January 2008

Olympus introduced two new cameras in its SW (Shock & Waterproof) series. The US$299 Stylus 850 SW is a 8-megapixel camera that's waterproof to ten feet, can survive drops of five feet, and freezing temperatures. It's designed for all sorts of outoors activities including skiing and snorkeling. The US$399 10-megapixel Stylus 1030 SW is tougher yet. You can go diving with it, down to 33 feet (and probably more), drop it from almost seven feet, subject it to extreme temperatures, dust, sand, whatever. It also has a terrific hi-res 2.7-inch LCD and a 3.6X 28-102mm optical zoom that enables wide angle photography. [Read full description and specs of the new Olympus Stylus 850 SW and Olympus Stylus 1030 SW]

Superfast burst mode and movies in 12X zoom Casio Pro EX-F1
Casio's corporate slogan is "Expect the Unexpected," but even so, few would have expected the Pro EX-F1 from the company famous for its attractive little ultra-slim cameras. What is the EX-F1? A fairly large 6-megapixel camera with a 12X optical zoom and, according to Casio, the world's fastest burst shooting performance. How fast? Up to 60 frames per second in full resolution burst mode, and up to 1,200 frames per second in high-speed movies! And also 1920 x 1080 stereo movies at 60 frames per second. [Read detailed description and specs of the Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1] -- Posted Wednesday, January 16, 2008 by chb

Two more new 10-megapixel Casios
Casio added two more stylish and attractive 10-megapixel cameras to its lineup. The Exilim EX-Z100 and EX-Z200 come in a variety of colors, have a high-res 2.7-inch display, all the goodies of the latest generation of Casios (800 x 480 pixel movies at 30fps, auto-shutter, face recognition, and digital image stabilization. They have a 28-112mm 4X optical zoom that allows wide angle shooting. No manual modes, but 39 scene modes cover about everything. The difference between the two is that the US$299 EX-Z200 has CCD-shift active anti-blur technology and the US$279 EX-Z100 does not. [Read detailed description and specs of the Casio EX-Z100 and EX-Z200] -- Posted Saturday, January 12, 2008 by chb

The new Casio EX-Z80: even smaller and lighter
The 8.1 megapixel Casio Exilim EX-Z80, available in six colors, replaces the EX-Z77 as the entry level model in Casio's "Zoom" series. It's even smaller and lighter than its predecessor, can record 848 x 480 pixel movies at 30 frames per second and uses H.264/AAC recording for easy play back on iPods and automatic upload to YouTube. There is advanced face recognition that can even detect a smile, and a special "auto shutter" mode detects movement and can automatically take blue-free pictures. The EX-Z80 lists for US$199.95. [Read detailed description of the Casio Exilim EX-Z80] -- Posted Friday, January 11, 2008 by chb

New: Ultra-slim 10 megapixel Casio EX-S10
The ultra-slim (just 0.55 inches) stainless-steel bodied Exilim EX-S10 is Casio's first Card-series 10 megapixel camera. It's available in red, blue, black and silver, has a high-res 2.7 inch wide-format LCD, and can record 848 x 480 pixel movies at 30 frames per second. The S10, which lists for US$249, uses H.264/AAC recording and can easily play back on iPods and in iTunes/iLife'08. There are 36 scene modes (including YouTube and eBay), face recognition and a special "auto shutter" that shoots a picture when your hands don't shake or the subject stops moving. [Read detailed description of the Casio Exilim EX-S10] -- Posted Thursday, January 10, 2008 by chb

Review: Fujifilm FinePix Z100fd
With the Z100fd, Fujifilm offers its most advanced "Z" series camera yet. It is a small and slender 8-megapixel camera with eye-catching design and color options. The fully internal 5X optical zoom means no annoying lens barrel protruding from the camera. A combination xD Picture Card and standard SD card slot provides more storage options. The Fuji Super CCD HR imager makes for excellent picture quality, and the camera has both mechanical and digital image stabilization. The Z100fd lists for US$249.99, far less than older "Z"series top of the line cameras, but at the high end of 8-megapixel consumer cameras. Its performance and features justify the price. [Read review of the FujiFilm FinePix Z100fd] -- Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by chb

Eye-Fi Developing Wireless Video Uploads Direct to YouTube
Eye-Fi Inc., makers of the world's first wireless memory card for digital cameras, announced that it is developing a way for users to wirelessly upload videos from their digital camera to YouTube and a home computer. Eye-Fi is designing its video upload service to support full-resolution HD video, with newer cameras now capturing HD video and Web sites including YouTube now testing display of HD video. -- Posted Monday, January 7, 2008 by chb

Digital camera built into swimming/snorkeling mask
Digital cameras are in almost every cellphone, so why not design a swimming snorkeling mask with a camera built in? That's exactly what Liquid Image is now introducing. The Liquid Image Underwater Digital Camera Mask combines a 3.1 megapixel camera for kids or 5.0 megapixel digital camera for adults with a mask. The camera can do still pictures and video at 18-25 frames per second, uses a Micro SD card, is powered by two AAA batteries and has 16MB of integrated storage. It has a LCD display, a USB port, and comes with ArcSoft Photo and Video Impression software. To shoot a picture, line up the crosshairs in the mask. The mask is primarily for swimming and snorkeling as its maximum depth is 15 feet. [Check Liquid Image Digital Camera Mask] -- Posted Wednesday, January 2, 2008 by chb