Sealife DC800 underwater camera goes deep, stays dry

 

This modular unit -- it drops into a waterproof case or will operate as an out-of-water point-and-shoot -- includes an 8-megapixel camera with 2.7-inch display, wide-angle lens, SD/SDHC card support, and 4x optical zoom.

 

Sure, you could get another point-and-shoot and waterproof case, but prepare to suffer the ridicule of your diver friends.

 

Its menus and modes are designed for sub-surface snappers with five underwater modes to deal with the various water bodies' muck, grime, and color.

 

Attention wet people: Sealife has released the DC800 Underwater Digital Camera.

 

The DC800 will function at 200 feet, weighs about 17 ounces and will set you back $549.

 

So what makes this camera diver-friendly?

 

 

Ricoh's 28mm GR Digital II camera

 

" On the downside, they found the camera suffered from the common drawback of excessive noise at ISO 400 or above, and there is the small matter of the $699 price tag, which puts it on the level of some pretty impressive non-28mm cameras, and within striking range of the 28mm Sigma DP1.

 

" They were also pleased with the addition of a RAW shooting mode (even though it slows things down quite a bit), and the camera's intuitive control system, which can be "almost completely configured to suit your way of working.

 

It's taken a little while for Ricoh's 10-megapixel GR Digital II to make the rounds since it was announced late last year, but it's finally wound up in the capable hands of the folks from Photography Blog, who've now turned out a full review of the camera.

 

Among other things, this one is particularly notable for its use of a 28mm fixed focal length lens, which Photography Blog found helped deliver some solid images with "very little distortion.

 

Still, the GR Digital II appears to hold its own, and seems like it'd be an even better buy if you can find a good deal on it.

 

 

Sony TG3E, smallest 1080i camcorder

 

 

Otherwise known as the TG1 in the US, this pup is small and sturdy and definitely looks the part of a Full HD (as it's defined for camcorders) 1080i shooter.

We'll be back later with a full review of this pup as soon as we find a nice, tropical island which can pamper this beast in the luxury a $900 camcorder deserves.

So until then, check the gallery and call out in the comments with any questions you'd like us to tackle.

However, Sanyo's 720p Xacti DMX-HD700 (in red) still trumps the TG3E in size and weight.

Get a load of what just arrived at the doorstep of our European HQ -- the world's smallest 1080i camcorder, Sony's TG3E.

Hell, Sony somehow managed to turn that boxy design into something sexy to hold.

Unfortunately, it gives up significant lines of resolution in the process and uses inferior materials to boot.

 

 

Sony's Full HD PMW-EX3 camcorder

 

As the HD camcorder onslaught continues, Sony is making sure it doesn't get left out by showcasing the PMW-EX3 in Las Vegas. Aside from handling interchangeable lenses, this cam also features a trifecta of 0.5-inch CCDs with Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution, native 24p support, XDCAM HD EX recording on dual SxS cards, HD-SDI output, USB / 4-pin FireWire sockets and an optional 60GB disk recorder that plugs in via a SxS slot. Of course, we seriously hope you're planning to put this on the studio's plastic -- after all, it's not like you want that $13,000 charge hitting your card, right?

Fujifilm's FinePix S100FS is their "most advanced" consumer model

Fujifilm's "most advanced consumer model" features Dual Image Stabilization (optical image and picture stabilization), up to ISO 6400 sensitivity at 6 megapixels (ISO 10,000 at 3 megapixels), 2.5-inch tilting LCD, 3 megapixel burst mode for a maximum of 50 shots at 7fps, and unique film-simulation modes optimized for portraiture, low-contrast (soft), vibrant colors (Velvia), or general use (Provia).

How does a 14.3x Fujinon manual zoom lens, 8th generation 11 megapixel Super CCD sensor and new RP III processor sounds to you in a consumer camera?

Sounds good, but we'll have to wait for the reviews to see if there's any substance to the hype.

That's what you'll get next month when the $800 Fujifilm S100FS goes big box.

Technorati : Fujifilm

Fujifilm's FinePix S8100fd brings 10 megapixels 18x close

We're talking a 1/2.3-inch Super CCD HR sensor with dual image stabilization (sensor-shift and digital image) with a burst-rate of 33, 3 megapixel frames at 13.5fps.

Your $399 also brings 10-face auto detection, Fujifilm's iFlash to avoid overpowering shots, and a VGA movie mode shooting at 30fps.

Big and long is how Fujifilm's FinePix S8100fd rolls.

Available March.

Technorati : Fujifilm

Fujifilm's FinePix S1000fd: world's smallest 12x zoomer

But don't let those DSLR looks fool you, it's also fully automated with face detection, panorama shooting (stitches up to 3 images), and 14 pre-set scenes.

Brace yourselves, Fujifilm just let loose a flood of new shooters in the pre-PMA run-up.

First up is the FinePix S1000fd, dubbed the "world's smallest 12 optical zoom camera.

" The $250 camera features a 10 megapixel, 2.7-inch LCD and electric viewfinder, burst mode, and full manual controls.

Available April.

Technorati : Fujifilm

Canon Rebel XSi official, move over XTi

No shots of the camera yet, ironically, but here's the dirt:
12.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS (1.6x focal conversion)
3-inch live view LCD (up from the XTi's non-live-view 2.5-inch)
DIGIC III image processor
9-point AF, 3.5fps shot rate (up to 45 images in JPEG, 6 in RAW)
The usual ultrasonic sensor cleaning
SD / SDHC media
Ships April, $799 and $899 for body-only / included EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens, respectively
Also, two new telephoto lenses announced.

Looks like the Rebel XTi is officially last(-last) year's model -- just in time for PMA Canon's updating their new consumer DSLR with some sexy new features.

More on those after the break.

Technorati : Canon

Pentax gets official with 14.6-megapixel K20D DSLR

This beast features a 2.7-inch Live View LCD monitor, improved dust reduction system (including a new Dust Alert function to pinpoint the exact location of a particle), a weather / dust resistant shell, ISO up to 3,200, support for SD / SDHC cards, USB 2.0 connectivity, video-out (NTSC and PAL) and PictBidge functionality.

For the rest of the nitty-gritty, be sure and click on through -- after chewing on those details, maybe you can then decide whether or not you'll be throwing down $1,299.95 for the body-only model in March.

We reckoned those fliers spotted earlier today weren't just clever mockups, but now Pentax is affirming said assumption by getting all official with its new 14.6-megapixel K20D.

Oh, and don't you worry about lenses -- Pentax is busting out five new ones at PMA next week.

Technorati : Pentax

Pentax launches 10.2-megapixel K200D DSLR

" Packed in this beauty is a 10.2-megapixel sensor, a 2.7-inch LCD monitor, the firm's own Shake Reduction system, ISO up to 1,600 and an array of auto picture / scene modes to boot.

Expect it to ship in March, and feel free to peruse the full specifications list after the jump.

Sure, a little less exciting than the bigger bro, but hey, it's five Benjamins less ($799.95), too.

Fret not, as it's also launching (officially, that is) the K200D for consumers "who may be unfamiliar with DSLR cameras.

Pentax's newly launched K20D a bit too rich for your blood?

Technorati : Pentax

Pentax intros compact Optio M50 digital camera

Available in your choice of silver, blue or pink, this one boasts 8 megapixels and a slightly better than usual 5x optical zoom, along with a 2.5-inch LCD, ISO shooting modes all the way up to ISO 6400, and increasingly common features like face recognition and smile capture.

Look for it to hit in March with a list price of $230 and be sure to hit up the gallery below for a closer look at the camera in each of the available colors.

If those high-end Pentax DSLRs aren't your thing, then perhaps the company's just-announced Optio M50 will be more to your (and your bank account's) liking.

Technorati : Pentax

Pentax fleshes out Optio line with S12 and E50 compacts

Catch 'em both this March for $279.95 and $149.95, respectively, and just in case you were curious to the whereabouts of the oh-so-similar A40, we're told that it's finally set to hit the streets next month for $299.95.

Two more for ya from Pentax -- the pocketable S12 and E50, which we're going to dig right into if that's okay with the crowd.

As for the E50, it trims down to an 8.1-megapixel CCD sensor, 2.4-inch LCD, 3-point autofocus system, 9.5MB of built-in memory and an ISO limit of 1,600, but most everything else mimics its aforementioned sibling.

The former features a 12-megapixel sensor, VGA movie mode, 3x optical zoom, 2.5-inch LCD monitor, face recognition, 5-point autofocus, 21MB of internal storage space, support for SD / SDHC cards, USB 2.0 connectivity, video out (NTSC and PAL), PictBridge functionality and ISO up to 3,200.

Technorati : Pentax

Sony unloads a truckload of new cameras before PMA

There's a flurry of moderate low-end camera updates hitting the wires before PMA next week, and Sony's no exception -- it just dropped eight new shooters on us.

A quick rundown after the break, with pictures of all the new gear in the gallery.

Nothing major here, just bumps to existing models around.

Technorati : Sony unloads a truckload of new cameras before PMA

Sunglasses with hidden camera and attached PVR

 

That's right, you can take the streets and record minutes upon minutes of video to the onboard 32MB of RAM (okay, you can throw an SD or MMC card in there for a little bit more time on the clock), in NTSC or PAL at 510 x 482 or 500 x 582 (depending on the format).

The glasses, mistakenly described by the seller's site as "very stylish," contain a small camera with a 1/4-inch interline CCD sensor, and apparently they will also capture "exceptionally clear audio," though there's no specific mention of the kind of mic used.

Finally you'll be able to get your new website -- BodaciousVoyeur.com -- off the ground thanks to this new, totally mind-blowing device: a personal video recorder with sunglasses acting as the camera.

The whole hideous package can be yours for £695.00 (or around $1,400).

 

 

FlipStart mini PC gains sight with Snap Camera

 

If you've coughed up ~two grand for one of FlipStart Labs' tiny clamshell PCs, we'll wager that you've already got a pretty decent compact digicam in your arsenal, but in case you've been cursed -- as many us have -- with convergencitis, you can now pick up an accessory that turns your FlipStart into a pretty bulky three megapixel camera.

Downsides include the lack of an optical zoom and the obvious physical protrusion, but we're sure such trifles have never stopped you before.

As its name suggests, the $150 Snap Camera clips securely onto the unit's lid, immediately ready to capture up to five megapixel stills via interpolation or VGA video at 30fps complete with sound.

 

 

Triops camera reacts to sound, motion, or manual triggers

 

The idea of Triops is to meld the experience of taking a photo with the photo itself: the end pictures are all 360 degree panoramas, so you'll have to chuck it pretty far to be out of frame.

A finalist in the BraunPrize2007, Franziska Faoro's Triops is a camera equipped with three fisheye lenses designed to take photos at moments you may not expect.

It looks like it's a concept for now, although Franziska has thought to include designs for a dock, viewing screen, and even a simple UI on the device for controlling aspects of the shots.

It reacts to motion and movement -- so if you throw it in the air, or yell at it, it'll take a snap -- but it also has a manual mode in case you want full control.

Hopefully this'll make it into production soon.

 

 

Kodak's Bluetooth camera module

So unless Kodak's going to start offering Bluetooth upgrades for their point-and-shoot cameras (which would arguably cost in parts and labor more than the camera itself), it's dubious this is anything more than a proof-of-concept for future, yet unearthed-in-the-FCC cameras, like the one in which the device appears to be implanted (that dual-lenser that sure as hell aint a V570, that much we can tell you).

Yes, this thing's internal -- normally they'd just file for a camera with the radio, but this isn't the camera, this is the component.

We're not entirely sure of the purpose here, but Kodak filed with the FCC for a Bluetooth camera module that "is to be installed only by the professionals and used only with any product produced by Kodak.

See why we're a little confused?

 

 

Zink portable printer camera

 

Zink has also released some of the Integrated Digital Camera and Printer's specifications, which aren't altogether that interesting -- it has a 7 Megapixel CCD, 2-inch display, and SD memory card slot, just so ya know.

We're still not entirely convinced how effective Zink's portable digital camera / printer combo will be, but at least now we have an expected ship date.

Zink has updated their site to say that their "digital polaroid" will be shipping in late 2007, which will hopefully mean a fall release date.

All we care about is how good the printer is on this chunky combo unit.

 

 

Samsung intros slimline L77 (compact camera)

 

Apart from its size, the camera appears to be decent but fairly unremarkable, with a 2.5-inch LCD, 30 fps VGA video recording, ISO settings up to 1600, and Samsung's trademark "Advanced Shake Reduction" system, along with the usual array of pre-set camera modes.

Samsung's gone into full bragging mode with its newly announced L77 digital camera, claiming the sure-to-be-shortly-held title of "world's thinnest" camera that has both a 7 megapixel sensor and a 7x optical zoom.

It appears that a thickness of 0.8 inches was enough to snag that honor, with the camera's other dimensions equally pocketable, measuring 3.7 inches in length and 2.2 inches in height.

While there doesn't appear to be any word on price just yet, the camera will apparently be available sometime this April.

 

 

Nickelodeon and Imation Launch Npower

 

The Npower gadgets, codesigned by Nickelodeon and Imation, include numerous skews of digital cameras, digital photo frames, portable media and MP3 players, an LCD TV, and more--over 20 in all.

meanwhile, though, we have a SpongeBob camera in for testing and will post the hands-on review when we're done.

the most expensive in the camera line, a 3-megapixel model, is just $79.99.

but this new consumer electronics line is just for the kids.

All are branded with one or another of your favorite Nick characters.

Nickelodeon fans come in all ages--who doesn't love SpongeBob?

Everything will be available in October;

Prices are reasonable;