CES 2013: 9 Cool Gadgets

Start The Discussion | Michael Endler | January 05, 2013 09:06 AM

Consumer Electronics Show is a tech smorgasbord. Here are nine products that attest to the show's overwhelming variety.

Samsung NX300 Woos Photography Enthusiasts

Previous Image

Next Image

Informationweek Discussions

To upload an avatar photo, first complete your Disqus profile. | View the list of supported HTML tags you can use to style comments. | Please read our commenting policy.

Previous Slide Next Slide 10 of 11

Samsung NX300 Woos Photography Enthusiasts

All the major consumer camera manufacturers will be at CES, but many will simply be showing off existing products. Canon, for example, is not expected to bring anything new to the table, having just completed a busy 2012 in which it released not only high-profile DLSRs such as the 5D Mark III, 6D and 1DX, but also the compact EOS M series. (Well-heeled nature and sports photographers might be intrigued by the potential appearance of the long-awaited 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x, an undoubtedly awesome lens with a sure-to-be terrifying price.)

Samsung is one of the few who will definitely be touting new photography equipment -- namely the NX300, the just-announced flagship of the company's line of mirrorless cameras. Equipped with a big 20.3 MP APS-C sensor, the device should boast the image quality of a traditional DSLR while, thanks to a design that eschews an optical viewfinder and its requisite mirror, maintaining a small form factor. With an ISO range that extends to 25600, the camera should be able to handle dim conditions that stymy smartphones and compacts, and its ability to connect to an iOS or Android app over Wi-Fi should make sharing photos easy. A 3.3-inch AMOLED screen, meanwhile, means that pictures viewed on the camera itself should be vibrant and crisp.

Samsung has struggled to gain traction in the mirrorless market, which is filled with mature offerings from Panasonic and Olympus, as well as newer offerings from Nikon and Canon. The NX300's ability to use an optional 45-mm lens to shoot photos and 1080p video in both 2-D and 3-D is a potential differentiator -- but it will be up to CES attendees to dictate whether the new model is worthy of showroom buzz.

RECOMMENDED READING:

CES 2103: What We Want To See

10 CES Trends That Matter To Business

CES 2012 Gadget Wrap-Up: Cool To Crazy

6 Reasons To Want Windows 8 Ultrabooks

Top 10 Tech Fails Of 2012

5 Ugliest Smartphones Of 2012

CTIA To Merge U.S. Trade Shows In 2014

10 Essential Android Apps For Work, Home

12 Best iPhone, iPad Apps Of 2012