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Digital Cameras
Toshiba announces new sensitive 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor
By Paul Ridden
18:12 October 30, 2009 PDT
Toshiba has announced a 14.6 megapixel CMOS sensor for mobile phones and digital cameras which it says will boost light sensitivity and absorption by up to 40 percent. Whereas conventional sensors have multi-layer wiring sandwiched between the lenses and light receiving substrate, Toshiba has moved the wiring out of the way and placed the lenses and the photodiodes together. Read More
Memory chips could lead the way to gigapixel cameras
17:51 October 14, 2009 PDT
Image sensors embedded in digital cameras are expensive, and issues with their circuitry limit the quality and resolution in the pictures they produce. Now a research group from the Netherlands believes a cheaper solution could be right before our eyes - the team's "gigavision" technique exploits the high light sensitivity of memory chips to produce inexpensive gigapixel sensors that perform very well, especially in extreme lighting conditions. Read More
Kingston releases MobileLite Flash card reader, reloaded
03:24 October 10, 2009 PDT
Kingston recently released MobileLiteG2, the second generation of its portable Flash card reader. The 18.9g plug-and-play unit shows up as two separate devices on your system to make it easier to transfer data between Flash memory cards using only one USB port. Read More
Anti-paparazzi lasers being fitted to the world's biggest private yacht
By Loz Blain
05:34 September 22, 2009 PDT
Chelsea football club owner Roman Abramovich rose from obscurity and successfully navigated the shady world of early Russian privatization to become one of the world's wealthiest self-made billionaires. His 40-man private army of security personnel make him one of the best-protected businessmen in the world, and when his private gigayacht the Eclipse is handed over in time for Christmas this year, it will be the largest (at a staggering 560ft) and most expensive (at US$1.2 billion) private yacht the world has ever seen. Security will be as tight as you'd expect, with missile defence and intruder detection systems - but the Eclipse's most notable feature is a privacy system that can detect the digital cameras of snooping paparazzi and blind them with laser bursts, ruining spy photos. Read More
SanDisk Extreme Pro CompactFlash memory cards perform at twice the speed
By Darren Quick
23:24 September 16, 2009 PDT
Any professional photographer who has bought a cheap flash memory card and spent hours offloading gigabytes of images, or had their memory card stall when trying to shoot in burst mode, would know that not all memory cards are created equal. SanDisk’s new line of Extreme Pro CompactFlash memory cards proves this point by offering 90MB/s peak read and write speeds – double the performance of previous SanDisk high-end camera memory cards. Read More
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ38 does 12.1 megapixel stills, 720p HD video, and recognizes your family
By Alan Brandon
20:20 September 10, 2009 PDT
The Lumix DMC-FZ38 is an incremental update to Panasonic’s line of compact super-zoom cameras. Based on the FZ28, the new FZ38 boasts 12.1 megapixels, an 18x wide zoom, and 720p HD video with stereo audio and the AVCHD Lite recording format. And, remarkably, it can also recognize your family and friends. Read More
Olympus µ TOUGH-6010 flexes a bit more muscle
By Alan Brandon
22:58 September 7, 2009 PDT
Whether you’re a snow-sports adrenaline junkie, inveterate beach goer, or just like gear that can take a few bumps, Olympus µ TOUGH-6010 may be the camera for you. Shockproof, waterproof, and even freezepoof to -10°C (14°F), the µ TOUGH-6010 combines compact style with a rugged chassis and an arsenal of shooting features including dual-image stabilization, advanced face detection, and i-Auto scene selection mode. Read More
Frankencamera: Digital cameras get the open source treatment
By Darren Quick
02:15 September 4, 2009 PDT
Open-source started with the Netscape Navigator browser and has expanded to include operating systems for PCs (Linux) and mobile phones (Android). Now photo scientists at Stanford University are out to bring the advantages of open-source development to digital photography with the creation of an open-source digital camera giving programmers around the world the chance to create software that will teach cameras new tricks. Read More
Samsung DualView cameras put the photographer in the picture
By Darren Quick
03:43 August 14, 2009 PDT
Seems one LCD display per camera is not enough for Samsung, which has just unveiled two compact digital cameras that feature dual LCD screens – one on the back and one on the front. The extra displays found on the TL225 and TL220 are designed to make turning the camera on yourself a bit more reliable than the "hold at arm’s length and hope" method usually employed when taking self-portraits and profile picture shots. And for those after a digital camera that boasts unprecedented connectivity, Samsung has also unveiled the CL65 with geo-tagging, Bluetooth 2.0, DLNA, and Wi-Fi capabilities. Read More
AstroScope gives your DSLR night vision
By Alan Brandon
22:23 August 13, 2009 PDT
The AstroScope, from night vision manufacturer Electrophysics, is a modular adapter that adds night-vision capability to DSLR cameras and camcorders. Designed for use by the military, law enforcement, news agencies, and well-heeled enthusiasts, the AstroScope night vision adapter fits between the camera body and the lens to capture high-resolution images at night and in low-light situations that are otherwise too dark for standard digital cameras. Read More
Sony Party-shot snaps pictures while you party
By Alan Brandon
20:15 August 10, 2009 PDT
You’re throwing a big party, and you want it be a night to remember. You’ve invited some cool friends, stocked up on good beer, and have the stereo cranked up to 11. Only one thing could make this shindig any better – a robot photographer! Well fear not, Sony’s got your back with the new Party-shot robotic camera dock that automatically pans, tilts, and takes snapshots while you go for the cheese dip. Read More
PedalPower+ charges cyclists' phones, GPS, iPods
By Jeff Salton
21:52 August 9, 2009 PDT
In bygone days, a bicycle dynamo struggled to generate enough energy to power a weak headlight for the lonely cyclist riding home on a dark night. Back then it was the only electronic application that a cyclist needed because dynamos were first invented when riders still made calls from public telephone booths or stopped to read a map for directions. But a new bicycle dynamo system called PedalPower+ can help recharge the arsenal of battery-powered accessories modern cyclists’ rely on for communications, navigation and entertainment - on the fly. Read More
Fujifilm FinePix Real 3D camera shoots stills and movies – no glasses required
By Alan Brandon
22:55 August 5, 2009 PDT
After a year of rumors and prototypes, Fujifilm has officially announced its 3D camera, the FinePix Real 3D W1. The W1 takes digital three-dimensional photos and videos, and you can view them without goofy colored glasses. Fujifilm also announced its Real 3D V1 digital picture viewer, and a 3D photo-printing service. Read More
Nikon CoolPix S1000pj camera packs a built-in projector
By Darren Quick
05:57 August 5, 2009 PDT
In what seems like an obvious merging of technologies now that it’s happened, Nikon has announced the world’s first compact digital camera to feature a built-in projector. The COOLPIX S1000pj is a 12.1 megapixel camera that could see an end to people elbowing each other out of the way to get a glimpse of themselves in the latest happy snap on a camera’s small LCD display. Read More
Olympus Stylus-7010 has a little chassis and bigger features
By Alan Brandon
20:01 July 27, 2009 PDT
Olympus has announced the newest addition to its fashion-oriented ultracompact digital camera line: the Stylus-7010. The new 1-inch thick model featuring 12MP resolution and a 7x wide-angle/long-zoom lens (equivalent to a 28-196mm zoom) plus some tuned-up shooting modes and "Magic Filters" for in-camera editing. Read More
Pet's Eye View Camera - see what your furry companions get up to during the day
By Jude Garvey
19:14 July 12, 2009 PDT
Some people are so fond of their pets they want to know what they are up to every minute of the day. Maybe it’s because of those guilty looks you get when you arrive home unexpectedly… you know that wide-eyed, “I wasn’t doing anything wrong” look? The Pet’s Eye View Camera could help solve these little mysteries - it's a lightweight digital camera that attaches to your cat or dog’s collar and takes 640 x 480 photos at five, ten or 15 minute intervals. Read More
Magic Lantern unofficial firmware for the EOS 5D Mark II shows Canon how it's done
By Darren Quick
17:06 July 1, 2009 PDT
Canon might want to consider putting a certain Trammell Hudson on the payroll. Hudson has developed an enhancement to the firmware of the Canon 5D Mark II digital SLR camera to make the already impressive camera an even more attractive option for shooting professional video. Dubbed ‘Magic Lantern’, the new firmware includes both audio and video fixes and is a completely open platform, meaning users are free to extend the Magic Lantern firmware themselves. Read More
Light sensor breakthrough could enhance solar cells and digital cameras
By Alan Brandon
02:06 June 30, 2009 PDT
A new type of light sensor that acts like a pixel in a digital camera has been created by researchers at the University of Toronto. Scientists believe the sensor, which takes advantage of a phenomenon called multi-exciton generation (MEG), could lead to substantial advancements in the performance of a variety of electronic devices including digital cameras. Read More
Crayola goes digital
By Darren Quick
21:04 March 30, 2009 PDT
Crayola is a name that conjures up happy childhood memories for generations of kids – or former kids. Although the Crayola brand is synonymous with crayons and other assorted ‘coloring implements’, that hasn’t stopped them embracing the digital age with a range of colorful electronic toys designed to combine learning with fun. Gizmag got the low down on the latest from the company at the recent Australian Toy Hobby and Nursery Fair. Read More
Canon EOS Rebel T1i: HD video at a third the price of the EOS 5D Mark II
00:05 March 26, 2009 PDT
Digital SLR cameras featuring HD video capture have burst onto the market in recent months and Canon has now put this functionality within reach of a much wider audience by including 1080p recording in the latest addition to its entry level Rebel range. The new EOS Rebel T1i Digital SLR sports a 15.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 Imaging Processor, nine-point Autofocus, a 3.0-inch LCD and shoots 1080p video at 20 fps and 720p HD video capture at 30 fps. The best bit - at USD$800 (body only) it's around a third of the price of the HD video capable EOS 5D Mark II released in September last year. Read More
Album creates high quality portable picture viewer you can take with you
23:29 March 12, 2009 PDT
Digital picture frames are so ubiquitous these days that there is little for us to report on in the segment. But every once and a while there is a product that clearly differentiates itself from the pack even in a crowded segment like this. Album's US$199 portable picture frame clearly stands above any of the display devices we've seen so far. Read More
Sanyo Xacti dual camera shoots HD video and stills simultaneously
By Darren Quick
00:52 March 10, 2009 PDT
The convergence of video and still cameras has been happening practically since the first digital cameras rolled off the production line. It’s now pretty standard for still cameras to be able to capture short bursts of video and it’s easy to capture a still pic using most video cameras. Sanyo’s Xacti dual camera range seeks to blur the lines between still and video cameras even further by allowing the capture of still and 60 fps video images simultaneously. Read More
GE G3WP Waterproof compact camera announced
17:13 March 4, 2009 PST
General Imaging, the licensee for GE digital cameras, has launched its first-ever waterproof model at PMA 2009 - the G3WP. The 12.2 megapixel compact is waterproof to 10 feet, has a 4x optical zoom, Image Stabilization and a 2.7-inch LCD screen that automatically adjusts to changes in ambient light. Read More
The Pentax X70 joins the Compact Megazoom class of 2009
By Mike Hanlon
14:28 March 3, 2009 PST
Joining the megazoom compact class of 2009, already featuring the 26x Olympus SP590, 24x Nikon CoolPix P90, 24x Kodak Z980 and newly announced 20x Sony Cyber-shot HX1 is the 24x Pentax X70. Now they all have small bodies, optical zooms that run from wide angle to super-telephoto (26mm to 624mm equivalent in this case) and more than enough pixels (12 MPX in this case), the technology is being shoehorned in (high-speed burst mode that captures 11 images per second, face recognition and more) to enable camera klutzes to produce near pro quality at the ridiculously reasonable cost of USD400. It ships next month. Read More
Samsung launches AMOLED screened compact digital camera
By Matt Kennedy
23:46 February 25, 2009 PST
Samsung Electronics seem to be busy beavers of late, with new products landing on the shelves all over the place. The latest releases, just in time for PMA09, are the TL320 and HZ15W, the former featuring a hi-tech, hi-res three-inch AMOLED screen and the latter, a class beating 10x optical zoom. Read More
gadgetmind
- November 9, 2009 @ 09:47 UTC
