D60 Digital SLR from Nikon

Nikon are ‘keeping up with the Jone’s’, well Canon to be precise; with the introduction of their D60 digital SLR. This is a replacement for the current D40x and competition for Canon’s Rebel XSi.

The D60 still comes with 10.2 megapixels, but gets the addition of SDHC, vibration sensor cleaning, and a smaller body than the D40x. The new D60 does not come with ‘live view’ that is present on the Canon Xsi.

Expect to see the Nikon D60 in stores in February / March 2008

Source: Engadget

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Panasonic DMC LS80 Camera Powered by AA Bateries

Panasonic have just released their newsy LUMIX digital camera; the DMC-LS80. This latest edition to their LUMIX line comes with a newly developed LUMIX DC VARIO lens system, 3x optical zoom, 8.1-megapixel high resolution and it is powered by 2 AA batteries (which is always good to have on a camera).

The DMC LS80 also comes with:

MEGA O.I.S – Reduces camera shake with Gyrosensors that detect hand-shake and an Optical Image Stabilizer (O.I.S.) lens system

Intelligent ISO - determines if the photo subject is moving and changes the ISO setting and shutter speed accordingly; enabling a blur-free photo.

Auto Macro – automatically switches to the Macro setting when in close proximity to the photo subject, ideal for those extreme close-up shots.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LS80 will be available in pink, black and silver models in February 2008 for a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $149.95.

Source: Panasonic Press Release

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The New EOS Rebel XSi from Canon

If you are in the market for a digital SLR then you might want to hold off for a month or so, as the new Canon EOS Rebel XSi is set to hit stores in April.

The new EOS Rebel XSi incorporates some of canon’s high end functions found on more expensive models. The Rebel XSi has an improved autofocus sensor, enhanced 14-bit A/D conversion, an advanced Live View function, and the proprietary DIGIC III image processor. Compared to the EOS XTi model, the XSi comes with a larger 3 inch LCD, larger 230,000 pixel screen and a 12.2 megapixel APS-C size Canon CMOS sensor.

For the first time in their entry level digital SLR, the Rebel XSi gets Enhanced Live View, which was previously only available on the EOS-1D Mark III Professional Digital SLR. Live View allows users to frame shots through the LCD screen rather than the viewfinder, just like those compact cameras that you are familiar with.

The Rebel XSi will be priced around of $799.99 for the body only and $899.99 for the kit that will come with a new EF-S18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens.

Looking at the specs, this camera will definitely be worth a second look when it hits the streets

Source: Canon Press Release

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SeaLife EcoShot Underwater camera Takes You Deep

The Sealife SL321 EcoShot digital camera allows you to take photos upto 75 feet deep. Unfortunately, the camera has no zoom, but does offer a 4 X digital zoom, along with a 6 megapixel sensor (so your shots should turn out pretty good(.

6.0 mp CCD Sensor - For sharp images
Depth Rated to 75ft / 23m
Shockproof Tested to 6ft/2m
Large 2" LCD for easy viewing and aiming
Land & Sea - Exposure Modes for vivid colors on land or underwater
Video mode with audio
Spy Mode - Takes continuous pictures at set time intervals
Fast start-up time and shutter response so you don’t miss the action
Long battery life powered by 2 AA Batteries
Instant Focus - from 2ft / 60cm to Infinity
Fully rubber armored for sure grip and extra shock protection
SD Card Expanded Memory up to 1 GB
4X progressive digital zoom (no optical zoom with this camera)

The SeaLife SL321 EcoShot is available at Amazon for $192 (affiliate link)

If 75 feet is not deep enough, SeaLife also offer the ReefMaster Mini (good for 130 feet) and the DC600 with 4X digital zoom (good for 200 feet)

Cheak out Amazon for more SeaLife Underwater Camera’s (affiliate link)

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Casio Exilim EX-F1 is Insanely Fast

This is the new Exilim EX-F1 from Casio and it’s insanely fast. The Exilim EX-F1 features a 60 frame per second burst rate (for 1 minute) and an incredible high speed video capture speed of 1200fps. The camera also comes with 6 Megapixel CMOS sensor, 12X Optical Zoom lens, 2.8inch LCD, SD Based storage, and HDMI-mini out.

Priced at around $1000, it’s not cheap, but it’s fast.

Source: Casio

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Christmas Countdown Day 20 SlingShot 100 All Weather Digital Camera Backpack

If by any chance you have purchased a digital SLR as a Christmas present, then this unique functional backpack, should also find its way under the tree. The SlingShot 100 All Weather Digital Camera Backpack uses a unique sling design which allows you to quickly go from ‘carry mode’ to ‘get ready to take a picture’ mode in seconds.

You simply rotate the backpack and you are ready to remove your camera. The SlingShot 100 AW holds an SLR with mid-range zoom lens attached, 1-2 extra lenses, cables and accessories, and has a full access lid to make loading it a snap. It comes with a built in microfiber LCD cloth to protect the LCD from camera strap, nicks, and scratches.

At just $45 this is a great buy to ensure that new digital camera gets taken care of.

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars

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More gift ideas



Source: Gadgetgrid

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Christmas Countdown Day 17 Nikon D80 Digital SLR

If you are like me, when you think of consumer digital SLR’s, you probably first think of the Canon Digital Rebel XTi. But over at CNET they just named the Nikon D80 as the best digital SLR for 2007.

Even though it was released in 2006, there was no new competition this year to knock the D80 from the top spot. The Nikon D80 Nikon packs 10 megapixels and gives the user excellent color rendition, noise levels, as well as, extensive features that allow for user customization, and lightening fast performance.

The only thing against the Nikon D80 in my opinion is the price, as it is a couple of hundred dollars more than the canon XTi. But then again, if you are serious about making the move up to digital SLR, then what’s a couple of hundred dollars.

Holiday Gift Rating: 4 Stars

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Source: CNET

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Christmas Countdown Day 6 Ultracompact Digital Camera

You can not go wrong giving or receiving a camera on Christmas Day and with such a wide range of options in size and resolution of digital cameras today; here are a couple of options in the ultracompact category.

Ultacompact digital cameras are those that are small enough to fit into shirt pockets but do not skimp on options or photo quality

The Canon PowerShot SD800 IS is one of several ultracompacts from Canon. It is stylish, slim and offers a wide-angle lens with 7.1 megapixels, that according to CNET produces ‘very good photos with a snappy performance’. CNET rate this camera as 7.8 out of 10.
Features of the PowerShot SD800 IS:
Weight 5.3 oz
Measures 3.5 in x 1 in x 2.3 in
Resolution 7.1 megapixels
Light Sensitivity ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO auto Digital Zoom 4 x
Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs: Snow, Beach, Indoor, Foliage, Aquarium, Fireworks, Underwater, Kids & pets, Digital macro, Portrait mode, Stitch assist, Night snapshot
Shutter Speed 1/1600 sec Min Shutter Speed 15 sec X-sync Speed 1/500 sec
Exposure Metering Spot, Evaluative, Center-weighted Exposure Modes Manual, Program, Automatic Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps White Balance Custom, Presets, Automatic White Balance Presets Cloudy, Daylight, Fluorescent, Tungsten light, Fluorescent light (daylight)
Flash Memory 16 MB Flash - SD Memory Card Floppy Drive None Image Storage Type Zoom lens - 4.6 mm - 17.3 mm - F/2.8-5.8 Focal Length 4.6 mm - 17.3 mm Lens

The Canon PowerShot SD800 IS retails for around $240


The Cyber-shot DSC-T20 from Sony is another good option. Again it has a slim sleek design that offers face detection; optional HD output and fast performance. This 8.1 megapixel camera gets 7.4 out of 10 from CNET.
Features of the Cyber-shot DSC-T20:
Weight 4.5 oz
Measures 3.5 in x 0.9 in x 2.2 in
Resolution 8.1 megapixels
Light Sensitivity ISO 80, ISO 100, ISO 200, ISO 400, ISO 800, ISO 1600, ISO 3200 Digital Zoom 2 x
Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs: Snow, Soft, Beach, Fireworks, Landscape, Snap shot, Twilight mode, Hi-speed shutter, High sensitivity, Magnifying glass, Twilight portrait Special effects Sepia, Vivid, Neutral, Black & White
Max Shutter Speed 1/1000 sec Min Shutter Speed 1 sec
Exposure Metering Spot, Multi-segment, Center-weighted Exposure Modes Program, Automatic Exposure Compensation ±2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps White Balance Presets, Automatic White Balance Presets Flash, Cloudy, Daylight, Incandescent, Fluorescent light (daylight), Fluorescent light (cool white), Fluorescent light (warm white)
Digital video format MPEG VX Still Image Format JPEG
Integrated Memory 31 MB
Flash Memory Memory Stick Duo, Memory Stick PRO Duo

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T20 retails for around $260


Holiday Gift rating: 4 Stars

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Your Photo Frames Got Mail

This is not your standard digital photo frame; the eStarling wireless digital photo frame, packs an email address, as well as WiFi access. The wireless digital photo frame packs an 8 inch LCD display that allows you to download photos direct from photobucket or from Flickr, Picasa, AOL, Smugmug, iPhoto, Gallery using RSS.

In addition each photo frame has its own email address which allows you or anyone to email photos direct to the frame. The frame also includes:

Group Frames: Users can set up a single email address that corresponds to multiple frames so that photos can be easily shared and displayed on those frames.

Smart Photo Play List: Users can choose photos to be displayed on an eStarling frame on specified dates, such as displaying selected photos on a user's birthday or anniversary.

Text Messaging to Frame: Short messages can be sent directly to eStarling frames from a user's Seeframe Live account, or from authorized email accounts and cell phones.

Dual Use Mode: If no Wi-Fi connection is available, the eStarling frame can operate as a stand-alone digital photo frame.

8 inch LCD (with built-in high speed JPEG decoder/rendering engine
Internal 802.11b/g (WEP64, WEP128, WPA1, WPA2)
MMC/SD/CF/MS card slot; USB 2.0 host and client port
11.4"x11.2"x3.0"
On-board FLASH memory 128M
External AC Adapter
Compatible with Windows 2000/XP/Vista & MAC OS X
Weight: 3.5 Lbs

The 8 inch wireless digital photo frame should be available for around $270

Holiday Gift Rating: 2 Stars



Source: eStarling

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Duracell PowerSource Mobile 100 Extends Your Mobile Runtime

Duracell’s PowerSource Mobile 100 brings backup power to all your mobile devices. The PowerSource Mobile 100 is a portable, rechargeable AC and USB power solution that allows you to extend the runtime by up to 2 hours, of almost any mobile device (iPod, cell phone, video camera etc..).

The PowerSource Mobile 100 has one AC outlet and two USB charge ports, so you can run or charge multiple devices simultaneously. It can provide:
Laptop 2 hours of run time
Cellular phone 18 hours of talk time
BlackBerry® 9 days of operating time
Portable game console 8 hours of play time
Mp3 player 96 hours of play time

It features:
Two AC outlets for connecting multiple loads
High surge capacity for products that require more power to start
High efficiency - converts virtually all of the battery's available power to AC
Mounting brackets for convenient installation in your truck, boat or RV
Heavy duty stud-connection mounting

The Duracell PowerSorce Mobile 100 retails for around $99



Source: Duracell

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Nokia N82 Phone Packs 5 Megapixels

Nokia have just announced their N82 multimedia candybar phone. Looking similar in design to the N81 slider, the N82 ups the camera angle with a 5 megapixels Carl Zeiss lens and a xenon flash.

You also get:
2GB microSD expansion
WiFi
assisted GPS (access to more than 15 million points of interest)
2.4 inch QVGA display
3.5mm headphone (now that’s nice)

The Nokia N82 will be released into key markets (Europe) and will sell for around 450 euros.

Source: Nokia Press Release

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Meet the Pentax BobCar

If you are in the Manhatten area this Holiday season, you may get to meet Pentax’s BobCar. Pentax will be showcasing its digital camera line-up in this three-wheeled, energy efficient, mini-vehicle. The BobCar showroom will feature the latest PENTAX digital SLR and compact digital cameras and offer consumers hands-on demonstrations, literature and special incentives being offered by PENTAX for purchasing selected products

A full list of dates and locations for the BobCar can be found here

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Sony Cyber Shot DSC T2 Packs 4GB of Memory

Sony have just announced they latest Cyber Shot camera; The DSC-T2. If you are one of those people who are put off with having to use Sony’s proprietary memory sticks, then the DSC-T2 might change your mind. The DSC-T2 comes with 4GB of on board memory, which is about the equivalent of 1,300 photos (and way more than I currently have with my own memory cards). Of course, if 4GB is not enough, you can always use a memory stick pro duo card to expand your memory capabilities.

The DSC-T2 packs an 8 megapixel, 1/2.5-inch CCD sensor, 2.7-inch, 230k pixel touchscreen LCD, 3x Carl Zeiss zoom with optical image stabilization, Sony's "smile shutter" and face detection technology, 38mm to 114mm-equivalent f/3.5-4.3 lens and an ISO 3200 max sensitivity.

The T2 comes in white, black, blue, green, and pink and should be available for around $350 for the Holidays

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Samsung SGH-800 Camera or Phone

There are plenty of good camera phones out there; even some with 5 megapixels. But the Samsung SGH-800 goes one further and adds a ‘3x optical zoom lens’. That’s right this phone certainly thinks it’s a digital camera, with great looks also. From the back, you would be hard pressed to tell this was a phone. Turn it around and the Samsung SGH-800 reveals a smooth looking slider phone

The SGH-800 will be released for the folks over in Europe (and hopefully the States will follow in the not so distant future) in November.

This great looking phone gives you:
HSDPA support
Auto-focus, Optical zoom, Xenon flash, Digital Image stabilization, red eye reduction, and face detection system on the camera
PictBridge support
Bluetooth 2.0 support
2.4 inch 262K color QVGA display
microSD memory card
Measures 101 x 51 x 19 mm

Source: Krunker

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The Sleek A826 Home Photo Center from HP

With the holiday season just around the corner, I’m sure your digital camera will be working overtime. If you are in the market for a home photo printer then the A826 Home Photo Center from HP should be on your list.

As you can see from the photo this is not your typically designed photo printer. It looks pretty cool in my opinion. The A826 Home Photo Center will print both 4x6 and 5x7 borderless prints and can hold up to 100 sheets of printer paper. The massive 7 inch touch screen, 5.6-in LCD gives you an impressive view of your images before printing.

The A826 does more than just print photos. You can draw or write on your photos using the included stylus or add captions using the touch screen keyboard. The printer also has the capability to edit images to remove red eye, slim people and enhance the photo with the included software.

The A826’s memory slot supports Secure Digital/MultiMediaCard, CompactFlash, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Duo, and xD-Picture Cards. The printer measures in at 10.4 x 9.6 x 10.8 inches and weighs 5.8 lbs

The HP A826 Home Photo Center is available for around $249. This is a little more expensive than other photo printers, but the A826 does other more than just the standard photo printing.

Source: HP

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HDMS S1D Digital Photo Album from Sony

Wondering how and where to store all those digital photos that you have scattered throughout your hard drive? Sony believes it has the answer for you. The HDMS-S1D Digital Photo Album features an 80GB hard drive (which should hold up to 50, 000 high res photos) and connects to a High Def TV via HDMI.

Your photos can be transferred to the HDMS-S1D via flash memory card formats, CD, DVD, USB or Ethernet. Once loaded onto the system, you can manage your various collections using the supplied remote and system interface.

Photos can be organized by date, special occasions such as birthdays and travel (using pre-selected icons), or into as many as 3,000 different photo albums– enough for every major family milestone.

The included x-Pict Story HD software creates professional quality slideshows means you do not need to use a separate PC. The x-ScrapBook application uses face detection and event-clustering technology to make scrapbook-style layouts of photos with common traits.

The HDMS-S1D Digital Photo Album will retail for about $400

Source: Sony Press Release

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E-3 DSLR from Olympus is Fast and Expensive

Olympus today officially announced their top of the range Digital SLR; the E-3. The E-3 offers the fastest autofocus that is currently available, 10 megapixel live MOS image sensor, magnesium alloy body and Body-Integrated Mechanical Image Stabilization. Unfortunately, to get all of this you will need to dig deep into your pockets; $1,699 deep and that’s just for the body...

Some features:
11-point biaxial cross type AF system, 5 frames-per-second continuous shooting, and 1/8000 second top shutter speed (when combined with the new ZUIKO DIGITAL Supersonic Wave Drive Lenses (SWD) that were also announced today).

A Swivel Live View LCD: A dual-axis swivel 2.5-inch Live View LCD covers all the viewing angles from low to high and side to side, to assure accurate composition.

Optical viewfinder with 1.15x magnification.

The 11 AF target points on the E-3 can be selected to work individually or dynamically in combination with adjacent target points.

5 frames per second. With shutter speeds of up 1/8000 second.

TruePic III Image Processor.

2.5-inch adjustable LCD displays 230,000 pixels.

Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter.

Measures 5.59 inches (142mm) by 4.56 inches (116mm) by 2.93 inches (74.5mm) and weighs 28.2 ounces (800 grams) body only.

Compatible with CompactFlash Type I & II, UDMA, Microdrives and xD-Picture Cards.

The Olympus E-3 Digital SLR will be available in November 2007 for around $1,699



Source: Olympus Press Release

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Samsung FlipShot Mobile Camera Phone for Verizon Wireless

The Samsung ‘Flipshot’ U900 is expected to be available on Verizon Wireless later this year. The phone looks like your standard mobile phone until you open it up and flip the screen 180 degrees revealing a high resolution screen with features such as; a flash and in-camera photo editing software.

The U900 ‘Flipshot’ comes with a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus, zoom, and video recording capabilities and supports Verizon Wirelss VCAST Video and VCAST Music.

No word on pricing.

Source: Mobiledia

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The K850i from Sony Ericsson

Sony Ericsson have just released the K850i Cyber-shot phone that comes with a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus, Xenon flash and Video. The K850i will offer 3G speeds (HSDPA) that should make downloading content fast.

The K850i includes camera features such as ‘Photo Fix’ that automatically improves light balance in one click, and ‘Best Pic’ take nine pictures in one burst. The K850i also comes with an automatic lens cover, auto focus for no-hassle sharpness and a xenon flash for poor light conditions.

The Sony Ericsson K850i Cyber-shot phone comes in either Velvet Blue or Luminous Green, and will be available in-store across selected markets from October 2007.

Source: Sony Ericcson

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The New KX-PX2M and the KX-PX20M Photo Printers from Panasonic

Panasonic have just recently released two new compact photo digital printers; the KX-PX2M and the KX-PX20M. These two digital photo printers give users the ability to view and manipulate images without the use of a computer. Instead, an SD card slot enables printing from a Panasonic LUMIX digital still camera and other SD-card based digital cameras.

Both printers produces prints which are light, water, UV and fingerprint-resistant and that have the ability to retain their brilliance and contrast for up to 100 years when properly stored. The printers also feature high-output speeds and uncropped 16:9 format printing when combined with optional wide-sized paper kit.

The Panasonic KX-PX2M, available for $99.95, comes with a 1.5-inch LCD viewfinder, while the KX-PX20M model, available for $199.95, features a 3.6-inch LCD viewfinder that shows a range of more than 16 million colors.

Source: Panasonic Press Release

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