Archive for March, 2007
Shoot digital video on a budget
Indianapolis Star, IN
Kim Komando, Gannett News Service
Maybe you are just getting started with digital video. Or maybe you’re looking for an inexpensive camcorder your children can use. If so, you’ll find a number of options that won’t break the bank.
Digital camcorders are coming down in price. You don’t have to break the bank to get good video. If you want nice video and decent features, figure on spending at least $200.
However, you can do this for less. You can find a camcorder for about $100. True, video quality will be limited. But your videos will be suitable for sharing via e-mail. And they’ll be ideal for posting to sites like YouTube.
It all depends on what you want to pay. So here are some ideas for you penny-pinchers:
Digital cameras
The simplest solution might be right under your nose. Do you already own a point-and-shoot digital camera? Most feature a video mode. So check your camera’s settings to see if it records video.
Capturing video is probably as simple as turning the dial to video mode. Then, press the shutter release to begin recording. The camera will have a built-in microphone for audio.
Some digital cameras require high-speed memory cards for video. With faster cards, frames won’t be dropped. This means video quality will be smoother. If you’re having difficulty taking video, this could be the problem. Consult the manual for more details.
Furthermore, you can use the optical zoom to get closer to your subject. Pocket digital camcorders
Many manufacturers make small digital camcorders. These are the size of a compact digital camera - or smaller. They’re designed to slip into your pocket for easy portability.
Unlike traditional camcorders, pocket digital camcorders don’t use tapes. Rather, they rely on memory cards to record footage.
You can transfer the video to your computer via an included cord. Or simply slip the memory card into a card reader.
Like other camcorders, you’ll find pocket digital camcorders at varying prices. High-end, high-definition models can run $500 or more.
You’ll find low-end models for about $100. For example, I’ve seen Aiptek’s DV5900 online for under $100.
Before you buy one of these camcorders, read online reviews. And try them out in the store. Make sure you’re happy with the quality of the video. If not, the camcorder is no bargain.
Pure Digital Point & Shoot
About a year ago, Pure Digital raised some eyebrows with its disposable camcorder. It records 20 minutes of video with audio. You return it to the drugstore to get a DVD containing your video.
Pure Digital also makes a reusable camcorder. The Point & Shoot Camcorder is available in 30-minute and 60-minute models. They run $130 and $170, respectively.
These camcorders use AA batteries. With only a few buttons, they resemble an Apple iPod. Because they don’t have complicated settings, they’re ideal for children. My 6-year-old son loves his.
Transferring your videos to the computer is a snap. The camcorder has a USB connector built in. Simply flip out the USB arm and connect it to your computer.
The Point & Shoot Camcorder does not have an expansion slot for more memory. So you’re limited to the built-in memory.
RCA has licensed the technology. It offers the RCA Small Wonder for the same price.
Kim Komando’s nationally syndicated radio show is working with the military to provide U.S. soldiers in Iraq with necessities to make their tours of duty more comfortable. Find out more at www.komando.com/operationkomando.
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March 30th, 2007
28-03-2007: Nikon says to beat high-end digital camera target
The Edge Daily, Malaysia
Email us your feedback at fd@bizedge.com
Japan’s Nikon Corp will beat its digital single-lens reflex camera and interchangeable lens shipment targets for the business year ending this month, the head of its camera unit said on March 28.
Makoto Kimura also told Reuters in an interview that the company expected double-digit digital SLR shipment growth in the next year starting in April. Nikon’s main competitor in the high-end camera market is Canon Inc.
Nikon has said it expects to ship 8.55 million digital cameras in the year ending March, up from 8.45 million units it sold a year earlier.
That includes the expected shipment of 2.05 million digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) models geared for advanced amateurs and professional photographers. Its DSLR shipments a year earlier were 1.34 million units.
Kimura said Nikon was on track to beat its digital SLR target for 2006/07. - Reuters
March 29th, 2007
Digital Camera News: Adobe Photoshop CS3 Rolled Out, Think Tank Photo Intros 23 New Camera Bags
Digital Camera Reviews, OH
Adobe Photoshop CS3
Today, Adobe rolled out two editions, the Adobe Photoshop CS3 major upgrade and new Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended. The new “Extended” version has all of the features of the standard Photoshop CS3, but has additional features for “3-D, motion graphics, image measurement and analysis”.
Both editions are available as stand-alone programs or along with the Creative Suite 3 family of products.
Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop CS3 Extended will start shipping in April 2007 at estimated street prices of $649 and $999, respectively.
For more information, see: www.adobe.com/go/photoshop
Think Tank Photo Camera Bags
Think Tank Photo announced 23 new camera bags, the highlights of which are the Urban Disguise line, a line of Digital Holsters, Airport Ultralight, and the Change Up bags. In addition, Think Tank Photo is announcing that they’ll be contributing a portion of the proceeds from sales of their Urban Disguise bags to Reporters Without Borders, an organization that fights for press freedom.
The Urban Disguise line of camera bags is designed specifically to not look like a camera bag. They’re created to minimize how the sometimes several thousand dollar investment can stick out like a sore thumb. There are six sizes, ranging from the Urban Disguise 10 which can hold a compact SLR with attached lens and 1-2 lenses with a hood attached, up to the Urbain Disguise 60 that can handle multiple SLRs, lenses and a 15-17″ laptop.
The Digital Holster line is for people who only need to carry one camera with them. There are five sizes available and they all have a “pop down” bottom to handle different lens lengths. The smallest model (Digital Holster 10) is meant for entry-level and compact SLRs. The largest model (Digital Holster 50) can handle pro-size SLRs (like the Nikon D2Xs or Canon EOS -D Mark series) with a 70-200mm lens. An optional harness allows the holster to be carried on the chest for easy access.
The Airport Ultralight is a lightweight, but protective backpack designed to work with rolling cases. It’s small enough to fit in overhead compartments on small aircraft, but it can handle multiple SLRs and lenses (depending on how things are configured).
The Change Up bag can be used as a waist pack, shoulder bag, or can be used with a chest harness. It has a removable padded insert, stretchable side pockets, a rail system for Modulus components and an included rain cover.
March 28th, 2007
MediaTek buys into digital camera IC design
EMSNow (press release), UK
Mar 26, 2007
Director board of MediaTek Inc., Taiwan’s most profitable fabless house, recently passed a motion to acquire a 69% stake in U.S. digital-camera chip vendor NuCORE Technology Inc. through stock swap.
Taiwanese industry watchers expected the acquisition to make MediaTek a rising threat to existing digital-camera chip designers including Sunplus Technology Co., Ltd. of Taiwan and Zoran Corp. of the United States.
MediaTek will take over NuCORE’s digital-camera IC customers and its intellectual properties for the chips as soon as the US$37 million stock exchange is completed on July 20 this year. Industry watchers forecast the acquisition to allow MediaTek to diversify into the digital-camera IC sector and will likely contribute 5% of MediaTek’s annual revenue.
Digital-camera IC will go along with media-storage IC, DVD-player IC, cellphone IC, and digital-TV IC as MediaTek’s five major revenue earners. The company began business with media-storage IC for personal computers and has become the world’s No.1 supplier of the chips. Also, it has emerged as a heavyweight supplier of middle- and low-end cellphone chips in less than five years after diversifying into the segment. The company is pursuing the goal of becoming the world’s NO.1 supplier of digital-TV chips.
March 27th, 2007
Leica Announces C-Lux 2 Digital Camera
CameraTown.Com (press release), NH
March 25, 2007 — Leica this month has announced the ultra compact LEICA C-LUX 2 Digital Camera in either black or silver metal body. Measuring only 3.5″x2.0″, the C-LUX 2 fits into the smallest of pockets yet features a wide-angle 28mm zoom lens, 7.2-megapixel image sensor, a large 2.5″ color LCD display, as well as optical image stabilization and intelligent exposure control to help prevent camera shake and ensure optimum detail.
The extra large 2.5″ display, the image stabilization and short shutter delay of the LEICA C-LUX 2 all guarantee carefree photography with high-quality results. Fast, discreet snapshots captured on the fly, or pictureperfect compositions at twilight or in other tricky conditions – everything is possible with the LEICA C-LUX 2. The VARIO-ELMARIT zoom lens retracts entirely into the camera body at the flick of the ‘off’ switch. Whether you’e a partygoer, beachcomber, city stroller or nature lover, the LEICA C-LUX 2 is always a dependable companion - any time, any place, you’ll never miss another photo op.
Specifications
Image Sensor: 1/2.5″ CCD with 7.38 million pixels (7.2m pixels effective in 4:3 format)
4:3 Resolution: 3072 x 2304, 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200
16:9 Resolution: 3072 x 1728, 1920 x 1080 (corresponds to hDTV standard)
Video Sequences: In 16:9 format with 848×480 pixels, in 4:3 format with 640×480 pixels or in 4:3 format with 320×240 pixels at either 30fps or 10fps, duration of recording limited by the capacity of the memory card. Recording with sound.
File formats: JPEG (Fine/Standard), Video QuickTime Motion JPEG
Storage Media: SDHC memory card, SD memory card and Multimedia card
Standard Memory: 64MB is supplied with the camera
ISO Settings: Auto, Intelligent ISO, Manual (100, 200, 400, 800, 1250) or 3200 (in high sensitivity mode)
White Balance: Automatic, Daylight, Overcast Sky, Haolgen Light, Manual Setting, Fine admustment of white balance in a range of -1500k to +1500k in 150 k steps (not available for auto settings)
Lens: LEICA DC VARI-ELMARIT f/2.8 - 5.6 / 4.6 - 16.4mm ASPH (28-100mm is the 35mm equivalent). 3.6x optical zoom.
Optical Image Stabilizer: 2 modes: either for exposure only or for monitor image and exposure
Focus Range: Normal: 50 cm (20 in) - Infinity, Macro/Smple/Motion Picture : wide-angle 5cm (2 in.) / telephoto 30cm (12 in.) - Infinity
Focusing: Autofocu, either normal or macro. Multi-field metering, Exposure bracketing +/- 2 EV in 1/3 EV steps
Shooting rate: 3fps or 2fps at full resolution. Max 7 pictures with JPEG standard, max 5 pictures with JPEG fine
Shutter Speeds: 8 - 1/2000s. Starry sky mode: 15, 30, 60s. Video mode: 1/30s - 1/6400s
Flash: Auto with or without pre-flash (to reduce red-eye), manual flash, fill flash, slow sync flash. Flash range 0.6 - 5.0 m (wide), 0.3 - 2.0m (telephoto), and high sensitivity mode: 0.8 - 5.7 m (wide angle), 0.8 - 2.8m (telephoto) with ISO set to Auto.
Scene modes: Portrait, Soft Skin, Landscape, Sport, Night Portrait, Night Landscape, Starry Sky, Fireworks, Food, Party, Candlelight, Baby 1, Baby 2, Pets, Sunset, High Sensitivity, Beach, Snow, Aerial, Underwater.
LCD Monitor: 2.5″ polycrystalline TFT color display with 207,000 pixels. Field of view: almost 100 Power LCD mode, wide-angle viewing modes
Live Histrogram: yes
Printer Compatibility: PictBridge
Ports: USB 2.0, DC in, and AV Out
Battery capacity: 300 frames (CIPA Standard)
Dimensions (wxhxd): 3.7 x 2.0x 9.0 inches
Weight: 4.6 ounces without battery and memory card. 5.4 oz with.
Includes: Battery charger, battery, 64MB SD memory card, AV cable, AC cable, wrist strap, CD-ROM with software (Adobe Photoshop Elements 3/4/5, Quicktime Movieplayer)
March 26th, 2007
$19 digital camera is just fine for tykes
Disney’s low-end Pix Micro will keep them amused long enough
12:00 AM CDT on Friday, March 23, 2007
Dallas Morning News (subscription), TX
By VICTOR GODINEZ / The Dallas Morning News
vgodinez@dallasnews.com
Easy Bake Ovens and Lincoln Logs just don’t cut it with kids these days.
But if you’re not quite ready to buy your tot a Treo or PlayStation 3, Disney’s new Pix Micro Digital Camera might keep them amused for a little while.
This is about the most low-end digital camera you’ll ever find, and the software is astoundingly clunky for a gadget aimed at youngsters, but the device will suffice for children who just want to e-mail goofy playground pics to each other.
Taking pictures is a breeze.
Just pop in a AAA battery (not included, which isn’t a surprise with a $19 product) and start clicking the shutter button.
There’s no LCD display, just a viewfinder.
The camera is so tiny that it’s easy for grown-ups to accidentally cover the lens, but smaller fingers should do OK.
The only readout is a picture counter.
After 24 shots, the camera beeps, and it’s time to download or delete the photos.
Unfortunately, you can only delete either the last picture you took or all the pictures on the camera.
So let’s install the software and look at our snapshots!
Not so fast.
The device plugs into your computer with a bundled USB cable, but your PC won’t recognize it as a standard USB drive.
So you have to install drivers for your camera, software to download the photos from the camera to your computer, and Disney-brand photo editing software.
Ugh.
Not only does it take forever for all the software to install, but you have to reboot your computer before it will work.
Whatever happened to plug and play?
Anyway, once you get everything running, it’s time to peruse your creations. The ones you can actually see, that is.
If your subject isn’t flooded with light (the camera doesn’t include a flash), the picture will come out completely black.
A steady hand is also helpful.
In fact, the manual recommends that you “take lots of pictures to increase your chance of capturing just the right shot.”
But!
Once you’ve mastered the finer arts of the Pix Micro, you can get shots that would be acceptable for e-mailing to a friend, for example, or posting on a Web site.
And if the camera gets chewed on by the dog or run over by a lawn mower, well, it’s just 19 bucks.
Disney does offer two slightly more upscale models of digital cameras for kids.
The Pix Click Digital Camera ($49) includes a color LCD screen, 200-picture memory capacity and a flash.
The Pix Max camera ($79) is a 3-megapixel device with a 1.5-inch screen, flash and a memory card slot.
Frankly, either of those models will probably be more appealing to any kid over the age of 5 or 6, although I didn’t have a chance to test them.
But I have to admit, for all its shortcomings, my 3-year-old son had a blast running around with the Pix Micro, shooting everything in sight.
Even if that meant we ended up with a lot of photos of our floor.
Pros: Small, light, durable. Available with a variety of Disney characters on the outer case. Photos shot in good lighting with a steady hand look fine for online use.
Cons: Software installation is a pain. Photo quality is definitely not suitable for printing. Replacing the battery deletes all the pictures on the camera.
Bottom line: A fun, disposable electronic toy for young kids. Older kids can graduate to the more advanced models.
March 23rd, 2007
U.S. Camera Accessories Market To Hit $1 Billion
Dealerscope, PA
The camera accessories aftermarket in the U.S. is expected to peak at $1 billion in 2008, despite some price erosion, according to a new report by Understanding & Solutions. Combined camera accessory sales in the U.S. and Western Europe are currently $1.7 billion.
“Although we’re actually seeing a slowdown in the number of digital cameras being sold across Western Europe and the States, with eight percent growth last year and a projected two percent decline in 2007, camera vendors’ and retailers’ future profits will be bolstered by targeting the accessories market,” said David Watkins, Research Analyst with Understanding & Solutions.
The report focuses on the top five camera accessories: lenses, bags, flashguns, supports and dedicated camera batteries. The popularity of digital SLR cameras has been a boon to the accessories market. An average of $260 is spent on accessories for each digital SLR camera, compared to just $2.38 for each digital compact camera. Digital SLR accessories accounted for more than 80 percent of total camera accessory revenue last year. That revenue is expected to rise to 90 percent by 2011.
“In trade value terms, the total accessories aftermarket last year was worth $1.7 billion (€1.4 billion) in Western Europe and the USA combined and we expect the market to peak in 2008 in the USA at $1billion (€800 million) and 2009 in Western Europe at $1.3 billion (€1.1 billion).”
Lenses are taking a leading role in the boom, accounting for $878 million last year, up from $600 million in 2005. Understanding and Solutions expects lenses to remain the most lucrative product segment and will account for almost 60 percent of the total aftermarket value by 2011.
Camera bags are also driving sales, with 22 million shipped in the U.S. and Western Europe last year, representing nearly 30 percent of the total accessory market. The less profitable compact camera pouch market accounted for more than 80 percent of bag sales. Sales of Digital SLR bags, however, rose more than 50%, reflecting the growth of Digital SLR cameras and the need for cases to protect a high-value investment, even though unit prices are falling.
The camera dedicated battery market the U.S. and Western Europe grew eight percent in 2006, reaching 47 million units. Flashgun shipments topped the million mark, with 1.1 million shipped, totaling sales of $185 million. Early adopters have helped to drive initial growth in the market as high prices kept this a niche product. But prices are falling and, when combined with an increasing installed base of digital-SLR cameras, will continue to drive grow until 2008.
Tripods and monopods have traditionally sold to professional and high-end enthusiast digital SLR users, but aggressively priced retailer own branded products are now driving sales to a wider user base. Over 1 million digital camera supports were shipped in 2006, representing 52% growth from 2005. Understanding & Solutions research shows the market will expand further over the coming years, peaking in 2009 at 1.6 million units.
More than 90 percent of high-end accessories are sold through photo specialists. But the high margins, typically 30 to 40 percent) those products generate have lured more mass merchant retailers and etailers into the game. Mass are branching out into the digital-SLR and accessory markets, with brands such as Canon, Nikon and Olympus becoming increasingly visible within that channel.
March 22nd, 2007
Kodak EasyShare V803 - digital camera
CNET Reviews
CNET editors’ review
Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
Reviewed on 3/20/07 Release date: 1/15/07
We don’t say this enough, but when it comes to gadgets, substance trumps style. Even if a gadget is pretty and stylish, it’s worthless if it doesn’t do what’s intended. Sure, Kodak’s EasyShare V803 might be pretty and stylish. Unfortunately it’s also a very poor digital camera.
Despite its fat, candy bar shape, the V803’s smooth curves and array of colors make it quite comely. Unfortunately, the camera’s sleek design makes for an uncomfortable control scheme. A handful of tiny rectangular buttons strewn across the top and left side of the camera back access the V803’s different modes and menus. The buttons feel unresponsive and are placed so that you have to use two hands while operating the camera, and we had a hard time trying to distinguish between them by touch. Also, you have to use a small, awkward-to-manipulate joystick to navigate the camera’s various settings and menus. In our field tests, it often mistranslated directional taps and button pushes for each other.
Besides its colorful, curvy body, the V803 doesn’t have any unique or notable features. The 8-megapixel camera uses a 36mm to 108mm-equivalent 3X optical zoom lens, and features a 2.5-inch LCD screen. Besides those main features, the camera has onboard image editing features with Kodak’s “Perfect Touch Technology,” as well as the standard array of scene presets and modes. We were pleased to see what Kodak calls the Maintain Settings mode, which saves your preferences for settings such as ISO, white balance, flash, and pixel resolution, so you don’t have to reset them each time you turn your camera on, as you had to with some previous Kodak models.
The V803 performed reasonably well, though it takes far too long to start up. After a 4.3-second wait from power-on to first shot, we managed to take new photos every 1.4 seconds thereafter. With the onboard flash enabled, that wait increased to 3 seconds. The shutter was acceptably responsive, lagging 0.6 seconds with our high-contrast target and 1.6 seconds with our low-contrast target. The camera’s burst mode only takes four shots at a time. In our tests it snapped them over 1.9 seconds for a respectable rate of 2.1 frames per second.
Noise and artifacts plagued the V803’s images, softening and obscuring fine details. Photos shot at settings as low as ISO 400 displayed notable amounts of grain, which only grew worse at higher ISO settings. At ISO 1600, static-like speckles completely covered the image, softening all but the largest and most prominent details and rendering it almost completely unusable.
It’s telling that the second paragraph of Kodak’s press release for the V803 starts with a quote from chief marketing officer Pierre Schaeffer rather than a product manager or engineer. “As consumers look for more ways to expand their picture taking experience, the Kodak EasyShare 10- and 8-megapixel digital cameras make it fun to personalize the camera look and feel,” said Schaeffer. Unfortunately, the same company that ushered in color photography with Kodachrome now seems more interested in the color of the cameras than the technology inside them and the usability of their design. Unless you plan on making very large prints, you’d be better off sacrificing a megapixel and buying something such as Canon’s PowerShot A560. Its images might still be noisy at high ISOs, but its controls are easier to use and it doesn’t take forever to start up.
March 21st, 2007
Aigo DC-V780 Digital Camera Measures 2.2cm Thick
Mobile Magazine
Who likes skinny cameras? Aigo is joining the ultra slim party with their latest offering, the 7.1 megapixel DC-V780, a digicam that’s thin in the waist (2.2cm) but reasonably thick in terms of features. Although the metallic body — reminiscent of the Canon Digital Elph series — is quite compact, they’ve managed to fill nearly all of the back with a 2.5-inch color TFT LCD.
It apparently comes with some sort of image stabilization, ISO 1000 high sensitivity, multi-spot focusing, 18 scene capture settings, and the ability to record VGA video at 30fps with sound. They didn’t say specifically, but my best guess is that it takes SD cards.
I’m actually in the market for a nice portable camera like this. Aigo, want to send me a review unit?
March 20th, 2007
FIRST LOOK: Olympus Stylus 1000
Digit Magazine, UK
Thursday 15 Mar 2007 - 09:19
Olympus’s Stylus 1000 (US$350 as of February 15, 2007) is one of a handful of weather-resistant digital cameras built for times when things get a little damp. But while the Stylus 1000 is an all-weather model, it’s not waterproof, so don’t take it snorkeling. Nevertheless, it is durable; and at less than 1 inch thick, it fits easily into a shirt pocket.
The Stylus 1000 offers software-based image stabilization for sharpening blurry shots, and its 10-megapixel sensor delivers a level of resolution that will let you make extreme crops of your images
Less-experienced shooters may like the unusual help system, which does more than offer photography tips. Put the scene-mode dial in the Guide position, and a list of challenging shooting scenarios appears on the screen; pick one and the camera automatically selects the best settings for it. Combined with the camera’s 20 scene modes, that’s close to an excess of help. By the time you decide which mode to use, the shot could be gone. Also, it’s a bit odd that the Sports scene mode won’t permit you to use continuous shooting, especially since you can select this in Program mode.
In tests carried out by PC World, Digit’s sister title, the Stylus 1000 earned top-notch image-quality scores, compared to other recently reviewed point-and-shoots. Those results were confirmed by my shots taken out in the field, which had fine sharpness and accurate, nicely saturated colors. This development is a pleasant surprise, because earlier Stylus models weren’t known for great image quality.
Like many other point-and-shoots, the Stylus 1000 offers in-camera red-eye reduction. More unusual is the Stylus 1000’s image sharpening and lighting fix, which you can apply to photos you’ve already taken. Based on my tests, the former is marginally helpful for slightly blurry photos. The latter seems more useful; it brought out some dark background details in my flash photo.
When shooting in low light, you can select ISO settings of up to 6400 (most point-and-shoot cameras stop at ISO 400 or ISO 800). As you’d expect, shots taken at higher ISO settings suffer increasingly from digital noise, but at least you can take shots in low light without having to use the flash. There is one limitation, however: At ISO 3200 and ISO 6400, the camera restricts image resolution to 2048 by 1536 (about 3.1 megapixels), versus the 3648-by-2736-pixel resolution available at lower ISO settings.
Overall, the Stylus 1000’s controls are easy to use. A simple mode dial lets you switch between automatic still shots, scene modes, the Guide, Movie mode, and playback. A function button – similar to the ones found on Canon models –launches a menu for changing metering, white balance, and ISO settings. You also choose between Program and full Automatic modes in a menu – a less-convenient arrangement than if both were included on the mode dial, as they are on most other digital cameras.
I have two major gripes with the Stylus 1000: First, the LCD is nearly impossible to use in bright sunlight, a drawback exacerbated by the absence of any viewfinder to fall back on in framing your shots. Second, the camera’s Digital Image Stabilization (or antishake system) works by boosting the ISO and the shutter speed. This will help keep photos sharp – especially with moving subjects – but it risks adding a noticeable amount of digital noise to your shots.
Overall, the Stylus is a good camera, especially if you love to take pictures in inclement conditions. Ironically, the camera may be hardest to use in clear weather.
Tracey Capen
March 16th, 2007
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