Feature Articles

Top 100 Products of 2007

Nos. 81 - 90


Nikon D3
There’s nothing really much to say about Nikon’s new offering, except wow. Having focused heavily on the development of their DX range, Nikon brings about their full-frame camera, the FX format. Also, with a maximum ISO of 25,600, shots in the dark will now appear as bright as day (well, not quite, but you get the idea).

Nikon D300
Nikon users finally got their upgrade, considering that the D200 was about announced 21 months before. A 2-megapixel increase, a change from a CCD to a CMOS sensor to prolong the battery life, an increase in the upper ISO limit, a 1fps increase in the continuous drive and a larger screen leads this upgraded version, together with the all-new Exmor chip.

Olympus E3
If you’re an avid nature photographer and like to shoot wildlife, this camera is just the one for you. Not many manufacturers will make such a bold statement, but the E3 certainly does have the fastest AF. Together with the fact that Olympus adopts the 4/3 format, a mere 55-200mm lens will grant you a 110-400mm focal length.

Olympus mju 795
Always wanted to bring a camera when you’re snorkeling or diving, but don’t want to shell out another S$600 for an underwater housing? Bring along Olympus’ mju 795. It’s waterproof for up to 10 meters, which makes it good enough for many holiday-makers.

Toshiba REGZA 47WL68E 47-inch LCD TV
47-inches of pure bliss is what awaits your discerning eyes with the REGZA. With Toshiba always priding itself on image quality and assuring META Brain Pro circuitry over superficial design elements, you can rest assure that what’s on the screen will stand far and above the actual screen. Deep blacks, vibrant colors, and adaptive deinterlacing to smoothen progressive pictures, this set is capable of brilliantly lifelike Full High-Definition. Oh yeah, did we forget to mention that it has a built-in woofer for a great sonic stage? Now get those HD DVDs ready!

Samsung F8 LA40F81BDX 40-inch LCD TV
Sporting the hallmark design of the M8, the F8 continues to impress with a more refined design. But what sets our expectations soaring like its fighter jet model name is that the F8 builds upon the predecessor's (the M8) excellent image quality. With a faster 100Hz refresh capable panel and a 25,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio, the F8's picture quality was almost unparalleled in overall sharpness and clarity while producing very true colors and fluid video in fast moving scenes. Outfitted with a DVB-T tuner, great connectivity options and integrated with a subwoofer, what more can you ask?

Panasonic VIERA TH-42PY700 42-inch Full HD Plasma
With its G10 Progressive plasma panel, the VIERA is a shoo-in for best plasma TV, if we had other plasmas to compare it with. Sticking with tradition, Panasonic has opted for the usual black, with a glossy twist in its chassis design and darkened the customary silver base and bottom trim. HD play back via Blu-Ray was generally flawless except for a tiny speckle of noise. This still doesn't matter in the end when you keep in mind the VIERA's razor sharp images and deep blacks, that plasma panels are so good at.

Philips CINEOS 42PFL9532 42-inch LCD TV
Ambilight is definitely cool, and it does make watching TV in the dark a lot less strenuous on your precious pupils. The new generation even uses LED lights for more precise patterns on your wall. Yes, it’s full HD and among the more attractive we’ve seen. It does also sport a wide array of analogue and digital ports for good measure. The most amazing feature of the new CINEOS though would have to be its amazing 176-degree viewing angle which is not terribly practical but a great upgrade nonetheless.

Epson Dreamio EMP-TW1000
We've got to admit, the Epson Dreamio EMP-TW1000 is downright one of the best looking projectors around. Firing it up, you'll realize that this native HDMI 1.3, 1080p Tri-LCD projector with a 12000:1 contrast ratio dishes out some of the best video quality of its class. With clear, sharp and gorgeous color output, the stylish Dreamio really does feel like a dream. While it doesn't come with a dream price tag to boot, you won't baulk at it either, instantly catapulting Epson as one of the top choices of its class.

JVC DLA-HD1 (LCoS, 1080p Projector)
Utilizing D-ILA (JVC's variant of the LCoS technology), 3 LCoS chips with a native resolution of 1080p, this big home theatre projector promises some of the best picture quality. Thanks to the qualities of LCoS technology along with a brand new optical engine, the HD1 is the world's first projector to boast native 15000:1 contrast ratio. Without relying on the iris mechanism to achieve this, the HD1 is able to reproduce some of the best black levels seen and thus projecting clear, sharp and gorgeous pictures with excellent details in shadows and dark scenes. With both horizontal and vertical lens shift functions for great placement flexibility, this US$6000 projector truly belongs to the upper echelons of home theatre projectors.
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