Hi-tech Frontier

Samsung PL70 and PL55 bring 12 megapixels to the unwashed masses Promising to allow the differently rich consumer a chance to experience "the latest and most advanced digital imaging technology" (of 2008), Samsung has today announced two new entry-level cameras. While the headline features -- 12.2 megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom -- are identical, the PL70 (SL720 here in the US) comes with a 3-inch LCD screen, 28mm wide-angle lens and an optical image stabilizer, whereas the PL55 (SL502 for us Yanks) makes do with 2.7-inches, 35mm and digital image stabilization. The senior model also records video at 720p ( 640 x 480 for the PL55) and boasts the nifty ability to search images by a person's face. The usual scene, face, smile and blink detection is available on both cameras, while pricing is set at $229.99 and $149.99, respectively, for the August-bound shooters.

Fujifilm's FinePix Real 3D camera to launch in September, cost around $600 It's been a while since we've heard anything about Fujifilm's FinePix Real 3D camera, but as the twin-lensed shooter nears that scheduled September release some more details are spilling out -- including the price, which will be "around $600" at launch. Yeah, it's steep, and that's not all: to properly view the images you'll need to either shell out for special prints with a plastic lenticular lens on it or buy a special stereoscopic LCD photo frame, and none of that really screams "cheap." Honestly, our instinct would be to spend all that scratch on a good DSLR or even something like the Olympus E-P1, but there's always a chance Fujifilm's about to reveal the public's deep-rooted desire for 3D snapshots. We'll see -- anyone dying for one of these?

Panasonic HDC-HS350 Full HD Camcorder Panasonic presents the HDC-HS350 Full HD camcorder that is basically identical to the HS300. Panasonic has bumped the hard drive from 120GB to HS350. Like its brother, the HDC-HS350 has a 9.15 Megapixel 3MOS image sensor and a 12X optical zoom lens. The camcorder records Full HD 1920×1080 videos in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. 5.1-channel audio recording are supported. It has a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD display. Other than internal storage, SD/SDHC memory cards are also supported (up to 32GB).

Panasonic HDC-HS350 Full HD Camcorder Panasonic presents the HDC-HS350 Full HD camcorder that is basically identical to the HS300. Panasonic has bumped the hard drive from 120GB to HS350. Like its brother, the HDC-HS350 has a 9.15 Megapixel 3MOS image sensor and a 12X optical zoom lens. The camcorder records Full HD 1920×1080 videos in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. 5.1-channel audio recording are supported. It has a 2.7-inch widescreen LCD display. Other than internal storage, SD/SDHC memory cards are also supported (up to 32GB).

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1 gets reviewed, recommended If all those recently unveiled sample shots from Panasonic's Lumix DMC-GH1 have left you wanting more, you're in luck. The kids at Digital Photography Review have got their hands on the thing and have been kind enough to give us an extensive review. Rocking a Four Thirds imaging sensor, HD-video mode (with stereo sound recording), a multi-aspect sensor, and a video-optimized lens, the camera is essentially the G1 with HD-video, according to the review. Not that that's a bad thing, especially when noting that it has "the best implementation of video on a 'non-compact camera' that we've seen so far." Among the camera's strong points are its resolution, size and weight, build quality, image stabilization, and shutter-speed simulation. Still the reviewer didn't look kindly upon the camera's relatively small amount of RAW headroom, fairly low powered flash, poor battery life, and a loud shutter ...

Homebrewed Nikon D90 lens is a fish-eyed theft deterrent It may look like just a bit of corkwood taped to the front of a pretty expensive shooter, but that's only because it is. If you're already willing to withstand gadget muggles sniggering at your mighty DSLR and its six inch frontal protrusion, surely adding this sort of a ghetto mod isn't going to dent your self-respect too much. Put together using the ultimate in ordinary household objects, this fish-eye lens manages to kick out some pretty useful-looking images and seems a viable alternative for those with more time than money. Check out the read link for the full instructions and a gallery of photos taken with the lens.

Liquid Image video camera goggles get upgraded specs: awesome Aloha, friends! Are you finding your beach holiday experience is missing that certain bit of techno je ne sais quoi? Maybe it's because your snorkeling exploits are going undocumented, in which case you may look to Liquid Image's newly unveiled UDCM310. An evolutionary improvement on the previous model, the new goggles feature a 5 megapixel CMOS sensor, software-free USB connectivity and the ability to record 720 x 480 video at 30 fps to a microSD card. Sure, it's not exactly overwhelming you with shooting options, but it also keeps your hands free for whatever underwater heroics you want to film.

Panasonic HDC-HS350 allows you to record over 30 hours of HD If you liked the HDC-TM350, then we can pretty much guarantee you'll be a fan of the HS350, unveiled by Panasonic today. Essentially identical to its elder brother -- but for the hard disk bump on its right side -- the new AVCHD camcorder ups internal storage from 64GB to 240GB and retains all other salient features: 10.6 megapixel 3MOS sensor, 12x optical zoom and SDHC expansion up to 32GB per card. The increase in storage allows for over 30 hours of continuous full HD recording, meaning that your battery will give out long before you need to fiddle with your storage options. No word on the when, where and how much questions, but if we had to guess we'd say soon, everywhere and plenty.

Sony unveils two new 1080p Handycams: HDR-CX520V and HDR-CX500V Nothing too remarkable about Sony's latest HD camcorders, but the new 64GB HDR-CX520V and 32GB HDR-CX500V are solid updates nonetheless. Identical apart from the built-in storage, both feature an Exmor R CMOS sensor with BIONZ processing that should offer solid low-light performance and decent 12 megapixel stills, Optical SteadyShot with a new active mode and three-way shake cancellation, Face Touch autofocus that allows you to simply point at faces to prioritize focus in order, and, most notably, 60p output, which'll interpolate your footage to 60 progressive frames per second when connected to a compatible HDTV. Not a bad piece of kit, but they'll cost ya: the HDR-CX500V will run $1,100 and the HDR-CX520V will be $1,300 when they arrive in September.

Pentax's K-7 DSLR now shipping via online retailers Resoundingly positive reviews can't be a bad way to start a product cycle, and that's just what the Pentax K-7 has, and now lo and behold, it's on sale via Amazon and JR We're not seeing any bundles at this point, just a body-only listing, but we can't imagine those are far off if you want to be patient.

Pentax K-7 review roundup We've been nothing if not comprehensive in our coverage of this new Pentax shooter, and early reviews are showing why. Photography Blog praised the K-7 for its weatherproofing and for having "one of the best LCD screens" they've ever seen on a DSLR, while ePHOTOzine were impressed by the image quality and Wired found the package of features and specs exceedingly robust given the $1,300 asking price. Some shortcomings were found, such as the slightly unintuitive interface and noise levels at higher ISO settings, but impressions were overwhelmingly positive.

AgfaPhoto rolls out rugged, waterproof DV-600uw camera AgfaPhoto's new DV-600uw rugged camera may not be quite as stylish as Pentax's latest ruggedized offering, but it looks like it has it beat where it counts, with it able to handle submersion in water up to 33 feet deep (compared to the Pentax's 16 feet), and hold up to the usual drops, dust, and dirt for good measure. Unfortunately, things are a bit less impressive when it comes to the core camera specs, with this one packing just 6-megapixels, no optical zoom, and a plain old VGA movie mode instead of 720p -- not to mention just one choice of color. If that extra ruggedness makes the difference for you, however, you can pick this one up right now for $199.

Pet’s Eye View Camera This mini digital camera, rechargeable via USB, easily attaches to your pet’s collar and will then allow you to see what your furry little friend is up to when you’re not around. Just clip the lightweight digital camera to your pet’s collar and you’ll be able to take up to 40 photos to document their shenanigans. The camera has an auto interval mode that can be set to snap pictures at 1, 5 or 15 minute intervals. At 640 x 480 resolution the quality isn’t too shabby either. All that’s left for you to do is hook up the camera to your PC or Mac and check out what sort of mischief Rover and Tiddles have been getting up to in your absence. Small and light enough for most cats and dogs. ##CONTINUE## Features A mini digital camera that can be attached to your pet’s collar. Take up to 40 pictures of your pet’s secret life. Auto Interval setting allows you to set the camera to take shots at 1, 5 or 15 minute intervals. To conserve battery the camera will go into sleep mode...

Sony T90 reviewed In an already overpopulated compact camera market, the Cyber-shot T90 solicits attention with a 16:9 touch-screen LCD and a sliding lens shield. The lads over at PC Mag grabbed one of these Sony shooters for an in-depth prodding and poking session to determine whether the external appeal of the camera is backed up by solid technology under the hood. Praise was meted out for image sharpness and 720p video recording, though battery life was found disappointing.

GE Shows Off New Digital Camera E1250TW When I hear the name GE, digital cameras are not what spring to mind. I think of light bulbs really. Still GE has a full line of digital cameras and other stuff that doesn’t have to do with lighting our homes. The company announced its latest digital camera recently called the E1250TW. The cam sports a 12.2-megapixel resolution and a 28mm wide angle lens with 5x optical zoom. The most interesting feature of the camera is that the 3-inch LCD is touch sensitive. ##CONTINUE## Other features include auto scene detection HDTV out, face detection, blink detection, smile detection, an auto adjust LCD, and red-eye removal. A special mode allows users to shoot panoramic images as well. The camera is available now on HSN and on Amazon.com.

Spherica Camera Concept for High Quality Images Spherica is a Sphera VR-X camera system which contains a patent innovation and functional design solution. You will be able to enjoy high-quality spherical images and videos free from parallax distortion with this patent optics. You will have to hold the camera straight up in order to capture a photo and the detachable display will allow you to view the result by moving the screen around. This digital camera is able to catch not only part of a picture, but the complete surrounding. This camera can benefit with its unprecedented features to all range of people such as insurance surveyors, real estate agents, travelers, security personnel and many more. ##CONTINUE##

Sony develops "world's smallest" HD camera module The tiny HD hits keep coming today -- first we saw eASIC's $5 integrated H.264 codec chip, and now Sony's crowing about the new MCB1172 HD camera module it claims is the "world's smallest." There's some pretty impressive tech packed into that tiny package: you're looking at an 8.3 megapixel sensor that can shoot 720p/30 video with image stabilization, face detection, high-ISO mode, and 120fps slow motion. Not bad for a piece smaller than a quarter -- hopefully we'll see this thing pop up all over soon.

JVC debuts 8K / 4K prototype camcorders, moviemakers drool Aw, snap. Just when you thought the 4K market couldn't get any more dominated by RED and the gang, along comes JVC to shake things up. For reasons unknown, the company has chosen now (and not a few weeks back at NAB) to unleash its prototype 4K and 8K camcorders, both of which boast D-ILA technology and can capture clips at a downright mind-blowing 8,912 x 4,320 or 3,840 x 2,160 resolution. There's also a more "compact" sibling which does 4K only, but even it provides plenty of pixels to zoom and pan in unprecedented clarity on. So JVC -- you, us, CEDIA 2009. It's a date, cool?

Camera Video Pen: Capture Securely, specially for spy Gadget has been growing in such rapid growth since the demand is also getting higher and higher. Experts try to figure out their imagination every day. There are many kind of spy camcorder nowadays. You can check this out as your new references and new collection of your gadget. ##CONTINUE## It is the video camera pen. It is a ball point that has a built in video camera which you can record any moment just simply with a button. This camera video pen enables you to capture moment securely in your pocket. You just simply clip the ball point in your pocket and just push the button then it will capture automatically. It is also completed with microphone to get the voices and sound captured by the microphone. The video camera is at the above of the pocket clip and the microphone is located on the top of it. You can capture video up to 2 ½ hours video. You can capture the video up to 352×228 resolutions and you can store it in 4GB memory ...

Sony Alpha 230, 330, and 380 DSLRs leak out We've been hearing vague murmurs of revised Sony Alpha DSLRs all week, but now we've got some actual proof: these shots of the new Alpha 230, 330, and 380 went up briefly on Sony's Russian website earlier today. The biggest improvements seem to be smaller cases, a revised interface, and HDMI out, but there's also a new "handbook" to help new users get started and a Bravia control mode that allows the camera to be controlled by your TVs remote while it's displaying pictures. A nice enough upgrade, but unless these are somehow super cheap we'd say the omission of a video mode is going keep most people focused on the Nikon D5000 and Canon T1i.