Digital Cameras

Canon expand PowerShot digital camera range

By Noel McKeegan

06:40 August 20, 2007 PDT

August 20, 2007 Canon has added the 10X optical zoom, 8.0 megapixel SX100 IS to its PowerShot range. The launch of the PowerShot SX100 coincides with two further updates to the line-up – the 12.1 megapixel PowerShot A720 (which replaces the A710) and the PowerShot A650 (which replaces the A640 and A630). Read More

Shoot, share, crop and export with the new fashion-conscious Fuji

By Loz Blain

July 27, 2007 While their 12-megapixel F50fd pushes the boundaries of compact camera resolution, Fujifilm’s concurrent release, the 7.2 megapixel FinePix Z10fd, takes aim at a different demographic altogether. The Z10fd is marketed as a “fashion” camera for the tech-savvy blogger generation. Featuring Fuji’s nifty Face Detection technology, automatic redeye removal, in-camera cropping and image resizing for web use, Infrared image transfer to other IR-equipped devices, plus a range of colours so lairy they’ll give older folk migraines, the Z10fd looks to be a solid mid-range addition to the Fujifilm lineup. Read More

New generation camera phones: smaller, cheaper, better

By Loz Blain

June 13, 2007 A key part of the accelerating convergence of mobile technologies is the constant struggle to miniaturize functional units while constantly improving their quality and reducing cost of manufacture. Tessera has scored big on all three points with their OptiML wafer level camera manufacture technology - their new modules are half the size of current mobile phone camera units, 30% cheaper to manufacture, and capable of supporting the high resolutions we expect from digital cameras. The company has also made some impressive aquisitions to sort out the traditional focus and zoom issues we've had on camera phones. Read More

The Miro 3 High-Speed Digital Camera - making the invisible visible

By Mike Hanlon

May 11, 2007 Vision Research showed off a very special new camera at the recent NAB in Las Vegas, and SAE World Congress in Detroit - the first in a new line of Phantom high-speed digital cameras. The Phantom Miro line is a compact, light-weight, rugged family of cameras targeted at industrial applications ranging from biometric research to automotive crash testing. Rated to survive 100g acceleration this rugged camera can take 512x512 images at up to 2200 frames-per-second (fps). Reduce the resolution to 32 x 32 and achieve frame rates greater than 95,000 fps. With an ISO rating of 4800 (monochrome, saturation-based ISO 12232), the camera has the light sensitivity for the most demanding applications. With shutter speeds as low as 2 microseconds, the user can freeze objects in motion, eliminate blur, and bring out the image detail needed for successful motion analysis. The camera accepts any standard 1" C-mount lens. See a movie of what it can do here. Read More

Zoom wars - Olympus unveils 18X zoom at PMA

By Mike Hanlon

March 12, 2007 Now that we seemingly have more than enough megapixels, the digital camera manufacturers appear to have started a magnification war, with Olympus exhibiting its 18x optical zoom SP-550 UZ (Ultra Zoom) at this week’s PMA show and Sony showing its 15x optical zoom, Cyber-shot H7 and the H9 models. Indeed, down at the ultracompact end of the range, Casio crammed a 7X zoom into its Exilim EX-V7 – that’s a 7X optical zoom inside a camera just one inch thick. Extrapolate those figures back to the days of 35mm SLR photography and you’ll have cause to ponder just how far things might go in the longer term. For the miniscule Exilim, that’s the equivalent of a 35mm-266mm zoom lens in 35mm terms, and several different anti-shake technologies are employed, including a mechanical CCD-shift image stabiliser. It’s the Olympus SP-550 UZ that blows us away though – its focal length spans an amazing 28mm-504mm (in 35mm terms) and it employs double protection against camera shake with Dual Image Stabilization, combining high ISO values with a CCD-based mechanical image stabiliser, where a built-in gyro sensor detects camera movement and adjusts the CCD accordingly. On top of that, the 7.1 megapixel SP-550 UZ offers the highest burst rate (15 frames per second) of any compact digital camera., shoots 640x480 video at 30fps and hits the streets this month at US$500. Read More

Sony’s New 15X Cybershot H9 and H7 Cameras

By Mike Hanlon

March 12, 2007 Responding to the growing demand for super zoom digital cameras, Sony showed its new 8-megapixel DSC-H9 and DSC-H7 models at PMA, with both cameras featuring powerful Carl Zeiss 15x optical zoom lenses, Sony’s new advanced sports shooting mode and high-definition outputs so they easily connect to a HDTV for spectacular reproduction. The advanced sports shooting mode combines high shutter speed shooting and intelligent continuous auto-focusing. The cameras can quickly focus on fast-moving subjects by predicting where those subjects will be in the frame. This predictive technology also helps to reduce shutter lag, the time it takes for the camera to focus and shoot. Read More

ViviCam 6200w waterproof camera

By Mike Hanlon

March 12, 2007 Vivitar’s new US$230 ViviCam 6200w could become a landmark product in the evolution of the digital camera – it is the first waterproof camera to be marketed directly at the consumer. We see it as the digital camera growing up – what’s the point in having a digital camera if it’s so delicate that you regularly need to leave it behind rather than risk its demise. Now there’s a cost-effective way of ensuring your camera can handle the effects of salt, sand, dust and dirt. Not surprisingly, there’s no optical zoom, but it offers six megapixel resolution and it can capture underwater images to a depth of 10 metres. Read More

Sony debuts its first wireless Digital Camera

By Mike Hanlon

March 9, 2007 Sony today introduced a 6-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-G1 digital camera with the ability to send photos wirelessly to other Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA)-enabled devices, such as another camera or a PC. Sony’s director of marketing for digital cameras Phil Lubell called the announcement "a step towards realizing a platform for networked photo communication. We will continue to explore the possibilities for networked digital imaging as broadband Internet becomes more pervasive in American homes." The new model’s camera-to-camera wireless capability makes it possible to send your friends a photo at the push of a button. It's also possible for up to four camera users to send each other photos in real time. With a DLNA-compatible PC, storing and sharing photos becomes simplified through wireless image transfer from the camera to the PC. Read More

Canon’s TX1 PowerShot – 7.1 MPX, 10x optical zoom, Image Stabilizer and VGA movies at 30 fps

By Mike Hanlon

February 22, 2007 Canon has announced the latest state-of-the-art compact digital still and video camera - the 7.1 megapixel PowerShot TX1 offers 10x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer and can shoot VGA (640 x 480 pixels) movies at 30 fps (in a traditional 4:3 aspect ratio) and can capture high-resolution still images while recording movies, helping to ensure that milestone memories are preserved for picture frames, photo albums and e-mail sharing as well as for video viewing. The TX1 features an enhanced Canon DiG!C III image processor with innovative technology including in-camera red-eye correction and improved Face Detection with Flash Exposure. The enhanced DiG!C III processor enables in-camera red-eye correction with the touch of a button. Available next month, the US$500 TX1 is the size of a deck of playing cards, making it ideal as a permanent companion. Read More

Canon to release of The World's Fastest Digital SLR

By Mike Hanlon

February 22, 2007 Canon is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its top-selling EOS single lens reflex camera system by announcing the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR, the world's fastest digital SLR camera. At 10 frames per second, the 10.1 megapixel EOS-1D Mark III digital SLR can fire huge motor-driven bursts of 110 Large JPEGs or 30 RAW files because it employs the new Dual DIGIC III image processor engine, providing enough computational horsepower to do parallel processing at a rate unmatched by any other digital SLR. The all-new 10.1 megapixel, APS-H size CMOS sensor is the most light-sensitive and innovative sensor that Canon has developed to date. It features a new microlens array and a more efficient pixel structure for ultra-low noise, resulting in exceptional image quality and an amazing ISO range of 100 to 3200 with extensions to ISO 50 and a highly usable ISO 6400. Scheduled for initial U.S. shipments in Spring, the estimated selling price of the EOS-1D Mark III Digital SLR will be similar to that of its predecessor, the EOS-1D Mark II N Digital SLR. A ready to shoot EOS-1D Mk III weighs in at only 1,335g (225g lighter than its predecessor, including battery). Read More

World's smallest and lightest High-Def Digital Video Camera takes 7.1-Megapixel still images too

By Mike Hanlon

January 11, 2007 Packed with performance upgrades including a new 7.38-megapixel CCD image sensor that dramatically improves low-light sensitivity, the new SANYO Xacti HD2 is the world's smallest and lightest high-definition digital video camera. The SANYO Xacti HD2 will be available in March for around US$700, combining the functionality of a 720p high-definition digital camcorder and 7.1-megapixel digital still camera into one ergonomic, pocket-sized device. Read More

Nikon's DS-Qi1 Digital Camera offers high speed and sensitivity for seamless live cell research

By Mike Hanlon

December 8, 2006 Nikon has released first details of its new DS-Qi1 Monochrome Digital Camera, an ultra high-quality scientific grade digital camera specifically designed for fluorescence applications and an excellent choice for high speed and high sensitivity applications in quantitative fluorescence imaging. The DS-Qi1 represents Nikon's new flagship camera in the DS camera lineup. The camera is a monochrome CCD designed specifically for fluorescence applications and features a 1.3-megapixel CCD that accurately captures microstructures at a high resolution of 1280x1024 pixels. The camera accelerates frame rates beyond previous models and improves resolution, expands dynamic range, and reduces noise by using Nikon's proprietary imaging technology. Read More

Now a GorillaPod for zoom lens SLRs

By Mike Hanlon

November 8, 2006 The world’s most influential gadget media has been raving about the Joby since it was released early this year, and now comes the news that the serious photographers amongst us have been waiting for. Firstly, the GorillaPod is a mini-tripod with flexible legs designed to grip, twist and bend around anything handy – railings, rocks, branches, poles etcetera. The ball-and-socket joints rotate 360 degrees and it is a very handy addition to a full-size tripod, can do lots of things that said traditional tripod cannot do, and being light and small, almost completely replaces said tripod with much less hassle. Then came the Gorillapod SLR – same as the original tripod except it could hold the extra weight of a full SLR camera. Now comes the announcement that counts - the Gorillapod SLR Zoom can handle all of the above plus a zoom lens - 3 kilograms in total weight - all pointed in exactly the right direction whilst weighing in at a diminutive 241 grams (8.5 oz). Read More

Roundshot D3 produces 470 Megapixel 360 degree Panoramic images

By Mike Hanlon

October 11, 2006 Swiss company Seitz Phototechnik is pushing the boundaries of digital photography with its new D3 scan technology, making it possible to create a digital 360° panorama in only two seconds and with very high image quality. The new rotating Roundshot D3 digital camera with its D3 digital back is equipped with a high-speed scanning sensor developed specifically for photography. The D3 scan back reads at 300 MB per second, more than 100x faster than existing scan backs. This results in a very broad ISO/ASA range (equivalent) of 500 to 10,000, which makes this camera the perfect instrument for virtually all light situations. Combined with the vertical resolution of 7,500 pixels, an 80mm medium format lens creates, for example, a total image resolution of 470 million pixels – uncompressed, each such image would be 2.7GB. Or you can go even further by shifting the scan back by a total of 50mm and achieve a vertical resolution of 13,500 pixels (110mm) using distortion-free stitching. Combining the resolution, speed and sensitivity, it is possible, for the first time, to create lively digital images that are a pleasure for the eye of the professional. No limits for high definition photography! Medium or large format lenses from Schneider, Rodenstock, Hasselblad and Pentax 67 can be used with the new camera and in keeping with the bigger-is-better theme, the colour screen is the biggest known to photography at 640x480 pixels and allows perfect preview, editing, zooming and image control. Read More

Low-cost HSI3000 Thermal Imaging Camera

By Mike Hanlon

September 28, 2006 If you’ve always wanted a thermal imaging instrument so you can diagnose all those problems that are just begging to be investigated with such a remarkable weapon, then you’ll be delighted to know that a new low cost HSI3000 has been added to the range of Wahl Heat Spy Thermal Imaging Cameras. The US$5995 HSI3000 is an ergonomically designed, hand held, light, compact, and easy-to-use thermal imaging camera, used as a detection and diagnostic tool for condition monitoring of electrical and mechanical systems and building diagnostics such as detecting moisture damage, pest infestation, insulation integrity, as well as energy auditsand Wahl is now offering attractive leasing packages to further ensure we can all get our hands on one. Read More

Disney’s line of digital cameras for tots and tweens

By Mike Hanlon

September 8, 2006 Children of today will be the first generation to capture their own images, and that hasn’t been lost on the Disney entertainment empire which has launched a new Disney Pix line features digital cameras, camcorders and peripherals that allow young kids and tweens to shoot, edit, print and share their digital photographs. Starting at just U$20 the designs are character-themed for all ages, including "High School Musical," "Cars," "Disney Princess," "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Tinker Bell." The Digital Cameras all come with Disney Pix software starting with the U$20 Disney Pix Micro (an ultra-small camera with a storage capacity of 24 photos) for tots, the slightly-upmarket US$50 Disney Pix Click (200 VGA 640 x 480 photos, 2X digital zoom, built-in auto flash, TV output), the range-topping US$80 Disney Pix Max (3 MPX images, 1.5" colour LCD screen, 4X digital zoom, expandable memory card slot, built-in auto flash, TV output), and a US$30 Keychain Digital keychain Brag Book, an ultra-small digital photo album that stores 50 photos and has a 1.1" LCD screen. There’s just one camcorder – the US$80 Disney Princess Digital Movie Maker, a digital with 32MB of built-in memory, 640 x 480 video resolution and a built-in microphone, pitched for girls to edit their own videos and add music, animation, sound effects, titles and credits with the accompanying software. Read More

Canon to replace EOS350D with new 10.1 MPX EOS400D

By Mike Hanlon

August 25, 2006 It was only a matter of time before Canon refreshed its best selling 8 MPX EOS350D thanks to the recent announcements of Sony’s 10.2 MPX Alpha A100 and Nikon’s 10.2 MPX D80 and so it came to pass that yesterday it announced the new EOS 400D complete with 10.1 megapixel CMOS sensor, simpler operation and a Self Cleaning Sensor Unit. The 400D will be available in both black and silver in early September, with different bundles available in different markets. In the UK, it will be sold for UKP650, about UKP40 more than the 350D it replaces, and will also be available bundled with an 18-55mm lens for UKP720. All the details of the new 400D currently known are available here and there’s an excellent hands-on overview of the 400 here. Read More

FinePix S9100 faux dSLR

By Mike Hanlon

August 25, 2006 Fujifilm has announced the successor to the FinePix S9000 in the form of the FinePix S9100. Looking for all the world like an dSLR (it’s not), it will nonetheless compete with entry level dSLRs when it ships in September, based on its US$599 price, 10.7x (equivalent 28mm – 300mm) Fujinon optical zoom lens, 9.0 MPX CCD sensor and high light sensitivities (ISO 80-1600). Read More

Samsung 3 inch VGA LCD screen to improve digital camera display

By Mike Hanlon

August 14, 2006 Samsung, the world's largest provider of thin-film transistor, liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) panels, has announced that it has developed the first three-inch LCD panel with VGA (640 x 480 pixels) resolution that directly meets industry interface standards for digital still cameras. The new LCD panel will make viewing digital pictures distinctly more impressive on camera screens, personal multi-media players and other products requiring high-image resolution and low-power consumption. Samsung will exhibit the new device at IMID 2006, which opens on August 23. Read More

Nikon's new 10.2 MPX D80 Digital SLR to sell for US$1000

By Mike Hanlon

August 10, 2006 The digital prosumer camera market went from red hot to white hot yesterday when Nikon announced the 10.2-megapixel D80, a replacement for its 6.1-megapixel D70s. The D80 will represent remarkable value when it hits shelves next month for an estimated selling price of US$1000 for the body only and US$1300 for the body and an 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G AF-S IF-ED DX Nikkor Lens. Many of its features have been taken straight from professional cameras in the Nikon range, with many of the attributes of the D200at half the price. It can shoot at speeds of up to 3 frames per second, for up to 100 consecutive shots (in JPEG Normal mode), powers up in only 0.18 seconds and captures a picture with an imperceptible shutter lag time of just 80 milliseconds (0.08 seconds). A new 11-area auto- focus system (from the D200) detects focus with superb precision and can even track a moving subject across the frame, shifting focus instantly and automatically to any of the 11 auto-focus points that detect the subject. Read More

New FinePix S3 Pro UVIR Digital SLR photographs in the Ultraviolet and Infrared Spectrums

By Mike Hanlon

August 10, 2006 Fujifilm has broken new ground by releasing a digital SLR camera capable of taking photographs in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) light spectrums. The FinePix S3 Pro UVIR has been designed for use in the science, medical and fine art disciplines, with its most intriguing applications coming in the field of law enforcement investigation. Law enforcement agencies have used UV and IR photography for years to uncover evidence not easily seen by the human eye, such as gun shot residue and blood stains, as well as to recover altered, burned or obliterated writing. IR photography is also used in nighttime surveillance. The FinePix S3 Pro UVIR will also attract a lot of interest from the technical-scientific community, plus fine arts, portrait, and wedding photographers. Legendary photographers such as Minor White and Ansel Adams brought IR imaging into the art world with their stunning American landscapes, and used IR as a way of creating unique and beautiful images that set them apart from others in their field. Many of today's top portrait and wedding photographers have made IR photography an essential part of the services they offer to their clients. Priced at US$1800, Fujifilm's FinePix S3 Pro UVIR will be available beginning September 2006. Read More

Kodak announces 5X Zoom Easyshare C875 Digital Camera

By Mike Hanlon

August 8, 2006 The compact digital camera market continues to heat up with the announcement that KODAK will bring a new Easyshare C875 Zoom Digital Camera to market later this month. Though it doesn’t quite match the 10x optical zoom of the US$350 Panasonic DMC-TZ1S, it does come with a 5X all glass SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH optical zoom lens and spits out 8.0 MPX images (compared to the Panasonic’s 5MPX), not to mention all that really easy-to-use Kodak EasyShare functionality. Official US and UK pricing hasn’t been announced yet but the Australian price has been officially announced at AUD$399, which brings it in at a tad over US$300, making it highly competitive. Read More

X-Loupe turns your Canon IXUS into a digital microscope

By Mike Hanlon

August 6, 2006 We love technologies that enable new techniques, help lots of people and generally add massive value while costing very little, and you can tick all those boxes for the X-Loupe. The X-Loupe is an attachment for Canon IXUS compact cameras that transforms the camera into a 150X handheld, lightweight, digital microscopic capable of 5MPX photography. The X-Loupe weighs only 300 grams, works in still or video mode, comes with its own dimmable LED lens ring so that you can illuminate your subject perfectly, has a Japanese-made Lithium Ion battery that’s good for four hours or 150 shots and has all the preview, TV-connectivity of the IXUS. Accordingly, we can think of hundreds of applications where the X-Loupe can be used - education, medical, documenting medical conditions, industrial process, quality control, archaeology, authentication, research ad infinitum. Sold as a bundle on-line, the Canon IXUS 65 camera and X-Loupe PRO comes with three lens (60X, 100X and 150X) for US$1849 retail and the company is seeking international distributors. Extensive image library. Read More

Sony enters the digital SLR camera market

By Mike Hanlon

June 8, 2006 Sony has taken a long time to enter the digital single lens reflex (D-SLR) camera market but the somewhat belated release of the DSLR-A100 system has been both decisive and with enormous commitment. The system uses a 10.2-megapixel APS CCD image sensor and combines advanced SLR features with other Sony digital imaging innovations, most notably Super SteadyShot image stabilization, a new technology that shifts the image sensor to compensate for camera movement – the first time that image stabilisation has been done inside the camera rather than in the lens. It was introduced with 19 high-quality Sony lenses, and will be compatible with most of the former Konica-Minolta Maxxum mount lenses. Read More

Dual lens Bluetooth-enabled 6 MPX, 10X optical zoom pocketsize digital camera

By Mike Hanlon

April 26, 2006 Eastman Kodak once owned the world photographic market and since the advent of digital cameras, it has been fighting the good fight attempting to maintain its leading role, largely focussing on ease-of-use as its point-of-difference. Yesterday, the US-based company celebrated the fifth anniversary of its first Easyshare consumer digital camera and docking system which has seen the company reclaim number one digital camera market share in the U.S. To mark the occasion, it released details of a new compact (4.4 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches) US$449 V610 model with the company’s now trademark dual lens, but also with Bluetooth, 6 megapixels, and a 10X optical zoom. Even with its whopping 38-380 mm equivalent zooms lens it is less than an inch thick. It combines two Schneider-Kreuznach C-Variogon all-glass, non-protruding prism lenses to deliver the long zoom range and incorprates anti-blur technology to enable novices to handhold the high zoom in low light and still produce excellent images. Read More