November 13th, 2009

Panasonic debuts digital photo frame with audio

Posted by Rachel King @ 4:38 am

Categories: Digital Photography, Gadgets

Tags: Audio, Panasonic, Apple iPod, Digital Photograph, Photograph, Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Rachel King

Panasonic has announced the upcoming release of a digital photo frame, the MW-10, which will also feature an audio system and iPod dock. Read the rest of this entry »

November 1st, 2009

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Digital SLR camera accessories

Posted by Janice Chen @ 9:32 pm

Categories: Camera accessories, Digital Photography, Gadgets, Holiday Gift Guide

Tags: DSLR, SLR, Accessory, Camera, Janice Chen

There’s probably nothing a digital camera enthusiast likes better than gear and gadgets, which makes shopping for your favorite shutterbug a cinch.  If you’re looking for a great holiday gift for someone who already has his or her dSLR of choice, one of these dSLR camera accessories — ranging in price from about $33 to $118 –  will have them smiling for the camera.

SanDisk Image Mate All-in-One

Every digital camera user should have a fast memory card reader for quick and convenient image downloading, and the SanDisk Image Mate All-in-One ($33) is a great match for the dSLR shooter. It not only supports all the popular memory card formats (SD, SDHC, mini SDHC, micro SDHC, MMC, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro Duo, xD Picture Card, and CompactFlash), but it also lets you perform card-to-card transfers when you insert cards simultaneously — so you can transfer from SD to CompactFlash, for example. I like the sleek design and the slick way the silver tripod base attaches magnetically, so you can easily detach the reader from the stand and pop it in your bag. Plus, it’s not just a pretty face: the card reader can transfer files up to 34 megabytes per second (when using a high-speed SanDisk Extreme IV 45 MB/s Compact Flash card).

[Read the review] [Check prices]

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October 23rd, 2009

Sony's new digital photo frame includes built-in photo printer

Posted by Janice Chen @ 4:21 pm

Categories: Camera accessories, Digital Photography, Gadgets, Photo Printers

Tags: Sony Corp., Printer, Digital Photograph, Photograph, DPP-F700, Janice Chen

It’s no secret that there are millions of digital photos that never see the light of day. They languish on hard drives, flash memory cards, photo CDs, and other digital media, never to be printed or shared. And though some lucky shots get distributed via photo sharing and social networking sites, the days of snapshot prints that you can pass around to your friends and family are dwindling.  Sony Electronics is trying to stem the tide with its new S-Frame DPP-F700 digital photo frame.

The DPP-F700 is an all-in-one digital photo frame that not only displays photos on a 7-inch widescreen LCD, but also prints out 4×6-inch snapshots, using a built-in dye-sublimation technology printer. And when Sony says all-in-one, it means all-in-one: you can use the device to do some basic photo editing, such as enlarging, reducing, cropping, and adjusting sharpness, brightness, contrast and hue, as well as print out calendars and other predefiined image templates.

An automatic sensor rotates portrait- or landscape-format images appropriately and offers multiple playback options, such as single images, thumbnails, or slideshows with 10 built-in transitions.

The frame accepts most flash memory formats — including SD, SDHC, MMC, CompactFlash, xD-Picture Card, and of course Memory Stick Pro and Memory Stick Pro DUO cards — as well as USB input from your PC.

And if you actually just want your digital snaps to languish, there’s a gigabyte of internal storage that automatically downsizes your photos to store up to 2,000 images.

The frame/printer will sell for about $200 when it ships in January and is compatible with SVM-F series photo paper packs for Sony Picture Station printers. The cost of consumables per print varies from about 50 cents a print with the SVM-F40P pack (which includes 40 sheets of 4×6 paper and a printer ribbon for $19.99) to about 30 cents per print with the SVM-F120P (which includes 120 sheets of 4×6 paper and two printer ribbons for $34.99).

October 15th, 2009

Zoom Q3 Handy Video Recorder brings high-quality audio to pocket camcorder

Posted by Janice Chen @ 10:18 am

Categories: Announcements, Digital Camcorders, Gadgets

Tags: Audio, Camcorder, LCD, Zoom Q3, Janice Chen

One of the drawbacks of those ubiquitous pocket camcorders — like the Flip Mino HD — is the lackluster audio that gets captured by tiny built-in microphones.  The new Zoom Q3 Handy Video Recorder aims to change all that, by bringing high-quality HD audio recording to a pocket-friendly camcorder.  In fact, Zoom’s parent company, Samson Technologies, is a pioneering audio technology company that makes professional recording equipment.

The Zoom Q3 includes two directional stereo condenser microphones that can capture 24-bit/48kHz audio. Since sites like YouTube allow files with CD-quality (i.e., 44.1kHz) audio, you’ll still see a benefit even if all you do is upload videos to the Web.

Unfortunately, though, only the audio is HD quality, since the camcorder itself only records at 640×480, 30fps. The large 2.4-inch, 320×240 LCD is a nice touch, as is its ability to accept up to 32GB SDHC cards for up to 16 hours of video (a 2GB SD card comes bundled for 1 hour of video). The 2-inch LCD and 8GB maximums of the Flip Video camcorders, for example, don’t measure up.  Still, at a retail price of $249, I’d like to see 720p video recording.

[Via Engadget]

October 14th, 2009

Flip Video updates the popular Flip MinoHD camcorder

Posted by Janice Chen @ 6:25 am

Categories: Announcements, Digital Camcorders, Digital Photography, Gadgets

Tags: Camcorder, Video, Flip Video Store, Corporate Communications, Marketing, Janice Chen

Flip Video (which was acquired by Cisco in March) has announced the newest member of its pocketable camcorder line, an updated version of the Flip MinoHD. This second generation of the popular MinoHD doubles the memory (and recording time) of the previous version, and sports a bigger higher-resolution LCD, an HDMI output, and uses the latest version of the Flip Video Engine. Additionally, a new version of the pre-loaded FlipShare software now allows direct video uploads to Facebook.

The new MinoHD offers most of the features of the UltraHD (which had been Flip Video’s top-of-the-line offering until today) — such as 8GB of memory; a 2-inch, 960 x 240 LCD; 1280×720 HD video recording at 30 fps; the Flip Video Engine 3.5; and an HDMI output — in a sleeker, slimmer and customizable package (as with the original Mino camcorders, the new version can be customized with cool designs and patterns or your own design or photo if you purchase it direct from Flip Video). Like the original 4GB MinoHD, the new version uses a built-in, rechargeable Lithium Ion battery rather than the rechargeable (and removable) AA NiMH battery pack of the UltraHD (which accounts for the slimmer package).

The online Flip Video Store lists the new edition as the MinoHD, 120 minutes, while the original version is now listed as the MinoHD, 60 minutes (the former selling for $229.99 and the latter for $199.99).

September 29th, 2009

Nokia N86 packs a powerful digital camera

Posted by Rachel King @ 3:40 am

Categories: Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Gadgets

Tags: Nokia Corp., Camera, Nokia N86, Rachel King

There is a new addition to the list of the best camera phones on the market: the Nokia N86. Released this week, the 5.2-ounce smartphone is packed with an 8-megapixel camera, a 2.6-inch display (but not a touchscreen), a dual LED flash and a 28 millimeter wide-angle Carl Zeiss lens lens. Fancy features include 20x digital zoom, autofocus, panorama mode, and red-eye reduction. Reviews have found the Nokia N86 to live up to its promise of quality photos, although, like most camera phones, it hasn’t proved to take nighttime photos well.

However, this camera will certainly cost you a pretty penny, as it costs $500 unlocked. But with such a powerful point-and-shoot camera built-in, perhaps a potential buyer could just budget for a new phone and new camera model in one device. Would you be interested in buying this camera? What would you like to see added on to it?

September 25th, 2009

Top digital camera phones on the market

Posted by Rachel King @ 5:55 am

Categories: Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Gadgets

Tags: Phone, Digital Camera, Camera, Rachel King

While the quality isn’t nearly as good as a pocket camera or DSLR, there’s no denying that camera phones are chasing them. After a LA Times study found that more pictures on the online photo-sharing hub, Flickr, came from the iPhone, it leads one to wonder what kind of pressure this could put on other cameras. Here’s a quick look at five popular camera phones. This isn’t to say they’re the best, but they’re certainly up there. Afterwards, vote on your favorite or nominate another.

1. Samsung Memoir T929: The design of the Samsung Memoir T929 would make one assume that it was a camera that featured a phone. Available on T-Mobile USA, the 8-megapixel camera is one of the best (if not the best) on the market, producing photos that would rival most point-and-shoot cameras. It can also upload directly to photo-sharing sites like Flickr and Photobucket, yet there is no Wi-Fi on the phone, just 3G. The Memoir can shoot at seven different resolutions, up to 3,264×2,448, and the user can play around with the advanced settings like ISO, exposure, white balance and color effects. 

2. LG enV Touch: Released earlier this year on Verizon, the LG enV Touch is built with a 3.2-megapixel camera with flash, with the photos visible on the 3-inch touch-screen interface. It also has many of the preset functions common of a point-and-shoot camera, including different white balance, color and focusing modes. There are also a few features special to this camera, including smile detection, panorama, and an auto-airbrushing setting called “Facial Makeover.” It can also record video in two resolutions (320×240 or 176×144), and most of the reviews have found the movie quality to be pretty good - for a camera phone. 

Read the rest of this entry »

September 21st, 2009

Five funky, alternative cameras

Posted by Rachel King @ 6:00 am

Categories: Digital Cameras, Digital Photography, Gadgets

Tags: Photograph, Camera, Fuji, Rachel King

While it is good to have a point-and-shoot and a digital SLR in one’s camera repertoire, there are some unconventional cameras (both film and digital) out on the market with a variety of novelty uses.

1. Slim Devil Camera: If you like especially wide-angle photos, you’re looking for something cheap, and you still like film, then look up the Slim Devil. This simple, lightweight model features a 22mm wide-angle lens, vibrant colors, vignette effects and uses standard 35mm film, rounding out an affordable, retro camera. (Price: $30)

2. The Diana Camera: After a 35-year hiatus, the Diana film camera was revived. Known for (purposely) soft, dreamy photos, this Lomography camera is a cult classic. The updated version also allows for panoramic and pinhole images. There are also a number of accessories you can purchase for this camera, including an external lash or a fisheye lens. (Price: $50)

Three more after the jump… Read the rest of this entry »

September 11th, 2009

Poll: Has your camera phone replaced your regular pocket camera?

Posted by Rachel King @ 6:01 am

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

Tags: Phone, Camera Phone, Camera, Camera Phones, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Rachel King

Camera phones are quite useful because its usually always with you and easier to carry less gadgets around when there are more functions all-in-one. But the quality isn’t all there yet. Great quality isn’t an issue for some, while it is of the utmost importance to others. Where do you stand?

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September 2nd, 2009

Hands-On Review: The Promote Control

Posted by Rachel King @ 6:02 am

Categories: Camera accessories, Digital Photography, Digital SLR, Gadgets

Tags: Photograph, Camera, Rachel King

Earlier this summer I wrote that Promote Systems released the Promote Control, a remote device for digital SLR cameras. Well, I’ve managed to get my hands on one and see what this accessory is really like.

Out of the box, there’s the control, two AA alkaline batteries, a camera connection USB cable, carrying case and neck strap. The device is compatible with any digital cameras supporting an industry standard PTP/MTP protocol for controlling camera functions over USB interface. So I tested it with my Canon EOS 1000D via a USB cable.

Overall, the Promote Control is fairly easy to use. There are four modes: One Shot, Time-Lapse, High Dynamic Range and Manual Shutter Hold (which you need an optional shutter cable to use). Most likely, the photographer would use One Shot the most. Through this feature, you can either have the aperture and shutter speed already set on your camera and just click “Start” to take the photo, or you can adjust the exposure directly from the control. The best aspect of this product is being able to remotely shoot a photo, preventing camera shake in low-light settings.

Read the rest of this entry »