digital camera reviews & news

Samsung SPP-2040 Digital Photo Printer Review

2006-01-25T02:12:00.000-08:00

Samsung SPP-2040 Digital Photo Printer Review

By M. David Stone

The Samsung SPP-2040 Digital Photo Printer ($150 street) is the third dedicated photo printer we've seen recently for essentially the same price (the other two are the Canon Selphy DS810 and CP710 Compact Photo Printer). As with its direct competitors, the SPP-2040 offers features that are quickly becoming standard for the price: a 2-inch previewing LCD, and the ability to output from computers, PictBridge cameras, and memory cards. You'll get excellent speed and high-quality photos, but cost per print is higher than we'd like and you're limited to 4- by 6-inch paper.

Setup is standard: Slide in the dye ribbon, push in the loaded paper tray, and you're ready for direct printing from a camera or card. To print from a computer, run the automated setup and connect by USB cable.

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At just 2.4 by 7.1 by 5.4 inches (HWD) and 2.4 pounds, the SPP-2040 is typical for this class. It takes up relatively little space and is highly portable. There's no battery option, though, so it has to be within reach of a power outlet.

We rated the quality of output as very good, which means that most prints are true photo quality with a few minor flaws. When we tested the SPP-2040 in Normal mode (the default), the color in some photos was oversaturated, and images tended to lose a bit of detail in light areas (clouds in a light-blue sky, for example). Best mode actually exaggerated those problems, so ironically, Normal is the best mode—it's easily good enough for snapshots, photo albums, and even framing, for most photos. With the previously mentioned competitors, the thermal dye Canon Selphy CP710 Compact Photo Printer also earned a very good quality rating—but intriguingly, the ink jet Canon Selphy DS810 did a little better.

The SPP-2040 is one of the faster thermal-dye photo printers today. Printing from a computer, it turned in times of just 1 minute 3 seconds to 1:04 on our standard test suite for dedicated photo printers. Unlike most printers, it didn't slow significantly when the image source was CompactFlash, taking 1:03 to 1:07. Even when the source was a camera (a Canon PowerShot S60), speeds were just a little slower, with a range of 1:13 to 1:16. The only overall faster thermal-dye printer we've seen is the pricier Sony DPP-FP50, which, printing directly from a camera, is up to 10 seconds faster depending on the photo.

Printing cost is the SPP-2040's Achilles' heel. Depending on which paper and ink-roll pack you choose, you'll pay 42 to 62 cents per photo. That's not unusual for thermal-dye printers, but the Canon CP710 manages to keep costs as low as 28 cents per photo—a difference of 14 cents at the low end. In a year, that adds up to $60.48 if you print the equivalent of one roll of film per month (36 images).

The cost per print makes the Samsung SPP-2040 hard to recommend over other printers, such as the Canon CP710, that have the same purchase price, similar features, and lower running costs. But if you use it little enough that you don't mind spending a few cents extra per image, or you're willing to pay extra for the speed, the SPP-2040 is attractive in every other way.
http://www.digital-camera-stuff.com

$29.95 one-time-use video cameras ready

2005-06-06T01:12:00.000-07:00

$29.95 one-time-use video cameras ready
By Jefferson Graham, USA TODAY
The first one-time-use video camera goes on sale this week at CVS drugstores in the Northeast.

The makers of the $29.95 camera and CVS hope the device will do for video what one-time-use cameras did for film sales: dramatically increase the market. "The one-time-use camera revolutionized the film market," says Grant Pill, director of photography for CVS, the nation's No. 1 drugstore chain. "We see the same thing happening with video." Sales of one-time-use cameras — a favorite cheap accessory for vacations, events and school trips reached 218
million units last year, from 43 million in 1994, even as film sales tumbled in the digital era. (Related: Digital hybrids do double duty) The new camera, from San Francisco-based start-up Pure Digital Technologies, doesn't use videotape. It saves images to internal memory — like the video mode of a digital camera. It goes chainwide at CVS stores at the end of the month and will expand to other retailers in midsummer. "If a picture is worth a thousand words, video
should be worth a million," says Pure Digital CEO Jonathan Kaplan. His company has marketed a digital one-time-use still camera since 2003. In video, Pure Digital "could have a real good opportunity," NPD analyst Ross Rubin says. "Twenty minutes of footage isn't a lot, but it's enough to capture a kid blowing out a birthday candle, or highlights from
a graduation." Consumers will have to pay an additional $12.95 for processing the 20 minutes of footage onto DVDs. There's no other way to watch — the camera can't be plugged into a TV.
Viewing functions are also limited: Only the last clip recorded can be seen on the back of the camera. Chris Chute, an analyst with market research firm IDC, says the camcorder is a device that gets used "a lot less" than others, usually just on special occasions. And many people never bother to show off footage they've shot with family and friends, because editing or transferring to DVDs is too time consuming. By comparison, plopping a finished DVD from CVS into a TV or PC for viewing is easy, Kaplan says. Customers can also transfer the DVD video clips to the Internet, for free. Very few online photo-sharing sites now accept video sharing, and the ones that do charge annual fees of $30 to $60. Kaplan wouldn't say how much it costs Pure Digital to make the camera. Chute estimates production costs at about $35. "They lose money on the initial sale, and make it on the second turn," Chute says. Pure Digital's still cameras get recycled about five times on average.

10 Mega Pixel Output Digital Cameras Under $200

2005-04-11T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Mega Pixel War Is Over...At Least For Now. 10 Mega Pixel output Digital Cameras, are finally here.
(PRWEB) April 11, 2005 --

Ten Mega Pixels under $200 wasn’t even in the cards a year ago but now it’s a reality. The DigiShot9.9S demonstrates the fine art of packing more mega pixel power into a wafer-thin digital camera that weights only 72 grams.
The Mega pixel war has reached a new benchmark with Mini Gadgets Inc. new DigiShot9.9S. Chief among the many features and conveniences is it’s ten -mega- pixel output. Aiming to capitalize on the growing appetite of consumers for more and more mega pixels and less and less megabucks, DigiShot9.9S is extremely price friendly for armature photographers and at less than $200 MSRP it lures professionals just as enthusiastically.
According to Jeff Bushlack, Director of Marketing of www.crazyape.com “People are getting tired of paying upwards of $800 for a big name inferior digital cameras, that is why we priced the DigiShot9.9S under $200 with about $100 of free extras and our crazy monkey as a gift”
John Dufresne, V.P of M.G.I, the manufacturer of the DigiShot had a different take: “ The trend for a higher mega pixel digital camera demonstrates the digital convergence technology as a paradigm-shift for and to the end-user. Consumers have got smarter, they want more for less.”
With an extensive selection of full automatic, preset and manual setting modes, aluminum shock proof housing, improved power consumption and SD, MMC slot, the DigiShot9.9S is the one to take with you on this summer’s vacation. The 4x digital zoom and automatic white balance makes easier to snap these hard-to-get shots.
The pictures are stored on an SD or MMC card. Newer PC’s incorporate a card reader slot. The end-user can just plug in the SD/MMC card and the pictures automatically appear on the screen. No messy downloading, no wires to connect. Pictures can also be viewed on a TV set with the provided RCA cables.
About M.G.I Inc. (www.nadea.com) is in the business of designing, importing and wholesaling digital cameras from low-end web cams at 1.3mp to the all- new 10mp digishot line that includes 6.6mp and 10mp camcorders. Other amazing products include wireless MP3 players, camera binoculars, noise canceling headsets and other leading edge gadgets. Operating out of Atlanta GA. M.G.I Inc. ships by DHL for free. All M.G.I products come with a one year manufacturers guarantee.

Fading Photos

2005-04-04T07:22:00.000-07:00

As digital photography grows, so does clash over fading photos
By WILLIAM M. BULKELEY
The Wall Street Journal

The boom in digital photography has sparked a backbiting squabble over the longevity of pictures made on home printers.

The clash pits printer makers eager to market their own lines of expensive specialty photo paper against big paper purveyors like retailer Staples and photo giant Eastman Kodak, neither of which makes inkjet printers of their own.

As more people use digital cameras, many are making homemade prints. Yet many shutterbugs could end up disappointed by the shelf life of photos.

Wilhelm Imaging Research, a lab in Grinnell, Iowa, that was hired by Hewlett-Packard, Seiko Epson and other printer makers, recently publicly criticized Staples’ top-of-the-line photo paper as a “disaster,” saying photos printed on it fade rapidly from exposure to ozone pollution.

Meanwhile, Kodak last year claimed prints made on its special paper with printers manufactured by H-P and Epson would last more than 100 years. Scientists from H-P and Epson — which market their own photo paper — disputed Kodak’s claim. “Eastman Kodak uses significantly lower test criteria than industry-accepted practices to achieve this rating,” Epson scientists wrote.

The hostilities underscore how important paper remains in the age of digital photography. The market for inkjet photo paper will grow 23 percent to $1.2 billion this year, up from $972 million in 2004, estimates Cathy Martin, an analyst for Infotrends, a market-research concern.

From a consumer’s point of view, digital photo fading shouldn’t be a big problem — provided the consumer kept a digital copy of the picture on a CD or online photo-storage site. But with software standards, Web sites and storage devices constantly changing, a print on paper might be the best way to assure that your great-grandchildren see what their ancestors looked like.

For ultimate longevity, archivists recommend subzero refrigeration of prints. Prints last much longer when stored in photo albums or even shoe boxes than those displayed on walls, where they are affected by light, pollution, smoke and moisture.

Rebecca Ludens, a Kalamazoo, Mich., homemaker who writes about photo scrapbooks for About.com, an online information service, says that photo longevity is a big concern for the nation’s 31 million scrapbook-keepers.“They’re hoping the pictures will last more than decades.

Digital-Photo Era Changes Industry

2005-04-02T04:58:00.000-08:00

By BEN DOBBIN
(AP) Jesse Eisenberg, of New York City, uses a Fuji Film digital photo kiosk at B&H Photo to print a...Full Image

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) - Jesse Eisenberg came within a technological whisker of losing all her honeymoon snapshots. The 31-year-old lawyer's digital images, stored on an online photography site, vanished while she was in the hospital this winter having her first child. She had given up all hope of retrieving them when they suddenly reappeared on her computer more than a month later.

"I can't believe we got them back!" she exclaimed. "Oh my God, I'm going to be printing all day today." It's a refrain that sets the photo industry's heart racing.
As the digital revolution sidelines film, the photo industry is having to rely more heavily on high-margin services and supplies - inks, chemicals, paper - that go into making prints.
Yet the picture is not quite as it seems. While there's no hint of a falloff in the desire of Americans to freeze-frame the world around them, the overall number of images converted into prints has been slipping since the dawn of the 21st century.

The drop-off coincided with the lightning transition to a world without film. A few years ago, there wasn't a framework in place to help digital shutterbugs print easily or cheaply.
Digital cameras are now in about 43 million homes in America, and that 40 percent penetration could reach 70 percent by 2007. The more mainstream they become, some analysts argue, the more likely that old printing habits will re-establish themselves.
"Everybody treasures memories, and what makes memories more vivid than a photograph, a print?" said Ulysses Yannas of Buckman, Buckman & Reid in New York. That impulse, he thinks, "will not fade, it's human nature."

Bolstering Yannas' belief is a recent frenzy of acquisitions of online photo startups, which are projected to churn out 700 million prints this year, up from 400 million in 2004.
Others dismiss the notion of shoe boxes filling up to the brim again as wishful thinking. "The pie isn't necessarily going to get any bigger," said Frank Baillargeon, an industry consultant in Eagle, Idaho. "But the pie is going to be sliced up in many, many different ways.
"In the digital era, you can see your pictures immediately, share them instantaneously, store them in a variety of arguably safe ways and print them selectively. My children's generation is so comfortable with technology that the need to just have a print in your hand or in a shoe box doesn't sound like a very compelling proposition."

Manufacturers like Eastman Kodak Co. (EK), however, think the meteoric rise of camera phones could turn the lucrative print business into a growth market again, possibly within two years.
Aside from rushing higher-resolution cameras, speedier printers, fancier software and all-purpose kiosks into the marketplace, they're employing all their marketing tricks to mold consumer habits and transform electronically stored images into prints of all varieties.
Their campaigns run from scaremongering about the perils of letting pictures languish on computers that might crash to behavior-reinforcing TV ads by Rochester-based Kodak in which new digital patrons shout out "Where are my pictures?"

In the United States, prints ordered from retailers and Web sites or made at home fell from a peak of 30.3 billion in 2000 to 27.4 billion in 2004 and could dip to 25.9 billion this year, according to Photo Marketing Association International, a trade group in Jackson, Mich.
Propelled by price wars among retailers led by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) and Costco Inc. and online upstarts like Snapfish and Shutterfly.com, prints from digital cameras could hit 7.7 billion this year, up from 400 million in 2000, and outnumber prints from film cameras by 2007.
And while an estimated 100 billion images are snapped in America each year - of which about a quarter are turned into prints - that could skyrocket above 1 trillion as camera phones not only proliferate but rapidly improve in quality.

"You've got the mass market going digital now and they care about prints more than ever before," said Raj Kapoor, co-founder of Snapfish, a 13-million-member online pioneer just snapped up by Hewlett-Packard Co., which dominates the ink jet photo-printer market.
Most digital prints are still made at home - 61 percent last year compared with 90 percent in 2000. But online photo services have been whittled down of late to a handful of big players (in the past week, UOL bought PhotoSite for $10 million and Ofoto was renamed Kodak EasyShare Gallery) and retailers look likely to re-emerge soon as the kings of printing - their digital orders tripled to 1.6 billion last year.

While electronic storage "is a great way" to share and save images, consumers need to be aware of the potential pitfalls, cautioned Walter Haug, a marketing manager at Fuji Photo Film Co.
Hard drives can crash, people sometimes misplace their CDs, media cards can become vulnerable," Haug said. "If you're relying strictly on digital methods, you may end up with a problem."

In 2003, a computer virus wiped out all 350 photos of Eisenberg's three-week honeymoon in Africa and the Maldives. Luckily, the New York City woman had uploaded them onto Snapfish.
But misfortune struck again in January. Snapfish issued dire warnings that Eisenberg's pictures would be deleted if she didn't fulfill her minimum obligation - order one 19-cent print a year. Instead of taking quick action, she spent weeks creating a honeymoon album. She was just about to order one when she went into labor. By the time Eisenberg returned home, the photos were gone - she thought for good. But a call to Snapfish in February turned up her treasured collection. Snapfish, it turns out, keeps deleted files for an extra month or so.
A grateful Eisenberg's advice to all: "Print early and often."

Nikon to release new range of digital SLR cameras

2005-04-01T08:07:00.000-08:00

Nikon to release new range of digital SLR cameras

By Paul Kallender, IDG News Service

Nikon Corp. is planning to release a new range of digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras, including a model called the D50, the company said Thursday.

Word of the D50's impending launch first emerged when it was discovered that a copy of the user's manual for the camera had recently been uploaded in error onto one of the company's Web sites. The manual was soon taken down.

"The user manual was uploaded in error and we can't tell you when the official announcement about the D50 will be made," said Susumu Enomoto, a spokesman for Nikon. However, he noted that the existence of a user manual for the D50 suggests the camera will go on sale in the not-too-distant future.

Nikon would not reveal any of the D50's specifications and features. But the D50 is one of several new digital SLR models that the company is planning to release following the success of the popular D70 model that went on sale in March 2004, Enomoto said.

"We are now developing a full range of new models from the top-end to popularly-priced models, but we can't say anything more now," he said.

Aimed at hobbyists and amateur photographers, digital SLRs are digital versions of 35-millimeter SLR film cameras and come with interchangeable lenses and camera bodies. They have advanced features found on professional-level film cameras and usually sell at a premium to point-and-click digital still cameras, although price differentials are narrowing, according to market research company IDC.

Nikon claims to have sold about 1 million D70s globally between March 2003 and this February, and this figure accounts for about 40 percent of the worldwide digital SLR market during that period, the company said.

Last year, global shipments of digital SLRs surpassed 2 million units, according to IDC. Global unit shipments of digital SLRs will grow to about 3.6 million units in 2005 and shipment numbers will double to about 6.6 million units in 2008, according to IDC predictions.

Disposable digital cameras new wave in photo industry

2005-03-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

Disposable digital cameras new wave in photo industry

By ERIN EDGEMON
edgemon@dnj.com

An award-winning photographer and MTSU professor says the next big revolution in the camera industry will be in the form of disposable digital cameras.

By this Christmas, Chris Harris, professor of electronic media communications at MTSU, expects companies like Kodak to be offering customers high-quality, disposable digital cameras that cost between $10 and $20.

"We are right on the cusp of everything moving forward by quantum leaps," he said. "What we have is a huge increase in technology."

Harris said it's the next logical step for the camera industry.

"New non-silicon-based chips are now being produced that will allow production costs to drop far below the expensive chip costs at the present time," he said.

Production costs of the new chips or memory cards may be as low as 50 cents, which would drastically reduce the price of even the most expensive digital cameras.

Currently, silicon-based chips used in digital cameras can cost as much as a third of the value of the digital camera, Harris said.

He said he expects an announcement of a new disposable digital camera hitting the market from industry giant Kodak will make news across the world.

"When Kodak speaks, they speak with a huge loudspeaker," he said.

Kodak made big news last year when the company announced it was going all digital and dropping its traditional film business. The company earns the majority of its money off making photo prints at photo-developing centers.

According to one report, 52 percent of households are expected to own a digital camera by the end of 2005. Harris said the introduction of cheap, high-quality disposable and non-disposable digital cameras could increase that percentage.

"At first consumers were scared of (digital cameras)," he said, but thanks to the digital music many people, especially the younger generation, enjoy, they are realizing "digital is just digital."

CVS Pharmacies is one of the first suppliers of the Pure Digital disposable camera, produced by Pure Digital Technologies, that entered the market last year. The camera, selling for $19.99, is being called the world's first truly digital one-time-use camera.

Local CVS stores received their first shipment of the cameras this week.

Rich Wallace, store manager of the CVS on Broad Street, said the Pure Digital camera allows the user to take 25 indoor or outdoor exposures. Users can view their pictures on a color preview screen located on the back of the camera, and users can delete the pictures they do not like before processing.

"At least this way you are guaranteed to get 25 good shots," Wallace said, adding that consumers receive a free photo CD with paid processing of their camera. The camera takes 4-by-6 inch photos at a resolution of 2-megapixels.

"It has taken the 35-millimeter disposable camera and made it a digital disposable camera," he said of Pure Digital.

Wallace said customers have yet to catch on to the new cameras since they just began carrying them this week, but he expects them to be really popular in the future.

Harris said if companies are already able to sell disposable digital cameras at around $20 that can produce pictures at a resolution of between 2-megapixels and 3.5-megapixels, then companies will be able to produce high-quality cameras at extremely low prices with the new non-silicon-based memory card.

Nikon Unveils New Technology

2005-03-26T13:16:00.000-08:00

The New Face of Photography: Nikon Unveils New Technology That Allows Its Cameras to Find a Face in a Portrait Shot
Thursday March 24, 8:00 am Est

MELVILLE, N.Y., March 24 /PRNewswire/ -- Common shooting situations have continued to pose unique challenges to casual snap-shooters, like avoiding dark pictures and blurred subjects in portraits. Nikon engineers dared to ask, 'How can we address these issues within the camera?' The answer is a new suite of Nikon technology designed specifically for the Coolpix line of digital cameras that includes the proprietary Face Priority Auto Focus (AF), In-Camera Red-Eye Fix and the new D-Lighting feature. These technologies work together in conjunction with the camera to make it easier than ever to capture great pictures. Face Priority Auto Focus Ensures Sharp Portraits Imagine a camera smart enough to find a face in a scene. Nikon's new Face- Priority AF can do just that when selected using the camera's Portrait Scene Mode. As its name suggests, Face-Priority AF uses technology transparent to the user to actually identify up to three faces within a scene and then sets the camera's focus point accordingly. The function even brackets the faces on the camera's LCD screen and tracks the faces if they move about during composition. With multiple faces, the camera will determine its focus points based on the closest subject within the shot. The bracket shows confirmation once focus is locked and then turns green to prompt the user to take the picture. The result is crisp, sharp portraits at the press of a single button. "Face Priority AF is a revolutionary step forward for the everyday snap shooter," said Bill Giordano, General Manager of Marketing for Nikon Inc. "This state-of-the-art technology, makes taking beautiful snap shots as easy as turning on the camera, framing the shot and pressing the shutter release. It's really that simple." In-Camera Red-Eye Fix Says Goodbye to Red Eye Beyond faces, most Nikon Coolpix cameras can automatically detect and remove red-eye directly within the camera with Nikon's exclusive In-Camera Red-Eye Fix(TM) technology. This elegant solution to common red-eye pictures detects and corrects red eyes in most typical situations without the need to press buttons or select and highlight the eyes in playback. Nikon's red-eye solution is completely transparent to the user and the result is simple - less red-eye photographs straight from the camera. D-Lighting Addresses and Eliminates Dark Photos Tricky lighting situations or insufficient flash can sometimes lead to dark photographs. Nikon's new D-Lighting function is a tool to fix problems that occur with excessive backlighting and underexposed images from affecting the quality of the resulting pictures. D-Lighting, selected in Playback, automatically compensates for insufficient flash or excessive back lighting in order to obtain a balanced exposure throughout the frame. After applying D-Lighting, the camera saves the original image and a corrected copy to the camera's internal or removable memory. An application of D-Lighting can literally turn a dark, throwaway shot into a frame-able memory. A combination of these exclusive and exciting new technologies are available on new Nikon Coolpix digital cameras including the Coolpix 4600, 5600, 5900, 7900 and S1. For more information, please visit http://www.nikondigital.com .
About Nikon
Nikon...If the picture matters, the camera matters(TM). Nikon Inc. is the world leader in precision optics, 35mm and digital imaging technology and is recognized worldwide for setting new standards in product design and performance for its award-winning consumer and professional photographic equipment. Nikon Inc. distributes the Nikon Total Imaging System of consumer and professional 35mm film and digital SLR cameras, Nikkor optics, Speedlights and System Accessories; Advanced Photo System cameras; 35mm compact cameras; Nikon Coolpix® compact digital cameras; Coolscan® digital film scanners; Nikonos® underwater photographic systems; and Nikon sports and recreational optics. Through the Nikon Spirit Initiative(TM), the company, plays an active role in supporting aspiring and advanced photographers through a variety of philanthropic organizations, educational programs, events and workshops. For more information, dial (800) NIKON-US or visit http://www.nikonusa.com , which links all levels of photographers to the web's most comprehensive photo learning and sharing communities.

Samsung's New 7 and 5 Megapixel Digital Cameras

2005-03-22T02:57:00.000-08:00

Zoran's COACH 7 Processor Powers Samsung's New 7 and 5 Megapixel Digital Cameras
Digital Cameras/Camcorders Just Announced
Tue 22 Mar 2005

SUNNYVALE, Calif., March 21 -- Zoran Corporation announced that its COACH 7 digital camera processor is powering Samsung's new Digimax V700 and Digimax U-CA 5 high quality, high performance digital camera models displayed recently at the Photo Marketing Association tradeshow in Orlando, Florida.

The new Digimax V700 delivers 7.1 megapixel high resolution images with enough high quality detail to print poster size. It comes with a 30x (3x optical, 10x digital) zoom with world renowned Schneider lens, high-speed shot capture and is equipped with a 2.0-inch LCD screen. The V700 supports MPEG-4 video recording of movie clips in VGA at 30 frames per second that can be played back on a television or PC. The movie capture feature supports Zoran's proprietary jitter stabilization technology, suppressing unwanted camera jitters. Additional features include manual shooting, scene selection, special effects, and a voice recording function among others.

The Digimax U-CA 5 is a 5.0 megapixel high resolution digital camera with a 15x (3x optical, 5x digital) zoom and it also supports a movie capture feature in VGA at 30 frames per second. This is the first digital camera to deliver the newly-developed SF (Safety Flash) technology, which enhances image clarity and color where there is an insufficient light source and the photographer does not want to use a flash. This feature disables the flash in low light settings and enhances the exposure for more natural photos in difficult light conditions.

"The new Digimax V700 and U-CA 5 digital cameras offer outstanding image resolution for photographers who want to print their high-quality digital photographs or capture video clips of fast action events," said Mr. B.D. Nam, Vice President of DSC development center at Samsung Techwin Co., LTD. "Zoran continues to work with us to deliver distinctive digital cameras that produce high quality images and enable the newest technology, such as Safety Flash image clarity, for consumers."

"This is the fifth generation of Digimax cameras that we have worked with Samsung to deliver to market. We are proud to be able to work with industry leader Samsung to deliver a new generation of high performance digital cameras that help digital photographers improve their photos while also allowing them to capture and preserve their own movie clips," said Ohad Meitav, senior director digital camera product line, Zoran's Mobile division.

Both the Digimax V700 and U-CA 5 digital cameras include USB 2.0 high speed for quick and easy transfers of the captured content and PictBridge for direct camera-printer connection, allowing photographers to print directly from the digital camera without the need for a personal computer.

In addition to the Digimax V700 and U-CA 5 models, Samsung is shipping multiple other new digital camera models based on Zoran's COACH processor.

THE DCR-PC55 MINI DV DIGITAL CAMCORDER

2005-03-21T02:48:00.000-08:00

THE DCR-PC55 MINI DV DIGITAL CAMCORDER
A very small cam that's great for carrying anywhere, anytime

By The Admiralty
I have to admit, I’m a total sucker when I see digital video cameras, especially if the brand name is Sony. I always know that Sony devices have high endurance, durability, performance, and are user-friendly.
Even I was unable to acquire my own digital video camera, I was very privileged enough to have the chance to review Sony’s newest baby in the Philippine market: the Sony DCR-PC55 Mini DV digital camcorder.
When the Technews editor told me that the DCR-PC55 is the unit I was going to review, I immediately did my homework. As I browsed through pictures of the DCR-PC55, I have to say that I didn't like the way it looked. But as they say, looks can be deceiving most of the time. When the unit arrived, I knew then that the DCR-PC55 looked better in the flesh.
General Features The DCR-PC55 features a flip-out 3" Touch Panel Hybrid LCD monitor with 560 x 220 pixels. The LCD display doubles as an "on-screen" touch panel, which allows navigation through the menu system by touching the LCD screen. The flip-out panel opens to a 90-degree angle from the left side of the camcorder. Once open, it can rotate up to 270 degrees. It can be rotated forward 180 degrees; then closed with the LCD screen facing outward. When rotated beyond 180 degrees the image inverts so it can be accurately seen from the front of the camcorder.
The camcorder has a 10x Optical Zoom for bringing a subject up close. It also features a 12x Precision Digital Zoom, to give a total zoom capability of 120x. The digital zoom can be set to 20x or 120x (combined optical and digital). Using Digital Zoom Interpolation technology, the extreme digital zooming is clearer and has less distortion than previous types of digital zoom. The power zoom lever can be moved slightly for a slow zoom, or moved further for a faster zoom.
The unit has a unique Handycam Station that provides quick and easy connections to a TV for viewing, to a VCR for recording, or to a PC for editing and sharing video. The Handycam Station has a DC input to charge the camcorder's battery. The unit also has i.Link, USB, and analog A/V jacks for connecting to other components.
The DCR-PC55 can record video in a MiniDV tape that delivers three times the color bandwidth. It can also take JPEG digital still images as well as moving images in MPEG and store the images in a Memory Stick. A 16MB Memory Stick Duo is included in the package, but MiniDV tapes are sold separately.

Camcorder Features
The unit can record and play back in SP or LP mode, with LP records running at 2/3 the speed of SP. Picture quality is the same at the lower speed, and this makes recording time longer. It can record and play audio in 12-bit and 16-bit PCM digital stereo modes. In 12-bit mode, there are two stereo audio tracks (stereo 1 and stereo 2) which enable audio dubbing and audio mixing. Tapes recorded in 16-bit mode are of higher audio quality.
The DCR-PC55 has a Super SteadyShot picture stabilization system that uses motion sensors to detect and compensate for unwanted camera vibration without compromising picture quality.
After recording and playing back a tape, just press the End Search button to have the camcorder fast forward; or rewind the tape and play the last 5 seconds of what has just been recorded. This feature makes it easy to find the end of the last scene that was recorded, and the user can start recording from where he left off.
The DCR-PC55 has a Picture Effect feature that allows digitally processed images during recording or playback to produce special effects. A user may choose from the following effects: Negative Art (the color of the picture is reversed), Sepia, Black and White, Solarize, Pastel (picture looks like a pastel drawing), and Mosaic.
And if a user, especially newbies, finds the functions too complicated there is always an Easy Handycam feature where most of the camera settings are automatically optimized. This allows even first time users to shoot great video footage.

Digital Still Camera Features
Aside from the standard MiniDV camcorder features, the DCR-PC55 includes a slot that accepts a Memory Stick Duo (a 16MB Memory Stick Duo is included in the package) to capture Digital Still photos in JPEG format and short video clips in MPEG format.
Still images are recorded in 640 x 480 pixels. You can select from two image quality modes, Standard and Fine. The number of storable images for a 16MB Memory Stick Duo is 240 images for Standard mode and 96 images for Fine mode.
Moving images are stored in the Memory Stick Duo in MPEG format, either in 320 x 240 or 160 x 112 image sizes. Unlike earlier MPEG1 compression that limits the length of the moving image "clip", Sony's MPEG Movie feature allows uninterrupted recording of MPEG movies up to the capacity of the available Memory Stick. The total recording time for moving pictures for a 16MB Memory Stick Duo is 10 minutes 40 seconds for images with sizes of 160 x 112; and 2 minutes 40 seconds for images with sizes of 320 x 240.
The pictures on the Memory Stick Duo can be played back one at a time or 6 images can be shown simultaneously by selecting the index screen. The moving picture clips stored in a Memory Stick are played back one at a time. It can also automatically play back images from the Memory Stick in sequence if the user chooses to play back all of the files, or files from a selected folder. The Slide Show Plus feature offers several enhancements to a standard slide show such as motion effect, fade from slide to slide, and Monotone (black and white).
The DCR-PC55 has PictBridge Printing capability. Using the USB cable and Handycam Station, it can connect the unit directly to a PictBridge compliant printer. PictBridge is a new standard that allows you to connect a PictBridge compliant camera directly to a PictBridge compliant printer and make prints.

The unit’s battery
The DCR-PC55 comes with a NP-FA50 InfoLithium battery. The battery can be charged at any time because unlike other types of batteries, Sony's rechargeable Lithium Ion batteries are not subject to a life shortening "memory effect". At the touch of a button, battery information is displayed on the LCD screen during charging. The display will also show the remaining battery charge and the recording time left.
What we can say about it
The DCR-PC55 is in a class by itself! It slips easily into a pocket and uses its Carl Zeiss® Vario-Tessar® lens to capture digital video footage. Plus, it can be used to shoot digital photos and video clips sized for e-mail.
All in all, Technews finds Sony’s new baby, a great little camera. The small size means you can bring it with you wherever you go. It's great for the occasional user or for people who bring it with them to record interesting things as they happen. With its cool looks and small size, the DCR-PC55 is the perfect accessory for filming on the go!

Konica Minolta Shows Off New Lenses

2005-03-16T00:53:00.000-08:00

Konica Minolta Shows Off New Lenses

By David Schloss

Press Release:

KONICA MINOLTA ANNOUNCES DEVELOPMENT OF THREE NEW "DT"INTERCHANGEABLE LENSES DESIGNED FOR THE MAXXUM 7D DIGITAL SLR CAMERA

Konica Minolta AF DT ZOOM 18-70mm F3.5-5.6(D), AF DT ZOOM 11-18mm F4.5-5.6 (D), and AF DT ZOOM 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 (D) lenses will be available in the fall of 2005

Mahwah, NY (March 10, 2005) – Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc., announces the development of three new "DT"lenses – interchangeable Digital technology (DT) lenses designed for the Maxxum Series digital SLR cameras, including the Maxxum 7D. These new zoom lenses will expand the lineup of Konica Minolta interchangeable lenses for Maxxum Series cameras. The DT Lenses employ a new optical system that is specifically designed for digital SLR cameras, including the Maxxum 7D, which incorporate an APS-C size CCD image sensor. Plans are to launch these Digital Technology (DT) Lenses worldwide in the summer/fall of 2005.

Developing interchangeable lenses for digital SLR cameras with an optical system optimized for the popular Maxxum 7D, meets the needs of users who would prefer to take ultra-wide-angle pictures, users who would like to take pictures with a compact standard zoom, and users who would like to easily take telephoto shots without changing the lens.

"Today’s digital photographers require the same versatility and high quality images that they’ve come to expect with their Maxxum 35mm cameras in the past,"said Todd Schrader, vice president of marketing for Konica Minolta Photo Imaging U.S.A., Inc. "The announcement of these new DT lenses sends a strong message to photographers everywhere that Konica Minolta recognizes the importance of the Maxxum 7D SLR as a central building block for their digital camera systems."

Konica Minolta is committed to developing interchangeable lenses for the Maxxum Series based on the following principles:

1) To establish a lens lineup that covers both APS-C and 35mm formats.
Konica Minolta will develop both wide-angle lenses for APS-C size digital and conventional 35mm format lenses so as to meet wide variety of consumers’ needs.

2) Develop lenses with unique features
-- Konica Minolta will develop lenses incorporating such features as seen in the large aperture "G lenses"and the innovative "STF"lens.
-- With its unique body-integral Anti-Shake function, Konica Minolta will develop a variety of lenses which enable users to expand their photo-shooting opportunities.　　　　
　　　　　　　　　　　　　
3) Always stay on the leading edge of researching and developing new technologies.
Research and develop new technologies such as noiseless activator drives incorporating new principles of operation.

Product Highlights of the new Maxxum DT Lenses

Delivers high performance owing to the optical system specially designed to correspond to the characteristics of digital SLR cameras.
Gains an anti-shake blur correction effect-- with a shutter speed 2 - 3 steps slower when used with the Konica Minolta Maxxum 7D.
Enables high precision ADI (Advanced Digital Integration) flash metering when mounted on the Maxxum 7D by incorporating a distance encoder (distance information internally provided in lens).
Beautiful defocused images thanks to a circular aperture. Using a round aperture not only ensures extremely sharp photos but even allows the defocused areas to show smooth gradations that depict natural scenes perfectly.
-- Anti-shake picture blur correction effect amount varies with shooting conditions

Konica Minolta will continue to develop digital SLR camera bodies and interchangeable lenses, and sequentially upgrade systems.

Note 1: Optics have been optimized for a small diameter image circle in order to work with the APS-C size CCD, therefore the lenses cannot be used with 35mm AF SLR film cameras.
Note 2: Product name has been tentatively named for this release, with the final name to be announced at later date.

Kyocera to drop its digital cameras

2005-03-13T14:02:00.000-08:00

[World News]: TOKYO, March 10 : Japanese manufacturer Kyocera Corp.has decided to pull out of digital camera production this year, Channel NewsAsia reported Thursday.

It will be the first major Japanese manufacturer to leave the digital camera market.A company spokesman said Kyocera will probably end its digital camera production by summer, as the company restructures its optical and precision equipment business.

The company is planning to shift operations to such segments as camera modules used in cellular phones.Although digital camera sales are growing, a fierce price war is keeping profits down.

Kyocera may continue to supply some digital cameras to the overseas market, the spokesman said, but a concrete strategy has yet to be drawn up.

- -- Copyright 2005 by United Press International.