Pentax K-30 review

Pentax has produced a string of superb consumer SLRs in recent years, and the K-30 raises the bar yet again. Its price puts it in direct competition with the Canon EOS 650D, but various features position it closer to more expensive cameras such as the Canon EOS 60D. The viewfinder uses a pentaprism rather than a pentamirror for a brighter view, and the 0.92x magnification and 100 per cent field of view are bigger than any other optical viewfinder at this price. It's hard to exaggerate how much of a difference this makes – it's like upgrading from a 19in to a 24in monitor. That's us pretty much sold already, but it gets better. These...

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Canon PowerShot SX50 HS review

Ultra-zoom cameras are incredibly versatile, taking wide-angle, telephoto and macro photography in their stride. The best models cope well in low light too. Last year's Canon SX40 HS led the field for image quality, particularly in low light, but narrowly missed out on an award because of its trundling performance. This year's SX50 HS ups the ante with a record-breaking 50x zoom lens – the biggest ever to grace a stills camera. More importantly to us, it's also significantly faster in general use, taking 1.8 seconds between shots. That's a big improvement on the SX40 HS's 2.8 seconds but still a long way off 0.6 seconds of the Panasonic...

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Nikon D600 review

A full-frame SLR is something most amateur photographers quietly dream about. With massive viewfinders, professional-grade controls and sumptuous image quality, it's easy to see why they cost four times as much as consumer SLRs. However, there aren't many amateur photographers who can blow over £2,000 on a camera. The dream becomes a little more real with the arrival of the D600. Currently available for £1,500, it's the cheapest full-frame digital SLR to date. However, the similar Canon EOS 6D is arriving imminently and the more upmarket D800 has already been discounted to £1,920 at Amazon. This is an exciting time to be on the market...

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Nikon 1 J2 review

In an age of me-too electronic gadgets, it's great to find some genuine diversity among compact system cameras (CSCs). The Sony NEX range leads the pack for low noise, Olympus and Panasonic offer fast performance and the biggest choice of lenses, while Samsung NX cameras excel for image detail and Wi-Fi functions. The Nikon 1 system's niche is harder to define. As with last year's Nikon J1, the J2 scores highly for style and it keeps the controls simple to avoid intimidating casual users, but these are hardly unique traits. Meanwhile, Nikon makes a big deal about these cameras' performance, but its 1.4-second shot-to-shot time is...

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Fujifilm FinePix F800EXR review

We're big fans of Fujifilm's EXR series of cameras, and all the more so since they sprouted ultra-zoom lenses. The competition is catching up for image quality in low light, though. While the budget Fujifilm Finepix F660EXR earned itself a five-star review, the Fujifilm Finepix F770EXR couldn't match the all-round appeal of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ25. Fujifilm has just one new model this time around, but with features taken from the F770EXR and a price that has already been discounted to around £230, it looks like a promising pocket ultra-zoom. The F800EXR includes Wi-Fi – a first for a Fujifilm camera. With the help of accompanying...

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH3 review

The Panasonic GH3 is the company's latest flagship Micro Four Thirds camera, and it's much more than a revamped Panasonic GH2. With its larger, weather-sealed magnesium alloy body, vast array of buttons and dials, optional battery grip, PC sync socket for triggering external flashes and four-figure body-only price, it's aimed at a more demanding user than any compact system camera (CSC) that has gone before it. Buy it with the new 12-35mm f/2.8 weather-sealed lens and it will set you back £1,995 including VAT. That's more than the magnificent Nikon D600 costs with its kit lens. Is the GH3, with a sensor that's just a quarter the size...

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Canon PowerShot G15 review

Now that compact system cameras (CSCs) are available for as little as £350, is anyone going to buy a conventional compact camera that costs over £500? Canon clearly thinks so, but then, the G15 doesn't bear much resemblance to most compact cameras. It's built around a 1/1.7in sensor – smaller than CSC sensors but bigger than the ones used in most other compacts. It sits behind a wide-aperture lens, at f/1.8 for wide-angle shots and f/2.8 for telephoto. Together, the sensor size and wide-aperture lens are a potent combination for maintaining high image quality in low light. The G15 isn't the only camera with this combination of sensor...

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Samsung EX2F review

When we're contemplating paying a lot of money for a premium product, we don't want to be forced to make compromises. With that in mind, the EX2F looks promising. Its oversized 1/1.7in sensor distinguishes from cheaper cameras, and its f/1.4 lens is as bright as you'll find on a compact camera. There's comprehensive manual control, 10fps continuous shooting, a hotshoe for an external flashgun, a 3in fully articulated screen and integrated Wi-Fi. No other compact camera can match this line-up of features. The models that come close are a capable bunch, though, including the Fujifilm X10 with its sumptuous image quality and the Panasonic...

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Canon PowerShot S110 review

The S110 is part of an elite group of compact cameras with oversized sensors, wide-aperture lenses and manual controls. They're designed to appeal to keen photographers who want something that's more portable and discrete than an SLR but more capable than a budget compact camera. However, these people are increasingly turning to compact system cameras (CSCs), which offer genuine SLR quality in borderline-pocket-sized forms. It looks like Canon has found another group of people to target the S110 at; with so many people carrying smartphones everywhere they go, a dedicated camera needs to offer a significant jump in quality in order...

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Samsung Galaxy Camera review

Samsung's cameras are often highly innovative, but the Samsung Galaxy Camera is by far the most ground-breaking example we've seen in a long time. It's essentially an Android smartphone that's equipped with a substantial 21x zoom lens and a 16-megapixel 1/2.3in sensor. It's well specified as a smartphone, with a 4.8in, 1280x720-pixel LCD, quad-core 1.4GHz processor, 3G, Wi-Fi and GPS. It runs Android 4.1, with full access to the Google Play app store. You can use this camera to check emails, update your Facebook status and listen to Spotify – there's even a headphone socket. It can't take calls, though. Perhaps that's because holding...

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Sony NEX-5R review

The Sony NEX-5R replaces the award-winning Sony NEX-5N - one of our top recommendations throughout 2012, thanks to its svelte magnesium alloy body and stunning photo and video quality. The outgoing 5N has had some strong competition to contend with, though. No other CSC at this price has beaten it for photo quality but the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX1 bettered it for performance, hands-on control and the quality and choice of compatible lenses. The new Sony NEX-5R addresses many of the 5N's weaknesses without diminishing any of its strengths. There's a new Function button and command dial for quicker access to photographic settings. Pressing...

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LG Optimus 4X HD review

LG’s Optimus 4X HD is the company’s new flagship handset, and it’s certainly not messing around with the specifications. There’s a 4.7in 1,280x720 IPS screen, an Nvidia Tegra 3 chipset with a 1.5GHz quad-core processor and an eight-megapixel camera with a backlit sensor. This puts it up against top-of-the-range phones – such as the HTC One X and award-winning Samsung Galaxy S3. The 4X HD doesn’t look as fancy as the One X and S3; instead of a curved screen and rounded pebble shape you get a more standard rounded rectangle. It’s easy to maintain a solid hold on the phone thanks to a textured back, and two parallel chromed plastic ridges...

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Sony Xperia T review

Considering it's the phone 007 will be using in Skyfall later this year, it should come as no surprise that the Xperia T is a high-end smartphone that's packed with features. It’s a formidable high-end device on paper, with a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, 4.6in HD display and 13-megapixel camera, but specifications alone won't be enough to give Sony the all-conquering handset it has been seeking since buying out Ericsson earlier in the year. Rejecting the angular lines seen in the Sony Xperia S, the Xperia T instead opts for a more textured rear and curved edges. These help it sit comfortably in your hand, despite the phone’s size and ...

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Nokia Lumia 820 review

The Lumia 820 is Nokia's mid-range Windows 8 phone for this year, coming a rung down from the range-topping Lumia 920. It's still a top-specification handset, though. You get an AMOLED screen, 4G connectivity and Microsoft's latest mobile operating system - Windows Phone 8. The Lumia 820 differs significantly from the 920 in terms of design. Instead of the Lumia 920's unibody and convex screen, you get a more traditional flat screen and pop-off rear cover, under which you'll find the battery, SIM and microSD card slots. The memory card slot is interesting; this is the first Windows Phone handset we've seen with expandable memory....

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HTC Desire X review

While HTC's Desire brand was originally attached to premium smartphones, these days Desire-branded handsets have a distinctly mid-range feel. The Desire X inhabits the crowded sub-£200 SIM-free market, so we were interested to see how it would stand out. First impressions are, thankfully, good. The Desire X is a smart phone. It's slim and light with a pleasing curved shape, and our review model was the classy white and silver version. We didn't like bending and prying the rear cover off to fit the SIM card and microSD, but it's not like you have to open your phone very often. We were impressed with the Desire X's screen. It's...

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Apple iPhone 5 review

Updated: Now includes Google Maps, and 4G speed test and quality testing There's a very simple way to describe the Apple iPhone 5: thinner, lighter and a bit taller than the iPhone 4S. While that gets across the general look of the phone, it rather underestimates what's gone into the design to achieve this. SIZE AND WEIGHT For starters, Apple has managed to shave 1.4mm of the thickness of its previous phone. When you compare them side-by-side, what Apple has done is immediately obvious. While the iPhone 4S' screen and back bulged out from the side, the iPhone 5 has a flush back, while the screen is barely raised at all. There's no...

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