Keeping Photography Cool

Digital Cameras continue to revolutionize the world of photography. Companies continue to add electronic enhancements to cameras to allow consumers to develop the photographer’s eye. Nikon continues its campaign help beginning photographers to take the best picture possible with their latest camera - the Coolpix S52. This stylishly designed digital camera is loaded with features and comes in two different versions. The advanced version is the S52c. Using a WiFi connection, this camera is able to wirelessly transmit your pictures to either your PC or laptop. The S52c has all of the features of the standard S52.

Nikon-s52/s52c

Bill Giodano, General Manager of Marketing - Coolpix, describes the camera. “We are pleased to introduce the COOLPIX S52 and the S52c to our Style Series line of compact cameras, as they combine an elegant camera design with advanced imaging capabilities. With the versatile COOLPIX S52 and its Wi-Fi enabled counterpart, the S52c, users will have the opportunity to take incredible pictures with exceptional detail and sharpness.”

Carrying tripods around will be a thing of the past with this camera. The Coolpix S52 best feature is its “Optical VR Image Stabilization.” You will get a steady picture every time with this gem from Nikon. It also supports ISOs up to 3200. You can capture fast-moving subjects and subjects in low-light conditions better with an ISO rating that’s this high. Auto ISO control is another feature of the Nikon S52. In standard mode, this feature will select the optimum ISO rating for your picture. Standard mode chooses from an ISO range of 100 to 800. High-Sensitivity mode increases this to ISO 2000.

Like other cameras in the Coolpix line, the S52 includes the Face Recognition feature. The camera will locate and focus the picture for up to 5 different faces automatically. Red-eye correction and D-Lighting are just some of the excellent tools Nikon gives you to take better pictures. You can preview your pictures using the S52 3″ LCD display.

Nikon’s Coolpix S52 costs $249.99 and the S52c costs $279.95. Both cameras will be available in the US in May. These solid cameras will increase the confidence of beginning photographers world wide.

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Mini HD Power

Camcorders used to be bulky devices that required you to have a gym membership in order to be strong enough to lug them around. One of the goals of technology is to make things smaller and faster. This is definitely true for camcorders. Aiptek latest gadget - the A-HD 720P camcorder - is one of the lightest HD recorders on the market today. It has the following dimensions: height 4.5 inches, width 1.25 inches and weight 0.5 pound. The A-HD 720P records 1280 x 720 video clips with a speed of 30 FPS. The camcorder can take 8 MP still pictures as well.

Aiptek’s A-HD 720P Aiptek’s A-HD 720P

Aiptek declares that the A-HD 720P can serve as your personal Media Player and Recorder. This is a function that camcorders have been performing since their invention. Record from your playback device (TV with either DVD or VCR attached) and then connect the camcorder for playback on a TV (standard or HD) in your remote location. In the A-HD 720P case you can view your movies on its 2.4″ LCD screen. The screen conveniently swivels 270 degrees. Aiptek’s camcorder only comes with 6 MB of internal memory. There is a discrepancy as to the upper limits of the A-HD 720P’s SD memory card support. Two sources state that it is 32 GB whereas the Aiptek website states only 8 GB. You can get an estimated 1 hour of HD recording per 2 GB on a SD card.

Aiptek provides the A-HD 720P with a well rounded set of features. The camcorder is USB 2.0 compatible and can be recharged either by the USB port or through an AC adaptor. It includes one-touch recording. This allows you to quickly begin shooting a once in a lifetime shot like your baby’s first steps. The A-HD 720P includes a 2X digital zoom and can record movies in darker environments than standard camcorders.

Aiptek’s A-HD 720P costs $139.95. This is a powerhouse camera at this price. Imagine you can shoot HD video for less than $150! It is an excellent beginner HD camcorder for beginner movie producers. It is lacking in some of the more advance features like Anti-Shake or Face Recognition which make movie production much easier.

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Live Out Your James Bond Fantasy

James Bond has it all - the music, the gadget, the excitement. His only problem is that he can’t keep a steady girl friend. She never lasts to the end of the movie. But oh the toys that James gets to play with. From mine-laying cars to knife-packing shoes, you can see just about any type of gadget in a Bond movie. Now you can live out your own Bond fantasies with the latest gadget from China - the Cool G108.

Cool G108

The Cool G108 is designed for a larger wrist. Its dimensions are 51 x 51 x 20 mm. A distinct clam shell protects the watch and phone elements. The clam shell top includes a LED display. When it opens up you will see a circular keypad on one side and another 1.5 inch 256-k color display. The designers are to be applauded for the well-designed keypad. It looks like a high-tech rotary phone (resembling the B&O Serene) and adds a distinct class to the G108. This is a good-looking gadget. Even if it did not have great features it will sell very well on just its appearance alone. Add the solid features and you have a definite winner.

What would a secret agent be without his ultra-secret digital camera? The G108 includes a 1.3 megapixel camera. Before you take pictures of all those scenic locations, you will need to purchase a memory card to increase the G108’s limited 0.5 MB onboard memory. You can easily add your card to the G108’s expansion slot. This phone-watch includes a speaker phone and multimedia player. What’s the use of going on a top-secret vacation assignment without your theme music?

The Cool G108 is designed to take its place on the world stage. It supports quadband GPRS and GSM. This phone watch has USB 2.0 and Bluetooth connectivity. Pricing is not currently available for the Cool G108. It is an awesome digital watch phone combination. If priced correctly, the G108 could sell out when it hits the European and American markets. Thousands and maybe millions of gadget lovers with get to be either Dick Tracey or James Bond.

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Do the Matrix with the EX-F1

The Matrix Trilogy is one of the greatest movie series in history. Neo dodging bullets is one of the most often spoofed scenes in the movie. Casio’s latest gadget - the EXLIM Pro EX-F1 - is fast enough to capture the action. It is a 6 Megapixel Digital Camera with a 12X Optical Zoom. It also includes a 4X Digital Zoom which can give you 48x Zoom when combined with the optical zoom. For the best pictures, rely on the optical zoom as much as possible. Relying on the digital zoom, in some cameras, can yield some slightly grainy images. You can instantly switch between digital still and movie mode with the push of a button. The “Movie Button” allows you to choose between High Definition, High Speed and Standard movie modes.

Casio EXLIM Pro EX-F1

The Casio EXLIM Pro EX-F1 best feature is its Burst mode. The still image burst mode is ultra-fast. You will take up to 60 frames per second. You can adjust the frame rate from 1 to 60 seconds. This allows you to take 60 shots per second but you can also take different combinations like 20 3-second shots. The EX-F1 also includes High Speed Movie Recording. It can capture up to 1200 frames per second. Rapid Flash support speeds up to 7 frames per second. With the Casio EXLIM Pro EX-F1 you can capture action that happens faster than the human eye can see.

Casio has packed many features in its latest digital camera. The EXLIM EX-F1 includes a YouTube Capture Mode and Face Recognition. Casio’s Face Recognition will focus on the faces in your framed shots adjusting the focus and brightness to get the best picture possible. The EX-F1 has 12 lens in 9 groups. A “shaky hand” is the bane of all photographers. Casio has designed the EX-F1 to compensate for this. You can take steady pictures even when using the 12x optical zoom.

The Casio EXLIM Pro EX-F1 costs $999.99. Its 60 shots per second burst mode is the EX-F1’s defining feature. This is an awe-inspiring digital camera. It places incredible photo options into the hands of both professional and amateur photographers.

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Become a Mini-Producer

As technology progresses, gadgets become smaller and smaller. The camcorder is the latest device to experience this. Panasonic’s latest gadget, the SDR-S7, fits in your palm. It measures 102 mm x 41 mm x 59 mm. It can easily fit into a suit pocket or a purse. The SDR-S7 has one of the quickest starts up times in the industry - 0.6 seconds. The SDR-S7 features an adjustable LCD viewing screen so you can record your movies from many different angles. The viewing screen is 2.7.” You can increase the brightness of the LCD with a button push. The SDR-S7 will not record HD movies but it can record in a wide screen format. The SDR-S7 can display a listing of your recorded scenes for your personal review.

Panasonic’s SDR-S7 Panasonic’s SDR-S7

Panasonic’s SDR-S7 includes many innovative features. Its best feature is its Pre-Record Function. It begins shooting a movie even before you press record. The SDR-S7 records 3 seconds before you begin shooting. This information is stored in your camera’s internal memory. When you press the record button, the information is transferred to the SD/SHDC memory card and normal recording commences. This feature allows you to take action shots without missing a beat.

The SDR-S7 supports variable bit rate or VBR recording. The camcorder adjusts its recording speed to your subject’s movement. Panasonic also included One Touch Navigation to make it easier to use the many features they crammed into the SDR-S7. You can connect this camera with a DVD burner via a USB connection. You can create a DVD can be played back on any DVD player. Panasonic knows that most producers relish the opportunity to tweak their film, they include MotionSD Studio software to edit, add music and otherwise perfect your cinematic masterpiece.

Panasonic’s SDR-S7 proves that good things can come in small packages. It costs $299.95. This is a bargain prize for the number of features Panasonic includes. The petite size of this camera remains its most amazing feature. Since it can be carried almost anywhere, you can shoot movies until you run out of SHDC/SD memory cards. The SDR-S7 does not come with a memory card. You will need to purchase one separately.

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Finally a Rugged Wearable Camera

Some companies seek to find the latest gadget craze and flood the market with similar products in hopes of making a quick buck. VholdR is not one of those companies. Their flagship product is one of a kind. They have designed a wearable video camera - the VholdR Wearable Sports Camcorder. It measures 3.75 inches x 2.1 inches x 1.35 inches and weighs a petite 4.8 oz. The box includes mounts so you can place the camera on a helmet, handlebars and a thousand and one other unique places.

VholdR Camera

The VholdR Sports Camcorder is ruggedly built and is also waterproof. The camera is composed of brushed aluminum, rubber and baked fiberglass. The VholdR’s interior is insulated and silicon sealed. The company made sure that this camcorder will be able to weather the elements even better than you. One of its best features is a rotating lens. You can shoot pictures upside down, vertical or flat. The lens can rotate 192 degrees. The VholdR also allows you to shoot movies in low light situations. Targeting lasers help you keep your camera on your subject. VholdR made the camera very easy to use. One button turns the camera on and off. When it is on, it is recording. This feature will take some getting used to but it is perfect for the camera’s target audience. This camera is designed for fast action shots. You won’t be taking any perfectly posed pictures with the Sports Camcorder, and it is light enough that you can get right up front to the action.

The VholdR Sports Camcorder battery lasts on average two hours. It can be easily recharged via its USB 2.0 port. Its video quality is 640 x 480 MPEG-4. A 1 GB MicroSD Card will hold 50 minutes of shooting. Unfortunately the VholdR Camcorder does not come with a card. You will need to buy one separately.

The VholdR Wearable Sports Camcorder costs $350. Although its still geeky to have a camera mounted on your head, it is a solid camera for outdoors, sporting events and water sports. The VholdR Camcorder will make amateur video a thing of the past.

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Transfer Your Negatives to Digital Files

 

The photo bug will be thrilled to have this easy to use scanner to put their photographs from their earliest pictures onto their PC with a push of a button.

sss digital-photo-converter

The photo lab has now been super-shrunk and put into your living room. The negatives you still store in the acid-free boxes are on their way out the door. The film scanner will take the 35 millimeter format negatives from your pictures are loaded into the scanner and then transferred to your PC as 5 mega pixel digital files.

Imagine being able to get rid of those hundreds of boxes of photographs with their little envelopes of negatives that fall out and scatter every time you look through the box. Now you can scan through them all, and ditch the originals.

Those photos you took while on vacation years ago can now be scanned and shared with someone planning to visit the same place. You can become somewhat of a tour guide for the areas you have visited, and help others explore with some information from a first hand source.

The possibilities are endless when you combine the scanner with the automatic settings to correct for damage that has accrued over time. So the next anniversary that comes around for mom and dad has its gift in progress already. Create a digital photo slideshow of all the pictures of your parents and family as time goes by. Give grandma and grandpa a show of the big events in the grandkids lives, along side those same events of your childhood.

Give this as a gift for a wedding, and let the bride and groom have the chance to not only create digital images of their childhoods, but let them see each other grow up and become the people they are today.

The only requirements are a USB port and Windows XP. The small gadget sits on the desk next to the computer, and is about the size of the ancient automatic pencil sharpener. This device is just a little more useful.

 

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The Next 007 Watch!

 

Feel like the worlds best spy guy with the new camera watch from Casio!

casio

 

This new spy-like gadget will take pictures that can be for ‘your eyes only” on your tiny 1MB camera, or use the IR port to transfer the images to your computer.

casio

The time is not enough any longer. Now the watches that are on the future plans tables have to include some sort of fancy addition. There are watches that can track the wearer via GPS, there are watches that read the temperature, and there are watches that have a barometer. Now the digital camera is an obvious addition to the market.Be careful what you wish for though, because the gadgets may become more tempting than one realizes. The camera watch was just recently in the news, not for its technological prowess, but for the resulting inappropriate use of it.In Thailand, a student was expelled from University for cheating on a test. He was wearing a camera watch that was taking pictures of a test and sending it to another student elsewhere on campus. The other student then sent the answers to the test back via text messages. This stands as a warning to those of us who value our privacy. There could be someone taking pictures of us from their wristwatch, so always be aware of your surroundings. You never know where the next camera will appear (and not be seen by the general public.)The Casio version allows the user to take around 100 pictures, as well as take them in black and white, add comments to them, and then transfer all the images their computer. The advances open a world of picture taking that has not been seen before. The perspective of a person’s wrist height will allow many of us to remember the world as seen by a child. Perhaps that can be the next advertisement for the watch! 

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Middle of the Road Digital Camera

Sony’s latest camera, the Cyber-shot DSC-W120 walks the line between budget focused cameras and professional grade digital power cameras. The latest trend in some digital camera companies is to back as many features as possible in their camera designed to help consumers take better pictures. Digital Cameras take “point and shoot” to whole new levers with technological features. Sony’s Face Detection Mode is designed to give the photographer a helping hand. Face Detection Technology controls focus, exposure, flash and white balance automatically. With Face Detection, pictures in heavy shadow will come out better due to the camera controlling the white balance. The technology also reduces red eye and facial glare. Face Detection helps your photos look more natural. The DSC-W120’s Face Detection Technology even allow you to distinguish between child and adult faces and determine who will be the focal point for your photo.

sony.jpg

The DSC-W120 is a 7.2 MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Zoom. For the largest prints, you want to get a digital camera with as many megapixels as possible. The DSC-W120 comes with a 2.5″ LCD Display. You can see clearly if you have a good picture before leaving the scene. Sony’s DSC-W120 includes Stamina Battery Power. You can take photos all weekend long without worrying about your battery.

The DSC-W120’s best feature is Smile Shutter Mode. It starts with Face Detection Technology and takes it the next level. Sony states that Smile Shutter Mode will take the picture at the moment your subject smiles. You can set Smile Shutter Mode to take the picture when your subject grins, smiles, or laughs. The Smile Shutter Mode can also distinguish between adult and children’s faces.

A shaky hand is the bane of many photographers. Sony’s Cyber-shot DSC-W120 even has a technological aid for this. It is called the “Super SteadyShot Optical Image Stabilization.” There is a gyro inside the camera. It sends signals to correct the erratic movement to the stabilization lense.

At $200, Sony’s Cyber-Shot DSC-W120 is a lot of camera for little money. Like most digital cameras, it comes with a lot of features. This camera excels with features designed to help photographers take better pictures.

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Sigma DP1 - A Camera for Serious Photographers

Sigma DP1

With a price tag of $799.99, Sigma DP1 squeezes all functionality of a full-spec digital SLR into the body of a compact camera with built-in lense. The DP1 has the following dimensions - 4.5 (W) x 2.3 (H) x 2.0 inches (D) and weighs only 8.5 ounces. It is a 14 MP Digital Camera with a SLR sized image sensor. The sensor, a Foveon X3, allows the DP1 to capture film quality high definition images with color gradations far beyond its similarly priced competitors like the Canon Powershot G9 or Ricoh GRII. The Foveon X3 sensor also provides impressive three dimensional details. Sigma also includes 16.6mm F4 lens (equivalent of 35mm camera’s 28 mm lense) whose unique shape provides low distortion and high quality images.

The Sigma DP1 comes with the latest version of Photo Pro (v2.4/Windows, v3.2/Mac). Photo Pro allows for adjustments to be made in three separate modes - X3F, Auto and Custom. It is the only software that can handle DP1’s X3F files. DP1’s X3F file format is comparable to High Definition file formats keeping brightness and color in a 1:1 ratio without interpolation. This is yet another example of high-powered SLR functionality for the price of a compact camera.

Created with the serious photographer in mind, Sigma focused on the details of what makes a great camera. Unlike most compact cameras, the DP1 has 27 tiny raised semi-spheres on the front and 34 on the back to provide the photographer with the means to maintain a solid grip on the camera. A superbly crafted manual focus wheel gives you the freedom to your professional eye to see the proper focus for your subject. The features of the DP1 are designed to place creative control back in your hands.

The DP1 supports a number of add-on products like any good digital SLR camera. Accessories include an optical viewfinder, lens hood, memory card and electronic flash. The DP1 can record 30 fps movies with QVGA. (320 x 240) The 1GB memory card allows 30 minutes of recording time. Photographers waited over a year and a half to get their hands on Sigma’s DP1. It is definitely worth the wait.

Kid Powered Toys

Sony’s Odo Project Provides Humanitarian Toys for Developing Countries

Sony’s Odo-digital camera

According to Mitsuhiro Nakamura, Sony’s Odo Project “grew from trying to figure out how these people’s children will be able to enjoy music and video.” Developing countries sometime do not always have electricity or batteries. Children in developing countries have the same right to have toys that stimulate their intelligence and creativity. By not commercializing the Odo prototypes, Sony makes a bold statement on their commitment toward developing countries. They are to be applauded.

Odo prototypes include a digital still camera styled after a flower, a video camera powered by a crank, a second digital camera powered by spinning the camera end-over-end, a photo viewer powered by a roller and a stereo headphone with radio powered by a pull string. There is also a solar-charged battery that can fit within all of these Odo Project toys. Sony could easily make millions marketing these devices in developed nations. They have chosen to challenge their competitors to follow their example.

By creating products for developing countries, Sony shows that they care for the children in developing nations. In a time when both companies and individuals are shuffling their unwanted leftover or surplus clothing, foods and products to developing nations - Sony is creating new prototypes just for them. This is as big as Macy’s actions in the classic movie, “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Hopefully other major corporations will follow Sony’s lead and construct prototypes to help families in developing countries.

The Odo Project could use their help. One major flaw with the Odo prototypes is found in the flower style digital camera. Yes, it’s really cool to link the camera with a flowerpot shaped USB Cradle. Having to transfer pictures to a PC defeats the whole making gadgets for developing nations. It would be kind of hard to run a PC without electricity or batteries. Although IBM, Dell or Toshiba could develop a specialized laptop that could work. Another alternative could come from companies who specialize in printers. Kodak, Canon or HP could assist the Odo project by creating either a solar or pull string powered an inkjet printer. The technology is available, but the question is whether companies have a heart for social responsibility.

Kodak EasyShare M863 - It’s Not Your Father’s Digital Camera

Kodak-M863-new-launch

Costing less than $150, Kodak’s Easyshare M863 provides much value for few dollars. Kodak’s latest Easyshare camera provides a lot of on-camera features that reduces the need for PC photo manipulation. The 1st feature is the M863’s 3x Optical Zoom. A strong Optical Zoom is always better than an equivalent Digital Zoom. The Optical Zoom will be sharper. Although the M863 supports a 5x Digital Zoom, for your best picture quality stick with the 3x Optical for all images.

In most cases, taking a couple of steps closer to your subject will yield better results.

Image Resolution is one of the M863 Digital Camera’s major strengths. 8.2 MexaPixels means that you can have prints that are as large as 30″ x 40″ (76 cm x 102 cm) or 2 ½ feet by 3 feet.

That is a lot of power for a small price. Kodak continues to improve on their Perfect Touch Technology. This allows images to maintain their brightness and clears up dark shadows and print better.

Kodak’s M863 Easyshare features takes the “Point and Shoot” Digital Camera to new levels. 20 Scene and 3 color modes gracefully guide the photographer to a better picture. Low light and fast

action options gives you a wider range of photo possibilities. The M863’s Digital Image Stabilization feature counters the digital photographer’s greatest bane - “the shaky wrist syndrome.” The 2.7 inch LCD display allows you to preview your image before you leave the scene.

The Kodak M863 Digital Camera is an excellent camera for the casual amateur photographer.

Kodak provides a wide range of features to make this a personal camera. (You can choose from a several different colors). The M863 provides both video, sound, high speed and low light photo options. This camera can even link with HDTV docking station to show off your favorite photos. It also can link with Printer Dock for Computer-free photo printing. The Kodak M863 gives a million dollar value for bargain basement price.

A Novice Can Be Excellent Photographer With HP Photosmart M537 Digital Camera

Hp Photosmart M537 Digital Camera

Thanks to the advent of digital cameras, even a beginner with no knowledge about the techniques of a camera, aperture, lenses, timing etc. has been enabled to click good photos. The latest on the series is HP Photosmart M 537 Digital Camera which has sophisticated features and state-of-the-art equipments. You can get ready to shoot exhilarating photographs, videos and take prints of them for your pleasure and mail them to anyone instantly for their pleasure.

For best results Photosmart M 537 has 6 mega pixels plus 18 x total zoom (3x optical, 6x digital) with convenient and easy to operate buttons and menus, an anti-shake feature, 2.5” bright display, inbuilt red-eye removal, a Design Gallery. You can take video clips and also print stills off this Windows Vista Ready model.

Feasibilities:

  • Shooting excellent photos, printing as 4 x 6” copies and expanding them to a poster size with the help of 6 MP resolution.
  • Zooming in clear close-ups with the 18 x total zoom (3x optical, 6 x digital)
  • One handed snapping with comfortable grip
  • 2.5” display for faming and editing photos spaciously with bright viewing outdoors
  • Recording video clips with audio as also printing individual frames
  • Steady Photo anti-shake feature for keeping crisp details with clarity
  • Automatic removal of red eye with cutting-edge technology built inside
  • With the Design Gallery, adding creative touches of applying fun colors, borders etc. to the shots right inside the camera
  • HP Photosmart Share for home printing of photos and emailing them
  • Enabled HP’s online photo service, Snapfish, for sharing and order 4 x 6 prints conveniently by email.

The facilities do not end there. Additional and optional upgrades with accessories such as SD Memory Card, HP 2200 dock for image sharing, HP Photosmart compact photo printer for great prints (all sold separately) are also available. Added attractions are HP’s one year warranty, award-winning after sales service and 24 x 7 helpline for all questions and clarifications.