Point and Shoot

Compact cameras are great in that their pocket-sized form means you can always have them with you when you need to take a photo. Unfortunately this 'pocketability' often comes at a price ... the small sensors manufacturers are typically limited to using provide less than stellar image quality. Sony has revealed the Cyber-shot RX100, a compact camera with a larger than usual 1.0-inch sensor which measures 13.2 x 8.8mm.  Read More

Framing a shot with one's hands is almost as big a part of photography as having your subject say "cheese," but a camera and its viewfinder have always been a part of the equation, too ... until now, that is. A team at Japan's Institute of Advanced Media Arts and Sciences (IAMAS) in Ogaki are working on an innovative prototype fingertip "Ubi-Camera" (Ubi is Latin for where) that lets the user's fingers set the frame – a development that could literally make composing shots, well, a snap. At the very least, it'll give new meaning to the term "digital" photography when (and if) it hits market.  Read More

I can't help but wonder whether Nikon has been waiting for temperatures in my part of the northern hemisphere to dip below zero before announcing additions to its appropriately-named COOLPIX range of compact digital cameras. Probably not, but all nine models are released this month and include a new line aimed at today's family, some with built-in GPS, and a powerful new ultra-zoom.  Read More

A new compact point-and-shoot camera with a 3-inch flip-out LCD screen is among a barrage of products just showcased at Samsung's IFA 2011 press conference in Berlin. The 16.2 megapixel MV800 gets the "MultiView" tag due to its 3.0-inch wide flip-out capacitive touch screen LCD Display, which is hinged at the top of the unit so that it can tilted up or down to add versatility to shooting and help you line-up self portraits.  Read More

Shortly after launching the new COOLPIX S1100pj with inbuilt projector, Nikon has announced three new COOLPIX cameras to its COOLPIX range. The P7000, S8100 and the S80 are filled with functions and specs you don’t often see on point-and-shoot cameras. All three cameras feature Nikon’s exclusive EXPEED C2 high performance digital image processing engine and Nikkor Ed glass lenses.  Read More

Kodak has unveiled a pocket-friendly digital video camera and a 14MP point-and-shoot, both with a special button for tagging movies and snaps for upload to social networking sites or to send via email. The PLAYTOUCH video camera can record up to 1080p high definition video, includes face-tracking technology and a handy HDMI-out port. The svelte EASYSHARE M590 digital camera can also shoot high definition movies, although at the lower resolution of 720p, and benefits from optical image stabilization and a high sensitivity range. Images can also be tagged and sent to the company's PULSE Digital Photo Frame, which has just been given a bigger screen.  Read More

Olympus has just released three new compact point and shoot digital cameras, the FE-4050, FE-5050 and µ-7050, increasing the competition within the point and shoot market. All three cameras are slim in size and are available in several color options. They are also all equipped with the TruePicIII image processing engine, providing color consistency and a wide dynamic range. Shooting functions feature six Magic Filters, which allow you to transform a normal scene via Pop, Pin Hole, Fisheye, Drawing, Punk and Soft Focus options. Their user-friendly functions include easy-to-understand descriptions of camera modes on the LCD monitor and an iAUTO function that automatically optimizes the camera settings by analyzing the scene. AF Tracking helps keep a moving subject in focus by tracking it automatically, whilst Perfect Fix corrects backlight exposure and redeye. They also come with a USB battery charging option, which allows the camera battery to be recharged from a PC.  Read More

Modern snappers are no longer content with point-and-shoot compact cameras just, well, pointing and shooting. We want feature-rich cameras that can produce crisp, clear images even if we're a little shaky in our photographic approach. We want a host of creative image modes to take even our most feeble attempts and turn them into something special. And we want high-def video. Canon has revealed a trio of PowerShot updates which offer all that and more. Amongst the specification increases is high-definition video up to full 1080p, a sensor improvement, lens gains, image handling enhancements and SDXC media card support.  Read More

While it's not as high-tech as the built-in Wi-Fi featured on the recently announced ST80 camera, Samung's inclusion of a flip-out USB connector on its PL90 model is still a welcome addition. The new point-and-shoot – which takes 12.2 megapixel stills, 640x480 movies and packs some clever face detection functionality – joins the HMX-E10 pocket sized camcorder and new Dual View models in the company's latest raft of releases.  Read More