a D60 is definitely worth considering.The menus and icons in the camera make it very easy to use but it will take a while before those used to point and shoots are familiar with all of its features.
The D60 kit is priced around around Rs.35,950 making it too expensive for a beginner.In terms of specs and performance there is hardly any difference between a D60 and a D40-X -or even a D40 for that matter.We expected something closer to the D80 but it isn't just.In the past few months,the D40X was even selling as low as Rs.27,000.Prices seem to have inflated a bit since then.Still,DSLRs selling at reasonable prices are a good sign and there is definitely a slowly growing market for budding photography enthusiasts.
Specifications:10.2 MP CCD Sensor Size :23.6*15.8 mm,Maximum resolution:3872*2592,Lens:18-55mm,2.5-inch 230,000 pixel LCD screen
Dimensions:126*94*64 mm, weight 495 g

Canon VIXIA HG10
The Canon HG10 is one of the few high definition camcorders to run on a hard-drive-40Gb, to be precise.The design is attractive and it looks a lot like most tape and optical disc-based camcorders.Although slightly heavy the HG10 is quite comfortable to hold and use for long periods.The HG10 records videos at a maximum resolution of 1440*1080.When it comes to performance it does a decent job.It has a good zoom lens that goes up to 10*.There is little grain in bright areas and very fine grain in the dark areas.The frame rate is stable all throughout the video recording and exposure meter works rather well.It is easy to go from a low light to dark areas without a sudden jolt in exposures.There is also a powerful light that can be used in total darkness.The user interface is colorful and most of the controls for it are on the LCD screen.Movies and files can be copied and moved out freely without the need of bulky software.The camera uses a kind of AVC standard -AVCHD to record movies so any media player capable of playing H.264 content can play them-VLC or media player classic with ffdshow.At Rs.89,995 it is a very costly camcorder for a home user to buy or even consider.
Specifications
1/2.7-inch CMOS Sensor,10* optical zoom,still photo resolution:2048*1536(3.1 MP),40 GB hard drive.

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