PMA 2007 is the first time Kodak is publicly showing its newest 12X optical zoom camera, the $299.95 7.1-megapixel EasyShare Z712 IS. Probably its most impressive feature is the click-to-capture time of .26 seconds. And while I didn’t time it, it was incredibly fast despite the showfloor unit being a pre-production model. → Read More
In case you didn’t know, one of the biggest camera, film and printing (and accessories) conventions started today: Photo Marketing Association 2007. Sadly, most of the stuff that’s on display is already announced. But, while perfect, vendor-supplied images of the cameras are readily available to the masses, CrunchGear wanted to give you a chance to see the cameras a little more realistically presented — fingerprints and all — along with, hopefully, a better idea of how the cameras really look and feel. Sony held a press conference this morning, before the show even opened, announcing a couple new digital SLR Alpha series cameras and the Cybershot DSC-G1. (John is currently editing up some video of the announcements we’ll be posting shortly.) The G1 was a shocker with its 2GB of storage, WiFi that lets you trade photos between cameras or with a PC, and one of the sweetest GUIs we’ve ever seen on a camera. Check back later tonight and tomorrow to see continued coverage of the event. → Read More
The E-series from GE comes in four flavors: 850, 1030, 1040 and 1240. Let’s start with the basics and I’ll fill you in on the minute details later. The E850 is the mid-level point-and-shoot camera in the GE lineup. Picture taking is a breeze with the 8-megapixel resolution and 28mm equivalent (aka fakey fake fake) wide-angle lens, but it does come in handy for those close-quarters group pics. The 850 has a 5x optical zoom and 5.1x digital zoom for the whopping 3-inch LCD for your viewing pleasure of course. The basic features are the same throughout the GE lineup. The E-series is also available in black, silver, red, blue and white. → Read More
The GE A730 and A830 are the budget friendly entry-level digi’s of the line-up, but they claim to have the ‘firepower of cameras nearly twice its price’. The A730 has 7-megapixels while the A830 has 8-megapixels. Both have 3x optical zooms, but the A730 has 4.8x digital zoom and the A830 has 5.1x digital zoom. Both have 2.5-inch LCD, and the same features and color options as the rest of the bunch. The A-series will have a price tag of around $150. Product Page → Read More
The G1 will be GE’s franchise player so its diminutive frame will be carrying the weight of the company. The 7-megapixel digi is only 3.625 inches wide and 2.5 inches tall, but it crams a lot into a small package. A 2.5-inch LCD shows you every close up captured by the 3x optical zoom and 4.8x digital zoom. The G1 also includes in-camera panoramic stitching, red-eye removal, MPEG-4 movie recording, electronic image stabilization, face-tracking, an SD/SDHC slot and a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It’s available in black, red, blue, white and silver. Product Page → Read More
GE just announced a full Spring line-up of giggitydiggitycams. First up is the X series. The X1 is aimed at the prosumer who wants maximum zoom and loads of features to help you get the best picture possible. The 8-megapixel digi has 12x optical zoom that’s paired with 5.1x digital zoom and together they boast a 61.2x max zoom. For the paparazzi with a nervous twitch, the X1 is equipped with a handgrip and image stabilization. The X1 claims to have a very intuitive UI that’s viewable on the 2.5-inch LCD. Other notable features include in-camera panoramic stitching, red-eye removal, face-tracking, electronic stabilization, MPEG-4 movie recording and a 4 gigabyte SD/SDHC expansion slot. It will be available in black and white. Pricing is currently unavailable. Product Page → Read More
Companies that feature “prosumer” products usually have a good rep. and their products are usually worth the extra cash. However, memory cards I just can’t see becoming “ultra extreme pro” or anything like that. But going against the grain, SanDisk and Lexar have announced multiple high-end memory cards. Lexar will offer a 4GB CF card and 2 and 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo cards as part of it’s Platinum II line of cards. SanDisk is doing the same crap with it’s Extreme III line of cards. Expect to see a 4GB SDHC card, a MicroMate card reader, and a 4GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. Prices for all these cards range from $55 up to $180. Lexar’s offerings will be available by April while SanDisk’s are set to drop by May. SanDisk, Lexar announce high-end memory cards [Electronista] → Read More
from photos in-camera. Suh-wheat. We haven’t yet gotten our hands on a demo unit, but the smartipants over at Laptop did, and apparently they love this thing. The only thing wrong that they could find was audible machine noise when the 3x optical zoom was actuated. Really, that’s trivial. Besides the basics of post-photo manipulation, the camera includes HP’s “slimming effect”, a digital meshing technology that “slims down” the person in the viewfinder. It’s perfect for us aging, gut-spreading hipsters. That alone makes this camera more than attractive at $229. HP Photosmart R837 [Laptop] → Read More
Sony’s finally adding Wi-Fi to one of its cameras. The six-megapixel Cyber-shot DSC-G1 is able to tap into 802.11 b/g networks so that users can instantly upload their photos to the Internet, be it Flickr, Facebook or their completely unread personal blog. Better still, the camera can link up with other Digital Living Network Alliance (an industry group that strives to forge common standards between different companies) devices. That can be another camera, a PC or one of those new WiFi-enabled igneous rocks. The DSC-G1 also has a roomy 3.5-inch LCD. Too bad the optical zoom is only 3X. Sony’s even throwing us a bone by including 2GB of built-in storage. Shame they still insist on making us use their proprietary Memory Stick storage format. It is nice to see Sony finally adopt a WiFi camera, making the company now only two years behind the times. Oh, and they’re charging the full Sony premium on it, too, demanding $600 for the camera. We’ll ignore the fact that you can grab lower end DSLRs for that kind of money because, hey, WiFi is just that awesome. Sony Announces Its First Wireless Digicam [PC Magazine] → Read More
Not a hugely exciting bit of news, but Lensbabies just launched a medium format version of their Lensbaby 3G product. The new model is for Mamiya 645 and Pentax 67 cameras and costs $390. For those not in the know, Lensbabies are odd, selective focus lenses that bring one point on a picture into focus and leave the rest blurry. The effect is similar to that the Miniature Model Effect but it can also create odd motion effects around a central figure. They’re really fun if you’re a hardcore photog. Product Page → Read More
Fujifilm announced three cameras today, the entry-level Fujifilm FinePix A820 (8MP) and Fujifilm FinePix A900 (9MP) shooters and the FinePix S700, which is a budget-minded compact SLR-style digital camera with a 10x optical zoom. Crucial specs include a 7MP CCD sensor, a 2.5-inch LCD and electronic viewfinder, and ISO up to 1600. It also uses the company’s i-Flash that adjusts the strength of the flash by detecting subtle lighting differences. The FinePix S700 will show up in March 2007 for a low $249.95 → Read More
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