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August 23, 2006

Olympus Introduces a Whopping 10 New Digital Cameras

Yesterday could be called National Olympus Day, because they stormed the press release circuit by announcing 10 brand new digital cameras. Olympus, more so than most companies, is known for releasing cameras that are all pretty much the same, with the internal stuff changing with technology. So there aren't any real radical differences between these cameras. Rather, it's just Olympus's way of having cameras avilable for every possible income bracket.

The prices run from around 100 pounds to over 300. They've all got the main, basic features, like scene selection, auto focus, and an LCD screen, and most of them are compatible with the Olympus waterproof case (pictured on the MJU 750).

Here's a list of all the new cameras, along with their megapixel resolution:

Mju 1000 - 10MP (specs)
Mju 750 - 7.1MP (specs)
Mju 740 - 7.1MP (specs)
Mju 730 - 7.1MP (specs)
Mju 725 SW - 7.1MP (specs)
SP-510 UZ - 7.1MP (specs)
FE-180 - 6MP (specs)
FE-170 - 6MP (specs)

Specs via Lets Go Digital

Posted by mark at 8:48 PM

August 21, 2006

A New Pair of Pentax Products - A20 and M20

Pentax is about to expand its already impressive line of Optio cameras with two new additions announced this morning. First up is the Optio A20 (pictured). It's got 10 megapixels and since it's an Optio we know that it has features like blur reduction, auto focus, and video recording, at 30 FPS. Also, it supports secure digitial cards, including SDHC.

Next is the M20, which is pretty much a copycat of the A20, except it only has 7 megapixels. The M20 also is the exclusive of the two to have ImageLink support, which is just another line of printer docks. Both have the more common connectivity abilities, like Exif Print and PictBridge.

Both cameras launched today. More details at Lets Go Digital (A20, M20).

Posted by mark at 11:54 PM

August 17, 2006

Canon's Got the World's Smallest 1080 HDV Camcorder

Although digital HDV camcorders are not unheard of, they are generally significantly heavier than other digital camcorders, and they can run close to the five digit price range. Well now, Canon has a camera that's both affordable and compact. In fact, it's so compact that they're billing it as the smallest 1080 HDV camcorder in the world.

From their press release: A veritable "Best of" compilation of Canon breakthrough technologies, the HV10 HDV camcorder combines Canon's world-class HD optics, with Super Range Optical Image Stabilization, DIGIC DV II image processor, and a Canon designed and manufactured Full HD resolution (1920x1080 video) CMOS sensor, similar to those found in Canon's full line of Digital SLR cameras. Additionally, new "Instant AF" auto-focus technology, and the ability to take 3.1 megapixel photos, makes this one powerful device that fits comfortably in the palm of the hand.

The HV10 will be released next month at an approximate retail price of only $1,299. Expect to find it at most big-box retailers that are authorized Canon resellers.

Press release

Posted by mark at 11:00 PM

Fuji Unveils S3 Pro UVIR For Forensic Investigation

Fujifilm today announced a new camera that will appeal to the CSI fan in all of us - the FinePix S3 Pro UVIR. It is a DSLR camera and is the first of its kind to be able to take pictures in both the infared and ultraviolet light spectrums. While this is clearly not all that important to the average consumer, it could be very crucial to the fields of professional science. Perhaps most groundbreaking is the effect it could have on forensic science, in terms of helping analyze evidence. “Fujifilm conducted a series of tests and after seeing the results, we knew instantly the immense power this camera would bring to forensic investigation. “Fujifilm U.S.A. is thrilled to provide the brightest minds in law enforcement with technology useful in solving the country’s most complex crimes," said Darin Pepple of Fujifilm.

The S3 Pro UVIR will be available in September, but only at select retailers, and it will come with a sticker shocking price of $1,799.95.

Full details at Lets Go Digital

Posted by mark at 3:28 PM

Horseman & Rolleiflex Roll Out 3D Stereo Camera

Hot off the press release presses is the announcement of a joint venture between Horseman and Rolleiflex to create a highly advanced 3D stereo camera. While it's not a digital camera (it's 35mm) it does actually look like one, and it is good to see the older technology also still being improved. Simply called the "Horseman 3D", the camera takes technology up a level by being able to take stereo picturs of high-speed moving objects, like a splash of water or ambient wildlife in the background, which have traditionally been tough to capture on standard stereo cameras.

What makes this possible is a 24 x 65mm long blade, one piece metal focal plane shutter. There's also such features as automatic film rewinding and a super precise rangefinder.

It's not often these days that 35mm cameras make headlines, but the Horseman 3D is certainly a looker. Full details are at Lets Go Digital

Posted by mark at 12:11 AM

August 8, 2006

Kodak Unveils Three More Akin Digi Cams

While Kodak's announcement of the V705 was the headliner for the company today, they also showcased three other EasyShare cameras, the C743, the C875, and the C433, each of which share several features. The main difference, as you can probably guess, is the megapixel resolution. The 433 has a 4 megapixel sensor, while the 875 and 743 have 8 and 7 megapixels, respectively.

The 433 and 743 each have 3x optical zooms, while the high-end 875 has 5x. They've all got similarly-sized LCD viewing screens, as well as EasyShare compatibility. Basically, if you're at all familiar with the standard EasyShare line of Kodak's products, then you already know what to expect from these "C" model cameras, except these ones promise to be a little bit slimmer than most of the older models.

More at Lets Go Digital (C743, C875, and C433).

Posted by mark at 11:42 AM

Kodak's New Dual-Lens Entry: The V705

Kodak has made waves with its dual-lens cameras, designed to provide better, clearer pictures with more accuracy. With the V705, Kodak is boasting that it is the world's smallest ultra wide-angle optical zoom digital camera. While that statement does include quite a few qualifiers, it is impressive. The camera has a 5x optical zoom, in addition to a "panorama stitch" mode, which lets you take a 180 degree panoramic picture via taking three rapid-fire shots in a few seconds.

You can record up to 30 seconds of VGA video, and of course the memory card slot is SD. Kodak's award-winning EasyShare technology also unsurprisingly shows up in the V705, which is great if you like to swap between your camera and computer a lot, and/or you make physical prints of most of the photos you take.

The V705 will begin shipping, worldwide, in September. More at Lets Go Digital

Posted by mark at 10:43 AM

Pentax Splashes Waterproof Camera Market With Optio W20

Pentax is no stranger to waterproof cameras with their Optio line, and they're expanding their beach-safe library with the Optio W20. Announced earlier today, the W20 is a 7 megapixel camera with a 2.5" LCD screen and 4x digital zoom. Of course, hence the prefixed "W", the main feature is that the camera is waterproof.

Unlike most "water resistant" cameras that you can't submerge in water, the W20 can actually last up to a half an hour completely underwater, up to 1.5 meters deep. It's the ideal "rugged" camera if you're the kind of person who's outdoors and around water a lot. There's a scant 22 MB of internal memory, and memory is handled by SD cards, as well as SDHC. The W20 also sports such increasingly common features as blur reduction, macro recording, face recognition and auto focus. It's also widely compatible in terms of printing devices -- PictBridge, DPOF functions, Exif Print, and PRINT Image Matching III are all supported.

We don't know exactly how much the W20 is going to cost, but considering the other models run for a few hundred dollars, that's probably about what you can expect to pay when this baby hits the market.

Via Lets Go Digital

Posted by mark at 9:18 AM

August 2, 2006

Sony's Latest - The Cybershot DSC-T10

There's soon to be a new addition to the Sony digital camera family, and it comes in the name of the DSC-T10, the latest in the company's "Cyber-shot" line. Much like its predecessor, the DSC-T9, the T10 sports a 3x optical zoom, a 2.5" LCD screen, and an internal memory capacity of 56 MB.

The T10 has got seven megapixels somewhere in that ultra-thin body. In addition, there's image stabilization, light sensitivity, multiple picture-viewing modes, and all that good stuff. The memory is expandable with, what else, Sony memory sticks, onto which you can save pictures as well as video. The T10 will be available later this month, and will run for a retail price of about $400.

Via Yahoo! News

Posted by mark at 7:31 AM