Global e-Solutions

Thursday, 29 November 2012

BenQ has launched a new camera, the GH600, which brings a powerful 21x optical zoom at an affordable price. To make it easier while shooting at such high zoom levels, the snapper is equipped with OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) to compensate for vibrations and prevent blurry images. The 16 mp GH600 features a 25 mm wide angle lens to capture a large area. In addition to shooting faraway objects, it also claims to be able to capture subjects as close as 1 cm from the lens. It can shoot videos too, although this is restricted to 720p @ 30 fps, which is a bit disappointing as 1080p is the norm these days. Additional features include a Panorama Mode that displays visual guides on the viewfinder to take panoramic snaps, Colour Accent that lets you highlight a certain colour while subduing the others, and a LOMO Mode for the art fags. Here are the detailed specs:

Sony 16 megapixel, 1/2.3" CCD sensor.
Zoom - Optical: 21x, Digital: Up to 5x (preview), Up to 12x (playback).
Lens - Focal Length: f = 4.5 (W) - 94.5 (T) mm; F = 3.1 (W) - 5.8 (T) (f = 25-525 mm, 35 mm equivalent).
Focus Range - Normal: W = 50 cm - Infinity, T = 500 cm - Infinity; Macro: W = 2 cm - Infinity, T = 60 cm - Infinity; Super Macro: 1 cm (M) - Infinity.
3.0" LCD screen with 460k pixels.
Image resolution: 16M, 3:2, 8M, 5M, 3M, 16:9, VGA.
Movie Mode: HD 720p (1280 x 720), VGA (640 x 480), QVGA (320 x 240) 30 fps, Continuous recording with sound.
Shutter Speed - Auto: 1/2000 - 1 sec; Manual Mode: 1/2000 - 15 sec; (Fireworks 2 sec; Night Scene 1/2000 - 15 sec).
White Balance: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent H, Fluorescent L, Manual.
Exposure: -2.0 - +2.0 EV (0.3 EV / step).
ISO: Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200 (3M or lower), 6400 (3M or lower).
Flash: Auto Flash, Auto Anti Red-eye, Force On, Slow Sync, Force Off.
Drive Mode: 10 sec, 2 sec, Double, Off.
Power Source: Approx 330 shots on bundled AA alkaline battery, 500 shots on Ni-MH battery, 850 shots on Li battery.
Storage: Built-in approx 108 MB, 4 GB SD \ 32 GB SDHC \ SDXC (>32 GB) card compatible.
File Format - Still Image: JPEG (EXIF 2.3), DCF, DPOF; Video: MJPEG; Audio: WAV.
Dimensions: 4.4" x 3" x 2.5", 355 g (without battery and SD card).
Digital output: USB 2.0 compatible; Audio \ Video Output: (NTSC \ PAL); PictBridge compatible.
Accessories: USB cable, Software and UM CD, Quick guide, Lens cover, Neck strap, Non-rechargeable AA batteries, Pouch (optional).
Available Colours: Black, White.

The GH600 claims to be able to support zoom while recording videos. This feature is avoided by many low-priced cameras because their zoom motors are not really silent, thus introducing a disturbing noise in the recording. The same issue may plague this device as well, because ultra-silent motors are less likely to be available in the lower price range. On the positive side, the ISO 6400 setting could help it shoot better low-light photos, while its in-camera HDR facility will be a joy for photography enthusiasts. The BenQ GH600 is available in black or white variants and is priced at an MRP of Rs 11,000. Online stores seem to currently show the product as out of stock, but you can buy it from international stores with free shipping to India for slightly less than Rs 14,000. High-quality product images can be viewed in the gallery below.