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Sigma has been doling out bits and pieces of information about its new DP2 camera since last fall, but it’s just now letting folks use it to actually take some pictures and, judging from LetsGoDigital’s results, it doesn’t look to disappoint. Of course, the camera is still in pre-production form, but LetsGoDigital certainly seems to be plenty impressed with its abilities so far, with the “Super Multi-Layer Coating” on the lens helping to reduce lens flare, while the 41mm f/2.8 lens and 14-megapixel FOVEON X3 image sensor combine to deliver some great depth of field. Hit up the link below for some full-size sample images, plus another hands-on look at the camera itself.

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While we still prefer the Micro Four Thirds approach (we love lens selection, so sue us), Samsung’s conceptual NX Series is still looking pretty boss for those needing a true (or close to true) point-and-shoot frame. Announced here at PMA, this new “hybrid” camera maintains the slim stature of a standard pocket cam, yet includes an APS-C sized image sensor that is traditionally found on DSLRs. In layman’s terms, that means this camera will boast a larger surface area “to gather light and produce higher-quality images than comparable digital camera systems.” In order to keep things thin, the electronic viewfinder (EVF) replaces the DSLR mirror box, but details beyond that are scant. The good news, however, is that Sammy plans to commercialize the NX line and have ‘em shipping by the second half of this year. Is the P&S-DSLR gap finally being bridged? Guess we’ll find out (not so) soon enough; per usual, the full release is just after the break.

Update: It looks like the NX-series does have interchangeable lenses — a press shot we just received shows what look to be a couple different zooms.
Gallery: Samsung’s hybrid NX Series camera: point-and-shoot with DSLR-like image sensor

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Olympus just joined the pre-PMA pileup with the announcement of its E-620 DSLR for entry-level enthusiasts. The E-620 is a mash-up of Olympus’ semi-pro E-30 and entry-level E-520 in a compact body approaching Oly’s own E-420 (the world’s smallest DSLR when launched). The resulting cam brings a 12.3 megapixel Live MOS image sensor with sensor-shift image stabilization, 7-point AF, TruePic III image processor, built-in wireless flash controller, and a fully articulating, 2.7-inch tilt-and-swivel live-view LCD. It also features Olympus’ Art Filters which take in-camera image enhancements a bit beyond sepia. Expect the E-620 body to ship in May for about $700; $800 with the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 lens. Front-side front after the break.

Read — Press release
Read — DP Review preview
Read — DigitalCameraInfo first impression

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Canon’s Live View implementation may not be a deal-breaker for most DSLR users, but there’s certainly plenty of room for improvement, and a recent Canon patent application suggests that the company could possibly be aiming to do just that. The short of it is that the company seems to have found a way to overcome the inherent problems of employing so-called phase-difference autofocus in Live View, which is caused in part by the physical limitations of the mirror and the AF sensor (hit up the read link for some more background). Canon’s solution, it seems, is to place the phase-difference AF sensor below the image sensor instead of above it, and make use of a semi-transparent mirror that’d allow for simultaneous transfer of light to the image sensor and the AF sensor. The average user would see the changes in the form of three new shooting modes, including a Standard Viewfinder Mode, a Fast AF Live View Mode, and a Full Live View mode, which each shift the position of the mirrors for the task at hand. What’s more, while the patent application doesn’t address it specifically, it would seem that this same method could also bring autofocus to DSLR video or, at the very least, video recorded via Live View.

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JVC’s busting out a veritable plethora of camcorders today, with three in particular catching our eyes. The 60GB GZ-HD300, 120GB GZ-HD320 and the dual SD slot-packin’ GZ-HM200 all record in Full HD and feature a 3.05 megapixel CMOS image sensor. If you’re into the SD gig, it has five other models within the Everio G series and Everio S series, and the whole family will include a One Touch Export function that enables videos to be imported into iTunes and loaded directly onto an iPod / iPhone. Expect ‘em all to be available by March at the latest for between $299.95 and $799.95.