Camera

From TechON

Casio will release a digital camera "EX-F1" in March 2008. It enables to release a shutter at the right moment with a continuous shooting speed of 60 fps (frames per second) (each frame is 6 Mpixels) and to shoot full HD (1080/60i) H.264 movies.

Click here to read more "Casio: There Is No need for a Camera Shutter"

From Wired

Almost every big manufacturer has released new digital single-lens-reflex (DSLR) cameras at PMA this week. If you're looking to upgrade your photo quality and you want a camera with interchangeable lenses you now have a few more choices. Canon, Nikon, Sony, Pentax and Samsung must have gotten together and had a strategy meeting, because they've all released new entry-level SLRs that are packed full of professional level features.

Click here to read more "PMA 2008: Entry-Level Digital SLRs Get Better and Better"

From Macworld

Casual photographers looking for simple-to-operate point-and-shoot models now have six new Nikon Coolpix cameras to choose from, ranging from the $139.95 L18 to the $299.95 S600. The company has introduced the new cameras in advance of this week's PMA trade show. All the new cameras will be introduced in March.

Click here to read more "Nikon adds 6 New Coolpix Cameras"

From Digital Photography Review

Nikon has announced its latest consumer-level DSLR, the D60. It's a 10.2MP digital camera that will look and feel remarkably familiar to users of the D40X. It includes an anti-dust system that incorporates a self-cleaning sensor unit that shakes off dust, coupled with an airflow system designed to channel dust away from the sensor. The model also adds active d-lighting, a stop-motion recording mode and Expeed branding.

(Shawn's Comment: For a lot of you, this will be the best DSLR you'll buy)

Click here to read more "Nikon announces D60"

From Macworld

Pentax has introduced three new models of its Optio line of point-and-shoot digital cameras. The company is rolling out the M50, S12 and E50 models between now and April, at prices ranging from $149.95 to $279.95.

Click here to read more "Pentax offers New Point-&-Shoot Cameras"

Pentax announced three new Optio cameras, as well as setting a ship date for its previously announced Optio A40 digital camera. The 12-megapixel Optio A40 ($300) was originally announced last fall and is slated for availability in February. The brand-new announcements are the ultracompact 12-megapixel Optio S12, the 8.1-megapixel Optio E50, and the 8-megapixel Option M50.
Click here to read more "Pre-PMA: New Pentax Point-and-Shoots"

Canon unveiled a quartet of new point-and-shoot PowerShot cameras for 2008. The new cameras include updates to Canon's fashion-minded Digital Elph line, as well as three new additions to the solid and popular PowerShot A line.

The new Elph is the PowerShot SD1100 IS, an ultracompact 8-megapixel camera available in five colors: brown, pink, blue, gold, and silver. The SD1100 is the successor to last year's SD1000 Digital Elph, adding optical image stabilization to its 3x optical zoom lens.
Click here to read more "Canon Announces Four New PowerShots"

(Shawn's Comment: Expect announcements from Nikon regarding their new cameras very soon)

From Macworld

Canon has introduced a new "entry-level" digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera to its popular line -- the Rebel XSi. It sports a 12.2-megapixel sensor and costs $799.99 for a body-only kit, $899.99 bundled with an EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens. Both will arrive in April, 2008.

The EOS Rebel XSi features improved autofocus, enhanced 14-bit analog/digital conversion, enhanced "Live View" that enables you to see what the sensor sees through the LCD panel on the back, and Canon's DIGIC III image processor. The camera has a 3-inch LCD monitor on its back, up from 2.5 inches on the Digital Rebel XTi model. The larger screen uses larger fonts to make it easier to read menus and it also has a broadened color gamut and seven brightness settings.

The 12.2-megapixel sensor is APS-C sized, so it sports a 1.6x focal length conversion factor. The camera works with Canon EF and EF-S lenses. The camera also has a self-cleaning sensor unit that shakes dust particles off the low-pass filter in front of the sensor. Rather than using Compact Flash memory cards, the XSi supports SD and SDHC cards. It also works with Canon's new LP-E5 lithium battery, which the company claims can provide 50 percent more exposures per charge than earlier models.

Click here to read more "Canon intros EOS Rebel XSi DSLR"

From Macworld
Pentax Imaging has introduced its new K20D and K200D digital SLR cameras, with 14.6 and 10.2 megapixels respectively. The K20D will be available (body only) in April for $1299.95, while the K200D will ship in March for $799.95, bundled with an 18-55mm lens.

The K20D is based on Pentax's K10D. It features a "Live View" that lets you use the 2.7-inch LCD display to see what's visible through the viewfinder. An improved dust reduction system has been incorporated, and the body is more weather and dust-resistant than past models. The camera also features a newly developed CMOS image sensor and custom image functions.

The K200D is aimed at users who may be first-time DSLR users. It features a compact body but doesn't skimp on features -- it has a 2.7-inch wide LCD, auto picture and scene modes, Expanded Dynamic Range function that helps photographers gain more contrast and brightness in their images, improved dust reduction and a Pentax-made shake reduction system.

Pentax also introduced five new lenses for its DSLR line.

Click here to read more "Pentax K20D DSLR sports 14.6 Megapixels"

From PopPhoto.com

Upgrades aren't enough. A new feature here, a firmware tweak there doesn't cut it in today's DSLR battleground. Every finalist for the 2007 Camera of the Year Award can attest to that. But none of the eight contenders for this Oscar of the Photo Industry has proven the point as forcefully as the Nikon D300. The camera that best refines or redefines photography? The D300 triumphs on both counts, and raises the benchmark for every camera maker.

Click here to read more "Camera of the Year 2007: Nikon D300"

From Macworld
Casio will put on sale in March a digital still camera capable of shooting up to 60 full-resolution images in one second, and video at more than 1,000 per second to realize a super slow-motion effect, it is expected to announce at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.

Among the top features of the Exilim Pro EX-F1 is the fast-shooting mode that will snap up to 60 images at the camera’s full 6-megapixel resolution. The length of time over which they are shot is set by the user, and can be between one second and one minute. After the images are shot, the user can browse through them to find, for example, the exact moment at which a baseball player’s bat hits the ball, or a baby gives a perfect smile.

Just as innovative as the camera’s burst-shooting mode is the high-speed video mode. It can shoot video at between 300 frames per second and 1,200 fps, which when played back at the normal 30 fps realizes a super slow-motion effect. In this mode it’s possible to view, for example, the wings of a dragonfly flap as it takes to flight.

Click here to read more "Casio Unveils Super High Speed Digital Camera"

From the New York Times

Last year was a big year for S.L.R.’s. New players like Sony and Panasonic entered the market. Prices dropped to new lows — you can get an excellent starter model for under $475. And as the year ended, four new semipro models had their debuts, defining a new midrange category ($1,300 to $1,800) almost overnight: the Nikon D300, Canon 40D, Sony A700 and Olympus E3. Thanks to the technology trickle-down effect, they offer many features of $5,000 professional S.L.R. models at a fraction of the price.

Click here to read more "4 Cameras Middling Only in Price"

From CNET

I recently came across the Loreo 3D Lens in a Cap, a stereo lens that works on most film or digital SLRs. It's a 38mm lens with an f/11 of f/22 aperture that takes two images of the same scene from slightly different perspectives.

Loreo also sells a basic $24 3D viewer into which you can put 4x6 printouts of your stereo photos. The lenses cost between $48 and $117, depending on what model you buy.

Click here to read more "Stereoscopy for Your DSLR"