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August 31, 2007

Estes Astrovision Rocket Takes Video While in Flight

When I was a kid I had a rocket set that shot hundreds of feet in the air from Estes. Estes is still around and has a new rocket out that will be selling at Hammacher for $59.95 and comes with a launch pad and controller.

The rocket has an internal digital camera that can shoot a whopping three photos per launch. The cam can also record video at 640 x 480 for 500 feet up.

Once the rocket comes back to earth you can transfer images and video to your computer via USB. The rocket uses C-size engines. From what I recall of the quality of the parachutes used to get the rockets back down, I would fear for the durability of the digital camera inside.

Via OhGizmo!

Posted by shane at 12:00 PM

New Casio Exilim Announced that Shoots 60 fps

Casio is showing off a new digital camera at IFA 2007 that has a 12x optical zoom, a 2.8” LCD and image stabilization.

The image sensor is 6-megapixels and the camera measures in at 127.5mm W x 79.5mm H x 130mm D and weighs 650g.

Casio says the camera can shoot high-speed video at 300fps or bust still image shooting at 60fps. The camera stores shots to SDHC cards and it is expected to ship in 2008.

Via I4U

Posted by shane at 11:40 AM

August 30, 2007

Sanyo Xacti DMX-HD1000 HD Camcorder

Sanyo announced a new HD Camcorder today in the Xacti line called the DMX-HD1000, which has the distinction this week of being the world’s smallest HD camcorder.

The tiny camcorder measures in at 90mm W x 112.6mm H x 54.5 mm D and weighs 268g. As small as the camcorder is it can still record in full 1920 x 1080 HD which is recorded to SDHC video cards.

Video is recoded using the H.264 codec and the photo portion of the camera can shoot images at up so ISO 3200 and 8MP still shots can be recoded while recording movies. The tiny camera even includes a 10x optical zoom. No word on when we will see this camera in the U.S., but it will begin shipping in Japan in mid-September.

Via I4U News

Posted by shane at 12:09 PM

Panasonic Launches LUMIX DMC-L10 DSLR with Face Detection

Panasonic introduced today its first LUMIX DSLR camera with face detection called the LUMIX DMC-L10. The L10 has a 2.5” LCD screen that can rotate 270 degrees and features a 10.2MP Live MOS sensor.

The L10 also includes an advanced Supersonic Wave Filter system that prevents dust from getting on the sensor and causing scratches or affecting photo quality. The face detection feature can detect up to 15 faces in one shot and focus and automatically choose other settings for the best photo possible.

The L10 ships with a LECIA D VARIO-ELMAR 14-50mm / F3.8-5.6 MEGA O.I.S lens. The O.I.S. in that long name is for optical image stabilization, mega sized. The DMC-L10 will be available in October 2007 at a MSRP of $1299.95.

Via Panasonic

Posted by shane at 11:56 AM

August 29, 2007

Nikon D40X Reviewed

DPreview has recently reviewed the Nikon D40X which is very similar to the Nikon D40 with the notable exception that the new D40X has a 10-megapixel sensor. The base ISP sensitivity of the camera is now ISO 100 and it can shoot faster continuous images as well of 3 fps vs. 2.5 fps on the D40.

The D40x has a very cool graphic display that shows the vital statistics of the camera. A few cons the review points out is the lack of a lens motor in the body means that non-AF-S/AF-T lenses are manual focus only.

In the end DPReview wonders why the camera didn’t come with a 10MP sensor to begin with. The omission of the lens motor is a big gripe, but overall they say this camera is well set to compete directly with the class leading Canon Digital Rebel XTi.

Via DPReview

Posted by shane at 11:57 AM

Sony CyberShot H3 Coming Soon

Sony’s latest CyberShot digital camera is the CyberShot H3. this cam has a 10x optical zoom and an 8 megapixel CCD sensor. There is an optional cable for the H3 that allows the camera to be connected to an HDTV for viewing photos in 1080p.

Lens optics are by Carl Zeiss and face detection technology is used to make getting good shots easier. The 2.5” LCD screen identifies up to eight faces and automatically adjusts for good exposure.

Image stabilizing Super Steady Shot is used to help keep camera shake from messing up your photos, especially when that 10x zoom is used. The ISO sensitivity is up to 3200. the H3 will be available in September for around $300.

Via LetsGoDigital

Posted by shane at 11:45 AM

August 28, 2007

Casio Announces Exilim EX-Z77

It’s been a busy few weeks for camera announcements and Casio has announced another new camera in the Exilim family called the EX-Z77. The camera will be available in silver, white, pink, red and blue colors.

Availability is set for September 14th at an undisclosed price. The cam will have 11.4MB of internal memory and SD card slots for expansion and a 3x optical zoom.

The camera is also compatible with SDHC cards and can record video as well. It’s nice to see cameras coming with color choices now. I’m not sure what the price is for this camera, but fro the mild specs it shouldn’t be too expensive.

Via Akihabara News

Posted by shane at 12:41 PM

Ricoh Caplio R7 Camera Announced

Ricoh has announced that the seventh generation of their Caplio R will be released in mid-September. The new camera will have an eight megapixel CCD sensor and a 7x optical zoom.

It’s nice to see small and thin cameras getting decent zoom levels recently. Not too long ago to get a small camera meant 3x optical zoom at most and sometimes no optical zoom at all.

The Caplio R will have a 2.7” LCD, the ability to write to SD and SDHC cards, 24MB of onboard memory, and the ability to record video. The camera will measure in at 99.6x23.3x55mm and weighs 135 grams.

Via Akihabara News

Posted by shane at 12:28 PM

August 27, 2007

Casio Exilim EX-S880 Reviewed

CNET posted a review today of the Casio Exilim EX-S880 digital camera that is the follow up to the EX-S770. Normally when a new camera replaces an old camera you expect to find more features.

Casio seems to have forgotten that caveat with the EX-S880. the camera is small at only 0.7” thick and 5.1 ounces with the battery and the SD card inserted. The cam has an 8MP resolution, which is one megapixel better than the camera it replaces.

CNET says the EX-S880 takes soft pictures and offers few improvements over its predecessor making the replacements worse than the original. The camera does record video and has a 3x optical zoom, but CNET says take a pass on this camera.

Via CNET

Posted by shane at 1:20 PM

August 24, 2007

GoPro Digital Hero Wrist Camera

I’ll be honest, I had no idea L.L. Bean carried anything other than cloths. However, they do carry a pretty cool digital camera sized to wear on your wrist.

The cam is waterproof, shockproof, and attaches to your wrist with a neoprene strap. The camera pivots on the strap so it lays flat and keeps out of your way. The shockproof housing is waterproof to 30 feet and it records to 16MB of internal memory.

If that’s not enough record time for your needs, the camera is expandable via SD cards as well and it can record up to 54 minutes of video to a 2GB SD card. Power is via a pair of AAA batteries and the device measures in at 2.5” L x 1.75” W and weighs 4.5 ounces.

Via L.L. Bean

Posted by shane at 1:06 PM

Balloon Takes Pictures from over 22 Miles Above Earth

A group of guys in Canada got together and strapped a Nikon Coolpix P2 digital camera and an APRS tracking device to a big balloon and let it fly. The camera topped out at about 22.27 miles, or 117,597 feet above the Earth.

Once the balloon achieved this altitude, it popped and the payload parachuted back to earth where ground crews were waiting to snatch it up.

I can’t think this sort of thing would have flown (pun intended) in the U.S as I am sure the FAA wouldn’t appreciate a giant balloon floating around. The really impressive part was that the guys were able to get their gear back unharmed. The shots you see here were taken automatically at 1 minute intervals.

Via Gizmodo

Posted by shane at 12:44 PM

August 23, 2007

Pentax Announces the Optio S10

Pentax announced a of new camera today that will retail for $250. The S10 will be available exclusively at Wal-Mart stores across the U.S. and features a 7x optical zoom lens with face detection.

The S10 also has digital shake reduction and supports ISO 3200. The CCD on the S10 is a 10 megapixel unit and the LCD is 2.5”. The S10 also is DivX certified and can record DivX movies with the benefit of shake reduction.

Storage of images is to SD or SDHC cards and the movies the camera captures are at a full 30 fps. The camera is equipped with an auto Picture mode that chooses all the best settings for the environment automatically. The camera also has 22MB of internal memory built-in.

Via Pentax

Posted by shane at 12:30 PM

Pentax Announces the Optio Z10

Pentax also announced the Optio Z10 today that features a 7x zoom lens, but uses refraction technology so the lens doesn’t stick out from the camera giving it the most zoom of any compact Pentax camera.

The Z10 has an 8 megapixel CCD and stores images to SD or SDHC memory cards. Face recognition is part of the Z10 bag of tricks and it sports 52MB of internal memory. The face recognition is able to recognize 15 faces at once and optimize focus and settings for the best shots possible.

Digital shake reduction is included and the Z10 has ISO settings of up to 3200. The LCD is a 2.5” 230,000 pixel unit. A digital wide function is also built in that converts two images into one 28mm wide angle shot. The Z10 will retail for about $250 starting in September.

Via Pentax

Posted by shane at 12:09 PM

August 22, 2007

Are Disposable Digital Cameras Worth It?

If you have been in a CVs pharmacy you have probably seen the disposable digital cameras they sell. I always wonder what the point is of a disposable digital camera myself.

The Washington Post gathered up disposable digital cams from CVS, RiteAid and Ritz Camera and put them through their paces. They found that all three cameras were actually made by the same company.

Even with the same construction, both cameras from the pharmacies photo quality was deemed unacceptable in testing. Only the Ritz disposable was deemed decent enough. All three cameras allowed you to shoot pics, and then delete the ones you don’t want. The catch is they have to be taken back to the store to be developed; you can’t get the pictures into your own computer.

Via Washington Post

Posted by shane at 1:27 PM

Sony Introduces New Touchscreen Digital Cameras

Since the iPhone launched everything is going touchscreen. Sony recently announced a pair of new digital cameras that use a touchscreen to navigate menus. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T7200 retails for $400 and the DSC-T70 retails for $330.

The DSC-T70 has a 16:9 touchscreen that measures 3” and the touch sensitive nature of the screen allows you to navigate menus and adjust camera settings as well. The DSC-T200 has a 3.5” touchscreen.

The cool part of the touchscreen is that you use it to frame your shot, then you can touch where to focus and the cam takes care of the rest of the work. In addition to face detection, it also has smile detection. This trips the shutter as soon as the subject smiles, which is a great feature for parents trying to catch kids smiling.

via PC World

Posted by shane at 1:18 PM

August 21, 2007

Canon G9 non-SLR with RAW Mode

Canon introduced several new cameras this week and the G9 was one of them. The G9 isn’t what I would consider to be an attractive camera; it reminds me of a camera from the 80’s.

The G9 has a 12.1 MP sensor with RAW mode for improved image control. The lens has 6x optical zoom with optical image stabilization and SR coating. Face detection is also a feature and the camera has 25 shooting modes.

A hotshoe supports Canon Speedlite flashes and optional lens accessories. I guess we can also assume there will be an underwater housing for the camera, underwater is one of the shooting modes listed.

Via DPReview

Posted by shane at 12:39 PM

Helmet Mounted Action Cam

If you are into sports like skate boarding, snow boarding, motocross or similar and want to record your antics for posterity, you can with the Helmet mounted action cam. The camera is small measuring in at 40mm in diameter and 110mm long.

Video is recorded at 640 x 480, 320 x 240, or 160 x 120 at either 30 or 15 frames per second. There is 32MB of onboard memory for video storage and a SD expansion slot for more storage space.

In addition to being dust and shock proof, the Action Cam is waterproof to 3 meters as well. Once your video is recorded you can output the video to your PC via USB. You can get your own Action Cam at CrazyAboutGadgets for about $209.

Posted by shane at 12:26 PM

August 20, 2007

Canon Introduces the EOS 40D SLR

In addition to the high-end $8000 pro slr camera Canon introduced today, they also introduced a new SLR for advanced amateur and entry level professional photographers. The camera is called the EOS 40D and has a 10.1 MP CMOS sensor, DIGIC III image processor, and a new auto focus sensor.

The camera uses the DIGIC III image processor and a newly redesigned auto focus sensor to allow for a screaming 6.5 fps continuous shooting capability for up to 75 large/fine JPEGs or 17 RAW images.

The LCD screen on the back of the camera is 3” and has 230,000 pixels. Light sensitivity is up to ISO 3200 on the 40D. The camera will be available in body only packages for around $1299 and with a Canon EF 28-135mm lens for $1499 in September.

Via I4U

Posted by shane at 2:04 PM

Canon Announces 21.1 MP EOS-1Ds Digital SLR Camera

Canon introduced their new flagship digital camera for pros today called the EOS-1Ds Mark III digital SLR. This camera carries a price tag of a staggering $7999. The camera has a full 21.1MP and can shoot five frames per second.

Burst shots can shoot 56 large/fine full 21MP JPEGS and 12 RAW images. The LCD is a 3” 230,000 pixel with seven brightness settings; a 35-zone metering system, 45-point AF and integrated self cleaning sensor round out the features of the EOS-1Ds digital camera. The camera is supposed to ship in November.

Shutter speeds are 1/8000 to 30 seconds and the ISO range is 100-1600 in 1/3 stop increments. If you get one of these and plan to shoot full size pictures, you will need a monster memory card.

Via I4U

Posted by shane at 1:50 PM

August 17, 2007

Vivitar's New Waterproof Digital Camera is Homely

Vivitar’s newest digital camera will certainly win no beauty contests, but at least it has a bit of a personality to make up for its lack of looks. The camera is good for up to 30 feet underwater and has a 4x optical zoom.

Vivitar’s newest digital camera will certainly win no beauty contests, but at least it has a bit of a personality to make up for its lack of looks. The camera is good for up to 30 feet underwater and has a 4x optical zoom.

The CCD used has 6 megapixels so you can blow up the shots of all the fish next time you are at the beach to life sized levels. The camera weighs 8.1 ounces sans battery and memory card.

Via I4U News

Posted by shane at 11:55 AM

August 16, 2007

Wired Gadget Labs goes Hands on with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18 is a camera that has some nice features. It uses an intelligent auto mode that combines image stabilization, intelligent ISO, face detection and ambience-correcting scene detection.

This cam has an 8.1 megapixel CCD the ability to go up to ISO 1600 at full resolution and will be available in September for about $400. It seems like lots of camera for the money offering some features that many amateur photographers will like.

The only issue Wired found with the camera was that it fell about 60 -70% short of the claimed 400 images per charge target. That seems like a significant issue to me on a camera that uses a rechargeable battery.

Via Wired

Posted by shane at 2:47 PM

Garfield USB Web Cam

If you are a fan of that lasagna loving cat, Garfield this web cam will leave you positively giddy. A plus Garfield toy holds a camera in its hands that has a real webcam stuffed inside.

Connect the Garfield to your computer via USB and you have a camera with 350k pixels and a video capture frame rate of 30fps. The camera has 24 bit color and a 4.5mm focal length. Focus distance is 20cm to infinity.

You can use the camera to video conference in many popular messenger applications. Fans of Garfield, cat lovers or anyone who wants a webcam different for those you typically find can get theirs at Brando for $32.

Via Brando

Posted by shane at 2:31 PM

August 15, 2007

Nikon Coolpix S200 Reviewed

If you are looking for a camera that is small enough to be comfortably taken with you everywhere, the Nikon Coolpix S200 has the build for that. However, CNET says that the photos the S200 shoots aren’t that great.

I don’t think there are many out there who would buy a camera that doesn’t take good pictures just because it is small. The pictures were described as noisy and soft.

Good features of the camera were face detection technology and the slim design. Small the S200 is though with a size only a bit larger than the Razr phone. Too bad they can’t combine a decent lens with the small size and give us a portable camera with great image quality.

Via CNET

Posted by shane at 2:51 PM

August 14, 2007

Ricoh Caplio GX100 Reviewed

The digital camera nuts over at DPReview have recently taken a look at the Ricoh Caplio GX100 which is the successor to the GX8. The GX100 has a three times optical zoom lens that has a wide angle ability offering around 20 degrees more wide angle capability than most cameras.

The GX100 offers RAW capture mode and lots of manual options making it more like an SLR than many digital cameras. The camera has 10 megapixels and a seven blade iris aperture. The LCD display is a 2.5” unit and power is via a rechargeable Li-Ion battery or AAA batteries.

Digital zoom of up to 4x is offered and the shutter speed on still shots can go 180 – 1/2000 of a second. Built-in flash is included and the camera has 26MB of internal storage and used SDHC/SD/MMC cards for further storage. In the end the camera isn’t as good as it thinks it is according to DPReview.

Posted by shane at 12:45 PM

August 13, 2007

Boynq Alibi Webcam Looks Like a Robot

Boynq takes pleasure in making their products stand out from the crowd and they have done it with the Boynq Alibi webcam. The Alibi looks like a cross between a toilet brush holder and a flat headed robot to me.

The webcam also acts as a speaker with audio Lens technology which is apparently some sort of tech for making one speaker sound like surround sound, which I doubt works.

The odd little speaker/webcam is available from Target and Amazon for $80 according to Sci Fi Tech, but I can’t find it listed on either site. I also don’t see the Alibi listed on the Boynq site so the specs are unknown.

Via Sci Fi Tech

Posted by shane at 12:38 PM

DXG USA Launches Low Feature, Low Cost Camcorder

DXG USA launched a new digital camcorder today that has specs that don’t really excite, but the price makes the camcorder much more appealing. The camera has no optical zoom, but does sport 4x digital zoom.

No tapes are used, video is recorded to a measly 32MB of internal memory, but a SD card slot is available so you can record longer. Video is recorded at 640 x 480 and you view your subject on a 2” LCD display that flips out of the side of the camera.

The recording format is MPEG-4, AVI. This camera probably won’t interest most users based on the specs alone, but when you consider the price which is only $149 it becomes much more attractive. This would make for a great first camera for kids. Via I4U News

Posted by shane at 12:17 PM

August 9, 2007

Kodak Easyshare Z712 IS digital Camera Review

Kodak has a new super zoom digital camera called the EasyShare Z712 IS. This camera has a 12x optical zoom and manual setting controls along with image stabilization. One of the biggest features of this camera is the bargain price of only around $250.

The sensor is a 7.1MP version and it has a 2.5” LCD screen. Fifteen scene modes and sensitivity up to ISO1600 at full resolution and up to ISO3200 is you drop the pixels to 1.2.

Overall, CNET rates the camera a 7.2 which is a very good rating in their system. The bad part of the camera is noise at ISO 800 and ISO 600 along with noticeable fringing and artifacts in some shots. Via CNET

Posted by shane at 12:50 PM

August 8, 2007

Esquire Helps you choose a DSLR Camera

When I think of cameras and gadgets, Esquire isn’t one of the places that leap to my mind to find reviews. Nonetheless, Esquire posted a review-like story today covering three DSLR cameras.

The three cameras in question are the uber expensive Canon EOS 5D coming in at a giant $2999. The next camera is the EOS Digital Rebel XTi at $799.

Finally is the Olympus Evolt E-410 at $900. none of these cameras would be what typical consumers consider to be affordable. Then DSLR cameras aren’t really aimed at the photographer looking for a cheap camera. Check out the story over at Esquire.

Posted by shane at 12:32 PM

August 7, 2007

Twenty20's Wearable Camera VholdRTM

Twenty20 recently announced a new wearable camcorder called the VholdRTM. The new camera is a shoot-and-store style camera that houses everything needed to record and store video in one device.

That means there are no wires or extra packs required to use the camera. Video is recorded directly to an internal SD card ranging from 1GB to 4GB and storage capacity is expected to be around one hour of video per GB of storage.

The lens and sensor of the VholdRTM are sealed hermetically against dust and water. The outside of the camera is made form aluminum and ABS to protect against shocks and temperature. The camera is expected to launch this fall. Via ATV Rider Magazine

Posted by shane at 11:32 AM

August 3, 2007

Sigma SD14 Digital SLR Reviewed

TrustedReviews recently reviewed the Sigma SD14 digital SLR camera. This is the only cam that uses the 14MP Foveon X3 direct Image CMOS sensor. This sensor provides image quality good enough for TrustedReviews to give it 10 out of 10 on image quality.

The SD14 is a large camera and looks to be full featured. Image noise shows up at higher ISO settings with lower quality showing up at ISO 400.

TrustedReviews final verdict on the SD14 is that it is a well made camera with fantastic image quality. The camera seems to be nearly ideal for professional photographers, but work is required to get the best out of the camera. Via TrustedReviews

Posted by shane at 1:14 PM

New Hitachi Camcorders Record to Blu-ray

Hitachi introduces a couple new camcorders yesterday that will record to Blu-ray disc. The Hitachi BD7H records 1080p full HD onto Blu0ray discs as well as to an internal hard drive.

The Hitachi DZ-BD70 only records to tiny 8cm Blu-ray discs, and considering normal Blu-ray media is still hard to come by in my area, I would hate to think how hard to find and expensive to but these special Blu-ray discs will be.

One hour of Blu-ray video can be recorded to a single 8cm Blu-ray disc, media will certainly be a big expense here. The cameras are supposed to go on sale on August 30 in Japan and the camcorders are supposed to hit the U.S. and Europe in October. Via I4U News

Posted by shane at 12:55 PM

August 1, 2007

Cutesy Clique Hue HD Webcam

Normally a PC webcam is a plain looking silver or black camera that sits on your desk or your monitor. Clique is looking to add some style to webcams with the Clique Hue HD webcam.

The Hue HD sits on a flexible stalk that allows you to adjust the camera to the ideal position. The cam can record at 1280 x 1025, but only at 10 fps. If you want full motion 30fps video you have to drop the resolution down to 1024 x 768.

The sensor itself is a 1.3MP job and there is a built-in mic for video chatting. No word on pricing or availability at this time. Colors available include red, black, pink, green, blue and white. Via Everything USB

Posted by shane at 1:13 PM

Canon Launches New HG10 Camcorder

Today Canon announced the HG10 AVCHD 40GB HDD camcorder. The camcorder uses a 10x zoom HD video lens coupled with Canon’s DIGIC DV II Image processor.

Other features of the camcorder include SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization and Instant AF. The full HD CMOS sensor records at 1920x1080 resolution.

Amateur filmmakers will like the 24p Cinema Mode that lets you get the look and feel of film and you can take still shots at 3.1MP resolution. Still images store onto a DS card rather than the internal HDD. The HG10 should be available in October for $1299. Via I4U News

Posted by shane at 1:01 PM