Digital Cameras

August 7th, 2008

Nikon announces six new Coolpix cameras: P6000, S710, S60, S610c, S610, and S560

Posted by Janice Chen @ 5:27 pm

Categories: Digital Photography, Digital Cameras

Tags: nikon corp., camera, janice chen

Included in Nikon’s blast today are six new Coolpix cameras that sport features like built-in GPS (the P6000), a 3.5-inch touchscreen (the S60), and built-in WiFi (the S610c). Ranging in price from $499.95 for the P6000 to $249.95 for the S560, there’s something here for practically any compact camera user.

All of the cameras include optical image stabilization and introduce new Nikon features like the fairly self explanatory Scene Auto Selector mode (automatic selection of a scene mode based on your shooting environment), Smile mode (waits for subject to smile before triggering the shutter), and Blink Warning (displays a message to warn you that your subject has blinked). Nikon plans to ship all cameras in September.

Nikon Coolpix P6000
The only new announcement from Nikon’s P (for performance) line, the P6000 (which replaces the P5100) is a 13.5 megapixel shooter with a nice and wide 28- to 112mm (equivalent), f/2.7-5.9 lens. The 2.7-inch LCD leaves room for an optical viewfinder. Program, aperture, shutter, and manual exposure modes make this a compact camera to please enthusiasts, who will also appreciate the new support for RAW image files. The new GPS capability lets you geotag your photos on the go.

Nikon Coolpix S60
This sleekly designed 10 megapixel compact camera sports a 33- to 165mm, f/3.8-4.8 lens, but the main standout is the huge 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD, which replaces the viewfinder and all buttons except for the on/off switch and the shutter button. The touchscreen provides access to a ton of features, such as in-camera retouching, recording hand-written memos (with the included stylus), time-lapse movies, and HD slideshows. The camera takes good advantage of its touchscreen, allowing you to control shooting options (such as locking autofocus and exposure on your subject by touching it onscreen) as well as playback options (such as scrolling and zooming in on images). The camera comes in six colors (Espresso Black, Arctic White, Burgundy, Champagne Pink, Platinum Bronze and Crimson Red) and list price will be $349.95.

Nikon Coolpix S610c
Essentially the same camera as the also-announced Nikon Coolpix S610–except that it includes built-in WiFi–the 10 megapixel S610c lets you share your images and videos over a WiFi network. You can use Nikon’s myPicturetown photo sharing service to e-mail photos directly to your recipients (and securely store up to 2GB of images and videos), you can upload pictures directly to Flickr, or you can link photos to blogs or social networking sites. An added bonus is a complimentary subscription to Wayport’s WiFi service (valid until August 31, 2011) so you’ll be able to upload at Wayport locations such as hotels, airports, McDonalds, Hertz, and more. Like the S610, the S610c uses a 28- to 112mm (equivalent), f/2.7-5.8 lens, a nice big 3-inch LCD but no viewfinder, and starts up in 0.7 seconds, which Nikon claims is the world’s fastest startup time for a digital camera at the time of the announcement. List price will be $329.95.

Nikon Coolpix S710
A 14.5 megapixel compact shooter. As I’ve already hinted, I’m not a fan of big megapixels in small cameras (it’s generally overkill and a surefire recipe for noise), but Nikon tries to mitigate that with ISO sensitivity settings up to a whopping ISO 12800 (image sizes of 3mb or lower are required). The S710 will ship in three colors (Graphite Black, Deep Red, and Brilliant Silver) for $379.95.

Nikon Coolpix S560
Last (and essentially least) is the Coolpix S560, the cheapest camera of the lot at $249.95. The 10 megapixel S560 is meant to be easy-to-use and fashionable, with something like 15 scene modes and pastel metallic colors like Cherry Blossom (read pink) and Cool Blue (read light blue) as well as Graphite Black.

August 1st, 2008

J.D. Power announces 2008 ratings for best digital cameras

Posted by Janice Chen @ 8:12 am

Categories: Digital Photography, Digital Cameras

Tags: J.D. Power Associates, Digital Camera, Camera, Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Janice Chen

Remember back in the day when you only heard about J.D. Power rankings in car commercials? Well, the market research firm is deep into digital cameras these days and yesterday it announced the results of the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 Digital Camera Usage and Satisfaction Study, based on responses from over 8,000 consumers who purchased digital cameras between April 2007 and March 2008.

The highlights:

Best DSLR - Tie between Canon EOS Digital SLRs and Nikon D Series
Best Point and Shoot -  Fujifilm Finepix S Series
Best Premium Point and Shoot -  Tie between Canon PowerShot G Series and Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ Series
Best Ultra Slim - Sony Cyber-Shot T-Series

For a full list of the ratings and subratings, click here.
Read the press release here.
Also check out Lori Grunin’s skeptical take of the poll at CNET.

July 29th, 2008

Pentax announces 10 megapixel digital camera for $140

Posted by Janice Chen @ 9:42 am

Categories: Digital Photography, Digital Cameras

Tags: Digital Camera, Pentax, Camera, Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Janice Chen

I’m not totally convinced anyone who is only willing to spend $140 on a digital camera really needs 10 megapixel resolution, but I’m sure there are folks out there who will want it, so let’s take a look at what else the newly announced Pentax Optio E60 delivers for its budget price.

The Optio E60–which uses a 10.1-megapixel CCD–features a relatively wide 32- to 96mm (equivalent) f/2.9 to 5.2 lens in a relatively compact form factor (3.9×2.3×1.0 inches, 6.2 ounces). It offers some nice features like the super-easy-to-use Green mode that’s perfect for digital camera novices, a face recognition mode that detects up to 10 faces, and an Auto Picture mode automatically picks from 7 shooting modes depending on your shooting environment. Other nice touches for newbies are the Image Recovery function, which retrieves accidentally deleted images, and the camera’s ability to use standard alkaline or Lithium disposable AA batteries (as well as NiMH rechargeables). Where the camera scrimps a bit is in its smallish 2.4-inch LCD and its lack of optical image stabilization. Instead there’s a Digital Shake Reduction mode, which automatically selects a high ISO setting (up to 6400) to help reduce blur. Pentax plans to ship the camera in October.

July 21st, 2008

Panasonic announces four new Lumix cameras: FX37, FZ28, LX3, and FX150

Posted by Janice Chen @ 12:01 pm

Categories: Digital Cameras

Tags: Panasonic, Lens, Camera, LX3, FX35, Panasonic DMC-LX3 Panasonic, LX2, Iso standards, Corporate Communications, Process Improvement

Panasonic added four new models to its Lumix lineup today: the DMC-FX37, a 10.1-megapixel wide-angle compact; the DMC-FZ28, a 10.1 megapixel megazoom model; the DMC-LX3, a 10.1 megapixel enthusiast compact camera; and the DMC-FX150, a 14.7 megapixel compact shooter.

Panasonic DMC-FX37
The FX37 is an update to one of my favorite Panasonics, the FX35. It’s been updated with an even longer lens, and now has a 25-125mm (equivalent) f/2.8-5.6  zoom lens vs. the FX35’s 25-100mm lens. Happily, besides the upgrade from 4x zoom to 5x zoom, Panasonic didn’t mess with the rest of an already excellent camera. The only other big difference is color: Like the FX35, the FX37 is available in silver, black, blue, pink, and white models but the company has dropped the gold version in favor of a darker brown color for the new model.  Suggested retail price will be $349.95 when it ships in September.

Panasonic DMC-FZ28
This update to the FZ18 introduces a welcome lens change as well with its wider 27-486mm,f2.8-4.4 lens, which maintains its predecessor’s 18x magnification factor by dropping the telephoto down from a 504mm focal length. Panasonic also bumped up resolution from 8 to 10.1 megapixels and increased the LCD slightly from 2.5 inches to 2.7 inches. Other changes include an improved Intelligent Auto Mode with a new Auto Focus tracking function, and a cool Focusing Distance Display, which displays the allowable shooting range above the zoom bar so you can easily readjust the distance from your subject. The FZ28 also bumps up video resolution, letting you shoot 30fps HD video at 1,280×720 resolution. It will be priced at $399.95 for silver or black versions, shipping in August.

Panasonic DMC-LX3
Panasonic’s new high-end compact, the LX3, is an update to its LX2, which was never much competition for the excellent Canon PowerShot G9. The LX3 maintains its predecessor’s 10.1 megapixel resolution, but uses a new-and-improved “ultra-sensitive” sensor. The new sensor bumps maximum ISO sensitivity up to ISO 3,200 (vs. the LX2’s ISO 1,600 max). The other big change is the wider but shorter 24-60mm, f/2.0-2.8 lens (vs. the LX2’s 28-112mm lens).  The LX3 sports a slightly larger, higher-resolution 3-inch LCD than its predecessor, and adds an optional optical viewfinder which will be a welcome addition to those who didn’t like the LCD-only viewfinder of the LX2. The new model will ship in August in silver or black for $499.95.

Panasonic DMC-FX150
The last and possibly least interesting of Panasonic’s new offerings is the FX150, an update to the 12.1 megapixel FX100. Putting a 12-megapixel sensor in such a compact camera already seemed like overkill to me in the FX100, so upping the the resolution to 14.7 megapixels in the FX150 seems even more pointless (and a recipe for noisy images).

July 17th, 2008

Top digital camera vendors partner to develop new wireless transfer technology

Posted by Janice Chen @ 8:27 pm

Categories: Digital Photography

Tags: Consortium, Digital Camera, Camera, Wireless, Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Janice Chen

Imagine being able to display photos on your TV screen just by touching your digital camera to the TV–no more card readers or cables to fuss with. Today, Sony along with the likes of Canon, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung, and eight other big names in consumer electronics announced an agreement to form a consortium to develop a new interoperable wireless transfer technology standard called TransferJet.

Lead by original developer Sony (which featured prototypes in its booth at CES), the TransferJet consortium’s goals for the new standard are “Simple Operation” (transfer files just by touching two devices together), “Safe Connection” a 3cm transmission distance minimizes data security risk), and “Efficient Transfer” (sustained high-speed transmission rate of 375Mbps; 560Mbps theoretical).

A press release issued from Tokyo today announced the consortium members as well as the TransferJet Consortium website that went live today.

July 14th, 2008

Casio announces super-slim, wide-angle digital camera with 4x zoom and 3-inch LCD

Posted by Janice Chen @ 9:19 am

Categories: Digital Cameras

Tags: Digital Camera, LCD, Camera, Casio Inc., Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Janice Chen

Still touting its cameras as “the world’s slimmest,” this time Casio puts the claim on a digital camera with a wide-angle 4x optical zoom. The 8.1-megapixel EXILIM Zoom EX-Z150  sports a nice and wide 28- to 112mm (f/2.6 to 5.9) lens and is just 0.79 of an inch thick–and even thinner in some sections. The overall dimensions (3.81×2.26×0.79 inches) and weight (4.44 oz, excluding battery and accessories) make it extremely pocketable, but it’s the versatile lens and the nice and big 3.0-inch LCD that stand out for me.  Casio has stuffed the diminutive camera with a ton of features, such as sensor-shift image stabilization, face detection technology from OKI Electric Industry, 22 Best Shot scene modes, as well as a “YouTube Capture Mode” (640×480, 30 fps) with software for easy uploading.

The EX-Z150 ships for $199.99 in September and will be available in silver, black, red, pink and green.

July 10th, 2008

Kodak announces two cameras, two photo frames, and a Flip-baiting, YouTube-friendly camcorder

Posted by Janice Chen @ 1:08 pm

Categories: Digital Photography, Digital Cameras, Camera accessories, Digital Camcorders

Tags: Eastman Kodak Co., Camcorder, YouTube Inc., Photograph, Camera, M1093 IS, Corporate Communications, Monitors & Displays, Marketing, Hardware

In a flurry of announcements this morning, Kodak released info on two new digital cameras: The EasyShare Z1015 IS, a 15x megazoom, and the EasyShare M1093 IS, a 10-megapixel compact point-and-shoot, both of which will ship in September. The 10-megapixel Z1015 IS ($349.95 MSRP) stands out for its wider-than-usual 28mm lens and 15x optical zoom, under 0.22 sec shooting lag (according to Kodak), image stabilization, 3-inch LCD, ISO up to 6400 (at 3.1-megapixel setting or less), and HD image and video capture at 720p and 30 fps. The M1093 IS is a budget-priced ($199.95) compact shooter with a 3x zoom (35–105mm equivalent), 3-inch LCD, image stabilization, HD photo and video, ISO up to 3200, and comes in three colors (silver, black, and red).

In addition to these announcements, Kodak also revealed two new WiFi enabled photo frames (10-inch and 8-inch) that utilize their “Quick Touch Border” touch operation. The big news here is new partnerships with Flickr and FrameChannel that allow you to upload photos wirelessly (in addition to the existing Kodak Gallery upload capabilities).

Finally, Kodak also announced its entry into the pocket camcorder business, currently dominated by Pure Digital’s Flip. Kodak’s Zi6 bests Pure Digital’s top-of-the-line Flip Mino by delivering HD video capabilities (720p) and a bigger (2.4-inch) LCD for the same price ($179.95–well, five cents less, if you’re being nit-picky). A vertical form factor, flip-out USB connector, easy YouTube upload are becoming standard features in these babies. Kodak’s model comes in black and pink.

July 9th, 2008

Canon USA announces EOS Rebel XS 10-megapixel dSLR pricing

Posted by Janice Chen @ 10:46 am

Categories: Digital Photography, Digital Cameras

Tags: DSLR, Pricing Strategy, Canon USA Inc., Canon Inc., DP Review, Pricing, Marketing Research, Marketing, Janice Chen

Canon USA has finally announced U.S. pricing and availability for the long-rumored Canon EOS Rebel XS, its new entry-level dSLR which Canon officially announced in Japan on June 10. The 10-megapixel Rebel XS (available in black or silver) will ship in August and is available only in a kit version with the EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens.

The list price will be $699.99, slipping in between the higher-end 12-megapixel Rebel XSi and the 10-megapixel Rebel XTi, which it essentially replaces. You’ll likely be able to get the XTi for slightly less than the XS, though both share many specs, since the XS improves on the XTi with its Live View mode and newer Digic III processor among other improvements (though it does drop down to a 7-point autofocus system to keep costs down).

DP Review has a detailed preview of the Rebel XS (aka EOS 1000D in Europe).

CNET’s Crave has posted a hands-on preview video.

July 2nd, 2008

Nikon announces D700: Full-frame dSLR for $2,000 less than flagship D3

Posted by Janice Chen @ 8:56 am

Categories: Digital Photography, Digital Cameras

Tags: Nikon Corp., Nikon D3, Lori Grunin, DPReview, Janice Chen

If you’re looking for a full-frame, pro-quality digital SLR, but don’t want to spend the money (or lug around the heft) of the big guns like the Nikon D3 or Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, the new Nikon D700 may be just the fit for you. Announced yesterday, the D700 offers a full-frame 23.9×36mm CMOS sensor (12.1 megapixels) in a smaller and lighter form factor than the D3, Nikon’s flagship full-frame professional dSLR.

Not only will the D700 save you two grand off the D3’s $4,999.95 list price (it will be priced at about $2,999.95, body only, when it starts shipping in late July), but it also weighs almost 9 ounces lighter and measures 5.8×4.8×3.0 inches, vs. the D3’s dimensions of 6.3×6.2×3.4 inches. The new model sports a 3-inch LCD viewfinder with two Live View modes (for handheld or tripod shooting), as well as Nikon’s 51-point auto focus system with 3D Focus Tracking. The D700 also includes a scene recognition system that intelligently sets exposure and white balance, and improves the auto-focus performance.

Lori Grunin offers a good at-a-glance comparison of the Nikon D300 (the lower-end DX model), D700, and D3 on CNET’s Crave blog.

DPReview has an in-depth, hands-on preview of the D700.

June 23rd, 2008

Can a cell phone replace your digital camera?

Posted by Janice Chen @ 10:20 am

Categories: Digital Photography, Digital Cameras

Tags: Phone, Camera Phone, Cell Phone, Digital Camera, Camera, Motorola Inc., Camera Phones, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology

If you ask the likes of Motorola and Sony Ericsson the answer is yes, of course. Both phone makers have recently announced camera phones with (relatively) high-resolution cameras that may be capable of replacing your point-and-shoot digital camera.

Announced today, Motorola’s Motozine ZN5 is a collaboration between Motorola and Kodak and sports a 5 megapixel camera, built-in Xenon flash, and a 2.5-inch LCD viewfinder. It’s much more of a full-fledged camera than most camera phones, with auto focus, low-light settings, as well as panorama, macro, and multi-shot modes. Perhaps the best feature, though is the integrated Wi-Fi connectivity that lets you upload photos to the Kodak Gallery online service sans PC. Unlike some other camera phones, the ZN5 does let you transfer photos directly to a PC (without requiring you to pay wireless messaging fees), via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth file transfers, as well as the removable microSD card. The Motozine ZN5 will be available in China only in July 2008, and Motorola expects to roll it out across other countries throughout the rest of the year.

If you can hold out even longer, you may want to wait for the Sony Ericsson C905, officially announced last week and due to ship in selected markets in Q4 2008. It’s sure to be more expensive (though pricing hadn’t been released for either camera phone), but has a more full-featured camera: 8.1 megapixels, Xenon flash, a 2.4-inch LCD viewfinder, with auto-focus, face detection, and image stabilization. It also supports Wi-Fi image transfers and better yet, is GPS-enabled for geo-tagging your photos.