Technology

Two weeks ago I was thinking about how to test Canon’s entry-level EOS R8 and EOS R100 cameras in the miserable French weather when I had a thought: “Hey, why not take a vacation to a warmer place to test these models?” After Googling the nearest location with 75 degree-plus weather, I found myself in the balmy Canary Islands. It turned out to be a great spot to take photos as well, so everything came together perfectly.

Both cameras have far different price points, currently around $450 and $1,300, respectively. They’re still the company’s least expensive new full-frame and crop-sensor mirrorless cameras, though, and Canon markets them both as ideal for tourism and adventure — so I figured that this is a great way to test the capabilities of both.

Like any potential buyer, I wanted to see if they’re better than a smartphone for traveling — specifically if the larger sensors can counter a smartphone’s AI computational photography. I also looked at ease of use and automated operation, flexibility for sunny beaches or dark bars, vlogging and more. After trying them out at some of Gran Canaria’s most scenic spots, I found one of them to be a camera worth buying and one, not so much.

Smartphone computational photography

Before detailing my experience with these cameras, I want to talk about computational and AI photography. Most smartphones incorporate these tricks, like taking multiple photos in quick succession to get the best one or improve low-light shots. They often deliver better-exposed shots with superior white balance, too. There is a price to be paid though in terms of over-sharpening and other artifacts that can give photos an artificial look.

I tested this by taking a few shots with both a Pixel 7a and a camera in the auto settings, as many travel photographers do. As I suspected, at first glance the shots on the smartphone look better, but a closer look reveals superior photos from the camera in terms of detail, color accuracy, skin tones, true noise levels and more. I believe it’s important for buyers to understand this and have a basic idea of how to adjust images in post, or their new purchase could end up in a drawer.

Canon EOS R100 Steve Dent for Engadget

The 24-megapixel APS-C EOS R100 seems like it should offer a lot for travelers. It’s small and light at 356 grams, so with a compact lens, it’s not a huge burden compared to a smartphone. At the same time, the larger sensor potentially offers superior quality and the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.

The small size comes with big compromises, though. Handling is mediocre and the settings aren’t super intuitive. I’d love to tell you could just control it on the screen instead, but the display isn’t touch sensitive and is nearly useless for vlogging as it’s fixed in place too. The electronic viewfinder has low magnification and is relatively dim, so it’s hard to use in the sun — especially with glasses on — unfortunate if you’re on the beach, for example.

It has just a single UHS-I card slot, so storage is relatively cheap but you won’t have a backup if the card glitches. You get a microHDMI jack to output to a TV, along with a mic input, but no headphone jack. The USB-C 2.0 port can only transfer files, not charge the camera or let you use it as a webcam.

It supports Canon’s smaller LP-E17 battery, but is rated for a decent 430 shots on a charge and many more in real life. One big benefit is a built-in flash with exposure compensation to dim it down – though settings are limited in the fully automatic mode most beginners will use.

Performance and video Steve Dent for Engadget

The R100 has anemic performance, to put it mildly. It shoots and focuses at just 3.5 fps max, the slowest in its category. It feels sluggish when shooting RAW photos, even in single shot mode. Luckily, it’s much more reactive when shooting JPEGs.

The sensor has some of the worst rolling shutter I’ve seen in silent mode. Luckily, it does have a first-curtain mechanical shutter that eliminates that, and the silent mode setting is hidden away where many folks will never find it.

There’s eye-detection AF for people only, and it works well if your subject is close to the camera. That’s OK for family photos and the like, but not ideal for candid or street shots on your trip. The autofocus isn’t great in low light either, but is otherwise fairly reliable.

The R100 is OK for grabbing the odd travel video, but not suitable for content creators. Max resolution is 4K 24p, but that comes with a 1.5 times crop, or 2.2 times with electronic stabilization, killing the bokeh advantage of a large sensor. And there’s no option for log, 10-bit, or any other high-end video features. That said, 4K video is relatively sharp and colors are nice and accurate.

Image quality

The bright spot of the EOS R100 is photo quality. As you’d expect from Canon, image quality is excellent with warm skin tones and accurate colors straight out of the camera. It can also handle low-light shooting well thanks to the large sensor, with little noise up to ISO 6400. All that will help you take great shots of mountains, the beach, nightlife and other typical vacation scenarios. The ability to shoot RAW, along with the mechanical shutter, is another good reason to get this model over most smartphones. And finally, the built-in flash is there to help you get nice looking images even in dark environments.

EOS 100 wrap-up

So would I recommend the EOS R100 for travel, particularly over a smartphone? Sorry Canon, but no. It’s too stripped down to replace a good smartphone, and while it does deliver better image quality, it’s too complicated. Instead, I’d suggest Canon’s older EOS M50 Mark II, as it offers the same image quality but has a touchscreen, is smaller, and still offers good lens options. Sony’s A6100 has better autofocus and video options, and if you can afford a little more, Canon’s own R50 is the same size but far more capable.

EOS R8 Steve Dent for Engadget

Like the EOS R100, Canon’s R8 is the company’s most stripped-down and cheapest new full-frame camera. It gives you the same sensor and image quality as the $2,000 EOS R6 II for $700 less, but takes away some of the speed, video features and more.

The main thing lacking in the R8 is in-body stabilization, so it relies on lens and electronic shake reduction – but that actually worked pretty well for me. It’s also missing a full mechanical shutter, but does have a front-curtain shutter that eliminates rolling shutter. The EVF is far more basic, with lower resolution and magnification.

On the plus side, it has the same flip-out display as the R6 II, meaning it can serve as a capable vlogging and selfie camera. It also has a decent range of manual controls, with dual dials for the main settings, a full range of manual and auto settings and a dedicated photo and video switch. It’s also smaller and considerably lighter than the R6 II, so it’s a better travel option.

It has both mic and headphone jacks, along with a microHDMI port. It captures photos at high speeds to a UHS-II card, but there’s only one slot. The biggest compromise is a battery that’s the same as the one in the R100. Given the extra power demands of the larger sensor, it delivers only 290 shots on a charge, max and under an hour of video shooting.

Performance and video Steve Dent for Engadget

For a budget camera, the R8 is fast. It supports only 6 fps with the electronic curtain shutter, but can handle 40 fps bursts in electronic mode. There’s significant rolling shutter, though, so keep that in mind for action shots.

The R8 uses Canon’s latest AI subjection recognition tech, meaning it can track both animals and humans accurately. It also comes with an auto setting that lets the camera determine the subject and follow it accordingly.

I think autofocus is one of the most important features for travel photography, and the R8 delivers. It can locate and lock onto various subjects and track them rapidly around the frame. That makes it more capable than other recent models like the Sony’s A7 IV and the Nikon Z6 II. Focus can be selected via the touchscreen with your eye to the EVF, which works well, but be sure to enable the “touch and drag” setting in the menu.

It’s also a good video and content creation camera, with a few caveats. You can shoot uncropped video at up to 4K 60p, and it supports Canon’s C-Log 3 with 10-bit capture, along with HDR PQ. 120 fps ultra slow mo is available at 1080p. That said, 4K 60p has some pixel binning, so it’s less sharp than the 30p mode. The lack of in-body stabilization also makes it less useful for vlogging, because electronic stabilization adds a 1.25 times crop..

Image quality

Image quality is a strong point with the R8 too, especially for tourists who want far more than a smartphone can offer. It’s a great people and scenery-shooting camera, with rich skin hues and accurate colors. At the same time, the full-frame 24-megapixel sensor is great in low light, delivers plenty of detail and offers beautiful background bokeh. Serious photographers can grab RAW photos and get the same level of detail found on more expensive cameras.

EOS R8 wrap-up

Canon’s entry-level full-frame R8 is definitely worth taking on your voyages. It offers impressive image quality and is great for content creators, too. The main drawback is the lack of stabilization and a small battery, but you’ll be fine if you carry an extra battery or two. Rival options include Nikon’s Z5, which has image quality on par but inferior autofocus and video, and if you’re more into vlogging, the Panasonic S5 is a better option for less money. If you’re looking for the best affordable hybrid full-frame camera, the Canon R8 is a great choice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/traveling-with-canons-entry-level-eos-r8-and-r100-mirrorless-cameras-160054076.html?src=rss

LG has always had a significant presence at CES, with its consumer electronics and appliances all considered fair game for the annual Las Vegas tech convention. Of particular interest to Engadget readers are the Korean company’s super-thin Gram laptops, OLED TVs and soundbars. You can see what LG has in store for CES 2024 right here on Monday at 11AM ET.

What to expect at LG's CES 2024 press conference

LG’s TV lineup from last year included the OLED M3, which won Engadget’s Best of CES in Home Theater. The 97-inch television uses the company’s proprietary Zero Connect wireless transmission tech, which LG claims can reach up to three times the speed of Wi-Fi 6. The wireless setup lets you mount the set in otherwise hard-to-reach places like above a fireplace.

Last year’s CES also debuted LG’s Gram Style, a $1,499 and up laptop with an exceptionally light glass design and a “disappearing” trackpad. In addition, it launched the Gram Ultraslim, the company’s thinnest notebook, and a spec bump update for the standard Gram laptop lineup.

LG’s soundbar lineup from the last annual event included the premium SC9 ($1,000) and the compact and more affordable ($300) SE6. The more expensive model reserved its best features for pairing with LG TVs, including Wow Orchestra (syncs the display’s speakers with the soundbar), Wow Interface (lets you control the soundbar’s settings from the TV), and Wowcast (connects to its TVs over Wi-Fi, ditching cables). Meanwhile, the cheaper model included Dolby Atmos sound, wrapped in a cloth-wrapped design with round edges.

LG's CES 2024 livestream

You can see what LG has in store for CES 2024 below at 11AM ET on Monday. Engadget is on the ground in Las Vegas and will have all the news and hands-on from this year’s extravaganza.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-lg-announce-new-tvs-laptops-and-soundbars-at-ces-2024-here-160052207.html?src=rss

It’s that time of year again. The annual CES trade show in Las Vegas is upon us and NVIDIA is holding a major press conference that will offer details regarding “a spectrum of cutting-edge technologies.” It goes down on Monday, January 8, at 8AM PT / 11AM ET, the day before CES 2024 officially kicks off. You can watch it directly on NVIDIA’s website, or you can hit up the company’s YouTube page or Twitch channel.

We are unveiling the latest generative AI breakthroughs at #CES2024. Stay tuned to our livestreamed special address on Monday, Jan. 8, at 8 a.m. PT and explore 14 conference sessions to keep up with the newest #AI, robotics, and gaming technologies. https://t.co/zi5x9gWF7U

— NVIDIA (@nvidia) December 19, 2023 What we expect

So what’s on the agenda for CES 2024? It’s the two most beloved letters in all of tech: AI. NVIDIA will be focusing primarily on “its latest advancements in artificial intelligence,” including generative AI. NVIDIA has been open about AI taking center stage at the event, but it’s been cagey regarding specific announcements. The company has become something of a juggernaut in the space these past couple of years, so there will likely be plenty of new information about its next-gen AI supercomputer chips.

There will also be announcements involving “consumer technologies and robotics", so AI won’t be the only star of the show. NVIDIA, after all, is a multi-tentacled behemoth of a company. It’s involved in industrial digitization, maintaining data centers and much more. Oh yeah. It also makes GPUs.

In addition to the primary press conference, NVIDIA will be maintaining a robust presence throughout CES 2024. The company says its tech will be the focus of 14 other conference sessions, with titles like “Reshaping Retail – AI Creating Opportunity” and “Cracking the Smart Car.” To that end, NVIDIA promises demos with a diverse lineup of companies, from Samsung to Mercedes-Benz.

NVIDIA spent a lot of time on AI during last year’s keynote, but the company also unveiled new hardware like its updated Geforce GPUs and a refreshed lineup of RTX 40 series laptops. It also went into more detail regarding new and improved cloud based productivity software, among other announcements. In other words, there will very likely be some hardware reveals hidden amongst all of that AI bluster. Engadget has a large team on the ground in Las Vegas covering the event — follow along for all of our coverage.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-watch-nvidias-ces-press-conference-130008106.html?src=rss

Some iPhone owners who filed claims in Apple’s $500 million class action settlement over battery throttling have reportedly started to receive their cuts of the payout. In 2020, Apple agreed to settle a 2017 lawsuit that accused the company of intentionally reducing older iPhones’ performance without properly disclosing to consumers that it was doing so. At the time of the settlement, it was estimated that iPhone owners would get payments of around $25 per claim. But, according to MacRumors and a direct deposit screenshot shared by one user, individual payments as high as $92 started arriving this weekend.

The settlement, which only applies to US iPhone owners, covers iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus and SE as long as they ran iOS 10.2.1 or later before December 21, 2017, along with iPhone 7 or 7 Plus that ran iOS 11.2 or later by the same cutoff date. Claims had to be filed by October 2020. People who owned multiple models that meet these criteria were allowed to put in separate claims for each — meaning some will have a series of payments from Apple to look forward to.

If you haven’t received a payment yet, rest assured it’s probably coming soon. In a December update posted on the settlement website, it says payments should start dropping in January 2024, which lines up with reports that they’ve started to trickle in.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/your-payments-from-apples-batterygate-settlement-may-finally-be-on-the-way-153655660.html?src=rss

AMD always brings something interesting to CES — hopefully CES 2024 is no different. The company will livestream its press conference on January 8 at 10AM ET. It will feature AMD's chair and CEO, Dr. Lisa Su, and the company's senior vice president and GM of computing and graphics, Jack Huynh.

What we expect

Like many companies, AMD says its focus for the press conference on AI — in this case, as it pertains to personal computers. The livestream's landing page says that "AMD is powering the end-to-end infrastructure that will define the AI era, from cloud installations to enterprise clusters, AI-enabled intelligent embedded devices and PCs."

If all of that sounds very vague and boring, don't fret: While we don't know exactly what AMD plans to unveil at CES 2024, it's usually the time that the company unveils the CPUs and GPUs that will be in laptops through the coming year. We're hoping to see more of the same, and there's a high chance we'll get some desktop chips as well, in the form of new CPUs with high-end integrated graphics. 

AMD unveiled a range of gear at CES 2023, including the Ryzen 9 7945HX processor, the RX 7700S and RX 7600S for thin and light notebooks and the Radeon RX 7600M XT and 7600M for high fps 1080p gaming. 

Tune in to AMD's live stream here to see what new offerings it has this year.

We're reporting live from CES 2024 in Las Vegas from January 6-12. Keep up with all the latest news from the show here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-amds-ces-2024-press-conference-focused-on-ai-in-personal-computers-150016783.html?src=rss